of Goose Spit), but this requires either a private vessel or taking a ferry to Denman then walking out at low tide from the north end. At mid-/low tides, the birds can be spread out through Comox Harbour but can still be scoped well at times, especially from the walkway east of the Courtenay Airpark.
GETTING THERE
The communities of Royston, Courtenay, and Comox essentially surround the harbour and are well signed on Hwy. 19, so getting to the harbour should be fairly straightforward. To get to the Courtenay Airpark if approaching from the south on the main Island Hwy. (19), take the Comox Valley Parkway (main exit for Courtenay) all the way to Cliffe, where you’ll turn left before turning onto Mansfield. Cliffe is basically the Old Island Hwy. (19A), so you can head south on Cliffe to get to Royston. Courtenay and Comox are just over an hour’s drive from Nanaimo.
One relatively unknown but fantastic spot at the southeast corner of the harbour is the Trent River Estuary.
From downtown Royston, head southeast along Hwy. 19A (Old Island Hwy.); shortly after crossing the Trent River, turn left onto Gartley Rd. and follow it to the end (it turns into Gartley Point Rd.) where you can park beside a small fish hatchery. The Trent River Estuary is a wide gravel fan and right now you are on the east side of it. Walk north and northwest to get to the actual river mouth, though the birding can be great anywhere along the shoreline, particularly during herring spawn (late February to late April) when thousands of Brant, scoters, Red-breasted Mergansers, loons, grebes, and gulls gather to gobble up the beige-coloured roe. Water birds are usually around in good numbers here any time outside of early summer, although a scope is recommended for the best views. Work the grasslands and shrubby areas around here, as a Yellow Wagtail was spotted in fall 2013, and there are plenty of more common species, such as Northern Shrike (October–March), Marsh Wren, Spotted Towhee, and Purple Finch, that may be pleasing to visiting birders.
For access to the west side of the Trent River Estuary, and probably a site with better potential for interesting songbirds in migration, return to Hwy. 19A, head northwest back across the Trent River (toward Royston), and turn right at Carey Pl. You may have to park just off the highway, but at the end of this short road a trail heads down toward the estuary. This is a great spot for sparrows on migration as well as other songbirds, and of course, once you get close to the harbour, all the birds mentioned at the other Trent River site can also be encountered here.
Return to Hwy. 19A and head northwest into Royston proper. Turn right on Hayward Ave., then left on Marine Dr. Use your discretion for selecting a stop as the tide and time of year will affect conditions, but generally this is a great stretch of harbour to set up a scope. To get closest to the old breakwater (and at least fourteen shipwrecks), which is a good place for scoping shorebirds like Black-bellied Plover, turnstones, and peeps at high tide, return to Hwy. 19A and head northwest toward Courtenay for a few hundred metres/yards then turn right on Hilton Rd. A parking area here and adjacent beach and shrubs provide not only great birding but also an ideal place to scope the breakwater roost and across the waters of Comox Harbour.
Pacific Rim National Park offers birders one of the best chances in Canada to see a Wandering Tattler as they migrate to and from their northern breeding grounds. They are often accompanied by turnstones and surfbirds on barnacle-encrusted rocks. ILYA POVALYAEV
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PACIFIC RIM NATIONAL PARK
UNLIKE THE US coastal states of Washington, Oregon, and California, the outer coast of BC is not on the continental mainland. From the Olympic Peninsula in Washington right up to Alaska, the coast is cluttered by mazes of rock islets, large islands covered by impenetrable evergreen forests, and long fjords, stretching deep into the coastal mountains. There are therefore only a few places in BC where birders can easily access the true “West Coast”—the most popular being the area around Pacific Rim National Park on Vancouver Island.
As I write this, the rain is bucketing down outside and I’m thankful to be in a warm, dry house. I have experienced numerous moments like this in my 10+ visits to Vancouver Island’s wild coast, and so it’s strangely fitting that I’m actually in New Zealand. In fact, the above description of BC’s coast could easily be copied and pasted into an account of New Zealand’s South Island west coast. The birds would be different, of course, except for the Sooty and Buller’s Shearwaters that nest in New Zealand before voyaging all the way north to spend the summer off BC’s coast.
I’ve always felt at home in these temperate coastal forests. Although I can only vaguely recall my family’s first visit to Pacific Rim National Park, I have fond memories of playing in tidal pools, exploring ethereal forests of pillowing moss, hearing the eerie song of a Varied Thrush, and rain… lots of rain. Since then, I’ve returned to the west coast many times. Even if the birding is slow, the scenery and atmosphere are enthralling, no matter the weather, so you always seem to leave feeling refreshed.
Most tourists will visit this area in summer, when the weather is most stable and the water is kinda, sorta warm enough to swim in. Hardy surfers play in the waves year-round, but prefer the big swells that come in the winter and spring storm seasons, though many “normal” people can also enjoy watching these huge surges from the comfort of the numerous coastal hotels and lodges in Ucluelet (most locals pronounce it “Yew-Q-lit”) and around Tofino. Birding will be most interesting during migration windows (April–May and August–October), since large numbers of waterfowl, shorebirds, and songbirds pass through this area, and there is always the possibility of something rare.
BIRDING GUIDE
Note: *For most of these sites you will need to display a valid national park pass on your vehicle. These can be purchased at pay stations at Long Beach, Combers Beach, and the Kwisitis Visitor Centre, as well as the Visitor Information Centres in Ucluelet and Tofino. There are many beach accesses and walking trails in Pacific Rim National Park, and they’re all well signed off the highway as you drive toward Tofino. I would encourage visitors to explore much more than is covered below, but here are some of my favourite sites in the park itself.
GETTING THERE
Pacific Rim National Park is on the west coast of Vancouver Island and is accessible by regular plane service from Victoria, Qualicum Beach, and Vancouver, though most visitors arrive by car or bus, using Hwy. 4. This highway is well signed off the main Island Hwy. (Hwy. 19) north of Nanaimo (follow signs for Port Alberni/Tofino). From Port Alberni it’s another 90 km (56 mi.) to the junction for Ucluelet and Tofino. Turn right for Pacific Rim National Park and Tofino. The drive from Nanaimo to Pacific Rim takes around 2.5 hours, but consider breaking up your trip with stops in Parksville (pages 35–41), Cathedral Grove, or Sproat Lake.
Ethereal forests meet the wild ocean in Pacific Rim National Park. ROBIN HORN
KWISITIS VISITOR CENTRE (WICKANINNISH/SOUTH BEACH) From the Tofino/Ucluelet junction with Hwy. 4, proceed 4.7 km (2.9 mi.) toward Tofino then turn left onto Wick Rd., signed for the Kwisitis Visitor Centre (also spelled “Qwisitis,” confusingly known as the Wickaninnish Interpretive Centre, and not to be confused with the posh Wickaninnish Inn which is closer to Tofino).
