Subject: [Tweeters] Shorebirds, etc, at Blaine (Whatcom Co.)
Date: Apr 22 05:16:18 2007
From: Wayne C. Weber - contopus at telus.net


Birders,

Yesterday morning, April 21, I visited Blaine, WA just as the tide
began falling, and managed to pick up three new shorebirds for
my year list.

On the Semiahmoo Bay flats, close to Marine Drive, were about
50 WESTERN SANDPIPERS and 3 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS.
Hearing a curlew-type noise, I looked up and saw 12 WHIMBRELS
flying directly overhead in a NE direction (possibly heading for the
grass fields along 8th Avenue in BC?)

The only other shorebirds seen were about 10 DUNLIN, a flock of
8 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and a few KILLDEER.

On the south side of the spit, at the boat launch on Mulhollin, a
single BONAPARTE'S GULL, my first of the spring, circled
about and landed briefly on the mudflats. It appeared to have a broken or
injured foot and stood on one foot when it landed. Four CASPIAN TERNS
were also seen among hundreds of MEW GULLS.

Two breeding-plumaged EARED GREBES were seen among a
scattering of other grebe species near the crab-fishing pier at
the end of Marine Drive.

I also visited the Purple Martin nestboxes at the foot of Locust
Ave. in Bellingham to see whether the martins had returned yet.
No sign of the martins, but at least 150 BONAPARTE'S GULLS
were present among other gulls along and near the water's edge
on the tideflats.


Good luck and good birding,

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