Kearsney Birder: CANADA DRY

Friday, 21 September 2018

CANADA DRY

Another wildlife trip with Sandwich Bird Tours,this time to the west coast of Canada taking in Vancouver Island and the fantastic Great Bear Lodge on the mainland reached only by float plane.
Target species were Black and Brown Bears,Sea Otters,Orcas,Humpback and Grey Whales,Sea Lions and of course Bald Eagles.The trip ticked all those boxes and a few more,birds especially passerines were a bit thin on the ground, and in the air,but some quality birds were nevertheless seen.
Arriving at Vancouver airport on Labour Day was not a good idea and it took two hours to clear immigration,however that was soon forgotten as we met up with the rest of the group and the tour leader Ken Walker.
The birdwatching started straight away at George C Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary where Wood Duck,Greater Yellowlegs,Sandhill Cranes,wre the highlights.

WOOD DUCK

GREATER YELLOWLEGS

BARN SWALLOWS Still in the nest,just.

RED WINGED BLACKBIRD

FEMALE RED WINGED BLACKBIRD

BLACK CAPPED CHICKADEE

A GENUINE CANADA GOOSE.

SANDHILL CRANE A breeding pair here are quite used to people.

AMERICAN COOT,My first sighting since the Stodmarsh bird.

WOOD DUCK.

GREAT BLUE HERON.
From here we made our way to the COAST TSAWWASSEN INN,a very comfortable hotel and dinner at Marios,and then to bed the 8 hour time difference was taking its toll.
Next morning it was down to Duke Point for the ferry to Vancouver Island and after some confusion over sailing times we boarded and set off and I was lucky enough to see my first ever Sabines Gull albeit fairly distant on the 2 hour crossing.
Several ships in the container terminal caught my eye.

NYK

MSC MICHELA

ZM ONTARIO

CAPE RAINBOW

TROLLERS TROLLING IN THE CHANNEL

PRINCE OF WHALES we saw no whales on this crossing

PACIFIC DIVER.

BRITISH COLUMBIA FERRIES- they have no back or front and with a bridge at both ends they can go both ways.

WESTERN GARTER SNAKE at LITTLE QUALICUM FALLS.
Next stop would be our base for the next three nights the Bayshore Waterfront in UCLUELET.

THE BAYSHORE WATERFRONT

A LUXURIOUS LITTLE BED

NOT A BAD VIEW FROM THE BALCONY EITHER

CANNABIS WILL BE LEGALISED IN CANADA FROM OCTOBER BARRYS GOT A HEAD START.

BLACK TAILED DEER

BELTED KINGFISHER A bird seen every day on the trip.

WHITE CROWNED SPARROW

BLACK TAILED DEER

GLAUCOUS WINGED GULL

GWG
Breakfast at the BLACK ROCK RESORT was quite special and the scenery was outstanding we also saw black oystercatchers, cedar waxwings a pigeon guillemot,and stellers blue jay.

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A GOOD RESON FOR A LIGHTHOUSE.

BLACK ROCK LIGHTHOUSE.

STELLERS BLUE JAY

SBJAY taken through the mini bus window.

In the afternoon we went bear watching with Jamies Tours out of Ucluelet

JAMIES RIB

ALL READY IN CAMOUFLAGE GEAR SO THE BEARS WON`T NOTICE US.

Please indulge me for a few minutes now as there are a few black bear photos,we saw five altogether a mother and two cubs that scarpered straight away this one that didn`t mind us at all and another bear at a different beach that had a gammy rear leg.