This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Friday, June
4th, 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 BREWER'S SPARROW banded and photographed at Colony
Farm Park on June 3rd; an ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, photographed on May 26th
at Colony Farm Park; and a WESTERN SCRUB-JAY in and near the 21900 block of
the Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge, which has been present now for almost a
year.

OUT-OF-TOWN RARE BIRD ALERT for an ACORN WOODPECKER, only the third record
for BC, present in Princeton at 156 Tulameen Trail from May 24 to 28, and
another ACORN WOODPECKER at the Manning Park Lodge on May 27.



Sightings for Friday, June 4th

A BULLOCK'S ORIOLE and a CHIPPING SPARROW were observed at the Maplewood
Conservation Area in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Thursday, June 3rd

A BREWER'S SPARROW, one of very few records for Vancouver, was captured,
banded and photographed in Colony Farm Park, on the west side of the park in
Coquitlam.

Three WESTERN KINGBIRDS were still present at the Maplewood Conservation
Area in North Vancouver.

Two GRAY CATBIRDS were singing near the bend in Rannie Road in Pitt Meadows.

About 50 BLACK SWIFTS were flying above the intersection of 144th Street and
104th Avenue in Surrey.


Sightings for Wednesday, June 2nd

A RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, very unusual in June, was seen along the Top Trail in
Pacific Spirit Park, Vancouver.

A YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT was singing at the Hope Airport, just west of Hope.


Sightings for Tuesday, June 1st

Birds at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver included 3
WESTERN KINGBIRDS, a CHIPPING SPARROW, a RED-EYED VIREO, and 20 WESTERN
TANAGERS which were apparently still migrating.


Sightings for Monday, May 31st

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, present for almost a year now, was seen again in the
21900 block of the Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge.

At Point Roberts, Washington, noteworthy sightings included a LONG-TAILED
DUCK and 6 late BRANT at Lily Point.

The pair of SANDHILL CRANES nesting at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta
hatched their eggs.


Sightings for Sunday, May 30th

A male BOBOLINK, the first reported for several years in the Vancouver area,
was seen well by an observer in a kayak on Burnaby Lake, in an inaccessible
area on the shoreline east of Piper Road.

At least 200 BLACK SWIFTS were seen in Surrey near the intersection of 144th
Street and 104th Avenue.

Birds noted at the Grant Narrow nature dyke at the south end of Pitt Lake
included TURKEY VULTURE, CASPIAN TERN, EASTERN KINGBIRD, and BULLOCK'S
ORIOLE.


Sightings for Saturday, May 29th

Two COMMON NIGHTHAWKS, the first of the year, were seen on Barnston Island
in the Fraser River.

The pond on Highway 17 in Delta produced a WILSON'S PHALAROPE, 2 BANK
SWALLOWS, 22 BLUE-WINGED TEAL and 4 CINNAMON TEAL, but the BLACK TERN could
not be relocated. Not far away at Brunswick Point, at the west end of River
Road, were 150 BLACK SWIFTS, 2 AMERICAN BITTERNS, and 27 very late SNOW
GEESE.


Sightings for Friday, May 28th

A BLACK TERN was seen at the pond on Highway 17 in Delta, near the Deltaport
Way turnoff.

Ten BLACK SWIFTS and a lingering CACKLING GOOSE were seen at the Alaksen NWA
in Delta, and the TUNDRA SWAN was still present near the Westham Island
bridge over Canoe Pass. Another 100 BLACK SWIFTS were seen near Main Street
and 13th Avenue in Vancouver.



Sightings for Thursday, May 27th

Another ACORN WOODPECKER, seen briefly but well, was reported from the
Manning Park Lodge in Manning Provincial Park.

A WILLOW FLYCATCHER, the first of the year, was seen at the Maplewood
Conservation Area in North Vancouver, as was a CHIPPING SPARROW. Nearby,
about 85 BLACK SWIFTS were flying over Bowser Avenue in North Vancouver.

Four RED KNOTS and two WHIMBRELS were seen along the Boundary Bay shoreline
between 104th and 112th Streets in Delta, and 14 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES
were present along 96th Street south of Highway 99.

At Iona Island in Richmond, birds seen included 3 BANK SWALLOWS, a male
LAZULI BUNTING, a TURKEY VULTURE, and a late CACKLING GOOSE. Nearby, a
WESTERN KINGBIRD was seen along Ferguson Road on Sea Island, and a PARASITIC
JAEGER was seen off the Iona Island south jetty.

Three WESTERN KINGBIRDS, a BULLOCK'S ORIOLE, and another spring arrival
WILLOW FLYCATCHER were seen at the Little Campbell River hatchery in Surrey.

A RED-EYED VIREO was seen along 33A Avenue in Delta, SW of Ladner.


Sightings for Wednesday, May 26th

An ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER, a casual or near-casual species in Vancouver,
was seen and photographed at Colony Farm Park in Coquitlam.


Sightings for Tuesday, May 25th

A WESTERN KINGBIRD was seen on 33A Avenue in West Delta, and the late TUNDRA
SWAN was still present in Canoe Pass near the Westham Island Bridge.

Noteworthy sightings at Iona Island in Richmond included a WILSON'S
PHALAROPE, 10 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 8 late CACKLING GEESE, and 3 BANK
SWALLOWS. Nearby, a WESTERN KINGBIRD was perched on the Vancouver Airport
fence along Ferguson Road on Sea Island, and 4 PARASITIC JAEGERS were seen
from the Iona Island south jetty.


Sightings for Monday, May 24th

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen again in the 21900 block of the Lougheed
Highway of Maple Ridge, and is being seen there more frequently now.

A RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, the first of the spring, was photographed at the
Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond.

Two WESTERN KINGBIRDS were seen along DeBoville Slough in Port Coquitlam.

Another LAZULI BUNTING turned up, this one at a feeder near 34th Avenue and
Pine Crescent in Vancouver.


Sightings for Sunday, May 23rd

An AMERICAN REDSTART, the first of the spring, was noted at the Grant
Narrows nature dyke at Pitt Lake. Also in the area were an EASTERN KINGBIRD,
two GRAY CATBIRDS, and a SANDHILL CRANE.

Two PARASITIC JAEGERS, the first of the year, were photographed from the
Iona Island south jetty in Richmond.

Ten PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, 6 YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS, and 8 late CACKLING
GEESE were at the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond.

An EASTERN KINGBIRD was photographed in the 800 block of Sinclair Street in
Vancouver.


No sightings reported for Saturday, May 22nd


Sightings for Friday, May 21st

A DUSKY FLYCATCHER and a LAZULI BUNTING were banded at the Colony Farm
banding station in Port Coquitlam.

An EASTERN KINGBIRD, the first of the year, and 4 BULLOCK'S ORIOLES were
seen at Grant Narrows at the south end of Pitt Lake.


Sightings for Thursday, May 20th

Two SANDHILL CRANES were at Piper Spit on Burnaby Lake in Burnaby, a very
unusual location.

A LAZULI BUNTING appeared in the 4800 block of 36th Avenue in Delta.


Sightings for Wednesday, May 19th

The GREEN HERON was still at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North
Vancouver, as were large numbers of migrants including about 100 WILSON'S
WARBLERS, 15 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES, and an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. Nearby, an
early RED-EYED VIREO was heard singing along the Dollarton Highway.

Five RED KNOTS were seen at high tide at Brunswick Point in Delta, as were 2
COMMON TERNS, more than 200 CASPIAN TERNS, and 30 late SNOW GEESE. The late
TUNDRA SWAN was still at the nearby Westham Island Bridge.


Sightings for Tuesday, May 18th

A GREEN HERON turned up at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North
Vancouver.


Sightings for Monday, May 17th

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY, present for at least 11 months, was seen again in the
21900 block of the Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge.

The VESPER SPARROW was still at the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond,
and also there was a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. Nearby on Iona Island were 4
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS and 4 PURPLE MARTINS.

At Point Roberts, WA, the PACIFIC LOON flock had increased to more than 800
birds.

Four MUTE SWANS and the late TUNDRA SWAN were still near the Westham Island
bridge in Delta.

The first LAZULI BUNTING of the spring was reported from the east (Port
Coquitlam) side of Colony Farm Park.


Sightings for Sunday, May 16th

The first GRAY CATBIRD of the year was reported from the Grant Narrows area
at the south end of Pitt Lake, as were 2 BULLOCK'S ORIOLES, a MUTE SWAN, and
7 CEDAR WAXWINGS, possibly the first of the spring migration.

The VESPER SPARROW was still at the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond.

Three OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS were seen, one at Pacific Spirit Park in
Vancouver, and two at different locations in South Surrey.

A large flock of 330 PACIFIC LOONS was seen off Lighthouse Marine Park at
Point Roberts, WA.




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