GET YOUR BINOCULARS READY … it’s time for one of Canada’s most extraordinary parades of sight and sound: fall bird migration. Although not as brilliantly colourful or musically alive as the spring event, the autumn voyage south offers calmer opportunities to see a multitude of species search for narrow water crossings and ample supplies of food.

From late September to early October, Manitoba’s Oak Hammock Marsh welcomes a bevy of sunset visitors. The interpretive centre, perched amid a swath of marsh and trails north of Winnipeg, provides views of as many as 500,000 honking waterfowl on peak days, particularly during the Migration Festival at the end of September.
www.oakhammockmarsh.ca

Concentrated at the Holiday Beach Conservation Area on the north shore of Lake Erie near Amherstburg, Ont., the Festival of Hawks, held in September, is known for its dizzying array of raptors and even greater numbers of blue jays.
www.erca.org

But the event not to miss occurs over three weeks in October, when a sea of snow geese feeds along the banks of the St. Lawrence estuary. The finest viewing is at Cap Tourmente, a wildlife reserve east of Québec and home to a clifftop observatory, while the small town of Montmagny hosts the big festival. The party climaxes with a renowned banquet prepared by goose-specialist chefs from around the region.
www.bonjourquebec.com/qc-en/oiseaux.html

— Ben Fried

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SCATTERED across some of the province’s most beautiful landscapes, five rental cottages belonging to The Land Conservancy of British Columbia (TLC) are little-known gems of ecological and architectural heritage — and are surprisingly available.

TLC, a land trust that holds private properties for conservation purposes, was founded in 1997. Cottage rentals began the same year, with the purchase of 10-hectare South Winchelsea Island and its single rustic cabin. Modelled on a similar program of The National Trust in the United Kingdom, TLC helps fund habitat preservation while offering unusual and spectacular getaways.

Only about 100 customers booked the cottages last year. Here’s why they are worth considering:

Cowichan River Cabin
Specs: Log cabin sans running water or electricity on the Cowichan River, deep in the woods near Duncan, on Vancouver Island. Accessible by bike, with river tubing, canoeing and hiking right outside the door.
Sleeps: 8
Open: All year
Cost: $85-$125/night; $350-$550/week

Baldwin House
Specs: Designed by B.C. architect Arthur Erickson, Baldwin House (bottom) is the only residence on Burnaby Lake.
Sleeps: 6
Open: All year
Cost: $275-$325/night; $1,250-$1,500/week

Nimpo Lake Cabin
Specs: This waterfront cabin overlooking Nimpo Lake in the Chilcotin region is a piece of fly-fishing heaven.No running water or electricity.
Sleeps: 4
Open: Apr. 15-Oct. 15
Cost: $65/night; $300/week

South Winchelsea Island Cottage
Specs: Off Vancouver Island near Nanaimo, the South Winchelsea is home to sea lions and the rare Garry oak ecosystem. Rental includes return ferry service.
Sleeps: 6
Open: All year
Cost: $220-$275/night; $1,000-$1,250/week

Ayum Creek Cottage
Specs: Forty-five minutes from Victoria, the cottage is close to ocean beaches, hiking trails and the Sooke Hills Wilderness Regional Park Reserve.
Sleeps: 6
Open: All year
Cost: $120-$160/night; $500-$750/week

For reservations, call (250) 383-4627 or (888) 738-0533 or visit www.conservancy.bc.ca.