Young Birder Trip To Reifel With 81 Species!
Young Birders happy at Reifel Bird Sanctuary - Photo: Melissa Hafting
13 Young Birders joined Melissa Hafting on our field trip to Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, BC. Yousif Attia and Kris Cu came to film our group for a documentary on the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA’s) in the Fraser Estuary for Birds Canada.
We started out at the House Pond near the gift shop where we saw 4 Sandhill Cranes. It is so nice to see that the 2 young colts are growing up so nicely! All the youth hoped they would make it as the success rate has not been too good with this species here, due to coyotes and mink.
Next Yousif spotted a couple Vaux’s Swifts for us. We saw a few Short-billed Dowitchers with a host of Long-billed Dowitchers in the house pond. Melissa explained to the group the ID features that separate the two species, including the features of the visible tail (larger white bars than brown bars on the tail for Short-billed).
Young birders looking up as Yousif Attia points out swifts - Photo: Melissa Hafting
Long-billed Dowitchers at Reifel - Photo: Naomi Fota
We stopped near Fuller Slough hoping for Black-crowned Night Herons but came up empty because they hadn’t returned yet but were rewarded by beautiful views of a Bank Swallow. Later in the day we had Cliff, Barn, Violet-Green and 2 Tree Swallows. At Fuller Slough we saw Wood Ducks and a Canada Goose with a neck collar on it.
A Wood Duck drake in Eclipse at Reifel - Photo: Anica Gorlick
Wood Duck Drake at Reifel - Photo: Cole O'Byrne
Next we walked the east dyke and had many warblers and flycatchers and 4 Eurasian Collared-Doves.
Eurasian Collared-Dove at Reifel - Photo: Naomi Fota
We were treated to a couple Western Tanagers, a Western Wood-Pewee, Western and Willow Flycatchers, a MacGillivray's Warbler, Orange-crowneds, Wilson’s, Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers as well. Markus spotted a beautiful adult Great Horned Owl staring back at us, which thrilled all of the youth.
Female Western Tanager at Reifel - Photo: Markus Duhme
Great Horned Owl at Reifel - Photo: Markus Duhme
At the tower pond in the west field we had a total of 4 Red-necked Phalaropes that would keep disappearing through the reeds. We climbed to the top of the tower and here we saw a Great Egret flying in from the south. It likely was the same bird reported earlier from Iona.
A Great Egret in flight - Photo: Sunny Park
Red-necked Phalarope in Delta - Photo: Markus Duhme
The Great Egret landed beside a Great Blue Heron for a bit but then took off and flew towards Brunswick Point and as of posting has not been relocated since. There were many Great Blue Herons at the sanctuary and the youth enjoyed watching them.
Great Blue Heron at Reifel Bird Sanctuary - Photo: Yuseon Park
We continued on and also saw a rare Stilt Sandpiper and many Least Sandpipers and few Westerns. We also had a few Short-billed Dowitchers and several Long-billed Dowitchers! The Stilt Sandpiper just like the Red-necked Phalaropes, kept disappearing into the reeds. There were many Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs, which allowed for nice size comparisons. As we approached the SW Marsh, we were thrilled to see 2 Bullock’s Orioles fly into the trees in front of us! We also saw Gadwall, Northern Pintail, American Wigeons, American Coots, Pied-billed Grebes and Hooded Mergansers!
Stilt Sandpiper at Reifel - Photo: Markus Duhme
2 Greater and 1 Lesser Yellowlegs in Delta - Photo: Sunny Park
Greater Yellowlegs at Reifel - Photo: Naomi Fota
On the foreshore we had some Northern Harriers and 2 Peregrine Falcons and tons of Great Blue Herons. There were Purple Martins gurgling above us and we also had a few Bank Swallows and a couple Tree Swallows. We also had Northern Rough-Wingeds, Cliffs and Barn Swallows.
As we walked around the entire SW marsh to get to the diplay ponds we found another Hooded Merganser and 2 Cinnamon and Blue-winged Teal hens, which was cool! Yousif and Melissa went over the difficulties in identifying these two female species, including the importance of getting good views of the bill shape.
Blue-winged Teal hen at Reifel Bird Sanctuary - Photo: Yuseon Park
Around the display ponds we spotted the over-summering Eurasian Wigeon drake.
Eurasian Wigeon in Delta - Photo: Naomi Fota
Eurasian Wigeon closeup in Delta - Photo: Markus Duhme
Eurasian Wigeon at Reifel - Photo: Anica Gorlick
Mallard Drake coming in for a landing at Reifel - Photo: Markus Duhme
The kids noticed that the waterfowl were starting to come back in numbers, marking the end of summer and they lamented that they would be going back to school in less than 2 weeks. This was also the last young birder trip of the summer and we wouldn’t meet again until the winter season.
Black-capped Chickadee at Reifel - Photo: Markus Duhme
We ended the day with 81 species which was the most Melissa and Yousif (the trip leaders) had ever had at the sanctuary. You can read our checklist HERE It was a great day indeed and thanks to all the youth who came out to join us.
