Day 1 - Arrival in Vancouver. Meet up for dinner and discuss plans for following day. Night Vancouver.
Day 2 - We will explore some of the Lower Mainland's best known birding locations, including the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary and Boundary Bay. We hope to find a variety of migrants today, including a plethora of shorebirds, some of which could include large flocks of Western Sandpipers, as well as Sanderlings, Pectoral Sandpipers, Short-billed Dowitcher, Red Knot, Red-necked Phalarope, Marbled Godwit, Whimbrel and Black-bellied Plovers to name a few. Rarities are possible, and if there are any around, we can try and find them. Some of the more regular rare shorebirds that occur in the Lower Mainland include Ruff, Sharp-tailed Sandpiper, American Golden-Plover, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Willet. Migrant passerines to watch for today include Black-throated Gray Warbler, Cassin's Vireo, Western Flycatcher and Western Tanagers to name just a few. At Reifel, we could find roosting owls such as Great Horned or Barred owls, and we should see a nice variety of raptors including Northern Harriers, Cooper's Hawk, Peregrine Falcon and more. With a little luck, we will see Sandhill Cranes as well. Night in Vancouver.
Day 3 - After a little morning exploration of Boundary Bay in Tsawwassen, we'll check out the Tsawwassen Jetty where birds like Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Surf and White-winged scoters, Harlequin Ducks, Pacific Loons, Double-crested, Brandt's and Pelagic cormorants, Caspian Tern and a variety of other species can be seen. We'll then board a ferry which will take us through Active Pass to the city of Victoria, on Vancouver Island. During the ferry trip, we'll keep an eye open for jaegers, Bonaparte's Gulls, loons, grebes, gulls and other goodies. We often seen Humpback Whales and occasionally see Orcas on this crossing.
Once in Victoria, we can visit Swan Lake, where trails and boardwalks offer opportunities to see birds like Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Hutton's Vireo, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Willow Flycatcher, assorted migrant sparrows, warblers and more. On the lake, there should be birds like Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck and Pied-billed Grebe.
We'll then head down to the shore and have a look at Clover Point, one of Victoria's best birding locations. The rocky shorelines here are excellent for shorebirds like Black Oystercatcher, Black Turnstone, Surfbird, and occasionally Wandering Tattler. This is a great location to scan the sea for birds like Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot, Rhinoceros Auklet, and Heermann's Gull, to name a few species. Brown Pelicans can sometimes be seen flying over the water here. Night in Victoria.
Day 4 - We will continue our tour, visiting more locations around British Columbia's capital city, Victoria. The Ogden Point Breakwater is a nice place for a walk to look for more shorebirds and seabirds. It is a good spot for Black Turnstones, Surfbirds, Sanderlings, Rhinoceros Auklets, Common Murre, Pigeon Guillemot and a variety of gulls, including the ubiquitous Glaucous-winged Gull, and the tiny Short-billed Gull.
A walk through the city's iconic Beacon Hill Park should yield birds including Anna's Hummingbird, Bushtit, Steller's Jay, Black-throated Gray and other warblers, as well as a variety of waterfowl on the ponds. We occasionally find a roosting Barred Owl here.
At Esquimalt Lagoon, there is often a nice selection of birds to see, which include shorebirds, seabirds, gulls, ducks and more. Belted Kingfisher is a regular sight here, and overhead, we'll watch for migrating groups of Turkey Vultures, which often gather at the southern end of Vancouver Island before taking off across the Salish Sea.
Day 5 - This morning we'll leave Victoria and head north, stopping in at Goldstream Provincial Park, where we will look along the stream for American Dippers. Other forest species possible here include Pacific Wren, Hutton's Vireo, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Northern Pygmy-Owl and others. We'll stop next at Duncan, where a boardwalk into the wetlands is good for birding. We often see species like Anna's Hummingbird, Cedar Waxwing, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Harrier, Band-tailed Pigeon and Purple Finch here, to name just a few. Further north, in Nanaimo, we'll visit Buttertubs Marsh, an excellent place for a walk and it's often full of birds. On the ponds are Wood Ducks, Ring-necked Ducks, Pied-billed Grebes and other waterfowl, while in the marsh, Virginia Rail is possible and Marsh Wrens are often found. Bewick's Wren, Bushtit, Spotted Towhees, Fox Sparrow and Downy Woodpecker are all regulars as well. In the late afternoon, we'll catch the ferry from Nanaimo back to the mainland, at Horseshoe Bay. We'll return to the airport area in Richmond, where the tour will conclude.
