This is the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare Bird Alert for
Sept 7th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited, with stores in
Vancouver and North Vancouver. This message was updated at 11 PM on
Sept 7th. The RBA telephone number is (604) 737-3074.


RARE BIRD ALERT for SAY'S PHOEBE, GREAT EGRET, RUFF, and TENNESSEE
WARBLER.


Sightings for Friday, September 7

A WILSON'S PHALAROPE was reported off the West Vancouver seawall
near the foot of 22nd Avenue.

A SAY'S PHOEBE was near the pumphouse at Beach Grove Park on the
path leading from the foot of 12th Ave in Delta.


Sightings for Thursday, September 6

At the pond on Highway 17 N of 34B Avenue in Delta, the female RUFF and a
BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER were seen again.

A MARBLED MURRELET was observed east of the concrete platform at
Jericho Beach Park in Vancouver

A TENNESSEE WARBLER was observed again at the Maplewood Conservation
Area in North Vancouver. It was south of the viewing platform on the
west side of the main pond.

The GREEN HERON was seen again near the pumphouse at the foot of 112th
Street in Delta.


Sightings for Wednesday, September 5

The 2 juveniles RUFFS, a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, a SOLITARY SANDPIPER, and
a STILT SANDPIPER were seen again at the pond on Highway 17 in Delta.

A WHIMBREL and 2 MARBLED GODWITS were present on the Boundary Bay shoreline
near the foot of 96th Street. Nearby, a GREEN HERON was seen near the foot
of 112th Street, and 3 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were seen in the golf course
pond on 72nd Street.

Four SANDHILL CRANES were seen in flight near the intersection of Highways
17 and 99 in Delta.


Sightings for Tuesday, September 4

The GREAT EGRET was seen again off the "mansion" west of the foot of 96th
Street on Boundary Bay


Sightings for Monday, September 3

A GREAT EGRET was found by a number of observers throughout the
afternoon. It was feeding at the edge of the mudflat across from the
mansion located on Boundary Bay between 96th and 88th St. A RED
KNOT, an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, and a MARBLED GODWIT were also in
the vicinity.

2 juvenile RUFFS, one male and one female, continue at the pond on Highway
17 north of 34B Avenue in Delta.

A EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE was seen along Highway 10 in Delta between 96th and
104th Streets.

A FRANKLIN'S GULL was with BONAPARTE'S GULLS near the end of the
Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty in Delta.


Sightings for Sunday, September 2

A LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 2 MARBLED GODWITS were seen again at
Blackie Spit in Surrey, as were 18 PURPLE MARTINS.

2 juvenile RUFFS, one male and one female, continue at the pond on Highway
17 north of 34B Avenue in Delta. Also here today was a SOLITARY SANDPIPER.


Sightings for Saturday, September 1

One pair of observers tallied 30 species of shorebirds in the Vancouver
area. Among the species tallied were 2 juvenile RUFFS, one male and one
female, at the pond on Highway 17 north of 34B Avenue in Delta; a SOLITARY
SANDPIPER, 2 STILT SANDPIPERS, and the first SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER of the
fall at this same pond; a WANDERING TATTLER and 40 SURFBIRDS at the tip of
the Iona I. south jetty in Richmond, with 6 more SURFBIRDS at the Tsawwassen
ferry terminal in Delta; a LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 2 MARBLED GODWITS at
Blackie Spit in Surrey, with another godwit on the Boundary Bay shoreline in
Delta near 80th Street; 5 RED KNOTS and 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS along the
Boundary Bay shoreline between 80th and 104th Streets; the WILLET near the
base of the Tsawwassen jetty; and 9 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES at the golf course
pond near the foot of 72nd Street in Delta.

Other observers saw a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER at the Highway 17 pond in
Delta.

A HORNED LARK, the first of the fall, was at the foot of 96th Street in
Delta.

Two EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen on 34th Street just south of River
Road in Delta, near where they were being seen last fall.

At Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver, the monthly count
produced a juvenile FRANKLIN'S GULL on the mudflats, 3 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS,
30 RED CROSSBILLS, and 4 RED-EYED VIREOS which consisted of 2 adults and 2
young birds.

Eight BLACK SWIFTS were reported from Whistler, north of Vancouver on
Highway 99.


Sightings for Friday, August 31

Two juvenile RUFFS, one male and one female, were found at the pond on the
west side of Highway 17 in Delta, north of the 34B Avenue overpass.

An adult PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, a juvenile AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, a MARBLED
GODWIT, and 6 RED KNOTS were seen on the Boundary Bay shoreline between 88th
and 96th Streets, among at least 2700 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS. Nearby, 11
RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were in the golf course pond on 72nd Street.

A STILT SANDPIPER was seen at the Beach Grove Lagoon, at the east foot of
12th Avenue on Boundary Bay in Delta.

In out-of-town sightings, a GREEN HERON and 2 NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES were
reported near the float plane dock on Green Lake in Whistler.


Sightings for Thursday, August 30

The now-you-see-it, now-you-don't TENNESSEE WARBLER was spotted again near
the west pond at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver.

At Deer Lake in Burnaby were 4 HUTTON'S VIREOS and an impressive
concentration of 64 PURPLE MARTINS.


Sightings for Wednesday, August 29

A BROWN PELICAN was seen briefly in Semiahmoo Bay from a point just west of
the White Rock pier in White Rock.

A NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was seen at the Maplewood Conservation Area.

Five COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were seen on Carshill Street in Maple Ridge.

At the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, 12 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were seen, and 8
RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were present just offshore. A PARASITIC JAEGER was
seen much farther offshore in Georgia Strait from the ferry.


Sightings for Tuesday, August 28

A MAGNOLIA WARBLER was seen and photographed near the tennis courts in
Belcarra, north of Port Moody, but could not be relocated.

An adult LONG-TAILED JAEGER was seen from the ferry offshore from Brunswick
Point in Delta. Another jaeger, believed to be a POMARINE JAEGER, was also
seen from the same ferry near the coal port in Delta.

A SOLITARY SANDPIPER was seen at the Beach Grove lagoon in Delta.

A LONG-BILLED CURLEW was spotted on the Boundary Bay shoreline near the foot
of 72nd Street.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, an EARED GREBE was seen.


Sightings for Monday, August 27

The TENNESSEE WARBLER, perhaps the same one present since mid-July, was seen
again near the west pond at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North
Vancouver.

Four EASTERN KINGBIRDS, including an adult and 3 young fledglings, were seen
at the Willband Ponds in Abbotsford.

A late LAZULI BUNTING and 5 EASTERN KINGBIRDS were at Colony Farm Park in
Coquitlam.

At the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond were 10 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES, 6
BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, 4 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, and 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS.

At the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta, a SURFBIRD and several BLACK
TURNSTONES were seen on the rocks. Offshore, a small flock of RED-NECKED
PHALAROPES was seen from the ferry off the coal port, and a PARASITIC JAEGER
off the Fraser River mouth.


Sightings for Sunday, August 26

A dark-phase POMARINE JAEGER was seen from the beach at Iona Island. Also
here were 5 BANK SWALLOWS, 2 late N. ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS, and a
LONG-BILLED CURLEW. Along Ferguson Road on nearby Sea Island were 70 BLACK
SWIFTS, an AMERICAN KESTREL, and another BANK SWALLOW.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey were another LONG-BILLED CURLEW and at least 2
COMMON TERNS.

Eight RED-NECKED PHALAROPES were at the Iona I. sewage ponds in Richmond.



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



This message was recorded and transcribed by Mark Wynja and forwarded by
Wayne Weber.


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