This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's
Rare Bird Alert for Sunday, November 19, sponsored in part by
Wild Birds Unlimited, with stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver.
This message was updated at 9 AM on November 20.

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


Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERTS for a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER
at Nakusp in the BC Interior, a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL at
Okanagan Landing near Vernon, a TROPICAL KINGBIRD in Seattle,
and a FALCATED DUCK near Eugene, Oregon.


Sightings for Sunday, November 19

In Seattle, Washington, a TROPICAL KINGBIRD was seen for the fourth
day in a row at Building #11 in Magnussen Park on Lake Washington
For further details on this bird, check the TWEETERS E-mail group.

A SNOWY OWL was seen for the second day in a row on the
marina breakwater at Blaine, WA.

A BROWN PELICAN was briefly seen flying eastward along
the West Vancouver shoreline toward the Lions Gate bridge.

Two AMERICAN AVOCETS were seen at the Serpentine River
mouth in Surrey, about 200 m east from the railway trestle, at
a locality where 1-3 Avocets have wintered in previous years.
This locality can be accessed from Mud Bay Park, off
Colebrook Road in Surrey.

In the Boundary Bay area of Delta, a GYRFALCON was seen along
Hornby Drive near 112th Street, and a BARN SWALLOW nearby. At the
foot of 72nd Street, a PALM WARBLER was seen along with 20 Yellow-
rumped Warblers.

The year-long drought of PINE SISKINS has ended, with a flock of 200
seen in the 17300 block of 27A Avenue in south Surrey.


Sightings for Saturday, November 18

At Lighthouse Marine Park on Point Roberts, WA, a BROWN
PELICAN was seen flying past in mid-morning. Also there
were a ROCK SANDPIPER with 20 BLACK TURNSTONES, 150
LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 4 PIGEON GUILLEMOTS, 2
COMMON MURRES, 5 BRANDT'S CORMORANTS, and
2 BONAPARTE'S GULLS.

The GYRFALCON was seen between 88th and 96th Streets in Delta,
along the rough road which parallels the railway tracks S of Highway 10.
Other notable sightings were 12 late WESTERN SANDPIPERS near
the foot of 96th, and 8 BRANT in an odd location at the foot of
104th Street.

A PALM WARBLER was seen with at least 4 YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLERS at the foot of 72nd Street in Delta, and 4 SHORT-
EARED OWLS were seen nearby.

At Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby, where Pine Grosbeaks have
been seen for several days, at least 35 were present, as was a MERLIN.

A SNOWY OWL, 3 MARBLED GODWITS, and a NORTHERN SHRIKE
were seen along Marine Drive in Blaine, WA.

A SNOW GOOSE was seen in an unusual location with many CANADA
GEESE in cranberry fields along Allard Crescent east of 208th Street in
Langley.

At Iona Island in Richmond, a blue-phase SNOW GOOSE was seen with
other SNOW GEESE, and a NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen nearby on Sea Island.

At Okanagan Landing near Vernon in the BC Interior, an adult
LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was seen for the second day in a row.

A very late TOWNSEND'S WARBLER was seen in the Tsawwassen
area of Delta.


Sightings for Friday, November 17

A PINE GROSBEAK was seen in the 13800 block of 18A Avenue in
South Surrey.

A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen with about 1800 BRANT
off the pumphouse at the north end of Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta.

An AMERICAN DIPPER was seen along Lynn Creek near Arborlynn Drive
In North Vancouver.

At Nakusp in the BC Interior, the BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER found
on November 14 was seen again.

An adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL was found at Okanagan
Landing near Vernon in the BC Interior. Another one is currently
being seen near Coulee City in eastern Washington.


Sightings for Thursday, November 16

Three PINE GROSBEAKS, two males and a female, were seen briefly
in the 14900 block of 24A Avenue in South Surrey.

At the Alaksen National Wildlife Area in Delta, next door to the Reifel Bird
Sanctuary, 3 more PINE GROSBEAKS were seen near the parking
area at the Canadian Wildlife Service offices.

Along 208th Street in Langley near the Yorkson Creek crossing, a
BARN OWL, a SHORT-EARED OWL, a drake EURASIAN WIGEON,
and a hybrid MALLARD X NORTHERN PINTAIL were seen.

In Seattle, WA, a TROPICAL KINGBIRD was found in Magnussen Park
near Building #11, just off Sandpoint Way.


Sightings for Wednesday, November 15

A BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was seen for the second day in
a row at Nakusp, BC.


Sightings for Tuesday, November 14

A BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was seen and photographed with
a feeding flock of chickadees and kinglets in the town of Nakusp,
BC. This appears to be the first record for the BC Interior.

Although it's some distance from BC, a FALCATED DUCK
which was found today at the Coburg exit (exit 199) of Interstate
Highway 5 just north of Eugene, OR may be of interest. This will be the
fourth winter in a row for this bird, which has already been accepted as a
wild bird by the Oregon Bird Records Committee. It is being seen in
two ponds next to a Good Sam RV Park, just off the freeway.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, 3 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-
HERONS and 6 SANDHILL CRANES were seen. In the trees along the
Reifel entrance road, not far from the parking lot, a BARRED OWL and
a GREAT HORNED OWL were seen not far from each other.

A BARN OWL was seen at 8:30 PM hunting near the intersection of
Highway 10 and 152nd Street in Surrey.


Sightings for Monday, November 13

An AMERICAN DIPPER was seen along the shoreline in the
western part of the Maplewood Conservation Area in North
Vancouver, and was quite unusual for that locality.

A TOWNSEND'S WARBLER was seen near the Wildlife Rescue
Association facilities on the south side of Burnaby Lake in
Burnaby.

A NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL was seen in Lions Bay, and killed
a small songbird which could not be identified.

A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was seen on the lawn at
Jericho Park in Vancouver.


Sightings for Sunday, November 12

Two SNOW BUNTINGS were seen on the Roberts Bank coal port
jetty in Delta, and a MARBLED GODWIT was seen near the base
of the jetty. Also seen in the vicinity were 3 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS,
a PEREGRINE FALCON, and 14 BLACK TURNSTONES, as well as
2 SHORT-EARED OWLS along 27B Avenue.


Sightings for Saturday, November 11

10 SNOW BUNTINGS were seen along the gravel road on the south
side of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta. Also here were 14
BLACK TURNSTONES and 2 EURASIAN WIGEON.

At Blackie Spit Park in Surrey were another 5 EURASIAN WIGEON
and a WESTERN MEADOWLARK.

Six YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, and
2 SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen in Delta along the Boundary Bay
dyke west of the foot of 72nd Street. Farther east on the dyke, about
where 80th would be if it reached the dyke, were 2 SAVANNAH
SPARROWS, 50 AMERICAN PIPITS, and another NORTHERN SHRIKE.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was reported from Deer Lake in
Burnaby.


No sightings reported for Friday, November 10


Sightings for Thursday, November 9

At the foot of 104th Street on Boundary Bay in Delta, a GYRFALCON
was reported, as were 2 SNOW BUNTINGS and an estimated 70,000
DUNLIN.

At Brunswick Point, near the west end of River Road in Delta, were
2 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, and
20 AMERICAN PIPITS.

At Lighthouse Marine Park in Point Roberts, Washington, were
4 MARBLED MURRELETS, 70 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, and
100 BRANDT'S CORMORANTS.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, 4 BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS and 150 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were seen.

Four LONG-TAILED DUCKS were seen along the Stanley Park seawall
in Vancouver, east of Siwash Rock.


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/