This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's
Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, February 15, 2006, sponsored in part by
the Wild Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver.
This update was recorded at 1 PM on February 16. The RBA phone
number is 604-737-3074.


RARE BIRD ALERT: An adult SLATY-BACKED GULL has been seen daily
for the last week at Gene Coulon Park in Renton, just south of Seattle,
WA, at least through February 15. For further information on this bird,
please check messages on the TWEETERS E-mail group.

Two different possible TUFTED DUCKS in the Vancouver area both appear
to be hybrids between TUFTED DUCK and GREATER SCAUP.


Sightings for Wednesday, February 15, 2006

No sightings reported.


Sightings for Tuesday, February 14

The TOWNSEND'S WARBLER in the 3000 block of Spuraway Avenue in
Coquitlam, present since early January, was seen again today.


Sightings for Monday, February 13

No sightings reported


Sightings for Sunday, February 12

The possible TUFTED DUCK was seen again off the Iona Island south
jetty in Richmond. However, this bird has been described by at least two
observers as having a dark gray back, not a black back, so it may be
a TUFTED DUCK x SCAUP hybrid, not a pure TUFTED DUCK.

A SNOW BUNTING was also seen on the Iona south jetty.

The BEWICK'S SWAN, a subspecies of TUNDRA SWAN, was seen
again near the intersection of 60th Avenue and 68th Street in Delta,
with 11 TUNDRA SWANS and many TRUMPETER SWANS.

At least 14 SNOWY OWLS were still present along the Boundary Bay
dyke near the foot of 72nd Street in Delta, as were 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS,
5 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, and a NORTHERN SHRIKE.

Three BARN SWALLOWS were seen at the Squamish River estuary
in Squamish.


Sightings for Saturday, February 11, 2006

A possible TUFTED DUCK drake was seen in a flock of GREATER
SCAUP on the north side of the Iona Island south jetty, Richmond.

Also present on the Iona south jetty were the ROCK WREN and 2
SNOW BUNTINGS. Three WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were seen near
the restrooms at Iona, and 12 RING-NECKED DUCKS were in the Iona
outer pond.

The BEWICK'S SWAN was seen by several observers with other swans
near the intersection of 60th Avenue and 68th Street in Delta, west of
the Burns Bog landfill.

Along the Boundary Bay dyke near 72nd Street in Delta were 12 SNOWY
OWLS, one SHORT-EARED OWL, and a NORTHERN SHRIKE.

The AMERICAN AVOCET which has been wintering at the mouth of
the Serpentine River in Surrey was present today at the Beach Grove
lagoon on the west side of Boundary Bay, at the east foot of 12th Avenue
in Delta.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, sightings included the GOLDEN
EAGLE, present now for 2 weeks; an AMERICAN BITTERN; 2
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE; 4 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-
HERONS; a SNOWY OWL; and 5 BARN SWALLOWS and a TREE
SWALLOW.

In the Tsawwassen area of Delta, near 6th Avenue at Stevens Drive, 3
CEDAR WAXWINGS and a HERMIT THRUSH were seen.


Sightings for Friday, February 10

A TUFTED DUCK x GREATER SCAUP hybrid, likely the same bird
that was present last winter, was seen near the west end of Lost Lagoon
in Stanley Park, Vancouver.

At Elgin Heritage Park, off Crescent Road in Surrey, a EURASIAN
GREEN-WINGED TEAL and a RING-NECKED DUCK were seen.
At nearby Blackie Spit were one MARBLED GODWIT and 4 EURASIAN
WIGEON, plus 8 CEDAR WAXWINGS at the Dunsmuir community
gardens. Two HUTTON'S VIREOS were noted in Crescent Park,
plus another one near 6th Avenue at Stevens Drive in Delta.

At Brunswick Point, at the west end of River Road in Delta, were 6
SNOWY OWLS. Fifteen more SNOWY OWLS, plus 2 WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS and a NORTHERN SHRIKE, were seen along the
Boundary Bay dyke east of the foot of 72nd Street.

Five WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were at Iona Island in Richmond.

A TOWNSEND'S WARBLER was seen again in the 3000 block of Spuraway
Avenue in Coquitlam.


Sightings for Thursday, February 9

The BEWICK'S SWAN was seen again near the intersection of 60th Avenue
And 68th Street in Delta.

A GYRFALCON was seen along 88th Street in Delta, north of Boundary Bay.

A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen perched on the Port Mann bridge in
Surrey, a frequent hunting perch for this species.


Sightings for Wednesday, February 8

At least 2000 PACIFIC LOONS were seen in a tight feeding flock off
Semiahmoo Spit, just across the border in Blaine, WA.


Sightings for Tuesday, February 7

At Iona Island, 9 RING-NECKED DUCKS were seen in the outer pond,
and 3 BARN SWALLOWS were also seen.

At the foot of 72nd Street in Delta, a NORTHERN SHRIKE was noted.

The out-of-season BONAPARTE'S GULL was still present at Jericho Park
in Vancouver.


Sightings for Monday, February 6

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.

At the White Rock pier in White Rock, 2 EARED GREBES and a
WESTERN GULL were seen, and about 400 RUDDY DUCKS
were seen offshore in Semiahmoo Bay.



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