Ambleside and Klootchman Park

January 25, 2015
Last weekend on a cloudy but no-rain day, I went birding at Ambleside Park and Klootchman Park in West Vancouver.
Spent the morning at Ambleside. The goldeneyes started their courtship display- head throw. This is always a good show to watch during spring, well not quite spring yet.

Common Goldeneye

male head throwing

Common Merganser

female

Hooded Merganser

female

After lunch, went trying my luck at Klootchman, located northwest of better known Lighthouse Park.

Did not get to see Surfbird or Rock Sandpiper,but did get some pretty good views of Marbled Murrelets

Marbled Murrelet

 Brandt's Cormorant 

the one facing the camera has white feathering near the beak

was with about 20 other cormorants(Pelagic and Double-crested).

 and a few seals were enjoying a little bit of sunshine before dusk

 view from Klootchman

White Rock pier and Rusty Blackbird

Jan. 11, 2015
I went to White Rock pier again for the Long-tailed Ducks Sunday morning, but this time the I was pretty luck to see them flying and add two lifers this place- Black Scoter and Pacific Loon.
A few of the ten Long-tailed Ducks that were closer to shore showed their tails quite well every time they dived.

Long-tailed Duck

Here's a good view of a male's tail. I can see why they get their current name which replaced another common name(Oldsquaw) that was previously used.

but the female's tail is not so impressively long

Female

 Two males were displaying their tails

and some fly shots of the two males

My lifer #1

Black Scoter

this one was in a flock of Surf and White-winged Scoters half-way to the boat launch of the pier

 Lifer #2

Pacific Loon

I did not get very close views of the loon and there were about 50 more farther out on the sea.

Note the narrow beak separates this bird from Common Loon and the huge flock made me belief this is not a Red-throated Loon.

 Also at White Rock were

Bald Eagle

 and 

Sanderling

In the afternoon at Boundary Bay--112th St and Hornby Drive

My third lifer was surprisingly easy to pick out from the blackbird,starling cowbird mixed flock

Lifer #3

Rusty Blackbird

It was alone on the lowest wire when I was there, while other birds stood on the top two power lines.

Maybe it knows it does not have any relative in this flock.

Boundary Bay and Reifel Bird Sanctuary

Jan. 03, 2015

I started birding at 72nd st, the Golden Eagle was on its favorite perch about 300 m from the foot of the Boundary Bay dyke in the golf course. It was harassed by a Bald Eagle, but did not yield its spot, which was also one of other raptors' favorite branch. The Golden apparently got its wings wet earlier so it was drying them the half an hour I was there, before it took off.

Golden Eagle

2 of the 3 field marks are distinct in this photo- dark yellow hair (this is how it got its name), and white band on its tail

 Golden Eagle and Bald Eagle

 Golden Eagle

the third field mark is the white patches under its wings

These were also in the golf course

At least 2 male Eurasian Wigeons in a large flock of American Wigeons

Green-winged Teal

 Gadwall

the bigger one on right

On the dyke

I did not see any owl, but the smaller birds were pretty active.

Other fellow birders spotted Lincoln's Sparrow and American Tree Sparrow, unfortunately both were gone by the time I walked toward East from the foot of 72nd st.

American Robin

 Golden-crowned Kinglet

 Yellow-rumped Warbler

Song Sparrow 

At 112th st. and Hornby, did not get luck to see the reported Rusty Blackbird because the blackbird flocks decided to stay in private properties.

Here is the only blackbird picture I took

Brewer's Blackbird

this male was one of the only 3 blackbirds close enough to the road to identifly

At 3 in the afternoon, I arrived at Reifel, located some Cedar Waxwings and Pine Siskins, but did not see rarity in the bad lighting.

Pine Siskin

 Just fore dusk, at 4 in the dark light under trees on this cloudy day, a friend spotted my first owl of the day, a sleeping Great-horned. Good eyes Mandy!

Great-horned Owl

Thanks for looking