[Tweeters] Vancouver, BC RBA for February 9, 2009

[Wayne Weber]

This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for
Monday, February 9th, 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 press the star button
at the end of this message to go back to the menu, press "2" for the
rare bird reporting line, and follow the instructions given there.


RARE BIRD ALERT for an adult SLATY-BACKED GULL at the Abbotsford
garbage transfer station, near Riverside Road and Industrial
Way in Abbotsford, seen repeatedly since January 3.

Out of town, the RARE BIRD ALERT continues for the BLACK VULTURE
in Kincolith on the northern coast of BC, which was still present
at least through February 6.


Sightings for Monday, February 9th

An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was seen at the foot of Piper Road in
Burnaby Lake Park, Burnaby, near the nature house.


Sightings for Sunday, February 8th

The SLATY-BACKED GULL was found again in mid-afternoon by 4 observers
at the Abbotsford garbage transfer station, at the west end of Industrial
Way (just west of Highway 11) in Abbotsford, but was not there
earlier in the day.

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen in the 7800 block of 160th Street in
Surrey.

Five BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS and 4 SANDHILL CRANES were at the
Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.

A GYRFALCON and an AMERICAN KESTREL were seen along Deltaport Way, and
two more AMERICAN KESTRELS were seen elsewhere in Delta.

The CLARK’S GREBE was reported again from the south foot of Gilbert
Road in Richmond, on the Fraser River.


Sightings for Saturday, February 7th

The SLATY-BACKED GULL was reported from a roof at Vye Road and Riverside
Road in Abbotsford, about a block from the garbage transfer station.

Two NORTHERN PYGMY-OWLS, a VIRGINIA RAIL, and the long-staying
LESSER YELLOWLEGS were seen at the Maplewood Conservation Area in
North Vancouver. Two more VIRGINIA RAILS were seen on the north side 
of Lost Lagoon in Vancouver’s Stanley Park.

The immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK was still present at Jericho Park in
Vancouver.

Birds seen at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta included 8 SANDHILL
CRANES, 5 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, an AMERICAN BITTERN, and a 
BARRED OWL. One MUTE SWAN was in Canoe Pass near the Westham Island bridge,
and an AMERICAN KESTREL was at the junction of Deltaport Way and Arthur Drive 
In Delta.


Sightings for Friday, February 6th

The CLARK’S GREBE was seen again at the south foot of Gilbert Road
(Lulu Island) in Richmond.

In northern BC, the BLACK VULTURE was still being seen at Kincolith at the
mouth of the Nass River, apparently surviving on a diet of fish offal.


Sightings for Thursday, February 5th

The adult SLATY-BACKED GULL was seen again at and near the Abbotsford
garbage transfer station in mid-day.

A CLARK’S GREBE was found and photographed in Richmond near the
south foot of Gilbert Road.

An EARED GREBE was seen from the White Rock pier in White Rock, a
regular spot for this species.


Sightings for Wednesday, February 4th

The probable BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK was seen briefly again near
108th Avenue and 160th Street in Surrey.

One MARBLED GODWIT was seen at Blackie Spit in Surrey, and at
least 6 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS were nearby with other blackbirds
along 40th Avenue (Mud Bay Road) west of Highway 99.

Five RING-NECKED DUCKS were in Lost Lagoon in Vancouver’s
Stanley Park, and a VIRGINIA RAIL was in the marshy impoundment
on the north side of the lagoon.


Sightings for Tuesday, February 3rd

The immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK was again perched for much of the day
near the East Pond in Jericho Park, Vancouver.

15 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were perched in a leafless tree on
the north side of Highway 10 in Delta, west of 104th Street.
At another time during the day, the same flock was seen in trees
on 96th Street just south of Highway 99. If you can’t find them in 
one of these spots, try the other one!

Three GYRFALCONS were seen in Delta—  one in the usual spot near the
foot of 96th Street, and two together along Deltaport Way.

Four SURFBIRDS were seen at Berth #2 at the Tsawwassen ferry
Terminal in Delta. 

A male AMERICAN KESTREL was seen on a wire over Highway 99 about 1 km
SW of the Massey Tunnel in Richmond.


Sightings for Monday, February 2nd

Four CEDAR WAXWINGS, rare in winter, were seen in the 1800 block of
Barclay Street in Vancouver’s West End.


Sightings for Sunday, February 1st

Eight EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen on 96th Street just south of
Highway 99 in Delta, and 2 more are coming to a feeder in the
4100 block of River Road west of Ladner.

Two VIRGINIA RAILS were seen at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park, Vancouver.


Sightings for Saturday, January 31st

In Washington State, a female TUFTED DUCK was seen with LESSER SCAUP
and RING-NECKED DUCKS in Lake Erie near Anacortes, where it has
been for at least 2-3 weeks.

Closer to home, 12 RING-NECKED DUCKS were in Vancouver’s Lost Lagoon,
and both the adult and immature NORTHERN GOSHAWKS were seen and
photographed by many at Jericho Park.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, 4 MARBLED GODWITS and a LONG-BILLED CURLEW
were seen at the mouth of the Nicomekl River. This is the first time
Since December that these birds have been reported.

In West Vancouver, 2 ANNA’S HUMMINGBIRDS were seen at km 2 on the
Cypress Bowl access road.


 
Sightings for Friday, January 30th

In Abbotsford, an immature GOLDEN EAGLE was seen in flight from
a trail on Sumas Mountain.


No sightings reported for Thursday, January 29th


Sightings for Wednesday, January 28th

The BLACK VULTURE at Kincolith on the northern BC coast, present
since October, was reported again.

Two GYRFALCONS were seen in Delta, one near the foot of 96th Street
Near Boundary Bay, and one along Deltaport Way.


No sightings reported for Tuesday, January 27th


Sightings for Monday, January 26th

The immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen and photographed by many
observers in Vancouver’s Jericho Park.


Sightings for Sunday, January 25th

Both the adult and immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK were at Jericho Park
again.

Sightings at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta included 8 SANDHILL
CRANES, 4 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, and 4 species of owls—-  a
BARN OWL, a BARRED OWL, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL, and a LONG-EARED
OWL.

At Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta, birds seen included a NORTHERN
SHRIKE, two WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, and 2 LINCOLN’S SPARROWS.


Sightings for Saturday, January 24th

The adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK was still in Jericho Park, Vancouver.

A BLACK OYSTERCATCHER was present on the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in 
Delta, and a GYRFALCON was not far away along Deltaport Way near
Arthur Drive.

Many LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were at Elgin Heritage Park on the
Nicomekl River in Surrey.


No sightings reported for Friday, January 23rd


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, 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
contopus at telus.net