RBA: ACORN WOODPECKER in Victoria - June 26th-Aug 21st

On June 26-2025, Jeff Gaskin found a female Acorn Woodpecker visiting a feeder at 443 Hector Rd in Victoria. When not at the feeder the bird is in the large oak tree between the road and the house. Best viewing is had from the grassy area opposite the driveway.

The bird has been viewed by multiple observers. According to homeowners it has been present for almost a week.

Map to location HERE.

This is the 17th record for BC.

The bird was not relocated on June 27th. 

On July 5th it was relocated in the same area.

It continues as of Aug 21st and has been viewed by multiple observers.

Female Acorn Woodpecker in Victoria - Photos: Les Peterson

RBA: GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE in Delta - June 19th

At 8:30am on June 19-2025, Lise Owens found a Great-tailed Grackle on the pier at Wellington Point Park in Delta. 

Map to location HERE. 

This is the 9th record for BC.

The bird has not been seen since.

Great-tailed Grackle in Delta - Photos: Lise Owens

RBA: DICKCISSEL in Fort St. John - June 17-30th

At 2:10pm on June 17-2025, Mark Phinney found a Dickcissel along 259 Rd north of Airport Rd. near Fort St. John while leading a BCFO tour. The bird was singing and has a deformed bill.

Map to location HERE.

This is the 34th record for BC.

The bird continued in the same location on June 30th.

Dickcissel in Fort St. John - Photo: Ian Burgess

RBA: SNOWY PLOVER in Delta - June 12-13th

At 6:48pm on June 12-2025, Yousif Attia found an adult Snowy Plover alone in front of the mansion near 96th St at Boundary Bay. The bird was viewed by him and Roger Foxall briefly before it disappeared with the incoming tide at 7:05 pm.

Map to location HERE

Snowy Plover in Delta - Photos: Rob Lyske

This is the 50th record for BC.

At 11 am on June 13th, the bird was relocated near 88th St HERE and then refound back at the mansion HERE. 

The bird was last seen at 7pm, at the outflow at the mansion before disappearing with the incoming tide.

**The bird has not been relocated thus far on June 14th.**

Video of the bird below by Yousif Attia:

RBA: MAGNIFICENT FRIGATEBIRD in Victoria - May 31st

At 7:30pm on May 31-2025, Lightkeeper John Gillevet found and photographed a juvenile Magnificent Frigatebird flying near the lighthouse at Staines Point by the south and east end of Greater Trial Island off Victoria. 

The bird has not been seen since.

Map to approximate location HERE

Magnificent Frigatebird off Victoria - Photo: John Gillevet

RBA: HOODED ORIOLE in Tofino - June 3-7th

At 12:30 pm on June 3-2025, Graeme Morgan and Raffaella Bernar found a Hooded Oriole in his yard. After work at 6:30 pm, he relocated the bird in nearby Anchor Park at Main St and Third St.

The bird tends to disappear into the shrub on the ocean side of the park beneath the large totem pole at Anchor Park.

Map to public location HERE

The bird has also been seen in the conifer directly across the street from the park.

Graeme reports that friends believe they have seen the bird a few days prior to this sighting.

This is the 29th record for BC.

The bird continued in the same spot on June 7th and has been viewed by multiple observers. It was not relocated on June 8th.

Hooded Oriole in Tofino - Photos: Ian Cruickshank

RBA: BLACK PHOEBE in Saanich - May 31st-July 24th

At 10:40 am on May 31-2025, Geoffrey Newell found a Black Phoebe in Saanich. The bird was flycatching from a fence and was on Lochside Dr, south of Lohbrunner Rd. The bird was with an Eastern Phoebe.

Map to location HERE

The bird was viewed by multiple observers.

The bird was not relocated on June 1st. On June 20th the bird was relocated by Carl Hughes and continues as of July 24th.

The bird successfully bred with an Eastern Phoebe and 3 out of 5 young survived. This is the first record of a Black Phoebe breeding in Canada and first of it breeding with an Eastern Phoebe. There is no public access to the nest site discovered by Les Peterson but birders should look for the hybrids when they fledge in the Blenkinsop Valley area.

This is the 54th record for BC.

Black Phoebe and Eastern Phoebe in Saanich - Photos: Geoffrey Newell 

Black Phoebe with hybrid Eastern Phoebe offspring in Saanich (Photos: Jody Wells)

RBA: BLACK-THROATED SPARROW in Abbotsford - May 30th

At 12:15 pm on May 30-2025, Jean Bergen found an adult Black-throated Sparrow in Abbotsford. The bird was on a decommissioned road near the end of North Parallel Rd. The decommissioned road is just a little east and below the dyke. The bird was in and out of blackberry bushes on this road.

Map to location HERE

The bird was relocated HERE at 6pm by Justin Flint and viewed by several birders until dark.

The bird has not been relocated on May 31st, despite multiple observers looking.

This is the 54th record for BC.

Black-throated Sparrow in Abbotsford - Photos: Jean Bergen

RBA: BROWN THRASHER in Cranbrook - May 29th

At 12:40pm on May 29-2025 Aiva Noringseth found a Brown Thrasher near the viewing platform at the north end of Elizabeth Lake in Cranbrook.

Map to location HERE

This is the 45th record for BC.

Brown Thrasher in Cranbrook - Photos: Aiva Noringseth 

RBA: BLUE GROSBEAK in Peachland - May 25-June 7th

At 6:43 pm on May 25-2025, Markus and Martin Weilmeier found a male Blue Grosbeak perched on shrubs and singing on the south-east side of the road (past the fence) in a weedy field at the north end of Sanderson Ave in Peachland.

Directions: Sanderson Ave becomes a gravel road. Continue along the road to the end of Sanderson, which has tall fences on either side of it. You can see through the fences easily. The bird is on the south-east side of the road, through the fence, in the weedy fields.

Map to location HERE

The bird was viewed by multiple observers until dark.

The bird continued on June 7th but has not been seen since.

This is the third record for BC.

Blue Grosbeak in Peachland - Photos: Martin Weilmeier