Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary
Alas! The Killdeer family is gone. I was craving more shots of the little fuzzy babbies, but I’m honestly not surprised. I suspect they’re still in the general vicinity (those little guys can’t move very far yet) but probably deep undercover. I wish them well!
The highlight of our visit was the unusual sight of a Canada Goose jumping up on the first observation platform of the outer dike trail — you know the one, it’s got the sign about the Virginia Rail — and just standing there on the railing. I don’t remember seeing a goose on that trail before, and certainly not on that railing, lording it over us bipeds. It came up from the marsh just below, so maybe it was guarding its nest? That’s the only theory that makes sense.
Then again, one shouldn’t spend too much time trying to make sense of goosely behaviour. That way madness lies.
Centennial Beach
I wish I knew my shorepeeps a bit better, but according to Merlin it looks like we witnessed a mixed flock of Least and Western Sandpipers being cute, then flying in perfect formation, then landing to be cute again.
I took some nice photos of a Bald Eagle flying around, once landing on a sandbar. Very scenic and whatnot, but then I noticed it had actually been carrying a crab around, and was working over it when it was on the ground. Makes you think: the eagle was doing its own thing, living its own life, didn’t care about me at all. I’m just a witness, trying to capture fleeting moments of a world that’s not mind.
Piper Spit, Burnaby Lake
I’m going to miss the Green-winged Teals when they’re gone!
The photos
