Comox Valley Naturalists Society

• Reports of rare birds sighted in the Valley are confirmed by at least two members of the birding group
• Please respect private property when viewing birds - "Take only pictures, leave only footprints".

Check out the Birding in BC web site for rare bird alerts in other parts of British Columbia, links to birding web sites and discussion groups about birding.

Comox Valley Rare Bird Sightings - 2005

December 4, 2005

1 Short-eared Owl located at the southern portion of the Comox Airport runway. A Slaty-backed Gull was located on the gravel bar across from Porteguese Joe's.

December 3, 2005

2 Yellow-rumped Warblers seen at Goose Spit.

December 2, 2005

1 Snowy Owl reported and photographed at the southern portion of the Comox Airport runway. 4 Yellow-rumped Warblers seen near Farmer Dan's produce stand on Knight Road. The warblers were in a grove of trees between the fruit stand and the barn.

November 30, 2005

1 Snowy Owl seen on the beach near the Salmon Point Pub. The Salmon Point Pub is located in Oyster River, half way between Courtenay and Campbell River.

November 29, 2005

1 Harris's Sparrow reported at a back yard feeder in Ship's Point.

November 20, 2005

2 yellow-rumped warblers reported at the Comox Valley Airpark Lagoon.

November 13, 2005

1 Townsend's warbler seen at Boyle's Point on Denman Island. 1 yellow-rumped warbler seen at the mouth of the Oyster River.

November 1, 2005

1 American tree sparrow at Comox Bay Farm. Short-eared owl and 13 Western meadowlarks remain in the Comox Bay Farm/Dyke Slough area.

October 31, 2005

1 American bittern at the Dyke Slough. Also seen in the area: 2 Western meadowlark (Dyke Road), 2 female canvasback (Dyke Slough), 1 short-eared owl (Comox Bay Farm), 15 - 20 American pipit (Comox Bay Farm), and 1 Northern shrike (Dyke Slough). Note that these areas are private property.

October 23, 2005

1 Clark's grebe reported at the Union Bay log sort south of Courtenay. Directions to the log sort are detailed on the Birding Vancouver Island BC Yahoo Group.

October 19, 2005

2 trumpeter swans reported in Comox Bay at the foot of 30th Street. These are the first trumpeters of the year!

August 11, 2005

6-10 Semipalmated sandpipers, and 2-3 Baird's sandpipers seen at the Dyke Slough on a rising tide. Also seen: Virginia rail, killdeer, greater yellowlegs, lesser yellowlegs, western sandpiper, least sandpiper, short-billed dowitcher, long-billed dowitcher.

1 Bank swallow seen at top of the bluffs east of Point Holmes (about 400m east along Kye Bay Road from Knight Road

July 17, 2005

1 Northern mockingbird was seen and photographed at a private residence on Kye Bay Road.

June 25/2005

3 three-toed woodpeckers were seen in Paradise Meadows. The first individual was located in the wooded section between the trail head and the meadows around 10:00 a.m. A pair was also seen at 4:00 p.m. on a snag near the trail to Lake Helen Mackenzie. The snag is located just before the small pond at the end of the old clear cut that parallels the trail as it approaches Lake Helen Mackenzie.

June 20/2005

2 purple martins and 9 Caspian terns seen at the Oyster Bay rest stop.

June 17/2005

1 purple martin seen in a nest box at Buckley Bay.

June 15/2005

1 female purple martin observed briefly (10minutes) in the early evening at the Royston wrecks. A pair were seen a week ago at box 03-50. No visible nesting activity was observed at this time.

June 12, 2005

11 active cliff swallow nests were seen at the Strathcona Dam water intake tower (access off Hwy 28 between Campbell River and Gold River). Both adult and nestling birds observed.

June 11/12, 2005

Strathcona Bird Count - 63 species were seen on this year's count. Highlights include: white-winged scoter (new Park and count record), blue-winged teal (male/female pair - new count record), Eastern Kingbird (new count record), osprey, American dipper (at Shepherd's Creek, Myra Falls, and Wolf River), ring-billed gull, Wilson's snipe (winnowing at Ralph River), brown creeper, and Bewick's wren. Breeding records included Canada Goose, Barrow's Goldeneye, and Common Merganser (all observed with young).

June 7, 2005

3 black oystercatchers were located at the mouth of the Trent River.

May 21, 2005

1 mountain bluebird was seen in a backyard in Kye Bay.

May 17, 2005

4 whimbrel continue to be seen in the Courtenay estuary.

Whimbrel: photo © Dave Ingram

May 16, 2005

Long-billed curlew seen in fields along Dyke Road. A single western wood-pewee was seen hawking insects from snags in the small woodland between the paved Mansfield Drive parking lot and the Courtenay Air Park lagoon.

May 12, 2005

4 greater white-fronted geese seen at the old Farqueson Farms site.

May 1, 2005

Spring Bird Count
137 species were seen on the day of the Comox Valley Spring Bird Count. Notable sightings included: 2 Eurasian wigeon, 2 pied-billed grebe, 1 greater white-fronted goose, 2 blue-winged teal, 25 northern shoveler, 1 osprey, 1 sora, 10 whimbrel, 15 sanderlings, 10 least sandpipers, 1 long-billed dowitcher, 1 Wilson's snipe, 2 herring gulls, 2 barn owls, 2 marsh wren, 1 American pipit, 19 chipping sparrows, 1 Lincoln's sparrow, 7 evening grosbeak, and 1 great horned owl.

April, 2005

Comox Valley Trumpeter Swan Count
Oct. 26 - 131, Nov. 2 - 290, Nov. 9 - 181, Nov. 16 - 984, Nov. 23 - 1297, Nov. 30 - 1838, Dec. 7 - 1432, Dec. 14 - 2114, Dec. 21 - 2203, Jan. 4 - 1848, Jan. 18 - 1910, Jan. 25 - 1654, Feb. 1 - 2187, Feb. 8 - 2323, Feb. 15 - 2360, Feb. 22 - 2189, March 1 - 2044, March 8 - 2080, March 15 - 1282, March 22 - 1439, March 29 - 619, April 5 - 131, April 12 - 13

January 2, 2005

Campbell River Christmas Bird Count (CBC)
102 species were seen on the day of the Campbell River CBC. Notable sightings included: 2 Eurasian wigeon, 1 peregrine falcon, 4 Virginia rail, 2 semi-palmated plover, 1 rhinoceros auklet, 1 northern shrike, 1 marsh wren, 1 Swainson's thrush, 1 Bohemian waxwing, 1 savannah sparrow, 6 western meadowlark, 3 common redpoll. In addition, 5 feral wild turkey were seen on Quadra and a probable palm warbler was seen in beach shrubs and grasses south of Discovery Terminal. Two additional species were added during the count week for a total of 104 species. Other CBC results are available at www.audubon.org/bird/cbc

January 1, 2005

A Bohemian waxwing was seen and photographed at the Salmon Point Pub in Oyster River (January 2). The bird was observed near a pine and a small Douglas fir on the left side of the pub. This is the waxwing's second reported day at this location. It did not appear to be disturbed by pub patrons.

December 28, 2004

Deep Bay Christmas Bird Count (CBC)
98 species were seen on the day of the Deep Bay CBC. Notable sightings included: 3 red-throated loon, 65 Brandt's cormorant, 2 northern shoveler, 2 Eurasian wigeon, 2 canvasback, 4 California quail, 4 Wilson's snipe, 2 barred owl, 1 northern saw-whet owl, 1 western screech owl, 1 northern pygmy owl, 3 Hutton's vireo, 1 Virginia rail, 1 Anna's hummingbird, 2 rhinoceros auklet. Other CBC results are available at www.audubon.org/bird/cbc

Double-crested cormorant, pelagic cormorant, and Brandt's cormorant
photo © Dave Ingram

December 19, 2004

Comox Valley Christmas Bird Count (CBC)
113 species were seen on the day of the count. Highlight birds include: 2 greater white-fronted geese, 3 wood duck, 3 ring-necked duck, 1 northern harrier, 1 American kestrel, 7 california quail, 2 barn owl, 1 western screech owl, 3 marsh wren, 1 northern shrike, 6 cackling goose, 1 glaucous gull, 18 common redpoll, 11 ancient murrelet, 1 rusty blackbird, 1 Pacific golden-plover, 1 mute swan, 1 green heron. During the count week three additional species were seen: 2 Anna's hummingbird, 1 great horned owl, and 1 golden eagle bringing the count week total to 116. Other CBC results are available at www.audubon.org/bird/cbc

Previous rare bird sightings
2002 | 2003/04 | 2005 | 2006