This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Saturday,
November 19th, 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 looks like it may be a major SNOWY OWL flight year in coastal BC and
western Washington. 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 a male PAINTED BUNTING in West Vancouver; a NORTHERN
HAWK OWL along the Lulu Island west dyke in Richmond; and SNOWY OWLS at
numerous localities in the area.





Sightings for Saturday, November 19th



The adult male PAINTED BUNTING was still coming regularly to a feeder near
Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver. The homeowner, Ann Niewerth, has
requested that birders phone first at (604) 925-1690 to arrange a visit. We
would suggest that birders try to visit in groups, to minimize the number of
phone calls and inconvenience to the homeowners!



The NORTHERN HAWK OWL was still hunting regularly along the Lulu Island west
dyke in Richmond between Francis and Blundell Roads.



At least 4 SNOWY OWLS were being seen along the Boundary Bay shoreline in
Delta between 64th and 72nd Streets, as were 5 or more SHORT-EARED OWLS. Two
AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were seen along the dyke east of 72nd Street, and a
COMMON REDPOLL was briefly seen at the foot of 72nd.



Large flocks of shorebirds could be seen at high tide in fields along 64th
and 72nd Streets in Delta, which included some late stragglers: a
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER and a PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER near the intersection of
64th Street and 28th Avenue, and two immature SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS in
different localities.





Sightings for Friday, November 18th



A NORTHERN HAWK OWL, possibly the same bird seen last winter on Westham
Island, was found along the Lulu Island west dyke in Richmond, between
Francis and Blundell Roads.



The PAINTED BUNTING was coming regularly to a feeder in West Vancouver.



A WESTERN TANAGER at Cecil Green Park on the University of BC campus in
Vancouver was extremely late.



Fourteen SNOW BUNTINGS, the largest flock reported yet, were on the south
side of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta.





Sightings for Thursday, November 17th



A male PAINTED BUNTING, extremely rare anywhere in BC, was first reported in
West Vancouver near Lighthouse Park.





Sightings for Wednesday, November 16th



An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was seen with other sparrows along the Boundary Bay
dyke just east of 72nd Street in Delta.



Another COMMON REDPOLL was reported from the Walnut Grove area of Langley,
near 204th Street and 92nd Avenue.





Sightings for Tuesday, November 15th



Five MARBLED MURRELETS were seen again from Klootchman Park in West
Vancouver.



Birds of note seen at Point Roberts, WA included a SNOWY OWL, 70 BRANT, 13
BRANDT'S CORMORANTS, and a EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE (rare at Point Roberts).



On Mud Bay Road (40th Avenue) in Surrey were a flock of 40 BROWN-HEADED
COWBIRDS and a late YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.





Sightings for Sunday, November 13th



One SNOWY OWL was seen at the end of the short Sea Island west jetty in
Richmond, viewable with a scope from the gravel parking area at the NW
corner of Sea Island. A COMMON REDPOLL flew over the base of the Iona Island
jetty.



Three RHINOCEROS AUKLETS and 4 MARBLED MURRELETS were seen from Klootchman
Park in West Vancouver. At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North
Vancouver, an AMERICAN DIPPER was seen at the mouth of McCartney Creek, and
a BLACK OYSTERCATCHER along the shoreline.



At Brunswick Point in Delta, another SNOWY OWL was found, and 2 SNOW
BUNTINGS were on the Tsawwassen ferry jetty, also in Delta.





Sightings for Saturday, November 12th



Two SNOWY OWLS, the first for the Vancouver area this fall, were seen along
the Iona Island south jetty in Richmond. Also seen on or from the jetty were
2 SNOW BUNTINGS and a BLACK OYSTERCATCHER. An EARED GREBE was still in the
SE sewage pond at Iona Island.



A late TURKEY VULTURE was reported from the Walnut Grove area of Langley,
near 204th Street.





Sightings for Thursday, November 10th



A late WILSON'S WARBLER was seen at 6905 Bradner Road in Langley.





Sightings for Wednesday, November 9th



An EARED GREBE, rare but regular in winter was seen from the White Rock Pier
in White Rock, and a WILLET was on the beach nearby.





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.







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