January 7-8: First Chase - Fieldfare

There has been an ABA Code 4 Fieldfare just outside of Salmon Arm, British Columbia since December 16^th - having been found there on the Christmas Bird Count by Roger and Nan Beardmore with Peter and Sharon Lawless.  Since one of my goals this year is to “tick” 75 Life Birds, I was getting a late start on attaining that goal, and this is my First Chase of the year.

I left Olympia at daybreak, and immediately ran into traffic in town, in Tacoma, in Seattle, and in Everett.  A drive that should take a little over an hour and a half took about three and a half.  Perhaps it is time for the Legislature and Dept. of Transportation to seriously consider light rail from Olympia north?  Or, better yet, from Vancouver to Vancouver!  Getting commuters off the road would save them, businesses, and the Public untold millions in saved time and improved productivity, and in the reduction in use of fossil fuels.

I made it to the US-Canada border at Sumas, and got through with no difficulty, and stopped to look at a flock of swans near Abbotsford.

Trumpeter Swans below Sumas Lake

This area is productive farmland, and supports a fair amount of wintering birds.  But, it must be a dim shadow of the habitat that was here before the draining of the lake and marsh in 1924.

I continued north and east, over the Coquihalla, which can be challenging during a winter storm but wasn’t too bad today, and arrived at Salmon Arm at dark.

The next morning, it was -7° C as I headed south along the Foothills Road toward the neighborhood where the Fieldfare has been seen.  The scars from the big 1998 wild fire still showed on the surrounding hills.

Sunrise over the Salmon River valley

I settled down at the corner of Krick and Kernaghan Roads to watch the mountain ash trees.

Soon, the American Robins began to arrive to feast on the fruits, which are technically a small pome, rather than a berry.

American Robin

Red-shafted Flickers joined the robins at breakfast.

Red-shafted Flicker

Finally, at 8:10, I saw a robin that wasn’t a robin on the far side of one of the rowans.  But, it wasn’t giving much of a view.

Poor view, but it's NOT a Robin . . .

I was loath to get out of the car (did I mention that it was -7° C?) to avoid spooking the birds.  Finally, the bird shifted its position and gave me decent views for about a half an hour.

Fieldfare Turdus pilaris

Like an American Robin, only more exotic!

This is a fine-looking visitor to North America

Eventually, the Fieldfare flew off to the east with some of its robin cousins, and I eased my way back on Krick Road to watch a large flock of American Goldfinches at a neighbor’s feeders.

On my way out of the neighborhood, I stopped at the bridge over the Salmon River, where an American Dipper was swimming and diving in the icy waters for its breakfast

There was ice in the river, but the Dipper didn't seem to mind . . .

The drive home was fairly uneventful, although I chased a flock of what were likely Bohemian Waxwings across the valley east of Kamloops, without getting a good view of them to confirm the species.  I’ll look for them later this month when I’m birding in the Okanogan Valley.

I was wondering whether Trump’s Government Shutdown would impact the Border Crossing at Sumas, but breezed through with little difficulty.  The CBP employees’ group supported Old Orange Hair, so it’s kind of ironic that their paychecks will be delayed until the government resumes paying its employees.  Thank goodness, the Fieldfare didn't have to go over a wall or through Customs.


My last birding stop was at dark just south of Mount Vernon, where a flock of Snow Geese were feeding along a farm road.  There were quite a few juvenile birds in the flock, indicating good reproduction last year on Wrangell Island.

Skagit County Snow Geese

Abbotsford eBird Checklist is Here
Krick Road eBird Checklist is Here

Salmon River eBird Checklist is Here

Skagit Snow Goose eBird Checklist is Here