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A dozen brave souls, plus six, enjoyed a rainy relatively “birdless” morning in Boundary Bay Regional Park on our quarterly Birds on the Bay outing. Check out the photo evidence on our Flickr site at: https://www.flickr.
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A Savannah Sparrow was spotted during the Delta Naturalists' recent outing.

A dozen brave souls, plus six, enjoyed a rainy relatively “birdless” morning in Boundary Bay Regional Park on our quarterly Birds on the Bay outing. Check out the photo evidence on our Flickr site at:

https://www.flickr.com/search/?group_id=3027315%40N23&text=2018-24&view_all=1.

 

It was pouring rain at 9:00 am when Terry and Roger led the 11 “keeners” from Cammidge House (CH) on the walk toward Centennial Beach. I had an Eye Doctor appointment so didn’t join the group until 9:45 am when they had reached the Lookout. David took the second of his two group photos here as the rain had stopped and, as always, the sun began to shine in sunny Tsawwassen. We continued along the dike path toward the PumpHouse, past our DNS Bird Boxes, some unfortunately occupied by invasive House Sparrows.

Terry’s List of sightings included: mallards, herons, gulls, red wings, starlings, song, savannah & house sparrows, barn & tree swallows, lots of hummingbirds (Anna’s & Rufous), yellowthroats, harriers, eagles, house and gold finches, gadwall, killdeer, cedar waxwing. Despite the few exciting sightings, the Newbies, Beach Grove’s Jennifer and Hilary, seemed to enjoy the outing, especially the Chatfest nature of casual birding.

 

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A House Finch

 

We saw from the Pumphouse Lookout, and later met, our Bird Box Team (Jessy, Chris McV, Peter W and his neighbour), examining our Tree Swallow boxes. We chatted a bit about the successful TS boxes with babies, then continued on the walk back to CH. We added Flickers, Marsh Wrens, Towhees and  Eurasian Collared-Doves to Terry’s list.

 

Delta Nats Ladies, Elizabeth P and Jennifer M-R, met us sharply at 11:30 am at CH with their traditional array of scrumptious home-made delicacies, including Sandra’s renowned Egg Salad sandwiches. Although we were only a dozen, all the goodies were wolfed down quickly by the seemingly-starving mob. The dozen were: Roger, Mike, Terry, Glen, Ladner Jack, Margaretha, PB Lorna, photog David H, Elizabeth, newbies Jennifer G & Hilary R, and me, plus later-arriving Boundary Bay Valerie W, Jennifer M-R, Jessy, Chris McV, Peter and his “I forget her name” neighbour making a total of 18. Although not a particularly “birdy” morning, it was super fun as always.

 

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A House Sparrow

 

As dessert to the outing, I met the Bird Box Team (Chris & Marlene, Peter and the lovely “unnamed” neighbour) for their lunch and my Canadian Lager at the Rose & Crown Pub, prior to my Tsawwassen Men’s Golf Club meeting. The tardiness of this report is a result of “Busy Times” with Ontario relies visiting, grandparenting, golfing, etc., but all good, including a visit to Reifel to see the newly-arrived Sandhill Crane Colts born this week and, of course, a fresh 2018 Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae at Emma Lea’s.

 

Next Wednesday, June 20, is our outing to Pitt Lake, leaving Petra’s at 7:30 am. Check out our website at: www(dot)dncb(dot)wordpress(dot)com, for more info on this outing, plus earlier reports and info on other Delta Nats stuff. Don’t forget our annual Fathers Day Pancake Breakfast at Centennial Beach (9:00 am to Noon) this Sunday (tomorrow), with entertainment including our Delta Nats Display. As always, your comments are welcome, and please let me know if these boring, long-winded missives are so annoying that you want off my email list. Cheers: Tom