This was my first trip without any relatives on it, and it turned out to be a great one. BC has some nice scenery, and great birds. I am very grateful to Mitch Grant for setting this up and agreeing to put up with me for 10 days :).Total flying distance was about 7828 km, give or take, and total driving distance was about 2060 km, excluding airport shuttling. The total distance by boat was about 165 km. Google Earth was a big help writing this, going back to find locations, and with the new version you can see pictures of almost everywhere I went on this trip. Another great resource was the Birder's Guide to BC by K. Taylor. Most of our Okanagan birding was done out of this book, to get the most out of our few days. Pretty much everything was right where it should be, with a few exceptions of course.Having been home for only 9 days between trips, I was still acclimatized for 40ºC weather, and getting out to the BC coast where it was 23º max, it felt almost like winter. Everybody was walking around in shorts and t-shirts, and I had to wear a sweater and jeans just to feel comfortable! I got used to it by the end though, and going to the 30º+ Okanagan Valley certainly helped. Anyway, enough with temperature details, on to the trip. Since it was a while ago, there is probably a lot of stuff I am leaving out...Mitch, care to fill in any details???July 27 - Sault Ste. Marie, ON - Victoria, BC - 3914 km flown, ~100 km driven
Yet another early-morning flight, and I was up at 4 a.m. to get ready. After saying good-bye, and sitting in the airport for a while, I was under way shortly after 6. The flights were fairly uneventful, other than having to rush between them, and not getting any real food for quite a while. I did get to see Blades of Glory however, which was a good movie if I must say so myself. After finally finding the Victoria gate in the Vancouver airport (how many gates can you fit into one number???), it was just a short hop over the strait onto Vancouver Island, where Mitch was already there and waiting. The first birds of the trip came in the form of some Brewer's Blackbirds on the lawn in the parking lot. Then we cruised around, finding the more common birds along our way into town (Glaucous-winged Gull, Northwestern Crow, Killdeer, Pigeon Guillemot). We made a stop at Martindale Flats to find the Skylarks, and after a short walk through a field, we managed to find a few of them, and get some good views. Some other birds around were White-crowned Sparrow, Barn Swallow, Great Blue Heron, House Finch, and Belted Kingfisher. Then it was into town, and down to Clover Pt. after dropping my stuff off at Mitch's place. Clover Pt. turned out to be our regular stop, since it is only a little ways from Mitch's. There we found some good birds (for me at least) including Rhinoceros Auklet, Black Oystercatcher, Western, Mew, Glaucous-winged, and California Gulls, and Caspian Terns. Then it was down to the Oak Bay marina to see shorebirds on the distant island (Black Turnstone, Black-bellied Plover, Long-billed Dowitcher). We then headed for King's Park, for a chance at Golden-crowned Sparrow, which was not to be, but picked up Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Greater Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, and Cedar Waxwings in the park. Then it was back for supper, and then an evening walk at Goldstream Park to try for American Dipper (another no-show), but did pick up the northwestern race of Fox Sparrow (pretty different-looking!). The day ended for me at 10 p.m. (1 a.m. EST), after being awake for 21 hours on very little sleep. 34 species, 7 lifers (and it's only the first day!).July 28 - Victoria and surroundings - ~100 km
Up in good time (around 8) for breakfast and then it was out to the field. Ogden Pt. breakwater was our first stop, where we picked up Pigeon Guillemot, Wandering Tattler, Spotted Sandpiper, and some of the other common birds. The tattler, being my first, tempted me too much, so I got Mitch to hold my binocs and camera, then dropped down the breakwater. It turned out to be a little further than I thought (about 12 ft), but all I got was a small scrape. Mitch passed down the camera, and I snuck up within about 8 ft of the tattler. Despite the low light, I got a few good shots. Then it was off to Esquimalt Lagoon, where there were a lot of introduced Mute Swans, as well as a decent selection of gulls, including the Mew Gull that I got a shot of. Then it was off to Albert Head Lagoon, where we picked up Greater Yellowlegs, Purple Martin, and Chestnut-backed Chickadee, along with a few seals on the rocks offshore. Then it was Witty's Lagoon, which was the most productive (due to the forest around it). Brown Creeper, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Winter Wren, Western and Least Sandpipers, Olive-sided Flycatcher, California Quail, Townsend's Warbler, and Spotted Towhee among others were all seen/heard around this lagoon. Then it was a short stop back for lunch and then to Clover Pt, where there were quite a few more birds than yesterday: Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorants, Heermann's, California, Ring-billed and Mew Gulls, Marbled Murrelet, Rhinoceros Auklet, Common Murre, and Black Oystercatcher. A short trip along the waterfront picked up Hooded Merganser, Surf Scoter, and Brandt's Cormorant. Then it was out to Viaduct Flats, which were too flooded for shorebirds, but contained quite a few ducks. Wood Duck, the usual Mallards and Canada Geese, a Pied-billed Grebe, and what turned out to be the only Cinnamon Teal in the entire Victoria area for the month of July! I spotted it from quite a ways away, and after just having seen some in Arizona, I knew right away. But...then it went into some reeds before Mitch could get a look at it. So, we walked around to the other side, and I walked through the grass a bit to push them out where we could see them. Then I hopped back up onto the path where Mitch and I got some good close views. Other birds around were Marsh Wren, Common Yellowthroat, and Violet-Green Swallow. We then headed up Observatory Hill, where the telescopes are. After seeing the ones at Kitt Peak, these weren't that impressive, but they are one of, if not the largest in Canada. Dark-eyed Junco, Bald Eagle, Great Horned Owl, Western Wood-Pewee, Red Crossbill, and Pileated Woodpecker were some of the higher-elevation species on the hill. Our main purpose for the Observatory stop was Pygmy-Owl or Hammond's Flycatcher, both of which didn't show for us. Then it was a short stop at Rithet's Bog, where we found a pair of Blue-winged Teal, another rarity in Victoria during the summer, along with Northern Rough-winged and Cliff Swallows. Then it was back to Mitch's for food and sleep. 68 species, 8 lifers.July 29 - Victoria - ~120 km
Another morning stop at Clover Pt., where the usual gulls were around, along with Pelagic Cormorant and a Cooper's Hawk which was taking refuge behind a building. We then headed out to Saanichton, to try our luck at Saanichton Spit. Winter Wren, many Great Blue Herons, Osprey, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, and American Kestrel were all around the parking area. Out on the beach, Double-crested Cormorant, Caspian Terns, and Heermann's Gulls were all present. With a flock of 32 Heermann's, Mitch said that's the most he's ever seen at once. Then, we walk around to the other side, and find a flock of 73! Some of the birds from the one side had flown across, but we figure there were at least 90 total. There were quite a few alcids off the spit, mainly Rhinoceros Auklets, but with Marbled Murrelet and Common Murre mixed in, along with some Pelagic Cormorants. We spent some time trying to rent a small boat to get out into the middle of them, as it looked like quite the feeding frenzy, but had no luck with any of the marinas. So, we headed to Swan Lake, where there was some decent birding to be had. Spotted Towhee, Bushtit, Townsend's Warbler, Marsh Wren, Violet-Green Swallow, Bewick's Wren, Yellow Warbler, Anna's Hummingbird, and some other species were all around the lake. Then it was back to Oak Bay, to try to find a Ruddy Turnstone. This time, we were in luck, and out on the rock were Ruddy Turnstone, Black Turnstone, Long-billed Dowitcher, Black-bellied Plover, and Black Oystercatcher. I'm not 100% sure, but I think that this was the day that we also looked for the Barn Owl, but with no luck. 44 species, no lifers.July 30 - Victoria + Port Angeles, WA - ~10 km driven, ~75 km on ferry
Quick stop at the breakwater, then off to the harbour to get our tickets. Turns out you do need a note to go across the border if you're under 18, so we got stopped, of course. They checked everything and did their usual inspections, and then got my home number and called my parents back in Ontario to find out if they were aware I was border-hopping with Mitch. After finally getting the idea that I wasn't being kidnapped, they let us on the boat. Just in time too. The Coho was the name of the ferry, and it is pretty big. ~350 feet long to be exact. Coming out of the harbour, Heermann's Gulls, Rhinoceros Auklets, Pigeon Guillemots, Common Murres, and Red-necked Phalaropes were all close to shore, followed by Marbled Murrelets further out. After that, it was pretty birdless for most of the rest of the way across. Just on the Washington side, we hit a bunch of huge swells, and since I was right at the front of the boat, it sucked. I'm not very good with stuff like that, but I managed not to get sick. Once we were within a few kilometers of shore, the birds started to pick back up, and right when Mitch went for a bathroom break, two Cassin's Auklets decided to show up. These were the only ones for the entire trip, and Mitch hadn't seen them before unfortunately. In the port, we scanned the breakwater for Brown Pelicans with no luck, but did manage to find a Western Gull flying around the buildings. We got off the ferry, went out into the building, and made the turn-around to hop back on and go back across. On the way back, it was pretty much the same birds, with the exception of Cassin's Auklets and the addition of White-winged Scoter. When we got back, we headed for Beacon Hill Park just as the sun was about to go down, and picked up Anna's Hummingbird and Cooper's Hawk. 21 species, 2 lifers.July 31 - Victoria - Abbotsford, BC - 170 km driven, ~45 km on ferry
Early morning to get to the Swartz Bay ferry by 6 a.m. We got on the first ferry, parked the car, and then headed for the top decks to see what alcids we could find on the crossing. It started off well, with Pigeon Guillemots right under the ferry, and later on Rhinoceros Auklets and Common Murres. Other than that and a few Surf Scoters, there weren't many birds on the trip, but the scenery made up for that, and there were quite a few seals swimming and playing. After getting off the ferry at Tsawwassen, we headed for Boundary Bay. Bald Eagle, American Kestrel, many swallows, Brewer's Blackbirds, and some of the famous shorebirds of Boundary Bay - Western Sandpiper, Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Yellowlegs, Long-billed Dowitcher - were there. A Peregrine Falcon engaged a Northern Harrier in aerial combat, and they disappeared over the horizon together. The weird thing about this was later on in the day, when we saw a Peregrine-Harrier pair drifting by, maybe..2 hours later? I think they were the same birds, about 20 km where we last saw them. Since it was low tide, we decided to go to the George C. Reifel Bird Sanctuary just outside Ladner. It wasn't too birdy, and it's probably a lot better during the migration, but we did pick up Willow Flycatcher, Sandhill Crane, Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Yellowlegs, American Wigeon, and some other songbirds, and managed to get some decent photos. We headed back to Tsawwassen first, to pick up the Willet, then it was back to Boundary Bay to try and find the influx of birds as high tide approaches. It happened, although not in the thousands of birds that most people report, but just over 300 shorebirds, of the aforementioned species with the addition of Least Sandpiper. I thought it was a pretty good number, as around the Sault the most you'll ever see at once is probably 200, but Mitch thought otherwise, having been there on a day with a few thousand birds. We then hit the road, and made it to Abbotsford for supper and a hotel. 54 species, no lifers.August 1 - Abbotsford - Oliver, BC - 509 km
The day started fairly early, and with pretty much all common species on the drive. We hit the first of the mountains proper, and started the climb, from about 50 feet above sea level up to 3500 in the passes. We saw our first Common Raven of the trip (joy), and then at a roadside stop added singing Varied Thrush and Golden-crowned Kinglet. Further on, Red Crossbill was added to our elevational bird list. Since I don't remember all the locations of our sightings, you can follow the trip on Google Earth - Hwy. 3 from Hope to Keremeos, and see some scenery. For now though, the bird list along this stretch was: Mountain Bluebird, Townsend's Solitaire, Common Nighthawk, Violet-Green Swallow, Brewer's Blackbird, California Quail, Osprey, Eastern Kingbird, American Kestrel, Lewis's Woodpecker, Spotted Towhee, Eurasian Collared-Dove, and Black-billed Magpie among other commoners. Then it was down to Osoyoos where American Coot, Common Merganser, and Ring-billed Gull were added. After getting some maps and info, we headed up to Oliver where we decided to stay. Then we headed for the Sage Thrasher area, down Marron Valley Rd. off Hwy. 3A just west of Okanagan Falls. Along here we added Western Wood-Pewee, Vesper, Chipping, Lark, and Brewer's Sparrows, Western Meadowlark, Prairie Falcon, Say's Phoebe, both Kingbirds, and a few bee stings. No Sage Thrashers though... We kept going on this road, and down some others, to add Clark's Nutcracker, Dusky Grouse, Western Bluebird, and Lazuli Bunting. Then it was up to Apex Mountain, where we found Pine Siskin, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee, Northern Flicker, and Cooper's Hawk. We then headed for Penticton, where the book told us where to find some hummingbird feeders. Finding some on a back porch, we pulled into the driveway. Turns out the people were on the back porch, so we asked if they would mind us being there. They kindly invited us up onto the porch, where the hummers came in to the feeder just feet away, and we had good close looks at Rufous, Calliope, and Black-chinned Hummers. After a while, waiting for all 3 to appear, we left, thanking the owners, and continued to a back road that was supposedly good for Flammulated Owls and Pygmys. No such luck, as we had to leave just at sunset to get back and eat supper and sleep. Calliope was #499 for my list, and I was wondering as to what #500 would be tomorrow. 63 species, 6 lifers.August 2 - Okanagan Valley - McKinney Rd, White Lake, Penticton, Oliver - 222 kmUp early to hit the famous McKinney Rd. just outside Oliver. It's famous for a reason, as we found out. Our first stop along the road was the sage flats, which didn't turn up any Long-billed Curlews. Further up was our stop for Gray Flycatchers. Cassin's Finches and a Western Bluebird family greeted us. Then we heard what sounded like a flycatcher, so I headed up the hill to see. I stumbled into a mixed flock of birds with Mountain Chickadee, Pygmy, Red- and White-breasted Nuthatches, Chipping Sparrows, a Western Tanager, and...a nice, calling, Gray Flycatcher pair to top it all off. My #500 for the ABA area! Also in the area were Townsend's Solitaire and Clark's Nutcracker. We headed further up still, and found Bullock's Oriole, Warbling Vireo, Dusky Flycatcher, Williamson's Sapsucker, Lazuli Bunting, Cassin's Vireo, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Red Crossbill, Gray Jay, Pine Siskin, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, and Ruffed Grouse along the next 20 km of road, and on some little side roads. All these are detailed in the BC birding book. We then headed back down the mountain, and stopped to pick up Red-naped Sapsucker which we had skipped on the way up. Pretty much the only birds we missed out on were Chukar and Hammond's Flycatcher along this stretch. After missing Chukars, we headed up the road a bit, to Vaseux Lake, where the little side road didn't produce Chukars as said in the book (must have been a bad year), but did turn up Lewis's Woodpecker, Steller's Jay, Canyon Wren, and Black-billed Magpie. The lake itself held the usual waterbirds. Then it was off to White Lake via Okanagan Falls. The little 'falls' didn't produce any Dippers, so we continued on. Green Lake held a few Eared Grebes and a Barrow's Goldeneye family. Our main target at White Lake was Sage Thrasher, which didn't make an appearance. So, we headed back for food, and then to Vaseux Lake, where we added Osprey, Black-headed Grosbeak, Vaux's Swifts, and Red-necked Grebe on a closer inspection. Then it was back up the Chukar-less sideroad in the twilight, where we picked up a Rock Wren before heading up the road. Once we were up there, we heard a few Common Poorwills calling, and once it got darker they really started to pick up. I even managed to call one in, which flew around our heads and almost landed on the car before settling on a fencepost allowing for the best looks you can get in the dark without a spotlight or night-vision goggles. We also heard some weird bellowing-type noises (which we later found out to be moose) coming from the cliff-tops. One note about this road - it's terrible, and we were lucky to not blow a tire or bottom-out on it. I'd recommend a higher-clearance vehicle if you want to see a Poorwill in Canada. After the Poorwills, we headed back up McKinney Rd. for a shot at some owls, mainly Flamms. Our luck was with us, and although we missed pygmys and others, we managed to find a perfect example of a Flammulated Owl calling from down the valley a bit. It didn't respond to tapes, so we let it call for a while before heading back down to get some sleep. 78 species, 5 lifers.August 3 - Oliver - Victoria - 565 km driven, ~45 km by ferry
Having seen pretty much all the lifers we could, and running out of time, we decided to give the Sage Thrasher one more shot (third try in 3 days). We headed back to the original spot early, to get our best chances. Spotted Towhee, Western Meadowlark, Vesper and Brewer's Sparrows, and a lot(!) of Kestrels greeted us. We hoped that the kestrels hadn't consumed our quarry, and, as luck would have it, they didn't! After a little while, I was wandering down the road, when - lo and behold - a Sage Thrasher popped up on the fencepost not 20 feet from me! Mitch and I got great looks at it as it sat on the fence, and flew around. Finally. We then headed back into Oliver to get our stuff, and try for White-throated Swifts. At the Chukar road, we found the Canyon Wren again, but no swifts, so we headed up to Skaha Bluffs, where we found a small flock of the swifts circling the cliffs. Then we headed back through to Keremeos, and on the same Hwy 3 back to Hope. We picked up Eurasian Collared-Dove, Say's Phoebe, Steller's Jay, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Red-tailed Hawk along the way. Then we were back in Tsawwassen, where we waited for the ferry. And waited. And waited. It was a good wait, that's for sure... 5 hours if I remember correctly. Turns out people from Vancouver like to go to the Island for the weekends. While waiting, we picked up a few Black Turnstones, Surf Scoters, Rhinoceros Auklets, and California Gulls. On the ferry back, we picked up Caspian Tern, Common Murre and Pigeon Guillemot, before getting back and driving from Sidney into Victoria proper. 52 species, 1 lifer.August 4 - Victoria + Sooke - 213 kmAnother morning stop at Clover Pt. (gotta love 'em...no, seriously), where Harlequin Duck was new for the trip, and swam among Marbled Murrelet, the usual other alcids, Black Turnstone, and Black Oystercatcher. Then it was back up to Observatory Hill for another chance at adding some species. Dark-eyed Juncos, Brown Creepers, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and House Wrens made up the bulk of the birds on the walk up, along with Pine Siskin and Red Crossbills. At the top, Pileated Woodpecker, Bushtit, and Spotted Towhee joined the Hammond's Flycatcher that we had missed both here and in the Okanagan. Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Winter Wren, and Purple Martin were also around near the summit. We then headed for Goldstream Park again, where the Dipper was more co-operative, giving us some good looks. A walk through a brushy area under some power lines at some spot that I forget where it was turned up Orange-crowned and MacGillivray's Warblers. Then it was out to Sooke and Jordan River, where we added Surf Scoter, Heermann's Gull, and got some good photos of California Gulls in action. On the way back, a Band-tailed Pigeon flew over the road. Another quick stop at Clover Pt. turned up a Common Murre, but not the hoped-for Surfbird. Then it was out for supper to celebrate the good trip. 47 species, 2 lifers.August 5 - Victoria, BC - Sault Ste. Marie, ON - ~50 km driven, 3914 km flown.Did you guess it yet? What place we visited first on my last day in BC? Yup, Clover Pt.!!, then over to the Ogden Pt. breakwater where using the same tactics I got good photos of Black Turnstone and Black Oystercatcher. Unfortunately, the Tattler was over on the unaccessible side, so no new photos of that. Red-necked Phalaropes were also off the end of the breakwater, and some Heermann's Gulls floated around Clover Pt. We headed over to King's Park, picking up Bewick's Wren and some others, then to the waterfront where we added Common Goldeneye, and Pelagic Cormorant - the last birds of the trip. Overall, it was a pretty amazing 9 and a half days, adding 31 lifers and 52 year birds among the 169 species on the trip (all but Cassin's Auklet in BC). I only ended up missing about 6 target species, not a bad deal as I was a little too early for most of them. The flights back were decent (yay more movies), and I got home shortly after midnight. One little thing, the flight from BC-ON was an hour shorter than the flight there - not because of time zones, that would work the other way - simply because the jetstream propelled us to over 1000 km/h...yes...you read right...1000 km/h...1050 to be exact. :PThe trip list is below, and the photos are around here someplace, but definitely check out my BC shorebirds if you look at nothing else!Year birds are in bold, Canadian lifers marked with a *, ABA lifers with **, and heard only with (H).Canada Goose
Mute Swan - 20+
Wood Duck - 15+
Gadwall
- a few
American Wigeon - 3
Mallard
Blue-winged Teal - 2
Cinnamon
Teal* - 1 male
Green-winged Teal - 1
Ring-necked Duck - 1
Greater Scaup
- 1
Harlequin Duck - 1
Surf Scoter - 200+
White-winged
Scoter - 4
Barrow's Goldeneye - family
Hooded Merganser -
10+
Common Merganser - 1
Ruffed Grouse - 3
Dusky Grouse** -
3
California Quail* - a lot (50+)
Pied-billed
Grebe - 2
Red-necked Grebe - 1
Eared Grebe -
2
Brandt's Cormorant* - 1
Double-crested
Cormorant - 30+
Pelagic Cormorant** - 10+
Great Blue
Heron - 50+
Turkey Vulture - 10+
Osprey - 15+
Bald Eagle -
20+
Northern Harrier - 5+
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1
Cooper's Hawk -
4
Red-tailed Hawk - 20+
American Kestrel - 30+
Peregrine Falcon -
4
Prairie Falcon* - 1
American Coot - 50+
Sandhill
Crane - 2
Black-bellied Plover - 150+
Semipalmated Plover -
40+
Killdeer - 20+
Black Oystercatcher* - 30+
Spotted
Sandpiper - 5+
Wandering Tattler** - 2
Greater Yellowlegs
- 10+
Willet - 1
Lesser Yellowlegs - 6
Ruddy Turnstone* -
2
Black Turnstone** - 15+
Western Sandpiper** -
600+
Least Sandpiper - 20+
Long-billed Dowitcher -
20+
Red-necked Phalarope** - 70+
Heermann's Gull** -
120+
Mew Gull** - 10+
Ring-billed Gull -
100+
California Gull - 500+
Herring Gull - a
few
Western Gull* - 2
Glaucous-winged Gull** -
1000+
Caspian Tern - 20+
Common Murre** - 30+
Pigeon
Guillemot** - 30+
Marbled Murrelet** - 10+
Cassin's Auklet** -
2
Rhinoceros Auklet** - 400+
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon*
- 1
Eurasian Collared-Dove* - 4
Mourning Dove -
100+
Flammulated Owl**(H) - 1
Great Horned Owl -
1
Common Nighthawk - 50+
Common Poorwill* - 10+ (1 seen
close)
Vaux's Swift** - 20+
White-throated
Swift* - 100+
Black-chinned Hummingbird* - 1
Anna's Hummingbird* -
5+
Calliope Hummingbird** - 2
Rufous Hummingbird -
10+
Belted Kingfisher - 15+
Lewis's Woodpecker** -
20+
Williamson's Sapsucker* -
1
Red-naped Sapsucker** - 3
Downy Woodpecker -
20+
Hairy Woodpecker - 20+
Northern Flicker - 40+
Pileated Woodpecker -
3
Olive-sided Flycatcher - 3 or 4
Western Wood-Pewee* -
10+
Willow Flycatcher - 1
Hammond's Flycatcher**(H) - 1
Gray
Flycatcher** - 2
Dusky Flycatcher** - 5+
Pacific-slope Flycatcher** -
40+
Say's Phoebe* - 2
Western Kingbird - 10+
Eastern Kingbird
- 30+
Cassin's Vireo* - 2
Warbling Vireo - 5+
Gray Jay
- 2
Steller's Jay* - 2
Clark's Nutcracker - 5+
Black-billed
Magpie - 40+
American Crow - lots
Northwestern Crow** -
hundreds
Common Raven - lots
Sky Lark** -
3-5
Purple Martin - 3
Violet-green Swallow - 50+
Northern
Rough-winged Swallow - 20+
Bank Swallow - 100+
Cliff Swallow - 1
Barn
Swallow - 100+
Black-capped Chickadee - 50+
Mountain Chickadee -
30+
Chestnut-backed Chickadee* - 100+
Bushtit* -
20+
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 50+
White-breasted Nuthatch - 2
Pygmy
Nuthatch* - 20+
Brown Creeper - 30+
Rock Wren*(H) - 1
Canyon Wren* -
4-5
Bewick's Wren* - 10+
House Wren - family
Winter Wren - 5+
Marsh
Wren - 10+
American Dipper** 1!!!!! (my only species that could have
been a nemesis, missed it 3 times on this trip, plus on 3 former trips to
Alberta)
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 5+
Western Bluebird**
- 2 families
Mountain Bluebird** - 1
Townsend's Solitaire - 2
American Robin -
lots
Varied Thrush(H) - 1
Sage Thrasher** - 1
European
Starling
Cedar Waxwing - 50+
Orange-crowned Warbler - 10+
Yellow
Warbler - 10+
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 5+
Townsend's Warbler** -
2
MacGillivray's Warbler - 1
Common Yellowthroat
- 10+
Western Tanager* - 1
Spotted Towhee* - 30+
Chipping Sparrow -
30+
Brewer's Sparrow - 4-6
Vesper Sparrow - 20+
Lark
Sparrow* - 1
Savannah Sparrow - 10+
Fox Sparrow -
1
Song Sparrow - 20+
White-crowned Sparrow - 5+
Dark-eyed
Junco - 50+
Black-headed Grosbeak* - 2
Lazuli Bunting** - male and
female at different locations
Red-winged Blackbird - 20+
Western
Meadowlark - 30+
Brewer's Blackbird - 100+
Brown-headed Cowbird -
10+
Bullock's Oriole* - 3
Cassin's Finch* - 20+
House Finch -
50+
Red Crossbill - 50+
Pine Siskin - 30+
American Goldfinch -
100+
House Sparrow