Vancouver is an internationally famous stop for naturalists, ecotourists, and thousands of migratory birds; so bring your cameras, binoculars, and spotting books. Orcas, salmon, bald eagles, herons, beavers, and numerous rare, indigenous marine and waterfowl species live in the metropolitan area.
To hook up with local Vancouver birders, try the Vancouver Natural History Society (tel. 604/737-3074; www.naturalhistory.bc.ca/VNHS). This all-volunteer organization runs birding field trips most weekends, many free, some at a nominal charge.
During the winter, thousands of bald eagles line the banks of the Squamish, Cheakamus, and Mamquam rivers to feed on spawning salmon. The official January 1994 eagle count in Brackendale (a small community near Squamish) recorded 3,700 -- the largest number ever seen in North America. To get there by car, take the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway (Hwy. 99) from downtown Vancouver to Squamish and Brackendale; the trip takes about an hour. The route winds along the craggy tree-lined coast of Howe Sound through the town of Britannia Beach and past two beautiful natural monuments: Shannon Falls and the continent's tallest monolithic rock face, the Stawamus Chief. Alternatively, you can take a Greyhound bus from Pacific Central Station (1150 Station St., Vancouver; tel. 604/482-8747; www.greyhound.ca; trip time: 1 1/4 hr.). Contact Squamish & Howe Sound Visitor Info Centre (tel. 604/892-9244; www.squamishchamber.bc.ca) for more information.
The annual summer salmon runs attract more than bald eagles. Tourists also flock to coastal streams and rivers to watch the waters turn red with leaping coho and sockeye. The salmon are plentiful at the Capilano Salmon Hatchery, Goldstream Provincial Park, and numerous other fresh waters.
Along the Fraser River delta, more than 250 bird species migrate to or perennially inhabit the George C. Reifel Sanctuary's wetland reserve. Nearby, Richmond Nature Park has educational displays for young and first-time birders plus a boardwalk-encircled duck pond.
Stanley Park and Pacific Spirit Park are both home to heron rookeries. You can see these large birds nesting just outside the Vancouver Aquarium. Ravens, dozens of species of waterfowl, raccoons, skunks, beavers, and even coyotes are also full-time residents. The Stanley Park Ecological Society (tel. 604/257-8544) runs regular nature walks in the park. Call or see their wesbite for more information, or drop by the Lost Lagoon Nature House in Stanley Park.
