Vancouver, BC RBA for November 9, 2009

[Wayne Weber]

This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Monday,
November 9th,  sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited, with stores in
Vancouver and North  Vancouver. The RBA telephone number is [phone].

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 a BLACK PHOEBE in Richmond from September 7 to at least
October 26, which appears to be moving back and forth along the west dyke
between Scotch Pond in Steveston and Terra Nova Park, several km to the
north ; and a WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, probably present since last May, in the
21900 block of the Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge. Both birds are likely
still present although not reported in the last week.

Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERT for an adult BLACK-TAILED GULL in Commencement
Bay near Tacoma, WA, which has been seen almost daily since it appeared on
October 13th. The gull roosts on a log boom in the bay on most afternoons,
and can be viewed from pullouts near the 5000 block of Marine View Drive.  

Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERTS also for an adult BLACK-HEADED GULL seen at and
near the mouth of the Big Qualicum River in Qualicum Beach on November 7 and
8, and an adult LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL at Robert Lake near Kelowna from
November 4 through 9. For updates on these birds, check the BCVIBIRDS and
BCINTBIRD e-mail groups, respectively.


No sightings reported for November 9th


Sightings for Sunday, November 8th

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, 5 CLIFF SWALLOWS and a BARN SWALLOW
were extremely late.


Sightings for Saturday, November 7th

The wintering WILLET was seen again at the base of the Tsawwassen ferry
jetty in Delta. This bird and the one in White Rock are probably the only
WILLETS in B.C. at the moment.

An AMERICAN DIPPER at the beluga pool of the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley
Park was at an unusual location.


No sightings reported for November 5th or 6th


Sightings for Wednesday, November 4th

The WILLET was seen again on the beach at White Rock, and 6 EARED GREBES and
an immature SNOW GEESE were seen offshore there near the pier.


Sightings for Tuesday, November 3rd

A SNOWY OWL, the first of the fall, was seen and photographed on the Iona
Island south jetty. Also there was a single SNOW BUNTING.

The GYRFALCON was seen again near the foot of 96th Street in Delta, and the
LONG-BILLED CURLEW and several MARBLED GODWITS were at Blackie Spit in
Surrey.


Sightings for Monday, November 2nd

A late WILSON'S WARBLER on Iona Island in Richmond, near the sewage ponds,
was noteworthy.

At White Rock, the wintering WILLET was seen on the beach close to the white
Rock, and at least 6 EARED GREBES were seen offshore.

In Delta, 8 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were coming to a feeder in the 4100
block of River Road, west of Ladner.

Two TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS and 5 HERMIT THRUSHES at Queen Elizabeth Park in
Vancouver, both somewhat late, were noteworthy.


Sightings for Sunday, November 1st

An immature GYRFALCON, the first of the fall, was reported from near the
foot of 96th Street on Boundary Bay in Delta. Nearby, an AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVER and a RED KNOT were seen with other shorebirds. A small flock
of TRUMPETER SWANS seen along 104th Street were the first ones reported this
fall.


Sightings for Saturday, October 31st

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY is still being seen daily in the 21900 block of the
Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge.

A RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, very rare in fall, was reported from Queen Elizabeth
Park in Vancouver. Also here were 2 ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRDS and 2 late
TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS.

The AMERICAN AVOCET, previously seen at the Serpentine River mouth, was
observed at Blackie Spit in Surrey. Also here were the LONG-BILLED CURLEW
and several MARBLED GODWITS.

Two blue-phase SNOW GEESE, an adult and an immature, were seen in a large
flock of SNOW GEESE south of Steveston Highway near Southport Road in
Richmond.


Sightings for Friday, October 30th

An enormous flock of more than 700 SURFBIRDS was seen, along with 60 BLACK
TURNSTONES and 2 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, was seen on the Grebe Islets off
Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver. The best viewing spot for the Grebe
Islets is Klootchman Park, just north of Lighthouse Park.

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW appeared in a yard in the 4000 block of West 35th
Avenue in Vancouver.

A SNOW BUNTING at Rainbow Park in Alta Lake in Whistler, north of Vancouver,
was reportedly the first one seen there in 6 years. A SNOW GOOSE was also
seen in Whistler on the Nicklaus North golf course.


Sightings for Thursday, October 29th

An adult blue-phase SNOW GOOSE was seen with SNOW GEESE in Delta near the
intersection of Highway 17 and 52nd Street.


Sightings for Tuesday, October 27th

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, a LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 9 MARBLED GODWITS were
present in the Nicomekl River estuary, and a WESTERN MEADOWLARK on the spit
itself.


Sightings for Monday, October 26th

The BLACK PHOEBE was back at its former location at 2500 River Road in Terra
Nova Park in Richmond. It is beginning to look like, some days at least,
this phoebe travels all the way down the Richmond west dyke from Terra Nova
to Steveston and back.

A WESTERN MEADOWLARK was seen at Porteau Cove Park on Highway 99 north of
Lions Bay, an odd locality.


Sightings for Sunday, October 25th

The AMERICAN AVOCET was seen once more at the Serpentine River mouth on Mud
Bay in Surrey.

At Iona Island in Richmond, 6 SNOW BUNTINGS were seen partway out the South
Jetty.


Sightings for Saturday, October 24th

The wintering AMERICAN AVOCET was reported again from the Serpentine River
mouth near Mud Bay Park in Surrey, and the long-staying WESTERN SCRUB-JAY
was still present in the 21900 block of the Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge.

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and 4 NORTHERN SHRIKES were caught and banded at
the Colony Farm banding station in Port Coquitlam. This seems to be a good
year for shrikes. The SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER was in its usual location at
the west foot of Steveston Highway in Richmond.


Sightings for Friday, October 23rd

The BLACK PHOEBE was seen again at the west end of Steveston Highway. Nearby
in
 the cow paddock was the SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER, and 3 blue-phase SNOW GEESE
were seen along Gilbert Road.


Sightings for Thursday, October 22nd

The BLACK PHOEBE was seen at least twice during the day at the west end of
Steveston Highway in Richmond. The EMPEROR GOOSE could not be found,
but a blue-phase SNOW GOOSE, a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, and
about 12 CACKLING GEESE were seen nearby along Gilbert Road with a
SNOW GOOSE feeding flock.

Two blue-phase SNOW GEESE, an adult and an immature, were seen
with SNOW GEESE at Iona Island in Richmond.


Sightings for Wednesday, October 21st

The immature EMPEROR GOOSE was seen only once near the west foot of
Steveston Highway in Richmond, in overflight about 4 PM.

A BLACK PHOEBE was seen along the Richmond west dyke between Steveston
Highway
and the Fraser River, and appeared to be very mobile. This is believed to be
the same
BLACK PHOEBE seen earlier at Terra Nova Park, several km to the north.


Sightings for Tuesday, October 20th

The immature EMPEROR GOOSE was seen again with SNOW GEESE at the west
foot of Steveston Highway in Richmond, but was seen only at a distance. A
SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER was seen nearby with other shorebirds in a marshy cow
paddock near the dyke.

A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was seen briefly in the salt marsh on the east side of the
Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Monday, October 19th

An immature EMPEROR GOOSE was seen and photographed in late afternoon with
a flock of SNOW GEESE along the Richmond west dyke at the west foot of
Steveston Highway, not Westminster Highway, as I mistakenly wrote last week.

The AMERICAN AVOCET was seen again at the Serpentine River mouth in Surrey,
as were 2 NORTHERN SHRIKES. This area can best be seen from the north
end of the BNSF railway trestle near Mud Bay Park, but be careful as the
railway line
is, strictly speaking, a no trespassing area.

Six SNOW BUNTINGS were seen on the Iona Island south jetty in Richmond.

Ten EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen at the foot of 88th Street in Delta.

Shorebirds seen between 104th Street and 96th Street on the Boundary Bay
dyke in
Delta included 6 juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS and 8 RED KNOTS with
hundreds of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS.



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, Viveka at 604-531-3401, or
Larry at 604-465-1402.

Thank you for calling the Vancouver Rare Bird Alert, and good birding.


Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus@...

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