Hi Tweets:
Yesterday 4 of us left the Seattle area very early, and went to Vancouver,
BC to chase the IVORY GULL. This bird is usually a very hard bird to see,
even in Alaska. It has an almost mystical reputation, and was featured in
Kenn Kaufman's book, "Kingbird Highway". It is a solitary gull of the high
arctic. Thanks to the info on Tweeters, and to help from other birders at
the area, we saw the gull. We had a
wonderful day, explored a lot of territory, and saw other birds. At the end
of the day we watched the bird in the light of the setting sun. It had
returned to its customary area at the end of the Roberts Bank Jetty, after
being away for most of the day. The gull
was about 150 feet away, and it almost glowed. It was walking the deck of a
dock, and would stop to rest. When we left about 4:15pm, it had settled
down out of sight behind some coiled rope, perhaps to escape the cool
breezes. Yesterday, Dec 20, the weather was pretty clear up there, w/ low
wind, but
temps were in the 30's. We dressed warm.
We based our directions on an excellent post on Tweets on Dec 16 from Barry
Levine called "Ivory", which was affirmed by Rachel Lawson Dec 19. We also
took along other helpful posts about the bird from Tweeters. Most maps and
books are of little use in that area. To start with, the bird is at
Roberts Bank, also called the Coal Port Jetty on DeltaPort Road. This is
NOT near Pt Roberts.
It is a jetty which is NORTH of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty. Both of these
jetties are very long, stretching approx 1.5 miles out into the Georgia
Strait from the Delta area south of Vancouver, BC. This area is quite
rural, with fields and dikes near the Fraser River and the Strait. The
jetties are busy and very industrial.
We left DesMoines at 5:15am on Thurs. We met one person in Seattle at the
65th St Pk and Rd at 6am. We crossed the border at the Peace Arch (after a
20 minute wait) about 8am. We presented passports, and for underaged
riders,
official picture ID, and parental permission. The border guard asked us
what we were doing there. We said we were bird watchers. He said, "Ah, the
Ivory Gull!" We all laughed. Apparently there had been a few birders
through the border checkpoint before us.
We all wanted to see the Ivory Gull, but we had 4 people in our car w/
different birds and areas they wanted to see. I had picked up a AAA map
which showed some of the area, and one person had the newly published book,
"The Birders Guide to Vancouver and the Lower Mainland." [Info about this
book is below.] It was invaluable for our travels yesterday. You also can
log onto the area website at www.gobirding.com. Click on Delta, and
Tsawwassen to get oriented. Info on this site, while limited, will help
you.
Most birders would probably
want to concentrate on the Ivory Gull and the other birds which can be seen
in the Delta area. For those folks, I recommend traveling near the Coal
Port
Jetty, and near the Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty to see many of the reported rare
birds
on the salt water..
But here are some directions to the areas where we went yesterday due to our
varying
interests:
DIRECTIONS:
Go north on I-5 thru the border at Blaine. (Or take the truck crossing.
I'm not familiar w/ it, but it might be faster.) Be prepared for a wait
since Sept 11.
They are searching some cars, and you will need a passport. [Your driver's
licence, plus birth certificate
might be good enough.] In Canada I-5 turns into Hwy 99. Drive
north on hwy 99 to hwy 10, exit #20 to Ladner. Instead of turning left on
hwy 10, go straight ahead thru the light, taking an immediate left behind
the businesses. Scan these fields, and the fields to the right of the road
too for gull flocks. Search for rare gulls. Now go back to hwy 10, turning
toward Ladner. Hwy 10 goes up and over hwy 99 and parallels hwy 99. Look
for birds and raptors along this road. Drive a few miles to hwy 17, the
main road to the Tsawwassen Ferry. Turn left toward the ferry, and drive a
mile or so. Turn right at the DeltaPort Way exit to Roberts Bank. Follow
that road for awhile. Big trucks might be lined up for inspection. If they
are, drive around them. Drive along a straightaway that parallels the
water.
Near the end of the straightaway is a blinking light. Turn right and the
road winds along the water until it comes to a very high bridge. That will
take you out on the jetty. Drive on the main road all the way to the end of
the jetty to a large parking lot and a gate. Next to the gate is a sign
that reads "Deltaport Ship Access Gate". Park in the big lot, in the
public parking area. During the week there is lots of industrial activity.
We did not find the bird in the morning. So we went to Reifel Refuge which
is fairly close. Go back on the jetty, exiting to the right at the end
before going up and over the big bridge. Drive about 1/2 mile, turning left
on 41B road. Bird in that vicinity, and stay on that road, crossing at the
light, and continuing on 41B road to the end, at the Fraser River. This is
River Rd. Straight ahead is Lion's Gate fishery. View Frazer River from
both the right and left sides of this business. We saw a beautiful Glaucous
Gull there out on a partially submerged boat house, and there were Dunlin
and ducks in the area. Now turn west on River Rd, turning right (northwest)
to Reifel
Refuge at the Westham Is bridge. Or you can continue west on River Road to
the
end of the dikes where you can scan the fields and walk the dikes in the
evening for
Short-eared, and Long-eared Owls. This is called Brunswick Point, the north
end.
After we left Reifel Refuge, we took River Road east thru Ladner to hwy 17.
We
turned north to hwy 99, and drove north on 99 toward Vancouver. Drive north
about 10 miles to the bridge over the north arm of the Frazer River. On the
other side you can continue north on Oak St or on Cambie which to the east
of Oak. You will want to eventually continue north on Cambie. Just before
the Cambie bridge, exit to the right (southeast side), being careful to not
go
over the bridge. Right down below the south and east end of the bridge is
where the last two remaining Crested Mynas are roosting in the janitor bldg
or the auction bldg. During the day we found the two black birds w/
flashy white wing patches in an area near 1st and Crowe. The birds flew
similar to Starlings, were jet black and bigger than starlings, and were
seen on the ground, under bushes, in a tree, and on telephone poles on
1st Ave. See these birds soon. They are quickly disappearing and will not
be there much longer.
>From there, we quickly headed back to see the Ivory Gull. On the way, the
boys received a call on the cell phone from a birder at the gull site. It
was 2:55 and the gull had returned to its usual area at the end of the jetty
about 2:45.
After we viewed this wonderful, very-rare bird, we traveled to hwy 17 on
DeltaPort Road, and turned right on hwy 17 to the Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty.
We were searching for Snow Bunting, that had been seen there that day, but
it was too dark and we missed it. Here is some info about that jetty from
the
gobirding website:
Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty.
Just before going out on the jetty, turn left at the traffic light on
Tsawwassen Drive, and follow the road until you reach the dirt/rock road
that runs along the left side of the jetty. Travel this road to its end,
and check for birds along the shore such as Willet which has wintered here.
Look for Snow Bunting onshore and look offshore for loons and scoter. Now
return and
go out onto the jetty. Drive toward the end of the jetty and follow the
signs to the parking lot on the left. This is a pay lot, but normally there
will be no charge for the time it takes to visit this part of the jetty.
Park at the furthest inland point of the lot. Cross at the crosswalks to
the northwest side of the jetty. Here, you will find an area known as the
"Compensation Lagoon". Especially at high tide, look here for Black
Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Marbled Godwit, and Brant.
We drove a lot in the Vancouver area yesterday, and most people probably
should not try to do Roberts Bank, Reifel Refuge, the Crested Mynas at 2nd
and Wylie, AND Tsawwassen jetty all on one day. But we managed to do it all
yesterday and had a great day.
Here is the Vancouver Rare Bird Alert Hotline Phone #. We called it
yesterday w/ the cell phone. 604-737-3074.
Here is the great spiral-bound, paperback book about Vancouver birding
available at Flora and Fauna in Seattle.
THE BIRDERS GUIDE TO VANCOUVER AND THE LOWER MAINLAND.
copyright 2001, $14.95 (approx.), edited by Catherine J Aitchison
Vancouver Natural History Society
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Have fun up in Canada everyone.
Yours, Carol Schulz
DesMoines