Seen on the mudflats at Richmond. Distinctive long yellow legs.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
29. Black Oystercatcher - 26 April 2009
We saw this guy sitting on a rocky outcrop just off the beach at Lighthouse Park. Big and strong, with a great red beak but funny wishy-washy pink legs.
28. Sandhill Crane - 2008
Big, tall scary birds that look like Jabirus. We saw them at Reiffel where we'd been warned to be careful because they are aggressive. The two we saw had hijacked the path and were stopping people going through. Kids terrified.
27. American Coot - January 2008
Seen in Stanley Park. American Coot, just like the Eurasian Coot. Lazy Coot. Lucky coot.
26. Rock Ptarmigan - July 2008
We were visiting New Denver and took a harrowing trip with Candy and all the kids up into the mountains to see the Alpine Meadows. Hiding amongst the long grass, right at the top of the highest mountain we climbed was a Rock Ptarmigan and her clutch. Beautiful. How they survive when the snow comes I don't know, but they were beautiful. The one we saw was speckled like this one.
25. Bald Eagle - 2007
I don't think I realised before I moved here just how BIG and strong Bald Eagles are. We have seen them up fairly close at Reiffel and around BC. There's a massive nest - about 4 feet high - at Varnier Park that I'm keeping my eye on for little ones. I once saw a BE fly over the duck pond at Jericho... you've never seen 200 ducks fly off so quickly.
23. Common Merganser - December 2007
We saw these 2 days before Christmas in 2007, floating just above the waterfall at Capilano Canyon. They have that windswept look that I love in a duck.
22. Hooded Merganser - January 2008
These are THE coolest ducks. They look perpetually shocked. We saw them from a distance in a lake at Hatfield on Vancouver Island and I literally ran to the edge to watch them. Both the males and females have fantastic big buffles that are huge. I love them.
18. Lesser Scaup - February 2009
Also seen at Reiffel and at Lost Lagoon. The Lesser Scaup are smaller. That's about the only difference.
17. Greater Scaup - February 2009
Have seen these at Reiffel and at Lost Lagoon at Stanley Park. This one has a little twinkle in his eye.
16. Canvasback - April 2008
Reiffel Bird Santuary. No recollection at all. Poor forgotten Canvasbacks.
15. Northern Pintail - April 2008
We saw these ducks a long time ago, perhaps in the early 2000's, out at Reiffel. They have always been one of Penny's favourite birds. She loves their markings.
14. Northern Shoveller - November 2008
We saw a flock of these shovelling away on a sewerage treatment lake at Iona. They are big distictive ducks with cool beaks that they use to skim along the top of the water.
12. Wood Duck - July 2008
There's a family of Wood Ducks just that lives in the same place every time we visit Reiffel. We love them. They are small and shy and beautifully colourful. They are Kate's favourite birds.
11. Mute Swan - 2009
These swans hang out in Stanley park at Lost Lagoon. They have spectacular tail feathers that look rumpled and curly. This one looks particularly magnificent, apparently it's busking.
10. Canada Goose - 1997
I saw my first Canada Goose on my first trip to Canada back in '97. I like them. They're big grass eaters with a lot of attitude. They honk.
9. Green Heron - March 2009
There's a very sleepy Green Heron that sleeps in the trees just inside Reiffel Bird Sanctuary. He's there most times we visit.
8. Great Blue Heron - 2005
I saw my first Great Blue Heron a couple of trips ago. At that time it was very exciting. There was a big conservation effort to bring them back to Vancouver. These days we see them all the time. I've seen them at Reiffel, on the highway to Seattle, at Kits, Jericho, Stanley Park and on the seawall.
7. Wilsons Warbler - April 2008
This beautiful little bird turned up in our backyard last summer. It flitted in and out over a few weeks. Update: May 9 2009 - saw the Wilsons Warbler again today for the first time. I'm imagining it's the same bird as last year - back for the wild bird seed. We have names him "Wilson".
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
6. American Bittern - August 2008
We saw this bird in the mid-afternoon when canoeing up Widgeon Creek near Pitt Meadows. It stayed pretty still then stalked off into the bushes to hide.
5. Pelagic Cormorant - March 2009
Saw these for the first time when Gavin was staying in March. I was running home from work one night and saw them flying up under the Burrard St Bridge. They're quite distinctive with the white spots on them, and I have now noticed that they're incredibly prolific in the harbour and at the beaches around Point Grey.
4. Harlequin Duck - 26 April 2009
We saw a male and female at the mouth of a creek to the east of Lighthouse Park. It was mid-afternoon and they were "fishing" off the beach - about 15 meters out.
3. Common Loon - 29 April 2009
Seen tonight at dusk at Point Grey. Have seen what I think is the same bird over the last couple of days around near the Maritime Museum. Was struck again by how big and sturdy loons are, and how low in the water they sit. This is not my first Common Loon sighting as I saw one at Herbert Lake last Summer.
2. Horned Grebe - 29 April 2009
Seen at dusk fishing by itself off Point Grey. Seen from the park at the end of Trutch Street.
1. Red Necked Grebe - 29 April 2009
Seen fishing off the coast at Point Grey. Near dusk. Fishing alone.
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