This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Sunday, January 6th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds
Unlimited, with stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This update
was recorded at 11 AM on January 7th. 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 January 5 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 Sunday, January 6th

The CLARK'S GREBE was still present with several WESTERN GREBES
near the Westham Island bridge over Canoe Pass, as were two MUTE
SWANS.

Birds reported from the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta included 17 BOHEMIAN
WAXWINGS, 7 CEDAR WAXWINGS, an immature GLAUCOUS GULL, two
AMERICAN BITTERNS, 3 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, 2
SANDHILL CRANES, and 4 VIRGINIA RAILS.

The NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was still present at St. John's College
on the west side of the University of BC campus in Vancouver.

The HARRIS'S SPARROW was seen by several observers along 188th Street
in Surrey, south of 8th Avenue, and an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
was also seen at 442 188th Street.

Five MARBLED GODWITS were on the east side of Blackie Spit in Surrey.

Forty AMERICAN PIPITS and 2 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were seen
in and near the pumpkin field on 72nd Street in Delta, north of 36th Avenue.

A SNOW BUNTING was seen along the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta,
and the WILLET was present as usual near the base of the jetty.


Sightings for Saturday, January 5th

A flock of 19 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were seen at Shoreline Park
on Burrard Inlet in Port Moody.


Sightings for Friday, January 4th

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

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, 6 MARBLED GODWITS,
and a WESTERN SANDPIPER were seen.


Sightings for Thursday, January 3rd

The CLARK'S GREBE at Canoe Pass and the HARRIS'S SPARROW at
188th Street near 8th Avenue in Surrey were both seen again.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, 15 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, 3
COMMON REDPOLLS, and 2 GREAT HORNED OWLS were seen.


Sightings for Wednesday, January 2nd

At Canoe Pass (a channel of the Fraser River), near the Westham Island
bridge in Delta, a CLARK'S GREBE and a drake CINNAMON TEAL were
reported.

Fifteen BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were still at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary
in Delta.

The HARRIS'S SPARROW was still present along 188th Street S of
8th Avenue in Surrey.

A drake REDHEAD was seen at Surrey Lake, off 152nd Street north
of 72nd Avenue in Surrey.

Two EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were reported in the 4100 block of
River Road in Delta. These are presumably different birds from the flock
of 6 to 8 which have frequently been seen several miles farther east
Along Highway 10 in Delta.


Sightings for Tuesday, January 1st, 2008

The PRAIRIE FALCON was seen again near the foot of 72nd Street in Delta.
Nearby, along the Boundary Bay dyke between 72nd and 64th, were an
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, a LINCOLN'S SPARROW, and a
SAVANNAH SPARROW. At a pumpkin field along 72nd Street were 33
AMERICAN PIPITS and an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW. Near the foot
of 88th Street was an immature GLAUCOUS GULL and an adult WESTERN
GULL.

Also in Delta, the WILLET and 4 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were seen
together at the base of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty. Two EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVES were seen at the usual spot along Highway 10 in
Delta west of 104th Street.

In Pitt Meadows, an immature GOLDEN EAGLE was seen along Thompson
Road east of Neaves Road, and an AMERICAN KESTREL was nearby.

In Abbotsford, a male TOWNSEND'S WARBLER was seen in the 2000
block of Winfield Drive.


Sightings for Monday, December 31st

The HARRIS'S SPARROW along 188th Street in Surrey, about 150 metres
south of 8th Avenue, was seen again.

A female YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was seen at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary,
at a feeder near the gift shop.


Sightings for Sunday, December 30th

A HARRIS'S SPARROW was seen along 188th Street in Surrey, about
100 metres south of 8th Avenue.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, a "HARLAN'S" RED-TAILED HAWK,
6 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, 5 SANDHILL CRANES, 2
GREAT HORNED OWLS, and 12 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were
seen.

In Surrey, a drake REDHEAD was seen with CANVASBACKS at Surrey
Lake Park on 152nd Street, and 7 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE
were seen near the intersection of 160th Street and 48th Avenue.

Two RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen in a large blackbird flock along
Bell Road in the Matsqui Prairie area of Abbotsford.

In Port Moody, an AMERICAN DIPPER was seen along Noon Creek.


Sightings for Saturday, December 29th

A third-winter SLATY-BACKED GULL was seen along 68th Street in
Delta, not far south of River Road. Near Boundary Bay in Delta,
a GYRFALCON was seen along 112th Street south of Highway 99, and 7
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen with TRUMPETER SWANS
near John Oliver Park, north of Highway 99 and east of 112th.

Birds reported from the Reifel Bird Sanctuary included 5 BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS along Fuller Slough, 5 SANDHILL CRANES, 20
BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS and 20 CEDAR WAXWINGS.

Four BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS and 2 SNOW BUNTINGS were
seen along the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta, 3 SURFBIRDS were at
the ferry terminal, and the WILLET was at the base of the jetty.

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

Mud Bay Road (40th Avenue) in Surrey, west of Highway 99, produced
an immature GYRFALCON, 5 SAVANNAH SPARROWS, and 20
CACKLING GEESE.


Sightings for Friday, December 28th

At least 20 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen feeding on crabapples at the
Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.


No sightings reported for December 27th


Sightings for Wednesday, December 26th

A GYRFALCON was seen and photographed along 40th Avenue (Mud Bay
Road) in Surrey, west of Highway 99.

Outside the Vancouver area, an ARCTIC LOON was reported from Quadra Island.


No sightings reported for Monday, December 24th or 25th


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.


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