Canada Day Eve -

I spent the morning birding some southern hills high above Nakusp with Gary.

 We explored some of the logging roads some ten kilometres south of the town.

One of the virtues  of the logging roads enables ‘ordinary folk’ with nothing against the trees – who see the forest for the forest’s sake rather than a buck - to travel high in the forest, high above the lake, high above Nakusp and higher than some clouds at least.

Gary chose these locations as part of the BC Bird Atlas project. We stopped at several sites, each duly recorded with GPS – noting elevation, co-ordinates, habitat/s and species recorded through sound and sight. I was limited help being quite the novice with bird calls however my hearing – sad for Gary - was better so I could point out some songs that were too high for him or too far away. Gary had also invested in a ‘super ear’ – a plastic parabola disc with ear phones attached which magnified sounds. So armed, he could hear almost everything – sometimes too well for it did not discriminate – magnifying the wind and the constant sound of running water.

Anyway we recorded some Olive sided Flycatchers, Dusky Flycatchers – both new for my Nakusp list. Atlasing was a great way to focus in on and thus learn some of the songs. Dusky Flycatcher sounds like, the first syllable at least, a little like Hammonds but the second syllable exposes it as something different. Both are Empid flycatchers………. Enough said.  

Also got a lifer! Gary’s ears picked up before I did a Dusky Grouse. A brief bit of tracking found the cock bird playing statues among the foliage and stone. So good views were warmly received. Two more birds were seen as we drove around through the mist and rain.

Another lifer was missed. American Three Toed Woodpecker sign was quite common; bark strippings and adjacent small holes among the conifers signified their presence and hunger. Drummings and callings too hinted at their presence however the birds invisibly mocked our efforts and ignored our patience. Red-naped Sapsuckers were not so shy.

Townsend’s Solitaire pair were there and nesting; on the ground in a road cutting among the scattered rocks they were building.

Gary listening to the misty wilds

Finally we admitted that the rain and mist was annoying and returned to Nakusp for yet another day in doors.