RBA: CRESTED AUKLET photographed near Tofino!!! (July 30+Aug 1)

July 30th--Jay Feaver photographed this CRESTED AUKLET near Cleland Island (Tofino area). Thanks to Adrian Dorst for getting the word out.

*UPDATE: The bird was NOT seen on the Friday search-mission. Stay tuned for more updates...

Back-Story: (From Adrian Dorst)--"The auklet, an adult, was found by another whale-watching boat driver, Orin Lawson. While he is not a birder, he noticed it was different from any other
water bird he had ever seen. It was subsequently photographed by Jason Feaver. I got permission to post it so check it out in my photo section. The bird was a bit far away but fortunately the photo was very high resolution so that it could be blown up, leaving no doubt about the bird's identity. I'm told it was right in the gap at Cleland. It has not been spotted today, which is not surprising, as whalers don't spend a lot of time looking at birds."

HAWAIIAN PETREL in BC waters

Courtesy of Barbara L. Carlson:

"Paul E. Lehman, Steve Ritt, and group were aboard a non-stop cruise ship from San Francisco to SW Alaska. This was the same route Paul was on late May/early June when he saw several rare birds off BC.

The clear highlight off BC on this northbound leg was HAWAIIAN (dark-rumped) PETREL! It was seen on Thursday, July 11, 220 km SW of the tip of the Brooks Peninsula on Vancouver island.

They started at dawn 240 km SW of Vancouver Island. By dusk they were 45 km west of Haida Gwaii. Other birds of interest during that day included 4 South Polar Skua, 10 Long-tailed Jaeger, 5 Parasitic Jaeger, 4 Sabine's Gull and 1 Arctic Tern."

--There are less than 5 records for Canada. It's all about coverage!

Black-throated Blue Warbler (Princeton)

From Rhys Harrison:

"On Tuesday July 9 around noon I saw a male Black-throated Blue Warbler on the
TransCanada Trail pathway in Princeton town centre. The bird was in a small
stand of deciduous trees alongside the asphalt path on the main road, north,
side and alongside a new development of 4 or 5 town houses. It would be approx
600m east of the tunnel." (No photograph obtained)

Stay tuned for updates.

Possible SUMMER TANAGER in Prince George

July 4--Heather Sapergia & Suzanne Bahr were birding in "Forests for the World" near UNBC in Prince George, and saw an unfamiliar bird. They suspect it to be a female SUMMER TANAGER. Here are some of their comments:

Suzanne:

"We were about half way  from Shane Lake and the parking lot, on the lower trail..  This bird's bill was large and yellow color and it's wings blended more into the body unlike the female Western which has the white barring on the median & greater coverts. Also somewhat larger that the Western."

Heather:

"The colour was yellow to olive and not much variation between body and wing.  We both got a good look at it but no pics and no sound that we could hear."

Stay tuned for updates...