Wildlife list

While grizzly bears are the animals that draw people to our remote valley, there are many other species to be seen as well. This list contains both species that have been observed (or heard) here and those that could possibly be seen here. If there is no entry for seasonal observations then that species has not been observed here during that season. Additionally some species such as the Myotis bats can not be identified to species while flying will have no occurrence entry even though they are commonly seen in the field. The observation codes relate to frequency of observation or hearing their calls, not their actual abundance. This is especially true for some of the smaller animals which are very abundant but rarely seen. Two additional observation codes, Marine and Alpine, are for species that haven’t been observed at the lodge but are observable in the greater area around us but outside of our tours.

Observation codes

Common = likely to see in proper habitat
Uncommon = possible to see in proper habitat but difficult
Rare = present but usually seen once to few times a season
Vagrant = seen once or twice over the years
Alpine = possible above treeline
Marine = occurs in waters around north end of Vancouver Island

Bird list

Common name	Winter	Spring	Summer	Autumn	Scientific name

Greater White-fronted Goose		Rare			Anser albifrons
Snow Goose		Rare		Rare	Chen caerulescens
Brant					Branta bernicla
Cackling Goose				Vagrant	Branta hutchinsii
Canada Goose	Common	Common	Common	Common	Branta canadensis
Trumpeter Swan	Common	Uncommon			Cygnus buccinator
Wood Duck			Rare		Aix sponsa
Gadwall	Uncommon	Uncommon		Uncommon	Anas strepera
American Wigeon	Common	Uncommon		Uncommon	Anas americana
Mallard	Common	Common	Uncommon	Common	Anas platyrhynchos
Blue-winged Teal		Uncommon	Uncommon		Anas discors
Cinnamon Teal		Vagrant			Anas cyanoptera
Northern Shoveler		Uncommon		Uncommon	Anas clypeata
Northern Pintail		Rare		Rare	Anas acuta
Green-winged Teal	Uncommon	Uncommon	Rare	Uncommon	Anas crecca
Canvasback					Aythya valisineria
Redhead					Aythya americana
Ring-necked Duck		Rare	Rare	Rare	Aythya collaris
Greater Scaup		Rare	Rare	Rare	Aythya marila
Lesser Scaup		Rare	Rare	Rare	Aythya affinis
Harlequin Duck		Rare			Histrionicus histrionicus
Surf Scoter		Rare	Rare	Rare	Melanitta perspicillata
White-winged Scoter		Vagrant	Vagrant		Melanitta fusca
Black Scoter		Rare	Rare		Melanitta nigra
Long-tailed Duck		Vagrant			Clangula hyemalis
Bufflehead	Common	Common		Common	Bucephala albeola
Common Goldeneye	Rare	Rare		Rare	Bucephala clangula
Barrow's Goldeneye	Common	Common	Rare	Common	Bucephala islandica
Hooded Merganser	Uncommon	Common	Rare	Uncommon	Lophodytes cucullatus
Common Merganser	Common	Common	Common	Common	Mergus merganser
Red-breasted Merganser	Rare	Uncommon		Rare	Mergus serrator
Ruffed Grouse	Uncommon	Common	Common	Common	Bonasa umbellus
White-tailed Ptarmigan	Alpine	Alpine	Alpine	Alpine	Lagopus leucura
Dusky Grouse	Vagrant	Common	Uncommon	Vagrant	Dendragapus obscurus
Red-throated Loon	Vagrant	Uncommon	Uncommon	Vagrant	Gavia stellata
Pacific Loon		Vagrant	Vagrant		Gavia pacifica
Common Loon	Uncommon	Uncommon	Uncommon	Uncommon	Gavia immer
Yellow-billed Loon		Vagrant			Gavia adamsii
Pied-billed Grebe		Vagrant	Vagrant		Podilymbus podiceps
Horned Grebe	Rare	Rare		Rare	Podiceps auritus
Red-necked Grebe	Rare	Rare		Uncommon	Podiceps grisegena
Eared Grebe					Podiceps nigricollis
Western Grebe	Rare	Uncommon		Uncommon	Aechmophorus occidentalis
Black-footed Albatross			Marine	Marine	Phoebastria nigripes
Northern Fulmar		Marine	Marine	Marine	Fulmarus glacialis
Sooty Shearwater			Marine	Marine	Puffinus griseus
Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel			Marine	Marine	Oceanodroma furcata
Leach's Storm-Petrel			Vagrant & Marine	Marine	Oceanodroma leucorhoa
Brandt's Cormorant					Phalacrocorax penicillatus
Double-crested Cormorant	Rare	Rare	Rare	Rare	Phalacrocorax auritus
Pelagic Cormorant		Marine	Marine	Marine	Phalacrocorax pelagicus
Great Blue Heron	Common	Uncommon	Uncommon	Common	Ardea herodias
Green Heron		Vagrant			Butorides virescens
Cattle Egret				Vagrant	Bubulcus ibis
Turkey Vulture					Cathartes aura
Osprey		Rare		Rare	Pandion haliaetus
Bald Eagle	Common	Common	Common	Common	Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Northern Harrier		Rare	Rare	Rare	Circus cyaneus
Sharp-shinned Hawk	Uncommon	Uncommon	Rare	Uncommon	Accipiter striatus
Northern Goshawk		Rare	Rare	Rare	Accipiter gentilis
Red-tailed Hawk	Rare	Rare	Rare	Rare	Buteo jamaicensis
Golden Eagle		Alpine	Alpine	Alpine	Aquila chrysaetos
American Kestrel		Rare	Rare	Rare	Falco sparverius
Merlin		Rare	Rare	Rare	Falco columbarius
Gyrfalcon					Falco rusticolus
Peregrine Falcon		Vagrant		Vagrant	Falco peregrinus
Virginia Rail					Rallus limicola
Sora					Porzana carolina
American Coot		Vagrant			Fulica americana
Sandhill Crane		Vagrant			Grus canadensis
Black-bellied Plover		Vagrant			Pluvialis squatarola
American Golden-Plover					Pluvialis dominica
Pacific Golden-Plover					Pluvialis fulva
Semipalmated Plover		Vagrant			Charadrius semipalmatus
Killdeer		Rare		Rare	Charadrius vociferus
Black Oystercatcher	Marine	Marine	Marine	Marine	Haematopus bachmani
Spotted Sandpiper	Rare	Common	Common	Uncommon	Actitis macularius
Wandering Tattler					Tringa incana
Greater Yellowlegs		Rare	Rare		Tringa melanoleuca
Lesser Yellowlegs					Tringa flavipes
Whimbrel					Numenius phaeopus
Ruddy Turnstone					Arenaria interpres
Black Turnstone		Rare	Rare		Arenaria melanocephala
Surfbird					Aphriza virgata
Red Knot					Calidris canutus
Sanderling					Calidris alba
Semipalmated Sandpiper		Rare	Rare		Calidris pusilla
Western Sandpiper		Rare	Rare		Calidris mauri
Least Sandpiper		Rare	Rare		Calidris minutilla
Pectoral Sandpiper					Calidris melanotos
Rock Sandpiper					Calidris ptilocnemis
Dunlin		Rare			Calidris alpina
Short-billed Dowitcher		Vagrant			Limnodromus griseus
Long-billed Dowitcher		Rare			Limnodromus scolopaceus
Common Snipe	Uncommon	Uncommon		Uncommon	Gallinago gallinago
Wilson's Phalarope		Rare	Rare		Phalaropus tricolor
Red-necked Phalarope			Rare		Phalaropus lobatus
Bonaparte's Gull			Uncommon	Uncommon	Chroicocephalus philadelphia
Mew Gull	Uncommon	Common	Common	Common	Larus canus
Ring-billed Gull	Rare	Rare	Uncommon	Common	Larus delawarensis
Western Gull				Rare	Larus occidentalis
California Gull			Uncommon	Common	Larus californicus
Herring Gull				Uncommon	Larus argentatus
Thayer's Gull				Uncommon	Larus thayeri
Glaucous-winged Gull	Common	Uncommon	Uncommon	Common	Larus glaucescens
Glaucous Gull					Larus hyperboreus
Caspian Tern					Hydroprogne caspia
Common Tern					Sterna hirundo
Arctic Tern			Vagrant		Sterna paradisaea
Parasitic Jaeger		Vagrant			Stercorarius parasiticus
Common Murre	Marine	Marine	Marine	Marine	Uria aalge
Pigeon Guillemot	Marine	Marine	Marine	Marine	Cepphus columba
Marbled Murrelet	Common	Common	Common	Common	Brachyramphus marmoratus
Cassin's Auklet		Marine	Marine		Ptychoramphus aleuticus
Rhinoceros Auklet		Marine	Marine	Marine	Cerorhinca monocerata
Horned Puffin		Marine	Marine		Fratercula corniculata
Tufted Puffin		Marine	Marine		Fratercula cirrhata
Rock Pigeon		Vagrant	Vagrant		Columba livia
Band-tailed Pigeon		Uncommon	Common		Patagioenas fasciata
Mourning Dove		Rare	Rare		Zenaida macroura
Barn Owl		Vagrant			Tyto alba
Western Screech-Owl				Rare	Megascops kennicottii
Great Horned Owl				Vagrant	Bubo virginianus
Northern Pygmy-Owl	Rare	Rare	Rare	Rare	Glaucidium gnoma
Barred Owl	Rare	Rare	Rare	Rare	Strix varia
Northern Saw-whet Owl		Vagrant			Aegolius acadicus
Black Swift		Rare	Rare		Cypseloides niger
Vaux's Swift		Rare	Rare		Chaetura vauxi
Rufous Hummingbird		Common	Common		Selasphorus rufus
Belted Kingfisher	Common	Common	Common	Common	Megaceryle alcyon
Red-breasted Sapsucker		Common	Uncommon		Sphyrapicus ruber
Downy Woodpecker					Picoides pubescens
Hairy Woodpecker	Rare	Rare	Rare	Rare	Picoides villosus
Northern Flicker		Vagrant	Vagrant		Colaptes auratus
Pileated Woodpecker	Rare	Rare	Rare	Rare	Dryocopus pileatus
Olive-sided Flycatcher		Rare	Rare		Contopus cooperi
Western Wood-Pewee		Uncommon	Uncommon		Contopus sordidulus
Alder Flycatcher					Empidonax alnorum
Willow Flycatcher					Empidonax traillii
Hammond's Flycatcher		Common	Common		Empidonax hammondii
Pacific-slope Flycatcher		Common	Common		Empidonax difficilis
Western Kingbird			Rare		Tyrannus verticalis
Eastern Kingbird			Rare		Tyrannus tyrannus
Northern Shrike	Vagrant				Lanius excubitor
Hutton's Vireo					Vireo huttoni
Warbling Vireo		Common	Common		Vireo gilvus
Red-eyed Vireo		Rare	Rare		Vireo olivaceus
Gray Jay					Perisoreus canadensis
Steller's Jay	Uncommon	Common	Common	Common	Cyanocitta stelleri
Northwestern Crow	Uncommon	Uncommon	Common	Common	Corvus caurinus
Common Raven	Common	Common	Common	Common	Corvus corax
Horned Lark					Eremophila alpestris
Tree Swallow		Common	Common		Tachycineta bicolor
Violet-green Swallow		Rare	Rare		Tachycineta thalassina
Northern Rough-winged Swallow	Rare	Rare			Stelgidopteryx serripennis
Cliff Swallow					Petrochelidon pyrrhonota
Barn Swallow		Common	Common		Hirundo rustica
Black-capped Chickadee					Poecile atricapillus
Chestnut-backed Chickadee	Uncommon	Common	Uncommon	Common	Poecile rufescens
Red-breasted Nuthatch			Vagrant		Sitta canadensis
Brown Creeper					Certhia americana
Winter Wren	Common	Common	Common	Common	Troglodytes troglodytes
American Dipper	Common	Common	Common	Common	Cinclus mexicanus
Golden-crowned Kinglet	Rare	Uncommon	Rare	Rare	Regulus satrapa
Ruby-crowned Kinglet	Rare	Common	Uncommon	Rare	Regulus calendula
Mountain Bluebird		Vagrant	Vagrant		Sialia currucoides
Swainson's Thrush		Common	Common	Uncommon	Catharus ustulatus
Hermit Thrush		Rare	Rare		Catharus guttatus
American Robin	Rare	Common	Common	Common	Turdus migratorius
Varied Thrush	Rare	Common	Common	Common	Ixoreus naevius
Gray Catbird					Dumetella carolinensis
European Starling			Rare		Sturnus vulgaris
American Pipit		Rare			Anthus rubescens
Cedar Waxwing			Common		Bombycilla cedrorum
Orange-crowned Warbler		Uncommon	Uncommon		Vermivora celata
Yellow Warbler		Common	Common		Dendroica petechia
Yellow-rumped Warbler		Common	Common	Uncommon	Dendroica coronata
Black-throated Gray Warbler					Dendroica nigrescens
Townsend's Warbler		Common	Uncommon		Dendroica townsendi
American Redstart		Vagrant	Vagrant		Setophaga ruticilla
MacGillivray's Warbler		Common	Uncommon		Oporornis tolmiei
Common Yellowthroat		Uncommon	Uncommon		Geothlypis trichas
Wilson's Warbler		Common	Uncommon		Wilsonia pusilla
Western Tanager		Common	Common		Piranga ludoviciana
Lazuli Bunting		Vagrant			Passerina amoena
American Tree Sparrow					Spizella arborea
Chipping Sparrow					Spizella passerina
Savannah Sparrow		Common	Common		Passerculus sandwichensis
Fox Sparrow		Rare		Rare	Passerella iliaca
Song Sparrow		Common	Common	Uncommon	Melospiza melodia
Lincoln's Sparrow				Rare	Melospiza lincolnii
White-crowned Sparrow		Rare			Zonotrichia leucophrys
Golden-crowned Sparrow		Rare			Zonotrichia atricapilla
Dark-eyed Junco		Common	Rare	Common	Junco hyemalis
Black-headed Grosbeak			Vagrant		Pheucticus melanocephalus
Western Meadowlark				Vagrant	Sturnella neglecta
Red-winged Blackbird		Rare	Rare		Agelaius phoeniceus
Brewer's Blackbird		Rare	Rare		Euphagus cyanocephalus
Brown-headed Cowbird		Uncommon	Uncommon		Molothrus ater
Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch		Alpine	Alpine		Leucosticte tephrocotis
Pine Grosbeak		Vagrant	Vagrant		Pinicola enucleator
Purple Finch					Carpodacus purpureus
House Finch					Carpodacus mexicanus
Red Crossbill	Uncommon			Rare	Loxia curvirostra
White-winged Crossbill					Loxia leucoptera
Common Redpoll					Carduelis flammea
Pine Siskin		Rare	Rare	Uncommon	Carduelis pinus
American Goldfinch					Carduelis tristis
Evening Grosbeak					Coccothraustes vespertinus
House Sparrow			Vagrant		Passer domesticus

Mammal list

Common name	Winter	Spring	Summer	Autumn	Scientific name

Humpback Whale		Vagrant	Rare	Rare	Megaptera novaeangliae
Orca	Vagrant				Orcinus orca
Pacific White-sided Dolphin	Rare	Vagrant		Rare	Lagenorhynchus obliquidens
Black-tailed Deer	Uncommon	Uncommon	Uncommon	Uncommon	Odocoileus hemionus columbianus
Northern Sea-lion	Rare	Rare	Rare	Rare	Eumetopias jubatus
Harbour Seal	Common	Common	Common	Common	Phoca vitulina
Grizzly Bear	Vagrant	Common	Common	Common	Ursus arctos
Black Bear		Common	Uncommon	Uncommon	Ursus americanus
Grey Wolf	Rare	Rare	Rare	Rare	Canis lupis
Mountain Lion	Vagrant		Vagrant	Vagrant	Puma concolor
Wolverine			Vagrant		Gulo gulo
Northern River Otter	Common	Uncommon	Uncommon	Uncommon	Lontra canadensis
Fisher					Martes pennanti
American Marten	Common	Uncommon	Uncommon	Uncommon	Martes americana
American Mink	Uncommon	Common	Common	Uncommon	Mustela vison
Short-tailed weasel	Rare				Mustela erminea
Common Raccon					Pryocon lotor
Common Porcupine			Vagrant		Erethizon dorsatum
American Beaver		Vagrant	Vagrant	Vagrant	Castor canadensis
Douglas's Squirrel	Uncommon	Uncommon	Uncommon	Uncommon	Tamiasciurus douglasii
Northern Flying Squirrel	Rare	Rare	Rare	Rare	Glaucomys sabrinus
Hoary Marmot		Vagrant			Marmota caligata
American Pika		Alpine	Alpine		Ochotona princeps
Bushy-tailed Woodrat					Neotoma cinerea
Keen's Mouse	Uncommon	Uncommon	Uncommon	Uncommon	Peromyscus keeni
Western Jumping Mouse					Zapus princeps
Southern Red-backed Vole		Rare	Rare	Rare	Clethrionomys gapperi
Long-tailed Vole					Microtus longicaudus
Northern Bog Lemming					Synaptomys borealis
Western Long-eared Bat					Myotis ecotis
Keen's Long-eared Bat					Myotis keenii
California Bat					Myotis californicus
Little Brown Bat		Common	Common	Rare	Myotis lucifugus
Yuma Bat					Myotis yumanensis
Silver-haired Bat					Lasionycteris noctivagans
Big Brown Bat					Eptesicus fuscus
Masked Shrew					Sorex cinereus
Dusky Shrew					Sorex monticolus
Common Water Shrew			Vagrant		Sorex palustris

Amphibian and reptile list

Common name	Spring	Summer	Autumn	Scientific name

Northwestern Salamander	Common	Common		Ambystoma gracile
Long-toed Salamander	Rare			Ambystoma macrodactylum
Rough-skinned Newt	Rare	Rare		Taricha granulosa
Ensatina				Ensatina eschscholtzii
Coastal Tailed Frog	Uncommon	Uncommon		Ascaphus truei
Western Toad	Uncommon	Uncommon	Common	Bufo boreas
Red-legged Frog				Rana aurora
Common Garter Snake				Thamnophis sirtalis
Northwestern Garter Snake				Thamnophis ordinoides
Western Garter Snake				Thamnophis elegans