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the first half of winter at many locations,
often far inland.
FLYING HIGH
Featured on the dollar coin, loons are duck-
sized birds, regally patterned in black and
white. Excellent swimmers, they catch
small fish in fast underwater chases. Other
than in the extreme north, their eerie,
echoing calls can be heard on numerous
lakes, especially in the Canadian Shield.
Canada geese, another national icon, are so
common across the country they have
become a pest at some golf courses and
parks. In the air, however, they fly in an
elegant V-formation. Once migratory, many
now reside here year-round.
The bald eagle, a noble raptor most
associated with the United States, actually
builds enormous nests in tall trees across
most of North America. The bald eagle, with
its white head and tail, is particularly
abundant in western British Columbia. The
best time to see eagles in B.C. is in fall and
the first half of winter when they gather,
sometimes in the thousands, at spawning
sites such as Brackendale and the upper
Harrison River.
On the other side of the country, huge
numbers of ethereal snow geese make quite
a sight in spring and fall when they take
their migratory pit stops along Québec's
St. Lawrence River.
The Bay of Fundy provides another avian
spectacle. In late July and August, more than
two million tiny sandpipers flock into the
coastal region to gorge on shrimp before
flying south. Mary's Point in New Brunswick
and Evangeline Beach in Nova Scotia are two
top places for viewing.
Newfoundland is also a hot spot for
birders. The Witless Bay Ecological Reserve,
for instance, has North America's largest
Atlantic puffin colony, while the Cape
St. Mary's Ecological Reserve is known for
razorbills, cormorants, kittiwakes and dive-
bombing gannets.
MUCH MORE
This is but a small sampling, a teaser, to
encourage you to get outdoors and see the
vast array of creatures that live in Canada.
