First Warbler!

Hummingbird Feeder (Library Picture)

I met up with Rob at Queen Elizabeth Park at around midday for some local birding, due to the early morning downpour we decided not venture too far. Queen Elizabeth Park is the second most visited park in Vancouver and holds within its perimeters some of the most beautiful public gardens anywhere, it also has an extensive outdoor arboretum and indoor Bloedel Floral Conservatory.

To be honest the conditions weren't the best for birding, and although the park made a pleasant enough stroll in the rain, we contented ourselves over lunch by watching Anna's Hummingbirds on the Hummingbird feeders located near the park office.

After lunch we moved across to Stanley Park for a look at Beaver Lake and Lost Lagoon. By the time we arrived the rain had finally subsided. The weather here in Vancouver can change in a very short time and the afternoon turned out to be quite a pleasant one in the end.

Once again the birding was slow by comparison to previous days, but we did manage to connect with Rob's first Hutton's Vireo of the spring, and finally our first migrant warbler! One of the first spring warblers to arrive here is usually the Yellow-rumped and true to form we located two, looking quite bedraggled, on the perimeter of Beaver Lake. Also of note: Various numbers of Ruby and Golden Crowned Kinglets, very vocal Red-winged Blackbirds, Bald Eagle, Spotted Towhee, Northern Flicker, Fox Sparrow and a lone Ringed-necked Duck.

A quick look around the lost Lagoon before calling it a day had the usual good numbers of Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, American Wigeon and Common Goldeneye, plus today I recorded my first Pied-billed Grebe on the lake for this visit.