This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Tuesday,
November 8th, 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 ROCK SANDPIPER at Point Roberts on October 31. Out of
town, a BLACK PHOEBE was found at Island 22 Park on the Fraser River near
Chilliwack on November 8, and the BLACK-TAILED GULL near Tacoma, WA, first
found on September 14, was still there on November 5.





Sightings for Tuesday, November 8th



A BLACK PHOEBE was seen well and photographed near the boat launch at Island
22 Park near Chilliwack, BC.





Sightings for Monday, November 7th



Two SNOW BUNTINGS were still in the same location as yesterday at Blaine, WA
and were easily photographed.





Sightings for Sunday, November 6th



The long-staying WILLET and a flock of 13 SNOW BUNTINGS were seen on the
south side of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta. Meanwhile, 4 more SNOW
BUNTINGS were feeding along the edge of Marine Drive in Blaine, WA, just
before you reach the fishing pier at the end of the road.



A juvenile SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER in a field near the base of the Roberts
Bank coal port jetty in Delta was quite late for this species. Two species
which can be hard to find were 2 NORTHERN SHRIKES along 34th Street and 2
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS along Deltaport Way, both nearby in the western part of
Delta. At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, a LESSER YELLOWLEGS was getting late,
and 360 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS was a good number for November.



An AMERICAN DIPPER at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver was
noteworthy.





Sightings for Saturday, November 5th



Feeding flocks of birds off Lighthouse Marine Park in Point Roberts, WA
included 4 ANCIENT MURRELETS, 60 COMMON MURRES, 150 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, and
100 PACIFIC LOONS. On the other side of Point Roberts, off Lily Point, was a
flock of 60 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, and a EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE, still rare on
Point Roberts, was near the marina entrance.



A total of 510 BRANT were counted between the Tsawwassen ferry jetty and the
coal port jetty in Delta.



In the University of BC area, a BARRED OWL was seen at Cecil Green Park, and
a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER at Camosun Bog, near 16th and Camosun Streets in
Vancouver.



In out-of-town sightings, the adult BLACK-TAILED GULL was seen again perched
on log booms along the east side of Commencement Bay at Tacoma, WA, and is
visible with a scope from Marine View Drive. This bird has been present
since September 14th, but is being reported less often now, perhaps because
fewer birders are looking.





Sightings for Thursday, November 3rd



A late CINNAMON TEAL in full male breeding plumage was among other ducks
along the Boundary Bay dyke west of 96th Street in Delta. Not far away 2
juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were in the same field as the one seen
yesterday, just off 72nd Street, and 5 LEAST SANDPIPERS were in the same
field along with hundreds of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS. Three SHORT-EARED OWLS
were hunting the fields outside the dike at the foot of 72nd.



At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, 2 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS and a
high count of 20 SANDHILL CRANES were reported.





Sightings for Wednesday, November 2nd



A juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER was seen in a field on the east side of
72nd Street in Delta with 400 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS. This is a very late
date for AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER.



EVENING GROSBEAKS have been scarce lately, so a flock of 7 in the Kensington
Park area of Vancouver (near 33rd Avenue and Knight Street) is of interest.





Sightings for Monday, October 31st



A ROCK SANDPIPER near the parking area at Lighthouse Marine Park at Point
Roberts, WA was very unusual.



The first SNOW BUNTINGS reported this fall were 5 on the Boundary Bay dyke
near the foot of 72nd Street in Delta, and 4 photographed on the Iona Island
south jetty, Richmond.





Sightings for Sunday, October 30th


The EARED GREBE was still present in the southeast sewage pond at Iona
Island, Richmond.



Noteworthy birds at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta included 3
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, 8 VIRGINIA RAILS, and 8 SANDHILL CRANES.





Sightings for Saturday, October 29th



In West Vancouver, 4 SURFBIRDS were seen on a rock near shore at Eagle
Harbour, and 2 MARBLED MURRELETS were seen from Klootchman Park.



The LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 5 MARBLED GODWITS were still roosting in a group
on the east side of Blackie Spit in Surrey.





Sightings for Thursday, October 27th



Eight BRANT at Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta were apparently the first
fall arrivals.



One LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 5 MARBLED GODWITS were present at Blackie Spit
Park in Surrey.



Birds seen along the Boundary Bay dyke between 96th and 104th Streets in
Delta included a juvenile SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER, an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER,
and the first 5 TRUMPETER SWANS of the fall. Nearby, 32 EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVES were seen along 112th Street.





Sightings for Tuesday, October 25th



A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was present for 2 hours and was photographed at the foot
of Piper Road on Burnaby Lake in Burnaby.



In Surrey, Mud Bay Road (40th Avenue) west of Highway 99 produced 11
SANDHILL CRANES, 6 out-of-place SNOW GEESE, 4 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE,
400 CACKLING GEESE, and 50 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES.



Five WESTERN MEADOWLARKS and a VESPER SPARROW were at Boundary Bay Regional
Park in Delta.



At Point Roberts, Washington, a RUDDY TURNSTONE was seen with 55 BLACK
TURNSTONES along the south beach, and a late RHINOCEROS AUKLET was at
Lighthouse Marine Park.





Sightings for Monday, October 24th



At Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta, a HORNED LARK, 3 WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS, and a NORTHERN SHRIKE were seen.





Sightings for Sunday, October 23rd



Noteworthy sightings at Iona Island in Richmond included 3 WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS, 26 RING-NECKED DUCKS (high count) and an AMERICAN BITTERN in
the outer pond, and an EARED GREBE in the SE sewage pond. The PALM WARBLER
seen yesterday could not be relocated.



Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta featured a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
which appeared injured, 135 CACKLING GEESE, and a single BRANT off
Centennial Beach. Also in Delta, a WILLET and 2 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were
seen along the Tsawwassen ferry jetty. The immature REDHEAD was still at the
Reifel Bird Sanctuary.



A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was reported along the Boundary Bay dyke in Delta, just
east of 112th Street.





Sightings for Saturday, October 22nd



A PALM WARBLER was well seen by 2 observers along the western edge of the
Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond, and a PARASITIC JAEGER was seen along
the Iona south jetty.



A MARBLED GODWIT was seen with BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS from the foot of 96th
Street in Delta.



Seven MARBLED MURRELETS were seen from Klootchman Park in West Vancouver,
just north of Lighthouse Park.





Sightings for Thursday, October 20th



A BLUE JAY was seen and photographed near Campbell Valley Park in south
Langley.



A SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER, an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, a RED KNOT, and a
MARBLED GODWIT were seen with BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS near the foot of 96th
Street in Delta.







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 or Viveka at 604-531-3401.



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





Wayne C. Weber

Delta, BC

contopus at telus.net