This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Tuesday, August 29, 2006, sponsored in part by the Wild
Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This message
was updated at 10 AM on August 30. 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 Tuesday, August 29, 2006

A CHUKAR, presumably escaped, was seen along 186th Street in Surrey,
about a block north of 96th Avenue.

At Blaine, Washington, a PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER was seen for
the second day in a row with other shorebirds on the mudflats on
the north side of Marine Drive, and a juvenile FRANKLIN'S GULL
was seen in the same area.

At the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta, one RUDDY TURNSTONE
was still present at the compensation lagoon on the north side.


Sightings for Monday, August 28

Two RUDDY TURNSTONES were seen at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal.

In Semiahmoo Bay off White Rock, a RHINOCEROS AUKLET and
at least 25 COMMON TERNS were seen.

At Blaine, Washington, a PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER was seen on
the mudflats on the north side of Marine Drive, and a GREEN HERON
at the boat launch on the south side of Marine Drive.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, 6 BANK SWALLOWS and a
BARN OWL were reported, along with the first LINCOLN'S
SPARROW of the fall.

At least 5 PURPLE MARTINS were feeding over Lillooet Road in North
Vancouver. At the nearby Maplewood Conservation Area, there were
numerous migrant songbirds including 8 WESTERN TANAGERS, 4
BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, 5 WARBLING VIREOS,
A HUTTON'S VIREO, and a RED-EYED VIREO.

A GREEN HERON and an OSPREY were at Ambleside Park in West
Vancouver.


Sightings for Sunday, August 27, 2006

Four RUDDY TURNSTONES were seen at the lagoon on the north side
of the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, and another was present in early
afternoon at the tip of the Iona Island south jetty in Richmond.

In Langley, along 208th Street near Yorkson Creek, birds seen included a
GREEN HERON, 3 TURKEY VULTURES, 2 SANDHILL CRANES, and
a BANK SWALLOW.

In the Port Kells area of Surrey, along 186th Street north of 96th
Avenue, at least 4 PURPLE MARTINS and one COMMON
NIGHTHAWK were seen.

In North Vancouver, in the 2100 block of Bowser Avenue, noteworthy
sightings included a TURKEY VULTURE, an OSPREY, and 12
VAUX'S SWIFTS.


Sightings for Saturday, August 26

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.



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/