June 4th the day for BC Rarities

Had a great day on June 4-2023. On June 3rd, Joachim Bertrands found BC's second ever White-eyed Vireo in Ucluelet. When  he told me I started making plans to head there. Even if it was far and a long shot a bird like this was worth a try. So I packed up my stuff and headed to the ferry. Got to the ferry by 8 am and waited for the 10: 15 am ferry. I just made it and was the second to last car on. Phew! One hurdle down. Finally arrived at Ukee around 3pm with Sabine Decamp and Mike and Sharon Toochin also looking and we looked till dark but not a peep and the other birds were singing away including its cousins the Warbling and Hutton's Vireos. Decided to come back at 5:30 am and give it a try. Did just that and pretty darn quiet.... at around 6:45am I heard the bird singing and I called and notified Sabine as she was looking elsewhere and Mike and Sharon had left for a coffee. By the time I was done notifying Sabine Mike had called as he had heard it too and we all came running over to the original spot where the bird was so loud it was if it had a tiny microphone.  It was well worth staying overnight, long travel time and tiredness, for this beautiful prize. The sun was shining making its white eye even more white.

The bird would not sit in one place and started flying east darting in people's front and back yards while singing loudly away. It even went into an RCMP officer's yard. I can't imagine what he would of thought if he looked outside and saw 4 of us crazies with bins and cameras running around staring at his tree. Luckily he nor other neighbors looked outside. Just us sleep deprived birders were running around the neighbourhood before 7 am on a Sunday. Literally you had to jog to keep up with this bird who was singing his head off and bounding from tree to tree. I kept following him as he moved east and then finally north and he ended up right back by my hotel the Ukee Peninusla Hotel and then he kept heading north past the post office and the last spot I had him was 1 km from the original spot! It was nuts but a really fun cool experience. I even managed to get a couple photos and a recording of the frenzied little fellow. He was BC Bird #451 for me. You can listen to the call below:

White-eyed Vireo in Ucluelet - Photos: Melissa Hafting

After this I drove straight to the Horseshoe Bay Ferry. Got home around 2pm, rested my eyes for 3 hours and decided to go shorebirding since Debbi Hlady had seen a Ruddy Turnstone the same morning. Plus it would be nice to see the Bar-tailed Godwit that Ilya found in better light than what I originally saw it in. I parked and walked to the foot of 96th St and Ilya and I spotted an adult Snowy Plover sitting on the mudflats. It was so cool couldn't believe I had seen a White-eyed Vireo and Snowy Plover in the same day! 2 BC rarities! This was my 3rd Snowy Plover for Vancouver and my 5th in BC. I never tire of these cute puffballs and they are my fave plover. I got to see the Bar-tailed Godwit in better light and also did manage to see the Ruddy Turnstone between 88th and 80th! Ben Lambert and I had found a Red-necked Phalarope May 31st and it has stuck into June. It has been a good start to June for rare shorebirds after a very weak spring shorebird season.

The adult Snowy Plover I co-found in Delta - Photo: Andrew Boycott

Male Bar-tailed Godwit in Delta - Photo: Ilya Povalyaev

My friend Brian Stech told me to buy a lottery ticket because how many people can say they saw a White-eyed Vireo, Snowy Plover and Bar-tailed Godwit in the same day?!! haha

Then a Lesser Goldfinch was found at a home in Ladner and I hoped to see it but the sun was setting and it was too late. It would of been super cool to add him to my day list of rarities but it was not to be. I did get to see him the next day though!

Lesser Goldfinch in Delta - Photos: Melissa Hafting

Anyways, it was a day I have to be thankful for because of good friends, beautiful weather and fantastic birds. Man I wish I could of told my dad about this epic day. I really miss him in these moments.

Comments

  1. PacificnorthwestkateJune 6, 2023 at 5:39 AM

    What a wonderful birding weekend! And what a lovely song from that vireo! Well done on finding him. I think godwits are one of my favourite birds - I saw them on the coromandel in New Zealand many years ago and never realized until I got to Vancouver they migrate from NZ all the way here and further north to breed! Amazing birds! Great images Melissa!! Glad you had a good time!

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJune 6, 2023 at 6:06 PM

    Amazing!! And you're not alone as a birder who has managed White-eyed Vireo, Bar-tailed Godwit, and Snowy Plover (and Lesser Goldfinch, for that matter) all in the same day! Myself and at least one or two others got that combination in late September on the central California coast, where the latter two are quite common, although the former two are still good rarities. So welcome to the club!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Melissa HaftingJune 8, 2023 at 9:01 AM

      wow how cool is that ! a cool club to be in thanks for sharing!

      Delete
  3. https://www.flickr.com/photos/134270033@N06/June 25, 2023 at 8:24 PM

    great report my friend
    glad the Ukee and back trip was epic

    ReplyDelete

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