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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 4h

A new nudibranch for me in this week’s peek beneath the surface: White-lined Dirona 🌊🇨🇦 #MarineLife

White-lined Dirona (Dirona albolineata). Capital Regional District, British Columbia. 06 October 2025.

Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 11h

I have wanted to see a Varied Thrush for a very, very long time, so I was ecstatic to catch this first year male at Pedder Bay this morning! Our first to be ringed this season. #birdringing

Varied Thrush: upperwing, showing 4 replaced (adult-type) and 6 retained (juvenile) greater coverts

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 2d

Saturday also wasn’t bad for birds in the Juan de Fuca Straight, including a bunch of Red-necked Phalaropes. A lone bull Orca was a delight too! #birdingBC #mammals

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 2d

Photos of Saturday’s epic seal versus Orca versus Humpback scene in the Salish Sea. The seal is in there but is difficult to see as it was (understandably) hunkered down! 🦭🐋 #MarineLife

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 3d

…Not sure an adult should ever have such an indistinct head pattern and yellow lower mandible, though just going off limited literature and comparing photos online. Would be interested to know if the museum aged it, or if there are any photos showing the inner greater coverts.

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 3d

Steve, do you know what became of the 2022 Papay Sibe Thrush - presumably in a museum collection? It was accepted by BBRC as an adult but, looking at the photos, I wonder if it was also a first-winter...

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 3d

Decent showing of pinnipeds at Race Rocks yesterday. Vocal Steller and California Sea Lions are always entertaining. A Northern Fur Seal constituted a rarity for these waters. #MarineLife #mammals

Steller Sea Lion. Race Rocks, Capital, British Columbia. 04 October 2025.

California Sea Lion. Race Rocks, Capital, British Columbia. 04 October 2025.

Northern Fur Seal. Race Rocks, Capital, British Columbia. 04 October 2025.

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 3d

Incredible to watch a pod of Orcas encircling a Harbour Seal that was hauled out atop a raft of kelp. Even more incredible to see a Humpback Whale repeatedly defending the seal. Fascinating altruistic behaviour! Yesterday in the Salish Sea, guiding for RPBO & @eaglewingtours.bsky.social. #MarineLife

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 3d

Nice! Now that looks like a moult limit in the greater coverts - 2 replaced and 8 juvenile! Wonder why that didn’t show in others’ earlier photos.

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 9d

Wet morning at Rocky Point so could only open the nets for a few hours between deluges. Nice Steller’s Jay! #birdringing

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 9d

Good birding at Rocky Point yesterday. A Harlequin Duck was terrorising crabs, while numbers of Heermann’s Gull and Brandt’s Cormorant are on the rise. #birdingBC

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 9d

Adult Golden-crowned Sparrow at Rocky Point yesterday #birdringing

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 12d

It amazes me how resilient birds are. This Olympic Gull (Glaucous-winged x Western) at Esquimalt Lagoon this week is persisting, despite a severely deformed bill! #seabirds 🧪🇨🇦🌎

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 13d

A Black-throated Grey Warbler always puts a smile on my face. Here’s a first year male from today at Rocky Point, where an average of five are ringed per autumn. #birdringing

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 13d

Short-tailed Shearwater was a major rarity in the Salish Sea until this decade. It was cool to find a few dozen flanking the Canada/US border last night! #seabirds

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 15d

I always enjoy catching a raptor, so this juvenile female Cooper’s Hawk in the passerine nets at Rocky Point today was very welcome! #birdringing

Cooper’s Hawk (1CY female). Rocky Point, British Columbia, Canada. 23 September 2025.

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 15d

A pleasant evening at Esquimalt Lagoon included a vagrant Franklin’s Gull and my first Western Grebe. #birdingBC

Franklin’s Gull. Esquimalt Lagoon, British Columbia, Canada. 23 September 2025.

Western Grebe. Esquimalt Lagoon, British Columbia, Canada. 23 September 2025.

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 17d

Steller’s Jay at Rocky Point this morning! #birdringing

Steller’s Jay. Rocky Point, British Columbia, Canada. 21 September 2025.

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 18d

🤯😱🤯😱

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 22d

This Northern Saw-whet Owl was the first bird of the day to be ringed at Pedder Bay. Always a treat! 🦉

Northern Saw-whet Owl. Pedder Bay, British Columbia, Canada. 16 September 2025.

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 22d

Subtle subspecies! Hatch year Gambel’s and Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrows can be a challenge to distinguish. Key features include bill colour (orangey vs. yellowish) and underwing covert colour (grey vs. grey washed yellow). Photos from yesterday at Rocky Point. #birdringing

1CY Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii). Rocky Point, British Columbia, Canada. 15 September 2025.

1CY Puget Sound White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys pugetensis). Rocky Point, British Columbia, Canada. 15 September 2025.

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 24d

Juvenile male Sharp-shinned Hawk at Rocky Point this morning #birdringing

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · 29d

Two Sora treated me to incredible views at Rocky Point this morning! Phone pic via binoculars. #birdingBC

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · Sep 9

Cassin’s and Hutton’s Vireos are scarcely ringed at Rocky Point Bird Observatory. I enjoyed my first of the former today, following a handful of the latter lately. #birdingBC

Cassin’s Vireo. Pedder Bay, British Columbia, Canada. 08 September 2025.

Hutton’s Vireo. Rocky Point, British Columbia, Canada. 27 August 2025.

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Max Hellicar @birdingtothemax.bsky.social · Sep 8

It was a good morning for rare sparrows at Rocky Point! First, the station’s tenth ringing record of Clay-coloured, followed by the first Brewer’s (Timberline) Sparrow to ever be ringed here! #birdingBC

1CY Clay-coloured Sparrow. Rocky Point Bird Observatory, British Columbia, Canada. 07 September 2025.

1CY Brewer’s Sparrow (ssp. taverneri). Rocky Point Bird Observatory, British Columbia, Canada. 07 September 2025.

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