Last weekend I made an early morning trip out to the Tsawassen Ferry Jetty in search of some Whimbrel that had been seen there a day or two earlier. If there were there, they eluded me. Even so, every time I visit the jetty, I realize I should bird there more often.

Visitor Map

Despite being difficult to decode, this old information sign near the parking lot has a strange beauty and stands as a ravaged sentinel of time. There is a newer, more legible sign beside it.

Why this sign was spared, I don’t know, but I’m glad it was. It may not excel at clarifying exactly where you are, but it seems to reveal something that I can’t articulate…

It connected with an aphorism I read recently: “All models are wrong, but some are useful”

Tsawassen Ferry Jetty

A look down the jetty toward the terminal. Not many people visit the jetty, especially if it’s cold or raining – which makes it an excellent place to bird for me. Occasionally, rare birds turn up on the jetty or further out on the breakwater, though you’ll probably need a spotting scope to get a good look at those.

Black Oystercatcher

You can almost be guaranteed to find a pair of Black Oystercatchers somewhere along the jetty. They tend to be tolerant of people, although don’t be surprised if you flush one before even noticing it amongst the seaweed and driftwood. They have a sharp and distinctive call.

Glaucous-winged Gull

You’ll find quite a few gulls around, especially at low tide when they raid the seaweed rich mudflats for invertebrates and other fruits de mer. This is a 1st year gull that struck a pose on some driftwood not far from where I was.

Red Knot with Black Turnstones

It took me some time to figure out the bird resting at the left hand side of the photo was a Red Knot. Having the Black Turnstones nearby was helpful to determine size, a vital clue with shorebirds. Red Knots are long distance migrants – some travelling upwards of 15,000 km – but like many shorebirds their numbers are declining rapidly.

If you want to learn more about their migration and work being done to protect them, there’s a great article here: Tracking the Red Knot.

Genus Lycoperdon (?)

To my surprise there was a lot of fungi along the jetty, primarily on the northern side. Here’s a photo of what might be a puffbull in the genus Lycoperdon. If you know better, help ID it on iNaturalist.

Common Loon

I spotted at least five Common Loons around the jetty. Despite the overcast and rainy conditions, I was able to catch a few good photographs.

They may not be as visually stunning at this time of year, but I find them fascinating to watch. I also think it’s wonderful that in the UK their common name is Great Northern Diver.

Common Loon with crab

About the eat a freshly caught (and dismembered) crab.

Common Loon

A good view of Loon under-wings – I find the black centers on white quite striking, especially in the axillaries (aka ‘armpits’). Those tiny white spots on the upper wing are beautiful.

If you look carefully, you’ll see that these photographs are three different birds.

Western Grebe

A lone Western Grebe made an appearance as I was preparing to leave. While it wasn’t too close to shore, it was a lot closer than I usually see them, and I was able to get a decent photograph.

Seal Release

On my return to the parking lot, I discovered a crowd of people at the beach counting down from three. I was a fixating on trying to find sparrows and missed what was going on. It turns out, it was the Vancouver Aquarium releasing some rehabilitated seals.

I could see two or three out in the water, their heads bobbing just above the surface, perhaps confused, perhaps thankful?

Stanley Park & Lost Lagoon

Yesterday I made a visit to Stanley Park, which I haven’t done for some time. Bird activity was rather quiet, but I got fixated on fungi as I wandered through the paths…

Clavulina coralloides (White Coral Fungus)

This coral fungus was coming up all through the park and was hard to avoid. Note the blackish-green patch on the right hand side – that is a different fungus that parasitizes Clavulina species: Helminthosphaeria clavariarum.

Hooded Merganser

And finally, as I was leaving, I spent a little time with this gorgeous male Hooded Merganser casting his reflection in the calm waters of Lost Lagoon.

Until next time…

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