Subject: [Tweeters] Vancouver, BC RBA for January 14, 2010
Date: Jan 16 12:49:34 2010
From: Wayne Weber - contopus at telus.net


This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Thursday,
January 14th, 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.

A GREAT GRAY OWL has reportedly been present for about a month along the
northern edge of Colony Farm Regional Park in Port Coquitlam, and along the
Poco Trail north of there. Birders and photographers are requested to keep
their distance if they see it, and not harass this bird.

A second GREAT GRAY OWL has been in Campbell Valley Park in Langley since at
least December 25. Directions are given below; please observe precautions
also when observing this bird.


No sightings reported for Thursday, January 14th


Sightings for Wednesday, January 13th

A GREAT GRAY OWL was seen at close range in Campbell Valley Park in Langley,
along the Little River loop trail south of the 16th Avenue entrance. It was
near the south end of a large meadow about 0.5 km from the parking area.
This bird has apparently been seen there intermittently since at least
December 25th, but this information was not widely circulated.

The GYRFALCON along Deltaport Way in Delta was seen again, just west of
Arthur Drive.


Sightings for Tuesday, January 12th

A subadult GOLDEN EAGLE was seen and photographed by two observers along
112th Street south of Highway 99 in Delta.


Sightings for Sunday, January 10th

In and near Blackie Spit in Surrey were the LONG-BILLED CURLEW, 6 MARBLED
GODWITS, a BOHEMIAN WAXWING, 20 CEDAR WAXWINGS, and a MUTE SWAN near the
mouth of the Nicomekl River.

A YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was seen in the north outer pond at Iona Island in
Richmond, and a GLAUCOUS GULL was on the river nearby.

A male EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen at the Beach Grove lagoon in
Delta, and 8 SANDHILL CRANES were at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was still present in the 21900 block of the Lougheed
Highway in Maple Ridge.


Sightings for Saturday, January 9th

A large flock of CACKLING GEESE was along 40th Avenue west of Highway 99 in
Surrey.

The Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta produced a BOHEMIAN WAXWING, 40 CEDAR
WAXWINGS, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, and a BARN OWL.

A GYRFALCON was seen and photographed along Deltaport Way in Delta.

Along 68th Street north of 60th Avenue in Delta were 2 SANDHILL CRANES and 4
TUNDRA SWANS.

Two BAND-TAILED PIGEONS were seen in the 2100 block of Bowser in North
Vancouver.


Sightings for Friday, January 8th

The LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 6 MARBLED GODWITS were reported again from
Blackie Spit in Surrey.

The wintering WILLET and 5 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were on the Tsawwassen ferry
jetty in Delta.

A BOHEMIAN WAXWING and a GLAUCOUS GULL were seen at the Reifel Bird
Sanctuary in Delta, and the GYRFALCON was again at the foot of 96th Street
on Boundary Bay.

The SPOTTED SANDPIPER was seen again at the Maplewood Conservation Area in
North Vancouver.

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was reported from the stone bridge at the west end
of Lost Lagoon in Vancouver's Stanley Park.


Sightings for Thursday, January 7th

The GREAT GRAY OWL was seen again along the northern edge of Colony Farm
Regional Park in Port Coquitlam, reached most easily from the Poco Trail
starting from Pitt River Road. This bird has apparently been seen frequently
but not daily.

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen again in the 21900 block of the Lougheed
Highway in Maple Ridge.

The TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen again in Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver.


Sightings for Wednesday, January 6th

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen along 52nd Street in Delta, just south of
Highway 17, and another one was reported in Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth
Park.


Sightings for Tuesday, January 5th

A WESTERN TANAGER, apparently present for several days near 33rd Avenue and
Blenheim Street in Vancouver, was finally confirmed by an experienced
birder.

Iona Island in Richmond produced 2 NORTHERN SHRIKES, a YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLER, and 5 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS.

A single BOHEMIAN WAXWING was seen along West Mall on the University of BC
campus in Vancouver.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey were the LONG-BILLED CURLEW, 6 MARBLED GODWITS,
and 15 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, all present there for some time.


Sightings for Monday, January 4th

Two AMERICAN DIPPERS were feeding at the mouth of McCartney Creek in North
Vancouver, at the eastern edge of the Maplewood Conservation Area.


Sightings for Sunday, January 3rd

Ten COMMON REDPOLLS were reported from the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.

Along the north side of Boundary Bay in Delta, 2 GYRFALCONS, 6 PEREGRINE
FALCONS, a TUNDRA SWAN, and 22 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen. The doves
and GYRFALCON are usually seen along 96th Street.

Another GYRFALCON was seen near the intersection of the King George Highway
band 48th Avenue in Surrey.

Sightings at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver included a
HUTTON'S VIREO, a BLACK OYSTERCATCHER, and the wintering SPOTTED SANDPIPER.

In the Brackendale area, just north of Squamish, the annual eagle count
tallied 956 BALD EAGLES, lower than normal, plus 3 GOLDEN EAGLES and one
NORTHERN GOSHAWK.

A BARRED OWL was being mobbed by crows at 5th Avenue and Trafalgar Street in
Vancouver.

A TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, rare in winter, was seen on Stevens Lane in the
Tsawwassen area of Delta.


Sightings for Saturday, January 2nd

Two SNOW BUNTINGS were seen along the beach in the Centennial Beach portion
of Boundary Bay Regional Park, Delta, and a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen
nearby.

In the Port Moody area, birds seen during the Pitt Meadows Christmas Bird
Count included a CACKLING GOOSE, a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, 2 MUTE
SWANS, and a HUTTON'S VIREO.


No sightings reported for Friday, January 1st


Sightings for Thursday, December 31st

In Delta, a first-year GLAUCOUS GULL was seen in a gull flock along Highway
10 near 88th Street, and several TUNDRA SWANS were along River Road near
Highway 99.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, sightings included a BARRED OWL, 2
NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS, and 19 CEDAR WAXWINGS.


No sightings reported for Wednesday, December 30th


Sightings for Tuesday, December 29th

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was present with 4 STELLER'S JAYS in the 21900 block
of the Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge, and an AMERICAN DIPPER was along
Blaney Creek near the intersection of 144th Avenue and 224th Street in Maple
Ridge, a reliable spot for this locally-rare species.

Five RING-NECKED DUCKS were seen near the Captain's Cove Marina on Ferry
Road in Delta, where they have been for awhile.


Sightings for Monday, December 28th

A rare wintering SPOTTED SANDPIPER was seen again at the Maplewood
Conservation Area in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Sunday, December 27th

The Ladner Christmas Bird Count was held in good weather and posted a total
of 143 species, close to average. The highlights included 12 SANDHILL CRANES
(10 of them at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary); 6 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS,
also at Reifel; 3 GYRFALCONS along Boundary Bay; 19 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES;
a WILLET at the Tsawwassen ferry jetty; a LAPLAND LONGSPUR on Kirkland Road,
Westham Island; 3 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, 2 of them at Brunswick Point; 7
AMERICAN BITTERNS at Brunswick Point; an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER on southern
Lulu Island; 9 ANCIENT MURRELETS at Point Roberts, WA; and totals of at
least 68 RED CROSSBILLS, 16 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, and 16 BARN OWLS.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE in the 500 block of E 6th Avenue in Vancouver was a
rare find. So was a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, which was seen along with 5
BAND-TAILED PIGEONS in the 2100 block of Bowser in North Vancouver.

The long-staying WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was still in the 21900 block of the
Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge.

Five WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were at Sunset Beach on English Bay in Vancouver,
where they have been for several weeks.


No sightings reported for Saturday, December 26th


Sightings for Friday, December 25th

Four MARBLED MURRELETS were seen from a ferry about 3 km off the Roberts
Bank coal port jetty in Delta. This species, once common locally, is
becoming harder and harder to find.



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