Black-bellied Plover Oct 16

[Gord]

As the boys and I were coming back from Vancouver in the afternoon we drove through Sumas Prairie. It was very windy which cuts down on the bird numbers somewhat. We did enjoy a few flocks of sparrows in somewhat sheltered locations and saw a good many Eurasian Collared-Doves.

At a turf farm on Campbell Road at Dixon Road I spotted a large shorebird among a small group of Killdeer. Turned out to be a young Black-bellied Plover; our first record for the fall. Im glad I hid my scope in the van for the trip as it would have been hard to tell as it was a little ways out. The wind did not help with the spotting process as it was blowing very enthusiastically. A male and female Am. Kestrel were nearby as well.

[Chris]

Interesting sighting Gord. This is a species that can be seen in very good numbers during Spring migration. However, Fall migration is a different story. They do migrate through regions next to ours, Metro Vancouver and the Interior. So the question is, do they fly over our due to lack of suitable habitat (like fields and muddy shorelines) or are we just missing this species? Maybe a combo of both?

[Gord]

Chris, makes one wonder. I think the reason we dont get as many shorebirds in the fall as in the spring is that the fields are grown by then and what was a good place in the spring with short grass and a bit of water now has 8 feet high corn on it. However, there is some habitat about still though and even if not as much, we do get some of the same assortment in the fall migration as the spring. Maybe the Black-bellied Plovers have a slightly different route on the way back down? That is the case with some migratory species.

[Gord]

Just to update this sighting, it has been seen a couple times up to the 21st so it is still hanging around as of the 21st.