This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's
Rare Bird Alert for Saturday, February 25, 2006, sponsored in part by
the Wild Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver.
This update was recorded at 11 AM on February 26. The RBA phone
number is 604-737-3074.



Sightings for Saturday, February 25, 2006

Sixteen SNOWY OWLS were still present along the Boundary Bay dyke
east of 72nd Street in Delta.

The AMERICAN AVOCET was seen at the mouth of the Serpentine
River in Surrey, just east of the railroad trestle near Mud Bay Park. Two
GREATER YELLOWLEGS and 4 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were
also seen there, plus 6 more GREATER YELLOWLEGS at nearby
Blackie Spit.

A SNOW BUNTING was seen on the Iona Island south jetty in Richmond,
plus 3 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS near the base of the jetty.

A HERMIT THRUSH was at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North
Vancouver.

A flock of 5 CEDAR WAXWINGS was seen near 47th Avenue and Vine Street
in Vancouver.


Sightings for Friday, February 24, 2006

A HUTTON'S VIREO was heard singing in Campbell Valley Park, Langley.

Five WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were seen at the Kings Landing landfill
on the North Vancouver waterfront.


Sightings for Thursday, February 23

Birds seen at Blackie Spit in Surrey included a male EURASIAN x AMERICAN
GREEN-WINGED TEAL hybrid, 4 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 2 LONG-BILLED
DOWITCHERS, and 3 EURASIAN WIGEON.


Sightings for Wednesday, February 22

A HARLAN'S HAWK, a subspecies of RED-TAILED HAWK rare in this
area, was seen along Highway 17 in Delta, north of the Deltaport Way
turnoff.


Sightings for Tuesday, February 21

At the Blaine marina in Blaine, WA, a PEREGRINE FALCON and a flock of
35 CEDAR WAXWINGS were seen.

A flock of 26 MOURNING DOVES was reported in the 16100 block of 40th
Avenue in Surrey.


Sightings for Monday, February 20, 2006

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, an AMERICAN AVOCET was seen . Along the
nearby Crescent Beach shoreline were 3 MARBLED GODWITS.

One EARED GREBE was seen off the White Rock town pier in
White Rock.


Sightings for Sunday, February 19

The long-staying ROCK WREN and one SNOW BUNTING were seen
beyond the second shelter on the Iona Island south jetty in Richmond.

Ten SNOWY OWLS were seen along the Boundary Bay dyke, east of
the foot of 72nd Street in Delta. In the same area were 2 SHORT-EARED
OWLS and 4 GREATER YELLOWLEGS. A third SHORT-EARED OWL
was seen on the north side of the Boundary Bay airport in Delta, east of
80th Street.

A NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL was reported from Minnekhada
Regional Park in Coquitlam.


Sightings for Saturday, February 18

Birds noted at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta included a GOLDEN
EAGLE, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, a BARN SWALLOW,
6 CEDAR WAXWINGS, and a HUTTON'S VIREO.

A ROCK SANDPIPER was seen with BLACK TURNSTONES along the
Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta, and the resident WILLET was seen
near the base of the jetty on the south side.

The ROCK WREN was still present on the Iona Island south jetty, and 12
RING-NECKED DUCKS were in the outer pond at Iona Island. Three
WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were also seen near the restrooms
on Iona Island.

At Brunswick Point, beyond the west end of River Road in Delta, were
7 SNOWY OWLS, 2 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, a LINCOLN'S
SPARROW, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, and a WESTERN MEADOWLARK.

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


Sightings for Friday, February 17, 2005

A RUSTY BLACKBIRD and a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER were
seen near the east end of Dominion Avenue in Port Coquitlam.


Sightings for February 16, 2005

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, birds seen included 4 BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS, 2 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, 10 BARN
SWALLOWS, and a HUTTON'S VIREO.



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