Agassiz CBC

[Wetlander]

First time out for Marion and I, but we were joined by my brother-in-law, a scientist and experience birder (he's done some neat field work studying genetic bottlenecking in Carribean songbirds-he's the one who spotted the tree sparrows). We had a great time ;D
We had zone I, basically downtown Agassiz to the river.

Bird Count, Dec 21:
42 Canada Geese
25 Trumpeter Swans
6 Gadwalls
1 Am. Widgeon
260 Mallards
4 Nor. Shovelers
3 Green-winged Teals
5 Ring-necked Ducks
5 Buffleheads
2 Common Goldeneyes
2 Barrow's Goldeneyes
5 Hooded Mergansers
3 Common Mergansers
3 Great Blue Herons
6 Bald Eagles
1 Cooper's Hawk
1 Red Tailed Hawk
1 Rough-legged Hawk
1 Kildeer
1 D.C. Commerant
37 Glacous-winged Gulls (a few odd balls, but all turned out to be Glacous-winged )
1 Rock Pigeon
1 Belted Kingfisher
2 Downey Woodpeckers
3 Nor. Flickers
2 Pileated Woodpeckers
11 Stellar's Jays
8 N.W. Crows
2 C. Ravens
27 B.C. Chickadees
3 Winter Wrens
1 Am. Robin
130 Eur. Starlings
11 Spotted Towhees
3 Am. Tree Sparrows
2 Fox Sparrows
14 Song Sparrows
13 White-crowned Sparrows
17 Golden-crowned Sparrows
121 Dark eyed Juncos (1 Slate backed)
35 Brewer's Blackbirds
5 Purple Finch
3 House Finch
18 House Sparrows

Surprised by the tree sparrows, rough-legged hawk ;D and the purple finches. Don't see them around much. Dissappointed by a couple of no-shows , but they are on the week list. And no matter how hard I tried, those gulls just kept turning up Glacous-winged .

Week Birds:
Pied-billed Grebe
Merlin
Barn Owl (by call)
Great Horned Owl (by call)
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Red-winged Blackbird

[Gord]

Congrats on your first CBC! I hope you'll enjoy many many others! Those Am. Tree Sparrows are ones Im keen to see here in BC!

[murraybrown]

Kevin, found your comments re: Purple Finch interesting. I live [as the Finch flies]
only 5 or 6 minutes from your place and our Purple's outnumber the House Finch about 2 to 1 at the feeder. I wonder if has something to do with proximity to the mountains?

Murray

[Wetlander]

Hi Gord, yes we are hooked now!!!!!
Murray, over the past 7 years of observing around our place, I would see purple finch only a couple of times a year, while the house finches are daily. But so far this winter I'm seeing more purples than House. And of course we have a batch of House Sparrows.

[Gord]

Glad you're hooked!

I forgot to ask where you saw the Tree Sparrows. The bird guide says they winter in our area and even south of us, but Ive yet to see one outside of Alberta!!

[Wetlander]

The Tree Sparrows were just off the Haig Highway on Martin Road, just after it splits off McDonald Rd. Blocked off stretches of slough through this area. Along McDonald we saw the Brewers Blackbirds, Starlings, Eagles and Cooper's Hawks. I was hoping for a wood duck, but no luck.