This is the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare Bird Alert for
Saturday, February 5, 2005, sponsored in part by the Wild
Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. The
RBA phone number is (604) 737-3074.

The featured bird is PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER.

In Olympia, Washington the REDWING was last seen on Tuesday,
February 1, and the BAIKAL TEAL was seen on the same day
at the Kent Ponds in Kent, near Seattle. For further updates on
these 2 birds in Washington State, phone the Washington RBA
at (206) 281-9172, or check the TWEETERS E-mail group.


Sightings for Saturday, February 5

A PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER in breeding plumage, first reported
on Thursday, was again seen about halfway out the south jetty at
Iona Island in Richmond. 3 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES
continue to be seen at the end of the jetty.

An AMERICAN KESTREL was at Highway 10 and Highway 99 in Delta.


Sightings for Friday, February 4

3 SURFBIRDS and 35 BLACK TURNSTONES were at the end
of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty at Berth One, while 4 BLACK
OYSTERCATCHERS were spotted along the jetty.


Sightings for Thursday, February 3

A PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER in breeding plumage was seen
on the south jetty at Iona Island, Richmond.

8 SNOWY OWLS were at Brunswick Point in Delta, and a further 3
were seen at the foot of 72nd Street on Boundary Bay.

Two BONAPARTE'S GULLS were at English Bay at the end of Bidwell
Street, Vancouver.

Blackie Spit in Surrey had a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, 16 GREATER
YELLOWLEGS and a COMMON REDPOLL.

THE EARED GREBE continues off White Rock Pier.

3 BARN SWALLOWS were at Elgin Heritage Park in Surrey, and
another 7 BARN SWALLOWS were along the Serpentine River nearby.

A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was with TRUMPETER
SWANS in a field near Highway 10 at 112th Street, Delta.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, 100 COMMON REDPOLLS
were along the East Dyke Trail and 2 RED CROSSBILLS were at the
viewing tower. Also at Reifel were 4 AMERICAN BITTERNS, a
GOLDEN EAGLE, a HUTTON'S VIREO, a male CINNAMON TEAL,
a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, and a BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERON.


Sightings for Wednesday, February 2

An AMERICAN AVOCET was at the mouth of the Serpentine River on
Mud Bay in Surrey.

3 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES and 2 SNOW BUNTINGS
were on the south jetty of Iona Island in Richmond, and 18 BARN
SWALLOWS were feeding over MacDonald Slough on Sea Island.

2 COMMON REDPOLLS were at 102B Avenue and 208th Street
in North Langley and an AMERICAN KESTREL was at Pitt Meadows
along Rannie Road at Ladner Road.

16 CALIFORNIA GULLS were seen at Trout Lake in Vancouver.


Sightings for Tuesday, February 1

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, the immature GOLDEN EAGLE
was at the entrance gate and 3 MUTE SWANS were at the Westham
Island Bridge nearby. An AMERICAN KESTREL was along 64th Street
at 34B Avenue in Delta.

2 BONAPARTE'S GULLS were off West Spanish Banks in Vancouver.

An EARED GREBE was off White Rock Pier along with one WESTERN
SANDPIPER on the shoreline.

2 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen feeding in an alder tree
near Ferguson Point along the seawall in Stanley Park, Vancouver.

17 COMMON REDPOLLS were on the perimeter of the Fraserview
Golf Course in Vancouver, along Rosemount Avenue at the 12th tee.


Sightings for Monday, January 31

The Reifel Bird Sanctuary had 4 BARN SWALLOWS, 1 BLACK-
CROWNED NIGHT HERON, 1 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GOOSE, an AMERICAN BITTERN and a female REDHEAD
in the centre of the viewing tower pond.

The LONG-BILLED CURLEW was again seen at Blackie Spit in
Surrey along with 20 GREATER YELLOWLEGS.

A NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL was seen at Lynn Canyon in North
Vancouver, 50 meters south of the tall staircase at the Thirty Foot
Pool on the east side of the canyon.


Sightings for Sunday, January 30

At the mouth of the Serpentine River on Mud Bay in Surrey, an
AMERICAN AVOCET and two GREATER YELLOWLEGS were seen.
At the foot of 112th Street in Delta were 8 more GREATER
YELLOWLEGS and one SAVANNAH SPARROW. The GYRFALCON
was perched on the microwave tower west of the foot of 96th Street.
One SNOWY OWL was seen at the foot of 72nd Street, and at least 4
AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were along the Boundary Bay dyke
east of the foot of 72nd. On 72nd Street near the BC Railway
crossing, a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was seen with other blackbirds.

Two SNOWY OWLS were at Brunswick Point in Delta, and the resident
WILLET was present at the base of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty. At the
Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, two BARN SWALLOWS were seen, the
immature GOLDEN EAGLE was near the refuge entrance, and 6 CEDAR
WAXWINGS were eating berries along the entrance road.

At Iona Island in Richmond, 3 BARN SWALLOWS were seen flying
over the outer pond.

Two WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were again seen in
Coquitlam River Park on Oxford off Lincoln Avenue, Port Coquitlam.



If you have any questions about birds or birding in the Vancouver
area, please call Wayne at (604) 597-7201, Viveka at 531-3401, or
Larry at 465-1402. Thank you for calling the Vancouver Rare Bird
Alert, and good birding.

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


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