This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's
Rare Bird Alert for Saturday, December 2, sponsored in part by
Wild Birds Unlimited, with stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver.
This update was recorded at 2 PM on December 3.

The RBA telephone number is (604) 737-3074.


If you have a report, please leave your full name, telephone number, date
and exact location of your sighting, including numbers of birds wherever
possible. If you want to skip the update, press the pound key on your
phone, otherwise please wait until the end of this update to leave your
message.


First of all, an announcement: the Vancouver Natural History Society's
monthly Birder's Night meeting will take place on Thursday, December 7
at 7:30 PM at St. Mary Anglican Church, 2490 West 37th Avenue
(at Larch Street) in Vancouver. This month's program will be an
organizational meeting for the Vancouver and Ladner Christmas Bird
Counts, and will also feature a bird identification quiz which should
be fun.


RARE BIRD ALERT for a WESTERN SCRUB-JAY in North Surrey
and for 2 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES at the foot of 88th
Street in Delta.

Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERTS for a LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULL at Penticton in the B.C. Interior and a FALCATED DUCK near
Eugene, Oregon.


Sightings for Saturday, December 2

The two EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES first reported on December 1
were seen again in the tops of trees in front of 3706 88th Street, near the
foot of 88th on Boundary Bay in Delta. These birds are almost
certainly wild vagrants, and therefore "countable".

Eight PINE GROSBEAKS were seen along Ferguson Road on Sea
Island in Richmond. At least 4 PINE GROSBEAKS were seen near
18th Avenue in Ocean Park, Surrey, just west of 128th Street, and 2
were seen again in North Delta.

At least 14 SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen along the north side of
Boundary Bay in Delta, 12 of which were along or south of 36th Avenue
between 64th and 72nd Streets, and 2 BARN OWLS were seen in the
same area.

At Lighthouse Marine Park on Point Roberts, Washington, sightings
included 14 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, 24 MARBLED MURRELETS,
60 COMMON MURRES, 10 PIGEON GUILLEMOTS, a huge
flock of 60 SNOW BUNTINGS, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, and a
WESTERN MEADOWLARK. At the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta, a
WESTERN SANDPIPER was seen at the lagoon near the ferry terminal,
and a SNOW BUNTING about halfway out the jetty.


Sightings for Friday, December 1

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen again at a feeder in the 13100
block of 107A Avenue in Surrey.

Two EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were found on the telephone wires
near the foot of 88th Street in Delta.

PINE GROSBEAK reports included 6 near the intersection of 116th
Street and 96th Avenue in North Delta, and 4 on the campus of
Trinity Western University in Langley.

Two WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were seen at Mud Bay Park,
off Colebrook Road in Surrey.

Out of town, the drake FALCATED DUCK was present again near Eugene,
Oregon at the ponds near the Coburg exit (exit 199) off Interstate 5,
where the bird has been a regular for 2 weeks.

Also, at Penticton in the Okanagan Valley, the adult LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen for the second day in a row
at Rotary Park on the Okanagan Lake beach.


Sightings for Thursday, November 30

On the White Rock waterfront, sightings included 11 EARED GREBES,
250 HORNED GREBES, and 2 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS.

Six PINE GROSBEAKS were seen in Vancouver near the intersection of
Angus Drive and 33rd Avenue.

Three more PINE GROSBEAKS were seen flying over 21st Avenue at 153A
Street in South Surrey.

Out of town, an adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen and
photographed along the Okanagan Lake beach at Penticton in the
Okanagan Valley. This may be the same bird seen previously at Vernon.

Also, the FALCATED DUCK was still being seen regularly at the Coburg
exit from Interstate 5 near Eugene, OR. For updates on this bird, check the
OBOL E-mail group or phone the Portland RBA at (503) 292-0661.


Sightings for Wednesday, November 29

A WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was reported for the second day in the
13100 block of 107A Avenue in Surrey, but was not reported until
Thursday.

In Delta, the GYRFALCON was relocated on a telephone pole along
112th Street south of Highway 10. Three SHORT-EARED OWLS
were seen along 36th Avenue west of 72nd Street, and a SNOWY OWL
was seen along the Roberts Bank coal port jetty, also in Delta.

Two COMMON REDPOLLS were seen on the west side of the
Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Tuesday, November 28

A WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was reported in the 13100 block of 107A
Avenue in Surrey.

Another SNOWY OWL was reported along 33A Avenue near 41st Street in
West Delta.

A PINE GROSBEAK was seen near Hillside Baptist Church in the Lynn
Valley district of North Vancouver.

Four ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS were attending a feeder in the 14900
block of 24th Avenue in South Surrey.

In White Rock, a SNOW BUNTING was seen at 15425 Columbia.

A SHORT-EARED OWL and 3 MOURNING DOVES were seen along
180th Street south of Highway 10 in the Cloverdale area of Surrey.


Sightings for Monday, November 27

Five PINE GROSBEAKS were seen near the intersection of 116th Street and
96th Avenue in North Delta.

At the foot of 72nd Street on Boundary Bay in Delta, sightings included
3 SHORT-EARED OWLS, 8 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, a late
LEAST SANDPIPER, and an equally late RED KNOT.

Six TRUMPETER SWANS were seen in an unusual location, off the
Dundarave pier in West Vancouver.

A male ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD was reported from the 3800 block of
Trinity Street in North Burnaby.

Four PINE GROSBEAKS were seen near the intersection of 154th
Street and 20A Avenue in South Surrey.


Sightings for Sunday, November 26

Four PINE GROSBEAKS were seen in South Surrey near the intersection
of 128th Street and 18th Avenue.


Sightings for Saturday, November 25

In Delta, along the Boundary Bay dyke east of 72nd Street, an AMERICAN
BITTERN was flushed from the north side of the dyke, and a SNOWY OWL
was seen outside the dyke on logs. Also seen in the area were an immature
NORTHERN SHRIKE, 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS, 2 WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS, 8 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, a
LAPLAND LONGSPUR, and 5 EURASIAN WIGEON. At the foot of
96th Street, 15 BRANT were a bit unusual.

At Point Roberts, Washington, an EARED GREBE, 2 MARBLED
MURRELETS, and 75 LONG-TAILED DUCKS were noted.

At the Roberts Bank coal port jetty in Delta, a MARBLED GODWIT was
seen near the base, and 23 BLACK TURNSTONES farther out.

At Brunswick Point, near the west end of River Road in Delta,
3 SHORT-EARED OWLS and 12 WESTERN SANDPIPERS were
reported.

In Blaine, WA, the SNOWY OWL was still present on the marina
breakwater.

At Sea Island in Richmond, a male AMERICAN KESTREL and an
immature NORTHERN SHRIKE were seen near the junction of
Ferguson and McDonald Roads.


Sightings for Friday, November 24th

In the 10300 block of 208th Street in Langley, sightings included
a GREAT HORNED OWL, a EURASIAN WIGEON, a EURASIAN
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, and a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.

The SNOWY OWL was seen again on the marina breakwater at
Blaine, WA.


Sightings for Thursday, November 23

A GYRFALCON was reported from an unspecified locality on the north side of
Boundary Bay in Delta. This bird covers a wide area, at least from 88th
Street
east to 112th. Also, an immature GLAUCOUS GULL was seen in a gull flock
near the intersection of Highway 10 and 72nd Street in Delta.

The BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was still present at Nakusp in the BC
Interior, where it has been seen almost daily by several observers.

In Seattle, WA, the TROPICAL KINGBIRD which has been present since
November 16 was seen again just south of Magnuson Park. For updates on
this bird, check the TWEETERS E-mail group.


Sightings for Wednesday, November 22

A SNOWY OWL was seen outside the dike at Brunswick Point,
beyond the west end of River Road in Delta.

PINE GROSBEAKS were reported from two more localities. Three
females were seen in the 1200 block of Durant Drive in Coquitlam,
and 2 were seen in the Lynn Valley district of North Vancouver.

Out of town, the adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen
again at the mouth of Vernon Creek in Okanagan Landing, near
Vernon. A second-year ICELAND GULL was also reported from
Maude Roxby Park in Kelowna.

Near Eugene, Oregon the drake FALCATED DUCK was seen again
at the ponds near Exit 199 off Interstate Highway 5, where it has
been for more than a week. For updates on this bird, check the
OBOL E-mail group.


If you have any questions about birds or birding in the Vancouver
area, please call Peter at 604-736-0991, Viveka at 604-531-3401,
or Larry at 604-465-1402. 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
www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS/


Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net