May 29th Skunk Cabbage Trail and Golden BC

May 29^th:

Early morning around El Nido with a temperature of 7C. An early walk round the meadows and woodland edges produces at least 8 Hammond’s Flycatchersin song, Savannah Sparrows on territory in the meadow, at least 50 Pine Siskins around the garden feeders along with Steller’s Jays, Lincoln’s Sparrow in song and Rufous Hummingbirds. Two birds feeding quietly low in a spruce turn out to be fledged juvenile White-winged Crossbills. In the garden first encounter with some confusing Cassin’s / Purple Finches. We then plan on a trip to Revelstoke Park and hopefully a drive up to the Alpine Meadows along the 26kms long Parkway trail but I have reservations. As we set off down the TransCanada Highway 1 it’s a pleasant 7C but soon rises to 23C. The TransCanada is under reconstruction over long sections with multiple speed restrictions and hold ups meaning the 90-minute trip takes over 2 hours but we eventually arrive at the desired Skunk cabbage trail and read on the display about Mac the MacGillivray’s Warblerbanded there that had returned to his territory for several years; this was a challenge so listen to the song on the Sibley app and immediately there is one singing but scanning the low vegetation for ages reveals no bird but they are known to be skulkers then Jude sees on singing from 25 feet up in a tree! Good views are had but images distant and in the growing heat are just record shots. Later in the afternoon I get close views of one feeding low down in the vegetation by the start of the trail. Lifer number six. Also on the trail we encounter singing American Redstarts, Northern Waterthrushes,always surprising to see then singing from high up in trees, Song Sparrows, Common Yellowthroat, 10 Cedar Waxwings, Rufous Hummingbird and a drake HarlequinDuckin the river. The first ode is a four-spotted chaser / skimmer. With temperatures rising to 25C we head into Revelstoke for lunch at Emos then drive to the park where we are told the road is only open to Km 12 way short of any alpine habitat but we have park passes so drive up anyway but the road stops well down in the forest and in the increasing heat it is pretty bird free with Varied Thrushheard only, Bald Eagle and Audubon’s Warblers in song plus the usual Pine Siskins. Disappointed by the lack of Alpine habitat we start the journey back to El Nido through the road works with temperatures rising to 32C its better being in the vehicle than outside. Back at Golden we eat at Wolf’s Den and then have another trip up the road to Kicking Horse Wilderness area and encounter the Black Bears again with the three small cubs climbing up a roadside tree an amazing sight. Mosquitos put me off a late evening session around the digs. 

Black Bear cubs tree climbing, Rufous Hummingbirds, MacGillivray's Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, juvenile White-winged Crossbills

May 28th Canmore to Golden via Yoho NP

May 28^th:

The weather forecast for today is hot and sunny all day. A drive up the Bow Valley Parkway is almost totally unproductive with a road crossing Gray Jaythe only bird but en route to our next digs near Golden we stop off at Yoho Park Visitor centre and the car park has a large flock of feeding Pine Siskins but also on the grass under the trees are two White-winged Crossbillswith others heard in the trees but they all fly off before good images can be taken. We then do the circular walk around Emerald Lake in increasing heat but pick up a decent list of birds including; 6 Spotted Sandpipers presumably breeding, 20+ Audubon’s Warblers in song, a singing Hermit Thrushthe only one of the trip, Chipping and Lincoln’s Sparrows in song, Least Flycatcher and another singing empidin a clearing in the young pines that escapes detection, a drake and three duck Surf Scoterson the lake seem a little out of place, two male Common Loons have an extended fight involving wing paddling after each other around the lake for over 15 minutes to the entertainment of canoeists, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets in song, a singing male Blackpoll Warbler, a Buff-bellied Pipitflew north calling and Violet-green Swallows were collecting nest material in the gardens of the houses. A Least Chipmunk was entertaining while a Golden-mantled Groundsquirrel was oddly the only one we say. Lunch at the recommended Truffle Pigs Bistro in Field township with temperatures now at 30C a local Ginger Ale with ice was much appreciated. We then drove on to our base for the next three nights at El Nido Country Inn near Golden. Off the beaten track and set in the edge of the woods it was clear this was a birdy spot but it was also rich in mosquitos in the evening and early mornings. A quick look around revealed at least 5 Rufous Hummingbirds on the house feeders with Violet-green Swallows and Tree Swallows plus several Columbian Ground Squirrels but Susan and Maurizio add valuable news and after a meal at Wolf’s Den, another good recommendation, we drove up the road to Kicking Horse Wilderness centre and came across Eastern Kingbird but more importantly a female Black Bear with three small cubs on the roadside then another female with two bigger cubs and two more presumably 2cy bears all within 2kms of road a dramatic evening. 

Emerald Lake, Black Bears, Violet-green Swallows looking both green and violet, White-winged Crossbills; Painted Lady one of a huge migration 

crossbills -- Red and White-winged

on our first trip up Mount Washington saw a flock of crossbills and Pine Siskins on the road and realised one was a fine male White-winged but they flew off at a distance -the male White-winged was seen singing at the top of a tall pine but then flew off -- that was it for White-winged but a presumed family of Red Crossbills were seen on the second visit and landed right next to me on the road with the food begging juvs accompanied by a few different adults -- these Red Crossbills appear to be particularly fine billed and so maybe larch feeders?

White-winged Crossbill

having seen the Two-barred Crossbills yesterday dug out these shots of White-winged Crossbills taken near Jasper, Alberta, in August 2007, for comparison -- muted as a separate species the differences in bill size and shape are pretty obvious at least