Subject: Sparrow Area, Lost Lagoon, Dec 19 1998
Date: Dec 19 19:29:53 1998
From: Michael Price - mprice at mindlink.bc.ca


Hi Tweets,

The North Wind doth blow--

And the first really healthy cold airmass of the winter is in control as the
western edge of that big continental dome of Arctic air reached the coast
yesterday with the usual strong northerlies and northeasterlies, still
blowing rather hard today. So, a quick rip down to Lost Lagoon.

Most noticeable on the Lagoon itself was an influx of several hundred
MALLARDS Anas platyrhynchos and 10+ RING-NECKED DUCKS Aythya collaris, both
presumably from those parts of the Fraser Valley where the sloughs and
potholes have frozen over. Likely see more BALD EAGLES Haliaeetus
leucocephalus moving out to the coast as well.

At the finch-feeding area at the E end of the Stone Bridge was a big jump in
the number of FOX SPARROWS Passerella iliaca, at least fifteen, all 'Sooty'
type, and SPOTTED TOWHEES Pipilo maculatus, at least twelve, all males with
restricted to no white covert spotting. The white covert spots on most of
these birds were very small and sparse, and two showed no spotting at all.
The scapulars on these two bird could have been cloaking the coverts but I
was looking them over up close in good light for a long time and I think the
coverts themselves were unspotted. I *don't* think these two birds were
EASTERN TOWHEE Pipilo erythrophthalmus, but much more likely Spotted at the
extreme dark end of their continuum, or birds showing age-related plumage or
even remotely possibly maculatus X erythrophthalmus hybrids (now there's an
ID challenge) from some hybrid zone on the eastern side of the mountains,
blown out to the coast by the powerful easterlies. Since there's probably
not much close scrutiny of towhees, there might be some infiltration of
wintering populations of maculatus of the eastern species or hybrids we're
not noticing. Might want to keep an eye out for other 'eastern' birds west.

Michael Price
Vancouver BC Canada
mprice at mindlink.net

"She's psychic....we've decided to find it charming."
--Frasier