Bryan,

I meant Pt. Angeles rather than Pt. Townsend. I've spent a number of
days on San Juan Is. about mid September but rarely later at the peak of
the TV movement. The large numbers seen could have been local breeders,
but there definitely is a strong movement of Accipiters, etc. w to east
along the southern margin of SJ Island.

It's also the shortest over water route from VI south with connections to
Whidbey.

Gene.

On Thu, 5 Oct 1995, Gates, Bryan wrote:

> On Oct 4, Gene Hunn wrote:
>
> >I suspect that TVs cross from Victoria either directly to Pt. Townsend or
> >cut east along the south edge of San Juan Is. (where large movements may
> >be evident in September) to Whidbey then down mostly along the slopes
> >west of Hood Canal thence south with occasional flocks drifting down
> >along the east edge of the sound, thus over Seattle. They seem to go
> >down both sides of the Willapa Hills as they seem particularly common
> >east of Elma and at Tokeland.
>
> Gene:
>
> I can't comment on the movements once these birds reach Washinton (indeed,
> that was the point of a question in my earlier posting, and you may have
> answered at least part of it), but it is becoming more clear each autumn that
> virtually all of our TUVUs (and many of our other raptors) go as far
> south on Vanc. Is. as they can and then take the shortest route across
> the water; thus, from the very southern tip of Vancouver Island, which is
> at Rock Point/East Sooke Park southwest of Victoria, to the closest point on
> the Olympic Peninsula, which is the vicinity of Angeles Point to Port
> Angeles. (Of course, winds over the Juan de FucaStrait may push them a
> little east or a little west).
>
> This was demonstrated three years ago when our team at Rocky Point watched as
> 200 TUVUs (or was it 202?) "thermalled" very high and then set out gliding
> south across the Strait. Contact with an observer on the Washington side
> that afternoon confirmed that "about 200" were seen to arrive from over the
> water near Port Angeles about an hour later. Many other observations of
> birds setting out from Rocky Point/East Sooke Park have been documented,
> but without knowledge of where they hit land. What we need is radio contact
> with some of you tweeters on the Port Angeles side.
>
> Although we see kettles of TUVUs in Victoria City and Saanich in September,
> they most often drift SW toward Rocky Point. I have received no confirmed
> reports of birds crossing from Victoria/Saanich directly to San Juan Is. or
> Port Townsend, but would be interested in such reports.
>
> It seems more likely to me, then, that thePort Townsend birds that Gene
> mentios are those that have reached Port Angeles from Rocky Point and have
> then drifted east. They may then move into Puget Sound/Seattle.
> Admittedly, this may not explain Gene's statement of "large movements" on the
> east side of San Juan Island in September.
>
> Any more ideas?
>
> Bryan Gates, Victoria
> bgates at assessment.env.gov.bc.ca
>