This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Friday,
December 9th, 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.





This has become a major SNOWY OWL flight year, with reports of up to 29
birds near the foot of 72nd Street on Boundary Bay, plus 5 or 6 more in the
Brunswick Point area of Delta. Birders and photographers are asked to
observe SNOWY OWLS from a respectful distance, to make an effort not to
flush or frighten off the owls, and to speak to anyone who appears to be
crowding an owl too much.





RARE BIRD ALERT for SNOWY OWLS at numerous localities, especially along
Boundary Bay and at Brunswick Point in Delta; a CLARK'S NUTCRACKER on Mount
Seymour in North Vancouver (last seen flying toward Grouse Mountain, and
unlikely to be seen again); a CLAY-COLOURED SPARROW visiting a feeder in
West Vancouver, and a CATTLE EGRET in Surrey from December 2 to 8, which
unfortunately died on the 8th.



Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERT for a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER at Beacon Hill Park
in Victoria, seen there daily since December 5th. For details, check the
Victoria RBA online at
http://birding.bc.ca/regions/victoria/victoria-rba.php .





Sightings for Friday, December 9th



The CLAY-COLOURED SPARROW was still coming frequently to the feeder in the
backyard of 1947 Fulton in West Vancouver, and birders are welcome there.





Sightings for Thursday, December 8th



The CATTLE EGRET appeared very weak, was captured and taken to the Wildlife
Rescue Association in Burnaby, and died later in the day.



At least 13 SNOWY OWLS could still be seen from the foot of 72nd Street in
Delta, and an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW and LINCOLN'S SPARROW were seen along
the dike just east of there.



Another expedition up Mount Seymour in North Vancouver produced an
out-of-range CLARK'S NUTCRACKER, 200 RED CROSSBILLS, 45 WHITE-WINGED
CROSSBILLS, and 3 COMMON REDPOLLS.



At the mouth of Cypress Creek in West Vancouver were a RHINOCEROS AUKLET, 2
MARBLED MURRELETS, and 4 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS.





Sightings for Wednesday, December 7th



A male MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was found along Pipeline Road just east of Blaine,
WA and the CATTLE EGRET was still along 152nd Street in Surrey.



The CLAY-COLOURED SPARROW in West Vancouver was very cooperative, and a
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER and HERMIT THRUSH were also seen in the backyard.





Sightings for Tuesday, December 6th



The CLAY-COLOURED SPARROW was seen by numerous birders in West Vancouver.



A hike from the Mount Seymour ski area in North Vancouver to the peak of the
mountain (crampons and ski poles advised) produced 3 PINE GROSBEAKS, 50 RED
CROSSBILLS, 5 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, 30 COMMON REDPOLLS, and a BOHEMIAN
WAXWING.





Sightings for Monday, December 5th



A CLAY-COLOURED SPARROW began coming to a feeder at 1947 Fulton in West
Vancouver; birders are welcome to enter the backyard to watch the feeders
for the bird.



The WESTERN GULL was seen again at Trout Lake, as was the CATTLE EGRET in
Surrey.





Sightings for Sunday, December 4th



The CATTLE EGRET was present most of the day in Surrey, and the first-year
GLAUCOUS GULL was seen in late morning at Highway 10 and 88th Street.



In Pitt Meadows, 2 MUTE SWANS were seen from the Grant Narrows boat launch,
along with 90 RING-NECKED DUCKS and hundreds of other waterfowl.



Scoping from Cecil Green Park on the University of BC campus produced 2
ANCIENT MURRELETS along with 25 COMMON MURRES and many other waterbirds.





Sightings for Saturday, December 3rd



The CATTLE EGRET was seen again along 152nd Street in Surrey near the
Serpentine River bridge.



In Delta, the SWAMP SPARROW was found again at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, an
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen near the foot of 64th Street, and a GLAUCOUS
GULL appeared in a field near Highway 10 at 72nd Street.



In Vancouver, an adult WESTERN GULL was found at Trout Lake in John Hendry
Park.





Sightings for Friday, December 2nd



An amazing total of 29 SNOWY OWLS were seen at and near the foot of 72nd
Street on Boundary Bay in Delta. Also in Delta were a GYRFALCON and 5 late
WESTERN SANDPIPERS at the foot of 96th Street, and a TURKEY VULTURE along
River Road near Brunswick Point.



In Surrey, a CATTLE EGRET, the first one this year, was discovered in
ditches and a blueberry field just east of 152nd Street and north of the
Serpentine River bridge. Also in Surrey, the GYRFALCON was seen again along
140th Street just north of Mud Bay Road.



A PINE GROSBEAK and 30 RED CROSSBILLS were seen at Burnaby Mountain Park in
Burnaby.



Still another GYRFALCON was seen in flight near 39th Avenue and Yew Street
in Vancouver.





Sightings for Thursday, December 1st



At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, a SWAMP SPARROW was found along the
outer dike, and 14 COMMON REDPOLLS were in trees along the entrance road.
Also in Delta, a first-year GLAUCOUS GULL was in a gull flock along Highway
10 at 88th Street, and 10 late LEAST SANDPIPER were in a field with DUNLIN
along 36th Avenue near 72nd Street.



In Surrey, a GYRFALCON was terrorizing ducks along Mud Bay Road (40th
Avenue) west of Highway 99, and 30 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS and 6 YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLERS were also seen in the area.





Sightings for Wednesday, November 30th



Three COMMON REDPOLLS were with a flock of PINE SISKINS at Burnaby Mountain
Park in Burnaby.



Another COMMON REDPOLL was heard flying overhead in the Lynn Valley district
of North Vancouver, and 35 EVENING GROSBEAKS were also seen in the area.





Sightings for Tuesday, November 29th



Another GYRFALCON was seen hunting waterfowl at Serpentine Fen WMA in
Surrey, and along 140th Street, just across Highway 99. A flock of 63
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES was also at the north end of 140th Street, and 30
CACKLING GEESE were nearby along 40th Avenue (Mud Bay Road).



In Delta, a very late SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER was seen in a field with other
shorebirds near 88th Street at Highway 10.





Sightings for Monday, November 28th



Ten SNOWY OWLS were reported in Delta along Boundary Bay between 72nd and
88th Streets.





Sightings for Saturday, November 26th



Two SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, a rare but regular wintering bird in the area, were
seen along the north side of Burrard Inlet in Port Moody (Alderside Drive).





Sightings for Friday, November 25th



A large flock of birds off Point Grey in Vancouver, visible with a spotting
scope from Cecil Green Park on the UBC campus, included 600 COMMON MURRES,
20 MARBLED MURRELETS, 5 ANCIENT MURRELETS, and a RHINOCEROS AUKLET. Nearby
at Jericho Park was another MARBLED MURRELET and a VIRGINIA RAIL in the
marsh.



Birds noted at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta included two BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS, 7 SANDHILL CRANES, 2 SNOWY OWLS, 3 VIRGINIA RAILS, and 3
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES. Nearby at Brunswick Point were 4 more SNOWY OWLS.



A NORTHERN SHRIKE and 2 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were at Boundary Bay Regional
Park in Delta.





Sightings for Wednesday, November 23rd



The PAINTED BUNTING which has been coming to a feeder near Lighthouse Park
in West Vancouver was last reported on this date.



A blue-phase SNOW GOOSE was seen at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.







For a summary of extremely rare bird sightings throughout British Columbia,
check "British Columbia Bird Alert" by Russell Cannings at
<http://bcbirdalert.blogspot.com> http://bcbirdalert.blogspot.com .





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>
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

<mailto:contopus at telus.net> contopus at telus.net