This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's
Rare Bird Alert for Sunday, May 28, 2006, sponsored in part by
the Wild Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver.
This update was recorded at 8 AM on May 29. The RBA phone number
is 604-737-3074.


RARE BIRD ALERT for an OVENBIRD on May 27 in Pacific Spirit
Park, Vancouver.


Sightings for Sunday, May 28

In the Pitt Meadows area, 2 SANDHILL CRANES were seen near the
Swan-e-set Golf Course on Rannie Road, and 2 EASTERN KINGBIRDS
Near the bend on Rannie Road. At Grant Narrows, the first GRAY
CATBIRD of the year was noted. Also at Grant Narrows were many
other birds including 5 MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS, a late
GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROW, 2 BULLOCK'S ORIOLES, a
RED-EYED VIREO, and 2 BLACK SWIFTS.

At Colony Farm Regional Parks, birds seen included 2 LAZULI
BUNTINGS, 3 VAUX'S SWIFTS, and 5 RED-EYED VIREOS.

At Jericho Park in Vancouver was a PECTORAL SANDPIPER
on the east pond and a late RED-THROATED LOON and
7 CASPIAN TERNS offshore.

At Point Roberts, Washington were at least 4 singing HUTTON'S
VIREOS and a few late migrants including 5 PACIFIC LOONS
and 8 BRANT.


Sightings for Saturday, May 27

At about 10 AM, an OVENBIRD was heard singing but not seen
In Pacific Spirit Park, Vancouver. The bird was along the Salish
Trail, about halfway between Marine Drive and Chancellor
Boulevard, near the top of the hill coming up from Marine
Drive.

At Colony Farm Regional Park, a VNHS field trip produced
Many interesting birds including a WESTERN KINGBIRD and
3 LAZULI BUNTINGS on the Coquitlam side, and a GREEN
HERON, a VIRGINIA RAIL, a SORA, a MOURNING DOVE,
2 BLACK SWIFTS and 30 VAUX'S SWIFTS, most of
which were on the Port Coquitlam side.

Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Park had an ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD
And many migrants including an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER,
2 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES, a WILLOW FLYCATCHER, and
lots of warblers.

A late BLACK SCOTER was seen off the Tsawwassen jetty in
Delta, and a BLACK SWIFT near the Roberts Bank jetty.

Two PARASITIC JAEGERS were off Jericho Park in Vancouver.

Along the Boundary Bay dyke in Delta near the foot of 96th Street
Were 3 WESTERN KINGBIRDS and numerous late migrant
Shorebirds, including 125 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS,
10 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and 8 SEMIPALMATED
PLOVERS.


Sightings for Friday, May 26

At the Marine Park in Blaine, WA were 30 COMMON TERNS, 50
CASPIAN TERNS, 100 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, and 30
CEDAR WAXWINGS.


Sightings for Thursday, May 25

At least 7 PARASITIC JAEGERS, 100 BONAPARTE'S GULLS,
And one COMMON TERN were seen off Jericho Park in Vancouver.

At Iona Island in Richmond were a BANK SWALLOW, a WESTERN
KINGBIRD, 3 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 2 CINNAMON TEAL, and
4 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS.


Sightings for Wednesday, May 24

At Spanish Banks in Vancouver, at least 20 SABINE'S GULLS and
several ARCTIC TERNS were seen well offshore over English Bay.
The birds were seen in late afternoon from the westernmost parking
area along Marine Drive at Spanish Banks.

Two AMERICAN BITTERNS were at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary
In Delta, as were 43 late SNOW GEESE.


Sightings for Tuesday, May 23

A bird believed to be a BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW was seen
at about 8 PM at Iona Island, Richmond, along the shoreline
between the north and south jetties. The bright buffy rump and
tail, contrasting with a browner back, were well seen in flight.
The curlew could not be relocated during a search on Wednesday.

Of interest, a BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW was well seen and
photographed on May 22 near Astoria, Oregon. Observers should
carefully check any WHIMBRELS in the Vancouver area in case
one of them might be a BRISTLE-THIGHED CURLEW.

Also at Iona, a WESTERN KINGBIRD was seen inside the sewage
ponds.

In the 4900 block of Marine Drive in West Vancouver, near Lighthouse
Park, 2 CHIPPING SPARROWS and several late GOLDEN-CROWNED
SPARROWS were seen.


Sightings for Monday, May 22

At Grant Narrows Regional Park in Pitt Meadows, birds seen included
2 MUTE SWANS and a pair of RING-NECKED DUCKS in the marsh,
a TURKEY VULTURE, 12 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 3 BULLOCK'S
ORIOLES, and 6 SWAINSON'S THRUSHES. An EASTERN
KINGBIRD, the first of the year, was seen on Rannie Road just
past the big bend to the east. Father south on Rannie Road near the
southern boundary of the Pitt WMA were 25 BLACK SWIFTS, also
the first reported this year, and 2 VAUX'S SWIFTS. A pair of SANDHILL
CRANES were on the lawn at the entrance to the Swan-e-set Golf Course.
Also in the Pitt Lake and Pitt Meadows area were an AMERICAN BITTERN,
3 WILLOW FLYCATCHERS, and a total of at least 14 OSPREYS,
including 5 active nests.


Sightings for Sunday, May 21

At Colony Farm Regional Park on the Coquitlam side were a WESTERN
KINGBIRDS and at least 4 LAZULI BUNTINGS.

A COMMON MURRE at Jericho Park in Vancouver was late and at an
unusual locality.


Sightings for Saturday, May 20

At the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond were 2 CINNAMON TEAL
and 3 BLUE-WINGED TEAL. Both species have been scarce this year.
In the north outer pond at Iona were 2 YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS
and 2 VIRGINIA RAILS. On the beach areas at Iona were a few shorebirds
including 4 WHIMBRELS and 30 SANDERLINGS, plus 25 CASPIAN
TERNS. Five PURPLE MARTINS were at the nestboxes at Iona.

At Colony Farm Park, a male LAZULI BUNTING was seen on the
Coquitlam side and a CHIPPING SPARROW on the Port Coquitlam side.




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/