Only four of us, Roger, Mike, Chris and I, went to Iona Regional Park last Wednesday while several others (Marion, Pat & Kirsten, Liz, Manli, Pat & Maureen) spent the day at Manning Park. Check out the photo evidence on our Picasa site at: https://picasaweb.google.com/113357506005013094897. Kirsten’s Manning Park report will follow on our website.
The four of us left Petra’s shortly after 7:30 a.m. and had a leisurely but smooth ride with Roger to Iona. We decided to park by the sewage lagoons and enter the front gate. Not a lot of waterfowl in the lagoons, other than Mallards. A flock of Peeps entertained us for the longest time. They were mostly Least Sandpipers (yellow legs) with a few Semipalmated Sandpipers (Black legs). Although these birds were very close to us, even at our feet, identification was difficult, even amusing. Roger identified the same bird four different times as four different species. We think we saw Western and Spotted Sandpipers too. We did get one Pectoral Sandpiper in the northwest pond, near the white hybrid Mallard. Both Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs were there too. And we did see a few different ducks, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall and American Wigeon.
Through the back gate we entered Iona RP and wandered the cleared trail along the fence toward the River. Only Common Yellowthroat Warblers seen or heard. The Purple Martin Colony seemed very successful in the nest boxes on the pylons in the Fraser. Lots of young seen plus adults entering the boxes with food. Tree and Barn Swallows around too. We were blanked on our destination bird, Yellow-headed Blackbird. We saw a Pied-billed Grebe and other regular small birds (e.g. Finches, Sparrows) and Woodpeckers, but nothing exotic. On the walk back through the sewage ponds, Roger flushed a Merlin.
Still relatively early (11 a.m.), we decided to go to Reifel in search of the White-faced Ibis. This bird was long-gone, and not at Alaksen either. Roger took our group photo at Alaksen entitled The Boys of Summer. Chris liked this casual shot. We may have seen other stuff here, but I forget. Anyhow, we got back to Tsawwssaen around 12:30 pm and Chris, Mike and I went to the Rose & Crown for lunch (Roger had domestic duties). We all had the delicious shrimp sandwich served by the lovely Leila, and of course a pint of lager (I forget what kind, but I have rarely, almost never, had a bad one). Although this report isn’t very exciting, it truly was a very enjoyable outing.
Next Wednesday, July 27, Roger will lead us around Burnaby Mountain and other neat spots in the area. We will leave Petra’s at 7:30 a.m. and expect to be at the Horizons Restaurant parking lot on the mountain around 8:30 a.m. to start our adventures. Apologies for the late report however I have been busy with doctors (all good), golfing, grand parenting, car boot sale, airshow, and blowing my pension at Costco. As always, comments welcome, check out our website at www.dncb.wordpress.com. Cheers: Tom
Tom Bearss, President, Delta Naturalists Society
