This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Thursday, July 19th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds
Unlimited, with stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This update was
recorded at 10:00 AM on July 20th. The RBA telephone number is (604)
737-3074.


RARE BIRD ALERT for a LESSER SAND-PLOVER, last reported on July 17, and a
TENNESSEE WARBLER and an INDIGO BUNTING, last reported on July 15.


Sightings for Thursday, July 19

A juvenile FRANKLIN'S GULL was seen by several observers on the beach at
Iona Island, Richmond. Also at Iona, but mainly in the sewage ponds, were
many shorebirds including a WILSON'S PHALAROPE, 30 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS,
and at least 3000 WESTERN SANDPIPERS.

A PECTORAL SANDPIPER and a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER were among other
shorebirds at the Beach Grove lagoon, at the east foot of 12th Avenue on the
west side of Boundary Bay in Delta. Another PECTORAL SANDPIPER and 3
WILSON'S PHALAROPES were at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.


Sightings for Wednesday, July 18th

At the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta, the WILLET had returned to the jetty
base, and other birds seen along the jetty included a WHIMBREL, 7 RHINOCEROS
AUKLETS, 17 HARLEQUIN DUCKS, 4 BLACK TURNSTONES, and 3 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, 6 BLACK SWIFTS and 3 BONAPARTE'S
GULLS were seen.


Sightings for Tuesday, July 17th

The LESSER SAND-PLOVER was seen briefly about 7:15 AM at the foot of 104th
Street on Boundary Bay in Delta. This is the most recent sighting known to
us. Nearby, at the foot of 96th Street, a HUDSONIAN GODWIT was reported,
along with hordes of peeps, including 30 SEMIPALMATED, 250 LEAST, and about
8000 WESTERN SANDPIPERS.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, 2 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were seen.

A MERLIN was chasing swallows in North Langley near 208th Street and 102B
Avenue.


Sightings for Monday, July 16th

The adult LESSER SAND-PLOVER (formerly called Mongolian Plover) was present
from at least 7:00 to 9:30 AM on the Boundary Bay tideflats near the foot of
104th Street in Delta. This bird has now been seen for 5 days in a row, but
for the last four, has been seen only at the morning high tide and not at
the evening high tide. It appears to be either a female, or a male in
somewhat faded breeding plumage, but still has a bright cinnamon band across
the breast.

At The Reifel Bird Sanctuary, an out-of-season SNOW GOOSE and a TURKEY
VULTURE were seen.


Sightings for Sunday, July 15th

The LESSER SAND-PLOVER was seen again with other shorebirds near the foot of
104th Street in Delta
from about 7:00 to 8:00 AM.

Other shorebirds of interest included a MARBLED GODWIT and a WILSON'S
PHALAROPE at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta; a LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 4
WHIMBREL at Blackie Spit in Surrey; 3 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS along the
Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta; and 2 DUNLIN and about 15 SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPERS near the foot of 104th Street in Delta.

At Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver, the TENNESSEE WARBLER was
present all
morning and was singing tirelessly. A MERLIN was also seen here, and was
mobbed by PURPLE MARTINS.

At Colony Farm Regional Park in Coquitlam, the male INDIGO BUNTING was still
singing in the area along the Mundy Creek trail where it has been for more
than 2 weeks.

A POMARINE JAEGER was reported from the ferry just off the Tsawwassen ferry
terminal.

At Lighthouse Marine Park in Point Roberts, WA, an adult HEERMANN'S GULL, 12
RHINOCEROS AUKLETS, and 20 HARLEQUIN DUCKS were seen.

At Cypress Provincial Park in West Vancouver, a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, rare
in summer, was singing along the Yew Lake trail. Also present were more
usual birds such as RED CROSSBILLS, RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS, and at least 3
hooting SOOTY GROUSE.

A COMMON NIGHTHAWK was reported from Como Lake in Coquitlam.


Sightings for Saturday, July 14th

The adult LESSER SAND-PLOVER was seen for the third successive day near the
foot of 104th Street, on the north side of Boundary Bay in Delta, from about
6:45 to 8:30 AM.

The TENNESSEE WARBLER was present again at the Maplewood Conservation Area
in North
Vancouver, north of the two ponds, and was singing almost non-stop. A TURKEY
VULTURE was also seen in the area.

The INDIGO BUNTING was again seen at Colony Farm Park in Coquitlam, as were
4 LAZULI BUNTINGS and 6 EASTERN KINGBIRDS.

Sightings for Friday, July 13th

The LESSER SAND-PLOVER was seen again between about 6:45 and 7:30 AM on the
Boundary Bay shoreline between 104th and 112th Streets in Delta, and photos
were obtained. The bird could not be found in the area during the evening
high tide.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver, a TENNESSEE WARBLER,
which was singing constantly, was found along the road north of the ponds on
the west side of the sanctuary.


Sightings for Thursday, July 12th

An adult LESSER SAND-PLOVER-either a female or a male in faded breeding
plumage-- was seen
at about 4:15 PM on the shoreline of Boundary Bay, between the foot of 104th
and 112th Streets, but
closer to 112th. The bird was seen very briefly in a large flock of
shorebirds consisting mainly of WESTERN and LEAST SANDPIPERS, but also
including SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS,
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, and other species.

At Lighthouse Marine Park in Point Roberts, Washington, at least 60
RHINOCEROS AUKLETS were feeding with gulls on small fish just off the tip of
the point.

Eight COMMON TERNS were seen on a sandbar off Boundary Bay Regional Park, on
the west side of Boundary Bay in Delta, and two WHIMBREL were seen near the
Tsawwassen ferry terminal, also in Delta.


No sightings reported for July 10th or 11th


Sightings for Monday, July 9th

At Colony Farm Regional Park in Coquitlam, the territorial male INDIGO
BUNTING was still present and singing frequently. To find this bird, turn
off Highway 7 (the Lougheed Highway) in Coquitlam) onto Colony Farm Road,
and park in the small parking lot on your left just past the railroad
crossing. The bunting was about 200 metres along the trail (Mundy Creek
Trail) which leads NE from this parking area.

In Surrey, the singing ALDER FLYCATCHER found on June 28 was still present
at Surrey Lake Park on the east side of 152nd Street. From the parking area,
walk east over a bridge and along the north side of the lake to the third
bench, past the end of the lake, which overlooks a cattail marsh. The
flycatcher was singing from a group of willows and alders in the middle of
the marsh.

The LONG-BILLED CURLEW was seen again at Blackie Spit in Surrey.

A PEREGRINE FALCON, rare in summer, was seen at Pacific and Jervis in the
West End district of Vancouver.



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