Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve
February 14th to 23rd 2010
We have been lucky to have a very mild, sunny sky week behind us; there have been a couple of cloudy skies but with Crocus and Osoberry blooming attracting Honey Bees at the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve it felt almost as if spring had arrived.
Black-capped Chickadees look fresh in their winter plumage.
Red-winged Blackbirds sit near the tops of trees in small groups.
Flocks of Bush Tits flit through the shrubs and trees in a frenzy.
Bufflehead Ducks paddle and dive.
Double-crested Cormorants are still found in the sloughs and lagoons.
Young Eagles and Hawks fly in circles overhead.
Northern Red-shafted Flickers call to each other and gather in twos and threes to perform a territorial fan dance.
At the Vedder River at the south end of the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve along the Rotary Trail, we found a Goldeneye enjoying a solitary moment.
Canada Geese are starting to stake out their unusual nesting spots on the tops of broken trees.
Pied-billed Grebes fished and enjoyed the sun.
Steller’s Jays called their raucous calls to each other; one day we hope to record some of their mimicry that they do so well.
Click below to hear the Steller’s Jays
Juncos don’t often stop long enough for a photo, they are always quite busy.
Mallards can be found easily in dozens of areas near the edges of the lagoons or on floating logs.
Hooded Mergansers spent time near the East Bird Blind.
We also found Wood Ducks at the East Bird Blind; their colours were too iridescent in the sun for the camera.
Ring-necked Ducks and a Scaup caught our attention as well.
A Pileated Woodpecker checked out a tree near the East Bird Blind; it was a difficult photo to get with the sun behind the tree.
American Robins colours add warmth to the day.
Song Sparrows are beginning to sit on more open perches to sing their spring songs.
Squirrels enjoy the warmer weather to come out of hiding to eat something on a branch in the sun.
Water Striders have emerged from hibernation and are now “walking” on the waters of the Salwein Creek area and other ponds in the area.
Spotted Towhees add their bright colour to the Red Osier Dogwood branches.
Bewick’s Wrens chatter at each other giving us a chance to find them.
A little surprise came along when a fluttering leaf turned out to be not a Chickadee or a Ruby-crowned Kinglet as we first thought but when it came into view it turned out to be a wonderfully attentive Hutton’s Vireo.
After our walks we stop in at the Rotary Interpretive Centre for a visit with the people there and this week we enjoyed visits with Tony, Richard, Marilyn, Jean, Val, Janet, Bruce, Marla, Marcia, Ann, Christine, Delia, Wayne, Walter, Bill, Jenny, Eileen, Kaye, Doug, Val, Mike, Dick and Yvonne. They are always fun to talk to and they always have some information about the latest birds visiting.
We are not authorities on birds, wildlife, plants, cameras or photography, if you are doing research on any subjects, please refer to a more educational site for advice and double-check whatever you research.
Back To Top
|
