RBA: ARCTIC LOON in Sooke - Nov 25-28th

At 7:58 am on Nov 25-2018, David Bell found an Arctic Loon at Beechey Head off East Sooke Park in Sooke. The bird was due west of Beechey Head about halfway to Secretary Island. Daniele Donnecke soon after got on the bird and viewed it as well. At the time, due to a distance of greater than 1.5 km and poor viewing conditions and brevity of the sighting (3 minutes), they were not able to conclusively tell if the bird was an Arctic Loon. Digiscoped photos they took were not conclusive.

On Nov 28-2018 at 9:45 am David Bell relocated the same bird and was convinced this time that the bird was indeed an Arctic Loon. He obtained digiscoped photos but due to distance they are not conclusive but highly suggestive. His description is consistent with an Arctic Loon ie: flat, blocky head, consistent white flanks at all angles and larger size than a Pacific. He was able to view the bird well for ten minutes during this sighting in good viewing conditions as well. The bird was last seen flying far out of sight towards Neah Bay, WA.

Map to location HERE

Map to parking lot HERE

This is the second confirmed photographed record for the province of BC and the 1st photographed record submitted to the BC BRC.

RBA: BLACK-HEADED GULL in Victoria - Nov 20th

At 8:45 am on November 20-2018 Geoffrey Newell found and photographed a winter plumaged adult Black-headed Gull. The bird was flying alone and was heading NE about 400 metres offshore past McMicking Point in Oak Bay. He had excellent scope views of the bird as it flew past.

McMicking Point is located at the end of Radcliff Lane HERE

The bird has not been relocated since the initial sighting.

This is the 27th record for the province of BC.

Adult Black-headed Gull in Victoria - Photo: Geoffrey Newell

RBA: LITTLE GULL in Victoria - Oct 31-Nov 9th

At 7:15am on November 7-2018, Geoffrey Newell found an adult Little Gull at Cattle Point. The bird was flying around with Bonaparte's and Mew Gulls, less than 200 metres offshore. It was last seen heading NE towards Ten Mile Point. A photograph was obtained but the bird has not been relocated since 7:15am. Map to Cattle Point HERE

Upon this news Gordon Hart reviewed his photographs and found he had actually photographed the Little Gull at 2pm on Oct 31-2018 at the same location.

On Nov 8th-2018, the Little Gull was relocated by Cathy Reader at 10:40 am flying around Cadboro Bay. She viewed it off the end of Tudor Ave. It was flying around with Bonaparte's Gulls. It continued throughout the day.

The bird continues at Cadboro Bay as of Nov 9th but was not relocated on Nov 10th despite multiple observers looking.

You can view the Little Gull from these locations: HERE (the end of Cadboro Bay View Rd) and HERE (the end of Tudor Ave).

This is the 99th record for the province of BC.

Adult Little Gull in Victoria - Photos: Gordon Hart

RBA: "PIED" WHITE WAGTAIL in Kimberley - July 20-27th (late report)

Carol Olson found a White Wagtail in her yard on Warren Avenue in Kimberley on July 20th-2018. The bird appears to be a Pied Wagtail of the Motacilla alba yarrellii subspecies. 

Adult male leucopsis is ruled out because it would have a pure white wing panel, whereas the yarrellii subspecies have thin dark centres to the greater coverts. Also yarrellii have grey flanks as the bird photographed, while leucopsis do not. Lugens is ruled out due to the lack of the black eyeline.

The bird stayed in her yard for 7 days before it departed. 

This is the first record of this subspecies for BC.

This is the 14th record of White Wagtail for the province of BC.

White Wagtail (M. a. yarrellii) in Kimberley - Photo: Carol Olson

RBA: BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER in Kelowna - Nov 5-27th

At 1:15 pm on Nov 5-2018, Chris Charlesworth found a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher along the Okanagan Rail Trail, 400m north of Scandia Golf and Games. The bird is travelling with a flock of Black-capped Chickadees.

Map to exact location HERE

The bird was last seen in the same location near pole 79 on Nov 27th.

This is the 2nd record for the Okanagan and 22nd record for the province of BC.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in Kelowna - Photo: Chris Charlesworth

RBA: RED-THROATED PIPIT in Saanich - October 28th

At 9 am on  Oct 28th-2018, Randy Dzenkiw found a Red-throated Pipit in an American Pipit flock in the tilled fields at McHugh Rd and McIntyre Rd. The bird was viewed by multiple observers. Randy had great views with Mike Bentley from 11:30 am until he left the bird in the same field at 12pm.

Map HERE

This is the 58th record for the province of BC.

The bird was not relocated on October 29th.

Red-throated Pipit in Saanich - Photos: Randy Dzenkiw

RBA: VERMILION FLYCATCHER in White Rock - October 20th

At 3:30 pm on October 20th-2018, Kaichi Huang found an immature female Vermilion Flycatcher perched in a tree in the parking lot west of White Rock Pier. He viewed the bird for 15 mins before it flew and he lost track of it.

This is the first record for the province of BC.

Map to exact location of bird HERE

Despite multiple observers looking the bird was not relocated on Oct 20th or 21st.

 

BC's first Vermilion Flycatcher (Imm. Female) in White Rock - Photos: Kaichi Huang

RBA: PINE BUNTING in Victoria - October 15th

At 1:30 pm on October 15-2018, a 1st year female Pine Bunting was photographed by Maury Swoveland. The bird was initially identified as a Lapland Longspur and therefore word did not get out until Oct 16th when it was identified. The bird was first found on the grass by the the park signs at the south end of Uplands Park along Beach Drive (where Beach Drive bisects Uplands Park). He last saw it perched in a nearby Garry Oak.

Map to location HERE

If accepted by the BC Bird Records Committee this would be the first record for the province of BC and the first record for the ABA outside of Alaska.

The bird has not been relocated on October 17th or 18th, despite multiple observers looking.

A news story can be found HERE at CBC news

Female Pine Bunting in Victoria - Photos: Maury Swoveland

RBA: LESSER GOLDFINCH in Cranbrook - Oct 6th

At 3 pm on October 6-2018, Dianne Cooper and Joe Rothermund found a male Lesser Goldfinch. It was in a small flock of American Goldfinches and House Finches, which flushed from a feeder beside the road at a private residence which is located in the 2200 block of Mission Wycliffe Rd. The bird flushed to a small bush off the west corner of the property.  Dianne watched the bird in the bush for 15 minutes, then the flock was flushed by a Red-tailed Hawk. The bird returned to the feeder area 15 minutes later where she viewed it foraging. She was able to get some digiscoped shots.

The feeder is just inside the property's fence adjacent to the road.and is viewable from a wide parking spot. Please do not block any driveways when viewing this bird and be respectful of all private property and residents in the area.

This is the 25th record for the province of BC.

The bird was not relocated on Oct 7th.

Male Lesser Goldfinch in Cranbrook - Photos: Dianne Cooper

RBA: COMMON RINGED PLOVER in Campbell River - Sept 5-6th (Late Report)

Guy Monty and Mark Wynja photographed a Common Ringed Plover at Oyster Bay on Sept 5-2018. They were there to view a reported Buff-breasted Sandpiper and did not notice what they had photographed. On Sept 27-2018, Nathan Hentze alerted them to a bird that looked like a Common Ringed Plover that was misidentified as a Semipalmated Plover and was photographed by Vibeke Pedersen at the same location on Sept 6th. Vibeke Pedersen photographed the plover just after 8am on Sept 6-2018 as it walked on the mudflats along the shore close to the main parking lot at the southern part of Oyster Bay. This caused Guy Monty to review his photos from Oyster Bay that day and he found that he in fact did photograph a Common Ringed Plover.

Map to Oyster Bay HERE

BC's first Common Ringed Plover in Campbell River. Sept 6, 2018. Photo: Vibeke Pedersen

This is the 1st record for the province of BC.