July 28, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Valemount, Bird Watching & Sanctuaries
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A friend and I took the afternoon to walk around the Starratt Marsh just south of Valemount one hot and sunny afternoon. While we were there at the worst possible time to take advantage of the incredible bird watching opportunities that the marsh boasts, the scenery is still breathtaking. If you climb up one of the watchtowers, you will have a spectacular view of the Monashee Mountains south of the village. Should you arrive at the right at time, it is a bird watchers paradise with such birds as the Yellow-Headed Blackbird, the Sora and the Northren Harrier all using this provincially important resting and nesting area. Even if you are not a hardcore birder and would just like to have a relaxing stroll, the 6km loop around marsh is an easy walk that will provide some wonderful views.
Krystin
January 23, 2009 | Tips from Travellers > Vanderhoof, Bird Watching & Sanctuaries
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If you're in Vanderhoof in the fall, be sure to head down to the Nechako River and the bird santuary at Riverside Park. When I was there last October, I was amazed at the number of geese in the sky. I'm used to seeing one or two v-formations of geese getting ready to head south for the winter but I think I counted about 15!! Vanderhoof is on the "Pacific Flyway" and the islands in the middle of the Nechako River are the perfect place for the migrating birds to stop & rest.
December 9, 2008 | Tips from Travellers > Delta, Bird Watching & Sanctuaries
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Every November, I get a fantastic birthday present that arrives from Russia. Actually, I get tens of thousands of birthday presents – and every single one of them is hungry and honking.
Sound like a birthday disaster? Not for bird nerds like me. I look forward to this time each year, when tens of thousands of snow geese arrive at
Delta’s Reifel Bird Sanctuary. It’s the perfect gift (just don’t try wrapping it).
In total, up to 80,000 Lesser Snow Geese make the 4,000-km trek from their arctic breeding grounds on Russia’s Wrangel Island to their wintering grounds on the Fraser River estuary.
Once the geese reach their wintering grounds, they hang out in dense flocks of about 20,000 birds and chow down on tasty grasses, weeds and marsh plants. When they take flight, it’s a feathery explosion: thousands of wings and beaks make a lot of noise.
My favourite place to view the snow geese is when they land in a field near the road (as seen in the above photo). However, they could be anywhere. During my visit this year, they munching and socializing near the river, so goose-watching involved Reifel’s viewing tower and a pair of binoculars.
If you're interested in checking out the snow geese, here are a few tips:
> The sanctuary says that the best times to view them are mid-Oct. to mid-Dec. and mid-March to mid-April.
> Check with the admission booth at the sanctuary for details on where to best spot the snow geese when you visit. Depending on where the geese are located, you may not need to enter the sanctuary, but I recommend it. It’s a beautiful place to go for a walk.
> There is a very small admission fee to enter the bird sanctuary (adults: $4, kids and senior: $2).
> Bring binoculars and keep an eye out for all the other great wildlife in around the sanctuary. On my last visit, I saw a barred owl, a black-crowned night heron and sandhill cranes.