Hi Tweets,
belated a short report from a very pleasant Saturday birding trip first
to Sea Island, then to Crescent Beach (White Rock). What started out as
from an idea of 'looking fro some birds' mushroomed into a trip with 8
people ("are there that many birders below the age of 65!" exclaimed
one), 60+ species, 9shorebirds in the midst of winter, and 4 life birds
for me (and some for the others).
Highlights were the Yellow-Billed Loon at Crescent Beach which was
motoring through the shallow water right next to the shore; then the many
species of shorebirds, with a Rock Sandpiper easily sticking out of a
Dunlin/Sanderling crowd (easy as I picked it up - memories of Purple
Sandpiper helped), Killdeer, Black-bellied Plover and Black Turnstone,
and a small group of Greater Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher, and
something else - I picked it out, tried to turn it into a Surfbird, then
into an obese Rock Sandpiper - by that time the other half of the group
was already excited, as it turned out to be a Red Knot. A bird I would
have missed for sure, just not expecting such a rarity.
AT the earlier Sea Island, we checked for owls, and I got to see my first
Long-eared Owl, sitting all covered in a cedar tree. A Barn Owl was found
in the exactly same situation.
Thanks to Rex, Gail, Danny, Sandy, Geoff, Jason and Yuriko for such a
relaxed and successful day.

Reto Riesen
Dept. Chem., UBC
Vancouver, B.C.
riesenr at chem.ubc.ca