Okanagan Long Weekend

I had looked forward for a while to getting across to the Okanagan to do some birding and this weekend past I had had the opportunity to do just that. 

Chris Siddle, a friend of Gary’s, ex English School teacher, birder and all round good guy had kindly [very kindly] offered to host not only me but my entire family for a couple of nights. This was an opportunity that was too good to refuse.

So on Friday I was driving to Vernon in the north of the Okanagan well pleased with having just scored the Cackling lifer and content that I had some good birding to look forward to with some good company.

The weekend did not disappoint. Friday was a transit day with some necessary winter shopping before red wine and pizza with the Siddles at their well stocked library of a house. Conversation established, among other things, cunning plans for the following day. Sonja, Chris’s wife and Megan and the kids would enjoy the Halloween tradition of visiting a Pumpkin Patch to purchase pumpkins. The pumpkins would be then carved with knives to within an inch of their life but would be left smiling with an idiotic evil grinning expression that children find so attractive, especially when illuminated from within by a candle. Chris and I on the other hand would escape such domestic duty and go birding.

Chris S and Chris C

The birding called for an early start. And by Seven am we were on the road south to Kelowna.  A Harris’s Sparrow had recently been found by Munson’s Pond in Kelowna and that was the main target. The Sparrow had, it seems flown however we enjoyed the birds on the pond itself. Canada Geese, Canada Geese and Canada Geese. Lots of them. A variety of Canada and yet, here and there among them were some more Cackling Geese. Definitely.  But there was a bewildering variety of geese intermediate in size between the Large Canada and the very small Cackling Geese. [The Cackling were only very slightly larger than the nearby Mallards.] Me thinks that the final word regarding the identification of the larger races of Cackling Geese and the smaller races of Canada Geese is yet to be written. Wood Ducks, Ring necks and Blue Herons were also on the pond. Also of interest at Munsons was the sight of the quietly spoken Chris Charlesworth, a birding legend in these parts and owner / chief guide of BC birding company Avocet Tours, who arrived obviously oblivious to the coooool temperatures in shorts.  

Chris Charlesworth in BC birding atire

After checking out some Song Sparrows and Juncos in the hope that they had some other Sparrow buddies we made our way north to Robert Lake. Chris Charlesworth, like the big bad wolf of Little Red Riding Hood, had got there first. And like the big bad wolf he was wearing a disguise. Standing in front of his telescope he stood wrapped un-manfully in a blanket, his still naked large calf muscles protruding unprotected below the blanket’s tassled hem. It seemed clear that the temperature or something had gotten to him.

It must be said though that his get-up was soon forgotten as we turned our attention to what he had his telescope trained towards. Gulls. Hundreds of Gulls. Now I’m an Australian, trained, by reason of their poverty of numbers [in species at least], to ignore Gulls. But here their numbers and variety demand attention. And study. Under the expert tuition of Chris and Chris I began to get my eye in. Chris Charlesworth, the clear expert in the subject, patiently and clearly explained differences in plumages, bills, feet colour, head shape, colour and pattern in wing tips, that allowed me to identify man yof the gulls present. Six species in total; Ring-billed, Californian, Herring, Glaucous-winged, Bonaparte’s  and, perhaps most exciting for me, Thayer’s as it was a lifer. Of the latter two first year birds plus three adults were found.   

Chris Siddle and I then abandoned ‘the other Chris’ and headed north towards the Glenmore landfill. What decent day’s birding does not deserve a trip to a dump? Here, near the entrance, we spotted two Greater White-fronted Geese and a large flock of tiny Cackling Geese.  At Okanagan Landing were

Greater and Lesser Scaups, Redheads, and Ring-necked Ducks, as well as all four usual grebes. At the south end of Goose Lake were American Goldfinches, a Rough-legged Hawk, and a few hundred waterfowl, including about 75 American Wigeons.

At Swan Lake we scanned for Scoters but saw little but frozen tears. Chris too looked uncomfortable. The lake had Gadwall, Mallard, Loons, Western Grebe and, across the lake, two Harriers.  

Long-tailed Duck - going?

Long-tailed Duck - going?

Gone

Another stop at O’Keefe’s pond yielded the expected Long-tailed Duck whose earlier non-PC name again reminded me of Chris Charlesworth at Robert Lake.  The Long-tailed duck was energetically diving again and again and again. I must say that the plumage and appearance generally of the Lt Duck impresses me – occasionally one sees a species that seems designed by a team of animators. The long tailed duck fits this bill – pun [sadly] intended.

Salmon Arm

At the northern end of Otter Lake we saw no otters but a host of Widgeon and a few Pintail and two more Greater White-fronted Geese.

Salmon Arm Great Blue Heron

Finally we travelled further north to Salmon Arm to try to grab another Gull lifer – a recently reported Sabine’s Gull. WE found no such Gull however we met Ted Hilary who had originally found it with some Bonaparte’s Gulls. He had not seen it either. We enjoyed some Common and Hooded Mergansers and, in particular, the antics of a family of Otters who had decided the board walks of a mariner were a great place to work, rest and play and..poop. [Please feel free to insert your favourite verb].  

Otters at Salmon Arm

All in all it was a great day. Particularly so for the company of Chris Siddle who, I am beginning to believe, is a long lost brother. Perhaps like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito. You know the kinds of brothers that only their parents can tell apart. Anyway the brother theory; wildlife, birding, nature, books, politics, English teaching and it wanting to end, suspicion of sporting elites, cynicism of the ultra religious, married to attractive women from exotic places [Chris married to Sonja from Denmark, and I'm married to Megan from the exotic apple isle of Tasmania] down to remarkably similar true stories of our youth all suggested some spooky genetic linkages.  It was nice to be with family.

And so it was at the dinner table on Saturday evening. A good supper of Sweet and Sour was followed by a spooky safari through a Haunted House with the boys in down town Vernon. And then a bit of a chat until quite late. 

I must admit that night I slept too soundly and I did not surface until after seven thirty on Sunday morning. 

Sunday morning saw an early winter expedition to Silver Star, the Ski Resort near Vernon. It had snowed and the car park was covered in a thin layer as was the surrounding hills. We strolled through the snow along Paradise Trail with Chris and Sonja and my family. All were happy except for Millie who decided that it was far too cold to be cool and she let all know her displeasure. Despite her protests we found a Rough-legged Hawk, Pine Grosbeak, Mountain Chickadee, Stellers and Grey Jays and Northern Pygmy Owl. The latter was my third lifer in as many days and Chris, in quiet astonishment, had called it in.  We got great views to a moaning Millie soundtrack.

Silver Star

Sonja at Silver Star

Millie and I - note Millie's socks for gloves.

Lifer number 3 - Northern Pygmy Owl

Group Shot! - Chris Siddle, Sonja Siddle, Millie, Tom, Me and Matt!

The trip home was another reminder that winter is upon us as snow whirled around our vehicle and, at times high in the hills, it had fallen to make a thin white veil across the ground and even the waters of some small lakes.   

Winter returns on the drive home

A final word.  A sincere thank you to Chris and, in particular, his wife Sonja for hosting my family and I. We certainly appreciated their hospitality.