Short-tailed Albatross off Haida Gwaii

[Photo by Levy Boitor of the International Halibut Commission]
--Report via Tracee Geernaert and Dave Fraser

DATE/LOCATION: July 28 near Frederick Island off the west coast of Graham Island (Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlottes)

LITTLE STINT in Sandspit, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands)

[Report--July 21]
Report on the "Central BC and North Coast" page. Also in the same flock was an adult SHARP-TAILED SANDPIPER and over 300 RUDDY TURNSTONES.

July 16--*Black Phoebe (Richmond)

At the West end of Westminster Highway in Richmond in the Community Gardens which is just North of the road at 3:45 P.M. today, Saturday, July 16, I saw a Black Phoebe perched and actively chipping and fly catching. This is quite near the site where one was seen 2 years ago. With extreme drought conditions in Arizona and Texas you wonder if that is not part of the reason for the number of southern birds being seen this year in the lower mainland.

---Wayne Diakow

RBA: COMMON CRANE on Haida Gwaii!

Today Martin Williams found a COMMON CRANE at the Delkatla Estuary near Masset on the Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii). Initially it was by itself but then it joined some Sandhill Cranes.

Rick Toochin: "The latest word, as of July 5, from Peter and Margo is the Common Crane and the Sandhill Cranes are gone despite a major search the past 2 days. It came in on bad weather and seems to have left on the bad weather. If I hear any update with good news I will pass it along."

CRESTED CARACARA seen over Revelstoke!!!

(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

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

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.)

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.

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)

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!