Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary
It’s that time of year again, when it gets really hot and most birbs go into hiding — either because they don’t like the heat either, or they’re nesting out of sight of us humans.
Cowbirds don’t nest, of course, so they’re still foraging in the open and begging for food. And we still get the big, obvious birds. And the little versions of the big obvious birds. Well, not so little now, the goslings are really growing up and rapidly losing that “cute” vibe!
Mind you, we’ve got one class of subjects that’s taking off: pollinators! Well, and bugs in general. From the fuzzy-wuzzy bumblebees around the lavender near the front office, to the zillions of sand wasps digging away on some of the trails, to elegant damselflies and dragonflies, there’s no shortage of photos to take!
Centennial Beach
More sand wasps, yay! And some unexpected harrier drama! It’s not the first time I’ve seen crows harassing raptors, but it may be the first time I’ve seen them harassing a Northern Harrier. I was a bit surprised, because a crow is too big for a harrier to handle, and it’d be safe. But then I figured that any raptor is a potential threat so they’d get up to their asshole tricks regardless.
That’s actually not wrong. I’m told that hawks will grab crow nestlings if they get the chance, so this kind of conflict still makes sense.
Piper Spit, Burnaby Lake
Check it, a Cackling Goose! Haven’t seen those up close in a while.
The photos
