Vancouver Day 4

Vaseux Lake

49.303243, -119.534895

We camped overnight at the side of the road, next to the Vaseux Lake conservation area; a small reserve coated in reedbeds and willow woodland, ideal for potential migrant species. This is where we started our day, but we had very limited success with very few passerines in the bushes.

As a result we decided to explore the cliff faces behind the reserve for Canyon Wren but unfortunately they eluded us, despite hearing them singing at numerous locations. The cliff faces did have some good birds but the fact that they were on the shadow side of the rising sun probably affected their productivity.

We also had a drive round some of the farmland above the lake, by the time which we visited was in open sunshine, and here we had a few more birds. We spent another hour driving along these roads, scanning the fence-lines and bushes for anything, as well as scanning the cliff faces for Canyon Wrens or any roosting raptors.

We returned to the Vaseux Lake conservation area late morning and had much more success with birding. The warmer conditions clearly benefitted many of the songbirds and made them much easier to spot within the willow woodland. Because the site was so small though, we did not spend an enormous amount of time on our return visit.

Highlights

White-throated Swift - Our bird highlight for the morning! It was nice to catch up with this species, as it was one that we thought we would be too early to see. They were extremely smart, a lot smaller than we had thought they were going to be.

Coyote - We awoke in the morning, after spending the night camping by the side of the main road. Our campsite overlooked an area of open marsh, and 10 minutes after we awoke, a Coyote sauntered out into the open. It wandered around quite content for the rest of the time that we spent there.

Wolf - It turned into quite the morning for large mammals; in addition to the Coyote we also had Bighorn Sheep, and then topped off with a Wolf resting from the sun under the cover of a medium sized shrub. It sat there for some time before it decided to get up and wander off. A truly amazing encounter!

-California Quail

-White-throated Swift

-Marsh Wren

Species List:

Vaseux Lake: Canada Goose, Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Redhead, California Quail, Red-necked Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Great Northern Diver, American Coot, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Bonaparte’s Gull, Mew Gull, Northern Flicker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Merlin, American Kestrel, Mourning Dove, Rufous Hummingbird, White-throated Swift, Steller’s Jay, Black-billed Magpie, American Crow, Northern Raven, European Starling, Marsh Wren, Black-capped Chickadee, Tree Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Western Bluebird, Brewer’s Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Warbling Vireo, Say’s Phoebe, Western Kingbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Cassin’s Finch, Spotted Towhee, Vespers Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Coyote, Wolf, Bighorn Sheep, Red-eared Slider, Steller’s Orange-tip,

Shuttleworth Creek Road

49.3239044,-119.4935796

Once we had finished birding around Vaseux Lake we headed up into the mountains above the Okanagan valley to an area of woodland that could potentially hold breeding Townsend’ Solitaire. Unfortunately we had no luck with that species, and the woodland was generally quiet except for the occasional wave of warblers that passed through; but only composed of Audubon’s and Nashville. There were a number of songs and calls echoing around the woodland but sadly we were unable to identify the majority. We only spent an hour working the woodland before we moved on.

Highlights

Dusky Grouse - The highlight of our visit to this area was undoubtedly one of these mid-sized gamebirds strolling down the middle of the path. It was our first real look at a grouse, after the brief views of Sooty we had at Manning Park; it was nice to be able to really get a look and a solid identification!

-Dusky Grouse

-Chipping Sparrow

-Brown Elfin

Species List:

Shuttleworth Creek Road: Dusky Grouse, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Turkey Vulture, White-throated Swift, Northern Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Audubon’s Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Yellow-bellied Marmot, California Tortoiseshell, Brown Elfin,

Route 5A

50.154672, -120.616854

In order to make good time on our journey to the next site, we headed off north early afternoon. Our next destination was the small town of Kamloops, a two hour drive from Okanagan. The majority of the journey was on a single road, the 5A, which helpfully passed a number of lakes and small water bodies that we could stop and scan over. So we enjoyed a rather relaxed journey, with frequent stops for casual birding.

Highlights

Trumpeter Swan: The only new birds for us on this journey were a distant pair of these large swans on the first lake that we came across. We were optimistic for pelicans, so when we spotted two large white birds we were extremely excited, but when they turned out to be swans we would be lying if we said we weren’t a little disappointed.

Wildfowl: What was really awesome was that every small lake we passed had really good numbers of wildfowl on it. There was a really good variety of ducks on offer, as well as coots, divers and grebes, including our first Black-necked Grebes of the trip.

-Brewer's Blackbird

Species List:

5A: Trumpeter Swan, Canada Goose, Ruddy Duck, Redhead, American Wigeon, Shoveler, Mallard, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded Merganser, Goosander, Black-necked Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Slavonian Grebe, Great Northern Diver, American Coot, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Osprey, Northern Harrier, Killdeer, American Kestrel, Collared Dove, American Crow, Northern Raven, Clark’s Nutcracker, European Starling, Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Nashville Warbler, Audubon’s Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Western Meadowlark, Brewer’s Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, White-crowned Sparrow, Muskrat,

Vancouver Day 3

Manning Park

49.066782, -120.788533

Once we had finished birding Maplewood the previous evening we drove on, out of Vancouver and into the Coast Mountain Range where our next destination, Manning Park, waited for us. We camped overnight in the mountains, which we initially thought was an inspired decision until the temperature fell to just a single degree.

In the morning the mountains were shrouded in fog, and upon arrival at the park we found that there was still a serious helping of snow, which would make our travelling around the park more difficult. Our key targets here were grouse, but there were many other birds on offer. It has to be said that Manning Park was the most beautiful place we have ever been to, the thick snowfall and mist only adding to an amazing atmosphere. We parked at the visitor centre and then walked up the road and subsequent track on the south side of the road, behind the visitor centre. Once we had birded around that area we drove up the road to the Lightening Lake car park where we hoped to have better access to the woodland trails. Sadly the lake trail was completely inaccessible and the lake itself completely frozen. Much of the park was closed as a result of the snow, so we were unable to access the higher peaks and try to find white-tailed ptarmigan.

By early afternoon the fog had lifted and we were left with bright sunshine. We explored the area around the ‘Beaver Pond’ where we had a few nice species that we had not yet encountered during the trip. We also tried a few other woodland trails to try to find grouse but sadly we did not have any success. We moved on mid-afternoon, in order to make good time for our next site.

Highlights

Varied Thrush - For such an awesome day it’s difficult to pick highlights, but there is one bird that stands out above the rest. Having seen one yesterday, today we found ourselves surrounded by Varied Thrushes. When we awoke in the mountains, we heard at least five singing in the trees around our campsite, creating the most amazing eerie atmosphere. Then in the park itself we found them extremely abundant, and not shy either, allowing us to really appreciate them. Many birds become hyped up and are disappointing when you eventually see them, but Varied Thrush is absolutely not one of them.

Woodpeckers - Within half an hour of arriving at the park we cleared up on nearly all the woodpecker species we could expect to see in Vancouver. Pileated Woodpecker was the standout, an absolutely enormous bird with an exceptionally loud drum that you could hear throughout the woodland.

Visitor Centre Car Park - It’s hard, with so many species, to pick out highlights, but the birding in the car park alone was exceptional. Steller’s Jays hopped around the lawn, with Varied Thrushes in tow. Red-naped Sapsuckers came and landed on the tourist information boards in the car park. A Clark’s Nutcracker came and drank from a small puddle in front of our car. And the lawn was full of burrows for Belding’s Ground Squirrels. Enjoyable, easy birding! Brilliant!

Barrow’s Goldeneye - Every body of water that was clear of ice in the park had a pair of Barrow’s Goldeneye on it. Just a slither of open water was enough to support them. We even had a pair on a beaver pond in the middle of the forest.

-Pileated Woodpecker

-Belding's Ground Squirrel

-Steller's Jay

-Varied Thrush

-Snowshoe Hare

-Barrow's Goldeneye

-Clarke's Nutcracker

Species List:

Manning Park: Canada Goose, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Harlequin Duck, Mallard, Sooty Grouse, Turkey Vulture, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Red-naped Sapsucker, Merlin, Northern Raven, Northwestern Crow, Clark’s Nutcracker, Steller’s Jay, American Robin, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Western Meadowlark, Oregon Junco, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Warbler, Song Sparrow, Audubon’s Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Nashville Warbler, Belding’s Ground Squirrel, Snowshoe Hare, Hoary Comma,

White Lake Grasslands

49.3099035,-119.6399117

We wrapped up at Manning Park mid-afternoon so decided to make the journey to our next location, the Okanagan Valley, that afternoon. Our journey was long but we arrived in the Okanagan area well before dark so decided to scout out our sites for the following day beforehand. White Lake Grasslands was our best chance for Bluebirds, as well as a number of other grassland species. Although we were only scouting the site, we managed to connect with all the species that we had labelled the site for just from driving along the road adjacent to the reserve. For an hour we drove steadily along, stopping frequently whenever a new species appeared, which they frequently did. Sadly we had to make a hurried end to our visit, when we realised that we were almost out of fuel, and might not have enough to make it to a station.

Highlights

Mountain Bluebird - One of our most wanted species for the trip was one of the first birds we saw as we drove along the site. Our first sighting was of a stunning male perched on a fencepost adjacent to the road. No photos will truly show just how blue these birds are, it is a colour like nothing we have ever seen. So bright, that my DSLR camera could not cope. We also saw Western Bluebird, but it was not quite as spectacular.

Western Meadowlark - Atop of every telegraph post was a singing Western Meadowlark, their song filling the grasslands with melody. We found this species extremely common among the eastern sites that we visited.

American Kestrel - It was nice to see this small falcon perched along the roadside as we drove, but unfortunately they seemed very skittish and would not allow us close, even using the car as a hide.

-Say's Phoebe

-Yellow-bellied Marmot

-Mountain Bluebird

-Western Meadowlark

-Western Bluebird

Species List:

White Lake Grasslands: Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Goosander, California Quail, Coopers Hawk, American Kestrel, Black-billed Magpie, Brewer’s Blackbird, Western Meadowlark, Western Bluebird, Mountain Bluebird, Say’s Phoebe, Western Kingbird, Orange-crowned Warbler, Vespers Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, 

Vancouver Day 2

Iona Island - South Jetty

49.205582, -123.263809

The rain of the previous day had cleared, and although the conditions were still murky they were much better for birding. We decided once again to head to Iona Island to check for any new arrivals. Because we arrived earlier in the day we were present for the high tide, and scanning the bay produced a good number of wildfowl sat on the water. In order to check more of the wildfowl we opted to walk down the South Jetty, which, in contrast to the North Jetty, had no vegetation cover but would allow us to get excellent views of the birds sat on the sea.

The Jetty protrudes out some 4km into the bay, so the walk took us some time. There were occasional bursts of rain that made us regret our decision but the views we were able to obtain of a number of the wildfowl made it worth it. The rocks at the end of the jetty had a small group of Gulls roosting on it, with more appearing on the mudflat as the tide went out as well as a few waders. Many of the sea ducks drifted out on the tide, but until then we were able to get excellent views of a few new species for the trip.

Highlights

Harlequin Duck - Right at the very end was a pair of these stunning birds, feeding amongst the rocks that made up the base of the Jetty. The male was an absolute cracker, and one of the best birds we saw in Vancouver. Although we saw a couple more of these during the trip, none of them were as close as these birds.

Buff-bellied Pipit - Along the Jetty we had at least two of these pipits foraging among the rocks. It’s always nice to familiarise yourself with a potential European vagrant in its natural range, to study and learn features that could be used to clinch one as a vagrant.

North American River Otter - On our way back from the end we had an awesome encounter when an Otter ran out onto the mudflat in front of us. It stopped and watched us, before deciding we were not worth bothering with; and began to slide along its belly across the mud. For a chance animal encounter it did not get much better than that.

-Northwestern Crow

-Bald Eagle

-Buff-bellied Pipit

-Harlequin Duck

-California Gull

-Pelagic Cormorant

-North American River Otter

Species List:

Iona Island - South Jetty: Snow Goose, Gray-bellied Brant Goose, Mallard, Pintail, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Greater Scaup, Harlequin Duck, Shoveler, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Surf Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Bald Eagle, Osprey, Caspian Tern, Common Tern, Grey Plover, Least Sandpiper, Dunlin, Western Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Glaucous-winged Gull, California Gull, Slavonian Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Great-northern Diver, Pelagic Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Bonaparte’s Gull, Mew Gull, Great Blue Heron, Barn Swallow, Northwestern Crow, Savannah Sparrow, Buff-bellied Pipit, Audubon’s Warbler, North American River Otter,

Iona Island

49.2213299,-123.2110997

By the time we returned from the jetty it was already mid-morning, but the weather had cleared substantially, leaving us with very pleasant conditions for birding. We spent the rest of the morning walking around the bushes and trees around the central part of Iona Island. The vegetation was generally tall and thick, but in the open areas we saw quite a few passerines. The islands habitat was clearly managed for ringing (banding) given that we passed a number of mist net rides in the bushes but sadly they were all furled.

Highlights

Varied Thrush - Our number one target for the trip! We were just watching our first Wilsons Warbler of the trip when a female flew into the top of the tree. Instantly recognisable, we were both immediately overjoyed at our number one target on just our second day. The views were not ideal, as it generally remained high in the vegetation and usually within cover, but still excellent to see. 

Hammonds Flycatcher - Our first Empidonax was just as confusing as we expected it to be. We watched it for some time, and documented it well with photographs, but frustratingly it remained silent. With what we saw in the field and the photos that were taken, we were happy that it was a Hammonds.

Cliff Swallow - We had been scanning through the flocks of Tree and Violet-green Swallows for this species, so we were pretty thrilled when we finally picked one up hunting over the islands ponds. As with Buff-bellied Pipit, it’s nice to become more familiar with a potential Western Palearctic vagrant.

-Spotted Towhee 

-Yellow-headed Blackbird

-Red-winged Blackbird

-Fox Sparrow

-Varied Thrush

-Hammond's Flycatcher

-Rufous Hummingbird

-Tree Swallow

Species List:

Iona Island: Pied-billed Grebe, Mallard, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, American Coot, Canada Goose, Shoveler, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Glaucous-winged Gull, Wilsons Snipe, Least Sandpiper, Rufous Hummingbird, Cliff Swallow, Violet-green Swallow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Northwestern Crow, Hammonds Flycatcher, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Varied Thrush, American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, Yellow-headed Blackbird, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Wilsons Warbler, Audubon’s Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Brown-headed Cowbird, European Starling,

Maplewood Conservation Area

49.306717, -123.002033

In the afternoon the sunshine that we had enjoyed late morning gave way to more cloudy conditions. We decided to head to Maplewood Conservation Area to the north of Vancouver, as it is a site that offers great potential for a number of migrant species, as well as being excellent for Warblers. When we arrived we were immediately greeted by a feeding station offering amazing views of many common species, as well as a number of species that we were encountering for the first time; Oregon Junco, Purple Finch and Pine Siskin to name a few. The site is a fairly small area of woodland with a few loop paths. For the most part we saw very little, but when we did encounter flocks moving through they were often in good numbers and variety. We spent the rest of the afternoon here enjoying the awesome variety of birds on offer.

Highlights

Glaucous-winged Gull - Although not an outstanding species in general, the novelty value of seeing one of these birds try to swallow a Starfish that was far too big for its bill was certainly a trip highlight. Clearly it had given up mid-way through its attempt to devour the echinoderm, so opted to sit on the beach with half a starfish hanging out of its gob!

Townsends Solitaire - A scarce migrant through the Vancouver area, but also one of our most wanted species for the trip. Only in our most optimistic moments did we dare to dream that we might actually see one, so when one appeared in front of us chased by an American Robin, we were absolutely buzzing. The colour of the wing bar is just stunning, and merges subtly with the overall mottled grey colour of the bird.

Mixed flocks - As mentioned, for the most part we saw and heard very little through our wanderings through Maplewood. However, on the western edge of the sanctuary we encountered a mixed flock of passerines moving through the trees, and they kept us busy for some time, filtering through looking for different species. We all but cleaned up on warblers, with Orange-crowned, Townsend’s and Black-throated Grey moving through with the flock, as well as Cassin’s Vireo.

-Glaucous-winged Gull 

-Black-throated Gray Warbler

-Cassin's Vireo

-Towsend's Solitaire

Species List:

Maplewood Conservation Area: Canada Goose, Mallard, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Osprey, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northern Flicker, Downy Woodpecker, Anna’s Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Northwestern Crow, Townsends Solitaire, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Bushtit, American Robin, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Townsend’s Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Audubon’s Warbler, Wilsons Warbler, Cassin’s Vireo, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Oregon Junco, Song Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow,

Vancouver Day 1

Iona Island

49.2213299,-123.2110997

We arrived in Vancouver early in the morning on the 27^th to grey skies and heavy rain. We were out of the airport at around 08:00 and headed straight to Iona Island, a popular birding site less than a 10 minute drive away. The rain continued throughout the morning and as a result we gave up after a few hours working the area.

We started by scanning the estuary but sadly we had poorly timed our arrival with low tide, so we did not see as much as we could have. A few wildfowl were still lingering but most seemed to have drifted out on the tide. The bushes around the area had some excellent birds in them, including a number of different sparrow and finch species. Next we moved on to the pools in the centre of the island. Access to the pools was quite restricted but we were able to angle a view over them where we had a few new species of duck as well as our first Killdeer of the trip.

We parked up at the main car park and began working the bushes towards the north arm of the reserve. We had some success but the rain really hampered our progress, and we had large areas with very few birds. As we made our way up the arm we did see our first small flock of waders; all of which were Least Sandpipers. At this point, around 11:00, we decided we’d had enough of the rain, and headed into central Vancouver to get some lunch.

Highlights

Red-winged Blackbird - Although this species was one of the most common birds we saw, at the car park for Iona there were birds so tame they would happily follow you around, happily taking food from your hand. There were also Brown-headed Cowbird and Yellow-headed Blackbird that were incredibly bold hopping around the car

Northern Harrier - We had really hoped to see this species at some point during our trip, but to have an adult male as we were driving from the airport to the site was completely unexpected. We then saw the bird again hunting over the reedbeds, a superb stunning bird.

Caspian Tern - As a European birder it’s always nice to see birds that we’re familiar with in unfamiliar locations. Caspian Tern was an expected trip tick, but still bizarre to encounter on the Pacific coast, rather than a lake in Southern Europe.

-Cinnamon Teal

-Savannah Sparrow

-Least Sandpiper

Species List:

Iona Island: Spotted Towhee, Bald Eagle, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Fox Sparrow, American Coot, Ring-necked Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Mallard, Canada Goose, Gadwall, Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Northwestern Crow, Killdeer, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Violet Green Swallow, Barn Swallow, European Starling, Great Blue Heron, American Goldfinch, American Robin, Brown-headed Cowbird, Northern Harrier, Red-winged Blackbird, Glaucous-winged Gull, House Sparrow, Least Sandpiper, Double-crested Cormorant, Caspian Tern, Yellow-headed Blackbird, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup, Mew Gull, Yellow-rumped Warbler,

Great-tailed Grackle 

49.2684638,-123.1872457

Once we had called it quits on account of the weather we headed into central Vancouver to grab something to eat, plan our next move and twitch Great-tailed Grackle! The bird had been present on a vacant lot from a few weeks prior to our arrival, so we decided it would be worth calling in for. This was only the fifth record for British Colombia and the first for the Metro Vancouver area, so well worth looking at. As soon as we arrived at the location we spotted the bird feeding away inside a fenced area. It was stupidly tame, allowing us to get extremely close.

-Great-tailed Grackle

Reifel Bird Sanctuary               

49.098799, -123.179794

After a short lunch break the rain eased off a little, although it remained overcast and gloomy. We decided to head to Reifel Bird Sanctuary on the south side of Vancouver, not far from where we had spent the morning. As soon as we arrived at the Sanctuary we knew we were in for a good afternoon, with Sandhill Cranes wandering round the car park, as tame as feral pigeons (But apparently 100% wild birds) and Anna’s and Rufous Hummingbird zipping along the treetops.

The sanctuary itself was a network of pools and woodland trails along the edge of a saltmarsh. The mosaic of habitats offered a wide range of different species. There were feeding stations set up at various points along the trails, and commoner birds had become very habituated to people as a result. Sparrows, finches and cowbirds were all extremely tame foraging along the edges of the paths. On the sites pools there were quite a few different ducks, although not in huge numbers, as well as a nice variety of waders, although again not in huge numbers. It was an excellent site, and had we more time, it would have been nice to go back

-Snow Geese

-Sandhill Crane

-Great Blue Heron

-Ring-necked Duck

-Short-billed Dowitcher

-Golden-crowned Sparrow

Highlights

Snow Goose - On our drive up to the site, no more than a kilometre out, we encountered a flock of around 750 Snow Geese feeding in a field right beside the road. Wild goose flocks are spectacular all the time, but to have them so close was really exceptional. The flock did take off and fly right over us before landing in the field on the opposite side of the road. The noise was incredible! We also noted at least two Greater White-fronted Geese in the flock.

Sandhill Crane - As mentioned before, the Sandhill Cranes at Reifel are absolutely bonkers. Its weird being so close to these birds, but awesome at the same time, and well worth seeing, even if it does feel a little unusual.

Audubon’s Warbler - Audubon’s is the western race of Yellow-rumped Warbler. At this site we counted over 150 going through the bushes in just half an hour. The rate at which these birds were moving through was phenomenal. We were unable to pick up on any other warblers moving in the flocks, but Common Yellowthroat was seen with the vegetation adjacent to the ponds.

Hummingbirds - Having never seen a Hummingbird before there was something extremely special about seeing one of these brilliant birds. We saw both species fairly frequently during our trip to the site. The high pitched noise of their wings was a clear indication of their presence.

Species List:

Reifel Bird Sanctuary: Marsh Wren, Cinnamon Teal, Pintail, Wood Duck, Black-capped Chickadee, Fox Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, Canada Goose, Dunlin, Bufflehead, Peregrine, Collared Dove, Song Sparrow, Snow Goose, Greater White-fronted Goose, Northern Shoveler, Gadwall, Mallard, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, California Quail, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, American Coot, Sandhill Crane, Least Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Glaucous-winged Gull, Anna’s Hummingbird, Rufous Hummingbird, Downy Woodpecker, Northwestern Crow, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Bushtit, American Robin, European Starling, Audubon’s Warbler, White-crowned Sparrow, Golden-crowned Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, House Sparrow, American Goldfinch,

Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal

49.024939, -123.103300

By the time we left Reifel the rain had completely stopped. We decided to continue heading south to an area of shore around the southern ferry terminal onto Vancouver Island itself. The site had potential for a few waders and since we had a bit of time still we decided to call in. Sadly there were not many waders at all but there were good numbers of ducks and grebes on the sea, although many of them were distant. We had a small handful of waders; a few Dunlins and a single Semipalmated Plover. We spent less than an hour at the site, but managed to pick up a few nice birds as a result of our visit.

-Bald Eagle & Glaucous-winged Gull

Highlights

Grebes - It was nice to see summer plumaged birds of both Red-necked and Slavonian (Horned) Grebe fairly close inshore. As most of the time in Europe we encounter winter plumaged birds, it made for a pleasant change to see them in their full finery.

Ruddy Duck - Being such a controversial species in our home country, it was awesome to see these really smart ducks where they actually belong; although the birds we saw at this site just spent their time sleeping.

Species List:

Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal: Grey-bellied Brant Goose, Mallard, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Ruddy Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, Slavonian Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Dunlin, Semipalmated Plover, Glaucous-winged Gull, Northwestern Crow, Savannah Sparrow,