Birding Western Canada by Trains, Planes and Automobiles

It was quite an adventure through the “heartland” of Canada to steal a term from the Americans.  We call it The Prairies, but Heartland is more descriptive and evocative of the true nature of the vast stretches of flat, windblown farmlands that feed the country.  Oh, and the birds are spectacular too.

I took the train from Toronto, intending to travel all the way to Saskatoon, repeating a trip I took with my mother and siblings over 50 years ago.  But a looming Via Rail strike forced me to make alternative plans and reserve a rental car in Winnipeg and drive the rest of the way.  Though a strike was averted, I didn’t want to take a chance and was glad I made the change.  I was able to enjoy the drive through Manitoba, seeing a Ferruginous Hawk along the Trans Canada Highway outside of Brandon.  

The train trip itself, was wonderful.  I had my own private cabin, with its Murphy Bed that swung out of the wall and rested on the toilet seat.  Not quite the cabin I remembered from my childhood trip, though we had a double with 4 beds, and a private bathroom, so it was always going to be smaller.  Also, when I was a kid, the train loomed high over my head, while standing on the tracks, and the wheels were as tall as I was.

I loved the refined aspect of train travel too, with the fancy dining car, where I ate my meals, at my own private table, thanks to the kindness of the dining staff who honored my request for privacy.  The food was lovely and the atmosphere, with the etched glass bird art, was very thoughtful indeed. The train stopped for breaks along the way, providing us some fresh air and a chance to stretch our legs, though it was really easy to get your steps in on the train, walking from one end to the other.  I even did a little birding from my cabin, while watching the country go by outside my window.  Though I am not one to drown in nostalgia, I did fondly remember the conductors shouting, “second call for dinner in the dining car,” from my childhood trip.  That and the refrain, “Don’t flush the toilet while the train is at the station!”

I enjoyed the drive to Saskatchewan, stopping for a Stilt Sandpiper along the highway as I made my way to Glasslands National Park and a longstanding appointment with the resident Burrowing Owls.  What I wasn’t prepared for, was Prairie Dog Town.  It looked like the Prairie Dog version of “Meerkat Manor” Sue suggested a show called  “Little Prairie Dog House on the Prairie,” could have been created just for them. 

The Burrowing Owls will take over the empty nest holes created by the “dogs” who are not always willing to give them up, and often look like they are standing guard to keep out the owls.  Once again, it was my birding friends,  Ellen and Jerry from home in Brantford and Katelyn from Saskatoon, that supplied information to help me get my grassland birds.

My next target was the Baird’s Sparrow, at Chaplin Lake near Moose Jaw.  I have only seen them in Arizona, where you have to arrive at the break of dawn to see them pop up for 20 minutes out of the grass, and sit on the the fences on their wintering grounds.  They nest in southern Saskatchewan, along with Montana, Manitoba and South Dakota, where people often make their summer pilgrimage to get this bird as a Lifer.  On their nesting grounds they are rarely seen, so I had to rely on hearing them, which turned out to be easy, as they are very vocal from the grass.  

Baird’s Sparrow, 2012 in Arizona:

The last target for Saskatchewan, thanks to intel from Katelyn, was a Cordilleran Flycatcher, a bird that rarely makes it into Canada.  This one has been coming to Cypress Hills Provincial Park for the last three summers.  This was a fun bird to chase.  The park is located near Maple Creek Saskatchewan and has a very scenic drive to the West Block where the flycatcher was hanging out.  And by scenic, I mean cows!  Lots of cows giving me the “look,” as only cows can do.  

Once I made it into the swamp where the Cordilleran Flycatcher was, I could hear it calling but its constant movement and perching high in the canopy made it difficult to see and photograph.  The bigger adventure was when I returned to my car, to find it surrounded by cows.  I thought they weren’t going to let me go, but as I slowly walked toward it, they backed off, except for one cow who gave me the stink eye all the way back.  

Next stop, British Columbia and a search for the Flammulated Owl.  I have to admit, this one was the ultimate goal of my summer birding trip, kind of my dream bird, as I heard a young birder say when seeing his first Yellow-crowned Night Heron.  It would be a Lifer.  All the other birds I had seen somewhere in the US over the past 10 plus years.  Many were new for my Canadian Life List, which has grown by 67 species already this year.  But the Flammulated owl is probably on the wish list of every birder who travels out west.  Ellen had given me directions to the tree they had seen it in just a week earlier and I was excited to get there, so drove straight through to from where I had stayed in Medicine Hat, Alberta the previous night. Ten hours the road, plus stops for food, gas and copious amounts of coffee.

I arrived around in Kelowna at 6:00pm, and checked into my hotel before heading to  Rose Valley Regional Park, which is basically a scrubby path located at the end of a road and the beginning of a construction site, not unlike many places I’ve birded over the years.  It was a short, easy walk, as promised, and I quickly found the nest hole in the Birch Tree where the Flammulated Owl was located.  It was only 7:30 in the evening, and the owl had not normally shown itself until after 8:30, but the Force was with me and the owl had its head poked out, ready for pictures.  

There were two big surprises left for me that evening.  The first was that I also saw one of the baby flamers sitting next to the parent in the tree cavity.  By then it was getting dark, so the photo looks more like an ultrasound, and is as difficult to see the owl-let as it is to see a human fetus.  The second was hearing the hooting of a Western Screech-Owl.  I couldn’t locate the nest hole for Screech Owl, but I was happy with the addition of another bird to the Year List.  

On another tree was this post.  Please keep an eye out:

The next day I headed to Salmon Arm Bay in the Shuswap area of BC for a Clark’s Grebe.  That is a very rare visitor to Canada, and I spent an entire hot and humid afternoon, walking back and forth along the edge of the bay with no luck, so soaked with with perspiration at the end, it felt like I took a swim in the bay.  But it was not without birds.  There were plenty of Western Grebes and the cutest ever baby American Coots, who look like animated little Koosh Balls that came out in the late 1980’s.

I stayed the night in the area, hoping for better luck in the morning.  On the way there, I birded along Beaver Lake Road and hit the jackpot with Bullock’s Oriole, Western Bluebird and California Quail.  I then drove into Salmon Arm, to happily discover that the humidity was waning, there was a nice breeze blowing and the Clark’s Grebe was showing. 

 I watched it for about half an hour, got some photos and videos and then it was time to head up to Lillooet and another attempt at the Chukar and White-throated Swift.  That evening I did see the swifts, but both attempts at the Chukar, that night and the next morning, were unsuccessful.  But I’ll be back.  I want that bird!  

There were two more species that I wanted to get before heading back to Ontario.  I had missed Long-billed Curlew on the prairies and kept missing Pacific-slope Flycatcher in the Vancouver area.  But there was a curlew in Delta, just outside Vancouver and my buddy Rich provided me with the location.  When I arrived the tide was out and only gulls and a few ducks were on the mudflats.  I decided to go for the flycatcher and return later.  

However, before I left I was surprised and entertained by a colony of Yellow-bellied Marmots, similar to groundhogs, that had moved into the rocks along the beach.  My second surprise rodent-y species of the trip.  Once again, I discovered a cute little animal that is giving my Meerkat love a run for their money.  In order, I still think that I’d go, Meerkat, Prairie Dog, Marmot.  

I finally tore my eyes away from the marmots and at the suggestion of Rich and eBird, headed to Elgin Heritage Park where it didn’t take long to start hearing and then seeing the Pacific-slope Flycatchers.  One came down to almost eye level for a great look at this west coast specialty.  And yes, another Canadian Lifer.

As it was getting late in the afternoon and I had a red-eye flight to catch back to Toronto later that evening, I headed back to Delta and resumed my search for the Long-billed Curlew.  I also enjoyed the antics of the marmots, because, well, how could you not.  However, I tried not to be distracted by the cuteness and scoped the bay, where the tide was ever so slowly coming in.  

Around 7:00pm, with less than an hour before I had to head to the airport, I spotting something that didn’t quite look like a gull or duck in the distance.  Large, sandpiper, freakishly long bill, poking relentlessly into the mud… It was the Long-billed Curlew and, though distant in my scope, unmistakable.  It is not only North America’s largest sandpiper, but also holds the honor of having the longest bill of any sandpiper in the world.  

With that, my Wild West Coast Swing was done.  I kind of wanted to rebook my flight and extend my rental car, but hotels were at a premium.  Few rooms available and crazy prices upwards of $400.00 per night.  I took a pass and will return again soon, as I want to see Tufted Puffins and have another shot at the Chukar and maybe find a Dusky Grouse along the way.  

I returned home after an overnight flight and slept most of the day on Monday.  I’ll do some local birding and recharge my batteries, watching Ruby-throated Hummingbirds coming to my backyard feeders,  a House Wren building a nest in our hanging gourd and look forward to the next adventure, wherever the wind and the birds take me.