Wandering Tattler - February 2009.pdf - Nature Vancouver

Illustration by Mark Wynja 

VOL. 32 NO. 6 FEBRUARY 2009 

$1.50 

UPCOMING BIRDER’S NIGHT 

Thursday, March 5 

The Owl and The Woodpecker: 

Encounters with North America's Most 

Iconic Birds 

With Paul Bannick 

WILDLIFE TREE STEWARDSHIP 

PROGRAM 

Wildlife trees may not look like much at first glance, but 

these standing trees – dead or alive – have qualities that 

can support up to 80 wildlife species for decades. Bald 

eagles and osprey nest in their crowns; woodpeckers, 

songbirds and ducks find food or shelter; bears make dens 

in their bases and bats roost in their bark. 

You can help ensure that these critical pieces of wildlife 

habitat are protected – and learn more about wildlife trees 

and the creatures that depend on them – by becoming a 

volunteer wildlife tree steward. 

Award-winning winning photographer Paul Bannick will take you on a 

visual journey of 11 key North American habitats through 

the needs of specific owl and woodpecker species. This 

stunning photographic study will be accompanied by field 

stories, and rich natural history derived from thousands of 

hours in the field. His talk will look at the way owls and 

woodpeckers define and enrich their habitat and how their 

life-histories are intertwined. 

Paul works full time for Conservation Northwest, an 

environmental organization dedicated to protecting and 

connecting wild areas from the Pacific Coast to the 

Canadian Rockies 

Paul’s work has appeared in Audubon magazine, and in many 

other books, magazines, parks, refuges and other places in 

North America and Europe. www.paulbannick.com 

Metro Vancouver, in partnership with the Wildlife Tree 

Stewardship Program (WiTS), is offering three Wildlife 

Tree Stewardship workshops. Each includes a 45-minute 

classroom component and hour-long field session in a 

regional park. 

Participants will learn how to identify 

wildlife trees, monitor active nests, help put together an 

inventory and contribute to the stewardship of these 

important natural resources. Workshops are free. Advance 

registration is required. For more information or to 

register, call (604) 432-6359 or email 

programs.info@metrovancouver.org 

Saturday, February 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Campbell Valley Regional Park 

Saturday, March 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

Deas Island Regional Park 

The Wandering Tattler February 2009 

page 1

NATURE VANCOUVER EVENING PROGRAM 

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26 

7:30PM 

TEXAS: A NATURAL HISTORY 

WITH RON LONG 

FEBRUARY 

BIRD FIELD TRIPS…AND OTHERS… 

NOTE: There are more birding trips listed on the 

website than are in the Winter Vancouver Naturalist. ** 

Colony Farm Regional Park, Coquitlam 

February 7 

Colony Farm in winter can provide interesting birding. The 

Farm is home to many over wintering raptors, sparrows, 

shrike and waterfowl. Join leader Larry Cowan for a halfday 

outing. Meet the leader at the parking area at the east 

end of Colony Farm Rd. in Coquitlam at 9:00am. 604-465- 

1402 

Birding at Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary, Delta 


Join John Chandler for a half-day birding trip to Reifel 

Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Ladner. We will be looking for 

Snow Geese, swans and other waterfowl and raptors. 

Remember to bring some money for the small admission fee 

and dress for chilly and/or wet weather. You may want to 

bring your lunch and a hot drink to enjoy in the warming hut 

after your walk. Meet John at the Reifel gift shop at 

9:00am. Contact John at 604-274-4117. 

** Jericho Park, Vancouver 


Look for unusual ducks and spring arrivals. Meet in East 

Parking lot at 8:00am. Contact Adrian Grant Duff 604-263- 

7957. 

** Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver 


Look for early migrants and species discovered on recent 

surveys. Meet Adrian Grant Duff 604-263-7957 at 8:00am 

in front of Entrance to Pitch and Putt Golf Course, north of 

tennis courts, Queen Elizabeth Park. 

THE WANDERING TATTLER INDEX 

Great Backyard Bird Count 5 

Bird Studies Canada Latest News 6 

Backyard Birding with Al 6 

Birding Section Committee Meeting Minutes 7 

Natural Selection…..changing faster… 10 

Rare Bird Alert Sightings for August 2008 12 

The size of Texas is legendary but with size comes 

diversity and for the naturalist it is this diversity that is 

truly astonishing. Habitats range from the lush, well 

watered Hill Country to the absolute desert of the Big 

Bend of the Rio Grande to the mild year round climate of 

the Gulf Coast. Within these habitats the variety of birds, 

animals, and especially plants seems never ending. This talk 

will take a long look at the marvellous natural history of 

this the largest of the Lower 48. 

OTHER EVENTS FOR BIRDER’S 

MAPLEWOOD FLATS CONSERVATION AREA 

All levels of birders are welcome to join the Wild Bird 

Trust’s monthly bird survey of Maplewood Flats 

Conservation Area, North Vancouver. This survey is 

conducted on the first Saturday of each month. Meet at 

0800 in the parking lot of the Pacific Environment Science 

Centre, 2645 Dollarton Highway. If the gate is closed, park 

adjacent to the highway. For details, please contact Janice 

Wilson, Bird Survey Coordinator at 604-987-5586. On the 

second Saturday of each month, you’re welcome to join the 

Wild Bird Trust’s Nature Walks with Al Grass at 

Maplewood Flats Conservation Area. Meet at 1000 in the 

parking lot of the Pacific Environment Science Centre, 

2645 Dollarton Highway. If the gate is closed, park 

adjacent to the highway. 

HASTINGS PARK SANCTUARY 

Members of the Hastings Park Conservancy’s Environmental 

Committee and guest naturalists lead nature walks through 

the Sanctuary in Hastings Park. In winter/spring 2009, the 

walks will be held on the fourth Saturday of each month, 

starting at 0900. All walks leave from the northeast 

corner of the Sanctuary (near the red barns and the 

Playland restrooms). There’s free parking on site for 

visitors to the Sanctuary, or take the bus to Hastings & 

Renfrew Streets. For further information, contact Pat 

Miller at 604-294-1272. 

REIFEL BIRD SANCTUARY 

Every Sunday, enjoy a bird walk with John Ireland at Reifel 

Bird Sanctuary in Delta. Meet at the reception area at 

1000. Reifel’s admission fee is $4.00 for adults and $2.00 

for children (2-14) and seniors (60+). Phone 604-946-6980 

for more information. 

The Wandering Tattler February 2009 page 2

SQUAMISH ESTUARY 

Squamish estuary monthly bird counts are held on the first 

or second Sunday of each month, depending on the tide. For 

these half-day counts, meet at 0700 (April to September) 

or at 0800 (October to March) at the Howe Sound Inn and 

Brew Pub at the end of Cleveland Avenue in downtown 

Squamish. All levels of birders are welcome to participate. 

The count usually lasts until 1300, at which time we meet 

back at the Brew Pub for lunch. For more information, 

contact Judith Vetsch at 1-604-892-3340. 

STANLEY PARK ECOLOGY SOCIETY (SPES) 

Discovery Walks are two-hour guided walking tours with a 

naturalist or local expert, leaving from the Lost Lagoon 

Nature House on the south-east shore of Lost Lagoon. 

Explore the natural and cultural history of Stanley Park. 

Rain or shine. Walk themes and leaders vary. $10 public, $5 

members and under 18. Pre-registration is recommended. 

Contact: Public Programs Manager: 604-257-8544. 

Calendar: www.stanleyparkecology.ca 

Birding in Stanley Park: Join naturalist Catherine 

Aitchison for a two-hour walk in Stanley Park to identify 

migratory and resident birds and learn bird-watching skills. 

Meet at the Lost Lagoon Nature House at 0900 on the last 

Sunday of every month. Fee by donation. 

TERRA NOVA NATURAL AREA 

On the third Saturday of each month, anyone interested in 

birds is welcome to join the Nature Vancouver’s monthly 

bird survey of the Terra Nova Natural Area in Richmond. 

Meet in the Terra Nova parking lot at 0800 (October- 

March) or 0700 (April-September). For details please 

contact the co-ordinator, Eric Greenwood at 604-737- 

4724. The Nature Reserve is reached by driving west on 

Westminster Highway past No.1 Road, and following it 

through the Terra Nova residential area. 

BIRD SURVEYS AT UBC FARM 

Every third Sunday of each month, join in a bird survey at 

the UBC Farm. Meet at 8am (March to August) and 9am 

(September to February) at the main gate to the farm. The 

farm is located on the UBC south campus off Westbrook 

between 16th and Southwest Marine Drive. Directions to 

the farm can be found at: 

http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm/contact.php. 

The farm is normally locked on Sunday but the group has a 

key. Currently the key is held by Sue Kay-Downs (604- 

569-3058). As the holder of the key, Sue is our leader, 

contact person and scribe. The survey is very informal, 

experts and beginners are all welcome to help and learn. 

The gate has to be closed again once we start so 

punctuality is helpful. 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW…. 

BRANT WILDLIFE FESTIVAL 

IN PARKSVILLE, QUALICUM BEACH AND NANAIMO 

BIG DAY BIRDING 

SATURDAY, APRIL 4 

Counting: 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

Post-count gathering 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. 

$20 per person 

MORE details in March edition or on their website……. 

EBIRD – NEW MAPPING TOOL 

I just noticed that eBird has a brand new mapping tool for 

exploring bird records in the database. If you look for 

records of a certain species from a province, for instance, 

instead of the old provincial maps with green dots, you get 

a Google Maps interface that allows you to zoom in as close 

as you like. Then if you click on a location dot, all the 

records for that species at that location are displayed. 

Very cool. 

You can easily check this out by clicking on one of the 

provinces on the right hand side of the home page 

(www.ebird.ca). That will display a bar graph checklist for 

the province based on eBird records, then click on any 

species you like. 

Dick Cannings 

Naramata, BC 

WESTERN HUMMINGBIRD PROJECT 

- NEW PROGRAM 

The US Forest Service and the Hummingbird Monitoring 

Network (HMN) are pleased to announce a new “Wings over 

the Americas” program—the Western Hummingbird 

Project. Attached is the announcement of the program. A 

kick-off workshop will be held April 16-18, 2009 in Tucson, 

Arizona, in conjunction with the Cooper Ornithological 

Society’s annual meeting. We hope many of you will be able 

to attend. April 16 is the primary workshop day; the 

preliminary agenda is included in the attached program 

announcement. 

During this time, the Partners In Flight Western Working 

Group is holding its meeting in British Columbia where the 

Rufous Hummingbird, a PIF species of continental concern, 

breeds. We apologize for this conflict but hope it is an 

opportunity to investigate hummingbird conservation issues 

in Canada. 

Our goal is to bring focus on hummingbird conservation 

through effective collaborations. If you are interested in 

participating or have suggestions on improving the WHP 

workshop, etc., please let us know your ideas by contacting 

Susan Wethington at swething@dakotacom.net. 


A YEAR ROUND PROGRAM 

Please check the website for 

ALL the WINTER Events at 

www.birdsonthebay.ca 

Walks, events, programs 

For the whole family 

Saturday February 21 9 am – 11 am 

Bird Walk at Mud Bay Park 

Discover the birds that make Mud Bay Park home with 

naturalist Lynn Pollard. This park features tidal marshes & 

eelgrass beds. Bring binoculars and field guide if you have 

them. Wear comfortable waterproof foot wear, dress 

warmly. Walk will go rain or shine. Meet: Mud Bay Park 

parking lot, 127A St & Colebrook Rd. (watch for signs) 

Host: Surrey Parks Cost: Free. Info: (604) 501-5158 

Saturday February 21 7pm – 9pm 

Owl Prowl 

Join renowned birder Al Grass for an evening with the owls 

in Stanley Park. An indoor presentation will be followed by 

a walk to Beaver Lake to listen for these secretive and 

nocturnal creatures. Meet: Stanley Park Dining Pavilion 

Host: Stanley Park Ecology Society Cost: by donation Reg 

& Info: (604) 681-9453 

Friday February 27 7pm - 9pm 

Whooo is Home? Looking for Owls 

Find out what species of owls live in the Fraser Valley 

through an illustrated talk, and then go on a walk through 

the forest to see whoo is home. Bring small flashlight. 

Wear comfortable waterproof foot wear, dress warmly. 

Walk will go rain or shine. Leaders: Roy Thomson, Al and 

Jude Grass. Audience: 8 and older. Registration required. 

Host: Semiahmoo Fish and Game Club Meet: Little Campbell 

Hatchery – 1284 184 th Street (between 16 th & 8 th Ave), 

Surrey Reg & Info: 604-538-8774 

Saturday February 28 

Cleaning and Repairing Nest Boxes at Burnaby Lake 

Regional Park Meet: Nature House on Piper Avenue, off 

Winston. Hosts: Burnaby Lake Park Association, Metro 

Vancouver Regional Parks. Cost: Free Info: (604) 520- 

6442. 

THE FUN OF ATLASSING 

The first year of the BC Breeding Bird Atlas has been a 

whirlwind of activity and a great success – thanks to you! 

Over 800 participants have entered data for more than 

280 species in over 930 – 10 km squares. The Birding 

Stories on the web site and emails we have received are a 

taste of the fun you are having. Dave Fraser said he hasn’t 

had so much fun birding in years. George Clulow told us how 

it had gotten him to explore new areas and make new 

discoveries (check out his Industrial Strength Herons on 

the atlas web site). We also heard from many of you on how 

difficult it was to access point count locations. 

We owe a great deal of our success to the Regional 

coordinators who volunteered their time to coordinate atlas 

efforts in 41 regions of the province. They are the 

backbone of the program. We also acknowledge the 

Herculean effort by the Atlas Steering and Technical 

committees and partners who nurtured the project from a 

germ of an idea to a fully fledged project in just a few 

months. And of course, you, the birders did a fabulous job 

doing what you enjoy - birding. 

One of the beauties of today’s atlassing is the ease by 

which data can be entered and displayed on the web. The 

BSC team of Denis LePage, Andrew Couturier and Ron 

Ridout in Ontario devoted their efforts to getting the 

program on line in timely fashion. 

All of this great work requires funding and so many 

organizations and companies stepped forward. We have 

gone from being penniless to raising over $330,000, in little 

over a year, and secured some very significant long-term 

funding commitments through to 2014. Much fundraising 

remains to be done, but we have a solid platform to build 

on. 

One last point – any field notes you took on trips last 

summer might have some valuable information for the atlas 

that you can add over the coming months. 

Rob Butler - BC Breeding Bird Atlas Coordinator 

Contact us 

BC Breeding Bird Atlas - Bird Studies Canada 

5421 Robertson Road Delta, BC V4K 3N2 

1-877-592-8527 


The Great Backyard Bird Count is made possible, in part, by 

support from Wild Birds Unlimited. 

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a non profit membership 

institution interpreting and conserving the earth’s biological 

diversity through research, education, and citizen science 

focused on birds. www.birds.cornell.ed 

COUNT FOR FUN, 

COUNT FOR THE FUTURE 

New York, NY and Ithaca, NY-Bird and nature fans 

throughout North America are invited to join tens of 

thousands of bird watchers for the 12 th annual Great 

Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), February 13-16, 2009. 

A joint project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the 

National Audubon Society, this free event is an opportunity 

for families, students, and people of all ages to discover 

the wonders of nature in backyards, schoolyards, and local 

parks, and, at the same time, make an important 

contribution to conservation. 

“Anyone who can identify even a few species can contribute 

to the body of knowledge that is used to inform 

conservation efforts to protect birds and biodiversity,” 

said Audubon Education Vice-President, Judy Braus. 

Volunteers take part by counting birds for at least 15 

minutes on one or more days of the event and reporting 

their sightings online at www.birdcount.org. The data help 

researchers understand bird population trends across the 

continent, information that is critical for effective 

conservation. In 2008, participants submitted more than 

85,000 checklists, a new record. 

“The GBBC has become a vital link in the arsenal of 

continent wide bird-monitoring projects,” said Cornell Lab 

of Ornithology director John Fitzpatrick. “With more than 

a decade of data now in hand, the GBBC has documented 

striking changes in late-winter bird distributions.” 

Participants submit thousands of digital images for the 

GBBC photo contest each year. Last year’s winners have 

been chosen and are now posted on the web site. 

Participants are also invited to upload their bird videos to 

YouTube tagged “GBBC.” Some of them will also be 

featured on the GBBC web site. All participants will be 

entered in a drawing to win dozens of birding items, 

including stuffed birds, clocks, books, feeders, and more. 

Businesses, schools, nature clubs, Scout troops, and other 

community organizations interested in the GBBC can 

contact the Cornell Lab of Ornithology at (800) 843-2473 

(outside the U.S., call (607) 254-2473), or Audubon at 

citizenscience@audubon.org or (215) 355-9588, Ext 16. 

Audubon is dedicated to protecting birds and other wildlife 

and the habitat that supports them. Our national network 

of community-based nature centres and chapters, scientific 

and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas 

sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of 

people of all ages and backgrounds in conservation. 

www.audubon.org 

VANCOUVER AVIAN RESEARCH CENTRE’S 

2009 SPRING WORKSHOPS 

We’re very pleased to announce that the Vancouver Avian 

Research Centre’s 2009 spring workshops schedule has just 

been posted. 

This year the Centre is offering two courses: 

BIRD BANDING & MONITORING WORKSHOP 

Following the success of our banding workshops last year 

we will again be offering our 3 day action-packed 

introductory course consisting of presentations, specimen 

study, field mist-netting, banding, and processing under the 

direction of Derek Matthews, Master Bander and Banderin-charge 

at the Vancouver Avian Research Centre. 

The workshop has been developed for people with little or 

no bird banding or bird in the hand experience and provides 

a fantastic opportunity to see birds up close and personal, 

to learn about their plumages, molt sequences, and life 

habits. 

BIRD IDENTIFICATION WORKSHOP 

This new course for 2009 has been developed for birders 

who wish to take their bird knowledge and identification 

skills to the next level. Although designed for beginner and 

intermediate birders the ornithological aspects of the 

course would benefit even advanced and expert birders. 

Full details of the courses, schedules, dates and 

registration information can be found online by contacting: 

http://www.birdvancouver.com/workshops.html 


BACKYARD BIRDING WITH AL 

ABOUT THRUSHES 

BIRD STUDIES CANADA 

LATEST NEWS 

AVIBASE IS A HIT, 50 MILLION TIMES OVER! 

5 January 2009 – Avibase, an extremely popular resource 

hosted by Bird Studies Canada and maintained by BSC’s 

senior scientist Denis Lepage, has just received its 50 

millionth individual hit. The Avibase website offers bird 

checklists for any region of the world, using a variety of 

options such as common names in over a dozen languages. It 

also provides taxonomic information, images, and sounds for 

all species and subspecies of the world’s birds. 

http://avibase.birdscanada.org/ 

One question that often arises, especially during snow 

events, is “What can I do to help the Thrushes, especially 

Varied Thrush and robins? Both are great consumers of 

fruits, but the Varied Thrush has more versatile feeding 

habits. Chopped apples and plumped raisins (soaked in hot 

water) are favourites of both. I know of backyard bird 

feeders who freeze rowan (European Mountain-ash) fruit, 

blackberries, and blueberries, and leave the thawed out 

fruit for the birds in winter. Apparently this is a big hit 

with thrushes, and even waxwings. 

EBIRD CANADA RECEIVES $20,000 GRANT 

20 January 2009 – Bird Studies Canada has received a 

grant of $20,000 from a family foundation to fund eBird 

Canada, the popular online birding database. eBird Canada 

use has been growing exponentially since the website was 

launched in the fall of 2006. Birders can enter their 

sightings into the database, and then explore the database 

with maps, seasonal graphs, or tables. eBird also acts as 

listing software, so can keep track of birders’ life lists for 

different regions. You can enter or explore data from 

anywhere in the Americas, and New Zealand was recently 

added to the eBird ‘family.’ There are now over 167,000 

Canadian checklists in eBird, representing well over a million 

bird species records. All the eBird data becomes part of a 

larger database at the Avian Knowledge Network. The data 

can be downloaded through our NatureCounts portal, where 

we also provide ways to explore and visualize the bird data. 

You can check out eBird at www.ebird.ca; it’s free, it’s 

informative, and it’s fun! 

NEW ISSUE OF AVIAN CONSERVATION AND ECOLOGY 

NOW AVAILABLE 

7 January 2009 – The latest issue of Avian Conservation 

and Ecology – Écologie et Conservation des Oiseaux (ACE- 

ÉCO), Volume 3, Issue 2, December 2008, has been 

published. This open-access, fully electronic scientific 

journal is sponsored by the Society of Canadian 

Ornithologists and Bird Studies Canada. To browse the 

table of contents or read a variety of new articles, visit the 

ACE-ÉCO website. 

Varied Thrush 

Photo: Jude Grass© 

The Varied Thrush will also take a variety of seeds with 

white millet being a favourite. Varied Thrushes at our 

feeder also enjoy roasted peanut pieces and sunflower 

chips (chopped premium oil sunflower seeds). 

Varied Thrushes are quite shy so putting the fruits, nuts 

and seeds near or under a hedge or some other shelter is a 

good idea. 

Enjoy your birds. 

Al Grass 

EIGHT RECOVERY STRATEGIES RECENTLY POSTED 

BY BC MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT 

The following 8 Recovery Strategies have been posted on 

the MOE recovery planning website: 

Recovery Strategy for 

Vancouver Island Marmot; Lyall’s mariposa lily; rusty cord 

moss ; Branched Phacelia; Dromedary-jumping Slug; Badger 

Pallid Bat; Behr’s Hairstreak 

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/recoveryplans/rcvry1.htm 


VNHS BIRDING SECTION COMMITTEE 

MINUTES OF THE MEETING ON 

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 18, 2008 

Present: Jude grass (Chair), Martin McNicholl, Mike Fung 

and June Ryder (recorder). 

Regrets: Adrian Grant Duff, Wayne Weber, David Boyd. 

Welcome 

1. Adoption of agenda with additions 

Motion: Moved: Martin Seconded: Mike, Carried. 

2. Approval of the Minutes of May 30, 2008 

Moved: Mike seconded: Jude motion, Carried. 

3. Birding Section Committee – Election of Chair 

Motion: Moved by Martin that we re-elect Jude; 

seconded Mike; Carried unanimously. 

4. Birder’s Night 

Programs 

Dec 4 

Chair – Martin Program: Vancouver CBC – final 

details: Adrian and Peter Candido - bird id. 

presentation; Jude will ask Peter, suggests id. tips for 

ducks, mergansers, grebes, etc. (count day details 

covered under #5 below). Speaker (short talk) Simon 

Robinson? Ladner: Dec 21 - Jude; White Rock: Dec 28 

– Viveka Ohman. 

2009: Jan 8 (note: not Thur. the 1st; 8 th will coincide 

with Marine Biology Section) 

Chair: Jude Speaker: Roger Emsley, from APE 

(Against Port Expansion) - Delta Port. 

Feb 5 

Chair: Martin Speaker: Dr. Sean Boyd, CWS – New 

Details on the Barrow’s Goldeneye. 

March 5 

Chair: Jude. Speaker: Paul Bannick (photographer and 

naturalist, Seattle) – The Owl and the Woodpecker. 

April 2 

Chair: Martin Speakers: Rob Butler – short feature 

re BC Breeding Bird Atlas & Ken Hall – Birds of the 

South Okanagan 

May 7 

Chair: Jude Location: outdoors: possibilities Queen 

Elizabeth Park or UBC Farm – finalize at next mtg. 

• Educational segments – Christine Bishop has 

volunteered.- 

• Conservation Issues – June 

• Refreshments: Mike – June will organize refreshments 

until May ’09. At the Dec. meeting, we should ask for 

volunteers to sign up to bring cookies or other finger 

food; and we should assess the interest in coffee – and 

if high, seek a volunteer to look after this until May ’09. 

• Future Speaker suggestions – hold for fall 2009 

Vince Beier - Mountain View Conservation Society – 

breeding Spotted Owls 

Kym Welstead - MOE on SAR, South Coast 

Conservation, 

Colin Clark – Birds of Madagascar. 

5 Vancouver Christmas Bird Count – December 14 

a) Participants, Dinner (Adrian will collect money - 

$7) 

b) Post-count tally: (Danny Tyson) 

c) Entertainment: - Quiz: verbal - Martin; bird songs 

Brian Self; slides – Jude, Peter Candido. Jude to 

ask Brian and Peter. 

6 Section and Committee Updates 

a) Birding Section Field Trips – Adrian 

We are trying to find more people to lead birding 

trips. 

b) Bird Alert – Wayne (no report) 

c) Vancouver Bird Records Committee – Jude has 

arranged meeting for Saturday Jan 31; location 

TBC. 

d) Wandering Tattler – Jude: We need more writ-ups 

from our members about interesting sightings, 

observations of bird behaviour, etc; all field trips 

should be written up, but not necessarily by the 

leader. 

e) Raptor Surveys – Jude: We need funding to 

support data entry, and also to set up an automatic 

(computerized) data-entry system; wee need to 

discuss possibilities for the future of the raptor 

surveys.. 

f) Golf Course Surveys – David (no report) 

g) The Birder’s Guide to Vancouver and the Lower 

Mainland - minor correction and reprint: Jude will 

contact Cathy Aitchison to ascertain progress. 

Jeremy has the original materials. Publisher 

(Harbour) is the same as for Nature In Vancouver. 

h) Nature in Vancouver – should be out by early 

spring (Earth Day?) currently the publisher is 

doing the layout. 

i) Nature Vancouver Website – Birder’s section: 

descriptions are being added for birding sites. 

j) Bird Workshops and Symposium - (see 7b) 

k) Revised Bird Checklist for Metro Vancouver– (has 

been circulated by Wayne W.) 

l) Breeding Birds and Invasive Removal Strategy: – 

Committee has drafted a preliminary strategy; 

discussion continues. 

m) Provincial Bird Records Committee - Martin: The 

initial meting to discuss the BC checklist was held 

22 April, 2007; the first formal meeting was held 

18 Oct. 2008, in Sidney, with chair: M. Preston, 

secretary: T. Greenfield, and members W. 

Campbell and M. McNicholl. Committee structure 

was discussed, and the relations between PBRC and 


The Biodiversity Centre for Wildlife Studies. It 

was agreed that PBRC should maintain the official 

list of birds of BC. Composition of PRBC should be 

5 or 7 individuals who are representative of 

member groups; also invite current (or previous) 

ed. of BC section of N. American Birds (now Don 

Cecile). Also include regional representative for 

any part of the province not already represented, 

e.g., Mark Phinney for Peace River area. 

Constitution and rules to be based on those of 

Alberta bird records committee. Results to be 

published in Wildlife Afield, from which other 

groups can extract material with appropriate 

acknowledgement. Committee needs to set up a 

process for establishing the checklist, aiming for 

publication of first official report in Oct. 2009. 

Also, need to carefully define working relations and 

division of responsibilities between PBRC and more 

local bird records committees (Vancouver, 

Victoria). Propose to publicize and promote the 

work of the PBRC by placing a colour insert in 

various bird-related magazines, e.g., W. Tattler and 

BC Birding Motion by Martin: That the Birding 

Section contributes $300 from its Publication 

Fund toward the cost of a colour insert that 

promotes reporting of rare birds to Provincial Bird 

Records Committee. Seconded: Mike; Carried. 

7. New Business 

a) Letter from Jeremy re. Birding Section 

publication fund and other matters (previously 

circulated by email). Jude to write a brief reply. 

b) Raptor Identification Workshops with William 

Clark – 2 workshops on raptor field identification 

are being offered: Jan 9 – 11 (introductory level) 

and Jan 24 – 25 (advanced); $150 each; at Reifel. 

These will be supported and promoted by Birding 

Section Committee. Other partners: BC Waterfowl 

Soc., (TBC), BC Field Ornithologists ((TBC), and BC 

Breeding Bird Atlas, (and others?). 

8. Information Items 

a) BC Breeding Bird Atlas – Technical Committee & 

Steering Committee reports 

b) Birds on the Bay – looking for Birders to assist 

with walks…. 

c) Biodiversity Centre for Wildlife Studies – AGM 

Saturday November 29 at 12 noon at Reifel 

Migratory Bird Sanctuary Museum. 

9. VNHS Board and Society Information Items 

Date and location of next meeting 

January TBC 

SNOWY OWLS SWOOP SOUTHWARD, 

DELIGHTING BIRDERS 

EDITOR’S NOTE: BUT NOT HERE!!! 

Biologists say an increase in snowy owl sightings in the 

South suggests that the arctic species did so well in its 

northern breeding grounds last year that competition is 

driving the young ones to warmer climates. 

Snowy Owl Al Grass © 

The mostly white owls of "Harry Potter" fame are spotted 

in small numbers in upstate New York and other northern 

states every winter. This year, they've also been spotted 

farther south, in states where they're rarely seen. 

In Tennessee, birders armed with spotting scopes and 

telephoto lenses scrambled from as far away as Georgia 

and Alabama to see the first snowy owl reported in that 

state in 22 years. 

The owl showed up in early December in the fields 

surrounding a General Motors plant in Spring Hill, 

Tennessee. Sightings were still being posted on the 

Tennessee Ornithological Society's Web site in late 

January. 

Birding hot lines lit up in northern Virginia with the sighting 

of a young male snowy owl in early December. The bird later 

died after it was found, sick and weak, and brought to the 

Wildlife Centre of Virginia in Waynesboro. 

Rarely seen south of northern Ohio, snowy owls have also 

been reported this year in Kansas and Missouri, according 

to the eBird.org national bird reporting Web site. 

Snowy owls nest on the ground in the Arctic tundra and 

many of them stay there year-round, while some winter in 

Canada and the northern United States. They tend to show 

up in greater numbers in the U.S. every three to five years, 

pushed by crashes in the population of lemmings, the 

hamster-like mainstay of their diet. 

But that doesn't appear to be the reason for this year's 

influx. 


"This year it appears the lemming population was really 

good," said Laura Erickson, a biologist at the Cornell Lab of 

Ornithology in Ithaca. "When lemmings are abundant, snowy 

owls have a very successful breeding season." 

As a result, the owl population grows so large that many of 

the young males move farther south to stake out feeding 

territory. An individual adult snowy owl may eat three to 

five lemmings per day, or up to 1,600 per year. 

NEW BOOKS 

Snowy owls aren't uncommon in winter in Minnesota and 

Wisconsin, but they're far more plentiful than usual this 

year, Erickson said. At the airport in Minneapolis, biologists 

have had to trap and move snowy owls for fear they'd be 

sucked into a jet engine, she said. 

"As birds of the tundra, they're drawn to large open fields 

like airports," Erickson said. 

The increase in southerly sightings is most likely a 

temporary phenomenon. Back in the arctic next summer, 

the larger population of owls may devour so many lemmings 

that food scarcity will bring the owl population back down, 

Erickson said. 

Mary Esch 

Associated Press Writer - Seattle Times 

Wednesday, January 28, 2009 

Couzens, Dominic. Top 100 Birding Sites of the 

World. 2008. University of California Press. Hardbound: 

320 pages. Price: $45.00 U.S. SUMMARY: This coffee 

table book describes the 100 best birding sites on the 

planet. The bird photography highlights this book Blomdahl, 

Anders, Bertil Breife and Niklas Holmstrom. 

OBSERVING BIRDS 

RIVER OTTER EATING A DUCK 

I wandered in the fog through Bob Heirman park in 

Snohomish County this morning. The flood debris is an 

impressive testimony to the power of the water that went 

through here a couple weeks ago. Visibility was limited and 

it was as still and quiet as I have ever experienced. As I 

got down to the bar there was a loud splashing of water in 

the distance and the sound was adjacent to a large log jam. 

I climbed up the backside of logs as quietly as I could 

manage, then sort of slithered over the top and stopped 

with my waist over the top log and my head pointing 

downhill. I could hear a gnawing sound and finally saw below 

me was a river otter holding and ripping into the breast of a 

duck which after a minute or so I was able to identify as a 

Common Goldeneye. Unfortunately the wind shifted and the 

otter caught my scent, stood up and looked right at me, 

although I am not sure it actually could see me, but without 

a sound it slid into the water with its prize and out of my 

view. 

Later on the hike out I had 4 swans materialize out of the 

fog and fly right over my head, maybe only 10 feet off the 

ground. I could hear and feel the wind pumping through 

their wings. 

Rob Sandelin 

Naturalist, Writer, Teacher 

Kerlinger, Paul. How Birds Migrate (2nd edition). 2009. 

Stackpole Books. Paperback: 230 pages. Price: $21.95 U.S. 

SUMMARY: Kerlinger's introduction to the biology of bird 

migration has been updated. I recommend this book for 

beginning birders interested in learning more about bird 

migration 

Siegel, Deborah C. and Storrs L. Olson. The Birds of 

the Republic of Panama, Part 5: Gazetteer and 

Bibliography. 2008. Buteo Books. Hardbound: 516 pages. 

Price: $45.00 U.S. SUMMARY: This final volume of 

Alexander Wetmore's multi-volume work on the birds of 

Panama describes and locates all place names used by 

Wetmore and also contains a comprehensive bibliography. 


NATURAL SELECTION GIVES WAY TO HUMAN 

SELECTION PRACTICE OF HUNTING AND 

HARVESTING THE BIGGEST ANIMALS OR PLANTS 

IS CHANGING SPECIES MUCH FASTER THAN 

NATURE, RESEARCHERS FIND 

Humans have become "super predators," speeding up the 

evolution of the species they hunt and harvest at rates far 

above what is found in nature, according to new research, 

some of it conducted by Canadian biologists. 

The researchers believe that many recently observed 

changes in species, ranging from the shrinkage in the horns 

of bighorn sheep in the Rockies to the reduction in the size 

of caribou in Scandinavia, are being driven by humans. 

4 

The biologists estimate that hunting has caused such 

characteristics as body size and reproductive age to change 

at a rate that is a staggering 300 per cent above the pace 

that would prevail in nature. This figure is even greater 

than the change attributed to other human interferences, 

such as pollution, which was estimated to alter species 50 

per cent faster than what normally happens. 

"The implications are pretty wide and profound," said Paul 

Paquet, a University of Calgary biologist who dubs humans 

"super predators" for this outsized impact. 

A paper outlining the findings was posted yesterday in the 

online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of 

Sciences. 

In it, Dr. Paquet and others argue that current hunting and 

harvesting practices are inadvertently causing dramatic 

changes in the behaviour and appearance of species. The 

reason: Humans tend to "high-grade" nature, taking out the 

biggest and best in a species. 

The approach is clearest in trophy hunting, where animals 

with the biggest horns or bodies are killed, while inferior 

ones are left. But the practice also occurs in commercial 

fishing, where mesh openings in nets capture the biggest 

fish while smaller ones escape. 

The human approach is the opposite to what happens in 

nature, where predators kill the easiest-to-catch animals, 

such as the young, the old and the sick, but are unable to 

take out the fittest adults, which then reproduce and pass 

their desirable characteristics on to future generations. 

Many hunting rules are based on a view that bagging mature 

animals is the best approach, but Dr. Paquet says humans 

should be trying to emulate nature, even though at first 

glance it doesn't seem sporting to kill younger creatures. 

"That's clearly the best management regime," he said. 

The researchers, who are affiliated with the University of 

Calgary and the University of Victoria as well as two U.S. 

universities, looked at 34 studies that examined physical or 

biological characteristics in 29 species subject to heavy 

pressure from human predation. Besides the bighorn sheep 

and caribou, they included snails; a pair of medicinal plants; 

and various commercially caught fish. 

"Harvested organisms are the fastest-changing organisms 

of their kind in the wild because we are super predators 

and we take such high proportions of a population and 

target the largest individuals," Dr. Paquet said. 

The rate of change is staggering from an evolutionary point 

of view, where the alteration in species is often thought to 

occur slowly. Alberta's bighorn sheep, for instance, have 

experienced a 20-per-cent drop in the length and size of 

their horns in only the past 30 years. The sheep are prized 

for the distinctive curve in their horns, making them 

sought-after trophies. 

Atlantic cod, whose populations have collapsed because of 

over fishing, now reproduce at an average age of five years, 

rather than six, as was the case previously. The change, 

which in humans would amount to children reaching sexual 

maturity and having offspring at ages of around nine to 11, 

occurred in only two decades. 

Among the species harvested or hunted by humans and 

reviewed in the paper, body size or horn size decreased by 

an average 18 per cent. There was also a pattern of 

reproduction at an earlier age or smaller size. 

THE DIMINISHING PREY 

BIGHORN SHEEP The sheep, found in mountainous areas 

of Western Canada and the United States, are famed for 

the unusual curved horns on the rams. The rams are hunted 

as trophies, but researchers believe the practice of taking 

the biggest specimens has prompted genetic change leading 

to a marked decline in horn size. 

CARIBOU Caribou from southern Norway, the last 

remaining wild population in Europe, have shrunk because of 

hunting. The selective killing of the biggest animals has led 

to a reduction in the size of bodies, antlers and jaws. 

Researchers suspect the same trend may have occurred in 

southern populations of caribou in Canada. 

AMERICAN GINSENG The gnarled root of the plant is 

prized for its medicinal properties - collected for illnesses 

ranging from cancer to Alzheimer's disease. But extensive 

harvesting has led to a change in the composition of wild 

stands, with an increased number of smaller, nonreproductive 

plants. 

COD The destruction of cod stocks has led to altered 

reproductive behaviour. The fish produce eggs at a younger 

age, but this early breeding has a big drawback. The early 

breeders are producing abnormally low numbers of eggs. 

Martin Mittelstaedt 

From Globe and Mail January 13, 2009 


THE 2008 LADNER 

CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT RESULTS 

The 2008 Ladner CBC – originally set for December 21, was 

rescheduled to January 4 due to heavy snowfall and bad 

road conditions. While the January day wasn’t too bad, a 

cold, heavy wind did come up in the afternoon, and then it 

started snowing - big time - while we were doing the post 

count tally and dinner. We quickly finished up and got the 

birder’s heading home before the roads were too 

dangerous. 

A total of 133 species were seen on count day, plus 2 

species within count period. Our highlights included: a 

Mountain Chickadee and several Anna’s Hummingbirds which 

were seen at feeders in Delta: a White-throated Sparrow 

seen near the Vancouver Landfill. If anyone would like an 

electronic version of the final count tally please contact 

judegrass@shaw.ca. 

Thank you to the BC Waterfowl Society for the use of the 

museum for the post count gathering and to John Ireland 

for his assistance on count day. 

ATTENTION RAPTOR FANS…. 

Jude Grass 

Ladner CBC Coordinator 

A wonderful article describing the Harlan’s Hawk has been 

published in the current edition of Birding the American 

Birding Association magazine. You can find a pdf version of 

the article and additional information that was not part of 

the printed article at the following website. The article is 

a must read for those who are interested in identifying 

Harlan’s Hawk and Red-tailed Hawks. The link is: 

http://aba.org/birding/v41n1p30.pdf 

Authored by William (Bill) Clark, who recently gave two 

very successful Raptor Identification courses sponsored by 

the Birding Section of Nature Vancouver we were actually 

fortunately enough to confirm a Harlan’s Hawk at McDonald 

Slough on Sea Island on one of the course field trips. 

The Stanley Park Heronry 

The Stanley Park Ecology Society is monitoring the heron 

nesting sites in Stanley Park for several organizations and 

studies. The provincial government’s Ministry of 

Environment is conducting research to determine the 

impact of predators and human interaction on nesting great 

blue herons. The data will also be forwarded to Bird 

Studies Canada to contribute to their national study of 

nesting habits and trends. 

See the: 

http://www.stanleyparkecology.ca/programs/conservation 

/urbanWildlife/herons/ to read the reports: 

1. Stanley Park Heron Colony Final Report 2008 

2. UBC Heron Colony 2008 Nesting Report 

WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED MONTHLY WALKS 

The following walks are offered by the Wild 

Bird Stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. 

The next walk is Saturday February 21 to 

Jericho Park starting at 10 a.m. Meet in the 

parking lot at the west end of the park near the 

washroom buildings. Walks last approximately 2 

hours. Bring your binoculars if you have them. 

For more details phone 604-736-2676. 


SOME SIGHTINGS FOR VANCOUVER RARE BIRD ALERT -- AUGUST 2008 

SPECIES NO. DATE LOCALITY OBSERVERS 

American Golden Plover 1 25-Aug-08 Foot of 96th Street, Delta Ilya Povalyaev 

American Kestrel 1 11-Aug-08 Tsawwassen jetty, Delta Carlo Giovanella 

Baird's Sandpiper 2 27-Aug-08 Foot of 96th Street, Delta Mike Tabak 

Barred Owl 1 27-Aug-08 148th Street at 106th Avenue, Surrey Ivan Kaderabek 

Black and White Warbler 1 3-Aug-08 Grant Narrows, Pitt Lake Mike Newey 

Black Oystercatcher 7 24-Aug-08 Bird & Grebe Islets, Howe Sound Allan Milligan 

Black Oystercatcher several 27-Aug-08 Tsawwassen jetty, Delta Mike Tabak 

Black Turnstone 156 10-Aug-08 Tsawwassen ferry terminal, Delta Richard Swanston 

Black-bellied Plover 1800 27-Aug-08 Foot of 96th Street, Delta Mike Tabak 

Caspian Tern 289 26-Aug-08 Tsawwassen ferry terminal, Delta Richard Swanston 

Common Nighthawk 12 5-Aug-08 79th Avenue at 114th Street, North Delta Philip Kelly 

Common Tern 3 22-Aug-08 Maplewood Conservation Area, N Vancouver Rob Lyske 

Common Tern 2 29-Aug-08 Blackie Spit, Surrey Ilya Povalyaev 

Eastern Kingbird 3 3-Aug-08 Grant Narrows, Pitt Lake Mike Newey 

Eurasian Collared-Dove 3 29-Aug-08 4126 River Road, Delta Diane Kehoe 

Evening Grosbeak 2 12-Aug-08 Grant Narrows, Pitt Lake David Schutz 

Gray Catbird 3 12-Aug-08 Pitt Meadows David Schutz 

Gray Catbird 1 16-Aug-08 E end of 104th Ave., Surrey (nr Barnston I.) Ivan Kaderabek 

Greater White-fronted Goose 2 24-Aug-08 52nd Street near Hwy 17, Delta Richard Swanston 

Greater Yellowlegs 20 5-Aug-08 Beach Grove lagoon, Delta Richard Swanston 

Heermann's Gull 2 11-Aug-08 Point Roberts, WA Ilya Povalyaev 

Heermann's Gull 1 13-Aug-08 Wreck Beach, Vancouver Christian Lodders 

Heermann's Gull 1 25-Aug-08 Tsawwassen jetty, Delta Ilya Povalyaev 

Lazuli Bunting several 27-Aug-08 Colony Farm Park, Port Coquitlam David Schutz 

Lesser Goldfinch 1 - M 1-Aug-08 2093 Topaz, Abbotsford Stan Olson 

Lesser Goldfinch 1 - M 21-Aug-08 2093 Topaz, Abbotsford Stan Olson 

Lesser Yellowlegs 20 5-Aug-08 Beach Grove lagoon, Delta Richard Swanston 

Lincoln's Sparrow 1 27-Aug-08 Iona Island Mike Tabak 

Long-billed Curlew 1 3-Aug-08 Blackie Spit, Surrey Ilya Povalyaev, Ross Wood 

Long-billed Curlew 1 29-Aug-08 Blackie Spit, Surrey Ilya Povalyaev 

Long-billed Dowitcher 150 21-Aug-08 Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta Ilya Povalyaev 

Marbled Godwit 2 29-Aug-08 Blackie Spit, Surrey Ilya Povalyaev 

Merlin 2 24-Aug-08 400 block E 18th St., North Vancouver Larry Marchak 

Northern Waterthrush 1 20-Aug-08 Serpentine Fen, Surrey Mike Newey 

Northern Waterthrush 1 21-Aug-08 Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta Ilya Povalyaev 

Northern Waterthrush 1 23-Aug-08 Maplewood Conservation Area, N Vancouver Rob Lyske 

Northern Waterthrush 1 23-Aug-08 Still Creek at Sperling Ave., Burnaby Dan Peterson 

Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 29-Aug-08 Maplewood Conservation Area, N Vancouver Rob Lyske 

Parasitic Jaeger 1 2-Aug-08 Georgia Strait off Sandheads (Steveston) Richard Swanston 

Peregrine Falcon 2 20-Aug-08 Iona Island Mike Tabak 

Pomarine Jaeger 1 5-Aug-08 Foot of 96th Street, Delta Ilya Povalyaev 

Purple Martin 8 5-Aug-08 79th Avenue at 114th Street, North Delta Philip Kelly 


SPECIES NO. DATE 

Purple Martin 5 21-Aug-08 



Red Crossbill 25 29-Aug-08 

Red Knot 1 22-Aug-08 

Red-eyed Vireo 1 29-Aug-08 

Red-necked Phalarope 2 5-Aug-08 




Ruddy Turnstone 2 9-Aug-08 

Ruddy Turnstone 1 29-Aug-08 

Sanderling 200 19-Aug-08 

Sandhill Crane 5 5-Aug-08 

Semipalmated Sandpiper several 1-Aug-08 

Semipalmated Sandpiper 5 24-Aug-08 

Short-billed Dowitcher 25 19-Aug-08 

Short-billed Dowitcher 10 21-Aug-08 

Solitary Sandpiper 1 19-Aug-08 

Sooty Grouse 1 9-Aug-08 

Stilt Sandpiper 1 10-Aug-08 

Stilt Sandpiper 1 19-Aug-08 

Surfbird 75 24-Aug-08 

Turkey Vulture 7 12-Aug-08 

Turkey Vulture 7 16-Aug-08 

Western Sandpiper 6000 19-Aug-08 

Western Wood-Pewee 1 29-Aug-08 

Whimbrel several 2-Aug-08 

Whimbrel 1 5-Aug-08 

Wilson's Phalarope 4 19-Aug-08 

Wilson's Phalarope 4 23-Aug-08 

Yellow-headed Blackbird 1 3-Aug-08 



LOCALITY 

Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta 

Westminster Hwy at No. 6 Road, Richmond 

Maplewood Conservation Area, N Vancouver 


Foot of 96th Street, Delta 


Beach Grove lagoon, Delta 


Highway 17 pond N of Deltaport Way 


Boundary Bay dyke E of 96th Street, Delta 

Blackie Spit, Surrey 


Langley Airport, Langley 


Iona Island 



Lost Lagoon, Stanley Park, Vancouver 

Burnaby Mountain, Burnaby 


Iona Island 

Bird & Grebe Islets, Howe Sound 

Pitt Meadows 

E end of 104th Ave., Surrey (nr Barnston I.) 



Tsawwassen jetty, Delta 

Blackie Spit, Surrey 

Highway 17 pond N of Deltaport Way 


16th Avenue near Camosun St., Vancouver 

Foot of 41B Street, Delta 

Mud Bay Park, Surrey 

OBSERVERS 

Ilya Povalyaev 

Julian Hudson 

Rob Lyske 

Rob Lyske 


Rob Lyske 

Richard Swanston 

Mike Tabak, John Tabak 

Mike Tabak, John Tabak 

I Povalyaev, C Giovanella 



Mike Tabak 

Ivan Kaderabek 


George Clulow 

Mike Tabak 


Alan Jensen 

Dan Peterson 


Rob Lyske, Mark Wynja 

Allan Milligan 

David Schutz 

Ivan Kaderabek 

Mike Tabak 

Rob Lyske 


Trent Glukler 

Mike Tabak 

Trent Glukler 

Christine Adkins 


Dean Smith 

VAN V SUN: JAN 2009 


page 13

OWL 

ORPHANED WILDLIFE REHABILITATION 

SOCIETY 

O.W.L. Wish List 

A busy organization like O.W.L. is always in need of 

supplies. If you have access to, want to donate or 

need to get rid of any of the supplies below, we'll 

gladly take them off your hands. 

NATURE VANCOUVER (VNHS) 

BIRDING SECTION COMMITTEE 

2008-9 

Jude Grass – Chair 

David Boyd 

Mike Fung 

Adrian Grant Duff 

Martin McNicholl 

June Ryder 

Wayne Weber 

. 

VANCOUVER RARE BIRD ALERT 

604-737-3074 

Sponsored in part by: 

Paper Towels 

Boxes of Bolts and Wing Nuts (various sizes) 

Rubber boots 

Bleach 

Fantastic with bleach 

New Dawn dish soap 

Windex 

Post-it Notes (small/medium/large) arge) 

Inside/outdoor extension cords 

Large Rubbermaid containers 

AA batteries 

Soaker hoses and 100 ft all-weather hoses 

Paint brushes and paint rollers 

Branches or stumps for perching 

Canadian Tire money 

Your generosity, as always, is much appreciated 

OWL at 3800 72 nd Street, Delta, BC 

The Wandering Tattler is published September to April by 

the Nature Vancouver (VNHS) Birding Section. 

Vancouver and North Vancouver 

BE A CONTRIBUTOR TO TATTLER 

Please contribute to YOUR Birding newsletter by sending in 

a summary of your field trip, telling about a new bird book, 

or an upcoming event, talk, or outing about birds, or some 

interesting behaviour or action of a bird or birds you 

observe. 


Subscriptions: 

1 year is $20.00 for 8 copies includes 

postage and handling. Please make out to VNHS - 

Wandering Tattler and mail to the Editor. 

Deadline for submissions is the 21 st of the month. Please 

send articles to the Editor: 

Jude Grass: judegrass@shaw.ca or 

Mail to: 

17375 27A Avenue, Surrey, BC V3S 0E9. 

Phone: 604 538 8774 Fax: 604 538 8791 

ISSN 082 5901 

© Nature Vancouver 

(Vancouver Natural History Society) 

page 14

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