Subject: [Tweeters] Vancouver, BC RBA for December 19, 2007
Date: Dec 21 12:16:04 2007
From: Wayne Weber - contopus at telus.net


This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Wednesday, December 19th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds
Unlimited, with stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. The RBA
telephone number is (604) 737-3074.

If you have a report, please leave your name, telephone number, date, and
location of your sighting at the end of this recording, including numbers of
birds seen wherever possible. To skip the recording and leave your message,
press the pound sign on your phone and begin speaking after the tone.


RARE BIRD ALERT (out of town) for an ARCTIC LOON which has been
photographed and seen regularly from December 9 through 19 at Brownsmead,
just east of Astoria, OR. For updates, check the transcripts of the OBOL
e-mail group at http://www.birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/OBOL.html .



Sightings for Wednesday, December 19th

An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was seen in North Vancouver along the
path just past the entrance to the Maplewood Conservation Area.


Sightings for Tuesday, December 18th

The NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was seen again at St. John's College at
the University of BC in Vancouver.


Sightings for Monday, December 17th

A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was found at St. John's College near the
intersection of University Boulevard and Lower Mall Road on the University
of BC campus in Vancouver.

Birds seen at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta include 9 COMMON
REDPOLLS, 10 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, 15 CEDAR WAXWINGS, a VIRGINIA RAIL, 2
GREAT HORNED OWLS, and a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, 6 MARBLED GODWITS and a LONG-BILLED CURLEW
were seen. Nearby at Elgin Heritage Park were 50 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS.

The leg-banded PRAIRIE FALCON, which may or may not be an escaped bird,
was seen again near the foot of 88th Street on Boundary Bay in Delta.
Nearby, east of the foot of 72nd Street along the dyke were up to
9 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, 2 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, and a SHORT-EARED OWL.


Sightings for Sunday, December 16th

The Vancouver Christmas Bird Count tallied 120 species, well below the
long-term average. Noteworthy birds included a HARRIS'S SPARROW
at Inter-River Park near Lynn Creek in North Vancouver; a SWAMP
SPARROW at Canfor Point on Iona Island in Richmond, and CACKLING
GOOSE, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, BONAPARTE'S GULL, TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE,
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and AMERICAN TREE SPARROW at various locations.

North of Vancouver, the Squamish Christmas Bird Count reported a CACKLING
GOOSE, a LONG-TAILED DUCK, 27 AMERICAN DIPPERS, a GOLDEN EAGLE,
and an amazing 2166 BALD EAGLES.

A LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 3 MARBLED GODWITS were seen at Blackie Spit
in Surrey.

Ten BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were reported from the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in
Delta.

The PRAIRIE FALCON was seen again near the foot of 88th Street in Delta,
and a GLAUCOUS GULL was seen along Burns Drive near the Vancouver landfill
in Delta.


Sightings for Saturday, December 15th

In North Vancouver, a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, an ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, and
at least 9 BAND-TAILED PIGEONS were seen at 2100 Bowser Avenue.

An EARED GREBE was reported from the Iona Island south jetty in Richmond.


Sightings for Friday, December 14th

The Whistler Christmas Bird Count north of Vancouver reported 2
surprising CASSIN'S FINCHES, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK, and several
WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS and MOUNTAIN CHICKADEES.

Six AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and a SHORT-EARED OWL were seen along the
Boundary Bay dyke east of 72nd Street in Delta, and a GYRFALCON along
112th Street.


No sightings reported for Wednesday and Thursday, December 12th and 13th


Sightings for Tuesday, December 11th

A NORTHERN PYGMY-OWL, which caught and killed a HOUSE FINCH,
was seen in the village of Lions Bay.

A NORTHERN SHRIKE seen and photographed near Prospect Point in
Vancouver's Stanley Park was at an unusual locality.


Sightings for Monday, December 10th

The PRAIRIE FALCON was seen again near the foot of 72nd Street in Delta.
This bird has a leg band, and may or may not be an escape from captivity.

Six AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were still present along the Boundary Bay
dyke not far east of the foot of 72nd, and 2 SAVANNAH SPARROWS were seen
west of 72nd.

Six EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were at the usual location along Highway
10 in Delta between 96th and 104th Streets.

A large flock of 36 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS was seen on 27A Avenue in
Delta, east of 41B Street, and 5 more were along 34th Street north of 33A
Avenue.

A flock of 60 apparent CACKLING GEESE was present at the Beach Grove
Lagoon in Delta.


Sightings for Sunday, December 9th

The PRAIRIE FALCON was reported again along the Boundary Bay dyke
in Delta.


Sightings for Saturday, December 8th

The PRAIRIE FALCON was seen again at various location from 96th Street west
to 72nd Street, north of Boundary Bay in Delta.

Five SHORT-EARED OWLS, 4 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, and 3 SAVANNAH
SPARROWS were reported along the Boundary Bay dyke between 64th and
72nd Streets.

A very late PECTORAL SANDPIPER was seen along 36th Avenue near 72nd Street
In Delta

Five BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.

Twelve MARBLED MURRELETS were seen at Lighthouse Marine Park in Point
Roberts, Washington.

The WILLET was seen at the base of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta,
and 11 ANCIENT MURRELETS were seen from the ferry just off the terminal.


Sightings for Friday, December 7th

Six AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were seen along the Boundary Bay dyke just
east of the foot of 72nd Street in Delta. Four PEREGRINE FALCONS were
also seen along the Boundary Bay dyke.

A HARRIS'S HAWK reported from the Iona Island sewage ponds in
Richmond was Later found to be a bird being flown by a falconer.


Sightings for Thursday, December 6th

The TOWNSEND'S WARBLER which spent two consecutive winters in the
vicinity of 3051 Spuraway in Coquitlam has reappeared at that address.


Sightings for Wednesday, December 5th

A gadfly petrel which has been tentatively identified as a COOK'S PETREL
was found alive near Lillooet in the B.C. interior, but has subsequently
died. If the identification is correct, this would be a first record
for B.C. and for Canada.

The PRAIRIE FALCON was seen again at the foot of 72nd Street in Delta,
and 3 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were seen along the Boundary Bay dyke
just to the east.

A large flock of 70 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were feeding in a farm field
at the foot of No. 3 Road on Lulu I., Richmond, near the dog park.



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 website at http://naturevancouver.ca .



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