The forum is for information, questions and discussions about locations to go birding within British Columbia.
#38271
There is probably greater variety inland in BC, but it all depends on what you are looking for. Ebird is a great resource to find out what has been seen, where. Depending on what you would be looking for in Victoria would dictate where the locations to check out would be.

If you have specific birds and are coming to Victoria, some suggestions could probably be offered.
#38273
this is the perfect time of year to get up into the alpine zone some where
#38473
alice10 wrote:Thank you both. I have decided on making a road trip to the Okanagan. Any advice on birding spots would be appreciated.
I wood recommend getting the book "The Okanagan Valley Birding Trail" for $5. It has all of the birding sites in the Okanagan and it includes what birds can be found at each of them, directions, and lots more. I used it to plan my Okanagan birding road trip last year and it was very useful.

Some great birding sites that I visited were these ones:
-Kilpoola Lake area
-Road 22
-Vaseux Lake
-Vaseux Lake cliffs
-White Lake area
-Shannon Lake Regional Park
-Alki lake (at the back of the Glenmore Landfill)
-August Lake (in Princeton just outside of the valley, but one of my favorite spots on my trip)
-Manning Park (2-2.5 hour drive from the valley but a great spot).
#38476
I lived in kelowna for a long time and was just there and did a lot of birding. I would say the number one spot is the kelowna landfill as the avocets are breeding in the ponds out back there. They had nests with eggs when I was there last..about a month ago. They give you a waiver to sign at the front gate and then you have access to all areas. There's also lots of eagles, ravens, killdeer and gulls, but the avocets were pretty neat. There was at least 50 of them.

Also in the same area is roberts lake. Lots of shorebirds, ducks, swallows, kingbirds, pretty much everything. Near the dolphins downtown there is a nice little bird sanctuary along the lake, with a good variety. An osprey has a really visible nest there. There is also a bird sanctuary along the lake at the end of Francis ave.

I've also heard the road up to Beaver lake is a great place to see birds.

Are there any birds you are hoping to see?
#38503
I live in Kelowna, ironically about five minutes from Robert Lake. Unfortunately the American Avocets have been not seen there in about a month. A pair arrived in late March and nested right on the close shore! I personally did not see the babies, but apparently they hatched successfully.
But, this spot is a MUST to check out. The possible shorebirds at the time of your arrival include : Least Sandpiper, Western Sandpiper, Baird's Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper, Spotted Sandpiper, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Red-necked Phalarope, Lesser Yellowlegs ( they are back already ), Greater Yellowlegs, Wilson's Snipe, Long-billed Dowitcher, and others. I saw 11 Stilt Sandpipers flying over the lake one day last August, so rarities are possible! Ducks are plentiful too, so scan for something interesting.

Here are a few other places I would recommend checking out in Kelowna:

Sutherland Hills Park - This beautiful park is accessible from the EECO Centre on Springfield Rd. When at the centre, park your car and then cross the bridge straight ahead. Continue straight, then hike up the stairs into the thick coniferous forest. You are now in the park. Birding by ear is needed here as the bird tend to stick to the treetops. Listen for Western Tanager, Spotted Towhee, Pygmy Nuthatch, and Black-capped Chickadee among other birds. But the patches of deciduous trees can produce a lovely array of migrants including : Yellow-rumped Warbler, Western Wood-pewee, Cedar Waxwing, and other migrants. In August, look for American Redstart in these patches, as a few pass through every year. On the ponds, look for Wood Ducks, Great Blue Heron, and assorted waterfowl. Look to the sky for Red Crossbills and Evening Grosbeaks flying over.

Munson Pond - The hotspot is located less than ten minutes from Sutherland, and is great birding spot. Turn left from the EECO centre onto Springfield Rd and then turn left again on Benvoulin Rd. Continue on until you reach Munson Rd. Turn right onto it. Look to your right at the farm fields, as Pectoral Sandpiper are sometimes there when the pasture is flooded. Drive along to the end of the road and park. You will see Munson Pond to your left. Scan for waterfowl from the road ( as there is no access to the lake itself ), checking for Lesser Scaup, Common Merganser, Hooded Merganser, Ring-necked Duck, American Wigeon, Redhead, and many others. Fall is fantastic for Greater White-fronted Goose mixed in with the numerous Canada. Even though your coming a tad early, still be sure to scan just in case. The field around the lake attract raptors including Red-tailed Hawk and Northern Harrier. American Goldfinch are very common as well.

Beaver Lake Road - I am not the one to ask for directions here, so I won't confuse you by trying to. :lol: The road is in Lake Country, fifteen minutes from Kelowna, and it comes off of the highway. Along the first few kilometers, many birds can be found in the pastures, the most conspicuous being Western Meadowlark, Red-tailed Hawk, Western Bluebird, Mountain Bluebird, and various swallows. At your time of year, Lazuli Buntings are generally absent, but keep your ears and eyes open just in case. Red-naped Sapsucker drum, as do Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers on the trees a bit further up. White-crowned Sparrows may be found in the bushes along the way. Even further, you will hit the dense evergreen forest, where MANY species are abundant. Listen for Golden-crowned Kinglet, Varied Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Nashville Warbler, Pine Siskin, Cassin's Finch, and Dark-eyed Junco. Continue driving if you are intent on getting high-elevation birds like Gray Jay, American Three-toed Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Pine Grosbeak, Northern Pygmy-Owl, Ruffed Grouse, and maybe a White-winged Crossbill or Boreal Chickadee.

Rotary Marsh - A quaint park/walking trail that is down on the Kelowna Waterfront. It is on Sunset Rd. Walk along the paths, which have a network of small ponds. The ponds are great for ducks, GB Heron, American Coots, blackbirds and Song Sparrows in the bulrushes, and the odd Common Goldeneye. The tree around may produce a Yellow-rumped or Orange-crowned Warbler. Continue on to a park bench near the water ( Okanagan Lake ), sit down if you'd like, and scan. Horned Grebe, Western Grebe, Common Loon, Canvasback, Greater and Lesser Scaup ( To tell them apart is tricky. The identification key is that Lessers have peaked heads, while Greaters have downward sloping ones. Subtle, but evident. ), and others are possible.

These are only five places I have described to go in Kelowna, but in my birding experience, they are my most productive spots. Other places to go are:

Chichester Marsh
Maude Roxby Bird Sanctuary
Knox Mountain
Kelowna Landfill / Alki Lake
McCulloch Road

Thanks, and good luck! :D

Logan Lalonde :)
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