Winter Raptors – Birding by car in Pitt Meadows

This event is part of the Welcome Walk series and is designed to be inclusive and partially accessible.

Registration is required. To register, please email Trip Leaders Neil Vanhinsberg at [email protected] and Joanna Chin at [email protected] and indicate whether you’re willing to be a driver.

We will be birding from cars, making scheduled stops with short walks (50-500 meters) on trails. The trails are mostly flat, gravel or hard packed and can be suitable for people who use mobility aids. Everyone is welcome but if you have any accessibility needs, please contact the Trip Leaders in advance. We can accommodate people with mobility aids (i.e. walker, poles, cane).

We will be driving a route designed to maximize our chances of seeing Raptors. We will meet at the meeting location and carpool to scheduled stops, some with short hikes to find Raptors and winter residents. Participants need to be okay with carpooling as some stops will have limited parking spots. We are limiting the number of cars to 4 and can accommodate 18 maximum participants including drivers.

We expect to see American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk (possibly Harlan’s subspecies), Northern Harrier, and Bald Eagle. Other possibilities could include: Cooper’s Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, and other Falcons. Other winter residents may include: Cackling Goose, Trumpeter Swan, Northern Shrike, and several Duck species.

We will meet at Pitt Meadows Family Recreation Centre at 12027 Harris Rd, Pitt Meadows. SEE MAP. There are washrooms at our meeting location and port-a-potties near the end of the route. Six pairs of loaner binoculars will be available on a first come first serve basis. In the event of rain, this event will be postponed to a later date.