This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Monday,
October 31st, 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 phone the main number again
at (604) 737-3074, press "2" for the rare bird reporting line, and follow
the instructions given there.





RARE BIRD ALERT for a ROCK SANDPIPER at Point Roberts on October 31, a RUSTY
BLACKBIRD at Burnaby Lake on October 25, and a PALM WARBLER at Iona Island
on October 22.





Sightings for Monday, October 31st



A ROCK SANDPIPER near the parking area at Lighthouse Marine Park at Point
Roberts, WA was very unusual.



The first SNOW BUNTINGS reported this fall were 5 on the Boundary Bay near
the foot of 72nd Street in Delta, and 4 photographed on the Iona Island
south jetty, Richmond.





Sightings for Sunday, October 30th


The EARED GREBE was still present in the southeast sewage pond at Iona
Island, Richmond.



Noteworthy birds at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta included 3
BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS, 8 VIRGINIA RAILS, and 8 SANDHILL CRANES.





Sightings for Saturday, October 29th



In West Vancouver, 4 SURBIRDS were seen on a rock near shore at Eagle
Harbour, and 2 MARBLED MURRELETS were seen from Klootchman Park.



The LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 5 MARBLED GODWITS were still roosting in a group
on the east side of Blackie Spit in Surrey.





Sightings for Thursday, October 27th



Eight BRANT at Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta were apparently the first
fall arrivals.



One LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 5 MARBLED GODWITS were present at Blackie Spit
Park in Surrey.



Birds seen along the Boundary Bay dyke between 96th and 104th Streets in
Delta included a juvenile SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER, an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER,
and the first 5 TRUMPETER SWANS of the fall. Nearby, 32 EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVES were seen along 112th Street.





Sightings for Tuesday, October 25th



A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was present for 2 hours and was photographed at the foot
of Piper Road on Burnaby Lake in Burnaby.



In Surrey, Mud Bay Road (40th Avenue) west of Highway 99 produced 11
SANDHILL CRANES, 6 out-of-place SNOW GEESE, 4 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE,
400 CACKLING GEESE, and 50 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES.



Five WESTERN MEADOWLARKS and a VESPER SPARROW were at Boundary Bay Regional
Park in Delta.



At Point Roberts, Washington, a RUDDY TURNSTONE was seen with 55 BLACK
TURNSTONES along the south beach, and a late RHINOCEROS AUKLET was at
Lighthouse Marine Park.





Sightings for Monday, October 24th



At Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta, a HORNED LARK, 3 WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS, and a NORTHERN SHRIKE were seen.





Sightings for Sunday, October 23rd



Noteworthy sightings at Iona Island in Richmond included 3 WESTERN
MEADOWLARKS, 26 RING-NECKED DUCKS (high count) and an AMERICAN BITTERN in
the outer pond, and an EARED GREBE in the SE sewage pond. The PALM WARBLER
seen yesterday could not be relocated.



Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta featured a GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE
which appeared injured, 135 CACKLING GEESE, and a single BRANT off
Centennial Beach. Also in Delta, a WILLET and 2 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were
seen along the Tsawwassen ferry jetty. The immature REDHEAD was still at the
Reifel Bird Sanctuary.



A RUSTY BLACKBIRD was reported along the Boundary Bay dyke in Delta, just
east of 112th Street.





Sightings for Saturday, October 22nd



A PALM WARBLER was well seen by 2 observers along the western edge of the
Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond, and a PARASITIC JAEGER was seen along
the Iona south jetty.



A MARBLED GODWIT was seen with BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS from the foot of 96th
Street in Delta.



Seven MARBLED MURRELETS were seen from Klootchman Park in West Vancouver,
just north of Lighthouse Park.





Sightings for Thursday, October 20th



A BLUE JAY was seen and photographed near Campbell Valley Park in south
Langley.



A SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER, an AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, a RED KNOT, and a
MARBLED GODWIT were seen with BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS near the foot of 96th
Street in Delta.





Sightings for Tuesday, October 18th



A late WILSON'S WARBLER was seen in Camosun Bog on the eastern edge of
Pacific Spirit Park in Vancouver.



Eight SURFBIRDS along the South Jetty at Iona Island in Richmond were
noteworthy.





Sightings for Monday, October 17th



The GREEN HERON was seen again from the Millennium Bridge at Colony Farm
Regional Park in Coquitlam.





Sightings for Sunday, October 16th



A SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER was seen at high tide along the Boundary Bay dyke
near the pilings between 96th and 104th Streets in Delta.



Birds seen from Klootchman Park in West Vancouver included 4 MARBLED
MURRELETS (now rare locally), an ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, and 4 BLACK
OYSTERCATCHERS.



A GREEN HERON was seen from the Millennium Bridge in Colony Farm Regional
Park, Coquitlam.



Many waterbirds were seen in feeding flocks off Lighthouse Marine Park at
Point Roberts, WA including a HEERMANN'S GULL, 20 BRANDT'S CORMORANTS, and
almost 300 COMMON MURRES.



Birds of note at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta included an immature
male REDHEAD, a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, 9 SANDHILL CRANES, 2 late LESSER
YELLOWLEGS, a PILEATED WOODPECKER, and an early NORTHERN SHRIKE.





Sightings for Saturday, October 15th



At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, 5000 SNOW GEESE had already arrived. Also
there were a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON, 9 SANDHILL CRANES, and 4 HERMIT
THRUSHES.





Sightings for Friday, October 14th



A late SORA and an early NORTHERN SHRIKE were seen at Colony Farm Regional
Park in Coquitlam.



A CLARK'S GREBE was photographed from the White Rock pier in White Rock.





Sightings for Thursday, October 13th



Three HORNED LARKS and 2 LAPLAND LONGSPURS were seen along the Iona Island
south jetty in Richmond.



A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was observed at Terra Nova Park on Lulu Island in
Richmond, as well as 2 more at Camosun Bog in Vancouver.



A large feeding flock off Lighthouse Marine Park in Point Roberts, WA
included 200 COMMON MURRES, 150 PACIFIC LOONS, 2 HEERMANN'S GULLS, and 60
RED-NECKED GREBES.



An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW near Grant Narrows in Pitt Meadows was the first of
the fall. Also of note were 2 MUTE SWANS and 8 SURF SCOTERS nearby in the
Pitt River.





Sightings for Wednesday, October 12th



A WILLET was seen and photographed in White Rock near the White Rock pier.







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 or Viveka at 604-531-3401.



Thank you for calling the Vancouver Rare Bird Alert, and good birding.





Wayne C. Weber

Delta, BC

contopus at telus.net