This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Thursday,
May 30th, sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited 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.



I was unable to update the telephone RBA this time because of major
laryngitis, but will do so as soon as I can speak again!





RARE BIRD ALERT for a LARK SPARROW on May 20th and an UPLAND SANDPIPER on
May 25th and 26th, both at the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond. Both
these species are extreme rarities in the Vancouver area (fewer than 10
documented occurrences), and both were seen and photographed by many
observers.





Sightings for Thursday, May 30th



The FOY RED-EYED VIREO was reported from the Maplewood Conservation Area in
North Vancouver.



At Colony Farm Park in Port Coquitlam were 2 EASTERN KINGBIRDS and 4
"pumping" AMERICAN BITTERNS.





Sightings for Wednesday, May 29th



Huge numbers of warblers were at Iona Island in Richmond, including an
estimated 120 YELLOW and 90 WILSON'S WARBLERS. Also here were 2 BANK
SWALLOWS.



Three CHIPPING SPARROWS were at Inter-River Park in North Vancouver.



The Grant Narrows nature dyke at Pitt Lake again produced many good birds,
including 2 TRUMPETER SWANS, 120 VAUX'S SWIFTS (!), a LEAST FLYCATCHER, and
an EASTERN KINGBIRD.





Sightings for Sunday, May 26th



The UPLAND SANDPIPER at Iona, amazingly, remained for most of a second day
and was viewed by many at close range. Also of note here were 70 PECTORAL
SANDPIPERS and a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH which was caught and banded (third of
the spring?).



The LEAST FLYCATCHER was recorded again about 500 metres along the Grant
Narrows nature dyke. Nearby were an EASTERN KINGBIRD and a migrant DUSKY
FLYCATCHER.





Sightings for Saturday, May 25th



An UPLAND SANDPIPER at the Iona I. sewage ponds remained all day and was
seen and photographed by numerous birders. This species is locally an
extreme rarity, with fewer than 10 previous records. Also at Iona was one
WILSON'S PHALAROPE.



Three PECTORAL SANDPIPERS showed up at the NW Langley sewage ponds.



The FOY LEAST FLYCATCHER was singing along the Grant Narrows nature dyke at
Pitt Lake, and the FOY GRAY CATBIRD was along the access road about 1 km S
of the boat launch.





Sightings for Thursday, May 23rd



A flock of 33 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS at the Iona sewage ponds in Richmond were
the FOY record. Also there were 3 WILSON'S PHALAROPES and 7 BLACK SWIFTS.





Sightings for Wednesday, May 22nd



The arrival BLACK SWIFTS were a flock of 80 on Sea Island, Richmond. In
addition, the Maplewood Conservation Area reported 5 BLACK SWIFTS with 60
VAUX'S SWIFTS.





Sightings for Tuesday, May 21st



Twelve GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE at the Maplewood Conservation Area were
quite late.





Sightings for Monday, May 20th



A LARK SPARROW at the Iona sewage ponds remained most of the day and was
seen by many and photographed by at least 2 observers. This is an extreme
rarity in the Vancouver area. Also at Iona were a CHIPPING SPARROW, a
WESTERN KINGBIRD, and a WILSON'S PHALAROPE.





Sightings for Sunday, May 19th



Birds noted at Colony Farm Park (Port Coquitlam side) included a DUSKY
FLYCATCHER and 6 MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS. Nearby at Grant Narrows on Pitt
Lake, the FOY EASTERN KINGBIRD was noted.





Sightings for Saturday, May 18th



A hybrid male NORTHERN SHOVELER x BLUE-WINGED TEAL was seen and photographed
at the Iona sewage ponds in Richmond, and has been seen repeatedly through
the end of May.





Sightings for Thursday, May 16th



The fallout at Queen Elizabeth Park continued, with a LAZULI BUNTING, 14
WESTERN TANAGERS, etc.



The dog park north of the Boundary Bay Airport in Delta (accessed off 72nd
Street) produced 4 LAZULI BUNTINGS, 3 BULLOCK'S ORIOLES, and 30 RED
CROSSBILLS.





Sightings for Wednesday, May 15th



Gobs of migrants were reported today. At Iona Island, a HOUSE WREN was
singing along the western edge of the sewage lagoons, and a NORTHERN
WATERTHRUSH was captured at the banding station. Also there were 40 WILSON'S
WARBLERS, 6 WARBLING VIREOS, and many other migrants. The Iona west jetty
produced 10 PARASITIC JAEGERS (sorry folks, no Pomarines!), at least 200
COMMON TERNS, and 2 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS.



Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver also produced many migrants including 200
WILSON"S WARBLERS, 50 WESTERN TANAGERS, 15 WARBLING VIREOS, and a LAZULI
BUNTING.



Another 120 WILSON'S WARBLERS were at the Maplewood Conservation Area in
North Vancouver.





Sightings for Tuesday, May 14th



A SOLITARY SANDPIPER was seen briefly at the Maplewood Conservation Area in
North Vancouver.



A CHIPPING SPARROW appeared at Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby.



Six late GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen near Connecting Road at
Sharpe Road in Pitt Meadows.



Ten CEDAR WAXWINGS at the Trinity Western University campus in Langley were
early arrivals.



The FOY BANK SWALLOW was seen at Iona Island, Richmond.





Sightings for Monday, May 13th



At least 218 WHIMBRELS were feeding in a grass field on the NW corner of 8th
Avenue and 176th Street (Highway 15) in Surrey. Similar numbers have been
using this and nearby fields for more than a week.



Migrants reported from the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver
included an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER and 4 WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES.





Sightings for Sunday, May 12th



A fallout of migrants at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver
included 6 WESTERN TANAGERS and 28 WILSON'S WARBLERS.





Sightings for Saturday, May 11th



A SAGE THRASHER, one of fewer than 10 records for the Vancouver area, was
seen by 2 observers at Iona Island in Richmond, along the sewage pond fence
near the gated entrance to Iona Island Regional Park.



A SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, the third sighting this spring, was reported from
the Iona Island sewage ponds.







For a summary of extremely rare bird sightings throughout British Columbia,
check "British Columbia Bird Alert" at <http://bcbirdalert.blogspot.com>
http://bcbirdalert.blogspot.com .





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>
http://www.naturevancouver.ca/Birding_Birding_Sites





If you have any questions about birds or birding in the Vancouver area,
please call Wayne Weber at 604-597-7201, Larry Cowan at 604-465-1402, or
Viveka Ohman at 604-531-3401.



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





Wayne C. Weber

Delta, BC

<mailto:contopus at telus.net> contopus at telus.net