February 2023 Challenge

[Chris]

Our first signs of spring can start to be found towards the end of the month with the possible arrival of our first swallows. Some migrating gulls will likely make their way through our area towards the end of the month. Our feeders will also continue to be busy and wintering raptors will continue to be found. A fun activity, the Great Backyard Bird Count, occurs this month and runs from February 17-20.

Breakdown by year for February

2008 – 119 species recorded
2009 – 106 species recorded
2010 – 103 species recorded
2011 - 112 species recorded
2012 - 104 species recorded
2013 - 106 species recorded
2014 - 120 species recorded
2015 - 103 species recorded
2016 - 112 species recorded
2017 - 123 species recorded
2018 - 107 species recorded
2019 - 104 species recorded
2020 - 106 species recorded
2021 - 109 species recorded
2020 - 112 species recorded

Average species for February 110

Last updated February 26

Species seen to date 106


To view the missing species for the month please click here

Canada Goose
Cackling Goose
Snow Goose
Greater White-fronted Goose
Trumpeter Swan
Tundra Swan
Mallard
Wood Duck
Eurasian Wigeon
American Wigeon
Gadwall
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Northern Pintail
Redhead
Canvasback
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Barrow's Goldeneye
Common Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Pied-billed Grebe
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
American Bittern
Bald Eagle
Golden Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Northern Harrier
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
American Coot
Virginia Rail
Killdeer
Wilson's Snipe
California Gull
Short-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Glaucous Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Northern Pygmy Owl
Belted Kingfisher
Anna's Hummingbird
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Hutton's Vireo
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Pileated Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Steller's Jay
Canada Jay
California Scrub Jay
Northern Shrike
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Bushtit
Brown Creeper
Pacific Wren
Bewick's Wren
American Dipper
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Townsend's Solitaire
American Robin
Varied Thrush
European Starling
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Lapland Longspur
Spotted Towhee
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Brewer's Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
American Goldfinch
Red Crossbill
Pine Grosbeak
Evening Grosbeak
Cassin's Finch
Purple Finch
House Finch
House Sparrow

[old coot]

I can add Stellar's Jay, Northern Flicker, and Varied Thrush from my balcony. Klaus

[Chris]

Updated the list with species I saw from Willband this morning. Also saw three Ruddy Ducks at Mill Lake

[kenneth2019]

Redhead - Harrison
Double-crested Cormorant - Limbert rd
Kestrel - Limbert rd
Common Raven - multiples
Chestnut-backed Chickadee - Yard
Red-breasted Nuthatch - Yard
Brown Creeper - Sasquatch Provincial Park
Townsend's Solitaire - Bristol Slough
Spotted Towhee - Yard

[Krissi]

I’ve only eBirded one species for the Fraser Valley so far this month, and it’s not on the list! Hahaha

Northern Shrike - along Highway 11 just north of Clayburn rd beside the tracks on Riverside.

[Bentley]

Merlin

Sumas Prairie:
Snow Goose
Cackling Goose
Killdeer
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Ring-billed Gull
Herring Gull
Iceland Gull
Glaucous Gull

[ed]

Am Bittern at Wilband this morning.

[Chris]

Some nice additions. Good gull species Benetly and nice to see that Bittern is still around at Willband.

Also added White-crowned and Golden-crowned Sparrow

[Bentley]

Short-billed Gull

[kenneth2019]

Wood Duck - Cheam
Canvasback - Cheam
Common Goldeneye
Barrow's Goldeneye - Cheam
Sharp-shinned Hawk - Yard
Peregrine Falcon - Hope Sewage
American Dipper - Our yard!
American Goldfinch - Our yard

[Ben]

Cooper's Hawk
Eurasian Wigeon
Ring-necked Duck

[paulos]

I had a Merlin at GBHNR on a brief trip through.

[Harrier]

There was a Scrub Jay beside the dyke at the end of Wilson Rd. in Yarrow today.

[Chris]

Thanks for the additions. Also added Tundra Swan from Cheam this morning. Ken, had to do a double take on the location of your Dipper sighting!

[kenneth2019]

Feb 12, 2023 19:06:49 GMT -8 Chris said:

Thanks for the additions. Also added Tundra Swan from Cheam this morning. Ken, had to do a double take on the location of your Dipper sighting!

Sure did, but we do have the Coq on two sides and Thacker on a third. During the cold wheather we had a Mallard drop through the trees for some seeds.