This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Monday, April 30th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds
Unlimited, with stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This
update was recorded at 8 PM on May 1st. The RBA telephone
number is (604) 737-3074.


Sightings for Monday, April 30th

At Cecil Green Park on the University of BC campus near Vancouver, there
was a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, "hundreds" of YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLERS, and a WARBLING VIREO.

In the "polo fields" along 8th Avenue in Surrey, just east of 176th Street,
were at least 90 WHIMBRELS.


Sightings for Sunday, April 29th

On Sea Island, Richmond, a LONG-BILLED CURLEW was seen inside
the Vancouver Airport property, looking south from Ferguson Road.

Birds of interest along the Grant Narrows nature dyke trail at Pitt Lake
included a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, 5 VAUX'S SWIFTS, 3
TURKEY VULTURES, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, a WILSON'S
WARBLER, and a flock of 28 STELLER'S JAYS.

At the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta, birds of note included a
SURFBIRD, 5 late BLACK TURNSTONES, and 4 BLACK
OYSTERCATCHERS. Elsewhere in Delta, a YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD was near the intersection of 64th Street and 36th Avenue,
3 HERMIT THRUSHES at Beach Grove Park, and 2 WILSON'S
WARBLERS and a BARN OWL in the woods north of the Boundary
Bay Airport.

At Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby, 12 VAUX'S SWIFTS, a PINE
GROSBEAK, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, and a HAMMOND'S
FLYCATCHER were noted. Another SOLITAIRE was seen in the
4600 block of Langara Avenue in Vancouver.

Cecil Green Park at UBC produced 5 HERMIT THRUSHES and the
first WARBLING VIREO of the year.

A GREEN HERON and 10 RING-NECKED DUCKS were at Surrey Lake
on 152nd Street in Surrey.

At Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver were a WESTERN
TANAGER, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, 6 PURPLE MARTINS, 6 VAUX'S
SWIFTS, 2 HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS, and many warblers.


Sightings for Saturday, April 28th

At Cecil Green Park near the University of BC, birds seen included
100 YELLOW-RUMPED, 20 ORANGE-CROWNED, and 2
NASHVILLE WARBLERS, a HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER,
and 125 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE flying over.

At Blackie Spit in Surrey, a female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, 3 PURPLE
MARTINS, a WHIMBREL, 30 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and 12
CASPIAN TERNS were seen.

At Iona Island in Richmond, 5 RING-NECKED DUCKS and 2 YELLOW-
HEADED BLACKBIRDS were seen, and an OSPREY was on its nest along
the North Arm of the Fraser River.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, 2 HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS, and the
first WESTERN TANAGER of the spring were at the Maplewood
Conservation Area in North Vancouver. Two more SOLITAIRES were
at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.

A SOOTY GROUSE at Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby was at an
unusual location.

A late SLATE-COLOURED JUNCO was in the 1900 block of Berkley in
North Vancouver, along with 2 HERMIT THRUSHES.


Sightings for Friday, April 27th

At Point Roberts, Washington were 3 TURKEY VULTURES, 500
BRANT, and 2 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS.

A flock of 85 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE was seen
flying north over 41st Avenue at Arbutus in Vancouver.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen in the Upper Lonsdale
district of North Vancouver.


Sightings for Thursday, April 26th

A pair of CINNAMON TEAL and a YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
were seen in the 10300 block of 208th Street in Langley.

Four (!!) TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES were seen in the Upper
Lonsdale district of North Vancouver.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 25th

In Campbell Valley Park, Langley, birds reported included a HAMMOND'S
FLYCATCHER, 3 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, and 10 BLACK-
THROATED GRAY WARBLERS.

At Iona Island in Richmond, 5 LESSER YELLOWLEGS and 20 LEAST
SANDPIPERS were seen in the sewage ponds. Also at Iona were 2 CINNAMON
TEAL, 2 YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS, 4 RING-NECKED DUCKS,
and in overflight, a flock of 150 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE.

Two TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES were seen at the Maplewood Conservation
Area in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 24th

At Cecil Green Park near the University of BC, birds seen included
a NASHVILLE WARBLER, a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, 15
ORANGE-CROWNED and 35 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS,
4 HERMIT THRUSHES, and 50 GOLDEN-CROWNED SPARROWS.
More than 100 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were seen at
the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver.

At Burnaby Lake in Burnaby, a LONG-BILLED CURLEW and a GREATER
WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE were seen on the sports fields near the west end
of the lake.

Six RED CROSSBILLS were seen at Derby Reach Regional Park in Langley.


Sightings for Monday, April 23rd

At Iona Island, the first SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER of the year
was reported, along with 100 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 4 LEAST
SANDPIPERS, a WHIMBREL, and 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS.

Two EARED GREBES and 2 LONG-TAILED DUCKS were seen off the
White Rock pier in White Rock.


Sightings for Sunday, April 22nd

In Surrey, birds seen included 75 WHIMBREL in the field along 8th Avenue
just east of 176th Street, 10 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS and a male
EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL at Blackie Spit, and 3
BONAPARTE'S GULLS at the mouth of the Campbell River.

At Iona Island, 12 CINNAMON TEAL were seen in the outer pond and 2
BLUE-WINGED TEAL in the sewage ponds, 2 YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRDS in the marsh, and an EARED GREBE from the South Jetty.

An EARED GREBE and at least 30 RED-NECKED GREBES were seen at
Point Roberts, WA, and a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was at Beach
Grove Park in Delta.

In Hope, east of the Vancouver checklist area, 12 EVENING GROSBEAKS
were seen near Kawkawa Lake, and many spring migrants including
a NASHVILLE WARBLER, a CASSIN'S VIREO, and a HAMMOND'S
FLYCATCHER along the nearby Othello Road. Three TURKEY VULTURES
were in a tree at Floods, just west of Hope.


Sightings for Saturday, April 21st

Sightings at Iona Island included 5 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 200 WESTERN
and 35 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 60 AMERICAN PIPITS, a HERMIT
THRUSH, a HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, 10 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, 9
RING-NECKED DUCKS, and 4 CINNAMON TEAL. 5 GREATER WHITE_
FRONTED GEESE were in fields along Ferguson Road on nearby Sea Island.

Seven GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, a CINNAMON TEAL, and 6
BONAPARTE'S GULLS were at Jericho Park in Vancouver, and 2
CINNAMON TEAL, 2 RING-NECKED DUCKS, and a CASPIAN TERN
were at Hastings Park.

In Pitt Meadows, 10 TURKEY VULTURES, 5 OSPREYS, and 3 SANDHILL
CRANES were seen during a raptor survey.

Two PURPLE MARTINS, the first of the year, and a SORA were seen at the
Maplewood Conservation Area, and a pair of OSPREYS were building a
nest there. Nearby on Bowser Avenue in North Vancouver, the first
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER of the year was seen.

A SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, first of the year, was among other shorebirds
at Beach Grove Lagoon at the east foot of 12th Avenue in Delta, and 197
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS were counted there. The same day, 470
BRANT were counted at Point Roberts, WA, and more than 1000 were seen
from the Tsawwassen jetty in Delta.

At Blaine, WA, 3 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS and 12 WHIMBRELS
were of note.


Sightings for Friday, April 20th

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen on Burnaby Mountain, and a
CASSIN'S VIREO was at the Maplewood Conservation Area.

Seven GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and 5 RING-NECKED DUCKS
were at Jericho Park, Vancouver.

At Derby Reach Regional Park in Langley, 2 CINNAMON TEAL, a RED-
BREASTED SAPSUCKER, and 3 EVENING GROSBEAKS were seen. Two
more CINNAMON TEAL were at Colony Farm Regional Park, on the Port
Coquitlam side.



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