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

Area: VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA (abbrev-VCR)
Period: MON OCT 31 1994 to SUN NOV 06 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:

GYRFALCON
SWAMP SPARROW
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH
HARRIS' SPARROW
RING-BILLED X CALIFORNIA GULL
LESSER YELLOWLEGS
EURASIAN X AMERICAN WIGEON (MANY)
TUFTED DUCK
CANVASBACK X GREATER SCAUP

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):

SUN NOV 20
A grey-morph GYRFALCON was seen along 72nd St in S Delta in the vicinity
of the Boundary Bay Airport before the bird flew E toward 88th St.
A basic-plumaged adult SWAMP SPARROW was seen in the 13200-block of
Colebrook Rd. in S Surrey.
Ten WESTERN SANDPIPERS were in a small flock of 150 DUNLIN at the base of
the Roberts Bank Jetty in Ladner.


SAT NOV 19
There were 2 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS at their customary winter roost
along Fuller's Slough in the Reifel Refuge on Westham Is in Ladner, and on
the foreshore to the W was a extremely large, presumably female, dark-morph
RED-TAILED HAWK, almost the size of a small BALD EAGLE, while 1 adult
PEREGRINE FALCON and an adult female MERLIN were at Iona Is. where a search
in the pouring rain failed to turn up either the adult female TUFTED DUCK
or either of the basic-plumaged EARED GREBES which have been frequenting
the Outer Pond at Iona.


FRI NOV 18
A GREY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH was located during a beached bird survey along
the beach S of Crescent Beach approxinmately 100 m S of the foot of the
24th Ave Steps. Please be advised that the beach here is accessible only at
low tide, and that walking on the tracks above the beach is strictly
discouraged by the Burlington Northern Railway.

The HARRIS' SPARROW was again present at a feeder in a yard at the W end on
the N side of the alleyway between W 2nd & W 3rd Avenues in Vancouver in
the 3800-block 2 blocks to the E of Jericho Pk.. Also here was 1 DARK-EYED
JUNCO which was an intergrade between the 'Slate-colored' and 'Oregon'
forms. Although the adult male EURASIAN WIGEON couldn't be located today at
Jericho Pk on the W Pond, there was 1 female EURASIAN and at least *4*
hybrid EURASIAN X AMERICAN WIGEON males, with a possible addition of *6*
hybrid females.

The basic 1-plumaged LESSER YELLOWLEGS is still hanging on at Blackie Spit
in Crescent Beach, and all three members of the Three Amigos were there,
the WHIMBREL & the LONG-BILLED CURLEW, with the MARBLED GODWIT.

An adult PEREGRINE FALCON was at Iona Is in NW Richmond.
Incidentally, we're now in the migration window for SNOWY OWLS; good places
to search for this Arctic species are the Boundary Bay foreshore,
particularly to the E of the S end of 72nd St. and along the driftwood on
the N side of the Roberts Bank Coalport Jetty. And a reminder to birders
and photographers: please try to be satisfied with a less than full frame
shot if the only way to get one is to spook the bird, so please keep your
distance from these birds, so that we all get to see them.


THU NOV 17
The following birds were at Sandy Cove along the W VCR shoreline to the E
of Lightouse Pk and Cypress Creek: 35 SURFBIRDS, 6 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, 4
MARBLED MURRELETS, 6 BLACK TURNSTONES, and a bird was photographed that was
thought to be a RING-BILLED X CALIFORNIA GULL hybrid. A female hummingbird
seen along the shoreline between 29th and 25th Sts in W VCR was believed to
be a female ANNA'S.

Up to 3 SNOW BUNTINGS could still be found near or at the end of the South
Jetty at Iona Is Regional Pk in NW Richmond. One EARED GREBE was on the
Outer Pond at Iona Is.

At the display pond at Devonian Pk at the entrance to Stanley Pk in VCR,
there was an adult 1 HERRING GULL, 1 female EURASIAN WIGEON, and 2 male
EURASIAN X AMERICAN WIGEON hybrids.


WED NOV 16
We're currently in the migration window for GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH, and if
they're not up high, they're down low: 1 rosy finch was at the water's edge
today in W VCR along the seawall walk at the S end of 24th St.

The adult female TUFTED DUCK was again present on the Outer Pond at Iona Is
Regional Pk in NW Richmond, as well as 2 EARED GREBES which have been on
the Outer Pond sporadically over the last few weeks.

An adult *CANVASBACK X GREATER SCAUP* was on Lost Lagoon at Stanley Pk, as
well as the male REDHEAD. An adult HERRING GULL, often suprisingly
difficult to find close up in the Greater Vancouver Checklist Area away
from the birder-unfriendly Vancouver Landfill in Burns Bog, was at the
display pond at Devonian Pk at the entrance to Stanley Pk.


TUE NOV 15 BRAN
At least 35 BRANT were at a traditional staging area on the Boundary Bay
foreshore at Beach Grove in Tsawwassen at the E end of 12th Avenue. You can
find other staging BRANT between the Roberts Bank Coalport Jetty and the
Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal Jetty in S Delta. 2 adult male EURASIAN WIGEON
were at Boundary Bay Regional Pk to the S of Beach Grove. MON NOV 14 HASP
The HARRIS' SPARROW was still at the yard on the N side of the W end of the
alleyway separating W 2nd & 3rd Avenues on Point Grey in Vancouver, 2
blocks to the E of Jericho Pk.

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!