Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Banff -- April 2017 (1 Viewer)

Going to be in Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, and Banff for just over a week in late April.

Would anyone be able to give me advice on finding the following target birds at each location?

Victoria: Sooty Grouse, Eurasian Skylark, and the long-staying Redwing

Calgary: Gray Partridge

Banff Area: White-tailed Ptarmigan, Dusky Grouse, Great Gray Owl, Boreal Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Black-backed Woodpecker, Prairie Falcon, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch

Thanks!

Eurasian Skylarks are pretty rare Victoria - at least when I was looking about 18 months ago. I did some searches on the web and they were sometimes heard on the roads that run around the airport. Used to be somewhat reliable at the bulb farms between airport and town, but seems not to be the case anymore. Hopefully a more local report will come up - but I also use eBird to search recent sightings of target birds.
You can see Gray Partridge east and west of Ottawa ;-)
If you have time, Panama Flats and Swan Lake Nature conservatory are good birdy spots.

Thanks Fiscalshrike!

Caon,
Hope the following helps. Information is from 2012 when I last lived there.
Some very good information is in the following website: Nature Calgary

Calgary - Gray Partridge - I used to see them Downtown in a park behind apartments opposite from Prince's Island Park. Access is via 4th St SW. Stay on south side of river and walk west looking between apts and river.

For Great Gray Owl the Water Valley Area is best. See site link for Water Valley. Take the Grand Valley Road up to Water Valley and return via Horse Creek Road.

For Boreal Owl, if heard only is OK, take the Sibald Creek road after dark. I would often use this return to Calgary after birding the Kananaskis Valley. Often 4 species of owl (including N Saw Whet) could be heard on a good evening.

WT Ptarmigan are tricky near Calgary. In winter they come down into valleys and in spring they go up to the alpine meadows. The best place used to be in the valley just north side of the parking area at Highwood Pass (HWY 40 Kananaskis). In spring they head up the slope on south side of same parking area to Ptarmigan Cirque.

They are also found in the valley on the Icefields Parkway (Lake Louise to Jasper) in the area around the Num Ti Ja lodge.

For Gray crowned Rosy Finch the easiest area was some feeders in Exshaw. I believe the feeders that were on Barrier Mountain Drive have been taken down but maybe someone else has started. No idea. The other area is Sunshine Meadows but not sure about when exactly they return there to breed.

For Dusky Grouse the best place was Sheep River Provincial Park on the Foran Grade trail up to where it intersects the Windy Point trail.

For other Species try Nature Calgary's Species Locator

When heading to the mountains remember the bears will be waking up in April!

Thanks for the great info Dave! Very much appreciated!