The upcoming proposed Deltaport Expansion and the horrible consequences on Western Sandpipers and Barn Owls

On May 27, 2019, there was a community hearing on the effects that the proposed Delta Port Expansion in  the Fraser River Estuary would have on Shorebirds and Biofilm.  Bird Studies Canada (BSC) was in attendance and so was Environment and Climate Change Canada. Both of them put forward a presentation each on how detrimental it will be for western sandpipers and even Barn Owls. Barn Owls will be affected by road mortality due to the increasing amount of traffic travelling to and from the port at all hours of the day especially night when they are out hunting. Environment and Climate Change Canada stressed that biofilm cannot be recreated (as the Port Authority states) and that this will significantly decrease the Western Sandpiper population here at their final staging ground before heading to Alaska. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) points out several reasons why they feel the expansion should not go ahead.

 To read these presentations in Pdf format click HERE and HERE
BSC's writted submission is HERE
ECCC also provided this recent scientific paper you can access HERE

 The Port of Vancouver replied with a disappointing response basically saying that Environment and Climate Change Canada are wrong about biofilm not being able to be recreated and also listed many points where they thought ECCC was in error about.  They also respond to Bird Studies Canada and state that with mitigation there will be no adverse effects to Coastal Birds nor to Barn Owls. To read their responses click HERE and HERE

 There will be a community meeting happening on May 31, 2019. This topic-specific session on alternative means of carrying out the designated Project will be held at the Coast Tsawwassen Inn, 1665 56 St, Delta from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm

 There will be another community meeting happening on  June 1, 2019 . This community session will be held at the Tsawwassen Recreation Centre, 1929 Tsawwassen Drive, Tsawwassen.

 Even the First Nations across the border in the US are extremely upset about this and protesting. They will be in attendance at the upcoming hearings. To watch a video Global News recently made on this click below:
It does seem right now like an almost hopeless battle where the Port Authority is ignoring the science and the detrimental effects it will have on shorebirds. Money is talking but we as birders can't give up. Having a port expansion here will just destroy so much we love with terrible impacts that we won't be able to reverse the clock on. It will be a very sad place with no Western Sandpipers and Brant and even less of the declining Barn Owls than we currently have.

Let's keep fighting and lending our voices so that this expansion never sees the light of day!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Dowitcher Identification

Image
Birders notoriously find it difficult to tell Short-billed and Long-billed Dowitchers apart. I have got a request to do an identification explanation on them so here goes, I hope it will be helpful. Short-billed Dowitchers and Long-billed look so similar. Using their habitat is helpful but not diagnostic. Short-billed Dowitchers tend to prefer Salt water and brackish water and Long-billed Dowitchers tend to prefer fresh water. However, I have OFTEN seen Short-billeds in freshwater and Long-billeds in brackish and salt water. Therefore, DO NOT rely on habitat. Another feature many people will tell you to rely on is spotting on the side of the flanks of Short-billeds and barring on the side of Long-billeds. Usually this is a mark that you can use but it is not always as distinct as you like. I have seen Short-billeds with a barred appearance to the flanks. It is only at the side of the breast where you have to look for this diagnostic feature for the spots on a Short-billed and t
Read more

Hawk Identification Tips from every angle (Sharpie vs Cooper and Red-tailed Subspecies)

Image
I get several questions about the difference between accipiters. The most common ones are between Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's Hawks and between Cooper's Hawks vs Northern Goshawks (to a lesser degree). Next, I get many questions dealing with a certain race of buteos the Western Red-tailed Hawk and Harlan's. So I thought I would do a post on these to help answer those questions. I will deal with Cooper's and Sharpies and not Goshawks because they are much more common here and look much more alike. My friend John Reynolds inspired me to write this up. COOPER'S AND SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS EYE COLOUR - YELLOW OR ORANGE? RED? Normally a juvenile Cooper's hawk has a bright yellow eye and a Juvie Sharpie has a orange eye but some cooper's can have a dull yellow eye that looks a bit orangish. Cooper's Hawks usually only transition to the orange eye colour when they are sub adults, so in good light, it's a very very reliable feature. However you
Read more

STINT IDENTIFICATION

Image
As per request, here are some tips that I hope will be helpful in identifying and differentiating Red-necked Stint from Little Stint. I will also do a brief intro on Long-toed and Temminck's Stint... if you build it they will come right?😉 Red-necked and Little Stints look very much alike in worn breeding plumage. The amount of Red on the face, throat and breast in Red-necked Stint is vary variable). They look even more alike in non-breeding plumage, that is why it is essential to learn structural differences to separate the two. They are similar to Semipalmated Sandpipers as well as Sanderlings. Both species are often confused for Red-necked Stints. Little Stints rarely get confused with Sanderling because they have a hind toe which helps differentiate it from this species. Sanderlings in breeding or worn breeding are usually confused with Red-necked Stints but they are much larger than Red-necked Stints. Let's first start with Bills in this complicated ID proces
Read more

*Updated - The most famous Red-tailed Hawk is eating fish on the ground just like a Bald Eagle!

Image
Update - There are plans in the works to make a documentary film on this young Red-tailed Hawk who thinks he's an Eagle. You can read the latest news about that on CBC HERE . Watch this incredible footage of the little Red-tailed Hawk who grew up in a family of three Eaglets and 2 Bald Eagle Parents. He is imprinted now on Bald Eagles. He looks and acts just like one, as you can see here in the video below. He is standing over a large salmon carcass, just like a Bald Eagle would and he's eating the decaying flesh. Red-tailed Hawks like to eat voles and rabbits etc. not fish! Imprinting is usually irreversible according to raptor expert David Bird. However, I hope it's reversible so that he doesn't attempt to mate with a Bald Eagle, as the Eagle would kill him because it would view him as a Hawk. Eagle expert David Hancock said that the bird will likely starve and get killed by an eagle. He said this possibly can be prevented if someone grabs it and takes it to O
Read more

*UPDATED* The First Ever Black Birders Week May 31-June 5th

Image
By now you have probably heard about the racist Canadian-born White woman who did a racist attack on a Black birder named Christian Cooper in Central Park in NYC. All he asked was for her to leash her dog in a on-leash dog area. If you haven't heard of this story you can watch the video and read about it HERE . It's a vile video of a vile person who knew her White privilege and used it as a weapon against this man.  We all know that in America many Black people especially Black men are killed by police for no reason at all but the colour of their skin. A good example is George Floyd who was killed by a police officer (while 3 other cops looked on) for what they said was a possible 20$ forged bill. The White police officer put a knee on his neck on camera for over 8 mins until he died, despite having the victim completely restrained, begging for mercy and not being able to breathe. Only one police officer was charged and not for 1st degree murder but third and manslaught
Read more