Tom Bearss Volume 33, #1,

President May 2019

604-940-9296

Next Meeting: Tuesday, May 7th

Benediction Lutheran Church, 6th Avenue and 56th Street, Tsawwassen.

A short business meeting at 7:30, a break for tea and coffee, followed by our speaker.

Speaker: Krista De Groot

Bird Collisions with Glass

Krista De Groot is a Vancouver-based biologist

with the Canadian Wildlife Service,

Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Krista’s recent research interests include

threats to birds due to urban development;

including building, landscape, and seasonal

influences on bird-window collisions, and

testing of bird-window collision deterrent

products.

Krista provides technical advice to the City of

Vancouver, Vancouver Park Board, University

of British Columbia and others on bird

conservation-related issues and has

coordinated international bird conservation

partnerships including Partners in Flight, the

Pacific Birds Joint Venture and the Canadian

Intermountain Venture.

NOTICES

The 2019 Delta Nats Annual Garden Party will be held on June 22nd at the home of

Carol and Paul Rennie in Richmond, so mark the date on your calendar.

Further information will be included in the June newsletter.

DELTA NATS EVENTS 2019

*Help needed – see Terry Carr

Green text – non-DNS events which may be of interest to DNS members

Sat May 11 *Delta/Surrey Regional Heritage Fair 11-1:00

Harris Barn, Ladner

Sat May 11 World Migratory Bird Day (nothing in Delta. See next page)

Sun Jun 16 *Father’s Day, Centennial Beach 9-12:00

Sun Aug 18 *Richmond Raptor Festival and Garlic Festivals 1:3:00

Terra Nova Park, 2771 Westminster Hwy

Sun Aug 18 *Animal Expo, Memorial Park, Ladner 10-3:00

Sat Sept 7 *Day at the Farm, Westham Island 10-4:00

V A N C O U V E R B I R D W E E K

May 11-17, 2019

Welcome to Bird Week! Across the Lower Mainland there will be bird-related art workshops, walks, talks, exhibitions, and lectures showcasing the diversity of bird species who visit this region. With such a wide variety of events and activities, there is sure to be something for everyone!

http://www.vancouverbirdweek.ca/events-2019/

Hummingbirds in Arizona

Male Broad-billed

Female Black-chinned

Chris McVittie

Poster by Geof Hacker

Delta Nats at UBC Botanical Gardens - May 1st.

DELTA NATS BIRDING OUTINGS

These are preliminary – please check https://dncb.wordpress.com/2019_dncb_outings/ for updates.

Meeting times & places are posted on the DNCB Home Page

Wed May 8 CHANGED – Tsawwassen Ferry Causeway and Reifel

Mon May 13 NEW! Victoria – 7am ferry over, 5 pm ferry return

Wed May 15 Jackman Wetlands, Aldergrove (at 272nd Street and 10th Ave

across from the transfer station).

Wed May 22 Minnekhada Regional Park

Wed May 29 Semiahmoo Fish & Game/Little Campbell Hatchery

Wed Jun 5 Colony Farm

Wed Jun 12 Birds on the Bay in Boundary Bay Regional Park

Wed Jun 19 Pitt Lake

Wed Jun 26 Campbell Valley Park

Wed Jul 3 Derby Reach Regional Park, Langley

Wed Jul 10 Reifel bird Sanctuary

Fri Jul 12 Bellingham Puffin Cruise

https://whales.com/other-cruises/bird-watching-cruise/

Wed Jul 17 Ferry outing to Salt Spring Island

Wed Jul 24 Iona Regional Park

Wed Jul 31 Blackie Spit Park

Wed Aug 7 Burnaby Lake

Wed Aug 14 Boundary Bay at 104th St.

Wed Aug 21 Maplewood flats, north Vancouver

Wed Aug 28 Sidney Spit National Park

Wed Sept 4 Mt. Baker, Washington

Tufted Duck, April 25th Roger Meyer

Bird box construction team hit 100 boxes!

The Cascade Bird Box team was founded by Peter Ward a number of years ago. He had a small team that worked to provide Barn Owl boxes to interested parties. In November, 2016, Peter recruited a couple of Delta Nats who in turn recruited others. Last week one of the team members asked how many boxes had been produced since Peter’s expansion in November 2016. Box production in the last 2 1/2 years: The Team’s focus has always been the production and often the installation of Barn Owl Boxes. There are now 65 of our Barn Owl Boxes installed between Abbotsford and Vancouver Island. Barn Owl boxes are our main focus. However, including Kestrel Boxes [4] and Tree Swallow boxes [35], we have produced over 100 boxes in the last 2 1/2 years. Congratulations to the team - Peter, Chris, Jack, Roger K, Jim, Mike B, and Syd! YAY TEAM!!

Barn owl box installation at the North 40, January 31, 2019.

Car Boot Sales 2019: Volunteer Shift Schedule

As you may know, our Boundary Bay Park Association Car Boot Sales start on Saturday, June 8. As always, we are looking for Volunteers to help out at these seven bi-monthly events this Summer (June 8 & 22, July 13 & 27, Aug. 10 & 24, Sept. 7). Shifts are 7:30 to 10:00 AM and 10:00 to 12:30 PM. Please contact Tom with the date(s) and time(s) he can put your name down as a volunteer. Jim Kneesch, Chris McVittie and Mike Bayliss have offered to put up the four directional Signs early each Saturday morning. Elizabeth Perrin has indicated that she will try to be at most Sales for the Late Shift (10:00 am to 12:30 pm). Of course, Elizabeth would like other volunteers to share this Shift. Metro Vancouver Parks “support” our Car Boot Sales, but want to ensure we are organized early for the 8:00 am opening. So we need several volunteers for each Early Shift, beginning at 7:30 am. Experienced and New Volunteers encouraged to participate. Please let me know where I can put your name on this List. Cheers: Tom Tom Bearss, Director, Boundary Bay Park Association

Long-eared owl Chris McVittie

CORRESPONDENCE

Canadian Environmental Agency

Proposed Kwispaa Project

Vancouver Island, BC

By email: CEAA.Kwispaa.ACEE@Canada.ca

17 November 2018

To whom it may concern:

PROPOSED KWISPAA LNG FACILITY IN BARKLEY SOUND, B. C.

I am writing on behalf of BC Nature, a federation of 50+ naturalist clubs across the province, representing

6,000 members. Our motto is “Know Nature and Keep It Worth Knowing.”

The proposed KWISPAA LNG facility greatly alarms us. It requires a full federal environmental review. In light

of the recent United Nations report on climate change and global warming, it is no longer "business as usual".

An environmental review must consider the total potential impacts of this project upon global carbon release

and climate change.

The project must also consider the negative impacts of fracking at the source of the natural gas. These

impacts include upstream gas emissions, the effects upon groundwater, and impacts on the people, wildlife

and environment in the area in which the fracking occurs.

The impact of 1000+ km. of pipeline and the potential effects upon the surrounding environments must also

be taken into account, especially in this case where the pipeline has to cross the Salish Sea as well as large

tracts of relatively pristine forest on Vancouver Island.

The ecological impact of the LNG plant and tankers on species at risk in and near Barkley Sound and the Sarita

and Somass estuaries needs to be considered. The Sarita Estuary and the surrounding areas provide foraging

and nesting habitat for the Marbled Murrelet – listed federally as Threatened and in the Species at Risk Act

Schedule 1. Barkley Sound and the adjacent nearshore waters support the highest densities of breeding

Marbled Murrelets in BC and are also the wintering grounds for other species at risk. This entire area is well

known to support high densities of waterfowl, seabirds, shorebirds and other wildlife.

At present the economy of Barkley Sound (Port Alberni, Ucluelet, Bamfield) relies heavily on tourism and

fishing – both are dependent on clean, unpolluted ecosystems with minimal shipping. This project threatens

these activities and the well-being of many residents in Barkley Sound.

For these and many other reasons, it is imperative that a full and detailed environmental impact assessment

be carried out to consider if this project is indeed in the best interests of Canada, the residents and

environment of Barkley Sound, and the for Canada’s responsibilities relative to global climates.

Yours truly

Alan Burger, PhD

President: BC Nature

(Federation of BC Naturalists)

BC Nature – 1620 Mt. Seymour Road, North Vancouver, BC V7G 2R9

Tel (604) 985-3057 ~ Fax (604) 985-3059 email: manager@bcnature.ca - Web site – www.bcnature.ca

Report from Anne Murray

May 1, 2019

Hi Tom (and Delta Executive but I don’t have their emails as a group so please forward)

Terry, Nicki and I met with Delta Environment staff, Mike and Erin, this afternoon to discuss next steps in Delta’s Birds and Biodiversity Strategy. The meeting was positive and pleasant. We had a good exchange of information all round, and kept the municipal Birds and Biodiversity Conservation Strategy on track.

Our agenda is attached and we covered all the points plus the possibility of a Delta bioblitz in the future. We also heard what Delta staff have been doing – completing a report that will go to Council next month that covers their climate change adaptation efforts, public outreach initiatives, and other activities that they have been up to.

Following from the meeting, we think that next steps as DNS should be:

1. Write and request a short delegation to Council (like you and I did before) – waiting time is probably several months for our 10-15 min spot, but might as well get on the queue.

2. Committee members to arrange a meeting with Todd Stewardson of Delta Parks and Rec department, to get their staff facing the same way as Environment.

3. Organize more brochure printing in cooperation with Delta (discussed with Erin; Terry will follow up with numbers, timing).

4. Send Mike and Erin, for their consideration, the next version of our proposed public information pamphlet, for which Nicki has been drafting up ideas.

5. Birds and Biodiversity Committee will continue to meet as members are available and keep things moving along.

Cheers

Anne

DNS Executive

Bearss, Tom President Tom.Bearss@dccnet.com

Perrin, Elizabeth Vice President Den Dikken, Anita BC Nature representative Kneesch, Jim Treasurer/Membership / DNS Facebook Master McVittie, Chris Director at Large / DNS Facebook Master Syd Barber Director at Large

DNS Support Volunteers Belless, Armene Social Committee Borrie, Ken Web Manager Carr, Terry Display Coordinator

Coutts, Audrey Newsletter Editor makemusichappen@gmail.com

Fuller, Valerie Publicity Hacker, Geof DNS Archivist/Speaker Posters Martin, Marylile Assistant Display Coordinator Melville-Roberts, Jennifer Social Committee Rennie, Paul Audio Visual Support

Ronback, James Environmental Watch Dog Jim.Ronback@gmail.com

Stewart, Alan Audio Visual Support Whitlam, Valerie Social Committee Williamson, Joanne Lead - Social Committee

Delta Nats’ website: https://dncb.wordpress.com/

Wild Life Rescue 604-526-7275 Canadian Wildlife Services 604-666-0143 Rare Bird Alert (24 hour) 604-737-3074 Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary 604-946-6980 OWL (Orphaned Wildlife Rehab) 604-946-3171 Wildlife Violation Report 1-800-663-9453 Fisheries and Oceans HOT LINE 604-666-3500 Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust 604-940-3392

Nature Vancouver - http://naturevancouver.ca

INTERESTING LINKS Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust: http://www.deltafarmland.ca/

Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society: http://www.birdsonthebay.ca/ Boundary Bay Park Association

https://boundarybayparkassociation.wordpress.com/event-calendar

THE LAST PAGE

Wilson’s Warbler

Yellow-rumped (Audubon

Orange -crowned Warbler

Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) warbler

Townsend’s Warbler

Warblers in Nicki Brockamp’s backyard, May 4th