Creston Valley Birds

Creston Valley Birds Welcome to the Creston Valley Bird Festival page!

The festival takes place every second weekend in May
to coincide with World Migratory Bird Day
It's "Where the Birds Are"! The Creston Valley is a vital birdwatching site and staging area for migratory birds with over three hundred species of birds recorded. The Creston Valley Bird Fest will celebrate this incredible diversity in an environmentally sensitive manner, inviting residents and visitors to expand their interest in the world of birds. The festival shall offer a variety of birdwatching activities guided by field experts, as well as photography and art displays and bird-oriented workshops.

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!AMERICAN PIPITS can been seen during their fall migration throughout the Kootenay Flats and open mou...
10/04/2026

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!

AMERICAN PIPITS can been seen during their fall migration throughout the Kootenay Flats and open mountainous areas. I saw a flock perched on utility wires on Reclamation Road this week. They forage on farmlands especially freshly sown, stubble, mowed, tilled or ploughed fields at this time of the year.

With its long legs, it is seen walking upright with tail bobbing!

Photo credit: Paul Prappas

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!!Thousands of ducks are passing through our valley as they head south, and many can be seen at Duck ...
09/27/2026

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!!

Thousands of ducks are passing through our valley as they head south, and many can be seen at Duck Lake.

Yesterday, approximately 650 American Wigeons were recorded. They are now showing their fall plumage: nonbreeding males have reddish-brown bodies, brown heads with a dark smudge around the eyes, and a distinctive white wing patch.

Photo credit: Tammy Bradford

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE WESTERN SCREECH OWLS have been heard lately in our valley!!! Use your ears at dusk and into the nig...
09/20/2026

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE

WESTERN SCREECH OWLS have been heard lately in our valley!!!

Use your ears at dusk and into the night to find them. Listen for the "bouncing ball" song that is a series of 5-9 whistled hoots speeding up to sound like a ping-pong ball towards the end.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Western_Screech-Owl/sounds

These owls roost next to conifer trunks making them well camouflaged in our dark forests.

Photo credit: Kootenay Wilderness

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!!SAVANNAH SPARROWS are everywhere right now!!! It's definitely their peak autumn movement time with...
09/13/2026

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!!

SAVANNAH SPARROWS are everywhere right now!!! It's definitely their peak autumn movement time with flocks of hundreds seen along grassy roadsides, perched on fences, wires, and feeding on plant seeds.

This sparrow has fine streaks on its white belly, a whitish median crown-stripe, and yellow tinge on the lores (tiny feathers between the eye and bill).

Photo credit: Tammy Bradford

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!This week, three 'very rare' autumn migrants were seen passing through our valley as they head south...
09/06/2026

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!

This week, three 'very rare' autumn migrants were seen passing through our valley as they head southwards - SWAINSON'S HAWKS!! Two adults and one juvenile were observed together on Reclamation Road as they were hunting on the agricultural fields for rodents and insects.

Look for a dark buteo with a white face and yellow cere. The juvenile has a heavily streaked breast. They are either perched on a post, flying or walking on the fields.

Photo credit: Ulrike Sliworsky

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE There have been a lot of PINE SISKINS at my birdfeeder the last few weeks enjoying the sunflower see...
08/30/2026

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE

There have been a lot of PINE SISKINS at my birdfeeder the last few weeks enjoying the sunflower seeds. They will also search out seed cones from our mixed coniferous forests. Flocks can be noticeable on roadways where they pick up grit and salt.

It is important to use a correct bird feeder as they are the most affected species for an outbreak of salmonellosis. For more information on how to keep your feeder birds healthy, please see this article from Birds Canada:

https://www.birdscanada.org/you-can-help/keeping-feeder-birds-healthy

Photo credit: Pixabay

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!!!Up to 100 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen on Duck Lake this week. They are starting their south...
08/23/2026

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!!!

Up to 100 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS were seen on Duck Lake this week. They are starting their southward migration towards California and central America.

Sometimes, large groups gather and coordinate their swimming to drive schooling fish toward the shallows where they can then easily scoop up these corralled fish from the water.

Pelicans can eat approximately 1kg of fish daily and compete with our other fish-eating birds in our valley.

Photo credit: Seth Benoit

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!!!Numerous shorebirds were seen at the south end of Kootenay Lake this week by Gaelen Schnare includ...
08/16/2026

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!!!

Numerous shorebirds were seen at the south end of Kootenay Lake this week by Gaelen Schnare including 6 species of sandpipers (Least, Baird's, Western, Semipalmated, Spotted, and Stilt), Red-necked Phalaropes, Western Snipes, Long-billed Dowitchers, Lesser Yellowlegs, and GREATER YELLOWLEGS as seen in this picture!!!

During their southbound migration, Greater Yellowlegs will visit our wetlands throughout the valley such as Kootenay Lake, Duck Lake, Leach Lake, and Corn Creek Marsh. They will also stop to feed in flooded fields and cattle pastures. These shorebirds are heading off to South America with adult birds leaving first and their young following 4-6 weeks later.

Photo credit: Gaelen Schnare

Kootenay Lake - East Shore Daily Happenings
Friends of Kootenay Lake Stewardship Society

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were first seen in the valley in 1982 when they were considered rare. Sin...
08/09/2026

WHERE THE BIRDS ARE!

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were first seen in the valley in 1982 when they were considered rare. Since 2004, there has been a significant increase in the population as they became a regular breeding species (Linda Van Damme 2020). They have taken over the former heron rookery on Duck Lake Road and other cottonwoods along the Kootenay River and the shores of Kootenay Lake. Now larger flocks are common as they fly over to aquatic habitats on their fishing expeditions!

Photo credit: Brian Benoit

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230B-19 Avenue N
Creston, BC
V0B1G5

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