Cloudy and cool this afternoon when helping out at Reifel, but not a bad crowd given the conditions. The Great Horned and Northern Saw-whet Owls were noticeably absent along the east dyke trail. In the northeast corner I checked out some of the regulars.
Fox Sparrow
Like this Fox Sparrow,
Song Sparrow
… and the ever present Song Sparrow. A couple of birds entertaining the visitors this afternoon and providing good views,
Virginia Rail
… were two Virginia Rails. This one captured on ice along the slough’s edge. Another highlight today were two Swamp Sparrows making brief appearances around the tower again. A few birders were delighted to see them, some for the first time. Unfortunately I did not manage any new photos of them.
There was a light drizzle and it was starting to get foggy when heading out to volunteer at Reifel. On arriving the parking lot was fairly empty, but that is to be expected this close to Christmas. Some of the regular birders and volunteers were also helping out with the Ladner Christmas bird count today. While a little on the gloomy side, I still tried to get a few photos. While watching the sparrows for something out of the ordinary,
Dark-eyed Junco
… I managed this Dark-eyed Junco,
Fox Sparrow
… and a Fox Sparrow along the east dyke trail.
Lincoln’s Sparrow
Then at the junction of the inner display ponds this Lincoln’s Sparrow. As none were seen when they did the count here earlier today, this one got added to the tally. I did get another glimpse of my current nemesis, the Swamp Sparrow, but still no photo.
With most of the shore bird migration behind us now, it is time to change gears. This started with the last post focusing mostly on water birds. Despite the grey and drizzly weather the last few days I have managed a few walks. They have been to Reifel where there have been some interesting song birds worth giving a try. One bird that has been seen off and on for a few weeks now is a White-throated Sparrow. Unfortunately I have yet to locate it, so I turned my attention to some of the regulars.
White-crowned Sparrow
Lots of White-crowned Sparrows around,
White-crowned Sparrow
… including immature birds. One change of pace,
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored)
… was this Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco. In this part of British Columbia we are most likely to see them at this time of year.
Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon)
The Oregon Dark-eyed Junco is what we are used to seeing here most of the time. The other bird I was hoping to see was the Evening Grosbeak that had been sighted.
Evening Grosbeak
While I did manage to locate and photograph it, the location and lighting were not the best. The bird itself was looking a little bedraggled as well.
House Sparrow
Of course there is never any shortage of House Sparrows. This species was introduced to North America from Europe and are referred to as Old World Sparrows.
House Sparrow
While similar in appearance and behavior, they are a different family from the other New World Sparrows. Another change of pace while watching sparrows,
Hermit Thrush
… was a couple of Hermit Thrush mixed in with them foraging on the ground. Continuing to scour the mixed groups for the White-throated, something else caught my eye.
Fox Sparrow
This odd colored Fox Sparrow, perhaps partially leucistic.
Fox Sparrow
This is how I would normally expect them to look. So while nothing too much out of the ordinary, a couple of interesting finds.
