Subject: Dusky Flycatcher, etc. at Boundary Bay Airport woods
Date: May 6 09:30:15 2003
From: Wayne C. Weber - contopus at telus.net


Birders,

Yesterday, May 5, I birded from about 6:45 to 9:00 AM in the wooded
area (abandoned residential area) just north of the Boundary Bay
Airport in Delta, BC. In the past, I have found that this wooded area,
surrounded by miles of open fields, often produces good numbers of
spring migrant songbirds in late April and early May, though it's not
up to the standards of Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver.

Yesterday, the number of birds was small, but there was a good variety
of species. The highlight was a DUSKY FLYCATCHER which I heard several
times giving snatches of song, although I did not see it. The Dusky
seems to be a very rare but regular spring migrant through Vancouver,
but I had never heard one SINGING here before. (Empids, unlike many
other songbirds, normally do not sing while on migration.) I heard via
the RBA that another Dusky was also reported yesterday from Queen
Elizabeth Park, so maybe there was a small movement of flycatchers
through the area?

Other migrants noted in the Boundary Bay wooded area were as follows:

Warbling Vireo 2
Hammond's Flycatcher 1
Hermit Thrush 1
Townsend's Warbler 3
Yellow-rumped Warbler 1 only (female)
Orange-crowned Warbler 1
Wilson's Warbler 3
Lincoln's Sparrow 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow 4

I also tallied at least 12 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, but these appeared to
be on territory rather than migrating.

Hopefully, we will see larger number of migrating songbirds soon--
it's been slim pickings so far!

Good luck and good birding,

Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net