Birdingonthe.Net Recent Postings from Brit Col Interior > Home > Mail > Alerts Updated on Thursday, May 23 at 11:50 PM EST The most recently received Mail is at the top.	Veery,©Mimi Hoppe Wolf

24 May Record for Creston ["gary.breault" ] 23 May RE: flycatcher species ["Rick Howie" ] 23 May RE: flycatcher species ["Dick Cannings" ] 23 May Re: flycatcher species [Laure Neish ] 23 May Re: flycatcher species [Chris Siddle ] 23 May Re: Turkey Vultures displaying [Laure Neish ] 23 May RE: flycatcher species ["Colin Clasen" ] 23 May the Final FATAL days - To Mio, Hell, and Back. CON'T [Chris Siddle ] 24 May RE:you just never know! [] 23 May flycatcher species [Tammy Proctor ] 23 May Re: Turkey Vultures displaying [Chris Siddle ] 23 May Re: you just never know! ["Russell" ] 23 May Turkey Vultures displaying [Laure Neish ] 23 May RE: Franklin's Gulls on Okanagan Lake, Penticton ["Dick Cannings" ] 23 May Re: you just never know! [] 23 May Re: you just never know! [Laure Neish ] 23 May you just never know! [Gary Davidson ] 23 May Franklin's Gulls on Okanagan Lake, Penticton ["Dick Cannings" ] 22 May Patagonia & Sierra Vista, AZ [Chris Charlesworth ] 22 May RE: The Final FATAL Days - to Mio, Michigan, and back ["Rick Howie" ] 23 May Re: The Final FATAL Days - to Mio, Michigan, and back ["pjlaing2" ] 22 May Bicycle Birdathon ["Dick Cannings" ] 22 May Bicycle Birdathon ["Dick Cannings" ] 22 May Bicycle Birdathon ["Dick Cannings" ] 22 May apologies to Jo [Chris Siddle ] 22 May RBA: Lark Bunting (May 21) near Edgewood ["mcbirder" ] 22 May RE: The Final FATAL Days - to Mio, Michigan, and back ["Bob and Maggie" ] 22 May The Final FATAL Days - to Mio, Michigan, and back [Chris Siddle ] 22 May Re: Days 4-7 - the Final FATAL days - PART 2 - is it posted? [Gary Davidson ] 22 May RE: Days 4-7 - the Final FATAL days - PART 2 - is it posted? ["Rick Howie" ] 22 May RE: Re: Franklin Gull Migration ["Rick Howie" ] 22 May Re: Days 4-7 - the Final FATAL days - PART 2 - is it posted? [Janna Leslie ] 22 May Days 4-7 - the Final FATAL days - PART 2 - is it posted? [Chris Siddle ] 22 May Re: Franklin Gull Migration ["Russell" ] 21 May RE: Re: Franklin Gull Migration ["Rick Howie" ] 22 May Re: Franklin Gull Migration ["allandupilka" ] 21 May RE: Franklin Gull Migration ["Rick Howie" ] 22 May Franklin Gull Migration ["allandupilka" ] 21 May Latest on Rd. 22 and environs ["Thor" ] 21 May Re: Re: Black-chinned Hummingbirds [] 21 May Re: Black-chinned Hummingbirds ["Russell" ] 21 May VARC - Spring Blog! ["Derek Matthews" ] 21 May Good news from the US, how 'bout Canada? [Laure Neish ] 21 May Yellow headed blackbird [Tammy Proctor ] 21 May Re: Magical birding at Madera Canyon [Chris Siddle ] 21 May Re: seeking birding info re Montana & Sask. [Chris Siddle ] 21 May Avocet's Pelee and Michigan Tour - the final Fatal Days - PART 2 [Chris Siddle ] 20 May Black-chinned Hummingbirds ["Rick Howie" ] 20 May Lewis's Woodpeckers moving into the hills east of Penticton [Laure Neish ] 20 May RE: Road 22, afternoon update ["Rick Howie" ] 20 May RE: Re: Road 22, afternoon update ["Rick Howie" ] 20 May Magical birding at Madera Canyon [Chris Charlesworth ] 20 May Re: Road 22 sightings, 19 May [Michelle Lamberson ] 20 May Re: Road 22, afternoon update ["Russell" ] 20 May RE: rhetorical device ["Rick Howie" ] 20 May quick tour of some N Okanagan spots [Chris Siddle ] 20 May Common Grackle Salmon Arm [Ted Hillary ] 20 May Re: Road 22, afternoon update [Laure Neish ] 20 May RE: Road 22, afternoon update ["Rick Howie" ] 20 May Re: Road 22 sightings, 19 May [Laure Neish ] 20 May Re: rhetorical device [Len Jellicoe ] 20 May Re: rhetorical device [Jim Mitchell ] 19 May RE: rhetorical device ["Rick Howie" ] 20 May Road 22 sightings, 19 May [Michelle Lamberson ] 20 May Keeping in touch ["Mel" ] 19 May Re: Days 4-7 of Avocet's Pelee and Michigan Tour - the final FATAL days ["allandupilka" ] 20 May Posting ["allandupilka" ] 19 May Re: rhetorical device [Janna Leslie ] 19 May rhetorical device [Chris Siddle ] 19 May Re: More from Arizona [Chris Siddle ] 19 May More from Arizona [Chris Charlesworth ] 19 May Re: Posting [Chris Siddle ] 19 May RE: Posting ["Rick Howie" ] 19 May Re: Posting [Jim Mitchell ] 19 May Posting ["allandupilka" ] 19 May A different perspective ["Rick Howie" ] Subject: Record for Creston From: "gary.breault" <gary.breault AT yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 24 May 2013 02:47:59 -0000 http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wkbirds/message/12671 Three more species for the little Cattle pond, HUDSONIAN GODWIT (valley record) Buff-breasted Sandpiper (also record) and the 23rd shorebird species for this pond was a Willet. Check the link above on wkbirds Cheers from the Creston Valley Gary Breault ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: flycatcher species From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 16:43:14 -0700 Hi Tammy: as Colin pointed out, your bird could be an Olive-sided Flycatcher. But on odds alone in terms of being more common at your elevation & habitat (even in migration), I think your bird was likely a Western Wood Pewee. Cheers Rick Howie Kamloops From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Tammy Proctor Sent: May-23-13 4:16 PM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] flycatcher species After the terrible rain storm we had, this morning there was a flycatcher species sitting on my fence. When he faced me, he looked like he was wearing a jacket. His breast was kind of an olive colour. Not sure if he is a Willow Flycatcher, Dusty Flycatcher or one that is similar. Can someone help me? Tammy Ashcroft [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: flycatcher species From: "Dick Cannings" <dickcannings AT shaw.ca> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 16:42:29 -0700 Hi Tammy et al.: A flycatcher wearing a jacket suggests one of the pewees-either a Western Wood-Pewee or an Olive-sided Flycatcher. Dick Cannings Penticton, BC http://dickcannings.com From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Tammy Proctor Sent: May-23-13 4:16 PM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] flycatcher species After the terrible rain storm we had, this morning there was a flycatcher species sitting on my fence. When he faced me, he looked like he was wearing a jacket. His breast was kind of an olive colour. Not sure if he is a Willow Flycatcher, Dusty Flycatcher or one that is similar. Can someone help me? Tammy Ashcroft [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: flycatcher species From: Laure Neish <natureneish AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 16:36:34 -0700 Sometimes they have a white tuft(s) on their lower back too, if you happened to notice that? Laure N. On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 4:29 PM, Colin Clasen wrote: > ** > > > Hi Tammy, > > The most diagnostic physical feature of an Olive Sided Flycatcher, is a > more > noticeable dark "vest" than other flycatchers, so that might be your bird. > > It's "quick three beers" call is also quite diagnostic, so hopefully it > will > identify itself with a call. > > Colin Clasen > > Coquitlam, BC > > From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On > Behalf > Of Tammy Proctor > Sent: May-23-13 4:16 PM > To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > Subject: [bcintbird] flycatcher species > > After the terrible rain storm we had, this morning there was a flycatcher > species sitting on my fence. When he faced me, he looked like he was > wearing > a jacket. His breast was kind of an olive colour. Not sure if he is a > Willow Flycatcher, Dusty Flycatcher or one that is similar. Can someone > help > me? > > > Tammy > Ashcroft > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Laure Wilson Neish Penticton, BC Canada http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: flycatcher species From: Chris Siddle <chris.siddle AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 16:35:23 -0700 Hi Tammy, Two other species to consider are Western Wood-Pewee and Olive-sided Flycatcher, both of which can be flushed out into open country by storms. If the contrast between the "vest" was VERY STRONG against otherwise white underparts I would say you had an Olive-sided Flycatcher. But if the contrast was weaker, say between a dark vest and slightly lighter underparts, you may have had a Western Wood-Pewee. Both species are passing through the southern interior at the moment. I would bet on Western Wood-Pewee since it is much more common than Olive-sided. Yesterday I had a Western Wood-Pewee along a fenceline. Chris S. On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 4:15 PM, Tammy Proctor wrote: > After the terrible rain storm we had, this morning there was a flycatcher > species sitting on my fence. When he faced me, he looked like he was > wearing a jacket. His breast was kind of an olive colour. Not sure if he > is a Willow Flycatcher, Dusty Flycatcher or one that is similar. Can > someone help me? > > > Tammy > Ashcroft > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > To contact the moderator email > bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com > Also, consider joining these groups. > bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. > If you have pictures to share try this group. > http://groups.google.com/ > From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the > pictures. > Subject: Re: Turkey Vultures displaying From: Laure Neish <natureneish AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 16:34:23 -0700 If I remember correctly, the BC Bird Atlas was asking observers to be extra sensory in trying to find vulture nests, because although many birds are seen, few if any nests have been located. Has anyone found a TUVU nest in the Okanagan? Or at least gotten a Confirmed Breeding Evidence Code? Laure On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 3:34 PM, Chris Siddle wrote: > ** > > > Laure, > > Good "catch"! I probably would have passed off the group as feeding on > something, but you took a second look and as a result we've all learned > something about Turkey Vultures. Way to go. > > Chris S. > > On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 1:01 PM, Laure Neish > wrote: > > > After leaving the Penticton waterfront this morning, I headed over to the > > airport to check for interesting sightings (hoping to hear a Least > > Flycatcher without luck). I saw a gathering of Turkey Vultures on the > > field adjacent to the airport runway and assumed that they had found a > > carcass to feed on. Birds were coming and going but the main body of the > > group stood in a bit of a circle. After a few minutes of watching them > (and > > the 9 am flight land right next to them!) I realized that they were doing > > some kind of group display. It was like a vulture lek!. Several birds > were > > hopping around or chest bumping each other. When I got home, I googled > > Turkey Vulture display and found this tidbit. > > "Pair formation includes a ritualized display with several birds in a > > circle on the ground, hopping up and down with wings partly spread." > > I'd never heard of this behaviour in TUVUs and was excited to see it in > > action. > > Although the photos were not good quality, having been shot through the > > chain link fence, you can get an idea of what it looked like. > > There are 3 photos > > http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/p979602782/h631831f4#h65cbb082 > > > > -- > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > > Laure Wilson Neish > > Penticton, BC Canada > > http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/ > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > To contact the moderator email > > bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com > > Also, consider joining these groups. > > bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. > > If you have pictures to share try this group. > > http://groups.google.com/ > > From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see > the > > pictures. > > Subject: RE: flycatcher species From: "Colin Clasen" <colinclasen AT shaw.ca> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 16:29:30 -0700 Hi Tammy, The most diagnostic physical feature of an Olive Sided Flycatcher, is a more noticeable dark "vest" than other flycatchers, so that might be your bird. It's "quick three beers" call is also quite diagnostic, so hopefully it will identify itself with a call. Colin Clasen Coquitlam, BC From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Tammy Proctor Sent: May-23-13 4:16 PM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] flycatcher species After the terrible rain storm we had, this morning there was a flycatcher species sitting on my fence. When he faced me, he looked like he was wearing a jacket. His breast was kind of an olive colour. Not sure if he is a Willow Flycatcher, Dusty Flycatcher or one that is similar. Can someone help me? Tammy Ashcroft [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: the Final FATAL days - To Mio, Hell, and Back. CON'T From: Chris Siddle <chris.siddle AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 16:26:25 -0700 Captain Cannings pulled at the legs of his tripod and spun the scope into position. "Lock and load," he muttered and pushed Private Knight toward the eyepiece. "You signed on for this, Knight. Now, take an eyeful!" One by one Siddle and Cannings pushed the birders forward, everyone of them to get the view each had so badly wanted back in Basic when it was all just theory. "Ammodramus henslowii," snarled Siddle as he shoved Private Overhoff up to take Private Mitchell's place at the scope. "Don't none of you go sissy on me. You're seeing reality here, boys and girls, not some fancy image by David Sibley. This is the bird we were after, come Hell or high water!" "And ticks, Sarge," said Corporal Ward, his voice tense with strain. "What was that?" "This bird we were after, Henslow's Sparrow. We had to go through Hell, high water, and ticks," answered Ward. Siddle locked eyes with Cannings. Both knew that fear was contagious. A bad case of tick heeby-jeebies could spread through the birders faster than athletes' foot at a public swimming pool. And fear could be the beginning of the end for some of these men and women. Sarge had seen it before and Cannings had been warned of it. It started with a birder absent-mindedly scratching, followed by a lose of focus, people inspecting their cuffs and their sleeves when they should be watching for birds. In a few minutes the fear could roar out of control like a wildfire tearing through 5 to 20 feet tall Jack Pines. A white-hot inferno of burning combustion and raging conflagrating flames. "OK, you're finished here. Check off that bird and get back to the transports, pronto!" Siddle ordered in as level a tone as he could muster, and careful to say "check off" instead of "tick". Minutes later, followed by a plume of dust, the two vans lurched back onto Pleasant Lake Road, the birders hanging on to their binoculars as best as they could. Cannings spoke into the walkie-talkie. "I want everybody checking their field guides for Kirtland's Warbler - its field marks, its vocalizations, and anything else you can find. Our ETA for Mio, our base for the night, is 1600 hours." "You heard the Captain. Get your faces into those books. I don't want to see any of your ugly mugs until you know all there is to know about Dr. Kirtland's little pet birdy!" said Siddle. Keep them busy, and they'll forget the ticks, Sarge hoped. To be continued [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE:you just never know! From: friarbird43 AT bigpond.com Date: Fri, 24 May 2013 07:24:26 +1000 (EST) Well done Gary - I knew i should have stayed in Nakusp!! [Although typically you're seeing good birds on a school day.!!] As I prepare for another bird-less school day down under..... Ken ------------------------------------------ From: Gary Davidson To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com; wkbirds AT yahoogroups.com; ekootenaybirds AT yahoogroups.com; Subject: [bcintbird] you just never know! With firm belief in the theory that bad migration weather = good birding, I headed out into the rain this morning. It quickly became apparent that it was a bit too wet for passerines, so I headed to the lake. At the mouth of Kuskanax Creek (in Nakusp) I scanned the lake and saw a flock of tightly packed gulls at least 1500m to the south. I put up the scope and could see that they had black heads. Bonaparte's Gulls in flocks of up to 400 are not uncommon on the lake in spring. However, recalling several recent reports of Franklin's Gulls around the province I decided to watch for a while and see if I could get a better look. I knew that if one were to stretch its wings, I would immediately be able to distinguish Bonaparte's from Franklin's even at this distance. And one did, but what I saw was not what I was expecting. The primaries were black along their entire length - that bird was a Sabine's Gull. That got the blood moving a bit despite the wet hands and damp optics. I continued to watch as at least a dozen others stretched at one time or another, all were Sabine's. Eventually, the entire flock took to the air and began flying north, closer to me. As I watched in the scope I could clearly see that they were all Sabine's Gulls - about 100 of them! They landed to the west of me at a distance of about 500m. Close enough for better looks, but not close enough for photographs. I checked Birds of BC, (which is 20+ years old now), and found only one southern interior spring record, and that was a single bird. I have never heard of a flock of SAGU in the southern interior in spring or summer. Anyone else have any information to the contrary?   And while I was there I saw 2 other unexpected species, although not as surprising as the gulls. A group of 10 Common Terns flew by the mouth of the creek. I have only 2 previous spring records for the Arrow Lakes.  And a group of 9 Sanderlings were running up and down the sandy shores. Sanderlings are rare here at the best of times, but I've never seen them in the valley in spring before.   So don't be put off by bad weather, get out there and look around, you just never know what you might find!   Gary (in soggy Nakusp) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: flycatcher species From: Tammy Proctor <birdsonly4me AT yahoo.ca> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 16:15:33 -0700 (PDT) After the terrible rain storm we had, this morning there was a flycatcher species sitting on my fence. When he faced me, he looked like he was wearing a jacket. His breast was kind of an olive colour.  Not sure if he is a Willow Flycatcher, Dusty Flycatcher or one that is similar. Can someone help me?     Tammy Ashcroft [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Turkey Vultures displaying From: Chris Siddle <chris.siddle AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 15:34:42 -0700 Laure, Good "catch"! I probably would have passed off the group as feeding on something, but you took a second look and as a result we've all learned something about Turkey Vultures. Way to go. Chris S. On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 1:01 PM, Laure Neish wrote: > After leaving the Penticton waterfront this morning, I headed over to the > airport to check for interesting sightings (hoping to hear a Least > Flycatcher without luck). I saw a gathering of Turkey Vultures on the > field adjacent to the airport runway and assumed that they had found a > carcass to feed on. Birds were coming and going but the main body of the > group stood in a bit of a circle. After a few minutes of watching them (and > the 9 am flight land right next to them!) I realized that they were doing > some kind of group display. It was like a vulture lek!. Several birds were > hopping around or chest bumping each other. When I got home, I googled > Turkey Vulture display and found this tidbit. > "Pair formation includes a ritualized display with several birds in a > circle on the ground, hopping up and down with wings partly spread." > I'd never heard of this behaviour in TUVUs and was excited to see it in > action. > Although the photos were not good quality, having been shot through the > chain link fence, you can get an idea of what it looked like. > There are 3 photos > http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/p979602782/h631831f4#h65cbb082 > > -- > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > Laure Wilson Neish > Penticton, BC Canada > http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/ > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > To contact the moderator email > bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com > Also, consider joining these groups. > bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. > If you have pictures to share try this group. > http://groups.google.com/ > From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the > pictures. > Subject: Re: you just never know! From: "Russell" <russellcannings AT shaw.ca> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 20:46:54 -0000 Wow Gary, That is indeed an absurd spring count! Ryan Tomlinson and I were pretty happy about our 2 we had in late April in Kelowna this year! Will be watching in Revelstoke! Russ Cannings Revelstoke, BC --- In bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com, r.howie AT ... wrote: > > Pretty phenomenal sighting of SAGU in the interior anytime I would think Gary. I have never heard of such an aggregation but I am out of rare bird loops for the most part. Out of the loops in the 'loops so to speak. > Good foul weather work. > Rick Howie > Kamloops > Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network > > -----Original Message----- > From: Gary Davidson > Sender: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 11:02:45 > To: bcintbird; wkbirds; ekootenaybirds > Reply-To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > Subject: [bcintbird] you just never know! > > With firm belief in the theory that bad migration weather = good birding, I headed out into the rain this morning. It quickly became apparent that it was a bit too wet for passerines, so I headed to the lake. At the mouth of Kuskanax Creek (in Nakusp) I scanned the lake and saw a flock of tightly packed gulls at least 1500m to the south. I put up the scope and could see that they had black heads. Bonaparte's Gulls in flocks of up to 400 are not uncommon on the lake in spring. However, recalling several recent reports of Franklin's Gulls around the province I decided to watch for a while and see if I could get a better look. I knew that if one were to stretch its wings, I would immediately be able to distinguish Bonaparte's from Franklin's even at this distance. And one did, but what I saw was not what I was expecting. The primaries were black along their entire length - that bird was a Sabine's Gull. That got the blood moving a bit despite the wet > hands and damp optics. I continued to watch as at least a dozen others stretched at one time or another, all were Sabine's. Eventually, the entire flock took to the air and began flying north, closer to me. As I watched in the scope I could clearly see that they were all Sabine's Gulls - about 100 of them! They landed to the west of me at a distance of about 500m. Close enough for better looks, but not close enough for photographs. I checked Birds of BC, (which is 20+ years old now), and found only one southern interior spring record, and that was a single bird. I have never heard of a flock of SAGU in the southern interior in spring or summer. Anyone else have any information to the contrary? >   > And while I was there I saw 2 other unexpected species, although not as surprising as the gulls. A group of 10 Common Terns flew by the mouth of the creek. I have only 2 previous spring records for the Arrow Lakes.  And a group of 9 Sanderlings were running up and down the sandy shores. Sanderlings are rare here at the best of times, but I've never seen them in the valley in spring before. >   > So don't be put off by bad weather, get out there and look around, you just never know what you might find! >   > Gary (in soggy Nakusp) > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Turkey Vultures displaying From: Laure Neish <natureneish AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 13:01:59 -0700 After leaving the Penticton waterfront this morning, I headed over to the airport to check for interesting sightings (hoping to hear a Least Flycatcher without luck). I saw a gathering of Turkey Vultures on the field adjacent to the airport runway and assumed that they had found a carcass to feed on. Birds were coming and going but the main body of the group stood in a bit of a circle. After a few minutes of watching them (and the 9 am flight land right next to them!) I realized that they were doing some kind of group display. It was like a vulture lek!. Several birds were hopping around or chest bumping each other. When I got home, I googled Turkey Vulture display and found this tidbit. "Pair formation includes a ritualized display with several birds in a circle on the ground, hopping up and down with wings partly spread." I'd never heard of this behaviour in TUVUs and was excited to see it in action. Although the photos were not good quality, having been shot through the chain link fence, you can get an idea of what it looked like. There are 3 photos http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/p979602782/h631831f4#h65cbb082 -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Laure Wilson Neish Penticton, BC Canada http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: Franklin's Gulls on Okanagan Lake, Penticton From: "Dick Cannings" <dickcannings AT shaw.ca> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 12:02:16 -0700 Hi again: I checked out these gulls with Laure and at one point they were six Franklin's there. Then the City of Penticton crew arrived and shot a couple of cracker shells in the air to disturb the geese floating in the lake. The geese were unimpressed, but the gulls took off and flew south at about 8:50 a.m. Dick Cannings Penticton, BC http://dickcannings.com From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Dick Cannings Sent: May-23-13 8:21 AM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] Franklin's Gulls on Okanagan Lake, Penticton Hi birders: Laure Neish just called to report 4 Franklin's Gulls off the walking pier by the Peach in Penticton. Dick Cannings Penticton, BC http://dickcannings.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: you just never know! From: r.howie AT shaw.ca Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 18:33:02 +0000 Pretty phenomenal sighting of SAGU in the interior anytime I would think Gary. I have never heard of such an aggregation but I am out of rare bird loops for the most part. Out of the loops in the 'loops so to speak. Good foul weather work. Rick Howie Kamloops Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network -----Original Message----- From: Gary Davidson Sender: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 11:02:45 To: bcintbird; wkbirds; ekootenaybirds Reply-To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] you just never know! With firm belief in the theory that bad migration weather = good birding, I headed out into the rain this morning. It quickly became apparent that it was a bit too wet for passerines, so I headed to the lake. At the mouth of Kuskanax Creek (in Nakusp) I scanned the lake and saw a flock of tightly packed gulls at least 1500m to the south. I put up the scope and could see that they had black heads. Bonaparte's Gulls in flocks of up to 400 are not uncommon on the lake in spring. However, recalling several recent reports of Franklin's Gulls around the province I decided to watch for a while and see if I could get a better look. I knew that if one were to stretch its wings, I would immediately be able to distinguish Bonaparte's from Franklin's even at this distance. And one did, but what I saw was not what I was expecting. The primaries were black along their entire length - that bird was a Sabine's Gull. That got the blood moving a bit despite the wet hands and damp optics. I continued to watch as at least a dozen others stretched at one time or another, all were Sabine's. Eventually, the entire flock took to the air and began flying north, closer to me. As I watched in the scope I could clearly see that they were all Sabine's Gulls - about 100 of them! They landed to the west of me at a distance of about 500m. Close enough for better looks, but not close enough for photographs. I checked Birds of BC, (which is 20+ years old now), and found only one southern interior spring record, and that was a single bird. I have never heard of a flock of SAGU in the southern interior in spring or summer. Anyone else have any information to the contrary?   And while I was there I saw 2 other unexpected species, although not as surprising as the gulls. A group of 10 Common Terns flew by the mouth of the creek. I have only 2 previous spring records for the Arrow Lakes.  And a group of 9 Sanderlings were running up and down the sandy shores. Sanderlings are rare here at the best of times, but I've never seen them in the valley in spring before.   So don't be put off by bad weather, get out there and look around, you just never know what you might find!   Gary (in soggy Nakusp) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: you just never know! From: Laure Neish <natureneish AT gmail.com> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 11:33:09 -0700 Nice sighting Gary! Amazing actually. We also had 17 Bonaparte's Gulls with the 4 Franklin's Gulls this morning. They all flocked off just before Dick rode up on his bike but he actually counted 6 Franklin's on Lake Okanagan this morning. We chatted with Janna who also saw the FRGU. Laure Neish On Thu, May 23, 2013 at 11:02 AM, Gary Davidson wrote: > ** > > > With firm belief in the theory that bad migration weather = good birding, > I headed out into the rain this morning. It quickly became apparent that it > was a bit too wet for passerines, so I headed to the lake. At the mouth > of Kuskanax Creek (in Nakusp) I scanned the lake and saw a flock of tightly > packed gulls at least 1500m to the south. I put up the scope and could see > that they had black heads. Bonaparte's Gulls in flocks of up to 400 are not > uncommon on the lake in spring. However, recalling several recent reports > of Franklin's Gulls around the province I decided to watch for a while and > see if I could get a better look. I knew that if one were to stretch its > wings, I would immediately be able to distinguish Bonaparte's from > Franklin's even at this distance. And one did, but what I saw was not what > I was expecting. The primaries were black along their entire length - that > bird was a Sabine's Gull. That got the blood moving a bit despite the wet > hands and damp optics. I continued to watch as at least a dozen others > stretched at one time or another, all were Sabine's. Eventually, the entire > flock took to the air and began flying north, closer to me. As I watched in > the scope I could clearly see that they were all Sabine's Gulls - about 100 > of them! They landed to the west of me at a distance of about 500m. Close > enough for better looks, but not close enough for photographs. I checked > Birds of BC, (which is 20+ years old now), and found only one southern > interior spring record, and that was a single bird. I have never heard of a > flock of SAGU in the southern interior in spring or summer. Anyone else > have any information to the contrary? > > And while I was there I saw 2 other unexpected species, although not as > surprising as the gulls. A group of 10 Common Terns flew by the mouth of > the creek. I have only 2 previous spring records for the Arrow Lakes. And > a group of 9 Sanderlings were running up and down the sandy shores. > Sanderlings are rare here at the best of times, but I've never seen them in > the valley in spring before. > > So don't be put off by bad weather, get out there and look around, you > just never know what you might find! > > Gary (in soggy Nakusp) > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Laure Wilson Neish Penticton, BC Canada http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: you just never know! From: Gary Davidson <gsd37 AT yahoo.ca> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 11:02:45 -0700 (PDT) With firm belief in the theory that bad migration weather = good birding, I headed out into the rain this morning. It quickly became apparent that it was a bit too wet for passerines, so I headed to the lake. At the mouth of Kuskanax Creek (in Nakusp) I scanned the lake and saw a flock of tightly packed gulls at least 1500m to the south. I put up the scope and could see that they had black heads. Bonaparte's Gulls in flocks of up to 400 are not uncommon on the lake in spring. However, recalling several recent reports of Franklin's Gulls around the province I decided to watch for a while and see if I could get a better look. I knew that if one were to stretch its wings, I would immediately be able to distinguish Bonaparte's from Franklin's even at this distance. And one did, but what I saw was not what I was expecting. The primaries were black along their entire length - that bird was a Sabine's Gull. That got the blood moving a bit despite the wet hands and damp optics. I continued to watch as at least a dozen others stretched at one time or another, all were Sabine's. Eventually, the entire flock took to the air and began flying north, closer to me. As I watched in the scope I could clearly see that they were all Sabine's Gulls - about 100 of them! They landed to the west of me at a distance of about 500m. Close enough for better looks, but not close enough for photographs. I checked Birds of BC, (which is 20+ years old now), and found only one southern interior spring record, and that was a single bird. I have never heard of a flock of SAGU in the southern interior in spring or summer. Anyone else have any information to the contrary?   And while I was there I saw 2 other unexpected species, although not as surprising as the gulls. A group of 10 Common Terns flew by the mouth of the creek. I have only 2 previous spring records for the Arrow Lakes.  And a group of 9 Sanderlings were running up and down the sandy shores. Sanderlings are rare here at the best of times, but I've never seen them in the valley in spring before.   So don't be put off by bad weather, get out there and look around, you just never know what you might find!   Gary (in soggy Nakusp) [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Franklin's Gulls on Okanagan Lake, Penticton From: "Dick Cannings" <dickcannings AT shaw.ca> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 08:21:05 -0700 Hi birders: Laure Neish just called to report 4 Franklin's Gulls off the walking pier by the Peach in Penticton. Dick Cannings Penticton, BC http://dickcannings.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Patagonia & Sierra Vista, AZ From: Chris Charlesworth <c_charlesworth23 AT hotmail.com> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 22:19:48 -0700 Birders, The last two days of birding in S.E. Arizona have been good. Nice warm weather continues, although we've had some smoke from the Soldier Basin Fire near Patagonia. From our resort in Rio Rico we could watch the flames at night, bringing back some memories of the 2003 OK Mtn Park fire back home. So far no homes lost here yet though. Yesterday, May 21, we left Rio Rico and made our way back into Montosa Canyon to try once again for Black-capped Gnatcatcher. The little devils eluded us again, but as a consolation prize we got a lovely male VARIED BUNTING, as well as a male INDIGO BUNTING! Three different GREATER ROADRUNNERS kept the tour participants yelling 'stop!' as we drove along through the desert. At the Patagonia Roadside Rest Stop it was fairly quiet being the heat of the day. We had a few birds though, including SWAINSON'S THRUSH, BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRD, HUTTON'S VIREO and DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHERS. After lunch we made our way E. to the Sonoita Grasslands. Birding was good at Las Cienegas where new birds for our trip list included a pair of LOGGERHEAD SHRIKES, several GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS, some HORNED LARKS and a very speedy little SCALED QUAIL. I clocked him at 10 miles per hour. A few PRONGHORN roamed on the hillsides also. Today, May 22, we headed high into the Huachuca Mountains at Carr Canyon near Sierra Vista. The winding gravel road took us to about 7500 feet. Along the way we stopped to admire the scenery, and as luck would have it, a male ARIZONA WOODPECKER came in to check us out, our first encounter with this species. In the pine forest we had several fantastic views of the Huachuca Mts own special bird, BUFF-BREASTED FLYCATCHER. Other flycatchers, such as GREATER PEWEES, WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES and OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER were quite common too. Our first WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS of the trip were easy to spot since they proclaimed their presence with voracious calls. Warblers were in good numbers too and we had our one and only VIRGINIA'S WARBLER, along with PAINTED REDSTART, GRACE'S WARBLER, TOWNSEND'S WARBLER and WILSON'S WARBLER up in Carr Canyon. A few little groups of BUSHTITS flitted through the Manzanitas, and we got a couple of BAND-TAILED PIGEONS perched in a pine tree. We then headed for Ramsey Canyon, only to find it's closed on Wednesdays. There were 4 GAMBEL'S QUAIL near the gates though. My back up plan was to head for Ash Canyon B & B, which use to be famous for its Lucifer Hummingbirds. The hummingbirds were basically non-existent today with just a few BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRDS around. Other species at the feeders included ACORN and LADDER-BACKED WOODPECKERS, MEXICAN JAYS, LARK SPARROW, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH and a SCOTT'S ORIOLE. Tonight we headed up into Miller Canyon and watched a COMMON POORWILL fly around the hillside through the spotlight. Not a bad way to end the day. Chris Charlesworth Avocet Tours & Limosa Holidays Kelowna, BC http://www.avocettours.ca [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: The Final FATAL Days - to Mio, Michigan, and back From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 20:53:52 -0700 Chris: Garrison Keillor would be proud. Rick Howie Kamloops1 From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Chris Siddle Sent: May-22-13 10:22 AM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] The Final FATAL Days - to Mio, Michigan, and back Thus far: driven by a constant need to increase their life lists, a ragtag bunch of birders snuck across the U.S. border, avoiding apprehension by cleverly disguising themselves as first and second year Ring-billed Gulls, common in the Detroit area. Once clear of surveillance, they discarded the gull costumes and re-assembled at the transports to find Sharonville, and the Sharonville Game Area, a known summer haunt of a member of the elusive Ammodramus gang, the Henslow's Sparrow. The field, selected by Central Intelligence is open ground, was always dangerous for the birders. Here the risk was not overlapping fields of fire from the tree line, but those ancient but effective members of nano-warfare, wood ticks, with their voracious appetites for birders' blood as well as their more subtle but far more devastating unsettling of the birders' minds. Henslow's Sparrow was faintly heard. Russ mistook the wind-blown call notes for those of a Grasshopper Sparrow but almost instantly corrected himself. Sarge Siddle nodded his approval. The squad got a good one when Cannings transferred in, he thought. Leadership qualities he inherited from his father and his grandfather, both decorated officers who played their parts in the country's long, tough military history. The Big Red 1 the troops called Cannings, always with affection, but never to his face. He's earned too much respect from his men and women for them to take a chance being too familiar with him. Big Red froze mid stride. He raised two fingers on his left hand and pointed toward the scattered willows which grew along the edge between the grass and the thickets that led to the woodland south of the squad. Sarge hussled to get a scope on the nearest willow. Nothing. He re-focused. Still zip. He pushed Jo Schwartz up to the scope. "See anything, Schwartz?" "Yeah, Sarge! Oh, man, oh, man! A little sparrow sandy coloured with dark marks on it. Oh, it's beautiful, Sarge." "Pull yourself together, Schwartz. You know why we're here, and beauty ain't got nothing to do with it. Where's your list?" Schwartz pulled a lifelist protected by a baggy from her tunic. "Ok, Schwartz, you know what to do." Without further sentiment Private Schwartz checked off Henslow's Sparrow on the list. Behind her the troopers had begun to line up, way too close to each other. "Maintain your intervals, maintain intervals!" barked Siddle. "One woodtick could wipe us all out when you bunch up like that." As the men and woman spread out Private Henderson said, "Speaking of ticks, Sarge, I think I got one." She held out her shaking hand on which crawled a small, very nasty looking critter with a strange white mark on its back. The troopers stirred uneasily, many staring in horrible fascination at the bug, the colour draining from their faces. "Yeah, that's a tick. Now nice and slow, Henderson. Use your fingers on your other hand to flick it away, and I mean AWAY, way over to the left where we ain't going to be. Don't freeze, Henderson. Slowly tuck your forefinger into your thumb so they make a circle and then draw a bead on the bug... "You mean literally draw on the bug? It's way too small! And what kind of bead? LIke a love bead?" Sarge knew this was not the time for levity or sarcasm. He thought, For once in your life, Siddle, be straight with the woman. No one liners, no put downs. Just tell her what to do. "I mean take aim at the tick. Get your forefinger next to it and then flick it into the grass way over there." TO BE CONTINUED Sarge Siddle, in the field [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: The Final FATAL Days - to Mio, Michigan, and back From: "pjlaing2" <pmjlaing AT shaw.ca> Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 02:36:44 -0000 Inspired, Sarge! Inspired! What will the denouement be? I await with bated breath. Does the FATAL of the subject line refer to - egads, a wood tick? Pray enlighten us all, and spare us these hours of tense suspenseful waiting.... Pam Laing Lake Country --- In bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com, Chris Siddle wrote: > > Thus far: driven by a constant need to increase their life lists, a ragtag > bunch of birders snuck across the U.S. border, avoiding apprehension by > cleverly disguising themselves as first and second year Ring-billed Gulls, > common in the Detroit area. > > Once clear of surveillance, they discarded the gull costumes and > re-assembled at the transports to find Sharonville, and the Sharonville > Game Area, a known summer haunt of a member of the elusive Ammodramus gang, > the Henslow's Sparrow. > > The field, selected by Central Intelligence is open ground, was always > dangerous for the birders. Here the risk was not overlapping fields of fire > from the tree line, but those ancient but effective members of > nano-warfare, wood ticks, with their voracious appetites for birders' blood > as well as their more subtle but far more devastating unsettling of the > birders' minds. > > Henslow's Sparrow was faintly heard. Russ mistook the wind-blown call notes > for those of a Grasshopper Sparrow but almost instantly corrected himself. > Sarge Siddle nodded his approval. The squad got a good one when Cannings > transferred in, he thought. Leadership qualities he inherited from his > father and his grandfather, both decorated officers who played their parts > in the country's long, tough military history. The Big Red 1 the troops > called Cannings, always with affection, but never to his face. He's earned > too much respect from his men and women for them to take a chance being too > familiar with him. > > Big Red froze mid stride. He raised two fingers on his left hand and > pointed toward the scattered willows which grew along the edge between the > grass and the thickets that led to the woodland south of the squad. Sarge > hussled to get a scope on the nearest willow. Nothing. He re-focused. Still > zip. He pushed Jo Schwartz up to the scope. "See anything, Schwartz?" > > "Yeah, Sarge! Oh, man, oh, man! A little sparrow sandy coloured with dark > marks on it. Oh, it's beautiful, Sarge." > > "Pull yourself together, Schwartz. You know why we're here, and beauty > ain't got nothing to do with it. Where's your list?" > > Schwartz pulled a lifelist protected by a baggy from her tunic. > > "Ok, Schwartz, you know what to do." > > Without further sentiment Private Schwartz checked off Henslow's Sparrow on > the list. > > Behind her the troopers had begun to line up, way too close to each other. > > "Maintain your intervals, maintain intervals!" barked Siddle. "One woodtick > could wipe us all out when you bunch up like that." > > As the men and woman spread out Private Henderson said, "Speaking of ticks, > Sarge, I think I got one." She held out her shaking hand on which crawled a > small, very nasty looking critter with a strange white mark on its back. > The troopers stirred uneasily, many staring in horrible fascination at the > bug, the colour draining from their faces. > > "Yeah, that's a tick. Now nice and slow, Henderson. Use your fingers on > your other hand to flick it away, and I mean AWAY, way over to the left > where we ain't going to be. Don't freeze, Henderson. Slowly tuck your > forefinger into your thumb so they make a circle and then draw a bead on > the bug... > > "You mean literally draw on the bug? It's way too small! And what kind of > bead? LIke a love bead?" > > Sarge knew this was not the time for levity or sarcasm. He thought, For > once in your life, Siddle, be straight with the woman. No one liners, no > put downs. Just tell her what to do. > > "I mean take aim at the tick. Get your forefinger next to it and then flick > it into the grass way over there." > > TO BE CONTINUED > > > Sarge Siddle, in the field > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Bicycle Birdathon From: "Dick Cannings" <cannings AT zoology.ubc.ca> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 15:19:39 -0700 Hi birders: I've just posted a full report on my latest bicycle birdathon from the Okanagan Valley. The "Saddle-Soras" pedalled for 138 km and found 127 species. Read all about it at http://dickcannings.com/2013/05/22/bicycle-birdathon-2013/ good birding! Dick Cannings Penticton, BC [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Subject: Bicycle Birdathon From: "Dick Cannings" <dickcannings AT shaw.ca> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 15:19:39 -0700 Hi birders: I've just posted a full report on my latest bicycle birdathon from the Okanagan Valley. The "Saddle-Soras" pedalled for 138 km and found 127 species. Read all about it at http://dickcannings.com/2013/05/22/bicycle-birdathon-2013/ good birding! Dick Cannings Penticton, BC [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Bicycle Birdathon From: "Dick Cannings" <cannings AT zoology.ubc.ca> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 15:19:39 -0700 Hi birders: I've just posted a full report on my latest bicycle birdathon from the Okanagan Valley. The "Saddle-Soras" pedalled for 138 km and found 127 species. Read all about it at http://dickcannings.com/2013/05/22/bicycle-birdathon-2013/ good birding! Dick Cannings Penticton, BC [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ _____________________________________________________________ * List owner: Albertabird-owner AT yahoogroups.com * Guidelines: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Albertabird/files/Guidelines.txt Subject: apologies to Jo From: Chris Siddle <chris.siddle AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 14:26:22 -0700 My sincerest apologies to Jo Swartz whose surname I misspelled throughout my combat memoirs Private Swartz was decorated twice for bravery under fire and went on to become Captain Swartz, commander of a crack psychological warfare unit. Colonel Swartz retired to Key West where she and her husband Dr. Richard Silverman run a very popular glutton-free restaurant for polydactyl and other special-needs cats. Chris S. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RBA: Lark Bunting (May 21) near Edgewood From: "mcbirder" <jarofme AT hotmail.com> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 20:35:46 -0000 Hi all, I posted this on wkbirds, but realized it has just as much relevance to anyone in Vernon or Kelowna: I am doing some work around the Arrow Lakes and was down in the Edgewood area. After bird surveys yesterday, I decided to check in on the Bobolinks in the fields north of Edgewood and eventually found them down Ferret S Rd. I also had a Lewis' Woodpecker and heard a Long-billed Curlew in the area. As I was heading out past the field with the Bobolinks, I stopped to ensure I was seeing a Clay-coloured Sparrow. I tracked the Clay-coloured to a brush pile at the side of the road and a black-and-white bird popped into view. I thought it was going to be another Bobolink but when I saw the bird in full, I realized it was a male Lark Bunting! The bird stayed in the brush pile long enough for me to run and get my camera, snap off a few photos and enjoy it through the binoculars for another half-minute. It then flew into the field to the east, landing first on a fence post and then on an irrigation pipe wheel. Amazing! For more info, read my blog entry here: http://naturalestnaturalist.blogspot.ca/2013/05/medium-rare.html Good birding, Jeremy Gatten Saanichton, BC (but currently in Nakusp) ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: The Final FATAL Days - to Mio, Michigan, and back From: "Bob and Maggie" <bobnmaggie AT shaw.ca> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 12:13:50 -0700 Sarge - you have outdone yourself! Best bird report I've read in the last 4 hours; maybe even the last 4 decades! Bob Handfield kaleden From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Chris Siddle Sent: May 22, 2013 10:22 AM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] The Final FATAL Days - to Mio, Michigan, and back Thus far: driven by a constant need to increase their life lists, a ragtag bunch of birders snuck across the U.S. border, avoiding apprehension by cleverly disguising themselves as first and second year Ring-billed Gulls, common in the Detroit area. Once clear of surveillance, they discarded the gull costumes and re-assembled at the transports to find Sharonville, and the Sharonville Game Area, a known summer haunt of a member of the elusive Ammodramus gang, the Henslow's Sparrow. The field, selected by Central Intelligence is open ground, was always dangerous for the birders. Here the risk was not overlapping fields of fire from the tree line, but those ancient but effective members of nano-warfare, wood ticks, with their voracious appetites for birders' blood as well as their more subtle but far more devastating unsettling of the birders' minds. Henslow's Sparrow was faintly heard. Russ mistook the wind-blown call notes for those of a Grasshopper Sparrow but almost instantly corrected himself. Sarge Siddle nodded his approval. The squad got a good one when Cannings transferred in, he thought. Leadership qualities he inherited from his father and his grandfather, both decorated officers who played their parts in the country's long, tough military history. The Big Red 1 the troops called Cannings, always with affection, but never to his face. He's earned too much respect from his men and women for them to take a chance being too familiar with him. Big Red froze mid stride. He raised two fingers on his left hand and pointed toward the scattered willows which grew along the edge between the grass and the thickets that led to the woodland south of the squad. Sarge hussled to get a scope on the nearest willow. Nothing. He re-focused. Still zip. He pushed Jo Schwartz up to the scope. "See anything, Schwartz?" "Yeah, Sarge! Oh, man, oh, man! A little sparrow sandy coloured with dark marks on it. Oh, it's beautiful, Sarge." "Pull yourself together, Schwartz. You know why we're here, and beauty ain't got nothing to do with it. Where's your list?" Schwartz pulled a lifelist protected by a baggy from her tunic. "Ok, Schwartz, you know what to do." Without further sentiment Private Schwartz checked off Henslow's Sparrow on the list. Behind her the troopers had begun to line up, way too close to each other. "Maintain your intervals, maintain intervals!" barked Siddle. "One woodtick could wipe us all out when you bunch up like that." As the men and woman spread out Private Henderson said, "Speaking of ticks, Sarge, I think I got one." She held out her shaking hand on which crawled a small, very nasty looking critter with a strange white mark on its back. The troopers stirred uneasily, many staring in horrible fascination at the bug, the colour draining from their faces. "Yeah, that's a tick. Now nice and slow, Henderson. Use your fingers on your other hand to flick it away, and I mean AWAY, way over to the left where we ain't going to be. Don't freeze, Henderson. Slowly tuck your forefinger into your thumb so they make a circle and then draw a bead on the bug... "You mean literally draw on the bug? It's way too small! And what kind of bead? LIke a love bead?" Sarge knew this was not the time for levity or sarcasm. He thought, For once in your life, Siddle, be straight with the woman. No one liners, no put downs. Just tell her what to do. "I mean take aim at the tick. Get your forefinger next to it and then flick it into the grass way over there." TO BE CONTINUED Sarge Siddle, in the field [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: The Final FATAL Days - to Mio, Michigan, and back From: Chris Siddle <chris.siddle AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 10:22:08 -0700 Thus far: driven by a constant need to increase their life lists, a ragtag bunch of birders snuck across the U.S. border, avoiding apprehension by cleverly disguising themselves as first and second year Ring-billed Gulls, common in the Detroit area. Once clear of surveillance, they discarded the gull costumes and re-assembled at the transports to find Sharonville, and the Sharonville Game Area, a known summer haunt of a member of the elusive Ammodramus gang, the Henslow's Sparrow. The field, selected by Central Intelligence is open ground, was always dangerous for the birders. Here the risk was not overlapping fields of fire from the tree line, but those ancient but effective members of nano-warfare, wood ticks, with their voracious appetites for birders' blood as well as their more subtle but far more devastating unsettling of the birders' minds. Henslow's Sparrow was faintly heard. Russ mistook the wind-blown call notes for those of a Grasshopper Sparrow but almost instantly corrected himself. Sarge Siddle nodded his approval. The squad got a good one when Cannings transferred in, he thought. Leadership qualities he inherited from his father and his grandfather, both decorated officers who played their parts in the country's long, tough military history. The Big Red 1 the troops called Cannings, always with affection, but never to his face. He's earned too much respect from his men and women for them to take a chance being too familiar with him. Big Red froze mid stride. He raised two fingers on his left hand and pointed toward the scattered willows which grew along the edge between the grass and the thickets that led to the woodland south of the squad. Sarge hussled to get a scope on the nearest willow. Nothing. He re-focused. Still zip. He pushed Jo Schwartz up to the scope. "See anything, Schwartz?" "Yeah, Sarge! Oh, man, oh, man! A little sparrow sandy coloured with dark marks on it. Oh, it's beautiful, Sarge." "Pull yourself together, Schwartz. You know why we're here, and beauty ain't got nothing to do with it. Where's your list?" Schwartz pulled a lifelist protected by a baggy from her tunic. "Ok, Schwartz, you know what to do." Without further sentiment Private Schwartz checked off Henslow's Sparrow on the list. Behind her the troopers had begun to line up, way too close to each other. "Maintain your intervals, maintain intervals!" barked Siddle. "One woodtick could wipe us all out when you bunch up like that." As the men and woman spread out Private Henderson said, "Speaking of ticks, Sarge, I think I got one." She held out her shaking hand on which crawled a small, very nasty looking critter with a strange white mark on its back. The troopers stirred uneasily, many staring in horrible fascination at the bug, the colour draining from their faces. "Yeah, that's a tick. Now nice and slow, Henderson. Use your fingers on your other hand to flick it away, and I mean AWAY, way over to the left where we ain't going to be. Don't freeze, Henderson. Slowly tuck your forefinger into your thumb so they make a circle and then draw a bead on the bug... "You mean literally draw on the bug? It's way too small! And what kind of bead? LIke a love bead?" Sarge knew this was not the time for levity or sarcasm. He thought, For once in your life, Siddle, be straight with the woman. No one liners, no put downs. Just tell her what to do. "I mean take aim at the tick. Get your forefinger next to it and then flick it into the grass way over there." TO BE CONTINUED Sarge Siddle, in the field [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Days 4-7 - the Final FATAL days - PART 2 - is it posted? From: Gary Davidson <gsd37 AT yahoo.ca> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 10:21:00 -0700 (PDT) I got it, Chris. G From: Chris Siddle To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 9:08:43 AM Subject: [bcintbird] Days 4-7 - the Final FATAL days - PART 2 - is it posted?   Hi members, Could someone tell me if Part 2 of the FINAL Fatal Days has appeared on bcintbird yet. My email program will only indicate so if someone else comments on the post. I'm not fishing for any praise etc. this time. I just want to keep my installments orderly. Chris S. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: Days 4-7 - the Final FATAL days - PART 2 - is it posted? From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 09:51:16 -0700 It has arrived Chris. Do you not receive messages that you send to BCINTBIRD? I use Outlook and they all come back to my inbox. Rick From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Chris Siddle Sent: May-22-13 9:09 AM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] Days 4-7 - the Final FATAL days - PART 2 - is it posted? Hi members, Could someone tell me if Part 2 of the FINAL Fatal Days has appeared on bcintbird yet. My email program will only indicate so if someone else comments on the post. I'm not fishing for any praise etc. this time. I just want to keep my installments orderly. Chris S. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: Re: Franklin Gull Migration From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 09:29:38 -0700 Yes Russ, the flock sizes in the Peace certainly are impressive and reflect the fact that there really is a piece of the prairie biome in NE BC as opposed to our intermontane valley world here in the interior. We did not really catch on to the potential for FRGU here in Kamloops until 1990 when Syd Roberts reported the first one. Since then, we have amassed 38 observations but it is possible that Syd had some other ones in his records that did not get to me before he passed away. And there are other active observers such as Wayne Weber who may have sightings for the Nicola Valley that I do not have in my database. Our typical observations have been of single birds with 3 being the maximum number. The season of occurrence has been from mid June through early November with 71% of all sightings evenly split between August and September. From 1990 they have been an annual visitor but I note that on a personal basis, I have not added a sighting to my database since 2005. I think this may reflect a change in my observation habits away from some of the typical hotspots for this species in our area. But then again, perhaps there has been a pattern shift in bird movements as well. Suffice it to say that we do not represent the world of the Franklin's Gull here in Kamloops. But they are fun to search for nonetheless. Thanks for the Peace update and the Okanagan experience. It looks as if general observations still reflect the broad patterns for this species as noted in Birds of BC. Rick Howie From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Russell Sent: May-22-13 8:40 AM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] Re: Franklin Gull Migration Hi Rick and Allan, To clarify the Fraser Delta (re: Franklin's Gulls), they are a rare but annual thing in late summer, with far less occurring in spring. As far as a wintering population goes, I have never heard of anything like that. Franklin's Gulls are rare year-round in the Georgia Depression and any winter sightings would be treated with great excitement. If we want to talk 'substantial' flocks of Franklin's Gulls in BC, look no further than the Peace! In late May, 2010 for instance, some friends and I observed over 6000 near dusk on Charlie Lake, just north of Fort St John. The majority of those birds appear to come via the Prairies, but I suppose a few birds may take a different route. I mentioned earlier that Franklin's were annual in spring in the Okanagan. I should be clear that groups of over 5 are certainly unusual. Typically it's a one-at-a-time kinda thing. Russ Cannings Revelstoke, BC --- In bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com , "Rick Howie" wrote: > > Thanks Allan. I consider a group of 6-12 Franklin's to be substantial > indeed. I have never seen this many in BC anywhere. This cluster at Road 22 > is larger than I have ever been fortunate enough to see, which is my limited > experience and obviously not equal to others. 2012 and 2013 will be the > lowest years in the sockeye cycle so your fry numbers will be reduced of > course. 2010 was a dominant spawning year and 2011 was the sub-dominant so > you would have seen peak fry movements during those years. > > > > Looking forward to your continued reports. > > > > Rick Howie > > > > From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com ] On Behalf > Of allandupilka > Sent: May-21-13 9:50 PM > To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > Subject: [bcintbird] Re: Franklin Gull Migration > > > > > > Hi Rick > > Very good point Rick. I checked the winter Franklin Gull population on the > West Coast and found it to be not that substantial. In 2005 spring, there > was very few on the West Coast and a few more along the interior NW > states.In 2005, we did not keep accurate count, but our recollections are a > couple groups of 6-12. We ID breeding adults and use the black hood- red > bill for Franklins and although no Bonaparte that year we would have used > black hood-black bill as the primary filter.No immatures counted. They were > clearly Franklin's as we were quite familiar with both from our days in > Northern Alberta. This years Bonapartes was 10 adults black hood-black bill. > Non adults not counted. > > Spring salmon fry in Little Shuswap in the spring are also interesting. They > move into the lake early in spring from the Adams and there numbers become > very obvious. The last couple years after the big 2010 run and the fair 2011 > run, we have quite sunny days on a spring morning where the lake looks its > raining with all the rising fry breaking to the surface. This year there is > almost no action- therefore minimum fry. > > Allan > > --- In bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com , > "Rick Howie" wrote: > > > > Hi Allan: interesting to hear. What do you mean by "substantial?" What > sort > > of numbers were you seeing? Were you able to separate them from > Bonaparte's > > which would normally peak through there about then? It appears from other > > records that the Franklin's may move north through the Okanagan and > perhaps > > eastward after that. I am pretty confident that they do not move eastward > > through Kamloops in the spring, although my intense scrutiny has waned > > somewhat in the past few years as I have become pressured by demands of my > > consulting business. But other diligent field observers here have not > > reported them either. > > > > > > > > Common Terns are another species that are usually scarce here in the > spring > > but we have had records which showed a peak during late April. Fall > > migration is clearly the most protracted and has the highest peak numbers. > > The abundance of salmon fry in Little Shuswap Lake would exceed that in > the > > South Thompson at certain times of the year, and reflect the 4 year cycle > of > > the Sockeye run into the Adam's river. We have clear data on the numbers > of > > eagles and diving ducks that feast on salmon eggs to show that the > > periodicity of the salmon runs markedly effects certain groups of birds. > > The fry travel downstream along the South Thompson River but hunting > > conditions vary once they are in the river and I suspect make things more > > difficult for predatory birds, so we don't see the same aggregations. The > > emergence of chinook fry from key spawning beds in the river can attract > > mergansers and gulls in some years, but the response seems variable, as > > might the numbers of emerging fry. It all makes for interesting and > > challenging studies. > > > > > > > > Perhaps Wayne Weber or one of our Lower Mainland members can comment on > the > > size of the wintering population of Franklin's in the Fraser delta. It has > > been many decades since I lived in Vancouver and Franklin's was always a > > novelty in ones or twos as opposed to small flocks. But the scenario may > > well have changed. > > > > > > > > Thanks again for your insight. These ecological relationships are what > > excite my personal fascination with birds and reflect my bias in > channeling > > my field time. I like what the combined knowledge of scattered observers > can > > do to enhancing our understanding. > > > > > > > > Rick Howie > > > > Kamloops > > > > > > > > From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com ] On > Behalf > > Of allandupilka > > Sent: May-21-13 6:34 PM > > To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > > Subject: [bcintbird] Franklin Gull Migration > > > > > > > > > > > > Rick > > May 10-18,2005, we had a substantial migration of Franklin Gull through > the > > Little Shuswap. We had two major groups and during the week we had > numerous > > straglers staying and probably feeding on salmon fry.They were coming from > > the west and travelling east. > > We assumed that the Pacific (Fraser mouth) residents used the Fraser, > South > > Thompson and some low elevation short route the rest of the way to the > > Prairies. > > This year about the same time we had a similar movement of Bonapartes. > > We have had similar movement of white headed gulls and terns but in both > > cases we have not been able to positively id because of the distance > across > > the lake. > > It is also not uncommon to have Surf Scoter groups and Harlequin passing > > through in the same direction.This year we seemed to have a similar Purple > > Finch movement. > > > > This is totally different than the normal spring migration we see for the > > Eagles,most other waterfowl, Pelicans, Vulture, Songbirds etc. These are > > usually sighted in the Okanagan and within a few days appear here and are > > moving west down the lake. > > > > Dupilkas at Little Shuswap > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Days 4-7 - the Final FATAL days - PART 2 - is it posted? From: Janna Leslie <jannamles AT yahoo.ca> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 09:23:54 -0700 (PDT) Yes, I received it -- dated Tues at 6:13am Janna ps -- also enjoyed reading it! ________________________________ From: Chris Siddle To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 9:08:43 AM Subject: [bcintbird] Days 4-7 - the Final FATAL days - PART 2 - is it posted?   Hi members, Could someone tell me if Part 2 of the FINAL Fatal Days has appeared on bcintbird yet. My email program will only indicate so if someone else comments on the post. I'm not fishing for any praise etc. this time. I just want to keep my installments orderly. Chris S. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Days 4-7 - the Final FATAL days - PART 2 - is it posted? From: Chris Siddle <chris.siddle AT gmail.com> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 09:08:43 -0700 Hi members, Could someone tell me if Part 2 of the FINAL Fatal Days has appeared on bcintbird yet. My email program will only indicate so if someone else comments on the post. I'm not fishing for any praise etc. this time. I just want to keep my installments orderly. Chris S. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Franklin Gull Migration From: "Russell" <russellcannings AT shaw.ca> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 15:40:06 -0000 Hi Rick and Allan, To clarify the Fraser Delta (re: Franklin's Gulls), they are a rare but annual thing in late summer, with far less occurring in spring. As far as a wintering population goes, I have never heard of anything like that. Franklin's Gulls are rare year-round in the Georgia Depression and any winter sightings would be treated with great excitement. If we want to talk 'substantial' flocks of Franklin's Gulls in BC, look no further than the Peace! In late May, 2010 for instance, some friends and I observed over 6000 near dusk on Charlie Lake, just north of Fort St John. The majority of those birds appear to come via the Prairies, but I suppose a few birds may take a different route. I mentioned earlier that Franklin's were annual in spring in the Okanagan. I should be clear that groups of over 5 are certainly unusual. Typically it's a one-at-a-time kinda thing. Russ Cannings Revelstoke, BC --- In bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com, "Rick Howie" wrote: > > Thanks Allan. I consider a group of 6-12 Franklin's to be substantial > indeed. I have never seen this many in BC anywhere. This cluster at Road 22 > is larger than I have ever been fortunate enough to see, which is my limited > experience and obviously not equal to others. 2012 and 2013 will be the > lowest years in the sockeye cycle so your fry numbers will be reduced of > course. 2010 was a dominant spawning year and 2011 was the sub-dominant so > you would have seen peak fry movements during those years. > > > > Looking forward to your continued reports. > > > > Rick Howie > > > > From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf > Of allandupilka > Sent: May-21-13 9:50 PM > To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > Subject: [bcintbird] Re: Franklin Gull Migration > > > > > > Hi Rick > > Very good point Rick. I checked the winter Franklin Gull population on the > West Coast and found it to be not that substantial. In 2005 spring, there > was very few on the West Coast and a few more along the interior NW > states.In 2005, we did not keep accurate count, but our recollections are a > couple groups of 6-12. We ID breeding adults and use the black hood- red > bill for Franklins and although no Bonaparte that year we would have used > black hood-black bill as the primary filter.No immatures counted. They were > clearly Franklin's as we were quite familiar with both from our days in > Northern Alberta. This years Bonapartes was 10 adults black hood-black bill. > Non adults not counted. > > Spring salmon fry in Little Shuswap in the spring are also interesting. They > move into the lake early in spring from the Adams and there numbers become > very obvious. The last couple years after the big 2010 run and the fair 2011 > run, we have quite sunny days on a spring morning where the lake looks its > raining with all the rising fry breaking to the surface. This year there is > almost no action- therefore minimum fry. > > Allan > > --- In bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com , > "Rick Howie" wrote: > > > > Hi Allan: interesting to hear. What do you mean by "substantial?" What > sort > > of numbers were you seeing? Were you able to separate them from > Bonaparte's > > which would normally peak through there about then? It appears from other > > records that the Franklin's may move north through the Okanagan and > perhaps > > eastward after that. I am pretty confident that they do not move eastward > > through Kamloops in the spring, although my intense scrutiny has waned > > somewhat in the past few years as I have become pressured by demands of my > > consulting business. But other diligent field observers here have not > > reported them either. > > > > > > > > Common Terns are another species that are usually scarce here in the > spring > > but we have had records which showed a peak during late April. Fall > > migration is clearly the most protracted and has the highest peak numbers. > > The abundance of salmon fry in Little Shuswap Lake would exceed that in > the > > South Thompson at certain times of the year, and reflect the 4 year cycle > of > > the Sockeye run into the Adam's river. We have clear data on the numbers > of > > eagles and diving ducks that feast on salmon eggs to show that the > > periodicity of the salmon runs markedly effects certain groups of birds. > > The fry travel downstream along the South Thompson River but hunting > > conditions vary once they are in the river and I suspect make things more > > difficult for predatory birds, so we don't see the same aggregations. The > > emergence of chinook fry from key spawning beds in the river can attract > > mergansers and gulls in some years, but the response seems variable, as > > might the numbers of emerging fry. It all makes for interesting and > > challenging studies. > > > > > > > > Perhaps Wayne Weber or one of our Lower Mainland members can comment on > the > > size of the wintering population of Franklin's in the Fraser delta. It has > > been many decades since I lived in Vancouver and Franklin's was always a > > novelty in ones or twos as opposed to small flocks. But the scenario may > > well have changed. > > > > > > > > Thanks again for your insight. These ecological relationships are what > > excite my personal fascination with birds and reflect my bias in > channeling > > my field time. I like what the combined knowledge of scattered observers > can > > do to enhancing our understanding. > > > > > > > > Rick Howie > > > > Kamloops > > > > > > > > From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com ] On > Behalf > > Of allandupilka > > Sent: May-21-13 6:34 PM > > To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > > Subject: [bcintbird] Franklin Gull Migration > > > > > > > > > > > > Rick > > May 10-18,2005, we had a substantial migration of Franklin Gull through > the > > Little Shuswap. We had two major groups and during the week we had > numerous > > straglers staying and probably feeding on salmon fry.They were coming from > > the west and travelling east. > > We assumed that the Pacific (Fraser mouth) residents used the Fraser, > South > > Thompson and some low elevation short route the rest of the way to the > > Prairies. > > This year about the same time we had a similar movement of Bonapartes. > > We have had similar movement of white headed gulls and terns but in both > > cases we have not been able to positively id because of the distance > across > > the lake. > > It is also not uncommon to have Surf Scoter groups and Harlequin passing > > through in the same direction.This year we seemed to have a similar Purple > > Finch movement. > > > > This is totally different than the normal spring migration we see for the > > Eagles,most other waterfowl, Pelicans, Vulture, Songbirds etc. These are > > usually sighted in the Okanagan and within a few days appear here and are > > moving west down the lake. > > > > Dupilkas at Little Shuswap > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: Re: Franklin Gull Migration From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 22:48:01 -0700 Thanks Allan. I consider a group of 6-12 Franklin's to be substantial indeed. I have never seen this many in BC anywhere. This cluster at Road 22 is larger than I have ever been fortunate enough to see, which is my limited experience and obviously not equal to others. 2012 and 2013 will be the lowest years in the sockeye cycle so your fry numbers will be reduced of course. 2010 was a dominant spawning year and 2011 was the sub-dominant so you would have seen peak fry movements during those years. Looking forward to your continued reports. Rick Howie From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of allandupilka Sent: May-21-13 9:50 PM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] Re: Franklin Gull Migration Hi Rick Very good point Rick. I checked the winter Franklin Gull population on the West Coast and found it to be not that substantial. In 2005 spring, there was very few on the West Coast and a few more along the interior NW states.In 2005, we did not keep accurate count, but our recollections are a couple groups of 6-12. We ID breeding adults and use the black hood- red bill for Franklins and although no Bonaparte that year we would have used black hood-black bill as the primary filter.No immatures counted. They were clearly Franklin's as we were quite familiar with both from our days in Northern Alberta. This years Bonapartes was 10 adults black hood-black bill. Non adults not counted. Spring salmon fry in Little Shuswap in the spring are also interesting. They move into the lake early in spring from the Adams and there numbers become very obvious. The last couple years after the big 2010 run and the fair 2011 run, we have quite sunny days on a spring morning where the lake looks its raining with all the rising fry breaking to the surface. This year there is almost no action- therefore minimum fry. Allan --- In bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com , "Rick Howie" wrote: > > Hi Allan: interesting to hear. What do you mean by "substantial?" What sort > of numbers were you seeing? Were you able to separate them from Bonaparte's > which would normally peak through there about then? It appears from other > records that the Franklin's may move north through the Okanagan and perhaps > eastward after that. I am pretty confident that they do not move eastward > through Kamloops in the spring, although my intense scrutiny has waned > somewhat in the past few years as I have become pressured by demands of my > consulting business. But other diligent field observers here have not > reported them either. > > > > Common Terns are another species that are usually scarce here in the spring > but we have had records which showed a peak during late April. Fall > migration is clearly the most protracted and has the highest peak numbers. > The abundance of salmon fry in Little Shuswap Lake would exceed that in the > South Thompson at certain times of the year, and reflect the 4 year cycle of > the Sockeye run into the Adam's river. We have clear data on the numbers of > eagles and diving ducks that feast on salmon eggs to show that the > periodicity of the salmon runs markedly effects certain groups of birds. > The fry travel downstream along the South Thompson River but hunting > conditions vary once they are in the river and I suspect make things more > difficult for predatory birds, so we don't see the same aggregations. The > emergence of chinook fry from key spawning beds in the river can attract > mergansers and gulls in some years, but the response seems variable, as > might the numbers of emerging fry. It all makes for interesting and > challenging studies. > > > > Perhaps Wayne Weber or one of our Lower Mainland members can comment on the > size of the wintering population of Franklin's in the Fraser delta. It has > been many decades since I lived in Vancouver and Franklin's was always a > novelty in ones or twos as opposed to small flocks. But the scenario may > well have changed. > > > > Thanks again for your insight. These ecological relationships are what > excite my personal fascination with birds and reflect my bias in channeling > my field time. I like what the combined knowledge of scattered observers can > do to enhancing our understanding. > > > > Rick Howie > > Kamloops > > > > From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com ] On Behalf > Of allandupilka > Sent: May-21-13 6:34 PM > To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > Subject: [bcintbird] Franklin Gull Migration > > > > > > Rick > May 10-18,2005, we had a substantial migration of Franklin Gull through the > Little Shuswap. We had two major groups and during the week we had numerous > straglers staying and probably feeding on salmon fry.They were coming from > the west and travelling east. > We assumed that the Pacific (Fraser mouth) residents used the Fraser, South > Thompson and some low elevation short route the rest of the way to the > Prairies. > This year about the same time we had a similar movement of Bonapartes. > We have had similar movement of white headed gulls and terns but in both > cases we have not been able to positively id because of the distance across > the lake. > It is also not uncommon to have Surf Scoter groups and Harlequin passing > through in the same direction.This year we seemed to have a similar Purple > Finch movement. > > This is totally different than the normal spring migration we see for the > Eagles,most other waterfowl, Pelicans, Vulture, Songbirds etc. These are > usually sighted in the Okanagan and within a few days appear here and are > moving west down the lake. > > Dupilkas at Little Shuswap > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Franklin Gull Migration From: "allandupilka" <adupilka AT airspeedwireless.ca> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 04:50:17 -0000 Hi Rick Very good point Rick. I checked the winter Franklin Gull population on the West Coast and found it to be not that substantial. In 2005 spring, there was very few on the West Coast and a few more along the interior NW states.In 2005, we did not keep accurate count, but our recollections are a couple groups of 6-12. We ID breeding adults and use the black hood- red bill for Franklins and although no Bonaparte that year we would have used black hood-black bill as the primary filter.No immatures counted. They were clearly Franklin's as we were quite familiar with both from our days in Northern Alberta. This years Bonapartes was 10 adults black hood-black bill. Non adults not counted. Spring salmon fry in Little Shuswap in the spring are also interesting. They move into the lake early in spring from the Adams and there numbers become very obvious. The last couple years after the big 2010 run and the fair 2011 run, we have quite sunny days on a spring morning where the lake looks its raining with all the rising fry breaking to the surface. This year there is almost no action- therefore minimum fry. Allan --- In bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com, "Rick Howie" wrote: > > Hi Allan: interesting to hear. What do you mean by "substantial?" What sort > of numbers were you seeing? Were you able to separate them from Bonaparte's > which would normally peak through there about then? It appears from other > records that the Franklin's may move north through the Okanagan and perhaps > eastward after that. I am pretty confident that they do not move eastward > through Kamloops in the spring, although my intense scrutiny has waned > somewhat in the past few years as I have become pressured by demands of my > consulting business. But other diligent field observers here have not > reported them either. > > > > Common Terns are another species that are usually scarce here in the spring > but we have had records which showed a peak during late April. Fall > migration is clearly the most protracted and has the highest peak numbers. > The abundance of salmon fry in Little Shuswap Lake would exceed that in the > South Thompson at certain times of the year, and reflect the 4 year cycle of > the Sockeye run into the Adam's river. We have clear data on the numbers of > eagles and diving ducks that feast on salmon eggs to show that the > periodicity of the salmon runs markedly effects certain groups of birds. > The fry travel downstream along the South Thompson River but hunting > conditions vary once they are in the river and I suspect make things more > difficult for predatory birds, so we don't see the same aggregations. The > emergence of chinook fry from key spawning beds in the river can attract > mergansers and gulls in some years, but the response seems variable, as > might the numbers of emerging fry. It all makes for interesting and > challenging studies. > > > > Perhaps Wayne Weber or one of our Lower Mainland members can comment on the > size of the wintering population of Franklin's in the Fraser delta. It has > been many decades since I lived in Vancouver and Franklin's was always a > novelty in ones or twos as opposed to small flocks. But the scenario may > well have changed. > > > > Thanks again for your insight. These ecological relationships are what > excite my personal fascination with birds and reflect my bias in channeling > my field time. I like what the combined knowledge of scattered observers can > do to enhancing our understanding. > > > > Rick Howie > > Kamloops > > > > From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf > Of allandupilka > Sent: May-21-13 6:34 PM > To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > Subject: [bcintbird] Franklin Gull Migration > > > > > > Rick > May 10-18,2005, we had a substantial migration of Franklin Gull through the > Little Shuswap. We had two major groups and during the week we had numerous > straglers staying and probably feeding on salmon fry.They were coming from > the west and travelling east. > We assumed that the Pacific (Fraser mouth) residents used the Fraser, South > Thompson and some low elevation short route the rest of the way to the > Prairies. > This year about the same time we had a similar movement of Bonapartes. > We have had similar movement of white headed gulls and terns but in both > cases we have not been able to positively id because of the distance across > the lake. > It is also not uncommon to have Surf Scoter groups and Harlequin passing > through in the same direction.This year we seemed to have a similar Purple > Finch movement. > > This is totally different than the normal spring migration we see for the > Eagles,most other waterfowl, Pelicans, Vulture, Songbirds etc. These are > usually sighted in the Okanagan and within a few days appear here and are > moving west down the lake. > > Dupilkas at Little Shuswap > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: Franklin Gull Migration From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 19:38:52 -0700 Hi Allan: interesting to hear. What do you mean by "substantial?" What sort of numbers were you seeing? Were you able to separate them from Bonaparte's which would normally peak through there about then? It appears from other records that the Franklin's may move north through the Okanagan and perhaps eastward after that. I am pretty confident that they do not move eastward through Kamloops in the spring, although my intense scrutiny has waned somewhat in the past few years as I have become pressured by demands of my consulting business. But other diligent field observers here have not reported them either. Common Terns are another species that are usually scarce here in the spring but we have had records which showed a peak during late April. Fall migration is clearly the most protracted and has the highest peak numbers. The abundance of salmon fry in Little Shuswap Lake would exceed that in the South Thompson at certain times of the year, and reflect the 4 year cycle of the Sockeye run into the Adam's river. We have clear data on the numbers of eagles and diving ducks that feast on salmon eggs to show that the periodicity of the salmon runs markedly effects certain groups of birds. The fry travel downstream along the South Thompson River but hunting conditions vary once they are in the river and I suspect make things more difficult for predatory birds, so we don't see the same aggregations. The emergence of chinook fry from key spawning beds in the river can attract mergansers and gulls in some years, but the response seems variable, as might the numbers of emerging fry. It all makes for interesting and challenging studies. Perhaps Wayne Weber or one of our Lower Mainland members can comment on the size of the wintering population of Franklin's in the Fraser delta. It has been many decades since I lived in Vancouver and Franklin's was always a novelty in ones or twos as opposed to small flocks. But the scenario may well have changed. Thanks again for your insight. These ecological relationships are what excite my personal fascination with birds and reflect my bias in channeling my field time. I like what the combined knowledge of scattered observers can do to enhancing our understanding. Rick Howie Kamloops From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of allandupilka Sent: May-21-13 6:34 PM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] Franklin Gull Migration Rick May 10-18,2005, we had a substantial migration of Franklin Gull through the Little Shuswap. We had two major groups and during the week we had numerous straglers staying and probably feeding on salmon fry.They were coming from the west and travelling east. We assumed that the Pacific (Fraser mouth) residents used the Fraser, South Thompson and some low elevation short route the rest of the way to the Prairies. This year about the same time we had a similar movement of Bonapartes. We have had similar movement of white headed gulls and terns but in both cases we have not been able to positively id because of the distance across the lake. It is also not uncommon to have Surf Scoter groups and Harlequin passing through in the same direction.This year we seemed to have a similar Purple Finch movement. This is totally different than the normal spring migration we see for the Eagles,most other waterfowl, Pelicans, Vulture, Songbirds etc. These are usually sighted in the Okanagan and within a few days appear here and are moving west down the lake. Dupilkas at Little Shuswap [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Franklin Gull Migration From: "allandupilka" <adupilka AT airspeedwireless.ca> Date: Wed, 22 May 2013 01:33:53 -0000 Rick May 10-18,2005, we had a substantial migration of Franklin Gull through the Little Shuswap. We had two major groups and during the week we had numerous straglers staying and probably feeding on salmon fry.They were coming from the west and travelling east. We assumed that the Pacific (Fraser mouth) residents used the Fraser, South Thompson and some low elevation short route the rest of the way to the Prairies. This year about the same time we had a similar movement of Bonapartes. We have had similar movement of white headed gulls and terns but in both cases we have not been able to positively id because of the distance across the lake. It is also not uncommon to have Surf Scoter groups and Harlequin passing through in the same direction.This year we seemed to have a similar Purple Finch movement. This is totally different than the normal spring migration we see for the Eagles,most other waterfowl, Pelicans, Vulture, Songbirds etc. These are usually sighted in the Okanagan and within a few days appear here and are moving west down the lake. Dupilkas at Little Shuswap ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Latest on Rd. 22 and environs From: "Thor" <thormanson AT yahoo.com> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 21:37:30 -0000 Hi birders: Since the excitement of the festival and the birdathon have now died down, I thought I would check this weekend's hotspot, Rd. 22 this morning. The road is still flooding, which, of course, is contributing water to the new ponds in the meadows. I met Doug Brown down there, and he admits to being " slightly sore " from his extraordinary Big Day accomplishment. We looked for about an hour for the Red necked Phalarope, but it appears to have departed, or is being very skulky. There are, however, still lots of Wilson's Phalaropes in attendance. Also seen were six Bonaparte's Gulls, Eastern Kingbird, Cinammon Teal, Bald Eagle, Sora, at least 3 Long billed Curlew, Killdeer, and, of course, the recently arrived Bobolinks amongst others. Doug then suggested we check the " cow pasture " up along the NW dyke from Rd. 22. This is basically now a lake, and is holding several species of ducks. It looks very unOkanagan like. On the way home I thought I would check out Island View Rd north of Oliver, expecting to find Yellow breasted Chat there, and I found two just south of the Sage Brush Nursery. Doug had mentioned that he had found same along River Rd, which is basically the same road, but on the north side of Highway 97. A great time to be birding in the South Okanagan. Thor Thor Manson Gallagher Lake. ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Re: Black-chinned Hummingbirds From: r.howie AT shaw.ca Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 20:14:07 +0000 Thanks Russ: the knowledge base keeps changing every year. Birds of BC Revision 1 will be needed. The recent atlas project should be a big step forward. Rick Sent from my BlackBerry device on the Rogers Wireless Network -----Original Message----- From: "Russell" Sender: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 19:35:03 To: Reply-To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] Re: Black-chinned Hummingbirds Hi Rick, According to Adrian Leather (of Quesnel), Black-chinned Hummingbirds occur annually (rare/local) as far north as Soda Creek--in between Williams Lake and Quesnel. And like Willow Flycatchers, catbirds, veeries, Lazuli Buntings, and Bullock's Orioles, they seem to be gradually pushing north each year. Worth looking out for! Russ Cannings Revelstoke, BC --- In bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com, "Rick Howie" wrote: > > Kamloops is near the northern limits for Black-chinned Hummingbirds in BC. > They have been reported as far north as Little Fort in the North Thompson > drainage. They are very infrequently reported from feeders in the Kamloops > area but are likely annual summer residents. Two were seen at feeders in > Kamloops during the last couple of days for the first records this season. > > > > If you are travelling on Hwy 5 to or from Prince George or Jasper, check out > the Rivermount Motel on Hummingbird Road just north of Little Fort. They > have several feeders which are usually busy with Calliope and Rufous > Hummingbirds, but perhaps you will get lucky and find a Black-chinned. The > motel is close to the highway so you can't miss it as you are travelling > along. I am not sure just exactly where the 1982 record for the > Black-chinned at Little Fort was, but the feeder cluster here seems like a > good bet. > > > > Rick Howie > > Kamloops > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Black-chinned Hummingbirds From: "Russell" <russellcannings AT shaw.ca> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 19:35:03 -0000 Hi Rick, According to Adrian Leather (of Quesnel), Black-chinned Hummingbirds occur annually (rare/local) as far north as Soda Creek--in between Williams Lake and Quesnel. And like Willow Flycatchers, catbirds, veeries, Lazuli Buntings, and Bullock's Orioles, they seem to be gradually pushing north each year. Worth looking out for! Russ Cannings Revelstoke, BC --- In bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com, "Rick Howie" wrote: > > Kamloops is near the northern limits for Black-chinned Hummingbirds in BC. > They have been reported as far north as Little Fort in the North Thompson > drainage. They are very infrequently reported from feeders in the Kamloops > area but are likely annual summer residents. Two were seen at feeders in > Kamloops during the last couple of days for the first records this season. > > > > If you are travelling on Hwy 5 to or from Prince George or Jasper, check out > the Rivermount Motel on Hummingbird Road just north of Little Fort. They > have several feeders which are usually busy with Calliope and Rufous > Hummingbirds, but perhaps you will get lucky and find a Black-chinned. The > motel is close to the highway so you can't miss it as you are travelling > along. I am not sure just exactly where the 1982 record for the > Black-chinned at Little Fort was, but the feeder cluster here seems like a > good bet. > > > > Rick Howie > > Kamloops > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: VARC - Spring Blog! From: "Derek Matthews" <Derek AT birdvancouver.com> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 18:58:43 -0000 Hi Birders and Banders, I've just uploaded the spring blog for April and May with all the activity from the first two months of this season's migration monitoring and banding at Colony Farm. Although hampered by the rain at the beginning of April which was frustrating the rest of the period was mostly dry and sunny and we were able to band large numbers of birds of excellent species diversity including Lazuli Bunting, Dusky Flycatcher, Band-tailed Pigeon and only our second ever Long-eared Owl! For lots of information on molt and ageing and all of the spring activity at VARC please click here: http://www.birdvancouver.com/blog_spring_2013.html Happy spring birding and banding! Derek Derek Matthews Vancouver Avian Research Centre www.birdvancouver.com [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Good news from the US, how 'bout Canada? From: Laure Neish <natureneish AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 10:32:29 -0700 Quigley Moves to Prevent Millions of Bird Deaths [image: PDF] [image: Print] [image: E-mail] Tuesday, 21 May 2013 11:27 *Bill would require federal buildings to incorporate bird-safe measures.* WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) introduced the Federal Bird-Safe Buildings Act to prevent the deaths of millions of birds that collide with federal buildings across the country each year. “The way we live our lives cannot be detrimental to other species, and yet collisions with glass on buildings is a man-made issue that kills millions of birds each year,” *said Rep. Quigley.* “This completely cost-neutral bill will save these birds’ lives without requiring unrealistic actions or expenditures. I’m proud to continue what we started in Cook County and work with the American Bird Conservancy to do all we can to make sure birds continue to be a part of our world.” *Rep. Quigley speaks with staff at **the Field Museum in Chicago about the environment's **impact on local birds.* The American Bird Conservancy (ABC) estimates as many as one billion birds, both resident and migratory, die in building collisions each year. Rep. Quigley’s bill calls for each federal public building constructed, acquired, or altered by the General Services Administration (GSA) to incorporate, to the maximum extent possible, bird-safe building materials and design features. The legislation would require GSA to take similar actions on existing buildings, where possible. The bill has been deemed cost-neutral by the Congressional Budget Office. Rep. Quigley’s bill is very similar to legislation he sponsored in 2008 when he was Cook County Commissioner. The ground-breaking legislation was approved unanimously by the Cook County Board of Commissioners and has served as a model of subsequent bird-safe ordinances across the country, including in San Francisco . “From three hundred million to one billion birds or more die each year from collisions with glass on buildings—from skyscrapers to homes. While this legislation is limited to federal buildings, it’s a very good start that could lead to more widespread applications of bird-friendly designs elsewhere,” *said Dr. Christine Sheppard, ABC Bird Collisions Campaign Manager.* America’s bird population has a very real and direct impact on our economy. Americans spend about $36 billion in pursuit of birding activities. These activities generate about $4.4 billion in federal tax revenues, nearly $6.2 billion in state tax revenues, roughly 670,000 jobs, and provide $28 billion in employment income. Rep. Quigley is a stalwart supporter of our wildlife and the environment. During his recent Chicago Climate Tour , he visited critical environmental sites to hear from experts on the local impact of climate change and efforts to address the issue. He has consistently reiterated support for strong EPA regulatory authorityand protection of public health by voting against anti-regulatory, anti-environment legislation and has called on Congress to craft a national energy plan to make America stronger . -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Laure Wilson Neish Penticton, BC Canada http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Yellow headed blackbird From: Tammy Proctor <birdsonly4me AT yahoo.ca> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 08:35:35 -0700 (PDT) We've had a Yellow Headed Blackbird hanging in our backyard all afternoon yesterday. A few weeks ago there was one in the farmers field. Our neighbour brought his little boy over and asked what it was. He had his bins in hand and I told him all about the bird. I have this audio book called "Bird Songs, 250 North American Birds in songs. by Les Beletsky. They both enjoyed it a lot. They returned it yesterday saying that they played it so much that they wore out the batteries.   He had never seen a bird like that before so I told him they are usually located in a marshy area. These birds came from Desert Hill Farms. I remember when I first moved here and went to the farm to get flowers and such, I heard the birds calling from behind the nursery.   Glad I could help them learn a little more about birds.     Tammy Ashcroft [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Magical birding at Madera Canyon From: Chris Siddle <chris.siddle AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 06:23:03 -0700 Wow! Least Grebe, Elegant Trogon, and Mexican Whip-poor-will in one day. Fabulous, my friend. Isn't the trogon a very special bird. It's so beautiful and yet so calm, and even seeming curious at times. Chris S. On Mon, May 20, 2013 at 5:48 PM, Chris Charlesworth < c_charlesworth23 AT hotmail.com> wrote: > Birders, > > Day 7 of Limosa Holidays S.E. Arizona tour. We had a fantastic day, > beginning with pre-breakfast outing to Pena Blanca Lake near Nogales. Upon > arrival it didn't take us long to locate a LEAST GREBE, very rare in > Arizona, but in recent years they have nested at this lake. Also new for > the tour were PIED-BILLED GREBE and CINNAMON TEAL. Bird action along the > trails was great this morning with ROCK and CANYON WRENS, RUFOUS-CROWNED > and BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW, BLACK PHOEBE, SCOTT'S ORIOLE and much more to > start off the day. > > After breakfast we headed back out towards Madera Canyon. We hiked about > half a km up the Vault Mine Trail where the excitement began when we heard > the 'barking' of an ELEGANT TROGON. Shortly thereafter the male trogon, or > Christmas-bird, as called by some because of his red and green plumage, > appeared. He put on a fantastic show for us, allowing scope views for ten > minutes or more. Just as the trogon disappeared, I heard a MEXICAN > WHIP-POOR-WILL calling in broad daylight! I tracked him down and spotted > him calling away on the ground. We watched him in the scope for 15 minutes! > Cha-ching! As we ate lunch we were kept busy with a steady stream of birds > flowing through the oaks around the picnic area, with PAINTED REDSTART, > GRACE'S WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, PLUMBEOUS and HUTTON'S > VIREOS, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, MEXICAN JAY, DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER and > BRIDLED TITMOUSE all popping by. > > To finish off the day we headed into Montosa Canyon where a friend of mine > had found a Black-capped Gnatcatcher the previous day. No luck for us > unfortunately but the scenery was spectacular and we did have a few birds > such as CACTUS WREN, BLACK-THROATED SPARROW, GRAY HAWK, LUCY'S WARBLER and > others. > > We had another hot and sunny day, but no complaints from me. > > Chris Charlesworth > Avocet Tours & Limosa Holidays > Kelowna, BC > http://www.avocettours.ca > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > To contact the moderator email > bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com > Also, consider joining these groups. > bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. > If you have pictures to share try this group. > http://groups.google.com/ > From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the > pictures. > Subject: Re: seeking birding info re Montana & Sask. From: Chris Siddle <chris.siddle AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 06:17:20 -0700 Hi Bob, Just a note to let you know that I haven't forgotten your request from a few days ago. I hope to get back to you in a day or two. Chris S. On Sat, May 18, 2013 at 2:50 PM, Bob and Maggie wrote: > I' m just in the midst of reading Trevor Herriot's book Grass, Sky, Song > (about grassland birds - mainly in Saskatchewan) - a really good read if > you > don't know it! Anyway, that and our previous trips to Sask. have inspired > us to hit the road again. I would love to take either one of the Chris's > along (that's Siddle or Charlesworth), not only to show me the good birding > spots but to record our trip in their own eloquent way for those of you > staying at home. Alas, that's not likely to happen. > > > > The next best thing would be for those of you familiar with birding in > Montana, North Dakota and Sask. to send me directions to your favorite > birding spots. We will be rv'ing and travelling first to Glacier NP (MT, > not > BC) and then across Montana to ND and then up to Sask. and back across > southern Sask & AB. Expected departure date June 16th. > > > > Thanks for your help. > > > > Bob Handfield > > Kaleden > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > To contact the moderator email > bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com > Also, consider joining these groups. > bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. > If you have pictures to share try this group. > http://groups.google.com/ > From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the > pictures. > Subject: Avocet's Pelee and Michigan Tour - the final Fatal Days - PART 2 From: Chris Siddle <chris.siddle AT gmail.com> Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 06:13:39 -0700 The story so far: An unusually tight group of birders led by Russell Cannings and Chris Siddle had visited Long Point, Rondeau Provincial Park, Point Pelee National Park and had just seen a Peregrine stoop at Hillman Marsh. Now they return to the Visitors' Centre at Pelee to seek out two rarities, both very scarce breeders in extreme southern Ont. Immediately south of the Visitors' Centre are a series of trails crossing the brushy Carolinean woods. Somewhere in the chaos of thickets and fallen and standing trees were a Worm-eating Warbler, an infamous skulker, and a Hooded Warbler, normally a bird of deep woodland and big forested tracts. It was easy to spot where the Worm-eating Warbler had last been seen. That part of the path was still lined by Tilley Hats peering earnestly into the foliage. You could still tell which side of the path and the approximate spot where the bird had appeared. Follow the direction of the saddest looks, those that belonged to the people who had been too slow, too late, or just too unlucky to "get on" the bird the last time it had popped up. We eased our way past the young couple consulting their bird book, the old couple with their little white dog, the bearded guy in the camo coat, and flanked the rest of the crowd, half of us in the shadow of Russ, all of us half-watching the thicket, half-watching Russ's gaze (OK, Gary, I know that makes 3 halves). And suddenly the bird popped out of the thicket - Worm-eating Warbler just to my left, barely breaking the leaves. I got a crippling view of the top and back of its striped head. Most of the rest of our party had seen the species before at Rondeau and so they were uncomplaining about this individual's very brief and partial appearance. It seems that the Hooded Warbler's trail was as cold as an early morning wind at Pelee's tip, so we relaxed and took in whatever else Redbud Trail had to offer: a Raccoon curled up like a fat cat on a high thick branch, a pair of Carolina Wrens fussing around a windfall, a Least Flycatcher and many Yellow Warblers foraging in the willows just off the trail, now and then taking time out to chase each other (that's the Yellow Warblers, not the participants - Tag being frowned upon in this particular national park). Our penultimate stop of the day was West Beach (still in the park) where the afternoon sun tempted some of us to relax on the beach or at a picnic table. No sooner had I passed out, face down on the table, than Russ summoned me for a Great Crested Flycatcher. Purple Martins and a Chimney Swift criss-crossed the air above while the flycatcher showed well, as the Brits say, at the woodland edge. Our last stop was the Pelee Marsh where Russ showed us a territorial Swamp Sparrow and I fed tiny bits of my apple to three male and one female Red-winged Blackbird in flagrant violation of the park rules not to feed the wildlife. The males, obviously also aware of the rules, spat out every bit, as much as birds can be said to spit, but the female instantly snatched up the morsels and flew into the marsh to feed them to her chicks (I'm guessing she had a nest and that it held chicks). To be continued... including the part about FATAL... Chris S. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Black-chinned Hummingbirds From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 21:37:42 -0700 Kamloops is near the northern limits for Black-chinned Hummingbirds in BC. They have been reported as far north as Little Fort in the North Thompson drainage. They are very infrequently reported from feeders in the Kamloops area but are likely annual summer residents. Two were seen at feeders in Kamloops during the last couple of days for the first records this season. If you are travelling on Hwy 5 to or from Prince George or Jasper, check out the Rivermount Motel on Hummingbird Road just north of Little Fort. They have several feeders which are usually busy with Calliope and Rufous Hummingbirds, but perhaps you will get lucky and find a Black-chinned. The motel is close to the highway so you can't miss it as you are travelling along. I am not sure just exactly where the 1982 record for the Black-chinned at Little Fort was, but the feeder cluster here seems like a good bet. Rick Howie Kamloops [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Lewis's Woodpeckers moving into the hills east of Penticton From: Laure Neish <natureneish AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 21:09:11 -0700 A couple of days ago I saw 3 Lewis's Woodpeckers (LEWO) fly over our house in the hills east of Penticton. This was interesting because last fall, it seemed that a pair had successfully nested on or near Saliken Rd. which is off Carmi Rd. - the first right turn after the sharp bend and the power station. I had seen 4 or 5 just above Holden Ave. back then and another fellow who lives on Saliken commented that he had seen several too. By late August it was too late however, to look for a nest tree but I had found a nest tree along the Carmi Fire Interpretive Trails which isn't too far away as the crow flies. The snag was at a higher elevation and right on the steep Ellis Canyon cliff. Sunday morning I drove up Saliken to look around and found one bird flying from an old Douglas Fir snag about mid-way along the road. Today there were two birds hawking bugs in pines behind the house at the end of the road. Still looking for a possible nest tree that they might be showing some interest in, but no luck so far. Too early perhaps. So, just an FYI if birders wish to look for LEWOs closer to home rather than heading down to Vaseux Lake. In the 17 years of living in Penticton, the past two years are the first records I've had of LEWO's in the Ellis Canyon area. They have also nested in the Penticton Creek canyon near Campbell Mt. before that. Granted they also used to forage downtown, then there was a gap in sightings there. -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Laure Wilson Neish Penticton, BC Canada http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: Road 22, afternoon update From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 18:06:30 -0700 Thanks Laure: Russ has added some further perspectives as well. Rick -----Original Message----- From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Laure Neish Sent: May-20-13 11:39 AM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [bcintbird] Road 22, afternoon update Hi Rick, It's not Kamloops but my last (and only other record for the Okanagan) for Franklin's Gull was May 21, 2000 at Rd. 22 while on a Big Day with Dick C., Roger Foxall and Michael Bezener. Laure On Mon, May 20, 2013 at 11:16 AM, Rick Howie wrote: > ** > > > Franklin's Gulls are interesting Doug. In 35 years, I have never had a > spring Franklin's Gull at Kamloops and no one has ever reported one to > my knowledge. Traditionally, we see them in the fall. > > I see that when Birds of the Okanagan was written, there were only 2 > spring records there. Have spring occurrences increased since then? > Their route back to the prairies would be of interest. > > Rick Howie > > Kamloops > > From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On > Behalf Of douglasbrown01 > Sent: May-18-13 3:49 PM > To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > Subject: [bcintbird] Road 22, afternoon update > > Hi all; > > After my good morning on Road 22 I phoned Barry Lancaster and > suggested he go down there. Shortly after my phone was ringing as more > birds had arrived at the site. Franklin's Gulls had increased to 7 and > 3 American Avocets and a Caspian Tern were out there as well. The > place just keeps getting better and better. > > Doug Brown > Osoyoos > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Laure Wilson Neish Penticton, BC Canada http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: Re: Road 22, afternoon update From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 17:54:51 -0700 Thanks Russ: that is a useful update. Annual mid-May occurrences suggest some sort of regular behavior that is outside of the norm for the bulk of birds. Must do some further probing. Rick Howie From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Russell Sent: May-20-13 1:12 PM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] Re: Road 22, afternoon update Hi Rick, I was say Franklin's Gulls are annual in mid-May nowadays, with most sightings coming from the South Okanagan but a few also from Kelowna, Vernon, and Salmon Arm. I'm not sure if this is from better coverage or an increase in passage birds. Most of the breeding Franklin's have been back in the northern Prairies since late April/early May, so these birds may be stragglers of some sort. Russ Cannings Penticton, BC --- In bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com , "Rick Howie" wrote: > > Franklin's Gulls are interesting Doug. In 35 years, I have never had a > spring Franklin's Gull at Kamloops and no one has ever reported one to my > knowledge. Traditionally, we see them in the fall. > > I see that when Birds of the Okanagan was written, there were only 2 spring > records there. Have spring occurrences increased since then? Their route > back to the prairies would be of interest. > > > > Rick Howie > > Kamloops > > > > From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com ] On Behalf > Of douglasbrown01 > Sent: May-18-13 3:49 PM > To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > Subject: [bcintbird] Road 22, afternoon update > > > > > > Hi all; > > After my good morning on Road 22 I phoned Barry Lancaster and suggested he > go down there. Shortly after my phone was ringing as more birds had arrived > at the site. Franklin's Gulls had increased to 7 and 3 American Avocets and > a Caspian Tern were out there as well. The place just keeps getting better > and better. > > Doug Brown > Osoyoos > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Magical birding at Madera Canyon From: Chris Charlesworth <c_charlesworth23 AT hotmail.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 17:48:13 -0700 Birders, Day 7 of Limosa Holidays S.E. Arizona tour. We had a fantastic day, beginning with pre-breakfast outing to Pena Blanca Lake near Nogales. Upon arrival it didn't take us long to locate a LEAST GREBE, very rare in Arizona, but in recent years they have nested at this lake. Also new for the tour were PIED-BILLED GREBE and CINNAMON TEAL. Bird action along the trails was great this morning with ROCK and CANYON WRENS, RUFOUS-CROWNED and BLACK-CHINNED SPARROW, BLACK PHOEBE, SCOTT'S ORIOLE and much more to start off the day. After breakfast we headed back out towards Madera Canyon. We hiked about half a km up the Vault Mine Trail where the excitement began when we heard the 'barking' of an ELEGANT TROGON. Shortly thereafter the male trogon, or Christmas-bird, as called by some because of his red and green plumage, appeared. He put on a fantastic show for us, allowing scope views for ten minutes or more. Just as the trogon disappeared, I heard a MEXICAN WHIP-POOR-WILL calling in broad daylight! I tracked him down and spotted him calling away on the ground. We watched him in the scope for 15 minutes! Cha-ching! As we ate lunch we were kept busy with a steady stream of birds flowing through the oaks around the picnic area, with PAINTED REDSTART, GRACE'S WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, PLUMBEOUS and HUTTON'S VIREOS, WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, MEXICAN JAY, DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER and BRIDLED TITMOUSE all popping by. To finish off the day we headed into Montosa Canyon where a friend of mine had found a Black-capped Gnatcatcher the previous day. No luck for us unfortunately but the scenery was spectacular and we did have a few birds such as CACTUS WREN, BLACK-THROATED SPARROW, GRAY HAWK, LUCY'S WARBLER and others. We had another hot and sunny day, but no complaints from me. Chris Charlesworth Avocet Tours & Limosa Holidays Kelowna, BC http://www.avocettours.ca [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Road 22 sightings, 19 May From: Michelle Lamberson <mnlamberson AT yahoo.ca> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 14:52:40 -0700 (PDT) Thank you for the kind words about the gull shot.  I was lucky that he flew directly over! Nope - that sora remained elusive!  Ah well!   Cheers, Michelle   Michelle N. Lamberson Vancouver, BC http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitrain/ >________________________________ > From: Laure Neish >To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com >Sent: Monday, May 20, 2013 10:41:12 AM >Subject: Re: [bcintbird] Road 22 sightings, 19 May > > >Awesome shot of the Franklin's Gull! Did you ever see that elusive Sora out >in the open? > >Laure Neish > >On Mon, May 20, 2013 at 7:51 AM, Michelle Lamberson wrote: > >> ** >> >> >> HI there, >> >> Road 22 has been amazing for the birds and the friendly birders  -  many >> thanks to the people I met at the site in the last couple of days who were >> knowledgeable and helpful!  What a wonderful community in the Okanagan! >> >> I posted a few shots from the area on my flickr account (they are also in >> the Field Guide, Birds of BC Pool).  My three lifers on the weekend were >> the: >> >> Yellow-breasted chat: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitrain/8758256880/ >> Boblink:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitrain/8757127695/ >> Franklin's Gull:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitrain/8757130403/ >> >> Great birding! >> >> Heading back to Vancouver today and wishing I could stay longer... >> >> Cheers, >> Michelle >> >> Michelle N. Lamberson >> Vancouver, BC >> http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitrain/ >> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> >>  >> > > > >-- >- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - >Laure Wilson Neish >Penticton, BC  Canada >http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/ > > >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > >------------------------------------ > >To contact the moderator email >bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com >Also, consider joining these groups. >bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com  an all BC group. >If you have pictures to share try this group.  >http://groups.google.com/ >From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. > Subject: Re: Road 22, afternoon update From: "Russell" <russellcannings AT shaw.ca> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 20:12:24 -0000 Hi Rick, I was say Franklin's Gulls are annual in mid-May nowadays, with most sightings coming from the South Okanagan but a few also from Kelowna, Vernon, and Salmon Arm. I'm not sure if this is from better coverage or an increase in passage birds. Most of the breeding Franklin's have been back in the northern Prairies since late April/early May, so these birds may be stragglers of some sort. Russ Cannings Penticton, BC --- In bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com, "Rick Howie" wrote: > > Franklin's Gulls are interesting Doug. In 35 years, I have never had a > spring Franklin's Gull at Kamloops and no one has ever reported one to my > knowledge. Traditionally, we see them in the fall. > > I see that when Birds of the Okanagan was written, there were only 2 spring > records there. Have spring occurrences increased since then? Their route > back to the prairies would be of interest. > > > > Rick Howie > > Kamloops > > > > From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf > Of douglasbrown01 > Sent: May-18-13 3:49 PM > To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > Subject: [bcintbird] Road 22, afternoon update > > > > > > Hi all; > > After my good morning on Road 22 I phoned Barry Lancaster and suggested he > go down there. Shortly after my phone was ringing as more birds had arrived > at the site. Franklin's Gulls had increased to 7 and 3 American Avocets and > a Caspian Tern were out there as well. The place just keeps getting better > and better. > > Doug Brown > Osoyoos > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: rhetorical device From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 09:14:02 -0700 We would remain ignorant grotto dwellers - little more than blind cave crickets seeking moral support but being unable to see the difference between those would bite us and those who would caress our tortured souls. Having seen the light however, I am off to row around Heffley Lake northeast of Kamloops to check the state of the Blue Heron colony and the eagles who nest on the lake and wreak havoc with the hapless heron chicks every year. Rick From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jim Mitchell Sent: May-20-13 8:27 AM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [bcintbird] rhetorical device What would we ever do without Google, Bing, yahoo search etc. jim On 5/19/2013 11:54 PM, Rick Howie wrote: > Chris: I think I have found a solution to increased levels of feedback for > you. :) > > http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.ca/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html > > I think you could be overwhelmed with commentary. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: quick tour of some N Okanagan spots From: Chris Siddle <chris.siddle AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 12:50:44 -0700 Hi birders, This morning (Monday) I made a quick tour of a few of my favourite N OK spots. The highlights include Hitchcock Rd. - Black-headed Grosbeak, MacGillivray's Warbler (2), Western Wood-Pewee, and my FOY wood nymph sp. Rugg Rd. - the Red-tailed Hawk still appears to be incubating on her nest along L and A Road. Baker-Hogg Rd. There are at least two young in the Bald Eagle's nest at the north end of Swan Lake. My position on Baker-Hogg Rd is very distant but allow me to look down on the nest. My first European Starling fledglings were screaming as well. N end of Swan Lake - Two Common Yellowthroats sang. It looks like a apir of Common Loons and at least one pair of Red-necked Grebes may be nesting somewhere near the north end. Also one Bonaparte's Gull and one Horned Grebe noted. L and A Cross Rd - Spotted Sandpiper at the cow pond. Brewer's Blackbird seen to drop a fecal sack which indicates the first brood is around. A male Northern Harrier and two Swainson's Hawks over the east end. N end of Otter Lake - pretty quiet. I didn't see any shorebirds in the remaining flooded areas. Gregory Marsh - a Pied-billed Grebe as usual, a nice Yellow-headed Blackbird colony, my FOY Wilson's Phalarope, my FOY Blue-winged Teals. Chris S. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Common Grackle Salmon Arm From: Ted Hillary <hillaryted AT yahoo.ca> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 12:46:43 -0700 (PDT) Good Afternoon Birders,        This morning, May 20, for 5 minutes I watched a male common grackle feeding in my back yard before it flew off. At my first casual glance I assumed it was a male brewers blackbird, and then it struck me that it had a much too big a bill, its tail was too long, and it was simply too big to be a blackbird. With a closer look I could see its large palish yellow eye with a big black pupil, purple irridescent head, dark bronzy back  -- a common Grackle !!! It has been more than a decade since I have seen one in Salmon Arm and it was totally unexpected and out of place.      And yes Chris I do read and enjoy your write ups, even if I do not respond. I also read your blog, now that I can get into it.   Ted Hillary, Salmon Arm [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Road 22, afternoon update From: Laure Neish <natureneish AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 11:39:10 -0700 Hi Rick, It's not Kamloops but my last (and only other record for the Okanagan) for Franklin's Gull was May 21, 2000 at Rd. 22 while on a Big Day with Dick C., Roger Foxall and Michael Bezener. Laure On Mon, May 20, 2013 at 11:16 AM, Rick Howie wrote: > ** > > > Franklin's Gulls are interesting Doug. In 35 years, I have never had a > spring Franklin's Gull at Kamloops and no one has ever reported one to my > knowledge. Traditionally, we see them in the fall. > > I see that when Birds of the Okanagan was written, there were only 2 spring > records there. Have spring occurrences increased since then? Their route > back to the prairies would be of interest. > > Rick Howie > > Kamloops > > From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On > Behalf > Of douglasbrown01 > Sent: May-18-13 3:49 PM > To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > Subject: [bcintbird] Road 22, afternoon update > > Hi all; > > After my good morning on Road 22 I phoned Barry Lancaster and suggested he > go down there. Shortly after my phone was ringing as more birds had arrived > at the site. Franklin's Gulls had increased to 7 and 3 American Avocets and > a Caspian Tern were out there as well. The place just keeps getting better > and better. > > Doug Brown > Osoyoos > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Laure Wilson Neish Penticton, BC Canada http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: Road 22, afternoon update From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 11:16:38 -0700 Franklin's Gulls are interesting Doug. In 35 years, I have never had a spring Franklin's Gull at Kamloops and no one has ever reported one to my knowledge. Traditionally, we see them in the fall. I see that when Birds of the Okanagan was written, there were only 2 spring records there. Have spring occurrences increased since then? Their route back to the prairies would be of interest. Rick Howie Kamloops From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of douglasbrown01 Sent: May-18-13 3:49 PM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] Road 22, afternoon update Hi all; After my good morning on Road 22 I phoned Barry Lancaster and suggested he go down there. Shortly after my phone was ringing as more birds had arrived at the site. Franklin's Gulls had increased to 7 and 3 American Avocets and a Caspian Tern were out there as well. The place just keeps getting better and better. Doug Brown Osoyoos [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Road 22 sightings, 19 May From: Laure Neish <natureneish AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 10:41:12 -0700 Awesome shot of the Franklin's Gull! Did you ever see that elusive Sora out in the open? Laure Neish On Mon, May 20, 2013 at 7:51 AM, Michelle Lamberson wrote: > ** > > > HI there, > > Road 22 has been amazing for the birds and the friendly birders - many > thanks to the people I met at the site in the last couple of days who were > knowledgeable and helpful! What a wonderful community in the Okanagan! > > I posted a few shots from the area on my flickr account (they are also in > the Field Guide, Birds of BC Pool). My three lifers on the weekend were > the: > > Yellow-breasted chat: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitrain/8758256880/ > Boblink: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitrain/8757127695/ > Franklin's Gull: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitrain/8757130403/ > > Great birding! > > Heading back to Vancouver today and wishing I could stay longer... > > Cheers, > Michelle > > Michelle N. Lamberson > Vancouver, BC > http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitrain/ > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Laure Wilson Neish Penticton, BC Canada http://natureniche.zenfolio.com/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: rhetorical device From: Len Jellicoe <jellicoes AT shaw.ca> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 09:04:43 -0700 On 19-May-13, at 11:54 PM, Rick Howie wrote: > Chris: I think I have found a solution to increased levels of > feedback for > you. :) > > I have over 7500 views on my blog and 19 comments. Some of those comments are mine. Talk about feedback. But people are looking so I may as well keep the blog up. When I am sitting in the trailer in the evening it is fun to do. Sort through 1-200 pictures every day and hope the wifi signal is strong. Welcome to Allan Dupilka. We attended Edwin Parr school in Athabasca together 50 years ago. What took you so long to get to God's Country? http://lenanddiansadventures.blogspot.ca/ See you in the field Len Jellicoe Abbotsford, BC Canada http://lenjellicoe.zenfolio.com/ ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: rhetorical device From: Jim Mitchell <butcher99 AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 08:27:18 -0700 What would we ever do without Google, Bing, yahoo search etc. jim On 5/19/2013 11:54 PM, Rick Howie wrote: > Chris: I think I have found a solution to increased levels of feedback for > you. :) > > http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.ca/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html > > I think you could be overwhelmed with commentary. ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: RE: rhetorical device From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 23:54:46 -0700 Chris: I think I have found a solution to increased levels of feedback for you. :) http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.ca/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html I think you could be overwhelmed with commentary. But on a slightly more serious note, is it always necessary to come up with a post that is one better than the last post? This could be a reason why people do not post because they can't keep up with the people whose lives revolve around finding rare birds or having the longest day list for example. The birds become symbols of a constant need for prestige or "egoboo" as one competes for greater levels of admiration from other group members. This is a very common motivator for frequent contributors to online groups and the self-esteem needs of some participants lead to greater need for reciprocity according to the research. Clearly, there are folks who are quite enthusiastic about providing the expected level of positive response. Others may be less so inclined. So the birds become less important as objects of study and fascination and more important as vehicles to achieve status. This is a common situation with many interest groups, whether they be stamp collectors, scrap bookers, model railroaders or photographers. What could the novice stamp collector say of interest to the guy who has 8 billion stamps of the world? Being a common phenomenon amongst on-line contributors suggests that this is not necessarily a bad thing. It certainly results in much material being posted. If nobody needed an egoboo, perhaps we would have no postings. Like you, I enjoy positive feedback to anything I write, as I am sure most people do. Hopefully, this will not be such a dominant motivator that some of the 90% of members will be discouraged to write because they feel unable to be as comical or proseworthy as past writers, or have not found a rarer bird and therefore dare not contribute. We saw hints of this in some past responses to your initial request for feedback. As a group member, I did not take your comments as a criticism of the group. As I indicated in an earlier post, I think we are quite normal in terms of how we respond. However, this typical behavior was inadequate for your needs which the group was previously unaware of. Now we are and I suspect you may find a willingness to help. It is perhaps not surprising that our group and most others whose focus is on some subject such as birds, do not have a common practice, objective, policy or mandate to provide positive feedback to contributing members. While this may seem to be a natural thing for people to do, I think it is not really an obvious role that most members anticipate when they join. The aforementioned writers support group would clearly have this in mind as a group objective whereas the BCINTBIRD collective remainspredictably unresponsive. I don't see this as a criticism so much as an anticipated outcome of our reason for being - with notable exceptions. I appreciate your candor in expressing why you were seeking feedback and were poised to end it all with caffeine and Nexium (had to look that one up). Can I have your binoculars if we just fail miserably the next time? Rick Howie Kamloops From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Chris Siddle Sent: May-19-13 6:00 PM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: [bcintbird] rhetorical device Hi birders and naturalists, Before anyone uses my post from yesterday to launch their criticisms of bcintbird, let me explain that when I complained about the silence, I wasn't really complaining about participation rates in spite of what I wrote. As most people who have met me know, I am fond of a rhetorical device known as hyperbole, or in plain English, exaggeration. If you re-read my post (and I hope you do) you will notice a series of ridiculous ploys and plays to get your attention. Notice the subject line ... "the final FATAL days". I figured that a tabloid headline might attract attention and tip off people that I was less than serious but that I had a story to tell. What I wanted, I claimed, was a response. And I got what I really wanted... attention. But in all honesty I didn't mean to level any criticism at bcintbird. I just wanted members to tell me that my prose was funny. Believe me, you haven't heard the last of Ashleigh and Sidney. You can't ignore a love like theirs. In my defense, it's a competitive time of year for posting. People are out and about, seeing and reporting exciting birds. Days in the field are long but productive. Posts abound. To compete with Red-necks at Road 22, for example, I need to pull out the big guns when I report on yet another Avocet tour - humour, exaggeration, sex, and other ridiculous acts. So contribute to bcintbird or lurk in the shadows. But if you read something helpful or entertaining, how about a little positive reinforcement. You don't have to write like Hemingway to send a little note saying well done or great stuff or keep it up. Chris S. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Road 22 sightings, 19 May From: Michelle Lamberson <mnlamberson AT yahoo.ca> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 07:51:21 -0700 (PDT) HI there, Road 22 has been amazing for the birds and the friendly birders  -  many thanks to the people I met at the site in the last couple of days who were knowledgeable and helpful!  What a wonderful community in the Okanagan! I posted a few shots from the area on my flickr account (they are also in the Field Guide, Birds of BC Pool).  My three lifers on the weekend were the: Yellow-breasted chat: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitrain/8758256880/ Boblink:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitrain/8757127695/ Franklin's Gull:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitrain/8757130403/ Great birding! Heading back to Vancouver today and wishing I could stay longer... Cheers, Michelle   Michelle N. Lamberson Vancouver, BC http://www.flickr.com/photos/vitrain/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Keeping in touch From: "Mel" <melthorn617 AT gmail.com> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 06:57:41 -0000 Hi All, BCbirds is a daily read for me when I am back over here in England for the six winter months - It is a great tool to keep me in touch with the birding scene in BC especially news like the great variety of waders etc. at Road 22 (which I am sadly missing as we will not be back till early July this year). I suppose I could always put my British sightings on the site but I don't think it would not be of much use to anyone. Looking forward to getting back to Osoyoos. ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Days 4-7 of Avocet's Pelee and Michigan Tour - the final FATAL days From: "allandupilka" <adupilka AT airspeedwireless.ca> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 16:41:57 -0000 Hi Rick and Chris I assure you are both aware that new members messages must be approved before posting. We joined this spring when we found the site and have posted on a couple issues and have asked questions because we are new to the area. It usually takes about a week before the message we sent it posted. If Jim is doing the approving, I am sure he is very busy and it takes time to approve. On the other hand birding is a very fast sport!!!! . If one is asking about sighting or a location or some other information we want quick answers. One week later does not cut the bill because the bird or the subject is long gone. I suspect that new members may try to participate when they join but quickly get mad or frustrated and quit posting and just read. Dupilka's at Little Shuswap I found that replies some times go right on but posts do not, This was sent Sunday 9:30 --- In bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com, "Rick Howie" wrote: > > Hi again Chris: from the responses, it seems that you are not alone out > there in the e-world. Research has shown that there is generally a 90-9-1 > rule for on-line participation. 90% of members just read, 9% participate > infrequently and 1% generate most of the communiques. > > > > BCINTBIRD has 780 members, so the expectation is that if 8 people were > regular contributors, we would be a an average group under research norms. > I think if you look back over posts during the past few years, you will find > that we pretty much fall into the normal category and we re-enforce the > statistical findings. Now these findings are about participants who > generate responses or messages and actually contribute content. They don't > reflect readership which in fact is probably much higher. > > > > Readership for actual web sites can be tracked using available stats- > gathering programs that can tell you how many people read various sections > of simple or complex web sites. You-tube publishes the number of viewings > up-front when you look at a video. I don't know if one can find programs > that do this for individual message readership for a group like ours. Jim > might have more knowledge of this, but it is a statistic that some authors > may not want to see if they fall in the "delete without reading" category. > > > > I think that there is little danger of a chat group like ours going extinct > due to low message-generation rates. Survivorship is not predicated upon > participation numbers but simply having someone willing to operate the > service. We are not tied into any economic model such as a fee-based system > or advertising that is based upon participation rates or membership size. So > 10 people could operate BCINTBIRD so long as one of them agreed to do the > technical side that Jim does. Statistics tell us that you would be the only > author if our membership became that low which would make the participation > rate 10x normal. If Gary corrected your grammar every time, we would have a > participation rate of 20% which would be phenomenal. > > > > I have been a member of community organizations for many years. These are > the ones where real people actually cluster in meeting rooms as opposed to > virtual members. The number of people who organize things, run the clubs and > generate the energy to make things happen is usually a small percentage of > the membership. I once belonged to a novel group whose membership was > primarily professional people of one stripe or another. These all were > people who were used to organizing, managing and getting things done without > being told what to do. The participation rate amongst members was incredibly > high - 90+ percent. Over time, the membership changed and the nature of the > members and their backgrounds resulted in a much different demographic. The > "movers and shakers" rate diminished dramatically and the profile in this > regard became more typical. > > > > I know that some people in our group archive most or all of the messages and > probably have an incredible history of the folks who have contributed over > the years. If anyone was so inclined, an analysis of the messages would > generate a profile for our group that could be compared against the 90-9-1 > ratio. Or, we can simply accept being normal which is not an adjective I > have seen applied to birdwatchers over the years. Perhaps we should bask in > such glory. > > > > > > Rick Howie > > Kamloops > > > > > > From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf > Of Chris Siddle > Sent: May-18-13 3:48 AM > To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com > Subject: [bcintbird] Days 4-7 of Avocet's Pelee and Michigan Tour - the > final FATAL days > > > > > > For the five of you who read these messages, the fourth day of Avocet's > Pelee and Michigan Tour was 14 May. We began birding at the tip of Point > Pelee where a Red-headed Woodpecker and a Blackburnian Warbler were lovely, > colourful surprises, but the best birds were the seventeen Passenger > Pigeons, long thought extinct, which had mysterious appeared from who knows > where and were now holding a press conference on the tip to discuss > humanity's indifference to the extermination of other forms of life. > > Do I have your attention now? > > Yesterday's gulls and terns had been joined by a first year Lesser > Black-backed Gull with dark brownish upper wings surfaces, something to > remember when looking for this species in the Okanagan. Hello, anybody out > there? > > I know it's a busy time of year. One or two of you are even out birding but > this email network thing will go the way of the Passenger Pigeon, the Great > Auk, and the Social Credit unless there is some response to the sometimes > brilliant, always informative emails that people like Rick Howie and others > post. > > I've tried embedding sex scenes within the narrative flow and what was the > response? Echo. And the rest is silence (so dies Hamlet). > > Back to the tip of Pelee: A little group of Cedar Waxwings (spotted by > Carolyn McGhee of Prince George), 14 Turkey Vultures riding the wind over > us, warblers: Blackburnian, N. Parula, Nashville (eastern race - a little > duller than the western birds, just like Ontario birders are less friendly > than B.C. birders). OMG, I am stooping to regionalism to get a response! > How low will I go? > > Black-throated Green and Wilson's warblers. A Field Sparrow in an old > field. Baltimore Orioles, maybe 3-4 of them, in first year male plumage > fighting and singing loudly for attention... blah, blah, blah. > > At the Visitors Centre Russell and I were approached by a kindly and > informative older gentleman who asked to be remembered to DON CECILE. His > name is Kevin McLaughlin. He remembered fondly that a young Don C. used to > work at Pelee, and didn't always agree with official park policy. Way to > go, Don. > > Hillman Marsh, outside the park, was quiet, except for a scattering of > Black-bellied Plovers, a Lesser Yellowlegs, a single Least Sandpiper, 22 > Dunlin in their beatiful spring plumage. We were standing around the > viewing hut discussing Forster's vs Common terns when like the avenging > hammer of Thor an adult Peregrine dove past almost at full throttle. > > "Pull up, bird! Pull up. Oh, for the love of life, pull up. You're going to > crash...Oh, the humanity!" > > Hardly were the cliches out of my mouth than the Peregrine flared up and > outward, transforming his terminal dive into a horizontal sweep, gaining on > a Dunlin, gaining.. but then slowing and letting the Dunlin escape. > > Oh, to have been that falcon. To have been that Dunlin, steely blue grey > death on my tail feathers one second, anticipating the impact from which I > would tumble and tumble and never awake, if I was lucky. But then to gain a > few metres. Oh, the impossible was happening, to glance and see the > Peregrine turning away. Open air empty of falcons. Sweet life again. > > Enough. To be continued in Part Two. > > Chris S. > Mississaga > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Posting From: "allandupilka" <adupilka AT airspeedwireless.ca> Date: Mon, 20 May 2013 01:14:54 -0000 Jim Mitchell. Thanks for the clarity on how the system works. We started posting about the same time the malware issue came up. Assumed that Yahoo was the group owner and puts in a one year approval on messages for new members for protection. Put 2 and 2 together and got 5!! Certainly no criticm of the moderator(who we now understand) intended. Dupilka's ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: rhetorical device From: Janna Leslie <jannamles AT yahoo.ca> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 18:56:06 -0700 (PDT) Hey Chris. Speaking as both a lurker and responder, let me say that I've always enjoyed yours (& other's) posts -- I just don't necessarily respond (even though at times I feel I should).  So keep up the good work -- and you don't really need any hyperbole, though it's always interesting to read. Cheers, Janna Leslie, Naramata ________________________________ From: Chris Siddle To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Sent: Sunday, May 19, 2013 5:59:30 PM Subject: [bcintbird] rhetorical device   Hi birders and naturalists, Before anyone uses my post from yesterday to launch their criticisms of bcintbird, let me explain that when I complained about the silence, I wasn't really complaining about participation rates in spite of what I wrote. As most people who have met me know, I am fond of a rhetorical device known as hyperbole, or in plain English, exaggeration. If you re-read my post (and I hope you do) you will notice a series of ridiculous ploys and plays to get your attention. Notice the subject line ... "the final FATAL days". I figured that a tabloid headline might attract attention and tip off people that I was less than serious but that I had a story to tell. What I wanted, I claimed, was a response. And I got what I really wanted... attention. But in all honesty I didn't mean to level any criticism at bcintbird. I just wanted members to tell me that my prose was funny. Believe me, you haven't heard the last of Ashleigh and Sidney. You can't ignore a love like theirs. In my defense, it's a competitive time of year for posting. People are out and about, seeing and reporting exciting birds. Days in the field are long but productive. Posts abound. To compete with Red-necks at Road 22, for example, I need to pull out the big guns when I report on yet another Avocet tour - humour, exaggeration, sex, and other ridiculous acts. So contribute to bcintbird or lurk in the shadows. But if you read something helpful or entertaining, how about a little positive reinforcement. You don't have to write like Hemingway to send a little note saying well done or great stuff or keep it up. Chris S. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: rhetorical device From: Chris Siddle <chris.siddle AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 17:59:30 -0700 Hi birders and naturalists, Before anyone uses my post from yesterday to launch their criticisms of bcintbird, let me explain that when I complained about the silence, I wasn't really complaining about participation rates in spite of what I wrote. As most people who have met me know, I am fond of a rhetorical device known as hyperbole, or in plain English, exaggeration. If you re-read my post (and I hope you do) you will notice a series of ridiculous ploys and plays to get your attention. Notice the subject line ... "the final FATAL days". I figured that a tabloid headline might attract attention and tip off people that I was less than serious but that I had a story to tell. What I wanted, I claimed, was a response. And I got what I really wanted... attention. But in all honesty I didn't mean to level any criticism at bcintbird. I just wanted members to tell me that my prose was funny. Believe me, you haven't heard the last of Ashleigh and Sidney. You can't ignore a love like theirs. In my defense, it's a competitive time of year for posting. People are out and about, seeing and reporting exciting birds. Days in the field are long but productive. Posts abound. To compete with Red-necks at Road 22, for example, I need to pull out the big guns when I report on yet another Avocet tour - humour, exaggeration, sex, and other ridiculous acts. So contribute to bcintbird or lurk in the shadows. But if you read something helpful or entertaining, how about a little positive reinforcement. You don't have to write like Hemingway to send a little note saying well done or great stuff or keep it up. Chris S. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: More from Arizona From: Chris Siddle <chris.siddle AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 17:04:26 -0700 Hi Chris, Glad your tour is going well. Is the polite Mississippian, Larry Morgan, still the caretaker at Patton's? If he is, and you see him again, tell him that Chris Siddle from Vernon, B.C. remembers him and says hello. I assume that the big, friendly tabby cat that used to sit on birders to avoid the wet grass has moved on. He certainly wouldn't tolerate a Hispid Cotton Rat or any other rodent in the yard. Chris S. On Sun, May 19, 2013 at 4:37 PM, Chris Charlesworth < c_charlesworth23 AT hotmail.com> wrote: > Birders, > > Last evening we had a lovely time in Madera Canyon. Winds were calm and > the stars were bright as we listened to numerous COMMON POORWILLS calling > away. We saw two WHISKERED SCREECH-OWLS very well in the spotlight, as well > as heard half a dozen and saw well one ELF OWL! > > Today it was another scorcher of a day here in southeastern Arizona. We > began at the Rio Rico Ponds where quite quickly we found our target species > here, TROPICAL KINGBIRD and BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK. Other more common > species were still exciting for the 'Brits' with COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, > RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, N. > ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW and 'MEXICAN' MALLARDS seen. A LARK SPARROW on a nest > was a nice find here, as were several glowing male BULLOCK'S ORIOLES. > Everytime I said the word 'Bullock's' the Brits would giggle, I wonder why. > > Our next stop was at Patagonia Lk State Park. Birding was sensational > here. As we arrived and embarked on a hike along the Birding Trail, we > encountered a group of sparrows foraging on the grass. RUFOUS-WINGED, > WHITE-CROWNED, LARK, SONG and BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS included. Migrants > were fairly numerous with WARBLING VIREOS, WILSON'S WARBLER, WESTERN > TANAGER, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT > to name a few. Out on the lake were several NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS. Overhead > we had our first BLACK VULTURES of the tour, and a nice adult GRAY HAWK. > Colorful birds like VERMILION FLYCATCHER, SUMMER TANAGER, CASSIN'S KINGBIRD > and YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT were all noted. > > At the Paton's feeders in Patagonia it didn't take long for the much > anticipated VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD to appear alongside BLACK-CHINNED > and BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRDS. Feeders were busy with both ABERT'S and > CANYON TOWHEES, WHITE-CROWNED, SONG and LARK SPARROWS, YELLOW-BREASTED > CHAT, WESTERN TANAGER, BLUE GROSBEAK, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, LADDER-BACKED > and GILA WOODPECKERS, LESSER GOLDFINCHES, NORTHERN CARDINALS and PINE > SISKINS to name a few, in attendance. A new mammal for our trip, a HISPID > COTTON RAT was feeding on seeds below the feeders as well. > > Our final stop this afternoon was the Patagonia Roadside Rest Stop, where > a pair of THICK-BILLED KINGBIRDS sailed out to snag bugs from the air, and > intrepidly chased nearby COMMON RAVENS away from their nest tree. On the > rocky hills here, we had a RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW, while in the air > overhead were WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS and BLACK VULTURE. As we made our way > back to Rio Rico, a ZONE-TAILED HAWK was a nice addition for the day list. > > Phew,. Time for a nap. > > Chris Charlesworth > Avocet Tours & Limosa Holidays > Kelowna, BC > http://www.avocettours.ca > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > ------------------------------------ > > To contact the moderator email > bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com > Also, consider joining these groups. > bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. > If you have pictures to share try this group. > http://groups.google.com/ > From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the > pictures. > Subject: More from Arizona From: Chris Charlesworth <c_charlesworth23 AT hotmail.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 16:37:25 -0700 Birders, Last evening we had a lovely time in Madera Canyon. Winds were calm and the stars were bright as we listened to numerous COMMON POORWILLS calling away. We saw two WHISKERED SCREECH-OWLS very well in the spotlight, as well as heard half a dozen and saw well one ELF OWL! Today it was another scorcher of a day here in southeastern Arizona. We began at the Rio Rico Ponds where quite quickly we found our target species here, TROPICAL KINGBIRD and BLACK-BELLIED WHISTLING-DUCK. Other more common species were still exciting for the 'Brits' with COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, N. ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW and 'MEXICAN' MALLARDS seen. A LARK SPARROW on a nest was a nice find here, as were several glowing male BULLOCK'S ORIOLES. Everytime I said the word 'Bullock's' the Brits would giggle, I wonder why. Our next stop was at Patagonia Lk State Park. Birding was sensational here. As we arrived and embarked on a hike along the Birding Trail, we encountered a group of sparrows foraging on the grass. RUFOUS-WINGED, WHITE-CROWNED, LARK, SONG and BLACK-THROATED SPARROWS included. Migrants were fairly numerous with WARBLING VIREOS, WILSON'S WARBLER, WESTERN TANAGER, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE and COMMON YELLOWTHROAT to name a few. Out on the lake were several NEOTROPIC CORMORANTS. Overhead we had our first BLACK VULTURES of the tour, and a nice adult GRAY HAWK. Colorful birds like VERMILION FLYCATCHER, SUMMER TANAGER, CASSIN'S KINGBIRD and YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT were all noted. At the Paton's feeders in Patagonia it didn't take long for the much anticipated VIOLET-CROWNED HUMMINGBIRD to appear alongside BLACK-CHINNED and BROAD-BILLED HUMMINGBIRDS. Feeders were busy with both ABERT'S and CANYON TOWHEES, WHITE-CROWNED, SONG and LARK SPARROWS, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT, WESTERN TANAGER, BLUE GROSBEAK, BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, LADDER-BACKED and GILA WOODPECKERS, LESSER GOLDFINCHES, NORTHERN CARDINALS and PINE SISKINS to name a few, in attendance. A new mammal for our trip, a HISPID COTTON RAT was feeding on seeds below the feeders as well. Our final stop this afternoon was the Patagonia Roadside Rest Stop, where a pair of THICK-BILLED KINGBIRDS sailed out to snag bugs from the air, and intrepidly chased nearby COMMON RAVENS away from their nest tree. On the rocky hills here, we had a RUFOUS-CROWNED SPARROW, while in the air overhead were WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS and BLACK VULTURE. As we made our way back to Rio Rico, a ZONE-TAILED HAWK was a nice addition for the day list. Phew,. Time for a nap. Chris Charlesworth Avocet Tours & Limosa Holidays Kelowna, BC http://www.avocettours.ca [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Posting From: Chris Siddle <chris.siddle AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 16:22:04 -0700 Allan and others, In Jim's defense/support I have NEVER experienced a delay in a posting of mine. (Some of my posts have deserved indefinite obscurity but that's another story and not Jim's fault.) Those messages reporting a rare bird have almost always appeared very quickly. Of course, my sense of "quick" may be slower than yours. My "quick" means within half a day. If someone wants quicker than that, he/she had better learn to use a cell phone to report from the field, which happens more and more these days. Thank you, Jim, for all your hard work over MANY MANY years. Chris Siddle On Sun, May 19, 2013 at 3:48 PM, Jim Mitchell wrote: > I check the mail often. Sometimes I miss a message and it does not get > released the day it was sent but that is usually not the case. As soon > as I notice a persons name a couple times I remove the flag and your > posts go out directly. I run a filter on the messages so that all > BCINTBIRD messages go into one folder. I will setup another folder for > moderated messages. Still, I think most do get picked up the day they > are sent. > Of course if I am out of town nothing happens to them. You may have hit > one of those times. > Like most groups there are far more lurkers than posters. > There is another option. You could volunteer to help moderate messages. > > jim > On 5/19/2013 9:29 AM, allandupilka wrote: > > > > Chris Siddle > > > > In the concern about people reading and not participating on this bloq. > > > > I assume you are aware that new members messages must be approved > > before they are posted. We enrolled this spring when we found the site > > and we have posted on some issues or have questions because we are new > > to the area. We found that it takes almost a week for the post to show > > up on the site. > > Birding is a rapid sport and we want answers right away!!! A sighting > > or a location after a week is usually irrelevant. It is an excellent > > birding site and I suspect that most new members give up on posting > > after a few tries and just read others. > > > > Dupilka's at Little Shuswap > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > To contact the moderator email > bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com > Also, consider joining these groups. > bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. > If you have pictures to share try this group. > http://groups.google.com/ > From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the > pictures. > Subject: RE: Posting From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 16:15:33 -0700 Apart from the occasional glitch which I think has nothing to do with Jim, my messages usually arrive within minutes of me sending them. Once in a while, messages go into the ether and show up weeks later, but this is a feature of the e-world and not Jim's failure to release them. Once Jim has given you the good housekeeping seal of approval Allan, I should think your postings will zip right along. Looking forward to reading them. Rick Howie -----Original Message----- From: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com [mailto:bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Jim Mitchell Sent: May-19-13 3:48 PM To: bcintbird AT yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [bcintbird] Posting I check the mail often. Sometimes I miss a message and it does not get released the day it was sent but that is usually not the case. As soon as I notice a persons name a couple times I remove the flag and your posts go out directly. I run a filter on the messages so that all BCINTBIRD messages go into one folder. I will setup another folder for moderated messages. Still, I think most do get picked up the day they are sent. Of course if I am out of town nothing happens to them. You may have hit one of those times. Like most groups there are far more lurkers than posters. There is another option. You could volunteer to help moderate messages. jim On 5/19/2013 9:29 AM, allandupilka wrote: > > Chris Siddle > > In the concern about people reading and not participating on this bloq. > > I assume you are aware that new members messages must be approved > before they are posted. We enrolled this spring when we found the site > and we have posted on some issues or have questions because we are new > to the area. We found that it takes almost a week for the post to show > up on the site. > Birding is a rapid sport and we want answers right away!!! A sighting > or a location after a week is usually irrelevant. It is an excellent > birding site and I suspect that most new members give up on posting > after a few tries and just read others. > > Dupilka's at Little Shuswap > > ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Re: Posting From: Jim Mitchell <butcher99 AT gmail.com> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 15:48:16 -0700 I check the mail often. Sometimes I miss a message and it does not get released the day it was sent but that is usually not the case. As soon as I notice a persons name a couple times I remove the flag and your posts go out directly. I run a filter on the messages so that all BCINTBIRD messages go into one folder. I will setup another folder for moderated messages. Still, I think most do get picked up the day they are sent. Of course if I am out of town nothing happens to them. You may have hit one of those times. Like most groups there are far more lurkers than posters. There is another option. You could volunteer to help moderate messages. jim On 5/19/2013 9:29 AM, allandupilka wrote: > > Chris Siddle > > In the concern about people reading and not participating on this bloq. > > I assume you are aware that new members messages must be approved > before they are posted. We enrolled this spring when we found the site > and we have posted on some issues or have questions because we are new > to the area. We found that it takes almost a week for the post to show > up on the site. > Birding is a rapid sport and we want answers right away!!! A sighting > or a location after a week is usually irrelevant. It is an excellent > birding site and I suspect that most new members give up on posting > after a few tries and just read others. > > Dupilka's at Little Shuswap > > ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: Posting From: "allandupilka" <adupilka AT airspeedwireless.ca> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 16:29:38 -0000 Chris Siddle In the concern about people reading and not participating on this bloq. I assume you are aware that new members messages must be approved before they are posted. We enrolled this spring when we found the site and we have posted on some issues or have questions because we are new to the area. We found that it takes almost a week for the post to show up on the site. Birding is a rapid sport and we want answers right away!!! A sighting or a location after a week is usually irrelevant. It is an excellent birding site and I suspect that most new members give up on posting after a few tries and just read others. Dupilka's at Little Shuswap ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures. Subject: A different perspective From: "Rick Howie" <r.howie AT shaw.ca> Date: Sun, 19 May 2013 14:32:14 -0700 Many of you will have been out chasing birds today I would think, as it is a favoured day for various challenges and fun events. If you are in need of some philosophical grist for your late night reading, I have just ordered the book noted below. The concept sounds interesting for those who like to delve into perspectives on life. Some reviewers found the book of interest and informative while one person was not impressed. I pass on the title in case any of you are impulsive buyers like me. When I finish it, I will likely pass on some review comments. You may wish to read the review comments before you lighten your pocket book by $30.00. It sounds as if it could challenge comfortable perspectives. The author interviewed 240+ northwest birders as part of his research. http://www.amazon.com/Binocular-Vision-Representation-Birdwatching-Environme ntal/product-reviews/1558498869/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt/178-2438497-5587053 ?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1 Binocular Vision: The Politics of Representation in Birdwatching Field Guides (Critical Perspectives in the History of Environmental Design) Book Description Publication Date: July 31, 2011 | Series: Critical Perspectives in the History of Environmental Design From meadows to marshlands, seashores to suburbs, field guides help us identify many of the things we find outdoors: plants, insects, mammals, birds. In these texts, nature is typically represented, both in words and images, as ordered, clean, and untouched by human technology and development. This preoccupation with species identification, however, has produced an increasingly narrow view of nature, a binocular vision, that separates the study of individual elements from a range of larger, interconnected environmental issues. In this book, Spencer Schaffner reconsiders this approach to nature study by focusing on how birds are presented in field guides. Starting with popular books from the late nineteenth century and moving ultimately to the electronic guides of the current day, Binocular Vision contextualizes birdwatching field guides historically, culturally, and in terms of a wide range of important environmental issues. Schaffner questions the assumptions found in field guides to tease out their ideological workings. He argues that the sanitized world represented in these guides misleads readers by omitting industrial landscapes and so-called nuisance birds, leaving users of the guides disconnected from environmental degradation and its impact on bird populations. By putting field guides into direct conversation with concerns about species conservation, environmental management, the human alteration of the environment, and the problem of toxic pollution, Binocular Vision is a field guide to field guides that takes a novel perspective on how we think about and interact with the world around us. Rick Howie Kamloops [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ To contact the moderator email bcintbird-owner AT yahoogroups.com Also, consider joining these groups. bcbirds-subscribe AT yahoogroups.com an all BC group. If you have pictures to share try this group. http://groups.google.com/ From here you have to join the bcintbird-pics group before you can see the pictures.