Sunrises and Killdeer Choruses

- 4 mins read
Sunrise at ƛ̓éxətəm Regional Park

Sunrise at ƛ̓éxətəm Regional Park

This autumn,
How old I am getting:
Ah, the clouds, the birds!
Bashō

Sunrise at the VARC banding station in ƛ̓éxətəm (tla-hut-um) Regional Park.

A few weeks back I forgot to put my watch on before heading out birding. I haven’t worn it since.

Fifty years of seasons changing and they only become more mysterious… I often lament I spent much of my younger life ignorant of the natural world – the real world – transfixed instead by computers, screens, and the rampant anthropocentrism that afflicts virtually all human cultures.

The only remedy I’ve found is to pay attention to the crumbs and scraps of the natural world left. Get up early, get wet feet and cold hands, get dirty and stuck in stinging nettles and stung by bees and wasps.

Killdeer Chorus

Killdeer Chorus

Killdeer Chorus

This morning I made a trip out to Crescent Beach and Elgin Heritage Park. As I was leaving the Elgin Heritage Park I heard a lot of Killdeer (a bird I love very much), so I made my way back to the Nicomekl River to check out the commotion.

On the muddy banks of the river, I counted twenty-six Killdeer.

This was the first time I’ve seen so many of these birds together in one place; six of them had gathered into a circle and were taking turns calling out to one another. I’ve never witnessed this behaviour before, and I spent at least ten minutes watching and listening to their chorus, entirely ignorant of what was being communicated.

While it may not sound like much, it was one of the most moving experiences I’ve had since watching a flock of Pine Sisken bathing at the edge of a lake.

Common Mergansers vs Crow

Common Mergansers vs Crow

Common Mergansers vs Crow

This pair of Common Mergansers had just come onto the beach to preen when an American Crow decided to harass them. Although alone and outnumbered, the crow quickly persuaded the mergansers to get back in the water and keep moving.

Bushtit

Bushtit

Bushtit

Bushtits are another bird I love. They bring me an inordinate amount of joy, especially relative to their size.

Here’s an adult female bird looking absurdly cute.

Preening Glaucous-winged Gull

Preening Glaucous-winged Gull

Preening Glaucous-winged Gull

Birds spend a significant amount of time preening – keeping their feathers in good shape is vital to their survival. I watched this first year Glaucous-winged Gull doing something akin to yoga as it meticulously preened every feather of both wings.

Glaucous-winged Gull Portrait

Glaucous-winged Gull Portrait

Glaucous-winged Gull Portrait

How can you not be enamoured of these birds?

Banded Glaucous-winged Gull

Banded Glaucous-winged Gull

Banded Glaucous-winged Gull

I spotted a banded gull I’ve not met before at Crescent Beach this morning. Note the similarities and differences in the bill shape between this bird and the gull photo above.

Cooper’s Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk

This hawk appeared from nowhere to swoop down into a flock of Mallards that had been foraging under some trees near a pond. They instantly scattered in an explosion of wings, leaving the hawk behind without a meal.

Soon after I found the hawk perched in a tree above the pond, patiently waiting for another chance. Note the mud-covered talon.

Great Blue Herron

Great Blue Herron

Great Blue Herron

Looking gorgeous in the morning sunlight. Something I especially love about this photo is that you can see all the overlapping wing feathers so clearly.

Cackling Goose

Cackling Goose

Cackling Goose

Everyone knows about Canada Geese, but many are surprised to learn about their smaller relative Cackling Geese. Every now and them you’ll find a few in a larger flock of Canada Geese. They’re significantly smaller and, some would argue, much cuter.

American Pipit

American Pipit

American Pipit

I was standing out on the edge of Crescent Beach Point this morning as the sun rose. I hadn’t dressed quite warm enough for the windy autumn morning. My hands were already getting slightly numb, but I forgot entirely about that as an American Pipit landed close-by, illuminated by the warm morning sunlight. I’ve always found these birds hard to photograph – they are shy and tend to vanish as soon as you move to focus on them.

Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

Greater Yellowlegs

There were half a dozen Greater Yellowlegs foraging in a shallow waterway. They’re very active feeders and were darting around the relatively sedate Green-wing Teal they were sharing the location with.

White-throated Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

A surprise find amid many Song and White-crowned Sparrows – a bird we only see during migration when they move from central Canada through to the western Californian coast.

Until next time…