Note: The photo accompanying the bird is is not necessarily the photo taken on the first sighting date. It is one of the best I took of the bird in this year. If the date and location are different, they are specifically mentioned.
Additions to my life list are noted where applicable.
I saw my first raven near the top of Whistler Mountain after having breakfast in the Roundhouse. I only managed a couple of poor IPhone photos. The photo below was taken at Manning Park in June. The Raven is eating what appears to be the remains of a small rodent, possibly one of the many Chipmunks that beg for food around the lodge. Birds eating prey seems to be a big theme in my photos this year, there are a few other examples in this posting.
#26 Common Goldeneye: Date - Jan 19. Location: Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty, Delta BC.
This photo captures both the male (foreground) and female of this species, another one that winters in the ocean waters on our coast, and then heads for inland lakes and rivers in spring to nest.
#27 Bufflehead: Date - Jan 19. Location: Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty, Delta BC.
Here's an action shot of the female taking flight. It was taken at Brunswick Point in February.
#28 American Wigeon: Date - Jan 19. Location: Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty, Delta BC.
Another very common duck in Winter. The male and female plumages are both striking. The male is in the foreground in this shot at Blackie's Spit in March.
#29 European Starling: Date - Jan 19. Location: Brunswick Point, Delta BC.
This invasive species is not a friend of most birders. Their size and numbers allow them to displace native birds. Here's a decent photo of one taken in my backyard in North Delta in May.
#30 Ring-necked Pheasant: Date - Jan 19. Location: Brunswick Point, Delta BC.
Here's another non-native species that was introduced from Europe. Since I took this photo, I have learned the pheasants are released in this area for a hunt sometime around Thanksgiving. This one managed to survive the hunt for at least a few months. It is unlikely that this bird is countable for any kind of official list. Since I've seen them in the wild many times, I am keeping it on my year list.
#31 Chestnut-backed Chickadee: Date - Jan 19. Location: Backyard, North Delta BC.
We are so lucky to have a part-time resident in our backyard. I haven't seen it lately, but it seems to be here over the winter. This was taken in our yard in February.
#32 Black-capped Chickadee: Date - Jan 19. Location: Backyard, North Delta BC.
Of course, we also have these birds all year as well. This was taken at Queen Elizabeth Park in April.
#33 Anna's Hummingbird: Date - Jan 19. Location: Backyard, North Delta BC.
Another backyard resident for most of the year. When the Rufous Hummingbirds show up in spring, the Anna's disappear. Then come August, they are back again. This was taken in August from our back porch.
#34 Varied Thrush: Date - Jan 19. Location: Backyard, North Delta BC.
We usually see this lovely bird during the winter. In January, I only got a couple of fleeting glimpses of one in my back yard. However, on a crisp November Saturday at Reifel Bird Sanctuary, I managed to get some good shots of this female.
#35 Northern Shrike: Date - Jan 23. Location: 34 St, Delta BC.
I saw this bird while looking for another one. There had been a report of a Prairie Falcon in the South Delta farmland area close to Brunswick Point. On my way there, I decided to look at the end of 34 St. where I had seen this species back in 1998 with Stewart Sendall.No falcon, but I did see this Shrike. These are large songbirds that hunt smaller birds. I got one photo and then another birder, ignoring the fact that I was photographing something, drove past in his car looking for the Falcon. Some people...
#36 Prairie Falcon: Date - Jan 23. Location: Brunswick Point, Delta BC.
Shortly afterwards, I went to the reported location of the Falcon. I was told that it would sit and watch the Northern Harriers hunting in the fields, and then when they captured something, it would swoop in and try to snatch the prey away. I did see and photograph the Falcon from a distance, and was pulling out to leave when I saw the Falcon do exactly what was described. I got one good shot, shown below (Falcon on the left). The guy that had scared off my Shrike had left already. Sweet justice!!
#37 Red-tailed Hawk: Date - Jan 23. Location: Highway 99, Delta BC.
On my way home, I took Hornby Drive which runs parallel with Highway 99. I saw the typical Red-tailed Hawk perched on a lamp post. The photo below was taken at Reifel Bird Sanctuary in April.
#38 Peregrine Falcon: Date - Jan 23. Location: 112 St, Delta BC.
I had one more stop on my way home. I had spoken to an expert birder at Brunswick Point who had seen all five available species of Falcon on this day (American Kestrel, Merlin, Prairie Falcon, Peregrine Falcon and Gyrfalcon). I knew i could not match that, but thought I might get something if I tried. My luck held and I got this spectacular view of a Peregrine finishing off a meal on a telephone post.
#39 Collared Dove: Date - Jan 23. Location: 112 St, Delta BC.
After all the meat eaters I had seen this day, the last one was a bird that is on the other end of the food chain. These Eurasian doves have invaded all of North American, after being introduced into the Bahamas in the 1970's.
#40 Green-winged Teal: Date - Jan 26. Location: Burnaby Lake Regional Park, Burnaby BC.
My next outing was intended to pick up some of the common freshwater ducks that overwinter in the lower Mainland. Piper's Spit at Burnaby Lake is ideal for this purpose. There is a boardwalk there that puts you right in with the ducks in the lake. I was almost too close for this male Green-winged Teal.
#41 Lesser Scaup: Date - Jan 26. Location: Burnaby Lake Regional Park, Burnaby BC.
This photo shows a male Lesser Scaup. It can be tough to distinguish between Lesser and Greater Scaup. the Lesser are more common in fresh waster, and have a flatter forehead. Although tilted in this photo, the forehead does not have the slope from front to back that the Greater does.
#42 Wood Duck: Date - Jan 26. Location: Burnaby Lake Regional Park, Burnaby BC.
Another duck that was hard to photograph on this day with the long lens as they were so close to shore. This photo shows a pair at Reifel Bird Sanctuary in May.
#43 Red-winged Blackbird: Date - Jan 26. Location: Burnaby Lake Regional Park, Burnaby BC.
A very familiar bird that can be seen almost anywhere there is water. The males can be tricky to photograph due to the contrast between the black body and the red and yellow on the wings. My best photo is of a female balancing on a some reeds at Birdie Lake on Predator Ridge golf course in Vernon. Taken in May while on a golf vacation.
#44 Rock Pigeon: Date - Jan 26. Location: Burnaby Lake Regional Park, Burnaby BC.
Here's an interesting white Pigeon, a variation that occurs with this species.
#45 Fox Sparrow: Date - Jan 26. Location: Burnaby Lake Regional Park, Burnaby BC.
Similar to the Song Sparrow, this bird can be identified by a rounder head and the large brown spots on the chest. The ones we see here are of the Sooty race, and are quite different from other races seen across North America. This photo was taken in February at Brunswick Point in Delta. Yet another one with prey being consumed.
#46 Spotted Towhee: Date - Jan 26. Location: Burnaby Lake Regional Park, Burnaby BC.
#46 Spotted Towhee: Date - Jan 26. Location: Burnaby Lake Regional Park, Burnaby BC.
Amazing it took me 26 days to see this bird, as we usually have them in our backyard.This photo was taken in February at Reifel Bird Sanctuary.
#47 American Robin: Date - Jan 26. Location: New Brighton Park, Vancouver BC.
Another mystery on how it took this long to see a Robin. It was a consolation prize on a brief trip to see a reported Gyrfalcon at this park by the Second Narrows bridge. That bird would have to wait. I am proud of two Robin shots taken later in the year. The first was taken in April at Iona Regional Park.
The second was taken at Ward's Lake in Grand Forks in June.
The second was taken at Ward's Lake in Grand Forks in June.
#48 White-winged Scoter: Date - Jan 31. Location: White Rock Pier, White Rock BC.
The male of this species looks like it is wearing a Halloween mask with the white around the eye. The white wings are most visible in flight, you can see a bit of the white on the male in the foreground.
#49 Greater Scaup: Date - Jan 31. Location: White Rock Pier, White Rock BC.
I'm pretty sure this is a female Greater Scaup in this photo. The forehead shape is not conclusive, but the fact it's in salt water and the mixed colouring on the breast favour the Greater Scaup.
I'm pretty sure this is a female Greater Scaup in this photo. The forehead shape is not conclusive, but the fact it's in salt water and the mixed colouring on the breast favour the Greater Scaup.
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