This is the Vancouver, B.C. Bird Alert for Friday March 12th, 09:30 pm
update.

The featured birds for this evenings report include:

unconfirmed EMPIDONAX FLYCATCHER


Sightings for Friday March 12th;

An unidentified flycatcher thought to be of the EMPIDONAX family was
reported at Beach Grove Delta. The bird was observed feeding along the dyke
towards the pump house. Confirmation of this very early migrant is highly
desired.

An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen from the river road dyke west Richmond.

As a courtesy for out of town birders for our diminishing CRESTED MYNAH
population the following two sites have been the most reliable; Wylie in
Vancouver at either first or second avenue or underneath the north end of
the Arthur Lang Bridge also in Vancouver east of the Vancouver International
Airport, south of Marine Drive and north of Richmond.

Sightings for Thursday Mach 11th;

A NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL was reported from Reifel, and a SHORT-EARED OWL was
seen in flight on the west side of Highway 99 near the Burlington northern
overpass. The PRAIRIE FALCON was seen again at the foot of 34th street in
Delta. A PEREGRINE FALCON was at Ladner Harbour Park and an AMERICAN
KESTREL was at the base of Robert's Bank Jetty.


Sightings for Wednesday March 10th;

Two TRUMPETER SWANS were reported from 168th street south of Hwy. 10 in
Surrey.


Sightings for Tuesday March 9th;

Four EARED GREBES and 8 BRANT were seen from the White Rock Pier during a
waterbird survey. Another segment of the survey produced the following at
Blackie Spit. The LONG-BILLED CURLEW and MARBLED GODWIT twosome a high
count of 11 EURASIAN WIDGEON, a male Eurasian race GREEN-WINGED TEAL and a
male EURASIAN WIDGEON x AMERICAN WIDGEON hybrid. An albino RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRD has been visiting a feeder on Glen Drive in Coquitlam for the past
few days. This bird is thought to be the same individual identified at this
address last year.


Monday March 8th;

The only report received was from Iona. 25 VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS over the
ponds. Also at Iona, a raptor movement of mostly RED-TAILED HAWKS included
a PEREGRINE FALCON and 3 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, one of which was a dark-morphed
bird.


Sightings for Sunday March 7th;

A RED-TAILED HAWK of the Krider's form present for some time at Coquitlam's
Colony Farms presents a unique opportunity to compare this distinctive bird
with the more usual bird of our area. Still in Coquilam the ROSS' GOOSE was
again at Como Lake. 32 BALD EAGLES were counted in trees early morning on
22nd Street Delta in the vicinity of the Boundary Bay Airport. Two
SHORT-EARED OWLS were at the foot of 22nd Street and two MUTE SWANS were
seen from the Westham Island Bridge. An AMERICAN BITTERN was at Reifel.

Sightings for Saturday March 6th;

The PRAIRIE FALCON was reported from Brunswick Point. Also in the area were
the GYR FALCON and a singing WESTERN MEADOWLARK. Three MARBLED GODWITS were
at Beach Grove Lagoon and the ROSS' GOOSE was seen in the late morning with
CANADA GEESE at Como Lake in Coquitlam.

Friday March 05th;

Spring arrival of VIOLET -GREEN SWALLOWS and TREE SWALLOWS were reported in
small numbers at the ponds of the Iona Sewage Treatment Plant and at the
Reifel Bird Sanctuary. Also at Reifel were BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, an
AMERICAN BITTERN, up to 600 SNOW GEESE and 350 TRUMPETER SWANS. TRUMPETER
SWANS were also reported from 2 other locations with 50 in overflight in the
2100 block of 154th St. in South Surrey and a further two birds along the
Iona Causeway.

The WILLET was observed near the mid point along the Tswwassen causeway the
PRAIRIE FALCON was in its usual Brunswick Point local and about 500 SNOW
GEESE were noted in the same general area.

A late report indicted the following gulls were seen in a roost along both
Burns Drive at 96th st in Delta. 8 CALIFORNIA, 2 WESTERN and a single
GLAUCOUS. The only report received for Wednesday March 3rd was a further
sighting of the ROSS'S GOOSE which has spent the past several weeks at Como
Lake in Port Coquitlam and there was a late report of a NORTHERN SHRIKE at
1274 Beach Grove Road Tsawwassen.

Tuesday March 2nd;

RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS were reported visiting feeders at two south Surrey
locations. A male at Marine 146th Street at 17th Ave. The second male was
reported from a home at 140th Street. The latter bird arriving on February
25th.

An AMERICAN BITTERN was sighted in a roadside ditch at the north end of
224th Street in Maple Ridge and three SHORT-EARED OWLS were at the foot of
22nd Street Delta.

An OSPREY was noted in flight high over the Cypress Bowl Cross-country Ski
area.

Monday March 1st:

A LEAST SANDPIPER thought to be an over wintering bird was heard and seen in
a field at the foot of 34th Street Delta. Also in Delta a BARN OWL was
reported from the base of the Robert's Bank Jetty.

There were late reports of a HORNED LARK along the dyke at Beach Grove. A
NORTHERN PYGMY OWL seen after dusk in the north parking lot at Park Royal
west Vancouver, and a BARN OWL hunting at the foot of 22nd Street.

Sunday, February 28th:

The Burrard Inlet Environmental Survey located the following species:

a HORNED LARK at west Vancouver's Ambleside Park on the rock jetty west of
the Capilano
River mouth. A GOLDEN EAGLE, a PEREGRINE FALCON and a BONEPARTE'S GULL at
Indian Arm south of the Buntzen Power Generating Plant and a SPOTTED
SANDPIPER at Barnet Reen Park. In a late report also from the Burrad Survey
4 BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS, 40 BLACK TURNSTONES and a ROCK SANDPIPER were
tallied in Stanley Park between Second Beach and Fergesson's Point.

The ROSS'S GOOSE was again at Coquitlam's Como Lake Park and in Delta the
PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER was again located on 64th south of the RR crossing.

South Surrey's HARRIS' and AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were seen east of 13846 -
40th Ave. in Surrey.

Meanwhile Vancouver's overwintering HARRIS' SPARROW could still be seen at
the 2500 block of west 12th Avenue.

SHORT-EARED OWLS were observed in numerous Delta locations including two at
the at the foot of 72nd, two along 31A, a single bird at the Boundary Bay
Reg Park, another at the
foot of the Tsawwassen Jetty, and finally one on 52nd north of Hwy 17.


END TRANSCRIPT

Visit the VNHS web site at www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS