Category Archives: Birds

Holiday Open House 2023

Drop by the Burnaby Lake Nature House for the BLPA’s Annual Holiday Open House!

This event is free and everyone, of any age, is welcome!

  • Guided outings – see below for descriptions
  • Decorate your own Wood Duck cookie*
  • Check out the birds at Piper Spit – spot late migration visitors, temporary winter and year round residents
  • Discover Santa’s “Naughty and Nice” plant list
  • Learn tips on winter plant ID
  • Get involved with Citizen Science and ask one of our App Experts how to use phone apps like iNaturalist, Merlin Bird ID and eBird and share your sightings
  • Visit the BLPA display and find out what we do and how you can get involved
  • Hot apple drink* to warm you up! To be more sustainable, bring your own thermal mug if you have one.

Hope to see you there!
Check the weather forecast and dress for the weather. We’ll be there, rain, shine or snow!

Join us on a winter outing in the park! Free, but registration required. Select either:

  • 11:00 am to 12:30 pm – Guided Bird Outing
    Did you know? Winter is a great time to visit Burnaby Lake and see both migratory birds that visit the lake in the colder months as well as our year-round birds. Our leaders will share their knowledge and passion for birds while wandering through Burnaby Lake trails and at Piper Spit. We’ll listen for calls and songs, enjoy discussion on topics such as bird habitat and plumage, and share tips.
    Register here.
  • 12:15 pm to 1:15 pm – Winter Nature Walk
    Burnaby Lake may seem dormant in the winter, but there is still plenty of color and life to explore! Join us for an easy walk on forested trails – take in the crisp air, observe winter wildlife and learn about the plants around the trails.12:15 pm to 1:15 pm. Register here.
  • 12:45 pm to 1:45 pm – Winter Nature Walk II
    Due to popular demand, we have added a second walk
    Register here.

⚠️**Road Construction notice** – ⚠️
Please take note that there is construction along Winston Street which includes single lane traffic that may add an additional 5 minutes to your trip. Details for the Winston Street Sewer project can be found here.

If the weather is nice, the parking lot can be very busy. You may need to park along Piper Avenue or at Warner Loat Park right off of Winston which is a 450 m/5 minute walk to the Nature House. There is also a railway crossing which may be blocked from time to time.

* While supplies last

BLPA – 2023 Annual General Meeting with Guest Speaker

The Burnaby Lake Park Association invites you to join us for our 2023 Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held at the Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Central Area Office.

The purpose of the meeting is to satisfy the requirements of the BC Societies Act by:

  1. Hearing the reports from the Board of Directors of the Burnaby Lake Park Association (BLPA)
  2. Presenting the financial statements of the BLPA
  3. Considering any Special Resolutions placed before the meeting*
  4. Presenting the results from the Nomination Committee and conduct BLPA elections*

We will begin the evening with a short meeting to conduct our AGM business before our guest speaker’s presentation. After the presentation, we will break for refreshments which will provide an opportunity for mix and mingle with your fellow stewards, nature lovers and a chance for you to meet the BLPA directors and other volunteers.

One of Burnaby Lake’s wildlife highlights of 2022 was Baby “Piper”, the Sandhill Crane. He was discovered next to Piper Spit at the end of May and we were fortunate to watch him grow over the summer, from awkward attempts to hop up on the boardwalk to flying lessons and finally stong enough to migrate with his parents.

With all the interest in Sandhill Cranes, we invited Myles Lamont to be our guest speaker.

Myles is a biologist, naturalist, and the principal of Terra Fauna Wildlife Consulting. He has worked in wildlife management and conservation with a variety of species but has a special interest in Sandhill Cranes and runs the Sandhill Crane Sightings web page for people to record their observations for his research. Along with an overview of the species, he will give an update on his surveys and population estimate of the distinct subpopulation of the Sandhill Cranes in the Fraser River Lowland.

We hope that you can join us. Click here for details, directions and to register.

*Please note, while all are welcome to attend, only members can vote.

Support the BLPA in the Park Partner’s Challenge!

This holiday season, the Burnaby Lake Park Association and Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation have teamed up to double your donation’s impact for our programming in Burnaby Lake Regional Park.

Your donations have a significant impact. Funds from the Foundation and
supporters like you have funded work to:

Your donation to Burnaby Lake Regional Park will be doubled by Metro Vancouver
Regional Parks Foundation’s Park Partners Challenge!

Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation has up to $1,000 in matching funds available for our park projects. That means if we raise $1,000 within our community, $2,000 goes into programming in our beautiful regional park!

The BLPA Board of Directors would like to raise funds to purchase our own full set of binoculars so we do not have to borrow them from another park association. The ability to provide binoculars on bird or nature outings in the park helps people get close and connect to nature. The study of birds and their habitat can provide a deeper understanding of ecology, biodiversity and the environment. People starting out birding may not have invested in a pair of their own binoculars yet. Also, the price of binoculars can be the singular financial barrier of entry into the birding community. We want to be able to lend a high quality pair to anyone who would not be able to afford it otherwise because we know how important these connections to nature are.

Participants enjoying a BLPA led bird outing at our Birds of Burnaby Lake event, May 29, 2022.
Photo credit: Lindsay Marsh

Help us unlock the full potential of these funds by donating before December
31st, 2022.

Every dollar raised has double the impact on tomorrow and is appreciated today.
THANK YOU!