This is the Vancouver, BC Bird Alert for Thursday February 03rd, 9:30 pm
update.

Highlights Include:

SLATY-BACKED GULL
ICELAND GULL
SNOWY OWL (Wed. late rpt.)

Other Species Noted:

Turkey Vulture
Arctic Loon
Cattle Egret
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
American Bittern
Barn Owl
Greater Yellowlegs
Snowbunting
Ring-necked Duck
========================

Sightings for Thursday, February 03rd

The first year ICELAND GULL was found at 2 pm this afternoon at the Iona
Island sewage treatment plant. The bird was on the domed roof of the plant
with other gulls. It was last seen flying east at 2:40 pm. Look for it, on
the inner ponds, the Fraser River log pilings or on the roof of the sewage
treatment plant with other gulls.

Also today the SLATY-BACKED GULL was refound in the morning in the field on
Burns Drive, which is just north of Hwy 10 and Hwy 99 interchange.


Wednesday, February 02nd

In a late report an immature SNOWY OWL was found on the foreshore of 112th
street at 1:30 pm. Also in a late report, there were 7 SNOWBUNTINGS and 2
BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS observed on the south side of the base of the
Tsawwassen ferry jetty.

Two SLATY-BACKED GULLS, both adults, were located with large numbers of
gulls in fields on the north side of Burn's Drive just north of Hwy 10 and
Hwy 99 interchange.

Also seen on Wednesday 2 PEREGRINE FALCONS were observed on the west
Vancouver foreshore at the foot of 17th Street.


Tuesday February 01st

The adult GLAUCOUS GULL was relocated on the northeast ponds at Iona with
other gulls and a TURKEY VULTURE was found in south Surrey.


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.


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 Kawakawa 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.


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.