This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Monday, May
25, 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 to 15; a WESTERN BLUEBIRD at Iona Island on May 20; and an immature
YELLOW-BILLED LOON off White Rock from at least May 20 to 24.


My apologies for giving several dates in the last report where the day of
the week was inconsistent with the numerical date. The numerical dates were
all correct.


Sightings for Monday, May 25th

Noteworthy sightings from the Pitt Meadows area included a LAZULI BUNTING
near the Grant Narrows boat launch, 6 SANDHILL CRANES and 6 TURKEY VULTURES
along Hale Road, and the first GRAY CATBIRD of the spring near the bend on
Rannie Road.


Sightings for Sunday, May 24th

The immature YELLOW-BILLED LOON was reported again off West Beach in White
Rock.

At the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond were 5 WILSON'S PHALAROPES,
10 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, and 2 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS.

WHIMBRELS were noted in 3 places: 8 at Tower Beach on Point Grey, Vancouver:
4 at the base of the Roberts Bank coal port jetty in Delta; and perhaps the
same
4 at the nearby Tsawwassen ferry jetty. Also near the ferry jetty were 125
late
BRANT.


Sightings for Saturday, May 23rd

The YELLOW-BILLED LOON was seen again in Semiahmoo Bay off White Rock.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta were 4 WILSON'S PHALAROPES and a
BULLOCK'S ORIOLE.

In the Boundary Bay area of Delta, a flock of 40 WHIMBRELS were seen along
36th Avenue near 72nd Street, and 2 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen along
96th Street south of Highway 99.

Two YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS and an OSPREY at Burnaby Lake in Burnaby were
noteworthy.


Sightings for Friday, May 22nd

The first WILLOW FLYCATCHER of the year was reported in the Pemberton
Heights area of North Vancouver.

Two WESTERN KINGBIRDS were still at Jericho Park in Vancouver.

The immature YELLOW-BILLED LOON was seen again off West Beach in
White Rock.

There were 6 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS and 2 WILSON'S PHALAROPES in the
Iona Island sewage ponds, Richmond. Nearby, along the North Arm jetty
at Iona, 2 PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVERS, 78 CASPIAN TERNS, and 14 SPOTTED
SANDPIPERS were seen.

An EASTERN KINGBIRD at the Fraserview Golf Course in Vancouver was the first
of the year.


Sightings for Thursday, May 21st

For the third time in 4 days, a PARASITIC JAEGER was seen by several birders
from the municipal pier in White Rock.

Birds noted at the Colony Farm Park banding station in Port Coquitlam
included
a DUSKY FLYCATCHER, 3 WESTERN KINGBIRDS, and a GREEN HERON.

A high count of 7 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS was noted at the Iona Island sewage
ponds in Richmond.

At Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, 4 BLACK SWIFTS, the first of the year,
were seen. Also here were2 EVENING GROSBEAKS, 3 CASSIN'S VIREOS, and
many RED CROSSBILLS.


Sightings for Wednesday, May 20th

A male WESTERN BLUEBIRD at Iona Beach Regional Park in Richmond was the
first reported in years from the Vancouver area. Unfortunately, it stayed
only a few minutes.

An immature YELLOW-BILLED LOON seen off West Beach in White Rock was very
late,
and a species that is quite rare at any time of year.

An unconfirmed report of a possible LONG-TAILED JAEGER being chased by crows
was received from the Third Avenue and Bewicke area of North Vancouver.

The WESTERN KINGBIRD invasion of Jericho Park in Vancouver increased to a
surprising five birds.

The BULLOCK'S ORIOLE was seen again at Semiahmoo Park in White Rock.


Sightings for Tuesday, May 19th

The PARASITIC JAEGER was seen again off the White Rock pier.

At Colony Farm Park in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam, 2 LAZULI BUNTINGS,
an AMERICAN BITTERN, and a flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS were observed.

A good fallout of warblers was noted at the Maplewood Conservation Area in
North Vancouver, including an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, a WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE,
3 HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS, 6 WESTERN TANAGERS, and many warblers.


Sightings for Monday, May 18th

A PARASITIC JAEGER was seen off the municipal pier in White Rock, and
2 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were noted at 32nd Avenue and 192nd
Street in Surrey.

Three WESTERN KINGBIRDS were seen together at Jericho Park in Vancouver.


Sightings for Sunday, May 17th

At Colony Farm Park min Coquitlam, 3 EVENING GROSBEAKS were seen, as was
the first LAZULI BUNTING of the spring.

Along the nature dyke trail at Grant Narrows Park, at the south end of Pitt
Lake,
an impressive concentration of migrants included at least 100 WILSON'S
WARBLERS, 40 YELLOW WARBLERS, 12 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, 12
WARBLING VIREOS, 8 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES, a DUSKY FLYCATCHER,
and 3 BULLOCK'S ORIOLES. Elsewhere in Pitt Meadows, bird seen included the
first 3 WESTERN KINGBIRDS of the spring, 2 AMERICAN BITTERNS, 4
VIRGINIA RAILS, 2 SANDHILL CRANES, a pair of MUTE SWANS, 2 TURKEY
VULTURES, 6 OSPREYS, and 2 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES along Sharpe Road.

Birds noted at Iona Island included 2 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, a WILSON'S
PHALAROPE, and 30 CASPIAN TERNS.


Sightings for Saturday, May 16th

A DUSKY FLYCATCHER was seen in Burnaby Mountain Park, Burnaby. It may be
that this species is not as rare a spring migrant as previously thought.

At least 200 COMMON TERNS were still at Blackie Spit in Surrey, but the
GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES were missing.

A high count of 14 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were at Point Roberts,
Washington, as were 141 BRANT.

Migrants at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver included a CASSIN'S VIREO,
several YELLOW WARBLERS, and numerous WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES and
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS.

A male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD at the railway yards in Port Coquitlam
was out of place.

The sewage ponds at Iona Island in Richmond produced numerous shorebirds
including 2 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS, a WILSON'S PHALAROPE, and the
first PECTORAL SANDPIPER of the year.


Sightings for Friday, May 15th

The two GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES were still at Blackie Spit in the morning.
Just off the spit, the first PARASITIC JAEGER of the spring was seen.

Ten late GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were at Boundary Bay Regional
Park in Delta.

A BULLOCK'S ORIOLE was seen at the Maplewood Conservation Area in
North Vancouver. Another oriole was in Semiahmoo Park in White Rock,
near Marine Drive and Habgood Street.

Ten WHIMBRELS were seen and photographed in a field near Westminster
Highway and No. 7 Road in Richmond. Also in Richmond, a SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPER was seen with other shorebirds at the Iona Island sewage ponds.


Sightings for Thursday, May 14th

The two GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES were present all day at Blackie Spit
in Surrey. Also here were at least 600 COMMON TERNS and 4 PURPLE
MARTINS near the nest boxes at the Nicomekl River mouth.

At the Colony Farm banding station in Port Coquitlam, 2 more DUSKY
FLYCATCHERS were caught and banded.


Sightings for Wednesday, 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 Tuesday, 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.




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