Vancouver Rare Bird Alert Transcript

This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Monday,
January 9th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited, with stores in
Vancouver and North Vancouver. The RBA telephone number is (604) 737-3074.

If you wish to leave a rare bird report, please phone the main number again
at (604) 737-3074, press "2" for the rare bird reporting line, and follow
the instructions given there.



This has become a major Snowy Owl flight year, with recent reports of up to
28 birds near the foot of 72nd Street on Boundary Bay, plus 6 more in the
Brunswick Point area of Delta. Birders and photographers are asked to
observe Snowy Owl from a respectful distance, to make an effort not to
flush or frighten off the owls, and to speak to anyone who appears to be
crowding an owl too much.



RARE BIRD ALERT for Snowy Owl at numerous localities, especially along
Boundary Bay and at Brunswick Point in Delta.

Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERT for a Ross's Gull, the second record for
Washington, at Palmer Lake, near Oroville, from at least December 15 to 27.
This bird has not been reported from Palmer Lake since December 27, but a
small gull which may have been the ROSS'S was seen at nearby Spectacle Lake
on December 29.



Sightings for Monday, January 9th



A flock of 14 Greater White-fronted Goose was seen with swans along 64th
Street south of 60th Avenue in Delta, just west of the Burns Bog landfill.

At the foot of 72nd Street in Delta were 23 Snowy Owl, 3 AMERICAN TREE
SPARROWS, and 4 Western Meadowlark.

Three Eared Grebe were seen along the waterfront in White Rock.

In Surrey, 6 Ring-necked Duck and a Townsend's Solitaire were seen in the
Holly Park area near 104th Avenue and 144th Street.

Along 40th Avenue (Mud Bay Road) and 140th Street in Surrey were 57 EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVES and 20 Brown-headed Cowbird.

A flock of 100 Red Crossbill was seen at the boat launch on Buntzen Lake
near Ioco.



Sightings for Sunday, January 8th



A total of 28 Snowy Owl were seen from the south foot of 72nd Street in
Delta, and 5 American Tree Sparrow were seen on the Boundary Bay dyke just
east of 72nd Street.

A Barred Owl and 20 Common Redpoll were observed at the Serpentine Fen WMA
in Surrey.

Five Yellow-rumped Warbler were seen near a manure pile on 140th Street,
off Mud Bay Road in Surrey.

The adult Northern Goshawk was seen near the duck pond at the Maplewood
Conservation Area in North Vancouver, and has reportedly been seen daily
since New Year's Day.

The annual Squamish and Brackendale eagle count produced 655 Bald Eagle, a
respectable count, but less than the average. A Northern Goshawk was also
seen in the area.



Sightings for Saturday, January 7th



A Townsend's Warbler and 5 Common Redpoll were seen in the Walnut Grove
area of Langley, near 204th Street and 93B Avenue.

A huge flock of 150 Common Redpoll was reported from Deas Island Park in
Delta.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey were the Long-billed Curlew, 6 Marbled Godwit, 9
Greater Yellowlegs, and 11 Eurasian Wigeon.



Sightings for Friday, January 6th



Two Common Redpoll and 3 Greater White-fronted Goose were seen at Hastings
Park in Vancouver.

At Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby were a flock of 30 WHITE-WINGED
CROSSBILLS, and at least 2 Common Redpoll with a Pine Siskin flock.

There were 90 Long-billed Dowitcher and an intergrade AMERICAN x EURASIAN
Green-winged Teal along the Nicomekl River near Brydon Lagoon in Langley.



Sightings for Thursday, January 5th



The wintering Long-billed Curlew and 6 Marbled Godwit were seen on the east
side of Blackie Spit in Surrey.

Three Eared Grebe were seen along the waterfront in White Rock.

A total of 26 Snowy Owl were seen at the foot of 72nd Street on Boundary
Bay in Delta; 600 Brant were seen offshore from 72nd. Also a loose flock of
38 Greater Yellowlegs were feeding in a wet field along 72nd Street.

An adult Western Gull was seen at Garry Point Park in Richmond, and another
was in a large gull flock on 96th Street just north of Highway 10 in Delta.

The Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta produced 2 adult BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS, 9 Sandhill Crane, a Ring-necked Duck, a Barred Owl, and 2
Cedar Waxwing. A single Mute Swan was at nearby Canoe Pass near the Westham
Island bridge.

At the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta were the long-staying Willet and 16
Black Oystercatcher.



Sightings for Wednesday, January 4th



A pair of Cinnamon Teal were seen along 64th Avenue in Surrey, where a
single male had been seen 2 days earlier.



Sightings for Tuesday, January 3rd



Four Mourning Dove were seen along River Road near Bradner Road in
Abbotsford.



Sightings for Monday, January 2nd



Twenty-two Common Redpoll were seen at Jericho Park in Vancouver, and 7
more at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver.

An American Bittern and two female Cinnamon Teal were seen at the Serpentine
Fen WMA in Surrey. Another Cinnamon Teal, this one a drake, was with other
ducks in a flooded field in Surrey on the north side of 64th Avenue, just
east of the Serpentine River canal.

A lone Snow Bunting was seen on the beach in White Rock, near the White Rock
pier.

Birds of note at Point Roberts, WA included 2 Marbled Murrelet, 25 COMMON
MURRES, and 130 Brant.



Sightings for Sunday, January 1st



The two Northern Goshawk, one adult and one immature, were seen again at
the Maplewood Conservation Area, as were a Spotted Sandpiper and 24 COMMON
REDPOLLS.

A Red-breasted Sapsucker was found at Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver.

In North Delta, 66 Eurasian Collared-Dove were seen along 112th, 104th, and
96th Streets N of Highway 10. Also in Delta were 6 Snowy Owl and a Western
Meadowlark in the Brunswick Point area.





A brief account of 31 of the best birding locations in the Vancouver area
can be found on the Nature Vancouver website at

http://www.naturevancouver.ca/Birding_Birding_Sites

If you have any questions about birds or birding in the Vancouver area,
please call Larry at 604-465-1402, or Viveka at 604-531-3401.

Thank you for calling the Vancouver Rare Bird Alert, and good birding.



Wayne C. Weber

Delta, BC