June 13 - to Haines Pass about 340 km one way - and nice birds.
We packed our day packs today and left the property at 5:30 am. We headed out on the Alaska Highway to Haines Pass which is after Haines Junction and we drove along almost to the Alaska border with British Columbia. This was a stop and go drive of 340 km one way which took about 6 hours with the birding. Then we had a picnic lunch almost at the turnaround and headed back again with some stops and we were back in Whitehorse after 5 pm.
The day was cool and overcast and the rain sprinkled or poured and then in the afternoon it got sunny and glorious in the mountains.
As we headed out on the highway a sort way we saw an Elk on the side of the road and then two beautiful wild horses crossing the highway. Apparently they really have wild horses here and these were in great shape. We gave them some room. One of them went off the highway and back down to the bush but the other horse stood on the side of the roadway for a long time as I watched it in the rear view mirror. It looked like it was looking for its buddy.
At another stop we had views of White winged Crossbills and Bohemian Waxwings. One of our birders has hoped for the Waxwings for days. Yay, we were happy for her. Further stops for birding gave us views of Wilson's Warbler, Orange crowned Warbler, Olive sided Flycatcher and Short eared Owl which was flying over the fields. We managed to view a Golden Eagle flying high in the sky and the darker Sooty Fox Sparrow subspecies and the photos for these two birds are below.
The Red breasted Sapsucker
There was also the Golden crowned Sparrow.
We heard a grouse drumming nearby. Tom and Bruce were not sure which one it was but have taped its call and will review it and let us know. They followed the sound into the dense bush and we waited and waited for them. We thought we should have taken the van keys from them just in case they did not come back!!! But each of them bush whacked their way back and we were on our way. That would have been a nice bird to see but everyone did hear it.
We tried at various stops for the Northern Hawk Owl, Willow and Rock Ptarmigan, Northern Wheatear with no luck. As we drove up to almost 4,000 feet there was still snow and mist. If there were any Ptarmigan there they would have been hunkered down below shrubbery or on the snow piles as the Golden Eagle was cruising around probably looking for lunch.
When we had our lunch across the river someone pointed out a Moose! We scoped the Moose and it stared at us and was chewing something. It did not really budge from where it stood for a long time. We packed up and left the picnic area and it was still there. But we were on the return trip home it was gone from its spot on the hillside.
We viewed several bears on the drive and almost all were glossy well fed animals. Maybe one of them was a bit less spectacular and not as chubby. One was a Black Bear but with a mostly brown coat. On the way back we viewed a Harlan's Hawk (Red tailed Hawk subspecies) which was nice to see.
The highway to Alaska is pretty quiet but there are frequent cars, RVs and motorcycles on it. It is a fairly new highway and in places we could see part of the old highway. So maybe the mystique of the Alaska highway of years ago was about the old highway.
The vistas of the mountains and foothills and meadows and marshes are spectacular at every turn on the highway, so just lovely to have a mostly good weather day to travel on it.
Tonight our reservation for supper was cancelled due to the NBA basketball game and we returned to town on the late side so we are eating in today with chicken takeout, some salads, pizza and some splash. I think the game will be on at 7:30 pm when we will be back in our cabin and can watch it.
It was a very good day and I am thrilled that we did this long birding outing today on a highway I remember hearing about it, in my childhood.
My favourite bird of the day was the stunning Red breasted Sapsucker! The second bird of the day was the very lovely Golden crowned Sparrow.
The day was cool and overcast and the rain sprinkled or poured and then in the afternoon it got sunny and glorious in the mountains.
At another stop we had views of White winged Crossbills and Bohemian Waxwings. One of our birders has hoped for the Waxwings for days. Yay, we were happy for her. Further stops for birding gave us views of Wilson's Warbler, Orange crowned Warbler, Olive sided Flycatcher and Short eared Owl which was flying over the fields. We managed to view a Golden Eagle flying high in the sky and the darker Sooty Fox Sparrow subspecies and the photos for these two birds are below.
The Red breasted Sapsucker
There was also the Golden crowned Sparrow.
We heard a grouse drumming nearby. Tom and Bruce were not sure which one it was but have taped its call and will review it and let us know. They followed the sound into the dense bush and we waited and waited for them. We thought we should have taken the van keys from them just in case they did not come back!!! But each of them bush whacked their way back and we were on our way. That would have been a nice bird to see but everyone did hear it.
We tried at various stops for the Northern Hawk Owl, Willow and Rock Ptarmigan, Northern Wheatear with no luck. As we drove up to almost 4,000 feet there was still snow and mist. If there were any Ptarmigan there they would have been hunkered down below shrubbery or on the snow piles as the Golden Eagle was cruising around probably looking for lunch.
When we had our lunch across the river someone pointed out a Moose! We scoped the Moose and it stared at us and was chewing something. It did not really budge from where it stood for a long time. We packed up and left the picnic area and it was still there. But we were on the return trip home it was gone from its spot on the hillside.
We viewed several bears on the drive and almost all were glossy well fed animals. Maybe one of them was a bit less spectacular and not as chubby. One was a Black Bear but with a mostly brown coat. On the way back we viewed a Harlan's Hawk (Red tailed Hawk subspecies) which was nice to see.
The highway to Alaska is pretty quiet but there are frequent cars, RVs and motorcycles on it. It is a fairly new highway and in places we could see part of the old highway. So maybe the mystique of the Alaska highway of years ago was about the old highway.
The vistas of the mountains and foothills and meadows and marshes are spectacular at every turn on the highway, so just lovely to have a mostly good weather day to travel on it.
Tonight our reservation for supper was cancelled due to the NBA basketball game and we returned to town on the late side so we are eating in today with chicken takeout, some salads, pizza and some splash. I think the game will be on at 7:30 pm when we will be back in our cabin and can watch it.
It was a very good day and I am thrilled that we did this long birding outing today on a highway I remember hearing about it, in my childhood.
My favourite bird of the day was the stunning Red breasted Sapsucker! The second bird of the day was the very lovely Golden crowned Sparrow.
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