Point Roberts
There were a few commonly seen birds that I missed on my first visit the previous week. My first sighting was a Red-necked Grebe. It didn't get too close to shore, so these shots were not the best.
Red-necked Grebe - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2019 Bird #48
Red-necked Grebe - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
A pair of Double-crested Cormorants flew over. The thick yellow bill distinguishes them from the Pelagic Cormorant which is also seen here.
Double-crested Cormorant - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
I saw my first Common Loon of 2019 next, and it was reasonably close to shore.
Common Loon- Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA - 2019 Bird #49
I thought I had seen another loon a bit earlier but was not able to get a photo. Near the end of my visit it appeared again. It was a Red-throated Loon, a smaller and more delicate looking bird. I was happy to get this on my 2019 list as sightings are uncommon for this species. The red throat does not appear until April when the bird is in breeding plumage. At that time it also has a gray face rather than the white seen here.
Red-throated Loon - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
2019 Bird #50
This shot was taken with my IPhone through my spotting scope.
Red-throated Loon - Lighthouse Marine Park, Point Roberts WA
Beach Grove Lagoon
I left Point Roberts and took my customary Starbucks break in Tsawwassen. After that I decided to try for the Ruff at Beach Grove Lagoon. This rare bird has been around since Fall 2018.
It was associating with the more common Yellowlegs the last time I saw it in November. It did not take long to find a Greater Yellowlegs on the shoreline.
Greater Yellowlegs - Beach Grove Lagoon, Tsawwassen BC
2019 Bird #51
Mixed with the larger shorebirds were many Sanderling, a much smaller Sandpiper. In breeding plumage these birds are almost all white, but in winter they have some brown mixed in.
Sanderling - Beach Grove Lagoon, Tsawwassen BC - 2019 Bird #52
There were a number of birders on the viewing platform that looks out on the lagoon. They had already located the Ruff and pointed it out to me and others.
The Ruff is an Eurasian shorebird similar to our Yellowlegs. Its legs are a paler yellow, and the overall colouring a bit duller. it also has feather pattern on its back that makes it look like it has a hump.
This photo also shows a Sanderling for size comparison.
Sanderling and Ruff - Beach Grove Lagoon, Tsawwassen BC - 2019 Bird #53 (Ruff)
I had some extra time so I set out on the trails with some of the other birders. We didn't see much, but one of them spotted a female Purple Finch. The streak pattern on the breast, the shape of the head and the feather pattern on the head distinguish this bird from the more common House Finch.
Purple Finch (F) - Beach Grove Lagoon - Tsawwassen BC
2019 Bird #54
We were now back to the lagoon and spotted a number of Brant Geese flying by. I caught some of them in flight.
Brant - Beach Grove Lagoon, Tsawwassen BC
A large flock of Dunlin flew in and landed in the Lagoon.
Dunlin - Beach Grove Lagoon, Tsawwassen BC
As we were walking back, I asked if there were any Eurasian Wigeon mixed in the ducks in the lagoon. I had not seen this species since early 2018. One fellow said they were common here and we looked out into the lagoon. Sure enough, there were a couple pretty far out.
I took this photo with my IPhone through my spotting scope. The Wigeon are the farthest back with the Orange and yellow on their heads.
Eurasian Wigeon - Beach Grove Lagoon, Tsawwassen BC
2019 Bird #54
This ended a enjoyable and productive day.
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