We visited Boundary Bay on Sunday, February 5, and had a wonderful time.

When we told the Canadian customs official where we were going, he
said "Going to see the owls, eh?" He quickly waved us through.

At Boundary Bay we got there early, and were able to park fairly
close to the dike (later in the day, cars were parked down the road
at least half a kilometer). The owls were apparently all within about
a one mile stretch of trail, and we were able to count 20. Most were
sleepy and stayed in one place for the five hours we were there. The
presence of the people didn't disturb the Snowies too much, but when
Bald Eagles flew low overhead, the owls would extend their bodies and
look upward warily.

There were perhaps 100 Canadian Bald Eagles in the vicinity; several
of which stayed low in the trees right along the trail. Other
favorite birds here included Golden-crowned Sparrows and a Eurasian
Wigeon. We also watched two Short-eared Owls hunting all day, close
to the trail.

There were hundreds upon hundreds of people who came to see, marvel
at, and photograph the Snowy Owls. Most people were on their good
behavior, but there were perhaps 20+ people we saw far off the trail
at one point, chasing several owls that were far away from the dike
trail. Later, there were at least four photographers out a long way
on the shore, close to the owls. This was especially disturbing
because the signs all along the trail said specifically to stay on
the trail. Perhaps the signs were worded too nicely, as they said
"PLEASE stay on the trail," in typically polite Canadian fashion.

We headed home in mid-afternoon. When we told the American customs
official that we had been to Boundary Bay, he asked "Oh, did you see
the owls?" He quickly waved us through.

Our Boundary Bay trip followed a day of snowshoeing up to Artist
Point near Mount Shuksan and Mount Baker. We descended after dark, by
headlamp, and had a great time (even if we were the oldest people on
the mountain!). The best birds there were the Common Ravens, flying
just above the ridge, surveying the scores of winter campers in snow
caves and tents.

Lee Rentz
Shelton, WA
lee at leerentz.com
http://leerentz.wordpress.com (blog)