Rod's Birding: An Alaskan Cruise a board the Star Princess (part 1)

Sandra and I had booked an Alaskan Cruise with Princess Cruises, which was to depart from Vancouver on Saturday July 15^th, 2017 and had also arrange for a few days in Vancouver prior to the cruise departure.

We began our journey during the early hours of the 12^th when our Taxi arrived at 01:15 to take us to St. Margaret’s Bus Station in Leicester to await or National Coach Express that was to take us Gatwick North Terminal for our flight to Vancouver.

The coach was due at 02:10 but didn’t arrive until after 02:30 by which time we were becoming quite concerned that it might not arrive. There were quite a few people boarding the coach and we left some ten minutes later. We called at Milton Keyes coach station where there was a driver change and we were soon on our way to Luton Airport, which was another stop on route.

As we approached Luton Airport I got the impression that the driver wasn’t sure where to go but we eventually seemed to reach the bus terminal. Quite a few people got off the bus with just a couple joining the coach. Our next stop was Heathrow Airport and we were to visit terminals two & three, four and then five. We arrived at the Central Coach Station but the driver went to the wrong area and needed assistance from an onsite National Express representative to get to the right area. When we left Central Coach Station for Terminal Four the fun started and it seemed to take an age to get there but we did eventually arrive and three relieved passengers disembarked. The driver then seemed to get totally lost and at one point stopped and got out looking for assistance but there wasn’t any. One of the passengers then got involved and helped the driver and we eventually reached a roundabout where I could see Terminal Five and I thought great we will call there and then be on our way to Gatwick. However, the driver turned right, ignoring Terminal Five and headed back to the M25 and then onto Gatwick, I just hope that there weren’t any passengers awaiting transfer from Heathrow to Gatwick.

We had no further issues and reached Gatwick North Terminal in plenty of time for our flight to Vancouver, although we did have a five-minute walk to the terminal from the drop point. It had been raining quite heavily most of the time from Milton Keynes, which hadn’t made it easy for the driver and at one point the air conditioning was turned on to clear the screen and it became quite cold on board until several customers complained. I wasn’t sure why it was necessary for the air conditioning for the whole coach to be on to clear the screen.

We soon found our way to the West Jet check in, which was all done from a terminal and went well until we found out we had to pay $15 for our hold baggage, which hadn’t been specified anywhere previously but we had no option but to pay. Once we finished checking in we moved through security without any issues and went to get some breakfast.

Our flight was scheduled for 10:50 and boarding commenced on schedule but it was almost an hour late when we eventually got into the air. It was a long fight of almost ten hours and we had booked an inflight meal, which was delivered shortly after take-off. I can honestly say that it was the worst in flight meal I have ever had and if I was to use West Jet again I would take food on board rather than ordering a meal.

The flight overall was ok and I could watch a film using a West Jet app on my iPhone and managed to catch up on some much-needed sleep, although nowhere near enough. We landed at Vancouver International Airport at around the time given when we left Gatwick. However, there was now another problem as the scheduled gate was still occupied and we then cruised the apron waiting for the bay to be cleared. We were then scheduled a different bay that seemed to create further problems as we had to wait for the ground staff to arrive before the piolet could get the aircraft into the bay but we were then soon disembarking, but more was to follow.

Immigration all went quite smoothly and we went to the designated carousel to await our baggage but on arrival at the carousel there were just a couple of bags on it. We must have waited over thirty minutes before bags began to appear and I assume that the baggage handlers also needed to relocate to the new bay to begin unloading. As finally getting through with our bags we met the Princess Cruise representative who was concerned they had missed us as we now quite late. However, she guided us to the taxi rank and after presenting the driver we were soon on our way to our first accommodation, the Four Season Hotel, which is located in downtown Vancouver.

The first bird I saw on the trip was a lifer, Northwestern Crow and I the saw several more along with several Feral Pigeons before reaching the hotel and from the hotel room I could see several Glaucous-winged Gulls flying around.

We went out from the hotel from a snack and a coffee before returning for some needed rest. The Four Seasons Hotel was a nice modern hotel and our room had a splendid view over part of downtown Vancouver.

Vancouver skyline from our hotel room with the Fairbanks Hotel to the right

Further view of downtown Vancouver

Our specious room at the Four Seasons Hotel

Vancouver night time view

The George Hotel

Four Seasons reception

It wasn’t too surprising due the time difference that we didn’t get a great night sleep and we were up quite early and a couple of times in the night. After a brief walk around the streets close to the hotel and breakfast at Tim Horton’s we walked to Stanley Park. Initially we headed along West Georgia Street and then turned right along Broughton Street to reach Coal Harbour and continued heading for Stanley Park along the water front. There were plenty of Glaucous-winged Gulls and Northwestern Crows but little else before we reached the park.

Vancouver Block Clock Tower

Vancouver Skyscraper

There was a White-crowned Sparrow on the ground and a House Finch in a tree as we entered the park. We then headed towards the aquarium, seeing several American Robins, before dropping down to the cycling/running track at the edge of the water and then walked north. There were a few cormorants flying low over the water, which were all Double-crested and I also saw my first Pigeon Guillemot in flight. A little further along the track I appeared to flush a couple of Northern Rough-winged Swallows and a Belted Kingfisher flew by. A female Goosander was observed escorting nine young, one of which was hitching a ride on mum’s back. When we reached the bridge over spanning the water there were fifteen Pelagic Cormorants resting around one of the bridges support platforms. We continued around the track but other than more cormorants of both species, Glaucous-winged Gulls, Northwestern Crows and an American Robin and a singing sparrow that turned out to be a Song Sparrow we saw little else. By the time we reached Third Beach we were ready for a drink but the refreshment booth was not open and we continued on to Second Beach where we did manage to get a coffee.

Female Goosander carrying young

Pelagic Cormorant

Glacous-winged Gull

Northwestern Crow

American Robin

Song Sparrow

Whist having our coffee I saw a Rufous Hummingbird on several occasions and a Northern Flicker flew into a tree but remained partially concealed. We finally reached English Bay Beach, where there was a selection of gulls, including several Ring-billed and more Glaucous-winged and there were also several Starlings on the beach and an American Herring Gull on the water.

From the English Bay Beach, we walked up Davis Street and eventually turned up Seymour Street to West Georgia and then back to the hotel.

We went out for some lunch and then attempted walking around the shops, where there were some exclusive shops with many of the shoes on sale being more than $1000, way out of my range. I wondered who would be prepared to pay that sort of money on shoes. Our early walk eventually got the better of us and we returned to the hotel for an afternoon rest.

We finished the day by walking to a restaurant we had seen yesterday called the Cactus Club Café where we had a very nice meal and some excellent service before calling it a day and heading back to the hotel. My phone had recorded that I had walked 12.6 miles and my feet and legs were letting me know they had been over worked today.

We were still waking early but it wasn’t easy to get a decent breakfast early and we walked around the hotel area looking and eventually found one at around 07:00, where we could get and an English-type breakfast before returning to our hotel.

Today we were transferring to another hotel at Victoria and after returning from breakfast we assembled in the Four Seasons lobby before boarding a coach that was to take us there. We made two other stops before heading for the ferry from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay on Vancouver Island.

I saw several Glaucous-winged Gulls over Vancouver and a small flock of Feral Pigeon from the hotel and a few Western Crows and two Bald Eagles before reaching the ferry terminal where there were many more Glaucous-winged Gulls and four Black Oystercatcher.

Once on the ferry I positioned myself outside hoping for some birds during the ninety-five-minute crossing to Swartz Bay. There were more Glaucous-winged Gulls and a single Ring-billed Gull around the boat as it started the crossing. As the boat was turning a male scoter flew low over the water with a very distinctive yellowish bill but there were no other makings in its black plumage and was presumably a Black Scoter, which wasn’t a species I was expecting. Another drake scoter was then observed quite close to the boat and this time the bill was orange and less extensive than the bird in flight and there was also a distinct white mark sweeping up from below the eye with the rest of the plumage appearing black. Whilst it wasn’t seen in flight the plumage markings and bill confirmed it was a White-winged Scoter. Several Pelagic Cormorant and at least three Double-crested Cormorant were observed before we final headed out from the harbour.

Ring-billed Gull

First-year Glaucous-winged Gull

Pelagic Cormorant

Only using binoculars, I saw quite a few distant birds that I was unable to identify but did see a single Guillemot and thirty-eight Pigeon Guillemots and surprisingly a Turkey Vulture over one of the islands we passed.

Pigeon Guillemots

Pigeon Guillemot

Just after leaving the ship I saw six Great Blue Herons but hadn’t seen anything else as we reached Butchant Gardens, which were superb. I had been informed that I wouldn’t see many birds but I did see a Red-breasted Sapsucker, eight Violet-green Swallows, four American Robins and four Dark-eyed Junco of one of the Oregon races. After a couple of hours, we continued our journey to Victoria and our one-night stay at the Empress Hotel.