This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's
Rare Bird Alert for February 26th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds
Unlimited, with stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This
message was updated at 1:00 PM on February 27th. The RBA
telephone number is (604) 737-3074.


The VNHS monthly Birders' Night will be held at 7:30 PM on
March 1 at St. Mary Anglican Church, 2490 West 37th Avenue
(at Larch Street) in Vancouver. Non-members as well as members
are welcome. The speaker will be noted ecologist Dr. Michael
Jackson, talking about Mosquitoes, Crows, and the arrival of the
West Nile Virus.


RARE BIRD ALERT for a GREAT GRAY OWL in Campbell
Valley Park, Langley. The owl has not been reported since
February 18 but is likely still present.


In Washington State, RARE BIRD ALERT for a BLACK-HEADED
GULL seen daily from February 21 to 26 at Point No Point in Kitsap
County. Also, a RARE BIRD ALERT continues for a WHOOPER SWAN
near Conway, last reported on February 17 but probably still in the area.
Please see the Tweeters E-mail group recent archives at
http://www.birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/TWET.html , or phone the
Washington State BirdBox at (206) 281-9172, for the latest
updates and directions to this bird.


Sightings for Monday, February 26th

In Washington State, the BLACK-HEADED GULL was seen again
with BONAPARTE'S GULLS near Point No Point, Kitsap
County, north of Kingston.

Locally, two PINE GROSBEAKS were reported in the 15400 block
of 20th Avenue in Surrey, an area where they have been seen
several times over the last few weeks.


Sightings for Sunday, February 25th

An EARED GREBE and 40 LONG-TAILED DUCKS were seen off
the White Rock pier in White Rock.

Six CACKLING GEESE were seen with 50 CANADA GEESE in a
field on the north side of 8th Avenue, between 188th and 192nd
Streets in Surrey. This species is rare in winter around Vancouver.

In Delta, 3 GLAUCOUS GULLS and a CALIFORNIA GULL were
seen in a gull flock off River Road near Deas Island Park.
Another CALIFORNIA GULL was seen along 72nd Street south
of Highway 10.

A NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen flying across Highway 99
near Burns Bog in Delta.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, a TREE SWALLOW, a BARN
SWALLOW, and an immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK were seen.


Sightings for Saturday, February 24th

At Iona Island in Richmond, 2 TREE SWALLOWS were seen over the
outer pond, and an AMERICAN BITTERN in the nearby marsh.


Sightings for Friday, February 23rd

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, sightings included a single
TREE SWALLOW, a MARBLED GODWIT on pilings near the
mouth of the Fraser River, 3 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS,
3 adult BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, a HUTTON'S VIREO,
the long-staying immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK, and 3000
SNOW GEESE.

At Colony Farm Park, on the Port Coquitlam side, a NORTHERN
SAW-WHET OWL was seen in a tree along the trail.

At Tennant Lake near Ferndale, WA, 15 km south of White Rock
there were 60 TREE SWALLOWS, 20 BARN SWALLOWS, and
one VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW. At nearby Lake Terrell
were four REDHEADS.


Sightings for Thursday, February 22nd

In Delta, at the golf course at the foot of 72nd Street, 8 SNOWY OWLS
were still present.


Sightings for Wednesday, February 21st

An out-of-town report was received of a BLACK-HEADED GULL at
Point No Point, north of Bremerton, Washington. This could be
the same bird that was seen several weeks ago on Bainbridge Island.

At Iona Island in Richmond, 3 TREE SWALLOWS over the outer
pond were the first of the year.


Sightings for Tuesday, February 20th

Along 34th Street in Delta, near 33A Avenue, 2 MARBLED GODWITS
were seen in a flooded field along with 280 BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVERS and 450 DUNLIN.

At Campbell Valley Park in Langley, a NORTHERN SHRIKE was
seen along 4th Avenue, but the GREAT GRAY OWL could
not be found.

The GYRFALCON was seen again at an unspecified location
in Pitt Meadows.


No sightings reported for Monday, February 19th


Sightings for Sunday, February 18th

The GREAT GRAY OWL was seen by many observers at and near the
viewing platform at the east end of the Ravine Trail in Campbell Valley
Regional Park, Langley.

Also seen in Campbell Valley Park were a BARRED OWL, a GREAT
HORNED OWL, 8 RED CROSSBILLS, and 12 COMMON
REDPOLLS,

Four SNOWY OWLS were still on the golf course east of the foot
of 72nd Street and north of the Boundary Bay dyke in Delta.

A possible GOLDEN EAGLE was reported in West Vancouver from
the 4100 block of Rose Crescent.


Sightings for Saturday, February 17th

The GREAT GRAY OWL was photographed in mid-afternoon along
the Ravine Trail in Campbell Valley Park, Langley.

A well-described NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was seen on a lawn
on 72nd Street in Delta, near the intersection with 36th Avenue.

In Pitt Meadows, a GYRFALCON was seen along Connecting Road
E of McKechnie Road, as was an AMERICAN KESTREL
along Thompson Road E of Neaves Road.

Twelve BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were seen together at the
Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, birds seen included a MARBLED
GODWIT with BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS on pilings along the
Fraser River, 2 HUTTON'S VIREOS, an immature NORTHERN
GOSHAWK, 4 SANDHILL CRANES, 2 adult BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS, a drake REDHEAD, and 3 NORTHERN SAW-WHET
OWLS.

Eight MOURNING DOVES were in the 16100 block of 40th Avenue
in Surrey.


Sightings for Friday, February 16th

The GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH, present earlier in the winter,
was seen again near rhododendron shrubs inside the Academic
Quadrangle at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby.

A YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was seen at a feeder in the 3600
block of West First Avenue in Vancouver.


There were no sightings reported for Thursday, February 15th.


Sightings for Wednesday, February 14th

At Whistler, BC, a flock of 75 COMMON REDPOLLS with 25
PINE SISKINS was seen at the base of Lorimer Road. This
flock has been present in the area for several weeks.


Sightings for Tuesday, February 13th

Four BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were seen at the Tsawwassen
ferry terminal in Delta, and the resident WILLET was seen again
at the base of the Tsawwassen jetty, on the south side.


Sightings for Monday, February 12th

The wintering TOWNSEND'S WARBLER was seen again in
Coquitlam in the 3000 block of Spuraway Road.


Sightings for Sunday, February 11th

A GREAT GRAY OWL was reported from an open area along the
Ravine Trail in Campbell Valley Regional Park in Langley.

At and near the foot of 72nd Street in Delta, near the Boundary Bay
shoreline, birds seen included an immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK,
a SHORT-EARED OWL, and a season-high 9 SNOWY OWLS on
the golf course north of the dyke.



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
http://naturevancouver.ca .


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