This is the Victoria Rare Bird Alert for Wednesday, July 15th at 9:30 p.m.
Compiled by Bryan Gates

Feature Birds
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ANCIENT MURRELET
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER
SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER
WANDERING TATTLER
RUDDY TURNSTONE


Wednesday, July 15
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An ANCIENT MURRELET was close off Clover Point in Victoria. This species
is rare here in mid-summer, but was well seen and well described.

A SEMIPALMATED PLOVER was on the beach just east of the Ogden Point
breakwater in Victoria.

10 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS, a RUDDY TURNSTONE, 2 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS and 4
LESSER YELLOWLEGS were all at Esquimalt Lagoon.

3 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS were at the foot of Bowker Avenue in Oak Bay,
while other Dowitcher species were at Esquimalt Lagoon and Whitty's Lagoon.

2 SANDERLINGS were at Harling Point.

A flock of 100 or more mixed Swallows, probably a migrant group, containing
both Barn Swallows and Violet-Green Swallows at least, was over the Uplands
Road and Landsdowne area between 8 and 9 p.m.

Tuesday, July 14
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A WANDERING TATTLER was again at the Ogden Point seawall in Victoria. One
observer thought this birds showed some characteristics of the GRAY-TAILED
TATTLER, including its pale gray coloration, limited barring on the breast
and belly and rapid walking and feeding behaviour. Unfortunately the bird
could not be relocated later on July 14 or 15. Birders should watch this
bird carefully, observe it and perhaps obtain photographs.

A BAIRD'S SANDPIPER was on the beach just east of the Ogden Point seawall.

A SPOTTED SANDPIPER was at the foot of Bowker Avenue in Oak Bay.

The Sandhill Cranes remain at Martindale Flats north of Martindale Road in
Central Saanich.

Monday, July 13
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3 CASSIN'S AUKLETS were close off shore at Clover Point in Victoria.

For those of you who may be travelling to the South Okanagan, July 10, a
bird thought possibly to be an immature FERRUGINOUS HAWK was seen in the
Vaseaux Lake region. Birders are asked to watch for this bird and obtain
photographs if possible.

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To report sightings of Interest, call the Victoria RBA Hotline at (250)
592-3381 and leave you NAME & TELEPHONE NUMBER plus a brief message
discribing the birds you saw. Or you may email: boom at islandnet.com and
submit your report.

To summon those who can confirm a rare species, call Brian Gates at (250)
598-7899 or the Goodwills' at (250) 382-9652.

Latest Victoria RBA reports are available on the web at:
Birding in British Columbia:
http://www.islandnet.com/~boom/birding/bc-home.htm

Good Birding!