NWT Big Day - PART 2

We returned to Hwy 5 around 5:30 PM with 60 species already on the list. Now we backtracked in to the townsite of Ft. Smith. Our targets here were things like HOUSE SPARROW, STARLING and CROW. Yes, they all count on Big Days! Just as important was that Gigis coffee shop and bakery was now open. The sweet old lady who ran it made us some bacon and egg sandwiches to go. We grabbed some great coffee to go and were soon zipping around town looking for a few targets before hitting the road. One of the key birds in Ft. Smith is AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN. In fact our hotel was named the Pelican Narrows Hotel and for good reason. Only a few hundred yards away were a set of rapids with hundreds of pelicans feeding at close range. The evening before the big day we had hiked down to the river bank and photographed the pelicans feeding at close range. They provided incredible close views. Below is a small selection of pics from the evening before. And yes we easily saw hundreds on the big day, plus a bonus BAY-BREASTED WARBLER singing along the river valley!