September 2020 Monthly Challenge

[Gord]

September is a fantastic month for birding. Many of the warbler and vireo species are still being seen as well as migrant sparrows and shorebirds. Harrison Lake is a super place to see migrants so is Island 22 . There's lots of birds moving south so any of your favourite sites are worth visiting.


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

Average species for September: 153

Last updated: October 2

Species seen to date: 140

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

Trumpeter Swan
Cackling Goose
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Northern Pintail
American Wigeon
Gadwall
Mallard
Green-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Blue-winged Teal
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Ring-necked Duck
Common Merganser
Hooded Merganser
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Sooty Grouse
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Western Grebe
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
White-faced Ibis
Great Blue Heron
Green Heron
American Coot
Killdeer
Spotted Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Least Sandpiper
Bonaparte's Gull
Mew Gull
Ring-billed Gull
California Gull
Herring Gull
Glaucous-winged Gull
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Band-tailed Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Northern Pygmy-Owl
Great Horned Owl
Barn Owl
Bald Eagle
Golden Eagle
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Swainson's Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Peregrine Falcon
Merlin
American Kestrel
Virginia Rail
Vaux's Swift
Common Nighthawk
Anna's Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Belted Kingfisher
Hairy Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Western Wood-Pewee
Hammond's Flycatcher
Pacific-slope Flycatcher
Willow Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo
Cassin's Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Violet-green Swallow
Clark's Nutcracker
Canada Jay
Steller's Jay
Northwestern Crow
American Crow
Common Raven
Horned Lark
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Black-capped Chickadee
Chestnut-backed Chickadee
Mountain Chickadee
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Bushtit
Brown Creeper
Marsh Wren
Bewick's Wren
Pacific Wren
House Wren
American Dipper
American Robin
Varied Thrush
Hermit Thrush
Swainson's Thrush
Townsend's Solitaire
American Pipit
Cedar Waxwing
European Starling
Orange-crowned Warbler
Tennessee Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Townsend's Warbler
Black-throated Grey Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Wilson's Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Western Tanager
Spotted Towhee
Lincoln's Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
Clay-coloured Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Song Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Black-headed Grosbeak
Brewer's Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
Western Meadowlark
Grey-crowned Rosy Finch
House Finch
Purple Finch
Red Crossbill
Pine Sisin
Lesser Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
Evening Grosbeak
House Sparrow

[Gord]

Sorry for the slow start to the list. Added my Sunshine Valley list plus a couple odds and ends. Got a Rufous Hummingbird in Hope and the other day on Sumas Mountain my first fall Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Lesser Goldfinch from the start of the month a nice addition.

[ed]

Golden Eagle, Grey-crowned Rosy Finch, American Pipit, and white-tailed Ptarmigan from Coquihalla Mtn. Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Common Raven from Harrison HotSprings.

[birder1942]

Good fall birding. you may add the following:
Pied-billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Wood duck, American Widgeon, Green-winged Teal, northern Shoveller, Ring-necked Duck, American Coot, Killdeer, Wilson's Warbler--Willband
Turkey Vulture, Osprey--Great Blue Heron Reserve
Red-tailed Hawk, American Kestrel, House finch--Glen Valley
Yellow-rumped Warbler, House Wren--Sumas Prairie

John Vooys

[Randy]

Cooper's hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, pileated woodpecker, black-headed grosebeak, and barn swallow from my place.

[ed]

Clarke’s Nutcracker, Common Loon and Red-necked Grebe, Strike Lake hike.

[Harrier]

Sardis:
Great horned owl
Cedar waxwing

Abbotsford (near the airport):
Barn owl

[imperialbirders]

Downy Woodpeckers in our back woods - Popkum

[Gord]

Thanks everyone.

ed good additions from your hike. I'm tagging Joseph aquila1997 who's interested in Golden Eagle sightings as he may have more questions.

[Harrier]

Merlin from Sardis today.

[oldfulica]

here is a checklist from Mill Lake today. Note late Black-headed Grosbeak.

Mill Lake, Abbotsford, Fraser Valley, British Columbia, CA
Sep 15, 2020 9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Protocol: Traveling
2.0 kilometer(s)
13 species (+1 other taxa)

Canada Goose 15
American Wigeon 2
Mallard X
Pied-billed Grebe 1
American Coot (Red-shielded) X
Great Blue Heron 1
Belted Kingfisher 1
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) 1
American/Northwestern Crow 6
Bushtit 20
House Finch 4
American Goldfinch 25
Western Tanager 1
Black-headed Grosbeak 1 clearly seen Robin-sized, yellowish front, black and white striped head indicative of immature

[imperialbirders]

Back yard birds today. Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Flickers

[oldfulica]

There were about 10 Long-billed Dowitchers at Jackman Flats, Aldergrove today.

[Gord]

Thanks all. Got an update in and will do better this evening! More to add from my notebook!

[Randy]

I can add:

American Coot - today while at Mill Lake with my daughter
European Starling - from my office

From my place:
GW Gulls
EC Dove
Rock Pigeon
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Bushtit
Bewick's Wren
Western Tanager
Tennessee Warbler
Song Sparrow
Golden-crowned Sparrow