This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society?s Rare
Bird Alert for Friday, January 7, 2005, sponsored in part by the Wild
Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This update
was recorded at 10 AM, January 8. The RBA phone number is (604)
737-3074.

The Rare Bird Alert continues for the REDWING in Olympia, Washington,
which has been seen daily through January 7. For updates on this bird,
phone the Washington State RBA at (206) 281-9172 or check the
TWEETERS E-mail group.

Locally, the Rare Bird Alert continues for a probable female MCKAY?S
BUNTING. The ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK which was visiting a
feeder in Coquitlam has not been seen since January 1, and appears
to have either left the area or perished.


Sightings for Friday, January 7

Reports have been few because of the severe winter weather. The only
report today was of a HERMIT THRUSH at 6905 Bradner Road in Langley.


Sightings for Thursday, January 6

At the pier in White Rock, an EARED GREBE and a WESTERN GULL
were seen, and an AMERICAN PIPIT was seen on the beach nearby. Five
GREATER YELLOWLEGS were at the mouth of the Campbell River,
also in White Rock.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, the immature GOLDEN EAGLE
was reported again, as was one adult BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-
HERON and a flock of 35 COMMON REDPOLLS.

In Surrey, the MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE was seen again at the NE corner of
160th Street and 82nd Avenue. At the Maplewood Conservation Area in
North Vancouver, an AMERICAN DIPPER was present at the mouth of
McCartney Creek, and a LINCOLN?S SPARROW in the west marsh area.


Sightings for Wednesday, January 5

The probable female MCKAY?S BUNTING was seen again today with
3 SNOW BUNTINGS and 3 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES at
the end of the Iona Island jetty in Richmond. Photos of the bunting
have been studied by an expert on the species, who believes it is
probably a MCKAY'S, but cannot completely rule out a hybrid. The male
MCKAY?S BUNTING, present here since December 4, has not been
seen since the 29th.

In Delta, the WILLET was seen again near the base of the Tsawwassen
ferry jetty. In Surrey, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was reported along 100th
Avenue just east of Tynehead Regional Park.

At White Rock, an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was seen on the water near
the town pier. This bird, which spent much of December at Wiser Lake
near Lynden, WA, was seen in the White Rock and Blaine, WA area on
January 2 as well, and should be looked for in this area in future.

Finally, an AMERICAN KESTREL was observed at the intersection of 176th
Street and Fraser Highway in Surrey.


Sightings for Tuesday, January 4

The probable female MCKAY?S BUNTING was seen again today with
3 SNOW BUNTINGS and 3 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES at
the end of the Iona Island jetty in Richmond.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, an adult BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERON and an immature GOLDEN EAGLE were seen, and
one MUTE SWAN was seen near the Westham Island bridge.

At the base of the Tsawwassen Jetty in Delta, a RED KNOT was seen with
the resident WILLET. Two WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were reported from
Blackie Spit in Surrey.

On the Boundary Bay foreshore in Delta, a SNOWY OWL was at the foot of
72nd Street, and a GYRFALCON was near the ?mansion? west of the foot
of 96th Street.

Single AMERICAN KESTRELS were reported from 64th Street at 34B
Avenue and at Highway 10 at 88th Street in Delta, and at two locations
along Rannie Road in Pitt Meadows.


Sightings for Monday, January 3

The probable female MCKAY?S BUNTING was seen again with
4 SNOW BUNTINGS and 3 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES
at the tip of the Iona Island south jetty, Richmond.

At Farm Slough on the east side of Blackie Spit in Surrey, 3 MARBLED
GODWITS and a LONG-BILLED CURLEW were present. An
out-of-season COMMON YELLOWTHROAT was seen along the
wooded dike on the south side of Farm Slough.

A MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE was still coming to a feeder at 160th Street and
82nd Avenue in Surrey.

In North Vancouver, two NORTHERN PYGMY-OWLS were seen on
the west side of the Maplewood Conservation Area.


Sightings for Sunday, January 2

The White Rock Christmas Bird Count logged at least 134 species. One
of these was an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN seen from Marine Drive in
Blaine, Washington. The bird flew north into BC, then circled back to
Blaine. Also seen from the crab-fishing pier in Blaine was an immature
YELLOW-BILLED LOON.

A male CASSIN?S FINCH was reported in Surrey. The location is hard to
describe exactly, but is north of Colebrook Road and east of 131st
Street in Surrey, in a wooded area at the base of Panorama Ridge, in
an area owned by Surrey and proposed for a city park

The bird believed to be a female MCKAY?S BUNTING was seen again today
with 3 SNOW BUNTINGS at the end of the Iona Island south jetty in
Richmond.
An adult ICELAND GULL of the Kumlien?s race was seen in a field near
the intersection of Highway 10 and 72nd Street in Delta, as was a
first-year GLAUCOUS GULL.

Three SNOWY OWLS and a GREAT HORNED OWL were seen at
Brunswick Point in Delta. A GYRFALCON was seen on the Boundary
Bay dyke near the mansion, west of 96th Street in Delta, and a CATTLE
EGRET was seen in overflight at the Mound Farm W of Highway 15 and
S of Highway 10 in Surrey.

In the Westwood Plateau area of Coquitlam, a NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL was
seen during the Pitt Meadows Christmas Bird Count.

In Abbotsford, a MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE was still coming to a feeder in
the 2000 block of Winfield.


Sightings for Sunday, January 1

The male ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK is still coming to feeders at 3690
Victoria Drive in Coquitlam, near Minnekhada Park. The homeowner has
kindly given permission to birders to walk up the driveway to where
the feeders can be seen, but please be quiet and respectful while you
are on private property.

A bird which may have been an INDIGO BUNTING was briefly glimpsed with
sparrows at the Mound Farm in Surrey, and at least 1 WHITE-THROATED
SPARROW was in the sparrow flock.

The probable female MCKAY?S BUNTING was seen again with 3 SNOW
BUNTINGS near the tip of the Iona I. South jetty in Richmond.

A WILSON?S WARBLER was well seen by 2 observers during the Abbotsford
Christmas Bird Count. It was in a blackberry thicket west of Ross Road
and south of Simpson Road.

At Brunswick Point in Delta, a lethargic CATTLE EGRET was present near
the parking area at the west end of River Road. Up to 4 SNOWY OWLS
were seen here, 3 of which were across Canoe Pass on the south dyke of
Westham Island. Three MUTE SWANS were near the Westham Island bridge.
At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, sightings included 2 adult BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS, 4 SANDHILL CRANES, a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, and a
female REDHEAD in the flooded West Field with CANVASBACKS. A flock of
60 COMMON REDPOLLS was seen at Bissett Farms on Westham Island Road.

On the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta, 5 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were
seen, plus the WILLET near the jetty base. Two SNOWY OWLS were seen
near the foot of 72nd Street in Delta.


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

END TRANSCRIPT


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