Pacific Northwest Trip ~ January 11, 2013

Since it was predicted to be even colder than yesterday and the flooded areas where the wagtail had been feeding would be frozen, we decided to leave the area and look for Sky Lark and Brambling since Dev hadn't seen a Sky Lark and I'd never seen a Brambling. We left at around 4:00 AM and drove to the Saanich Peninsula. We searched the fields just south of North Saanich for a few hours but could only come up with Dark-eyed 'Oregon' Juncos and White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrows.

Adult Golden-crowned Sparrow along Wallace Drive near North Saanich, British Columbia.

A short drive north put us at the Swartz Bay ferry dock for the 11:00 AM crossing. We left the ferry at Tsawwassen and headed over to the Deltaport Causeway where a Baikal Teal had been seen the day before. On the south side, there were hundreds of Dunlins and Black-bellied Plovers.

Just one portion of the large numbers of Dunlins and Black-bellied Plovers along the Deltaport Causeway near Delta, British Columbia.

What was really surprising was the Black-bellied Plover in full breeding plumage that Dev found among the masses.

A Black-bellied Plover in full breeding plumage in January(!) along the Deltaport Causeway near Delta, British Columbia.

The north side of the causeway held many Green-winged Teal, but if the Baikal Teal was there, we couldn't pick it out among them. An adult Bald Eagle perched atop a tower there.

A Bald Eagle along the Deltaport Causeway near Delta, British Columbia.

From the causeway, we headed north and stopped at a Vancouver backyard where, after a short wait, I saw my 'life' Brambling. It spent most of its time hiding among the thick brambles, so I considered myself lucky to be able get these documentary photos.

A first winter male Brambling in the backyard of 868 West 17th Avenue in Vancouver, British Columbia.

An Anna's Hummingbird, 'Sooty' Fox Sparrows, and Golden-crowned Sparrows were also seen there. At sunset, we headed back south to a Seattle motel near the airport where we spent the night.

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