This is the Vancouver, BC Bird Alert for Thursday January 20th, 10:00 pm
update.

Highlights Include:

KING EIDER
SLATY-BACKED GULL (Jan 16th)

Other Species Noted:

Surf Scoter
Great-horned Owl
Orange-crowned Warbler
Dunlin
Greater Yellowlegs
Tufted Duck
Prairie Falcon
Western Gull
Northern Goshawk
Snowbunting
Brant
Eurasian Wigeon
Hairy Woodpecker
Ring-necked Duck
American Dipper
Oldsquaw
Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted)
Black Oystercatcher
Black Turnstone
Willet
Snowbunting
Northern Harrier
Glaucous Gull
Black-crowned Night Heron
Western Meadowlark
Common Redpoll
Peregrine Falcon
Northern Saw-whet Owl
========================

Sightings for Thursday, January 20th

A male KING EIDER, thought to be a first or second winter bird was
discovered in late afternoon in Robert's Creek on the Sunshine Coast. The
bird was seen off the Robert's Street Pier in association with a large
number of SURF SCOTERS. Birders are reminded there are several thousand
scoters moving up and down the coast line in the area. To look for this
bird, take the Langdale Ferry from Horseshoe Bay in west Vancouver and
follow Hwy. 101 towards Gibsons. Robert's Creek is about 15 km west of the
ferry terminal.


Wednesday, January 19th

There was an unusual sighting of a GREAT-HORNED OWL at noon at Davis Street
and marina side, False Creek in Vancouver. The bird was bird was being
harassed by crows as it perched atop a two story metal structure.

An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was at Blackie Spit as was a PEREGRINE FALCON
munching on DUNLIN.

Seven BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS and 11 BLACK TURNSTONES were at Ferguson Point,
Stanley Park.


Tuesday, January 18th

The PRAIRIE FALCON was discovered feasting on prey in fields west of 34th
Street, Delta.

In Stanley Park the AMERICAN DIPPER was again found at Beaver Creek.

Three GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 5 EURASIAN WIGEONS and a PEREGRINE FALCON were at
the foot of 12th Avenue Tsawwassen. A second PEREGRINE was on 41B Street in
Delta.


Monday, January 17th

A female TUFTED DUCK associating with a small party of scaup was observed at
3 pm at the east end of Lost Lagoon, Stanley Park. The bird moved to the
west side of the lagoon before flying off to the southwest. A pair of
RING-NECKED DUCKS were also at the east end of the lagoon. Also at Stanley
Park the AMERICAN DIPPER was again reported from Beaver Creek.

The PRAIRIE FALCON was seen in trees at the foot of 34th Street Delta, and
at Reifel 2 immature NORTHERN GOSHAWKS were reported. Also at Reifel were a
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, a GREAT-HORNED OWL, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, and
a HAIRY WOODPECKER, an uncommon bird for the sanctuary.

Eight EURASIAN WIGEONS and 287 BRANT were observed from the Robert's Bank
causeway. Two SHORT-EARED OWLS were hunting on the north side of 33A
Avenue, a block west of 41B Street in Delta. Seven SNOWBUNTINGS were noted
moving between the north and south side of the Tsawwassen causeway, about
three quarters of the way out from the base.

The gull roost along Burns Drive north of the 99, no. 10 Hwy interchange in
Delta produced 2 WESTERN GULLS.


Sunday, January 16th

In a late report, the SLATY-BACKED GULL and a WESTERN GULL was discovered in
a large group of gulls on Burns Drive west of 96th Street in Delta.

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.

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.