September 2023 Monthly Challenge

[Gord]

Here we go for September one of the best months of the year with Fall migration at its peak and cooler weather. All of our favourite birding locations will be worth visiting to catch all our usual migrants and possibly a less-than-expected wayward visitor.

Breakdown by year for September

2008 – 157 species recorded
2009 – 150 species recorded
2010 – 154 species recorded
2011 - 143 species recorded
2012 - 172 species recorded
2013 - 161 species recorded
2014 - 149 species recorded
2015 - 145 species recorded
2016 - 152 species recorded
2017 - 145 species recorded
2018 - 154 species recorded
2019 - 153 species recorded
2020 - 140 species recorded
2021 - 151 species recorded
2022 - 150 species recorded

Average species for September: 151

Last updated: October 6

Species seen to date: 152

To view the missing species for the month please click here

Greater White-fronted Goose
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Gadwall
American Wigeon
Northern Pintail
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
Blue-winged Teal
Cinnamon Teal
Ring-necked Duck
Lesser Scaup
Bufflehead
Ruddy Duck
Common Merganser
Red-breasted Merganser
Hooded Merganser
White-winged Scoter
Common Loon
Western Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Pied-billed Grebe
American Coot
Sandhill Crane
Ruffed Grouse
Sooty Grouse
Spruce Grouse
Great Blue Heron
American Bittern
Green Heron
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Golden Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk
Swainson's Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Turkey Vulture
Killdeer
Long-billed Dowitcher
Red-necked Phalarope
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Lesser Yellowlegs
Greater Yellowlegs
Least Sandpiper
Baird's Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Short-billed Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Common Tern
Caspian Tern
Anna's Hummingbird
Great Horned Owl
Barred Owl
Barn Owl
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Eurasian Collared-Dove
Band-tailed Pigeon
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Vaux's Swift
Belted Kingfisher
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
American Three-toed Woodpecker
Lewis' Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Kingbird
Western Kingbird
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Hammond's Flycatcher
Red-eyed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Cassin's Vireo
Black Phoebe
Canada Jay
Steller's Jay
Western Scrub Jay
Clark's Nutcracker
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Bank Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Barn Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Bushtit
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper
Bewick's Wren
Pacific Wren
House Wren
American Dipper
Varied Thrush
American Robin
Swainson's Thrush
European Starling
Grey Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
American Pipit
Common Yellowthroat
Black-throated Gray Warbler
Orange-crowned Warbler
Nashville Warbler
MacGillvray's Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Western Tanager
Black-headed Grosbeak
Dark-eyed Junco
Spotted Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Clay-coloured Sparrow
Brewer's Sparrow
Lincoln's Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Brewer's Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Purple Finch
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Pine Siskin
Evening Grosbeak
Red Crossbill
House Sparrow

[Gord]

Got it started with most of what I have in my field notebook but will get more on here tomorrow. Have fun everyone! It's a good month. Keep an eye for Tree Swallows. They're all but gone now but might be one to find with large flocks of swallows staging for migration.

[Bentley]

Cooper's Hawk from downtown Chilliwack

[kenneth2019]

Gadwal
Mallard
Ring-necked Duck
Bufflehead
Spotted Sandpiper
Turkey Vulture
American Dipper
European Starling
Cedar Waxwing
White-crowned Sparrow

[gabi]

Yes - 100s of Tree swallows on Sumas Prairie power lines this morning.

[gabi]

At Great Blue Heron Reserve
Warbling Vireo
American Coot
Wood Ducks
Common Loon
Swainson’s Thrush
Anna’s Hummingbird (Abbotsford)
Osprey (Willband)

[Chris]

From Cheam Wetlands today, Green-winged Teal and Band-tailed Pigeon.

Already on the list but I did have a Solitary Sandpiper there as well at the Beaver Pond.

[Randy]

Had my FOS Hammond's Flycatcher yesterday at my place.

[old coot]

On the drive that Dave and I take, we saw a few Osprey at various places along Nicomen Island, one here, one there, etc. Klaus

[Gord]

Sept 4, 2023 16:02:20 GMT -8 gabi said:

Yes - 100s of Tree swallows on Sumas Prairie power lines this morning.

Ohh might be worth double checking them if there were many. At this time of year for Tree Swallows one or two at best is to be found now. Young Barn Swallows have surprisingly pale bellies and could look white especially next to the orange bellies of adults. It doesn't help they're buzzing around quickly or scatter off the wires before one can get too close. Thanks for the great addtions, Gabi and to everyone else as well

[Gord]

Added Cinnamon and Blue-winged Teal from Tuyttens Wetlands. Also Chipping and White-throated Sparrow from the same site. Benny got a Red-eyed Vireo in the yard today. Won't be easy to find one much longer into September.

[Chris]

Had 18 Greater White-fronted Geese at Cheam Wetlands this morning

[Randy]

I had a Merlin and pileated woodpecker at my place today. Also had 5 rock pigeons fly over.

It's already on there but I was surprised to hear a Cassin's vireo. It seems quite late and not to mention a species I've only had a couple times at my place.

[oldfulica]

We had a Meadowlark at the Harrison Lagoon this morning. The only other birds were a Yellow-rumped Warbler and 2 savannahs.

[rockpigeon]

Got to watch a Green Heron at the GBH reserve this morning for a while.