VANCOUVER RARE BIRD ALERT sponsored by the Vancouver Natural History
Society.

Area: VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA (abbrev-VCR)
Period: MON AUG 22, 1994 to SUN AUG 28, 1994, updated weekly
Call: 604-737-9910 (hot line updated daily, or as necessary)
To report: Same
Compiler: Michael Price
Transcriber: Same
Contact: Michael_Price at mindlink.bc.ca

Featured birds, in date order, are:
WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER
AMERICAN AVOCET
UPLAND SANDPIPER
PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER
RED KNOT
NASHVILLE WARBLER
FOX SPARROW
FRANKLIN'S GULL
PARASITIC JAEGER
HEERMAN'S GULL
LONG-BILLED CURLEW
SURFBIRD
MARBLED GODWIT
STILT SANDPIPER
PEREGRINE FALCON
RED KNOT
THREE AMIGOS

For sick or injured birds please call: WILDLIFE RESCUE 526-7275
MONIKA'S WILDLIFE SHELTER 882-0908
SPCA ANIMAL EMERGENCY 879-7343
If you have a report, be sure to leave your name and telephone
number/e-mail address, for our records.
If you're calling the hotline and you want to skip the update to leave your
message, press the *STAR* button on any touchtone telephone, otherwise
please wait for the long tone at the end of the update.


TRANSCRIPT (some editing for continuity):

There will be a two announcements regarding VNHS courses in bird identi-
fication after the update on sightings, and also information on the
upcoming Birders' Night on Thursday Sept 08.

SUN SEP 04
RARE BIRD ALERT The adult WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was again present this
morning and the early afternoon on the NE settling pond at the Iona Island
Sewage Treatment Plant in NW Richmond. The bird, which was located here
yesterday, Saturday, September 03, is an adult bird about halfway through
its molt from alternate to basic plumage. Look for a medium-sized grey
sandpiper showing a grey head with a fairly conspicuous white eyebrow line,
or supercilium, fairly heavy grey streaking on the upper breast, otherwise
white underparts with a line of streaks, sometimes inconspicuous, down
the sides; also look for its grey back with scattered dark back and
scapular feathers with narrow pale chestnut fringes. The bird's shape is
often characterised as 'long', an effect caused by the long primary
feathers, and is comparable to the shape of a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, though not
quite as attenuated. The leg-color of this individual is atypical, being
slightly yellowish rather than solid black. The bird doesn't seem to be as
tide-dependent as many of the other shorebirds, and one observer speculates
that the best time to see it is low tide, as that seems to be the time the
PEREGRINE FALCONS (2 juveniles of the northern, or 'tundrius' race) in the
area are more likely to be causing havoc out on the foreshore rather than
in the settling ponds.

A juvenile AMERICAN AVOCET was at the Beach Grove Lagoon at the E end of
12th Ave in Tsawwassen. Though Avocets have become almost regular in
spring, fall sightings of this species are still quite rare.

A juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER was on the Boundary Bay forehsore at the
S end of 112th St. in S Delta as well as 1 and perhaps 2 RED KNOTS.

A survey of birds along the Iona South Jetty located 4 COMMON TERNS in a
roosting flock of 60 CASPIAN TERNS, as well as 2 AMERICAN PIPITS, which are
moving into the area.

In an out-of-town sighting, an *UPLAND SANDPIPER*, thought to be an adult
bird, was at the Cobble Hill Quarry just S of Duncan on the E coast of
Vancouver Island.


SAT SEP 03
RARE BIRD ALERT A *WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER* was discovered on the NE
settling pond at the Iona Is. Sewage Treatment Plant. The bird, an adult
molting into basic plumage, was found in the early afternoon and was
relocated in the later afternoon. This will be Vancouver's 3rd-only record
for this species.
Also at Iona is. there were 2 BANK SWALLOWS.

In a late report dating to Wednesday, August 31, there was an *UPLAND
SANDPIPER* at 112th St in S Delta, but there has beeen no relocation since.

Still with shorebirds, 2 juvenile RED KNOTS were in the large BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVER flock on the Boundary Bay foreshore at the S end of 112th St.
Up to 9 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were just off Lighthouse Marine Pk in Point
Roberts, Washington.
At Serpentine Fen off the King George Highway in Surrey, there was a male
NASHVILLE WARBLER in blackberry tangles on the dike adjacent to the
Serpentine River about 50 meters e of the W observation tower, the tower
lacking a roof.
A VIRGINIA RAIL can sometimes still be observed in the reeds at the W end
of the W pond in Jericho Pk on W 4th Avenue in VCR.
Small numbers of AMERICAN PIPITS are beginning to move S through the
Greater Vancouver Checklist Area.
At Bryden Pk in Langley there were up to 15 BLUE-WINGED TEAL and 2 GREEN
HERONS.


FRI SEP 02
3 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were on the N side of the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal
jetty in Ladner.
Anyone interested in a close look at BAND-TAILED PIGEONS may want to check
out W 13th Avenue and Balsam in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver; they're
there gobbling down acorns in the area's oak trees.
A TURKEY VULTURE was over Bowen Is. just to the W of W VCR.
Finally, large numbers of SANDERLING are beginning to migrate
through the area. These items were inadvertently omitted from Saturday's
update.



THU SEPT 01
A juvenile PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER, a possible juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN
PLOVER, and 2 juvenile-plumaged RED KNOTS were with approximately 200
BLACK-
BELLIED PLOVERS at the S end of 104th St in S Delta.
A NASHVILLE WARBLER was at Serpentine Fen in Surrey off the King George
Hwy. As part of an influx of migrating birds into the Langley area, there
have been increasing numbers of DARK-EYED JUNCOS. A male NORTHERN FLICKER
of the YELLOW-SHAFTED race is visiting a suet feeder, also in Langley.
Finally, there was a juvenile RED-NECKED PHALAROPE on the lower pond at
Vanier Pk on Kitsilano Point just behind the Planetarium. WED AUG 31
In N VCR today, 2 BARRED OWLS were observed in an active chase. These birds
may have been displaced by the clearing of the trees from the Northlands
Golf Course nearby.
A possible juvenile EARED GREBE and at least 2 surviving nestling
PIED-BILLED GREBES were on the Outer Pond at Iona Is. Regional Pk, and the
NE settling pond in the Iona Is Treatment Plant contained at least 15
juvenile SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER along with 4 juvenile PECTORAL and 800
WESTERN SAND-PIPERS, and 1 PEREGRINE FALCON.
At the confluence of the Fraser and Harrison Rivers at the E end of the
Fraser Valley there were 2 OSPREYS, 1 TURKEY VULTURE, and 1 CASPIAN TERN.


TUE AUG 30
Reporting rarities is a little like reporting on royalty: glamorous but not
much to do with daily life. Sometimes it's nice just to remind ourselves of
the bird world's average joes. Of course, as with humans, there's no such
thing as average-each species has its story to tell which is both singular
and fascinating.
At present, for example, in what can be called the Hidden Migration, many
birds which we regard as permanent and common residents in Vancouver are
being joined by their counterparts from more northern ranges, so if we look
intently enough we'll note an influx of birds such as BROWN CREEPERS,
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, DOWNY WOODPECKERS, WINTER WRENS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS,
and NORTHERN FLICKERS, all species most of us take for granted while we
head for the hot shorebirding spots. They may not be as glamorous as
rarities, but their migrations, though concealed by large non-migratory
local populations are just as much a part of the Great Wheel's turning.

Sightings today include a male BLUE GROUSE giving territorial 'booming'
calls in the vicinity of Suicide Bluffs in Mt Seymour Provincial Park in N
VCR, as well as 2 MERLINS in the Dog Mt area of Mt Seymour PP acting
suspiciously like a territorial pair.
At the Beach Grove Lagoon in Tsawwassen there was 1 PEREGRINE FALCON, a
juvenile SOLITARY SANDPIPER, and 1 juv. SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER.
Up to 15 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were with 20 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS on the
foreshore of the Roberts Bank Coalport Jetty in Ladner.

MON AUG 29
A survey of the swallow flock over Deer L. in Burnaby located 2 juvenile
BANK SWALLOWS; also here were 4 OSPREYS. ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Vancouver Natural History Society, in conjunction with Langara
College's Continuing Education Dept., are presenting a series of bird
identification workshops this fall. The cost of each workshop is c$40 and
includes an evening in the classroom and a fieldtrip on the weekend. The
first workshop will be on shorebird identification and takes place on
Tuesday September 06. For further information please call Continuing
Education at Langara College at (604) 323-5322 or Dick Cannings at (604)
822-4665 weekdays or (604) 734-9489 weekends and evenings.

The first Birders' Night of the 1994-95 season will be held at 7.30 PM, not
8.00 PM, on Thursday, Sept 08 at St Matthias Anglican Church at 680 West
49th Avenue in VCR. You're all welcome whether you're a VNHS member or a
member of the public who is interested in birding. Admission is free, with
coffee and cookies at half time. There has been a slight change of program
for this Birders' Night: it will include the awarding of
prizes to the various winners of their categories of the very successful
Vancouver Big Day Birdathon which was held in May of this year, and there
will also be a presentation and slide show given by the Nature Trust in
connection with the Big Day awards. This has led to some modification of
the previously-announced identification workshop slated for the latter half
of the September Birders' Night. Lots of fun.

If you have a report or a query about bird identification or
Vancouver birding please call:

Michael Price at 731-4715
Mark and Eleni Wynja at 438-6529
(Other contact names omitted on request)

Thanks for calling the Vancouver Bird Alert and Good Birding!