Subject: RBA Vancouver, BC -- Nov. 2/03
Date: Nov 2 23:22:29 2003
From: Larry Cowan - lawrencecowan at shaw.ca


This is the Vancouver Natural History Society's Bird Alert for Sunday,
November 2nd, sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited, with stores in
Vancouver and North Vancouver.

RARE BIRD ALERT for GREAT GRAY OWL!

The featured birds is SLATY-BACKED GULL.

Sightings for November 2nd

RARE BIRD ALERT! A GREAT GRAY OWL was found at 4:00pm in Van Dusen Gardens
in Vancouver. The bird was seen in tall trees at the north end of the
gardens.

An adult SLATY-BACKED GULL was found in an off limits area to the public in
the Vancouver Landfill. Birders should keep a look out for this bird in the
surrounding fields.

At 96th Street in Boundary Bay the 5 juvenile PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVERS were
again seen in the short grass fields. Also present though only briefly
viewed due to the wind was the strange looking immature BARN SWALLOW. There
is a possibility that this is an Eurasian form. Confirmation and photographs
are highly desired.

The HUDSONIAN GODIT and upwards of 6 MARBLED GODWITS were again reported
from the Compensation Lagoon along the Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty. At the base
on the south side of the jetty was the WILLET.

Along Delta Port Way was 1 MARBLED GODWIT and a juvenile PACIFIC GOLDEN
PLOVER. Also seen along here was an AMERICAN KESTREL.

Along 64th Street in a field before the train tracks were 2 RED KNOTS, 4
LEAST SANDPIPERS and 5 HORNED LARKS. In a field off 28th Ave and 64th Street
were 2 more RED KNOTS.

In a field near 34th Street and 33 A Ave were 30 LAPLAND LONGSPURS, 15
AMERICAN PIPITS and 5 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS. Also here was 1 dark morph and 1
light morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK.

Near the bridge at Serpentine Fenn were 2 SNOW BUNTINGS.

On the road into Pitt Lake was 1 NORTHERN SHRIKE.


Sightings for November 1st

Near the southern end of 96th St was a strange looking BARN SWALLOW which
may possibly be of an Eurasian subspecies. Confirmation and photos are
greatly desired. In this same spot in the short grass field were 5 juvenile
PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVERS.

At the Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty in the Compensation Lagoon was 1 HUDSONIAN
GODWIT, 6+ MARBLED GODWITS and over 50 BLACK TURNSTONES. At the base of the
Jetty on the south side was the WILLET.

In the hedgerow at the corner of 33A Ave and 34th St was the immature PALM
WARBLER.

Nearby at the base of the Coal Port Jetty was a juvenile PACIFIC GOLDEN
PLOVER amongst many BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER.

In the hedgerow along 72nd Street near the Turf Farm was an ORANGE-CROWNED
WARBLER.

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was again present at 4126 River Rd. West in Ladner.

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

END TRANSCRIPT

Rick Toochin

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

Larry Cowan
Port Coquitlam, BC
lawrencecowan at shaw.ca