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Post by Gord on May 6, 2014 22:26:48 GMT -8
If you did a double take at this post's subject line then you have an idea of what I did today driving down Cole Road in Sumas Prairie on my way to Wellsline Road. It was quite the sight as I was driving by. Fifty-one Whimbrel marching around in the field like they own the place but looking very much out of place to me. Most often when I have seen this species it has been in salt water and on rocky shores sometimes on islands far from the mainland. This has to be something akin to a fluke. We have only one record in the books for this species in our checklist area, a flock of seven from Agassiz spotted by Murray. I thought that was pretty impressive. This is a species that migrates to the tundra for breeding so I guess a flock could deviate a little inland now and then. But still, this is unprecedented!   More info on the species at the link. www.fraservalleybirding.com/Species/Bird%20Accounts/Whimbrel.htmThe pond on Wellsline just west of Cole Road had a Western Sandpiper among the Least Sandpipers and a few Greater Yellowlegs. The wet area at the corner of Vye and Bowman Roads had two Wilson's Phalarope and a handful of Long-billed Dowitchers. An interesting little drive though Sumas Prairie to say the least! |
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Post by ed on May 7, 2014 5:41:12 GMT -8
Wow! That is an amazing sight. Nice going Gord. It pays to keep checking these "ordinary" places like Sumas Prairie. What would it have been like before 1927 when the lake hadn't been drained yet and before the cultivated fields took over.
Ed
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Post by ed on May 7, 2014 8:29:42 GMT -8
I located the Whimbrel(counted 33) directly North of the pond near Cole and Wellsline Roads. They were foraging in the plowed field which can only be seen by walking north a kilometer along the dyke(Sumas River).
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Post by denisknopp on May 7, 2014 13:24:10 GMT -8
This is incredible!!! Yesterday I could hardly fined a shore bird in Chilliwack , guess they were all on the Sumas prairie. Gord you've out did your self.
Way to go,
Denis
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Post by murraybrown on May 7, 2014 14:28:39 GMT -8
Gord, that's an amazing find for the valley, and not to take anything away from your wonderful find, but not too many kilometers away over in the Hazelmere Valley in south Surrey, we used to regularly find 200-250 Whimbrel in the polo fields on 8th Ave.
Only mentioning this so you know what the potential for this new spot might be.
Murray
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Post by Gord on May 7, 2014 22:06:13 GMT -8
Ed, good work relocating them.
Murray, was most interested in hearing what you had to share on them. I've seen pictures of them on golf courses and so forth near the coast but never thought they'd be in the 100's. Neat fact and when it comes to birds, it really does not take much to get from one place to another. We're stuck thinking of distance in car terms with stop lights, going around mountains and dealing with poor drivers. Birds just go in a straight line.
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Post by denisknopp on May 8, 2014 11:38:31 GMT -8
I just got back from Cole Road and there were 23 Whimbrel feeding in a recently mowed field. They seemed to be eating earth worms for the most part. Also stopped be the pond on Wellsline and there were only 4 Least Sandpipers there. The last view of the Whimbrel was at 11:01 am. Denis   |
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Post by murraybrown on May 8, 2014 19:18:04 GMT -8
Gord, you're absolutely right. I did a quick calculation and it would be about a 15 to 20 minute flight from where we used to see them to the Sumas Prairie. Interestingly, when the operators of the polo field gave it up, the grass was no longer mowed but still the Whimbrel came until only their heads showed above the grass. That was the end of it though as they were now too vulnerable to an attack from coyotes and to my knowledge never came back.
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Post by Chris on May 8, 2014 20:45:59 GMT -8
Very good sighting. Makes me wonder what birds what be found if Sumas Lake was still there.
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Post by oldfulica on May 9, 2014 6:57:12 GMT -8
Gord, that's an amazing find for the valley, and not to take anything away from your wonderful find, but not too many kilometers away over in the Hazelmere Valley in south Surrey, we used to regularly find 200-250 Whimbrel in the polo fields on 8th Ave. Only mentioning this so you know what the potential for this new spot might be. Murray Murray-I think the birds on the Polo field were Godwits not Whimbrel. It has a been a few years since I have seen them so I could be wrong. Does anyone else remember? |
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Post by murraybrown on May 9, 2014 8:33:11 GMT -8
Len, There may have been godwits in there as well but over the two or three years that we watched them there were only Whimbrel.
Hue and JoAnn McKenzie and others photographed them from quite close and there was no doubt of their identity.
Any more lifers from Green Valley?
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Post by trudi on May 9, 2014 20:39:26 GMT -8
k so where would they be heading....south i presume so here's the scoop.. this A.M i had to go into the USA
of course via Cole Road wells line and zig zag through any where else just incase ....condor /white pelicans
bat eagle ...lol anyway through the border eyes peeled as always guide meridian flock of birds fly and land
Yep gotta pull over !!! 33 Whimbrels feeding in-between the cornstalks did get some shots;-). They were still there
on my return i was not in a good position to count but i would hazard a guess there were more than there than there
were in the morning
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Post by oldfulica on May 10, 2014 7:12:15 GMT -8
Len, There may have been godwits in there as well but over the two or three years that we watched them there were only Whimbrel. Hue and JoAnn McKenzie and others photographed them from quite close and there was no doubt of their identity. Any more lifers from Green Valley? It must be about 10 years since I remember seeing them so there is a pretty good chance my memory is fading. Not many lifers here Murray. Only 6 and we really have to work for them. In Padre we got 34. |
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Post by oldfulica on May 10, 2014 7:16:58 GMT -8
Len, There may have been godwits in there as well but over the two or three years that we watched them there were only Whimbrel. Hue and JoAnn McKenzie and others photographed them from quite close and there was no doubt of their identity. Any more lifers from Green Valley? It must be about 10 years since I remember seeing them so there is a pretty good chance my memory is fading. Not many lifers here Murray. Only 6 and we really have to work for them. In Padre we got 34. Oh-I said Godwits in my initial reply and I meant Curlews. Looks like my memory isn't the only thing that is failing  |
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Post by murraybrown on May 10, 2014 8:23:36 GMT -8
Len, welcome to the "Fading Memory Club"
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