Moberly Lake

Canada Warbler

There's something to be said about the special feeling of waking up in a new place, a place you've always dreamed of visiting. There were solid rains throughout the night but they seemed to have tapered off near dawn. Wandering through the silent campground of Moberly Lake, rain was furthest from my mind.

Moberly lake, namely the provincial park is known as one of the primer locations for birders to visit when they enter the peace. It's one of the best places for Black-throated Green Warblers, and I wasn't disappointed because shortly into my morning I heard their buzzing calls from the coniferous canopy, and much like their western counterpart the Townsend's Warbler, they are a pain in the neck(literally) to spot.

The rain started to come down again while I pursued an odd song I hoped would turn out to be a Mourning Warbler. It was coming from the low shrubbery of a grove of aspens, it seemed to be coming from right in front of me, but I just couldn't catch sight of the bird, the rain pelting the leaves wasn't helping matters, but finally I caught a glimpse of the bird, and it turned out to be a Macgillivray's Warbler. This would become a habit in the area around Chetwynd as I would see another 3 Mac's all singing just a little off in the direction of a Mourning Warbler, maybe hybrids or maybe just specially confused.

After i was fully exasperated by the Mac, i walked on down to the campground entrance, Red-eyed Vireo's sang from the aspen trees, a pair of Robin's were chirping their aggravation at a Barred Owl perched low right along the road. Sadly the rain made it a bad idea to uncap the lens for what would have been a great picture.

I had my first Ovenbird moments later. Now if you've never heard one, the sound clips just won't do it justice. It's as if the bird is equipped with its own spring reverb inside its throat. Its like the leaves rattle  around it while it sings adding to the noise coming from the Ovenbird. Of course as loud as Ovenbirds are they are just has hard to see. it took a while to track him down but finally after a bit of "pishing", I got great looks of his raised orange crown and its white streaked breast.

I kept on outside of the provincial park gates along the road, the woods on both sides were alive with birds including my first for BC; Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Soon after I heard a peculiar song that was kind of a jumbled whistle, I had never heard this one before, it didn't sound warbler like. I followed into the woods bordering the road, climbing over fallen trees and slipping along the wet underbrush. The song continued and with a little more effort I was rewarded with a lifer. Canada Warbler! A gorgeous bird one I wasn't expecting, he sad low to the ground and looked to be shaking off after the nights rain.

By this time the park gates had opened again for the day, I had spent 3 hours birding the park, and figured I better get a move on.