This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Friday,
October 9th, 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 last May, on
the Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge and a BLACK PHOEBE at Terra Nova Park in
Richmond from September 7 to at least October 7.

OUT-OF-TOWN RARE BIRD ALERTS for a PRAIRIE WARBLER in Tofino from September
28 to October 3rd and a SOLANDER'S PETREL off Tofino on October 6th.


Sightings for Friday, October 9th

A NORTHERN SHRIKE, the first of the fall, was reported from Colony Farm
Regional Park in Port Coquitlam.

An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was seen again at the Dunsmuir Gardens in Surrey,
along with 2 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, 15 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, and 3 ANNA'S
HUMMINGBIRDS.

A SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER was seen along the Boundary Bay dyke in Delta at
two different spots between 96th and 104th Streets. Also here were 5
AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS.


Sightings for Thursday, October 8th

Two AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, the first of the fall, were seen along the
entrance road to the Dunsmuir Community Gardens at Blackie Spit in Surrey.

A YELLOW-SHAFTED form of the NORTHERN FLICKER was seen near 2000 Brigantine
Drive in Coquitlam.


Sightings for Wednesday, October 7th

The BLACK PHOEBE at Terra Nova Park in Richmond was seen again near the
abandoned house at 2500 River Road, and between there and the parking area
at the west end of River Road. It was very active and moving around a lot,
but should be findable by birders willing to spend a bit of time to track it
down.

Seven BARN SWALLOWS and a SWAINSON'S THRUSH, both quite late, were seen near
128th Street and 92nd Avenue in Surrey.

A BLACK OYSTERCATCHER and a BRANDT'S CORMORANT were seen at the end of the
Iona Island south jetty in Richmond.


Sightings for Tuesday, October 6th

Birds seen along the Boundary Bay dyke between 88th and 104th Streets in
Delta included a MARBLED GODWIT, 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, and a RED KNOT
with about 800 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS. Also here were a late BANK SWALLOW and
12 BARN SWALLOWS.

Seven MARBLED GODWITS and a LONG-BILLED CURLEW were seen again at Blackie
Spit in Surrey.

A bird thought at first to be a MURPHY'S PETREL, but later determined to be
a SOLANDER'S PETREL, a first for B.C., was seen and well photographed on a
pelagic birding trip off Tofino on Vancouver Island.


Sightings for Monday, October 5th

A flock of 30 CLARK'S NUTCRACKERS was reported flying over the ski area at
Grouse Mountain in North Vancouver, then heading toward Mount Seymour.
This is the first report of this species in several years in the Vancouver
area. A late OSPREY was also seen over Grouse Mountain.

In Vancouver's Stanley Park, a white-striped WHITE-THROATED SPARROW
was seen near Lost Lagoon.

In Pitt Meadows, 15 HORNED LARKS were seen along Thompson Road.


Sightings for Sunday, October 4th

The BLACK PHOEBE in Terra Nova Park, Richmond, was seen again, but this time
it
was seen mainly around a house at 2380 Westminster Highway and the nearby
community gardens.


Sightings for Saturday, October 3rd

A WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was present with about 10 RED CROSSBILLS
near the parking area at the Mount Seymour ski area in North Vancouver.

Blackie Spit in Surrey produced a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, 7 MARBLED GODWITS,
3 RED KNOTS, and a PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER.


Sightings for Friday, October 2nd

A CLARK'S GREBE was seen just off Blackie Spit in Surrey.

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

Eleven late CASPIAN TERNS were at Brunswick Point, near the west end of
River Road in Delta. Also here were 12 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS and 3
SANDHILL CRANES.

Twelve GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were at Serpentine Fen on the
King George Highway in Surrey.


Sightings for Thursday, October 1st

The BLACK PHOEBE was seen again at Terra Nova Park in Richmond,
After not being reported since September 20th.

The wintering LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 8 MARBLED GODWITS were at
Blackie Spit in Surrey.


Sightings for Wednesday, September 30th

Ten BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS and a HEERMANN'S GULL were near the
Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta, and two HORNED LARKS and a LONG-BILLED
CURLEW were at Blackie Spit in Surrey.

On Vancouver Island, a PRAIRIE WARBLER was reported for the third day in a
row in Tofino. This is only the third well-documented record for B.C.


Sightings for Tuesday, September 29th

Twenty LAPLAND LONGSPURS and a HORNED LARK were on the Iona Island south
jetty in Richmond, and 6 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen from
Ferguson Road on Sea Island, Richmond.

A MARBLED GODWIT, a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, and 3 late CASPIAN TERNS were at
Blackie Spit in Surrey.


Sightings for Monday, September 28th

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, the first of the fall, was seen at Hastings Park
in Vancouver.

Two WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS, 8 RED CROSSBILLS, and a migrating OSPREY
were seen near the ski area at Mount Seymour Provincial Park in North
Vancouver.

A MARBLED GODWIT and a RED KNOT were near the foot of 104th Street in Delta.

A HEERMANN'S GULL and 35 PACIFIC LOONS were off Lighthouse Marine Park in
Point Roberts, Washington.


Sightings for Sunday, September 27th

A MARBLED GODWIT, 3 RED KNOTS, a PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, and 10 SANDHILL
CRANES were seen along Boundary Bay between 104th and 112th Streets in
Delta.


Sightings for Saturday, September 26th

A STILT SANDPIPER and 16 SANDHILL CRANES were at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary
in Delta, and a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE was on Sea Island in Richmond.


Sightings for Friday, September 25th

A PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER, 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS, 3 RED KNOTS, and
10 very early DUNLIN were seen between 96th and 104th Streets on the
Boundary Bay shoreline in Delta.


Sightings for Thursday, September 24th

A flock of 25 SNOW GEESE, the first of the fall, were seen near the base of
the
Roberts Bank jetty in Delta.


Sightings for Wednesday, September 23rd

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen by 9 observers in the 21900 block of the
Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge.


Sightings for Tuesday, September 22nd

Noteworthy shorebirds included a SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER, 2 HUDSONIAN
GODWITS, and a late SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary;
a WILLET and 6 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS along the Tsawwassen ferry jetty; and
a MARBLED GODWIT, a RED KNOT, and 2 out-of-season DUNLIN near the foot
of 96th Street on Boundary Bay. All these localities are in Delta. In
addition, 3
MARBLED GODWITS and a LONG-BILLED CURLEW were at Blackie Spit in Surrey.

Two BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS and 21 SANDHILL CRANES were at the
Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.


Sightings for Monday, September 21st

A PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER and 2 AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVERS were
reported from the Boundary Bay shoreline east of the foot of 96th Street in
Delta.


Sightings for Sunday, September 20th

The BLACK PHOEBE, present since September 7th at and near the abandoned
house at 2500 River Road in Richmond's Terra Nova Park, was reported
again.

A GREEN HERON was seen in Colony Farm Regional Park, Port Coquitlam.




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