Читать книгу Best Places to Bird in British Columbia - Richard Cannings - Страница 12

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PACIFIC RIM NATIONAL PARK

UNLIKE THE US coastal states of Washington, Oregon, and California, the outer coast of BC is not on the continental mainland. From the Olympic Peninsula in Washington right up to Alaska, the coast is cluttered by mazes of rock islets, large islands covered by impenetrable evergreen forests, and long fjords, stretching deep into the coastal mountains. There are therefore only a few places in BC where birders can easily access the true “West Coast”—the most popular being the area around Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island.

As I write this, the rain is bucketing down outside and I’m thankful to be in a warm, dry house. I have experienced numerous moments like this in my 10+ visits to Vancouver Island’s wild coast, and so it’s strangely fitting that I’m actually in New Zealand. In fact, the above description of BC’s coast could easily be copied and pasted into an account of New Zealand’s South Island west coast. The birds would be different, of course, except for the Sooty and Buller’s Shearwaters that nest in New Zealand before voyaging all the way north to spend the summer off BC’s coast.

I’ve always felt at home in these temperate coastal forests. Although I can only vaguely recall my family’s first visit to Pacific Rim National Park, I have fond memories of playing in tidal pools, exploring ethereal forests of pillowing moss, hearing the eerie song of a Varied Thrush, and rain… lots of rain. Since then, I’ve returned to the west coast many times. Even if the birding is slow, the scenery and atmosphere are enthralling, no matter the weather, so you always seem to leave feeling refreshed.

Most tourists will visit this area in summer, when the weather is most stable and the water is kinda, sorta warm enough to swim in. Hardy surfers play in the waves year-round, but prefer the big swells that come in the winter and spring storm seasons, though many “normal” people can also enjoy watching these huge surges from the comfort of the numerous coastal hotels and lodges in Ucluelet (most locals pronounce it “Yew-Q-lit”) and around Tofino. Birding will be most interesting during migration windows (April–May and August–October), since large numbers of waterfowl, shorebirds, and songbirds pass through this area, and there is always the possibility of something rare.

BIRDING GUIDE

Note: *For most of these sites you will need to display a valid national park pass on your vehicle. These can be purchased at pay stations at Long Beach, Combers Beach, and the Kwisitis Visitor Centre, as well as the Visitor Information Centres in Ucluelet and Tofino. There are many beach accesses and walking trails in Pacific Rim National Park, and they’re all well signed off the highway as you drive toward Tofino. I would encourage visitors to explore much more than is covered below, but here are some of my favourite sites in the park itself.

GETTING THERE

Pacific Rim National Park is on the west coast of Vancouver Island and is accessible by regular plane service from Victoria, Qualicum Beach, and Vancouver, though most visitors arrive by car or bus, using Hwy. 4. This highway is well signed off the main Island Hwy. (Hwy. 19) north of Nanaimo (follow signs for Port Alberni/Tofino). From Port Alberni it’s another 90 km (56 mi.) to the junction for Ucluelet and Tofino. Turn right for Pacific Rim National Park and Tofino. The drive from Nanaimo to Pacific Rim takes around 2.5 hours, but consider breaking up your trip with stops in Parksville (pages 35–41), Cathedral Grove, or Sproat Lake.

Ethereal forests meet the wild ocean in Pacific Rim National Park. ROBIN HORN

KWISITIS VISITOR CENTRE (WICKANINNISH/SOUTH BEACH) From the Tofino/Ucluelet junction with Hwy. 4, proceed 4.7 km (2.9 mi.) toward Tofino then turn left onto Wick Rd., signed for the Kwisitis Visitor Centre (also spelled “Qwisitis,” confusingly known as the Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre, and not to be confused with the posh Wickaninnish Inn which is closer to Tofino).

The visitor centre functions as information centre, interpretive facility, café, and gift shop (open mid-March to mid-October) and focuses on the natural and cultural heritage of Pacific Rim National Park. There is wheelchair access to the beach, where visitors can walk for miles to the north, swim in the ocean, and even go surfing if so inclined. Look and listen around the edges of the parking area for migrating warblers in spring/fall, while the typical westcoast forest birds will be present year-round. Sanderling and other shorebirds like Western Sandpiper can be found near the water’s edge in season, and flocks of gulls often loaf around near creek mouths. From here up to the north end of Long Beach is where most of Canada’s Snowy Plover records come from, with the most recent one visiting in spring 2014. The barnacle-encrusted rocks between the centre and South Beach are always worth a look for rock-loving shorebirds such as Wandering Tattler and Ruddy Turnstone (April/May and August/September), Black Turnstone and Surfbird (August–May), and Rock Sandpiper (October–April). Black Oystercatchers are common year-round.

COMBERS BEACH This beach is located in between the Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre and Green Point. Look for the well-signed parking area on the left/ocean side of the highway. The sandy banks on the edge of the parking lot usually have a nesting pair of Northern Rough-winged Swallow in summer. From here, the beach is a short walk down the hill. The trail passes through a pleasant stand of westcoast rainforest and salmonberry wetland before emerging out onto the beach. The large creek that empties out here usually attracts large numbers of loafing gulls and occasionally groups of shorebirds. Note: *This beach is often closed in winter due to trail erosion from storm swells.

LONG BEACH/INCINERATOR ROCK 3.4 km (2.1 mi.) northwest of Green Point is the main parking lot for Long Beach (opposite the Tofino Airport road). The parking area for Incinerator Rock just down the road is essentially an extension of the same site. This is obviously another opportunity to check out the beach and seabirds offshore, but the parking lot itself is also worth a visit. Lined with alders, it is one of the best spots on the west coast for migrant passerines. Suitable habitat is relatively scarce out here along the wild coast, so the birds concentrate in these patches of broadleaf trees before continuing south (or north in spring). In late summer, large flocks of warblers can be seen in the area, and this parking lot is one of the best spots to check. Yellow-rumped Warbler, Orange-crowned Warbler, Yellow Warbler, Townsend’s Warbler, Warbling Vireo, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet are some of the more common migrants encountered, but almost anything is possible in fall when many young birds stray off course. Brown Thrasher is probably one of the more notable birds encountered here over the years.