Between 11:00 and 11:20 today (Friday, 10/4) I counted at least 30 Turkey Vultures moving south over Bellingham. This is a species which I think is much more commonly sighted in Whatcom County than it was twenty years ago.
Jim Duemmel
I saw them too--a big group circling roughly over Chestnut and Railroad. I can't recall seeing anything like that over downtown before.
John Stark, Reporter
Maybe looking for dead duck politicians?
Adena Mooers
Yeah. They were headed south toward the red states.
Barry Ulman
I think they might have been checking on the "progress" of the waterfront REdevelopment.
Joe Meche
Today as I was leaving my home I saw 13 Turkey Vultures flying fairly high. Some were "kettling", but all were headed south. I agree that Turkey Vultures have increased considerably in the last twenty years or so.
Barry Ulman
The turkey vultures were over downtown Bellingham again Monday around 1:30 p.m. Just three or four this time.
John Stark, Reporter
10/8/13
Sunday, 8 December 2013
Vancouver, BC RBA for September 28, 2013
This is Nature Vancouver's Bird Alert for Friday, September 27th,
sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited in Vancouver and North Vancouver.
If you wish to report a rare, unusual or interesting bird, please phone the main number
at (604) 737-3074, press "2" for the rare bird reporting line, and follow
the instructions given there.
BIRDERS NOTES
1. THE IONA ISLAND SEWAGE PONDS ARE NOW OPEN.
2. SNOW GEESE are beginning to show up, with 60 seen at Brunswick Point on Sept. 23 and another
flock of 40-50 in east Richmond.
3. There have been reports of RED-THROATED PIPITS moving SE along the Alaska coast toward BC
and recently on Middleton Island (SE of Anchorage on the south coast of Alaska) someone had an
OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT! - report originally by Russ Cannings on VANBCBIRDS e-mail group.
Thursday, September 26
Ten BLACK TURNSTONES and 1 SURFBIRD along with 2 HORNED LARKS were at the
Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal in Delta, near berth 3,
Wednesday, September 25
A LAZULI BUNTING was seen at Hastings Park in Vancouver near the race course track.
A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen at Colony Farm Regional Park in Coquitlam.
The CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was still at the southeast pond at Iona sewage treatment plant, Richmond.
sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited in Vancouver and North Vancouver.
If you wish to report a rare, unusual or interesting bird, please phone the main number
at (604) 737-3074, press "2" for the rare bird reporting line, and follow
the instructions given there.
BIRDERS NOTES
1. THE IONA ISLAND SEWAGE PONDS ARE NOW OPEN.
2. SNOW GEESE are beginning to show up, with 60 seen at Brunswick Point on Sept. 23 and another
flock of 40-50 in east Richmond.
3. There have been reports of RED-THROATED PIPITS moving SE along the Alaska coast toward BC
and recently on Middleton Island (SE of Anchorage on the south coast of Alaska) someone had an
OLIVE-BACKED PIPIT! - report originally by Russ Cannings on VANBCBIRDS e-mail group.
Thursday, September 26
Ten BLACK TURNSTONES and 1 SURFBIRD along with 2 HORNED LARKS were at the
Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal in Delta, near berth 3,
Wednesday, September 25
A LAZULI BUNTING was seen at Hastings Park in Vancouver near the race course track.
A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen at Colony Farm Regional Park in Coquitlam.
The CLAY-COLORED SPARROW was still at the southeast pond at Iona sewage treatment plant, Richmond.
A WANDERING TATTLER and a HEERMANN’S GULL were seen near the tip of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta.
A COMMON GRACKLE was reported in Pitt Meadows in a field near Abernathy between 203rd and Laity Street on about this
date, but was not confirmed.
Tuesday, September 24
Two WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS were seen and photographed at 2206 Dewdney Trunk Road in Maple Ridge.
Four AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS and 2 RED KNOTS were seen with other shorebirds along the north shore
of Boundary Bay in Delta between 96th and 104th Streets.
Monday, September 23
The CLAY-COLOURED SPARROW was still present at Iona Island, as was a BANK SWALLOW among the Barn Swallows.
A HORNED LARKS and 2 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were seen on the Iona South Jetty.
Sunday, September 22
A CLAY-COLOURED SPARROW was found near the southeast sewage pond at Iona Island in Richmond.
Saturday, September 21
Two BROWN PELICANS, a FRANKLIN’S GULL, 2 HEERMANN’S GULLS, and 3 PARASITIC JAEGERS were
seen at Lighthouse Marine Park on Point Roberts, WA.
For a summary of extremely rare bird sightings throughout British Columbia,
check "British Columbia Bird Alert" at http://bcbirdalert.blogspot.com .
A brief account of 31 of the best birding locations in the Vancouver area
can be found on the Nature Vancouver website at
http://www.naturevancouver.ca/Birding_Birding_Sites .
Late report? Fred Sears 10/3/13
So I was in Lynden today and had a flock of Barn Swallows very actively feeding and moving about has anyone else seen them of late? Does someone have good departures dates? Clark? Also had a very small flight of Evening Grosbeaks by Squailicum high school and for the last three days flocks of Robins have been falling out at the clinic to feed on mulberries. Fredrick Sears
Wow! That is late. The latest fall record for Lummi Island was Sep. 27, 1999. I may have seen them at Iona a little later. Wayne will be able to confirm that. ClarkWhatcom Birders, Early October is not particularly late for Barn Swallows in our area. There were 50 on October 1st at 96th Street on the north side of Boundary Bay, and we had a report of 800 a few days earlier. It is not unusual for a few late stragglers to remain around Vancouver into November and even December. Wayne C. Weber
Lapland Longspur at Semiahmoo Spit Phil Calise 10/3/13
Today at 4:00 pm I was walking down the spit just past the eagle trees when a bird flushed from almost under my feet he flew 10 ft. in front of me and stopped on the path, it was a Lapland Longspur I backed up and was able to get good looks with my binocs as he continued to feed. I detoured around him and continued on down the spit no BB Plovers tonight but a flock of Snow Geese flew over heading to Canada. There was also 1 American Pipit in the small field before the eagle trees
Phil Calise
Today between 4pm and 5pm there were 6 Lapland Longspurs in the field before the eagle trees on the spit. On my way down the spit to check the plover flock I ran into Barry Ulman who found 5 longspurs while I was looking at 97 BB Plovers and 2 Killdeer. On my way back I saw 1 longspur in a clump of weeds I went and got Barry to come back while we were watching the one bird it flew and 4 other longspurs flew out of the same clump of weeds, one bird stayed and was making some sounds we were able to watch this bird for awhile and it eventually came out in the open.
Phil Calise
Today (Thursday) at around 4:00 PM I was out on Semiahmoo Spit near the artificial snags, just where Phil Calise reported seeing one. Today there were five of them. They spent most of their time skulking in the grass, but occasionally one would come out into the open briefly.
Barry Ulman
There were 2 Longspurs in the same field as yesterday at the spit today several birders were able to get good close looks also 1 American Pipit did a flyover.
Phil Calise
Busy Hummer Feeders Barry Ulman 10/1/13
With the turn of the weather, the Anna's Hummingbirds have been coming to my feeders hot and heavy. I have two feeders outside my kitchen that are only about three feet apart, plus another feeder outside the hall. For the last week or so, I have regularly seen two hummingbirds feeding simultaneously on the kitchen feeders, and once in a while I'll even get two on one feeder (parent and juevnile?). This has occurred only rarely in the past. I'm wondering if it could be for two possible reasons:
The cool, rainy weather and less blooming flowers have made the hummers much more dependent on the feeders, or:
I'm getting quite a few hummers coming now; I'm not sure how many but probably at least half a dozen. With more birds coming, the birds may be more willing to share the feeders just to get a meal.
Any thoughts on this?
Barry Ulman
Barry,
Sounds reasonable. Recent studies have shown that in conditions of scarcity, our brains focus on meeting our need for the scarce resource, for example food, and our capacity to deal with other issues is compromised. In the New York Review, Cass Sunstein reviewed “Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much” by Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir.
John Bremer
I think that it is not breeding season so none of the birds consider your feeder as part of their territory that must be defended. If the food is plentiful, they can afford to share. It will be same old,same old once breeding season starts next spring. Adena Mooers
I worked at The Firs lodge at Mt. Baker for quite a few years and we had hummingbird feeders. The Rufous hummingbirds would show up in April and use the feeders so heavily that they would share the same hole on a feeder that had multiple holes! Later on there would come a time when traffic slowed and an adult male would defend a feeder. They always arrive there in numbers, feeders or not, so there must be natural sources of food. Easy feeding in lousy weather may have contributed to some crowds- I have blizzard pictures- but I also remember getting swarmed while refilling the feeders in nice weather. They were like mosquito flocks buzzing around. If we left the door open in nice weather they would attempt to fly through the building and we would have to capture them near the ceiling and release them outside. One afternoon I had to catch 7 before leaving to go home- really quite a cool experience to handle those little amazing creatures that have traveled so far. All this to say that there didn’t seem to be a consistent reason as to why at times they tolerated others and other times one bully would rule.
By the way, in all those years I only saw one adult male Caliope hummer for about 15 seconds sitting on a fire escape railing. They aren’t as easily found there as some of the other mountain resort areas it would seem- probably because it is so far west and the other areas are near passes to the eastern slope.
Phil Wegener
stroll down the spit ... Willet? Eric Ellingson 10/1/13
A walk up and down the Semi Spit revealed a 150 Black Bellied Plovers, 2 Killdeer, 5 Western Sandpipers, 30 Black Turnstones, Red Necked Grebe, Eared Grebes, Harlequins, Common Loons, Surf Scoters and this bird in the photo. Is it a Willet or something else. A first for me whatever it is. Not much was in great numbers except the Plovers.
Whatcom Birders,
Nice photo, Eric, but this is a RED KNOT, not a Willet. The Red Knot is a rare but regular migrant through our area; on the north side of Boundary Bay in B.C., we often find from 1 to 5 Red Knots among large flocks of Black-bellied Plovers from late August through late October.
At what tide level are people seeing the plovers on Semiahmoo Spit? Can they be found there anytime except at high tide? I’ve looked for them twice with no luck in the last couple of weeks, but I think the tide was too high in both cases.
Wayne Weber
Delta, BC
P.S. there is one WILLET which has been seen somewhat regularly for the last 2-3 weeks in White Rock, 100-200 yards east of the big “white rock” on the beach, for those of you willing to cross the border.
Whatcom Birders,
Nice photo, Eric, but this is a RED KNOT, not a Willet. The Red Knot is a rare but regular migrant through our area; on the north side of Boundary Bay in B.C., we often find from 1 to 5 Red Knots among large flocks of Black-bellied Plovers from late August through late October.
At what tide level are people seeing the plovers on Semiahmoo Spit? Can they be found there anytime except at high tide? I’ve looked for them twice with no luck in the last couple of weeks, but I think the tide was too high in both cases.
Wayne Weber
Delta, BC
P.S. there is one WILLET which has been seen somewhat regularly for the last 2-3 weeks in White Rock, 100-200 yards east of the big “white rock” on the beach, for those of you willing to cross the border.
Snow geese Joe Meche 10/1/13
Just minutes ago, as I stepped out of the truck, I heard a distinctive sound overhead and turned to see a small flock of 38 Snow Geese heading south toward downtown. Here's a quick shot that I grabbed to document this latest strangeness.
I thought I heard Snow Geese flying over at night about a week ago.
Barry Ulman
At about 6:50 I heard a flock head south over Arroyo Park but couldn't spot them--above the cloud cover, I think. Then around 7:20, almost dark, the sky had cleared and from my roof on Hoag's Pond I heard and saw a flock of about 50 high and distant to the West headed south.
Tedd Judd
And here on Alabama Hill I just heard a flock of snow geese at 9:15 PM. Must be a big movement!
Also, a green heron at Red Tail Reach this morning, right near the bridge.
And two tree swallows yesterday, one at the soccer park on NW and one at Red Tail Reach.
Best,
John Bower
I heard them at about 10 pm and again around dawn from my own roost on Sehome Hill.
John Stark, Reporter
I saw and heard a large flock this morning, around 6:30 am, from the Tweed Twenty area. Over a hundred birds, at least.
Paul Piper
A few sightings from Semiahmoo Spit Phil Calise 9/29/13
Friday morning about 10 am I noticed the Peregrine Falcon on the water tower at Semiahmoo Resort, this is the first time I have seen it this fall.
This afternoon walking down the spit on the Semiahmoo bay side there was 1 American Pipit, 17 Black Turnstones, 3 Western Sandpipers, 3 Killdeer, no BB Plovers the last 2 days. On the way back up the spit on the Drayton Harbor side I came across 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler
This afternoon walking down the spit on the Semiahmoo bay side there was 1 American Pipit, 17 Black Turnstones, 3 Western Sandpipers, 3 Killdeer, no BB Plovers the last 2 days. On the way back up the spit on the Drayton Harbor side I came across 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler
Red-breasted Sapsucker Joe Meche 9/27/13
This one found me while I was watching Anna's Hummingbirds just north of Larrabee SP yesterday afternoon.
Padden Lagoon: Canadas or Cacklers? Phil Hotlen 9/26/13
I zipped past Padden lagoon in a city bus at around 1:40 this afternoon. And those small Canada Geese looked really small, especially a couple of them. They've been hanging around now for over a month. So how about some expert opinion. What exactly are they?
Reply
I have not seen that particular bunch, but in over two years of looking, every time I see peculiarly small Canada geese and photograph them, they turn out to be lesser Canada geese. I have never photographed a cackling goose in Whatcom County. I see them regularly reported on here, but, being a scientific skeptic, I do not believe those reports.
My challenge to those who claim to see cackling geese: Please submit photographs as evidence.
Andrew
Vancouver, BC RBA for September 20, 2013
This is Nature Vancouver's Bird Alert for Friday, September 20th,
sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited in Vancouver and North
Vancouver.
If you wish to report a rare, unusual or interesting bird, please phone the main number
at (604) 737-3074, press "2" for the rare bird reporting line, and follow
the instructions given there.
Friday, September 20
A PALM WARBLER was banded at the Colony Farm Regional Park banding station in Coquitlam (run by Vancouver Avian Research Centre).
Thursday, September 19
A SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER and a STILT SANDPIPER were still present at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.
The first (reported) SNOW GOOSE at Boundary Bay at the foot of 96th Street in Delta.
Wednesday, September 18
The SMITH'S LONGSPUR was still present at Boundary Bay between 104th and 96th St. in Delta.
It was first seen on Sunday, September 15.
A SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER was seen with other shorebirds behind the gift shop at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.
A LAPLAND LONGSPUR and a HORNED LARK were seen on the south jetty at Iona Regional Park in Richmond.
Tuesday, September 17
The SMITH’S LONGSPUR was seen by numerous observers along the Boundary Bay dyke between 96thand 104th Streets in Delta.
An AMERICAN DIPPER, hard to find near Vancouver, was easily seen at the Capilano Fish Hatchery in North Vancouver.
Monday, September 16
The SMITH’S LONGSPUR with 2 LAPLAND LONGSPURS was still present along the Boundary Bay dyke between 96th and 104th Streets in Delta.
Sunday, September 15
A SMITH’S LONGSPUR, only the third record ever for Vancouver, was found between 96th and 104th Streets, along the Boundary Bay dyke in Delta.
For a summary of extremely rare bird sightings throughout British Columbia,
check "British Columbia Bird Alert" at http://bcbirdalert.blogspot.com .
A brief account of 31 of the best birding locations in the Vancouver area
can be found on the Nature Vancouver website at
http://www.naturevancouver.ca/Birding_Birding_Sites .
American Golden-Plover at Semiahmoo Spit Phil Calise 9/26/13
This Evening 5:00 the BB plover flock had 350 birds in it,they were in the usual spot half way up the spit on the Semiahmoo bay side. 3 Golden-plovers were in the flock, 2 of them were at the far end of the flock and were Pacific's. The third plover was closer to me so I was able to see it better but use the other ones for comparison the bird was smaller than the Black-bellied plovers it was close to. The supercilium was white and the wings were long extending well past the tail, I also got to see it in flight and there was no black under the wings. There were also 2 Dowitchers in the flock and later 10 Snow Geese flew high over head flying towards Canada.
Padden Lagoon Nancy Downing 9/25/13
On the 21st, I had a very enjoyable bird walk at Padden Lagoon. I was heading for the ferry terminal to locate the Green Heron that a previous poster had mentioned but didn't have to go that far to find it. A kingfisher was swooping back and forth across the lagoon diving for fish. Lots of killdeer were out on the exposed flats at low tide and the Green heron was on the shore fishing in the shallows. A Great Blue Heron was skulking in the high grass near the tracks.
Fishing Joan Casey 9/25/13
Another incredible video!
Subject: Fishing
This is truly incredible video. This Osprey got 5-6 fish at
a time, then got a flounder under 3' of water, and then made off with what
looks to be a 5+ lb. steelhead.
I've never seen a bird shake water off like a dog does - wouldn't want to
get in the way of him when he's got his eyes locked and his talons in the
"load" position!
There are 3 sequences in this one video:
1st sequence he catches half a dozen fish in one strike.
2nd sequence he plunges talons into deep water right to the bottom to grab
his prey.
3rd sequence he captures a big old fat fish that looks as if it weighs more
than he does! He then lands, changes his grip on the fish so that it is aerodynamic and flies off.
This is incredible to watch, best viewed in full screen mode !!!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/embed/nA3LtXnNIto?feature=player_embedded
Brown pelican @ sandy point Ken Lane 9/23/13
This morning at 7:45 a Juvenile brown pelican flew close to the point and headed towards the Lumni ferry terminal, south.
Good birding Ken an Fanter Lane
Good birding Ken an Fanter Lane
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