Last Sunday we decided to get our exercise by walking on the Matsqui Trail dike. It was long, windy and monotonous, so we changed tactics and headed for Mill Lake, in Abbotsford.
Lo and behold, there was a very rare Cape May warbler in the park. We quickly found it. Well, to be precise, we found a number of people with very large camera lenses, all pointed at a laburnum tree. So we asked them why!
Birding tip #1 – Always pack some bino’s and a camera, even if “birding” isn’t the plan. I have had a number of “pleasant surprises” over the years.
Meet the female Cape May Warbler – a very busy little gal!
The consensus is that she likely took a wrong turn on her way down south. This bird has not been seen previously in the Lower Mainland. Their natural range extends from Central to Eastern Canada.
To see this bird normally, you would need to be way up in Fort St. John, BC in August.
This is the first sighting of this bird in the Fraser Valley. She arrived with the New Year. I’d like to think she is a good omen for 2019! For contrast, I found a photo of the male Cape May warbler on the Cornell Lab Bird site. (An excellent resource for birds.)
Life’s little surprises!
Other birding articles by Colin Rankin that you may enjoy:
Quack Attack Top 10 Ducks to see in British Columbia
Farewell to Trevor the Mandarin Duck
Wildlife in Antarctica – a Photographer’s Dream! (Penguins)
What Makes The Falkland Islands Worth Visiting? (Albatross, penguins, caracaras)
Costa Rica – Finding your Inner Bird!
A Cluster of Buntings (Lazuli and Snow Buntings)
Birding Rio Lagartos (Mexico Birds)
“Keepers” – what makes a great photo?
Even More LBJ’s – The Bewick’s Wren (Little Brown Jobs)
Bird Photography – Novice no More!
Puffins (Newfoundland)
Hey! That’s My Fish! (Ospreys in British Columbias)
Revenge of the Water Thick-Knees
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