Subject: Vancouver, BC RBA for May 6, 2004
Date: May 10 23:42:26 2004
From: Wayne C. Weber - contopus at telus.net


This is the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare Bird Alert for
Thursday, May 6, sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited, with
stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. The RBA phone number is
(604) 737-3074.


Sightings for Thursday, May 6th

In a field near the corner of Highway 15 (176th Street) and 8th Ave in
Surrey were 53 WHIMBREL.


Sightings for Wednesday, May 5th

A flock of 12 BLACK SWIFTS was reported from Richmond.

A CHIPPING SPARROW was found in Burnaby Mountain Park, Burnaby.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, 10 WHIMBREL were reported foraging on the
mudflats.


Sightings for Tuesday, May 4th

At Colony Farm in Port Coquitlam, a VESPER SPARROW was found
today. The bird was found along the dyke near the Indian Reserve
close to a yellow gate. Also in this area was a CHIPPING SPARROW.

At the base of 104th Street in Delta, a singing HOUSE WREN was
found in the yard across the road from the Delta Air Park parking lot.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver, two
SPOTTED SANDPIPERS were found, as were two BAND-TAILED PIGEONS.

The past couple of days of unsettled weather has had good
movements of migratory birds, with large numbers of WARBLERS,
VIREOS, THRUSHES, FLYCATCHERS, TANAGERS, VAUX'S
SWIFTS, BULLOCK'S ORIOLES and BLACK-HEADED
GROSBEAKS being reported.


Sightings for Monday, May 3rd

In an unusual location was a report of a MOURNING DOVE seen at
Maplewood Conservation Area, North Vancouver.


Sightings for Sunday, May 2nd:

The change in the weather has finally brought widespread movements
of birds with many small fallouts being reported. There were
widespread reports of WILSON'S WARBLERS, ORANGE-CROWNED
WARBLERS, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, BLACK-THROATED
GRAY WARBLERS and WARBLING VIREOS.

A singing DUSKY FLYCATCHER was found in the small quarry below
the Seasons Restaurant in Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver. Also
reported from around the park were WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES,
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS, PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS,
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS, TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS,
MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS, CASSIN'S VIREOS, HUTTON'S
VIREOS, LINCOLN'S SPARROWS and EVENING GROSBEAKS.

>From the top of Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby there was a similar story
for migrants, with the highlights being a possible CALLIOPE
HUMMINGBIRD, 2 MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS and an
out-of-place GREATER YELLOWLEGS.

Along the Grant Narrows Dyke in Pitt Meadows another small fallout
was reported, with the highlights being BULLOCK'S ORIOLE,
4 WESTERN TANAGERS, 2 YELLOW WARBLERS, one
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, 2 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES,
a SORA, 2 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS and dozens of VAUX'S SWIFTS.

A WESTERN MEADOWLARK was reported in a field along the
Boundary Bay dyke between 104th and 112th Streets in Delta.

At Minnekhada Park in Coquitlam, 5 BLUE GROUSE and 3
RING-NECKED DUCKS were reported.

The 7 PURPLE MARTINS were again reported from the Maplewood
Conservation Area in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Saturday, May 1st:

A FRANKLIN'S GULL was seen briefly at Blackie Spit in Surrey.
Also reported from this location were 5 PURPLE MARTINS, 2
CINNAMON TEAL and 6 WHIMBREL.

At the foot of 104th Street in Delta, a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER
was found amongst high numbers of peeps.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, the following birds were
reported: 2 YELLOW WARBLERS, several WILSON'S WARBLERS,
a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, several ORANGE-CROWNED
WARBLERS, many YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and a
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER.

In the 13,000 block of South Surrey were a WESTERN TANAGER and a
CHIPPING SPARROW.

Another CHIPPING SPARROW was reported from Cecil Green Park,
behind the Anthropology Museum at UBC in Vancouver.

At Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, 3 BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS were reported.

The following birds were reported from Maplewood Conservation Area
in North Vancouver: 7 PURPLE MARTINS, 2 RED CROSSBILLS, 2
WARBLING VIREOS and 2 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS.


Sightings for Friday, April 30th:

There were 2 WESTERN TANAGERS and a WILSON'S WARBLER at
Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver.

5 PURPLE MARTINS and a WHIMBREL were at Blackie Spit, Surrey.

2 nesting GREEN HERONS could still be found on an island in Ambleside
Park pond, West Vancouver.

Pitt Meadows had the arrival SWAINSON'S THRUSH, 2 km south of
Grant Narrows. Also here was a late ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. Another
SWAINSON'S THRUSH was seen at Minnekhada Park, Coquitlam.



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

This transcript was prepared by Rick Toochin and distributed by Wayne
Weber.


End Transcript

For further information on birding in the Vancouver area, log onto the
Vancouver Natural History Society's web site at
http://www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS/


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