UPDATE: The Hooded Oriole has been putting in frequent appearances and was reported most recently February 18th. Feeders have been set up and seem to be visited often. If you are keen to brave the roads, please refer to the B.C. Highway Cams website and check the conditions between Campbell River and Port McNeill to ensure you have a safe journey. The bird can be searched for along Broughton Blvd. in the section between Cedar St. and McNeill Rd. The bird seems to have a circuit more on the south/west side of the road, so efforts can be focused there. There is a fair chance this bird will stick around, so keep an eye out for periodic updates here.
A report was received of a Hooded Oriole from today (December 5th) at a private residence in Port McNeill. The observer of this rare oriole from the south will keep an eye out for it tomorrow and more details might become available for those hoping to make the trip up/over to see this bird. For now, enjoy the absolutely stunning shot of this vagrant!
The Hooded Oriole, as the caption states, is thought to be an adult male, but further thoughts on the age and sex of rare birds are always appreciated!
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
YELLOW-GREEN VIREO!
Word has now spilled across the internet that a very intriguing-looking vireo was sighted in Vancouver on the 18th of September, 2013. Well here's what I have collected so far. Please check out the photos and comment if you have any strong feelings to suggest that this is not a YG Vireo.
If accepted, this would be a first record for British Columbia and the second record for Canada (the first being a specimen collected in Quebec back in 1899!). While at face-value this might seem like an outlandish vagrant, the species is close to annual in September in California now a days and this year saw 12 confirmed sightings including a couple in the San Francisco area.
- Thank you to Andy Birch for helping to get the word out on this!
This from the photographer:
"There aren't really too much in the way of field observations. All i can say is, i saw the bird moving around in a tree, not sure if you can ID the tree from the photos? The bird seemed to stay in under the foliage, not coming out to the front of the tree at all. Which was why the photos are not my best! It stayed in the same tree for maybe 10 minutes, before disappearing into some thick bushes. I spent half of that time photographing the bird, the other half trying to get the attention of my birder friend. Sadly, he believed it to be a Red-eyed Vireo, as you can imagine, as Yellow-green has not been found this far North before. So, we didn't pursue it too much, bad move as it turns out, but sure you understand why?"
----Gary Thoburn (All photos are his).
*Remember that you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them*
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Nov 12/13--One more BROWN BOOBY for BC
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Nov 1-2--Ash-throated Flycatcher in Prince George!
Well it's been a good week for Myiarchus flycatchers! On Nov 2, Nancy Krueger found this Ash-throated Flycatcher along the Nechako River Trail near Brinks Forest Products in Prince George. Today (Nov 3), it was relocated by several birders closer to Cottonwood Island Park (but still along the Nechako River Trail). *This, I believe is the 2nd most northerly record in BC, the other was caught at the banding station in Mackenzie a few years back.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
*Great Crested Flycatcher October 29
Gord Gadsden found this Great Crested Flycatcher at Island 22 regional park in Chilliwack in the late afternoon. This is potentially the 3rd record for BC. The bird was last seen on Nov 1st. Gord Gadsden first misidentified this bird as an Ash-throated Flycatcher and the correct ID was made by Russ Cannings.
Great Crested Flycatcher in Chilliwack - Photo: Gord Gadsden/Macaulay Library |
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Oct 26--LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL in Penticton
For the last decade or so this has become an annual visitor to the Okanagan. Multiple individuals have been involved but it's still unclear just how many actually occur. In some cases, individuals have been suspected of commuting from Penticton to Vernon in the same day, then Kelowna the next!
Regardless, it's still a great bird for BC and one that many have yet to see. Dick Cannings found this adult bird (Oct 26)on the walking pier in front of the Penticton Lakeside Resort (Okanagan Lake).
As usual, local nature photographer Laure Neish was able to get a great shot! |
*Oct 27 UPDATE: Reported from SW corner of Okanagan Lake near the S.S. Sicamous where the lake flows into the Okanagan River in NW Penticton--corner of Riverside Drive & Lakeshore Drive (Darcie Arcand)
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Oct 24/25--CHESNUT-COLLARED LONGSPUR
Aziza Cooper found and photographed this Chestnut-collared Longspur at Cattle Point, Victoria.
Primary projection and call support ID. More photos HERE. Please leave a comment if you have any input on ID/age/sex of bird.
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Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Red-throated Pipit photographed near Sandspit, BC
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Oct 17--BROWN THRASHER near Tofino
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Oct 16--YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO at Vaseux Lake
Chris Siddle found a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO at the Vaseux Lake Bird Observatory--located on the west side of Hwy 97, 1 km north of the lake itself. Look for a wide shoulder near a gate in a barbed-wire fence, roughly opposite a hwy speed sign.
It was most recently seen (Dick Cannings & Doug Brown) at the old banding trailer that's at the bottom of the short track that leads down from the highway. It flew northeast across the oxbow that parallels the highway and is presently 'missing' but obviously still in that area somewhere (riparian thickets along the highway).
Stay tuned for updates.
It was most recently seen (Dick Cannings & Doug Brown) at the old banding trailer that's at the bottom of the short track that leads down from the highway. It flew northeast across the oxbow that parallels the highway and is presently 'missing' but obviously still in that area somewhere (riparian thickets along the highway).
Stay tuned for updates.
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