Reifel Bird Sanctuary
The Reifel cranes are nesting again, after losing their single egg a few weeks ago. That means they’ll mostly be out of the picture until the chicks hatch, but in the meantime there’s lots to keep my camera busy. No cool migrants… with one possible exception?
Let us first gaze upon this beautiful Spotted Towhee and its snazzy leg bands.
The blackbirds were being their usual rambunctious selves. This one came running up to us on the fence, no doubt hoping to be fed. Once that didn’t happen, he sang a couple of times, then wandered off. Rude.
Now this beautiful ducky was hanging around the pond behind the tower, along with his girlfriend. We’re looking at a Cinnamon Teal, and I gotta say, that is a 100% appropriate name. It looks like they’re uncommon in the Lower Mainland, which is about at the northern edge of their breeding range. That would explain why I’ve never seen them before!
Fun fact: despite their name, it looks like they’re not very closely related to Green-winged Teals. They’re in the genus Spatula, which also includes Northern Shovelers. I can see that, this guy has a pretty impressive schnoz!
We lucked out, and found a Marsh Wren to serenade us for a bit!
Two of these little guys were foraging at the edge of one of the inner ponds and poking their bills in the mud. We tentatively ID’d them as Least Sandpipers.
Boundary Bay Dyke Trail
A very cool tableau, though I wish there wasn’t so much haze in the air!
Okay, so this white-crown doesn’t look special… but I knew immediately it was special, because it was not singing in the Lower Mainland dialect! Don’t quite know what its story is, but I’ve seen a few of these vagrant white-crowns over the years. Did it travel from out of town? Did it learn its song from a parent that travelled from out of town?
How can a creature be at once so majestic yet so goofy? I don’t even know what’s going on with its eyes. Is it tilting its head? Can their eyes move independently, like a chameleon’s? Because that’s honestly what it looks like from here.
Piper Spit
The winter migrants are mostly gone, but these shiny guys are staying. Oh, I guess they’ll soon become not so shiny for a while.
I said mostly gone!
Still happy to see these gorgeous gentlemen. My second teal species of the day.
