This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society?s Rare
Bird Alert for Tuesday, January 25, 2005, sponsored in part by the
Wild Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. The RBA
phone number is (604) 737-3074.

In local highlights, the probable female MCKAY?S BUNTING at the Iona
Island South Jetty has not been seen with certainty since January 17.
Two SNOW BUNTINGS were there on January 21, and an unidentified
bunting on the 23rd, but most observers in the last week have seen no
buntings there

An apparent TUFTED DUCK x GREATER SCAUP hybrid drake
has been near the west end of Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park from
January 21 through 25.


Sightings for Tuesday, January 25

The male TUFTED DUCK x SCAUP hybrid was present again
at Stanley Park in Vancouver. The bird was seen near the stone
bridge at the west end of Lost Lagoon. Elsewhere in Stanley Park,
a BONAPARTE?S GULL and 8 MARBLED MURRELETS were
seen off Ferguson Point, and 5 PIGEON GUILLEMOTS were off
Brockton Point.

The immature GOLDEN EAGLE was seen near the entrance to the Reifel
Bird Sanctuary in Delta, and just south of there, a GYRFALCON along
Westham Island Road.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, an AMERICAN AVOCET and a
LONG-BILLED CURLEW were seen on the far side of the
Nicomekl River.


Sightings for Monday, January 24

Three GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES but no buntings
were at the end of the Iona I. South jetty.

A male ANNA?S HUMMINGBIRD was displaying at the University
of BC Botanical Gardens, far from the nearest known feeder.

In Delta, the GYRFALCON was seen on the microwave tower near
the foot of 96th Street, and two SNOWY OWLS were seen near the
foot of 72nd Street, Three AMERICAN KESTRELS, a MERLIN,
and 3 PEREGRINE FALCONS were also seen along roads north
of Boundary Bay. Two unidentified swallows were seen on the west
side of Boundary Bay, near the pumphouse at the E end of 12th Avenue.


Sightings for Sunday, January 23

The male TUFTED DUCK x SCAUP hybrid was present again
at Stanley Park in Vancouver. Also in Stanley Park were 50 RED
CROSSBILLS near Prospect Point and 6 unseasonable
BONAPARTE?S GULLS off Ferguson Point.

At the end of the Iona I south jetty in Richmond, a GRAY-CROWNED
ROSY FINCH was seen, as well as a bunting which may have been
either a SNOW BUNTING or the probable female MCKAY?S
BUNTING which had been seen earlier.

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.

In Vancouver, 35 COMMON REDPOLLS were seen in birches
in the 2100 block of Trafalgar Street.


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.

Two SNOW BUNTINGS were at the tip of the Iona Island S jetty in
Richmond, and 2 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were on McDonald
Road near the Vancouver Airport fence on Sea Island.


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.


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