Canada - Rockies, Vancouver & Ottawa June/July (1 Viewer)

Hi all,

Mrs C and I are off to Canada again next month and I'm wondering if anyone has any tips/ideas/hints to offer. Given the company I'll be keeping, this isn't a full on take-no-prisoners birding jaunt, but I somehow guess birding will feature prominently! We have a week in Jasper in mid-June (with a hire car), a trip down the 'inner passage' to Vancouver (where we'll stay for a week) and then a week in Ottawa in July (both without hire car). So any info on 'must visit' sites/birds to see in the Jasper area would be good and any tips elsewhere vis a vis birding areas via public transort would be welcome. The main targets, though, will be to see bears (Brown and Black would be good) and Orcas,

Ta,

John

Hello John,

Just noticed your post. I'm off for a few days in Suffolk in an hour but when I get back, I'll dig out my stuff on Jasper etc. I do have (somewhere) some detailed maps that I bought in Stanfords which might be useful to you. Are you still at the same address in Canterbury?
Sally and i did the Rockies trip several years back and I did manage to get some decent birding done including Black Swift which we got up incredibly early for and it buzzed past us at eye level in some canyon or other . I shall look these things up.

You'll LOVE it!!
Rosemary

Hi Rosemary,

Brilliant to hear from you! Thanks in advance for any info. Liz and I loved Banff last April so I'm sure we'll like Jasper. I've sent you a PM with my details - do phone if you care for a chat,

Hi John,

I'm sure you'll know about Reifel Sanctuary. I visited there in Sept 2003 and buses ran from central Vancouver to Ladner (interchange), from where it was a short taxi journey to the reserve. Perhaps not the best time of year but a nice reserve regardless and worth a visit IMO. John Ireland (ex Minsmere) was Warden at the time and was very helpful - even gave me a lift to the airport when I wanted to order a taxi afterwards (I'd squeezed a last ditch extra visit in!)

Cheers,


JW

Jeff Woad said:

Hi John,

I'm sure you'll know about Reifel Sanctuary. I visited there in Sept 2003 and buses ran from central Vancouver to Ladner (interchange), from where it was a short taxi journey to the reserve. Perhaps not the best time of year but a nice reserve regardless and worth a visit IMO. John Ireland (ex Minsmere) was Warden at the time and was very helpful - even gave me a lift to the airport when I wanted to order a taxi afterwards (I'd squeezed a last ditch extra visit in!)

Cheers,


JW

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Thanks, Jeff. I went to Reifel years ago and met John Ireland. An old birding friend works nearby and I'm hoping that, at some point, he'll reply to my email!

I'm off to Alberta tomorrow, cant wait!!

Dave

Dave: hope you can fit in the Cypress Hills, near Medicine Hat. Just the drive there, alone, is excellent for "prairie stuff".

Alternatively, if your travels are taking you to Banff, I highly recommend getting off the TCH as soon as possible, and taking the Bow Valley parkway - much better for wildlife sightings.