This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History
Society's Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, April 6, 2005,
sponsored in part by the Wild Birds Unlimited stores in
Vancouver and North Vancouver. This update was recorded
at 11 AM, April 7. The RBA phone number is (604) 737-3074.

The Vancouver Natural History Society Birder's Night is tonight,
April 7 at 7:30 PM at St. Mary's Anglican Church, 37th Avenue at
Larch Street in Vancouver. The featured speaker is Dr. Robert
Blake of the Department of Zoology, University of BC, talking
about "Bird Flight and Migration".


RARE BIRD ALERT: In Washington, a BAIKAL TEAL, an accidental
Visitor from Asia, has been present for several days, through April
6, on 277th Street near the West Valley Highway in Kent, just SE
of Seattle. For further details, please phone the Washington
State RBA at (206) 281-9172, or check the TWEETERS E-mail group.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 6

About 3600 BRANT were counted in the vicinity of the Tsawwassen
ferry jetty in Delta. Also in Delta, a WESTERN MEADOWLARK
was seen in Boundary Bay Regional Park, and an AMERICAN
KESTREL was present near the intersection of 28th Avenue and
56th Street


Sightings for Tuesday, April 5

In Pitt Meadows, 18 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were
still present in a field east of Neaves Road and just south of the
North Alouette River, where they have been for a couple of
weeks. However, yesterday's LONG-BILLED CURLEW could
not be relocated. 6 CACKLING GEESE and 2 EURASIAN
WIGEON were in the same field. Farther north on Neaves
Road, a TURKEY VULTURE was seen. At Grant Narrows
Regional Park at the south end of Pitt Lake, a pair of
OSPREYS were seen, and 10 RING-NECKED DUCKS
were in ditches along Rannie Road near Grant Narrows.


Sightings for Monday, April 4

A LONG-BILLED CURLEW was seen near the GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE east of Neaves Road and just
south of the North Alouette River in Pitt Meadows. Farther
north, 4 SANDHILL CRANES were seen along Rannie
Road, and an AMERICAN KESTREL was present along
Thompson Road.

At Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta, a female MOUNTAIN
BLUEBIRD was seen just west of the high tower. On the
shoreline at the foot of 12th Avenue near the pumphouse were
2 MARBLED GODWITS, 15 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, and 5
EURASIAN WIGEON.

Near the Boundary Bay Airport in Delta, a singing COMMON
YELLOWTHROAT was the first reported for the year.

At Lighthouse Marine Park in Point Roberts, a ROCK SANDPIPER
was seen with 35 BLACK TURNSTONES. Nearby were 2 BLACK
OYSTERCATCHERS. At Lily Point cemetery, an ORANGE-
CROWNED WARBLER was singing and at Tyee Drive, a
HUTTON'S VIREO was heard singing.


Sightings for Sunday, April 3:

At Stanley Park in Vancouver, a MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE was
seen near the "Hollow Tree".

On Westham Island in Delta, along Westham Island Road
and Robertson Road, a MARBLED GODWIT was seen with
a flock of BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS. Also here was 1 CLIFF
SWALLOW.

At Colony Farm, a NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen on the Port
Coquitlam side in a field across from the foot bridge.

At Iona Island in Richmond, 3 CLIFF SWALLOWS were seen
over the southwest sewage lagoon.

In Maple Ridge, a RED CROSSBILL was seen at a feeder.


Sightings for Saturday, April 2:

At Pitt Meadows, 15 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE
were seen on the east side of Rannie Rd. 1.5 km south of
McNeill Rd. Also in this mixed flock were CACKLING GEESE,
CANADA GEESE, and a SANDHILL CRANE.

At Terra Nova golf course in Richmond were 4 SNOW
BUNTINGS and an AMERICAN DIPPER.

In Vancouver, 25 EVENING GROSBEAKS were seen at Prince
Edward Street and East 20th Avenue, feeding in trees for about
30 minutes.


Sightings for Friday, April 1

In Abbotsford, a SNOWY OWL was seen at 37460 Marshall Road,
between Griffiths Road and McMillan Road.

In Vancouver's Stanley Park, a WESTERN TANAGER was reported
just south of the cricket pitch.

At Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver, an OSPREY
was present.


Sightings for Thursday, March 31

At Pitt Meadows, 8 RING-NECKED DUCKS were seen in a ditch
along Rannie Road. An OSPREY was seen at Pitt Lake.



If you have any questions about birds or birding in the
Vancouver area, please call Wayne at (604) 597-7201,
Viveka at 531-3401, or Larry at 465-1402. Thank you for
calling the Vancouver Rare Bird Alert, and good birding.



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