Birding in BC Community

Forgot to add, this shot of the Yellowlegs from Boundary Bay Regional Park in Tsawwassen.

Juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker by R Varga, on Flickr

This bird has been the subject of alot of attention from the birding world. This was a tough shot to get. I worked hard, waiting for over an hour for the bird to put itself into a small patch of sunlight, high up in the conifer. Klootchman Park, in West Vancouver. Due to aggressive cropping on my part, it looks close, but the bird was quite high up.

Hutton's Vireo by R Varga, on Flickr

Captured this image at Klootchman Park, West Vancouver. Unfortunately, the rising sun was about at 1 o'clock to me and the bird, and my position was so tight I just couldn't maneuver around to get the sun more behind me, for a more detailed, and better lit image, of the bird. I was hoping the bird might move to some shrubbery on the other side of me, putting the sun at my back, but no such luck. I ID'd this bird by call (Merlin) rather than by visual recognition. A first time bird for me.

Good catches Randy, I finally had to venture out for some fresh air this afternoon, there was enough bright overcast to make it interesting, so down to the pier I went. Lots of duck and Merganser action, and I took a short walk past the bit of bush beside the pier - hey, cool - a Varied Thrush foraging around under the cottonwoods there. We can add the Varied Thrush to the list:

Varied Thrush by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Another visitor to the pier this afternoon was a Killdeer checking out the exposed mud flats at low tide , so we can add the Killdeer to the list:


Killdeer by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Another morning of mixed conditions down at the river near my place. A Downy Woodpecker came by for a visit, so we can add the Downy Woodpecker to the list:
Downy Woodpecker by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Downy Woodpecker by GMcD2008, on Flickr

A Pelagic Cormorant that was hanging out with DC Cormorants and Black Oystercatchers on an islet at Neck Point, yesterday..
Pelagic Cormorant by Bill Gyles, on Flickr

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) by Randy, on Flickr

Wasn't expecting to find this lark in the dead of winter. Always thought they flew south to warmer climes. Guess I was wrong. Blackie Spit provided this image.

Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) by Randy, on Flickr

Another contribution from Blackie Spit.

Pacific Wren in the snow at Hastings Sanctuary.

We spooked a flock of approximately. eight Chukars near Vaseux Lake, who flew up the bluff a ways.
Spotted these two in binoculars and managed this very heavily cropped pic. Winter always seems more productive up here for finding Chukar...


Chukar

169A0598-California Scrub Jay by Patrick Covello, on Flickr

A California Scrub Jay in South Richmond...

Pat

Wow! Great work, everyone! So many good contributions. Sorry for the delay in updating the list -- I was out of town the last three weeks. Nice to see the South Okanagan contributions, Ian. GMcD and Randy are killing it too!
We are currently at exactly 100 birds! lol. Wow.
James
Updated Bird List: viewtopic.php?p=92320#p92320

A sunny morning with the sun rising behind the south arm of the Fraser River along Gilbert Beach is always worth a quiet sit on a log to watch for duck action along the river. This morning I was pleasantly surprised to see an Eurasian/American Wigeon cross. I guess it counts as different enough from the regular American Wigeons to warrant a post here for the Challenge.

Eurasian/American Wigeon cross by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Finally a little bit of brightness to get outside to fight the cabin fever. I'd noticed a flock of Brewer's Blackbirds along the south dyke road at the end of Gilbert Road here in Richmond while coming back from some errands the other day. Someone throws a bunch of seeds out near the parking pull off where a flock of Pigeons (Rock Doves) and the Blackbirds tend to congregate. I noticed the Brewer's Blackbird hadn't made the Challenge List yet, so here we go - I had to wait a bit and take a number of shots to get some of the Brewer's Blackbirds on a more natural perch, rather than milling around on the gravel path in the seed pile. So here we go- the male and female Brewer's Blackbird.

Brewer's Blackbird male by GMcD2008, on Flickr

Brewer's Blackbird female by GMcD2008, on Flickr