This is the Vancouver Natural History Society's Bird Alert for Friday,
December 17th sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited, with stores in
Vancouver and North Vancouver.

I would like to thank Rick Toochin for taking over the Alert since Sunday on
very very short notice. Thanks Rick.

McKay's Bunting
Snow Bunting
Snowy Owl
Gyrfalcon
Bohemian Waxwing
Common Redpoll
American Tree Sparrow
Rock Sandpiper
Ruddy Turnstone
Golden Eagle
Mountain Chickadee
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Hutton's Vireo
Cattle Egret
Pine Grosbeak

There were no sightings reported for Friday, December 17

Sightings for Thursday, December 16

The MCKAY'S BUNTING was again sighted near the tip of the Iona South Jetty
in the company SNOW BUNTINGS. The bird was seen in the afternoon.

>From the foot of 7nd at Boundary Bay came the report of 3 SNOWY OWLS, and a
GYRFALCON. On 72nd near the golf course was a BOHEMIAN WAXWING.
Seventy-eight COMMON REDPOLLS were seen in a flock of 100+ Pine Siskins near
the foot of 96th.

At Brunswick Point were 7 SNOWY OWLS & an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW.

Observed at the foot of the Roberts Bank Jetty were a ROCK SANDPIPER and a
RUDDY TURNSTONE.

Wednesday, December 15th

The MCKAY'S BUNTING was seen at the tip of the Iona Island South Jetty. The
bird appeared at 3:40pm and was observed in the company of 3 SNOW BUNTINGS
and the mystery pale bunting. By 4:00pm the birds flew off in the direction
of the Airport. Also seen out the Jetty was a GYRFALCON.

Near the foot of 72nd Street was a BOHEMIAN WAXWING and on the foreshore
there were 3 SNOWY OWLS.

Sightings for Tuesday, December 14th

The MCKAY'S BUNTING was refound in the afternoon at the tip of the Iona
Island South Jetty.

The following birds were reported from the Reifel Refuge: 1 GOLDEN EAGLE, 1
MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, 1 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, 1 NORTHERN SAW-WHET-OWL and
1 HUTTON'S VIREO.

Sightings for Monday, December 13th

Along the dyke at Boundary Bay was 1 GYRFALCON reported at the foot of 88th
Street and 3 SNOWY OWLS seen at the base of 72nd Street.

At the base of the Coal Port Jetty were 1 ROCK SANDPIPER and 1 RUDDY
TURNSTONE.

The end of River Road near Brunswick Point had the CATTLE EGRET. Nearby on
the foreshore was a group of 6 SNOWY OWLS.

Sightings for Sunday, December 12th

A trip up Mountain Seymour produced a flock of 5 PINE GROSBEAKS at First
Pump Peak.

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
http://www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS/

Larry Cowan
Pitt Meadows, BC
lawrencecowan at shaw.ca