Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary

Today we decided to go birding in British Columbia. I had been to Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary  a couple of years ago, but my husband had never been there. I was hoping he would enjoy it as much as I had. It was a fairly quiet day there today, not many people and not as many birds as I'd seen before. The winter migration is just beginning so they are anticipating the return of the Snow Geese and Swans any day now. I found out that the Alaksen National Wildlife area overlaps part of the Reifel migratory bird sanctuary property. "The Alaksen NWA is part of the Fraser River delta, an area of roughly 67,000 hectares recognized as an internationally important migration stop-over and wintering area for a large number of migratory birds, along the Pacific coast.....the delta attracts up to 1.4 million birds from Siberia to south America each year. No other site in Canada supports such a diversity and number of birds in winter, and no comparable site exists along the Pacific coast between California and Alaska." I also read on their web page that "one of the spectacular sights there is the occurrence of Snow Geese in concentrated flocks of numbers exceeding 25,000 beginning in October".

When we arrived we paid our "senior rate" entrance fee, bought our bags of duck feed and began walking the trails. 

The Mallard ducks are very used to being fed, they would waddle along quickly towards us in groups. For some reason in my minds eye I pictured a 1930's gangster in my mind every time we would encounter them. I would see the lead duck as Edward G. Robinson their leader saying: (insert tough guy voice here) "it's a stick up see, give us all the seed you have and be quick about it". They made me laugh every time we saw them.

The Wood ducks were just as silly. They loved being fed & I loved looking at them, they just don't look real to me.

We made our way to a couple of the bird blinds, the tower and then walked the outer trail.

We saw a beautiful resident? lone Swan

and we tried to identify some of the ducks in the ponds. I was only sure of the Mallards and Wood ducks. Between the two of us we identified the: Pin-tail, Coot, Merganser, Teal, Wigeon and Shoveler. We also saw a Peregrine falcon, Marsh hawk, some Canada geese, a Flicker, a Downy woodpecker, Red-wing blackbird and lots of small birds singing in the bushes.

Some signs of fall in the trees along the trail.

Also, lots of colorful but poison. Mushrooms.

There were lots of ponds to walk around and several signs placed here & there to help with identifying the birds.

One more walk by & feeding of the Wood Ducks❤

As we were walking to our car and preparing to leave we saw our treat of the day.

3 Sand hill cranes!!

We walked about 4 1/2 miles and enjoyed the sun, the views, the birds singing and the mobster ducks on the rampage for seed!

I took sooo many pictures, these are just a few from our day. I hope you enjoyed looking at them too!