| Wells Gray for Birdwatchers, Wildlife Viewing, and Wild Flora |
All areas of Wells Gray seem to get a good selection of smaller native species... Varied Thrushes, Grossbeaks, Swallows, etc. As well as larger birds like Spruce Grouse and Ruffed Grouse. Specific areas get more impressive birds, here's few locations/Species of note: Osprey: There are at least 3 nesting pairs on Clearwater and Azure Lakes every year... Ask the Boat crew or Boat tour operators for general locations on nests. Murtle Lake has over a dozen nesting pairs, easily visible from locations like the canoe launch. Bald Eagles: often seen in the fall on both the Clearwater and North Thompson Rivers during the Salmon run. Possibly nesting pairs on Murtle Lake. Solo eagles are often seen fishing at the north end of Clearwater Lake as well Herons and Cranes: both types of Birds are frequently spotted inside the park at ray farm, in the river channel between Clearwater and Azure lakes, in Murtle lagoon. Outside the park, they make regular appearances in the fields near Helmcken Falls Lodge and the Wells Gray Guest Ranch. Owls: Greys, Great horned, Barns, and Screech owls have all be spotted or heard, a very wild sight or sound to experience! Resident owls can be found sometimes in the old growth areas near 4 1/2 mile campground, Caribou Beach, and rainbow falls... Consider a sighting a lucky experience, they are very good at hiding and are very weary of intruders. Rare Waterfowl: Harlequin Ducks and Wood Ducks make nesting season appearances on Murtle Lake and in the River channel. Loons, Grebes, and Mergansers are common on all park lakes, especially Murtle. Loons can often be seen in flocks of a dozen or more on Murtle Lake, something not common elsewhere... One flotilla of over 70 birds was counted last summer- the noise was deafening! Hummingbirds: Both Rufus and Calliope varieties are found in the park, with the latter being much rarer... Good places to spot them are around Helmcken Falls Lodge, and at Ray Farm. |
Bears: Bears are everywhere! Keep your eyes open for Black Bears from dawn to dusk in every part of the park, and along every roadway in the North Thompson Valley. I can honestly say that I have seen bears in every part of Wells Gray, from the high alpine to the middle of lakes... So be Bear Aware. Our Black Bears are not all black! They range in colour from blonde, to cinnamon, to chocolate brown, and several shades of black. Some look almost dark blue in the right light. Grizzly Bears are not rare, but much harder to encounter... Alpine meadows are the most common area to see one, like the Trophy, Battle, and Phillips Lake areas. Even then sightings are rare. A recent count placed the Grizzly population in Wells Gray at well over 100 animals. Deer: Deer are also common throughout the park, mostly Mule Deer(big ears) with a few Whitetail Deer now moving into the area. Whitetails are often paler in hair colour than the Mule Deer, have a narrower face,and flash a white tail when alarmed, hence the name. Mule deer are shrub browsers Moose: Moose are common in the park, but hard to spot. They are a very reclusive animal compared to the deer, and to see one, you usually have to catch them by surprise along one of the park roadways. Seeing a Moose in Wells Gray in summer is a lucky experience, treasure it if you do. Winter Moose watching on Green Mountain is possible at the pullout on the hill between Wells Gray Air and Helmcken Falls Lodge... Bring Binoculars and look across at Green Mountain, if you see a black speck that moves, odds are it a moose... I've seen up to eight in one morning on this slope. Caribou and Mountain Goats: Both are found in Wells Gray, but both are very rare sights. People come across migrating animals by chance on alpine hikes, and even sometime in the valley bottoms. Goat populations exist on the mountain tops on both sides of Azure lake, and in select areas around Murtle. Last summer, a Bighorn sheep was spotted several times near Clearwater Lake Campground- very unusual. Foxes, Wolves, and Coyotes: All three are common to the park. Foxes are seen frequently along roadways in the region and come in colours from red to black... Plus many shades and combinations in between. An average fox is just a bit taller than a large house cat, and is noted for a tail that is often as long as its body and very bushy. Coyotes, slightly larger, are almost always gray or brownish grey... Coyotes are comparable in size to a medium dog, like a Springer Spaniel. Coyotes hunt mice and Ground Squirrels among other things, look for them mousing in farmers fields. Wolves are more often heard than seen. Several resident packs are believed to live around Murtle, Clearwater and Azure Lakes, and on the highlands in between the three. I've only seen 2 wolves in 18 years in Wells Gray Park, but I've heard their mournful call dozens of times on the lakes. Cougars and Lynx: both cats reside in the park, but are very rare sights, consider yourself lucky if you see either. Beaver, Otters, and Muskrats: All three reside in Wells Gray and Area. Several beaver ponds and lodges can be seen along the North Thompson, and in Shadow lake, Alice Lake, plus in the Stillwater area. Otters are migrant animals, and can occasionally be seen playing on the big lakes and rivers. I've sen them In Clearwater and Azure Lakes, and in the Clearwater and North Thompson Rivers. Muskrats can be found almost anywhere in smaller lakes in the valley bottoms. Muskrat houses, piles of matted grass, are common in Murtle Lagoon. Smaller Mammals: Snowshoe Hares, Pine Marten, Fisher, Mink, Ground Squirrels, Pack Rats, Skunks, various Mice, Voles, all inhabit Wells Gray and Area. The only one you have to really be aware of is the Skunk. Don't get to close, or you may smell for days- this is one of the reasons we tell you to keep your dog on a leash. Another is the Porcupine population in Wells Gray. |
This tree has been stripped of bark by a
porcupine Easter Bluff trail.
porcupine Easter Bluff trail.
Bear Claw scarred Birch tree on Whale
Lake Trail- this tree has scarring that
goes back nearly 30 years.
Lake Trail- this tree has scarring that
goes back nearly 30 years.
Avalanche Lilies. Wells Gray is a Botanists Heaven. Entire books can and have been written on the botanical life of Wells Gray, so I won't go into huge specifics here. You have the Trophy and Battle Mountain alpine meadows, which flower in two waves between late June and August. The sides of the roads throughout the region have some form of wildflower in bloom from June until August. You have marshlands like Placid Lake, Murtle Lake and the Ray Farm which are home to both Ladyslipper(June 25th at Placid is good) and Fairyslipper Orchids, plus dozens of other flower species and interesting plants. You have old growth Cedars at Spahats, Bailey's Chute, Placid Lake, the Boat launch, and Rainbow Falls just to name a few locations. Plus you have every other tree species from Birch to Hemlock to Pine to Subalpine Fir. Interesting tree mixes can be found on the Placid Lake Trail(monster Cottonwoods, Spruce, and Cedars), on the Bailey's Chute Trail, around Ray Farm. |
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