Subject: Roberts Bank Shorebirds, 5/02/96
Date: May 02 23:29:47 1996
From: Michael Price - mprice at mindlink.bc.ca


Hi Tweets

When I see posts about Bowerman Basin, I reflect that Vancouver BC's
shorebird migration continues to be one of the best-kept secrets of North
American birding.
I was asked by Karen Irving and her friend Duncan McLellan to relay that
today they saw migrating Western Sandpipers in several distinct flocks of
-- conservatively -- at least several hundred thousand *each* on the shared
foreshores on the N side of the Roberts Bank Coalport Jetty and SW side of
Brunswick Point in Ladner BC. This is the time when the main Western
Sandpiper population moves through the area, sometimes in total flock sizes
of 1.5-2+ *million* birds.

They related that at one point, a literal *river* of WESA about 200 birds
across flowed past them for many minutes to the north, and an enormous
flock of shorebirds was at the end of it. At other times, the *entire*
foreshore was densely covered with feeding WESA and some Dunlin and
SemiPlover as far as the eye could see (and believe me, there's a *lot* of
foreshore mudflats at Roberts Bank). It's a sight.

Best time to see this is from mid-afternoon, when the tide changes from
slack ebb to flood and begins displacing birds, to evening. There are
several places along the jetty's N side where the birds approach very
closely; also along the dike which goes northward from the base of the
jetty. Parking's at the base of and along the jetty (don't leave valuables
in car), and there's no mud to slog through.

There are coal-trains, though. Make sure you don't get cut off from your
car by one: it's a long walk around.

Cheers,


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