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

Area: VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA (abbrev-VCR)
Period: MON OCT 17 1994 to SUN OCT 23 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:

AMERICAN TREE SPARROW
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
EURASIAN WIGEON
RING-NECKED DUCK
TUNDRA SWAN
NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL
*KINGBIRD SP.
COMMON NIGHTHAWK

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 OCT 23
The first *AMERICAN TREE SPARROW* of the southbound migration, an adult
bird still in alternate plumage was found today on the landward side of the
Brunswick Pt. dike about 200 meters N of the base of the Roberts Bank Jetty
in Ladner.

The tan-morph WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was again at the Reifel Refuge in
Ladner on the E trail about 50 meters from its start; also at Reifel, an
influx of about 2,000 SNOW GEESE joined the approx. 18,000 already there.
Interestingly, this new flock contained some young birds, an exception to
the rule this year.

The 5 TUNDRA SWANS were once again at the Outer Pond at Iona Regional Pk in
NW Richmond. Two SANDHILL CRANES were in a field along McDonald Rd and
River Rd in N Delta.

Two MOURNING DOVES were somewhat out-of-place at the beach at Ambleside Pk
in W VCR, where about 20 RING-NECKED DUCKS could still be found on the
display pond after Thursday's large influx. Single male CEURASIAN WIGEONS
were reported from the W pond at Jericho Pk in VCR, where there was also a
male EURASIAN X AMERICAN WIGEON hybrid back for its fifth or sixth winter,
and Blackie Spit in Crescent Beach.

It's getting pretty late for LESSER YELLOWLEGS: 1 was at Blackie Spit and
another at the Reifel Refuge. A single BLACK OYSTERCATCHER was seen along
the shoreline of S Crescent Beach, and single EARED GREBES were at Blackie
Spit and Iona's Outer Pond.

SAT OCT 22
There has been no relocation of the possible TROPICAL/COUCH'S--type
KINGBIRD seen Tuesday, Oct 18, at Reifel since that day. There have also
been no further reports of the YELLOW-BILLED LOON seen at the White Rock
Pier in White Rock on Friday, Oct 21. The first report of incoming migrant
swans was received today, with 5 TUNDRA SWANS making a pitstop at the Outer
Pond At Iona Is Regional Pk.
NORTHERN PYGMY-OWLS were reported from two widely-separated lowland sites;
1 was in the Strachan Bay area along the Squamish Highway just S of Lion's
Bay and the other was in a yard in the 238-hundred block of the Lougheed
Highway in Maple Ridge. Is this just coincidence, or does it mark some sort
of movement of pygmy-owls, either down from higher altitude or into the
checklist area?


FRI OCT 21
There is a late report of a *KINGBIRD* seen at the Reifel Refuge in Ladner
on Tuesday, October 18; any kingbird seen this time of year is more likely
to be a possible TROPICAL or COUCH'S KINGBIRD than a WESTERN.

A *YELLOW-BILLED LOON* was seen today off the the White Rock Pier on the
White Rock waterfront.

There was 1 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW on the E trail at the Reifel Refuge in
Ladner. Several EURASIAN WIGEONS are in the area, with 3 adult males at
Beach Grove in Tsawwassen, an adult female and juvenile male at Ambleside
Pk in W VCR, and 1 male emerging into definitive plumage on Lost Lagoon in
Stanley Pk. The cold front following the recent cold Low which just passed
through Vancouver pushed a large wave of RING-NECKED DUCKS into the Greater
Vancouver Checklist Area with at least *32* birds on Ambleside Pk's display
pond and another 9 at Lost Lagoon; also riding the same front were large
numbers of American Coots, and the first large numbers of BARROW'S
GOLDENEYES and BUFFLEHEAD.

9 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS and 13 MARBLED MURRELETS were at Sandy Cove on the W
VCR shoreline in the vicinity of 31st St, and another 3 BLACK OYSTER-
CATCHERS, 2 adult & 1 immature birds, were on the rocks in the immediate
vicinity of the swimming pool under construction at Stanley Pk's 2nd Beach.
THU OCT 20
No local Report.

WED OCT 19
A BARRED OWL was in Captain Cook Pk in SE VCR. A grey-headed FOX SPARROW of
the interior race 'Schistacea' was seen in Everett Crowly Pk, also in SE
VCR. An albino drake NORTHERN PINTAIL was off the S side of the Roberts
Bank Jetty in Ladner.

TUE OCT 18
A late COMMON NIGHTHAWK was over E VCR in the vicinity of E 36th Ave and
Main St.

At the Beach Grove Lagoon in Tsawwassen there were 2 definitively-plumaged
male EURASIAN WIGEON and at least 2 male EURASIAN WIGEON X AMERICAN WIGEON
hybrids. The definitive-plumaged EURASIAN WIGEON was again present at
Jericho Pk in a flock of about 250 AMERICAN WIGEONS, but also there was a
male EURASIAN X AMERICAN WIGEON hybrid. At Lost Lagoon there was a
male-female pair of EURASIAN WIGEON. At Devonian Pk, at the entrance to
Stanley Pk, there was a flock of 11 HOODED MERGANSERS.

A very pale juvenile JAEGER was seen from the Vancouver-to- Victoria ferry
in Active Pass between Mayne and Galiano Islands, and 1 HEERMANN'S GULL was
near the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal.

MON OCT 17
A definitive-plumaged male EURASIAN WIGEON was at Jericho Pk, associating
with a large flock of AMERICAN WIGEON. A GREEN HERON was at the Reifel
Refuge, where the day's count of SNOW GEESE was pegged at approx. 15,000
birds.

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!