Weekend in Kamloops.

Coyote

Rough legged Hawk

The past weekend I was lucky enough to enjoy the company of Kamloops bird expert, naturalist and all-round-nice- guy Rick Howie and a friend of his, an older gent, named Ralph. Rick had studied natural history and had been birding forever and Kamloops had been his patch for the last thirty years. Ralph was on the wrong side of eighty and had lately lost the ability to drive however he was still keen for a day out birding - something that clearly he had been doing for many many years. An outdoors man of an era perhaps ending Ralph's comments on many species discussed ended with the bold admission that they were, 'good eating'. As a child rabbits were snared for thirty five cents a pair - 'good money in them days'. Ducks were shot as were grouse. Fishing tales were told too and every lake hid fish and their past stories and glories under their ice.

Lac Du Bois Grassland Protected Area

Together they took me for a drive south on route 5A searching for ‘all things natural’ but specifically birds, mammals and some terrific scenery. It was a great day with good spp seen and some good conversation about conservation, birds, nature, indigenous issues, Australian travel and fauna, and birds.

Big Horns....

First target was Big Horn Sheep. And they were too easy. From Ralph’s home in Kamloops we scanned the rugged rock faces and very quickly found a small herd of four rams. My scope allowed good views but the animals were too far away for photos. But still a mammal lifer is a pretty good way to start the day. Not yet having had our fill of the local sheep, we headed towards the nearby Tranquille Chris Creek Road, where a small herd of females and young had been recently seen. They too were quickly found. And we saw some twenty two animals there as well as some Magpie, crows and Ravens plus a few flights of Canada Geese.

We decided then to drive south towards Merritt on the 5A route and stopped on spec or when birds were seen. The most conspicuous birds were raptors. [A Kestrel was actually the first bird sighted for the day.] Bald Eagles, Rough-legged Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks were commonly seen on this route. The latter two species are really quite variable. Rough legs have different plumages for male, female and juveniles however there is much variation on top of that. Red tailed hawks are certainly among the most variable raptor species in the world. So it was a lot of fun to start to learn to identify the species and to work through that variety.

Stump Lake

A few signs of spring were found with a nice flock of two dozen or so Horned Larks; bright yellow supercilliums and throats identifying them as the local breeding race. By the start of March these birds will spread out over the grasslands and begin establishing breeding territories. My first American Robins for 2012 were seen too and I was again reminded how attractive they were. Townsend Solitaires, Northern Shrikes were sighted.

Kamloops' Cliffs

Now a semi expected bonus was another sighting of Snowy Owl. It was perched on a fence overlooking a large snow covered field high on a plateau. While searching for these birds and the  still-yet-hidden Snow Buntings we experienced a few squalls of snow but it was far more pleasant than annoying.

The owls were not the only predators about trying to catch voles and other rodents. A couple of Coyotes were seen actively hunting. They rose up suddenly on their hind legs and pounced aggressively into the snow. As I said two came up smiling with a mouth full of rodent. One turned into a cat of sorts and played with the animal before finally dispatching it.

Too soon the few hours in a late winters BC day were gone and we called it a day, arriving at Rick’s house for a chicken dinner [what else would birders want?] and a couple of glasses of red wine.

Bighorn Ram

Bighorn Portrait

The following day, after scraping the evening’s ice off of my windscreen, I headed back to Nakusp via Highway One; Salmon’s Arm and Revelstoke before heading south along Arrow Lakes.  Before getting on the highway I followed Rick’s advice and took a quiet back-road which too, took me east but on the northern side of the river. The prizes? Great views of more Bighorn! On the northern side of the river the eroded plateau’s cliffs fell away to meadows which bordered the river and it was here the Bighorn had come to graze. A small bachelor herd of rams, that occasionally, with some nonchalance rammed heads while going about the key business of grazing.  Below I will post too many photos.

The Boys are back in Town

Trumpeter Swan

Kamloops River View

Trumpeter Swan and Mallard on Kamloops River

The second prize was a lifer. Tundra swans. Luckily the first swans I encountered, a group of three, were Tundras, clearly identifiable through the scope. Every other swan from that point on however were the Trumpeters. Mallards, Common Goldeneyes and Canada Geese rounded out the waterfowl.  

Satisfied with a couple of hours in the cool it was time to travel and to get some food!