Male and Female Common Yellowthroat

Female common yellowthroat with nest building supplies.

Male common yellowthroat.

I live about 15 km or so from a bird sanctuary.  Every once in a while I enjoy a sojourn there, either sitting blissfully on a kayak or meandering along a dike.  Camera in hand, there is a sense of peace as I am surrounded by the sounds, sights, and smells of nature.  There is no better way to spend a day.

I had the good fortune to go for a walk with a buddy of mine through this paradigm of tranquility.  He had come upon a path I knew nothing about and shared his discovery with me.  Getting there required embarking on a seriously potholed road.  My teeth chattered while I flung my jeep along the pit covered surface trying to miss more holes than I hit.  My success was limited.  Once past the cavity laced byway we reached our destination.

There are a number of dykes here which function both as a means of flood control and environmental management.  Beavers join in the fray and build dams and lodges to further marsh development.  Lowlands with few trees; the area is perfect for wildlife favouring wetlands.  It is a place where sandhill cranes and a host of other birds nest and raise their young.  It is also a great place to capture some good wildlife images.

I had my Nikon D500 and a Tamron 150-600 mm with me.  I discovered long ago that the long lens causes serious strain on the camera's mounting plate; the lens itself suffers from the leverage of weight and length.  There is a risk of damage to the connection point on both devices if carried by the camera straps.  I rigged a simple carrying harness from a rifle sling; the weight of the entire setup is bored by the tripod mounting bracket on the lens. 

We saw quite a variety of birds on our walk.  Hawks, osprey, heron, and a plethora of ducks; we even saw a Nothern Shoveler.  There were lots of perching birds too, including Bewick's wren (I did a post on this one yesterday), red-winged blackbirds, and yellowthroats.  I have seen yellowthroats before, but never in the Lower Mainland.  I was ecstatic to see them here.

Common yellowthroats are a type of warbler.  All warblers are amazing singers (hence the name) and are always a pleasure to find.  There were quite a few of them; the females were busily preparing nests (above) and the males were busily defending their territories.  All in all, it was an excellent and very enjoyable show.

The only caveat to the whole experience was that I had to travel back on that same road.  But it would be well worth the teeth-chattering experience.  I had a great time.

Thanks for reading.  www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen