Subject: Iona & Sea Is. 4/21/96
Date: Apr 23 18:22 PD 1996
From: Michael Price - mprice at mindlink.bc.ca


Hi Tweeters,

Belatedly, sorry, an incomplete report from Iona Is. on Sunday afternoon and
evening 4/21/96. Also present at various times: Karen Irving, Jon Kelman,
Hilary Maguire, Stan Olson, Al Russell, and Mark Wynja.

Conditions: temp: 20, falling rapidly as overcast associated with incoming
Low arrived in evening; wind: calm in aft., becoming SE 10-15 km/hr;
barometer: falling as incoming Pacific Low approached; cloud: clear,
clouding over; visibility unlimited; sea: calm to light rippled; tide: full
flood to high.

Highlights included (personally) just the pure joy of seeing shorebirds back
on their long haul north. Small numbers, because they've just come in, but
they'll build up rapidly. Look for anywhere from several hundred thousand to
1.5 million Western Sandpipers and Dunlin (with smaller numbers of
Black-bellied, SemiPlovers, and early either or both golden-plovers,
Whimbrel, Least and SemiSandpipers, Sanderling, both yellowlegs, both
dowitchers, and whatever rarities happen to be there; it gets pretty nutso
out there) or even more off the Roberts Bank Coalport Jetty (Week 4, April).
Boundary Bay and Iona Is. have smaller numbers but easier viewing sites.

And do you wanna see gentle, life-revering birdwatchers turn into raving,
blood-lusting hockey fans? Just see what happens when a Peregrine Falcon
comes blasting down on a flock of shorebirds right in front of the group
(Mother Teresa and Mr. Meek-Shall-Inherit, meet Freddie ;-) It tried to
flush a particular yellowlegs which had the sense to stay put and flinch as
the adult falcon repeatedly passed just over its head.

Speaking of yellowlegs, this is the only time we get to hear the territorial
call of Greater Yellowlegs without having to go into the northern bogs (and
I can't help this, but it really *does* sound to me like a loud
'yatata-yatata').

And have you ever noticed how a Killdeer will stand, quietly invisible,
while you sneak up and get close to the flock of shorebirds, set up your
scopes ever so carefully and then, just as you put eye to eyepiece,
mockingly give that little warning 'yip' that sends every shorebird in the
joint tearing off? Right in the kisser, Alice.


IONA IS.

SE Pond:

Least Sandpiper 18 Def Alt
Western Sandpiper 55 most in fresh Alt, some in early pre-Alt molt or
fresh Alt 1, one bird in Def Alt.
Dunlin 6 most in fresh or Def Alt
Killdeer 4 in 2 pairs, obviously nesting

NW Pond:

Western Sandpiper apprx 50, most fresh Alt
Dunlin 3 " " "
Short-billed Dowitcher appx 20 most fresh to Def Alt, some in pre-Alt molt
or Alt 1.
Greater Yellowlegs appx 60 most fresh to Def Alt, some in pre-Alt molt
or Alt 1.
Northern Shoveler appx 250 mostly males
Peregrine Falcon 1 ad

NE Pond:

Cinnamon X Blue-winged Teal 1m


SEA IS. (species not in order)

Lincoln's Sparrow 26
Savannah Sparrow 8
Fox Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 5
Golden-crowned Sparrow 2
Spotted Towhee 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Aud) 10
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrt) 8
Common Yellowthroat 3
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Northern Harrier 1
Common Snipe 1
Red-winged Blackbird 2
American Robin 5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 4
Bewick's Wren 2
Northwestern Crow 10
Bushtit 2
Black-capped Chickadee 2
House Finch 15


There's more, but I can't remember off the top of my head what.

Cheers

Michael Price The only alien planet is Earth.
Vancouver BC Canada
mprice at mindlink.net - J. G. Ballard