The first weekend of April is a rite of spring for the folks who live on the mid-coast of Vancouver Island. As early as February small flocks of Pacific Black Brant Geese begin returning to the Parksville and Qualicum Beach areas. [See Getting Up Island.] By mid-March the annual “sea goose” migration is in full swing, peaking a month later in the middle of April. By the time it is over in mid-May some 20,000 of the small geese will have passed through, stopping to rest up and feed on eelgrass, green algae and herring roe before continuing their northward journey.

Wintering in Baja California and adjacent mainland Mexico, the brant follow the coast northward until reaching British Columbia. As the Pacific coast north of Vancouver Island is rugged and rocky most brant wing towards the northwest from this last staging area to begin the transoceanic flight to breeding grounds in Siberia, Alaska and the Canadian Arctic. Altogether this three month journey covers more than 10,000 kilometres. Interestingly the southward migration in the fall follows a more direct route across the open Pacific. Only in the spring do the Brant grace the British Columbia coast with their presence. To celebrate this annual return local businesses and naturalists have inaugurated the Brant Festival. Brant viewing areas have been established at Rathtrevor and Qualicum Beaches with telescopes and nature interpretation provided. Peripheral events include art shows, photo exhibitions, a wood carving contest, craft fair, Native Indian-style salmon barbecue, Native dance displays, special children’s events and environmental displays.

To be completely honest, unless you are a bird watching fanatic, the Brant Festival is neither awesome nor profound. It is, however, interesting. To make a trip to Vancouver Island simply for this event may be disappointing to some. Coupled with a cycling weekend or a trip to the Pacific Rim area, the Brant Festival could provide a more than satisfying glimpse of one of nature’s marvels.

Bracket Fungi <<->> Galiano Island Hiking Trails - Bodega Ridge

Relatively large winter runs of spawning chum and, every other year, pink salmon in a number of coastal B.C. rivers attract nearly half of all of North America’s bald eagles. Each winter B.C.’s resident population of some 12,000 of the once endangered raptors swells to over 30,000 with birds drawn from Alaska, the Yukon, Alberta and as far away as Wyoming and Arizona. The Squamish River, halfway between Vancouver and Whistler, is particularly bountiful and has attracted as many as 3,766 of these normally solitary birds in one season.

Dem Bones: Grisly bones are all that remain of another successful salmon run. Yet something stirs below the frigid waters in the coarse gravel of the river bottom. Life invisibly gathers strength as scavengers and decay erase every vestige of the last generation

Eagles begin flocking in as early as November each year and lingering on until the following February. From late December to early January the transient eagle population reaches its peak, making the holiday season an ideal time to visit. A high point of this natural wonder is the Annual Eagle Census which takes place on January 15 each year. Volunteers are always needed for this chore so it’s a good chance to get involved, meet others who share a love of and fascination with nature and be part of an important event.

Getting There

The cheapest, easiest way to simply get a glimpse of this marvel is to take the Greyhound bus connection to Squamish. See Getting to Whistler for details. Once you arrive be prepared to walk [See map.]

If you arrive by bus simply take Government Road north for less than a kilometre. As soon as you see the dikes on your left you have reached Eagle Run. The main viewing area is directly across from Easter Seal Camp Squamish.

If you are arriving by car pool you’ll want to turn off the Sea to Sky Highway 99 at the Squamish McDonald’s. Almost immediately on your right you’ll find Buckley Avenue. Turn here and continue north until the first set of railway tracks. If you take a sharp left here you may see the trumpeter swans which make Squamish Estuary their home. Since swans are not our main objective you’ll probably want to continue along Buckley Road. Follow Buckley Road south for a half kilometre or so until you reach the first right. Take it and immediately on your right you’ll see the high dikes which flank the Squamish River. Pull over and clamber up on the banks and, if you haven’t seen any eagles yet, you should begin spotting them directly across the river. These few stragglers are nothing: the best is yet to come. Continue following the river upstream, crossing the mouth of the Mamquam River via the Government Road bridge, not the railway bridge. Whenever crossing railway tracks here use extreme caution as the crossing is not controlled and speeding freight trains are frequent along the busy CN Rail tracks.

From the Government Road bridge peer into the crystal clear water to spot spawning salmon early in the season or their spent carcasses later on. Decay is slow in the icy water so eagles and other scavengers will continue feeding on them well into February. From the bridge stay with the dike following the Mamquam River downstream past the local animal shelter and sewage treatment plant. Near the end of the dike trail you’ll reach Eagle Run where the largest number of Eagles are concentrated.

Of Eagles and Men

Photo opportunities abound here. Not only are the eagles themselves a majestic subject but the spawning salmon and their spent carcasses provide a bittersweet foil to the elegy of survival, of renewal acted out each winter on the banks of the Squamish. Keep in mind that by as early as noon in the dead of winter the eagles perched in the trees across the river will be in the shadows. An early start is recommended. Depending on the weather and the time of winter most eagles may be inactive, conserving their energy in an effort to survive the long cold winter. You may note the pecking order of eagle society among those actively feeding. Juveniles, those without the distinctive white head of the Bald Eagle, will defer to their seniors, waiting impatiently as the elder birds feast on carrion.

Snapshot of Eagles in Squamish Estuary

Later in the season as food becomes scarcer, watch as eagles rely on sea gulls to pull salmon carcasses up from the depths of the river. The giant raptors will then swoop in, commandeering the yummy victuals for themselves. You are sure to catch a whiff reminiscent of cod liver oil as the birds tear at the decaying flesh. A word of warning: never approach too closely to the eagles or disturb them in any way. Winter is a difficult time for these birds and flying uses up crucial energy reserves. If distressed too often eagles may not survive winter’s torments.

Package Tours

A unique way to see the wintering bald eagles is to join a float tour. These river rafting packages are reasonably priced and allow participants the opportunity to see parts of the Squamish River not normally accessible to road-bound naturalists. Tours are generally interpretative though the knowledge of guides and quality of the information varies somewhat. Usually you can arrange to be picked up at or bus station prior to the tour. Don’t expect a raging, whitewater experience, however. Water levels are quite low in all rivers throughout winter so you can expect rafting to be a serene, slow-paced experience emphasizing harmony.

In addition to river rafting, the Sun Wolf Outdoor Centre has ten rustic riverside cabins, fireplace-equipped, for those who would like to combine eagle viewing with a romantic overnight getaway. Visit Sunwolf Outdoor Centre or call: 1-877-806-8046/604-898-1537.

Adams River Salmon Watching <<->> Barnston Island

Access: See Getting to Boundary Bay.

The passage of the snow geese coincides with the arrival of migrating western sandpipers. During April and May each spring half a million of the Alaska-bound shorebirds pass through the Fraser delta and Boundary Bay pausing for just three days to refuel on intertidal zone invertebrates.

Breeding and rearing in the glow of the midnight sun is a brief affair with most adults returning to the Lower Mainland from June to mid-July. Juveniles are abandoned after a relatively brief period of parental care and remain behind to fatten and strengthen until late in the summer, passing through the Pacific Northwest in August and September on their way to points as far south as coastal Peru and Chile.

Bird Watching Introduction <<->> Sea Asparagus

Snowy Owls

Access: See Getting to Boundary Bay.

Bald Eagles, red-tailed hawks, harriers, long-eared owls, short-eared owls, barn owls and their prey are a common sight from the dikes of Boundary Bay in any season. In fact this is truly raptor heaven.

Particularly harsh arctic winters drive the massive Snowy Owl south and west in search of alternative food supplies. Many of these itinerant ookpiks end up in Boundary Bay feasting on fowl rather than their customary lemming diet. As you continue walking along the dikes 1½ km northward from the park entrance you’ll notice a collection of greenhouses at the foot of 64th Street. On a good day careful scrutiny of the structures around the farm here may reveal as many as a couple dozen of the fluffy white raptors.

Photographers Flock to Boundary Bay

Continue exploring the dikes southwards for another kilometre or so. Snowys can also be found presiding over the salt marshes at the foot of 72nd Street. Their appearance attracts hordes of casual observers as well as legions of outdoor paparazzi who have been known frighten off the owls in the interest of getting “the shot.”

Refrain from approaching or otherwise harassing these occasional visitors as every unnecessary flight reduces the critical energy reserves required for winter survival. Harassment is a criminal offense under the BC Wildlife Act. Photograph any acts of harassment and make a formal complaint to the BC Wildlife Management Branch via phone [1-877-952-7277] or web. Be sure to capture clear identifying photos of the perpetrators’ faces as well as their license plate numbers when they return to their vehicles. A conviction for wildlife harassment could result in a sentence of up to six months and/or a fine of as much as one million dollars. As such laws are rarely enforced with any vigor in the province of British Columbia, an embarrassing slap on the wrist is a more likely consequence.

Female Snowy Owls are generally larger with more brown-dappled colouring to blend in with their arctic tundra nesting sites. Nesting females exclusively incubate the eggs and guard and tend the chicks while the males concentrate on providing meat for the mother and hatchlings.

Camera Shy: A fuzzy wuzzy ookpik peers out from behind a log as the “press corps” presses closer.

Depending on the severity of northern and inland weather, the season for viewing Snowy Owls typically extends from November to February though very few ookpiks may reach the coast during particularly balmy winters. The onset of global warming may make this ritual a thing of the past.

In Flight: An ookpik investigates rodent rustles among the tangle of driftwood.

The hawks, harriers and short-eared owls will usually be quite active, patrolling the marsh lands on the ocean side of the dike for ripe rodent. Along the ditches on the opposite side of the dike scan for long-eared owls roosting in the shadows of bushes and trees. If quiet, you can expect to get as close as 2 metres to these slumbering guys. Photographers will want to use a flash with telephoto attachment.

Snow Geese <<->> Steveston Via West Dyke Trail

Autumn is the season when the snow geese pass through the Fraser River Estuary. Over the course of one or two days in October wave after wave of the small white geese arrive – some 30,000 in all – in a spectacle that is sure to move even the thickest-skinned urbanite. The snow geese generally arrive in early October from Wrangel Island in the Aleutian Island chain and refuel by feasting on the buried stems of marsh plants.

Many will continue on to California much like the human variety of “snow bird” though large flocks will winter over in the Lower Mainland, moving on to the Skagit River delta in Washington state in January. By February the northward migration begins again with B.C. as the final staging area before the flight back to Siberia. With daily new arrivals the numbers gradually build up until the whole gaggle takes flight, en masse, every April, drawn northwards yet again by the urge to procreate. In spite of their impressive presence, the snow goose has experienced a drastic decline in its numbers since the 1960s when an estimated 400,000 snow geese made the annual migration to the Arctic. Though staging a comeback through efforts of conservationists, the population today hovers at just a quarter of its former glory.

Seizin’ Quackers: At least a gaggle and a half reaches for the sky in unison when a bald eagle drops by for lunch. Taking advantage of the chaos, the eagle plucks a duck from a nearby pond instead.

The George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary located on Westham Island is the best place to view the snow geese. Time your visit to the wildlife sanctuary, admission $3.25, to coincide with high tide, preferably in the early afternoon. As the water rises giant flocks of the snow geese will be forced away from the distant water’s edge to fields more readily visible from the dikes of the refuge.

The white-phase Lesser Snow Geese of the Fraser River Estuary are small by goose standards, weighing in at just 2½ kg. Typically, their black-tipped wings stretch a mere 90 cm. Though the plumage of adult snow geese is white note the rusty red colouring of their faces and heads, permanently stained from mucking about in iron-oxide rich soil after edible roots. Like most of their kind, snow geese are a gregarious, raucous lot with those on the ground imploring, with high-pitched honks, those swirling overhead to join them. From time to time, a marauding eagle may force the entire flock into the air in a cacophony of whistling wings and startled goose chatter. Be sure to be in prime goose-viewing position as day turns to dusk since the snow geese will take flight once again as they return to the sea for protection overnight.

Aerobatics: Incoming snow geese signal their approval of the landing zone with a synchronized roll. Consensus reached, the raucous lot on the ground directs their airborne cousins in.

November is officially Snow Goose Month at the bird sanctuary but, as an added bonus, mid-November happens to coincide with the return of trumpeter swans as well. Watch for these larger birds in smaller flocks. Though also white, they can be easily distinguished on the wing by longer necks, slimmer bodies and an absence of black wing tips. The world’s largest concentrations of trumpeter swans will be found here. Numerous other species call Reifel refuge home as well. Blinds and viewing platforms have been erected to enhance the viewing experience while minimizing the impact of human presence on indigenous wildlife. On weekends, volunteers will scour the habitat for anomalous wildlife, setting up a spotting scope and providing interpretation to visitors whenever they encounter something of interest. Expect to see hunting hawks, roosting saw-whet owls in addition to the more pedestrian variety of waterfowl.

The George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary is unfortunately not serviced directly by TransLink. The #601 South Delta bus, operating on half-hour intervals, will deliver you to within 7 km of the wildlife refuge. The #601 South Delta originates adjacent to the Burrard Street SkyTrain Station in downtown Vancouver. Get off the bus at Ladner Exchange some 45 minutes later and, if feeling rich, grab a cab at the taxi stand or transfer to the #606 or #608 Ladner Ring bus to wheel a further 1½ km closer to your destination. The Ladner Ring bus operates only during peak hours Monday through Saturday. Disembark at the corner of River Road and 46A Street fully prepared to cover the final 5½ km to the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary on foot. Given that the route cuts across the pleasant rural landscape of Westham Island, serious consideration should be given to hiking particularly for those looking for photo opportunities. Sunshine and pumpkins is one obvious subject which should present itself every autumn. After getting off the bus walk westward along River Road until Westham Island Road. Turn right and cross the one-lane Canoe Pass Bridge, following the road to its end at the bird sanctuary.

Taxis should be waiting at Ladner Exchange and should cost around $15, cost-effective if travelling in a group of four or five. Contact Delta Sunshine Taxi by phone at (604) 594-5444 or (604) 592-0111. Pay phones are available at both Ladner Exchange and the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary. Hitchhiking back to Translink territory is another alternative, keeping the usual safety caveats in mind.

For rare bird alerts and other bird watching info visit: Birding in British Columbia.

Skunk Cabbage <<->> Snowy Owls

Of course the esoteric pursuit of bird watching can be undertaken in just about any corner of the province. There are, however, several major ornithological events that attract a broader, more common curiosity.

Woody Woodpecker: Spectacular migratory events aside, birding can be enjoyed just about anywhere. This industrious Pileated Woodpecker was caught deconstructing a fir tree on Newcastle Island.

British Columbia is an important stop on the migratory flyways of numerous species including black brant geese on Vancouver Island, snow geese, snowy owls and sandpipers in the Fraser River Delta and Boundary Bay and bald eagles to a number of coastal British Columbia rivers. These cyclical events attract photographers and naturalists from all over the world.

For up-to-date information on birding phenomena such as the arrival of the snow geese or rare bird sightings contact:

Vancouver Bird Alert Hotline:

(604) 737-3074

Sponsors: Vancouver Natural History Society and Wildbirds Unlimited

San Juan Islands - San Juan Island <<->> Sandpipers