We decided to visit two spots we’d only seen once: Surrey Bend, from waaaay back in September 2020; and Brydon Lagoon, from April 2024 when we went searching for a rarity.
Surrey Bend Regional Park
Surrey Bend is quite a nice place, with some good scenery of the Fraser, just east of when it’s joined by Pitt River from the north, and as it swoops and bends around Barnston Island. Not so many birbs, though. I remember one Song Sparrow from 2024, foraging amongst the fallen leaves and being very matchy-matchy, but that’s about it.
Didn’t even get that much this time! Sure, we heard plenty of birbs in the wooded bits of the trail, but we didn’t get any good shots. Sadness!
Well, you win some you lose some. The scenery really was quite lovely.
Even this bit across the water in Pitt Meadows. I think it’s called Delta Cedar Specialties, owned by the Delta Forestry Group (“Think Quality — Think Delta”).
I was really hoping for this lone tree to house some raptors, or… any birds, really. Wouldn’t this be fantastic raptor territory, like that lone tree next to the horsie farms on Boundary Bay? Alas, no raptors to be seen.
Side note, or maybe poststcipt: there is a whole-ass regional park just across the river: Branston Island. There doesn’t seem that much to do except bike around and maybe picnic and get a tan at the one beach? Google Maps does seem to indicate some trails between / into properties, so it could be similar to the area around Sturgeon Slough, except even less accessible. Might be worth a gander if a rare bird shows up, but otherwise it seems super out of the way for me.
Brydon Lagoon
In 2024 we came in search of a Black Phoebe, which sadly we did not find. We did find a few birbs, and a multitude of ducks. And the scenery is pretty nice!
This time we found the same amount of ducks, and a huge bounty of birbs, making this trip well worth it. The first being this lovely butterbutt!
… and this bored Spotted Towhee
And around the south side is where all the ducks hang out, like this Lesser Scaup…
… and this Ring-necked Duck, showing off his neck ring
Fun fact: as hungry as it is, this chickadee will not try to swallow the seed. It’ll fly off to a safer place (probably deeper into the bush) and pick it into smaller pieces with its sharp little beak.
I’d been hearing Song Sparrows singing more and more downtown over the last few days, as they warmed up their pipes for courting season. Finally I see them in action!
I didn’t think we’d ever get a glamour shot of a coot, yet here we are. Who can resist this weirdo’s red accents and subtle silver beading?
I don’t often get good photos of goldeneyes, so yay!
This little guy is probably a Merlin. I saw it zipping across the lagoon / pond south to north and disappear.
It’s funny to think how diets evolve. No creature ever eats just one thing — earlier I saw another golden-crown going wild on a suet feeder on private property — but it seems that, given the choice, these guys will most often go for herbs and grasses and veggies, leaving their beaks stained greenish. This is in stark contrast to their closest cousins, White-crowned Sparrows, who have an extremely varied diet of seeds, bugs, fruit and even meat (e.g.: earthworms), and hardly ever go for greens.
A Common Merganser! I don’t often see them relatively up close!
And another Lesser Scaup, just emerging from the water
This Bald Eagle had done a few passes over the lagoon, panicking the ducks, and now rested on one of the best spots.
It leisurely flew across the pond to some trees where it rested again, then took off. I like the ripply effect, mainly visible on its right wing. I’d seen it before with other birds, but misunderstood it. I thought the feathers were damaged, but I think air currents are the cause.
ƛ̓éxətəm (Tlahutum) Regional Park
Wow, this guy looks washed out! I know immature Great Blues look a bit browner than adults, but I guess I’ll also blame the very low golden light.
Coquitlam River still beautiful
And that little creek alongside it, with the setting sun
