This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Saturday, August 26, 2006, sponsored in part by the Wild
Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. 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.


Sightings for Saturday, August 26, 2006

Up to 4 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were seen on the turf farm west
of 72nd Street and north of 36th Avenue in Delta. Also here was at least
one BAIRD'S SANDPIPER and many KILLDEER.

At the foot of 104th Street in Delta were a juvenile RED KNOT, a juvenile
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, and a RUDDY TURNSTONE. Four
more RED KNOTS were seen about 1.5 km east of 72nd Street along
Boundary Bay. A very early LAPLAND LONGSPUR was seen along
the Boundary Bay dyke near 96th Street.

At the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta were 5 SURFBIRDS, 50
BLACK TURNSTONES, 6 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, and 3
RUDDY TURNSTONES. The Ruddies were seen near the
compensation lagoon on the north side of the jetty.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, 17 RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES were seen in the West Field.

At Hastings Park in Vancouver, a GREEN HERON was at one
of the ponds, surrounded by the hubbub of the Pacific
National Exhibition.

In Surrey, at the north foot of 186th Street, 3 PURPLE MARTINS
were feeding overhead, an odd location for this species.


Sightings for Friday, August 25

At the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond, a STILT SANDPIPER and
2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were seen in the NW pond.

At the 72nd Street turf farm in Delta, 2 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS
and a probable AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER were seen.

Two RED KNOTS WERE seen west of the foot of 96th Street along the
Boundary Bay shoreline in Delta.

At the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta were 2 juvenile RUDDY
TURNSTONES and 2 SURFBIRDS.

Two GREAT HORNED OWLS were seen in the abandoned residential
area north of the Boundary Bay Airport in Delta, east of 72nd Street
and north of Churchill Avenue.


Sightings for Thursday, August 24

A BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was seen with about 150 KILLDEER
on the turf farm west of 72nd Street and north of 36th Avenue in Delta.

A MARBLED GODWIT was near the foot of 96th Street on Boundary
Bay.

At the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, a SURFBIRD, 2 RUDDY TURNSTONES
and 110 BLACK TURNSTONES were seen.


Sightings for Wednesday, August 23

In Delta, 2 juvenile RED KNOTS and a juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN-
PLOVER were seen along the Boundary Bay dyke between 88th and
96th Streets, among 1000 or more BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS.


Sightings for Tuesday, August 22

At the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond were 2 RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES, 6 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, and a SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPER among other shorebirds. At the entrance to McDonald
Park on nearby Sea Island, an EASTERN KINGBIRD was still present.


Sightings for Monday, August 21

At the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond, a SOLITARY SANDPIPER
and a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE were present.


Sightings for Sunday, August 20

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, 3 juvenile RED KNOTS were reported among
other shorebirds.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, birds seen included 14 RED-
NECKED PHALAROPES in the West Field, 10 RED CROSSBILLS
near the viewing tower, 3 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS,
4 SANDHILL CRANES, and 2 late BULLOCK'S ORIOLES.


Sightings for Saturday, August 19

In Delta, a PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER was seen near the foot
of 104th Street on Boundary Bay.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, birds seen included 20 RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES, a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, and a GREEN HERON.


Sightings for Friday, August 18

On the Boundary Bay shoreline in Delta, a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER
was seen near the foot of 96th Street, and nearby was an adult RED KNOT.
Also, a MARBLED GODWIT was seen at the foot of 104th Street.

At the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond, noteworthy sightings included
a single RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, 10 juvenile SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPERS, and 12 juvenile BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS.

In Maple Ridge, near the junction of the Lougheed Highway and 203rd
Street, 5 COMMON NIGHTHAWKS 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
www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS/