This is the Vancouver, BC Bird Alert for Thursday April 06th, 9:00 pm
update.

Highlights Include:

SAGE SPARROW
MARBLED GODWIT

Other birds mentioned include:

Greater Yellowlegs
Rough-winged Swallow
Northern Shrike
Black-bellied Plover
Western Sandpiper
Crested Mynah
Long-billed Curlew
Yellow-headed Blackbird
Peregrine Falcon
Brant
Palm Warbler
Black Turnstone
Cinnamon Teal
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Horned Lark
Eurasian Wigeon
King Eider
Boneparte's Gull
Glaucous Gull
Townsend's Solitaire
Merlin
======================

Sightings for Thursday, April 06th

The SAGE SPARROW was again seen at Iona Island at around noon in the same
location as yesterday opposite the washrooms and near a yellow bar gate.
This is the third record for the Vancouver area.

A MARBLED GODWIT was seen at the compensation lagoon along the Tsawwassen
ferry jetty. Also in the area were 120 BRANT. A further 800 BRANT were
seen between Lighthouse Park and the marina in Point Robert's along with a
grey whale.

A CRESTED MYNAH was noted at the Marpole Bus loop.

In a late report a NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby and
at Iona the inner sewage ponds had 50 GREATER YELLOWLEGS and 3 ROUGH-WINGED
SWALLOWS. These were joined by many WESTERN SANDPIPERS and BLACK-BELLIED
PLOVERS at dusk.


Wednesday, April 05th


A SAGE SPARROW was seen late this afternoon at Iona Island opposite the
washrooms in an area along the outer pond dotted with broom. The bird was
seen for several hours into the evening. Also at Iona a LONG-BILLED CURLEW
flew north along the south jetty and landed somewhere along the river. The
first YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS of the spring were seen along the outer
ponds.

In Tsawwassen 7 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were along the ferry causeway and a
number of them were seen participating in a syncronized courtship flight
display.


Tuesday, April 04th

A PEREGRINE FALCON was seen hunting shorebirds at Boundary Bay Regional
Park.

There were 549 BRANT between Point Robert's and Lighthouse Park as well as
10 BLACK TURNSTONES.

A MERLIN was seen at the compensation lagoon at the Tsawwassen Ferry
Terminal.


Monday April 03rd

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was at Heritage Park which is at Crescent Road in
south Surrey. The bird was at the extreme southwest corner of the park on a
private lawn.

At Iona, a first summer GLAUCOUS GULL near the end of the south jetty on the
north side. The KING EIDER was not seen but should still be looked for
amongst the vast flock of scoters off the south jetty. There were also 1000
BONEPARTE'S GULLS feeding along at this pass.


Sunday April 02nd

No reports


Saturday April 01st

A first year KING EIDER was seen off the tip of the Iona south jetty with a
large scoter flock. The bird was observed from 10:30 am to approximately
1:30 pm and went into the scoter flock further off shore to the south. Also
reported from the jetty were 10 EURASIAN WIGEONS and a HORNED LARK. A
Possible YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER has been seen briefly since Wednesday each
evening between 5:30 and 6:00 pm. The bird on all occasions has not been
observed for more than 10 seconds. Although all observers are convinced
this is a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER confirmation is desired. The bird is
located on the edge of the Comosun Bog, bordering a lane south of the
intersection of Crown Street and 21st Avenue in Vancouver.

The PALM WARBLER was again reported from the landward side of the Sea Island
Dike, 8-200 meters west of the junction of Shannon Road. The bird is in
about 90% breeding plumage.

The arrival of CINNAMON TEAL were a pair on the southeast shoreline of
Burnaby Lake on the wildlife refuge property.



END TRANSCRIPT
Please visit the Vancouver Natural History Society?s (VNHS) Web Page at
http://www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS/ for birding area locations mentioned
and other events.