Hi Tweets

Settling ponds: incoming tide, clear, wind S-SW 15 kph; late afternoon

Highlights:

--Banded Def Alt WESTERN SANDPIPER Calidris mauri; L tibia--orange, L
tarsus--yellow; R tibia--aluminum, R tarsus--red; I believe the orange band
marks a bird banded in Argentina;
--an almost-full albino BARN SWALLOW Hirundo rustica on the NW settling
pond, very faint ghost-markings on upperparts and around head, otherwise
white; a beautiful little bird;

Great Blue Heron 1
Canada Goose 8
Gadwall 7 2f 5y
Mallard 7 2f 3y, 2 f/jv
Cinnamon Teal 4 4m ecl
Northern Shoveler 6 2m ecl, 3f jv, 1m jv
Northern Pintail 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 ad f, with prey
Red-tailed Hawk 1 jv
(Virginia Rail 1 S end Iona Cswy)
Greater Yellowlegs 1 Def Alt, somewhat worn
Spotted Sandpiper 3 m, Def Alt, 2 jv
Semipalmated Sandpiper 2 Def Alt
Western Sandpiper 102 Def Alt, no jvs
Least Sandpiper 23 Def Alt, no jvs
Short-billed Dowitcher 1 Def Alt, race 'caurinus'
Ring-billed Gull 3 2 Alt, 1 jv
Glaucous-winged Gull 3 2 Alt, 1 Alt 1
Rock Dove 3
Northwestern Crow ~150
Tree Swallow 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 33 1 almost-full albino, NW pond
Cliff Swallow 1
Black-capped Chickadee 1
Marsh Wren 3 3 singing m
American Robin 1
European Starling ~300
Cedar Waxwing 1
Common Yellowthroat 5 3 singing m
Spotted Towhee 2 2 singing m
Savannah Sparrow 6
Red-winged Blackbird 3
Brown-headed Cowbird 2 2 jv
House Finch 3
American Goldfinch 2 2m


Iona Jetty:

High tide, wind S-SW 15-20 kph backing to SE 20; evening.

Highlights:

--very recently-arrived juvenile CALIFORNIA GULL Larus californicus on rocks
at tip.

Common Loon 1 Def Alt
Double-crested Cormorant 41 4y on nests, 37 ad
Mallard 1 f
Surf Scoter 191 50% ad m, 25% sub-ad m, 25% f
White-winged Scoter 4 3m 1f
Spotted Sandpiper 1 jv, on rocks, N side, pipe section 54
Semipalmated Sandpiper 1 Def Alt, on rocks, N side, pipe section 35
Western Sandpiper 176 all Alt, on rocks, N side, pipe section 35
Bonaparte's Gull 1 Alt, offshore
Heermann's Gull 5 ad, offshore
Ring-billed Gull 1 Alt 2
California Gull ~350 most offshore, juv on rcks at tip
Glaucous-winged Gull 6
small gull sp. 9 offshore, likely BOGU
large gull sp. ~250 offshore, like CAGU

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)