Hi Tweets,

Gerald Hamilton writes:

>Huge numbers of West. Sandpipers and Dunlin(it was very low tide!!!)

Has this been a good winter for overwintering Western Sandpiper Calidris
mauri at this location? "Huge numbers" would indicate migration, and that's
at least five or six weeks away. Could they perhaps be Sanderling C. alba
instead?

>A parting question: What has happened to all of the
>Ring-necked Ducks????? I used to see many, many of these particular
>ducks, but have seen next to none the last 2 years.

They're commoner in Vancouver BC during winters in which there's long
periods of freezing to force them off their potholes, sloughs, ponds and
slow river pools back in the Fraser Valley and out to open water such as
Lost Lagoon, Ambleside Park's display pond and Burnaby Lake, all at or near
the coast. Also, they begin to move around at this point in the later
winter, leaving some usual spots and consolidating numbers (pre-migration
staging) in others. Could something similar be happening there, Gerald?

Michael Price A brave world, Sir,
Vancouver BC Canada full of religion, knavery and change;
mprice at mindlink.net we shall shortly see better days.
Aphra Behn (1640-1689)