(No photos)
Around 11am this morning I spotted a CRESTED CARACARA flying north over the Revelstoke Airport. It didn't stop and continued a steady flight up the Illecillawaet Valley toward Rogers Pass. It was about 200m up and although I only saw it as it flew away, the flight style, overall shape, and wing-pattern were unmistakable. I doubt we'll be seeing this bird again but I'll certainly keep my eyes open! While trying to locate it later on I noted a good variety of soaring birds in the area including Bald Eagles, Osprey, many Turkey Vultures, 2 Merlin, and strangely-- a single American White-Pelican (flying west/north up the Columbia toward the Mica Dam).
The word "escapee" may come to mind although given its behavior and location (well away from any known captive-raptor collections) I would lean toward a wild bird. It has certainly been a strange spring both in BC and in the southern US.. definitely worth keeping an eye out throughout the summer and fall!
Russ Cannings
Revelstoke, BC
Thursday, June 30, 2011
June 29-30: ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER
Location: MAPLEWOOD FLATS (Northshore)--"on the west trail, south of the main pond. The flycatcher was by the bench being repaired and then flew west behind the bench into alders. The bird was still present late in the evening June 29th.
--Found by Quentin Brown
Still present as of June 30 (morning)--fide Nathan Hentze
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
June 27 to Aug 11 (+?)--Yet another Barwit at Boundary Bay
Mike Tabak(photo and report)--
"About 3:30 pm on the rising tide I scoped a distant shorebird flock on the
tideline from the foot of 104 st. Even at 400 meters a godwit was visible among the black-bellies, and the rich orangy/chesnut colouring on the bird was distinctly different than the the paler cinnamon tones of the usual Marbled Godwits. This godwit was a male alternate Bar-tailed Godwit, the first I've ever seen at Boundary Bay ! This makes 3 different Bar-tailed Godwits since May 12 in the Vancouver area."
AUG 11 UPDATE-- Still present (Ilya Povalyaev et al.)
Monday, June 27, 2011
BLACK PHOEBE IN SIDNEY
On June 27, 2011, a BLACK PHOEBE was discovered by Kerry Finley on the beach at Roberts Bay, at the end of Third St in Sidney. The bird showed well all day. Updates would be appreciated.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
June 25-July 6: Chestnut-sided Warbler (Vancouver)
[Photo: Peter Candido]
June 26 (second day)--There is a singing male Chestnut-sided Warbler at Camosun Bog, same location as
the one seen in June 2004. It is singing from the tops of the pines just up from the north entrance at 19th/Camosun. About 20 feet southward along the boardwalk. It's a tiny place so hard to miss if you start from Camosun/19th Ave, Vancouver (Dunbar area).
--Christine Adkins
JULY 6 Update: Still Present today (Christine Adkins)
June 26 (second day)--There is a singing male Chestnut-sided Warbler at Camosun Bog, same location as
the one seen in June 2004. It is singing from the tops of the pines just up from the north entrance at 19th/Camosun. About 20 feet southward along the boardwalk. It's a tiny place so hard to miss if you start from Camosun/19th Ave, Vancouver (Dunbar area).
--Christine Adkins
JULY 6 Update: Still Present today (Christine Adkins)
Friday, June 17, 2011
RBA: CHESTNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR (Hope)
JUNE 16--
Details here on the Fraser Valley birding group:
http://bcbirding.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=rarebirds&action=display&thread=4396
JUNE 17/18 UPDATE-- Still present! This report from Rick Toochin:
"The field is located on Flood Hope Road (the exit road off Highway 1) about 1.5 km past the turn off for Floods Road (the road that goes over the train tracks to the airport). When you are heading east on Flood Hope Road, you travel past a house and an old barn. There is an opening that allows you to look in the field. Watch for a buffy-brown bird that is small and round in shape that likes to fly up in the air and do a large undulating circle or two. As it flies it has very obvious white tail feathers and a black tail tip in the center of the tail. This bird is not a Vesper Sparrow which would be the only other potential bird that has this kind of tail pattern that I can think of that might be in that habitat. It does sit in fence posts so you can get a look at it but to date it has been too far for a photograph. Hopefully this will change.
***PARKING is not permitted along most stretches of the road so PARK AT YOUR OWN RISK or find somewhere else, then walk
Good luck and be sure to report back to us!
Details here on the Fraser Valley birding group:
http://bcbirding.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=rarebirds&action=display&thread=4396
JUNE 17/18 UPDATE-- Still present! This report from Rick Toochin:
"The field is located on Flood Hope Road (the exit road off Highway 1) about 1.5 km past the turn off for Floods Road (the road that goes over the train tracks to the airport). When you are heading east on Flood Hope Road, you travel past a house and an old barn. There is an opening that allows you to look in the field. Watch for a buffy-brown bird that is small and round in shape that likes to fly up in the air and do a large undulating circle or two. As it flies it has very obvious white tail feathers and a black tail tip in the center of the tail. This bird is not a Vesper Sparrow which would be the only other potential bird that has this kind of tail pattern that I can think of that might be in that habitat. It does sit in fence posts so you can get a look at it but to date it has been too far for a photograph. Hopefully this will change.
***PARKING is not permitted along most stretches of the road so PARK AT YOUR OWN RISK or find somewhere else, then walk
Good luck and be sure to report back to us!
June 14--ASH-THROATED FLYCATCHER
From Rick Toochin:
"Hi Birders,
I got a call from Kevin Jones that he had found an Ash-throated Flycatcher in his yard. I went out and got to see it before sunset. The bird is hanging out inside his property but also can be seen at the corner of Cutler Road and Tuyttens Road. Kev also suggests checking down nearby Whorely Road. He had another bird in his yard in the fall of 2007 which stayed for many weeks. So hopefully this bird will hang around for awhile."
He got some nice pictures which can be seen here:
http://bcbirding.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=rarebirds&action=display&thread=4387
"Hi Birders,
I got a call from Kevin Jones that he had found an Ash-throated Flycatcher in his yard. I went out and got to see it before sunset. The bird is hanging out inside his property but also can be seen at the corner of Cutler Road and Tuyttens Road. Kev also suggests checking down nearby Whorely Road. He had another bird in his yard in the fall of 2007 which stayed for many weeks. So hopefully this bird will hang around for awhile."
He got some nice pictures which can be seen here:
http://bcbirding.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=rarebirds&action=display&thread=4387
Another BAR-TAILED GODWIT @Boundary Bay
[Barwit on LEFT, with Marbled Godwit]
This report and pic from Mike Tabak (June 14th):
On the way home from work today I stopped off at Boundary Bay and found some late spring shorebird migrants, including two less than annual species in the Vancouver area. 13 Whimbrel, I BAR-TAILED GODWIT, 1 Marbled Godwit, and a SABINE'S GULL were in front of the mansion west of the foot of 96 st about 5:30 PM on the high tide. All birds flew west as the tide rolled in and could possibly be refound at Beach Grove or TF Jetty. Strong winds may have blown in other interesting birds.
June 15th UPDATE: All 3 birds (2 godwits and SAGU) still present as of June 15th (Roger Foxall)
June 16th UPDATE: Bar-tailed Godwitt STILL present near "The Mansion" west of the foot of 96th street (on the dyke). This was around 6pm on a rising tide. (Carlo Giovanella)
June 19 UPDATE: John Reynolds saw it again this evening.
This report and pic from Mike Tabak (June 14th):
On the way home from work today I stopped off at Boundary Bay and found some late spring shorebird migrants, including two less than annual species in the Vancouver area. 13 Whimbrel, I BAR-TAILED GODWIT, 1 Marbled Godwit, and a SABINE'S GULL were in front of the mansion west of the foot of 96 st about 5:30 PM on the high tide. All birds flew west as the tide rolled in and could possibly be refound at Beach Grove or TF Jetty. Strong winds may have blown in other interesting birds.
June 15th UPDATE: All 3 birds (2 godwits and SAGU) still present as of June 15th (Roger Foxall)
June 16th UPDATE: Bar-tailed Godwitt STILL present near "The Mansion" west of the foot of 96th street (on the dyke). This was around 6pm on a rising tide. (Carlo Giovanella)
June 19 UPDATE: John Reynolds saw it again this evening.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Tufted Duck on Tatla Lake (West of Williams Lake)
This from Avery Bartels:
"Big news; on tuesday I found a male Tufted Duck on Tatla Lake in the Chilcotin. No way of knowing its origins but the owner of the store where I saw the bird from knew it was there although I am not sure he knew which bird I was talking about because originally he said 8 or 9 show up every year...and there were a number of both Scaup on the lake as well as a RNDU. The Tufted was courting the female Greater Scaup along with a number of GRSC males."
"Big news; on tuesday I found a male Tufted Duck on Tatla Lake in the Chilcotin. No way of knowing its origins but the owner of the store where I saw the bird from knew it was there although I am not sure he knew which bird I was talking about because originally he said 8 or 9 show up every year...and there were a number of both Scaup on the lake as well as a RNDU. The Tufted was courting the female Greater Scaup along with a number of GRSC males."
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
May 31--Cattle Egret in Kelowna
Yesterday (May 31) Pirmin Nietlisbach reports seeing a single CATTLE EGRET flying north over Robert Lake in Kelowna; it was being harrassed by a raven.