The Birds and Wildlife of British Columbia Canada (1 Viewer)

[speyghillie]

Hi All,
Just looking for some feedback on a trip I would like to put together, I have been hosting fly fishing trips to Alberta and British Columbia for more than 12yrs now, with more than 40 trips hosted,( my real job is wildlife guiding in Scotland.), and during these trips I have spent time on many wildlife tours in British Columbia, anyway to cut a long story short i wondered if anybody would be interested in a trip starting in Calgary and finishing on Vancouver Island, the scenery through the Rockies and Fraser Valley is second to none, and knowing so many wildlife guides i know we would see so much, this is a message from Chris a friend and Bird guide, i was asking more about photography.
June is a very busy birding month in the Okanagan Valley, with upwards of 150-200 species possible in a few days. Birds are breeding and in nice plumage at this time of year. Late August there will probably be a lot of
birds around since this is the beginning of fall migration here. Birds
will be in fall plumage though.
I suppose a few of the interesting species one can photograph in this area include Northern Pygmy-Owl, Western and Mountain bluebirds, Western Meadowlarks, Eastern and Western kingbirds, Yellow-headed Blackbirds and much more. We do have some wildlife available as well, in the form of California Bighorn Sheep, Black Bear, Mule and White-tailed deer, Moose, etc.

I know its possible to add Bald Eagles and a host of sea birds on the same trip on Vancouver Island as i see them every trip, Killer Whales and Humpback Whales, Sea Otters.
I am really only looking for some feedback as i am travelling back to British Columbia for April. i even have a friend who has a pack of Wolves that star in Movies and Game of thrones that its possible to interact with, and i don't mean looking through a fence. |8.|

Thanks Gordon.

 

[kittykat23uk]

Um, yeah! If you are confident on the wolves and cetaceans you have my interest! Please keep me posted as your plans develop..

Jo

 

[Littlehampton Birder]

id defo be interested!

 

[speyghillie]

The Birds and Wildlife of British Columbia

Hi Kittykat23uk, and Littlehampton Birder,
Andrew has Timber Wolves, Black and White and Chinese Wolves and in the Spring quite a lot of Wolf Cubs.
I have attached a few pictures, it is possible to really interact with these Wolves as they are used in Hollywood movies, so you can walk with them, sit with the Pack, or even running with Wolves, sorry I just had to say it.
The Chinese wolves are not quite so friendly at times, so it might not be safe with them... all the others are fine, the image of the Wolf snarling is that he has been trained to do this for the movies and photographers, he is really not that scary.
On Vancouver Island there is a tiny little town called Zeballos that does great Sea Otter trips, because of the floating rafts it has a big sea Otter population, and is the best place on the Island for them.
Thanks Gordon.

 

[kittykat23uk]

Sounds like an amazing experience. I have seen wild wolves in 3 countries, India, china and the US, but to interact with them would be a completely different experience. I have always wanted to see orcas as well. When are you thinking of running such a trip?

 

[speyghillie]

The Birds and wildlife of British Columbia

Hi kittykat23uk,
I was on Vancouver Island last Oct, did a trip out of Campbell river to look for Orca's, a little late in the season, no Orca's on the day but we had 400 white sided Dolphins all around the Zodiac boat which was brilliant, sea Lions and Bald Eagles a plenty.
There is a resident Pod off Victoria and a couple of Companies guarantee sightings, I saw three Orca's while on the ferry crossing to Horse shoe bay.
Not sure when I would do a trip, I would like to do one this summer but its a little short notice for people, and later in the year I am booked up to host fishing trips to Canada.
Thanks Gordon.

 

[Boro Birder]

Hi kittykat23uk,
I was on Vancouver Island last Oct, did a trip out of Campbell river to look for Orca's, a little late in the season, no Orca's on the day but we had 400 white sided Dolphins all around the Zodiac boat which was brilliant, sea Lions and Bald Eagles a plenty.
There is a resident Pod off Victoria and a couple of Companies guarantee sightings, I saw three Orca's while on the ferry crossing to Horse shoe bay.
Not sure when I would do a trip, I would like to do one this summer but its a little short notice for people, and later in the year I am booked up to host fishing trips to Canada.
Thanks Gordon.

Hi Gordon just like to say, id love to live that lifestyle, especially in Canada or British Columbia, my favourite places in the western hemisphere, however close to home, Scotland and the Western Isles are the best, along with Shetland, Orkney

Damian

 

[speyghillie]

Hi Damian,
I am pretty lucky with where i live and travelling to Canada so many times, possibly not today as its really windy and trying to snow, but if you like being outdoors its all good, i wish i could upload a little movie from BC of me out on the water off Vancouver Island with a Pod of around 400 white sided dolphins swimming and jumping along side the boat.
I have been all over Scotland and the Islands, well its a short drive anywhere from Aviemore, but i have to say British Columbia with its wildlife and scenery is second to none, you will know what i mean having been there.
Interacting with the Wolves is something i have wanted to do forever, the girl along the road from Andrew has a Kodiak Bear and Black bear, not sure about any interaction with those guys.
Thanks Gordon.

 

[kittykat23uk]

Is it possible/likely to see wild wolves, lynx or bobcat in the areas you are thinking for this trip?

 

[speyghillie]

Hi KittyKat23uk.
It is possible to see wild Wolves on Vancouver Island, they can be seen feeding at low tide on the shoreline, how often i'm not really sure, and I know people have seen them on remote rivers when the Salmon run has been going a while, never thought of Lynx of Bobcat but I don't think so, i have lists of wildlife guides have sent me, and no Lynx or Bobcat on the lists.
Thanks Gordon.

 

[Maroon Jay]

Hi Gordon. I know the place. I will be spending the whole summer there. Leaving Alberta mid April and staying there until mid September. There are also many Grizzly Bears and a Gondola 2,266 metres up Mt Revelstoke where you can see Grey-crowned Rosy Finch. A little bird that lives only high up in the mountains. Also one of the highest restaurants in the world and a Grizzly refuge there. Then relax in the hot springs in the evening. Lots of birds, including eagles, in the valley. Columbia Valley is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Surrounded by no less than six National Parks. Anyone going there, let me know if you need assistance.

 

[speyghillie]

Hi Maroon Jay,
I Know the area pretty well, my buddy worked at mica creek dam for the hydro, and we used to fish there in the summer, I contacted Grizzly bear ranch and even had a guy I guide in Scotland spend some time with them, I fish the Columbia river with a friend and river guide from Trail.
I hope to be in Dead Rear, (Red Deer) next month before travelling through Revelstoke and on to the Okanagan and then the Island.
Thanks Gordon.

 

[Maroon Jay]

Hi Gordon,
I will be passing through Red Deer on the same route. I will leave about April 15, 16 or 17. Don't have exact date yet. When will you be there? Tom

 

[speyghillie]

Hi Tom,
Not sure when I will be heading to and from Red Deer as I am waiting to hear from a couple of friends in Vernon, one gets lots of Hummingbirds in her garden, I also hope to catch up with Chris at Avocet tours in Kelowna, he sent me a huge list of birds he guides to in my favourite part of BC, the Okanagan Valley.
I remember looking and contacting Grizzly Ranch but it was really expensive, and if I take a group to Vancouver Island we would visit the Great Bear Rainforest for a couple of days and they had a great season, one Female was seen regularly with three cubs.
http://youtu.be/LaVwRxb2xSw

Thanks Gordon.

 

[speyghillie]

Thought I would add a little clip of the Wolves Andrew has,
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1824840385285&video_source=pages_finch_thumbnail_video/ in November there is also the Bald Eagle festival in Chilliwack, the largest gathering of Bald Eagles anywhere in North America.
Thanks Gordon.

 

[kittykat23uk]

Hi again Gordon,

Just been mulling this over again and thinking that if we do this at some point this trip report has some great ideas:

http://www.wildglobetours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/19-Canada-2013.pdf

I don't think I could manage 35 days - 2 to 3 weeks would be my limit. But I would very much like to try to include Churchill in the off season as this guy did for the polar bears as well as fitting in some of the other bear and whale watching opportunities that your mentioned.

I have a feeling that next year might be tricky for me as I already have one trip lined up as well as a potential second trip. I have availability this year - but guessing that would be too soon for you (and I am considering returning to Brazil which would fill me up for this year) So it might be that this is something to be planned for 2017? there is someone else on the mammalwatching.com forum who was thinking of Churchill in the off season of that year too - so that could potentially work.

All the best

Jo.

 

[speyghillie]

Hi Jo,
The opportunities are endless in Canada, there are so many flights with Westjet to remote and less remote areas, partly due to the fact that small communities can only be supplied by air and that most of the Oil and Gas is in remote areas, so internal flights are plentiful.
It really is just a question of what species and time of year, I am in the middle of my planned trips for 2016 as the Bald Eagle photography trip is now full, so I am planning the 4 or 5 trips for 2016, as Western Canada is the only trips I do.
I have a friend that goes to Churchill each year to photograph the Polar Bears and Artic Foxes, he has always had a brilliant time and its become his second home I think.
Thanks Gordon.

 

[kittykat23uk]

Definitely orcas, belugas, polar bears and the other Arctic species (hares and fox) would be my priority. Bears fishing for salmon secondary, Possibly spirit bear if there is still a reliable site for them when plans are firmed up. I am guessing that luck would be involved for wolf, lynx and so on. Sea otterwould be nice too. So that would mean late September I guess. Money and to a lesser extent time, would be the limiting factor. If I can keep the cost down I can probably managed more days.

I have been to Yellowstone so have seen a lot of north American mammals there.

 

[speyghillie]

Hi Jo,
There are resident Pods of Orcas off the south side of Vancouver Island so they will be pretty much guaranteed up until the end of September, See Otters are best further up the Island, very occasionally they see Wolves and Black Bear on the shore line early in the morning, but I think its pretty rare, after a few species on the Island it would be pretty easy to get a flight anywhere via a ten min flight to Vancouver from the Island, all it needs is some good forward planning and enough people to make a nice small group to travel with.
Thanks Gordon.

 

[Carol Baldock]

Hi Gordon,
The year we went to Canada, part of our trip involved what I tell people was little more than a blow up dinghy, out from Vancouver Island, with 8 of us and a marine biologist.

Out we went... for what seemed like an eternity.... and then we stopped and waited and waited ..and then there we were in the middle of a super pod of orca's ...I kid you not we could have reached out of the boat and stroked them....my all time favourite wildlife highlight...what more can I say...big whales, mothers with youngsters etc etc..

perhaps I need to speak to my better half Rob about a return visit??...