Subject: RBA Vancouver, BC - January 31st, 2000
Date: Feb 1 08:00:21 2000
From: Libor Michalak - pieris at sprint.ca


This is the Vancouver, BC Bird Alert for Sunday January 31st, 9:45 pm
update.

Highlights Include:

ARCTIC LOON (out of town)
CATTLE EGRET

Other Species Noted:

Semipalmated Plover
Yellow-billed Loon (Possible/Unconfirmed)
King Eider
Glaucous Gull
Sora
Redhead
Gyr Falcon
Long-eared Owl
Western Meadowlark
Lapland Longspur
Trumpeter Swan
Oldsquaw
Short-eared Owl
Eurasian Wigeon
Northern Shrike
Lincoln's Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Black-crowned Night Heron
Long-billed Dowitcher
Western Sandpiper
Dunlin
Willet
Black Oystercatcher
Thayer's Gull
Peregrine Falcon
Mew Gull
Lesser Scaup
Northern Goshawk
Pigeon Guillemot
Common Murre
Rhinoceros Auklet
Green-winged Teal (Eurasian form)
Swamp Sparrow
American Bittern
Long-billed Curlew
Eared Grebe
Crested Mynah
Surf Scoter
Barn Owl
Greater Yellowlegs
Snowbunting
Ring-necked Duck
American Dipper
Snowbunting
========================

Sightings for Monday, January 31st

An ARCTIC LOON has been reported from Priest Rapids Lake in south central
Washington. Priest Rapids Lake borders the Columbia River near the community
of Desert Air, and is about a 4.5 hr. drive from the lower mainland. The
birds identity has only recently been confirmed, though it has been in the
area for several weeks. For directions to find this bird, call the
Washington Bird Box at (425)454-2662.

A CATTLE EGRET was discovered at 4 pm with a flock of sheep on the south
side of 14th Avenue about 2 blocks east of 176th Street in south Surrey.


Sightings for Sunday, January 30th

There was a late report of 3 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS at the base of the
Robert's Bank Jetty.

The Male KING EIDER was seen again near Robert's Creek on the Sunshine Coast
a short distance west of the confluence of Beach Ave. and Henderson Road.
To find this bird take the Langdale ferry from Horseshoe Bay and drive west
along Hwy.101 to Robert's Creek about 15km west of the ferry terminal.
Birders are reminded that Beach Ave,. cannot be accessed directly from Hwy
101.

At Pitt Meadows male REDHEAD was relocated again after much persistence in
the south Allouette River about 50 m west of Shot Rd. (spp?) The bird was
with a RING-NECKED DUCK and a small party of LESSER SCAUP. Another good
find at Pitt Meadows was a SORA in a drainage ditch across from the Grant
Narrows Parking lot.

>From Iona came a report of a GLAUCOUS GULL with THAYER'S and MEW GULLS. An
AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was seen in a weedy patch in the outflow pond. Also
at Iona a GYR FALCON was observed in flight over the ponds before landing
briefly on pilings in the river.

A single person sighting of a possible YELLOW-BILLED LOON was reported at
the foreshore park at the foot of Victoria Drive at about 2:30 pm,
confirmation is highly desired.

Five WESTERN SANDPIPERS were with a group of DUNLIN at the compensation
lagoon along the Tsawwassen, and the first bird was on pilings with BLACK
TURNSTONES at Berth No. 1 at the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal.

The following reports came from Reifel: 2 NORTHERN SAW-WHETS, 3
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS, a LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER and a BARN OWL.


Saturday, January 29th

Two late reports were received, a winter plumaged LAPLAND LONGSPUR at
Boundary Bay Regional Park and a KING EIDER was reported again west of
Robert's Creek on the Sunshine Coast.

A LONG-EARED OWL was discovered on Sea Island enjoying the sunshine in
roadside brambles on the north side of Ferguson Road some distance west of
the horse farm.

Four WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were at Iona Regional Park.

The male REDHEAD was reported again from the south Allouette River
overlooked from 203rd Street in Pitt Meadows. Thirty TRUMPETER SWANS were
also in the area.

A trip to the foot of 64th Street Delta produced a bonanza of owls,
including: 2 LONG-EARED, 4 SHORT-EARED and a BARN. Also present were two
EURASIAN WIGEONS and a NORTHERN SHRIKE. Out of town a female ODSQUAW seemed
quite out of place in a small area of open water at Cokoa Lake (sp?), near
Hope.


Friday, January 28th

The 7 SNOWBUNTINGS and the WILLET were relocated at the base of the
Tsawwassen Jetty.

The following birds were seen in the vicinity at the south end of 64th
Street Delta: an immature NORTHERN SHRIKE, and a single LINCOLN'S and
SAVANNAH SPARROW were located.

A PEREGRINE FALCON, and 5 GREATER YELLOWLEGS were observed at Boundary Bay
Regional Park at the foot of 12th Street, Delta.

Thursday, January 27th

The KING EIDER provided excellent close up views for birders at Plume Creek
which is just west of Robert's Creek on the Sunshine Coast. A male REDHEAD
was seen in the south Allouette River adjacent to Nea's Road in Pitt
Meadows, also in the area were a NORTHERN SHRIKE and 20 TRUMPETER SWANS.


Wednesday, January 26th

The KING EIDER associating with a small mixed flock of SURF SCOTERS was
again reported from the Robert's Creek area of the Sunshine Coast. The bird
was seen from the Robert's Creek picnic area which is on Beach Ave. 2.2 km
west of Robert's Creek.

In other sightings the WILLET and 5 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were observed on
the Tsawwassen Jetty.

Ten BRANT were seen at Point Robert's as were small numbers of COMMON MURRE,
PIGEON GUILLEMOTS and RHINOCEROS AUKLETS.

A BARN OWL, 2 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS and a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL were
reported from the Reifel Refuge.


Tuesday, January 25th

The KING EIDER spent today and yesterday in the general vicinity of Robert's
Creek on the Sunshine Coast. The bird is seen with SURF SCOTERS between
Henderson and Jack Roads. Henderson is at the west end of Beach Ave. of
Robert's Creek and cannot be reached directly from Hwy 101. Jack Road is
further west and lies mid way between Robert's Creek and Wilson Creek. To
look for this bird take the Langdale ferry from Horseshoe Bay and drive west
along Hwy.101 to Robert's Creek about 15km west of the ferry terminal.

A NORTHERN GOSHAWK discovered in a tree located at Beach Grove Lagoon made a
determined, yet unsuccessful attempt to catch a gull. Also at Beach Grove
were 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS. Two PIGEON GUILLEMOTS and up to 8 BLACK
TURNSTONES were seen at Lighthouse Marine Park at Point Roberts.


Monday, January 24th

There was a late report of a GREEN-WINGED TEAL (Eurasian form) on the shore
along the south side of Deas' Island, however the bird flew when it was
approached.

In other sightings on Monday a SWAMP SPARROW and a NORTHERN GOSHAWK were
seen near the tower at Reifel and the AMERICAN DIPPER was reported again
from Beaver Creek, Stanley Park. Two CRESTED MYNAHS were at their usual
location at west 1st Avenue and Wylie Street Vancouver.

An EARED GREBE was observed west of the White Rock Pier and Blackie Spit's
long time resident the LONG-BILLED CURLEW was reported once more.

The KING EIDER was again reported from Robert's Creek on the Sunshine Coast.


END TRANSCRIPT

Please visit the Vancouver Natural History Society's (VNHS) Web Page at
http://www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS/ for birding area locations mentioned
and other events.