Crested Caracara Twitch

[tysondanny]

Hi all,

On June 11 2018 I went for the long staying CRESTED CARACARA at Hammer Road near Firvale, approx 35 km east of Bella Coola. The journey started early and the first bird of the day was a BARN OWL at 02:54 along Hwy 1 in Abbotsford. Upon arrival in Williams Lake, there were 8 AMERICAN WHITE PELICANS and a TURKEY VULTURE at the east end of the lake. Then it was the trek out Hwy 20, a stop at the wetland/sedge fen complex north of Anahim Lake netted a SORA, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, RUSTY BLACKBIRD and a very agitated LESSER YELLOWLEGS. I arrived at the caracara site at 13:35 with no sign of the bird in the field. A number of rare local birds were found, including AMERICAN REDSTART, CHIPPING SPARROW, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, VEERY and MOURNING DOVE. After 90 minutes of walking the road and scanning the field I went to investigate an agitated SWAINSONS THRUSH in the woodlot west of the field, and there was the CRESTED CARACARA, sitting on a stump in the dark shaded woods, it then flew out to the field and began to walk around and forage scratching at the ground like a chicken. I took a couple of record photos and then started heading back. Stops at Pollywog Marshes, netted 3 SANDHILL CRANES and Eagle Lake had 3 ARCTIC TERNS.

I camped overnight at Bull Canyon Provincial Park, the next morning there had singing LEAST FLYCATCHER, LINCOLNS SPARROW and a COMMON NIGHTHAWK. Just west of Williams Lake at Doc English bluff was a GOLDEN EAGLE sitting at its nest, also here were 7 WHITE-THROATED SWIFTS. Just north of 100 Mile House a small pond had an EARED GREBE and a female CANVASBACK with 6 ducklings in tow. The pond south of 93 Mile had an agitated pair of BONAPARTES GULL mobbing a COMMON RAVEN and just north of Cache Creek was a LEWIS WOODPECKER. The rest of the canyon and trip home was uneventful.

Mammals were also well represented with sightings of Yellow Pine Chipmunk, Coyote, Mule Deer, Bobcat, 2 Grizzly Bears and a very unexpected Fisher, the first one I have ever seen.

Good birding and mammaling,

Dan Tyson
Langley, BC

[paulos]

Nice!

I love birding on the drive to and through the Cariboo. I will have to check out Eagle Lake for the Arctic Terns one year.

[nickinthegarden]

That is an amazing bird to find in BC. It raises so many questions as to where it came from. Was it a wild bird that lost it's way? An escapee from someone's private aviary? I guess there is no way to know for sure.
This begs the question as to how rare is rare? BC is a huge province with lots of open areas and very few knowledgeable people watching. What other birds are out there that have not been seen by a knowledgeable person and reported? The Black Phoebe that I was watching this morning in Chilliwack is considered a rare bird only seen a few times in recorded birding history. How many times was one seen and not reported or not even seen but passed through unremarked. I know several very knowledgeable birders who will not report any rarities they come across. I understand their reasoning and I respect it.
What other birds are flying around the province/country unseen by our birding community?

[Randy]

Jun 16, 2018 19:48:45 GMT -8 nickinthegarden said:

That is an amazing bird to find in BC. It raises so many questions as to where it came from. Was it a wild bird that lost it's way? An escapee from someone's private aviary? I guess there is no way to know for sure.
This begs the question as to how rare is rare? BC is a huge province with lots of open areas and very few knowledgeable people watching. What other birds are out there that have not been seen by a knowledgeable person and reported? The Black Phoebe that I was watching this morning in Chilliwack is considered a rare bird only seen a few times in recorded birding history. How many times was one seen and not reported or not even seen but passed through unremarked. I know several very knowledgeable birders who will not report any rarities they come across. I understand their reasoning and I respect it.
What other birds are flying around the province/country unseen by our birding community?

I completely agree with your post except my opinion is - what's the point of finding a rarity if others or science can't enjoy it?

[murraybrown]

Dan, I must have just missed you on Hammer Road. I arrived on Sunday June 10 and found the caracara at the far end of the field hanging out with a particular horse. Seemed to follow this one animal exclusively. The next day the bird was again with the same horse but this time was perched up on a log at the west end of the field as you described. Hard to figure that one out!
I couldn't find it the following morning and all the horses had disappeared too.

I didn't see a Fisher but had pretty close views of a grizzly and a mountain goat along hwy. 20. We camped one night at Puntzi Lake and saw a large nesting colony of White Pelicans estimated at around 100-150 birds by the locals.

Nick, not only is there a caracara visiting our province right now but also a Common Cuckoo in Haida Gwaii and a Hermit Warbler at Mt. Washington. I believe there are lots more rarities around than is realized and as more birders get involved with better cameras and optics, and good information, the numbers will only continue to grow. I think we ain't seen nuttin yet!

[nickinthegarden]

Good point Randy, just to be clear I pretty much always announce to the world when I find something unusual and I want others to enjoy it as much as I do. There are people who buy a rare painting and put it in their collection and no one else ever sees it. I suspect it is something like that and in one case this person does not want people on or near his property, which is definitely understandable based on the behavior I have seen of some birders.
Murray sounds like this horse and the Caracara have the makings of a Disney movie; strange best friends. I envy you the seeing of the nesting Pelican colony one day I may check something like that out. That Hermit Warbler is very intriguing, I have only seen one image of it on line so far.

[Randy]

Jun 17, 2018 4:51:20 GMT -8 nickinthegarden said:

Good point Randy, just to be clear I pretty much always announce to the world when I find something unusual and I want others to enjoy it as much as I do. There are people who buy a rare painting and put it in their collection and no one else ever sees it. I suspect it is something like that and in one case this person does not want people on or near his property, which is definitely understandable based on the behavior I have seen of some birders.
Murray sounds like this horse and the Caracara have the makings of a Disney movie; strange best friends. I envy you the seeing of the nesting Pelican colony one day I may check something like that out. That Hermit Warbler is very intriguing, I have only seen one image of it on line so far.

I definitely completely understand not wanting a rare bird sighting to get out if it's private property. As you mentioned, birders and photographers have been known to lose their mind a little in these situations!