This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's
Rare Bird Alert for Monday, February 6, 2006, sponsored in part by
the Wild Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver.
The RBA phone number is 604-737-3074. Many thanks to Mark Wynja
for looking after the Rare Bird Alert duties for January.


Sightings for Monday, February 6, 2006

The BEWICK'S race TUNDRA SWAN continues to be seen near the
intersection of 60th Avenue and 68th Street in Delta, near the
Vancouver landfill, with about 12 TUNDRA SWANS and 60
TRUMPETER SWANS.

Birds seen at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta included a
ROCK SANDPIPER and a SURFBIRD with a flock of about 60
BLACK TURNSTONES, a BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, and about
70 BRANDT'S CORMORANTS.

Along the Boundary Bay dyke east of 72nd Street in Delta were
14 SNOWY OWLS, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, and 7 GREATER
YELLOWLEGS.

An AMERICAN KESTREL was seen near the intersection of 176th
Street and the Fraser Highway in Surrey, north of Cloverdale.


Sightings for Sunday, February 5

A BEWICK'S race TUNDRA SWAN was present in a flock of about
80 swans near the intersection of 60th Avenue and 68th Street in
Delta. It has apparently been here for about 10 days, although not
previously reported to the Rare Bird Alert.

Near the foot of 72nd Street in Delta were 17 SNOWY OWLS along
the Boundary Bay dyke, plus 4 SHORT-EARED OWLS.

Birds seen at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta included a GOLDEN EAGLE,
8 early TREE SWALLOWS, 2 HUTTON'S VIREOS, a HERMIT THRUSH along
the entrance road, a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, a BARN OWL, a
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, and 6 SANDHILL CRANES.

The long-staying ROCK WREN was still present near the end of the Iona
Island south jetty in Richmond.

8 SAVANNAH SPARROWS were seen along the connecting road along
the railway tracks between 88th and 96th Streets in Delta. An AMERICAN
KESTREL was seen along 64th Street south of 34B Avenue.

Two BARN SWALLOWS were seen at Serpentine Fen in Surrey, and
another one at Colony Farm in Port Coquitlam.

Eight BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS were in a blackbird flock on 88th
Street south of Highway 10 in Delta.


Sightings for Saturday, February 4

Six LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS and two WESTERN MEADOWLARKS
were reported from Iona Island in Richmond.

A SNOWY OWL was seen briefly near the intersection of 10th Avenue
and Trimble Street in Vancouver.


No sightings for Friday, February 3


Sightings for Thursday, February 2

An unseasonable BONAPARTE'S GULL was reported feeding on the
lawn with other gulls near the west pond in Jericho Park, Vancouver.

Two AMERICAN KESTRELS were seen in Langley between the 1800
block and 2100 block of 224th Street.

A drake EURASIAN WIGEON was seen with many other ducks along
South Parallel Road in Abbotsford.

At Trout Lake in Vancouver's John Hendry Park, 11 RING-NECKED DUCKS
were seen, and at least 25 CALIFORNIA GULLS were feeding on the lawn.

Four WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, one of which was singing, were seen
along 112th Street south of Highway 99 in Delta.


No sightings for Wednesday, February 1


Sightings for Tuesday, January 31

A RUSTY BLACKBIRD and 3 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS were among
a large flock of blackbirds along 88th Street south of Highway 10 in Delta.


No sightings for Monday, January 30


Sightings for Sunday, January 29

Two extremely early CLIFF SWALLOWS were observed at Jericho Beach
Park, Vancouver.

In the Boundary Bay area of Delta the following birds were seen: a
BARN SWALLOW at the foot of 112th St, a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
along the road that connects 88th and 96th Streets, a RUSTY BLACKBIRD
and 3 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS near Eagleview Farm on 88th Street,
a first year GLAUCOUS GULL along Hornby Drive near 96th Street, an
ICELAND GULL along Burns Drive behind the Tim Horton's at 96th, and at
Least 15 EURASIAN WIGEON near the foot of 96th Street.


Sightings for Saturday, January 28

4 MARBLED GODWITS were observed at Blackie Spit, Surrey.

The wintering AMERICAN AVOCET was at the mouth of the Serpentine
River near Mud Bay Park in Surrey.

50 TRUMPETER SWANS were at 192nd St and 40th Ave, Langley.



If you have any questions about birds or birding in the Vancouver area,
please call Wayne at (604) 597-7201, 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
http://www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS/



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