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

Date: March 22, 2004
Location: Point Roberts, Whatcom County, Washington

Low temperature: 55 degrees Fahrenheit High temperature: 64 degrees
Fahrenheit
Wind direction: W
Prevailing wind speed: 1-5 km/h
Percentage of sky covered by clouds: 20%
Precipitation: none

The following birds were observed by Wayne Weber at Point Roberts,
Whatcom County, WA between about 3:00 and 7:15 PM on March 22, 2004.
Areas covered were Lighthouse Marine Park, Edwards Drive, the
vicinity of the marina, Pauls Road, and Lily Point.

The weather was very mild (high for the day 64 degrees F at Vancouver)
and mostly sunny, dead calm for most of the afternoon, changing to a
very light west wind.

The birding highlight was the ROCK SANDPIPER with 22 BLACK TURNSTONES
near the boat ramp at Lighthouse Marine Park.
After feeding along the shoreline for a short time, the entire flock
took off about 4 PM and appeared to be flying straight toward the
Tsawwassen ferry terminal in BC, a known turnstone hangout.

Also noteworthy were some early migrants: two separate male RUFOUS
HUMMINGBIRDS (one along Pauls Road, the other on APA Road near South
Beach Road) and a singing male YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLER in the trees near the Lily Point cemetery. A VIRGINIA
RAIL was persistently giving the "tic-tic-tic-McGreer" call west of
the intersection of APA Road and Tyee Drive.

Another highlight was a group of at least 8 to 10 HARBOR PORPOISES
feeding close inshore off Lighthouse Marine Park. Other mammals
recorded included one HARBOR SEAL, one DOUGLAS SQUIRREL,
and at least 4 COYOTES heard howling near the marina at dusk. Two
choruses of PACIFIC TREE-FROGS totalling at least 15 frogs were also
heard.

Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Common Loon 30
Horned Grebe 7
Red-necked Grebe 5
Western Grebe 2
Double-crested Cormorant 30
Pelagic Cormorant 15
Great Blue Heron 5
Brant 44 [1]
Gadwall 6
American Wigeon 16
Mallard 12
Green-Winged Teal 3
Canvasback 1 [2]
Greater Scaup 20
Harlequin Duck 70 [3]
Surf Scoter 100
Black Scoter 10 [4]
Long-tailed Duck 2 [5]
Bufflehead 10
Common Goldeneye 80
Red-breasted Merganser 6
Bald Eagle 4 [6]
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Virginia Rail 1 [7]
Killdeer 2
Black Turnstone 22 [8]
Sanderling 40 [9]
Rock Sandpiper 1 [10]
Common Snipe 4
Mew Gull 30
Glaucous-winged Gull 100
Common Murre 10
Pigeon Guillemot 3
Rock Dove 2
Rufous Hummingbird 2
Belted Kingfisher 1 [11]
Northwestern Crow 40
Common Raven 2
Violet-green Swallow 4 [12]
Black-capped Chickadee 4
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 5
Bushtit 2
Red-breasted Nuthatch 2
Bewick's Wren 2
Winter Wren 2
Marsh Wren 2 [13]
American Robin 40
European Starling 50
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 [14]
Spotted Towhee 4
Fox Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 3
Golden-crowned Sparrow 2
Red-winged Blackbird 15
Brewer's Blackbird 2
Purple Finch 2
House Finch 25
Pine Siskin 12
House Sparrow 10

Footnotes:

[1] Brant-- in flight off Lighthouse Marine Park
[2] Canvasback-- one female in slough west of marina
[3] Harlequin Ducks-- mostly off Lily Point
[4] Black Scoters-- Lily Point
[5] Long-tailed Ducks-- Lily Point
[6] Bald Eagle-- pair at nest in cottonwood on Simundson Dr. (E of
marina), plus 1 imm. at Pauls Road and 1 at Lily Point
[7] Virginia Rail-- calling "tic-tic-tic-McGreer" in marshy area
west of Tyee Dr at APA Road
[8] Black Turnstones-- Lighthouse Marine Park
[9] Sanderlings-- Lighthouse Marine Park
[10] Rock Sandpiper-- with turnstones, Lighthouse Marine Park
[11] Belted Kingfisher-- at marina
[12] Violet-green Swallow-- 2 at Lighthouse Marine Park, 2 at Lily
Point
[13] Marsh Wrens-- in marshy area near where Virginia Rail was calling
[14] Yellow-rumped Warbler-- male Audubon's singing at Lily Point
cemetery

Total number of species seen: 59