This is the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare Bird
Alert for Friday, April 15, sponsored in part by the Wild Birds Unlimited
stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This update was recorded
at 11 AM, April 16. The RBA phone number is (604) 737-3074.


RARE BIRD ALERT: In Washington, a BAIKAL TEAL, an accidental
visitor from Asia, has been present since mid-December. For the last 2
weeks, from March 31 through April 13, it has been seen
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 Friday, April 15

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, the wintering LONG-BILLED CURLEW was
still present, and one WESTERN MEADOWLARK was heard singing.


Sightings for Thursday, April 14

At Colony Farm, on the Port Coquitlam side, an early WILSON'S
WARBLER was seen. Also here were a late NORTHERN SHRIKE and
6 RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS.

A BARRED OWL was seen in Campbell Valley Regional Park,
Langley.

The LONG-BILLED CURLEW was still at Blackie Spit in Surrey,
near the mouth of the Nicomekl River.

In Delta, two MARBLED GODWITS and 15 SHORT-BILLED
DOWITCHERS were seen on the Boundary Bay mudflats off
the foot of 72nd Street, along with many other shorebirds.

At Jericho Park in Vancouver were 6 BONAPARTE'S GULLS.

Along 6th Avenue near Stevens Drive, in the Tsawwassen area of
Delta, a HUTTON'S VIREO was singing.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 13

A ROCK SANDPIPER was seen again at Lighthouse Marine Park in
Point Roberts, Washington, along with a BLACK OYSTERCATCHER
and up to 69 BLACK TURNSTONES.

At Ambleside Park in West Vancouver, a pair of GREEN HERONS
were seen on the small island in the duck pond.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver were 4
OSPREYS, and 15 RING-NECKED DUCKS in the west pond.

In Pitt Meadows, 18 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were
still present in a field east of Neaves Road and south of the
North Alouette River.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen in the town centre of Whistler.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 12

Near the foot of 96th Street on Boundary Bay in Delta, 30 SHORT-
BILLED DOWITCHERS and 400 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, the
first reported this spring, were seen. Also there were 50 GREATER
YELLOWLEGS, 1000 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, and thousands
of DUNLIN.

At the Tsawwassen jetty in Delta, 4 MARBLED GODWITS and a
WILLET were seen.
At Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta were 600 BRANT and 31
GREATER YELLOWLEGS. An EARED GREBE was present in the
marina at Point Roberts, Washington.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver were a
female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD on the west side, and a TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIRE.

A HERMIT THRUSH was seen in a garden near 41st and Dunbar, Vancouver.

Two late COMMON REDPOLLS were seen near 202nd Street and 47A
Avenue in Langley.


Sightings for Monday, April 11

Two pairs of CINNAMON TEAL, the first reported this spring, were in
ditches on Sea Island, Richmond. At nearby Iona I. Were several
AMERICAN PIPITS.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was at Grant Narrows Regional Park at
the south end of Pitt Lake, and an AMERICAN KESTREL was still along
Thompson Road in Pitt Meadows.


Sightings for Sunday, April 10

Sightings at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta included 2 AMERICAN
BITTERNS, 3 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, and 3 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS. The
SANDHILL CRANES are now nesting at the
Sanctuary, as are GREAT HORNED OWLS.

A CHIPPING SPARROW at the University of BC Botanical Garden was
the first for the year, but the TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES there 2 days
earlier were gone. In Port Moody, however, 3 solitaires were still
present along the railway tracks west of Old Orchard Park.

In Vancouver's Stanley Park, the TUFTED DUCK x SCAUP hybrid was
still at Lost Lagoon, and 2 HUTTON'S VIREOS and several RED
CROSSBILLS were near Beaver Lake.

A MARBLED GODWIT was at the compensation lagoon on the north side
of the Tsawwassen jetty, and the wintering LONG-BILLED CURLEW was
still at Blackie Spit in Surrey, on the far side of the Nicomekl River.

A LAPLAND LONGSPUR was on the Iona Island south jetty, Richmond,
and 50 AMERICAN PIPITS were at the sewage ponds.

In Pitt Meadows, 18 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and 7
CACKLING GEESE were still present on the east side of Neaves Road,
south of the North Alouette River.

The monthly Squamish Estuary bird count at Squamish, north of Vancouver,
turned up some noteworthy birds including 2 GREATER WHITE-
FRONTED GEESE, a NORTHERN GOSHAWK, 3 TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIRES, 12 RED CROSSBILLS, and 20 WHITE-WINGED
CROSSBILLS.


Sightings for Saturday, April 9

A BREWER'S SPARROW, subspecies undetermined, was seen
well about 11 AM on a dyke within the Iona Island sewage ponds,
Richmond. It was on the dyke between the NE and SE sewage
ponds, just east of where the two cross-dykes intersect. It
apparently could not be found during the afternoon, but may
still be in the area.

Two more TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES were reported, this time
from the northern side of Beach Grove Park, along 12th Avenue
near Boundary Bay in Delta

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, a GREATER WHITE-
FRONTED GOOSE, a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, and 3
GREAT HORNED OWLS were reported.


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/


This message was recorded, transcribed and distributed
by Wayne Weber.

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