This is Wayne Weber with Nature Vancouver's Rare Bird Alert for Friday,
March 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 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 Friday, March 12th

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


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.


Sightings for Tuesday, March 9th

The three AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS were seen again on Iona Island in Richmond,
near the base of the South Jetty.

An early TURKEY VULTURE was seen near the Port Mann Bridge in Surrey.

Three GYRFALCONS were seen in various locations around Delta.


Sightings for Monday, March 8th

A RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD in the 5500 block of Highbury Street in Vancouver was
the first report for the year.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE and a HERMIT THRUSH were seen near the lawn bowling
pitch in Vancouver's Queen Elizabeth Park.

A WESTERN MEADOWLARK and two BLACK OYSTERCATCHERS were seen at the Maplewood
Conservation Area in North Vancouver.

Five GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were present along Beach Avenue in
Vancouver, where they have been for several weeks.


Sightings for Sunday, March 7th

Two TREE SWALLOWS were seen at Deer Lake in Burnaby.


Sightings for Saturday, March 6th

The long-staying WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen again near 220th Street and the
Lougheed Highway in Maple Ridge.

The two TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRES, one on McDonald Road on Sea Island and one in
the 12600 block of 17A Avenue in Surrey, were both seen again.

A HERMIT THRUSH and a RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER were seen in Camosun Bog, near
19th Avenue and Camosun Street in Vancouver.

A HUTTON'S VIREO and 6 BAND-TAILED PIGEONS were near 16th Avenue and Enderby
Avenue in the Beach Grove area of Delta.


Sightings for Friday, March 5th

Four VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS were at the Alaksen Natl. Wildlife Area in Delta,
and a GYRFALCON was still being seen along Deltaport Way near Arthur Drive
in Delta.

A HUTTON'S VIREO was singing near 4th Avenue and 172nd Street in Surrey.


Sightings for Thursday, March 4th

200 AMERICAN PIPITS on Westham Island near the entrance to the Reifel Bird
Sanctuary was a high number, and 23 WILSON'S SNIPE on 41B Street south of
River Road was also a good count.

A TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE was seen in a crabapple tree on McDonald Road on Sea
I., Richmond, and another was seen in the 12600 block of 17A Avenue in
Surrey.

Three AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and 2 WESTERN MEADOWLARKS were seen at Iona
Beach Regional Park in Richmond.


Sightings for Wednesday, March 3rd

Several VIOLET-GREEN SWALLOWS at the Reifel Bird Sanctuary were the first
reported this spring.

A BLUE GOOSE was seen with 6500 SNOW GEESE near the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in
Delta, and a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER there was noteworthy.


Sightings for Monday, March 1st

Two BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS and two SANDHILL CRANES were at the Reifel
Bird Sanctuary in Delta. Nearby, a WILLET was seen near the Westham Island
Bridge, on a log floating down the channel.

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

An AMERICAN KESTREL was seen near 41B Street at 33A Avenue in Delta.


Sightings for Sunday, February 28th

The WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen again in the 21900 block of the Lougheed
Highway in Maple Ridge, and a HERMIT THRUSH, rare in winter, was seen
nearby.

Five TREE SWALLOWS were seen at Serpentine Fen on the King George Highway in
Surrey while observers were checking swallow nest boxes.


Sightings for Saturday, February 27th

At the Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Delta, an AMERICAN BITTERN and a NORTHERN
SAW-WHET OWL were seen.


Sightings for Thursday, February 25th

A BLACK OYSTERCATCHER was seen at the Maplewood Conservation Area in North
Vancouver.


Sightings for Wednesday, February 24th

A MARBLED GODWIT was reported from near the foot of 96th Street on Boundary
Bay in Delta.


Sightings for Monday, February 22nd

The long-staying WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was seen again in Maple Ridge near the
intersection of Cliff Avenue and Cliff Place, close to where it has been
seen repeatedly since June 2009.

Another early TURKEY VULTURE was seen over the Vancouver Aquarium in
Vancouver's Stanley Park.

Five TREE SWALLOWS were seen briefly at the Alaksen National Wildlife Area
in Delta, and the NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL was seen again at the nearby Reifel
Bird Sanctuary.

Four more TREE SWALLOWS were seen at the rowing complex on Burnaby Lake in
Burnaby, as were 7 GREATER YELLOWLEGS.


Sightings for Sunday, February 21st

The LONG-BILLED CURLEW was seen again on the east side of Blackie Spit in
Surrey, but the MARBLED GODWITS which have accompanied it all winter could
not be found.


Sightings for Saturday, February 20th

A flock of 43 MOURNING DOVES was seen near Ladner Harbour Park in Delta, and
3 SHORT-EARED OWLS were at Iona Beach Park in Richmond.




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