The site was started by a fellow named Chris so he could post and share his birding photos. About a year ago Chris moved to the lower Mainland and we've met up a couple of times for birding excursions.
We agreed to meet at Richmond Nature Park, which is close to where he lives.
Richmond Nature Park
While waiting for Chris to arrive, I took a few photos of hummingbirds in the park. The feeders are situated in a location where you can get close-up shots of the hummers in the surrounding bushes.
Rufous Hummingbird - Richmond Nature Park, Richmond BC
And here's a shot of a female:
Rufous Hummingbird (F) - Richmond Nature Park, Richmond BC
Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts
Since I post photos from this site all the time, I figured I should show it to Chris. There wasn't much going on in the water other than this Loon, now in full breeding plumage.
Common Loon - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
I was a bit disappointed, but Chris suggested we take a look at a small woodlot just in from the shore. We hit the jackpot there, starting with this common sparrow.
White-crowned Sparrow - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
We heard a high pitched call and Chris suggested Warbler. It sounded familiar to me and I thought it was an Orange-crowned Warbler. I was right!
Orange-crowned Warbler - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
2018 Bird #136
This photo catches a bit of the Orange crown, usually difficult to see.
And here's a short movie of it singing.
There was also a Yellow-Rumped Warbler present which I only caught as it flew away from us.
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon Race) - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
Suddenly a loud call broke out, familiar to me but unusual to Chris. It was a chattering Bewick's wren. Although this is a backyard bird for me, this was my first good photo for the year.
Bewick's Wren - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
And here's a movie of the loud call:
We left the park and went up to Lily Point on the east side of the point. It was a nice walk, but we saw no birds to speak of.
Brunswick Point, Ladner
I thought that this would be another good spot to show Chris and it turned out pretty well. While driving there, Chris spotted a small raptor at the side of the road. We stopped and it flushed. It was an American Kestrel, I got this shot as it sped away.
American Kestrel - 33a Ave, Ladner BC
We parked and walked in on the dike along the point. We heard some activity off to our left and we made our way into a wooded area, a place I'd seen my first Barn owl back in the 90's.
The activity was caused by Ruby-crowned Kinglets. We both started snapping shots as the birds flitted around.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - Brunswick Point, Ladner BC
I got the shot below which shows the ruby crown just a bit.
Chris got a much better shot of the Ruby crown which can be seen here:
It wouldn't be South Delta (or Ladner) without an Eagle flying overhead.
Bald Eagle - Brunswick Point, Ladner BC
I got one more shot away at the Kinglet:
We continued along the dike. It's a really good spot for Harriers as there's a large grassland area for rodents, and there's always a good breeze for gliding. I love the look of the male Northern Harrier, completely different from the mostly brown and larger female.
Northern Harrier - Brunswick Point, Ladner BC
On our way back we encountered a Killdeer on the path, it was not too concerned about our presence.
Killdeer - Brunswick Point, Ladner BC
And last, but not least, we saw a Barn Swallow, my first of the year. A sure sign of spring!
Barn Swallow - Brunswick Point, Ladner BC - 2018 Bird #137
I drove Chris back to Richmond. We'd had a great day together.
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