Vancouver area September 2016:

September 12th:

Flight from Manchester with Air Transat arrived Vancouver late afternoon; after driving to our accommodation near the Tswassen ferry terminal and having a meal we had a quick hour at Boundary Bay in fading light.

White-crowned Sparrow

Barn Swallows

Glaucous-winged Gulls

California Gulls

Ring-billed Gull

American Wigeon 30+

Pintail

Green-winged Teal

Northern Harrier adult female

Northern Mockingbird

Killdeer 30+

Western Sandpiper 2

Greater Yellowlegs 10

Canada Goose one of the smaller races

Red-shafted Flicker

Starling 1000+

September 13th:

Up before first light and drove onto Westman Island to bird the field edges at George Reifel not open until 09:00 – beautiful dawn and fine warm day

Lincoln Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Mash Wren

Common Grackle

Canada Geese

Red-shafted Flicker

Northern Harrier female

Common Yellowthroat

North-west Crow

Drive to Ferry terminal at Tswassen

Surf Scoter 50+

Harlequin 10

North-west Crows

Double Crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Brant’s Cormorant

Common Loons

Red-necked Grebe

On Vancouver Island start the long drive to Ucluelet

En route

Stellers Jay

Savannah Sparrow

Ucluelet

White-winged Scoter 1

September 14th Ucluelet

Another glorious day weather wise with sun and warm temperatures

Lighthouse

Sooty Shearwater 1

Guillemot 10+

Glaucous-winged Gull 100+

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Pacific Rim – Wickaninnish beach

Hudsonian Whimbrel 1 juv

Semi-palmated Plover 5

Cedar Waxwing adults and juveniles

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Sooty Fox Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Surf Scoter 30+

Common Loon

American Robin

Sewage Lagoon just a fenced hole in the ground but

Wood Duck 11

Pacific Wren

Raven

Red-shafted Flicker

Pintail 1 female

Red Crossbill 80+

Wickaninnish beach

Black Oystercatcher 40+

Sooty Shearwater 3

Brant’s Cormorant 3

Surf Scoter 20+

Peregrine

Lighthouse at Ucluelet

Song Sparrow

California Gull 20+

Pacific Diver 10+

White-winged Scoter 1

Rhinoceros Auklet 20+

Guillemot 1

Pintail 50+

Ucluelet harbour

Belted Kingfisher 1

California Gull 30+

September 15th:

Weather is still holding and its again warm and sunny

Pacific Wren

Comber beach

Mew Gull 1 1cy

Steller’s Sealion 40+

California Gull

Bald Eagle

Glaucous-winged Gulls

Common Loon

Beach further north?

Curlew Sandpiper 1 juv

Western Sandpiper 3

Sanderling 50+

Red Crossbill

Beach near Ucluelet

Western Grebe 5

Slavonian Grebe 3

Red-necked Grebe

Surf Scoter 100+

Lighthouse

Pacific Diver 1

Common Loon

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Belted Kingfisher 2

Audubon’s Warbler

Pacific Wren

Guillemot

Pick up a puncture and Avis breakdown costs us £75 in phone bills and we have to wait up until 02:00 for the car to be replaced

September 16th;

Drive across to Campbell River for the ferry to Quadra Island arriving mid afternoon in what is now pretty steady rain

Off Campbell River and from ferry

Harlequin Duck 30+

Heerman’s Gull 1

Bonaparte’s Gull 50+

Marbled Murrellet 30+

Rhinoceros Auklet

Arctic Skua 1

Still raining on Quadra so go to west coast beach park

Pacific Diver 1

Common Loon 40+

Red-necked Grebe 20+

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Dark-eyed Junco

White-crowned Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Belted Kingfisher

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Mew Gull 2

American Robin 15+

September 17th

Quadra Island

Do the same park and then drive in the rain to north of island and call at place on east coast on return still raining

Pacific Diver 5

Red-necked Grebe 6

Slavonian Grebe 2

Surf Scoter 10

Harlequin Duck 30+

Rhinoceros Auklet

Guillemot 20+

Common Merganser 60+

Dark-eyed Junco

American Robin 50+

Band-tailed Pigeon 10

Belted Kingfisher 2

Hooded Merganser pair

Mew Gull 10

California Gull 50+

Steller’s Jay

Humpback Whale

Porpoise 2

September 18th:

Quadra Island

Mostly still wet but brightening a bit

White-winged Scoter 5

Surf Scoter 30+

Harlequin 50+

Red-necked Grebe

Slavonian Grebe

Pacific Diver 2

Common Loon 20+

Hooded Merganser 2

Thayer’s Gull 3 adults

Ring-billed Gull 3

Mew Gull 30+

American Herring Gull

Belted Kingfisher 2

Merlin 1

Turkey Vulture 2

Dark-eyed Junco 50+

Spotted Towhee 15+

Song Sparrow 15+

White-crowed Sparrow 20+

Audubon’s Warbler 15+

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

American Robin 30+

Golden-crowned Kinglet

Humpback 1

Porpoise 2

Red Squirrel

September 19th:

Quadra harbour

Hooded Merganser pair

Ferry to Campbell River

Cassin’s Auklet 2

Campbell River Spit

Weather improving and rain cleared

Buff-breasted Sandpiper 1 juv

White-fronted Goose 1 juv

Cackling Goose 120 south

Surf Scoter 500+ south

White-winged Scoter 50+

Harlequin 200

American Wigeon 200

Mallard 30

Pintail 3

Turkey Vulture 30

Bald Eagle 10

Peregrine 1

Georges

Greater Yellowlegs 1 juv

Black Oystercatcher 14

Black-bellied Plover 40

Killdeer 4

Audubon’s Warbler

Common Yellowthroat

Dark-eyed Junco 2

Savannah Sparrow

Campbell River

Golden-crowned Sparrow 1

White-crowned Sparrow 40+

Anna’s Hummingbird 2

Red-shafted Flicker 2

Chestnut-backed Chickadee

Brown Creeper

Song Sparrow

Great Blue Heron

Belted Kingfisher 10+

Bonaparte’s Gull 1000+

California Gull 100+

American Herring Gull

Mew Gull 150+

Rhinoceros Auklet 5

Pacific Diver 15

Common Loon

Brewer’s Blackbird 1

Spotted Towhee

September 20th:

Long drive north to Telegraph Cover

Steller’s Jay

Belted Kingfisher

Golden-crowned Sparrow 3

Lincoln’s Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Savannah Sparrow

Orange-crowned Warbler 1

Audubon’s Warbler 15+

Spotted Towhee

Surf Scoter 100+

American Robin 30+

Turkey Vulture 10

Yellow Warbler 2

Campbell River – Georges beach

Surfbird 1

Black Turnstone 8

Willet 1

Greater Yellowlegs 2

Killdeer 7

Wilson’s Snipe 1

Black Oystercatcher 30+

Black Scoter 40+

Surf Scoter 200+

White-winged Scoter 3

Rhinoceros Auklet

Belted Kingfisher

Common Merganser 200+

Thayer’s Gull 3 adults

Mew Gull 50+

Bonaparte’s Gull 200+

Collared Dove

Brant’s Cormorant 30+

Double-crested Cormorant

Slavonian Grebe 3

September 21st:

Strathcona meadows Mount Washington

Varied Thrush 2

American Robin 30+

Dark-eyed Junco 40+

Red-breasted Sapsucker 3

Bald Eagle

Gray Jay 8

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Dragonflies

Campbell River

Anna’s Hummingbird 3+

Thayer’s Gull 6 ad 3 juv

Killdeer 10+

Black-bellied Plover 8

Black Turnstone 40+

Surfbird 6

Red-necked Phalarope 58

Greater Yellowlegs 2

Black Oystercatcher 20

American Wigeon 8

Black Scoter

Surf Scoter

White-winged Scoter 10+

Gadwall drake

Harlequin 80+

Mew Gill 150+

Slavonian Grebe 20+

Belted Kingfisher 2

September 22nd:

Campbell River

Pectoral Sandpiper 4 juv

Buff-breasted Sandpiper 1 juv

Fox Sparrow

Purple Finch 1

Anna’s Hummingbird 3

Golden-crowned Sparrow

Killdeer 8+

Greater Yellowlegs 2

Black Scoter 10

Thayer’s Gull 6+

American Wigeon 40

Harlequin 50+

Belted Kingfisher

American Wigeon 200

Greater Scaup 12

Bald Eagle 8+

Buff-bellied Pipit 1  Call Grey Wagtail like two notes chit chick

Savannah Sparrow 10+

Spotted Towhee

Brewer’s Blackbird

Merlin

Fish Hatchery

Bald Eagle 4

Thayer’s Gull adult

Belted Kingfisher

Turkey Vulture

Red-tailed Hawk 1

Dragons

Salmon

Black Bear 1 + female and 2 cubs

September 23rd:

Drive back to Nanaimo and ferry to Tswassen

Late evening at Boundary Bay not enough time again

Lesser Yellowlegs 2

Greater Yellowlegs 40+

American Wigeon 400+

Cackling Goose

September 24th:

George Reifel in a lot of rain

Fox Sparrow 2

Savannah Sparrow

Song Sparrow

Marsh Wren

Common Yellowthroat

Audubon’s Warbler

Hermit Thrush

Belted Kingfisher

American Coot 2

Northern Harrier 3

Sharp-shinned Hawk 1

Anna’s Hummingbird 2

American Wigeon 40

Green-winged Teal 60

Hooded Merganser 15+

Greater Yellowlegs 20+

Lesser Yellowlegs 2

Long-billed Dowitcher 120+

Soar 3

Virginia Rail 3+

Tundra Peregrine

Red-shafted Flicker

Golden-crowned Sparrow 3

White-crowned Sparrow

Barn Swallow 40+

Flight back to Manchester;