Subject: [Tweeters] Vancouver, BC RBA for December 24, 2007
Date: Dec 25 13:02:14 2007
From: Wayne Weber - contopus at telus.net


This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Monday, December 24th, 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 23 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 .


Out of town RARE BIRD ALERT for a BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER
seen on December 22 & 23 at Nanoose Bay on Vancouver Island.
For updates, phone the Nanaimo RBA at (250) 390-3029 .


No sightings reported for Monday, December 24th


Sightings for Sunday, December 23rd

The BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER was seen again in Nanoose Bay.

The Ladner Christmas Bird Count, held under somewhat rainy and windy
conditions, tallied at least 138 bird species. Highlights included:

A SLATY-BACKED GULL and 2 GLAUCOUS GULLS at the Burns Bog landfill.
(Please note that the landfill is not normally open to birders, but
rare gulls can sometimes be seen among gull flocks in nearby fields.)

Two EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES along Highway 10 between 96th and
104th Streets in Delta.

Nine MUTE SWANS, mostly along Canoe Pass near the Westham Island
bridge.

A LONG-EARED OWL, 2 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS, 5 SANDHILL CRANES,
and 21 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.

Three HUTTON?S VIREOS and a RHINOCEROS AUKLET at Point Roberts,
Washington.

Eight BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS and 2 SNOW BUNTINGS on the Tsawwassen
ferry jetty, and the wintering WILLET at the base of the jetty.


Sightings for Saturday, December 22nd

A BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER was seen coming to a feeder in the 2400
block of Cross Road, near the library in Nanoose Bay, between Nanaimo and
Parksville on Vancouver Island.


Sightings for Friday, December 21st

The NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was seen again in the quadrangle at St.
John?s College at the University of BC in Vancouver, and also across
the road on the W side of NW Marine Drive.

In North Vancouver, a BLACK OYSTERCATCHER and a LINCOLN?S SPARROW
were seen at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver.

Seven AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were seen along the Boundary Bay dyke
just east of 72nd Street in Delta, plus one more in a pumpkin field along 72nd Street.

A GLAUCOUS GULL was reported from the Boundary Bay dyke between 80th
and 88th Streets in Delta.


Sightings for Thursday, December 20

A COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, very rare in winter, was seen in the enclosed
area at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta.

The AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was seen again with juncos at the
Maplewood Conservation Area.

An EARED GREBE was seen from the White Rock pier in White Rock,
a regular spot for this species.

Birds seen along 40th Avenue in Surrey, west of Highway 99 toward Mud Bay,
included a GYRFALCON, 21 CACKLING GEESE, 4 AMERICAN PIPITS, 3
CEDAR WAXWINGS, 15 SAVANNAH SPARROWS, and 20 BROWN-HEADED
COWBIRDS.


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.



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