Post by Gord on Dec 19, 2005 0:02:31 GMT -8
My Chilliwack CBC area was from Prest Rd to Hack Brown Rd south of Highway #1, and a little section from Upper Prairie to Ford Road north of Highway #1 but south of Yale Rd.
I started my count at the crack of dawn hoping for a owl or a grouse coming to the gravel road to collect grit. I got neither, but the moon was a beautiful sight among the trees.
I headed down to the valley. It was cold and blowing up a hurricane. Getting out of the car to scout the fields and listen for birds rewarded me a merry chase after my hat which was headed for the nearest ditch. My first bird I recorded was a very early red-tailed hawk, shortly followed by a song sparrow. Scenery was really nice right before sun up.
Highlight of the day, well aside from the fact that the local questionable gentleman, who uses the 'F word' several times per sentence, neglected to bless me with a visit for the first time in 4 years running. Maybe he harvseted his 'crops' early this year and doesnt have to get worried when people walk past his property.
Back to the nice highlights was the nice big mixed flock of small birds (both chickadees and kinglets, winter wrens and hairy woodpecker) with a bonus pair of brown creepers. After tallying up, this sharp-shinned hawk blasted in.
Also of interest was a house finch female with a considerable amount of white in her plumage. Partial albino I expect.
This great blue heron was sitting here all day out of the wind and enjoying the sun. I wonder if with the full moon and clear nights if it isnt feeding at night like they often do. I would think summer time is a better for night time eating with all the frogs and things out.
Right at the end of the day I spotted the day's two falcons. First, as I was driving to my favorite CBC ending site, was a merlin after a flock of starlings. While at my 'favorite spot' I could see in the distance a large flock of starlings flying rather high and close together, changing directions frequently. Sure enough, peregrine falcon hunting them. After it gave up, it flew right past me giving about as good of views one can get in high winds. Soon after, a pair of Am. pipits flew over which was a species I often get here.
Big misses that I expected/usually find were downy woodpecker, western meadowlark, Am. dipper, golden-crowned sparrow and Cooper's hawk.
Here's the breakdown of what I saw in no particular order as I used a scrap piece of paper in my car (forgot to bring my list off the computer)
Red-tailed hawk - 5
Song sparrow - 32
Golden-crowned kinglet - 34
Chestnut-backed chickadee - 16
Great Blue Heron - 8
Bald eagle - 8
Dark-eyed junco - 82
Spotted towhee - 16
Mallard - 389
Common raven - 11
E. starling - 1438
Canada goose - 11
Brewer's blackbird - 23
Rock dove (feral pigeon) - 154
Steller's Jay - 28
Black-capped chickadee - 37
House sparrow - 12
Glacous-winged gull - 124
Northern pintail - 5
Trumpeter swan - 62
Northwestern crow - 87
Northern flicker - 3
Northern harrier - 2
House finch - 42
White-crowned sparrow - 9
Red-winged blackbird - 4
Wood duck - 38
Double-crested cormorant - 2
Green-winged teal - 17
Evening grosbeak - 7
Varied thrush - 4
Winter wren - 18
Ruby-crowned kinglet - 3
Hairy woodpecker - 1
Brown creeper - 2
Sharp-shinned hawk - 1
Am. robin - 4
Killdeer - 4
Bufflehead - 5
Hooded merganser - 6
Ring-necked duck - 7
Am. Wigeon - 9
Fox sparrow - 1
Merlin - 1
Peregrine falcon - 1
Am. pipit - 2
Barn owl - 1 (roosting in barn)
Gull sp. - 57
I started my count at the crack of dawn hoping for a owl or a grouse coming to the gravel road to collect grit. I got neither, but the moon was a beautiful sight among the trees.
I headed down to the valley. It was cold and blowing up a hurricane. Getting out of the car to scout the fields and listen for birds rewarded me a merry chase after my hat which was headed for the nearest ditch. My first bird I recorded was a very early red-tailed hawk, shortly followed by a song sparrow. Scenery was really nice right before sun up.
Highlight of the day, well aside from the fact that the local questionable gentleman, who uses the 'F word' several times per sentence, neglected to bless me with a visit for the first time in 4 years running. Maybe he harvseted his 'crops' early this year and doesnt have to get worried when people walk past his property.
Back to the nice highlights was the nice big mixed flock of small birds (both chickadees and kinglets, winter wrens and hairy woodpecker) with a bonus pair of brown creepers. After tallying up, this sharp-shinned hawk blasted in.
Also of interest was a house finch female with a considerable amount of white in her plumage. Partial albino I expect.
This great blue heron was sitting here all day out of the wind and enjoying the sun. I wonder if with the full moon and clear nights if it isnt feeding at night like they often do. I would think summer time is a better for night time eating with all the frogs and things out.
Right at the end of the day I spotted the day's two falcons. First, as I was driving to my favorite CBC ending site, was a merlin after a flock of starlings. While at my 'favorite spot' I could see in the distance a large flock of starlings flying rather high and close together, changing directions frequently. Sure enough, peregrine falcon hunting them. After it gave up, it flew right past me giving about as good of views one can get in high winds. Soon after, a pair of Am. pipits flew over which was a species I often get here.
Big misses that I expected/usually find were downy woodpecker, western meadowlark, Am. dipper, golden-crowned sparrow and Cooper's hawk.
Here's the breakdown of what I saw in no particular order as I used a scrap piece of paper in my car (forgot to bring my list off the computer)
Red-tailed hawk - 5
Song sparrow - 32
Golden-crowned kinglet - 34
Chestnut-backed chickadee - 16
Great Blue Heron - 8
Bald eagle - 8
Dark-eyed junco - 82
Spotted towhee - 16
Mallard - 389
Common raven - 11
E. starling - 1438
Canada goose - 11
Brewer's blackbird - 23
Rock dove (feral pigeon) - 154
Steller's Jay - 28
Black-capped chickadee - 37
House sparrow - 12
Glacous-winged gull - 124
Northern pintail - 5
Trumpeter swan - 62
Northwestern crow - 87
Northern flicker - 3
Northern harrier - 2
House finch - 42
White-crowned sparrow - 9
Red-winged blackbird - 4
Wood duck - 38
Double-crested cormorant - 2
Green-winged teal - 17
Evening grosbeak - 7
Varied thrush - 4
Winter wren - 18
Ruby-crowned kinglet - 3
Hairy woodpecker - 1
Brown creeper - 2
Sharp-shinned hawk - 1
Am. robin - 4
Killdeer - 4
Bufflehead - 5
Hooded merganser - 6
Ring-necked duck - 7
Am. Wigeon - 9
Fox sparrow - 1
Merlin - 1
Peregrine falcon - 1
Am. pipit - 2
Barn owl - 1 (roosting in barn)
Gull sp. - 57
