July 2023 Monthly Challenge

[Randy]

July presents a great opportunity to head up to higher elevations in our region such as Manning Park or the Coquihalla to see birds that we rarely encounter at lower elevations, such as Three-toed Woodpecker and Boreal Chickadee just to name a few. A hike up to Cheam Mtn or Needle Peak can produce White-tailed Ptarmigan or even the much rarer Rock Ptarmigan. During the middle/end of the month, some species, particularly shorebirds, begin to migrate through our region.

Breakdown by year for July

2008 – 124 species recorded
2009 – 122 species recorded
2010 – 123 species recorded
2011 - 131 species recorded
2012 - 125 species recorded
2013 - 120 species recorded
2014 - 134 species recorded
2015 - 136 species recorded
2016 - 124 species recorded
2017 - 127 species recorded
2018 - 115 species recorded
2019 - 99 species recorded
2020 - 111 species recorded
2021 - 121 species recorded
2022 - 131 species recorded

Average species for July 123

Last updated July 30, 2023

Species seen to date 129

View past monthly challenges by clicking here You can also see the highlight species seen in previous years by month.

Click on a species in blue text to see more information on that species in our checklist area.

To view the missing species for the month please click here

Tundra Swan
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Northern Pintail
Ring-necked Duck
Barrow's Goldeneye
Hooded Merganser
Common Merganser
Sooty Grouse
Ruffed Grouse
Spruce Grouse
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Pied-billed Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
Osprey
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Merlin
American Kestrel
Peregrine Falcon
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Western Sandpiper
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Long-billed Dowitcher
Caspian Tern
Glaucous-winged Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Eurasian-collared Dove
Rock Pigeon
Band-tailed Pigeon
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Barred Owl
Vaux's Swift
Black Swift
Common Nighthawk
Rufous Hummingbird
Anna's Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Red-naped Sapsucker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Olive-sided Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Hammond's Flycatcher
Western Wood Pewee
Western Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Canada Jay
Steller's Jay
California Scrub-Jay
Clark's Nutcracker
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Purple Martin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Tree Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Cliff Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Boreal Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Brown Creeper
Bushtit
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Pacific Wren
Bewicks Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Townsend's Solitaire
Swainson's Thrush
Hermit Thrush
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Gray Catbird
American Pipit
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
Nashville Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
MacGillivray's Warbler
American Redstart
Wilson's Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Lazuli Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Bullock's Oriole
Pine Grosbeak
Gray-crowned Rosy Finch
Purple Finch
Red Crossbill
White-winged Crossbill
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow

[Randy]

I got the July challenge started a few days early because I'm currently in Newfoundland and will be in transit on July 1. We have a high number to compete with from last year!

[Chris]

From Wetlands this morning

Wood Duck
Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Downy Woodpecker
Western Wood Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
Bank Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Swainson's Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Red-winged Blackbird
Bullock's Oriole
Purple Finch
American Goldfinch

[Bentley]

Went out fishing at in the Hope River today.
Anna's Hummingbird
Turkey Vulture
Barred Owl
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Common Raven
Violet-Green Swallow
Bushtit
Brown-headed Cowbird
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak

Also picked up a couple on the way home
Eurasian Collared Dove
Bald Eagle
European Starling
House Sparrow
House Finch
California Scrub-Jay (likely one from Hazel St pair)

[Randy]

Got the list started, good additions Bentley and Chris!

I added a few from my place this morning - brown creeper, Steller's jay, and chestnut-backed chickadee.

[Bentley]

Couple more today from the Hope River as well

Green Heron
Merlin
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Red-breasted Nuthatch

[ed]

On Elk yesterday,
Canada Jay
Hermit Thrush
Sooty Grouse
MacGillivray's Warbler
Townsend's Warbler

On Flatiron today,
White-tailed Ptarmigan(3 adults 7 chicks)
Horned Lark
Townsend's Solitaire
American Pipit
Chipping Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Red Crossbill
Gray-crowned Rosy Finch

[Chris]

Ed, some nice species in the alpine!

I can add Western Kingbird and Lazuli Bunting both from Fairfield Island

[kenneth2019]

From Chaplin Rd Wetlands and Seabird Island

Canada Goose
American Kestrel
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
White-crowned Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Brewer's Blackbird
Yellow-rumped Warbler

[Chris]

Tundra Swan from Jesperson Dyke.

[Bentley]

Ring-necked Duck at Salish Park

[Jon]

Ben and I had the following in Manning yesterday:
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Black Swift
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Pileated Woodpecker
Pine Grosbeak
Mountain Chickadee
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Evening Grosbeak

Ben also had:
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Clark's Nutcracker
Olive-sided Flycatcher

[Randy]

List is updated.

I added Dark-eyed junco from my place yesterday - unusual for me to have one in the summer and it was clearly a young one.

I also added Bewick's Wren and White-crowned Sparrow.

[Bentley]

Couple nice finds from Cultus today.
Osprey
Vaux's Swift
Common Nighthawk
and a surprise Northern Pygmy-Owl once I left the busier spots

[ed]

Spruce Grouse from Coquihalla Mtn. Also mountain goats, 3 nannies 3 kids. None of them had wings though (so uncountable).