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

Area: VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA (abbrev-VCR)
Period: WED APR 05/95 to SUN APRIL 09/95, 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:

*Western Tanager* (arr.)
Whimbrel (arr.)
Townsend's Solitaire's (arr.)
Hermit Thrush (arr.)
Common Yellowthroat (arr.)
*Wilson's Warbler*
American Dipper
Western Gull
*Glaucous x Herring Gull*
Northern Harrier
Brandt's Cormorant
Green Heron
Common Snipe
Surfbird
Black Turnstone
Black Oystercatcher
Brant
Osprey
Northern Shrike
Western Meadowlark
Gr. White-fronted Goose
Barn Swallow
Rufous Hummingbird


SUN APR 09
An extraordinarily early male *WESTERN TANAGER* was heard singing in
Campbell Valley Pk. in S Langley today, above the switchbacks in the Main
Trail just below the picnic areas at the *th Ave. Entrance to the Pk. The
first WHIMBREL of the spring migration were at a traditional feeding
location, the field on the S side of 8th Ave, & 176th St. in Surrey;
Whimbrel were also reported from Blackie Spit. The first Solitary Vireo of
the spring migration was seen and heard at Everett Crowley Pk. in SE VCR,
and the first TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES, a pair, were at the N end of
Inter-River Pk., formerly known as the Premier St. Landfill in N VCR. Two
active HUTTON'S VIREO NESTS were reported from N Delta. HERMIT THRUSHES and
COMMON YELLOWTHROATS have been reported from several locations over the
last few days; the earliest reports received by the Alert to date have been
for the Hermit Thrush, Fridayn April 07 at Serpentine Fen and for Common
Yellowthroat, an early Wednesday, March 29, at Colony Farms. Still on late
records, a very early *WILSON'S WARBLER* was just S of the border at
Larrabee State Pk. on Chuckanut Dr. in N Washington State on Sunday Apr.
02.



SAT APR 08
Today was the day for the Burrard Inlet quarterly survey sponsored by the
the Burrard Inlet Environmental Action Program and the VNHS; full results
haven't been totalled yet, but at least one highlight was an AMERICAN
DIPPER seen in Indian Arm opposite Croker Is., and another was an adult
WESTERN GULL and a gull believed to be a GLAUCOUS X HERRING GULL HYBRID in
a flock of gulls in central Burrard Inlet, where there was also an
out-of-place NORTHERN HARRIER and over 20 BRANDT'S CORMORANTS. A HERMIT
THRUSH was reported from Queen Elizabeth Pk. in Central VCR. The pair of
GREEN HERONS at the campus of Trinity Western University was there again
today. Up to 5 male and 1 female RING-NECKED DUCKS were on the Outer Pond
at Iona Is. In NW Richmond, where there were also 4 COMMON SNIPE,
indicating that species is on the move N. At the Grebe Islets to the W of
Lighthouse and Klootchman Pks. in W VCR, there were 1 SURFBIRD, 13 BLACK
TURNSTONES, and 2 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS. Many of the hundreds of BRANT in
Boundary Bay took advantage of strong tailwinds today to head N; only 70
were left in the Bay by midday. And an OSPREY was over N VCR carrying
sticks to be used for nesting material.


FRI APR 07
Single adult NORTHERN SHRIKES were reported from Blackie Spit in Crescent
Beach near the farm allotments and the Boundary Bay foreshore at the S end
of 72nd St. where there was also 14 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS. Four GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, territorial COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, and at least 5 BARN
SWALLOWS were over Serpentine Fen along the King George Highway in Surrey.


THU APR 06
No local report.


WED APR 05
A male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD of the rare GREEN-BACKED FORM was seen in
typical Rufous male display at 248 St & 4th Ave, S Langley.



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!