Alberta - British Columbia 20 - 27 September 2006

Matti Koivula

A holiday trip from Edmonton to Jasper (20.-21.9.), then to Kelowna (21.-22.9.), then to Vancouver (22.-24.9.) and finally for a 3-day period to Victoria, Vancouver Island (24.-27.9.). Weather was rainy and chilly in AB, some snow at the foothills of Rockies (remains from previous weekend's storm). In B.C., days were sunny with light winds every day. The period 20.-24.9. was mostly driving. In Victoria area I did birding throughout the days and made a 3.5-hour whale trip on 27 September (cost 90 CAD). I had a rented car (Ford Focus; Hertz, ca70 CAD/day) from Vancouver city; the rental company "exceptionally" allowed me to return the car at Victoria airport. Total driving kms 23.-27.9. ca800. Victoria motels were generally expensive; I was at Blue Ridge Motel (75 CAD/night). I arrived to Vancouver with the famous Karvonen film makers but returned to Edmonton by flight (WestJet one-way flight campaign price 148 CAD; incl. taxes). Trip highlights were Yellow-billed loon, over 200 Brown pelicans, 1-2 Gray whales (27.9.), (River?) Otter family (2 ad 3 juv) at Jordan River (26.9.), tens of Porpoises, Harbor seals, and Steller's & California sea lions.

Abbreviations used in the table: Van = Vancouver, VR = Victoria Region (at Vancouver Island), f = female, m = male, ad = adult, juv = young bird, a = flock (e.g. a5 = a flock of 5 birds). Dates, e.g. "21.9." indicates 21 September.

Nr	Species	Scientific	Notes
1	Common loon	Gavia immer	BC: common
2	Yellow-billed loon	Gavia adamsii	26.9. VR Jordan River 1 (field notes)
3	Red-throated loon	Gavia stellata	26.9. VR Port Renfrew 2
4	Pacific loon	Gavia pacifica	BC coast total ca25
5	Western grebe	Aechmophorus occidentalis	21.9. Kelowna 1, 26.9. VR Port Renfrew 4
6	Slavonian (Horned) grebe	Podiceps auritus	21.9. Kelowna 4, BC coast ca30
7	Red-necked grebe	Podicept grisegena	BC: common
8	Brown pelican	Pelecanus occidentalis	26.9. VR Port Renfrew 238 (PR bay beach 74 local + a78 + a10; Botany Bay - Botanical Beach 19 local + a31 + a16 + a10; photos)
9	Double-crested cormorant	Phalacrocorax auritus	BC: common
10	Pelagic cormorant	Phalacrocorax pelagicus	BC: common
11	Brandt's cormorant	Phalacrocorax penicillatus	26.9. VR Jordan River 8, VR Port Renfrew 1
12	Great blue heron	Ardea herodias	BC: common (e.g., 24.9. Van (Delta) Boundary Bay ca140)
13	Mute swan	Cygnus olor	23.9. Van Reifel Island 2 ad, 24.9. VR Esquimalt Lagoon 10 ad 4 juv, VR Sooke/Whiffin Spit 1 ad, 26.9. VR Esquimalt Lagoon 12 ad 8 juv
14	White-fronted goose	Anser albifrons	23.9. Van Reifel Island 1 juv
15	Canada goose	Branta canadensis	AB and BC common
16	Wood duck	Aix sponsa	23.9. Van Reifel Island 3 m 2 f
17	Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos	AB and BC common
18	Gadwall	Anas strepera	23.9. Van Reifel Island ca30
19	Pintail	Anas acuta	AB and BC common
20	American wigeon	Anas americana	AB and BC common
21	American green-winged teal	Anas carolinensis	BC common
22	Redhead	Aythya americana	BC total ca15
23	Lesser scaup	Aythya affinis	AB total ca100, BC total ca10
24	Greater scaup	Aythya marila	27.9. VR Island View Beach 1 f
25	Ring-necked duck	Aythya collaris	21.9. Kelowna 1 juv
26	Harlequin duck	Histrionicus histrionicus	VR common (total ca20)
27	White-winged scoter	Melanitta fusca	VR common (total ca20)
28	Surf scoter	Melanitta perspicillata	VR common (total ca200)
29	Goldeneye	Bucephala clangula	AB total ca20
30	Hooded merganser	Mergus cucullatus	23.9. Van Reifel Island 2 f, 26.9. VR Port Renfrew 7, VR Esquimalt Lagoon 1 m
31	Common merganser	Mergus merganser	BC coast total 8
32	Turkey vulture	Cathartes aura	BC coast total ca120
33	Osprey	Pandion haliaetus	22.9. Kelowna 1, 24. & 26.9. VR Esquimalt Lagoon 1
34	Sharp-shinned hawk	Accipiter striatus	26.9. VR Jordan River 1 ad m
35	Cooper's hawk	Accipiter cooperii	24.9. Van (Delta) Boundary Bay 1 juv
36	Northern harrier	Circus hudsonicus	AB and BC common (trip total ca20)
37	Swainson's hawk	Buteo swainsoni	AB 3
38	Red-tailed hawk	Buteo jamaicensis	AB ca10, BC 5
39	Rough-legged hawk	Buteo lagopus	20.9. Jasper National Park 1
40	Golden eagle	Aquila chrysaetos	20.9. Jasper National Park 1 juv
41	Bald eagle	Haliaeetus leucocephalus	26.9. VR Jordan River 1 ad
42	American kestrel	Falco sparverius	AB 3, BC ca25
43	Merlin	Falco columbarius	22.9. Vancouver 1, 23.9. Van (Delta) Boundary Bay 1
44	Peregrine	Falco peregrinus	23.9. Van (Delta) Boundary Bay at least 2 ad 1 juv
45	American coot	Fulica americana	BC total at least 200
46	Sandhill crane	Grus canadensis	23.9. Van Reifel Island calls heard
47	Black-bellied plover	Pluvialis squatarola	23.9. Van (Delta) Boundary Bay 69, 24.9. same area only 1 juv
48	American golden plover	Pluvialis dominica	23.9. Van (Delta) Boundary Bay 5 juv
49	Killdeer	Charadrius vociferus	BC total only 5
50	Black oystercatcher	Haematopus bachmani	VR total ca20
51	Greater yellowlegs	Tringa melanoleuca	BC total ca20 (incl. Yellowlegs sp.)
52	Black turnstone	Arenaria melanocephala	VR total ca20
53	Surfbird	Aphriza virgata	25.9. VR Ogden Point 4
54	Semipalmated sandpiper	Calidris pusilla	23.9. Van (Delta) Boundary Bay 7, 24.9. VR Witty's Lagoon 14
55	Western sandpiper	Calidris mauri	23.9. Van (Delta) Boundary Bay 20, 24.9. VR Witty's Lagoon 4
56	Stilt sandpiper	Calidris himantopus	23.9. Van Reifel Island 1
57	Long-billed dowitcher	Limnodromus scolopaceus	23.9. Van Reifel Island ca120, 26.9. VR Jordan River 1
58	Red-necked phalarope	Phalaropus lobatus	23.9. Van Reifel Island 1, 27.9. VR whale trip 16 (of which 2 at Washington side)
59	Bonaparte's gull	Larus philadelphia	24.9. VR Sooke/Whiffin Spit ca80, 26.9. Sooke (NW) ca5
60	Franklin's gull	Larus pipixcan	21.9. Kelowna 1 juv
61	Ring-billed gull	Larus delawarensis	AB common, BC: Kelowna ca600, coast scarce (ca10)
61	Mew gull	Larus brachyrhynchus	BC coast common (total ca300)
63	American herring gull	Larus smithsonianus	AB and BC common
64	California gull	Larus californicus	BC coast very common (total over 1000)
65	Glaucous-winged gull	Larus glaucescens	BC coast common (total ca500)
66	Caspian tern	Sterna caspia	23.9. Van (Delta) Boundary Bay 2-4
67	Common tern	Sterna hirundo	21.9. Kelowna 1 juv
68	Forster's tern	Sterna forsteri	21.9. Kelowna 1 ad
69	Common murre	Uria aalge	VR common (total ca500, of which 27.9. whale trip ca300)
70	Pigeon guillemot	Cepphus columba	VR common (total ca200)
71	Marbled murrelet	Brachyramphus marmoratus	VR only ca10
72	Rhinoceros auklet	Cerorhinca monocerata	VR common (total ca200)
73	Rock dove	Columba livia	AB and BC common
74	Band-tailed pigeon	Columba fasciata	22.9. Vancouver 1, 26.9. VR Jordan River 1
75	Anna's hummingbird	Calypte anna	22.9. Vancouver 1 (Hummingbird sp.), 25. & 27.9. VR Beacon Hill Park at least 5
76	Belted kingfisher	Ceryle alcyon	BC total 5
77	Downy woodpecker	Picoides pubescens	BC total ca10
78	Northern flicker	Colaptes auratus	BC total ca30
79	Steller's jay	Cyanocitta stelleri	21.9. Jasper 1, BC common (total ca25)
80	Gray jay	Perisoreus canadensis	21.9. Jasper 1-2
81	Black-billed magpie	Pica hudsonica	AB common, inland BC scarce (ca5)
82	American crow	Corvus brachyrhynchos	AB common, inland BC common
83	Northwestern crow	Corvus caurinus	BC coast common
84	Raven	Corvus corax	AB ca10, BC ca30
85	Barn swallow	Hirundo rustica	23.9. Van (Delta) Boundary Bay ca50, Van Reifel Island ca100 (incl. Swallow sp.)
86	Buff-bellied (American) pipit	Anthus rubescens	22.9. near Kelowna ca100, BC coast common (total ca100)
87	Black-capped chickadee	Parus atricapillus	AB and BC common (none observed at Vancouver Island!)
88	Chestnut-backed chickadee	Parus rufescens	BC coast common, especially at Vancouver Island
89	Brown creeper	Certhia americana	23.9. Van Stanley Park 1-2, 25. & 27.9. VR Beacon Hill Park 2,
90	White-breasted nuthatch	Sitta carolinensis	21.9. Kelowna 1
91	Red-breasted nuthatch	Sitta canadensis	23.9. Van Stanley Park 1, 25. & 27.9. VR Beacon Hill Park 2-4
92	Bushtit	Psaltriparus minimus	25. & 27.9. VR Beacon Hill Park ca20 (several small flocks)
93	Marsh wren	Cistothorus palustris	24.9. Van (Delta) Boundary Bay 1-2
94	Bewick's wren	Thryomanes bewickii	23.9. Van Reifel Island 1, 25. & 27.9. VR Beacon Hill Park ca5
95	Winter wren	Troglodytes troglodytes	Vancouver Island total ca5
96	Golden-crowned kinglet	Regulus satrapa	BC common (total ca30)
97	Ruby-crowned kinglet	Regulus calendula	BC common (total ca100; scarce at Vancouver Island)
98	Swainson's thrush	Catharus ustulatus	23.9. Van Stanley Park 1
99	American robin	Turdus migratorius	AB and BC common
100	Varied thrush	Ixoreus naevius	23.9. Van Stanley Park 2-3
101	Gray catbird	Dumetella carolinensis	22.9. Vancouver 1
102	Starling	Sturnus vulgaris	AB and BC very common (trip total thousands)
103	Orange-crowned warbler	Vermivora celata	27.9. VR Beacon Hill Park 2
104	Yellow warbler	Dendroica petechia	26.9. VR Jordan River 1
105	Yellow-rumped warbler	Dendroica coronata	BC common (trip total over 100)
106	Townsend's warbler	Dendroica townsendii	23.9. Van Stanley Park 4
107	Black-throated gray warbler	Dendroica nigrescens	23.9. Van Stanley Park 2
108	Wilson's warbler	Wilsonia pusilla	21.9. Jasper town 1 juv, 25.9. VR Beacon Hill Park 1 juv
109	Spotted towhee	Pipilo maculatus	BC coast common (total ca20; possible towhee, partial albino 23.9. at Van Stanley Park; photos)
110	Savannah sparrow	Passerculus sandwichensis	BC coast common
111	Song sparrow	Melospiza melodia	BC coast common
112	Lincoln's sparrow	Melospiza lincolnii	BC coast scarce; total ca5
113	Fox sparrow	Passerella iliaca	BC coast common (total ca20)
114	White-crowned sparrow	Zonotrichia leucophrys	BC coast common (total ca100)
115	Golden-crowned sparrow	Zonotrichia atricapilla	BC coast common (total ca20)
116	Dark-eyed junco	Junco hyemalis	AB and BC common
117	Red-winged blackbird	Agelaius phoeniceus	BC scarce (total ca10)
118	Brewer's blackbird	Euphagus cyanocephalus	23.-24.9. Van (Delta) Boundary Bay ca10 (incl. Blackbird sp.), 24. & 26.9. VR Esquimalt Lagoon ca15
119	Brown-headed cowbird	Molothrus ater	21.9. Kelowna town 2
120	House sparrow	Passer domesticus	AB and BC common
121	American goldfinch	Carduelis tristis	BC relatively scarce (total ca10)
122	Pine siskin	Carduelis pinus	BC common (total ca50)
123	House finch	Carpodacus mexicanus	BC common (total ca100)
124	Purple finch	Carpodacus purpureus	27.9. VR Beacon Hill Park 1 f
125	Red crossbill	Loxia curvirostra	BC coast common (several flocks, total ca100)
(126)	Peafowl	Pavo cristata	24. & 27.9. VR Beacon Hill Park 1 m 1 f 1 juv