Bird-watching in Terra Nova with mother

I drove my mother to the library this afternoon. Afterwards, we went to Terra Nova to watch the birds.

I first saw the female, but only this male was photograph-able. The head shape makes it look like a Lesser Scaup, but I can't be certain. [Edit: It's a Ring-necked Duck, thanks to Frank for the identification.]

Witnessing Green-winged Teals' courtship

Such a great weather today!

Sky-watch of the day.

At the Terra Nova observation deck, I saw the Green-winged Teals performing their courtship rituals.

I took photos only (with FZ18). And now that I think about it, I should had taken a video like this one. Pretty neat!

A Day Where the Jet Goes BOOM!

Today's weather was nicer than yesterday's. So off I go to the dyke in the afternoon. (Sorry, if this is getting quite repetitive, but this is the kind of life I am living right now. Not that I am complaining about it, yet.)

Watched this juvenile heron for a while doing nothing, until it started scratching and preening. Finally, some real action!


Preening.


Male Green-winged Teals, some eating and some preening.


The Snow Geese decided to invade Terra Nova Rural Park and the trails today.


Captured this random shot and turned it with a more artistic style. Like it, or no?

Snow Geese invasion!

As I slowly biked home, a loud noise slowly approaches. A fighters jet boomed across the city and towards the Pacific Ocean. Must be because of the dreading upcoming O.

Bald Eagle not impressed.


Same eagle.

Sky-watch one year ago. Why am I posting this? Because I saw this (from last year) and thought to make it better by using an actual Panorama software (Panorama Maker 4). And where's today's? Well, it was definitely not as colorful as last year's, so you're spared from one of my many many gray sky-watch photos.

366 days ago (2009-02-03) ...
365 days ago (2009-02-04) ...
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Missed pheasant, but saw Blue-winged Teal

A very nice day today. Blue sky appeared since noon and continued to have stayed.

In the Terra Nova Slough, a pair of Blue-winged Teals (Anas discors) were spotted. A bird lifer for me! Such an interesting duck with the white crescent mark on the male's face. My guide book mentioned that the birds seen here are on their migration route to the Interior breeding grounds.

The blue part on the wings is not very evident. Hugh (of Rock Paper Lizard) wrote a very interesting post about the three species of teals that can be found in our province.

While I was looking at hummingbirds and trying to photograph them, a bird was flushed out by me from whatever it was hiding. It flew towards the marsh (I was on the other side of the ditch) and it was gone. It had a long tail and my initial instinct was that it is a Ring-necked Pheasant - especially when I came across a dog walker yesterday who mentioned to me about seeing a male pheasant running around in Terra Nova lately. I immediately pedaled to the other side, but it was already hiding out of sight. Darn, it would have been a lifer for me as well. How I wish I see it just once before I leave Richmond for the summer.

This Painted Lady landed right on the trail trying to get some minerals (I guess), but it wasn't very smart as there were walkers and bikers passing by - none of them (appreciative enough of nature) are curious at what I was looking at on the ground. Thankfully, a bike missed it (narrowly) and sending it fluttering towards the field.

One of the ten Gadwalls (five pairs) that I saw today.

No crows harassing the Bald Eagle today (although I did see a crow and a gull ganging up on a hawk in flight). So it was just relaxing and enjoying the sunshine.

Until someone struck a golf ball that sounded like a gun shot, and the eagle took off after that.

Tomorrow is International Migratory Bird Day, and on a sadder note about the state of our avian friends and their (and our) world - read this article "Save the birds? Save their habitat" and feel free to post your comments on that article.
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Turtle finding!

Quite a nice day today, except for the rain that came down when I was about to head back and the flat tire on my bike which made the paddling through the rain even more difficult. Sigh.

Great Blue Heron herding the Gadwalls onward.

Catching a small snack.

A Brown-headed Cowbird that likes to perch on treetop at the worst lighting conditions ever. Nice songs though.

Near the Terra Nova Rural Area, a pair of Cinnamon Teals and a (immature?) Hooded Merganser were spotted in the pond (as well as the nesting Killdeer).

While looking at the ducks, I accidentally stepped on something solid. And this was what I saw when looking down! A turtle shell??

Is it still alive? This is the upper shell, also known as the carapace.


It looked fine to me.

The lower shell, also known as the plastron. It's a small-sized turtle that's about the size of my palm. I wonder what species is it? [Edit: According to Hugh, it seems like another case of exotic pet unwanted and abandoned. I hope bad karma goes to whoever that abandoned this creature.]

I was thinking why it was there and what to do with it? Either it's a wild turtle or someone has decided to release it there. And should I leave it back on the grass or should I bring it home and decide it's fate when I get home. Eventually, I decided to leave it be and put it closer to the water edge to see if it will go into the pond where it's safer from human feet.

Slowly, it came out of hiding and slowly crawled into the pond and away it goes! Hope I made the right decision.

Uh-oh. Rain is coming. Time to pack up the camera and go home.
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Goodbye, April. Hello, May.

Time to say goodbye to the wonderful month of April, and hello to the exciting May. The next month should be very exciting for me, but I will talk about it when the right time arrives.

But for now, let's just enjoy the beautiful weather on the last day of the month.

No more bare branches as leaves and buds are popping up everywhere.

A pair of adult Bald Eagle was observed today - both outside their nest. Enjoying a bit of the sunshine, I guess.

From where I was taking photos of the eagles, this Spotted Towhee demanded a bit of my attention as well.

Along the way, I saw a Tree Swallow carrying a feather, but the feather kept falling and the bird kept flying back to retrieve it (while the feather was still on the air). Such an impressive demonstration of their acrobatic flight skills. Sadly, I didn't photograph the moment.

This Barn Swallow did not like posing on wires or nest-boxes. Instead, it opted for a more natural setting. Fine with me.

Calling out

I also saw some kind of Accipiter (probably a Red-tailed Hawk) carrying a smaller bird, but the camera couldn't focus fast enough on the flying bird, so I got two poor images that I won't bother to show here, but thought I'd mention it.

Yep, the Great Horned Owl is still around.

Quite a lot of Yellow-rumped Warblers can be spotted in the shrubs beside the slough. Most of them are the western subspecies (from the "auduboni" group) with yellow throats. This bird above, however, does not have the yellow throat. The white throat indicate that it is from the "coronata" group, also known as Myrtle Warblers (Dendroica coronata coronata), the eastern subspecies.

Even though they are insectivorous, they will also eat wax-myrtle berries in winter; hence the name "Myrtle Warbler".

Two pairs of Cinnaon Teals were spotted in the Terra Nova Slough, along with the female Common Goldeneye.

Beautiful Blossoms.
:)

Good birding on a gray Wednesday. Cinnamon Teals!

Nice weather doesn't last forever, and today was cloudy and chilly. Sigh.

Gray sky-watch photo of the day.

Luckily, the first animal that I photographed (I first saw swallows but didn't take pictures) was a Muskrat. It was busy eating and didn't notice me.

Such a cute-looking aquatic rodent. It noticed me when I turned the bike, and gave me the anterior view of it. That's my cue for leaving it in peace.

Then I watched this Great Blue Heron trying to catch a meal.

Haven't seen this Red-tailed Hawk in a while. I am glad it's still around.

As I slowly biked home (while avoiding Snow Geese droppings), a Northern Harrier was on the horizon hunting.

While searching for the Muskrat along the edge of the ditch, I noticed there was something off about this particular duck - mainly because of the bright color. I took some shots and looked through my field guide. They are Cinnamon Teals - Anas cyanoptera (I am assuming the one swimming beside it is the female). I haven't seen this bird before, so I am very happy with the find today. Even though this species is found throughout the American West, southern British Columbia is its most northern range, so I guess it's not common for us to see it. Lucky me!

As I approach home, a female Northern Flicker was calling loudly. Rain tomorrow?
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Wonderful birding Sunday

Well, today was definitely beautiful for an exciting day of birding. Lots of pictures today, so let's get started!

Birding began before I even got to the dyke. This Northern Flicker was on top of a telephone pole and calling out its loud klee-yer!! That certainly got my attention.

Remember two days ago when I mentioned that a saw an American Bittern in flight but wasn't quick enough to photograph it? Well, I made up for it by spotting this masterful bittern among the dead cattails. It even swayed back and forth as the wind blow across the marsh. Neat!

Lots of people on the dyke today, but I think I was the only one saw it, and that made me feel kind of special.

My pretty good attempt of photographing a bird in flight, even if it's just a large heron flying slowly.

We know you're photographing us.

Came across this beautiful pair Hooded Merganser. They weren't as shy as before and so I got some pretty good shots.

These bullish Red-winged Blackbirds took over the entire birdhouse and the Chickadees couldn't even in on the action. That was when I stepped in. When I got closer, the Blackbirds back off while the Chickadees made a quick grab and dash. But I couldn't be there the whole time, so I guess things will return back the way it is as I leave.

Don't give up, you pretty birds. My first decent photograph of a Black-capped Chickadee.

My first decent photograph of a Song Sparrow (or so I think).

I definitely saw many Great Blue Herons today. Six individuals in total I think.

The weather today is great. Blue sky with little or no clouds at all.

Good weather gives me good mood. Even the common Mallards are kind of cute today.

Northern Harrier, colored orange by the setting sun.

Saw Mr. Northern Pintail today with Green-winged Teals (and Mallard, not in this photo).

Such a handsome fellow. I don't believe I ever met Mrs. Northern Pintail. Although I doubt I can recognize her without the male's elaborate plumage.

The Sun is already over the Gulf Islands.

And the Bald Eagles are heading back to their nest. This juvenile was perching on the branch before it took off when I was trying to photograph it.

That's where it ended up.

Then a sibling arrives (along with an adult Bald Eagle on the other side of the tree).

This lonely adult was on another tree (with the nest) before it flew away and joined the other three eagles.

What a wonderful Sunday. I hope my upcoming week will be just as good!
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