This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society?s Rare
Bird Alert for Wednesday, January 19, 2005, sponsored in part by the
Wild Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This
update was recorded at 10 AM, January 20. 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 19. At the Kent Ponds in
Kent, just SE of Seattle, a drake BAIKAL TEAL has also been seen
through at least January 18. 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 17. This bird has not been positively identified as a
MCKAY?s, despite opinions to the contrary, and there is a possibility
that it could be a hybrid MCKAY?S x SNOW BUNTING. The male
MCKAY?S BUNTING was last seen on December 29.


Sightings for Wednesday, January 19

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, sightings included an immature
GOLDEN EAGLE near the refuge entrance, two adult BLACK-
CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS at Fuller Slough, 4 SANDHILL
CRANES, and a BARN OWL.

In fields near the intersection of Highway 10 and 112th Street in
Delta, at least 350 TRUMPETER SWANS were feeding.


Sightings for Tuesday, January 18

In a roosting gull flock north of Burns Drive and west of 96th Street
in Delta, an adult GLAUCOUS GULL and an adult WESTERN
GULL were present.

Two AMERICAN BITTERNS were seen at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.


Sightings for Monday, January 17

The probable female MCKAY?S BUNTING, along with 3 SNOW
BUNTINGS, was seen near the end of the Iona Island South Jetty
in Richmond. There were no other reports.


Sightings for Sunday, January 16

The probable female MCKAY?S BUNTING was seen with 3
SNOW BUNTINGS near the end of the Iona Island South Jetty
in Richmond.

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, an adult WESTERN GULL, 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. Two
SNOWY OWLS and two SHORT-EARED OWLS were reported from the
foot of 72nd, and two more SNOWY OWLS were at Brunswick Point,
at the west end of River Road in Delta, An astounding count of 335
BALD EAGLES was made at and near the Burns Bog landfill in Delta.

Fifty COMMON REDPOLLS were at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary 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.



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