Subject: [Tweeters] Snow Bunting and other birds at Point Roberts, Nov. 25
Date: Nov 27 00:22:17 2004
From: Wayne C. Weber - contopus at telus.net


This report was filed by Wayne Weber at http://birdnotes.net

Date: November 25, 2004
Location: Point Roberts, Whatcom County, Washington

Low temperature: 46 degrees Fahrenheit High temperature: 48 degrees
Fahrenheit
Wind direction: Variable
Prevailing wind speed: < 1 km/h gusting to: 1-5 km/h
Percentage of sky covered by clouds: 40%
Precipitation: none

The following birds were observed by Wayne Weber at Point Roberts,
Whatcom County, WA on November 25, 2004 between 1:30 and 5:00 PM.
Areas covered were Benson Road west of Tyee Drive, Lighthouse Marine
Park, Edwards Drive, the Point Roberts Marina, and Lily Point.
(Coverage of Lily Point was incomplete-- close to sunset, visibility
poor.)

Noteworthy species included a SNOW BUNTING flying overhead at
Lighthouse Marine Park (rare at Point Roberts), two calling TRUMPETER
SWANS flying south over the marina, apparently headed for Orcas
Island (rarely seen at Point Roberts), and an immature PEREGRINE
FALCON perched near the "eagle tree" just E of the Point Roberts
Marina.

Two DOUGLAS SQUIRRELS were heard calling along Benson Road.

Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Red-throated Loon 3 [1]
Pacific Loon 1 [2]
Common Loon 15
Pied-billed Grebe 1 [3]
Horned Grebe 20
Red-necked Grebe 3
Western Grebe 50 [4]
Double-crested Cormorant 80
Pelagic Cormorant 30
Great Blue Heron 15 [5]
Brant 40 [6]
Trumpeter Swan 2 [7]
Mallard 11
Canvasback 3 [8]
Greater Scaup 25
Harlequin Duck 20
Surf Scoter 50
White-winged Scoter 4
Black Scoter 30 [9]
Long-tailed Duck 15 [10]
Bufflehead 25
Common Goldeneye 150 [11]
Red-breasted Merganser 8
Bald Eagle 2 [12]
Red-tailed Hawk 2 [13]
Peregrine Falcon 1 [14]
Killdeer 14 [15]
Black Turnstone 3 [16]
Sanderling 90 [17]
Mew Gull 20
Glaucous-winged Gull 60
Pigeon Guillemot 4 [18]
Marbled Murrelet 4 [19]
Northern Flicker 3
Northwestern Crow 25
Black-capped Chickadee 3
Brown Creeper 1
Winter Wren 2
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4
American Robin 5
Varied Thrush 4 [20]
European Starling 20
Spotted Towhee 4
Fox Sparrow 10
Song Sparrow 12
Golden-crowned Sparrow 10 [21]
Dark-eyed Junco 10
Snow Bunting 1 [22]
House Finch 8
Pine Siskin 6 [23]
American Goldfinch 10 [24]
House Sparrow 2

Footnotes:

[1] Red-t. Loons-- Lighthouse Marine Park (LMP)
[2] Pacific Loon-- LMP
[3] Pied-b. Grebe-- in slough near marina
[4] Western Grebe-- small flocks off marina breakwater and off LMP
[5] Great Blue Heron-- 14 in field W of marina, 1 on house near
marina entrance
[6] Brant-- 3 flocks totalling ~40 birds on ocean off LMP and marina
[7] Trumpeter Swan-- 2 flying S over marina
[8] Canvasback-- 3 f in pond on Edwards Dr.
[9] Black Scoter-- 2 off LMP, rest in flock just E of marina
[10] Long-t. Duck-- off LMP (one flock of 7)
[11] Common Goldeneye-- 90% of birds in flocks off Lily Point
[12] Bald Eagle-- 2 ad. together flying over marina
[13] Red-t. Hawk-- one in tree at Benson & Tyee, one just E of marina
[14] Peregrine Falcon-- immature in tree just E of marina (later
displaced by Red-tail)
[15] Killdeer-- 14 on lawn near marina
[16] Black Turnstone-- 3 on wharf at LMP
[17] Sanderling-- 40 on beach at LMP, rest at marina breakwater
[18] P. Guillemot-- 3 off LMP, 1 off marina
[19] M. Murrelet-- 2 pairs flew NW past LMP
[20] Varied Thrush-- around apple trees, Benson RD.
[21] G.-c. Sparrows-- Benson Road
[22] Snow Bunting-- flying N overhead at LMP
[23] Pine Siskins-- Benson Rd.
[24] Am. Goldfinches-- Benson Rd.

Total number of species seen: 52


Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net