This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Monday,
September 5th, 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 NORTHERN WHEATEAR at Iona Island in Richmond on August
31st, seen and photographed by many but not seen since; a HUDSONIAN GODWIT,
likely the same bird, seen near the foot of 96th Street in Delta repeatedly
since August 23rd, and probably 2 or 3 different BAR-TAILED GODWITS at the
same locality through September 5th; a BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, also near
the foot of 96th on September 3rd, and a RUFF there on September 2nd; and
one or two LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS along the Dollarton Highway in North
Vancouver from September 3 to 5.





Sightings for Monday, September 5th



A juvenile BAR-TAILED GODWIT, 3 RED KNOTS, and a WHIMBREL were seen among
thousands of other shorebirds near the foot of 96th Street on Boundary Bay
in Delta.



A LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 2 MARBLED GODWITS were at Blackie Spit Park in
Surrey, and 3 STILT SANDPIPERS were still at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in
Delta.



A NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH was seen well about midway along the trail on the
east side of the Musqueam Golf Course in Vancouver.



One LEWIS'S WOODPECKER, a rare fall migrant, was still being seen near the
intersection of Dollarton Highway and Riverside Drive in North Vancouver.





Sightings for Sunday, September 4th



A juvenile HUDSONIAN GODWIT, a juvenile BAR-TAILED GODWIT, 2 PACIFIC
GOLDEN-PLOVERS, and a RED KNOT were seen with BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS near the
foot of 96th Street in Delta.



Two LEWIS'S WOODPECKERS and many PURPLE MARTINS were seen near the
intersection of Riverside Drive and Dollarton Highway in North Vancouver.



Three WESTERN KINGBIRDS were seen together along 24th Avenue in South
Surrey.





Sightings for Saturday, September 3rd



A BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, the first of the fall for this rare migrant, was
found along the Boundary Bay shoreline just east of 96th Street in Delta.
Not far away, at Blackie Spit Park in Surrey, were a WHIMBREL and two
MARBLED GODWITS.



Five RED-NECKED PHALAROPES and a STILT SANDPIPER were noted at the Iona
Island sewage ponds in Richmond.



A LEWIS'S WOODPECKER was seen in North Vancouver just NW of the intersection
of the Dollarton Highway and Riverside Drive.





Sightings for Friday, September 2nd



A HUDSONIAN GODWIT, a RUFF, and 4 RED KNOTS were seen among other shorebirds
along the Boundary Bay shoreline between 96th and 112th Streets in Delta.



Three STILT SANDPIPERS were observed in the "West Field" at the Reifel Bird
Sanctuary in Delta.



Three HORNED LARKS were seen near the tip of Blackie Spit in Delta.



A BANK SWALLOW, uncommon but regular in fall, was identified at the
Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver.





Sightings for Thursday, September 1st



A HUDSONIAN GODWIT and several RED KNOTS were seen with BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVERS near the foot of 104th Street in Delta.



Birds seen at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver included 35
RED CROSSBILLS and 25 PURPLE MARTINS.





Sightings for Wednesday, August 31st



A NORTHERN WHEATEAR was found in late afternoon on a dyke inside the Iona
Island sewage ponds in Richmond, and several good photos were obtained. This
is the first record of this species for Vancouver. Unfortunately, the bird
could not be relocated on later dates.



A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was reported along Shannon Road on Sea Island in
Richmond, just north of Ferguson Road.



A late RED-EYED VIREO was seen at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North
Vancouver.





Sightings for Tuesday, August 30th



Shorebirds reported from near the foot of 96th Street in Delta included an
adult BAR-TAILED GODWIT, 2 RED KNOTS, a RUDDY TURNSTONE, 10 BAIRD'S
SANDPIPERS, and several SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS.





Sightings for Monday, August 29th



Intensive birding along the Boundary Bay shoreline near the foot of 96th in
Delta turned up a BAR-TAILED GODWIT, a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, 2 RUDDY
TURNSTONES, and 10 BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS.



A HORNED LARK, a rare migrant in the Vancouver area, was found on the south
jetty at Iona Island, Richmond.





There were no sightings of note reported for August 27th or 28th.





Sightings for Friday, August 26th



The WILLET was seen again on the south side of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty,
near its base.



In the Boundary Bay area, birds seen between 96th and 104th Streets in Delta
included a HUDSONIAN GODWIT, a WHIMBREL, 3 RUDDY TURNSTONES, 2 SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPERS, and several BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS.





Sightings for Thursday, August 25th



A BAR-TAILED GODWIT, 2 RED KNOTS, and a RUDDY TURNSTONE were observed near
the foot of 104th Street in Delta.





Sightings for Wednesday, August 24th



Shorebirds seen along the Boundary Bay shoreline between 96th and 104th
Streets in Delta included a juvenile HUDSONIAN GODWIT, an adult BAR-TAILED
GODWIT, one each of PACIFIC and AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER, a RUDDY TURNSTONE,
and a RED KNOT. In the Beach Grove area on the west side of Boundary Bay
were a MARBLED GODWIT and 3 out-of-season BRANT.



A ROCK SANDPIPER seen from a boat along the jetty off Steveston in Richmond
was unusual and extremely early for this species.





Sightings for Tuesday, August 23rd



A HUDSONIAN GODWIT and a PACIFIC GOLDEN-PLOVER were seen near the foot of
96th Street in Delta.





Sightings for Monday, August 22nd



A RUDDY TURNSTONE was seen and photographed along the Iona Island south
jetty in Richmond.







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, Larry at 604-465-1402, 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