Canadian Rockies

This tour combines great bird and mammal watching amidst spectacular mountain scenery. We visit the famed Mountain National Parks of the Canadian Rockies – Banff, Jasper, Yoho, and Kootenay as well as Kananaskis Country and a few lesser known but equally charming areas. We explore both sides of the continental divide including the headwaters of the Columbia River and the very productive Columbia River wetlands – the longest wetlands in North America. We visit a wide range of habitats from alpine tundra to prairie grasslands. We amble through magnificent Rocky Mountain forests looking for warblers and other passerines, scan clear mountain streams for American Dippers, and search the prairies and astonishingly productive potholes for grassland birds, raptors, ducks and shorebirds. We take the longest tram ride in Canada to the Whistlers and look for high elevation species such as White-tailed Ptarmigan. Finally we should see lots of mammals - elk, moose, bear, deer, coyote, beaver, porcupine, mountain goat, bighorn sheep and more.

Highlights
• Spectacular mountain scenery in the heart of Canada’s Mountain National Parks
• Excellent bird and mammal watching across a range of elevations and habitats
 

Itinerary
Day 1 - Arrival and Orientation
The tour begins in the evening in Edmonton, Alberta. We meet over dinner for a brief introduction and orientation to discuss the upcoming adventure. Night in Edmonton.

Days 2 and 3 - Jasper National Park
We travel west on Highway 16 from Edmonton to Jasper, stopping along the way to look for forest and water birds, and for a picnic lunch, perhaps on a quiet lakeshore alive with warblers and other songbirds. As we enter Jasper National Park we scan the mountains and roadsides for big game animals and birds before checking in to our delightful and comfortable cottages on the Athabasca River — a setting which is truly awe-inspiring. After dinner, we begin our birding explorations in the diverse mountain habitats.
During our time in the park we visit several birding hotspots: lowland habitats such as Cottonwood Slough, the Maligne Valley and the higher elevation alpine regions like The Whistlers. In front of our cottages, we can gaze upon the beautiful Athabasca River, watching for American Dipper, Osprey, Spotted Sandpiper and Common Merganser. At Cottonwood Slough we look for Calliope Hummingbird, Willow and Alder flycatchers, Northern Waterthrush, Gray Jay, and Swamp, Song and Lincoln’s sparrows. Along the Maligne Valley road we search for Harlequin Duck, Townsend’s Solitaire, Winter Wren and Varied Thrush. A highlight will be a gondola ride up The Whistlers. The views from the alpine meadows can be spectacular, and the birds found here are easily approached and are species generally not found elsewhere. We will be looking for White-tailed Ptarmigan, American Pipit, Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch and Townsend’s Solitaire, as well as the Hoary Marmot, the “whistler” for which the mountain is named. Nights in Jasper.

Day 4 - Columbia Icefields and Lake Louise
Today will be mostly a driving day as we make several stops on our way to Lake Louise. We travel south along the spectacular Icefields Parkway through Jasper then Banff National Parks. This is an unforgettable drive through the mountains. Over the day, we travel along Continental Divide and go over two major mountain passes. Our first stop will be at Athabasca Falls where we hope to see American Dipper. We will also stop at the Columbia Icefields to soak up the spectacular scenery of the Athabasca Glacier, learn a bit about glaciation, and bird the open subalpine forests nearby. The lookout at Bow Summit provides a wonderful view of Peyto lake and glacier. We arrive in the town of Lake Louise in the afternoon and visit beautiful Lake Louise - a spectacular setting - where we should find Clark’s Nutcracker. This is an area with a fascinating history including the amazing engineering of the railroad, the colourful mountaineering history, and the connection to Canada’s group of seven artists.

Day 5 – Lake Louise to Invermere
We depart Lake Louise and head over Kicking Horse Pass into British Columbia and our next National Park, Yoho. We travel down to the town of Field and on to the rich forests along the Kicking Horse River. Townsend’s Warblers and Hammond’s Flycatchers should be singing from these montane forests. As we descend into the town of Golden, we have our first views of the Purcell Mountains on the west side of the Rocky Mountain Trench and the Columbia River Wetlands. These wetlands are a Ramsar site, recognized for their tremendous importance to breeding and migrating birds. At 180 km long, they are one of the longest wetlands in North America. We journey south along the wetlands, stopping at several points to sample the amazing diversity this area holds. The wetlands are home to Bald Eagle, Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, Wood Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Hooded Merganser, Sora, and much more. In the forests along the wetlands we are likely to encounter Least and Willow Flycatchers, Northern Waterthrush, and we have good chances for Bullock’s Oriole, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Veery. Night in Invermere.

Day 6 – Invermere
We have time to explore the diverse habitats and birds of this area. The grasslands and savannas hold Lewis’s Woodpecker, Western Meadowlark, Mountain and Western Bluebirds, Western Tanager, Lazuli Bunting, and Long-billed Curlew. Cassin’s Vireo as well as Dusky and Pacific-slope Flycatchers can be found in these forests and with luck we may find Dusky (Blue) Grouse crossing our path. We make a stop to watch White-throated Swifts while enjoying an ice cream cone! Time in the wetlands will also give us an opportunity to look for more species we may not have seen yesterday. Night in Invermere.

Day 7 – Invermere to Canmore
After a final morning in this beautiful valley, we head back into the Rocky Mountains and Kootenay and Banff National Parks. The drive through Kootenay Park provides more stunning scenery as we travel up to the Continental Divide. Kootenay Park recently experienced a very large fire so we will stop to see if we have any luck finding Black-backed Woodpecker, which is a post-fire specialist.We enter Banff National Park and bird along the Bow Valley Parkway, an area occupied by Hammond’s Flycatcher and Harlequin Duck, and then continue on for a visit to the famous and picturesque town of Banff, arriving at our lodge in Kananaskis Country for dinner. We will likely have the pleasure of watching from the deck of the lodge as moose graze in the meadow below. Night near Canmore.

Day 8 - Kananaskis Valley
The fantastically beautiful Kananaskis Valley, on the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, consists mainly of Lodgepole pine and spruce forest, with aspen and willow near water. Several large lakes and extensive wetlands dot the valley. The diverse habitats at the low elevations along the highway support a great variety of bird species. During the day we visit several locations including Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, where we look for Boreal Chickadee and Spruce Grouse — and we may also find Varied Thrush, Townsend’s Warbler, Red Crossbill, Belted Kingfisher and perhaps a Northern Goshawk. Night near Canmore.

Day 9 – Prairie birding near Brooks
For a change of pace today, we head east past Calgary into the short grass prairie of southern Alberta. As we travel out of the Calgary, we watch for Swainson’s and Ferruginous Hawks, Chestnut-collared Longspurs and Prairie Falcon, and perhaps Willet and Upland Sandpiper in the open prairie. Pronghorns feeding close to the road may present an exciting photo opportunity. Lakes support colonies of Western Grebe, American White Pelican and Caspian Tern. Night near Brooks.

Day 10 – Dinosaur Provincial Park and return to Calgary
We drive north to Dinosaur Provincial Park, which could produce such summer residents as Rock Wren, Say’s Phoebe, Brown Thrasher, Clay-colored and Lark Sparrows, Western Kingbird and Baltimore Oriole. After lunch we wind our way west, stopping to search for Sprague’s Pipit and Baird’s Sparrow, and head back to Calgary where we enjoy a final dinner together. Night in Calgary.

Day 11 - Departure
Our trip concludes in Calgary, after breakfast.

Featured Birds & Mammals:

• White-tailed Ptarmigan
• American Dipper
• Black Swift
• Lewis’s Woodpecker
• Black-chinned Hummingbird
• Ferruginous Hawk
• Varied Thrush
• Moose
• Mountain Goat
• Bighorn Sheep
• Pronghorn
 

Date: June 8-18, 2012

Duration: 11 days

Limit: 12 people

Price: $3,925 USD + 2.5% GST, $3,775 CAD + 5% GST, single supplement $695 USD  + GST, $675 CAD + GST

From: Edmonton, Alberta tour ends in Calgary

What to Expect

• Moderate walking, some hiking
• One or two steep, optional hikes
• Highly variable weather, possible snow at the Whistlers
• Good quality accommodation
• 4 to 8 participants with one leader; 9 to 12 participants with two leaders
• One or two 15-passenger vans
Tour starts in Edmonton, ends in Calgary
 

You can expect early morning starts each day, with the occasional before-breakfast trip as we search out breeding and late migrant birds. While we travel a considerable distance during our tour, most days involve reasonably short distances. Weather conditions during the trip should include warm and sunny days, possibly some rain, and the nights will be cool, and sometimes cold, in the mountains.

We walk easy to moderate lowlands and mountain trails, sometimes for periods of up to four hours. A reasonable level of fitness will be required since some mountain hikes involve 200 to 500 meters (600 to 1500 feet) in elevation change. We also bird along roadways and woodland trails, occasionally venturing into low brush and swampy and uneven terrain. During these times, we stop frequently to observe wildlife. We usually have picnic lunches while we soak up panoramic views. Should we have two leaders, we may split into “faster” and “slower” groups.

In the evening, we may arrange to go to a local restaurant selected for good food and comfortable atmosphere. During this time we discuss the day’s activities, review the list of birds seen and heard, and set out plans for the next day.

Previous checklists from our Canadian Rockies tour:

2007 Canadian Rockies tour (179 KB PDF)
2006 Canadian Rockies tour (pdf)
2002 Canadian Rockies tour (pdf)