B.C. Trip Part II

June 15



Get Your Mojo Running

After a long day of travelling, I woke the following morning not feeling fully refreshed. At 7:00 AM Jean would call me to our room's window. She had spotted a male Rufous Hummingbird, lifer #265. Though it was a beautiful bird it would not cure my headache. Luckily some ASA was available.

While waiting for Jean's mum and Danie to wake we birded from the deck of the Tari Shanti, our home base during our stay in the Kootenays.

A few birds we can see at home were found, Chipping Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird and American Robin. The female Rufous Hummingbird made an appearance amongst the flowering trees.

Hidden in the coniferous trees, a bird was repeatedly singing an unfamiliar song. Some pishing provoked the bird to appear long enough for Jean and I to observe the field markings of a lifer (#266) MacGillivary's Warbler. The bird would not cooperate with subsequent pishing, even the next day it could not be fooled. After breakfast we prepared for a day on the west side of Kootenay Lake.

From the parking area of the Tara Shanti we spotted 3 Pine Siskins in some tall conifers.

We picked up some baked goods at the Treehouse Bakery in Crawford Bay

and dropped off some well received cinnamon buns at Danie's sons' house/recording studio, "The Summit". Keith and Echo the dog would prove to be excellent tour guides later in the week.

We then arrived at the ferry dock in Kootenay Bay and took our place in line for the Osprey 2000.

There was enough time before the arrival of the ferry to scan the swallows flying around the area. Amongst the many Barn Swallow, we spotted 2 Violet-green Swallows, lifer #267. A very beautiful bird with the white on the cheek extending above the eye and its white flanks extending onto its rump. With the lifer Violet-green Swallow ticked I relaxed with an Americano Espresso (the coffee in B.C. is amazing) at Mojo's Cafe while playing chess with Danie's son Greg.

The combination of ASA and caffeine brought me back to 100% birding fitness as there were more birds to find on the west side of Kootenay Lake.

All images by Jean.