This is the Vancouver Natural History Society?s Rare Bird Alert for
Sunday, November 14th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited,
with stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. [The phone number
for the RBA is (604) 737-3074.]

The featured bird is CATTLE EGRET.


Sightings for Sunday, November 14th:

In Delta, 2 CATTLE EGRETS were seen at the junction of Ladner
Trunk Road (Hwy 10) and 88th St. in a field with sheep and llamas.
Also seen nearby on the Boundary Bay foreshore were 2 GYRFALCONS
between "the mansion" near the foot of 96th St. and 88th St. An adult
HARRIS?S SPARROW was seen on the dyke, 200 metres east of the
pump house between 72nd and 88th St. A BARN OWL was flushed from
trees nearby. 2 SNOWY OWLS were seen today on the foreshore, one west
of 72nd St. and the other just east of the golf course. A SHORT-EARED
OWL was seen hunting over the golf course at dusk.

At the Tsawwassen jetty in Delta, a SNOW BUNTING was seen about
halfway out on the road to the boat launch.

In Surrey, the AMERICAN AVOCET was seen at the mouth of the
Serpentine River, just upstream from the railway bridge. Access is
from the Mud Bay Park parking lot off Colebrook Road. Also in Surrey,
an EARED GREBE was seen inside the rock breakwater off the White
Rock Pier.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, the GOLDEN EAGLE was seen
near the entrance. A SNOWY OWL was seen just south of the sanctuary.
Around the sanctuary were a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, a male
CINNAMON TEAL, a MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE, an AMERICAN BITTERN,
and a SWAMP SPARROW by the viewing tower.

In Delta, in a field east of 68th St. and south of River Road, 2
SANDHILL CRANES were present.

In North Delta at Grant Place and 95th Ave., an EVENING GROSBEAK was
seen coming to a feeder.


Sightings for Saturday, November 13th:

In Delta, the CATTLE EGRET was seen at the junction of Ladner Trunk
Road and 88th St., in a field with sheep and one llama. Also, the 2
GYRFALCONS were seen, ranging from 104th St. west to 88th St. The
SNOWY OWL was seen just east of the golf course at the foot of 72nd.
Seventeen TRUMPETER SWANS were seen at the corner of Ladner
Trunk Road and 96th St.

At Brunswick Point in Delta, 2 SNOWY OWLS were seen, one across
the river from the parking lot, and the other from the big bend along
the dyke.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey were a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, 3 MARBLED
GODWITS, 22 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and 12 GREATER
YELLOWLEGS. Nearby an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was
seen at Dunsmuir Community Gardens.


Sightings for Friday, November 12th:

A CATTLE EGRET was seen in Delta today at 2 PM. It was in a field
west of 72nd St. and north of Ladner Trunk Road. Later, it was seen
at 88th St and Highway 10 in a field with sheep and a llama, before
it flew off towards 96th St. It was not relocated.

Also in Delta, 2 immature GYRFALCONS were seen at the foot of 96th St.
The SNOWY OWL and 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen on the
Boundary Bay foreshore at the foot of 72nd St. A ROUGH-LEGGED
HAWK was seen at Highway 99 and 104th St. A late COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
was seen at the foot of 96th St.

At Brunswick Point, 2 SNOWY OWLS were seen. One was seen from the
parking lot across the river on Westham Island. The other was seen on
the foreshore near the sharp bend along the dyke. Also here were 2
SWAMP SPARROWS. A NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen nearby along
34th St.

In Vancouver, a HARRIS?S SPARROW was coming to a feeder at 34th and
Pine Crescent.


Sightings for Thursday, November 11th:

At Brunswick Point in Delta, an adult CHIPPING SPARROW was seen
along the dyke. Also here were an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW,
an AMERICAN BITTERN, a SHORT-EARED OWL, and a SNOWY OWL. Across the
river from the parking lot was another SNOWY OWL. Along
Deltaport Way were a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and an AMERICAN
KESTREL.

In Vancouver, a HARRIS?S SPARROW was coming to a feeder at 34th and
Pine Crescent.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary were a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL and a
MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE.

At Boundary Bay, the SNOWY OWL was seen at the foot of 72nd St. The
GYRFALCON was at the mansion near the foot of 96th. Nearby were 4
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and an AMERICAN KESTREL.

At Mt. Seymour in North Vancouver, a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL
was seen on the trail to the summit (about 1 km past the ski lifts).

A GREAT EGRET was seen out of town on Page Road in Matsqui Prairie
(flat land area between Abbotsford and the Fraser River). It was
present for the past 3 days.


Sightings for Wednesday, November 10th:

A male WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was seen in the morning in Burnaby
Mountain Park, Burnaby. It was with a flock of PINE SISKINS and RED
CROSSBILLS near the playground.

In Delta, the immature GYRFALCON was seen between the foot of 96th
Street on Boundary Bay and the mansion. One BARN SWALLOW
was here also. The SNOWY OWL continues on the foreshore west of
the foot of 72nd Street. The ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER
continues along the 72nd Street hedgerow, south of Churchill Street
and north of the Boundary Bay Airport control tower. At the foot of
104th Street were 2 MARBLED GODWITS. A ROUGH-LEGGED
HAWK was seen on Hornby Drive near 104th Street, and 8 WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS were nearby.

At Brunswick Point in Delta, 2 SNOWY OWLS were seen on the north side
of the river (Canoe Pass).

At Tynehead Park in Surrey, an AMERICAN DIPPER was seen near 162nd
Street picnic area.

In Cecil Green Park at the University of BC in Vancouver, a HUTTON?S
VIREO was seen, and 12 RED CROSSBILLS flew over.

At Iona, a male SNOWY OWL was seen on the salt marsh at the edge of
the airport, between the two runways.

At Brunswick Point, 5 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were seen along the dyke.


Sightings for Tuesday, November 9th:

At Iona I. in Richmond, an immature CHIPPING SPARROW was seen
near the gate to the sewage ponds.

In Delta, the GYRFALCON was seen east of the foot of 96th Street on
the pilings. 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen on the foreshore
between 72nd and 64th Streets.

In North Delta, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen at the intersection of
Scarborough Drive and Bridlington Drive.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, the GOLDEN EAGLE was seen,
as were 5 SANDHILL CRANES.



End transcript

This transcript was prepared by Kevin Louth and distributed by Wayne
Weber.

For further information on birding in the Vancouver area, log onto
Vancouver Natural History Society?s website at
www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS/ .


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