Subject: Re: Iona Island
Date: Aug 20 23:17:21 1997
From: Michael Price - mprice at mindlink.bc.ca


Hi Tweets

Joan Macdonald writes:

>My husband and I are signed up for a Seattle Audubon Society field trip to
>Iona Island & Boundary Bay on Sunday 8/24. (I've read Michael Price's
>impressive list of sightings on Iona Island from 8/17 with great interest)
> We plan to camp overnight Sunday night somewhere in our small RV and do some
>birding on our own on Monday. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to
>stay or where to go?
>

Joan, here's the RV camps in the municipalities in the Greater Vancouver
Regional District (GVRD) on the Web I was able to pull up of the BC-wide
camping directory at

http://travel.bc.ca/activity/bc/accom/camp.html

Delta BC

ParkCanada R.V. Inns Campground
Delta, BC
Tel: (604) 943-5811
Fax: (604) 943-0093
(mail) P.O. Box 190
Delta, BC V4K 3N6
(addr.) 4799 Nulelum Way
Delta, BC V4K 3N6 (links)
Lodging Information
Tourism Vancouver

Richmond BC

Richmond R.V. Park & Campground
Tel: (604) 270-7878
Fax: (604) 244-9713
Toll free: (800) 755-4905
6200 River Rd.
Richmond, BC V7C 5G1

Surrey BC

Hazelmere R.V. & Campground
Surrey, BC
Tel: (604) 538-1167
Fax: (604) 538-1167
"18843 8th Ave.,"
Surrey, BC V4P 1M7

Peace Arch R.V. Park
Surrey, BC
Tel: (604) 594-7009
Fax: (604) 597-4220
14601 40th Avenue
Surrey, BC V4P 2J9

Dogwood Campgrounds Of B.C.
Surrey, BC
Tel: (604) 583-5585
Fax: (604) 583-4725
"15151-112 Ave.,"
Surrey, BC V3R 6G8

Plaza R.V. Park
Surrey, BC
Tel: (604) 594-4440
Fax: (604) 594-1920
"8266 King George Hwy.,"
Surrey, BC V3W 5C2

Tynehead RV Campground
Surrey, BC
Contact: Edward/Daniel Kirk
Tel: (604) 589-1161
Fax: (604) 589-1161
E-mail: tynehead at unitedcomp.bc.ca

>Is there a reliable place for Crested Mynahs in downtown Vancouver?

No, sorry, they're long gone from downtown Vancouver BC. Closest reliable
ones to downtown are in the West 4th Ave and Pine St. area where they nest
(I'm pretty sure) in a pipe somewhere up on the big mustard-colored building
(Gray's Publishing or Mitchell Press, I can never remember) at West 2nd and
Pine. Also West 70th and Hudson Street in S Vancouver. The once-reliable
pair at West 41st Avenue and West Boulevard seem to have disappeared. They
nested in a small pipe (cavity nesters) on the Bank of Montreal building on
the SW corner until there was some alteration to the building directly below
their nest entrance last winter. Haven't seen them there since.
Unfortunately, there just seems to be fewer each year.

>or
>Barred Owls anywhere nearby?

Try the Imperial Trail in the University Endowment Lands, the woodlot behind
Thunderbird Stadium (Great Horned there too) on the UBC Campus, and West
Canyon trail in Pacific Spirit Park, in that order of likelihood. The young
may still be begging, so listen for an unearthly whistling screech on a
rising note that you'll have absolutely no problem hearing if you're within
a few hundred meters of the voracious little devils.

>Haven't heard much about Reifel lately.

Well, Vancouver BC birders don't seem to post very often anymore, and
Victoria BC not at all, for whatever reason or purpose. So, yes, it is hard
to know what's going on here in SW BC. I've watched the Tweeters list
coverage go primarily from Washington State and southern BC to WA State,
northern BC and Oregon in the last little while. Another step in the
evolution, I guess. Love those Columbia South Jetty counts BTW.

>Is Iona better?

Hard to say. Apples and oranges. They're both good. A high tide and the west
field at Reifel can cause quite a shorebird show, likewise Iona. Iona has
the Strait of Georgia right next door for seabirds whereas Reifel has a big
cattail marsh. I understand the current Board at the Refuge is planning to
re-emphasise its original (back in the 70's) role as a waterfowl production
area, so I don't know what changes or retrenchments that might entail, or
what impact on the more general birding-related modifications which have
happened there over the twenty years since. I'd say if you're a birder,
visit Reifel now if you're going to, and see one of the few remaining mynas
while you can while you're here.

Michael Price The Sleep of Reason Gives Birth to Monsters
Vancouver BC Canada -Goya
mprice at mindlink.net