2014 Summer Vacation - July 4 & 5 - Sicamous and Kamloops

We left Calgary on July 4th. Since Austin was with us, we felt it would be too much to drive all the way home in one day. We picked Sicamous as a good halfway point and arrived there early in the afternoon. While Edith and Austin went swimming, I went out for about an hour to see if I could find some birds.

July 4 - Sicamous BC

The first place I tried was an area used by a local snow-mobile club. It had Owl in the name so it sounded promising. I did hear and briefly see one Willow Flycatcher, but that was it.

Since our motel backed on to the Eagle river, I came back that way and found a bridge just past the motel. This took me into the Sicamous Industrial Park, which did not look too good either. However, there appeared to be some birds in the trees on an empty property so I stopped. I tried pishing and there was immediate action with a number of sparrows flitting around.

Better yet, these were Chipping Sparrows, a bird I had hoped to see in Alberta. These are a different looking sparrow with their reddish-brown caps. I managed a few good shots.

Chipping Sparrow

In with the sparrows was a Yellow Warbler, it would not sit still long enough to get a good photo.

Yellow Warbler

I wandered around a bit and came across a Gray Catbird. Sometimes they are very elusive and other times they will just sit still and pose for you. This one was a poser.

Gray Catbird

As I was leaving in the car, I saw a Robin on the telephone wire above me. 

American Robin

That was it for Sicamous.

July 5 - Kamloops BC

The last bird seen on our vacation was this Osprey in a nest. We were stopped on the highway waiting for a road paving crew to let us go. Pretty good spot to stop.

Osprey