This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society?s Rare
Bird Alert for Sunday, January 23, 2005, sponsored in part by the Wild
Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. The RBA
phone number is (604) 737-3074.

The long-staying REDWING at Olympia, Washington, was last seen on
January 21. The drake BAIKAL TEAL at the Green River Natural Area in
Kent, just SE of Seattle, was last seen January 20. For updates on
these two birds, which may or may not still be present, phone the
Washington State RBA at (206) 281-9172 or check the TWEETERS
E-mail group.

Locally, the probable female MCKAY?S BUNTING at the Iona Island South
Jetty was last seen here on January 17 with 3 SNOW BUNTINGS. No
buntings were seen on the jetty by observers on January 20, 21, or 22,
and the birds may have left the area. The male MCKAY?S BUNTING was
last seen on December 29.

A bird in Vancouver?s Stanley Park, reported on the last update as a
TUFTED DUCK, has been studied at close range and positively identified
as a TUFTED DUCK x SCAUP hybrid, probably a TUFTED DUCK x
GREATER SCAUP. It may be the same hybrid bird that was seen
in April last year in West Vancouver?s Ambleside Park.


Sightings for Sunday, January 23

The male TUFTED DUCK x SCAUP hybrid was present again
at Stanley Park in Vancouver. The bird was seen in a flooded
area west of the stone bridge at the west end of Lost Lagoon.
Also in Stanley Park were 50 RED CROSSBILLS near Prospect
Point and 6 unseasonable BONAPARTE?S GULLS off Ferguson
Point.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, birds seen included 4 BARN
SWALLOWS, an adult BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, an
immature GOLDEN EAGLE, a GYRFALCON, 4 SANDHILL CRANES,
2 AMERICAN BITTERNS, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GOOSE, a MANDARIN DUCK,
and 35 COMMON REDPOLLS. At nearby Brunswick Point, 7 SNOWY OWLS were
seen.

At the White Rock town pier, 2 EARED GREBES and 70 LONG-
TAILED DUCKS were seen.


Sightings for Saturday, January 22

The male TUFTED DUCK x SCAUP hybrid was seen again next to
the stone bridge at the west end of Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park,
Vancouver. Also in Stanley Park were 3 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS
at Ferguson Point and a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER near
Third Beach.

One SNOWY OWL was seen in driving rain at Brunswick Point, Delta. A
single MUTE SWAN was in the Fraser River near the Westham Island
bridge. On the Roberts Bank coal port jetty, a ROCK SANDPIPER was
seen with a flock of 150 BLACK TURNSTONES.

At Burns Drive near 96th Street in Delta, near the intersection of
Highways 10 and 99, an adult GLAUCOUS GULL and an adult
WESTERN GULL were seen in a large gull flock.


Sightings for Friday, January 21

At Stanley Park in Vancouver, a drake TUFTED DUCK x SCAUP
hybrid was seen just west of the stone bridge at the west end of
Lost Lagoon.

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.


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