PHOTOS ARE ON Flickr
| DAY ONE – Manning Park, Swan Lake, and Separation and Martin Lakes | |
| DAY TWO – China Ridge Trail and Ferguson Pond | |
| DAY THREE – Chain, Link, and Osprey Lakes and Ferguson Pond | |
| DAY FOUR – Swan Lake, Separation Lakes | |
| POSTSCRIPT – DAY 5 – August Lake, Cormack Marsh and Manning Park |
DAY ONE – Manning Park, Swan Lake, and Separation and Martin Lakes
15 Delta Naturalists arrived at Manning Park Resort at 09:30, our first meeting spot for the day ahead of a four-day adventure into the Similkameen region. They were Terry, Thea, Nadine, Rosemary, Nicki, Bruce, Grant, Jim, Patti, Mike, Lidia, Colin, Stephanie, Janet, and Estelle.
At the resort, we were anticipating the usual buffet of jays and ravens, but were instead treated to a smorgasbord of passerines: a flock of Chipping Sparrows scuffled through the dirt at the base of the Douglas firs; Savannah Sparrows, American Pipits, and Brown-headed Cowbirds (with a female Red-winged Blackbird among them) scoured the deep grass and berm; and a Lark Sparrow alighted on a raw strip of dirt right in front of us, sending a surge of thrill through the group. Tree, Barn, and Violet-green Swallows swooped about the main resort lodge.
With everyone present and accounted for, we moved swiftly on to Beaver Pond Trail, which was quiet (visually) relative to the year before, when the Delta Nats visited the trail on the Okanagan fieldtrip. But while there wasn’t a lot of obvious action going on, the air itself was symphonic with the of song of many species of birds, from Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Lincoln’s Sparrow, and Song Sparrow to Yellow-rumped Warbler and Common Yellowthroat, the latter two of which eventually revealed themselves.
There were also a few Mallards and a Canada Goose in the water. (Not to be sniffed at, the view as one enters the Beaver Pond trail was extraordinary: the way the sunlight filters down through the crystalline mountain air and sets every mossy surface and insect wing alight is quite beguiling.)
Manning Park & Beaver Pond Trail eBird List
An hour or so later, we arrived at Swan Lake just beyond the tiny town of Princeton, where we stopped first for a little lunch before hitting the trail that circumnavigates the lake. Here, we were met by Cathy and Ed, as well as John and Mary from the Vermillion Forks Field Naturalists, who were very familiar with the area and its botany and birdlife.
By now, the sun was beating down mercilessly upon our group and the temperatures soared to a sweltering 28°C. The Ponderosa pines towering over the picnic tables cast a welcome shade, as well as attracted some interesting visitors, including Pygmy Nutcracker, Vesper Sparrow, and Downy Woodpecker.
Not a stone’s throw from the picnic tables, we saw our first Lewis’s Woodpecker, the discovery of which snapped everyone out of their lunchtime languor, compelling the group to emerge from the comfort of the shade and into the blazing sun. Crow-like in appearance and wingbeat, with handsome black and strawberry red plumage, the Lewis’s Woodpecker feeds on insects setting it apart in behavior from the other members of the woodpecker family. They are, according to Ed, very endangered and so it was a privilege to see one, and so early in our trip too.
Also present around the pines were a pair of Western Bluebirds and, further on, standing sentry on a fence post, strikingly cerulean against the yellow grasses, a beautiful male Mountain Bluebird. The rich, fruity melodies of Western Meadowlarks kept us company during the hour-and-a-half we spent traipsing through scrub, admiring spring flowers like buttery-yellow Arrowleaf Balsamroot, Sagebrush Buttercup, and brilliant blue Larkspur.
The lake itself was like a restaurant on Valentine’s Day: full of couples! Waterfowl couples, that is. Not flocks, mind you; just two of each species, including Barrow’s Goldeneye, American Wigeon, American Coot, Ruddy Duck, Pied-billed Grebe, Mallard, and Green-winged Teal… oh, and a single Canada Goose… still looking for love apparently.
The reedbeds, however, were a different story. They bustled with Red-winged and Yellow-headed Blackbird, which filled the air with their strange, buzzing calls (very much reminiscent of a heavy door swinging on a rusty hinge). Overhead, a Red-tailed Hawk soared and before arriving back at the cars, we saw another two Lewis’s Woodpecker, a Northern Flicker, and Common Ravens. Hummingbirds made super brief appearances but outpaced our ability to identify them.
After settling into our accommodations, some of the Delta Nats met for dinner at Little Creek Grill, after which we concluded the day with a drive through rolling, cow-dotted farmlands to Separation Lake and Martin Lake. The first stop (Separation Lakes) was packed with waterfowl, including Redhead, Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Cinnamon Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Lesser Scaup, and Bufflehead. Two other highlights were a pair of Red-necked Phalarope and a party of four Wilson’s Phalarope.
En route to Martin Lake, we added Mourning Dove to the list and, at our final stop, Rufous Hummingbird, Brewer’s Blackbird, and a strikingly handsome Common Loon in full breeding plumage.
At the end of day one, our master tally stood at 50 species!
DAY TWO – China Ridge Trail and Ferguson Pond
Day two dawned cool but clear with the forecast promising a day as hot as the one before, thanks to a ridging high-pressure cell; the same kind that caused that epic heat dome in 2021. Those of us who camped or stayed in Airbnb’s met the motel crowd in downtown Princeton, a veritable ghost town at 08:00 on a Sunday morning. There were plenty of aerial birds frolicking in the fresh morning air so we kicked off the list with Violet-green Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Cliff Swallow, and Tree Swallow, as well as Vaux’s Swift. Other “list-stuffers” included House Sparrow, Eurasian-collared Dove, and Rock (Feral) Pigeon.
We then set off for China Ridge trails with our intrepid leader Johanna at the head of the pack. Once there, we met a crowd of folks from the Vermillion Forks Naturalists and embarked upon the ambitious incline up the ridge. Mountain Chickadee and Red-breasted Nuthatch were heard and later seen; Vesper Sparrow and Chipping Sparrow flitted restlessly from the grass to the lower boughs of trees; and a Townsend’s Solitaire sang loudly from the very top of a pine. Around us yawned panoramic views of rolling, verdant grasslands punctuated with exuberant yellow growths of Arrowleaf Balsamroot.
The trail led us through pine forests and spring flower-dotted pastures, and past a steep, thickly-wooded river gorge. Pine Siskin trilled from the treetops and we chased the gentle twittering of Mountain Chickadee. At one lookout, a male Red Crossbill perched atop a pine bough and let loose a volley of spring song long enough for us to get a good look.
In the valley beneath us, a Nashville Warbler called repeatedly but only a few of our group managed to see it. Right about when we decided to give up on the warbler, a Merlin sliced through the air overhead. (Nature abhors imbalance and so compensation for disappointment is never far behind.) When we arrived back at the parked cars a couple of hours later (and probably several hundred kilocalories lighter), our total species list for the outing was around 20, including Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Robin, Red-tailed Hawk, Pygmy Nuthatch, and Common Raven.
In the car park itself, a little hummingbird caught our attention and after much deliberation (and, later, photo analysis), a consensus of Calliope Hummingbird was reached, owing to its small size, tiny tail, and evidence of long, finger-like gorget; although it wasn’t developed enough to make for an obvious ID.
From there, we drove all the way back up to the ski cabin at the top of the ridge, where we stopped for lunch. A pair of Mountain Bluebirds nested in the eaves of the cabin, and Chipping Sparrows called from the wooden fence surrounding the property. Well-fed and watered, some of the group struck out for a three-kilometer loop trail—led by John and Mary—and were rewarded with a beautiful male Western Tanager, a Cassin’s Vireo, and Canada Jay for our efforts. Those who stayed behind enjoyed the sunshine and the visits of a Rufous Hummingbird, who was attracted by Rosemary’s bright red shirt.
After dinner at the Princeton Golf Course, the Delta Nats headed to Ferguson Pond, where Ed and Cathy had spotted a Williamson’s Sapsucker a few days before. The spot proved to be remarkably fruitful, and while we never got our Williamson’s, we did see a Red-naped Sapsucker shimmying up a wooden telephone pole, before flying off to its mate in a nearby tree. Another treat was a Sora—feeding along the periphery of the reedbed—which caught our attention with its loud whinnying.
The pond itself was bustling with waterfowl: the usual Barrow’s Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck, Mallard, Pied-billed Grebe, Ruddy Duck, and Green-winged Teal, but there were also a few special nuggets thrown in, such as a lone Cinnamon Teal and Blue-winged Teal, a new one for the list. Marsh Wrens and Red-winged Blackbirds filled the air with their calls, and two House Wrens chittered back-and-forth from the embracing vegetation.
The base to this cacophony was provided by a Ruffed Grouse, which, somewhere across the lake, beat its wings together in a display intended to attract females. (Here’s a YouTube video of what that actually looks like.) With distance, that explosive sound degrades to an incredibly low-frequency drumming, the same way a loud crack of lightning from far away sounds like a low rumble.
The final sighting for the day was an Osprey, which we saw perched in a tree alongside its nest very close to the turn off into the town of Princeton itself. Keep your eyes peeled next time you head out of town!
Master species tally: 73
DAY THREE – Chain, Link, and Osprey Lakes and Ferguson Pond
With the sky dawning a fierce blue completely devoid of clouds, it was hard to imagine rain coming later on in the day; and yet that is what the forecast promised (and, later on, delivered). The Delta Nats began the day’s adventures with a long drive through bucolic scenery with stops at three different lakes. The first, Chain Lake, was devoid of birdlife, although the views across the water in the early morning light made it well worth the stop. Also, a camper caught a rainbow trout right as we were heading back for the cars, and her exhilaration was contagious.
The second stop, Link Lake, at first seemed as though it’d be just as quiet as the first—aside from a pair of nesting Common Loons—until we found a little trail that traced the water’s periphery. Suddenly, while making our way through a bit of a bog and then a stand of aspen trees, a choir of song birds started up! Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-Crowned Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Mountain Chickadee, and Dusky Flycatcher were seen and heard. A Wilson’s Warbler chatted away in a thicket but eluded our eyes. Even tiny Ruby-crowned Kinglet let rip their exuberant springtime warbling.
Further down the trail, we spotted a pair of Red-naped Sapsuckers who, in the throes of spring passion, demonstrated how baby birds are made. A Steller’s Jay called harshly in the distance; a Western Tanager competed with its much sweeter melody; and a Warbling Vireo flitted high up in the boughs of a silver birch tree. On the way out, we saw our first Black-capped Chickadee of the trip, while some of the group saw two Osprey fly over the lake.
With a decent 18 species on our list from Link Lake, we headed for Osprey Lake, where, in the absence of any waterfowl, we decided to skip the long shoreline trail (in the heat) and enjoy an early lunch at the picnic tables. Thereafter, we headed back to tried-and-tested grounds at Ferguson Pond, which had proved so fruitful the evening before. We weren’t disappointed!
The Red-naped Sapsucker was in its usual spot on the telephone pole, and Clark’s Nutcracker (a new bird) jostled each other at the crowns of tall firs. As we approached the water, a Great Blue Heron (also a new bird) took flight and landed on the far shore. Grant, Nicki, and Bruce (not Doug 😉 went on a Williamson’s Sapsucker finding mission (sadly to no avail); Rosemary, Mike, and Estelle cracked open the camping chairs and lounged under the pines; and the rest of us hiked out to the far side of the pond, hoping to find the Grouse that we’d heard thumping its wings together the evening before.
We didn’t find a Grouse—or the Evening Grosbeaks we heard calling so loudly from way up in the trees—but we did see and hear both Sora and Virginia Rail, which was quite a treat considering how secretive both species are. We also made a rather gruesome discovery: a severed (above the wrist) coyote paw with the radius (I think) protruding from the fur. Remarkably, the paw looked to be in perfect condition—i.e. it wasn’t bloody or mangled—and the bone fastidiously picked clean by insects, and so we all wondered what had befallen the poor animal. A territorial rivalry? A pack of wolves? A bear, even?
Ferguson Pond (Take Two) eBird List
That evening, after a brief rain shower, a few Delta Nats braved a swollen, slatey-grey sky to check out Cormack Marsh, a patch of wetlands that falls within the Riparian zone of the Similkameen River. We must have missed the main nature trail so we parked the cars along a dirt track and watched a pair of honeymooning Osprey restlessly flying back-and-forth from their nest, the male bringing his partner a gift of fish.
Aside from a Rufous Hummingbird and an impressive flock of 11 Turkey Vulture, which soared in their usual wobbly fashion above a nearby ridge, the marsh we remarkably quiet and so we called it a day, our master tally standing at 82 species.*
* This is not to mention the birds seen by other members of our group outside of our group outings. Grant, for instance, has seen Pileated Woodpecker, Nashville Warbler, Black-billed Magpie, and Common Merganser at his campsite. He also snapped a rarity after our outing to Swan Lake: a California Jay x Steller’s Jay hybrid.
Taking these other species into account, our total is probably closer to 87. However, for the purpose of my reporting, I’ll keep our master tally to the birds seen on our group outings.
DAY FOUR – Swan Lake, Separation Lakes
Our final full day in Princeton dawned mostly clear, but with some high-level clouds providing welcome respite from the intense glare of the sun. We decided to take another swing at Swan Lake, which was infinitely more enjoyable to hike in the morning (and partial cloud cover) than in the full merciless blaze of the afternoon sun.
The song of Vesper Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, and Western Meadowlark were, by now, a familiar, ever-present soundtrack to our meanderings but we now also picked up the plaintive “wheeoo” of Western Wood-Pewee from several directions. We stopped just past the picnic table to watch Pygmy Nuthatch and a female Western Bluebird, and were about to move on when a Hairy Woodpecker showed up and began excavating the snag we previously saw the Lewis’s Woodpecker on.
At the lake itself, we saw many of the same waterfowl and riverine species as last time, including Ruddy Duck, Barrow’s Goldeneye, Ring-necked Duck, and Yellow-headed Blackbird. It was the woods beyond that yielded us a handful of new sightings, such as Cooper’s Hawk, Bullock’s Oriole, and Yellow Warbler. Further on, we found a pair of Lewis’s Woodpecker which, like so many of the birds we’ve seen on this trip, were clearly on honeymoon (bow-chicka-wow-wow).
Other notable sightings from Swan Lake were an Osprey (carrying a fish), Clark’s Nutcracker, Western Tanager, and Red-tailed Hawk.
Our next stop was Separation Lakes where we had seen the Phalaropes on day one. Our point of embarkation was the intersection of the Kettle Valley railway and the Princeton-Summerland Road, where some of the group set off on a hike. The others travelled a bit further up the road with their camping chairs and binoculars and sat and enjoyed the birding from the vantage point we had previously stopped at.
At this point, the sun pounded down, but the birding was good enough to spur us forward, irrespective of the heat. A Cooper’s Hawk, Turkey Vulture, and Red-tailed Hawk sailed the thermals above our heads. Hanging out on some fencing and wiring across a field—and having to squint through the heat haze to identify them—we discerned a Say’s Phoebe and a pair of Western Kingbird. Some of us saw the latter on the power lines on the way up to the lake, too.
The lake itself was dotted with an impressive assortment of waterfowl, including Northern Shoveler, Cinnamon Teal, Redhead, Bufflehead, Lesser Scaup, Gadwall, and Mallard. Sadly, there was no sign of the Phalarope, but we did find a Spotted Sandpiper and Killdeer picking along the lakeshore. A pair of Ring-billed Gull swooped over the lake; Vesper Sparrow and Savannah Sparrow flitted from the fencing into the grasses, singing loudly; and a wheeling cloud of midges chased Nadine back to the cars.
Separation Lakes eBird (Take Two)
Typically at this point, I write a paragraph on the evening outing, but considering the rain and darkening sky, we decided to call it a day after our final supper at the Little Creek Grill. Nicki and Bruce did text me on their way home to say that they saw a Sandhill Crane at Separation Lakes, flying alongside their car before landing. Grant also reported seeing American Kestrel, so considering these two species, as well as his campsite sightings (4 species), the group’s total of 92, AND the California Scrub Jay hybrid on day one… we are officially at the 100 species mark!
Finally, I’d like to say THANK YOU to Terry Carr, who painstakingly planned this whole trip on his own, and to our local guides Ed, Cathy, John, and Mary, who gave generously of their time and knowledge. It’s been a wonderful experience, with great birding and even greater company!
Thea Beckman
POSTSCRIPT – DAY 5 – August Lake, Cormack Marsh and Manning Park
After checking out of our accommodation, we met Ed at August Lake where we finally saw the elusive Williamson’s Sapsucker. Before driving back to the Lower Mainland, we had one last walk at Cormack Marsh. On the way home, 4 of us stopped in Manning Park and walked around 20 Minute Lake where some of us had seen a Three-toed Woodpecker after the Okanagan trip last year (June 12-16, 2022). Sadly it did not appear this year.
Delta Naturalists Society 
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