Hi Tweets

Out on the Coast Guard 'Manyberries' today to do the semi-annual waterbird
survey for the Burrard Inlet Environmental Action Plan group (thankfully
abbrev'd to BIEAP) organised by the Wild Bird Trust (WTB), Outer Harbor
section from Stanley Park west to a line between Points Grey on the south to
Atkinson on the north.

Highlights included a basic-plumaged RED PHALAROPE Phalaropus fulicaria, a
large burly juvenile JAEGER, either a Pomarine Jaeger Stercorarius pomarinus
or a *very* robust female Parasitic S. parasiticus (wingbeat and jizz
suggest Pom); a first Basic FRANKLIN'S GULL Larus pipixcan--all three were
out in deep water at the western end of the survey area where Burrard Inlet
ends and the Strait of Georgia begins.

At least two and possibly three Basic-plumaged ROCK SANDPIPERS Calidris
ptilocnemis were on the S side of the westernmost Grebe Islet off Lighthouse
and Klootchman Parks in West Vancouver, and a flock of ~150 SURFBIRD were
unusually far east along the West Vancouver shoreline, about 2 km E of
Cypress Creek. CALIFORNIA GULLS Larus californicus were very numerous, with
over 200 in total counted, at least 150-175 or more at a standing roost on
the gravel bar at the mouth of Cypress Creek, all adults, interestingly.

Distressingly, *no* MARBLED MURRELETS Brachyramphus marmoratus in waters
where two decades ago they were common, and it's clear they've been
extirpated from the outer section of Burrard Inlet. The cause? logging of
the old-growth by the Greater Vancouver Regional District in the watersheds
of the GVRD's Water Districts.

Conditions: high, broken overcast and calm; in later morning winds
increasing to SE 10-15 kts and lowering overcast; tide slack high, beginning
ebb; seas initially calm to SE 1-meter chop.

Most of the following totals are approximate only.

Red-throated Loon 5
Pacific Loon 1
Common Loon ~30
Horned Grebe ~50
Red-necked Grebe 9
Western Grebe ~500
Double-crested Cormorant ~20
Brandt's Cormorant ~40
Pelagic Cormorant 6
Great Blue Heron 1
American Wigeon ~75
Mallard ~12
Greater Scaup 10
Lesser Scaup 1
scaup sp. ~150 (prob Gr.)
Harlequin Duck 15
Surf Scoter ~2500
White-winged Scoter 8
scoter sp. ~200
Bufflehead ~120 most in large, tight flocks
Barrow's Goldeneye ~50
Red-breasted Merganser ~25
Bald Eagle 2 ads
Surfbird ~150
ROCK SANDPIPER 2
Dunlin 4
RED PHALAROPE 1
jaeger sp. 1
Franklin's Gull 1
Bonaparte's Gull ~100
Mew Gull ~150
California Gull ~200
Glaucous-winged Gull ~75
Rhinoceros Auklet 1
Northwestern Crow ~50
American Pipit 1

Harbor Porpoise 1
Harbor Seal 6

Cheers

Michael Price
Vancouver BC Canada
mprice at mindlink.net

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