Our Rocky Mountain Naturalist, club camp, was in Fernie this year. We stayed in the Fernie Provincial Park or a motel, meeting at one of the campsites by a campfire at 6PM, Friday evening. Nine RMNats, a guest from Crowsnest and our gracious friends/guides and hosts Bob, Linda, Mike and Laura of the Fernie Naturalists Club enjoyed this annual outing. We explored the forest trails in the park, particularly along Lizard Creek. The Northern Waterthrush, Swainson's and Varied Thrush were almost uncountable, particularly on our early morning birding trips. A pair of American Dippers with two young plied the fast moving creek to feed and when we moved higher into the forest that morning there were two Pine Grosbeaks carrying nesting material. I am sure these were the first seen this year for most of us.
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Saturday afternoon we explored the Lake Loop trail at Island Lake Lodge, identifying flowers, plants, trees and birds as we enjoyed the high mountain peaks of the Lizard Range all around. After a busy day we relaxed around a fire and enjoyed a wonderful potluck meal and BBQ in the yard of our Fernie hosts, Bob and Linda. Afterwards Bob took us out on a little fossil hunt.
On Sunday, our camping trip almost over and we have three excursions yet on the agenda. Our early morning birding trip was not quite so early, 8AM saw exploring the Anix area for the now famous Fernie, Common Grackles. 12PM the Morrissey old growth cottonwood forest,with it's missing bridge and a young Pileated Woodpecker peeking out of a nest hole. Then finally before heading home we checked out the old Morrissey coke ovens that were covered in a tangle of trees, vines and shrubs.
A list of bird species seen can be found on our "Bird Sightings" page
http://www.rockymountainnaturalists.org/bird-sightings.html
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