This is the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare Bird Alert for
Sunday, May 2, sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited, with
stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. The RBA phone number is
(604) 737-3074.


Sightings for Sunday, May 2nd:

The change in the weather has finally brought widespread movements
of birds with many small fallouts being reported. There were
widespread reports of WILSON'S WARBLERS, ORANGE-CROWNED
WARBLERS, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, BLACK-THROATED
GRAY WARBLERS and WARBLING VIREOS.

A singing DUSKY FLYCATCHER was found in the small quarry below
the Seasons Restaurant in Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver. Also
reported from around the park were WESTERN WOOD-PEWEES,
OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS, PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS,
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS, TOWNSEND'S WARBLERS,
MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS, CASSIN'S VIREOS, HUTTON'S
VIREOS, LINCOLN'S SPARROWS and EVENING GROSBEAKS.

>From the top of Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby there was a similar story
for migrants, with the highlights being a possible CALLIOPE
HUMMINGBIRD, 2 MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLERS and an
out-of-place GREATER YELLOWLEGS.

Along the Grant Narrows Dyke in Pitt Meadows another small fallout
was reported, with the highlights being BULLOCK'S ORIOLE,
4 WESTERN TANAGERS, 2 YELLOW WARBLERS, one
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, 2 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES,
a SORA, 2 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS and dozens of VAUX'S SWIFTS.

A WESTERN MEADOWLARK was reported in a field along the
Boundary Bay dyke between 104th and 112th Streets in Delta.

At Minnekhada Park in Coquitlam, 5 BLUE GROUSE and 3
RING-NECKED DUCKS were reported.

The 7 PURPLE MARTINS were again reported from the Maplewood
Conservation Area in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Saturday, May 1st:

A FRANKLIN'S GULL was seen briefly at Blackie Spit in Surrey.
Also reported from this location were 5 PURPLE MARTINS, 2
CINNAMON TEAL and 6 WHIMBREL.

At the foot of 104th Street in Delta, a SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER
was found amongst high numbers of peeps.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, the following birds were
reported: 2 YELLOW WARBLERS, several WILSON'S WARBLERS,
a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, several ORANGE-CROWNED
WARBLERS, many YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and a
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER.

In the 13,000 block of South Surrey were a WESTERN TANAGER and a
CHIPPING SPARROW.

Another CHIPPING SPARROW was reported from Cecil Green Park,
behind the Anthropology Museum at UBC in Vancouver.

At Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, 3 BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAKS were reported.

The following birds were reported from Maplewood Conservation Area
in North Vancouver: 7 PURPLE MARTINS, 2 RED CROSSBILLS, 2
WARBLING VIREOS and 2 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS.


Sightings for Friday, April 30th:

There were 2 WESTERN TANAGERS and a WILSON'S WARBLER at
Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver.

5 PURPLE MARTINS and a WHIMBREL were at Blackie Spit, Surrey.

2 nesting GREEN HERONS could still be found on an island in Ambleside
Park pond, West Vancouver.

Pitt Meadows had the arrival SWAINSON'S THRUSH, 2 km south of
Grant Narrows. Also here was a late ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. Another
SWAINSON'S THRUSH was seen at Minnekhada Park, Coquitlam.


Sightings for Thursday, April 29th:

A HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER was heard and seen in Queen Elizabeth
Park, Vancouver.

Seven WHIMBREL were at Gilbert Beach in Richmond at the foot of
Gilbert Road.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 28th:

2 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES were on the west side of Queen
Elizabeth Park, 150 meters west of the stone face. Also in the area
was a CHIPPING SPARROW.

The Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver had a
WARBLING VIREO, a WILSON'S WARBLER and a VAUX'S SWIFT.

A GREAT HORNED OWL was seen at Iona Island between the inner and
outer ponds at birdhouse number 19.

Also at Iona, a PECTORAL SANDPIPER was in the northeast inner pond
along with 3 male BLUE-WINGED TEAL and 10 CINNAMON TEAL.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 27th:

Among the many BLACK-THROATED GRAY, YELLOW-RUMPED,
ORANGE-CROWNED and TOWNSEND?S WARBLERS in
Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Park were 4 WILSON?S WARBLERS,
the first of the spring. Also seen here were 2 HERMIT THRUSHES,
a HAMMOND?S FLYCATCHER, and 4 EVENING GROSBEAKS in
overflight.

Another 4 EVENING GROSBEAKS were seen in Burnaby Mountain
Park, Burnaby.

Also productive was Minnekhada Park in Coquitlam, which had two
CASSIN?S VIREOS and 8 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS.

Joe Brown Park in Surrey also had a PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER
and a HAMMOND?S FLYCATCHER.

A NASHVILLE WARBLER was at Colony Farm, and another
NASHVILLE WARBLER was at Grant Narrows Park in Pitt Meadows
along with 6 TURKEY VULTURES, 6 OSPREYS and a VAUX?S SWIFT.

Another VAUX?S SWIFT was over Highway 10 and 104th Street in Delta.


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

This transcript was prepared by Rick Toochin and distributed by Wayne
Weber.


End Transcript

For further information on birding in the Vancouver area, log onto the
Vancouver Natural History Society's web site at
http://www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS/


Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net