Birding in BC Community

I'd like to go to Iona this weekend for the first time. Where is the best place to start? Any tips? I've heard you need a pass to view the ponds?
thanks
Cathy

Hi Cathy,

I sent you a pm with Jude Grass's email so you can contact her and get the access code to the inner ponds.

Good places to look at iona is to walk the south jetty it is about 8 km round trip but you can see such things as were sighted recently : Jaegers out there and common and caspian terns, redheads and other seabirds. Plus a horned lark was relocated at the base of the jetty yesterday and a bullock's oriole near the washrooms.

If walking the jetty is not in the cards you can sit by the boardwalk where the large outer pond is and you can see red-winged blackbirds, ospreys catching fish and yellow-headed and red-winged blackbirds. Soras and Virginia rails are also in the reeds.

There is also a northern outer pond that you can walk around as well that borders the fraser river look for the wire near the rivver where the swallows sit. Last time I was there every type of swallow except Bank were on the wire and there were 26 rough-winged on one wire!

There is also a nice peaceful walk out on the north jetty where you can see warblers in the broom moving through.


Have a great time!


cheers,
Mel

Thanks so much Mel. I'll let you know how it goes!
Cathy

Hi Birdergirl. I am a birder based in Richmond. Would it be possible for you to email me Jude Grass' email so that I may request the gate code from her? Or perhaps you could forward my request to her.

I was a fairly serious birder in my teens and early twenties during the '70s and spent a lot of time at the Iona ponds, occasionally assisting with banding shorebirds. As I approach retirement I've also taken up birding and photography again with a particular interest in bird and macro photography. Access to the ponds again would be great.

Thanks,
Steve

Hi stevemopolis,

Iona has shut down the gated area to the inner ponds due to building a new filtration system, new sewer system!

Jude Grass doesn't do that anymore, the new person, I forget his name doesn't do it anymore due to closure of the inner ponds closure!

Good to know. Thanks for the update.

Steve