This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Friday,
November 12th, 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 phone the main number again
at (604) 737-3074, press "2" for the rare bird reporting line, and follow
the instructions given there.





RARE BIRD ALERT for WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS at Terra Nova Park (Richmond),
Strathcona Park (Vancouver) and in South Surrey; for a TROPICAL KINGBIRD in
Bellingham; and for a PHILADELPHIA VIREO and a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD at
Island 22 Park in Chilliwack.



OUT-OF-TOWN RARE BIRD ALERT for a LITTLE BLUE HERON near Kelowna and a
NORTHERN PARULA at Inkaneep Provincial Park, both in the Okanagan Valley.







Sightings for Friday, November 12th



At Terra Nova Park, at the NW corner of Lulu Island in Richmond, the WESTERN
SCRUB-JAY was still being seen.



In Bellingham, WA, the TROPICAL KINGBIRD was still being seen along Whatcom
Creek just downstream from State Street, for the 13th consecutive day. This
bird is very sedentary.





Sightings for Thursday, November 11th



Outside our area, in the Okanagan Valley, an immature LITTLE BLUE HERON was
found and photographed at the mouth of Powers Creek in West Kelowna. Also in
the Okanagan, the male NORTHERN PARULA was present in the campground at
Inkaneep Provincial Park for the 5th day in a row.



Also outside our area but nearby, A PHILADELPHIA VIREO was reportedly found
at Island 22 Park in Chilliwack, and the NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was still
there.



In Delta, the wintering WILLET and two SNOW BUNTINGS were seen along the
Tsawwassen ferry jetty.





Sightings for Wednesday, November 10th



The White Rock WILLET was seen again on the breakwater just off the end of
the White Rock pier, and many BRANT were seen offshore in Semiahmoo Bay.





Sightings for Tuesday, November 9th



Two GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES, very rare in the lowlands, were seen along
the Stanley Park seawall in Vancouver, west of Prospect Point.





Sightings for Monday, November 8th



The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY at Terra Nova Park in Richmond was seen again.



In Delta, 14 SANDHILL CRANES were feeding along Westham Island Road, and a
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen along 28TH Avenue west of Arthur Drive.



An AMERICAN DIPPER was found at the mouth of McCartney Creek in North
Vancouver, just east of the Maplewood Conservation Area.



Two RED CROSSBILLS, which have been rare in the area lately, were heard in
flight in the Walnut Grove area of Langley.





Sightings for Sunday, November 7th



Far outside our area but of interest to B.C. birders, a NORTHERN PARULA was
seen with chickadees at Inkaneep Provincial Park just north of Oliver in the
Okanagan Valley.





Sightings for Saturday, November 6th



A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, rare anywhere in BC, was found at Island 22 Regional
Park on the Fraser River in Chilliwack, next to the boat launch parking lot.



Twenty RING-NECKED DUCKS at Surrey Lake Park in Surrey was a high number.





Sightings for Friday, November 5th



The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY near Strathcona Park in Vancouver, first reported on
October 28th, was seen again today.





No sightings reported for Thursday, November 4th





Sightings for Wednesday, November 3rd



The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY at Terra Nova Park and the PALM WARBLER at the
Maplewood Conservation Area, both first seen on November 2, were seen again
today.



East of our area, a SNOW BUNTING and an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW were both seen
along the beach at Harrison Hot Springs, and another (gasp!) WESTERN
SCRUB-JAY was found in the 9800 block of Chapman Road in Rosedale.





Sightings for Tuesday, November 2nd



The immature FRANKLIN'S GULL was still being seen at Garry Point Park in
Richmond.



A PALM WARBLER was found near the large pond at the Maplewood Conservation
Area in North Vancouver.



Still another WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was found, this one in Terra Nova Park near
the NW corner of Lulu Island, Richmond. A HARLAN'S HAWK (distinct subspecies
of RED-TAILED HAWK) was reported from the same area.



East of our area, 2 late GREEN HERONS were noted at Sardis Pond in
Chilliwack.



A WILLET was seen roosting at high tide on the breakwater at the White Rock
pier in White Rock.







Sightings for Monday, November 1st



Another WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was reported, this one near 15th Avenue and 168th
Street in Surrey.



A flock of 28 BRANT at Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta were the first
seen this fall, not counting the few summering birds.





Sightings for Sunday, October 31st



A TROPICAL KINGBIRD was found just to the south of us in Bellingham, WA,
along Whatcom Creek just west of State Street. It may be the same bird seen
from October 8-12 at Brunswick Point; photos show that both birds are
missing the very tip of the upper mandible.



A CLARK'S GREBE was well seen on the north side of the Tsawwassen ferry
jetty in Delta. Also in Delta, an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, a MARBLED GODWIT,
and a very late SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER were seen at the foot of 104th Street
on Boundary Bay.



The immature FRANKLIN'S GULL was still with RING-BILLED GULLS on the lawn at
Garry Point Park in Richmond. Nearby at London's Landing was a late LESSER
YELLOWLEGS. Also in Richmond, the first HARRIS'S SPARROW of the fall was
seen and photographed at Terra Nova Park. The Iona Island south jetty in
Richmond produced a HEERMANN'S GULL and several SNOW BUNTINGS.



A TURKEY VULTURE in the 6900 block of Bradner Road in Langley was quite
late.





No sightings reported for Saturday, October 30th





Sightings for Friday, October 29th



An immature FRANKLIN'S GULL, probably the same one seen earlier in October,
was feeding on the lawn with RING-BILLED GULLS at Garry Point Park in the
Steveston area of Richmond. Nearby, an immature GOLDEN EAGLE was seen along
the Lulu Island west dyke. Also in Richmond, 3 SNOW BUNTINGS and a LAPLAND
LONGSPUR were seen near the tip of the Iona Island south jetty.



At Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver were a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and a
SHORT-EARED OWL.





Sightings for Thursday, October 28th



Another WESTERN SCRUB-JAY put in a brief appearance-- this one in Vancouver
near Strathcona Park.



Six WESTERN MEADOWLARKS and a high count of 24 WILSON'S SNIPE were found at
Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta.





Sightings for Wednesday, October 27th



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



A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, a rare fall transient, was noted at the foot of 34th
Street in Delta, where it meets the Roberts Bank dyke. Nearby, in the
Brunswick Point area, were a NORTHERN SHRIKE, a MOURNING DOVE, and 6 early
TRUMPETER SWANS.



Six BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were at Stanley Park in Vancouver, as was an
AMERICAN DIPPER at the beluga pool in the Vancouver Aquarium.



A loose flock of 25 WILSON'S SNIPE was seen at the pond along Edwards Drive
on Point Roberts, WA.





Sightings for Tuesday, October 26th



In Delta, a flock of about 600 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS along 27B Avenue east
of 41B Street included one each of AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER and PACIFIC
GOLDEN-PLOVER.



An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at Iona Island in Richmond.





There were no sightings reported for Monday, October 25th





Sightings for Sunday, October 24th



A bird believed to be a drake SMEW was reported by a kayaker off the west
side of Keats Island in Howe Sound near Gibsons, BC. However, it could not
be relocated on later dates.



At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, 5 blue-phase SNOW GEESE, 15 GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, and several CACKLING GEESE were seen among large flocks
of SNOW GEESE. A CHUKAR, undoubtedly released from captivity, roosted for
much of the day in a tree along the entrance road to the sanctuary.



An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at Iona Island in Richmond.







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