Twas a November to Remember

December was a sweet month for me. 3 Lifers which puts me at 410, which was my goal for the year anyways, Cave Swallow and Citrine Wagtail are about as wicked as it gets for rarities at this time of year, and of course the Fulmar. Heres hoping its a December to Remember too.

Greater White-fronted Goose -- 1 -- -- -- -- Snow Goose -- -- 25 -- -- -- Cackling Goose -- 5 -- -- -- -- Canada Goose 25 2 22 -- -- -- Trumpeter Swan -- -- -- -- -- -- Wood Duck 1 -- -- -- -- -- Gadwall -- 1 5 -- -- -- Eurasian Wigeon -- 4 -- -- -- -- American Wigeon 10 53 -- -- -- -- Mallard 45 23 -- -- -- -- Northern Shoveler 5 2 3 -- -- -- Northern Pintail 15 55 15 -- -- -- Green-winged Teal 10 4 4 -- -- -- Greater Scaup -- 1 -- -- -- -- Surf Scoter -- 5 5 -- -- -- White-winged Scoter -- -- 1 -- -- -- Bufflehead 10 4 7 -- -- -- Barrow's Goldeneye 2 -- -- -- -- -- Hooded Merganser 2 -- -- -- -- -- Common Merganser -- 5 5 -- -- -- Red-breasted Merganser -- -- -- -- -- -- Ring-necked Pheasant -- 1 -- -- -- -- Red-throated Loon -- 1 -- -- -- -- Pacific Loon -- 1 -- -- -- -- Common Loon -- 3 6 -- -- -- Horned Grebe -- 5 8 -- -- -- Red-necked Grebe -- 1 1 -- -- -- Western Grebe -- 1 8 -- -- -- Northern Fulmar -- -- 1 -- -- -- Double-crested Cormorant 2 -- 3 -- -- -- Pelagic Cormorant 1 9 5 -- -- -- Brown Pelican -- 42 -- -- -- -- Great Blue Heron -- 2 15 -- -- -- Northern Harrier -- 3 1 -- -- -- Cooper's Hawk 1 -- -- -- -- -- Bald Eagle -- 1 -- -- -- -- Red-tailed Hawk -- 2 1 -- -- -- Rough-legged Hawk -- 1 -- -- -- -- American Coot 2 -- -- -- -- -- Black-bellied Plover -- 5 -- -- -- -- Semipalmated Plover -- 10 -- -- -- -- Killdeer -- 1 5 -- -- -- Spotted Sandpiper 1 -- -- -- -- -- Greater Yellowlegs -- -- -- 5 -- -- Whimbrel -- -- 1 -- -- -- Marbled Godwit -- 50 -- -- -- -- Black Turnstone -- 5 -- -- -- -- Surfbird -- 3 -- -- -- -- Sanderling -- 15 15 -- -- -- Western Sandpiper -- 5 10 -- -- -- Least Sandpiper -- -- 25 -- -- -- Rock Sandpiper -- 2 -- -- -- -- Dunlin -- 265 200 -- -- -- Long-billed Dowitcher -- -- -- -- -- -- Wilson's Snipe -- 2 -- -- -- -- shorebird sp. 1 -- -- -- -- -- Mew Gull -- -- 15 -- -- -- Ring-billed Gull -- 3 3 -- -- -- Western Gull -- 1 1 -- -- -- Herring Gull -- 1 -- -- -- -- Thayer's Gull -- 1 1 -- -- -- Glaucous-winged Gull 5 1 -- -- -- -- Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) -- 3 10 -- -- -- Herring x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid) -- -- -- -- -- -- Rock Pigeon 7 2 -- -- -- -- Band-tailed Pigeon -- -- -- -- 1 -- Eurasian Collared-Dove -- 3 -- -- -- -- Great Horned Owl -- -- -- -- 1 -- Snowy Owl -- -- -- 6 3 -- Short-eared Owl -- -- -- 2 2 -- Belted Kingfisher -- 1 -- -- -- -- Downy Woodpecker -- -- -- -- 1 -- Northern Flicker 16 2 -- -- 3 -- American Kestrel -- 1 -- -- 1 -- Peregrine Falcon -- 1 -- 1 1 -- Northern Shrike -- -- -- -- 1 -- Steller's Jay 3 1 -- -- -- -- Northwestern Crow 15 5 -- -- -- -- Common Raven 2 1 -- -- -- -- Barn Swallow -- -- 3 -- -- -- Cave Swallow -- -- 1 -- -- -- Black-capped Chickadee 23 2 -- -- -- -- Chestnut-backed Chickadee 5 -- -- -- -- -- Bushtit -- -- -- -- -- -- Brown Creeper 1 -- -- -- -- -- Pacific Wren -- -- -- -- -- -- Marsh Wren -- 1 -- -- -- -- Bewick's Wren -- 2 -- -- -- -- Golden-crowned Kinglet 3 1 -- -- -- -- Ruby-crowned Kinglet 7 2 -- -- -- -- Hermit Thrush -- 1 -- -- -- -- American Robin 4 1 -- -- -- -- Varied Thrush 5 -- -- -- -- -- European Starling 5 -- -- -- -- -- Citrine Wagtail -- -- -- 1 -- -- American Pipit -- -- 1 -- -- -- Orange-crowned Warbler -- -- -- -- 2 -- Yellow-rumped Warbler -- -- -- -- 20 -- Townsend's Warbler 1 -- -- -- -- -- Spotted Towhee 9 3 -- -- -- -- American Tree Sparrow -- -- -- -- 2 -- Savannah Sparrow -- 2 -- -- -- -- Fox Sparrow 3 2 -- -- -- -- Song Sparrow 17 6 -- -- -- -- Lincoln's Sparrow -- -- -- -- -- -- White-crowned Sparrow -- 3 -- -- -- -- Golden-crowned Sparrow 2 2 -- -- -- -- Dark-eyed Junco 30 15 -- -- -- -- Red-winged Blackbird 5 -- -- -- -- -- Western Meadowlark -- -- -- -- -- -- Brewer's Blackbird -- -- 1 -- -- -- Purple Finch -- -- -- -- -- -- House Finch 11 10 -- -- -- -- Red Crossbill -- -- -- -- -- -- Pine Siskin 5 3 -- -- -- -- House Sparrow 5 5 -- -- -- --

Dogs suck

There's a spot along 72nd street and boundary bay that's always caught my imagination. It borders the Airport road, and for the longest time it seemed like it was private property. I always recall there always seemed to be movie shoots going on. I hadn't been around in a while so when I drove by it last, it seemed it had been converted into a dog park. Shitty luck for birders as compared to the rest of the area there is alot of dense brush and large trees which would be perfect for roosting owls. 

I figured I would try and get up super early to beat the dog walkers and maybe see a Long-eared Owl or something exciting. 

Well I forgot in Vancouver, no matter how early you get somewhere, there's gonna be someone else there first. Nevertheless I still went exploring, and it really is amazing habitat. I don't know why it wasn't turned into a bird sanctuary, its not like it would matter anyways, Off leash dogs seem to be at every other bird sanctuary anyways.

I found a Great Horned Owl dozing at sunrise, the light was pretty terrible for any great shots, but still nothing beats the excitement of finding an owl hidden in the trees.

I got accosted by a couple greyhounds, which wasn't the worst experience, because they are really the only dog I like, afterwards I went to the end of 72nd to look for the Palm Warbler that had been reported, I walked in between the pump house and 72nd st 3 times. There were plenty of Yellow rumps, flycatching the shrubs bordering the dyke, but no Palm Warbler. I had brief looks at 2 Orange-crowned Warblers as well. 

It was definitely a day for raptors though, I had a Kestrel, Peregrine Falcon, Snowy, Short-eared, and Great Horned Owls. As well as Rough-legged, Coopers, Red-tailed hawks.

Not a bad day at all.

Here's my ebird list.

Species

54 species (+1 other taxa) total

X	Snow Goose
X	Trumpeter Swan
X	Eurasian Wigeon
X	American Wigeon
X	Mallard
X	Northern Shoveler
X	Green-winged Teal
X	Hooded Merganser
X	Great Blue Heron
X	Cooper's Hawk
X	Bald Eagle
X	Red-tailed Hawk
X	Black-bellied Plover
X	Ring-billed Gull
X	Western Gull
X	Herring Gull
X	Thayer's Gull
X	Glaucous-winged Gull
X	Western x Glaucous-winged Gull (hybrid)
X	Rock Pigeon
X	Eurasian Collared-Dove
1	Great Horned Owl
3	Snowy Owl
2	Short-eared Owl
1	Downy Woodpecker
3	Northern Flicker
1	American Kestrel
1	Peregrine Falcon
1	Northern Shrike
X	Northwestern Crow
X	Black-capped Chickadee
X	Bushtit
X	Pacific Wren
X	Marsh Wren
X	Bewick's Wren
X	Golden-crowned Kinglet
X	Ruby-crowned Kinglet
X	American Robin
X	European Starling
2	Orange-crowned Warbler
20	Yellow-rumped Warbler
X	Spotted Towhee
2	American Tree Sparrow
X	Fox Sparrow
X	Song Sparrow
X	Lincoln's Sparrow
X	White-crowned Sparrow
X	Golden-crowned Sparrow
X	Dark-eyed Junco
X	Red-winged Blackbird
X	Western Meadowlark
X	Brewer's Blackbird
X	Purple Finch
X	House Finch
X	Pine Siskin