I paid a visit to Maplewood Flats in North Vancouver this afternoon to see
the immature Harris' Sparrow that has been there for several days. I only
had to wait 2 minutes before it appeared under the seed feeders in the plant
holding area behind the reception trailer. The Sanctuary can be reached
through the gates to the Environmental Centre off of Dollarton Highway.

Unfortunately, on the way out I spotted the remains of what looked like an
owl. A friend recovered these and a close examination confirmed that it was
the a Great Grey. It looked as if a Kyote may have had a bit of a meal from
it but the feathers were still in good condition. Fascinating to see the
fine hairs on the leading edges of the wing that make the bird so silent in
flight.

Given the rarity of these birds in Vancouver, its probably fair to say that
there won't be any more sightings this winter.

Eric Greenwood
Vancouver, B.C.
egreenw at helix.net