This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Tuesday,
February 28th, 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 winter is a major SNOWY OWL flight year, with recent reports of up to
30 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, and to make a serious effort
not to flush or frighten off the owls.





RARE BIRD ALERT for SNOWY OWLS at numerous localities, especially along
Boundary Bay and at Brunswick Point in Delta, and for a LESSER GOLDFINCH on
February 20 on Ortona Avenue near the University of BC in Vancouver.



Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERT for HOARY REDPOLL and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL
in the Okanagan Valley. Two HOARY REDPOLLS have been seen and photographed
with a flock of up to 40 COMMON REDPOLLS at the McCulloch cross-country ski
area east of Kelowna. At least two LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS, one adult and
one second-year, have been seen in the last few weeks on Okanagan Lake
between Penticton and Okanagan Landing, with the most recent report at the
mouth of Vernon Creek in Okanagan Landing.





Sightings for Monday, February 27th



Two SANDHILL CRANES were seen along 224th Street in Maple Ridge, a month
earlier than the species normally arrives in this area.





Sightings for Sunday, February 26th



A VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOW, the first report of the year, was seen flying over
the ponds at Iona Island in Richmond. At Terra Nova Park, also in Richmond,
two TUNDRA SWANS were seen and photographed.



Two NORTHERN GOSHAWKS and a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE were noted at Queen
Elizabeth Park in Vancouver.



A blue-phase SNOW GOOSE, very rare in the area, was seen with 700 white SNOW
GEESE on Westham Island in Delta. At the nearby Reifel Bird Sanctuary were 4
adult BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS near the refuge entrance and 3 SANDHILL
CRANES. Also in Delta was a group of 26 male EURASIAN WIGEON in a flock of
no more than 300 AMERICAN WIGEON just south of Deltaport Way and 41B Street,
and two SHORT-EARED OWLS hunting over fields in the same area.





Sightings for Saturday, February 25th



A flock of 14 COMMON REDPOLLS were seen in birches along the Lulu Island
west dyke south of Westminster Highway in Richmond.





Sightings for Friday, February 24th



The SNOW BUNTING and two HORNED LARKS were seen again near the metal
sculpture at Garry Point Park in Richmond.





Sightings for Thursday, February 23rd



Birds seen along Ferry Road in the Ladner area of Delta included a drake
REDHEAD in the pond near the end of the road, 18 RING-NECKED DUCKS, and a
MOURNING DOVE.



Sightings for Tuesday, February 21st



A total of 27 SNOWY OWLS were reported from the Boundary Bay dyke near the
foot of 72nd Street in Delta-- about the same number of owls that have
remained in this area since late November 2011.



The SNOW BUNTING and two HORNED LARKS were still present at Garry Point Park
in the Steveston area of Richmond (SW corner of Lulu Island).





Sightings for Monday, February 20th



The male LESSER GOLDFINCH reported in January was seen again at a feeder on
Ortona Avenue in the Acadia Park area near the University of B.C., but has
not been reported again since then.



A RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, rarely reported this winter, was on the west side
of the "sanctuary" in Hastings Park, Vancouver.



An immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK was observed at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in
Delta. Also in Delta, 3 SURFBIRDS were seen at the lagoon on the north side
of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty.





Sightings for Sunday, February 19th



At Garry Point Park in the Steveston area of Richmond were two HORNED LARKS,
very rare in winter, and a SNOW BUNTING. At Iona Island, also in Richmond,
were 8 out-of-season BARN SWALLOWS and 2 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS.



The adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK which has been presently intermittently for
several weeks at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver was seen
again.





Sightings for Saturday, February 18th



The wintering WILLET was seen again at the base of the Tsawwassen ferry
jetty in Delta. Farther out on the jetty were 13 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, and a
SURFBIRD in with a flock of 50 BLACK TURNSTONES.





Sightings for Friday, February 17th



The long-staying EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL was reported again from the
north end of Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta.





Sightings for Wednesday, February 15th



A high count of 40 male EURASIAN WIGEON was made along Mud Bay Road (40th
Avenue) in Surrey.







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 Weber at 604-597-7201, Larry Cowan at 604-465-1402, or
Viveka Ohman 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