RBA: PINE BUNTING in Victoria - October 15th

At 1:30 pm on October 15-2018, a 1st year female Pine Bunting was photographed by Maury Swoveland. The bird was initially identified as a Lapland Longspur and therefore word did not get out until Oct 16th when Ian Cruickshank identified it. The bird was first found on the grass by the the park signs at the south end of Uplands Park along Beach Drive (where Beach Drive bisects Uplands Park). He last saw it perched in a nearby Garry Oak.

Map to location HERE

This is the first record for the province of BC and the first record for the ABA outside of Alaska.

The bird has not been relocated on October 17th, despite multiple observers looking.

Female Pine Bunting in Victoria - Photos: Maury Swoveland

RBA: LESSER GOLDFINCH in Cranbrook - Oct 6th

At 3 pm on October 6-2018, Dianne Cooper and Joe Rothermund found a male Lesser Goldfinch. It was in a small flock of American Goldfinches and House Finches, which flushed from a feeder beside the road at a private residence which is located in the 2200 block of Mission Wycliffe Rd. The bird flushed to a small bush off the west corner of the property.  Dianne watched the bird in the bush for 15 minutes, then the flock was flushed by a Red-tailed Hawk. The bird returned to the feeder area 15 minutes later where she viewed it foraging. She was able to get some digiscoped shots.

The feeder is just inside the property's fence adjacent to the road.and is viewable from a wide parking spot. Please do not block any driveways when viewing this bird and be respectful of all private property and residents in the area.

This is the 25th record for the province of BC.

The bird was not relocated on Oct 7th.

Male Lesser Goldfinch in Cranbrook - Photos: Dianne Cooper

RBA: COMMON RINGED PLOVER in Campbell River - Sept 5-6th (Late Report)

Guy Monty and Mark Wynja photographed a Common Ringed Plover at Oyster Bay on Sept 5-2018. They were there to view a reported Buff-breasted Sandpiper and did not notice what they had photographed. On Sept 27-2018, Nathan Hentze alerted them to a bird that looked like a Common Ringed Plover that was misidentified as a Semipalmated Plover and was photographed by Vibeke Pedersen at the same location on Sept 6th. Vibeke Pedersen photographed the plover just after 8am on Sept 6-2018 as it walked on the mudflats along the shore close to the main parking lot at the southern part of Oyster Bay. This caused Guy Monty to review his photos from Oyster Bay that day and he found that he in fact did photograph a Common Ringed Plover.

Map to Oyster Bay HERE

BC's first Common Ringed Plover in Campbell River. Sept 6, 2018. Photo: Vibeke Pedersen

This is the 1st record for the province of BC.

RBA: 2 RED-THROATED PIPITS in Victoria - Sept 28th

At 7:10 am on Sept 28-2018, Geoffrey Newell found a Red-throated Pipit calling its distinctive call in an American Pipit flock at Gonzales Point located off Beach Drive on the Victoria Golf Course. The bird was heard by Neil Hughes as well ten minutes later. Geoffrey Newell was able to get a visual in flight but the bird was not relocated after this and no photographs were obtained.

Map to location HERE

At 6pm on Sept 28-2018, Geoffrey Newell found a second Red-throated Pipit half way up the east beach at Saanichton Spit. He was able to get photographs of the bird as well. The bird was still present at 7:20pm when he left and was sitting on driftwood on the beach in an American Pipit flock.

Map to location of bird HERE

Red-throated Pipit at Saanichton Spit - Photos: Geoffrey Newell

This is the 56th and 57th record for the province of BC.

RBA: RED-FOOTED BOOBY off Haida Gwaii and Vancouver Island - Sept 27-28th

An adult dark morph Red-footed Booby came into BC waters at 2pm on Sept 27-2018. He was first discovered on Sept 22-2018 by Kyle Brynjolfson, as it flew onto his commercial fishing vessel "La Porsche." He was fishing for Albacore Tuna in international waters at the time HERE. The bird never left the vessel for long periods, other than for flying around and fishing, and is still sitting on the ship. It is currently 120 miles off of Cape Saint James in Haida Gwaii. They are travelling within 30 miles of Cape Scott on Vancouver Island where they will continue to fish for the next 1-2 days before returning to port. If the booby continues to stick to the ship, a pelagic or boat out of Port Hardy would have a good chance of seeing him.

Map to the exact location of the Red-footed Booby on Sept 27-2018 HERE

As of 7 pm on Sept 28-2018 the Red-footed Booby continued with the vessel off Cape Scott on Vancouver Island.

Map to the exact last known location of the Red-footed Booby on Sept 28-2018 HERE

The bird flew off the vessel on the evening of Sept 28th and has not returned on Sept 29th.

First Red-footed Booby in BC - Photos: Kyle Brynjolfson

This is the 1st record for the province of BC!

RBA: RED-THROATED PIPIT in Saanich - Sept 23-Oct 6th

At 5:15pm on Sept 23-2018, Jeremy Gatten found a Red-throated Pipit in a fallow field at the Vanreight Bulb Fields (Longview Farms) in Saanich. He was able to get a recording of the bird which you can listen to HERE. He had the pipit on an off for 30 mins as it got flushed by a Cooper's Hawk. 

The address is 8277 Central Saanich Rd and a Map to where he saw the bird is HERE

The bird was photographed by David Bell on Sept 24th.

This is the 55th record for the province of BC.

The bird continues in the same location as of Oct 6th and has been viewed by multiple observers.

Red-throated Pipit in flight in Saanich - Photo: David Bell

RBA: BLACK-TAILED GULL in Lund - Sept 13-Oct 3rd

At 12pm on Sept 13-2018, while kayaking; Ken Wright found a 3rd cycle Black-tailed Gull near Lund. The bird was resting on Major Islet which is an island that is only accessible by boat. Ken observed the gull for an hour and left it there, before paddling away.

The bird was not seen on the morning of Sept 17th, but Pierre Geoffray relocated it resting on Major Islet on the evening of Sept 17th-2018.

The bird continues in the same location on Sept 18th and was viewed by multiple observers all day.

Map to location HERE

At 9:30 am on Sept 19-2018, the bird was sitting on the government dock in Lund and viewed by many observers. No boat is required to access this location.

Map to location HERE

The Black-tailed Gull was not relocated on the dock nor on Major Islet between Sept 20-22nd.

The bird was relocated in Powell River on Sept 24th, as it flew by the old golf course between the log dump and the breakwater HERE . The gull wasn't flying in the direction of Lund.

The Black-tailed Gull was relocated sitting on Major Islet on Sept 26th at 12pm.

To make reservations to get to Major Islet with Terracentric Coastal Adventures click HERE. The cost to rent the boat is 150$ per hour and it holds a maximum of 6 people.

The Black-tailed Gull was not relocated on Major Islet on Sept 27th.

The Black-tailed Gull was seen on Major Islet on Oct 3rd. Multiple observers have searched since this date but it has not been relocated.

This is the 3rd photo-documented record of Black-tailed Gull in the province of BC.

Black-tailed Gull on Sept 26, 2018 at Major Islet in Lund - Photos: Jeff Duerr

3rd cycle Black-tailed Gull in Lund - Photo: Kurt Hennige/Macaulay Library

RBA: SLATY-BACKED GULL in Delta - Sept 16th

At 2pm on Sept 16-2018, Peter Lypkie and Mike Toochin found a 3rd cycle Slaty-backed Gull sitting on the mudflats in front of the mansion at 96th St at Boundary Bay.

Map to location HERE

The bird was viewed by multiple observers on Sept 16th.

The bird was not relocated on Sept 17-22nd, despite multiple observers looking.

This is the 82nd record for the province of BC.

3rd cycle Slaty-backed Gull in Delta - Digiscoped Photo: Sharon Toochin

3rd cycle Slaty-backed Gull in Delta - Photos: Rob Lyske

RBA: CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER in Manning Park - Sept 11th

At 11 am on Sept 11-2018 Kurt Hennige and Rob Worona found an immature/female type Chestnut-sided Warbler by the bridge in trees and shrubs on the Canyon Nature Trail in E.C. Manning Provincial Park; which is located between Hope and Princeton. They watched the bird for 1 minute before it flew off in a mixed warbler flock.

Map to exact location of bird HERE.

This is the 71st record for the province of BC. 

Chestnut-sided Warbler at Manning Park - Photo: Kurt Hennige/Macaulay Library

RBA: ORCHARD ORIOLE in Kelowna - Sept 9th

At 4:30pm on Sept 9-2018, 15 year old Kalin Ocana found a female Orchard Oriole at Munson Pond. The bird was sitting in the grass at this location HERE.

The bird has not been relocated as of posting time, despite multiple observers looking. Nor was it relocated on Sept 10th.

This is the 9th record for the province of BC.

Female Orchard Oriole in Kelowna - Photo: Kalin Ocana