(PJW)provided the Region's first migrant Loons to Herons Marchrecords. Surprisingly, theonly Bram- A pairof Red-throatedLoons on LaceyL. blingreport came in fromGambell, where a British nearPort Alberni May 13 (MB) was thought youngmale appeared June 3-4 (WINGS, to be nesting.Staging Pacific Loons off AK).The Ketchikanwinter feeder Purple Reifelincreased from 2500 Apr. 14 to 6000 Finches(a maleand two females)remained Columbia/ byApr. 25th (JI), likely catching the last of togetherto Mar. 31 and a femalelingered to the eulachon run at the mouth of the Fraser Apr.12 (JP, SCH). White-winged Crossbills R. Twounaged Yellow-billed Loons were at remainedlocally common (in the e. Inte- Yukon TorinoMar. I 1 (JJ),while an immature was rior)to nearlyabsent from most the North onKalamalka L. nearVernon Apr. 21-May Gulf Coast(m.ob.). 14 (PG, MCo, C S, RJC).A singlePied- billed Grebewas at Rat L., Carcrossin s.w. Contributorsand Observers:J. B. Allen, Region YukonMay 2-12 (LS, MaW, HG), the ATTOUR (P.J. Baicich,S.C. Heinl, M. sceneof theterritory's first nesting last year; Toochin),E. E. Burroughs,K. Brock,C. P. it wasnot seenthereafter. A singleEared Dau, T. J. Doyle (EasternInterior Subre- Grebeon Arrow L. atNakusp May 7 (GSD) gionalCompiler), FIELD GUIDES(D. Ste- wasa good find. There was a noticeable stag- jskal,J. Pierson), D. Fox, D. D. Gibson,R.J. ingof W. Grebesin GeorgiaStrait, with a Gordon,J. Haaga, C. Harwood,S. C. Heinl, peakof 3000 Mar. 26 (RSw).Another high IC Holder,A. Holm, E Hunter,I. L. Jones, JACK BOWLING countwas of 1200off EnglishBay, Van., A. Kraynik,R. Lewis,R. E. Lowell,R. A. Thewaning of El Nifioallowed for some in- Mar.30 (CAi).As usual, the interior buildup Macintosh,B. J. McCafiery,L. Meehan,J. terestingweather in March--stormyon the of W. Grebesoccurred later, as on Arrow L. at Morgart,W. Mueller,N. Osgood,H. Parker, coastduring the first half, then ending with a Nakuspwhere 455 Apr.28, 285 Apr.30, M. Parker,J. Pondi,L. Scharf,R. L. Scher,R. heatwave for southern areas and a coldsnap 1250May6, and>1000 May7 (GSD)were A. Schulz,S. Smith, D. W. Sonneborn,G. intothe -30s ø E forYukon. April began un- recorded VanVliet, VENT (K. J. Zimmer,D. Wolfe), setdedbut became sunny and warm during A flock of three Am. White Pelicans flew P.J. Walsh, G. C. West,J. Williams, WINGS thethird week as a ridgeof highpressure N overPitt L., n.e. of Van.,May 13 (•'K. (J.L. Dunn,G. H. Rosenberg,M. O'Brien). built over Yukon and northern British Co- McEachern,LC, AM, M&E Merry), the Details,specimens, and photographs refer- lumbia.This pattern lasted into the middle 5th or 6th springchecklist record for which encedare on file at Universityof Alaska Mu- of May,resulting in a prolongedepisode of a clearpattern of mid-Mayvisitations has seum(Fairbanks). brisk northeast winds acrossthe southern unfolded. This is a bit later than the s. inte- -- T. G. •bbish,Jr., 2510 ForakerDrive, An- halfof the region. The effect on northbound riorvalleys, where seven were seen winging chorage,Alaska 9951Z migrantswas clear: Many of theMarch and N overOk. L. fromWestbank May 9 (EF). earlyApril arrivals were early, while subse- Theincreased spring sightings ofthis species quentwaves became progressively later, caus- suggestthe population may be increasing in ingmuch anxiety in thebirding world. Also the Region.A wanderingsingle first-year noticeable was the reluc- Double-crested Cormorant made it to a tanceof manyof thelate-ar- NORTHWEST pondon the Commonage near Vernon May rivingsongbirds to sing,al- 21 (CS, m.ob.), while an adult travelledfar mostas if theyhad all their northto L. Laberge,s.w. Yukon May 25 strengthsapped fighting the (BD, HG), a locationwhere one had been :'•;.•?•.•:YUKON'•-'•'TERRITOR• winds. There were few ex- theprevious year (BD). The bird was also tralimital visitors, a Costas seenthere May 26-27 (m.ob.).A sizeable Hummingbirdin Vancouver flock of 2000 Brandt'sCormorants between beingthe most obvious. Gabriola I. and Duke Pt. s.e. of Nanaimo Mar. 2 (DS) waspresumably feeding on Abbreviations:B.C. (British spawningherring. An estimated5000 '= BRI•SH COLUMBIA Columbia);D.C. (Dawson Brandt's were in Active Passbetween Salt- Creek);Ok. L. (Okanagan L.); springand Mayne Is. Mar 26 (CAi etal.), Ok.Vlly ( Okanaganl•lley); thenon-breeding season Regional strong- EG. (PrinceGeorge); p.v. holdfor the species. A new local record-high (pendingverification bygov- count for Burrard Inlet of 45 Brandt's Cor- erningBird Records Commit- morantswas tallied Apr. 8 (B.I.E.A.E).At • •nceRu•fl•m•ers;'- •aw•n. Cr•k' tee);Q.C.I. (QueenCharlotte least3 pairsof Pelagic Cormorants were seen Islands);Reifel (George C. on the cliffison the n. end of BallenasI. off Reij•l Wate•wl Sanctuary ParksvilleMar. 2 (DFF),where no nesting near Ladher, BC); R.EM.- hasbeen reported since 1987. Nesting M.S.(Rocky Point Migration Pelagicsonthe cliffs of Prospect Pt., Stanley MonitoringStation, s. tip of Park,Van., were interrupted byblasting and Van.L); S.T.E (Sewage •eat- scalingof thediffface by theParks Board mentPlant); Van. ( Vancouv- duringthe time the birds were setting up ter- --.•mo•.•ancouvet P• Cranbr•k er); Van. I. ( VancouverL); ritories.Only 10 adultswere noted there Vic. ( Victoria);Whse. ( White- duringthe height of theblasting Mar. 1, horse). while 61 birds•including10 nesting
294 FIELDNOTES FALL1995 pairs--werethere Mar. 28 (MPr).The num- berof nestswould undoubtedly have been InternationalTropical Birding Festival higherif theblasting had not occurred. City boardsneed to beeducated on therepercus- sionsof theirignorance. American Bitterns were noted from widely scatteredlocations: A singleat Viaduct Flats,Saanich, Mar. 4 (RS);another at SomenosMarsh, Duncan, Apr. 12 (DM); anunusual gathering of threein PittMead- nam ows,n.e. of Van., Apr. 21 (BD);and a single February4-11 birdcalling repeatedly from Newlands, 50 co-sponsoredby "; ' km n.e. ofP.G., May 27-28 (CA, HA, JB, The Asociaci6n Naclona! NK). Vernon's25-30 pairsof GreatBlue Herons nested at the establisheddowntown parala colony.A windstormApr. 4 flippeda nest Conservaci6n de la Naturaleza overon an incubating bird, briefly trapping (ANCON) the birdbefore the nest fell to pieces.The and heronsurvived but not theeggs (J. Boss). Victor Emanuel Nature Tours TheGreat Egret which wintered around Ab- botsfordwas last seen May 17 (MG). Did it (VENT) head back south? Green Herons became conspicuousbeginning in March,with re- portsof_
VOLUME 49, NUMBER 3 FIELD NOTES ];95 birdwas spotted on Arrow L. nearNakusp wonderedwhere the birdscould find the time A VirginiaRail was spotted near Argenta May 7 (GSD). A largeraft of about5000 duringthe peak of the breeding cycle. Ameri- atthe n. endofKootenay L., May 27 (GSD), ducksmade up of SurfScoters,Black Scoters, can Kestrels numbers continue to be de- anarea where the species israrely seen. Sand- andGreater Scaup, possibly feeding on her- pressedacross the s. interior valleys. Only 12 hill Cranesare always conspicuous on their ringspawn, was seen in the Denman-Hornby were found betweenVernon and Abbotsford waynorth. Notable flocks observed this sea- Is.area off Campbell R., Apr. 5 (M. Callahan viathe Hope-Princeton Hwy Apr. 15, while sonincluded 1500 high overhead Douglas L etal.).A •?Hooded Merganser was at D.C., only10 were noted along the Spence's Bridge- RanchApr. 23 (CC, DnW, BT,JBu, GwW), Apr.25 (MPh,LL, SK)where rarely seen. A Kamloopscorridor the next day (CS). From threenorthbound over Yellowpoint Lodge, flockof 31 RuddyDucks was on McCoy L. six-eightPeregrine Falcons frequented the Nanaimo,Apr. 25 (DFF);and many thou- near Port Alberni Mar. 11 (DGC, C. GreaterVan. area during the period, with the sandsin verylarge flocks passing over Faro, Schmidt),aspecies that is usually restricted to onlyapparently site-faithful birds being one s.c.Yukon May 8-9 (GW). MoreSandhills s.e.Van. I. Meanwhile,Ruddy Duck sight- atthe Tsawwassen Ferry terminal and another thannormal were reported from the few re- ingscontinue toclimb in Yukon. A c3Ruddy onthe Granville 2000 building in downtown mainingpotential nesting sites in theLower washiding in thereeds of RatL.,Carcross, Vancouver(m.ob.). A Peregrineof theana- Mainland:Pitt L., BurnsBog, and Derby May12 (HG). Anothermale was on Coot L., turn racewas at the Port Alberni Bird Sanctu- Reach(m.ob.), including 5 pairsat Pitt May21, where the number increased tofour aryApr. 2 (DGC).A yotmgPeregrine Falcon PolderApr. 13 (KTh). Localfarmers around malesand one female by May 23 (HG);and a waswatched asit stoopedon a longspur flock theoutskirts of P.G.also report that cranes femalewas detected among scaup at Shallow nearD.C., May7 (MPh,LL, SK).The bird were"all over the place this year." BayMay 27 (BrB,HG). cameup empty-handed, spiralled upward to joinan ad. Peregrine, and then both contin- Shorebirds Vultures to Cranes uedonward after some aerial acrobatics. Ap- A Black-belliedPlover was at JudasCr, Thereis strongsuspicion that Turkey Vul- parentlyjust a failedlunch stop on the way YukonMay 26-27 (m.ob.),a rarespecies in tures are now rare nestersin the Greater Van. north.A Peregrinewas observed soaring over thearea. Rare in springon the coast, a single area,perhaps an extension of thesmall popu- thecliffs e. ofVaseux L., s.Ok. Vlly, May 21 Am. Golden-Ploverin S. DeltaApr.30 (JL) lation recentlyestablished in the central (CC,DnW, LM, GR),and again there June 2 andanother at then. endof BoundaryBay FraserValley. This feeling is fueled by persis- asit chasedoff a GoldenEagle and a Red- May 17 (M. Brown)were good finds. The tentsightings over the Horseshoe Bay area of tailedHawk. The birdis suspected of breed- largestreported Semipalmated Plover flock W. Van.,as well as along the N. ShoreMts., ing in thearea. A largegray-morph imm. was 60 at ChestermanBeach near Torino, suchas the two seen at Mt. SeymourP.P., May Gyrfalconwas at theVanderhoofairport eat- Van.I., Apr.30 (DGC). MigrantKilldeer 27 (AJ).A White-tailedKite was seen in the ingvoles Mar. 4-5 (HA,MPh, CA, LL). De- totaling239 staged at Alouette Polder Mar PittL. areaby many observers fora fewdays parturedates for overwintering Gyrfalcons 19(KTh), including one flock of 125birds afterits discovery Apr. 18 (PH, ?DJ).This includedMar. 5 forthe Commonage, Vernon Sixlong-legged Am. Avocets were at Chich- wouldrepresent B.C.'s first accepted but long (PG, CS); Mar. 22 RobertsBank, Delta esterBird Sanctuary, Rutland, Apr. 25, with overduerecord (p.v.). A BaldEagle pair built a (P&BSp,m.ob.); Apr. 4 MartindaleFlats, C. threethere May 2 (CC).These may be some nestin a cottonwoodin downtownNakusp Saanich(JG); and Apr. 8 SumasPrairie, of thebreeders from the nearby Kelowna thisspring, with one young visible in thenest Chilliwack (S. Olson). The PrairieFalcon Landfill,where 10 were seen May 21 (CC, bythe end of theperiod (GSD). A citywide whichoverwintered in the Boundary Bay area LM, GRetal.). At then. edgeof their range, Cooper'sHawk nesting survey sponsored by waslast seen Mar. 15 (N. Russell,RSw). a matingpair of GreaterYellowlegs was ob- theMinistry of theEnvironment in Greater Apparentlydeclining in theOk. Vlly,a servedat TagishL., s.w.Yukon, Apr. 29 Vic. locatedabout 12 activenests. A reminder Chukarwas a surprisingdiscovery on the (HG, Y.B.C.),with another at Drury's farm, not to fool aroundwith nestinghen N. OkanaganMt. BirdBlitz May 27 (HW). Whse.,May 26-27 (JMcC,EM, PN, HT) Goshawkswas given by a birdwhich barely BothRock and Willow ptarmigan were seen Afterlast spring's large influx of LesserYel- missedscalping a ducking observer imitating in suitable habitat at various locations lowlegsinto the Ok. Vlly, a more usual num- aGreat Horned Owl call near Whse., May 27 aroundc. ands. Yukon in May(m.ob.), no berwas recorded this season with only a sin- (CE). An ad. Broad-wingedHawk was doubt more a function of increasedobserver glebird at RobertL., Kelowna,May 7 (CC, watchedas it caughtthe morning sun and mobilityas the snow melted than anything RC).Ten Spotted Sandpipers battling each roseon a thermalat Grindrod, n. of Vernon, else.Ring-necked Pheasants were more otherfor a stripof shorelineat SwanLake May 13(CS, EN), providingthe 2nd record widelyreported around the Greater Vic. area, PP.near D.C., May 24 (MPh,SK, LL) were of thisspecies fbr the Spallumcheen/Okana- with numeroussmall coveysobserved likelyindicative ofpeak movement, given its ganValleys. A Swainson's Hawk, a rare bird in (m.ob.).Meanwhile, pheasant numbers con- usualintraspecific intolerance. Yukon,was found w. of Whse., May 26 (LK, tinue to decline on the farmlands of the GS).Another Swainsons Hawk over flew the Deltaarea on the other side of Georgia Strait, P.G.airport May 19 (JB),the 2nd consecu- withno reports received for the period. Wild S A Thisable spring'scold front most falloutnotice- oc- tiveyear that one was seen in thearea since the Turkeyhas recently been removed from the curredin the D.C. area duringthe 1940s.A detailedreport was received of an Ok. Vllychecklist. In a seeminglymocking eveningof May17 (MPh,LL, SK, ad. "Krider's"Red-tailed Hawk nearAbbots- gesture,asingle turkey was found on McCul- G&LM),grounding many shorebirds. The next day,a nearbyfield held26 fordMar. 25 (S. Olson),well w. of itsnormal lochL. Road,s.e. of Kelowna,May 21 (DB, UplandSandpipers, a coupledozen DnW, EF) at the 1000 m level.A 9 Califor- range,although there are as yet no accepted Am. Golden-Plovers,a singlePacific recordsof this race in British Columbia. A niaQuail at thePort Alberni Bird Sanctuary Golden-Plover(the area'sfirst}, bun- gatheringof 16Red-tailed Hawks, 12 light May 12(DGC, B.Watson) put to rest the ru- dredsof PectoralSandpipers, and at morph,three dark, and one very pale, was morsthat hunters had extirpated the species least three Baird'sSandpipers. Sev- watchedswooping and "playing" on the ther- from the area. There were unconfirmed re- enteenUpland Sandpipers lingered mals off the cliffs of the Kiskatinaw R. near portsofotherquail with her at times, which in a field s. of town,but had left by D.C.,May 21 (SK,LL, MPh). The observers mayhave been young. May 20.
z96 FIELDNOTES FALLI995 Seventeen Whimbrel were observed at the trasted with the first six observed on the e. Gulls to Woodpeckers ¬ctoria GolfCourse Apr. 26 (Coil), while shoreof GeorgiaStrait at RobertsBank SingleParasitic Jaegers were seen over Geor- 27 werethere May 3 (MO). A soon-to-be JettyMay 22 (MWy). Usuallyonly small giaStrait May 10,18& 23 (RSw),with three polofield in Surreywas discovered to bea numbersof SemipalmatedSandpipers pass offWhite Rock May 27 (FC).A Long-tailed majorstopover point for Whimbrel only a throughs. parts of theRegion. Such was the Jaegerwas observed at closerange along the coupleof years ago. The firstbird there this casethis year, with about 11 separatebirds DempsterHwy, Yukon, May 22 (HG). The yearwas sighted Apr. 9 (P&BSpet al.), and reportedfrom theGreater Van. area May onlynoteworthy stray Franklin's Gull was an numbersincreased to 282 byApr. 28 (N. 6-20 (AJ,RSw, MPL, RTo);one at Robert immatureat theKelowna Landfill May 20 Russell,P&BSp). They made it to Yukona L., Kelowna,May 4-7 (CC, RC, DB); and (CC). ActivePass is a majorarea for Bona- few •weeks later with one Whimbrel at one at the N. Glenmore Pond, Kelowna, parte'sGulls as attested by flocks numbering MarshL., May 16 (CE, HG, PSi);three be- May 21 (SGC et al.). A flockof 2000 W. 2700 Mar. 23 (RSw, MBe), 10,000 Mar. 26 tweenkm 92-104 of the DempsterHwy Sandpiperswas at GriceBay, Torino, Apr. (CAi etal.),and 6000 Apr. 23 (CAi). Flock May21-22 (HG); andsix at NaresL., Car- 30 (DGC). An extremelyrare White- sizesremained high even as the gulls moved cross,May 26-27 (DRu,SRu). Rare on the rumpedSandpiper was among 80 peepsat inlandto their taiga lake breeding sites, with s coast,one c? Long-billed Curlew arrived LewesMarsh, Marsh L., May 15 (CE,PSi). 600feeding on flying insects over Swan L., at theAlouette Polder Apr. 4, andthree fe- Dunlin were abundant on the s. coast as Vernon,May 28 (CS),and 270 overa pond malesand one malewere there Apr. 13 usual,peaking at 100,000at theReifel fore- at 108Mile near Lac La Hache May 1 (CA). (KTh).Another single was seen in S. Delta shoreApr. 14 (JI). Dowitchersofunstated A flockof 180Ring-billed Gulls seen flying May 9 (G. Thompson),with anotherat sp.,but likely mostly Short-billeds, built up W overdowntown EG., Apr.21 (NK) was BlackieSpit, Boundary Bay, May 18 (JAM, from 19 at GriceBay, Torino, Apr. 16 to likelyheaded to theclosest breeding site at HNM, m.ob.).Curlew surveys in thearea 4000 by Apr. 30 (DGC). A Short-billed EllIls I., FraserL., 150 km to the west.There betweenVernon and Enderby conducted by Dowitcherat RobertL., Kelowna,May 21 wasonly one report of Thayer'sGulls: 30 N O.N.C. in April 1982tallied 61 Long- (SGCetal.) was only the 2nd discovered in birdsat IonaS.T.P., Mar. 6. Thisspecies is bllleds.This Apr. 15, N.O.N.C. turnedup theOk. Vlly. sufferingfrom observer ennui and is cer- onlynine birds (4 pairsand a single)in the tainlymore common than reports would in- samearea, while a May 13 counttotaled a S A RobButler ofthe Canadian dicate. A well-documented Iceland Gull was dismaltwo-three birds. An apparentBlack- ß '• Wildlife Service monitored sightedalong River Road, Ladner, Mar. 5 tadedGodwit at GriceBay, Torino, May 7 W. Sandpipersmigrating N through (AJ,MWy).The rumored lumping of Ice- BonndaryBay and s. GeorgiaStrait (RP et al.) couldnot be relocatedthe next landwith Thayer's would certainly lessen the this spring. Table I illustratesthe circulation of such documentation to day.This would be the first accepted record rapid buildupand passageof this for B.C. (p.v.).A sightingof anotherpossi- speciesthrough the area. recordscommittees. The Slaty-backedGull bleBlack-tailed Godwit from Blackie Spit It is interestingto note that the overwinteringat the Delta Landfill was last May 18unfortunately arrived without doc- buildupoccurred after the passage reportedMar. 11 (RJC,BM) andwas well umentation. A small incursion of Hudson- of a cold front, which momentarilyin- intopre-alternate molt by that time. West- lan Godwits occurred in the Lower Main- terrupted the low level NE winds ern Gulls are rare around the Greater Van. land,where they are very rarein spring, which had dominated the area the area,but fiveseparate birds were reported with the arrival of the first alternate- previousten days. These numbers fromthe area between Mar. 6-Apr. 8 (AJ,N. plumagedbird at the Iona S.T.P.,Rich- are the largest ever recordedin the Moore,MPr etal.).A first-yearGlaucous- Regionand representa major portion mond,May 16 (TP); it wasjoined by an- of the total populationof W. Sand- wingedGull was observed along the Yukon otherMay 18 (AJ,RJC, BM), butneither pipers. It also servesas a reminder R., Whse.,Apr. 23 (JeB,CE, PSi),while a was seen thereafter. Another Hudsonjan that suchtightly flocking species are 2nd-yearbird was there May 7 (CE, PSi). wasat BlackieSpit May 18-23 (HNM, at great risk of significantpopulation GlaucousGulls found Van. I. to theirliking JAM, m.ob.), and anothersingle at the loss due to either natural or man- thisseason, with manymore reports than RobertsBank Jetty May 21 (E.Whiteside). made catastrophes. usual.Six birds of bothadult and 2nd-year In Yukon,a HudsonJanGodwit showed up at LewesMarsh May 10 (CE, PSi);three Table 1. Western Sandpiper Migration wereobserved at McClintockBay May 7 Date Location # of birds status observer (CE, PSi)with oneremaining there until May 17 (HG). A coupleof Hudsoniansalso Mar.11 BoundaryBay 1 overwintering DTy gracedthe beachof Old Masset,Q.C.I., May 17-18 (MH, PH), hangingaround Mar. 13 Roberts Bank 27 overwintering RSw with two Marbled Godwits. A Bar-tailed Godwitreport from Blackie Spit Apr. 23 ar- Apr.17 BoundaryBay 1000 arrival EMcB rived without documentation. A Marbled Godwit frequentedthe Victoria Golf Apr.26 RobertsBank 500,000 staging RB CourseApr. 29-May 6 (RS,m.ob.). How- ever,this species ismuch more common on Apr.27 RobertsBank 1,000,000 staging RB thew. sideof Van.I., with 14 reportedfrom MackenzieBeach, Torino, May 3 (AK)and Apr.28 RobertsBank 750,000 staging/passage RB anotherfour in TorinoInlet May 8 (MBe). An interestingtiming differential in Red May 11 BeachGrove 400 passage RSw Knot arrivalswas exhibited by the three birds found in the Torino area on the w. May 18 BlackfieSpit 12 passage HNM, JAM etal. coastof Van. I., May 6 (ph. DGC), con-
VOLUME49, NUMBER3 FIELD NOTES 297 ages--fiveat Duncan(DM), andone from at SwanL., YukonMar. 26, Apr. 1 & 14 Hummingbirdshave long been a featureof Saanich(KG)--set a newone-day record for (HG). In the spaceof 5 daysfrom May the Greater Vic. area, but now seemto be the Victoria Checklist Area. Another Glau- 31-June3, threeN. Hawk-Owl nestswere takinga shineto theGreater Van. area as cousGull was found the same day at Jordan discoveredin the area of the Sikanni Chief well.At least4 sitesreported Anna's during R. westof Victoria (DM). "Tensof thou- R., 100 km s.e.of Fort Nelson in n.e.B.C. theperiod, with one feeder hosting 11 at one sands"of gulls at Parksville Mar. 23 included (TG).This doubles the number of nestspre- time!It wasthought that there was a nearby one GlaucousGull (DM), while another viouslyfound in theprovince. A local Victo- nest at this location. The star of the hummer wasat Deep Bay Apr. 7, andfour more were ria newspaperreported that a Burrowing showwas a • Costa'sHummingbird at a at FrenchCr. MarinaApr. 9 (BB,DS, ML). Owl, a vagrantto Van. I., waspicked up in feederin PortCoquitlam, NE ofVancouver, Mean,,vhile,on the otherside of Georgia CampbellR. sometimein March.The bird the local checldist's3rd record of this desert Strait.therewas only one report of a single hadan eye injury and was taken to a local munchkin.The bird arrived May 2 (KB)but unagedbird from Chilliwack Apr. 3 (DJ). wildlifeHospital. A GreatGray Owl on a wasnot reported to thebirding community CaspianTerns are becoming increasingly snagover Indian Arm, n. of Van.,Mar. 5 untilJune 2 (I havethis strange purple hum- commonalong the s. coast as evidenced by (?LE)provided a rarecoastal sighting. An- mingbirdat my feeder...)!Many observers thefirst returning bird at Spanish Banks Apr. otherGreat Gray Owl wasspotted at J- subsequentlystudied the bird. Calliope 21 (MPr, KI) buildingto 175 at the Iona SpringsRanch 25 km n.w. of Karoloops Hummingbirdsalso showed up on the coast, CausewayJune 9 (HM). May28 was the day May 21 (GSD,RRH, NM), anda pairwas withsingles mist netted at R.P.M.M.S., May for ternsat SwanL., Vernon,with eight observedexchanging rodent prey at a nest 9 & ! 3 (COBr).The species isconsidered ac- Caspianspassing through to thenorth and 100 km s.e.of Fort NelsonMay 30 (TG). cidentalon Van. Island. A • Calliopeat Cy- threead. Forster's Terns remaining the whole TwoLong-Fared Owl nestswere found in pressBowl EP., May 2 (MPr,KI) courtinga day(CS). Four BlackTerns atIona I., May 13 the D.C. area, one of which was a rare g?Anna's Hummingbird was trounced and (DMacK, EW) and anotherat Boundary groundnest (MPH, SK,LL). D. Anderson sentpacking by a territorial• RufousHum- BayMay21(F C) mayhave been heading for maybe accused ofreleasing birds if thiskeeps mingbird!Just to showthe preferred habitat theonly known coastal nesting site at Pitt L. up:He spotteda Short-eared Owl 70 kmoff of Calliopes,no lessthan 50 weretallied MarbledMurrelets are thought by many thew. coast of Van. I. duringthe first week of alonga3 kmstretch of road in Ok. Mt. P.P,s to beon a downhillslide. Doing nothing to May!Perhaps a new marine subspecies? Five of KelownaMay 27 (DB etal.), exceeding dispelthat feelingwere 2 sightingsonly Short-eared and four Boreal owls were seen lastyear's total by 16!A • RufousHum- (fr'omthe lastwinter reporting period): a throughouts. andc. Yukon during the pe- mingbird,a rare bird in Yukon, was caught In singlebird at Fisherman'sCove, W. Van., riod(m.ob.). The lastsighting ofa N. Saw- aWhse. garage May 3 (RA,CE, HG, PSI), Feb.5 (DTy) and two thereFeb. 11 (JL, WhetOwl atReifel was Apr. 4 (JI). allowingobservers close looks before it found DTy).Although this species islikely under- theopen door. A well-describedRed-naped reported,a concertedobserving effort will Sapsucker,acasual visitor to Van. I., wasseen beneeded to ensurea representativesurvey, SA year,Although the meadownumerousvole last popu- at a N. Saanichresidence Apr. 18 (SM, andobservers are encouraged to reportall lation in the D.C. area went ballistic m.ob.),and off andon untilMay 24 (?BB) sightings. this spring. The little rodentswere Red-breastedSapsuckers are uncommon A Rock Dove was seen 100 km off the w. everywhere.Raptors banefitted: Red- nestersin theLower Mainland. Exhibiting tailed Hawks, N. Harriers, and Am. shoreof Van. I. duringthe first week of May territorial behaviour were six birds at Mt Kestrelswere around in good num- (DAn). An escapedshipboard bird or just bars. EvenGray Jays were occasion- SeymourP.E, N. Van.,Apr. 16 (P. Duval) At oneout for a cruise?There was a reportof a ally witnessedcarrying off the little then. edgeof itsrange, a • DownyWood- singleBarn Owl fromthe Black Cr. area,n. mammals.However, perhaps no peckerwas observed at "itsusual spot" at of Coutenay,e.c. Van. I., May 23 (DWI, speciesresponded more obviously SwanL., Yukon May 7 (HG). Alwaysa good J&BL),the n. edgeof itsrange on the island. than Short-earedOwls. They were find,a • Black-backedWoodpecker was ob- Precious few nests of Greater Van.'s urban rarelyseen just a few yearsago when servedalong the Venner Meadows Rd., e of Barn Owls have ever been discovered. Note- rodentpopulations were low. After OkanaganFalls May 13 (CS,RS), while an- worthy,then, was a nestwith an adult and this spring'sfirst returningmigrant other Black-backedwas at FishL., s.Yukon twoyoung under the Coquitlam R. Bridge, Short-earedwas seen Apr. 27 (MPh, Mar. 3 (CE, PSi).There were 7 reportsof Coquitlam,May 31 (LCo).A nocturnalsur- SK, LL), they soonbecame prepos- PileatedWoodpeckers from the Greater Van veyof the Bear L. ForestService Road on the tereuslycommon. The birdscould be areain theirusual "big tree" habitats. How- westside of Ok. L., May26 (CC, m.ob.)op- seen huntingover virtuallyany stub- ever,one reportfrom ReifelApr. 26 (JI) blefield,and later in the seasonit seemedrather out-of-habitat, with only a few positeKelowna turned up at least five calling was not difficult to see seven or more FlammulatedOwls in thepreferred mix of perchedon postsalong a short largecottonwoods around. youngDouglas Fir (for roosting)and old stretch of read. Given the abundant flickercavity-riddled Ponderosa Pine snags foodsupply and decentweather, Flycatchersto Finches (nesting).This species has recently been sur- broodproduction is expectedto be LeastFlycatchers are extremely rare in theN veyedextensively throughout the s. interior high, providednests escape destruc- Ok.Vlly, with one at BoltresCr. gulley, s of andwas found to bethe most populous rap- tion from agricultural activities. Vernon,May 28 (PG).Thedebate rages torspecies in thishabitat type and quite pos- whetherthe exponential increase in Ham- siblythe most populous raptor period across mond'sand Dusky flycatcher sightings over the dry south(fide RRH). At leastseven The firstreturning flock of 45 BlackSwifts thepast decade along the n. ande. fringes of Great Horned Owl nests were discovered wasnoted over S. Van., May 17(AJ). As last theirranges is due to rangeexpansion or an aroundthe Vernon area this spring in both year,Vaux's Swifts demonstrated remarkable increase in informed observers. Of course rural and semi-urbansites, with at least2 arrivalsynchrony, with returneesnoted at thatargument has no solution,and thank- broodsfledging by the end of thefirst week bothVic. (DA) andVan. (AJ, LCo), Apr. 29 fullythe records just keep on coming. The ofMay (CS). A N. Hawk-Owlwas observed andtwo at TorinoApr. 30 (DGC). Anna's firstHammond's Flycatcher returned to the
:Z98 FIELDNOTES FALLI995 D C. area,where still a very rare bird, May 16 stayedthere through the reporting period. As a bit, andthen flew into a nearbythicket, no (MPh, SK, LL), with two othersnoted there withthe last invasion, the birds were appar- doubt to a nest under construction. Varied duringthe period. The firstHammond's re- entlyvery reluctant to headout acrossthe Thrusheswere plentiful around P.G. begin- turnedto theWhse. area Apr. 26 (CE),with inlet.A ScrubJay, accidental in theRegion, ningMar. 17 (SK,LL), with"lots" reported _<10seen or heardat the FishFarm May wasreported from s.w. Van., May 22 (?JoA, downtownthe week of Mar.23 (DgW) and 26-27 (m.ob.), while another was at p.v.),a locationwithin 3 blocksof theprevi- theywere "heard in abundance"on theTroll Whse./Riverdalethe sameday (JeB).A oussighting of July 1993. At leastsix of the L. skitrails Apr. 18 (KC). The only N. Mock- Dusky Flycatcherwas at Mt. Mcintyre, BlueJays which accompanied theSteller's Jays ingbirdreport was of one observed atGolden Whse.,May 24+ (HG, BB,)while the D.C. into the Greater Vic. area last fall were seen May7 (jqdeEZ). A ratherlarge flock of>70 area'sfirst-ever Dusky Flycatcher was heard throughoutthis spring at various locations, Am. Pipitsspent the winter flying about the May28 (MPh,SK, LL). A Pacific-SlopeFly- includingone bird staging with the Steller's at farmlandsof the FraserDelta around Bound- catcherat PortAlberni Apr. 17was record MosesPt., May 7 (AS).Another Blue Jay was aryBay, Tsawwassen, andLadner, making de- earlyby one month for thearea. Rare Say's seenwith three Steller's Jays at Shelley, 10 km tectionof northboundmigrants difficult. Phoebesightings included two at Giscome, n. ofP.G., Apr. 11 (BN). There have been no However,the firstpipit on its way N was 50km n.e. ofP. G., Apr. 16 (SK, LL), and one reportsof Clark'sNutcrackers from the P.G. likelythe one seen in S.Van., Apr. 12 (AJ). atGrant Narrows, Pitt L., Apr. 18 (D J). A de- areafor many years, so a reportfrom s.e. of Largenumbers of N. Shrikesmoved through taileddescription of an ad. • Vermillion townof "twosleek light gray birds, similar to Yukon,with seven along the Alaska Hwy near Flycatcherat RichmondMay 30 (•'MFM, GrayJays, but with white flanges on the tail" TakhiniR., Apr. 12 (LK,Y.B.C.), and five at p v) will requirethe full-blownscrutiny Mar. 12 (ELF)is intriguing.An extremely SwanL., Apr. 14 (HG). The last sighting of a whicha potentialnew record for the Region rare American or Northwestern Crow was N. Shrike in the GreaterVic. areawas of one deserves.Two W. Kingbirds,rare on Van. I., observedon a gravelbar of theYukon R. in atMt. Douglas,Saanich, Apr. 22. A convinc- wereseen at R.P.M.M.S., May 9 (COBr). Whse.,Apr. 26-27 (BrB,CE, HG). Three ing descriptionof a LoggerheadShrike at Whatwas likely one of the W. Kingbirdsthat White-breasted Nuthatches overwintered at Brackendalenear Squamish May 7 (A. dela hadnested for the first time at Colony Farm, theirfavorite feeder at Shelleynear EG., with Chevrotiere)was received. The birdwas ob- Coquitlam,last year returned to try it all thelast two seen there Apr 11(BN). Boththe servedground feeding on nuptialcarpenter againMay 11 (LCo).A pairwas seen at the originand dispersal ofthese birds are still un- ants,a typical{braging strategy of Logger- previousnest site May 28 (MWy, E. Har- heads.Four Crested Myna nests were found vahas,LCo) along with another single bird. AmericanDippers are rarely seen in the in S.Van. during the period 0L, DTy,EW) as EurasianSkylarks were noted from 51oca- GreaterVan. area,thus one at the mouth of thespecies struggles to hold on. A reportof a nonson theSaanich Pen. this spring with a NelsonCr., W. Van., Mar. 5 (AM) and an- mynapair nesting in a hollowtree in Alder- total of 103 birds(BB). Largeflocks of otheropposite Croker I. in IndianArm Apr. 8 grovesome 50 kme. of Van. will have to be HornedLarks are rare spring sights in thec. (R. Cooey,B.I.E.A.P.) were noteworthy. A checked out. interiorof B.C. Noteworthy, then, was a flock singleGolden-crowned Kinglet out of habitat A highcount of 30 Orange-crownedWar- of 32 atTachick L. nearVanderhoofApr. 9 at IonaS.T.P., Richmond Mar. 26 (CH) and biers was made at R.P.M.M.S., Mar. 31 (NK, SK,MPh). Purple Martins returned to 30 at CrescentPk., Surrey(JAM, HNM) (COBr).A NashvilleWarbler, a rarevisitor to thes.e. Van. I. sitesin goodnumbers with se- wereobvious migrants. A Ruby-crowned Van.I., wasin SaanichMay 12 (MGS)and lectedsightings: first return Cowichan Bay Kingletat Aliiford Bay, Q.C.I., Mar. 6 (PH), perhapsthe same bird remained in thegeneral Apr 19,with 13birds there May 1 (DM); 22 avery rare visitor to the Charlottes, was quite areawith 4 subsequentsightings of single b•rdsat LadysmithHarbour May 31 (DFF); possiblyan overwintering bird since the first singingmales through May 22. A Black-and- andfour birds at West Bay Marina, Vic. Har- arrivalin P.G.was not noteduntil Apr. 11 whiteWarbler at CampbellValley Park, Sur- bour,May 6 (DP). The martinswere a bit (SK, LL). A probableN. Wheatearseen at rey,May 12 (MPL) was a very rare find for the laterreturning to theN. Van.site at Maple- BurnabyL., Burnaby,Mar. 12 (?HC, p.v.) s. coast. The Corn. Yellowthroat which suc- woodFlats, with the first sighting Ma•y 12 (D. wouldrepresent one of very few records for cessfullyoverwintered at Iona I. wasseen Beard,fide E. Sing).Two males and one fe- the local checklist area. Seven N. Wheatears thereMar. 6 (AJ,N. Moores).Western Tan- malewere checking out lastyear's nest sites wereseen between km 64-74 of theDemp- agersreturned quite early, with a singlebird thereMay 22 (MWy).Near the n. edgeof its sterHwy, Yukon May 21 (HG, GJ).Two d heardat CampbellValley Park, Surrey, Apr. 9 rangein theRegion and at a reliablelocation, and one 9 W. Bluebirdsat NakuspMar. (JAM, HNM); and theywere around the a N Rough-wingedSwallow was at the Fish 18-19 (GSD) wererare visitors to the interior GreaterVic. area in goodnumbers after mid- Farmin Whse.,May 10 (GK, LK) & 26-27 wetbelt. Mountain Bluebirds are rare spring April. LazuliBuntings have colonized the (mob.). The BarnSwallow which overwin- transientsthrough the GreaterVan. area. Van.area over the past several years, with the teredat Reifelwas still there Mar. 1 (JI).The Goodnumbers were seen this year, though, firstreturning male seen in S.Van., May 13 Steller'sJays which invaded s.e. Van. I. lastfall with 16 birds observed at 61oeations Mar. (DMacK). Other maleswere seenback at madenews again this season. The jays appar- 20-Apr.28 (MPo,m.ob.). A largeflock of 21 knownnesting sites at N. Van.,May 22 (D. entlystarted moving away from their winter Mt. Bluebirdswas seen near P.G., Apr. 13 Bastaja),and at ColonyFarms, Coquitlam, territoriesin mid-April.On Apr.23, Begg (SK,LL). A goodpassage ofTownsend's Soli- May23 (M&M Griffin).The story seems far checkedMoses Pt., N. Saanichon the n.w. tip taireswas noted through the s. coast where it fromover, though, with d Lazulisspotted on of theSaanich Pen., where they had congre- isa rarespring transient, with at least 15 sepa- Van.I. twice:the first at Tofino May 12-13 gatedafter the 1992-1993invasion, and rate birds from 11 locations around the (RP), andthe nextat StrathconaP.P., c. Van. found24 jays. She later found 65 thereMay GreaterVan. area (D. Bastaja,m.ob.), and I., May 29 (?S&EW).When will thefirst 20and 38 birdsMay 20. Residents were regu- nine birds from 3 locationsin the Greater Vic. nestbe found on Van. I.? AmericanTree Spar- larlycounting flocks of >60 jays prior to May area(BRG, ET, PP).A 9 Am. Robinat a N. row is a rarevisitor to Van. I.; notable,then, 15(T&LA). Biologist Andrew Stewart of the Saanichresidence May 1 (BB)was watched as wasa birdfound at CumberlandMarsh Apr. Ministryof theEnvironment banded many shedropped a beakful of drygrass and pine 30 (?VBC, MM, BMS). Perhapsone day of the birdsand found that the majority needlesin the birdbath,swished them around someonewill figureout just what it isthat
VOLUME 49, NUMBER 3 FIELD NOTES ChippingSparrows do not likeabout the S• Tableofearly arrival data for (DAn);Jerry Anderson (JeA); Joan Anderson Greater Van. area. It seems to be one of the J'l Vancouverarea: the 12-year (JoA);David Allinso n; CathyAntoniazzl, fewurban areas around the Region without average(courtesy of MichaelPrice)-- HelenAntoaiazzi; Mary Antoaiazzi; Robert breedingChippies. They do pass through, Atkinson;Tanhis Atkinson; Muffrile Bakker, however,with oneat N. Van., May 9 (Q. SPECIES ARRIVAL # DAYS JeremyBaumbach (JeB); Al iceBeals; Barbara Brown).Clay-colored Sparrows are usually EARLY Begg;Bruce Bennett (BrB); Mike Bentley (MBe);Karen Bidniak (KB); Denise Brownlie, sparseautumn, not spring, migrants through Violet-Green Swallow 2/23 8 theLower Mainland area. Surprising, then, JoanBurbridge (JBu); Burrard Inlet Environ- wasa singlebird on Sea I., Richmond,May RufousHummingbird 3/05 6 mentalAction Program (B.I.EA.E); Rob But- 26 (?TPetal.). A singingd' LarkSparrow at Osprey 3/16 23 ler;Linda Cameron; Richard J. Cannings Sandhill Crane 3 / 16 16 MeadowCr., Kootenay L., wasa rarevisitor. (RJC);Sydney G. Cannings (SGC); Donald G Mountain Bluebird 3/19 I0 Fox Sparrowsare quite habitat-specific Cecile(DGC); Chris Charlesworth;Robert Brown-Headed Cowbird 3/19 5 throughtheir range in theRegion, with dif- Charlesworth;Vi B. Chungranes(VBC); Fred ferentraces occupying different niches. The SavannahSparrow 3/ 19 12 Cooke;Larry Cowan (LCo); Harold Craven, breedingbirds of theGreater Van. area are Yellow-RumpedWarbler 3/20 3 KeithCupp; Gary S. Davidson (GSD); Brent mountain-dwellers,with two singing males Cliff Swallow 3/21 13 Diakow;John Dorsey; Adrian Dorst; Cameron notedat Cypress P.P., W. Van., May 20 (MPr, Sora 3/27 19 Eckert;Lois Everett;Elke Fischer;David F KI) andanother at Mt. SeymourP.P., N. Van., Orange-Crowned Fraser;JeffGaskin; Bryan R. Gates (BRG); Phfi May 27 (AJ).A SongSparrow, very rare in Warbler 3/28 2 Gehlen;Keith Gibson; Marilyn Goos; Tony Yukon,was reported from Judas Cr., May TurkeyVulture 3/28 10 Greenfield;Helmut Grunberg; Peter Hamel, 26-27 (TA, LK, GS). The lastreported Common Yellowthroat 3/29 I0 ChrisHarris; Connie Hawley (Coil); Margo SwampSparrow from the Greater Vic. area GreaterYellowlegs 3/31 12 Hearae;Richard R. Howie(RRH); DougW wasfrom Viaduct Flats, Saanich, Mar. 10 (M. N. Rough-Winged lanes(DWI); John Ireland; Karen Irving, Al- Carson).The Harris'Sparrow which over- Swallow 3/31 10 varoJaramillo; Dale Jensen; Gavin Johnston, winteredat Reifelwas last seen Apr. 17 (S. Barn Swallow 4/01 6 JasonJones; Frank Kime; Sandra Kinsey; Ann Mlodinow,JI, m.ob.).A heavypassage of Long-BilledCurle•v 4/04 2 Knowles;Nancy Krueger; Greg Kubica; Lee Dark-eyedJuncos was noted in the Fraser SolitaryVireo 4/09 4 Kubica;Elsie LaFreniere (ELF); Laird Law, Canyonnear Yale Apr. 11-12, with flocks of WesternTanager 4/09 23 MarilynLambert; John Luce; Jim and Betty _<500birds recordedboth days.Snow Wbimbrel 4/09 4 Lunam(J&BL); Donna MacKenzie (DMacK), Buntingsare the harbinger of springevery- OverallAvg. 10{9.9) Days JoAnnMackenzie (JAM); Hugh N. Mackenzie wherein theinterior n.of53N latitude. They (HNM); EricMcBean (EMcB); Jeanette Mc- arrivedright oa timeand in a bigway with a Crie(JMcC); Sandy McCruer (SMcR); May Table of late arrival data for Dawson Creek flock of 250 at VanderhoofMar. 4 (HA, McKenzie;Hilary Maguire; Gerry & Laurette area:four year average{courtesy of Mark MPh).Another locally large flock of 46 Snow Phinney)-- Maisel(G&LM); DerrickMarven; Nigel Buntingswas seen at Shallow Bay, Yukon Apr. Mathews;Blake Maybank; Allen Milligan,
13 (CE,PSi).The Rusty Blackbird which had SPECIES ARRIVAL #DAYS MyrnaF. Moffat (MFM); Elaine Monaghan, overwinteredwith Brewer'sBlackbirds at Port EAR• Lois Moss;Patti Nash; Brin Nevile; North Alberni,the local areas first, was last seen Mar. OkanaganNaturalists Club (N.O.N.C.); Elsie 11 (DGC). Gray-crownedRosy-Finches Lincoln'sSparrow 5/01 Nykyfork;Colleen O'Brien (COBr); Mane werewidely reported this spring, with two WesternWood-Pewee 5/16 O'Shaughnessy;Patti Parish; Rory Patterson, nearP.G., Apr. 11 (SK,LL); eightat Min- Wilson'sWarbler 5/21 DavidPearce; Mary Peete-Leslie (MPL); Mark nekhadaPark, Richmond, Apr. 14; 200-250 Black Tern 5/22 Phinney(MPh); Tom Plath; Margo Poppowell atKimberley Apr. 15-30 (MiW); four at Jeri- Oveubird 5/22 (MPo);G. Allen Poynter (GAP); Michael Price choPark, Van., Apr. 18-20 (J. Selferrs, KI et Northern Oriole 5/23 (MPr); PrinceGeorge Naturalists Club al.);12 at HaleyL., w.of Nanaimo,May 13 Olive-Sided (P.G.N.C.);Sandy Rathbone; Lesley Robert- (A. Bryant);and four at km 92 Dempster Flycatcher 5/24 son;Glenda Ross; Don Russell(DRu); Sharon Hwy,Yukon, May 20 (LC,HG, PSi).Purple Rose-Breasted Russell(SRu); Ron Satterfield;Barbara M Finchesare a subject of concern in theGreater Grosbeak 5/24 Sedgwick(BMS); Michael G. Shepard (MGS), Van.area, with very few reports over the past Common ChrisSiddle; Pamela Sindair (PSi); Brian Slater fewyears. Perhaps they have all movedin- Yellowthroat 5/29 9 (BSI);Prue & BernieSpitmann (P&BSp); An- land,because they were abundant around the PhiladelphiaVireo 5/30 9 drewStewart; David Stirling; Linda Straus, P.G.area, e.g., flocks of 20 malesat a feederin Red-EyedVireo 5/31 9 GrahamSunderland; Rick Swanston (RSw), Giscomeby the end of April (MA). A ruby- OverallAvg. 7 (7.1) Days BrendaThomson; Ken Thompson (KTh), toppedd' Cassin'sFinch, the local areas first, HeatherThompson; Rick Toochin (RTo), showedup at a P.G.,feeder May 7 (?JB,ph. EllenTremblay; Dan Tyson (DTy); Hank Van- CA, HA) amongPurple Finches, and re- Corrigendum derPol (HVP); Sid & EmilyWatts (S&EW), mainedsinging in thearea for a couple weeks. The 19Clark's Nutcrackers reported as seen HughWestheuser; Mildred White (MiW), CommonRedpolls remained scarce in thec. atSproat L., Sept.24 bySandy McRuer (FN EvelynWhiteside; Gerry Whidey; Mary Whit- interior,with a measlytwo birds 15 km s.e.of 49:1)were actually seen at theKlitsa Plateau ley(MAW); Don Wilson (DnW); DougWd- P.G.,Mar. 24 (SK,LL) andone on Nechako byDonald G. Cecile. son(DgW); Gwynneth Wilson (GwW); Mark Bench,P.G., Apr. 20 (DgW).A HoaryRed- Wynja(MWy); Yukon Bird Club (Y.B.C), pollwas seen at a Whse.feeder 3 timesMar. Initialedcontributors (subregional editors in Ellen Zimmer man. 19-Apr. 1, whiletwo werethere Apr. 14 boldface):Cathy Aitchison (CAi); Tony and --Jack Bowling,RR1-S14-C41, Prince (HG). LewisAlexander (T&LA); Don Anderson George,BC V2N2H8
,oo FIELDNOTES FALLi995