Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve
February 1st to 6th 2010
Our favourite place to walk is the Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve in Chilliwack, B.C. and this week was no different than usual. We enjoyed the sounds of the Red-winged Blackbirds calling to each other.
The little Bufflehead Ducks were happy as usual.
Black-capped Chickadees entertain us as they hop from branch to branch.
Double-crested Cormorants are very easily found at this time of year on both lagoons.
Some Canada Geese were visiting this week as well.
Downy Woodpeckers work in the forest on the trunks of old trees.
A few Red-tailed Hawks are often flying over our heads; this week we saw five of them flying together on one afternoon.
An amazing little Hawk did stretching exercises for us.
Pied-Billed Grebes fish in little groups or alone on both lagoons.
Juncos are easily seen hopping around the edges of the paths.
A Lincoln’s Sparrow hopped onto the fence at the parking lot. It had a hard time holding on with the wind but gained its balance and gave us a short song.
Mallards can be found at the East Bird Blind; they seem to be happy together sharing the logs or paddling around the water.
Common Mergansers are spending time on the lagoons as well.
A common duck at this time of year is the Ring-necked Duck; this female and male paddled past us while we sat on a bench near the water.
American Robins are beginning to become a common sight again. Their rich colour and loud voices make them easy to find.
Willows are starting to bloom.
The Great Blue Heron are beginning to congregate a bit earlier than usual. We find them in many different spots now. One day we were talking to the ladies in the Rotary Interpretive Centre about the Great Blue Heron when we noticed a flock of over 40 fly up from the East Bird Blind. When we got outside we found the cause of the disturbance was a wonderful Golden Eagle.
Later in the week we found a young Bald Eagle as well.
We enjoyed visits with Janet, Val, Barb, Jean, Marilyn, Marcia, Muriel, Eileen, Rod, Hazel, Graham, Leon, Pearl, Dawn, Tim and Kay over the past week. It is always fun to stop for a chat with these people. We hope that you are enjoying February. Our weather is quite spring-like, we are feeling very fortunate.
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.
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