VICTORIA RARE BIRD ALERT
Sponsored by the Victoria Natural History Society.

To report sightings of interest, call (250) 592-3381 and leave your
name & telephone number plus a brief message describing the birds you
have seen. To summon Victoria area birders who can confirm a rare
species, call Bryan Gates at (250) 598-7789.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------

Victoria Natural History Society 's Rare Bird Alert for Saturday,
December 14, 2002, 11:30 pm update. Compiled by Bryan Gates and
transcribed by Cheryl Mackie


Feature Birds:

Highlights of the Victoria Christmas Bird Count

Thanks to Ann Nightingale for organizing the count and to Rick
Schortinghuis for reporting on the some of the target birds seen here
for the last week or so.

A request for birders to help out with the Duncan Christmas bird
count which is Saturday, December 28, 2002. Please contact Derrick
Marven at 250-748-8504. The Sooke Christmas bird count is December
21st. Call Jack McLeod at 250-642-5369 to register. Counters are
needed for both of these events.

Saturday, December 14, 2002

The preliminary results for the Christmas bird count show a total of
133 species seen with 20 of the 21 count zones reporting in. Given
the rain and the gale force winds of the morning this perhaps is
better than anticipated. Some highlights birds include RED
PHALAROPES -- 1 in the surf at Albert Head Lagoon, and 1 RED
PHALAROPE on Prospect Lake in Saanich. If this bird remains, it
should be visible from the shoreline on Prospect Lake.

4 SNOW BUNTINGS flew over Oldfield Road in Central Saanich.

A single BARN OWL and a BARRED OWL were at Swan Lake in Saanich. Also
there was a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.

4 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS were heard in the Quick's Bottom to
Observatory Hill zone, especially in the moist bottom and dry creek
bed areas. A SHORT-EARED OWL and 2 VIRGINIA RAILS were at Quick's
Bottom.

An EARED GREBE was off Island View Beach towards the south end in
Central Saanich.

3 BONAPARTE'S GULL were observed off the tip of Albert Head.

A BLUE GROUSE was on Mt. Work in the Highlands.

HUTTON'S VIREOS were in Central Saanich and on Triangle Mountain in
Colwood.

A MARBLED GODWIT and a WHIMBREL were off the foot of Rutland Road in
Oak Bay.

A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was at Esquimalt Lagoon, but missed
there were 2 immature SNOW GEESE that had been there up until at
least a day or two ago.

HERMIT THRUSHES, PEREGRINE FALCONS, WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS were
found in a number of zones.

CEDAR WAXWINGS and AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES were present in impressive
numbers, more so than in normal years.

An AMERICAN DIPPER was present again this year at a pond behind the
First Memorial Chapel off Royal Oak Avenue in Saanich.

2 MOURNING DOVES were in the corn stubble at Silver Rill Farm near
the corner of Island View Road and the Swartz Bay Highway.



David Allinson
President, Rocky Point Bird Observatory
572 Atkins Ave.
Victoria, BC
V9B 3A3
(250)391-1786
www.islandnet.com/~rpbo