This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday,
May 13, 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 2 GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES at Blackie Spit in Surrey on
May 13, a LEAST FLYCATCHER at Sasamat Lake in Belcarra the same day, a
BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER near the University of BC on May 9, and a
BLACK-NECKED STILT at Iona Island in Richmond on May 6 and 7.


Sightings for Tuesday, May 13th

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, two GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES were feeding all
morning just beyond the north end of the gravel parking area. Also at
Blackie Spit were an estimated 900 or so COMMON TERNS and many shorebirds
including 4 RED KNOTS and a WHIMBREL.

A singing LEAST FLYCATCHER at Sasamat Lake in Belcarra, near the turnoff to
White Pine Beach, was the first of the spring and earlier than usual. Also
here were an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER and a MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER.


Sightings for Monday, May 12th

A WILSON'S PHALAROPE, the first of the spring, was seen at the SW pond of
the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond, and a BANK SWALLOW was nearby.

Two YELLOW WARBLERS were seen in the Walnut Grove area of Langley.


Sightings for Monday, May 11th

Three GREAT HORNED OWLS, including two adults and one fledged young, were
seen at Beach Grove Park in Delta.


Sightings for Sunday, May 10th

A WESTERN KINGBIRD, a rare migrant and the first of the spring, was seen on
the Vancouver Airport fence along Ferguson Road on Sea Island, Richmond.

At least 3 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, the first reported for the year, were
identified with a small flock of WESTERN SANDPIPERS and DUNLIN at Lighthouse
Marine Park on Point Roberts, WA.

A DUSKY FLYCATCHER, a rare spring migrant, was caught and banded at the
Colony Farm banding station in Port Coquitlam.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey were at least 300 COMMON TERNS, 100 BONAPARTE'S
GULLS, a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, and a WHIMBREL. Another large flock of COMMON
TERNS, estimated at 2000, was at Iona Island.

An adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK, a late sighting for this species, was seen
soaring over Mount Seymour in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Saturday, May 9th

An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER reported from Burnaby Mountain was the first of
the year.

A BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, a species seen less than annually at Vancouver,
was seen well and photographed at Cecil Green Park on the University of BC
campus in Vancouver. Also here were a WESTERN TANAGER and many WARBLING
VIREOS and warblers.

In Delta, 3 WHIMBRELS were seen near the foot of 96th Street on Boundary
Bay.


Sightings for Friday, May 8th

A moderate-sized fallout of migrants was noted at the Maplewood Conservation
Area in North Vancouver, including the first WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE of the year,
a WESTERN TANAGER, a YELLOW WARBLER, a WARBLING VIREO, 30 WILSON'S WARBLERS,
and 45 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS.

Many migrant songbirds were also noted in Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver,
including a NASHVILLE WARBLER, a WARBLING VIREO, and a HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER.

A BANK SWALLOW at Iona Island in Richmond was a rare migrant and the first
of the year.


Sightings for Thursday, May 7th

The BLACK-NECKED STILT was still present at the Iona Island sewage ponds in
Richmond.

At Blaine, WA, just south of the US border, were 60 COMMON TERNS, 70 CASPIAN
TERNS, 200 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, and 74 WHIMBRELS. Most of these birds were on
the Semiahmoo Bay shoreline, north of Marine Drive, but others, including
all the WHIMBRELS, were in Drayton Harbor just south of the marina.


Sightings for Wednesday, May 6th

At the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond, a BLACK-NECKED STILT was
present in the SW pond from at least noon through sunset, and was seen and
photographed by many. Also at Iona were a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, a TURKEY
VULTURE, a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, 4 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 12 CINNAMON TEAL, and 6
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS, including 5 singing males.

At Joe Brown Park in the Panorama Ridge area of Surrey, migrants included
the first SWAINSON'S THRUSH and DUSKY FLYCATCHER of the spring and a WESTERN
TANAGER.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver were 3 WESTERN
TANAGERS, several HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS, and many WILSON'S WARBLERS.

Stanley Park in Vancouver produced a WESTERN MEADOWLARK, a LINCOLN'S
SPARROW, a NASHVILLE WARBLER, 2 CEDAR WAXWINGS, and many more WILSON'S
WARBLERS.


Sightings for Tuesday, May 5th

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW appeared in the 1900 block of Berkley and a
CASSIN'S VIREO and a WILSON'S WARBLER were seen in the 2100 block of
Bowser, both in North Vancouver.

At Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, 2 WARBLING VIREOS, a LINCOLN'S
SPARROW, a CHIPPING SPARROW, and large numbers of warblers were seen.

At Iona Island in Richmond, 6 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 8 CINNAMON TEAL, and
7 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen.


Sightings for Monday, May 4th

A BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, the first of the spring, was on the north side of
Burnaby Lake in Burnaby.

The first WARBLING VIREOS of the year were singles reported from the
Maplewood
Conservation Area and Queen Elizabeth Park.

The Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta produced a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, a
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, and 2 AMERICAN BITTERNS.

Eight BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were seen on the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta.


Sightings for Sunday, May 3rd

A NASHVILLE WARBLER at Burnaby Mountain Park, and another at the Maplewood
Conservation Area, were the first of the year. Other birds of note at these
locations
were a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (tan-striped) and a VAUX'S SWIFT at Burnaby
Mountain, and a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, a TURKEY VULTURE, and several RED
CROSSBILLS at Maplewood.

Birds seen along the "Nature Dike" at Grant Narrows, at the south end of
Pitt Lake,
included the first BULLOCK'S ORIOLE of the year, a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW,
5 WILSON'S WARBLERS, and at least 150 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS.

A SORA at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park, Vancouver, was noteworthy.

Five GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were at Gilbert Beach in Richmond, and 100
late SNOW GEESE were flying north off the end of Point Gray in Vancouver. A
very
late ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was at Iona Island in Richmond.


Sightings for Saturday, May 2nd

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver were a CINNAMON TEAL,
2 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 12 CASPIAN TERNS, and 10 VAUX'S SWIFTS.

A MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver was the
first of the year.


Sightings for Friday, May 1st

Six COMMON TERNS at Ambleside Park in West Vancouver were the first of the
year. In the Lost Lagoon area of nearby Stanley Park in Vancouver were a
WILSON'S WARBLER, a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, a BLUE-WINGED TEAL, and a
VIRGINIA RAIL.

An out-of-place YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was at Harris Road near Airport
Road in Pitt Meadows.

A TURKEY VULTURE, an AMERICAN BITTERN, and 2 CINNAMON TEAL were seen at
Colony Farm Regional Park in Port Coquitlam.


Sightings for Thursday, April 30th

A YELLOW WARBLER, the first of the year, was singing near the 8th Avenue
entrance
of Campbell Valley Regional Park in Langley. Also in the park, along the
Vine Maple
Trail, were 2 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS and 6 BLACK-THROATED GRAY
WARBLERS.

At Point Roberts in Washington, birds of note included 50 PACIFIC LOONS, 2
MARBLED
MURRELETS, 32 BLACK TURNSTONES, 60 SANDERLINGS, and 9 late LONG-TAILED
DUCKS.

Six VAUX'S SWIFTS and a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER were at Hawthorne Park on
104th Avenue in Surrey.

A HARRIS'S SPARROW was reported in Maple Ridge.

A WILSON'S WARBLER, the first of the year, was noted with about 35 YELLOW-
RUMPED WARBLERS at Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby.

At Iona Island in Richmond, the first SPOTTED SANDPIPER of the spring was
reported.
Also there were 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 2 CINNAMON TEAL, and a YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 29th

Four RHINOCEROS AUKLETS were observed at Lighthouse Marine Park on Point
Roberts, Washington.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 28th

Two GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES on the Cypress Bowl road in West Vancouver,
near the turnoff to the cross-country ski area, were a late sighting of a
locally-rare
species.

Campbell Valley Park in Langley produced 2 TURKEY VULTURES, 2 HAMMOND'S
FLYCATCHERS, 6 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, 6 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS,
2 EVENING GROSBEAKS, and many migrant warblers and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS.

Two TURKEY VULTURES were seen in the Walnut Grove area of Langley.

Two more TURKEY VULTURES and 2 CINNAMON TEAL were seen at the Maplewood
Conservation Area in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Monday, April 27th

A bird which answered the description of an immature ZONE-TAILED HAWK
(a species never recorded in B.C.) was seen in flight near 96th Avenue and
188th Street in Surrey. However, if the identification is correct, the bird
is
most likely to be an escapee from captivity.

At Colony Farm Regional Park in Port Coquitlam, the EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
was seen again, as were 2 VAUX'S SWIFTS, the first of the year, and 2
AMERICAN
KESTRELS.

Two more EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were reported from the Musqueam Golf
Course in Vancouver, another new locality for this species.

A WESTERN MEADOWLARK at Hastings Park, Vancouver was at an odd locality.

A TURKEY VULTURE and a HERMIT THRUSH were at the Tall Timbers Golf
Course in Langley.

At Blaine, Washington, just across the U.S. border, birds noted in Drayton
Harbor
included 30 WHIMBREL, a MARBLED GODWIT, 35 CASPIAN TERNS, and a MUTE SWAN.



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