Bonus Morning at Serpentine Fen, despite the weather forecast

Ignoring the Weather Network, I dashed off for what was supposed to be not even an hour, and ended up staying for three hours, with some good birds on the menu and a surprise discovery at the end. Here are some info signs for the area that is now my second home here in B.C., for my Ontario friends:

On the raptor front, I had this Northern Harrier out hunting, which appears to be a juvenile, based on its unstreaked belly:

 

And ho hum, more Bald Eagles, they are soooooo annoying, they're just everywhere, two were soaring overhead, and this young one was perched on a utility pole:

As for ducks and herons, there were Greater Scaup (John will have my head on a platter if I'm wrong but am going by the rounded vs. peaked head, as well as the amount of black on the bill tip, how'd I do, John??!!):

 

Great Blue Heron on the fly:

Some very cooperative Green-winged Teals:

Returning to the parking lot, I finally located this Spotted Towhee that was singing (if you can call it that) away:

Then the fun begins, I was loitering around the parking lot in search of my (Lifer) Bushtits from a few days ago, and sure enough, I saw them flying back and forth to this tall cedar. Upon closer inspection I discovered a nest, which my field guide describes as "an elaborate hanging structure", and they're not kidding, this thing was probably a foot long, oblong in shape, and is attached to the underside of a cedar branch, weighing it down, with a small, ~ two inch access hole, which is dead centre in the photo below:

I watched as the pair brought in nesting material, or so I thought until I downloaded my photos, in fact they were delivering food, ie green caterpillars or grubs, although I didn't hear any sounds to indicate nestlings inside. Here goes with assorted photos, the female has the paler eyes, compared to the male's darker eyes, and they both seemed to share equal time when it came to the feeding, as one would disappear inside for a few seconds, then fly out again:

The male has the pale green grub in his beak...

...and in he goes to deliver it:

Now it's her turn:

Here's mom again with more grub:

So despite no new birds today (other than my very first Canada Goose for this trip), the privilege of observing these hard-working Bushtits at their nest for an hour added some sunshine to an otherwise dreary day in B.C. (it's now pouring rain outside), hence they're my BOTD!