sunshinecoastbirds: Canada & United States – a month of mountains, critters, friends and snow

Northern Pygmy-Owl

Following a week-long visit to the island of Taveuni in Fiji and an 11-day cruise through the Lesser Antilles, we had almost a month in the United States and Canada. First off was a 3-night stay in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. We did day trips to Jonathon Dickson State Park; the historic centre of Fort Lauderdale; and the Everglades, with the latter focused on the Wildlife Management Areas of Holey Land and Rotenberger. Highlights included lifers Swamp Sparrow and Florida Scrub-Jay, American Alligator and finally seeing that huge expanse of wetland (mind-boggling from the air) known as The Everglades.

Rotenberger, Everglades

American Alligator

Swamp Sparrow

We flew to Portland, Oregon, where we were picked up at the airport by our friends Charlie and Frank and driven an hour east for a 3-night stay in their forest home near Hood River. The view from the house of nearby Mt Hood was something to behold. We had a great day exploring the lower slopes of Mt Hood, and although it was early Spring (late-March), there was plenty of snow about.

Mt Hope

Highlights were the wonderful scenery, lifers American Goshawk and Townsend’s Chipmunk, engaging Canada Jays on Mt Hood, Anna’s Hummingbird at the house feeder, and having quality time with our distant mates.

Anna's Hummingbird

Canada Jay

Townsend's Chipmunk

Next we flew to Vancouver in Canada, picking up a hire car and overnighting in the city before heading north to Whistler for a 3-night cabin stay at Parkbridge Riverside. Nice to see Harlequin Duck at Squamish on the way.

Harlequin Duck

More great scenery about Whistler. We took the gondola ski run to the tops of Mt Whistler and Mt Blackcomb, where hoped-for ptarmigans and rosy-finches failed to materialise, but the sweeping snowscape compensated.

Mt Whistler

Steller’s Jay, Northern Flicker and Yellow-Pine Chipmunk were among critters about the cabin, while lifer Red Fox-Sparrow was in the woods nearby. Close Lifer Pine Grosbeak was seen near Pemberton after leaving Whistler. We were somewhat taken aback by how cold it was and how much snow was about.

Red Fox-Sparrow

Yellow-Pine Chipmunk

Northern Flicker

Steller's Jay

Next stop was Lillooet for another 3-night stop, another cabin with this one overlooking the Fraser River in Fraser Cove Campground. Drier and somewhat warmer here, but the stunning mountain scenery didn’t go away.

Lillooet

Highlights were distant Mountain Goats scoped from the cabin balcony on a high ridge across the valley, and lifer Sooty Grouse. Nice birds about the cabin included Spotted Towhee and Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Spotted Towhee

Mule Deer were numerous. Heading further north we found quite a few Bighorn Sheep in roadside paddocks, but no rams with big horns.

Bighorn Sheep

Mule Deer

We moved on to Bear Valley for another 3-night cabin stay, at Bear Valley Highlands. This cabin was a trip highlight; one of just two on the property and the other was vacant. Beautifully situated and fitted out, we enjoyed more glorious scenery with plenty of forest and a small lake to explore.

Bear Valley

A pair of Barrow’s Goldeneye were on the lake and elsewhere birds included lifers Red-naped Sapsucker, Black-backed Woodpecker and Boreal Chickadee. Hairy Woodpecker and Downy Woodpecker showed nicely.Another trip highlight was tracking down a delightful Northern Pygmy-Owl during the day (first image).

Barrow's Goldeneye

Downy Woodpecker

Hairy Woodpecker

Red-naped Sapsucker

The night before our arrival, a cougar killed a Mule Deer on the road a short distance from the cabin. All that remained were the deer’s rumen and intestines in two neat piles, and a broad blood trail where the carcass was dragged into surrounding forest.

Cougar kill blood trail

Next was a 3-night stay in the town of Kelowna at Siesta Suites after visiting en route Swan Lake Grassland Trail at Vernon, where nesting Tree Sparrows were cute, and Swallwell Lake on Beaver Lake Road.

Tree Swallow

I dipped on Western Screech-Owl in Kelowna. A visit to Philpott Forest Road turned up Douglas’s Squirrel and Pileated Woodpecker.

Pileated Woodpecker

Douglas's Squirrel

Kelowna is a delightful town located in a valley surrounded by high peaks. Musk Rat was seen in suburban Thomson Marsh Park.

Musk Rat

Kelowna

Last stop on what was a circuit drive around southern British Columbia was a 3-night stay in another cabin at Manning Park Lodge. It was very cold here (with the temperature on one day not exceeding 1 degree C), with snow blocking most side roads and walking trails, and we had some heavy snow falls, which was something of a novelty. I slipped on ice on a trail and fell, damaging my ribs but luckily not my camera..

Lightning Lake, Manning Park

Snow squall at Manning Park

Yellow-bellied Marmot and Columbian Ground-Squirrel were entertaining.

Columbian Ground-Squirrel

Yellow-bellied Marmot

An active beaver lodge was occupied at Beaver Lake. The beautiful Varied Thrush was plentiful.

Varied Thrush

Beaver lodge

After leaving Manning Park we called in at Great Blue Heron Reserve, where we found fresh Black Bear droppings – our first bear encounter of any kind during our visit as it had been too cold and most bears were still hibernating. White-crowned Sparrow and Golden-crowned Sparrow were among birds at a feeder here.