This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Saturday,
April 3rd, 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 for a WESTERN SCRUB-JAY in the 21900 block of the Lougheed
Highway in Maple Ridge, which has been present for at least 9 months.


Sightings for Saturday, April 3rd

The monthly bird count at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver
reported a EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL, 2 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, and 7 RED
CROSSBILLS. Another BLACK OYSTERCATCHER was seen on the beach near Point
Grey in Vancouver.


Sightings for Monday, March 29th

Seven AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were still present near the restrooms at Iona
Beach Regional Park in Richmond, and a female REDHEAD and an AMERICAN
BITTERN were at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta.

An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, the first of the spring, was reported from Queen
Elizabeth Park in Vancouver.


Sightings for Sunday, March 28th

Three MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS, a male and two females, were seen along Ferguson
Road on Sea Island, where two had been the day before.

A TOWNSEND'S WARBLER, likely a wintering bird, was seen on Bowser Avenue in
North Vancouver, and 3 RED CROSSBILLS were at the nearby Maplewood
Conservation Area.

The wintering WILLET was seen again at the base of the Tsawwassen ferry
jetty in Delta, and an AMERICAN KESTREL was seen nearby.


Sightings for Saturday, March 27th

A SAY'S PHOEBE, the second one of the spring, was seen just north of
Lighthouse Marine Park at Point Roberts, WA.

The two MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS were observed again along Ferguson Road on Sea
Island, Richmond.

The first CINNAMON TEAL of the year was seen in Pitt Meadows at McKechnie
Road and Old Dewdney Trunk Road. Nearby, the first NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED
SWALLOW of the year, plus an AMERICAN BITTERN, were seen in the Blaney Bog
area along 224th Street in Maple Ridge.


Sightings for Friday, March 26th

Two MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS were seen along Ferguson Road on Sea Island in
Richmond, and two WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were on nearby Iona Island.

Eight BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were at Ambleside Park in West Vancouver.


Sightings for Thursday, March 25th

Birds seen at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver included 2
BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, 4 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and a high count of at least
50 CALIFORNIA GULLS.

Numerous spring migrants including 250 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, 50 TREE
SWALLOWS, 9 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and 5 RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS were seen at
the Alaksen NWA in Delta. An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen nearby along Canoe
Pass on Westham Island.


Sightings for Wednesday, March 24th

A flock of 40 AMERICAN PIPITS was seen near the entrance to the Alaksen NWA
in Delta, and at least 20 SAVANNAH SPARROWS were seen along roads near the
base of the Roberts Bank jetty, also in Delta.

Five RING-NECKED DUCKS were seen on a pond at Green Timbers Park in Surrey.


Sightings for Monday, March 22nd

A TURKEY VULTURE was noted in North Vancouver near Capilano Road at the
Upper Levels Highway, and another one in Burnaby over the Simon Fraser
University campus.


Sightings for Sunday, March 21st

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen again in the 21900 block of the Lougheed
Highway in Maple Ridge, where it has been since June 2009. However, it is
being seen there less and less often.


Sightings for Friday, March 19th

The SAY'S PHOEBE was present for the third day in a row near the
intersection of Ferguson Road and McDonald Road on Sea Island, Richmond, and
3 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were seen in the same area.


Sightings for Thursday, March 18th

A MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD and the previously reported SAY'S PHOEBE were observed
along Ferguson Road on Sea Island in Richmond.


Sightings for Wednesday, March 17th

A SAY'S PHOEBE, rare at any time of year, and an early SAVANNAH SPARROW were
seen along Ferguson Road on Sea Island in Richmond, along the north side of
the Vancouver airport.


Sightings for Sunday, March 14th

Two WESTERN GULLS and 200 TRUMPETER SWANS were among the birds seen on the
monthly Squamish Estuary bird count at Squamish.

Bird seen at Iona Island in Richmond included 4 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, 2
WESTERN MEADOWLARKS, an AMERICAN BITTERN, and a LEAST SANDPIPER.


Sightings for Saturday, March 13th

An early TURKEY VULTURE was seen over Bowen Island in Howe Sound.

Four BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS were seen at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary, and
4 MUTE SWANS were near the Westham Island bridge, both in Delta.


Sightings for Friday, March 12th

Two GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCHES were seen along the West Vancouver seawall
near the foot of 23rd Street.

A RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD and a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER were reported from the
Alaksen NWA in Delta.


Sightings for Wednesday, March 10th

A male EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL, as well as a hybrid between the Eurasian
and American forms, was seen at the Beach Grove lagoon in Delta (east foot
of 12th Avenue).

The TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was still present in Queen Elizabeth Park,
Vancouver.




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