Subject: Re. Shorebird migration and stuff (was Iona Is. Settling Ponds & Jetty, 6/30/96)
Date: Jul 02 02:32:12 1996
From: jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca - jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca


Michael Price wrote -

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>Highlights:

>The Olympic Mtns. visible at sunset with a clarity I've never seen, a
>distant glowing wall of snow and rock across the southern horizon.

Three things likely working together here:

1) Lots of wind leading to a low particulate count in the low levels;
2) Lots of upward vertical motion ahead of warm front leading to further
particulate dispersal;
3) High index of refraction (mirage effect) caused by strong temperature
gradient ahead of incoming warm front (cold water, warm air).

Incidentally, it is #2 combined with low cloud ceilings which leads to
increased sightings of Black Swifts ahead of warm fronts. The upward vertical
motion pulls the insect hatches upward for easy pickings by the swifts, while
the low cloud ceilings keep the birds low where we can see them.

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>Western Sandpipers beginning to pour in: 500 or better in the NE settling
>pond on this high tide, with 219 roosting at low tide on the rocks below
>the observation platform at the extreme end of the jetty. Both groups
>included about 60% Definitive Alternate-plumaged birds.
>The arrival Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs there last Sunday have moved on.
>Turnover for southbound migrant Westerns and Least is five days, average;
>might be same for yellowlegs.

Checked our local shorebird hangout here today, the Shelley Sludge Lagoons, and
not a single migrant shorebird to be seen yet.

Spent a very pleasant half hour this afternoon at one of the oxbows along the
Fraser R. here listening to a Rose-breasted Grosbeak male singing while watching
a female Am. Redstart starting to build a very exposed nest in the crotch of a
willow. I would assume this is a renesting attempt given the late date. Judging by
her choice of nest site, it is easy to see why she had to renest.


- Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca