This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday,
April 30th, sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited, with stores in
Vancouver and North Vancouver. This message was updated at 3 PM on May 1st.
The RBA telephone number is (604) 737-3074.

If you wish to leave a rare bird report, please press the star button at
the end of this message to go back to the menu, press "2" for the rare
bird reporting line, and follow the instructions given there.


RARE BIRD ALERT for a TUFTED DUCK at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 30th

The male TUFTED DUCK was present again most of the day on one of the inner
ponds at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.

A WHIMBREL, the first report of the year, was at "Farm Slough" on the
east side of Blackie Spit Park in Surrey. Also here was a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER.


A BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK and a WESTERN TANAGER near Deer Lake
in Burnaby were both the first reported for the year, and a bit early.

Noteworthy migrants on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby included a TURKEY
VULTURE and a CASSIN'S VIREO.

In Semiahmoo Bay, between White Rock and Blaine, WA were at least 6000
BONAPARTE'S GULLS and 80 CASPIAN TERNS.

A CHIPPING SPARROW was at Sowden Park in North Vancouver.

A singing NASHVILLE WARBLER was at Redwood Park in Surrey.

A MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was noted at Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 29th

The TUFTED DUCK was present most of the day at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.
Other birds of note at Reifel and nearby Westham Island included 2
TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIRES, 12 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE, 2 EURASIAN
COLLARED-DOVES, 3 HERMIT THRUSHES, and 500 late SNOW GEESE.

A major fallout of migrant was noted at Cecil Green Park on the University
of BC campus near Vancouver. This included 30 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, 15
HERMIT THRUSHES, and many warblers and sparrows. Noteworthy species
included a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, a NASHVILLE WARBLER, a WILSON'S
WARBLER, and a HUTTON'S VIREO.

Another NASHVILLE WARBLER was in the 2100 block of Bowser in North
Vancouver, and still another one at Burnaby Mountain Park, which also
produced 10 HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS and 6 EVENING GROSBEAKS.

Two TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES were on Berkley Road in North Vancouver, and 3
WILSON'S WARBLERS were at the nearby Maplewood Conservation Area.


Sightings for Monday, April 28th

A WESTERN WOOD-PEWEE, the first of the spring, was a week or two early in
a Burnaby yard.

The TUFTED DUCK was seen for much of the day at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.

Fifty VAUX'S SWIFTS and 4 BLACK SWIFTS, both firsts for the year, were
reported in Surrey near 104th Avenue and 148th Street. Confirmation
of the BLACK SWIFTS by other observers would be appreciated, as this
date is 2-3 weeks earlier than the usual arrival.

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW at 34th and Pine Crescent in Vancouver was
noteworthy.

Many migrants were noted at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North
Vancouver,
Including the first PURPLE MARTIN of the year, a MARBLED GODWIT, 11
BONAPARTE'S GULLS, and many RED CROSSBILLS. Burnaby Mountain Park
also had large numbers of migrants.


Sightings for Sunday, April 27th

A GREEN HERON was at Surrey Lake Park on 152nd Street in Surrey.

A SOLITARY SANDPIPER near 208th Street and 102B Avenue in Langley was the
first for the year.

A HARRIS'S SPARROW was seen in the Capilano Heights area of North Vancouver.

The male TUFTED DUCK was seen again at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary. Also here
were 5 GREAT HORNED OWLS, including the nesting adults and 3 nearly-fledged
young, 2000 late SNOW GEESE, and 20 LEAST SANDPIPERS.

Burnaby Mountain Park had many migrants including 3 NASHVILLE and
4 WILSON'S WARBLERS, 5 HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS, and 5 HERMIT
THRUSHES.

A pair of SANDHILL CRANES with one young were reported from the Country
Meadows Golf Course on No. 6 Road in Richmond.


Sightings for Saturday, April 26th

Two GREEN HERONS in their usual spot at the pond in West Vancouver's
Ambleside Park were the first report of the spring.

Two CINNAMON TEAL and a MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD were at Boundary Bay
Regional Park in Delta.

A LONG-EARED OWL in Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Park was being mobbed
by crows and a COOPER'S HAWK, but was gone by the next day.

In Port Moody, 6 RED CROSSBILLS and 20 BAND-TAILED PIGEONS were seen
at Inlet Park.


Sightings for Friday, April 25th

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver were a CINNAMON TEAL,
2 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, 2 HERMIT THRUSHES, and 2 pairs of OSPREYS
which were nest-building.


Sightings for Thursday, April 24th

The drake TUFTED DUCK was seen briefly again at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary
in Delta.

At the South Surrey Recreation Centre on 20th Avenue, a HUTTON'S VIREO
and 2 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS were noted.

Two HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS and many warblers were at Joe Brown
Park off 125A Street in the Panorama Ridge area of Surrey.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 23rd

A SAY'S PHOEBE along the beach at Iona Island in Richmond was a rare
spring migrant.

At least 2000 SNOW GEESE were still feeding on Westham Island in Delta,
and 4 MUTE SWANS were near the Westham Island bridge over Canoe Pass.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 22nd

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was present at Cecil Green Park on the
north side of the University of BC campus in Vancouver.

A high count of 155 GREATER YELLOWLEGS was made at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary
in Delta.


Sightings for Monday, April 21st

An OSPREY was at Lafarge Lake in Coquitlam.

At Point Roberts, Washington, 75 late BLACK TURNSTONES were still on
the old pier off Lighthouse Marine Park.


Sightings for Sunday, April 20th

A drake TUFTED DUCK was seen briefly at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta,
but did not stay for long. Also here was a drake EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED
TEAL.

A huge flock of 400 AMERICAN PIPITS was seen at the turf farm along 72nd
Street in Delta. Nearby, 2 late ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS were seen, one
along 80th Street and one on 36th Avenue near 64th Street.

A BARRED OWL was heard hooting at night near the intersection of Scott
Road and Wade Road in Delta.

At Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby, numerous migrants were seen including
a CASSIN'S VIREO, 5 HERMIT THRUSHES, a HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER,
a TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, and a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER.

At Vancouver's Jericho Park, a female ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD, a NORTHERN
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, and about 20 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS
were seen.

Another ANNA'S HUMMINGBIRD and an AMERICAN KESTREL were at Deer
Lake Park in Burnaby.

A BARN OWL was seen along 64th Street in Delta, a regular location for this
species.


Sightings for Saturday, April 19th

At Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, 2 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS,
the first of the year, were reported, as was a BLACK-THROATED GRAY
WARBLER.

A TURKEY VULTURE was seen at Blanca Street and 2nd Avenue in
Vancouver.

A GOLDEN EAGLE was reported from the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.

At Pitt Meadows, a pair of CINNAMON TEAL and an AMERICAN KESTREL
were seen.

At Burnaby Lake in Burnaby, a HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER was noted.


Sightings for Friday, April 18th

A LONG-BILLED CURLEW was present most of the day on the mudflats at
The Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver.

In Port Coquitlam, a TURKEY VULTURE flew over Riverside Drive.


Sightings for Thursday, April 17th

The male RUFF was rediscovered at Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta.
Also there were a MARBLED GODWIT and 30 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS.

Two MARBLED GODWITS at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, present for
several days, were last seen on this date.

A male EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen at the lagoon on the
north side of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta.

Four CASPIAN TERNS, 20 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and about 1000
newly-arrived WESTERN SANDPIPERS were on the tideflats south of the
Roberts Bank coal port jetty in Delta.

A flock of GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE was heard flying overhead
at 11 PM in the Walnut Grove area of Langley.

At Deer Lake in Burnaby, 8 RING-NECKED DUCKS were still on the lake, and
a TURKEY VULTURE and 100 SNOW GEESE flew overhead.



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