The George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Vancouver, B.C. The weather was a perfect Autumn one. Beautiful blue sky. Nice temperatures and very little breeze. A perfect day to visit the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. My father (89 y.o.) wasn’t sure that he would be up to all of the walking, but once he got out there with his walker to sit on if he got tired, he had a great time. My brother and his friend Laura were along with us. While everyone else was enjoying the weather and the outing, my focus was definitely on pressing the shutter whenever possible 🙂
Pintail (Anas acuta) 
This sanctuary plays stopover and safety zone for hordes of migrating wildlife and is most well known for the large numbers of Snow Geese that assemble in the preserves marsh land. On this trip, the highlight had to be the Sandhill Cranes who wandered the trails almost at ease with the presence of humans as would be the case with many a Mallard duck in a city park. 
In addition to the Sandhill Cranes grazing for insects along the shores and trails, the series of lagoons were well populated with all variety of waterfowl. Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) 
People who follow my photostreams know that I have a soft spot for pigeons. Its ancestors may have been pure Rock Dove (now officially referred to as Rock Pigeon by some authorities) but generally just referred to as the Common Pigeon or Feral Pigeon, this bird is considered by many cities as a pest even though its iridescent colours can be quite beautiful in the right light. 
American Widgeon (Anas americana) 
Juvenile Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus): Sometimes considered pest while in other areas supported and protected, the cormorants are fish eaters with a great talent. They nest in colonies and during summer months roost in large numbers on the branches of old dear trees close to the water’s edge. 
American Coot (Fulica americana) 
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps): The smallest of the North American grebes. 
Tough to photograph those Sandhill Cranes when they keeping getting closer but my brother was certainly trying hard to get just the right angle.
My brother’s friend, Laura, on the other hand was using her bird guide book to try and identify something farther away. 
Wildlife of a different nature could be found in the trees.
When the Snow Geese decided to move around they would rise up in large flocks and the noise that they made was amazing.
