This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Sunday, July 2, 2006, sponsored in part by the Wild
Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This message
was updated at 9 AM on July 3. The RBA phone number is 604-737-3074.


RARE BIRD ALERT for a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER and a
BAR-TAILED GODWIT on the north side of Boundary Bay, Delta.

Out of town, a male HOODED ORIOLE in Seattle, present since
early May, was seen thorough July 2. For updates on this bird,
check the TWEETERS E-mail group.


Sightings for Sunday, July 2, 2006

An adult WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was seen and photographed
about 10 AM near the "mansion", west of the foot of 96th Street on
Boundary Bay in Delta. A large concentration of shorebirds here
included 200 WESTERN, 40 LEAST, and 30 SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPERS, 10 DUNLIN, 140 BLACK-BELLIED and 6
SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, 4 LONG-BILLED and 20
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and 3 MARBLED GODWITS.
A BAR-TAILED GODWIT was also seen here later in the day.

At Cypress Provincial Park in West Vancouver, a LEAST
FLYCATCHER, apparently the first record for the park, was heard
singing but not seen at the Hi-View Lookout along the park
access road. Also here were 2 TURKEY VULTURES and a
MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER.

At Iona Island in Richmond, 2 YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS
were still at the "north outer pond" outside the sewage plant, as was
one BUFFLEHEAD.


Sightings for Saturday, July 1

At White Rock, 2 FRANKLIN'S GULLS were seen with a large flock
of BONAPARTE'S GULLS along the beach about 1 km west of the
White Rock pier. Farther east, of the mouth of the Campbell River,
were many waterbirds including 96 WESTERN GREBES and a
mixed flock of 250 SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS. A
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE was seen near the mouth of the Campbell
River.

At Campbell Valley Park in Langley, 2 YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLERS were seen near the 16th Avenue entrance.


Sightings for Friday, June 30

At Iona Island in Richmond, a freshly-dead LESSER NIGHTHAWK
was picked up. This is only the second record for BC, following
the first record off the west coast of Vancouver Island less than
a month ago. Diagnostic photographs of the bird were taken,
and the specimen will be deposited in the Cowan Vertebrate Museum
at the University of BC in Vancouver.


Sightings for Thursday, June 29

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, an out-of-season adult
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW was seen. Also noted
there were 12 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 4 LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, and a TUNDRA SWAN. Two AMERICAN
BITTERNS were heard "pumping" in the outer marsh there.
Except for the sparrow, all these birds had been present since
at least June 24.

In North Delta, 2 BLACK SWIFTS were seen overhead near the
intersection of Monroe Drive and 112th Street.

At Campbell Valley Regional Park in Langley, 5 RED-EYED
VIREOS were heard singing along the Shaggy Mane trail.


Sightings for Wednesday, June 28

At Colony Farm Park in Coquitlam, 3 LAZULI BUNTINGS
were present near the Forensic Institute on the west side,
and a pair of BULLOCK'S ORIOLES with a nest were
present at the mouth of the Coquitlam River.

In Surrey, a MERLIN was seen on 27A Avenue near 172nd Street.

Two COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were seen at Fraser River Park
in South Burnaby, a regular spot for this species.


Sightings for Tuesday, June 27

Another MERLIN was seen in the Walnut Grove area of Langley,
along 208th Street near the Yorkson Creek crossing.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, 2 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS
were seen. This is a rare breeding species around Vancouver,
although it has bred previously at Reifel.


Sightings for Monday, June 26

Another YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was seen, in Vancouver's
Stanley Park, near the rose gardens south of Beaver Lake.


Sightings for Sunday, June 25

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, a GREAT HORNED OWL,
an OSPREY, and a TURKEY VULTURE were seen, as well
as the summering TUNDRA SWAN.


Sightings for Saturday, June 24

An ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER was seen by several observers
on Iona Island, Richmond, along the west side of the outer pond.
A summering BUFFLEHEAD was also seen in the pond.

This is the last date on record for the singing ALDER FLYCATCHER
just southeast of Surrey Lake Park, off 152nd Street in Surrey.

Several CASPIAN TERNS were heard calling about 11 PM over
Robson Street in downtown Vancouver. Where they were
going is anybody's guess.


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/