This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Wednesday, August 15th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds
Unlimited, with stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This update
was recorded at 10 AM on August 16th. The RBA telephone number is
(604) 737-3074.


Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERT for a male PAINTED BUNTING at Johnson?s Landing on Kootenay Lake in southeastern B.C.


Sightings for Wednesday, August 15

The male PAINTED BUNTING at Johnson?s Landing on Kootenay Lake was seen at the feeder at about 7:20 AM, but did not reappear for the rest of the day.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, birds noted included 8 juvenile STILT SANDPIPERS, one PECTORAL SANDPIPER, a GREEN HERON, a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, a MARBLED GODWIT, and 14 BANK SWALLOWS.

Two BANK SWALLOWS were seen at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Tuesday, August 14

A male PAINTED BUNTING appeared twice in the afternoon at a feeder at Johnson?s Landing, at the north end of Kootenay Lake in southeastern BC. This species is accidental in the province.

A TENNESSEE WARBLER was seen and photographed near the main pond at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver, and 4 BAIRD?S SANDPIPERS were seen nearby.

Birds seen at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary included 10 STILT SANDPIPERS, a GREEN HERON, a MARBLED GODWIT, 7 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, a BULLOCK?S ORIOLE, and 2 SANDHILL CRANES.

At Iona Island in Richmond were a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, 2 STILT SANDPIPERS, and 30 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS. Another STILT SANDPIPER was at the Beach Grove lagoon in Delta, at the east foot of 12th Avenue on Boundary Bay. One more STILT SANDPIPER and 3 WILSON?S PHALAROPES were at the pond on Highway 17 near Deltaport Way in Delta.

At the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta were 10 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, 50 BLACK TURNSTONES, and 3 SURFBIRDS, plus the WILLET at the base of the jetty.

A PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER was seen with BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS near the foot of 112th Street on Boundary Bay, and 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were in a pond on the golf course on 72nd Street.

6 COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were seen at Como Lake in Coquitlam.


Sightings for Monday, August 13

At Blackie Spit in Surrey were a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, a COMMON TERN, and several PURPLE MARTINS.


Sightings for Sunday, August 12

A high count of 4 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were noted along 96th Street in Delta, about 100 metres south of Hornby Drive. Also of interest in the Boundary Bay area were a PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, several DUNLIN, and a BANK SWALLOW, the first of the fall, near the foot of 96th Street. The golden-plover was relocated later at high tide with a roosting flock of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER off 104th Street and north of Highway 99.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, noteworthy birds included 2 STILT SANDPIPERS, a BANK SWALLOW, a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, a MARBLED GODWIT, and 15 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES.

At the Stawamus Chief on Highway 99 near Squamish, north of Vancouver, a GOLDEN EAGLE was being harassed by several other birds including a TURKEY VULTURE. Six BLACK SWIFTS and several RED CROSSBILLS were also seen at the Squamish River estuary.


Sightings for Saturday, August 11

One EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE was seen walking on 96th Street about a block south of Hornby Drive in Delta.

Nearby at the foot of 104th Street, 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, one PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, 12 BAIRD?S SANDPIPERS, and 70 SANDERLINGS were seen among a flock of 800 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, sightings included 2 STILT SANDPIPERS, 14 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, a MARBLED GODWIT, 4 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 7 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, and a bird which appeared to be a pure BLACK DUCK.


Sightings for Friday, August 10

A PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER was seen near the foot of 96th Street on Boundary Bay in Delta with about 1000 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS. Also there were 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES and about 300 SANDERLINGS.

At Lighthouse Marine Park in Point Roberts, Washington were 300 RHINOCEROS AUKLETS and 4 HEERMANN?S GULLS.

2 WHIMBRELS were seen at the lagoon on the north side of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver were 8 RED CROSSBILLS.


Sightings for Thursday, August 9

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta were 17 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, a MARBLED GODWIT, 2 STILT SANDPIPERS, a GREEN HERON, and a PEREGRINE FALCON.

The Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond featured 3 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES and one WILSON?S PHALAROPE.

A GREEN HERON was seen from the rowing complex near the west end of Burnaby Lake in Burnaby.


Sightings for Wednesday, August 8

The male INDIGO BUNTING, present since late June, was still actively singing along the Mundy Creek trail at Colony Farm Regional Park in Coquitlam, close to the park entrance from the Lougheed Highway.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary were 21 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, a WILSON?S PHALAROPE, 2 STILT SANDPIPERS, a MARBLED GODWIT, a GREEN HERON, and a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON.

Two EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen along 96th Street in Delta just south of Hornby Drive. Near the foot of 112th Street were 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES and 15 BAIRD?S SANDPIPERS.

An ANNA?S HUMMINGBIRD was seen at the Semiahmoo Recreation Centre in White Rock, and a GREEN HERON was at Elgin Heritage Park in Surrey.


Sightings for Tuesday, August 7

One EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE was seen near the intersection of Hornby Drive and 96th Street in Delta, and another near River Road at 34th Street, also in Delta.

A PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER was between 104th and 112th Streets on Boundary Bay, and 100 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS were in the same area.

Near the foot of 96th Street were 2 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES along with thousands of other shorebirds.

Three WHIMBRELS, 5 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, 10 BRANDT?S CORMORANTS, and 20 BLACK TURNSTONES were seen from the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta.

At the Iona Island sewage ponds were 2 WILSON?S PHALAROPES, 10 BLACK SWIFTS, and 6 PURPLE MARTINS.

Ten RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver were a BAIRD?S SANDPIPER and 6 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS.

A GREEN HERON was seen at the Dunsmuir community gardens near Blackie Spit in Surrey, and 52 RHINOCEROS AUKLETS were counted off the foot of Beecher Avenue at nearby Crescent Beach.


Sightings for Monday, August 6

A TURKEY VULTURE was seen along Allard Crescent near 208th Street in Langley, and a RED-EYED VIREO was feeding fledglings nearby.

Seven RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, a GREEN HERON, and a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON were at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.

Two TENNESSEE WARBLERS, a very rare migrant, were reported from a yard in the Tsawwassen district of Delta.


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Sightings for Sunday, August 5

Six RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, a WILSON?S PHALAROPE, a GREEN HERON, and a MARBLED GODWIT were at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.

At the Tsawwassen ferry terminal were 8 BRANT, 6 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, 20 BLACK TURNSTONES, and 4 WHIMBRELS, plus the WILLET near the base of the ferry jetty.

A LONG-BILLED CURLEW and several DUNLIN were at Blackie Spit in Surrey.

Four BAIRD?S SANDPIPERS and several SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS were near the foot of 96th Street on Boundary Bay, and 52 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, an AMERICAN KESTREL, and 2 PEREGRINE FALCONS were nearby at the foot of 104th Street.

Two EASTERN KINGBIRDS and an AMERICAN BITTERN were seen at Colony Farm Regional Park in Coquitlam.

Two WILSON?S PHALAROPES were in the NE pond at the Iona sewage ponds.

Five BLACK SWIFTS were seen flying over North Vancouver.

Four COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were seen in south Burnaby near Byrne Road at Meadow Avenue, which is reportedly a regular location for this locally-rare species.


No sightings reported for Saturday, August 4


Sightings for Friday, August 3

At Grant Narrows Park at the south end of Pitt Lake, 2 EASTERN KINGBIRDS were seen.

A COMMON TERN, an early fall migrant, was seen over Lost Lagoon in Vancouver?s Stanley
Park.

At the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta, 9 BRANT were still present. Nearby, an American Kestrel was seen along Highway 17 near Splashdown Park.


Sightings for Thursday, August 2

The male INDIGO BUNTING, present since late June, was still singing along the Mundy Creek Trail in Colony Farm Regional Park, Coquitlam. This is close to the park entrance off the Lougheed Highway, (Highway 7).

At Lighthouse Marine Park on Point Roberts, WA were 50 RHINOCEROS AUKLETS, 3 COMMON MURRES, a RED-NECKED GREBE, and 2 HEERMANN?S GULLS.

Two WHIMBRELS were seen at the lagoon near the Tsawwassen ferry terminal. Also in Delta, 400 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS were roosting at high tide in a field along 34th Street south of River Road. This seems to be a regular roosting location and would be worth checking for rare shorebirds.

Two AMERICAN KESTRELS were seen near the mansion west of the foot of 96th Street on
Boundary Bay in Delta.


Sightings for Wednesday, August 1

The male INDIGO BUNTING was seen again along the Mundy Creek Trail in Colony Farm Park, Coquitlam. At least 2 male LAZULI BUNTINGS were also seen in the park.

At White Rock, a WILLET was seen on the beach, and 3 COMMON LOONS and 2 RED-NECKED GREBES were seen offshore.

Four BRANT were seen at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta.



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 http://naturevancouver.ca.



Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net