I had some short breaks from teaching just long enough to visit the Cheam
Wetlands. This is one of my favorite spots on the lower mainland. It's a
gorgeous little wetland just north of Popkum (thats near Dino Town and
Bridal Veil Falls - 20 km east of Chilliwack). Although I found nothing
astounding, there was quite a variety of both passerines and
non-passerines. At one point I could see an adult PEREGRINE FALCON, an
immature MERLIN, and an immature SHARP-SHINNED HAWK perched atop different
snags in the pond. There were tons (well maybe 700 grams) of YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLERS present. By call, I estimated that about 80% were intergrades,
15% Myrtle and 5% Audubon's. All the ones I got good looks at were either
Myrtle or intergrades.

Here is the complete list of birds observed
September 20, 1999 (late afternoon - 45 minutes observation time)
1 Pied-billed Grebe
1 Great Blue Heron
7 Wood Ducks
6 Green-winged Teal
2 Canada Geese
1 American Kestrel
3 Belted Kingfishers
1 Downy Woodpecker
2 Northern Flickers
1 Common Raven
8 Black-capped Chickadees
1 Marsh Wren
12 American Robins
6 Orange-crowned Warblers (very bright - V.c. lutescens)
1 Yellow Warbler (juv female)
60 Yellow-rumped Warblers
1 Townsend's Warbler
4 Common Yellowthroats
2 Song Sparrows
2 Lincoln's Sparrows
1 Red-winged Blackbird


September 22, 1999 (sunrise - 60 minutes observation time)
1 Pied-billed Grebe
2 Great Blue Herons
2 Green Herons
20 Wood Ducks
15 Green-winged Teal
1 Northern Pintail
18 Mallards
12 Ring-necked Ducks
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk (imm)
1 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Merlin (imm)
1 Peregrine Falcon (ad)
1 Belted Kingfisher
2 Northern Flickers
2 Steller's Jays
40 Northwestern Crows
8 Black-capped Chickadees
3 Marsh Wrens
5 Golden-crowned Kinglets
1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet
11 American Robins
1 American Pipit
10 European Starlings
45 Yellow-rumped Warblers
1 Townsend's Warbler
3 Common Yellowthroats
2 Savannah Sparrows
2 Song Sparrows
1 Lincoln's Sparrow
35 Red-winged Blackbirds
1 House Finch
2 Pine Siskins


Michael G. Shepard
Victoria, BC
mgs at orcatec.com