VANCOUVER RARE BIRD ALERT sponsored by the Vancouver Natural History
Society.

Area: VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA (abbrev-VCR)
Period: SUN MAR 26/95 to TUE APRIL 04/95, updated weekly
Call: 604-737-9910 (hot line updated daily, or as necessary)
To report: Same
Compiler: Michael Price
Transcriber: Same
Contact: michael_price at mindlink.bc.ca
(604) 731-4715

For sick or injured birds please call:
Wildlife Rescue at 526-7275
Monika's Wildlife Shelter at 882-0908
Owl Rehabilitation Center at 946-3171


BIRDS MENTIONED:

*WHITE-TAILED KITE*
Long-billed Curlew (arrival)
Sandhill Crane
Western Meadowlark
EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL
Harris' Sparrow
Eurasian Wigeon
'Slate-colored' Dark-eyed Junco
Glaucous Gull
Turkey Vulture (arrival)
GREAT EGRET
TUFTED DUCK
Mountain Bluebird (arrival)
Brant
White-throated Sparrow
Golden-Plover Sp. (arrival)
Osprey
Cooper's Hawk
Pileated Woodpecker
Barn Swallow (arrival)
Orange-crowned Warbler (arrival)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Northern Shrike
Pacific Loon
American Bittern
Anna's Hummingbird
Greater Yellowlegs (arrival)
N. Rough-winged Swallow (arrival)
Cinnamon Teal (arrival)
Crested Myna
Black-bellied Plover
Dunlin
Peregrine Falcon
Rock Dove
Northern Goshawk
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Eurasian X American Wigeon
Western Grebe
YELLOW-BILLED LOON (Vancouver Is.)
Harlequin Duck ( " " )
Greater White-fronted Goose
Short-eared Owl
FALCATED TEAL (Vancouver Is.)
Eurasian Skylark ( " " )
Sora (arrival)
Scaup Sp.
American Goldfinch (arrival)
'Three Amigos':
-Marbled Godwit
-Long-billed Curlew
-Whimbrel
Mute Swan
Tundra Swan
Trumpeter Swan
Common Raven
Snow Goose
Brandt's Cormorant
Bonaparte's Gull


TUE APR 04
There has been no relocation of the *WHITE-TAILED KITE* seen on Sunday Apr
02 along Hwy 1, the Trans-Canada Highway, at Prest Rd. E of Chilliwack; if
this bird is following the pattern suggested by the other two which have
appeared in the Greater Vancouver Checklist Area, it could have hopscotched
anywhere there is its preferred habitat of open rough pasture land spotted
with small trees, and that could be anywhere in the Fraser Valley or
northern Washington State.

The first LONG-BILLED CURLEW of the spring migration was seen in the
Alouette Polder in Pitt Meadows, near Maple Ridge; also here were 3 more
SANDHILL CRANES and 4 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS.

The drake EURASIAN-RACE GREEN-WINGED TEAL is still present in the slough to
the N of the E end of the Westham Is. Bridge linking Westham Is. Rd. to
River Rd. in Ladner.

It never pays to get ahead of one's-self: no sooner had the HARRIS' SPARROW
been pronounced as departed after a week's absence than it pops up again to
do business at the same old stand, the brambles along the S side of the
entrance road just inside the main gate to the Reifel Refuge in Ladner.

The drake EURASIAN WIGEON at the W Pond in VCR's Jericho Pk. was joined by
a FEMALE EURASIAN WIGEON today. Finally, a male DARK-EYED JUNCO of the
SLATE-COLORED RACE was at a feeder in the 164 hundred block 23rd Ave. in S
Surrey.


MON APR 03
Though there was no relocation of the WHITE-TAILED KITE, there was a
GLAUCOUS GULL and at least 2 TURKEY VULTURES along Prest Rd. E of
Chilliwack. Also in the Central Valley the *GREAT EGRET* was in a customary
location in the Sumas Prairie to the E of Abbotsford by the pumpstation on
MacDermott Rd. about 2 km E of Campbell. It does move around the area, so
keep your eyes on drainage ditches and fields along MacDermott between
Campbell & the pumpstation.


SUN APR 02
*RARE BIRD ALERT*: a *WHITE-TAILED KITE*, well north of its usual range,
was
seen this afternoon in Chilliwack along the Trans-Canada Highway in the
vicinity of Prest Rd. This is the third known sighting for the VCR area.

The drake TUFTED DUCK at Lost Lagoon has moved from the inflow channel at
the W end of the Lagoon into the NE corner near the feeders, an indication
it may be preparing to join the northward migration.

At least 4 and possibly 6 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS could still be found at Colony
Farms on the Coquitlam side in the NW section of a field visible from the
Mary Hill Bypass and accessible from Glacier Ave. by crossing the railway
tracks. A flock of approximately 2,500 BRANT was between the Tsawwassen and
Roberts Bank Jetties in W Ladner. Three and perhaps 4 TURKEY VULTURES were
at the first look-out on the road up to Cypress Bowl in Cypress Provincial
Pk. in W VCR. At the Reifel Refuge on Westham Is in Ladner, only the
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW is left in the brambles along the S side of the
entrance road to the Refuge just past the main gate, and it appears that
the HARRIS' SPARROW has departed.

Several small flocks of GOLDEN PLOVERS of indeterminate species were
reported from the Boundary Bay foreshore off Crescent Beach and W Beach at
White Rock.

OSPREYS were seen at Grant Narrows at the S end of Pitt L. and Deer L. in
Burnaby. SANDHILL CRANES were at 2 locations in Pitt Meadows, along Rennie
Rd. and in the vicinity of the Swan-e-set Golf Course; also in Pitt
Meadows, a partial-albinistic COOPER'S HAWK was on the W side of Rennie Rd.
1.5 km N of the power lines.

Finally, 2 PILEATED WOODPECKERS were in Jericho Pk. in VCR.


SAT APR 01 The spring's first BARN SWALLOW, was over the Iona Is. Settling
Ponds in NW Richmond.

Colony Farm's first OSPREY, ORANGE-CROWNED, and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS of
the spring appeared on this date. A small wave of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS
was also reported from Jericho Pk.

An AMERICAN BITTERN was in a drainage ditch along Churchill Dr. in S Delta,
and may have been a migrant bird. Up to 13 drake EURASIAN WIGEONS were on
the Boundary Bay foreshore at the end of 17A Ave. in Tsawwassen, and 1,300
BRANT were off Beach Grove at the E end of 12th Ave., also in Tsawwassen.
An adult NORTHERN SHRIKE and PACIFIC LOON were at Maplewood Flats in N VCR.

Finally, a female ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD has been observed in S Surrey picking
up nest material and seriously tanking up at a local feeder, both signs of
imminent nesting: it's a little-known fact that a nest of the Anna's
Hummingbird has never been located in Vancouver. FRI MAR 31 The first
spring report of GREATER YELLOWLEGS was received from the Iona Is.
settling ponds, with 45 alternate-plumaged birds. The first N. ROUGH-WINGED
SWALLOWS of the spring migration were at the Iona Is. Sewage Treatment
Plant over the settling ponds; on the SW settling pond, a drake CINNAMON
TEAL was the first of this species to return.

Three TURKEY VULTURES were over Horseshoe Bay in W VCR. The tame drake
TUFTED DUCK was again in the inflow channel leading from the W end of the
lagoon to the Stone Bridge. A pair of CRESTED MYNAS were observed
overflying the intersection of E 5th Ave. & Main St. in E VCR.

Almost 400 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS in pre-alternate molt were in a large
flock of DUNLIN in a field along 64th St. in S Delta.

The downtown PEREGRINE FALCON, the one which winters until sometime in
April on the Granville 2000 Building just W of the Sea Bus Terminal at the
N end of Granville St., was seen today dragging a hapless ROCK DOVE off to
its doom.


THU MAR 30 A NORTHERN GOSHAWK was at Maplewood Flats on the Dollarton
Highway in N VCR.

A singing territorial male CRESTED MYNA was carving out turf at W 2nd Ave.
and Pine St. on the E side of Vancouver's Kitsilano district. Another male
REDHEAD, distinguishable on plumage details from the wintering drake which
left just a few days ago, was in the NE corner of Lost Lagoon. A male
RING-NECKED DUCK, the drake EURASIAN WIGEON, and the 2 drake EURASIAN X
AMERICAN WIGEON HYBRIDS were at the ponds in Jericho Pk. on W 4th Ave in
VCR.

A flock of about 1200 WESTERN GREBES can still be seen in Burrard Inlet to
the W of Stanley Pk.

A basic plumaged YELLOW-BILLED LOON was at Comox Harbor in Comox on the E
coast of Vancouver Is., and a flock of at least 2,500 HARLEQUIN DUCKS was
of Halliwell Pk. on Hornby Is. in N. Georgia Strait. A single TURKEY
VULTURE was over Musqueam Pk. at the S end of Alma St. in S Vancouver.


WED MAR 29
Apologies for the interruption in service from Wed. morning to afternoon;
there was electrical repair work being done at the home of the Vancouver
Rare Bird Alert.


TUE MAR 28 The first TURKEY VULTURE of the spring migration was over SFU
on Burnaby Mt. At Lost Lagoon in Stanley Pk. many of the wintering ducks
are leaving the lagoon for their nesting grounds, however the drake TUFTED
DUCK was again in the inflow channel leading from the W end of the lagoon
to the Stone Bridge.

The first ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER of the spring migration was in Campbell
Valley Park in S Langley. In Pitt Meadows, the returned SANDHILL CRANES
have finished unpacking and are now doing their courtship dances. At Colony
Farms in Port Coquitlam, there is still 1 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and 1
SHORT-EARED OWL. The six MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS reported there on Saturday
March 25 and Sunday March 26 are now thought to have been 4 males and 2
females rather than the 3 males and 3 females as reported in the update of
Sunday the 26th.

At least 2,600 BRANT congregated today at feeding areas at the W end of
Boundary Bay at Beach Grove at the E end of 12th Ave. in Tsawwassen; anyone
interested in seeing the amazing migration of this small goose will have
the best chance to see them in the next few days in the late afternoon and
evening, that is, when they are not being harassed by unleashed dogs.

Finally, for today, a single CRESTED MYNA was seen near a traditional
nesting place, the NE section of the Arthur Laing Bridge connecting south
VCR and Richmond via Granville St.


MON MAR 27
The first SORA of the spring migration was reported from the cattail marsh
at the W end of Jericho Pk's W Pond. This was the last day that the male
REDHEAD was present at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Pk. and may be presumed to
have left for its breeding grounds. The drake TUFTED DUCK was again in the
inflow channel leading from the W end of the lagoon to the Stone Bridge. A
second male TUFTED DUCK was in a small flock of SCAUP along the Stanley
Park Seawall just E of Prospect Pt. on Monday, March 27.

If you think you're suddenly seeing a lot more AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, you're
not mistaken; they showed up at several locations in their arrival today
back into the GVCA.

At least 3,100 BRANT were at Beach Grove and another 600 were at Roberts
Bank between the Tsawwassen and Roberts Bank Jetties. And our old friends,
the THREE AMIGOS, the LONG-BILLED CURLEW, MARBLED GODWIT, and WHIMBREL, can
still be found loafing another winter away at their usual haunts at Blackie
Spit in Crescent Beach.


SUN MAR 26
Out-of-town, the drake *FALCATED TEAL* was still present as of Sunday Mar
26, at Tofino on the W coast of VCR Is. and anyone interested in hearing
the beautiful song and watching the towering flight of the EURASIAN
SKYLARKS can see them in the Martindale Road or Islandview Road area of N
Saanich to the N of Victoria. Check the Victoria Rare Bird Alert at (604)
592-3381 for other Vancouver Island hot stuff.


The 6 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS, 3 males and 3 females, reported yesterday,
Saturday Mar. 25, were still present at Colony Farms in the fields in the
NE section. Another female Mountain was along Neaves Rd. in Pitt Meadows.
Also in Pitt Meadows an OSPREY was in Sturgeon Slough and there were 2 MUTE
SWANS in Katzie Marsh just S of the Pitt L. Dike. Another OSPREY was seen
on the Tsawwassen Band lands in SW Ladner, and not far from Splashdown Pk.
near the base of the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal Jetty, a flock of about 40
SWANS contained the free-flying MUTE SWAN and both TUNDRA & TRUMPETER
SWANS.

At Minnekhada Pk in Coquitlam, a lake contained 35 RING-NECKED DUCKS. Most
of the wintering swans have already left for northern breeding grounds, so
if any observer wants to see either swan species in VCR this spring, you
don't have long to do it. A pair of COMMON RAVENS were in the somewhat
unusual location of the Roberts Bank Jetty in Ladner. Another species which
will be clearing the area very soon is SNOW GEESE; up to 200 were along 30B
St. in Delta today.

The drake TUFTED DUCK was again in the inflow channel leading from the W
end of the lagoon to the Stone Bridge. A migrant wave of at least 3,000
WESTERN GREBES is passing through the Strait of Georgia, and if you're
taking the BC Ferry between Vancouver and Victoria, there's an estimated
10,000 BONAPARTE'S GULLS and 5,000 BRANDT'S CORMORANTS in Active Pass
between Mayne and Galiano Is., and several thousand PACIFIC LOONS were
reported in Georgia Strait off the eastern entrance to the Pass.


If you have a report or a query about bird identification or
Vancouver birding please call:

Michael Price at (604) 731-4715
Mark and Eleni Wynja at (604) 438-6529
(Other contact names omitted on request)

Thanks for calling the Vancouver Bird Alert and Good Birding!