RBA: SNOWY PLOVER in Richmond - May 1st

At 8:10 am on May 1-2021, Simon Valdez-Juarez found an adult Snowy Plover at Iona Regional Park. The bird was walking along the beach sitting on logs, north of the washrooms. The bird was present for at least 10 mins. 

*The bird was not relocated, despite multiple observers looking*

Map to location HERE

This is the 31st record for BC

***There is a public health order now in effect until May 25th banning non-essential travel from your local health region to anywhere in the province or elsewhere in Canada. The fine for breaking this order is 575$. You can read it HERE***

*As per current Public Health directives due to COVID-19 - Please remain 2 meters apart when viewing any birds on this list during this time. Please follow all public health directives during this pandemic (including not birding in groups, please wear a mask if you are unable to social distance). The BC Public Health directives can be found HERE*

**Please wear a mask when viewing rare birds when social distancing is not possible or hard to maintain**

**eBird's statement on how to bird mindfully during the pandemic can be viewed HERE.**

Snowy Plover in Richmond - Photos: Simon Valdez-Juarez

RBA: LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE in Osoyoos - April 18th

At 8:10am on April 18-2021, Paul Prappas and Carolee Colter found a Loggerhead Shrike perched on a fencepost along Nighthawk Rd right before the border crossing in Osoyoos. The bird flew east after they were able to grab a quick photo.

Map to location of bird HERE

*The bird was not relocated on April 19th.*

*This is the 101st record for BC and due to this fact will no longer be reported on the main page.*

*As per current Public Health directives due to COVID-19 - Please remain 2 metres apart when viewing this bird. Please follow all public health directives (including not birding in groups) during this pandemic. The BC Public Health directives can be found HERE*

***There is a public health order now in effect restricting non-essential travel from your local health region to anywhere in the province or elsewhere in Canada. It also requires you to limit those you gather with to 10 people. You can read it HERE***

**eBird's statement on how to bird mindfully during the pandemic can be viewed HERE**

**Please wear a mask when viewing rare birds when social distancing is not possible or hard to maintain**

Loggerhead Shrike in Osoyoos - Photo: Paul Prappas 

RBA: LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE in Kelowna - (March 29?)-April 13th

At 5:50pm on April 13-2021, Kalin Ocaña found a Loggerhead Shrike perched in the fields NW of Munson Pond in Kelowna.

Map to location of where bird was seen HERE and HERE

The bird was viewed by multiple observers right up until dark on April 13th.

*The bird was not relocated on April 14th, despite multiple observers looking.*

*A Loggerhead Shrike was first photographed at this location on March 29th by Bruce Kennedy but was misidentified at the time as a Northern Shrike. It could possibly be the same bird but is most likely a different one.*

This is the 100th record for BC.

*As per current Public Health directives due to COVID-19 - Please remain 2 metres apart when viewing this bird. Please follow all public health directives (including not birding in groups) during this pandemic. The BC Public Health directives can be found HERE*

***There is a public health order now in effect restricting non-essential travel from your local health region to anywhere in the province or elsewhere in Canada. It also requires you to limit those you gather with to 10 people. You can read it HERE***

**eBird's statement on how to bird mindfully during the pandemic can be viewed HERE**

**Please wear a mask when viewing rare birds when social distancing is not possible or hard to maintain**

Loggerhead Shrike in Kelowna - Photos: Kalin Ocaña

RBA: HOODED ORIOLE in Sidney - Feb 16th-March 17th

A photo of a male Hooded Oriole taken by S. Coe in his private yard in the 2000 block of Bradford Ave in Sidney; was submitted to the Peninsula News Review on March 25, 2021. The bird was visiting Mr. Coe's hummingbird feeder daily from Feb 16-2021 but has not been seen for ten days now. It was initially misidentified as an American Goldfinch; hence why the word did not get out right away.

However, when Barbara Begg and Ann Nightingale noticed the bird in the local paper, they notified the homeowner on what a rare bird he had actually found.

This is the 24th record for the province of BC.

Male Hooded Oriole in Sidney - Photo: S. Coe

Photo of a male Hooded Oriole in Sidney - Photo: S. Coe/ Peninsula News Review

RBA: SLATY-BACKED GULL in Comox - March 18-March 25th

At 2pm on March 18-2021, Liam Singh found and photographed a third cycle Slaty-backed Gull sitting on the beach at Point Holmes in Comox. 

Map to location of where bird was first spotted HERE

The bird was last seen HERE on March 18th just north of the initial location at 6pm.

The bird was not relocated on March 19th, despite multiple observers looking.

On March 23rd, Liam Singh relocated the bird on the beach in a gull flock HERE accessed off Seacroft Rd in Qualicum Beach. The bird later moved HERE on the beach accessed off Kinkade Rd and was viewed by multiple observers.

**On March 24-March 25, the bird continued on the beach HERE off Island Hwy in Qualicum Beach and was viewed by multiple observers**

This is the 84th record for BC.

*As per current Public Health directives due to COVID-19 - Please remain 2 metres apart when viewing this bird. Please follow all public health directives (including not birding in groups) during this pandemic. The BC Public Health directives can be found HERE*

***There is a public health order now in effect restricting non-essential travel from your local health region to anywhere in the province or elsewhere in Canada. It also requires you to limit those you gather with to 10 people. You can read it HERE***

**eBird's statement on how to bird mindfully during the pandemic can be viewed HERE**

Slaty-backed Gull in Comox - Photos: Liam Singh

RBA: MANX SHEARWATER off Tofino - March 11th

At 10:40 am on March 11-2021, Christopher Di Corrado found a Manx Shearwater off Tofino on Vancouver Island. He viewed the bird from aboard a research vessel for less than ten seconds at close range before the bird flew north. He was unable to obtain photographs.

Exact location HERE

This is the 64th record for BC.

RBA: REDWING in Saanich - Feb 10-March 20th

At 3:45pm on February 10-2021, Jody Wells found a Redwing associating with American Robins near the playground at Hamsterly Beach at Elk Lake Regional Park in Saanich. The bird was described well and Jody has seen this species before in Victoria. Jody viewed the bird (that was on the ground 50 feet away from him) with binoculars but before he was able to get a photo, the bird was flushed by a passerby.  The bird was not relocated that same evening by Jody or by several others looking. 

Map to location of where the bird was seen HERE 

On Feb 11th-2021, the bird was relocated in the same general location HERE on the grassy area just west of the playground. It was viewed by several observers and photographed. 

**The bird continues near the same location HERE as of March 20th and has been viewed by multiple observers *

This is the 4th record for BC.

*As per current Public Health directives due to COVID-19 - Please remain 2 metres apart when viewing this bird. Please follow all public health directives (including not birding in groups) during this pandemic. The BC Public Health directives can be found HERE*

***There is a public health order now in effect restricting non-essential travel from your local health region to anywhere in the province or elsewhere in Canada. It also requires you to limit those you gather with to 10 people. You can read it HERE***

**eBird's statement on how to bird mindfully during the pandemic can be viewed HERE**

Redwing in Saanich - Photos: Liam Singh

RBA: COMMON POCHARD in Parksville - Dec 23rd-Feb 16th

At 11 am on December 23-2020, Mike Yip found a female Common Pochard at Morningstar Golf Course in Parksville. The bird was in the main pond off Morningstar Drive. 

Map to exact location HERE

The bird was viewed until 4:30pm by multiple observers.

This is the second record for BC. 

This follows a recent record of a male in November, 2020 in Victoria.

The bird was not been relocated on Dec 24th, despite multiple observers looking.

On Feb 11-2021, John Purves relocated the female Common Pochard at the same location and multiple observers saw the bird.

**The bird was last seen in the same location on Feb 16th but not on Feb 17th**

*As per current Public Health directives due to COVID-19 - Please remain 2 metres apart when viewing this bird. Please follow all public health directives (including not birding in groups) during this pandemic. The BC Public Health directives can be found HERE*

***There is a public health order effective now until Feb 6, 2021 restricting non-essential travel from your local health region to anywhere in the province or elsewhere in Canada. It also requires you to limit those you gather with to your core bubble. You can read it HERE***

**eBird's statement on how to bird mindfully during the pandemic can be viewed HERE**

Common Pochard in Parksville - Photos: Mike Yip

RBA: Probable ARCTIC LOON in Sechelt - Dec 24-25th

At 10:45 am on Dec 24-2020, Rand Rudland found a probable Arctic Loon off Wakefield Beach in Sechelt. The bird was loosely associating with 40 Pacific Loons. The bird was two thirds the way out between the beach and the north end of Trail Islands. He viewed the bird by bins and then by scope and noticed it did not have a chin strap. He also noticed the white flank patch. The bird never preened or dove for 15 mins straight, as it rested calmly on the water.

On Dec 25th, he returned and refound the bird in the same location but viewed it this time from the nearby beach access off Lewarne Lane. The white flanks were apparent as he watched the bird for 20 mins (it was not preening or diving) and he still did could not see a chin strap.

Photos obtained are suggestive of Arctic Loon but do not show conclusively that there is no chin strap.

Map to location of where to scope the bird from is HERE and the bird was swimming HERE

If confirmed this is the 4th photographed record for BC.

*As per current Public Health directives due to COVID-19 - Please remain 2 metres apart when viewing this bird. Please follow all public health directives (including not birding in groups) during this pandemic. The BC Public Health directives can be found HERE*

***There is a public health order effective now until Feb 6, 2021 restricting non-essential travel from your local health region to anywhere in the province or elsewhere in Canada. It also requires you to limit those you gather with to your core bubble. You can read it HERE***

**eBird's statement on how to bird mindfully during the pandemic can be viewed HERE**

Probable Arctic Loon in Sechelt - Photos: Rand Rudland

RBA: BLACK PHOEBE in Saanich - Dec 1/20-Feb 28/21

At 10am on Dec 1-2020, Mike McGrenere found a Black Phoebe perched in the branches over the small pond on Welch Rd south of Livesay Rd in Saanich. He was able to obtain record shots of the bird.

Map to location of bird HERE

This is the 32nd record for BC.

The bird was still present as of Feb 28/2021 and has been viewed by multiple observers.

*As per current Public Health directives due to COVID-19 - Please remain 2 metres apart when viewing this bird. Please follow all public health directives (including not birding in groups) during this pandemic. The BC Public Health directives can be found HERE*

***There is a public health order now in effect restricting non-essential travel from your local health region to anywhere in the province or elsewhere in Canada. It also requires you to limit those you gather with to your core bubble. You can read it HERE***

**eBird's statement on how to bird mindfully during the pandemic can be viewed HERE**

Black Phoebe in Saanich - Photo: Liam Singh