VANCOUVER RARE BIRD ALERT sponsored by the Vancouver Natural History
Society.

Area: VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA (abbrev-VCR)
Period: MON DEC 12 1994 to SUN DEC 18 1994, updated weekly
Call: 604-737-9910 (hot line updated daily, or as necessary)
To report: Same
Compiler: Michael Price
Transcriber: Same
Contact: michael_price at mindlink.bc.ca
(604) 731-4715 FEATURED BIRDS:

PINE GROSBEAK
PRAIRIE FALCON
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
ROCK SANDPIPER
GREAT EGRET
TURKEY VULTURE
SNOWY OWL
GYRFALCON
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH
EMPEROR GOOSE
HARRIS' SPARROW

For sick or injured birds please call:
WILDLIFE RESCUE 526-7275
MONIKA'S WILDLIFE SHELTER 882-0908
SPCA ANIMAL EMERGENCY 879-7343
If you have a report, be sure to leave your name and telephone
number/e-mail address, for our records.
If you're calling the hotline and you want to skip the update to leave your
message, press the *STAR* button on any touchtone telephone, otherwise
please wait for the long tone at the end of the update.

TRANSCRIPT (some editing for continuity & brevity):

SUN DEC 18
Today was the day of the Vancouver Christmas Bird Count, which reached a
provisional total of 134 species. Highlight birds are a WHITE-THROATED
SPARROW in S Burnaby, an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER on Sea is. in Richmond, a
male BARROW'S X COMMON GOLDENEYE hybrid of the Kitsilano Beach foreshore, a
single TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE in the Upper Lonsdale district of N VCR, 3
BARRED OWLS (2 at Burnaby L., 1 in Stanley Pk), at least 12 WESTERN
SANDPIPERS, 3 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, and 3 SNOW BUNTINGS at Iona Is. in
Richmond.

A small flock of 3 SWANS, possibly Trumpeter Swans, were seen flying over
the Lion's Gate Bridge between VCR and N VCR. Up to 5 EURASIAN WIGEON were
on Sea Is. just to the E, and single EURASIAN X AMERICAN HYBRIDS were at
Jericho Pk and Lost Lagoon. In addition to the usual small numbers in
regular territories in W VCR and Kerrisdale, 2 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS were in
the Kitsilano/W Point Grey area in Vancouver.

Sightings in other parts of the Greater Vancouver Checklist Area:
A male PINE GROSBEAK was observed feeding in the trees on the NW corner of
16th Ave at 168th St in S Surrey; this is part of a larger pattern in SW BC
of Pine Grosbeaks occurring in lowland areas, particularly on Vancouver
Island.

The adult *PRAIRIE FALCON* was again at Brunswick Pt in W Ladner, between
the base of the Roberts Bank Coalport Jetty & where the BC Hydro submarine
cable comes ashore about 1 km to the N.

At least 2 PEREGRINE FALCONS were along the E side of the Boundary Bay
Airport along 72nd St in S Delta, and a dark-morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, 2
EURASIAN WIGEONS, and a ROCK SANDPIPER in a mixed shorebird flock were at
Beach Grove in Tsawwassen. SAT DEC 17
The 3 large shorebirds--LONG-BILLED CURLEW, MARBLED GODWIT, and WHIMBREL
--known collectively as the Three Amigos, were present at Blackie Spit in
Crescent Beach; at least 3 EURASIAN WIGEONS were also at this location. At
the Roberts Bank Coalport Jetty, there were 198 BRANT and at least 168
CANVASBACK. The Victoria Bird Count was held in poor weather on this date
and reached a provisional total of 141 species: highlights of the Victoria
Count include a first-winter record *VESPER SPARROW*, the first
Count-record *BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER*, at least 3 *BLUE JAYS*, *6*
PINE GROSBEAKS, 1 *TOWNSEND'S WARBLER*, 6 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, 3
GLAUCOUS GULLS, A GYRFALCON,and several SWAMP SPARROWS. For details, call
the Victoria Alert at (604) 592-3381.


FRI DEC 16
RARE BIRD ALERT: a *GREAT EGRET* was located in the afternoon outside
the checklist area in the Sumas Prairie to the E of Abbotsford. The bird
was at the mouth of the canal which runs along the N side of Campbell Rd
just E of McDermot but had moved by late afternoon.

The *PRAIRIE FALCON*, aged as an adult bird, was seen today hunting along
33A Ave. in Ladner. The TURKEY VULTURE spent some time loafing on the
Boundary Bay foreshore at Beach Grove, Tsawwassen, just N of the pumphouse;
also here was a flock of 136 BRANT located during the Brant Survey.

A BARRED OWL was located in Ambleside Pk in W VCR. A winter flock of up to
*40* WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were along River Rd. near 44A St. in Ladner. A
pair of CRESTED MYNAS were seen in the vicinity of E 7th Ave. and Yukon St
in VCR, possibly the same pair seen yesterday in the 600-block of E 6th
Ave. not far from today's location.

An AMERICAN KESTREL was over Vancouver Harbor in the downtown area.

At Blackie Spit in Crescent Beach there were 2 male and 1 female EURASIAN
WIGEON, 1 EARED GREBE, and 2 of the THREE AMIGOS: the MARBLED GODWIT, and
the LONG-BILLED CURLEW.

Three TRUMPETER SWANS were a little out of place over the intersection of W
4th Ave. and Alma St. in VCR's Point Grey district.


THU DEC 15
A *SNOWY OWL* was sighted flying in a southerly direction above the Hwy 99
freeway in S Delta to the N of the Boundary Bay Airport. A dark-morph
GYRFALCON was seen hunting along the Brunswick Pt. foreshore N of the base
of the Roberts Bank Coalport Jetty in W Ladner, and 12 male EURASIAN WIGEON
were counted between the Roberts Bank and Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal
Jetties.


WED DEC 14
There was no relocation of the adult EMPEROR GOOSE seen yesterday at the
Roberts Bank Coalport Jetty in Ladner.

The *4 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES* were again present in the vicinity of
cars parked at the W end of a gravel road which runs along the S side of
the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal Jetty in S Delta; access this road by turning
L off Hwy 17 onto Tsawwassen Rd. and following it to the base of the jetty.
A very large, dark immature PEREGRINE FALCON, likely a female of the
coastal 'Peale's' race, was also seen along the jetty.

A grey-morph GYRFALCON being harassed by a PEREGRINE FALCON was at
Brunswick Pt. in Ladner, and 12 male EURASIAN WIGEON were between the
Roberts Bank and Tsawwassen Jetties. A flock of several hundred DUNLIN on
the N side of the Roberts Bank Jetty contained 16 WESTERN SANDPIPERS and at
least 1 color- -banded DUNLIN; another 2 WESTERN SANDPIPERS were in a large
flock of DUNLIN in the construction area on the N side of the Tsawwassen
Jetty.


TUE DEC 13
The adult EMPEROR GOOSE, the first in almost 20 years, which had an injured
right leg, was picked up Monday Dec 12 at Beach Grove, and taken to
Wildlife Rescue in Burnaby.

One *day* after the pickup, an adult *EMPEROR GOOSE* with an injured right
leg was off the N side of the Roberts Bank Coalport Jetty in Ladner. As
Yogi Berra once said, "It's deja vu all over again."

The *4 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES* were again along the S side of the
Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal Jetty. A single SNOW BUNTING was also on the S
side of the jetty. A flock of Black Turnstones nearer to the end of the
jetty contained 1 ROCK SANDPIPER.

Another ROCK SANDPIPER was with a flock of DUNLIN & SANDERLING on the
Boundary Bay foreshore in the vicinity of Beach Grove at the E end of 12th
Ave. in Tsawwassen, where there was also a male and female EURASIAN WIGEON.

A basic 1-plumaged PINE GROSBEAK revisited a feeder in the 4200-block W.
12th Ave. in Vancouver's W Point Grey district. Up to 4 BLACK
OYSTERCATCHERS were along 2nd Beach in Stanley Pk in VCR. Adult PEREGRINE
FALCONS were reported from the power poles at the base of the Roberts Bank
Jetty and the Tsawwassen Indian Reservation lands, and a MERLIN was seen
along the Tsawwassen Jetty.


MON DEC 12
The Beach Grove *EMPEROR GOOSE*, which was showing increasing distress from
an injury to its right leg caused by flying into overhead wires, was picked
up this morning by representatives from the Owl Raptor Rehabilitation
Center in S Delta. X-rays showed a fracture to the right femur near the hip
joint. Prognosis is not encouraging; if the bird survives, there's a good
chance it cannot re-enter the wild.

The 4 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES were again on the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal
Jetty in S Delta. The basic 1-plumaged HARRIS' SPARROW was again sighted at
the feeder on the N side at the W end of the alleyway between W 2nd & W 3rd
Aves. in VCR's Pt. Grey district just 2 blocks E of Jericho Pk.

A GYRFALCON was seen hunting along the foreshore in the vicinity of the
pumphouse at Beach Grove in Tsawwassen.


If you have a report or a query about bird identification or
Vancouver birding please call:

Michael Price at (604)731-4715
Mark and Eleni Wynja at (604)438-6529
(Other contact names omitted on request)

Thanks for calling the Vancouver Bird Alert and Good Birding!