Subject: RBA Vancouver, BC - January 06th, 2000
Date: Jan 7 10:29:44 2000
From: Libor Michalak - pieris at sprint.ca


This is the Vancouver, BC Bird Alert for Wednesday January 6th, 10:15 pm
update.

Highlights Include:

BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER; and out of town
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER in Calgary

Other Species Noted:

Spotted Towhee
Black-crowned Night Heron
Pacific Loon
Old Squaw
Snowbunting
Willet
Redhead
Orange-crowned Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Harris' Sparrow
Common Redpoll
Eared Grebe
Greater White-fronted Goose
American Kestrel
Virginia Rail
Common Murre
Long-billed Curlew
Bald Eagle
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Anna's Hummingbird
Peregrine Falcon
Rock Dove
Short-eared Owl
Northern Goshawk
Black Oystercatcher
Downy Woodpecker
Prairie Falcon
Great-horned Owl
Black Turnstone
Townsend's Solitaire
Cattle Egret
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Northen Shrike
Black-crowned Night Heron
American Tree Sparrow
Blue Snow Goose
Eurasian Widgeon
Eurasian Green-winged Teal
Herring Gull
Long-billed Curlew
Western Sandpiper
Barn Owl
Western Gull
Glaucous Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Ring-necked Duck
========================

Sightings for Thursday January 06th

The BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER was found again at the picnic sight on River
Road in Richmond just west of No. 7 Rd.

Anyone planning a trip to Alberta may wish to check out the male
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER which has visited a Calgary feeder since
November 21st. The bird favours peanut butter in its daily diet and has
survived -25?C temperatures to date. For further details please call the
Calgary Rare Bird Alert at 403-237-8821.

On the local scene again, 2 PEREGRINE FALCONS have been roosting in snags on
Upland Drive, Tsawwassen, just east of 52nd Street.

Thirteen SNOW GEESE were reported from the foot of 34th Street Delta, with
hundreds more flying south.


Wednesday January 5th

The BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER was seen at 3 pm in Richmond along River Road
opposite Savage Road about a block west of number 7 Road. As is the birds
usual habit, it was associating with a large flock of Chickadees, Kinglets
and DOWNY WOODPECKERS.

On Sea Island a BARN OWL was located at the Cora Brown Subdivision and 19
SPOTTED TOWHEES were on the beach at Iona


Tuesday January 4th

Two immature NORTHERN GOSHAWKS could still be found at the Reifel Refuge
along with an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW and 3 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS. Two
hundred PACIFIC LOONS and a total of 120 OLD SQUAW were reported from Lilly
Point in Point Roberts.


Monday January 3rd

The BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER was again seen in Richmond feeding low in
blackberry thickets along River Road. The bird usually favours the picnic
area and short trail just west of number Seven Road but may be anywhere
between there and Savage Road a block to the west. Early in the morning is
the best success for this bird.

In other sightings 7 SNOW BUNTINGS were relocated on the south side of the
Tsawwassen Jetty and the WILLET remained at the jetty's base.


Sunday January 02nd

The White Rock Christmas Bird Count resulted in a provisional total of 126
species. Highlights included REDHEAD, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, WILSON'S
WARBLER, HARRIS' SPARROW, and COMMON REDPOLL. Other species of note were
EARED GREBE, GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, AMERICAN KESTREL, VIRGINIA RAIL,
COMMON MURRE, LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 4 species of owls.

Out of town in Squamish a combined Christmas Bird Count and regular monthly
survey yielded a total of 75 species. Highlights were 2,506 BALD EAGLES, 2
COMMON REDPOLLS and a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.

In other sightings, an ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD has been frequenting a townhouse
complex in Vancouver's west end, an uncommon local for this species.

At Lost Lagoon (Stanley Park) onlookers were treated to an unsuccessful, yet
exciting spectacle of a PEREGRINE FALCON in hot pursuit of the local ROCK
DOVE population.

SHORT-EARED OWLS were reported from the foot of 72nd Street and a NORTHERN
GOSHAWK was seen in a tree at 2470 Westham Island Road.

Seven SNOW BUNTINGS, 2 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS and the WILLET could be found
along the Tsawwassen Jetty.


Saturday January 01st

The BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER was again seen along River Road at the picnic
area just west of number Seven Road. In contrast to the birds usual
preference for low level foraging, it was observed high in the cottonwoods
with chickadees and DOWNY WOODPECKERS on a trail adjacent to the washroom.

A PRAIRIE FALCON and a PEREGRINE FALCON were again in the area of Brunswick
Point as was a GREAT-HORNED OWL.

>From the Tsawwassen Jetty came reports of the WILLET, 8 SNOWBUNTINGS, and 45
BLACK TURNSTONES.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was discovered in Pitt Meadows along Thompson Road
east of Remy Road. A CATTLE EGRET was seen observers on Westham Island and
from Reifel the following birds were reported, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK, a
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, 2
AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS. A single AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was also reported
from the Sea Island Causeway and two more were seen at the woodlot on the
Sea Island Dyke.

Eight WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were in a field on the north side of 27B Avenue
west of 41B Street, Delta and on 33rd Avenue a flock of about 1,000 SNOW
GEESE contained a single blue goose.

>From Blackie Spit came reports of a female grey phased EURASIAN WIDGEON, a
male EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL, a HERRING GULL, a LONG-BILLED CURLEW and a
single WESTERN SANDPIPER.

On Sea Island a NORTHEN SHRIKE was spotted on the airport fence and the Cora
Brown Subdivision contained a GREAT-HORNED OWL and a BARN OWL. SHORT-EARED
OWLS were reported from several locations. Thirty HERRING GULLS, 1 WESTREN
GULL, and a GLAUCOUS GULL were seen among a roost of about 2,000
GLAUCOUS-WINGED GULLS along Burn's Drive west of 96th Street Delta. Three
BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS and a lone SNOW GOOSE were at the mouth of Cypress
Creek in west Vancouver. Also in west Vancouver an ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD was
reported from 6935 Highcroft Road.

December 31st

No Reports


Thursday December 30th

The following birds were reported from the Reifel Refuge, up to 48 COMMON
REDPOLLS, 2 immature NORTHEN GOSHAWKS, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, and 2
RING-NECKED DUCKS.

The PRAIRIE FALCON was at the foot of 34th Street Delta, and the WILLET, and
2 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were were found at the base of the Tsawwassen Ferry
Jetty.

Five SHORT-EARED OWLS were at the foot of 41B Street Delta and 2 2 EARED
GREBES were of the White Rock Pier.


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.