This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's
Rare Bird Alert for Sunday, May 14, 2006, sponsored in part by
the Wild Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver.
This update was recorded at noon on May 15. The RBA phone
number is 604-737-3074.


Sightings for Sunday, May 14

At Cypress Provincial Park in West Vancouver, birds seen included a
TURKEY VULTURE, 10 TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, 3 MACGILLIVRAY'S
WARBLERS, an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, and 5 BAND-TAILED
PIGEONS.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, 2 BULLOCK'S ORIOLES, 2
BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS, and 2 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GEESE were seen. In the wooded area north of the Boundary Bay
Airport, also in Delta, an ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD and 2 SWAINSON'S
THRUSHES were reported.

A single PECTORAL SANDPIPER was noted at the Iona I. sewage ponds
in Richmond. Also at Iona were a WESTERN KINGBIRD near the park
washrooms, and a PURPLE MARTIN at the nestboxes on the North
Arm of the Fraser River.

Two OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS and a HERMIT THRUSH were at
Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Park.

Outside the Vancouver checklist area, the monthly bird count at the
Squamish Estuary in Squamish produced 77 species, including a
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, 2 BLUE-WINGED TEAL,
3 TURKEY VULTURES, a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD,
and a CHIPPING SPARROW.


Sightings for Saturday, May 13

At Minnekhada Regional Park in Coquitlam, birds noted included 9
RING-NECKED DUCKS, a SANDHILL CRANE, 2 RED-BREASTED
SAPSUCKERS, 12 BAND-TAILED PIGEONS, a RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCH, several SWAINSON'S THRUSHES, and 6 BLACK-HEADED
GROSBEAKS.

At Campbell Valley Park in Langley, a HUTTON'S VIREO, a CASSIN'S
VIREO, and many warblers were reported.

Birds seen at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver included a NASHVILLE
WARBLER, an ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, a HUTTON'S VIREO, 50
WILSON'S WARBLERS, 4 TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS, 8 ORANGE-
CROWNED WARBLERS, and 5 WARBLING VIREOS.

A CHIPPING SPARROW was seen at Maplewood Conservation Area in
North Vancouver.

Forty WHIMBREL were seen at Blackie Spit in Surrey.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, an AMERICAN BITTERN and 300
SNOW GEESE were still present.


Sightings for Friday, May 12th

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, there were 3 RED KNOTS, 6 WHIMBRELS,
6 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, and 15 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS.

Near the foot of 104th Street in Delta on Boundary Bay were 45 GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and an immature BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-
HERON in the ditch.

Six TURKEY VULTURES were seen in Langley near the intersection of
40th Avenue and 228th Street.

An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was singing at Sunnyside Woods in Surrey.


Sightings for Thursday, May 11

At Campbell Valley Park in Langley, 4 SWAINSON'S THRUSHES, the
first of the year, were heard calling along the Vine Maple Trail. Also
seen in the park were 6 YELLOW WARBLERS, 2 BLACK-HEADED
GROSBEAKS, a HUTTON'S VIREO, 2 WESTERN TANAGERS, and
a flock of 14 BAND-TAILED PIGEONS.

A late SNOWY OWL, perhaps Vancouver's latest ever, was along
the west shoreline of Sea Island, Richmond, and a drake BLUE-WINGED
TEAL was in the ditch on McDonald Road, Sea Island.

Two SANDHILL CRANES were seen off Allard Crescent in North Langley,
in an area where cranes are suspected to breed.

At Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Park, a WESTERN KINGBIRD, 10
WESTERN TANAGERS, and many warblers were seen.


Sightings for Wednesday, May 10

At Vancouver's Stanley Park, a CHIPPING SPARROW was seen in
the Rose Garden south of Beaver Lake.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, sightings included 2 WILSON'S
PHALAROPES, 350 late SNOW GEESE, a late TUNDRA SWAN, and
an AMERICAN BITTERN.


Sightings for Tuesday, May 9

A PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER was seen at Blackie Spit in Surrey,
as were 2 BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS.

At Grant Narrows in Pitt Meadows, a MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER
and a CASSIN"S VIREO were seen among other migrants.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, a TURKEY VULTURE and 21 GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were reported.


Sightings for Monday, May 8

At the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond, birds seen included a
SOLITARY SANDPIPER, a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, 3
LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, 62 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, 390
late SNOW GEESE, and an OSPREY were observed.


Sightings for Sunday, May 7

At Iona Island, sightings included a PECTORAL SANDPIPER, a
SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, a SOLITARY SANDPIPER, two
RUDDY TURNSTONES, and many VAUX'S SWIFTS.

Twelve WHIMBRELS were present along the mouth of the
Nicomekl River in Blackie Spit Park, Surrey.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver, the
SANDHILL CRANE was still present, and migrants included
a TURKEY VULTURE, a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, a PACIFIC-
SLOPE FLYCATCHER, a WARBLING VIREO, and many warblers.

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW appeared in the Tsawwassen
area of Delta, and an AMERICAN BITTERN was seen at Blaney
Bog in Maple Ridge.


Sightings for Saturday, May 6

At the Maplewood Conservation area, the arrival BLUE-WINGED
TEAL was noted. Also seen were 2 CASPIAN TERNS, 60 VAUX'S
SWIFTS, a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, and several WESTERN
TANAGERS.

At Iona Island, a SOLITARY SANDPIPER, 2 SEMIPALMATED
PLOVERS, and 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS were seen in the
sewage ponds, and 9 YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS were
in the north outer pond. Also seen were 40 VAUX'S SWIFTS,
and a RUDDY TURNSTONE and 67 CASPIAN TERNS along
the shoreline.

At Pitt Meadows, birds seen included 16 TURKEY VULTURES, 4 SANDHILL
CRANES, and a late PEREGRINE FALCON along Rannie Road, and a
NASHVILLE WARBLER and a CASSIN'S VIREO among many migrants
along the nature dyke at Grant Narrows. In the Katzie Marsh at Pitt Lake
were 11 RING-NECKED DUCKS and two late swans, believed to be
TRUMPETER SWANS.

In the Southlands area of Vancouver, 2 YELLOW WARBLERS and
a WARBLING VIREO were seen.



If you have any questions about birds or birding in the Vancouver
area, please call Wayne at (604) 597-7201, Viveka at 531-3401, or
Larry at 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/