For the third day in a row now, a Northern Parula has been hanging about a
small neighbourhood in Port Alberni BC (mid Vancouver Island). It was first
located on Nov. 9 and has been seen daily including today, Nov. 11

Today I had the opportunity to see the bird, it appears to me to be a male,
probably a young male but I am not yet certain. I had many brief looks at
the bird as it flitted about in the silver maple and cottonwood (both still
retaining their yellow leaves). The breast is rather bright yellow and at
one angle did have a faint maroon streak departing from the side of the
breast but I could not determine its extent. From this, females were
eliminated but whether or not it is an adult or immature male is unknown. It
was not possible to get good looks at the back or the tail. Interestingly
enough, it was in the company of an Orange-crowned Warbler and two Townsend's
Warblers. This small flock would move about the deciduous trees of the area
and the flowering ivy bushes with the occasional mixture of Chickadee and RC
Kinglets. (...and the Townsend's Warblers were not Blackburnian's). As I
understand it, this is the first or possibly second confirmed sighting for
the province of BC. And who says California gets all of the eastern
warblers! (although it won't be long before it heads in that direction).
--
Cheers,

Don Cecile
Port Alberni, B.C. Canada
dcecile at cln.etc.bc.ca.