This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Friday,
April 23rd, 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 and near the 21900 block of the
Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge, which has been present for at least 9
months.

RARE BIRD ALERT also for a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER at Hastings Park in
Vancouver on April 19th.


Sightings for Friday, April 23rd

A CALLIOPE HUMMINGBIRD, a very rare spring migrant, and an out-of-place
female SOOTY GROUSE were seen at Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby.

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was found in the 21200 block of the Lougheed Highway
in Maple Ridge, about 7 blocks west of where it is usually seen.

Twenty-one GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen in flight near the Westham
Island bridge in Delta, 4000 SNOW GEESE were still feeding on the island,
and 4 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were along 27B Avenue to the south.

A CASSIN'S VIREO was found along the Salish Trail in Vancouver's Pacific
Spirit Park, and a PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER at nearby Camosun Bog.


Sightings for Thursday, April 22nd

A TURKEY VULTURE was seen along Ferguson Road on Sea Island, near the
Vancouver Airport.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 21st

Three YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS and a CHIPPING SPARROW were still at Iona
Island in Richmond. Another CHIPPING SPARROW was at the Reifel Bird
Sanctuary in Delta.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 20th

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was seen at McDonald Beach on Sea Island in
Richmond, and at least 200 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE flew over nearby Iona
Island.
Also at Iona were a LONG-BILLED CURLEW and 2 EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES,
possibly the first report of the latter species for the island. In the Iona
sewage ponds were a pair of BLUE-WINGED TEAL, the first of the spring.


Sightings for Monday, April 19th

A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, extremely rare around Vancouver, was seen and
photographed at Hastings Park in Vancouver, but could not be relocated.

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen along Cliff Place in Maple Ridge, not far
from where it has been staying since June 2009.

At Iona Island in Richmond, 150 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, 4 LEAST SANDPIPERS, 3
LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and 3 PURPLE MARTINS were all first sightings for the
year. The shorebirds were seen inside the sewage ponds. Also of note were 30
CASPIAN TERNS and 2 AMERICAN BITTERNS along the Sea/Iona causeway, and a
CHIPPING SPARROW still at Iona.

At Brunswick Point in Delta, a major fallout of migrants included 80
SAVANNAH SPARROWS, 70 AMERICAN PIPITS, 6 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, a CHIPPING
SPARROW, and at least 300 WESTERN SANDPIPERS. At the nearby Alaksen National
Wildlife Area, 4 WILSON'S WARBLERS and a CASSIN'S VIREO were the first of
the spring.

A PACIFIC-SLOPE FLYCATCHER, the first of the spring, was at Camosun Bog in
Vancouver.

Two RHINOCEROS AUKLETS were again at Point Roberts, Washington.

At the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver, a TOWNSEND'S
SOLITAIRE and a late TRUMPETER SWAN were of note.

Another TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, a HERMIT THRUSH, and a HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER
were reported from the Spanish Trail in Pacific Spirit Park in Vancouver.


Sightings for Sunday, April 18th

A PALM WARBLER at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta was a very rare
migrant, and an AMERICAN BITTERN was also noted there.

A female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was noted at Jericho Park in Vancouver. Not far
away, a SLATE-COLOURED (DARK-EYED) JUNCO was on the University of NC South
Farm.

At Iona Island in Richmond, a 2 BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLERS were the first
of the spring, and a CHIPPING SPARROW, a SHORT-EARED OWL, and an OSPREY were
also seen.

A TURKEY VULTURE was seen near Maple Ridge Park on 232nd Street in Maple
Ridge.

A HAMMOND'S FLYCATCHER in North Vancouver was the first of the spring.


Sightings for Saturday, April 17th

A HERMIT THRUSH, the first of the spring migration, was noted in the 5500
block of Inverness in Vancouver,


Sightings for Friday, April 16th

A MARBLED GODWIT and 2 YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS were at Iona Island in
Richmond.
In Delta, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen along Westham Island Road, and 3
WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were along 27B Avenue in West Delta.

A TOWNSEND'S WARBLER at Camosun Bog in Vancouver may have been the first of
the spring.


Sightings for Thursday, April 15th

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE and 80 AMERICAN PIPITS were seen near the west end of
River Road in Delta, near Brunswick Point.

An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW at Iona Island in Richmond was very late.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 14th

Two RHINOCEROS AUKLETS, 2 TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES, and an OSPREY were reported
from Point Roberts, Washington.

Twenty CLIFF SWALLOWS and a BARN SWALLOW at the Alaksen NWA were both the
first of the year, and both a bit later than usual.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 13th

A female MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD and 3 AMERICAN BITTERNS were seen at the Reifel
Bird Sanctuary in Delta, and a late NORTHERN SHRIKE was along Westham Island
Road.

A YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD and a late AMERICAN TREE SPARROW were at Iona
Beach Regional Park in Richmond.

Four MARBLED GODWITS and a VIRGINIA RAIL were at Beach Grove in the
Tsawwassen area of Delta.


Sightings for Monday, April 12th

Nine SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS at Beach Grove in Delta were the first of the
spring. Nearby, two MUTE SWANS were present near the Westham Island bridge
in Delta, and a late NORTHERN SHRIKE was along Westham Island Road.

Two BONAPARTE'S GULLS, a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, and several MOUNTAIN
BLUEBIRDS were noteworthy at Green Lake in Whistler, north of Vancouver.

Nine GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were still on Neaves Road in Pitt Meadows.

The first CHIPPING SPARROW of the spring was seen at Iona Island in
Richmond.


Sightings for Sunday, April 11th

Two YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRDS, the first of the spring, appeared in the north
outer pond at Iona Island, Richmond. An AMERICAN TREE SPARROW and a GADWALL
x MALLARD hybrid were also seen at Iona. Two CASPIAN TERNS at Iona were also
the first of the spring.

Four MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS, 2 males and 2 females, were present in Boundary Bay
Regional Park at the same location as the single bird the previous day.
Three MARBLED GODWITS were also seen at the Beach Grove lagoon in this park.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen briefly in the 3700 block of West 23rd
Avenue in Vancouver.

A flock of 9 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE was seen in a field in Pitt
Meadows, east of Neaves Road and south of Thompson Road.

Two BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were seen along the Tsawwassen ferry jetty in
Delta.


Sightings for Saturday, April 10th

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE appeared at Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby.

Another MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was found near the observation tower at Boundary
Bay Regional Park in Delta. A TURKEY VULTURE was also seen nearby.

Noteworthy birds from Iona Beach Regional Park in Richmond included a
NORTHERN SHRIKE and an AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, both rather late. Another
NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen on 88th Avenue west of 176th Street in Surrey.


Sightings for Friday, April 9th

Birds reported from the Beach Grove area of Delta (in Boundary Bay Regional
Park) included two MARBLED GODWITS, a EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL, a VIRGINIA
RAIL, and 2 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS.

An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen in Richmond in the SW corner of Terra Nova
Park.

Three SANDHILL CRANES seen flying over the Maplewood Conservation Area in
North Vancouver were quite unusual.

A migrating TURKEY VULTURE was seen over the Alaksen National Wildlife Area
in Delta.


Sightings for Thursday, April 8th

A GOLDEN EAGLE was seen in flight over Burnaby Mountain Park in Burnaby.

An immature GYRFALCON along 40th Avenue near 140th Street in Surrey was
quite late for this species.


Sightings for Wednesday, April 7th

Three SAGE SPARROWS, a rare species anywhere in BC, were seen well in
Whistler at the Nicklaus North Golf Course. However, they could not be found
again the next day.

An early COMMON YELLOWTHROAT was seen at Surrey Lake Park on 152nd Street in
Surrey.


Sightings for Tuesday, April 6th

The SAY'S PHOEBE was reported by multiple observers at Iona Beach Regional
Park in Richmond, and was photographed as well. Also there were a NORTHERN
SHRIKE, a LAPLAND LONGSPUR, two AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, and a LONG-BILLED
CURLEW.

The first OSPREY of the spring was seen at the VanDusen Gardens in
Vancouver, and caught a fish from one of the ponds there.

A NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW was seen in the Beach Grove area of Delta,
and a NORTHERN SHRIKE was near the foot of 64th Street.


Sightings for Monday, April 5th

The first COMMON YELLOWTHROAT of the spring was noted at the Alaksen
National Wildlife Area in Delta.

A TURKEY VULTURE was reported from the 22nd Street SkyTrain station in New
Westminster.

A SAY'S PHOEBE, the third one reported this spring, was seen near the
restrooms at Iona Beach Regional Park in Richmond.

A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW was observed in the Murrayville district of
Langley.


Sightings for Sunday, April 4th

Two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen at the foot of Piper Road on the
north side of Burnaby Lake in Burnaby.


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.



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