This is the Vancouver Bird Alert for Saturday, February 3rd - Evening Update

The Rare Bird Alert continues for the BRAMBLING and the HOODED ORIOLE and
out-of-town for ICELAND GULL and GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE

The Featured Birds are: TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, TURKEY VULTURE and
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD

A reminder that birders searching for the HOODED ORIOLE are asked to respect
the following change in arrangements: After a month of welcoming birders
into their yard at 7620 No. 3 Rd, Richmond, the homeowners now request that
all future visitors please watch for the Oriole from the sidewalk on Jones
Rd. This vantage point provides easy viewing of both feeders.

Species mentioned ( * new to update):

American Bittern [Reifel]
* Mute Swan [Ladner]
* Brant (Grey-bellied) [Beach Grove]
* Greater White-fronted Goose [Sea Island]
* Green-winged Teal (Eurasian) [Beach Grove]
* Ring-necked Duck [Maplewood]
* Turkey Vulture [Maple Ridge]
Northern Goshawk [Reifel]
* Black Oystercatcher [Grebe Islets]
Long-billed Dowitcher [Langley, Iona]
* ICELAND GULL [Vernon]
Glaucous Gull [Burns Drive]
* SLATY-BACKED GULL [Burns Drive]
Western Gull [Iona Jetty]
Long-eared Owl [Richmond]
SNOWY OWL [Sea Island]
Northern Saw-whet Owl [Reifel]
* Northern Pygmy-Owl [Maplewood]
* Anna's Hummingbird [West Vancouver]
* Northern Shrike [Maplewood, Richmond]
Hutton's Vireo [Lighthouse Park, Reifel]
Barn Swallow [Westham Island]
* Townsend's Solitaire [Vancouver]
* Hermit Thrush [West Vancouver]
* Cedar Waxwing [Vancouver]
* American Tree Sparrow [Boundary Bay RP]
* Yellow-headed Blackbird [Ladner]
* GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE [Kelowna]
HOODED ORIOLE [No. 3 Rd. & Jones - Richmond]
BRAMBLING [1961 Berkley Ave, North Vancouver]

Sightings for Saturday, February 3rd

The HOODED ORIOLE was still present at 7620 No. 3 Rd, Richmond and the
BRAMBLING delighted many observers at 1961 Berkley Ave., North Vancouver.
The homeowners are permitting birders to enter their property via a gate on
the right side of the house. This allows access to the backyard. The bird,
which is easily spooked, is being seen on the grass below the feeder on the
left side of the yard.

Out-of-town, an ICELAND GULL has spent the past two weeks at the mouth of
Vernon Creek and the over-wintering GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE can still be found
near Cooper Rd & Hwy 97, Kelowna. For further details on both birds please
call the Okanagan RBA at (250)491-7738.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE and a CEDAR WAXWING were found at West 41st Ave and
Crown St, Vancouver.

An easily seen NORTHERN PYGMY OWL and a NORTHERN SHRIKE were reported from
the west side of Maplewood Conservation Area. Also present was a RING-NECKED
DUCK.

10 BRANT, of the grey-bellied race, were discovered at Beach Grove Lagoon,
Tsawwassen as was an Eurasian-race GREEN-WINGED TEAL.

The 2 BARN SWALLOWS, first reported yesterday, were seen today over
Wellington Marine Park along River Rd, Ladner and a high total of 8 MUTE
SWANS were noted near the Canoe Pass Bridge. An adult male YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD was at 57B St and 34B Ave., Ladner.

A TURKEY VULTURE was seen in overflight along the Lougheed Highway, Maple
Ridge.

SLATY-BACKED GULL and an adult GLAUCOUS GULL were reported again from Burns
Drive, Delta.

3-4 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were with White-Crowned Sparrows near the dyke at
the south end of Boundary Bay Regional Park.

The LONG-EARED OWL roost at Terra Nova Park, Richmond contained six birds;
an adult NORTHERN SHRIKE was also in the area.

A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen from Ferguson Rd, Sea Island, NW of
the horse farm.

A singing HUTTON'S VIREO was found near the entrance to Lighthouse Park,
West Vancouver. Nearby, adjacent to 4957 Marine Drive, were 2 ANNA'S
HUMMINGBIRDS and a HERMIT THRUSH. 4 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were on the Grebe
Islets and a further 13 were observed at the mouth of Cypress Creek.

33 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were reported from the Brydon Park Nature Area on
53th Ave, Langley.

Friday, February 2nd

The BRAMBLING was again seen throughout the day at 1961 Berkley Ave., North
Vancouver.

2 overwintering BARN SWALLOWS were seen over the Westham Island Bridge. 2
NORTHERN GOSHAWKS were at Reifel along with a HUTTON'S VIREO, an AMERICAN
BITTERN and a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL.

The SNOWY OWL was again viewed from Iona along the Vancouver Airport
foreshore and a WESTERN GULL was seen from the jetty. Up to 6,000 SCOTERS,
mostly 'SURFS,' have amassed at Iona and these should be 'scoped for EIDERS.
Also at Iona, the LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER was again present in the SE corner
of the SW Pond.

Thank you and good birding!

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Vancouver Bird Alert (604) 737-3074

Visit the Vancouver Natural History Society's website at:
www.naturalhistory.bc.ca