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| 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.
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| Rotenberger, Everglades |
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| American Alligator |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Anna's Hummingbird |
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| Canada Jay |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Red Fox-Sparrow |
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| Yellow-Pine Chipmunk |
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| Northern Flicker |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Golden-crowned Kinglet |
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| 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.
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| Bighorn Sheep |
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| 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.
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| 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).
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| Barrow's Goldeneye |
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| Downy Woodpecker |
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| Hairy Woodpecker |
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| Tree Swallow |
I dipped on Western
Screech-Owl in Kelowna. A visit to Philpott Forest Road turned up
Douglas’s Squirrel and Pileated Woodpecker.
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| Pileated Woodpecker |
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| 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.
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| Musk Rat |
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| 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..
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| Lightning Lake, Manning Park |
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| Snow squall at Manning Park |
Yellow-bellied
Marmot and Columbian Ground-Squirrel were entertaining.
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| Columbian Ground-Squirrel |
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| Yellow-bellied Marmot |
An active beaver
lodge was occupied at Beaver Lake. The beautiful Varied Thrush was
plentiful.
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| Varied Thrush |
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| 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.
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| Golden-crowned Sparrow |
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| White-crowned Sparrow |
Finally we had 4
nights in Vancouver, enjoying the sights of this lovely city.
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| Vancouver |
We visited Pitt
Meadows, a delightful spot where a perched Bald Eagle was a suitable
finale for the trip.
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| Bald Eagle |
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