Hi Tweets

In the flocks of small Calidris sandpipers at the Iona settling ponds
tonight were the first two juvenile SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS Calidris
semipalmatus of the southbound migration there, just one day late from their
average juvenile arrival date of July 20, but no sign of the first,
four-day-early juv LEAST SANDPIPER C. minutilla there last night. So the
first juv WESTERN SANDPIPER C. mauri (juv avg. arrival July 23) is yet to
show up, but certainly in the next two to four days, betcha. Apart from
their crisp, scaly, often brightly-patterned plumages, it's always nice to
see the new generation and get a sense of the turning of the Great Wheel.
And *always* nice to have a completely definitive plumage: there's no
guessing with juvs.

It was blowing a hard and warm northwesterly under a clear evening sky, and
I was somewhat surprised not to see birds arriving on it after riding it
down the coast. Arrived so late this evening (late start, strong headwind),
that only had time to check out the shorebirds in detail.

Pied-billed Grebe 3 ad has 2 whiney kids in Outer Pond
Canada Goose 7
Gadwall 9 f on nw pond with 9 *very* new chx
Cinnamon Teal 2 f or Basic, SW pond
Northern Shoveler 8
Semipalmated Plover 2 2ad
Killdeer 42 36 on NE pond
Greater Yellowlegs 1 overflight
Spotted Sandpiper 4 2a 2chx, distraction display; another nest?
Semipalmated Sandpiper 19 17 Alt, 2 jv
Western Sandpiper ~875 all Alt, no juvs
Least Sandpiper 59 all Alt, no juvs
Ring-billed Gull 5 Alt 2's
Northwestern Crow ~150
Tree Swallow 4
Violet-green Swallow 2
N. Rough-winged Swallow 2
Barn Swallow 7
Cliff Swallow 5
Marsh Wren 3 singing males
American Robin 1
European Starling ~1500
Cedar Waxwing 1
Common Yellowthroat 4 3m
Savannah Sparrow 6
sparrow sp. 10
Red-winged Blackbird 22
Yellow-h. Blackbird 3 1f 1m 1jv male giving his 'yodel' call
House Finch 5
American Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 1

Cheers

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)