Subject: British Columbia
Date: Oct 30 22:21:36 2001
From: Birdking88 at aol.com - Birdking88 at aol.com


Hey Tweeters,
Fred Boesche and I birded today in the SW mainland of British Columbia.
This was only my second time in Canada and my first time north of Delta. The
weather was generally nasty, with highs in the upper 40's (or around 8
degrees Celsius) and constant drizzle.
Our first stop was at the Iona Ponds, where we searched unsuccessfully for
the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper which was seen yesterday at 12:30pm. We did come
across some other birds in the ponds, though:
30+ Thayer's Gulls
2 Herring Gulls
18 Long-billed Dowitchers
6 Common Snipe
1 Sharp-shinned Hawk
1 Savannah Sparrow
1 Fox Sparrow
5 Golden-crowned Sparrows
5 Lincoln's Sparrows

On the bay, near the jetty, we also found:
9 Red-throated Loons
500+ Snow Geese
700+ Dunlin
~100 Western Sandpipers
~20 Least Sandpipers
1000+ Surf Scoters
many White-winged Scoters
few Black Scoters

We then headed into the town of Vancouver, and at 2nd and Crowe Street we
had 1 pair of COMMON MYNAS. This is about a block from Wylie Street, where
they have been known to breed. I was pleased to get this life bird before it
is extirpated.

By then it was getting dark and we headed south. In a field along Highway
99 (near Richmond) were hundreds of Black-bellied Plovers. In with this flock
was at least 1 late AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER.

Charlie Wright, 13
Birdking88 at aol.com
Sumner, WA