Sightings for Saturday March 7

Montréal: I visited Mt. Royal Park this afternoon, hoping to get a look at the Barred Owl that Jane and others have seen there. I dipped out on the owl, but was pretty astonished to get a Turkey Vulture (Urubu à tête rouge) as a consolation prize. Yes, there's a TV on the front page of The Gazette today (illustrating David Bird's article), but that doesn't mean I expected to see one out there in the snowy winter. According to Pierre Bannon's much-appreciated arrival dates chart (of which there has been so much talk in the last day or two), this is far from the earliest date for a Turkey Vulture. Still, it's been a brutal winter, and I suspect this particular individual may be wishing it had checked the Weather Network before heading up here! - Zofia Laubitz