14 Nov - 21 March -- CITRINE WAGTAIL in COMOX!!!

Update: still present March 21

Photos of the Comox wagtail have now been taken by several observers (18th Nov, am) and clearly show a first winter Citrine Wagtail! This bird was first found on Nov 14th by David and Adele Routledge and seen again and photographed on the 17th. Congratulations to the finders of this first Canadian and second North American Record, and thanks to members of the local birding community who initiated contact with the landowner to permit access to the site.

First winter Citrine Wagtail, Comox, 18th Nov 2012 (photo: Jeremy Gatten)

Diagnostic features supporting the identification include an overall pale and light grey bird with a lack of any olive or brown tones on the upperside. The absence of any breast markings, extensive white tips to the median and greater coverts forming two bold white wing bars, pale lores, a bold white supercilium and white undertail coverts are also useful for separating this bird from both 1st winter Yellow and White Wagtails. The most distinctive feature, however, is the "open" face pattern showing only slightly dark auriculars bordered posteriorly by a neat whitish crescent.

Direction to the site are as follows: From Courtenay, take 17th St heading east out of town. Cross the bridge and turn right. Continue towards Comox approximately 500m to the second dirt track on the left. The bird is being seen 100+m along this track beyond the the steel cable blocking vehicle access. Please note that this is private land and for those wishing to see the bird, permission has been granted to walk down the farm track but NOT to enter the property on the left side of the road. Please be considerate and respectful and park your vehicle responsibly.

11 Nov -- CAVE SWALLOW at Iona!

Photo: Peter Candido

A CAVE SWALLOW was present today (Nov 11) feeding over the Southern outer pond on Iona Island and was seen up until dusk. Jamie Fenneman, Jeremiah Kennedy and Paul Levesque, found the bird at around 13:00 hours. This is a first BC record of this species and has been photographed repeatedly. The bird is still present Nov 18th.

November 3 -- Little Gull in Victoria

This afternoon Louis Haviland found an adult Little Gull at the Ogden Breakwater in Victoria. The observation is supported by a series of distant photos (all posterior views) showing black underwings and a clean grey upperwing with no black tips to the primaries. This is third Little Gull reported from BC this year but the only one from Vancouver Island. Updates will be posted as received.

November 1/2 -- Elegant Tern in Victoria

On November 1 Steven Roias reported an ELEGANT TERN from Cattle Point in Victoria. The bird was still present in the area today (3rd) and appears to move between Cadboro Bay and Oak Bay, periodically passing Cattle Point. There are very few records of this species in BC, with most during August and September. Also present at Cattle Point on the 1st was a Tropical Kingbird (Iain Cruickshank) which left the area heading southwest and has not been refound.

October 19th/20th -- RUSTIC BUNTING and BRAMBLINGS in Haida Gwaii

Canada Big Year Listers Brian Elder, Phil Cram, Mike Mulligan and Ray Woods teamed up with local birders Margo Hearne, Peter Hamel and Martin Williams on 19 October to find some classic west coast fall rarities on Haida Gwaii.

Heading the line up on the 19th, Margo spotted a first winter RUSTIC BUNTING with a flock of juncos, along the coast to the east of the Massett Golf Course. There have been only eight reports of this species from BC, the most recent from southern Vancouver Island on 22 Oct 2007.

Rustic Bunting near Massett, Haida Gwaii, 19 Oct 2012 (photo: Ray Woods)

Continuing their streak, the big listers then found two BRAMBLINGS and a juvenile Sharp-tailed Sandpiper near the Sandpit Airport on Saturday 20 October. Terrific birding indeed! Those interested can follow the progress of these intrepid birders at: http://canadafurandfeathers.blogspot.ca/

Two Bramblings at the Sandspit Airport, Haida Gwaii, 20 Oct 2012 (photo: Brian Elder)

BLUE-GREY GNATCATCHER in VICTORIA

The Blue-Grey Gnatcatcher originally found at Swan Lake a couple of days ago by Steven Roias was relocated this morning, October 4, near the parking lot just before 9am (C. Saunders).

**UPDATE** The bird is still present as of Oct 11.  It is found most reliably around the parking lot and nature house.

Sep 15--Sprague's Pipit near Cranbrook

On Sep 15th, Dean Nicholson sent me this report after viewing a pipit at the "Spray Irrigation Ponds" (which I assume is the same area where the White-rumps Sandpipers were seen earlier this summer). This is just off Hwy 3 after making the turnoff to Fernie just east of Cranbrook.

From Dean:

"Alongside the northern pond is a service road that grows in with a variety
of weeds.  The area is full of sparrows throughout the breeding season, more
so now as they feed on seeds and grasshoppers.  I was walking along the road
observing the birds as they flew up.  Savannah Sparrows are most common,
with White-Crowned, Song, Dark-eyed Juncos, Yellow-rumped Warblers and the
odd other bird thrown in.  Yesterday there were also about 6 American Pipits
in the area, although not directly where this bird was observed.

The weeds can be very thick once off the road, and moderately thick on the
road (it is not driven on much).  The Sprague's Pipit flew up from a less
thick patch on the road and quickly dove down onto some barer ground about
10m away.  It hunkered down behind a small weed.  Even though I saw exactly
where it dropped I was surprised that it took me 10 seconds to relocate it
with my binos, it was so still.  This is not the way American Pipits seem to
react, which is to fly up and circle around calling.  The bird remained
frozen for about 30 sec and then stood up in a more alert position.  It did
not move away while I observed it.  It was not in the company of other
birds.  Certainly not with the American Pipits which were elsewhere.

When I saw it my first thought was "That seems different, more like a
Sprague's Pipit".  The bird had had streaking on its upper breast only, with
a pale belly and vent.  It had a pronounced buffy malar stripe and an
obvious white eye ring.  The crown had fine streaking.  Overall the face was
quite pale.  There were two white/pale wing bars.  The legs were decidely
pinkish, not dark.  The outer tail feathers were white, quite noticably so.
The impression was of a slim, long pale pipit without the typical
non-breeding colouration of an American Pipit.

I saw the bird in great late afternoon light.

I went back out this afternoon with a camera but couldn't find the bird."

Sept 15th -- Little Gull at Harrison Lake

Rick Toochin reports excellent birding at Harrison Lake on Saturday the 15th September with a juvenile LITTLE GULL present. Also seen were eight Parasitic Jaeger and a juvenile Arctic Tern.

Juvenile Little Gull at Harrison Lake, 15 Sept (photo: Rick Toochin)

Aug 16-18--Black-headed Gull (Sechelt)

Penny does it again! After finding a juv FRANKLIN'S GULL near Sechelt a short while ago, she photographed this adult BLACK-HEADED GULL at Porpoise Bay on August 16th!

Photo: Penny Hall

White-rumped Sandpipers near Cranbrook

From Dianne Cooper:

"3 White-rumped Sandpipers were obsverved in a small mixed flock of Baird's and Least Sandpipers and Lesser Yellowlegs at the central dam of the Cranbrook Effluent Irrigation Reservoir Aug 11, 2012. They gave a good long showing just feeding slowly in a small area."