Alberta - British Columbia April 9-17 2003

Matti Koivula

We (me, Hanna & kids) spent a week on Rocky Mountains and in British Columbia in mid-April. The ultimate goal was to visit Vancouver island, Tofino village. Unfortunately the distances were so huge that at least half of the time was just traveling (and enjoying the views): total kms was 3000. The trip would have been cheaper if we knew hostels etc. beforehand; however, the motels were still relatively cheap because of low season (variation 55-90 CAD per night for the whole family). A one-way ferry from Vancouver to Nanaimo (on Vancouver island) was 55 CAD. The slightly failed 3-hour whale trip cost 160 CAD (no whales, but the captain promised us a free trip in the autumn).

The weather was fine at the mountains but rainy at the BC coast. On Vancouver island (April 11-13) we had roughly a total of 15 daytime hours with no rain. (There were also some indications of sunshine.)

Abbreviations in the table: Vanc = Vancouver city, Vanc isl. = Vancouver island, Tof = Tofino, sea = birds seen during the whale trip, m = migrating individual(s), a = flock (e.g. a2 means a flock of two individuals). Moreover, e.g. 2/1 = two males and one female, and plum. = plumage.

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Species	Scientific	Notes
Red-breasted loon	Gavia stellata	12.4. Tof 1
Pacific loon	Gavia pacifica	12.-13.4. Tof >100 (most of these include a possibility for G. arctica)
Common loon	Gavia immer	11.4. Vanc >15, 12.-13.4. Tof >30
White-billed loon	Gavia adamsii	12.4. Tof 1 (winter plum.)
Red-necked grebe	Podiceps griseigena	12.-13.4. Tof >200
Slavonian grebe	Podiceps auritus	12.-13.4. Tof >100, and 11.4. Vanc 2 aur/nig (winter plum.)
Western grebe	Aechmoph. occidentalis	11.4. Nanaimo 2, 13.4. Tof 1
Pied-billed grebe	Podilymbus podiceps	11.4. Vanc isl. 1
Double-crested cormorant	Phalacrocorax auritus	11.-13.4. Tof >100
Pelagic cormorant	Phalacrocorax pelagicus	11.-13.4. Tof >200, plus Phala sp. >100
Great blue heron	Ardea herodias	9.4. Wabamun 3, 11.4. Nanaimo 3, 12.-13.4. Tof >20, 14.4. Vanc 1
Canada goose	Branta canadensis	very common, e.g. 9.4. Wabamun ca. 400
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	very common
Green-winged teal	Anas (crecca) carolinensis	very common
American wigeon	Anas Americana	very common
Pintail	Anas acuta	very common
Shoveler	Anas clypeata	10.4. Kamloops a6
Redhead	Aythya americana	10.4. Kamloops ca. 10, 11.4. Nanaimo a10
Collared duck	Aythya collaris	total >10
Lesser scaup	Aythya affinis	total >10
Surf scoter	Melanitta perspicillata	11.4. Vanc Horseshoe a200, Nanaimo 50, 12.-13.4. Tof >50
Black scoter	Melanitta nigra	11.4. Tof a12, 13.4. Tof 2/1
White-winged scoter	Melanitta fusca	11.4. Tof a3/2
Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	total ca. 50
Bufflehead	Bucephala albeola	very common, e.g. Tof. total >500
Hooded merganser	Mergus cucullatus	10.4. Kamloops 2/-, 11.4. Nanaimo -/1
Red-breasted merganser	Mergus serrator	11.4. Nanaimo 1/3, 12.-13.4. Tof >50
Goosander	Mergus merganser	total ca. 50
Harlequin duck	Histrionicus histrionicus	12.-13.4. Tof total 18
Long-tailed duck	Clangula hyemalis	12.4. Tof a12
Ruddy duck	Oxyura jamaicensis	10.4. Kamloops 1/1
Turkey vulture	Cathartes aura	11.4. Vanc Horseshoe 2 m, Nanaimo a7, 13.4. Vanc 2, 14.4. Kamloops 1, Golden a10
Hen harrier	Circus cyaneus	9.4. Jasper -/1, 11.4. Vanc Horseshoe -/1 m, 14.4. Golden 1/- m
Red-tailed hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	several tens, e.g. 11.4. Vanc Horseshoe total ca. 50 m
Golden eagle	Aquila chrysaetos	10.4. Clearwater 1 ad
Bald eagle	Haliaetus leucocephalus	total 40, four nests with a pair present
Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	13.4. Tof 1, 14.4. Kamloops a2
American kestrel	Falco sparverius	10.4. Kamloops 1, 14.4. Kamloops-Golden total 6
Merlin	Falco columbarius	14.4. Kamloops -/1
Ring-necked pheasant	Phasianus colchicus	13.4. Tof 1/1
Ruffed grouse	Bonasa umbellus	17.4. Hinton 1
American coot	Fulica americana	10.4. Kamloops ca. 100
Sandhill crane	Grus canadensis	10.4. Kamloops a4
Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	11.4. Vanc isl. a2
Black oystercatcher	Haematopus bachmani	11.4. Nanaimo 1, 12.-13.4. Tof total 17
Greater yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca	12.4. Tof 3-4 + 7-8 mel/fla
Whimbrel	Numenius phaeopus	12.4. Tof a3
Black turnstone	Arenaria melanocephala	12.4. Tof a14
Sanderling	Calidris alba	12.4. Tof a120 + a40
Dunlin	Calidris alpina	12.4. Tof a6
Short-billed dowitcher	Limnodromus griseus	12.4. Tof 1 ad breeding plum.
Bonaparte’s gull	Larus philadelphia	11.4. Nanaimo a2
Mew gull	Larus canus	11.4. Nanaimo a250, 12.-13.4. Tof total ca. 250
Ring-billed gull	Larus delawarensis	common (hundreds), but in Vanc isl RBG was "replaced" by L. canus
Herring gull	Larus argentatus	total some tens
Western gull	Larus occidentalis	12.-13.4. Tof 4 ad
Glaucous-winged gull	Larus glaucescens	11.4. Vanc Horseshoe a40, 12.-13.4. Tof >100
Black-legged kittiwake	Rissa tridactyla	13.4. Tof (sea) 1 ad
Pigeon guillemot	Cepphus columba	11.4. Nanaimo 1, 12.-13.4. Tof >100
Marbled murrelet	Brachyr. marmoratus	12.4. Tof 6, 13.4. Tof (sea) 8
Rhinoceros auklet	Cerorhinca monocerata	13.4. Tof (sea) a3
Mourning dove	Zenaida macroura	11.4. Vanc isl. 1
Rock dove	Columba livia	common
Band-tailed pigeon	Columba fasciata	11.-12.4. Vanc isl. total 7
Rufous hummingbird	Selasphorus rufus	11.-13.4. Vanc isl. total >30 (incl. hummingbird sp.)
Belted kingfisher	Ceryle alcyon	11.4. Vanc Horseshoe 1, 12.-13.4. Tof total 4
Pileated woodpecker	Dryocopus pileatus	10.4. Jasper-Kamloops 3, 14.4. Golden 2
Northern flicker	Colaptes auratus	10.4. Kamloops 2, 11.4. Vanc isl. 2, 12.-13.4. Tof 4, 17.4. Hinton 2
Red-breasted sapsucker	Sphyrapicus ruber	10.4. Kamloops 1
Yellow-bellied sapsucker	Sphyrapicus varius	17.4. Hinton 1/-
Steller’s jay	Cyanocitta stelleri	10.4. Kamloops 1-2, 11.4. Vanc Horseshoe 3, 12.-13.4. Tof total 7
Gray jay	Perisoreus canadensis	15.4. Banff 1
Magpie	Pica pica	quite scarce in BC
Raven	Corvus corax	common in mountains
American crow	Corvus brachyrhynchus	very common
Northwestern crow	Corvus caurinus	11.-13.4. Vanc isl. several tens
Violet-green swallow	Tachycineta thalassina	10.4. Valemount 3, 13.4. Tof 1
Tree swallow	Tachycineta bicolor	10.4. Kamloops a120, 12.-13.4. Tof Tachycineta sp. total 5
Black-capped chickadee	Poecile atricapilla	scarce, total ca. 10
Boreal chickadee	Poecile hudsonica	15.4. Canmore 2
Mountain chickadee	Poecile gambeli	16.4. Canmore 3
Chestnut-backed chickadee	Poecile rufescens	14.4. Hope 1
Red-breasted nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	only 10.4. Kamloops 1
Brown creeper	Certhia americana	9.-10.4. mountains total 10
Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes	11.4. Vanc Horseshoe 2, 12.-13.4. Vanc isl. total >10
American dipper	Cinclus mexicanus	10.4. Jasper 1
Golden-crowned kinglet	Regulus satrapa	10.4. Kamloops a6
Ruby-crowned kinglet	Regulus calendula	common, total >50
Townsend’s solitaire	Myadestes townsendi	17.4. Hinton a2
Varied thrush	Ixoreus naevius	11.4. Vanc isl. 6, 12.-13.4. Tof >10, 14.4. Golden 4 singing, 17.4. Hinton 2
American robin	Turdus migratorius	common in BC, scarce in AB
Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	very common (hundreds)
Bohemian waxwing	Bombycilla garrulus	9.4. Edmonton a20, 15.4. Canmore a20
Orange-crowned warbler	Vermivora celata	12.-13.4. Tof total 5
Yellow-rumped warbler	Dendroica coronata	12.-13.4. Tof total 5
Townsend’s warbler	Dendroica townsendi	12.4. Tof 2, 13.4. Tof 2 (different sites)
Spotted towhee	Pipilo maculatus	11.4. Nanaimo 2
Golden-crowned sparrow	Zonotrichia atricapilla	11.4. Vanc isl. a2, 12.-13.4. Tof total 8
White-crowned sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	12.-13.4. Tof total >10
Fox sparrow	Passerella iliaca	11.4. Vanc isl. 4-5
Song sparrow	Melospiza melodia	common, total >20
Dark-eyed junco	Junco hyemalis	common in mountains, in BC the "Oregon" form was common
Western meadowlark	Sturnella neglecta	14.4. Kamloops 1
Yellow-headed blackbird	Xanthoc. xanthocephalus	10.4. Kamloops 8
Red-winged blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	common on marshlands
Brewer’s blackbird	Euphagus cyanocephalus	common on "semi-urban" meadows
Evening grosbeak	Coccothraustes vespertinus	10.4. Clearwater a22
Grey-crowned rosefinch	Leucosticte tephrocotis	15.4. Banff a50, Canmore a100
House finch	Carpodacus mexicanus	11.-13.4. Tof 8, 14.4. Vanc 2/-
Red crossbill	Loxia curvirostra	10.4. Kamloops 1/-
Pine siskin	Carduelis pinus	very abundant in mountain forests
House sparrow	Passer domesticus	common in villages and cities
TRIP TOTAL	-	112 spp.
Of these, new	-	45 spp.