Rare and off-course bird turns up in Vancouver

Bird watchers are flocking to British Columbia'sLower Mainland after a wayward summer tanager was spotted pecking atpeanuts on a south Vancouver balcony over the weekend.

Saturday's sighting was the first time a summer tanager has been recorded in the Metro Vancouver area, and only the sixth time forall B.C., said Melissa Hafting, who runs a blog on rare birds.

"He's bringing a lot of joy to birders in the area," Haftingsaid in an email. "He has a small bill deformity but is eating verywell."

Summer tanagers typically winter from central Mexico to Boliviaand Brazil, and their summers are usually spent around thesoutheastern United States.

Bird likely off course

The juvenile male is likely off course thanks to reversemigration, a phenomenon where young birds migrate in the oppositedirection thanks to what is believed to be faulty geneticprogramming, Hafting said.

The rare sight has attracted birders from as far away asVancouver Island, Kelowna and Washington state, she added.

Photographs of thisVancouver visitor show a medium-sized songbirdwith brilliant yellow feathers and splashes of bright red around itsface.

The top section of its thick, stubby bill curves slightly tothe left.

Wendy Kahle spotted the bird flitting about her balcony Saturdaymorning but didn't immediately recognize it.

'Super excited'birders

She said she posted a photo online asking for help identifyingthe species and within three minutes Hafting called her "superexcited" to ask for permission to share the location with thebirding community.

"I said, 'Yes, sure. Come on down.' I had absolutely no idea howrare it was and just how much excitement it brought with it," Kahlesaid.

Since then, between five and 10 people have been outside her homeat any given time admiring the tanager, she added.

"Everyone whom I spoke to was just thrilled and so thankful."

17-year-old first to arrive with camera

Liron Gertsman, 17, was among the first to show up and photographthe tanager.

"It was eating peanuts that the lady who found it had put out onher balcony," said the avid birder, who plans to study ornithologyafter he finishes high school. "It was even catching some insects.We watched it eat a couple wasps as well."

He described the bird as stunning and said the sighting is likelya once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"It makes you feel really small in a way because this bird is intotally the wrong part of its range," Gertsman said. "It makes ita really special thing to see a bird that is so rare in this part ofthe world."