Subject: [Tweeters] Vancouver, BC RBA for August 16, 2009
Date: Aug 18 17:51:54 2009
From: Wayne Weber - contopus at telus.net


This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Sunday,
August 16th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited, with stores in
Vancouver and North Vancouver. The RBA telephone number is (604) 737-3074.

If you wish to leave a rare bird report, please press the star button at the
end of this message to go back to the menu, press "2" for the rare bird
reporting line, and follow the instructions given there.


RARE BIRD ALERT for a WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, probably present since May, on the
Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge.


Sightings for Sunday, August 16th

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen again in the 21900 block of the Lougheed
Highway in Maple Ridge.

At least 7 RED-NECKED PHALAROPES and 40 LESSER YELLOWLEGS were seen at the
Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta. Also in Delta, near the foot of 96th Street
on Boundary Bay, were a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, 3 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 20
SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, and 3 LONG-BILLED CURLEWS.
Four BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS and an OSPREY were seen along the Tsawwassen Ferry
jetty.

At Iona Island in Richmond, on the west side of the SW sewage pond, a HOUSE
WREN appeared to be feeding nestlings, for a rare and very late breeding
record.

At Deer Lake in Burnaby were 27 PURPLE MARTINS, 2 OSPREYS, and 5 HOODED
MERGANSERS, among a total of 43 species.

A GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCH was seen from the Peak Chairlift near the top of
Whistler Mountain at Whistler.


Sightings for Saturday, August 15th

Three EASTERN KINGBIRDS and three late BULLOCK'S ORIOLES were at Colony Farm
Park in Port Coquitlam.

Near Agassiz, 24 TURKEY VULTURES were seen feeding on salmon carcasses along
the Fraser River.


Sightings for Friday, August 14th

A HOUSE WREN at the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond was unusual.
Also here were a BANK SWALLOW, 3 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, and 4 BAIRD'S
SANDPIPERS.

A RED KNOT was seen with about 2000 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS near the foot of
96th Street in Delta, and the MARBLED GODWIT and LONG-BILLED CURLEW were
seen again at Blackie Spit in Surrey.


Sightings for Thursday, August 13th

A juvenile FRANKLIN'S GULL was reported from Iona Island in Richmond.

A GREEN HERON and 6 EASTERN KINGBIRDS were at Colony Farm Park in Port
Coquitlam.


Sightings for Wednesday, August 12th

A MARBLED MURRELET in Burrard Inlet off the Maplewood Conservation Area In
North Vancouver was unusual, an indication of this species' decline in
recent years.


Sightings for Tuesday, August 11th

A LONG-BILLED CURLEW and a MARBLED GODWIT had returned to Blackie Spit
in Surrey, presumably for the winter. Also in Surrey, 2 GREEN HERONS were at
a
pond near 148th Street and 104th Avenue.

The pair of EURASIAN WIGEON were seen again in the slough west of 112th
Street in Delta.

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen again in the 21900 block of the Lougheed
Highway in Maple Ridge. It seems to be seen most often there in the
early evening.

A GREEN HERON was at Jericho Park in Vancouver, and a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER
at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver


Sightings for Sunday, August 9th

A WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN and 2 SOOTY GROUSE were seen on a hike to the
top of Mount Cheam near Chilliwack.

The first PARASITIC JAEGER of the fall was seen from a ferry off the mouth
of the
Fraser River.


Sightings for Friday, August 7th

A WHIMBREL near a runway at the Abbotsford Airport, in the middle of the
annual Air Show, was noteworthy.

At and near the foot of 96th Street on Boundary Bay were many shorebirds
including 600 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, 200 SANDERLINGS, 15 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS,
and 30 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS. Also, a LONG-BILLED CURLEW was at Blackie
Spit in Surrey, 2 WILSON'S PHALAROPES at nearby Elgin Heritage Park, and
a RED-NECKED PHALAROPE at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.


Sightings for Thursday, August 6th

Six PURPLE MARTINS and a FOX SPARROW, both unusual for August, were
at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Wednesday, August 5th

A BANK SWALLOW and a MERLIN were seen at the Iona Island sewage ponds
in Richmond.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver were a BAIRD'S
SANDPIPER, a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, a BANK SWALLOW, and a RED-EYED VIREO.


Sightings for Monday, August 3rd

A pair of EURASIAN WIGEON, most unusual in summer, was seen in a slough
just west of 112th Street on Hornby Drive in Delta.

Iona Island in Richmond produced 2 BANK SWALLOWS and 4 PURPLE MARTINS.


Sightings for Friday, July 31st

Three BRANT, very rare in summer, were seen at the Tsawwassen ferry
terminal in Delta, and two more near Brunswick Point, also in Delta.


Sightings for Wednesday, July 29th

Two EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were present in the 4100 block of River
Road in Delta, where they are seen regularly.


Sightings for Tuesday, July 28th

Three EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen near the foot of 112th
Street in Delta.


Sightings for Monday, July 27th

The INDIGO BUNTING was seen again near 176th Street and Barnston Way
in Surrey, as were 2 LAZULI BUNTINGS.


Sightings for Sunday, July 26th

The male INDIGO BUNTING and a LAZULI BUNTING were seen again by
several observers near 176th Street and Barnston Way in Surrey.

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen again in the 21900 block of Lougheed
Highway in Maple Ridge. Also here were 11 COMMON NIGHTHAWKS and a
BLACK SWIFT. Several more BLACK SWIFTS were seen near 144th Street and 104th
Avenue in Surrey.

Four GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES were seen again at the same location
on Mount Seymour in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Saturday, July 25th

Two GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES were seen near a small snow patch
on Mount Seymour in North Vancouver.



A brief account of 31 of the best birding locations in the
Vancouver area can be found on the Nature Vancouver website at
http://www.naturevancouver.ca/Birding_Birding_Sites



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.


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