Hi all,
The Rocky Point Bird Observatory (RPBO) opened for its ninth field season
today. While activity at nets was relatively quiet (normal for time of
year), we enjoyed some good shorebirding on the mudflats:

1 Marbled Godwit - this very faded pale adult had me thinking this bird was
in fact a Bar-tailed for awhile, but upon closer inspection I was able to
cinch its ID. Nevertheless, this long-overdue species for RPBO checklist was
most welcome (#274!);
1 Semipalmated Sandpiper;
1 Semipalmated Plover;
1 Greater Yellowlegs;
1 Long-billed Dowitcher;
8 Killdeer;
125 Least Sandpiper;
75 Western Sandpiper.

Other highlights:
12 Common Nighthawk
120+ Violet-green Swallow
4 Tree Swallow (locally uncommon)
2 Cassin's Vireo
2 Hutton's Vireo
2 Western Wood-Pewee


David Allinson
President, Rocky Point Bird Observatory
572 Atkins Avenue
Victoria, BC
V9B 3A3
Ph. (250)391-1786

Web site: www.islandnet.com/~rpbo
274 species and counting!
Look for a bargraph checklist coming soon.

"Not everything that can be counted counts,
and not everything that counts can be counted."
Albert Einstein