Hi Tweeters,

Over the last few days, there have been a series of postings on Alberta birding, highlighting its "eastern" flavor. Many, but not all of these species can be seen in northeastern British Columbia along or near the Alaska Highway. Northern B.C. also has vast expanses of beautiful mountains, loaded with alpine birds. We saw all three ptarmigan, Smith's Longspur, a zillion sparrows, breeding Wandering Tattler and redpolls all in stunning scenes. Here's a trip report from the lowland part of that trip in northeastern part of the province:

"NORTH TO THE EAST" IN BRITISH COLUMBIA



In 2002, Ellen and I birded in British Columbia. We visited most of the major biomes in the province and ended the year with 334 species of birds. On our main trip in May-early June, we spent four days in the boreal triangle east and north of the Rocky Mountains. This part of B.C. between 56 and 59 degrees latitude N, lies due north of Yakima, Washington, where we live. We found it exciting to go north and experience an "eastern" avifauna. The trip log that follows is mostly from sites along the southern 330 miles of the Alaska Highway. As we were traveling this highway from north to south, Mile "Zero" of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek is at the end of this report.



Why "Eastern" birds due north? It has to due with a belt of mixed forest, especially Trembling Aspen and White Spruce, stretching from the southeast to the northwest in North America just to the north of the vast North American prairie and south of the boreal forest. A zone of these forest and plant community types extend northwest from Manitoba to the southeastern Yukon, including northeastern B.C. A number of "eastern" bird species, invade northeastern B.C., including some boreal elements including all but one "MacArthurs's Warblers." Robert MacArthur, in a classic study on community ecology (1950s), showed that five warblers found in the same boreal forest tract (Cape May, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, and Bay-breasted, really weren't sharing the same niche in the forest. MacArthur found each species foraged in various parts of the trees. These species also employed different foraging strategies in these trees.



FORT NELSON. 4-5 JUNE. Having had a very satisfying visit to Stone Mountain Provincial Park (Rock Ptarmigan and Smith's Longspur, Caribou and Stone Sheep), we headed east and down, out of the Rocky Mountains, and into the Taiga Plains around Fort Nelson. Here we entered a vast expanse of rolling and flat-lying country. This part of B.C. is far from featureless, as unbroken spruce forest, interrupted by occasional aspen stands still stretches to the horizon. Logging, while in progress, has not made a final "first" pass in this region. Rivers interrupt the landscape, too. Water: lake, pond, marsh, or Black Spruce bog, seem everywhere. The rivers in this region are huge and seemingly met at every turn. It is hard to believe this region is characterized by only modest precipitation, but that seems to be the case. The fact this is a region of discontinuous permafrost would seem to be the explanation for there being water, water, everywhere.



Birds were everywhere, too. This corner of B.C., from Kledo Creek south to Dawson Creek, would have the nicest collection of "eastern" birds, especially passerines, on our trip.



We started the morning off early (4 am) to search for Great Gray Owl along the grassy margins of the Alaska Highway north of Fort Nelson. At least two Great Grays were seen along this route last June by those on a BCFO trip. We did not have their luck.



Later in the morning birding we stopped at Kledo Creek, a well-known site along the birding trail. In this poplar and White Spruce-dominated woodland, our highlight was Bay-breasted Warbler. Their wiry "wesa-wesa-wesa" song emanated from the canopy. Though initially tough to see, we eventually got good looks at this beautiful bird. In these woods we also noted Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, many Least Flycatchers, numerous Tennessee Warblers, and several Ovenbirds. I also heard a few Hammond's Flycatchers in the closed canopy mixed woodland. We noted the woodlands by the gravel road opposite the tiny, primitive campsite appear to have been recently logged, so we concentrated our birding in the mixedwood forest behind the campsite.



Next we spent much of the remainder of the day on the first 40 kilometres of the Liard Highway which traverses forests that were probably formerly of White Spruce, with Black Spruce bogs in low-lying areas, and pine woods in well-drained areas. We encountered wetlands frequently, too. Much of the uplands along the road have been logged and are now in a regenerating state, presently covered with Balsam Poplar and Trembling Aspen woodlands in various stages of maturity. I was pleased (my 48-year-old ears might not detect this song much longer!) to be able to clearly hear the strident 3-4 part and very high-pitched " seet-seet-seet" song of the Cape May Warbler coming from the spruce tops. We had clear views of one of these birds at Beaver Lake Recreation Site, and heard others in dense spruce at three different stops along the road to the Fort Nelson River Bridge. Farther along the highway we stopped at a particularly pretty little pond at about Kilometre 25 and lunched. Flycatchers were featured here. We saw or heard Olive-sided, Alder, and Least Flycatchers, and Western Wood-Pewee. Another attraction were sparrows with Song, Linclon's, Swamp, and White-throated here or nearby. The most exciting bird here was a male Baltimore Oriole, here probably near the northern end of it's range. After lunch we took a much-needed nap in the warm sunshine, as yet bugless, serenaded by frogs. We continued north to the Fort Nelson River, crossed here by a remarkable Bailey bridge (of World War II engineering fame). Ellen in particular noted the sagging nature of the bridge between its widely spaced pillars. Once again we were very impressed by just how much water there is in the north-country. On our return, we turned off along one of the tracks heading off into the forest, used for seismic testing in search of natural gas. Evidently drainage had been disrupted by construction of this road and there was a large stand of dead spruce. Here we noted agitated Lesser Yellowlegs, Sandhill Cranes flying over, and Three-toed and Black-backed Woodpeckers. At another stop, in thick woods by a roadside beaver pond, we saw an adult Northern Goshawk dashing through the trees. Surprisingly (to me anyway because this landscape appeared far too boreal) we started noticing Western Tanagers after not seeing them since the Chilcotin.



We had dinner that night at Dan's Pub (we'd recommend this place), where we had interesting conversation with oil field mechanics and learned a little about a lifestyle we've not been exposed to.



Rather than relax after dinner, we headed off to the Fort Nelson sewage lagoons. In the lush growth behind the ponds was our first Rose-breasted Grosbeak of the trip. This was a nice ending for a good day of birding, though I bet Ellen will remember the mosquitoes there rather than the grosbeak. I reminded Ellen Fort Nelson has the envious distinction of having a thoroughly deplorable climate. The winters are long, dark, and often bitterly cold. It has recorded -610 F in January. The summers are short and cloudy, accompanied by hordes of biting insects. For a few months, though, there are a lot of interesting birds.



The morning of the 5th, we headed out to the Fort Nelson Airport, where we easily found three Upland Sandpipers in the short grass by the runways. We also spent about ten minutes listening without success for the Sprague's Pipit which was noted singing here at the end of June last year. We then enjoyed a nice walk through mixed woodland typical of the region down to the river on a quiet public road (mentioned in Taylor). Along the way were Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Blue-headed, Warbling, and Red-eyed Vireos, many warblers, including Tennessees, a few Magnolias, and several Black-and-Whites. I thought it neat such fine birding exists within walking distance of the airport. My advice: if your plane just happens to stop at the Fort Nelson Airport on a fine June morning, do some birding there!



We made a final stop at the Black Spruce bog at Parker Lake in hopes of finding Yellow-bellied Flycatcher and Palm Warbler. We did hear, but did not see, the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, for which this site is known. The warbler did not seem to be in the neighborhood, though.



South from Fort Nelson, 1/3 of a kilometer north of Kilometer 410, we stopped to survey a roadside pond. Here were Horned Grebe, Gadwall, Greater Scaup, Marsh Wren, and Yellow and Magnolia Warblers. While birding here, we heard an odd mechanical rattle from the nearby Black Spruce bog. On a hunch, we donned our Wellingtons, walked out into the bog and soon were enjoying good studies of male Palm Warblers, singing from the tops of stunted spruce. Ellen went back to fetch her camera to take close up shots of the interior of the lovely mossy world of the bog. Southward on the Alaska Highway, we drove straight into a very sizeable and cold rain storm, which lasted several days. The country along the way, featuring long stretches of bogs and stunted spruce forest, did not invite exploration, so we sped south.



Crossing a height of land in the vicinity of Pink Mounain, we slowly descended into the Peace Lowlands, also known as the Boreal Plains Ecoprovince, a region with a slightly more equable climate than the Taiga Lowlands (though Dawson Creek has recorded -580 F)). The landscape was pleasing, with pretty farms, mostly grown to cereal crops, interspersed with aspen forests and occasional clumps of spruce, but conifers seemed much scarcer than around Fort Nelson.



FORT ST. JOHN. 5-6 JUNE. On reaching Charlie Lake near Fort St. John, we noticed several "temperate" species appearing in numbers. Cedar Waxwing, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Brown-headed Cowbird, and Baltimore Oriole were much more conspicuous than at Fort Nelson. A quick scope of the lake in the rain revealed many Eared Grebes and Common Goldeneyes. Also present were several Barrows, numbers of White-winged Scoters, one Long-tailed Duck, and a smattering of dabbling ducks. We camped at Beatton Provincial Park, a delightful place, dominated by aspen and poplar woodlands with a lush and varied shrub and herbaceous understory. A section of the park protects a White Spruce forest, mostly logged in the southern Peace Lowlands. In the campsite was our first Blue Jay. While we had dinner, there was a delightful evening chorus, dominated by the plaintive song of White-throated Sparrows. During the middle of the night, a Barred Owl hooted from the direction of the spruce grove to the south, our only one of the trip.



The next morning dawned very rainy and cold. Luckily the park gate was securely locked when we wished to depart (5:30 am), so we hiked portions of the Spruce and Willow Trails, also winter cross country ski routes. In the spitting rain, we had very good luck, seeing a pair of Philadelphia Vireos, a lone Mourning and a few Black-throated Green Warblers, along with loads of other flycatchers, vireos, warblers, and sparrows. We enjoyed a very nice collection of songbirds in the rain! I reflected on the very dramatic seasonal changes this landscape experiences. Now it was at its peak of activity, however, cold and snow reigns for more than seven months out of the year.



While in Fort St. John, we made obligatory stops to both the north and south sewage ponds. The north ponds were really nice, actually quite productive marshes. A pair each of Trumpeter Swan and American Avocet were highlights here. Hundreds of Northern Shovelers and lesser numbers of other ducks were present, as were numbers of Soras, Marsh Wrens, and Yellow-headed Blackbirds. A late Red-necked Phalarope was of interest, also. The south ponds were of "industrial" strength and less attractive to birds. Extensive mudflats harbored a breeding-plumage Stilt Sandpiper, always a treat to see.



Just south of the Peace River, we drove east on Johnston Road through a mosaic of habitats, including farm fields, deciduous woodlots, and groves of White Spruce. Along a steep north-facing slope, cut by a cliff-like ravine, about 3 k east of Highway 97, we were pleased to study Canada Warblers. I like to think this very striking warbler, though not strictly limited to Canada in the breeding season, chooses to inhabit wild and lush "Canadian-like" patches of boreal habitat wherever it breeds.



DAWSON CREEK. 6-8 JUNE. We were now headed to Dawson Creek in steady rain. Exhaustion overtook us here, so we checked into a motel and slept soundly for much of the afternoon. After pizza and beer, we made a visit to McQueens Slough, a prairie pothole lake on the outskirts of town. I was pleased to see The Nature Trust of British Columbia was a major sponsoring organization for this preserve. Here, we were treated to hundreds of Black Terns, flying about high in the sky over the lake and marsh in unison, chattering as they went. On the water were loads of dabbling and diving ducks.



At dusk, we were at the south end of Swan Lake, in hopes of hearing a Yellow Rail. This spot is pretty much at the northwestern edge in the species range and perhaps not always present. We listened from several points on the periphery of the marsh for an hour with no luck in hearing the rail, so we set off back to Dawson Creek, arriving back after 1 am, having enjoyed a very long day, indeed.



The next morning, June 7th, Mark Phinney, Dawson Creek wildlife biologist and bird expert, met us at McQueens Slough. Within a few moments, he picked out a singing Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow, his earliest local sighting by one day. We set up the scope for this very obliging individual. Whoever said sparrows were drab was not thinking of this beautiful species, with bright orangeish-buff hues and striking head and back stripes, and bizarre sizzling song. We then queried Mark on the whereabouts of certain other species, especially Connecticut Warbler and Le Conte's Sparrow. Then he departed, having to start work, and as it was still fairly early, we set out in search of the Connecticut Warbler.



Mark suggested we try the dense Trembling Aspen woodlands along Brassey Creek, southwest of Dawson Creek. En route, we noted it was becoming breezy, a bad omen, plus the morning prime time was waning. Along Brassey Creek, we heard at several stops staccato songs, which we took for Connecticut Warblers. On visual check, all suspect Connecticuts transformed into Ovenbirds. After three or four such embarrassing calls, plus one involving a Northern Waterthrush (after which, shame compelled me to offer turning in my binoculars), we called it quits.



On the way back to Dawson Creek, we stopped several times where Mark had had LeConte's Sparrows in the last week. It was definitely windy, so our luck was poor. At one stop, I briefly saw a Le Conte's and Ellen and I both heard it utter it's odd, insect-like buzz.



Reading later that afternoon on the area, it appears Ovenbird is one of the commonest warblers in these aspen woods, followed by Connecticut. But, where was the Ovenbirds Ivy League cousin? We don't know, except we were quite sure they were not cohabiting with their more southerly relatives on this day. That evening, I reread the "Birds of British Columbia" account on the Connecticut Warbler and learned that the most reliable site for our target was the Trembling Aspen woodland near Swan Lake, precisely those near Tupper. It so happened we went to that area after supper to search (again) for the elusive Yellow Rail. From the end of Road 203 on the south side of Swan Lake, we gained permission from a staff member of Ducks Unlimited to walk out to the sedge flats where he rails are often noted. Even with rubber boots, we found the water too deep, and had to retreat, railless (except for the ubiquitous Sora). A couple more Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows were singing here, though. A bit of a detour brought us past aspen woodlands near Tupper that seemed to have the characteristics suitable for Connecticut Warbler: mature trees, with a low shrub layer plus a high cover of herbaceous vegetation. I received clearance (and encouragement) from Ellen for a return visit in the morning.



Very early on the morning of the 8th, I left the Ramada Limited Hotel room to pack the car. To my surprise, there was a LeConte's Sparrow singing in wet, rank grassland not 100 metres from our room door! I called Ellen; then with a scope, we had fine views of this close relative of the Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow. Then, it was on to Swan Lake for another Connecticut Warbler search.



Twenty minutes later, we reached the mature aspen woodlands just west of the Alberta border, which I took to be the prime habitat for the Connecticut Warbler. We stopped a half-dozen times and heard nothing to inspire us to traipse into the woods. Then, we hit pay dirt. From the car, not far from the entrance to Swan Lake Provincial Park, I heard a song suspiciously reminiscent of a Connecticut Warbler. But, after having goofed more than three times the previous day, I was reluctant to get too enthused. So, we donned our rubber boots and set off into the wet woods. It turned out the singing by this bird carried farther than we imagined; it was at least several hundred meters to the site. From that point, we listened to the object of our search while it duetted with a neighbouring Connecticut some several hundred metres off to the south. It was clear this was no Ovenbird, nor even a Northern Waterthrush. But, it easily took us another 30 minutes until the warbler descended from the tall canopy to a lower perch where we could discern its fieldmarks. This is indisputably a classy bird because of its rarity, famous long distance migration, and elusive behaviour. Upon inspection, though, it is definitely a dinghy relative of it's more crisply patterned relatives, the Mourning and MacGillivray's Warblers. I took stock of the habitat here. It appeared to me to have a dense grass cover, which Mark asserted was not good for Connecticuts. This left me worrying the Connecticut Warbler's habitat is more threatened than we realize. This aside, we departed, feeling triumphant.



Our final foray in the Dawson Creek region was a Broad-winged Hawk search. Mark suggested driving the gravel road north from the Louisiana-Pacific mill on the bench above the Pine River. We made stops at half-kilometre intervals for about 10 kilometres. I hooted my best Barred Owl rendition. Though many birds responded with agitated calls, none were of the Broad-winged variety. We tallied a number of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Least Flycatchers, Ovenbirds, Tennessee Warblers, American Redstarts, White-throated Sparrows, Blue-headed Vireo, and even a few Black-throated Green Warblers.



We then headed west out of the Peace region, having had a great birding and natural history experience.



PINE PASS. 8 JUNE. West from Chetwyn we ascended towards Pine Pass (933m), a low point in the northern Rocky Mountains. Approaching the pass, we had good birding at an area of marsh alongside the highway. The sun was shining warmly, and many birds were flitting among the alders and singing loudly, though it was midday. Interesting species included Barrow's Goldeneye, Olive-sided Flycatcher and a collection of eastern passerines, including Alder Flycatchers, many Warbling Vireos, warblers such as Tennessee, Yellow, "Myrtle," Blackpoll, Wilson's, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, and Common Yellowthroat. Squawking young Common Ravens, probably close to fledging, were flapping their wings from atop their power pole nest. This and the sooty coloured just-fledged Gray Jays, which we had also observed, appeared to be the earliest nesting birds in the area. On the west side of the pass at Bijoux Falls there was a panhandling Steller's Jay, our first hint that the birdlife was changing to a more westerly avifauna, as compared to eastern species in the Peace Lowlands of northeastern B.C.



Southwards, we detoured for an hour to McKenzie in hopes of finding the road to Mt. Morphy. It was either a muddy track or we simply didn't chance upon it. A BC Hydro employee told us this road led to some nice alpine above McKenzie. The winter's snowpack was still 100% well down into the zone of continuous timber. This thwarted us from trying too hard to find this track, as it was likely we wouldn't make it up to the alpine. Of interest birdwise along the road was an American Bittern "pumping" in the marshes at the only major wetland crossing. This adds to the meager data base from northern B.C. for this species.



South towards Prince George, we camped at Crooked River (Bear River) Provincial Park. We definitely were west of the Rockies here! In the dry forests of Subalpine Fir and Lodgepole Pine, it was obvious we were a world away from the "eastern" forests of the Peace Lowlands. After dinner, we took a short walk to the overlook of the meandering and marshy Crooked River, a lovely scene, indeed. Notable along the trail were several Magnolia Warblers, in a habitat dominated by dense immature cover of Subalpine Fir and an overstory of large firs and occasional spruce. We heard another American Bittern "pumping" from the marshes below.



PRINCE GEORGE. 9 JUNE. South of the Rocky Mountains in Prince George, we paid a short visit in the "Forests for the Worlds." Here, we found the summer hordes of mosquitoes had arrived. It was tough to enjoy the walk with so many of these voracious critters. A number of "eastern" passerines were still with us: Least and Alder Flycatchers, and a sprinkling of warblers we encountered in the Peace Lowlands such as Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Yellow, Magnolia, "Myrtle," Blackpoll, American Redstart, and Northern Waterthrush. White-throated Sparrows, too, were conspicuous. Westerners like Hammond's and Dusky Flycatchers were also about.



Andy Stepniewski

Wapato WA

steppie at nwinfo.net








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