Itinerary - British Columbia

See the best of West coast migration as we search the huge flocks of shorebirds and ducks for Asian vagrants along the Vancouver waterfront, and witness the impressive movement of landbirds along the coast and over the mountains. We will also view west coast residents and high level specialities as we cross from lowland to highlands to the desert-like conditions of the Okanagan. September, 2007's pre-tour resulted in many excellent finds. Some are shown below :

Black Oystercatcher	Blue Grouse	Barrow's Goldeneye

California Quail	Golden Eagle	Gray Jay

Brandt's Cormorant	Audubon's Warbler	Surfbird

American Golden Plover	Black Turnstone	Red Crossbill

3 male Harlequin Ducks	Mew Gull	Sharp-tailed Sandpiper

Pygmy Nuthatch	Western Grebe	Western Sandpiper

Pacific Golden Plover	Stellar's Jay	Pelagic Cormorant

Day 1 - Arriving in Vancouver, we immediately head to Iona Islands adjacent to the airport, where a fine breakwall, marsh and sewage lagoons should provide us with many birds. Loons, grebes, shorebirds, gulls, cormorants, herons and ducks should be abundant. We may have time to visit Boundary Bay close to our motel, but success will depend on the tides. High tide is essential for best viewing of thousands of wading birds on the mudflats. We will check this area several times while in Vancouver. Overnight : Sundance Motel, Ladner.
Day 2 - After breakfast, we visit Beach Grove Park in Tsawwassen, where many passerines should be migrating through. These could include Western Tanager, Bullock's Oriole, western flycatchers, west coast warblers such as Townsend's and McGillvray's, sparrows, Bushtits, maybe 3 species of Chickadee, along with attendant birds of prey such as Merlin, Peregrine Falcon and Sharp-shinned hawks. Just south of here is Point Roberts, a small cut-off part of Washington state, where we can find many pelagic and rare sea birds. After crossing the border, we will proceed to Lighthouse Marine Park to search for Black Turnstone, Black Oystercatcher, Surfbird, offshore Harlequin Ducks, Surf and White-winged Scoters, Pigeon Guillemot, Rhinoceros Auklet, Marbled Murrelet, Common Murre and 3 species of cormorants. We will also visit the nearby Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal back in Canada where similar species can be seen. Ov. Sundance Motel. B/L.
Day 3 - Today we drive via Hope to Manning Provincial Park, where high range birds such as both Crossbills, Clark's Nutcracker, Townsend's Solitaire, Stellar's Jay, Pine Grosbeak, and Varied Thrush were seen in 2007. There is the possibility here of Spotted Owl and 3-toed Woodpecker at Sumalo Grove and Lightning Lake respectively. The drive to the top of the Cascade Mountains is spectacular. Ov. Evergreen Motel, Princeton. B/L
Day 4 - Another wonderful day at Manning Park walking new trails and exploring picnic grounds in search of migrants and resident birds. Animal possibilities include Black Bear, Mule Deer, ground squirrels and chipmunks. Ov. Evergreen Motel. B/L
Day 5 - We head east to the Okanagan to explore the area around Vaseux Lake. Canyon and Rock wrens, Golden Eagle, Chukar, Great Horned Owl, Western Bluebird, White-throated Swift and Rufous Hummingbird are all possible, along with California Bighorn Sheep on the cliffs. Ov. Evergreen Motel. B/L
Day 6 - Back to Vancouver to the Reifel Refuge, one of B.C.'s best spots for finding rare Asian strays. The wooded trails should turn up Golden-crowned Sparrow, Spotted Towhee and several warblers. But the highlight should be the flocks of shorebirds feeding there. In 2007 we found 2 Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Marbled Godwit, Stilt, Western, Semipalmated, Pectoral sandpipers, both Yellowlegs, both Dowitchers, Killdeer and Wilson's Snipe. At high tide, the nearby farm fields can also host many shorebirds. Ov. Sundance Motel, Ladner. B/L
Day 7 - We will have most of the day to visit Beach Grove Park, Pt. Roberts, Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal and Iona Island before evening . B/L.
Day 8 - We will have time to revisit Reifel Refuge or Iona Island before departing from Vancouver Airport in the late afternoon. B/L.
THIS TOUR COST INCLUDES ALL TRANSPORTATION, HOTELS, BREAKFASTS, LUNCHES, ENTRY FEES AND GUIDING. COST : $ 1095 from Vancouver.