British Columbia Birding with Canadian Geographic
Departing June 13, 2024
From boreal forest to Pacific ocean, true desert to teeming rainforest, and from grasslands to alpine tundra, British Columbia has the most diverse set of habitats in North America and perhaps even the world. This ultimate tour of Canada’s westernmost province could in fact be the ultimate temperate birding and wildlife adventure!
We begin in B.C.’s northeast Peace River district where grasslands and boreal forest meet. Birds of both ecosystems abound, many of whose ranges extend just into the province here in this region. Examples are Canada warbler, Nelson’s sparrow, yellow rail and upland sandpiper.
From here we’ll fly to Vancouver, on the mighty Fraser River delta. This city’s position makes it a huge draw for birders from around the world who seek migrants, breeding birds and vagrants. Highlights here include exciting shorebird viewing in Boundary Bay, montane birds of the North Shore Mountains and seabirds and rainforest specialties of Stanley Park.
Vancouver Island awaits us after a two hour ferry ride. We’ll spend three days exploring birding hotspots near Victoria such as Swan Lake and Martindale Flats, and take a whale-watching tour to view orcas up close. We’ll visit the wild west coast near Tofino for a pelagic tour that opens up a world of possibilities for seabirds, and comb the beaches in hopes of whimbrels, eagles and perhaps even a wolf.
From here we’ll traverse inland to the famed Okanagan region, known not only for its vineyards but also for avian diversity. Areas such as Kilpoola Lake host common poorwills and perhaps even sage thrashers, while Vaseux Lake is a site where we could have our highest daily species totals for the trip.
Overall this unique British Columbia birding tour offers the chance to see an incredible array of birds — over 200 species — in addition to some of the world’s best wildlife viewing. British Columbia is a magnificent province that has much to offer the naturalist explorer, from wild Pacific coastline to alpine tundra, and from arid desert to lush rainforest and more.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Vancouver
Day 2: Vancouver
Day 3: Boundary Bay and on to Manning Park
Days 4 – 6: The Okanagan
Day 7: Departure
Meet your RCGS Travel Ambassador
Myrna Pearman
Myrna Pearman was raised on a farm northeast of Rimbey, Alberta. A Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS), she became interested in photography while in high school and her love of nature was inspired by a local self-taught naturalist, Fred Schutz.
Myrna graduated with a BSc Honours in Geography from the University of Alberta in 1979, then returned home to care for her ailing parents. After their passing, she worked as a house painter and wedding photographer before becoming the Assistant Waskasoo Park Naturalist, Red Deer AB, in 1986. In 1987, she started a dream career as Biologist and Site Services Manager at Ellis Bird Farm (EBF). Under her leadership, EBF became an internationally recognized conservation, education and research centre. She retired in 2020. She is now the Resident Naturalist for Chin Ridge Seeds, Taber, AB and Coordinator of the Nature Central program for the Red Deer River Naturalists (RDRN). She also volunteers as the RDRN newsletter editor and sits on several committees.
Myrna has received recognition for her conservation and education work from the Red Deer River Naturalists, Nature Alberta, the North American Bluebird Society, the Alberta Chapter of the Wildlife Society and the Roger Tory Peterson Institute. She was made a Fellow of the RCGS in 2019. As a geography graduate, she is keenly interested in the work of the Society and has been a long-time subscriber to Canadian Geographic. Her extensive writing and public speaking experience, management expertise, and her long-term efforts to showcase and promote the Indigenous, cultural and natural history of Central Alberta emulates the RCGS’s core goal of “making Canada better known to Canadians.” She published her first article on backyard bird feeding for Canadian Geographic online in February 2021. She recently submitted a Fellow’s article about her love of Mountain Bluebirds and her most recent bluebird book.
Myrna writes a monthly photo essay in the Red Deer Advocate and is a columnist for Nature Alberta and The Gardener. She contributes to several wildlife and photography Facebook groups and has a growing social media following. She has authored/co-authored several scientific publications and has written several books.
Myrna has traveled extensively (always with her cameras) and is especially interested in photographing — and sharing her love for — Alberta wildlife and wild places. She is in demand as a speaker and enjoys mountain biking, kayaking snowshoeing and spending time at her cabin.