Spring Bird Count Apr 30

[Gord]

A little late posting this, but tomorrow is the Spring Bird count for the local area. If you get out tomorrow (Sunday April 30), post what you saw and where you saw it as Denis keeps track of these count results.

[tmanson]

Gord/Dennis:

Don't know whether the Hope area counts as the local area, but here is what I saw in the Hope area today.
Sucker Creek Trail: Besides the many Red winged Blackbirds, there was a Golden crowned Kinglet, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk; one Yellow rumped Warbler observed.
Kawkawkwa Lake: Families of American Coot, and Bufflehead, and many Northern Rough winged Swallows. One Tree Swallow observed.
Hope Airport: Savannah Sparrow, White crowned Sparrow, Brewer's Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, 2 Turkey Vultures, a large flock ( 25-30) of Yellow rumped Warblers, including one Myrtle's, Common Yellow throat, Cliff, and Barn Swallows ( many ).
Interfor Slough; ( beside airport ), a pair each of Common Mergansers, and Double Crested Comorant.
Backyard: Along Coquihalla River; most common feeder bird- Evening Grosbeak- all over Hope; also House Finch, Black capped, and Chestnut backed Chickadees, and in the understory- American Song Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Dark eyed Junco, White crowned Sparrow. Over the river- 2 Osprey. Thor

Thor Manson
Hope, B.C.

[kastern]

Here's a count from Harrison Mills - areas included are my backyard, general neighbourhood and Eagle Point Park. White Crowned Sparrow - 7+; House Finch - 2; Goldfinch - 23+; Tree Swallows - 9 (usually a lot more than that); Dark Eyed Junco - 4; Black Cap Chickadee - 4; Purple Finch - 8; Robin - 20+; Gold Crowned Sparrow - 2; Song Sparrow - 2; Lincoln Sparrow*- 2; Stellar's Jay - 5; Red Winged Blackbird - 9+; Rufous Hummingbirds - 5; Northern Flicker - 1; Spotted Towhee - 2; Band Tail Pigeon - 15; Brown Headed Cowbird - 19+; Raven - 2; Evening Grosbeak - 2 (all this week there have been a couple of dozen); North West Crow - 3; Chestnut back Chickadee - 2; Chipping Sparrow*- 1; Barn Swallow - 3 (first I've seen this year); Starlings - 7+; House Sparrow - 5; Red Breasted Sapsucker - 2; Downy Woodpecker - 1; Common Merganser - 2; Mallards - 3; Belted Kingfisher - 1; Buffleheads - 22+; Common Goldeneye - 7; Herring Gull - 2; Yellow Rumped Warblers - 7+; Ruby Crowned Kinglet - 2; Canada Geese - 2; and I think one Yellow Warbler - just caught sight of this little Yellow bird and then it flew and I lost it - think it was a Yellow Warbler rather than a Wilson's as at the angle I saw it I should have been able to see a 'black cap' if it had been a Wilsons - one or the other anyway., oh and Bald Eagle - 1; and Turkey Vultures - 2.

Then we had decided to go to Cheam today because I wanted to see if the Mute Swan was still there so did a count (sort of) on the way there and while we were there - not a complete count but.....on the way.....Starlings - 20+; Tree Swallows - 20+; Robins - 20+; Rock Dove - 2' Brewer's Blackbird - 2; Barn Swallow - 1; North Western Crow - 3; Red Tail Hawk - 1; Mew Gulls - large flock on the Fraser River - estimate 300; Cliff Swallows - nesting under the Agassiz-Rosedale Bridge - 20+;

At Cheam Wetlands:
Tree Swallows - lots!; Marsh Wren - 4+; Wood Ducks - 5; Canada Geese - at least 18 including one pair with two very young goslings; Mallards - 6; Bufflehead - 4; Northern Rough Wing Swallows - 7+; Mute Swan* - 1; Song Sparrow - 6; Red Wing Blackbirds - 10+; Robins - 7; Barn Swallows - 3; Pileated Woodpecker - 1; Belted Kingfisher - 1; American Coot -1; Lesser Scaup - 2; Goldfinch - 4; Ring Neck Duck - 1; Rufous Hummingbird - 3; White Crowned Sparrow - 2;

Those I've marked with a * means not usually seen.

Kathy

[denisknopp]

Thank you Kathy and Thor,
I collect records from the area, Chilliwack ,Abbotsford, Harrison Mills and Agassiz. Itfs great to get records especially rare birds, years first and last. I'm also interested in counts from Cheam wetland and Hope airport. I've been birding Cheam since 1989 just be for they flooded it. But I have records from John Sargeant and Mary Roop from 1971 and a few of my own from 1984. I've been birding the Skagit since 1988 but had never gone to the Hope airport until 2002. I got introduced to the airport through Jason and he heard about it from Thor I think. I had first head of the airport from Stew Aptin, he used to live there. He had seen Scissor-tailed Flycatcher there on July 1, 1994 and again on May 22-23 1985, he also saw them in the Skagit in 1994 and 1995. He was the park ranger for the Chilliwack, Manning, Cultus, Skagit etc etc. So keep watching and let me know if you see one it wood be a lifer for me.

Thanks again for the lists, and to you too Gord for this great web site.
Denis

[Gord]

Good Birds seen by all on the Spring Count! Sorry Im late with my contribution.

I went to Island 22 in north Chilliwack from 7:00 to 8:30 and counted from Cartmell Road and the east part of the equestrian area.

275 Violet-green swallows in two large flocks on telephone wires.
4 black-capped chickadees
8 American goldfinch
2 wood duck
9 rufous hummingbird
20+ yellow-rumped warbler (1 myrtle race male)
2 savannah sparrows
1 common yellowthroat
2 northern shovelers (pair)
5 ring-necked ducks
3 American wigeon
2 northern flicker
40+ tree swallow
6 house finch
2 purple finch (one singing male)
5 brown creepers
9 ruby-crowned kinglets
2 golden-crowned kinglets
4 Bewick's wren
5 orange-crowned warbler
2 white-crowned sparrow
7 song sparrow
3 spotted towhee
1 Lincoln's sparrow
2 hairy woodpecker (at nest)
1 ruffed grouse (drumming)
25+ American robin
2 bushtit
8 mew gull
2 common raven
1 northwestern crow
2 steller's jay
1 winter wren
4 mallard
2 Canada goose
1 bald eagle
1 glaucous-winged gull
1 red-breasted nuthatch
4 European starling
2 evening grosbeak
6 black-headed cowbird

At 2:00 I stopped at Leary Park. Nice area! Jeff's going to find more great stuff here I bet. I didnt find the curlews, but can see great habitat for them.

2 Lincoln's sparrow
3 savannah sparrows
3 red-winged blackbirds
5 American robin
6 yellow-rumped warbler (1 Myrtle race)
4 American Pipit
and two flocks of small sandpipers that flew over. Probably least, but cant say for sure.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and thanks to Denis for all the great record keeping.