This is the Vancouver Bird Alert for Thursday, May 24th, evening update.

Featured birds are AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN & out of town LEAST FLYCATCHER.

I would like to thank Prue and John for helping out with the Alert while I
was out of town.

Species mentioned:

AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN [Vancouver]
Green Heron [Cheam Lake RP]
WHITE-FACED IBIS [Duncan]
Mute Swan [Grant Narrows]
Turkey Vulture [Cheam Lake RP, Elgin Park]
Osprey [Spanish Banks]
Blue Grouse [Grant Narrows]
Virginia Rail [Elgin Park]
Sora [Elgin Park]
Sandhill Crane [Iona]
American Avocet [Elgin Heritage Park, Beach Grove]
Whimbrel [Iona]
Pectoral Sandpiper [Iona]
Wilson's Phalarope [Iona]
Caspian Tern [Roberts Bank Jetty]
LEAST FLYCATCHER [Cheam Lake RP]
DUSKY FLYCATCHER [Langley]
Eastern Kingbird [Cheam Lake RP]
Western Kingbird [Derby Reach Park]
HERMIT WARBLER [Derby Reach Park]
Northern Waterthrush [Derby Reach Park]
Lazuli Bunting [Cheam Lake RP]
Swamp Sparrow [Burnaby Lake]
Bullock's Oriole [Grant Narrows]

Sightings for Thursday, May 24

Two AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen in overflight near Nelson & Bidwell
heading in the direction of English Bay.

The LEAST FLYCATCHERS were reported at Cheam Wetlands RP east of Chilliwack.

Wednesday, May 23

Reported from Cheam Lake were 2 LEST FLYCATCHERS, a LAZULI BUNTING, an
ESTERN KINGBIRD, a GREEN HERON & a TURKEY VULTURE.

Five WILSON'S PHALAROPES and 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were observed on the SW
pond at Iona.

Tuesday, May 22

An EASTERN KINGBIRD was seen at Cheam Lake.

Monday, May 21st

The AMERICAN AVOCET was observed at Elgin Heritage Park on Crescent Rd.,
South Surrey. To look for this bird, take the gravel trail on the left side
of the new most westerly parking lot, then follow the boardwalk through the
marsh to the Nicomekl River. Once there, progress to the right (east) along
the dike trail carefully checking both sides of the riverbank. The best time
to visit is during a lower tide so that the mudflats are exposed. Also at
Elgin, a SORA and VIRGINIA RAIL were seen at the marsh and 2 TURKEY VULTURES
soared overhead.

TURKEY VULTURES were also reported from the 14,900 blk of 24th Ave in South
Surrey with 2 spotted in overflight.

Out-of-town, 2 arrival LEAST FLYCATCHERS were heard calling at the Cheam
Wetlands east of Chilliwack.

At Iona were 5 WILSON'S PHALAROPES all in the SE Pond. Also at Iona, birds
seen in overflight included 2 SANDHILL CRANES and 2 WHIMBRELS.

There was a late report of 3 AMERICAN AVOCETS seen Sunday at 7:30PM at Beach
Grove Lagoon, Tsawwassen.

Sunday, May 20

A SWAMP SPARROW was reported in Burnaby Lake RP. The bird was located along
the trail leading west from the rowing pavilion near a low wooden platform.

An AMERICAN AVOCET was seen in the afternoon at Elgin Heritage Park on
Crescent Rd in South Surrey. Also heard and seen at the Park were a VIRGINIA
RAIL and a SORA.

The following sightings were reported from the Pitt Polder dyke at Grant
Narrows: 2 BULLOCK'S ORIOLES, a high count of 25 MUTE SWANS and a BLUE
GROUSE heard booming on the hillside.

A WILSON'S PHALAROPE was seen at the NE Pond at Iona and good numbers of
WESTERN TANAGERS and WESTERN WOOD PEWEES were reported throughout the
region.

9 DUNLIN and a WHIMBREL were found with an assortment of WESTERN & LEAST
SANDPIPERS and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS at the SW corner of the Roberts Bank
Coalport Jetty. 26 CASPIAN TERNS were at the base of the jetty on the east
side.

Saturday, May 19

A male HERMIT WARBLER was seen with Townsend's Warblers along the Houston
Trail at Derby Reach Regional Park, north Langley. The bird was in trees at
a junction on the trail about a five-minute walk from the Heritage parking
lot. A NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was heard and seen on the same trail adjacent to
a Ducks Unlimited wetland area. Also present at Derby Reach was a WESTERN
KINGBIRD.

A DUSKY FLYCATCHER was with warblers in a willow thicket at 208 St & 102B
Ave, Langley.

Out-of-Town 3 WHITE-FACED IBISES were observed at 3:15PM at Somenos Marsh,
Duncan; the birds have been present there for almost a week.

An OSPREY was seen in overflight at Spanish Banks.

A tree at the intersection of W.15th Ave and Vine St, Vancouver, contained a
high total of 21 WILSON'S WARBLERS as well as 3 WESTERN TANAGERS and a
PACIFIC SLOPE FLYCATCHER.

Thank you for calling the Vancouver Bird Alert & good birding.

END TRANSCRIPT

Visit the Vancouver Natural History Society's website at:
www.naturalhistory.bc.ca

Larry Cowan
Port Coquitlam, BC
lawrencecowan at home.com