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

Date: September 29, 2004
Location: Point Roberts, Whatcom County, Washington

Low temperature: 14 degrees fahrenheit High temperature: 16 degrees fahrenheit
Wind direction: NW
Prevailing wind speed: 12-19 km/h gusting to: 20-28 km/h
Percentage of sky covered by clouds: 40%
Precipitation: none

The following birds were seen by Wayne Weber at Point Roberts,
Whatcom County, WA on September 29, 2004 from about 11:30 AM to 4:30
PM. For 90 minutes or so (mainly at Lighthouse Marine Park), I birded
with 2 other birders from Langley, BC.

Areas visited included Lighthouse Marine Park, the Lily Point area,
and the nature trail near the marina.

Weather was cloudy until about 1:00 or 1:30 PM, then clearing rapidly
(average cloudiness est. at 40%). There was a brisk NW wind of about
20-30 km/hr, which raised whitecaps off Lighthouse Marine Park and
made offshore observations there a bit difficult. This wind had
dropped to 10-15 km/hr on a second visit from about 3-4 PM. Lily
Point was very sheltered, and there was little evidence of wind
there.

The tide was low during my visit.

A significant migration of GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS (with a few
RUBY-CROWNS) was noted; there were lots of kinglets even in the small
planted pines at the Lighthouse Marine Park campsite.

Mammals observed included a black-phase EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL seen at
the intersection of Gulf and Julius Roads, and a DOUGLAS SQUIRREL
heard calling near Lily Point.


Birds seen (in taxonomic order):

Pacific Loon 1
Common Loon 20
Pied-billed Grebe 3 [1]
Horned Grebe 20
Red-necked Grebe 12
Western Grebe 9
Double-crested Cormorant 140
Pelagic Cormorant 25
Great Blue Heron 14 [2]
American Wigeon 1 [3]
Mallard 17
Green-Winged Teal 3
Harlequin Duck 15
Surf Scoter 40
White-winged Scoter 4
Northern Harrier 1 [4]
Cooper's Hawk 1 [5]
Merlin 1 [6]
Sanderling 20
Bonaparte's Gull 40
Mew Gull 40
California Gull 15
Western Gull 1 [7]
Glaucous-winged Gull 100
Common Murre 5 [8]
Pigeon Guillemot 4 [9]
Rock Dove 19
Belted Kingfisher 2
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 5
Hutton's Vireo 2 [10]
Northwestern Crow 10
Violet-green Swallow 5
Barn Swallow 100
Black-capped Chickadee 10
Chestnut-backed Chickadee 6
Bushtit 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch 5
Bewick's Wren 1
Winter Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 25
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 6
Hermit Thrush 2
American Robin 3
European Starling 4
Cedar Waxwing 20
Yellow-rumped Warbler 4
Common Yellowthroat 1
Spotted Towhee 4
Savannah Sparrow 1
Fox Sparrow 3
Song Sparrow 6
White-crowned Sparrow 2
Golden-crowned Sparrow 2
Dark-eyed Junco 4
House Finch 6
American Goldfinch 1
House Sparrow 3

Footnotes:

[1] Pied-billed Grebes-- in pond along Edwards Drive
[2] Freat Blue Heron-- 10 of 14 in field near marina
[3] Am. Wigeon-- on ocean off Lily Point (!)
[4] N. Harrier-- one hunting between marina and Lighthouse Marine
Park
[5] Cooper's Hawk-- one hunting hedgerows along nature trail
[6] Merlin-- immature, perched atop dead snag at Lily Point
[7] Western Gull-- adult, at Lighthouse Marine Park
[8] Common Murres-- Lighthouse Marine Park
[9] Pigeon Guillemots-- Lighthouse Marine Park
[10] Hutton's Vireo-- 2 at Lily Point, one sang briefly

Total number of species seen: 58