CONTINENTAL SUIVEY

The Winter Season

December 1, 1984--February 28, 1985

NORTHEASTERN MARITIME REGION /Richard S. Heil

With the understandingthat it is difficultto make generalcomments concerningthe weather,never mind avifaunal trends, in a Regionwhose diversityis reflectedin the starkdissimilarities between places such as the Avalon Peninsulaand the coastof Connecticut,the following state- mentsare made: Despite a colder-than-normalJanuary, the physidal elementsdealt to the winter of 1984-1985 were kind. The exceptionwas Newfoundland,where Decemberespecially was "colderand stormier thanaverage." Using Boston statistics as the Regionalmean, being the most readily availableto this editor, we see that Decemberaveraged nearly6 ø F abovenormal and that the temperaturereached a staggering 73ø on the 29th. A 20-day stretchof cold temperaturesJanuary 3-22 nearlyoffset Decemher's warmth but did not displaythe extremecold, with subzerotemperatures, evident in someseasons. February started out cold;but warm, spring-likeconditions prevailed from aboutFebru- ary 10-28. Precipitationwas well belowaverage throughout the Region for theentire season, resulting most importantly in greatlyreduced snow cover. Furtherameliorating this winter's hardshipwas a nearly universal abundanceof wild food crops.As describedby one ChristmasBird Countcompiler, Frank Mantlik, referringto the Westport,Connecticut. area, "Everythingfrom pines{white pine especially),hemlocks, oaks (acorns),and most berry-producingplants {winterberry, poison ivy, muchof the coast,although an anomaloussum of 335 in BuzzardsBay bayberry)had what seemedto be bumpercrops." Likewise in thenorth Dec. 15 (C.B .C.) was still below severalrecent counts for thosewaters. countrypine and spruceyields were said to be abundant,as werefleshy Small flockswere correctlytermed "late" at far-inlandlocales, includ- fruitssuch as rose and mountain ash. As we shallsee, the implicationsof ing up to 20 at QuabbinRes., Mass., until Jan.26 (SK). SingleRed- a mega-berrycrop on frugivorenumbers was profoundly evident, while neckedGrebes were very unusualinland at Fairfield, Conn., Dec. 16 the relationshipof winter finchesto the local conecrop was much less (fide DV), at QuabbinRes., Jan. 6, andespecially one at Northampton, clear. Mass., Feb. 20. (fide SK). The only coastalassemblage worthy of Againthis winter a diversearray and often remarkable quantities of mentionwas of 140 + off the e. shoreof Miquelon I., Jan. 25, building semi-hardies,lingerers, and reversemigrants were reported, clearly to 263 Feb. 2 (fide RE). ThreeW. Grebesgraced the Region:once again respondingto the clementweather. The availabilityof openwater in the Georgetown,Me., area,Dec. 15-Jan.9, at Rowley, Mass., Dec. seemed to be at the same time both conducive and non-conducive to 21-22 (D. Alexander), and at Nantucket I., Dec. 17-30 (K. Able). concentratingwaterfowl. depending on species.On theone hand, exten- A GreaterShearwater amidst a "seethingmass of gannetsand gulls" sive openwater may permit many speciesto remainwidespread and at NantucketI., Dec. 30 wasclearly and convincingly described (P. W. thereforenot evidentin appreciablenumbers, while certainother less Smithet al.). Largenumbers of N. Gannetsdid massin the watersalong hardymembers {teal, wigeon, Gadwall, shoveler) are induced to remain CapeCod and NantucketI. in December,then moved on as the winter in undiminishednumbers, perhaps avoiding the rigorsof migration. progressedand the local food supply presumably diminished. Totals of 6552 and 8662, respectively,were countedon the Cape Cod and Nan- LOONS THROUGH IBISES -- The only significantloon gatherings tucket C.B.C.s, and 1000+ were seenat S. Monomoy Dec. 23. Five camefrom the expectedlocations of NantucketI. and Martha's Vine- GreatCormorants were surprisingwell inlandalong the KennebecR. at yard. The combinedtotals of the 2 islands'C.B.C.s, both Dec. 30, AugustaDec. 29. At SakonetPt., R.I., 3256 GreatsDec. 16 was nearly equaled289 Red-throatedLoons and an above-average1394 Com. double last year's record count there on the C.B.C. Double-crested Loons. Arctic Loons were .describedfrom Gloucester, Mass., Dec. Cormorantsare now routinely seen throughoutDecember at choice 16 + (F. Hamlenet al.), andMonhegan I., Dec. 27 (C. Duncan).A 3rd coastallocations. particularly river mouths,as far n. as Maine. One Arctic Loon was said to have been "thoroughlyand convincinglyde- individualwas foundat MahoneBay, N.S., Dec. 19 (ELM), and eight scribed"at Lower W. Pubnico. N.S., Jan. 17-19 (fide PRD). A few werein theFredericton area (presumably on the St. JohnsR.), in interior Pied-billedGrebes lingered in interiorand n. partsof theRegion prior to New Brunswick,Dec. 16 (fide DSC). An astounding349 werecounted the Januaryfreeze, and one was still at PleasantL., YarmouthCo., on the New London, Conn., C.B.C., Dec. 29, and small numbers N.S., Feb. 18. HornedGrebes were present in depressednumbers along continuedto be foundinto January from Massachusettssouth. Evidence

Volume39, Number2 145 of probableoverwintering in RhodeIsland was revealed by countsof GoldenEagles were very well reported,perhaps reflecting increased nine at both Galilee Feb. 10 and EdgewoodFeb. 27 (fide DLE). breedingactivity in the northeast,including: an adultDec. 26 at the Up to six Great Egretslingered into December,the northernmostat MartiniqueSanctuary, N.S. (IAM); an immatureJan. 30 at Prospect Hazel Hill, N.S., Dec. 2 (fide IAM). Otherswere present at Darien, Harbor, Me. (fide WCT); an adultplus two immaturesat the Quabbin Conn., Dec. 16; on the Stratford-Milford C.B.C., Dec. 29; at Adams- Res., Jan. 11; an immaturewintering at variousRhode Island coastal ville,R.f., Dec. 16; at Nantucket I., Dec. 30; a, nd finally one at Orleans, sitesDec. 29-Feb. 22; and an adult and an immatureat Essex,Conn., Mass., Dec. 6-16. Snowy Egretswere by comparisonscarce, with from mid-Decemberto March (fide DV). Merlins were much in evi- singlesat HyannisDec. 22 and at Martha's VineyardDec. 30, Green- denceat coastallocations from Nova Scotias., whilethe five Regional backedHerons, sansdetails, were reportedfrom both Massachusetts PeregrineFalcons this winter includedindividuals in Nova Scotia,and andConnecticut in December.A GlossyIbis was startlinglybehind in Newfoundland,at Cape St. Marys Dec. 19 (BM). Gyrfalconswere scheduleat Mason's I., Conn., Dec. 29, indicative of that month's presentagain in goodnumbers near St. Anthonyand L'anse-aux-Mead- relativetepidity (C. Taylor, G. Zepko). ows, whereDovekies were feedingabundantly near shore. Most of the 10 Gyrs sightedwere of the white phase(fide BM). ThreeGyrfalcons WATERFOWL -- Twelve TundraSwans were "present for several farthers. were all gray-phasebirds, at GrandPre, N.S., Decemberto weeks"prior to and on the Martha's VineyardC.B.C., Dec. 30. The February(m.ob.); at MonomoyI., Dec. 9 (BN); andpossibly the same only othersreported were from RhodeIsland, two at JamestownJan. 19 bird at TuckernuclcI., Dec. 31 (M. Litchfieldet al.). The latterbird was andone at SachuestPt., Feb. 13 (fideDLE). A freshly-deadMute Swan, seenpursuing and briefly lockingtalons with a Short-earedOwl. perhapsa bit tooerratic in its wanderings,was found at SableI., N.S., Feb. 19 (fide PRD). Small flocksand scatteredindividual Snow Geese RAILS THROUGH SHOREBIRDS -- A Yellow Rail was inadver- were found throughouts. New England, at interior sitesas well as tently flushedfrom the QuaiseMarsh on NantucketI., Dec. 31 (O. coastal,mostly in December.The biggestflock was of 27 at Plum I., Komar). Althoughthis one was locatedin a fresh-watermarsh, one Mass., Dec. 22. Four winteredin the E. Harwich area of•Cape Cod wondersif routine,peripheral circuits of saltmarshes during especially (BN), and one was locatedon the unusualdate of Feb. 1 at Saco, Me. hightides in thefall or mildearly winters might turn up this cryptic, but (fide WCT). CanadaGeese and dabblingducks generally persisted in not necessarilyrare, specieswith greaterfrequency. A ClapperRail above-averagenumbers, having lingered at migratorystopovers at least winteredat Week•paug,R.I. (fide DLE), andanother less hardy indi- until the onsetof freezingtemperatures in earlyJanuary. In Massachu- vidualwas .found freshly dead at S. Wellfleet, Mass., Feb. 5 (fideBN). setts,a sampleof elevatedcounts in this groupincluded: 6344 Canada The only King Rail waspresent at the "usualsite along the Connecticut Geeseon the ConcordC.B.C., Dec. 30, exemplaryof theirextraordi- R." at Old SaybrookDec. 30 (N. Proctor).Two SandhillCranes, first nary and continuedincrease in the Regionas much as of the weather; discoveredat Westerly.R.I., Dec. 22, were relocatedat Weekapaug tellingsums of 351 Green-wingedTeal, 74 N. Pintails,and 43 Gadwalls Jan. 13, wherethey remaineduntil at leastFeb. 20, representinga 3rd still in theNewburyport area salt marshes, Dec. 22; and20 N. Shovelers staterecord (fide DLE). onthe ice-free ponds of MonomoyPt., Dec. 9 (BN). A $ Gadwallat St. John's,Nfld., Nov. 15-Dec. 26 providedone of few definiterecords for theprovince (BM et al.). No fewerthan 11 Eur. Wigeonswere noted, in Massachusetts(four), RhodeIsland (four), andConnecticut (three). The bulk of RegionalCanvasbacks traditionally winter on Rhode Island pondsand estuaries,where a total of 3000 were at 2 sitesDec. 8 (fide DLE). In w. Newfoundland,Com. Eiderswere said to be scarceevery- where except L'anse-aux-Meadowswhere a flock of 300+ Jan. 20 includedonly onead. male(fide BMk). Oneplace where eiders were not scarcewas within the Nantucket !. C.B.C. circle where 58,270 were tabulatedDec. 30. King Eiderswere regular at L'anse-aux-Meadows, 16 thereDec. 23 beingthe largestflock (BMk). Twenty-twoHarlequin Ducksat SachuestPt., Dec. 16, mostof whichremained through Janu- CommonGreenshank at Harbour Grace, Nfid., Jan. 17, 1985. Photo/ ary, wasbelieved to be a recordhigh for RhodeIsland. Late recordsof Bruce Mactavish. uncommonfall migrantsinland included a White-wingedScoter on the ConnecticutR. n. of the Wilder Dam on the Vermont border, Dec. 23- 24 (W. Ellison), and a Red-breastedMerganser at Holyoke, Mass., As in the other groups,the reportsof shorebirdsthis winter were Dec. 15. Very rareinland in Massachusettsat any time wasa Barrow's repletewith recordsof lingeringmigrants that shouldhave long since Goldeneyeat HatfieldFeb. 28 (fide SK). RuddyDucks were present in passedS. Two small "flocks" of SemipalmatedPlovers in s. New goodnumbers at severals. New Englandsites, the best count being 230 Englandincluded three at New Haven, Conn., throughoutDecember at s. Monomoy Dec. 9 (BN). (m.ob.), andfive at Tiverton,R.I., Dec. 16 (fide DLE). A singlebird was alsonoted at Lower W. Pubnico,N.S., Dec. 14. An Am. Oyster- DIURNAL RAPTORS-- An impressiveroost of 107Turkey Vul- catcheron the Westport,Conn., C.B.C. furnishedthe lateststate record tureswas located,for the first time in 7 years,within the Old Lyme- Dec. 16 (F. Mantliket al.). Thisgaudy species has nested on thenearby SaybrookC.B.C. circleDec. 30. Five sightingsof TurkeyVultures in Norwalk ls. for the past3 + years.The now famousCommon Green- RhodeIsland in Decemberdropped to onein January,while 12 migrants shank of HarbourGrace. Conception Bay. Nfld., was seenon every were notedat Alton, R.I., as early as Feb. 26 (fide DLE). Lingering visit from Aug. l, 1984 to Feb. 2, 1985, but couldnot be locatedFeb. Ospreyswere found at Cambridge,Mass., Dec. 16 (D. Brownet al.); 27, despitea thoroughsearch (fide BM). First discoveredin the same on the Greenwich-StamfordC.B.C., Dec. 16 (IV[.Pensock); and at Old spotin December1983, it is remarkablethat the bird apparentlysur- Lyme, Conn., Dec. 30 (J. Maynardet al.). BaldEagles were seen in vived the winterof 1983-1984,a mild one, locallyin the provinceas it goodnumbers in manyareas, 100 + attractedby fishoffal, asreported perhapshas done again this year. Greater Yellowlegs persisted through- by provincialwildlife officials at HermitageBay, Nfld., Feb. 7, being outDecember and even into January at severalcoastal sites while a few, the mostoutstanding. Other assemblagesof merit included35 in the moreunusual, winter sightings of LesserYellowlegs included one as far Wolfville, N.S., areaFeb. 2 (fideIAM); 17 atthe Quabbin Res., Jan. l 1 n. as Portsmouth,N.H., Dec. 9-15 (R. Stephenson).A late Spotted (fide SK); and20 statewidein ConnecticutDec. 15 (fideDV). Northern Sandpiperat Stockbridgeprovided the 2nd suchrecord for w. Massa- Harriersas well as all 3 Accipiterspecies were seen in above-average chusetts(fide SK). Lingering calidrids includeda W. Sandpiperat numbersin the Regionin general.In w. Massachusettsalone reports Milford Pt., Conn., Dec. 29 (F. Sibley et al.), and a White-rumped totaling25 Sharp-shinned,13 Cooper's,and 17 N. Goshawkswere all Sandpiperpresent up to Dec. 15 at Quincy, Mass. (D. Brown). An termedhigh counts(fide SK).-Rough-leggedHawks were scarce, with interestingreport of a SemipalmatedSandpiper on the St.-Pierre& the only double-figuredcount in the entireRegion emanating from the MiquelonIslands C.B.C. was not describedto this editor. Observations GrandPre, N.S., area,where 14 werepresent Jan. 28 (fideIAM). of dowitchers(sp.) in Massachusetts,most likely pertainingto Long-

146 AmericanBirds, Summer1985 billed, consistedof threeat HyanmsportDec 22 (BN), one at Martha's In New England,alcld sightings were unexceptional, notwithstanding VineyardDec. 30, and two at NantucketI. in early January(P. Buck- fairly goodnumbers of Razorbillspresent along Cape Cod, culminating ley) For the 2nd year in a row smallnumbers of phalaropes,almost in 676 there on the C.B.C., Dec. 16. A count of 105 Black Guillemots at certainlyRed Phalaropes,were seen in the GrandManan Channel in late Provincetown,Mass., Jan. 31 (BN) was in line with its currentstatus in December. that area. LARIDS -- Amplenumbers of Corn.Black-headed Gulls were pres- ent at several of the usual concentration sites in the maritimes. At least DOVES THROUGH SHRIKES -- A White-wingedDove reported- 90 at St. John'sin early Decemberdiminished to around50 for the ly visitedfeeders in the FundyN.P. areaof New Brunswickfor almost3 remainderof the winter(BM), while in Nova Scotia43 werecounted at weeksaround Dec. 18 (fide DSC). SnowyOwls in generalwere present ConredsBeach, Halifax Co., Dec. 23 (ELM et al.). Two Mew Gulls at, or slightlybelow, averagenumbers this winter. The only reliably- were found:an adult that lingeredat St. John'suntil Dec. 9 was one of reportedGreat Gray Owl this winter was seenon the Dover-Foxcroft two that arrived back in September(BM), and a first-winterbird of C.B.C., Dec. 28. Althougha Long-earedOwl at St. PierreFeb. 9 (RE) undetailedrace presentat W. Haven, Conn., Dec. 23 to mid-January, provideda 2nd recordfor the Frenchislands that lie just off Newfound- reportedlyphotographed, furnished a 3rd staterecord (N. Curry,fide land'ss. shore,the speciesis still on Newfoundland'shypothetical list DV) A yellow-legged,dark-mantled ed. HerringGull seenat St. John's A BorealOwl washeard calling on several occasions in mid-Februaryat Jan 16-Feb. 28 was believed to be L. a. michahellis, a race of the w. New Brnnswick's Terra Nova N.P. (H. Deichmann). Red-headed Mediterranean(BM). Reportsof Thayer'sGull typesincluded an adult Woodpeckerswere rather widespread, suggesting a late fall movement photographedamong numerous Iceland Gulls at St. John'sFeb. 12- into the Region, and includedeight in Massachusetts,three in Maine, Mar 6 (BM), andone in first-winterplumage at NantucketI., Dec. 17 and three in New Hampshire.Unusually high numbersof N. Flickers (K Able). In s. partsof the Region, white-wingedgulls were late in winteredthroughout s. New England;particularly noticeable this year arrivingand neverdid so in any appreciablenumbers this winter. Ice- weremany more individuals inland. A PileatedWoodpecker at Hopkin- land Gulls were at least as plentiful as usualin Newfoundlandif the ton, R.I. (fide DLE) was a rarity on the s.e. coastalplain. Flycatchers CornerBrook C.B.C. is any indication:it recorded3340 (fide BMk). are not consideredstandard fare in northeasternwinters, but E. Phoebes Black-leggedKittiwakes again massed along the outerCape Cod beach- were almostcommon on s. New EnglandC.B.C.s this year, and one es and aroundNantucket, taking advantage of copiousdoses of sand survivedto at leastJan. 31 at Storrs,Conn. (fide DV). WesternKing- lancein thosewaters. The NantucketI. andCape Cod C.B.C.s' com- birdswere almostequally rife, with Decemberlingerers in Nova Scotia bined total was nearly 41,000. (three), Maine (two), Massachusetts(three), and RhodeIsland (one). A Perhapsthe mostexciting find of the winterwas that of an ed. Ross' Scissor-tailedFlycatcher was very lateat Hazel Hill, N.S., Dec. I (from Gull, seenfor oneday only, Dec. 3 at Newburyport,Mass. (S. Tingley ßNovember--m.ob.). et al ). Duly describedas possessing "a distinctlywedge-shaped tail," "a A Tree Swallowwas surprisingly late, butat a likely location,West- conspicuouspinkish blush to the underparts,"and "lighter gray under- erly, R.I., Jan. 6 (fide DLE). The two NantucketIsland Jackdaws were wingsthan an ed. Little Gull," it wasobserved in flight andsitting on the presentall winterwhile a singlebird remained at Miquelon,seen Dec waterwith the aid of a Quester.An imm. Ivory Gull seenby manyat 28 and Jan. 23 (fide RE), where therehad beenfour previously.Yet Plum I., Mass., Feb. 1-2, was the only one reporteds. of Newfound- anotherlocation turned up a Jackdaw;one found at the FairviewCeme- land Thesegulls am regular off then. tip of Newfoundlandbut typically tery, Halifax, N.S., Dec. 15 (m.ob.) wasstill beingseen in earlyMarch stay "out of sight of landlubberbirdwatchers" (BM). Twenty Ivory BorealChickadees were apparentin elevatednumbers in Newfoundland Gulls were presentaround L'anse-aux-Meadows the latter one-halfof and Nova Scotia, but were said to be down in Maine, and generally December. absentfrom s. New England.Favorable comments were elicited from all Widespreadreports of ternsincluded 2 unexpectedsightings of For- areastoward Golden-crowned Kinglets, and in Maine theywere said to ster's Terns in Nova Scotia, at Ben Eoin Beach Nov. 30-Dec. 1 and at have "replacedBlack-capped Chickadee as the commonforest bird in CrescentBeach Dec. 29-30 (fideRGBB), onthe heelsof a lacklusterfall someareas this winter" (fide WCT). The statusof Blue-grayGnat- for this speciesin the Region. More usualwas a Forster'sat Acoaxet, catcherthis winter was without precedent. A reversemigration this past Mass., Dec. 16 (DLE et al.). SingleCorn. Terns were notedat West- fall, thatappeared to be singularlyunique to gnatcatchers,was followed port, Conn., Dec. 10 (fide DV), and at WoodsHole, Mass., Dec. 31 this winter by reportsof 10 in Nova Scotia, 11 in Massachusetts,and (ftde BN). About equalodds should be given to the two terns(sp.) two in Connecticut.Did observersin Maine overlookthis speciesor observedfloating on driftwoodat Rockland,Me., Dec. 23 (C.B.C.) in were they just absentfrom that statefor some unknownreason? being either of the abovespecies. AmericanRobins were present in exceptionalabundance this season, favorablyresponding to equallyexceptional fruit cropsin mostof the ALCIDS -- S.A. Region.This wasclearly illustrated by the MassachusettsC.B.C. total Ideal conditionsfor a majoralcid spectacleat the tip of the n. of 7633 robins.Six Varied Thrusheswere reported, including a curious peninsulaof Newfoundlandwere repeated several times during aggregationof three at Florencetown,N.B., Dec. 29 (C.B.C.). The January. Rare nights of calm, cold air precededeach day in irrnptiveBohemian Waxwing experienced a ratherpoor winter locally, which large movementsof alcidsensued. This permitted,e.g., occurringin below-averagenumbers and producingonly a coupleof Jan. 2, up to 90% of the oceanto briefly freeze(fide BM), and extralimitalrecords n. ands. of theirusual range in ourRegion. Another eachof thesedays was followed within 12 hrs by a stormfront winterfrugivore, Cedar Waxwing, had high numbersvirtually every- from the SW or SE (fide BMk). Thick-billedMurres "put on a wherefrom Connecticutto Nova Scotia.Note especiallyseveral very greatone-day showing" at a pointn. of St. AnthonyJan. 2, when high C.B.C. counts,the bestof which was a remarkable1090 at Buz- 51,000 were sighted(BMk). The real story,however, involved zards Bay, Mass., Dec. 15. NorthernShrikes were very scarce,this the Dovekie. Remarkably,the 12,715 countedon the St. Antho- perhapsbeing one of theirpoorest seasons in recentyears. Single Log- ny C.B.C., Dec. 31, althougheasily eclipsing the previous North gerheadShrikes were goodfinds at New Haven, Conn., all December AmericanC.B .C. high, wasonly a suggestionof whatwas yet to (fide DV) and at Kingston,R.I., Dec. 29 (fide DLE). be witnessed.Two days later this recordwas shatteredwhen, with the largerflight of Thick-billedMurres, over 70,000 Dove- VIREOS, WARBLERS -- Late vireos were an imm. White-eyed kles were observednear Quirpon. Then what truly must have Vireo at Northampton,Mass., Dec. 16 (fide SK), and two Solitary beenan incrediblesight, and perhaps the ultimatealcid experi- Vireos in Nova Scotia at Dartmouth Dec. 2 and on the Halifax West ence, was the observationof nearlyone-quarter million Dove- C.B.C., Dec. 15 (fide PRD). kles flying pastGriquet Jan. 20 (BMk et al.). "All of the Dove- An incredibleseventeen species of warblerswere observedin the klesand tourres were always flying N alongthe coast in groupsof Region,one more than last season's total. Sucha diversityof paruhds 50-1000 birds."Alcids much farther out, including"large flocks wouldhave beenunheard of 5 or 10 yearsago, notwithstandingthe at the limit of vision whose size couldn't even be estimated," occurrenceof a late-seasonhurricane or other suchevent. Is this group were not includedin the totals (fide BMk). actuallyoccurring with increasingregularity late in the seasondue to unknowncauses (climatic changes, specific weather patterns, feeders?),

Volume 39, Number 2 147 or are therejust so many more birdwatchersthese days that increased coverageis the culprit?I suspectthe latter to be closestto the truth. Many warblersightings were too numerousto individuallydelineate but included Nashville: total of six in December, two in Nova Scotia, three in e. Massachusetts,and one in Connecticut;Cape May: three in Nova Scotia, two remainingat W. Pubnicoto Jan. 11 (fide PRD); Black- throated Gray Warbler: one at Halifax, N.S., from Novemberto at least Dec. 15 (C.B.C.); Yellow-throated Warbler: one visited a feeder at St. John'sNfld., Dec. 18-28 (fideBM); Pine:individuals at St. John's and Cape Race, Nfld., in Decemberfor the 3rd and 4th provincial records,up to five at Halifax, andmany others in New England;Prairie: two in Massachusettsin December; Black-and-white: two at St. John's, the latestto Jan. 2 (fide BM), two in Massachussetts,and one in Con- necticut;Am. Redstart:one in Massachusettsin December;Ovenbird: one at St. John's,Dec. 27, was the only onereported: N. Waterthrush: one in Connecticutto Jan. 3; Oporornissp.: one observedduring the Quincy,Mass., C.B.C. countperiod about Dec. 16 (R. Abrams);Wil- son's: one in Nova Scotia and one in Connecticut, both in December. Goide•-crow•ed Sparrow at Cl• lsland, •e., ]am 9, 1985. Ftrst confirmedrecord for •aine. PhotolDomld Thompson. TANAGERS THROUGH BLACKBIRDS -- SingleW. Tanagerson MassachusettsC.B.C.s were encounteredat Cape Cod Dec. 16, at Millis Dec. 15-30, and at S. Gardner Dec. 11-24. The Dickcissel was a and probablyelsewhere, in mid-December,just in time to elevate far cry morecommon than it had beenin recentwinters, shadowing a C.B.C.s. A singleflock of 215 at Georgetown,Me., Dec. 30 was an strongshowing this fall. At least 18 were foundin all partsof the impressivesight (RSH). EveningGrosbeaks arrived in numberscertain- Region, severalof them lingeringall winterat feeders.The first New- ly well belowthose of the majorincursions of the last2 years,and were foundland record of Rufous-sided Towhee in over a decade was estab- very hard to find in manye. sectionsof New England.Good numbers. lishedby oneat CornerBrook Dec. 27-Jan.3 (fideBMk). Many of the however, were notedin severalof the maritimes,including 1000+ on ground-foragingsparrows were abettedin theirsearch for foodby the the Fredericton. N.B., C.B.C., Dec. 16. reducedsnow cover, indeedoften barrenground, that existedthis win- ter. Winterpopulations of towhees,and Chipping, Field, White-throat- SUB-REGIONAL COMPILERS -- Roger G. B. Brown, David S. ed, andWhite-crowned sparrows were apparently all aboveaverage this Christie, Phyllis R. Dobson, David L. Emerson,Roger Etcheberry, season.Likewise the abundanceof the Dark-eyedJunco was well illus- Seth Kellog, Brace Mactavish, Blake Maybank (BMk), lan A. Mac- tratedin the commentsof J. Williams, compilerof the Westminster, Laren, Eric L. Mills, Blair Nikula, William C. Townsend, Dennis Mass., C.B.C.: "tremendousflocks... observedthroughout the late Varza. -- RICHARD S. HELL, 12 Audette Street, Peabody, MA fall . . . reflectedin our count this year. A total of 1024 is a 500% 01960. increaseover our previoushigh." Someof the rarestmembers of the Emberizinaeappearing in our Regionthis winter included an odd-sea- sonedLark Bunting, saidto provideonly a 2ndstate record, at Beacon Falls, Conn., Feb. 22-23 (R. Schwartz, DV), a skulking Le Conte's Sparrow foundin spartinamarsh habitat at E. Orleans,Mass., Dec. 16 (RSH et al.), anda well-photographedimm. Golden-crownedSpar- row representinga first confirmedrecord for Maine at Cliff l., Jan.6 to at least Feb. 4 (D. Thompson).Clay-colored Sparrows occurred at QUEBEC REGION Northampton,Mass., Feb. 10-28 (T. Gagnonet al.), and for the 2nd year in a row at St. John's to Dec. 26 (R. Burrows et al.). Also /Richard Yank and Yves Aubry noteworthywas a totalof five RegionalLark Sparrows,and a Lincoln's Sparrowthat survivedthe more trying Newfoundlandwinter at St. Decemberwas relatively mild in southernQuebec but averagedas John's, Nov. 11-Mar. 6+ (BM). A well-described, "variant male" muchas 4øC below normal in thenorth. Precipitation levels were gener- Brewer'sBlackbird was observedat a Kingston,R.I., feederFeb. 14 ally higher than usual in the westernone-half of the province.The (D. Kraus). oppositeoccurred in Januaryas cold, clear weather predominated in the southand mild temperatureswith heavysnowfall were recorded in the FRINGILLIDS -- Regardlessof theuniversally heavy cone crop, the north.February was mild with light precipitationthroughout. winter finchespresented a decidedlymixed picture in the Region. All This moderateweather combined with an exceptionalwild foodcrop specieswere, as expected, more common in then. countryand at higher to enticemany passerines to overwinter.These included all thenorthern elevations in w. sections. Pine Grosbeaks were "much more wide- finches and others usually found in small numbers, if at all, here in spread,and in goodnumbers" in w. Newfoundland(fi'de BMk), "at their winter: AmericanRobin, CedarWaxwing, Dark-eyedJunco, Purple lowestlevels in a decade"in New Brunswick(fi'de DSC), and almost Finch, and American Goldfinch. unknownin all but the northernmostparts of New England.Purple Fincheswere seen in very good numbersin most areas, and in w. GREBES THROUGH FALCONS -- A Horned Grebe observed on Massachusettspeaked at 135 at Windsorin mid-January(fide SK). but L. Memphr•magogDec. 26 (PL) was late, and one seenat Les C•dres weretermed "scarce" in Newfoundland.White-winged Crossbill greatly Feb. 16 (BB) providedthe Region'sfirst Februaryrecord. A Cattle outnumberedRed Crossbillbut remainedpredominantly in n. and w. Egret found at Aylmer Dec. 1 (RLD) was the latest ever in Quebec. portionsof the Region.For instance,their numberswere "higher than Surprisingfor sucha late date was a flock of 125+ CanadaGeese at they have beenfor severalyears" on New BrunswickC.B.C.s (fide ChicoutimiJan. 4 (BT). A Ruddy Shelduckbrightened a groupof DSC), but they were basicallyabsent from e. Massachusettsall winter Mallards on the Richelieu R. near Saint-JeanDec. 23-27 (MC, LT et (fide RSH). After someindications of a potentialflight of Com. Red- al.). Althoughthe bird wasunbanded and could fly, a localescapee is a pollslate in the fall, theythen virtually disappeared and remained very distinctpossibility in that area. A N. Shoveleron L. Magog Dec. 12 scarcejust abouteverywhere. Pine Siskinsoccurred in fairly good (VL) and four at Longueuil Dec. 18 (RW) establishednew record numbers,although several observers mentioned that they seemedto be departuredates. A Canvasbackon L_ William, ChamplainCo., Dec. 5- ignoringfeeders and stayedin the woodsthis winter. Siskinswere 13 (AC) wasunusual away from theSt. LawrenceR., while a loneRing- "almosttotally absent from Newfoundlandafter 2 yearsof abundance" neckedDuck lingeredat Georgevilleto Dec. 29 (PL, AL)-- only one (fide BM). Therewas a definiteinflux of Am. Goldfinchesin Maine, latersighting is apparentlyknown for Quebec.A HoodedMerganser at

148 American Birds, Summer 1985 nois Dec. 26 (fide GS), almost3 weekslater thanthe previousrecord- latedate. Two Black-belliedPlovers were also record-late at Longueuil Dec. 2 (RW). Early Februarysaw severalPurple Sandpiperson the Gasp(•Peninsula (SA, PP) andCom. Snipesat Beauport(RL et al. ). A 2nd-winter LesserBlack-backed Gull visited BeauharnoisDec. 2 MM) and an adult was seen at SherbrookeDec. 12 & 16 (JR, BD). MourningDoves are attemptingto winter fartherand farthern.: 20__ were successfulat Bic and Saint-Luce (fide DRu), as were five at Bonaventure(BA), but five thattried to winterat Chicoutimihad per- ishedby early March (RT, DT et al.).

OWLS THROUGH CORVIDS -- Northern owls made but a modest showing.The only significantconcentration was a buildupof Snowy Owls at L. Saint-Jeanwhich peakedat 23 birds in late January(fide MS). Short-caredOwls madean excellentshowing in s.w. Quebecwith 33 birds seen Nov. 24-Dec. 30. One remained at Saint-Etienne-de- Beauharnoisuntil at least Feb. 3 (PB). Several N. Saw-whet Owls also overwinteredin the Montreal area. A Belted Kingfisher wintered at Hudson(fide BM). An ad. Red-headedWoodpecker at Sainte-FoyDec. Baie-ComeauFeb. 2 (SM, GCy) provideda 2ridwinter record for the N. 15-Jan.17 (PPi, m.ob.) and an immatureat nearbyCharlesbourg Jan. Shore of the St. Lawrence. 15-Mar. 2 (SL) were quite surprising,since the only 2 previouswinter A very lateOsprey was sighted at MirabelDec. 18 (KR). Bald Eagles sightingswere from extremes.w. Quebec. The Region's 12th Red- againoverwintered on the ManicouaganR., with up to threethere in bellledWoodpecker, discovered at ChelseaJan. 27. wasstill thereat the January(GCy, GC, DR). Two or morealso frequented the mouth of the end of February(RG, m.ob.). SaguenayR. throughoutthe period(AB, EB). A N. Harrier evidently winteredat Saint-Etienne-de-Beauharnois(PB). Accipiterswere in evi- S.A. denceon the Gasp(•Peninsula: Sharp-shinned Hawks were at Cadeton The mostoutstanding event of the seasonwas the presence, (PF), Bonaventure(SA), and Chandler(fide PP); and in Bonaventure sincelate November,of some52 Jackdaws (Corvusmonedula) County, five N. Goshawkswere accidentallycaught in rabbit snares at Port-Cartier, on the N. Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The (fide MAB, PF). A Red-shoulderedHawk was notableat Pierrefonds presenceof theseJackdaws came in the wake of other recent Jan. 20 (PB) and a well-describedBroad-winged Hawk at Sherbrooke reportsin the Northeast(see Nova ScotiaBirds 27(1):56-57; AB Dec. 3 (YM) set a new late departurerecord. A Rough-leggedHawk at 38:881,886). Sucha stringof recordsmay indicate a significant H(•bertvilleDec. ! 9-Feb. 19 (AJ et al.) provideda firstwintering record event in populationdynamics, resulting from recentwestward for the Saguenay.Single ad. GoldenEagles in GatineauP., Jan. 26 (JD, movementsin EuropeanJackdaw populations. Obviously some RB) and Papineau-LabelleRef., Dec. 17-18 and Feb. 7 & l! (LB) of the birdsinvolved got lostat seaand may have rallied to any providedwinter recordsfor this species.A PeregrineFalcon at Ber- shipor land they couldfind. For eachbird that madeit to North geronnesFeb. 27 (AB) was also exceptional. Americamany moreprobably perished at sea. Althoughit is probablethat manyof the Jackdawsrecorded in PARTRIDGES THROUGH DOVES -- Ten Gray Partridges.first North Americahave, at somepoint, madeuse of the presenceof noticedat Berthier-sur-Merlast fall, remainedthroughout the period ships,hundreds of otherbird species also owe their range exten- (JL); this is somewhatbeyond the range of this normally sedentary sionsto varioushuman artifacts (see Birding 16:!56-157for a species.Two N. Bobwhiteswere still presenton 1. desSoeurs Dec. 16 discussionon the topic). (fide PB--see AB 38: ! 000). A huntershot a Corn. Moorhenat Beauhar- Acting on the theorythat the Port-Cartierbirds had traveledin thehold of a ship(!), andon thebelief that they were an unwel- come additionto our avifauna (!), someonein the QuebecFish & Game Dept. orderedthe eliminationof this "threat."This action, whenexposed, caused some stir as it wasbased on assertionsthat A pair of RingedTurtle-Doves apparently nested successfully werefar fromproven. Because the species does not appear on its in Hull last summer, using an old Am. Robin nest. What is even list of protectedspecies, the CanadianWildlife Servicedid not moreinteresting is the factthat two birdsalso overwintered there voicean objection,and by late March mostof thebirds had been (fide JC). AlthoughRoberson may have been semantically right shotor poisoned. in statingthat the RingedTurtle-Dove has never existed in a wild state (AB 38:882), this dove is a look-alike of the African Col- lared Dove, from which it stems. It is still unclear, however, WRENS THROUGH WOOD WARBLERS -- The only Carolina whether the Eurasian and African Collared Doves constitute one Wren of the seasonwas present from Dec. 9 at Aylmer, founddead Jan. or 2 species. 5 (JD, RH, m.ob.), while a Winter Wren was late at Rimousk] Dec. 12 In any case,the greatsimilarity between some Ringed Turtle- (GG). This wasa goodwinter for fruit-eatingspecies. A HermitThrush Doves and Eur. Collared Doves (Streptopeliadecaocto) could survivedat Hampsteaduntil early March (fide MA) and contributors easilylead to the overlookingof a vagrantof the latterin e. North from all regionsreported groups of winteringAm. Robins.A Varied America. TheseCollared Doves have a well-documentedhistory Thrush,about the 10thfor Quebec,was seen by manyat Cushingwhere of westwardexpansion in Europe,having nested in Icelandfor it stayedJan. 6-Feb. 7 (HL, m.ob.). A GrayCatbird at PhilipsburgJan. thefirst time in 1971(Brit. Birds65:139). Many recordsof birds 6 (PB) providedonly the 2rid Januaryrecord, while a N. Mockingbird alightingon shipsin the Atlanticalso illustrate the possibility of overwinteredat Rimouskifor the 2ridtime. BohemianWaxwings were occurrence in North America (see Sea Swallow 22:24B; 28:24; generallyscarce; however, Cedar Waxwings were found in all regions 32:25). includingthe N. Shoreof the St. LawrenceR. andthe Gasp•Peninsula, The RingedTurtle-Dove is only slightlysmaller than the Eur. where they seldomwinter. Collared Dove. There is, however, a good way to distinguish The record late Black-throated Green Warbler mentioned in the fall betweenthe 2 in the absenceof directcomparison: the Ringed report remained at Aylmer until Dec. 16 (JD, m.ob.). Two Pine War- Turtle-Dove has white undertail-coverts,concolor with the broad blersthat showedup at a feederin ChandlerDec. 3-20 (PP) were both white terminal band under the tail, while the Eur. Collared Dove displacedand very late. Several lingeringCorn. Yellowthroatswere has gray undertail-coverts,contrasting with the white undertail detected,with singlesat Hull Nov. 30 (DD), ChfiteauguayDec. ! 5 (PB, band.--M. Gosselin FH, PS et al.), and I. desSoeurs Dec. 25 (IR)•he lattersetting a new record late date.

Volume 39, Number 2 149 CARDINAL THROUGH FINCHES -- An extrahmltal N Cardinal notedin just a few locationsWhite-winged Crossbills were everpres- was seen in November and again Jan. 4 at Salnt-Joseph-de-la-Rlve ent, as were Purple Finches.Redpolls reached s. Quebecin late Febru- (MD). A c• Rufous-sidedTowbee strayedto Baie-Trinit6, whereit was ary. Pine Siskinswere numerousand widespread, as were Am. Gold- last seen Dec. 28 (YRB, LF), and anotherwintered at Matane (DG). finches in the s. Late andwintering sparrows were in above-averagenumbers. Chipping Sparrowswere noted at Jonqui•reDec. 4 (CG, JG) andChandler Dec. EXOTICS -- A Budgerigarvisited a feeder in Saint-BrunoFeb 10-14 (PP). A Field Sparrowphotographed at Hauteriveprovided only 11 +, but failed to return after a snowstormMar. 4 (JLa). A Red-crested the2nd sighting from the N. Shoreof the•St. LawrenceR., andthe 4th Cardinal arrived at a Trois-Rivi•res feeder i.n August and remained winterrecord for Quebec.A Fox Sparrowwas also late at AylmerDec. throughoutthe period(LC). A Eur. Goldfinchfrequented a feederat 16 (fide RB1). Song Sparrowsat Rimouskiand Carleton,and White- Candiac Jan,. 15(?)-Feb. 21 (PK). throatedSparrows at La Baie (CB) andHauterive (CD), were notewor- thy amongthe winteringrecords received for these species.White- CONTRIBUTORS AND OBSERVERS -- S. Arbour, B. Arsenault, crownedSparrows have now been recordedduring 5 of the last 6 C. Babin, P. Bannon, B. Barnhurst,R. Bergeron(RB), M.-A. Ber- winters, with birds at Berthier-sur-Mer(JL), Bic (GG, DRu), and I. nard, D. Bird, R. Blais (RB1), A. Bouchard, E. Bouchard, Y-R Perrot(PM et al.) addingto the one-halfdozen or soprevious sightings. Bouchard, L. Breton, L. Caron, J. Chabot, G. Charette (GC), M Dark-eyedJuncos were widespreadwith flocksof up to 50 birdscom- Codaire,C. Cormier, A. C6t•, G. Cyr (GCy), D. Dallaire, B. Denault, mon in s. Quebec.Notable were thosethat overwinteredon the Gasp• C. DeschSnes,J. Dubois, R. L. Dubois, M. Dufour, P. Fallu, L. Fortin, Peninsulaand at Sainte-Rose-du-Nord(LG), the latter a first for the R. Garbutt, D. Gauthier, G. Gendron, C. Girard, J. Girard, L. Girard, Saguenay. M. Gosselin,F. Hilton, R. Holland,A. Jomphe,P. Koble, J. Lachance Icterinesworthy of mention included a Rusty Blackbird at Port- (JL), H. Lambert, A. Landry, P. Landry, R. Landry, S. Langlais,J Cartier Feb. 13 (CD) & 18 (YA)--furnishing a first winter recordfor Langlois(JLa). V, L•tourneau, B. MacDuff, Y. Maheu, S. Marlin, M this locale. Common Grackles overwintered at Baie-Comeau, Ri- Mcintosh, P. Mitchell, W. Moser, P. Picard(PPi), P. Poulin, D. Rioux mouski, andseveral other locations on the GaspdPeninsula. Single N. (DR), K. Rodgers,I. Roseby,D. Ruest (DRu), J. Ruest,M. Savard,P Orioleswere late at DorvalDec. 1 (fideDB) andHudson Dec. 21 (WM). Smith, G. Seutin, L. Tourangeau,B. Tremblay, D. Tremblay, R Northernfinches were present in above-averagenumbers throughout the Tremblay,C. Vachon, R. Weeds.•RICHARD YANK, 566 Chester province.Exceptions included Pine Grosbeaks,which did not reach Road, Beaconsfield,Que. H9W 3K1, and YVES AUBRY, Canadi- s w. Quebecbut were found farthern., andRed Crossbills,which were an Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 10100, Sainte-Foy,Que. GI¾ 4H5.

HUDSON-DELAWARE REGION /William J. Boyle, Jr., Robert O. Paxton, and David A. Cutler Corm Themild autumnweather continued through much Of the winter, with the month of Decemberthe mildeston recordfor the New York City area. As a result, there were many late lingerersto add spiceto the RegionalChristmas Bird Counts,some of which were conductedin shirtsleeveweather. Above-average temperatures continued into mid- January,when a bittercold wave sent thermometers plunging to record lows. Cold conditionspersisted for abouta month,until lateFebruary, when a strongWarming trend pushed temperatures into the seventies. AlthoughDecember precipitation was near normal, January and Febru- arybrought little rain or snow,continuing a dry spellthat has persisted throughthe fall of 1984 into the springof 1985. Therewas near-unanimityamong birders that this'was the dullest winterin years.Except for somewaterfowl concentrations, most species of birds were scarceand hard to find. Wintering raptorswere below normal becauseof the mild weather, northerngulls and alcidswere conspicuouslylacking, songbirds were widely dispersed due to thelack of snowand an abundantwild foodcrop, and winter finches were almost nonexistent.As usual,there were a few outstandingrarities to inspire lethargicwinter birders; fortunately, most of theselingered long enough to be seenby themany observers who sought them. Otherwise, it wasa good seasonto bird elsewhere. day were noteworthy(MSu), while smallernumbers were seenelse- where alongthe coastand at MontaukPt., L.I. ABBREVIATIONS -- BombayHook = BombayHook Nat'l Wild- An Eared Grebe wasfound on the BrooklynC.B.C., Dec. 15 (MSo, life Ref., nearSmyrna, Del.; Brig. = BrigantineUnit, EdwinB. For- BB). What waspresumably a differentbird was found the nextday at sytheNat'l Wildlife Ref., AtlanticCo., N.J.; J.B.W.R. = JamaicaBay SandyHook by Dowdell. It was seenby many observersinto mid- Wildlife Ref., New York City; L.I. = Long Island,N.Y.; C.B.C. = January,when it wasfrozen out of itsfavorite bay. What was believed to Christmas Bird Count. Place names in italics are counties. be the samebird wasrelocated at CavenPier, JerseyCity, Feb. 10 and remainedthrough the end of theperiod. This was the first Eared Grebe to LOONS THROUGH IBISES -- Red-throatedLoons were conspicu- winter in the state in decades. A Western Grebe was at Ditch Plains, ousalong the coast,with excellentnumbers on C.B.C.s, while Com. Montauk, Jan. 12-13, whereit was seenby numerousobservers (JD1, Loonstook advantage of themild weatherto lingeron inlandlakes and AM et al.); the bird was foundthere againin March. reservoirsinto January. When the weather finally turned cold, it brought Two shearwaters,thought to be Greaters,were seenalong the beach a largeinflux of Red-neckedGrebes to theNew Jerseycoast; a flockof at Cape May on a foggy afternoonJan. 2 (SLa). Two Brown Pelicans 15 at HarveyCedars, Ocean, Jan. 13 wasthe biggestrecorded in the flyingalong the beach at HarveyCedars on a balmyDec. 28 wereout of statein recentyears (RJB, BMe)., Two rafts of sevenat Shark R. thenext placeas well as out of season(JL), but the weatherwas appropriate

150 American Birds, Summer 1985 WmtenngGreat Cormorants continue to increasem numbers,not only S.A, alongthe coastbut alongthe HudsonR. at JerseyCity andeven up the On Jan. 3, 1970, severalbirders from the DelawareValley DelawareR. as far as the Philadelphiaarea, wherethey havebecome OrnithologicalClub discovereda drake Barrow's Goldeneye on annual Up to a dozenwere at Cinnaminson,Burlington, throughout the SharkR. at Belmar,Monmouth, N.J. This bird, a very rare December(GM et al.). At the sametime, numbersof Double-crested speciesin New Jersey,remained Until mid-Marchand attracted Cormorantsare alsoincreasing, as hundredswintered throughout the many birderseager to see it. Over the next 14 wintersa c• Region this season. Barrow'sGoldeneye, presumably this sameindividual, returned With the mild Decemberweather, most of the Regionalherons and faithfullyto theShark R. Estuary.During that time it wasprob- egretswere found on coastalC.B.C.s, and someof them stayedinto ably seenby morepeople than any othe?member of its species. January,including a GreatEgret that winteredin the ManasquanR., To hundreds of birdwatchers this was their life Barrow's Golden- Ocean,N.J. (MSu). Most remarkablewere singleCattle Egrets on the eye. For residentsof the Hudson-DelawareRegion and beyond, Lower BucksCo., Pa., andElkton, Del., C.B.C.s. GlossyIbises were the annualwinter pilgrimage to seethe Barrow'sat SharkR. was foundon 6 RegionalC.B .C.s, but nonewas reported after the first of the as mucha traditionas a trip to Cape May in the fall. year Throughoutthe winterof 1984-1985,birders waited anxiously for the rare bird alerts to report the arrival of the Barrow's WATERFOWL -- Four Fulvous Whistling-Ducks were seencom- Goldeneyeat Belmar. But, for the first time in 16 years, the ing m for a landingat Silver L., Sussex,Del., by Fintel as he was reportnever came. One can hopethat he took advantageof the combingthe area on the Rehobeth C.B.C., Dec.22. Thebirds were seen mild winter and decidedto stay north, that he will return next by severalother observers, but were gonethe nextday. TundraSwans year. The oddsare, however,that his time had comeand that l•e winteredin moderatenumbers in the s. part of the Region,but more is no longerwith us; he will be sorelymissed. noteworthywas a reportof sixat MecoxInlet, L.I., Jan.20 (I. Cantor). With the ever-increasingflocks.of Canada Geese, more and more re- portsof GreaterWhite-fronted Goose are received.Although some of RAPTORS -- The burgeoningRegional population of Black Vul- themmay be escapes, most records are oi' orange-billed birds of the tureswas exemplified by the presenceof 71 in a roostnear Princeton, Greenlandrace and are presumablywild. This seasoh'sreports came N.J., in February,along with almost 500 Turkey.Vultures. Warm fromRound Valley, Hunterdon, N.J., Dec. 16 (S. Vayda,S. Jer- weatherpresumably accounted for the appearanceof a totalof seven zewsk0;Green Lane Res., Montgomery, Pa., Dec. 30-31 (GLF, GAF); Ospreyson 4 C.B.C.s; severalof thesewere well documented,but all Allentown, Pa., Feb. 1-3 (BLM, DD); and Round Pond, Dutchess, reportsof winterOspreys should be thoroughlysubstantiated. Eighty to N Y, Feb. 28 (DF). 100 Bald Eagleswintered in the Region, continuingthe gradualim- provementof this species'status. As usual,the biggestnumbers (49) The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service'sMidwinter Waterfowl Survey, werearound the Sullivanand Ulster,N.Y., reservoirs;this area appears conductedduring the 2ridweek of January,found over 700,000 ducks to bethe most important wintering ground for migrantBald Eagles in the and geesein the Region,about 13% morethan last year and36% above northeast. the 10-yearaverage. While thesenumbers partially reflected the mild Sharp-shinnedHawk and Cooper'sHawk were more conspicuous weatherconditions prevailing, they also representeda continuedin- thanusual, perhaps owing to themild early winter, but N. Goshawkwas creasein the CanadaGoose population and a continuingrecovery of the scarce.For the 2rid year in a row we receivedan accountfrom an Brant from the lows of the late 1970s.The numberof Brant wintering experiencedhawk-watcher of an ad. Broad-wingedHawk in February. alongthe Atlantic Coast this year was 146,000, more than 3 timesthe This year's bird was seenat Warwick, Orange, N.Y., Feb. 9 by L. 1979 total;70% of the total were in this Region,including 92,000 in Dumont,whose description appeared to ruleout Red-shouldered Hawk. New Jersey. The usualscattering of GoldenEagles included several birds in s. New Male Green-wingedTeal of the Eurasianrace were foundat Law- Jersey,two alongthe upperDelaware R., N.J.-Pa., and one to two at rence,Nassau, L.i. (RKe),and at Massapequa Preserve, L.I. (JA),Feb. Rio Res., Sullivan, N.Y. 23 Thenumber of Am. BlackDucks wintering in theRegion remained Merlins were widely reportedon C.B.C.s, with morethan 2 dozen stable,although this species is a sourceof continuingconcern to wildlife sightings.Some wintered along the coast,including at leastseven that b•ologists.Blue-winged Teal were found on at least 6 Regional returnedeach evening to a communalroost at SandyHook, Monmouth, C B C.s, but nonewas seenafter that until an early migrantarrived at N.J. (JDo, FN). A PeregrineFalcon at Forty Fort, Luzerne, Pa., Dec. 8, Cape Henlopen S.P., Del., Feb. 23 (APE). EurasianWigcon were provideda noteworthyinland sighting (WR). The Gyrfalconreported scarce,except on LongIsland, where a normalcomplement of about10 fromJones Beach S.P., L.I., in Novemberremained throughout the was reported. winter.A 2ridgray Gyr wasseen at Holgate,Ocean, N.J., Dec. 26 (JDo), but could not be found again. Althoughsome of the divingducks, such as Canvasbackand Corn. Goldeneye,were late in arrivingbecause of the warm weather,scaup werewell-represented by almost140,000 birds. These included rafts of RAILS THROUGH ALCIDS -- A BlackRail wasfound at Tobay, L.I., Jan.6, in the samearea where two wereseen last winter (S. Schiff, up to 50,000 in Raritan Bay, N.J.-N.Y., and in DelawareBay off Fortescue,Cumberland, N.J. (RBa, Midwinter Waterfowl Survey). A A. Wollin). The warmDecember contributed to unusuallyhigh counts c• TuftedDuck returnedto CentralP., New York City, for a 3rd winter; of railson RegionalC.B.C.s, includinga King Rail andthree Sofas. In Cape May, a SandhillCrane, the 2nd in lessthan a month, was seen he temporarilyrelocated to the EastR. whenthe park reservoirfroze, Dec. 8 (B & NM). but returnedto the park in late February(m.ob.). A goodvariety of shorebirdstook advantageof the mild seasonto Elderswere found in near-averagenumbers at the usuallocations. lingerin theRegion at leastthrough the C.B .C. period.In additionto the Ten Corn. Eiders were at Montauk Dec. 1 (JR), but only a few were usualwintering species, eight Am. Oystercatchersremained at Stone therelater in the winter andjust four were reportedfrom New Jersey. Harbor to the end of January,and anotherwas at Longport,Atlantic, KingEider records included a maximumof sevenat Montauk,three at N.J., Jan.30. Forty-fiveAm. Avocetswere still at BombayHook Dec BarnegatLight, andup to threeat IndianR. Inlet, Sussex,Del. Harle- 1, but as usual, they departedbefore the C.B.C. SpottedSandpipers quinDucks were well representedby upto eightat BarnegatLight, sixat were found on 3 Regional C.B.C.s, includingone that had been at theS endof LongBeach I., Ocean,N.J., Jan.5 (J. & J. Connor),four Mercer CountyP., N.J., for over a month(M & PT), but nonewas seen at Pt Lookout,Nassau, L.I., and up to six at Montauk. The two after December. A Whimbrel of the Eurasian race was discovered at Barrow'sGoldeneyes reported were a femaleat Lloyd's Neck, Suffolk, Holt's Landing, Sussex,Del., Dec. 22 (D. Phalen, P. Phalen,M L I , Jan. 13 (T. O'Connor),and a male at MontaukFeb. 10 (MSo, Tester-Phalen,G. Greenstein,S. Greenstein).The bird remainedto at BB) The Midwinter Waterfowl Surveytallied 7300 RuddyDucks on leastJan. 6, andwas seen by manyobservers. A late PectoralSandpiper the DelawareR. nearPhiladelphia, a substantialimprovement over the wasat the LincolnPark, N.J., gravelpits Dec. 9 (JBr), but muchmore countsof thepast few years,but stillfar belowthe numbersfound 20 unusualwas a CurlewSandpiper at BombayHook Jan. 10 (K. Liehr). years ago. Severaljaegers hanging around Montauk in mid-Decemberincluded

Volume 39, Number 2 151 at least two Parasiticsand one Pomafine(m.ob.). Elsewhere,single ParasiticJaegers were at IndianR. Inlet, Del., Dec. 22 (GKH. BR) and at ShinnecockInlet, L.I., Dec. 29 (J. Biderman),and a PomafineJaeger made the Cape May C.B.C. Four Franklin's Gulls were reportedby 2 observersat Brig., Jan.2 (C. Wonderly,SLa), butwere not found again. Little Gullswere scarce, exceptfora few on LongIsland. There, three were seen on C.B.C.s, and up to four were at ShinnecockInlet in January-February(A. Cooleyet al.). A singlebird wasat ManasquanInlet, Pt. Pleasant,N.J., Jan. 12, but there were no reportsfrom Delaware. Four Corn. Black-headed Gulls in New Jerseyand eight in New York were a bit abovepar. An ad. Thayer'sGull, a specieswhose status in thisRegion is unclear,was reportedfrom Belmar, N.J., Jan.6, with plausibledetails by 2 observers familiarwith the species (BMo, BSt). Icelandand Glaucous gull num- bers were low, reflecting the mild season,but the increasingLesser Black-backed Gull continued to be much in evidence. More than a dozenindividuals were noted,mainly along the coast;but, asnoted last year, sightingsof thisspecies have become so routine that many observ- ers do not botherto report them. As usual•Forster's Terns lingered along the coast through December, but a concentrationof 500 at Indian R. Inlet, Del., Jan. 10 was a bit out of the ordinary(WWF). They left as soonas the weatherturned cold, the Ash-throatedFlycatcher at AssunptnkW.M.A., N.J., Jan. 5, 1985. last being seen Jan. 19. Alcids were very scarceon shore, and no Photo/SergeLaFrance. offshoretrips were reported.ACom. Murre was at Montauk Dec. 30 (R. Roth, T. Battaly,C. Hartel);single Thick-billed Murres were on the SandyHook and BarnegatC.B.C.s; anda Razorbillwas at Shinnecock remainedfrom the big fall influx and were tallied on variousC.B.C.s; Inlet Feb. 3 (B. Kolodnick). nonewas found after the beginningof the year, however.Most remark- able were well-documentedE. Kingbirdsfound on C.B.C.s in s. Nas- OWLS THROUGH RAVENS -- SnowyOwls madea modestshow- sau, L.I., and s. Lancaster,Pa.; the latter bird was presentfor over a ing, but with a single exceptionthey were all near the coast. The month prior to the count. exceptionwas one found alongthe DelawareR. in Camden,N.J., in A •'PurpleMartin at Brig., Jan.2 wasunprecedented (SLa). Whether early Decemberthat remainedthroughout the period.Elsewhere there he wasa late fall migrantor anearly spring scout, he was3 monthsoff in were 3 early reportsfrom s. New Jerseyin December,two birdsthat his timing. Two Com. Ravensat Slide Mr., Ulster, N.Y., Dec. I (FM) winteredalong the HudsonR. in Bayonne,and about eight found along werenot SUlprising, as the species is regularthere now, but one at Butler the s. strip of L.1. from Ft. Tilden to JonesBeach. The otherwinter Sanctuary,Westchester, N.Y., Dec. 7 was an outstandingfind (FN). owls,Long-eared, Short-eared, and N. Saw-whet,were all in very short supplyand missingfrom someof their usualhaunts. CHICKADEES THROUGH SHRIKES -- For the first time in many years,not a singleBoreal Chickadee was reported. Many morereports S.A. of winteringWinter Wrens were received than in the recentpast, with a Numerousobservers have commented over the pastfew years high of six at TrentonMarsh, N.J. (RJB). The mild weatherwas pre- on the apparentdecline in someof the hole-nestingspecies, but sumablyresponsible for the increasedpresence of this spedes,which especiallyHairy Woodpeckers.Data from the C.B.C.s seemto has declineddrastically during the past decade. SedgeWrens were supportthis generalimpression, especially in Pennsylvania, found on 3 New JerseyC.B.C.s. includingthe Cape May C.B.C., where the numberof Hairy Woodpeckerstallied has declined wherethree were present Dec. 24, theday afterthe count(RBa, JDo). from0.26/party-hour in 1974to 0.15/party-hourin 1984.During Two were at ManahawkinW.M.A., N.J., Jan. 13 (JDaL Blue-gray the sameperiod, the declinein Downieswas from 1.24/party- Gnatcatcherswere presentat severalspots in Decemberand at leastsix hourto 0.88/party-hour.Similar, but lessdramatic, declines are were tallied on C.B.C.s; an ad. femalefound dead in WilmingtonJan. seenfor New JerseyC.B.C.s. Stephensonnotes that the ratio 16 is now a specimenin the Delaware Mus. of Natural History •fide (calculatedas a 10-yearmoving average) of Downiesto Hairies DMN). on Perry, Pa., C.B.C.s has increasedto over 16 since 1978 after One of the outstandingfinds of the seasonwas a c• Mountain Blue- remainingconstant at 6-7 for theprevious 30 years(OKS). Reid bird discoveredby Wiltraut at Beltzville L., Carbon, Pa., Dec. 16 has found a dramaticdecline in numbersof the 2 woodpeckers, Tufted Titmouse,and White-breastedNuthatch on a Breeding Bird Surveyas well ason theC.B.C. in s.e. Bradford,Pa. (WR). He feelsthat increasedcutting of standingdead timber for fire- wood maybe responsiblefor thedecrease of thcscspecies in this sparsely-populatedarea. Similarconcerns have been published elsewhere.Whether this trend is generaland widespreadcan probablybest be determinedfrom long-termBreeding Bird Cen- sus and Surveydata; in any event, it is a situationthat bears watching.

An Ash-throated Flycatcher discoveredat AssunpinkW.M.A., Monmouth, N.J., Dec. 9, did not hit the hot-line for 2 weeks. Fortunate- ly it stayeduntil Jan. 9, wasseen by scoresof observers,and was well- photographedin color (D. Jenkins,m.ob., ph. SLf). The only other documentedaccount of thisspecies in New Jerseywas from CapeMay in September1981 (seeAB 36:161), but the black-and-whitephoto of that bird (back view) is ambiguous.Other flycatchersalso lingeredin the balmyweather. A well-describedGreat Crested Flycatcher provided Male Mountain Bluebird at Beltzville Lake, Pa.. Dec. 26, 1984. Second a highlighton the Oceanville,N.J., C.B.C. NumerousW. Kingbirds Pennsylvaniarecord. Photo/RickWiltraut.

152 American Birds, Summer 1985 Immature Northern Shrike at Cape May, N.J., Dee. 2, 1984. Photo/ First-wintermale Summer Tanager that winteredat a feeder in Burling- Alan Brady. ton Co., N.J., December 1984 to at leastApril 1985. Photo/AlanBrad•: duringthe Wild Creek-LittleGap C.B.C. The bird, only the 2nd ever of ChippingSparrows were foundon someC.B.C.s, but mostdisap- recordedin Pennsylvaniaand the 5th in the Region(all since 1974). pearedafter the first of the year; six visiteda Port Elizabeth.Cumber- remaineduntil Jan. 10 andwas seen by scoresof observers{RW, m.ob., land, N.J., lEederJan. 16 after a heavy snow, but left when the snow ph. RW, G. Yoder, D. Klem). Three BohemianWaxwings at Middle- melted(RBa). Two VesperSparrows wintered in a field in Lancaster. town, Orange,N.Y., Feb. 12 werethe first in the Regionsince Novem- Pa., but disappearedafter heavy snowsin February(TA). Two Grass- ber 1983 OPT). hopperSparrows at Cape May Dec. 12 were somewhatlate (RBa). Northern Shrikes were found on about one-half dozen C.B.C.s. One Anotherof the outstandingfinds of the season,but surelythe most was at Island Beach S.P., N.J., Dec. 1 (T. Koebel, V. Cech) and frustrating,was a Le Conte'sSparrow discoveredby Dowdellat Sandy anotherwas in Nanticoke,Pa., Dec. 22 (MB); winteringbirds included Hook, N.J., Feb. 3. It wassought in vain for the nextweek, foundagain one at Cape May Dec. 2 into March (AB, KB), and two at Kingston, severalweeks later, and seenby a small,fortunate fraction of the many Ulster,N.Y., in Januaryand February (FM). A LoggerheadShrike was birderswho trekkedthe dunesin searchof it throughthe end of March at the traditionalRosedale P., Mercer, N.J., spotin early December(M (JDoet aLL LaplandLongspurs were more conspicuous than usual, and & TS). but did not stay. Anotherwas at BeltzvilleL., Pa., Dec. 23 for werereported in numbersfrom all partsof the Regionexcept Delaware, one day only (GAF), and a 3rd was at Marlton, N.J., Jan. 27 (K. whereonly one or two winteredat Bombay Hook. Tischnet).A Loggerheadwintered at Galeville Airport, Ulster. N.Y., The Region'sfive Yellow-headedBlackbirds were all in New Jersey. for the 3rd straightyear OPT). One was in a mixed blackbird flock at Everittstown, Hunterdon, Jan. 15 (Boletta Morris); three wintered at a feeder in Pennsville. Salem, N.J. (fide JHa); and a 5th was at Cape May from Januaryinto the spring VIREOS THROUGH FINCHES -- Two White-eyed Vireos and (m.ob.). Twenty Brewer's Blackbirdswere at 2 traditionalsites near about16 speciesof warblerswere foundon RegionalC.B.C.s, but few BombayHook in December,where some have appeared almost every of them lingeredafter the countperiod. Most noteworthywere a c• winterfor 30 years.More unusualwas the reportof a pair at W. Cape Black-throatedBlue Warbler at Falls,Wyoming, Pa., Dec. 24 OPeL a c• May Dec. 8 in the samefield where three were seenin mid-November CapeMay Warbler at Beltzville L., Pa., Dec. 26 (AH), andan Ovenbird (B & NM). Up to 36 Boat-tailedGrackles were found around J.B.W.R. at PelhamBay P., New York City, Jan.20 (J. Morris,fideTWB). Most in December(Queens C.B.C., HMc), furtherevidence of the species' remarkableand apparently unprecedented at thisseason was the appear- continuedexpansion on Long Island. anceof a first-winterc• SummerTanager at a feederin MedfordTwp., This was the worst seasonin many yearsfor winter finches.There Burlington,N.J. (E. Woodford,m.ob.). The bird arrivedDec. 13 and were a few scatteredreports of PurpleFinch, EveningGrosbeak, and was still presentin April, havingpartially molted into breedingplum- Pine Siskin,but noneat all for Pine Grosbeak,White-winged Crossbill, age. The bird was-well-photograpbed,and on Feb. 20 wastrapped and or Com. Redpoll. Red Crossbillsightings were limited to 27 on the s.e. banded(H. Spendelow,ph. AB). A c• W. Tanagerfrequented a Pitts- Bradford,Pa., C.B.C.; oneon the GreatSwamp. N.J., C.B.C.; two at town, Hunterdon, N.J., feeder in January(L. & W. Riley). PoundRidge Reservation, Westchester, N.Y., in early December(FN); A • IndigoBunting on the s. Lancaster,Pa., C.B.C. furnishedthe and two in Claryville, N.Y., Feb. 23 (SLi, BW). firstRegional winter report since 1978, while a Dickcisselwintering at a Freehold,N.J., feederwas the only onereported (RDi). Largenumbers EXOTICS -- ElevenRinged Turtle-Doves on the Wilmington,Del.,

Volume 39, Number 2 153 C.B.C. werepart of an increasingpopulation there. In Sussex,N.J., a Hartmann,Jim Hayes,Otto Heck,G. K. Hess,Armas Hill, Cliff Jones, Monk Parakeetand a Black-hoodedConure took up winterresidence Rich Kane (RKa), Rich Kelly (RKe), Don Kunkle, SergeLaFrance togetherin a nestbuilt on a telephonepole. while in Rockland,N.Y., (SL0, Laurie Larson, John LaVia, Steve Lawrence {SLa), Charles five Maroon-belliedConures continued to residein P•ermontqMe Leck,S. Lincoln(SLi), LenLittle, Helen Manson, Gerry McChesney, RFD). Hugh McGuiness,E. A. MearnsBird Club, Jim Meritt (s.w. NJ: 809 OBSERVERS(Subregional compilers in boldface)-- Tom Amico, SaratogaTerrace, Turnersville, NJ 08012), BradMerritt (BMe), T. JohnAskildsen, Tom Bailey, BerryBaker, Robert Barber (RBa), War- Meyer, J. C. Miller, Arthur Morris, B. L. Morris {e. PA: 825 N. renBielenberg, Irving Black(n.e. NJ:Eagle Rock Village, Bldg. 26, MuhlenbergSt., Allentown,PA 18104),Brian Moscatello (BMo), Bill Apt. 8B, BuddLake, NJ 07828), Mark Blauer,R. J. Blicharz (n.c. NJ: & Naomi Murphy, FrankMurphy, FrankNicoletti, D. M. Niles, Joanne 827 PennsylvaniaAve., Trenton,NJ 08638),Pete Both, Alan Brady, Paterson(JPa), Ed Patten,Jack Peachey OPeL EleanorPink, William Kate Brethwaite,Dennis Briede, Joe Broscharl (JBr), P. A. Buckley, Reid (n.e. PA: 73 W. RossSt.. Wilkes-Barre,PA 18702), JohnRus- JoeBurgiel (JBu), T.W. Burke (WestchesterCo., NY: 235 Highland cica, Bob Russell,Starr Saphir, Bob Schutsky,Jana Skolnicki, Steve Ave., Rye, NY 10580), Joel Citron, JohnDanzenbaker (JDa), Mike Smith,M. Sohmer(MSo), Margot & TomSouthefiand, O. K. Stephen- Danzenbaker,R.F. Deed(Rockland Co., NY: 50 ClintonAve., Nyack, son, Bill Stocku(BSt), Merlin Suttkus(MSu), Joe Swertinski,Bill NY 10960),John DeMarrais ODe), SteveDempsey, Dave DeReamus, Tannery, Martha & Paul Taylor, Fred Tetlow, J.P. Tramontario Joe DiCostanzo(JDi), Rich Ditch (RDi), Jim Dowdell (JDo), Peter (Orange,Sullivan, & Ulstercounties, NY: OrangeCo. Community Dunne(coastal NJ: C.M.B.O., Box3, CapeMay Pt., NJ 08212),A. P. College,Middletown, NY 10940),Marion VanWagner, Dave Ward, Ednie (New Castle& Kentcounties, DE: 21 N. Wells Ave., Glenolden, R. T. WatermanBird Club (DutchessCo., NY), WinstonWayne, PA 19036), Bill Fintel, Dot Fleury, G. A. Franchois,W. W. Frech Berna Weissmann,Jim Williams, Rick Wiltraut, Jim Zamos.•WIL- (SussexCo., DE: Carr. Rt. 3, Box 1144. Lewes, DE 19958), G. L. LIAM J. BOYLE, JR., 13A KensingtonRd., Chatham, NJ 07928, Freed,Laurie Goodrich, Jeff Gordon, Kerry Grim, JerryHaas (JHa), ROBERT O. PAXTON, 460 RiversideDrive, Apt. 72, New York, Barb& FrankHaas, Saul Hair, Tom Halliwell,Greg Hanisek(n.w. NJ: NY 10027, and DAVID A. CUTLER, Ill0 Rock Creek Drive, RD 3, Box 263, Phillipsburg,NJ 08865), David Harrison,Dorothy Wyncote, PA 19095.

MIDDLE ATLANTIC COAST REGION /Henry T. Armistead

This winterwas predominantly mild, with wild extremes.December was balmy anddry. Januarywas cold. Februarywas warm. Therewas little snowor rain in any of the threemonths. Deviation from normalof temperature:December, + 7.6øF;January, - 4.0ø;February, + 1.2ø;of precipitation:December, - 1.53inches; January, -0.28 inches:Febru- ary, +0.20 inches.High temperatureson December18, 19 and 29 rangedfrom 73 ø to 78ø throughout the Region. On January21 therange of lowswas from 0 ø to - 10ø. Then on February24 thehighs were from 75ø to 82ø . Noneof thisdid muchto makethe winter interesting for birders.Throughout, there were much lower-than-normalnumbers of mostherons, waterfowl, some gulls, all northernirruptive species, and mostwinter sparrows. Add to thisa lackof rarities,and the description by Weberthat he had "rarelyseen such an unexcitingseason" seems totallyappropriate. On theplus side it wasa goodwinter for pelicans,a few waterfowlspecies, eagles, some gulls, kinglets,and CedarWax- wing. The warmDecember did not inducea largenumber of birdsto linger.

ABBREVIATIONS-- Bait. = Baltimore;the Bay = Chesapeake TownsendFeb. 10was unprecedented asa mid-winterRegional record Bay; Black. = Blackwater Nat'l Wildlife Ref., Md.; C.B.B.T. = (HTA. HG). GreatCormorants were reported in usualnumbers at their ChesapeakeBay Bridge-Tunnel,Va.; Chinc. = ChincoteagueNat'l favoredlocale, C.B.B.T. (suchas sevenFeb. 18 by DC), but 18 on WildlifeRef., Va.; D.C. = Washington,D.C.; Susq.= lowerSusque- LowerMachodoc Cr., Va., off thelower Potomac R., provideda fine hannaR., Md., below ConowingoDam. Place namesin italics are count for there Feb. 18 (JEJ, SJ). counties. Schutsky'sbest heron counts on theSusq. included 151 Great Blues Dec.5 and20 Black-crownedNight-Herons through the winter; at Balt., LOONS THROUGH IBISES -- Loonswere presentin excellent 28 GreatBlues and 34 Black-crownedsDec. 22 wereconsidered high. numbersduring December but were little notedlater on (v.o.). Horned andindicative of themild December weather, by Ringler. So few herons Grebescontinue to winterin very low numbershere with no signsof are usuallypresent in late winter that even suchmodest counts as three recoveryat all yet (v.o.). SingleRed-necked Grebes were at Hampton GreatEgrets, nine Snowy Egrets, and a TricoloredHeron at Chinc., Roads,Va., Dec. 15 (HCI et al.) andin D.C., Jan.2-24 (DC). Only Feb.28 wereof interest(EMW et al.). A dozenBlack-crowned Night- aboutthe 4th for Maryland,a WesternGrebe wason LochRaven Res., Heronsoverwintered at theNational Zoo in D.C., whereCzaplak indi- n. of Bait., Dec. 16 to mid-January(PNo, KHW, RFR et al., ph.). catedthey are increasing.A lateGlossy Ibis wasat PiscatawayCr., SingleAm. White Pelicanswere present at LynnhavenInlet andSand- Prince Georges,Md., Dec. 2 (PN). In spiteof December'smildness, bridgein thegreater Cape Henry, Va., areaduring February, probably mostobservers noted no corresponding high number of lingeringherons the samebird (HCI, JW et al.), aswell asat Chinc. from late December on the coast. intoJanuary (FRS, WS et al.), continuingtheir recent trend of a scarce butregular presence. Brown Pelicans lingered until the end of December WATERFOWL-- Numbers of most waterfowl were even lower than in the CapeCharles area but onenearby soaring at greatheight over theywere in theprevious few winters,especially among the divers and

154 AmericanBirds, Summer 1985 especiallyduring December. One hopesth•s was pnmarfiy due to mfid w•th as many as 18 b•rds(CRV), three•mmatures were at L Drum- weather.Back Bay N.W.R. seemsto haveundergone a particularly bad mond, Dismal Swamp W.M.A., Feb. 23 (DS, CP), six were at Kerr dechne.When an experiencedobserver can spend most of theday there Res., Va., Jan. 11 (TD, JD), and five were at Land's End W.M.A., Feb 18 andsee (excluding oceanside birds) only four Tundra Swans, 10 Va., Jan. 27 (BP), all of theseheretofore regarded as minor areasfor Am Black Ducks, two N. Pintails and five N. Shovelers(zero Canada eagles.Population strongholds in Dorchesterand Kent, Md., continued Geese,zero Snow Geese!),something is verywrong (Wolfe). Yet the strong (EMW, RLA, JG et al.). next day Perry found 8300 Snow Geesenearby. On Feb. 19-20 he Sharp-shinnedHawks lingeredin goodnumbers during December, conductedan aerial surveyof Snow Geesefinding 130,175 from North someundoubtedly late migrants(v.o.). A Red-shoulderedHawk was Carolinato New Jersey,50,040 of thesein New Jersey,with 6450 in the nest-buildingas early as Feb. 1.1 near Richmond(MS, fide FRS) Ch•nc.area, 135 nearbyin coastalMaryland, and 21,450 on the upper Rough-leggedHawks made a fair influx with the southernmostones E Shoreof MarylandFeb. 20. Only 5 daysearlier only 11,500were on beingat CapeCharles Jan. 31 (HG), two at Saxis,Va., Feb. 3 (GMW), theupper E. Shore,indicating the start of a heavyN flightin theinterim. andat CuriesNeck, Henrico, Va., Feb. 17 (FRS et al.); sevenwere in s Other Feb. 20 countsincluded 30,550 in North Carolinaand 13,250 in Dorchester,Md., Feb. 24 (HTA). On theSusq., an imm. Goldenand 23 Delaware.A similarmid-January count found 188,000 Snows(MCP). Bald eagleswere seen in December(RMS), superiorrecords for there To thesecounts may be added1012 + Snowand"Blue" geese at Black., Very rarein s. Virginia wasan imm. GoldenEagle at Brandon,Prince Feb 17 (EMW). The bestcount of"Blues" from the Hopewell, Va., George,Dec. 17& 20 (EH, FRS). Latewinter Merlins were at Cheriton area was 400 Feb. 10 (FRS et al.), and 225 were at Black., Feb. 24 Feb.9 (HTA), TappahannockFeb. 10 andOyster Feb. 11 (DFA), plus (HTA). Chinc., Feb. 14 (KHW, DP), the only suchreported. Rail records, Small numbersof Mute Swanscontinued to appearin areaswhere seldomreceived in winter, consistedof singleKings at SeashoreS.P., knownwild populationsare unrecognizedsuch as Bait. (RFR), D.C. Va., Jan. 14 (GRS), at Black. (with five Virginia Rails)Feb. 24 (HTA), (EMW), Seneca, Md. (LDB), Westmoreland,Va. (EMW), and Ft. and at HuntleyMeadows P., Fairfax, Va., Feb. 26 (CG). American Belvoir, Va. (JMA)•more suchreports than usual.Greater White- Coot is anotherwaterbird which has declineddrastically at Back Bay fronted Geese continuedto causesomething of a stir with recordsof (PWS). s•nglesfrom Black., Jan.1-2 (JA), Kent,Md. (JG), Harford, Md., Feb. 28 + (5th straightwinter--DLK), OceanCity (CSR), andone adult plus SHOREBIRDS -- At Craney I., Wolfe found two Semipalmated two •mmaturesin the Alexandria, Va.-Accokeek, Md. area late Decem- PloversJan. 8. Best Am. Oystercatchertotals were 29 at OceanCity, ber to February(JMA, PN, RPR et al., ph.). Furtherreports of hybrid wherethey haveonly recentlybegun to winter, Jan. 5 (MO), 140 at youngWhite-fronts x Canadasfrom Black. and Hatford should compli- CapeCharles Feb. 9 (HTA), and 250 at Chinc., Feb. 3 (GMW et al.). catefuture goose reports nicely. A BarnacleGoose at Deer Cr., Hat- Up to 82 Am. Avocetswere at CraneyI., Dec. 5 (KHW, DP), but were ford, Feb.24+ shouldbe regarded with suspicion (DLK et al.), butan notseen later (TRW, KHW). A genuinerarity in winteron thePiedmont ad Ross' Goose,Maryland's 2rid, at Black., Dec. 29-31 wasprobably wasa LesserYellowlegs at Lilypons,Frederick, Md., Decemberto Jan. a trulywild bird (PO, MO, HK et al.). At PineyRun, Carroll, Md., a 9 (MO et al.). A bit off theirmarks were up to eightMarbled Godwits at CanadaGoose (hutchinsii)was seenDec. 16 and Jan. 1 (RFR). Fisherman'sI., Va., from Decemberto Feb. 10 (MAB, DFA et al.); the Wood Ducks seemto be increasinglyable to survivesevere cold by godwitsusually restrict their activities to theMockhorn I. flats,4-5 mi to takingadvantage of foodand shelter at zoos,such as 85 at Druid L., the n.e. and well out of sightof the mainlandand the C.B.B.T. high- Bait, Jan.25 aftera dipto - 6øFthere Jan. 21, threeat D.C. zooJan. 19 way. Typicalwinter counts were 30 RuddyTurnstones at GrandView, (DC), and 12 at Little Creek, Va., Jan.28 whereit was -3øF Jan.21 Hampton,Va., Feb. 28 (TK) and50 at OceanCity Jan. 27 (EW). Least (HCI). Schwabfeels Am. BlackDucks are increasingin winteron the Sandpipersagain overwintered near Hopewell, where eight were seen V•rgmia Piedmontwhere he saw 800 at Elm Hill W.M.A. nearKerr Feb. 17, thoughtto be a differentgroup than the 12 found8.5 mi away Dam, this in contrastto theirapparent decline elsewhere. He alsonoted on the HopewellC.B.C., Dec. 15 (FRS, LGR et al.). Justbarely on the 2500 N. Pintailsand 750 Gadwallsat Hog I., Surry,Va., Jan. 30, best Piedmontwere two Dunlinsat Susq.,Jan. 27 (MO) andone there Feb. 6 countsthis season.Best countsfrom Craney I., Portsmouth,Va., in (RMS, EB), mostunusual for thisinland locality. The bestshorebird of Januarywere of 400 N. Shovelers,250 Gadwalls, and 200 Am. Wigeon the seasonwas a Ruff alongEgypt Rd., n. of Black., Jan. 6-7, consort- (TRW). At CapeCharles a c3Eur. Wigeonwas at Fisherman'sI., Dec. ing with 150 Killdeers;this apparently provided the 3rd Regionalwinter 31 (ASh, DCo, GD et al.) and at TownsendFeb. 9-10 (HTA, HG). record,the first for Maryland (AH, FH et al.). The area aroundthis 6-7 BaltimoreHarbor continued to be a primediver site with 1500 Canvas- mi road is rapidly being lumberedout and transformedinto one big backsand 2500 LesserScaup Feb. 17 (RFR). Excellenttotals from D.C. cornfieldof thousandsof acres.It is somethingof a bittersweetfe.eling to included32 OldsquawsDec. 31,230 Ring-neckedDucks Jan. 9, two realizethat it is a very goodstretch for field birds.Numerous observers White-wingedScoters Jan. 28, and 10 RedheadsFeb. 26 (DC). commentedon the prevalenceof Am. Woodcockcourtship displays At Ocean City a Commonand four King eidersand up to seven duringthe warm December.But as usual,the lion's shareof winter HarlequinDucks wintered (MO et al.), theKings being present the shorebirdswere recordedon the C.B.C.s (q.v.). longest(DC); C.B.B.T. boastedeight Kings all winter(GRS, TK, PB, HTA et al.), plus a Commonin January(JEJ, KM) and up to three GULLS THROUGH SKIMMER -- Uniquewas an ad. Little Gull at Harlequinsall winter(KHW, DP, HCI). Notablefor thePiedmont were OceanCity Feb. 24 (WK, HLW). Interestinginland records of Bona- 18 Oldsquawsand four White-wingedScoters at Piney Run Dec. 16 parte's Gulls were one at Nokesville, Prince William, Va., Jan. 20 (RFR). ThreeWhite-wingeds with 200 Buffleheadson theJames R. in (KHB) and 80 at Swift CreekRes., Dec. 5 (FRS), while 45 at Hoopefts R•chmondJan. 26 were also unusual(LGR, fide FRS). Among the I., Dorchester,Md., Feb. 24 was a high countby local standards d•vers,Com. Goldeneyeseemed especially down this winter(v.o.). (HTA). Most felt that numbersof Herringand Ring-billedgulls were Often late arrivals, 120 Corn. Merganserswere at HopewellJan. 14 low muchof the winter, especiallyalong the coast.Gulls alongthe (FRS), a monthafter the C.B.C. therethat had only six. In contrastto Susq.again stole the showwith theseobservations of greatestinterest otherdivers, Red-breasted Mergansers were in highsupply, with counts there:six LesserBlack-backeds, one Iceland, and one Thayer'sJan. 19 suchas .1000 + at Ft. Monroe,Va., Jan.4 (TK) and55 inlandat Swift (EB, RMS); four LesserBlack-backeds, one Iceland, and one Glaucous Creek Res. near RichmondDec. 5 (FRS). Feb. 5 (RMS); 10 LesserBlack-backeds (a recordRegional count), one Iceland,two Glaucous,one Thayer's, and 14,000 HerringsFeb. 6 (EB, RAPTORSTHROUGH RAILS -- Strange'toseewere several groups ß RMS). An Icelandwas also seenthere Jan. 27 (MO), and one was at of Turkey Vulturestotalling 65 crossingthe Bay at C.B.B.T., Dec. 2 C.B.B.T., Feb. 2 (JB). The only other Glaucousrecord was of one at (FRS et al.). Lessstrange, as the Region usually has an earlyOsprey in Hog I., Feb. 12 (DS). February,was one at KnottsI., Va., Feb. 15just over the North Caroli- Lesser Black-backed Gulls continued to be seen at favored localities na border(GG, VH, fide FRS). Bald Eaglescontinued to do well. A suchas BAR., the greaterD.C. area,and C.B.B.T. (v.o.). On the Susq., m•d-wintercount along the James,York and Rappahannockrivers in 500 Great Black-backedGulls were estimatedJan. 16 in league with V•rg•niafound 122, 54% immatures,the bestratio of immaturesyet 10,000 Herring Gulls (RMS),. and at Back Bay• Wolfe found Great foundthere (MAB, FRS). A new roostwas found near Crisfield, Md., Black-backedsvoraciously feeding on live crabson the unlikelydate of

Volume 39, Number 2 155 Feb 18 Single Black-leggedKlttlwakes were at C B B T , Dec 25 manyseen on C B C s thisyear, and one was at ChippokesPlantation (DCt) & 31 (DCo, HTA etal.), andat OceanCity Dec. 27 (MO). Small S.P., s.e. of Williamsburg,Jan. 6 (PM,fide TK). A Wilson'sWarbler numbersof RoyalTerns lingered through December at themouth of the wasseen near Alexandria, Va., for severaldays in mid-December(fide Bay, whichdoes not happen every winter, and four Royal Terns as well JMA).Pine Warblers, among the first signs of springhere, were singing as 60 Black Skimmerswere seenin the Cape Henry area Dec. 25 as early as Feb. 17 near Hopewell, Va. (FRS et al.). (TRW), two of the skimmerslingering until Jan. 12. This was an Totallyout of seasonwas a ScarletTanager at Williamsburgduring unprecedentednumber of skimmersfor solate in theyear. A lateCom. the first weekof December(AS, fide BW). With regardto severalof Tern seenat Virginia BeachDec. 1 was very well-described(FRS, theselingering warm-weather birds, observers comment on their prefer- JWD). ence for pinesat this time of year. Followingthe bitter cold of late January,Droege noted an influx of Am. TreeSparrows in theMaryland Piedmontin thefirst week of February,in a sensemarking an end of the fall migration.Chipping Sparrows were present in above-averagenum- PARROTS THROUGH SHRIKES -- For the past4 winterstwo .bersduring December, and 44 werenoted at DentonFeb. 1 (SW,fide macaws(sp.) havebeen found in VirginiaBeach (HCI). A GreatHorned AJF). FoxSparrow numbers were at whatwas probably an all-time low, Owl returnedto remnantsof the Great Blue Heronry at Deal Island virtually abysmal(v.o.). Observerswere unanimousthat mostother W.M.A., Somerset,Md., whereit wasseen sitting oh a nest(old Great sparrowswere in verylow numbers,especially Swamp Sparrow, White- Blue nest?)Feb. 17 (DC). SnowyOwls stageda minorinvasion, with throatedSparrow, and Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco. This was espe- one at Hart & Miller islandse. of Balt. for mostof December(fide ciallyobvious to banders(D & MM, FRS). Therewas an influx of some, RFR), one in Frederick,Md., Dec. 14 into January(fide DHW), the includingjuncos, after the coldsnap of Jan. 20-21 (SD). Up to eight Chinc.bird mentioned in the fall report(CPW), plusunconfirmed re- LaplandLongspurs were in Frederick,Md., in earlyDecember through portsin D.C. and Laurel Grove, St. Ma•'s, Md., aboutas good a early Januarynear New DesignRd., in companywith 250 ñ Horned showingas theyever makehere. One hopesthey were rewarded with a Larks(BC et al.). SnowBuntings were widely scattered in smallnum- microtinesmorgasbord. The onlyLong-eared Owl wasseen by Bassat bersexcept for a big groupof 150_+ at Hart & Miller Is. in December NokesvilleDec. 8, wherefour Short-earedOwls were sightedFeb. 16 (RFR). (RAA). Other interestingShort-eared Owl recordswere of three at The only non-C.B.C.N. (Baltimore)Oriole reportwas of one in Greensboro,Caroline, Md., Dec. 27 (SW, WR,fide AJF), andfour at Calvert,Md., Jan.8 (RRR).The n. finchflight was nonexistent for yet Chinc., Feb. 17 (DC), in both casessurpassing this season'sC.B.C.s for those areas. anotherwinter. Even Purple Finches were almost completely absent, and even as active a bander as Scott banded none for the first time in 30 Red-headedWoodpeckers were in goodnumbers in Piedmontareas years. They were as scarceas Pine Siskinsand EveningGrosbeaks (v.o.) aswere Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers throughout. Totally unexpect- were.But House Finches continued to spreadand increase, an indication ed were two Red-cockadedWoodpeckers near Dare, York,Va., n. of of theirubiquitousness being 43 foundon sanddunes at GrandviewFeb the species'usual localitiesnear Wakefield, Sussex,Va. These were 1by Portlock. Pine Siskins turned up in smallnumbers without rhyme or seenfrom late winteruntil at leastMar. 12 (TD, CWH, m.ob.) coming reasonsuch as an unusuallylarge number (for an off winter) of 50 at to suet"lifting wings like a mockingbird."In 1978,fewer than 50 were RichmondDec. 5 (FM, fide FRS), eight in GlebeHarbor, Westmore- estimatedto bein Virginia.Even though no Horned Larks were record- land, Va., Jan. 6 (JEJ), or four in Arlington, Va., Feb. 7 (EMW) ed on the HopewellC.B.C., 110 werein thisarea at CurlesNeck Jan. 27 AmericanGoldfinches did nothingto alleviatethe litanyof negativism (FRS et al.). Six to sevenTree Swallowsapparently overwintered at EveningGrosbeaks showed up here or therein the mannerof siskins, Chinc.,where they were seen at leastJan. 22-Feb. 17 and later (WS, DC suchas a singlenear NorthwestRiver P., Chesapeake•Va., Jan. 20 et al.). It was anotherdismal winter for Red-breastedNuthatch, with (GMW). only scatteredreports of oneto threebirds, and many birders saw none. To endthis report in a suitablybizarre manner, in factalmost trium- White-breastedNuthatches also failed to mounta flight;in goodyears phantlyin theface of thelack of finches,waterfowl• and other big bird they appearin manycoastal plain areaswhere they do not breed. groups,as well as rarities,we have this accountof how at the National Literallygrotesque was the tale of a WinterWren that spent much of Zoo in D.C., Czaplakwatched a Red-billedMagpie "pounce upon, kill the winterin coverin the Bobcatcage at theNational Zoo in D.C. (DC). andcompletely devour one unwary House Sparrow. The DerbyanPara- Also in the realmof the strangewas the extremescarcity of bothmarsh keetsand the Pinyon Jay watched, lending an internationalflavor to the wrensand marsh sparrows along the coast this December in spiteof the proceedings."They all deserveeach other. Next winterhas got to bean shirtsleevesweather (v.o.). They are ofteneasier to find in extremely improvement,complete with northernfinches. cold yearsthan they were beforeJanuary's hard freeze. Superlatives were in order for both kinglets,which winteredin recordnumbers in manyareas, especially Ruby-crowneds (v.o.). It wasonly a few years ago that both were in record low numbers.Christmas Bird Counts OBSERVERS -- D.F. Abbott, J.M. Abbott, R.A. Anderson,R L remainoutside of my purviewbut I cannotresist noting that although I Anderson,Jane Arnold, Carol Baldwin, K.H. Bass, Paul Bedell, Jim knowof at least21 Blue-grayGnatcatchers seen on C.B.C.s, virtually Berry(JBe), Eirik Blom, L.D. Bonham,J.H. Buckalew,Jeff Byrd, nonewas reported otherwise, surely a misleadingsituation pointing out M.A. Byrd, DennisCarter (DCt), BarryCooper, Daniel Cristol (DCo), the hazardsof relyingonly on non-C.B.C. materialsfor this column. David Czaplak, John Dalmas, Thelma Dalmas, Gus Daniels, H N After theirtremendous showing during the past breeding season, Cedar Darrow, J.W. Dillard, Sam Droege, P.G. DuMont, Ethel Engle, Waxwingswere again present in very largenumbers through most of the GeorgeFenwick, A.J. Fletcher,Hans Gabler, Carolyn Gamble, J A winter (v.o.). LoggerheadShrikes remain scarceenough here so that Gregoire,Gisela Grimm, James Gruber, C.W. Hacker,Virginia Hank, observersstill reporttheir presence, even in primeareas such as Lily- Ed Hatch, FloydHayes, M.W. Hewitt, ArmasHill, H.C. Irving, J E ponswhere they are almostto be expected. Johnson,Sylvia Johnson, Alice Jones,Hank Kaestner,Teta Kain, D L Kirkwood,Wayne Klockner, K. Maguire,Paul McAllister, Dorothy & VIREOS THROUGH HOUSE SPARROW-- A late SolitaryVireo Mike Mitchell,Myriam Moore, Fred Murray, Paul Nistico, Paul Noell was at SeashoreS.P. at Cape Henry Dec. I (FRS, JWD). Notable (PNo), Michael O'Brien, Paul O'Brien, F.L. Parks, Charlie Pelizza, Orange-crownedWarblers away from favoredcoastal locales were sin- M.C. Perry, Don Peterson,B. Plutschak(BPs), Bill Portlock,Mary gles at Harwood Mills Res., Va., Jan. 26 (TK), and anotherin the Pulley, C. Register,R.F. Ringler,Wilbur Rittenhouse,C.S. Robbins, NationalArboretum in D.C., wherean outstandinglylate 9 Black- L.G. Robinson,Betsy Roszell, R.R. Runkles,R.P. Russell,Kurt Sa- throatedBlue Warblerwas alsoseen, both on Dec. 29 (DC). Other voie, G.R. Schottler,R.M. Schutsky,Don Schwab,F.R. Scott,W N completelyunexpected winter warblers,even consideringthe mild Shirey,Andrew Solomon (ASn), Alice Springe,Margaret Studebaker, weather,were singleN. Parulasat Denton, Caroline, Md., Dec. 28 Wally Sumner,Byron Swift, P.W. Sykes, Pete Vankevich,C R (SW, MWH, fide AJF), and a male capturedat JamestownI. near Vaughn,D.H. Wallace,K.H. Weber,Ed Weigel, SteveWestre, H L Williamsburg,Va., Jan.19 which died several days later (fide BW), and Wierenga,C.P. Wilds,Jay Wilhelmi, Bill Williams,G.M. Williamson, a BlackburnianWarbler in D.C., Dec. 8 & 15 (DC, BS). The Black- E.M. Wilson, T.R. Wolfe.--HENRY T. ARMISTEAD, 523 E. Dur- and-whiteWarbler is moreto beexpected during winter, especially after ham Street, Philadelphia, PA 19119.

156 AmericanB•rds, Summer1985 Carolina, includingone or two "probables"Feb. 21, Lee observedone SOUTHERN ATLANTIC COAST REGION off OregonInlet Dec. 28 thathe is confidentin calling. As with extm- /Harry E. LeGrand, Jr. limital Pterodromaspecies, a specimenwould be highly desirable. PELICANS THROUGH IBISES • An Am. White Pelican at Hatter- Weatherin the Regionfollowed a patternrepeated a numberof times as Inlet, N.C., on severaldates in winter (D & SD et al. ) may havebeen in recentyears--an unseasonably warm December followed by a brutal- the same bird found there the previousyear. Likewise, anotherat ly cold January.February was somewhatmilder than usual,but every- Charleston,S.C., mostof the season(DF) may well havebeen a return- one'sattention was focused on January.For on the afternoonof January ing visitor. A Great Cormorantat MiddletonGardens near Charleston 20, the coldestsurge of air ever to hit the Regionspread southeastward Jan. 12 (m.ob.) was mostunusual away from the •mmediatecoast; and fromthe center of thecontinent. On the morningof January21, alltime theRegion's most consistent wintering locale. Huntington Beach S.P.. lawswere recorded nearly everywhere, such as - 9øFat Raleigh,North S.C., washome to threeor four duringthe season,including an adult Carolina,and - 10øFin far southMidville, Georgia.Fortunately, the Feb. 2 (PN et al.). SingleAnhingas farther inland than normal were in "AlbertaClipper's" frigid temperaturesremained only two or three ForsythCounty, Ga., Dec. 2 (JP) andAugusta Dec. 8 & Jan. 19 (AW, days,and little arian mortalityfrom the freezewas mentioned.Snow VW) and at Martin, S.C., Dec. 15 (SG). The mild December weather and ice were rather infrequentthis winter, as precipitationwas below alloweda LeastBittern to lingerto Dec. 27 at Hatteras,N.C. (RD), as normal in most areas. well asa few GreatEgrets in Decemberat Normanand Jordan lakes in c. The mild Decemberenabled many speciesto remainnorth of their North Carolina (m.ob.). A Green-backedHeron Jan. 8 far inland at winter rangesthrough the ChristmasBird Count(hereafter, C.B.C.) Gainesville,Ga. (JP) wasquite surprising. Perhaps unprecedented win- period,especially waders and small insectivores (warblers, vireos, and ter seasonnumbers of GlossyIbises were reported:38 on the Bodie-Pea gnatcatchers).Of course,waterfowl were in poornumbers until the cold Is., N.C., C.B.C., Dec. 28 •qde PS) and 100 at SanteeCoastal Reserve, weatherappeared, causing many C.B.C. compilersto pray for a cold S.C., Jan. 26 (m.ob.). December1985. The winterfinch flight was dismal,and few rarities (suchas tanagers, grosbeaks, or buntings)visited feeders. It wascertain- WATERFOWL-- As expected,to the anguishof C.B.C. partici- ly a forgettableseason for nearly everyonebut a small handfulof pants,waterfowl numbers were down, particularlyin December.Rare Georgiabirders who turnedup severalwestern vagrants, and Dave Lee, in North Carolinawas a FulvousWhistling-Duck near Otway. Carteret whoseremarkable pelagic trips in Decemberoff OregonInlet, encoun- Co., Dec. 17 •qde TB). That stateopened a huntingseason on Tundra tered birds more likely to be found off the West Indies or Bermuda Swans.a resultof burgeoningnumbers; and the 26,625 talliedon the (presumably)than off North Carolina. MattamuskeetN.W.R.C.B.C. there, Dec. 30 •de AB) seemedto validatethe decisionfor an openseason. A Ross'Goose at Pea I., Jan...... • -' g0• - ' ' 20-26 (CL, RD, HL, KC) was almostexpected at that refuge. The lumpingof the "Common"Teal with the Green-wingedTeal has re- i--4 ..... / ' 1 _..... •-.... •'- ducedthe searching for andreporting of theformer; thus, gratifying was a reportof a d' "Common"at BodieI., N.C., Mar. 4 (ACo). Parfor the / RAEEIGH ARAITAARUSKEET ß I TENN' . ß %.% ß REF. ß EF. seasonwas the singlereport of Eur. Wigeon---oneat Pea I. in late January(ME, MC). Goodinland counts, all in NorthCarolina, included __2.__œ_ - 85 CanvasbacksDec. 21 nearVass (TH), eightGreater Seaups Jan. 27- I ] o Feb. 16 near Burlington(AB), and 20 Cam. Mergansersat Roanoke RapidsL., Jan. 13 (HL, RD, MW, KC). Five reportsof Cam. Eider mightconstitute a singleseason record. The ad. malewas noted again this winter at HatterasInlet, N.C. (HL, RD); whereasfemales or imma- turesappeared in 4 otherlocales in NorthCarolina at OregonInlet I FallLine ..,,•'•'• s•½•10MAIN •EFUGE (CL) and Ft. Macon S.P. (RJH) and in SouthCarolina at Murrells Inlet i •• (LG, PN) and HuntingtonBeach S.P. (AW, PJCet aLL Very rare for Georgiawas a King Eider, an imm. male at CumberlandI., Dec. 30 (PM, TM, HG, BP). A • King winteredin the MoreheadCity, N.C. area (JF et al.) and was joined by an imm. male at nearbyFt. Macon S.P., Feb. 21-22 (RJH). Slightlymore notable than the eiderswas the HarlequinDuck: two females at Murrells Inlet Jan. I-7 (PN, GC, RG), a female at Pine Knoll Shores,N.C., Dec. 16 into January(GM et aLL and an ad. male at nearbyFt. MaconFeb. 21-23 (RJH). MeNair had an excellentsouth- LOONS THROUGH SHEARWATERS -- Red-throated Loons are boundflight of seaterson thelate date of Dec. 2 at HuntingIsland S.P., quiterare inland;yet North Carolinahad three such records: Dec. 9 at S.C. Essentiallyall of the 7800 seaterswere identified as Blacks, JordanL. (RD, HL, WI); Dec. 10 at L. Norman (HW, HWh); and Jan. 1 althoughtwo White-wingedswere noted. Inland seaters are good finds at RoanokeRapids L. (ML, KL). Severalexcellent counts of Horned at anytime; noteworthy in Gefrgiawere a SurfJan. 19-Feb.17 at Grebeswere made at L. Keowee,S.C., with the bestbeing 79 on Feb. SweetwaterCreek S.P. (GS) anda White-wingedat L. LanierFeb. 28 19 (DM). Lee and others have accumulateda number of late fall and (JP). Very rare for the Atlanta, Ga.. area were 3 reportsof Cam. springrecords of Northern Fulmar for NorthCarolina; thus, somewhat MergansersDec. 1-Jan. 12 •qde TM). overduewas the state'sfirst winterrecord--an individual off Oregon Inlet Feb. 21 (DL, DC). Lee managed5 pelagictrips (4 in Decemberand OSPREY THROUGH CRANES -- Ospreysseldom overwinter in one in February)to the Gulf Streamoff OregonInlet, findingBlack- North Carolina, but one apparentlydid so in e. CarteretCounty (fide cappedPetrels each time; the bestcounts were of 36 on bothDec. 20 & NG). Numbersof winteringBald Eaglesappeared to be on the rise, at 28. On his remarkableDec. 20 trip, he observeda Bermuda Petrel off least in North Carolina.That statehad its best ever mid-wintereagle OregonInlet. He now has2 sightingsof this very-diffictllt-to-identify survey(20 birdsJan. 2-16); however,13 were alongthe Yadkin-Pee Pterodroma,the only suchreports for North America (seeAB 38:151- Dee R. systemand only two werefrom thLtidewater section (fide MW). 163). Obviously,a specimenwill be necessaryto confirmthe speciesin Althoughthere are numerouswinter sight records of Broad-winged our waters. On Dec. 12, he also collected a Greater Shearwater off Hawk for the Region,many or mostlikely involvemisidentifications. that inlet. for the 3rd statewinter recordbut the first confumedby Bryan'sphoto of an imm. bird perchedon a telephonewire at Cape specimenor photo.Now apparentlyregular off the Regionin winter, Hatteraspoint, N.C., Dec. 27 (ph. examinedby HL) wasperhaps the Manx Shearwaterwas reportedtwice--two off OregonInlet Dec. 20 first winterreport documented here by photoor specimen.Likewise, (DL) andthree off JekyllI., Ga., Feb. 9 (A.A.S.). After several"prob- any winter reportof Swainson'sHawk in the eastfaces a wall of able"sightings of Little Shearwaterover the pastfew yearsoff North skepticism.Yet, an adultDec. 27 in LexingtonCounty, S.C. (BM) was

Volume 39, Number 2 157 well describedby an observerfamfilar w•th the speciesin Texas.This DOVES THROUGH NUTHATCHES-- Perhapsjust the 2ndRe- was the state's3rd or 4th sightrecord; no photoor specimenexists for gionalrecord in a decadeof White-wingedDove wagof oneseen m the Region.Believable Rough-legged Hawks .werereported twice, both flight with MourningDoves Dec. 23 nearDublin, Ga. (TKP). A major •n n. North Carolina, near L. PhelpsDec. 29 (ph. AB., LP) and in inlandconcentration of Short-earedOwls was 10 + nearAlbany, Ga, Halifax CountyJan. 16 (FE). The soleGolden Eagle sighting involved Feb. 18 (GV), and locally rare was anotherfound shot at Clemson, an immatureat SanteeN.W.R., S.C., Dec. 29 andagain Feb. 12 (DF et S.C., Dec. 6 (LW; * C.U.). Althoughthey winter sparingly over most al ). Numbersof Am. Kestrelscontinued to slide, in migrationand in of our area,N. Saw-whetOwls areinfrequently reported. Notable was winter, both here andelsewhere in the east. Few inlandC.B.C.s report- one found injuredon a road Dec. 29 near Durham (RJ). Apparentlya ed morethan one dozen birds, and the warmDecember weather was 2ndstate winter record was a Chuck-will's-widowseen in a pinegrove hkelynot to blamefor thelow numbers.There were 5 inlandsightings of on BodieI., N.C., Dec. 28 (RD et al.); andGeorgia's 2nd ever Rufous Merlins, with each state represented;the 2 inland PeregrineFalcon Hummingbird, reportedin the fall, lingeredat a Duluthfeeder to Jan reportswere from South Carolina near Columbia Dec. 9 (BM) andnear 11 (BD, fide TM). WesternKingbirds often linger into early winter PendletonJan. 19 (CW). duringmild weather,although several weeks late were individualsin Oneof themost significant records as a resultof the"Alberta Clipper" NorthCarolina at Cape Lookout Dec. 18 (SP), at Hatteras Dec. 27 (BL, was an emaciatedYellow Rail pickedup on the sideof a road near KK), at Pea I., Dec. 28 (JW et al.), andin SouthCarolina Jan. 6 along Oriental,N.C., Jan.23 (DoF). This tidewatertown is only 20 mi inland the Waccamaw R. (GC, CM, ZE). Red-breastedNuthatches were as from the Beaufortairport, where large numbershave beenseen in hardto find thiswinter as in any for a decade;hardly any C.B.C.s or previouswinters; perhaps Yellow Rails winter away from the immediate observersnoted the species. coast.Two callingKing Railswere of interestnear Dublin, Ga., Dec. 24 (TKP) as was anotherJan. 1 near Halifax, N.C. (ML, KL). In c. WRENS THROUGH WARBLERS -- Marsh Wrens and Sedge Georgia,late-migrating Sandhill Cranes are almostmeeting the early Wrens were tallied in excellent numbers on coastal C.B.C.s. Bodie- northboundones; 74 flyingN at MariettaJan. 27 (WD) werevery early, Pea's213 Marsh Wrens Dec. 28 (fide PS) was truly an amazingtotal, butno migration data accompanied the report of 40 in Hall County,Jan. andthe MattamuskeetN.W.R.C.B.C. had58 Sedgesand 64 Marshes 13 (RS). Dec. 30 (fide AB). The severeweather in late Januarylikely tooka toll on thesewrens. Perhaps the Region'smost overdue species is Varied SHOREBIRDS -- Rare in the Charleston area were three Am. Avo- Thrush. Finally,a first (yet 2ndfor Georgia)was one at'a feederin cetsat Mount PleasantFeb. 26 (DF), anda peakof 18 wasnoted during Bogart,near Athens, Dec. 11 (GH); detailshave been submitted to The the seasonat JekyllI., Ga. (PB, WD). GreaterYellowlegs lingered Oriole. Many passefinesthat winter essentiallyin the CoastalPlain inlandat Durham, N.C., andAtlanta until mid-December,with onenear remainedin the Piedmontthrough December and early January.Blue- the lattercity Dec. 16 (DLa) beinga winterfirst. The mild earlywinter grayGnatcatchers, Solitary Vireos, and Black-•d-white Warblerswere enabledmore LeastSandpipers to linger inlandthan usual;the best especiallywidespread on Piedmont C.B.C.s. Among lingering species recordswere of 18 on the ChapelHill, N.C., C.B.C., Dec. 29 (ACap, thatdo notwinter regularly here were a c• N. Parulanear Martin, S.C, EG, DK) andbirds in PiedmontGeorgia at ClaytonCounty until Jan. 13 Dec. 15 (SG), a MagnoliaWarbler Dec. 1 at Augusta(AW), anda g? (PB)and Forsyth County until Jan. 20 (JP).A PectoralSandpiper Jan. Black-throatedBlue Warbler near Manteo, N.C., Dec. 29 (RD, KC) 19-Feb.17 in ForsythCounty, Ga. (JP)was one of justa few suchmid- An Ovenbirdat Winston-Salem,N.C., Dec. 29 (JDB, CMat,fide RSn) winter recordsfor the Region.Two Pectoralsnear Chapel Hill Dec. 29 mightbe thefirst in thestate in winteraway from the coast.Surprising- (AT, fide BW) were almost as notable. The Clayton County water ly, Wilson's Warblerswere encounteredtwice--at Gainesville,Ga, treatmentplant also hosted a Dunlin all winterand a tardyLong-billed Dec. 4 (JP) andnear Falls L., N.C., Dec. 22 (JM). Note thatno unusual Dowitcheruntil Dec. 2 (PB). Red Phalaropeswinter off our coast,but warblerswere observedin Januaryor February. North Carolinahad lacked a Februaryrecord until 40 wereobserved off OregonInlet Feb. 21 (DC, DL). TANAGERS,EMBERIZID FINCHES-- A c• W. Tanagernear JAEGERSTHROUGH ALCIDS -- The onlypost-December jaegers Vass,N.C., Dec. 1 (AB, RD) wasthe only one reported. J. Carteragain reportedwere two Parasiticsoff JekyllI., Feb. 9 (TM et al.) andanother hadsuccess in findingBachman's Sparrows in w. Ft. Bragg,N.C., he at Pine Knoll Shores, N.C., Feb. 23 (JF, LC, BH). However, one hada peakof threebetween Dec. 7 andJan. 19. This siteis then. edge Decemberjaeger was definitely worthy of mention;a Long-tailedJae- of thewinter range. Four Grasshopper Sparrows were tallied Dec. 16 at ger off OregonInlet Dec. 20 (DL, WI) wascarefully studied for thefirst Clemson(CW), which lies at the n. edgeof that species'winter range winter recordfor the Regionand one of just a few for the entireconti- Othernotable Grasshoppers were one near Wilson, N.C., Dec. 2 (HL, nent. The only Little Gull for the seasonwas, not surprisingly,seen RD) and a singingbird Dec. 23 within the winterrange near Dublin amonga largeflock of Bonaparte'sGulls at PeaI., Feb. 16 (HL, RD). (TKP). Boundariesof thewinter range of Lincoln'sSparrow are still On the otherhand, Corn. Black-headedGull wasreported thrice, all in beingelucidated, yet the 7 winterrecords, scattered nearly throughout, North Carolina--nearSwanquarter Dec. 26 (HL et al.), nearCarolina continueto make suchmapping difficult. The most significantrecord BeachJan. 5 (DC, ACar, DL; * N.C.S.M.), andat HatterasInlet Jan. 19 involvedtwo or threeDec. 29-Feb. 17 nearL. Phelps,N.C. (AB, LP, (CL). In severelycold weather,the CapeHatteras-Hatteras Inlet area HL, RD), plusanother nearby at SwanquarterDec. 30 (RD). Others oftenteems with gulls.This was again evident when Davis and LeGrand were seenduring the seasonnear Wilson (HL, RD) and ChapelHill estimated500,000 gulls (over 95% Ring-billeds)in the area Jan. 26 (ME) in North Carolina, Clemson (CW, SG), and Augusta (AW) following severaldays of brutal temperatures.Iceland Gull was re- Considerablymore White-crowned Sparrows winter in n.e. NorthCaro- movedfrom the SouthCarolina hypothetical list whena bird notedDec. lina thanpreviously believed, as evidenced by 35 + nearL. Phelpsall 19 at MountPleasant (CB) wascollected Jan. 14 (WP; * C.M.); surpris- winter(ABet al.), threeon Dec. 30 nearL. Mattamuskeet(RD, JW), ingly, nonewas reported from NorthCarolina. The 5 reportsof Lesser and five on Curdtuck Banks near Corolla Feb. 15 (HL, RD). The Black-backedGull wasactually a low total;the better sightings were of Conwayshad quite an arrayofjuncos in theiryard at Catawba,S.C. An five eachat Pea I., Dec. 29 (MT, BL) andCape Hatteras point Feb. 16 Oregonrace junco was founddead Dec. 25 (* C.M.), and muchrarer (RD et al.), and one Feb. 9 off Jekyll I. (TM et al.). Postcollected a was a Dark-eyed (White-winged) Junco bandedDec. 26 but found GlaucousGull Dec. 20 at Mount Pleasant(* C.M.), but the specieswas dead Dec. 29 (wing to C.M.). The "White-winged Junco" has not detectedonly 3 othertimes, all in NorthCarolina. A few Black-legged previouslybeen reported from the Region. Lapland Longspurs appeared Klttiwakeswere observedfrom North Carolinabeaches, as usual;like- in typicalnumbers and were reportedonly from establishedlocales, wise, the highesttotals were offshore,the bestbeing of 43 off Oregon however,20+ on Mar. 4 nearTownville, S.C. (SG et al.) was a high Inlet Dec. 20 (DL). One kittiwakeoff Jekyll i., Feb. 9 was rare for totalfor sucha latedate. An excitingfind wasa SnowBunting along the Georgia(TM et al.). Two Bridled Ternsoff OregonInlet Dec. 20 (DL) shoreof JordanL., N.C., Dec. 9 (RD, WI, HL); but, alas,only one was weremost unexpected, as the speciesis quiterare after September; this reportedfrom the coast,where much more often found, at Huntington is North Carolina'sfirst winter record.A poor winterfor alcidswas Beach S.P., S.C., Jan. 27 (C.B.C.). evidentby just a singlerecord late in the pefiod--a Dovekieseveral miles off Oregon Inlet Feb. 21 (DC, DL). BLACKBIRDS,CARDUELINE FINCHES -- A c•Brewer's Black-

158 Amencan Birds, Summer 1985 birdFeb 23 at Townwile(CW) m•ghthave been a veryearly m•grant, as ford, Mark Crotteau,P J Crutchfield,R•cky Davis, David & Susan the speciesdoes not normallywinter in n.w. SouthCarolina. Yellow- Disher, Barbara Dixon, Wally Dreyfoos, Marc Eisdorfer, Frank headedBlackbirds can appearanywhere, anytime, and in most any Enders,Zeke Erskine,Dennis Forsythe, Dorothy Foy (DoF), JohnFus- habitatat thisseason without raising eyebrows. A femaleor immature sell, Eric Garner, Hugh Garrett, SidneyGauthreaux, Norman Gillikin, was at a feederin Atlanta Jan. 11 (HP), whereasan ad. male was with Lex Glover, RandyGrover, R.J. Hader, Bob Holmes,Grady Horne, Red-wingedBlackbirds at Swanquarter,N.C., Feb. 17 (ph.; PJ). It was Tom Howard, WayneIrvin, PeggyJansen, Ross Jervis, Dan Kaplan, a winter nearlywithout Purple Finches. They were uncommonnearly Ken Knapp, Dennis Lacoss(DLa), Dave Lee, Harry LeGrand, Bob everywhere;a few C.B.C. s missedthem entirely. When Purple Finches Lewis, KarehLynch, Merrill Lynch,Charlie Lyon, BruceMack, Chris arefew in number,it is alwaysa greatchallenge to find PineSiskins and Marsh,Clarence Mattox (CMat), JimMcConnell, Douglas McNair, Gil EveningGrosbeaks. Both did visit the Regionin very smallnumbers, Miller, Peggy Moore, Terry Moore, North Carolina State Museum, andgrosbeaks were very rare, beingreported only severaltimes. Natu- Perry Nugent, JohnPaget, Hunter Patterson,T.K. Patterson,Lance rally,crossbills and redpolls were not found at all. Peacock,Will Post, Skip Prange,Billy Pulliam, GeorgannSchmalz, OBSERVERS -- Atlanta AudubonSociety, Carroll Belser, Ted Rod Smith, RamonaSnavely (RSn), Paul Sykes,Mike Tove, Andy Best,J.D. Bottoms,Patrick Brisse, Allen Bryan,Angelo Cappamlla Towle, GregoryValpey-Toussignant, Bill Wagner, Heathy Walker, (ACap), CarolinaBird Club, Ann Carter (ACar), Derb Carter, J.H. Linda Wang, Anne Waters, VernonWaters, Melinda Welton, Harriet CarterIII, CharlestonMuseum, Clemson University, Kay Coburn,Al- Whitsett (HWh), Charlie Wooten, John Wright.--HARRY E. Le- bert& JuneConway, Anson Cooke (ACo), GregCornwell, Larry Craw- GRAND, JR., 331 Yadkin Dr., Raleigh, N.C. 27609.

FLORIDA REGION CENTRALSOUTHERN /Wayne Hoffman '•BL•Jø--•-:L-? TALLAHASSEE Thiswas a quietseason in Florida.Two Caribbeanstrays were found, a La Sagra'sFlycatcher and a Bananaquit,but otherwise the seasonwas • •Ta ahassee* • . ' ' •St JohnRiver characterizedby lack of hotlineactivity. The list of duckswintering • • /ST. MARKS ß southof theirnormal range, the list of westernbirds straying east, the list • •/NAT'L • NORTHERN of winteringwarblers, and the extentand varietyof the winter finch St.George Is. • u•g/wl[ø[•[[•?•' PEN • •DaytonaBeach incursion all were smaller than usual. Thewinter weather was characterized by droughtand by temperature AlligatorCedarl Or•a%••Merrittls extremes.Rainfall had beenwell below normalthroughout the Region ? ...... • Melbourne eachmonth since July. Water levels were low throughoutthe Region, •a•po• [, •a,e• and winter rites burned hundreds of thousands of acres in southern St Petersburg•• ...... Florida. Decemberand Februarywere unseasonablywarm, eachwith Sarasota•[ bebrmg' •'•L. Okee•hobee numerousdaily high temperaturesin the 80s. Sandwichedbetween them,however, was a Januaryof severecold (for Florida)with tempera- GULFOFMEXICO • Fort.. Myer• •.•Clewiston • ;'••m [oxa- turesdropping into the teensthroughout the northernone-half of the CorkscrewSwamp• Louderdale• peninsula,and a recordlow of 6øFin Tallahasseeon January24. HMS Marco I • ß .• WILDLIFE speculatedthat temperatures below zeromay havebeen reached in rural areasof the Panhandle.This weathercaused extensive damage to the [W•GtADtSNAT'L P•K•,• j]J•omestead citrus crop and trees for the fourth time in five years. Traditionally, • DryTartugas Key • x,•.• Flam.ngo c•trusfarming in Floridawas concentrated on well-drainedareas in the FLORIDA z' West.-o•Upper centerof thepeninsula, but it hasbeen expanding onto less well-drained • Big Pine Key' • x I I _ • Florida Bay (butdrainable) soils in southernFlorida. The recent freeze damage in the LOWER KEY• northernparts of thecitrus bell hasaccelerated this southward shift, with predictableeffects on wildlife habitat.New citrusplantings are invading traditional Caracara habitats on the DeSoto Prairie and elsewhere north andwest of Lake Okeechobee.In southeasternFlorida, citrusgrowers of 20,000 birds.A flockof 17 TundraSwans was present near St. Marks are competingwith developersfor the remainingparcels of drainable LightDec. 1, andone bird remained through the whole period. Eighteen land,and new citrus plantations are encroaching on the cypressstrands Snow Geese were in the same area Jan. 20 and two were n.e. of Eustis in of Collier and Lee counties.Proposed plantings in that area can be December(CN). CanadaGeese are very rare in s. Florida, so the 14 at expectedto causewater-flow problems for CorkscrewSwamp, the Fa- WellingtonDec. 2 (RP) were noteworthy.An ad. cSCinnamon Teal kahatcheeStrand, and perhaps much of Big CypressPreserve in the next winterednear the St. Marks Light, and was last seenFeb. 24 (HMS, few years. m.ob.). Sixty Black Scotersreported flying N off LantanaBeach (HPL, GH) wereexceptional for s. Florida.A singleWhite-winged Scorer was LOONS THROUGH WATERFOWL -- Red-throated Loons were atJensen Beach Dec. 29 (H & WD). A CSCorn. Goldeneye was photo- unreportedin the Region, for the first time in severalyears. The only graphedin Wildwoodin earlyDecember (CN) anda $ Oldsquawwas tubenosesreported were three Audubon's Shearwaters off Key Biscayne seen Jan. 27-Feb. 24 at Wards Bank (B JR). Numbers of Red-breasted ,Dec 18 (HPL) andthe only GreatCormorant was a juvenileat Sebastian Merganserswere high in Collier County,but apparentlynormal else- Inlet Dec. 25 (WH). A pair of MaskedBoobies attempted to breedfor where (THB). the 2nd year on HospitalKey, Dry Tortugas.Again, the nestwashed away beforehatching. Northern Gannets were in evidencealong the HAWKS THROUGH CUCKOOS -- A Black-shouldered Kite was Atlantic coastbeaches all winter, as usual. The flock of Greater Flamin- reportedFeb. 1 in s. MarionCounty (fide HMS); fall andwinter records gosliving in FloridaBay apparentlyhas dwindled to a singlebird (fide are becomingannual in the Region, and eventualrecolonization of OLB), perhapsthe chronic argument over whether they are (it is) wild or Floridaseems likely. In Decemberand January Snail Kites gathered in escapedwill mercifullybecome moot. largenumbers in theShark Valley areaof the Everglades,with a count The count of 2000 Fulvous Whistling-Ducks at Loxahatchee of 80 Jan.24 (EH). Water levelscontinued to fall, andby the end of the N W R., Jan.4 wasimpressive (PWS), andFlorida game management periodthey had disappeared from thatarea. Look for a discussionof kite personnelwere estimating a breedingpopulation for the statein excess dispersalin the next report. Short-tailed Hawk reports id's. Florida were

Volume 39, Number 2 159 frequent,as usual(fide OLB). Florida'sfirst ever FerruginousHawks releaseThe Monk Parakeet populations in Tampa continue to prosper. winteredat Zellwoodlast year, and thisyear 2 reportswere received, In a brief surveyof the areaaround the old andwell-known Bearss Ave. onefrom Homestead(WB) and anotherfrom St. Marks Light (JC4e- nest,10 of thecommunal nests were located, and more undoubtedly are tailsto Fla. RecordsComm.). AmericanKestrels seemed spotty in their present(WH), soa populationof 100-200birds is likelyfor thatneigh- distributionthis winter. On the centralridge of the peninsulanumbers borhoodalone. Monks are breeding in mostlarge Florida cities. Nanday werenormal or evenhigh, but in otherareas, including Tampa Bay, they Conuresare now widespread in St. Petersburg,although I knowof no weremuch harder to find thanusual. Wintering Merlin numbersmay be breedingrecords. They arealso reported from Islamoradaand Kendall. increasingin Florida, and inland sightingswere aboutas frequentas Otherparrot records received probably are of accidentallylost pets. A coastalones. Peregrine Falcon sightings were aboutnormal. A flock of pairof RainbowLorikeets was observed on KeyLargo Jan. 2 (TG, MC- about 1000 Greater Sandhill Cranes wintering near Eustis included S). The two Blue-crownedConures at the Dry Tortugasremained bandedbirds from SeneyN.W.R., Mich., andfrom AgassizN.W.R., throughthe period (m.ob.) and a Fischer'sLovebird was seen sitting at a Minn. (CN). Monk Parakeetnest on Miami Beach(BN). The ultimatesighting, At leastthree Solitary Sandpipers wintered at LoxahatcheeN.W.R. however,was of a "brightblue parrot3 feet long,"undoubtedly a (HPL et al.) andone wasseen in Decemberin a freshwaterpool at Port HyacinthMacaw, at the Royal Pahn Visitorsarea, Jan. 7 (JK). St. Lucie(DJD). The Europeanrace of Whimbrelwas reportedfrom TwoShort-cared Owl reportswere received; one bird was found dead ElliottKey Dec. 18 (OLB, BN). A Purple Sandpiperwas at Key West on the main park road, EvergladesN.P., Dec. 30 (A & MC), and the fromNov. 27 at leastto Jan.5 (fide KS). Thismay haveestablished the otherwas flushed from Passage Key, Tampa Bay, Feb. 17 (SRP). Three southernmostrecord ever for the species. Corn.Nighthawks wintered at a DadeCounty shopping center (WB). The only jaegersreported were two unidentifiedones seenoff s. BrevardCounty Dec. 25 (WH), anda Pomarinein LowerTmnpa Bay FLYCATCHERSTHROUGH WARBLERS -- A La Sagra'sFly- Feb. 17 (SRP). Sincethe closingof the Toytownlandfill (St. Peters- catcherwas photographed and taped at MathesonHammock Dec. 1-20 burg),the best-watcheddump in Floridahas been the St. Lucie City (BN, m.ob.). This providedabout the 3rd North Americanrecord for the landfill. Four different Lesser Black-backed Gulls were seen there dur- species.Numbers of Scissor-tailedFlycatchers and W. Kingbirdsin the ingthe period (two adults,two iramatures),along with threeFranklin's Regionwere low this winter; a Scissor-tailedat St. MarksLight Dec. 1 Gulls (H & WD). Other LesserBlack-backed Gull sightingsincluded wasperhaps a latemigrant. Numbers of winteringLeast Flycatchers in two at Key WestFeb. I (J & PC), one at BocaChica Feb. 14 (MB, J & PahnBeach County were also low (HPL). A VermilionFlycatcher PC), at least two in St. Petersburg,and six at the PompanoBeach remainedat St. Marks Light until aboutJan. I (HMS). Tree Swallows landfill.A Franklin'sGull wasfound Jan. 19 at thelake in MyakkaS.P. areabundant in theFlorida peninsula in winterand generally form large (BN, m.ob.), andone or two Black-leggedKittiwakes were seenalong roosts,but the 250,000 + reportedat SavannasRec. Area,St. LucieCo. the beachat Ft. Piercein December(fide H & WD). White-winged (H & WD), seemedexceptional. As usual, a scatteringof winterreports Doves continuedto spreadfrom their centerof abundancein Dade of NorthernRough-winged Swallows was received, and 2 reportsof County,with sightingsin Key West Feb. 15 (MB), and in Lake Placid apparentwintering Barn Swallows:one from TallahasseeJan. 29, and (fideFL). RingedTurtle-Doves appear to be establishedin Key West threein PahnBeach County (HPL). (MB). The only Groove-billedAni reportthis winter was of two birds An apparentBell's Vireo was glimpsedat Morris Bridge,near Dec. 1-18 at St. Marks Light (m.ob.). Tampa, Jan. 18 (WH); an extensivesearch of the area over the next weekfailed to yield the bird, but on Feb. 23 it (or another?)was well seenabout V2 mi from the initial sighting(WH). WinteringSolitary Vireosseemed to bein betternumbers in theTampa area than usual, and White-eyedVireos were also in goodnumbers. This was an unexcep- tionalyear for wintering warblers. The normally abundant species, Pahn andYellow-romped, both were reporteddown over muchof the area, althougha reportof 50 Pahnsnear Tallahassee (WBa) washigh for that locality.Unusual wintering warblers included a fewCape May Warblers at Flmningo(m.ob.), a Black-throatedBlue Warbler at ParadiseKey, EvergladesN.P., Feb.6 (JO), a ProthonotaryWarbler near Tmnpa in lateJanuary (GEW), anda Swainson'sWarbler on SnakeBight Trail Jan.28 (WB). A Chestnut-sidedWarbler wintered at RoyalPahn Visi- torsarea, and two eachTennessee and Nashville warblers were reported around the Region. The best warbler of the winter was the Black- throatedGray Warblerfound on PlantationKey Dec.27 (GTB). The seasoWs2nd Caribbeanstray was a Bananaquitfound at Fairchild TropicalGarden Jan. 4-6 (m.ob.).

BLACKBIRDS THROUGH FINCHES -- Single Yellow-headed and Brewer's blackbirds were found near Ft. Pierce Dec. 28 and Dec. 6, respectively(H & WD). NorthernOrioles wintered in unusualnumbers aroundJacksonville feeders, and a (Bullock's) N. Oriole was well PurpleSandpiper at Key West,Fla., November1984. Photo/Page describedat a feederin Tallahassee(JC). TwoW. Tanagerswere report- Brown. ed Jan. 24 at Sanibel I. (CL) and anotherwas at Fairchild GardensFeb. 9 (DL): areWesterns really the most common tanagers wintering in Flor- PARROTS THROUGH NIGHTHAWKS -- Florida continues to ac- ida?A Lark Buntingwas found Feb. I atAlligator Pt., andwas present cumulateexotic psittacines at an amazingrate. Because of recentprob- throughthe end of the period(RC--photos and descriptionto Fla. lemswith Newcastle's and other diseases,'importers arebeing subjected RecordsComm.), and a Snow Bunting was photographedon St. to closermonitoring than previously.Several incidents have surfaced GeorgeI., Jan. 19, for thefirst record in theTallahassee Division (fide recentlyof flocksof birdsbeing released just beforearrival of the Feds. HMS). The release,in conspecificflocks, of suchwild-caught birds provides AmericanGoldfinch numbers were very low throughmost of thearea muchbetter chances for establishmentof breedingpopulations than the althoughnormal in the TallahasseeDivision. None at all was found in occasionalescapes of pets.On the otherhand, the appearanceof the PahnBeach County (HPL) andthey were missing from much of therest birdsin largeflocks should not be takenas evidenceof breeding. of s. Florida.In theTampa Bay area few wereseen until February, and Rumorshave surfaced this winterof largereleases of Orange-winged thennumbers were still quite low. No PineSiskins were reported, and Amazonsand Red-crowned Amazons, and the flock of 44 Dusky-head- only two PurpleFinches, both from Tallahassee(HMSL ed Parakeetsin Miami in Decembermay alsohave come from sucha CONTRIBUTORSAND OBSERVERS(area editors in boldface)--

160 AmericanBirds, Summer 1985 Lyn Atherton, Wilson Baker (WBa), G ThomasBancroft, Oron L. Howard P. Langridge, Fred Lohrer, David Lys•nger,Bruce Nevfile, Bass, Ted H. Below, Wes Biggs, Marge Brown, Mike Castro- CharlesNewell, John Ogden, Stephen R. Patton,Ray Plockelman, Bob Schrader,James Cavanagh (JCa), John & Pat Christian, Annette & J. Richter,Henry M. Stevenson,Karen Sunderland,Paul W. Sykes, Mary Cordano,Robert Crawford, DennisJ. DeSilvis, Helen & Wil- Glen E. Woolfenden.--WAYNEHOFFMAN, Department of Biol- liam Dowling, Tom Goldbin, Ed Harper, Gloria Hunter, Jack Kumer, ogy, Universityof South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620.

ONTARIO REGION /Ron D. Weir LakeSuperior / q• JAMES The warmer-than-usualDecember resulted in many inland lakesre- ma•mngopen well pastnormal freeze-up; waterfowl stayed on, thereby delayingtheir influx into the GreatLakes. In mostplaces, winter was notextreme and was of shortduration characterized by oneof therichest coneand seed crops on record.In theextreme southwest some observers experiencedthe quietestand least productive winter for birdsin many years,but from Sudburythrough the east,finches provided excitement and keen Atlassersexploited the irruptionby locatingnests of Red Crossbills.Both crossbillspecies were presentin the thousands,but even thesemasses were outnumberedby legionsof Purple Finches. Reportswere filled with late lingerersand overwintering birds that are normallynot presentin the period. ChristmasBird Count recordsare excludedfrom the following text [ ...... =•,,;• Peterborough / uarrte V * Kin ton• unlessthey are of over-ridingimportance. [ Luther •ort •mg¾o• I Ma;sh "ø••Wo fie Is. ABBREVIATIONS-- A.P.P. = AlgonquinProvincial Park; M.I. = Manitoulin Island;Pelee = Point Pelee Nat'l Park; P.E. Pt. = Prince Edward Point. Place names in italics denote counties. St.•: ,London •NiagaraFalls L. OHTARIO Clairg • Haw•liff• •• • / • _ Long...... •int r/Fort Erie LOONS TO HERONS -- The nine Red-throated Loons were double •Ronddau PP-- =...... the normalnumber and were consistentwith last autumn'simpressive PoinL Pelee NP L. ERIE fi•ght Singleslingered at Kettle Pt., Dec. 2 & 15, Sarnia Dec. 13 (AHR, DFR), Wolfe I., Dec. 16 (K.F.N.), Hamilton Dec. 26 (RRi, GW), Toronto Jan. 6 (MPW, HK), and Niagara-on-the-LakeJan. 10 Amongthe raritieswas Hamilton's Tufted Duck, backagain Dec. l- (ftdeRFA). Two wereat BurlingtonJan. 2 (PS). A lateCom. Loonwas Feb. 28 (fide KMcL). A •? Common Eider was shotat AmherstI , still •n A.P.P., Dec. 2 (RSw). The 20 and 56 Red-neckedGrebes off Dec. 15 by hunterswho would not part with the bird as specimen M I , Dec. 10 & 15 respectively(JCN) werehigh numbers for the late evidence.However, it wasexamined in handby a competentobserver dates Six others were noted Dec. 2-17 at Amherst I., Sarnia, Pem- (FP). Up to three King Eiderswintered at Niagara-on-the-Lake(fide broke,Hamilton, Ipperwash, and Peterborough. An early migrantap- RWK) andsingles were at Ft. Erie Dec. 2-15 (fide RFA) andWolfe I, pearedat OttawaFeb. 26 (BMD). An ad. GreatCormorant in Humber Jan. 6 (JHE). The two HarlequinDucks furnishedthe lowest winter Bay, Toronto,Feb. 23 wasreported without details (JR, MPW) andthe numbersince 1980-1981. One imm. male spentDecember at Burlington year'slast Double-crested was seen at HamiltonDec. 30 (CW). The late (fide KMcL) and a male was shotat Presqu'ileP.P., Dec. 14 for a 3rd Am Bitternnear Pembroke in earlyDecember was caught and flown to' park record (fide RDM). Five Barrow's Goldeneyeswas an above- Florida(fide JMB) andthe Cattle Egret frequenting M.I. waslast seen averagenumber for the period.Two femaleswere againat OttawaDec Dec 2 (CTB). Otherlate herons were the G?een-backed in London Dec. 1-Feb.28, joinedby a 3rd Feb. 20 (BMD), andsingles were at Red Bay, 15 (D & EH) andsingle Black-crowned Night-Herons in HamiltonDec. Bruce, Dec. 22 (TCh) and Niagara Falls Jan. 5 (AGC et al.). 5-11 (RC) and Ft. Erie Jan. 2-15 (RLS). Warm maritimeair in late Februarycatalyzed waterfowl movement into the s. At Pelee, N. Pintail, Gadwall, Am. Wigcon, Redheadand SWANS, GEESE, DUCKS -- Highlightsamong many late records Ring-neckedDuck appeared Feb. 24-26 (AW), whileat Presqu'ileP.P, •ncludedthe Wood Duck and N. Shovelerthat wintered successfully for Gadwallarrived Feb. 25, Am. WigconFeb. 20, RedheadFeb. 17, Ring- the 2nd winterat Kitchener(SRK), a 4' N. Pintail at ManotickDec. 1- neckedDuck Feb. 27, and scaupFeb. 26 (RDM). Both scaupspecies Feb 28 (fide BMD), a 4' Blue-wingedTeal at HamiltonJan. 6 & 10 came into Ottawa Feb. 22 (BMD). (DC, WL) anda Ring-neckedDuck at OttawaJan. 5 (BMD). A •?Ring- neckedat PeterboroughJan. 4 wastheir latest (DCS et al.). The warm VULTURES THROUGH SHOREBIRDS-- Latesingle Turkey Vul- earlywinter may have deceived the four 4' HoodedMergansers display- tureswere in w. Elgin Dec. 27 (fide WRJ), CayugaJan. 10 (GMB), and •ng and courtingtwo femalesin A.P.P., Dec. 13 (RGT). DeserontoFeb. 18 (TW). Bald Eagles continuedtheir strong winter Severalspecies were in noteworthyconcentrations. Some 500 and showingin the s., notedsince 1978, with 48 sightingsexcluding 'good 1200Tundra Swans were at PortGlasgow Jan. 2 (GMB) andRidgetown numbers'in the Long Point area. Eleven winteringat Ivy Lea was a Jan 6 (AW) respectively.The 100 SnowGeese near Parham, Fronte- surprise(K.F.N.). Nine 4' N. Harrierswere seenmigrating S through nac, Dec. 10 were S bound(EF) and about60 Green-wingedTeal were PeleeJan. 19-20 in responsqto a coldsnap (AW, GTH). In thes., 30 stall •n Hamilton Bay Jan. 5 (AGC et al.). Canvasbacksnumbered and 29 Sharp-shinnedand Cooper'shawks were tallied respectively, 12,000-15,000 at SarniaDec. 13 (DFR) and2500 off Wolfe I., Dec. 26 which were above average, but N. Goshawk numberswere lower, as (JHE). Some500 Redheadswere at Oakville Dec. 9 (DG) and5000 + expected.Two Red-tailedHawks were along Hwy 60 in A.P.P., where were at Sarnia Dec. 13 (DFR). More than 6000 Com. Goldeneyes very rare in winter, Jan. 1-31 (RGT et al.). Rough-leggedswere scarce congregatednear Nanticoke Jan. 16 (TW). About 10,000+Com. Mer- almosteverywhere and only in Waterloowere numbers reported (SRK) gansersfed in Hay Bay nearKingston Dec. 22 (K.F.N.) and3500 were The six GoldenEagles were averagenumbers and were in Petroglyphs at the Cornwall dam Feb. 10 (BMD). P.P., Dec. 22 and Feb. 4 (one adult, one immature--DCS), A.P.P ,

Volume 39, Number 2 161 Jan.25 & 28 andFeb. 26 (oneadult, two immatur.es--RGT) and near LesserBlack-backed Gull numbersremained high at six or eight BracebridgeFeb. 2 (one immature--RLB, Nl). (dependingupon duplicates) for the 3rd consecutivewinter. Single Single Merlins appearedin ThunderBay Feb. 18-21 (KA, 1M) and adultswere at PickeringDec. 6 (fideMJB), GuelphDec. 24 (RVT), and huntingfinches along Hwy 60, A.P.P., Feb. 18-22 (RGT, RDS). Lone HamiltonJan. 2 (WL et al. ). A 2nd-winterbird wasat LongPt., Dec. l- PeregrineFalcons were notedat Fraservillenear PeterboroughDec. 4 Feb. 28 (DSh) andone in its 3rd winterat PickeringDec. 7-8 (MJB et (BC), Wolfe I., Dec. 16 (K.F.N.), PetroglyphsP.P., Dec. 22 (RDM et al.). The individualat NiagaraFalls Jan. 5 wasin its2nd year (AGC et al.), and Vineland Jan. 25 (DBF). A white-phaseGyrfalcon was at al.), butage was not reported for thesightings there Dec. 26-Jan.1 (fide Frenchman'sBay near PickeringDec. 12 (JMS) and what may have RFA). More typical of autumnthan winter were 18 Black-legged beenthe samebird was at Enniskillen,Durham, Jan. 3 (GM). A gray- Kittiwakes. These were 12 at Sarnia Dec. 1-24 (DFR), an adult in phaseGyrfalcon was in SudburyDec. 22-Jan. 9 (CTB, BFe). OttawaDec. I (RAB, RAH), one at WheatleyDec. 9 (AW), threeat The only N. Bobwhitesreported were six at Melbourne(DM) and PeleeDec. 22 (GTH et al.), andan immatureabove Niagara Falls Feb. theywere thought to havesuccumbed by theend of the periodtWRJ). 21 (WRJ). Foundat theWhirlpool Gorge of theNiagara R. wasa single One winteringVirginia Rail showeditself in St. ThomasJan. 30 (RHu) Forster'sTern (WL, KMcL), whichmay establish the first-everDecem- and the Am. Coot at Pelee Feb. 25 was an early arrival (AW). betrecord for theprovince. An ad.Razorbill was viewed from Niagara- Warm conditionsin Decemberled to a numberof very late wader on-the-Lakeswimming in the mouthof the NiagaraR., Jan. 2 (HHA, sightings.Two and one Black-belliedPlovers remained at Toronto'se. PBe,JBI), whileobservers looked towards Fort Niagara, N.Y., tryingto Headlandand Harrow, respectively, Dec. I (HK, DP), the sameday a determinethe alcid's position with respect to the international boundary. LesserGolden-Plover was at Presqu'ileP.P. (RDM et al.). One San- DOVES THROUGH OWLS -- MourningDoves were presentin dealingtarried there to Dec. 16 (AGC, RSm) as did threein Torontoto greaterthan usual numbers throughout the s. andprovided a steadyfood Dec. 23 (fideGMB). At TurkeyPt.. a LeastSandpiper was present Dec. supplyfor accipitersvisiting feeders. Atlassets searching during Febru- 1-9 as was a PectoralDec. 24-Jan. I (TW). Anotherwas at Wheatley ary for E. Screech-Owlsfound the speciespresent in more squares Dec. 22 (BFi, AW). PurpleSandpipers, the mostprobable wader of within Durham, Bruce and Waterlooand in greaterdensity than pre- early winter, were sightedregularly at NiagaraFalls to Jan. 13, when viouslythought. Of the threeadmitted to the Owl Researchand Reha- four were still present(fide RFA), and two were at ErieanDec. 13 bilitationFoundation at Vineland,two had comedown chimneys but (PAW). The latestof 8 Dunlin reportsinvolved singles at Presqu'ile both were releasable(KMcK). The Snowy Owl flight was light and P.P., Dec. 13 (RDM), PortDover Dec. 31 (TW, AW) andTurkey Pt., birdswere distributeduniformly in the s. ThreeN. Hawk-Owlswere s. Jan. I (TW). Unprecedentedfor the late date was the Long-billed of their normalrange at Ottawa Dec. 14 (RAH), PembrokeDec. 15- Dowitcherseen along Hamilton Bay Dec. 4 (BJ, JO), a bird identified Feb. 28 (DD et al.), and Wiarton-OliphantDec. 1-Feb. 26 (JT). In by bothits plumageand calls. A dowitcherat Mountsberg,Morriston, contrastto lastwinter's historic irruption of GreatGrays, only two were Dec. 10 (RVT) may also have been a Long-billed.Wintering Com. reportedout of range:at RenfrewFeb. 19-26 (MR, CM) andAlexandria Snipe were again at Kingston, Ottawa, and Cobden,Renfrew. Latest- Feb. 17 (GMcK). ever Am. Woodcockswere singlesat BuckhornDec. 15 (AGC) and About 30 Short-earedOwls wintered on Wolfe 1. (K.F.N.), and 25 near KingstonJan. 13 (PM). wereat Grantonnear London Feb. 14 (WS). Thosewintering at Toron- to's PearsonInternational Airport caused trouble not only to aircraft,but also to the banderslive-trapping the birdsfor releaseelsewhere. Nine were admitted to'the Owl Research and Rehabilitation Foundation with trappinginjuries of which five died (KMcK). A BorealOwl was killed in an animaltrap in the Atikokanarea Jan. 13 (fide SFP), a reminderof the indiscriminatedestruction of rare owls by thesetraps. An opportu- nisticN. Saw-whetset up residenceat a feederin QueticoP.P., Jan. 9- Feb. 5 to dine on the visitingmice (SFP) and the species'N movement was underwaylate in the period. Birds reachedKingston, Ottawa, and Owen Sound Feb. 25-28 (K.F.N., BMD, TRM).

KINGFISHERS THROUGH WRENS -- A Belted Kingfisherin A.P.P., Jan. 2 (TCh) was their 3rd ever in winter. Apart from the ChristmasBird Counts,22 Red-belliedWoodpeckers were reported. Extralimitalwere singlesat ThunderBay Dec. 1-30 (fide MJM), Hep- worth, Gray-Bruce, Decemberto February(JWJ), Wingham Mar. 2 (JBM), Westmeath,Renfrew, Jan. 13-Feb. 28 (CT et al.), and McDon- ald's Corner,Lanark, Jan. 31-Feb. 28 (P. Hetherington),and two at PeterboroughDec. 1-18 and Dec. l-Feb. 28 (DCS). Several Yellow- Wintering CommonSnipe at Kanata, Ont., Jan. 27, 1985. Photo/B. M. bellied Sapsuckersightings coincided with the first intensecold of DiLabio. winterin s.e. Ontario.Four werenoted Jan. 12-19 at Kingston,Frank- ford, Port Hope, and Woodbridge, where rare in winter. Three-toed GULLS THROUGH ALCIDS -- The Franklin'sGull at Niagara Woodpeckerswere again not foundoutside their breedingrange. Black- Falls Dec. 29 (HHA et al.) may have been the sameas the one at backedsnumbered six in Ottawa(BMD) andsingles made their way s. Niagara-on-the-LakeJan. 5 (PH, PBu). Nine havebeen reported in the to Chaffey'sLock Dec. 19 (RRo, RDW), KingstonJan. 16 (EB), and past22 winters.Little Gullsmade a strongshowing with 43 +, Dec. l- Cobourg Jan. 19 (ERM). The 64+ N. Flickers were most unusual Jan. 11. Therewere 17+ at NiagaraFalls, 10 in thePelee area, eight at numbersfor winter. Many remainedat feedersfor the periodand were Long Pt., threeat Sarnia,two eachat Rondeauand Kingstonand one n. reportedfrom mostcounties s. of a line joining Ottawawith the Bruce to M.I., Dec. 9-10 (CTB, JCN). The Com. Black-headed Gull at peninsula.Noteworthy was the juv. HornedLark at Keene, Peterbor- QueenstonDec. 2 and the two adultsat Niagara-on-the-LakeJan. 5 ough,Jan. 30, in the spottedfledgling plumage (AGC), leadingone to (RFA, AGC et al.) raisedits numbersto 13 birdsin thepast 22 winters. askif Ontariohad been that warm in December.Perhaps it washatched From the Pelee area came reportsof 17,000 Bonaparte'sDec. 22, elsewhere. decliningto 400 by Jan. 11 (AW, BFi, GMB). Some5000 Ring-billed The lastTree Swallow wasat PeleeDec. 22 (PAW, KJB) and the first Gulls fed voraciouslyon the Napanee R. near Hay Bay Dec. 22 arrivalwas noted at Beavertonin n. DurhamFeb. 24 (AD). Hamilton's (K.F.N.) andthe 10,000Herring Gulls at P.E. Pt., Jan.25 werethought DundasMarsh hosteda late Barn Swallow until Dec. 4 (RC et al.). The to be retreatingS from the advancingcold (RKE). ThirteenThayer's Essexroost held 89,900 + Am. CrowsJan. 11 (MJo et al. ). Resourceful Gulls were notedDec. 7-Feb. 24, the immatureat the Nepeandump Com. Ravenspatrolled Hwy 60 in A.P.P. feedingon the many road- Dec. 3 & 15 being the only one away from the lower Great Lakes killed finches(RGT), and 300+ ravenswintered at the dumpin Sault (BMD, RAH). Ste. Marie (TDM). One at PuslinchL., Waterloo, Dec. 8 was s. of its

162 American Birds, Summer 1985 range(BWy). Black-cappedChickadees were scarceeverywhere and FieldSparrow was on Wolfe I., Jan. 19 (JHE), oneweek after a Savan- four Tufted Titmice were noted only in Elgin and Lambton (WRJ, nah was there Jan. 12 (PM). Other Savannahswere in Ashton, Lanark, DFR). Consistentwith last autumn'snon-flight of Red-breastedNut- Dec. 29 (MR, BMD) andWhitby Jan. 18-Feb. 10 (MJB). Late Vespers hatch,birds wintered in numbersthroughout their breedingrange often were in OttawaDec. 26 (MR) and n. of KingstonJan. 13 (JHE, RDW). in companywith Brown Creepers,whose numbers were also greater The Sharp-tailedSparrow in the DundasMarsh Dec. 1-4 was a first for thannormal. Six CarolinaWrens were located in London,Leamington, Hamiltonin December(RC et al.), and wasthought to be A.c. altera. Niagara-on-the-Lake,and Etobicoke Dec. 15-Feb.3. Up to fourWinter Eight Fox Sparrowswere manymore than usual, one of whichwas at a Wrens spentDecember in the Luther Marsh, last seenJan. 12 (CEP), Brightonfeeder Jan. 4-Feb. 10 (HS). One Lincoln'svisited a feederin and one was in Oshawa Jan. 13 (BWi, CA). Bailieboro,Peterborough, Jan. 8-15 (E. & W. Stone).The mostnorth- edy of the 16 White-crownedswas at CamdenEast Jan. 17-24 (PG). GNATCATCHERS THROUGH WARBLERS -- A very late Blue- The ad. Harris' Sparrowat KanataJan. 12-Feb.28 (ph. PAet al.) was grayGnatcatcher was at CambridgeDec. 2 & 16 (TCh, BL, PWe). The Ottawa's3rd ever. SnowBuntings were abundant in thee. wheremany 52 E. Bluebirdsightings were indicative of the warmautumn, and birds becameregular feeder visitors at Pickering,Port Hope, Peterborough, winteredsuccessfully at Kingston(K.F.N.) andWashington, Waterloo- and Kingstonduring February. Wellington(DE et al.). Late Swainson'sThrushes were singlesat Al- monte, Lanark, Dec. 13 (BMD) and Ottawa Dec. 16 (RAIl, VBL). A hatching-yearbird was netted and banded at Long Pt., Dec. 20 (L.P.B.O.). Hundredsof Am. Robins overwinteredin areas where normallyabsent and by Februarytheir numbershad declinedin Atiko- kan and Sudbury,presumably as the birds pushedS. Seven Varied Thrusheswere found, which is aboutaverage since 1978. Thesewere a male in PembrokeDec. 30-Feb. 28 (A & JC et al.), a male in Peterbor- oughJan. 1 and Feb. 2-28 (DCS et al.), a male at Oakville Jan. 1-Feb. 28 (RC et al.), a male at GuelphJan. 2•Feb. 17 (CEP et al.), a male at PickeringFeb. 7-20 (MJB et al.), one in GrantonFeb. 14 (WS), and a male at Pinery P.P., Feb. 26-Mar. 2 (TCr, DFR, AJAR). Noteworthy amongthe 20 reportsof N. Mockingbirdswere singles at Madawaskain mid-February(SM) and in Sault Ste. Marie all winter (TDM). Single BrownThrashers spent the winterat Pickeringand Peterborough(DB, DCS), and the eight in all were far fewer than last winter's record Adult Harris' Sparrowat Kanata, Ont., Jan. 20, 1985. Photo/P.Arm- number, which seemed a contradiction. strong.

Two c3Yellow-headed Blackbirds were in theLeamington-Pelee area Feb. 19-22 (PWa, JBa), and a Brewer's, possiblyinjured, was at a feeder 100 km n.w. of SaultSte. Marie Dec. 1-Feb.28 (TDM). Single Corn. Grackleswintered successfullyat feedersin Matachewanand Whitney(LT, RGT). The N. Orioleat a NorthBay feeder Dec. 1-Jan. 6 succumbed(GFC), but anotherin Sault Ste. Marie Dec. 1-Feb. 28 ap- pearedhealthy (TDM). Pine Grosbeaksremained common from Dry- den, ThunderBay to SaultSte. Marie, Sudbury,and Matachewan. Only occasionalindividuals were sighteds. of Sudbury-NorthBay andthese occurrenceswere withoutany pattern.Purple Finch numbersin e. On- tariowere among the higheston record.From A.P.P., Ottawato Kings- ton earlyin the season,thousands moved SW in late Januaryreaching Grey-Bruce, Sarnia, and Long Point. Red Crossbills were common in s.e. Ontario from A.P.P. and Ren- frew to Ottawa,Kingston, Peterborough, and Muskoka. Few wereseen from Sudburyto ThunderBay and isolatedbirds were found at Long Male Varied Thrushat Pembroke,Ont., Jan. 6, 1985. Photo/B.M. Pointand Guelph. A numberwere killed by vehiclesalong Hwy 60 in DiLabio. A.P.P. as they gatheredgrit and salt.These birds had been feeding on hemlockcones, and appearedto have smallerbills thanthe Red Cross- The BohemianWaxwing flight in ThunderBay, Kenora. and Sud- billsfeeding on pinecones on thee. sideof A.P.P. (RGT). As expected bury wasfair to good,but very few reachedNorth Bay, Matachewan, in a yearof abundantcones, breeding occurred during winter. A nestof andOttawa. Seventy in PembrokeFeb. 17 wassurprising. and may have Redswas found near Uxbridge, Durham, Feb. 16 (RSm, AL), another beenspring migrants heading back W (JMB). CedarWaxwings were in near Kaladar Mar. 2 (RDW), and adultswere feeding fledglingsnear high numbersfrom Sudburys. to the Great Lakes includingA.P.P., Flinton,Lennox & Addington,Mar. 2 andActinolite, Hastings, Mar. 10 wherethey are very rareduring winter (RGT). The White-eyedVireo at (RDW). All siteswere in Red Pine stands.White-winged Crossbills PickeringDec. 26 (MMcE, SMcG) waswell n. of its rangefor Boxing were abundantin s.e. Ontario.Many thousandsstayed in A.P.P. until Day, anda SolitaryVireo at LongPt., Dec. 12 (VWF) wasalso tardy. A lateFebruary when they moved out, whichcoincided with theirsudden N. Waterthrushspent Christmas in Toronto'sGlendon Hall RavineDec. appearanceat Presqu'ileP.P. (RGT, RDM). About 1000/daywere 23-25 (B. Falls et al.), andthe c3Wilson' s Warbler in w. HamiltonDec. easilyfound in Muskokaand Perry Sound(RLB) throughoutthe period 26-Jan.7 (DA, ADB, DSh etal.) wasprobably Ontario's first in winter. andgood numbers were in Sudbury.Although scarce in the s.w., 25 were in StratfordJan. 11 (MPD) and 35 in WheatleyFeb. 9 (PDP et al.). CARDINALINES THROUGH FINCHES -- Speciesin the first sec- Even thoughagitated behaviour by matedpairs was notedin suitable tion of thisgroup produced so manyunusually late andoverwintering habitat at several e. Ontario sites, no nest was confirmed. Common individualsthat space precludes dealing with all the details.A c3Rose- Redpollspushed through Sudbury-North Bay in Februaryand reached breastedGrosbeak at a Sudburyfeeder Jan. 31 (R. Reid) provideda first Presqu'ileP.P. and Kingstonin numbersFeb. 27-28 (RDM, RDW). local winter record, as did the Dickcisselin LondonDec. 15 (MMacP et HoaryRedpolls were confined mainly to the Moos0neearea (KFA) and al.). OverwinteringRufous-sided Towhees were sharplyup at 17, the the Pine Siskin distributionmirrored that of the crossbills.Very few most northerlyof which were at feedersat Sault Ste. Marie (TDM), EveningGrosbeaks were s. of a line joining Muskokato A.P.P. Sudbury(WS, TSh), Coilingwood(RSc), andBancroft (F. Hicks). A ChippingSparrow stayed at OttawaDec. 15-Feb.28 (BMD etal.). One SUBREGIONAL EDITORS (boldface), CONTRIBUTORS (italics),

Volume 39, Number 2 163 andCITED OBSERVERS -- K. F. Abraham, C Adey, D Agro, K MacDonald, P Mackenzie, M MacPherson,T. D. Marwood, M. J. Albo, R. F. Andrle, E. R. Armstrong, P. Armstrong,H. H. Axtell, McCormick, E. R. McDonald, M. McEvoy, S. McGregor,K M. J. Barn,J. Barlow(JBa), E. Baston,I. H. Baxter,C. T. Bell,G. McKeever,G. McKiel(GMcK), K. McLaughlin,S. R. McLeod,R Bellerby,P. Benham(PBe), G. M. Bennett,J. Black(JBI), D. Bor- D. McRae, C. Michener, J. B. Miles, G. Moray (GM), S. Muldal chert(DB), J. M. Bouvier,R. L. Bowles,R. A. Bracken,A.D. (SM), D. Murray,T. R. Murray, J. C• Nicholson, M. J. Oldham,J Brewer, D. Bucknell, K. J. Burk, P. Burke (PBu), A. G. Carpentier, Olmstead,B. R. Peck, D. Perks, S. F. Peruniak, F. Phelan, C E T Cheskey(TCh), A. & J. Clarke, G. F. C[ay, D. Copeland,B. Potter,P. D. Pratt,P. W. Richter,R. Ridout(RRi), A. H. Rider,J Cossar,T. Crabe (TCr), H. G. Currie, R. Curry, M.P. Davies, D. Rising,R. Rogers(RRo), M. Runtz, D. F. Rupert,D.C. Sadler,W Dickerson, B. M. DiLabio, A. Dobson, T. Dyke, R. K. Edwards, J. H. Salo,H. Saunders,R. Scovell(RSc), D' ShePherd(DSh), T. Shepherd Ellis, D. Entz, V. W. Fazio, B. Ferguson(BFe), B. Fielding(BFi), E. (TSh), P. Smith,R. Smith(RSm), R. L. Somerville,J. M. Speirs,R. T. Fletcher, D. B. Freeland, R. A. Gairdner, D. Gardiner, G. E. Gem- Sprague,W. Stone,R. D. Strickland,R. Swainson(RSw), L. Taman, mell, W. E. Godfrey,P. Good, D. & E. Higgins, G. T. Hince, P. C. Timm, J. Tost, R. G. Tozer, R. V. 'Twist, D. Warner,P. Watson Hogenbirk,R. A. Holland,S.C. Howlett, R. Hubert(RHu), N. Iron- (PWa), R. D. Weir, P. Weller (PWe), M.P. Whelan,G. Whirworth,B side, W. R. Jarmain, J. W. Johnson,B. Jones,H. Kerr, Kingston Wilkinson (BWi), M. L. Wilson, C. Wood, P. A. Woodliffe, T FieldN•turalists, R. W. Knapton,S. R. Kozak,A. Lambert,W. Woodrow, A. Wormington, B. Wyatt (BWy), W. E. Zufelt.•RON Lamond,V. B. Ladouceur,B. Laurent,Long Point Bird Observatory, I. D. WEIR, 294Elmwood •Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7M 2Y8.

NIAGARA-CHAMPLAIN REGION Ithaca, N.Y., respectively. SingleMute Swans(origin ?) werepresent around Buffalo and Sodus /DouglasP. Kibbeand CherylM. Boise Bay while numbersof TundraSwans tarried well intoJanuary in c. New York. Above-averagenumbers of lesshardy waterfowl took advantage Weatherwiseat leastthis winter resembledthe pastone. December of anothermild winter, muchto the delightof C.B.C. compilers.Most wasunseasonably warm with little significantprecipitation in anyform. observationsof Harlequin Ducks, Barrow's Goldeneyesand King Januarywas cold and snowy while late Februarybrought an early, Eiderswere, as usual,restricted to the GreatLakes or St. Lawrenceand much-appreciatedwarm spell.This respiteunleashed'an influx of early Niagararivers. Lake Champlain,however, hosted a variety of rare migrants.Except for this early movement,the contrastbetween the waterfowlmore frequently encountered on the GreatLakes. These in- winterornithological picture of 1983-1984and 1984-1985 was marked. cludedat leastthree Harlequin Ducks at Charlotte(m.ob.), a Barrow's The key to mostof thedifferences seemed to be the super-abundance Goldeneyeat N. Hero(RL et al. ), anda King Eiderat Burlington(WE, of food this winter. Birds stayedaway from feedersin droves, but NM). The latteris inexplicablyrare on L. Champlain,being last record- judgingfrom reports half-hardies and winter'finches, especially cross- ed in 1975. bills, were presentin recordnumbers. VULTURES THROUGH GALLIFORMES -- Althoughmany areas lackedsnow cover until January,Turkey Vultures were not particularly latein departing.They •were quick to returnin February,however, once S windsprevailed. Could increasing competition for nestingsites be a factorin thetrend toward earlier returning dates? Fourteen Bald Eagles alongthe St. LawrenceR., betweenChippewa Pt. andthe Morristown area (GS), wasthe bestof a fine Regionalshowing. The smalleraccl- piters, whose abundanceis always difficult to assess,seemed more commonthan usual, perhaps owing to a plethoraof prey.No incursion of N. Goshawkswas evidentand even Rough-leggedHawks were generallyscarce. Winter falcon reports included a couple of Merlin sightingsnear Rochesterand the Gyrfalconat Dead CreekW.M A , Vt., in additionto the moreusual Am. Kestrels.What percentage(if any) of our winteringkestrels are females?No PeregrineFalcons win- teredin the Regiondespite the numbersthat havebeen released LOONS THROUGH WATERFOWL -- In the absence of much The only Gray Partridgesightings were from SackettsHarbor and excitingto reportfrom the Region'•s windswept waterfronts we posethe Evans Mills, JeffersonCo., N.Y. (LC), and the vicinity of Moses followingquestion. Does a latefreeze-up of the majorlakes result in SaundersPower Dam (JVR). The species'status in Vermontis impossi- smallerwaterbird aggregations in mid-winter(since birds remain dis- ble to discern,given the irregularitywith whichthe smallpopulation in persedand/or continue to wend their way fartherS prior to concentrat- then.'end of theL. Champlainvalley is reported.Hopefully the advent ing)or greaternumbers (as birds lulled into attempting to overwinterare of a Christmas Bird Count initiated this winter in that area will stimulate forcedinto the remainingpatches of openwater whenthe arcticblasts moreregular coverage of'this interesting area. A Chukarat Ferrisburg (J finally strike)?An Eared Grebe madeit to ButtonBay on L. Cham- & MD) wasinteresting, considering claims that the species has not been plain.Providing Vermont's first record, the bird was present Dec. 14-15 releasedin the state.In any event, the Chukaris an unlikelycandidate (WS et al.). An imm. Northern Gannet appearedin a snowy Wood- for successfulintroduction in the Region,a fact that sportsmenseem stock,Vt., backyardDec. 20 (NM et al.). Althoughit wassubsequently reluctantto accept.Ring-necked Pheasants, formerly considered suc- releasedon the coast,we wonderif it wasworth the energy expenditure. cessfullyintroduced in muchof w. New York, continueto declineThe Landfallenmarine birds which are too weak to fly frequentlyare found Wild Turkey, on the otherhand, continues to increase.A flock of 40 to haveterminal aspirgillosis infections. Reflecting their general popu- near Redwood(LC) was just one.example of the species'continued lationincrease, Double-crested Cormorants are sightedwith increasing expansioninto n. New York. A Soraat BurlingtonJan. 13 (WE et al ) frequencyduring the wintermonths. Observers should, however, still wasparticularly su[prising since Virginia Rails are typically hardier and be alertfor the possibleoccurrence of GreatCormorants which are far neitherspecies had been previously recorded in Vermbntin mid-winter hardierthan Double-crested.Typically the winter heronrecords are reserved for Am. Bitterns, Great Blues and an occasional Black- SHOREBIRDS THROUGH ALCIDS -- Lingering shorebirdsin- crownedNight-Heron. Mild conditionsthis seasoninduced Green- cludedup to five Purpl9 Sandpipersat NiagaraFalls through the winter backedHerons to lingerthrough Dec. 9 andJan. 1 at SalmonCreek and (B.O.S.), 10 Dunlins in the Rochesterarea in Decemberand one at

164 American Birds, Summer 1985 CharlotteJan 6 (G O S ) plusVermont's first winterrecord at Burling- WARBLERS THROUGH FINCHES -- Althoughmild weatherand ton Dec. 2 (JM), a scatteringof Com. Snipe, and at least one Am. plentifulberries might be expectedto inducea variety of warblersto Woodcock(at Jamestown).A Calidris sandpiperat Charlotte,N.Y., tarry, therewere almostno convincingreports of unusualmembers of Dec 23 (A & DS), was•believed to have been a Semipalmated;but thisgroup. The exceptionwas an Ovenbirdpresent through Jan. 12 at a Westerntypically winters farther n. (seeAB 29:799), and given the feederon Main St. in WhiteRiver Jct., Vt. (DC et al.), whichappeared atypicaldate, even more exotic speciesmay be equallyplausible. to havea previouswing injury althoughit couldfly to shelter(under the Gull watching,normally an excitingpastime in winter, was almost porch!).Many "Myrtle" Warblerslasted until at leastmid-January when mundanethis season.Dunkirk Harborvied with the usualhot spots,the conditionsbecame very austere.There were severalreports•of reduced NiagaraR. andRochester, for top rarity honorswith a Laughing Gull numbersof N. Cardinalsbut we suspectthis was an illusioninduced by presentJan. 29 throughmid-February. Exceptional at any seasonin-' the birdsthat, givena choice,prefer natural foods over the convenience land, this species'midwinter occurrence was unprecedented.The only (and associatedexposure) of bird feeders.Where had the g?Rose- othernoteworthy larids were theLesser Black-backed Gull at the Adam breastedGrosbeak that appearedFeb. 16 in Rivonia (HM) spentthe Beck Hydro Station on the Niagara R. in late Decemberand early precedingmonths? A Dickcisselspent at leasta monthat a Swanton, January(B.O.S.) and a first-yearThayer's Gull at Moses Saunders X(t., feeder(J & CC), consortingas usualwith HouseSparrows. Power Dam on the St. LawrenceR. (fide KC, GS). A Black-legged Rufous-sidedTowhees were widely reported as were a varietyof half- Klttlwakeat the latterarea through December (JVR) wasexceptionally hardysparrows (even discounting out-of-hand the incredulousreport of tardy Little Gulls, which shouldeventually commence breeding in the 10 Vesper,four Field, andsix Chippingsparrows by oneparty on onen Region,were well-represented, being present at eachof the 3 aforemen- C.B.C.). Verification of identifications,an unendingproblem, is a tioned locations.Best numbers,although down slightly from recent particularlysticky issueon C.B.C. data sincemost compilersseem years,were again at Rochester,where 22 weretallied in December.Fort reluctantto offendneophyte observers by questioningsightings. Dark- Niagara,N.Y., was againthe siteof a reputedRazorbill sighting(fide eyedJuncos overwintered in unprecedentednumbers. Many feedershad B O S.). Althoughconsidered extremely rare in theRegion, the species dozensand C.B.C.s talliedhundreds. Why this seed-eateropted to stay breeds on islands in the mouth of the St. Lawrence R., and could be n. in suchnumbers is unclear.Frugivorous species (e.g., CedarWax- morefrequent on L. Ontariothan the few recordsto date indicate. wings)and cone feeders (e.g., crossbills)were respondingto obvious cues, but the junco was the only granivorousspecies to inundatethe Region.Amongst the hordesof Slate-coloredswere at leasta coupleof OWLS THROUGH SHRIKES -- Althougha possibleGreat Gray 'Oregons.Has a specimenof this subspeciesbeen collectedyet from Owl wasreported near W. Swanton,there were no confirmedreports of New York? LaplandLongspur and Snow Bunting tallies were probably GreatGray, Hawk, or Borealowls, andeven Snowy Owls put in only a depressedby the absenceof snow which causesflocking in manured modestshowing. The only significantconcentration of Short-eared fields. Best countswere of 350 and 500 birds, respectively. Owls was near Geneseowhere up to 24 were tallied (J & AF et al.). A Brewer's Blackbird injured while hitting a Whallonsburg,N.Y , NorthernSaw-whet Owls seemedslightly more abundantthan usualat window apparentlysuccumbed before the local C.B.C. Althoughwe this season,perhaps because the berry and seedcrops induced many remainskeptical about all Brewer's sightrecords, the speciesmay well small birds to overwinter.A Red-headedWoodpecker availing itself of be more regularin the Region in winter than reportedsince it could the abundanthickory nut cropon SnakeMr. in the ChamplainValley all easilybe misidentifiedas a Com. Grackleor evena RustyBlackbird by season(AP) furnished one of the few Vermont winter recordsever ChristmasBird Countobservers who fail to considerit a possibility.A receivednot associatedwith a feedingstation. Henderson continued to d Yellow-headedBlackbird appeared Jan. 30 in Greece(ML). House mark the n. limit of the Red-belliedWoodpecker's distribution in New Finches--intenton makinga mockeryof someexperts' opinions, ex- York The speciesis absentin hugeareas s. of thatpoint, anda studyof presseda decadeago, thatthe specieshad reached its n. tolerancelimits factors that restrict its distribution in the north would be of interest. in our Region--are still expandingin an explosivemanner. Over 200 An extralimitalGray Jay that accompaniedBlue Jaysto a feederin "overwhelmed"a Henderson,N.Y., feeder and the specieswas fre- Swanton, Vt., was more likely to have originatedin New York or quentlythe most abundantfinch on ChristmasBird Counts. Canadathan from Vermont'ssmall population, which resides the other sideof the Green Mrs. Fish Crows persistedat Ithaca, where threewere S.A. presentJan. 1. This disjunctpopulation has remained ostensibly stable The extraordinarycone crop lured both Red and White-winged for a decade,although we suspectthe total population size is significant- crossbillsinto the Regionand caused considerable excitement on ly greaterthan mostimagine. A kettleof 33 Com. Ravensover Wood- severalfronts. First was the questionof the Red Crossbills' stockin early February(JN) was the best concentrationreported. Al- subspecificstatus. Was it the w. racesitkensis or the expected(?) thoughthis seemslate for an aggregationof this magnitude,our pusilia or minor? Or, as appearsto have been the case, were understandingof the winter habitsof this corvid is obviouslyin its severalsubspecies involved and, if so, were they actinglike infancy. separatespecies--because evidence of breedingmounted rapidly Despite the excellent conifer seedcrop, Red-breastedNuthatches asthe magnitude of theinvasion became apparent. White-winged werepresent in only modestnumbers in mostareas. Extralimital Caroli- Crossbillswere alsocaught in the act, both in Vermont, where na Wrens were seen at Elizabethtown, N.Y., and Saxtons R., Vt. atlassershad failed to actuallyconfirm breeding during the pro- Winter Wrens, whichhave not lived up to theirname since the seriesof ject, andin severalareas in New York. As anyonefamiliar with severes.e. wintersdecimated the breedingpopulation in the late 1970s, these specieswill attest, the difficulty in confirmingbreeding werepresent in betternumbers this season.More thanone-half dozen makestheir actualbreeding distribution an issuesure to be con- Ruby-crownedKinglets were noted, severalof them survivinguntil at testedfor years.Fortunately several observers, in New York at least mid-January.Even more unusualwas the Dec. 15 sightingof a least, got caughtup in thesequestions and we hopebefore the Blue-grayGnatcatcher at Ferrisburg(AP, JW) which,belying its name, yearis outto have,in somelocalities at least,a muchbetter idea musthave been surviving on berries. American Robins were widespread of the breedingof theseelusive, irruptivenomads. Already it in small flocks but the huge roostsof somerecent past years were appearsclear that nestingby eitheris not limitedto the Adiron- unreported.Predictably, Gray Catbirds and Brown Thrashers were pres- dacks,and breeding in anysuitable large stand of conifersmay be ent on severalChristmas Bird Countsand since neither species is prone within the realm of possibility. to visitingfeeding stations, many doubtless went undetected. Provision of innovativefoodstuffs (e.g., orangehalves and raisins)would prob- Althoughredpolls were clearly not participants in the invasionof the ably lure more diversityto Regionalfeeding stations. Although Cedar Regionthis winter, Pine Siskins certainly were and, like crossbills,may Waxwingswere present in recordnumbers throughout the Region,very haveended up.breeding in manyareas. Unfortunately, siskins, due to few Bohemianswere associatedwith them. Clearly differentfactors their more regularoccurrence at feeders,caused less stir amongbird •nfluencethe winteroccurrence and abundance of these2 speciesin our watchersand late winter breedingmay havebeen overlooked in many Region.Northern Shrikes were alsoapparently unmoved by the abun- instances.American Goldfinches and Evening Grosbeaks were present danceof potentialprey sincethey werepresent in only modestnumbers in modestnumbers, many feeders hosting only a handfulof the latterall this winter. winter.

Volume 39, Number 2 165 CONTRIBUTORS (in boldface)AND CITED OBSERVERS -- AI- Marsh, N. Martin, D. Messinlo, M. Metcalf, T. D. Masher, J. Nichol- leganyCounty Bird Club, R. Andtie, E. Brooks,Buffalo Ornithological son, W. Norse, A. Pistorious,V. Pitzrick, RochesterBirding Associ- Society,Cayuga Bird Club, L. Chamberlaine,J. & C. Clair, D. Crook, ation,F. Scheider,W. Scott,G. Smith,R. Spahn,A. & D. Strong,S. K. Crowell, M. & J. Dye, S. Eaton, W. Ellison, J. & A. Foster, Taylor, J. Van Riet, VermontInstitute of Natural Science,J. Wisner.-- GeneseeOrnithology Society, J. Gretch,High PeaksAudubon Society, DOUGLAS P. KIBBE and CHERYL M. BOISE, Box 34, Mary- M. Langsdon,S. Laughlin, R. Lavalie, J. Lehman, H. Madden, J. land, NY 12116.

APPALACHIAN REGION /George A. Hall

Wherewere all the birdsthis year? This wasthe superficial reaction of manypeople, particularly those whose observations were concentrated • ' - State Col at feedingstations. Indeed. in the almosttotal absenceof the "northern I AHIA / ..,,,sbu.gh _ / invaders" it did seem as if there were few birds. But after putting • wheeling•i ß c• e •o'-•-•TN. J-] togetherthe reportsfrom throughoutthe Region. it becameapparent that it was indeed an interestingand good seasonoverall, even though .,o. I w. I individualreports may have showna dull season. :'/;• ; /,' Therewere three "seasons" this winter. Except for onebrief cold spell Decemberwas extremely mild, with a temperatureexcess at Pittsburgh of 242 day-degreesand almost normal rainfall, with no snow.This mild / Tøt.-; weathercontinued beyond the first of January,and ChristmasBird .... J ..i '•.Z• ß Blacksburg..... Counterswere in shirt-sleevesat someplaces. Winter startedat the end of the first week of the new year. There were light snowson almost everyday until January20 whena massivecold front broughtsnow and sub-zeroweather, even as far south as Tennessee.This cold snowy .--'•'0 ß I weathercontinued until mid-February.At PittsburghJanuary had a ChattanoogaI* -'• ..... • ' temperaturedeficiency of-135 day-degrees,but despitethe snowlhll, ...... precipitationwas below normal. In the north, snow remainedon the groundfor almosta month.At Erie, Pennsylvania,93 inchesof snow fell betweenJanuary 14 andFebruary 19. Eastof the mountains.howev- • GA. er, therewas very little snowfall.Temperatures moderated in late Febru- ary, althoughthe southgot oneof its heaviestsnowfalls at thistime, and season(TS). In the Knoxville, Tenn., area there was a noticeable influx thethird season ushered in an earlyand mild springas the periodclosed. after the extremely cold weather, presumablydriven out of the north The mild weatherof Decemberproduced an unusualnumber of very (CN). A Black-crownedNight-Heron wintered at Knoxville(AK) anda late records, but it also resulted in few concentrations of birds. With Green-backedHeron was at EastLiverpool, 0., in late December(NL). adequatefood suppliesin the wild there were few birds coming to feeders.In mid-Januarythe lakesin the northfroze, and with the snows WATERFOWL -- Normally TundraSwans are seenin the Region many birdsdeparted. An influx of heronsand waterfowlwas notedin only during a rather shortmigratory period and only in a few favored the southat this time. When the weatherbroke in late Februarythe locationson a narrowly-definedmigration path. This seemsto be chang- waterfowl migration moved a little aheadof time, but most of the ing as the birds were to be seen in small numbersin Virginia and landbirdswere arriving at normal times. Tennesseewell outsidethis expectedcorridor, and indeedthroughout One always expectsthat a strongand suddenwinter stormsuch as thewinter season. At the normalplaces the birdsremained very late. and occurredin mid-Januarywill causebird mortality. but this is usually the N migrationstarted in February.There were several records of Mute difficult to prove. On February l 1 after a violent wind and rain storm Swan, previouslyalmost unknown in the Region:Jefferson, Pa., late about 10,000 dead birds were pickedup near a large roostof about December(RB); MosquitoL, O., Dec. 16-Feb. 24 (CB). Summers. 1,000,000 blackbirdsnear Scotland, Pennsylvania(KG). A much W. Va., Jan. 15 (JP); and S. Halston L., Tenn., Feb. 3 to end (WC). smallerkill was reportedfrom North Tazewell, Virginia. where about Most unusualfor this Region were the severalreports of Greater 20 deadbirds were pickedup on onelawn afterthe snowmelted (NN). White-fronted Geese: L. Arthur, Pa., Dec. 16-29 (DF, MG); Hiwasee This wasthe first winterfor manyyears that was not highlighted by an I., Tenn., Jan. 13 (DJ et al.); Parrott, Va., Feb. 17 (C & MR); and influx of one or more northernspecies. Milton, W.Va., the last 2 weeksof February(LW, TI). There were more recordsof Snow Geesethan usual:Pymatuning L., Pa., Dec. 16- ABBREVIATIONS -- B.E.S.P. = Bald EagleState Park, Pa.; P.I. Feb. 24 (RFL, JM); MosquitoL., O., Dec. 16 (CB); Rockingham,Va., = PresqueIsle Bay or PresqueIsle StatePark, Pa.; P.N.R. = Powder- all season(R.B.C.); Vienna, W.Va., from mid-February(LR); Boone mill Nature Reserve, Pa. Place names in italics are counties. L., Tenn., Jan. 30-Feb. 22 (GE); Clinton, Tenn., Feb. 8 (CN); and Tellicoe L., Tenn., Feb. 17 (BS, BF). A concentrationof 13,000 Can- LOONS, CORMORANTS, AND HERONS-- The onlyRed-throat- ada Geeseat MosquitoL., O., Dec. 16 was somewhatlower than last ed Loon report came t¾omP.I., Pa., Dec. 30 (JM) & 31 (RSw). year (CB). A few Canadaswere reportedmoving N by the end of Throughoutthe seasonCam. Loonswere in unusualnumbers wherever February. therewas open water. One of the Red-neckedGrebes mentioned in the Duck concentrationswere somewhatbetter than last year. After the fall reportremained at P.I. until Dec. 2 (JM, SS). This specieswas also freezeup,numbers in e. Tennesseewere noticeablylarger (CN). There seenat NickajackL., Tenn., Nov. 24 (JPa). Double-crestedCormorants were 10,000ducks (relatively low), mostlyCam. Goldeneyesand Can- were at P.I. until Jan. 13 (JM), Kyger Cr., O., Feb..23 (TI). Roane, vasbacks.at P.I. in Decemberbut Red-breastedMergansers were down Tenn., Jan. 18 (WJ), Fort Loudon L, Tenn., Feb. 23 (J & BC), 50% there(JM). Most interestingwere the reportsof 1000 Am. Black ChickamaugaL., Tenn., Jan. 19 (DJ, JS), andBoone L. andWatauga Ducksat HiwaseeI., Tenn., in Januaryand February(DJ et al.) and L., Tenn., all season (GE). 1000 Mallards at Blacksburg,Va., Jan. 11 (ES). On the other hand, Great Blue Heronswere unusuallynumerous and widespreadduring Blacks were in lower-than-normalnumbers at Pymatuning L., Pa. the mild December,and one remainedat StateCollege, Pa., throughthe (RFL). There was a report of 50 Greater Scaupon the New R. near

166 American Birds, Summer 1985 Blacksburg,Va , Feb 16 (ES) andthis species, normally unusual •n- lossesdunng the cold, snowyweather in the north A SnowyOwl land, wasalso reported from McElhattan,Pa., Feb. 12 (PS) andChicka- photographappeared in theErie newspaper Dec. 2, butthe bird was not maugaL., Tenn., in mid-February(RR). Of themore unusual species, seenby birders.Two SnowyOwls wereat Butler, Pa., Dec. 21 (VM), Oldsquawsand White-winged Scoters were more widely reported than andone wasseen in McKean,Pa., Jan.7-10 (fide WH). Long-eared usual.One of .thelatter was seen as far s. asBoone L., Tenn. (SG et al.). Owls werereported from P.I., Jan. 13 (JM, SS) andfrom Shenandoah Black Scoterswere reported from P.I. until Jan. 6 (JM) and at Rosen- L., Va., Jan.1'9, and one was calling near Harrisonbarg, Va., through crans,Pa., Dec. 29 (CI-[);up to sevenSurf Scoterswere at P.I. untilJan. theseason (R.B.C.). Therewere more reports of Short-earedOwls than 13 (JM). usual:Roanoke, Dec. 15-Feb.28 (BK et al.); Augusta,Va., throughthe By the end of Februarythe N flight was well underwayfor most period(R.B.C., YL); Indiana,Pa., Jan.24 (DD); P.I., Jan.24 (JM), species. andPulaski, Va., Feb. 16 (fideJMu). A N. Saw-whetOwl wascalling at JerseyShore, Pa., Feb. 13 (PS). RAPTORS-- About150 Black Vultures were counted at Nickajack A totalof 60 BeltedKingfishers was reported in s.w. Pennsylvania L, Tenn., Feb. 16 (JSet al.). Most encouragingwere the reports of 43 duringDecember (PH). Of greatinterest were the widespread reports of Bald Eagles(21 adults, 16 immaturesand six undesignated)from 13 Red-headedWoodpeckers wintering in numbersfar exceedingthose of locationsthroughout the Region.Sharp-shinned Hawks werein above- anyrecent year. Red-belliedWoodpeckers continue to increaseN, with normalnumbers at manyplaces, as were Cooper's Hawks. Perhaps both 80 ta!lied in s.w. Pennsylvaniain December(PH) andreports as far n. as specieswere attractedto bird feeding stationsand hencewere more Erie and Warren.Hairy Woodpeckerswere Unusually scarce at most evident.Northern Goshawks were reportedfrom S.tateCollege, Pa., places.A "Red-shafted"Flicker showing no characteristicsof an inter- Dec 15 (MO), Morgantown, W.Va., Jan. 12 (GAH), Ona, W.Va., grade was found at L. Arthur, Pa., Dec. 16 (DF). Jan 18 (HS), Crawford, Pa., Feb. 3 (TK) & 10 (RFL), Beaver, Pa., SingleE. Phoebeswere at Wood,W.Va., Dec. 15 (GB) and at Feb 6 (WFi), andAllegheny, Pa., Feb. 26 (RT); therewere 2 sightings ShenandoahN.P., Jan. 11 (DC), andthree to four winterednear Eliza- in Colurnbiana,O. (WB). The Red-tailedHawk was in lower-than- bethton,Tenn. '(GE); the one on the Skyli ne Drive Feb. 23 (RS)may normalnumbers, but there were many more records of Red-shouldered havebeen an early migrant. Hawksthan usual. A Broad-winged Hawk was found in Indiana,Pa., Dec 12 (DS, FS), a•nd•thre 9 very early spring arrival dates came from RAVENS THROUGH THRUSHES -- Seven Com. Ravenswere Wht(fietd,Ga., Feb.10 (DCr),fro m ChattanoogaFeb. 17 (SK),and seenon Blood Mt., Ga., Dec. 16, and three were at DeSoto Falls, Ga, fromE. Liverpool,O., Feb. 25 (NL). In then., theRough-legged Hawk Dec. 18 (WF). Most observersfelt that chickadeesand Tufted Titmice wasunusually scarce, but the species occurred far s. of itsusual range, withnumerous reports from the lower Ohio R., thee'Great Valley of werein below-normalnumbers. There were a few scatteredreports of Virginia,and as far s. asChattanooga, Tenn. (.RR). singleRed-breasted Nuthatches bat exceptfor the residentbirds in the Tennesseemountains this specieswas essentiallyabsent from the Re- A GoldenEagle at Monroeville, Pa., Feb. 13 (DF) wasvery unusual. gionthis winter. The only report of Brown-headedNutha'tches came This speciesis winteringmore commonly along the main mountain axis, from ChickamaugaDam, Tenn., Feb. 4-7 (RR). BrownCreepers were andthis year records of sevenbirds came from Augusta (YL, LT).,Bath, Htghland, and ShenandoahN.P., Va. (LT), andfrom BloodMr. (WF) spottyin distributionbut quite commonat someplaces. andCalhoun, Ga. (JMa).'Merlins wer e reportedfrom Indiana, Pa., CarolinaWrens were in excellentnumbers in the n. partof therange throughthe mild December(177 on the PittsburghC.B.C., the best Dec 22 (RI) andfrom 2• locations in Rockingham,,Va., Jan.5 andFeb. 19 (R.B.C.). A Gyrfalcon was foundJan. 29 & 30 and Mar. 1 in the since1975--PH) and there were a few reports from well n. ofthe normal range, but numberswere greatlydecreased after theJanuary freezing AlleghenyN.F. in n. Pennsylvania(fide WH). spell.This mortality was not general, so the depletion probably was not as severeas thatof severalyears ago. A Bewick'sWren wasat Shenan- CRANES THROUGH GULLS -- Sandhill Cranes were still in Whit- doahL., Va., Jan. 1 (R.B.C.). Therewere House Wrens reported Dec field, Ga., in earlyDecember (m.ob.), and spring arrivals there w•ere 15 from Morgantown,W.Va. (PM) andVienna, W.Va. (RJ). A Sedge Feb 28 (HD). The first croneswere seenat SignalMr., Tenn., Feb. 22 Wren was seenin Fayette, W.Va., Dec. !6 (JP). (BW) and at ChattanoogaFeb. 2• (DJ). Golden-crownedKinglets were somewhaton the short side, but Black-belliedPlovers were seenat Guilford L., O., in thelast week of Ruby-crownedKinglets were in above-normalnumbers for thisRegion December(WB). Killdeerremained n. in largenumbers during the mild A real rarity wasa Blue-grayGnatcatcher at KnoxvilleJan. 10 (BM) December.A GreaterYellowlegs was at Fishersville,Va., on theearly The E. Bluebirdwas unusually numerous all winterand the "first" dateof Feb. 12 (MH) anda LesserYellowlegs was at Roanoke,Va., Am. Robinsarrived in suburbanareas before the January cold spell. On Feb 23 (MP, MD). Dunlinswere reported from B.E.S.P., Dec. 30-Jan. the unusual side were Swainson's Thrushes at P.N.R., Dec. 11 (a 2 (CS), from P.I. throughDecember and as lateas Jan.6 (JM), andat previouslybanded bird thatnow had a healedwing injury--RCL, RM) DouglasL., Tenn.,Jan. 19 (AK). A RedPhalarope was at Roanoke andanother near Harrisonburg, Va., Dec. 18 (R. B.C.). HermitThrush- Nov 24-Dec. 28 (m.ob.) and anotherwas at P.I., Jan. 9 (SS, JM). es were moderatelycommon before the freeze-upand after this they At P.I., 100,000 gullsof severalspecies were presentuntil mid- occasionallyappeared near feeders.A Wood Thrush was seenin a Januarywhen freeze-up occurred (JM). Otherconcentrations of gulls flock of bluebirdsnear P.N.R., Jan. 14 (RCL et al. ). A Varied Thrush were 3500 at PymatuningL., Pa. (RFL), 1650 at ChickamaugaL., was seenat North East, Erie, Pa., Jan. 10 (EL). Tenn, Jan. 19 (DJ et al.), and 1250 a! MosquitoL., Dec. 16 (CB). Therewere more Bonaparte's Gulls than usual in theseconcentrations. MIMIDS THROUGH STARLINGS -- As usuala few Gray Catbirds Thegull "hotspot" atP.!. produced one or two Little Gulls Dec. 14-15, a remainedinto the winter: Botetour•, Va., Dec. 15 (T & JKr); State Thayer'sGull Feb. 17, threeIceland Gulls Jan. 13 and Feb. 17, three College,Pa., Dec. 15 (CS); Highland,Va., Dec. 1, andNatural Chim- LesserBlack-backed Gulls Dec. 14, Jan.27, andFeb. 17, andup to four neys,Va., Dec. 12 (LT); Chattanooga,Dec. 10 (RR); andShenandoah GlaucousGulls Jan. 6-Feb. 10 (JM, SS). More noteworthywere the N.P., Feb. 8 (DC). Brown Thrasherswintered at Knoxville and Norris, Thayer's Gull andthe GlaucousGull foundat a landfill 6 mi s. of L. Erie Tenn. (CN). A thrasherwas a!sofound at Youngstown,O., Feb. 6 Dec 15(J & CBa),providing the first Erie records away from the lake. (CK). Water Pipitswere moderately common in e. Tennesseeand 150 Alsovery unusual were the inland records of GlaucousGulls at Roanoke were seennear Blacksburg, Va., Jan. 12 (fide JMu). Reportsalso came Jan 3-5 (m.ob.) and at ChickamaugaL., Tenn., Jan. 18-19 (AJ). A from StateCollege, pa., in February(DM), and Chambersburg,Pa, Great Black-backedGull was also seenat ChickamaugaL., Jan. 18 Feb. 27 (KG). (JS) There was a minor incursionof N. Shrikesin w. Pennsylvania:3 reportsfrom Erie, Dec. 7 (JT), Dec. 8, andlate February(SS); Butler, DOVES THROUGH FLYCATCHERS-- A RingedTurtle-Dove Pa., Dec. 8 (DF); StateCollege, Dec. 15 (MO); BeechCr., Pa., Dec. 31 was seen at Dalton, Ga., Feb. 2 (RMr). A Black-billedCuckoo in (PS); 2 reportsfrom Allegheny,Pa., Dec. 18 (RT) andJan. 13 (DF), Washtngton,Pa., Dec. 15 (KB) wasmost unusual. Common Barn-Owls WoodcockL., Pa., Jan.6 (RFL); andMosquito L., O., Dec. 16 (CB) weremore widely reported than usual, but E. Screech-Owlswere gener- The only recordsfor LoggerheadShrike came from the s., with 12 ally in low numbersearly in the season,and may have suffiered heavy sightingsin thgHarrisonburg, Va., area(R.B.C.), oneat WeyersCave,

Volume 39, Number 2 167 Va., Jan. 30 (YL), 11 sightingsnear Chattanooga(RR), the normal three to five at Elizabethton,Tenn. (GE), and one in Murray, Ga., Jan. 10 (HD). There was a roost of 20,000 starlingsat Jefferson,Pa., in December,which brokeup with the adventof the cold snowyweather (RB).

WARBLERS THROUGH ICTERINES -- An Orange-crownedWar- bler was at LaFollette,Tenn., Dec. 26 (GM). Numbersof bothYellow- rumpedand Pine warblerswere higherthan in mostwinters, and Palm Warblerswere reportedfrom Waynesboro,Va., Dec. 3 (RS), Jones- boro, Tenn., Dec. 7 (RK), Knoxville Dec. 16 (CN), Daleville, Va., Jan. 12 (BK et al.), and LaFollette, Tenn., Feb. 18 (GM). A Yellow- throated Warbler was at Knoxville Dec. 8 (BM). The warbler of the winter was the Com. Yellowthroat with 4 reports:State College, Pa., Dec. 15 (CS), Webster,Va., Dec. 15 (JA), Wintergreen,Va., Dec. 26 (AH), and P.I., Dec. 15 (JBa) & 31 (RSw). There were few Rufous-sidedTowhees wintering in the area, but the White-wingedCrossbill at Chattanooga.Tenn.. February 1985. Ftrst varioussparrows presented a mixedbag. AmericanTree Sparrowswere local record. Photo/Robin Rudd. again extremelyuncommon in the Region. ChippingSparrows were reportedfrom P.N.R., to Dec. 8 (RCL, RM), CoveL., Tenn.. Jan. 13 (CN), ChattanoogaJan. 1 and Feb. 18 (RR), LaFollette,Tenn., Feb. 4 (GM), JohnsonCity, Tenn., Feb. 12 (MDi), andErwin, Tenn., Feb. 15 (GS). A Clay-colored Sparrow was at a feederat Charlton,Pa., Dec. 29 (CSa). White-crownedSparrows were more plentifulthan normal, but White-throatedSparrows were not as commonas in recentyears. LaplandLongspurs were found in Campbell, Tenn., all throughthe period (GM), but the only other reportscame from c. Pennsylvania. Snow Buntingswere commonin n. and c. Pennsylvaniaand one was seenin GreatSmoky Mountains N.P., Jan.27, providingthe 2ndrecord for the park (CN). White-wingedCrossbill (with AmericanGoldfinches) at Chattanooga, Two large blackbirdroosts were reported:one of about 1,000,000 Tenn., February 1985. First local record. Photo/RobinRudd. birds near Scotland, Pa. (KG), and one of about 40,000 birds near W.Va., Feb. 24 (JP). White-wingedCrossbills were foundon Massan- Milton, W.Va. (LW). Re.d-wingedBlackbirds were more common than utten Mt., Va., Jan. 8 (R.B.C.) and singleWhite-winged Crossbills usual.A Yellow-headedBlackbird was foundat StateCollege, Pa., were presentat feedersin Hixon and Chattanooga,Tenn., in early Jan. 5 for the first local record(TS). RustyBlackbirds were unusually February,furnishing first localrecords (fide DJ, RR). The only reportof numerousin the LigonierValley at P.N.R. (RCL, RM). Therewere two Corn. Redpollcame from Indiana, Pa. (H & RMa). AmericanGold- Brewer'sBlackbirds among the deadbirds found at N. Tazewell, Va. fincheswere in excellentnumbers. Pine Siskinswere widespreadand (NN), andthis specieswas foundon severaldays in Januaryin Ashe- most localitiesreported an occasionalsmall flock, but there certainly ville, N.C. (RRu). wasno influx of them,and many places saw none. There were essential- ly no EveningGrosbeaks in theRegion this winter, although there were a few scatteredreports of small numbersas far s. as the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.

CONTRIBUTORS -- Richard Almy, Jim Ayers, Carole Babyak (CB), William Baker, Carol Baxter (CBa), Jim Baxter (JBa), Ralph Bell, Karen Berchin, George Breiding, Charles Brightbill, Edward Brucker, Betty & Jim Campbell, DennisCarter, Wallace Coffey, Dela- no Crowe (DCr), Harriett DiGioia, Martha Dillenbeck (MDi), Mike Donahue (MD), Dan Durso, Glen Eller, William Fink (WFi), Kathleen Finnegan,Barbara Finney, David Freeland(DF), WilsonFreeman, Dot Freeman, Kenneth Gabler, Marguerite Geibel, Norris Gluck, Sally Goodin, Allen Hale, Cecil Hazlett, Harry Henderson,John Heninger, Mozelle Henkel, PaulHess, William Highhouse,Roy Ickes,Tom Igou, Daniel Jacobson,Wesley James, Allen Jenkins,Rexine Johnson, Cal Keppler,Tim Kimmel (TK), Barry Kinzie, StarrKlein, Rick Knight, AnthonyKoella, JanetKrakauer (JKr), Tom Krakauer(TKr), Nevada Laitsch, YuLee Lamer, Robert C. Leberman, Ronald F. Leberman, Elvora Lynch, JeanManly (JMa), Henrietta& RobertMarshall (H & RMa), RoseMartin (RMr), Betty Mason, GeorgeMcKinney, Vincent McLaughlin,Jerry McWilliams (JM), DavidMiddleton, Robert Mulvi- hill (RM), John Murray (JMu), Phil Murray, Nancy Nash, Charles Nicholson,Mike Ondik, JohnnyParks OPaL Jim Phillips(JP), Frank Yellow-headedBlackbird at State College, Pa., Jan. 5, 1985. First Preston,Mike Purdy,Curtis & MarthaRoane, Rockingham Bird Club local record.Drawn from life by DorothyL. Bordner. (R.B.C.), Lorraine Rollefson, Robin Rudd (RR), Robert Ruiz (RRu), Charles Sample (CSa), Terry Schiefer, Conrad Schmidt(CS), Paul FINCHES -- PurpleFinches were unusuallyscarce at mostplaces, Schwalbe,Boyd Sharp, Merit Skaggs,Harry Slack, Edwin Smith, Ruth but HouseFinches continued to increasethroughout. It hasbeen noted at Snyder(RS), Dwight Soilberger,Mike Stinson,Joe Stone, Sam Stull, severalplaces that as the HouseFinch has increased the HouseSparrow RuthSwaney (RSw), FordSwigart, Glenn Swofford, Leonard Teuber, hasdeclined, but at Pittsburghit is thoughtthat the totals of the2 species RobertTisony, John Tomkiel, JeffreyWalck, Bruce Wilkey, Leon have remained about constant. The Red Crossbill was in moderate Wilson,Merrill Wood, RuthYoung.•EORGE A. HALL, Division numbersat highelevations in GreatSmoky Mountains N.P. throughout of Forestry (Mail Address: Department of Chemistry, P.O. Box the period(CN) but the only otherreport came from CranberryGlades, 6045), West Virginia University,Morgantown, WV 26506-6045.

168 American Birds, Summer 1985 WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION Swans continueto expand in the Region, with the majority still in Michigan,where wintering flocks of 30 + arebecoming commonplace; /David J. Powell however,several (three to five) at Neenah(TZ) andRacirt• (GD), Wis., representeds. expansionof theirwintering range. Snow Geese overwin- The weatherthis winter was surprisinglyconsistent throughout the tered in Rochester,Minn., and Green Bay, Wis. The Brant found at statesin theRegion. December was mild with relativelylittle snowfall. New Buffalo,Berrien, Mich., lastfall, lingereduntil it wasfrozen out in Temperaturesreached into the 60s in southernMichigan and Wisconsin, mid-January(RS, WB, KL). CanadaGeese lingered in unexpected andwhat snowfell, did not last long. Januarywas still mild at the start, numberswith 121,600 still at Horicon N.W.R., Wis., Dec. 17 (staff) exceptin Michigan,where the temperatures in southernMichigan were and 60,500 Dec. 15 on the Lac Qm Parle, Minn., C.B.C. justcold enough to producethe worst ice stormin 50 years.Power was outfor aslong as eight days in places,and the ice remainedon thetrees for a week. This resultedin somegamebird and resident bird mortality, but not as muchas might havebeen expected. The centraland northern partof Michigan'sLower Peninsula received up to a footof snow.Mid- Januarybrought extremely cold weatherto all threestates, with tem- peratureswell belowzero, and strong winds. Isabella, Minnesota, had a "high"on January 19 of - 31ø and wind chills of 60-70ø below zero were not uncommon.The weather remainedcold into early February, with the first week'stemperatures staying well belowzero. Snowfallwas below normalin Minnesota,except on January24 when a blizzardhit southernand western Minnesota. However, bothMichigan andWiscon- sinhad ample snowfall. Michigan was hit hardestFebruary 11-15, when 20-25"of snowfell, alongwith strongwinds. The weatherimproved Regionwidein lateFebruary, and by theend of themonth there was little snow remaining,even in the north. Observers in all three states commented on the boredom of the sea- Brantat New Buffalo,Mich., December1984. Photo/CharlesHocevar. son,with only Minnesota'sDuluth and North Shore areas having inter- estingbirding. Of particularinterest was the number of fruit-eatingbirds WoodDucks wintered at 3 Wisconsinlocations.• "Very late"was a foundin Minnesota'sNorth Shorearea, where large numbers of robins, Blue-wingedTeal at Black Dog L., Dakota, Minn., Dec. 22 (TT). waxwings,and Pine Grosbeaks wintered. There were no trulyoutstand- GreaterScaup lingered in largenumbers (! 2,000) at Milwaukeeuntil the ing discoveriesin the Region,with the gullsin Wisconsinand a few Januaryfreeze. Tessenfound the only HarlequinDuck of the season westernspecies throughout the Regionbeing the only interestingrar- Dec. 15 at Milwaukee. Oldsquawwere found away from the Great ities. The lastweek of Februarybrought the first returingblackbirds to Lakes Dec. 9-16 at Madison, Wis. (PA), and Three Oaks, Berrien, the Region,hopefully a sign of betterbirding to comethis spring. Mich. (CH). All three scoterswere found Dec. 1 in Ozaukee,Wis. In the followingaccount, place names in italicsare counties.Also, (DT), with two Blacksand oneSurf accompanying62 White-wingeds. onlythe most exceptional Christmas Bird Count(C.B.C.) datais includ- White-wingedScoters also were seenin Michiganand Minnesota.and ed, in an effort to reduceunnecessary duplication. Black Scoterswere seen at New Buffalo, four Jan. 12 (RS, WB, KL) andHolland, Mich.. oneJan. 13(CH). The onlyBarrow's Goldeneye of LOONS THROUGH WATERFOWL -- Common Loons were seen, the seasonwas foundin early Decemberat Black Dog L., Minn. (fide in December in all 3 states,as usual, but midwinter recordsin Minneso- RJ). A HoodedMerganser that remained all winterat SaultSte. Marie, ta'sSt. Louis(m. oh.) andMichigan's B errien (RS, WB, KL) werequite Mich. (MP), was n. of normal. unusual.Red-necked Grebes lingered in bothMichigan and Minnesota, but one Feb. 27 in Rice, Minn. (F & KS) was hardto explain. An Eared RAPTORS -- Bald Eagles were more commonthan usual in n. Grebewas at St. Joseph,Berrien. Mich.. Dec. 9-10 (RS, MC). Double- Minnesotaand in Michigan.Wisconsin observers reported a goodnum- crestedCormorants lingered into January in bothMichigan and Minne- ber of sightingsfor all 3 accipiters.A Sharp-shinnedHawk Jan. 15 at sota. A Green-backedHeron Dec. 30 in Bay, Mich. (MW), was very Duluth (JN) providedone of the few n. Minnesotamidwinter records. late for the Region. A GreatBlue Heronfound on the GrandMarais, Alson. of normalwere single Cooper's Hawks Feb. 1 & 2 in Michigan's Minn., C.B.C., Dec. 15 wasquite unusual. This speciesoverwintered Ontonagon(AM, ED). Unlike Wisconsin,Michigan observersfound in small numbersin s. Michigan, as is usual. More unusualwere the far fewer N. Goshawksthis winter than in the last few winters. Rough- Black-crownedNight-Herons Dec. 8-17 at theMilwaukee Harbor (JI et leggedHawks were scarcestatewide in Michiganthroughout the season, al.) and Feb. 2 & 9 (three birds) in Michigan's Bay (MW, CF), the and in Minnesota after mid-January.In Minnesota'sAitkin, 39 were Michiganbirds apparently surviving the winter. presentDec. 29, but only one was thereby Feb. 22. A GoldenEagle Small flocks of Tundra Swanswere found at a surprisingnumber of Feb. 18 in Wadena. Minn. (DZ), was n. of usual. Eight individuals Wisconsinlocales, particularly in thefirst one-half of December.Mute wintered at 4 Wisconsinlocations, more than normal. Single Merlins were in Michiganand Wisconsi.n,with at leastfour and maybesix in Minnesota.One of the five PeregrineFalcons hacked out on a nesting cliff in Tofte, Cook, Minn., in 1984, successfullyoverwintered in the Duluth-SuperiorHarbor. Prairie Falcons have become rare to regularin Minnesota,so this winter's reportswere no surprise:late migrantsDec. 9 & 12 in Wilkin (S & DM) and an overwinteringbird at Rothsay W.M.A., Wilkin (S & DM), was probablythe sameindividual for the 3rd consecutive winter. Sincethe winterof 1979-1980, at leastone Gyrfalcon has wintered in the Duluth-SuperiorHarbor each season.This winter, four different individualswere present at onetime or another:a) an immaturebanded and radio-taggedand presentthroughout most of January(no signal heardin February);b) an adultseen throughout most of February(This individualwas caught by D. Evans,who found the band he hadpla•ed on the bird the previouswinter. It is not only the first knownbird to winter2 yearsin a row, but alsothe firstknown adult, as all the others therehad apparentlybeen immatures.); c) an unbandedimmature pres- ent from mid-Februaryinto March; and d) a white-headed(white-

Volume39, Number 2 169 phase?)bird in March. An abundanceof pigeonsand a few pheasants Red-belhedWoodpeckers were foundn. of their usualrange in all 3 the harbor apparently attractsthe Gyrs (along with other raptors, states.Three-toed Woodpeckers were seenin 2 Minnesotaand one speciesthis winter!), making this perhaps the best place in thelower 48 Wisconsinlocations, about averagefor the Region. Black-backed statesto observethis species. 'Woodpeckerswere found in averagenumbers in Michiganand Wiscon- sin, but in above-averagenumbers in Minnesota,with ones. of normal PARTRIDGES THROUGH GULLS • Minnesota observers found Jan.5 in Stearns(RJ). All 3 statesreported good numbers of wintering both Gray Partridgesand Ring-neckedPheasants obviously down in N. Flickers,with both Michigan and Minnesota having birds remaining numbers,an effect of the heavy snowfalllast winter?An introduced n. of normal. (from the Lower Peninsula)population of Wild Turkeysin Michigan's Dickinsonapparently is doing very well, with 200 estimatedin the SWALLOWS THROUGH WARBLERS -- For the 2nd winter in a county(FK). CommonMoorhens were foundJan. 26 at Muskegon row, a Barn Swallow was foundin Decemberat a sewagepond, with (FD), andthroughout the winterat Metrobeach,Macomb (fide PY), for one presentDec. 9-16 near Madison (ST et al.). Minnesotabirders apparentlythe first midwinterrecords for Michigan.A SandhillCrane foundmore Gray Jaysthan normal in n. Minnesota.Two Black-billed was in Wisconsin'sDane Jan. 11 (fide KLa). Post-C.B.C. Killdeers Magpieswintered farther e. thannormal at a feederin St. Louis, Mmn were found at Manitowoc and Sauk, Wis., and Berrien, Mich. Single (SW, MS). Common Ravens continuedto increasetheir numbersin Dunlinswere foundDec. 6-9 in Milwaukee(m.ob.). A PurpleSandpip- Michigan's n. Lower Peninsula,with birdsseen as far s. as Wexford er was at St. Joseph,Berrien, Mich., Dec. 31-Jan. 1 (RS, WB). Com- (BA). Boreal Chickadeeswere morecommon than usual in n. Minneso- monSnipe wintered in surprisingnumbers in Wisconsinwith 16 report- ta, aswere Red-breasted Nuthatches and Brown Creepers. Creepecs also ed from 5 counties,including one at Ashland(DV), n. of normal.Also were up in n. Michigan. Conversely,Red-breasted Nuthatches were n of normalwas a snipefound dead Jan. 13 at Sartell,Stearns, Minn. considerablybelow averagein the s. two-thirdsof Wisconsin.Tufted (NH). Titmice seem to be increasingin Minnesota,with six wintering in Like lastwinter, gullswere seenin excellentdiversity in the Region, Rochester,and severalother reports.Golden-crowned Kinglets were with 11 speciesfound. Unlike lastwinter, however, Wisconsin observ- quitescarce in Wisconsin,but morecommon than usual in n. Michigan ers, insteadof Michigan observers,found most of the rarities. Little EasternBluebirds lingered to mid-Decemberin all 3 states,with Michi- Gulls were found at 2 Wisconsinlocations: one Dec. 1 at Harrington ganhaving more and later lingeringbirds. Townsend's Solitaires were BeachS.P. (DT) andfive at Milwaukeethrough Dec. 10 (m.ob.). One found in surprisinglylarge numbers,with one in Michigan, four in of the few Wisconsinsightings of Com. Black-headedGull wasmade by Minnesota, and five in Wisconsin(three overwinteringin each state, IdzikowskiDec. 21 at Milwaukee. Minnesota'sfirst winter sightingof a exceptMichigan). American Robins presented a contrastingpicture in CaliforniaGull wasof an adultpresent at Duluth'from late November the Region, with Wisconsinobservers finding considerably fewer than until Dec. 15 (KE). Thayer'sGulls were found at Black Dog L., Minn., last year, but Michigan observersand birders on Minnesota's North Dec. 2 (m.ob.), six on the Duluth C.B.C., Dec. 15, andfour at Milwau- Shorein Cook finding large numbers.In Michigan, 2000 were found kee from mid-Decemberthrough Jan. 8 (m.ob.). The Milwaukeebirds Jan. 13 inAllegan (TSm, JBa, DS), andseveral survived as far n asthe werephotographed, placing the Thayer's Gull on theofficial Wisconsin UpperPeninsula. Varied Thrushes were found at 4 Minnesota,5 Michi- list. Iceland Gulls were seenat Berrien, Mich., Jan. 12 (RS, WB, KL) gan, and 8 Wisconsinlocations, which was more than normal and two at MilwaukeeJan. 6-12 (m.ob.). GlaucousGulls were seenin Single Gray Catbirds were found Dec. 1 in Houston, Minn (E & all 3 states,with the only unusualsighting being of threeaway from the MF), Dec. 15 on the MilwaukeeC.B.C. (DT), andFeb. 23 in Leelanau, Great Lakes alternatingbetween Madison and the WisconsinR., at Mich. (LG). NorthernMockingbirds were foundn. of normalDec 7 at Prairie du Sac. A Great Black-backedGull was inland at Kensington Northport,Leelanau, Mich. (LG), throughDecember in Door, Wls (R Metropark, Oakland, Mich., Jan. 5 (fide BH). Other Great Black- & CL), and until Jan. 16 at Rochester,Minn. (m.ob.). Brown Thrashers backedGulls wereon bothsides of L. Michigan,with oneat Muskegon were reportedfrom 6 Minnesota,4 Michigan, and 2 Wisconsinloca- Jan. 4 (GW), an immature at Milwaukee Dec. 21-Jan. 8 (JI et al.), and tions, about average. Large numbersof BohemianWaxwings were an adult at HarringtonBeach S.P., Wis., Jan. 6 (CS, TS, JB). Black- foundacross the n. partof theRegion (particularly the North Shore area legged Kittiwakes were seenin Bay, Mich., Jan. 2 on the Bay City in Minnesota),with flocksof 200 not uncommon.They were as far e as C.B.C. (TW); in Milwaukee, an adult Dec. 21 and an immature Dec. themiddle of Michigan'sUpper Peninsula, and in goodnumbers as far 28-29 (JI et al.); and surprisingly,inland at Madison,an immature s. ass. Minnesota.Cedar Waxwings were down in Wisconsin,but up in intermittentlyDec. 6-15 (RH). Michigan, with many throughoutthe Lower Peninsulaand flocks of 1000+ seenin at least2 locations.Cedar Waxwings were also up 'along OWLS THROUGH WOODPECKERS -- The only Regionalreport theNorth Shorein Cook, Minn. NorthernShrikes were average to below of Com. Barn-Owl was of one found dead Jan. 12 in Waupaca,Wis. averageRegionwide, except in Minnesotain February,when they were This individualwas bandedthe previousyear in Iowa. SnowyOwls widespread.The only non-Yellow-rumpedWarbler found this winter werescarce Regionwide. For the first time in 15 years,there were no N. wasa CapeMay Warbler thatlingered until Dec. 23 at a Trempealeau, Hawk-Owls found in Minnesota. After last winter's incredible incur- Wis.. suet feeder (TH). sion,Great Gray Owls wererelatively scarce in Minnesotathis winter, with reportsfrom only 3 countiestotaling nine to 13 birds. Inversely, CARDINAL THROUGH FINCHES -- Northern Cardinals were n Wisconsinhad fourindividuals this winter, as comparedwith only one of normalin MichiganJan. 3 + in Ontonagon(AM), andat 3 Minnesota last winter: one in Decemberin Polk (DF) and anotherall periodn. of locations:Dec. 15 on the Fargo-MoorheadC.B.C.; until Dec 12 at Medford(m.ob.), bothbanded by Follen;one very far s. in Washington Thief River Falls (S & KS); andJan. 24 + at Hovland,Cook (m.ob) A Jan. 2 (NS); and anotherin DouglasFeb. 24 (D & ME). Long-eared Rose-breastedGrosbeak overwintered at a Rochester, Minn., feeder Owls were up in Wisconsin,but remainvery low in Michigan. Short- (m.oh.). A ?lndigo Buntingwas captured, banded and photographed at earedOwls alsowere seen in Wisconsinin increasednumbers compared Niles, Mich., Jan. 13 (CH), providingthe first known midwinter occur- to the last few winters. Eight Short-earedOwls were seenJan. 16-22 at rencefor the state.One of the unfortunateoccurrences in birdingis when RothsayW.M.A. (S & DM). On the surface,this does not seem unusu- peopledo not share what they find so that others can have an opportunity al, but no owls were seenbefore or after thosedates, making their to seeit. This winter's Green-tailedTowhee was an exampleof a casein occurrencein mid-Januarydifficult to explain.Two BorealOwls were which,if the newshad been spread, many people could have seen the found, both in Minnesota:one in a garagein MahnomenFeb. 14 (MH) bird. This bird appearedat a feedernear Euclid, Bay, Mich., in mid- and one on 6 datesat PoplarL., Cook, within the species'presumed January.It cameto the feederfor aboutseveral weeks before the owner breeding/permanentresident range. NorthernSaw-whet Owls were of the feedercontacted local birdersFeb. 23. Coincidentally,this also found at 2 Michigan and one Wisconsinlocations, with one of the wasthe lastdate on whichit wasseen, as it wasfound dead 2 dayslater Michiganbirds roosting in a garagein Ontonagonall winter(AM, JM). I wouldencourage anyone who findsan odd bird to contacthis or her Red-headedWoodpeckers were seen in higher numbersin both fellow birdersand tell them aboutit. If you do not know aboutother Michiganand Wisconsin than in thelast several winters. They alsowere birdersin your area, contactyour statecompiler. n of normalin Minnesota,with reports into January at 2 Duluthfeeders. MoreRufous-sided Towhees than normal lingered into December in

170 American Birds, Summer 1985 Michigan, includingseveral in the n. part of the Lower Peninsula. Crossbillsof both specieswere seenin large numbersRegionwide, AmericanTree Sparrowswere down in numbersin Wisconsin.A Chip- with Redsbeing somewhat more common than White-wingeds. For the pingSparrow lingered until Jan. 1 at Minneapolis(SC). While a Chip- 3rd winter in a row, Com. Redpollswere below averageRegionwide, ping Sparrow in Januaryis uncommon,a Clay-coloredSparrow is with only n. Wisconsinreporting good numbers. Surprisingly, consider- unprecedented.A Clay-coloredSparrow survived at a Duluth feeder ing the lack of Com. Redpolls, Hoary Redpolls were found in near until Jan. 19, succumbingto the cold (the highon Jan. 19 was -20 ø) recordnumbers in Minnesota.Normally, the percentageof Hoariesin a overnight,and wasfound dead the next morning.Prior to this individ- redpollflock is aboutone percent. This winter,the usualproportion was ual, the latestknown Minnesotaoccurrence was in October. For the 2nd 10-20%, and a few flocks were seen that consistedof all or mostly consecutivewinter, a Field Sparrowwas found on the North Shore.This Hoaries.Pine Siskinswere seenin largenumbers in the n. part of the year'sbird survived until Jan. 14 at GrandMarais, Cook (K & MH), for Region. particularlyin February.Evening Grosbeaks were very scarce the first countysighting and only the 2nd sightingn. of Duluth. One of throughoutall 3 states,with only the e. Upper Peninsulaof Michigan Minnesota'sfew winterrecords of VesperSparrow was of an individual reportingnormal numbers. Dec. 29 at Worthington,Nobles (R J). Fox Sparrowswere reported from 4 Minnesota, 3 Michigan and one Wisconsinlocations. Overwintering Harris' Sparrowswere found near Chippewa Falls, Wis. (m.ob.), andin CONTRIBUTORS -- (I wish to thank the many individualswho Leelanau. Mich. (LG). Snow Buntings were seen in large numbers submittedrecords for this summary.The natureof the summarypre- throughoutWisconsin, but especiallyin the n. and w., and in January cludeslisting every individual who sentin reports;therefore, only those and February. individualswith cited recordsare listed.)--Ray Adams, Brian Allen, Unusual at Duluth was a W. Meadowlark at Eckert's feeder until Philip Ashman, JohnBarr (JBa), Jeff Baughman,Walter Booth, Steve earlyJanuary. This speciesis rareat Dulutheven in summer.Common Carlson,Mike Champagne,Gerald Deboer, FellerDeWitt, Erv Drabek, Gracklesseem to be increasingas a winteringspecies in Michigan's Kim Eckert (Minnesota), Dave & Mary Evans, Mrs. L. Feil, Don Berrien, with 550 found Feb. 2 at St. Joseph(RS). Otherwise, the Follen, Eugene& Marilynn Ford, Chip Franke, LeonardGraf, Margo blackbirdswere not notableRegionwide. The only N. Oriole foundthis Hanson, Nester Hiemenz, Charles Hocevar, Ken & Molly Hoffman, winter was one that lingeredjust long enoughto be countedon the RandyHoffman, Bob Hotaling, ThomasHunter, JohnIdzikowski, Rob- Aurora, Minn., C.B.C. Pine Grosbeakswere found in small numbersin ert Janssen,Frank Kangas, Ron & Rose Kneeskern, Ken La Bo, Ken n. Michigan and n. Wisconsin,but in large numberson Minnesota's Lange, Roy & CharlotteLukes, Alan Marble, JoeMcDonnell, Steve& North Shore. They were also farthers. than usualin Minnesota.with Diane Millard, J. Newman, Ray Newman, Michael Peczynski.David reportsfrom 5 s. Minnesotalocations, including Cottonwood (LF) and Powell (Michigan), Norma Schmidt,Clark Schultz,Tom Schultz, Roy Mower (R & RK). It wasa PurpleFinch winter in Michiganand Wiscon- Smith, Tom Smythe (TSm), Shelly & Keith Steva, Forest & Kirsten sin with large numberspresent throughout both states.However, they Strand, Dave Svetich, Daryl Tessen (Wisconsin), Steve Thiessen, werein averageto belowaverage numbers in Minnesota.As hasbecome ThomasTustison, Dick Verch, Terry Walsh, GeorgeWickstrom, Myles the norm, HouseFinches continue to expanddramatically in Michigan, Willard, Steve Wilson/Mary Shedd,Paul Young, Tom Ziebell, Dave with reportsfrom 22 countiesand a flock of 55 in BerrienDec. 16 Zumeta.--DAVID J. POWELL, Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 DP). N. WestnedgeAve., Kalamazoo, MI 49007.

MIDDLEWESTERN PRAIRIE REGION /Bruce G. Peterjohn

Followingthe trendsof recent winters, weatherpatterns this year consistedof contrastingextremes. A snow storm usheredin the first week of Decemberbut was quickly replacedby unseasonablywarm weather.Record-setting highs in the 60s and70s wereenjoyed by many b•rdersduring Christmas Bird Counts.Temperatures briefly returnedto normalin early January,only to be succeededby record-settingcold duringthe latterone-half of the month.The weekendof January19-21 wasparticularly bitter with lowsof-16 to -20øF as far southas Ken- tucky.Below-normal temperatures remained until mid-Februarywhen a prolongedwarming trend initiated the awaitedbeginning of spring. Precipitationwas fairly uniform,varying from slightlyabove normal in somestates to slightlybelow normalin others.Most precipitation curredas snow which covered the groundfor a monthor longerin many northern locations. all extraordinarysight recordsmust be thoroughlydocumented at the For the most part, it was a fairly dull season.A numberof birds time of observation;all documentedrecords have been denotedby a lingeredwith December'smild weatherwhich may also have produced a dagger(t). Italicizedplace names are counties. small northwardmigration of severalspecies. Most northernwinter visitorsappeared in modestnumbers with very few finchesexcept in LOONS THROUGH HERONS -- Migrant loonsduring December Iowa. Regularnumbers of the rarergulls were reported as their distribu- included a Red-throated at L. Lemon, Ind., Dec. 4 (BW, D & BWh), tionswithin the Region are becomingfairly well established.The only possiblytwo Arcticsat HorseshoeL., Ill. ('•RG et al.), plus90 Com- excitementwas providedby a few remarkablerarities includingBean monsat LexingtonDec. 19 constitutinga very largeflock for Kentucky Goose in Iowa and Marbled Murrelet in Indiana. However, the pro- (BA). As expected,small numbers of Commonstarried until freeze-up longedsnow cover and extremecold may have combinedto produce with scatteredreports through Jan. 13-27 from all statesexcept Iowa, excessivemortality of severalspecies during Januaryand February. althoughthree at Baldwin L., Ill., Feb. 17 apparentlyoverwintered (JRo). WinteringPied-billed Grebes were rather widespread,with re- ABBREVIATIONS -- Spfld. = Springfield, Illinois. To avoid un- portsfrom all statesexcept Iowa, while the expectedsmall numbersof necessaryrepetition, only the mostexceptional Christmas Bird Count Horned Grebes wintered n. to L. Erie. The four Red-necked Grebe (C.B_C.) observationswere incorporatedinto this summary.As usual. reportswere normal for recentwinters and included one Great Lakes

Volume 39, Number 2 171 sightingplus inland singlesat Carlyle L, I11, Dec 2-9 (LH, D J, lateFebruary A verylate Blue-winged Teal remainedat Spfld.,Jan 1 •'m.ob.),Spfld., Dec. 2,3(H), andFt. Wayne,Ind., Feb. 24-25 (TH, (H). Canvasbackswintered at their traditionalOregon, O., location •'m.ob.).A fairly latedark-phase W. Grebewas noted at Spfld., Dec. 5- where7500 + constitutedthe only sizableflock reported from the Re- 9 (H, m.ob.). While Am. White Pelicansoccasionally linger into De- gion. The expectedsmall numbersof GreaterScaup were scattered cember,overwintering records are quite rare--such as two spending the acrossinland sites although the unusually large flock of 66 at Louisville entireperiod at MontroseW.M.A., Mo. fit'deJWi), and one at Iowa Feb.23 mayhave included some migrants (LRa). An imm. c3'King City Jan. 6-Feb. 1 (RH). Wintering Double-crestedCormorants are Eiderwas thoroughly described from AvonLake, O., Dec. 9 (•'TL et becomingmore numerousas their populationscontinue to increase. al.) andmay have been the samebird periodicallyobserved along L Lingeringbirds were widespread during December but most departed by Erieinto January. Harlequin Ducks were recorded only from Michigan month'send. Probablewintering birds were noted at 6 locationsn. to L. City, Ind., where two wintered (KB, m.ob.). Erie with a maximumof eight in Taney,Mo., Jan. 15 (PM). Oldsquawnumbers remained low witha maximumof 150along L A flockof 80 + GreatBlue Herons at Oregon,O., Feb.3 wasa large Michiganplus singles at a total of 4 inlandlocations in Iowa, Ilhnols, winteringconcentration (TB, LR). The mild Decemberallowed Great andIndiana Dec. 8-20. Small numbers of BlackScoters remained along Egretsto lingerinto the C.B.C. periodat 2 locations,and produceda theGreat Lakes through the first weekof January,while two at Crab remarkable5 CattleEgret sightings, including an injuredbird recovered OrchardN.W.R., Dec. 2 wereunusual for s. Illinois(?JRo). As many nearIowa City Dec. 9 (JF) andthe latest report near Murray, Ky., Dec. asthree Surf Scoters appeared at 4 inlandsites in Ohio,Kentucky, and 19 (JE,fide CP). WinteringBlack-crowned Night-Herons were noted IllinoisDec. 2-20 whilesingles were scattered along L. Erie through fromtheir regular Toledo, O., locationwhile as many as 12remained at Jan.27. White-wingedScoters were unreported from L. Michiganbut Chicagothrough Jan. 23 (RB) andat E. St. Louis,Ill., throughJan. 26 were widely notedalong L. Erie. The 9 inland reportsfrom all states (JRo), plus a singlebird at Spfld., Jan. 26 (H). except Indiana constituteda greater-than-normalnumber of winter sightings.Common Goldeneyes were generally numerous with a maxi- WATERFOWL -- Good numbersof migrantTundra Swans contin- mumof 1180along L. Michigan.In contrast,Corn. Mergansers were ued into Decemberand includeda maximumof 1200 alongw. Lake quitescarce on the GreatLakes although sizable concentrations were Erie, 64-67 at 2 n.e. Illinois locationsDec. 1-2 (JMi, JLa), and 15 near reportedfrom severalinland sites. Edina, Mo., Dec. 2 (fide JWi). Winteringswans were much more HAWKS-- WinteringBlack Vultures were thought to havein- widelyreported than normal, with scatteredsightings throughout Ohio creasedin Kentuckywhile smallnumbers were locally distributed else- plusreports from one Indiana, 2 Kentucky,2 Illinois, and 4 Missouri wherein s. portionsof theRegion. A few TurkeyVultures lingered in n locations.Attempts to reestablishTrumpeter Swans in neighboring areas into December, such as one in Decatur, Ia., Dec. 12 (DG) stateswere responsiblefor winter sightingsfrom Iowa and Missouri. Winteringnumbers were normal at traditionalroosts and the first spnng Birdsoriginally released in Minnesotawandered to OtterCr. marsh,Ia., migrantsreturned to n. locationsby lateFebruary. The mildearly winter duringlate Decemberwhere as many as nine were noted(?T et al.). weatherallowed Ospreys to lingerat Louisa,Ia., Dec. 1 (P), Klckapoo Theyeventually filtered S intoMissouri where one to threeappeared in S.P., Ill., Dec. 12 (JS), andL. Waveland,Ind., Dec. 22 (AB). Winter- Cooper, Clinton, Miller, and Duck Creek W.M.A. after Jan. 15. With ing Bald Eagleswere widespread,but in decreasednumbers from last increasingpopulations in adjacentstates, Trumpeter Swan may become year,with Januarysurvey totals of 143 in Kentuckyand 758 in Missou- a regularmember of thisRegion's avifauna. Hence, all winteringswans ri. The samecould be saidfor mostother wintering hawks. Northern shouldbe carefullyidentified, especially in Iowa and Missouriwhich Harrierswere regularly observed but roosts containing 20-24 birds were are closest to the release sites. discoveredonly in Ohio andIllinois. WinteringSharp-shinneds were widelyreported, while Cooper's Hawks continued to increasein several SoAo states.Reports of N. Goshawksreturned to normalfollowing the inva- For the 2nd consecutivewinter, an unprecedentedSiberian sionsof the previous2 winters.They appearedat 13 Illinois and 2 vagrantmade an appearancein the Region.A Bean Goosewas Indianalocations plus single sites in Ohio and Missouris. to Busch discoveredat DeSotoN.W.R., Ia.-Neb., Dec. 29 (?RW, •'AG) W.M.A., Mo., Dec. 15 + (JZ et al.) and Sam Dale S.P., Ill. (DJ, LH) andwas viewed by hundredsof observersthrough Jan. 7. The IncreasedRed-shouldered Hawk sightingsin severalstates were en- birdwas identified as one of theSiberian races (probably midden- couraging.A casualvisitor in Iowa, a FerruginousHawk wasdocument- dorffii)on thebasis of its longneck and sloping forehead, giving edat Otter Cr. marshDec. 23 (PT). Rough-leggedHawks were general- it a Canvasback-likeprofile, and long slopingbill with a thin ly scarcewith a modestinflux reported after mid-January. Golden Eagle subterminalyellow-orange band. It wasalso noted to be distinct- reportsfrom 2 locationseach in Iowa, Illinois, andKentucky, plus 8 ly larger than adjacentGreater White-frontedGeese with no Missourisites, constituted normal wintering numbers in thosestates whiteat the baseof its bill, distinctlight edgingsto the upper- Theyare casual in Indiana,where one appeared at L. MonroeJan 6-15 parts,and brightorange legs. There was no visibleevidence of (B & DWh). captivityand the bird was not tame. Since Siberianraces are A few Merlinslingered through the C.B.C. periodalthough the only exceedinglyrare in captivity,this goose was considered to be a well-documentedwintering bird wasrecorded at BuschW.M.A, Mo , genuinevagrant and providedthe first North Americanrecord Jan. 29+ (•'VB, m.ob.). PeregrineFalcons were recordedonly from outside Alaska. Iowaand Missouri, primarily during the C.B.C. period.A gray-phase Gyrfalconwas briefly observed in Woodford,Ill., Jan.23 (?K) The 4 PrairieFalcon observations were normalfor recentwinters, and includ- Smallnumbers of GreaterWhite-fronted Geese passed through Iowa, ed singlesin w. Missouriand Iowa, pluseasterly singles in St. Charles, Missouri,and Illinois duringDecember, while winteringreports were Mo., Dec. 30+ (•'JZ, m.ob.), andat the regularLawrence, Ill , loca- limited to one at Rend L., Ill., Jan. 19 (JRo) and an individualof the tion (D J). Greenlandracefiavirostris in Ross,0., Dec. 30-Jan.6 + ('•J, m.ob.). Early springmigrants included four at AtterburyW.M.A., Ind., Feb. GALLINACEOUS BIRDS THROUGH SHOREBIRDS --This win- 24+ (JW, m.ob.). The only sizablecongregation of winteringSnow ter'ssevere weather had mixed effects on gamebirdpopulations Gray Geesetotalled 8000 at BallardW.M.A., Ky. The expectedsmall num- Partridgeswere thoughtto have declinedin n.w. Iowa. In contrast, bersof Ross'Geese appeared in extremew. Iowa and Missouriwhile Ring-neckedPheasants maintained reasonably high populations, as evi- stnglesin Cooper,Mo. (TBk), and St. Charles, Mo., Jan. 11 (•'CPa) dencedby 175 in DuPage, Ill., Feb. 10 (JMi), while flocksof Wild were slightlye. of their normalrange. A Brantat Lorain, O., Dec. 6 Turkeyswere regularly encountered. Few N. Bobwhiteswere observed furnishedthe only winter report ('•JP). Normal numbers of wintering aftermid-January and the combinationof snowcover with extremely CanadaGeese included 130,000 in w. Kentuckyand 15,000along w. cold temperaturesmay have greatlyreduced their alreadylow popula- Lake Erie. tions. A few rails seemto linger every winter. This year's reports Winteringduck numbers did not exhibitany consistent trends, being consistedof a winteringVirginia at Akron, O. (LR), andone or more normalin someareas and noticeably reduced in others.Migrants were Virginiasat Spfld., Dec. 8-Jan. 3 (H). The mild Decemberweather still widelyreported during December and small numbers returned by allowedSandhill Cranes to remainunusually late, and apparent migrants

172 AmericanBirds, Summer1985 werestill notedover Kentuckythrough Jan. 5. It might alsohave been Ind., Dec. 2 (tMC, ?m.ob.). This bird providedIndiana's and the responsiblefor the relativelylarge number of winteringcranes, with Region's2nd record, and added to the increasingnumber of e. sightings singlesat AtterburyW.M.A., Ind., throughoutthe period (BG), Otta- of this species. wa, O., Jan. 15+ (MS, m.ob.), and Crab OrchardN.W.R., II1., Jan. 8- Feb.25 (tJRo), plusfour in Adams,0.. Jan.30-Feb. 9 (fideW). Early OWLS THROUGH SWALLOWS -- Wintering Corn. Barn-Owls springmigrants returned by late February. were reportedfrom one Missouri locationand Madison, Ia., Feb. 4 Mostshorebirds departed on timedespite the mild Decemberweath- where they are rare during any season(E & EA, DT). Numbersof er. A GreaterYellowlegs remained into the C.B.C. periodin Iowa while SnowyOwls were typical for a non-invasionyear with a total of 12 a Lesserwas noted in Lucas,0., Dec. 1 (JP), anda tardyLeast Sandpi- reportsfrom all statesexcept Kentucky. They wanderedS to Cooper, perlingered through Jan. 6 at C.J. BrownRes., O. (J, JM). Oneor two Mo. (fide JWi). As manyas 10 Long-earedOwls were reportedfrom Pu.rpleSandpipers at 3 L. Erie locationsthrough Jan. 5 constituteda 15+ locationsin all statesexcept Kentucky while Short-earedswere normalnumber of latemigrants. Dunlins remained through Jan. 2 along widelyreported in flocksof four to 16. Thesewintering numbers were L. Erieand into early December in mostother states, while a lateLong- normal, while N. Saw-whetOwls were relatively scarcewith only 4 billed Dowitcherwas identified in Lucas, 0., Dec. I (JP). An unusually reportsfrom Iowa and singlelocations in Ohio and Illinois. largenumber of late Am. Woodcockswas notedthrough Dec. 8 in WinteringRed-headed Woodpeckers were very scarcein Iowa, Mis- Story,la. (fide SD), Dec. 29 in Daviess,Ind. (DA) and Ballard souriand Illinois, while increasednumbers were reportedfrom Ken- W.M.A., Ky. (BP, KC), and Jan. 6 at Crab OrchardN.W.R., Ill. tucky.A few E. Phoebeslingered into the C.B.C. periodin thes. states, (ABa). Onein Westerville,O., Feb. 13+ (JM) probablyoverwintered anda few hadreturned by lateFebruary. The Say'sPhoebe at Spfld.was sincethe first migrants were not reported until Feb. 18in Kentuckyand detectedthrough Jan. 13. Horned Larks were generallyobserved in Feb. 23-25 farther n. smallnumbers except for 10.000+ in Senecaand Sandusky, 0., Feb. 15 (TB). The mild Decemberweather may have produceda reverse JAEGERSTHROUGH ALCIDS -- The onlyjaeger report was of a migrationof Tree Swallows,which were notedin Ohio, Kentucky,and Parasiticalong L. Erie Dec. I. Illinois duringthe C.B.C. period, and a Barn Swallow reportedfrom Absolutelyenormous gull concentrations appeared along c. LakeErie Ohio. throughmid-January, with late Decemberestimates of 75,000+ Bona- parte'sand 150,000+ Ring-billeds.Most gulls departedduring the JAYS THROUGH SHRIKES -- Blue Jays were thought to be in extremecold weatherand very few couldbe foundalong the lake after reducednumbers in severallocalities although a concentrationof 500 + lateJanuary. Elsewhere, movement patterns were normal with a prepon- at Big River S.F., Ill., Dec. 2 was exceptionalduring winter (MBa). deranceof Ring-billedsuntil January'scold weather forced them S and NoteworthyAm. Crow roostsincluded 10,000 in Cass,Ill., Jan. 2 (K), replacedthem with Herrings.Herring Gulls were numerousuntil the 8300 in Vermilion,Ill. (m.ob.), and"thousands" at SaylorvilleRes., Ia. Februarythaw as evidencedby 5000+ estimatedin w. Kentucky.As (BE). Five early Fish Crows returnedto Carnthersville,Mo., Feb. 21 expected,small numbers of therarer gulls could usually be pickedout of (JWi). It was a poor winter for gleanersas there was no detectable theselarge flocks. movementby Black-cappedChickadees, and very few winteringRed- Two LaughingGulls were thoroughly described from BarkleyL., breastedNuthatches; even Brown Creepers were generally scarce. Janu- Ky., Dec. 30 (-•BPet al.), nearthe locationof the only otherRegional ary's severeweather produced a noticeabledecline in CarolinaWren winterrecord. As manyas three Little Gullsfrequented the Chicago area populations.Extent of this declineremained to be determined,but throughDec. 19 whileone or two werereported from scattered L. Erie hopefullyit will not be as severeas that experiencedduring the late locationsthrough Jan. 15. SingleCorn. Black-headedGulls were dis- 1970s.Wintering Bewick's Wrens are casualin Illinois where singles coveredalong L. Erie at Lorain Jan. 12 ('•TB) and AshtabulaFeb. 9 appearedat Carbondale(SS) andTexico (BH). Winter Wren numbers (tLR). As observersare becoming more confident with their identifica- appearedto be normal.Scattered House, Sedge and Marshwrens lin- tion of CaliforniaGulls. the specieshas becomeknown as a rare but geredinto the C.B.C. period but all disappearedshortly thereafter. regularmigrant and wintervisitor among the largeflocks of Herrings Golden-crownedKinglets were also decidedly scarce after mid-January, andRing-billeds. This season'sreports consisted of a 2nd-yearCalifor- suggestingexcessive mortality this winter. nia at Zion, Ill., Dec. 23 (tRB et al. ) and an adult at Rend L., Ill., Feb. EasternBluebird populations were excellentduring Decemberbut 24 (PDJ et al.). also noticeablydeclined during January'ssevere weather. A single Thayer'sGulls werescarce along L. Erie while a maximumof five MountainBluebird in Meade, Ky., Dec. 22-Jan.13 providedthe first appearedin the Chicagoarea. The regularinland wintering locations recordfor Kentucky(tBP, m.ob., ph.), while Iowa's 4th recordwas producedmaximum counts of I I at Alton, Mo.-Ill. (CPa, m.ob.) and reportednear Lamoni Dec. 22-Feb. 2 ('•JL, m.ob.). Two Townsend's nine at KentuckyL.-Barkley L., Ky., Feb. l0 (BP, RCa). Two along Solitaires were discovered in n.w. Iowa in O'Brien and Cherokee Feb. the IllinoisR. in Grundy,Ill., Jan. 18-Feb.6 ('•JMi) may have been 18-24 wherethey are casualduring winter ('•MB, '•JF). A total of 39 indicativeof a migrationcorridor from L. Michiganto the Mississippi HermitThrushes on Kelley's Is., O., Dec. 5 constitutedan exceptional R. andlower Ohio R. winteringareas. Singles also appeared at Spfld., early winter concentrationfor n. Ohio (JP, DC), while one in Wood- Dec. 4-Jan. I (H), and LouisvilleJan. 21 (BP), wherethey are casually bury,Ia., Feb. 11 providedone of very few winterrecords for that state observed.Single Iceland Gulls were scatteredalong the Great Lakes (KD). Wintering Am. Robins were unusuallyabundant in all states exceptfor two well-documentedbirds in Grundy,II1., Jan. 27-Feb. 8 ('•JMi) andone at Alton, Ill., Feb. 5 (?CPa). LesserBlack-backed Gulls continuedto increaseaway from L. Erie, where the expectedsmall numbersof winteringbirds were reported.Two were presentin the Chicagoari:a Dec. 29-Jan. 5 (-•RB, -•MBi et al.) and one appearedat Pekin.Ill., Feb. 6 (-•KR), while Iowa's first LesserBlack-backed Gull was studiedat Red Rocks Res., Dec. 1-5 (JB, '•m.ob.). As manyas l0 GlaucousGulls were notedalong the Great Lakes whileinland birds were widely reported from Illinois and a maximumof fourwintered in w. Kentucky.Normal numbers of GreatBlack-backed Gullsalong the Great Lakes included 3 reportsfrom L. Michigan,while inland adults were well-described from Goose Lake Prairie S.P., Ill., Jan.9-12 ('•JMi) andKentucky L., Feb. 10-17(BP et al., ph.), where thereare few previousrecords. One or two Black-leggedKittiwakes werenoted at oneL. Michiganand 4 L. Erie sites,with the latestreport Jan.30, whilethe only inlandsighting was of an immatureat Kentucky L., Dec. 1-2 ('•BP et al.). A Marbled Murrelet wasthoroughly studied Male Mountain Bluebird in Meade Co., Ky., Jan. 13, 1985. First asit swamalong L. Michiganbetween Long Beach and Michigan City, recordfor Kentucky.Photo/Brainard Palmer-Ball.

Volume 39, Number 2 173 exceptIowa and Illinois and formed rooststotalling 1000-5500+ in Jan 13 (fideTB), andone was reported from Lexington, Ky, dunng Ohio. Missouri'sfirst Varied Thrush frequenteda Maryville feeder lateFebruary (fide MF). Brewer'sBlackbirds were restricted to the w Jan. 20-Mar. 7 (P & NR, 't'DE et al.). Otherswere reportedfrom states.Great-tailed Grackles are provingto be regularearly winter Ottawa,O. (MS, ph.,fideTB), Titonka, Ia., Dec. 5-8 (?CK1),S. Bend, visitorsas their populations increase; three were noted at KansasC•ty Ind., Dec. 21 + 0'MR, m.ob.), Davenport,Ia., Jan. 9+ (?P), and an Dec. 16(BF) and they remained in s.w. Iowathrough Dec. 22. Theonly Iowa C.B.C. N. Oriolesappeared at Jacksonville,Ill., Dec. 15-19 (ST), and on a Surprisingly,N. Mockingbirdsdid not appearto be affectedby this KentuckyC.B.C. wlnter'ssevere weather. The latestWater Pipitswere noted in Hancock, O, Jan. 10 (fide TB), andearly migrantsreturned to severalstates by FINCHES-- A PineGrosbeak at Spfld.,Feb. 7-24 was very unusual lateFebruary. Bohemian Waxwings staged a smallmovement into Iowa for c. Illinois,especially during a non-invasionyear (H, m.ob , ph ) with sightingsfrom 8 locations.They werefirst detectedin Dallas Dec. The speciesalso appeared in Iowa with two in CherokeeDec. 25 (TJ) 24 (RC) but mostwere observed after Jan. 13 with a maximumof eight andthree at DesMoines Feb. 6-25 (tB & MP, m.ob.).Purple Finches in W. DesMoines (SD). Winteringnumbers of CedarWaxwings were weregenerally scarce although flocks of 20-60 couldbe foundin most quitegood. Although small flocks were generally[eported, 1600 con- states.A concentrationof 200 in Fayette,la., Feb. 16 wasexceptional gregatedin Toledo,O., Jan. 6 (ET). A late Februaryinflux produced for this winter (RM). The W movementof House Finchescontinued localconcentrations such as 550 waxwingsin W. DesMoines, Ia., Feb. unabated.Illinois flocks totalled 29 at Danville, 13 at Champaign,and 24 (SD). It wasa normalwinter for N. Shrikeswith 14+ reportsfrom 12at Carbondale,while Missouri reports consisted of fourat TaumSauk the n. states;one returnedto Atterbury W.M.A., Ind., for the 3rd L., Dec. 22 0'ML), andone in SL CharlesJan. 31 (?CPaet al ) consecutivewinter. The statusof LoggerheadShrikes remained un- RedCrossbills staged a moderateinvasion. They were widely report- changedwith only scattered reports from the n. states. edfrom Iowa all winterwith fewer sightings in Illinoisand Missouri, the largestflocks consistedof 30-60 crossbillsin these states.Smaller VIREOS THROUGH BLACKBIRDS -- Surprisinglyfew vireos, numberswere noted in Ohio, Indiana,and Kentucky, but theydisap- warblersand summerfinches lingered into December.Single White- pearedduring the first one-half of January.A few White-wingedCross- eyedand Solitary vireos were reportedfrom the C.B.C. periodin Ohio bills accompaniedthe flocks of Reds in Iowa, Missouri,and Illinois, and Iowa, respectively.The latest of 2 DecemberOrange-crowned whereall reportsconsisted of six or fewerbirds. Common Redpolls Warblerreports was of oneat ChicagoDec. 15•RB). Yellow-rumped were decidedlyscarce with only scatteredobservations from Ohio, Warblerswere not particularly numerous except for a remarkable300 + Iowa, and Indiana. Pilie Siskinswere describedas commonin Iowa, on Kelley'sIs., O., Dec. 5 (JP, DC). An early PineWarbler returned to whereflocks of 80 + werereported. They werescarce in all otherstates, Hawn S.P., Mo., Feb. 26 (B.R). One Palm Warbler andscattered Coin. appearingas scatteredsingles or small flocks. American Goldfinches Yellowthroatsremained into the C.B.C. period;most noteworthy was a receivedmixed reportswith good numbersin Ohio, Missouri, and Corn.Yellowthroat at Keokuk, la., Dec. 20, providingthe latestrecord Kentuckybut reducedpopulations in Iowa and Illinois.Evening Gros- for thatstate 0'RCe). SingleIndigo Buntings remained at PoplarBluff, beakswere universally scarce with only scatteredindividuals reported Mo., throughDec. 3 (ñVM), Spfld.until Jan. I (H), andCarbondale, from all statesexcept Illinois. Ill., throughJan. 4-5 ('•'MW).The only Dickcissels reported were one at Champaign,Ill., Dec. 15 (RCh), andone winteringat L. Jacomo,Mo. CORRIGENDA -- The Apr. 6, 1984 reportof SemipalmatedPlover (CH). at Louisville(AB 38:917)should be changedto May 6 andthe Apr 7, Most sparrowswere thought to be in goodnumbers at the beginning 1984Black Tern in Oldham,Ky. (AB 38:918)should be amendedto of winter.However, populations declined appreciably during January, May 7. andmany were hard to find by theend of the period.An exceptionwas Am. Tree Sparrowwhich was abundantduring all months.A few CONTRIBUTORS (Subregionaleditors' names in boldface;contrib- VesperSparrows were reported through Jan. 1, while winteringSavan- utorsare requestedto sendreports to them.) -- B. Andres, E & E nahSparrows were morewidespread than usualwith reportsfrom all Armstrong,D. Arvin, A. Balliett (ABa), T. Barksdale(TBk), T Bart- statesexcept Iowa. Three GrasshopperSparrows in Meade, Ky., lett, M. Baum (MBa), M. Biss (MBi), R. Biss, D. Bohlen (H), J throughDec. 23 (BP et al.) were noteworthyfor a speciesthat is Bowles. M. Brewer, K. Brock, A. Bruner, V. Buchholtz, R. Cassell casual!yreported from the s. statesduring winter. Le Conte'sSparrows (RCa),R. Cecil(RCe), M. Champagne,R. Chapel(RCh), K. Clay,D were detectedonly at regularwintering sites in Illinois and Missouri. Corbin, R. Cummins (RC), K. Dean, S. Dinsmore, D. Easterla, B SevenFox Sparrowsat Ames constitutedan unusualwinter concen- Engebretsen,J. Erwin, B. Fisher, M. Flynn, J. Fuller, B. Gill, D trationfor Iowa(SD et al.). The only Harris' Sparrowsreported outside Gillaspey,R. Goetz, A. Grenon,B. Hannah,L. Harrison,T. Heemstra, their normalrange were two at Rochester,Ill., Jan. 1-8 (H), and four C. Hobbs, R. Hollis, T. Johnson,D. Jones,Charles Keller (Indiana), winteringat AtterburyW.M.A., Ind. (m.ob.). LaplandLongspurs were T. Kent (T), C. Klause(CK1), Vernon Kleen (K) (Illinois), J. Landing abundantonly in Illinois with 2000 + in JasperFeb. 3 (LH) and3 flocks (JLa), M. Lashley,T. LePage,J. Livingston,P. Mahnkey,J. McCor- of 1000+. Small numberswere generallynoted in the other states mac,J. Milosevich(JMi), V. Moss,R. Myers, B. Palmer-Ball(BP), C where100-500 longspurs made up the largest flocks. Smith's Longspurs Patterson(CPa). Bruce Peterjohn (J) (Ohio), P. Petersen(P), C Peter- wererestricted to Missouriwith oneDecember sighting and a few early son,J. Pogacnik,B. & M. Proescholdt,L. Rauth (LRa), B. Reeves,K migrantsduring the latterone-half of February.Snow Buntings were Richmond, M. Riemenschneider,P. & N. Robbins, J. Robinson(JRo), alsorelatively scarce although flocks of 150-600 were scatteredacross L. Rosche,T. Schallberg,M. Shieldcastle,Ross Silcock (Iowa), J the n. states.Only Indianaobservers reported unusually large numbers Smith,Anne Stature iKentucky), S. Stroyls,S. Tavender,D. Thomp- followingJanuary's subzero weather. son, E. Tramer, M. Warren, B. & D. Whitehead (B & DWh), Jim Six Yellow-headedBlackbird reports were more than normal for Wilson (JWi) (Missouri),B. Wise (BW), A. Wiseman(W), R. Wright, recentwinters. In additionto sightingson C.B.C.s and alongw. Lake J. Wyatt, J. Ziebold. In addition, many personswho could not be Erie, three or more winteredat' Louisville(m.ob.), one appearedat individuallyacknowledged submitted notes to the varioussubregional Gladstone,Mo., Jan. 7 (TS), threewere photographedat Tiffin, O., reports.--BRUCE G. PETERJOHN, 105-K E. Ticonderoga Dr., Westerville, OH 43081.

174 American Birds, Summer 1985 CENTRAL SOUTHERN REGION recordsfor thestate; nine wintered in Jaekson,Miss., at coolingponds {JAT); one, presentsince Oct. 4, wasin Gulf Shores,Aia., until at least /David P. Muth Dec. 29 (GDJ); while another,in St. Tammany,La., Jan. 12, continued a patternof recentsightings (AS, GS). After a brief cold spell in the northeasternportion of the Region duringthe first week of December,the restof that monthand January BITTERNS THROUGH DUCKS -- American Bitterns were unex- were exceptionallymild. Lingeringby many waterbirds,shorebirds, pectedat 3 sitesin Arkansas.during February--in Prairie, Feb. 9 (WS, andhalf-hardy land birds kept the season interesting. When cold struck, LW); in Pope, Feb. 22 (TF); and in Arkansas,Feb. 28 (MW). Green- however,in the third week of January,its intensitywas reminiscentof backedHerons were widespreadon coastalC.B.C.s, but individualson theChristmas front of 1983.Nashville recorded its coldest temperature 3 TennesseeC.B.C.s were remarkable. A WoodStork seen crossing ever: - 17øFon January21. Fifteeninches of snowfallaccumulated in 10in eitherSt. Johnor St.James. La., Jan.27 (KVR) wasunprecedent- middleTennessee, and medium-sized lakes froze over. Recordtempera- ed for that seasonin the Region. turesstruck sporadically along the Gulf coastfor the third winterin the ThreeFulvous Whistling-Ducks in Acadia. La., Jan. 8 (RBH) were lastfour. Many birdsd!sappeared, including hardy species along the rare winterers;a flock of 26 in Cameron,La., Feb. 17 (SWC, DLD) coast.Temperatures moderated thereafter, and February was among the were probablyearly migrants.Tundra Swans continued an admirable mildestever--"spring" as Joe Neal in Arkansasdescribed it. invasionbegun during the fall. Two reportscame from Arkansas,near Quite simply,there was no borealinvasion, and thus, Harlequin Duck GradyJan. 10 (JR, fide BBC) and JeffersonFeb. 22 & 23 (JS, in Tennessee,Varied Thrush in Louisiana, Red Crossbill in Alabama, WJD).Western Tennessee had two birds, variously seen Jan. 26 to Feb. and CommonRedpolls in Arkansasand Tennesseewere all the more 19, in Shelbyand Hardin (CN, m.ob.,fide BBC), andmiddle Tennessee surprising. hada totalof sevenbirds, seen in Rutherford,Maury, and Humphreys, In this report,Christmas Bird Countdata are includedonly whentoo Dec. l-Feb. 14 (RMc, AH, AL, CD,fide SJS).Louisiana had a rashof importantto ignore,or when necessaryto help demonstratea broader unconfirmedsightings last winter, but this season's reports turned into pattern.Place namesin italics are parishesor counties. gratifyingstakeouts. Three graced a floodedsoybean field in St. Tam- many,Dec. 2 (MM, RDP, DPM, NN), but were presentperhaps 3 weekspreviously (fide landowners--see fall report).After their disap- MO. KY. pearancein earlyJanuary, one or two appearedshortly thereafter about 20 mi duen. (fide RDP). Six werepresent in n.e. Louisianain Richland Jan.26-Feb. 24 {DTK, DL, JM, HHJ, RLL). Thespecies is very rare in thestate: for mostveteran observers, including the indefatigable RJN, thesecooperative birds provided their first satisfactorystudy. North-

Island

GULF

.LOONS TO ANHINGA -- An Arctic Loon at Alabama Pt., Aia., Feb.4 (GDJ)would provide Alabama's 3rd record, and one of veryfew for the Region. A high 100 Pied-billedGrebes were on a pond in Hancock.Miss., Dec. I 1 (JAT, GML An EaredGrebe in Jefferson. Ala., Feb. 26 (TAI, AM, HW, BJ) wasthought to bea springmigrant, partof a recentpattern. A W. Grebewas reported from Pulaski, Ark., Jan. 13 withoutdetails or an indicationof color morph. A Masked TundraSwans in St. Tamman),Parish, La., December1984. Photo/R. Boobyat Gulf is. Nat'l. SeashoreDec. 2 providedn.w. Florida'sfirst D. Purrington. winterrecord {RP, RL). NorthernGannets, frequently observed in the clearerwaters of Alabamaand Florida.e. of the Mississippi'sdelta, westernFlorida's swans, present since Nov. 23 (see fall report),re- were seen for the 4th consecutive winter off Louisiana--the earliest mainedthrough at leastDec. 5. Of thosedescribed, six wereadults and werenine foundon theGrand Isle C.B.C., Dec. 30; six immaturesin the eightimmatures. Greater White-fronted Geese were fairly widespread turbidwaters of MississippiSound offJac•on, Miss., Jan.3 OAT, JT, n. ande. of theirnormal wintering grounds. Perhaps six werepresent in HT) wereunusual. One seen12 mi s. of the Vermillion,La., coastJan. Franklin, Cheatham,and Stewart. Tenn., Jan. 5-Feb. 20 (HY, TW, 11(RK) wasfrom a little-visitedarea. Are gannetsincreasing in thew. PH). One wasin Bienville, La., Dec. 22 (PD), for n.w. Louisiana'sfirst Gulf, feedingnearer to shore,or simplybeing sought more avidly? winter record;the 2nd was in Caddo, Dec. 29 (HHJ, PD, CNi). Yazoo An Am. White Pelicanin Washington,Ark., Dec. 6 (RS, NM), and N.W.R. in n.w. Mississippihad 350 Jan. 13 (EA, JAT, MH). And, onein Franklin,Tenn., Dec. 16& 29 (RLu, CB, MHe), werelingering finally, a recentpattern of occurrencesin Alabamacontinued with both in themild December. Brown Pelicans peaked at 47 on theMississippi interiorand coastal reports. A Ross'Goose taken by a hunterin Prairie, coastJan. 19 (JAT)•"the highestnumber in years."A pmrof Oliva- Jan. 19, furnishedArkansas' 3rd acceptablerecord (fide JN). ceousCormorants in breedingplumage was tendinga nest Dec. 15 The statusof Am. BlackDucks along the coast is somewhatenigma- duringthe C.B.C. at SabineN.W.R. (SW, JW). Anhingas,known to tic--they are easily lost amongthe Mottleds.Two in Jackson,Miss., winterat severalLouisiana localities, were widespread elsewhere: one Jan.3 {JAT, JT, HT) furnisheda goodfind. North of the coastaltier of on the Texarkana,Ark., C.B.C. furnishedone of very few winter parishesin Louisiana,the presumptionis that Black/Mottledtypes

Volume 39, Number 2 175 should be Blacks, and, indeed, three found on the Tunica Hills C.B.C. were reconfirmed as such Jan. 5 (DBC, PMc, RJN). Two more were found in nearbyE. Feliciana. Feb. 8 (PMc, LH). In middleTennessee, of course,no suchproblems exist: 19,000 Am. Blackswere at Tennes- seeN.W.R., and 11,000at CrossCreek N.W.R.--this comparedto 65,000 and 50,000 Mallards respectively{fide SJS). A Garganey(of uncertainorigin) seenat Gulf ShoresJan. 6 (C & PBr) was apparently the 2nd for Alabama (fide TAI). Seven Blue-wingedTeal in middle Tennesseeto Jan. 18 werethought to be lingeringin the mild winter(fide SJS). A pair of rare CinnamonTeal was in Cameron, La., Feb. 17 (SWC, DLD, JVR). Yet anotherEurasian Wigeon was at Tennessee N.W.R., Dec. 23 (BHS), for about a 7th Tennesseerecord. An ad. d' Harlequin Duck wastaken by a hunterin Cheatham,Jan. 5 (DossW. Neal,fide MLB), for an extraordinary3rd Tennesseerecord, all in the spaceof one year--two were taken in January 1984 in e. Tennessee(see AB 38:317). Oldsquawnumbers were somewhatabove averagein s. sectionsof the Region.A Surf Scoterwas carefully docu- mented Nov. 27 in Union, Ark. (KS. HS, MB, YF). Another was reportedfrom Gulf IslandsNat'l Seashore,Fla., Jan. I (CDC, RAD), where it is consideredcasual. Rare White-wingedScoters were in Es- cambia Dec. 10 (MLM, GG) and Okaloosa, Fla., Dec. 22 (RP, LR). One was at AlabamaPt., Ala., Dec. 26 (GDJ). CommonMergansers, uncommonin the n. of the Regionand rare in the s., numbered13 in middle Tennessee(fide SJS), but more unusualwere eight at SardisL., Miss., Feb. 13 (MD, GK), and one was a true rarity in St. Tammany, La., Jan. l I to end of period(fide JH). Otherswere foundon various C.B.C.s. Twenty RuddyDucks lingered in Williamson,Tenn., to Jan. 18 (fide SJS), while 2780 in Hancock, Miss., were remarkable(JAT).

DIURNAL RAPTORS-- Forty-fiveBlack Vulturesprovided a very high numberfor the Ozarksin Washington.Ark., Dec. 15 (TH). A pair was tending2 eggsin Claiborne, La., Feb. 25 (KS, HS, YF). At the Washington,Ark., roost Dec. 9 there were 105 Turkey Vultures(JN. TH). Ospreyscontinued to do well: therewere a numberof reportsfrom Tennesseeand Louisiana.and manyobservers no longerfind the pres- Zone-tailed Hawk in St. Bernard Parish. La.. Dec. 24, 1984. Photo/R. enceof Ospreysin winter noteworthy.Black-shouldered Kites did not D. Purrington. seemto have retreated:birds remained in Hancock,Miss. {fide JAT). and in Calcasieu,La., near Holmwood{fide DB). A MississippiKite Januaryand February was a greatrarity; another was reported just e. of briefly observedin BatonRouge, La., Dec. 10 (GB) wouldbe by 8 days thereJan. 25 {fide DB). Few reportsof Merlins and PeregrineFalcons the latestfor the state,and the moreremarkable as this speciesis usually can doubtlessbe regardedas goodnews. A Peregrinebanded as an adult entirelygone by mid-September.Bald Eagleswere well-reported from in the BrooksRange of AlaskaJune 23, 1984, was foundinjured and Arkansas,Tennessee, Louisiana, and Mississippi,with 2 accessible diedDec. 7 in Lafourche,La. {fideKrista Morgan). A Prairie Falcon Louisiananests known to havefledged three young. Accipiter numbers near Guntersville Dam, Ala., Feb. 16 and thereafter(HK, GDJ, m.ob.) were perhapsslightly up to the n., anddown nearthe coast.One imm. was a first or 2nd for Alabama. Origin? N. Goshawk was in Stewart, Tenn., Dec. 27 (DWB). RAILS THROUGH TERNS -- A Sora in Arkansas, Ark., Feb. 28 SoAo (MW), flushedfrom a burningprairie. Three SandhillCranes at Holla The birdof the seasonwas a Zone-tailedHawk foundduring Bend N.W.R. in Pope, Ark., Feb. 10-Mar. 16 were localrarities (TF, the New Orleans C.B.C., Dec. 23, in St. Bernard, La. (TD). WS). Fall migrationin Tennesseewas markedby flocks of 80, 60, and Accurateidentification waited for a lifting fog the following 30 in Dickett (RH) Dec. 3, 6, & 7 respectively,and ended Dec. 22 with morning(NN, SAG, RDP, Jail, JH, PW, CK, CS, GO). The two in Davidson(BC) for a 4th Nashvillearea record. Spring migration weakenedhawk was captured(TD, NLN) and broughtto the commencedwith 27 Feb. 21 and 24 Feb. 28 in Putnam (RWS). and 60 Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center at the Audubon Zoo in New Feb. 26 and 40 Feb. 28 in Overton t•FCBI. Four in Franklin Jan. 4-16 Orleans,where x-rays revealed 3 shotgunpellets. After weeksof were probably wintering {CC). Cranesin Louisianaaway from the apparentprogress, it diedof unknowncauses Mar. 15. Therewas Cheyneyvillearea are extremely rare. A latereport of 12from Cameron no evidenceof previouscaptivity. (ph., R. Paille) Dec. 26, 1983, involvedbirds associatedwith last A plan to sendthis bird to Arizona for eventualrelease de- winter's strongestcold front. This winter, there were three in nearby servessome comment. The practiceof blindlymailing birds to Vermillion, La., Dec. 15 to the end of the period (ph. to somelocality within their presumedrange strikes this writer as L.S.U.M.Z.)---two Lessersand a Greater. Ten were seen in Jackson, beingof dubiousvalue. Whatever the causesof vagrancy,wan- Fla., Dec. 8 (fide MG). dering, or lingering, they are unlikely to be resolvedin the Two Am. Oystercatchersin Hancock. Miss., Feb. 13 OAT, DK) may individual's(or species')favor by completelyrandom human haveprovided a first countyrecord. Away from its offshorebreeding interference. islands,the speciesis almostunknown in Mississippiand Louisiana. GreaterYellowlegs were unusual away from the coastwith fouron the MemphisC.B.C. for a first record;up to five in Shreveport.La., Dec. At least 17 Rough-leggedHawks were reported from middleTennes- 29-Jan. I (PL, HHJ, AE) for a first winterrecord; nine in Point Coupee, see(fide SJS). More unexpectedwere a bird at GuntersvilleDam, Ala., La., Jan.6 (DG); andone in Colbert.Ala., Jan. 19 (NP). Surprisingly,a Feb. 16 (GDJ, HK), and two at SardisL., Miss., Feb. 17 (MD). A LesserYellowlegs in Escambia,Fla., Dec. 15 providedonly the 2nd Golden Eagle was feedingon chickencarcasses with Bald Eaglesin Decemberrecord: the speciesis fairly commonelsewhere along the Madtson, Ark., Feb. 14 (JN), and eight were reportedfrom middle coast.A Whimbrelwhich wintered on Mobile Bay, Ala., wasonly the Tennessee(fide SJS). A gunshotvictim was captured in Escambia.Fla., 2nd for that locality--a Long-billedCurlew with it wasonly the4th Dec. 11 (BM). A Golden Eagle seen by many in Cameron, La., in (GDJ, DGJ, RAD). A MarbledGodwit, present since October, was late

176 American Birds, Summer 1985 Dec. 1 in Harrison, Miss. (JAT). Thirteen Least Sandpiperswere lin- late. Eight Dec. 17, having dwindled to one Jan. 7, in downtown geringin Humphreys,Tenn., Dec. 28 (SJS, PBH), and singlesmay Birmingham,Ala., were alsoexceptional (RR, GA). A Chuck-will's- have been northboundin Lafayette, Miss., Feb. 18 (MD, GK), and in widow in Cameron, La., Jan. 24 demonstratedthat the speciesocca- Davidson, Tenn., Feb. 21 (DV). Dunlins were also n., with six accom- sionallysurvives (PMc). One seenDec. 2 andrecovered dead Dec. 9 in panyingthe Leastin TennesseeDec. 28, andone with the Leastin SantaRosa (RAD, SD) was n.w. Florida'slatest, excepting one Dec. MississippiFeb. 18. Threeand two werein Lauderdale,Ala., Dec. 18 29, 1979. and Jan. 13 (NP). Stilt Sandpiperswere foundon the Jackson,Miss., A swiftentered a livingroom via a chimneyin Jackson, Fla., Feb. 11, C.B.C. (stakeout),and on the Johnson'sBayou, La., C.B.C.(*). was examined, and released,only to repeat the performanceFeb. 14 A Little Gull in Grenada, Miss., was an excellent find Dec. 19 (MD, (MG). It wasthought to be a ChimneySwift. Inasmuchas this species is GK), toppedonly by a Common Black-headedGull thereJan. 6 (MD), unknownn. of Brazil in winter. however,such a recordwould require which,if accepted,would establish Mississippi's 2nd record and one of exhaustivedocumentation. Based on previousdocumented records for very few for the Region. A Thayer's Gull was foundon the New the Gulf Coast, the bird was in all probabilitya sootyVaux's Swift, but Orleans C.B.C., Dec. 23. This representedat least the 8th Louisiana the other possibilitiesare mind-boggling.Observers should be aware record.In orderto set the recordstraight (see AB 38:922), it shouldbe thatspecies which winter exclusively in SouthAmerica are so unlikely notedthat two specimensof Thayer'sGull takenin Februaryand March to occurin winteras to rendersight records virtually worthless. Similar of 1982 are in the L.S.U.M.Z. (See AB 36:303, which erroneously speciesfrom the tropicsmay be as likely to appear. impliesthat both specimens were taken Feb. 28 in New Orleans;in fact, Hummingbirdsonce again madenews, althoughfor the first time the 2nd was taken Mar. 7 in Chalmette, St. Bernard, La.) A Lesser since1974 no Buff-belliedsappeared in Louisiana,possibly the result of Black-backed Gull in Marshall, Ala., was the state's 2nd, and first lastwinter's cold which penetrated to n.e. Mexico. Two Ruby-throateds inland(DJa, AM, TAI). Apparentlyreturned for the 3rd winter was a were confirmed in December in Louisiana, and four Black-chinneds Harrison, Miss., LesserBlack-backed Gull on stationthroughout the werebanded, a relativelylow number(fide NLN). At longlast Arkansas period(fide JAT). Finally, a bird perhapsleft overfrom thefall invasion provedthe existenceof RufousHummingbird therein winterwhen a of Cameron.La., beacheswas located on the Johnson'sBayou C.B.C. bird, presentsince mid-November. was found frozen at the homeof C. and seento the end of the period.Depending upon how onecounts the Hawkins in Jeffersonin mid-January(*L.S.U.M.Z., TFo). Similarly, fall birds, this would establish Louisiana's 6th or 7th record. Mississippialso obtained its first specimenwhen a bird, presentsince Dec. 28, wasfound dead after a freezingrain Jan.21 in Harrison (DK, JAT, JJ, CDC;* M.S.U.). Nearly 25 Selasphoruswere recordedin Louisiana, of which 14 were banded and confirmed as Rufous (fide NLN), while an Allen's Hummingbird was collectedin BatonRouge Dec. 3 (PMc), for a 4th Louisianarecord. A surprisingnumber of birds survivedthis January'ssevere cold: some,like five Rufousin Stein's heatedgarage, with humanhelp, but many on their own, including severalwhich reappeared after the all-time record low of 9øFthat struck Baton Rouge(fide RJS, PMc).

FLYCATCHERS THROUGH WAXWINGS -- Empidonax fly- catchers were found on a number of coastal Louisiana, C.B.C.s; else- where, single reportscame from Jackson,Miss., Dec. 9 (DR), and Jefferson, La., Dec. 13 (NLN). Identified birds all were Least Fly- catchers.A Vermilion Flycatcherin MemphisDec. I (CCr) furnished the 9th w. Tennesseerecord. Ash-throatedFlycatchers were in Ca- meron, La., Dec. 29 (ph., MJM), New OrleansJan. 8 (*DPM, JRe), and in Bienville Jan. 13 (*PD) for a first n.w. Louisianarecord. Western First-winter GlaucousGull amonglesser creatures at Lake Pontchar- Kingbirdswere found on 2 s.w. LouisianaC.B.C.s andat 4 locationsin train, La., December 1984. Photo/Dan Carroll. s. MississippiDec. l-Jan. 5 (DR, JAT, DK), and one was at Gulf Shores,Ala., Dec. 25-29 (MF, MH). Regular in fall, thoughmore Glaucous Gulls were around---one in Marshall, Ala., Feb. 16-Mar. scarceas one movese., the speciesrarely winters.An Eastern King- 15 (GDJ, HK) was the 5th and latest for the TennesseeValley of bird reportedfrom Okaloosa,Fla., Dec. 22 (RL, BSt) wouldprovide a Alabama. One was on the Harrison, Miss., coast Jan. 3-6 (JAT, JT, first winter recordfor n.w. Florida. Scissor-tailedFlycatchers are per- ph.). Finally,one was on L. Pontchartrainin New OrleansDec. 2 (GO), hapssomewhat more likely in winterthan W. Kingbirds.Birds were in andapparently thereafter in thecity dump, where it waslast seen Jan. 12 Plaquemines,La., Dec. 7 (PN), at DauphinI., Ala., Dec. 8 (MF), at Ft. (JH, HPa). Louisiana's6th Great Black-backedGull wasin Lafourche Morgan,Ala., Jan.5 (CDC), andin Lafourcheand Orleans, La., Jan.8 Jan. 5, a first-winterbird feeding on a LesserScaup carcass (RJS, (RK, DPM, JRe). DPM). That dark-mantled,pink-legged, one-footed gull was reported A PurpleMartin in St. Charles,La., Jan.5 (NLN), in $ plumage, only once, Dec. 8, from Pensacola,Fla. (PJ). was presumablywintering. First springarrivals were five in Laplace, Forster'sTerns were n. andlate: in Jefferson,Ark., two Dec. 22 (DS, La., Jan.28 (two of whichperished in severecold,fideRJS), andtwo in ASt) and two in Chicot Jan. 5 (DS. CaS); in Shelby,Tenn.. Dec. 2-16, Jackson,Miss., Feb. 2 (O. West). NorthernRough-winged Swallows, up to nine (BBC, LCC, JRW) for a first MemphisDecember record; largelyabsent in recentLouisiana winters, were foundon mosts. Lou- and, finally. two in Colbert, Ala., Dec. 2, for a firstDecember record in isianaC.B.C.s--by Jan.5, an all-timeRegional winter high 200 were the TennesseeValley of Alabama(NP). feedingin the BonnetCarre Spillway, St. Charles(MWe, RJS). One was in Gulf Shores,Ala., Dec. 6 (RAD), and againDec. 29 on that DOVES THROUGH HUMMINGBIRDS --The Lake Charles, La., C.B.C. A Barn Swallow there Dec. 9-Jan. I (GDJ, DGJ, CDC) pro- Inca Doves discoveredlast springremained into the winter, with six vided Alabama's 2nd winter record. thereDec. 15. Incredibly, at least 28 attendedanother Lake Charles Perhapsthe low numbersof Blue Jays reportedin the Memphis, feeder, a flock reportedto have grown steadilysince a pair appeared Tenn., area(fide BBC) hadsomething to do wi'ththe very highnumbers there5 yearsago (J. Davis,fideDB). A Corn.Ground-Dove (ph.) Dec. seenmigrating along the Louisiana coast in thefall. Why wouldTufted 13 in Belle Mina, Ala., furnishedonly the 5th sightingfor n. Alabama Titmice migratein a mild December?The specieswas widely reported (CBr, PBr). Great HornedOwls were nestingin Washington,Ark., by away from residentareas in Orleans, and on the coastalchenieres of Jan. 27. A 2nd pair occupiedan old Red-tailedHawk nestFeb. 2 (JN). Cameron, La. An amazingsix Long-earedOwls were in Pope, Ark., Feb. 17 (H & House Wrens were in good numbersthroughout December in n. MP). CommonNighthawks in WilliamsonDec. 11 (BHS) andDavid- portionsof the Region,but numbersmay havedropped even nearthe son, Tenn., Dec. 12 (MMa) were, like other specieslast December, coastafter the Januarycold (fide SJS, BBC, TAI, JAT, JMc). One in

Volume 39, Number 2 177 Washington,Ark., Jan. 23 wasexceptional (TH). Kinglet numberswere low in the n., especiallyafter the first week of January,but relatively high nearerthe coast.Blue-gray Gnatcatchers took advantageof the balmy Decemberconditions to winter well n. of the coast:exclusive of C.B.C.s, the recordswere Dec. 13 & 15, Lafayette, Miss. (MD, GK), Dec. 18, Lauderdale, Ala. (NP), Jan. 1, Chicot, Ark. (DS), and Jan. 5, Wheeler N.W.R., Ala. (TG, DaS, NP). Wood Thrusheswere found on 2 s. LouisianaC.B.C.s, but one in Cameron Feb. 17 (*SWC, GR, JVR) was a first winter specimen.A Varied Thrush found on the Sabine C.B.C., Dec. 15 (CR, MJM, JS, JK) was Louisiana's first--it was relocatedDec. 16 (JVR. 50+ obs.) but not seenthereafter. American Robinswere reported as scarcefrom manycoastal areas--no doubt they remained n. Perhapsthe same was true of Water Pipits which were absentfrom traditionalspots in New Orleans(MM, RDP). There were few CedarWaxwings along the coast, but beginningin lateFebruary, an old-style invasion was staged, with flocks of hundreds(A & GS, m.ob.).

WARBLERS THROUGH FINCHES -- Despitemild Decembercon- ditions, warbler variety did not equal that of last winter. Exclusiveof C.B.C. birds, the interestingfinds were: Orange-crownedDec. 23, Humphreys, Tenn. (BHS); an "Audubon's"Yellow-rumped Jan. 18, BaratariaUnit, Jean Lafitte Nat'l Historic P., Jefferson,La. (DPM); BlackburnianWarbler Dec. 9, Santa Rosa. Fla. (RAD, SD, SC), which mustsurely have been an extremelylate migrant;Yellow-throated Dec. 11, Hancock, Miss. (JAT. GM). and two on the L.S.U. campusin BatonRouge, La., Feb. 2, 1bra very unusualinland record (KVR, TD, JVR}: a Prairie in Cameron. La.. Dec. 21 (PMc): numerousBlack-and- whites;a late Am. RedstartDec. 7-8, Jefferson,La. (NLN); an Oven- bird in Hancock. Miss.. Dec. 6 (JAT, DK, MiBL which provideda first area winter record; two Ovenbirds in Jean Lafitte Nat'l Historic P., which winteredaway from the coastin bottomlandhardwoods (DPM); three N. Waterthrushesalso wintered there in cypress-tupeloswamp (DPM); an extraordinary(if documented)Louisiana Waterthrush in Point Coupee, La., Feb. 16 (DG); and. finally, a Wilson's Warbler in Santa Rosa. Fla., Dec. 9-Feb. 16 (RAD, SD, BM), providinga first LesserGoldfinch (w/tit AmericanGoldfinches) at Gretna, La., earIv Februaryrecord for that area 1985. SecondLouisiana record. Photo/FredBart')'. Non-C.B.C. SummerTanagers were in St. Charles, La., Jan. 31 (RJS, MW); Jefferson,La., Dec. 24 (NK); a! L.S.U. in BatonRouge, established the 2nd area record. Arkansas' 5th record of Common La., Mar. I (KVR, GR, TD, JVR); in Jackson, Miss., Dec. 13 (DR, Redpoll was furnishedby four in Carroll Feb. 5 (F & MR), while HC, ChC); and in Escambia. Fla., Dec. 15-23 (CLK, JoJ). Somewhat Tennessee's10th was in Stewart Jan. 21 (DWB). Pine Siskinswere rarer W. Tanagerswere in Natchitoches,La., Dec. 30-Jan. 10 at a generallyabsent until late February,when some areas enjoyed a modest feeder(L. Hall), and in Okaloosa,Fla.. Jan. 6 to end of period(RP). invasion.Louisiana's (and the Region's)2nd LesserGoldfinch was in A Rose-breastedGrosbeak in Maury, Tenn., Jan. 12-13 (Jori) was Gretna,a suburbof New Orleans,Jan. 19-Feb. 20 (ph. FB, m.ob.). This visitinga feederas expected.Indigo Buntings were well reported.with imm. male. whichfrequented a thistlefeeder in the companyof Am. singlesin Davidson,Tenn., Jan. 5 (JoR, HR) and in Ouachita. La., Goldfinches, was the first to be found since one was collected from a Feb. 4 (DTK, RRi), being the most notable. Dickcisselsfrequented flockin Cameron.La.. 30 yearsago. Single reports of EveningGros- feedersin Montgomery,Tenn., Nov. 27-Jan.19 (AHH) andShelby Feb. beakswere received from Arkansas and Tennessee but there was clearly 6 (JW). A Bachman'sSparrow found on the New OrleansC.B.C., 40 no echo of last year's invasion. mi from suitable habitat, was incredible. An invasion of Am. Tree Sparrowsin Arkansasand Tennesseein early Februarywas thoughtto CORRIGENDA: The Purple Sandpiper (JVR. DBC, PMc, GR. bedue to snowcover farther n. (fide SJS,JN). A ChippingSparrow, rare LMc, DPM) reportedin AB 38:326 shouldhave beenboldfaced. The in Tennesseein winter, visited a feederin MontgomeryJan. 4 to the end photographof a possibleThayer's Gull in AB 38:327 shouldhave been of the period (AHH, m.ob.). creditedto R.D. Purrington,as notedm the text. An imm. Dark-eyed"Oregon" Junco at L.S.U., Feb. 2 (KVR) was a good find. Junconumbers were generallythought low (RJS. BBC). CONTRIBUTORS (sectional editors in boldface) -- Liz Adams, Ed DespiteJanuary's fierce cold, LaplandLongspurs were not muchin Alexander,Gussie Arnett. FrancisC. Baker, Mickey Baker (MiB), evidence--theonly report,exclusive of C.B.C.s. wasfrom St. Tamma- CarolBarr, Fred Barry, Gene Beckham, Michael L. Bierly,Donald W. ny, La., Jan. 20 (JH). Eight Smith'sLongspurs were in Prairie, Ark., Blunk, David Booth, Melba Born, CharlesBrasfield (CBr), Peggy Jan.26 (H & MP), andin Benton.Ark., Feb. 9. for the2nd year in a row Brasfield(PBr), Carl Campbell,Stephen W. Cardiff, Chita Cassibry (DJ, JN, PBH, LA, TH). A W. Meadowlark, firs! found on the New (ChC), Hugh Cassibry,Susan Chambers, Ben B. Coffey, Lula C. Orleans C.B.C., Dec. 23, was relocated Jan. 8 (DPM, JRe, Coffey, C. Dwight Cooley.Bill Cowart.Richard Craig, Chris Creech m.ob.)•this representedthe first recordfor s.e. Louisianain 25 years. (CCr), Dot Crawford, Paul Crawford. D. Bruce Crider, Marvin Davis, Yellow-headed Blackbirds were notable in Davidson, Tenn., Dec. !- Tristan Davis, W.J. Deane, Paul Dickson. Donna L. Dittman, Carl Feb. 9 (RC) and in SumnerJan. 27 (D & PC). Blackbird numberswere Dowdy, Robert A. Duncan, Scot Duncan, Ann Elston, Todd Fenzl, high Regionwide(fide TA!, BO, SJS). An OrchardOriole at Ft. Mor- YvonneFitts, Mary Floyd,Tom Foti (TFoL GoldwynGary, SydneyA. gan, Ala., Jan. 5 (CDC) provided Alabama's 3rd winter record. A Gauthreaux,Mary Gray,Tom Green,Dale Gustin, Tom Haggerty,Paul Scott's Oriole in Cameron,La., Feb. 19 (A & GS) wasexceptional and B. Hamel, Layne Hamilton, RobertB. Hamilton, GraceHancock, Paul followed on the heelsof fall reports. Harris, Robhie Hassler, Annie H. Heilman, MargueriteHernandez PurpleFinches were very scarceRegionwide. House Finches were (MHe), Anne Hettish, Joe High (Jori), Mal Hodges,James Holmes reportedonly from Tennessee,with the mostunusual a singlein Shelby (Jail), Jim Holmes,Thomas A. Imhof, DebraG. Jackson,Greg D. Feb. 21 (JL). A Red Crossbill in Lauderdale. Ala., Feb. 18 (JMo, LN) Jackson,Jerome Jackson, Dan Jacobson(DJa), BettyeJames, Doug

178 American Birds, Summer 1985 James,Horace H Jeter,Joyce Johnson (JoJ), Paul Johnson, D T Kee, oehl (JRe), J Van Remsen,Len Reppert, Frank Reuter, Mary Reuter, Cecil Kerstmg,Dalton King, Curtis L. Kingsbery, Helen Klttmger, R. Rlckett (RR1), HeatherRiggins, John R•ggms (JoR), Gary Rosen- JoeKleiman, Nedra Klein, Ron Knaus,Gene Knight, Robert L. Lance, berg, KennethV. Rosenberg,David Ruple, JamesRyland, William RobertLarson, Jo Levy, D. Linden, Anne Lockridge,Pat Lonnecker, Shepherd,H. Shugart,K. Shugart,Damien Simbeck(DaS), Richard RuthLuckado (RLu), NancyMaier, MargaretMann (MMa), Mary Lou W. SimmsJr., CassieSimons (CaS), Don Simons,A1 Smalley, Gwen Matt•s,Joe McGee, Paul McKenzie, RuthMcMillan, Larry McQueen, Smalley,Curt Sorrels,Richard Stauffacher, Barbara H. Stedman,Ste- Ann Miller, Bill Milmore, J. Moore, Gerry Morgan, JenniferMoses phenJ. Stedman, RonaldJ. Stein,Barbara Sterling (BSt), ArthurStern (JMo), Michael J. Musumeche,Mac Myers, Joe Neal, Larry Neil, (ASt), JaneStern (JSt), JackStovall, Helen Taylor, JoeTaylor, Judith NortonNelkin, Nancy L. Newfield, Paul Newfield, Robert J. New- A. Toups,David Vogt, PhillipWallace, Laura Walters, John Walther, man, ConnorNicholson (CNi), CharlesNorwell, BrentOrtego, Glenn Melvin Weber (MWe), Mel White, SartorWilliams III, Terry Witt, Jeff Ousset,Helen Parker, Max Parker,Harvey Patten(HPa), Ned Piper, R. Wilson, Harriet Wright, Harry Yeatman.•DAVID P. MUTH, RobertPowell, R. D. Purrington,Cathi Reed, RobertReid, JackRein- 1425 Bourbon St., Apt. "B," New Orleans, LA 70116.

PRAIRIE PROVINCES REGION

/Wayne C. Harris •ooø

For the first time in a numberof yearsthis Region truly hadwinter: Justm casewe shouldforget what winter was really like, MotherNature decidedto throw a goodexample for us. Exceptfor southeasternMani- toba and some areas of southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatch- ewan, snow cover was generaland, particularlyin centralSaskatch- ewan, substantialby December 1. Temperaturesreached -30 ø C consistentlyduring December and more snow fell addingto thatalready accumulated.Early Januarysaw a brief warmingtrend, then more cold temperaturesand snow. Total precipitation was near or abovenormal in the Regionexcept in the southwestareas where less than normalsnow was received.The heavysnow cover drove many species farther south thanhad beenthe caseduring the pastfew yearsand there were far fewer stragglerssurviving the winter than usual. MONTANA NORTH DAKOTA GREBES THROUGH DUCKS -- A singleHorned Grebe Jan. 7 near Carburnprovided a rarewinter record for s. Alberta(OD). Therewas one TundraSwan at Saskatoonthrough to Jan. 4 and two at Gardiner GROUSE THROUGH OWLS -- Both Spruceand Ruffed grouse Dam, Sask., to at least Dec. 14, both at artificially-maintainedopen numbersremained well below averagewith Sharp-tailedGrouse num- waternear power plants (MDG, CJE, HDL, SJS).Away from the power bersbeing average to slightlyabove average. Willow Ptarmiganmoved plants,Weyburn had nine CanadaGeese Dec. 12, consideredlate only S to at least Buffalo Narrows and Jan L. in c. Saskatchewan (WCH, becauseof the early arrival of winter (NP). CJE, SJS,HDL). The only GlaucousGull wasone at SaskatoonDec. 6- The normalpopulations of waterfowlremained on artifically-main- 9 (MDG, CJE). Two Mourning Doves spentthe winter near Bergen, tamedopen water. Raritiesincluded an Am. Black Duck at Calgary Alta. (fide FH). throughFeb. 3 (IH, AS, RS, WW) and a Ring-neckedDuck at Saska- A rare winter E. Screech-Owlwas found near Oxbow Feb. 8 (HP) toonDec. 1 (CJE,HDL). A •2Oldsquaw remained at Calgary until Dec. GreatHorned Owl populationsremained lox•kfollowing the cycleof the 7 and three •2 Buffleheadsremained through the winter at Lethbridge snowshoehare. Only at Winnipeg and Rosetown-Kyle,Sask., were (RS, CJ, MO). At Calgarygood numbers of Barrow'sGoldeneyes spent SnowyOwls common with thebest count at thelatter area being 29 Jan the winter, the highestcount being of 10 on Feb. 3 (LG, DC). 8 (CJE). Elsewherethis species was present in goodnumbers early in the seasonbut slowly disappeared, apparently moving in searchof food. A DIURNAL RAPTORS -- A N. Harrier Dec. 16 near Caron furnished BarredOwl wasfound dead in a cattleshed near Wauchope in January a rare winter recordfor Saskatchewan(fide EWK). Bald Eagle numbers were down at both Squaw Rapids, Sask., and Calgary where they traditionallywinter (WCH, DC). Manitoba's first winter Cooper's Great Gray Owl numberswere down throughoutthe boreal Hawk was seen near Kleefield Feb. 23 (DFa). Northern Goshawk num- forest. In s.e. Manitoba, R. Nero and H. Coplandbanded only bers remained below normal in the forested areas and above normal to 26, all in the extreme s.e. corner near the Minnesotaborder. In the s as they presumablymoved out of the forestin searchof food Saskatchewan'sforest there were 4 scatteredsightings, the last (WCH, SOJ, DC). Red-tailedHawks were again reported,with an beingJan. 23 nearDeschambault L. (CJE). DuringFebruary and immaturein the Cominco-Carburn,Alta., areaJan. 26-Feb. 3 (DC, RS, earlyMarch, coverageof over5000 km of roadsin centralSas- LG) andone near Big River,Sask., Mar. I (WCH, CD) bothwell before katchewanyielded no sightingsfor the first time in 10 years the returnof springmigrants. There were far fewerreports of Rough- (WCH). In Alberta the best area seemedto be the Lesser Slave leggedHawks than normal; even in the EastBaintree, Man., areawhere L.-High Level areawhere seven were seen Feb. 23-Mar. 6 (JP). an amazing128 were seenDec. 1, noneremained (GDG, RFK). Wheredid theyall go?Did theymove to otherareas, as might be An Am. Kestrelnear Tribune Dec. 27 provideda rarewinter record suggestedby 2 Saskatchewansightings (Warman, Wauchope) for Saskatchewan(RM) while in Winnipeg,where they regularlywin- well to the s. of the forest(SJS, W. Nicholson);0r did theyjust ter, threewere present(SH, HC, GDG). Only Manitobareported Per- stay in the secludedswamps unseen by searchers? egnne Falcons,with singlesat Oak Bank Feb. 6 and GuntonFeb. 11 (MGS, N. Alexander). A singlePrairie Falconwas seenat Blumenort, Man , Feb. 24-28, e. of their normalwintering area (RWN, HC, DFa). Short-earedOwls were unusually scarce in Saskatchewanwhere there Gyrfalconswere in their normallow numberswith 2 sightingsin Alber- wasonly onesighting (Eastend, Dec. 24); yet in s. Manitoba,where ta, 3 in Saskatchewan,and 6 in Manitoba (DC, JS, CJE, PLB, WCH, theyare rarely seen, there were singles at WinnipegDec. 15 andDelta KAG, CWC, GDG). Jan. 5 (J. & C. Morgan, CWC). Rarely-reportedBoreal Owls were seen

Volume 39, Number 2 179 at Shehoin early February,Weyburn Dec. 18, and Water Valley, Alta. (fideWJW). Manitoba's2nd winter Chipping Sparrow waspresent in Jan. 18 (WN, NP, CH). The usual numbersof N. Saw-whet Owls were Winnipeguntil Jan. 27. Anotherrare winter species,the Fox Sparrow, reportedwith singlesat White Bear,Sask., late January to Feb. 5, Rock was reportedat Balmoral,Man., Dec. 15 (b'deC. Thexton).Song L., Man., Dec. 30, and one founddead at WinnipegJan. I (SOJ, M. Sparrowswere reportedfrom Pike L., s. of Saskatoon,Jan. I (CJE, Nelson, H. Burton). HDL) and Millarville, Alta., Dec. 2-Feb. I (JM) and there were 5 reportsof White-throatedSparrows in s. Manitoba,more than usual WOODPECKERS THROUGH CORVIDS -- A •' Red-bellied (fide RFK). One reportof Harris'Sparrow would be normalduring the Woodpecker survived throughthe winter at a feeder s. of Winnipeg winter;this year therewere four. One winteredin Saskatoon(CJE) and (fide RFK). Both Downy and Hairy woodpeckernumbers were down in s. Manitobaone was seen Dec. 15 at Dauphin(WJW), andsingles slightlyat mostlocalities, possibly as a resultof interspecificpredation, winteredat Basswoodand Winnipeg (Mr. & Mrs. H. Proven,Mrs. A. as at Oxbow Hazel Patonwatched a • Hairy attacka Downy andpull Swain). Manitoba's2rid recordof a Dark-eyed (Gray-headed) Junco feathersfrom its back. Both"three-toed" woodpeckers were more com- was providedby one overwinteringat a Winnipegfeeder (RFK, PT, mon than usual in Saskatchewanand apparentlyin Manitoba where ph.) seven Three-toeds and 23 Black-backeds were seen Jan. 5 in a burned forestarea in NopimingP.P. (WCH, RT). PilearealWoodpeckers were BLACKBIRDS THROUGH FINCHES -- There were the usual scat- reportedlydown in both Saskatchewanand Alberta (MS, DC). teredreports of blackbirdsand except for 50+ at MedicineHat (RG), During the pastfew yearswe have becomeaccustomed to having numberswere normal.Common Grackle reports were up with at least Horned Larks wintering n. almostto the boreal forest. This winter, nine in s. Manitobaand singlesin Reginaand Saskatoon(RFK, CA. however,saw the moretraditional wintering population, restricted pri- CJE). The expectedRosy Finch influx (see fall 1984 report)did not marilyto s.w. Saskatchewanand s. Alberta.The first migrantsoutside materialize.Pine Grosbeakswere present in thes. in goodnumbers for of thisarea were reported around Feb. 20. AmericanCrows were report- the first time in the past2 yearsand below normalin the borealforest. ed only in the largerurban centers, as usual (CJE. DC, RE). Therewas a An influxof Red Crossbillsand to a lesserextent White-winged Cross- significantmovement of Gray Jaysout of the forestregion. Calgary bills occurred,with White-wingedsdecreasing by mid-January(fide reportedincreased numbers while in Saskatchewansingles were report- RFK, WCH, JG). Bothspecies of redpollswere commonin the s., and ed from Regina, Good Spirit L., and RoundL. (CA, WJA, DFr). in s. Saskatchewansome flocks had more than 50% Hoaries(WCH). SouthernManitoba had numerousreports (fide RFK). Forestand forest BothPine Siskin and Am. Goldfinchare rare winter species in s. Mani- fringeareas in bothSaskatchewan and Alberta reported increased num- toba, thusit was surprisingto haveexcellent numbers of bothspecies bers of Blue Jays (MS, FM, CA, WJA, WCH, DC, FH). Common includingan amazing297 Pine Siskinson one day in Winnipeg(fide Ravensfollowed the GrayJays S (or viceversa) in Saskatchewan.There RFK). Only in PrinceAlbert N.P. wereEvening Grosbeaks more com- were at leastthree in theSaskatoon area (CJE), two eachin the Raymore mon than usual (MS); elsewherethis specieswas scarce. andWoiseley areas (WCH, SML, JDHL and singlesat Naicam, Lani- gan, Mozart, Lestock,and RoundLake (WCH, DFr). CONTRIBUTORS (Provincialcompilers in boldface,local compil- CREEPER THROUGH JUNCOS -- Brown Creeperswere more ers in italics) -- C. Adam, W. & J. Anaka (WJA), P.L. Beckie, D. commonthan last winter in both Edmontonand Calgary (WH, DC). Collister, H. Copland, C.W. Cuthbert, O. Droppo, R. Ebel, C.J. Townsend'sSolitaires were, as usual,reported at severalscattered lo- Escort, D. Fast (DFa), D Francis (DFr), K.A. Gardner, M.D. Gilli- calities.There were singlesat EastendDec. 23, SaskatoonDec. 4-6, land,M.A. Gollop,G.D. Grieef, L. Guillemette,J. Gulley,I. Halliday, andRegina Dec. 4 (MAG, CJE, BL). The only VariedThrush reports W.C. Harris, F. Haug, J.D. Hayward,G.E. Holland,W. Hochachka, were from CalgaryDec. 16 and Grossellle, Man., Dec. 2 (DC, E. S. Holohan, C. Hunt, C. Johnson, S.O. Jordheim, E.W. Kern, R.F. Spurt). BohemianWaxwings were generallydown in numbersdue Koes, S.M. Lamont, H.D. Lane, B. Luterbach,J. MacKay, F. Mark- probablyto the lackof a substantialberry crop (WJW, WCH). Northern land, R. McKague, R.W. Nero, W. Niven, M. O'Shea, H. Paton, J. Shrikes were scarce except in s. Manitoba where at least 18 were Podlubney,N. Postey.S.J. Shadick, M. Siepman.A. Salter, R. Stores, reported,an increaseover last year (GDG, GEH). M. Syroteuk,P. Taylor, R. Tkachuk,W.J. Walley, W. Wilson. W.C. The only N. Cardinalreport was of a male at DauphinDec. 13-15 HARRIS. Box 414, Raymore, Sask. S0A 3J0.

NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS REGION Jan. 11, from a countof 11,000+ in early December(TH). During the sameperiod, Mallards declinedfrom 6700 to 1300 while numbersof /David O. Lambeth Canadasand Mallards on the BighornR. were stableat 3000+ and 12,000+, respectively.A (3 Oldsquawwintered below Garrison Dam, The abundanceand variety of birdspresent this winterwas probably N.D. (REM, GBB), and anotherOldsquaw was found frozen in the ice as goodas we can ever expectin this Region.An early irruptionof at Yankton, S.D., Dec. 6 (WH). Three were on the Yellowstone after- finchesand other northernspecies, which was well underwayby No- bay Jan. I (Y.V.A.S.). A Corn. Goldeneyewas at Fargo Dec. 12-27 vember1. accountedfor muchof the variety.However. there was also a whereany duck is very unusualafter early December(TD). A (• Red- goodassortment of semihardyspecies. Temperatures were belownor- mal in December.especially late in the month,while thosein January werenear normal. Following early February' s siegeof protracted,bitter cold, a genuinethaw set in for the remainderof the month, and the below-averagesnowpack quickly disappeared. By thelast week in Feb- -•..!3,:..C'%.ii•lA:r:i- S,•S•; :.j- -::::t•.•m,...'.• ...:..:.•,ii:.:] ruary, CanadaGeese were moving up the Missouri River and had •ß .5 ...:• ...... , .•:•-"a,e ':'"/• :":- e• ...... ' .•e • .uho reachedthe northernmostrefuges in NorthDakota and Montana. Their ';'•' • • • N arrival,along with crowsand prairie Horned Larks, signaled the begin- ningof migrationand the beginningof the end of winter. In the followingtext, placenames in italics are counties. .... •'•- ,•"L --•-•-' '"'-"

HERONS THROUGH WATERFOWL -- Two Great Blue Herons .....%.• •-• . ..• ß , •:-- • wintered on the Yellowstone R. at Laurel, Mont. (CMC). A flock of 80 / 7 ...... : .½:.• •:-4.1•-Rapid Ci•' '• '• ::: [ .. t•-- ",l ...... ' •)Martin. _• •c .•-•:•f. SnowGeese in Turner,S.D., at thebeginning of theperiod dwindled to [ l: '• '• 0'"••-'•• :' '• - -• -• ...... •'•:'•-•: sixby Dec. 21 whenthey were poached (LA). Aerial surveysof Canada Geesealong the Yellowstone R. showedthey had all butdisappeared by

180 American Birds, Summer 1985 breastedMerganser was seenat Ft Randall Dam, S.D., Jan. 26 (D & forth•s species. The fresh remmns of four Saw-whetOwls were found •n MS), and two females wintered below Garrison Dam. 3 WoodDuck boxes at SalyerDec. 13-14(WW). The identityof the predatorwas not determined. RAPTORS-- The comment"more than usual" occurred frequently A BeltedKingfisher survived through Dec. 23 atGarrison Dam, N.D in thestate editors' reports, leaving no doubtthat this was an unusually (REM, GL), n. of the usualrange limit in SouthDakota. Unusualfor goodyear for raptors.Perhaps this was due partly to the mild, open winterwas a Red-headedWoodpecker Feb. 23 (WH, JW), anda Yel- w•nter,and partly to better-than-averageabundance of prey. BaldEa- low-belliedSapsucker Jan. 19(WH), bothin Yankton,S.D. SeveralN gles, as usual, wintered in numbersbelow the mainstemdams of the Flickers wintered in North Dakota. M•ssouriR., andalong streams which remained open. Five sightingsof adultsin the Malta, Mont., area were consideredunusual there. Each of CORVIDSTHROUGH WARBLERS -- A GrayJay wintered near the 3 accipiterswas more numerousthan usualin SouthDakota fit'de Crystal,N.D. (LFM, RBM), andone was in FargoJan. 1-6 (JF, NZ) BKH). Sharp-shinnedHawks, which are consideredcasual at bestdur- Six Clark'sNutcrackers were seen Feb. 18in Ct•ster,S.D. (RP, MP) ingw•nter in NorthDakota, apparently wintered at ArrowwoodN.W.R. Reportsof Com.Raven in NorthDakota included two at FargoDec. 9 (RJ) andBismarck (m.ob.). Additionalsightings were at Burlingtonand (AL). PygmyNuthatches are beingincreasingly reported in the Black Loganin North Dakota(REM, GBB), and at Ft. Peck, Mont. (CMC). Hillswhere as many as three to fourare being recorded per day in Fall Perhapstheir presence was related to thefinch irruption. Four reports of River (RP). It was consideredan exceptionalyear for Red-breasted Cooper'sHawks were received from SouthDakota. Northern Goshawks Nuthatchesin all areas,including some where they rarelywinter. In wereagain more numerous than usual, especially in w. North Dakota Montana,a CanyonWren wassinging n. of BillingsFeb. 19 (CMC et and•n Montana.They were reported to be preyingon PineGrosbeaks in al.), and Marsh Wrenswere seenJan. 17 near Park City, Mont Brown, S.D. (DT), and on pheasantsat SalyerRefuge (WW). (Y.V.A.S.) and Feb. 14 in Fall River, S.D. (RP). Golden-crowned The six FerruginousHawks reportedfrom South Dakota included Kingletsand BrownCreepers are normallyin migrationthroughout fourseen on a raptorsurvey in Gregory,Jan. 10-14(GS). A 60-mi Decemberin NorthDakota, and none was reported to havewintered raptorsurvey in s.w. SouthDakota turned up 24 Rough-leggedHawks Five E. Bluebirdswere present in mid-winter(Jan. 25) at Yankton (RP, AW). Carlsonreported that this specieswas absentfrom some (WH). Townsend'sSolitaires were present in excellentnumbers in the areasof Montanawhere it is usuallythe mostcommon winter raptor; badlandsand reports indicated a few were presentto the e. limit of the however,it shouldbe notedthat migrationwas exceptionallyheavy Region,e.g., at Tewaukon(DGP), andin SouthDakota in Beadle(JJ), throughthe Minot arealast fall. With the warmerweather in late Febm- Brookings(BKH), Kingsbury(BKH), andBrown (DT). AmericanRob- aW, Rough-leggedswere movingback through North Dakota.Golden inswere by all reportsscarcer than usual. Bohemian Waxwings made a Eagleswere presentin abovethe usualnumbers in w. North Dakota, strongshowing with countsin the few hundredrange except in the where wildlife officialsindicated a large jackrabbitpopulation was drought-impactedareas of Montanawhere food supplieswere poor present.Eleven Golden Eagles were seenon the 60-mi surveyin s.w. CedarWaxwings were irregularlydistributed in North Dakota where SouthDakota Jan. 10 (RP, AW), and a total of 40 was found on the severalcounts were in the 30-50 range. Berkey consideredit the best eaglesurvey in Gregory,S.D., Jan. 10-14 (GS, DLL). Merlinsseemed yearin a decadefor N. Shrikesat Minot wheredaily countsaveraged to be lesscommon than in recentyears, but the 5 sightingsat Malta, five to six throughearly January when numbers dropped. A Yellow- Mont (DP et al.) were consideredunusual. Sightings of Peregrine rumpedWarbler in Gregory,S.D., Dec. 1 provideda rarewinter-period Falconsincluded one at FargoJan. 3 (MB, CS), one in CharlesMix, recordfor a warbler in this Region (GS). S D , Jan. 2 (DS), andup to two nearFt. PeckDec. 8-Jan. 1 (CMC, LKM). It wasa banneryear for Gyrfalconsin Montanawith sightings at CARDINAL THROUGH FINCHES -- Two g? N. Cardinals win- Moore (LKM), Danvers (LKM), Malta (JG, DP), and two at Ft. Peck teredat a feedernear L. MetigosheS .P. in theTurtle Mts. wherereports (CMC). Very few hawkswinter in e. North Dakota, but PrairieFalcons havebeen occasionally received in thepast (REM, GBB). Might there againwintered at GrandForks and Fargo. A PrairieFalcon was one of be a disjunctbreeding population there? A Rufous-sidedTowhee pre- severalhawks preyingon ducksnear Ft. Peck in December(CMC). sumablyperished after Jan. 1 in Burlington,N.D. (fide GBB), but one was seenas late as Feb. 10 in Gregory, S.D. (GS). A mysterious TURKEY THROUGH WOODPECKERS -- Game officials con- sparrowat a Billingsfeeder looked more and more like a Clay-coloredas tmueto transplantWild (9.)Turkeys to manyareas in thisRegion. The theseason progressed (fide CMC). Sparrowsin the"not supposed to be turkeysappear to be doingwell, thanksin part to the availabilityof here"category included a Fox Sparrowat FargoDec. 8-Feb. 5 (RK), feedlotsin winter.An aerialcount of 200 wasmade on sprawlingSalyer SongSparrows at GrandForks Dec. 2 (GL) andBismarck from October Refuge,and 42 were reportedfor the N. Unit of RooseveltN.P. (SS). to Feb. 18 (RNR), andan exceptionalnumber of Harris' Sparrowswell Up to eightwere seen in a smallhorse pasture within thecity limitsof n. of the usualrange. A Harris' Sparrowwhich appearedirregularly Lew•stown,Mont. (LKM), andlandowners were feeding those affected throughoutthe periodat a Grand Forks feeder had a lower mandible by an extensiveforest fire nearRoundup. whichextended well beyondthe upper(P. Ray, DOL). Other success- At leasttwo of five VirginiaRails and a Com.Snipe survived through fully winteringHarris' Sparrowswere at Minot (D. Fluhrer)and Arrow- Feb 18 in a smallmarsh near Park City, Mont. (BR). Thirty-fiveAm. woodN.W.R. (PV), while mid-wintersightings occurred in Fargoand Cootswere at the Yellowtail Afterbay Feb. 18 (CMC). Gulls at the nearGarrison Dam. Unusualsightings of blackbirdsincluded 33 Rusty tailracebelow Garrison Dam Dec. 8 includeda California,providing the andone Brewer'sDec. 19 in Lewistown, Mont. (LKM), and a Brown- 2nd winterrecord for North Dakota;650 Herrings;four first-yearand headedCowbird at a Sioux Falls feeder Dec. 25-Jan. 13 (MMS). one 2nd-yearThayer's; the sameIceland Gull presentin November; The irruptionof finchesnoted in the fall reportcontinued unabated andthree first-year, one 2nd-year, and one ad. Glaucous.The only gull throughthe winter period. Pine Grosbeakswere found as far s. as left on Dec. 23 wasone of theThayer's (GBB, REM). An ad. Glaucous Gregory,S.D., for only the 2ndrecord there (GS). The irruptionwas Gull m YanktonDec. 5 mayhave been the first adultfor SouthDakota limitedto theDakotas; only one bird was reported in Montana.As noted (WH). As usual,observations of MourningDoves, all in thee. Dakotas, in thefall report,it wasan exceptionalseason for RosyFinches in the were •n December. badlands,and they were reported as far e. asJackson, S.D. (KG), and Snowy Owls were presentin fair numbers.A Barred Owl was in New Town, N.D. (BH). Countsof 200+ were recordedat 2 Custer, FargoJan. 26-Feb. i7 (RK), anda Long-earedOwl remainedat Wau- S.D., feeders (MP), and at Malone's feeder in Lewistown, Mont, bayN.W.R. intoJanuary (RB). Carlsoncommented, and many observ- where about 3% were of the Hepburn's race. Purple Fincheswere erswould agree, that the numbersof winteringShort-eared Owls have relativelyscarce everywhere. Cassin's Finches appeared in low num- droppedconsiderably in the past10 years.However, there was a decid- bers at 5 feeders in the Black Hills. The House Finch at Minot was last ed •nflux at several locations in e. North Dakota with the best count seenDec. 18 (fide GBB). being25 (possiblymore) at LakeAlice Refuge (RS). A callingNorth- RedCrossbills were fewer than normal in Montana,but a strongflight ern Saw-whetOwl was heardFeb. 26-28 in Fall River, S.D. (RP). occurredin North Dakota and e. South Dakota, where countsin the 25- Saw-whetswere also found at Tewaukon Ref. (DGP), Bowdoin 50 rangewere common. At Minot, they appearedto be territorialin late N W R. (KS), andFt. Peck(CMC), makingthis an exceptionalwinter February,when one was alsoobserved carrying grass (REM). White-

Volume 39, Number 2 181 wingedCrossbills were similarlydistributed with countsat somefeeders in low numbers.Evening Grosbeaks were presentin goodnumbers in in the five-to-10 range. It was the best flight into SouthDakota since thew. Dakotas,but virtuallyabsent from the e. halvesof thosestates 1979-1980according to Harris. CommonRedpolls were indeedcom- monover the Regionwith countsof 100-200at manyfeeding stations. However, they did not begin to move to feedersuntil mid-December, STATE EDITORS (in boldface) and CITED OBSERVERS. MON- aboul 6 weeksafter arrival, and numberssteadily increased through TANA-Charles M. Carlson. J. Grensten,T. Hihz, L. K. Malone, D. February.Whether they prefer natural foods, or it takestime for themto Prellwitz,B. Roney,K. Stutzman,Yellowstone Valley AudubonSoci- becomefeeder-wise, isuncertain. l•oary Redpolls irrupted toat least the ety.NORTH DAKOTA--Gordon B. Berkey,M. Bergan,W. Buresh, n. tier of countiesin SouthDakota (DT, KH) and were alsoreported in T. Darien,J. Fedje,B. Houscr,R. Johnson,R. Kiesling,A. Lies, D. small numbers for Montana. In North Dakota, numbers at feeders were O. Lambeth,G. Lambeth,R. E. Martin, L. F. Mitchell, R. B. Mitchell, often in the rangeof five to I 0, but one feederin New Town hosted25 David G. Potter, R. N. Randall,C. Spurbeck,R. Schnaderbeck,P. amongthe 200 Commons(BH). The racehornemanni was well-repre- VanNingen,W. West, N. Zimmerman.SOUTH DAKOTA L. Ander- sented.Pine Siskinswere also presentin very high numbersas evi- son, R. Bryant, K Graupman,Bruce K. Harris, K. Husmann,W. dencedby a countof 500 in Januaryin Mardan(WB), andsome 600 Hall, J. Johnson,D. L. Lengkeek,M. Parker, R. Peterson,D. & M. bandedin Decemberin Brown, S.D. (DT). A pair at Minor completeda Skadsen,G. Steffen, D_ Tallman, A. Williamson, J. Wilcox.---DAVID nestby March I (REM). AmericanGoldfinches were widely distributed O. LAMBETH, 1909 20th Avenue S., Grand Forks, ND 58201.

I • hair • MINN. SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS REGION /Frances C. Williams WYO. C'•IPlatte NWR •k, IOWA •- __• .... NEBR. Decemberwas extremely mild and manymigrants and shinruerresi- . • ..... • - •• •rescen•La•e. Lincoln' Omaha,• dentslingered throughout the month. The most notabletrend of the winterwas the major invasion of montaneor northernspecies, including RedCrossbills, Cassin's Finches, redpolls, Evening Grosbeaks, Red- Iß •NorthPlatte •n•ttan' • • .... breastedNuthatches, Townsend's Solitaires, and all threebluebird spe- cies.The scarcityof PurpleFinches and longspurswas an unexplained COLO. .•ys. c•.y.... mystery. •i•mar..KAN$ • MO ABBREVIATION -- T.C.W.C. = TexasCooperative Wildlife Col- ...... lectionat TexasA & M University.Italicized namesindicate counties. • ..... n Tulsa/ , : OKLA.•till•.r • [ Amarillo I •. . LOONS THROUGH IBISES -- A Red-throated Loon visited L. •EW •EX • ß ' "•c6. Oklahom ' I •Ea-- City 'Heavener Hefner.Oklahoma City, Dec. 9-10 (JSh,JGN,) and four remained on L. Texoma,Grayson, Tex., Jan.26-Feb. 28 (KH et al.). On all thelarger •M•hoe• '•'s . •B•okenBow lakes in n. and c. Texas. Corn. Loons were numerous. Horned Grebes, . Lubbock Falls •germßDallas • r] . normallyuncommon in Texas, were presentfrom Tyler {AM} to L. Abilene ß L• Meredith in the Panhandle (KDS) and L. Balmorhea, Reeves. A Red- • • ß FortWorth • ' neckedGrebe provided a first couniy record in Wyandotte,Kans. (LM). •--- .r,• • . Nacogdoches The firstW. Grebein Tylersince 1977 was observed Jan. 26 (AM). Two - .... : light-phasebirds were in Hudspeth,Tex., Dec. I (BZ, DW). An Am. at,o WhitePelican wintered at Manhattan,Kans. (T17C). Small •roups of Am. White Pelicanswe.re seen in Taylor and Washington,Tex., in •EXICO•-AI;ine • ..rrville• • Februaryand in Tarrant Dec. 8. The only Am. Bitternreported was at SanAngelo, Tex., Feb,.3 (I & CCW). A GreatBlue Heron remained in Lancaster,Neb., until Dec. 31 (JT), and l0 were inspectingold nestsin Okla., Jan. I & 18 (MG, ED), Abilene, Tcx., Dec. 8 (VM), and Waco, a heronryin Washington,Okla., Feb. 24 (ED). GreatEgrets lingered at Tcx., in Fcb•ary (LMB). Two Am. Black Duckswintered at Manhat- severalTexas localities through December, and one was seen in Tarrant tan, Kans.(•C), two wcrcdiscovered among thousands of Mallardsin Jan. 13. SevenCattle Egretsin Br•scoeDec. I representedone of the Rogers,Okla., Feb. 17 (DV), and one was seenat Tulsa Feb. I 0 (JWA, few wintersightings in the TexasPanhandle (JR). The probableGlossy JCH). Two Mottled Ducks wcrc obsc•cd in Van •ndt. Tcx., Dec. 16 Ibis in Tarrant was collected in December. but no further information is andJan. 6 (RK et al.). Blue-wingedTeal in Nacogdoches,Tcx., Dec. available at this time. 18-Feb. 15 provideda first winter record(DEW). GreaterScaup wcrc Ycpo•cdat BaSicsville,Ok!a., Feb. 5-17 (SM), WATERFOWL -- Tundra Swans were reported in Coffey, Kans., Tulsa Feb. 8 & I 1 (A & FR), Lubbock Dec. I I-Feb. 28 (ML), Kimble, Kenton, Okla., Johnson, El Paso, and Midland, Tex. Trumpeter Tcx., Feb. 24 (NMJ. DJ), and El PasoJan. 28 (BZ, JD). Oldsquaws Swans from the re-introducedflock in Minnesotamigrated into the w•c seenin Lancaster,Ncb., Dec. I (JG et al.) and OklahomaCity Region. Four spentFebruary in Anderson,Kans. (m.ob.), and four Dec. 20 (JGN). A Su• Scorervisited Kimble Dec. 6-12 (NMJ). White- othersrested on the Cimarron R. ip Payne,Okla. (SL). TheBean Goose wingedScoters were obsc•cd in Keith, Ncb., Jan. 13 and Feb. 16 discoveredduring the Christmas Bird Count at DeSotoN.W.R., Neb., (RCR, DJR), Lancaster,Ncb., Dec. I (BP eta/.), OklahomaCity Dec. remaineduntil Jan l0 and was admiredby approximately2500 people 3-21 (JSh, WI) and Navarro. Tcx., Nov. 28 (TG, FB). In Texas, Corn. from 7 states.The factsthat it appearedto be of the racemiddendorfl?i •ldcncycs were numerousand widcs•cad. One in Albion, Ncb., Feb. fromSiberia and had no bandsor othersigns of captivityled observersto 3 wasunusual for thedate (WJM). All merganse•w•c •csent in good believeit wasa wild bird. Six SnowGeese in Garden, Neb., provided num•rs. High countsincluded seven Ho•cd Mcrgansc• in Comal, thefirst winterrecord there in 12 years(RCR, DJR). Ross'Geese were Tcx., Feb. 7, 1• Corn. Mcrgansersin Rogers,Okla., Feb. 16, and seenin Barton, Kans., Jan. 7 (SS), Rogersand Osage, Okla., Feb. 17, I• Rcd-•castcd Mergansersin Rains, Tcx., Dec. 23. 21, & 23 (DV), HagermanN.W.R., Tex., Jan. l-Feb. 28 (KH, JHB), andHudspeth, Tex., Dec. l-Feb. 28 (m.ob.). Unusualwinter sightings RAPTORS-- Ospreyswere reported frequently in n.c. Texas, and of Wood Ducks were in Albion, Neb., Feb. 3 (WJM), Washington, oneat L. Somervilleprovided only the 2nd winterrecord there (T &

182 American Birds, Summer 1985 CC). Bald Eagleswere seen in 20 localitieswhere they have rarely winter they reported12 birds (GO). A Gyrfalcon in Lancaster,Neb., winteredm thepast. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission esti- Feb. 24 representedone of the few recordsin e. Nebraska(B JR). In mated740 winteringin Nebraska,300 morethan in anyprevious year. Manhattan,Kans., PrairieFalcons were often seen on buildingsin the Thelargest concentration was in thePlatte R. basinbetween L. McCon- downtownarea. andone winteredon the K.S.U. campus,much to the aughyand Harlan County Res. In Carter.Okla., a previously-unreport-dismay of localpigeons (TTC). In Abilene,Tex., a PrairieFalcon made edBald Eagle wintering ground was found in a valleyof largeranches 30 screamingpasses at a just-releasedrehabilitated Great HornedOwl surroundedby mountains.Eight eagles were countedon one ranch Feb. 10 (BH). (RBF). Fewerthan 30 BaldEagles used the Tulsa eagle roost, a decline fromthe previous several years' totals of 40-60birds. The reason for the RAILS THROUGH TERNS -- SevenVirginia Rails respondedto a declinemay be therapid increase in developmentof thearea near the tape in Ellis, Okla., Dec. 28. A lone Sandhill Crane wintered near roostand feeding areas, and now the Corps of Engineershas approved Muskogee,Okla. {JM, JN). In Tom Green. Tex., Mountain Plovers constructionof a marinanearby (JKe). The pair of Bald Eaglesin were sightedFeb. 23. An Am. Avocet at El PasoFeb. ! ! was a very Grimes,Tex., was back at the nestin late February.The deathof the earlymigrant (BZ). A RuddyTurnstone at KerrvilleDec. 20 provideda eaglethatched in thisnest in 1984was reported erroneously--it was first area record (E & KM). At Buchanan L., Llano. Tex., late dates for alive and well in late May (fide KA). shorebirdsincluded Lesser Yellowlegs Jan. !O, SolitarySandpiper Dec. A MississippiKite in GrimesFeb. 27 providedthe first area record 7, andWi!let Jan. !O (E & KM}. CommonSnipe wintering n. of their betweenOct. 9 andApr. 1. In Garden,Neb., Feb. 17, twoadult and one usual winter hauntsincluded one in Keith. Neb., Jan. ! 3 (RCR) and one imm. N. Goshawksharassed a flicker which they eventuallycaught in a drainageditch and culvert on the campusof K.S.U. all winter (RCR, DJR). Two Red-shoulderedHawks in Johnson,Tex., Dec. 19 (TTC). AmericanWoodcocks, until very recentlyunknown in w. Tex- werethe firstat thatlocality since 1971 (CWE). Two werefound in as, were found in Tom Green Dec. 22-23 (TM et al.), Midland Jan. 24 Jones,Tex., wherethere is marginalhabitat for the species,Feb. 25 andFeb. 5 (JB, JMe), andEl PasoDec. 27 (T & LC, ph. to T.C.W.C.). (BH). A well-describedWhite-tailed Hawk was reportedin Big Bend A Bonaparte'sGull remainedin Lancaster,Neb., until Dec. 8. At N.P., Feb. 3 (KSm). The Muellersof Kerrville,who regularly bird a 7- OklahomaCity morethan ! 00 werepresent in December,but by Jan. ! 2 countyarea of theEdwards Plateau, reported 34 sightingsof Red-tailed onlya singlebird could be found.A CaliforniaGull in Hudspeth.Tex., Hawksand only four Red-shouldered Hawks. Three Ferruginous Hawks Jan.26. Feb. 3 & 21 providedonly the 2ridrecord for the El Pasoarea visited Albion, Neb., Dec. 21-Jan. 7 (WJM) and several were seen on (BZ. m.ob.). More HerringGulls were foundnear Bartlesvillethan in thee. edgeof theirrange in Texas.There were a few morereports of thelast 5 yearscombined. Herring Gulls wintered at BuchananL. andEl Rough-leggedHawks than in theprevious 2 winters,but not enough to Paso.One that flew overGuadalupe Mountains N.P., Jan.31 provideda call it an invasion.A GoldenEagle was sighted in Wyandotte.Kans., firstrecord there (JC). A Thayer's Gull photographedin Rile,', Kans., Jan. 18 (LM). Five winteredin the Midland area, an unusualnumber Jan. 15-17provided the first documentedstate record (TTC). Thayer's there. Gulls were also seen in W.,andotte,Kans., Jan. 12 (MC) and Tulsa TwoCrested Caracaras were sighted in Bosque, Tex., Jan.! 8 (CBH). (JWA, JCH). A 3rd-yearLesser Black-backed Gull thatvisited Oklaho- Merlinswere reported at only8 localities.Peregrine Falcons were seen maCity Feb. ! ! -24 wasbelieved to be thesame bird that remained Feb. at Omaha Feb. 28 (BW), Swisher,Tex., Jan. 5 (JR), and San Angelo 3-Apr. 2, 1984(JGN). A GlaucousGull wasobserved in Wyandotte, Feb. 17 (I & CCW). Nebraskafalconers have seenGyrfalcons every Kans., Jan. 5-12 (MC), and four remainedat OklahomaCity Dec. 9- yearsince 1979 in the sandhillsbetween Norfolk and Gordon. This Feb. 19 (JGN). A Black-leggedKittiwake visited Lancaster,Neb.,

Thayer'sGull at Manhattan,Kans., Jan. 15, 1985.First documentedrecord for Kansas.Photo/David Rintoul.

Volume 39, Number 2 183 Dec. I (JG, LP). Forster's Terns wintered in n.c. Texas. Dec. 2. A RockWren was observedat Waco Dec. 9 (JO). A Canyon Wrenwas seen in Bosque,Tex., Dec. 6 (TG). A CarolinaWren was locatedin LincolnDec. 8 (MBO). Winter Wrenswere foundin Sarpy, Neb., Jan. 5, Tarrant, Tex., Jan. 22, and Taylor, Tex., Feb. 17. Golden-crownedKinglets were abundantin e. and n.c. Texas. Blue- gray Gnatcatchersremained in n.c. Texas and Nacogdochesthrough December,but disappearedwhen Januarycold arrived. A Black-tailed Gnatcatcherwas discoveredat Hueco Tanks S.P., Tex., Jan. 9 (BZ, SW). In GuadalupeMountains N.P.. E. Bluebirdswere presentDec. 5-30. ThreeW. Bluebirdsappeared in Kimble, Tex., Feb. 24 (NMJ, DJ). MountainBluebirds were abundant throughout the w. one-thirdof Tex- as. Townsend'sSolitaires wintered in Kansasin Manhattan(TTC) and Harper (SS) andwere commonin w. Texas. Hermit Thrusheslingered until Jan. 15 at Omahaand in Washington,Okla. Gray Catbirdsre- mainedat TulsaJan. 22 andNacogdoches Dec. 30. SageThrashers were abundantat Midland and San Angelo. Brown Thrasherswintered at GuadalupeMountains N.P. and HuecoTanks S.P. Sprague'sPipits werereported only at Tulsaand in Johnson,Tex. The only Bohemian LesserBlack-backed Gull (probablythird-winter) at LakeHefner, Okla- Waxwingsobserved were at Albion, Neb., Feb. 9 (WJM). A Phainope- homa City, Feb. 18, 1985. Photo/JohnShackford. pla gracedMidland Dec. 7-14. There was a minor invasionof N Shrikesfrom w. Kansass. to Amarillo. In Nebraska,the specieswas DOVES THROUGH SWALLOWS -- White-wingedDoves win- seen at Lincoln and in Stanton. teredin GuadalupeMountains N.P. for the first time. An Inca Dove in An Orange-crownedWarbler remained at Muskogee,Okla., Dec. 23- Johnson,Tex., Jan. 30-Feb. 19 representedonly a 2nd countyrecord Feb. 28. A NashvilleWarbler was discoveredin Tyler,Tex., Dec. 22 (CWE). Near New Braunfels, Tex., a Corn. Ground-Dove was found (AM). A Black-throatedGreen Warbler visited Hardin, Tex., Jan. 26 Dec. 20 (E & KM). A Groove-billedAni visited Big Bend N.P.. Dec. (JK). Pine Warblerswere sightedat Bellevue, Neb., Dec. 10-15, Ar- 12 (RS). A Corn. Barn-Owlwas seen at BlackGap W.M.A., Brewster, lington,Tex., Jan. 3 l-Feb. 2, Ft. Worth Dec. l-Feb. 2, and VanZandt, Tex., Feb. 21 (BRM). In Nebraska,Snowy Owls were foundin Rock Tex., Dec. 23. A PalmWarbler in TarrantJan. 5-27 provideda first Dec. 4 and Deuel (no date given). In Kansas, one spent a week at winterrecord for n.c. Texas(CBH, m.ob.), and one in Nacogdoches CheyenneBottoms in early January(m.ob.) and onewas seenin Sheri- Dec. 14 furnishedonly a 2nd winter recordthere (DEW). dan Mar. 9 (RKo). In GuadalupeMountains N.P., a N. Pygmy-Owl was heardDec. 23 (REM). Long-earedOwls providedfirst recordsin CARDINALINES THROUGH SNOW BUNTINGS -- A Lazuli GuadalupeMountains N.P., Dec. 20 (REM) and Tyler,Tex., Feb. 3 Buntingin Randall Dec. 3 provideda first winter recordfor the Texas (AM). Short-earedOwls were absentor in very low numbers.A Corn. Panhandle(KDS). Dickcisselsvisited feeders in Lancaster,Neb., Dec. Poorwillin Somervell,Tex., Feb. 23 was unusuallyearly. Six White- 1-31 (BM) and Douglas, Neb., Jan. 10-17 (EV, BP). A Green-tailed throatedSwifts in Sterling,Tex., Jan.8 providedthe only winter record Towbee came Dec. l-Feb. 6 to the same Lancaster feeder that had of the speciese. of the PecosR. (JMe). Two Anna's Hummingbirds hostedone in the winterof 1980 (BM, TB). AlthoughAm. Tree Spar- winteredat El Pasoand one was present in Big BendN.P. until Jan.5. A rowswere scarcein w. Kansas(SS), 200 were bandedat OmahaFeb. 24 RufousHummingbird also winteredat El Paso. (BM) andthere were manysmall flocks in n.c. Texas. A Clay-colored A Ringed Kingfisher visited the spillway of Ingram Dam, Kerr, Sparrowremained in PaloDuro CanyonS.P., Tex., until Dec. 5 (KDS). Tex., Feb. 21 (E & KM et al.). This representedone of the few records A Black-chinnedSparrow was found at Hueco Tanks S.P., Dec. 13 of the speciesaway from the Rio Grande.A Lewis' Woodpeckerwin- (BZ). A Lark Sparrowin Polk, Tex., Feb. 22 providedan unusual teredat Midland. A Red-headedWoodpecker in GuadalupeMountains recordfor the Big Thicket(AM). At SanAngelo, 25 Le Conte'sSpar- N.P., Oct. 16-Jan. 23 provided only a 2nd park record. A Yellow- rowswere banded September through December (TM). Therewere also belliedSapsucker of the race variuswas seenat El PasoJan. 3 (BJ). A numeroussightings of thiselusive species in n.c. Texas. Fox Sparrows Hammond'sFlycatcher at El PasoDec. 4 was carefullystudied (BZ). A were seenat BellevueDec. 29-Feb. 28, Wichita Jan. 22, Guadalupe Vermilion Flycatcherbrightened Midland Dec. 8 and Jan. 28 (RMS, MountainsN.P., Dec. 12, andLlano, Tex., Dec. 7. Thousandsof Song m.ob.). An Ash-throatedFlycatcher was found in HudspethFeb. 11 Sparrowswintered in the Lubbock-Crosbyarea, Tex., and the species (BZ, JD). Tree Swallowssoared over El PasoJan. 26, and a Violet- wasalso common in the Panhandle.A SwampSparrow at BlackGap greenSwallow was sightedin GuadalupeMountains N.P., Jan. 30. W.M.A., Tex., Dec. 26 provideda first record(BRM). White-throated EarlyN. Rough-wingedSwallows were in El PasoFeb. 19 and Tarrant, Sparrowswere commonat El Paso,Guadalupe Mountains N.P., and the Tex., Feb. 26. A Barn Swallow was carefullyidentified at Hagennan TexasPanhandle. Harris' Sparrowswere founds. to San AngeloJan. 8 N.W.R., Jan. 5 (A & EB). andLlano, Tex., Jan. 10. Exceptin 2 widely-separatedlocalities, long- spurswere scarce to absent.In Johnson,Tex., 1700 McCown's Long- JAYS THROUGH WARBLERS -- spurswere seenJan. 19 (CWE). In Pawnee, Kans., a concentrationof LaplandLongspurs Jan. 29 coveredan areaapproximately 5 mi by 2 mi S.ho (SS). Fifteen Snow Buntingswere countedin Lancaster Dec. I. In A Purplish-backedJay at an El Pasofeeder Feb. 2-7 caused Kansas,Snow Buntings were found in RushDec. 27, JeffersonNov. 23, quitea stir amongthe listers,but Barry Zimmer had this to say and Coffey Nov. 26-Dec. 20. aboutits status:"A Purplish-backedJay would have to travel acrossroughly 500 milesof Chihuahuandesert to reachEl Paso. ICTERINES THROUGH FINCHES -- A Yellow-headed Blackbird The mountainsto the southof us are completelyunforested. wintered at Manhattan (TTC). Other out-of-seasonindividuals were at Also, Purplish-backedJays defend territories all year. For these BellevueFeb. 8 (CC), Albion Feb. 23 (WJM), and Tarrant, Tex., Dec. reasonsthis speciesrarely wanders even shortdistances from its I (PM). ThreeRusty Blackbirds in Hudspeth,Tex., provideda first El homerange. The chancesof thisbird beingwild are almostnil." Pasoarea record (BZ, JD). At least200 RustyBlackbirds wintered in Sarpy,Neb. Two Great-tailedGrackles in Rogers,Okla., Jan. 5 pro- vided an unwelcomefirst January record there. In Nebraska, Com. Two PlainTitmice in El PasoDec. 4-Jan. 17 provideda 2nd area Grackleswere noted in Garden Jan. 13, Morrill Feb. 16 (RCR, D JR), record(BZ et al.). Red-breastedNuthatches were unusuallyabundant andOmaha Dec. l-Feb. 28 (MW). At least35 Com. Gracklesflocked in throughoutw. Texas,as manyas 30 beingcounted in a day. Therewere El Paso,where the specieshad beenconsidered "accidental," Jan. 25- few reportselsewhere in the Region.A PygmyNuthatch visited El Paso 27. A "Baltimore" N. Oriole visited Dallas feeders Jan. 21-Feb. 6.

184 American Birds, Summer 1985 SOUTH TEXAS REGION /Greg W. Lasley and Chuck Sexton

The winterweather patterns got off to a slow startas unseasonably warm weatherdominated through December. The resultwas a bumper cropof late lingeringmigrants throughout the Regionas evidencedon the ChristmasBird Counts.The winterseason in fact wascompressed primarilyinto Januaryand the first few daysof Februarywhen three majorsnow and ice storms belted the Region. The snowfalls,on January Goldfinchat Hueco Tanks 2-3, January11-13, and January31-February 2, providedwelcome State Park, Tex., Dec. 7, moistureand did notseem to causewidespread damage to nativehabi- tats. The secondof thesestorms was describedas one of the largest record. Photo/Raymond snowstormsin 100 years.Representative snowfalls included 2 inchesat L 1984.Firstconfirmed Texas Waite. Beeville and Victoria, 4 inchesat Austin, 9 inchesat Del Rio, 13 inches AdultmaleLawrence'sat San Antonio and an unofficial total of 16 inches near Stockdale. In thatstorm, ice ¾4inch thick coated tender vegetation in the Lower Rio GrandeValley. The third snowstormwas followed by extremelycold weatheron February1-3 with temperaturesplunging to singledigits in PineGrosbeaks were discovered in Kansasin Harper Nov. 21 {WC) theAustin area. Harper reported that he arrived in theLower Rio Grande and in Hays Jan. 4 (CE, m.ob.). In their usualhaunts, Purple Finches Valley January30 in 84øFweather; 48 hourslater the wind chill factor were conspicuouslyscarce, but a few wanderedto Lubbockand Mid- was0 ø. Temperatures moderated rapidly by February7 andthe remain- land. As many as 50 Cassin's Finches were counted in Guadalupe der of the month was mild. MountainsN.P. in December.Previous park recordswere of single Overall, manyobservers agreed that the brief winter, althoughnot birds.At El Paso,up to 12 Cassin'sFinches were present in February;in nearlyas severeas ihat of 1983-1984,was still harsherthan normal. Midland, at least eight were counted Dec. 23-Jan. 15; one was at Moisturewas well abovenormal for mostof the Region.Grassland and Lubbock Dec. 15, and two wanderedas far as Kimble. Tex., Dec. 1-5 marshhabitats on the UpperTexas Coast were describedas excellent. (NMJ, DJ). In Dawes, Neb., six Cassin'sFinches visited feedersFeb. 4 The birdinghotspot of theUpper Texas Coast seemed to be Attwater (RCR, DJR). Red Crossbillsfirst appearedin late fall and were still PrairieChicken National Wildlife Refuge,particularly for raptors.Rap- presentin many areasFeb. 28. They were reportedat 2 locationsin torsin fact wereprominent in reportsfrom all overthe Region. O'Neill Neraska,9 in Kansas,5 in Oklahomaand 6 in Texas. The highest reportedup to 12-14 speciesper day near Encino in Decemberand numberreported was 200 at Hays, Kans. About40 were seenat El Paso, January.The LowerRio GrandeValley again shone brightly with Mexi- Midlandand Big Spring,while mostother reports comprised fewer than can raritiesthat drew hundredsof birdersfrom aroundthe country. 12 birds. White-wingedCrossbills were presentat OmahaJan. 8-Feb. Someregular species in the Regionperplexed observers with patchy 18, 5 Kansas localities in late November, and at Norman, Okla., Jan. distributionsor inexplicablemovements. Graber remarked:"1 wish 27. CommonRedpolls were observed at OmahaJan. 16-Feb. 13, Mor- someonewould explain... thedynamics of winteringsparrows on the ton, Kans., Nov. 22, Johnson, Kans., Jan. 20-Feb. 20, Muskogee, UpperTexas Coastthis year." The querywould apply equally Region- Okla., Jan..18, Tulsa Jan. 7 and Feb. 9, and Norman Jan. 21. Pine wide. As anotherexample, American Robin movements were similarly Siskinswere widespreadand abundant.A Lawrenee's Goldfinch pho- complexand intriguing. tographedat HuecoTanks S. P., Tex., Dec. 7 provideda firstdocument- ed staterecord, although there had been a sightrecord at El Pasoin 1954 ABBREVIATIONS -- Attwater = Attwater Prairie Chicken Nat'l (RW). Small numbersof EveningGrosbeaks were in Sarpy andDoug- Wildlife Ref.; Bentsen= BentsenRio Grande Valley State Park; las, Neb., Dec. l-Feb. 28, andat Hays, Kans., Dec. 5-Feb. 7. At least L.R.G.V. = Lower Rio GrandeValley; SantaAna= SantaAna Nat'l 20 remainedthrough the periodat Amarillo andone wanderedas far s. Wildlife Ref.; U.T.C. = UpperTexas Coast. asBig BendN.P. Smallflocks were seen in GuadalupeMountains N.P. and El Paso in December. LOONS THROUGH WATERFOWL -- The Arctic Loon at San CONTRIBUTORS AND CITED OBSERVERS -- Keith Arnold, Antoniomentioned in the fall reportmoved from BraunigL. to Cala- Jim W. Afterburn, JamesH. Beach, F. Becker, Ann Bellamy, John veras L., a few mi away, where it remaineduntil Jan. 26 (WS, SH). Bizilo, Tanya Bray, Ed & Mark Brogie, Lillian M. Brown, A. & E. AnotherArctic Loon was well describedat Rockportduring late Febru- Buckley, Ted T. Cable, Jim Carson, Tom & Lois Carson, Tom & Carolyn Cartwright, Wallace Champeny,R.D Coggeshall,Mark R. Collie, Mel Cooksey,Mary Creel(MCr), CarolCrosby, Ella Delap,Jeff Donaldson,Melinda Droege, Charles W. Easley,Charles Ely, Robert B. Freeman,AI & Madeline Gavit, T. Gollob, Mike Gray, Joe Gu- '• _ ßBastrop Beautaunt banyi,Karl Hailer,Carl B. Haynie,Jim C. Hoffman,Bill Hunt,Wesley Isaacs, Debbie Jackson,Nick M. Jackson,Bob Johnson,John Kendall, I n• D=• • -- San. • •E• • •awe•ton JohnKennington (JKe), R. Kinney, RandyKorotev (RKo), Mark Lock- I • ...... u•olde •ntonm m• wood, Jo Loyd, Sue Lozo, Art MacKinnon, Bob Manning, R.E. Maurer, Terry Maxwell, V. McCracken, BonnieR. McKinney, Jeff I:•O. • WelderRefuge. • Ara.... Refuge McMahon,Joan Merritt (JMe), SophiaMery, PaulMicalief, WayneJ. Mollhoff, Lloyd Moore, Ernest& Kay Mueller, JohnG. Newell, Jim / I • . /• NUECES• Po• •ansas Norman, Gary Ohman, O.V. Olsen, JuneOsborne, Mabel B. Ott, Babs Padelford, Loren Padelford,Warren Pulich, Joel Reese, Bettie Roberts, 2 •1}• Falfurrios•...... Aline & ForestRomero, Dorothy J. Rosche,Richard C. Rosche,B.J. Rose, JeanSchulenberg, Scott Seltman,Kenneth D. Seyffert,John Shackford(JShL R. Simmons, Kathe Smith (KSm), Eddie Stegall, • SontaAna Refuge•B ...... ille RoseMarie Stortz,Jerry Toll, JackD. Tyler, Eric Valden,Don Verser, RaymondWaite, David Weinstein, Iris & C.C. Wiedenfeld, Melba Wigg, BarbWilson, ScottWilson, David E. Wolf, BarryZimmer. -- FRANCES C. WILLIAMS, 2001 Broken Hills E., Midland, TX 79701. ', 5

Volume 39, Number 2 185 ary (KZ) SingleHorned Grebes at AransasN W R , Dec 26 and San the U T C in February(63 reported)and were more conspicuous in the Antonio Feb. 3 were unusualfinds (CC, WS). The three W. Grebes at Austinarea where several birds performed courtship displays w. of town SanAntonio reported in the fall remaineduntil Mar. 4. At BraunigL., until Feb. 20 (JO et al.). Two woodcockswere found Jan. 14 at San unusualconcentrations of winteringspecies included 86 Am. White Antonio,where they are very rare (SH). Pelicans Jan. 26 and 3500 Double-crestedCormorants Dec. 23 (WS, Austin's2nd jaeger ever (believedto have beena Pomafine)was ER). A ReddishEgret was notablyfar upriverat FalconDam Feb. 1 foundDec. 30 (GP, RF). A Franklin'sGull on thesame day at a nearby (EH). An imm. White Ibis winteredat SanAntonio's Mitchell L. (fide locationwas almostcertainly a late migrant.The LesserBlack-backed SH). Gull on MustangIsland remained through the period.Other unusual laridsincluded the 2ndJim Wells Countyrecord of a Bonaparte'sGull An imm. Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata)described from Feb. 17 (RA), and a Black-leggedKittiwake at San AntonioJan 26 RanchoSanta Margarita on the Rio GrandeDec. 7 (ñVE e! al.) (TH, SH). wasparticularly intriguing. A reportof suchan abundantfetal A singleRed-billed Pigeon was reported periodically at LagunaAtas- specieswould not normallyraise an eyebrow.This particular cosaN.W.R., wherethe speciesis accidental(fide SRi). Flocksof three bird, however,was not only free-flyingbut was very wary of to nine GreenParakeets were regularlyseen in at least4 localitiesin humanapproach. The bird showedthe typical wild phenotype Brownsville,McAllen, and near Bentsen throughout the period (ph. TP, imm. plumagerarely seen in feralbirds. We reportthis sighting m.ob.). Up to 22 Red-crownedParrots were seenregularly in Browns- coupledwith informationthat a nestbox programfor the species ville with smallernumbers reported in Harlingen,Weslaco, McAllen, sponsoredby DucksUnlimited of Mexico is havingincreased andBentsen (fide TP). Severalother Amazonas and other psittacids, all successin Tamaulipasand Nuevo Leon, the 2 Mexican states presumedto be escapees,were reported.Common Barn-Owls and immediatelys. of theSouth Texas Region (AS,fide VE). Musco- Short-earedOwls wereboth reportedin lowerednumbers in the Austin vy Ducks are now reportedto be regularnear San Fernando, area(RF, m.ob.). During a warm spelljust prior to the 3rd snowstorm Tamaulipas,100 mi s. of Brownsville(VE). Ratherthan claim a noted above, a Com. Poorwill was heardin Austin Jan. 25 (JeM) and a new United Statesrecord just yet, we believeit appropriatefor LesserNighthawk was found at SantaAna Jan. 27 (fide SL). Common observersto begincareful observations of theplumages, behav- Nighthawksremained in Austin and Houstoninto late December. ior anddistribution of any wild-actingMuscovies discovered in extreme s. Texas. SWIFTS THROUGH JAYS -- An unidentified swift was observed in BaytownFeb. 20 (ER). The c• Broad-billedHummingbird in Colum- busremained until Jan. 21 (JD). A few Anna'swintered in the Kings- A dark-phaseRoss' Goose reported at AnahuacN.W.R., Nov. 18 and ville area (SB, N & PP) and two Broad-tailedswintered in Portland Feb. 7 was a novel find for the Region(RP et al.). All 3 scoters (RL). Amongthe Region'swidely-scattered wintering Rufous Hum- continuedto be reportedalong the BolivarPen. into February.Small mingbirdswere a few imm. malesat inlandlocations including Austin, numbers of Cinnamon Teal wintered as usual in the L.R.G.V., but a Columbus,and Helotes. A remarkablefind was a 9 ElegantTrogon dozenwintering at Artwaterwere unusual(WSh). describedon the King Ranchin late November(fide DDe). The brief detailspassed on to the editorsmay be sufficientto documentthis first RAPTORS, PRAIRIE-CHICKENS -- Three MississippiKites in occurrenceof the speciesn. of the L.R.G.V. in the Region.The fall Houston Feb. 25 were 3 weeks earlier than the normal arrival date for invasionof Red-headedWoodpeckers apparently did not reachto the northboundmigrants (LG). Bald Eagleswere noteworthyon the King Kingsville area (CC, SB, N & PP). Northern Flickers were reported Ranch(SB, N & PP), in SanAntonio Dec. 1 (m.ob.), andin Austin(at down in numberson the U.T.C. (GC). least4 Decemberreports). As with the kites, a few early Broad-winged GreatKiskadees seem to be increasingsteadily in theKingsville area and Swainson'shawks appearedin the last week of February.There (SB, N & PP). A very rare Couch's/TropicalKingbird was observed werea few earlierreports of Swainson'sby veteranobservers but wheth- (notheard) in RockportDec. 23 (CC). Scissor-tailedFlycatchers stayed er thebirds were "wintering" is problematicalgiven the extended period lateand a few apparentlyoverwintered; one or twobirds were seen in the overwhich we find stragglingmigrants of thisspecies both "coming and Kingsville/Rivieraarea Dec. 22-23, in HarlingenJan. 30, andin Falfur- going."A White-tailedHawk nearBastrop Feb. 16 (ñCA) & 24 (JSuet rias Feb. 8 (AO, EH, SB, N & PP). A Fork-tailed Flycatcher first al ) provideda 2ndrecent Austin area record. Single Zone-tailed Hawks observedDec. 17 at Rio Hondo remaineduntil Jan. 16, becomingthe winteredagain at Bastropand Artwater and anotherwas seenat Sarita longest-stayingFork-tailed ever in the United States(J & PB, ph. TP, Dec. 31 (RF). ?m.ob.).This was the 8th Regionaland staterecord of the species Red-tailedHawks were widely reportedas even more abundantthan Argumentspersisted whether the bird had the completewhite collar usualin concentrationareas such as the U.T.C. andalong U,S. 77 s. of indicative of the n. race T. s. monachus, which has thus far not been CorpusChristi (AO, m.ob.). Ferruginousand Rough-leggedhawks documentedin the UnitedStates. Photos examined by theeditors to date were both well abovenormal numbers and widespreadwith at leasta have been inconclusive. dozenreports of the formerand 8 of the latterRegionwide. A Golden A PurpleMartin in Floresvillearrived Feb. 3, a little too earlyfor his Eagle, very rare on the U.T.C., was seenseveral times at ArtwaterFeb. own good--he wasseen feeding on seedson the groundamong patches 6 + (BG et al.), and anotherapparently wintered at Encino(AO). A of snowin the bitter cold (WS). A very raremid-winter Bank Swallow PrairieFalcon at ArtwaterJan, 6-Mar. 20 0MA, JM, m.ob.) provided was well describedat BentsenJan. 5 (JR). The invadingBlue Jays the 3rd refugerecord, and another near Sinton Dec. 13 wasa very rare remainedthrough the period but numbers began dwindling in lateJanu- find (?LS, PS, fide CC). ary. As late as Jan. 24, over 200 were seennear Encino (AO). ThreeAttwater's (Greater) Prairie-Chickens were still at Dickinsonin Februarydespite recent years' effortsto transplantthis endangered TITMICE THROUGH WARBLERS -- Titmice and other small resi- flock. A total of 206 prairie-chickenswas countedon their namesake dentpasserines still appearedto be depressedin numbersin theKings- refuge, Artwater, in late winter--a new high count for the refuge ville areasince the 1983-1984winter (SB, N & PP). Continuingthe fall (WSh). trend,only 2 reportsof Red-breastedNuthatches were received. House Wrens,in contrast,were almostuniversally regarded as very numerous RAILS THROUGH NIGHTHAWKS -- A Yellow Rail at Santa Ana thisseason, as were Golden-crowned Kinglets. One to sixClay-colored Feb. 17 (WM) wasthe only one reported. A Corn.Moorhen near Austin Robinswere a regularfeature at Bentsenthrough the period and a single Feb. 16 was a rare find (BB). A Black-belliedPlover in Austin Dec. 30 bird wasreported at SantaAna Jan. 18 (CE, m.ob.). A Varied Thrush furnishedonly the 2nd Decemberarea record. A PectoralSandpiper at appearedbriefly in Georgetown,just n. of Austin,Feb. 3-4 (JH). Two SmithPt. on GalvestonBay Dec. 23 providedthe first U.T.C. recordfor very largeflocks of CedarWaxwings, each totaling 1000 + birds,were December.Single Dunlins were notedin AustinDec. 30 and Feb. 16 noted near Port O'Connor Jan. 10 (D & JW). (RF, BB); this speciesis rare inland in winter. A probableCurlew Two Bell's Vireos were well describedat SantaAna Feb. 28 q}de Sandpiperwas reportedwithout details at LagunaAtascosa N.W.R., SL). Two Yellow Warblersat Rio HondoJan. 17-18 provideda very Dec. 8 & 18 (CF, CE). AmericanWoodcocks were very numerouson rarewinter record for thespecies (tPM). A Black-throatedBlue Warbler

186 American Birds, Summer 1985 nearHouston Dec. 20 wasvery late(fide GC) andanother was reported againpresent in smallnumbers at San Ygnaciothrough the period. (withoutdetails) at SantaAna Dec. 13. A Black-throatedGray spentits Observersalmost unanimously regarded Lark Sparrowsas being down 3rd winter at Aransas Pass (D & JW). Black-throatedGreens were in numbersthis season. A veryrare Baird's Sparrow was well-described noteworthyat VictoriaFeb. 12 (PR) andat BrazosBend S.P., Feb.23. from FalfurriasFeb. 10 (tAO)_ White-crownedSparrows were general- Pine Warblers were common on the U.T.C., and were recordedas far s. ly consideredsparse Regionwide but White-throatedswere in normal and w. as Austin, San Antonio, and San Ygnacio. numbersor better. Dongspurswere sparsein the Austinarea. SingleYellow-headed Blackbirds were seen in SanAntonio and near TANAGERS THROUGH FINCHES -- A •? HepaticTanager again Winnie in late Decemberand 15 were in ChambersCounty Feb. 24; appearedin Januaryand February in BastropS.P. (tJW et al.). A single conceivablythese were simplylate and early migrants,respectively. c• BlueBunting discovered at BentsenDec. 3 (tMAC, RBe)was next CommonGrackle numbers were higher than normal in Kingsville(SB, relocatedDec. 23 (•'MA). After thatdate, asmany as two malesand two N & PP) anda singlebird wasin FalfurriasJan. 26 (AO). A flockof 35 femaleswere seen regularly for theremainder of theperiod but proved to in McAllen Feb. 17 representedonly the 2ndtime Arvin hadrecorded be veryelusive at times(ph. TP, EH, m.ob.).A bit of confusionwas the speciesin the L.R.G.V. A few "Bullock's"N. Orioleson the apparentamong ill-prepared birders in mid-Februaryasa few Indigo and U.T.C. werefairly routine but a •?"Baltimore" in AustinJan. 6 wasless Lazuli buntingsbegan to showup at the samefeeders in the camp- expected(GP, RF). ground.A •?Painted Bunting was found in thesnow in AustinJan. 2 We receiveda latereport, with excellentphotos, of a Red Crossbill (JSu).A brilliantd' White-collaredSeedeater seen by severalobservers foundat a Houstonfeeder Sept. 2-3 (ph. DWi,fide RP);this was the first U.T.C. recordof thespecies in 30 years.Although Pine Siskins "never reallymade it to theU.T.C." (RP), theywere fairly common after Jan. I at a few feedersin Austin (CS) and up to eight accompaniedAm. Goldfinchesas far s. as Falfurriasin Januaryand February(AO). The latterspecies was particularly abundant in Austinand Falfurrias as well.

Male Blue Bunting (Cyano- CONTRIBUTORS AND CITED OBSERVERS -- Richard Albert, compsaparellina) at Bent- CharlesAlexander, Tom Ammerman, Keith Arnold. JohnArvin, Mike sen/RioGrande Valley State Austin,Sharon Barrels, Joe & Patti Bartl, Bob Barth,Robert Behrstock Park, Texas, Feb. 14, 1985. (RBe), Tom Betz, Gene Blacklock,Marcia & Ron Braun, Lawrence Photo/George Wagner. Buford,Mary AnnChapman, Charlie Clark, Gary Clark, Don Connell, RheaCopening. Wesley Cureton, David Dauphin, France Davis, Dave DeSante(DDe), JoyceDolch, Helen & Bill Dowling, CharlesEasley, Lowell Eck, E.B. Ellis, Victor Emanuel, Ted Eubanks,Craig Faanes, RobertFreeman, Virginia & MauriceGatlin, William GraberIIl, Ber- nard Gravenstein, Cecilia Green, Linda Groetz, Steve Hanselmann, EdwardHarper, Joyce Harrison, Pat Hartigan, Tyrrell Harvey, Vernon Hayes,Ray Heitman, Ron Huffman (RHu), DavidHunter, James Kam- stra, Ed Kitsten(EKi), Joe Kleiman(JKI), Ed Kutac, SteveLabuda, Female Blue Bunting BeckyLasley, Greg Lasley, Ray Little, Kay McCracken,Paul McKen- (Cyanocompsaparellina) at zie, William Meriweather,Jerry Morgan (JeM), Jim Morgan, Jim Bentsen/RioGrande Valley O'Donnell, Andrew O'Neil, Peter Osenton,Nancy & Paul Palmer, State Park, Texas, Feb. 2, GlennPerrigo, Tom Pincelli,Randy Pinkston, Jack Reinoehl, Sue Rice 1985. PhotolEd Harper. (SRi), PeterRiesz, Ernie Roney, Larry Rosche, Susan Russell, Andres Sada, Willie Sekula, Donnie Selby, Chuck Sexton, Wayne Shiffiett (WSh), Carol Smith (CSm), Paul Spear, Jack Sunder(JSu), Leona Turnbull, GeorgeWagner, JohnWhite, Doug & Jane Wilds, Steve andphotographed at Bentsen has been tentatively identified as the "cin- Williams, Don Wilson(DWi), Kevin Zimmer.--GREG W, LASLEY, namon-rumped"nominate race ( S. t. torqueola)of thePacific coast of 5103 Turnabout Lane, Austin, TX 78731, and CHUCK SEXTON, Mexico, and would be best consideredan escapee.Seedeaters were 13117 FM 2769, Austin, TX 78726.

minus20.7 degreesCelsius), while the precipitation was almost twice as NORTHWESTERN CANADA REGION high as normal.Fort St. Johnhad a relativelymild but dry January. /Helmut Grfinberg Februarywas cooler than normal in Whitehorse.but precipitationwas highagain. Weather conditions in FortSt. Johnvaried during February. Thisreport may be the most important bird report of theyear for the peoplewho live in theNorth because it covers all theresident species. ABBREVIATIONS -- F.S.J. = Fort St. John, British Columbia; Duringa daytrip in winter(on foot, on skis, or onsnowshoes) one may Whse. = Whitehorse, Yukon. encounterfive to sevendifferent bird species,sometimes only one or two (or evennone), andon a lucky day up to ten. Nonetheless,all DUCKS THROUGH GROUSE -- A flock of about 75 Mallards was contributorscombined reported a totalof 40 bird speciesthis season. seenon thePeace R. nearHudson Hope in theF.S.J. areaDec. 24 (JeJ, Somespecies that "should" have been seen but remained unreported this fide CS).The birds were apparently fed by localresidents. Two d' Com. seasonwere Rough-legged Hawk and Rock Ptarmigan. Participation of Goldeneyeswere observed on the Yukon R. nearLewes Dam, 10km w. 49 observerswas probably a recordhigh for a singlercport period, a of MarshL., Dec. 16 (HG, TMcl). Up to six unidentifiedgoldeneyes very pleasantrecord. wereseen on theTagish R. throughoutDecember (WH), andone to two Thiswinter was relatively mild with a lot of snowin thecentral and werenoted on the Yukon R. in Whse., Dec. 23 andJan. I (HG, TMcI). northernparts of theRegion (extreme northern British Columbia and the One to six Com_Mergansers were observedon the Yukon R. near Yukon)and mostly dry andcold in southernparts of our area(Fort St. LewesDam andon theTagish R. throughoutthe season by 4 observers. John).December temperatures in Whitehorse were close to normal,and A BaldEagle was noted at KluaneR. in January(DM). A pairof Bald theprecipitation as snow was high while Fort St. John had a cooland dry Eagleswas perched together in a nestat thePeace R., nearthe conflu- December.January temperatures were an amazing 16.0 degrees Celsius encewith thc Halfway R.. Feb. 24, and an imm. bird was seenat belowthe long-termaverage in Whitehorse(minus 4.7 asopposed to HudsonHope, F.S.J. area, on the same date (CS). Tenobservers report-

Volume39, Number2 187 the sidingsof housesin downtownF S J (CS) Hairy Woodpeckerwas alsoreported from Graham Inlet (MB). An amazingsix birds frequented a feederin HayRiver Dec. 29 (G & LF). A c• HairyWoodpecker visited a feederin Whse.-WolfCreek daily all winter, anda 9 birdwas seen theredaily Feb. 3-18 andwas found dead Mar. 3 (JL, PW). Threeto five Three-toedWoodpeckers were seennear Marsh L. at km 1414Alaska Hwy all winter (CO); one was noted2 or 3 timesin Tagish,s. Yukon, in December(WH); oneappeared occasionally at a feederin Whse.(AJ, RO); and one was observednear the Yukon R., 8 km w. of Marsh L , Dec. 16 (DR).

CORVIDS THROUGH STARLINGS -- GrayJays were abundant in all areas(m.ob.). Three Blue Jayswere observedat a feeder,and a 4th one was heardnearby at StoddartCr., F.S.J. area, Dec. 23; one was notedhere also Feb. 3 (CS). Black-billedMagpies were very common in s.w. and s. Yukon as well as in Hay River, N.W.T., andin the F.S J area. Common Raven was the most common and most visible bird speciesduring the winter seasonin all partsof the Region(m.ob), althoughHay Riverreported a declineover the years. Black-capped and Borealchickadees were very commonin all areas.There were even some Black-cappedChickadees in Dawson (c. Yukon). Up to three MountainChickadees were seenat a feederin Tagishthroughout De- cember(WH). At least one Red-breastedNuthatch overwintered in the F.S.J. area, as one was notedat StoddartCr., Dec. 16 andJan. 5 (CS) AmericanDippers were seenby 6 observersthroughout the seasonin opencreeks and rivers of s., s.w., andc. Yukonfrom km 66 Dempster Hwy south.Berries in downtownWhse. and Whse.-Takhini attracted up to 25 BohemianWaxwings in lateDecember, and one was seen as late as Jan. 18 in an area5 km w. of MarshL. (MLa). NorthernShrikes were observed twice in the F.S.J. area: an adult was seen several km n of F.S.J. on Jan. 6, and an immaturefrequented a F.S.J. suburbanneigh- borhood,attracted by a smallflock of HouseSparrows at a feeder(CS) A N. Shrikewas alsoobserved in Hay River, in late December(A & EC). Up to fourEur. Starlingswere notedin downtownF.S.J. through- ed N. Goshawks from 7 different areas in the Yukon and one in n. out the season(CS). British Columbia throughoutthe season.A Gyrfalconwas seen in Kluane N.P. in early February(RCh). SPARROWS THROUGH OLD WORLD SPARROWS -- At Deza- SpruceGrouse in numbersof one to four were reportedfrom Hay deashLodge in the s.w. Yukon, an Am. Tree Sparrowwas noted Dec River, N.W.T.; from s., s.w., and c. Yukon; and from n. British 1, one of very few winterrecords of this speciesfor the Yukon (ND, Columbia(m.ob). Six peoplereported Willow Ptarmiganfrom 7 areas HG). Theobservation of a femaleor imm. Dark-eyedJunco in F.S.J at in the Yukon and from Inuvik, MacKenzie Delta, N.W.T. One to two a feeder constituted the first winter record for that area. It was seen here White-tailedPtarmigan were observednear Mt. Granger,Fish L. area, aboutDec. 1-20(RAD,fide CS). One individualof thisspecies was also s Yukon in December(HJO), andfive "probable"White-tailed Ptarmi- reportedfrom Whse.-MacPhersonDec. 26 (RHa), andone male was ganwere notedon MontanaMt., nearCarcross, s. Yukon, Feb. 10 (PL). seen daily from Dec. 9 on in Whse.-Wolf Creek (JL, PW). Snow Two RuffedGrouse were reportedfrom the F.S.J. areaJan. 5 (JoJ,fide Buntingswere generally uncommon. In theF.S.J. area,they were noted CS), and five were seenthere Jan. 13 (CS). In Hay River, two were on 6 occasions,the largest flock havingbeen 100 birdsDec. 23 (CS) A observedDec. 29 (B & MG), andone was reported from Whse.-Mac- flock of 20 birdswas observedon the Chilkat Pass,Haines Hwy, n w PhersonDec. 26 (RHa, fide JH). Ruffed Grousewere also noted at BritishColumbia, Feb. 16 (PL). Groupsof 10-30 birdswere observed GrahamInlet, TagishL., B.C. (MB). Flocksof sixand five Sharp-tailed on 3 occasionsin the s. Yukon by 4 observersin Decemberand Febru- Grousewere seen in theF•S.J. area Jan. 13 & 20 (CS),while a flockof ary, and one to two birds were notedat Kluane L. in Januaryand six to eight was observedat the Donjek R., s.w. Yukon in February February(RHu, DM). (DM). Pine Grosbeakswere commonly observedthroughout the season High countswere 15 at StoddartCr., F.S.J. area,all winter(CS), 15 by PIGEONS THROUGH WOODPECKERS -- Rock Doves were seen the DempsterHwy 40 km s. of the EagleR., n. Yukon,Jan. 20 (DP), daily in Whse., the highestcount having been 64 on Dec. 26 (HG, and 22 in downtownWhse., Dec. 26 (HG. RMcL). The Region was RMcL). Thisrepresented an apparentdecline in thepopulation. Fort St. virtuallydevoid of crossbills,completely opposite of theprevious win- Johnhad up to 62 Rock DovesDec. 23 (JoJ,CS), while up'to 10 were ter when crossbillscould be seeneverywhere, obviously because of a seenin Taylor, s. of F.S.J. (CS). GreatHorned Owls were heard in good dramaticchange in the conecrop this winter. Ten Red Crossbillswere numbers:one to three in 6 different areasof the s. Yukon (6 observers) seenin Hay River Dec. 29 (LF), and sevenWhite-winged Crossbills andone eachin 2 areasnear F.S.J. (CS), as well as nearGraham Inlet werenoted here Dec. 29 (A & EC). White-wingedCrossbills were seen (MB). SingleSnowy Owls were seenin two areasof the s.w. Yukon: or heardseveral times in theTagish area in December(WH). Redpolls near St. Elias L., Kluane N.P., aboutFeb. 10, and at GoatherdMt., wereregularly seen this season from the c. Yukonto theF.S.J. areawith KluaneN.P., Feb. 20 (RCh). Only oneN. Hawk-Owlwas reported this thelargest flocks near F.S.J. Severalflocks or parts0f flockswere winter: at Marsh L., Dec. 16 (TMcI). A Boreal Owl was seenat the identifiedas Com. Redpolls(and in somecases apparently assumed to NorthKlondike R. by the DempsterHwy in lateJanuary (HJO). be this species).Reliable Hoary Redpoll sightings(with description A pair of DownyWoodpeckers was noted at a feedernear F.S.J., included)were as follows:two mixed with 11 Corn.Redpolls and 57 Dec. 23 (CS), andthree were observed at a feederin Hay RiverDec. 29 redpollsp. in downtownWhse., identifiedby the brilliantlywhite, (G & LF). A c• DownyWoodpecker visited a feederin Whse.once in unstreakedrump, Dec. 26 (HG, RMcL); two at MarshL. with "very Decemberand once in mid-February(A J, RO), and a 9 bird was white rump," Dec. 16 (CO); 300 Hoarieswere associatedwith 30 reportedin Whse.-WolfCreek Jan. 28 (HMacK). A totalof threeHairy Commonsat Cecil L. nearF.S.J., identifiedby CS on Jan. 20 by the Woodpeckerswas seen in 2 areasnear F.S.J., andone was examining whiterump, white undertail coverts, short, stubby bill, andgenerally

188 American Birds, Summer 1985 darkercolor of upperparts;400 were in a flock with 100 Corn. Redpolls (ND), G. & L. Froese,L. Gerard, B. & M. Green, S. Hackney,W. n. of F.S.J., Jan. 27 (CS). About 50 EveningGrosbeaks were seenat a Harms,J. Hawkings,R. Hayes(RHa). L. Hofer. R. Huckstep(RHu), feederin F.S.J. all winter,and a pairwas noted at Monmey, F.S.J. area, G. Johnston,Jerry Johnston(JeJ), JoanJohnston (JoJ), A. Jones,J. Jan. 27 (CS). In downtownF.S.J., about 100 House Sparrowswere Lammers,M. Lammers(MLa), C. & V. Latour, M. Ledergerber seenall winter(CS), and 15 werereported from a feederin Hay River(A (MLe), B. Liddie, P. Lortie, H. MacKenzie,D. Mahoney,P. Mantle, & EC). A. McCarthy,T. Mcllwain (TMcl), R. McLeod (RMcL), R. Merkitt (RMe), T. Munson(TMu), R. Ogasa,C. Osborne,H.-J. Ott (HJO), D. Petkovich,D. & S. Russell,C. Siddle,J. Thompson(JTh), J. Trapnell CONTRIBUTORS -- M. Brook, R. Carlson (RCa), R. Chambers (JTr),P. Wilson-- It. GRONBERG,Yukon Conservation Society, (RCh), K. Clarke, A. & E. Covert, R.-A. Darnall (RAD), N. Dykstra Box 4163, Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada YIA 3T3.

NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN- INTERMOUNTAIN REGION /Thomas H. Rogers COLUMB•_• ; I Although most of the Region receivedprecipitation varying from below normalto very little, mostof it fell as snow, which, becauseof temperaturesmuch below normal, persistedthroughout the period. Lakes,ponds and even somerivers were frozenover. This, alongwith •WILLIAMSLAKE •. deepsnows, caused a dearthof birdsin morenortherly areas. All in all, L it was a severewinter over the Region. Although there were some reportsof hardship,mainly among raptors, birds appeared to adaptfairly well. Feedersundoubtedly helped. Mountain snowpack was apparently high, promisingample water for summer.At Malheur NationalWildlife Refuge, Burns, Oregon, the outlookfor springwas for lower water levels,thus avoiding the disruptionsto bird life thatoccurred last year.

GREBES THROUGH HERONS -- A HornedGrebe appeared on the Snake R. near Grandview, Ida., Feb. 17 (JSM). Single Red-necked Grebeswere sightedFeb. 16 at Libby Dam, Lincoln Co., Mont. (D & DH), and on the Snake R. in the Lewiston, Ida.-Clarkston, Wash. vicinity in Decemberand January (MK, LL, CM, OM). The SnakeR. also had an Eared Grebe near Clarkston Jan. 9 + (CM, OM). A W. Grebe was at Hagennan, Ida., Jan. I (JR). An Am. White Pelican near Klamath Falls, Ore., Feb. 17 was 2-3 weeksearly (MH). Six Double-crestedCormorants wintered at Malheur N.W.R.; Twin Falls, Ida., had one Jan. 19 (JR); and two iramatures were on the Clearwater R. at Lewiston Jan. 27 & 31 (C.B., PS). The Yakima R. mouth at Richland, Wash., hosted16 cormorantsFeb. 23, as well as a beige-colored"albino" Black-crownedNight-Heron (along bersdespite the freezeup, the birds apparently using the Missouri R. and with normally-coloredbirds) Dec. I (REW). its tributaries.Columbia N.W.R., Othello, Wash., had up to 15,000 Mallards in January, increasingto 40,000 in February. Single Eur. WATERFOWL -- TundraSwan numbers had built up to 4000 in s. Wigeonsappeared at Boise,Ida., LowerKlamath N.W.R., Karoloops, KlamathCounty, Ore., by Feb. 17. A lone bird at Libby Dam, Libby, andRichland. A pair showedup in PioneerP. in Walla Walla, Wash., in Mont., was worthyof note(m.ob.). A countin the S. ThompsonR. mid-December. The Columbia R. from Wenatcheeto Orondo, Wash., drainagenear Kamioops, B.C., Jan. 13 found 685 Tundra Swans;the had 150 Greater ScaupDec. 27 and Pateros,Wash., had 22 Feb. 16 samearea had 16 TrumpeterSwans Dec. 13 (RH). Red Rock Lakes (EH). PendOreille L., near Hope, Ida., had 35 of the speciesplus an N.W.R., Lima, Mont., counted241 adultand 26 imm. TrumpetersFeb. OldsquawFeb. 19 (BW). One of the latterwas found on the PowderR., 26 (TM). The PacificFlyway Winter WaterfowlSurvey in the Malheur e. of Baker, Ore., Feb. 17 (C & MC). Libby Dam had two White- area recorded51 Trumpeters;at least two of them were shot near wingedScoters Dec. 4 (D & DH), one was on the SnakeR. at Almota, Frenchglenin January.Five of the sevenTrumpeters that were at Turn- Wash., Dec. 8 (JP), anda malewas sighted at Vantage,Wash., Feb. 18 bull N.W.R., Cheney,Wash., last summerhad returned(JHH). The (EH). Two •? Buffleheadswere observedin Waterton Lakes N.P., KlamathFalls vicinityhad a green-collaredTrumpeter Dec. 16 (SS). An Alta., Dec. 9 (TD, CP). A pairof Red-breastedMergansers was on the imm. Snow Goose was on the Snake R. at Lewiston Feb. 9-10 (RN, SnakeR. nearAsotin, Wash., Feb. 4 (B & US), andtwo malesfrequent- C.B.), one was with Canadas near Pocatello Feb. I (JSh). and one ed the Link R. at KlamathFalls Feb. 3 (SS). One appearedon the wintered in the Malheur Basin (CDL). Columbia N.W.R., Othello, ColumbiaR. near OrondoDec. 27 (EH). Three femalesat Sunnyside Wash.,had up to 6000 winteringCanada Geese, increasing to 40,000by Jan. 1-20 were Sieracki'sfirst for the Sandpoint.Ida.. area. Feb. 20 (JRR). The wintersurvey around Malheur counted 5777 West- ern and 40 LesserCanadas. Unusually high numbersof the birdsap- VULTURES THROUGH GALLINACEOUS BIRDS -- Two Tur- pearedin theHelena, Mont., vicinity(GH), butice-bound waters appar- key Vultureswere reported in the lower YakimaValley, Wash., Feb. 10 ently kept numberslow elsewherein that area. Lack of openwater (Y.A.S.) Two Ospreysfrequented the vicinity of Minidoka N.W.R., forcedall waterfowlout of KootenaiN.W.R., BonnersFerry, Ida., and Rupert,Ida. (JH). Up to 300 Bald Eaglesused the Bear Valley N.W.R. nearly all out of Turnbull N.W.R. Wintering numbersat Metcalf roosts.w. of KlamathFalls in February.Fish killed by turbinesat Libby N.W.R., Stevensville, Mont., were also below normal and few were Dam kept at least56 Bald Eaglesthere, and40 at Market Lake W.M.A., found on the Malheur winter survey. Roberts, Ida., possiblywere attractedby a fish kill. Their numbers Thetrout farm near Pocatello, Ida., cameup with anAm. BlackDuck appearedup in the SnakeR.-Asotin-Grande Ronde R. area of Asotin for Trost's 2nd sightingthere. The Helenaarea had high Mallard num- Co., Wash. SingleFerruginous Hawks were reportedbetween Irrigon

Volume 39, Number 2 189 and Boardman,Ore , Jan 6 (BC, C & MC) and at Enterprise,Ore , CHICKADEES THROUGH WARBLERS -- Three or four Boreal Feb.16 (TC, HN), andthe Klamath Basin had 4 sightingsin December Chickadeesaccompanied Chestnut-backed and Mountain chickadees w and January(SS). of Crestbn, B.C., Feb. 28 (PRS). Two to threeChestnut-backeds visited Rough-leggedHawk and Golden Eagle numberswere low in the feedersregularly in Wateriontownsite, Alta.-(KG, SL, MDO, m.ob ), Idaho Nat'l EngineeringLaboratory area, Arco, Ida., becauseof the and a few showedup for the first time in the Clarkston-Asotinvalley, jackrabbitpopulation crash (TR). Rough-leggedHawks outnumbered Wash.Juniper slopes near Frenchglen, Ore., yieldeda countof 195 Red-tailedHawks in the Walla Walla area. The goodnumbers of both Bushtits(CDL). A CanyonWren at LibbyDam madethe latilong's first speciesthere were surprisingin view of the persistentsnow cover. (WH). The specieswas noted near Vernon and OkanaganLanding, Rough-leggedHawk and N. Harriernumbers were very high at Colum- B.C.; it is unusualat any time in the n. Okanagan(PR). Two Bewick's bia N.W.R. Numbersof the former specieswere alsohigh in theMoun- Wrenswere againfound at HeadgateP., s. of Asotin,Wash. (RN), and tain Home and Weiser, Ida., vicinities and in the Klamath Basin. Malheur had one (MA). Rough-leggedswintered in goodnumbers in the Malheurarea but other A d' W. Bluebirdfluttered at a picturewindow in OakleyFeb. 22 for raptorswere relatively scarce there because of food shortages.Raptors a rare appearanceof the speciesin s. Idaho(MSp). Two malesof the brought to the Montana Wildlife Dept. at Helena for nursingwere specieswere sighted on theSnake R. Birdsof PreyNatural Area near supposedlyweakened by lack of food causedby snowyconditions. The Murphy,Ida., Feb. 24? for the first/'ecord there (JD, JSM). A pairof cause for abnormal numbers of Red-tailed Hawks and Great Horned MountainBluebirds was sightedJan., 12 nearRogersburg, Wash. (PS, Owls founddying at Turnbull N.W.R. is beinginvestigated. Two Per- OM, MK), and a few wintered at Malheur (CDL). American Robins egrineFalcon and 8 Gyrfalconsightings were reported;one Gyrfalcon winteredabundantly in the Walla Walla valley and were commonat wasa wh!te-phasebird. The deepsnow in morenortherly areas forced Spokane.Five winteredat Libby. Largenumbers showed up at Moun- most of the raptorsout. tain Home at the end of January. The Wild Turkey flock at Prairie,Ida., numbered17 in December TheRichland-Pasco areahad 2 sightingsof N. Mockingbirdsin (KBP), and four birds were sighteds. of Imnaha, Ore. (RA). December(REW et al.) and one was found at Wawawai, Wash., Dec 8 SHOREBIRDS THROUGH OWLS -- Waterton Lakes N.P., Alta., and Jan. 5 (JP). A Brown Thrasher at Sunriver,Ore., from early hada loneKilldeer Dec. 9 (TD, CP). A GreaterYellowlegs frequented a Decemberon was the county'sfirst and madee. Oregon'sfirst winter pondnear Asotin Dec. 2 (RM), andone found Dec. 17 at a hotspring w. record(BM, DD, TC, CMi). BohemianWaxwings put in goodappear- of Malheur likely wintered(JLe, MS). A late LesserYellowlegs was ancesin e. Washington,s. Idaho, and at Helena. At Twin Falls, Ida, along the Malheur R. near Riverside,Ore., Dec. 7 (DP). Up to 10 CedarWaxwing numbersequalled those of Bohemians.A few Logger- Dunlinswere sighted at theYakima delta on 2 Decemberdates, and one head Shrikes wintered in the Malheur Basin but N. Shrikes outnumbered wasthere Feb. 23 (REW). A Ring-billedGull wasback at Libby Dam them. EuropeanStarlings wintered in the Windermere,B.C., District Feb.27. A few hundredRing-billed and California, over 100 Herring, for the 2nd year. A Townsend'sWarbler near Bend, Decemberto mid- andone to two Glaucous-wingedgulls wintered around Klamath Falls. February,made the county'sfirst winterrecord and one of very few for An imm. GlaucoUsGull wasidentified Jan. 20 on PendOreille L. (BW). e. Oregon(Tc). Very few Corn. Barn-Owlswere reported.However, one Common SPARROWSTHROUGH BLACKBIRDS -- An Am Tree SpalTow, Barn-Owl in a barnnear Hamilton Jan. 28 wasapparently the first ever a SongSparrow and a Harris' Sparrowvisited a feederat CanalFlat, for w. Montana(CPo et al.). Malheur had 3 sightingsof singlebirds. B.C., Jan. 13 (LH). An Am. Tree Sparrownear KlamathFalls Dec 16 One at Walla Walla was later eaten by a Great Horned Owl. In the was noteworthy(SS). Single White-throatedSparrows wintered near Lewiston-Asotin area all Com. Barn-Owl records were of dead ones, Missoula, Mont. (PLW), and at Watertontownsite, Alta. (SL, MDO, mostlypiles of feathersand supposedly victims of GreatHorned Owls. m.ob..).Richland had a Golden-crownedSparrow Dec. 23 (REW). One A bird reportedas a FlammulatedOwl, mobbedby chickadeesand wasat WawawaiJan. 5 (JP) andat leasttwo appearedat Potlatch,Ida , nuthatches,appeared near Newport, Wash., Dec. 5 andJan. 4 (EJL). A Feb. 22 (EP, OM). White-crownedSparrows wintered in numbersat very rare sightingwas of a Great HornedOwl of the Arctic race along Pateros,Wash.; 97 were bandedthere (GB). One of this speciesfre- Hwy I2 w. of Walla Walla (SM etal.). A few SnowyOwls appearedin quenteda Waterton feeder Dec. 20-28 (SL). A very few Harris'.Spar- c Washingtonand in the Boardman-Irrigon,Ore., areas.The only N. rows appearedat Kamloopsand Vernon;in the Walla.Walla area, at Hawk-Owlreported was one in the Yakima,Wash.i area(Y.A.S.). Hermiston,Ore.; at Pocatello;and near Livingston and Missoula, Mont Mountain Home had a BurrowingOwl Jan. 31 (PS). Clarkston'sceme- A Windermerefeeder hosted a Dark-eyedJunco Dec. 16 (LH). The only tery had a BarredOwl Feb. 10 (C.B.). SingleGreat Gray Owls were LaplandLongspurs reported were one using a Bendfeeder Dec. 2 to sightednear Vernonand Oliver, B.C. (DR, JM), andnear Tetonia and mid-January(L & BS, TC) and a few around Klamath Falls (SS) Shoshone,Ida. (CHT, TR, JR). A Short-earedOwl at Windermere, Kamloopsreported a flock of 600 Snow Buntings,and DouglasCo , B C., Dec. 16 madea rare sighting(LH), and a pair near Hampton, Wash., and Red Rock Lakesnoted them as common.Sixty at Malheur Ore., was unexpected(TC, CMi). Several emaciatedBoreal Owls, was a high number there but few were reportedelsewhere. either deador dying, were found in s. interiorBritish Columbia (GD, TwoRed-winged Blackbirds wintered at a Libbyfeeder (K.B.C.) and JW, RH). presenceof the speciesat CamasN.W.R., Hamer, Ida., Jan. I2 was HUMMINGBIRDS THROUGH RAVENS-- An Anna'sHumming- unusual(S. R. A. S.). Two Yellow-headedBlackbirds accompanied Red- bird wasseen at Bend, Ore., duringJanuary and February (JS, KC) and wingedBlackbirds for 2 weeksin lateJanuary at Helena(GH). A Rusty one was reportedat Spokane,Wash. Belted Kingfishersapparently Blackbirdappeared at a feedlotnear Vernon Feb. 9 (PR) andup to four became casualties of the cold winter in s. interior British Columbia for Brown-headedCowbirds were there through February for the first win- nonewas seen after December.A White-headedWoodpecker appeared ter recordfor the area(JG). A Corn.Grackle was sighted near American in Walla Walla Dec. 15 (BH) andtwo weresighted at IdahoCity, Ida., Falls Dam, s. Ida., about Feb. 28 (DB). Feb. 16 (PG, ES). A N. Flickerof the Yellow-shaftedrace was sighted at Bigfork, Mont. (TCI). FINCHES -- RosyFinches appeared plentiful in the Kamloopsvicin- Say's Phoebeswere returningin February.One near Union, Ore., ity, in Okanogan,Douglas, and Grant counties,Wash., and in the Feb. 16 wasvery early and one the next day at Bendwas 10 daysahead vicinityof Clarkston,but werescarce or absentelsewhere. One at Trail, of schedule.One hadreached Osoyoos, B.C., by Feb. 24. Violet-green B.C., wasnoteworthy (ME). A widespreadincursion of PineGrosbeaks Swallowsarrived at OkanaganLanding, B.C., Feb. 25, an unusually occurredfrom s. BritishColumbia as far s. asMalheur and e. throughn earlydate there. Single Blue Jays appeared near Invermere, B.C. (LH); Idaho and into Montanaas far e. as Livingston.Purple Finches were s of Pocatello (CHT); at Mountain Home (KBP); w. of Missoula, identifiedin the Walla Walla area(SM, RMo, CH, CS) andtwo females Mont. (PM); at Kamiak Butte S.P., Whitman Co., Wash. (JP, C & DG); appearednear Orondo,Wash. (EH). Flocksof Red Crossbillswere at Dixie, Wash. (GY, EM); and at Crescent,Ore., for Klamath Coun- reportedat Pocatelloand Walla Walla but elsewhere they were seeming- ty's first record(SS). A few Am. Crowswintered in the Libby vicinity ly scarceor absent.White-winged Crossbills staged something of an and least 300 Com. Ravensfrequented the landfil.lthere all winter. invasionin the Pocatelloarea (CHT), MountainHome reporteda male Roost site counts of these birds in the Malheur Basin showed at least (KBP), andRexburg, Ida., hada pair(DH). A veryfew werenoted in s I363 in early February. British Columbia.

190 American Birds, Summer 1985 CommonRedpolls amved in forcebut apparently missed extreme n Six Bohemian Waxwings found in KananasklsP P , Ferme, B C , Idaho and n.w. Montana. A flock of 250 was found near Union, Ore., stronglysuggested breeding there (DFF, R & DL). Two SolitaryVireos and 2 smaller flocks were near Baker, Ore. Mann Cr., n. of Weiser, were on the ReedpointBreeding Bird SurveyJune 20, 1984 for a Ida, had a flock of 200, and smallernumbers were sightedin the latilongfirst (WEH, SSc, AS, SC). A singingc• BlackburnianWarbler, Pocatello,Rexburg, and Idaho Falls areas. Idaho National Engineering first for the latilongand 7th for Montana,was discoveredat Kirk Hill Laboratoryhad about 50 for the2nd record there (TRe). The specieswas Nature Area s. of Bozeman June 28, 1984 (WEH, SC, AS). Three commonin thes. Okanagan.A flock of 400 plus a bonusof threeHoary singingBaird's Sparrows n. of Big Timber, Mont., June20, 1984made Redpollsvisited Pearrygin L., Winthrop,Wash. (EH). AnotherHoary latilong firsts (WEH, SSc). frequenteda Spokane feeder with House Finches for severalweeks and wasphotographed at closerange (F & JP,BW, m.ob.). Severalreports OBSERVERSCITED (areaeditors in boldface)-- MerleArchie, of HoaryRedpolls came from the Kamloops-Vernonareas (RH, H & RichardArnold, Dave Burrup,Canyon Birders (C.B.), GeorgeBrady, .I'M,JG). Fifty PineSiskins used a Twin Fallsfeeder and the birds were Tommi Clark (TC1) Becky Corder,Craig & Marion Corder, Sharon abundantat feedersat Malheur. Very few were reportedelsewhere. Cotterell, Kathi Crabtree, Tom Crabtree, Dave Danley, Gary David- AmericanGoldfinches wintered at feedersat Missoulaand Livingston. son,Teresa Dolman, JohnDoremus, Maurice Ellison, David F. Fraser, They were alsoreported from Walla Walla and from Douglasand Carole& Dale Goble,Ken Goble,James Grant, PaulGurn, Jack H Okanogancounties, Washd Large numbers of EveningGrosbeaks at Hagan, Larry Halverson,Gertie Hanson(GHa), W. Edward Harper, Walla Walla ran up the bill therefor sunflowerseeds. Helena had high William Harryman,Bill Hayes,Dick & Della Hermsmeyer,John Hill, numbersand they were common at Malheur,but their appearance else- George Holton, Mike Houck, Chris Howard, Rick Howie, Eugene wherewas spottyand generallyunimpressive. Hunn, Don Hunter, Merlene Koliner, KootenaiBird Club (K.B.C), JimLane, Earl J. Larrison,Louise LaVoie, Jim Lemos (JLei, Carroll D Littlefield, Robert& Dierdre Love, Simon Lunn, Pat Mandzak, Jeffrey CORRIGENDUM -- Both Black and Corn. Terns were presentat S. Marks, JohnMathews, MassachusettsAububo. n Society(M.A.S), American Falls Res., May 3, 1984 (AB 38:938). Hue & Jo Anne MacKenzie, Bill McDonald, Terry McEheaney,Carole Mcintyre, Opal Mcintyre, Ed McMackin, Craig Miller (CMi), Rudy ADDENDA -- An ad. Cooper'sHawk s.e. of Reedpoint,Mont., Miniutti, Ruth Moorhead (RMo), Shirley Muse, Harry Nehls, Ron June28, 1984provided the latilong'sfirst summerrecor d (WEH, SC, Neu, Michael D. O'Shea, Jeff Palmer, Dave Paullin, Chris Pielou, AS) Two Virginia Rails were sightednear Belgrade,Mont., in June, Frank & JunePotter, Colleen Powell (CPo), Kerry B. Provance,Elea- 1984 (WEH, JL, SC, M.A.S.). A meticulouslydescribed and re- nor Pruett, Phil Ranson, JamesR. Rees, Tim Reynolds(TRe), Terry searchedTemminek's Stint was sightednear Potholes Res., s. of Mo- Rich, David Richards,JeffRuprecht, Jack Schwartz, Susan Scott (SSc), sesL , Wash., Sept. 1-2, 1981,for North America's2nd recordoutside Lloyd & BarbaraSharp, Bill & Una Shepherd,Connie Sherer,John of Alaska (EH, m.ob.). Apologies,Gene, for neglectingthis for so Shipley (JSh), Paul R. Sieracki, Snake River Audubon Society long SeveralCorn. Poorwillswere calling at ReedpointJune 28, 1984 (S.R.A.S.), Miriam Spencer(MSp), Martin St. Louis (MS), Alison for thelatilong's first (WEH, SC, AS). A maleand two • Williamson's Street, Paul Sullivan, Steve Summers,Eileen Synnott, Charles H. Sapsuckerswere found at HenrysL., FremontCo., Ida., June14, 1984 Trost, Bart Whelton, Robert E. Woodley, John Woods, Philip L. (WEH). Four Chestnut-backedChickadees that stayed at Coeur d' Wright, Yakima AudubonSociety (Y.A.S.), GladysYaw.--THOM- Alene, Ida., all summerand fall, 1984,presumably nested there (GHa). AS H. ROGERS, E. 10820 Maxwell, Spokane, WA 99206.

MOUNTAIN WEST REGION which their membersreport. Except for very rare speciesand large flockswhich obviously persist in the sameplace (ducks and some other /HughE. Kingery waterbirds),they do not weed out multiple observationsof the same bird(s). In Boulder, the Boulder AudubonSociety has compiledits The combination of birds which flocked into the Mountain West this wildlife inventoryfor about 10 years, with contributionsfrom 15-40 winterincluded both the typicaland the atypical,and both montane and people.(Bob Kaempfer took over the compiler's chore last year.) In the northernspecies. Three species involved in thismix do not, in this FoothillsAudubon Club territory,the recordsdate back far longer,with Region, typically engagein invasions:White-winged Crossbills (too the cardfile goingfrom onecompiler to the next. (JeanChristensen has rare), Pine Grosbeaks(sedentary in the high mountains),and shrikes this seasonpassed the baton,with 40-50 observershanging on, to Jim (toofew). The oddmix alsoincluded more typical invaders: Red Cross- Dennis.)As a scientificcensus this uncontrolled reporting obviously has bills, CommonRedpolls, Cassin's Finches, Red-breasted Nuthatches, dubiousaccuracy. The Foothills AudubonClub reportsprovide the BohemianWaxwings, Mountain Chickadees (maybe), and Red-tailed and Rough-leggedhawks. A few longspurstrickled into southern Utah--including the state'sfirst McCown's. At the sametime, several commonspecies wintered in lessernumbers than usual: juncos, White- crowned and American Tree sparrows,and Snow Buntings. These movementsseemed unrelated to weather in the Region, with one specificexception (see Purple Finches at Las Vegas).(Available food, here and elsewhere, may offer a more plausible explanation.) Generallytemperatures ran colderthan normal,precipitation average. But with the coldertemperatures, snow stayed on the groundall winter even in the valley and plainscities where it usuallymelts during the winter.

REPORT FORMATS -- Reportsfrom whichthis columnis derived assumea varietyof formats,depending on the kind of datareported. Contributorsvary their presentation depending upon whether they report only their own observationsor collectdata from many observers. Two Coloradoneighbors, Boulder and the Longmont/Lyons/Berth- oud/Lovelandarea, reportgross numbers of birdsseen. In thosetwo Audubongroups, compilers total all theindividual birds of eachspecies

Volume 39, Number 2 191 solutionto thisfallacy: the reportsto AmericanBirds includethe totals George'sEur. Wigeon stayedonly until Dec. 28 (SH). from the previousseason. In thisway they give a roughcomparison of Zion reportedsurprising numbers of Ring-neckedDucks at the local abundancefrom one year to the next. waterhole (the communitysewage ponds); the 300 in Decemberout- The geniusof thesesystems lies in the use of data providedby numberedall ducksexcept Mallards (JG). Three locationsreported ordinarybird watchers,and the collectionof dataon ordinarybirds. It GreaterScaups: 27 Dec. 27 at Delta, Colo.. whichalso had a flock last incorporatestheir observationsinto a formatwith someutility. As the year (MJ); one at Wheat Ridge, Colo., Jan. 3-24 and, 10-15 mi s. in record-keepingcontinues year after year, the utility increases.I use Denver,one Feb. 2 (D.F.O.); plusthree at SaltLake City Feb. 28 (ES). thesereports not as a "cornpleat"census but rather for comparative The only Oldsquawreported was a mid-winterbird at BonnyRes., purposes thedata adds specificity to whatoften are subjective impres- Colo., Jan. 25 (WL, JR). A Black Scorerjoined two Surf Scotersat sions. GreatSalt L., Dec. 1-2 (•'ES,m.ob.). Barrow's Goldeneyes, as usual, ChristmasBird Counts:The reportwhich followsincludes frequen- flew all theway s. toDavis Dam, butonly four individuals (Jan. 12, J & cies calculatedfor severalof the commonerspecies on a party-hour MC) [However,see Southwest Region (Arizona)•K.K.]. They win- ("ph") basis.The figuresexclude Nevada, unlessotherwise specified. teredin theusual places, especially Wyoming, where Back reported on The averagescover countsfrom 1972 to 1983. themin Dubois:"I counton thefemales' orange bills as thefirst sign of spring,in February;but I saw2 orangebills on Dec. 1i, andon Feb. 2, ABBREVIATIONS -- ? = written descriptionon file; # = no in a flockof 3 I, I saw10 femaleswith orangebills!" More thanthe usual written descriptionsubmitted by deadline; L/L/BIL = Longmont! HoodedMergansers appeared in s. partsof theRegion: one at LasVegas Lyons/BerthoutFLovelandarea. Colorado; 1st Lat = first recordfor a in Januaryand 15 in s. Utah in January. Latilong. HAWKS. EAGLES-- Raptorobservations increased, particularly in LOONS THROUGH WATERFOWL -- Las Vegasreported more Colorado:up 50% at GrandJct., up 10% at Monte Vista, unusually Arctic Loons (three to four in December) than Corn. Loons (one Jan. 16 abundantat Eagle until they and the local cats"trimmed the mouse and one Jan. 12 at Davis Dam, 150 mi to the s.--VM, J & MC). A Corn. populationdown to a morecustomary level" (JM), andon a transectnear Loon at Denver foundenough open water to winter(D.F.O.). Horned Boulder, Colo., from 10.0/countto 14.2/count(SJ). Bald Eagles Grebeshad returned by Feb. 25-•one eachat St. George,Utah (DHo, dropped50% in c. Utah andincreased in theSan Luis Valley, Colo. At SH) andDenver (WWB), but oneappeared in DenverJan. 3-4 (JR). At Casper,about 80 roostedin the 4 canyonswhich attractthem. On Provo, Utah, eight to l0 EaredGrebes wintered (DF); one was at Salt C.B.C.s, N. Harriersdropped to. 13/party-hour,half theiraverage. The LakeCity Jan. 1 (ES). At LasVegas, W. Grebespeaked Dec. 15at 375, decreasestems from marshhabitat succumbing to the risingwaters of includingfive light-phasebirds (VM). January29 sawsingle W. Grebes Great Salt L. Of the 3 counts which accounted for 271 of the 412 harriers at St. George, Utah (SH, JG), and Boulder, Colo. (WWB). One Am. on last year's C.B.C.s, Bear River (126 last year) did not conducta White Pelicanwas still at Salt Lake City Dec. 15 (ES). Davis Dam countthis year, and the combinedcount at Ogdenand Salt Lake City attractedone Great EgretJan. i I (VM). At Ruby Lake N.W.R., Nev., droppedfrom 145 to 81. The C.B.C. countof .054 aecipiters/party- one to threeSnowy Egrets remained through December (CE). hour,a dropfrom thelast 3 years,equaled the 11-yearaverage. Region- Small numbers of Tundra Swans wintered: 30-40 at Kirch W.M.A., al totalsof the3 speciesfor theseason also dropped, particularly Coop- Nev., 20 at Ruby L., and six to I 1 at Grand Jct.. Colo., the latter er's Hawks(76 Sharp-shinned,20 Cooper's,34 N. Goshawks).One of unusual (A.S.W.C.). Unusual December observationsincluded six at the Goshawks,in Sheridan,Wyo., fed on a suetfeeder l0 ft from a back Cody, Wyo., Dec. 3 (UK), oneDec. 15 at Niwot, Colo., leadinga flock door(MC). Utah's3rd Red-shoulderedHawk, foundon theSt. George of CanadaGeese (LH), andone Dec. 22-23 at Evanston,Wyo. (CK). A C.B.C., stayedthrough Jan. 6 (MW, •'SH, ES ph.). Greater White-frontedGoose wintered at Grand Jct. (A.S.W.C.), and The Region enjoyedan abundanceof the 3 most commonwinter 60 mi s. at Deltaone Jan. 13 provideda 1stLat record.For the 2rid year buteos.Red-tailed Hawks increasedon C.B.C. counts--.21/party-hour Ross' Geese wintered at Grand Jct.--nine this winter (A.S.W.C.). In againstan averageof. 125. The Bouldertransect found 2.8 Red-taileds addition,Las Vegashad single Ross' Geese Dec. 15 andJan. 22 (VM), and4.6 Ferruginousper count, against 2.3 and2.7/count last year (S J). ande. Coloradohad one Dec. 23 andthree in January(D.F.O., MJ). In FerruginousHawks seemedespecially numerous, particularly in the e. Coloradoin early December,Canada Geese exceeded their 3-year Front Rangearea from Denver to Cheyenneand east:B.A.S. reported average, with 69,836 cf. a 58,328 average;by Jan. 7 the numbers 127 observationsover the winterin BoulderCounty, and L/L/BIL had droppedto 27,451, still over the 3-yearaverage of 22,564 (C.D.W.). 22 observationsagainst 7 last year (F.A.C.). Rough-leggedHawks Wintering ducks in e. Coloradodropped from the 3-year average: posted the highest-ever C.B.C. count: .22/party-hour (average, 99.050 cf. the 140,570average (C.D.W.). MonteVista N.W.R., Colo., .17 l/ph). UtahC. B_C.s especiallycounted high numbers (perhaps mak- attracted16,500 winteringMallards (10,000 lastyear), and 5000 win- ing up for the missingharriers); Salt Lake City, Ogden, and Logan teringCanada Geese (4000 last year--MS). The Region'sfirst Cinna- togethercounted 178 cf. 78 last year. mon Teal of the springarrived at St. George, Utah, Feb. 8 (SH). St. GROUSE TO SHOREBIRDS -- At Ruby L., Evansreported there were no observationsof Chukarsin the pastyear, and thatSage Grouse counts,both on the refuge and on the struttinggrounds. evidenced a rapid decline. Observersfound winter Sorasin 3 places:Zion Dec. 8 (JG), RubyL., Dec. 13(CE), andtwo at Richfield,Utah, Feb.22 (LW). Webb reportedthat the Great Salt L. is not the only Utah lake losing habitat:Utah L., a large, natural,fresh-water lake nearProvo, has seen loss of habitat for the samereason--rising waters. "Most obviously affectedso far hasbeen the Corn. Moorhen,which has lost significant amountsof coverand is moresusceptible to beingshot by duck hunters lookingfor a target. In s. Utah, the Washingtonsewage lagoons have beendrained, thus wiping out a fairly sizablepopulation of moorhens." By Feb. 28, 1275 SandhillCranes had arrivedat Lund, Nev. (CS), and90% of the MonteVista spring flock had arrived (MS). A Killdeerat Eagle, Colo., Feb. I fed in a spring-fedditch; when he bobbedup and down his tail hit the waterand a small iciclehung from it (JM). Winter shorebirdsincluded 20 peepsand an Am. Avocetat ProvoDec. 3 (DF), a Greater Yellowlegsat Denver Jan. 12 in its traditionalwinter place (D.F.O.), small numbersof LeastSandpipers at Las Vegasall winter, Subadult Black Scoter in Great Salt Lake. Utah. Dec. 1. 1984. and a mid-JanuaryDunlin at Las Vegas(J & MC). CommonSnipe Photo/Ella Sorensen. typicallywinter alongopen water courseseven in the snowcountry:

192 American Birds, Summer 1985 peakcount at Eaglewas nine Jan. 18 (JM); butone at Jensen,Utah, Feb. WRENS TO WARBLERS -- A House Wren remained at Zion Dec 10 was unusual(LF, DC). 17-30(JG). GrandJct. reported surprising Blue-gray Gnatcatchers: one Jan. 30, two Feb. 16 (# A.S.W.C.). An E. Bluebirdvisited Boulder GULLS TO HUMMINGBIRDS -- Jan. 14 (BJ). By late FebruaryW. Bluebirdshad returnedto s.w. Utah ands.w. Colorado,while Mountain Bluebirds began their spring return SoAo in mid-Februaryat Pueblo,Boulder, and Delta, Colo. EarlyMountain Tove andFischer conducted a surveyof gullsin c. Utah, from Bluebirdsappeared at DenverJan. 15 (D.F.O.) andYellowstone Feb 7 Provon. to Farmington;they studied4 dumpswhich attracted (JZ). Casper,Denver, and Durango reported fewer Townsend's Soli- thousandsof gullsthrough the winter.(They will publishdetails taires.In betweenthese cities, L/L/B/L reporteda few morethan usual of theirresearch elsewhere.) They foundabout 7400 gullsJan. 2- A Hermit Thrash skulkedat Zion Jan. 14 (JG). AmericanRobins win- 3 and 14,600 Feb. 26. By mid-winterthe gulls establisheda teredthrough much of theRegion, as usual, with then. peaka countof patternof roostingon the Great Salt L. and commutingto the 38 at Story, Wyo., wherethey fed on chokecherriesfrozen on the bush variousdumps. Ring-billeds maintained steady numbers through (MC). Other peakcounts included 200 Jan. 18 at GlenwoodSprings, the periods5180 Jan. 2-3 and 5800 Feb. 26•but Californias Colo. (RP), 217 at LoganFeb. 2 (KD), and2000 Feb. 9 in n.e. Colorado increasedfrom 1400Jan. 2-3 to 8700 Feb. 26. They reportedthe (D. F.O.). Observersfound six Varied Thrushes: Cedar City, Utah, Dec followingas well: Mew Gulls, apparentlythree different birds-- 17-18(LR, ?SH ph.), GrandJct., Dec. 15-18(A.W.S.C.), Boulder an adult and two different immatures--Dec. 19, Jan. 26-30, and Dec. 8-Jan.7 (B.A.S.), andtwo differentones Jan. 5 & 18 at Bonny Feb. 4 (theseprovided Utah's 2nd through 4th records--?MT); Res., Colo. (WL, DM, ?LH). 700 Herring Gulls Feb. 2; 15-30 Thayer'sGulls throughthe A surprisingvariety of mimidsgraced the Region.Separate Gray winter;three to five differentGlaucous-winged Gulls Nov. 20- Catbirdsappeared at Boulder, Dec. 7 and Jan. 6-9 (PW, BJ). A N Mar. 18 (thestate's first records; see preceding issue); probably Mockingbirdthat wintered at Daytonin n. Wyomingpatronized a feeder six GlaucousGulls, the maximumat onetime threeFeb. 26; and androosted in juniper trees (MR). Anothermockingbird, attracted espe- hybridsthey identifiedas Glaucous-wingedx Western(two cially by a birdbath,wintered at Penrose,Colo., Jan.2-Feb. 17 (RW) birds)and a Glaucousx Herringwhich they regarded as the same Denver reportedthem Jan. 4 & 18 (WWB, TM). At snowy Eldora, bird seenat Logan in October.Other Utah bird watcherssaw Colo., a Brown Thrasherwintered (JCh). someof each species. BohemianWaxwings descendedin drovesover the n. two-thirdsof the Region. Flocks of severalhundred populated several Wyoming cities(e.g., peaksof 500 at Casper,400 at Sheridan,300 at Cheyenne, Elsewherein the Region, a Mew Gull sojournedin DenverJan. 27- and200 at Cody). Similarflocks ranged through Denver and Boulder Feb 26 (D.F.O., •'LH). CaliforniaGulls also made mid-winter visits to Boulderreported total observationsof 4885 in January(B.A.S.) whale Nlwot, Colo., Jan. 26 (LH) and Denver Feb. 10+ (D.F.O.). At Las L/L/B/L tallied 3762 for the winter (2000 last year--F.A.C.). The Vegasone to two Thayer'swintered, and at Denverseven did so.About Region'schampion flock, estimatedat 2000, took 30 secondsto pass a dozenGlaucous Gulls came into n.e. Colorado.The SpottedDove over Killpack'syard in Ogden,Utah, Jan. 24•but that was his only populationin SaltLake City hasdwindled enough that it probablylacks observationthis winter! They rangedas far s. as GlenwoodSprings, the statusof an establishedspecies in Utah (ES). A BurrowingOwl GrandJct., and Provo, andeven Nevada had a few--a flock Dec. 13-20 appearedat Las VegasJan. 15 andstayed (VM). The only GreatGray at RubyL. thatpeaked Dec. 14 at 55 (CE), andone found dead at Carson Owl reportcame from its residentstronghold of YellowstoneN.P., Jan. City Feb. 24 (BP). CedarWaxwings also spread over the Region, but in 21 (JZ). An unknownspecies of hummingbirdstayed at ProvoDec. 1- muchsmaller numbers, and farthers., to placeslike Lamar, Colo, 24, apparentlycoming to a feeder(fide MW). Durango,and CedarCity (where their numberswere down 50% from usual--SH). WOODPECKERS TO NUTHATCHES -- Christmas Bird Counts The C.B.C. count of .079 shrikes(both species)per party-hour, talliedan average. 17 Downy Woodpeckers/ph and a below-average.08 highestof the 12 years, comparedwith a .04 average.Observers in Halnes/ph(average . 106), the latter affectedby a drop at Evergreen, Evergreenand Boulder specifically mentioned high numbersof shrikes Colo , from63 to 24. NorthernFlickers weighed in at .74/party-hour,an present.A Black-throatedBlue Warbler, reported late, was found dead averagecount. Grand Jct. came up with a Say's PhoebeJan. 14 Nov. 3 in Golden,Colo. (JB). The few reportsof Yellow-rumped (A S W.C.). A q?Vermilion Flycatcher,formerly regular at several Warblersincluded singles Jan. 13 at Salt Lake City (ES) and Golden sitesin s. Nevada,wintered at Las Vegasfor the firstoccurrence there in Jan. 25 (WF). severalyears (J & MC). Tree Swallowsbegan their northwardtrek early oneat Las VegasFeb. 22 (VM) andone at Stansbury,Utah, Feb. TOWHEES TO BLACKBIRDS -- A Green-tailedTowhee spent 28 (ES). Las Vegasalso had a very earlyViolet-green Swallow Feb. 26 Dec. 16-Jan.1 at Boulder(LH). Unusualin a Wyoming winter, single (VM). The Steller'sJay C.B.C. tally of .57/party-hourequaled the Rufous-sidedTowhees appeared in CheyenneDec. 11 (H.P.A.S.) and averageof thepast 6 years,but was much lower than the 12-yearaverage JacksonFeb. 5 (J.H.B.C.). The67 Rufous-crownedSparrows observed of 83/ph.The Black-billedMagpie's C.B.C. countof 2.79/phdropped near Zion during the winter exceededall the previousUtah records from an average 3.2/ph. Black-cappedChickadees increased on combined;Gifford accomplishedthe count by settingup a feeding C B C.s, 1.22/phcf. a 1.11 average,yet GrandJct. andL/L/B/L both stationat PineCr., a knownsite for them. The C.B .C. averagefor Am reportedfewer thiswinter (the lattercounted 150 this winterafter 212 TreeSparrows dropped to 2.11/phfrom an average 2.32/ph. Two Brew- last year). er's Sparrowsconsorted with a flockof mixedsparrow species at Delta, Typicallyin winterMountain Chickadees form flocksof 10-50in the Colo., Jan.8-Feb. 23; Janosidentified his remarkable find by distinctive subalpineforests of the high country.This winter, in the IndianPeaks behavioras well asfield marks. A White-throatedSparrow wintered at areaof w. BoulderCo., Colo., theyalmost disappeared•with 8 obser- Zion for the 2nd winter(JG), andone was at SaltLake City Dec. 15 and vationsof 11 cf. 8 observationsof 364 last year (DH)--while on the Jan. 13 (K & JT). Denverboasted a Golden-crownedSparrow Dec. 28- plainsin e. BoulderCounty L/L/B/L counted141 this winter cf. 54 last Feb. 24 (•'LH, D.F.O.). ChristmasBird Countsfound many fewer year (F.A.C.). MountainChickadees also increased on C.B.C. s, from a White-crownedSparrows-- 1.71/ph against.a 2.3 average.L/L/B/L's 1 26/phaverage to 1.49/ph.These figures suggest that they left thehigh total reflectedthat also---51cf. 184. Dark-eyedJuncos reflected the countryin favorof thefoothills and plains. The modest numbers in other sametrend: 4.94/ph vs. 5.8/ph, and667 at L/L/B/L vs. 1156 lastyear FrontRange cities like Denver,Boulder, and Cheyenne implied that the The singleMeCown's LongspurDec. 29 andthe two Jan. 5 at St dispersalwas selective,not universal.A Plain Titmousewas at Salt Georgegave Utah its firstverified records (•'MW, DF). Thethree to five LakeCity Dec. 30 (DJ). Smallflocks of Red-breastedNuthatches found LaplandLongspurs found Jan. 5 at St. Georgehad traveled very far S hlbernaclesthroughout the Region's'piedmont and valley towns. Salt (?MW, DF). Top countof LaplandLongspurs came from Cheyenne, Lake City also had unusualWhite-breasted Nuthatches (2 observa- 300 Jan.20 with a flock of HornedLarks and 300 SnowBuntings (AA) tions_D J) and Pygmy Nuthatches--twoat a feederDec. 15-Jan.19, The otherlarge flock of SnowBuntings reported was of 200-300Dec providingthe first recordssince before 1950 (ES). 19 at Woodruff, Utah (CK). A winter flock of 10,000-20,000 Red-

Volume 39, Number 2 193 wingedBlackbirds moving to andfrom a roostprovided Longmont, Red Crossbillsspilled into urban settingsin Denver, Boulder, Ft. Colo., bird watchersan opportunity to estimatenumbers (F.A.C.). One Collins, Casper, Sheridan,Cody, Salt Lake City, and Provo; most Red-wingedwintered at RockSprings, Wyo. (FL), andthey swamped remarkable was a flock of 500 at Loveland, Colo., Dec. 5 (JD). The manyLogan, Utah, feeders.Cold snowyspells attracted two to 12 Regionhad moreWhite-winged Crossbills than ever reportedin one Yellow-headedBlackbirds to a Salt Lake City feeder Jan. 3-Feb. 19, season.In Utah: Provo, a flock of 18 Dec. 15 and five Feb. 23, none in and one was at Fairfield, Utah, Jan. 20 (-?DJ). In Wyoming Corn. between(+DF); Salt LakeCity, 20-30 Dec. 15-Feb.16 (DJ, ES, CHo); Grackles wintered--12 in Sheridan,one to two in Evanston,and one in Logan, five to 17 wintered (KA, KD, MW). In Wyoming: five at Laramie (HD, CK, DI). DuboisFeb. 20 (EB, TF), six at Cody Feb. 19 (LHr, MM), one to two at SheridanFeb. 15-20 (GP, MHe), two at Big Horn Jan. 17 (CO), one at FINCHES -- HungryRosy Finchesat winterfeeders gobble vora- Story Feb. 11 (MC). Coloradohad comparativelyfew: Indian Peaks ciously--pIobablymore voraciously than any otherMountain West (where they have been presentfor the past year), one Nov. 28 (DH), species.They descend on the feeders like falling leaves, flush frantically ColoradoSprings, one Jan.22 (RB), Ft. Collins, two to threewintered at movement--theshadow of a Steller'sor Grayjay or an in-housebird {F.C.A.S.). Probablythe mostremarkable: one Nov. 21-25 {+JCR)and watcher--andconsume prodigious amounts of seed.The beautyof their two Feb. 16-17 (DJo) at Ft. Morgan,on the Coloradoplains 75 mi e. of subtlerosy colors, blending with chocolatesand blacks, redeems the the mountains. damagethey do to budgetsof mountainfeeder-operators. Flocks of 100- CommonRedpolls likewise invaded, with about600 reportedin the 500 visitedall the usualColorado and Wyoming placesas well as Logan Region.Wyoming had good numbers, such as 140at RockSprings Feb. andProvo; top countscarne of 700 at RockSprings, 750 at McCoy, 5, 75 at LanderJan. 30, and 100 winteringat the Bar X subdivisionin Colo., and 1000Feb. 1-28at oneSheridan feeder •plus 50-500 all winter Jackson.Flocks of 10-15spread throughout the Colorado Front Range s. at 13 other Sheridan feeders). to Rye and e. to BonnyRes., with the peaksbeing 30-40 daily at an Pine Grosbeaksordinarily stay in their MountainWest subalpine Evergreenfeeder. Downingfound another Hoary Redpollat her Sheri- forestsall year;this year some visited lower elevations. Flocks of fiveto danfeeder Dec. 16 (shefound two in November--seepreceding issue). 10 appearedin SaltLake City, Logan,Jackson, Sheridan, Cheyenne, Evening Grosbeaks, nationally better-knownthan Rosy Finches for Durango,Boulder, and Ft. Collins;larger flocks made one-time appear- their voraciousappetites, grab their seedsin a morebusinesslike manner ances:20 at Ft. Bridger, Wyo., Jan. 5, 41 at Logan Feb. 2, 50 at than the frantic flocks of Rosy Finches.Grosbeaks found welcoming Durangoin late December.Cassin's Finches made similar extended yardsall over the Region,w. to CarsonCity and s. to Las Vegas,St. forays,exemplified by L/L/B/L's tallyof 594 qf. 80 lastyear. Las Vegas George,Cedar City, andKanab. L/L/B/L's reliablecomparison counted had six PurpleFinches Feb. 10-16, birdsthat carne when Nevada was 1083, after only 267 last winter {F.A.C.). situatedbetween a highpressure system to the w. anda low to the e., a conditionwhich produced frigid arctic winds (CL). HouseFinches pro- CORRIGENDUM -- I received, too late to mention in the Fall videdtheir 2nd-highest C.B.C. count.2.53/ph (average, 2.19); Nevada Report, a descriptionof Wyoming's first Heermann'sGull more de- C.B.C.s alsoreflected this abundance,with 2.88/ph ( 1.96 averagefor 5 tailed than that referred to in last season'sreport (OKS). years). CONTRIBUTORS (in boldface)and INITIALED OBSERVERS -- Peg Abbott, A. Abela, Keith Archibald (10 observers),Audubon Societyof WesternColorado, Mary Back (18), J. Besser,Boulder AudubonSociety, W. W. Brocknet (22), Diane Brown, E. Brown, R. Bunn, J. Chavez (JCh),.Dan Chute, M. Collins. ColoradoDivision of Wildlife, J. & M. Cressman,Denver Field Ornithologists,Jim Dennis (31), Keith Dixon (10), Helen Downing (33), Carol Evans, Margaret Ewing, Lorraine Ferris, W. Finch, S. Findholt, David Fischer, T. Fontanelle, Foothills Audubon Club, Fort Collins Audubon Society, Elva Fox (5), Jerome Gifford, Dave Hallock, Laurens Halsey, May Hanesworth (27), Paula Hansley, Cheri Hartgrave (26), Steven Hedges(15), M. Hehns{MHe), Louisetiering (LHe--15), L. Her- mann (LHr), James Herold (21), High Plains AudubonSociety, D. Holke (DHo), C. Hood (CHo), Douglas Inkley, JacksonHole Bird Club, Mark Janos,David Jensen,Bob Jickling, Dave Johnson(DJo), S. Jones,Bob Kaempfer, Ursula Kepler (16), Craig Kesselheim(5), Merlin Killpack, Chuck Lawson (11), W. Leitner, Peggy Locke, Forrest Luke, T. Marsh, D. Martin, M. McMillen, John Merchant (3), Vince Mowbray (5), BobOakleaf, C. Orr, R. Parkison.G. Peder- son, Bill Pickslay(3), John J. Rawinski, J. Reddall,J. C. Rigli. L. Royer, M. Russell,R. A. Ryder, O.K. Scott, Ella Sorerison(28), Craig Stevenson.Milton Suthers.K. & J. Tempest,Bert Tignor ( 12L Michael Tore, Rosie Watts, Merrill Webb, P. Wheat, Lew Wilkin- RosyFinches on woodpile,Silverthorne, Sumnlit Co., Colo. Winter son. Roberta Winn (RWi). Joe Zarki.•UGH E. KINGERY, 869 1984-1985. Photo/Hugh Kingery. Milwaukee Street, Denver, CO 80206.

SOUTHWEST REGION lowlands. The record rains of last summer resulted in lush conditions in Arizona, Sonora the floodplainsaround Prescott and all over southernArizona, thus attractinga high densityof seed-eatersinto thoseareas. /Janet Witzeman and David Stejskal Waterfowldiversity and density was the highestin 11 yearsat Pres- cott, with 3000 to 5000 individualsby mid-Januarythat supportedfour It was a winter of extremes.Rain in December(nearly three times the BaldEagles, three Merlins, a PeregrineFalcon and a PrairieFalcon Decemberaverage) contributed to givingthe state its fourth-wettest year throughthe winter. on record. The record-breakingfreeze in early Februarybrought the The majorstory of thewinter, however, was the invasionof northern coldesttemperatures in five years and even more highland species to the and montanespecies. Not sincethe winterof 1972-1973,and in some

194 American Birds, Summer 1985 WATERFOWL -- From sevento l0 Black-belliedWhistling-Ducks at Gilbert, s.e. of Phoenix,from mid-Januarythrough the period(P. Burch,.fide DS) representedone of only a few winter recordsfor the state.The only TundraSwans reported this winterwere an adultand an '•)der•K••'• •Hoove• f Dam -••Grand Chinle.I ,. LosAJam•Santo immatureat PrescottDec. 15 into January(CT) and one at Horseshoe Dam Dec. 27 (fide DT). GreaterWhite-fronted Goose records away • • Tooock Flaasla•fe•e Halbrook • Sont• fromthe L.C.R. wereof individualsat SierraVista sewage ponds Dec. 8 •por•.•m•'...... ARIZ •Joh.. NEW,MEX.,o.a•. (AM, DD) and at the Bisbee/Douglassewage ponds all winter (AM). • b11• WickenburG. •. • •prmGervmmmeJSocorro Individual Ross' Geesewere recordedat Benson(JSa), Hereford(AM, U I (Parker ,Dam . •o•lR...... 7 C...... Blyl•e• •oenmx•mo• * ß Elephont• ß DD, TD). Sierra Vista (D. Collazo). Tucson (J. Hoffman), n.w. Phoe- nix (R. Zook), s.w. Phoenix(MC), andL. Havasu(KR et al.) duringthe winter. •Y-•o• Area- Reset k .•. • * ._%LasCruces WoodDuck is rarein extremes.e. Arizona;up to four wereat McNeal Jan. 2-Feb. 6 (AM). Of interestelsewhere where they are not common wereup to threein s.w. PhoenixDec. 9-17 (DS et al.), two at Chandler Jan. 18 (TC), and one at Gila Bend Feb. 24 (PB et aLL CinnamonTeal usuallydo notremain through the winteron the L.C.R., sounusual were the 200 that wintered at Cibola N.W.R. (B. Anderson). Also of note were a male at Prescottfrom mid-Decemberto mid-January,providing the first winter recordfor that area (CT), and two at McNeal Jan. I (FS, JSa).The cSEur. Wigeonreturned to PapagoP., Phoenix,for the 6th casesnot sincethe winter of 1950-195I, had the magnitudeand variety winter (MC); a 2rid male was observedat anotherpond in Phoenix beenso great. And, like thoseother two winters,this winter had "every- duringFebruary (T. Chew,fide PB). A $ GreaterScaup was at the thing"•woodpeckers,jays, chickadees,nuthatches, bluebirds, robins, Bensonsewage ponds Jan. 3-12 (FS et al.); two malesat PrescottDec. a few solitaires,towhees, plus the finches--Purple,Cassin's, Red 7-Jan. 2 (CT) representedthe 3rd recordfor that area; and four were at Crossbills,Pine Siskins,goldfinches and EveningGrosbeaks. L. HavasuCity Dec. 21 (ph. KR). A cSOldsquaw at the Avondale Therewas a nicesurprise as well. Arizonais knownas the baby state sewage ponds. s.w. of Phoenix, Dec. 13-19 (RB, ph. GR, m.ob.) for more reasonsthan one--to birders it is becauseevery statein the representedone of only a few recordsaway from the LC.R. unionexcept Arizona had Common Grackle on its list--until thiswin- ter, that is. Yes, it finally happened•ommon Gracklesin Arizona!

ABBREVIATIONS -- L.C.R. = Lower Colorado River.

LOONS THROUGH IBISES -- An Arctic Loon, rare away from the L.C.R., was at Painted Rock Dam Feb. 9 (CB, JT). Two of the seven Corn. Loonsat Prescottremained_ into January(CT). Two half-grown younglight-phase W. Grebeswere observedbegging and beingfed by two adultsat TopockMarsh on the very early date of Jan. 20 (RN). Western Grebes are uncommon in winter at Prescott where there were three (CT), and in s.e. Arizona where up to four were recordedat McNeal in December(AM). Four individualswere presentduring the periodat pondsaround Phoenix where the speciesis only occasionally recordedin winter (L. Burge, MC, RN, DT). An Am. White Pelican, rare in n. Arizona, was on a lake near Heber White-wingedScoter below Parker Dam. Ariz.. Dec. 21. 1984. Photo Dec. 8-9 (C. Lewis, fide DT). A late-stayingBrown Pelican was at /Ken Rosenberg. TopockMarsh Jan. 20 (RN). A Double-crestedCormorant. an uncom- mon visitorto s.e. Arizona, was at McNeal Jan. 6-12 (B. & J. Epler, AM). An OlivaceousCormorant was observedFeb. 17 at PatagoniaL. The White-wingedScorer at Parker Dam sincemid-November re- (JSa,C. Johnson),where the specieshas often been present in numbers, mainedat leastto Dec. 23 (ph. KR). Twenty-fourBarrow's Goldeneyes but has been scarcethe past 2 years. were counted below Davis Dam Feb. 25 (GM), and one was below An Am. Bittern,rarely seenin s.e. Arizona, wasfound at a ranchin Parker Dam Dec, 22 (KR). Two to three HoodedMergansers were in Elfrida Dec. 24 (AM). A Least Bittern at Pefia Blanca L, Jan. I (TB. Tucsonfrom at leastmid-December through the period(m.ob.) andone Brautigan)represented one of only a few winterrecords for thestate and was in Phoenix Feb. 4 + (fide PB). One to two Com. Mergansers, thefirst for thatarea; the speciesis rareat anytime of yearaway from the uncommon in s.e. Arizona, were at McNeal Jan. 1-16 (FS, JSa, AM). L.C.R. andthe Phoenixarea. Great and Snowyegrets were recordedat Eight at a pondin PhoenixFeb. 18 (RN) wereunusual as the speciesis areaswhere they are not usuallyfound in winter.From one to two Great seldomseen away from the riversand larger bodies of waterin the area. Egretswere at McNeal (AM et aL), two werein Tucson(m.ob.), and 10 werein Phoenix(RN) duringthe period.Up to eightSnowy Egrets were RAPTORS -- Two Ospreyswere seeninteracting at the confluence at McNeal during the period (AM), one was near Portal Dec. I (R. of the Salt andVerde rivers Jan. 26 (RN): the specieshas nested in this Blondell), one was at PrescottDec. 15 (CT), and six were at Phoenix areain thepast but not since1951. Up to eightBlack-shouldered Kites Feb. 17 (RN). High numbersof CattleEgrets (250 + ) werecounted near winteredin the SulphurSprings Valley, s.e. Arizona(AM et al.). In c. Gadsden,s.w. Arizona, Jan. l0 (GM) and 50+ were in s.w. Phoenix Arizona one was near ArlingtonDec. 28 (JSh), two were at Painted duringthe period (PB, RB). A loneindividual at theAjo City P., Jan. I Rock Dam Feb. 9 (CB, JT), and one was at Paloma, w. of Gila Bend, (B & SR) was in an odd location.In s.e. Arizona, wherethe speciesis Feb. 17 (RN). WinteringBald Eagleswere more common than usual in lesscommon, there were up to I I at McNeal, nine at Palominas,up to s.e. Arizona again:an immatureat McNeal Jan. 28, an adultat Kansas 13 at Elfrida, oneat Douglas(AM etal.), and 12 s. of Portal(fide SSp). SettlementFeb. 9 (AM et al.), two to six nearSohoira during February, A Cattle Egret at HagstaftDec. 30 (T. Brit0 and 17 at YoungNov. 22 and severalin the San Rafael Valley in Januaryand February(m.ob.). (D. Carrothers)added to the growing numberof reportsin n. Arizona Harris' Hawks dispersed(as they occasionallydo in winter) to areas this year. out of their normalhabitat and where they had not beenrecorded pre- White-facedIbises are uncommonin winter away from the L.C.R.; viously:one at PalomaDec. 9 (RF), threes. of RooseveltL, Jan. 3 (J. I 0 wereat PicachoRes., Dec. I (C. Green)and unprecedented were two Poe), and two n. to near the SantaMaria R., Yavapai Co., Feb. 24 at McNeal Dec. 14, one of which remaineduntil Feb. 17 (AM). (GM). Numbersof Harris' Hawks (up to 12) in the SulphurSprings

Volme 39, Number 2 195 Valley duringthe winter were much higher than what had been recorded A Tree Swallow, rare in s.c. Arizonain winter, wasobserved at McNeal previously.Red-shouldered Hawk is an irregularand sparsevisitor to Dec. 4-Feb. 9 (AM, TD). s Arizonawith onlyabout one-half dozen records in modemhistory, so IndividualScrub Jays continued to be seenat scatteredlowland loca- surprisingwere two individualsduring the period:an adultat Paloma tionsduring the winter(TC, RN, CT). Up to two Clark'sNutcrackers Dec. 2 at leastto Feb. 24 (CB, JT et al.) and one in s.w. PhoenixDec. were at PrescottJan. 5-11 (BT, CT). AmericanCrows at out-of-the- 17(•;R. Witzeman)? Good numbers of Rough-leggedHawks (as well as ordinarylocales were one at TucsonDec. 3 (JB), five at PrescottJan Ferruginous)were reported overall, with one Rough-legged Hawk being 14-15 (H & AG, CT), and26 at ChinoValley, n. of Prescott,Feb 20+ foundas far s. as Cananea,Sonora, Feb. 17 (DD, TD). A highconcen- (H & AG). trationof 10 Golden Eagleswas observedfeeding on 2 dead sheep A few Mountain Chickadees continued to be seen at lower elevations carcassesat Elfrida Feb. 1 (AM). One in s.w. PhoenixFeb. 6 was at a one bandedat TucsonDec. 16 (K. Burke), two at CatalinaS.P., n of lower elevationthan usual (J. Bums). A total of 16 GoldenEagles and Tucson,Jan. 12-Feb. 24 (RC, RH, GM), one e. of Phoenixalong the fourMerlins was counted between Bisbee and Sonoita during the Hawk- Verde R., Jan. 26 (RN), and one all winter at Miami (JSp). A small watch Feb. 2 (AM, DD, TD). invasionof this speciesoccurred in the valleysaround Prescott (CT) SHOREBIRDS, GULLS -- Numbersof MountainPlovers wintering Threesingle Plain Titmice, observedin washesin the foothillsof the in the McNeal/Elfridaarea have been increasing since the specieswas SantaCatalina Mts. duringFebruary (RH), were out of their normal firstdiscovered there 7 yearsago. The dramaticjump in numberswhich habitat, as was one at a Globe feeder Dec. 13-Feb. 5 (M & MW) occurredthere last winter repeated itself this year with a newhigh of 100 Bushtitswere flocking in exceptionalnumbers in Prescottafter a bhz- Jan. 30 (AM et al.). AmericanAvocets, uncommon in the southeastin zard Dec. 17; 300 + were countedin one flock and44 in another(CT) Individual Red-breasted Nuthatches continued to be recorded at scat- winter, wererecorded there again this year: up to two wereat McNeal at tered lowland areas around Phoenix, Tucson, Prescott, and Miami leastduring December, and four were at Willcox Feb. 9 (AM, TD et al.). Also noteworthyfor s.c. Arizonawere seven Greater Yellowlegs at McNeal Jan. 1 (JSa) and one still thereJan. 29 (BD), 15 Long-billed WRENS THROUGH SHRIKES -- A Winter Wren, an uncommon Curlewsn. of Elfrida Feb. 26 (TD), and a Dunlin at McNeal Dec. 4 to at winter visitor, was in s.w. PhoenixDec. 9 at leastto Dec. 17 (DS, RN) leastJan. 1 (AM, FS). The late SolitarySandpiper in s.w. Phoenix At leastone Am. Dipper, a scarcewinter visitor to s. Arizona,was in remaineduntil Dec. 9 (DS) andprovided the 2nd winterrecord for that Madera CanyonDec. 29-Jan. 17 (m.ob.), an area with few previous area. A very late Long-billedDowitcher at Prescottin mid-December records;another individual was aboveHerb Martyr, ChiricahuaMts , was most unusual. Jan. 26 (R. Plage). Althoughlocally commonin a few areas,it was SevenBonaparte's Gulls (the samenumber as lastwinter!) were at generallya poorwinter for Ruby-crownedKinglets in s. Arizonaand McNeal againDec. 7 with two still presentDec. 25 (AM); the speciesis around Prescott(GM, CT). usuallyuncommon anywhere in the statein winter. More gullsthan Western Bluebirds were common all winter around Phoenix, the usual,including a few Califomias,were present off andon all winterat L.C.R., andother lowland areas in s. Arizona;up to eightwere in the Prescott(CT). A first-winterHerring Gull, an uncommonvisitor espe- SulphurSprings Valley, wherethe species is moreirregular (AM, TD) cially awayfrom the L.C.R., wasobserved at PrescottFeb. 16 (BT,fide MountainBluebirds were abundanteverywhere, even in the Sulphur CT). A Black-leggedKittiwake was discovered at L. Pleasant,n.w. of SpringsValley where they had not been recordedin large numbers Phoenix,Dec. 31 (CB, JT); therehad been only a dozen.or soprevious before.Thirteen Hermit Thrusheswere banded at TanqueVerde Ranch, records. Tucson,Feb. 7 followingthe very cold, wet weathersystem (C. Corch- ran, P. Walters);the specieswas scarcethis winter prior to that time DOVES THROUGH OWLS -- White-wingedDoves are sometimes AmericanRobins were present in goodnumbers in earlywinter and then locally commonfar e. at Douglasin winter;a newhigh of 17 wasthere increaseddramatically in earlyFebruary when thousands were reported Dec. 19, with fourstill present Feb. 28 (AM). Farthere. stillwas one at aroundGlobe, Tucson and Phoenix: 200 in onePhoenix yard alone A c• PortalDec. 1-Jan.31, and a 2nd individualthat arrivedlate in January Varied Thrushfound deadunder a window in TucsonFeb. 7 (*Umv of (SSp, WS). An Inca Dove was foundn. of its usualrange at Prescott Ariz.) was the only one reportedthis winter. Dec. 11-Jan.4 (L. McClelland). The Corn. Ground-Doveis an irregular Sage Thrashers, usually uncommonwinter visitors, seemedto be wintervisitor to the SulphurSprings Valley; up to four wereseen at a everywherein the SulphurSprings Valley this year (AM). The only ranchin Elfrida in early December,and two were in DouglasJan. 27 Sprague'sPipit reportedwas one at the BuenosAires Ranch, w of (AM). NogalesDec. 5 (B. Matheny,J. Palting).One adultand one imm N GreaterRoadrunners sometimes stray to surprisingheights and loca- Shrike were observede. of Williams Jan. 10 (TC). nons.In n. Arizona,where the speciesis scarceanytime, one seen Jan. 7 at 7200' on L. Mary--which was frozenand coveredwith 6" of snow WARBLERS -- A late Tennessee Warbler was at Paloma Dec 15 --seemed incredible(JSh). (CB, JT). A Yellow Warblerwas found in the samespot in s.w. Phoenix Three Long-caredOwls, uncommonwinter residents, were foundat for the 3rd winterin a row fromearly November at leastto Dec. 17 (DS, Cabeza Prieta N.W.R., Dec. 17 (GM), and four were at Elfrida Jan. 1 RN). Againthis winter, Chestnut-sided Warblers were almost as "com- (H. Hobart, T. Huels). mon"as last year. The onein a Phoenixyard since Nov. 4 remaineduntil Jan.17 (RB), oneat thePhoenix Zoo was present from Dec. 13 untillate HUMMINGBIRDS THROUGH WOODPECKERS -- A Violet- December(MC), andthree individuals were recorded in s.w. Phoenixin crownedHummingbird retu[ned to thesame feeder in Douglaswhere it mid-December(DS, RN, GR, RF, CB). (or another)had spentmost of lastwinter; this year it remainedOct. 21- A c• Cape May Warbler wasat a feederin Tucsonfrom Dec 10 at Feb. 14 (B. Smith)and provided the 4th winterrecord for thestate. Five leastthrough March (ph. BD, ph. R. Bowers,SSu). Another individual Blue-throatedHummingbirds remained at Portalfeeders at leastthrough wasobserved at PatagoniaDec. 16 (AM). Half of the 8 staterecords Decemberand at leastthree through January (SSp, WS, RM). A late- have been in winter. Two late c• Black-throated Blue Warblers were at stayingAnna's Hummingbirdwas at the SouthwestResearch Station RamseyCanyon Dec. 10and one was still there Dec. 11before the snow Dec. 31 (JSa). andcold nightsthat beganthere Dec. 13 (gA. & F. Hirst). The Green Kingfisherpresent at Kino Springssince last summer Black-throatedGray Warblers were present in good numbers remainedthrough the period (m.ob.). throughouts. Arizona this winter;two recordedagain at CabezaPneta Lewis'Woodpeckers continued to be seenat manyplaces in c. ands. N.W.R., Dec. 17 (GM) were in an areawhere considered uncommon Arizonathrough the winter(m.ob.). Otherwoodpeckers found at lower A c• Townsend'sWarbler at PrescottDec. 9 (H & AG) andthree in the thannormal elevations were two AcornWoodpeckers through the peri- HuachucaMts. (m.ob.) in mid-Decemberwere at higherelevations than od at Tempe and a Williamson'sSapsucker there Feb. 20 (CH), plus a usualon theselate dates.A Grace'sWarbler at Prescotton the excep- Hairy Woodpeckerat Globe Jan. 12 (M & MW). tionallylate dateof Dec. 11 (BT) representedthe first "winter"record for the state. FLYCATCHERS THROUGH NUTHATCHES -- A W. Flycatcher, The two Black-and-white Warblers in s.w. Phoenix in late fall re- rare in winter, washeard at Bill Williams Delta Dec. 21 (KR, GR et al. ). mainedat least to Dec. 14 & 17 respectively(DS et al.); one was at

196 American Birds, Summer 1985 Male Cape May Warblerat Tucson,Ariz., presentall winter 1984- Male Cape May Warbler at Tl•cson,Ariz., Mar. 22. 1985. Photo/Bill 1985, photographedMar. 23, 1985. Photo/RichardK. Bowers. Davis. RamseyCanyon Dec. 15 + (JSa), and one was at Tubac S.P., Jan. 11- This winter'sHooded Oriole records were away from feeders: a male 13 (B. Buttery, m.ob.). The only Am. Redstartsreported were on the e. of TucsonDec. 23 (LD et al.) and a first-yearmale at a ranchin L.C.R.; in addition to the ones on the Parker and Yuma C.B.C.s, one McNeal Feb. 8 (AM). More unusualwere two N. (Bullock's) Orioles was found below Imperial Dam Feb. 3 (D. Robinson). --one at a Prescottfeeder Dec. 14-29(E. & R. Backus,fideCT) andone A LouisianaWaterthrush was present Dec. 16+ in the samearea of at a Camp Verdefeeder from late fall throughthe period(F. Sanford, the PatagoniaSanctuary where one resided last winter 0-R. Baxter,R. fide CT); thesewere the first winter recordsfor n. Arizona, and there Smith). There are now abouta dozenstate records. A MacGillivray's have been only abouta dozenwinter recordsin the stateoverall. Warblerwas at EstrellaMt. Park,w. of Phoenix,for severaldays prior to Feb.6 (MC et al.); onlyone of theprevious few winterrecords in the stateextended past early January.Individual Wilson's Warblers were FINCHES -- The invasion of Cassin's Finches into mid and low recordedat SabinoCanyon Dec. 17 (K. Nickey), at the Tucsonsewage elevationswas the talk of the seasonSheywere everywhere, with the pondsFeb. 20 (C. Johnson),and in n.w. TucsonFeb. 23 (SSu),plus the "greatestnumbers ever" aroundPrescott and down into the Verde Val- ones on the Parker, Phoenix, and Yuma C.B.C.s. Lingeringsingle ley, at Globe feeders,Tucson, Organ Pipe CactusN.M., MaderaCan- PaintedRedstarts were recordedat Patagoniaand Tucsonin mid-De- yon, HuachucaMts., Portalfeeders where numbers increased to 25 + in cember, and one was in BaboquivariCanyon Jan. 19 (D. Fischer). January,to Phoenixand even to Parkerwhere 14 + representedone of the few recordsfor the L.C.R. The invasionof PurpleFinches was no BUNTINGS, SPARROWS -- A N. Cardinal, uncommon at Prescott lessspectacular; however, their winterdescents into the lowlandshave in winter,was at GraniteCreek Jan. 4 throughthe period (CT). Pyrrhu- notbeen as infrequent as those of Cassin'sFinches. Small numbers were loxiasat the edgeof theirrange included one Jan. 2 andFeb. 13 at Skull recordedat Portal,Madera Canyon, Patagonia, Tucson, and farther n. at Valley, w. of Prescott,in the samelocation as one recorded there 2 other Globe,Prescott, Camp Verde, Clear Creek, BeaverCreek, Montezuma wintersrecently (CT); one from late Januarythrough the periode. of Castle, Skull Valley and Burro Creek. Numbersin thesen. localities Prescott(CT); andone at Miami Jan.4-Feb. 4 (JSp). A c• Rose-breasted "equalledor surpassedany other invasion"(CT). At Parker,at leasta Grosbeak,uncommon in winter, frequenteda Phoenixfeeder Jan. 3 into dozenwere seentogether with Cassin'sFinches in the sametrees (GR, March (RN). JW, ph. KR). Rufous-sidedTowbees were noticeablyabundant at lower elevations Red Crossbills,around in lowlandareas since the fall, continuedto be from Phoenixand Globe s. throughs. Arizona (m.ob.). The flock of seenin a few areasaround Phoenix, Tempe, and Wickenburg; they were 20 + Am. Tree Sparrowsn. of Many Farms remainedthrough the "everywhere"in Tucson(m.ob.), and were in the Verde Valley for the period(B. Jacobset al.). Previouslythe specieswas consideredto be first time (CT). They were alsopresent in the mountainsaround Pres- only a sparseand irregularwinter resident in n. Arizona with no more cott, andup to threewere near Montezuma's Well Dec. 29-Jan. 10 (CT, than one to four ever seen at one time. S. Hyde). Pine Siskinswere abundantat Portal and found in good SeveralFox Sparrowswere reported:one at a feederin Prescottall numbers around Phoenix and other lowland areas. Lawrence's Gold- winter(VM), oneto fourat P•tagonia(JB, GM), oneat CabezaPrieta finches,continuing to have their most successfulseason since 1973- N.W.R., Dec. 17 (GM), andtwo in ElfridaJan. I (AM et al.). Swamp 1974, wererecorded from Sedona,Prescott, Verde Valley, Globe,and Sparrowis consideredto be only a casualwinter visitor to n. Arizona,so down to Phoenix,Tucson, Elfrida, Douglasand Parker. noteworthywas one at Arcosanti,s.e. of Prescott,Dec. 26 (BT). Two To completethe winter scenario of theflight of thefinches, there were Goldenqcr0wnedSparrows were at Prescott,one at a feederfrom late EveningGrosbeaks. Small groups of up to 10 werepresent during the November through March (VM) and one Dec. 18 (CT). A Harris' period in RedingtonPass (R. Chapin, S. Stoner), Tucson (J. & B. Sparrowwas at a feeder in Cave Creek n.e. of Phoenixfrom early Tweit), GuevaviRanch (BD), FloridaWash (RC), Portal(SSp), and Januaryinto March (F. Cassanovaet al.). Nogales. In n. Arizona they were fairly common in Flagstaff, and Two Yellow-eyed Juncoswere in Bisbee,where they had beenre- numbersincreased steadily turning into a big movementaround Pres- cordedonly oncebefore, Nov. 10-Jan.5 (DD). McCown'sLongspurs cott, Verde Valley, W. Clear Creek, and BeaverCreek (CT). Two were werecommon again in theMcNeal/Elfrida area as they were last winter; found as low as the Verde R., e. of Phoenix, Dec. 25 (CH). up to 85 were countedin mid-Decemberand smallernumbers remained throughthe period (AM, SSu, JB). CONTRIBUTORS (Area compilersin boldface)-- C. Babbitt,P. Beall,J. Bock,R. Bradley,M. Carpenter,R. Cooper,T. Corman,D. BLACKBIRDS, ORIOLES -- After yearsof waitingand searching Danforth,B. Davis, T. Deecken,L. Dombr0wski,R. Ferguson,H. & for Common Grackle, suddenlythere were two within daysof each A. Gaither, R. Hibbard, C. Hunter, B. Jackson(Globe), V. Miller, G. other, both discoveredas a result of ChristmasCounting. The first Monson,A. Moorhouse(Huachuca Mts. & SulfurSprings Valley), R. (found while scoutingfor the L. PleasantC.B.C.) was heard and then Morse, R. Norton,B. & S. Righter,G. Rosenberg,K. Rosenberg,J. seenwith thousandsof Brewer'sBlackbirds that were coming to roostat Saba(JSa). F. Scheider,J. Shipley(JSh), J. Spencer(JSp), S. Spofford L. Pleasant,Dec. 18at leastto Jan.23 ('t'TC,ph. GR, m.ob.).The 2nd (SSp, Portal), W. Spofford,S. Surer (SSu, Tucson),J. Theis, B. (found on the SantaCatalina C.B.C.) was e. of Tucson Dec. 23 at least Thomen, D. Todd, C. Tomoff (Prescot0, M. & M. Wood.--JANET to Jan. 7 (LD, ph. N. Bock, SSu et al.), alsowith large numbersof WITZEMAN, 4619 E. Arcadia Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85018; DAVID Brewer's Blackbirds. STEJSKAL, 8032 N. 11th Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85021.

Volume 39, Number 2 197 New Mexico Gullswere at E B L , Jan 11 (KZ) Alsonotable were a Ring-balledat /John P. Hubbard SantaFe Dec. 2 (L. Herrmann)and an imm. Thayer'sat CaballoL, Dec. 9-Jan. 30 (KZ et al.). ABBREVIATIONS-- BosqueRefuge = Bosquedel Apache Nat'l Wildlife Refuge;E.B.L. = ElephantButte Lake; T. or C. = Truth or Consequences.Place namesin italics are counties. DOVES THROUGH FLYCATCHERS-- White-wingedDoves first becamenotably urban and then resident in thestate some years ago at GREBESTHROUGH HERONS-- NortherlyPied-billed Grebes LasCruces, and now thistwin phenomenonis apparentlybecoming the were singlesat Heron andE1 Vado lakesJan. 9 (WE, WH). One to two caseelsewhere--e.g., at Socorro,where up to 17 were presentin the Horned Grebeswere at E.B.L., Jan. 11 & 25 (KZ). Also notablewas a period(JS). Other notable occurrences included one to.two at T. or C, W. Grebe at Evans L., Grant, Jan. 5 (RF). Late were 10 Am. White Jan.31-Feb. 28 (DM) andtwo at AlamogordoDec. 9 (G. Smith) Also Pelicansat Caballo L., Dec. 9 (RH), while one at Bitter Lake N.W.R. notablewere an IncaDove at SocorroJan. 25-Feb. 23 (JS),andtwo at T throughJan. 10 was a cripple(KW). A GreatEgret at GarfieldDec. 12 or C., Dec. 23-Feb.5 (DM), plustwo Corn.Ground-Doves at Owen's (RH) was somewhatunusual, as were two Green-backedHerons in Farm, s. DonaAna, Jan.24-Feb. 3 (BZ et al.). Quiteout of theordinary Grant at BuckhornDec. 1 and one at Mangas SpringsDec. 9 (RF). wasa SpottedOwl at LoneButte Jan. 11 (P. Schaafsma),a vagrantto CattleEgrets lingered into mid-December,including unexpectedly one anarea of pinyon-junipersavannah in SantaFe. Up to 40 or moreLong- nearSanta Fe (W. West) and six at Zuni (JT et al. ); othersincluded four earedOwls nearMesilla Dec. 20-Feb.4 (BZ et al.) representedone of to five near BosqueRefuge (RT) and eight at EvansL. (RF). the highestcounts ever for the state.ACom. Poorwillin the Pelonclllo Mts., Feb. 12 (LS) was notablefor la,te winter, and White-throated WATERFOWL-- Morethan the usual number of presumedTundra Swiftswere reported more often than usual in theperiod--including n Swanswas reportedin the state, with a minimum of 20 in the Rio to the Caballo Mts. (RH). GrandeValley (Albuquerqueto CaballoL.) andin the PecosValley Southof the usualrange were a Lewis' Woodpeckerat SocorroJan (Roswell southward)(v.o.); also notablewere one at StubblefieldL., 29 (RT) and a Downy at SumnerL., Feb. 7 (GH, WH), while qmte Colfax, Dec. 10 (DMc) and five at Zuni Dec. 15 (A. Schmierer).Snow northerlywas a Ladder-backedat FarmingtonJan. 16 and Feb 5 (R Geesewere morewidespread than usual, including one at Navajo L., Pritchardet al. ). A virtually certainHammond's Flycatcherwas near Jan.7, threeat ClaytonL., Dec. 10, 85 at La Cueva,Mora, Dec. 10 and CaballoL., Dec. 21-Jan.10, probablythe same bird that wintered there 27 thereJan. 7, three at ConchasL., Jan. 8, one nearTucumcari Dec. 11 lastyear (KZ et al., ph.). Northerlywas a Black Phoebeat CochltlL, (all DMc), and one near Cliff Jan. 5 (RF). Some 2000-3000 Canada Jan.27 (WH), while alsonotable were a c• VermilionFlycatcher near Geesenear Clayton in theperiod (MM et al.) furnishedthe highest count RedrockDec. 11 (JH et al. ) and threebirds at Owen's Farm Dec. 1-Jan ever there, while a flock of 65 + at Caballo L. on Jan. 30 includedthree 1 (BZ et al.). or four of the "Cackling"race (JH). A MandarinDuck at IndianLakes, Bernalillo, Dec. 21 and earlier was obviously an escape, although CORVIDS THROUGH THRUSHES -- The sparselowland invasion associatedwith Wood Ducks(J. Phillipset al. ). Late werethree Cinna- of Steller's Jayscontinued through the period, from the Rio Grande mon Teal at Zuni Dec. 13 (JT et al.) andup to five nearHobbs Dec. 12 Valley w. ands. to the Mimbres andGila valleys--andthere was even (JS), whileearly wasone at BosqueRefuge Jan. 26 (WH). A 9 Greater onereport from thePeloncillo Mts. (R. Scholeset al. ). SomeScrub Jays Scaupat Caballo Dam Dec. 21 andJan. 7 (KZ, ph.)was joined by three alsojoined that invasion,including one at Bosque,Valencia, Jan 25 malesJan. 30 andFeb. 2 (JH); an ad. male wastaken near Carlsbad by a (WH) and at leastfour in the Redrock-Virdenarea Dec. 10-11 (JH) A hunterJan. 4 (fide E. Martin). Other reportsof rare ducksincluded a notablevagrant was a Blue Jay at FarmingtonDec. 25-30 (H. Volkerd- Surf Scoter shot at Bitter Lake N.W.R., Dec. 1 (KW), plus two d inget al.); alsoworthy of notewere one to two at Clayton Dec. 29-Feb Barrow's Goldeneyesat Cochiti L., Jan. 27 (WH). Hooded and Red- 22 (MM etal.), but nonecould be foundwhere expected at Ft. Sumner breastedmergansers were much more widesprea d and numerous than Feb. 7 (WH). Southof the usualrange were 100+ PinyonJays e of usual, with at least 34 of the former recorded in the Rio Grande and CaballoL., Dec. 9 (KZ et al. ), while six to sevenBlack-billed Magpies Pecosvalley areasand nearClayton (m.ob.). The counton Red-breast- at Seneca,Union (WC) were easterly.Notable S influxesin the period edswas at least30, thesefrom the abovevalley areasand nearAlamo- were up to 130 Am. Crows near Farmington(AN) and 500+ in the gordo (m.ob.). Hatch-RadiumSprings area (RH). SoutherlyMountain Chickadeesincluded four in the Cliff-Mangas RAPTORS THROUGH GULLS -- A late Ospreywas at Bosque Cr. areaDec. 25 or later(RF) andfour-plus in the CaballoMts., Dec 9 RefugeJan. 1 (RD). Aerialsurveys for BaldEagles in theperiod Jan. 2- (RH). Winter reportsof HouseWrens included one to two in the T or 4 & 14 yielded 209 birds, of which 125 were adults(DMc). Northern C.-PerchaDam areaDec. 24-Jan. 19 (DM), one at SanSimon Cienaga, Goshawksinvaded lower elevationalareas in moderatenumbers, with at Hidalgo, in January(LS), and a probableone at Ft. SumnerFeb. 7 (GH, leasteight recorded from the PecosValley w. (v.o.). The state'sfirst WH). NotableWinter Wren reportswere singlesat Zuni Dec. 14 (JT) verifiedRed-shouldered Hawk wasan adultphotographed at Corrales andin JuanTabo Canyon, SandiaMts., Jan.20 (GH, WH). North of the Dec. 16 (D. & S. Huntington);as with certainother s.w. recordsof this usualrange, and providingone of the few recentrecords for Socorro, species,the questioncan be raisedas to whetherthis bird reachedthe were two Black-tailed Gnatcatchersat Sevilleta N.W.R., Jan. 22 (T areastrictly under its own power.A counton theNavajo Indian Irriga- Stans,RT). One to two Blue-grayGnatcatchers and up to sevenE tion Projectarea near Farmington yielded 70 FerruginousHawks, plus Bluebirdswere at Percha Dam Dec. 21-Jan. 10 (KZ etal.,'ph.). Western an additional78 raptorsof 6 otherspecies there Jan. 19 (AN). Merlins Bluebirdswere numerousin the s.w. lowlands,including in Grant, made a good showingin the state,with at least 13 reportedfrom the Luna, and Hidalgo (LS). MountainBluebirds were presentthere and PecosValley w. (v.o.). The Chukarpopulation at Farmingtonhas dwin- elsewherein even greaternumbers, ranging e. to the Claytonand Pecos dledto thepoint that none was found there during the period (AN et al. ). Valley areas and s. to the s. border (m.ob.). Townsend'sSolitaire Ten MontezumaQuail nearMangas Springs Dec. 23 (RF, H. Parent) numberswere up in severalareas, including in theClayton vicimty and were in an area where not recentlyreported otherwise. the lower partsof the Rio Grandeand Pecosvalleys (v.o.). Only 375 SandhillCranes were counted Jan. 9 in theDeming-Colum- busarea (DMc), whereshifts in croppingpatterns (e.g., to cotton)have MIMIDS THROUGH EMBERIZINE FINCHES -- The only Brown diminishedfood suppliesfor the species.Up to 29 WhoopingCranes Thrasherreported was one at Ft. SumnerFeb. 7 (GH,WH), whilealso wereaccounted for in themiddle Rio GrandeValley in theperiod (RD), notablewere one to two Curye-billeds at SantaFe Dec. 23-Feb. 26 (S and by Feb. 8 severalwere observedmigrating N inBernalillo •ide Boles,ph.). CedarWaxwings staged a moderateinflux, includings to RT). A SnowyPlover at HollomonLakes, Otero, Feb. 23 (J. Donald- the Silver City, Las Cruces,and Alamogordoareas (v.o.). Farthers son,BZ) provideda local winterfirst andone of the few winterrecords thannormal were single N. Shrikesreported near Road Forks, Htdalgo, forthe state. At' least 13 Spotted Sandpipers were reported in theperiod Dec. 29 (S. Suter)and Corona Jan. 26 (P. Steel,RT). Alsounusual was •n the lowermostRio Grandeand Pecos valleys (v.o.); alsonotable was a Corn. Yellowthroatat Bitter Lake N.W.R., Jan.5 (KW). Pyrrhuloxla onenear Cliff in earlyJanuary (RF). Very rarein winter,two California numbersin severaln. areaswere higherthan normal, including three at

198 AmericanBirds, Summer 1985 BosqueRefuge Jan. 4 (RT) andup to five m the Cliff-MangasSprings Feb. 28 (JH et al.), up to 100 at SocorroJan. I I-Feb. 28 (JS), and as area Dec. 2 and later (RF). Late was a Green-tailed Towhee at Zuni Dec. manyas 350+ in theCaballo L. areaDec. 9-Jan.26 (RH etal.). Quite 7 (T. Rhoades), while another Abert's Towhee was at San Simon Cien- unusualwere reports of Red Crossbillsbeing seen on "numerousocca- again January(LS). Notablewere one to two Cassin'sSparrows w. of sionsin lowerDona Aria. . andnear Las Cruces" (BZ); more expected Caballo L., Jan. 19, plus one at Jornada,DonaAna, Feb. 2 (RH). Two but still worthnoting were two-plusat SantaFe Dec. 15 (JH), oneat Clay-colored Sparrows winteredat Owen's Farm, and a reddishFox Zuni Dec. 18 (JT). and 10+ in the SandiaMts., Feb. 19 (RT). The Sparrowwas there Jan. 24 (BZ, ph.). Northof theexpected range were a invasionof theseason was that of EveningGrosbeaks, with birds report- Sageand two Savannahsparrows and 13 Chestnut-collaredLongspurs ed e. to Claytonand s. to theSilver City andLas Cruces areas'--plus in nearQuemado Feb. 15 (WH). White-throatedSparrows were "unusual- variousuplands (m.ob.). Amongthe morenotable reports were the ly common"in s. Dona Aria (BZ et al. ), etndup to 17 werecounted n. tO following:"rather common" at Farmington(AN), up to IO at Clayton the Caballo L. area Dec. 21-Jan. 19 (KZ et al.). A Golden-crowned Dec. 5-29 (WC et al.), flocksin Albuquerquein.December (RT et aLL Sparrowwas at Las CrucesDec. 6 andanother Feb. 1-27 (E. Wootten). up to 18 in SocorroJan. 1-12 (JS), and one at T. or C., Dec. 5 (DM). Also notablewere single Harris' Sparrowsat Los AlamosDec. 25-Jan. 15 (P. Snider) and Socorro Dec. 16 (JS). CORRIGENDUM-- The feathersreported as thoseof a Whiskered Screech-Owlin SkeletonCanyon in thePeloncillo Mts., Sept.17, 1984 ICTERINES THROUGH CARDUELINE FINCHES -- Yellow- (precedingissue) have beenreidentitled as thoseof a W. Screech-Owl headedBlackbirds were more in evidencethan usual. including one at (WE). T. or C., Dec. 10 & 15 (DM), and25 + at RedrockDec. I I--along with an even more unusual Com. Grackle (JH et al.). Also notable were singleGreat-tailed Grackles near Cliff in late Decemberand at Silver CONTRIBUTORS -- Wes Cook, Rod Drewlen, William Eley, City Jan.9 (RF). The only RosyFinches reported were 35 + in theTaos- Ralph Fisher, Geoffrey Hill, Randy Hill. William Howe, John Hub- TresPiedras area Jan. 10-l I; all butone were of the Brown-cappedrace, bard,Don MacCarter(DMc), DorisMiller, Marty Mayfield, Alan Nel- the exceptionbeing of the Blackform (WE, WH). Cassin'sFinch made son, Linda Seibert,John Shipman, Ross Teuber, John Trochet, Kathy a goodshowing in then. andw. regions,and s. in theRio GrandeValley Wood,Barry Zimmer, Kevin Zimmer.--JOHN P, HUBBARD,2016 (v.o.). Amongthe morenotable counts were scores at SantaFe Dec. 25- Valle Rio, Santa Fe, NM 87501.

ALASKA REGION /D. D. Gibson C'1 IC •"••CE A N Winter 1984-1985was mild in Alaska.We enjoyedabove-average temperaturesin December,January, and half of February(e.g., "From beginningto end, January in Fairbanksturned out to be the envy of many cold-sufferingLower 48 cities.The average... temperatureof + I 1.3 [øF]exceeded normal temperatures by24.1 degrees, making it thethird- warmestJanuary since records began, in 1904"(Fairbanks Daily News- Miner). True winterweather caught up with us in February,with mini- mums in the Interior Feb. 8-24 as cold as the - 60s, but no recordswere set.Precipitation south of theAlaska Range was below normal (e.g.. at Anchorageit was the third-lowestever for the period); north of the AlaskaRange there was heavy snow in December,followed by addi- tionalaccumulation of near-normalsnowfall in Januaryand February.

ABBREVIATIONS -- C = Central Alaska; SC = Southcoastal Alaska; SE = SoutheasternAlaska; W = Western Alaska. o• i• Anchorage• * Valdez• • Go•Oe ßCordova '•- CORMORANTS THROUGH WATERFOWL -- A Double-crested Cormorant observed at Zeto Pt., Adak [., c. Aleutians, Dec. 19-28 Is DillJngham --• • •omer PENINSULA (CFZ, CA) furnishedthe westernmostrecord of thespecies, about 400 km w. of theknown limit of thebreeding range. No CattleEgrets from November'sinflux (see autumn)were reportedto have survivedinto December(Pl). About70 TrumpeterSwans overwintered on the Eyak L./Eyak R. system,near Cordova (Pl), the northernmostand western- mostwintering population of thisspecies. Two CanadaGeese, believed to have beenexamples ofB. c. leucopareia,were seen at Little Thumb •"•$ PACIFICOCEAN Bay, Adak, Feb. 10 (MW,.fide CFZ), but not beforeor after. I believe thiswas the first suggestion of winteringin thisRegion by "Aleutian" CanadaGees& Unusual wintering ducks in upperCook Inlet included a 8 N. Pintailat Anchoragethrough the 3rd weekof February;a 9 GULLS THROUGH HUMMINGBIRDS -- The first Anchorage- pintail, with 150 + Mallards,near Cooper 'Landing, Kenai Pen., Feb. area overwinteringrecords of gulls includedhigh countsof 40 Glau- 16;a 8 Ring-neckedDuck at ElmendorfA.F.B., Anchorage,all period, cous-wingedand five Glaucous,both Jan. 13 (DWS). Mourning Doves for the2nd local winter record: and 2 pairsof Buffleheadsnear Cooper comingto feedersat Homer,autumn through February (GVB, TGT et LandingFeb. 16 (TGT et al. ). Elsewhere,six TuftedDucks were seen at aL ). andat Sewardthrough Jan. 3 (TGT et al.) furnishedunprecedented Adak Feb. 12 (CFZ); one (possiblythree) male(s) spent this winterat winter recordsin this Region. An injuredW. Screech-Owlfound and Cordova,the 8th winterin 9 thisspecies has occurred there. Cordova nursedback to healthat Juneauin February(Pl, JGK) providedone of remainsthe only Alaskalocality on the Pacificcoast e. of the Aleutians veryfew definiterecords of thisspecies on theSE mainland.The Snowy where it has been found at all. Owls involvedin autumn1984's "invasion" (q.v.) apparentlyall moved

Volume 39, Number 2 199 on One was seenat Kodiak Jan 9 (TS, fide RAM) and one at Craig, 'finch' winter m Alaska A Brambling was presentat a Petersburg Princeof WalesI., SE, Jan. 12 (SB,fide TEK), butnone thereafter. In feederfrom Decemberto March (?DK), the only reportthis sdason of theAleutians, however, Adak reports of thisspecies continued through .this casual winter visitant in SC or SE Alaska. Pine Grosbeaks were theperiod (CFZ). At leastthree N. Pygmy-Owlswere present all season widespread.They were variouslydescribed as very few at St. Marys m the Juneauarea (RHA, ESD, RJG, JGK), but there were no reports (BJM), in W Alaska;few at Galena(TOO) but'fairlycommon at Fair- fromelsewhere in SE thisseason. The d Anna'sHummingbird at Auke banks(DDG et al.), in C Alaska; and fairly commonat Kodiak (RAM) Bay (seeautumn) lasted until about Christmastime; another, also at a and abundantat Anchorage(TGT et al.), SC Alaska.The specieswas sugar-waterfeeder, was reported in Decemberat Sitka(fide PI). not so numerousat Juneauas in someprior winters(RHA), andthere was no commenton it from elsewherein SE. A d .PurpleFinch JAYSTHROUGH WAXWINGS -- Steller'sJays were widely re- observedat a Homerfeeder Feb. 10 + (GVB et al., ?TGT, ph. DWS) portedin the upper Cook Inlet area this winter, and in higher numbers providedthe 2ndSC record.This bird is a poorly-knowncasual visitant thanpreviously (GJT), e.g., 21on Dec. 15 at Anchorage (C.B.C.) and a in SE or SC Alaska,fall to spring.Red Crossbillswere mentioned only flock of six or morein SpenardFeb. 28 (TGT). Juneau'sMountain at Kodiak (rare but regular,RAM) and Juneau(scarce, PI). White- Chickadee(see autumn) was present through the period; it wasjoined wingedCrossbills were abundant and ubiquitous in thePalmer-Anchor- brieflyby a 2ndindividual in January(fide PI). A few Red-breasted age areaand on the Kenai Pen. this season("heard or seeneverywhere Nuthatcheswere presenton the KenaiPen., at Kasilofand Homer alongthe highway[from Anchorage]to HomerFeb. 16" [TGT]), and (MAM), andin SE, at Juneau(PI), but thespecies was not reported at theywere fairly commonat Kodiak(RAM). Theywere present but not Kodiak. Fairbanks'snuthatch (see autumn)visited the same feeders conspicuousin C Alaska, at Fairbanks,all season(DDG), and a few regularlyuntil late December (GEM), afterwhich it wasnot seen again. small flockswere seenas far downriveras St. Marys (BJM), m W ThreeBrown Creepers were seen with a flockof 35+ BorealChicka- Alaska.White-wingeds were absentfrom Juneau(PI), but a few flocks deesin mixed forestnear FairbanksDec. 9 (DDG), and a singlebird were notedin the Craig, Princeof Wales I., area(TEK). brieflyvisited a feederlater in themonth. There are no records at any Redpollswere the talk of the winter, at least in Anchorageand seasonof thisbird n. of theFairbanks area, where it is apparentlyscarce. Fairbanks.At Anchoragethere .were more redpolls than in anywinter m A few were reportedelsewhere, along the Pacific coast.Golden- at least 10 (TGT), with numerousflocks of 30-60 birdsdaily at feeders crownedKinglets were exceptionally numerous this winter within their fromDecember through February, after which time their numbers grew, normal,coastal range, e.g., 494 at KodiakDec. 29 (C.B.C.) and460 at to flocksof 80-100 birdsdaily (GJT), reflectingmovements that began AnchorageDec. 15 (C.B.C.). Ruby-crownedKinglet, which is only a at thattime. Althoughnumbers were somewhat lower than this at Fair- casualwinter visitant anywhere on Alaska's Pacific coast, persisted into banks, many flocks of 10-30 redpollsspent the seasonat feeders lateDecember at Anchoragein highnumbers (e.g., eightDec. 15), and throughoutthe area. They were suchconstant and insatiablefeeder up to threebirds were reported throughout the season (TGT). At Ko- visitors,regularly cleaning out well-stocked seed feeders and moving on diak, two were seenDec. 4, three Dec. 29, and two to three birds to suetor peanut-butterfeeders, that at leasta few observerscame to frequentedpeanut-butter/suet feeders in townall winter(RAM, JBA). r•gardthem as pests, "like having mice at thefeeders" (RSH) And At the closeof the winter season,single singing c• Ruby-crowned indeed,on manyoccasions, listening from withinthe house to redpolls Kingletswere heard on the unparalleled dates of Feb.26 in Anchorage on the feedersjust outsidesounded like listeningto the scurrying, (RLS) andFeb. 28 at Kodiak(RAM). A loneWater Pipit observedat squabbling,and chattering of manymice. In thesmaller communities, HomerFeb. 16(GJT et al.) providedthe only report during the season. however,redpolls were not so numerousas in Anchorageand Fair- BohemianWaxwings are usually abundant in Anchorageonly aslate- banks. There were few this seasonat Galena (TOO), on the central autumnvisitants in November, so it was unusualthat the speciesre- Yukon R.; and, althoughvery commonat St. Marys, on the lower mainedabundant there (e.g., 4000 + in mid-December)into mid-Janu- Yukon, in thefall, theywere very scarceafter early winter there, where ary, by whichtime the late-autumn influx has ordinarily been gone for noneat all was seenafter Feb. 10 (BJM). On the KenaiPen., though, someweeks, and that flocks of five to 20 birdswere presentnear the pressureon feedersat Kasilof(MAM), for example,paralleled that m downtownarea through the closeof the period(TGT, GJT). Anchorage,if on a smallerscale, and redpolls were common and seen regularlyall winterat Kodiak(RAM). In SE Alaska,redpolls were STARLINGS THROUGH SPARROWS -- The only winter reports presentall winterat Juneau,but in low numbersuntil February (PI), of Eur. Starlingsw. of SE werethose reported at Anchorage(one at the after whichtime they becameexceptionally common (RHA). citydump through Dec. 13, TGT) andat Kodiak(two birdsDec. 4+, On the Pacific coast, Pine Siskinswere common,but lessso than RAM). Alaska'sfirst substantiated Rufous-sided Towbee (see autumn) redpolls,at Kodiak(RAM); absentfrom upperCook Inlet afterlate patronizedan Auke Bay, Juneau, feeder until the last week of 1984(fide December,but presentin small numbersat Sewardand at Homer PI). Therewere many wintering records of sparrowsalong the Alaska (TGT); scarceat Juneau(PI); butabundant at Craig(TEK), onthe outer Pacificcoagt. One Am. TreeSparrow spent the season at an Anchorage coastof the AlexanderArchipelago. A lone 9 EveningGrosbeak was feeder(GJT, MMT), andat leastfive werepresent this winter at Homer seenat Pt. Louisa,Juneau, Jan. 6 (MWS), but not again,the first SE (RLS). One FoxSparrow was seen at an Anchoragefeeder Feb. 13+ reportof thiscasual visitant in severalyears. Most intriguing was a 9 (TGT, RLS), anda few FoxSparrows wintered in thetown of Kodiak EveningGrosbeak observed briefly at a Fairbanks-areafeeder, accom- (RAM). Four or more Lincoln'sSparrows were found:one at an An- panyingPine Grosbeaks, Feb. 1 (CVK ph.)•quite possiblythe same choragefeeder from October to March(TGT), anotherAnchorage bird femaleseen 10 km away last October (see autumn), when it providedthe at anotherfeeder Jan. 2f-Feb. 25 (RLS), singlesat KodiakDec. 4 & 19 firstC Alaskarecord of the species.There were no Fairbanksreports of (RAM, DWS), andone at a Homerfeeder at leastFeb. 13-17 (GVB, thisdistinctive apparition in theintervening November-January, howev- TGT). A White-throated Sparrow, casualin Alaskaat any season, er, nor was the bird seenagain after Feb. 1. waswell-described ata Craigfeeder Feb. 9 (GS,fideTEK), butwhether presentbefore or afterthat date was unknown. Small numbers of Gold- CORRIGENDA -- Pochardsat Adak (AB 38:947) were seenby M en-crownedSparrows were present at Anchorage,Homer, and Kodiak; Zeillemakerand C. & T. Edgerton,not by CFZ et al.; andthe only andsmall numbers of White-crownedSparrows at Kodiakand Homer, spring1984 Dusky Thrush (AB 38:948)was at Nizki I., notat Agattu oneat PalmerDec. 29 (JL), andgood numbers (e.g., 11 on Dec. 15) at Anchorage(mob.). The KenaiPeninsula Harris' Sparrow at Hope (see CONTRIBUTORS (Subregionaleditors in boldface)AND OB- autumn)remained the season(WT et al.), andone immature overwin- SERVERS--J. B. Allen, C. Ambroz,R. H. Armstrong,S. Benson,G teredat a LemonCr., Juneaufeeder (fide PI). Dark-eyedJuncos, which V. Byrd,E. S. Dunn,R. J. Gordon,R. S. Hadley,P. Isleib,J. G. King, regularlywinter in smallnumbers just asfar n. asthe availabilityof T. E. Kogut, D. Krueper,J. Lawton, R. A. Macintosh,G E feedersallows them, were present in substantialnumbers at manyloca- Matschke,B. J. McCafiery,M. A. Miller, T. O. Osborne,R. L. Scher, tlonson thePacific coast (e.g., 16 at Tanses'Anchorage feeder Dec. 1 M. W.' Schwan,D. W. Sonneborn,G. Stagner,T. Stockman,G J [butthis number had dwindled to oneby theend of February,GJT]), and Tans, M. M. Tans, T. G. Tobish, W. Trimmingham,C. VanZant- a few as far n. as Fairbanks, as usual. King,M. Wilkins,C. F. Zeillemaker.•D.D. GIBSON,University of FINCHES- As manyobservers attested, winter 1984-1985 was a Alaska Museum, 907 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99701.

200 AmericanBtrds, Summer1985 NORTHERN PACIFIC COAST REGION two winteredon the Skagit flats, Wash. (WWi, E. Smirnov). Larger /Philip W. Mattocks, Jr. winteringgroups were noted farthers. at Portland,Salem, Newport, Roseburg,and Medford, Ore.

The entire season was both colder and much drier than usual. The WATERFOWL- An aerial surveyJan. 10 of RidgefieldN.W.R., Portland,Seattle, and Vancouver, B.C., weatherstations averaged 2.7 ø Wash., found 1300 Tundra Swans (TW). Other high countsduring below normal for the three months. December in Vancouver, B.C., was Januarywere 907 at Halsey, Linn Co., Ore., and 397 at the Eugene, thecoldest on record.January rainfall at thethree stations was only 10% Ore., airport(both D. MacManiman,B. Ross,fideEE), and565 on the of the long-termaverages. Cold anddry is somuch more pleasant than Skagitflats (WWi et al.). A "Bewick's" Tundra Swan wasfound Dec. coldand rainy that actually the winter seemed milder. Exceptions to this 9-21 near Bellingham(J. Duemmel,GG, TW--sketch of bill pattern), werethe continuous below-freezing temperatures in Seattlethrough all for one of very few recordsfor Washington.Groups of severaldozen daylighthours of December17-20, December 30-January 1, andFebm- TrumpeterSwans were widely scattered from s.w. BritishColumbia and aW 4, andin Portlandthrough December 18-20. V.I., asusual, through to n. Oregon,where they have only recentlybeen found. Twenty Greater White-fronted Geese near Corvallis Dec. 16 ABBREVIATIONS -- C.B.C. = Christmas Bird Count; V.I. = (fide BB) was the largest flock reported.Groups of one to five were Vancouver Island, British Columbia. spreadthrough all reportingareas. One of ourwandering escapee Barna- cle Geesespent January on ChambersL. in Olympia, Wash. (fide T. Bock), and anothervisited severalsites in the Willamette Valley of Oregon(R. Gerig, EE et al.). "Eurasian"Green-winged Teal werefound on Lulu I. andthe Serpen- Rupert tine Fen, B.C., Saanichand N. Saanich, V.I., and Seattle and Vancou- ver L., Wash. Hybridswith botha verticaland a horizontalwhite stripe PROVIiqC!AL were noted in Saanich,V.I. (DFr) and in Eugene,Ore. (tSH). In additionto the residentpopulation of Am. Black Ducks at Everett, Wash., scatteredindividuals were found in Victoria and Saanich, V.I., Burnabyand Delta, B.C., and as far away as Eugene,Ore., Dec. 25 (DFi, TL). A hybrid c• Am. Black Duck x Mallard wasobserved Dec. 23 on WesthamI., B.C. (?WWe, BK). The 420 Gadwallson Devil's L., Lincoln City, was a large concentrationfor coastalOregon (PP). EurasianWigeon were notedin almostevery wigeonflock examined, and at least four hybrid Am. x Eur. Wigeon were reported.Other waterfowlhybrids reported included a d' N. Pintailx MallardDec. 23 at Cope Reifel Ref.. B.C. (tBK. WWe), anda probableHooded Merganser x Com. Goldeneyemale Dec. 30 andJan. I at BlackieSpit, s. of Vancou- Grays ver, B.C. (tBK, RP). The imm. d' Tufted Duck seen Nov. 17-Dec. 2 in C. Saanich was the first for V.I. since 1973 (AM, TZ, M. Shepard).The female foundat StanleyP., Vancouver,B.C., in Novemberwas joined by at leastone Tillamoo• more female Jan. 20 (tBK) and one was seen there to the end of the Cop,tao•out_•' [ Carvalli period.In mid-Decembera d' TuftedDuck appeared on LeadbetterPt., Eugene Wash., whereone was found last year (R. Widrig). The c• King Eider found in Vancouver,B.C., last fall spentthe winter in the area, mostly BandonI on Deep Cove, N. Vancouver(iMP et al.). /vied ford ß

LOONS THROUGH HERONS --The 13 + Yellow-billed Loons reportedwas aboutthe samenumber as last year, and was distinctly morethan the averageof the preceding7 winters.One wass. to Silctz Bay, Ore., Feb. 3-4 (JE, BB), andit or anotherwas seen on nearby YaquinaBay Feb. 17-23(fide HN, EE). All otherswere in thePuget Sound-Victoria-Vancouver, B.C., area, and were spread through the season.A countof 415 Pied-billedGrebes on Devil's L., Lincoln City, Ore., in late Decemberwas a very large concentration(PP). A light- phaseW. Grebeat PonySlough, Ore., Dec. 12(P. Sullivan)furnished thefirst Coos County record of thisform, andthe only report this winter. Subadultmale King Eider at Deep Cove, Vancouver,B.C., Feb. 20, A N. Fulmar in Port Angeles,Wash., harborJan. 8 (SS), 10 dark 1985. Photo/Paul Yorke. shearwaters,either Sooty or Short-tailed,Dec. 28 from the ferry be- tweenPort Angeles and Victoria (JS, CH), anda dark shearwateroff the VULTURES THROUGH CRANES -- Two Turkey Vultures spent OceanShores, Wash., jetty Jan. 4 (G & WH) providedthe usualfew the winteragain at Corvallis,Ore. (fide EE). First arrivalswere noted procellariiformreports. Single Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels seen Dec. 28 Feb.22 onLopez I., Wash.(W. Beechef),and Feb. 28 onsouthern V.1. nearFlorence, Ore. (tSH, M. Hunter), and Feb. 28 at Newport,Ore. (G. Davidson).The countof 31 + Black-shoulderedKites in w. Oregon (fide BB) were most unusual,and presageda muchmore extensive this winter was roughlythe sameas the lastfew years.Current expan- onshoremovement in early March. sionof the speciesis apparentlytaking place in Washington,with 11 CattleEgret numbers dropped steadily through early December. The birdsreported this seasonfrom 7 localities.However, only the pair below-freezingtemperatures of Dec. 17-19marked the latestobserva- foundlast fall arounda largemeadow on theshores of CJraysHarbor, w. tions on southernV.I. and in Bellingham,Wash. (fide VG, TW). of Hoquiam,was reportedregularly through the season.Single Red- Surprisingly,there were no reportsfrom mainlandBritish Columbia shoulderedHawks were noted Jan. I alongth.e New R., CurryCo. (JR), (fide DK). A Green-backedHeron was found n. to Pitt L., B.C., Dec. andFeb. 18 at Bandon(E.G. White-swift),at the n. edgeof therange of 23 (DP, B. & L. Feltnet). Two Black-crownedNight-Herons wintered thisspecies in s. Oregon.One "Harlan's" Red-tailed Hawk Dec. 13 on againat ReifelRef., nearVancouver, B.C. (DK, BK et al.). Likewise, the Lummi flats, w. of Bellingham,Wash., was the only report(K.

Volume39, Number2 201 Brunner).Rough-legged Hawks were consideredto be generallymore numerousthan usual(TW, DP, HN). There are at presentno regularly censusedtransects. other than the C.B.C.s. to providemore quantitative assessmentof raptor populations. Therewere a welcome3 timesas manyPeregrine Falcon sightings on southernV.I. this seasonas in recentyears (VG). Otherreporting areas for which there are consistenthistories of sightingsindicated about normalnumbers. There were 10+ Gyrfalconsightings, slightly more than in the past2 years, with six of thesefound regularly through the seasonat favoredlocations in n.w. Washingtonand southern V.I_ (TW, VG). About one-half dozenPrairie Falconswere noted in w. Oregon, with none found n. of the Columbia R. This is the normal winter distributionof large falcons in our area. The count of 156 California Quail on the Victoria C.B.C. indicated that the populationis holdingon therefollowing a sharpdecline several yearsago. The 14 Virginia Rails in VictoriaDec. 15 (C.B.C.) and in Vancouver, B.C., Dec. 16 (C.B.C.) were both high counts,but these censusespreceded the severeweather of late December.At the Mont- Firxt-winter lceland Gull on southern Vancouver lxland. B.C.. Feb. 10. lakefill onthe U.W. campusin Seattlethe one-half dozen Virginia Rails 1985. Photo/Tim Zurowski. survivedthe freezewell, andwere singing by lateFebruary (ER). Single Soras were seenDec. 16 on Sea I., near Vancouver, B.C. (tH. & J. MacKetlzie), and heardDec. 30 at the Montlake fill in Seattle(K. Aanerud). Two SandhillCranes were unusualin Delta, B.C., Dec. 23 0'M. Schouten et al.) and about 90 wintered on Sauvie I., Ore. (HN), andadjacent Batchelor I. (TW). Heavymigration of SandhillCranes up the Willamette Valley was notedFeb. 28 (VT, R. Smith).

SHOREBIRDS THROUGH GULLS -- Three Snowy Plovers lin- geredat Ft. StevensS.P., n.w. Oregon,to Dec. 19 (S. Jaggers)_A flock of ! 5 Willets, 75 Marbled Godwitsand threeLong-billed Curlews was presentJan. 17 at theirregular wintering area on the mouthof theNorth R., w. of Raymond,Wash. (G & WH). SingleWillets alsowintered at YaquinaBay, Ore. (fide HN). andon Ediz Hook. PortAngeles. Wash. (MC, D & SS). Two WanderingTattlers (J. Olsen) anda Red Knot (DFi Adult (Kumlien'x) leeland Gull at 1ona1., near Vancouver,B.C., Der'. et al.) were late at Tillamook. Ore., Dec. 15 and furnished the only 12, 1984. Photo/Mike Force. reports•ofthose species. Five Spotted Sandpipers found on southern V.I. (VG et al.) and three in the Vancouver, B.C., area (WWe, MF et al.) were near the n. limit of the wintering range of this species.Single RuddyTurnstones, rare here in winter, were at the Tsawwassenjetty, Delta, B.C., Dec. 23 (ñBS), at Metchosin, V.I., Dec. 27 (WC. G. Davidson), and at the mouthof the CapilanoR., N. Vancouver,B.C., Jan. 27 (BS). The only W. Sandpiperreported in B.C. was with the Dunlin on the Iona I. pondsthroughout the season(BK, MP et aLL Small groupsof up to 39 Long-billedDowitchers were widely reported during December.Thereafter, only six Feb. 9 at Finley N.W.R., Ore. (D. Hall, B. Orr), and five Feb. 25 on Reifel I., Delta. B.C. (BK. J. Hudson)were noted. Reportsof Blaek-belliedPlovers, Greater Yellow- legs, and Dunlin indicatedthat thesespecies wintered in the Regionin their normal numbers. A jaeger of undeterminedspecies was seenDec. 15 off Gambler1., n.w. of Vancouver,B.C. (tD. Brown)for the only report.This was mostlikely a lingeringfall migrantParasitic Jaeger, particularly at this locationfar from theopen ocean. A Franklin'sGull Dec. 12 nearSalem, First-winter h'eland Gull (with adult Glaucous-wingedGull) on south- Ore. (J. Cotbert, T. DeSousa,fide BB). and another in first-winter ern Vancouverlxland. B.C., Der'. 23. 1984. Photo/BrueeWhittington. plumage,Feb. 14-16at SauvieI., Ore. (B. O'Brien, C. Miller,fide HN) were unusual winter visitors. An ad. Little Gull noted Dec. 16 on AmericanL., Tacoma, Wash. (ñCC, N. Chappell),but gonethe next 9-Dec. 24 (';-MF ph., ñBK et al.). From the patternof gray on the day, furnisheda late fall recordof this rare but regular species.Bona- wingtips. and degreeof streakingon head and neck, as many as five parte'sGulls apparentlywithdrew from Canadianwaters after Dec. 28, differentbirds were believedto havebeen present [MF, ins. in prep.). A with the first returneesnoted Feb. 10-12 at River Jordan, on the w. coast first-winter"Kumlien's" was found Dec. 23 (';'KT, J'BrW,ph.) andFeb. of V.I. (B. Hay, M & VG). The 65-100 CaliforniaGulls foundJan. 5- 10 (KT, R. Williams, TZ, ph_)at the HartlandAve. landfill for the first Feb. 3 at Trout L., Vancouver, B:C. (BK), and the 73 found Jan. 6 at record for V.I. Another first-winter bird was seen Jan. 4 on Trout L., John Hendry P., Vancouver,B.C. (MF), were high countsfor this Vancouver, B.C. ( i'BK, MF). About 29 GlaucousGulls, a usualnum- uncommonwintering species. ber, were reported from throughoutthe Region. Seven of these--an The 2000 + Thayer's Gulls Dec. 1 at the Hartland Ave. landfill. adult, threefirst-year, and three second-year--were seen Feb. 23 at the Highland Land District, southernV.I., was the high count IBr this Richmondlandfill, B.C. (MF, BK). Single, and probablyseparate, ad. species(KT. TZ. CH). One thousandThayer's were in Victoria Dec. 15 Sabine'sGulls were seenFeb. 11 & 12 in strongwinds at River Jordan, (C.B.C.) and counts of 200 were made at Iona I. and the Richmond Clover Pt., and Sooke Bay, V.I. (VG, KT). landfill, both near Vancouver, B.C., during the winter (MP, MF). Certainlyowing to, in somedegree, a morededicated searching of this ALCIDS THROUGH OWLS -- The 232 Marbled Murrelets around regular concentrationof Thayer's Gulls, observersat Iona 1. found Victoria Dec. 15 (C.B.C.) providedthe highestcount there since 1965. several "Kumlien's" Iceland Gulls. Adults were observed them Nov. The high countfor the seasonof AncientMurrelets was ! 30 seenDec. 7

202 American Birds, Summer 1985 from a boat off Coos County, Ore (M Graybill) This continuedthe B C (BK, RP), wasan exceptionto the generallyearly departure of last trend noticedlast fall of lower-than-usualnumbers reported for this fall. species.Eleven Ancients were still off CattlePt., SanJuan I., Feb. 17 Could ScrubJays really be extendingtheir range N? There are avail- (BaW). Monk Parakeetswere reportedonly from Portland,where 11 ableoak grovesn. of the ColumbiaR. valley. Two ScrubJays were in returned(from partsunknown) Jan. 28 andbegan nest-building near the Tacoma Dec. 15 (C.B.C.) and anotherwas seen in Sequim, Wash , airport (D. Anderson). along the Strait of Juande Fuca, Dec. 17 and Jan. 13 (A. Campbell, In recentyears the Christmas Bird Countat Ladner,B.C., hastallied SA), andwas reported to havebeen present there since March 1984. The thehigh count of SnowyOwls for theRegion. This year'stotal there of Blue Jay foundon SauvieI., Ore., last fall wasseen there irregularly all 40 wasthe highest since a countof 107on Dec. 22, 1973.Four of the 11 winter (D. Poppe,m.ob.). The high countof 210 Com. Ravenson the Snowlesreported from Oregon were at theS. jettyof theColumbia R., Victoria C. B.C. was at least coincident with this season's influx of other Jan 2 + (fide HN), andsingles were s. to Saiem,Eugene, and Medford large n. species. OCtdeDFi). Numbersbegan thinning during February. Seven were on the Catalaspit at OceanShores Jan. 28 (MC), andonly threewere there CHICKADEES THROUGH WARBLERS -- Three Mountain Feb 16 (BaW). The N. Hawk-Owl found Nov. 25 at Pitt Meadows,e. Chickadees,all in the Vancouver, B.C., area, and scatteredthrough the of Vancouver,B.C., stayedto at leastMar. I (fide DK). ElevenN. season,furnished the only reports.Thus this occasionally-irruptive spe- Pygmy-Owlswere locatedon 4 Vancouver-areaC.B.C.s, three were ciesdid notjoin thegeneral movement in thisarea. Numbers of winter- seenrepeatedly in N. Vancouverthrough January and February(A. ing Marsh Wrens were consideredhigher than usualaround Tacoma Thomas, P. Cortez, MF et al.), and there were 3 reportseach from (CC), and the Victoria C.B.C. had an all-time high count. A groupof Washingtonand Oregon.This was somewhatmore than usual,but W. Bluebirdsmade a rare winteringattempt in MetchosinLand District, reflectedthe typicalwinter distribution in thisRegion. Five Burrowing V.I., near a breedinglocation for this species.Twelve or more were Owls, a normal number, were found this season in the Willamette presentDec. 1, five Dec. 24, andthree Feb. 14, whichis just beforethe Valley of Oregon(fide EE). Also as usual,single Barred Owls were normal arrival for migrants(A. Barber, M & VG). Varied Thrushes noted in Victoria, Saanich,and E. SookeRegional P., V.I., in Sechelt werereported to be muchmore numerous than usual around Coos Bay, and N. Vancouver,B.C., and in Seattleand Mercer I., Wash. The only Ore. (L. Thornburgh),and Olympia, Bellingham,and San Juan I , Long-earedOwl report,a rare winteringspecies, was of one at Pitt Wash. (G & WH, TW, DP), but were "mostlyin small numbers"on Meadows, B.C., Jan. 20 (MF et al.). southernV.I. (VG) and were uncommentedon elsewhere.Single N At least 10 Great Gray Owls invadedthe Region.As therewere only Mockingbirdsspent the winterin 2 areasof Portland(VT, J. Gilligan, 4 previousrecords for the Vancouver,B.C., area (fide DK), only 2 R. Hatcher) and in Salem (C. Puchy), and were also reportedfrom previousunconfirmed reports for V.I. (fide VG), and no confirmed Albany, Eugene,and Medford. Anotherwas near Stanwood,Wash , recordsfor w. Washingtonsince 1974, some detail is in order.The first Jan. 20-Mar. 3 (m.ob.). of six in the Vancouver,B.C., areawas locatedNov. 11 n. of Squamish The first-yearwagtail found last winter at CrockettL., WhidbeyI , (K McGregor, D. Dunbar, ph.). Two road-killedswere found at Wash., has beenidentified from excellentphotographs taken April 26, ChdhwackDec. 7 andJan. 14 (fideD. Wilson, *B.C. Prov. Mus.). One 1984 (MC), as a •? White Wagtail (DP). The bird continuedto molt in was found shot near SedroWoolley, Wash., Dec. 9 (*Burke Mus., late April and the photographsand a May 5 description(T. Weir) Umv Wash.) and anotherroad-killed was found at Pitt Meadows Jan. indicatea completelyblack chin and throat. As well as can be deter- 13 (T Burgess).Individuals were sighted Jan. I in JerichoP., Vancou- mined from the literature and from surveysof specimensin several ver, B.C. (G. Chalmers, MF et al., ph. C. Siddle), Jan. 4-11 near museums(DP) thisfeature rules out the Black-backedWagtail. The area Bellingham,Wash. (ph. P. DeBruyn),Jan. 19+ on the campusof was searchedthis winter severaltimes, but the bird apparentlydid not Simon FraserUniv., Burnaby(DK et al., ph. E. Sian), Feb. 12+ in return. Saamch,V.I. (G. Calvertet al.. ph. TZ), andFeb. 13-18 nearMonroe, Sightingsof groupsof up to 65 BohemianWaxwings, an irregular Wash (D. Nelson,ñSA et al.. ph. B. Reichert). winter visitor, were notedin the Vancouver, B.C., area throughoutthe season(fide DK). Elsewhere,45 Bohemianswere on AndersonI., near POORWILL TO RAVENS -- A very late Com. Poorwillwas found Tacoma, Dec. 15, 10 were in BellinghamDec. 31 (TW), and 10 were •n deadNov. 21 alongthe New R., Ore., for only the 2nd Curry County N. SaanichJan. 5-14 (KT et al.. ph. TZ). Northern Shrikeswere record (JR, CO). Anna's Hummingbirdswere widely reportedfrom "unusuallyabundant" on southernV.I. (VG), with an all-time high urban areas in their usual or somewhat increased numbers. A Costa's countfor theVictoria C. B.C., andit was"one of thebetter years" for the Hummingbirdwas observed Dec. 19-28 in Newport,Ore., for the 13th speciesin w. Oregon(HN). Shrikeswere reportedin usualnumbers record for that state (•'A & KC). elsewhere,except that "very few were presentthis winter" near Bel- A "Red-naped"Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was noted Dec. 26 in N. lingham, Wash. (TW). Saamch,V.I., whereone winteredlast year (B. Holt). The wintering SingleOrange-crowned Warblers were foundn. to Saxe Pt. Park, statusof thisform in the Regionis still unclear.Surprisingly, the freeze Esquimalt,V.I., Dec. 15 (M & VG), and Lulu I., near Vancouver, this December did not result in large numbersof sightingsof Red- B.C., Dec. 23 (tC. Butt). In Eugene,Ore., sevenwere foundDec. 30 breastedSapsuckers in the lowlands.The numerousreports on southern (C.B.C.), andD. Fix believedthat four otherswere missed. A very late V I were spreadevenly throughoutthe season.Not only are actual Nashville Warbler was at Ocean Shores, Wash., Dec. 5 (JS, BH) and winterrecords of the residentThree-toed Woodpecker very few, dueto anotherwas in Tillamook, Ore., Dec. 15 (DFi et al.). Single Palm thedifficulty of accessto appropriate habitat, but the species is v.ery rare Warblers were found at Ocean Shores,Tillamook, and Coos Bay, as in the OlympicMrs. Thusthe sightingof a 9 Three-toedJan. 21 on usual,during December. Also single Palms appeared Jan. 5 atthe mouth HurricaneRidge in the Olympicswas welcome(MC). of theElk R., CurryCo., Ore. (JR, CO), andFeb. 11-26on Puget1., up Several Black Phoebes wintered as usual near Medford, Ore., and, the ColumbiaR. near Cathlamet,Wash. (tA. Richardset al.). A • for the 4th consecutivewinter, one spentthe seasonfarther n. at Rose- Com. Yellowthroatseen Dec. 2 at Pitt Meadows(?WWe) furnishedthe burg(fide DFi). A Say'sPhoebe found Jan. 13-Feb.9 at Philomath,near 5th winter record for British Columbia, and one found Dec. 16 at the N Corvallis, Ore. (R. & J. Krabbe, VS) was n. of the usual wintering jettyof theColumbia R. (DI, J. Hewkin)pfovided the 3rd winter record grounds,and could well havebeen a very earlymigrant. Counts of 65- for Washington.Two Com. Yellowthroatswere still at FernRidge Res , 90+ Eur. Skylarkswere made in thefields ofC. Saanich,V.I., during nearEugene, Dec. 13 (DFi, SH, TL), anda Wilson'sWarbler was.late December (DS). at Corvallis Dec. 19 (A & KC). The first Tree Swallows noted were not until Feb. 17 near Corvallis, Ore (VS), and Feb. 18 at RidgefieldN.W.R., Wash. (T. McAllister). TOWHEES THROUGH FINCHES -- The Green-tailed Towhee Reportswere widespread by Feb. 23-26. A singleViolet-green Swallow discovered Nov. 10 in Comox, V.I., for the first record for British had ventured n. to L. Steilacoom, near Tacoma, Wash., Jan. 15 (G. Columbia, was still presentat the end of the period(Mrs. E. Bowen, Ramsay).Otherwise, the first arrival date for bothV.I. andthe Vancou- m.ob.). ThreeVesper Sparrows at theWedderburn sewage ponds, Cur- ver, B.C., area was Feb. 23 (DS; MF et al.), and the specieswas ry Co., Ore., werewell n. of theirusual wintering range (JR, CO). The widespreadby Feb. 26-28. A singleBarn SwallowDec. 2-3 in Delta, Lark Sparrowfound at a feederin Saanich,V.I., Nov. 21-Dec. 3

Volume39, Number2 203 providedthe 7th recordfor southernV.I. (we). At leasttwo of the of a hoped-forincursion. Much closer to knownnesting areas, two Pine SavannahSparrows found during December in C. Saanichwere seen Grosbeakswere seenDec. 16 alongMt. Highway, N. Vancouver(M. againin January(AM, BrW, R. Satterfield).A SwampSparrow resided Daly) andthree Feb. 11 on Mt. Washington,n.w. of Courtenay,V.I. at Ocean Shores,Wash., Dec. 15-Feb. 8 for the 10th record for Wash- (fide DFr). Scatteredflocks of up to 40 Red Crossbillswere widely ington(T. Schooley,R. Thorneet al., ph. JS). AnotherSwamp Spar- reportedthrough mid-January. Thereafter the largest group encountered row, oneof severalreported in Oregonthis winter, spent the seasonon wasof eightbirds. The only documentedWhite-winged Crossbill noted SanvieI. (HN et al.). Sevensightings of White-throatedSparrows n. of wasa loneindividual in Kent, Wash., Dec. 30 (?EH, BM) for only the the Columbia R. were somewhatfewer than usual, and only one of 2nd King County record. Exclusiveof the C.B.C.s, there were 10 these,at a N. Seattlefeeder, was seen repeatedly through the season (H. reportsof oneto 30 Com. Redpollsin theVancouver, B.C., areaspread Atkins, m.ob.). Eachof the 14 White-crownedSparrows netted Jan. 3 at throughoutthe season.Elsewhere, a veryfew appearedin w. Washing- Auburn, near Seattle, was of the race gambelii, the typical wintering ton, mostlyat feeders,Dec. 16-Jan.5. Smallflocks of upto 50 Evening form for Washington(?PM). However,an ad. pugetensis,the local Grosbeakswere reportedthroughout the Regionand throughoutthe breedingsubspecies. was seenside by sidewith ad. gambeliiJan. 5 season. farther s. near VancouverL., Clark Co., Wash. (TPM). Only nine Harris' Sparrowswere reported,spread throughout the Region.This INITIALED OBSERVERS(Subregional editors in boldface)• Scott was down from the totals of the last 2 winters. Atkinson,Barb Bellin, WayneCampbell, Mike Carmody,Chris Chaly A c• Yellow-headedBlackbird seen Dec. 31 in Portland(R. Fergus), pell, Angie& KevinCromack, Elzy Eltzroth,Joe Evanich, David Fix a female Jan. 26 near Stanwood, Wash. (B. Anderson et al.), and a (DFi), Mike Force, Dav4 Fraser (DFr), Margaret & Vie Goodwill, femaleFeb. 17 on SauvieI., Ore. (D. Bailey)furnished the only reports CharlesHarper, Bill l-Iarrington-Tweit,Steve Heinl, Glen & Wanda of this uncommon winter visitor. An ad. c• N. Oriole, a rare winter Hoge,Eugene Itunn, Dave Irons, BrianKautesk, Doug Kragh, Tom visitor, was seenJan. 6 in Roseburg,Ore. (F. & A. Parker). Lund, Alan MacLeod, Brien Meilleur, Harry Nehls, Carrie Osborne, A flockof about15 "Hepburn's"Rosy Finches spent the season again Dennis Paulson,Roy Phillips, Phil Pickering,Michael Price, Ellen at the summitof 4097' Marys Peak s.w. of Corvallis,Ore. (J. & K. Ratoosh,Jim Rogers,Brian Self, Jeff Skriletz, Dory &Stan Smith, Fairchild,DFi). Elsewhereindividuals appeared briefly at feedersin N. Virginia Stanton,David Stirling, Keith Taylor, Verta Teale, Terry Vancouver,B.C., Olympia, Wash., and CottageGrove, Ore. Small Wahl, WayneWeber (WWe), BartWhelton (BaW), BruceWhittington flocks of six Pine Grosbeakss.w. of Olympia Dec. 9 & 18 (JS, J. (BrW), Wally Wilkins (WWi), Tim Zurowski.--PltILIP W. MAT- Thomas)and in Bellevue,Wash., Jan. 9 (BM) wereall thatmaterialized TOCKS, JR., Dept. of Zoology,Univ. of Washington,Seattle, WA 98195.

MIDDLE PACIFIC COAST REGION /Kurt E. Campbell and StephenE. Bailey

With notablesimilarity to last year, our Regionswitched from a I Yrek• •-_r:½..,LAVABEDS N.M• drenchinglate fall to a dry winter,but this year a monthearlier, near the ;• • • Mr. Ahuras period'sstart. It wascolder and foggier than average, with the first hard frostat SanFrancisco Bay December15/16. There appeared to be low '/eu'• r ek a t• •S.•S•• ' • • i - E . winter mortalityamong landbirds, perhaps because of dry conditions with mostwild foodcrops apparently excellent; there were few signifi- cant storms.This was the Year of the Irmptive Species,from shear- -• s•c,•Nro Chico _. lie . waters to siskins,and nuthatchesto nutcrackers;see especiallythe finches.Irruptions are still amongour mostenigmatic phenomena. The .[ • Marysvillew• •1 causes,and in manycases the irruptingpopulations' origins, are quite ß Wooa. unknown. Completereports for only11 of the50 + ChristmasBird Counts in the •s eNapa •eo•ø •.• Region were seen. All sightingsfrom Palomarin and Southeast Farallon Island should be creditedto Pt. ReyesBird Observatory. References to theGull referto Sa•, j• l..- •O•o6estO'•SantaC•z0eM ....d ' GoldenGate AudubonSociety's publication, whose observations col- •Ratae'e - • •er•e•eY[, % eLosBanos _• umnis currently written by SFB.A dagger09 indicatesthat documenta- - • • - =• Oakand F: ' •eSahnas- • .•re s•ø• "• .•! tion is on file with the RegionalEditors. Co . • •o•. • Coali• d'" 4 •QUO• ABBREVIATIONS --C.B.R.C. = CaliforniaBird RecordsCom- mittee; C.V. = Central Valley; F.I. = SoutheastFarallon Island; P.R.B.O. = Pt. ReyesBird Observatory; S.F. = SanFrancisco; ph. = photoon file with the RegionalEditors. Italicized place names are counties. • •1O•e•[1 • N.•.Visalia .. '• TomalesDay, •ari,. •c. 15(CSw •t M.), •0 + at Liraanton, Fob. 10 (JE), •d nine alon• the •onteroy-PacificGrove shotdine Jan. LOONS THROUGH CORMORANTS -- Diving birdswere general~ 26 (AD, S.J.). Inlandther• wer• up to thr• on FosterCity lagoon, ly scarce,both coastally and inland. Inland loons were a Red-throated •areo, Dec. 5-22 (PJM, CDc), one at Palo Alto Hood Control Dasin, on PardeeRes., Amador, Jan. 5 (SAL et al.), anotherat O'Neill Fore- •a,ta Clara. Dec. 8-9 (CR, GW), •d oneon ThormalitoForebay Fob. bay, Merced,Dec. 20-21 (CB, KFC), twoArctics at O'Neill Forebay 18for apparentlythe 5th •,rte record(T • AM). Only two"Clark's" W. Dec. 21 (KFCetal.), oneArctic on SizerFlat Res., SantaClara, Dec. Grebeswere reposedfrom the n. coast,where rare. 22-23 (RK, JC), and nine Commons,all in the centrallowlands. The Three sightingsof LaysanAlbatross no• MontereyDay D•. I were onlyYellow-billed Loon was at PacificGrove, Monterey, Jan. 13 (AB, •licvcd to r•prosenttwo individuals(AD, TC, S.J.). No•hern Fulmars S.J.). ThermalitoForebay and Afterbay, Butte, held 20-30 Horned were abundantall winterboth oflghorcand alon• shor• in the GrebesFeb. 18 (T & AM). Elsewhereinland this specieswas in more Day area(A•, •.]., m.ob.), with a • concentrationof 500 normal numbers,with about 15 reportedfrom 5 localities.Typical short at Pacific Grove Dec. 12 (AD). Much smallerhumors were numbersof Red-neckedGrebes were in expectedconcentrations: 31 on n. of •anta C•z. A Monied Petrel was well seen •om Pt. Pinos,

204 American Birds, Summer 1985 Monterey,as it foughta galeDec 12 (?DR) Assumingacceptance by winter is not well-elucidated,they are perhapsvery locally regularin the C B.R.C., thiswould be only the 2ndhealthy Mottled Petrel seen in smallnumbers. Among 6 suchreports this season, the largest was of "up California.Monterey boats found one to fourPink-footed Shearwaters/ to 24" at Copco L., $iskiyou,Jan. 21 + (CYo, RE, MR), saidto be a tripafter the early December stragglers. Two Flesh-footed Shearwaters regularwintering locale. Of 20 Oldsquawsreported, half were in Del Dec 1 (AB, TC, S.J.) andone Dec. 27 (SFB, KLH, S.J.)off Monterey Norte, while the one interior record was of a female at L. Shastina Dec wereunexpectedly late. Buller'sShearwaters also tarried to Dec. 1, with 15-Jan.1 (m.ob.,fide MR). A countof 150+ Black Scotersoff Pt. St two at F.I. and30 off Monterey(highest count all fall--AB, TC, S.J.). George,Del Norte, Jan. 12 (GSL, RAE et al.) may have beenthe Short-tailedShearwaters seemed normal, with up to eight/tripoff Mon- highestever for the Region. terey(S.J., SFB) andDel Norte (GSL, RAE). The unprecedentedflight of Black-ventedShearwaters continued into winter around Monterey Bay andalong San Mateo. Peaknumbers were 876 feedingat Pigeon Pt , San Mateo, Dec. 7 (BS), 200-300 alongPacific Grove shoreline Alarmingwas the discoveryby U.S. Fish & Wildlife person- 'Dec 12 (DR, AB), and 100 off Montereyas late as Feb. 3 (S.J.). Only nel of highlevels of seleniumin Surf Scoterswhich were collect- two to four were there later (S.J.). Twenty-five Fork-tailed Storm- ed in 1982 in southernS.F. Bay (fide RWL). The origin and Petrelsand two Ashy Storm-Petrelswere at MontereyHarbor Jan. 31 extentof thistoxicity is unknown,but these levels equal those in (SyH) as the first of a seriesof stormsbrought flocks of Fork-tailedsto dabblingducks at the now-infamousKesterton N.W.R. Kester- shore Smallnumbers o•curred there through February, one was V4mi tonserved primarily as evaporation ponds for agriculturalrunoff, w of the Golden Gate Bridge Feb. 3 (StW), and three were off the whichsubsequently concentrated naturally-occurring low levels Klamath R. mouth Feb. 25 (fide GSL). of selenium,causing deformities in scoresof waterfowlyoung The largestaggregation of Am. WhitePelicans was 4000 at S. Wilbur and creatingmuch news and controversy.Kesterton was closed Flood Area, Kings, Feb. 4 (BMcA, fide BOB). Reversingthe trendof to runoffthis season,but the largerand impendingproblem of the last3 v•inters,the exodusof BrownPelicans was swift andvirtually waterpollution in the SanJoaquin Valley hasyet to be addressed. complete.On F.I., 75 remainedDec. 2, but after Dec. 10 only one to The potential economic and conservationramifications are threewere foundon 4 daysto Jan. 12. Elsewhere,only 10 individuals immense. were noted after early December. Double-crestedCormorants were reportedas scarceat BodegaHarbor, Sonoma(NTC), but "up" in the Sacramentoarea (EH). Three countsat the BadgerCr. roostnear Galt, Sacramento,ranged from 632 Jan. 21 to 825 Feb. 4 (B & HK). Barrow'sGoldeneyes were widelyreported, with at least21 from 7 localesin theinterior and 53 + in S.F. Bay counties.A d Red-breasted HERONS THROUGH WATERFOWL -- A Great Blue Heron in Merganseron the American River below Nimbus Dam Feb. 24-25 (ph, YosemiteValley Jan. 11 (JE)provided one of few winterrecords for the •'TM, AM) wasnoteworthy for the interior. park The fall's strongirruption ("best ever" accordingto many) of Cattle Egretsto the coastcontinued in the expectedpattern, peaking in December,then droppingto few by February.Interestingly, the best RAPTORS-- A TurkeyVulture was s. of Crescent City Dec. 8 numberswere from north of S.F. Bay (e.g., 140 Dec. 16, Del Norte (JAR, RAE); they are casualin Del Norte as winteringbirds. One Jan C B C.,fide RAE, rs. 14 Dec. 28, MontereyPen. C.B.C.,fide DR). 21 nearFt. Dick (RT) wasfelt by RAE to be a firstreturning bird for Del Numbersin theC.V. werealso generally considered high. Most signifi- Norte. Twenty-fourOspreys were reported(half of theseon the few cant was one carryingnest materialat L. Merritt, Alameda, Feb. 16 C.B .C. reportsI saw),10 from the C.V. andperiphery, the rest from the (JM), onewas noted here last year in theegret colony, but thereis still no S.F. Bay/Sonomaarea. This speciesseems to be on the increasein confirmedbreeding for the S.F. Bay area. winter but it is not clear what age/sexclasses are occurring(see Nat'l Two Trumpeter Swans convincinglyreported on the Tule Lake GeographicSociety field guide, but notethat immatures are apparently C B C., Dec. 23 (RE, MR) werenot seen later because of poorweather. indistinguishablefrom adultsafter mid-winter). Reports of BaldEagles Sixblue morph Snow Geese •(all C.V.) ahdone blue Ross' Goose (Jan. probablyrepresented at least234 birds;nearly all reportswere of oneto 21 at MercedN.W.R., RJB')was apparently near average for those six, with a countof 153 (14% imm.) at Tule Lake N.W.R. and Lower forms. Only 13 Brantwere reported; one at SacramentoN.W.R., Dec. KlamathN.W.R., Feb. 9 (B & CY). A subad.Broad-winged Hawk in 12(tYde MRH),was among fev½ interior records. A flockof 170Canada PacificGrove Dec. 28 (•'JP.etal.)was seen only on the C.B.C. there.A Geeseflew S pastPalomarin Dec. 24; thereseems to be little precedent reportof an imm. Swainson'sHawk seenDec. 8 at CreightonRanch for so large a flock on the immediatecoast s. of Del Norte. Preserve,Tulare, by a skilledobserver (RH) was exciting,although no Stateand federal waterfowl population surveys conducted in January details are in hand for confirmation. This would be our 3rd December- and early Februaryrevealed a "tremendousdecline" in PacificFlyway Januaryrecord (AB 38:353) and is probably best assumed tohave been a duckpopulations, from 5 million to 2 million, with "themost numerous late migrant. duck in the state, N. Pintail, down from 2.3 million to 759,000 in one FerruginousHawks appeared in averageto moderatelyabove-average year At thispoint the decline is attributedto thecontinuing drought (4 numbersthrough the Region. Rough-leggedHawks showeda little yrs ) on the Canadianprairies... the totalsthis year werethe lowestin better in most areas, but the few watchersin our Great Basin areasfound the 30 yearsthat thesecounts have been made" (RWL). Three "Eur- themin excellentnumbers. Eighty were tallied on a hawkwatch in Fall asian"type Green-wingedTeal werefound: Jan. 20-27 at ArcataMarsh R. Valley, Shasta,Jan. 26 (B & CY et al. ), and99 wasa recordfor the (B Sapena,fideJSt), aboutJan. 26-Feb. 9 in Fresno(KH, ñGPet al.), HoneyLake C.B.C., Dec. 31 (fide TM); the Mono LakeC.B.C. also and Feb. 9 e. of Gustine,Merced (fide Gull). As usualthe 'spring' hadan all-timehigh (fide DDeS). Merlin reportsreached an impressive migrationof CinnamonTeal wasevident in muchof the Regionby late 71. They weremost conspicuously above normal numbers in theSono- January,but _+50 at the ArcataBottoms, Humboldt, Dec. 21 (fide JSt) ma/Marin/Napa area. Noting thosehe saw in Marin to be dark F. c was"an incrediblenumber for mid-winter"there. Reports totalling 46- suckleyifrom the northwest,Stallcup speculated a causalconnection 52 Eur. Wi•eons(including five to six reportedas females)were per- betweenthe crossbill/siskinirruption and that of Merlins.Two suckleyt hapsaverage', one-third were coastward,while 13+ wereat Tule Lake Merlinswere also reported away from the northernS.F. Bay, andtwo of N W R., Dec. 30-31 (RE, NC, MR). A well-describedd' Eur. Wigeon thevery pale richardsonii were reported, both away from the immediate x Am. Wigeonwas at LimantourEstero, Marin, Feb. 17 ('['JM)and had coast.Caution is urgedin makingthese (and all!) subspecificidentifica- little certainprecedent for theRegion. Most suchreports have appeared tions,as our more common bendirei (now usually merged in F. • to pertainto variantEurasians, which can have greenon the face. columbarius)can show considerablevariation. Waterfowlpopulation surveys recorded very high numbersof Can- vasbacks,scaups and Ruddy Ducks .in S.F. Bay,perhaps concentrated by dry conditionsstatewide, as populationsin total were lower. An GROUSE THROUGH CRANES -- A Ruffed Grouse near Ft. Dick, apparentRing-necked Duck x scaup(sp.) malewas well-described from Del Norte, in late December(JAR) wason the coastalplain--perhaps L Merritt, Feb. 16 (tJM). The statusof GreaterScaup in theinterior in the first such noted there.

Volume 39, Number 2 205 SoAo quitescarce, especially n. of MontereyBay. As usual,the Stocktonand In a 1981-1983 study of Corte Madera EcologicalReserve, Lodi sewagepond areas held the largestinland concentrations of Mew Marin, JE (alongwith G. Page)witnessed 2 casesof predationon Gulls, with 100 at StocktonJan. 12 the peak (DY). Small numbers BlackRails by N. Harriers.A literaturecheck and further study winteringin the Sacramentoarea were expected(m.ob.), but 10 that by Evensthis November to Februaryat thes. endof TomalesBay winteredat the Modestosewage ponds were believed to providethe first hasrevealed rail predationby herons(and harriers?)to be rou- Stanislausrecord (DY). Fartherinland, singles were at a sewagepond tine, at leastthere: "During 15.I hoursof observationI recorded near Lake of the Pines Dec. 22 (•'JML, ML, LK), Oroville Dec. 2 28 casesof predationon rails: 17 Black Rails, eight Virginia (BED), Chico Dump Dec. 30 (SAL, MDH), L. Almanor Dec. 27 Rails, threeunidentified. Of 17 Black Rail predations,16 were (•'HG), andL. ShastinaJan. 3-6 (CYo, RE, MR). Thousandsof Califor- by Great Egrets,one by a GreatBlue Heron. Of 8 Virginia Rail nia andW. gullsfeasted on millionsof pelagicred crabs (Pleuroncodes predations,5 wereby GreatBlue Herons, 2 by GreatEgrets and planipes) throughoutthe period along Monterey area shores(AB, one by a N. Harrier." He further notedthat "Our work at Corte m.ob.). Madera indicatesthat transitionalupland vegetation around the marshperiphery offers refuge to rails duringperiods of vulner- ability(high tides). The TomalesBay marshlacks upland cover As mostBay Area garbage dumps and pig farmsclose or move dueto grazing,dredging and diking for agriculture."Black Rails inland, Thayer's Gull will bear careful observation.Winter con- seemto be gettingthe squeezeplay betweenegrets and man. centrationssuch as the 300 + near Marshall on TomalesBay Foremostamong questions JE hopesnext to address:"What are (RS, DDeS et al.) presumablydepend on herringruns, but these the densities of Black Rails at the few locations of known occur- totalscannot account for the many hundredsmore that had sub- rence, and can their continuedexistence be assuredgiven the sistedon garbage.Dumps extant around the Bay still hostmany dual threatsof habitat loss and heavy predation?" Thayer's Gulls (e.g., 50-125 at ponds beside the Martinez Dump•BR), but countsonly up to 10 were reportedfrom dumps, sewageponds, and salmonruns in Sacramento,Yolo, Reportsof single "CaribbeanCoots" came from Golden Gate P., San Joaquin, and e. Alameda(m.ob.). More inlandsightings S.F., Dec. 27 and L. Merritt Feb. 16 (both JM). Such birds are not includedone at OrovilleDec. 2 (BED), fourat ChicoDump Dec. exceptionallyrare in theRegion, and it seemsmore likely we aredealing 30 (SAL, MDH), one at Tulare L., Feb. 16 (SAL, MDH). and with only variantsof Am. Coot thanthat we are feelingthe effectsof one at Tule Lake N.W.R., Feb. 24 (CYo, RE). As Thayer's eithera sloppyCaribbean Coot breeder. or repeated.transcontinental, Gullslose their favored dumps it seemsfew aresuccessfully reversemigration, vagrant coots. Sonoma's first SandhillCrane was switchingto natural foods. So far, even fewer have followed flying S high overheadnear SebastopolDec. 12 (LCB). and one was dumpsinland. Will this speciesbecome much lesscommon in near Five Brooks,Marin, Dec. 29-Jan. I (fide Gull). California?Some other gulls populationsare expectedto de- crease,but only Thayer's appearsreally vulnerable. SHOREBIRDS -- Black-bellied Plover numbers in the C.V. in win- ter seemvery variable,perhaps due to movementsin responseto ephem- eral habitat. A count of 499 on the Los BanosC.B.C. (Dec. 20, fide The season'smost popular gull was a white-wingedadult at Bodega KFC) was 7 times average,but 400-500 throughthe period at Lodi Harbor, Sonoma,seen poorly Dec. 30 and Jan. 5 (KFC et al.). Better sewageponds (DY) was "aboutthe normalwintering number." Of 33 studiesJan 6 ('•KFC), 10 (ñRS), & 12 (DDeS et al.) resultedin the fulva LesserGolden-Plovers, one was interior---onceagain at the Lodi wordbeing spread that it wasCalifornia's first Iceland Gull. This beauti- sewageponds (DY). A Semipalmated,Plover at the Stocktonsewage ful gull delightedseveral hundredCalifornians from Jan.. 13 (ph., pondsDec. 4 (DY) wasquite late for theC.¾., but singlesat SmithR. •'m.ob.)until Jan. 18 (ph. RLeB).Most, but by nomeans all, expertsare estuary(Dec. 18, GSL) andL. Earl (Jan.28, ADB) providedabout the 3rd and 4th winter records for Del Norte. There are fewer than 10 records of Mountain Plover for Humboldt, so two at Mad R. mouth Jan. 12-Feb. 10 (CC, JSt) were of note. A Black Oystercatcherat Castro Rocks, Contra Costa Jan. 31 (BR) was at a vicinity where they are probablyregular. Two hundredMarbled Godwits at E. Hacienda,Kings (RHG), and 126 on the Los BanosC.B.C. (Dec. 20,fide KFC; 9 times average)were impressive totals. Two SurfbirdsJan. 2 (RichmondMari- na) andone Feb. 5 (old Albanydump) were in S.F. Bay wherecasual in winter(BR). Rock Sandpiperswere absentfrom Sonoma;they had not been missedat BodegaHead in the previous 17 winters. Ruffs were a female at Merced N.W.R., Nov. 29-Feb. 28 (RJB), and one(possible male) there Feb. 27 to at leastMar. 9 (RJB,fide Gull); this wasthe 5th consecutivewinter of centralMerced records.Poorly-docu- mentedor undocumentedreports of Short-billedDowitchers from the interior in winter are occasionallyreceived; this is especiallytrue on C.B.C.s. Observersshould be awarethat there is t•ota singleacceptable winterrecord for this speciesfrom the interiorof California(or North America?). Large, even for the C.¾., were Long-billedDowitcher aggregationsof 5300 at SacramentoN.W.R., Dec. 3 (MRH) and3422 on the Los Banos C.B.C. (Dec. 20, fide KFC). Wilson's Phalarope recordsat Lodi sewageponds Dec. 2-13 (•'DY) andMerced N.W.R., Dec.14 (•'RJB) might have represented only one bird. Nineteen Red Phalaropesat AlvisoDec. 16 (R & MFo) wereexcellent for the SanJose C.B.C.

JAEGERS THROUGH ALCIDS -- Two S. Polar Skuas off Monte- rey Dec. 1 werevery late(AB, TC, S.J.). The first-yearFranklin's Gull, ad. Little Gull, and ad. Corn. Black-headed Gull all inhabited the StocktonSewage Ponds through the period(DY, m.ob.). Anotherfirst- year Franklin'sGull visited Napa Valley College Feb. 19-24 (MFR, Twoviews of thebird identifiedas an adultIceland Gull at BodegaBay m.ob.). With the departureof Brown Pelicans,Heermann's Gulls were Cal., Jan. 14, 1985. Photos/Peter M. LaTourrette.

206 American Birds, Summer 1985 convincedthat it was an Iceland Gull (miniature GlaucousGull would providedthe 8th and 9th Regionalrecords of th•sform, all have been be thealternative). Although the primaries matched those of theGreen- Dec. 10-Mar. 29, and 7 of the.9 have been coastal. Five of the "Red- landrace glaucoides, white primaries apparently can occur in kumlieni, naped"form (S. v. nuchalis)were reported(a good showing)with a which is more expectedgeographically. male Feb. 20 n. of CrescentCity (ADB) the latest,aod a first for the InlandGlaucous-winged Gulls were one at theChico Dump Dec.,30 speciesin Del Norte. An apparenthybrid nuchalis Yellow-bellied Sap- (SAL, MDH) andthree in the Sacramentoarea (T & AM). Our distribu- suckerx Red-breastedSapsucker was described from SunolRegional tionof credibleGlaucous Gulls was fairly typical:two offshore,seven Wilderness,Alameda, Feb. 2 (tALE, BR). Mixed pairshave been coastal,three to fivearound San Francisco and San Pablo bays, and reportedfrom Great Basinportions of our Region, but I know of only threeinland. Black-legged Kittiwakes were generally seen in numbers oneother Such hybrid report (January-February 1972, SanMateo) away fromone to 10, butMonterey boats Jan. 26 andFeb. 3 & 10found 150- from those areas. 200 (S.J., AB, BB). An ad. Sabine'sGull describedfrom CypressPt., TheRegion's 3rd Greater Pewee was located Dec. 23 at UnionCity, Monterey,Dec. 28 OCCh) was exceptionallylate. Alameda,by J. Edgarand remained until at leastMar. 7 (•'JM, •'RAE, Unlesssome were wintering, two CaspianTerns at L. Success,Tu- •'KLH, •'JML, m.ob.). ThreeW. Flycatchersgraced the Region: two in lare, Dec. 16 (FRG, BoB) were late and singlesat BethelI., Contra CarmelMission P., Dec.1, oneof whichremained through Dec. 28 at Costa, Feb. 19 (BR) and E. Hacienda,Kings, Feb. 28 (RHG) were least(RS, WR), and one in SacramentoDec. 23 (DY). Althoughthis is early Two imm. Corn. Ternsat the SantaCruz Wharf Dec. 16 were our mostexpected winter Empidonax, we averagefewer thanone in this verytardy (?BB, BLAB,TN). Flocksof 10-15Forster's Terns are now season.An Empidonaxat Sutter Buttes Feb. 17 (•'DSc) was not a establishedwintering on HumboldtBay (JStet al.) andStockton sewage Willow or Gray flycatcher.Say's Phoebe sightings at ArcataBottoms ponds(DY, JML, EH). They were seasonallyunknown inland and in De6. 7, Feb. 12 & 19 (JSt,SH et al.) wereassumed to be of one n w Californiauntil recently.A Forster'sat Los BanosN.W.R., Feb. winteringbird (they arerare on the n. coast),but morelikely referredto 25 (RHG) may have been an early migrant. one late stragglerand one or two early-to-normally-timed'spring' mi- With few exceptions,alcids were all scarce(AB, S.J., m.ob.). This grants,based on Regional movements. There is perhaps no other species wasespecially true for Corn. Murre andother species most susceptible with as manyunacceptable winter records for the Regionas Ash-throat- to gill net mortality.From Monterey to Sonomamurre counts were less ed Flycatcher.Thus it wassatisfying that two (both from C.B.C.s) were than 10% of normalnumbers. One wasfound dead w. of CoyoteHills, well-described[his season:Santa Clara Univ., Santa Clara, Dec. 16 Alameda, Dec. 23 (JL). A Marbled Murrelet strayeds. to Monterey (•'BH etal.) andO'Neill ForebayWildlife Area,MercedOCB, •'KFC et Dec 23 (AB). Rarely foundin winter, an ad. Tufted Puffin was off al.). A 3rdbird in OaklandDec. 14-Jan.13 (MP, m.ob.)was reportedly Marin, 6 mi s.w. of BodegaHarbor, Jan. 26 and Feb. 10 (KFC). well-described(fide JM), but no documentationis in hand.A Tropical Kingbirdat theCarmel R. mouthtarried through Dec. 9 (DR). DOVES THROUGH HUMMINGBIRDS -- A White-wingedDove The Eurasian Skylark on its 7th annualwinter visit to outer Pt at BodegaHarbor Dec. I (•'JML et al.) gaveus our 3rd winterperiod Reyeswas last seen Feb. 17(JM). A cursoryexamination of longstand- record.A cooperativeimm. SpottedOwl at MercedN.W.R., Feb. 3 to ing C.B.C.s with significantHorned Lark populationsindicates this at leastMar. 23 (S. Finnegan,P. Rostron,ph.; m.ob.) was apparently speciesis on a seriousdecline through much of the Region.Observers onlythe 2nd for theC.V. floor(the other Jan. 31-Feb. 2, 1975,Chico, areurged to takenote of the presenceand absence of larksin their local SAL et al.), but note last winter'scomments on dispersal.Long-eared areas,both as winteringand as breedingbirds. Very large concentra- Owlswere in typicalnumbers, judging from reports of 19, but 13locales tionsof Violet-greenSwallows were 250 at PescaderoMarsh Dec. 29 is easilythe mostever for oneseason. A strongshowing of Short-eared (PJM) and 175 w. of SantaRosa Dec. 16 (BDP). Two Barn Swallows Owls was well-documented toward the coast: 130+ individuals Del wereat Lodi's sewageponds Dec. 13 ODY) andanother was at Grizzley Norte throughAlameda, with the 23 reportsaveraging four individuals, I., Solano, Jan. 9 (fide Gull). Out-of-placeScrub Jays were one in asidefrom the 66 carefullycounted on Grizzley 1., Solano, Dec. 19 Chester,Plumas, Dec. 27 OMG) andanother n. of CrescentCity, thus (BDP). Elsewherenumbers were clearlyaverage or below, evenwith on the coastalplain of Del Norte, Feb. 2 (ADB). "A few" Clark's the steadyRegional decline. Intriguing was a well-documentedreport, Nutcrackerswere low at 3000 ft elevation near Trimmer, Fresno, Jan. by a careful(and hardy!) listener, of a callingowl at EchoSummit (7300 13 (RA), but morethan a few were the 191 + countedat ChesterFeb. 20 ft), El Dorado,the night of Jan.21-22 0'MG). Thewell-heard voice and alone(DAA); an amazing500-750 totalwere thought present through- c•rcumstancesboth indicated Boreal Owl, a speciesunrecorded in Cali- out the periodthere. JLo reportedthat Yellow-billed Magpies are "ap- forma (but note a specimenMar. 21, 1902, Ft. Klamath,Ore.). A N. parentlymoving S in Solano,"and that "they are now regularlyseen Saw-whet Owl at Davis Dec. 5 and Jan. 6 (M. Halterman, SAL) was aroundFairfield, but are still quiterare s. of there."Thus 11 he notedin exceptionalon the C.V. floor. LynchCanyon between Fairfield and Vallejo Dec. 24 werenoteworthy, Of nine to 10 Com. Poorwillsnoted Dec. 19-Feb.22, five to six were as was one at L. Herman, n. of Benicia, Feb. 18 (PEG, fide JLo). •nMarin, fourin thefoothills of theC.V.; a goodshowing. Two Vaux's There was no consensuson Red-breastedNuthatch numbers; appar- Swifts were said to have been "well seen"over CalaverasRes., Santa ently they were in excellentnumbers at least at some locales(e.g., Clara, Jan. 19 (fide Gull); one was over CarsonRidge, Marin, Feb. 5 Palomarin;all time highson 5 greaterS.F. Bay areaC.B.C.s). Excep- (•'JE) The specieshas now been seen 5 wintersin succession(often in tionalWinter Wren countsfor their respectivelocales were 21 at Palo- flocks),with few seasonalrecords previously. Three Costa's Humming- marinFeb. 21 and five in SanJoaquin on the C.V. floor duringthe b•rdswintered: males at SalinasFeb. 13-18 (JB) and near FolsomL., period(DY), althoughthe latterreporter speculated that "they are per- Placer,Dec. 27 intoJanuary (JaW et al.), anda femaleJan. 27 at Corral hapsmore commonthere than previouslyexpected." One on the Los Hollow, SanJoaquin (•'DY). They were perhapsrelated to last spring Banos C.B.C., Dec. 20 (•'KH) apparentlyprovided a first Merced and summer'sirruption, as we had had but 10 recordsin 10 previous record.Fifteen Am. Dippersreported from S.F. Bay countiesseemed winters. The first RufousHummingbird was an ad. male Feb. 24 at startlinglygood, and includedsix on Arroyo Hondo at Smith's Cr., CoyoteHills (JL). Timingof springarrival of Selasphorusis cloudedby Santa Clara, Jan. 26 (J. Yurchenko, A. Lauterbach,fide WGB). occasionaloverwintering (when Rufous is morecommon?) and difficult identification(even in hand at this time of year); suspectedRufous KINGLETS THROUGH VIREOS -- The comments made on Gold- Hummingbirdsbefore mid-Februaryor Allen's beforeJan. 15 would en-crownedKinglets at Palomarinseemed generally accurate for the best be documented. The first Allen's noted was Jan. 18 at Alamo, whole Region:"Numbers greater than mostyears, and more actually Contra Costa (JR), perhapsa few days early. than last year. Decreasenoted only at the very end of February.Very little mortality."It wasclearly an excellentyear for MountainBluebirds WOODPECKERSTHROUGH D1PPER -- Lewis' Woodpeckers re- with manyreports of birdsfrom Colusathrough Tulare, the largest turnedto a normal scatteredfew after last winter's modestirruption, beingeasily a new high countfor the Region:450 alongLittle Panoche w•th48 (apparentlyaverage) on theMt. HamiltonC.B.C., Dec. 19 (fide Rd., San Benito, Jan. 27 (fide Gull). Yet there were only 2 clearly DSc) the only largenumber specified. Immature varius Yellow-bellied extralimitalrecords: three at Sunol Regional Wilderness Jan. 4 (BR)and Sapsuckerswere at PacificGrove Dec. 28 0'JSt, LCB) andnear Nica- a maleon EsteroLane, Sonomain early December(RLeB). A totalof 15 SlO,Marin, Dec. 29-Feb. 9 (ph. RS, LCB, m.ob.)--these apparently Townsend'sSolitaires on Mt. St. Helena Feb. 16 (BDP, KFC, LCB)

Volume 39, Number 2 207 was h•gh for the southernmostregular w•ntermg locale coastwardly, is now five to six) with all in coastalcounties, only thenorthernmost was threesingles were on theperiphery of the.C.V. As always,quantitative shownto stay past the C.B.C. s:Nov. 29-Feb.5 nearFt. Dick, DelNorte data on Am. Robin movementswas sparse,but coastallynumbers (RT et al.). A O SummerTanager at BolinasJan. 23 (RS et al ) seemedto rise to averagewinter levelsthrough November, then a 2nd furnishedour 6th winterreport in 5 years,all butone of whichwas from influx late Decemberto early January(through the Region?)brought the S.F. Bay area. Winter W. Tanagerrecords are considerablymore numberswell aboveaverage, where they stayeduntil mid-February. widespread,but thisyear's 4 (nearaverage) were all in the S.F. Bay/ CheckedC.B.C.s mostlyrecorded average numbers; a dawnflock of Sonoma area. 20,000+ in San Rafaelon the Marin County(S.) C.B.C. (KFC et al.) wasthe only majorroost noted. Thousands moving N throughRohnert GROSBEAKSTHROUGH ORIOLES-- Ouronly Pheucticus gros- Park, Sonoma,mid-January to mid-February(KFC, LCB) were pre- beakwas an imm. d' Black-headedin the CarmelValley, Monterey sumablydeparting. Varied Thrushes were clearly irruptive coastally but (DR), whichat Dec. 1 only wasperhaps straggling, not wintering.A t3 averageor lessin theC.V. Note thatwintering coastal and interior birds Dickcisselat Smith R., Dec. 16-Jan. 12 (RT, fRAE) gave us a 2nd are of differenti:aces. Wrentits on the C.V. floor are sparseat best, so winterrecord, and only our 10thmainland record in 15 years,with an 10+ at Lodi alongthe MokelumneR., Feb. 9 & 21 (DY), formeda equalnumber from F.I. in thattime. A Green-tailedTowhee at Kaweah noteworthyconcentration. OaksPreserve, Tulare, Dec. 30 (L. Wilson,fide RH) wasprobably the A N. Mockingbirdat Lower KlamathN.W.R., Jan. 8 (CSt) was the onethat wintered there last year. After a yearof searchingappropriate firstfor therefuge, and still one of few for theKlamath Basin (fide MR). habitat,birders in Shastadiscovered a singingRufous-crowned Sparrow DisplacedSage Thrashers were ones at CorralHollow Jan. 30 (•'DY) Feb. 23, 3 mi e. of ColemanFish Hatchery, •/2 min. of BattleCr. (BV) andW. ButteRd., Sutter,Dec. 1 (fideGull). BohemianWaxwings were This extendedthe knownrange n. in the Region(and the world) by 37 not seen outsiden. Great Basin locales,but Cedar Waxwings were miles. Breedingconfirmation was anticipated.Four VesperSparrow clearlyin verygood shape, with flocks of 500-600in Tulareand San reportswere of birdsaway from regularlocales: singles at StaffordL, Joaquin(RHG, DY) and a highcount of 40 at SmithR., Del Norte, Jan. Marin, late December-Feb.4 (RS), Concord Ave. at Briones Rd, 19-24+ (RAE) beinggood numbers. Twenty Phainopeplas on theMt. Contra Costa(JR), ands. of Los BanosDec. 20 (KHo, •'KH), andfive HamiltonC.B.C., Dec. 19 (fide DSc), wasan excellenttotal; two were on Ave. 12, Madera, Jan. 9 (KH, KHo). far w. near Clear L., Dec. 18-Jan. 2 (KT). In one of their best-ever Two SageSparrows just n. of Volta on theLos BanosC.B.C., Dec showings,at least 24 N. Shrikeswere noted(including C.B.C. birds 20 (?JMa) wereat the northernmostknown locale for A. b. canescens reportedto me): 15 on then. coast,six reportedfrom Great Basin areas (seeAB 36:1014). Enigmaticwere two SageSparrows on the shoreof (probablymore seen), and threewell s. The latterwere immaturesat S.F. Bay:a definiteA. b. belli on the EmeryvilleMarina Dec. 9-Jan 29 Yolo Bypass,Yolo, Jan. 1-26 (HJ, m.ob.) andBay FarmI., Alameda, (JG, m.ob.), andprobably another belli on Robert'sLanding (•'HG) A Dec. 16-Feb. 4 (DJ, m.ob.), and an adult at Afio Nuevo StateReserve GrasshopperSparrow at ArcataMarsh Dec. 15-25was possibly winter- Dec. 7 (fide Gull). For the badnews, a swarmof Eur. Starlingspassing ing (MH). A Sharp-tailedSparrow at Pine Gulch Cr. mouth,Martn, over StocktonDec. 14 was estimatedat 10,000,000 + (DY, KH, RA), Dec.9 (•'JM)was at an annually pr6ductive locale for the species. Three dwarfingall of our previousreports. "The poor cashyear in grapes otherreports were undocumented.Two reportsof 'eastern'(P. i. iliaca/ causingfarmers not to pick over 50% of their cropsis consideredthe zaboria type) Fox Sparrowsnear Ft. Dick were the first suchfor Del cause" (DY). Norte; singlesDec. 16 and Jan. 7-12 (RAE) were 2 mi apartand A Bell's Vireo at Pt. ReyesStation Dec. 13-Jan.8 (ph. RS, m.ob.) probablybest interpreted as one record. SwampSparrows were noted gaveus a firstRegional winter record; it wasreferable to oneof thegray, thelength of thecoast (at least 16) and at 4 inlandlocales (singles). Only w races.An amazingsix SolitaryVireos were reported (all ascassinii): 29 White-throatedSparrows were reported, a poorbut not awful show- threein HumboldtDec. 7-15 (RLeV, JSt), two in Marin Dec. 10-17 ing; White-crownedSparrow numbers on C.B.C.s mightbest be de- (RS) & 23 (fide Gull), andone in the interiorat StocktonFeb. 7 to the scribedin stockmarket jargon: slightly down in mixedtrading. Amazing endof February(J'DY). Unprecedentedwere 23-+ Hutton'sVireos on were reportstotalling 71 + LaplandLongspurs; 7 siteswere in coastal theC. V. floor,Sacramento through Fresno, where generally quite rare. counties, 2 sites in n. Great Basin areas. A • TricoloredBlackbird atF.I., Feb.28 was bi•t 7 daysearlier than WARBLERS THROUGH TANAGERS -- Six Tennessee Warblers lastspring's female there, and exceptional for the island.Sixth and 7th (all coastal)was an averagenumber; 33 NashvilleWarblers (also all •Regionalrecords for Great-tailed Grackle were malesat Pescadero, coastal)was above the recent average,but note that 2 new coastal San Mateo, Dec. 29 ('I'PJM)and Martinez Marina, ContraCosta, Jan C B.C.s (S. F., which startedlast winter, andArcata this winter) togeth- 10-11(BR, JR);a maleand female together still inhabitedS.F. through er produced11 of ourrecords. A Lucy'sWarbler was documented from theperiod, as they have since June 1978 (d') andSeptember 1979 ( • ) Pacific Grove Dec. 28-29 (•'JP, LCB). Nine Yellow Warblers were A 13 Orchard Oriole in Smith R., Dec. 16-Mar. 19 (RLeV, fRAE) found, with recordsfrom the Carmel R. mouthto Smith R., DelNorte, provideda 2ndDel Norte record,while a reportof onefrom Humboldt nearlymatching last year's unprecedented 10. With theapparently low lackeddetails. Four reportsof HoodedOrioles were all away from the lnsectivoremortality, the fact that only threewere reportedfor any immediatecoast. Details for only one were submitted,and they fit extendedperiod is mostly an indicationof birder behaviorand not Streak-backedOriole (a potentialvagrant to our Region--seethe South- Yellow Warbler movement. A Chestnut-sidedWarbler on the Mad R., ern Pacific Coast report) as well as they did Hooded(e.g., "subtle Dec. 7 (RLeV), wasprobably a latemigrant; we havebut one record of a streakedback"). Even more critical is the questionwhether Orchard winteringbird. Black-throatedGray Warblershad their best showing yet Oriole is ruledout in casesof suspecteddisplaced Hooded Orioles (and with 20 records; 9 were coastal, with 11 in the C.V. Four Townsend's vice versa). I have heard rumors of opinions that Hooded Oriole is Warblerswere away from the coast: three in San Joaquin (HR, KM) and regularin winter;observers holding such opinions are strongly encour- an ad. male s. of Lake of the PinesDec. 22 (•'JML et al.) in the low agedto substantiatethem; I remainopen-minded. Two of 12 N. Orioles Slerranfoothills. A Yellow-throatedWarbler in Olema,Marin, Dec. were"Baltimore" types: female, Golden Gate P., Dec. 19-Mar.2 (LCB, 12-Jan.12 (RS, •'JE, m.ob.) wasof theD. d. dominica/stoddardiform, m.ob.), male, Millbrae, Dec. 22 (fide Gull). The rest were all "Bul- asindicated by longbill andyellow lores and chin. It wasthe first of this lock's." form identifiedfor our Region(2nd for thestate), and provided a first Regionalwinter record for the species. FRINGILLIDS -- Purple Fincheswere in flight-yearnumbers in Palm Warblerswere reportedin unsurprisingnumbers (30---); all someareas (Sacramento, Marin) but apparentlynot all. More unusual werecoastal (25 from then. coast),and only two to five were notedafter wasa widely-scatteredirruption of Cassin'sFinches. They are rarely December. At 6 records,Black-and-white Warblers were in only half noted in 1Qwerw. Sierra foothills, so .reportsof many smallflocks therecent-average numbers. Only onewas non-coastal: a 7th Yosemite Mariposathrough Fresno, Jan. 20 on (JLo,KH, VJ) wereimpressive area record(first for October-April)was an ad. male at 2100 ft in E1 Yet lessexpected were a reportof four on the C.V.. floor at Stockton Portal,Mariposa (?PD). A N. Waterthrushwas said to have wintered in ß Feb. 7 throughthe end of February(?DY), and5 coastwardreports a SantaCruz (fide Gull); we have10 --_previous records of birdsapparent- flock of 35 Dec. 22 for the 2nd Clear Lake C.B.C. record(fide KT), one ly wintering.Eight Wilson'sWarblers was high (butour recentaverage Jan.9 and anotherJan. 25 on SonomaMt. (RMe; •'KFC 2nd & 3rd

208 American B•rds, Summer 1985 Sonomarecords), two or moreFeb. I at Alpine L., Marin (RS), and one was near Pt. Arena, not Ft. Arena. Feb. 10 at Inverness(RS). The only Great Basin report was from SUB-REGIONAL EDITORS (in boldface)and CITED CONTRIBU- Siskiyou:"large numbers... presentin townsat lowerelevations in the TORS -- Ray Acker, Dan A. Airola, RobbyJ. Bacon,Stephen F. county"(MR). Red Crossbillscontinued their Regionwideexplosion Bailey. Alan Baldridge,Bob Barnes(BOB), Bruce Barrett, Alan D. with no clearchange in abundance,August through February. With few Barron, Chris Benesch(CBe), LaurenceC. Binford, Clark Blake, Wil- areasuntouched, they were still clearly mostabundant in Marin (e.g.. liam G. Bousman,June Buntin, Kurt F. Campbell,Chris Canaday, 2834 on 2 C.B.C.s there). A flock there on Limantour Rd., Feb. 17 was JanetCarr, Ted Chandik,Charles Chase III (CCh), NealClark, Nancy notedby JM to consistof "250 + small-billedbirds and 50 medium- T. Conzett, Dave DeSante(DDeS), Bruce E, Deuei, PeterDevine. Art billed.The differentbill typesgive different call notes.... It is possible L. Edwards,Ray Ekstrom,Richard A. Erickson, JulesEvens, Russ & that more than one speciesis involved, observersare urged to pay MarilynFowler (R & MFo), Frank R. Gibson,Ron H. Gerstenberg, attentionto vocalizationsand bill sizewhen possible." Note the illustra- HelenGreen, Mike Green,Jeffrey Greenhouse, Peggy Gross (PEG), tion of the 3 bill-size typesin the Nat'l GeographicSociety field guide Kem L. Hainebach,Mary D. Halterman,Keith Hansen,Rob Hansen, (three right-mostbirds). There have still been no signsof breeding Ed Harper,Stan Harris, Syd Harrison (SyH), Mark Higley,Marguerite reported. Pine Siskins as well were abundant,with thousandsseen R. Hills, Kirk Hopkin (KHo), Bill Howe, HansJohansen, Dick John- coastally(9116 on Dec. 30, W. SonomaC.B.C.,fide DSi, being the son,Vernon Johnson, Shearwater Journeys, Betty & HaroldKimball, highestnumber seen). Their presencewas also conspicuous in theC.V., LaurieKlaisle, Rob Klinger,Bruce LaBar (BLAB), Jeri M. Langham, wherenormally very scarce:many observations were of 10-50.Our one' SteveA. Laymon,Rick LeBadour(RLeB), GaryS. Lester,Ron LeVal- reportedlocale for Lawrence'sGoldfinch, after last springand sum- ley (RLeV), Mike Lippsmeyer,John Lovio (JLo), Roy W. Lowe,John mer'sinvasion, was at and nearNapa R. EcologicalPreserve: 25 were Luther, Tim & AnnetteManolis, JohnMariani (JMa), Bard McAlister notedJan. I and "over 50" Feb. 7 (fide Gull). There were no reportsof (BMcA), RichardMernss (RMe), Peter J. Metropulos,Kurt Mize, largenumbers of EveningGrosbeaks, but therewere many reports of JosephMorlan, Todd Newbury, BenjaminD. Parmeter.John Parmeter, smallflocks. Two nearFt. Dick Dec. 19 (RAE) furnishedthe only Del Michael Perrone,Pt. Reyes Bird Observatory,Gary Potter, Harold Norte sighting,but therewere dozens of sightingsSacramento through Reeve,Cliff Richer,Bob Richmond, Jean Richmond, Mike F. Rippey. Fresno, and small numberswere on many centralcoast C.B.C.s. Mike Robbins,Don Robersou,Jim A. Rooney,Will Russell,Barry Sauppe,Don Schmoldt(DSc), DianneSierra, Rich Stallcup,John ADDENDA -- Acceptabledocumentation is now on file for the Sterling (JSt), Chris Stromsness(CSt), Chris Swarth(CSw), Richard following records:Cape May Warbler, Pacific Grove, Jan. 31, 1980 Tryon, Kris Tyner, Bill Van der Mehden(BV), Gil West, JackWilburn (AB 34:304); Costa's Hummingbirds:San Rafael Dec. 3-31, 1983 (AB (JAW), Steve Wilson (StW), David Yee, Carol Yoder (CYo), Bob & 38:354), and seeAB 38:430 for photo;Los BanosDec. 26, 1983 (AB Carol Yutzy.--STEPHEN F. BAILEY (loons through cormorants, 38:354). jaegers through aicids), and KURT F. CAMPBELL (herons through shorebirds,doves through finches)P.O. Box 268, Cotati, CORRIGENDUM -- For AB 37:335. the Black-and-white Warbler CA 94928 (sendall reports to Kurt Campbell).

SOUTHERN PACIFIC COAST REGION /Guy McCaskie

December was wetter than normal, but the remainder of the winter was dry and mild. Finches,especially Red Crossbills,remained con- spicuouslynumerous and widespread after the fall influx, andMountain Bluebirdsinvaded the coastduring December. Other highlightsof the winter includedthe Region's first Lesser Black-backedGull on the SaltonSea and a cooperativeStreak-backed Oriole in San Diego.

ABBREVIATIONS -- N.E.S.S. = north end of the Salton Sea, RiversideCo.; S.D.N.H.M. = San Diego Natural HistoryMuseum; S.E.S.S. = southend of theSalton Sea, ImperialCounty. As virtually all raritiesfound in s. Californiaare seen by numerousobservers, only theobserver initially identifying the bird is included.Documentation is on file for all raritieslisted in the report.

LOONS THROUGH HERONS -- All 3 of the normally-occurring loonsappeared scarcer than usual along the coast. A HornedGrebe on Wiest L. near S.E.S.S., Feb. 7 (GEW) was at an unusual location. Red- neckedGrebes appear to havebeen more numerous than normal with l0 reported;one on NewportBay Jan. 26 (LRH) andanother in Santee,San OCEAN tea I BA}A Diego Co., Dec. 30-Jan.6 (D & NK) were s. of Los Angeles. NorthernFulmars remained in s. Californiawaters throughout the A Least Bittern, now rare along the coastin winter, was in Santa periodas indicatedby 20 off SantaBarbara Mar. I (LB). Three Short- BarbaraDee. 29-Feb. 9 (HM). Two ad. Little Blue Heronsthroughout tailed Shearwaters, rare late fall and winter visitors to s. California the period(EC) arounds. San Diego Bay, where this speciesnow waters,were 5 mi off GoletaJan. 3 (LB) and anotherwas 8 mi off Santa appearsto be resident,were the only onesreported. Up to threeTricol- BarbaraMar. I (LB). Black-ventedShearwaters were presentthrough- oredHerons remained around s. San Diego Bay throughoutthe period outthe period as indicatedby 275 off GoletaJan. 3 (LB), 120 off San {EC), but the specieswas unreportodelsewhere. The imm. Reddish DiegoFeb. 16 (CGE), 50 off NewportBay Feb. 17 (SG), andfive off Egretfound on s. San Diego Bay Oct. 28 was seenregularly through SantaBarbara Mar. I {LB). Most unusualwas an imm. Magnificent Dec. 31 (EC), andwhat was undoubtedly this bird wasfound long dead Frigatebirdat BolsaChica Jan. 19 (GTo), onlythe 2nd ever to havebeen in the samearea in late February(*S.D.N.H.M.), and an adult was foundin s. California duringJanuary. presentthere Dec. 12-Mar. 3 (AME).

Volume 39, Number 2 209 WATERFOWL -- A Tundra Swan near Brawley Feb 23 (RMcK) associatingwith up to 200 Bonaparte'sGulls, an exceptionallylarge wasonly the 2nd to havebeen found in ImperialCounty in the past 10 numberfor this localityat th•s time of year. An ad. Mew Gull on L years.A flock of 40 GreaterWhite-fronted Geese in flight over down- Pegis, RiversideCo., Jan. 13 (BWK), a 2nd-winterbird at SaltonCity townLos Angeles Feb. 8 (KLG) wasan unexpectedsight, but this is the Jan. 26-Feb. 3 (REW), and tw6 to threeat S.E.S.S., Dec. 18-Jan 26 time of year that numbersare moving N from winteringgrounds in (PEL, JLD) were all well inland. Up to 75 Thayer's Gulls around Mexico. A flock of 100 Wood Ducks on L. Cachuma Feb. 2 (TW) was Lompoc,Santa Barbara Co., Jan. 26-Feb. 8 (JLD) wasa largeconcen- an exceptionalnumber for anywherein s. California.A d' Eur. Green- trationfor s. California. An ad. Lesser Black-backed Gull at S.E. S S , winged Teal in Goleta Nov. 3-Mar. I (CDB) was evidently the same Dec. 18-Jan.5 (JLD) was the 2nd ever to have been found in California, bird knownto havespent the past3 wintersat this location.At least16 the first havingbeen in MontereyJan. 14, 1978 (W. Birds 9:141-150) Eur. Wigeon at 10 differentlocations was about average.A d' Eur. Up to five GlaucousGulls at LompocJan. 26-Mar. 3 (PEL) was an Wigeonx Am. Wigeonwas well seennear Lakeview Dec. 16 (GMcC) exceptionalnumber for onelocation; elsewhere, single first-winter birds andanother was on L. HenshawFeb. 24 (GMcC); thishybrid may not be werein SantaMaria Jan,3 (KZ), at SaltonCity Jan.26-Mar. 2 (GMcC), as unusualas it is currentlythought to be, andobservers are encouraged and at S.E.S.S., Dec. 18-20 (GMcC). Black-leggedKittiwakes were to report all sightings. very scarcewith only sevenreported, all during February. Up to two Tufted Ducksat SaticoyFeb. 16-Mar. 17 (PEL) were the Up to sevenElegant Terns on Morro Bay Dec. 9-15 (LD) were onlyones reported this winter. Two HarlequinDucks near San Simeon, exceptionallylate stragglers; most are normally gone from California by SanLuis ObispoCo., Dec. 8-Jan. 24 (CM) were in an areawhere one or earlyNovember. Black Skimmers were more numerous and widespread twoprobably occur each year, but an imm. malein LongBeach Dec. 17- alongthe coastthan in previouswinters with up to 42 at BolsaChica Jan. 13 (CTC) and anotherat Bolsa Chica Dec. 28-Mar. 6 (SJR) were throughoutthe period (FGB), oneat Malibu Feb. 23 (GH), andsix at Pt both very far south.Ten Oldsquawsalong the coastwere more than Mugu all winter (PEL) all being n. of San Diego County; one at expected,and one on Apollo L. near LancasterNov. 22 (A & JC) was S.E.S.S., Dec. 19 (BED) was inland. inland. Two Surf Scotersat Santa Maria Dec. 14 (PEL) and three on L. Castaic,Los AngelesCo., Feb. 18-23 (KLG) wereinland, as were two DOVES THROUGH WOODPECKERS -- Eight White-winged White-wingedScoters on L. CachumaJan. 2-Feb. 19 (RAH) and an- Dovesat PalmSpring, e. SanDiego Co., Feb. 10 (GEW) andanother in othernear Orange Nov. 20-Mar. 12 (DRW), andthe latterspecies was nearbyTarore Canyon Feb. 11 (GEW) were in an area where small noticeablymore numerousalong the coast than in recent years. A numbersappear to wintereach year; however, one at MorroBay Jan 12 Barrow'sGoldeneye, decidedly ram throughoutmost of s. California, (JM), anotherin nearbyLos OsosJan. 17 (MW), and up to five in was nearIrvine Dec. 8-Feb. 17 (GTo) and anotherwas at S.E.S.S., Jan. GoletaOct. 13-Mar. 30 (GTi, KB) werealong the coastwhere very rare 26 (REW). in winter. CommonGround-Doves still appearto be pushingN up the coastas indicatedby the presenceof one to three near L. Casitasall RAPTORS THROUGH SHOREBIRDS -- Black-shouldered Kites winter (DS) and up to four in CarpinteriaNov. 30-Jan. 9 (TW). The continuedto be found outsidetheir normal rangewith two along the presenceduring Februaryof at least nine calling N. Saw-whetOwls ColoradoR. nearBard Feb. 21 (BED), four at widely separatedlocal- between 5500' and 7000' in the San Gabriel Mrs. (KLG), where one itiesin the ImperialValley s. of the SaltonSea between Dec. I andJan. previousoccurrence is known, probably reflects increasedobserver 26 (JLD, REW), andone on SanMiguel I., Jan. 15-31 (GMF) beingthe efforts.A LesserNighthawk near Calexico Feb. 8 (JC) was in an area farthestout of range.A Red-shoulderedHawk, casualin s.e. California, where small numbersmay prove to winter regularly; however, one in was in Brawley Dec. 20-Feb. 2 (DRW). A Swainson's Hawk near IrvineNov. 9-Feb. 24 (DRW) andanother near Imperial Beach Dec 15- Merrier, Kern Co., Dec. 6 (PHB) was exceptionallylate for a fall Jan. 1 (GMcC) were alongthe coastwhere considered casual in winter migrant.The ad. Zone-tailedHawk presentnear Vista since Oct. 19 was AgainVaux's Swifts were found wintering along the coastwith up to 40 presentthrough at leastJan. I (AE). A FerruginousHawk in Carpinteria at Malibu Dec. 2-Jan. I (KLG), up to 25 in Whittier, Los AngelesCo , Dec. 21 (TW), up to threein SantaBarbara Dec. 29-Mar. 9 (LB), and Dec. 8-Jan. 7 (BWK), three on the Palos Verdes Pen., Dec. 24 (CTC), anotherat nearbyEl CapitanState Beach Jan. 3 (TW) wereall in an area up to 40 over downtownLos AngelesDec. 30-Jan, 3 (BVM), three in whereconsidered rare. Rough-leggedHawks were morenumerous and FullertonJan. 13 (SG), and 30-40 around Oceansideall winter (M J) A widespreadthan in recentyears with somebeing found along the imme- •? Black-chinnedHummingbird, casual to accidentalin California in diate coast such as one at San Simeon Nov. 24-Dec. 8 (RSto), one at winter, was in Long BeachJan. 8-25 (BED). Bolsa Chica Dec. 23-Jan. I I (SG), and another in Del Mar Dec. 12 Lewis' Woodpeckersremained more widely distributedthan normal (LS). A PeregrineFalcon at S.E.S.S., Dec. 30 (CGE) wasthe only one throughthe winter, with more than usualin coastallowlands. With the found inland. possible"splitting" of the Yellow-belliedSapsucker into 2 species Up to 18 LesserGolden-Plovers near Santa Maria throughoutthe (Johnsonand Zink, 1983, Auk 100:871-884; and 1985, Auk .102:I- 15), winter (LB) and threeat Seal Beachduring the same period(SG) were observersare clearly paying more attention to the identificationof these all believedto be of the Asiaticracefulwl, the only race documentedto birds, hence an increasein the numbersof the e. birds wlrius being occurin Californiain winter. A Snowy Ploveron L. Isabella, Kern Co., reported; this winter an immature was in Bakersfield Dec. 16-31 Jan. 25 (MH) was at an unusuallocation for that time of year. A (MOC). a female was in Santa Ana Mar. 13-17 (LRH), a male was in MountainPlover on the beachin' Goleta Dec. 8-9 (MH) was certainly Fallbrook,San Diego Co., Dec. l-Feb. 17 (RH), andanother male was unexpected.A RuddyTurnstone at SaltonCity Feb. 22-Mar. 10 (KRa) at FinneyL. nearS.E.S.S., Feb. 8 (GEW). SingleYellow-bellied (Red- was only the 2nd ever found inland in the Region in winter. About 15 naped)Sapsuckers on the Carrizo Plain Feb. 17 (RSto), in Goleta Oct Sanderlingsspent the winter inland on theSalton Sea at SaltonCity. Up 27-Jan. I (TW), in Santa Barbara Dec. 22-23 (RAH), and in Fillmore to 15 Stilt Sandpipersat S.E.S.S., Jan. 26-Feb. 16 (REW) and up to 65 Dec, 30 (JLD) wereall noteworthy.Single Williamson's Sapstickers on nearBrawley Feb. 16-Mar. 2 (BED) undoubtedlywintered locally. The Mr. PalomarFeb. 17 (REW) andMr. LagunaJan. 5 (DK) werea little s d' Rufffound on s. SanDiego Bay July 15 waspresent through Mar. 17 of thespecies' normal winter range, one at Valyermo,Los Angeles Co , (GMcC) andwas unquestionably the same bird known to havespent the Dec. I (BS) was at a rather low elevation, and another in Fullerton Dec past2 wintershere. Two Wilson's Phalaropes,casual in winter, on s. 23-Mar. 14 (DRW) wasin thecoastal lowlands. A Nuttall's Woodpeck- SanDiego Bay Feb. 14-23 (GMcC) and one nearBrawley Feb. 16-Mar. er on San Miguel I., Jan. 15-31 (GMF) was apparentlythe first ever 2 (BED) had undoubtedlyspent the entireseason in the Region.Three foundon any of the ChannelIslands. Red-neckedphalaropes on s. San Diego Bay Feb. 14+ (GMcC) had undoubtedlywintered locally, but a breeding-plumagedbird in Santa FLYCATCHERS, SWALLOWS -- An Olive-sided Flycatcherin BarbaraJan. 27 (JLD) defied categorizing. Santa BarbaraFeb. 9-19 (LB) was one of fewer than one-half dozen ever found in California in winter. The Greater Pewee found in Santa Barbara GULLS, TERNS, SKIMMER -- A Franklin's Gull in Lake Forrest, Nov. 10 was still presentMar. 10 (JLD) and the otherfound in San OrangeCo., Nov. 24-Dec. 16 (DRW) is bestconsidered to havebeen a DiegoNov. 10 wasstill presentat theend of the period,(REW)A late fall migrant.A first-winterLittle Gull at SaltonCity Jan. 17-31 Hammond'sFlycatcher at L. Ming nearBakersfield Jan. 14 (MH) was (REM) was the 4th to have been found on the Salton Sea, and was one of very few ever reportedin winter. Four Gray Flycatcherswere

210 American Birds, Summer 1985 foundalong the s coastalong with three moreon the s e desert, were inlandin Brawleythroughout the period The only Hermit War- indicatingsmall numbers continue to winter m the Region.Eight W. blersreported were one in OceanoDec. 14-Feb.3 (PEL) andtwo more Flycatchersalong the coast would appear about normal. A c• Vermilion in Santa Barbara all winter. A c• Grace's Warbler returned to Santa Flycatcherin Los OsosDec. I-Feb. 19 (TME) wasapparently the same Barbaratbr its 6th winter, beingpresent Oct. 7-Mar. 23 (TW), andwas bird first foundhere duringthe winter of 1981-1982, and considered joinedby a 2nd Dec. 21-Feb. 25 (PEL), with a 3rd in VenturaDec. 30- exceptionallyfar north.A Dusky-cappedFlycatcher in La JollaMar. 8 Mar. 3 (JG). A c• Pine Warbler in CoronadoDec. 15-Mar. 3 (EC) was (LB) wasthe first to be foundin SanDiego County. Three Ash-throated the 5th to have been found in California in winter. Only five Palm Flycatcherswere found along the coast, with one in HuntingtonBeach Warblerswere reportedfrom alongthe coast.Eight Black-and-white Dec 2-Mar. 9 (SG), anotherin nearbyCorona del Mar Feb. 14 (LRH), Warblersalong the coastappeared about normal, but I0 Am. Redstarts andthe 3rd nearImperial Beach Jan. 19 (EC), and at leasteight were in thesame area was a little aboveaverage. A Worm-eatingWarbler at seenbetween Dec. 29 andFeb. 23 (PU, REM, GEW) in the s.e. portion NojoquiFalls P. nearSanta Barbara Dec. I (OC) wasundoubtedly a late of the Regionwhere small numbersevidently winter eachyear. The fall migrant.Two N. Waterthrushesspent the winter in the Oceano/ Thick-billedKingbird found near Tustin Nov. 8 wasstill presentat the PismoBeach area and four more were found wintering in theSan Diego endof the period(DRW) andthe otherin ClaremontNov. 3 was still area. A MacGillivray's Warbler in San Diego Dec. 1-23 (DP) was presentMar. 17 (MB). Oneor two N. Rough-wingedSwallows in Irvine evidentlyattempting to winterlocally. Ten winteringWilson's Warblers Nov 22-Dec. 30 (DRW) were mostunusual since few indeedhave been were fewer than expected. foundalong the coast at thistime of year. A Cliff Swallowin Oceanside A c• HepaticTanager in SantaBarbara Feb. 27 (PWC) wasevidently Dec 23 (GMcC) was one of fewer than one-half dozen to have been thesame bird knownto havespent the past2 wintersat thislocation, a foundin s. Californiaat this time of year. Two Barn Swallowsin Irvine female in Irvine Dec. 17-Jan. 15 (DRW) was the first to be found in Dec 25-Jan.5 (DRW) were clearly winteringlocally. OrangeCounty, and a maleon Pt. Loma in SanDiego Mar. 24+ (MO) wasundoubtedly the same bird seen Oct. 29, 1984,having spent its 2nd CORVIDS THROUGH VIREOS -- A Clark's Nutcracker near Ju- winterin thisarea. Five winteringSummer Tanagers were found along hanJan. 21 (RH) wasone of only a few everto reachSan Diego County. the coastand another was seen inland in BrawleyJan. 21 (JO). At least A flock of 200 Am. Crows near Palo Verde Feb. 20 (BED) was along 100 winteringW. Tanagerswere reportedalong the coast,indicating the ColoradoR. where similar-sizedflocks occur every winter. Six justhow commonthis species is becomingat thistime of year. Six Rose- Bushtitsalong the ColoradoR. nearVidal Feb. 20 (BED) were at an breastedGrosbeaks along the coastwere consideredabout average, as unusuallocality. Up to 10Red-breasted Nuthatches in Brawleythrough- were four Black-headed Grosbeaks in the same area; however, a d' outthe period appear to havebeen the first everknown to winterin this Black-headedGrosbeak at Hurkey Cr. Campgroundat 4500 fl. in the area A Winter Wren in Irvine Dec. 25-Feb. 10 (DRW) was one of a San Jacinto Mrs.. Jan. 31 (BED) was most unusual. A Blue Grosbeak at very few to have been found in OrangeCounty. Mountain Bluebirds Morro Bay Dec. 12-Jan. 8 (GPS) was only the 6th ever found in s. weremore numerous and widespreadthan usual throughout the intcrior California in winter. of the Regionwith many occurringalong the coast, where normally A Green-tailedTowhee atNewport Bay Jan. '26-Feb. 15 (EM) was absent,as indicatedby suchreports as 20 nearSan Luis ObispoDec. 12- theonly one found along the coast. Three Large-billed Savannah Spar- Feb 10 (GPS), 10 nearLompoc Dec. 15 (KS), up to 50 in GoletaNov. rows(A. s. rostratus),now alarminglyscarce, were at S.E.S.S., Jan. 5 16-Mar. 5 (PEL), 30 aroundL. Casitasduring December and January (PU). Only four SwampSparrows were foundthis winter, butone was (BD), oneat Playadel Rey Feb. 4 (WC), 110 nearCorona del Mar Jan.6 inlandat CaliforniaCity Jan. 12-21(MH). A Harris' Sparrowin Ven- (SJR), and 40 near PenasquitosLagoon Dec. 2 (D & MH): they also tura Dec. 25 + (J & PS) and anotherin FallbrookDec. 16+ (LB) were reachedthe ChannelIs., as indicatedby 40 on SantaRosa I., Feb. 4 the only onesreported. Six McCown's Longspurs,rare in California, (KR1) A Townsend'sSolitaire in VenturaJan. 24 OLD) was alongthe werenear Lakeview Dec. 16-Jan.27 (GMcC). The only LaplandLong- coastwhere rare, and single birds in BrawleyDecl I (GMcC)and Feb. 2 spursfound were one along the coastin Goleta Dec. 22 (PEL), two at (REW) wereat anunusual locality. A SageThrasher in VenturaJan. 17- Buena Vista L.. Kern Co., Dec. 21 (SAL), two near Lakeview Feb. 23- 18 (PEL) was outsidethe species'normal range. The only Brown Mar. 2 (BWK) andone to two at S. E.S.S., Dec. I-Jan. 31 (GMcC). One Thrasherreported was the one in Hart P. in BakersfieldNov. 17-Jan.26 Chestnut-collaredLongspur, normally the mostnumerous longspur in s. (MH) A Bendire's Thrasher, a casual winter visitor to the coast of s. California, near Lakeview Jan. 31 (BED) was the only one found. California, was in Goleta Dec. 21-Jan. 23 (RAH), another was in CoronadoJan. 28-Mar. 3 (JC) and a 3rd wason nearbyOtay Mesa Feb. ORIOLES, FINCHES-- SevenOrchard Orioles were found with up 16-Mar. 16 (MO), a 4th was inland at L. Pettis Dec. 9-Jan. 26 (AMC), to four in Goleta Dec. 27-Mar. 31 (CDB), one in CarpinteriaDec. 2- andanother was near Lakeview Jan. 26-Mar. 22 (AMC). A Sprague's Jan. 9 (LRB), an ad. male in Pacific Beach Jan. 6 (SZ), and a female in Pipit near LakeviewMar. 2-17 (DMM) undoubtedlywintered locally ß CoronadoDec. 15-Mar. 4 (LB). Six HoodedOrioles along the coast and was one of a very few ever to have been found in California. weremore than usual, and singlemales in BrawleyFeb. 16 (REW) and A Bell's Vireo, exceptionallyrare in winter, was in CoronadoJan. in BardFeb. 21 (BED) were inland. An imm. d' Streak-backed Oriole 19-Mar. 3 (DRW). Ten Solitary Vireos were found along the coast atthe home of RichardEppley in La JollaDec. 10+ (REW) wasthe 7th alongwith threemore inland, and the fact thatall butthree of the coastal to have been found in California. Nine N. (Baltimore) Orioles were birdswere of the gray interiorform plumbeus is significantconsidering among75 -+ N. Orioleswintering along the coast,and a N. (Bullock's) howrare this form wasconsidered to be in Californiaas recentlyas 10 Oriole in Brawley Jan. 21-Feb. 16 (JO) was the only one inland. A years ago. A Hutton's Vireo near Victorville Feb. 18 (DRW) was Scott'sOriole near ClaremontDec. 11 (JB) was the only one found outsidethe species'normal range. A WarblingVireo, casualin winter, away from the w. edgeof the s. desertwhere small numbersregularly wasm SantaBarbara Feb. 2-9 (PEL) andanother was in SanDiego Feb. winter. 11 (REW). PurpleFinches appeared more numerousand widespreadthan nor- mal, with numbersreaching the s.e. portionof the Region,as indicated WOOD WARBLERS THROUGH LONGSPURS -- Tennessee by up to 80 in Brawleythroughout the winter. As well as beingmore Warblerswere scarcerthan in recentwinters with only eight reported numerous than usual in the s. mountains, Cassin's Finches moved into from alongthe coast,but one in Niland Dec. 18-21 (JLD) wasthe first the s.e. portionsof the Regionas indicatedby suchreports as 15 at L. everto havebeen found in the true interiorat this time of year. Seven Hughes,Los Angeles Co., Feb. 18 (KLG), six nearParker Dam Dec. 21 NashvilleWarblers along the coast appeared about normal. A Virginia's (KRo), two at N.E.S.S., Feb. 16 (TW), up to 25 in BrawleyJan. 26- Warblerin SantaBarbara Dec. 29-Feb. 13 (KLG) was probablythe Mar. 2 (REW), and one in Calexico Jan. 27 (CGE). Red Crossbills samebird presentat this locationduring the winter of. 1982-1983. A remainedmuch more numerous and widespreadthan usualthroughout Lucy'sWarbler, mostunusual in winter. was at Dana Point, Orange the period,possibly increasing in numberstoward the end of the period, Co , Dec. 15(W & VG). TwentyYellow Warblers along the coast were theywere found in all of the coastalcounties, with the largestnumbers more than expected.A c• Black-throatedBlue Warbler in San Luis being25 in GoletaFeb. 13 (PEL), sevenin VenturaJan. 20 (J & PS), OblspoDec. 1-15 (CM) was apparentlya late fall migrant.Twenty 40-50 in LongBeach Jan. 18+ (BED), up to sevenin FullertonDec. 23- Black-throatedGray Warblers were found along the coast and two more Mar. 3 OLD), and three in Del Mar Jan. 20 (EC): they were found

Volume 39, Number 2 21 I throughoutall mountainareas, with 50 in the GarnerValley of the San Dorsey, Ron Dow, Laverne Drake, Jon L. Dunn, Tom M. Edell (San JacintoMts., Jan.31 (BED) beingone of the largestconcentrations, and Luis ObispoCo.), Art Edwards,Claude G. Edwards, Alan M. Eisner, were also scatteredabout the interiorlowlands as indicatedby 18 in Gary M. Fellers, Steve Ganley, Kimball L. Garrett (Los Angeles BakersfieldJan. 27-Feb. 16(RSa) and three in BrawleyFeb. 2 ! (BED). Co.), Wayne & Virginia Gochenour(W & VG), JesseGrantham, Robb PineSiskins were noticeably more numerous and widespread than usual A. Hamilton,Don & Marjory Hastings(D & MH). Loren R. Hayes, with exceptionalnumbers along the coast.A few EveningGrosbeaks Matt Heindel, Roger Higson,Greg Homel, Max Johnson,Brian W. were evidentlycaught up in the finch influx as indicatedby sevenin Keelan,David & NancyKelley (D & NK), David King, StephenA. CaliforniaCity Dec. 31 (MH), two in Ventura Dec. 27 (JG), 13 on Mt_ Laymon, Paul E. Lehman (Santa Barbara& Ventura Cos.), Elizabeth PalomarDec. 12-13 (RH), and two in San Diego Feb. 13 (REW). Manning,Curtis Marantz, Helen Matelson, RobertE. Maurer, Robert McKernan (RMcK) (RiversideCo.), Jim Montgomery,Douglas M. ADDENDA -- Two reportsthat should have been included in thefall Morton, Tom Murphy, JerryOldenettel, Marty Orell, Dennis Parker, migrationreport. but which were not receivedin time, were of a juv. Kurt Rademacher(KRa), SylviaJ. Ranney,Kathy Rindlaub(KRi), Ken Ruff on SanNicholas !., Sept.26 (RD), anda d' HoodedWarbler on the Rosenberg(KRo), Luis Santaella,Rick Saval (RSa), Beatrice Smith, sameisland in late August(TM). Greg P. Smith,Richard Stallcup (RSta), John& PhyllisStauffer (J & PS), Kelly Steele,Don Sterba,Richard Stovall (RSto), Guy Tingos CONTRIBUTORS (County coordinatorsin boldface) -- Larry R. (GTi), GeraldTolman (GTo), Phil Unitt, Bob Van Meter, GeorgeE. Ballard, Chris D. Benesh, Florence G. Bennett, Louis Bevier, Milt Wallace,Richard E. Webster,Morley Weir, DouglasR. Wi!lick (Or- Blatt, PeterH. Bloom, JeanBreheny, Karen Bridgers,Mark O. Chi- angeCo.). Tom Wurster, Sally Zengel, Kevin Zimmer. An additional chester(Kern Co.), Olga Clarke, Jim Coatsworth,Charles T. Collins, 75 + observerswho could not be individuallyacknowledged submitted PaulW. Collins,Wanda Conway, Elizabeth Copper (SanDiego Co. ), reportsthis season.•UY McCASKIE, San Diego Natural History Alan M. Craig, Art & JanCuppies (A & JC), Brian E. Daniels, Bobbe Museum, Balboa Park, P.O. Box 1390, San Diego, CA 92112.

HAWAHAN ISLANDS REGION Laysan Albatrossesreturned to Kauai this winter in increasednum- /Robert L. Pyle bersdespite the heavy predation by dogsreported last year. Ten active nestswere progressingby the endof February,although dogs did kill four adultsor subadultsresulting in the deathof two chicks(TT). Also, Rainfall which finally brokethe longdrought last fall continuedat a the statewildlife biologistwas calledto pick up "prospecting"alba- normalpace through the winter,even causing some brief floodingat a trossesat various locationsalong the s. coastof Kauai. The birds had few localities.The Pacific high pressurecenter north of the islands remainedstronger than normal causing unusually strong easterly trade beencornered and were unable to get airborneor werethreatened by dogs.He (TT) fearsreal problems in thefuture if increasingnumbers of windsthrough the late winterand early spring.This wouldnot likely havebrought in moreshorebird migrants from the southand southwest, Laysansreturn to explorewhat may have been prehistoricnesting groundsand run afoul of man's drastic alterations. but might have influencedsome to remain longer in Hawaii before headingon towardNorth America. The trendwas matched on Oahu,too, asnine Laysans were first seen Feb.5 flyingin theKahuku area where a few spentlast winter (JB). This was too late for nestmg,but someat leastremained through month's ABBREVIATIONS -- F.F.S. = FrenchFrigate Shoals; H. = Ha- end. waii 1.; K. = Kauai I.; M. = Maui I.; O. = Oahu I.; J.C.N.W.R. = JamesCampbell Nat'l Wildlife Ref. on Oahu;K.M.C.A.S. = Kaneohe Marine CorpsAir Stationon Oahu;P.H.N.W.R. = PearlHarbor Nat'l BOOBIESTHROUGH WATERFOWL-- A BrownBooby was seen Wildlife Ref. on Oahu. Feb. 24 on a buoy in Kawaibaeharbor on the n.w. coastof Hawaii I. (RD), whereoccasional reports in recentyears indicate this species may now be a regularvisitor to this island.A d' LesserFrigatebird was ALBATROSSES -- The perennialbanded ad. Short-tailed Alba- tross failed to returnto Midway last winter or this winter after 11 consecutivewinters there. However, one in subad.plumage did appear at Midway Dec. 15 thisyear and remained at leastuntil Feb. 2 I. It, too, hadbeen banded: one of 22 bandedat thenesting island in March1979. It will be interestingto seeif thisbird will returnto Midway in future wintersin a patternapproaching the longevity record established by its predecessor.The earlierbird alsowas in subad.plumage when it was firstreported at Midwayin its 8thwinter. This yeaifs bird came in its6th winter.

SubadultShort-tailed Albatross at Sand1., Midway,Hawaii, Jan. 12, 1985. Photo/U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

212 AmericanBirds, Summer1985 foundm a nestingcolony of GreatFrigatebirds at Tern I, F F S , Feb 5 (GY), a Willet at Hana, M , Dec 26 (EM), a Whimbrel (American)at (BE), wherea Lesserhas been reported in pastyears. Also at Tern I., Amonent Aquafarm,O., Feb. 17 (PD, RLP) & 22 (SB), and a Red- threeCattle Egretswere seendaily from Dec. 31 throughthe end of necked Phalarope at Waipio, O., at the end of February(PD, RLP) February(BE et al.). TwoBristle-thighed Curlews reported at Keahole Pt. nearKailua-Kona, One Brantfound Feb. 14 on a pondin the SheratonHotel complex at H., Feb. 24 (fide RD) providedan unusualout-of-season record. Two the dry w. end of Molokai I. (GY) furnishedan interestinglocality LeastSandpipers and a Baird'sSandpiper were seen through the winter record. A flock of 10 Koloa (Hawaiian Duck---Endangered)at a pre- at Waipio (PD); a singlePectoral and a singleSharp-tailed Sandpiper viously-unexploredfarm pondin Waimanalo,O., Dec. 16 (RLP) fur- were alsothere Dec. 16 (MO, RLP). AnotherPectoral was foundat therdemonstrated successful wild breedingof thisendemic duck that the KanahaPond, M., Feb. 10 (RD), anda Sharp-tailedat Kealia Pondon statehas beenattempting to re-introduceto Oahu. the sameisland Jan. 20 (CK). Otherspecies more expectable in winter Severaluncommon and casual ducks were found among the flocksof but still not commonincluded one to threeLesser Yellowlegs at Kealia N Pintailsand N. Shovelersin the statethis winter. Up to six Green- (CK, GY), two Dunlin eachat Waipio andK.M.C.A.S. on Oahu, Ruffs wingedand six Blue-wingedteal were foundat favoredwetlands on at Waipio and AimakapaPond, up to five dowitchers(at least some Oahu, Maul, and Hawaii. An eclipse<• Garganeywas at Kii Pond, Long-billedby call)at Waipiothrough the winter and one at KealiaPond J C N.W.R., Jan.5 (MO), andtwo femaleswith a good-plum.aged male Jan. 20 (CK), andfinally a snipeof undeterminedspecies flushed from werethere Feb. 17 (PD). An unprecedented sixGadwalls (3 pr.)were Kii PondFeb. 22 (PD). A Ruff up the chainat Tern I., F.F.S., Jan.22 reportedat KakahaiaN.W.R. on MolokaiFeb. 16 (GY). Two <• Eur. (BE) was especiallynotable although not the first for that island. Wlgeon were at Kii Pond, J.C.N.W.R., Jan. 15 (PD) and Feb. 17 (RLP). GY also found two males at KakahaiaN.W.R., Feb. 16 and, GULLS THROUGH PASSERINES-- A few stragglinggulls turned afterflying to Kauai,found two morethere on the Wailua R. nearKapaa up at variouslocations in the islandsthis winter. One to two subad the sameday. Eight Am. Wigeon at AimakapaPond, H., throughout LaughingGulls were seenat KanahaPond, M., regularlybeginning Decemberand January (RD) wasan unusuallyhigh number. Also win- Feb. 10 (CK, RD, GY), and one was at Ft. Kamehameha,O., Jan. 17 termgat Aimakapawere a Canvasbackand a <• Ring-neckedDuck (RD, (JK, RLP). A Bonaparte'sGull wasalso at KanahaFeb. 10 (CK, RD), MM), while anotherCanvasback turned up at Kii Pond,J.C.N.W.R., and one wintered at Amorient Aquafarm, O. A gull in 2nd-winter Jan 15 (PD) andFeb. 17 (RLP). Up to 16 LesserScaup wintered at Kii plumagedescribed as probablyRing-billed (possibly California) was Pondand six at AimakapaPond, with one femalereported at Kanaha seennear Haena, K., Dec. 15 & 20 (JA). And up thechain at Ti•rnI., Pond, M., Feb. 10-14 (CK, GY). F.F.S., a Glaucous-wingedGull put in an appearanceDec. 24 (SF,fide BE). Two CaspianTerns were seenat Kii Pond and AmorientAqua- RAPTORSAND PHEASANTS-- Oahu's1984-1985 Osprey was farm, O., Dec. 10 (JK) andJan. 29-Feb. 17 (PB et al.). Two were seen observedseveral times at WaiawaUnit, P.H.N.W.R., duringthe winter also at Kealia Pond, M., Jan. 2-12 (RC) and at K.M.C.A.S., O., Feb (PD), andanother was reported at KalihiwaiRes., K., Jan.15 (DM,fide 22 (SB). All thesecould have been the sametwo birds. TT) FourteenRose-ringed Parakeets were watchedflying aboutin appar- entcourtship ritual at theHanapepe Valley overlook, K., Feb. 17 (GY) SoA. Despitelack of directevidence of breeding,a flockhis persistedfor Two interestingobservations of vagrantfalcons on Kauaiwere someyears in this part of Kauai. They have beencausing sufficient reportedthis winter by separateexperienced birders on short damagein theValley by feedingon corntassels that a seedcorn grower visits to Hawaii. One bird watched for 10 minutes as it soared recentlyobiained a permitto controlthem (TT). Threeto sixCom aboveWaimea Canyon Dec. 28 was identifiedas a • kestrel.It Barn-Owlswere found in KipapaGulch, O., beforedawn Feb. 3 (PD) was well-described,including size and plumagedifferentiation Two Pueo, the Hawaiianrace of Short-earedOwl, were seentogether from PeregrineFalcon, but unfortunatelyit was not seenwell severaltimes this winter at Waipio (MO, PD et al.). A vagrantShort- enoughto iderltifyit asthe American or theEurasian species (CH earedOwl at Tern I., F.F.S., Dec. 17-Jan.12 (SF,fide BE) couldhave et al.)• Theonly prior report of a kestrelin Hawaiiwas of a very beenthe Hawaiianrace, or possiblythe Asiaticrace whichhas been tameand apparently injured individual found 15 yearsago on a collected in winter farther out in the chain at Kure Atoll. Ten Red-billed military basein Honolulu. Leiothrix,an unprecedentednumber for Oahuin recentyears, were seen The otherfalcon was seen Dec. 16 on the oppositeside of the in a flock alongOld WaimanaloRd., O., Dec. 16 (PB, RLP), andfive to islandat KilaueaPt. It wasdescribed as a largefalcon, presum- six were squeakedup at the samelocality Jan. 31 (PD). Two 'Omao ably a Peregrine,watched on andoff for an houras it harasseda (Hawaiian Thrush) and five Tiwi were found in one large ohia tree nestingcolony of Red-footedBoobies. It wasseen twice to stoop alongSaddle Rd., H., Feb.18; 5 dayslater one 'Omao, more than eight on individualboobies, and at timesit put mostof the roosting Tiwi andmany 'Apapane were seen again in thesame tree (RD). birds into the air at once (Mr. & Mrs. JA). Peregrinesare rare stragglersto Hawaii,but with morefrequent reports in thepast CONTRIBUTORS -- Jeff Allen, Joanne Barta, Steve Berendzen, severalyears. PhilBruner, Robert Clark, Peter Connally, Reggie David, Peter Don- No one else has seenthese birds, and the visitingobservers aldson,Bruce Eilerts, Andrew Engilis, Steve Fairaizl, Craig Hohen- have long sincegone home withoutopportunity to compare berger,Betty Joao, lngrid Kang, CameronKepler, Jim Krakowski, notes.This typeof circumstancehas frequently plagued the avi- Anita Manning, Dan Moriarity, Marie Morin, EugeneMudge, Mike faunalrecord for Hawaii, yet it seemsworthy to reportsuch Ord, Tom Telfer, GustaveYaki.•ROBERT L. PYLE, 741 N. Kala- observationswith their limitationsrather than relegatethem to heo Ave., Kailua, HI 96734. archivalobscurity.

An Erckel'sFrancolin was spottedat the 700 ft. level on Makakilo Drive in the Ewa areaof OahuDec. 31 (BJ). At leastsix Ring-necked Pheasantsin a largefield at KailuaDec. 16 (PB, RLP) wasan unusually large concentrationfor Oahu. SHOREBIRDS-- M(>re unusual shorebird species were reported duringthis winter than we havehad in recentyears. Quite a few were first seenin mid-Februaryat localitieswell-observed during preceding weeks,suggesting a possible influx at thattime of earlyspring migrants from somewhere,presumably to the south.The veryrare (for Hawaii) speciesincluded a Greater Yellowlegsat Kealia Pond, M., Feb. 16

Volume 39, Number 2 213 WEST INDIES REGION /Robert L. Norton THEISLANDSNDRTHERN AND EASTERNVIRGIN 1413I

Averageprecipitation in theVirgin Islandswas -15 % for December, -60% for Januaryand + 25% for Februaryyielding a net-20% for the period.This followedon the heelsof a 46% aboveaverage net for the fall season.A late-season,short-lived hurricane appeared northeast of ." • ANEGADA theAntilles and proceeded southwesterly, threatening a double wham- my after the devilstatingresults of HurricaneKlaus. However,Lily swervedtothe northwest and dissipated bymid to late December. In its wake were someremarkable anatid and larid records,from the Bahamas to Trinidad,not u•ually reported here. Both groups were underreported fromBermuda this year. Wingate explained it as a resultof fewerfronts from the continent. But the late-seasonhurricane, only the third this century,sweeping out of thetropical north Atlantic toward the Antilles, apparentlydeposited Bermuda's usual complement of ducks and gulls ST.THDMAS ST.JDHN ,' Clill#111 into the Bahamas and Greater Antilles. Some uncommon shorebirds were also noted from the Bahamas due to the aberrant winds.

ABBREVIATIONS -- Ba. = Bahamas;G.T. = GrahdTurk (in the Turks & Caicos); P.R. = PuertoRico; St. C. = St. Croix; St. T. = St. to theRegion since the Septemberinflux include Snow Goose (four Thomas;V.I. = Virgin Islands. blue-phase)from TrinidadDec. 30 (Rff et al.), representingonly the 2ndoccurrence there, and a CanadaGoose at Bermuda (DW et al. ) Dec GREBES THROUGH DUCKS -- Pied-billed Grebes were found 28. A N. Pintail was noted at G.T., Jan. 5-12, for an uncommon nestingin Januaryand February at St.C., VA. (FS).Audubon's Shdar- occurrencein the s. Bahamas.Northern Shovelers were reported from watersbegan nesting at the SabaCay, St. T. colonyFeb. 14 (RLN). Abaco,Ba. (one female),Feb. 5 (DP), two Dec. 15-Jan.12 (RSL) at BrownPelicans were foundnesting at BuckI., St. C. on Mar. 2 (FR). G.T., and Dec. 2-Feb. 14 (female and male) from St. C. (FS). A 9 Greater Scanpwas carefully observed at St. C. (FS, ER, RLN) Dec 23 S.A, andvarious dates until Feb. 17. Bond(1979) recordedone definiie 1971 Recordsof rare ardeidsfrom the Regionare continuingand recordfrom the Ba. and somequestionable reports from the Ba. and becomingconfusing. PWS observedtwo WesternReef-Herons Cuba.Lesser Scaup are reportedfar morecommonly in the Region (adultand immature) Jan. 31 at St. Lucia.DS reported an imm. includingtwo at G.T. (RSL) Jan. 13, and15 seenat CaboRojo, P R, W. Reef-Heron Feb. 18, 1984 at the samelocation--Vieux Fort. Dec. 15 (CJ et al.). Closeexamination or collectingof LesserScaup Recallthat PWS andMBH observedtwo reef-herons at Barbados mayresult in anoccasional Greater. A HoodedMerganser was noted at Feb. 20, 1984. That is three (one adult, two immatures)within G.T. (RSL), for Oneof the few recordsthere, Dec. 12-Jan.13. No ducks daysand separatedby 128 km of openocean, Now for another werereported from St. LuciaJan. 27-Feb. 3 (PWS)or Feb. 17-24(GB) twist.PWS also reported three Little Egretsin thecompany of threeSnowy Egrets, an imm. Little Blue Heron, andW. Reef- OSPREYTHROUGH TERNS -- Two Ospreys(ridgwayii) have Heron, all Jan. 31 at Vieux Fort. The details are well described. beenreported from Providenciales,Turks and Caicos, Dec. 15-Feb 26 DW alsoreported a possibleLittle Egret from Bermuda until (BA). The St. Luciapopulation of Broad-wingedHawks is reportedto Dec.26 (rememberHurricane Lily now). By the way, Little be commonand widespread (PWS, GB). A peregrineFalcon was seen Egretshave beenrecorded from Barbadosin April, 1954 and at N. Caicos(RSL) Dec. 23 andone v•as noted at MangroveLagoon, St Martiniquein October,1962 (Bond 1979). Hancock and Kushlan T., Feb. I (RLN). A smallgroup of Black Rails seenin lateDecember (1984) describedthe confusingrelationship of these2 speciesor wasreported by ASD fromthe Dominica9Republic. (Details are ex- racesand concluded that they form a singlepolymorphic species. pectedelsewhere .) Caribbeanand Am. cootswere observed in February And someauthorities believe Snowy and Little egretsform a at St. C., in what FS considersto be mixedpairs, apparently based on superspecies(AOU 1983). So, if Snowy= Little, andLittle = theirbehavior. No nestswere located, however. Mixed pairs and nests Reef-Heron, then Snowy = Reef-Heron? havebeen found at St. Johnin February(RLN). FS reporteda Lesser Golden-Ploverat St. C. in earlyDecember as his first for this month in 4 years.Sladen noted small numbersof Whimbrelsin Decemberwith Sladenreported the 2nd Glossy Ibis in 4 yearsat St. C. onJan. 13. An increasingnumbers into Februarywhen 20 wereseen. On Jan.20 RSL impressiveflight of geeseand ducks was also recorded. New additions noted 10 Whimbrels at G.T. Red Knots were also notedat St. C. (FS)

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214 AmericanBirds, Summer 1985 with sustainednumbers (20 in January)throughout the period, providing speciesand foundprincipally in Ba., Cuba and GrandCayman. Carib- whatFS consideredthe first wintering group in 4 years.RSL notedRed bean Martins returnedto the V.I. by Feb. I (RLN, FS). Two Tree Knots at G.T., Jan. 13. Four Dunlins were notedDec. 2 at St. C. (FS) Swallows were noted at G.T., Dec. 25 (RSL), and three were at Hato and six were at ProvidencialesDec. 18 (BA). A Ruff was seenat G.T., Rey, P.R., Jan. 27-29 aftera "coldspell" (TI), if thatis possiblein P.R. Jan. 11 (RSL) providingone of thefew recordsfor the Regionin winter RSL noted 10 Cuban Crows at G.T., Dec. 8. PWS missed the endemic and perhapsthe first for the Turksand Caicos. House Wren at St. Lucia; it is much reducedand highly localized. A largecomplement of laridswas observed at Abaco,Ba. (DP), Aidridgeobserved a Gray-cheekedThrush at ProvidencialesDec. I for including33 Ring-billedand 12 Herring gulls, one Lesser BIack- oneof the few recordsfrom the southernBa. PWS managedto seeSt. backedGull andtwo Great Black-backedGulls, all onFeb. 6. Ring- Lucia Black Finch Jan. 27 & 30. billed Gulls were alsoseen Dec. 2-Jan. 26 (one) at G.T. (RSL) and at St. C. (FS) in December(two). A HerringGull wasnoted at G.T., Jan.5-12 ADDENDUM -- RPP-J informs me that a record of Least Bittern (RSL). Two Gull-billed Terns were seenDec. 17 at G.T. (RSL). DP seenOctober 1982 predatedthat of ARK's "first" in LesserAntilles noted a Common Tern at Abaco. Ba.. Feb. 6 and two Forster's Terns --AB 37: 916-917. Feb. 5. CORRIGENDUM -- Onething much lamented is retractingan inter- estingobservation which lackedconfirmation before publication {Cas- PARROTS THROUGH FINCHES -- Cuban Parrots (16) were re- merodiusa. melanorynchosGreat Egret, AB 38:361, whichshould read corded at Abaco, Ba. (DP), Feb. 4. This speciesis residentonly at Egrettarqfescens, fide RP). However,this change does not appreciably Abacoand Great Inagua in the Ba., althoughformerly at severalother detractfrom the premiseof environmentaleffects on ardeiddispersal. islandsthere. Three Puerto Rican Parrots were noted by TW andKN on Feb. 25 at El Yunque,P.R. PWS reportedthat a St. Lucia Nightjarwas CONTRIBUTORS (Subregionaleditors in boldface)-- Beverlea not observedor confirmedthere Jan. 26-Feb. 4, probablybecause of Aidridge, George Bryant, Richardffrench, Maurice B. Itutt, Tom seasonor weather.TW observedor heard 10 PuertoRican Nightjars lmhof,Cliff Jones,Allan R. Keith, KristenNelson, Rich Paul, David Feb. 28 at GuanicaForest, to whichit is almostentirely restricted. Two Powell, R. P. PrOs-Jones,Earl Roebuck,Derek Scott, Fred Sladen, West Indian Woodpeckerswere notedFeb. 4 at Abaco, Ba. (DP). La RobertSt. Leger, P. William Smith, AnnabelleStockton de Dod, Tom Sagra'sFlycatcher is commonat Abaco(DP). Formerlyconsidered part Will, David Wingate.--ROBERT L. NORTON, Divisionof Fish and of the Stolid Flycatchercomplex in the West Indies,it now is one of 4 Wildlife, 101 Estate Nazareth, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 00802.

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Volume 39, Number 2 215 THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIRDS Editedby ChristopherPerrins and Dr. Alex L.A. Middleton Fromthe flightless emu to the wandering albatross,from the diminutive humming- bird to the enormousostrich, THE ENCYCLOPEDIAOFBIRDS is a thorough, up-to-date,authoritative volume written andcompiled by experts and provides the bestand mostincisive research on all speciesof livingbirds. Combiningreadable articles and ready-referenceinformation with the finestavailable wildlife photography and artwork,THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIRDSdescribes all 180families ofliving birds. Like its companion volume, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MAMMALS, THE ENCYCLO- PEDIAOF BIRDSis compiled from thework of a selectgroup of active ornithologistsand includes themost up-to-datefront line researchon the subject.The articles on each family includedetails of distributionand ecol- ogy,physical features, evolutionary historyand classification, diet and feedinglhabits,lifecycles and repro- ductivebeha,fior, social organization and survivalstatus. The mostcom- prehensivebook of its kind, THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIRDS con- tainsover 400 photographs and illustrations,335 in full-color. Glossary.Index 480 pages. 8•/2"x 11".$35.00 hardbound. ISBN 0-8160-1150-8.

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216 AmericanBirds,Summer 1985