Langley Bird Brochure Published

Langley Field Naturalists bird brochure takes flight

Brochure features 54 birds that can be viewed in Langley, from owls to American Goldfinches

       Langley Times

    by Monique Tamminga

   All photos John Gordon

After lots of hard work, the Langley Field Naturalists are ready to launch a brand new bird brochure. The colourful brochure features images of 54 birds that can be viewed in our local surroundings.

From robins, owls and chickadees to hummingbirds and the American goldfinch, B.C. has many fine-feathered friends to see.

“It’s really exciting because the brochure features birds that you can find right here in Langley,” said LFN member Lilianne Fuller.

“We are putting the brochures in local schools first. 

“Why not start kids off early?

Nashville Warbler (Brydon Lagoon)

“Birding gets them outside in nature and becoming more aware of their surroundings. Birding can happen in nature and even from an apartment balcony.”

The brochure was made possible because of grants received from BC Nature, the BC Naturalists Foundation, the City of Langley and VanCity.

Though the brochure is appropriate for every age and expertise in birding, the club is focusing its efforts on Langley’s youth.

Because one of the grants was from the City of Langley, the Langley Field Naturalists are making the brochures available to Langley City’s elementary schools first

“Many young people are using every technological device available to further their understanding of birds.

“Many … are following through to university and studying the natural sciences,” said LFN member John Gordon, an avid birder and retired photojournalist whose blog can be found at thecanadianwarbler.blogspot.ca.

“I know several such young people; they never cease to amaze us. 

“They will be the guardians of the legacy left by those who fought so hard to preserve what’s left of natural spaces in the Lower Mainland. 

“Birding is a gateway hobby to a lifetime of learning, so if groups like the LFN can, through their Young Naturalists program, encourage youngsters to enjoy the outdoors, then that’s all good.”

                                                                                                                                                         

                                Isabelle and Caroline Kovacs check out the new Langley bird guide.                        John Gordon Photo

As Gordon notes, “Birds are the proverbial canary in the coal mine. 

“When we see a 70 per cent decline in some species we also see a decline in insects like bees … that affects all of us.”

Birding is an ever increasingly popular hobby for all ages.

Many from LFN contributed photographs to the brochure, said Gordon.

In addition to distributing the brochure to schools, they will be made available at local libraries, recreation centres and at local community events. 

To request copies of the brochure, contact the club by email at langleyfieldnaturalists@shaw.ca. or contact Lilianne Fuller at 604-533-0638.

Orange-crowned Warbler (Brydon Lagoon)

I have added my photos from Brydon Lagoon and trail system as the Langley Times just didn't have the space.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale

BC Canada

Brydon Lagoon Location #2

 May 30/2017

Location #2

 Brydon Lagoon

 Langley City BC Canada

When on assignment for the Langley Times I would often visit Brydon Lagoon. Sometimes, when it was a slow news day I would go down just to get some cute shot for the front page. No editor I ever worked for could resist a cute photo of a duckling or gosling. 

On one such occasion it was for a story about the gate keepers of the pond, the people who made sure the old water treatment pond eventually became a wildlife reserve and not just another faceless subdivision.

People like Anthea Farr and Rhys Griffiths and other members of The Langley Field Naturalists.

I shot this image at Brydon so I could add copy and images later.

Not exactly a Pulitzer Prize winning shot but....

Below is the photo page that eventually ran in the Langley Times and Sideroads, a monthly magazine published by Black Press which often allowed me a free-reign to run nature stories.

**Notice how I left negative space to include a title or more pictures. Often it is best to shoot both vertical and horizontal images for publication.

The Finished Product

The finished product made in ©InDesign and ©Photoshop

In those days I saw many species of birds at Brydon but I never gave a thought to their names or how they played an important role in the bio-diversity of the park.

The more I visited the more I learnt about the birds of Brydon. Not only is there a pond and  floodplain but several wooded areas and a salmon bearing creek. Coyotes, Beaver, Northern River Otter and Muskrat all make their homes there and can occasionally be seen early in the mornings.

****

I sometimes go for a walk and leave my DSLR at home. Instead I take my Nikon 24mm-2000mm P900 bridge camera just in case I find something interesting. A few days ago I was on my last circuit of the pond before making my way home when a Green Heron perched about fifty metres in front of me. It was getting dark so I set the camera on aperture priority and hoped that the bird wouldn't move too much. I shot it handheld at 2000mm. I squeezed the camera tightly, held my breath and pressed the shutter. Bingo!

Green Heron

Sometimes it feels good not to be laden down with ANY gear when all I really want to do is spend some time with the birds. I always feel a little 'naked' without some kind of recording device so I carry a 8 megapixel iPhone 5s in my pocket ...just in case. The phone comes in very useful for sound recording and the odd scenic that I include in my side presentations. 

***

The image below was taken moments later during the last light of the day. Unlike the picture above this one has a more an artistic feel to it, at least that's my humble opinion!

I pressed the shutter when the bird was motionless. I have at least twenty other images in which the heron was moving and all have motion blur.

The background is the sky's reflection while the other shot of the heron has trees reflected in the water.

******

Sometimes human intervention is needed to find birds at Brydon. One such day was May 19 when local birded Sue Dietlein (Coastal Observer) spotted a Lark Sparrow. The Lark Sparrow is more often associated with a drier climate.

I went down to Brydon in fading light with high hopes and managed to get this shot. Rather than crop too tightly I tried to leave a little of the dry grassy area the bird favoured, the same type of habitat it is normally found. I have seen the species in the Okanagan and at Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta but never in the Lower Mainland.

Lark Sparrow.

One of the keys to enjoying the birding experience is getting out in the field. I go most mornings before appointments and other commitments, sometimes I'll go for an hour in the evening.

One morning I went down at 7 a.m and was one of only two people at the pond. Nothing too much was stirring just a few Common Yellowthroats and Orange-crowned Warblers. Barn, Tree and Northern-rough-wing perched above me resting waiting for the sun to warm the air.

While a bald eagle swooped over the pond it sent every duck and duckling scurrying for shelter. A Green Heron also took flight,. The Bald Eagle re-appeared but this time a with an Osprey in tow, a bird I had never seen at Brydon although another birder told me they appear every June for a few days. There lies the crux of the matter, to see good birds and lots of them, a person has to be in the field. 

Parting Shot

Bushtit 

Brydon Lagoon is very near to my home I walk the trails most days for exercise and mental health. I spend time listening to birds, absorbing the sights, sounds and smells. 

See

Forest Bathing

Anyway next time you're in Langley, check out the Brydon Lagoon you won't be disappointed.

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale 

BC Canada

Skagit Valley Bird Blitz/NikonD500/Nikon 200-500

May 12-14 Skagit Valley Bird Blitz.

Skagit Valley Provincial Park.

The birds and birding has been non-stop since the weather brought in waves of migrating birds last week. There is no better place to experience the phenomenon than the Skagit Valley. Only 150kms east of Vancouver, the Skagit Valley it located south of Hope in the North Cascade Mountain Range.

An official bird checklist is available from park wardens and there are excellent campsites along the road to Ross Lake that lies on the Canada/USA border.

Here are some images from the weekend which was attended by about 30 birders and run by the Hope Mountain Centre. To see more of their excellent offerings including the upcoming Manning Park Bird Blitz event click below.

http://hopemountain.org/programs/

Here is another upcoming event with Al and Jude Grass

Birding in Hope

and
here are my pictures taken with the Nikon D500 and 200mm-500mm5.6 zoom.

The images are in no particular order. I missed the Lewis Woodpecker and the Western Bluebird but one can't be everywhere. Most of these birds were taken close to the campsite at Ross Lake while others were taken during the numerous walks where we did point counts. I can't quite remember but I think we saw close to ninety species over the weekend.

American Goldfinch at the picnic area at International Point day use area.
(Ross Lake picnic area)

I wan't expecting American Pipits but I found two where the Skagit River enters Ross Lake.

I just liked the backlight on this foliage as we searched the forest for warblers.
(Silvertip campground)

Black-throated Gray Warblers were way, way  up in the canopy, even so the 200mm-500mm did a great job.
(Silvertip campground)

Group leader Denis Knopp found this Calliope Hummingbird at Whitworth Meadow on Saturday
I went the next day and found the same bird along with a few rufous hummingbirds and a Townsend's Solitaire.

Rufous Hummingbird.
(Whitworth Meadow)

Townsend's Solitaire
 (Whitworth Meadow)

Yellow-pine or Townsend's Chipmunk at Silvertip Campground. I think the stronger contrast of the striping on the face makes it the former. Any thoughts?

(Silvertip campground)

Columbia Ground Squirrel.
(Ross Lake picnic area)

Douglas Squirrel.
(Silvertip campground)

Fungi, where's Al Grass when you need him?
(Skagit Valley Trail)

Gray Jay collecting food for nearby nestlings.
(Skagit Valley Trail)

Hammond's Flycatcher.
(Ross Lake picnic area)

Calypso Orchid..I think?
(Skagit Valley trail)

Purple Finch.
(Ross Lake picnic area)

Female Red Crossbill.
(Ross Lake picnic area)

Red-breasted Sapsucker.
(Ross Lake picnic area)

Turkey Vulture.
The early morning sun creates a nice contrast in the wings of the bird.
(Ross Lake picnic area)

Female Varied Thrush or juvenile but isn't it way too early?
(Skagit Valley Trail)

Western Meadowlark (Ross Lake picnic area)

Western Tanager.(Ross Lake picnic area)

I hope you have enjoyed these images. Thanks for looking.

"It's never too late to start birding"

John Gordon
Langley/Cloverdale
BC Canada

Pelagic Birding

May 5-9 2017 Tofino and Ucluelet, 

The chance to visit the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve was eagerly anticipated. The weather is always a concern at Long Beach but we lucked out and had three days of sun. We camped out in our VW Westfalia at the Ucluelet Campground. The site has excellent harbour views, immaculate facilities and decent birds including Orange-crowned, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Hermit Thrush. 

I just love this Parks Canada graphic ©Park Canada

Prior to the WildResearch's pelagic we visited Tofino where the beaches held small flocks of Whimbrel and Western Sandpipers. It was the weekend of the Shorebird Festival so there were plenty of birders around. Unfortunately we missed the workshops which was a shame but there is always next year. Here are some pix with the Nikon P900 bridge camera which I use to bring in distant subjects, shoot scenics on the run and shoot 1080p video.

P900 at 24mm

Can you see the Whimbrel?

P900 at 2000mm

The 24mm-2000mm did a fine job of picking out the Whimbrel at 200 metres.

I shoot the P900 hand held except for the when I shoot video.

The P900 does not replace a DSLR but I was the only one on the beach who got these decent ID shots. I think the camera is the perfect companion for the birder who wants to make record shots and who doesn't want to be burdened down with lots of heavy gear.

Another P900 from 200 metres.
Just another fun shot when I didn't want to haul out my DSLR.

The image isn't that sharp but a tourist thought it was a killdeer, I was happy to provide photographic evidence to the contrary. 

 The Pelagic

We left Ucluelet 7.a.m

The dead calm conditions would probably mean less birds but we had no control over the weather.

A list of the birds we saw are described in the WildResearch newsletter is pasted from their newsletter at the end of this blog.

 I used the Nikon D500 and the excellent 200mm-500mm F5.6 zoom which I have no hesitation in saying is one of their very best Nikon camera/lenses combos.

Northern Fulmar

Northern Fulmar (Pacific light morph)

 I really like this shot of the Pink-footed Shearwater as it skims close to the waves. Sometimes the bird would disappear behind a wave and then suddenly re-appear. My favourite shot from the trip.

Pink-footed Shearwater.

     We had a brief look at three Humpback Whales but being a bird tour we were on another mission.

Humpback Whale

(Below) I just managed to catch this Pomarine Jaeger as it flew over my shoulder. The light/sky background is a huge distraction but it's included nevertheless.

Pomarine Jaeger (light-morph breeding adult)

California Sea Lions.

Note how high some have climbed up on the buoy to sun themselves or perhaps evade Killer Whales!

The Nikon 200mm-500mm combined with the Nikon D500 is the perfect wildlife camera/set-up especially on a boat where the use of tripod is not possible.

(Below) we also saw numerous Pacific Loons migrating up the coast and not just from the pelagic tour boat. In Ucluelet we saw many pass the area known as the Amphitheatre. The rocky area and lighthouse provided us good views of Black Turnstones and Black Oystercatchers.

Pacific Loon photographed from the boat.

Another bird that I overlooked by me was the Sooty Shearwater, it just doesn't have the appeal of say an albatross and regrettably I only have a few shots to choose from but maybe if there is another trip in September I can concentrate more on the photography and a little less daydreaming.

Sooty Shearwater.

 WildResearch's 2017 Pelagic Seabird Birding Fundraiser - Update
by
Dan Froehlich

Last week WildResearch’s Pelagic Fundraiser once again took to the margins of the continent to explore offshore birdlife.  Sixty-four birders convened at 7am at the Ucluelet’s tiny harbour to board the M.V. Frances Barkley, our excursion boat for the day.  Already in the harbour, clearing skies, mild temperatures, and slack winds made our spirits soar in anticipation of a good day on the water.

Before we even boarded, a group of young birders from BCFO quickly zeroed in on a weird gull off to the side—as did their sharp eyes on all the birds we encountered for the duration of the trip.  It was such a pleasure having them aboard!  The gull defied easy identification: the bicolored bill and pale features suggested some Glaucous Gull heritage, but the petite head features and smallish size suggested Herring or Thayer’s parentage—a gull potpourri!

We soon got going, quickly passing out of the harbor with a few ducks and cormorants and across the inshore bar with its yaw and pitch—turns out these were the biggest waves we encountered all day!  We picked up the first seabirds, Murres and Loons (Pic. 1) and a passel of Brandt’s cormorants—likely locally breeders.  Before long everyone started noticing small groups of tiny pale birds, bobbing on the water, flitting by the bow, the stern, and off in the distance.  We found ourselves amid a migration of Phalaropes, those red-neck Poseidon sprites that breed in the high Arctic only to forsake land for the rest of the year and scud across the oceans of the world in patterns that still elude science.  By the end of the day we tallied over 550 passing the boat.  After hours examining these groups for red-bellied birds, eventually some sharp eyes spotted a pair of spectacular Red Phalaropes zipping by the boat as well, showing off their distinctive all-red body plumage, visible even in flight.

Other seabirds showed up soon as well, the first Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels and Sooty Shearwaters that attended us all day long, each of them showing a gap of missing feathers as they started in on their annual flight feather molt.  Farther out, we encountered a handful of Pink-footed Shearwaters (Pic. 2).  Regular chumming of baitfish leftovers from a fish-processing plant garnered us a regular entourage of our genetic slop of Glaucous-winged, Western & mixed gulls, as well as a surprising number of Herring Gulls, joined far offshore by California Gull and briefly by a classy breeding-plumage Bonaparte’s Gull that gave up after being displaced repeatedly by the larger gulls.  Several groups of Sabine’s Gulls passed the boat but, as is typical, wouldn’t be distracted by the offal off the ship. 

Marine highlights were the two Pomarine Jaegers that paused briefly by the boat, displaying their curiously curved tail feathers to advantage (Pic. 3).  Finally, toward the end of the boat trip, already close to the near-shore swells, Liam Singh, one of the BCFO youth birders, got on a fast-moving shearwater near the boat as it passed off the stern and zoomed on out of sight.  He managed to snap some stunning photos of a Manx Shearwater, an abundant species of the North Atlantic but a mysterious species in the North Pacific with only about 50 records off Vancouver Island (Pic 4).  Increasing records in coastal Washington waters suggest that the species has started breeding on offshore islands—with May records so close to shore off Vancouver Island, who knows, perhaps they’re taking up breeding in BC as well!

By the time of our return, the waters were truly placid, the skies bright—I don’t think anyone “lost their lunch!”  The still winds, though, may have nixed our chances for albatross—their sternum with only a modest keel limits effective flapping to create lift, meaning they require a stiff breeze to get aloft!  In any case, visibility was excellent for the birds we did see, making for a memorable excursion.  Thanks to all who participated and to all the sharp eyes that spiced up the trip with excellent finds (Pic 5)

Many people are to thank for making the Pelagic Trip a success. Big thanks to Renae Mackas and Myles Lamont for organizing the trip logistics, and to previous trip organizers Paul Levesque and Christine Rock for passing on all their helpful tips and advice for planning. More big thanks Dan Froehlich and Ilya Povalyaev for spotting and calling out birds, Azim Shariff for chumming in the birds, Angela Bond and Anna Szeitz for helping keep everyone happy on board, and the Captain and Crew of the MV Francis Barkley, for keeping us safe and going the extra mile to help us spot great seabirds. Thanks also to everyone that participated in WildResearch’s Spring 2017 Pelagic Trip fundraiser. We look forward to seeing you all on our next pelagic trip!

"It's never to late to go Pelagic birding"
John Gordon
Langley/Cloverdale
BC Canada

Hermit Warbler Hybrid Twitch

May 16 2017 Mount Douglas Park Victoria BC Canada

Note: Since the original posting the bird is now considered to be a hybrid.
Pleases the bottom of the page for a detailed discussion from
bcbirdalert

I hadn't planned on birding except that is except for an hour or two at Brydon Lagoon in Langley City. However events didn't quite work out as planned. One moment I was in Starbucks sipping coffee and the next I was driving to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. Travelling companions Mel, Carlo and myself boarded the ferry in the knowledge that we were to be picked up by a fellow birder on the other side and would be driven to Mount Douglas Park in Victoria where we hoped to see a Hermit Warbler. The warbler had overshot its normal range, that being California, Oregon and Washington. I think I am right in saying this is the first BC record of a Hermit Warbler for twenty years.

Mount Douglas Park summit.
Nikon  P7100.

Mount Douglas Park with downtown Victoria in the distance.

The Hermit Warbler was found in the Garry Oaks and close to the evergreens lower down the slope.

This a snippet from the popular RBA Blog

"At 10:15 am on May 15-2017, Daniel Donnecke found and photographed an adult male Hermit Warbler at Mount Douglas Park. The bird was singing and was seen on Glendenning Trail. This is a steep trail that heads straight down into the oaks from the parking lot at the summit, which is located at the end of Churchill Dr.

Daniele saw the bird in the area of the trail where the oaks first hit the conifers. The bird was in an oak tree near the first large douglas fir tree, which is located halfway down the trail. It was in a mixed warbler flock consisting of Orange-crowned, Wilson's, Townsend's and Yellow-rumped Warblers"

Twitchers Twitching!
Taken with iPhone 5s

Hermit Warbler 

As you can see from the photos above, the visit was a total success, we only had to wait a mere two hours for the bird to make a sixty-second appearance before it disappeared into the acres of woodland. 

Finally the pressure of success or failure was off, there were beaming smiles all around, a few high fives and the dreaded return walk back to the summit suddenly seemed effortless. Ann Nightingale drove us back to the ferry. Thanks Ann. Tired but happy all the talk back home was about the hermit warbler, birds and birders. 

Yet another awesome days birding in Beautiful British Columbia!


UPON REVIEW

**Upon review of new photos (see HERE), the amount of green on the back of the bird concerned me, along with the dark streaks on the bib corner (the area on the side of the chest where the wing tucks in, which is often hidden by the wing) and lower flanks. I have sent all available photos of this bird along with my concerns to a few experts. They were made aware that the photos that concerned me initially were taken in evening light. All information will be sent to the Victoria and BC Bird Records Committee. I will also update the blog with any major developments.

I believe that it is important to be completely transparent and wanted the public to be aware that Silu Wang gave her opinion. She is a Ph.D. candidate in the D.Irwin Lab at UBC and studies Hermit Warblers in the hybrid zone, in the Cascades Region of Washington State. She explained that the bird has a predominantly Hermit Warbler plumage background, but with Townsend's Warbler plumage introgression.  She used the hybrid index based on the eight plumage landmarks as specified by Rohwer and Wood (1998). She was presented with all available photos of this bird and viewed them carefully. She estimated the hybrid index (ranging from 0 to 1, with 0 being pure Hermit Warbler and 1 being pure Townsend's Warbler) and for this bird she felt he should have a hybrid index of 0.12, which is smaller than 0.25 (the cutoff value for Rohwer & Wood 1998 classification). Therefore, based on Rohwer and Wood 1998 classification, it should be a Hermit Warbler.

However, the fact that it has a hybrid index of 0.12 instead of 0 means that it does not have a pure Hermit Warbler plumage, and that there are some traces of Townsend's Warbler introgression.

She noted that on another photo by Liam Singh, showed a greenish wash close to the tail covert see HERE She said that some hybrids only show a greenish upper back, and the fact that the green goes quite far down for this bird, further supported TOWA introgression.

She also looked at the video I linked to above by Geoffrey Newell. In that video she noted that when the bird was preening his crown was light grey, but the grey went quite forward, see screenshot HERE.

She explains that she views this bird as a Hybrid, despite Rohwer and Wood (1998), as stated below:

Rohwer and Wood 1998:  Hermit Warbler (because Hybrid index =0.12 <0.25).

Wang et al in prep:            hybrid (because Hybrid index =0.12, not 0).

"It's never too late to start Twitching"

John Gordon

Langley/Cloverdale 

BC Canada

Black-chinned/Anna's Hybrid update

Re-post from vanbcbirds

I'm posting an email chain between Melissa Hafting and Sheri Williamson regarding the identity of the purported Black-chinned Hummingbird at Richmond Nature Park. Please see below.

Good Birding,

Ilya Povalyaev

South Surrey, BC

Hi All,

I got a response from Sheri Williamson. She is an expert on Hummingbirds and the author of "A Peterson Field Guide to Hummingbirds of North America." She has confirmed this bird is a male Anna's Hummingbird crossed with a Black-chinned Hummingbird. Kudos to Don Cecile for picking this up. I have cc'd Wayne Weber so he is aware for eBird.

See her response below. Feel free to post to vanbcbirds

Hi, Melissa,

Don Cecile also sent me some photos of this bird, which is definitely not a pure Black-chinned. The big-headed shape, dull, narrow chinstrap, and too-extensive violet are all indicative of hybrid origin.

Despite the violet gorget color and apparent lack of crown iridescence, two features particularly evident in Peter Candido's back view (which I hadn't seen previously) point strongly toward Anna's as the other parent: the long, deeply notched tail, inconsistent with Rufous, Calliope, Broad-tailed, or Costa's parentage; and shortish secondary coverts, an Anna's trait expressed intermediately in its hybrids. If perched side views can be obtained, I would expect them to show slight graduation of primary widths and faint notches on the inner vanes of P1-5, suggestive of Black-chinned, combined with a slight asymmetry to the outermost secondary coverts, an intermediate expression of another Anna's trait.

Hope this helps.

Good birding,

Sheri L. Williamson

Bisbee, Arizona


AND MORE 

David Sibley author of the Sibley Guides has weighed in and also confirmed the RNP bird as a BCHU X ANHU. He explains the significance of this record below.

On Friday, May 12, 2017, David Sibley wrote:

Hi Melissa,

I agree there is too much purple on the throat for a Black-chinned Hummingbird, and also the gorget feathers are a little more elongated than normal at the bottom, and the tail shape is wrong. All of that makes me think hybrid, and I'm comfortable saying one of the parents is Black-chinned Hummingbird - the long curved bill, purple throat, and black chin (even though it is reduced) point to Black-chinned Hummingbird. The best fit parent for the other features is Anna's Hummingbird - tail shape, elongated gorget, extensive dusky green color overall with no rufous color.

There is a detailed description of this hybrid and diagrams of tail and wing shapes in this paper:

Banks and Johnson 1961 - Richard C. Banks, Ned K. Johnson,. 1961. A review of North American hybrid hummingbirds. Condor 63: 3-28. pdf

https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/condor/v063n01/p0003-p0028.pdf

Along with the old California specimen, there are at least two more recent records from Arizona, and probably more that I'm not aware of. This BC bird would be the farthest north and one of only a few records, but with the recent expansion of Anna's Hummingbird more hybridization would be expected.

Best,

David

www.sibleyguides.com