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

Date: January 5, 2003
Location: Point Roberts, Whatcom County, Washington

Low temperature: 45 degrees fahrenheit High temperature: 52 degrees fahrenheit
Wind direction: Variable
Prevailing wind speed: 1-5 km/h
Percentage of sky covered by clouds: 30%
Precipitation: none

The following birds were observed by Wayne Weber during a visit to
Point Roberts, Whatcom County, WA on January 5, 2003, between 9:30 AM
and 2:00 PM. The weather was mainly sunny, with almost no wind, and
sea conditions were calm, allowing good viewing of marine birds.

Areas visited included Lighthouse Marine Park, the west end of Gulf
Road, Edwards Drive, South Beach, Pauls Road, and Lily Point.

The highlight for me was the observation of 8 MARBLED MURRELETS, 6 at
Lighthouse Marine Park and 2 at Lily Point, all of them flying in
pairs. This species, once common at Point Roberts, has become
increasingly scarce there in recent years, and I miss them on most
visits to the Point these days.

Also of note were 2 VIRGINIA RAILS heard calling in wet fields north
of the Marina, and a HUTTON'S VIREO near Lily Point (regular all
year, but quiet in winter).

One DOUGLAS SQUIRREL was also heard calling.

Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Red-throated Loon 3 [1]
Common Loon 10
Pied-billed Grebe 2
Horned Grebe 40
Red-necked Grebe 1 [2]
Western Grebe 80 [3]
Double-crested Cormorant 50
Pelagic Cormorant 10
Great Blue Heron 1
Snow Goose 10 [4]
Canada Goose 19 [5]
Brant 60 [6]
Gadwall 3 [7]
Mallard 25
Greater Scaup 40
Harlequin Duck 25
Surf Scoter 30
White-winged Scoter 10
Black Scoter 2 [8]
Long-tailed Duck 15
Bufflehead 60
Common Goldeneye 50
Red-breasted Merganser 30
Bald Eagle 1 [9]
Northern Harrier 1 [10]
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 [11]
Red-tailed Hawk 2
Virginia Rail 2 [12]
Killdeer 15 [13]
Common Snipe 6 [14]
Mew Gull 10
Western Gull 1 [15]
Glaucous-winged Gull 150
Common Murre 15
Pigeon Guillemot 6 [16]
Marbled Murrelet 8 [17]
Rock Dove 60 [18]
Northern Flicker 4
Northern Shrike 1 [19]
Hutton's Vireo 1 [20]
Northwestern Crow 30
Black-capped Chickadee 6
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 15
Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 [21]
Bewick's Wren 2
Winter Wren 8
Golden-crowned Kinglet 10
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2
American Robin 30
Varied Thrush 1 [22]
European Starling 40
Spotted Towhee 12
Fox Sparrow 10
Song Sparrow 25
Dark-eyed Junco 12
Red-winged Blackbird 2
Brewer's Blackbird 1
House Finch 20
American Goldfinch 15

Footnotes:

[1] Lighthouse Marine Park
[2] Lighthouse Marine Park
[3] off west end of Gulf Road
[4] in flight over Lily Point
[5] on Edwards Drive pond
[6] on ocean off Lighthouse Marine Park
[7] 2 males, 1 female; Edwards Drive
[8] pair flew past Lighthouse Marine Park
[9] adult, Lighthouse Marine Park
[10] Edwards Drive
[11] near marina
[12] in wet fields N of marina
[13] in short grass near marina
[14] in grass near Edwards Drive pond
[15] adult, Lighthouse Marine Park
[16] 4 off Lighthouse Marine Park, 2 off South Beach
[17] 6 off Lighthouse Marine Park, 2 off South Beach
[18] On wires at Tyee Dr. and Gulf Rd. intersection
[19] immature, near marina
[20] Lily Point
[21] near Lily Point
[22] male in apple tree, APA Road at Largaud Dr.

Total number of species seen: 59