Subject: RBA Vancouver, BC. December 23/00
Date: Dec 24 09:37:27 2000
From: Larry Cowan - lawrencecowan at home.com


This is the Vancouver Bird Alert for Saturday, December 23, 2000: Evening
Update.

Species mentioned:

Eared Grebe [White Rock]
Black-crowned Night Heron [Reifel]
Brant [Beach Grove]
Greater White-fronted Goose [Langley, Iona]
Hooded Merganser [Beach Grove]
Sharp-shinned Hawk [Reifel]
Cooper's Hawk [Reifel]
Northern Goshawk [Reifel]
Merlin [Reifel]
American Kestrel [Delta Port Way]
Gyrfalcon [Kelowna]
Peregrine Falcon [Beach Grove, Blackie Spit]
Sandhill Crane [Westham Isl.]
Black-bellied Plover [Iona]
Greater Yellowlegs [Reifel, Beach Grove, Blackie Spit]
Willet [Tsawwassen Jetty]
Long-billed Curlew [Blackie Spit]
Ruddy Turnstone [White Rock]
Black Turnstone [White Rock]
Sanderling [Beach Grove]
Western Sandpiper [Iona]
SLATY-BACKED GULL [Burns Dive - Delta]
Barred Owl [Reifel]
Northern Saw-whet Owl [Reifel]
Ash-throated Flycatcher [Reifel]
American Pipit [68th - Delta]
Yellow-rumped Warbler [Reifel]
Savannah Sparrow [Beach Grove]
Snow Bunting [Iona Jetty]
Western Meadowlark [Iona]
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE [Kelowna]

The feature birds are SLATY-BACKED GULL and ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER.

Sightings for Saturday, Dec. 23:

In the gull fields of Ladner an adult winter plumaged SLATY-BACKED GULL was
found
at 1:30 pm at Burns Drive & the north end of 96th Street. In the Vancouver
Landfill (an area off-limits to the public) over 30,000+ Gulls were counted
of which contained an adult winter plumaged GLAUCOUS GULL, an adult winter
plumaged CALIFORNIA GULL, many THAYER'S GULLS, many HERRING GULLS, up to 5
WESTERN GULLS and 1000's of GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS. In the fields along 68th
St in Delta were 2 AMERICAN PIPITS.

At the Reifel Refuge the ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER was again seen behind the
washrooms. Also here was a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. Other species seen at the
Refuge included 2 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS, 2 MERLINS, and a BARRED OWL.

Nearby along Delta Port Way an AMERICAN KESTREL was seen.

In Kelowna the GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE was re-found at the intersection of
Enterprise Way and Cooper Rd. A GYRFALCON was still present in the region.
For more information on these and other Okanagan Birds please call the
Okanagan Bird Alert at 250 491-7738.

Friday, Dec. 22:

At the Reifel Refuge the immature ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER
was rediscovered in the area behind the washrooms in the afternoon.
Also reported from the Refuge were a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL,
BARRED OWL, 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS and 2 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS.

The RUDDY TURNSTONE and 5 BLACK TURNSTONES were again seen at the end
of the White Rock Pier. To the Northwest end of the Pier were 3 EARED
GREBES.

Nearby at Blackie Spit the LONG-BILLED CURLEW was seen.

In Langley at the corner of 24th Ave. and 208th St. was a flock 131 CANADA
GEESE of various forms and 1 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE.

Another GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was reported on the Outer Pond
at Iona Island.

At Beach Grove Lagoon the following species were reported: 1 SAVANNAH
SPARROW
30 SANDERLING, 2 PEREGRINE FALCONS, 4 HOODED MERGANSERS, 356 "BLACK"
BRANT 13 "GRAY-BELLIED BRANT" and up to 8 GREATER YELLOWLEGS.

Thursday, Dec. 21:

The RUDDY TURNSTONE spent the entire day around the end of the
White Rock Pier. At one point it was joined by a BLACK TURNSTONE.

At the Iona South Jetty 12 SNOW BUNTINGS were found along with 4
WESTERN MEADOWLARKS at the base. At the base of the North Arm Jetty
21 WESTERN SANDPIPERS were found with many DUNLIN and BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVERS.

At the Reifel Refuge there was no relocation of the immature ASH-THROATED
FLYCATCHER last seen Tuesday, Dec. 19th. Birds seen at the Refuge today
included the adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK, a COOPER'S HAWK and a
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. 3 SANDHILL CRANES were again reported
along Westham Island Rd. on the way into Reifel.

The WILLET was again seen on the south base of the Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty.

At Blackie Spit the LONG-BILLED CURLEW, 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS and
2 PEREGRINE FALCONS were reported.

END TRANSCRIPT

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.