RBA: RED-THROATED PIPIT in Metchosin - October 30th

On October 30th-2016, David Allinson found a Red-throated Pipit. While he was observing over 150 American Robins flying over head along Swanwick Road. At about 250 metres from the William Head Rd intersection, he heard the distinctive high-pitched flight call and observed the bird in flight. The bird landed in the large field with Sheep on the north side of Swanwick Rd and disappeared. At this point he was not able to relocate it.

Map to location HERE

RBA: BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER in Tofino - October 28th

At 2pm on October 28th-2016, Michael Shepard found a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at the Tofino Sea Kayaking coffee shop and adjacent coast guard base. The coffee shop is located at 320 Main Street in Tofino.

The Gnatcatcher has not been relocated as of October 29th.

This is the 18th record for the province of BC.

RBA: ROSS'S GOOSE in Victoria - October 24th

At 8:30am on October 24th-2016, Geoffrey Newell found a Ross's Goose. The bird was in a flock of 54 Snow Geese flying SE over Cattle Point in a V formation. The bird was the last bird in the formation and was noticeably smaller than the other Snow Geese with a short stocky head and neck. He was unable to get any photos.

RBA: LARK BUNTING in Port Renfrew - September 5th

At 11:30am on September 5th-2016, Thomas Barbin found and photographed a female Lark Bunting at Botanical Beach in Port Renfrew.  The bird was feeding on the seaweed above the sandy part of the beach at the north end of the sandstone tide pools.

He did not know what the bird was at the time, until photos were reviewed, hence the late report.

This is the 37th record for the province of BC.

Female Lark Bunting - Photo: Thomas Barbin

RBA: RED-THROATED PIPIT near Tofino - October 18th

At 10:15 am on October 18th-2016, Chris Charlesworth found a Red-throated Pipit at the north end of the Tofino Airport runway. The bird was alone and called several times but was then flushed from the grass by a Peregrine Falcon. The bird flew south to the other end of the airport and has not been relocated as of posting time.

RBA: LUCY'S WARBLER in Kelowna - Sept 25th

At 2:40pm on September 25th-2016 Michelle Lamberson photographed a female/immature Lucy's Warbler. She did not know what the bird was at the time hence the late report.

The bird was found in the bushes along the creek at Sunset Drive Park, which is just north of Rotary Marsh Park. The address is 1055 Sunset Drive, Kelowna.

This is the second record for the province of British Columbia.

Photos: Michelle Lamberson

RBA: SUMMER TANAGER in Kelowna - Sept 29th-Oct 1st

At 10:30am on September 29th-2016, Nick Swan found and photographed a male Summer Tanager at Okanagan Mountain Park, which is south of Kelowna. He observed the bird  for 5 mins in trees by the wooden bridge at Deeper Creek which is accessed off the CN trail. The bird then flew off in the direction of the parking lot at Lakeshore Rd. Nick relocated the bird in a nearby tree on the CN trail not far from the original location.

Directions to where the bird was found:

Take Lakeshore Road south from Kelowna into Okanagan Mountain Park. Park in the North parking lot which is off Lakeshore Rd for the Boulder Trail. Take the Boulder Trail which will turn into the CN Trail further up the mountain, it is a 10-15 min long hike. As you hike you will come to a bridge marked "Deeper Creek." The bird was seen in the trees here at Deeper Creek.

Map to location first seen HERE

Map to Parking lot HERE

This hike is not suitable for those with mobility issues. To read a description of the hike and its difficulty level, please click HERE.

This is the first documented record of Summer Tanager for the Okanagan Valley and the 5th record for the province of BC.

The bird was not relocated on Sept 30th.

The bird was relocated and photographed by Roxy Tripp on Oct 1st. The bird was with bluebirds, yellow-rumped warblers and house finches, 2.5 km up the Boulder Trail perched in a tree.

A map to where she saw it is HERE

*Multiple observers looked on Oct 2nd but the bird was not relocated.*

Male Summer Tanager - Photo: Nick Swan

RBA: Chestnut-sided Warbler near Okanagan Falls - Sept 13th

At 9 am on Sept 13th-2016, Richard Klauke found a female/immature type Chestnut-sided Warbler at the Vaseux Lake Bird Banding Observatory. The bird was near the far end of the woods which are north of the banding tent. Doug Brown relocated the bird but it was moving too fast to be photographed. This is the second record for the station.

The bird has not been relocated since Sept 13th.

This is the 65th record for the province of BC.

RBA: Chestnut-sided Warbler in Vancouver - Sept 12th

At 7:30 am on the morning of Sept 12th-2016,  Ilya Povalyaev found a hatch year Male Chestnut-sided Warbler. The bird was located in the bushes across the road from Seasons in the Park Restaurant at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver.

The bird was relocated at 8:50 am in a maple tree in the small quarry directly beneath Seasons in the Park restaurant. The bird was photographed and viewed by several observers.

Despite multiple observers looking the bird has not been relocated since.

Seasons in the Park is located at 4600 Cambie Street near West 33rd Ave.

This is the 64th record for the province of BC. 

Hatch Year Male Chestnut-sided Warbler (Photo: Peter Candido)

Hatch Year Male Chestnut-sided Warbler (Photo: Ilya Povalyaev)

RBA: SCRIPPS'S MURRELETS off the West Coast of Vancouver Island - Sept 7th

On the afternoon of Sept 7th-2016, while doing an offshore NOAA survey, Ryan Merrill et al. found and photographed 4 Scripps's Murrelets along the North edge of Nitinat Canyon.

UTM coordinates for both pairs of birds are as follows:
48.26371, -125.8172 and 48.24874, -125.7996

2 out of 4 Scripps's Murrelets seen at Nitinat Canyon - Photo: Ryan Merrill