This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday,
May 6, 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.


RARE BIRD ALERT: A BLACK-NECKED STILT was present all afternoon in the
southwest pond at the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond. This species is
seen here only about once every 2-3 years.


Sightings for Wednesday, May 6th

At the Iona Island sewage ponds in Richmond, a BLACK-NECKED STILT was
present
in the SW pond from at least noon through sunset, and was seen and
photographed
by many. Also at Iona were a LONG-BILLED CURLEW, a TURKEY VULTURE, a
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, 4 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 12 CINNAMON TEAL, and 6
YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS, including 5 singing males.

At Joe Brown Park in the Panorama Ridge area of Surrey, migrants included
the first
SWAINSON'S THRUSH and DUSKY FLYCATCHER of the spring and a WESTERN TANAGER.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver were 3 WESTERN
TANAGERS,
several HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHERS, and many WILSON'S WARBLERS.

Stanley Park in Vancouver produced a WESTERN MEADOWLARK, a LINCOLN'S
SPARROW,
a NASHVILLE WARBLER, 2 CEDAR WAXWINGS, and many more WILSON'S WARBLERS.


Sightings for Tuesday, May 5th

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW appeared in the 1900 block of Berkley and a
CASSIN'S VIREO and a WILSON'S WARBLER were seen in the 2100 block of
Bowser, both in North Vancouver.

At Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver, 2 WARBLING VIREOS, a LINCOLN'S
SPARROW, a CHIPPING SPARROW, and large numbers of warblers were seen.

At Iona Island in Richmond, 6 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 8 CINNAMON TEAL, and
7 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen.


Sightings for Monday, May 4th

A BLACK-HEADED GROSBEAK, the first of the spring, was on the north side of
Burnaby Lake in Burnaby.

The first WARBLING VIREOS of the year were singles reported from the
Maplewood
Conservation Area and Queen Elizabeth Park.

The Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta produced a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, a
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, and 2 AMERICAN BITTERNS.

Eight BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were seen on the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in Delta.


Sightings for Sunday, May 3rd

A NASHVILLE WARBLER at Burnaby Mountain Park, and another at the Maplewood
Conservation Area, were the first of the year. Other birds of note at these
locations
were a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (tan-striped) and a VAUX'S SWIFT at Burnaby
Mountain, and a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER, a TURKEY VULTURE, and several RED
CROSSBILLS at Maplewood.

Birds seen along the "Nature Dike" at Grant Narrows, at the south end of
Pitt Lake,
included the first BULLOCK'S ORIOLE of the year, a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW,
5 WILSON'S WARBLERS, and at least 150 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS.

A SORA at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park, Vancouver, was noteworthy.

Five GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were at Gilbert Beach in Richmond, and 100
late SNOW GEESE were flying north off the end of Point Gray in Vancouver. A
very
late ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was at Iona Island in Richmond.


Sightings for Saturday, May 2nd

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver were a CINNAMON TEAL,
2 BLUE-WINGED TEAL, 12 CASPIAN TERNS, and 10 VAUX'S SWIFTS.

A MACGILLIVRAY'S WARBLER at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver was the
first of the year.


Sightings for Friday, May 1st

Six COMMON TERNS at Ambleside Park in West Vancouver were the first of the
year. In the Lost Lagoon area of nearby Stanley Park in Vancouver were a
WILSON'S WARBLER, a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, a BLUE-WINGED TEAL, and a
VIRGINIA RAIL.

An out-of-place YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD was at Harris Road near Airport
Road in Pitt Meadows.

A TURKEY VULTURE, an AMERICAN BITTERN, and 2 CINNAMON TEAL were seen at
Colony Farm Regional Park in Port Coquitlam.


Sightings for Thursday, April 30th

A YELLOW WARBLER, the first of the year, was singing near the 8th Avenue
entrance
of Campbell Valley Regional Park in Langley. Also in the park, along the
Vine Maple
Trail, were 2 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS and 6 BLACK-THROATED GRAY
WARBLERS.

At Point Roberts in Washington, birds of note included 50 PACIFIC LOONS, 2
MARBLED
MURRELETS, 32 BLACK TURNSTONES, 60 SANDERLINGS, and 9 late LONG-TAILED
DUCKS.

Six VAUX'S SWIFTS and a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER were at Hawthorne Park on
104th Avenue in Surrey.

A HARRIS'S SPARROW was reported in Maple Ridge.

A WILSON'S WARBLER, the first of the year, was noted with about 35 YELLOW-
RUMPED WARBLERS at Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby.

At Iona Island in Richmond, the first SPOTTED SANDPIPER of the spring was
reported.
Also there were 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 2 CINNAMON TEAL, and a YELLOW-HEADED
BLACKBIRD.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 29th

Four RHINOCEROS AUKLETS were observed at Lighthouse Marine Park on Point
Roberts, Washington.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 28th

Two GRAY-CROWNED ROSY FINCHES on the Cypress Bowl road in West Vancouver,
near the turnoff to the cross-country ski area, were a late sighting of a
locally-rare
species.

Campbell Valley Park in Langley produced 2 TURKEY VULTURES, 2 HAMMOND'S
FLYCATCHERS, 6 PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHERS, 6 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS,
2 EVENING GROSBEAKS, and many migrant warblers and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS.

Two TURKEY VULTURES were seen in the Walnut Grove area of Langley.

Two more TURKEY VULTURES and 2 CINNAMON TEAL were seen at the Maplewood
Conservation Area in North Vancouver.


Sightings for Monday, April 27th

A bird which answered the description of an immature ZONE-TAILED HAWK
(a species never recorded in B.C.) was seen in flight near 96th Avenue and
188th Street in Surrey. However, if the identification is correct, the bird
is
most likely to be an escapee from captivity.

At Colony Farm Regional Park in Port Coquitlam, the EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
was seen again, as were 2 VAUX'S SWIFTS, the first of the year, and 2
AMERICAN
KESTRELS.

Two more EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES were reported from the Musqueam Golf
Course in Vancouver, another new locality for this species.

A WESTERN MEADOWLARK at Hastings Park, Vancouver was at an odd locality.

A TURKEY VULTURE and a HERMIT THRUSH were at the Tall Timbers Golf
Course in Langley.

At Blaine, Washington, just across the U.S. border, birds noted in Drayton
Harbor
Included 30 WHIMBREL, a MARBLED GODWIT, 35 CASPIAN TERNS, and a MUTE SWAN.


Sightings for Sunday, April 26th

A CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD, a rare spring migrant, was seen briefly at a
feeder in the 2100 block of Bowser in North Vancouver.

At Colony Farm Regional Park, a EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE was apparently a
first for the park, and a SORA, an AMERICAN BITTERN, and 2 late
TRUMPETER SWANS were also noted.

A SNOW GOOSE at Lost Lagoon in Stanley Park, Vancouver, was late and
out of place.

At Deer Lake in Burnaby, a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was quite late, and a CASSIN'S
VIREO, 2 HERMIT THRUSHES, and 2 each of TOWNSEND'S and BLACK-THROATED
GRAY WARBLERS were also of interest.


Sightings for Saturday, April 25th

Birds of note at Campbell Valley Regional Park in Langley included 6 HERMIT
THRUSHES, 4 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, and 2 EVENING GROSBEAKS.

A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, the first of the spring, was seen on the south side of
the
Roberts Bank Jetty in Delta along with the previously-noted SEMIPALMATED
PLOVERS.

At Point Roberts, WA, birds of interest included 20 BONAPARTE'S GULLS, 9
BLACK
OYSTERCATCHERS, 18 PACIFIC LOONS, 200 BLACK TURNSTONES, and a CHIPPING
SPARROW.


Sightings for Friday, April 24th

Two CALIFORNIA QUAIL, apparently released by someone, were seen in Burnaby
Mountain Park, Burnaby, near the restaurant. Also here was a SHORT-EARED
OWL.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver, a SAY'S PHOEBE,
a TURKEY VULTURE, and a HERMIT THRUSH were noted.

At Colony Farm Park, a late NORTHERN SHRIKE, two MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS,
and two HERMIT THRUSHES were observed.

A flock of 200 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE with 2000 late SNOW GEESE
at Brunswick Point in Delta was a large number.

Just outside the Vancouver area, a CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD present for 4 days,
from April 21 to 24, at Whonock was a regional rarity.


Sightings for Thursday, April 23rd

At Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby, a male WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL and a
female
SOOTY GROUSE were unusual; a CASSIN'S VIREO was the first of the spring; and
150 RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS was a very high number.

At Point Roberts, Washington, 2 RHINOCEROS AUKLETS and 6 BLACK
OYSTERCATCHERS
were noteworthy. Not far away at the base of the Roberts Bank coal port
jetty
in Delta were the first RED KNOT of the spring, 10 CASPIAN TERNS, and 50
SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS. 32 WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen landing on Westham
Island in Delta near Canoe Pass, but flew off later.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 22nd

An early WESTERN TANAGER, the first of the spring, was at Queen Elizabeth
Park in
Vancouver, and 22 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE flew over the park.

Two CHIPPING SPARROWS and a HERMIT THRUSH were seen among other
migrants at Maplewood in North Vancouver.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen in Fort Langley, and another one in the
4600 block of Bellevue in Vancouver.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 21st

A LONG-BILLED CURLEW was seen along Highway 17 in Delta south of Highway 99,
and a WHIMBREL, the first of the spring, was at a pond near 60th Avenue and
64th Street in Delta.

A pair of CINNAMON TEAL were noted on the ponds at Trinity Western
University
in Langley.

Five CASPIAN TERNS, the first of the spring, were in Semiahmoo Bay off
Blaine, WA,
and another was seen in Boundary Bay.


Sightings for Monday, April 20th

A RED-NAPED SAPSUCKER, the first of the spring for this rare migrant, was on
Cambridge Avenue near Renfrew Street in Vancouver.

Two BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS, the first of the year, were at Burnaby
Mountain Park, as were a TURKEY VULTURE, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, and a
HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER. Three more BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS,
another TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, another HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER, and a
HERMIT THRUSH were at Maplewood in North Vancouver.

In Queen Elizabeth Park, Vancouver were a CHIPPING SPARROW, 2 LINCOLN'S
SPARROWS, a BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, and several HAMMOND'S
FLYCATCHERS.

At Colony Farm Regional Park were an out-of-place YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD,
4 lingering MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS, an AMERICAN BITTERN, and a TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIRE.

Two TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES were at Cecil Green Park at the University of BC,
and
a CINNAMON TEAL and 8 LESSER YELLOWLEGS were on the beach near Point Grey.


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.


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