The Yukon Bird Club hosts an annual Birdathon on the last weekend of May and as this timing worked well for me I decided to join the other local birders for this event. Traditionally, the Yukon Birdathon is done from 5pm Friday to 5pm Saturday rather than the more typical single calendar day. I rather prefer this method as it is not quite as hectic, with the birding spread over two days.
However, I was returning from a two night birding trip to Watson Lake with a couple friends on Friday afternoon so I ended up postponing my Birdathon a few hours. Shortly after 8pm I rolled in to my first stop, the Quartz Road Marsh in downtown Whitehorse. This little bay of the Yukon River and the gravel bars further out can be a real gold mine with various rare shorebirds and gulls gracing it over the years. Could it deliver on the Birdathon? Time would tell.
As I put my binos to my eyes I noted the pair of Snow Geese that had been hanging around, off and on, for the past week or more. A great start as I wouldn’t see them again. One individual of the pair of Ring-billed Gulls that similarly have set up residence here was on show while a Rusty Blackbird flew up off the muddy shore of one of the side channels. Raptors are always nice to pick up on a Birdathon so I was please to note a Merlin perched in a snag. My first birding stop was rounds out by my only American Crow and House Sparrow of the Birdathon, birds that are only likely to be found right around downtown.
Next up was the overlook at the mouth of McIntyre Creek. This is a site that I have only visited a couple times but looks to have similar potential to Quartz Road Marsh. I picked up several species of waterfowl as well as a few swallows but the only notable sighting was an interesting hybrid male Mallard x Northern Pintail.
My final stop of the evening was at Versluce Meadows in the neighbourhood of Porter Creek. This was my first visit to the meadow this spring and I was hoping for calling Sora which are present around the pond. Alas, a feature of the whole Birdathon was strong southwesterly winds and these would play a big role causing a marked decrease in bird vocalizations throughout. The expected Ruddy Ducks were present along with a lone Blue-winged Teal and a couple Red-winged Blackbirds.
A quick stop in at the section of the McIntyre Creek Wetland at the base of our road provided my first of many Western Wood-pewees to round out the evening.
The following morning I noted my first Varied Thrush and only Red Crossbill of the Birdathon before leaving home. I opted to go up the Fish Lake Road to see if I could rustle up a calling Dusky Flycatcher on a tip I had received. En route I again stopped at the McIntyre Creek wetland not far from home and got a nice selection of wetland birds like a winnowing Wilson’s Snipe, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Waterthrush and a Belted Kingfisher exiting its nest in a hole in the bank over the road. A surprise was a calling Black-billed Magpie which was a new bird for me at this site – part of my local “patch” that I bird regularly from home.
I made an impromptu decision to stop off at the Pumphouse Pond a bit further up the road. I was hoping to maybe find an American Dipper on the creek below the pond but alas, it was not to be. However, I did get several new birds for the day including Hammond’s Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo as well as Red-necked Grebe, Common Merganser (my only ones of the Birdathon), Bufflehead and Spotted Sandpiper on the pond.
The rest of the drive up to the viewpoint where I had hoped to pick up Dusky Flycatcher was uneventful. The strong wind was keeping any Flycatchers around quiet but I did get a consolation Hermit Thrush, singing its ethereal song. I spotted a couple Swainson’s Thrush cavorting at the roadside as I drove back down.
Returning down the road halfway I turned off at the Copper Haul Road and spent the next hour birding the upper McIntyre Creek area. This is a very productive section of wetlands, ponds and adjacent forest that is one of the few local migrant traps of sorts for songbirds. I heard and then saw a fine looking male Yellow Warbler while in the lower section there was a large flock of Swallows foraging that included the 5 expected species. While watching the Swallows I noticed a Red-tailed Hawk soaring overhead. While the bushes in the lower section held a host of Wilson’s Warbler and some Yellow-rumpeds, the hoped for Blackpoll Warbler was not to be found.
Making a few stops along the Copper Haul Road I got a few new birds such as my only Townsend’s Warbler, White-winged Crossbills and Orange-crowned Warbler.
Dropping back down towards town I made a stop in at Shwatka Lake, above the dam. This can be a good location for Scoters, loons and other waterfowl a bit earlier in the spring but with all the ice gone and the local floatplane traffic it was quiet for me. I did scrounge up my only Common Loon and Long-tailed Duck of the day though, so it was worth the stop!
The local sewage lagoons are always worth a visit and I was anticipating this to be my best shot at Scoters, shorebirds and the Eared Grebes that breed here and nowhere else around Whitehorse. I got a bonus Northern Harrier on the drive in after which I started out scanning the waterfowl, picking out a few Greater Scaup among the numerous Lessers. I soon noted a small group of Surf Scoters which were followed in short order by a group of White-winged Scoters. Just as I was about to head around to the upper ponds I noted an Eared Grebe swimming out from an out-of-sight bay; success!
Moving to the upper ponds I spied an Olive-sided Flycatcher. One of these ponds in particular I was counting on to be my best bet for any late migrant shorebirds but it proved to be completely empty, other than a couple Mallards and Short-billed Gulls. One of the other cells of the lagoons, that is typically quite good for waterfowl, held a flock of Canvasback as well as a couple Redhead which were some consolation for the lack of shorebirds.
Back in town, I stopped in at the Centennial Bridge, just below the dam in the hope of getting the two Harlequin Ducks that had been seen there recently. I was in luck and they were visible along the rocks just upstream. Meanwhile, downstream I noted a couple Arctic Terns that presumably nest on the rocky islets of the Yukon River.
A second quick stop in at Quartz Road Marsh was unproductive as I headed home for a quick lunch.
Refreshed, I headed north of town to the Yukon Wildlife Preserve. This area has extensive open habitats, flooded fields, ponds and aspen groves which have many species that I wouldn’t be able to get elsewhere on this day. As I was leaving the parking lot I heard a calling Hairy Woodpecker. One of the first areas is the Bison pen and I noted a locally scarce (though somewhat regular at this site) Brown-headed Cowbird atop one of the Bison. There were Wilson’s Warblers everywhere here and there seemed to be a bit of a mini fallout of them and Western Wood-pewees here.
Further along I noted a couple birds of open farmland; Mountain Bluebird and Say’s Phoebe. Passing a patch of Aspen I heard the diagnostic “che-beck” of a Least Flycatcher. Poking my head into the grove I soon picked it out as it sallied for insects.
In the Moose enclosure there is a large pond where numerous pairs of Horned Grebes breed along with a few pairs of American Coots. Noting these among a variety of other waterfowl, I turned my attention across the road to a different set of ponds. As anticipated, the Red-necked Phalarope pair that always seem to be there were present! I was happy to note a skulking Solitary Sandpiper nearby as well.
Unfortunately, I was becoming pressed for time as the Reserve closes at 5pm. I had to dash back and as I neared the parking lot I got a message on the local “Bird Chatter” whatsapp group. Cameron and Lena had found a Black-legged Kittiwake at Quartz Road Marsh! My intentions of carrying on to the agricultural areas and Lake Laberge further north of the Wildlife Preserve were immediately put on the back burner as I headed back to town, hoping beyond hope that the Kittiwake would stick around. Kittiwakes are a marine species of gull and the last one in Whitehorse was back in the 90’s. Needless to say, there was already a bit of a crowd of birders (by Yukon standards!) present when I pulled in and I was able to immediately view it in Cameron’s scope. It ended up putting on a bit of a show, flying around and even coming in and circling right in front of us as well as loafing among the other gulls out on the gravel bars. Surprisingly, it has stuck around and is still present as I write this a week later!
At this point I had to make a decision whether to go back to my plan of going up to Lake Laberge or ending my Birdathon two hours early in order to go to the Birdathon after party potluck at a nearby park. You can probably guess that I chose the former option and used my remaining time to try to rustle up something new in the agricultural fields along Burma Road (sadly, no Kestrel) or waterfowl/shorebird up at Jackfish Bay on lake Laberge. I’ve seen both Ruffed and Spruce Grouse previously on the drive in to Jackfish Bay but with the wind it was improbable that I would hear a Ruffed drumming and a short jaunt through the spruce forest where I had seen the eponymous grouse was also fruitless.
Upon arrival at Jackfish Bay, I heard a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker drumming. While I gave the bay a good, hard scan I couldn’t turn up anything new other than a Black bear along the far shore so the Sapsucker would end up being my last bird of the day.
After submitting the last of my eBird lists I was surprised to see my tally for the Birdathon had been 91 species – the exact same count as my Birdathon last year! With the high wind, the odd shower and even a few snow flakes in the morning (!) I had expected that I would be well short of my last attempt but birding can be unpredictable and in this case, in my favour.
A full bird list for my Birdathon can be found at the following eBird Trip Report link Whitehorse Birdathon 2023
As in previous years, my Birdathon is a fundraiser for the Talatlayoko Lake Bird Observatory. This year I am pleased to be joined on the “Wandering Tatlers” Birdathon team by Sachi Dell (current TLBO Bander) and previous Bander-in-charge, Steve ogle who both conducted their Birdathons in the Kootenays of BC! We are aiming to raise $3000 and as I write this our team is just over halfway to our goal, so still a long way to go! There are two ways to make donations to the TLBO, for donations under $250 we ask that you donate through our Birdathon and these funds will go towards our 2024 program. For larger donations please consider contacting us by email at tatlayokobirds@hotmail.com for instructions on how to donate directly (via cheque or etransfer) to the Tatlayoko Field Station Society as these funds will be immediately available for use in 2023. All donations will receive a tax receipt.
To make a donation via the Birdathon you can visit our team page at: Avery’s Yukon Birdathon 2023
The TLBO has had a few homes over the years but is now a project of the Tatlayoko Field Station Society. We are eternally grateful to Nature Conservancy of Canada for their continued support and access to their Tatlayoko Lake Ranch property where the TLBO operates. Thank you for your generosity and we look forward to August when we undertake our 17th season of operation!
Tatlayoko Lake Bird Observatory 