The Great White-tailed Hope

Needle Peak

This time Needles Peak would be an enjoyable hike. I had enough sleep and energy, not to mention I was definitely becoming accustomed to long uphill journeys by this time. Along the way, I caught sight of an American Three-toed Woodpecker. It was drumming, and I'm not sure if it was a juvenile or an adult male that was setting up a winter territory already, or perhaps they just drum for fun in August.

alpine lake

After a couple hours, I was where I had turned around on my last attempt for Ptarmigan, but this time I kept on to the right, not going up Needles Peak, rather turning toward a lake on another slope. I reached a magnificent lake, and at the end of it, a large rock slide of boulders. I scanned the rocks, and almost immediately spotted a round shape atop one of the rocks: Ptarmigan!

White-tailed Ptarmigan

White-tailed Ptarmigan

I hightailed it towards the end of the lake, and climbed up the rocks to get a closer look. Turns out there were 3 more Ptarmigan, all White-tailed! These lovely birds didn't seem too upset that I was close, and seemed to be quite content to sun themselves on the rocks.
This was not only a big year bird, but also a lifer, the last of the 3 Ptarmigan I had to see. I was elated and the hike back was easy as I had another load off my shoulders.

When I was back on the Coquihalla, I carried on to Merrit and then towards Kelowna, stopping at the quaint little Laurie Gouchon grasslands area. Though it was hot out, the alder trees were busy with Western Tanagers, Western Wood Pewee and Swainson's Thrush. A Snipe was poking around the marsh.

By the time I reached Robert lake it was a sweltering 36 degrees out, there were not many shorebirds out, so it was off to Oliver where I visited the small Hack's pond just outside of town, and stumbled upon a family of Great Horned Owls! They must have been out enjoying the warm evening, and it was definitely a shock to see them out in the sun like this.

Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl

Great Horned Owl

By the time I made it to Willow Beach, the sun was on its way down. Willow Beach is a private area, but there is a pull out right where you turn onto the road with a large field (usually this area is flooded, but by this point in the summer, most of the water has dried up). The few ponds are magnets for shorebirds, and there was a fair share tonight, with both species of Yellowlegs, least Sandpiper, Solitary, a Wilson's Phalarope, and the biggest surprise of all, a Ruddy Turnstone! I had never seen one outside of Vancouver, and apparently they aren't so common here, as it came up as a rare species in Ebird. It was species 320 for me of the year, and a great way to cap off a monster weekend.

Pika-Manning Park

Pika-Manning Park