This is the Vancouver Bird Alert for Christmas Day: Evening Update.

Species mentioned:

Snow Goose- Blue Phase [33A Delta]
Northern Goshawk [Reifel]
Long-billed Curlew [Blackie Spit]
Ruddy Turnstone [White Rock]
SLATY-BACKED GULL [Burns Dive - Delta]
Great Horned 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]
White-throated Sparrow [Ladner Harbour Park]
Swamp Sparrow [Reifel]
Lapland Longspur [Chilliwack]
Western Meadowlark [Chilliwack]
Rusty Blackbird [Westham Is.]

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

Sightings for Monday Dec 25:

The adult winter plumaged SLATY-BACKED GULL was seen all day in the
fields along Burns Drive in Delta. A bird seen yesterday and again today
believed to be a 2nd winter SLATY-BACKED GULL was also present.
Confirmation is requested by both observers. Anyone seeing this bird
is asked to get photographs and call their sighting into the bird alert.

The immature ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER spent the entire day
in the field behind the washrooms at Reifel. Also at the Refuge was an
adult
NORTHERN GOSHAWK and a GREAT-HORNED OWL. On Westham Island Rd. and
Robertson Rd.
the winter plumaged female RUSTY BLACKBIRD was again seen
with a huge flock of BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS at noon.

At Ladner Harbour Park an adult WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was found
in the scrubby bushes on the main trail in the park.

Sunday, Dec 24:

A winter plumaged female RUSTY BLACKBIRD was discovered with
many BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS along Westham Island Rd. and the corner
of Robertson Rd. outside the Reifel Refuge in the 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 seen 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 also seen.

Preliminary results from the Ladner Count held on Saturday, Dec. 23 is 138
species. Highlights included HARRIS' SPARROW (the location of this bird is
request to enable others to see it), 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.

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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.