After my burst of activity on New Year's day, I did not do much birding until this day. With Reifel still closed, I decided to give Blackie Spit a try. If nothing else, I was hopeful that the Snow Buntings would still be there, a good addition for the new year.
I parked and headed for the spit. Greeting me were a collection of Eurasian Wigeon. I felt bad that my friend Mary-Jean wasn't with me as these would have been lifers for her. The one in the middle is a female.
Eurasian Wigeon - Blackie Spit Park, Surrey BC - 2021 Bird #13
Next was a more common duck, but the first of 2021 for me.
Bufflehead (F) - Blackie Spit Park, Surrey BC - 2021 Bird #14
This location is a good spot to see some Loons close up, especially the Common Loon.
Common Loon - Blackie Spit Park, Surrey BC
Another first for 2021 was this Northern Pintail. You can see the tail feature in this shot.
Northern Pintail - Blackie Spit Park, Surrey BC - 2021 Bird #15
The great thing about January birding is that many common birds as seen for the first time of the year. So it was with this common shorebird, the Dunlin. This first shot shows the length and distinctive droop of the bill.
Dunlin- Blackie Spit Park, Surrey BC - 2021 Bird #16
Here's another shot of a pair of them
I walked along the edge of the spit hoping that the Snow Buntings were still in this area. It took me a little while, but I found them eventually.
Snow Bunting - Blackie Spit Park, Surrey BC - 2021 Bird #17
American Wigeon - Blackie Spit Park, Surrey BC - 2021 Bird #18
This was a nice productive visit with 6 new species for 2021.
