Birding the Lower Mainland

Joe Meche is president of the North Cascades Audubon Society and also serves the chapter as newsletter editor and birding programs coordinator. He has been watching birds for over 50 years and photographing birds and landscapes for more than 30 years.

Just across the international border, the lower mainland of southwestern British Columbia offers some of the finest bird watching opportunities on the entire Pacific Coast. In a relatively small area, bird life abounds in a variety of habitats from the North and South Arms of the Fraser River to the deep water of the Strait of Georgia and the tidal flats of Boundary Bay. The Fraser River estuary is the largest on Canada’s Pacific Coast and, along with Boundary Bay, provides essential foraging and resting stopovers for numerous birds in winter and during the spring and fall migrations.

Some of the place names ring out for local birders — Iona, Reifel, Brunswick Point, Roberts Bank, Blackie Spit and White Rock. All of these prime locations for bird watching are an easy, cost-effective carpool opportunity away from Bellingham. For the most part, these birding hotspots follow the shoreline from south of Vancouver to the border at Blaine. For an extended day of birding, you could in fact spend some time at all these locations and return home with a sizable trip list for your efforts.

If you get an early start you can usually cruise right across the border with a minimum of delay. Any sign of a morning rush hour is usually the Canadian shopping traffic heading south to the bountiful malls and outlet stores of Whatcom and Skagit Counties. After you cross the border at Blaine, just head north on Highway 99 and take the exit to the Vancouver airport.

After bypassing the airport and McDonald Beach Park, continue to Iona Beach Regional Park, on the tip of Lulu Island. From here, the south jetty extends across the northern reach of Sturgeon Bank and into the Strait of Georgia for two and a half miles. This wide, rock jetty was built to control erosion on Sea Island where Vancouver International Airport is located between two arms of the Fraser River. You can hike the jetty or take your bike for a very pleasant pedal, braking for birds of course.

Iona is a veritable migrant trap and almost 300 species have been recorded there. Local birders always focus on the sewage treatment ponds at Iona for unusual sightings and they often come up with a few rarities. Many birds utilize one side of the jetty or other for protection on windy days. Loons, grebes, gulls, cormorants, sea ducks and a variety of alcids are often within binocular view along the jetty’s entire length. Take a scope for best views, if someone is up for the five-mile carry.

South of Iona there are numerous marshes and wetlands that can be explored along the West Dyke Trail and back roads in Richmond and Steveston. Just across the river are the South Arm and Ladner Marsh wildlife areas where bald eagles often congregate in winter. Cross the South Arm of the Fraser and proceed west through the village of Ladner to begin your birding day in earnest on Westham Island.

Of all the places that draw us northward to see birds on the lower mainland of British Columbia, no other has quite the appeal of the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary — or Reifel, as it’s commonly and casually known. This is a place to spend entire days in the friendly confines of a well-run sanctuary for birds. No matter the season, Reifel always has something to offer. The concept of sanctuary seems to be understood by birds in some unique avian way. I’ve noticed this in many safe havens for birds and other wildlife.

Reifel has a long-time, experienced manager who lives on site. A real treat here is to take a morning walk with John Ireland and tap into his vast knowledge of a place that he clearly loves. John will take you to otherwise restricted areas in winter to see saw-whet and long-eared owls, that only he can locate. Before you go, you might check to see if his schedule fits into your visit. It will be worth it.

Snow geese numbering as many as 20,000 spend the winter near the sanctuary and you often have to drive through fields filled with geese and swans to get to the main gate. Many ducks and passerines spend the winter at Reifel and attract many raptors. Sandhill cranes nest and raise young in the spring, much to the delight of the bird watching public. There is an admission fee to enter the sanctuary but the best way to go is to purchase an annual membership. Your money will help to keep the sanctuary going and keep the birds coming back. And the birds keep the bird watchers coming back! It’s a pleasant cycle.

South of Reifel and across yet another arm of the Fraser is Brunswick Point, often one of the first locations in the lower mainland to report a favorite winter visitor — the snowy owl. Just down the road from the point, the protected areas around the Roberts Bank Superport and the Tsawwassen ferry terminal attract large numbers of waders, loons, grebes and Pacific black brant throughout the winter. The expanse of the area around the terminal allows lots of room to explore on foot.

Unless you want to line up and spend time dealing with two more border crossings, save Point Roberts for another day and head to Boundary Bay. This large area is world-renowned as a premier bird watching location on the Pacific Flyway and noted for its large concentrations of shorebirds during spring and fall migrations. Dunlin flocks in excess of 50,000 birds have been reported in recent years.

The tidal flats and salt marshes of Boundary Bay boast large numbers of raptors in winter. The raptor roster includes rough-legged hawks, short-eared owls, northern harriers, bald eagles, peregrine falcons and the occasional gyrfalcon. Gyrfalcons are uncommon enough to draw birders from far away when they stop by in winter. The biggest draw at Boundary Bay, however, is probably the snowy owl. Large numbers occasionally come down from the Far North during irruption years. Such was the case a few years ago when we counted 56 in a short afternoon’s birding.

Accessibility to the bay is provided by the 10-mile Boundary Bay Shore Trail and Dyke. Take your bike, pack a lunch and beverages, and just spend the entire day on the dyke. Birds will be on both sides and above you so just enjoy one of nature’s spectacles in a spectacular setting. On clear days, the views of Mt. Baker and the North Cascades will keep you in awe, and the sunsets will stagger you.

As you continue to head south, toward the border and home, be sure to drive through the community of Crescent Beach to Blackie Spit. The Blackie Spit Nature Park sits on the tip of a small peninsula that juts into the eastern edge of Boundary Bay. Loons, grebes, shorebirds and waterfowl can be viewed in every direction and the new trail system is well maintained and provides better access to the once-muddy wetlands at the park.

Blackie Spit garnered a bit of attention a few years back when the Three Amigos spent the winter together within view of many bird watchers. This unlikely trio consisted of a long-billed curlew, a whimbrel and a marbled godwit. These large shorebirds were never very far apart and became quite the conversation piece at gatherings of birdwatchers, especially those with a penchant for anecdotes.

After spending time at the spit, you’re almost home when you stop by White Rock to scan the waters of Semiahmoo Bay. From the White Rock pier in spring, you might see as many as 1,500 loons of three species feeding in the channel between there and Semiahmoo Spit. From the pier, diving ducks, grebes and gulls will help to hone your skills at field identification. After sunset, many decent restaurants provide a respite at day’s end before taking on the inevitable border crossing.

For those of us who don’t necessarily care for long waits in traffic at the border, all of these locations were put on hold a few years ago because of the heightened security issues after that infamous day in September of 2001.

As time has passed, the security is still there but the overall feeling is more on track with the way things used to be for a typical border crossing.

Keep in mind when planning a trip into the lower mainland of British Columbia that proper identification is essential to get into Canada and then — more importantly — to return to the U.S. Remember to take your passport for an easier time. A birth certificate with photo ID will also suffice. Whatever you encounter in the form of delays at the border, the birds you will see will make the passage worthwhile. §