Burnaby Lake - Birds Galore

Burnaby Lake Regional Park is home to a great diversity of birds. In the winter, the lake is frequented by many species of waterfowl. At Piper Spit, I spotted 22 species of birds, nine of which were ducks. One of these ducks was the Mandarin duck, a bird closely related to the Wood duck. This bird, native to China, is widely considered the world's most beautiful duck.
There doesn't seem to be a consensus as to how this bird arrived at the lake, but many think it may have escaped from a duck breeder in the area. Whatever the reason, it was a pleasure to see this stunning bird. Other birds present in large numbers were Long-billed dowitchers, a medium sized shorebird, American coots, Lesser scaups, and Red-winged blackbirds. If you're looking to get an up close look to many beautiful birds, I recommend visiting Piper Spit!