This is the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare Bird Alert for
Sunday, May 30, sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited, with
stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. The RBA phone number is
(604) 737-3074.


Sightings for Sunday, May 30th

There was a good fallout of migrants reported from the Grant Narrows
Nature Dyke in Pitt Meadows, with the highlights being an EASTERN
KINGBIRD and a GRAY CATBIRD, as well as big numbers of common
species. Along Rannie Road, a flock of 32 TURKEY VULTURES was
seen sitting in a field together.

In an unusual location was a MOURNING DOVE reported from Jericho Park
in Vancouver.


Sightings for Saturday, May 29th

In Pitt Meadows along the Grant Narrows Nature Dyke trail was a
singing YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT.

A breeding plumaged male HUDSONIAN GODWIT was found in the
flooded field west of Highway 17 and north of 34B Avenue, Delta.
Also here were 5 WILSON'S PHALAROPES and 6 LONG-BILLED
DOWITCHERS.

At the base of the Tsawwassen Jetty, Delta, was a MARBLED GODWIT.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, there were 8 BRANT, 8 WHIMBREL and 3
PURPLE MARTINS.

In Burns Bog, Delta, a flock of 8 PURPLE MARTINS was reported.


No sightings reported for Friday, May 28th


Sightings for Thursday, May 27th

In Pitt Meadows, a singing GRAY CATBIRD was still present by the
yellow gate about 1 km south of the parking lot at Grant Narrows. At
the Swan-e-set Golf Course along Rannie Road, there was a GREEN
HERON.

A BANK SWALLOW was seen hunting over the pond at Colony Farm, Port
Coquitlam.

There were dozens of BLACK SWIFTS seen in various parts of Richmond
today, including Iona Island, where they were joined by a BANK SWALLOW
over the outer pond.


Sightings for Wednesday, May 26th

The HUDSONIAN GODWIT was again reported offshore from the Reifel
Bird Sanctuary, Delta. Also seen there were 2 WILSON'S PHALAROPES,
2 AMERICAN BITTERNS, a GREEN HERON, a TURKEY VULTURE, 50
BLACK SWIFTS and a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE.

The following birds were reported from Colony Farm, Coquitlam and Port
Coquitlam: an AMERICAN BITTERN, 2 BULLOCK'S ORIOLES, and 6
male and 1 female LAZULI BUNTINGS.

At the Iona Island sewage ponds, Richmond, were a SOLITARY
SANDPIPER and a BANK SWALLOW.


Sightings for Tuesday, May 25th

There was no relocation of the NORTHERN PARULA today.

In the Grant Narrows area of Pitt Meadows, 3 EASTERN KINGBIRDS
were reported.

Out of town, a female RUFF was found today in Somenos Marsh in the
Duncan area on Vancouver Island. The bird is in the long field down
behind the golf driving range off Beverly Street. It was in the
company of 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS.


Sightings for Monday, May 24th

RARE BIRD ALERT! A singing male NORTHERN PARULA was seen
and heard briefly along the Grant Narrows Nature Dyke in Pitt Meadows.
The bird was seen in cottonwood trees just before the wooden foot
bridge which is at the halfway mark of the trail when travelling
toward the viewing tower. Also seen in Pitt Meadows in the woodlot
2 km south of the Grant Narrows Parking lot was a LEWIS'S
WOODPECKER. Also from this stretch of road was a GRAY CATBIRD.

In the West Field at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, Delta, there was a
RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, a WILSON'S PHALAROPE and
overhead, 4 TURKEY VULTURES.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey were 12 WHIMBREL, a GREEN HERON
and 10 PURPLE MARTINS


Sightings for Sunday, May 23rd

At the foot of 104th Street in Delta, the HOUSE WREN was again
singing on territory and on the dyke just to the east were the 2
WESTERN KINGBIRDS and a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. Off 112th
Street was a flock of 12 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 6
SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, a LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER, a
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, 2 DUNLINS and 12 WESTERN
SANDPIPERS.

At Burnaby Mountain Park, Burnaby, was a GOLDEN EAGLE. Also
reported from this location was a good fallout of warblers.

At Colony Farm, off Shaughnessy Street in Port Coquitlam, the
2 WESTERN KINGBIRDS were again present near the first large
power pylon. Also seen at Colony Farm were 8 LAZULI BUNTINGS
near the institute and a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE.

At the Iona Island sewage ponds, Richmond, the PACIFIC GOLDEN-
PLOVER was again present, along with a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER.

In Pitt Meadows, a WESTERN KINGBIRD was seen along Rannie Road.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, 3 PURPLE MARTINS were seen near the nest
boxes. Of interest, one male had a red leg band on its left leg. There
were also 20 WHIMBRELS along the shoreline.

In the old subdivision north of the Boundary Bay Airport in Delta were
a WILLOW FLYCATCHER and a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE.

In the flooded field along Highway 17 north of 34A Avenue, Delta,
there were 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES and 3 WILSON'S
PHALAROPES.


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