Vancouver Sep 22

[JeffOver]

Hello all!
Dave, Joanne, Janna, and myself took the day today to head out to Vancouver. We followed our schedule fairly well. We first hit Point Roberts, then Tsawwassen ferry jetty, then Reifel, and finally Boundary Bay. We had a top-notch day, sun was shining, and everybody got life birds, even Dave! (2 for him, to be precise, 10 plus I think for the rest of us) I will post the list of new species at each location, and will also add some photos for your benefit, though I think Dave will also add a few which are better quality.
Date: September 22, 2007
Time: 7:00 a.m. (left Chilliwack) till 6:00 p.m.
Number of species: 75 (note the change Dave and Janna, I had forgotten to write down Willet)
No. of life birds: Depends ;D (I had 12!! ;D)
Notes: Had extraordinary, one-of-a-kind views of American and Pacific Golden-plovers side by side!! No warblers. Dave didn't get the Sharp-tailed Sandpiper he was hoping for. An extraordinary day! It pays to talk to other birders!

Highway #1 (way in to Vancouver)
Northwestern Crow
Red-tailed hawk
Brewer's blackbird
Rock dove
European Starling
Common Raven
Northern Harrier
Glaucous-winged Gull
Northern Flicker
Great Blue Heron

Point Roberts
Savannah Sparrow
House Sparrow
House Finch
White-crowned Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Double-crested Cormorant
Pelagic Cormorant
;DBrandt's Cormorant ;D
Harlequin Duck
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Western Grebe
!!Sabine's Gull!![/i][/u]
thanks to Kevin who whistled us back as we were leaving;[/i] it was a flyby, but had the distinctive extensive black on the wings! ;D
;DBonaparte's Gull ;D
California Gull
Black Turnstone
;DRuddy Turnstone (1 juvenile, also thanks to Kevin who pointed it out)
;DSurfbird (2) ;D (again, thanks to Kevin)
;DCommon Tern
;DCaspian Tern
;DCommon Murre
Common Loon
Kildeer
Bald eagle

Pics
Black turnstone


Horned Grebe



on the trail to the lookout over the ocean
Golden-crowned kinglet
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Red-breasted nuthatch
Brown creeper
Black-capped chickadee
Hermit Thrush
Oregon Junco
Song sparrow
Mallard

Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty
Greater Scaup
;DBlack Oystercatcher
Osprey
Northern Pintail
Mew gulls
;DWillet ;D
P.S. Also had another surfbird here!

Pics
Black Oystercatchers


Savannah Sparrow (one of my favourite pics! )


Surfbird


Dave, you were asking if I saw the tail pattern?? ;D


Willet ;D



Reifel Bird Sanctuary
Red-winged blackbird
Black-crowned nightheron ( , but not very photogenic)
Wood Duck
Canada Goose
American Coot
Gadwall
Northern Shoveler
American Wigeon
Long-billed dowitcher
;DShort-billed dowitcher
;DMarbled godwit (1) ;D
:DPectoral Sandpiper
;DSemi-palmated Sandpiper ;D
Marsh Wren
Green heron
Violet-green swallow
Green-winged teal
American goldfinch
Cedar waxwings
P.S. Did I mention mallards?

Pics
Marbled Godwit ;D


Anybody have any doubt as to what this one is?? ;D



Boundary Bay
American pipit
;DBlack-bellied plover
;DAmerican Golden-plover ;D
:oPacific Golden-plover ;D
:DBaird's Sandpiper
The American and Pacific Golden-plovers are thanks to Ilya--we learned that the best distinction is in the length of wings--Americans have longer wingstips (4 primaries), while Pacific have shorter wings (3 primaries). Hard to tell, but here are the pics. Study them well--the last one is a test for you! Note: You may look at Dave's pics for extra help if he posts them. Also do not depend on my ids, they may be wrong, though I've done my best.

Pics
Pacific Golden-plover






American Golden-plover




American golden-plover in the background
Pacific golden-plover in the fore


American Golden-plover Left
Pacific Golden-plover Right


Pacific Golden-plover Left
American Golden-plover Right


Plover in the background (not sure which kind)
Pectoral Sandpiper in the foreground


Pectoral Sandpiper right and I think a Pacific Golden-plover on the left


Now, here is the test!

WHICH IS WHICH? (note: this is not a trick question: one is a pacific and the other is an american golden-plover)

[Gord]

Not much of a pro on these guys, but Id say, based on primary projection, that American on the left, and pacific on the right.

I miss it out there!

Thanks for the entertaining and nicely described (and photographed) report! GREAT birds you saw! Sounds like you met Kevin Louth. Great birder whom Ive only had the pleasure to meet a couple of times. Sabine's gull is a great bird!

Congrats on all your new birds you saw.

[Dave]

How am I suppossed to add something to such a thorough report? Your pictures are awesome Jeff! I love the picture of the surfbird taking off from Berth 1. Great fieldmarks!

Highlights of the day? 1. The weather. 2. Meeting Kevin and enjoying great views of Sabine's Gull. 3. Having 2 species of Golden-plover 30 feet from your nose - occasionally standing side-by-side for comparison.

Dave

P.S. Gord is correct on the plover ID

P.P.S. Sounds like we missed some great birding back at 'home' as well!

[Dave]

The weather!!!


Pacific-Golden Plover - Boundary Bay 9-22-07


American-Golden Plover - Boundary Bay 9-22-07