Aug 23-24: BROWN BOOBY in Hecate Strait

This Brown Booby rested on a commercial fishing vessel in the Hecate Strait (NW BC coast) from Aug 23 to 24 and was photographed by Steve Fitzpatrick. Thanks Steven Roais for passing along the sighting!

Aug 23--PRAIRIE WARBLER in Revelstoke!

After a rainy southerly front pushed through the Columbia Valley in Revelstoke, this PRAIRIE WARBLER was found in a mixed flock of warblers by Devon Anderson on Aug 23. Four other people were able to see it on the same day including James Bradley who took this photograph. This was near the Revelstoke Airport; the bird has not been seen since. At this stage, age/sex is unconfirmed (adult female or hatch-year male seem most likely). Please leave a comment if you have any opinions on the age/sex of this bird.

Aug 18--REEVE near Quesnel

Pantage Lake is at it again!!! After last year's flocks of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, not to mention the plethora of other highlights from this hidden gem in recent years, Rod Sargent and Adrian Leather scored again--this time with a REEVE! To make matters even more interesting, they believe there were two reeves present, as 2 identical-looking shorebirds flew in with some Baird's Sandpipers but only one stay long enough for distant record-shots.

A "Reeve" is the female version of "Ruff." Typically we see juvenile birds in BC (if at all) but this bird appears much duller overall with black mottling on the flanks (which points to adult female). Summer/fall males (Ruffs) typically show much whiter chests, throats, and lores.

Pantage Lake is located up the Nazko Hwy, NW of Quesnel, and unfortunately is only accessible via private land and canoes/kayaks are required. Still---we can all marvel at the great birds these guys have turned up in only 3 fall seasons! Both golden plovers, White-rumped Sandpiper, 20+ Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Red Phalarope, Arctic Tern....and so on!

Aug 11--Ferruginous Hawk near Golden

On Aug 11, Carleen Irmen photographed this FERRUGINOUS HAWK along Hwy 95 "about 10 or 15 minutes south of Golden." Will try and get more info and post here. 

August 6--Indigo Bunting (W of Kamloops)

On the morning of August 6, Ryan Cathers observed a male INDIGO BUNTING at the following site:

"When you arrive in Tunkwa Provincial Park head down to Leighton Lake Campground (not Leighton north). When you enter the campground follow the road until it forks left and right. On the right side of the fork is that wetland space. The bird was in there and followed back a bit onto some fences that are between Leighton and Leighton North campground."

*There was also a female bunting present but whether it was a Lazuli or Indigo was not confirmed.

GREAT SHEARWATER and SCRIPPS'S MURRELET in BC

Yet again, Paul Lehman and Co. have observed some great birds off BC by taking advantage of some California--Alaska cruises.

On July 31, they observed a "Scipps's-type" Murrelet (i.e. Xantus's complex) approximately 120 miles SW of Vancouver Island--apparently still in Canadian waters.

On the way back south, they ran into some large concentrations of seabirds near Triangle Island, including a mass of FORK-TAILED STORM-PETRELS numbering close to 10,000 individuals. The species highlight in that area however was a GREAT SHEARWATER that was photographed 111km NNW of Triangle Island on August 5th. This is the second photographed record for BC, and probably the 3rd record all-time (first being one with good supporting fieldnotes).

Great Shearwater (Owen Schmidt)

Aug 4--RED-NECKED STINT at Boundary Bay

Photo: Mike Tabak

Found by John Chandler on Aug 4.

*AUG 5 UPDATE: Most recently seen at 5:45pm near the pilings west of 104th St, Boundary Bay (Ryan Johnson et al.)

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.