We were contacted by Thor Diakow from Vancouver is Awesome to meet him and tell him about our fine feathered friend. It gave us the opportunity to reflect about what this bird has brought to the Burnaby Lake community.

PR. Public Relations. Permanent Resident.

As “Trevor” the Mandarin Duck approaches the “3 year requirement” for his permanent resident status, we figure he has done a lot of PR for for Burnaby Lake and Nature, since he decided to make it his home.

He first appeared on our radar in May 2018 and has delighted park users old and new since. The Burnaby Lake community has been respectful with our local celebrity and kept his presence relatively low key until his counter part in New York City’s Central Park “Hot Duck” shone the spotlight here and drew many people to Burnaby Lake Regional Park, some for the very first time.

There is never a guarantee you will see Trevor on your visit – whether it’s your first or fiftieth visit. Perhaps you have come to the park with the specific goal of seeing him, or you are on a walk for your physical and mental wellness, especially during the pandemic. But while you are here, maybe you will find your spark bird.

In birding, the term “spark bird” defines the one that ignites your interest in birds. Whether you are 5 or 75, there will be one that catches your eye and intrigues you enough to ask someone to identify it and you spend some time learning more. It doesn’t have be a rare fancy duck, but one that is more common here like its cousin – the beautiful Wood Duck, a dapper Northern Pin Tail, a sweet Chestnut-backed Chickadee or like a Red-winged Blackbird. This last one is the species that caught the attention of author Julia Zarankin, at age 35, and sent her on her birding journey as described in her memoir, Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder. And once you connect to birds, you are connected to Nature, which is part of the BLPA’s mission. We hope that you will return often and have the opportunity to enjoy and get involved with our activities once we are able to restart them.

Thor, an avid birder himself, was lucky enough that Trevor decided to show up just before he was about to leave (thanks for spotting him, Sheila Linn!) so he was able to get some footage and share his story on Vancouver is Awesome.

So if you are interested in birds, watch out for news about (Metro) Vancouver Bird Week, taking place May 8-16, 2021. Event details are still being sorted out, and will likely be a combination of webinars and socially distanced events as well as activities you can do you on your own or household group.

Metro Vancouver Regional Park Interpreters will be hosting a few bird related events with safety protocols in place

• Piper Spit Bird Count – once a month on Tuesdays, 9-11 AM; ages 15+, co-ed, Free
  March 9, April 13, May 11, June 8
• Befriending Birds – March 22: Ages 7-9, 10-11:30 am, Ages 10-12, 1-2:30 pm

When visiting Burnaby Lake Regional Park, please follow the Metro Vancouver Regional Parks COVID-19 safety guidelines. While on Piper Spit, take turns to allow others to have the opportunity enjoy the views. When it is not possible to physically distance from others, please wear a mask. If you do want to feed the birds, please do not feed them bread, and only bring a reasonable amount of seed per person. You can see with the amount of people, they will not go hungry!

Remember – dogs are not allowed onto Piper Spit and must follow the Regional Park Canine Code of Conduct, and bicycles are not permitted on the park trails, only on the Central Valley Greenway.

You can send questions about birds or any topic on our Feedback Form here.