Birders,

I began birding along the trail to Christmas Island. Migrants were quite
plentiful and I saw at least 25 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, 5 GRAY CATBIRDS, 1
WESTERN TANAGER, 5 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, 30 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS, a male
WILSON'S WARBLER, 5 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, 4 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, 15
AMERICAN PIPITS and numerous BARN, VIOLET-GREEN and BANK SWALLOWS. The
shoreline was fairly quiet but there were a few shorebirds along the mud to
the S. of Christmas Island. Most noteworthy was a juvenile SANDERLING
feeding amongst 25 KILLDEER. The waters were alive with ducks including 70
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 45 GADWALL, 10 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 3 HOODED MERGANSERS, 2
male GREATER SCAUP, a male RING-NECKED DUCK, 15 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, 40
COMMON MERGANSERS and 200 AMERICAN COOTS. The grebes put in a nice
appearance with 150 WESTERN, 3 ad. CLARK'S, 1 EARED, 5 PIED-BILLED and 1
HORNED GREBE seen. The point to the N. of Christmas Island had 1 juv.
FRANKLIN'S GULL and 4 BONAPARTE'S GULLS.

On the way to the Nature Park I made a brief stop at the Wharf, picking up a
PECTORAL SANDPIPER, a feeding TURKEY VULTURE, a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD and
hundreds of BARN, VIOLET-GREEN and BANK SWALLOWS resting on the rocky jetty
offshore. Once at the Nature Park there were plenty of shorebirds to watch
on the flats to the N. Some of the highlights included 30 RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES, 10 SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, 10 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 50 LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, 5 STILT SANDPIPERS, 70 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, 200 KILLDEER, 5
SANDERLINGS, 5 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 5 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 20 PECTORAL
SANDPIPERS and 20 LEAST SANDPIPERS. The bushes surrounding the Nature Park
had a few migrants including a LAZULI BUNTING, 5 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, 10
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, a WESTERN TANAGER, and 5 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS.
Offshore with 300 RING-BILLED GULLS were at least 4 FRANKLIN'S GULLS. A
NORTHERN HARRIER and a MERLIN took turns in harassing the shorebirds.

After lunch I walked to a new area for me, the mouth of the Salmon River.
This area is gorgeous with long grasses, meandering waterways, large ponds,
thick willow groves and old growth cottonwood forests. The walk produced
many birds, the best of which was a juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER feeding
on the flats right at the mouth of the Salmon River. Other shorebirds
included 2 juv. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS. One bird was fairly bright and could
be confused with a golden plover given a brief look. The other was a typical
gray and white bird. Other shorebirds included 3 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, 3
juv. STILT SANDPIPERS, 10 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 5 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, a juv.
BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, 15 KILLDEER, a PECTORAL SANDPIPER and 5 WILSON'S SNIPE.
The bushes along the edges of the fields were alive with migrants, the best
being 2 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS in with WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS. Other
migrants seen included a MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER, a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, 2
male SPOTTED TOWHEES, a SWAINSON'S THRUSH, 3 GRAY CATBIRDS, 2 VAUX'S SWIFTS,
a CLAY-COLORED SPARROW and many other birds. An imm. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK was
harassing the passerines in the bushes while big numbers of TURKEY VULTURES
and COMMON RAVENS were catching thermals overhead. A large gull flock has
amassed at the mouth of the river and included are hundreds of RING-BILLED
GULLS, some CALIFORNIA and HERRING GULLS, 3 FRANKLIN'S GULLS and an adult
MEW GULL. The flats were full of AMERICAN PIPITS and some HORNED LARKS,
while offshore thousands of ducks and geese were gathered. Upon discovery of
a large pond I was excited to find an adult RIVER OTTER and 3 pups playing
in the waters. They swam in to investigate me and I took some photographs.

One Hundred species today, not bad for no coniferous forest birding! What
makes this even more impressive is that all of those birds were seen within
about 5 kilometers of each other!

Sincerely,

Chris Charlesworth
Avocet Tours
725 Richards Road
Kelowna, BC
V1X 2X5
www.avocettours.com
tours at avocettours.com

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