>Hi Tweets! i am back on line after a 2-month vacation (note new email address).
>Yesterday, just before noon (Sun., Jan. 7, 1996), I found a large (2000) flock
>of Snow Geese along Fir Island Rd., 100 yds east of the Bl.-crn Night Heron
>roost. The birds were as close as 100 ft. from the hwy and many were carrying
>red neck bands. While trying to read these bands, I found 4 small Cackling
>Canada Geese (Minima?) and then a small white bird, foraging among the geese.It
>was an American Avocet! In addition to the obvious rarity it strikes me that
>this bird was using the large flock of Snow Geese for protection, having lost
>its own flock during migration? I have not seen avocets feeding in a grassy
>field before. Any comments? (forgot to mention this was in Skagit Co.).
>Clark Blake phone: (360) 650-3595
>Department of Geology fax: (360) 650-7302
>Western Washington University
>Bellingham, WA 98225
>
>
An Avocet had been present at Beach Grove in Tsawwassen, B.C., for about a
month but "disappeared" just in time for the Xmas Bird Count. At the same
time, some of the Snow Geese on Westham Island may have moved to their
Skagit locations. Could be a coincidence but!!!!

Eric Greenwood
Vancouver, B.C.
egreenw at helix.net