This is the Vancouver Bird Alert for Sunday, Dec. 24, 2000: Evening Update.

Species mentioned:

Snow Goose- Blue Phase [33A Delta]
Northern Goshawk [Reifel]
Merlin [Reifel]
Gyrfalcon [Kelowna]
Long-billed Curlew [Blackie Spit]
Ruddy Turnstone [White Rock]
SLATY-BACKED GULL [Burns Dive - Delta]
Barred Owl [Reifel]
Ash-throated Flycatcher [Reifel]
Orange-crowned Warbler [Ladner Harbour Park]
Yellow-rumped Warbler [Reifel]
Savannah Sparrow [Chilliwack]
Harris's Sparrow [Ladner Harbour Park]
Swamp Sparrow [Reifel]
Lapland Longspur [Chilliwack]
Western Meadowlark [Chilliwack]
Rusty Blackbird [Westham Is.]
GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE [Kelowna]

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

Sightings for Sunday, Dec 24:

A winter plumaged female RUSTY BLACKBIRD was discovered today with
many BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS along Westham Island Rd. and the corner
of Robertson Rd. outside the Reifel Refuge this morning. At the Reifel
Refuge the immature ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER was seen throughout the day in
the field behind the washrooms. Also here was a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. Also
reported from the Refuge was a SWAMP SPARROW near the observation tower.

In the Gull Fields along Burns Drive and the north end of 96th St was an
adult winter plumaged SLATY-BACKED GULL amongst a few hundred
gulls. Also here were three KILLDEER.

At the end of the White Rock Pier the RUDDY TURNSTONE was again present.
Nearby at Blackie Spit the LONG-BILLED CURLEW was seen.

Preliminary results from the Ladner Count held on Saturday, Dec. 23 is 138
species.
Highlights included HARRIS' SPARROW, an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
at Ladner Harbour Park and an adult BLUE PHASE SNOW GOOSE amongst
1000's of SNOW GEESE along 33A St. in Delta.

In Chilliwack at Banford and Central Prairie Rd. 40+ SAVANNAH SPARROWS,
12 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS and at least 1 LAPLAND LONGSPUR were seen.

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.

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.