The Ovenbird Twitch to Squamish

Young birder Bridget and I went up to Squamish today to twitch an Ovenbird that Christopher Di Corrado found yesterday in Brackendale. 

 As soon as we drove up to the spot on Gov't Rd he was singing his heart out so loudly. He was doing his "Teacher, Teacher, Teacher" call. You can hear my recording here. It took quite a while to finally get a visual on him but we did. We also got badly eaten by mosquitoes in the process. 

 It was a new BC bird for Bridget! Congrats B. My friend Chris Dale told me we were lucky to get photos because he couldn't. Several others could not as well, despite trying for hours :(. Other highlights here were Cassin's Vireo, Chipping Sparrow, Townsend's Warblers and some Evening Grosbeaks.

Ovenbird in Squamish - Photos: Bridget Spencer

 We then headed to the Spawning Channels where we had several Red-eyed Vireos and an American Redstart, MacGillivray's and Yellow Warblers and a Willow Flycatcher. After this we had a delicious take away lunch of sushi outside at Umai Sushi. Bridget kept saying the habitat in Squamish has so much potential and I agree. We were hoping to find a Least Flycatcher or as Bridget wished a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher. Dream big or go home right? ;).

 We then went to the Squamish Estuary and drove the spit and saw tons of kite surfers. We also had 3 American Redstarts and even got some nice views and photos.

American Redstart at the spit at the Squamish Estuary - Photos: Bridget Spencer

 Next we were off to Oliver's Landing in Furry Creek where a Field Sparrow had been found a few years before by Ken Wright. We had no such luck with anything as rare but did see a Common Loon in full breeding plumage. We also saw a few Common Mergansers and Harlequin Ducks. We were off to Porteau Cove but unfortunately when we got there it was too crowded. We decided to continue on... for a weekday it sure seemed everyone was out today!.

 We then went to Yew Lake Trail on Cypress Mountain. I had just been up a week prior and hiked to the Bowen Lookout to see some Canada Jays. 
Canada Jay at Cypress. They may just be the cutest birds on the planet ? - Photo: Melissa Hafting

 Today though we had several Sooty Grouse, some singing Olive-sided Flycatchers, Red-breasted Sapsuckers, Band-tailed Pigeons, Steller's Jays, Nuthatches, Townsend's Warblers and Violet-green and Barn Swallows. We also had some lovely Hermit and Varied Thrushes. I just love the song of Hermit Thrushes!. It was beautiful up there and cool. We saw 4 stunning Black Bears as well. Bridget really enjoyed that as did I. Speaking of bears I notice that 16 new "modern westcoast homes" are being built half way up the mountain. I can imagine there will be bear/human conflicts here. If we keep pushing bears into smaller places and encroaching on their land what do we expect?. It just makes me sad because it is always the bears that end up paying the price.

Black Bears on Cypress in West Vancouver - Photos: Bridget Spencer

Townsend's Warbler on Cypress - Photo: Melissa Hafting

 As we were leaving a pair of Peregrines circled above us and a Turkey Vulture flew down so low to the road that he almost touched it!. We were glad he didn't land or I would have run him over!. It was cool to get so close to one though.

 Next we went to Stanley Park and walked around Beaver Lake. The park is closed to traffic so we had to walk in from downtown Vancouver. We had several Band-tailed Pigeons, a Pileated Woodpecker, a Hammond's and Willow Flycatcher, Western Tanager, several Wood Ducks and ducklings, Marsh Wrens and more. A Red-breasted Sapsucker even flew right in front of us to eat from sapwells which was neat. Townsend's and Black-throated Gray Warblers serenaded us out on our way home.

It was a perfect end to a perfect day.

 Addendum: I noticed I started this post by calling Bridget a young birder.... I need to get out of that habit... she's not so young anymore. She's now finished her first year of University! Man time flies! I've known her since she was a tiny sprite LOL. She sure is one amazing birder and naturalist though. 
I will never stop being proud of that kid (I know... I know...).

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

My First Mother's Day Without My Mother

Image
This is my first Mother’s Day without my mom. I am still deeply affected and afflicted with emotional pain. I took the day off from the RBA to just remember her and honour her. My dad, sister and I visited her grave with a bouquet of flowers. I cried a lot but it gives me a bit of comfort that she now has a head stone that I can touch. I didn't want to leave. I can’t believe it’s been just over 4 months since I lost her. To my Mom: Mom you were so great. You were so loved. I miss you so much today. I wish every day that you were here with Meghan, Dad and I.  I will never be truly happy again until I see you once more. Thank you for being such a wonderful mother. I will never ever forget you. I cannot wait to see you again in Heaven. Since you died in my arms, this is one of the hardest days I have been through without you. Normally I would be taking you out for brunch today, hugging you and telling you how much I loved you. Mom, you watched me take my first breath and I unfortunate...
Read more