US & Canada August 2017

California, Arizona, Utah and British Columbia August 11th - September 1st

The trip was a family holiday, so the birding part was slightly relegated in priority (not necessarily by me !!).

Adie was only 2 and Hannah 6 when we last went to British Columbia, and Adie in particular could not remember any of the fantastic wildlife we had seen so we wanted to do this trip in 2 parts, PART 1  to see some of the National Parks in the US covering Yosemite, Death Valley, Grand Canyon North Rim, Bryce Canyon and Zion.and PART 2 the last week on Vancouver Island with a small focus on Bears and Whales.

The US route

The Canada route

All the arrangements were made by our friends at Wildlife Trails, although they don't generally provide US trips, they were happy to help sort the bookings and scheduling here. The itinerary worked perfectly. The only part I did directly was book the BA flights to San Francisco and then return from Vancouver. It is an expensive time of year to travel but I secured of small discount by buying the seats in the December BA sale. The costs for family holidays now is more expensive, paying 4 adult prices and generally requiring 2 rooms. The single family room option only worked in San Francisco and our apartment in Tofino. Although at times the vast numbers of teenage friends that seem to be with us everywhere via phones and tablets luckily didn't require accommodation.

I had a slight concern  when the itinerary had been agreed (apart from keeping 2 teenage girls suitably impressed) that the amount of driving and only 2 nights in each place may mean a slightly exhausting agenda, but it was actually perfect. We had an upgraded car from Alamo at San Fran (a Dodge Quarango) and the driving was surprisingly easy in the US, being largely long straight roads with not too much traffic. The longest drives were from Yosemite to Death Valley (about 8.5 hours including stops) and from Death Valley to the North Rim (about 9 hours including stops). In the US we drove 1,600 miles and in Canada about 650kms. It is worth buying the Annual Pass at the first National Park gate which is $80 (rather than paying $30 each time you enter a park).

My plan for birds was just to see what I could pick up on the way, with the occasional birdy walk mostly early mornings when the girls slept. Timing for birds wasn't necessarily ideal being the end of Summer and before the main  'Fall' although migration had obviously started, and it was at times a little tricky as many of the birds were in autumn moult and the scorching weather in some places wasn't conducive to time in the field. I didn't encounter another birder in the entire trip so couldn't swap news and relied on my old Sibley field guide for ID.  I did end up with around 50 Lifers , which exceeded my expectations.

San Francisco - 11th August

Arrived on BA flight from Heathrow mid-afternoon. Clearing customs was ok and perhaps surprisingly relatively quick, then a bit of a trek to the the car rental place but friendly assistance and an upgraded car, a Dodge Quarango, which is like an Audi Q7 . Then straight into Friday night rush hour traffic ,but a little over an hour later arrived at our centrally located hotel, The Axiom, near Union Square and had valet parking, but just time for dinner, we found a decent bistro a short walk from the hotel, then went into woozy state after the flight / time change but slept well.

San Francisco - Saturday 12th August

This was a City exploration day and we ended up doing it all on foot as the queues for the cable cars were too long. Firstly walking to the famous Crooked Street and down to the chocolate city and then out onto the pier, with the intention of getting good views of Golden Gate Bridge, although it was a bit foggy so the bridge remained almost hidden. Alcatraz was just visible. The first few birds were seen around the pier with small flocks of Brown Pelicans, Western Gulls, Double Crested Cormorant, a Caspian Tern, American Crow, a few House Finch and a Brewers Blackbird. We had a welcome to the US as we walked under a tree and came out the other side wearing large spattering of bird poo - not realising the tree held a roost of Black- crowned Night Herons. We walked to Fishermans Wharf for lunch on pier 39, we had to try the excellent Clam Chowder !. Then to the Exploratorium Museum (Science) where we found out we would be in the US for the Solar eclipse on the 21st which was quite exciting. We made our way back to the hotel via several boutique shops, with weary feet. Out to dinner then to sleep - we liked San Francisco.

Yosemite - Sunday 13th August

Up early, checked-out retrieved the car from the valet and were on the road out of San Francisco by 6.15am to Yosemite. We had been warned that later arrivals at Yosemite could result in huge traffic queues especially at weekends so were keen to avoid this. The journey of around 4 hours was good, the only birds on route were Great-Blue Heron, Great Egret and Red-tailed Hawk. We arrived at the Majestic Yosemite, which is in the heart of the Valley around 10.30am. We decided immediately to go for a walk on the Mirror Lake trail, which was probably around a 3 mile gentle hike, although already it was quite hot about 29C. The trail was quite wooded with a mixture of pine and deciduous but the scenery beyond was spectacular in the valley up to the peaks. The Merced River ran through the valley and went fairly close to the trail where it ended up at Mirror Lake (where it was more of a small rushy pool) Due to time of year the river was full of holidaymakers cooling off, although the trail itself was not so busy. The walk was fairly productive for birds and this really felt like my first introduction to a new country and new species, although much of the walk was very quiet. Acorn Woodpeckers were quite vocal and a Hairy Woodpecker was seen, plenty of Stellers Jays particularly near the hotel as was an American Robin.  Brown Creeper and Red-breasted Nuthatch were more common and a Nashville Warbler was the first American wood warbler I saw followed by a rather scruffy Audobon's Warbler. A small flock had Chestnut-backed Chickadees with a Canyon Wren seen behind them on a rock face and 3 Anna's Hummingbirds with an Empidonax flycatcher sp that I  couldn't conclude on it's id. Having settled into our rooms and the girls having found a Swimming pool I wandered in the grounds behind the hotel down to the river and added Black-headed Grosbeak, Red-breasted Sapsucker, more Acorn Woodpeckers, Northern Raven and on the river 2 Spotted Sandpipers. The eating options at the Majestic were a little odd, we had lunch in the bar , but the menu was exceptionally limited and the only other place to eat was a formal dining room that was booked out, so we ended up with room service pizza

Nashville Warbler

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Valley View

Brown Creeper rather well camouflaged

Canyon Wren

Squirrel

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Yosemite Valley  - Monday 14th August

We were up and out early to drive to Glacier Point, a very short distance on the map, but took over an hour, ascending to c7,200 ft seeing a few Mule Deer on route. There was a smoke haze which turned out to be from 'managed' fires but even so the views were incredible and well worth the trip and being early meant it was before the crowds. There were a few birds at the top the best of all being a party of 5 Sooty Grouse near the car park. Also Green-tailed Towhee, Dark-eyed Junco, Olive-sided Flycatcher and Mountain Chickadee.

Sunrise through a smoke haze

View to Half-Dome

Mountain Chickadee

Sooty Grouse

We returned to Yosemite Valley and after some breakfast from the village shop, we decided on another walk to Yosemite Falls, it was again already very hot with a lot more tourists towards the falls. Sal managed to see a Bobcat when the girls and I were scattered further along the trail. The birds we a little thin on the ground but I did see a Cassin's Vireo, Black-throated Grey Warbler more Brown Creeper and Western Tanager.

Looking up to Yosemite falls

Cassin's Vireo

Brown Creeper

Black-throated Grey Warbler

As the afternoon heated up a little more, the girls voted for the pool routine and I repeated yesterdays hike to Mirror Lake. It seemed even quieter than yesterday but one tree had a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers and also a Nuttall's Woodpecker, then on the return path more Acorn Woodpeckers, a pair of White-headed Woodpecker a Hutton's Vireo, House Wren and another Empidonax sp that I eventually settled on probable Willow Flycatcher and convinced it was different to yesterdays birds as it was calling differently. We were still going to bed early, partly as a catch-up from the travel but also the fresh air and heat. Yosemite was a spectacular place and we could easily have spent more time exploring.

White-headed Woodpecker

White-headed Woodpecker

House Wren

probable Willow Flycatcher

American Robin

Yosemite to Death Valley - Tuesday 15th August

We left the hotel early, knowing this was likely to be a long drive but not wanting to rush past the stunning scenery. We took the Tioga Pass route out of Yosemite, the scenery on this road was indeed stunning, particularly as it went through the Toulemaine Meadows, we had ascended to nearly 10,000 ft at the peak of the pass. We briefly stopped at Temanya Lake, then continued to exit Yosemite before we had another stop at Mono Lake. I tried to persuade the passengers that the lake should be worth a view as it is the largest lake in California, they became suspicious of my intentions once we found the Country Park with a boardwalk with pictures of bird on the noticeboard !. I promised I wouldn't be long.

The boardwalk was fairly short and went within about 100m of the lake which was saline, There were hundreds if not thousands of Phalaropes on the water, mainly Wilson's Phalaropes with  Red-Necked Phalaropes being slightly less numerous. 2 Osprey were on nearby rocks and a few Ruddy Duck and Black-necked Grebe were on the water and plenty of Califonia Gulls. The scrub around the boardwalk had Yellow Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Macgillivray's Warbler, Lazuli Bunting and Marsh Wren. Turkey Vultures were in the air and a few Violet-Green Swallows flew through as did 2 Great-tailed Grackles. Not bad for a 30 minute stop !.

Temanya Lake

McGillivray's Warbler

American Yellow Warbler

The edge of Mono Lake --the dots are mainly Wilson's Phalaropes

long straight roads as we journeyed south

We continued our journey South, the landscape gradually changing until the more desert-type landscape was more apparent and the thermometer was rising and when we arrived at Furnace Creek at 5pm  it was still 108F or 42C. There were a few looks of  'Why on earth did we come here !' The Furnace Creek Lodge is the only place at Furnace Creek other than the petrol garage and the brand new visitor centre .The Furnace Creek Inn up the road was shut for refurbishment and there were major rennovations going on at the golf course. However, the place was a bit of an oasis. We took a liking to the Salon Bar which did good beers had good air-con and was easy enough for dinner. The difficulty was being outside at all where it was so hot , at least a dry heat rather than an oppressive heat, but nothing like you've experienced before not even in Dubai. Having started the day in Yosemite and been as high as 10,000 ft we were now 200ft below sea level !

first Desert scenery view

Walking from the room to the Saloon, a Greater Roadrunner was outside our room, a bird I had hoped to see somewhere in Death Valley but was a bit of a shock it was next to our accommodation , also a White-winged Dove was walking around in the ranch area as we walked to the Saloon. A plan was hatched to make the most of tomorrow and do our sights around sunrise and sunset to avoid the worst of the heat.

Greater Roadrunner

White-winged Dove

Death Valley - Wednesday 16th August

We left the room shortly after 6.15am, around 20 Turkey Vultures had just taken off from their overnight roost. We drove out towards Badwater Basin some 30-40kms further South, as we had been advised it was good for Sunrise and we were there by 7am a Coyote was on the road at the entrance to Furnace Creek as we drove away. The name was entirely appropriate, the basin stretched out through the mirage into the middle of the valley and largely a salt-encrusted pan, which you could walk out onto. It was over 95F before sunrise and the whole place was eerily quiet. It didn't look as if any form of life could inhabit this landscape, I was quite surprised when a Northern Harrier flew across the horizon. We drove from Badwater to Natural Bridge, which involved a short hike up a dry valley to a natural arch, we were followed all the way by an inquisitive Pallid Bat. Before 9am it was over 100F, we were back in the car and driving through an area called Artiste's Palate, which was an astonishing mixture of rock colours. A small parking area had a single (looking lost) Brown-headed Cowbird.

Badwater basin at first light

The lowest land place on earth ?

A Northern Harrier trying to find a way out !

All salt-crust

The valley as the sun creeps up

This was the Natural Bridge

Pallid Bat

Artiste's Palatte

We returned to Furnace Creek to get some breakfast and shelter a little from the heat although the girls were determined to try the outside pool. Furnace Creek is known to be a bit of a migrant trap for passing birds, particularly the Golf Course, which despite it's location is kept green and has the odd patch of water fed from springs which is a rare commodity in the desert. The course itself was out-of bounds to the general public, although there was a bit of a path around the edge near the rooms. I had a brief wander and could see a few Kildeer on one fairway and also a Northern Mockingbird. A Coopers Hawk, then a Red-tailed Hawk flew over the end of the course and more than one American Yellow Warbler was in the Mesquite trees, small flocks of Brewers Blackbirds were following the sprinklers and another bird kept me scratching my head to it's iD, part of the problem being that jizz is confused because of the heat, a birds normal posture is completely altered as they stand with wings drooped and beaks open to try and cool down from 47C. it took me a while to eliminate other options to narrow it down to 'pipit sp' . I was thinking the only likely option being American Pipit., however with bright pink legs what appeared a clean white belly and a heavy malar stipe and strong streaking on the chest  I wasn't so sure, maybe it was a Red-throated Pipit, but surely not here ? ,  the photo below was the best I could get in the heat so any suggestions welcome.

Pipit sp, like me about to expire from the heat.

I'd seen from the site map that there was a Golf Course pond on the far side of the site, which looked like there might be viewing access from near the road. Later in the afternoon we went to the fantastic Death Valley visitor centre, the thermometers outside the centre confirmed 118F or 47C ! . We then drove down the road where we found the access to the golf course pond and surprisingly a viewing platform ! It was so hot I could only survive 20 minutes on the platform. Adie ran out of the car and gave me a bottle of water. I thought she was a bit too enthusiastic as I took on sip and spat it our, it was hot water ! - The bottle had been sitting in the car all day.

The birds however were encouraging, a superb Lesser Nighthawk buzzed our head and then dipped in the pond. 2 Black Phoebe's were fly-catching, as were 2 Ash-throated Flycatchers and a Vermillion Flycatcher. 2 more Greater Roadrunners were on the 10th Green and several Mourning Doves flew over. Another Coyote was attempting to get to the pond and a small number of Sand Martins and Northern Rough-winged Swallows were also hawking the water. A Yellow-headed Blackbird flew into the reeds at the edge of the pond and a Lazuli Bunting was also there. Surprised and buoyed by this variety, I vowed to return first thing in the morning before we departed for the Grand Canyon.

The evening Sunset viewing was at the Zebraske viewpoint gave spectacular views, then we returned to the Salon Bar for Chicken Wings and bed.

Death Valley to North Rim - Thursday 17th August

As I promised myself, I was up and out around 6am, knowing that we intended to leave before 8am and back to the viewing platform at the back of the golf course.

It was obviously still hot but no real wind. The green-keepers were already out with their mowers on the course but otherwise not a soul in sight. The small Mesquite bushes had an American Yellow Warbler and a McGillivrays Warbler. The Ash-throated Flycatcher, Black Phoebe and Vermillion Flycatcher seen yesterday were also present along with the Northern Rough-winged Swallows. Then 8 Blue-winged Teal suddenly dropped in out of nowhere along with a Red-necked Phalarope, which was more surprising. The Phalarope was quite flighty and spent a little time with the Teal before flying off. There were then 2 other small waders that flew around the pond but didn't settle, both were different birds and I couldn't nail the identification but had them as a probable Least Sandpiper and a probable Baird's Sandpiper. Another Emp'... flycatcher sp also remains unconfirmed, potentially Willow Flycatcher , but even from the photo's I'm uncertain. Then 2 Solitary Sandpipers flew in but landed further in the course out of view. 2 Savannah Sparrow's appeared briefly, then a Brewer's Sparrow skulked in the reeds along with a Common Yellowthroat. A flock of 7 Yellow-headed Blackbirds alighted then moved off as did a Common Ground Dove. Then a Loggerhead Shrike flew in and stayed briefly before departing. I was again amazed at the variety and had to drag myself away so we could hit the road on the long drive to the North Rim.

American Yellow Warbler

Savannah Sparrow

Empidonax sp -  maybe  another Willow Fly'

Loggerhead Shrike

8 Blue-winged Teal

We had been advised to go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon rather than the South as there are 90% less tourists there, it is around 350kms further to drive but it definitely was worth it. The drive itself was fairly uneventful although our SatNav took us through Zion NP which probably slowed us down a little. The drive was fairly uneventful and long as it was nearly 5pm when we arrived. As we approached the lodge a flock of 20 Wild Turkeys were near the roadside. We had 2 joining cabin rooms, and the lodge itself was right on the Rim so the terrace was the place to be with a drink. A number of Cliff Swallows and Black Swifts were hawking over the Rim as the evening approached, with views that were breathtaking and difficult to adequately describe.

Grand Canyon North Rim - Friday August 18th

The morning started with a glorious sunrise, it was going to be another scorching sunny day. I walked toward Bright Angel Point several White-throated Swift and Cliff Swallows were hawking the Canyon. My first of many Pygmy Nuthatch close to the cabin and a Pine Siskin and Audobon's Warbler were seen and another warbler which eventually showed well enough to identify as a Virginia's Warbler. I walked back from Bright Angel Point on the lower path under the lodge, a small flock of Evening Grosbeak, a Swainson's Thrush were close to the path and 3 Clark's Nutcrackers flew along the side of the canyon. I called back into the cabin where the troops were just surfacing, we went for a coffee before breakfast on the terrace overlooking the Canyon. After breakfast we did a hike to the campground, the girls raced ahead as there was a rumour that the Campground Café offered wifi. My walk was a lot slower but there was a lot of activity. Numerous flocks of Pygmy Nuthatch, a Woodpecker flew through which on closer inspection was a Williamson's Sapsucker. A Lincoln's Sparrow skulked in the forest understorey, and several Western Bluebirds were present. Townsends Warbler, Orange-crowned Warble, Lazuli's Bunting, Northern Flicker, White-breasted Nuthatch, Western Wood Pewee, Plumbeous Vireo were also added with more Mountain Chickadees and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet. We spent the afternoon around the lodge, with quite a bit of time just sitting overlooking the Canyon, until it got too hot. I had half a hope that a Californian Condor might drift past but no luck , the only raptor was an American Kestrel. a surprise Lark Sparrow was outside the cabin and the only other bird added was a Cassin's Finch. The sun went down with more incredible colours,.

Virginia's Warbler

Views of Grand Canyon from the North Rim

Audobon's Warbler

Cooper's Hawk

Swainson's Thrush

Cooper's Hawk

Lincoln's Sparrow

Western Wood Pewee

White-breasted Nuthatch

Lark Sparrow

Pygmy Nuthatch

Townsends Warbler

Western Bluebirds

Plumbeous Vireo

Grand Canyon North Rim to Bryce Canyon - Saturday 19th August

The good thing about today was the drive to Bryce Canyon was relatively short so we could spend a few hours in the area around the Canyon before heading out. I walked again before breakfast around the Bright Angel Point trail and under the lodge, in addition to yesterday's birds I saw a Rufous Hummingbird and a Spotted Towhee. We hatched a plan, unsurprisingly the girls wanted to visit the Campground Café again, so I agreed I would hike there to meet them, we could then drive from there to Bryce. I saw many of yesterdays species but in addition a Grouse wandered across the path, a Dusky Grouse (since my Sibley guide was published they have split Blue Grouse into Dusky and Sooty). I spent a little more time in the Campground area. The uncut grass areas had plenty of natural seed with small groups of birds feeding on these. Mostly Chipping Sparrows, with plenty of Western Bluebird, Northern Flicker, Audobon's Warbler and Lazuli Bunting, although there were definitely another sparrow sp which I didn't id. Also a Grace's Warbler in a pine was a good find.

Rufous Hummingbird

Evening Grosbeaks

Dusky Grouse

Chipping sparrow

Lazuli Bunting

Grace's Warbler

We left the North Rim, seeing more Wild Turkey on the road out of the park and stopping for a herd of Bison (no doubt introduced) when a Northern Goshawk flew over. We also diverted to Coral Pink Sands state park. An interesting sand dune park, probably more so if you were driving a sand buggy. although saw very little here and was quite glad to continue on as the heat was intense.

We were slightly foxed at one point by the time-change. Yes, going from Arizona into Utah the clocks went forward an hour ! We arrived at Bryce and settled in to the comfortable cabin only a minute walk from the Rim trail , few Western Bluebirds, Audobon's Warblers and Dark-eyed Junco's  were in the scrub between the cabin and the rim.

Bison on the exit from the North Rim

Bryce Canyon NP - Sunday 20th August

Sal and I rose early and went down to Sunrise Point to watch the sunrise, there were quite a few people there, we walked back along the rim and decided to walk the Navaho loop trail, which is a fairly short trail but descend and then ascends into the canyon. The clouds were a bit ominous with rumbles of thunder and distant lightening. The canyon itself had more incredible sandstone colours and shapes of the rocks. Birds were a bit thin on the ground, a few Pygmy Nuthatches and a pair of Townsend Solitaire, then as we reached the bottom of the Canyon, the heavens opened briefly. We sheltered under a small pine and a Lucy's Warbler landed in the next bush before disappearing. Luckily the rain was brief and we continued our ascent.

Later in the morning we drove out towards the small town and Adie and I hired bicycles for a few hours. There was a great bike track in the park, we cycled back towards the lodge, although it was uphill and I haven't cycled for years !. Sal and Han alternated the return trip with Adie and heavy squalls persisted all afternoon.

Townsends Solitaire

Bryce Canyon to Zion NP - Monday 21st August

Again a day with a short drive to the next National Park. At dawn I walked from Sunrise Point on a loop to join the Navaho trail in the canyon to return. There was again very little in the way of birdlife, a few Dark-eyed Junco's. Pygmy Nuthatch, Mountian Chickadee, a pair of Red Crossbill , the same pair of Townsends Solitaire a Clarks Nutcracker and another Empidonax Flycatcher sp , this time I was fairly certain of Least Flycatcher. The scrub at the top of the canyon had a close Broad-tailed Hummingbird and a few Western Bluebird.

Another Empidonax sp. - Least Flycatcher ?

We packed and departed around 10am. Today was the Solar Eclipse day and we were aware that the peak of eclipse was around 11.20. We decided on a scenic route to Zion, driving past Panguitch Lake and towards Cedar Breaks. We stopped the car a couple of times and used our NASA approved plastic sunglasses and yes we saw the eclipse, it peaked at somewhere between 80-90% , and even though there was a fair amount of cloud cover the whole place darkened and felt a little eerie.

Cedar Breaks was another National Park and we stopped the car at the highest point which was just over 10,000ft. very much pines and alpine meadows but we weren't doing any walks here so continued on. A very quick roadside stop at Duck Creek where a few American Coot, a Pied-billed Grebe and Black-Crowned Night Herons were seen, then we continued to Zion arriving at Cable Mountain Lodge early afternoon, we saw several Bighorn Sheep on the rocks as we entered the Park. The Lodge was outside the park but right next to the entrance so we could walk into the park and catch the shuttles.  3 Lesser Goldfinch were near the rooms and a Black-chinned Hummingbird was in the flowering tree next to the balcony along with a Yellow Warbler.
We made a plan for the next day to walk along the Narrows, and hired some wet boots for the task. The girls bought inflatable rings to go 'tubing along the river and I went for a walk along the Pa' rus trail. Which was fairly flat. It was hot, so limited activity but a Woodhouse's Scrub Jay,  Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher and a Macgillivray's Warbler were highlights.

Woodhouse's Scrub Jay

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Zion NP - Tuesday 22nd August

We decided to get to the Narrows early so caught the first shuttle around 6am, it took around 45 minutes and had only just started to get light. The first mile of the trail was pathed, the trail then ended and you walked in the river as far as you wanted before turning back. The water went as high as your thighs but it was very rocky and quite fast flowing. This was fun and we went upstream for around 75 minutes before re-tracing our steps. It was good to go that early as the crowds started appearing when we were returning. Not much birdlife, although I was spending most of the time concentrating on staying upright. I did see an American Dipper which flew downstream, a Canyon Wren and Song Sparrow were the only other birds. We took the shuttle back to the lodge arriving late morning and there were differing requests for activities mostly which included swimming - I decided to go for a hike up the Watchman trail. It was midday so pretty hot, the scenery here is very desert-like, but the Watchman trail ascended by about 600ft over 1.5 miles did a loop around a precipice then returns on the same trail. amongst the rocks and Prickly Pear Cactus, Juniper is the dominant tree and the aroma was magnificent. It was fairly quiet on the ascent, noting another Woodhouse's Scrub Jay a Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher and a Canyon Wren. I was on the furthest part of loop at the very top of the trail, where of to the right was the drop-off to the valley below, I thought I spotted a small mammal just on the right of the path and took a step forward to be startled by a hiss and a rattle...... yes I'd nearly trodden on a Western Rattlesnake !!! It was probably having an encounter with the small goafer-like mammal before I disturbed it. It didn''t move far probably less than 10ft away and was a little restless. A German family approached on the path behind me so I suggested they may want to wait for the snake to move away before crossing its path. We were probably there about 15 minutes before the snake retreated sufficiently to continue on the path.  How Exciting !!!
Even the descent livened up a little with a few more birds, firstly a pair of Juniper Titmouse, a Black-chinned Hummingbird, Western Tanager, Black-headed Grosbeak and then a flock of around 15 Bushtits. I was back a little later than expected and  found the girls having lunch and they could tell I'd seen something exciting from the big grin on my face, they were impressed with the pictures !!.

The scenery on the Watchman Trail

The Rear end - just to prove it was a rattler

The front end - it was bearing it's fangs a lot !

The whole thing - It was in excess of 4ft, but I'm sure they get bigger.

Prickly Pear Cactus was a common plant

A Collared Lizard

Juniper Titmouse

Black-chinned Hummingbird

Bushtit

Blue-grey Gnatcatcher

Woodhouse's Scrub Jay

Zion NP to Seattle - Wednesday 23rd August

Our route today was to drive to Las Vegas  (about 3 hours), return the hire car and then catch a flight to Seattle for an overnight stay. We needed to be on the road about 9.30. I saw 3 Peregrines from the balcony over the high ridge before we departed Zion.

The journey was again easy and we'd left enough time to have a couple of drives up and down the strip in Vegas, it was crazy !!. A small delay due to thunder storms at the airport, but we arrived at our fabulous hotel in Pike Street Market around 8pm, to be greeted by a bottle of Champagne in our room !!. We found a pretty good Sushi bar just down the street for dinner and celebrated the end of what we called PART 1 of our trip, which was excellent with many highlights.

Seattle, USA to Victoria, Canada - Thursday 24th August.

Wide awake at dawn and keen to spend our few hours exploring the area before catching our 3pm Ferry. Our room view was fantastic overlooking the market and the harbour in Seattle. From the window I saw an Osprey, Glaucous-winged Gulls, Pigeon Guillemot, Caspian Tern, Great Blue Heron and Belted Kingfisher and I was still in my pyjamas !

We explored Pike Market just as it was opening at 8pm and then again after the girls woke around 10am . It was great, loads of fresh seafood, veg and flowers. We had breakfast in the market, then explored several blocks of this part of Seattle. Including an Army Surplus shop where Han managed to find a Top Gun outfit for a themed party she had the weekend we got home ! We then checked out from the hotel and headed down to the ferry terminal. We were going on the Clipper, which is a faster version than the normal ferry and should do the trip in about 3 hours.

View from the hotel over Pike Market and the harbour

There was a very small open deck at the back of the boat, although it was even smaller because it was also where they stowed the large metal baggage containers. I wasn't going to see much inside the cabin, so picked a the only spot to be tucked behind one of the containers out of the wind, overlooking the back of the boat, the view was slightly restricted and I probably inhaled all of the diesel fumes that the boat chucked out of the back, but once the initial crowd had taken their selfies and returned in the cabin I was the only one left on the small deck. This paid benefits after around half an hour when the captain slowed the boat slightly and announced 'whale' . The  entire boat clambered to try and see out the back, and I was probably the only one to get a view of the tail before the Humpback Whale dived.

Leaving Seattle behind from the back of the Clipper

Humpback Whale from the Ferry

flock of Red Phalarope

Heerman's Gull

Rhinoceros Auklets

The journey was interspersed with occasional Gull flocks, combined, Western Gulls, Herring Gulls, Glaucous-winged Gulls and a small number of Heerman's Gull. A couple of small flocks of Red Phalarope with 20-30 birds in each and then groups of Common Murre and a few Rhinoceros Auklet. The viewing issue from the back of a speeding ferry was that most of these birds were in the process of flying away trying to avoid the rushing hulk of the boat, so the views were often the rear end. Most of these birds were probably still in US waters. With about half an hour to go, and therefore probably in Canadian waters, a distant tern was being harried by a small skua, which was undoubtedly a Long-tailed Jaeger. At this point I was quite cold so retreated into the cabin for the final run-in to Victoria.

After docking we had to queue a while to complete border formalities, but it was a short journey across the harbour to the Delta hotel where we stayed for the night.

Victoria to Tofino - Friday 25th August

I had a short walk along the harbour-front from the hotel this morning before breakfast, despite a suburban feel to the birds with several Canada Geese and  Glaucous-winged Gulls were preening at the edge of the water and a few Great Blue Herons were on the waters edge a small group of Sparrows on the edge of the path were mainly House Sparrows, but also had 4 White-Crowned Sparrows and a couple of House Finch . A Belted Kingfisher was on one Quay and some Black Oystercatchers and Black Turnstone visible roosting on an island.

Juvenile Glaucous-winged Gulls

White-crowned Sparrow

Victoria harbourside

We walked to National , the hire car Company, and picked up a Sante Fe. It was fine , although not as nice as the Quarango we had in the US. Late morning we started the long drive to Tofino. It was a Friday and a holiday weekend so the traffic was fairly busy and the drive in total was around 5 hours, so we got to Tofino late afternoon.

We found out that we were in exactly the same apartment that we had 11 years ago !!! . This was not planned but we loved it then so it was quite a nice surprise as it was in a great location being able to walk into the town and views over Clayquot Sound. We found the supermarket and decided to eat in , which was a pleasant change after 2 weeks of hotel and restaurant food.

From our balcony there were more Glaucous-winged Gulls bathing at the low tide and 2 Spotted Sandpipers a Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher. A Bald Eagle flew past and when it was nearly dusk a Cedar Waxwing was hawking moths from a nearby tree.

View from our apartment balcony.

Tofino - Saturday 26th August

We had booked a surf lesson for the girls this morning so we arrived at the office in the town got them fitted for the wet suits and then drove to Cox Bay Beach and followed them down to the beach. It was a classic surfing cove. A mist came off the Pacific and the vast beach was almost empty with a good surf. The girls had so much fun and did exceptionally well, so much that we hired surfboards and wetsuits the next day for 24 hours so they could do more.

Whilst the time on the beach was mainly watching the girls progress on (and under) the waves,  there were a few, if limited, number of birds around with a Mew Gull, a few Semipalmated Plovers and Sanderling one Least Sandpiper and in the scrub at the edge of the beach Stellers Jay, Gray Jay and Orange-crowned Warbler.

Semipalmated Plovers and Sanderling

Least Sandpiper

Mew Gull

Adie Surfing

Hannah Surfing

The afternoon was spent on a trip with Remote Passages, on a rigid Zodiac to look for Grey Whales. I wouldn't say that it's my favoured form of transport for wildlife watching as you have to wear inflatable suits and a life jacket and generally bounce along at high speeds like a fairground ride making it difficult to use optics. However it was probably the best form of transport for safety and manouverability in the swells on the Pacific coast. We had a great trip, the highlight being good views of 2 Grey Whales but also Harbour Seals, Stellers Sea Lions and many Sea Otters.

I saw Black Oystercatcher, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Heermans Gull, Brandt's Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Bald Eagle  and a single Harlequin Duck in flight from the Zodiac at various points, there were less seabirds around than I though but the weather has been mild and no strong Pacific winds which always will have an impact. Later that evening from the apartment 4 River Otters were seen from the balcony. We remembered that 11 years ago we had also seen  River Otters here and wondered whether these were the same Otters or same family. The Cedar Waxwing was again hawking moths in the nearby tree.

Sea Otter

Harbour Seals

Stellers Sea Lion

Black Oystercatchers

Pigeon Guillemot

Grey Whale

River Otters from balcony

Tofino - Sunday 27th August

We had another Zodiac trip booked this morning, this time on the calmer waters of Clayquot Sound with the intention of looking for Black Bears. The weather again was outstanding, clear skies and would become quite hot. We were extremely successful with the bears counting 9 different individual Black Bears all foraging on the shoreline and including a Mother with cub. More Harbour Seals and Sea Otters were also encountered.  The water was calm and less haste on the Zodiac was needed so it was really enjoyable.

Black Bear

Harbour Seal

Stellers Jay

A few birds were noted including Great Northern Diver ( Common Loon) , Band-tailed Pigeon, Sharp-shinned Hawk and Stellers Jay.

In the afernoon, having hired surfing equipment,  went back to Cox's Bay Beach for girls to try more surfing on their own for a couple of hours,  even with this relatively confined beach the nature of the surf constantly changes, affected by the tides and winds and it was  a bit windy so the surf itself was as bit rough and more challenging than the first lesson yesterday, but it was still enjoyed and they vowed for another try in the morning.

Sal and I went for a rainforest circular walk late afternoon, which was all boardwalk , but there were no birds at all other than Northern Ravens and a single  Chestnut-backed Chickadee.

Having pretty much skipped lunch, we treated ourselves to a lovely meal in a very nice and busy restaurant just opposite the apartment.

Tofino - Monday 28th August

A full day free of planned activities but we were  back to Cox's Bay Beach for 3 hours of Surfing, the girls were getting  right into it and felt they could fit in with the local surfing crowd. They had fun and were definitely getting the hang of it , although I had probably had my fill of the same enclosed beach !. Another small flock of waders were on the beach first thing this time with a few Western Sandpipers along with the Semipalmated plovers and Sanderling. A Brown-headed Cowbird was inquisitively inspecting the bags but no other birds were around. We relaxed back at the apartment in the afternoon seeing the River Otters again, then had a wander around town and dinner was a fish & chips take-away.

Semipalmated Plover

Western Sandpipers and One Sanderling

Western Sandpiper and below

Adie battling the surf

Great Blue Heron

Tofino to Campbell River. Tuesday 29th August

Weather turned distinctively chillier this morning and a mist was over the whole town, We had a 3-4 hour drive to Campbell River and knew we had to be at the Seaplane base around 2pm but also needed to drop off the hire car and get a taxi transfer there, so we left by 10am . The drive was straight forward and the weather brightened up and warmed up by the time we got to Campbell River. We deposited the car at the tiny Campbell River Airport and got the taxi to the Seaplane base. A few Common Merganser a couple of  Greenshank and a Kildeer were close by. We had to rearrange our bags so that we only had a rucksack each with one larger bag to fit the restricted luggage allowance and left our remaining bags with the Seaplane people. A Seaplane trip was new for all of us and we were in the Yellow one, it only sat 4 passengers plus the pilot and I sat in the front with the pilot. The trip was quite exciting , the plane only flew at around 5-8,000ft so the landscape of pine forest mountains and inlets was again spectacular, a small unexpected drama with about 15 minutes of flying remaining, when the small side-window next to me exploded inwards !. It was only made of plastic so I didn't suffer any damage but large shards of the window landed on me, and it was then a bit windy !! The pilot didn't seem too phased by this and just said it can happen, so I didn't really know what to make of it. But soon we had arrived at Sailcone's Grizzly Bear Lodge on Minstrel Island and it was very welcoming. We were shown to our comfortable rooms and then just left to relax for a couple of hours on the deck, there were 6 other guests who arrived in the larger seaplane and we got chatting with them an American Robin  was around the lodge. We had a fantastic dinner together and then went on a short boat trip with Angus, not seeing much other than a few Harbour Seals and a Bald Eagle. 

The Yellow seaplane with one less window.

Looking back to the lodge from our evening boat trip.

Grizzly Bear Lodge. - Wednesday 30th August

We rose before dawn with the sound of rain hammering down on a corrugated roof, we had breakfast clambered into our red inflatable suits and then went out on a boat to Knight Inlet, it was just us on the boat with Glen as our guide, as the other 6 guests staying at the lodge went whale watching. The overnight rain was continuing and it was very overcast although the hope was it would gradually clear. The trip on the small speedboat was enjoyable, a few Common Murre, Red-Necked Grebe, Black Scoter, a Bald Eagle, Pelagic Cormorant, Bonaparte's Gull and Great Blue Heron were seen along route.

The ride out to Knight Inlet was about an hour before we moored up at a platform and disembarked to a small raft which transported us to shore, we then took a vehicle very slowly about 2 miles to a viewing platform, we had a slot on the platform at 10am so took our time arriving, getting out of the car was not recommended due to the potential of a bear encounter. The Salmon had not yet started to run this season and there were just a few Pinks in the still water but not the numbers needed to get the bears very excited.

The platform itself was at the end of a covered boardwalk and was raised about 20ft looking down on a small river which wound through the forest. There was nothing to be seen at first , just a Belted Kingfisher and Northern Raven, it was all quiet in the forest and the anticipation started to build as to whether we would see a bear in our allocated 2 hours on the platform, then after around 35 minutes the first Grizzly Bear appeared and walked in Grizzly Bear rolling fashion towards our platform and continued along the edge of the river just in the water, pausing briefly to assess the Salmon situation. Over the next hour and half we delighted at a total of 11 Grizzly Bears, including a Mum and 3 cubs. appearing from various directions and spending a various amount of time in the water seeing whether any Salmon were on offer. We did not see a catch, so I guess the bears will still be on a berry diet. A few birds appeared in a small flock including Warbling Vireo, Orange-Crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Red-breasted nuthatch and a couple of Bald Eagle and Turkey Vulture were in the vicinity, also waiting for the bears to catch some fish.

We returned to the boat and had lunch on the mooring, which embarassingly included a moment when a fight nearly broke out between Sal and the girls over Madeline's superb cookies (she was the wonderful chef who hand-made all the food at the lodge) as a heated debate about who was eating whose allocation ensued as Glen and I looked . I tried to ignore this and focus on a small party of Purple Martin were hawking over the pontoon and a Song Sparrow in the scrub near the landing place and 2 Common Loon were close-by. The weather had cleared as we were having lunch and finally sated and arguments over we set off back to the lodge, stopping for another Grizzly Bear mum and cub on the way.  A few Marbled Murrelet and more Black Scoter were seen on the way back, we arrived a the lodge mid-afternoon and the others got back from their successful whale watching, we had a couple of drinks swapped stories on the day's events on the deck before another fantastic dinner and early bed.

Early morning with cloud and showers

From the landing at Knight Inlet

The first of many Grizzly bears above more below

Purple Martin

Mum and Cub Grizzly on the shoreline

Marbled Murrelets on the trip back

Grizzly Bear Lodge - Thursday 31st August

A similar routine to yesterday morning, although there was no rain to contend with, so after breakfast and again into our red suits we were out on the speedboat, this time with Angus and heading in the opposite direction to yesterday towards Johnstone Strait to look for Whales. The weather was relatively benign, so not much wind but mostly overcast.

After about 45 minutes we left the inlet and arrived in the Straight, Angus decided to head towards where some Orca's had been seen the previous day, we saw some Rhinoceros Auklet and Common Murre and then Dall's Porpoise. After a scan and no sign of any Orca's we retraced our steps and then quite soon Angus spotted a familiar spray near to the far side of the Strait, and soon we were watching our first family group of Resident Orca. The Orca are split between Residents and Transients. The residents form family Groups and are principally fish-eaters and each Group, identified from dorsal fin markings is allocated a code for monitoring and they reside in the waters around Vancouver Island. Transients, as the name suggest are migrant but are also more aggressive and also will eat Seals and young resident Orca's !. We spent the next couple of hours watching and listening to at least 3 different family groups of Orca, including the lowered microphones where their calls were amplified and could be heard, we had 2 Orca's that passed within feet of the boat, much too close for the camera !. There were large flocks of Auks, mainly Common Murre and Rhinoceros Auklet, small flocks of Red Phalarope flew past and activity increased when pods of White-sided Dolphins charged through and although looking playful they apparently harass the Orca's. This was all fantastic stuff.

We saw a Black Bear on the shoreline, more Bald Eagles and then went into Telegraph Cove for a comfort break and a coffee and reminisced, recognising the place we stayed in 11 years previously. Heading back out we went through more rafts of Auks on the water before seeing our first Humpback Whale a group of around 8 Humpbacks were feeding on charging at Herring balls under the water and we watched for over an hour as they breached and Fluked (tail out before diving). You could spot the Herring Balls from the gathering of birds, Many Gulls (Herring, Mew, Glaucous-winged, some Western Gulls) and Auks diving. We broke out the lunch on the boat just drifting in the area, with a more orderly arrangement with the cookies meant no more arguments.

More Dall's Porpoise were seen very close to the boat while Cassin's Auklet and Black-legged Kittiwake were added to the bird list. We had a final group of Orca's before starting to head back to the lodge around mid-afternoon. It had been a fantastic day. We didn't wait long for the arrival of the Sea plane and the flight back to Campbell River, although we took off twice as 5 minutes into the first flight the pilot realised he had forgotten to drop of the food parcel !.

We were transferred to Painters Lodge, where we had a large (but rather dingy)  cabin for an overnight stay.

Our first Orca

A Dall's Porpoise

Red Phalarope

... and more Orcas

Red Phalarope

White-sided Dolphin

Rhinoceros Auklets

Another Black Bear

Bald Eagle

raft of Common Murre

Locally known as Murre - in the UK they are Guillemot

Humpback Whale

and a final Orca

Cassin's Auklet

Campbell River to Fernhurst ! - Friday 1st September.

So the end of our trip, which we thoroughly enjoyed, and the long travel back. Shuttle to Campbell River Airport, flight to Vancouver, transfer to the international terminal, then and evening/ overnight BA flight home, arriving mid-afternoon on Saturday 2nd and Adie's birthday.... back to work on Monday !!!