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

RBA: Chestnut-sided Warbler near Golden - Sept -3rd

At 6pm on Sept 2nd-2016, Doug Leighton found an immature male Chestnut-sided Warbler in an apple tree in the front yard of his house in the Blaeberry. Shortly after he relocated it in a red osier dogwood bush, where he was able to obtain a record photo of the bird.

The bird was present once again in his yard on Sept 3rd but was not seen since.

 This is the 63rd record for the province of BC. 

Photo: Doug Leighton

RBA: FERRUGINOUS HAWK in Jaffray - Aug 27th

At 10am on August 27th - 2016, Jessy Loranger et al. found and photographed a Juvenile Ferruginous Hawk. The bird was perched on a telephone pole on the I.D.E.A.L. Ranch, which is private property near the intersection of Jaffray Baynes Lake Rd and Damstrom Rd. The bird was perched for 15min before it took flight. It flew over the ranch several times for at least 5min. He lost sight of it and has not seen it since.

Juvenile Ferruginous Hawk - Photo: Jessy Loranger

RBA: BLACK-HEADED GULL near Sayward - Aug 20th-21st

On August 20th-2016, Andy and Nancy Bock found a Black-headed Gull in Sidney Bay near Sayward while they were out boating. The gull was seen with Mew Gulls and Bonaparte's Gulls on a log boom. They photographed the gulls on August 20th and 21st and 10 days later looked at the shots and discovered that they had captured a provincial rarity! This is the 2nd sighting of a Black-headed Gull in the province this year.

The gps coordinates are 50.516156, -125.601396 and it is only accessible by boat. Estimated travel time to the area by boat from Kelsey Bay near Sayward is 2 hrs.

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

Photo: Nancy Bock

RBA: Ash-throated Flycatcher near Sechelt - Aug 28th

At 9am on August 28th-2016, Arnold Skei found an Ash-throated Flycatcher at the Wilson Creek Estuary near Sechelt. The bird was seen low in small trees near the concrete culvert sitting on the ground close to the second lookout over the inside section of the mudflats. There is a large sand pile that one can stand on and the bird was seen from there in the row of trees along the water's edge. Arnold returned later that afternoon but could not relocate the bird.

Arnold was able to get some digiscoped photos below:

Photo: Arnold Skei

SHORT-TAILED ALBATROSSES near Cape Scott - August 7th

At 11 am on August 7th-2016, Albert Michaud found and photographed two immature Short-tailed Albatrosses. He was conducting a whale survey at the time for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans near Cape Scott Provincial Park which is off the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island. The UTM coordinates of where he spotted them in flight were 50°27'01.9"N 128°32'57.1"W.

This is the second sighting this year of a Short-tailed Albatross in BC waters. The last one was a sight record on June 12th-2016 by Joseph Morlan. Joseph reported seeing an adult Short-tailed Albatross at UTM 50.582614, -128.858638. That location was near to this sighting about 15 miles SSW of Beresford Island, and slightly further SSE of Sartine Island. That bird was viewed from the Grand Princess Cruise Ship. He was unable to get photos during his brief view and there were no other observers. However, he is experienced with this species and his field notes were extensive.

Immature Short-tailed Albatross near Cape Scott Provincial Park - Photos: Albert Michaud