Saturday, May 3, was a perfect day for birding, and 16 Vermilion Forks Field Naturalists and guests, led by Joan Kelly, took advantage of the fair weather to meander along the trails at Separation Lakes in search of feathered friends. We were successful in our quest, and observed a total of 28 species in the two hours we were out. Highlights were Northern Harriers, Savannah Sparrows, Western Kingbirds, a Rough-legged Hawk, and a great display executed by a juvenile Bald Eagle and a Golden Eagle flying side by side! Our club experts noted how the Bald Eagle soars with its wings flat, while the colourful and much larger Golden Eagle keeps its wings back at a slight angle (thanks, Amanda!). We enjoyed intermittent sunshine and shared a few snacks halfway through our trek, and of course Peter’s smoked salmon is the traditional favourite. With the excitement of sighting less common species, the delight at hearing the familiar trills of meadowlarks and sparrows, and the pleasure of chatting with new and old friends alike, we all benefited from this engaging outing.
Our next field trip will be May 31, when Trish Reid will lead us on an easy walk around Alison Lake, where birds and wildflowers should be in abundance. Confirm with Trish at 250-295-6002 and meet at Billy’s at 9 a.m.
Biologist Jess Hobden will be our guest speaker, with a topic of “terrestrial and aquatic invasive species,” at this month’s meeting on Tuesday, May 13 at Riverside Centre, 7 p.m. Meetings and field trips are open to the public, so please join us for an enlightening and enjoyable time!