This is the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare Bird Alert for
Monday, December 22, sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited,
with stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver.


RARE BIRD ALERT for a possible BROWN SHRIKE.

The featured birds are: HORNED LARK and GREAT GRAY OWL.


Sightings for Monday, December 22:

A HORNED LARK was at Mud Bay Park at the mouth of the Serpentine
River in Surrey.

An adult NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby.


Sunday, December 21:

The possible BROWN SHRIKE was not relocated after an intensive search
by birders in the Mud Bay Park area, though one person may have had a
brief glimpse of the bird.

The 3 AMERICAN AVOCETS were still present at the mouth of the
Serpentine River, along with a HORNED LARK.

THE GREAT GRAY OWL put in an appearance at the Prospect Point picnic
area in Stanley Park.

The Ladner Christmas count tallied 140 species. Highlights included: 8
COMMON REDPOLLS near the foot of 88th Street in Delta, the WESTERN
SCRUB-JAY in Ladner, a BLUE JAY on Lulu Island in Richmond along Dyke
Road, just west of No. 5 Road, and 2 GYRFALCONS at Boundary Bay (one
on 112th Street, one at Centennial Park in Delta).


Sightings for Saturday, December 20:

A possible immature BROWN SHRIKE, an Asian species, was seen on the
Serpentine River north dyke, 0.5 km east of Mud Bay Park in Surrey.
Although seen by a number of observers, the identity of this bird
(BROWN SHRIKE vs. immature NORTHERN SHRIKE) is still under debate.

The GREAT GRAY OWL was again seen at the Prospect Point picnic
area in Stanley Park.


Friday, December 19:

An AMERICAN KESTREL was along 34B Street in Delta.

Two NORTHERN SHRIKES have taken up residence in Colony Farm.


Thursday, December 18:

The GREAT GRAY OWL was at the Prospect Point picnic area in Stanley
Park. Also in the area was a NORTHERN SHRIKE.

An AMERICAN KESTREL was along Arthur Drive in Ladner (Delta)

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY continued to be seen at 4126 River Road
West in Ladner.

2 MARBLED GODWITS were at the compensation lagoon at the
Tsawwassen ferry jetty, Delta


Sightings for Wednesday, December 17:

A GREAT GRAY OWL was seen in Maple Ridge on 232nd Street, just south
of Silver Valley Road. The owl was on the fence post of a field of a
house with blue trim. The bird was then seen to fly across the street.

The HARRIS?S SPARROW was again seen near the compost bins of the
Dunsmuir Gardens in Blackie Spit Park, Surrey.

A TOWNSEND?S WARBLER and A HUTTON?S VIREO, but not the
GREAT GRAY OWL, were seen at the Prospect Point picnic area in
Stanley Park, Vancouver.

The GYRFALCON was at the foot of 112th Street in Delta.


End Transcript

This update was recorded and transcribed by John Kalman, and
distributed by Wayne Weber.

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


Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net