This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for
Saturday, October 18th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited,
with stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver.

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

If you wish to leave a rare bird report, please press the star button
at the end of this message to go back to the menu, press "2" for the
rare bird reporting line, and follow the instructions given there.


Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERT for a BLACK VULTURE at Kincolith in
northwestern BC, present there since about October 1st.

RARE BIRD ALERT for a WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH at Spanish Banks in
Vancouver, a NORTHERN HAWK OWL at Harts Pass in Washington, and
another NORTHERN HAWK OWL near Gibsons, BC.


Sightings for Saturday, October 18th

In the small community of Kincolith, at the mouth of the Nass River
in northwestern BC, the BLACK VULTURE which has been present since
about October 1 was still present and was photographed again.

A SNOW BUNTING, the first of the fall, and a LAPLAND LONGSPUR
were seen on the Iona Island south jetty in Richmond.

In the Washington Cascades south of Manning Provincial Park, at Harts
Pass, the NORTHERN HAWK-OWL present near the Meadows Campground since September 27th was seen again.


Sightings for Friday, October 17th

A WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH, a casual species in the Vancouver area
(not seen every year) was well seen in the Spanish Banks area of
Vancouver, in large Douglas firs across the road from 4550 NW
Marine Drive.


No reports for Thursday, October 16th


Sightings for Wednesday, October 15th

A late TURKEY VULTURE was seen near Blaney Creek in Maple Ridge,
and an out-of-place SNOW GOOSE was at Ambleside Park in West Vancouver.


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Sightings for Tuesday, October 14th

Noteworthy shorebirds near the foot of 96th Street on Boundary Bay
Included 2 MARBLED GODWITS, an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, 2 PACIFIC
GOLDEN-PLOVERS, a SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER, and a late BAIRD?S
SANDPIPER. DUNLIN arrived en masse, with 5000 at the same locality.

Up to 19 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen at Jericho Park in
Vancouver, feeding on the lawns.


Sightings for Monday, October 13th

Two WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS were seen at Lost Lagoon in Vancouver?s
Stanley Park.


Sightings for Sunday, October 12th

The WILLET was seen in White Rock, a short distance east of the pier,
in the same area where it has been reported for the last 2 or 3 winters.

A very late male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD was seen in the 4000 block of
West 35th Avenue in Vancouver.

Seventeen GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and a SNOW GOOSE were at Jericho
Park in Vancouver.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, birds of note included 130
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE in at least 3 flocks, 7 SANDHILL CRANES and
a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, plus at least 10,000 SNOW GEESE feeding
in the fields.

A HORNED LARK was seen on the Roberts Bank container port jetty in
Delta. Near the base of the jetty, other birds of interest included
a NORTHERN SHRIKE, 3 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, 2 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, and a
flock of 54 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE in flight.

A BARRED OWL and a MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE were seen in the 2100 block of
Bowser in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Saturday, October 11th

A NORTHERN HAWK OWL was seen and photographed near the cabin at the
start of the West Ridge Trail on Mount Elphinstone near Gibsons on
the Sunshine Coast. However, it could not be found by other
observers the next day.

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was reported from Everett Crowley Park in Vancouver.

Two dark-phase SNOW GEESE (?BLUE GEESE?) were seen at Iona Island in
Richmond.

A MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE was seen near 122nd Avenue and 230th Street in Maple
Ridge.

A late BLUE-WINGED TEAL in female plumage and 3 ANNA?S HUMMINGBIRDS were
seen in and near Deer Lake Park in Burnaby.


Sightings for Friday, October 10th

Seven EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen along Highway 10 in Delta,
just west of 104th Street, and a male AMERICAN KESTREL was seen along
Highway 17 west of 52nd Street, not far from the base of the
Tsawwassen jetty.


Sightings for Thursday, October 9th

A juvenile SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER and juvenile STILT SANDPIPER
were present again at the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond. On
the Iona south jetty, 2 LAPLAND LONGSPURS and 2 PARASITIC JAEGERS were
seen. Nearby along Ferguson Road on Sea Island were 25 GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE.

Two more LAPLAND LONGSPURS were at the Maplewood Conservation Area
on Dollarton Highway in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Wednesday, October 8th

A SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER and a STILT SANDPIPER, both juveniles,
were found at the Iona Island sewage ponds.

A late RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was in the pond under 34B Avenue
where it crosses Highway 17 in Delta, and 7 EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVES were along 96th Street south of Highway 10.


Sightings for Tuesday, October 7th

The NORTHERN HAWK OWL, present since September 27, was still near
the Meadows Campgrounds at Harts Pass, in the Washington Cascades
south of Manning Park.

Shorebirds of note near the foot of 96th Street on Boundary Bay
in Delta, as well as hundreds of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and WESTERN
SANDPIPERS, included 2 PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVERS, one AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER,
a juvenile RED KNOT, 4 MARBLED GODWITS, and a late BAIRD?S SANDPIPER.

GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE popped up in several places, with= 29
along Ferguson Road on Sea Island in Richmond, 25 along Highway 10
near 88th Street in Delta, and 8 more at the Highway 17 pond in Delta.

At Iona Island in Richmond, 2 LAPLAND LONGSPURS and 2 PARASITIC
JAEGERS were seen along the South Jetty.

An ANNA?S HUMMINGBIRD was on Winfield Drive in Abbotsford.


Sightings for Monday, October 6th

A SLATY-BACKED GULL was reported from Blaine Marine Park in
Blaine, Washington, just beyond the border crossing, but it could
Not be found on subsequent dates.

Deer Lake Park in Burnaby produced an ANNA?S HUMMINGBIRD, a BARRED
OWL, and 20 RING-NECKED DUCKS on the lake.


Sightings for Sunday, October 5th

An unconfirmed report of a possible CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER was received
from the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver.

Several reports were received of an immature BROWN PELICAN in English
Bay off southwestern Stanley Park in Vancouver.

Three GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen at the odd location of Yew
Lake in West Vancouver?s Cypress Provincial Park. Two more were at Jericho
Park in Vancouver.

Noteworthy birds at Vancouver?s Queen Elizabeth Park included a BARRED OWL,
a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, and a late WESTERN TANAGER.

Another WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and 12 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were
at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.


Sightings for Saturday, October 4th

A very late WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE was at Cecil Green Park on the University
of BC campus in Vancouver.


Sightings for Friday, October 3rd

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, birds seen included 4 BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS, 10 SANDHILL CRANES, 28 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE,
and 2000 SNOW GEESE.


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Sightings for Thursday, October 2nd

A SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER was at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.


Sightings for Wednesday, October 1st

A NORTHERN SHRIKE, the first report of the fall, was observed at Colony
Farm Park in Coquitlam.

A late NASHVILLE WARBLER was seen on eastern Lulu Island in Richmond.

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen along Ioco Road in Port Moody.



A brief account of 31 of the best birding locations in the
Vancouver area can be found on the Nature Vancouver website at
http://www.naturevancouver.ca/Birding_Birding_Sites .



If you have any questions about birds or birding in the Vancouver
area, please call Wayne at 604-597-7201 or Viveka at 604-531-3401.


Thank you for calling the Vancouver Rare Bird Alert, and good birding.


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