As the BC Bird Trail expands throughout the province, we wanted to shine a light on the people on the ground in these communities. Learn more about the bird-watching experiences in these destinations through the eyes of the experienced locals with our BC Birders profile series.
Jackie Miles is a passionate amateur birder, who loves spreading the joy of this hobby to new folks whenever and wherever she can.
When Jackie moved to Golden to be with her partner, she participated in a water bird count focused on migrating swans. She had always liked birds, but having grown up in southern Ontario, she was more used to songbirds. Golden is a world-class skiing, riding and mountain biking town, but Jackie wasn’t really into those activities. The bird count was a great opportunity to get to know the area and a few locals.
“Birds are everywhere. The human brain edits out things that are constant, so people don’t realize how many birds are around them all the time.”
Jackie Miles
Once she had kids, Jackie started birding to get outside with binoculars and have quality time alone. New motherhood is always intense, and birding supported Jackie’s health and mental health. Plus, she enjoyed learning about the local and migrating species. She admits, “I’m terrible at identifying birdsong. I need to see them.” For her, watching birds get into fights and flitter in and out of their nests is fascinating. Plus, being “out in nature calms my nervous system.”
A self-professed, “still newb birder,” Jackie invites anyone thinking about checking birding out not to “forget about water birds. People think of standing in a forest but watching them (water birds) with a scope in Golden is a really special thing to do. Water birdwatching is very different, as they are on the water for a long time. You can sit, watch birds and drink a coffee for a while—although it’s not worth it until May; there’s ice on the water until then.”
There are several great spots for birding in Golden, including Edelweiss Slough, where you can see goldeneyes, the Columbia Wetlands Outpost often has blue herons, kingfishers and all kinds of ducks, and you can also pull off on Highway 95 and see swans from spring to fall. You’ll also catch at least half a dozen eagles in the fall along the Blaeberry River. Environmental organization Wildsight lends out binoculars and scopes, and Jackie recommends the Merlin App and the Audubon website and Instagram.
Now that Jackie’s kids are a bit older, birding is one of their favourite things to do with Mom. “It’s an amazing bonding activity, and they can already identify so many birds! It makes them so proud.” Her youngest child’s first word was “bird” and they can both accurately mimic owl hoots, chickadee calls and crow caws. “It’s a great way to get kids out in nature. Any time you’re killing time with kids or bored outside, looking for birds creates fun.”
Jackie’s preferred time of day to watch birds is whenever the sun hits whatever body of water she is near, and her favourite to watch is the loon. “I love their call and they dive for so long. We all guess where they will pop up next. It’s a fun game with the kids.”
Looking to start your own birding adventure in Golden? Check out the Golden Itinerary on the Columbia Valley Bird Trail!
