Birding | The Ovenbird Blog

Week 30 HOME!

by Ellen Horak | Jul 27, 2025 | Canada 400

Monday and Tuesday were long driving days with no time to stop for birds. We were anxious to get home having been gone for 7 weeks. A very early Pomarine Jaeger was being seen at Van Wagners Beach in Hamilton and we considered stopping on our way home to see if it was still around but we were soooo tired and the highways for once were really moving well so we opted to get home earlier rather than battle commute traffic if we stopped. The Jaeger was seen that evening of course. I might regret that when we are in miserable conditions in October trying to find one, but there is also a chance to see one out East in September.

Oh, it was good to get home! And the heat was nice too after so many cool blustery days. We spent Wednesday and Thursday doing all the chores necessary after a long trip – groceries, laundry, clearing spider webs. We saw half of our family and visited Babi. Some of you have asked about Jerry’s mom. Babi did reasonably well with us gone, she contacted us many days and we had conversations with her while driving through mountains, on top of mountains, hiking in the woods, walking beaches. Cell service is truly a miracle. She did have a number of falls from not using her walker but with no serious injury so far. Thankfully in her mind she thinks we were away “for a few days” and she usually thinks she has just arrived at the place she is at. We were happy that she was safe and secure and well looked after and that we could travel without repercussions to her health.

Since this is a slow week I thought I would post some things from the trip that did not get into the last blogs.

Outside of Calgary we had this wonderful experience with a Swainson’s Hawk and an Eastern Kingbird. The Kingbirds clearly had a nest near by and perhaps so did the Swainson’s as neither would leave the area. The Kingbird, showing the red/orange crown that is rarely seen attacked the Hawk over and over, landing on its neck and pecking it’s head again and again. The Hawk squawked loudly with each peck and tried flying further but the Kingbird pursued. They went around and around above us for a good 5 minutes or more and Jerry just kept snapping.

The Icefields Parkway should be on everyone’s bucket list and is still the most spectacular way to experience the Rockies. Here are some videos of the drive down the Icefields Parkway to Calgary that still do not adequately portray the true immensity of those mountains.

So we sit at 396 and there are still many species yet to see. We have now seen all 217 of the #1 ranked birds, the common species in Ontario, and we have seen all but 5 of the #2 ranked birds in Ontario. The 5 left are Black Vulture, Redpoll, White-winged Crossbill, Bohemian Waxwing and Dickcissel. I expect to see all of these but the Boreal species might have to wait until the winter months. I still have 14 species to see of #3 ranked birds with most of those being Eastern birds. Some of those we will likely miss because it will be late to see them in September. There are still 12 #4 ranked birds, birds that require a special trip to see or find in Ontario or out East. These #4 birds include the three Jaeger species, Sabine’s Gull, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Shearwaters and Boreal Owl. I also still hope to see some #5-6 ranked birds like the other two Ptarmigan species out East and any rarities that show up in Ontario. The potential is there for another 20-30 birds which sounds crazy to me.

We caught up with the rest of the family and friends over the weekend and will be ready to get back to birding next week. I’ll leave you with a video of our Dusky Grouse “Lifer” that did not make it into the blog last week.

Week 30 0 species added 396 E&J

Week 29 Alberta

by Ellen Horak | Jul 20, 2025 | Canada 400

Monday morning was rainy and after the excitement of getting the Ptarmigan we decided we deserved a sleep in and breakfast in our little log cabin at Becker’s Chalets. It is a lovely spot along the river and 5 minutes from Jasper. We had Elk feed on the lawn and Magpies and Crows come up to our doors. Coyotes are in the area but so far no bears.

Around 9 the rain seemed to stop so we headed out to Lake Annette in search of the two woodpeckers we still needed. We were just driving into the park when we heard and saw a Black-backed on a tree beside the road. Minutes later after starting our walk around the lake we heard tapping right beside us and as we walked around a couple of trees we had a fantastic view of 3 Black-backed Woodpeckers, an adult feeding two juveniles. We were thrilled to get great pics and video and spent many minutes watching them fly around us unconcerned with our closeness.

We continued on around the lake into the area where the fire had burned every tree and the work of the Woodpeckers flaking/stripping the bark of the trees was evident.

Unfortunately the rain started again and became heavy quite quickly. We ended up moving along the trail quickly and getting back to the car very wet. We opted to head back to our chalet and wait out the rain.

We headed back out to Lake Annette in the afternoon and walked the same areas again concentrating on the burned trees but after finding and hearing nothing we headed into a mixed area where some trees had damage and others had nothing. There was movement on a tree and Jerry saw two American Three-toed Woodpeckers (the other woodpeckers have 4 toes). We had our targets.

Rain started again shortly after so we called it a day and headed back to the hotel to pack up, catch up on photos and the blog. Tuesday we drove from Jasper to just past Calgary as there had been a report of a Clark’s Grebe at Frank Lake. I was hoping for another chance at this bird on the way home and here it was. We arrived at Frank Lake at 12:30 and I spent the next few hours scoping all the Western Grebes from the blind and the shorelines. I did find what looked like a Clark’s Grebe family, way out at the maximum zoom of the scope unfortunately. The face was very white and the black cap was indented where the eye was so it looked like a Clark’s. Jerry did his best with pictures but they were so far out all we have is a very blurry picture. I watched the group for 30 minutes or so hoping they would come closer or my scope would miraculously suddenly show them clearly. Because it is a rarity the sighting has to be confirmed by the volunteer reviewer for the Calgary area so I have to wait and see what they think but I have added it onto my list until I hear back. Others have also seen it and put in blurry photos. It would be #390 if it is accepted.

Clark’s Grebe – do you think this will be accepted as definitive?

As well as the Clark’s Grebe, we had great looks at Black-necked Stilts, Avocets, a Marbled Godwit, Sora’s and many gulls and shorebirds. We also heard our first Nelson’s Sparrow of the year.

As the afternoon faded we headed to Jerry’s cousin Lynda and Rob’s for a few days. We had a lovely dinner and then were back up on Wednesday morning to head to Weed Lake in hopes of a Stilt Sandpiper. We were in luck as one was feeding soon after we got there. We both had good scope looks and then it flew off before Jerry could snap a picture. We also managed to get quick looks and some distant pictures of a Baird’s Sandpiper. Just like that we had the sandpipers we needed. We then moved on to bird the other spots around Weed Lake and then the Interlake Slough. It was there that Jerry managed to get pictures of Stilt Sandpipers. It had been a very productive few days in Alberta!

We spent the afternoon with Judy, a friend from Ontario and then cooked up a great pasta dinner back at Lynda’s finishing the night with a few too many Black Sambuca’s.

Thursday’s forecast was for rain and rain it did, heavy most of the morning. We had hoped to bird with a couple of Calgarian birders we met at Pelee in May but settled for coffee with one of them instead. It was a delightful few hours discussing our favourite topic…birds! Late afternoon we did a quick run to Weed Lake as there had been reports of Hudsonian Godwit the previous evening but there was nothing new during the time we were there. Jerry took nice pictures of a Willet family.

We had a delicious meal at The Himalayan Restaurant in Calgary and then had a bit of a city tour courtesy of Lynda and Rob.

Friday morning was finally clear and sunny so we headed to Griffith Woods Park to see if we could find a Boreal Chickadee. In 2022 we heard a Boreal at this park but this time we hoped to see it and get pictures of course. Just when we got on the path I suggested we listen to the call to refresh our memory so Jerry played it and I walked about 3 steps and heard the same call! We were super happy! There was a group of three species of chickadees, Black-capped, Mountain and Boreal. They were working along the path, eating and moving quickly but we managed to see all three species and Jerry got some nice pictures of the Boreal Chickadee. Another bird for the list.

Feeling very satisfied with our numbers we headed back to meet up with a second cousin and spend our last evening in Calgary. No Sambuca though, we had to get up early!

Saturday we headed out early to Waterton National Park and I am so glad we did as it was packed by 11. We drove the Red Rock Parkway and hiked around the Red Rock Canyon all the while keeping an eye out for a Dusky Grouse. There have been many reports on ebird over the last few weeks of female grouse and their young on the parkway and along trails so I was hoping we would stumble across one.

We then headed back down the parkway and took the Akamina Parkway where it was a bit quieter away from the crowds. We drove almost to the end of that parkway. Our strategy was to drive slowly looking along the sides of the roads for a grouse shape and then pull off into the many pull-offs and use our bins to scan the grass or hills on either side for any movement. It was slow going and we were feeling discouraged. It was now after 1 and we had arrived at 8:45. I had booked the hotel for two nights planning for two days of searching like this. I drove a bit more and suddenly I saw it. I stopped suddenly and told Jerry to get his camera ready, the bird was on his side of the car standing just off the road but hidden by a shrub where I had stopped. When Jerry was ready I moved the car slowly forward hoping it would not flush and there was our LIFER DUSKY GROUSE! What an ending to our west trip! Jerry took pictures then I slowly backed up and he got out. Thankfully it was at a picnic spot so parking was right there. I quickly parked, grabbed my camera and got some nice video. The female had adorable young ones with her…

While we were enjoying the moment – high fives, smiles and hugs – other cars started stopping thinking we might be looking at bears LOL. They drove on quickly when we said it was a bird. Some people just don’t get the same thrill. Mom Grouse moved the young further away from us and so we headed back to the car and I saw a weird shape in the grass and there was another female with young tucked under her wing. We could barely see her as the grass was quite high but Jerry got some pics and then we headed back to the car and out of the park which by this time was almost bumper to bumper. Do not visit Waterton NP on the weekend!

With that last target completed we opted to cancel our room for Sunday night so we could start the long drive home to Ontario a day early. We knew we wanted to stop in Saskatchewan to see if any Hudsonian Godwits were at Reed or Chaplin Lakes. There had been reports over the last few days so there was a good chance they would be around. We left Pincher Creek at 5:20am and were at the Reed Lake observation tower at 10:00. That 110Km speed limit is a game changer and combined with few cars on the road on a Sunday morning we made good time.

We scoped the salt beach and saw a few Marbled Godwit but no Hudsonian. We quickly moved to the next spot, the road that runs down the side of Reed lake and we saw a larger group of Godwits. Jerry started taking pictures and I started scoping. We are pretty familiar with Marbled Godwit having seen many and at close distance but we have only seen Hudsonian a few times and they have been very distant views. Hudsonian is a bit smaller, the pattern on the back is darker and not as “marbled”. Most importantly the Hudsonian has a white-rump clearly visible in flight. Jerry focused on one he thought was smaller and darker and I waffled. You know me and my second-guessing. I thought it looked different than the others and it seemed to fit the criteria but I was nervous about leaving and finding out later it was not the bird. Then the bird decided to preen and lift its wings and show us a beautiful white rump. Jerry caught the moment on camera and so we had a picture of the white rump. A local birder arrived and we double-checked with him that our bird was a Hudsonian and he confirmed it. There were also Baird’s and Stilt Sandpipers so Jerry got some more pictures of them.

We continued to head east and stopped briefly at Chaplin Lake but there were few birds around compared to when we came through the first week in June. We headed on to Portage La Prairie and our hotel for the night. The plan is to be home late Tuesday and then we will no doubt have lots of visits, chores and errands to do this coming week so it is unlikely that much birding will happen. We finished our West Trip with our Canada list for the year at 396 species seen. What will bird 400 be?

Week 29 9 species added 396 Species Jerry and Ellen

Week 28 Mop-up and a Ptarmigan!

by Ellen Horak | Jul 13, 2025 | Canada 400

Monday we left Vancouver Island from Nanaimo after doing a last sea watch from Clover Point and McMicking Point. It was our last chance to add Heermann’s Gull or Tufted Puffin but it was not to be and so those species that I thought were pretty much a “slam dunk” will not be on our list. In hindsight, I should have planned to go to the top of Vancouver Island to Mount Waddington and taken a boat tour from there. There have been a few reports from there with many pelagic species being seen. I thought being in Tofino would be enough but it clearly was not. Next time we visit we must take the boat trips from Mount Waddington.

We got off the ferry at 3 and then faced afternoon rush hour through Vancouver which doubles any travel time. We had planned on chasing a third Black Phoebe here in BC after missing the previous two. Instead of an hour away, it was 2 hours and 20 minutes! We went anyway. Summer has finally arrived and the temperature was in the 30’s so at 5:30 when we arrived at Willband Creek Park is was still very hot, like 32C hot! And the path was mostly in full sun. We also still had a 3.5 hour drive to Kelowna after that. The Black Phoebe is a southern rarity that tends to show up in BC a few times a year. If you recall we chased the first one in February in running shoes and a foot of snow. The second one was only a week ago but the bird had not been seen for 3-4 days when we arrived on the Island. I was happy to have a third chance at adding this species but after an hour in the hot sun walking the paths and another birder walking the opposite way so we could cover more territory, we had to give up and “dip” on our THIRD Black Phoebe!! SIGH! We arrived in Kelowna at 10pm to spend the next few days trying to see or hear a Western Screech Owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, a Dusky Grouse and a Clark’s Grebe, all birds we missed on our first time through.

Tuesday morning we scoped out some spots we had been given for potential Screech Owls and we found some possible roost holes that might contain an owl. The plan was to return at dusk and see if we could hear one. We then headed up Beaver Lake Road again hoping to catch up with a Dusky Grouse or see a Northern Pygmy Owl. The problem we face is all of these birds are best seen in the early morning or evening and we can only be in one place first thing in the morning so we know our chances dwindle when we are out looking at noon time. Still we had to try. The drive along Beaver Lake and Dee Lake was nice, the temperature was cooler up in the mountains and we had some nice birding experiences with birds already on our list.

We used the hot afternoon to catch up on pictures, nap and cool down. We have been feasting on Okanagan cherries, fresh peas, and blueberries from the local fruit stands whenever we get the chance.

After a nice dinner at Mike’s Pub at the Ramada Inn we headed back to Sutherland Park at dusk. It was still 30C and we slowly walked around a few trails. Around 9:30 we headed back to the google map pin we had been given by a BC birder we met at the stakeout for the Acorn Woodpecker and I looked off the path and THERE WAS A SCREECH OWL on an open branch easy to see and identify by shape and size! Jerry saw it and then it flew off before he could get a pic. We were stunned! This Lifer had been a long time coming with many attempts and many locations. We stayed for a bit longer hoping it might fly back. Jerry made some squeaky noises like a mouse and suddenly the owl flew over our heads! We were beyond thrilled! We left after that so the owl could begin their hunt in peace. Many, many thanks to the BC birder!

Wednesday we were going to drive up to Salmon Arm for our second attempt at Clark’s Grebe but a forecast of heavy rain most of the day made us change our plans. It is difficult to scope in the rain. We would have to go on Thursday on our way to Kamloops. We headed back to the park instead to see if we could find the roost hole of the owl but despite careful searching of all the trees near the spot we could not find it. It might just be obscured by leaves or another branch or be on the back of a tree we cannot see from the trail. We then drove to West Kelowna and walked the road where the Flammulated Owls are, then checked out a mountain road but it would be too rough for our car to drive up, and finally ended up at Rose Regional Park hiking among the burned trees. It was a short hike as it started to rain and became quite heavy. We headed back to the hotel. Jerry did manage to get some nice pictures of some birds we saw at all the stops.

After dinner, ever the optimists, we went back to the “owl” park to see about getting a picture. We waited in the same area but no owl appeared by 9:35 and it was pretty dark for pictures so we started walking out and just out on the main path I saw a familiar shape on a branch just feet away. Jerry got his camera on it but the camera would not work as it was too dark. The owl was making this mewing/whinny kind of call so we assumed it was a juvenile maybe begging for food. Merlin did not pick up the call and my recording is very faint with all the traffic noise. Then while one was calling in the one tree another owl flew down past us. Jerry tried to adjust settings and get a pic of this second owl sitting close to us but again the camera just could not take the pic. We did not want to use flash as it can affect their eyes. We enjoyed the few moments with Western Screech Owls for the second night in a row and then headed back to our hotel. This cute California Quail entertained us before we found the Owl.

Thursday we left early so we would have the day at Salmon Arm to find a Clark’s Grebe.

There are hundred’s of Western Grebes on the lake but only a few Clark’s Grebe and the difference between them is subtle. The black cap on the Western extends below the eye and above on the Clark’s. The Clark’s also has an oranger bill.

The problem is that there are now hybrids which have some or a mix of the two. We arrived just after 7 and started scoping and looking at the three spots the Grebes tend to hang in. We changed spots, we scoped, we rested, we had moments of “yes I think that is it” and moments of “no just another hybrid”. Below are some pics of our hybrids.

Large bill on back bird suggests Clark’s but black cap under eye is Western as is front bird

By 3:30 we were tired, disappointed and had achy backs and necks. I had scoped through hundred’s of Grebes multiple times and I was pretty sure there was just no way we were finding a pure Clark’s. I joked about getting my boating license (and I HATE boats) for these situations in the future as it seemed like that would be the only way to find this bird. Back in 2022 we got out of our car and walked on the wharf and there was a Clark’s Grebe right off the pier. But this year it was just not around close enough for us to ID. Another bird that I had considered would be a “slam dunk”. A reminder once again that it is all just about timing and the birds don’t wait patiently for us to arrive. LOL There have been a few reports from Saskatchewan of a pair of Clark’s Grebes having young and so we will try and check that spot on our way home.

We headed to Kamloops where we hoped to add Chukar to our list. Chukar, a type of quail, are a naturalized species that is only countable in certain locations in Canada. In most locations, including Ontario, they would be considered a released/escaped bird as they are routinely kept by hunters and farmers. The Ebird definition is “Naturalized: Exotic population is self-sustaining, breeding in the wild, persisting for many years, and not maintained through ongoing releases (including vagrants from Naturalized populations). These count in official eBird totals and, where applicable, have been accepted by regional bird records committee(s).” Sun River Estates in Kamloops seems to have a pretty big population that is countable so we headed up into the hills, parked at the base of the cliffs behind the homes, walked a very short distance and saw a family of 8 Chukar at a distance down the road. So easy! It was nice after the frustration over the Grebe to get Chukar immediately. We drove around for a bit and saw a few more adults to get pictures and video.

Behind Sun River Estates – Chukar habitat

We had a nice encounter with Black-billed Magpies too.

Getting the Chukar so quickly meant we had a “free day” on Friday so I researched a few places to visit and we headed to Tunkwa Provincial Park. We still have not added Black-backed Woodpeckers and American Three-toed Woodpeckers to our list but these birds can be found in most provinces so I have not made them a priority yet. They are specialists in burned areas eating larvae that is deposited in newly burned trees. Tunkwa burned in 2021 and there are still a few reports of these woodpeckers being seen so we thought we would check it out. It is not easy to look for black woodpeckers that might be on black trees as you can see from the picture below of a Hairy Woodpecker. Despite careful looking and listening we did not turn up the ones we need.

Burned trees with bark stripped by woodpeckers

Saturday we moved up into the mountains, heading towards Jasper National Park and stopped at Valmount for our last night in British Columbia. We stopped and hiked at 3 different spots, the first one being North Thompson River Provincial Park. As soon as we got out of the car we heard a Hammond’s Flycatcher singing and Jerry rushed out to track it down. We still needed a picture. And he got it! The trails were pretty and the birds were singing so we spent some time there enjoying the forests and birds.

The next stop was a tourist spot, Triple Decker Falls, involving a trail down and of course a trail back up. It was a pretty spot but not too much bird life.

The third spot was in the town of Valemount and was a 6km loop around a marsh area called the Starratt Wildlife management Area. We know it is not likely that we are adding a new bird at this point but we are still very much enjoying getting out of our car and walking in the woods to enjoy the birds that are there.

We managed to walk almost 20,000 steps, 13.4 km with 28 flights of stairs and still checked into our hotel by 4. We had a quick shower and treated ourselves to the “best” restaurant in the small community where we finished 6 weeks of road tripping with a real steak for me and a tofu steak for Jerry. While not my usual home grilled filet mignon it was still yummy and the cheese bread and seafood chowder very tasty.

Caribou Grill – a perfect choice for our last night in BC

Sunday we drove to Jasper. Last year a fire decimated most of the community and many hectares of trees in the National Park.

We had booked tickets for the Skytram for Monday but heavy rain was forecast so we opted to get there early Sunday and change our booking. White-tailed Ptarmigan can be only found high in the mountains and the Skytram takes you up near the summit making it one of the “easier” ways to get this bird on your list. I was not keen on taking 8-9hr hikes on other mountains and most people seemed to get the bird off the Skytram with a 1-2 km walk in a few hours. We arrived at the top at 9:30 – took a few minutes to acclimate to the thinner air and then started the climb to the summit. It was about 10C some sun and cloud and we were prepared with extra layers, raincoats and gloves all that came in handy with the wind.

Once there was a neighbourhood and every home gone but the condos survived.

The Ptarmigan is white in the winter but in summer it is a mix of brown/white to blend with the rocks that have a black/green moss on them so it is difficult to see them if they are hunkered down. We checked with our bins every so many feet hoping to see some movement. We made it to the summit, we continued to look and I started looking at lots of black and white rocks. Eventually we started back down and stopped in a “meadow” area that I thought was promising. Still no Ptarmigan. We were now 3 hours in and I was getting a sense of dread. Some tears were shed on my part out of sheer frustration. Would we not get the White-tailed Ptarmigan? Eventually we headed back down to the Skytram building as we had missed our “trip down” and wanted to check with them about the latest trip of the day. Because of the fires last year there are not a lot of people visiting Jasper and that was working in our favour as we could go back down whenever we were ready with the latest trip down at 5:50. We discussed what we wanted to do. By this time we had already done 74 staircases and about 5km of walking in the thin air with only a granola bar and some water. I did not want to give up and have to come up another day. We agreed we would walk back up part way to the meadow area again. I felt strongly that the Ptarmigan would be in that area. The walk back up was grueling and it was starting to rain more. We finally made it to the meadow area, almost at the summit and headed off trail – off trail is not encouraged but also not banned and many people walk all over the top. We walked into an area we had already visited twice. We both were scanning with our bins and Jerry saw movement and then I saw movement. IT HAPPENED! WE HAD OUR WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN. I immediately lost where the bird was but saw movement over a bit and found a SECOND ONE! I cannot adequately express the relief and adrenaline of seeing this bird. We took multiple pictures and video. By now the rain was heavier and the clouds were moving in over the mountain but we did not care. We had the bird!

White-tailed Ptarmigan

Eventually we made our way back down to the building for the ride down. It rained harder and the clouds rolled in so we were soaked by the time we got back down. It took us 5 hours and 40 minutes, over 8 kms going over the area again and again and 104 staircases according to my pedometer.

We ended up only adding 1 mop-up species this week but getting the Chukar and White-tailed Ptarmigan meant the week ended on a very high note for us. At this point we are only 13 birds away from our goal and I know that it is totally doable with the birding plans we still have for the rest of the year. We still are checking out places for Dusky Grouse and listening for Pygmy Owls when we get the chance.

Week 28 3 species added 387 species J&E

Week 27 – Ucluelet and Tofino

by Ellen Horak | Jul 6, 2025 | Canada 400

After getting off the ferry in Victoria at 11:30pm and back to our hotel after midnight, we slept in on Monday. It was to be a bit of a non-birding day although we did plan on scoping the ocean at all our stops for possible gulls and seabirds. We drove up the west coast to Port Renfrew stopping along the way at some of the beaches and look-outs along the way. The trip is best told in pictures because the views are stunning!

Otter Point

French Beach

Jordan River

Afternoon snack!

Botanical Bay

We didn’t see any new birds but I was not really expecting to. We have only a few seabirds we are hoping to add here on the island and I suspect, and hope, they will be up in Ucluelet and Tofino. For now, we have a couple of days to “act like tourists”.

We headed back to Victoria for our last evening to do laundry and research, no fancy dinners for us. Yes, the mundane tasks have to be fit in somehow and since the hotel has a laundry for guests it made sense to get it done. I also have to start figuring out where we go after Tofino. I have 6 days with nothing booked so we can go back and try for birds we missed.

In the morning we had a leisurely stroll through Beacon Hill Park right across the street from The Helm’s Inn. It is the crowning jewel in Victoria’s park system and is 740,000 square meters of manicured gardens, footpaths, natural areas, sports fields and a children’s petting zoo. The “0 mile” for the 8,000 km Trans Canada highway is located at the most south-western point of the park.

After checking out of our hotel we headed north towards our next destination, Ucluelet. We had to stop at Cathedral Grove (Macmillan Park) to view the 800 year old Douglas Firs still standing in the park.There are many other trees that are over 300 years old. We had not been there since 2004 when we made our first trip out to BC.

Our next stop was Port Alberni where we had hoped to check gulls at the marina but the town was out celebrating Canada Day at the marina and park so there were few birds around. We did find a Harbour Seal giving us a “high five”.

The Liahona Guest House in Ucluelet was a bit of a splurge for us and we were happy we did. Nicely appointed and with a bonus little sauna that we were happy to use. We were in the bottom room closest to the sauna. You can see Jerry photo- bombing the picture.

Wednesday we were back to birding at 6am. I had picked Ucluelet to do sea watches at Amphitrite Point in the hopes of having a Sooty Shearwater, Heerman’s Gull or any rarer seabird fly past. The Point was a 5 minute drive from our room. The best time to do sea watches is early morning. If you remember lake watches from my last year’s blog, it is basically standing, waiting, scoping the water and sky for something moving. And then figuring out what that moving thing is. We stayed at the Point for almost 2 hours and practiced our skills in identifying flying birds without seeing anything different.

After a cup of tea back at our room we headed back out for a hike along the Wild Pacific Trail that runs along the edge of the ocean so that we could continue to watch for those seabirds we still need. The scenery was gorgeous with overlooks and rocky shorelines that are quintessential British Columbia. It is hard not to take pictures at every curve.

In the evening we headed back to the Point for another try at seabirds and thought for sure we had a Heerman’s Gull which has very dark wings, a white head and a red bill. We were busy congratulating ourselves and then Jerry looked at his pictures and it was just a regular Glaucous-winged Gull but the late sunlight caused it to look dark with a red bill. Another lesson learned to not trust the lighting and colours we see on the water. I think many people do. Without pictures we would have been convinced we had seen a Heerman’s.

Thursday morning when we were ready to leave at 6am there was a black bear out in the yard at the wetland in front of the property. It sauntered up the bank and gave us a look as Jerry took pictures and then moved away down the path beside the houses.

We headed back to the point where we were lucky to have a feeding frenzy of gulls close to the shore. We finally managed to see a Western Gull in that frenzy, a species that eluded us in February despite being more plentiful then. It had a lovely dark gray back, black wingtips and pure white head all suggestive that it was not a hybrid. We had good views with the scope but not great views for pictures. We spent 2 more hours scoping and had the company of Dylan, an Irish birder visiting from Hong Kong. Between the three of us, with two cameras and scope we worked our way through the various birds flying past and managed to identify most. Still waiting for a Shearwater or Heermann’s Gull.

After the morning sea watch we headed back for tea and encountered 3 more black bears in the wetland area beside our room. Jerry got some pictures again and I managed a very quick video as they left the area. After tea we set out to do some more hikes. This time we visited two lovely beaches that required a hike of 1.5km and a couple of hundred stairs to access each one. No wonder we had them almost to ourselves!

We have done a lot of hiking these past 10 days, my pedometer tells me that we have walked 65.2 km and climbed 161 flights of stairs. While hiking we are always hearing and seeing birds but they have been the same species in most places and there have been few opportunities for pictures.

On Friday morning we got up to do another sea watch but fog had moved in and there was low visibility at the Point.

Foggy morning at Amphitrite Point Lighthouse

We had to content ourselves with trying to find a Hutton’s Vireo for a picture and birding the inlet in front of our room. Short-billed Dowitchers and Sandpipers were there and close enough for good pictures.

We packed up the car and sadly left Liahona Guest House to head up to Tofino only 40 minutes away. When I did the planning for this trip I wanted to be in both of these locations to have the maximum chance of seeing seabirds but so far it is not panning out. We stopped along the way at beaches to scope and hike a bit and then spent the afternoon walking around Tofino like all the other tourists. We decided we really don’t do the tourist thing very well. We enjoyed a few galleries but the highlight was talking to a couple of guys from the Tribal Parks Allies that are present on the streets of Tofino and actively trying to get tourists to support local businesses that work with the Tla-o-qui-aht First nations to restore and protect the land and water by giving 1% of sales to the endeavour and to ask tourists to suggest to businesses not involved to get involved. It was a very interesting conversation.

Saturday morning we had the Cleland Bird Tour booked with the Whale Center and headed out in a small open boat that required us to wear flotation suits. I’m no longer nervous about boating but maybe that is because I take Gravol beforehand.

It was a perfect day weather wise with little wind, calm water and sunshine. Unfortunately, the birds I was hoping to get – Heermann’s Gull, Tufted Puffin and Cassin’s Auklet were no where to be found. It was disappointing for all the passengers. We did see lots of seabirds up close and Jerry managed to get some great shots despite being in a rocking boat. It was difficult even to view them with binoculars. We did have a very quick look at 2 Sooty Shearwaters another bird we hoped to see out here so at least we added a bird to the Canada List.

We also saw a Gray Whale spouting, Sea Otters and Steller Sea Lions and Seals.

When we got off the boat we headed to the only Vegan/Veg restaurant in town and had a breakfast/lunch while we regrouped and decided what to do. I checked my needs alert emails and the Acorn Woodpecker had been refound again at the same address in Victoria as last week. While we finished eating we discussed whether to try again for it or not. There was nothing to stay in Tofino for and so we ended up walking very quickly back to the hotel, canceling the rest of our Tofino stay (thank you Meares Vista Inn and booking.com) and heading down to Victoria 4 hours away. Once I got some cell signal I started calling hotels. Everything was booked. I started widening the circle and getting a bit worried that we would be sleeping in our car. I called Hotel Zed and they had one room left but it was $425 for Saturday night and $245 for Sunday night – I kept calling around to other places but there was just nothing available. We booked Hotel Zed and I commented how ridiculous it was that the price was almost double between the two nights for the same bed. When we checked in they had discounted the price $100 so Hotel Zed gets my “thumbs up” for places to stay and the rooms are super cool!

We stopped for the Acorn Woodpecker and two BC birders were there looking for it. Apparently it had been seen about 30 minutes before we got there so we waited and chatted a bit and suddenly, there was the BIRD! The disappointment of missing the birds in the morning and the stress of the chase and finding a room was gone in that instant as we viewed this fantastic looking Woodpecker. This is a great bird to have on our Canada year list and our Canada Life list.

Acorn Woodpecker

Now that we were back in Victoria we had some chances at other birds again. Northern Pygmy Owl had been reported up in the highlands just outside Victoria so we took a drive up at dusk and drove some of the areas and roads hoping we might hear the “toot”calls. It is not the best time of year for owls to call so we are know it is a long shot at this point but still, we are here, and might as well try.

Sunday morning we were up and out by 6:30 and at Clover Point hoping to get a Tufted Puffin that was seen a few days back or a Heerman’s Gull. The gulls are now, officially, late to arrive in the area but I am sure there will be large numbers next week when I am in Kelowna and Kamloops. Such is the birding life. We checked Clover Point, McMicking Point and then Cattle Point and nothing despite scoping through about 1,000 Rhino Auklets and hundreds of Gulls. We then checked all the small beach accesses along the coast. We then headed back to the hotel for tea, snacks and to catch up on pictures and blog. We will have one more chance to do a sea watch in the morning before we take the ferry back to the mainland and our last week in British Columbia.

Week 27 3 species added 384 species E&J

Week 25 Now it gets HARD!

by Ellen Horak | Jun 22, 2025 | Canada 400

Last week was the honeymoon week of sitting around drinking Margaritas and adding birds as they flew about my brother’s backyard. This week we start to work on the 4th ranked birds – the tougher ones, the ones that require effort, sometimes lots of effort. We left Monday morning for Kelowna and stopped at a few spots along the way with clear objectives. First up was a Sage Thrasher, one of the rarest birds in Canada. We have seen them in Arizona but never in Canada. Their habitat is sagebrush so they are restricted to those areas and can be found in the White Lake area of the Okanagan. There is a vast area of sagebrush put aside for this endangered species with a very small population, between 7-36 individuals. It was the proverbial “looking for a needle in a haystack”. I knew the odds were low but you miss getting 100% of the birds you do not try for. BC birders on Discord had given me some suggestions of where to go and so we arrived at the trailhead around 8am. It was already hot. For some reason, despite seeing lots of sagebrush to our left we took the trail to our right and starting climbing into the hills passing a few ponds along the way. It clearly was not Sage Thrasher territory and I was annoyed second-guessing myself and what we should be putting our time into. After about 30 minutes I insisted we turn back and headed left from the trailhead towards the fields of sagebrush. We started hearing sparrows and saw Say’s Phoebe’s, good indicators we were in the right area.

Still, I was discouraged with the heat and the lack of seeing anything new so I was busy composing this blog, in my head, about the difficulty in getting these 4th ranked birds and how I expect not to get many of them…and then right at my feet a SAGE THRASHER flushed up, over the fence and landed in a small shrub allowing us to both see it and for Jerry to GET PICTURES! Euphoria!! Excitement! We got the SAGE THRASHER! When it flew back deeper in the sagebrush we watched it for a bit and then when it disappeared we slowly started the walk out and within a few minutes we heard another Sage Thrasher singing up in the hill. I really did not think I would get that bird let alone two!

Next we stopped at a few known spots for owls or swifts or just good birds. Max Lake in Penticton was quiet but by then it was mid-day and not the best birding time. Next we stopped at Okanagan Lake PP and walked the campground checking trees for roosting owls. A report of a Pygmy Owl from the previous day had peaked my interest. I did see an owl but it was a juvenile Great Horned Owl. Four hours after we were there someone in that campground saw 3 Western Screech Owl juveniles! So close! We were right there! So frustrating!

We continued onto Kelowna but made a quick stop at Hardy Falls in Peachland. This is a favourite spot of ours after being out on hot trails. The trail is shaded and cool with a waterfall at the end. American Dippers are frequently seen there but we did not see one.

After checking into our hotel and having dinner at the hotel pub we headed to west Kelowna and Rose Valley Regional Park. This area was hit by fire last year and we were sad to see the devastation of barren hills and burned trees. Greenery underneath is starting to come back but it is not the lush forested park we remember from 2022. They have started restoration and will be replanting in the next few years but the work needed is massive.

We were searching for Black-backed and American 3-Toed Woodpeckers among the burnt trees. These are specialists that arrive in burn areas after fires and specifically target beetle larvae that is laid in trees that are burned. They also find it easier to nest in burnt trees. I thought that it would be a slam-dunk to get both these species at this new extensive burn but it turns out there are not very many at this site and our attempts did not turn up any. The salvage logging that is taking place probably has an impact on just how many have arrived and stayed in the area.

At dusk we headed for Reservoir Road, a known site for hearing and sometimes seeing Flammulated Owl. In 2022 we were lucky enough to be shown its nesting hole and saw it go in and out on two nights. We stood around the area where that nest was and where there are many trees with nest holes and waited, and waited. We always arrive too early thinking it will be dark by 9:30 but dusk stretches towards 10pm and Veery’s and Towhees continued to call incessantly until it was very dark. We heard just Nighthawks and Common Poorwills. No owls. I was disappointed, discouraged, but I know these birds require work and perseverance. We will have to move further up the path and try again on Tuesday night.

Tuesday morning we were up before 5:30 despite the late night from owling. Our target was Dusky Grouse, a lifer for us if we ever manage to see one. It is becoming a bit of a nemesis bird for us. We have tried for it whenever we come out to BC but it has eluded us. We headed up Beaver Lake Road into the mountains on what is one of the better mountain roads we have been on. Lots of pull-offs, smooth gravel. It was enjoyable rather than stressful. We pulled over often as we heard and saw birds. We managed to add Townsend’s Warbler to our list and Jerry even got pictures of it on our 3 or 4th stop for them. He finally got pictures of MacGillivray Warbler, Cassin’s Finch and we saw some Canada Jays and got pictures of those. Sadly, no Dusky Grouse although a bird flushed from the road at one point and it looked pretty gray but it disappeared into the shrubs not to be seen again.

We continued to our next target, Clark’s Grebe at Salmon Arm, the most reliable place to find one in BC. We set ourselves up on the wharf and scoped, and scoped. Carefully looking at every Western Grebe for the one that looks a bit different, paler, no black around the eye, orange/yellow bill instead of green/yellow. If the birds are close it is easy but when they are waaaay out with some water shimmer, it is a daunting process. We kept at it for over an hour, took a break and then went back at it for another hour. The wharf moves slightly and as I scoped in the heat I started to feel slightly seasick. A headache started. I was sure I had the Clark’s and compared it with a nearby Western. Jerry weighed in. We looked again and again in between it’s diving. The problem is there are also hybrid’s of both species so we needed to make sure we had a full on Clark’s Grebe. At one point we were sure and going to add it but when we talked more, looked at pictures both of us could not, in good conscience, add it to the list because we both felt there was still doubt. I was disappointed to miss this 4th ranked bird when we have always been successful at getting it on our trips out here. I had kind of put it down as an absolute even though it is a 4th ranked bird. Sigh! you cannot get them all. I will be lucky to get 50% of the 4th ranked birds in BC. I consoled myself that there is still lots of time. There is a Clark’s Grebe that has been hanging at a reservoir in Alberta so I might be able to get it on the way home or we might be passing through Salmon Arm again on our way to Jasper. It is not over yet.

Late afternoon we headed back to our hotel and had a pizza on the way. Some down time at the hotel refreshed us and we headed off for another night of owling. This time we met more people on the path, from Ontario too, and we discussed strategy and information. They had heard two Flammulated Owls in the area on Saturday so that made us feel better that we were in the “right” spot. We only arrived after 9pm this time and were determined to stay until after 10. It was much windier making it more difficult to hear but we stayed until after 10 and heard nothing. Two nights dipping on the owls. Bigger sigh!

These are the times when I have to remind myself that I have a cushion of rarities specifically for this scenario where I miss species. I am pretty sure I will hit the target of 400 so if I miss a few, I miss a few. Still, it hurts.

Wednesday we slept in till 6 and headed off to Black Mountain for a hike to try again for Dusky Grouse, Townsend’s Solitaire and Steller’s Jay. It was a beautiful trail, rocky in spots but lots of birds and opportunities for more and better pictures for Jerry.

Half-way through I saw a bird fly towards a dead tree and I registered the colouring was different. When it landed I got on it with my bins and Jerry got his camera on it. Townsend’s Solitaire! Still an expected species but at least we added a bird. We had a number of Ruffed Grouse on the hike but not a Dusky. One out of three targets is something, I guess.

We opted to spend the hot hours back at the hotel catching up on pictures and blogs and went for an early dinner and then back out to see if we could catch up with some Vaux’s Swifts. These swifts are similar to our Chimney Swifts and there are numerous reports of them throughout BC but they are not generally in the same places so to see them we just keep checking locations where they have been seen more consistently but so far we have not found them. There is a chimney in Courtney on the Island that is a frequent spot but I am hoping not to have to make the drive for them. After dipping (missing) on the Swifts we headed back to Reservoir Road for our third attempt at the Flammulated Owl. We walked further up the road than the previous nights listening intently for any hooting. We saw a couple of people standing up the hill in the dark and knew they would be birders, and it turned out we knew them from Ontario. Jeremy, being one of them, had done a Big Ontario Year a few years back! There are a lot of Ontario birders visiting western Canada this year, likely because most of us don’t want to travel to the US. Jeremy had heard one owl a bit before we got there but at quite a distance. We listened for a bit longer and then started walking down towards what we think is the nesting area. When we got close to the area we had a very small owl flush from the brush and go up to a hole at the back of a tree. We had our Owl! Whew!!! We waited a bit longer to see if there would be any noise from them but it was quiet. It is likely nesting time where they tend to be much quieter and in a few weeks once they start feeding there will be more interaction between the two adults.

The Owl we saw in 2022 at the same spot.

Thursday morning we headed back to Okanagan Lake Provincial Park to search for those Screech nestlings that had been reported. We knew they were likely roosting in one of the many maples in the park and we decided we would check them all. LOL! We spent 3 hours and walked 3 kms covering as much of the park and campgrounds as possible. We asked people and got some information about past nest holes but we were not successful at finding them. We really need to be at some of these spots at night so we can hear them. The problem is we are not scheduled to be there. I have to make some plans to set this up so we get this lifer. We did add Steller’s Jay and got great views of Lewis’s Woodpecker and Clark’s Nutcracker so it was well worth the stop.

We moved on to Manning Park where a few of our species needed had been reported and walked some of the trails. We heard the deep whoop-whoop-whoop of a Sooty Grouse. We hoped that we would see one but for now it gets added to the list based on that distant call. These additions are always a tad disappointing as we would love to have fantastic interactions with every bird we see but the reality is many interactions are very brief or only heard. At the end of the trail I heard a different call that made me look up quickly, Jerry saw the bird fly up and away and Merlin recorded a Red-breasted Sapsucker. Another bird for the list and another disappointing encounter. We will see many more of these in Vancouver for picture opportunities.

We headed back to Grand Forks for 4 days of rest and family time before we head to Vancouver and the Island. We added 7 birds on this 4 day trip and missed three 4th ranked birds plus the Swift. I have a list of 114 birds to get in BC and we have seen 76 between this trip and the February trip. Vancouver and the Island should yield quite a few more. Time to regroup, research for next week’s trip and make some decisions about trying for the birds we have missed. I left a window of 4 days after our time on the Island to go back for anything we haven’t documented so I’ll look at that over the weekend too.

Our last trip out in 2022 we encountered bears at every turn it seemed and this year we have not seen any until Manning Park where there was one quite a ways down the road we were walking on. We opted to turn around and head back to our car. Back in Grand Forks Friday morning we had two bears behind the property. My brother has the area around the house and buildings all fenced and gated and they have Athena, the “bear” dog that alerts us to anything outside the perimeter. These bears are always around so any walks outside of the fenced area we carry air horns. Athena used to accompany us but she has a bad leg now and cannot manage the walks anymore.

We took another hike on Sunday, heading to the summit of Saddle Peak and spending some time below at Saddle Lake. We saw a Virginia Rail in the bulrushes and Jerry got pictures of it. I took a video of the very loud Yellow-headed Blackbirds.

Tomorrow we will try for Swifts close by and then Tuesday we head to Vancouver and then the Island. More birds coming…

Week 25 7 species added 373 E&J

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