Blog

Osprey

There is an Osprey pair I have been following for several years now. As this is usually the time they will show up, I made the trip out to the nesting site on the Fraser River this morning.

Osprey
Osprey

It was good to see they had returned again, this being the female.

Osprey
Osprey

This is the male arriving with a fish for her.

Osprey
Osprey

The pair together on the nest (female on the left, male on the right).

Osprey
Osprey

Here the male is arriving with another stick for the nest. This all being typical behaviour to see when they return for another nesting season. The only thing left,

Osprey
Osprey

… is mating activity to confirm things are well under way.

Osprey
Osprey

Hopefully things go better this year as they have been unsuccessful the last two.

Kinglet & Hawks

A brief walk this afternoon took me back to the North 40 Park in the Boundary Bay area. It was a little livelier today with Common Yellowthroat and Yellow-rumped Warblers now present. They just were not going to cooperate and pose for me.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Not having much luck with the warblers,

Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet

… I tried for the Ruby-crowned Kinglets but did not fair much better.

 

Cooper's Hawk
Cooper's Hawk

The only ones willing to pose today were the Cooper’s Hawk pair again. Here the female with prey,

Cooper's Hawk
Cooper's Hawk

… and not far away was the male. He actually tried mating with her, but she shrugged him off preferring to eat instead.

Ring-necked Duck & Sandhill Crane

Headed out to Reifel to help out on the trails this afternoon. While still fairly quiet on the birding front,

Ring-necked Duck
Ring-necked Duck

… there were some interesting waterfowl around.

Ring-necked Duck
Ring-necked Duck

There were at least three pairs of Ring-necked Duck present. And the entertainment for the afternoon,

Sandhill Crane
Sandhill Crane

 

Sandhill Crane
Sandhill Crane

 

Sandhill Crane
Sandhill Crane

… was the resident pair of Sandhill Cranes bathing and preening.

Sandhill Crane
Sandhill Crane

Then strolling around fanning and drying their feathers.