Long report of our 18-day long trip to British Columbia, Canada. We focused on two areas only, as we didn't want to spend half of our holiday travelling: Vancouver Island, and Manning Park, roughly 3 hours west of Vancouver in the Cascades range. On V. I. we spent two days on the east coast, between Nanaimo and Parksville, and 8 on the west coast, in Tofino. Not the best itinerary for birding, probably, but we were also after mammals, and not having birded in America before each species was going to be new anyway.
We joined two organised birding excursions: one in Parksville, led by Neil Robins of the Backyard Wilbird & Nature Store in Nanaimo, who regularly posts his reports in the Canada section here on BF, and one in Manning Park, during the annual Bird Blitz organised by the Hope Mountain centre. In Tofino we hired Adrian Dorst, a local birder and photographer, for a few hours' birding. We also went on two whale-watching trips, one in Tofino and one in Vancouver and one bear-watching trip.
We saw/heard 103 bird species (we only counted heard birds only if they had been identified by a local), of which only 3 waders (but it was the wrong season) and few raptors, at least for our standards. We didn't see American Kestrel, which we were hoping to be more common, nor any swifts, nor any grouse species.
We did see at least 12 mammal species, of which only a few were seen during specific wildlife-watching trips.
We flew Air Canada from Rome, changing planes at Montreal. We chose Air Canada over other carriers as they have a 10 kg. allowance for cabin baggage, as opposed to i.e. Swiss or Lufthansa who only allow 8 kg. and we did need the extra weight for binoculars, scope and photographic gear.
In Vancouver we stayed with friends in White Rock, then we spent one night at the excellent Arbutus Grove Motel in Parksville. In Tofino we rented a cabin at the Ocean Village Resort and finally a Lodge room in Manning Park.
Books: we had an old but serviceable copy of the National Geographic's Birds of North America, which is easy to carry around, and while we were there we bought the "new" (2008) Peterson's which we found very helpful because it highlights the key differences between similar species. We have the full-size Sibley at home, and we have used it to go through the photos to help us with tricky IDs (apart from those which I posted here on BF!).
June 3 - Vancouver
We land at around 9pm and by the time we get out it's already dark, so no birds.
June 4 - Vancouver
American Robin and Black-eyed Junco in our friends' garden, plus various squirrels, and a non-identified Hummingbird.
We spend the morning and the early afternoon at Reifel Bird Sanctuary, certainly not the best time of the year (nor of day) to visit, but it's close to where we are and we are too jet-lagged to care anyway.
The first species we see are very familiar: House Sparrow, European Starling and Barn Swallow, but then the locals take over: Brown-headed Cowbird, Canada Goose, Sandhill Crane, Wood Duck, Great Blue Heron, American Wigeon, Cinnamon Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow (the first of many seen throughout the trip), Cedar Waxwing. The first Bald Eagle of the countless we'll see during our stay in BC flies over, then we see Marsh Wren, Black-capped Chickadee, American Goldfinch. Then Northern Pintail, Glaucous-winged Gulls, Tree Swallow and Red-winged Blackbird.
Back at the Visitors' Centre, we sit at a table in the shade next to the Hummingbird feeders and sure enough after a while a Rufous Hummingbird comes to visit. Overhead a Cooper's Hawk and a House Finch.
Driving back home the first Red-tailed Hawk and more Bald Eagles.
More soon...
We joined two organised birding excursions: one in Parksville, led by Neil Robins of the Backyard Wilbird & Nature Store in Nanaimo, who regularly posts his reports in the Canada section here on BF, and one in Manning Park, during the annual Bird Blitz organised by the Hope Mountain centre. In Tofino we hired Adrian Dorst, a local birder and photographer, for a few hours' birding. We also went on two whale-watching trips, one in Tofino and one in Vancouver and one bear-watching trip.
We saw/heard 103 bird species (we only counted heard birds only if they had been identified by a local), of which only 3 waders (but it was the wrong season) and few raptors, at least for our standards. We didn't see American Kestrel, which we were hoping to be more common, nor any swifts, nor any grouse species.
We did see at least 12 mammal species, of which only a few were seen during specific wildlife-watching trips.
We flew Air Canada from Rome, changing planes at Montreal. We chose Air Canada over other carriers as they have a 10 kg. allowance for cabin baggage, as opposed to i.e. Swiss or Lufthansa who only allow 8 kg. and we did need the extra weight for binoculars, scope and photographic gear.
In Vancouver we stayed with friends in White Rock, then we spent one night at the excellent Arbutus Grove Motel in Parksville. In Tofino we rented a cabin at the Ocean Village Resort and finally a Lodge room in Manning Park.
Books: we had an old but serviceable copy of the National Geographic's Birds of North America, which is easy to carry around, and while we were there we bought the "new" (2008) Peterson's which we found very helpful because it highlights the key differences between similar species. We have the full-size Sibley at home, and we have used it to go through the photos to help us with tricky IDs (apart from those which I posted here on BF!).
June 3 - Vancouver
We land at around 9pm and by the time we get out it's already dark, so no birds.
June 4 - Vancouver
American Robin and Black-eyed Junco in our friends' garden, plus various squirrels, and a non-identified Hummingbird.
We spend the morning and the early afternoon at Reifel Bird Sanctuary, certainly not the best time of the year (nor of day) to visit, but it's close to where we are and we are too jet-lagged to care anyway.
The first species we see are very familiar: House Sparrow, European Starling and Barn Swallow, but then the locals take over: Brown-headed Cowbird, Canada Goose, Sandhill Crane, Wood Duck, Great Blue Heron, American Wigeon, Cinnamon Teal, Blue-winged Teal, Spotted Towhee, Song Sparrow (the first of many seen throughout the trip), Cedar Waxwing. The first Bald Eagle of the countless we'll see during our stay in BC flies over, then we see Marsh Wren, Black-capped Chickadee, American Goldfinch. Then Northern Pintail, Glaucous-winged Gulls, Tree Swallow and Red-winged Blackbird.
Back at the Visitors' Centre, we sit at a table in the shade next to the Hummingbird feeders and sure enough after a while a Rufous Hummingbird comes to visit. Overhead a Cooper's Hawk and a House Finch.
Driving back home the first Red-tailed Hawk and more Bald Eagles.
More soon...
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) and fantastic views, we add two new species to our list: Townsend's Warbler and Hermit Thrush, both of which we'll see again and again in the coming days.
