Hi Tweets,

Big influx overnight --likely riding cool Interior air from the central part
of BC and further north out to the Coast-- into the neighborhood of
Red-breasted Nuthatches, Steller's Jays, Black-capped Chickadees, and the
first Dark-eyed Juncos (DEJU) back in the neighborhood this morning (that
they arrive simultaneously with the other forest species tells me these are
migrants from the same Interior regions rather than DEJU off the local
mountains) with Northern Flickers (Red-shafted & hybrids) back since the
first cold front a week ago.

On the water at Bayswater, between Kitsilano & Jericho beaches, the first
American Wigeon returned today to this location (25, with at least 7 juvs)
and 4 Northern Pintails (2 jvs), all *extremely* shy, suggesting they had
blown in just hours before: they'll be feeding from the hand in a week or
so. Further out, there was 1 Western Grebe (not an Aech. sp.), likely an
arrival: there's been none there since April.

While cycling downtown to flog some yard-sale books, I noticed a small
(male, likely) adult Peregrine dozing in last-day-of-summer sun on the
Burrard Street Bridge girders just above the sidewalk, totally oblivious to
pedestrians and cyclists passing just a few meters below.

Last Saturday, the Common Loon flock just NE of the Tsawwassen Ferry
Terminal had grown to 125, all adults in the initial stages of Pre-Basic
Molt, except for 2 juveniles. Small migrant flocks of Northern Pintail,
Mallard, and Surf Scoters were southbound down the middle of Georgia Strait.

Michael Price
Vancouver BC Canada
mprice at mindlink.net