This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society?s Rare
Bird Alert for Sunday, January 16, 2005, sponsored in part by the Wild
Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. 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 16. At the Kent Ponds in
Kent, just SE of Seattle, a drake BAIKAL TEAL has also been seen
through January 16. For updates on these birds, phone the Washington
State RBA at (206) 281-9172 or check the TWEETERS E-mail group.

Locally, the Rare Bird Alert continues for the probable female MCKAY?S
BUNTING at the Iona Island South Jetty, which was seen here at least
through January 15. The male MCKAY?S BUNTING was last seen
December 29. The SKY LARK on the Serpentine River north dyke
was last reported on January 13.


Sightings for Sunday, January 16

At Stanley Park in Vancouver, at least 2 WHITE-WINGED
CROSSBILLS were seen with a flock of RED CROSSBILLS
from the grassy mound just south of the Prospect Point picnic
area. In the Pitt Lake area, a flock of 30 PINE GROSBEAKS
was seen along Rannie Road south of the Pitt Lake boat launch.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, birds seen included a LONG-BILLED
CURLEW, 3 MARBLED GODWITS, 22 GREATER YELLOWLEGS,
25 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, a SAVANNAH SPARROW,
and 2 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS.

Along 72nd Street in Delta, the RUSTY BLACKBIRD was again
seen with the blackbird flock at the composting facility just south
of the railroad crossing, and a GYRFALCON was at the foot of 72nd
Street. An astounding count of 335 BALD EAGLES was made at
and near the Burns Bog landfill in Delta. In Abbotsford, a MOUNTAIN
CHICKADEE and a COMMON REDPOLL were seen in the 2000
block of Winfield Drive.


Sightings for Saturday, January 15

The probable female MCKAY?S BUNTING was seen with 3 SNOW
BUNTINGS near the end of the Iona Island South Jetty in Richmond.
A falcon believed to be a GYRFALCON was also at Iona I. In Delta,
the RUSTY BLACKBIRD was seen again along 72nd Street, a
SNOWY OWL was seen at the foot of 72nd, one or 2 AMERICAN
TREE SPARROWS were along the Boundary Bay dike near the
pumphouse E of 72nd, and the GYRFALCON was at the foot of
96th Street.

In the Pitt Meadows area, 4 PINE GROSBEAKS were noted along
Rannie Road just north of the Ecological Reserve, and 4 AMERICAN
TREE SPARROWS, 2 SAVANNAH SPARROWS, and 6 WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS were seen along nearby roads.

Another GYRFALCON and an immature GOLDEN EAGLE were
both seen near the entrance to the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.
At Blaine, WA, an AMERICAN AVOCET, almost certainly the one
seen previously near the Serpentine River mouth, was present at
the waterfront park along Marine Drive.

In Vancouver, 25 COMMON REDPOLLS were noted near the
intersection of Carnarvon Street and 55th Avenue in the Southlands
area. Another 40 COMMON REDPOLLS were near West 40th
Avenue at Somerset, and an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
continued to come to a suet feeder near West 34th Avenue and
Pine Crescent.

A MUTE SWAN at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North
Vancouver was reportedly only the second one ever seen there.
In Squamish, a WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen for the first
time in 2 weeks at a feeder where it had been a regular visitor
late last year.


Sightings for Friday, January 14, 2005

The RUSTY BLACKBIRD was seen again with other blackbirds at the
composting facility on 72nd Street, Delta, just south of the BC
Railway crossing. On the Boundary Bay dyke east of 72nd, birds seen
included 6 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, 2 SAVANNAH
SPARROWS, 2 LINCOLN?S SPARROWS, and an AMERICAN
BITTERN.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, 2 MARBLED
GODWITS, a WESTERN SANDPIPER, a EURASIAN GREEN-
WINGED TEAL, and a SAVANNAH SPARROW were seen, and a
remarkable count of 76 EURASIAN WIGEON was made. A LEAST
SANDPIPER was reported in Crescent Beach just south of
Blackie Spit.

Along the Serpentine River north dyke east of Mud Bay Park in Surrey,
the SKY LARK could not be found, but 19 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS
were seen. At Iona I. 2 SNOW BUNTINGS were seen on the South
Jetty, but the apparent female MCKAY?S BUNTING was not.

A HERMIT THRUSH was observed again at 6905 Bradner Road in Langley.


Sightings for Thursday, January 13, 2005

The SKY LARK was seen again by one observer along the north dyke of
the Serpentine River in Surrey, about 500 metres E of the railroad
trestle at the river mouth. This locality can be accessed from Mud Bay
Park, off Colebrook Road in Surrey. At nearby Blackie Spit, a
MARBLED GODWIT and 4 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were
seen.

In Delta, the RUSTY BLACKBIRD was seen again on 72nd Street
just south of the BC Railway crossing, and a ROCK SANDPIPER
was found with BLACK TURNSTONES on the south side of the Tsawwassen
ferry jetty.


Sightings for Wednesday, January 12, 2005

On the Serpentine River north dyke in Surrey, the SKY LARK was not
reported, but 3 AMERICAN PIPITS and a SAVANNAH SPARROW
were seen in the same area.

A SPOTTED SANDPIPER, rare in winter, was seen from Alderside
Road on the north side of Burrard Inlet in Port Moody.

Two ANNA?S HUMMINGBIRDS and a YELLOW-SHAFTED form
of the NORTHERN FLICKER were seen in the 3700 block of West
23rd in Vancouver.

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


Sightings for Tuesday, January 11, 2005

The SKY LARK was present again for most of the day along the north
dyke of the Serpentine River in Surrey. It was feeding with a group of
up to 4 AMERICAN PIPITS in a triangular peninsula jutting into the
river at the upper end of the estuary. Up to 16 WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS were also present near here, in fields north
of the dyke.

On the north side of Boundary Bay in Delta, the GYRFALCON was seen
again near the mansion west of the foot of 96th Street. The adult
GLAUCOUS GULL was seen again along the Boundary Bay foreshore
west of 88th Street. Two SNOWY OWLS were seen near the foot
of 72nd Street, and a RUSTY BLACKBIRD was seen in a blackbird
flock near the railway crossing on 72nd Street. A flock of 24
SAVANNAH SPARROWS was seen along 96th Street, and 12
WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were seen along 104th
Street.

An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was coming to a suet feeder
near 34th Avenue at Pine Crescent in Vancouver. In Langley, the
HERMIT THRUSH was seen again at 6905 Bradner Road. And at
Lighthouse Marine Park in Point Roberts, WA, an adult WESTERN
GULL was perched on pilings.


Sightings for Monday, January 10, 2005

A SKY LARK was discovered along the north dyke of the Serpentine River
in Surrey, about 500 metres E of the railroad trestle at the river
mouth. About 12 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were present near here,
in fields north of the dyke.

The probable female MCKAY?S BUNTING was seen again today
with 3 SNOW BUNTINGS on the Iona Island south 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 beginning
on December 4, has not been seen since December 29.

On the Boundary Bay foreshore at the foot of 72nd Street in Delta,
birds seen included 4 SNOWY OWLS, 2 SAVANNAH SPARROWS,
and 10 AMERICAN PIPITS. An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was
seen with White-crowns near the pump station east of 72nd on the dike,
and a GYRFALCON was hunting along the foreshore here.

Another GYRFALCON was seen at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, as were 2
LINCOLN?S SPARROWS. The WILLET was present at the base of the
Tsawwassen ferry jetty on the south side, and 6 WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS were on 88th Street in Delta near the railroad
crossing. A single EARED GREBE was seen from the town pier
in White Rock.


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.

END TRANSCRIPT


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