Canada

Day 1

FLY LONDON TO CALGARY

Our holiday begins with a daytime flight to Calgary where, on arrival, we will meet up with Limosa guide Chris Charlesworth. Depending on flight times, we may stop for some birding enroute to our hotel in Calgary. Night in Calgary

Day 2

FRANK LAKE

We will start the first full day of our Canadian holiday by heading south of Calgary to Frank Lake, which is an extensive wetland complex rich in birdlife and our bird list could very well top the hundred species mark by the end of the day.

Along the way, we will watch telephone poles for Swainson’s Hawks and Osprey, while we should also see our first Black-billed Magpies and Red-winged Blackbirds of the trip.

Once at Frank Lake, there will be plenty of birds to look for with Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Marsh Wrens, Song Sparrows, and Sora in the reeds, whilst along the shore, we can expect to find various waders including Willet, Black-necked Stilt, American Avocet and Marbled Godwit. Wilson’s Phalaropes, California Gull and Forster’s Terns are likely and Frank Lake is also one of the few places in Canada where White-faced Ibis breed.

Good numbers of Franklin’s Gulls nest here and we may also see Black-crowned Night-Heron, Double-crested Cormorants and American White Pelican.

Out on the lake itself, there should be Western and Black-necked Grebes and a variety of ducks including Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Green-winged, Blue-winged and Cinnamon Teal. We should see our first Tree and Cliff Swallows flying over the water, two species that we are likely to encounter most days throughout the holiday.

In the fields surrounding the lake, we should see Horned Lark, Clay-coloured, Savannah and Vesper Sparrows, Brewer’s Blackbird and Killdeer and in nearby grasslands, we will listen for the rich fluting song of Western Meadowlarks and look for Northern Harriers quartering in search of a meal.

A good selection of mammals are also possible with White-tailed Jackrabbit, Richardson’s Ground-Squirrel, Pronghorn Antelope and Muskrat amongst those we will hope to find.

By mid-afternoon, we will begin the two-hour drive to Brooks. Night in Brooks

Day 3

BROOKS AND NEWELL LAKE

After breakfast, we will drive a little to the east of Brooks where we will aim to find the extremely handsome but declining Chestnut-collared Longspur. Like the longspur, Sprague’s Pipit is also classified as ‘Vulnerable’ by Birdlife International and this is another of our target species for the morning.

Other possibilities in the area include Ferruginous Hawk, Loggerhead Shrike, Baird’s Sparrow and Baltimore Oriole.

We plan to then visit Lake Newell where we hope to find Least Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Brown Thrasher, Downy Woodpecker and much more.

In the late afternoon, we will return to Calgary where we spend the night. Night in Calgary

Day 4

FOOTHILLS REGION

Today, we intend to explore the foothills region, an area between the prairie and the Rocky Mountains where a variety of birds of an ‘eastern’ North American flavour can be found. During our explorations, we will search for Tennessee Warbler, Cape May Warbler, American Redstart, Blue-headed Vireo, Eastern Phoebe, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Blue Jay, Swamp, Nelson’s and LeConte’s Sparrows and more.

If we are fortunate, we may even see Great Grey Owl today. Night in Canmore

Day 5

BANFF NATIONAL PARK

Set against a backdrop of high snowy peaks, our birding around Banff promises to be spectacular and we have a full day to explore the famous Banff National Park.

Pristine coniferous forests are the breeding grounds of birds such as Lincoln’s Sparrow, Pine Siskin and Mountain and Boreal Chickadees and we can also expect to see an impressive range of North America’s colourful warblers with Townsend’s, Audubon’s, Wilson’s, Tennessee, MacGillivray’s, Orange-crowned, Yellow and Blackpoll all possible.

Chris will also be able to assist with the tricky identification of some of the flycatchers including separating Willow Flycatcher from the look-alike Alder Flycatcher, with another possibility being Western Flycatcher.

Amongst the sites we plan to visit is a trail at Johnston Canyon where we should see American Dipper, American Three-toed Woodpecker and Canada Jay. Here, we should also find the exquisite Calypso Orchid, although inquisitive Golden-mantled Squirrels are sure to find us!

During the day, we may also visit one or more wetlands where there are chances to find nesting Ospreys and Bald Eagles, Great Northern Divers and Trumpeter Swans, whilst deeper lakes are where two of North America’s most desirable ducks, Barrow’s Goldeneye and the immaculate Harlequin, can be found.

If the weather is fine, there will be spectacular views of the Rocky Mountains and some of the beautiful lakes in the area.

During the day, we should also see a good range of mammals with Black and Grizzly Bears, Elk, Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, Golden-mantled Ground-Squirrel and Beaver all possible. Second night in Canmore

Day 6

BANFF NATIONAL PARK

We will start the day with some more birding in Banff, where we plan on visiting the Cave and Basin Trail. This is a great area to see birds like Townsend’s and MacGillivray’s Warblers, Song Sparrow, Willow Flycatcher, Rufous Hummingbird, Swainson’s Thrush and waterbirds such as Virginia Rail, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, American Coot and Pied-billed Grebe.

We will then head west westwards from Banff into British Columbia. Our journey along the Trans-Canada Highway will take us through Banff, Yoho, Glacier and Revelstoke National Park and unquestionably boasts some of the most spectacular scenery in all of North America. We will make stops along the way simply to enjoy the views but will also pause to look for birds and other wildlife, especially any bears, which we happen to spot.

In the Rogers Pass, we will keep an eye open for birds such as Steller’s Jay, Varied Thrush and Black Swift. A short stop at Beaver Valley is often great for birding and we may see Magnolia Warbler, Hammond’s Flycatcher, Fox Sparrow and Golden-crowned Kinglet to name a few.

As we continue on through the mountains, we are likely to pause at the Skunk Cabbage Trail near Revelstoke. Despite its name, the Skunk Cabbage is actually a wonderful plant with its brilliant yellow spathes brightening Canada's marshes in spring. With luck, they will be past their smelly ‘best’ by the time we arrive to explore the boardwalk through the reserve’s alder and willow woodland.

Here, we could see Grey Catbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Veery, American Redstart, MacGillivray’s Warbler, Northern Waterthrush and Vaux’s Swift and will also listen out for the elusive Veery, a small thrush which is likely to be singing from deep in the scrub.

We plan to arrive in Salmon Arm in the late afternoon, where we spend the night. Night Salmon Arm

Day 7

SALMON ARM AND SHUSWAP LAKE

We will start the day by heading to the waterfront at Salmon Arm, where we begin our exploration of the varied mosaic of habitats by the lovely lakeshore.

This is a fantastic place to watch Western Grebes and to scan through them for the much rarer Clark’s Grebe which have paler flanks and more richly coloured bills. We may well encounter our first Wood Ducks here and a variety of other waterfowl should be present with American Wigeon and Redhead amongst the possibilities, alongside nesting Ospreys and Bald Eagles. Along the shore, there should be Great Blue Herons, and we will also keep an eye out for Belted Kingfishers.

The marshy fringes can be alive with noisy Brewer’s, Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbirds whilst more furtive Marsh Wrens and Common Yellowthroats are also present but with all those distracting 'blackbirds', these are easily overlooked! Virginia Rails and Soras are often calling from deep within the reedbeds and we will hope to lure one out.

We will then head to Shuswap Lake and walk the trail to Christmas Island where we will look for species such as Lazuli Bunting, Western Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Downy Woodpecker, Grey Catbird, Eastern Kingbird, Tree Swallow, American Goldfinch and others.

The island is host to a colony of nesting Ring-billed Gulls, but other gulls are often present including American Herring, California and Glaucous-winged. If the sun is out the trail can be alive with butterflies, including various swallowtails, fritillaries, Lorquin’s Admiral and Mourning Cloak to name a few species.

Later on in the afternoon, we will drive to Kelowna where we spend the night.Night Kelowna

Day 8

OKANAGAN VALLEY AND BIG WHITE SKI VILLAGE

Surrounding Kelowna is a patchwork of beautiful mixed forests and lakes that are home to some of Western North America’s most sought-after specialities. We have the whole day to explore this interesting area and after breakfast, we will drive into the forested hills high above the town for what should be the start of another exciting day!

On the lower slopes, we may find Calliope Hummingbird, which is North America’s smallest bird, along with the skulking Northern Waterthrush (which has a decidedly Chaffinch-like song), Dusky Flycatcher, Northern Rough-winged Swallow and the gorgeous Western Tanager.

If we are fortunate, we may locate a roosting Western Screech-Owl and other birds to watch for include Pygmy Nuthatch, California Quail and both Western and Mountain Bluebirds.

As we climb higher in elevation into the boreal forests, we can start to look for species such as Two-barred Crossbill, Boreal Chickadee, Spruce Grouse, Canada Jay, Brown Creeper, Northern Pygmy-Owl. Higher still, we may find parties of Grey Jays, as well as one of the ‘most wanted’ specialities in these woods, the gorgeous Varied Thrush, and we will certainly hope to find a male with his fine black and orange plumage.

Nearby, we are likely to hear noisy gatherings of Steller’s Jays, although it is often them that manage to ‘find’ us. These wonderful woodlands are also home to the Slate-coloured Fox Sparrow, both Hermit and Swainson’s Thrushes and, if we are lucky, the elusive Pine Grosbeak. The latter is seldom an easy bird to find, however, it is sometimes quite numerous here.

We will also aim to explore any patches of burnt forest as woodpeckers, especially Hairy, American Three-toed and Black-backed, find these particularly attractive. Townsend’s Solitaire also frequents these blackened forests, with its song drifting through the stark, charred skeletons of the trees.

At Big White Ski Village, we will check the feeders for birds such as Mountain Chickadee, Steller’s Jay and White-crowned Sparrow and are also likely to find Cliff Swallows, alongside the more familiar Barn Swallow, as both species nest in the village.

The day could also be a good one for mammals with Black Bear, Mule and White-tailed Deer, Yellow-bellied Marmot, Yellow Pine Chipmunk, Red Squirrel and Columbian Ground-Squirrel all possible.

At dusk, we plan to go out to look for nocturnal wildlife, with one of the star attractions being the elusive Flammulated Owl. As he lives in the area, Chris usually knows where is best to look for this species and we will hope to repeat past successes and get some fantastic views of this tricky resident of Canada's western forests.

With the possibility of also finding Western Screech-Owl, Common Poorwill and Common Nighthawk, this should be a fantastic end to a great day. Second night in Kelowna

Day 9

OKANAGAN VALLEY AND WHITE LAKE

Our explorations of the Okanagan Valley continue this morning and as we head south towards Penticton, we are likely to stop at Hardy Falls. Here, in the cool confines of the canyon, we will search the creek for American Dippers, whilst in the creekside vegetation, there should be Veery, Western Flycatcher, Steller’s Jay, Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-eyed Vireo, Spotted Towhee and much more.

The next place we plan to explore is White Lake and if we haven’t seen Calliope Hummingbird yet, there are places to look for this tiny species along the way. Amongst the sagebrush at the lake, we can expect to find birds like Western Meadowlark, Brewer’s, Lark and Clay-coloured Sparrows, the rare and local Sage Thrasher, Mountain and Western Bluebirds, Lazuli Bunting and Western Kingbird.

We will also look for Grey Flycatcher and other pine forest birds including Cassin’s Finch, Western Tanager, Nashville Warbler and Western Wood-Pewee near Mahoney Lake, before descending to Okanagan Falls for lunch where the river cascades through extensive mixed woodlands.

Heading into the mountains east of Okanagan Falls, our next goal will be to find one of the rarer and more sought-after woodpeckers of the region, Williamson’s Sapsucker, which generally frequents old trees surrounding secluded glades. There can be other woodpeckers in this area as well, such as Hairy, American Three-toed and Pileated.

We also sometimes find a roosting Barred Owl and will be on the lookout for mammals such as Mule and White-tailed Deer, Yellow Pine Chipmunk, Yellow-bellied Marmot and Black Bear.

Back down in the valley, we plan to check out Vaseux Lake, where the cliffs are home to birds like Canyon Wren, Rock Wren, Golden Eagle and White-throated Swift, with Trumpeter Swans sometimes summering here, before we continue on to Osoyoos. Night in Osoyoos

Day 10

OSOYOOS LAKE AND MCKINNEY ROAD

We will begin our day in fields near the north end of Osoyoos Lake with a search for the attractive Bobolink. In the dykes along the river channel, we will watch out for Yellow-breasted Chat, Bewick’s Wren, Least Flycatcher, Bullock’s Oriole, Belted Kingfisher and much more.

Next up is likely to be a walk to ‘The Throne’, a rocky mountain that resembles a large throne where, once again, the scenery is simply stunning. There are a good variety of birds to look for here and those we could find include Canyon and Rock Wrens, Golden Eagle, White-throated Swift, Say’s Phoebe and the introduced Chukar.

We plan to have lunch in Oliver and then head east of town along the McKinney Road, where we will stop and look for Black-chinned Hummingbird. If we have not yet seen Grey Flycatcher, we can also try for this species.

Further up in a burned forest, we can look for more uncommon woodpeckers including Black-backed and if we haven’t yet seen the attractive Lewis’s Woodpecker, this is another possibility.

After an afternoon break, we plan to have an early dinner and then head back out at dusk for an optional excursion to look for owls and other nocturnal wildlife. Whilst night-birding is always unpredictable, over previous visits here we have found Great Horned, Long-eared, Western Screech and Barn Owls. Second night in Osoyoos

Day 11

RICHTER PASS, MANNING PASS AND FRASER VALLEY

Today, we plan to drive from Osoyoos to Vancouver and our first stop is likely to be at the Richter Pass where we have another chance for sagebrush birds such as Sage Thrasher and Brewer’s and Lark Sparrows. We will then stop near the town of Princeton to look for Mountain Goats, if we haven’t seen any yet.

We will continue on to Manning Park where we will have lunch. There are often Steller’s Jays, Common Ravens and Clark’s Nutcrackers looking for scraps, as well as cheeky Columbian Ground-Squirrels.

We should have time for a short walk at Manning Park. The cool hills here are a pleasant place to break our journey and we may have our best looks at Rufous Hummingbirds as they zip about the feeders. When seen well, this really is a spectacular little bird!

Other species to watch for include American Three-toed Woodpecker, Canada Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, and if we are super lucky, Sooty Grouse. We may well also be pestered by the resident Clark’s Nutcrackers that want to share any food we have and will also be on the lookout for Black Bears as this is another good area to spot them.

We then carry on through the Fraser Valley to Richmond, where we spend the night. Night in Richmond

Day 12

LIGHTHOUSE PARK AND CYPRESS MOUNTAIN

Birding along Canada’s Pacific shore offers a superb contrast to the mountains and we will aim to round off our tour with a wealth of exciting coastal species.

We will start the morning by heading through the bustling city of Vancouver, across the Lions Gate Bridge to the North Shore for a walk at Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver. This is a quiet spot set in a pleasant neighbourhood and we will be birding amidst British Columbia’s ‘temperate rainforest’, with its dense groves of Western Hemlocks and Western Red Cedars which are draped in lichens and mosses. This is one of the most threatened habitats in all of North America, however, it is also rich in birds.

Amongst the towering trees, we hope to find species such as Hutton’s Vireo, Black-throated Grey Warbler, Pacific Wren, Brown Creeper, Varied Thrush, Anna’s Hummingbird. Sometimes, we can see Pileated Woodpecker or Red-breasted Sapsucker, and occasionally we find a Barred Owl here too. With a little luck, we should see yet another squirrel species, the Douglas’s Squirrel.

The treetops are home to Olive-sided Flycatchers and we are sure to hear their ‘quick, three beers’ song but actually seeing one when it is one hundred metres above our heads in the dense forest canopy, may prove taxing and it can quite literally be “a pain in the neck”!

We plan to have lunch on the beach at Ambleside Park where we should find Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorants, Glaucous-winged Gull, Harlequin Duck, Surf Scoter and the occasional Pigeon Guillemot. We might even be fortunate to spot the strange Marbled Murrelet, a seabird that, bizarrely, nests high in the treetops deep within Vancouver’s old-growth forests, a fact which was only discovered as recently as 1974!

After lunch, we will head up to Cypress Mountain, where a walk along the cross-country ski trails should yield the lovely Red-breasted Sapsucker, as well as other birds including Varied Thrush, Canada Jay, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Olive-sided Flycatcher and perhaps Band-tailed Pigeon. Second night in Richmond

Day 13

TSAWWASSEN FERRY JETTY AND GOERGE C.RIEFEL BIRD SANCTUARY

It is Canada Day and we will kick off our celebrations by visiting the Tsawwassen Ferry Jetty, south of Richmond.

At low tide, the extensive mud flats at Tsawwassen hold huge numbers of Great Blue Herons and we could also find new species for our holiday such as American Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone or possibly Surfbird, as well as Caspian Tern and Brent Goose.

As we scan the sea, we will hope to find flocks of summering Surf and White-winged Scoters and Harlequin Ducks and may get lucky and spot a Pacific Diver or a distant party of Rhinoceros Auklets flying by.

Groups of Pelagic and Double-crested Cormorants sometimes conceal a stray Brandt’s Cormorant, a scarce bird here being at the northern limit of its range.

We will then spend the rest of the morning exploring the George C. Reifel Bird Sanctuary in Ladner and if we haven’t seen Sandhill Cranes yet, this is a good place to find them.

Waterfowl can be abundant at this reserve and although most will be Mallards, there should be other species mixed in as well, such as Wood Duck, American Wigeon and Ring-necked Duck.

Some years, there are already a few returning shorebirds such as Western Sandpiper, Long-billed Dowitcher and Greater Yellowlegs, whilst marsh birds like Marsh Wren, Virginia Rail, Pied-billed Grebe and Common Yellowthroat are usually fairly easy to find. We will also be on the lookout for Bushtit, small, social tits, whose behaviour resembles Long-tailed Tits from home.

Reifel is a good place to find raptors such as Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Harrier, Peregrine Falcon and with luck, we could spot a roosting Great Horned Owl. We will also visit our final set of hummingbird feeders of the tour and those at the park entrance are often good for Anna’s and Rufous Hummingbirds.

We will have a late lunch, and after some final birding, the tour will conclude at the Vancouver International Airport where we will say farewell to Chris before an overnight flight back to the UK.

Day 14

ARRIVAL IN THE UK

Arrival in the UK where our birds and wildlife tour to the spectacular Canadian Rockies concludes.

WHAT TO EXPECT
Canada’s sublime Rocky Mountains have a majesty all their own. Join our resident Canadian expert Chris Charlesworth in our quest for Lewis’s Woodpecker, Townsend’s Solitaire, Varied Thrush, American Black Bear and so much more, as we cross from Calgary in the east to Vancouver on the Pacific shore in one exhilarating 14-day birdwatching tour to Canada!

Canada's weather is changeable. The Canadian summer is typically short, warm and showery, cooler with altitude. Some rainfall is likely on this tour. At the time of our holiday, average temperatures in Vancouver are in the range of 11-21°C (52-70F).

You should be prepared for a range of climatic types as this tour crosses a broad range of habitats and altitudes, from edge of prairie, through arid sage-brush country that lies in the rainshadow of the mountains, to cool montane pine forest in the Rockies and moist temperate rainforests along the Pacific coast.

Good incidental photo opportunities, and birds can sometimes seem much tamer in North America. The landscape throughout much of this tour is superb and offers the chance for some great scenic shots.

BIRDS
180-220 species

MAMMALS
15-25 species

ACCOMMODATION
Twelve nights accommodation in Canada, staying at comfortable hotels of good North American standard. All rooms have private facilities.

MEALS
All main meals are included in the tour price, commencing with either dinner on arrival in Calgary on Day 1 or breakfast there on Day 2 (meal plan is dependent on flight schedules and our arrival time at the hotel), and concluding with lunch near Vancouver on Day 13.

Food is good, varied and plentiful in North America. Continental-style buffet breakfasts are the norm at most hotels. Lunches will usually be picnics. As is the case across North America, evening meals will often be taken at local restaurants since many hotels lack in-house restaurant facilities.

Our tour price also includes the expected 15-20% gratuity for all meals in North America.

WALKING
Whilst the Canadian Prairies are famously flat, the Rocky Mountains are not! Nonetheless, predominantly easy walking on this tour, always at a gentle pace and generally along well-marked trails and boardwalks. The ground can be stony underfoot at times and we may do some walking on rougher ground.

Bring a good pair of waterproof walking shoes or boots, with sturdy corrugated soles for grip. Any walks we do won’t be very long and should be suitable for most fitness levels.

Maximum elevation this tour: we will reach approximately 2,000m (6,500ft).

TRAVEL
Despite the end of pandemic restrictions, we have taken the decision to continue to price our holidays as excluding international flights.

To keep the process as simple as possible, we are working very closely with a dedicated agent at Travel Counsellors, Sacha Barbato, who is essentially now our “in house” flight consultant.

Sacha will be able to advise you which flights we are recommending for each holiday, and he will be able to book these for you.

This will also sometimes give you the option to travel from a regional airport if you prefer.

Ground Transport  By air-conditioned minibus or people-carrier depending on the group size.

• Canada Rockies Trip Report and Systematic List June 2019
• Canada Rockies Trip Report and Systematic List June-July 2018