This is the Vancouver Bird Alert for Monday, Dec. 18, 2000: Evening Update.

Species mentioned:

Green Heron [Southlands - Vancouver]
Black-crowned Night Heron [Reifel]
Brant [Pt. Roberts]
Cinnamon Teal [Iona]
Redhead [Iona Jetty]
Northern Goshawk [Reifel]
Rough-legged Hawk [Chilliwack]
Gyrfalcon [Pt. Grey]
Greater Yellowlegs [Iona]
Spotted Sandpiper [Blackie Spit, Squamish, Reifel]
Long-billed Curlew [Blackie Spit]
Rock Sandpiper [Iona]
Long-billed Dowitcher [Iona]
Common Snipe [North Surrey]
Western Gull [Pt. Roberts]
Ancient Murrelet [Lighthouse Park]
Short-eared Owl [Chilliwack]
Barred Owl [Reifel]
Anna's Hummingbird [ West Van]
"Western" Flycatcher (possible) [49th Vancouver]
Ash-throated Flycatcher [Reifel]
Horned Lark [Chilliwack, Iona]
House Wren (possible) [Pt. Grey]
Townsend's Solitaire [Pt. Grey]
Hermit Thrush [QE Park]
American Pipit [Chilliwack, Blackie Spit]
Yellow-rumped Warbler [Vancouver, Iona]
MacGillivray's Warbler [Vancouver]
American Tree Sparrow [Iona]
Savannah Sparrow [Chilliwack, Iona]
Lapland Longspur [Chilliwack]
Snow Bunting [Iona Jetty]
Western Meadowlark [Chilliwack, Squamish, Iona]
Brown-headed Cowbird [Iona]
Rusty Blackbird [Mission]

RARE BIRD ALERT for ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER!
Other feature birds are RUSTY BLACKBIRD and LAPLAND LONGSPUR.

Sightings for Monday, Dec. 18:

RARE BIRD ALERT an immature ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER was discovered
at the Reifel Refuge this afternoon. It was viewed near the Gift Shop till
sunset.
Also at the Refuge were 2 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS and 2 BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS.

In Mission today a RUSTY BLACKBIRD was found in a feed lot. If you wish to
view this bird please call Murr at 604 826-9522.

Nearby in Chilliwack in a large field at Banford Rd. and Prairie Central Rd.
the following species were seen: 18 LAPLAND LONGSPURS, 5 HORNED LARK, 2
AMERICAN PIPITS, 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS, 2 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, 40 SAVANNAH
SPARROWS and 2 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS.

The TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was again in the gardens of Cecil Green Park at
UBC.

At Queen Elizabeth Park under the Season's Restaurant in the Quarry was 1
HERMIT THRUSH.

At Blackie Spit in Whiterock was a SPOTTED SANDPIPER, LONG-BILLED CURLEW and
an AMERICAN PIPIT.

At the tip of Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver were 2 ANCIENT MURRELETS.
Nearby along Marine Dr. an male ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD was seen.

A flock of 6 COMMON SNIPE were seen in North Surrey.

Results of the Squamish Christmas Bird Count was a total of 61 species.
Highlights were 2 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, 1 WESTERN MEADOWLARK and 1 OLDSQUAW.

Sunday, Dec. 17:

The provisional total for the Vancouver Christmas Bird Count is a wonderful
140 species! Congratulations to everyone who participated on producing a
highly successful count!

A MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER was discovered with a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER
in brambles at the foot of Roger St. in Vancouver.

A GREEN HERON has been present for several days in a large ditch near the
corner of W. 53rd and Carnarvan St. in the Southlands area of Vancouver.
Nearby in
2200 block of W. 49th Ave. a bird fitting the description of a "WESTERN"
FLYCATCHER has been present with a large mixed flock of Kinglets and
Bushtits for several days. Confirmation is requested as this would be the
first winter record for Canada.

At Pt. Grey today an immature GYRFALCON was discovered. Meanwhile at Cecil
Green Park near the Anthropology Museum at UBC was a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE.
Also reported from Pt. Grey was a bird fitting the description of a HOUSE
WREN. Confirmation is requested as there are no confirmed winter sightings
for Vancouver.

At Iona Island a HORNED LARK was discovered along the North Arm Jetty. On
the Outer Pond the male CINNAMON TEAL was rediscovered. At Iona Bay on the
foreshore the ROCK SANDPIPER was again observed with many DUNLIN. Along the
South Jetty were 15 SNOW BUNTINGS and at the tip was a male REDHEAD. Other
birds seen in the park include 4 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, 1
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, 4 SAVANNAH SPARROWS, 1 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, 3
WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, 3 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS and 4 GREATER YELLOWLEGS.

At Queen Elizabeth Park were 2 HERMIT THRUSHES.

At Point Roberts at Lighthouse Marine Park were 6 BRANT and a WESTERN GULL.

Saturday, Dec. 16:

The provisional total of the Victoria Christmas Bird Count was 127.

Highlights of the count were NORTHERN FULMAR, PALM WARBLER and
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW.

Locally at the Reifel Refuge 2 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS, 1 BARRED OWL and
1 SPOTTED SANDPIPER were all reported.

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To report a sighting to the Bird Alert, call (604) 737-3074. Visit the
Vancouver Natural History Society's website at: www.naturalhistory.bc.ca.