This is the Vancouver Bird Alert for Sunday, December 8th, evening
update, sponsored in part by the Wild Birds Unlimited stores in
Vancouver and North Vancouver.

The feature birds are: LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, WILSON'S WARBLER
and RUSTY BLACKBIRD.

Sightings for Sunday, December 8th

RARE BIRD ALERT! In the field behind the school at the north end
of 96th Street in Delta an adult winter plumaged
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was found late in the morning amongst
hundreds of gulls at close range. The gull was watched for 30 minutes
before flying into the Burns Bog Landfill. All future sightings and
any photographs would be greatly appreciated!

Other species of gulls seen here were
2 WESTERN GULLS, 3 THAYER'S GULLS, 6 HERRING GULLS, many GLAUCOUS-
WINGED GULLS and hybrids.

At Jericho Park in Vancouver today a WILSON'S WARBLER was found south
of the West Pond along near the Pipeline Trail.

At Spanish Banks west of the pavillion a YELLOW-BILLED LOON was found.

At the Reifel Refuge 2 SWAMP SPARROWS were found near the Tower and
a CINNAMON TEAL was seen in the West Field.

At the south end of 34th Street near Brunswick Point a female RUSTY
BLACKBIRD was found amongst a large mixed blackbird flock.

In Pitt Meadows along Neeves Rd a NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen.

Saturday, December 7th

Out of town the BLUE JAY continues to be seen in the 7900 block
of Horne Street in Mission. The best place to view this bird coming
to the bird feeder without disturbing the home owners is from the
corner of 12th Ave and Horne Street. In the same general area was a
NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL.

Also out of town an adult RED-SHOULDERED HAWK has been present for
the past couple of weeks at the Skagit Game Range in Northern
Washington.
For more information on this and other Washington Birds please call
the Washington Bird Box at (206) 281-9172.
Meanwhile in the Okanagon an out of season adult male BLUE-WINGED
TEAL has been seen at Haynes Point Provincial Park in Osoyoos. In
Kelowna an adult GYRFALCON and GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE continue to be
seen. For more information please call the Okanagon Bird Alert at
(250) 491-7738

Locally, the male COMMON YELLOWTHROAT continues to be seen at
Boundary Bay Regional Park. Look for the bird past the gravel parking
lot in the first marsh on the right. Also from this area were 3 SHORT-
EARED OWLS and 15 "Gray-bellied" BRANT.

Along 64th Street was an adult male ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK.

At the foot of 96th Street was an adult NORTHERN SHRIKE.

Interesting reports from the Reifel Refuge include a SPOTTED
SANDPIPER, NORTHERN GOSHAWK and 2 NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES.

The following birds were reported from Colony Farm: 3 RING-NECKED
DUCKS, 1 NORTHERN SHRIKE, 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS and 1 AMERICAN BITTERN.

At Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver a NORTHERN PYGMY-
OWL was seen near the office and 36 BLACK TURNSTONES plus a EURASIAN
GREEN-WINGED TEAL were reported.

Friday, December 6th

In Ladner just east of Ladner Harbour Park in an area that used to be
the Ladner Sewage Lagoons, a SWAMP SPARROW and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW
were found.

Out of town, in Mission in the 7900 block of Horne Street a BLUE JAY
has been frequenting a feeder for the past couple of days.

In Boundary Bay just East of 96th Street at the Mansion the male
EURASIAN race GREEN-WINGED TEAL was again reported.

Thursday, December 5th

In the field along Burns Drive an adult winter plumaged
SLATY-BACKED GULL was present with a couple of thousand gulls.

At the golf course at 72nd Street an adult WESTERN GULL was present
with hundreds of RING-BILLED GULLS.

At the Mansion east of 96th Street in Boundary Bay a male Eurasian
race GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen amongst large numbers of ducks.

Wednesday, December 4th

At Elgin Heritage Park in South Surrey 2 VIRGINIA RAILS,
1 EURASIAN race GREEN-WINGED TEAL and 30 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES
were reported.

On Black Mountain at Cypress Bowl Provincial Park, a dark immature
NORTHERN GOSHAWK was reported.

Tuesday, December 3rd

In Pitt Meadows the following birds were reported:
At the corner of Nevees Rd and Renee Rd was a NORTHERN SHRIKE,
Near the Swan-e-Set Golf Course was an AMERICAN KESTREL,
There were 2 MUTE SWANS in Katzie Marsh and
Along the Grant Narrows dyke trail was a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL before
the first Tower.

If you have a query about Vancouver Birds or birding, please call:
Larry at 604 942-0931 or John at 604 737-1611.

Thank you for calling the Vancouver Bird Alert & good birding.

END TRANSCRIPT

For further information on birding in the Vancouver area log onto the
Vancouver Natural History Society's web site at www.naturalhistory.bc.ca

----- Original Message -----
From: "larusivory" <novaeseelandiae at hotmail.com>