Winter Birding
Storm watching can be an exciting activity, here on the wild west coast, where winter weather often obliges with fierce gales and torrential downpours. At such times the visitor, who has come from afar to partake of this elemental spectacle, will find what he or she came for. But what to do in between storms or when sunny skies and calm seas prevail? How about a half day's birding?
It is not widely known that in the Tofino area, some of the year's best birding can be had in winter. The tidal mudflats are then home to ducks of numerous species. Mallards, Northern Pintails, Green-winged Teal and American Wigeons by the thousands may be easily seen. Search a little more and you can add Eurasian Wigeon, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, all three Mergansers, Buffleheads, Greater Scaup and possibly others. You may also find Trumpeter Swans and geese of several kinds - Greater White-fronted, Cackling and Canada Geese. Additional water birds that may also be found. These include four kinds of grebes, three loons and 3 species of cormorants.
Shorebirds are also possible. Black-bellied Plovers winter on the mudflats and Dunlin show up in flocks of thousands, with sanderlings often among them. Surfbirds and Black Turnstones can be found at several favourite hangouts, and if you are lucky, a Rock Sandpiper among them. During times of heavy seas, Black Oystercatchers gather in a flock of 70 or 80 or more birds, probably the largest congregation in British Columbia.
Winter is also the best time to view Varied Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Fox Sparrow, Purple Finch, Anna's Hummingbird and, when the mercury is low, the very handsome Red-breasted Sapsucker. A good day's birding in winter can get you 50 or more species. Although we can't guarantee the weather, we can always find birds.
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shorebird | paddle tour | seabird voyage | pelagic | early bird | mountain | winter birding
Mailing address: PO Box 990, Tofino BC V0R 2Z0
email: info@justbirding.com