Itinerary for the Grasslands of the Cariboo - Chilcotin

Schedule:


Detailed Itinerary

Vancouver to 100 Mile House (Fri, June 1, 2007)


We will depart at 1.00 pm by minivan for our drive to 100 Mile House. With a few stops along the way, we should arrive in 100 Mile by 6.00 pm and directly proceed to check-in to our hotel. Dinner will be pre-arranged at a nice local restaurant following which we will go to the 100 Mile Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary for some birding and photography in the late evening light.

Migration brings many species to the 100 Mile Marsh. Some migrant waterfowl species that come are Long-tailed Ducks, White-winged Scoters, and Surf Scoters. Many Gulls also drop by including Mew Gulls and California Gulls bound for the Arctic. Wilson's Phalarope and the Red-necked Phalarope also appear - the latter rarely.

The riparian zone in the south corner of the marsh is a great place to watch Calliope and Rufous Hummingbirds. Flycatchers gravitate to that area as do Orange-crowned and Yellow Warblers, Kinglets, Lincoln and Song Sparrows.

Grebes frequent the 100 Mile Marsh- the Pied-billed Grebe is a constant presence and an annual nester while Red-necked Grebes and Eared Grebes are also seen at times.

The number of waterfowl nesting at 100 Mile Marsh is amazing given the size of this body of water. Canvasback, Redhead, Barrow's and Common Goldeneye, Lesser Scaup, Ring-necked Duck, Pintails, Blue-winged Teal and Mallard often raise their young here.

Dinner and overnight in a 100 Mile House hotel.

100 Mile House to Junction Sheep Range Provincial Park (Sat, June 2, 2007)


After a simple breakfast in the hotel we will have an early morning start for the drive via Williams Lake to the Junction Sheep Range Provincial Park.

The plan is for a full day of walks and birding accompanied by Tom Godin, local bird expert and by Rita who is knowledgeable with the local walks and history of the area.

The Junction Sheep Range Provincial Park consists of rolling grasslands and deeply eroded gullies with hoodoos at the confluence of the Chilcotin and Fraser Rivers in central BC. The area is protected most notably because of its importance to an internationally significant herd of California bighorn sheep. Picnic lunch will be provided.

We return to 100 Mile House hotel late in the afternoon to freshen up and then go for dinner. Following dinner, we will drive a short distance to the Chris Harris Gallery built of straw bales set besides Watch Lake for a 2 hour long talk, presentation and tour of the gallery. For a glimpse of what the gallery has to offer, visit ChrisHarrisGallery

Dinner and overnight in a 100 Mile House hotel.

100 Mile House to Churn Creek Protected Area & return home(Sun, June 3, 2007)


After a simple breakfast we drive south via 59 Mile House to the Churn Creek Protected Area accompanied by Tom Godin and Rita.

Churn Creek Protected Area includes some of British Columbia's rarest ecosystems - low, middle and high elevation bunchgrass grasslands. This unique and fragile landscape provides habitat for a diversity of rare flora and fauna. The Protected Area abuts the west bank of the Fraser River just south of Gang Ranch.

Churn Creek Protected Area was established in 1995 following recommendations in the Cariboo-Chilcotin Land Use Plan. It is one of five large protected areas across BC that has been established primarily for the conservation of grassland ecosystems. The Protected Area also reflects the historic importance of the Churn Creek area to First Nations, ranching, hunting and recreation.

This area supports an operating ranch where carefully managed cattle grazing continues. In 1998, the provincial government purchased the historic Empire Valley Ranch located within the Protected Area and added the land to the Churn Creek Protected Area.

We have birding and walks planned for until 2.00 pm with picnic lunch included. We aim to begin our drive back to Vancouver about 3.00 pm hoping to arrive back before 9.00 while it is still daylight.