This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Wednesday, April 18th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds
Unlimited, with stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver.
The RBA telephone number is (604) 737-3074.



Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERT for an ARCTIC LOON at Hansville
and nearby Point No Point in Washington. For further details on
this bird, check the TWEETERS E-mail group, or phone the
Seattle BirdBox at (206) 281-9172.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 18th

On Bowen Island, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen near
the Municipal Hall.

In Washington, the ARCTIC LOON was seen almost every day
through the 18th from either the Hansville store or nearby Point
No Point in Kitsap County, although observers sometimes had
to wait several hours for the bird to appear.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 17th

A bird believed to be a ROSS'S GOOSE was seen in flight
with CANADA GEESE near the Oxford Street entrance to
the Port Coquitlam rail yards.

At Iona Island in Richmond, sightings included 55 GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE (plus 11 more on Sea Island), a pair of
CINNAMON TEAL, the first BLUE-WINGED TEAL of the spring, 15
WILSON'S SNIPES, many LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, and 2 YELLOW-
HEADED BLACKBIRDS.

At Annacis Island in Delta, a pair of OSPREYS was at their nest,
and a migrant TOWNSEND'S WARBLER was seen.


Sightings for Monday, April 16th

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, birds seen included 80 GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, 4 CASPIAN TERNS, and an OSPREY. Also,
the decapitated head of a ROSS'S GOOSE, probably killed by an
eagle, was found.

In Vancouver, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen near 17th
Avenue and Camosun Street.

Three TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES were seen along the railway
tracks near Alderside Road in Port Moody.


Sightings for Sunday, April 15th

The NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta,
first reported on April 5th, was seen again.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver, a
HERMIT THRUSH was seen, as was a bird believed to be
a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, seen flying by.

At Iona Island, a VIRGINIA RAIL, a CASPIAN TERN, a LINCOLN'S
SPARROW, and several YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS were
seen. A walk out the South Jetty produced an EARED GREBE
and 50 BRANDT'S CORMORANTS.

At Pitt Meadows, there was an AMERICAN KESTREL along Rannie Road; 2
CINNAMON TEAL, 5 OSPREYS, and several RING-NECKED DUCKS at
Grant Narrows Park; and 2 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES along the
Nature Dyke at Grant Narrows.

Six RING-NECKED DUCKS were at Jericho Park in Vancouver.


No reports for Saturday, April 14th


Sightings for Friday, April 13th

A drake AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, of unknown origin, was
seen along 34th Street in West Delta, in a field N of 33A Avenue.

Two HUTTON'S VIREOS were seen in the 10300 block of 208th Street in Langley.


Sightings for Thursday, April 12th

Numerous migrants were seen at the Alaksen Wildlife Area in Delta
including a CHIPPING SPARROW, a HERMIT THRUSH, 6 COMMON
YELLOWTHROATS, 20 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS including 3
MYRTLE WARBLERS, a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, and hundreds of
swallows. Nearby at the Singh Farm, 120 AMERICAN PIPITS were seen.

Two OSPREYS were at their nest site on Annacis Island in Delta.

A SOOTY GROUSE at the Maplewood Conservation Area in
North Vancouver was a bit out of place.

In Washington, the ARCTIC LOON was seen repeatedly at
Hansville and at nearby Point No Point, north of Bremerton.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 11th

In Port Moody, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE and a HERMIT THRUSH
were seen along Alderside Road.

In Langley, in the 10300 block of 208th Street, sightings included 2
SANDHILL CRANES, a N. ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, a BARN
SWALLOW, and a WESTERN MEADOWLARK.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area, the EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED
TEAL was seen again on the east side.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 10th

Spring arrivals included two LONG-BILLED CURLEWS in a field near the
foot of 112th Street, 3 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS near the foot of 96th
street and one more near the foot of 64th Street, and 300 WESTERN
SANDPIPERS at the foot of 96th, all in Delta. At least 50,000 DUNLIN
and 2000 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS were also seen in Boundary Bay.

Two male MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS were seen on the Port Coquitlam side
of Colony Farm Regional Park.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was reported from the Dunbar district of
Vancouver.


Sightings for Monday, April 9th

At Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, birds noted included a female MOUNTAIN
BLUEBIRD, an OSPREY, and a HUTTON'S VIREO.

Another MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, this one a male, was seen at
Porteau Cove, on Highway 99 N of Horseshoe Bay.


Sightings for Sunday, April 8th

A late sighting of the GYRFALCON was made near the foot of 96th
Street on Boundary Bay.

A pair of CINNAMON TEAL was seen on the pond at Vanier Park in Vancouver.

The WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was still present near Nanaimo and
Hastings in Vancouver.

A well-marked ARCTIC LOON was studied at Point No Point, north of
Bremerton, WA.


Sightings for Saturday, April 7th

Out of town, a COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD was present all day and
was photographed at Jordan River, west of Sooke on Vancouver Island.

First-of-year sightings included an early CASSIN'S VIREO near the West
Vancouver works yard on the road up to Cypress Bowl and a CHIPPING
SPARROW at Brunswick Point in Delta. Other sightings of note
included a rare RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER at Deas Island Park
in Delta, a blue-morph SNOW GOOSE at Brunswick Point, 2
SORAS at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver,
and 5 MARBLED MURRELETS off the Grebe Islets in
West Vancouver, seen from Klootchman Park.

At Roberts Bank in Delta were at least 1600 BRANT.

At Iona Island in Richmond, sightings included a YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD, 2 OSPREYS, a WESTERN MEADOWLARK,
and 3 CASPIAN TERNS, the first for the year.

At Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby, migrants included 3 ORANGE-
CROWNED and 7 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and 3 RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS.


If you have any questions about birds or birding in the Vancouver
area, please call Peter at 604-736-0991, Wayne at 604-597-7201,
or Larry at 604-465-1402. Thank you for calling the Vancouver
Rare Bird Alert, and good birding.

For further information about birding in the Vancouver area, check
the Vancouver Natural History Society's website at
http://naturevancouver.ca .


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