This is the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare Bird Alert
for Saturday, April 23, sponsored in part by the Wild Birds
Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This message
was updated at 9 AM on April 24. 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. From March 31
through at least April 19, it has been seen on or near 277th Street 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 Saturday, April 23

At Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby, numerous migrants were seen
including the first-of-year NASHVILLE WARBLER and MACGILLIVRAY'S
WARBLER, 4 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES, a HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER,
an OSPREY, and a TURKEY VULTURE.

Birds were thin in Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Park, but did include single
HAMMOND'S and PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS and 2 HUTTON'S
VIREOS.

In West Vancouver, a pair of GREEN HERONS were nesting on the island
in the duck pond at Ambleside Park, and several BLUE GROUSE were
heard hooting in Cypress Provincial Park.

At the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond were a SOLITARY SANDPIPER
and 8 CINNAMON TEAL.

An out-of-place YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was at the pond in
Vanier Park in Vancouver, and an OSPREY was seen along the Pitt River
near DeBouville Slough in Coquitlam.


Sightings for Friday, April 22

At Point Roberts in Washington, 2 RHINOCEROS AUKLETS were seen
off Lighthouse Marine Park, a BLACK OYSTERCATCHER and 61 BLACK
TURNSTONES along the south beach just east of the marina, and a
HUTTON'S VIREO was singing near Lily Point.

The first PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER of the spring appeared in South
Surrey.


Sightings for Thursday, April 21

A LONG-BILLED CURLEW was seen at Iona Island on the flats just
north of the South Jetty, and another LONG-BILLED CURLEW was seen
in a field in Pitt Meadows, east of Neaves Road and south of the North
Alouette River.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 20

At Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver, 3 PURPLE
MARTINS and a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER were seen.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 19

At Iona Island in Richmond, the first SOLITARY SANDPIPER
of the year was reported, as were 4 LESSER YELLOWLEGS,
3 CASPIAN TERNS, and 2 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE.

At Maplewood Conservation Area were 8 PURPLE MARTINS,
an OSPREY, and a female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD still in the
west salt marsh.

At the University of BC Botanical Gardens were 3 TOWNSEND'S
WARBLERS, a HUTTON'S VIREO, and a GREATER WHITE-
FRONTED GOOSE.

Two RHINOCEROS AUKLETS were seen at Lighthouse Marine
Park in Point Roberts, Washington, and nearby were an OSPREY
and two RED CROSSBILLS.


Sightings for Monday, April 18

A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was reported from McDonald Road on Sea Island.
Also on Sea Island were the first WHIMBREL of the year, 6 MOUNTAIN
BLUEBIRDS near the UPS building, and two CINNAMON TEAL. On Iona
Island were a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, and two EARED GREBES off
the south jetty.

At Maplewood Conservation Area were a PURPLE MARTIN a 3 HERMIT
THRUSHES.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE and a HUTTON'S VIREO were at Queen
Elizabeth Park in Vancouver.

At Grant Narrows Regional Park at the south end of Pitt Lake were an
AMERICAN BITTERN and 4 VIRGINIA RAILS.

Finally, numbers of migrating shorebirds near the foot of 96th Street on
Boundary Bay in Delta increased to 2000 WESTERN SANDPIPERS and
180 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, along with 30,000 DUNLIN. At
the base of the Tsawwassen Jetty in Delta were 5 MARBLED GODWITS.


Sightings for Sunday, April 17

A flood of reports was received today as birders emerged from
hibernation, and spring migration swung into high gear.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver, the first-of-year
PURPLE MARTIN was seen. Other first-of-year reports included a
TOWNSEND'S WARBLER at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver,
and BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS at QE Park, at Beach
Grove Park and near the Boundary Bay Airport in Delta, and on Elkview
Road near Ryder Lake in Chilliwack. CASPIAN TERNS were also
reported from 4 localities, including 9 over Clark Drive and East
Hastings in Vancouver, and singles at Iona I., at the Tsawwassen
ferry jetty in Delta, and near the Port Mann bridge in Surrey.

In Pitt Meadows, 18 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were still
on Neaves Road south of the North Alouette River, with 3 or 4 CACKLING
GEESE. Two SANDHILL CRANES were seen near the Swan-e-set
Golf Course, and at least 5 AMERICAN KESTRELS were seen
around Pitt Meadows, as were two TURKEY VULTURES.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, highlights included 2
AMERICAN BITTERNS, 3 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE,
and 1500 remaining SNOW GEESE.

At Iona Island in Richmond were 4 CINNAMON TEAL and 3
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS.

Three TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES were still at the University
of BC Botanical Gardens, as was a migrant HERMIT THRUSH.

20 RHINOCEROS AUKLETS, a high number, were seen from
the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta.

In Chilliwack, a surprising BRANT was seen at Sardis Park; a
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, NASHVILLE WARBLER, and MOUNTAIN
CHICKADEE were seen in the 48100 block of Elkview Road; and
3 early LESSER YELLOWLEGS were seen with other shorebirds
and ducks, including 2 CINNAMON TEAL, along Chilliwack Central
Road near Prest Road.



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