This is the Vancouver, BC Bird Alert for Tuesday February 15th, 10 pm
update.
Highlights Include:

SLATY-BACKED GULL
COMMON REDPOLL
PRAIRIE FALCON

Other birds mentioned include:

Boneparte's Gull
Glaucous Gull
King Eider
American Pipit
Willet
Dunlin
Western Sandpiper
Surfbird
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Merlin
Rough-legged Hawk
Green-Winged Teal (Eurasian form)
Harris' Sparrow
Barn Swallow
Western Gull
Black-crowned Night Heron
American Tree Sparrow
Northern Goshawk
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Short-eared Owl
Northern Shrike
Snowbunting
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Sightings for Tuesday, February 15th

The adult, near breeding plumaged SLATY-BACKED GULL was again seen all
afternoon in a large mixed flock of gulls at Burn's Drive at the north end
of 96th Street.

At Reifel, in the alders on the road into the refuge were 72 COMMON REDPOLS
at noon. Also at the refuge was 1 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, 1 NORTHERN
GOSHAWK and A NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL watched eating a mouse at mid day.

At 34th Street and 33A Avenue at Brunswick Point the PRAIRIE FALCON was seen
harassing a flock of DUNLIN. The flock of DUNLIN had 1 WESTERN SANDPIPER
amongst them.

At the Tsawwassen ferry jetty base was the WILLET and 7 SNOWBUNTINGS.

At Iona Island the scoters are building up again with 20,000 birds being
seen off the north side of the tip of the south jetty.


Monday, February 14th

In a late report, the adult GLAUCOUS GULL was seen on the north east pond of
Iona Island during the morning high tide.


Sunday, February 13th

The PRAIRIE FALCON was again reported at the end of 34th Street. Look for
it in trees west, at the end of the road along the dike.

Along the Robert's Bank Coal Port Jetty on the south side of the road was a
BONEPARTE'S GULL mixed in with other gulls on the foreshore area.

At Iona Island the adult GLAUCOUS GULL was observed briefly in the morning
on the north-east pond.

Out of town in the little town of Sechelt on the Sunshine coast, the
immature male KING EIDER was again seen today, throughout the day. The best
place to see this bird is near the village of Roberts
Creek, BC, approximately 8-9km down Hwy101 from Sechelt.


Saturday, February 12th

A busy day at Reifel turned out the following species: 2 COMMON REDPOLLS, 1
AMERICAN PIPIT, 1 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, 1 NORTHERN GOSHAWK and an
opportunistic MERLIN took one of our 8 BARN SWALLOWS which dropped to seven.

At the nearby Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal the WILLET, 7 SNOWBUNTINGS, 17 BLACK
TURNSTONES, 1 SURFBIRD and up to 7 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were all reported

At the Boundary Bay dike, at the foot of 22nd Street were 3 SHORT-EARED OWLS
and 1 NORTHERN SHRIKE. At 64th Street were 2 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS. On the
fore shore of west of the foot of 96th Street at the mansion was a EURASIAN
GREEN-WINGED TEAL.

At Iona Island on the north-east pond was an adult GLAUCOUS GULL while on
the Fraser River another second year GLAUCOUS GULL was also seen.

Out of town in Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast the immature male KING EIDER
was seen all week at the mouth of Robert's Creek


Friday February 11th

In Abbottsford at the north end of Judson Lake the HARRIS' SPARROW and 13
BARN SWALLOWS were found. Judson Lake straddles the International Border and
is accessed by leaving Highway 1 at the Clearbrook Road exit and driving to
the south end of Clearbrook Road.

At the Reifel Refuge were 8 BARN SWALLOWS, 1 NORTHERN GOSHAWK, 2 NORTHERN
SAW-WHET OWLS, 3 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS, and a flock of 50 COMMON
REDPOLLS.


Thursday, February 10th

At the Reifel Refuge the following birds were reported: 50 COMMON REDPOLLS,
an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, 2 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS, 1 GREAT-HORNED OWL, 2
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS, 1 immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK and at nearby
Alaksin, 12 BARN SWALLOWS.

At Iona Island on the northeast pond was an adult GLAUCOUS GULL.


Wednesday, February 09th

At Reifel today, a flock of about a dozen BARN SWALLOWS were again seen in
the display, or central pond area. Also in this area was a flock of over 50
COMMON REDPOLLS. Other species of note from the refuge today were, an
immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, and a BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT HERON.

In other sightings today a winter plumaged SLATY-BACKED GULL was again seen
in the company of other gulls including 1 adult WESTERN GULL in the fields
at the far west end of Burn's Dive at Delta.


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.