Visit to Colony Farm In Coquitlam

Hi there,
This week I had the pleasure of visiting Colony Farm in Coquitlam. It's Quite the place for a birder/photographer like me. Lots of activity but somewhat subdued at this time of year. I really needed to be there about a month or so earlier to catch all of the major action with the mating and nest building. Apparently there have bee several sightings of the Lazuli Bunting as was noted on the news board at the head of the path before starting the walk in. There are also lots of different kinds of swallows including the Rough Winged Swallow and of course the regulars like the Tree Swallow and Violet Green Swallow. There are plenty of fly catchers there too such as the Eastern King Bird and Willow Fly Catcher.

I was hoping to see a Green Heron on our walk as I had heard that they too were there on the odd occaision. To my delight we hadn't gotten more than a couple of hundred feet into the farm when an immature Green Heron flushed from one of the ditches right in front of us. Using my old 20D and a Canon 100-400mm lens that I had aquired some time ago, I managed to get a couple of decent shots. Too bad the parents were'nt around anywhere as their plumage is supposed to be quite a bit more colorful than the new fledglings.

Another Great time to visit Colony Farm is in the fall when migrants stop by to rest. In the winter there have been reports of a rare and beautiful Great Grey Owl that has shown up for the last couple of years around Christmas time and usually stays until the end of January. Due to scheduling and financial restraints I couldn't make it when he was there but I am hoping he will show up again this winter so I can see him in person. Hopefully I will have all of my regular gear replaced by then and I can get higher quality shots.