Christmas Bird Count For Youth in Delta
There are 7 out of the 8 youth who attended pictured above - Photo: Melissa Hafting
We had 8 hardy youth turn out for our Christmas Bird Count for Youth on Dec 7th at Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta. Several young birders who registered cancelled due to the heavy rain and some due to illness. Naomi was home sick with a fever and we all wished her a speedy recovery.
With the 8 young birders who dared to go out in full rain gear we were rewarded midday at lunch time with glorious sunshine. We started off with 4 beautiful Sandhill Cranes in the parking lot. Later on in the east dyke we had 9 more Sandhill Cranes.
We had a single adult Black-crowned Night-Heron who was wide awake for once and the youth admired his beautiful plumage and red eyes. Usually Reifel gets 4 of these birds but only one had come back so far this winter.
As we walked down the east dyke, we hoped we would find a Northern Saw-whet Owl but sadly didn’t see one. We searched hard, checking suitable trees as our leader Melissa had one there a week ago!
Young Birders searching for a Northern Saw-whet Owl at Reifel - Photo: Melissa Hafting
We did see a Pied-billed Grebe (we ended up with 6 during the count) and an uncommon for Reifel, female Evening Grosbeak. We also saw several Cedar Waxwings,that had become drunk on fermented berries, which gave the kids a laugh!
Pied-billed Grebe in Delta - Photo: Sunny Park
Female Evening Grosbeak at Reifel Bird Sanctuary - Photo: Paul Jacques
Cedar Waxwings were getting drunk on fermented crabapples at the Sanctuary - Photo: Anica Gorlick
An elegant Cedar Waxwing at Reifel - Photo: Markus Duhme
We had several small flocks of Wilson’s Snipes flying out and calling from the marsh. We also saw a couple Virginia Rails. Brian Self who we ran into, told us he had 2 Rough-legged Hawks and 3 Soras and 3 American Bitterns but we sadly didn’t see any of those. The water levels were very high from heavy rains and off the west field/dyke raptors were eating the drowning voles. There were thousands of Snow Geese and Dunlin. There were dozens of Northern Harriers, a Peregrine Falcon hunting Dunlin and Bald Eagles and Red-tailed Hawks. We also saw a Short-eared Owl hunting over the marsh, which absolutely delighted the children. We also saw a beautiful Western Meadowlark perched in a tree in the marsh near to the SW pond. There were many Marsh Wrens. who were disturbed by the high water levels and were running up and down the submerged logs; as were the 2 Virginia Rails. There were thousands of Snow Geese on the foreshore with many calling Trumpeter Swans. The Snow Geese kept getting flushed by Bald Eagles who were not hunting them but simply collecting nesting material.
A Short-eared Owl hunting over the marsh at Reifel delighted the kids - Photo: Paul Jacques
Virginia Rail at Reifel Bird Sanctuary - Photo: Markus Duhme
We saw Green-winged Teals, Wood Ducks, Eurasian and American Wigeon, Lesser and Greater Scaup, Northern Pintails, Ring-necked Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Gadwall, Mallard, Bufflehead, Hooded Mergansers and Common Mergansers. Some of the drake Common Mergansers had pink on their white breasts. They get this from hormones and from some food sources. Ross’s, Franklin’s Gulls and even Ring-billed Gulls can display this rosy-breasted trait. The kids really enjoyed watching the drake Buffleheads perform a courtship display as they stiffened their bodies and bobbed their heads repeatedly for the females. The youth talked about how drake Mallards are stunning and are unfortunately overlooked because they are so common and taken for granted. The kids also commented how cute the calls of American Wigeons are.
Northern Pintail drake at Reifel - Photo: Paul Jacques
American Wigeon drake at Reifel Bird Sanctuary. These birds have very cute squeaky calls - Photo: Anica Gorlick
A stunning Mallard Drake - Photo: Anica Gorlick
Mallard Drakes are often overlooked because they are so common but are truly beautiful - Photo: Paul Jacques
Hooded Merganser drake and hen at Reifel - Photo: Sunny Park
On the centre and outer dykes we ran into 3 Ring-necked Pheasants. These birds are released from the local Westham Island Gun Club and are not countable. They were extremely tame and one had a beautiful long tail while the other two were missing theirs! The youth said this was their best encounter with this species and their best photos. They truly are stunning birds!
Young Birders enthralled while photographing a Ring-necked Pheasant on the centre dyke at Reifel - Photo: Melissa Hafting
Male Ring-necked Pheasant at Reifel Bird Sanctuary - Photo: Sunny Park
Ring-necked Pheasant: a likely release from the local Westham Island Gun Club - Photo: Paul Jacques
There had been a Northern Goshawk at the park recently, so we were looking hard for it but didn’t see it. Instead we saw another accipiter, an adult Cooper’s Hawk.
At the centre display ponds Paul spotted a Lincoln’s Sparrow for the group and a possible Orange-crowned Warbler. Only Paul saw the warbler but figured it was either that or a Common Yellowthroat. We also saw a beautiful storm-wigeon (colour variant of American Wigeon-where the males have an all white head and face).
Lincoln Sparrow at Reifel - Photo: Paul Jacques
We ate lunch in the warming hut as the first half of the day was pouring rain and wind. Paul told us that he made calendars that he is selling at the Reifel Gift Shop and Wild Birds Unlimited where he is donating 5$ of sales to Reifel. Julia told us about the walks she leads at Burnaby Lake and her great family trips where she saw some cool owls this year (Burrowing and Great Gray) and a Horned Puffin in WA at Smith Island! Bentley and Paul were discussing about their time in Beaverhill and the Burrowing Owl that road on their head! A few of the youth asked Melissa to write references to the Young Birders week-long youth workshop at Beaverhill Bird Observatory in AB, since they want to attend next year. It is always fun to listen to the interesting things going on in the lives of these youth.
As we were warming up in the hut, discussing stories by the wood stove and having our lunch, the sun began to come out and shine so bright. We even saw a beautiful rainbow! That was a sign for us to get back out there and keep birding!
The Rainbow that lifted our spirits at the west dyke marsh at Reifel in Delta - Photo: Melissa Hafting
After a nice lunch break Markus had to leave for volleyball and we went back out and watched all the raptors and gulls (mostly Short-billed and some Ring-billed and Glaucous-winged Gulls) hunting over the marsh for drowning voles. Great Blue Herons were standing sentinel waiting for voles. We searched hard for an American Bittern and Soras but came up empty. We also missed a Northern Shrike by a few minutes. We did see many Golden-crowned Sparrows, Kinglets and Pine Siskins. A Belted Kingfisher was flying over the SW marsh and display ponds while we got another glimpse of the Peregrine Falcon hunting and chasing Dunlin and Short-billed Gulls. Because the water was so high, there were no shorebirds. We were tired at the end of the day but thoroughly enjoyed the count and had a beautiful day with a total of 66 great species and wonderful company.
Great Blue Herons were getting their fill of all the drowning voles - Photo: Anica Gorlick
Thanks to Reifel Bird Sanctuary and Kathleen Fry for allowing the youth to enter for free this day. Because it was so wet and rainy, we virtually had the sanctuary to ourselves, which was really nice. Kathleen Fry will be retiring at the end of December and we will miss her and her wonderful management of the sanctuary. Most of all thanks to those youth who came out and braved the wind and rain and who were rewarded!
Our next trip will be a boat trip in the Salish Sea on Dec 15th, that goes in Canadian and US waters for the adult Delta Christmas Bird Count (sponsored by BC Nature and Birds Canada). Looking forward to seeing those who signed up then!
