This is the Vancouver, BC Bird Alert for Friday January 14th, 10:00 pm
update.

Highlights Include:

GLAUCOUS GULL
NORTHERN GOSHAWK

Other Species Noted:

Black-crowned Night Heron
Slaty-backed Gull
Western Meadowlark
American Tree Sparrow
Gyrfalcon
Mew Gull
Rusty Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Hutton's Vireo
Tundra Swan
Brant
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Gadwall
Hoary Redpolls (Prince George)
Blue Jay (Prince George)
Northern Mockingbird (Prince George)
Crested Myna
Common Redpoll
Long-billed Curlew
Peregrine Falcon
Prairie Falcon
Great-horned Owl
Northern Hawk Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Greater Yellowlegs
Northern Shrike
Eurasian Wigeon
========================

Sightings for Friday January 14th

An adult GLAUCOUS GULL was discovered in a large gull roost along Burns
Drive west of 96th Street Delta, in fields north of the Hwy 99 and no. 10
Hwy. interchange. The SLATY-BACKED GULL however, was not found.

NORTHERN GOSHAWKS are in abundance at the Reifel Refuge with an amazing
total of 3 immatures. Other species represented daily at Reifel include:
GREAT-HORNED OWL, NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, and
PEREGRINE FALCON.

Thursday January 13th

The only report we received was for 4 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS seen at the
outer pond at Iona.


Wednesday January 12th

Two AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS are still being reported from the dike at Iona
near the woodlot at the start of the causeway. The birds are coming to
feed about 200 metres east of the proposed casino site.

Tuesday January 11th

A late report was received of an adult SLATY-BACKED GULL and a 3rd year
GLAUCOUS GULL along Burns Drive just west of 96th Street, Delta and north
of the highway 99 and the no. 10 interchange 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
the corner of Sorenson Rd. and Tall St. 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.


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.