Each year on New Year's day I try to have a "Big Day" to kick start my year. This year I picked up 37 species at in Delta, Surrey and Point Roberts. This post covers the first half of the day.
The very first bird of the year was a Junco in my back yard.
Dark-eyed Junco - Backyard, North Delta BC - 2020 Bird #1
Up on the deck an Anna's Hummingbird was at the feeder.
Anna's Hummingbird - Backyard, North Delta BC - 2020 Bird #2
It was time to head off to some birding locations. As I was leaving the neighborhood, there was one more common bird to record.
Northwestern Crow - Davie Way, North Delta BC - 2020 Bird #3
For some reason I thought Serpentine Fen would be a good place to visit, but it was quiet except for a couple of ducks overhead.
Northern Pintail - Serpentine Fen, Surrey BC - 2020 Bird # 4
Mallard - Serpentine Fen, Surrey BC - 2020 Bird # 5
Greater Scaup - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #6
The next shot was not quite as attractive. The Scoters stay farther out, so I had to crop this a bit. I see groups of Surf Scoters on most visits to this location.
Surf Scoter - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #7
This next shot was even worse, and this bird was far out as well. Normally they are along the shoreline or on land.
Glaucous-winged Gull - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #8
There are two species of Cormorant seen here on most visits. This first one is definitely a Double-crested, based on the face pattern and bent neck in flight..
Double-crested Cormorant - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #9
This one is a Pelagic Cormorant based on the straight neck in flight. It is a little bulkier than usual, so it may be a Double-crested as well.
Pelagic Cormorant - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #10
A common sight in Winter here is the Horned Grebe. It's usually solitary, as was the case on this day. The water is nice in this shot but the bird could be sharper.
Horned Grebe - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #11
I left the park and took the long way back along Marine Drive past the Marina and then onto Tyee Drive. I saw a car stopped along the way. A woman was looking at birds with her binoculars. I stopped and chatted and she told me she'd seen an American Kestrel ahead in the direction I was traveling.
There were some Canada Geese in the area. I took a few shots of them before heading for the Kestrel.
Canada Geese - Tyee Drive, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #12
A bit further up the road I did see a bird with some Orange but it turned out to be a more common species.
Northern Pintail - Serpentine Fen, Surrey BC - 2020 Bird # 4
Mallard - Serpentine Fen, Surrey BC - 2020 Bird # 5
Point Roberts. Lighthouse Marine Park
This location was better, but not great. I spotted some of the regulars there for the first time in 2020. Some of the photos turned out poorly. The light on the water made up for the scarcity of birds.
The first bird seen here was a Greater Scaup. The rounder peak of the head differentiates it from the Lesser Scaup. The other factor is Greater is more likely to be seen in salt water, the Lesser prefers fresh water.
The first bird seen here was a Greater Scaup. The rounder peak of the head differentiates it from the Lesser Scaup. The other factor is Greater is more likely to be seen in salt water, the Lesser prefers fresh water.
Greater Scaup - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #6
The next shot was not quite as attractive. The Scoters stay farther out, so I had to crop this a bit. I see groups of Surf Scoters on most visits to this location.
Surf Scoter - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #7
This next shot was even worse, and this bird was far out as well. Normally they are along the shoreline or on land.
Glaucous-winged Gull - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #8
There are two species of Cormorant seen here on most visits. This first one is definitely a Double-crested, based on the face pattern and bent neck in flight..
Double-crested Cormorant - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #9
This one is a Pelagic Cormorant based on the straight neck in flight. It is a little bulkier than usual, so it may be a Double-crested as well.
Pelagic Cormorant - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #10
A common sight in Winter here is the Horned Grebe. It's usually solitary, as was the case on this day. The water is nice in this shot but the bird could be sharper.
Horned Grebe - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #11
I left the park and took the long way back along Marine Drive past the Marina and then onto Tyee Drive. I saw a car stopped along the way. A woman was looking at birds with her binoculars. I stopped and chatted and she told me she'd seen an American Kestrel ahead in the direction I was traveling.
There were some Canada Geese in the area. I took a few shots of them before heading for the Kestrel.
Canada Geese - Tyee Drive, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #12
A bit further up the road I did see a bird with some Orange but it turned out to be a more common species.
American Robin - Tyee Drive, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #13
I carried on and saw a larger bird perched in a tree. Still not the Kestrel, but a Red-tailed Hawk.
Red-tailed Hawk - Tyee Drive, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #14
Finally, just a bit further along, I spotted the Kestrel. I was glad to see this bird so early in the year as they can be hard to find sometimes.
American Kestrel - Tyee Drive, Point Roberts WA - 2020 Bird #15
That was the end of part one of the January 1st post. A second post detailing birds seen traveling to and visiting Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta follows this one.
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