Where: Piper Spit (Burnaby), Tlahutum Regional Park Weather: Sunny, 15-18C
The Outing
Today was a rare weekday outing, starting in the afternoon when it was already warm and sunny.
Piper Spit was perhaps busier than expected, but that was due in part to some school group in attendance. They fed the ducks and scattered fairly quickly.
While we did not see any new migrants, most of the usual birds and birbs were present, and the shorebirds had expanded to both the east and est side of the pier. A killdeer was also in attendance, though no bobbing was observed.
There was regular drama spread out among several of the species: coot drama, goose drama, mallard drama. Maybe it was the squirrels. Because I have never seen so many squirrels at Burnaby Lake before. Gathering nuts for winter? Convention in town? They were everywhere, whatever it was.
We moved on to Tlahutum Regional Park and did the full (for us) tour this time, spotting a decent number of white-crowned sparrows, an Anna’s hummingbird, but not a lot else, bird-wise. We did see a squirrel, though, which I don’t think has ever happened here before. As I said, they were everywhere. Probably parachuting in.
In the community garden, we heard some weird bird calls, some of which sounded like a person badly trying to do a bird call.
It was a parrot.
The owner was tending a garden and the parrot was nearby in a cage, making assorted whistles and calls, as they do.
As we departed, one of a pair of cyclists suggested we come back at night with night vision gear to shoot coyotes, as he can always hear them howling at night. No thanks!
I walked to Burnaby Lake and had gone out earlier, so I ended up putting on about 26,000 steps a day after putting on over 27,000. I think I’ll rest my feet for a bit now.
The Shots
The Birds (and other critters)
Sparrows and sparrow-adjacent:
- American blackbird
- American robin
- Anna’s hummingbird
- Black-capped chickadee
- Golden-crowned sparrow
- House finch
- Song sparrow
- Spotted towhee
- White-crowned sparrow
- Yellow-rumped warbler
Waterfowl:
- American coot
- Canada goose
- Greater yellowlegs
- Green-winged teal
- Killdeer
- Mallard
- Northern shoveler
- Wood duck
Common:
- American crow
- Rock pigeon
Raptors:
- None!
Non-birds:
- Black, gray and Douglas squirrels
- Hoverfiles and wasps
