This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Thursday,
January 31st, 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.



Sorry this report is a few days late, but I had problems trying to send it
earlier.





RARE BIRD ALERT for up to 18 SNOWY OWLS at and near the foot of 64th and
72nd Streets on Boundary Bay in Delta, and 8 or 9 more at Brunswick Point in
Delta; a BRAMBLING, present for at least 6 weeks in shrubbery at the back of
868 West 17th Avenue in Vancouver, and easily seen from the back lane; and a
RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL, the first for Canada, found on January 13th near the
children's play area in the NW part of Queen's Park, New Westminster, and
reported every day since then. A drake BAIKAL TEAL reported on January 10th
near the base of the Roberts Bank Jetty in Delta, has not been seen again
since then, but could still be in the area.







Sightings for Thursday, January 31st



The RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL continued in its usual location at Queen's Park in
New Westminster.





Sightings for Wednesday, January 30th



The RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was still present at Queen's Park in New
Westminster, as was the BRAMBLING at the back of 868 West 17th Avenue in
Vancouver.



The GYRFALCON was still being seen at and near Hastings Park in Vancouver.



At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, a SWAMP SPARROW and an immature
NORTHERN GOSHAWK were found.





Sightings for Tuesday, January 29th



The RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was still being seen in New Westminster.



In West Vancouver, significant sightings included 13 RHINOCEROS AUKLETS and
6 MARBLED MURRELETS from Kloochman Park, and 8 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS near the
mouth of Cypress Creek.



The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen again in New Westminster, as was the
GYRFALCON at Hastings Park in Vancouver.





Sightings for Monday, January 28th



The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen again in New Westminster, this time near 7th
Avenue and 16th Street.



In White Rock, a remarkable 13 EARED GREBES were counted from the public
pier.





Sightings for Sunday, January 27th



The RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was still being seen regularly in New Westminster,
as was the BRAMBLING at 868 West 17th Avenue in Vancouver.



A CLAY-COLOURED SPARROW was still coming to a feeder at 1947 Fulton in West
Vancouver, where it has been seen regularly since December.



A WESTERN GULL and an EARED GREBE were noted at the White Rock pier in White
Rock.



The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen again in New Westminster.



A rare winter sighting of a SOOTY GROUSE was made at Pump Peak in Mount
Seymour Provincial Park, North Vancouver.





Sightings for Saturday, January 26th



Thirty WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were seen at Burnaby Lake in Burnaby, in
Sitka spruces east of the Nature House.



The long-staying LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 3 MARBLED GODWITS were noted again
at Blackie Spit in Surrey.



Ten SNOWY OWLS were seen near the foot of 72nd and 64th Streets in Delta,
and 9 more at Brunswick Point (west end of River Road).



The GYRFALCON and NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH were still present at Hastings Park
in Vancouver. The GYRFALCON often perches in a tall cottonwood near the
racetrack.



A WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was rediscovered near Seventh Avenue and 14th Street in
New Westminster, where one was reported last September.





Sightings for Friday, January 25th



Numerous observers reported the RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL again from Queen's Park
in New Westminster.



Birds seen at Brunswick Point, at the west end of River Road in Delta,
included 8 SNOWY OWLS, 5 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, a WESTERN MEADOWLARK, a
SAVANNAH SPARROW, and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW.



The NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH at Hastings Park and the GYRFALCON at the Viterra
grain terminal were reported again, although the Waterthrush was secretive
and was heard more than it was seen.





Sightings for Thursday, January 24th



The GYRFALCON and NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH were both seen by several observers
in and near Hastings Park in Vancouver.



At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver, several COMMON
REDPOLLS were present as well as the NORTHERN GOSHAWK.





Sightings for Wednesday, January 23rd



The RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL continued among the large conifers in the NW corner
of Queen's Park in New Westminster.



At Hastings Park in Vancouver, the NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was reported again,
and the GYRFALCON was perched atop the Viterra grain terminal nearby.



A EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen at Beach Grove in Delta, a frequent
location for this rare Old-World form.





Sightings for Tuesday, January 22nd



The NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was seen again at Vancouver's Hastings Park
sanctuary, and a GYRFALCON was reported nearby.





Sightings for Monday, January 21st



A NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, very rare in winter, was found at the pond in the
Hastings Park "sanctuary" in Vancouver.



A TOWNSEND'S WARBLER appeared in the 3000 block of Spuraway in Coquitlam,
and the RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was seen as usual in New Westminster.





Sightings for Sunday, January 20th



The RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL continued in New Westminster, and 12 COMMON
REDPOLLS were seen in Vancouver's Jericho Park.





Sightings for Saturday, January 19th



The RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was frequenting the same area near the NW corner of
Queen's Park in New Westminster.



The adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen again at the Maplewood Conservation Area
in North Vancouver.



Birds seen at or near the south foot of 72nd Street in Delta included 12
SNOWY OWLS, a GYRFALCON, 5 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, an AMERICAN BITTERN, and
a second-year GLAUCOUS GULL.





Sightings for Thursday, January 17th



The RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL was present all day in Queen's Park in New
Westminster.



A walk along the Pitt River dyke between the Lougheed Highway and DeBouville
Slough turned up 8 PINE GROSBEAKS, 20 COMMON REDPOLLS, and 2 MUTE SWANS.



Kloochman Park, off Howe Sound Place in West Vancouver, continued to produce
good birds including a RHINOCEROS AUKLET, 4 BRANDT'S CORMORANTS, SURFBIRDS,
a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, and a singing BAND-TAILED PIGEON.





Sightings for Wednesday, January 16th



The RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL (New Westminster) and BRAMBLING (Vancouver)
continued to be seen all day. In Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Park, an adult
NORTHERN GOSHAWK and 5 COMMON REDPOLLS were reported.



At Kloochman Park in West Vancouver, 30 SURFBIRDS were seen on the Grebe
Islets along with BLACK TURNSTONES.



Richmond's Terra Nova Park produced 130 COMMON REDPOLLS and a TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIRE.



The SNOW BUNTING was seen again on the Roberts Bank jetty in Delta, and a
EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL was nearby.





Sightings for Tuesday, January 15th



The RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL continued to be seen all day in the northwestern
parts of Queen's Park, New Westminster, as did the BRAMBLING at 868 West
17th Avenue in Vancouver.



At Terra Nova Park in Richmond, an estimated 200 COMMON REDPOLLS were seen
in a stand of birch trees.





Sightings for Monday, January 14th



At least 60 or 70 birders saw the RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL in Queen's Park, New
Westminster, and good photos were taken. On this day, no bird sightings were
received from anywhere else!





Sightings for Sunday, January 13th



A RED-FLANKED BLUETAIL, the first record for B.C. and only the third North
American record outside Alaska, was found in the northwestern part of
Queen's Park in New Westminster.



An out-of-season TURKEY VULTURE flew over Garry Point in Steveston, at the
SW corner of Lulu Island (Richmond).



At Lighthouse Marine Park in Point Roberts, WA, 3 BRANDT'S CORMORANTS, 6
PIGEON GUILLEMOTS, and a remarkable 72 MARBLED MURRELETS were counted.



A SNOW BUNTING was present on the Roberts Bank jetty in Delta, and an
impressive total of 169 EURASIAN WIGEON were tallied among duck flocks in
the vicinity.





Sightings for Saturday, January 12th



The BRAMBLING was still easily seen behind 868 West 17th Avenue in
Vancouver. At nearby Queen Elizabeth Park, a HERMIT THRUSH, a RED-BREASTED
SAPSUCKER, and several ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS were noted.



In North Vancouver, 24 COMMON REDPOLLS were at the Maplewood Conservation
Area.



Up to 20 COMMON REDPOLLS and a BOHEMIAN WAXWING were reported from the
Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.







Sightings for Friday, January 11th



The continuing BRAMBLING was still present with House Sparrows in shrubbery
behind 868 West 17th Avenue in Vancouver.



Eight SNOWY OWLS and a GYRFALCON were reported near the base of the Roberts
Bank Jetty in Delta.





Sightings for Thursday, January 10th



A BAIKAL TEAL was reportedly seen with other ducks in fields near the base
of the Roberts Bank jetty in Delta, but could not be found the following
day.



One WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL and many RED CROSSBILLS were seen along the
Conifer Loop Trail on the north side of Burnaby Lake in Burnaby. Also of
interest was an AMERICAN DIPPER at the dam on the east end of Burnaby Lake.



Three EARED GREBES, along with 90 HORNED GREBES and a WESTERN GULL, were
seen near the White Rock pier in White Rock.



At Blackie Spit Park in Surrey, the LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 3 MARBLED
GODWITS, which have been present all winter, were seen again.



Along 40th Avenue (Mud Bay Road) in Surrey, birds seen included 13 GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, a SNOWY OWL, 5 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and 11
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS.





Sightings for Wednesday, January 9th



A first-year GLAUCOUS GULL was seen in gull flocks along 72nd Street in
Delta, south of Highway 10.



5 PINE GROSBEAKS were still in Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver, and the
BRAMBLING was still easily seen behind 868 West 17th Avenue in Vancouver.



Twenty WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were in a Sitka spruce along the Conifer Loop
Trail at Burnaby Lake in Burnaby, and a EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL was among
many ducks at the foot of Piper Road on Burnaby Lake.



The CITRINE WAGTAIL, present since November, was seen again in fields north
of the Comox-Courtenay Road on Vancouver Island.





Sightings for Monday, January 7th



The BRAMBLING was seen and photographed by many observers from the laneway
behind 868 West 17th Avenue in Vancouver, and 5 PINE GROSBEAKS were feeding
on the south side of the pitch and putt golf course nearby in Queen
Elizabeth Park.





Sightings for Saturday, January 5th



A RUDDY TURNSTONE, very rare in winter, was with BLACK TURNSTONES at
Lighthouse Marine Park on Point Roberts, WA, and a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was
nearby near Gate G at the Point Roberts Marina.





Sightings for Thursday, January 3rd



Several WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were still in Sitka spruces along the
Conifer Loop Trail at Burnaby Lake, Burnaby, and a single PINE GROSBEAK was
at the Van Dusen Gardens in Vancouver.



At Kloochman Park in West Vancouver, notable sightings included a RHINOCEROS
AUKLET, 4 MARBLED MURRELETS, and a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER.





Sightings for Wednesday, January 2nd



An adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK was at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North
Vancouver.



A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was at the Terra Nova community garden in Richmond,
near the west end of Westminster Highway, and a high count of 24 WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS was near the corner of 41B Street and 27B Avenue, near Deltaport
Way in Delta.





Sightings for Tuesday, January 1st



At Burnaby Lake Park in Burnaby, at least 30 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS and 30
RED CROSSBILLS were seen along the Conifer Loop and Spruce Loop trails.



Five PINE GROSBEAKS were reported again from Queen Elizabeth Park in
Vancouver.







For a summary of extremely rare bird sightings throughout British Columbia,
check "British Columbia Bird Alert" 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