This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for April 11,
2009, sponsored in part by Wild Birds Unlimited, with stores in Vancouver
and North Vancouver. 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.


Sightings for Saturday, April 11th

Three MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS were seen at the playing fields at the west end of
Burnaby Lake in Burnaby.


Sightings for Friday, April 10th

A NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW near 208th Street and 102B Avenue was the
first report for the spring, and a HERMIT THRUSH nearby was also of note.

The first CLIFF SWALLOW of the spring was reported from Iona Island in
Richmond.
Also here were 2 CINNAMON TEAL, a pair of OSPREYS, at least 20 BARN
SWALLOWS, 20 WILSON'S SNIPES, and 18 GREATER YELLOWLEGS. A late TRUMPETER
SWAN was seen across the river on the Musqueam flats.

At Colony Farm Park in Port Coquitlam, a count of 18 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS was
the highest ever reported on one day in the Vancouver area. Also here were a
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, 2 SANDHILL CRANES, and several AMERICAN PIPITS.

At Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta were 2 MARBLED GODWITS, a NORTHERN
ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, and a reported first-winter GLAUCOUS GULL. Nearby, 5
CEDAR WAXWINGS were seen along 3rd Avenue in Tsawwassen.


Sightings for Thursday, April 9th

An AMERICAN PIPIT and a HERMIT THRUSH at the Maplewood Conservation Area in
North Vancouver were both first records for the spring, and a ROUGH-LEGGED
HAWK was unusual for that locality.

An AMERICAN BITTERN, 7 RING-NECKED PHEASANTS, and many COMMON YELLOWTHROATS
were at Colony Farm Regional Park.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 8th

Two BLUE-WINGED TEAL were unusually early spring arrivals on the Port
Coquitlam side of Colony Farm Park. Also there were 10 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS,
several LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, and many COMMON YELLOWTHROATS.

A migrant TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was at Maplewood in North Vancouver.

A MARBLED GODWIT appeared at the Beach Grove lagoon in Delta.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 7th

Three COMMON YELLOWTHROATS at Colony Farm Regional Park in Port Coquitlam
were the first of the spring. Also here were a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE and 5
MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS.

Another TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was on the University of BC campus.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver were an OSPREY, an
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, the first LINCOLN'S SPARROW of the migration, a
HERRING GULL, and a VIRGINIA RAIL.

On the west dyke of Lulu Island in Richmond, between Terra Nova and
Steveston, were an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER and 4 AMERICAN BITTERNS, one of
which was seen hunting and catching garter snakes.


Sightings for Monday, April 6th

A CINNAMON TEAL, the first of the year, and a WESTERN MEADOWLARK
were both seen at Boundary Bay Regional Park, Delta.

An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was reported from Colony Farm Park.

An OSPREY and several RING-NECKED DUCKS were seen at Hawthorne Park,
near the intersection of 104th Avenue and 144th Street in Surrey.

The TOWNSEND'S WARBLER which wintered on Spuraway Avenue in
Coquitlam was seen again, perhaps for the last time this spring.


Sightings for Sunday, April 5th

The second-winter GLAUCOUS GULL was seen again at Boundary Bay
Regional Park, and 2000 BRANT were north of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty,
both in Delta.


Sightings for Saturday, April 4th

The HARRIS'S SPARROW at Crescent Beach and a SURFBIRD at the Tsawwassen
Ferry terminal were seen again.

On the Port Coquitlam side of Colony Farm Regional Park, 6 MOUNTAIN
BLUEBIRDS,
a LAPLAND LONGSPUR, a SAVANNAH SPARROW, and 2 AMERICAN BITTERNS were seen.

The immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK which wintered at Jericho Park in
Vancouver was last reported on this date.


Sightings for Friday, April 3rd

In Crescent Beach, the HARRIS'S SPARROW was still present near the
intersection of
Dunsmuir and Gilley, at the edge of Blackie Spit Park.

An EARED GREBE was seen off the White Rock pier at White Rock.

Two SURFBIRDS were observed at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Delta.

At Boundary Bay Regional Park in Delta, a male MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, a second-
winter GLAUCOUS GULL, and 2 SHORT-EARED OWLS were noted. Eight more
SHORT-EARED OWLS were hunting around the foot of 72nd Street in Delta.

A GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and 8 late swans, 6 TRUMPETER SWANS and 2
TUNDRA SWANS, were seen near 104th Avenue and Hornby Drive in Delta.

Four out-of-season CEDAR WAXWINGS were near the University of BC library.

In North Vancouver, 3 SOOTY GROUSE were heard hooting at the switchback just
below
the ski area in Mount Seymour Provincial Park.


Sightings for Thursday, April 2nd

Seven MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS and an AMERICAN BITTERN were seen at Colony Farm
Regional Park in Port Coquitlam.

Two SANDHILL CRANES were seen in North Langley near the intersection
of 208th Street and 102B Avenue.


There were no sightings reported for Tuesday, March 31st or Wednesday,
April 1st.


Sightings for Monday, March 30th

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

A TURKEY VULTURE was reported at Yew Street and 39th Avenue in Vancouver.


Sightings for Sunday, March 29th

A YELLOW-BILLED LOON was reportedly seen and photographed at Lighthouse
Marine Park on Point Roberts, WA. Elsewhere on Point Roberts, a RUFOUS
HUMMINGBIRD and 2 HUTTON'S VIREOS were near Lily Point.

4 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS were at Colony Farm, Port Coquitlam

An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was with YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS in Nelson Canyon,
West Vancouver near the highway overpass.

An OSPREY, the first report of the spring, was in the Ioco area.


Sightings for Saturday, March 28th

A MOUNTAIN CHICKADEE was at a feeder along 230th St in Maple Ridge.


Sightings for Friday, March 27th

The RUSTY BLACKBIRD continues at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North
Vancouver.


Sightings for Thursday, March 26th

A HARRIS'S SPARROW was observed on the north side of Dunsmuir and Gilley at
Crescent
Beach in Surrey.

At Colony Farm on the Port Coquitlam side, near the middle hydro tower, the
following birds were seen: a female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD, a NORTHERN SHRIKE,
and a female AMERICAN KESTREL.

An immature GOLDEN EAGLE was observed near the intersection of 112th Street
and Highway 10 in Delta.



A brief account of 31 of the best birding locations in the
Vancouver area can be found on the Nature Vancouver website at
http://www.naturevancouver.ca/Birding_Birding_Sites



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.