Subject: RBA Vancouver, BC - January 16th, 2000
Date: Jan 17 07:47:01 2000
From: Libor Michalak - pieris at mail.sprint.ca


This is the Vancouver, BC Bird Alert for Sunday January 16th, 10:30 pm
update.

Highlights Include:

AMERICAN DIPPER

Other Species Noted:

Oldsquaw
Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted)
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Willet
Snowbunting
Northern Harrier
Glaucous Gull
Northern Goshawk
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
Crested Myna
Common Redpoll
Long-billed Curlew
Peregrine Falcon
Prairie Falcon
Great-horned Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Greater Yellowlegs
Northern Shrike
Eurasian Wigeon
========================

Sightings for Sunday, January 16th

The AMERICAN DIPPER was again reported from Stanley Park. The bird,
described as quite tame, was seen in Beaver Creek, midway between Beaver
Lake and the seawall. On the north side of Stanley Park, 2 OLDSQUAW have
been observed just west of Pipeline Road this Jan. 12th.

In Vancouver a NORTHERN FLICKER (yellow shafted) has been visiting a suet
feeder at the corner of Gravely Street at Semlin Drive (sp?).


Saturday January 15th

The following birds were reported from the Tsawwassen causeway: 3 pairs of
BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, 3 BLACK TURNSTONES and the WILLET. Also present were
7 nervous SNOWBUNTINGS under considerable pressure from a determined male
NORTHERN HARRIER.

An immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen at the Reifel Refuge, and 3 WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS were in fields along 27B Avenue just east of 41B Street Delta.

Three hundred and thirty OLDSQUAW and 4 BLACK TURNSTONES were counted from
the White Rock Pier.


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.


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.