This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's
Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, September 28, sponsored in part by the Wild
Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This update
was recorded at 1 PM on September 29. The RBA phone number is
(604) 737-3074.


Sightings for Wednesday, September 28, 2005

At the foot of 96th Street on Boundary Bay in Delta, shorebirds seen
included 6 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, 2 RED KNOTS, and 2
MARBLED GODWITS.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, sightings included 3 BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS, an OSPREY, 6 SANDHILL CRANES, and an early SNOW
GOOSE.


Sightings for Tuesday, September 27, 2005

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, 2 late CLIFF SWALLOWS, 2 WHITE-THROATED
SPARROWS, and an AMERICAN KESTREL were seen.


Sightings for Monday, September 26, 2005

At Iona Island in Richmond, a PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER was present in the
Southeast sewage pond.

Along the Boundary Bay foreshore in Delta, between 96th and 112th
Streets, noteworthy birds seen included a SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER,
3 MARBLED GODWITS, 8 RED KNOTS, 7 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS,
a high count for September of 48 DUNLIN, and a drake EURASIAN WIGEON.

In North Vancouver, a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen in the
2100 block of Berkley. This may be the same bird seen about 10 days
earlier in the 1900 block.


Sightings for Sunday, September 25, 2005

In Delta, a BAR-TAILED GODWIT was still present near the foot of 104th
Street on Boundary Bay. Also seen on the Boundary Bay shoreline between 96th
and 112th Streets were 3 MARBLED GODWITS, 3 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, and 2
RED KNOTS.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta were 2 immature BLACK-CROWNED
NIGHT-HERONS and a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. Also in Delta, 4
MARBLED GODWITS were at the lagoon on the north side of the
Tsawwassen ferry jetty, and the WILLET was near the base of the
jetty on the south side.

A FRANKLIN'S GULL was seen from a ferry off the end of the Roberts Bank
jetty in Delta.

Outside the Vancouver area, on the trail near Needle Peak, near the
Coquihalla Summit on Highway 5 northeast of Hope, 6 WHITE-TAILED
PTARMIGAN, 3 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS, and several CLARK'S
NUTCRACKERS were seen.


Sightings for Saturday, September 24, 2005

A RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER was seen along the east dyke trail at
the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta. This is undoubtedly the same
bird seen there on September 18, although it has been elusive
and hard to find.

At the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond were a SHARP-TAILED
SANDPIPER, a PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, and 20 PECTORAL
SANDPIPERS, all in the southwest pond.

On the west side of Stanley Park in Vancouver, at and near Ferguson Point,
were 12 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS.

At least 30 COMMON TERNS were seen along the beach in White Rock.


Sightings for Friday, September 23, 2005

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen at an undisclosed location
in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Thursday, September 22, 2005

In Vancouver's Stanley Park, a WILSON'S SNIPE was seen at
Lost Lagoon, and 4 HERMIT THRUSHES along the Cathedral Trail nearby.


Sightings for Wednesday, September 21, 2005

At the pilings near the foot of 96th Street on the shore of Boundary Bay,
Delta, a juvenile LITTLE STINT was well seen and photographed from
6 PM onward. It was with a flock of WESTERN SANDPIPERS,
SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, and other shorebirds. The stint may
have been there the previous evening as well, but was not
conclusively identified then.

The BAR-TAILED GODWIT was also seen on the Boundary Bay shoreline
near the foot of 104th Street.

On the Tsawwassen ferry jetty, also in Delta, a RUDDY TURNSTONE
was seen with 6 BLACK TURNSTONES at the lagoon on the north side.

In Vancouver, a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen near 34th Avenue
and Pine Street.


Sightings for Tuesday, September 20, 2005

The BAR-TAILED GODWIT was still present along the Boundary Bay foreshore
East of 104th Street in Delta, as were several RED KNOTS.

Off the foot of Beecher Street in Crescent Beach, Surrey, a flock of
about 500 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS was accompanied by 2 AMERICAN
GOLDEN-PLOVERS, a PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, 11 RED KNOTS,
a MARBLED GODWIT, and a few early DUNLIN.

At Surrey Lake Park, off 152nd Street in Surrey, were a GREEN HERON,
2 OSPREYS, 2 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 6 EURASIAN WIGEON, and
at least 200 AMERICAN PIPITS.

Near Downes Bowl Park in Abbotsford, 11 EVENING GROSBEAKS and a RED-
BREASTED SAPSUCKER were reported.


If you have any questions about birds or birding in the Vancouver area,
please call Wayne at (604) 597-7201, Viveka at (604) 531-3401, or Larry
at (604) 465-1402. Thank you for calling the Vancouver Rare Bird Alert,
and good birding.


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/


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