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





RARE BIRD ALERT for a NORTHERN HAWK OWL on Westham Island in Delta, present
daily since December 2nd; an ACORN WOODPECKER at a filbert orchard on Fore
Road just west of Highway 11 in Matsqui (Abbotsford), seen daily since
December 27th, but often elusive; a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD at 5744 River Road
in Delta, just east of Ladner; and 1 or 2 WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS at Strathcona
Park in Vancouver.





Sightings for Sunday, January 9th



In Delta, the NORTHERN HAWK OWL on Westham Island Road, the NORTHERN
MOCKINGBIRD at 5744 River Road, and the HARRIS'S SPARROW at 5421 96th Street
were all still present.



A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was found in shrubs at the lawn bowling pitch in
Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver.



Two EARED GREBES were seen near the White Rock pier in White Rock, a usual
location.



An immature GYRFALCON was near Marion and Campbell Roads in Sumas Prairie
Abbotsford), and nearby, the GOLDEN EAGLE was still along Wells Line Road,
and two HARLAN'S RED-TAILED HAWKS were seen along Dixon Road. In Chilliwack,
a flock of 30 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS was at Central Sumas Road and Evans Road.





Sightings for Saturday, January 8th



The ACORN WOODPECKER was seen again by numerous observers at the filbert
orchard on Fore Road in Matsqui, just west of Highway 11.



The NORTHERN HAWK OWL was still being seen on Westham Island Road in Delta
(on the way to the Reifel Bird Sanctuary), as was the HARRIS'S SPARROW on
96th Street north of Highway 10. Along the south side of the Tsawwassen
ferry jetty in Delta were 9 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, the wintering WILLET, a
SNOW BUNTING in the beach logs, and offshore was an EARED GREBE. Four MUTE
SWANS were at the east end of the Westham Island bridge.



Several BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were still in the vicinity of 8th Avenue and 184th
Street in Surrey.



Along Banford Road east of Chilliwack were two HORNED LARKS and "many"
AMERICAN PIPITS.





Sightings for Friday, January 7th



A WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was still present at the Strathcona Park community
garden in Vancouver, where one or two birds have been seen for several
weeks. Nearby, a WESTERN GULL was with other gulls at Trout Lake.



The HARRIS'S SPARROW was seen again at 5421 96th Street in Delta.



Twelve EURASIAN WIGEON at Elgin Heritage Park off Crescent Road in Surrey
was a good number. Nearby, the usual LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 4 MARBLED
GODWITS were at Blackie Spit.





Sightings for Tuesday, January 4th



The ACORN WOODPECKER in Matsqui and the NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD and HARRIS'S
SPARROW in Delta were still at their usual locations.



Four more BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen near the bird feeders at the Maplewood
Conservation Area in North Vancouver.



35 SURFBIRDS were seen near the foot of 21st Street on the West Vancouver
waterfront, an unusual location, and 10 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were near Third
Beach in Stanley Park, Vancouver.





Sightings for Monday, January 3rd



Another HARRIS'S SPARROW was found in Jericho Park, Vancouver.



Several BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were still near 8th Avenue and 184th Street in
Surrey.





Sightings for Sunday, January 2nd



The NORTHERN HAWK OWL in Delta and ACORN WOODPECKER in Matsqui were still in
their usual locations. In Surrey, a EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL was at
Blackie Spit, and 13 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were in hawthorns along 8th Avenue
near 184th Street.



In Chilliwack, 2 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, 30
WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, and 35 AMERICAN PIPITS were along Sumas Central Road.
In the Sumas Prairie area of Abbotsford, a GOLDEN EAGLE was on Powerhouse
Road near Wells Line Road, and 2 WESTERN GULLS were on Vye Road near
McDermott.





Sightings for Saturday, January 1st



A TUNDRA SWAN, rare in recent winters, was with 50 TRUMPETER SWANS along
112th Street north of Highway 10 in Delta, and a GYRFALCON was along 112th
just south of Highway 10, near Boundary Bay.





Sightings for Friday, December 31st



In Delta, the NORTHERN HAWK OWL, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, and HARRIS'S SPARROW
seen on the Ladner Christmas Count were still being reported.



At Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver, 20 SURFBIRDS were seen along the rocky
shoreline.



The ACORN WOODPECKER was still being seen along Fore Road near Highway 11 in
Matsqui, as was an unseasonable COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and 5 EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVES.



A GYRFALCON was seen along Wells Line Road near Marion Road in Sumas Prairie
(Abbotsford), and a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER were
seen

elsewhere in Sumas Prairie.





Sightings for Thursday, December 30th



Sightings at Iona Island in Richmond included 30 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, a
WESTERN GULL, and 2 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS. Nearby on Sea Island, a "BLUE
GOOSE" (dark-phase SNOW GOOSE) was seen with a SNOW GOOSE flock.



The ACORN WOODPECKER was seen again in Matsqui, but sometimes disappears for
hours at a time.



In Delta, the NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was seen again at 5744 River Road; the
HARRIS'S SPARROW and 2 SAVANNAH SPARROWS were with other sparrows along 96th
Street; and 3 NORTHERN SHRIKES and 4 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were along the
Boundary Bay dyke.



In Surrey, the LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 5 MARBLED GODWITS were still at
Blackie Spit.





Sightings for Wednesday, December 29th



A HUTTON'S VIREO was at Klootchman Park in West Vancouver, and a BRANDT'S
CORMORANT was offshore there.



Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen at Beach Grove Lagoon in Delta
(east foot of 12th Avenue).





Sightings for Tuesday, December 28th



The ACORN WOODPECKER was seen well by more than 20 observers along Fore Road
in Matsqui, and the HARRIS'S SPARROW was found again along 96th Street in
Delta, north of Highway 10.





Sightings for Monday, December 27th



The Ladner Christmas Bird Count, covering most of Delta, tallied 143
species. Highlights included 7 owl species including the NORTHERN HAWK OWL
on Westham Island Road, a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD found on count day at 5744
River Road, and an immature HARRIS'S SPARROW at a feeder at 5421 96th
Street. Also of interest were a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW at the foot of Shell
Road in Richmond, 4 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS and 11 SANDHILL CRANES at the
Reifel Bird Sanctuary, and a total of more than 100 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES.



An ACORN WOODPECKER, only the 5th record for B.C. (3 of these in 2010!), was
found in and near a filbert orchard on Fore Road in Matsqui (Abbotsford),
just west of Highway 11.





Sightings for Wednesday, December 22nd



A WESTERN GULL was seen in a gull flock at the mouth of the Capilano River
in West Vancouver, and a rare wintering SPOTTED SANDPIPER was at Maplewood
Flats in North Vancouver.



Two GYRFALCONS were seen tussling with each other near 96th Street on the
north side of Boundary Bay in Delta.





Sightings for Monday, December 20th



An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW and 125 AMERICAN PIPITS were seen along Sumas
Central Road in Chilliwack. Nearby, a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was seen along
Prairie Central Road near Banford Road just east of Chilliwack.





Sightings for Sunday, December 19th



The Vancouver Christmas Bird Count tallied 1231 species including 2 WESTERN
SCRUB-JAYS at Strathcona Park, 4 RHINOCEROS AUKLETS off the west side of
Stanley Park, and a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER.





Sightings for Friday, December 17th



A LONG-BIULLED CURLEW, 4 MARBLED GODWITS, and 6 EURASIAN WIGEON were at
Blackie Spit in Surrey.





Sightings for Thursday, December 16th



Two SNOW BUNTINGS were near the tip of Blackie Spit in Surrey.



Several SURFBIRDS were seen with BLACK TURNSTONES at Whytecliff Park in West
Vancouver.





Sightings for Wednesday, December 15th



The NORTHERN HAWK-OWL was seen on Westham Island, Delta, near the bridge,
but later on about 2 km away at the sharp bend on Westham Island Road, where
it has usually been.



The Christmas Bird Count at Pemberton, on Highway 99 north of Whistler,
featured reports of an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, 3 NORTHERN PYGMY-OWLS, and 20
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES.











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