Blog – Page 10 – CrazyM Bird & Nature Photography

Greater Yellowlegs

With all the rain there were not many cars in the lot when I arrived to help out at Reifel this afternoon. It also put a little bit of a damper on birding and photography.

As wandering some of the inside trails was proving uneventful, I did check the outer fields and ponds. Nothing out of the ordinary was noted with just dowitchers and yellowlegs.

The lack of visitors likely contributed to the one highlight of the day. Being fairly quiet a few dowitchers and yellowlegs had made their way right in beside the base of the tower.

This Greater Yellowlegs was very active catching Stickleback. I have seen them do this before in the ponds at the sanctuary, just never this close.

On the way out this years surviving Sandhill Crane colt, other than being a little soggy, is doing very well.

Peregrine Falcon

With Sharp-tailed Sandpiper showing up the plan was to get out for a walk to Boundary Bay. I was encouraged by seeing a couple had been sighted in that area today.

As I headed west from 104 St. the tidal pools were quiet with no shorebirds in sight. Then one possible reason became apparent.

This Peregrine Falcon was roosting on a large log washed up along the high water mark. It was surprisingly cooperative for photos and seemed more interested scanning its surrounding than in me. It eventually spotted something and flew off east low along the dyke.

As for shorebirds closer in along the mudflats,

… I only managed to come up with a small group of Dowitchers by the outflow pipe at 88 St.

On the way back I tagged along with the plovers as the tide started to come in, but did not get any real photo opportunities. As for Sharp-tailed, the hunt continues.

Bewick’s + Great Horned

Not having found a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper amongst the Pectoral Sandpipers a few days ago at Boundary Bay, I was looking forward to helping out at Reifel this afternoon as one was spotted there yesterday. So I started my afternoon at the sanctuary by checking the outside ponds. On speaking with other birders who had been checking since the morning, the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper had not been relocated and I did not fare any better.

Having struck out there, I started making my way to the east dyke trail where a Great Horned Owl had been sighted earlier.

Along the way a couple of Bewick’s Wren were flitting back and forth across the trail. One cooperated ever so briefly allowing me to get this photo.

On reaching the northeast corner the Great Horned Owl was roosting in an evergreen adjacent to the trail.

As they are a favourite of visitors, I had the camera set up allowing them close up views. A second Great Horned Owl flew in while there and landed in a tree along the inside grassy trail. So the owls ended up being the highlight of the day.