This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Friday,
December 30th, 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 recent reports of up to
26 birds near the foot of 72nd Street on Boundary Bay, plus 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, and for a CLAY-COLOURED
SPARROW visiting a feeder in West Vancouver.



Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERT for a ROSS'S GULL, the second record for
Washington, at Palmer Lake, near Oroville, from at least December 15 to 27.
This bird has not been reported from Palmer Lake since December 27, but a
small gull which may have been the ROSS'S was seen at nearby Spectacle Lake
on December 29.





Sightings for Friday, December 30th



Three COMMON REDPOLLS were seen with PINE SISKINS at the Maplewood
Conservation Area in North Vancouver.



In Richmond, the 3 HORNED LARKS were still present at Garry Point Park.



A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, rare in winter, was reported from the 6900 block
of Bradner Road in Abbotsford.





Sightings for Thursday, December 29th



Two COMMON REDPOLLS were seen at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby.





Sightings for Wednesday, December 28th



Three HORNED LARKS, a very rare species here in winter, were seen among
beach logs in Garry Point Park in the Steveston area of Richmond. A
SAVANNAH SPARROW, also rare but regular in winter, was photographed at
Brunswick Point in Delta.





Sightings for Tuesday, December 27th



The GYRFALCON along Mud Bay Road (40th Avenue) in Surrey, west of Highway
99, was reported again.



Birds of note at and near the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta included 2 MUTE
SWANS, 2 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, 5 SANDHILL CRANES, and a SWAMP SPARROW.






Sightings for Friday, December 23rd



At the foot of 72nd Street in Delta, 26 SNOWY OWLS and 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS
were present.



The first-year GLAUCOUS GULL was seen again at the Capilano fish hatchery in
North Vancouver.





Sightings for Thursday, December 22nd



A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen eating cotoneaster berries in Ambleside
Park, West Vancouver, near the mouth of the Capilano River.





Sightings for Monday, December 19th



The WILLET was reported again from the base of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in
Delta, and a flock of at least 10 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS was noted at 40th
Avenue and 140th Street in Surrey, west of Highway 99 near Mud Bay.



Another SNOWY OWL was reported on a rooftop in Vancouver, near the
intersection of Lakewood Drive and Graveley Street.





Sightings for Sunday, December 18th



The Vancouver Christmas Bird Count posted a respectable 132 species.
Highlights included the CLAY-COLOURED SPARROW in West Vancouver, now present
for 2 weeks; a very late BARN SWALLOW and an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER at Iona
Island in Richmond, and 24 ANCIENT MURRELETS off the Iona south jetty; a
RHINOCEROS AUKLET in English Bay; 4 CINNAMON TEAL in the Southlands area of
Vancouver; 3 SNOWY OWLS in Richmond; a first-year GLAUCOUS GULL at the
Capilano Dam fish hatchery in North Vancouver; and a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE in
Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Park.



A GYRFALCON was seen from the Boundary Bay dyke between 96th and 88th
Streets in Delta; there appear to be at least 2 of them wintering in the
area.



The Squamish Christmas Bird Count, north of Vancouver, tallied a low number
of only 423 BALD EAGLES, but a high total of 45 AMERICAN DIPPERS.





Sightings for Friday, December 16th



The CLAY-COLOURED SPARROW was still regularly visiting the feeder at 1947
Fulton in West Vancouver.



Also of note were 5 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE at Boundary Bay Regional
Park in Delta.





Sightings for Thursday, December 15th



A juvenile NORTHERN GOSHAWK was eyeing the ducks at the pond in the
Maplewood Conservation Area, North Vancouver. Also in North Van, a NORTHERN
PYGMY-OWL and many COMMON REDPOLLS were noted near the ski area at Mount
Seymour Provincial Park.





Sightings for Wednesday, December 14th



At Brunswick Point in Delta, 6 SNOWY OWLS and 2 NORTHERN SHRIKES were seen.



Outside the Vancouver area, a female BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, extremely rare in
winter, was seen and photographed at a feeder on Topaz Street in Abbotsford.



The Christmas Bird Count at Whistler turned up a WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN and
4 NORTHERN PYGMY-OWLS.





Sightings for Tuesday, December 13th



An EARED GREBE was seen from the beach in White Rock, the only regular
locality for this species in the winter.





Sightings for Monday, December 12th



An AMERICAN BITTERN was observed at Brunswick Point in Delta, a regular
location for this scarce wintering species.





Sightings for Sunday, December 11th



Birds reported from the Boundary Bay dyke near the foot of 72nd Street in
Delta included 26 (!) SNOWY OWLS, 3 SHORT-EARED OWLS, an AMERICAN TREE
SPARROW, and an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER .



A GYRFALCON was seen near the base of the Roberts Bank jetty in Delta, and a
high count of 24 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were seen along the jetty. A high
winter count of 49 LEAST SANDPIPERS were seen in nearby fields, and the
ever-present WILLET was still at the base of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty.



At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, 9 SANDHILL CRANES, 5 BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS, and 3 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were observed.





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.







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