British Columbia Summer Birding
British Columbia offers excellent chances of numerous boreal specialities in towering coastal mountains, including Sooty Grouse, Canada Jay, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Clark’s Nutcracker, Boreal Chickadee, and possible American Three-toed Woodpecker. We will also enjoy some excellent west coast birding around the city of Vancouver, where coastal specialities like Pelagic Cormorant, Black Oystercatcher, Harlequin Duck, and Pigeon Guillemot are accompanied by species such as Varied Thrush, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, and Pacific Wren in old-growth coniferous forests.
More details:
Further inland, the forests of the Okanagan Valley, the heart of Canada’s little-known wine country, host western specialties like Williamson’s Sapsucker, Dusky Grouse, Calliope Hummingbird, MacGillivray’s Warbler and Hammond’s Flycatcher. We will also enjoy birding here in semi-desert, sagebrush, grasslands,wetlands and riparian habitats, adding a complementary selection of species including Sage Thrasher, Pacific-slope Flycatcher, Lazuli Bunting and several hummingbirds.
Pricing: $2,790 USD or £2,230 GBP (fixed at 3,680 CAD) for 9 Days and 8 Nights
Group Size: Price is based upon 7 or 8 participants.
Upcoming Dates:
June 22 to June 30, 2024
There is a fine selection of owls here, and we will target these throughout this trip, trying to find as many species as possible. We have good chances of finding Western Screech-Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Great Gray Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl and the sought-after Flammulated Owl, with a lesser chance of Boreal Owl. Common Poorwill is also regularly seen on evening outings.
Birds
Brant, Harlequin Duck, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Chukar, Ruffed Grouse, Dusky Grouse, Spruce Grouse, Western Grebe, Common Poorwill, Black Swift, Vaux’s Swift, Calliope Hummingbird, American Avocet, Wilson’s Phalarope, Common Loon, Pelagic Cormorant, Golden Eagle, Flammulated Owl, Western Screech-Owl, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Great Gray Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Lewis’s Woodpecker, Williamson’s Sapsucker, Red-naped Sapsucker, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Black-backed Woodpecker, Cassin’s Vireo, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Canada Jay, Clark’s Nutcracker, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Boreal Chickadee, Pacific Wren, American Dipper, Varied Thrush, Sage Thrasher, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Lazuli Bunting.
Mammals
Snowshoe Hare, American Pika, Yellow-pine Chipmunk, Cascade Golden-mantled Ground-Squirrel, Columbian Ground-Squirrel, Yellow-bellied Marmot, American Beaver, Coyote, American Black Bear, White-tailed Deer, Mule Deer, Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat.
Special Sites
Tsawwassen Jetty, George C. Reifel Refuge, Manning Provincial Park, Osoyoos Lake, Vaseux Lake, Hardy Falls, Beaver Lake Road, Merritt to Kamloops along Highway 5A.
