Subject: Spring Migrants
Date: Apr 15 07:38:39 1996
From: Clark Blake - mcblake at henson.cc.wwu.edu


Saturday (Apr.13) three of us birded greater Vancouver area. At Iona there
were all five of the common swallows, 2 Yellow-headed Blackbirds, but no
shorebirds. At the Reifel, same swallows plus thousands of Snow Geese and a
few Greater Yellowlegs. At Blackie Spit we found two of the Tres Amigos,
Whimbrel and Marbled Godwit (thank you Michael Price for two provincial
lifers !). At Blaine, on the mudflats due west of the Peace Arch, there
were 25,000+ Bonaparte's Gulls most in alternate plumage. We scoped them
out hoping to see a red bill or two but no luck. Hundreds of Dunlin (many
in alternate plumage) plus a few Black-bellied Plover (with black bellies)
and a lone dowitcher, sp. On Sunday I went to Tennant Lake and Lake Terrell
n. of Bellingham and was able to spot a few N. Rough-wings, Cliffs, and
Barns amongst hundreds of Tree Swallows. Quite a few Yellow-rumps (Aud. and
Myrtle together) plus Or. Crns. and C. Yellowthroats.
Preliminary analysis of this year's swallow migration looks very
interesting. For example, TRSW was first reported from Cottage Grove,OR on
1/28, at the Skagit W.R. on 2/14, Bellingham, 2/14, Reifel 2/9 (really
early), and at Cape Scott (nw tip of Vancouver Is) by 4/6. For the inland
"passage" they were at Ft. Boise,ID on 3/23, at Winthrop,WA by 3/24, and in
Calgary on 4/5 (almost same latitude and date as for Cape Scott!). I am
putting all of the arrival dates on a map and will have some "isochrons"
before too long.
Clark Blake phone: (360) 650-3595
Department of Geology fax: (360) 650-7302
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA 98225