After a slow start to the year, I have been out now a couple of times looking for birds. With snow and ice, ducks are relatively scarce, but raptors are plentiful.
It is now 2020!
Category: Nature
December Birding in BC
It has been a busy month, so we did not get out too many times. However, we managed an outing to Harrison Mills yesterday and to Iona Beach and the Reifel Sanctuary today. The highlight at Harrison Mills was watching and listening to a juvenile bald eagle, perched on a tree devouring a salmon. This bird was calling loudly and frequently! The highlight at Iona Beach was watching two eagles and a peregrine falcon pursuing green winged teals. The maneuverability of the eagles was surprising, while the speed of the peregrine was phenomenal. We cheered when a teal finally escaped repeated attempts by the raptors. However, about five minutes later, the two eagles were able to finally catch the teal which repeatedly dove into the water to escape. One of the eagles finally managed to pounce on the teal as it came up from a dive, and the eagle proceeded to drown it. The highlight at the Reifel Sanctuary was a northern goshawk which passed overhead four times, before finally landing in a tree. This is the first time we have seen a goshawk in the wild, and it certainly is very large compared to other acceptor hawks!
Late November Birds
All of these photos were taken yesterday either at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary or at Blackie Spit. With ice on the ponds at the Reifel Sanctuary, there were not as many ducks as there have been. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful, sunny day with a good variety of birds.
More eagles from Harrison Mills
A few BC Ducks
The Lower Mainland of BC is an excellent place to observe ducks in the winter months, as the Fraser Estuary, the shallow bays on the coast and the many wetlands provide exceptional winter habitat. The following photographs were taken in the last couple of weeks.
The Eagles of Harrison Mills
Yesterday we literally saw several hundred eagles at Harrison Mills. The eagles follow the spawning salmon. With lower water levels, there are literally thousands of salmon on the Chehalis / Harrison Flats. The peak of this eagle concentration is expected in about two weeks.
Eagles: Observing Behaviour
As the eagles move into the Fraser valley, abandoned eagle nests are being claimed by eagle pairs. Concurrently, significant interaction between eagles can be observed. Yesterday I was able to observe two eagles inter-locking talons while in flight. It is speculated that this kind of interaction can be a form of play, pair-bonding or aggression. As the one eagle had nesting material and subsequently both eagles were seen at a nest, it seems likely that this was a pair-bonding activity. The following is the series of photos I was able to take.
Looking for Eagles
As November approaches, eagles return to the Fraser Valley. The peak of the “eagle season” is generally in mid to late November, and the richest concentration is around Harrison Mills, about 30 miles from where we live. As it was a perfect autumn day today, we decided to explore the area. It was a great day, and we managed to see about 100 eagles as well as some spectacular scenery.
The Sun Returned
After about ten days of wet and foggy weather, the sun came out again, and so we took advantage of a gorgeous day! The eagles are returning to the valley, and the ducks are in breeding plumage.
A Trip to Alberta
Last week, we traveled to Alberta. The objective was to photograph great grey owls, But I had no luck in that regard. However, it was nonetheless a wonderful trip, with lots of wildlife and absolutely exceptional scenery! The following photos show some of the highlights.
And Now from the West Coast!
Since I last posted on this site, we have made the move to British Columbia, and we are well into the process of getting settled. I have had little time for “the outdoors” since the move, however that is starting to change. One’s perspective of “Nature” is a lot different in British Columbia, than it is in Ontario or Kentucky, and wilderness is far more accessible. Similarly, one’s perspective of “Today’s World” is different. Environmental issues and issues of sustainability attract a lot more attention in the general public. I look forward to doing more exploring and getting back to posting on this site as we settle in to our West Coast life. The following photos were taken in British Columbia, Oregon and California over the last two months.
Early Summer Birding in Ontario
This past week, we have been touring South Central Ontario with family from England. While the weather was cool and the forests damp and buggy, it proved to be a good time for birding. On our circuit, we managed to see a few rarities as well as one of my nemesis birds, the golden-winged warbler, a bird I had very much wanted to see before next month’s move to British Columbia. The rarest bird seen, was the piping plover of which there are less than ten breeding pairs in Ontario. The bird had been extirpated, but assisted by willing volunteers, there have been a few returning to the shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Huron. This bird is endangered, in all of its habitat as beaches are taken up by indiscriminate development and human activity.
