This is an informal look at what local birders (beginner & experienced alike) are seeing - or think they are seeing! Few details are listed. Just chatter. See our "Getting Started" guide for some helpful hints. Don't hesitate to use this page to:

• get help identifying a bird you've seen. Describe it as best you can, and someone will help identify it for you.
• get others to see or comment on a bird you've seen when you need assurance to be certain of its identification.
• get others to see or comment on a bird you've seen and think doesn't commonly visit Malcolm Island.
• herald your first sighting of a specific bird in a season.
• talk about odd bird behavior (antics, numbers, etc.) observed.
• let others know where you've seen a bird, so they learn to anticipate seeing it in that locale or that kind of habitat.
• cue you to find the sighted birds in your bird book and learn (or remind you)of their appearance and behaviours.
  

Any of these entries could become a 'By the Book' sighting, if others have confirmed the identity and more details have been provided. In the case of an unusual sighting, with documentation, it could become a 'Rare Bird Alert'.

Now that we have established this page, we will strive to add your sights ASAP after your notifications (apologies to those of your reporting to us this fall).

 

Being on this list lends no credence to the sighting. They are un-substantiated (that is, details needed to validate or document them were not submitted. For documentation notes see "By the Book" or "Rare Bird Alert").

We will add notes where it might not be helpful to infer an unlikely species was sighted, and offer a similar and more likely species for consideration.

• RED CROSSBILLS, at least 8, feeding on cones in a pine tree near the 200 block on 2nd Steet. Male and females. Liz

• RED BREASTED SAPSUCKER hammering away in alder tree near the 400 block of 2nd Street, in the late afternoon. Weather sunny. Trev.
• Possibly SHARP SHINNED HAWK quickly dashing overhead on Vilen Road. Liz.
• HERMIT THRUSH close up view outside window, flitting back and forth feeding on berries from a Catoneaster. Liz.
• "CALICO SPARROW" in brush on 2nd Street. Round, and big like a sparrow in amongst of flock of juncos. Big splotches of white on the crown, tail and body, along with brown rust and black! Albino Towhee? Liz.

• Immature GREAT HORNED OWL seen at end of 2nd Street. Shannon.
• BROADWINGED HAWK - spotted along Kaleva Road by Jon Taylor. This is outside the normal range for a broadwinged hawk (Sibley's shows a rare sighting on southern Vancouver Island) but Jon noted that he had a very good look at the white band on the tail, and that he discussed the sighting with his son Adam, who works at the Goldstream centre near Victoria.
• RED TAILED HAWK soaring above the trees near Sea For Miles Cottages. Liz.
  
  

• SNOW BUNTINGS seen for a week at work site near the Highway 19/Port Alice turnoff. Trev
  
  

• STORM PETREL found injured on ground after extended spell of brutal N-NW winds. Sent south for recovery. Annemarie
  
  
  

• Bere Point .. a pair of MERLINS reported by Eli & Jake.
  
  
  

August 2004

• North Shore of island. PACIFIC GOLDEN PLOVER and a pair of GREY WANDERING TATTLERS. Trev & Liz
• WILSON'S WARBLER near 1st street. Thanks to Curtis.
  
  
  

• ~25 BALD EAGLES (mature + immature) feeding on herring ball off Haddington Buoy. Kris Quigley.
• 4 BRANT off Kaleva Road near Sharon Comeau’s. Liz Harvey.
• Immature or female SNOWY OWL seen in the late afternoon at Bere Point. Thanks to John MacKenzie.
  
  

• 1 HAIRY WOODPECKER (Pacific – beige chest) at 13th & 2nd. Liz Harvey.
• 1 PEALS PEREGRINE FALCON in 400 block on 2nd Street. Gordie MacDougall.
  

• 15 SNOW GEESE at Cluxewe Campground. Evelyn Clark.
  

• 2 TRUMPETER SWANS (immature) off Kaleva near Mary Hogue’s. Jane Field.
• 2 SNOW GEESE along Kaleva Road. Jane Field.
• 1 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE out along the road to Pulteney Point. Oonagh O’Connor.
  
  Note: By the book, Loggerhead Shrike don't come here - if substantiated, would mean "Rare Bird Alert". Although not yet recorded in MIBC Bird Count tallies, Northern Shrikes are more likely to be seen.
  

• 1 PARTIAL ALBINO JUNCO at her feeder (Anderson Road). Tiiu McCormick.
  
  Note: According to Christine Scott, this would be described as a "leucistic" junco; albinism refers to complete absence of all pigment.
  

• 1 CHINESE EGRET (Egretta eulophotes) in a tree in the thicket across from her house on 2nd near Rupert. Betty Carlson. Sees it every year around this time; says Ron LaPlante also saw one, by Lansdowne’s field off Bere Rd.
  
  Note: Betty tells us that according to the Audubon Society Field Book for North American Birds, this is an "Accidental Species" - if substantiated, would - "Rare Bird Alert". Hey, Betty, please try for a photo next fall!