This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for

Wednesday, February 4th, 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.





RARE BIRD ALERT for an adult SLATY-BACKED GULL at the Abbotsford

garbage transfer station, near Riverside Road and Industrial

Way in Abbotsford. This bird has been seen at least on January 3,

16, 18, and 22.



Out of town, the RARE BIRD ALERT continues for the BLACK VULTURE

in Kincolith on the northern coast of BC, which was still present

at least through January 28.





Sightings for Wednesday, February 4th



The probable BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK was seen briefly again near

108th Avenue and 160th Street in Surrey.



One MARBLED GODWIT was seen at Blackie Spit in Surrey, and at

least 6 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS were nearby with other blackbirds

along 40th Avenue (Mud Bay Road) west of Highway 99.



Five RING-NECKED DUCKS were in Lost Lagoon in Vancouver's

Stanley Park, and a VIRGINIA RAIL was in the marshy impoundment

on the north side of the lagoon.





Sightings for Tuesday, February 3rd



The immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK was again perched for much of the day

near the East Pond in Jericho Park, Vancouver.



15 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were perched in a leafless tree on

the north side of Highway 10 in Delta, west of 104th Street.

At another time during the day, the same flock was seen in trees

on 96th Street just south of Highway 99. If you can't find them in

one of these spots, try the other one!



Three GYRFALCONS were seen in Delta- one in the usual spot near the

Foot of 96th Street, and two together along Deltaport Way.



A male AMERICAN KESTREL was seen on a wire over Highway 99 about 1 km

SW of the Massey Tunnel in Richmond.





Sightings for Monday, February 2nd



Four CEDAR WAXWINGS, rare in winter, were seen in the 1800 block of

Barclay Street in Vancouver's West End.





Sightings for Sunday, February 1st



Eight EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen on 96th Street just south of

Highway 99 in Delta, and 2 more are coming to a feeder in the

4100 block of River Road west of Ladner.



Two VIRGINIA RAILS were seen at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park, Vancouver.





Sightings for Saturday, January 31st



In Washington State, a female TUFTED DUCK was seen with LESSER SCAUP

and RING-NECKED DUCKS in Lake Erie near Anacortes, where it has

been for at least 2-3 weeks.



Closer to home, 12 RING-NECKED DUCKS were in Vancouver's Lost Lagoon,

and both the adult and immature NORTHERN GOSHAWKS were seen and

photographed by many at Jericho Park.



At Blackie Spit in Surrey, 4 MARBLED GODWITS and a LONG-BILLED CURLEW

were seen at the mouth of the Nicomekl River. This is the first time

Since December that these birds have been reported.



In West Vancouver, 2 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS were seen at km 2 on the

Cypress Bowl access road.





Sightings for Friday, January 30th



In Abbotsford, an immature GOLDEN EAGLE was seen in flight from

a trail on Sumas Mountain.





No sightings reported for Thursday, January 29th





Sightings for Wednesday, January 28th



The BLACK VULTURE at Kincolith on the northern BC coast, present

since October, was reported again.



Two GYRFALCONS were seen in Delta, one near the foot of 96th Street

Near Boundary Bay, and one along Deltaport Way.





No sightings reported for Tuesday, January 27th





Sightings for Monday, January 26th



The immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen and photographed by many

observers in Vancouver's Jericho Park.





Sightings for Sunday, January 25th



Both the adult and immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK were at Jericho Park

again.



Sightings at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta included 8 SANDHILL

CRANES, 4 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, and 4 species of owls-- a

BARN OWL, a BARRED OWL, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, and a LONG-EARED

OWL.



At Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta, birds seen included a NORTHERN

SHRIKE, two WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, and 2 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS.





Sightings for Saturday, January 24th



The adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK was still in Jericho Park, Vancouver.



A BLACK OYSTERCATCHER was present on the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in

Delta, and a GYRFALCON was not far away along Deltaport Way near

Arthur Drive.



Many LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were at Elgin Heritage Park on the

Nicomekl River in Surrey.





No sightings reported for Friday, January 23rd





Sightings for Thursday, January 22nd



The adult SLATY-BACKED GULL was seen again at the garbage transfer

station in Abbotsford, near Riverside Road and Industrial Way,

west of Highway 11.



The two NORTHERN GOSHAWKS, one adult and one immature, were still

present in Vancouver's Jericho Park.





No sightings reported for Wednesday, January 21st










Sightings for Tuesday, January 20th



The adult GOLDEN EAGLE was seen again on 28th Avenue near the Roberts

Bank port in Delta.



The probable BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK was seen briefly again near

108th Avenue and 160th Street in Surrey.





Sightings for Monday, January 19th



A GREAT GRAY OWL was seen and photographed near Point Atkinson in

Lighthouse Park, West Vancouver.



Five LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were seen along the Nicomekl River near

Brydon Lagoon in Langley, a regular wintering spot for this species.





Sightings for Sunday, January 18th



A bird believed to be a male BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK was seen at a

feeder near 108th Avenue and 16oth Street in Surrey, but was not

reported until about a week later.



Three out-of-season BARN SWALLOWS were seen over the outer pond at

Iona Island, Richmond.



The GOLDEN EAGLE was seen and photographed on 28th Avenue in West

Delta, and a GYRFALCON was seen nearby.



An AMERICAN BITTERN was reported from Colony Farm Regional Park

in Port Coquitlam.



The SLATY-BACKED GULL was reported again in Abbotsford.



Four ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS were reported from Queen Elizabeth Park

in Vancouver.







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, Larry at 604-465-1402, 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