Subject: [Tweeters] Vancouver, BC RBA for April 12, 2012
Date: Apr 15 11:54:20 2012
From: Wayne Weber - contopus at telus.net


This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Thursday,
April 12th, 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 phone the main number again
at (604) 737-3074, press "2" for the rare bird reporting line, and follow
the instructions given there.





Out-of-town RARE BIRD ALERT for a SAGE SPARROW seen and photographed at
Munson Pond, in Kelowna in BC's Okanagan Valley on April 12th.





Sightings for Thursday, April 12th



A HERMIT THRUSH at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver was
the first of the spring; also there was a BONAPARTE'S GULL and 3 OSPREYS.



A male MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was seen on the Vancouver Airport fence along
Ferguson Road on Sea Island, Richmond.



At Drayton Harbor in Blaine, WA, just south of the marina, were 14 WHIMBRELS
and a MARBLED GODWIT on the mudflats.



Outside our area, a SAGE SPARROW seen and photographed at Munson Pond in
Kelowna was a very rare bird for B.C.





Sightings for Wednesday, April 11th



Large flocks of shorebirds at high tide near the foot of 96th Street in
Delta included a SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER and 300 WESTERN SANDPIPERS, both new
species for the year; also there were 2 MARBLED GODWITS. Farther east along
Mud Bay Road (40th Avenue) in Surrey, shorebirds feeding in fields at high
tide included 2 early BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, 6 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and 200
WESTERN SANDPIPERS. An immature HARLAN'S RED-TAILED HAWK was seen along
Highway 99 near Mud Bay Park in Surrey, where it was also reported several
weeks ago.



A NORTHERN GOSHAWK and a NORTHERN SHRIKE at the Maplewood Conservation Area
in North Vancouver were both somewhat late.





Sightings for Tuesday, April 10th



Noteworthy birds at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver
included 75 RED CROSSBILLS, a TURKEY VULTURE, 6 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and
8 RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS. At Burnaby Lake in Burnaby, 4 COMMON YELLOWTHROATS
were singing.



At Iona Island in Richmond were 2 REDHEADS, 2 AMERICAN BITTERNS, the male
WOOD DUCK, 6 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 4 CASPIAN TERNS, and 3 NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED
SWALLOWS.





Sightings for Monday, April 9th



A BONAPARTE'S GULL at Jericho Park in Vancouver was the first reported this
spring, although the species appears weeks earlier in the Gulf Islands.



Four SNOWY OWLS were still lingering at Brunswick Point in Delta, out of the
6 that spent the winter there.



Another TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE showed up at Ioco; also there were a TURKEY
VULTURE and an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER.



A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and a PINE GROSBEAK, both in the 6900 block of
Bradner Road in Abbotsford, were noteworthy.





Sightings for Sunday, April 8th



A LONG-BILLED CURLEW at the Beach Grove Lagoon in Boundary Bay Regional
Park, Delta, was the first for the spring migration. Also there was the
long-staying drake EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL and a MARBLED GODWIT. Nearby
in Boundary Bay Regional Park were 9 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS.





Sightings for Saturday, April 7th



Two CASPIAN TERNS at Iona Island were the first of the spring, and much
earlier than usual for that species. SAVANNAH SPARROWS had arrived in good
numbers, with 14 at Blackie Spit in Surrey.



A SPOTTED SANDPIPER along the Port Moody waterfront was undoubtedly an
overwintering bird.



In the Pitt Meadows and Grant Narrows area were a MUTE SWAN, 15 RING-NECKED
DUCKS, and at least 4 SANDHILL CRANES.



Two WHIMBRELS, the first of the spring, were photographed as they flew into
Drayton Harbor at Blaine, WA.





Sightings for Friday, April 6th



Sightings from Iona Island in Richmond included 2 NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED
SWALLOWS, the first of the year; a newly-arrived OSPREY; and a male WOOD
DUCK, very unusual for that locality. Nearby, the TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was
still being seen along the airport fence on Sea Island.



A NORTHERN GOSHAWK was photographed at the Maplewood Conservation Area in
North Vancouver.





Sightings for Thursday, April 5th



The first OSPREY of the year, a bit later than average, was reported from
the mouth of McKay Creek in North Vancouver. The AMERICAN BITTERN was seen
again at the Maplewood Conservation Area, as were 2 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS.



A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE, the first of the spring migration, was noted along
the Vancouver Airport fence on Ferguson Road, Sea Island, Richmond.



Noteworthy birds from Cypress Provincial Park in West Vancouver, mostly from
the vicinity of the cross-country ski area, included 3 hooting SOOTY GROUSE,
4 drumming RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKERS, 40 RED CROSSBILLS, and a PINE GROSBEAK.
Also in West Vancouver, 6 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were on the Grebe Islets,
seen from Klootchman Park.





Sightings for Wednesday, April 4th



Six MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS were still present at Colony Farm Park in Port
Coquitlam, and 3 were not far away at Grant Narrows on Pitt Lake.



An AMERICAN BITTERN at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North Vancouver
was quite unusual for that locality.



A TURKEY VULTURE was reported flying over the intersection of Hastings and
Kensington in North Burnaby.





Sightings for Tuesday, April 3rd



Ten SNOWY OWLS were still along the Boundary Bay dyke west of 72nd Street in
Delta, and the WILLET was still near the base of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty
nearby. Also in Delta, the long-staying EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL at the
Beach Grove Lagoon in Boundary Bay Regional Park was reported again.





Sightings for Monday, April 2nd



The number of MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS at Colony Farm Regional Park in Port
Coquitlam had increased to 7; also there were the overwintering SORA and 2
COMMON YELLOWTHROATS, the first of the spring. Another MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD
was seen at the North Vancouver Auto Mall.



The first CLIFF SWALLOW of the year was reported from Iona Island in
Richmond.





Sightings for Sunday, April 1st



At Grant Narrows Park at the south end of Pitt Lake were 2 male MOUNTAIN
BLUEBIRDS plus 70 TRUMPETER SWANS and 3 MUTE SWANS in the marsh. At nearby
Colony Farm Regional Park were another 4 MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS.



There were 6 SNOWY OWLS still present near the foot of 72nd Street on
Boundary Bay in Delta.

Also in Delta, a late GYRFALCON was still present near the intersection of
28th Avenue and 52nd Street, and the WILLET and 3 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were
near the base of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty.



Another GYRFALCON was seen along Mud Bay Road (40th Avenue) in Surrey, as
were 5 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE and an impressive 54 EURASIAN WIGEON.





Sightings for Saturday, March 31st



Three MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDS and a NORTHERN SHRIKE were seen at Colony Farm
Regional Park in Port Coquitlam.



A EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL seen near the south end of Green Lake in
Whistler, on Highway 99 north of Vancouver, was believed to be the first
ever for that area.





Sightings for Friday, March 30th



The first SAVNNAH SPARROW of the spring was one reported near the foot of
72nd Street in Delta.





Sightings for Thursday, March 29th



The immature GYRFALCON which had been seen near Highway 17 in Delta was
reported today along 33A Avenue east of 34th Street in Delta.





Sightings for Wednesday, March 28th



Another EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL, present for several weeks, was seen in
the Beach Grove lagoon at the north end of Boundary Bay Regional Park in
Delta.





Sightings for Tuesday, March 27th



The drake EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen again at the foot of Piper
Road on Burnaby Lake in Burnaby, as was a hybrid EURASIAN x AMERICAN
GREEN-WINGED TEAL, about 150 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS, and 50 TREE SWALLOWS.



A male MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was seen along the airport fence near the west end
of Ferguson Road on Sea Island, Richmond.





Sightings for Monday, March 26th



At Colony Farm Regional Park, on the Port Coquitlam side near Shaughnessy
Street, were a SORA, 2 VIRGINIA RAILS, and 2 COMMON REDPOLLS.



Two SANDHILL CRANES were near the north end of 224th Street in Maple Ridge,
an area where they have attempted to breed in the past.





Sightings for Sunday, March 25th



A GYRFALCON, probably a different one than the bird being seen in West
Delta, was photographed along the north side of Boundary Bay in Delta.





Sightings for Saturday, March 24th



The NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD present for some time in Squamish was still being
seen in the 37900 block of 3rd Avenue, about a block from the public
library.



The GYRFALCON in Delta was seen again, this time along 41B Street south of
Deltaport Way.

Also in Delta, at least 18 SNOWY OWLS were counted along the Boundary Bay
dyke west of 72nd Street.



The EURASIAN GREEN-WINGED TEAL was still present at the foot of Piper Road
on Burnaby Lake in Burnaby.



At the racetrack in Vancouver's Hastings Park, 2 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED
GEESE, 5 CACKLING GEESE, and an out-of-place SNOW GOOSE were feeding on the
grass with CANADA GEESE.





Sightings for Friday, March 23rd



The GYRFALCON was perched on a power pylon north of Highway 17 and east of
52nd Street in Delta. Also in Delta, 12 SNOWY OWLS were seen at the foot of
52nd Street, and a WILLET and 4 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were seen near the base
of the Tsawwassen ferry jetty.







For a summary of extremely rare bird sightings throughout British Columbia,
check "British Columbia Bird Alert" by Russell Cannings at
<http://bcbirdalert.blogspot.com> http://bcbirdalert.blogspot.com .





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>
http://www.naturevancouver.ca/Birding_Birding_Sites





If you have any questions about birds or birding in the Vancouver area,
please call Wayne Weber at 604-597-7201, Larry Cowan at 604-465-1402, or
Viveka Ohman at 604-531-3401.



Thank you for calling the Vancouver Rare Bird Alert, and good birding.





Wayne C. Weber

Delta, BC

<mailto:contopus at telus.net> contopus at telus.net