Kaslo Area birders at Lardeau and North Kootenay Lake area report

[marlene johnston]

Hi all,

How about that wind today!!

This morning 20 keen birders from Argenta, Howser, Meadow Creek, Lardeau, Kaslo and Nakusp arrived for the first Kaslo Area Birders’ outing of the year. Despite the somewhat windy cool start, there were early spring birds. Until the wind picked up, then the swallows and most birds hunkered down somewhere. A nice surprise was the Fox Sparrow singing in the sheltered shrubbery area.

We checked out the north end of the lake at the pullout below the bluffs where the peregrines nest, but no peregrine yet. Near the bridge over the Duncan River, the highlights were a couple Mountain bluebirds and a Northern Harrier. At Meadow Creek, it was so windy and cold we pretty much glossed over the few Canada Geese, crows, ravens and the lone swan at the wetland pond and headed to what we hoped would be shelter from the wind below the Duncan Dam. Haha, it was just as if not more windy there. After attempting to walk the spillway road below the dam towards where a very large number of swallows were skimming over the surface, we gave up. Then, as we were finishing the walk, a flock of yellow-rumped warblers arrived at the same time as the first gropple started to fall.

Here is a list of most of the birds seen on our tour:
Spotted Towhee
Merlin
Ruby-crowned kinglet
American Robin
Common Raven
American Crow
Steller Jays
Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Violet Green Swallows
Tree Swallows
Bald Eagle
Canada Geese
Yellow-rumped Warblers
Mountain Bluebirds
Northern Harrier
Turkey Vultures
Red-tailed Hawk
Northern Flicker
Common Merganser
Trumpeter/Tundra swan

For those who participated, please add any birds I’ve missed. It was wonderful to see familiar and new faces. Thank you all for your contributions.

marlene at lardeau