This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society?s Rare
Bird Alert for Friday, January 21, 2005, sponsored in part by the Wild
Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This update
was recorded at 9:30 AM, January 21. 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 at least January 20. At the Green
River Natural Area or Kent Ponds in Kent, just SE of Seattle, a drake
BAIKAL TEAL has also been seen through at least January 20. 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 with 3 SNOW BUNTINGS. No buntings were seen
on the jetty by observers there on January 20 and 21, but they are
probably still in the area. 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 December 29.

A Rare Bird Alert is also issued for a TUFTED DUCK in Vancouver's
Stanley Park.


Sightings for Friday, January 21

At Stanley Park in Vancouver, a drake TUFTED DUCK with a fairly long
tuft was found. The bird was seen in a flooded area west of the stone
bridge at the west end of Lost Lagoon. The duck was with 3 scaup in
this area, and according to people that the observer spoke to, has
been present for several days.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, birds seen included a
remarkable 11 BARN SWALLOWS near the viewing tower,
a drake REDHEAD, an immature GOLDEN EAGLE, a
GYRFALCON, 3 AMERICAN BITTERNS, 20 CEDAR WAXWINGS,
15 COMMON REDPOLLS, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, and
200 TRUMPETER SWANS.

At Brunswick Point in Delta, just south of Reifel, 6 SNOWY OWLS in
various plumages were seen at once, with 4 of them at one point in
close proximity on one large stump. A BARN OWL was also in the
thicket here. At the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta, the WILLET
and four BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were seen along the south side.

At the foot of 72nd Street in Delta, 5 SNOWY OWLS were seen, 3 from
the dyke to the east and 2 more from the dyke to the west of 72nd. In
addition, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen along the dyke just to
the east, and 2 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS along the dyke to the
west of 72nd.

In Delta, large groups of TRUMPETER SWANS included 403 off 112th
Street just S of Highway 10, and about 330 in 2 flocks between
Brunswick Point and 34th Street. At least 4 TUNDRA SWANS
were with the latter group.


Sightings for Thursday, January 20

Three SNOWY OWLS were seen at Brunswick Point in Delta.

A RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER was reported from the 2700
block of West 30th Avenue in Vancouver.


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.


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 birds or 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