This is the Vancouver Natural History Society's Rare
Bird Alert for Tuesday, March 22, sponsored in part by the Wild
Birds Unlimited stores in Vancouver and North Vancouver. The
RBA phone number is (604) 737-3074.

The REDWING in Olympia, Washington, present since December,
was last seen on March 16. For further details, please call the
Washington Rare Bird Alert at (206) 281-9172, or check the
TWEETERS E-mail group.


Rare bird alert continues for a BOREAL OWL at the Reifel Bird
Sanctuary.


Sightings for Tuesday, March 22

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, the BOREAL OWL continues
in the cedar tree in the parking lot near the pay telephone. Look for
the roped off area. A NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL was again
nearby. Also at Reifel were between 8,000 and 10,000 SNOW GEESE.
1,000 PACIFIC LOONS were seen offshore.

At Pitt Meadows, 2 TURKEY VULTURES were at the north end of
Rannie Road. 2 SANDHILL CRANES were seen from Neaves Road
near McNeill Road. Also on Neaves Road just south of the North
Alouette Bridge were 16 GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE
and 5 CACKLING GEESE.

At Douglas Park in Langley, 3 SANDHILL CRANES were seen
flying towards Langley Airport, where they may have roosted.

There has been no news either way on the immature male KING
EIDER seen at Gibsons on Sunday.


Sightings for Monday, March 21

At Reifel, the BOREAL OWL and NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL
continue in the cedar tree in the parking lot near the pay telephone.
Look for the roped off area. Also at Reifel WERE A YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLER AND 5 LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS, and 2 MARBLED
GODWITS were seen offshore.

In Delta, 100 AMERICAN PIPITS were seen in a field off 72nd St.
just north of the Boundary Bay dyke.


Sightings for Sunday, March 20

A first-year male KING EIDER was seen today at Gibsons, on the
Sunshine Coast north of Vancouver. From the Langdale ferry landing,
heading south to lower Gibsons, turn onto Gower Point Road, proceed
to Franklin Road, and drive to the end of Franklin Road, where there
is a small park with a beach. The eider was seen in a flock of 6000
scoters and goldeneyes.

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, the BOREAL OWL was in a small
conifer next to the cedar trees, near the pay telephone at the edge of
the parking lot. Look for the roped off area. The NORTHERN SAW-
WHET OWL was nearby, with a second NORTHERN SAW-WHET
OWL seen in the sanctuary today.

One SNOWY OWL was at Brunswick Point, at the west end of
River Road in Delta.

At Pitt Meadows, 4 SANDHILL CRANES were in the field northwest of
Rannie Rd. and Thompson Rd. An AMERICAN KESTREL was nearby.
A gray morph GYRFALCON was perched in a tree in the field
southwest of the junction of Neaves Rd. and Dewdney Trunk Rd. 3
GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were in a field with CANADA
GEESE on the west side of Neaves Rd. about 1 km north of the North
Alouette R. bridge.

At Lighthouse Marine Park in Point Roberts, Washington were a
RHINOCEROS AUKLET, a BONAPARTE'S GULL, a BRANDT'S
CORMORANT, a BLACK SCOTER, and 60 LONG-TAILED DUCKS.

At Burnaby Lake, an immature NORTHERN GOSHAWK was seen
from the Piper Ave spit.


Sightings for Saturday, March 19

The BOREAL OWL was again at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary.

In South Surrey, a TURKEY VULTURE was seen in overflight from 150th
Street


Sightings for Friday, March 18

At Reifel, the BOREAL OWL was again in the cedar tree near the pay
telephone at the edge of the parking lot, present for its 6th day.

In North Vancouver near East Kent Street, a NORTHERN SHRIKE was
present.


Sightings for Thursday, March 17

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, the BOREAL OWL remains
faithful to the cedar tree near the pay telephone at the edge of the
parking lot, along with a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL. Also
at Reifel were a BARN OWL, a GREAT HORNED OWL, a HUTTON'S
VIREO, a flock of 200 VIOLET-GREEN and TREE SWALLOWS,
and a GYRFALCON which has been seen south of the sanctuary 2
or 3 times this week.


Sightings for Wednesday, March 16

At Reifel, the BOREAL OWL was present for the 4th day.



If you have any questions about birds or birding in the Vancouver
area, please call Wayne at (604) 597-7201, Viveka at 531-3401, or
Larry at 465-1402. Thank you for calling the Vancouver Rare Bird
Alert, and good birding.


For further information about birding in the Vancouver area, log onto
the Vancouver Natural History Society's website at
http://www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS/


This message was prepared and posted by Kevin Louth, and
forwarded by Wayne Weber.


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