Twenty-three DNCBers had an enjoyable outing on Tuesday to the Tsawwassen Ferry Causeway, TFN and Reifel Bird Sanctuary. It was cloudy and cold, but the rain held off. Brian’s eBird list showed 54 species (see below).
Photos are on the DNCB flickr site
https://www.flickr.com/search/?group_id=3027315%40N23&view_all=1&text=2020-08
DNCB at Reifel – photo by Roger Meyer
Beside the ferry causeway were Surf & White-winged Scoters, Common & Barrow’s Goldeneye, Common Mergansers, Bufflehead, Horned & Red-necked Grebes and Common Loons. A large flock of Brant flew in, and thirteen very noisy Black Oystercatchers flew back and forth across the causeway.
A stop at the pond on the Tsawwassen First Nation added a Pied-billed Grebe, Northern Harrier, House Finches and Sparrows.
At Reifel, three Sandhill Cranes were behind the giftshop, and two Black-crowned Night-Herons were in their usual spot. Also near the entrance were many ducks, sparrows, Red-winged Blackbirds and Great Blue Herons. We headed toward the Southwest Marsh to look for the American Bittern that had been seen frequently in the last few days. We did not find it. But there were many geese and ducks in the ponds, including Northern Shovelers, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, American & Eurasian Wigeon, Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, Mallards and Ring-necked Ducks. On the far shore were Trumpeter Swans, Dunlin and Black-bellied Plovers. A very large flock of Snow Geese flew over, and Northern Harriers were cruising the marsh. On the East Dyke trail we added Wood Ducks and a Northern Saw-whet Owl.
After everyone else left for lunch, Marion went back to the Southwest Marsh and got a great photo of the American Bittern. And Margaretha went to Alaksen and saw 2 Barred Owls in the large cedar trees. Ten of us went to Speeds Pub for lunch and warmth.
The twenty-three were Anne, Glen, Pat, Brian, Roger & Rose, Pam, Val, both Mikes, Marion & Marian, Kirsten, Jonathan & Lorraine, Margaretha, Gabriele, Jean, Colin, Warren, Jack, Johnny Mac and me (Terry).
Next Tuesday, March 3, we will leave Petras at 7:30am and drive to De Boville Slough (4100 Cedar Drive in Coquitlam) and Blakeburn Lagoons Park (Elbow Place in Port Coquitlam). Park in the lot at the intersection of Cedar Drive and Victoria Drive and meet about 8:30.
Also next Tuesday, March 3, is the DNS monthly meeting with guest speaker, Lina Azeez, speaking on Reconnecting Salmon Habitats Impacted by Flood Intrastructures (7:30pm at Benediction Lutheran Church).
eBird Checklist for Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal & Reifel Sanctuary
Feb 25, 2020
Checklists included in this summary:
(1): Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal Jetty
(2): Tsawwassen Beach Rd
(3): Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Number of Species: 54
150 Snow Goose — (3)
55 Brant — (1)
70 Canada Goose — (3)
28 Trumpeter Swan — (3)
6 Wood Duck — (3)
55 Northern Shoveler — (3)
5 Gadwall — (3)
1 Eurasian Wigeon — (3)
23 American Wigeon — (2),(3)
153 Mallard — (2),(3)
424 Northern Pintail — (2),(3)
4 Ring-necked Duck — (3)
1 Greater Scaup — (2)
12 Surf Scoter — (1)
8 White-winged Scoter — (1)
7 Bufflehead — (1),(2),(3)
10 Barrow’s Goldeneye — (1)
4 Common Goldeneye — (1)
5 Common Merganser (North American) — (1)
1 Pied-billed Grebe — (2)
2 Horned Grebe — (1)
1 Red-necked Grebe — (1)
39 Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) — (3)
7 American Coot — (3)
6 Sandhill Crane — (3)
13 Black Oystercatcher — (1)
45 Black-bellied Plover — (3)
20 Dunlin — (3)
12 Glaucous-winged Gull — (1),(2),(3)
3 Common Loon — (1)
1 Double-crested Cormorant — (1)
1 American Bittern — (3)
58 Great Blue Heron (Blue form) — (1),(2),(3)
2 Black-crowned Night-Heron — (3)
2 Northern Harrier — (2),(3)
6 Bald Eagle — (1),(2),(3)
1 Red-tailed Hawk — (3)
1 Northern Saw-whet Owl — (3)
3 Northern Flicker — (3)
2 Northwestern Crow — (3)
2 Common Raven — (3)
4 Black-capped Chickadee — (3)
1 Red-breasted Nuthatch — (3)
12 Marsh Wren — (2),(3)
3 American Robin — (3)
4 House Sparrow — (3)
4 House Finch — (2),(3)
3 Fox Sparrow (Sooty) — (3)
3 Dark-eyed Junco — (3)
16 Golden-crowned Sparrow — (2),(3)
19 Song Sparrow — (1),(2),(3)
23 Spotted Towhee — (3)
26 Red-winged Blackbird — (2),(3)
