#2 Birds of January - Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of January 2015. As mentioned in part 1:

The photo accompanying the bird is the best one I took of the bird that year, not necessarily the photo taken on the first sighting date. 

Additions to my life list are noted where applicable.

#26 Great Blue Heron: Date - Jan 11. Location: Boundary Bay, 72 St Delta BC Status: Abundant.
Boundary Bay at 72 Street is a really good winter birding spot. Many of my January birds were seen here. Later in the year, this area is quite dead. Other locations  on the Bay such as 104 St and 96 St. are good for Shorebirds in spring and Fall.

The Great Blue Heron photos below were taken from the Iona South jetty in September. They depict a Heron capturing some kind of Flounder and swallowing it whole.

#27 Spotted Towhee Date - Jan 11. Location: Boundary Bay, 72 St Delta BC Status: Abundant.
This is a common and familiar bird both in the backyard and in numerous places in the Lower Mainland. I had hoped to see an Eastern Towhee in Newfoundland, but had no luck whatsoever. This photos was taken at Colony Farm Regional Park in Coquitlam in March.

#28 Golden-crowned Sparrow Date - Jan 11. Location: Boundary Bay, 72 St Delta BC Status: Abundant.
This sparrow is strictly a winter visitor. I missed out on getting a good photo of one in breeding plumage, so this one had to do. This was taken on March 1st in Ladner while I was attempting to see a rare (for here) White-throated Sparrow. I did manage to see that sparrow, and then saw tons of them in Newfoundland.

#29 Short-eared Owl Date - Jan 11. Location: Boundary Bay, 72 St Delta BC Status: Abundant.
There are birders that hang out at 72nd Street every winter day to try to get the perfect owl photo. They say the Short-eared Owls tend to appear around 3:00 PM and sure enough, one showed up around that time on this cold day. This is the best photo I managed in the fading light.

#30 White-crowned Sparrow Date - Jan 18. Location: Boundary Bay, 104 St Delta BC Status: Abundant.
Another sparrow seen more in the winter and spring than other seasons. This photo os a singing male was taken at the Hope Airport in March.

#31 European Starling Date - Jan 18. Location: Boundary Bay, 104 St Delta BC Status: Abundant.

An unwelcome invasive species, but it can be an attractive bird. This one was also taken at the Hope Airport on March 31st as I was heading to the Okanagan for my April birding tour.

#32 Pine Siskin Date - Jan 18. Location: Backyard, North Delta BC Status: Abundant.

After a couple of years absence, the Pine Siskins returned in good numbers to our backyard seed feeder. They are a northern species that irrupts in our area when conditions up North are not to their liking. Pine Siskins are usually seen in groups.

This photo was taken at the Red Roost Gift Shop in Kaleden in the Okanagan in April. It is one of my best efforts of the year.

#33 Harris's Sparrow Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

Late last year this was lifer #393 for me with a sighting at Iona Regional Park in Richmond. In January, another Harris showed up at Reifel. 

#34 Northern Saw-whet Owl Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC 
Status: Common.

These owls are regular winter visitors at Reifel and a favourite target of over-zealous photographers. This bird was well hidden and was pointed out to me by the sanctuary manager.

#35 Swamp Sparrow Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

The Swamp Sparrow is a common eastern bird but is quite rare on the west coast. However, there seems to be one reported each year at Reifel. I was lucky to spot this year's bird.
This was life list addition #397.

As mentioned, this is a common bird back east. I encountered the bird again in July at Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland. The photo below shows the bird quite well, with the very attractive rufous cap.

#36 Gadwall Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

After the excitement of the lifer and the Owl, I set about recording some of the more common species that reside at Reifel in winter. I've always admired the elegance of this duck species. It also seems that the male and female are more attached to each other than other ducks. Here, the female is in the foreground.

#37 Marsh Wren Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

An early sighting of this species, we do get a few that stay year round at Reifel and Boundary Bay. This photo is an adult in breeding plumage at Iona Regional Park in April.

#38 Red-winged Blackbird Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

It's surprising it took me 25 days into the year to see this species. It is very common year round in the Lower Mainland. This photo was taken at Predator Ridge Golf course in Vernon. I believe the photo I used last year for this species was also taken there.

#39 Wood Duck Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

I seem to always have a great photo of both a male and female each year. This year, the male is from Reifel in May, and the female is from Burnaby Lake Regional Park in February.

#40 American Coot Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

The adult of this species is quite a homely bird, but the young are very cute. The two photos show a very young chick at Predator Ridge in May, and then an older juvenile at Frank Lake, Alberta in May.

#41 Hooded Merganser Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

I've struggled to get good photos of this duck in previous years. Not this year, I saw them a few times in different places and was able to get a good shot of the gaudy male (in March at Colony Farm Regional Park) and the understated female on this day at Reifel.

#42 Northern Pintail Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

I was determined to get all my ducks early before they disappeared in spring. This species often make for good reflection shots.

#43 Bufflehead Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

I was lucky to get this shot which shows the male plumage well and also features a female. The males are notoriously difficult to photograph with contrast between the dark and white often fooling the camera.

#44 Lesser Scaup Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

This photo highlights the plumage differences between the leading male and trailing female, with a female wood duck in the background. This was taken at Burnaby Lake Regional Park in February.

#45 Sandhill Crane Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

You can see these birds all year round at Reifel. There are a few residents, and at certain times a good number of migrating Cranes join them. The resident pair were unsuccessful in breeding again this year. They only lay one egg at a time and will abandon the nest for the slightest reason. This may be a resident juvenile bid, it looks a bit smaller than the others.

#46 House Sparrow Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

This is one of our most familiar invasive species, especially in urban settings. They seem to be less pervasive now compared to ten or twenty years ago. These photos of a male and then a female highlight the attractiveness of these birds.

#47 Black-crowned Night Heron Date - Jan 25. Location: Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

This annual visitor to Reifel is rarely seen anywhere else in the Lower Mainland. It is nocturnal, so perhaps it  is just easier to see them at Reifel as they sleep quite close to the main entrance. I did not get a great shot while they were here early in the year.  I got a better shot in late December at Reifel.

#48 Mew Gull Date - Jan 25. Location: River Rd near Brunswick Point Delta BC Status: Abundant.

When I took these shots I thought I had my first Ring-billed Gulls of the year. However, after downloading at home, I confirmed they were the less common Mew Gulls. This photo shows the dark eye colour, the gray/brown breast and thinner bill.

#49 American Kestrel Date - Jan 25. Location: 34 St and 33a Ave, Delta BC Status: Abundant.

I always take the back road home from Reifel, and was rewarded on this day with a sighting of our smallest Falcon. They are very common in the Okanagan, this photo was taken on White Lake Rd near Okanagan Falls in April, on the last day of my spring birding tour.

That wraps it up for January. The next post details February, where things slowed down a bit.