BROAD-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD in the Blaeberry

May 30--Doug Leighton is reporting a female Broad-tailed Hummingbird form his feeder in the Blaeberry (near Golden). Here is his report to eBird:

"Counting dusk hummer swarm at feeder at 9:55 PM (8:55 Pacific) when this obviously larger bird arrived to feed; had Nat Geo book at hand and clearly saw all other key features (including tail) with direct comparison to female RUHUs beside it. . Too late for photos tonight but I am 100% certain on this ID."

May 31--Update: Doug has been watching the feeders all morning and no BT yet. If it shows up again he would be happy to welcome birders so stayed tuned.

May 17-27: Acorn Woodpecker in Merritt

For more, click HERE.

BLACK-THROATED SPARROW in Yale

The bird was spotted by Aaron Gaffney in a yard at Front and Alberts Street in Yale. The bird was first spotted at 2pm and was seen briefly at the bird bath. It then flew up into a nearby fruit tree and then off towards a strip of trees by the river.

Photo: Aaron Gaffney 

YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER in Revelstoke

Harry van Oort has just reported a singing male Yellow-throated Warbler near his house in Revelstoke. The bird was heard and seen briefly earlier this morning but has not been seen since. This is only the second Yellow-throated Warbler record for BC and if it is found again, more details will be posted.

Yellow-throated Warbler in Revelstoke, 26 May 2012 (Harry van Oort)

SNOWY EGRET in Victoria

At 9:30am on May 25, Warren Drinnan found a Snowy Egret at Panama Flats in Victoria.

The bird was still present on the morning of May 29 (R. Shortinghuis).

Photo by Amelie Rousseau

Lesser Goldfinch in Princeton

May 19-20: Sue Elwell had a LESSER GOLDFINCH visit her Princeton-area feeder on these dates.

We will let you know if it returns!

White-faced Ibis - Kelowna

May 20--This WHITE-FACED IBIS was found by Gwynneth Wilson et al. in the morning but it apparently stayed throughout most of the day. No word yet whether or not it is sticking around.

[Photo: Dean O'Dea]

This was at the mouth of Mission Creek in Kelowna. To check, drive south on Pandosy/Lakeshore Drive from Hwy 97, then turn right onto Bluebird Dr after crossing Mission Ck. From the end of Bluebird you can scan the sandy spit at the mouth of the creek.

Acorn Woodpecker in Sunshine Valley

An Acorn Woodpecker has been coming to a feeder in Sunshine Valley near Hope. Thanks to Brian Carson for the sighting. For more information on how to view the bird or to see more pictures please visit the link below. It was again seen today (May 18th).
http://bcbirding.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=rarebirds&action=display&thread=5431

May 13, 15--WHITE-FACED IBIS in Creston

On the morning of May 13, Gary Breault photographed this ibis along Speers Rd in Creston, before it took off with a flock of ducks. It has not been relocated but may very well be present somewhere in the maze of wetlands in that valley.

There again on the morning of the 15th!

May 14--SEDGE WREN in Penticton

Today (May 14) around noon, Jess Findlay and I (RC) flushed a small, sandy-coloured wren along a weedy hillside at the "Esplanade Trails" behind the Penticton Yacht Club. Right away we were given the impression of a Marsh/Sedge Wren and upon pursuing it up the hill and around a few bushes we had a few very brief views and heard it call several times. At one point a Song Sparrow chases it through the weeds right toward me and it landed near my feet, but slightly obscured, then darted beneath a log. 

I called my Dad who was up on the West Bench, and when he arrived we renewed the search and saw the bird fly from bush to bush twice then heard it call several times more--this time, the more diagnostic chip call: (http://www.xeno-canto.org/70080). It flew down off the grassy hill and down into the thick tangle that lines a wet ditch that parallels the beach and tennis courts. Both my Dad and Jess each had a brief look at it while I searched from above. 

All in all we followed it around for about 1 hour before losing it in the tangle. It will almost surely spend the rest of the day there but finding it is a huge challenge as it rarely calls and is extremely secretive. 

I will try again tomorrow morning and will post my findings.

No photos/recordings were obtained. House Wren was eliminated from consideration based on colouration, shape, voice, and behavior. Marsh Wren was eliminated partly by plumage, but more so by voice, with additional consideration given to habitat (no marsh for miles and the weather is fantastic so why would it touch down on a weedy hillside?).

This is the 4th record for BC and 1st for the Okanagan.

If you want to try for it, drive to the Penticton Yacht Club/tennis courts at the SE corner of Okanagan Lake in Penticton. Enter the forest at the main trail-head then take a left and follow the main trail that leads to the beach. The bird was observed both in the weedy and bushy hillside on the right side of the path, and down in the thicket that lines the tennis courts on the left side of the path.


May 16 UPDATE: The bird apparently called in response to a recording this morning! (Eva Durance)