Subject: [Tweeters] Vancouver, BC RBA for November 19, 2009
Date: Nov 21 10:07:56 2009
From: Wayne Weber - contopus at telus.net


This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Thursday,
November 19th, 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 a WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, probably present since last May, in
the 21900 block of the Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge.

Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERT for an adult BLACK-TAILED GULL at Clover Point
in Victoria on November 14th, which has not been seen since. This may be the
same bird which was present for nearly a month at Tacoma, WA, but has not
been seen there since the 14th.

Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERTS also for an adult BLACK-HEADED GULL seen at and
near the mouth of the Big Qualicum River in Qualicum Beach on November 7 and
8; a BEAN GOOSE reported in flight at the Somass River mouth at Port Alberni
on November 13; and an adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL at Robert Lake near
Kelowna From November 4 through at least November 14. For updates on these
birds, check the BCVIBIRDS and BCINTBIRD e-mail groups, respectively.


There were no sightings of interest reported from November 16th through
19th, perhaps because of the stormy weather all week which has made birding
difficult.


Sightings for Sunday, November 15th

A large flock of 17 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS was seen at Ferguson Point on the
west side of Stanley Park in Vancouver.


Sightings for Saturday, November 14th

A male TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, perhaps a wintering bird, was reported from the
2100 block of Bowser in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Friday, November 13th

A NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL was seen at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North
Vancouver.


Sightings for Thursday, November 12th

A female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, very rare in fall, was seen at the foot of 88th
Street on Boundary Bay in Delta. Nearby, a GYRFALCON was seen perched on
the tower near the foot of 96th Street, and 2 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS and a
SHORT-EARED OWL were seen along the Boundary Bay dyke.

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY is being seen irregularly in the 21900 block of the
Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge.


Sightings for Wednesday, November 11th

A very late OSPREY was reported from the north end of the new Golden Ears
Bridge in Maple Ridge.

Two BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were seen at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in
Delta, a usual wintering location for this species.


No sightings reported for November 9th or 10th


Sightings for Sunday, November 8th

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, 5 CLIFF SWALLOWS and a BARN SWALLOW
were extremely late.


Sightings for Saturday, November 7th

The wintering WILLET was seen again at the base of the Tsawwassen ferry
jetty in Delta. This bird and the one in White Rock are probably the only
WILLETS in B.C. at the moment.

An AMERICAN DIPPER at the beluga pool of the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley
Park was at an unusual location.


No sightings reported for November 5th or 6th


Sightings for Wednesday, November 4th

The WILLET was seen again on the beach at White Rock, and 6 EARED GREBES and
an immature SNOW GEESE were seen offshore there near the pier.


Sightings for Tuesday, November 3rd

A SNOWY OWL, the first of the fall, was seen and photographed on the Iona
Island south jetty. Also there was a single SNOW BUNTING.

The GYRFALCON was seen again near the foot of 96th Street in Delta, and the
LONG-BILLED CURLEW and several MARBLED GODWITS were at Blackie Spit in
Surrey.


Sightings for Monday, November 2nd

A late WILSON'S WARBLER on Iona Island in Richmond, near the sewage ponds,
was noteworthy.

At White Rock, the wintering WILLET was seen on the beach close to the white
Rock, and at least 6 EARED GREBES were seen offshore.

In Delta, 8 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were coming to a feeder in the 4100
block of River Road, west of Ladner.

Two TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS and 5 HERMIT THRUSHES at Queen Elizabeth Park in
Vancouver, both somewhat late, were noteworthy.


Sightings for Sunday, November 1st

An immature GYRFALCON, the first of the fall, was reported from near the
foot of 96th Street on Boundary Bay in Delta. Nearby, an AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER and a RED KNOT were seen with other shorebirds. A small flock
of TRUMPETER SWANS seen along 104th Street were the first ones reported this
fall.


Sightings for Saturday, October 31st

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY is still being seen daily in the 21900 block of the
Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge.

A RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, very rare in fall, was reported from Queen Elizabeth
Park in Vancouver. Also here were 2 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS and 2 late
TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS.

The AMERICAN AVOCET, previously seen at the Serpentine River mouth, was
observed at Blackie Spit in Surrey. Also here were the LONG-BILLED CURLEW
and several MARBLED GODWITS.

Two blue-phase SNOW GEESE, an adult and an immature, were seen in a large
flock of SNOW GEESE south of Steveston Highway near Southport Road in
Richmond.


Sightings for Friday, October 30th

An enormous flock of more than 700 SURFBIRDS was seen, along with 60 BLACK
TURNSTONES and 2 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, was seen on the Grebe Islets off
Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver. The best viewing spot for the Grebe
Islets is Klootchman Park, just north of Lighthouse Park.

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW appeared in a yard in the 4000 block of West 35th
Avenue in Vancouver.

A SNOW BUNTING at Rainbow Park in Alta Lake in Whistler, north of Vancouver,
was reportedly the first one seen there in 6 years. A SNOW GOOSE was also
seen in Whistler on the Nicklaus North golf course.




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, Viveka at 604-531-3401, or Larry at
604-465-1402.

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


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