This is Wayne Weber with the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Saturday, April 5th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds
Unlimited, with stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. This message was
updated at 3 PM on April 6th. The RBA telephone number is (604) 737-3074.

If you have a report, please leave your name, telephone number, date, and
location of your sighting at the end of this recording, including numbers of
birds seen wherever possible. To skip the recording and leave your message,
press the pound sign on your phone and begin speaking after the tone.


Sightings for Saturday, April 5th

The first CASSIN'S VIREO of the spring was reported at Crescent Park in
Surrey. Also here were 6 RED CROSSBILLS and 2 RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS.

The HARRIS'S SPARROW, present since January, was still along 188th Street
in Surrey, just south of 8th Avenue. An AMERICAN KESTREL and 3 SAVANNAH
SPARROWS were nearby.

The BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was still in the sewage ponds at Iona Island in
Richmond, along with 10 WILSON'S SNIPE and 29 GREATER YELLOWLEGS.
Also in the area were an OSPREY, 8 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, a
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD, 2 CLIFF SWALLOWS, a NORTHERN
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, and a late NORTHERN SHRIKE.

5 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and at least 10 newly-arrived SAVANNAH
SPARROWS were near the foot of 72nd Street on Boundary Bay in Delta.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE and a TURKEY VULTURE were seen in North
Delta near 116th Street and 95th Avenue.

Two SURFBIRDS were seen with BLACK TURNSTONES at the Tsawwassen
ferry terminal in Delta.


Sightings for Friday, April 4th

A male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD and 2 CLIFF SWALLOWS, both of
which were the first of the spring, were seen at Iona Island in Richmond.

An OSPREY at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver
was the first of the year.


Sightings for Thursday, April 3rd

The NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, present since January on the west side of
St. John's College on the University of BC campus near Vancouver, was
seen again.

The immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK at Jericho Park in Vancouver, present
for weeks, was seen again. Also there were 6 RING-NECKED DUCKS and
4 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS.

Two EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were visiting a feeder at 4126 River Road
in Delta.

A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, an extremely early arrival, was reported from the
Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 2nd

At Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta, the drake EURASIAN
GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen again.

Two SOOTY GROUSE were heard hooting at Cypress Provincial Park in West
Vancouver, and many RED CROSSBILLS were seen and heard.

Two BARRED OWLS were seen at close range near the pond in Crescent Park,
Surrey.

Along Quarry Road near Minnekhada Park in Coquitlam, at least 6 RED-BREASTED
SAPSUCKERS and 8 PURPLE FINCHES were seen and heard. Nearby,
along Coast Meridian Road in Port Coquitlam, 3 BAND-TAILED PIGEONS
were thought to be newly-arrived migrants.

A road-killed LONG-EARED OWL was found on Holly Park Lane in Surrey.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 1st

The TUFTED DUCK x SCAUP hybrid was still present at Lost Lagoon in
Vancouver's Stanley Park.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was at the Van Dusen Botanical Garden in
Vancouver, and another at Trout Lake Park.

The wintering WILLET, a SNOW BUNTING, and 2 BLACK
OYSTERCATCHERS were seen on the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta.

Six AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and 3 SAVANNAH SPARROWS were
near the foot of 72nd Street in Delta.

At Campbell Valley Park in Langley, the first COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
of the spring was reported.

The HARRIS'S SPARROW and several SAVANNAH SPARROWS were along
188th Street in Surrey, just south of 8th Avenue.

The drake EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen near the pumphouse
at Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta.


Sightings for Monday, March 31st

A LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE was seen along the Vancouver Airport fence near
McDonald Road on Sea Island in Richmond, but has not been reported since.
Also on Sea Island was a SAVANNAH SPARROW. On nearby Iona Island,
A VIRGINIA RAIL was heard calling in the outer pond.

Two SANDHILL CRANES flew over the 6900 block of Bradner Road in Langley.
They are known to nest not far away at Derby Reach Regional Park.

Two EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen near the pumphouse at
Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta, and five more were on telephone
wires and trees at 4650 96th Street, just south of Highway 99.


Sightings for Sunday, March 30th

Two RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS and a TURKEY VULTURE were reported from
Nelson Canyon Park in West Vancouver.


No sightings reported for Saturday, March 29th


Sightings for Friday, March 28th

A BARRED OWL and 2 RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS were seen in Vancouver's
Pacific Spirit Park, just off the Imperial Trail.

A WESTERN MEADOWLARK singing in the west meadow at the Maplewood
Conservation Area in North Vancouver was quite unusual for that area.


No sightings for Thursday, March 27th


Sightings for Wednesday, March 26th

A migrant flock of 20 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS was seen at the Van
Dusen Botanical Garden near Oak and 37th Avenue in Vancouver.

The TOWNSEND'S WARBLER which has stayed all winter was still
coming to a feeder in the 3000 block of Spuraway in Coquitlam.


No sightings for Tuesday, March 25th


Sightings for Monday, March 24th

The immature HARRIS'S SPARROW was still feeding with other crowned
sparrows along 188th Street about a block south of 8th Avenue in Surrey.

Four EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were seen along 96th Street in Delta,
just south of Hornby Drive.

Eight AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, the largest flock seen this year, were
along the Boundary Bay dyke just east of 72nd Street in Delta, and one more
was along 72nd Street near 36th Avenue. Also in Delta, 5 SNOW BUNTINGS
were seen partway out the Tsawwassen ferry jetty, and 2 AMERICAN
KESTRELS were along 64th Street near Boundary Bay.



Sightings for Sunday, March 23rd

The first TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE of the spring migration was seen on
Alderside Road in Port Moody.

In Abbotsford, east of Vancouver, an early TURKEY VULTURE was seen
near the Whatcom Road exit from Highway 1.


Sightings for Saturday, March 22nd

Four SANDHILL CRANES, 8 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, and 4 RED
CROSSBILLS were seen at Minnekhada Regional Park and vicinity in
Coquitlam.

Also in Coquitlam, a RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD, a NORTHERN SHRIKE, and
6 RING-NECKED DUCKS were seen at Colony Farm Park. Another RUFOUS
HUMMINGBIRD was in the 2200 block of 196th Street in Langley.

In North Vancouver, a BAND-TAILED PIGEON and a SLATE-COLOURED
JUNCO were in a yard in the 2100 block of Bowser Avenue.



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



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