Post by Chris on May 16, 2010 16:05:53 GMT -8
Yesterday, I went past Merritt exploring highway 97c. I haven't been on this highway in years. I didn't have a plan set in stone of where I would go, but one area where I did want to go was Tunkwa Lake.
I saw one bear along the Coquihalla and two deer. My birding trip really started once I got on Highway 97c just past Merritt. The frist bird I saw was a Mountain Bluebird. There are a lot of these guys along the highway. I pulled over a few times to try to get a picture but they would fly off. The best one I could manage was this one.
I pulled over a few times and walked along the road. I saw Chipping Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Mountain Bluebirds, Tree Swallows and one Western Meadowlark. There wasn't a lot of good places to pull over and walk along the highway.
My next stop was Tunkwa Lake. This is a great area for birds especially waterfowl. I was amazed at how many birds there were. On the drive in I spotted two Red-naped Sapsuckers.
My first stop was the picnic area which resulted in two Red-necked Grebes and one sitting on a nest. Here's one of them
I scoped out the lake and there were at least fifty Barrow's Goldeneye and the same number of Lesser Scaup. Most of the waterfowl were near the shore of the lake. At the picnic site were also Savannah Sparrows, American Coots and Mallards.
There is some nice small wetlands when you are driving into the picnic site and I checked those out as I was coming back. The first one was great as it produced six Ruddy Ducks, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Lesser Scaup and Northern Shoveler. The Yellow-headed Blackbirds make the best sound! The highlite was a lone Wilson's Phalarope. Here's a few pictures of a Yellow-headed Blackbird, Ruddy Ducks and of the Phalarope. The Phalarope is a new one for me.
The next small pond had eight Wilson's Phalarope and one Greater Yellowlegs! Here's a Yellow-headed Blackbird and the Phalarope.
There is a large pond along the road into the campground of Tunkwa Lake. I could not believe how many species and the number of waterfowl was in this one place. There were Eared Grebe, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Bufflehead, Redhead, Mallards, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, American Wigeon and Ruddy Ducks. Here is a small sample of how many Ducks there were and Eared Grebes as well. The Eared Grebe is a new one for me as well.
The park also had a lot of Mountan Bluebirds and Vesper Sparrows. Now I wish I would have explored more of that area because it seems to be awesome.
Coming back I saw a Black-billed Magpie just outside of Merritt. I have not seen one of these in about four years.
I saw one bear along the Coquihalla and two deer. My birding trip really started once I got on Highway 97c just past Merritt. The frist bird I saw was a Mountain Bluebird. There are a lot of these guys along the highway. I pulled over a few times to try to get a picture but they would fly off. The best one I could manage was this one.
I pulled over a few times and walked along the road. I saw Chipping Sparrows, Vesper Sparrows, Mountain Bluebirds, Tree Swallows and one Western Meadowlark. There wasn't a lot of good places to pull over and walk along the highway.
My next stop was Tunkwa Lake. This is a great area for birds especially waterfowl. I was amazed at how many birds there were. On the drive in I spotted two Red-naped Sapsuckers.
My first stop was the picnic area which resulted in two Red-necked Grebes and one sitting on a nest. Here's one of them
I scoped out the lake and there were at least fifty Barrow's Goldeneye and the same number of Lesser Scaup. Most of the waterfowl were near the shore of the lake. At the picnic site were also Savannah Sparrows, American Coots and Mallards.
There is some nice small wetlands when you are driving into the picnic site and I checked those out as I was coming back. The first one was great as it produced six Ruddy Ducks, Yellow-headed Blackbirds, Lesser Scaup and Northern Shoveler. The Yellow-headed Blackbirds make the best sound! The highlite was a lone Wilson's Phalarope. Here's a few pictures of a Yellow-headed Blackbird, Ruddy Ducks and of the Phalarope. The Phalarope is a new one for me.
The next small pond had eight Wilson's Phalarope and one Greater Yellowlegs! Here's a Yellow-headed Blackbird and the Phalarope.
There is a large pond along the road into the campground of Tunkwa Lake. I could not believe how many species and the number of waterfowl was in this one place. There were Eared Grebe, Cinnamon Teal, Northern Shoveler, Bufflehead, Redhead, Mallards, Canvasback, Lesser Scaup, American Wigeon and Ruddy Ducks. Here is a small sample of how many Ducks there were and Eared Grebes as well. The Eared Grebe is a new one for me as well.
The park also had a lot of Mountan Bluebirds and Vesper Sparrows. Now I wish I would have explored more of that area because it seems to be awesome.
Coming back I saw a Black-billed Magpie just outside of Merritt. I have not seen one of these in about four years.
