This area is for general discussion on Birds and Birding.
By mrsherlock
#76707
Hello Everyone!
My wife and I are driving from Vancouver to Calgary via Highway 3 in late August. We plan to visit Osoyoos, the Creston Wildlife Area, and then to Idaho to visit the Kootenai NWR. I was wondering if anyone has driven this highway before and could suggest some birding spots to visit along the way? Also interested in the lesser known areas. I know that may be a quiet time of year, but a great drive nonetheless.
Much appreciated!
Matt & Sarah
By cbaarch
#76709
hi
not sure if this link will work https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/bci ... s/messages
it is the yahoo groups called bcintbird if the link does not work - there are a few post in the past week about locations.
a suggestion is that instead of following 3 to Osoyoos when you get to Keremeos is to take #3A and turn right at Twin Lake to drive the White Lake Road south to Oliver you should at least hear the meadowlarks and see the Radio Observatory telescopes where they are searching for signals from ET. there is usually at least one American kestrel hanging around the wires https://goo.gl/maps/eQWM5nQWcqA2
By birdergirl
#76714
Funny I am actually driving that highway right now en route to Creston.

Some good places to stop off on Hwy 3 firstly Manning Park go up to cascade lookout and alpine meadows (open June 1st) and strawberry flats you should see some grouse and three-toed woodpeckers. In Princeton you can go to August Lake (great spot for williamson's sapsuckers) and Swan Lake.

In Cawston I would stop at Nighthawk Rd and look for sage thrasher and if you are lucky you might see a Gray Partridge.

At Osoyoos you can do a minor detour and stop at road 22 for bobolinks, chats etc also up on wagon wheeler Rd and Sidley mtn road in anarchist mountain you should see some good birds maybe even a williamson's sapsucker.


In Creston as you know there is duck lake, leach lake, balancing rock trail and the wildlife centre you plan to visit! You could stop in Castlegar for turkeys but I wouldn't since you should see many in Creston along with Bobolinks and Pelicans and Forster's Tern.

Just driving along the Hwy you are sure to see some great birds and will have many opportunities to stop in pretty places like Christina Lake.

If you do take Conrad's suggestion to deter to white lake I would also stop at apex mountain by the Nordic skiing area and try for boreal chickadees.

Have a great trip

Cheers,
Mel
Last edited by birdergirl on May 25 1:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
By GMcD
#76717
Birdergirl, when you get to Creston, make sure you have time for lunch at the Creston Valley Bakery on the main highway just west of the grain elevator. Great soup and sandwiches. If you head up the east side of the lake to Crawford Bay to check out the Artisans mall there, stop at the Black Salt Café there.

Highway 3 is a frequent route of ours to our vacation spot in Kaslo, up the lake. There are lots of good birding areas along the route - some of the pull-outs and rest stops along the way are pretty decent and "birdy". The Creston Wildlife Refuge is probably the highlite. This website has some good locations and guidance:

https://www.kootenayrockies.com/partner ... ers-route/

There is apparently some good birding around Moyie Lake and just west of Moyie, up the Moyie River through Yahk can be good at some of the ponds and wetlands along the highway. The Christina Creek/River on the SW corner of Christina Lake is one of the areas in BC you can find the beautiful River Jewelwing damselfly if you like small flying things too.

A good book if you can find it is the BC Roadside Naturalist by Richard and Sydney Cannings which has some good overviews and summaries of what to look for along the way.
By birdergirl
#76720
GMcD wrote:Birdergirl, when you get to Creston, make sure you have time for lunch at the Creston Valley Bakery on the main highway just west of the grain elevator. Great soup and sandwiches. If you head up the east side of the lake to Crawford Bay to check out the Artisans mall there, stop at the Black Salt Café there.

Highway 3 is a frequent route of ours to our vacation spot in Kaslo, up the lake. There are lots of good birding areas along the route - some of the pull-outs and rest stops along the way are pretty decent and "birdy". The Creston Wildlife Refuge is probably the highlite. This website has some good locations and guidance:

https://www.kootenayrockies.com/partner ... ers-route/

There is apparently some good birding around Moyie Lake and just west of Moyie, up the Moyie River through Yahk can be good at some of the ponds and wetlands along the highway. The Christina Creek/River on the SW corner of Christina Lake is one of the areas in BC you can find the beautiful River Jewelwing damselfly if you like small flying things too.

A good book if you can find it is the BC Roadside Naturalist by Richard and Sydney Cannings which has some good overviews and summaries of what to look for along the way.

Thanks for the tips, I'll definitely stop in!!

Cheers,
Mel

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