This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Wednesday, August 9, 2006, sponsored in part by the Wild
Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This message
was updated at 8 PM on July 10. The RBA phone number is 604-737-3074.

If you have a report, please leave your full name, telephone number, date
and exact location of your sighting, including numbers of birds wherever
possible. If you want to skip the update, press the pound key on your
phone,
otherwise please wait until the end of this update to leave your message.


RARE BIRD ALERT for a probable GARGANEY at the Iona Island
sewage ponds, Richmond, on August 9.

Out of town RARE BIRD ALERT for a BLUE-FOOTED BOOBY seen
and photographed in flight from Samish Island, Washington on
August 7. For information on any further sightings of this bird,
please check the TWEETERS E-mail group.


Sightings for Wednesday, August 9, 2006

A bird strongly believed to be a female or eclipse-plumage male
GARGANEY was seen in the northwest pond at the Iona Island
sewage ponds in Richmond. This bird may have been present there for 10
days or more, but was not identified to the observer's satisfaction until
today. Small numbers of shorebirds were also present, including at
least 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER.


No sightings for Tuesday, August 8


Sightings for Monday, August 7

3 EVENING GROSBEAKS, the first seen locally in awhile, were at
DeBoville Slough in Coquitlam, and another 10 were sat Grant Narrows
Park on Pitt Lake. A GREEN HERON was also at DeBoville Slough.

A WANDERING TATTLER was seen at Lighthouse Park in West
Vancouver, and 3 GREEN HERONS, including 2 adults and an immature,
were at Ambleside Park, also in West Vancouver.


Sightings for Sunday, August 6

A HEERMANN'S GULL, first of the season, was seen at the tip of the
Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta. Also seen around the jetty were 15 MEW
GULLS, 100 BLACK TURNSTONES, an unseasonable BRANDT'S
CORMORANT, 20 HARLEQUIN DUCKS, 7 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS,
a WHIMBREL, and at the jetty base on the south side, a WILLET.

Two EASTERN KINGBIRDS were seen at McDonald Beach on Sea Island,
Richmond, and 3 RUDDY DUCKS were in the outer pond at Iona Island.


Sightings for Saturday, August 5

Five ROCK PTARMIGAN, an adult female and 4 young, were seen and
photographed on the trail to Mount Cheam, east of Chilliwack. This may
be the first-ever sighting in the Cascades of BC. In addition, two
families of WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN and about 200 GRAY-
CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES were seen on Mount Cheam.


Sightings for Friday, August 4

A male LAZULI BUNTING was reported from near the intersection of
234th Street and Dewdney Trunk Road in Maple Ridge.


Sightings for Thursday, August 3

A high count of 97 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES was reported from
the Boundary Bay dyke in Delta, at the mansion west of the foot of
96th Street.

At Grant Narrows Park on Pitt Lake, a GRAY CATBIRD and 8
EASTERN KINGBIRDS were reported.

A GREEN HERON was seen flying under the Cambie Street bridge
in Vancouver.


Sightings for Wednesday, August 2

A WILSON'S PHALAROPE was at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in
Delta, as was a subadult BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON which
is being seen daily.


Sightings for Tuesday, August 1, 2006

Near the foot of 96th Street on Boundary Bay were 32 RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES and a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER.

At the NW sewage pond on Iona Island, Richmond, were a SOLITARY
SANDPIPER and a WILSON'S PHALAROPE.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary were another WILSON'S PHALAROPE,
as well as a WILLET which appeared to have an injured leg.


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
www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS/