Post by kastern on Jun 28, 2009 14:57:52 GMT -8
Hi all.....we've just returned from a fantastic, 5 week trip, to Inuvik, N.W.T. and back. Drove up the Stewart Cassier highway, then the Alaska highway (with a jog down into Atlin, B.C.), up to the Dempster highway and then the 750 km drive (one way) to Inuvik. Returned via the Alaska Highway to Dawson Creek with a jog into Grande Prairie, down to Hinton, into Jasper and back down the Yellowhead to Kamloops and finally home.
Timing was good in that we saw a fair bit of bird life, wild life and wild flowers. Already we are planning another, earlier trip which would sacrifice the wildflowers but would probably be better for birds and wildlife. Bugs weren't bad although getting that way towards the end. We spent about 10 days in the Dempster area, stopping whenever we spotted anything interesting.
Our bird list reached 137 identified species. Won't bore you with them all but will give the highlites:
Trumperter Swans - in their nesting areas although didn't see any young this trip. Also visited an area just outside of Whitehorse where there is a Swan festival in April....bird counts done showed the 3rd week of April seemed to be the peak for most bird species.
Loons - Red Throated and Pacific in Inuvik, Common just about everywhere else. Were told where a pair of Red Throated usually nest, but couldn't find it. Were totally confused at Muncho Lake on the Alaska highway, where on June 22 nd we saw two pairs of Loon, both with full grown youngsters! Asked when the ice came off the lake and it had only come off 2 weeks previously, so don't understand how there could be young that size at that time of the year.
Ducks - just about all types, Scaups being the most common variety up there. Saw both Surf and White Wing Scoter and a few Long tail. Also Red Breasted Merganser in both the Yukon and Atlin.
Ptarmigan - all three types. Willow the most common, a White tail, and a Rock.
Sandhill Cranes - on the MacKenzie delta and then, surprisingly, just before Mt. Robson in B.C.
Shorebirds - Semipalmated Plover sitting on a nest in the middle of a gravel pit along the Dempster, Whimbrel on the tundra, Red Neck Phalarope all along the Dempster, Spotted Sandpiper absolutely everywhere including in Inuvik.
Long Tail Jaeger - just after we crossed the border into the N.W.T.
Short eared Owls - a number of them hunting in several areas along the Dempster, including in one spot, north of the N.W.T. and Yukon border where we camped in a spot just off the highway, right on the tundra, and where a Grizzley Bear had walked past earlier while we were having supper.
Warblers - I had no idea there were so many Wilson's Warblers in the world. They are everywhere, right up into Inuvik, as are Yellow and Orange Crowned Warblers. Yellow Rump are almost as bad but there weren't quite enough coniferous trees for them to be right in Inuvik (at least as we saw) but they were close. Saw Northern Waterthrush just outside of Quesnel, Blackpoll, Am. Redstart, and Townsends towards the northern part of the B.C. border.
Bohemian Waxwings - northern B.C. including Atlin.
Sparrows - White Crowned Sparrows are everywhere, including Inuvik, Savannah Sparrows also. White throated as soon as you get back close to the B.C/Alberta areas. Clay Coloured in Alberta.
Smith's Longspur and American Pipet - on the Tundra at the N.W.T. / Yukon border
Rusty Blackbird - on a lake by Fort McPhearson, N.W.T.
Hoary and Common Redpolls - along the Dempster, the Hoary while still in the territories.
Rose Breasted Grosbeak - Saskatoon Island P.P., Grande Prairie
I have approximately 2000 pictures of birds, wildlife, wildflowers and scenery. Over the next couple of months I'll gradually get the whole trip up on my blog.
Kathy
Timing was good in that we saw a fair bit of bird life, wild life and wild flowers. Already we are planning another, earlier trip which would sacrifice the wildflowers but would probably be better for birds and wildlife. Bugs weren't bad although getting that way towards the end. We spent about 10 days in the Dempster area, stopping whenever we spotted anything interesting.
Our bird list reached 137 identified species. Won't bore you with them all but will give the highlites:
Trumperter Swans - in their nesting areas although didn't see any young this trip. Also visited an area just outside of Whitehorse where there is a Swan festival in April....bird counts done showed the 3rd week of April seemed to be the peak for most bird species.
Loons - Red Throated and Pacific in Inuvik, Common just about everywhere else. Were told where a pair of Red Throated usually nest, but couldn't find it. Were totally confused at Muncho Lake on the Alaska highway, where on June 22 nd we saw two pairs of Loon, both with full grown youngsters! Asked when the ice came off the lake and it had only come off 2 weeks previously, so don't understand how there could be young that size at that time of the year.
Ducks - just about all types, Scaups being the most common variety up there. Saw both Surf and White Wing Scoter and a few Long tail. Also Red Breasted Merganser in both the Yukon and Atlin.
Ptarmigan - all three types. Willow the most common, a White tail, and a Rock.
Sandhill Cranes - on the MacKenzie delta and then, surprisingly, just before Mt. Robson in B.C.
Shorebirds - Semipalmated Plover sitting on a nest in the middle of a gravel pit along the Dempster, Whimbrel on the tundra, Red Neck Phalarope all along the Dempster, Spotted Sandpiper absolutely everywhere including in Inuvik.
Long Tail Jaeger - just after we crossed the border into the N.W.T.
Short eared Owls - a number of them hunting in several areas along the Dempster, including in one spot, north of the N.W.T. and Yukon border where we camped in a spot just off the highway, right on the tundra, and where a Grizzley Bear had walked past earlier while we were having supper.
Warblers - I had no idea there were so many Wilson's Warblers in the world. They are everywhere, right up into Inuvik, as are Yellow and Orange Crowned Warblers. Yellow Rump are almost as bad but there weren't quite enough coniferous trees for them to be right in Inuvik (at least as we saw) but they were close. Saw Northern Waterthrush just outside of Quesnel, Blackpoll, Am. Redstart, and Townsends towards the northern part of the B.C. border.
Bohemian Waxwings - northern B.C. including Atlin.
Sparrows - White Crowned Sparrows are everywhere, including Inuvik, Savannah Sparrows also. White throated as soon as you get back close to the B.C/Alberta areas. Clay Coloured in Alberta.
Smith's Longspur and American Pipet - on the Tundra at the N.W.T. / Yukon border
Rusty Blackbird - on a lake by Fort McPhearson, N.W.T.
Hoary and Common Redpolls - along the Dempster, the Hoary while still in the territories.
Rose Breasted Grosbeak - Saskatoon Island P.P., Grande Prairie
I have approximately 2000 pictures of birds, wildlife, wildflowers and scenery. Over the next couple of months I'll gradually get the whole trip up on my blog.
Kathy
