This is the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Monday, May 9, sponsored in part by the Wild
Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. The
RBA phone number is (604) 737-3074

The featured birds are CHIPPING SPARROW and GLAUCOUS GULL.


Sightings for Monday, May 9:

A PURPLE MARTIN was seen at Blackie Spit, along with 22 WHIMBREL and
a GREAT-HORNED OWL was along Farm Slough.


Sunday, May 8:

The Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver had 2 TURKEY
VULTURES overhead, and an adult GLAUCOUS GULL was along the Seawall
in Stanley Park between Siwash Rock and Prospect Point, before it
flew across Burrard Inlet towards the Capilano River.


Saturday, May 7:

A CHIPPING SPARROW was at Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver near the
lookout at top of the steps going to the lighthouse in bushes near an
equipment shack.


Friday, May 6:

2 SWAINSON'S THRUSHES and 6 YELLOW WARBLERS were at
Campbell Valley Park in Langley.

17 WHIMBREL could still be found in the polo field at the 17900 Block
of 8th Avenue in South Surrey.


Thursday, May 5:

Blackie Spit had a number of WHIMBREL and 4 or 5 BLACK-HEADED
GROSBEAKS.

Another BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK was at Burnaby Lake, along with 3
YELLOW WARBLERS.

About 250 WHIMBREL were seen near the border in a field off Highway
15 on the east side between a truck weigh station and the Canada
Customs building.

Up on Cypress Provincial Park there were 8 BLUE GROUSE, 2 RED-
BREASTED SAPSUCKERS and 2 TURKEY VULTURES.


Wednesday, May 4:

There were 200 to 300 PACIFIC LOONS at Point Roberts, along with 6
RHINOCEROS AUKLETS and 50 COMMON MURRES


Tuesday, May 3:

Reifel had 1 SANDHILL CRANE and 1 CACKLING GOOSE, while 12 BLACK
TURNSTONES were on the south side of the Tsawwassen Jetty, and a
GREEN HERON was at Beach Grove.


Monday, May 2:

A DUSKY FLYCATCHER was at Redwood Park on 20th Avenue in South
Surrey, while the polo field at the 17900 block of 8th Avenue had 60
WHIMBREL.

2 SORA, the first of the year, were heard along Grant Narrows in Pitt
Meadows.


Sunday, May 1:

At Grant Narrows Regional Park on Pitt Lake, a PALM WARBLER was
seen feeding with other warblers in trees along the "nature dyke",
about 100 metres from the start of the trail. Also seen or heard along
this dyke were 3 BULLOCK'S ORIOLES, a WESTERN TANAGER, 2
WARBLING VIREOS, 57 RING-NECKED DUCKS, an AMERICAN
BITTERN, and 2 BLUE GROUSE heard hooting in the distance.

Also at Grant Narrows, a LONG-BILLED CURLEW was seen at the
edge of the marsh, near the viewing tower just east of the boat launch.
Elsewhere in Pitt Meadows, a fourth BULLOCK'S ORIOLE was at the
parking lot for the Swan-e-set Golf Course, and two TRUMPETER
SWANS were in a field east of Neaves Road and south of the North
Alouette River.

A male CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD was seen at close range feeding from
an apple tree along one of the internal trails at the Reifel Bird
Sanctuary in Delta.

Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby had a significant fallout of migrants
including 20 TOWNSEND'S and 10 WILSON'S WARBLERS, single
WARBLING and CASSIN'S VIREOS, a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE,
and 2 HAMMOND'S and 4 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS.

Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver also had lots of
migrants including a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE and 3 WESTERN
TANAGERS.

On the north side of Burnaby Lake in Burnaby, around and near the
Nature House, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, two first-of-year BLACK-
HEADED GROSBEAKS, and a YELLOW WARBLER were reported.

Eight PURPLE MARTINS and 5 WHIMBRELS were at Blackie Spit in
Surrey.

At Iona Island in Richmond, the VESPER SPARROW did not reappear.
However, sightings there included 9 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GEESE, 3 male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS, an OSPREY,
a SPOTTED SANDPIPER, a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, and 4
BLUE-WINGED TEAL.

Finally, 4 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were at the Tsawwassen ferry jetty
In Delta.

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


This message was recorded and transcribed by John Kalman, and
distributed by Wayne Weber.

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