This is the Vancouver, BC Bird Alert for Tuesday January 11th, 9:30 pm
update.

Highlights Include:

NORTHERN GOSHAWK

Other Species Noted:

Gyrfalcon
Mew Gull
Rusty Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Hutton's Vireo
Tundra Swan
Brant
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Black and White Warbler
Pied-billed Grebe
Gadwall
Hoary Redpolls (Prince George)
Blue Jay (Prince George)
Northern Mockingbird (Prince George)
Crested Myna
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Calgary, Alberta)
Snow Goose
Spotted Towhee
Black-crowned Night Heron
Pacific Loon
Oldsquaw
Common Redpoll
Long-billed Curlew
Peregrine Falcon
Downy Woodpecker
Prairie Falcon
Great-horned Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Northern Shrike
American Tree Sparrow
Eurasian Wigeon
Eurasian Green-winged Teal (Common Teal - Eurasian form)
========================

Sightings for Tuesday January 11th

The last reported sighting of the BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER was January 6th.

Reifel Refuge was the venue for the following birds: an immature NORTHERN
GOSHAWK, GREAT-HORNED OWL and a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL.

The PRAIRIE FALCON was seen from 41st Street, Ladner and the WILLET was
still in residence at the base of the Tsawwassen jetty.


Monday January 10th

The only report received was of a CRESTED MYNA seen at the foot of Hudson
Street where it merges with southwest Marine Drive, Vancouver.


Sunday January 09th

A grey phased GYRFALCON reported yesterday at a restricted area of the
airport, re-appeared briefly at Iona buzzing both the outer ponds and the
south jetty.

At first light a bird fitting the description of a PARASITIC JEAGER was
seen mobbing MEW GULLS at the base of the south jetty. Due to the out of
season nature of this sighting confirmation would be desirable.

>From north Matsqui came reports of a RUSTY BLACKBIRD and 2 BROWN HEADED
COWBIRDS in a
large mixed flock of EUROPEAN STARLINGS and blackbirds at Farenson and Pall
Roads (Spp?). A HUTTON'S VIREO was sighted at Bateman Park, also in North
Matsqui.

A LONG-BILLED CURLEW, 8 EURASIAN WIGEONS and 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS were at
Blackie Spit.

Seventy four TUNDRA SWANS were north of 40th Avenue and 164th Street in
Surrey, and 15 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS were in a large flock of starlings and
other blackbirds along Mud Bay Road north of the Nicomekl River.


Saturday January 08th

A grey phased GYRFALCON FALCON was sighted with a restricted area in the
Vancouver
Airport however, it later flew over the middle arm of the Fraser towards
Wishwash Island. Birders should be extra vidulent over the next few days as
the observer felt there was a good chance the bird may re-appear in Terra
Nova, Iona or again at Sea Island. Also at the airport near the southwest
corner, a BRANT, a bird not often seen off Iona Island was observed flying
along the ditches before going out to sea.

The following birds were reported from the Port Coquitlam side of Colony
Farms: 2 GREAT-HORNED OWLS, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, and a CANVASBACK. The
latter was a record for the new wetland area.

A RING-NECKED DUCK was reported from Queen Elizabeth Park and 8 EURASIAN
WIGEONS were among the large group of ducks being harassed by a PEREGRINE
FALCON along the Boundary Bay foreshore west of the foot of 96th Street.


Friday January 07th

A PIED-BILLED GREBE and a GADWALL were reported from Queen Elizabeth Park,
birds not usually looked for at that local.

If your looking for something a little more exciting than the Vancouver
birding currently offered, perhaps a trip to Prince George would fit the
bill. A returning Vancouver birder saw hundreds of COMMON REDPOLLS in the
region and found HOARY REDPOLLS over a five day period at a ratio of about 1
or 2 birds per 100 COMMON REDPOLLS. Other highlights in Prince George
included, NORTHERN HAWK OWL, BLUE JAY and NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD.

In other sightings locally, 3 CRESTED MYNAS were located in Vancouver in
west 1st Avenue and Crows Street. This is just a block of Wylie Street,
normally the lower mainland's most reliable local for this hard to get
species.


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 05th

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 04th

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 OLDSQUAW were reported from Lilly
Point in Point Roberts.


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.