Subject: Census Count: Point Roberts, Whatcom County, Washington on April 01, 2002
Date: Apr 4 01:18:53 2002
From: contopus at shaw.ca - contopus at shaw.ca


This report was mailed for Wayne Weber by http://birdnotes.net

Date: April 1, 2002
Location: Point Roberts, Whatcom County, Washington

Low temperature: 42 degrees fahrenheit High temperature: 50 degrees fahrenheit
Wind direction: NW
Prevailing wind speed: 29-38 km/h
Percentage of sky covered by clouds: 0%
Precipitation: none

The following birds were observed from about 9 A.M. to 1 P.M. on
April 1, 2002 at Point Roberts, Whatcom County, WA. A strong
northwest wind hampered birding somewhat, especially on the west side
of the Point, where high waves made it difficult to spot birds on the
water.

Areas birded included Lily Point (walked down the trail to the old
cannery site), Pauls Road, the west end of Gulf Road, Lighthouse
Marine Park (briefly), Edwards Drive, and Maple Beach (briefly).

The most noteworthy sighting was two BARN SWALLOWS seen at the Point
Roberts Marina. These were much earlier than usual for spring
migrants, and may have been leftovers from the winter "invasion" of
2001-2002.

Definite spring migrants included 2 RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS (one at Lily
Point, one male perched on a wire at Pauls Road) and at least 5
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS singing in various places. PURPLE FINCHES were
singing on territory, and a HUTTON'S VIREO sang briefly at Lily
Point.

Two HARBOUR SEALS were seen at Lily Point, and a chorus of at least
10 PACIFIC TREE-FROGS was heard.

Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Common Loon 5
Horned Grebe 6 [1]
Double-crested Cormorant 80
Pelagic Cormorant 2
Great Blue Heron 70 [2]
Canada Goose 6
Brant 10 [3]
American Wigeon 25
Mallard 40
Greater Scaup 63
Harlequin Duck 12 [4]
Surf Scoter 60
Long-tailed Duck 6 [5]
Bufflehead 8
Common Goldeneye 50
Red-breasted Merganser 30
Bald Eagle 9
Northern Harrier 1 [6]
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Ring-necked Pheasant 1 [7]
Killdeer 2 [8]
Mew Gull 20
Glaucous-winged Gull 150
Rock Dove 8
Rufous Hummingbird 2 [9]
Downy Woodpecker 1 [10]
Hairy Woodpecker 1 [11]
Northern Flicker 4
Hutton's Vireo 1 [12]
Northwestern Crow 50
Barn Swallow 2 [13]
Black-capped Chickadee 10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 10
Bushtit 2 [14]
Red-breasted Nuthatch 4
Brown Creeper 1 [15]
Bewick's Wren 4
Winter Wren 8
Marsh Wren 1 [16]
Golden-crowned Kinglet 3
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5
American Robin 40
European Starling 20
Yellow-rumped Warbler 5 [17]
Spotted Towhee 8
Fox Sparrow 3 [18]
Song Sparrow 12
White-crowned Sparrow 4 [19]
Dark-eyed Junco 10
Red-winged Blackbird 6
Brewer's Blackbird 4
Purple Finch 5 [20]
House Finch 25
Pine Siskin 20
House Sparrow 3

Footnotes:

[1] some in breeding, some in winter plumage
[2] nearly all feeding on tideflats N of Gulf Road
[3] Lily Pt.
[4] Lily Pt.
[5] Lily Pt.
[6] Edwards Dr.
[7] male crowing
[8] near marina
[9] one at Lily Pt., one at Pauls Road
[10] female at Pauls Road
[11] Lily Pt.
[12] singing-- Lily Pt.
[13] flying over marina
[14] Pauls Road
[15] singing-- Lily Pt.
[16] singing-- NW of marina
[17] all singing males
[18] Pauls Road
[19] all singing, pugetensis form
[20] singing, mostly at Lily Pt.

Total number of species seen: 55