Monday, May 22, 2023

RBA: BLACK-THROATED SPARROW near Kaslo - May 19th (late report)

At 5:30pm on May 19-2023, Jakob Dulisse found and photographed a Black-throated Sparrow at the Lost Ledge Campground in Kootenay Lake Provincial Park, north of Kaslo. The bird was feeding with Chipping Sparrows. 

Map to location HERE

This is the 52nd record for BC. 

Saturday, May 20, 2023

RBA: INDIGO BUNTING in Saanich - May 20th

At 9:23am on May 20-2023, Sean McElaney found a male Indigo Bunting at Panama Hill Park at Panama Flats in Saanich. The bird was viewed by multiple observers throughout the morning. 

Map to location HERE

The bird was not relocated later in the afternoon of May 20th or on May 21st, despite multiple observers looking. 

Indigo Bunting in Saanich - Photo: Joachim Bertrands

Wednesday, May 17, 2023

RBA: SNOWY PLOVER in Tofino - May 17th

At 2pm on May 17-2023, Sarah Tyne found and photographed a Snowy Plover in Tofino. The bird was on Comber’s Beach on the SE side of the Sandhill Creek mouth.

Map to location HERE

This is the 40th record for BC.

Snowy Plover in Tofino - Photo: Sarah Tyne

Monday, May 8, 2023

RBA: SNOWY EGRET in Kamloops - May 8-9th

At 4 pm on May 8th-2023 Andrew Klassen found a Snowy Egret in the Thompson River at Overlanders Park in Kamloops. He watched it for 15 mins and left it there.

Map to location HERE

The bird was last seen in the same location on May 9th and was viewed by multiple observers.

The bird was not relocated on May 10th, despite multiple observers looking.

Snowy Egret in Kamloops - Photo: Melissa Hafting

Sunday, May 7, 2023

RBA: WHITE-TAIlLED KITE in Langley - May 7-8th

At 5 pm on May 7-2023, Phil Henderson found a second year White-tailed Kite on 264th St in Langley.

Map to location HERE

This appears to be the same bird seen in the Skagit area near Edison, WA on May 6th.

The bird continued in a field HERE on 84 Ave near 264th St as of 6:30pm and was viewed by multiple observers.

The bird flew off high and to the southwest at 7pm on May 7th.

On May 8th - Steve Lambert relocated and photographed the bird HERE off of the Nathan Creek Dyke.

The bird continued at 5pm HERE and was also seen HERE at 4:30pm. 

The bird continued perched in a tree HERE as of 7:30pm and was viewed by multiple observers before it was chased off by crows to the SW.

**The bird has not been relocated on May 9th, despite multiple observers looking.**

White-tailed Kite in Langley - Photo: Andrew Boycott

White-tailed Kite in Langley - Photo: John Gordon

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

RBA: BLACK-TAILED GULL near Victoria - May 2-7th

At 4:30pm on May 2-2023, Les Peterson found an adult Black-tailed Gull at Esquimalt Lagoon in Colwood near Victoria. The bird was resting on the lagoon side on the low tide sandbar that is opposite to the anchor/cairn near the bridge at Esquimalt Lagoon. He did not see it fly away.

Map to exact location HERE

The bird was refound by Eric Tull at 3:20pm at the same location on May 3rd and was viewed by multiple observers.

It was flushed by a Bald Eagle and it flew high and west and then south out into the strait just after 4:20pm. 

On May 4th the bird continued at the same spot until 1:15 pm when it was chased off by a dog walker. It was relocated again at 5:30pm.

The bird continued in the same location at Esquimalt Lagoon during the day on May 5th.

It was also seen in the evening from the end of Stewart Ave looking across to the Navy base HERE on the opposite shore by scope as it roosted on the construction pillings. Map to location of where to stand to view bird is HERE

***On May 6-7th, the bird continued in the same location as the evening before as viewed from the Stewart Ave access and in the late afternoon it was seen at the original location at Esquimalt Lagoon.***

**The bird has not been relocated on May 8 or 9th at either location.**

This is the 4th photo-documented record for BC.

Black-tailed Gull in Colwood - Photos: Nick Park

RBA: COSTA'S HUMMINGBIRD in Sidney - April 30th

On April 30-2023, Lori Smith found the carcass of a male Costa's Hummingbird in her yard in Sidney. 

This is the 31st record for BC.

Male Costa's Hummingbird carcass in Sidney, BC - Photo: Lori Smith

Saturday, April 29, 2023

RBA: ACORN WOODPECKER in Sooke - April 25-29th

On April 25-2023, Miriam Lambert found a female Acorn Woodpecker feeding on her suet feeder at her private home.

The bird was last seen on April 29th and hasn’t returned since.

The home is not open to the public.

This is the 15th record for BC.

Female Acorn Woodpecker in Sooke - Photo: Miriam Lambert


Saturday, April 15, 2023

RBA: KING EIDER near Price Island - April 15th

At 12:47 pm on April 15-2023, Liam Ragan and Kaiden Bosch found a female King Eider in a mixed flock of Scoters in Kitasu Bay near Price Island north of Bella Bella.

Map to location HERE

This is the 40th record for BC

Female King Eider in Kitasu Bay - Photos: Liam Ragan

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

RBA: FIELDFARE in Kelowna - Jan 10-13th

At 3:10pm on Jan 10-2022, Jasmine Korcok found a Fieldfare at the viewing platform at the NE corner of Munson Pond.

The bird is being viewed by multiple observers at the same location in the company of several robins and a Rusty Blackbird as of 3:45pm. The bird flew west at 4pm.

Map to location HERE

The bird continues in a flock of robins in the same location on Jan 11th.

At 11:50 am, Chris Charlesworth relocated the bird at the corner of Morrison Ave and Rhondda Cres with robins. Keep an eye on a large Mountain Ash tree at the corner with lots of berries.

Map to location HERE

The bird was last seen at the corner of Morrison Ave and Rhondda Cres on Jan 13th and has been viewed by multiple observers.

***The bird was not relocated on Jan 14-16th, despite multiple observers looking.***

This is the third record for BC and the first for the Okanagan.

A news story on the bird can be read HERE

Fieldfare in Kelowna - Photo: David Bell
Fieldfare in Kelowna - Photo: Chris Charlesworth