The Winter Season December 1, 1982-February 28, 1983

CONTINENTAL SURVEY

December 1, 1982--February 28, 1983

Abbreviations frequently used in Regional Reports ad.: adult, Am.: American, c.: central, C: Celsius, CBC: Reservoir, not Reservation,R.: River, S.P.: State Park, sp.: Christmas Bird Count, Cr.: Creek, Com.: Common, Co.: species,spp.: speciesplural, ssp.: subspecies,Twp.: Town- County, Cos.: Counties,et al.: and others,E.: Eastern(bird ship, W.: Western(bird name), W.M.A.: Wildlife Manage- name),Eur.: European,Eurasian, F: Fahrenheit,fide:reported ment Area, v.o.: various observers, N,S,W,E,: direction of by, F.&W.S.: Fish& Wildlife Service,Ft.: Fort, imm.: imma- motion, n., s., w., e.,: direction of location, >: more than, <: ture, 1.: lsland,Is.: Islands,Isles, Jct.: Junction,juv.: juvenile, fewerthan, +: approximately,or estimatednumber, c•: male, L.: Lake, m.ob.: manyobservers, Mt.: Mountain, Mts.: Moun- q?:female, 0: imm.or female,*: specimen,ph.: photographed, tains, N.F.: National Forest, N.M.: National Monument, ?: documented,ft: feet, mi: miles, m: meters,kin: kilometers, N.P.: National Park, N.W.R.: Nat'l Wildlife Refuge, N.: date with a + (e.g., Mar. 4+): recordedbeyond that date. Northern(bird name), Par.: Parish,Pen.: Peninsula,P.P.: Pro- Editorsmay also abbreviateoften-cited locations or organiza- vincial Park, Pt.: Point, not Port, Ref.: Refuge, Res.: tions.

NORTHEASTERN MARITIME REGION /Richard S. Heil

Thiswas the year that winter largely passed us by in theNortheast. Decemberand early Januaryaveraged exceptionally mild and bare groundand open water were the role rather than the exceptions. As a result,waterfowl and gulls lingered in the northand inland in good numbers,while passerinesapparently remained widely dispersed throughoutthe Region, rotbet than concentrating at feeders or in shel- teredthickets. It would be an understatementto say that mostboreal irruptiveswere scarce--many were virtually nonexistent. Threemajor storms did pass through. The firsttwo, on January15- 16, andFebruary 6-7, resultedin snowin the northand interior, but precipitatedmostly as rain on the southeastern coastal plain. The big- geststorm of thewinter was a Nor'easter,accompanied by galeforce winds,February 11-12, that trekked up the coastdumping up to two feet of snowin somecoastal areas of southernNew England,and a foot of snow in Nova Scotia. Twoperiods of strongS-SW airflow in advanceof approachingcold fronts December 1-7, and December 24-25 resulted in a number of reversemigrants being discovered during or immediatelyfollowing theseweather patterns: The first brought Newfoundland its first provincialrecord for HouseWren, a Blue-grayGnatcatcher, and a Black-and- white Warbler;a TennesseeWarbler in Nova Scotia;a Black-throated for the innerBay of Fundy. At Plum I., Mass., calm seasallowed for Blue Warbler and an American Redstart in Massachusetts;and a Nash- the carefulobservation of an Eared Grebe Jan.28 (RSH, JS). While a ville Warbler in Connecticut. The second incursion of mild air was Pied-billedGrebe on the St. Johns,Nfld. CBC, Dec. 26 wassurprising, followedclosely by observationsof Ash-throatedFlycatcher, Say's one (same?)there Feb. 10 was totallyunexpected and at leasta month Phoebe,and WesternTanager in Massachusetts. beyondany other provincialrecord (PL, BM). The universalcomplaint heard throughout most of theRegion, however,was of thelack of interestingrarities this winter. Further attesting GANNET, CORMORANTS -- Unusual numbersof Gannetswere to a generallylow speciesdiversity was a New EnglandCBC totalof apparentalong the Maine coastthrough December, and 15 on 5 New only 195 species,the poorestsince 1976-77. BrunswickCBCs was unprecedented, there being only oneprior CBC occurrence there. The increase of Double-crested Cormorant as a LOONS, GREBES-- Two W. Grebes,both first reported during the breederin the Region, in conjunctionwith the mild winter, no doubt fall, wintered,including the now annualindividual at Indian Pt., contributedto the remarkableNew EnglandCBC total of 114, with a Georgetown,Me., andanother at Duxbury,Mass. A Corn.Loon and high of 58 at the traditionalThames R. siteon the New London,Conn. four Red-neckedGrebes lingering at QuabbinRes., as late asJan. 22 CBC. Two were at Brier I., as late asJan. 15 (SIT), for one of few Nova (SS) wereindicative of the availabilityof openwater this winter. A Scotia mid-winter records, and at least three survived the entire winter HornedGrebe off Pt. Wolfe, FundyN.P., N.B., wastermed unusual at Newburyport.

Vol. 37, Number3 279 HERONS-- Not surprisingly,more Great Blue Herons were found was recordedon the L'Anse-aux-Meadowsand St AnthonyCBCs, inland than usual while the best coastal count this w•nter was of 50 at while Gyrsfarther s. •ncludedthree •n New Brunswick,three •n Ver- NantucketI., Jan. 1. Lingeringherons well beyondnormal departure mont,and a light-phasebird at Milford Pt., Conn.,Feb. 23-Mar. 2 (fide datesincluded a GreenHeron on the S. Kingston,R.I. CBC, Dec. 26; a HFC). In Massachusetts,a Peregrine Falcon at SouthwickJan. 12 (PT) L•ttle Blue at Marshfield throughDecember; a Cattle Egret observed wasa goodfind inlandat thatseason, as was a Merlin at HatfieldFeb feedingon worms at Nashawena I., Mass.,Dec. 31 (fideJ. Hatch)and 26 (DS). a Great Egret at Pawtucket,R.I., Dec. 30-Jan. 8 (fide DLE). Six SHOREBIRDS-- A very late SemipalmatedPlover at Marble- SnowyEgrets were presentin Connecticutand RhodeIsland during head,Mass., Jam t 6-18 (JS,RSH) wascritically separated from possi- December,with a singlebird holdingon at Galileeto Jan. t (RAC). ble C. hiaticulaby toe-webbingand voice. Three Com. Snipe still Not all herons faired well this winter, however; in New Brunswick a presentat St. Johns, Nfld., Feb. 19 were expectedto survive the weakenedAm. Bitternpicked up at SackvilleJan. 20, expiredshortly remainderof the winter(BM). Of evengreater fortitude was a Spotted thereafter.If the numberof Black-crownedNight Heronsattempting to Sandpiperobserved at Congamond,Mass., Dec. 29 (SK), providinga w•nterin New Englandjs at all relativeto thebreeding population, then first-winterrecord for w. Massachusetts.Twenty-three Greater Yel- the speciesis clearlyhaving difficulties. only 16 individualswere lowlegswere recorded on 6 s. NewEngland CBCs, but only tWO b•rds foundon the New EnglandCBCs this year, and the recordsshow an lingeredinto February, at Orleans,Mass. (BN). A LesserYellowlegs almoststeady decline over at leastthe last 8 years(from 188in 1974- wasidentified in directcomparison with severalGreaters on theWest- 75). port,Conn. CBC, Dec. t 9 (FM). A RedKnot at Cape Tormenfine Dec 24 wasbelieved to havefurnished the latest record for New Brunswick, WATERFOWL-- Whistling Swans this winter included three at while a flock of 76 still at Marshfield,Mass., Dec. 26 wasmore than P•ttsfield,Mass., Nov. i4-Dec. 2 (fideSK); a flockof sixat Martha's usual.A verytardy Least Sandpiper identified by voiceat w. Harw•ch VineyardJan. t; two at Nantucketthroughout January; and singles at Dec. 4 (BN) providedonly the secondDecember record for Massachu- New HavenDec. 18, andIpswich, Mass., Dec. 30-Jan.5, whenfound setts. Single, calling Long-billed Dowitchers,not quite,the w•nter dead(fide JS). With muchfresh-water open during the greater portion rarityit oncewas, weredescribed on theMid CapeCod CBC, Dec 26 of thewinter, many species of waterfowlfelt no particularinducement (BN) and on the Stratford-MilfordCBC, Jan. 1. to migrateS, anda numberof extralimitalwinter records occurred. In w Massachusetts,ten Gadwallin Decemberand January •vas consid- GULLS,TERNS -- Twogulls suspected ofbeing Glaucous x Her- eredhighly unusual (fide SK). SeventeenBlue-winged Teal on 7 re- ring hybridswere a first-winterbird at Gloucester,Mass., Dec 1 gmnalCBCs, with two birdsas far n. as GlaceBay, N.S., Dec. 29 (RSH),and a second-winterbird at St. Johns,Nfld., Feb.15 (PL, BM) (CBC),was perhaps a record high. Six Eur. Wigeon at asmany sepa- Daily estimatesof the numberof IcelandGulls in St. JohnsHarbour rate localities from Nova Scotia to Connecticut was more than usual. rangedfrom 500-2200, adults outnumbering immatures, two or threeto Scarcevagrants to Newfoundland,single Am. Wigeonwere present at one and includingno definiteglaucoides individuals (PL, BM) St JohnsNov. 30-Dec. 7, and on the CapeRace CBC, Dec. 22 (fide S.A. BM). A Canvasbackw!ntering at Auburn,Me., untilat leastDec. 30 Muchconfusion still existsconcerning the distributionand wasnoteworthy (fide WCT). In RhodeIsland, 19 HarlequinDucks at identificationof the IcelandGull subspeciesin theRegion; L. g SachuestPt., Dec. 10 (fideDLE) wasone more than last year, while at glaucoidesof Greenlandand L. g. kumlieni of Baffin I., and least20 werepresent along the Massachusetts coast in Decembe[.The adjacentareas. We here in the Northeastsee ad. IcelandGulls traditionalwintering locality at then. endof Isleau Haut, Me., hosteda with primaries varying from seeminglywhite, through all remarkable150 + Mar. 6 (PDV). Raremigrants in theinterior of New shadesof gray (vastmajority) to black or nearly so. Becauseof England,a few lingeringOldsquaws and Red-breastedMergansers frequentimpressions by many observersthat kumlieni is the werefound inland in December.Coastally, the concentration atOld- rarerof the 2 forms, it mustbe re-emphasizedthat this is defi- squawsat Nantucketwas estimatedat 81,525 on the CBC, Jan. t nitelynot thecase; L. g. kumlieniis thepredominant form in the (easilya NorthAmerican CBC high);the 33,315 Com. Eider in those Northeast.If the nominateform occursat all it involvesa very samewaters was equally as impressive, but wasstill just a shadowof smallpercentage of our IcelandGulls. How often has a com- the half-million.birds reported by Griscomand othersoff Chatham mentsuch as this been made: "I had ten IcelandGulls and one duringthe late 1940sand t950s. wasa Kumlien's." What this probablytranslates into is nine immaturesand one adult! Separationof immaturesin the field DIURNALRAPTORS -- Smallnumbers of winteringTurkey Vul- hasyet to be demonstratedand field identificationof ad. glau- tureshave become routine in recentyears in s.w. Connecticut,but one coldesis highly questionableas well. It mustbe remembered capturednear Sackville, N.B,, Dec. 31, andup to seventhat apparently thatindividuals of L. g. kumlieniwith light iridesand whitish subsistedon entrails of slaughteredcattle at Cranberry Head, Yarmouth primariesare identicalin theserespects, to L. g. glaucoides Co , N.S., from mid-December-February(fide IAM) wereexception- [Smith, 1966: Evol. in somearctic gulls (Larus)]. al but readerswill recall that Turkey Vultureshave apparentlywin- W.E. Godfrey(pets. comm.) statesthat "although such ind•- teredin s. Nova Scotiain pastseasons also (see AB 34: 253), and are vldualsofkumlieni apparently are scarce, birds in whichthere •s undoubtablybreeding in theProvince. In addition,the 59 observedon a meretrace of pigmentationin the wingtipsare more frequent ConnecticutCBCs was a 10-yearhigh, andfour birdswere notedin Withoutclosest scrutiny, most of thesewould appear in thefield Rhode Island up to Jan. 15 (fide DLE). Goshawkswere down 48% to have immaculatewing tips and thus be mistakenfor the from last yeaxon New EnglandCBCs, but in Newfoundland15-+ nominaterace, L. g. glaucoides." •ndividualsutilized the heavilyrat-infested St. Johnsdump this winter (PL, BM). An imm. Red-tailed Hawk alsoat the St. Johnsdump Jan. LesserBlack-backed Gulls, now too numerousto delineateindivid- 9-Feb.28, wasonly a 4thprovincial record (BM et al.). Catsprey on ually, totaled22+ in the Regionthis winter: Newfoundland (t-2), untold numbersof small landbirdsannually, but the ad. Bald Eagle Nova Scotia(2); Maine (1), Massachusetts(t 1 +), Rhodeisland (3), observedcarrying away a cat at Oxford, Conn., Dec. 24 (fide R. Connecticut(4). The Mainebird, at CapeNeddick in earlyJanuary was Hudson)struck a revengefor theavian world! Twenty-one Bald Eagles apparentlythe first photographically documented record for thestate• were countedat QuabbinRes, Jan. 8 (fide SK), but numbersalong clearlyan anomalyin the Region. Two first-winterThayer's Gulls at coastalMaine were said to benormal. Golden Eagles were well repre- the Galileefish pier Jan. 8-Feb. 28 (RAC, DLK et al.), were photo- sented:upto three were at the Quabbin Res, Dec. 29-Jan. 15 (fide SK); graphicallydocumented, and constituted Rhode Island's first state rec- s•ngleimmatures were noted on the Bath-Phippsburg-Georgetown, ord. Ring-billedGulls are probablymore abundantthan ever before Me. CBC,Dec. t8, andon the York County CBC, Dec. 20; an adult New highswere achievedon 10 of t5 ConnecticutCBCs with 2598 - residedat MartiniqueBeach, N.S., Jan. 19-30 (IAM, ELM); and an countedinland on the QuinnipiacValley CBC, Dec. 18. Two Ivory mamatureat St. JohnsJan. 19 (PL) wasa rarevisitor to Newfoundland. Gullss. of Newfoundlandincluded an adult on the Sydneys, N.S. CBC BraceMacTavish felt thatthe flight of Gyrfalconsin n. Newfoundland (fide SIT), and a first-winterbird discoveredat Portsmouth,N.H., Jan wasprobably bigger than any of thelast 7 years,and speculated that the t5, andlater seenacross the river at Kittery,Me., Jan.t7 (PDV et al ) early deep freeze of the LabradorCoast and a high populationof A Black Tern, althoughnot unprecedented,was startlinglylate at Dovekiesoff St. Anthonymay havebeen responsible. A totalof nine Chatham,Mass., Dec. 5 (fide RPE).

280 AmericanB•rds, May-June 1983 ALCIDS -- After several seasonsin attenuation, the number of wasreported from theMarltimes and in Mainea few werereportedly alcidsin theRegion's inshore waters rebounded well thiswinter. An presentin late December,but nonethe remainder of thewinter. Cedar abundanceof plankton,including arrow-worms and euphausid krill, as Waxwings,on the otherhand, were muchmore numerous than usual wellas huge schools of squid(fide WCT), wereat least in partresponsi- andthe presenceof severalsmall flocks in c. Maine wassaid to be ble for the concentrationsof alcidsat the mouthof the Bay of Fundy, reminiscentof winters20 yearsago when Cedars were fairly common which included 5390 Thick-billed Murres on the Brier I. CBC, Dec. in winter(WCT). NorthernShrikes remained scarce everywhere in the 21, and 1200on theGrand Manan, N.B. CBC, where3800 Dovekies Region. were also observed. Farther s. at First Encounter Beach, Eastham, WARBLERS, ORIOLES, TANAGERS -- Observationsof late CapeCod, 2557 largeunidentified alcids, 1210 Razorbills, and no Thick-billed Murres were counted on the CBC, Dec. 19. Dovekies warblersin earlyDecember during the previously mentioned S airflow Dec. 1-7, wasstrongly suggestive of reversemigration. Included were flyingand feeding off St. Anthony, Nfld., Jan.I totaled15,000 _+ in 45 sightingsof a Black-and-whiteWarbler at St. Johns,Nfld., Dec. 6 min., whereit wasspeculated that 50,000-+ werefeeding along a 15- (BM), a Tennesseeat Halifax, N.S., Dec. 2 (SC,fide PRD), a Nash- mi stretchof coastfrom St. Anthonyn. to CapeBauld (BM, PL et al.). ville at Naugatuck,Conn., Dec. 5 (fideHFC); a Black-throatedBlue at Ever moreimpressive counts of BlackGuillemots are recordedin Middleboro,Mass. (fide RPE) and an Am. Redstartat Chatham, Massachusettseach winter; 25 were notableon the NantucketCBC, Jan. I and a remarkable 48 were at Provincetown Jan. 30 (BN). Mass., both Dec. 5 (fide BN). MultipleYellow-rumped Warblers far inlandin Maine in Decemberand January clearly portrayed the mild- nessof theseason. Probably regular fall vagrantsin theRegion, single OWLS THROUGH FLYCATCHERS -- The n. limit of Screech femaleor imm. male--plumagedN. (Bullock's)Orioles were identi- Owls is still impreciselyknown. but alongthe coast the "have andhave fied on the Buzzard'sBay CBC, Dec. 18 (RAF) and at Magnolia, notboundary" appears to be aroundthe Merrimac R., whereup to 28 Mass., Dec. 30 (RSH). A W. Tanagerwas apparentlyunique this havebeen recorded on theNewburyport CBC, yet theadjacent Coastal winter at Chatham, Mass., Dec. 27-28 (fide BN). New HampshireCBC, just a few miles n., witnessedits first Screech Owl only this year. A Hawk Owl was presentat Cape Tormentine, FRINGILLIDS -- A Blue Grosbeak wasa surpriseon the Monhe- N.B., Dec. 19-24, and reportswere receivedof anothernear Renous, gan I., Me. CBC, Dec. 27 (PDV) andwas one of few regionalwinter N.B., for muchof the winter(fide SIT). No GreatGray Owls were records.Evening Grosbeaks were certainly a majorfeature of the win- reported.Single Red-bellied Woodpeckers in Maine wereat Bangor ter. Large flocks did not arrive until mid-December,but by the CBC and Portlandin Decemberand at Blue Hill throughoutthe period. periodthis extraordinary abundance was exemplified by countsof 2134 Followinga strongfall flightat least 25 Red-headedWoodpeckers were on the Springfield,Vt. CBC, Jan. 2 and 1739 on the Athol, Mass. foundthis winter. Late, lingeringW. Kingbirdsfrom the fall season CBC, Dec. 18. Purple Fincheswere scarcein Nova Scotiaand New includedsingles in early Decemberat Gloucesterand Marshfield, Brunswick,but widespreadand in greaterabundance than they have Mass.(fide RSH), anda thirdwas observed at Hopkinton,R.I., Dec. 3 been for severalyears in New England.The Region'smost notable (fideDLE), butan Ash-throated Flycatcher at Magnolia, Mass., Dec. expansionist,the HouseFinch, increasedon New EnglandCBCs from 27 (JS)and a remarkableSay's Phoebe at Littleton,Mass., Jan.2 (JB) 1671/1000party-hours in 1981-82to 2313/1000this year. In Nova Scotiaa singleHouse Finch appeared on the Halifax West CBC, Dec. were almost certainlyreverse migrants that drifted into the Region duringthe S airflow of Dec. 24-25. 19 (fide PRD). Exceptfor EveningGrosbeaks and PurpleFinches, winter fincheswere as scarceas in any year in recentmemory. Their statusin the Region was best portrayedby the CBCs, which in New PARIDS-- Despitea rathergood flight of Black-cappedChickadees Englandrecorded only 242 Pine Grosbeaks,74 Com. Redpolls,230 throughoutNew England, Boreal Chickadees--which often accompa- Pine Siskins, and 36 White-wingedCrossbills. Red Crossbillsmust ny suchflights--were noteworthy for theirabsence s. of thespruce have been commonsomewhere, but in our area they were virtually zone.For thefirst time in at least8 years,none could be foundat the nonexistent.Excluding Newfoundland where there was no mentionof SmithRichardson Sanctuary in Westport,Conn. (fide HFC), andit it, four Red Crossbillsreported by a singleobserver in Nova Scotiawas wentunreported from Massachusetts this winter as well. Continuing the only possiblesighting all winter. Generatingquite a bit of excite- the trend, Tufted Titmice were foundfarther n., in Maine thanever mentwas a ttenslow'sSparrow discoveredat Brookline,Mass., Dec. before,while the Tufted Titmouse that reached a Fredericton,N.B. 19 andpresent until Jan. 15 duringwhich time it couldbe observedat feederin lateNovember and was photographed Dec. 24, provided New rangeswithin binocularfocus. It provided,as far as I know, a first Brunswick'sfirst substantiatedrecord (PP et al.). Numberson New winterrecord for the Region(fide RPE). Two SeasideSparrows were EnglandCBCs, however, actually decreased onboth an actual and per still presentat Newburyport,Mass., Jan. 2 (RSH), wherethey are party-hourbasis. currentlyof regularoccurrence throughout December in mild seasons.

TuftedTitmouse, firrsi'substantiated record for N.B., Fredericton, N.B., Dec. 24, 1982. Photo/C.L. Johnston. Henslow's Sparro•t• Greater BostonCBC, Brook- line, Mass., Dec'. 19, 1982-Jan. 15, 1983. Photo/ THRUSHES THROUGH SHRIKES -- The warm spell in early D.R. Arvidson. December facilitated the arrival of Newfoundland's first House Wren at St. JohnsDec. 6-9 (BM, PL). A regularfall vagrantto Nova Scotia, SUB-REGIONAL EDITORS (boldface italics) CONTRIBUTORS its first occurrencein Newfoundlandwas not unexpected.The Red- (boldface), OBSERVERS and other ABBREVIATIONS--James wing at St. Johns,previously reported in the fall season,was last seen Baird, Roger T. Burrows, Shirley Cohrs, RobertA. Conway,Har- Dec. 2 (BM et al.). About a three-foldincrease of winteringAm. old F. Cranda!i, Phyllis R. Dobson, David L. Emerson, Ruth P. Robinsin Connecticutthis year over last, echoedsimilar comments Emer• RichardA. Forster,Richard S. Hell, Seth Kellogg, Douglas throughout.A Varied Thrushwas uniqueat Pittsfield,Mass., Feb. L. Kmus, Paul Linegar, Bruce Macravish, Frank Mantlik, Ian A. 18+ (fide SK). A very late Blue-grayGnatcatcher flew in an open McLaren, Eric L. Mills, Blair Nilrula, PeterPeace, Jan Smith, David window at Pittsfield, Mass., Dec. 14, and a gnatcatcherat St. Johns, Stempie, Scott Sumer, Stuart I. Tingley, William C. Townsend, Nfld., Dec. 1 provideda 4th provincialrecord (RTB). Bohemian PeterTrull, Peter D. Vickery.--RICHARD S. HEIL, 12 Audette Waxwingsapparently failed to reachus thiswinter. Only a singlebird St., Peabody,MA 01960.

Vol. 37, Number3 281 QUEBEC REGION was probablyoverwintering locally. Winter reportsof Merlinshave /Michel Gosselin and Normand David increasedin recentyears, to the point that we can now considerthe speciesas rare but regular in winter;they were noted this year at Saint- Va16rienDec. 31 (JL), Saint-Joseph,Beauce Co., Jan.28-29 (YM), Winter temperaturewas above averagein SouthernQuebec and RimouskiJan. 31 (GP),Carleton Feb. I (LB), Saint-RaymondFeb. 14 belowaverage in NorthernQuebec. Precipitation was close to normal (JC1), and Saint-Ir6n6eFeb. 27 (ADc). The samecan be said of the but, in southern areas, often consisted of rain instead of snow, as a PeregrineFalcon, with sightingsin RimouskiDec. 19 (GG), Thurso resultof warmer temperatures. Jan. 8 (ML) and Saint-PrimeFeb. 19 (GT), in additionto two birds seenintermittently in downtownMontreal (RG). An Am. Kestrelwas notedfar e. in theSt. LawrenceValley, at ClermontFeb. 27 (ADc).

PARTRIDGESTHROUGH GULLS -- The GrayPartridge was foundat Saint-Gabrielde Brandon,at then. edgeof itsrange (LM). Noteds. of 50ø N latitudeeach winter since 1977-78, the cyclical irruptionsof WillowPtarmigans have ended; very few birds were seen s. of 54ø N this year. ThreeKilldeer at StokeFeb. 26 (JJD)were extremelyearly while a Corn.Snipe at Saint-RaymondFeb. 20 (JC1) wasprobably an overwinteringbird. Two LesserBlack-backed Gulls were seenin Aylmer Dec. 4-5 (JD, MG).

Themany Iceland Gulls present in theSt. LawrenceEstuary in winteralways show a wide rangeof plumagevariation. One birdfor example,seen at MataneNov. 21 (JH,MG etal.), hada mantleslightly darker than that of a HerringGull; thebird was otherwisetypical of the IcelandGull, with almostpure white primaries.This isjust oneof the manyvariations to beencoun- LOONS THROUGH WATERFOWL -- ACom. Loon at Bic Feb. teredamong North American Iceland Gulls. In adultplumage, 28 (JG) providedan unusualwinter record,as did an imm. Great primariescan be purewhite to moderatelyor heavilymarked, Cormorantat LaprairieDec. 4 (BB,MM). A Great Blue Heron at and eye colorcan vary from yellow to uniformlydark. Some WindsorJan. 29 (MB) establisheda recordlate departuredate. Winter (includingsome CBC compilers)are still underthe impression recordsof CanadaGeese have increased in recentyears in the Montreal that the Kumlien'sGull is "the" rare varietyof IcelandGull, area;the season'sreports included 60 birdsat Dundeeand sevenat whenactually the vastmajority of IcelandGulls in NorthAmer- ValleyfieldJan. 14 •fideJS), one at Saint-Jeanuntil Jan. 28 (SC), two ica arekumlieni. Despite the factthat the latestA.O.U. Check- at LaSalle Jan. 22 and one at Saint-Timoth6e Feb. 6 (PBa). Two list haskept the Thayer'sGull as a distinctspecies. there is a Canada Geese were also found at Saint-Michel, BellechasseCo., Jan. 2 growingmass of evidenceshowing a continuumin the glau- (PBr). Variousduck species provided unusual winter occurrences: a c• coides-kumlieni-thayericomplex (e.g., ContinentalBirdlife 2: Wood Duck at SherbrookeJan. 7 (FS) anda femalewintering at Saint- 1-10).Although the two ends of thiscomplex are quite distinct, Armand (JS, PBa), two Green-wingedTeal at Saint-Jeanuntil Dec. 31 the kumlienigroup, winteringmainly aroundthe Gulf of St. (JS), an Am. Wigeon at C6te Sainte-CatherineP.P., Feb. 14-15 (PBa Lawrence,is the problematicalone. Anyonefamiliar with the et al.), a GreaterScaup at QuebecCity Jan. 3 (PP),a •?Oldsquaw near wide array of variationsin Kumlien's Gull would be hesitantto Mont-LaurierDec. 7-26 and a male Mar. 10 (AM), a White-winged identifyany but the ultra-typicalThayer's Gull asthayeri. Al- Scoterat BergeronnesFeb. 9 (AB), a pair of Buffleheadsin Arvida thoughthere are severalpublished records of Thayer'sGulls in Feb. 6 (NB), and a HoodedMerganser overwintering in Hull (DSH) Quebec,only a few havebeen properly documented; this winter an adult wasreported from C6te Sainte-CatherineP.P., Jan. 8 (BB). A typicalfirst-year bird was present in Aylmeruntil Jan. 9 (DSH et al.) and,more unexpectedly, another was at LaMalbaie Feb. 26 (MG, JH, GS);this not only provided the first report e. of Montreal, but it was also the first mid-winter occurrence (details in Bull. ornith. ).

DOVES THROUGH THRUSHES -- Impressivecounts of 35 and 45 MourningDoves were made at Ormstownand Pike-River respectively Feb. 14 & 21 (PBa) in additionto 50 birds recordedat Saint- Gabrielde Brandon in February(LM). HawkOwls were reported from Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk, East Angus, Que., Feb. 12-17. 1983. half a dozenlocalities across S. Quebec.Both Long-eared and Short- Photo/N. David. earedowls were noted in usualnumbers, one of thelatter being seen nearPerc6 Jan. 29 (RBi). The BorealOwls of theseason were sighted RAPTORS -- A Turkey Vulture was toundin a tox trap at Carleton in Rimouski(GG), Saint-Raymond(AC) andSaint-Joseph de la Rive Dec. 11 (PF) and anotherwas seenat SherbrookeFeb. 5 (GBe); the (SM). Single Belted Kingfisherswintered in She•orooke(PBo) and latter was our third Februaryoccurrence, all since 1980. A relatively Crabtree(RL): their winter presence seems more and more regular in S. mild and snowlesswinter can explain the presenceof MarshHawks in Quebec.The northernmostRed-bellied Woodpecker in Quebecwas observedat Saint-Josephde la RiveDec. 31-Feb.20 (HM, m.ob.).A the Montrealarea: one eachat Ile DupasJan. 11 (LD), BrossardJan. Tufted Titmouse overwintered in Acton-Vale and two were discovered 30-Feb. 13 (PBa) and Beauharnoisin early February(JB). There were at Saint-Benoitdu Lac Feb. 24 (fide PBo); the speciesis thus still at leastten Sharp-shinnedHawks in the Montrealarea during January presentin the E. Townships4 years after the invasionof 1978-79. andFebruary, an unprecedentedtotal; most were preying upon small BrownCreepers were exceptionally in evidencethis season, wintering passerinesat feedingstations. One was also seen at RimouskiFeb. ! 6 asfar n. asJonqui•re (CG) andRimouski (fide PD). Theonly Carolina (DR). The bestfind of the seasonwas a Red-tailedHawk at East-Angus Wren of the winterwas reportedfrom SennevilleDec. 28-Jan.23 Feb. 12-17 (YB, SD, NV, m.ob.); its peculiarplumages-back and (ME). Anotherspecies with a goodshowing was the Golden-crowned upperwingsdecidedly blackish, heavily marked breast, white tail with Kinglet, seenin Februaryat Arvida (JM) and nearPerc6 (12 birds-- a wide subterminalblack band--pointedto the harlani race in light- LL). A verylate Swainson's Thrush was present at GatineauDec. 12 phase.A Red-shoulderedHawk at Saint-LazareFeb. 6-10 (fide PS) (RBr). The abundanceof Am. Robinswas linked to theexceptional

282 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 cropof Mountain-Ashberries; noteworthy counts of thisbird included: scarcein winter,the Am. GoMfinchand the PurpleFinch were everpre- 52 Tadoussac C.B.C. (fide GC) sentduring the 1982-83season. The formerspecies was seemingly 17 St-Josephde la Rive Jan. 22 (YA) replacingredpolls, absent this winter;a flock of 150 Am. Goldfinches 193 near Valcartier Jan. 30 (SLm) at the TadoussacCBC (fide GC) exemplifiedthe phenomenon.A Red 50 Cap-Tourmente Feb. 5 (ADc) Crossbillwas even seen200 km n. of MatagamiDec. 29 (ADc). The 50 Magog Feb. 13 (GV) winteringof out-of-rangeRufous-sided Towhees was again noted, one 30 Bergeronnes Feb. 19 (AB) waspresent in RimouskiJan. 20-Feb. 8 (DL) anda maleof oneof the 100 near Perc6 Feb. 20 (LL) w. raceswas at Sainte-FamilleJan. 23 + (MP, m.ob.). The w. form of 60 St-Raymond Feb. 27 (JCI) the Dark-eyedJunco was reportedfrom RigandJan. I (GH), while a 21 Mont-Louis winter (CB) similar bird winteredin nearbySaint-Lazare (JCi, m.ob.). A Field Sparrowwas seen at Saint-Georgesde Beauceuntil mid-February (GL, MOCKINGBIRDS THROUGH WARBLERS -- Among the mi- AL). The White-crownedSparrow wintered in Hull (DSH) andprob- mids attemptingto overwinterwas a Mockingbirdat Rimouskiuntil ably at Bic, whereone was seenFeb. 20-28 (JG). SingleSong Spar- Feb. 4 (YG, GG) and a Brown Thrasher at Saint-Nicolas Feb. 1-2 rowswere at Sainte-Luceuntil Feb. 20 (RC) andBergeronnes until the (GPI). Cedar Waxwings were among the conspicuousbirds of the end of the season (AB). winter, two birds at Matagami Dec. 30 (ADc) and 75 at Bergeronnes Feb. 27 (AB) were two of the noteworthyrecords of the species. CONTRIBUTORSAND OBSERVERS-- Y. Aubry,C. Auchu,Y. Warblersalso took advantageof a good season:in additionto the Bachand,P. Bannon(PBa), J. Barney,B. Barnhurst,G. Beanie Yellow-rumpedWarblers seen in mid-winterin the Montrealand Hull (GBe),M. Beattie,R. Bisson(RBi), Y. Blackburn,P. Boily(PBo), A. areas,single birds were at Saint-Josephde la Rive untilat leastFeb. 19 Bouchard,C. Bouchard,G. Bouchard(GBo), R. Bracken(RBr), N. (GG), Saint-Aubert until Feb. 6 (GBo) and Bic Feb. 20-28 (JG). A Pine Breton,P. Brousseau(PBr), L. Bujold, G. Chapdelaine,J. Cibula Warbler survived in Rimouski until Jan. 11 (GG, GP) and another at (JCi), R. Claveau,J. Cloutier(JCl), A. C6t6, S. C6t6, M. Darveau,S. LaPocati•re until Jan. 18 (CA); both localities are well outside the Deshaies,A. Desrochers(ADc), A. Desrosters(ADs), B. DiLabio, L. species'range. Another extremely late occurrencewas that of a Palm Drainville,J. Dubois,J.J. Dubois,P. Dupal,R. Dupuy,M. Elliott,P. Warbler, at Rimouski until Dec. 8 (GP, GG). Fallu, R. Galbraith,Y. Gauthier,J. Gardner,G. Gendron,C. Girard, J. Hardy,G. Huot, R. Labine,L. Lagueux,P. Landry,M. Lalancene, BLACKBIRDS THROUGH SPARROWS -- A rare mid-winter oc- D. Lariv•e,J. Lariv•e,A. Larocque,G. Larocque,S. Lemieux(SLm}, currence of the E. Meadowlark was noted at Luskville Jan. 30 (DSH). S. Lessard(SLs), Y. Maheu, L. Masse,S. Massicone,M. Mcintosh, CommonGrackles wintered in Rimouski(fide PD) andperhaps Sainte- H. Mead, J. Meloche,G. Montgomery,A. Morin, P. Perreault.G. Annedes Monts Jan. 29 (ADs). The only notablesightings of Cardinals Plante(GPI), M. Poulin,G. Proulx(GP), D. Ruest,D. Saint-Hilaire, werefrom our Appalachianregion: a femaleat Saint-Georges,Beauce A. Samson,J. Sauro,F. Shaffer,G. Seutin,P. Smith,G. Trencia,N. Co., until Jan. 30 (SLs) and anotherat FrontenacFeb. 14 (AS). Except Vanasse,G. Volas.-- MICHEL GOSSELIN,370 MetcalfeNo. 707, for a late-wintermovement of EveningGrosbeaks, true winter finches, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P IS9, and NORMAND DAVID, Centre de re- as a rule, remainedn. House fincheswere notedat Georgeville(PL), cherches6cologiques de Montr6al, 5858 Cfte des Neiges,Montreal, Longueuil(RD), Philipsburg(GM) and Sherbrooke(PBo). Usually Quebec, H3S IZl.

HUDSON-DELAWARE REGION /William J. Boyle, Jr., Robert O. Paxton and David A. Cutler

The extraordinarilymild winter was one of the warmeston record and resultedin a substantialincrease in the numbersof half-hardy migrantssuch as Tree Swallow, Brown Thrasherand Rufous-sided Towheethat choseto remainin the Region.Although the wintermor- talityis usuallyhigh for thesebirds, many of themsurvived the season. In spiteof thewarm weather, most observers commented on the scarcity of passefinebirds. made especiallyobvious by the almosttotal absenceof northernfinches. In contrast,coastal birders were impressed by the abundanceof waterfowland even mostinland compilers commentedon thelarge numbers of gulls,particularly around landfills, but alsoin shoppingmalls, schoolyardsand golf courses.Finally, there wasa scatteringof rarities,just enoughto keepup the interest,but not enoughto make it an excitingwinter season. December, at almost 8øF above normal, was the warmest since record-keepingbegan in New York City 113years ago. The final week of the year producedtemperatures in the mid-60sfor severaldays. City Januaryand February were not quite so extreme, but were still several degreeswarmer than usual. A dryDecember produced only one significant snowfall,but Januaryand Februarywere portentsof a soggy springto come. The major event was the blizzardof February11, whichdumped up to two feetof snowover most of theRegion. In spite of itsmagnitude, the storm appears to haveaffected the human inhabi- tantsof the Region more severelythan the avian. much more in evidencealong the coastthis winter, and a few took Frequentlyused abbreviations are: BombayHook, BombayH6ok advantageof the warm seasonto winter at suchinland locationsas N.W.R., nearSmyrna, Del.; Brig., BrigantineN.W.R., AtlanticCo., Round Valley Res., N.J., and the lower SusquehannaR., Pa. The N.J.; J.B.W.R.. JamaicaBay WiMlife Refuge,New York City; Prime- highlightof the familywas an ArcticLoon discovered on the Bamegat hook, Primehook N.W.R., Sussex Co., Del. ChristmasBird Count (hereafter,CBC) and describedin convincing detailby Hanisekand B. Marx. Thereare only a handfulof acceptable LOONS THROUGH IBISES -- Loons,though not common,were recordsfor New Jersey Only threeRed-necked Grebes were reported,

Vol. 37, Number 3 283 one on the SandyHook, N.J., CBC, one at Rehoboth,Del., Jan, 1 Kills P., Staten I., in December, and five males and two females (GKH, BR), and the last at Cape HenlopenFeb. 22 (KW). Horned winteredon LongIsland, including four at Montauk(m. ob.). The most Grebescontinue to be very scarceexcept for a few favoredlocations, unusualwas a c• Harlequinat Rye, N.Y., Feb. 20, for a first West- and Kane characterizesthe populationas in "virtual collapse"from chesterCounty record (TWB et al.). formernumbers. An outstandingfind was an EaredGrebe, identified Eider reportswere ratherspotty. Other thanthe 14 Corn. Eidersat and nicely sketchedat CapeMay Jan. 31 by D. Sibley. MontaukJan. 15 (GSR), there were two at CapeMay off and on in

White Pelicans, Brigantine N.W.R., N.J., Feb. 5, 1983. Photo/S. TuftedDuck, CentralPark, N.Y., Dec. 31, 1982. Photo/S.Lafrance. Lafrance. Two White Pelicans appearedat Brig., Dec. 23 and decidedto Decemberand January, a drakeat CapeHenlopen Dec. 7 (WWF) anda spendthe winter, disappearingfor only brief spellswhen the water in femaleat the samelocation Jan. 15 (WWF, MVB et al.). A c• King the refugepools froze (JD, m.ob.). Among the increasingnumbers of Eider,which showed up at CapeMay Pt., in Septemberand proceeded GreatCormorants wintering were up to 20 on the HudsonR., at Caven to moltinto ad. plumage,lingered into February. Two femaleswere on Cove, JerseyCity, N.J. The mild weatherencouraged numerous Dou- boththe Cape May andBarnegat CBCs, butthe only other report was of ble-crestedCormorants to winter alongthe coast.Herons and egrets a maleat MontaukJan. 20 (GSR). Scoterswere practically nonexistent; lingered in unusually large numbers, as best detailed in the many indeed, the M.W.S. found only 1400 in the entire Region, all on recordsfor regional CBCs. A Great Egret stayedinland at Mercer easternLong Island. For the Atlantic Flyway only 17,300 scoterswere County P., N.J., until mid-January(RJB et al.), while a Snowy Egret recorded,compared to an averageof 60,000 tbr the previous5 years. was found at Moriches, L.l., Jan. 22 (GSR). Even more unusual, Ruddy Duck appearsto be continuingits long-termdecline, from however,were Green Heronsat Southampton,L.I., Dec. 18 (GSR) 139,000in 1979 to only 40,000 this year for the entireflyway. The and at Cinnaminson,N.J., Jan. 6 (JT). A GlossyIbis at Middletown, regionaltotal of 2500 includes2200 from the traditionalDelaware R. Del., Dec. 26 providedthe first winter recordin the statein several winteringarea, but this number is down63% fromthe 10-yearaverage years(JR, JGo), but six were reportedfrom New Jersey,including one and is a tiny fraction of the former concentrations.Oil spills in the at Brig., Jan. 8-30 (JD, WJB et al.). lower Delawarein the mid 1970sare at leastpartly responsible for this deeline(see AB 36:278). Mergansers,on the otherhand, were quite WATERFOWL -- The U.S.F. & W.S.'s Midwinter Waterfowl plentiful. Especiallyimpressive was a concentrationof ca. 1000 Hood- Surveyfor the AtlanticFlyway (hereafter,M.W.S.), conductedJan. 3- edsat Brig., Dec. I l (WJB et al.). Mostof them(694) remainedfor the 20 in cooperationwith the individual statewildlife units, found near CBC Dec. 19, despitean interveningfreeze, but the majority had normalnumbers for the flyway, but abovenormal counts in New York departedby mid-January. andNew Jersey,as many geese and dabbling ducks took advantage of the openwater to stay n. for the winter. Althoughwaterfowl were RAPTORS-- Better-than-averagenumbers of raptorswintered, ap- widelydispersed due to the6pen conditions, there were some impres- parentlyinduced to remainby themild temperaturesand general lack of sive local concentrations:3000 Whistling Swansfeeding in wheat snowcover. The New JerseyRaptor Association's annual winter cen- fields w. of Middletown,Del.; 30,000 Black Ducksin the pondsat sus, held Jan. 29, found 3138 birds, almost50% abovethe previous Brig.; 31,000 scaupon RaritanBay, N.Y.-N.J. high. This was owing in part to improvedcoverage, but mainlyto big The Atlantic Coastalpopulation of Brant, aboutthree-quarters of increasesin the numbersof Turkey Vulturesand Red-tailedHawks whichwinter in New York andNew Jersey,continues its strongrecov- winteringin the state.Turkey Vultures,which normally partially with- ery from the lows of the late 1970s.Numbers have nearly tripled since draw from the Region during the coldestpart of the winter, were 1978 to 123,500 (seeAB 32:327 for an accountof earliertrends). For a especiallyconspicuous. Although the 1025 on the N.J.R.A., census few weeksin December(including the day of theCBC), BombayHook were concentrated in the s. counties. over 100 were in Hunterdon and held all 6 speciesof geeseknown to occurin thee., including:a wild Somersetcos., •n the n.-c. part of the state.Inland Pennsylvania held and wary Barnacle Goose Dec. 14-Jan. 2 (PWS et al.); one Ross' even higherdensities, such as 566 on the S. LancasterCounty CBC, Goose, a holdoverfrom the fall season;and threeWhite-fronted Geese, Dee. 19 and 350+ at a Sumneytown,Montgomery Co., roost all includingtwo adultsof the Greenlandrace (fide DAC). winter (A & JM, GAF). A single at W. Nyack, N.Y., Jan. 17-24 A Eur. Green-wingedTeal was at BargaintownL., Atlantic Co., furnisheda raremid-winter find (PDe, RFD). BlackVultures continued N.J., Dec. 18 andJan. 14 (JD): anotherwas at Massapequa,L.I., Jan. to increasedramatically. The ConowingoI. roostin the Susquehanna 2 (R. Slosset al.), and a third was at J.B.W.R., Feb. 20 (RKe). The R., LancasterCo., Pa., held 180 Dec. 8, and the local CBC tallied 341. M.W.S. turnedup five Blue-wingedTeal at Brig.. for a rare mid- Thirty were in the Sumneytownroost during the winterand a similar winterrecord. About five c• Eur. Wigeonwintered on Long Island (fide numberwere at a Milton, Del., feedlot Feb. 9 (WWF), an unusually THD, GSR), two at SpruceRun Res., HunterdonCo.. N.J. (m.ob.), highconcentration for the latterstate. In New Jersey,where the species andthree were in s. New Jerseyin December-earlyJanuary, but left was a much-sought-afterrarity just 5 yearsago, therewere at least50 aftertheir ponds were temporarily frozen. A hybridEurasian x Ameri- duringJanuary-February. Most of thebirds were in Salemand Hunter- can Wigeon was in E. Moriches, L.I., Dec. 30 (GSR). don cos., but there were records from 8 of the state's 21 counties. Exceptfor GreaterScaup, most of the divingducks were in short Accipiterswere very much in evidence,especially at feedingsta- supply,although the M.W.S. showsthat this was because more of them tions.Goshawk reports were far abovenormal, including a numbers. winteredto thes. of thisRegion, in spiteof themild weather. Redhead, of theirusual range. Following the recordhigh tally of 43 for thefall at Canvasbackand Corn. Goldeneye were unusually scarce. The c• Tuft- CapeMay, oneobserver had four thereand two othersup theDelaware ed Duck reportedin the fall remainedat CentralPark Res., N.Y.C., to BayshoreDec. 7 (RBa). Singlesat the Milton, Del., feedlot,Jan. 25 Jan. 29 (m.ob.). The indomitablec• Barrow'sGoldeneye spent his (WWF) and at Cape HenlopenFeb. 22 (KW), were excellentfinds. 14th consecutivewinter at Shark River, N.J. (m.ob.); more unusual Sharp-shinnedand Cooper's hawks were widely reported and seemed was a femaleon the HudsonR., at CornwallBay, OrangeCo., N.Y. to bemaking a livingpicking off thesub-average numbers of songbirds (BSeet al.). Up to eightHarlequin Ducks were at theCape May Coast at feeders. GuardJetty December-early January, but disappearedthereafter. One Red-tailed Hawks were conspicuous,with 1138 locatedon the was at BarnegatLight, N.J., Jan. 29 (fide AH). A femalewas at Great N.J.R.A. censusand a recordhigh 122 on the S. LancasterCounty

284 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 CBC. A N flightat BlueMountain, Pa., Feb. 27, produced31 birdsin 5 minutes(EW, CH). A half-dozenreports of winteringBroad-winged Hawks were received;one or two might be correct,but the weightof evidenceis againstthem. Althoughwandering migrants occasionally linger at Cape May into December,this speciesis extremelyrare anywheren. of SouthFlorida in winter. It was an off year for Rough- leggedHawks, but therewere a few localconcentrations, such as 16 in the HackensackMeadows, Bergen-Hudson cos., N.J., and 18 at the Tuckahoe-CorbinCity W.M.A., Atlantic-CapeMay cos., N.J. (CS), both Jan. 29. Eaglereports were unexceptional, perhaps owing to themild season. Suttonestimated that five GoldenEagles (1 ad., 4 imm.) winteredin s. New Jersey (CS); another three (2 ad., 1 imm.) were in Sullivan County,N.Y. (PN, JPT). More noteworthywere an adult in Wilming- ton, Del., Jan.4-20 (C. Miller), another(age?) at Milton Dec. 30-Jan. 3 (WWF), andwhat were possibly the sametwo birds( 1 ad., I imm.) at Primehookduring the winter (GO). Pennsylvaniareports came from Nazareth,Northampton Co., Dec. 19 (L. Mattiolli) and the Delaware Water Gap duringFebruary (L. Rymon). Bald Eagle numbersaveraged about the sameas in recentwinters. The NationalWildlife FederationBald Eagle Census Jan. 8-9 turnedup eight birds in New Jersey(6 ad., 2 imm.), but Suttonestimated that about14 (9 ad., 5 imm.) were presentin the s. part of the stateduring the winter (CS). Another Bald Eagle was on the Delaware R., at Cinnaminson,Jan. 15 (JT). Three were in the Bombay Hook area in Decemberand a maximumof threewintered on the lower Susquehanna R., Pa. (RMS). The biggestnumbers of BaldEagles were, as usual, in Gyrfalcon. Linwood, N.J., Feb. 13, 1983. Photo/M. Danzenbaker. s. New York. In additionto two on Long Islandin early January(M. Scheibel),the peak count for the Hudson R., and Sullivan County beenthere since November, much to thechagrin of areabirders. A third Reservoirswas 42 (25 ad., 17 imm.) Feb. 14 (PN). MarshHawks were Gyrfalcon,also white, wasseen at Stockton,Hunterdon Co., Feb. 13 alsopresent in nearnormal numbers, for example,211 on the N.J.R.A. (OH). Merlin reportswere well abovenormal, with 9 of 14 sightings Census. comingfrom CBCs. The remaining 5 sightingswere all in coastalNew Jerseyand Delawarein Januaryand February and were all by experienced observers.

Oneof themost remarkable and tragic stories of theyear is the SHOREBIRDS -- The mild weatherproduced only a smallscatter- sequelto the sagaof the LancasterCounty Gyrfalcons of last ing of holdovershorebirds, but above-average counts of somespecies winter.A yearago we detailedthe appearance of firsta white that ordinarilywinter in small numbers.Among thesewere a single and latera grayGyrfalcon near New Holland,in the Amish Am. Oystercatcherat JonesBeach S. P., L.I., to Jan.8 (m.ob.)and up farmingcounty of s.e. Pennsylvania.This pair, a maleand a to 14wintering at StoneHarbor-Avalon, N.J. (BMo et al.). A singleat female, thrilled hundredsof observersfrom all over the north- Indian R. Inlet, Del., Feb. 19, may have been a returningmigrant eastas they performed dazzling aerial duets and perched togeth- (WWF, MVB). A SemipalmatedPlover at JonesBeach, also to Jan.8, er in a localquarry for nearly 3 months.Incredibly, the two birds providedthe only regional report (m.ob., ph. EL). TheSpotted Sand- reappearedat the samequarry Jan. 4 (TA, A & JM), andmany piperat Bear Mt., PalisadesInterstate P., N.Y., Jan. 5 (fide RFD), birdersrushed to the areathe followingweekend as the word furnishedthe fourth winter recordin the past 5 years,but the others spread. were all in December.A Willet at BombayHook to at leastFeb. 6 was Althoughthe pair was seen flying together during the week, thefirst to attemptto overwintersince 1976, although there have been a lockingtalons in mid-air,observers on Sundaynoted that the few late December records. grayfemale looked ill andnever moved from her perch all day. Greaterand Lesser yellowlegs and Red Knot were all widelyreport- She becameprogressively weaker and on the morningof ed in unusuallyhigh numbers. A PectoralSandpiper at CapeMay Dec. Wednesday,Jan. 13, shedied and fell fromher perchin the 10, waslate (CS), but quiteextraordinary were two LeastSandpipers quarryto a ledgebelow. From there, the body was retrieved by whichappeared at OctararoRes.. LancasterCo., Pa., in Octoberand Amico,who descendedon ropesto reachit. Mark Robbinsof lingeredat thisinland location until Jan.2 (L. Lewis,fide AH). An- thePhiladelphia Academy of NaturalSciences drove to Lancas- otherLeast Sandpiper was at N. Arlington,N.J., Feb. 19 (DO et al.). ter thatsame morning to getthe specimenand return it to the Two or threeLong-billed Dowitchers wintered at Lawrence,L.I. (EL, Academy,where an autopsyrevealed that the bird, an ad. fe- RKe); five wereon New JerseyCBCs and at leastthree stayed for the male, had died from a bacterialinfection in the liver. A nema- winter at Turkey Pt., CumberlandCo. (PDu). More unusualwas a todeparasite had causeda lesionin the duodenum,allowing Short-billedDowitcher, identified by call, at CapeMay Jan.26 (PDu). bacteria to enter the bloodstream and thence the liver, where A numberof W. Sandpiperswere in s. New Jerseyin Decemberand they proved fatal. two were still in Wildwood Crest Jan. 22 (RKa et al.). The maledisappeared for a time soonafter the deathof his mate,but laterreturned and was still present in April. According GULLS, TERNS, ALCIDS -- White-wingedgulls were not espe- to thequarry owner, this bird has been wintering in thearea for 5 ciallynumerous this winter, but were found in all of theregular spots. years.We wonderwhat a searchof others.e. Pennsylvania Continuingrecent trends, there was a goodproportion of inlandre- quarriesmight turn up in mid-winter.Our thanks to ArmasHill ports.Two GlaucousGulls at New Bloomfield,Pa., Dec. 19 (OKS) for the detailsof this story. were the farthestfrom the sea. Other reportswere of one at Bombay Hook, Jan. 1-Feb.6 (KCL), for the firstrefuge record: one at the Salem County,N.J., dumpDec. 19 (RBa); andup to two at the Mt. Hol.ly, TheRegion's other Gyrfalcons were in NewJersey. A graybird was N.J., landfillin Januaryand February (K. Tischner,H. Fenimore).Up discoveredat BarnegatLight Jan. 22 (JDo),and was seen sporadically the HudsonR., therewere single Glaucous Gulls at NewburghJan. 17 aroundBarnegat Bay into mid-February. A whiteGyrfalcon was found (BSe)and at thePoughkeepsie dump Feb. 28 (RTWBC).Iceland Gulls at LinwoodFeb. 13 andphotographed in stunningdetail (CD, MD). were moreconfined to the coast,but inlandsightings included one at Thebird was seen again in earlyApril and found roosting on the nearby the Mt. Holly landfill in January(J. LaVia) andanother at Florence, golfcourse. Consultation with the groundskeeper revealed that it had N.J., on the Delaware R., Feb. 2 (RJB). One at Culver's L., Sussex

Vol. 37, Number3 285 Co., N.J., Dec. 19 (FFr, RM), waswith a concentrationof gullsfrom a found on most CBCs. Despite the mild weatherthere were only a localdump. The only otherinland Iceland Gull wasat NewburghJan. handful of E. Phoebe records on CBCs, and none thereafter. A W. 17-Feb. 11 (BSe). Kingbirdat TurkeyPt., N.J., Dec. 8, waslate, but not without prece- Threedifferent reports of Thayer'sGull werereceived this winter, dent (DK, C. Phillips). Also late was an unidentifiedErnpidonax at aHwith lengthy substantiating details from experienced observers. The Tobay, L.I., Dec. 7 (P. Bernarth). threegulls, all in New Jersey,were: a subadult,probably third-winter, at theSalem County dump Dec. 19 (RBa);a first-yearbird at theN. SWALLOWS THROUGH WARBLERS -- Largenumbers of Tree Arlington,Bergen Co., dumpJan. 30-Feb. 24 (DR, K. Prytherch,C. Swallowswere foundalong the New Jerseycoast all winter, and most Mayhoodet al.); anda first-yearbird at Lily L., CapeMay Pt., Feb. 19 of themappear to havesurvived the season.The biggestflock reported (JB).Although there have been an increasing number of reliablereports was 150at Brig., Jan.22 (JD). A BarnSwallow at CapeMay Pt., Dec. in recentyears, we are still lackinga photographor modernspecimen 7, was a late migrant(DW). Two Com. Ravensat Slide Mt., Ulster for theRegion. Lesser Black-backed Gulls are becoming too numerous Co., Dec. 7 were presumablythe local residents(AB, fide FM), but to list in detail. There were four in New York and nine in New Jersey. twopassing by RaccoonRidge, Warren Co., N.J., Dec. 9 wereclearly An adultat BombayHook Dec. 11(MVB, SJM)provided a newrefuge migrants(JDo). ACom. Ravenalong the Susquehanna R., at Berwick, record,and anotherat RooseveltP., PhiladelphiaFeb. 20 furnished Pa., duringthe winter was at an unusuallylow elevation(DG). onlythe second record for thecity (H. Armistead).Five Black-headed Not a singleBoreal Chickadee was reported, in contrastto lastyear's Gull reportswere well belownormal and seven of thenine Little Gull invasion,and Red-breasted Nuthatches were decidedly scarce. In addi- sightingswere in December. tion to 3 CBC reports,a House Wren was at Palmyra, N.J., Dec. 25- LateForster's Terns were at Holgate,Long Beach I., N.J., Dec. 11 Jan. 7 (T. Bailey). Winter Wren, a vanishingspecies in this Region, (DH) andon theCape May CBC. but 12 at IndianR. InletJan. 17were continuesto be very uncommonin winteras well as in migrationand, apparentlywintering (WWF). RoyalTerns also lingered late, with two exceptfor CBCs, therewere fewer thana half-dozenreports. A Long- at IndianR., Dec. 6 (WWF) and a singleon the CapeMay CBC. billed Marsh Wren at 6•/2 Station Marsh, Orange Co., N.Y., Jan. 9 Althoughthere was no invasion,alcid reports were significantly furnisheda first winter recordfor the county(F. & W. Abbott). The betterthan usual. Two Razorbillswere at Montauk duringthe winter, only Short-billedMarsh Wrens were the five on the RehobothCBC, threewere seenfrom the CapeMay ferry Jan. 10 (PDu) and another Jan. 1. Catbirdsand Brown Thrasherstook advantageof the mild wasat CapeMay Pt., Feb.5 (fidePDu). An oiledRazorbill, picked at weatherto winter in well aboveaverage numbers. Rehoboth Beach, Del., Dec. 25 (WWF), later died at Primehook. SingleThick-billed Murres were at Montauk Dec. 18-19 (TWB et al.), at theCape May CoastGuard Jetty Dec. 5-23 (PDu, DS, m.ob.),and a! Sea Girt, N.J., Dec. 13 (J. Padalino, BMe, RJB, RKa). An emaciatedDovekie was found in a backyardin Bayport, L.I., Dec. 16 anddied the nextday despite efforts to feedit (E. Austin,fide FFi). Anotherwas found dead at Mattituck. L.I., Dec. 17 (fide A. Dove). A pelagictrip out of CapeMay Dec. 5 foundnumbers of Dovekies(ca. 60•PDu): a singlewas on the SandyHook CBC and anotherwas seen off HarveyCedars, Long Beach I., Jan.23 (fideAH). A Dovekiewas flying S at RehobothBeach Jan. 7 (WWF). For the secondtime in 3 yearsa Black Guillemot was at Montauk,this one Feb. 19 (M. Sohmer, B. Baker).

c5 Varied Thrush, Mercer Co., N.J., Dec.-Feb. 28 +, 1983. Photo/E. CUCKOOS THROUGH SHRIKES -- A Yellow-billed Cuckoo on Breden. the CentralSuffolk County, L.I., CBC, Dec. 27, providedthe latest regionalrecord by far; fortunately,an identifiablecolor photograph A beautifullyplumaged g Varied Thrushat a HamiltonSquare, wasobtained (D. Schmidt,R. Mohlmann.fideGSR). FourBarn Owls Mercer Co., N.J., feeder throughoutthe period providedthe only at the Baxter State Game Lands, Del., Feb. 19, were at a new locale, regionalrecord (G. & T. Bentley,ph. E. Breden).Eastern Bluebirds whichalso held four Long-eared Owls (APE. J. Skolnicki).Primehook continuedtheir strongrecovery, thanks in part to the many nestbox had a high densityof GreatHorned Owls, with 16 presentduring the programs.Some high CBC totalswere 250 in S. LancasterCounty, winter, includinga pair that attemptedto neston the groundfor the Pa.; 155 in West Chester, Pa.; and 38 at Great Swamp-Watchung secondyear in a row. The nestwas abandonedafter the femalewas Ridges,N.J. Thirty-eightwere also foundon an unofficialcount at buried in a snowdrift from the Februaryblizzard (GO). Seaford, Del., Dec. 18 (BF). There was a fair flight of SnowyOwls. Eight to ten were on Long Shrikeswere very scarce.Only threeN. Shrikeswere found, all in Island,mainly in Decemberand early January (fide THD), a singlewas December,and only one stayedmore than 3 days.One was at Allen- at PiermontPier, RocklandCo., N.Y_, Jan. 8 (M. Boyes,N. & H. town, Pa., Dec. 11-13 (CH, BLM, EW), anotherat Montgomery, Pollock),and another entertained many observers in downtownPough- OrangeCo., N.Y., Dec. 15 (BSe),and the last at Denville, Morris Co., keepsieDec. 16-29 (A. Strain,R.T.W.B.C.). In New Jersey,one was N.J., Dec. 26 to mid-January(G. Mahler, R. Radiset al.). Similarly, on theOceanville CBC, Dec. 19, onewas at BarnegatLight Jan. 2-mid threeLoggerhead Shrikes were reported:one wintered at the Galeville February(m.ob.), anotherat LibertyS.P., Feb. 24 into March (M. Airport,N.Y., fromDec. 8 (BSe,JPT et al.); onewas on the Glouces- Blair, m.ob.), andthe lastat HolgateFeb. 27 (A & JM). A SnowyOwl ter, N.J., CBC, Jan. 21; and the annualbird was at RosedaleP., Mercer was at the Dover, Del., Air Force Basein late February(fide GO) and Co., N.J., Dec. 30 into March (JB, m.ob.). one was in LancasterCounty, Pa., in January(fide AH). Long-eared The mild weatherproduced above-average counts of the expected Owls were in scattered locations in modest numbers. so Heck's total of warblerson the CBCs, but surprisinglyfew rarities.Yellow-rumped, 29 foundIn 8 differentplaces represented considerable diligence (OH). Pine and Palm warblersand Com. Yellowthroatwere all well repre- His studyarea is the premierbreeding grounds for the speciesin New sented,and there were four Orange-crownedWarblers in theNew York Jersey.Short-eared Owl numberswere the best in nearlya decade. City area. Yellow-rumpedswere especiallycommon all winter. In Singleparty counts of 25 and 17 on twoNew JerseyCBCs (37 totalon additionto the raritiesreported on the CBCs, therewas a Cape May the BarnegatCBC) were outstanding(RKa et al.). Other notablecon- Warblerat a feedernear the AshokanRes., UlsterCo., N.Y. in early centrationswere 10 at the Galeville Airport, Ulster Co., N.Y. OPT) December(AB, fide FM). and five at Reedy Pt., Del., Feb. 5 (WJW, MR). The premierpassefine rarity of the seasonwas the beautiful ad. g Therewere scatteredreports of Red-headedWoodpeckers from most Black-throated Gray Warbler discoveredin the courtyardof a partsof the Region, especiallyfrom areaswhere they nest,such as s. PrincetonUniv. buildingDec. 17by 3 graduatestudents. It wasseen by New York, n.w. New Jerseyand s.e. Pennsylvania.Four found at hundredsof observers,both birders and curious passers-by, as it fed in CentralP., N.Y.C., Dec. 19, stayedfor the winter(P. Post).Yellow- theEuropean birches in the courtyard.After thefirst week, it left the bellied Sapsuckerswintered in well abovenormal numbers, and were courtyardfor everlonger periods and was last seen Jan_ 11 (L_Jacobs,

286 AmericanBirds, May June 1983 field, N.J., feeder in mid-February.for a 2-week stay (R. Rizzey, m.ob.). It disappearedwhen a Sharp-shinnedHawk invadedthe yard, only to reappeara few miles away at a feeder in Verona in March. Althoughit showedno signsof featherwear to indicatecaptive origin, the possibilityof an escapeis difficult to rule out. While Eur. Siskins are seldomimported by dealers,they can be broughtinto the country. underthe pet exclusionrule (fide RR). Red Crossbillswere very.scarce, with only a coupleof smallflocks on Long Islandin early January(A. Lauro, S. Terrill) anda groupof 60 in Livingston,N.J., Jan. 13 (RR). In contrastto last winter's major invasion,the only White-wingedCrossbill reports were of 3 different sightingsin n.e. Pennsylvaniain late December-earlyJanuary (WR, TB, KMG). As has been the case in recent winters, a Lark Sparrow found its way to an area feeder.This one appearedin Cinnaminson. N.J., on the banksof the Delaware R., Jan. 18 and was still presentin March (JT. m.ob.). c• Black-throatedGray, Warbler. Princeton, N.J.. Der'. 25, 1982. An Oregon-typeDark-eyed Junco visited a Blairstown,N.J., feeder Photo/A. Bra4•. for the third year in a row (fide FW). Above-averagenumbers of K. Kreuger,M. McFarlandet mult. al., ph. SLa. A. Brady).There ChippingSparrows appeared on CBCs in s. New Jerseyand on Long werea half-dozenprevious records for NewJersey, all since1961, but Island.More unusualwas one at a GreenLane, Montgomery.Co., Pa., nonestayed more than a day.An Ovenbirdhit a windowin TomsRiv- feeder Feb. 13-14, supportedby excellentdetails (GLF). A Golden- er, N.J., Dec. 15; it recoveredand stayeduntil Jan. 19 (M. Cooper). crownedSparrow visited a Livingston,N.J., feederDec. 25-26 (RR), but a subadultarrived at a WarrenCounty, N.J., feederin late January BLACKBIRDS THROUGH FINCHES -- The long-termtrend for and was still presentat the endof April (M. & C. Read, FW et al.). A E. Meadowlarkhas been a steepdecline, and this winter was a poorone Lincoln's Sparrowwas at a Fire Island, N.Y. feeder Dec. 19 (M. for the species.It was missedon manyCBCs whereformerly regular Cooper). Exceptfor a flock of 300 at RehobothBeach, Feb. 12 (MVB (e.g., S. LancasterCounty where the recentaverage is 93) and, except et al.), Snow Buntingswere ratherscarce and LaplandLongspurs went for a few localbright spots, was mentioned by numerousobservers as almost unreported. absentor scarce.Five Yellow-headed Blackbirdswas a normal count; three were in Delaware on the Middletown CBC (two birds) and at Hare's Comer. New Castle Co. (a male), Feb. 14 (PJ). Two ad. males OBSERVERS-- (Subregionalcompilers in boldface):Tom Amico, werein New Jersey:one at Hancock'sBridge, Salem Co., Dec. 26 (fide Terry Baltimore, Robert Barber (RBa), M.V. Barnhill (Del.: Box APE), and anotherat Cape May Jan. 22 into February(TH et al.). 7603, Newark, DE 19711), I.H. Black (n.e.N.J.: 68 Mill St., Belle- ThirteenN. Oriole reportswere aboutaverage, and mostof them ville, NJ 07109), R.J. BIicharz (n.c.N.J.: 827 PennsylvaniaAve., were in December,as usual. Noteworthywere two birdsof the Bul- Trenton, NJ 07104), Joe Burgiel, T.W. Burke (WestchesterCo., lock'srace: a maleat a Lawrenceville,N.J., feederin earlyDecember N.Y.: 235 Highland Ave., Rye, NY 10580), Chris, Mike and John (W. LaTourette) and a female at a Dallas, Luzerne Co., Pa., feeder Danzenbaker, Thomas H. Davis (s.e.N.Y., L.I.: 94-46 85th Rd., Dec. 27-Jan. 15 (KMG, m.ob., ph.M. Blauer). After an absenceof 2 Woodhaven, NY 10241), Donald Deed, R.F. Deed (Rockland Co., years,a flockof 30-40Brewer's Blackbirds was relocated near Leipsic, N.Y.: 50 ClintonAve., Nyack, NY 10960), PeterDerven (PDe), Rich Del., Dec. 26 (JCM, BSt), about5 mi from thepig farm wherethey had Ditch, Jim Dowdell (JDo), Peter Dunne (PDu, coastal N.J.: CMBO, winteredsince 1954. They were seenagain Jan. 23 (WJW, BR), but Box 3, Cape May Pt., NJ 08212), John Ebner, A.P. Ednie, Steve after 30 yearsof almostannual observations, there is still no specimen Farbotnick,Bruce Fetz, Fran File (FFi), Ed Fingerhood,Bill Fintel, or photographof whichwe are aware.Continuing a recenttrend, W. G.A. Franchois, Frank Frazier (FFr), W.W. Frech, G.L. Freed, John Tanagerwas found in New Jerseyfor thefifth winterin a row. One was Ginaven(JGi), Jeff Gordon(JGo), Doug Gross,Tom Halliwell, Greg at Towaco,Morris Co., Dec. 5 (FFr, TV), andanother was at a Cape Hanisek (n.w.N.J.: R.D. 3, Box 263, Phillipsburg,NJ 08865), Dave May Pt. feederon the day of the CBC (D. Rutherford). Harrison, Otto Heck. G.K. Hess, Armas HiII {se Pa.: 232 Orlemann A c• Rose-breasted Grosbeak at the Bronx Botanical Gardens Dec. Ave., Oreland, PA 19075), Chris Hogan, Peggy Jahn, Rich Kane 26, wasthe only one recorded of theseason (J. DiCostanzo).Following (RKa), Rich Kelly (RKe), Don Kunkle, SergeLaFrance (SLa), Eman- the patternof manyprevious occurrences, a c• PaintedBunting visited uel Levine, K.C. Liehr, Sid Lipschutz(SLi), S.J. McCandless, K. a feederin Trappe, Montgomery,Co., Pa., Jan. 5-Feb. 10 (Mrs. D. McDermott (KMD), Kevin McGuire (KMG), J.K. Merrit (s.w.N.J.: Potteiger,m.ob.). It wasnot seenafter the big snowstorm.Five Dick- 809 SaratogaTerrace, Turnersville, NJ 08012), Brad Merritt (BMe), cisselswere abouton a par with recentwinters. One was at the Mill- J.C. Miller, Augustand Judy Mirabella, B.L. Morris (e. Pa.: 825 brook School,Dutchess Co., N.Y., Dec. 15-31 (F. Germondet al.) Muhlenburg St., Allentown, PA 18104), Brian Moscatello (BMo), and it and anothermade the DutchessCounty CBC. A Dickcisselat FrankMurphy, Roger Muskat, Pete Nye, GeorgeO'Shea, Dave Oster, Alpha, WarrenCo., N.J., Jan.2 (JE), wasnot seen again, but a birdat G.S. Raynor,William Reid (n.e. Pa: 556 CharlesAve., Kingston,PA a Goshen,Cape May Co., feederstayed a few days,Jan. 10-15 (C & 18704), Mike Risko, Dave Roche, Bob Russell, Joe Russell, Richard PS). The fifth birdwas at KennettSquare, Pa., Jan. 12 (H. Alexander). Ryan, R.M. Schutsky,Benton Seguin (BSe), Dave Sibley, P.W. It wasclearly not a yearfor winterfinches. Evening Grosbeaks were Smith, O.K. Stephenson(Harrisburg area: Box 125, New Bloomfield, scarceand Purple Finches not especially common. The onlyPine Gros- PA 17068), Bill Stocku(BSt), Clay andPat Sutton, Joseph Taylor, J.P. beakswere a singleat MonmouthBattlefield, N.J., Dec. 5 (RD), four Tramontano(Orange, Sullivan, and UlsterCos., N.Y.: OrangeCo. on the Walnut Valley, N.J., CBC, and a few at Ward PoundRidge Community College, Middletown, NY 10940), Tim Vogel, Dave Reservation,Westchester Co., N.Y., in late December(fide T. Carro- Ward, Ralph T. Waterman Bird Club (DutchessCo., N.Y.), W.J. lan). Smallgroups of Corn.Redpolls were present during the winter in Wayne, Karl Weber, Eric Weiner, GeorgeWenzelburger, Rick Wil- Rocklandand Orange cos., N.Y. (RFD, JPT),but the only other report traut, Floyd Wolfarth.•WILLIAM J. BOYLE, JR., 15 Indian was of two at a Riverton,N.J., feederJan. 22 (A. Gagnon).Pine Rock Rd., Warren, NJ 07060, ROBERT O. PAXTON, 560 River- Siskinswent almost unreported; however, a bird of considerableinter- side Dr., Apt. 12K, New York, NY 10027, and DAVID A. CUT- estwas a brightlyplumaged c• Eur. Siskinthat appeared at a Bloom- LER, 1110 Rock Creek Dr., Wyncote, PA 19095.

Vol. 37, Number3 287 MIDDLE ATLANTIC COAST REGION 1983). SingleRed-necked Grebes were at Pt. Lookout,Md., Jan. 29 /Henry T. Armistead (EMW+) and Chinc., Jan. 14 (JKE), always scarcein this Region. HornedGrebe still continuesin very low supply(BW, CSR, WPS, RLA, FRS, EJW, v.o.). An EaredGrebe was reportedfrom Chinc., This wasa verymild winterwith temperaturesat the six weather Nov. 28-Dec. 4 (fide REW). At sea62 N. Fulmars,close to a regional stationsfor which"local climatologicaldata" is publishedaveraging record,in companywith 1325Gannets (including 26 subadultsand five normalby a hefty6.85øF in Decemberand 1.58 ø in January.Precipita- lst-yearbirds) were seenoff OceanCity Jan. 30 (RN, m.ob.). White tionwas under the norm by 0.3 inchesin Decemberand 1.2 inchesin Pelicanscontinue their metamorphosisfrom a traditionalstatus as acci- January.However, there was more snow in mostareas than usual, most dentalto simplyrare but regular.Two were at Chinc., sporadically meltingquickly. including that from the big February 11 storm, mostly Nov. 29-Jan. 22 (m.ob.), perhapsthe samebirds that were at Brigan- rain on the coast,but amountingto 20-30 inchesof snowon Piedmont tine in February.One wasat Hog I., SurryCo., Va., Nov. 27 (CB,fide areas.Scott's comments summarize the situationcogently: "The key to CPW). The great Brown Pelicaninvasion of 1982 spilledover into theweather picture was not the averages, which are pretty meaningless early Januarywith six at Little Creek, Va., Jan. I (RLA, TRW). On to the birds, but rather the total lack of extremes... there were no Dec. 5, 25 immatures were at FishermanI. (RLA, MAB, HG) but none bittercold spells at all andalmost no appreciableice... Dandelions were seenthere after Dec. 14 whenthere were four (RLA). Silsbysaw were bloomingin profusionin Hopewellon 1/30." Extremelows 22 on the Back Bay, Va. beachDec. 5. rangedfrom 9ø to 20ø , muchhigher than in someyears. As late as Great Cormorantcontinues up but stablewith countssuch as 15 at January8 Bazuinsaw gulls in Virginiacarrying blue crabs not yet in Little Creek Jan. I (PWS + ), 13 on Lower MachodocCreek, Va., Jan. hibernation.Waterfowl numbers were very poor, leadingone CBC 25 (S & EJ) andnine nearbyat Pt. LookoutFeb. 28 (EMW). Double- compilerto havea mockmoment of silencefor them. Northern finch crestedCormorant wintered in recordnumbers in the greaterChesa- numberswere just asbad. Winter sparrows,as with ducks,lingered peakeBay moutharea. Sixty wereat Hog I., SurryCo., Va., Jan.29 farthernorth due to mild weather.But woodpeckers,tits, creepersand (FRS, JWD, BR + ). As usualthe bestheron totals were from Virginia waxwingswere abundant. Except for vireos,the mildnessdid not CBCs (q.v.) but of note were 113 Great Blue Heronsconcentrated on produceas many lingerers as most expected it would, but stray western the SusquehannaR., below ConowingoDam in Maryland Feb. 10 landbirdswere well represented. (RMS). A late Green Heron was at RichmondDec. 25 (BR). At Deal Abbreviations:Balt., Baltimore;Chinc., ChincoteagueN.W.R.; + Island W.M.A., probablythe best Maryland site for winter herons, after personalname, et al. nine LouisianaHerons and two GlossyIbises were seenDec. 4 (DM), a Little Blue Heron Jan. 4 (DM) and three LouisianaHerons, a Glossy Ibis and two Snowy EgretsJan. 15 (HLW, DM). Three late Caule Egretswere e. of Salisbury,Md.. Dec. 22 (DC). At Chinc., Feb. 27 werethree Liule Blue Herons,nine Great Egrets, seven Snowy Egrets and four LouisianaHerons (GLA, HTA). A Yellow-crownedNight Heronwas at CapeCharles Feb. 6 (RLAk, GMW). Most heronswere in low numberson the Virginia coast,even on the CBCs. Unusualas a MarylandPiedmont record was an Am. Bittern at McKee-Beshers W.M.A., Jan. 13 (PWW) flushedfrom an overgrownfield, a species recordedin abysmalnumbers on CBCs this season.Yet thesemeager heronrecords above belie the fact that this groupwas actuallybetter reportedthis winter than is usual.

WATERFOWL -- Most waterfowl seem only to become scarcer eachwinter. But this winterobservers were unanimous that they were in even lower numbers,owing mostly to the mild weatherfarther n, Many CBCsusually rich in waterfowlmissed several regular species andthe ones they did get were often in near-recordlow numbers.Sykes notedthe first six Mute Swansever at CapeCharles Dec. 27, possibly wanderersfrom the Chinc. flock. SingleWhite-fronted Geese were at Creswell,Harford Co., Md., lateOctober-Mar. 6 (D & JK, 4th straight winter), at BlackwaterN.W.R., throughoutthe period (with three LOONS THROUGH IBISES -- Common and Red-throated loons probablyhybrid young, v.o.), Chinc.,Jan. 15-Feb.20 (m.ob.), one bothappeared in recordnumbers on Cape Charles and Mathews, Va. shots.w. of Chestertown,Md., Jan.7 (BN,fide FLP) andan immature CBCsand were common elsewhere along the coast,a positivechange at Vienna,Md., Jan. 30 (KE,fide CPW), a better-than-averageshow- fromthe past few winters.But by Feb.23, 27 oiledloons from Assa- ing for this species.Waterfowl peaks. such as they were, at Chinc. teague1., hadbeen sent to Tri-StateBird Rescue in Wilmington,Del., occurredfor most speciesduring the week of Dec. 5-11 including: probablythe result of thesinking of thecollier 'Marine Electric' (cf. Snow Goose 23,800. Mallard 1150, Black Duck 3150, Gadwall 1605, Committeeto PreserveAssateague Island Newsletter, 14: 2, Mar. 9, Pintail 3955, Green-wingedTeal 1185, Am. Wigcon685, and N. Shoveler1005 with 1150 BrantJan. 16-22 and 86 HoodedMergansers Feb. 13-19 (REW). At Wye Mills, Md., 60 GadwallsJan. 30 wasan excellent count for the upper EasternShore (RFR). At Presquile N.W.R., Va., c. 765 WoodDucks were present in Januarylow for this primespot (HCO). A notableexception to thedearth of waterfowlelsewhere this winter wasa hugebuildup of divingducks in Calvertand s. AnneArundel cos., Md., due to extensivemollusk beds developing from increased salinitycaused by thedrought of thepast 2 years.United States Fish & Wildlife estimatesin thisarea during January include 10,200 scaup sp., and 13,100 Canvasbackwith statewidetotals of 24,400 scaup and 44,400 Canvasbacks,the latter 2 figuresup 540% and66% respectively fromthose of January1982 (fide RMP). Othersizable Canvasback concentrationswere 4200 at Colonial Beach, Va., Dec. 3 (S & EJ) and 3400 at Elliott I., Md., Dec. 31 (EMW). Jetty duck recordswere a OiledCommon Loon, Rt. 627, E. ofMachipongo, Va., Feb. 26, 1983. HarlequinDuck at ChesapeakeBay andBridge Tunnel, Va., Dec. 4-5 Photo/H.T. Armistead. (RLA, MAB, HG + ), an imm. C3Corn. Eider therethrough the period

288 American Birds, May-June 1983 (m.ob.), eightCorn. Eidersat OceanCity Feb. 19 (MVB, JWR + ), and Chinc.CBC Dec. 28 •ide FRS).Only one report was received of the four King Eidersthere Feb. 28 (HJF). RuddyDucks continue to be very CraneyI., Portsmouth,Va. Am. Avocetflock, this of 300 birdsDec. 4 scarceon the PotomacR., a formerstronghold (JMA), but in Virginia (VK,fideCPW). Off Ocean City two Red Phalaropes were seen Jan. 30 groupsof 1-3000 were seenin GloucesterCounty. the York R., and (RN. m.ob.). Williamsburg(JBB, MP, BW). The top HoodedMerganser report was of 140near Hopewell, Va., Jan.23 (FRS, JWD, DP). Unusualthat late JAEGERSTHROUGH ALCIDS -- Perry'sad. ParasiticJaeger for the Piedmontwas a Green-wingedTeal at Lilyports,Md., Dec. 26 Dec. 27 at Cape Charleswas new for that CBC. !n the seaoff Ocean (DHW). Three undoubtedlyescaped Egyptian Geese were at Chine., CityJan. 30 Naveen et aL sawfour Great Skuas. Maryland birders are throughmost of the period(m.ob.). Up to 10,000 SnowGeese again focusingincreasing scrutiny on winter gulls. haunting county landfills winteredin the interiorupper Eastern Shore of Marylandn. of Denton andphotographing rarer species. At LibertyRes., n.w. of Bait.,Dec. (AJF). ! 8 they detecteda GlaucousGull, an IcelandGull and two ad. Lesser Black-backedGulls (RFR, EB). A newsite, Alpha Ridge Sanitary RAPTORS THROUGH RAILS -- The abundance of Red-shoul- Landfillin landlockedHoward County, Md., yieldedtwo Glaucous deredHawks in thec.-w. shoreof Marylandis illustrated by totalsof 45 Gullsand two Iceland Gulls Jan. 14 (RFR). Other Alpha Ridge high- at JugBay Jan. 2 and63 at BowieDec. 26 (RMP + ), totalsimpossible lightsinclude three IcelandGulls Jan. 15.40 Great Black-backedGulls to achieveacross the Bay on the Delmarva Pen. Rough-leggedHawks Dec. 24, four LesserBlack-backed Gulls Dec. 20, and an imm. still seemto be up andare increasingly reported in the Piedmontand w. Thayer'sGull Dec. 20 & 24 (ph., all RFR, EB). AnotherIceland Gull side of the Chesapeake.Seven were in s. DorchesterCounty, Md., was at Ocean City Jan. 28 (RFR). Feb. 28 (HJF). On the SusquehannaR. below Conowingo Dam. Schutskysaw an ad. Golden Eagle Feb. 10 & 22 (Cecil Co.) and 14 Bald Eagleswere there Jan. 29. Perhapsthe most encouragingnews this winter concerningBald Eagleswas their occurrencein numbersin placesnot known to be major eaglesites, such as 16 at Ft. Belvoir, Va. CBC, ]an. 2 (JMA, most since 1955), three at PatuxentWildlife Re- searchCenter throughout the period(MKK), six adultsand 13 immatures near Hopewe!l, Va., Jan. 7 (HCO, FRS), 11 at Williamsburg Dec. 19 (BW + ), six at Jug Bay Jan. 2 (RMP + ) and 13 in Lower Kent County, Md., Dec. 19 (JG, FLP+). At least 8 nestsappeared to be occupiedon JamesR. drainageincluding the first breedingrecord in Henrico County, Va. (FRS). Early (?) Ospreysincluded singles at Windy Hill, Talbot Co., Md., Feb. 2 + (DWM) and Hog I., SurryCo., Va., Feb. 21 (GMW). Czaplak believesa few Merlins now winter in cities in the Regiontaking advantageof nearbyblackbird roosts and observedone this winterin Washington,D.C. At Irish Grove Sanctu- ary e. of Crisfield, Md., a Merlin, a PeregrineFalcon, three Marsh Hawks and two Short-eared Owls were seen Feb. 19, the harriers and Thayer'sGull, AlphaRidge Sanitary Landfill, HowardCo., Md., Dec_ owls harassingthe Peregrine(JKE+). A King Rail was at Back Bay 20, 1982. PhotolB.Ringler. Jan.29 (KHW), oneof the few post-CBCrail reports.American Coot is another"waterfowl" speciesalso in very low numbersthis winter with only 195 at Back Bay Dec. 29 (PWS+), an area which often has 1000sand 34 at CapeCharles Dec. 27, the secondlowest in 18 years there.

SHOREBIRDS-- As usualwaders were little reported outside of the CBC period.American Oystercatchers overwintered at OceanCity, which is not normal, with ten thereJan. 28 (RFR), a recordmid-winter countfor there. Excellent local countswere 167 at FishermanI., Dec. 5 (RLA + ), 82 on the Little Creek CBC Jan. ! (PWS +) and 60 at LynnhavenInlet, Va., Jan.28 (KHW, KS). Unusualslightly inland andup the Bay weretwo Semipalmatedand one Piping plovers on the Mathews,Va. CBCJan. 2 (JBB).A goodmid-winter count for Mary- landwas 250 B!ack-belliedPlovers in a field w. of OceanCity Jan. 15 (JKE+). Severalobservers witnessed Am. Woodcockcourtship dis- playsas early as Christmas, when Dyke found one at Salisburydisplay- ing on a day whenit reached70 ø, onemore effect of thismild winter. At BackBay Dec. 29 a countof 280 Corn.Snipe was one of thehighest on Herring, Thayer's, & Iceland gulls, Alpha Ridge SanitaryLandfill, recordfor Virginia(PWS + ). A GreaterYellowlegs wading in wateron Howard Co., Md., Dec. 24, 1982. PhotolB. Ringler. topof a 6-storybuilding in Arlington,Va., Feb.3 (HJF)was bizarre. A LesserYellowlegs near Hopewell Feb. 27 provideda recordearly local date(FRS). A RedKnot was at OceanCity Dec. 22 (DC). Alwaysrare SoAo onthe Chesapeake, a Propie Sandpiper was at SandyPoint S.P., Jan.2- Great Black-backedGulls "will eventuallyrule the world" I I (WK). Least Sandpiperslingered into the winterwith one at the (PN). If sothey took one big stepfor gullmanitythis winter with Hart-MillerI. impoundmente. of Bait., in companywith threeDunlin sightingssuch as 61 adultsin sightat onceat HuntingCr., Va., Jan. 1 (RFR, EB, BS), two at OceanCity Dec. 28-Jan.27 (WK, HLW) nearWashington. D.C., Jan. 21 (JMA) and570 massedin fresh and22 nearHopewell Dec. 5 (FRS, BR, JWD), onestaying until Dec. water on the SusquehannaR., below ConowingoDam Jan. 5, 18. oneof thehighest counts ever made in Maryland.This is history Few shorebirdsever get reportedon the upperChesapeake Bay in happeningin frontof oureyes. While we maybe getting used to winter,so, even six Dunlin on Kentl., Md., Feb. 18are worth noting suchnumbers let's not forget that in the 1958Birds of Maryland (JG,fideFLP). MarbledGodwits have been known to beregular winter and theDistrict of Columbia(Stewart & Robbins)the maximum residentson the Virginia Eastern Shore at leastsince 1966 when a group countwas 26 on the OceanCity CBC, Dec. 17, 1954 or that in of 38 wasdiscovered Dec. 30 at CapeCharles (WCR). LastDecember the 1979Virginia's Birdlife (VirginiaSociety of Ornithology theymade a better-than-averageshowing with 35 s.e. of Accomacat Checklist Committee) it is listed as a rare winter visitor in the WachapreagueDec. 18 (GLA, HTA + ), theseon a shellbeach on the Piedmont. mainland,69 at Cape CharlesDec. 27 (CP, HTA + ) and four on the

Vol. 37, Number 3 289 At PrinceWilliam County, Va., a Piedmontlocation, an ad. Lesser CBC (RMP + ). A Varied Thrush at a Richmondfeeder Feb. 4 was Black-backedGull wasseen Jan. 10-Mar. 9 by Bass,who reportedtwo seenbriefly but well (JFP),about the fifth Virginiarecord. What was therethe previouswinter, first Virginia Piedmontrecords. Everyone thoughtto bea MountainBluebird, seen in Februaryat Manassas, Va., shouldbe on the lookoutfor this species,especially adults, which are onclose inspection turned out to bean aberrant E. Bluebird(TA, CDC, very easyto identify. At any given time, in winter, thereare probably v.o.). Excellent CBC counts of E. Bluebirds were made in the more moread. LesserBlack-backed Gulls present in thisRegion than birds in centralareas of theRegion. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were rather widely all plumagesfor any of the followingspecies: any white-wingedgull, reportedon CBCs and one was at Dyke,Va., Dec.4 (RA,fideCPW). Little or Black-headedgulls. Certainlymore reportsare receivedof Golden-crownedKinglets were in highnumbers this winter(v.o.). them than for theseother 4 species.On Feb. 10, l 1,000 Ring-billed Aftera lacklusterfall flightCedar Waxwings came flooding through in Gulls were estimatedon the lower SusquehannaR. (RMS). An imm. December,especially on the CoastalPlain with manyCBCs listing Black-headedGull was at Chinc., Jan. 7-9 (JHB) and an adult was at over500. At Catoctin,Frederick Co., Md., a Loggerheadand an imm. Ocean City Dec. 22 (DC). LaughingGulls lingeredlater than usual N. Shrikewere reportedJan. 2 (fide DHW). with a whopping545 seenon the Back Bay CBC Dec. 29 (PWS). At OceanCity 1000 Bonaparte'sGulls werepresent Dec. 22-23 with as VIREOSTHROUGH BLACKBIRDS -- SingleWhite-eyed Vireos many as five ad. Little Gulls keepingthem company(DC, WK). A wereseen at Sparta,Va., Jan. 1 (BP) andRockville, Md., Jan.5 & 8 dead one was at FishermanI., Dec. 26, the first Virginia specimen (PJO,JO). Seethe CBCsfor the extraordinarynumber of Solitary (ph., *, RLA). Also at Ocean City was an imm. Black-legged Vireos.Others were at NorthwestRiver P., Chesapeake,Va., Feb.6 Kittiwake Dec. 23 (DC) while offshore1940, including50 juveniles, (GMW) andChinc., Dec. 5 (BMu, fide CPW). Justreceived is a late were estimatedJan. 30 (RN + ), a recordcount for thesepelagic trips. recordof a SwainsoWsWarbler in DismalSwamp Sept. 16, 1982 Forster'sTerns lingeredin unusuallyhigh numbersat OceanCity (BM). An Orange-crownedWarbler was bandedat Yorktown,Va., with 200 there Dec. 22 (DC), 150 Jan. 14 (WK) and 20 on Feb. 19 Feb. 22 (CH, fide M & DM). Smith bandeda NashvilleWarbler in (BF). Royal Terns were seenin small numberson Virginia CBCs at NewportNews Jan. 5 andcaught it again5 weekslater. A $ Black- CapeCharles, Chinc., Little Creek andBack Bay, an excellentshow- throatedBlue Warbler was at Lightfoot, Va., Dec. 13(BW). Dueto the ing probablyattributable to the very mild fall. Black Skimmerswere mild winterYellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warblerswere more common alsofound on all thesecounts except Back Bay, wheretheir presence is thanusual in manyareas, especially away from the coast (v.o.). Scott unlikely becauseof the lack of an inlet and tidal marshes.An ad. heardPine Warblers singing "all overRichmond" as early as Feb. 18. skimmerwas at OceanCity at leastuntil Jan.30 (RFR), five werethere An ad. c• Wilson'sWarbler was in SevernaP., Md., Jan.6-11 (ESM. Jan. 14 & 27 (WK) and eight Dec. 22 (DC). Eight were seen at fide CPW). Althoughmany were disappointed that more warm weather GrandviewBeach, Va., Jan. 8 (J & TD) andthree at LynnhavenInlet, speciesdid notturn up on the CBCs, the aboverecords of warblersand Va., Jan. 28 (KHW, KS). This was about as stronga presenceas vireosrepresent a better-than-averagewinter showing for those2 skimmersever manifest in winter.Off OceanCity a Razorbillwas seen groups. Jan. 29 andthe next day was superfor Naveen'spelagic birders, who sawsix juv. Com.Puffins and 319 Dovekies,not a recordfor Maryland BLACKBIRDS THROUGH SPARROWS -- Eastern Meadowlarks (759 on a pelagic CBC Dec. 30. 1978) but apparentlythe second werein verylow numberswith record low numberson CBCsat Cape highest. Charles(158), Mathews(51), andBowie (64) andfigures such as three at Washington,D.C., 20 at Denton,Md., and46 at JugBay. Someof DOVES THROUGH SHRIKES -- An early MourningDove nest thismay have been due to the mild winternot pushing them S to here was underconstruction Feb. 20 in s.e. Fairfax County,Va.. but was but they seemto be in troubleduring other seasons as well. Theseand laterabandoned (LM, JBB). MarylandCBCs ofteu make an exception- otherfield birdsare undoubtedly hurt by the hugeincrease in cropland al effort at owling. This year notableGreat HornedOwl totalswere 52 in actual productionfrom 1972 to 1981 in the United States,which at JugBay Jan. 2, 66 in Lower Kent CountyDec. 19 and54 plus91 went from c. 330 to 391 million acres(cf. ScientificAmerican, Feb. ScreechOwls at St. Michaels Dec. 19. AtFt. Belvoir, Va. CBC 25 was 1983, p. 47). Now that the "soil bank" is comingback, dueto huge a new high Jan. 2, excellentfor this areaso closeto Washington.The crop surpluses,maybe these species will get a break. A c• Yellow- only Long-earedOwl reportswere of up to four at Nokesville,Prince headedBlackbird was at Hudson'sCorner, SomersetCO., Md., Dec. William Co., Va., in companywith as manyas 11 Short-earedOwls 16 (JLS) but the highlightof the seasonwas two birdsat a Gloucester Jan. 17-March(KHB+) and one on AssateagueI., Md., Feb. 5-6 Pt., Va. feeder, a Northern (Bullock's) Oriole Jan. 16-Mar. 7 and a (GMW + ). It was a goodwinter for Short-earedOwls with Piedmont WesternTanager Jan. 29-Mar. 20 (BT, BW, CH, m.ob., ph.), the recordsof four n. of Frederick(DHW, date?) and one at McKee- oriole for a third Virginia record.A late Rose-breastedGrosbeck was at BeshersW.M.A., Feb. 22 (PWW). Yet anotherwinter hummingbird hassurfaced in the Region,this one a RufousHummingbird at Wil- liamsburgJan. 4-28 feedingat Oregongrape holly blossoms (TA, TB, FRS, BW, m.ob., ph.), for the fourthVirginia record.Most wood-

WesternTanager, Williamsburg, Va., Jan. 29-Mar. 20, 1983. PhotolB. Taber. Rufou.sHummingbird, Williamsburg, Va., Jan. 10, 1983.Photo/T.E. Armour. Sparta,Va., Dec. 4 (BP). A c3Dickcissel was at Lucketts,Loudoun peckerswere up. A latishW. Kingbirdwas at Chinc.,Nov. 25-Dec.5 Co., Va., Dec.25 (KHW). Northernfinches were almost completely (S & EJ, BMu, m.ob.). Up to 300 HornedLarks were seennear absent.Most observers either had no EveningGrosbeaks or PineSis- Keysville,Carroll Co., Md., Feb. 19 (RFR).A verytardy Barn Swal- kins or else saw only small numberson one or two dates.House low wasat Scottsville,Va., Jan.2-3 (J & BC,fideCES). This was an Fincheswere even down in manyareas, perhaps staying n. dueto mild excellentwinter for CarolinaChickadee, Tufted Titmouseand White- weather,but many had Purple Finches in numberswell above average, breastedNuthatch. Red-breasted Nuthatch was practically absent with somecommentators selecting descriptors such as superb, invasion or mostobservers reporting none or just 1-3 on as manydates. Brown record,although this was less the case along the coast. No documented Creeperwas another species present in verygood numbers this winter reportswere received of redpollsor crossbills. A GrasshopperSparrow suchas 76 on the Washington,D.C. CBC (EMW+). Mockingbirds on the Warren,Va. CBC Jan.2 provideda secondwinter record for werein goodsupply with 523 onthe Bowie CBC, a newhigh total and AlbemarleCounty (CES). Uniquewas a Lark Sparrowat GlebeHar- alsobest per party hour figure for thisvery populous and significant bor,Westmoreland Co., Va., Feb.4-Mar. 18 (S & EJ).A Dark-eyed 290 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 (Oregon)Junco was reported from Fair Hill, Cecil, Co., Md., Dec. 18 Feddern, K.H. Finnegan, Bill Fintel, A.J. Fletcher, R.B. Fletcher, (MVB, SJM). Mostobservers found various winter sparrows, especial- HansGabler, E.P. Gallagher,J.A. Gregoire.James Gruber, Charlie ly White-throated,Songs, Fields and juncos to be in very poor num- Hacker,M.W. Hewitt, Sylvia& EnochJohnson, Dennis & JeanKirk- bers,the mild weatherapparently keeping them farther n. (cf. CBCs). wood, Valerie Kitchens,M.K. Klimkiewicz, Wayne Klockner,Yulee LingeringLincoln's Sparrows were at Oxon Hill, Md., Dec. 17 (DC) Larner, S.J. McCandless, E.T. McKnight, Lisa McQuail, Brooke andNokesville, Va., Jan. 13 andFeb. 11-13(KHB, ph.). FourLapland Meanley, D.W. Meritt, DebbieMignogno, Mike & DorothyMitchell, Longspurswere seenat Keysville, Carroll Co., Md., Feb. 19 (ph., Myriam Moore, E.S. Morton, Bill Murphy (BMu), Ran Naveen,Bill RFR) andup to eight were along New DesignRd., FrederickCo., Md., Nicholson, Paul Nistico, John O'Brien, Michael O'Brien, P.J. Feb. 28 (PJO) where20 Snow Buntingswere seenJan. 9 (PJO, JO). O'Brien, H.C. Olson, J.F. Pagels, F.L. Parks, R.M. Patterson,Carl SnowBuntings were recorded on mostcoastal CBCs, whichis notthe Perry, Darrell Peterson,Bill Portlock,Mary Pulley, GeorgeReiger, case every year. R.F. Ringler, C.S. Robbins,Betsy Roszell, J.W. Russell,W.C. Rus- sell, Kurt Savoie,R.M. Schutsky,F.R. Scott,Dot Silsby,W.P. Smith, OBSERVERS -- J.M. Abbott, R.L. Ake (RLAk), R.L. Anderson. Bob Stanhope,J.L. Stasz,Nick Stavros,C.E. Stevens,Byron Swift, RogerAnderson, G.L. Armistead,Tom Armour,M.V. Barnhill,K.H. P.W. Sykes, Brian Taber, D.H. Wallace, K.H. Weber, H.L. Wier- Bass, J.B. Bazuin, Thom Blair, C.R. Blem. Eirik Blom. J.H. Bucka- enga,C.P. Wilds, Bill Williams, G.M. Williamson,E.J. Willoughby, lew, Cole Burrell, M.A. Byrd, C.D. Cremearis,Joseph & Barbara E.M. Wilson, R.E. Wilson, T.R. Wolfe, P.W. Woodward.-•ttENRY Croft, David Czaplak,John & Thelma Dalmas,J.W. Dillard, P.G. T. ARMISTEAD, 28 E. SpringfieldAve., Philadelphia, PA 19118. DuMont, S.H. Dyke, J.K. Effinger,Kathy Elwood,Ethel Engle, H.-J.

SOUTHERN ATLANTIC COAST REGION /Harry E. LeGrand, Jr.

At long last, the Regionenjoyed an honest-to-goodnessmild winter, ] .... " '" RALEIGH MATTAMU•KEET the warmestweather at least since 1976. Decemberhad very warm spellsat thebeginning of themonth and around Christmas. January had - ' • ß a few cold snaps,but not for long periods,such as a week or more. Februarywas characterizedby rain; it was the wettestFebruary on recordin somecities, as one low pressurecenter after anothertracked northeastwardfrom the Gulf of Mexico like planeslanding at a busy airport. The westernPiedmont had a few ratherminor snowand ice storms,but mostof the Regionwas not botheredby the form of the '-! FallLin. • • • •::• •:• precipitation,only by the quantity! There was a near unanimousverdict on the winter birding--very • .cotu•.us X ,• l:- ':': blandwith a scarcityof waterfowl.Rarities, especially northern ones, were difficultto find, certainlyin partbecause of the infrequentcold frontsthat mightpush birds to the Regionfrom farthernorth or west. There was no winter finch flight, the first time in three years that Evening Grosbeaksand Pine Siskinswere nearly absent.The mild weather did allow for more "lingering" of late fall migrantsthat typicallydisappear by November,but specieslike GreenHeron, Spot- ]s still none for winter. Dave Lee conduct• a •istmas Bird Count ted Sandpiper,and Black-and-whiteWarbler do not generatethe ex- (hereafter,CBC) pelagictrip off •egon l•et, N.C., in lateDecember. citementin the Souththat an eider, a rare grebe,or a rare cardueline Becau• the totes shouldappe• in theCBC issue(July-August), they finchdoes. Fortunately, there were no reportsof mortalityfrom severe will not be mentionedhere; however, a new speciesfor the CBCs was winterweather, and it wasobviously an "easy" seasonfor mostspe- obse•ed. A White Pelicanagain wimer• at Ch•leston, S.C. (DMF et cies. The major avian highlightwas the scarcityof waterfowlfor the al.), and anotherwas ob• •ong the coastof Pa•ico County, entire period,a direct resultof the absurdlywarm spellsin December. N.C., in ]anu• (DF, RF). •e BrownPelican was again quite com- Few birderscould recall a winterwith suchlow numbersof thisgroup, mon duringthe seasonon the Noah C•olina coast,p•icul•ly the especiallythe bay and seaducks. Outer Ba•s, with 952 on the CapeHatteras CBC Dec. 31 •ide CP). LOONS THROUGH CORMORANTS -- A total of 17 Com. Loons AnotherBrown was mostunusual inland at Hope Mills L., ne• Fay- etteville, N.C., Jan. 14-15 (]K, fide PJC). F• inland•uble-crest• at SweetwaterCreek S.P., Ga., Dec. 10 (DM, PM) wasquite high for Co•orants were notedin G•rgia at Dublin (TKP), Augusta(AW), the Atlanta area; and a Red-throated Loon was notable inland near and SweetwaterCreek S.P. (DM, PM) and on Jor•n Res., N.C. (24 on Chester, S.C., Dec. 30 (AC). the ChapelHill CBC--fide BW). SoAo WADERS • A goodfind was a Great Blue Heron of the Wurde- Only the two commongrebes were reportedthis season,but mann's fo• race at Cape I., S.C., Dec. 19 (PN et MO. •e mild the HornedGrebe has mysteriously been anything but common Decemir weatherallow• GreenHerons •o lingerf• into the month duringthe past few winters.They were in very low numbers, over much of the Region, as it was not• on many Noah Carolina bothinland and coastally, and perhaps populations are down 75- CBCs. Pattersonhad a Little Blue Heron and •o Cattle Egretsin 90% from thoseof 5 + yearsago. Where are they?Are there Deeemir and ]anu• at Dublin, wherethe speciesdo not regul•ly problemson the breedinggrounds, or are they just wandering winter; and 11 Catdeson the MoreheadCity, N.C., CBC •ide ]F) was somewhereelse, an unlikely answer?This speciesneeds to be a notable winter count f• t•t state. Unusual inland at this season was watchedcarefully throughout its breedingand wintering ranges an imm. Black-crownedNight Heron ne• R•eigh, N.C., Feb. 13 in upcomingyears. OM), whereasa Wood Stork was rather late on Kiawah I., S.C., Dec. 26 (RC). Up to • White Ibisesspem the seasonat Pea I. (AB, FS et al.), nowthe no•bemmost ske of theregul• winteringrange. In fact, it A deadN. Fulmarwas found in late fall at PeaI., N.C. (fide BWo; was the secondmost common wader on the CBC thereDec. 30 •ide *N.C.S.M.); despitea growingnumber of recordsfor thatstate, there PS)•

Vol. 37, Number 3 291 WATERFOWL -- Had CBCs been held in late November, perhaps late S migrants However, mostunusual for the deadof winter was a waterfowlnumbers would have been typical for lateDecember. But the Parasiticat CapeHatteras Pt., Feb. 6 (JF et al.). As is usuallythe case warmweather in Decembersimply pushed the ducks back N, andmost at this season,gulls were a majorfeature. Glaucous Gulls were found CBCsmissed species not normally missed. For some mysterious reason only in North Carolina;at SunsetBeach Dec. 15 (PJC, JC), at Oregon largenumbers of WhistlingSwans were found in dryfields outside the Inlet Dec. 30 (MT, JF, BA), andat theNewport landfill Feb. 12-26(JF usualrange: 105 were near Newport, N.C., Feb.12 (JF, WI) and515 et al.). This was, by far, thebiggest year ever for theIceland Gull •n the wereat CaledoniaPrison Farm near Tillery, N.C., Feb. 16 (ML, KM). Region, with one report from South Carolina, at Kiawah I., Feb 7 White-frontedGeese were noted only at their 2 mostfavored spots in (JA), andten from North Carolina (of perhapseight individuals). Of the the Region--threeat SanteeN.W.R., S.C., Dec. 23 (JB)and five at latterstate's Icelands, four birdswere in Dare County,two in Carteret, EufaulaN.W.R., Ga., muchof February(DM, PM). A Ross'Goose onein Hyde, andone awayfrom the coastin Pasquotank(at Elizabeth spentthe winter at itsmost favored spot e. of theMississippi--Pea I. City Jan. 23--CW); only one was an adult. North Carolina,as usual, (MT, PS et al.). The erraticFulvous Whistling Duck was found twice hada largehandful of LesserBlack-backed Gulls, all within5 mi of the thisseason, singles at Hatteras,N.C., Dec.31-Jan. 1 (HA, RB) andat coast;the peak countwas four on the Bodie-PeaI. CBC Dec. 30 (fide theSantee R. delta,S.C. (no date--PMa). A pairof Pintailsthat spent PS). Rare for SouthCarolina was an adultin CapeRomain harbor Dec the winternear Aberdeen, N.C., wasrather rare (GD, JHC), and400 + 19 (PN et al.). Excellentcounts of Ring-billedGulls for c. North Ring-neckedDucks was a goodtotal Feb. 13 (HL) at thenew Falls of Carolina were 1000 + at Falls of the Neuse Res., Feb. 19 (BW, MW) the NeuseRes., Wake andDurham Cos., N.C., whichwas filled by the and 686 at JordanRes., on the CBC Jan. 2 (fide BR). An albino Ring- endof theperiod. For the first winter in recentmemory, no eiders were billed wascarefully studied at MoreheadCity Dec. 26 & Jan. 30 (WI) reported.Scattered Com. Mergansers were found only in NorthCaroli- Unlike with the noticeablyincreasing larger gulls, the finding of a na, butthe peak in thisdismal duck season was just five--at Jordan Black-headedor Little gull is still a red-letterevent. No onereported a Res., Jan. 30 (RD) andon the Bodie-PeaI. CBC Dec. 30 (PS et al.). Little Gull this season,but Black-headedswere observedat Carolina Beach,N.C., Dec. 18-Feb.28 + (FN, DCetal.) andat HatterasFeb 6 HAWKS THROUGH GALLINULES -- There was a generalfeel- (HL, JF). AlthoughBlack-legged Kittiwakes winter regularly oft'shore ing thatCooper's Hawks, not doing well in recentdecades in thee., (at leastin North Carolinawaters), the only reportreceived was of an were somewhatharder to find than normal;and few observerssee more oiled bird near Salvo, N.C., Jan. 22 (PJC, MWh). thantwo or threenowadays in a givenwinter. Very rarefor Georgia wasan excellentlydescribed Rough-legged Hawk in light-phasen. of TERNS THROUGH HUMMINGBIRDS -- Two Sandwich Terns AtlantaJan. 9 (TM, HG, PB) and againFeb. 19 (RM, DMa). Two were late at Atlantic Beach, N.C., Dec. 11 (RJH), as was anotherat reportsof dark-phaseindividuals in NorthCarolina lacked convincing Cape I., S.C., Dec. 19 (PN). Probablybecause of the unseasonable details.The only Golden Eagle was sighted at L. Mattamuskeet,N.C., weather, Black Skimmerswintered farther n. and in greaternumbers Dec. 29 (MT, KN). The mostinteresting of the inlandBald Eagle than usual, as evidencedby 610 on the MoreheadCity CBC Dec 19 records involved three immatures in one tree at Jordan Res., near (JF) and 100 at Cedar I., N.C., Feb. 12 (WI). In many regions, 4 ChapelHill, N.C., Feb.9 (BW, MW) andat leasteight during the reportsof alcids could hardly be called a major flight. But in this seasonalong the Pee Dee andYadkin R. drainage,N.C. (DB). There Region,in 1982-83, a "major" movementdid occuralong the North wereno inland reports of PeregrineFalcons, but 5 sightings(of perhaps CarolinaOuter Banks, at leastin December.A Dovekie waspicked up four individuals)were madeduring the seasonin CarteretCounty, (sickor injured)on ShacklefordBanks Dec. 19 (MBe), but it dieda few N C. (fideJF), whereit is quiterare in winter.Inland Merlins were dayslater. Anotherwas founddead (for at leastseveral weeks) at Cape detectedonly near Pendleton, S.C., Dec. 19 (SW) andFayetteville, HatterasPt.. Feb. 6 (JF). A Razorbill was an excellentfind at Pea I , N C., Feb. 21 & 28 (PJCet al.). Alwaysa goodfind, a Yellow Rail Dec. 30 (MT, BA), and rarer still was a Thick-billed Murre observed wasseen at MagnoliaGardens near Charleston, but no datewas pro- severalmiles oft'shoreon the Cape HatterasCBC Dec. 31 (CP) vlded(DW, fide PN). Mostinteresting was the report of 15-25Black Not unexpectedly,five Short-earedOwls were notedin the weedy Railsseen during a riceharvest along the N. SanteeR., S.C., Nov. 25 lakebedof Falls of the Neuse Res., Jan. 6 (HL). Unfortunately,the (PMa).Were there any Yellow Rails, a speciesprobably more likely in large numbersof Short-earedsthat have winteredat this site (and late Novemberin rice marshesthan the equallyelusive Black Rail? adjacentJordan Res. before its filling) will haveto relocatenow that the Quiterare inland in winterwas a Com.Gallinule near Fayetteville Dec. lakehas reached full pool.Two Chuck-will's-widowswere seen on the 5 (H & SC). CapeHatteras CBC Dec. 31 (HL, DCr), bothobserved sitting on roads in the beamsof cars at dusk. There are few, if any, previouswinter SHOREBIRDS-- The mild temperatureswere kind to shorebirds, recordsfor North Carolina. As is now customary,several humming- andthere were more individuals and species remaining later and farther birdswere noted in winter,of coursein immatureor femaleplumage n in theRegion than usual. Single Whimbrels at Cape Lookout, N.C., An imm. c• hummer at a feeder in Pine Knoll Shores,N.C., December- Dec. 9 (SP) and Brunswick,Ga., Jan. 1 (TM et al.) were not too Jan.20 (ID, JF, WI) wasalmost certainly a Ruby-throated;"some dark unusual,but a Long-billedCurlew was an excellent find at Ft. Fisher, (reddish)feathers were comingin on the throat" accordingto Fussell N C., Dec. 24 (MB, GM). SeveralLesser Yellowlegs got an early Another0 birdwas reported as a Ruby-throatedfrom Charleston Dec jump on the springmigration; normally not seeninland until mid- 28 (LC), but no descriptionwas provided. March,singles were found in GeorgiaFeb. 21 in ClaytonCounty (PB, JG, CA) and Feb. 26 nearDublin (TKP). Practicallyunheard of in WOODPECKERS THROUGH VIREOS -- Red-bellied Wood- winterin thisRegion were two Solitary Sandpipers seen on the Dublin peckerswere apparentlyunknown from the BuxtonWoods portion of CBC Dec. 18 (TKP). Themild weather was almost certainly responsi- the OuterBanks; thus, five seenon the CapeHatteras CBC Dec 31 ble for a goodnumber of SpottedSandpipers farther n. thanusual. (PS, HL, HA) werea completesurprise. An Empidonaxflycatcher was Llngerersin Georgiawere near Fairbum, Atlanta, and Augusta, and in studiedcarefully at CapeI., S.C., onthe McClellanville CBC Dec 19 North Carolinaat HarkersI., andNorth R., in CarteretCounty and near (PN, JPq).Although identified as a Least,the details are only sugges- Vass.Good totals for theseason were 22 Long-billedDowitchers at Pea tive anddo not role out all otherspecies of the genus.Needless to say, I , Feb. 19 (AB) and1144 W. Sandpipersat PortsmouthI., N.C., Dec. anyEmpidonax in winteris an exceptionalrarity; very thoroughdetails 9 (JF). The mostexciting bird of the winterwas undoubtedlythe mustbe provided.Horned Larks were present in muchreduced num- Baird's Sandpiperstudied and described in detailinland near Pender- bers, presumablya featureof the mild season,as our largestpopula- grass,Ga., Dec. 22-26 (JP et al.). Notonly did it provideone of the few tions are usually found in very cold winters. Purple Martins, which winter recordsfor the entireEast Coast,but Georgiasurprisingly had typicallyarrive in the Regionby late February,were at leasta week onlyone or two previous records at any season. A tallyof 57Dunlins at earlyat manyplaces, highlighted by two malesat AugustaFeb. 7 (CB, L MattamuskeetDec. 29 (BL) was high away from the coast;most AW). This was a poor seasonfor Red-breastedNuthatches: although were probablylate lingerers. widespread,they were uncommon at mostlocalities, with few CBCs tallyingmore than a handful.A Short-billedMarsh Wren was a good JAEGERS, GULLS -- SeveralPomafine and Parasiticjaegers were find on the AtlantaCBC Dec. 19 (JCa). Therewas a belatedreport of seenalong the North Carolinacoast in December,most or all simply possiblyterritorial Short-billeds---one observed and 10-12heard sing-

292 AmericanB•rds, May-June 1983 lng in blackrush marshes in n e PamhcoCounty, N C, July 30-31 RaleighFeb 19 (JM etal ) Bachman'sSparrows were again found in (PJC).The speciesis notknown to breedin theRegion, although there winter at Ft. Bragg, N.C.; as many as four were locatedon the w have beenscattered reports of birdssinging "on territory" in North portionof thebase on 9 datesin Decemberand January (JHC). The two Carolina.Short-billeds have bizarre seasonal movements and breeding Tree Sparrowreports, both in North Carolina,lacked convincing de- habits;apparent territorial behavior is not conclusiveof nesting,al- tails,an unfortunate but all toocommonplace happening in thisRegion thoughthe sitedeserves coverage next summer.Lingering Blue-gray A Clay-coloredSparrow at Buxton,N.C., Dec. 31 (HL) providedthe Gnatcatcherswere tallied on CBCs at L. MattamuskeetDec. 29 (MT) fourth state winter record, all for the coast. Notable for Pamlico Coun- andJordan Res., Jan.2 (fideBR). A White-eyedVireo at Augusta Feb. ty, N.C., was a JanuaryWhite-crowned Sparrow near Oriental(DF, 7 (AW) andtwo at CongareeSwamp N.M., S.C., Jan. 14 (PH, AA) RF). About par for the seasonwere the three Lincoln's Sparrows wereprobably winter residents at theinner edge of theirrange. They singlesnear Pendergrass,Ga., Dec. 14 (JG, RM), Townville, S.C , couldperhaps winter regularly n. to CapeHatteras, where the 2-year- Dec. 19 (AA), and at a feederin HarkersI., N.C., Feb. 26-28 + (SP, old CBC hashad two individualseach time (fide CP). SolitaryVireos JF).Previous Regional winter records have fit nogeographical pattern, almostcertainly winter regularly n. to CapeHatteras. They werealso andadding these 3 localitiesto a winterdot map for the speciesonly recordedon the CBC for the second year, and the seven there Dec. •31 increasesthe confusion.No LaplandLongspurs were reported, certain- (HL, JF) couldhardly all representlate stragglers. ly in part becauseits usualassociate, the HornedLark, was down in numbers.Lastly, it wasa poorseason also for theSnow Bunting, with a WARBLERS THROUGH TANAGERS -- A few Black-and-white flock of nine nearAvon, N.C., Jan. I (BL, HL, MT) beingthe only sighting. Warblerstypically linger n. of the usualrange into late December, but therewere more than the usual numbersthis season. North Carolina had CORRIGENDUM -- The springreport of the Baird'sSandpiper at 5 extralimitalrecords, but the latestsighting was only Jan. 12, at PeaI. (AB 36:841)has been questioned by Wilds.Her experiencewith Raleigh(JM). Three observedin CongareeSwamp, S.C., Jan. 14-15 "peep" shorebirdsin the field andin thehand (with studyskins) has (AA etal. ) werepresumably wintering individuals at the inland edge of theirrange. The Cape Hatteras CBC, which iallied a remarkable31 led her to believethat the Baird'swas actually a White-rompedwith darkcentral rectrices, not at all a rareoccurrence based on her survey of Orange-crownedWarblers in 1981, had52 thisyear, including25 by museumskins. Thus, there remains no convincingspring sight record Sykesalone! More thana monthlate wasa N. Parulaat Durham,N.C., Dec.7 (JMcC).Also very late were single Magnolia and Black-throat- for theReg!on. ed Greenwarblers, both at CharlestonNov. 26 (SC). Oneof thefew Regionalwinter records for Black-throatedBlue Warbler wasone at OBSERVERS--Jackson Abbott, Bob Anderson, Carole Anderson, Buxtonon the Cape Hatteras CBC Dec. 31 (PS).In thesame mixed- Harry Armistead, Alan Avakian, Maurice Barnhill, Jeff Beacham, Rachel Bedard, ClarenceBelger, MaureenBenson (MBe), Patrick speciesflock with the Black-throated Blue, Sykes found a Yellow- throated Warbler and a Prairie Warbler. An excellent find was a Wil- Brisse,Dick Brown, Allen Bryan, Dana Carter, J.H. CarterIII, Jack Carusos(JCa), LouiseCauthen, Howard & SusanChambers (H & SC), son'sWarbler in Januaryat SanteeN.W.R. (fide pN). Coincidentally, Mosely& RuthChestnutt (M & RC), SteveCompton, Albert Conway, severalWilson's were seenat this refugea few wintersback. What wasapparently North Carolina's fourthNorthern (Bullock's) RobertCowgill, Dan Cristol (DCr), Ji m Crotchfield,P.J. Crotchfield, Ricky Davis, IreneDoremus, Gay Duncan,LydiaFollett, D.M. For- Oriole was a male at a Raleighfeeder in December(fide RJH). Al- sythe,Dorothy Foy, Roger Foy, JohnFussell, Hugh Garrett,Joe thoughinformation is sketchy,the state'sthird Bullock'swas at an- Greenberg,R.J. Hader,Paul Hamel, NancyIra, WayneIrvin, Ross otherRaleigh feeder during the previouswinter (fide RJH). Numbersof Jervis,Kathy Kirkman, John Koenen, Dave Lee, HarryLeGrand, Bob winteringN. (Baltimore)Orioles have slipped in recentyears, particu- Lewis, Merrill Lynch, PeterManigault (PMa), Didi Manns(DMa), larly at North Carolina feeders, and CBCs in that state no longer RobertManns, Greg Massey,Karen Masson, Dennie McClure, Pam dominatethose in otherstates. Either birders are not feedingorioles as McClure, Jim McConnell(JMcC)i Terry Moore, Jim Mulholland, theyonce did, or the devastatinglycold wintersfrom 1976-77onward tooktheir toll. Nonetheless, 3 reports for the Atlanta area (fide TM) Kelly Nagel,Frances Needham , North Carolina State Museum, Perry Nugent,John Paget, John Paquet (JPq), T.K. Patterson,Carl Perry, werenotable, as the speciesdoes not winterregularly there. Very rare Jim& JudyPick (J & JP), Skip Prange,Barbara Roth, Fred Scott, Paul in North Carolinawere two d' Brewer'sBlackbirds in a cow pasture Sykes, Dick Thomas, Mike Tove, Bill Wagner, MargaretWagner, withother blackbirds near Chapel Hill Dec. 26 (RJ, J & Jp).Surpris - Steve Wagner, Anne Waters, Morris Whitfield (MWh), Claudia ingly, therewere no otherreports of Brewer's.Again this winter there Wilds, Bonnie Woodall (BWo), David Wright.--HARRY E. Le- weremultiple sightings ofW. Tanagers,all in residential yards--two at GRAND, JR., 331 YadkinDr., Raleigh,N.C. 27609.' differentplaces in Fayetteville(M & RC et al.) andone at pine Knoll Shores,N.C., early January-Feb.28+ (KK, JF).

FINCHES -- EveningGrosbeaks were very scarcethroughout the Region;most CBCs missed them, as did mostactive birders. YeL PurpleFinches enjoyed a goodseason, with largernumbers in most FLORIDA REGION areasthan during the p[evious 2 years, which were fairly respectable "finch winters" in the s. HouseFinches continue to spread,being /WayneHoffman foundin newareas (Hatteras---HA) or especiallyin recordnumbers at localitieswhere several years ago they wererare. Notable tallies for the Thisseason's weather was characterized bytwo major trends; mild CoastalPlain were 100 + in oneyard in WhisperingPines, Moore Co., temperaturesand rain. Decemberand the'first half of Januarywere N C., Jan. 23 (JHC, DT), 30-40 at an Augustafeeder all winter(CB), warm,with frequent daily record high temperatures during the Christ- 20 at oneFayetteville feeder during the season (fide PJC), and eight at mas Bird Count (hereafter,CBC) periodthroughout the area. Late Edenton,N.C., Dec.4 (AB). Hardlyanyone would have expected a Januaryand February were characterized by a seriesof mild but very redpollto appearthis Winter, yet a d' Com.Redpoll was convincingly wetcold fronts. By theend of theperiod stations th?oughout theRegion describedat a Carrboro,N.C., feederDec. 26 (LF) by a birderfamiliar werereporting monthly rainfall records. This weatherhad generally with bothHouse and Purple finches. As with thegrosbeak, Pine Siskins salubriouseffects on winteringsongbirds but spelleddisaster for the were difficult to find, althoughnumbers were somewhathigher than winter-breedingwaders. The Coot Bay CBC reported20 speciesof thoseOf the former species. Nevertheless, more CBCs missed siskins warblers,and several species of warblersand other songbirds wintered thanreported them. The singleRed Crossbillreport was of a maleat a in greaterthan usual numbers, or northof theirusual range. These feederin Marietta, Ga., Jan. 31 (NI). This is the ninth consecutive includedBlack-throated Green, Yellow, Worm-eating,and Wilson's winterwithout a majorRe d Crossbillflight in thes.e. warblers,Northern and Louisiana waterthrushes, orioles, tanagers, and NorthCarolina got its third and fourth winter records, and first inland Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. forthe season, of Le Conte'sSparrow, both in Wake County. One was High waterlevels south of L. Okeechobeecaused virtually complete at BeaverdamRes., Dec. 4-18 (HL et al.) and the secondwas s. of reproductivefailures of the coloniallynesting herons, Wood Storks,

Vol 37, Number 3 293 CENTRAL SOUTHERN countsof over 200 at favoredspots from Brevardto Palm Beach REGION County,with a maximumof over1000 off CapeCanaveral Feb. 5 (JJ). -TALLAHASSEE •TLANTIC DIVISION Onlythree Gannets were reported from the Gulf Coast;one each from OCEAN Key West(fide FH), CapeRomano (THB) andAlligator Pt. (HMS). Two Brown Boobieson the Biscayne.CBC were unusual,but one reportednear Clewiston on L. OkeechobeeJan. 18 (RC) was amazing. GreatCormorants made a goodshowing on the AtlanticCoast with 5 records,including southerly records al PortEverglades Dec. 12 (JK) andin theEverglades Nat'l Park(henceforth, E.N.P.), at E. Cape SableJan. 3. Anhingasreturned to BocaChica in the Keys for the third winter(JL). A c• MagnificentFrigatebird Dec. 27 at Manasota(BHa) was unusuallyfar n. for that date.

HERONS THROUGH FLAMINGOS -- Two red-phaseand one white-phaseReddish Egrets were present at Wards Bankin December andJanuary (HC), andone appeared at CedarKey Jan.2 (fide RWR). Accordingto HMS, CattleEgrets are becoming extremely rare in the TallahasseeDiv. in winter,even as summer populations are increasing. Evidentlythis population is becomingstrictly migratory, and apparently the area is not attractiveto migrantsfrom farther n. Such local ILargO adjustmentsof statusfor CattleEgrets may be asimportant to document as the N expansionof the species'range. Keys WoodStorks were more evident than usual this winter in theTampa F..taridaBayi .: area, and were quite commonnear Okeechobee(WH, JD). One even appearedin LeonCounty Feb. I (fide HMS). This is notgood news, for thesebirds probably had dispersedfrom failed nestingattempts in s. Florida. ibises,and RoseateSpoonbills in southernFlorida this winter. The SeveralScarlet Ibis reportswere received, as well asGreater Flamin- year's recordrainfall mighthave affectednesting under the best of go reportsfrom FloridaBay andthe Keys. Unfortunately,so manyof circumstances,but overmanagementof water flow in the Everglades thesebirds are kept in captivityin Floridathat we maynever be ableto region seemsto have reachedthe point where water conditionsare recognizetrue vagrants. rarelysuitable for breeding.The breedingcycles of thesebirds are timedto exploitfish andother prey graduallyconcentrated into the deeperponds as the marshesrecede during the dry season.Current WATERFOWL -- A free-flyingimm. Mute Swannear Boca Raton drainageschemes seem to dryout the marshes too quickly in dryyears, surelywas an escape,but the WhistlingSwan on the St. JohnsR., near andto keepthem continuously flooded in wetteryears. In keepingwith ChristmasFeb. 24-Mar. I (MD, m.ob.) waspresumed wild. Fulvous FloridaRegion tradition I will leavethe details of thenesting failure to WhistlingDuck numbersat LoxahatcheeN.W.R., peakedat 150 this Rich Paul'sNesting Season report. winter.The flock of Black-belliedWhistling Ducks near Sarasota (see I tried to obtain observers' estimates of relative numbers for several FallReport) remained through the period. Two Black-bellied Whistling of theregular wintering songbirds, including Hermit Thrush, Solitary Duckswere shotlegally by a hunterat LoxahatcheeN.W.R. (fide PS). Vireo, andYellow-throated and Orange-crowned warblers. The results Threeimm. Brantwere at FlamingoDec. 16 untilFebruary (m.ob.) and can only be describedas "patchy". SolitaryVireos appeared more a CanadaGoose on Big PineKey Dec. 18 furnishedone of very few recordsfor the Keys (FH). Six (Blue) Snow Geesewere on the St. commonthan usual around Tampa Bay, but apparently were not commonin theGainesville, Ft. Myers, andPalm Beach areas. In contrast. JohnsR., Volusia Co., Jan. 15 (GB) and a notablecount of 35 (28 Orange-crownedWarblers were more commonthan usualaround Ft. Blue) was made at Waukulla BeachFeb. 8 (fide HMS). A c• Eur. Myers,but apparently not elsewhere. I was impressed by thenumbers Wigeon appearedon Sanibell., Dec. 17 and remainedthrough the of Hermit Thrushesaround Tampa, but I receivedcomments about period (L & BA, m.ob.). theirscarcity elsewhere. Evidently these birds choose their wintering A Corn. Goldeneyeappeared at Port CanaveralJan. 1 (JJ et al.). areason the basis of environmentalfactors varying from year to yearon Black Scotersightings included a family Dec. 24 in PortEverglades smallerscales than I expected. (RP), a female on the Coot Bay CBC, two malesand two femalesat Cape Romano Jan. 24 (THB) and sevenon the North PineliasCBC. Oldsquawswere seen on the Coot Bay CBC andin Old TampaBay LOONS AND GREBES -- A total of 23 Corn. Loonswas reported Feb. 5 (GEW et al.). Two Corn.Mergansers were reported on CBCs, by JJmore than 20 mi off CapeCanaveral on 5 tripsin Decemberand one at Cocoa Dec. 29 and one at Cedar Key Jan. 2. Red-breasted January.Loons normally are very rare that far offshorebut he noted that Mergansernumbers were normalor high this winter on the coastal thewater stayed unusually warm this winter, and retained large popula- bays, and 17 at C.S.M., Jan. 30 were exceptionalfor an inlandloca- tionsof baitfish.The abundantbaitfish apparently were responsible as tion. well for the numbersof Gannets.jaegers, and kittiwakes wintering in the area (see below). Oddly no shearwaterswere reportedat all. HAWKS AND FALCONS -- White-tailedKites were well repre- A reportof sevendead Corn. Loons on a l-mi stretchof CaseyKey in sentedthis winter, with 2 sightingson PaynesPrairie S.P., Dec. 6 (SN) early February (fide AS) was the first warning of a major die-off andFeb. 12(MC, BJB),perhaps involving the same bird, and a report occurringjust after the end of the period. SingleRed-throated Loons from nearFt. PierceDec. 28 (SL. PM). Interestingly,increased num- were at Alligator Pt., FranklinCo., Dec. 23 (HMS) and at Wards Bank bersof wintersightings preceded recent expansions of thiskite's breed- Feb. 6 (HC), but the oneinland at L. Jessup,Seminole Co. (TR, CT) ingrange elsewhere in thecountry. Everglade Kites were quite evident wasextremely rare. Eared Grebes appear to be increasingin theRegion alongthe Tamiami Trail Decemberto February,with a maximumcount with reportsof 12 birds,including four at St. MarksJan. 14 (fideHMS) of 70 (fideOLB). OneFeb. 19 at L. Tohopakakiga,Osceola Co.. Feb. and five at the Clear Springphosphate mine, Polk Co. (henceforth, C.S.M.) Feb. 5 (TP). 17(WF, RY) couldhave remained n. afterthe drought-caused dispersal of 2 yearsago, or moreominously, could portend difficulties caused by thiswinter's floods. Marge Brownsuggested that Short-tailed Hawks PELECANIFORMES -- Brown Pelicans are rare inland, but an are increasingin winterin the LowerKeys, and SwainsoWsHawks adultappeared at Bivne'sAnn, GainesvilleFeb. 24-28 (RWR), two of werereported from Flamingo (m.ob.), the LowerKeys (fide FH) and unreportedage were at Indiantown,Martin Co., Jan. 6 (PS, BH), and from BrevardCounty (DS). one immaturewas there Feb. 27 (WH, JD). Gannetsmade a strong A Caracaraat Hatbill P., BrevardCo., Feb. 28 (DS, DD) wasn. of showingalong the Atlantic Coast this year. Several observers reported its usualrange. Reports were receivedof 20 _ PeregrineFalcons

294 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 winteringin theRegion, primarily along the coasts. Merlins were rare field, Metairie, La.). The newest exotic loose in S. Florida is a Keel- alongthe coast, but reports of themwintering on the c. ridge(DS) were billedToucan at CostelloHammock (fide OLB); whydon't people take most interesting. care of their pets?Yellow-bellied Sapsucker numbers were high this winter. SHOREBIRDS-- Ted Belowhas been conducting frequent shore- Myiarchus flycatchersmade news in Florida this winter. Wied's bird censusesat CapeRomano. Over 100 Am. Oystercatchers,500- CrestedFlycatchers were reportedfrom Royal Palm VisitorsCenter, 1000 Red Knots, and 20-30 Marbled Godwits wintered there. Ameri- E.N.P.. Jan. 9, and from AlachuaJan. l0 (fide RWR). Great Crested canGolden Plovers were reported from Wards Bank Dec. 4 (19•HC) Flycatcherswintered as far n. as HighlandsCounty (FL). The bird of and from BiscayneBay Jan. 6 (RS). the year in Florida was a La Sagra's Flycatcheron Elliott Key, LakeJackson, Leon Co., waspartially drained by 2 sinkholeslast BiscayneBay Dec. 21-Jan. 24 (BR, m.ob., ph.). This furnishedthe fall. The exposedlake bed provided the best shorebird habitat inland in secondNorth Americanrecord of this West Indian bird (the other was the TallahasseeDiv. in years.A SemipalmatedPlover there Jan. 29 collectedin Alabamain 1963). HL reported18Least Hycatchers in the representedone of few winterrecords for the Div., andthe 28 Long- Palm Beach-Ft. Lauderdale area. Is this another result of the mild billedDowitchers there Dec. 18was an exceptional count. Two Long- winter, or is he gettingbetter at findingthese secretive birds? billedCurlews wintered at WardsBank and numbers of RuddyTurn- stonesand Sanderlingsthere were high (He, JW). A Ruff was describedcarefully from L. JessupJan. 15 (TR). Two PurpleSandpip- ersat PortCanaveral Jan. 17 (J J) werethe southernmost ones reported. Six White-rumpedSandpipers Dec. 26 at Ft. Pierce(HWK, KD, RR) were very unexpected;normally they winter in Argentina.

JAEGERS THROUGH ALCIDS -- J. Johnsonreported 45 identi- fiedjaegers from his tripsoff CapeCanaveral, including 34 Pomarine, 11 Parasitic,and on Jan. 30, one well-describedad. Long-tailed Jae- ger. GlaucousGulls werereported from WardsBank Dec. 25 andFeb. 9 & 13 (fide PCP), andfrom off CapeCanaveral Jan. 24 (JJ,RAS). An adult (unprecedentedin Florida) and a 2nd-winterIceland Gull were La Sagra'sFlycawher, second North Americanrecord, Elliot Ke3; reportedfrom Wards Bank in February,but by the end of the period it Fla., Dec. 23, 1982.Photo/G.F. Wagner (l), Jan. 1. 1983.Photo/L.P. was concludedthat both recordswere basedon sightingsof the same Brown (r). leucisticadult Herring Gull. An ad. California Gull at ToytownDump SWALLOWS THROUGH WAXWINGS -- A Barn Swallow near Feb.21 wascarefully. described (SRP, LH); details have been submit- ted to the Horida RecordsCommittee. This wouldrepresent one of very Lake PlacidJan. 9 furnisheda goodrecord (BK et aLL Rough-winged few recordsof California Gull e. of the Mississippi.Great Black- Swallowsappeared on both the Coot Bay and BiscayneCBCs. The backed Gulls are rare on the Gulf Coast. but at least 2-3 wintered on Rock Wren (see Fall Report) remainedat St. George Island S.P. TampaBay, andone was at SanibelI., the latterhalf of February(LA). throughFeb. l0 (fide SC). Two Sprague'sPipits were seenon the exposedbed of L. Jackson,Leon Co., Jan. 29 (HMS). Robinsarrived At leastnine LesserBlack-backed Gulls winteredat Toytown Dump (SRP)and others were reported from PortEverglades (two--JK, WG et early and in exceptionalnumbers throughout the peninsula. aLL and Wards Bank (HC). S. Patton regularlycensused gulls at VIREOS AND WARBLERS -- A Bell's Vireo wasreported on the ToytownDump and elsewhere in theTampa Bay area;numbers peaked CootBay CBC at E. CapeSable Jan. 3 (BH et al.). This speciesis very in late Januarywith 10,000 Herring Gulls, 50,000 Ring-billed Gulls, rare in Florida. As notedabove, an extensivelist of warblerswintered and40,000 LaughingGulls. In contrast,gull numberswere way down in the Marco I. area (THB). Franklin's Gulls followed their usual in Florida. A Nashville Warbler appearedat Merritt IslandN.W.R., Dec. 27 (JG). Black-throatedGreen Warblers were seen at Jacksonville patternof primarilyfall records,with the lastsighting Dec. 21 (SRP, (VM, MD), St. Petersburg(GEW et al.) andL. Kissimmee(TP, HF) as LH). JJreported 11 Black-leggedKittiwakes on 5 tripsoff CapeCanav- well as in their more usualS. Floridawintering areas. An imm. Yellow eral in the period. Warbler at LoxahatcheeN.W.R. was exceptional.Worm-eating War- Gull-billedTerns rarely winter in Floridabut two spentthe periodat blers winteredat CorkscrewSwamp Sanctuary(fide THB) and one PalmettoPt., Lee Co. (L & BA, m.ob.) anda third wasseen just e. of SarasotaJan. 15 (L & BA). Two Black Ternsat C.S.M., Feb. 15 were Feb. 22 on the GumboLimbo trail, E.N.P., may havewintered. Num- bersof Yellow-rumpedWarblers were very high from Naplesand Palm early (TP). The 40 RoseateTerns on the CootBay CBC wasan impres- BeachCounty n. NorthernWaterthrushes were reportedfrom High- sivecount for thisdeclining species. A murrewas studied at closerange landsCounty Jan. 9 (GEW et al.) and from the E.N.P., while Louisi- at the s. end of Casey Key (AS) but the charactersnoted were not ana Waterthrushesappeared on SummerlandKey (MB)Jan. 12 and adequateto distinguishbetween Common and Thick-billed. Both species are accidental in the South. on the St. PetersburgCBC.

ICTERIDS THROUGH SPARROWS-- Single (3 BronzedCow- PIGEONS, PARROTSAND CUCKOOS-- White-wingedDoves birdswere present at FlamingoDec. 3 andat St. PetersburgDec. 21. on SanibelI. (LA) andat Key West(FH) suggestan expansionof their Do mostlymales visit Florida, or (morelikely) do we just not recognize rangein s. Florida. RingedTurtle Dovesin Key West possiblyare the females?And will we recognizethe first GlossyCowbirds to reach becomingestablished (fide FH). The Miami areacontinues to harbora us from the Caribbean? The flock of Brewer's Blackbirds at the stables diverseparrot fauna. Neotropical species predominate, with Chestnut- n. of St. Petersburgremained through the period. NorthernOrioles frontedand Military macaws,Green-cheeked and Nandayconures, winter in small numbersthroughout the peninsula,but the ten in a tree Canary-wingedand Monk parakeets, and Red-crownedAmazons. in HainesCity Feb.6 wasan exceptionalconcentration. A (3 Orchard Only Rose-ringedParakeets are Old World natives(fide OLB). Else- Oriole wascarefully described from PalmBeach County Jan. 11 (HL). where,Monk Parakeetsappear to be increasingaround Tampa, and a A W. Meadowlarkwas flushed repeatedly at St. GeorgeI. causewayin pair of NandayConures appeared at CedarKey (JH). Three Groove- Decemberand January(HL, TT et al.); identificationwas madeby billed Anis werepresent with groupsof Smooth-billedAnis in E.N.P.; differencesin the call note. WesternTanagers were reportedat Florida two at Royal Palm Visitors Center, and one at Eco Pond. A fourth City Jan. 15 (LM) andat a feederin Alachuafor4 daysin mid-January winteredat Payne's Prairie S.P. (fide RWR). (RDR). ThreeSummer Tanagers were in theS. Floridaarea (fide OLB) andanother three were in PalmBeach County (fide HL). A c• Stripe- HUMMINGBIRDS THROUGH FLYCATCHERS --Three Rufous headedTanager fed in a Ficus tree on HypoluxoI., Feb. 22-23 (fide Hummingbirdswere reportedfrom the Homesteadarea--a female,an HL). Rose-breastedGrosbeaks visited feedersat Florida City in De- imm. male, and a bird of unknown sex. A (3 Black-chinned Hum- cemberand Venice in early February;two were at Royal Palm Visitor mingbird, one of very few recordedin Florida, spentthe winter in a Center, E.N.P., Feb. 26. A Dickcisselspent February at a feeder in Tallahasseeyard (fide HMS; id. confirmedfrom photosby N. New- Brevard County (DD, DS).

Vol. 37, Number 3 295 PurpleFinches were reported in higher-than-usualnumbers at Jack- Black, Greg Bretz, Marge Brown, Sam Cole, Mtke Collopy, Hal sonville(fide PCP) andtwo Pine Siskins visited Orange P. Goldfinches Connor,Ruth Cooper,Mary Davidson,Don Devitt, Helen & William were abundantthroughout the peninsulathis year but appearedless Dowling, Kevin Dowling, JackDozier, Hoke Fitzgerald,Dot Free- common than usual in the Tallahassee Div. man, Wayne Freeman,Chuck Geanangel,Wally George,Joe Gra- In general,sparrow numbers were low. At JacksonvillePCP re- bowski,Frances Hames, Lise Hanners, Brian Harrington (BHa), John markedon the continuationof a "long gradualdecline" in numbersof Hintermister,Brian HOpe,Johnnie Johnson, Herbert W. Kale, Jim White-throatedSparrows. The only Fox Sparrowreported was at the King,Bobbie Kittieson, Sue Langenia, Howard Langridge, Jack Lar- unlikelylocation of AlligatorPt. (HMS). Evidencecontinues to mount combe,Fred Lohrer, LarryMcDonald, Virge Markgraf, Pete Matra, that Lincoln'sSparrows winter regularly in the peninsula.One was SteveNesbit, Tom Palmer, Steve R. Patton,Robert Pittel, Peggy C. foundat OviedoJan. 16 (KD et al.) andthree were identifiedJan. 11- Powell,Robert W. Repenning(RWR), Richard Roberts, Bill Robert- 13 in Palm BeachCounty (fide HL). son, Ron D. Robinson, Ted Robinson, Robert A• Scheibe, Dave Smith,Annette Stealman, Henry M. Stevenson,Roger Stone} Douglas Stuckey,Paul Sykes,Tadziu Trotsky, Chuck Turner, Joe Wilson, Glen CONTRIBUTORS AND OBSERVERS (Area editors in boldface) E. Woolfenden,Richard Young.--WAYNE HOFFMAN, Biology -- Lyn & Brooks Atherton, Oron L. Bass,Ted H. Below,B. Joe Dept., Universityof SouthFlorida, Tampa, FL 33620.

ONTARIO REGION /Ron D. Weir riorGogama The exceptionalweather over the provincebelied the fact it was really winter. Acrossthe north, the three month period was the warmest in 50 years.In the south,only the wintersof 1931-32 and one in the 1840swere warmer.A bat was seenflying at GravenhurstJanuary 24 (RLB) and on a 7 km walk in PeterboroughFebruary 23, birders countedeight insects, •surpassing by onethe numberof birdspecies (AGC, pH), whichis not supposedto happenduring mid-winter in Ontario. Heavy cone crops, abundantberries and uncoveredweed seedsprovided ideal conditions for winteringbirds. Some, like wax- wingsand crossbills, responded while others, especially blackbirds, were inexplicablyscarce. The reportsfrom the 49 sub-regionaleditors and contributorswere dominatedby lateautumn records and overwinterers. At least 33 of the speciesreported are either rare or accidentalin winter. Waterfowl and • Lut•e•m V •rt Kingston• • Ma}sh nø•W• fe Is. gullsremained farther north than usualin responseto the freezethat Prince Edward eithercame late or didnot occur. Raptor mortality was not noted by observersand Kay McKeeverof O.R.R.F., reporteda very quietthree monthperiod for admissions,which contrastswith last winter. An L.St.• • .London •NiagaraFalls L, ONTARIO astonishingswallow, perhapsastonished as well, was still present • / • •Fort Erie January2 andan amazingtotal of ninewarbler species occurred in the • Ro•au PP - period.The distributionof winter fincheshas been traced thanks to the •lnt •lee "P L. ERIE expandedobserver coverage in Ontario's vast northland.Evening Grosbeakspushed in from Quebecin late Januaryand early February Bay Dec. 29 (GFC), anotherin SudhuryJan. 1 (JCN), two on Palmer- with very heavymovement into areasfrom Moosoneeto North Bay to stonL., n. FrontenacJan. 2 (WWB) and the last oneat SarniaJan 16 A.P.P. andOttawa. By the endof the period,their thrustwas southwest (DFR, JLB). Two Red-throatedswere at S.L.I., Dec. 4-5 (DAS), and they had reachedPeterborough and Simcoein the southand the singlesat P.E.Pt., Dec. 18 (RDW), KingstonJan. 1 (RBS, NS), Lake Superiorshore and Armstrong in the west.Purple Finches were ColpoysBay Jan. 13 (JWJ)and Winona Feb. 5 (RCu). A Red-necked fairly commonthroughout. Pine Grosbeakswere scarcesouth of Sud- Grebeat KingstonFeb. 23 wastheir earliest ever (JDS). There were 10 bury, but commonin the extremewest from Kenorato Atikokanand reportsof Pied-billedGrebe inch4dingone at CambridgeJan. 2-23 they appearedsuddenly in Februaryat Moosonee.Redpoll numbers (WW). Late weretwo Double-crestedCormorants at PeleeI., Dec 8 were exiguouseverywhere except in Moosoneewhere in the last five (DJM, RDM, MO) andsingles at RockPoint P.P., andPort Maitland daysof February,they appearedby the hundreds.Only in A.P.P., in Dec. 31 (BMDu, JFT, RFA). Latestamong 22 reportsof Great Blue mid-Februarywere Pine Siskinscommon. Tufted Duck, Sandhill Heronsafter Jan. 1 were one at Walkerton, Bruce in the first week of Crane, ParasiticJaeger, California and Sabine'sgulls, Varied Thrush February,four at Kitchener-Waterlooto Feb. 15(SRK) and one on the andYellow-throated Warbler were bu{ morsels from an interesting ManitouR., M.I., Feb.27 (CTB).An imm.Black-crowned Night season. Read the bill of fare and savour the memories of a winter that Heron lingeredin Hamilton Dec. 26~Jan.1 (RRi, GWw et al.) and never was. singleAm. Bitternstarried near Thornbury, Grey Jan. 15 (HMcC) and ChristmasBird Count (hereafter, CBC) recordswere omitted unless Port Rowan Jan. 17 (AG). theywere of over-ridingsignificance. Records from Long Point should be creditedto LongPoint Bird Observatoryexcept as noted otherwise. SWANS, GEESE, DUCKS -- The main concentrationsof Whist- Place names in italics denote counties. ling Swanwere reported from the shores along Turkey Pt. to LongPt, andfrom w. Elgin (JRM etal.) eachwith 1000birds. The five on Wolfe ABBREVIATIONS -- A.P.P. (AlgonquinProvincial Park), M.I. I., to Jan. 18 were well e. of their normalrange (K.F.N.). A lone (Manitoulin I.), O.R.R.F. (Ontario RehabilitationResearch Founda- CanadaGoose was at S. Baymouth,M.I., Feb.20, a furstfor winter(J tion), Pelee (Point Pelee N.P.), P.P.P. (Presqu'ileP.P.), P.E.Pt. Reckahn).Five CacklingGeese, the gmall race of theCanada wintenng (Prince Edward Point), S.L.I. (St. LawrenceIslands N.P.) on the West Coast,were with 2000 Canadasat Whitby Jan. 15 (MFB) andhad observers wondering about their origin. Single Brant were at LOONS THROUGH HERONS -- A Corn. Loon was still in North Oakville throughout(fide KMcL) and SarniaDec. 6-Jan. 16 (fide

296 AmericanB•rds, May-June 1983 AHK). An imm. White-frontedGoose accompanied Canadas on Wolfe I., Dec. 19 for the area's second record (RDW, GY). Six Snows were reportedof which the two at Strathroywere unprecedented(DEW). High numbersof puddleducks included 150 Gadwail at TorontoJan. 1 (WCM), 30 Green-wingedTeai in HamiltonBay Jan.23 (KMcL) and 18 in OshawaJan. 10-30(HK et al.). At Manotick,a Pintailstayed for the winter and a c• Am. Wigeon was presentJan. 29 for second winteringoccurrences (BMDi et al.). The Blue-wingedTeai at Kitch- ener was still presentat the end of the period(SRK). The 7000 Redheads and 5000 Canvasbacksnear Sombm, St. Clair R., Jan. 29 (DFR) were goodcounts. The only otherconcentration of Canvasbackwas the 4000 at LongPt., Jan.3. A smartc3 Tufted Duck at Oakville Jan. 23 to at least Feb. 13 (DGa, m.ob.) was only the second male for the Province. Unusual in winter for A.P.P., was the Com.Goldeneye Jan. 4 (GET). A 6 and 9 Barrow'swere at Burling- ton Dec. l-Feb. 28 (RF et al.) and Kettle Pt., Dec. 25-Feb. 6 (ph., AHR) respectively,while another,sex not reported.was at Niagara FallsDec. 5-Jan.23 (fide RFA). ThreeBuffiehead were on M.I., Feb. 22 for first Februaryrecords (JCN). The two Harlequin Ducks at Ipperwashlast autumnlingered through December (DFR, AHR), a maleappeared at OakvilleDec. 15 andstayed for theentire period (fide KMcL) and a female was at CranberryMarsh Jan. 8 (J & NL). At HumberBay P., Toronto,two maleswere seen Dec. 18 anda female was there all winter (fide BDP, CEG). A male and female were at BronteJan. 17 (GCo) and a female at Winona Feb. 5 (RCu). In the far Sandhill Crane, North Gower, Ont., Feb. 20, 1983. PhotolB. Dilabio. n. at CapeHenrietta Maria, severalhundred Com. Eiderswere counted Feb. 17, which were 50% ad. malesand 50% brown birds(MEG, CJR, ord.Two Killdeerspent the winter in theDundas marsh (fide KMcL) WPB). A King Eiderwas at P.P.P., Dec. 2 (AGC) andthe twoeiders at andanother was in CobourgJan. 6 (ERM). Returningmigrants were at SarniaDec. 8-11 mayalso have been this species (DFR). The 14 Ruddy Ft. Erie (RLS) and Bowmanville(PJB) Feb. 20 andthen along the Ducksat LongPt., Dec.25 werenoteworthy (TSa). In A.P.P., the 9 lakeshorein many locationsfrom Peleee. to Kingston.Late Am. Com. MerganserFeb. 12 was unusualand ten HoodedsDec. 8 were Woodcockwere in Vaughantownship Dec. 5 (GBe, ALD) andDeser- late (RGT). SevenRed-breasteds in the openstrait off the Mississagi onto(J. Percyet al.). Therewere 3 reportsof overwinteringsnipe and Light, M.I., Feb. 22-23 were area firstsfor winter (JCN). the one at PeleeFeb. 21 was thoughtto be a migrant(RDM). Late yellowlegsincluded a Greaterin the Comer marshDec. 1-3 (SEM), VULTURES, HAWKS -- Late TurkeyVultures were singlesat one at Grand Bend Dec. 6 with a Lesser, and anotherLesser at Pelee CheltenhamDec. 17(RAG), P.E.Pt.,Dec. 18(HQ, RDW), Elginnear Dec. 4 (DJM et al.). ElevenPurple Sandpipers were led by four at s.w. MiddlesexDec. 28 (DMu), butthe one at DarlingtonFeb. 20 was NiagaraFalls Dec. 5 & 13 (RKI, RRi, LW, DVW), two at PeleeDec. 3 thoughtto be an earlymigrant (B & EA). Goshawknumbers remained (CNH, MAH) and singlesat Amherst1., Dec. 4 (SHa), RondeauP.P., highafter last autumn's irruption. Excluding the CBCs, therewere 34 and Wolfe I., Dec. 19 (PAW, RDW) and P.P.P., Dec. 29 (SEM). reportsdistributed across the Province outsideOttawa and A.P.P., Tardy Dunlinswere threeat S.L.I., Dec. 4 (DAS) and one at P.P.P., wherethey werepresent in moderatenumbers (BMDi, RGT). The 20 Dec. 29-30 (SEM). reports,excluding CBCs, of Sharp-shinnedand Cooper's hawks were above average. Some 41 Red-tailed Hawks were relocatedfrom the JAEGERS,GULLS --A jaeger,tentatively identified as Pomarine, TorontoInt'l Airport duringthe period(KMcL) and an albinowas in wasfound dead along Nottawasaga Bay, SimcoeDec. 3 (fideCJM). A the Kitchener-Waterlooarea Dec. 27 (M & HW). Five Red-shoul- PomafineJaeger was along the St. Clair R., near SarniaDec. 16 dereds, rare in winter in the s., were noted Dec. 9-Jan. 21 from Hawk (DFR), where three late Parasiticswere found Jan. 15 (AHR, DFR). Cliff, St. Catharines,Claireville and Milton. Rough-leggedswere ThreeParasitics, which were attacked by HerringGulls in an apparent widespreadin thes. andone was still at theMoosonee Airport Dec. 31 rolereversal, were at BurlingtonFeb. 11 (RCu)constituting Ontario's (KFA, JRC). firstin February.Gulls put on their best winter showing in manyyears S•xGolden Eagles were reported at HarrowDec. 2 (imm.--DJM et and the 14 speciestopped the 13 of 1980-81.The largestgroup of al.), GeorgetownDec. 9 (three!--nodetails, JM), PetroglyphsP.P., white-wingedswas seenat Ottawa with 70 Glaucousand 65 Iceland Dec. 22 (imm.--PH), EganvilleJan. 11 (ad.--PP). The 11 ad. and 11 Dec. 31 & 30 respectively(BMDi, TH, TP). Both specieswere in imm.Bald Eagles were up slightly over last winter's record number. A Peterboroughto Jan.2, 3 weekslater than usual (AGC et al.). Extreme • MarshHawk was in OttawaJan. 24 (BMDi)and up to 24 wintered on e. Ontariowas the centre for numbersof GreatBlack-backeds led by Wolfe I. (K.F.N.). Gyrfalconsnumbered only six. Oneand two win- 218, mostlyadults, along the St. LawrenceR., betweenGananoque teredin theSudbury and Ottawa areas respectively (JCN, BMDi); one and Brockville Dec. 9 (DAS) and 120 in Ottawa Dec. 31 for a record waspicked up in SimcoeJan. 11 by Ministryof NaturalResources staff high(BMDi). Fartherw. andinland, the two at PeterboroughDec. 17- andtaken to a rehabilitationcentre near Guelph (fide RHS); singles 18 (AGC, DCS) and six at Barfie Dec. 29-30 (CJM, EAM) were rare were at Long Pt., Jan. 16 (AG) andWolfe I., Feb. 19 (MGa et al.). for anyseason and five at thedumps in Waterlooand Guelph Dec. 18- Peregrinesalso totalled six at Chaffey'sLocks Dec. 13(FP), WolfeI., Jan. 9 (SRK) was their largestnumber ever. Lesser Black-backeds were also in record numbers with seven and Dec. 27 (FA, JCaet al.), RossmoreJan. 5 (RTS), Kitchener-Waterloo Jan.27 (J. Roberts),Lakefield Feb. 6-21 (AGC et al.) andCobourg possiblynine depending on duplicate counting. Since 1976-77, Ontario Feb. 26 (ERM). The 3 Merlin reportswere from OakvilleDec. 3 hasaveraged two/winter. Two adultswere at theNepean dump Dec. 8 (GBe), Long Pt., Dec. 19 (TSa) and Kitchener-WaterlooJan. 16 and anotheror the samebird at Shirley'sBay Dec. 11 (MGa, TH, (K.W.F.N.). BMDi). At Kingston,an adultDec. 19 wasthe thirdever there (RDW, GY) andan adultspent Christmas dining at the St. Catharines'dump Dec. 21-28 (JCh, RM et al. ). Simcoe'sfirst ever wasat Barfie Dec. 29- GROUSETHROUGH SHOREBIRDS-- In A.P.P., SpruceGrouse 30 (CJM etal.) andat NiagaraFalls two and one were present Jan. 2 & werevery scarce through the period, but Ruffeds were in highnumbers 12respectively (RFA). The S retreatof HerringGulls was delayed as (RGT). Alsoin above-normalnumbers were Sharp-tailed in theCoch- 2500 were at Barrie Dec. 30 (CJM) and 2200 in Ottawa Dec. 31 rane,Hearst and Geraldton regions (TA). Theapparently healthy Sand- (BMDi) and atypicallysome remained all winterin Muskoka(RLB) hill Cranenear N. GowerMay 4-Nov.30 stayedon to wintersuccess- andat S. Baymouth.M.I. (JCN). Reportsof Thayer'snumbered 14 of fully, eatingthe regular handouts as it mingledwith cattle and horses. whichnine were near Sarnia (DFR) andthe restalong the lowerGreat (ph., BMDi, m.ob.). It providedOntario's second known winter rec- Lakes.An ad. California Gull nearthe Lambton Generating Station

Vol. 37, Number 3 297 on the St Clair R , Dec 20 (ph DFR et al ) was Ontario'sthird ever (D Dalke), AuroraFeb 18 (J Thomson)and Waterloo Feb 27 (M & andfirst m winter. At Niagara-on-the-Lake,a Black-headedDec. 1 & HW). HardyWater Pipits were at PickeringDec. 1 (RRi etal.), Wolfe Jan. 2 (DJM, RDM, AGC) was the Province'sninth in the past20 I., Dec. 12 (EG, FA), BronteJan. 15 & Feb. 13 (MJ etal.) andbut one wintersand the Franklin'sDec. 1 wasthe eighthin 20. (DJM, RDM). at PeleeFeb. 20 wasthought to be a springmigrant (RDM). Also thereDec. 1 were 5000 Bonaparte's(DJM, RDM) whichnum- bered1300 at SamiaJan. 13 (DFR). Fromthe Niagara area, L. Erie and WAXWINGS TO BLACKBIRDS -- BohemianWaxwings were the St. Clair R., Dec. 1-Jan.13 camereports of 28 Little Gullsled by common in the extreme w., where 400 were in CochenourJan 1-2 the five at Long Pt., Dec. 19 (TSa). Lastautumn's irruption of Black- (TSa, B. Scherkus),450 in Dryden all winter(LAH) and 100in Kenora leggedKittiwake faded rapidly. An adultwas near Burlington Dec. 1-3 from lateDecember (SMcL). Elsewherethey were scarce. Fewer than (DRG, GBe, ALD) and sevenat SarniaDec. 1-Jan. 16 (DFR). An 20 were in Sault Ste. Marie Feb. 23, SudburyFeb. 12-27 and North •mm. Sabine'sGull alongthe NiagaraR., Dec. 12-13 (V. Evans,JO, Bay Decemberand February,but 26 reachedGananoque Feb 3 RRi, LW) was Ontario'sfirst ever for the period. (DAS). The 20 Cedars at Atikokan Jan. 9 were their first in winter (DHE). TheN. Shrikewintering in Moosoneewas an important factor OWLS -- An imm. $ GreatHorned Owl, shotat Maple and taken to in the House Sparrownumbers falling from 14 to one at a feeder O R.R.F., was of the subarcticusrace (KMcK), which occursin w. (KFA)! Last autumn'slate Loggerheadremained at Oshawato Dec 3 and n. Ontario. The three Snowiesadmitted to the centreduring the (DDC) andthe one at BrightonFeb. 28 wasearly (PHS, RDM) winter,one of whichwas trapped inside a hydrotransformer cage, are A latestever c3 Blue-winged Warbler at Whitby Dec. 1-2was nicely releasable.Their flight wasmoderate with peaknumbers up to 25 on described(DVR, HK, MW) and singleOrange-crowneds were at St Wolfe I. (K.F.N.), 15 in Ottawa(BMDi) and 11 at Paisley,Bruce (D. ThomasDec. 27 (MA) andIngersoll Dec. 28 (RWS). Alsolate wasthe Schaus).One spentthe wholeperiod in downtownNorth Bay (GFC). CapeMay at PeleeDec. 4 (DJM et al.). Yellow-rumpedswintered in Five Hawk Owls were in Moosoneeall winter (KFA) and the one at numbersthroughout the s.w. extendingto Peterborough,Kingston and SevernBridge, SimcoeJan. 6-15 (RLB, AJS) was s. of its normal Ottawa. The "invasion" by Yellow-throatedWarblers last autumn range.Short-eareds were scarcebut up to 40 were seenregularly on was augmentedby a male at Niagara Falls Dec. 11-18 (HGC, mob ) Wolfe I. (MGa, K.F.N.) and six at Tullamore, Peel Jan. 22-Feb. 13 andthe Cornwallstray remained to Dec. 11 (L. Harris).The Blackpoll (RLB, AGC). The only Borealreports were of onekilled at Drydenin a at PeleeDec. 2 wastardy (DJM et al.). ThreePines were reported at trap(LAH) andone at MoosoneeFeb. 17 roostingoutside the officeof Walkerton, Bruce Dec. 25 & 27 (P. & R. Cathrae), Toronto Jan 3 the Ministry of Natural Resources(KFA et al.). (EK, HK) and Ottawa Dec. 8-Jan. 9 (BMDi). The Ottawa bird was killed in a collisionand subsequent post-mortem showed it to be very KINGFISHERS THROUGH SWALLOWS --The BeltedKingfish- fat. ACom. Yellowthroatwas still in Kent Jan.2 (DFR). London'sfirst er on M.I., Feb. 26 (CTB) wasone of 21 + thatwintered. The 12 Com. winteringYellow-headed Blackbird, ad. male, waspresent Jan 29- Flickersseemed a low totalfor suchan easy winter. The 13 Red-bellied Feb. 28 (GMW et al.). A 9 N. Oriole was at a Carleton Place feeder Woodpeckerswere well belowlast winter's numbers, but the 30 on the Dec. 9-11 (ph. ,fide BMDi) and a male visiteda Burlingtonfeeder Jan CBCsin London,St. Thomasand w. Elgin showedthe species'contin- 3-5 (JR, m.ob.). ued success(WRJ). Single Yellow-bellied Sapsuckerswere in Port Credit Dec. 26 (JAK), at 4 Torontolocations Dec. 26-Jan. 27 (HK, R. GROSBEAKSTHROUGH CROSSBILLS-- Singleimm. c3Rose- Scovell, A. Grey), Samia Feb. 2 fit'deAHK) and Erie BeachFeb. 12 breastedGrosbeaks were at St. ThomasDec. 27 (MA etal. ) andOttawa (RK1).Of thethree-toed woodpeckers, only the Black-backed irrupted. Dec. 10-Feb.28 (ph.,fide BMDi). Anotherspent December-January Its numberswere high in Ottawa and 10 sightingswere s. of their onToronto's Centre I. (HGC, m.ob.).An IndigoBunting was at West normal range, reachingKingston, P.P.P., Castleton,Woodbridge, Lome,Elgin Dec. 28 (JRMet al.). TheHouse Finch population at St Londonand Komoka. The only N. Three-toedseen out of rangewas Catharinesin mid-Februarywas estimated at 250 (RWK),the largest nearKingston Jan. 9 (FA). Londonmaintained its reputationfor late numberreported. Red Crossbills remained common in thepines on the swallows,hosting a hardy Rough-wingedat a sewagepond to Jan. 2 e. sideof A.P.P., wherea nestwas found Jan. 30 nearAchray, but later (WRJ). destroyedby a redsquirrel (RGT, CB). Theonly other birds noted were eightin QueticoP.P., Dec. 2 (SFP)and one in PetroglyphsP.P., Jan JAYS THROUGH PIPITS -- ExtralimitalGray Jaysincluded one 17 (AGC). White-wingedswere very commonin A.P.P., all winter onWolfe I., Dec. 16 (D. Paine)and at leasttwo in GuelphDec. 11-Jan. Some750 wereseen Feb. 16 anda completednest found Feb. 18 also 4 (fide SRK). Kingston'sfifth ever Tufted Titmousewas at a feeder near Achray (RGT, CB). The birds were abundantin Moosonee Dec. 22-Feb. 14 (KFE et al.). The 70 White-breastedNuthatches on (KFA), commonin Cochrane(TA) andin areasjust e. of L. Superior Wolfe I., Dec. 5 (D. Welsh)suggested an irruption.Red-breasteds P.P., Feb. 22-26 (JCa), but elsewherescarce. were present nearly everywhere including areas n. to Moosonee (RDM). Theywere very common in A.P.P., where90 BrownCreepers TOWHEESTHROUGH SNOW BUNTING -- OverwinteringRu- were countedJan. 1 (RGT). They also winteredin aboveaverage fous-sidedTowhees were one in Barfie (EAM, CJM), a male and numbersn. to Atikokan,M.I., andNorth Bay. Forty reports of Winter femaleat a ColpoysBay feeder(fide JWJ). One was in Vaughan Wren camefrom the extremes.w., singlesfrom Long Pt., Toronto, townshipto Feb. 3 (RTu). Highlightsof manylate sparrowrecords Oshawaand Peterborough.A CarolinaWren was at Niagara-on-the- includeda Savannahon Wolfe I., Feb. 19 (MGa et al.), Chippingat Lake Jan. 2 (AGC, PB, CV) andAjax Jan.21-Feb. 18 (SEM etal.). WestportDec. 29 (S. Parsons)and Cobourg Feb. 1-28(R. Lake), Field One Gray Catbird lingeredat IpperwashDec. 18 (fide AHK) and in the Toronto area Jan. 3-6 & 29 (fide BDP), White-throatedsall anotherspent the winter at Whitby (MJB, J. Sabine)where a Brown winter at Atikokan (SFP) and North Bay (GFC), Lincoln'sat Pelee Thrasherwas also present(D. Barry). Dec.4 (AW etal.) andBronte Jan. 1 (MJ) andSwamp at SudburyJan AmericanRobins wintered in numbers.Up to five stayedat Sault 11 (CGB). A Dark-eyedJunco wintered at Moosonee,roosting beneath Ste. Marie (TM) andeight were 150km n. of thecity Feb. 22-26 (JCa). an abandonedshed to escapethe shrikethere and individuals of the Singleswere n. to KenoraJan. 9-Feb. 28 (SMcL), AtikokanJan. 9 "Oregon"race were at PeleeDec. 24 (DFR) andPort Hope Feb 7 (DHE) andSudbury Feb. 15 (R. Reid). An imm. c3Varied Thrush was (ERM). Singleimm. Harris' Sparrowswintered at feedersnear Brigh- at anOakville feeder Dec. 19-Feb.28 (DRG, m.ob.) whilea femalefed ton Dec. 18-Feb. 25 and in HarwoodDec. 22-Feb. 25 (fide ERM) on Buckthomberries at Whitby Jan. 15-Feb. 25 (J. & B. Knudson, White-crownedswere in unusuallylarge numbers. Six wereat Brighton mob.). Anotherwas reported at a RichmondHill feederJan. 19 (R. Jan. 9 (AGC et al.), sevenat Winonathrough January and February Tilt). An E. Bluebirdtarried at RondeauP.P., to Dec. 18 (PAW). The (RHetal.) andsingles in PortHope Feb. 8-10 (BCO) and Barfie Feb robustBlue-gray Gnatcatchers at the Dundasmarsh Dec. 1 (GBe), near 13 (EAM,CJM). The 150Lapland Longspurs on WolfeI., Jan 22 RondeauP.P., Dec. 11 (PAW) and at PeleeDec. 24 (DFR) werelate. (PM) was by far the largestgroup reported. Snow Buntings were Golden-crownedKinglets were in abnormallyhigh numbers all winter. judgedto be in lower-than-usualnumbers, but 1200were in Kitchener They werealso n. to Kenora,M.I., where25 wereseen Feb. 25 (JCN), Jan. 8 (SRK). Sudbury and A.P.P., where 226 were tallied on their CBC Jan. 1 (RGT). Only threeRuby-crowneds were reportedat Whitby Jan. 17 ADDENDA -- Severalsignificant records for 1982for North Pt, 26

298 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 km n.n.e. of Moosonee, were received from Chris Rimmer after the Hince, P. Hogenbirk,L.A. Howe, S. Howlerr, R. Hughes,C.N. Hull, autumnreport had beensubmitted. Collected and now in the Nat'l R.D. James,W.R. Jarmain,M. Jennings,J.W. Johnson,A.H. Kel- Museum (Ottawa) were a $ Poor-will June4, W. MeadowlarkSept. ley, J.A. Kelley, E. Kerr, H. Kerr, KingstonField Naturalists,Kitch- 29-Oct. I and Clay-coloredSparrow Oct. 26. Bandedand released ener-WaterlooField Naturalists,R. Klips(RKI), R.W. Knapton, S.R. were a $ Wheatear June 4, imm. Yellow-breasted Chat Oct. 4-6, N. Kozak, L. de K. Lawrence, J. & N. Levay, S.M. Lodge. C.J. Mac- (Baltimore)Oriole Sept. 11 and imm. Lark BuntingSept. 24-29. Fayden, E.A. MacFayden,P. Mackenzie, W.C. Mansell, T. Mar- wood, J. Mason, H. McConnell, M.J. McCormick, E.R. Mc- CORRIGENDUM -- The Swallow-tailedKite assignedto Long Pt. Donald, S.E. McGregor, K. McKeever, J.R. McKishnie, K. July 1I, 1982 (AB 36:971) shouldbe deleted. McLaughlin, S. McLeod.R.D. McRae. R. Morris,D.J. Mountjoy.D. Murray (DMu), J.C. Nicholson,M. Oldham,J. Olinstead,B.C. Ol- SUB-REGIONAL EDITORS (boldface)CONTRIBUTORS (italic) son, B.D. Parker, S.F. Peruniak, F. Pbelan, T. Plath, P. Plotz, W.A. and CITED OBSERVERS -- K.F. Abraham, B. & E. Allin, M. Pratt. H. QuillJam,C.J. Rich, P.W. Richter, R. Rideout(RRi), A.H. Alton, R.F. Andtie, T. Armstrong, F. Avis, M.J. Bain, J.L. Bartell, Rider, J. Richardson,D.V. Ruch, D.F. Rupert, T. Sabo(TSa), D.C. C.T. Bell, C. Beakman (CB), G. Bennett(GBe), W.W. Bitfie. C.G. Sadler, A.J. Sinclair, P.H. Sinclair, J.D. Smith, R.H. Smith, R.W. Blomme, R.L. Bowles, P.J. Bridges,W.P. Brown, P. Burke, D.D. Snider,R.L. Sommerville,R.T. Sprague, N. Stewart,R.B. Stewart, Calvert,A.G. Carpentier. J. Cartwright(JCa), J. Chardine(JCh), G.F. D.A. Sutherland, J.F. Thill. G.E. Thorn, R.G. Tozer, R. Tuckerman Clay.G. Cody(GCo), J.R. Cree,H.G. Currie.R. Cur_rv(Rcu), M.P. (RTu), C. Vardy, M. & H. Walker, D.E. Walpole. R.D. Weir, D.V. Davis, A.L. Dawe, B.M. Dilabio (BMDi), B.M. Duncan(BMDu), Weseloh, L. Weseloh. G.M. Whitcroft, G, Whitworth (GWw), M. K.F. Edwards,D.H. Elder. R. Fleming.D.E. Fowler,R.A. Gairdner, Wilson. W. Wilson, P.A. Woodliffe, A. Wormington,G. Young.-- D. Gardiner(DGa), M.E. Gauthier,M. Gawn (MGa), C.E. Goodwin. RON D. WEIR, 294 Elmwood Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada E. Gray, A. Griffin, D.R. Gunn,M.A. Hamady,S. Hannah(SHa), T. K7M 2Y8.

NIAGARA-CHAMPLAIN REGION /DouglasP. Kibbe and Cheryl M. Boise

RuffedGrouse drumming! Wood and leopard frogs in chorus!Tree Swallowscoursing overhead. Signs of Spring?Usually yes; but not eventhe most optimistic observer would have dared assume so when. thispast December, these phenomena occurred. This was the mildest winterrecorded in thirtyyears. Many waterbodies, including Lake Erie, wereunfrozen, allowing ducks and gulls to staydispersed. The threeor fourmajor snowfalls which occurred melted rapidly leaving muchof theRegion bare most of thewinter. Consequently, concentrationsof raptors,Horned Larks. Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs werevirtually impossible tofind. Winter finches, with the exception of PurpleFinches and, of course.Evening Grosbeaks. remained north and eventhe latter were not present •n theusual hordes. Despite the balmy HAWKS THROUGH SHOREBIRDS -- Thosededicated enough to weatherfew insectivorous orfrugivorous species lingered beyond usual be manningthe DerbyHill hawkwatch on Feb. 20 enjoyednot only departuredates or in unusualnumbers. There were, however, excep- springlikeweather but recordearly migrant Sharp-shinned and Coo- tionalnumbers of 'half-hardy'Fringillids reported and doubtless many per's hawks.A Turkey Vultureglided by the followingweek and moreescaped detection as the weatherkept feeder attendance low. severallocalities reported Red-shouldered Hawks from mid-February on.Two January reports of thelatter might have been believable, given LOONS THROUGH WATERFOWL -- Numbers of loons and the mild weather, had details been provided. Rough-leggedHawks grebesseemed down despite. or more likely because of, theabundance were, in the wordsof onecontributor, "unimpressively present." Most of openwater. No groundingswere noted since the GreatLakes re- probablywintered farther n., a concentrationof 23 in thevicinity of mainedopen, permitting these species and diving ducks to disperse. Cucksville,N.Y. (K & RB) being the only exceptionto the general WinteringDouble-crested Cormorants were widely noted on the Great dearth. Bald Eaglesand Marsh Hawks were widely reported.The Lakesand in w. New York, a reflectionpresumably of boththe mild latter,present in thebest numbers in nearlya decade,were apparently winterand the species' recent increase as a breederin the Region.An lulled into lingeringby the lack of snowcover. imm. Great Cormorant was seenJan. 9 at Charlotte, N.Y. (MD, CP, An Ospreyplunged into CayugaL., Jan. 3 in a successfulbid to fide R.B.A.). It hasalways been surprising that this species is sorarely becomea memberof the local polar bear club. Few of us have been reportedfrom the Regionsince it is the winteringcormorant in n. fortunateenough to havecause to ponderthe probable size of a Gyrfal- coastalareas. One or two wild (?) Mute Swans overwinteredwhile con'swinter range. Repeated sightings of (presumably)the same bird WhistlingSwans, although widely sighted in December,were gone by Dec. 18-Jan.I at DeadCreek W.M.A (WE et al.), S. Burlington(MJM mid-January.A belatedconfirmation was received of a reportof Ver- et al.) and St. Albans, Vt., encompassa distanceof some50 mi. At mont's first White-fronted Goose shot Oct. 28 at Dead Creek leastone Merlin was present near Rochester through mid-January (fide W.M.A., "with a flock of others" (fide WC). Upwardsof 50.000 G.O.S.) andanother was reported from Coxsackie Flats in lateJanuary CanadaGeese took advantageof snowlesscornfields and the open (fide BC). Equallyexciting was a Peregrinenear Johnstown in mid- waterof CayugaL., throughoutthe winter.This tally. whichwould February(fide BC) andanother at Hamlin(RGS). Only onecovey of havebeen considered a reasonable high during the peak of migrationa GrayPartridge, at N. Hero,Vt. (JC),was reported, but Ruffed Grouse decadeago, is 10times the winter maximum listed by Bull( 1974Birds putin a fineshowing with particularly good numbers in c. andw. New of NewYork State). Numerous localities hosted lingering geese includ- York whereoverzealous males were notedcourting in mid-winter. ing up to threeBrant and Snow Geeseat a half-dozensites. The A VirginiaRail nearRochester Jan. 22 (MD) wassomehow identi- previouslyreported horde of 180,000hungry Mallards foraged around fied as an immature.Killdeer were reported throughout the periodwith MontezumaN.W.R., throughDecember. Half-hardy waterfowl re- earlymigrants returning the lastweek of February.Numerous Com. portswere up andan influx from the s. wasapparent by February. Snipelingered, or in a few casesoverwintered. best tallies being up to Markeddeclines in diving duckswere notedfrom somelocalities, I 1 at IrondequoitBay the second week of December(CC) andfive on hopefullybecause birds were wintering farther n. the JamestownCBC. A Dunlin was sightedat CharlotteDec. 4 (MD)

Vol. 37, Number3 299 and two were discoveredFeb 9 at Niagara Falls, the latterarea also WARBLERS THROUGH FINCHES -- Most of our warblersput hostingthe season'sonly Purple Sandpiper. Red Phalaropes at Char- little stockin ambientconditions and discreetlydeparted for warmer lotte Dec. 1 (KD et al.) and BarcelonaDec. 8 (RS) were far less latitudes.A Cape May Warblerwintering on suetand seedsat Penn unusualthan a Northernpresent Dec. 31-Jan.5 on IrondequoitBay Yan (FO) wasinteresting but far from unprecedented."Myrtle" War- (WCa, m.ob.). blers were widespreadbut not exceptionallyabundant anywhere A Com. Yellowthroatin a Rutland,Vt. marshDec. 31 (CF) qualifiedas a real rarity in that state.Common Yellowthroat reports were well above GULLS THROUGH OWLS -- An imm. Pomarine Jaeger sur- normalin the remainderof the Regionbut concertedsearches of cattail prisedeveryone by appearingat IrondequoitBay Jan. 9-10 (BCo, marshesin New York in any year would probablyturn up far more of mob.). White-wingedgulls were well reportedespecially considering the mildness of the winter. A Kumlien's race Iceland Gull was found theseaccomplished skulkers (plus rails and SwampSparrows) than mostobservers would ever suspect. Greatest rarities included an Oven- near Lewiston(RA et al.). An imm. Thayer'sGull wasidentified at bird at Greece throughJan. 15 (A & MM et al.), and a Yellow- Fulton(FS) andtwo Thayer'swere found at Colonie.Obviously the breastedChat at Conesusthrough December (R.B.A.). Numbersof speciesshould be watchedfor on L. Champlainand s. alongthe winteringIcterids seemed down to mostobservers, indicating the im- Hudson R. LesserBlack-backed Gulls virtually inundatedw. New portanceof factorsother than air temperaturein influencingoverwinter- York with singlesat OswegoFalls, IroquoisN.W.R., andBarcelona ing behavior. A N. Oriole at Middlebury Dec. 2 (MN), although andtwo on theNiagara R. ImmatureBlack-legged Kittiwakes were at unusualfor Vermont was only one of severalseen through mid-Janu- IrondequoitBay (MD, KG) andDunkirk Harbor (RS et al.) in early ary. Blackbirdsreturned in numbersthe fourthweek of Februaryjust December. Dunkirk also harboredtwo Little Gulls throughoutthe before a snowstorm struck. periodand up to 15were present in Decemberat theVan LareSewage Plant near Rochester. Since the latter location has hosted several times A dearth of winter fincheswas apparentthroughout the season In manyCBCs House Finches took top honors as their burgeoning popula- thatnumber in recentyears, we suspectthat many escaped detection by tionscontinued to expand.Considered an excitingnovelty only a dec- remainingdispersed on the Great Lakes. ade ago the speciesexhibits little in the way of latitudinallimits pro- The previouslynoted Razorbill off the mouthof the NiagaraR., vided 2 commodities,a feederand conifers(preferably spruce), are Nov. 27 did, it wassubsequently reported, swim across the internation- available. Moderatenumbers of Purple Fincheswere also reported al boundaryto becomeNew York's secondinland record. Possibly althoughwe wonderin lightof theabove how many were misidentlfied anotherwas seenat Addison,Vt., on L. Champlainat 200m in flight HouseFinches. Snowfree conditions induced many Fringillids to linger Jan.7 (WE). Giventhe distanceinvolved and problems entailed with but also forced few to feeders.Despite this observersmanaged to lnflightidentification the specific identification of thisindividual bird unearthnumerous notables including at leastnine SavannahSparrows, seemsproblematical. At Rutland,Vt., RockDoves commenced nest- three Chippingand two Vespersparrows, several "Oregon" Juncos •ng in mid-February(CF). and, at Coxsackie,18 SwampSparrows. Perhaps the greatestseasonal The season'sonly Barn Owl sightingwas made n. of Montezuma, rarities,however, were the c• Rose-breastedGrosbeak near N. Troy, N Y. (SK) Jan.1. A choresof 22 ScreechOwls greeted Rochester CBC Feb. 19 (/•'deBC) andthe Lincoln's Sparrow at Charlotte,Vt., Feb 4 observers.Elsewhere reports were generally sparse. Snowy Owls were (GH), the latter for Vermont's first winter record. widelyreported, perhaps made more visible by the absenceof snow. Very few Long-earedOwls were reported and concentrations of Short- CONTRIBUTORS (boldface) and Cited Observers-- Allegany earedOwls were noticeably smaller than on highsnowfall years. Con- County Bird Club, J. Allen, R. Andrle, H. Axtell, K. & R. Ballard, verselySaw-whet Owls wereespecially numerous in New York. W. Benning, Buffalo Ornithological Society, L. & D. Burton, J Cameron,B. Cook, C. Cass,W. Carlson(WCa), CayugaBird Club, WOODPECKERS THROUGH SHRIKES -- Wintering Corn. L. Chamberlaine, B. Colsman(BCo), W. Crenshaw,K. Crowell, M Fhckerswere morecommon than usual, particularly in Vermont.Na- Davids, P. DeBenedictis, K. Doris, T. Dudones, J. & M.I. Dye, W. tionsRd., in Avonagain lead all New York areaswith a dozenRed- Ellison, C. Frankiewicz,Genesee Ornithological Society,K. Grif- headedWoodpeckers. In Vermont where the species may soon vanish fith, R. Griffith, G. Hall, High PeaksAudubon Society, S. Kahl, M J withouta concertedmanagement program, a singlebird appeared at a Mauer, A. & M. Maybe, D. Messineo,M.F. Metcalf, A. & J. Nelson, feedernear Ludlow in earlyDecember (A & JN, m.ob.).Extralimital M. Nelson,J. Nicholson, W. Norse, OnondagaAudubon Society,F. Black-backedThree-toed Woodpeckers were discoveredat Camp Orcutt, C. Perrigo,V. Pitzrick, RochesterBirding Association,F. D•ttmerin Phelps,N.Y. (P & MT) andon the Thousand Islands CBC. Scheider,R.G. Spahn, R. Sundell,P. & M. Trail, Vermont Institute A few E. Phoebessurvived until the CBC. A Gray Jay at Rensselaer of Natural Science.--DOUGLAS P. KIBBE and CHERYL M. Falls wasslightly out of range.Common Raven sightings continue to BOISE, Box 34, Maryland, NY 12116. •ncreasein s.w. New York. Ithaca'slandlocked colony of Fish Crows apparentlyare far (or fool) hardierthan their coastal brethren, since eight overwintered.At leasthalf of Vermont'scounties now support w•nteringTufted Titmice and continued range expansion is predicted. W•nterWrens, recoveringfrom pastwinter-induced population de- chnes, were found in at least a half-dozen areas. Despitegenerally record-breaking warm conditions frugivorous half hardyspecies (e.g., Gray Catbird,Brown Thrasher and Hermit APPALACHIAN REGION Thrush),while widely reported, were not as abundantas the weather seemedto warrant. AmericanRobin, for example,has beenfar more /George A. Hall plentifulin other,more severe winters. A Veeryat Phelps Jan. 16 (P T, fide WB) wasextraordinary even considering the weather conditions. After a yearin whichthere was practically no springand very little Eastem Bluebirds were more in evidence in w. New York CBCs al- summerit wasappropriate that there be no wintereither. This winter thoughapparently few overwintered. Varied Thrushes graced yards in seasonwas themildest in manyyears. At the Pittsburghweather station S Newbury,Johnson, and EastCharlotte, Vt., andW. Taghkanic, the threemonths showed a temperatureexcess of well over 500 day- N Y. Is it wishfulthinking to hopethat some day such stragglers will be degreesand mostother places were similar.It was quitedry also,at banded and that annual returnees can be differentiated from newcomers Pittsburghwith a deficiencyof 2.25 inchesof rainfall for Januaryand from the West?Ruby-crowned Kinglets, normally very rare evenon February.Most areassouth of northernPennsylvania experienced only NewYork CBCs, popped up at manylocalities this December, includ- onemajor snowfall, February 11-12, which deposited record depths on ingthe Saxtons R. count(RG), thelatter Vermont's first documented partsof easternVirginia andWest Virginia. This periodalso had the wintersighting. Bohemian Waxwings were virtuallyunreported al- only occurrenceof extremelycold weather. thoughCedar Waxwings were locally abundant through early January, Superficially,to individualobservers, it seemedlike a dull season at leastin w. New York. Northem Shrikeswere rare to fairly common The usual"northern finches" did not appear.The mild weatherkept dependingon one's luck and location. Little by wayof a trendcould be birdsaway from the feeders,and so the averageobserver found things discernedfrom the disparatecomments received. uninteresting.However, on the ChristmasBird Counts (hereafter,

300 AmericanB•rds, May-June 1983 •SLES.• N. Y• (Bewick's) Swan at Donegal,Pa., Nov. 7- at leastDec. 30, the second record for e. North America (RCL & RM). A Mute Swan was at Conneaut L., Pa., Jan. 8 (RFL). CanadaGeese were present throughout the Regionin variablenum- berswith 5-6000 winteringat PymatuningL., Pa. (RFL), 740 at Chat- tanoogaJan. 1 (RS) and538 on the PittsburghCBC (PH). SnowGeese werereported from PymatuningL., Pa. (RFL); Ligonier,Pa. (RCL); MosquitoL., O., Feb. 27 (CB); Morehead,Ky., Dec. 30 (FB); Blacks- burg, Va., Dec. 18 (JMu), and Hiawasee RecreationArea, Tenn. (hereafter,H.R.A.), (RS), and Melton Hill L., Tenn., Feb. 21 (WJ). A Bar-headedGoose (escape?) was seen at PymatuningL., Pa., Jan. 8 (RFL). There were someimpressive waterfowl counts on CBCs: 8100 Mal- lards, 4005 Black Ducks, 2000+ Green-wingedTeal. 351 Pintails. and 325 Gadwalls at H.R.A., Tenn. (RS); 800 Mallards in Somerset. Pa. (RSa). However, mostareas found waterfowl scarce through the seasonalthough there was plenty of openwater. Most conspicuousby its absencewas the Corn. Goldeneye,which normally winters in numbers.No doubtit remainedin then. thisyear (as witness a peakcount of 4500 at PymatuningL., Pa., Dec. 25--RFL). A count of 109 Corn. ATLANTIC Mergansersat Warren, Pa., Dec. 18 provideda recordCBC total there OCEAN (WH). Oldsquawswere reported only from BaldEagle S.P., Pa., Dec. 5 (CH), Lock Haven, Pa., Dec. 9 (PS), ShenandoahL., Va.. Dec. 12- 14 (R.B.C.), and Morehead, Ky., through December (FB). At CBCs) most areas listed numerousspecies in record numbers.For P.I.S.P., White-wingedScoters were present through December with a example,at Pittsburgh33 specieswere seenin "notablyhigh" num- highof 27 on Dec. 5 (SS, JM), oneto threeSurf Scoters were present to bers. Jan. 16 as were one to two Black Scoters(JM). Six Black Scoterswere The continuedmild weatherinduced many of the speciespresent in at L. Arthur, Pa., Dec. 26 (MG & FL), and a Surf Scorer was at Decemberto staynorth through the seasonand the following account is Somerset, Pa., Dec. 4 (RCL & RM). repletewith unusualrecords. But if thiswere not enough, no seasonin the 25 yearsI have been writing theseaccounts has the Appalachian RAPTORS -- Two high countsof Black Vulturescame from Rock- Regionexperienced so many rarities.These included a secondrecord ingham,Va., 44 on CBC (R.B.C.) and27 at Lewisburg,W.Va., Dec. for easternNorth America, a new state record, and a fantasticwinter 22 (CHa). A group of 260 Black and Turkey vultureswas observed occurrence of a western bird which should have been in South America. feedingon a carcassat Athens,Tenn., in late February(RS), and 150 Suchthings as wintering warblers. vireos and the assortment of gullson TurkeyVultures were seen migrating past Chattanooga in lateFebruary Lake Erie seemed rather tame beside these records. (RS). A Turkey Vulture at Meadville, Pa., Feb. 27 wasquite early. Therewas a smallinflux of northernspecies but the "invaders"were There were 8 reportsof Goshawks:Allegheny, Pa., Dec. 7 (EW) & such unusual speciesas Gyrfalcons, Snowy Owls, and Northern Dec. 25 (CNx); Black MoshannonS.P., Pa., Dec. 26 (HH); Frederick. Shrikes, instead of finches. Va., all season(RSi); Chattanooga(first localrecord) Dec. 17 + (RS) Despitethe mild weatherthere were no great signs of anearly spring andmid-February (LK); Mineral Ridge, O., Jan. 22 (JL) andFannin. migrationexcept for therather early departure of manywaterfowl, and Ga., Jan. 23 (JF). BothSharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks seemed to the arrival on time in late Februaryof severalspecies of blackbird. be in good numbersthroughout. A Broad-wingedHawk was seenat In the following text countynames are in italics. Erie N.W.R., Pa., Jan. 27 (DS), for the third Pennsylvaniawinter record.Rough-legged Hawks were reported throughout. In the n. num- LOONS, GREBES AND CORMORANTS -- Common Loons were berswere lowerthan usual but reportscame from asfar s. as Roanoke, numerousin Decemberwith high countsof 27 at ChickamangaL., Va. (BK & BO), e. Tennessee(many reports,fide RS), n. GeorgiaJan. Tenn., Dec. 4 (RS), and44 at BooneL., Tenn., Dec. 1 (RK) andmany 30 (TM). There was an unusualnumber of winterreports of Marsh of thesestayed through the winter at severalplaces. A Red-throated Hawk. Loon was seenon the Ohio side of PymatuningL., Dec. 4 (RFL). Bald Eagles were widely reportedin the n.: 13 winteredon the A Red-necked Grebe was listed on the Butler, Pa. CBC, Dec. 26 SusquehannaR., near Lancaster,Pa. (fide KJ); up to four adultsand (GW) and an Eared Grebe was at PresqueIsle S.P., Pa. (hereafter, oneimmature were seen from time to time in the Meadville-Pymatun- P.I.S.P.) (SS). Two White Pelicanswere at PymatuningL., Pa., Dec. ing area(RFL); the T.V.A. mid-wintersurvey counted 17 in e. Tennes- 5-8, (fide RFL). Double-crestedCormorants were reported from Boone see (fide MD & LF). Other recordscame from Kinzua L., Pa. (TG), L., Tenn., Dec. 1 (RK), Tellico L.. Tenn., Feb. 5 (CN). and P.I.S.P., State College, Pa. (MW), Youngstown,O. (CB), Botetourt. Va. Dec. 5 (SS). (MDo, JH). Bald Eagle S.P.. Pa. (PS) and Morehead,Ky. (FB). A total of five Golden Eagleswas seenon the Virginia-WestVirginia HERONS AND WATERFOWL-- There was an unusual number of bordernear Bluegrass, Va., Feb. 26 (RA). GoldenEagles were seen GreatBlue Heronsin thisRegion in Decembercapped by highcounts thereearlier and in Augusta,Va., Jan. 1 ! (LT), on RaccoonMt., near of 170 at ChattanoogaJan. 1 (RS), 148 at Knoxville Dec. 19 (MD & Chattanoogain lateJanuary and early February(m.ob.), andon Look- LF), and 17 at PittsburghDec. 18 (PH). Many of theseremained out Plateau,Ga., Jan. 30 (fide LM). throughthe winterthroughout the Region.A GreatEgret remained at AmericanKestrels were unusually numerous in w. Pennsylvaniaand PymatuningL., Pa., throughDec. 19 (RFL). A Green Heron was at n. West Virginia. Merlins werereported from MosquitoL., O., Dec. KnoxvilleDec. 19 (PHa), andanother was at ChickamaugaL., Tenn., 19(fide CB), andKnoxville Dec. 19 (BS). The mostinteresting raptor Jan. 4-Feb. 21, (L & KD). Some 16 Black-crownedNight Herons recordsof the seasonwere of a gray-phaseGyrfalcon at Cambridge winteredat Knoxvilleand nine others were at GreatSmoky Mountains Springs,Pa., from mid-February-28+. This bird was feedingon N.P., Jan. 2 (MD & LF). pheasantsat a stategame farm (m.ob.). AnotherGyrfalcon (brown) There was a remarkablenumber of recordsof WhistlingSwans was seen at Waterford, Pa., Feb. 2 (SS). duringthe winter. At P.I.S.P., 184 remainedthrough the season(JM) and up to 12 wereon the TennesseeR., near KnoxvilleJan. 24-Feb. 21 GALLINACEOUS BIRDS, CRANES AND RAILS -- Ruffed (GR), 12 were in Meigs, Tenn., in January(CC). Other mid-winter Grousepopulations were up nearLock Haven. Pa. (PS), but no other recordscame from PymatuningL., Pa. (RFL), LigonJer,Pa. (RCL) area mentionedthem. Bobwhite remain scarcein the n., and were down andLock Haven, Pa. (PS). Ratherearly migrants were seen at Akeley, 70% at Chattanooga(RS). At Pittsburghthe 13 pheasantscounted on Pa., Feb. 24 (DK) andMosquito L., O., Feb. 27 (CB). In a seasonof the CBC furnishedthe secondlowest count ever (PH). A Chukar of manyunusual records one of the two mostoutstanding was a Whistling unknownorigin showedup in Princeton,W. Va., in mid-February

Vol. 37, Number3 301 (JP). the n., the CarolinaWren populationcontinues to work its way back A Sandhill Crane was seenin Monroe, Tenn., Dec. 9 (WJ). Another up, with 78 on the PittsburghCBC, the highestin 6 years (PH). late datefor craneswas Dec. 7 whennine flew overChattanooga (RS) Carolina Wrens were found in Erie Dec. 18 (SS) and in Warren, Pa., andearly migrants were five inMeigs, Tenn., Feb. 12(CC). A Virginia Dec. 6 (RR) andJan. 20 (NG), bothareas n. of theusual range. Also n. Rail wasat Blacksburg,Va., Dec. 18 (fideJMu) andtwo Corn.Galli- of theusual range were Mockingbirds at MeanderL., O., Dec. 18 (CB) nules were at Roanoke Dec. 18 (J & TK, BK). and at Sheffield,Pa., in January(NS). The mild weatherproduced severalrecords of thoseperennial "half-hardy" stragglers,the Gray SHOREBIRDS, JAEGERS AND GULLS -- An unidentified Catbird and the Brown Thrasher. The former was found in Butler, Pa., "peep" sandpiperat P.I.S.P., Jan. 14 (JM) providedthe latestwinter Dec. 26 (GW) andNorris, Tenn., Dec. 4 (CN), while the thrasherwas recordfor anysandpiper in Pennsylvaniaoutside of thes.e. A Dunlin reportedfrom Butler, Pa., Dec. 26 (GW), Allegheny,Pa., Jan.28 (RT), was alsoat P.I.S.P., Dec. 18 (JHi), anda RedPhalarope was seen there Rockingham, Va., two birds (R.B.C.), McClintic Wildlife Area, Jan.5 (JB). A few LeastSandpipers wintered at SavannahBay, Tenn., W.Va., Feb. 19 (GBr). and 3-4 at Elizabethton. Tenn. (GE). togetherwith 80 + Dunlins.Two otherwintering shorebirds in that area were a SpottedSandpiper at ChickamaugaL., and a Greater THRUSHES THROUGH PIPITS -- American Robins and E. Blue- Yellowlegsin Meigs,Tenn. (RS). An imm. ParasiticJaeger was at birdswere unusually abundant all seasonin the n., andthere were more P.I.S.P., Dec. 12-17 (GB, JB) andthere were reports of unidentified recordsof winteringHermit Thrushesin the n. thanis usual.Golden- jaegers(possibly the same bird) there Dec. 24 (RFL) andJan. 4 (DS). crownedKinglets were in excellentnumbers at mostplaces and more As usualthe L. Erie Shoreat P.1.S.P., producedan abundanceof Ruby-crownedKinglets wintered than is normal. As usual Cedar gull records.Up to five GlaucousGulls were theremid-January + Waxwingswere either totally absentor extremelynumerous, with a (JM); an IcelandGull waspresent during the sameperiod (SS, FH); a countof 989 on theButler, Pa. CBC (PH) and409 on the Waynesboro, Lesser Black-backedGull was seenFeb. 5 (JM, DS); and up to ten Va. CBC (RSn). SingleWater Pipits were reported from P.1.S.P., Dec. LittleGulls were there through the season (JM). Thegull record of the 5 & Feb. 5 (JM) andthree were at JerseyShore, Pa., Jan.2 (PS), but at yearwas a firstor second-yearThayer's Gull seenat Erie Dec. 21 (SS) Vonore, Tenn., 125 were seenDec. 13 (CN), and sizableflocks were and at P.I.S.P., Dec. 14-Feb.27 (JM). At PymatuningL., Pa., 5000 reportedfrom 3 areasof Knox, Tenn. (PHa). Ring-billedGulls and 1500Bonaparte's Gulls were present in Decem- ber (RFL). The only reportsof Great Black-backedGulls came from SHRIKES AND VIREOS --Northern Shrikes were at P.I.S.P., one BaldEagle S.P., in lateDecember and early February (PS). A Laugh- or two Dec. 17-Feb. 12 (m.ob.); Crawford, Pa., Jan. I & 9 (RFL), ing Gull wasat ChickamaugaL., Tenn.. Feb. 6 (RS) anda Forster's Lawrence, Pa., Jan. 9 (JGr & JR), BeechCreek, Pa., Feb. 6 (CH), and Tern was there Jan. 31 (L & KD). Burlington,Pa., Feb. 19 (EW). Therehas been great concern about the LoggerheadShrike in this Region so the followingreports represent all DOVES AND OWLS -- MourningDoves were exceptionallynu- that camein. One wasseen at MosquitoL., O., Feb. 27 (CB) andall merousand severalareas reported record numbers on CBCs. Barn otherrecords came from Virginia ande. Tennessee,mostly in theGreat Owlswere reported from Boonsboro,Md. (L & TDo), Lyndhurst,Va. Valley. One wasseen inBath, Va., Feb. 26 (RA); inAugusta,Va., six (RSn, JHn), Rockingham.Va. (R.B.C.), and a nestwas foundat were found in the CBC and in Waynesboro,eight (RSn); while in Millhall, Pa. (DB). The usuallyunreported Long-eared Owl was at nearbyRockingham some 25 were listedduring the sameseason; and Indiana,Pa., in lateFebruary (R & MH), andone was found as a road- sevendifferent birds were to be foundnear Knoxville during the period kill at Bald EagleS.P., Pa., Dec. 26 (CH). Therewere more reports (fide MD & LB). A SolitaryVireo was at StateCollege, Pa., Dec. 2 than usualof Short-earedOwls: StateCollege, Pa., in January(KJ), (TS) and anotherwas seen in Botetourt, Va., Dec. 18 (BH & MDo). RoanokeDec. 17-Jan.3 (NM, BK); Rockingham,Va., threethrough the season(R.B.C.), Augusta,Va. up to five (RSn), andMosquito L., WARBLERS, ICTERIDS AND TANAGERS -- There was an un- O., Dec. 19 (JL). The SnowyOwl wasone "northern species" that did usualnumber of warblersremaining into the winter,and many of them come S this winter with four reports;McKean, Pa., Dec. 16+ (SS, apparentlysurvived. Yellow-rumped Warblers are to beexpected in the DS, DSt); P.I.SP., Feb. 12 (RFL);Allegheny.Pa., Dec. 22 (DF); and winterbut wereexceptionally numerous even in the n. At Chattanooga moreunusualAugusta, Va., Dec. 31-Jan. 16, whenfound dead (RSn, PalmWarblers have become regular winter species along with the more R.B.C.). usual Yellow-rumpedand Pine warblers.Palm Warblerswere also reportedfrom Allegheny, Pa., Dec. 2 (DF) andfrom State College, Pa., HUMMINGBIRDS. WOODPECKERS. AND FLYCATCHERS -- in December(K J) andagain in February(HH). CommonYellowthroats A hummingbirdseen in Allegheny,Pa., onthe remarkable date of Dec. wereat H.R.A., Tenn.. Jan. 1 (fide RS),Allegheny.Pa.. Dec. 18 (Die), 2 wasprobably a Ruby-throatedbut may have been a strayof oneof the andat StateCollege, Pa., throughthe season(MW). The moreunusual w. species(JG). The Red-belliedWoodpecker continues to do well in recordswere of Black-and-white,Blacksburg, Va., Dec. 6 (CK); Or- the n., but Red-headedWoodpeckers remain scarce or absentevery- ange-crowned,Elizabethton, Tenn., Jan.27-Feb. 28 {feedingon suet where. More Corn. Flickersremained during the winterthan is normal. at a feeder--BW), Magnolia,Allegheny, Pa., Dec. 4 (DF), and Cape A Red-cockadedWoodpecker was seen at the CatoosaW.M.A., May, Waynesboro,Va., Dec. 19--at leastFeb. 12 (RSn),and Oven- Tenn., Jan. 10 (CW). Early winter recordsof E. Phoebescame from bird, Powdermill Nature Reserve Jan. 4-19 (RCL). Butler, Pa., two Dec. 26 (GW); Youngwood,Pa., Dec. 26 (DSm); The only reportsof large blackbirdconcentrations came from the Knoxville, two on CBC (MD & LB) and anotherin Knox Jan. 8 (PHa); ChambersburgCBC where40,000 Com. Grackleswere counted (DG) and a record count of 24 at H.R.A., Jan. I (RS). Migrants had not andfrom the Youngstown,O., area(MS). On Feb. 6 a Yellow-headed arrived by the end of the period. Blackbird was seenat Austintown, O. (MS). NorthernOrioles were at Daleville, Va., Dec. 25 (MWo) and at Roanoke Jan. 1-25 (TF). SWALLOWS, CORVIDS AND TITMICE -- Purple Martins ar- A Summer Tanager at RoanokeDec. 24-25 (JA, BK) provideda rived in Knox. Tenn., Feb. 25 (PP). The Corn. Raven continuesits noteworthyrecord, but its lusterwas dimmed this year by therecord of populationincrease in c. Pennsylvania.The Fish Crow is eitherunder- the season,a WesternTanager (probablyad. female)seen and photo- going a considerableincrease in the main river valleysin the e. or observersare suddenlybecoming more aware of this speciesas distin- guishedfrom the Corn. Crow. Therewas a smallS movementof Black- cappedChickadees but the most interesting chickadee report came from RaccoonCreek S.P., Pa., wherethe CarolinaChickadee was unusually numerous(NK). This is in an area whereboth occur and is very nearly at the n. limit of the range of carolinensis.

NUTHATCHES, WRENS AND MIMIDS -- Small numbers of Red-breastedNuthatches were found throughout the Region,but most placesfound them absent. House Wrens were reported from Elizabeth- WesternTanager, Hendersonville, N.C., Jan. 4-5, 1983. Photo/R. ton, Tenn., Dec. 18 (RK) andat Knoxville Dec. 19 (fide MD & LF). In Warner.

302 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 graphedat Hendersonville,N C , Jan 4-5 (RW) Thismay well be the Butler, Pa , Dec 26 (GW) farstwanter record for the UnatedStates away from the Southwest. CONTRIBUTORS-- RichardAlmy, RobertAnderson, Jim Ayers, FRINGILLIDS -- It wasdefinitely not a "northernfinch" winter. CaroleBabyak, Jim Baxter,Gert Bollinger(GB), Dan Braunlng, EveningGrosbeaks appeared in smallnumbers at localitiesas far s. as GeorgeBreiding (GBr), FredBusroe, Carl Campbell,Linda Christen- c V•rginiaand e. Tennesseebut no one sawvery many,and many son, Marcia Davis (MD), MarthaDillenbeck (MDi), Mike Donahue placeshad none. Pine Siskinswere even fewer in numbers.Common (MDo), LeontineDoyle (LDo), TrumanDoyle (TDo), Ken Dubke,L11 Redpollswere reported only from Bald Eagle S .P., Pa. (MW). Onlya Dubke(LD), Glen Eller, Tad Finnel,Linda Fowler, Dave Freeland, fewRed Crossbills were reported on Shenandoah Mt., Va., wherethey MargueriteGeibel, NorrisGluck, Sally Goodin,James Gray (JGr), havebeen found year 'round recently (LT); threewere seen at Watauga Nancy Grisez (NG), Ted Grisez, Joe Grom (JG), Davison Grove, L, Tenn., Dec. 10 (SG & MDi), but at Blacksburg,Va., 20_+ were FrankHaas, Charles Handley (CHa), PaulHartigan (PHa), CecilHaz- trappedin late Februaryfor a V.P.I. Researchproject (fide JMu). On lett(CH), HarryHenderson, John Heninger, Paul Hess (PH), Margaret theother hand Purple Finches were in unusuallyhigh numbers at most Higbee,Roger Higbee, William Highhouse,Jim Hill (JHi), Joyce placesand HouseFinches continue to increasein the mostrecently Hiner (JHn), JoyceHolt (JH), Bill Humeniuk(BHu), Bill Hunley colonizedlocalities. A Rose-breastedGrosbeak was present all season (BH), WesleyJames, Katherine Jones, Lenny Kafka, Mark Kalbach, at a feederin Collegedale,Tenn. (BHa). A Dickcisselwas present at a Cal Keppler,Nick Keriin,Clyde Kessler, Barry Kinzie, Dennis Kirk- feederin Highland, Va., October-Feb.28 + (R.B.C.). patrick,Rick Knight, JanetKrakauer, Tom Krakauer,Nevada Laitsch, Therewas an unusual number of Field,Swamp, and Song sparrows RobertLeberman (RCL), RonaldLeberman (RFL), FredLochner, Jim stallpresent in the n. in December,but White-throatedSparrows were Lucas,Jerry McWilliams (JM), NorwoodMiddleton, Terry Moore, notas common as in recentwinters, and Tree Sparrows were missing at RobertMulvihill, JohnMurray (JMu), CharlesNicholson (CN), Cla- mostplaces. A Tree Sparrowin McMin, Tenn., Jan. 1 (LD et al.) was renceNixon (CNx), Bill Opengari,Paul Pardue, Jim Phillips,Frank noteworthy.More late stragglerswere SavannahSparrows in Brad- Preston,Greg Reed, JanRencheck, Ron Rieder,Rockingham Bird ford, Pa., Dec. 23 (EW) and Westmoreland,Pa., Dec. 4 (LC); Grass- Club(R.B.C.), RuthSager (RSa), Norman Samuelson, Terry Schiefer, hopperSparrow at ChattanoogaDec. 18 (fideRS); ChippingSparrows Paul Schwalbe,Boyd Sharp,Robert Simpson (RSi), Merit Skaggs, at PowdermillNature Reserve, Pa., throughDec. 12 (RCL) andat Bald DennisSmeltzer (DSm), DonaldSnyder (DS), Ruth Snyder(RSn), EagleS.P., Pa., Dec. 5 (CH); andLincoln's Sparrows in Allegheny, Anne Stamm,Dave Steadman(DSt), JerieStewart, Randy Stringer Pa , Dec. 18 (DF) andMeigs, Tenn., Jan. I (RS). "Oregon" Juncos (RS), SamStull, Leonard Teuber, Robert Tisony, Barbara Walsh, Ron were reportedfrom Berwick, Pa., Dec. 19 (MK); Daleville, Va., Dec. Warner,Evaleen Watko, CraigWatson, David White, GeneWilhelm, 19 (BK), PowdermillNature ReserveJan. 16 (RFL); and Ninevah, Erika Wilson, Merrill Wood (MW), Mark Woodie (MWo), Ruth Va , Dec. 16-February(RSi). SnowBuntings were foundonly in n. Young.--GEORGE A. HALL, Div. of Forestry, (Mail Address: Pennsylvaniaand were in low numbersand the only reports of Lapland Depart. of Chemistry), West Virginia University,Morgantown, Longspurscame from Boonsboro, Md., Feb. 11-12 (T & LDo) and WV 26506.

WESTERN GREAT LAKES REGION /David J. Powell Lakeofthe Wood• .

In dramaticcontrast to last winter'srecord low temperatures,high winds and abundantsnow, this winter had recordwarm temperatures ULT STE MARIE andlacked snow. Many lakes,particularly in Michiganand Wisconsin, did not freezeuntil mid-Januaryand reopened in mid-February.High temperaturesof 5-20øFabove normal were the rule ratherthan the exceptionthroughout the Region,with temperaturesbelow 0øF almost unheardof, evenin Minnesota.With the exceptionof a late December winterstorm in Minnesota,there were no severestorms in the Region. Much of theprecipitation fell asrain notsnow in Michiganand Wiscon- sin, and what snow did fall did not remain long. Minnesotawas an exceptionwith an averageamount of snowto go with its aboveaverage temperatures. The seasonmostly was describedas dull and boring. Open water prowdedsome spectacular gull andwaterfowl counts in Michiganand Wisconsin,but little else. The migrationbegan February 19-20 with winteredin 4 Michiganand 2 Wisconsincounties and were observed in thousandsof blackbirds and ducks, with lower numbers of robins, Januaryat 2 locationsin Minnesota.A Least Bittern discoveredin bluebirds, Killdeer and meadowlarksinto the southernareas of all three Monroe,Wis. (KM) in mid-Decemberwas remarkable, as this species statesby the end of February. normallydeparts the Regionby late August.American Bitterns re- Outstandingfinds this seasonincluded Ross' Goose, Northern maineduntil mid-Januaryat 2 locationsin Wisconsin. Waterthrush,Lark Bunting, and Black-throatedSparrow. In this reportplace namesin italicsare counties.The abbreviation WATERFOWL -- Mild weatherduring this winter allowedwater- W M A. = Wildlife ManagementArea. fowl of manyspecies to remainin largenumbers. Whistling Swans wereseen in goodnumbers in all 3 stateswith flocksof 5000 at Weaver LOONS THROUGH HERONS --The onlyRed-throated Loon seen Marshes,Wabasha, Minn., Dec. 7 (KE, RJ) and1000 + onthe Missis- this winter was Dec. 4 in Ottawa, Mich. (BM). An Eared Grebe seen sippiR., at BuffaloCity, Wis., Jan.2 beingparticularly impressive on the Niles, Mich. CBC representedthe first winter sightingof this They overwinteredin all 3 states,with a bird in Aitkin,Minn. (WN) speciesin Michigan.Double-crested Cormorants lingered into Decem- achievingthe distinction of beingthe first to accomplishthis feat in n ber in all 3 states,with the latest being Dec. 22 at Black Dog L., Minnesota.Mute Swans continue to dovery well in Michigan:"more Dakota, Minn. (MW). Two cormorantsin Goodline, Minn., Feb. 15 thanever before" in Berrien, Mich. (RS), 83 Jan.28 in Kalamazoo, (RG, RJ) were hard to explain;they would be highly unusualif they Mich., themost ever (DP). Theywere noted on 27 MichiganCBCs overwinteredor extremelyearly if migrants.Great Blue Heronsover- CanadaGeese were seen in largenumbers in all 3 states,with 55,150at

Vol 37, Number 3 303 Honcon N W R , in early December (H), the maximum reported PurpleSandpiper at MuskegonFeb 28 (GW) representedone of the Michigan reportedthe most ever on their CBCs with thousandsover- few Michigan springrecords. Balrd's Sandpiperslingered until Dec 4 winteringacross the s. partof the state.Returning geese reached the s. in Berrien(WB) & Dec. 5 in Muskegon(JH); bothwere very latefor part of the Region Feb. 19-20, with thousandspouring into Michigan Michigan. Sanderlingsremained into early Decemberat Milwaukee and Wisconsin Feb. 26-27. A Brant located on the Port Huron, Mich. (JI). CBC was quite unusual.Snow Geesewere presentin both Wisconsin and Michiganin goodnumbers in early December:165 at the Muske- LAIRDS -- It was a spectacularwinter for gullsin the Regionwith gon WastewaterSystem (GW) and 350 at Hoficon N.W.R. (H). A 11 speciesreported. Glaucous Gulls were observedin very goodnum- Ross' Goose wintering near Hastings, Washington,Minn. (m.ob.) bersthroughout with 12 at Duluthand 15 at SaultSte. Marie beingthe marked only the fifth staterecord. There seemsto be somedebate highestcounts. Six IcelandGulls were reported, one each in Minnesota among the birding fraternity in Minnesotaas to the origin of this andWisconsin and four in Michigan. Two Great Black-backedGulls at individual,so the possibility of itsbeing an escape cannot be discount- Duluth representedthe fifth and sixth recordsfor Minnesota:one Dec ed 16-21 (KE) and anotherJan. 20-Feb. 12 (m.ob.). GreatBlack-backed Pintail wintered in 2 Michigan and 2 Wisconsinlocations. Blue- Gullsare much more common in Michiganthan in theother 2 states, winged Teal were found on 2 Michigan CBCs; and the first returning particularlyin Monroe where598 were countedon the MonroeCBC birdwas found inBerrien, Mich., Feb. 21, a newlocal early date iRS). They are uncommonin L. Michiganso a singlebird Dec. 15 andthree Northern Shovelers overwintered in Berrien, Mich., and Madison, Feb. 17 at Muskegon(GW) wereof specialinterest. Herring Gulls were Wis. OverwinteringWood Ducks were found in Berrien and Wayne, seenin very largenumbers, particularly on the GreatLakes. Thayer's Mich., and GreenBay, Madison,and Milwaukee, Wis. Severalthou- Gulls were reportedfrom Muskegon, Mich. (BB) and 2 Minnesota sand Redhead wintered on L. St. Clair near Detroit with 2500-3000 locations,with five Dec. 16-31at Duluth(KE) beingthe highest count countedJan. 29 (RLB, RWL). Michigan's Anchor Bay CBC found Ring-billedGulls were reportedin largenumbers from bothMichigan 7700 CanvasbacksDec. 18. HarlequinDucks were foundDec. 4-5 at andWisconsin. A LaughingGull at MilwaukeeFeb. 17 (J1)was quite Bemidji, Minn. (JP, AS) andDec. 19 in Wayne,Mich., on the Monroe unusual.Also surprisingwas Michigan's first winter recordof Frank- CBC. Two Surf Scotersin L. Michiganat St. Joseph,Mich., Feb. 18- lin's Gull, with oneat MuskegonDec. 18 (GW, ES). Bonaparte'sGulls 19 were quiteunusual. More normalwas a Surf ScoterDec. 18 on the lingeredmuch later than normalwith individualspresent until late PortHuron CBC. The only reportof BlackScorer was of oneDec. 15 at Januaryin Michiganand all winterin Wisconsin.As mightbe expected Muskegon,Mich, A HoodedMerganser at Two Harbors,Minn., Jan. with the Bonaparte'sGulls stayinglonger than usual, Little Gulls also 21 was quite unusual for n. Minnesota. The Monroe, Mich. CBC were presentwith two Dec. 20 at Port Huron, Mich. (DR) andone all recorded 13,995 Corn. Mergansers,helping Michigan to reach their winter at Milwaukee (m.ob.). Also at PortHuron Dec. 20 wasa Black- highestlevel in more than 15 years. Throughoutthe Regionthe mild- leggedKittiwake (DR). Both thesespecies were observedcoming off ness of the weather resulted in more open water than normal and L. Huron and flying down the St. Clair R., in the early morning A accompanyinglarge waterfowltotals. Forster's Tern found on the Rockwood, Mich. CBC marked the first winter record in 25 years for Michigan. HAWKS -- Goshawkswere seenin much higher than usual num- bersall acrossthe Regionand Sharp-shinnedHawks werereported in OWLS THROUGH WOODPECKERS -- Followinglast fall's inva- above average numbersin both Michigan and Wisconsin. Rough- sion, Great Horned Owl numberswere up statewidein Minnesota leggedHawks were very scarcein both Michigan and Wisconsinthis SnowyOwls presenteda mixedpicture this winter: Minnesota reported winter. GoldenEagles were reported from 3 Wisconsinand 2 Michigan a pretty good winter, Michigan had a relativelypoor winter and Wis- locations.The largeamount of openwater this winteris the probable consinhad a very poor winter. Hawk Owls were reportedfrom one causeof the Bald Eaglebeing observed in largerthan average numbers, locationin Michiganand 4 in Minnesota,all in the n. Also in Minneso- with individualswintering farther n. than usualin Michiganand Min- ta were nine Great Gray Owls, which is aboutaverage. Boreal Owls nesota.In Michigan, the stateDepart. of Natural Resourcesconducts a were heardcalling on 4 datesJan. 20-Feb. 27 alongthe GunflintTrail, mid-wintereagle survey in mid-January;this winter 122 werefound cf. Cook, Minn. (K & MH). This was a significantreport as it previously last winter's total of 39. Anotherspecies staying later than normalwas was thoughtthat this speciesnever calls in winter, only in springon Osprey,with two lingeringinto mid-Decemberin Michigan. A white- nesting territory. Saw-whet Owls started calling near Mazomame, phaseGyrfalcon was seen near Weyamwega, Wis., Dec. 20 (DT). The Wis., mid-lateFebruary (KLa). North of its usualwinter range was a sameindividual probably was seenJan. 13 at Oshkosh(RH). A very Red-headedWoodpecker in Crow Wing, Minn., Jan. 15-Feb. 5 (RJ, darkGyrfalcon appeared at theDuluth harbor in lateJanuary (LE, DE) RG). Yellow-belliedSapsuckers were noted in aboveaverage numbers markingthe fourthconsecutive winter that this specieshas been ob- in Michigan. Both Minnesotaand Wisconsinreported Black-backed servedthere. Of particularinterest is thateach year different individuals Three-toedWoodpeckers in goodnumbers with individualss. of their definitelywere involved(KE). The PrairieFalcon continues to increase range in both states.Northern Three-toed Woodpeckers also made a in Minnesotaand to be more establishedas a regularspecies. Individ- goodshowing with 6 reportsin Minnesotaand 2 in Wisconsin. ualswere presentJan. 5-Feb. 2 at RothsayW.M.A. (SM etal.), Feb. 6 in Cottonwood(LR) & Feb. 19 in Rock (KL). Merlins again were LARKS THROUGH MIMIDS -- Horned Larks were at their lowest reported in good numberswith six seen in Minnesota and four in level in Michiganin morethan 15 years.Gray Jays were seen in good Michigan. The Merlin seemsto be becominga rare ratherthan casual numbersin Michigan'sUpper Peninsula (hereafter, U.P. ) with reports speciesduring the winter. from 7 counties. Both Corn. Crows and Corn. Ravens were found in largenumbers in Michiganthis winter with theravens generally replac- GROUSE THROUGH SHOREBIRDS -- After several bumper ing the crowsin the U.P. Black-billedMagpies were reportedlyup in years, Ruffed Grousenumbers were down in Michiganthis year. At numbersin n.w. Minnesota.Boreal Chickadees were very scarcein RothsayW. M.A., Minn., GreaterPrairie Chickens started booming in Michigan with only one report, but were notedas "numbersup" in late January,certainly one of the earliestdates ever. The 56 Sharp- Minnesota'sLake (SW/MS). One at a feederin MinneapolisJan. 3-13 tailedGrouse seen in Chippewa,Mich., Feb. 26 (DP et al.) wasone of (m.ob.) was s. of its normalrange. Five reportsof Tufted Titmousein the largestgroups ever for the state.Both Bobwhiteand Ring-necked s.e. Minnesota were more than usual. Red-breasted Nuthatches were Pheasantpopulations in Michiganwere at much-reducedlevels, with very commonin Wisconsin.Brown Creepers were more common than both speciesat about 10% of their populationin the mid-1970s.The normal in both Michigan and Minnesota.Winter Wrens were com- Gray Partridgenumbers were down in Minnesota.All 3 specieswere mentedon at bothextremes in s. Michigan:in the s.e. theyremain very adverselyaffected by the severeweather during the winter. A Sandhill scarcewith only 2 reports(AK), while in the s.w. they were seenin Crane survivedthe winter at Baker Sanctuary,Calhoun, Mich. (MI). highernumbers than in recentyears (RS, RA). Individualswintered at Cranesreturned early to both WisconsinFeb. 19 (DG) and Michigan Manitowoc (CS) and Sauk (KLa) Wis. CarolinaWrens were seenin 6 Feb. 23 (GB). Virginia Rails successfullyoverwintered in bothMichi- Michigancounties including Alpena (R & SS). The wren in Alpena gan and Wisconsin.Killdeers returned to the s. portionsof the Region survivedsub-zero weather by roostingunder the deck at the Smlth's in Februarywith the earliestseen Feb. 11 at Beloit, Wis. (TE). A andeating spider sacks from underthe eaves,and suet and seeds at their

304 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 feeder. The bird was even singingduring late Januaryand February. averagenumbers, and then only in Michiganand Wisconsin, especially The warmweather allowed a Long-billedMarsh Wren to surviveuntil in Michigan where recordnumbers were recordedon the CBCs. All at least Jan. 17 at Metrobeach, Macomb, Mich. (RWL, RLB). Mem- other specieswere down in numbers,several drastically. Evening bers of the family Mimidae were extremelywell representedin the Grosbeakswere down in all the states,although both Michigan and Regionthis winter. SingleMockingbirds were at DuluthJan. 23-Feb. Wisconsinreported good-sized but scatteredflocks in the n. one-third 28 (m.ob.), the secondwinter in a row there,and in lngham(JT) and of eachstate. Pine Grosbeakswere practically absent this year with Oakland(BB 1), Mich. SevenMockingbirds were in usuallocations in Wisconsinhaving only one sighting and the other 2 statesvery few. In Berrien, Mich. Gray Catbirdswere seenat oneMinnesota, one Wis- Michigan,only ten were found on theCBCs cf. 1200last year. Com- consinand 2 Michigansites. It wasa fine winterfor BrownThrashers monRedpolls were even further reduced from last year: Wisconsin had with Minnesotareporting seven; Michigan four; and Wisconsintwo. only5 sightings;Michigan had 40 onthe CBCs cf. lastyear's 5900; and Minnesota'scomment was "possiblythe worstwinter ever for this THRUSHES THROUGH SHRIKES -- AmericanRobins were very species"(KE). Pine Siskinsalso were notablyreduced all acrossthe commonin s. Michiganthis winter;only the winterof 1980-81had Region.Both crossbills were virtually nonexistent with fewerthan 10 more. It was an averageyear for Varied Thrusheswith 3 reportsfrom reportsof eitherspecies in anyof thestates. Michigan fared the worst each state. A c• Mountain Bluebird was near Grand Marais, Minn., in with 2 reportsof White-wingedCrossbills and none of RedCrossbills. lateDecember (fide K & MH). Thisspecies is regular in Minnesota,but The onlyflock was of 136White-winged Crossbills on the Crosby, normallyin thew. andin thespring. The onlyTownsend's Solitaire of Minn. CBC. HouseFinch was one of thefew brightspots this winter. the seasonwas one that remainedat Two Harbors, Minn., until Dec. 15 The statusof thisspecies is nowregular and increasing in Michigan. 0C). Golden-crownedKinglets were present in aboveaverage numbers There were reportsfrom 21 differentlocations in 9 countieswith the in both Michiganand Wisconsin. A Ruby-crownedKinglet in Bel- highestcount of 20 at one feederin Adrian(S & JS). The centerof the trami, Minn., Dec. 28 (AS) wasvery late for n. Minnesota.Extremely populationseems to be in Southfield,Oakland, but therewere individ- unusualwere two WaterPipits. one on the MilwaukeeCBC, Dec. 18 ualsor pairsin Berrien,Kalamazoo and Muskegon on thew. sideof the (JI) andone in VanBuren.Mich., on theKalamazoo CBC, Jan. 1 (DP). state.Observers in all 3 statescommented on the large numbers of Am. BohemianWaxwings were almostnonexistent in Michiganand Wis- Goldfinchsighted. This generalizedopinion was confirmedby the consin,but at normallevels in Minnesotawith the exceptionof a flock MichiganCBCs where goldfinches were at theirhighest level in more of 1000 at Duluth Feb. 5 (TL). CedarWaxwings also were scarcein than 15 years. A Rufous-sidedTowbee comingto a feeder in Wisconsin.In Michiganthe N. Shrikewas widely distributed over the Houghton,Mich., Dec. 19-Jan.2 (AW) wasvery unusual for theU.P. n. two-thirdsof the statein approximatelyaverage numbers. Two A Lark Bunting at theSarett Nature Center in Berrien,Mich., Jan. 13- LoggerheadShrikes were reported, one on the GrandRapids, Mich. 19 (CN, DS et al.) providedone of thefew Michiganrecords and the CBC andone on the Crookston,Minn. CBC. There are very few winter firstwinter record. Five VesperSparrows were reported, all on Michi- recordsin Minnesota, and this one in n.w. Minnesotais probably gan's CBCs. unprecedented.

WARBLERS THROUGH BLACKBIRDS -- Two Cape May War- blerswere presentin Minnesota,one Dec. 8 in Wabasha(W & DM), and one at HutchinsonDec. 22-27 (CW). Yellow-rumped(Myrtle) Warblersoverwintered in one Wisconsinand 6 Michigancounties. A Yellow-rumped(Audubon's) Warbler was in Berrien, Mich., Jan. 9 (RS). Thereare very few Michiganrecords of thisrace of theYellow- rumped.Unusual but not anexpectedwas a Pine Warbler in Berrien, Mich., Dec. 4 (RS). Unprecedented,however, were 2 sightingsin Wisconsin:an Ovenbird appearedat the Blanchardfeeder in Eau ClaireNov. 23 andwas seen daily feedinguntil Jan. 14. photographed; a Northern Waterthrush was discovered at the Univ. of Wis. Arbore- Black-throatedSparrow, first recordfor Michigan, Muskegon,Jan. tum in MadisonJan. 29 (WH) andsubsequently was seenby othersin 28, 1983. Photo/G. Wickstrom. February.Both thesespecies had not been recordedpreviously in Wisconsinin the winter. Completingan excellentlist of warblersfor The outstandingevent of the seasonwas the veritableinvasion of the winter were Corn. Yellowthroats in one Minnesota (GS) and 3 Black-throatedSparrows. Two individualsappeared in Wisconsinin Michigan(all on CBCs)locations. The firstE. Meadowlarkto returnto late November and remained well into the winter with the bird at Fifield the Regionwas one at Berrien,Mich., Feb. 20 (RS). A W. Meadow- stayinguntil Jan. 22 (Gralow) anda bird at Hortonvilleremained until lark was presentin n. Minnesota'sMarshall Jan. 21 + (K & SS), Feb.5 (M J). The Region'sthird Black-throated Sparrow was an indi- wherethey are very unusualin mid-winter.Northern (Baltimore) Ori- vidualat a Muskegon,Mich. feederDec. 7-Feb. 28 + (BMo). Thiswas oleswere in Flint, Mich., Dec. 1-8 (N J) and in Madison, Wis., Dec. 29 the first appearanceof this speciesin Michiganand it was a very (SP). Blackbirdsmade an excellentshowing with Red-winged,Rusty, cooperativebird, allowingall thebirders who wanted to seeor photo- gracklesand cowbirdswintering in aboveaverage numbers, with 14 graphit to do so at their leisure.It is certainlyremarkable for three Brown-headed Cowbirds at a feeder in Blue Earth, Minn., Jan. 18 individualsof this speciesto spendthe winterin thew. GreatLakes. (RG) particularlyimpressive. Yellow-headed Blackbirds were seen on A Tree Sparrowoverwintered in Isabella,Minn. (SW/MS) andwas the Anchor Bay, Mich., CBC and in Cottonwood,Minn., Feb. 24 well n. of its usualrange. Chipping Sparrows were found at one (WHa), wherethey were considered early migrants. A Brewer'sBlack- Wisconsinand 3 Michiganlocations. Minnesota had at leastfive over- bird on the Bemidji. Minn. CBC was unusual.The springmigration winteringWhite-crowned Sparrows. with two in n. Minnesota.A startedFeb. 19-20 with smallnumbers of Red-wingeds,grackles and White-throatedSparrow was late for the U.P., Dec.23in Ontonagon cowbirdsentering the s. portionsof the Region.By Feb. 26-27, thou- (JM). SongSparrow presented a diverse picture in theRegion, with sandsalong with lessernumbers of Brewer'sand Rusty blackbirds had Minnesotaobservers expressing they were up in numbers,while Michi- returnedto all 3 stateswith Red-wingedBlackbirds the most common ganbirders felt thatthey were down in numbersprior to thebeginning and most n. of migrationin lateFebruary. Both Michigan and Wisconsin felt that bothLapland Longspur and Snow Bunting numbers were below aver- FINCHES -- The Cardinalseems to be continuingits N expansion age this winter. with birds in Dickinson(FK) and Ontonagon(JM), Mich. The Rose- breastedGrosbeak is a rarespecies in theRegion in winter,making this CONTRIBUTORS-- Thiseditor wishes to thankthe many individ- season'snumber of sightingstruly exceptional:Michigan had one ualswho submittedrecords for thissummary. The natureof the sum- report;Minnesota had 3; andWisconsin had 3 includingthree individ- maryprecludes listing every individual who sends in reports;therefore, uals on the RiveredgeCBC. Two of the Wisconsinand one of the only thoseindividuals with cited recordsare listedbelow. Minnesotabirds apparently survived the winter.The winterfinch invasion never materialized.Only the Purple Finch was seenin above Ray Adams,Glenn Belyea,R.L. Benoit,Paul Blanchard,Ben Bla-

Vol. 37, Number 3 305 zier (BB 1), Walter Booth, Bill Bouton,Jeff Buecking,J. Chuck, Kim Moblo (BMo), Chuck Nelson, Warren Nelson, Jeff Palmer, Jim Port- Eckert (Minnesota),Thomas Ellis. L. Erickson,D. Evans,Ray Glas- shair(JPo), Sam Postupalsky,David Powell (Michigan), DennisRu- sel, Dan Goeus, John Hamel, Walter Harder (WHa), William Hilsen- pert, L. Rupp, Alan Schmierer, Dick Shinkle, Ellen Slater, Ron & hoff, Ken & Molly Hoffman,Randy Hoffman, Horicon N.W.R. staff SharonSmith (R & SS), Roy Smith (RS), Scott& JoyceSmith (S & (H), John Idzikowski, Mable lsham, Robert Janssen, Nora Jewett, JS), CharlesSontag, Keith & ShelleySteva (K & SS), G. Swanson, Mary Jurack,Frank Kangas, Alice Kelley, Ken La Fond,Tim Lamey, Darryl Tessen(Wisconsin), Jim Turner, Arthur Weaver, C. Weseloh, Ken Lange(KLa), Lee Laylin, R.W. Leasure,Joe McDonnell, Wynn GeorgeWickstrom, Steve Wilson/Mary Shedd,Mark Wright.--DA- & Don Mahle, Bill Martinus, Kim Mello, Steve & Diane Millard, Bob VID J. POWELL, ResearchAssociate, Kalamazoo Nature Center, 7000 N. WestnedgeAve., Kalamazoo, MI 39007.

MIDDLEWESTERN PRAIRIE REGION /Bruce G. Peterjohn

What a differenceone year makes!While last winter was one of the oledo snowiest on record, this winter was one of the mildest. December temperaturesaveraged 5-10øF above normal and manyrecord highs NI•'•I•! uesM,ones ) P•oria D.... were set. Januaryand Februarytemperatures were generally3-7 de- greesabove normal. A warming trend developedduring the second ...... •um•y ; e ,•-mcmnati•r week of Februaryand continuedthrough the end of the monthwhen the weatherseemed more like earlyMay thanlate winter. Precipitation was .. i. a.... C•7 : ' /ouisvl excessiveduring December, producing floods in Iowa and Illinois. but below normalduring the other months.Most precipitationfell in the j •0- Lake"•'"'Y• enderson .... form of rain; measurablesnowfalls were short-livedphenomena. Not surprisingly,the mild weatherenticed a numberof speciesto linger past normaldeparture dates or even overwinternorth of their normalranges. It was fortunatethat thesebirds lingered as therewas a Cattle Egret lingeredthrough Dec. 2 and five C•eat E•ets were little else to observe.Except for a Goshawkinvasion, most other presentduring January with onesuccessfully overwintering (]P). One northernspecies remained north. Few birds congregatedat feeding GreatEgret was also reported near Lawrenceburg, Ind., Jan.30 (MM, stations.While the seasonwas generallydull for birders,the mild JS). Five Black-crownedNight Herons remainedal Lorain, O., weatherwas undoubtedlybeneficial for thosespecies significantly af- throughJan. 1 while an Am. Bitternwas discoveredat fected by the previoussevere winters. The Februarywarming trend Jan. 23 (JPI. initiated an early start to springmigration with waterfowl, blackbirds and otherearly migrantsmoving in large numbersby the end of the month. In orderto avoid unnecessaryrepetition, only the mostexceptional ChristmasBird Count(hereafter, CBC) observationswere incorporated into this summary.As usual,all extraordinarysight records must be thoroughlydocumented at the time of observation.All documented recordshave been denoted by a dagger(?).

ABBREVIATIONS -- S.C.R.: Squaw Creek N.W.R., Mo.; O.W.R.: Ottawa N.W.R., O.; M.M.W.A.: Magee Marsh W.M.A., O.; Spfld.: Springfield,Ill.

LOONS THROUGH HERONS -- The mild weather enticed Com. Loons to linger into Januaryat 10 locationsand throughFeb. 21 at lmm. Gannet, Avon Lake, 0., Jan. 1, 1983. Photo/D. Tamblin. KennekukCove P., I11.(MC). Single Red-throatedLoons were noted at 2 n. Ohio sitesthrough Dec. 16 while solitaryRed-necked Grebes WATERFOWL -- Wintering Whistling Swans included Iwo at appearedat FellowsL., GreeneCo., Mo., Jan. 1-17 (?CB et al.) and S.C.R., and 130 at CedarPoint N.W.R., O., plusJanuary sightings Vermilion,O., Feb. 16 (tJP). MigrantHorned Grebes were widely from one Kenlucky and 3 Illinois locations. Migrants were widely reportedthrough Jan. 9 with as many as 100 along L. Erie. Smaller notedduring February including 4 reportsfrom Missouriand 5 from c. numbers wintered as far n. as s.w. Indiana. Eared Grebes remained into and s. Illinois wherethey are irregularlyobserved. The mild weather early Decemberal 2 locationsincluding one e. to FindlayRes., O.. allowedCanada Geese to wintern. of thisRegion. Peak concentrations Dec. 4-8 (?JM et al.). While White Pelicansoccasionally linger into tns. Illinoisand w. Kentuckywere of only 143,000and 40,000 respec- December,one overwintering at Mark Twain N.W.R., Ill., wasunusu- tively. Along the Grea!Lakes, singleBrant were discoveredat Wauke- al. The impressivefall Double-crestedCormorant migration continued gan, I11.,Jan. I (m.ob.), M.M.W.A., Jan.22 (•JP) andMichigan City, throughDecember. From 1-5 winteredat L. Gibson.Ind. (DJI, Bark- Ind., Feb. 20-26 (tKB). One at Pony ExpressW.M.A., Jan. 2-4 ley L., Ky. (BP et aLL Tazewell County, Ill. (TP, VH) and possibly providedonly the second n.w. Missourirecord (?Let al. ). Asmany as alongthe Ohio R.. Ky.-Ind. Other noteworthyreports included 1-2 200 White-frontedGeese wintered at S.C.R. (L). Otherwinter reports scatteredalong L. Erie throughFeb. 12 andone at IndianapolisJan. 23 included1-2 at 3 Illinois locations,19 at ReelfootLake N.W.R., Ky., (fide CK). Two Gannetsgraced several L. Erie locationsfrom Lorainto Feb. 3 (MBi) and threeat O.W.R., Jan. 8 (?JP). SnowGeese wintered Ottawa Cos., Dec. 7-Jan. 22 and were observedtogether at Avon L. in relatively large numbersincluding 5000-200,000 at S.C.R. Not duringJanuary (?TL, ?m.ob.,ph.). surprisingly,this flock alsoincluded a singleRoss' Goose Jan. 7 (L) OverwinteringGreat Blue Heronswere widely reportedn. to the while anotherwas presentat L. Baldwin, Ill., Jan. 22 (BR, m.ob.). Great Lakes. The only documentedGreen Heron remainedat Ft. Despitean abundanceof openwater, manyobservers commented on Wayne, Ind., Jan. 15 (TH, ?JH). A second-yearLittle BlueHeron near the relativescarcity of ducks.Perhaps this scarcity can be attributedto Westville,Ind., Dec. 17was exceptionally late (?CF). At M.M.W.A., low continentalpopulations widely dispersedover theextensive avail-

306 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 ablehabitats Only Mallardsand Black Ducks were fmrly numerousas next day (* to O S U Museum) exemplifiedby concentrationsof 567,000 and 11,600 respectively American Woodcocklingered quite late with severalperforming alongthe Illinois and Mississippi R. valleysDec. 6 (RC). Thesevalleys courtshipflights at CraneNaval Depot, Ind., duringlate December alsosupported 2400 Green-wingedTeal and6000 Am. Wigeonthat (fideCK). Springmigrants returned to JeffersonCity, Mo., Feb. 11 day A few Blue-wingedTeal lingered through the CBC period and one (JW) andL. Erie by Feb. 23. Few Corn.Snipe wintered as its popula- w•nteredat M.M.W.A. As manyas 50 N. Shovelersalso wintered at tion remainedlow. A late GreaterYellowlegs was notedDec. 9-10 at M M W.A. (JP), an unusuallylarge number for n. Ohio as were 19 AtterburyW.M.A., Ind. (BG). A PurpleSandpiper wintered at Avon WoodDucks at ClevelandFeb. 15 (TL). The only Canvasbackconcen- Lake, O., while 2-3 werereported from 2 additionalL. Erie locations trationwas reported from the Illinois and Mississippi R. valleyswhere throughJan. 7. A PectoralSandpiper at ConeMarsh, Ia., Feb. 19-26 30,000 on Jan. 3 representeda substantial increase over recent years wasmore likely a veryearly migrant rather than a winteringbird (PT et (RC) Inland flocksof GreaterScaup included 20 winteringat Louis- al.). LateBaird's Sandpipers were well describedand photographed •n ville (m.ob.)plus February reports of 16 at Olney,Ill. (LH) and11 at Ohio at Alum CreekRes., Dec. 19-20 (?Jet al.) andC.J. BrownRes , DeSotoN.W.R., Ia. (TB et al.). The Illinoisand Mississippi R. valley Jan.2 (?DO). Otherlingering shorebirds included 2-4 LeastSandpipers waterfowlsurveys also tallied 33,000 LesserScaup Dec. 6, 19,000 at C.J. BrownRes., O., throughFeb. 13 (?DO, ph.). Dunlinremained Com GoldeneyeJan. 3 and1445 Bufflehead Dec. 13 (RC). Oldsquaw intoDecember at 5 locationswhile very tardy individuals were discov- remainedscarce; the GreatLakes maximum was 45 at Chicagowhile 1- ered in Mercer County, Ky., Jan. 26 (JE) and at C.J. Brown Res , 7 appearedat 9 inlandlocations from all statesexcept Kentucky. Single throughFeb. 13 (5'DO).A lateW. Sandpiperlingered at GreenRiver HarlequinDucks were found at 3 GreatLakes locations during January. L., Ky., throughJan. 30 (?JE)and a HudsonianGodwit was noted at White-wingedScoters were abundant along L. Michiganwith 1700at M.M.W.A., Dec. 3 (JP). Wllmette,Ill., Feb. 13 (JL); only scatteredsingles were reported from L Erie. Small numbers of Surf and Black scoters were restricted to L. GULLS, TERNS -- The mild weatheralso influenced gull distribu- Erieexcept for twoinland Blacks at Merompower plant, Ind., Dec.5 tion andabundance along L. Erie. Duringa normalwinter, the Decem- (DJ) As manyas 10,000Red-breasted Mergansers lingered along L. berconcentrations of Ring-billedand Bonaparte's gulls are replaced by Erie well into December. HerringGulls once the lakefreezes over. Sincethe lake did notfreeze thisyear and shoreline ice shelvesgenerally were not extensive,pro- DIURNAL RAPTORS-- Vultureswere more widely reported as a longedconcentrations of HerringGulls did not develop.Only the result of the mild weather.Three Turkey Vultureswere notedn. to strongN windsof Feb. 8 producedsignificant numbers of white- Vandalia,Ill., Jan. 12 (FK) whilethe largest roosts totaled 230 Turkeys winged,Great Black-backed and Herring gulls at Lorain(JP). On other at ShadesS.P., and Turkey Run S.P., Ind., Dec. 18 (AB) and 133 days,Ring-billed Gull wasthe predominant species. For thefirst time Blacksnear Frankfort, Ky., Dec. 19 (fide HJ). As expectedafter last in recentmemory, Bonaparte's Gulls wintered in largenumbers with as autumn'sinvasion, wintering Goshawks were widely notedwith re- manyas 20,000 regularly observed feeding on thelower Cuyahoga R, portsfrom 5 Missouri,8 Iowa, 15 Ohio, 21 Indianaand 28 Illinois in downtownCleveland during late January(D & JH). Similartrends locations.The s. limits of this flight extendedto Marshfield, Mo. were notedelsewhere. Ring-billeds remained n. of their normalrange (JSo),near Leitchfield, Ky. (fide KC) andLouisville (fide S). Sharp- at a numberof locationswhile Bonaparte's managed to overwinterat shinnedand Cooper'shawks were regularly reported from mostareas. severallakes in Kentucky and Illinois. Red-tailedHawks were plentiful, especiallyin n. and c. Missouri A ParasiticJaeger was observed at Lorain,O., Dec. 11 (CHet al ) where cotton rats were exceedinglyabundant (fide JW). Wintering while a Pomarinewas documentedfrom the samelocation the next day Red-shoulderedHawks have not changedappreciably although CBC (?LRo,EE). Generallyonly 1-3Glaucous Gulls were reported from the reportsindicated a healthypopulation in s. Illinois. Rough-legged GreatLakes except for 11 at LorainFeb. 8. Inlandsighting at 6 loca- Hawkswere scarcein mostareas except Missouri where there was an tionsranged s. to HorsehoeL., Ill. (RK, m.ob.)and Summit L., Ind overabundanceof prey. A FerruginousHawk was well describedfrom (fideLC). From 1-3 IcelandGulls were sporadically observed along L Clay County,Mo., Dec. 19 ('•KH et al.). Eriewhile singles appeared at ChicagoDec. 8 (5'JL)and Alton, Mo - GoldenEagles were reportedfrom all statesincluding six on eagle II1., Feb. 9 (?CP, MW). GreatBlack-backed Gulls peakedalong L surveysin Kentuckyand 12 in Missouri.Numbers of winteringBald Erie Feb. 8 with 640 at Lorain. Elsewhere, 2 were observed at L Eagleswere reducedfrom last year, possiblya resultof the mild Rockwell,O., Dec. 24 (LRo) andsingles in LakeCounty, Ind., Jan. 15 weatherand greateravailability of openwater. Eagle surveys totaled (?KB) andColumbus, O., Jan.30-31 (CG, ?JM et al.). As manyas 908 in Missouri, 490 in Illinois, 399 in Iowa and 128 in Kentucky. four LesserBlack-backed Gulls wintered along L. Erie from Oregonto MarshHawks were also fairly scarce except in Missouri.A lateOsprey Cleveland.Along the Great Lakes, Thayer's Gulls were found in nor- atMlngo N.W.R., Mo., Jan.7 providedone of fewRegional wintering mal numberswith 3-4 at Lorain, Chicagoand Gary, Ind. As many as records(?JW). In additionto theirtraditional Lawrenceville, Ill. airport ninewere reported from Alton, Mo.-Ill., Feb.4-12 (?m. ob.) while two winteringsite, singlePrairie Falcons were alsodiscovered in Boone returnedto Kentuckyand Barkley Lakes in w. KentuckyFeb. 4 (?BP) County,Mo., throughDecember (BGo), JasperCounty, II1., Feb. 8 Twow. speciesreceived the most attention. Ohio's second California (LH) and one was shotat RickenbackerAir ForceBase, O., Jan. 21 Gull recordwas provided by a thoroughlystudied adult at LorainJan (ftdeJ). The latterbird mayrepresent a legitimatevagrant as its plum- 13 (?JP, '•EE et al.) and a second-winterMew Gull at MississippiR ageexhibited no signsof captivity,its behaviorwas antagonistic to- Lock 14, ScottCo., Ia., Dec. 19-31was a first of thatspecies for that wardshumans and its habitatpreference was consistentwith other state('•T, '•m.ob., ph.). An ad. Black-headedGull wasperiodically Regionalwinter sightings.Peregrine Falcons were reportedfrom 2 observedalong the Cleveland-Lorain lakefront through Feb. 12 (?TL, locationsin Kentuckyand Missouriplus singlesites in Ohio and Illi- ?D & JH et al.). nois Exceptfor CBC reports,the only documented Merlin appeared at An ad.Laughing Gull atKentucky L., Ky., Dec.30-Jan. 6 mayhave LouisvilleDec. 28 (?JR). provideda firstwinter record for the Region (?BP et al.). Smallnum- bersof LittleGulls wintered among the Bonaparte's flocks at Cleveland andan adultappeared at ChicagoDec. 12 (JG).A rareinland record GAMEBIRDS THROUGH SHOREBIRDS -- This year's mild wasprovided by an immature atBarrington, II1., Dec. 26-Jan. 2 (?CW, weatherbenefited ailing Bobwhite populations in all areas.Small num- m.ob.). At leastone Black-legged Kittiwake frequented the Cleveland- bersof Gray Partridgeremained in Iowa asevidenced by ninein Hardin Lorainarea through Feb. 8. SingleForster's Terns at Cleveland Jan. 6- CountyFeb. 12 (fide BPr). An injuredSandhill Crane was discovered 8 (?TL, '•RH) andLouisville Jan. 27 (?BP,LR) wereunprecedented at the Missouri R., Boone Co., Mo., Dec. 15 (JW) while one near duringwinter. Common Terns lingered along L. Erie throughthe CBC Knoxville,II1., Jan. 28-Feb. 16 probablywintered (?MBa, ?LC1). period. Small numbersof migrantsreturned to Indianaand Kentuckyduring thelast week of February.Surprising only one rail wasreported, a Sora at VenturaMarsh, Ia., Dec. 30 (?BO).Living up to itsreputation as an CUCKOOS THROUGH WOODPECKERS -- A Roadrunner near erraticwanderer, a PurpleGallinule was observed at ShantyHollow L., Golden,Barry Co., Mo., Feb. 10 indicateda smallpopulation still WarrenCo., Ky., Feb. 19 (EM,fide HS) while anotherwas recovered existsin the s.w. cornerof the state(V J). BarnOwls were discoveredat from a Mansfield,O. residenceFeb. 21 (?MT). The latterbird diedthe 7 Missourilocations including 2 Februarynests in BatesCounty (JW,

Vol 37, Number3 307 JO) Elsewhere,single owls were reportedfrom Chicago(mob ) and 9, CapeMay Warbler,one to threeDec 6-Mar 2, Yellow-rumped near Xenia, O., Jan. 7 (P & LH). SnowyOwls madeanother modest Warbler, 186, Dec. 18; Yellow-throatedWarbler, one Dec. 11-16, showingwith 17 reportsfrom the n. states.Two wanderedS to Cincin- Palm Warbler, sevenDec. 18; Corn. Yellowthroat, one Dec. 12-Feb nati (fide W) andone to the Richland/JasperCounty line, Ill. (LH). A 19; Wilson's Warbler, one Dec. 13-18. normalnumber of Long-earedOwl reportsconsisted of 1-12 birdsat 21 AnotherWhite-eyed Vireo appearedon an Ohio CBC. An unusual locationsin all statesexcept Kentucky. Small numbers of Short-eared numberof winteringOrange-crowned Warblers consisted of singlesat Owls werescattered across all states.This specieswas locally common ForestGlen, II1., Jan. 16 (?MR), Crab OrchardN.W.R., II1., Jan 18 onlyin Missouri.Saw-whet Owls werediscovered at 13 locationsin the (•'JRo),Knox County, Ind., Jan.29 (DJ)and Lawrence County, Ill , n. statesbut only six were bandedin the Cincinnatiarea this winter Feb.6 (LH). Smallnumbers of Yellow-rumpedWarblers were widely (RA). scat}eredacross all statesand included a well describedAudubon's race Red-headedWoodpeckers were mostly absent in Iowa andscarce in at Riverton,II1., Dec. 31 (ñH). A Pine Warblerwas unexpected at theother states except Illinois where good numbers were widely report- Independence,Mo., Dec. 18 (?KH et al.). PalmWarblers remained at ed. A greaternumber of Yellow-belliedSapsuckers wintered in n. areas St. Louis throughDec. 26 (TBa), 2 additionalChicago locations as a resultof the mild weather;good numbers were reportedfrom s. throughJan. 22 (AA) andwintered at Danville, Ky. (FL). An Ovenbird Illinois and Missourialthough few were seenin Kentucky. at Spfld., Dec. 19-Jan.1 wasremarkable (?H). WinteringCorn Yel- lowthroatswere reportedfrom 7 additionallocations and another Wfi- FLYCATCHERS THROUGH WRENS -- The Spfld.W. Kingbird son's Warbler was discovered on a s. Illinois CBC. remainedthrough Jan. 10 (H). Many E. Phoebeslingered through the CBCperiod but the only January sighting was in JeffersonCounty, Mo. (PN). Only smallnumbers of HornedLarks were reported as the ab- ICTERIDS, FRINGILLIDS -- WinteringW. Meadowlarkswere senceof prolongedsnow cover did not createthe largeconcentrations reportedfrom Knox County, Ind., andOttawa County, O., wherethey of previouswinters. The largestCorn. Crow roostwas composedof hadbeen observed during autumn. Small numbers also wintered at 2 e 4000 birdsat Danville, Ill. (MC). Only 2 additionalroosts with 1200- Missouriand 3 Illinois sites.The onlyYellow-headed Blackbird and N 2000 crowswere reported.Populations of the residentgleaners re- Oriole appearedon CBCs. A greaternumber of Brewer'sBlackbirds mainedrelatively good. Red-breastedNuthatches were scarcein all werereported. In thew. states,"hundreds" were present in a blackbird statesexcept for localconcentrations of 10-47birds. Brown Creepers roost at Montrose W.M.A., Mo. (L, KJ) while two were noted n to were locally numerousduring December with moderatenumbers at ConeMarsh, Ia., Dec. 28-Jan.2 (T, MN). Otherreports included small othertimes. HouseWrens lingeredn. to Joliet, II1., duringthe CBC numbersat 3 Illinoislocations plus three at Danville, Ky., Dec. 18(FL) period;one at Energy, II1., Feb.4 mayhave wintered (?JRo). Numbers andin OldhamCounty, Ky., Feb. 28 ('•S, FS). Great-tailedGrackles of Winter Wrens improved somewhat.However, the outlook for returnedto w. Missouri Feb. 21. They were noted at 4 locations Bewick's Wrens remained bleak as they were only reported from s.w. includinga congregationof 100 near Adrian Feb. 21 (LG). Missouri and one Illinois location. Carolina Wrens continued to im- Despitethe mild weather,few lingeringfinches were attractedto prove,especially in s. areas.One in w. Iowa atCherokee Jan. 30 would feeders.A Rose-breastedGrosbeak appeared at Spfld., Feb. 24-26 havebeen at an unusuallocation even if populationswere high (gMB, (?H) whilean Indigo Bunting wintered at Louisville(?BP). The only ?DB). Long-billedMarsh Wrens remained into January at 3 locations Dickcisselwas discovered in St. CharlesCounty, Mo., Jan.2 (•'BR) andwintered at O.W.R., while the only Short-billedMarsh Wren was Winterfinches were practically nonexistent. A few EveningGrosbeaks discovered on a s. Illinois CBC. were reportedfrom 3 locationsin Kentuckyand Ohio. Only Purple Fincheswere widely distributedalthough they did not arrivein Ken- tucky until January.Largest flocks appeared in Ohio with 193 at Kel- MIMIDS THROUGH SHRIKES --Mockingbirds increasednotice- ly's I., Dec. 8 (JP, DCo) and 165 in one Cincinnatitree (fide W) ablyin s. areasbut were only sporadically reported elsewhere. Surpris- Groupsof 30-100 werereported from the otherstates. House Finches ingly,only three Gray Catbirds were observed this winter. In contrast, continuedto increasewith locallynoteworthy concentrations of 100 in manyBrown Thrashers wintered in s. areasand scattered birds were ButlerCounty, O., Jan. 7 (FR) and 24 at Ft. Wayne,Ind., dunng observedn. to Chicago.American Robins were numerous in Ohio and February(fide JH). Theywandered W toMadisonville, Ky., Spfld and locallyin Missouriwhile scattered small numbers were generally found Missouriwhere its second record was provided by a maleat University elsewhere.No VariedThrushes were reported while normal numbers of City Jan. 16 (•'RK). In sharpcontrast to last winter'sinvasion, 1-15 Hermit Thrusheswere generallyobserved. Along L. Erie wherethey Corn. Redpollswere foundat a total of 5 locationsin Iowa, Ohio and am quiterare during winter, 26 Hermitswere discovered on Kelly's I., Illinois. A few Pine Siskinswere observedin all states,primarily Dec. 8 with at leastten remainingthrough Feb. 17 (JP, DCo). Winter- duringDecember. Except for oneflock of 24, mostobservations coming E. Bluebirdswere widely observedin good numbers.Illinois' prised1-4 birds.The only Red Crossbillwas discoveredin Indiana secondMountain Bluebird was discoveredat Le-Aqua-NaS.P., Jan. while as many as ten White-wingedCrossbills appeared at 2 Ohio 9 (?H et al.). Goodnumbers of Golden-crownedKinglets wintered in locations. mostareas while the normalsmall numbersof Ruby-crownedsre- Few observerscommented on the relativeabundance of sparrows mainedn. to Chicago.A few WaterPipits lingered into December and While Tree Sparrowswere generallyscarce, no othertrends were 75 in PickawayCounty, O., Jan. 6 were late migrants(JF). Threeat readilydiscernible. A greaternumber of winteringSavannah Sparrows LouisvilleFeb. 8 probablywintered (BP). Onlysmall flocks of Cedar wasreported including 29 at CrabOrchard N.W.R., Ill., Jan. 1 (JRo) Waxwingswere widelyscattered across all states.A total of 18 N. and 11 at Mark Twain N.W.R., Ill., Jan. 10 (HW). Smallernumbers Shrike reportswas normal but significantlylower than last year's wintered n. to n. Ohio and c. Illinois. A GrasshopperSparrow was strongmovement. One at AtterburyW.M.A., Ind., Dec. 10-Feb. 12 thoroughlystudied in ButlerCounty, O., Feb. 5 (?FR). Normalnum- wass. of its normalrange (½CK, m.ob.). LoggerheadShrikes remained bersof Le Conte'sSparrows wintered in s. Illlinoisn. to Mark Twain unchangedin s. areasand were detected at 7 locationsin then. states. N.W.R. Elsewhere,1-5 were discoveredat 2 s.w. Indianasites (DJ) andin Missourin. to St. CharlesCounty (RK, BR) andJefferson C•ty VIREOS, WARBLERS -- A uniquemicroenvironment on the Chi- (JW). Only two VesperSparrows were reportedwhile the four accept- cagon. shorechannel attracts an unprecedentednumber of lingering able ChippingSparrow records included one bandedat M.M.W A , warblersduring winter. Treated sewageeffluent is warm enoughto Dec. 27-Jan. 2 (JP, ph.) and singlesat LouisvilleDec. 14-22 ('kBP), keep the channelopen and hatchmany insects.Depending on the nearCarbondale, II1., Jan.7 ('•DR) andFindley S.P., O., Feb. 12 (?J, weather,these insects are present into January or evenlater but normal- JM). The only Harris' Sparrowoutside its normal range visited a ly disappearwith the onsetof subzerotemperatures. This amplefood Midway,Ky. feederDec. 19-Feb.28 + (DC, RM, m.ob.).Fox Spar- supplyand brushy cover along the banks allows warblers to surviveinto rows were widely reportedn. to the Great Lakes. As many as six Januarybut they usuallydisappear as the insectpopulation dwindles. Lincoln'sSparrows remained at variouss. Illinois sitesinto December Thisyear, the Chicago "winter warblerland" played host to thefollow- In addition,wintering birds were reportedfrom c. and n.w. Missouri lng species(BR, JG, 'km.ob.):White-eyed Vireo, two Dec. 13-18; plusone was well describedin Mills County,Ia., Jan.5 ('•BW) The Prothonotary Warbler, one male Dec. 18-Jan.9; Orange-crowned absenceof snowcover probably contributed to therelative scarcity of Warbler, one to three Dec. 6-19; Nashville Warbler, one Dec. 13-Jan. LaplandLongspurs. Flocks of 100-500were only discovered in Illinois

308 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 andIowa; few wereobserved elsewhere. Groups of 25-95 in extremes. aroundthe Regionare responsiblefor thesesightings. Illinois andw. Kentuckywere locally noteworty. Snow Buntings were restrictedto the n. statesand were quite scarce.The largestreported CONTRIBUTORS -- (Sub-regionaleditor's names in boldface flock was of only 67 and few were observedafter early January. type;contributors are requestedto sendtheir reportsto theseeditors.) Major contributors:(H) Dave Bohlen,(J) Bruce Peterjohn (Ohio), (K) UNCORROBORATED REPORTS -- A thoroughlydocumented Vernon Kleen (Illinois), (L) Floyd Lahwon, (S) Anne Stature (Ken- alcid at MichiganCity, Ind., Jan. 16 fit the descriptionof a Kittlitz's tucky), (T) Tom Kent (Iowa), (W) Art Wiseman.Other observers and Murrelet. The bird wasobserved at fairly closerange for 45 minutesby reportersincluded: A. Anderson,R. Austing, T. Barker (TBa), M. observerswho admittedlyare not experts on alcididentification. Photos Baum (MBa), M. Bierly (MBi), D. Bierman, R. Biss, C. Bonner, T. werenot takenand the bird couldnot be subsequentlyrelocated. Since Bray (TB), M. Brewer(MB), K. Brock,A. Bruner,M. Campbell,L. this speciesis virtuallyunknown in North Americaaway from coastal Carter(LC), L. Clague(LCI), K. Clay, D. Corbin(DCo), D. Coskren Alaskan waters, I could not accept this record without conclusive (DC), R. Crompton,E. Elder, J. Elmore,C. Fields,J. Fry, L. Gallo- photosor extensivestudy in thefield by experts.However, the descrip- way, C. Gambill, B. Gill (BG), B. Goodge(BGo), J. Greenberg,P. & tion certainlyfascinates even the mostskeptical critic. L. Hall, R. Hannikman, L. Harrison, J. Haw, T. Heemstra,K. Hobbs, The followingreports may be crediblebut satisfactorydocumenta- C. Hocevar,D. & J. Hoffman,V. Humphreys,K. Jackson,V. Jenkins, tion wasnot providedto thiseditor: Green Heron wintering at Indiana- D. Jones,H. Jones,Charles Keller (Indiana),R. Korotev,F. Kringer, polis andBlack-throated Green Warbler at GrandDetour, Ill., through J. Landing, T. LePage, F. Loetscher,J. McCormac,M. Mercer, E. Jan. 14. Moore, R. Morris, M. Newlon, P. Noell, B. Ohde, D. Overacker,J. Overton, B. Palmer-Ball(BP), C. Paterson,J. Pogacnik,B. Proes- EXOTICS -- A final word on BarnacleGeese. This winter, single choldt (BPr), T. Pucelik, L. Rauth (LR), F. Renfrow, M. Resch, J. BarnacleGeese were observed at Durand,Ill., and SloughsW.M.A., Robertson(JR), D. Robinson,J. Robinson(JRo), L. Rosche(LRo), B. Ky., duringJanuary. While bothbirds were adequately described, their Rudden,H. Shadowen,J. Simpson(JS), J.Sowers(JSo), F. Stamm, originsmust be suspect.During a normalyear, I receive2-4 Barnacle M. Tawse, C. Wescott,M. Wiese, B. Wilson, Jim Wilson (Missouri), Goosesightings from the Region.Given this regularity of occurrence,I H. Wuestenfeld.In addition,many persons who couldnot be individ- havea difficulttime believingthis maritimeEuropean goose is an ually acknowledgedsubmitted notes to the varioussub-regional re- annualvagrant in the midwesternUnited States. A morerealistic expla- ports.•BRUCE G. PETERJOHN, 105-K E. Ticonderoga Dr., nation is that a small numberof escapedBarnacle Geese wandering Westerville, OH 43081.

CENTRAL SOUTHERN REGION /Brent Ortego

Few Canadianand many Pacific cold frontsreached the Region,and as a resultthe weatherwas mild andvery wet. The mild weatherand the prevalentS andW windswere probably responsible for thepreponder- ance of noteworthyreports being associatedwith late fall and early migrants(50%), westernvisitors (20%), andlow abundances of northernspecies (20%). Acceptablereports for latebirds included 20 species of warblers,one of Bobolink, four speciesof grosbeaksand two of buntings.Rare westernspecies observed were Ross' Goose(first for Alabama), White-tailedKite (continuedeastward range expansion resultedin the firstMississippi nest record), Prairie Falcon, Lesser Night- hawks,Vaux's Swift, Allen's Hummingbird,Calliope Hummingbird (firstfor Louisiana)and Ferruginous Hawks. Two O RuddyShelducks capturedin Alabamawere believedescapes. In the reportfollowing, locationnames in italics are counties.

LOONS THROUGH BITFERNS -- An Arctic Loon at Pensacola providedthe first recordfor n.w. Florida(KB, MLM, MN). Single Red-throatedLoons were reported at 4 locations:at Gulf Shores,Ala., Dec. 12 (CDC) and Jan. 15 (CDC, SDH, TDT), at Biloxi Dec. 14-15 (ph., JT, JSp), at PensacolaBeach Dec. 21 (TP) and at Guntersville, Ala., Dec. 23 (DMB, CAB, AB). A Red-neckedGrebe wasfound for the 4th time on the Sabine CBC. The 2nd positiverecord for the ArkansasOzarks of an EaredGrebe was at L. FayettevilleJan. 6-Feb. Biloxi Dec. 4-11 (JT, JSp, EJ) and one on the Gulf of Mexico off 25 (RAD, RB, DB). An Audubon's Shearwater wasreported on the Louisiana-Mississippi.A Reddish Egret at AlabamaPt., duringDe- Gulf of Mexico off Louisianaand a Puffinussp., Dec. 28 at CapeSan cemberfurnished the fifth winter record(GD & DGJ, MLM) and a Bias, Fla. (SJS). Plegadis sp., in Escambia, Fla., providedthe first winter record Unusual inland were 50 White Pelicans in Iberville Par., all winter (RAD). (RM). Brown Pelicansare becomingmore abundantalong the Gulf An indication of a mild winter was: 31 Green Herons on 7 Lonisiana Coast; 197 and 140 were tallied on the PerdidoBay and Bay County CBCs and one on an ArkansasCBC, nine Yellow-crownedNight CBCs, respectively,and nine werereported in Harrison, Miss. (JSp). Herons on 4 Louisiana CBCs, one on an inland Alabama CBC and one The single ad. Masked Boobiesreported at Alabama Pt., Dec. 12 at PascagoulaJan. 8 (JSp),and five LeastBitterns on 5 LouisianaCBCs (CDC) and Gulf ShoresJan. 15 (CDC, SDH, TDT) were the first and and one at Port St. Joe, Fla., Dec. 28 (SJS). fifth recordfor thatmonth in Alabama,respectively. The 3000Gannets feedingon a concentrationof fish at Gulf Shoreswas the highest WATERFOWL-- A mild winterfollowing a wetfall didnot force a Alabamacount (CDC, SDH, TDT). The 5877 and702 Double-crested largenumber of waterfowlS. The onesthat did arrivefound many of Cormorantsreported on Louisianaand Arkansas CBCs, respectively, their normal hauntscovered by too much water. As a result, most were the highestever. Rare were 2-5 Magnificent Frigatebirdsoff respondentsreported small, scatteredwaterfowl populationsin their

Vol. 37, Number 3 309 respectiveareas, except for the Louisianacoastal marshes mob ) and one at Guntersvdle,Ala, Dec 22 (CDC), a LeastTern at Despitethe generallow numbersfor mostspecies, there were several Gulf ShoresJan. 3 (CDC; secondAlabama winter record);and two interestingobservations. Two WhistlingSwans were reportedon the BlackTerns at Escambia Jan. 2 (CDC, JA; 1st for January),plus one at White River N.W.R. CBC in Arkansas. A Ross' Goose* at Swan the JohnsonBayou CBC. Creek StateManagement Area Dec. 8 was a first for Alabama(GT,fide TZA). This speciesis alsorare in Louisiana;singles were reported on DOVES THROUGH HUMMINGBIRDS -- Many of the speciesor the JohnsonBayou CBC andon SabineN.W.R., Jan. 15 (SWC, DLD). eventsreported in this sectionare uncommonto rare in winter The Uncommon in Louisiana, a Cinnamon Teal was found at the Sabine numberof thesespecies and events at large suggeststhat the mild N.W.R., Feb. 19 (DTK, m.ob.). Suspectedescapes were two O Rud- weatherconditions contributed to their presenceand/or occurrence dy Shelducksat Wheeler N.W.R. They were first observedNov. 26 A White-wingedDove was atJackson, Miss., Dec. 11 (JT, DR) and (JF, m.ob.) andwere caught and banded Jan. 27 (TAI, JRB, m.ob.) All at Metairie, La., Feb. 11 (JZ). An ad. Mourning Dove was observed 3 speciesof scoterswere reportedalong the coast.Rarer inland, the feeding a fledged young Dec. 11 in Metairie (NN, PN). Eleven threeWhite-winged Scoters at L. PontchartrainJan. 12 furnishedthe Groove-billedAnis werefound at Gulf ShoresJan. 2 (HME, MWR)-26 secondarea record (NN) and one Black Scoterat GuntersvilleDec. 23 (CDC). BurrowingOwls were wintering in highernumbers; seven were providedthe fourth Alabamainland record. found on 5 LouisianaCBCs and singleswere found in Prairie, Ark, Jan. 8 andArkansas,Ark., Jan. 16 (WMS, MP, m.ob.). A Long-eared Owl returnedin November and stayedthrough Jan. 15 in the same KITES THROUGH FALCONS -- The White-tailed Kite is continu- woodswhere one was found last year in CameronPar. (SWC, DLD), ing to expandits rangeE In Louisiana,2-3 were nearEsther Nov. 30- and Short-earedOwls were late in moving S; in Arkansassix were Jan. 21 (THz), one nearGueydan Jan. 8 (HDG, Jori), onenear Oberlin found in Prairie Dec. 5 and one in KoneckyJan. 16 (WMS, MP, Feb. 18 (DTK, m.ob.) and 1-2 were in PointeCoupee Par., Jan. 4-8 m.ob.), andin Louisianasingles were near Holly BeachJan. 15 (SWC, (DWG, NN, PN, m.ob.) In Hancock,Miss., two were presentall DLD) and at LacassineN.W.R., Feb. 18 (KO). winter near Pearlington(JT, JAJ, m.ob.) and anotherpair was found Eight Chuck-will's-widowswere reportedat 4 LouisianaCBCs and nesting(first for Mississippi)near Logtown (JT, GM). A secondLou- singlesat 3 Alabamacoastal locations Dec. 19-Jan.9 (HM, TP, LD) A isianarecord was provided by 1-2 Goshawksin OuachitaPar., Jan.29 Whip-poor-willwas reportedon the SabineCBC anda Vaux's Swift (DTK, m.ob.) andthe 9th Alabamarecord was of one* nearRusselville was located Dec. 29-30 at Venice for the second s.e. Louisana record Jan.4 (LW, fide TZA). Both Sharp-shinnedand Cooper's hawks were (BC, RJN, NN, PN, m.ob.). A Lesser Nighthawk wasrecorded for found in average(3-yr.) densitieson Arkansasand LouisianaCBCs. the secondtime in Alabama at Gulf ShoresJan. 2-16 (CDC) and one Swainson'sHawks are rare at any season;surprisingly single adults was also found on the Venice CBC. were found at CameronPar., Dec. 19 (ph.) (MMy, JW, JS) and at SouthLouisiana hummingbird enthusiasts should again be congratu- Hancock,Dec. 25 (J & JH). The mostRough-legged Hawks reported lated for enticingmany uncommonto rare birds to winter. At the this seasonwere eight at 4 locationsin Tennesseeand four on the forefrontof this group are Ronald Stein, Melvin Weber and Nancy ArkansasCBCs. SingleFerruginous Hawks near Hammond,La., Newfield.In Reservethey located a CalliopeHummingbird* Dec 6- Jan. 22 (JT) and in St. Landry Par., Jan. 28-30 (BE) were rare finds. 8 (first for Louisiana), a Ruby-throatedDec. 25, two Black-chmneds The resultsfrom the annualNat'l Wildlife Federationeagle watch (all winter), severalRufous, a probableO Allen's HummingbirdDec were not availableat the time of this writing; 20 + Bald Eagleswere 6-8 and singleBuff-bellieds Dec. 6-7 (banded)and Jan. 15-Feb 28 reportedat Guntersville,Benton, Ark., Jan. 16 (DJ, JN, m.ob.) and (banded).Elsewhere in Louisianaa O Ruby-throatedHummingbird Toledo Bend Res., Feb. 4 (BO), and singlenests were observedin St. (ph.) wasin BatonRouge Dec. 20 (S & KH), a O Black-chinned(ph) TammanyPar. (oneyoung--J J, m.ob.) andHarrison, Miss. (EJ, JT). wasat PearlR., St. TammanyPar., in late January(S & KH, DH), 1-2 Ospreyswere morecommon than normal; nine were on 3 Louisiana Buff-belliedswere at Metairie Dec. 12-Feb. 27 (NN; one banded),at CBCs, two on Horn I., Dec. 22 (JAJ, E & NS), two inBay, Fla., Dec. least three at Franklin Jan. 12-22 (NN, M & GD) and one was at 30 (B.A.S.), andsingles at Natchitoches(CV), St. Martin Par., Dec. 5 Harahanin early December(MWa). In Arkansasan Archilochussp , (JD, JVR), Iberville Par. (RM), Jackson,Miss. (two locals--JT, EJ) hummingbirdwas reportedon the E1 Dorado CBC. andBellinggrath Gardens, Ala., Dec. 19 (GD & DGJ). A rarePrairie Falcon wasfound during the TexarkanaCBC. Five PeregrineFalcons KINGBIRDS THROUGH WARBLERS -- An early E. Kingbird were reportedon 4 Louisianaand one ArkansasCBCs; singleswere wasat ShreveportFeb. 15 (BE). A Scissor-tailedFlycatcher at Escam- alsoreported in BaMwinDec. 12 (CDC) andBay Dec. 30 (B.A.S.). bia Jan. 6 furnishedthe first n.w. Florida Januaryrecord (RAD, RD, DB). A Mviarchussp., wasfound in Stone,Miss., Dec. 5 (MMo) and SHOREBIRDS THROUGH TERNS -- The first winter record of an Jan. 26 (H & LWe), and on the Marianna CBC, Horned Larks were Am. Oystercatcherat New OrleansJan. 21 occurredafter several days belowaverage in Louisiana(0.003 as comparedto 0.060 birds/party- of strongS winds(DC). An unusuallylarge number(30) of Snowy hour5-yr. CBC average•hereafter,bpph) and Arkansas (1.03 vs 1 39 Ploverswere found in Escambia, Fla., Feb. 19 (PT). A Long-billed bpph).Single Bank Swallows were found at Gulf ShoresDec. 5 (GD & Curlew observed near Mobile all winter furnished the third Alabama DGJ) and Iberville Par., Jan. 26 (RM). winterrecord (CDC, DMB, GD & DGJ). SpottedSandpipers are com- It wasa mild invasionyear for Red-breastedNuthatches; at CBCsin mon alongthe coastduring winter, but are uncommonto rare inland; Arkansasand Louisiana they werefound at densitiesof 0.022 bpph A three overwinteredat E1 Dorado (L & HHS, YF) and one was at SageThrasher at JohnsonBayou Dec. 4 furnishedthe sixthrecord for Benton,Ark., Dec. 19 (KS, m.ob.). SingleSolitary Sandpipers were Louisiana(JD, JVR, GHR). A Sprague'sPipit at Lacombe,La., Feb 5 reportedon the CreoleCBC and at ReserveDec. 11 (RJS, MW). The wasunusual for thelocality (J & JH). A White-eyedVireo at SardisL , Least Sandpiperwas previouslyconsidered a rare Tennesseewinter Miss., Dec. 21 providedthe first area winter record (HD, CHB, CWB) bird; this season84-346 overwinteredat Memphis(JRW, m.ob.). The Two Yellow-throated Vireos on the Pine Prairie CBC and one at Gulf first winter recordfor Memphis was of 1-7 Dunlins all season(JRW, BreezeDec. 18 (RAD, LD, m.ob.) providedthe secondarea winter m.ob.). Two Marbled Godwitsat Mobile Feb. 27 providedthe sixth records. Alabama winter record since 1955. The numberand variety of warblersreported this season was phe- Many rare gullswere locatedin the Regionlast year duringa cold nomenal. Of the 20 species reported on Louisiana CBCs, the winter;however, few raritieswere located during this winter's relative- uncommon to rare winterers were two Nashvilles, a N. Parula, ly mild weather.Only two GlaucousGulls were noted; one at Escambia two Magnolias,two Blackburnians,two Black-throatedGrays, four Dec. 30-Feb. 26 (OF, m.ob.) and one at L. PontchartrainJan. 5 (NN). Black-throatedGreens, a Yellow-throated, a Chestnut-sided,a Bay- A Great Black-backed Gull was found on the Sabine CBC and the one- breasted,three Prairies, an Ovenbird, threeN. Waterthrushes,four leggedLesser Black-backed Gull returnedto PensacolaDec. 3 (RAD). Yellow-breasted Chats, 43 Wilson's and two Am. Redstarts.Other A Franklin'sGull at AlabamaPt., Dec. 12 wasthe fourtharea record uncommonwintering warblers were: single Orange-crowned Warblers (CDC). at Memphis Dec. 19 (RC) and Jan. 29-Feb. 2 (MtW) and at Gunters- ACom. Tern observedat Alabama Pt., Nov. 14 was bandedon the ville, Ala., Dec. 23 (AB, CAB); a Nashville at Ft. Morgan Dec 31 lower GreatLakes during 1982 (RAD). Rare (for area)wintering terns (lIME, MWR), a N. Parulaat PascagoulaFeb. 3 (MMo) a Prairieon were: 1-8 Forster'sTerns at SardisL., Miss., Jan. 5-30 (BBC, LCC, theMarlanna CBC, a Yellow-breastedChat at Gulf Breeze(RAD, LD,

310 AmericanB•rds, May-June 1983 mob ), and single Am Redstarts•n CameronPar, Dec 4 (JVR, Sparrowswere only reportedat 2 locations,75 at Washtngton,Ark , GHR, m.ob.) and at Mandewlle, La., Jan. 18 (J & JH). Feb. 6 (TH) and 20 in Lake, Tenn., Feb. 4 (MLB, m.ob.). A Hams' Sparrow was found at Baton Rouge Jan. 12-Feb. 25 (DLD, SWC, BOBOLINK THROUGH LONGSPURS -- The first winter record m.ob.). A Clay-coloredSparrow Dec. 5 in CameronPar., was a rare of a Bobolink in Mississippioccurred at PascagoulaDec. 11 (JT, DR). find (SWC). Not many longspursmade it S this winter; six Laplands Blackbirdsmoved S in largenumbers in early December.A roostat were reportedin Arkansas(TH, BK) and 50 in Tennessee(JRW), 50 Miller's L., EvangelinePar., comprisedat least2,000,000 Starlings, Smith's were in Prairie, Ark. (WMS, m. ob.), andfour undifferentiated 15,000,000 Red-wingedBlackbirds, 750,000 Com. Grackles, and on the JohnsonBayou CBC. 20,000,000 Brown-headedCowbirds (BO, HDG, m.ob.). It would be interestingto studyhow passefinepopulations would respondif the 20,000,000 parasiticnesting cowbirds were destroyed. CONTRIBUTORS (SectionalEditors in boldface)-- SusanAllen, Dunngnormal years, scattered, local breeding populations of Great- JohnArnold, ThomasZ. Atkeson,J. RussellBailey, Dick Ballman, tailed Grackles in s.w. Lousiana winter in Cameron and Vermilion RichardBallman, Alan Baron, Kate Beck, Michael J. Bierly (Middle Pars Thisyear at leastone of themajor populations outside of Cameron Tennessee),Craig A. Brown, ClaudeW. Brown, D. Mark Brown, andVermilion Pars. wintered on theirbreeding grounds. At the Mill- Carolyn H. Bullock, Michelle Buquoi, StevenW. Cardiff, Dan Car- er's L colony,at least200 Great-tailedGrackles overwintered for the roll, RobertCasey, Ben B. Coffey(w. Tennessee),Lula C. Coffey,C first rime (BO, HDG). A few gracklesthat may havebeen associated DwightCooley, Bruce Cfider, Mary andG. DeSoto(M & GD), Donna w•th th•scolony were alsoobserved at Eunice(35 km S) in February L. Dirtman,Robert A. Duncan,Lucy Duncan, John Dunn, Howard M (HDG) Einspahr,Bill Eley, OwenFang, John Findlay, Yvonne Fitts, Goldwyn Tanagerswere more numerousthan usualfor the season;a Western Gary, HaftandD. Guillory, Tom Haggerty,Sam D. Hamilton, John was reportedon the SabineCBC, a Scarleton the Venice CBC and Hardee(Jori), Tommy Hazleton(THz), Jim and JamesHolmes (J & singleSummers at 2 otherLouisiana CBCs. Three SummerTanagers JH), Doris Hope, Steveand Kathy Hope (S & KH), ThomasA. Imhof were reportedin n.w. Floridawhere there have been only 4 previous (Alabama),Greg D. and Debra G. Jackson(GD & DGJ), Jerome A. wtnterrecords; one was in SantaRosa Dec. 18 (CLK, GG, CP, m.ob.) Jackson(Mississippi), D.T. Kee, Curtis L. Kingsbury (n.w. Flor- and two in Escambia Feb. 5-16 (JM, m.ob.). ida),Bret Kuss, Harriett Martin, R. Martin,Mary LouMattys, Ann L SingleRose-breasted Grosbeaks were reported on theMemphis CBC Miller, Charles Mills (Arkansas),Gerry Morgan, Mary Morris, James and in CameronPar., Dec. 4 (SWC), and Black-headedGrosbeaks at 2 Muman, David Muth, Mac Myers, JoeNeal, NancyNewfield, Paul BatonRouge locations Dec. 27-Feb. 28 (MB) and Jan. 2 (RJN, SA, Newfield, Robert J. Newman (Louisiana),Martha Nez, Albert and TSS) andone at Fairhope,Ala., Jan. 10-Feb.16 (A & MiN). A Blue MinnieNonkes (A & MiN), BrentOrtego, Kelby Ouchley, Max Park- Grosbeakwas on the VeniceCBC. Five IndigoBuntings were reported er, Ted Parker,Charles Patterson, Robert D. Purrington,J. Van Rem- on 3 LousianaCBCs andthree on threeAlabama CBCs; singleswere sen,Gary H. Rosenberg,Dave Ruple,Michael W. Russell,T.S. Schu- found at Franklin, Tenn., Dec. 17 (SJS) and in n.w. Florida on Feb. 5 lemberg, John Sevenair, William M. Shepherd,Luvois and H.H (A & TZ) & 20 (RAD, m.ob.). Three PaintedBuntings were reported Shugart(L & HHS), Kim Smith, Bay County AudubonSociety on 2 LouisianaCBCs. SingleDickcissels were found at Mobile Jan. 12 (B.A.S.), Ed andNancy Soloski (E & NS), JimSpence (JSp), Richard (HM), MetairieFeb. 11 (NN, JZ) andBaton Rouge Feb. 12-18 (SWC, Stauffacher,Steven J. Stedman,Ronald J. Stein, Doug Stotz, Phfi DLD) EveningGrosbeaks and PurpleFinch numberson CBCs were Tetlow, Gary Thomas,Thomas D. Thombill, JudithToups, Charles lower than the 5-yr. average. The 300 House Finchesreported at Viers, Margaret Waguespack(MWa), Martha Waldron (MtW), Huntsvfile,Ala., Jan. 5 wasthe highestcount for the state(ALM). The Heathie Walker, Melvin Weber, Harriet and Leland Wessel (H & sixthLouisiana record of a Green-tailedTowhee was furnished by one LWe), JimWhelan, Larry Wilson, Jeff R. Wilson,Jackie Zaney, Ann foundat BatonRouge (NN, PN, m.ob.). A largenumber for Henslow's andTony Ziccardi (A & TZ). -- BRENT ORTEGO, 606 E. Beaure- Sparrowswere the 17 in St. Tammany Par. (VJR, TSS, DS). Tree gard St., Ville Platte, LA 70586.

PRAIRIE PROVINCES REGION

/J. Bernard Gollop •ooø

Decembertemperatures were 1 to 3øCabove normal in the Prairie Provincesnorth to 54øN. Precipitationin the samearea was below normal, down to 25% of averagein centralAlberta. Januarywas no colder than December(-10 to -15øC in the south, which was 5-6øC abovenormal even into the northernhalf of eachprovince). Precipita- tion was only 50% of averagethrough much of the south.The first week in Februaryproduced some record low temperaturesbut on the whole the month was 2-5øC warmer than usual in the southern half and justabove normal in thenorth. For the third consecutive month precipitation was below normal, 50% below for most of the Prairies.

LOONS THROUGH DUCKS -- The only Com. Loon was on L. Dtefenbakerat leastuntil Feb. 23 (CE, WH). Two Great Blue Herons m• 0 werefirst seennear Banff Feb. 13 anda WhistlingSwan was there Dec. MONTANA NORTH DAKOTA 18 (GH, RL, MM). Manitobahosted a GreatBlue Heronat RiversFeb. 7 (HSv, NS, CC) anda blue-phaseSnow Goose through early February •n Petersfield(HSm). In the Calgary-Banffstretch of the Bow R., 12 MergansersFeb. 8 (CE) at L. Diefenbaker,a c• N. Shovelerat Edmon- speciesof ducksoccurred during the winter: Mallards, two Gadwall tonDecember through February (PA), threeLesser Scaup at Portage La (Jan 23), onePintail, six Green-winged Teal, two Am. Wigeon,Com. Prairie, Man. (CC) and a Com. Merganserat Ft. San, Sask., Feb. 19 Goldeneye,eight Barrow's Goldeneye,one Buffiehead,one Harle- (CH). qmn, and one Hooded(Jan. 23), 28 Common(Feb. 15) and one Red- breasted(Dec. 18) mergansers(JT, DE, GH, OD, J & MSt, AW). HAWKS THROUGH OWLS -- Rareoccurrences included a Sharp- There were also a c• Green-wingedTeal Dec. 12 (CE) and six Com. shinnedHawk at Calgarythrough Jan. 15 (JT), Cooper'sHawk at

Vol 37, Number 3 311 EdmontonJan 29 (PA), Red-tafiedHawk at SquawRapids, Sask , Gracklesoverwintered with the help of a feederat Ft San, Sask , (JP) Dec. 24 (WH), Marsh Hawk at Strathmore,Alta., Feb. 19 (JSt), and at 7 localitiesin Manitoba (HC, RKo). PeregrineFalcon at Webb, Sask., Dec. 20 (CH), and singleAm. Kestrelsat Oldsand Calgary in February(AW, RS). Goshawks,Gold- GROSBEAKSTHROUGH BUNTINGS -- Eveningand Pine gros- en andBald eagles and Prairie Falcons were normally distributed in all beakswere down acrossthe Prairiesbut up at Ft. McMurray (JG) 3 provinces,while Gyrfalcons, Merlins and 10 reports of Am. Kestrels PurpleFinches were morecommon than last year in s. Manitoba,the wereup from lastyear in Manitoba(GG, RKo). A singleKilldeer was largestnumbers being 19 at Rock L., 15_+ near Glenboroand 11 in reportedDec. 19 s. of theCypress Hills, Sask.,(WH, SL) andfour on Winnipeg(PS, LL, MSi). A HouseFinch was a rarity at a Calgary theBow R., nearCalgary Feb. 6 (KJ). Two GlaucousGulls appeared feederlate December-earlyFebruary (DM). Redpollswere even less on the fiver in SaskatoonJan. 21-30 (AS, BJ, RJ, m.ob.). SnowyOwls commonthan waxwings across the s. andabout equal in numbersto last were down in s. Alberta to 1.7/160 km from 2.3 in 1981-82 and 10.0in winter at Ft. McMurray (JG). At Churchill, Pine Grosbeaksand red- 1980-81(J & MSt). Theywere also down "considerably" at Churchill pollswere up andthe conecrop them was better than last year (BCh) (BCh) andelsewhere they occurred in normallow numbers.A Barred As they were 3 winters ago, Am. Goldfincheswere exceptionally Owl at BrandonJan. 27 (CC) anda Hawl Owl nearSaskatoon Dec. 23 common in s. Manitoba. Estimates varied from > 100 at each of several (FR) wereunusual sightings outside the boreal forest. Great Grey Owls feedersin Winnipegto 450 nearBrandon Jan. 25 to 500 _+in Balmoral wereup in extremes.c. Manitoba--25being caught [banded?-Ed.] in Januaryand early February(GG, MSi, CC, CT). This population comparedto threelast year (RN, HC). Only four Short-caredOwls spilled over to s.e. Sasketchewanwith up to 30 overwinteringat a werereported, once each from Calgary, Sundre, Alta., SpringValley feederin Wauchopeand two at a feederin MooseMountain P.P , Feb andWhite Bear, Sask.(PSh, FH, FB, SJ). A Saw-whetOwl in Regina 20 (fideDHj, RD). A Rufous-sidedTowhee again wintered in s. Mam- Dec. 20 was considereda rarity (TR, RKr). toba at Sanford(fide DHa). Dark-eyedJuncos and White-throated Sparrowssurvived at leastpart of the winter,each in a half dozenplaces WOODPECKERS THROUGH KINGLETS -- An imm. Red-head- with bothspecies as far n. as Ft. McMurray--singlesat feeders,the ed Woodpeckerwintered successfully in Winnipeg(BCu). Five Sas- former duringthe first 2 weeksof Januaryand the latter Feb. 21-26 katchewanareas reported Downy Woodpeckersdown--Foam L., (JG). A True Sparrowat DuncairnDam, Sask.,Feb. 27 wasunusual MooseJaw, Raymore,White Bearand Wolseley; 4 of thosealso noted (JR, CH) as well as an imm. ChippingSparrow successfully wintering thatHairies were down (WN, EK, WH, SJ, DHy). MooseJaw had its at a Pinawa,Man., feeder(RZ, PT) anda Harris' Sparrowas far n as first everN. Three-toedWoodpecker Feb. 11 (PK) andRegina had two PrinceAlbert (TC). Saskatchewan'sfirst documentedField Sparrow throughDecember and January (BL, TR, CA). Newlyarrived Horned wasphotographed near Meyronne Dec. 17 & 19 (DHj). A McCown's Larks were noted Feb. 15-23 across the s. Prairies but three were as far Longspurwas seen s. of the CypressHills, Sask., Dec. 19 and a n as Grande Prairie Feb. 18 (KL). Common Ravenswere more com- concentrationof Snow Buntings estimatedat 34,000 was found at monin s.c. Manitobawith 2 flocksof 250 eachFeb. 19 (PT) andin n. RaymoreDec. 21 (WH). Albertawith 500-+ aroundFt. McMurray(JG). Southern Manitoba had moreBlack-capped and Borealchickadees than last year (RKo, PT); CONTRIBUTORS -- (area editorsin boldface).C. Adam, W and Borealswere also up at Churchill(BCh). The provincehosted such J. Anaka,P. Assman,E. Beaubien,F. Bogdan,D. Braddell.T. Capus- raritiesas a Mockingbirdat Pointedu Bolsthrough February (SE, PT), tan, B. Chattier (BCh), H. Copland, B. Cunnings(BCu), C Cuth- singleBrown Thrashers at Winnipegand Sanford (fide DHa) anda bert, R. Dixon, O. Droppo,S. Dunwoody,D. Elphinstone,C. Escort, Townsend'sSolitaire at WinnipegFeb. 2 (RKo) andBrandon Feb. 9- G. Grieef, J. Gulley, T. Hammell, C. Harris, W. Harris, D. Hatch 16 (CC). Manitobaalso reported more Am. Robinsthan last year with (DHa), F. Haug, D. Hayward(DHy), D. Hjertaas(DHj) G. Holroyd, one-daycounts of nineat WinnipegDec. 18 (m.ob.), 15 at RestonJan. R. Jensen, B. Johns, K. Jones, S. Jordheim, E. Kern, P. Kern, R. 23 (DB) andtwo at VirdenFeb. 22 (CC) andGolden-crowned Kinglets Koes (RKo), R. Kreba (RKr), S. Lamont, R. Lang, J. Lange, L from 5 areas(CC, PSa, MSi). Layman, K. Lumbis, B. Luterbach,D. Matthews,M. McIvor, R Nero, W. Niven, P. O'Neil, J. Perry, J. Ricou, T. Riffel, F. Roy, P Sawatzky,P. Sherrington,N. Short,M. Siepman(MSi), A. Smith,H Smith (HSm), J. and M. Steeves(J & MSt), R. Storms,H. Svelstrup WAXWINGS THROUGH COWBIRDS -- BohemianWaxwings (HSv), F. Switzer,P. Taylor, C. Thexton,J. Thompson,A. Wiseley, did not showup in Saskatchewan'scities or towns;most contributors B. Wylie, R. Zach.--BERNARD GOLLOP, Canadian Wildlife reportednone, othersusually noted single flocks of <20 on 2 or 3 Service, 115 Perimeter Rd., Saskatoon, Sask. S7N 0X4. dates;there were a few more in the country.Good Spirit L. was an exception:with only singleflocks in Decemberand January, up to 100 werenoted regularly from Feb. 13on (W & JA). Therewere more than usual in extreme s.e. Manitoba but almost none elsewhere in the s. of theprovince (PT, HC). Theywere also scarce in s. Albertaas far n. as Edmonton(with an influx in February)and Elk I.; there were a few NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS morethan last year at Ft. McMurray(FL, PA, TH, JG). CedarWax- wingsmay have outnumbered Bohemians in Winnipegand Saskatoon /Gordon B. Berkey (HC, PO). Northern Shrikeswere uncommonas usualbut a Logger- headwas studiedand carefullydescribed in ReginaDec. 27 (FS). The seasonwas exceptionally mild andopen over the entire Region, The Icteridsespecially were amongthose better representedthan with Bismarckhaving the mildestwinter since 1930-31. This continues usualthis winter.A W. Meadowlarkwas found near Raymore Dec. 26 a patternof extremes,as three of the past five wintershave been (WH) andCalgary Feb. 20 (JSt). Red-wingedBlackbirds were reported unusuallymild and two have been very harsh.Birders may find it from Lumsden,Sask., nine from Feb. 5-19, and Reginawith a pair interestingto review reportsof the four previouswinters for compari- Dec. 18-27(TR, BL, CA), andsingles from Spring Valley Dec. 21 and son;it seemsthat for manyspecies them is no apparentlink between White Bear, Sask., Jan. 12 (FB, SJ), from 7 locationsin Manitoba, winterconditions and abundances. This is particularly true of thenorth- including12 at Altona(AS), andan imm. malefrom BanffDec. 20-29 ern finches. (EB). Therewere also more Rusty Blackbirds than usual: nine wintered Many birders,apparently longing for the northernbirds, described at Rivers,Man. (NS), eightat Brandon(CC) andfive at Reston,Man. the seasonas dull; if insteadone believes that the unexpected is interest- (DB); there were 11 near Lumsden, Sask., Feb. 5-13 (TR, BL, CA), ing, the winter was far from dull, with severalfirst statewintering sevenn. of MooseJaw Jan. 2 (DHj), threeat BanffDec. 29 (EB) anda records,several over-winterings of marginallyhardy species, and a few few singleselsewhere. Brewer's Blackbirds were up also:2 flocksof familiarsummer species in muchabove normal winter numbers. In the threeeach in Manitoba(MSi, RKo), a singleat a Saskatoonfeeder to text following, place namesin italics am counties. Jan. 17 (RJ) anda flock of 15 malesand femalesnear Irricana, Alta., Feb. 26 (JSt). What was probablyAlberta's first winteringBrown- LOONS THROUGH GEESE -- The first South Dakota Common headedCowbird was a male found the last week of Januaryat Ft. Loon was one in Davison Feb. 14 (JDM, RGR). A late W. Grebewas McMurray and still survivingFeb. 28 q- (BW, JG). Single Com. at GarrisonDam, N.D., Dec. 5 (REM). The first winterWhite Pelican

312 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 GALLINIDS THROUGH DOVES -- Grouse,pheasants and par- tridgemay have beensighted less often this winterbecause of lack of snowcover. Forty Turkeys have become established at SalyerN.W.R. This specieshas done well after stockingalong the MissouriR. drain- agein NorthDakota. An undocumented(alas) Sandhill Crane reported from Denbigh, N.D., Jan. 24 would have given us the first regional winterrecord. At leastone Am. Coot waspresent at Gavin's Pt. Dam for most of the winter. A Glaucous Gull Dec. 4 in Davison was out of the usualMissouri R. corrider,one winteredagain at Ft. Peck, and a first-yearbird was at PierreFeb. 12 (BKH). The third North Dakota Thayer's Gull was anotherfirst-year bird on the GarrisonDam CBC, Dec. 21 (GBB). There were more Ring-billed Gulls at Pierre and Yanktonthan usual. Franklin's Gull madeits first winterappearances in the Dakotas.Most interestingwas the onein summeradult plumage throughDecember at GarrisonDam (m.ob.). This may notseem dou- bly preposterousif we recallthat both migrationand moltingare con- in Montanaremained at Miles City after the CBC, but waspresumed trolled by hormonebalances. A Franklin's was in YanktonFeb. 27 injuredor sick(TCH). A GreatBlue Heronat Lewistown,Mont., Dec. (WH, JEW, ph.); was this an early migrant?A Bonaparte'sGull in 26-31 provideda first winterlatilong record (LKM); singleswere seen Yankton Dec. 1 was the latest ever in South Dakota. Photos were taken at Yellowtail, Montana,and Yankton,S.D., in January.Two Whistling of two Black-leggedKittiwakes in Yankton(WH). This speciesshould Swansat SandLake N.W.R., Dec. 17 were very late (WAS), while an no longerbe considereda surprisealong the MissouriR. in latefall and injuredone survived until Dec. 30 at TewaukonN .W.R. (DGP). Can- early winter. MourningDoves wintered in GrandForks. but a flock of adaGeese wintered in above-normalnumbers wherever there was open 16 on the Minot CBC had dwindledto two by Jan. 29, whenlast seen. water; mostobservers reported an early migration.Five Snow Geese OWLS THROUGH WOODPECKERS -- BiologistCliff Youroans winteredat SandLake, and early migrantsincluded 1000 in Turner, hasbeen censusing owls usingtapes for the past4 yearsin e. Montana S.D. (LJA) and one at Salyer N.W.R. (AA) Feb. 28. during late Februaryand early March. Conventionalwisdom is that small owls become silent out of fear when a Great Horned Owl calls. DUCKS -- So muchwas received on ducksthat only generalizations but he hasfound that all speciesin the areawill announceterritories in and a few highlightscan be reviewedhere. A total of 19 specieswas responseto a GreatHorned call. He believesthat the density of territori- reported. The following 14 over-winteredat one or more locations: al owls is as high as 13/miz in the thin stripsof riverbottomhardwood Mallard, Gadwall.Pintail. Am. Wigeon,N. Shoveler,Redhead, Ring- forest,with as many as eightGreat Horneds/miZ.A ScreechOwl near neckedDuck, LesserScaup, Corn. and Barrow'sgoldeneyes, Buffle- Miles City Jan. 23 markeda new winterlatilong record (SJG). For the head, Oldsquaw,and Red-breastedand Corn. mergansers.The Old- secondstraight year there were no SnowyOwls aroundFt. Peck;there squawat GarrisonDam was the first North Dakotaobservation after were few reportsfrom the w. Dakotas, but in Decemberthere were late December.The Barrow'sGoldeneye was a singlemale at Canyon about sevenon huntingterritories near Grand Forks, and five were L., Rapid City, for the fifth consecutivewinter. Northernmigration reportedfrom SandL., in e. SouthDakota. A Long-earedOwl e of wasnoted in SouthDakota as earlyas Feb. 16, with I 1 speciessingled Miles City was in a new winterlatilong Jan. 9; oneheard calling Dec. out as early migrants;earliest ever werethe two Green-wingedTeal in 21 was barelyoutside the GarrisonDam CBC (REM). Short-earedOwl YanktonFeb. 28, N. Shovelersin Gregory,Feb. 27, and six Lesser is anotherpredator that might be expectedto winterin goodnumbers in Scaupin Davisonand 12 in YanktonFeb. 25. Late migrantswere a suchopen conditions, but therewere only 8 reports.A Saw-whetOwl White-wingedScoter Dec. 6 at Fort Randall Dam (KHH), a Ruddy was found dead on the Red R., near Fargo Feb. I (CWC). Duck Dec. 2 and a Hooded MerganserDec. 5 in Yankton(WH). At leasteight Belted Kingfisherswintered in e. Montanaand South Dakota.The mostsurprising winter bird wasthe fifth MontanaAnna's RAPTORS -- The goodGoshawk numbers of fall held into winter. Hummingbird, which arrived at the Billings feederof Bill & Pain On Dec. 13four were seen to crossa trail in oneminute in Gregory,and Garvinin earlySeptember, and was kept alive until Jan. 23 with theaid at least sevendifferent birds were in that countyin December(GLS, of a heated feeder and artificial shelter (HWC).There was some re- DLL). Goshawkswere alsoreported in 4 otherSouth Dakota cos., and morseexpressed over havingenticed such a fragile bird to stay, but one was seentaking pigeons in AberdeenJan. 19 (DAT). There were 2 would one so lost have found its way S. if left to fend for itself? reportsfrom e. Montanaand 10 from North Dakota. There were 13 Common Flickers were more numerous than usual in Montana and reportsof Sharp-shinned,above normal, and three of Cooper's.near North Dakota. Interestingly,at least 13 were believedto winter in normal.It mightbe expectedthat ground-feeding raptors would winter Fargo, but none in Grand Forks, only 75 mi to the n. A Pileated farther n. with so little snow cover, but observationswere not uniform. Woodpeckerwas at GrandForks Dec. 15 (GSL). Red-belliedWood- Gniadek had totalsof 56 Red-tailed (almost double last winter) and 44 peckersmade it untilJan. 27 in Hebron(BT) andFeb. 5 in Hope(DLK) Rough-leggedhawks (more than double)in the Miles City area. The in North Dakota, and wintered at Hartford S.P., in South Dakota only North Dakotasighting of Red-tailedwas at Fargo(GEN) Dec. 4 (DRS). Red-headedWoodpeckers are usuallyearly May arrivals in and this wasprobably of a migrant,while SouthDakota had winterers North Dakota, sothe two in FargoFeb. 18 are likely to havewintered. in 4 countieswith no abundancesstated. There were only 6 Rough- Meade, S.D., was the sceneof ten sightingsof Lewis' Woodpecker leggedreports from North Dakota, and they were seenas not common (EEM), and two were in Lawrence Jan. 2 (NRW). A Northern Three- in SouthDakota except for Jackson,where they were in numbers(KG). toed WoodpeckerJan. 9 in Brookingswas the first recordedin South A FerruginousHawk nearMiles City in mid-Februaryand another w. Dakota outside of the Black Hills (CAT). of Billings(no date)provided 2 of the few winterMontana sightings, while there were 9 in South Dakota. LARKS THROUGH CREEPERS-- Many observersreported that Hinz noted more"sagebrush"Bald Eaglesthis winter than ever HornedLarks were scarceuntil the normallate Februarymigration. beforeand speculatesthat whitejackrabbits against a snowlessground This is somewhatsurprising in view of themild weatherand good food may have providedan easyfood supplyin e. Montana.Marsh Hawks supply.Black-billed Magpies were down in Gregory(GLS) butnormal wintered in slightly greaterthan normalnumbers; three SouthDakota in the restof the Region.Four Clark's Nutcrackerswere at Wind Cave countieshad early migrants Feb. 27. The only Gyrfalconswere a gray- N.P., Feb. 11 (RAP). The high MountainChickadee count at Lewis- phaseimmature in lateDecember and early January and a dark-phasein townwas 17 (LKM). Numbersof Red-breastedNuthatches were gener- Januaryat Ft. Peck(CMC). A PrairieFalcon was observed to roostfor ally small. A Pygmy Nuthatchwas seenin Fall River, S.D., Feb. 6. muchof the winteron a tenthfloor windowledge in GrandForks (fide This was a very good year for Brown Creeper,with severalNorth DOL). A latereport of a PeregrineFalcon found dead in Turner,S.D., Dakota observersseeing 1-3/day throughout. indicatesthat the bird may have died of rib injuriessuffered while WRENS THROUGH WAXWINGS -- CationWrens were singing hunting,as no shotwere found (LJA). The Am. Kestrelon the Ft. Peck by Feb. 15 in Fall River.A Long-billedMarsh Wren in SanbornJan. 21 CBC Dec. 18 furnishedthe first winter recordfor n.e. Montana (JCC). was at the same site where one had been in late November (RGR,

Vol. 37, Number3 313 JDM) A Mockingbirdwas in JacksonJan 8 (KG) Brown Thrashers Jan 1 The only White-wingedCrossbills were five in IVhnotFeb 26 usuallycannot survive a NorthDakota winter, but one made it through (GBB). PineSiskins were more general than any of theabove, but were the periodat Fargo(MAS). AmericanRobins were in goodnumbers in presentin only moderatenumbers. Only PurpleFinches bucked the e Montanaand North Dakota, but Harris expressed surprise that there trend;an averageof 30/outingwere seenin the Minot area, and tins were not morein n. SouthDakota. A VariedThrush fed regularlyon classicfeeder bird was readily found in thecountry feeding in sunflow- crabapplesin a Bismarckyard Dec. 4-Jan.8 (RLQ). The c• Eastern er fields. The familiar Am. Goldfinch was commonin the Dakotas, and Bluebird in FargoDec. 12-24was the first recorded in NorthDakota in eightat Malta, Mont. (LR) furnishedthe first winterrecord for e winter(M & DL, ?MAB). A Townsend'sSolitaire wintered in Grand Montana. Birders from the Dakotas who have become accustomed to Forksfor a secondcounty record (DOL), and threen.e. of Jordan, winteringgoldfinches should read the S.A. in the 1979-80 Prairie Mont., Feb. 15 provideda new winterlatilong record (SJG). In several Provincesreport (AB 34:284) to beassured of theplausibility of thelack recentyears Golden-crownedKinglets have been presentuntil late of previouse. Montanawinter records. Decemberor earlyJanuary in NorthDakota; this winter small numbers persistedthroughout at Fargo, GrandForks and Minot. Two Ruby- SPARROWS-- A Rufous-sidedTowhee wintered at Fargo(?J & crownedKinglets reported from Malta, Mont., wouldbe a first winter- RR). A closelyobserved Vesper Sparrow in Deuel, S.D., Dec. 1 was ingfor e. Montana,but no detailswere supplied. Bohemian Waxwings the latestever by 25 days (GJS, BKH). Tree Sparrowsmay remain were either absentor presentin small numbersat most locations; faithful to their winter rangeregardless of weather,as they are always exceptionswere up to 750 in Lewistownand 450 in Lawrence,S.D. difficult to find near Minot in winter, but becomecommon about 50 mt CedarWaxwings were commonin North Dakota, with an averageof s. Crownedsparrows occur on area CBCs, but mid-winter sightings are 50/day in the Minot area. infrequent.This year a Harris' was at BottineauJan. 30 (DNS), a White-crownedat Waubay N.W.R., was the secondSouth Dakota SHRIKES THROUGH ICTERIDS -- Northern Shrikes made the wintererin the past 10 years,and threeWhite-throateds wintered at a bestshowing in years,with a seasontotal of 25 aroundMiles City, and GrandForks feeder. Several winter Song Sparrows were reported One 1-5/daynear Minot. An undocumentedLoggerhead Shrike was report- mighthave expected hordes of LaplandLongspurs and Snow Buntings to winter, but, althougha few largeflocks of eachwere seen, such was ed in Davison,$ .D., Dec. 3. Winterpopulations of Starlingswere up in not the case. Ft Peck and Minot. In Gregorytwo Yellow-rumpedWarblers were feedingon cedarberries Feb. 4 (GLS). Therewere two FebruaryW. IN MEMORIUM -- Palmer David Skaar, 60, of Bozeman, Mont, Meadowlarksin North Dakota, but meadowlarkswere seenas surpris- inglyscarce in n. SouthDakota. Four Yellow-headed Blackbirds were diedof a heartattack in SaltLake City March30. For 25 yearshe has nearOakes, N. D., Dec. 5 (GB). Blackbirdnumbers were lower than tirelesslyworked to upgradeknowledge of MontanaBirds. His Mon- tana Bird Distribution is a model for economyin presentationof expectedin SouthDakota, with no large flocks, but the 440 at Upper Sourisin North DakotaFeb. 26 wasa goodnumber for thatarea. Rusty ornithologicalinformation. The latilongsystem he espousedhas 'also Blackbirds were seen in North Dakota several times in flocks in the beenadopted in Coloradoand Wyoming. His expertisewill be sorely teensthroughout the winter.A Brewer'sBlackbird in FargoFeb. 25 missedby regionalbirders. (LLF) anda Brown-headedCowbird at ColeharborJan. 9 wereamong the more unusual winter blackbirds. Common Grackles survived the OBSERVERS -- (Area editorsin boldface).MONTANA--C M. winter at Grand Forks but not at Minot. Carlson, J.C. Carlson,H.W. Carlson,S.J. Gniadek,T.C. Hinz, L K Malone, L. Rau and two others. NORTH DAKOTA--A. Aufforth, M.A. Bergan, G.B. Betkey, G. Brucker,C.W. Corwin, L.L. Falk, FINCHES -- Good numbers of Cardinals were in e. South Dakota, D.L. Kubischta,M. & D. Lamb, D.O. Lambeth,G.S. Lambeth,R E andat leastone spent the winter in Fargo(DLS). Duringthe mild winter Martin, G.E. Nielsen, D.G. Potter, R.L. Quanrud,J. & R. Reimers, 2 yearsago, goodnumbers of "northern"finches crone; this winter D.L. Stewart,M.A. Stoy, D.N. Svingen,B. Tiedmanand 30 others servedas a vivid illustrationof thelack of a simplerelationship between SOUTH DAKOTA--L.J. Anderson,K. Graupmann,W. Hall, B K local weatherconditions and winterpopulations of theseerratic visi- Harris,A. Hoeger,K.H. Husmann,J.W. Koerner,D.L. Langkeek, tors. Other than a few at Billings and 15 in Minnehaha, S.D. (AH) no J.D. McLaird, E.E. Miller, R.A. Peterson,R.G. Rogers,D.R. Skad- observersaw more than one Evening Grosbeak at a time. The only two sen, W.A. Schultze,G.J. Stava, G.L. Steffen, C.A. Taylor, D A Pine Grosbeakswere in Grand Forks Dec. 15 (GSL) and on the Garri- Tallman,J.E. Wilcox,N.R. Whitneyand five others.•ORDON B. sonDam CBC; the onlyredpolls were three Commons on theGarrison BERKEY, Division of Science, Minot State College, Minot, ND Dam CBC! The largestnumber of Red Crossbillswas 18 in Lewistown 58701.

SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS butdid providea firstJanuary record (TB). WhitePelicans wintered in /Frances Williams Otta•,a, Osage and Creek, Okla., and HagermanN.W.R., Tex Amongseveral cormorants which had been illegally shot during Octo- ber and subsequentlyconfiscated by the NebraskaGame and Parks Winter waswarm, wet andshort. There was no subzeroweather and Commission,was one identified asan OlivaceousCormorant (*Umv lakesand riversgenerally stayed open. Fall migrantsand summer of Nebraskaat Lincoln),providing a first staterecord (fide TB) An residentsremained late, andmany species wintered well northof their OlivaceousCormorant at E1 Paso Jan. 31 & Feb. 10 providedan usualrange. Most contributors stated that birding was "dull" andbirds unusualwinter record (BZ, JD). CattleEgrets wintered at Keene,Tex few. Exceptfor Goshawks,irruptive species were scarce. In thetext (CE) and E1 Paso(BZ). Great Egretsremained through the seasonat below, placenames in italicsare counties. Muskogee,Okla. (JMc) and in Texas at San Angelo, Kerrville, E1 Paso,Dallas and Stephens. Three White-faced lbises provided a sur- LOONS THROUGH IBISES -- CommonLoons wintered in good prisingwinter record at DallasJan. 27-Feb. 5 (BV). numbersthroughout Oklahoma and Texas, with a peakof 21 on Ft. GibsonRes., Wagonerand Cherokee, Okla., Jan.23 (JLN). Horned Grebepopulations were generally low except at Ft. GibsonRes., where WATERFOWL--Whistling Swansgraced reservoirs in Wyandotte, 120 were countedJan. 16. At CanyonL., Comal,Tex., 70 Eared Kans., Osage, Comancheand Cleveland,Okla., Potter,Loving and Grebeswere sighted Feb. 17, anunusual number for thatlocality (E & Reeves, Tex. White-fronted Geese moved N on a wide front in mid- KM). An individualof thisspecies wintered in Sedgwick,Kans. (SK), February,with threelocated as far w. as E1Paso Feb. 20 (BZ) Two and50 remainedat OklahomaCity aslate as Dec. 12 (JGN). Western Snow Geese on the N. Platte R., near Oshkosh, Neb., Jan. 6 were the Grebeswere seen e. to KerrvilleDec. 9-10, OklahomaCity Dec. 5, 18 firstwinter individuals seen by Roschein 10years of Nebraskabirding and Tarrant, Tex., Feb. 12. In Linn, Kans., 1500Snow Geese were present Jan. 30 andthousands A Pied-billedGrebe near Omaha Jan. 1 did notappear to be healthy pouredthrough Sarpy, Neb., Feb. 17-24.Three Ross' Geese remained

314 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 of waterhosted one or more Bald Eagles,the birdswere somewhatless numerousthan usual; again it was assumedthey wintered n. of the Region.New Bald Eagle nestswere found in Nacogdoehesand Pan- ola, Tex., in February (BO). A pair was also building in Sequoya N.W.R., Okla., only the secondknown nest for Oklahoma(fide JLN). I CrescentLakeNEBR. . .•maha A little dramainvolving a Bald Eaglewas recounted by J.L. Norman .•'...... • . Lincoln' Jr of Muskogee:"We were observingwaterfowl at Ft. Gibson Res., when a Bald Eagle flew out over the lake and knockeda Snow Goose I•r:t,1,,,.:::_._: -- - ManhattanII out of a flight of 20. The goosefell into the waterbut wasable to dive / Hays-Cheyenne' ' I hawnee beneaththe surfacetwice when the eagle came down to pick it up. COLO. g•ttoms ßM_arals deCyg; Finally the goosetired and the eaglecaught and killed it on the water. _! We watchedas the eagletried tbur times to lift thegoose from the water ...... F.C..o. but failed andhad to go backto perchand rest. Finally the eaglegave ClmmaronKANS.ß, I MO. up." I---- P,a,.s...... Marsh Hawks were reportedto be extremelyscarce at San Angelo, • ',OKLA. •Ullw•er ARK. il Amarillo • b. Kerrville and Keene.Tex. Ospreysfished near Dallas Dec. 14 & 28 and NEWMEX. •: 'ß I' '•le• %-Oklahoma cny -.eavener LubbockDec. 17. A Gyrfalcon at OklahomaCity was the find of the IMuleshoo •., -•'t. •.r'oha.Bow season.Grzybowski first observedit Dec. I from IS 40 in downtown g -.efuse • Res. OklahomaCity. Otherssaw and photographedit in the samearea at I' ß WI/_,h,l•a •Ha-•e rma n-•W R • Lub•o-k Falls Ila•e a • .... intervalsuntil Dec. 19. A late reportwas receivedof a Gyrfalconin II .... • ß .Dallas • .-- Osage,Okla., Nov. 4 (SSh). This was not the samebird, as one was • . .Ab..e Fo. Worth ...... • # • ß N.a½ogaocnes immature,the other adult. Peregrineshurtled over Rush. Kans., Jan. 14, Bartlesville, Okla., Feb. 16-17 and the Davis Mts., Tex., Jan. 28. • ...... • . .21 '• Lm(e L,vingsto. A Prairie Falcon found good hunting in the Martin Nature Center, •a!ent•neaan •nse,u .•Colle•eStatlon•.• Oklahoma City, duringDecember and January and one visited Albion, Neb., Jan. 8 & Feb. 11. Merlins were recorded at 5 localities in Nebraska, 4 in Kansas, 2 in Oklahoma and 6 in Texas.

PRAIRIE CHICKENS THROUGH TERNS -- Greater Prairie at HagermanN.W.R., until earlyJanuary and ten werecounted at Chickensstrolled regularly on a Bartlesvillegolf course.Seventy Gam- MuleshoeN.W.R., Tex., Jan.28. Thewintering duck population was bel's Quail fed in a cattlepen in PresMio, Tex. Virginia Rails wintered low in Texas and Oklahomaand higherthan usualin Kansasand at SanAngelo and were reported in Rains,Tex., Dec. 5, Tarrant.Tex., Nebraska.Northward movement began in February,earlier than nor- Feb. 5 and Sedgwick,Kans., Jan. 29. CommonGallinules were found mal.In Douglas,Neb., two Black Ducks were carefully identified Jan. at LubbockFeb. 6 andKerrville Dec. 2. In Hudspeth,Tex., 35 Moun- 1-24 (TB, BJR). GreaterScaup were foundin Lancaster,Nob., Feb. tain Plovers were counted Dec. 24 (A JR), two were in Williamson, 20, Linn, Kans.,Jan. 30 andLubbock Feb. 28. At LakeO' ThePines, Tex., Jan. 23 (CME) and four were in Crosby,Tex., Feb. 20 (ML). n.e. Tex., as manyas 50 GreaterScaup could be seenat once(DW). American Woodcocks lurked in Franklin. Kans. (MDS), Johnson, Oldsquawswere reported in Keith, Neb., Marion, Kans.,Comare'he, Kans. (PD) andTulsa (RJ). An astounding150 Com. Snipeprobed in a Tulsaand Oklahoma, Okla. A White-wingedScoter was discovered at sewagepond at Kerrville Dec. 7 (E & KM). AlthoughLong-billed TulsaJan. 30 (E & KH). HoodedMergansers are now regular in winter Curlewsare unusualin trans-PecosTexas, 30 were foundin Hudspeth in theRegion and were reported this season from Linn, Kans., to Big Dec. 27 (CSe) and up to 150 winteredalong the Rio Grandenear El Bend N.P., Tex. Paso(BZ). SpottedSandpipers lingered in the Dallas area until Dec. 28. A SolitarySandpiper provided an unusualwinter record in Tarrant Jan. 30 (CBH). A Wilson'sPhalarope remained in Llano, Tex., until Dec. 16 (E & KM). A ParasiticJaeger in LovingTex., Dec. 22 was well described (AJR). There was some controversyover whether there were one or two Glaucous Gulls in the L. Texoma area. The first bird was discovered Dec. 18just below the dam (KSt. AV). It was seenat intervals(m.ob.) until Jan. 18 and appearedto be in good health. On Jan. 24, a dead GlaucousGull was pickedup at HagermanN.W.R. (JWi). The latter bird was badlyemaciated and had died of a largetumor. At an. Tulsa dump, one, and occasionallytwo, GlaucousGulls fed Dec. 12-Feb. 5 (JWA, JT, m.ob.I. Franklin'sGulls lingered at Dallasthrough Decem- ber. Two in Lancaster, Neb., Feb. 27 provideda new early record (RG), and two at OklahomaCity Feb. 20 were alsovery early (JAG). Bonaparte'sGulls are now regular and commonwinter residentson largerreservoirs in Oklahomaand Texas. Somehigh countsthis winter included 1000 at Ft. Gibson Res., 211 at Buchanan L., Llano, Tex., and over 100 at Twin Buttes Res., Tom Green, Tex. But one doesn't expectto seea Bonaparte'sGull sittingin a snow bank in the pinyon- juniper woodlandof the Davis Mts., Dec. 26! (AJR, PE, CSe). For-. Gyrfalcon,Oklahoma City, Okla., Dec. 8, 1982. PhotolJ.S.Shack- ster'sTerns remainedthrough the seasonon severalTexas reservoirs. ford. VULTURES THROUGH FALCONS -- TurkeyVultures arrived in DOVES THROUGH KINGFISHERS --Three Ground Doves were Chautauqua,Kans., Feb. 14 (SK). White-tailedKites were sighted in 6 foundin Medina, Tex., Feb. 24 (E & KM). At least350 White-winged n.c. Texascounties--soon this species will be toocommon to report! Doves wintered along the Rio Grande at El Paso. Near Dallas, a Goshawkswere recordedfrom 5 localitiesin Nebraska, 14 in Kansas,4 Roadrunnersat on a nestwhich appeared to bean old Mockingbirdnest in Oklahomaand one far s. in Big Bend N.P. The numberof Red- Jan. 11-25 (ME). The only SnowyOwl reportedwas in Coffey,Kans., shoulderedHawks was unusuallyhigh for the winterseason. A nest, Jan. 20 (DW, SWi). Great HornedOwls were nestingin Dawes and 80% complete.was found in Franklin, Kans., Mar. I (MDS). The Sheridan, Neb., by Feb. 19, almost a month earlier than normal numberof Rough-leggedHawks was low--perhapsthey remained (RCR). Long-earedOwls were in all the usuallocations, but in smaller farthern. becauseof the mild winter. Althoughnearly all largebodies numbersthan usual. Few Short-earedOwls were found. A Chimney

Vol. 37, Number 3 315 Swift arrived in Baldwin, Kans , Mar 1 (AJB) About 40 White- ary (RM, BL) An Ovenbirdvisited a Norman,Okla , gardenNov 30- throatedSwifts foragedover the Rio Grandein PrestdtoDec. 30, Dec. 3 (WH). A flock of RustyBlackbirds comprising about 500 birds whichwas not unexpected. But three in PaloDuro Canyon S.P., in the invadedWashington, Neb., Feb. 24 (TB et al.), and200 or morewere Texas PanhandleDec. 19-Jan. 28 were remarkable(KS et al.). The in Tarrant, Tex., Jan. 26 (JWS, BL). Singlebirds of this specieswere Panhandlebirds were neverseen until noonor later, flying only when found at Lubbock Jan. 25 (PDa) and Midland Dec. 15-20 (JM) At thecanyon warmed. Black-chinned Hummingbirds arrived in theDavis Bartlesville,small flocks of Rusty Blackbirdsvisited feeders in bad Mts., Feb. 15. A 9 RufousHummingbird remained at Ft. Davis,Tex., weather. A 9 N. "Bullock's" Oriole at Tulsa Dec. 4 was both late and throughseveral snow storms, but the first warm sunny day (Jan. 27) she considerablye. of its normalrange (JH). Great-tailedGrackles, the left (PE). A Belted Kingfisherwintered at Albion, Neb. (WM). A scourgeof the earth,wintered in flockscomprising 50-100 birdsin GreenKingfisher was discovered in TomGreen, Tex., in lateFebruary Great Bend, Kans. (SS) and Linn (MC et al.). (fide TCM). FRINGILLIDS -- In Washington,Okla., a record 45 Cardinals cameto one feederJan. 21 duringa snowstorm.Unusual numbers of WOODPECKERSTHROUGH CORVIDS -- The populationof Pyrrhuloxiaswere reported from scatteredlocalities in the TexasPan- Golden-frontedWoodpeckers burgeoned on thefringes of theirrange in handle.A 9 Indigo Buntingwas carefullyidentified in Coilin, Tex , bothn.c. ands.w. Texas. In Linn,Kans., 45 Red-headedWoodpeckers Dec. 29 (AV, EM). PurpleFinches were present throughout the Re- were countedFeb. 26 (LM). A Lewis' Woodpeckerwintered in Mid- gion, but usuallyin low numbers.However, 724 werebanded at Bald- land. Two Williamson'sSapsuckers were in the Davis Mrs., Jan. 28 win, Kans. (KK). A d' House Finch visited an Omaha feeder Jan 19- (JWW) andone was at AmarilloDec. 20 (ES). An Ash-throatedFly- 20 (CH) and four (one male, three females)were seenregularly at a catcherin E1 PasoFeb. 17 (BZ) couldhave been an early spring feederin Comanche,Okla., Jan. 3-Feb. 28 (L & EB). Therewere very migrant---orperhaps it wasthe same bird seen a fewmiles e. of thecity few andscattered reports of Pine Siskins.At Baldwin,925 Am. Gold- Dec. 21 (SW). A Say'sPhoebe was discovered in Kingfisher,Okla., fincheswere banded(KK) but therewere no otherreports of high Feb. 16(JSh, WH), andseveral were reported in Texason the e. edge numbersof this species.A singleRed Crossbillwas found in Pawnee, of theirrange. An Empidonaxsp. wasforaging in a snowstorm in Kans., Dec. 15 (SS). A Green-tailedTowhee which wintered in Cole- Presidio, Tex., Dec. 31. By the next morningthere were 4 inchesof man,Tex., provideda firstcounty record (CSe). Another visited Dallas snowon the groundand the "empid" was gone(GL). "Tens of Jan. 28-Feb. 13 (m.ob.) and one was at TishomingoN.W.R., Okla , thousands"of HornedLarks covered the fields between Crosbyton and Feb. 12 (RMC). In the GuadalupeMrs., Tex., 20-30 Rufous-slded Lubbock Jan. 29-Feb. 2. About 150 Horned Larks fed on a snow- Towheescould be foundin everyscrub oak thicket(CSe). This species coveredgolf courseat OklahomaCity Feb. 4-7 andmore than 1000 alsowintered in the Omahaarea in goodnumbers. Lark Buntingswere were estimated n.e. of Tulsa Feb. 5. Tree Swallows arrived at E1 Paso more commonthan usual in the Texas Panhandleand small groups Feb. 20 andone appeared at BuffaloLake N.W.R., Tex., Feb. 27. A were seenas far as Stephensand Tarrant. In ColemanJan. 1, several Rough-wingedSwallow was sightedin Real, Tex., Feb. 10 and two thousandLark Buntingsmoved in massivetight flocks along snow- wereat E1Paso Feb. 20. Theearliest Purple Martin was one in Kerrville boundroads. The w. thirdof Texasis notedfor its highpopulations oI Jan.28. BlueJays were very scarce at Lincoln and Omaha. A BlueJay wintersparrows, but the lack of fall rainsand the subsequent scarcity of in E1Paso Dec. 1-Feb.25 provideda first recordthere (m.ob.). At least weed and grassseeds resulted in very low populationsof all sparrow 5000 Com. Crowswintered along the Rio Grandeat E1Paso. A flockof species.Le Conte'sSparrows were more numerous in n.e. Kansasthan PitionJays comprising 200 to 350 birdsroamed the Davis Mrs., Dec. usual,and were commonin n.c. Texas. Severalthousand Tree Spar- 25-Jan. 29 and a Clark's Nutcracker was observed there Jan. 29 rowscould be seenin a day at BranchedOak L., Lancaster,Neb The (JWW). specieswas scarce in n.e. Oklahomauntil early February, when a snow stormsent hundreds into the area. Tree Sparrowswere scarcein the CHICKADEES THROUGH THRUSHES -- Two Carolina Chicka- TexasPanhandle all winter.A ChippingSparrow that spent Dec 29- deesin PaloDuro CanyonOct. 31 andJan. 15 provideda newrecord Jan.31 at a feederin Omahaprovided both the late and early dates for there. At E1 Paso, Mountain Chickadeeswere presentthrough the the state (TB et al.). A Field Sparrowin Garden, Neb., Dec 18 season.A Verdin was carefullyidentified in Palo Pinto, Tex., Dec. 15 provideda first winterrecord there (RCR, DJR). Most Harris' Spar- (TG). A White-breastedNuthatch wandered to LubbockJan. 1 (CS). rows disappearfrom n.w. Nebraskain the averagewinter, but four Red-breastedNuthatches were scarce to absentin then. ande. portions were found in Garden Jan. 7 (RCR). A Harris' Sparrowin the Davis of the Region but were common at Lubbock and E1 Paso and one Mrs., Dec. 24 provideda secondrecord there (CSe). White-crowned reachedBig BendN.P.. in January.Pygmy Nuthatches wintered at E1 Sparrowswere in low numbersin Nebraskaand White-throated Spar- Paso.At Albion, Neb., five BrownCreepers moved in a flockFeb. 11. rows were scarceeverywhere. A Fox Sparrowvisited Comanche, Winter Wrens appearedin Omaha,Linn and Ellsworth, Kans., Nor- Okla., where the speciesis rare, Feb. 28 (JMM). man, Okla., Tulsaand Dallas. Many contributorsnoted that popula- This wasa longspurwinter, with all 4 speciespresent in abundance tionsof Carolinaand Bewick'swrens are increasing.A Long-billed in theirusual wintering areas. Only in s.w. Texaswere they absent In Marsh Wren wintered at Wichita, Kans. (SK), and one in Garden, Kiowa and Tillman, Okla., 20,000 longspursin huge flockswere Neb., Jan. 6 provideda first winter record there (RCR). A Brown presentFeb. 6. Of elevenbirds road-killed from these flocks, all were Thrasher survived the winter in Pawnee, Kans. Hermit Thrusheswin- LaplandLongspurs whereas the only longspur usually seen in thearea teredin high numbersthroughout the Region. In w. Texas, Mountain is the Chestnut-collared(JDT). LaplandLongspurs were abundantin Bluebirdswere almostentirely absent. Pawnee,I•ans., whereSeltman discovered that during nights of heavy snowfallhe couldhear longspurs flying overheadat all hours The GNATCATCHERS THROUGH ICTERIDS -- Blue-gray Gnat- followingmornings, he foundseveral dead birds which had apparently catcherswere unusualfor the seasonat Midland Dec. 10 (JM), Oklaho- collidedwith treesand buildings. In theheavily wooded e. Texasarea, ma City Jan. 14, 16, 24 (JAG), Tarrant Feb. 27 (RMC). Golden- singleLapland Longspurs were sighted Jan. 5 andFeb. 2 (DW, SL) crowned Kinglets were fairly numerousthroughout the Region. A CORRIGENDA --AB 36:993: The White-tailed Kite in s.e. Okla- Ruby-crownedKinglet in Dawes, Neb., Jan. 16 (DJR), Feb. 14 & 17 homa was discoveredJuly 1 by William A. Carter and CharlesL (RCR) providedthe first winter recordsthere. Sprague'sPipits per- Fowler.Two adultsand the first nestwere found July 4 by Carter,John formedtheir distinctiveflights in Wise,Tex., Jan. 23 (RMC), Llano, S. Tomerand John Shackford. The "wild" Turkeysreported in Tulsa's Tex., Feb. 3 (E & KM), and McClain, Okla., Feb. 27 (JAG). A River Parkswere released birds. At CheyenneBottoms there were 2000 Phainopepla was photographedat Alliance, Neb., Jan. 1 (DT, fide Stilt Sandpipers,not Black-neckedStilts. AB 36:948(Changing Sea- RG), providing a first state record. The only BohemianWaxwing sons):White-tailed Kites, not MississippiKites, nestedin Oklahoma sightedwas on the Emporia State Univ. campusFeb. 17 (MDS). for the first time since 1860. NorthernShrikes visited Potter, Tex., Jan. 8 (KS), Washington,Okla., Feb. 15 (DG), Albion, Neb., Feb. 11 (WM) andthe Nebraskaportion CONTRIBUTORS AND INITIALED OBSERVERS: Kansas: of DeSoto Bend, N.W.R., Feb. 24 (TB et al.). Amelia J. Betts, Mel Cooksey,Pat Devine, KatherineKelly, Steve A Black-and-whiteWarbler lingeredin Ft. Worth to Dec. 12 (CBH). Kingswood,Lloyd Moore, Marvin D. Schwilling,Scott Seltman, Don- Two Pine Warblerswere in Arlington,Tex., late January-earlyFebru- ald Vannoy,Steve Williams (SWi), Dan Williamson.Nebraska: Tan-

316 American Birds, May-June 1983 ya Bray.Ruth Green, Chris Hoffman, Wayne Mollhoff. Mabel B. Ott. shall. Grant Critchfieid. Paul Davenport (PDa). Jeff Donaldson, DorothyJ. Rosche.Richard C. Rosche.B.J. Rose.Doug Thomas. CharlesEasley. Caroline M. Eastman,M. Engle, PansyEspy, Tim Oklahoma: J.W. Arterburn, Leonard & Esther Beavers, William A. Gollob, Carl B. Haynie, ThomasHeatley. Greg Lasley, Bill Lawley. Carter, Ella Delap, Dottie Goard, JosephA. Grzybowski.Warren Mark Lockwood. Sue Lower, E. Martin. Terry C. Maxwell, Ruth Harden,Elizabeth & KennethHayes, Jim Hoffman.Robert Jennings, Meador, JoanMerritt, Ernest& Kay Mueller. Brent Ortega, Warren Jo Loyd,Jeri McMahon(JMc). JanetM. McGee,Louis E. McGee, Pulich.Alan J. Ryff. ChuckSexton (CS,), Ken Seyffert,J.W. Sifford. John G. Newell. J.L. Norman, John Shackford (JSh). Steve Shetrod Ken Steigman(KSt), EstelleStevens. Cliff Stogner,Allen Valentine. (SSh), JohnTomer. Jack D. Tyler. Paul W. Wilson. Texas: James Betty Vernon. SteveWest. JohnW. White. Jim Williams (JWi). David Beach.Anne Bellamy. Lillian Brown,Robin M. Carter.R.D. Cogge- Wolf. Barry Zimmer.--FRANCES C. WILLIAMS, Rt. 4, 2000 Broken Hills Road East, Midland, Tex. 79701.

SOUTH TEXAS REGION /Fred S. Webster, Jr. :':: • / .Bastrop B...... t With temperaturesnear normal, and periodicfluctuations on either • Son Seguin_ BAYSHORE•2[ sideof normaIcymoderate and of shortduration, the season was graded • Rio ß Antonio O' AREA •. "mild." Deep SouthTexas escapedfreezing temperatures entirely. :'-• Uvolde with the lowestreading at SantaAna N.W.R., for example,35øF in ...... early January.Readings dropped briefly into the middle20s alongthe northernfringe of the Regionon one occasion,but this was not suffi- •.-,. •. .,.__ _ • Koc•por• cientto completelykill backthe more cold-resistent native and cultivat- .-....•:::•:': ' • •? ed plantswhich one can almost always expect to befrozen to theground •:???:•::.?:::::•..•....:.• •. • duringthe course of the winter.Moisture deficiency offset the blessings '•{•{•::•::•:i::•:•?"'•:'•:!• Folfurrias•,:.• ,A of mild temperaturesin someextreme southern and western areas until :••::::?j;•.'•:..-::/ ::::•."• ....• :•.• Roymo.d•lle-(• ...... -. '...%•.:....::::::•::•&:• ':':?:•:?:•:•:':•:::'". February. In mostcases, winter bird populationsfollowed the trendsindicated • Sa,,aA• Re•e/ . •arown•v• by late fall movements.There was a minor shift eastwardfor some westernspecies, the reasonfor which is not readilyapparent, and a northwardlingering of some southernspecies which was probably relatedto climatic conditions. Most of therarer birds were turned up on ChristmasBird Countsand are not mentionedin thisreport; other than I' '• '•"•o • • 0 these,Mexican visitors (the word "stray" may no longerbe applica- ble) in the Rio GrandeDelta providedthe mostexcitement for touring [..::...-...... ti .... birdersand obliginglyremained throughout the season. droppedto 50,000 (one-third)in Decemberand nose-div• to 5•0 by the end of Janus. R•heads shift• from LagunaAtascosa N.W.R., GREBES. PELICANS, CORMORANTS -- Horned Grebes were to the adjacentLaguna Madre with about100,0• bi•s in December, lessuncommon than usual at Austin's sewageponds, and a rareoccur- and had incrms• to 125,000 in Febm• (GB). A Sud Scorerwas rencewas noted at BmunigL., nearSan AntonioJan. 24 (S & DHa). foundon theRio Grandebelow Falcon Dam Jan. 14 (•, JM). Ruddy BraunigL. hada veryhigh count of 1000+ EaredGrebes on theabove Ducks were more numerousthan usual in the AransasN.W.R. •ea, occasion.The LeastGrebe, which is showingup moreoften n. of its with a single-speciesfl•k of about8000 Feb. 17 (TS). usualrange, was seen at AustinJan. 5 (JS), on ArtwaterPrairie Chicken N.W.R., Dec. 13 (WS), and throughoutthe winter at San Antonio. A HAWKS -- SingleHook-billed Kites were reportedat SantaAna W. Grebewas reportedat FalconDam Dec. 30 (CSt). Twenty White N.W.R., Bentsen-RioGrande Valley S.P., andRancho Santa Margar- Pelicansappeared at BraunigL., Jan. 24 (S & DHa), unusualwith ita, Starr Co., duringthe season.An eveningflight of White-tailed regardto both species and numbers. Wintering Double-crested Cormo- Kiteswas reported by severalobservers at Bentsen-RioGrande Valley, rant numbershave increaseddramatically inland to Austin and San S.P., with as manyas 28 birdsmoving SE 6:00-6:50C.S.T. (RM et Antonio,presumably with the increasednumbers of largereservoirs. al.). Red-tailedHawks were reported less common than usual in w. and s. sections. Nine White-tailed Hawks were attracted to mice in a HERONS -- Great Blue Herons were more common than usual in n. burned-offcane field in HidalgoCounty (CE). Gray Hawk records areas.The Great Egret, which usuallymoves S to the coastfor winter, were liberallysprinkled from FalconL., to SantaAna N.W.R. The could be seenin the Austin area all winter (after very goodautumn RoadsideHawk at Bentsen-RioGrande Valley S.P., was presentat numbers)and about450 were at BraunigL., Jan. 8, alongwith 35 + least into mid-February.A few Harris' Hawks wanderedN to the Black-crownedNight Herons(JS). High heroncounts probably can be Austinarea where they have been rarely seen in recentyears; even more attributedto the mild winter and increasingwater area. noteworthywere two birdsnear Eagle L., Jan. 9 (WS). FewerMarsh Hawksthan usual were reportedin the w. A PeregrineFalcon took a WATERFOWL -- Record numbers of Snow Geese wintered in the Red-breastedMerganser at Boca Chicajetty at the mouthof the Rio Eagle L., ColoradoCo., area (WS). Along the lower coast,numbers GrandeFeb. 12 (CE). AmericanKestrels were reported in smallnum- diminishedrapidly after November high counts; this shift may be attrib- bers along a line from Austin to Falfurrias, BrooksCo. utablein partto dry conditions,or morelikely to the lure of vastgrain fields which now cover the Mexican side of the Rio Grande Delta. CRANES THROUGH TERNS -- It wasa disappointingseason at Ross' Gooseis being reportedmore often as observerslearn to sift AransasN.W.R.; 78 WhoopingCranes had been expected but only 67 throughflocks of Snow Geese.Two were founde. of Falfurrias(AO), adultsand six young arrived. Two of theseyoung died during the winter apparentlya new localityrecord, and one was seen at LagunaAtascosa (TS). A Yellow Rail was seen at Attwater Prairie Chicken N.W.R., N.W.R., in late Novemberand early December(TP). Nine Fnlvons Dec. 21 (WS). For an inlandarea, Mitchell L., s. of San Antonio, had WhistlingDucks appeared briefly at Austinsewage ponds Feb. 26 (JS), an interestingcollecton of winteringshorebirds: Seven Pectoral Sand- a rare localityoccurrence and a very earlydate for migrants.The huge pipers,five Dnnlins, two Stilt Sandpipers,and two Wilson's Phala- Pintail populationfound at Laguna AtascosaN.W.R., in November ropes (RC, S & DHa). UnusualLaridae includeda LesserBlack-

Vol. 37, Number 3 317 backedGull on Padre Island N S , Jan 9 (RHa) and a Com Tern at ousin the n but fewer than usualfrom CorpusChnsu s Port AransasJan. 12 (CC). WARBLERS-- One to threeTropical Parulas were reportedat DOVES THROUGH WOODPECKERS -- Reportsof the now Santa Ana N.W.R., throughoutthe season.A male was found at scarceresident Red-billed Pigeon, fairly commonin the Rio Grande Bentsen-RioGrande Valley S .P., Jan.26 (RM). A Black-throatedBlue Delta 30 yearsago, were concentratednear the townof Zapataat the Warblerwas at SantaAna N.W.R., Feb.13(SL), possiblyfor a first headwatersof FalconL., wherea flock couldbe seenflying to evening winterreport for theRio GrandeDelta. Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) War- roost;reported high count was 35 on Dec. 29 (CSt).A White-throated blerswere in goodnumbers throughout. A N. Waterthrushwas found Swift wascarefully observed in SanAntonio in lateafternoon Dec. 23, in mangroveson SouthPadre I., Jan. 11 (JA). A birdidentified as a c• asit flew aboutthe buildingsof the SanAntonio Medical Center (BS). Ground-chator Gray-crownedYellowthroat, [Chamaethlypis] Goeth- This furnisheda first winter sightingfor SouthTexas, the species iypispoliocephala, was seenat San YgnacioFeb. 27, alongwith a normallybeing confined to the Trans-Pecosregion of w. Texas. The possiblefemale of the species(DA, CE). Thisspecies was once resi- hummingbirddisplay was disappointingin view of the mild winter. dentin CameronCounty at the s. tip of Texas,but apparently disap- Most interestingwas the reportof three Anna's Hummingbirds--a pearedearly in thiscentury as agriculturalpractices altered the hird's male, female, and imm. male--at Helotes,Bexar Co., Dec. 5-9 (RHu favoredhigh-grass habitat. A Golden-crownedWarbler wintered at et al.). A PilearealWoodpecker flying upfiver at Bentsen-RioGrande SantaAna N.W.R. (SL et al.), andone was seen in BrownsvilleJan 28 Valley S.P., Feb. 22 (DHe, HW) probablyviolated Mexican air space; (BH, HPL, PS)-mid-Februaryat least. This species is verycommon m this specieshas not beenrecorded for Mexico. n.e. Mexicoand could appear more frequently in SouthTexas as native Mexicanhabitat is put into cropland. COTINGAS THROUGH JAYS -- The two Rose-throated Becards of Bentsen-RioGrande Valley S.P., werepresent at leastinto mid- FRINGILLIDS -- An imm. c• Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Falfurnas January.A KiskadeeFlycatcher at McCoy, AtascosaCo., Jan. 7 (FC) Jan.6 (AO) wasrare for winter.Purple Finch numbers were very low addeda newcounty to anapparently expanding range. An Ash-throated Two HouseFinches on a Brownsvillegolf courseFeb. 3 (RM) weres Flycatcherat LagunaAtascosa N.W.R., Feb. 21 (G & BL), andone at ande. of theirrange and were possibly the firstreported for Cameron Port AransasDec. 15 + (CC) were unusualfor winter. A Black Phoebe County. Numerousobservers found a 0 White-collaredSeedeater at winteredat Austinfor the first time. A fair numberof Say'sPhoebes SanYgnacio, recently the seedeatercapitol of NorthAmerica, at least moved E to winter in the Region. A very few of the seldomseen until mid-February.A malewas reported Dec. 5 (MMor, fide JA) in BeardlessFlycatchers were reportedin the Rio GrandeDelta where rushesbelow the spillwayat FalconDam; Arvin's sighting of a female theycan be expected;one at SanYgnacio in upperZapata County Jan. thereDec. 18, 1979, suggeststhis as a possiblealternate search-site to 29 (BH), andtwo Feb. 10 (RM) werenot expected. This was not a Blue San Ygnacio. Pine Siskins were all but absentbut Am. Goldfinches Jay invasionyear, but one was seenin BrownsvilleDec. 31 (KN). As wereplentiful. A minorinflux of Green-tailedTowhees moved into c many as seven Brown Jays (G & BL) were found at RanchoSanta sectionsand into the Rio GrandeDelta. Lark Buntingswere more Margarita, Starr Co. commonthan in severalyears at localitieson thee. edgeof the range andappeared as far eastas Attwater Prairie Chicken N.W.R. Sparrow NUTHATCHES THROUGH KINGLETS -- This was not a good populationswere at near normal levels with no specific trends apparent nuthatchseason; a moreunusual sighting was of a Red-breastedNut- Rufous-crownedSparrows were found, appropriately, in rocksaround hatchat Bentsen-RioGrande Valley S.P., aroundthe first of the year FalconDam and spillway(RM); they did not formerlyoccur in this Dec. 29 (BB, LR) & Jan.5 (ML). BrownCreepers were below normal locality,about 150 mi s. of theirusual range. Cassin's Sparrows, in in then. buta few werereported along the lower Rio Grande.A Brown song,were foundin the San Antonio area(S & DHa) andat Charlotte, Thrasher,rare in extremeSouth Texas, wasseen at SantaAna N.W.R., AtascosaCo., s. of San Antonio(MMoo), Feb. 24. This speciesis Jan. 5 (ML). Six Curve-billedThrashers were found at AttwaterPrairie uncommonthis far e. in winterand these birds could possibly have been ChickenN.W.R., Jan.4, e. of thespecies normal range (WS). Ameri- early migrants. canRobins sustained good to excellentpopulations in mostareas after a goodfall influx. Clay-coloredRobins continued to be seenin several localities in the Rio Grande Delta. Eastern Bluebirds were more com- CONTRIBUTORS AND CITED OBSERVERS -- RichardAlbert, mon than usual on the c. and lower coasts. A Black-tailed Gnatcatcher Dave Arbor, JohnArvin, RonnyBell, JamesBohmfalk, Bill Bouton, wasa rarevisitor at SantaAna N.W.R., Feb. 26 (SL). Golden-crowned Gary Burke,Charles Clark, FredCollins, Richard Cudworth, Charles K•ngletsreached extreme South Texas in small numbersand were in Easley,Steve & DianeHanselmann (S & DHa), RichardHarris (RHa), fair supplyelsewhere, while Ruby-crowned Kinglets made a verygood Dick Heller(DHe), BrianHope, DaveHuffman (DHu), RonHuffman showing. (RHu), Chuck& Hilde Kaigler, Ed Kutac, SteveLabuda, H.P. Lang- ridge,Greg & BeckyLasley, Mark Lockwood,Clyde Massey, Robert PIPITSTHROUGH SHRIKES-- Sprague'sPipits were fairly com- Maurer, Jr., Kay McCracken, John McBride, Jr., Michael Moore monin short-grassareas in JimWells County,and three were found in (MMoo), Michael Morris (MMor), Kent Nelson,Andy O'Neil, Tom grazedcoastal Bermuda grass in DuvalCounty for a countyfirst (RA). Pincelli,Laurel Roth, Alan Ryff, Andr6sSada, Daniel Schmidt, Chuck Pasturelandis replacingbrushland in thispart of SouthTexas and one Sexton(CSe), Wayne Shiffiett, Tom Stehn,Cliff Stoger(CSt), Byron canexpect more grassland birds. Cedar Waxwing numbers peaked in Stone, Jack Sunder, Paul Sykes, Henry West, Robert Whistler- Februarywith goodcounts reported. Loggerhead Shrikes were numer- FRED S. WEBSTER, JR., 4926 Strass Drive, Austin, TX 78731.

NORTHWESTERN CANADA REGION DUCKS THROUGH PTARMIGAN -- A groupof about15 Mal- /Helmut Grfinberg lardsspent the entire winter on a pondbelow Takhini Hotsprings near Whitehorse(hereafter, Whse). The birdswere probably fed by local Most areasof the Regionexperienced a relativelymild and dry residents(m.ob.) Previous reports of a few individualbirds at Kluane winterseason. Whitehorse had only one major cold spell (temperatures R., indicatedthat this species is a rareoverwinterer in theYukon Two to 40øC) of lessthan two weeks'duration in January. goldeneyes(at leastone of themvery likely a Com.Goldeneye) were Sincethe north is devoidof mostmigrant species, this winter report repeatedlynoted in openstretches of the Yukon R., in Whse. (HG, givesan opportunity to summarizethe status of all residentspecies and WH), andtwo goldeneyeswere seen 25 km s.e. of Whsein theYukon to leaveout noneof the 45 speciesobserved in theextended Region R., in December(HG, AH, KM, TP). ElevenCom. Goldeneyes were from Fort St. John to Inuvik and the Yukon. observedin the TeslinR., at Johnson'sCrossing Dec. 29 (D & PD)

318 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 Goldeneyeswinter regularlyin small numbersin the Yukon One or two Com. Merganserswere seenin openstretches of the Yukon R., in Whse in December(HG, WH). At Tagish, Yukon, 12 were notedDec. 12 and threeFeb. 13 (HM). Up to threewere seen25 km s.e. of Whse in the Yukon R., in December(HG, TP). CommonMergansers winter regularlyin smallnumbers in theYukon. One individual was also noted at Wann R., Taku Arm, TagishL., n. B.C., aboutDec. 20 (CE, fide MBr). A Goshawk was seenin Whse-MacPhersonDec. 4 & Jan. 3 (RH) andone at TagishJan. 7 (HM). This specieswas also noted at Graham Inlet, n. B.C., in Januaryand February (MBr). Goshawksoverwinter everyyear in the Yukon in smallnumbers. Goshawks were uncommon but regularin the Fort St. John(hereafter, F.S.J.) area (JJ, CS). Near F S J., a Rough-leggedHawk was seenDec. 24 (JJ) andone Feb. 20 (JJ, CS). A Golden Eagle, rarely overwinteringin the Yukon, was reported10 km s. of Whsein mid-December(BB). GoldenEagles were observed10 timesin the F.S.J. area(KB, JJ, CS). A Bald Eagle was seennear Marsh L., Yukon, Dec. 19 (LB) and one at Nisutlin Bay, Yukon, Feb. 28. This speciesis seenirregularly in winterin very small numbersin the Yukon. One Bald Eagle winterednear F.S.J., and was observedJan. 16 andFeb. 12 (CS). A Gyrfalconwas seen at BatesL., s w Yukon, on Dec. 4 (BL). Gyrsare regularly observed in the Yukon duringthe winter. A very unusualobservation was that of a •?Merlin, studiedfor half an hourby RA, KB, JJand CS, in the F.S.J. areaFeb. 26 Spruceand Ruffed grouseare commonresidents in the Yukon, but both specieshave beenpresent in reducednumbers in recentyears. Therewere an encouraging6 reports of SpruceGrouse but only one of a RuffedGrouse (HG) this winterin the Yukon. Both specieswere seen at GrahamInlet every month(MBr) andnot observedin the F.S.J. area (CS) One Ruffed Grousewas notedalong the Stewart-CassiarHwy., n B C. (DS). Sharp-tailedGrouse, numberingone, nine and one individuals,were seen in 3 areasnear F.S.J. (CS). This speciesoccurs alsoin the Yukon, but remainedunreported this season.Willow Ptar- miganwere seen regularly in theright habitat and Rock Ptarmigan once in thes.w. cornerof theYukon (BL). White-tailedPtarmigan apparently winteredin areasnot easilyaccessible to birdwatchersand were not reported.

GULLS THROUGH WOODPECKERS-- An unidentifiedgull was notedat Teslin L., Dec. 26 ( D & PD). Any gull observationin winter in the s. Yukon mustbe consideredunusual. Up to 176 Rock Doves were countedin Whse during the winter (DM et al.) ResidentRock Doves were also noted in F.S.J. (CS et al.). One of the most common owls in the Region,the Great Horned Owl, remainedunreported in the Yukon,probably owing to thedramatic drop in snowshoehare populations aboutone year ago. Springrecords indicated, however, that this common in the s. Yukon and northern British Columbia. Common owl hasnot disappearedfrom the Yukon. One GreatHorned Owl was Ravenwas the only speciesseen during the seasonin Inuvik, N.W T notedat GrahamInlet (MBr) and a few werereported from the F.S.J. (MBe). Four reportsreceived of MountainChickadee indicated that area(CS). Up to ninedifferent Snowy Owls/day were seen in theF.S.J. thisspecies may not be asrare as previously assumed or is increasingin area (CS). On Feb. 5, one of the ad. birds, tamer than the other owls, numbers.Two or more were seenthroughout the seasonat a feederin respondedto a mouse-shapedlure castout over the snowyfields with a Whse-PorterCr. (DS). One was observedin downtown Whse Jan 15 fishingpole by swoopingdown and grabbing the "mouse". Fortunate- (WH) andtwo wereregularly recorded at a feederin Tagish( B & GM) ly, the "fisherman" was ableto tug the lure from its clawsas it flew This specieswas seen all winterat WannR., n. B.C. (CE,fide MBr) away.A Hawk Owl wasreported near Pelly R., Yukon,Feb. 19 (HM). One or two Dipperswere observedat stretchesof openwater of This was the only Yukon recordfor this regularlyoccurring owl. A KlukshuCr., s.w. Yukon (BL), Mcintyre Cr., near Whse (HG), and possible20 differentbirds were accounted for in theF.S.J. area(CS). the Yukon R., in Whse (HG, WH, PM) and 25 km s.e. of Whse (HG, The Great Gray Owl, which is rare in mostpans of the Region, was WN, TP) as well as at Wann R., n. B.C. (CE, fide MBr). A Red- observedonce this seasonas it wasseen near F.S.J., Dec. 29 (JJ,fide breastedNuthatch was seenat Wann R., in early February(CE, fide CS) BorealOwls areregular residents throughout the Region, but only MBr). The unusualsighting of an Am. Robin, supportedby details, one was heard near F.S.J., Feb. 25 (JJ, CS). was reportedfrom Whse Feb. 12 (LK); this constitutedthe second Two Hairy Woodpeckerswere observed at a feederin Whse-Porter winterrecord for the Yukon. A Townsend'sSolitaire sighting at Wann Cr , in Januaryand February(DS). Hairy Woodpeckerswere also R., in December(CE, fide MBr) wouldhave been the first positive notedat Tagish (B & GM) andreported 4 timesfrom the F.S.J. area. winterobservation for theRegion if it couldhave been substantiated A Downy Woodpeckerswere recordedtwice in the Yukon, both in Ta- few flocks of 8-30 BohemianWaxwings winteredin the s. Yukon as glsh (HM, B & GM), and 4 timesin the F.S.J. area (JJ, CS). Northern reportedby RC, HG, WH and PM from Whse and by D & PD from Three-toedWoodpecker was the most common woodpecker, as expect- Teslin. Five were seenas far n. as Dawson, Yukon, Feb. 21 (MLe) ed, and was recorded in about 10 different areas (m.ob.) Flocksof 4-61 birdscould be found irregularlyin F.S.J. (CS).

JAYS THROUGH WAXWINGS -- Threeand four BlueJays were SHRIKES THROUGH SNOW BUNTING -- Although no N seenand photographed at a feedernear F.S.J., Dec. 5 & Jan. 29, and Shrikeswere reported from the Yukon where they occasionally occur in onewas noted elsewhere in thesame area (CS). GrayJays, Black-billed winter, the numberof sightingsin the F.S.J. area, 14, appearedre- Magpies, Corn. Ravens, Black-cappedand Boreal chickadeeswere markablyhigh (CS). On 2 differentoccasions, a N. Shrike was oh-

Vol 37, Number3 319 servedpursuing a Black-cappedChickadee (JJ, CS), and an imm. butapparently not seenvery well (MLa). Two or threebirds were heard shrikecaptured and carried off a HouseSparrow from a feeder(JJ). in flight in the F.S.J. area Jan. 30 ½CS).Dark-eyed Juncos seemed to Starlingswere not reported from the Yukon, but 1-5birds were record- havewintered in severalareas of the s. Yukon. An amazing3 reportsof ed 7 times in the F.S.J. area (JJ, CS). this rare winter specieswere received:one bird wasseen in all 3 winter HouseSparrows remained in andaround F.S.J., all winterin at least months in Whse-Porter Cr. (DS), two were observed near downtown 4 flocks,the largest being of about100 birds (CS). EveningGrosbeaks Whse until Dec. 25 (H & WH), and two were observed in Whse-Wolf wereseen in numbersup to 60 in theF.S.J. area(CS). PineGrosbeaks Cr., Feb. 12 (TM). SnowBuntings were scarce in the Yukonbut fairly were seen regularlythroughout the Region, usuallynumbering 1-2 common in the F.S.J. area. birds(m.ob.) excepttbr a flockof 26 in theF.S.J. area(CS). Someof the redpollsobserved in all areaswere identifiedas Corn. Redpolls CONTRIBUTORS -- R. Anderson, B. Bennett. L. Benoit, M. althoughthere is little doubt that some of themmay have been Hoaries, Bentley (MBe), K. Best, M. Brook (MBr), R. Carlson, D. & P. especiallythe ones seen in Dawson,c. Yukon(MLe). Northernmigra- Denison,C. Eames, W. Harms, R. Hayes, A. Hodgson,H. & W. tionwas observed in thes. Yukonfrom the middle of Februaryon when Horback, J. Johnston, L. Kubica, J. Lammers, M. Lammers (MLa), flocksof 20-50 birdsappeared in theTeslin (D & PD) andWhse areas M. Ledergerber(MLe), B. Liddie, H. MacKenzie. P. Mantle. K. (HG et al.). White-wingedCrossbills were very scarcein the Region. McKenna,B. & G. McLeod, D. Mossop,T. Munson,W. Nixon, T. Oneflock of "probables"was reported 5 km w. of MarshL., Dec. 5 Pendray.D. Russell, D. Schuler,C. Siddle, P. Wilson.--H. GRUN- BERG, Yukon ConservationSociety, #4-201 Main Street, White- horse, Yukon, Canada YIA 2B2.

NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN- ly early (LVD). A sightingof W. Grebewas made each winter month at INTERMOUNTAIN REGION Bend, Ore., where the speciesis rare after November (TC).

/Thomas H. Rogers PELICANS AND HERONS -- Six White Pelicans were on the Hanford Reach of the Columbia R., n. of Richland, Wash., Dec. 19; a It wasthe winterthat never came, in thewords of onereporter. What few havewintered there for the lastfew years(GS). GreatBlue Herons winter there was came mostly in December.After that temperatures winteredin betterthan usual numbers, owing to the mild winter. About were muchabove normal, with extensivebare ground and open water. 50 Black-crownedNight Heronswintered at CollegePlace, Wash., for Consequentlymany birdsstayed late, winteredfarther north or stayed the only report (B.M.A.S.). in the mountains,and returnedvery early. At the same time some specieswere affected more by foodsupplies than weather. particularly WATERFOWL -- This group,not surprisingly,wintered farther n. robins, waxwings, solitairesand the "northern finches." Reporters andin greaternumbers than normally. Whistling Swans stayed in high generallyagreed that it wasdull bird-watching,with manyspecies not numbersin s. interiorBritish Columbia; 565 wereon S. ThompsonR., forcedto concentrate,because of widespreadavailability of food. betweenKaroloops and Chaseand 37 were on ShuswapR., nearEn- derbyJan. 9. The birds' numbersdwindled from 200 Dec. 10 to 94 on LOONS AND GREBES -- A total of 28 Corn. Loons on the Feb. 14 Jan. 7 on Pend Oreille L. and R.. in n. Idaho. At Malheur N.W.R.. aerial surveyfrom PriestRapids Dam to Wells Dam on the Columbia Burns, Ore., they stayedwell into Decemberwith 500 remainingon R., indicateda high number wintering there. Highly unusualwere Dec. 25. Their N migrationwas well underway in c. andn.e. Washing- singleRed-throated Loons at Richland,Wash., Feb. 13 (REW) andat ton by mid-February.Trumpeter Swan numbers varied from 98-214 in Ochoco L., near Prineville, Ore., Nov. 26 (C & FS). Six Red-necked the CentennialValley-Red Rock Lakes area near Lima, Montana.A Grebeson WestArm of KootenayL., B.C., Feb. 22 appearedextreme- midwintercount of the speciesin the HarrimanS.P. area,Fremont Co., Ida., yielded 320 (I.F.G.). Three Trumpetersreturned to Turnbull N.W.R., Cheney,Wash., but the only cygnetto fledgethere in 1982 was found dead. The species'population remained stable at Malheur with the largestgroup sighted, 52. Canada Geese numbered 4670 on Malheur's mid-winter count and an above-normal26,000 on a 6-countyaerial surveyin n.e. Washing- ton Jan. 11 (U.S.F. & W.S.). Columbia N.W.R., Othello, Wash., had 22,000 Jan. 1. The n. Idahocount of 4903 Dec. 10 althoughfar below last year's, was still the secondhighest in recentyears (I.F.G.). About 1500 winteredon the S. Thompsonand 700 in the Vernon,B.C. area. Twenty that stayed at Libby, Mont., were highly unusual (CW). Ochoco L. had 1000+ Dec. 26. A White-fronted Goose was seen with •% KAML(IOPS/ ß ,eBANFF , wintering Canadasat BonnersFerry, Ida. in February (PSi). Seven Snow Geesewere at Turnbull N.W.R., Cheney, Wash., Jan. 10; one was near Odell, Ore., Jan. 15 (DA), and one wintered at L. Helena (GH). The birdsarrived in forceFeb. 16 in the Malheur-HarneyLakes Basin with 30,000 counted. Turnbull's20,000 + MallardsFeb. 3 apparentlyrepresented an early a"l • ( )OKANE.l- % KALISPELL • [LB' .• A• [COEURD'ALEKE MONTANA migration, as did 3000 + Pintail. The peak of 60,000 Mallards at :[LLE•RG ...... I •' eMISSOULA• ColumbiaN.W.R., Dec. I dwindledto 5000 in February.That refuge had up to 500 Gadwall and 50 each of Pintailand N. Shoveler;100 Canvasbackapparently wintered there. A few Gadwall winteredat Malheur. Warm weatherin Januaryresulted in the highestwaterfowl countever for the ColumbiaBasin of c. Washington.Duck numbersat ! eENO •ePAYETTE '•'• Carty Res., Boardman,Ore., reachednearly 145,000 Jan. 9, much lower than in 1982. Metcalf N.W.R., Stevensville, Mont., had 50% OREGONJ IDAHO WYOMING more waterfowl than usual and the Bozeman area had better than averagenumbers. Over 1600 Gadwall were found, for the first time ever, on the n. Idaho mid-winter survey. Mallard, Am. Wigeon and

320 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 Redheadnumbers there were well aboveaverage and Canvasbackat latfiong(BB) Two pairsof BarredOwls werelocated in theLibby area 1500, scaupat 3900 andCorn. Merganser at 3145 showedthe highest (CW) and one was notednear Coeur d'Alene, Ida., in Januaryand numbersever. A flockof 200 Green-wingedTeal nearKaroloops Dec. February(GHa). SingleGreat Gray Owls appearedat Bozeman,Red 12 wasunusual (RH). Walla Walla hada (Eur.) Green-wingedTeal Rock Lakes N.W.R., and along Henry's Fork of the SnakeR., w of Dec 7 + alongwith 50 Green-wingedTeal, themselvesunusual there Rexburg.The Saw-whetOwl was describedas quite commonalong (SM). A Eur. Wigeon winteredat Walla Walla (SM) and one wasnear OkanaganL. One was foundin Clarkston,Wash. (F & TJ et al.) and Odell Dec. 4 (DA). One was at RichlandDec. 12-Jan.29 (REW) and one was heard near Coeur d'Alene (SS). two weredownstream at McNary Dam Jan. 11 (MC). CommonGold- eneyewere much more numerous than usual at Bendwith up to 200 HUMMINGBIRDS THROUGH SWALLOWS -- A O Anna's presentbut Barrow's numbers there reached only 26. Two c• Harlequin Hummingbirdwas at a KlamathFalls feederJan. 2 after temperatures Ducks were at Trail, B.C., Dec. 10-Feb. 13 (ME). Common Mer- the previousweek as low as 6øF. and a 7-in. snowfall(SS). A "yel- gansetswintered in muchlarger numbers at Malheurwith up to 213 low-shafted" Corn. Flicker was observedin c. WashingtonJan. 16 seen (RF) anda "red-breasted"Yellow-bellied Sapsucker appeared at Bend Dec. I (CM). A White-headedWoodpecker wintered near Sisters, Ore (TC) andone was sighted at ChinookPass, Mr. RainierN.P., Feb. 14 HAWKS -- Goshawkreports were sparsebut morethan usual were (Y.A.S.). One was seen near LaGrande, Ore., Jan. 22 (R & JK) A noted aroundRexburg, Ida. Red-tailedHawks were unusuallyabun- Say's Phoebeat VernonDec. 19 was "almostphenomenal" (WC) and dant in the n. Okanagan,B.C., and one at Swan River N.W.R., e. of the first migrant of that speciesthere Feb. 18 was very early (JB) Bigfork,Mont., Jan. 13 apparentlyprovided the first winter record for Anotherlate Say'swas near Touchet, Wash., Dec. 12 (DL). No large that area(EJ). A FerruginousHawk wassighted near Buchanan, Ore., flocks of Horned Larks were reported,the birds remainingscattered m February(CDL) andone was at Miller I., KlamathFalls, Ore., Dec. becauseof mild weatherand lack of snow. Violet-greenSwallows 11 (SS) for theonly reports. The mid-winterBald Eagle survey indicat- appearedat Trail Feb. 26. Tree Swallowsarrived at MalheurFeb. 25 ed that the birdswere winteringmuch farther n. thisyear in Washing- (avg. dateMar. 10), at OchocoL., Feb, 24 (3 weeksearly) andat Bend ton's more easterlycounties. Amazing were reportsof Ospreysin Feb. 26. A few were at Turnbull Feb. 27 (avg. for Spokanelatilong Januaryand February in Yakima County(Y.A.S.) and in the Bigfork Mar. 13). vicinityin lateFebruary (fide EJ). Onewas reported, also surprisingly, on severaldates Jan. 10-Feb.21 alongthe KootenaiR., from Troy to Libby Dam in Montana (CW). Eight sightingscame in for the rare JAYS THROUGH NUTHATCHES -- Two Blue Jayswintered at a Gyrfalconand two were reported trapped by falconers in w. Montana. Vernonfeeder (JQ) andone appeared Jan. 22 at Castlegar,B.C. (BW) PeregrineFalcon sightingswere very few, with one, possiblytwo, The bird at Rupert,Ida. remainedto Feb. 28 + (WHS) and one was noted. Merlin reportswere more numerousthan normal. near Moscow Mt., e. of Moscow, Ida., Dec. 5-18 (RB). The Blue Jay presentduring the autumnat Richlandwas seenagain only Dec. 21 GALLINACEOUS BIRDS -- An excellent count was obtained for (REW & PW). A flock was reportedbefore and after Christmasat Sharp-tailedGrouse, with 122 seenalong 8 mi of creekbottoms from Rollinson Flathead L., Mont. (RBa).Up to sixScrub Jays were sighted Conconullytoward Omak, Wash. (JK). A flockof 30-40 SageGrouse in the Hood R.-CascadeLocks area, Ore., in Decemberand January was found 10 mi w. of Ephrata,Wash. (RF). (DA). Boreal Chickadeenumbers were believed up in Kootenay N P CRANES AND RAILS -- Both Greater and Lesser sandhill cranes (LH). Red-breastedNuthatches seem to showa patternof declinein were arrivingin the Malheur-Burnsarea Feb. 16. A Greaterwintered at s.e. BritishColumbia, extreme n.w. Montanaand n.e. Washingtonbut Malheurfor the secondwinter record there. The onlyrecords of Virgin- suggestedan upswingin otherw. Montanalocalities. Pygmy Nuthatch la Rails were of one at Mabton, Wash., Feb. 3 (PM, H & IS) and 3-4 at numbersin the Spokanearea soared while the Red-breasted'snumbers Enterprise,Ore., Dec. 19 (PS). The Bozemanarea had its second plunged. w•nter recordfor a Sora (J & BR) and one at Salmon, Ida., Dec. 18 was a rarity (HR). AmericanCoot numbered 12,000 on PendOreille L. and WRENS AND MOCKINGBIRDS -- Bewick's Wren continued its R , Jan. 7. invasionof the Walla Walla area, beingseen regularly (B.M.A.S) The bird at Kamiah,Ida., wasseen again Dec. 8 (MM) andthree were SHOREBIRDS THROUGH GULLS -- Klamath Falls had seven sightedat HellgateS.P., s. of Lewiston,Ida., Feb.26 (RB & MK) A Greaterand one Lesser yellowlegs in Decemberand early January (SS) Rock Wren was near Little Goose Dam on the Snake R., Columbia and one was at Asotin, Wash., Feb. 20 (C.B.). A Dunlin was at Co., Wash.,Dec. 5 (B.M.A.S.) andVernon had one Jan. 29-Feb. 28 KaroloopsDec. 3-16 (RH) andseven at the Yakima R. mouth,Rich- (JG). A Mockingbirdwas seen frequently Dec. 16-Feb.15 at Karo- land Jan. I did not stay, mild weathernotwithstanding (REW). loops(RH) andone photographed at L. Windermeres. of RadiumHot A Long-tailedJaeger was reported on HanfordAtomic Energy Res., SpringsJan. 8-Feb.27 was the first for the EastKootenay District RichlandDec. 17 (RJ). The only GlaucousGull for the periodwas a (LH). first-yearbird at RichlandDec. 11 (REW). An ad. HerringGull at Bend Jan 7 wasthe county'sfirst (TC) and 19 wereat the n. endof Columbia THRUSHES -- Most of the 5000 Am. Robinsthat descended upon L , s of RadiumHot Springs,B.C., Nov. 11 (MP). OkanaganL., near Bendin Novemberand feasted on juniper berries left in earlyFebruary Vernon had a Mew Gull Dec. 19-Feb. 12 (RH, m.ob.). Townsend'sSolitaires there had three times last year's numbers. Flocks of 500 + Am. Robins,perhaps from Bend, were in Walla Walla in OWLS -- The fresh remains of a Barn Owl at Kootenai N.W.R., February.Conversely, robins and solitaireswere scarceat Malheur, furnishedthe latilong'sfirst record.One was a trafficfatality at Swan wherethe juniper food wasin shortsupply. In Idahorobins wintered in L , nearVernon Feb. 5 andone was found dead in a field in thatvicinity abnormallyhigh numbersat Rexburg, feedingon abundantfood in Feb 20 (PR). The speciesis rarein interiorBritish Columbia. One near junipersand mountainash trees,but at MountainHome and Salmon Rexburg,Ida., wasa latilongfirst (DH). SnowyOwls were reported they were absentuntil mid- and late January,when large numbers only from e. Washingtonbut numberswere very good,up to eight moved in. A high robin populationat Bozemanfound an excellent being seenin the Reardan-Davenportarea. A Hawk Owl frequented mountainash berry supply. Only moderatenumbers wintered at Spo- openspruce forest along the VermilionR., KootenayN.P., B.C. (LH). kane and Yakima. Extremelyfew VariedThrushes were reported A Onewas seen often at Brousenear Nakusp, B.C., Dec. 5-Jan.31 (GD) remarkablyearly Hermit Thrushwas at Bend Feb. 16 (JS). Bend had andone wason Silver StarMt., nearVernon Dec. 30 (SR). Southof the recordnumbers of Mountainand W. bluebirds.The lattermoved on by borderone was identified n.w. of Twisp,Wash., Jan. 6 (GB & SB) and mid-Januarybut the Mountainsremained until mid-February.A few one was sightednear PalmerJct., Ore., the week of Jan. 20 (fide SM). Westernsapparently wintered at Penticton(D & PN). In Washington A BurrowingOwl foundin a concretepipe at theYakima R. mouth Tumtumhad one Jan. 17and Peola two Jan.21. A very earlyMountain Jan 15 + likely wintered(HE). One at BendFeb. 27 wasover a month Bluebird was at Helena Feb. 19 and another was at Cedar Cr., e. of aheadof the averagearrival date (TC). A BarredOwl photographed Colville, Wash., Feb. 27. Townsend'sSolitaire numbers at Bend were near MosesL., Dec. 3 madethe first recordfor GrantCounty and the triple last year's.

Vol 37, Number 3 321 KINGLETS AND WAXWINGS -- Golden-crownedKinglet num- MosesL , and25 nearEnterprise, Ore Threewere near Klamath Falls, bersappeared high in KootenayN.P., andin theSpokane area but the wherethey are rare, Dec. 26-earlyJanuary (SS). Richlandhad three specieswas not mentioned elsewhere. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet win- Harris' SparrowsDec. 14 (HE), KlamathFalls had onesighting (SS) teredat a Rupertfeeder (WHS), one was sighted near Rexburg Jan. 29 and two wintered at Vernon feeders(fide JG). One appearedat Boise (DH) anda few werein the Yakimaarea (Y.A.S.). (KP) and one winteredat a feederw. of Bozeman.The only White- BohemianWaxwings were scarce in e. Washington,where the ex- throatedSparrows were one in Januaryat IdahoFalls (RL), onen of cellentmountain ash berry crop was virtually untouched. The s. Okana- Klamath Falls Jan. 12-30 (SS) and two on the Harrison,Ida. CBC ganalso had low numbers, except for Penticton, which had flocks of SingleFox Sparrowswere found on CBCsat Spokaneand Yakima, and 1500-2000mid-January-mid-Feb,mary. NorthIdaho had moderate lone Lincoln's Sparrowsappeared at Umatilla N.W.R., Jan. 13 (MC) numbers.They put in onlya few appearancesin s. Idaho,the most andat Mabton, Wash., Feb. 3 (PM, H & IS). LaplandLongspurs were notablebeing 500 at Rexburg Feb. 5 anda largeflock at Salmon Feb. scarceexcept for 500 nearWorden, Ore., Dec. 26 (SS). The onlyother 17 Some400-500 reached LaGrande, Ore. Theywere abundant in the sightingswere of one- twowintering at a feedernear McCammon, Ida ColumbiaR. valleyaround Radium Hot Springsand were seen often at (DT) and one at FortineDec. 16, where it was a rarity (WW). Snow Trail. Numbers were about normal at Fortine and Bozeman but below Buntingswere reported at veryfew localities.In Idahoa "largeflock" normalat Helena.Cedar Waxwings, on the contrary,showed up in was in the CamasPrairie area and a few appearedat GraysL., and betterthan average numbers; Yakima even had a flockof 200! Fairfield. In Montana the Helmville-Ovando area had 800 Feb. 12 (L & ST) andRed Rock Lakes noted the species commonly. Kamloops had SHRIKESTHROUGH BLACKBIRDS-- LoggerheadShrikes were 200+ Jan. 29. more commonthan the Northernat Malheur, an unusualsituation, and two at GraysLake N.W.R., Ida., Dec.26 weresurprising. Many N. CORRIGENDA -- Pentictonis in British Columbia, not Alberta Shrikesapparently took advantages of snowless fields for hunting in the (seeAB 33:198). At the NationalBison Range Great Horned Owls, not Chewelah,Wash. vicinity (SZ) butthe birds were very scarce at Kla- Barred, were nesting.Barred Owls were only suspectedof nesting math Falls and numberswere down at Spokane. there (AB 36:876). An amazing54 Yellow-rumpedWarblers on the Yakima CBC and 30 thereFeb. 14 attestedto the mild weather,as did up to 20 in the OBSERVERS CITED -- David Anderson,Sig Bakke, (RBa) Rod Clarkston-Asotin,Wash., vicinity (LL, CV, PS, MK) andone at Ft. Barclay, JohnBaumbrough, (B.M.A.S.) Blue MountainAud. Soc , BoiseW.M.A., Ida., Jan. 1 (DT). A Brewer'sBlackbird at Fortine George Brady, Bob Braunwart, (RB) Ruth Bull, (C.B.) Canyon Dec.24 & 27 wasa rarity(WW). An apparentlyauthentic report of two Birders,Marion Corder,Walt Cowan,Tom Crabtree,Gary Davidson, c3Brown-headed Cowbirds at Twin Lakes n. of Rathdrum,Ida., Feb. MauriceEllison, HowardEnnor, Ron Friesz,James Grant, LarryHal- 27 was most remarkable (MS). verson,(GHa) GertieHansen, Hilmer Hansen,(GH) GeorgeHolton, Rick Howie, DonellHunter, (I.F.G.) IdahoFish & GameDept., Ray Johnson,Elly Jones,Fred & Todd Joyce, (JK) Jerry King, Merlene FINCHES-- EveningGrosbeaks made very few appearances and in Koliner, (R & JK) Rick & Jan Krabbe, LouiseLaVoie, Don Lee, Rho smallnumbers nearly everywhere. However flocks were reported at Lehse, C.D. Littlefield, Marlene McKee, Larry Malone, Phil Mat- feedersalong the Kootenai R., BonnerCo., Ida., andin theSwan R. tocks,Craig Miller, ShirleyMuse, Doug & PhyllisNoel, MarianPor- valleye. of Bigfork.Skiers reported them at 6000ft in themountains ter, ColleenPowell, KerryProvance, John Quirk, Phil Ranson,Hadley aroundthe OkanaganValley. Cassin's Finches were reported only at Roberts,(JR) Jack and Bob Rumely, Sylvia Runyan, (JRu) Jeff Ru- Red Rock Lakes and in the Swan R. valley. Three HouseFinches precht,Hubert & Ingrid Schwabl,Jack Schwartz, Gary Scriven,W H appearedatLibby in lateDecember for the first sighting ever and stayed Shillington,(PSi) Paul Sieracki,Marge Smidt,Christie & Fay Steck, throughthe winter (HH). Manywere at Stevensville,Mont. (CP). Pine (PS) PaulSullivan, Steve Summers, Dan Taylor, Larry& SueThomp- Grosbeaksapparently stayed mostly at higher elevations. A few were in son, (U.S.F.W.S.) U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Linda Van Damme, thes. Okanaganbut more were seen in skiareas of surroundingmoun- Carol VandeVoorde,Bob Wadey, Winton Weydemeyer,Carl Wolf, tains.They were found at Big Mountainski area,Whitefish, Mont., Pat & RobertE. Woodley,(Y.A.S.) Yakima AudubonSociety, Steve andwere common at Red RockLakes. The usuallarge flocks of Gray- Zender. Reportersfor nationalwildlife refugesand nationalparks crownedRosy Finches did not materialize.The largestgroup was a Columbia, JamesRees; Grays Lake, E.C. Barney; Kootenai, Larry mixedflock with BlackRosy Finches at a feedernear Hailey, Ida. Napier;Malheur, C.D. Littlefield;Metcalf, ColleenPowell; Red Rock (JRu).Selah, Wash., had a veryfew Gray-crowned (Y.A.S.) andsmall Lakes, Terry McEneaney;Turnbull, J.H. Hagan; KootenayN P, numberswere reported near Rogers' Pass at the ContinentalDivide Larry Halverson& Marian Porter.Shirley G. Sturtsreported for Idaho betweenLincoln and Simms, Mont. (LM) for the only othersightings. Fish& Game Dept., andRon Friesz,Jerry Hickman and Steve Zender CommonRedpoll appearances were rare. The birdswere "extremely for WashingtonDept. of Game.--THOMAS H. ROGERS, E. 10820 scarce"in the s. Okanagan,Spokane's CBC had 17 and Helena's Maxwell, Spokane, WA 99206. CBC, one. The SwanR. valleyhad the speciesfor a few daysin January.Pine Siskins went unreported in e. Oregonand Washington exceptfor 50 + nearLyle, Wash. Western Montana localities had good numbers;an excellent cone crop at Bozeman was the attraction there. In s interiorBritish Columbia they were "quite plentiful" at Nakuspand other forest localities but rare elsewhere. Red Crossbills virtually shunnedthe w. partof theRegion, except for Spokaneand the Blue Mts. of s.e. Washingtonand n.e. Oregon,with a goodcone crop, but MOUNTAIN WEST REGION concentratedin largenumbers around Helena and Bozeman, with re- cordCBC counts.Red Rock Lakes had them commonly. A few White- /Hugh E. Kingery wingedCrossbills were found in s. BritishColumbia in spruce-subal- pine fir habitat. Observersalmost uniformly reported few birdsthis winter, attributed either to unusuallymild or unusuallywet weather.IN Nevadaand SPARROWS -- A Rufous-sidedTowhee wintered at a Vernon feed- southernUtah the coastalstorms brought heavy rains and severeand er (JB) andone frequented a Walla Walla feederuntil late February frequentsnowstorms. In centraland northernUtah, Wyoming,and (B.M.A.S.). One was reportedat Yakima Dec. 18 and Feb. 20 westernColorado mild weatherprevailed. In easternColorado a bliz- (Y.A.S.) for theonly other report. At leasttwo SavannahSparrows zard astonishedDenver on ChristmasEve, a storm so localizedthat 60 weresighted at Umatilla N.W.R., Ore.,Jan. 13 (MC) andone was near miles to the north, in Fort Collins, golferstried out their clubs on KlamathFalls Dec. 26 (SS). An early SageSparrow was on Rattle- Christmas.The restof the seasonsaw very little snowor cold in eastern snakeMt., w. of RichlandFeb. 13 (REW) andthe birdsarrived at Colorado. MalheurFeb. 25. Dark-eyedJuncos hit an all timehigh on theBoze- In Penrose,Colorado, Jim Wattspainted a southwesternscenic mu- manCBC. TreeSparrows were scarcely reported. The largest numbers ral on his pumphouse.The tableauconsisted of mesasand a juniper were 30-40 in the WinchesterWasteway-Dodson Road areaw. of tree. Soonhe saw PitionJays exhibiting strange behavior. He thought

322 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 ty, Colo., areawhere ranchers had poisonedprairie dogs; he soughtto determinewhether the poxsoninghad any effecton raptors.Although theprairie dogs form an importantfood source and although his results showeda significantdecline in Marsh Hawks and Am. Kestrels,the effectsof thepoisoning were uncertain. The entirecounty raptor popu- lationdropped during the sameperiod and so did the populationof the other raptor staple,Microtus. Raptorsmade good showings on CBCs. AlthoughCBCs counted fewer Accipitersthan last year, the averageof 0.06/partyhour continued the increaseof the last5 years.Contributors mentioned the usual numberof Goshawks,although a few moreappeared on theplains near Denver. Reportsof Sharp-shinnedand Cooper's hawks dropped to 1/3 of last year, despitethe favorableCBC reports.On CBCs, Red-tailed Hawksposted a 0. 175/partyhour, the highestrate in 5 years.The CBC countof 0.164 Rough-leggedHawks, downfrom a 10-yearaverage of 0.172, supportedthe observationsfrom n. Utah andL/L/B/L of dimin- ishednumbers this year. NevadaCBCs reported0.165/party hour, the sameas last year and consistentwith other reportsfrom the state.A Red-shoulderedHawk at Zion Dec. 27 gave Utah its first record in severalyears; Utah has fewer than 10 records(*MW). The mid-winter theyhad gone crazy. They flew up to the mural, crashed into it andfell surveyturned up 276 GoldenEagles in Wyoming, 198 adultsand 78 to theground. From a differentperspective he saw that they were trying immatures(BO). At Eureka, Nev., power poleselectrocuted seven to land in his juniper (RB). iramaturesthat camein with a fall influx of Goldens;the powercom- ChristmasBird Counts(hereafter, CBC): The report following in- panyput insulating strips on the culprit poles (DE). Wyomingturned up cludesfrequencies calculated for severalspecies on a party:hourbasis 506 Baldson the midwintersurvey with 356 adultsand 149 iramatures, for all CBCs, excludingNevada (unless otherwise specified). The which is aboutaverage. Colorado found 468 Balds, down about 100 averagescover counts 1972-1981. from the 3-year average;the drop occurredmainly in s. Colorado (C.D.W.). The CBC Marsh Hawk tally of O.175/party hour exceeded LOONS TO HERONS -- Two Yellow-billed Loons (Colorado's the 10-yearaverage ofO. 115. The Gyrfalconat Laramie,Wyo., Jan. 14 secondrecord) on consecutiveDenver CBCs stayed Dec. 18-20 posedfor photographsalthough no other observers could find it (CP). A Wyomingobserver visited a Utah staterefuge and observed two Prairie (D.F.O.). Las Vegas' Red-throatedLoon stayedNov. l 1-Dec. 4 (VM). Many EaredGrebes remained at GreatSalt L., into December Falcons;he learnedthat the refuge manager calls them Peregrines (FL) ! when severalthousand died, probablyof malnutrition(JN). Two Earedsreturned to Lovelandby Feb. 27 (ñF.A.C.). Peakcount of W. CRANESTO GULLS -- Thefirst Whooping Crane reached Colora- Grebesat LasVegas hit 4000+, Jan. 14(VM). A handfulwintered on do'sSan Luis Valley Feb. 23; 11 hadarrived by Mar. 8, alongwith a lake warmedby powerplant water at Boulder,Colo. (BJ). Logan, I0,000+ Sandhills(JK). Lurid. Nev., had 1200-1300Sandhills by Utahreported a WhitePelican Dec. 11. possiblyinjured (KA). At Las Feb. 28 (MR). A late documentationdescribes the first Common Vegastwo GreenHerons wintered at a fish hatchery;probably small Ga!linulefor Wyoming,seen briefly at SeedskadeeN.W.R., May 11 numberswinter there regularly (VM). Wyomingproduced its first (JA). A handfulof odd shorebirdsdid appear.A GreaterYellowlegs CattleEgret specimen in mid-winter!A birdobserved Jan. 6 wasfound spentJan. 1-Feb. 23 at Denver(D.F.O.). A tired,listless Lesser Yel- deadJan. 8 (RPa). The ColoradoFront Range reported Black-crowned lowlegsstayed at GrandJet., Colo., Dec. 6 (tBT). FiveLong-billed Night Heronsall winter,especially along the S. PlatteR., in Denver Dowitchersreturned to LasVegas Feb. 26 (J & MC). Longmonthad a (D.F.O.). ParasiticJaeger Dec. 5-6 (tRB, tBH et al.). A probableGreat Black- backed Gull visited Denver Nov. 28-Dec. 12; if documented it will providethe state's third record (#RB etal.). Denveralso had a healthy WATERFOWL -- The Utah refugeshad very low numbersof countof 100 HerringGulls Dec. 5 (D.F.O.). The Salt Lake area ducks;in Decemberabout half as many as last year. The numbers reportedan unusual number of CaliforniaGulls wintering, and Denver droppedto 12,127in earlyJanuary, and then began to increasein late counted135, Dec. l-Jan. 22. MeanwhileLas Vegas again this year had Januarywhen 10,215 N. Shovelersdoubled the count.Over 1000 verylow numbers•half of thenext lowest year and very few first-year WhistlingSwans wintered, mainly at OgdenBay. By Feb.28, 46,879 birds.Denver reported a Black-leggedKittiwake Dec. 5 (#D.F.O.). Pintailsand 44,072 Green-wingedTeal swelledthe Utah waterfowl populationto 130,552;still fewerthan last year. Among Whistling Swansreported, a groupof eightat Jackson.Wyo., in earlyDecember DOVES TO LARKS -- JanuaryMourning Doves appeared at Cas- includedtwo thathad journeyed from the Arctic N.W.R., Alas.(BR), par, Denver,Platteville, Colo., andOgden, Utah. Coloradans men- andJanuary birds at Berthoud, Boulder. and Pueblo (2F.A.C., D.F.O., tionedfour Pygmy and five Saw-whetowls, and Ogden reported Saw- RB). Jackson'stop count of TrumpeterSwans came Dec. 14with 55, whetsDec. 20 & 30 (MKi). CBCs countedfewer woodpeckers:0.65 andRuby Lake Ref.. Nev., reported25-40 all winter.Singles strayed flickers/partyhour (0.71 average),0.085 Hairies and 0.16 Downies to CasperNov. 20-Jan.2 (RCR)and to RenoDec. 12 (tJAl). More (averagesO. 11 andO. 17). Nevada CBCs showed an increase of flick- than normal numbers of Canada Geese wintered in n. Colorado: Ft. ers4.76 cf 0.51 lastyear. A beetle-killedstand of pinesat GrandL., Collinsreported 20,000-30,000 and Longmont's reports increased by Colo., attractedmany Hairy Woodpeckers•lO/acre (DJ). At Golden, 20% (RAR. F.A.C.). Reportersthroughout the Regionnoted them Colo.,a largelyalbino female fed regularly on a suetfeeder, chased by movingN bylate February. Most observers reported winter duck num- otherHairies (PH). Say'sPhoebes returned in Januaryto Penroseand bersfar below normal.A hunterat PuebloJan. 14 shota Eur. Wigeon, Pueblo,Colo., andJensen, Utah (DC, LF). The w. part of the Region Colorado'stenth, and preserved it for its first specimen(fide RB). reportedfewer Horned Larks, but it achievedits usual abundance onthe Amongthe handfulof winteringWood Ducks was one at Saratoga, e. plains.At PuebloJan. 22-29, sunflower and sorghum stubble attract- Wyo., for thesecond year (JD, JH). GreaterScaups occurred in Las ed 10,000+, andthey in turnattracted six PrairieFalcons, two Mer- Vegasin December,Denver in January,and Boulderin February. lins, sevenFerruginous Hawks, and seven Golden Eagles (RB). Barrow'sGoldeneyes did not return to s. Nevada,with the only report beingof oneJan. I (KW). Eachyear Mountain West observers find JAYS TO THRASHERS-- A BlueJay wintered at Logan,feeding moreHooded Mergansers; this year the reports ranged from Reno and daily at a feeder(tMT, DK). CBCs continueto reporta declinein Gardnerville,Nev., throughLogan and Dubois to Ft. Collins.Denver Steller'sJays, a consistenttrend for 11 years;this year's 0.56/party reported46 observations.lower than the 66 lastwinter (D.F.O.). hourwill dropthe 1 O-year average of 0.90. Twoareas reported Steller's Jaysaway from the mountains: Ogden and L/L/B/L. Countsof Black- HAWKS, EAGLES -- Jonesconducted a studyof a BoulderCoun- billedMagpies on CBCs bounce around; this year's 3.01/party hour is

Vol. 37, Number3 323 fewerthan the 3 24 averageand much fewer than last year's high count Feb 27 (SF) SingleGreen-tafied Towhees lingered into Decemberat of 3.66. Few Clark'sNutcrackers dropped down from theirmountain GrandJct., andDurango, Colo., andJanuary observations at Durango haunts,but at Cody someapparently had begunto nestin February andEagle, Colo., wereeven more surprising (EF, MFi, JF). A F A C (UK). CBC totalsof chickadeeshovered around average numbers; 1.15 field trip nearLoveland confirmed the sporadic reports of BrownTow- Black-cappeds/partyhour and 1.11 Mountains,cf averagesof 1.12 and heeswhich have originated for severalyears in n. Colorado,with one 1 31. Denver, L/L/B/L, and Ft. Collins reported more Mountain seenJan. 22; a local non-birdersays they have seen them there for 2 Chickadeesthan usualon the plains,but the subalpineforests w. of years(?AM, ?DB, ?VD). SingleLark Buntingswere in Las Vegas Boulderalso had largeflocks; trips to the spruce/fircountry averaged Dec. 4 and Gardnerville,Nev., Feb. 27 (VM, B & BC). CBCs found 90 5/trip (MF). At Rock Springs,Wyo., observationsof five Plain averagenumbers of juncos--5.5/partyhour. Sheridan reports a 3-year Titmice Feb. 12 and 50 BushtitsFeb. 26 suggestedlikely wintering declinein Tree Sparrows(HD). CBCsreflect a slightdrop in numbers birds (FL). A Bushtitcame to a Ft. Collins suet feeder all winter (2.09/partyhour, average of 2.29);the erratic fluctuations in CBC Tree (F C.A.S.). Smallnumbers of White-breastedNuthatches visited feed- Sparrowssuggested that factors such as snow cover and food availabil- ers in non-mountainsites throughoutColorado and Wyoming, but ity mayaffect their winter distribution. A Clay-coloredSparrow came fewer than last year Red-breastedNuthatches did so. A PygmyNut- dailyto feedersin Evergreen,Dec. 10-Feb.4 (#WWB). LateField hatchstrayed from the n. slopeof the UintaMts., to LoganFeb. 23 Sparrowswere at Lyons,Colo., Nov. 6 (?PB)and Boulder Nov 18- (?AG). At TexasCr., Colo., Dippershad begun nest building Feb. 22 Dec. 21 (#B J). At Laramietwo White-crownedSparrows wintered, (EW). SingleBrown Thrashers wintered at Eldora,Colo., andSheri- unusualfor a Wyominglocation (DM), anda Lincoln'sSparrow win- dan (DH, HD). Penrose,Colo. had an early SageThrasher Jan. 30 tered in Las Vegas (VM). (RB). ABBREVIATIONS--#: no written description;L/L/B/L: Loveland/ ROBIN TO TANAGERS -- Few Am. Robins remained in the Re- Lyons/Berthoud/Lovelandarea of Colorado. gion; the mid-winterreports typically listed 1-2 birds, on 1-2 days. Giving a hint asto wherethey went, flocksnumbering in the thousands CONTRIBUTORS (in boldface) AND INITIALED OBSERVERS winteredin thepition/juniper in E1Paso and Fremont cos., s. of Colora- • Peggy Abbott (10), James Alfonso, J. Alves (JA1), K. Archibald, do Springs(RB). At GlenwoodSprings, Colo., Feb. 12, 50 opportunis- Mary Back (18), P. Baker, Ethlyn Barneby, D. Bolton,Steve Bouf- tic robinsflocked arounda hot springspool (RP). Las Vegashad its lard, W.W. Brocknet (20), Ruth Browning(RBr), S. Bump(SBu), first Varied Thrushin 2 yearsFeb. 10 (NP), andLogan reported one Rich Bunn (15), JoshBurns, Jean Christensen(22), Dan Chure,Bill Dec. 21 andFeb. 23 (ñKD, ñTR). While Ogdenhad a Hermit Thrush & Beth Clark, Colo. Div. of Wildlife, J. & M. Cressman,Denver reportedDec. 26 and Feb. 28 (MK), Laramie,Wyo., reportedone in Field Ornithologists,V. Dionigi, Keith Dixon (12), J. Dorn, Helen mid-January(DM). Many observerssaw all 3 speciesof bluebirdsin E1 Downing (32), D. Elliott, Janet Eyre (3), J. Fedrizzi,Lorraine Ferris, PasoCounty, Colo., duringthe winter (RB). The E. Bluebird,rarest of Mike Figgs, S. Findholt,M. Fischer(MFi), FoothillsAud. Club, Elva the 3 in the Region, alsoshowed up elsewherein e. Coloradowith 20 Fox (7), Ft. CollinsAud. Soc., JeromeGifford (3), Drew Grainget, Jan. 14-16 andtwo Feb. 19 (D.F.O., DB). D.F.O. reported123 Moun- A. Grenon,Dave Hallock (6), L. Hanebury,Mae Hanesworth(15), tain Bluebirdsin s.e. ColoradoJan. 14-16, but in most of the Region Paula Hansley, StevenHedges, Louise Hering (14), James Herold smallflocks of 1-8 beganarriving only Feb. 21 +. The few Bohemian (8), B. Hyde, Mark Janos, David Jasper (7), B. Jickling, Steve Waxwings appearedalmost exclusively in their usual Wyoming lo- Jones,Frank & Jan Justice,M. Kasprcyk,Jori Kauffeld, Ursula cales, most in early Decemberor February.Peak countscame from Kepler (12), Craig Kesselheim (7), Merlin Killpack (MK1), D Codywith 300 Dec. 10-17(UK) andEvanston Wyo. with 98 Feb. 12, Kotler, Nan Lederer,Forrest Luke, A. Means,John Merchant (3), with only 2 non-Wyomingreports: eight Dec. 4 in Ogden(JN) andtwo Vince Mowbray (9), David Mozurkewich (9), John Nelson(5), Bob Feb. 13 in Ft. Collins(VD). The smallflocks of CedarWaxwings also Oakleaf, Ruth Parkison, R. Pallister(RPa), C. Patterson,Bill Picks- representedmany fewer than last year. lay (3), N. Poyser,Marcus Rawlings, Bert Raynes (9), T. Rehor, One of the season's oddest records came Dec. 1 when a N. Parula J.C. Rigli, Joe B. Rodriguez, R.C. Rosche,John Row (11), D spent20 secondsin a backyardin Hygiene,Colo., braving(or trying to Runde,R.A. Ryder, Ella Sorerison,Bert Tignor (14), Michael Tore escape)an inchof snow(?VD). Yellow-rumpedWarblers made their (3), K. Wallace, Susan Ward, Linda Watters, Merrill Webb, S usual sporadicappearances, with the most northerlyreports coming Wiegand(SWi), Elinor Wills.--HUGH E. KINGERY, 869 Milwau- from Gardnervilleand CarsonCity, Nev., Salt Lake City, Ogden, kee St., Denver, Colo. 80217. Logan,and Boulder. Early Yellow-headedBlackbirds arrived at Jack- son,Wyo., Feb. 23, fourstrong (SWi), andat Denver Feb. 27 (WWB). The 100 Brewer'sBlackbirds at LaramieFeb. 13 appearedon an early date (DR). Common Gracklesdrifted briefly into CanonCity, Colo., Denver, and Laramie.The W. Tanagerat LoganDec. 4 wasquite late (AG, SB).

SOUTHWEST REGION GROSBEAKS TO BUNTINGS -- Observersreported low numbers Arizona of winterfinches: Evening Grosbeaks (e.g., lowestnumbers in yearsat Evergreen),Cassin's Finches (no more than 1-6 at a time), and Pine /Janet Witzeman Slskins.As an exception,in theIndian Peaks w. of Boulderobservers reportedincreased numbers of all thesefinches, due at leastin partto Each winter in Arizonahas a characterall itsown, determinedby the increasedfield work (MF, DH). In the n. FrontRange Evening Gros- specialgroup or groupsof birdsthat decide to movein for the seasonto beaksvisited feeders, and Cheyennereported a few wintering.One take advantageof the currentfood supplyand weatherconditions evenstrayed out on the plainsFeb. 17 to Wheatland,Wyo. (RBr). Somewinters bring numbersof Lawrence'sGoldfinches, others bring Observerswho venturedinto the spruce-firforests found good numbers American Robins, Cedar Waxwings and bluebirds,and still others of Pine Grosbeaks,like the 80 Feb. 28 w. of Sheridanand high counts bringinvasions of montanespecies into the lowlands. This winterwas in the Indian Peaks(MF, DH). CBCs foundfewer HouseFinches with characterizedby a relativelack of AmericanRobins, Cedar Waxwings 1 91/partyhour cf. a 2.22 average.Observers found fewer flocks of andbluebirds, an abundanceof sparrowsin thesoutheast, and the first rosyfinches, probably because the birds found bare ground on whichto Rufous-backedRobins in any numberssince the winter of 1976-77 feedaway from feeders and highways. We hada grandtotal of 14Com. In northernArizona there were no truewinter birds in the areaduring Redpolls--12on TogwoteePass n.w. of Duboisand one each at Jack- the season--noNorthern Shrikes or longspurs,and even suchspecies son and Golden, Colo. LesserGoldfinches enjoyed a banneryear at as Cassin'sFinches were never seenin numbersas in the past CarsonCity, with 40-50 at feedersin lateFebruary (BP). RedCross- In the reportthat follows are referencesto new or seldom-visited bills left most of the Region, althoughLogan reportedlyhad some areas--the San Francisco River north of Clifton on the eastern border of flocksof 200. At Georgetown,Colo., 10-12White-winged Crossbills Arizona,the pondsat McNeal in southeastArizona that continueto chlrrupedon GuanellaPass (F.C.A.S.) andone was on TogwoteePass attract new shorebird and waterfowl records, and Beaver Dam Wash

324 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 ...... N E V. I •..• UTAH , WATERFOWL -- WhistlingSwans appeared at scatteredlocations '% ;'4•../*•:'•',.•..4•.•' ' I ...... aboutthe stateagain, although not in the high numbersof the previous -. ....' •-----••.-Li•lefield IKaibab.---•aa• ag .... ß Ir ß eTmrraAmardla winter. Four were near McNeal and Elfrida Feb. 7-22 (AM), two at PhoenixJan. 22-Feb. 28 (PB, JS et al.), oneat PrescottJan. 3 (CT) 14 •'• f • Chinlee J LosAla*os •.•':•j•'•Hoover Dam T Grand at Chino Valley, n. of Prescott,Dec. 13 (R. Smith,fide CT), five at ' • DavisDam Canyon Ga.up Alamo L., Dec. 28 (V. & E. Miller) and one at Cibola N.W.R., ß• • • ß Kinsman ß .•os• •' • T.... k Frog,ruFF.•. Holbrook January-March(DL). •t•er•r'9 ..... •* *n.• •t JohnsNEW MEX. Rosa•. White-fronted Geese continued to be more numerous and wide- )• • J_(Parker Wickenburgß .•e..... • •lO•,lR•prin9erville...... •]S ...... Carri .... •.•1• spreadthan usual:ten were nearMcNeal Feb. 9 (AM), two at Tucson Dec. 4-Feb. 28+ (m.ob.), one e. of PhoenixJan. 9-Mar. 14 (TG, MJ •1 J Uilo• • oso •e . Coolidge Butte et al.), one near PhoenixJan. 30 (RN, VJ) and up to 14 at Cibola -•--• • . •' ß • • • y• . P•acno •SoFFord'l•Silver C•y• N.W.R., the end of February(DL). Up to 19 SnowGeese remained •-•oe .e•ervo,• • • '. e e•%LasCruces Carlsbadl nearMcNeal until Feb. 7 (AM, DDa), oneat Tucsonto Feb. 28 + (DSz et al.) andup to 65 at CibolaN.W.R., duringthe period (JJ et al. ). Two I •J:'""• •oea•s ß Ross' Geesewere near McNeal until Feb. 7 (DDa, AM), one remained at Tucsonthrough the period(DSz, GG et al. ), one was e. of Phoenix Dec. 12 into April (ph. MJ et al.), and individualswere at Cibola N.W.R., Dec. 12 and Bill Williams Delta (hereafter, B.W. Delta) Dec. 25-26 (CH). A FulvousWhistling-Duck at TucsonFeb. 14 into March (B. Hunt, m.ob.) was noteworthy,however, its wild statuswas uncertain.A c• near Littlefield in extreme northwest Arizona. Because of its low eleva- Eur. Wigeon nearMcNeal Dec. 27-Jan. 24 (AM, m.ob.) wasabout the tion, BeaverDam Wash was foundto attractspecies that are normally tenth for the state. An ad. c• Oldsquawwas at Parker Dam Jan. 23 rare or absentin northernArizona in winter. During a visit to this area OCH, RH). The specieshas been occurring almost annually on the February19-20, the list recordedby JohnCoons and Debbie Paulson L.C.R. in recentyears. Among the Wood Ducksrecorded during the includedsix Long-billedMarsh Wrens, one Orange-crowned Warbler period, of interestwere the high number(30) on the Verde R., near and a Lincoln's Sparrow. Clarkdale Feb. 6 (RP, JC, DP, PP) and the individualse. of the Santa Finally, eachseason contributes new surprises.This winterthose Cruz R., in s. Arizonawhere the specieshad not been recorded pre- were providedby a LaughingGull, a Worm-eatingWarbler, Tree viously: one in the SwisshelmMts., e. of McNeal Dec. 16 (TD) and Sparrowsand Black Rosy Finches! one near Winkelman Dec. 9-20 (K. Lease). Unprecedentedlyhigh numbersof Pintails(4000) and Green-winged Teal (2200) wererecord- LOONS THROUGH IBISES -- A Corn. Loon. uncommonaway ed onUpper and Lower L. Mary in lateFebruary (JC, DP); at mosttheir from the Lower ColoradoRiver (hereafter,L.C.R.) was at Patagonia numbershave beenonly in the hundredsin past wintersthere. L., Dec. 8 (KK, JW). An Arctic Loon at a golf coursepond in Tucson Dec. 4-11 (BB, WD, m.ob.) providedone of very few recordsfor s.e. RAPTORS -- A single White-tailedKite was observedDec. 25 at Arizona. The numberof OlivaceousCormorants at PatagoniaL. in- Marana, where up to five residedthe previoussummer (BB). Three creasedto 21 duringthe winter--the largestnumber yet recordedin the lowlandrecords of individualGoshawks came from n. of Ehrenberg state(GM, KK et al.). A late imm. BrownPelican was at the Nogales Dec. 5 & Feb. 18 ($CH), n.w. PhoenixDec. 8-20 (SD) and L. Pleas- sewageponds Dec. 4 (DDe, P. Baicich)and an evenlater adult was at a ant, n.w. of PhoenixDec. 29 (TC). An early returningZone-tailed golf coursepond in Phoenixmid-November to at leastDec. 24 (AG, Hawkwas seen over HuachucaPeak Feb. 26 (R. Taylor). Preliminary ph. SW). Thereare very few winterrecords for thestate and even fewer calculationsfrom the surveyof winteringBald Eagles showed that the recordsof adultsat any time of year inlandin the s.w. Winter recordsof populationwas down by about24% from the previousJanuary, but White Pelicansaway from theL.C.R. areuncommon; two wererecord- about equal to the resultsfor January 1981 (R.L. Todd). ed in Tucson Dec. 12 (D. Knepper) and the one in Phoenix (since October)remained through the period (m.ob.). SHOREBIRDS -- Between seven and 15 Mountain Plovers were e. of Elfrida Dec. 15-Jan.15 (AM) andup to four wereat MaranaJan. 8- 11 (DSz, GM, m.ob.). The statusof the speciesin s.e. Arizonais still poorly understood.Long-billed Curlews, uncommonin winter, were recordedagain near McNeal--7-10 were countedthere Feb. 11-22 (AM). Dunlin were recorded at 4 areas in s.e. Arizona where the speciesis uncommon;singles were at the Bisbee-DouglasAirport sewageponds Dec. 6 (AM), near McNeal Jan. 16 (AM, DDa) and at theBenson sewage pond Jan. 5-11 (DDe, SG); 2-3 wereat theNogales sewageponds Dec. 6-9 (KK, JW, JBo).

GULLS THROUGH DOVES -- A very late ad. Forster'sTern was at the Nogalessewage ponds Dec. 8 (KK, JW, GP) duringthe same unsettledweather that producedan ad. Laughing Gull thereDec. 10 (KK et al. ). The gull providedpossibly the first reliable report for s.e. Arizona and one of only a few recordsfor the state. White-wingedDoves (five) werefound far e. at Douglasagain Jan. 24 (AM). Onceagain an Inca Dove (a differentindividual from the one bandedthere last year) spentthe winteroutside its normalrange at a Portal feeder (S & WS).

HUMMINGBIRDS THROUGH WOODPECKERS -- A Violet- Brown Pelican, Phoenix, Ariz., Dec. 24, 1982. Photo/S. West. crownedHummingbird frequented a Tucsonfeeder Jan. 18-Feb. 11 (EB); the only previousover-wintering record was alsoat a feederin An unusuallylarge flock of 250 + CattleEgrets was concentrated in Tucson.Late stayingRufous Hummingbirds were individuals at Portal a field s. of Parker Feb. 28 (DK, LL). A few White-faced Ibises, to Dec. 3 (S & WS), at TucsonDec. 5 (JBo, DSz) andGreen Valley uncommonin winter, remainedinto Decemberon the L.C.R.: six were Dec. 9 (GP). A late c• Broad-tailedHummingbird was observedat s. of Cibola N.W.R., Dec. 3 (RH et al.) and three at Parker Dec. 21-22 Globe Dec. 11 (B J). (CH). A c• Coppery-tailedTrogon in RamseyCanyon Feb. 20 (R. Vetter)

Vol. 37, Number 3 325 furrushedone of onlya few w•nterrecords for thestate The Yellow- thatspecies, although several winter records exist Anotherinteresting belhedSapsucker (S. v. varius)at Parkerin lateNovember remained wlntenngwarbler record was providedby an Am. Redstartthat re- untfiat leastDec. 22 (GR) andanother of thisrace was at Cibola mainedin TucsonOctober-at least Jan. 26 (JBo, DSz et al.). In addition N W.R., Dec. 14 (CH, DK). to the d' Am. Redstart on the Yuma CBC, an ad. female was observed n. of Wellton, L.C.R., Dec. 8 (•'DK, CHet al.). Other notable winter records were of a Nashville Warbler at Marana FLYCATCHERS THROUGH CREEPERS -- Five E. Phoebesre- cordedduring the winter included three individuals (one until Mar. 12) Feb. 12 (GM, DDe, D. Lee), a d' N. Parulaat Whitlow Dam, n of n ande. of Tucson(DSz, JBo, C. Corchran),one at CibolaN.W.R., FlorenceJct., Jan. 8-9 (T. Clark) and 16 Myrtle Warblersamong the 800 Audubon's Warblers at Beaver Dam Wash Feb. 20 (JC, DP) Dec. 2 (?DK) andone s. of WickenburgFeb. 8 (JS).A verylate or Two late N. Waterthrushes were found in n. Arizona: one near winteringCoues' Flycatcher was at Harshaw, s.e. of Patagonia Dec. 11 (KK) andanother individual was below Stewart Mt. Dam,e. of Phoe- Strawberry,Sierra Ancha Mts., Dec. 5 (RN) and onealong W. Clear mx Feb. 23 (SD). The speciesis uncommonin winter.A W. Fly- Cr., Dec. 22 (CT). In additionto the three Black-and-whiteWarblers catcher,rare in winter, wasobserved at CibolaN.W.R., Jan.30-Feb. recordedon CBCs, one was recordedat Cibola N.W.R., Dec. 20 (JJ) and one e. of TucsonDec. 24 (DDe). 13 (?DK). The late Barn Swallow at Parker remaineduntil at leastDec. 22 (CH, Olive Warblersonly occasionallywander down to the Upper Son- GR). Thetwo Com. Crows at Tucsonin Novemberremained at least oranZone, so of interestwere four 0 Olive Warblersalong the seldom •ntoFebruary (KK et al.) andanother was near Marana Feb. 12 (GG), visited San FranciscoR., Feb. 16-17 (SM). s of the species'usual range. Two Mexican Chickadeeswintered at Portal, a lower than usual ICTERIDS, TANAGERS-- A d' HoodedOriole (originally thought elevation(S & WS). MountainChickadees continued to bepresent in by someto be a Streak-backedOriole) was visitinga Tucsonfeeder thelowlands of s.e. Arizonaduring the winter: one at Tucson to at least Dec. 22-Feb.28 (M. Chalif, KK et al. ). (SeeCorrigendum.) A flock of February(KK, m.ob.)and two along the San Francisco R., Feb. 16 30-40 Great-tailedGrackles throughout the periodin Flagstaff,where (SM). Forthe second year a MountainChickadee was recorded on the this expandingspecies began wintering only recently,was the largest PortalCBC (F. Scheider);the species had not been known to occurin winter groupyet recordedthere (JC). theChiricahuas previously. Bridled Titmice were recorded in 2 unusual A ? SummerTanager, rare in winter,was seen along the Santa Cruz lowlandareas: one at MaranaDec. 31 (DSz) andfour n.e. of Oracle R., TucsonJan. 26 (R. Hynes, DDe, B. Koenig). Feb.17 (GM, D. Lee). A flockof upto 15Bushtits, uncommon on the L C.R., were seenn. of EhrenbergDec. 5 & Feb. 19 (CH, DK). FRINGILLIDS -- For the secondwinter a ? Pyrrhuloxiawas at the LowlandBrown Creeper reports came from the L.C.R., whereup to samefar n. localityat Skull Valley, w. of PrescottDec. 13-Jan.14 (H five wereseen in B.W. Deltaduring the winter and one at ParkerDec. 4 & A. Gaither, CT). A sub-ad. Rose-breastedGrosbeak at Beaver Cr , (CH, DK). n.e. of PrescottDec. 22 (CT) probablyrepresented the first w•nter recordfor n. Arizona.A very late IndigoBunting was at thePatagonia SanctuaryDec. 11 (KK et al.); there are no acceptablemid-w•nter CATBIRD THROUGH PIPITS -- Gray Catbirdsare extremelyrare recordsfor the state.Notable were eightEvening Grosbeaks in Guada- in s.e. Arizona,and especially so in winter. Surprisingtherefore, were lupe CanyonFeb. 21 (AM, DDa). Two Black Rosy Fincheswere s•nglesin threeareas in thesoutheast: at PortalDec. 3 (D. Shepherd),at foundalong the KaibabTrail belowthe S. Rim of the GrandCanyon K•no Springs,near Nogales Dec. 9 into April (JBo, m.ob.) andat the Jan.4 (W. Buskirk).There have been only 4 previousstate records and San BernardinoRanch, n. of Douglas Jan. 9-23 (DDa, RBa). Still onlyone previous record for theS. Rim--in Novemberand December, anotherGray Catbird was at a feederin Prescottfrom Dec. 12 intoApril 1956. (M Minkler, fide CT). The only previouswinter record for the state A 9 Rufous-sidedTowhee, appearingto be of the e. race, was came from the species'traditional nesting area near Springerville. studiedin B.W. Delta Feb. 28 (?LL); thisform had not been known to Three Brown Thrashers,sparse winter visitors, were recorded:the occurin Arizona.A Lark Bunting,uncommon in w. Arizona,was seen one at Hereford (since mid-November)remained at least to Jan. 25 near PostonDec. 4 (BA). SoutheastArizona, the winter capital for (DDe et al.), one at Tucsonearly December-at least Dec. 15 (P. Pray) sparrows,was especiallyalive thisyear. This wasthe bestwinter on plusone on the PhoenixCBC (PB). Recordsof LeConte'sThrasher on recordfor Cassin'sSparrow; this highlyerratic species was present •n the L.C.R., are scarceand its statusthere is poorly understood;in exceptionalnumbers--many were banded near Tucson (RBo). Balrd's additionto the one on the Parker CBC, one was seenn. of Ehrenberg and Grasshoppersparrows were also presentin above-averagenum- Dec. 20 (RH). Five SageThrashers were recordedin pinyon-juniper bers,and it wasa goodyear for Brewer'sand Vesper sparrows as well habitat along the San FranciscoR., Feb. 17 (SM). The speciesis A Gray-headedJunco of the dorsalisrace was observed in Ramsey probablyregular there, but the area is rarely visitedin winter. CanyonJan. 16 (JD); thisrace that breeds in n. andc. Arizonararely Exceptfor GuadalupeCanyon where therewere numbersof Am. movesthis far s. Yellow-eyedJuncos were present at Portalin unprec- Robins,elsewhere in the statethe specieswas almost absent, and in the edentednumbers all winter--90 + (SS), and one wanderedagmn to s e Am. Robinswere literally outnumbered by Rufous-backedRobins. Bisbee where it was recorded Dec. 21 (DDa). Includingthe November records and the five recordedon CBCs, a high At least two and probablyfour Tree Sparrowswere observedat of 11 Rufous-backedRobins strayedN this winter. One frequenteda Chino Valley, n. of PrescottJan. 15-28 (CT); the speciesis a rare, Sun City yard, w. of Phoenix, the last week in December(T. & R. seldom encountered winter resident in n.e. Arizona and these individ- Wolff), one at Cibola N.W.R., Jan. 19 (JJ), one at PatagoniaJan. 17- uals were farther s. and w. than usual. Of interest were at least seven Feb. 6 (JD, N. Preimesherger),and one at TucsonFeb. 21 (K. Burke); McCown's Longspursin with the HornedLarks in the San Rafael two were recordedon the NogalesCBC, one on the ParkerCBC (since m•d-November),the one on the RamseyCBC at Herefordremained at grasslandsJan. I7 (JD), andtwo thereFeb. 12 (S. Suter);the species is an uncommonand irregularwinter resident in s.e. Arizona. leastto Jan. 16 (DDe, JD et al.) and the one on the Green Valley CBC was presentinto February(C. DeWaard). Exceptfor the areaalong the SanFrancisco R., whereW. Bluebirds CORRIGENDUM -- The followingrecords of Streak-backedOri- were numerous(SM), Westernand Mountainbluebirds were almost ole at Tucsonpreviously reported in thiscolumn should be deletedAB lackingin the lowlands. 34:189, AB 35:214, AB 36:205 andAB 36:319. All of theserecords are At least 16 Sprague'sPipits observedn. of EhrenbergDec. 4-20 nowbelieved to pertainto HoodedOriole. Seethe article on identifica- (?CH, DK, RH) was a high number for the L.C.R. tion of thesetwo speciesin the previousissue (AB 37:140).

VIREOS, WARBLERS -- A Hutton's Vireo, rare on the L.C.R., CONTRIBUTORS(Area compilers in boldface)-- B. Anderson,R was observednear Cibola N.W.R., Dec. 14 ('I'CH). Bailowitz (RBa), B. Barber,P. Beall, E. Bessler,J. Bock (JBo), R A Worm-eating Warbler alongthe VerdeR., e. of PhoenixJan. 19 Bradley(RBr), K. Clough,J. Coons(Flagstaff), T. Corman,D. Dan- (?M. Larson)provided the first winter record for thestate and about the forth (DDa, SierraVista), W. Davis,D. Deifik (DDe), S. Demaree,J 21 st overall. The Ovenbird in n.e. Phoenix since Oct. 30 remained until Dunn, R. Ferguson,A. Gast, T. Gatz, S. Goldwasser(Tucson), G Feb. 16 (DSj) andprovided the firstdefinite over-wintering record for Gregg,B. Harrison,R. Haywood,C. Hunter (LCR), B. Jackson

326 AmericanB•rds, May-June 1983 (Globe), J Jackson,M Jakle,V Jeavons,K Kaufman(Advisor), B RufousHummingbird lingered at Pleasanton,Catron Co , into early Krueper,D. Krueper (LCR), L. LaClalre,D. Ledford,H. Longstreth, December,when it is suspectedto haveperished in the cold (L. & M S. Mills (Tucson),G. Monson,A. Moorhouse,R. Norton,D. Paulson, Sumner).Rare in winter, an ad. Red-headedWoodpecker was at Carls- P Pinkston,R. Pinkston,G. Porter, G. Rosenberg,K. Rosenberg,J. bad Feb. 21 (SW). Even more unusual,and a speciesstill unverifiedin Shlpley,S. Spofford(Portal), W. Spoflbrd,D. Stejskal(DSj), D. New Mexico, was a Red-belliedWoodpecker at nearbyRattlesnake Stotz(DSz), C. Tomoff(Prescott), S. West, R. Witzeman.--JANET SpringsDec. 19 (SW et al.), anotherbird may havebeen present in WlTZEMAN, 4619 E. Arcadia Lane, Phoenix, AZ 85018. Carlsbadthat monthas well (A. Nymeyer,fide SW). SingleYellow- belliedSapsuckers thought to havebeen of the variusrace were at Zum Dec. 20 (JT) andnear Cliff Feb. 18 (SM). Even rarer, a bird closely New Mexico resemblingthe daggettirace of Red-breasted Sapsuckerwas in Juan /John P. Hubbard Tabo Canyon, SandiaMts., Dec. 2 (HS); blackishpigment on the breastsuggested the bird was somewhathybridized with the Yellow- CORMORANTS THROUGH HERONS -- Ratherhigh numbersof bellied Sapsucker(fide JH). Well s. of the usualwinter rangewas a OhvaceousCormorants persisted through the periodat Bosquedel Downy Woodpeckerreported at CarlsbadFeb. 21 (SW); alsoworth ApacheN.W.R. (hereafter,Bosque) with maxima of 25 onDec. 28 and notingwere singlesnear Clayton Dec. 18 (AK et al.), BosqueDec 9 34 on Feb. 6 (DH, SH). As manyas threeGreat Egrets were at the (WH), and Roswell Dec. 18 (MP et al.). refugeDec. 4-Feb. 26 (WHet al.), exceptfor 11 thereDec. 26 (CH et al ) Flocksof upto 40 CattleEgrets in s. DofiaAna County through the FLYCATCHERS THROUGH CORVIDS--Quite unusual was a period(BZ) werenotable, especially in viewof theabsence of reports Western Kingbird reportedin detail at AlamogordoDec. 26 (O. G elsewhere. and R. Wahl). The only winter Empidonaxreported was a Dusky/ Hammondtype nearRedrock Feb. 21 (SM). Early swallowswere a WATERFOWL -- An estimated10,000 Snow Geesenear Colum- Rough-wingednear Mesilla (KZ) andthe first CaveSwallows at Carls- busFeb. 6 (WS) representeda high countfor the area.The Black- bad CavernsN.P. (fide SW) Feb. 12; Barn Swallowswere in s. Dofia belliedWhistling Duck nearAnapra, Dofia Ana Co., persistedto Dec. AnaCounty Feb. 27 (BZ). Six BlueJays at Roswell Dec. 18(MP et al ) 20, thisbird first appearedthere in May 1982(BZ, KZ). WoodDucks and sevenor more at CarlsbadFeb. 21 (SW) were notablenumbers; the werereported through the period in theFarmington area (AN etal.) and only w. extralimitalrecords were of a bird that winteredat SantaFe the middleto lowerRio GrandeValley (v.ob.), but numberswere not (ph. M. Lang) andtwo nearAlameda Dec. 21 (JD, VH). Little remnant exceptional.A probableMallard x Pintail hybridat BosqueDec. 26 of thelowland-invading Steller's Jays of lastautumn remained, the sole (HS et al.) wasnoteworthy. A c• Greater Scaupat BosqueJan. 22- reportsbeing of singlebirds at SocorroJan. 17 (JS) andRoswell Dec Feb 26 (D. Stahleckeret al.; ph., v.ob.) providedone of the few 18 (MP et al.). CommonCrows were widely distributedin the Dry confirmed records for the state. CimarronValley area,with 80+ countedFeb. 17 (JH); othersreached S in the Rio GrandeValley to Las Cruces(BZ et al.). RAPTORS -- Extraordinarilyearly were two Turkey Vulturesre- portednear Hatch Feb. 6 (WS) andone near Carlsbad Feb. 5 (T. & D. PARIDS THROUGH DIPPER -- Unlike corvids, evidence of last Bemls,fideSW). Raptorsurveys continued at the Navajo Indian Irriga- autumn'slowland surge of MountainChickadees was widely evident tion Projectnear Farmington,where Dec. 31 some 183 birds and 7 into the winter. The southernmostreport was of one in the Peloncdlo specieswere counted, including 93 FerruginousHawks (AN). TheJan. Mts., nearRodeo Dec. 29 (K. Scholes),where a MexicanChickadee 1-16surveys for BaldEagles in NewMexico yielded 342 birdsin the wasalso present there the same day (RS). Other Mountain Chickadees preliminarycount cf. 369 in January,1982 (JH et al.). in lower elevationalareas were at Farmington,Albuquerque, Bosque, Roswell,Mangas Springs, Bayard, Redrock, and Carlsbad Caverns CRANES THROUGH JAEGERS -- There were 43 Sandhill Cranes N.P. (v.ob.). On Feb.6 a BridledTitmouse was at PerchaDam (BZ, in the Redrockarea Dec. 13, wherethe specieshas wintered over only KZ), whereirregular. Small numbers of Red-breastedNuthatches were the last6-7 years(A. Ford). The only otherGila Valley populationis presentin Decemberat lower elevations, including at Farmington (AN nearCliff where292 birdswere countedFeb. 18 (SM). The final count et al.), Roswell(MP et al.), andLas Cruces (KZ et al.). Alsonotable on winteringWhooping Cranes in the Rio GrandeValley areawas 14 wasa PygmyNuthatch at Espafiola Dec. 26 (BL etal.). A newlocality birds(10 ad., 4 imm.), plusanother immature that went into Chihuahua for the Short-billedMarsh Wren in New Mexico is Bosque,where one (U S F. & W.S.). Nine birdswere seen in apparentmigration near Las wasreported Jan. 23 (G. Parkeret al., fide DH). A Dipperat Folsom LunasFeb. 21-27 (K. Burr,fide RT). Fifty-oneLong-billed Curlews FallsFeb. 17 (JH) mayhave been the first report from Union County, near PortalesJan. 1 (L. Coalson)were notable.Two Dunlins were at eightin theBluewater L. areaDec. 18(AM etal.) washigh for the Zufil BosqueFeb. 6 & 8 (DH et al., ph.); thespecies is irregularin winterin Mts. the state.Another imm. Thayer'sGull wasat ElephantButte L., Jan. 23-24 (BZ et al.). Even more unusualwas an apparentad. Laughing MIMIDS THROUGH THRUSHES -- The late Gray Catbird at Gull at BosqueDec. 9 (WHet al.); this speciesis very rare in New Anthony,s. DofiaAna Co., persistedthrough the period, until found Mexico, especiallyin winter. An imm. jaeger,identified as a Parasitic, deadJan. 15, apparentlythe victim of a Cooper'sHawk (BZ, KZ) was at Caballo L., Jan. 23 (BZ et al.); winter jaegers are rare in the Even moreunusual was one near Bosque, Valencia Co., Dec. 3 & 17 state (JD, VH). More thanthe usual number of BrownThrashers was reported in the 2 areas:four in the lower Rio GrandeValley (BZ, KZ) and DOVES THROUGH OWLS -- Winter recordsof White-winged nine at CarlsbadCaverns N.P. (SW et al.). Also notablewere five Sage Doves continue to accumulate in the Rio Grande and lower Pecos Thrashersnear BluewaterL., Dec. 18 (AM et al.) andone at Zufii Dec valleys.Up to four birdswere at SocorroJan. 21-Feb. 21 (JS); 1-2 at 20 (JT). Robinnumbers seemed to be downalmost everywhere, and Truth or Consequences(hereafter, T or C) Jan. 25 and Feb. 14-28 bluebirds,especially Mountains, were not as widespread and/or numer- (DM); callingat PerchaDam, SierraCo., Feb. 24 (DM); andup to 17 in ousas last year in manyareas (v.ob.). Eastern Bluebirds were reported theCarlsbad area Dec. 4-Feb. 24 (SW et al. ). An IncaDove was calling w. of thePecos Valley only in theSandia Mts., oneFeb. 21 (HS), and Feb 22 in T or C (DM), andfour werenear La Luz, OteroCo., Dec. 18 threein the vicinity of BosqueJan. 14-15 (WS, J. Vance). (LM et al.); the speciesis a stragglerat bothlocations. A PygmyOwl apparentlyattacked a Com.Flicker at GlenwoodFeb. 2 anddied as a GNATCATCHERS THROUGH WARBLERS -- North of the usual result(R. Skaggs).At any rate, the two birdsfell to the groundfrom a winterrange was a Blue-grayGnatcatcher in JuanTabo Canyon, San- tree, with theflicker clutched by theowl; aftera longstruggle, the owl dia Mts., Dec. 19 (HS); anotherwas reportedwithout details near disengagedand later succumbed--perhapsas the resultof exhaustion ClaytonDec. 18 (AK et al.). Singlegnatcatchers probably of this and starvation. specieswere near Belen Dec. 6-7 (JSt) CedarWaxwings were not numerousin theperiod, but the species was reported s. to thelower Rio HUMMINGBIRDS THROUGH WOODPECKERS -- An imm. c• Grande(KZ et al. ) andlower Pecos (SW et al. ) valleyareas. The only

Vol 37, Number3 327 N. Shrike recordedwas an adult near San Miguel, San Miguel Co., the latter is the southwesternmostreport for the state.Additional indi- Feb. 16 (JH). Two Solitary Vireos were reportedwithout details at vidualsof Golden-crownedSparrows were at CorralesFeb. 5 (DH, SH) Silver City Dec. 18 (RF et al.). A Hutton'sVireo wasnear Saddlerock, andnear Cliff Feb. 2 (SM). White-throatedSparrows were reported in BurroMts.. Feb. 20 (SM); while perhapsregular in winterin s.w. New smallnumbers from SantaFe andZufii to SilverCity andBosque in the Mexico, the speciesis rarelyreported. A Black-throatedGray War- period(v.ob.). Notablerecords of SwampSparrows were one at Co- bler, reportedat La CuevaP., OrganMts., Dec. 18 (KZ), wasthe first chitiL., Jan.27 & Feb. 15(BL), anotherat Albuquerque Dec. 30 (DH, winterrecord for New Mexico. An Orange-crownedWarbler andtwo SH), 1-2 nearIsleta Dec. 13 & 19 (JSt),and two nearBosque Feb. 26 yellowthroatswere in the Las Crucesarea the sameday (KZ et al.); (WH). Lincoln'sSparrows n. of the usualwinter range were singles at both are rare speciesin winterin New Mexico. Additionalyellowth- CochitiL., Jan.4 (BL), Zufii Dec. 20 (JT), 1-2 at AlbuquerqueDec. roatswere singles near Isleta Dec. 19 (JSt)and BernardoDec. 6 (JD). 19-31(DH, SH), threenear Bosque Feb. 12 & 27 (WH), andseven at BluewaterL., Dec. 18 (AM et al.). Northerlyrecords of longspurs ICTERIDS THROUGH TANAGERS -- A singingE. Meadowlark (thought to be Chestnut-collareds)included several m the Maxwell- well n. of theexpected winter range was near Bluewater L., Dec. 18 (J. Farleyarea Feb. 18 (JH); up to 50 nearAlbuquerque Jan. 21 & Feb. 2-5 Egbert).The only RustyBlackbird report was of a maleat BosqueFeb. (DH, SH); 1-3 nearBelen Jan. 11 (WH); and30 nearVaughn Dec. 19 21 (JS). Exceptionalwas a 0 WesternTanager at La CuevaP., Organ (BZ). Mts., Dec. 18 (ph. KZ), for a first winter recordfor the state.

FINCHES -- A Black-headedGrosbeak was reportednear Ber- CORRIGENDUM-- Therecord of Costa'sHummingbird Apr. 23, 1981at AntelopePass (Am. Birds 35:851, 1981)should actually be at nardoDec. 6 (JD, VH). Anotherexceptional report was that of a Blue GraniteGap, about12 mi to then.; this1ocalilty is alsoin thePeloncillo Grosbeak near Mesilla Dec. 18 (KZ), for the first winterrecord for the Mts., HidalgoCo., N.M. state. North of the usualwinter rangewere singleGreen-tailed Tow- bees near Bluewater L., Dec. 18 (AM et al.), Zufii Dec. 19-20 (JT), andin the SandiaMts., Dec. 2-27 & Jan. 11 (HS). Very rarelyreported INITIALED OBSERVERS -- Julie Duff, Ralph Fisher, Valarie in New Mexico andstill unverified,a c• eastern-type(unspotted) Ru- Hink, William Howe, John Hubbard, Chuck Hundertmark, Dustin fous-sidedTowhee was at RattlesnakeSprings Dec. 19(SW). Notable Huntington,Susan Huntington, Adolf Krehbiel,Burton Lewis, Arch recordsfrom theSandia Mts., includeda singleBlack-chinned Sparrow McCallum, Doris Miller, ScottMills, LawrenceMurphy, Alan Nel- Dec. 2, a White-winged(= Dark-eyed)Junco Feb. 10, and a Harris' son, Mary Peckinpaugh.Robert Scholes, Hart Schwarz,John Ship- SparrowDec. 2, plusthree wintering Golden-crowneds and a grayFox man, JohnSterling (JSt), William Stone,Ross Teuber, JohnTrochet, Sparrow(HS et al.). Otherrecords of the aboverace of junco were SteveWest, BarryZimmer, Kevin Zimmer; ph. standsfor photograph. singlesat SantaFe Dec. 2, Maxwell N.W.R., Feb. 18 (JH), and near and v.ob. for variousobservers.--JOHN P. HUBBARD, 2016 Valle BernalilloJan. 15 (VH), plusone at BluewaterL., Dec. 18 (AM etal.); Rio, Sartre Fe, NM 87501.

ALASKA REGION /D. D. Gibson

With only a shortperiod of coldweather in January,almost the entire winter of 1982-1983 was quite mild in Alaska. After much snow in autumn,precipitation during the winterseason was normal or lessthan normal.The seasonwas described by birdersas devoid of excitement.

LOONS, GREBES, HERONS -- Yellow-billed Loon was more numerousthan Com. Loon at Valdez this winter, but the maximum was only four birdsDec. 24 (GJT). A Pied-billedGrebe discovered on the CordovaCBC wasnot reported after Jan. 20 (MEI). Thereare very few recordsof this speciesin SouthcoastalAlaska. Great Blue Heronwas recordedat the w. fringe of its normalrange, in PrinceWilliam Sound with up to two at Valdez Dec. l-Feb. 22 (GJT), andbeyond, at Kodiak whereone that had beenpresent since fall wasseen as late as Jan. 29 (RAM). It is an irregularwinter visitantat the latter location.

WATERFOWL, GULLS -- EmperorGeese did not arrive in any numbersat Adak I., centralAleutians, until late December:the population there increasedthrough mid-January, but numbersremained well belowwinter 1981-1982'slevel (CFZ). The specieswas characteristi- cally commonat Kodiakthis season (JBA). A Black Duck seenon the CordovaCBC and not reportedafter Jan. 20 (MEI) providedthe first reportin Alaskain years,at any season.Not at all numerousin Alaska in winter, Eur. Wigeon waspresent at Adak in Januaryand February, up to five birds(CFZ). Not commentedon in recentwinters, Canvas- backnonetheless continue to winterat Adakin (sometimesvery) small numbers(see winter season columns in 1970s,esp. AB 27:651, 1973); one bird Jan. 15 and up to two thereFeb. 28+ (CFZ) werethe only recordsthere this season. A 9 Ring-neckedDuck and a 9 LesserScaup presentat Anchoragethroughout the seasonprovided the first local RLS) were of interest;a • Steller's Eider observedat Sitka Dec. 24 overwinteringrecords of thesespecies (TGT). TuftedDuck was record- (JSH) wasunusual. The speciesdoes not winter in numberse. of lower ed againat Cordova,for the fourthconsecutive winter (MEI); threeof Cook Inlet, and there are few recordsfor Southeastern.A E Smew them at Adak Dec. I I (CFZ) was the maximumreported this season. discoveredat BuskinL., KodiakJan. 1 (?DWS et al.) wasstill present SevenKing Eidersand one 9 Steller'sEider at SewardFeb. 4 (TGT & therewith goldeneyesas late as Feb. 22 (JBA). There havebeen 2

328 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 previousKodiak recordsof this species presentmost years (TGT) Slsklnswere not mentionedat Juneau Twohundred fifty Ivory Gulls, 90-95% of themadults, observed at (RBW), and only a few scatteredflocks were seenat Crmg (TEK) the packice edgee. of the PribilofIs., at 57ø15'N 168ø00'W,Feb. 21 Northof the normalwinter range of thespecies, a veryfew PineSiskins (RAM) provideda new high countfor Alaska. were notedin the Fairbanksarea in late November-earlyDecember (TP); two birdshit by a carDec. 7 or 8 (*DM) providedthe first in-hand OWLS, WOODPECKERS -- Up to four Great Gray Owls were verificationof this speciesn. of the AlaskaRange at this season. reportedin the Galenaarea, w. Interior,all winter(TOO), andone bird The tenth Alaska record of Eurasian Bullfinch was of a female was seenat Palmer, n. of Anchorage,at intervalsin February(fide studiedin riversideyarrow Dec. 26 & Jan. 15 at Aniak (?DLM & SS, TGT) This speciesis widespreadbut not numerousin Alaska. A ph.), a KuskokwimR. villageabout 150 km fromthe Bering Sea. Most singingc• BorealOwl at FairbanksJan. 12 (BEL) was the first of the occurrenceshave been in springor in fall; thisrecord was only the third seasonACom. (Red-sh.)Flicker observedin Craig Dec. 10 (TEK) in midwinter (seeAB 32:389, 1978). addsto very few Alaska winterrecords of this species.At leastthree In SoutheasternAlaska, neitherRed nor White-winged crossbill was Black-backedThree-toed Woodpeckerspresent in a mature white recordedin Juneauthis winter (RBW), andboth crossbills were virtual- spruceforest in Anchorageall winter was a real concentrationof this ly absentthis winter from Princeof WalesI. (TEK). Elsewhere,White- rare (m Alaska) species;up to four N. Three-toedWoodpeckers were wingedwas present in theAnchorage area only in smallnumbers, but it found/dayin the same area. was fairly conspicuousin numeroussmall flocks at SewardJan. 29 (TGT). Good numbersof White-wingedCrossbills were present in the CREEPERS, KINGLETS, PIPITS -- A BrownCreeper that visited Kasilofarea all winter, in songafter late December(MAM), but cross- a Fatrbankssuet feeder at leastuntil the first of the year(SH) provided billswere almost nonexistent at Kodiakthis season (JBA). A coupleof an unprecedentedInterior winter record.A Ruby-crownedKinglet at flocksof White-wingedsand a singingmale were observed at Healy AnchorageDec. 18 (TGT) numbersamong very few winter season Feb. 4 (TGT & LJO), but therewere no otherreports in interiorAlaska recordsof this speciesanywhere in Alaska.Intensive work may reveal until late February. that Water Pipit is annualin winter, at least locally, on the Alaska Pacific coast. At Kodiak T., a bird was recordedat the Buskin R. mouth Dec 31 and Jan. 1 (DWS), and five were seenin the Chiniak-Narrow SPARROWS-- Althoughsmall numbers of severalspecies of spar- Cape area Dec. 30 (RAM). There were no reportsfrom other areas. rowswinter regularly near the Pacific coast from Kodiak and the Kenal Pen.,e. ands., onlya few werereported from those areas this season STARLING -- A flock of 54 Starlingson the observer'sfront lawn Newsworthywere the numbersof speciesand numbers of individuals in CraigDec. 12 (TEK) provideda newlocal high count at anyseason. that wintered far from the coast, in the Interior. In otherareas where this species is not resident,one Starlingwas seen Dark-eyedJuncos have wintered in verysmall numbers (past maxi- in a flockof 200 + NorthwesternCrows at KalsinBay, KodiakJan. 22 mum six) at a few Fairbanksfeeders for someyears, but thiswinter 26 (JBA), anda flockof ninebirds was reported at Palmerin thelast week were located at feeders on the CBC, maximum nine at one feeder, of December(JL, fide TGT). many,but not all, survived-50 øto -60øF temperatures in mid-January The unusualsituation in Fairbankswas apparentlyisolated; nothing BLACKBIRDS, FINCHES -- At leastseven Rusty Blackbirdsat similarwas reportedanywhere else in the Region. SewardFeb. 4 (TGT & RLS) werethe only onesreported this season. At differentfeeders, two Tree Sparrows(SD, DDG), whichsurvived It was not a prominentlygood winter for PineGrosbeaks in interior theonly really cold weather, in mid-January,provided only the second Alaska this winter, but the specieswas presentin moderatenumbers Interiorwinter record. One imm. Harris' Sparrowbanded at Auke Bay, throughoutthe season.Elsewhere there were very few--small numbers JuneauNov. 28 was presentin thatarea with juncosthrough at least and at irregular intervalsat Kasilof (MAM), uncommonat Valdez Feb. 8 (RBW). It was the only reportthis season.An imm. White- (GJT), veryfew in theCordova area (MET), veryfew at Juneau(RBW). crownedSparrow, for whichspecies there have been fewer than a half But the specieswas described as common at Kodiakthis season (JBA). dozenlocal winter records, survived yet anotherfeeder (FH). At Fair- Redpolls were fairly common all winter in interior Alaska; their banksfeeders, an imm. Golden-crownedSparrow (RHA) and a Fox numbersburgeoned in Fairbanksin February(m.ob.), as theyusually Sparrow(JK) wereunprecedented overwintering birds. Elsewhere in do in a 'good'redpoll winter. Average to slightlyabove average num- the State,a Lincoln'sSparrow at Craig Feb. 13 (TEK) providedthe berswere present in theAnchorage area, 50-125 birdstotal at feedersin secondwinter record there. Eight SnowBuntings at Valdez Feb. 17 town and 200+ birds at some individual feeders in the outskirts; (GJT) and a flock of 10-12 birds at Galena late December-January predictablyfew Hoarieswere identified in Anchorage(TGT). Redpolls (TO0) were the only records. werepresent at Kasilofthis season in goodnumbers (MAM), andthey were commonat Kodiak•although distinctlyless numerous than sis- kms there(JBA). At Valdez a sightingof eight birdsDec. 24 (GJT) CONTRIBUTORS AND OBSERVERS (SUB-REGIONAL EDI- furrushedthe only record during the season, and none was seen during a TOR IN BOLDFACE) -- J.B. Allen, R.H. Armstrong,S. Dauen- one-dayvisit to SewardJan. 29 (TGT). But redpollswere common hauer, J.S. Hawkings, F. Hering, S. Hills, M.E. Tsleib,J. Klingel, mostof the seasonin the Cordovaarea, becomingscarce there after T.E. Kogut,J. Laughton,B.E. Lawhead,R.A. Macintosh,D.L. Mar- mtd-February(MET). In Southeastern,redpolls were reported absent at shall,D. Miller, M.A. Miller, L.J. Oakley, T.O. Osborne,T. Pogson, Juneau(RBW) and were not mentionedat Craig (TEK). They were R.L. Scher, D.W. Sonneborn, S. Soule, G.J. Tans, T.G. Tobish, presentat Adak I., in Decemberonly, maximuma flock of 30 birdson R.B. Williams, C.F. Zeillemaker;ph. photographon file U.A.M, the 12th (CFZ). *specimenat U.A.M.; •'detailson file U.A.M.--D. D. GIBSON, Uni- Pine Siskinswere commonat Kodiak this winter (JBA), but the versity of Alaska Museum, 907 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK specieswas virtually absentfrom Anchorage-arealocations where 99701.

NORTHERN PACIFIC COAST REGION agemonthly rainfall for thesethree stations was 1.2 inchesgreater than /Philip W. Mattocks,Jr. and EugeneS. Hunn usual. Probablycorrelated with this weatherwere the many reportsof This winter was even warmer and wetter than usual.January and lingeringpelicans, shorebirds, swallows, and warblers,and a near Februaryin Seattleand Portlandwere 5øF abovethe long term aver- absenceof MountainChickadees, redpolls, and Gray-crownedRosy ages There was not one 24-hourperiod of belowfreezing temperature Finches.There were very few SnowyOwls present, and Evening Gros- at the Seattle,Portland, or Medford, Oregon,weather stations. Aver- beaksand Varied Thrushes apparently stayed at higher altitudes. Flocks

Vol 37, Number 3 329 of RedCrossbills were found only in an arearoughly centered around the Olympic Mountains. •At. BE?T.A LOONS THROUGH HERONS --Single Yellow-billedLoons were found Dec. 4-Jan. 3 at Pt. Roberts, Wash. (DPn, BK et al.), Dec. 4- Feb. 20 at N. Saanich,V.I. (KT et al.), Dec. 5 at Dungeness,Wash. (D & SS), and Dec. 19 near Bremerton, Wash. (CBC). This low number of sightingshas becomenormal for the last severalwinters. Single Short-tailed Shearwaterswere seen Dec. 7 off Clover Pt., Victoria (KT), and Dec. 15 betweenPort Angelesand Victoria (MC). Others were founddead Dec. I nearNewport, Oreg. (B. Loefel), andJan. 23 on SunsetBeach, Oreg. (HN). A Buller's Shearwaterwas found dead on the beachJan. 16 at OceanShores, Wash., for the first winter record for the state (AV, *Burke Mus., Univ. of Wash.). Another Buller's Shearwaterand three N. Fulmarswere seenoff CoosBay, Oreg., Dec. 11 (M. Graybill,fide AMc). Followingthe highnumbers of lastfall, a few BrownPelicans stayed in theRegion later than usual. An immaturewas seen on CoosBay until Jan. 4 (AMc), and anotherwas at NewportJan. 9 (R. Bayer). Farther n., singleimmatures were at GraysHarbor. Wash., Dec. 18 (EH etal.) andbetween the Nisqually N.W.R., andPort Orchard, Wash., Dec. 5- 23 (J. Klein, R. Webber, S. Hall, m.ob.). An immature found dead nearCoos Bay Dec. 19 hadbeen banded May 3, 1982, on W. Anacapa I., Calif. (AMc). A singleWhite Pelicanwas seenDec. 11 alongthe SiuslawR., at Florence,Oreg. (M. Forrester,M. Markley, ph.). Two or threeSnowy Egrets have wintered annually at CoosBay for manyyears. This year at leastfive, andpossibly seven, Snowies spent the seasonaround Pony Slough at CoosBay (A. Contreras,AMc). A Great Egret winteredagain on CapitolL., in Olympia, Wash. (BHT, m.ob.). The only CattleEgrets reported were single birds at Reifel I., B.C., Dec. 4-5 (BK, DK et al.), at Masset,Queen CharlotteI., Dec. 18 The nextreports were Feb. 22-25 at N. Saanich,Vancouver I. (H. (CBC), andthroughout the seasonat CoosBay (AMc). A groupof 19- Bauer), at DewattoBay alongHood Canal, Wash. (TB), and over 25 Black-crownedNight Heronswintered at Hoover's Pond, n. of Talent,Oreg. (MjM). A roughcount is availableof 40 + White-tailed Medford (MjM). Kiteswintering this year in w. Oregon.Ten of thesewere in theRogue R. valley(MjM), andnine in theTillamook area (HN). Numbersat the WATERFOWL -- Up to 1500 WhistlingSwans wintered in the roostamid sapling-dottedgrassland around Fern RidgeRes., near ForestGrove, Oreg., area (JEv, J. Gatchett).More thanusual of this Eugene,have sharply declined from previous years, perhaps owing to speciesmoved into the Willamette Valley this year, with a correspond- vegetationchange in that area (DFi). North of the ColumbiaR., the ing decreaseto the n. alongthe ColumbiaR. (HN). Therewere also LeadbetterPt. birdswere seen Dec. 5 & 19 (RW, DA), a singlekite many moreTrumpeter Swans reported than usualthis winterfrom w. wasnear Winlock, s. of Chehalis,Dec. 18 (B. Forgey),and two were Oregon.Relatively large groups of 17-20were at MapleGrove Jan. 15 on the White-tailedDeer N.W.R., nearSkamokawa Dec. 13-27(D. and Feb. 19 (A & DMa, E & EE), and 14 on Meares L., nearTillamook Wallace, ?AR, AMu). Jan. 25 (fide HN). Reportsof accipitersand small falcons were at normallevels. An ad. Pintailswere concentrated in theBellingham, Washington-Vancou- Red-shouldered Hawk wintered n. to the Oaks Bottom area of Port- ver, B.C. area.There were 11,000+ aroundBellingham Jan. 2 (CBC) land,(K. Vanderhout,G. & K. Cooper,m.ob.). An Ospreywas seen and6-7000 on nearbyBoundary Bay, B.C., Feb. 2-6 (JI, DK et al.). Jan. 18 on then. spitat CoosBay (R. Lawrence,fideAMc) for oneof Gadwall were likewise concentratedin Seattle, with 1000 + there Jan. 1 few winterrecords there. Five Gyrfalcons were noted in earlyDecem- (CBC). Therewere 10 sightingsthis seasonof Eur. Green-winged berin C. Saanich,and three were there through January and February Teal; from Vancouverand CrescentBeach, B.C., Saanich(2) and N. (M. Lee, KT, m.ob.). OneGyrfalcon wintered in Delta. B.C. (BK et Saanich,Vancouver I., Seattle(3), andSanvie I., andBaskett Slough al.), andtwo in then.w. Washingtonarea (TW). Singlesightings were N.W.R., Oreg.This has become the normal number of sightingsof this madeat Dungenessspit (EH) and LeadbetterPt. (RW), Wash. This is form the lastfew years.Up to 13 CinnamonTeal stayedat Forest morethan the usualnumber of reports.Several Prairie Falcons in the Grove,Oreg., until at leastDec. 26 (VT et al.), andeight, including Willametteand Rogue R. valleysof Oregonwere normal, but oneon threemales, were still in Vancouver,B.C., Dec.27 (MMc). Singlec• the Samishflats of WashingtonDec. 5 (]. Duemmel)was unusual. CinnamonTeals were on EsquimaltLagoon Jan. 2 (?J. MacGregor), for the firstwinter record for s. VancouverI., andat BoundaryL., SHOREBIRDS-- A MountainPlover was seen Feb. 3 alongDrift B.C., Jan. 16 (W. & H. Hesse).The first apparentspring migrants Cr., justs. of LincolnCity, on the n. Oregoncoast (P. Pickering,ph.). were foundFeb. 7 in Eugene,Oreg. (BC), and Feb. 12 in Renton, The bird was seenagain Feb. 21-26 (DPr, BC, E & EE et al.) and Wash. (EH, G. Gerdts). providedthe fifth recordfor the state.Eleven Snowy Plovers were The subad. c• Tufted Duck found Nov. 20 on Green L., in Seattle presenton Bayoceanspit, Oreg., Feb. 19 (HN). A singleAm. Golden was seenwith an ad. male Dec. 23 (EH et al.). Thesetwo birds, and Ploverlingered until Dec. 11at Pony Slough, Coos Bay (AMc). Single probablya thirdindividual (tDB), wereseen there through early March RuddyTurnstones were found in AmblesideP., Vancouver,B.C., Jan. (m.ob.). Two Oldsquawwere at NetartsBay, Oreg., Dec. 12 (VT, 3 & Feb.2-4 (DK et al.), at PennCove, Whidbey I., Wash.,Jan. 16 HN), andanother was 3 mi upstreamfrom themouth of theUmpqua (TW), on rocksoff Oak Bay,Vancouver I., Feb. I (DFr), onDunge- R., Dec. 18 (D. Rogers,DFi). An ad. c• King Eiderwas found Feb. 13 nessspit, Wash., Feb. 5 (D & SS),and at Hylcbos, Wash., Feb. 26 (M. on SequimBay, Wash. (? St. Evans,Si. Evans)for aboutthe 12th Cooper,TB). ThreeRuddics were on Dungenes spit Feb. 7 (D & SS). recordfor thestate. King Eiders have now been found in Washingtonin CoosBay, Oreg., and Willapa Bay, Wash., typically shelter w•nter- 6 outof thelast 7 seasons(October-May). Half of therecords have been ingflocks of largeshorebirds. This year 22 Willctsspent the season at duringJanuary-February, and all but3 havebeen in thePort Angeles- KentuckSlough, Coos Bay, and a Long-billedCurlew stayed at Pony Pt. Roberts-Bellinghamarea. Sloughand on theN. Bendairport until Jan. 8 (AMcet al.). At the mouthof theNorth R., andat nearbyTokcland on Willapa Bay there VULTURES THROUGH FALCONS -- Three Turkey Vultures were 10-35Willcts Dec. 20-Feb.21 (ME, CC), and78 Long-billed overShaw I., SanJuan Co., Wash.,Feb. 6 werevery early (DPn, JEr). CurlewsFeb. 6 (TB). ElevenLong-billed Curlews were foundthere

330 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 SeaI., nearVancouver, B.C., Dec. 5 & 19 (m.ob.,ph. E. Gobel),in DiscoveryP., Seattle,Jan. 1 (N. Kroening,'•E. Peasleeet al.), at the NisquallyN.W.R., Wash.,Jan. 22 (CC etal.), andin ScogginsValley P., near ForestGrove, Oreg., Feb. 19+ (VT. JEv et al.).

HUMMINGBIRDS THROUGH GNATCATCHERS -- Another highcount of Anna's Hummingbirdswas setfor the SeattleCBC, and numbersappeared to be still increasingin the Vancouver,B.C., area also (fide DK). Rufous Hummingbirdsarrived on schedulein s.w. Oregon Feb. 12-16 (MH, AMc). PileatedWoodpeckers were more widelyreported than usual. A BlackPhoebe at Roseburg,Oreg., Jan. 8 (KK) wasslightly n. of the species'usual range, as werethe five Say's Phoebesfound this winter nearGlide, e. of Roseburg(KK). More than usualSkylarks were singingat AmericanCamp, San JuanI., Wash., Feb.4 (DPn,JEr). A drasticdecline in therabbit population inhabiting the samehillsides is believedto be improvingthe habitatfor skylarks. An earlyvanguard flock of 16 Tree Swallowsand one Violet-green was in Medford Feb. 7 (MjM), and threeTree Swallowswere at L. Tennant, near Bellingham,Wash., Feb. 13 (G. Walker, fide TW). MountainPlover, Siletz Bay, Drift Creek,Oreg., Feb. 3, 1983.Photo/ Widespreadarrival of Tree Swallowsoccurred in w. OregonFeb. 16- P. Pickering. 26, andin s. VancouverI. andVancouver, B.C., Feb. 26-28. A single Feb. 21, with 46 MarbledGodwits and a Whimbrel(CC). Elsewhere Violet-greenSwallow was either very late or very early at Swan L., one-twoWillets and Whimbrelswintered on Ediz Hook, Port Angeles, Saanich, Dec. 18-24 & Jan. 16 (M. Elston, C. Trotter, W. & W. Wash. (MC, D & SS), two Willets winteredon YaquinaBay, Oreg. Weber). Four Barn Swallows lingered at Minto Island P., Salem, (ES), and five Whimbrelswere in SaanichDec. 13 (KT). Oreg., until Dec. 13 (D. Marklieb). A BarnSwallow seen near Eugene A shorebirdcensus Jan. 15-16along the ocean beach from Moclips, Feb. 12 (BC) couldpossibly have been a winteringbird. ScrubJays Wash.,to theN. jetty of theColumbia R., excludingonly some of the were seene. to the ColumbiaR. gorgetowns of CascadeLocks Dec. 4 tip of LeadbetterPt., yielded49,350 Dunlin, 5372 Sanderlings, 1065 andHood River Jan. 15 (DA). SingleBlack-billed Magpies were sight- Black-bellied Plovers, 12 Least Sandpipers,and a most unexpected ed Feb. 11 at Admiral'sCove, Whirlbey1. (J. Hopkins,fideT. Spen- 2494 W. Sandpipers(CC, M. Finger,J. Buchanon).Six Red Knots cer), and Feb. 22 at New Brighton P., Vancouver, B.C. (AG). Two werestill at GraysHarbor, Wash., Dec. 18 (CBC), anda singleRed Black-billedMagpies were seen Jan. 27 alongthe Skagit R., at Marble- Knot was foundFeb. 22 along Drift Cr., s. of LincolnCity, Oreg. mount, Wash. (L. Mills). (MH, DI, J. Krabbe).There are few winter records for theRegion. The SingleWrentits were observedFeb. 3 at LookoutPoint Res., in the lasttraces of theRed Phalarope movement this fall weresingle individ- Cascadefoothills 18 mi s.e. of Eugene(DFi), andFeb. 13 in McDonald ualsfar inlandat the Carson,Wash., fish hatcheryDec. 16 (J. Davis, Forestn.w. of Corvallis,Oreg. (U. & V. Kiigimagi,fideE & EE). The fide HN), at Glide, e. of Roseburg,Dec. 20 (KK), and in Medford, Mockingbirdat Phoenix, Oreg., stayedthrough the season(MjM). Oreg.,in lateDecember-early January (MJM et al.). Alongthe coast Three MountainBluebirds wintered along Boundary Bay, B.C. (Jl, D J, therewas one Red Phalaropeat CloverPt., Victoria,Dec. 17 (KT), m.ob.).Single Tox;•nsend's Solitaires in W. Vancouver,B.C., Jan.5 fouron the Grays Harbor CBC, Dec. 18, anda fewfound dead on the n. (C. Butt), in Burien, Wash., Jan. 8 (M. Bruce), and in VictoriaJan. 21 Oregonbeaches through Jan. 8 (HN). (DFr) werethe only onesreported. The secondrecord for Washington of the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was establishedFeb. 21 & Mar. 15 at BottleBeach, Ocosta, e. of Westport(tCC, N. Chappell,P. Martin). JAEGERS THROUGH OWLS -- A PomafineJaeger was photo- PreviousWashington and British Columbiarecords have all been in graphedat the S. jetty of the ColumbiaR., Jan. 8 & 12 (P. Muller, ES) late November. for oneof very few winterrecords. About 14 GlaucousGulls, a slightly lower number than usual, were reported. There were 40-+ Herring Gulls, 20 Thayer's Gulls, four W. Gulls, and numerousGlaucous- WARBLERS THROUGH SPARROWS -- The Black-and-white winged x W. Gull hybridspresent Jan. 19 amongthe 2-3000 gulls Warbler foundlate last fall in Salem,Oreg., survivedto at leastJan. 29 concentratedthis winter along the WillametteR., in Eugene,Oreg. (B. Lucas, A & DMa, m.ob.) for the first winter recordfor the state (DFi, S. Heinl). An ad. Franklin's Gull seenFeb. 12 at Clover Pt., awayfrom the immediatecoast. An Orange-crownedWarbler wintered Victoria ('•DFr) furnishedthe first winter record for Vancouver I. An at Swan L., Saanich(KT et aLL There were 7 otherscattered sightings ad. Little Gull was seenoff Wesl Pt., SeattleJan. 10 (B. Doe). of Orange-crownedsin the Vancouver,B.C. andPuget sound area this Ten AncientMurrelets lingered at BoilerBay, n. of Newport,Oreg., season.A Nashville Warbler was found Dec. 18 at CoosBay ('•DFi). to Feb. 22 (DI). None was seen on a Feb. 6 boat trip through the There were 2 sightingsof Townsend'sWarblers in N. Vancouver, WashingtonSan JuanIs. (TW). A groupof 25 RhinocerosAuklets, all B.C., and threeon s. VancouverI., all duringDecember. Farther s., in breedingplumage, were gatheredin FridayHarbor, Wash., Feb. 6 the specieswas foundin the usualnumbers. The only PalmWarbler (DPn, JEr). One RhinocerosAuklet was in BurrardInlet, Vancouver, reportedwas at LeadbetterPt., Jan. 3 (RW). SingleCom. Yellow- B.C., where the speciesis rare, Jan. 28 (DJ). A very rare Parakeet throatswere seenDec. 27 at Reifel I., B.C. (WW), a male Jan. 20 on Auklet wasfound dead on the beachat OceanShores, Wash.? Jan. 16, SauvieI. (P. Maslen,fide HN), and a femaleFeb. 23 at the Nisqually but the specimenwas too far goneto be saved(AV, fide DPn). N.W.R., Wash. (EH, H. Willoughby). The latter providedthe first Of the 1 i Monk Parakeetscounted on the Portland CBC, ten were Februaryrecord for Washington. foundtogether and one was in a flock of blackbirds.Another Monk An imm. • Hooded Oriole appearedDec. 23 + at a hummingbird Parakeetwas back at West Pt., in Seattle Jan. 15 (EH, DB). feederin CoosBay (C. Shaeffer,AMc et al.). Amazingly,this bird was The highcount for SnowyOwls at onelocality was only three,along joined by a secondimm. • HoodedJan. 22 +, and by a female N. BoundaryBay on severaldates through the season(MMc et al.). Two "Bullock's"Oriole Feb. 4 + ('•DPr,BC, ph.O. Schmidt).This repre- Snowies wintered at Ocean Shores, Wash. (B. Morse, E. Ratoosh), sentedthe fifth winter recordfor the HoodedOriole for Oregon. and one was on the Skagitflats, Wash., until Feb. 21 (MC et al.). The EveningGrosbeaks were virtually absent from the lowlands through- one at LeadbetterPt., Dec. 5 was the farthests. (RW). Barred Owls out. The only flocksreported were at ManningP.P., in January(MMc werepresent throughout the seasonat establishedlocations in Victoria et al.), and near timberline on Mt. Hood Dec. 12 (M. Smith). Red and Vancouver, B.C. Another BarredOwl was found in Bellingham, Crossbillswere notedas commonand widespreadon s. VancouverI., Dec. 26-27 (TW, ph. J. Mock), for the first recordthere. Two Spotted morecommon than usual on nearbySan Juan I., andat Dungeness,and Owls were seen near the Iown of Rogue River, Oreg., Feb. 13 •ide numerouson VashonI., nearOlympia, andon Mr. St. Helens,Wash. MjM). SingleLong-eared Owls, unusualin the Region,were found on However,the specieswas very scarcein the Seattle,Bellingham, and

Vol. 37, Number 3 331 higheraltitude in ManningP.P., B.C., Jan. 21-Feb. 5 (MMc, DK et al.). Reports of Pine Siskin abundancegenerally paralleled those of Red Crossbills. A Vesper Sparrow foundDec. 26 in Kent, Wash. (EH, N. Cone) furnished the first December record for the state. A Clay-colored Sparrow wassighted Dec. 27 in Delta (D. Wilsonet al.) for only the third record for s.w. British Columbia. The bird stayedinto early March (m.ob., ph. AG). FourteenHarris' Sparrowswere reported, from Medford, to Saanich,and the SerpentineFen, s. of Vancouver, B.C., including3 widely separatedsightings in w. Washington.Re- portsof White-throatedSparrows were numerousas usualonly from the interior valleysof w. Oregon(DFi, MjM.HN et al.). Farthern., therewere but 2 sightingsin w. Washington,two in the Vancouver, B.C., area,and eight on s. VancouverI. An ad. SwampSparrow was foundat L. SammamishS.P., lssaquah,Wash., Jan. 2 (•'EH). Thebird wasseen through Mar. 9 (fME, PM et al.) for the ninthrecord for the state, and the secondfor this park. An adult and an imm. Swamp Sparrowwere foundFeb. 4-5 at FinleyN.W.R., s. of Corvallis,Oreg. (MH, fDFi, BC).

CORRIGENDUM -- Pleasedelete the reportof a Poor-willat Oak Bay, Vancouver1., Sept. 22, 1979 (AB 34:193) at the requestof the observer.

INITIALED OBSERVERS and Abbreviations,with Sub-Regional Editors in boldface. David Anderson, Dave Beaudette, Thais Bock, Mike Carmody,Chris Chappell, Barbara Combs. Mark Egger.Elsie & Elzy Eltzroth, Jim Erckmann(JEr), Joe Evanich (JEv), David Fix (DFi), David Fraser(DFr). Vic Goodwill, AI Grass.Bill Harrington- Tweit (BHT), Matt Hunter, John Ireland, David Irons, Dale Jensen, Brian Kautesk. Ken Knittie, Doug Keagh, Arnie & Debbie Martin (A & DMa), Alan McGie (AMc), Mike McGrenere (MMc), Marjorie Twoimm. c•Hooded Orioles, Coos Bay, Oreg., Feb. 19, 1983.Photo/ Moore (MjM), Ann Musche (AMu), Harry Nehls, Dick Palmer O.L Schmidt. (DPr), DennisPaulson (DPn), Alan Richards,Ed Seely,Dory & Start Smith, Keith Taylor, Verta Teale, Ann Vander Geld,, Terry Wahl, Vancouver,B.C. areas,and in w. Oregongenerally. A well-described WayneWeber, RalphWidrig. (•') = writtendocumentation on file.- flock of 50-+ White-wingedCrossbills was observedDec. 13 in the PHILIP W. MATTOCKS, JR., Dept. of Zoology,Univ. of Wash- townof GraysRiver, along the Columbia R.. Wash.(fAR. AMu). The ington, Seattle, Wash. 98195, and EUGENE S. HUNN, 1816 N. onlyother reports this season were of 4-20 birdsfarther n. andat much 57th St., Seatfie, Wash. 98103.

MIDDLE PACIFIC COAST REGION agedto overwinteron the immediatecoast (see Warblers and lcterids /JulesEvens and Ron LeValley below). Mostbirdwatchers in ourRegion anticipated trading in theirbinocu- - :;h 0 •R,•.E. O larsfor swimmingmasks and snorkels as the winter season developed # -•:,,. '• ,.ow•,,,.•.• ,.. intoone of the rainieston record.Birders apparently got outdoorsless CrescentC.y--• -•• •-O• ...... • mtiC ,[ thanusual this season, but evenwhen they did thepervasive comment Yreka [ • LAVA was"Where areall thebirds?" Good weather for ducksthey said, and • • • A •. Altu•s amongthe waterbirds even though ducks were scarce they provided • gls.Shasto ßBieber our only real excitementwith a returningSmew and two speciesof Eureka eiders!The removal of sandfrom most of ourlocal beaches by numer- ousocean storms robbed important habitat of speciessuch as Sander- •lly •t. Keamu• lingsand Snowy Plovers. It will beof greatinterest to witnessthe long- $AC•AME•O Chico term effects of such habitat alteration. •:-: N•ada The ocean water temperaturesalso reflected an unusualwinter ' h '" Citye weatherwiseas surfacetemperatures stayed constant throughout the .. • • •a•swlle• • • periodrather than cooling slightly as they normallydo. By the endof theperiod the ocean surface temperatures were up to 2øCabove the 20- • SantaRosa eNa• a ø•en. • year averagealong the entire Californiacoast. • •. Reyes nEt• r ß • With the exceptionof the northwestcounties where the Madrone (Arbutus)berry crop was exceptional (KVR, RLeV), irruptivespecies San . . • •eMerced werescarce. The generalconcensus was that Band-tailed Pigeon, Var- Karae•e • rke&eY ? eL• Banos ied Thrush, American Robin, Hermit Thrush and Golden-crowned Kinglet were extremelylow in number.Usually common montane N.M. Vis•Ji• speciesand wintering migrants, especially fringillids, were also scarce or very localized. Insectivoreswere presentin moderatenumbers, perhapsshowing partial recovery after last winter'shigh mortality. PoloAh• • • Despitethe dearth of usualwintering species, unusual numbers of neo- SanJose' % tropicalmigrants, both summer residents and several vagrants, man-

332 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 Christmas Bird Count (hereafter, CBC) recordsare omitted unless Feb. 28 (LD). The first coastalrecord of a swan thoughtto be of the they are of over-ridingsignificance. bewickiirace was at BolinasLagoon, Marin Co., Dec. 12-130-DDes, All recordsfrom Palomarinand the FarallonIslands (hereafter, F.I.) BDP). Forty thousandRoss' Geese at Gray LodgeW.A., duringDe- should be credited to Pt. Reyes Bird Observatory(hereafter, cember were almost half of the Canadian estimate of 92,000 for this P.R.B.O.). A dagger0') indicatesthat documentationis on file with species(BED). Greater than normal numbersof Ross', Snow and the regionaleditors or with the California RaritiesCommittee. Canadageese were found scattered in almostevery coastal county. The endangeredAleutian Canada Goose continues its apparentincrease in numberswith an all time high countof 3500 at Gray LodgeW.A., this LOONS THROUGH TUBENOSES -- The only Yellow-billed winter (BED). Loon of the seasonwas reported from TomalesBay, Marin Co., Dec. Most duckspecies continued their scarcitythrough the winter season 18 (CS). A Red-throatedLoon at Avacado L., FresnoCo., Jan. 8-13 despitethe abundanceof suitablehabitat seeminglyeverywhere. An (KH, GP+ ) establisheda first countyrecord. An Arctic Loon on L. impressive150 Wood Duckswere countedin a riparianarea of Colusa Shastina,Siskiyou Co., Dec. I (RE, MRo), a Com. Loonat StatenI., N.W.R.. Dec. 30 andJan. 20 (FBr). The only dabblingducks reported San JoaquinCo., Dec. 19 (fide DY) and anotherat FolsomL., Sacra- in good numberswere 150,000 Pintails at Merced N.W.R., Jan. 17 mentoCo., Jan.6 (BED) roundedout the inlandreports for the winter. (RB) and 100,000 in floodedrice fields in the Yolo Bypassarea all This was a fairly typicalnumber but is in contrastto lastyear when winter (TB). more thantwice as manywere foundinland in spiteof the abundant The winter waterbirdsurveys in San Franciscoand SanPablo Bays water in inlandreservoirs both years.Twelve Red-neckedGrebes on counted 12,909 CanvasbacksJan. 4, about the same number as last TomalesBay Dec. 18 (CSw) 40+ at LimantourDec. 18 (JE+) and year but well belowthe 40,000 averageduring the early 1970s(RWL). nine alongthe Montereywaterfront Dec. 30 (LCB) were the only Likewise 38,109 Scaupand 9865 Scoterswere approximatelyhalf of concentrations.Elsewhere they were considered scarce this winter. It is the recentaverage (RWL). Four Tufted Ducks, rare annualvisitors to becomingclear that the light-phaseof theW. Grebeis a fairly rarebird n. California, were found this winter; a female at FosterCity, San alongthe coastn. of SonomaCounty where only two werereported. MateoCo., Feb. 20-26 (SFB, •'RAW, •'JM), a maleat Mill Valley, One wasin theMad R. EstuaryJan. 19 (RLeV) andone was in Crescent Marin Co., Feb. 20 (fide Gull) a maleat theNapa Sewage Ponds Dec. City Harbor Feb. 11 (RAE). 26 (fide Gull) andan ad. maleat Muddy Hollow Pond,Limantour Dec. SingleLaysan Albatrosses were sighted offshore from Monterey Bay 18 (JE + ). The ad. c• Sinew returned for its secondwinter to Foster Feb.5 0-JD)& 19(KHb, PU). NorthernFulmars were fairly common City. It was first sightedDec. I (KHi), when it still showedtraces of until mid-Decemberand then became scarce possibly as a resultof the eclipseplumage. The lastsighting this year was Feb. 13(KHb) whereas warm water. Up to threeShort-tailed Shearwaters were foundon Mon- last year's apparentdeparture date was Feb. 18. Hooded Mergansers terey Bay Jan. 14-Feb. 28 (CF, JLu, BLAB, RS). Only a few Manx were well reported;60 at TulelakeN.W.R., Dec. 5 (RE, MRo,) was Shearwaterswere reportedin spite of the warmer watersand their oneof the largestgatherings ever recorded in our Region.Other notable apparentpreference for such.The greatestnumber seen was eight near concentrationswere 25 on the Bliss Ranch, Del Notre Co., Dec. 11 Pt. Pinos, Monterey Co., Feb. 28 (RS). (PS) and 26 at FosterCity Jan. 19 (PJM). Single Red-breastedMer- gansersat L. Shastina,Siskiyou Co., Dec. 1 andJan. 9, andat Tulelake PELICANS THROUGH HERONS -- Brown Pelicanslingered in N.W.R., Dec. 5 were notable because most of our inland records are the Regionlater than usual but not in quitethe numbersof lastyear. for the fall and springperiods. Double-crestedCormorants were well reportedfrom inland localities thiswinter with 230 at the StocktonSewage Ponds, San Joaquin Co., Feb. 5 (DY) the maximum. American Bittern numberswere considered loweraround Gray LodgeWildlife Area dueto themanagement prac- tice of burningdense stands of cattailsto providenesting habitat for ducks(BED). Concernwas alsoexpressed for their numbersaround SantaCruz, whereone was at Neary'sLagoon Dec. 5 (BLAB). A Least Bittern,always a rarefind in n. California,delighted many observers at the Palo Alto BaylandsDec. 29-Feb. 29. Anotherwas heardat Gray LodgeW.A., Dec. I l (BED). A GreatEgret wandered to the Farallon // Is., Feb. 4 (P.R.B.O., JS) to establishthe first winter recordthere and to illustratethat even this normally sedentary species can wander some during non-migratoryperiods. The Great Egret populationof the n. Central Valley (hereafter,C.V.) was estimatedin the low hundreds. Their presentdistribution finds them as far as n. Willows, GlennCo., and Richvale,Butte Co. (BED). CattleEgrets seem to havereached a somewhatstable population in ourRegion, the past few yearshave seen Steller'sEider, CrescentCity Harbor, Del Norte Co., Feb. 19, 1983. a declinein reportsfrom newareas and few spectacularconcentrations. Photo/R. Ekstrom. They havegained a substantialfoothold in the s. SanJoaquin Valley Big newswas madeby the eider ducksthis winter. Up to threeKing whereit is possibleto seein excessof 100in a daybut elsewhere they Eiders were in n. California;an apparentfemale at Fort Point, San remain scarceand sporadic. The flockof White-facedIbises that wintered in ColusaCounty last FranciscoDec. 12 (fide Gull), an imm. male at Moss LandingDec. 18 yearreturned by Nov. 11 when45 were at ColusaN.W.R. (FBr). The (fide Gull) andmost cooperatively, a femaleat the EmeryvilleMarina, AlamedaCo., Dec. 19-Jan.22 (?JM, •'KHbet al.). Toppingall other lastsighting of thesebirds was Jan. 22 whenthe flock had grown to 75 birds(FBr). Newly reportedinformation indicates that this flock has reportsthis season was the imm. •?StelIer's Eider discoveredJan. 16 in the CrescentCity Harbor, Del Notre Co. (JR) andrediscovered Feb. been winteringin this area since 1978-79 (BED). A concentrationof 6 0-RAE, •-RLeV, m.ob.). This establishedthe first Pacific coast 300 White-faced Ibises near Gustine, Merced Co., Mar. I (RS) and a records. of VancouverI., Canada. HarlequinDucks were reportedin flock of nine near W. Pittsburgthat establishedthe first ContraCosta small numbersfrom 10 coastallocalities s. to Monterey Harbor illus- Countryrecord were also good news for thisspecies, whose numbers in tratingtheir localizedstatus in the Region.Oldsquaws continue to be our Regionhave beenincreasing slowly over the last5 years. found in smaller than normal numbers for the second consecutive winter. Only 7 sightingswere reported;most notable were three at the WATERFOWL -- Seventeenthousand Whistling Swans (of 55,000 Klamath R. EstuaryDec. 18 (RAE, GL). statewide)were in theSacramento Valley n. of theYolo BypassJan. 19 (BED). Substantial coastal numbers were found in traditional areas RAPTORS THROUGH RAILS -- Early migratingTurkey Vultures near the Garcia R. Mouth, Mendicino Co., Dec. 3 l-Jan. 22 where 280 were spottednear Auburn, PlacerCo., Jan. 28 (BBa) and e. of Somes wintered (BDP, CSw) and in the Eel R. Bottoms, Humboldt Co., Bar, SiskiyouCo., Feb. I (KVR). Six Ospreyswere found wintering in where400 wereestimated in January(JE) and300 + wereestimated n. California,equally divided between inland and coastal localities as is

Vol. 37, Number 3 333 normal Mixed reportswere receivedconcerning the statusof White- the year Dec 23 alongSandy Marsh Rd, that was describedas identi- tailedKites an the Region, probably indicating local variation an popu- cal to a male foundnear there last February(RJB). One wondershow lationlevels as a resultof naturalfluctuations in theavailability of food. many individualsof theseunusual shorebirds stop in at the sameloca- BothSharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks were reported in muchlower tion year after year. Our secondwinter record of Wilson'sPhalarope thannormal numbers this winter along the coast with normal or slighfiy was well-describedfrom the Los BanosSewage Ponds Dec. ll-12 betternumbers inland. Their scarcity along the coast may well betied to (?FBr). The only otherwinter record was from February1980 this year's paucityof landbirds. Thisfall' sinvasion of Broad-wingedHawks extended into the winter as mightbe expectedfrom the muchlater thannormal influx. At least JAEGERSTHROUGH ALCIDS -- Two ParasiticJaegers off Moss 15 individualswere documentedduring the winter, all betweenthe Landing,Monterey Co., Jan. 1 (PJM) andone Pomarine Jaeger off coastalcounties of Marinand Monterey. Red-tailed Hawks were con- CrescentCity Dec. 20 (GSL)were the only jaegers reported this winter, siderealto be presentin very good numbers,especially in the San far fewerthan normal. Away from the Stockton Sewage Ponds, where JoaquinValley. The very rare "Harlan's" Red-tailedHawk appeared the adult was presentthrough Feb. 25, anotherad. Little Gull was anthe Regionwith singlesat Bay FarmI., AlamedaCo., Dec. 11 (JM), foundat the SalinasR. Mouth, MontereyCo., Jan.30-Feb. 20 (DR, Lake of the Pines, NevadaCo., Dec. 18 (JML), near Table Mr., JD, SFB). Stockton'sBlack-headed Gull wanderedover to the Lodl Madera'Co., Dec. 19 (fide KH) andalong E. ButteRd., SutterCo., SewagePonds Feb. 11 (DY) for a visit.It waspresent at the Stockton Jan. 5 (BED). Since light-phaseindividuals of this subspeciesare SewagePonds Feb. 28 +. Up to 100Mew Gullswintered at theStock- unknown,despite illustrations to the contraryin popularfield guides, ton SewagePonds while another 100 were at theLodi SewagePonds, thetrue identity of birdsreported as such is a realenigma. Fair numbers bothimpressive numbers for inlandlocalities (DY). An adultat Lower of FerruginousHawks Wintered in the Regionwhile Rough-legged KlamathN.W.R., Feb. 16 wasin an areawhere this species is very Hawkswere consideredto be presentin goodbut not greatnumbers. scarce(SS). Inland Glaucous-wingedGulls were discoveredat the Five ad. Rough-leggedHawks along Hwy 395 n. of Mono L., Dec. 30 DavisDump, Yolo Co., Dec.25-26 (JML) andat the Stockton Sewage (DDeS) were impressiveas nearlyall individualsnormally coming to PondsFeb. 5 (DY). Also at the Davis Dump was a second-winter Californiaare immature-plumaged birds. Good fall numbersof Merlins GlaucousGull Feb. 6 (JD). Alongthe coast where this species is more remainedinto the winter in most areas, only in Del Norte and San regularlyencountered only 8 othersightings were reported, substantaal- Joaquincos. were numbers considered lower than normal. ly belowthe annualwinter average. Three imm. CaspianTerns win- CommonGallinules were presentin excellentnumbers throughout tered at the CreightonRanch Preserveto establishour first certain the C.V., and arounds. San FranciscoBay. SandhillCranes were winterrecords away from thecoast (KH), althoughit is possiblethat a foundin goodnumbers at traditionalsites with 1200wintering between smallwintering population has been overlooked there. Thirty Forster's Gray Lodge, the Butte Sink and Chico (BED), 5000 winteringnear Ternsat theRussian R. mouth,Sonoma Co., Dec. 30 (CSw)and 51 at WoodbridgeRd., SanJoaquin Co. (DY) and3000 alongSandy Marsh BodegaHarbor Feb. 12 (NTC) werehigh numbers for winter.Coinci- Rd., Merced Co., Mar. 1 (RS). dentallysix were n. as far as the ArcataMarsh, HumboldtCo., Jan 6 (fide LD) wherethey are very scarcein the winter. Probablyrelated to the warm oceanwaters and repeated storms, SHOREBIRDS -- AmericanGolden Plovers of thefulva race win- Com. Murres failed to haul out in normal winter numbers on F.I this tered on Pt. Reyeswith a maximumof 16 on Jan 30 (DDeS); five also winter. Oceanconditions and behaviorsuch as this haveled many wintered at Lawsoh's Landing on the e. side of Tomales Bay (JE). observersto predicta disastrousseabird breeding season this coming Singleswere found on F.I., until Dec. 14 (P.R.B.O.) and near Ft. summer. Dick, Del NorteCo., untilJan. 4 (fideRAE), whiletwo wereat Pigeon Pt, San Mateo Co., Dec. 26 (fide PJM). Away from the coastone PIGEONSTHROUGH OWLS-- Band-tailedPigeons wintered in wintered with a flock of Black-belliedPlovers at the Lodi Sewage largenumbers in e. Humboldt/s.Siskiyou/w. Trinity cos., with flocks Ponds, San JoaquinCo. (DY). Thirty-threeSnowy Ploverson the of up to 1000 by early February(KR). Flocksof 75-100 were on the FosterCity mudfiatswere probably forced into SanFrancisco Bay coastin HumboldtCounty in early December(GSL); elsewherethe becauseof erodedbeaches along the outercoasts (PJM). Likewise69 specieswas virtually absent. A White-wingedDove at BodegaHead on Doran Beach, Bodega Bay Dec. 4 was a high number at that Dec. ll (BDP) providedone of few winterrecords (all coastal),the protectedlocality (NTC). MountainPlovers again wintered in the Pan- onlyother Sonoma County record was also in December.Eight Mourn- ocheValley where213 werecounted Feb. 26 (KHb, PU). Sevenalong ingDoves were at 3 near-coastalDel NorteCounty locations Dec 19 SandyMarsh Rd., Merced Co., Mar. 1 (RS) were in an area where (BED, GSL, RT) andsix werenear Ft. Dick Feb. 13 (RT). Oneat F I, much higher numberswere once regular. Dec. 7-8 furnishedthe secondwinter record for theisland. Judging A Black Oystercatcheron CastleRocks, ContraCosta Co., inside fromthe dearthof reports,microfine dependent owl speciesare stall SanFrancisco Bay Dec. 29 (RWL) wasat an unusuallocality. Perhaps experiencinga populationlull (seeAB 36:890).Fifteen Pygmy Owls it wasanother fugitive from the ocean storms. A concentrationof 7220 from 8 expectedlocations was about average, however one -- two in Am. Avocetson a singlesalt pond near Menlo P., in the S. San KillgoreHills, SiskiyouCo., Dec. 30 & Jan. 15 (RE, MRo) was FranciscoBay N.W.R., Dec. 1 (RWL) illustratedhow abundantthis unusual;the species is scarcein the Shasta Valley (RE, MRo). The only speciescan be at favoredplaces in our Region.A roostof 47 Lesser SpottedOwls were three in Willow Cr. Canyon,Sonoma Co., Dec 12 Yellowlegsat the Leslie Salt Ponds,Alameda Co., Jan. 2 (TG, KH) (BDP). Two Barred Owlsare still present: one at Salyer,Trinity Co, wasthe largestwinter gatheringon record.One thousandLong-billed heardregularly after mid-January (KVR, JSW)and the one at Redwood Curlewsnear Liberty Island Rd., SolanoCo., Feb. l0 (TB +) wasan N.P., Del Norte Co., wasrefound Feb. 19+. FourteenLong-eared impressivenumber for mid-winter. A few Marbled Godwits wintered Owlswere seen at 5 C.V. locations;ten others were onthe Marin coast, in the SanJoaquin Valley as usualbut two e. of SacramentoN.W.R., two at BolinasLagoon through Dec. 29 (BS et al.) and eightnear Dec. 3 (WA) were n. of regularwintering areas. A singleMarbled Drake's Estero, P.R.N.S., Dec. 18. Notable was a roadkill at Stone Godwitwintering in CrescentCity Harbor(RAE + ) wasunusual for its Lagoon,Humboldt Co., Dec. 12 (GJS, *HumboldtState Univ.) since northerlycoastal presence. Inland Sanderlingsare alwaysunusual but the speciesis casualaway from Cape Medocinoin Humboldtand 2-3 at the Los BanosSewage Ponds Feb. 11-14 (?FBr) establishedthe unrecordedin nearbyDel NorteCounty (fide RAE). Short-earedOwl as first winter recordaway from coastalareas. They alsopenetrated far enigmatic;the scarcityof recentreports may indeed be a reflectionof into the SanFrancisco Bay areawith 12 at the BeniciaMarina, Solano "no voles,no owls", howeversuch a facileexplanation should not Co , Dec. 27 (JLo).After this fall's •pectacular Pectoral Sandpiper blindus to thepossibility that this species is undergoinga non-cychcal invasion,one would not be too surprisedat a singlelingering individual populationdecline -- an opinionthat is emergingamong some biolo- at Pt. Pinos,Monterey Co., Dec. 4 (GM) establishingthelatest migrant gists(fide G. Gould).The Dec. 30, 1982Federal Register (Vol 47, No recordfor n. California.But overshadowingthat sighting were three at 251) which"identifiesvertebrate animal taxi, nativeto the U.S., being theCreighton Ranch Preserve, Tulare Co., Dec. 30 ('•KH) thatappar- consideredfor additionto theList of Endangeredand Threatened Wild- ently•wintered! If furthersightings can be confirmedthen this would life" doesnot include Short-cared Owl. Perhapsit is nottoo early to establishthe first Regional wintering record and one of thefew for seriouslyevaluate the status of thisspecies. Saw-whets were not widely North America. And Merced Countycame up with its fourthRuff for reported;only eight from "near coastallocations."

334 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 SWIFTS THROUGH WOODPECKERS -- Vaux's Swirl was again & AM) Arrival of Tree Swallows Feb I was the earliest ever at found at PescaderoMarsh, San Mateo Co., with 14 there on the Afio Palomarin,and ten near Ft. Dick, Del Norte Co., Feb. 6 "may have NuevoCBC Dec. 26 (fidePJM). An early 6' RufousHummingbird was wintered"(RAE). Rough-wingedSwallows investigating nest sites at at Ripon,San Joaquin Co., Jan. 19 (fide DY). Arrivalof Allen's CrystalSprings Feb. 17 andWoodside Feb. 23 (PJM)were a bit early Hummingbirdwas alsoon the early sideat SantaCruz Jan. 11 (BSc), for SanMateo County and four at PaicinesRes., SanBenitos Co., in Alamo Jan. 13 (JR), InvernessJan. 19 (RS) and PalomarinJan. 24. Februarywere fairly early there(KVV, KC). Two winterrecords of Anna'sHummingbirds were in courtshipflight by early Januaryin Barn Swallow come from the coast: one at Pescadero Marsh Dec. 26 coastalDel Norte County, but failed to winter in Siskiyou County (fide PJM), andtwo at ElkhornSlough Jan. I (DR et al.). where the first returnee was recorded Feb. 19 at Forks of Salmon (MRo). Exceptional,but not unprecedented,were two winteringCos- ta's Hummingbirds:an ad. male in El Cerrito, ContraCosta Co., Dec. CHICKADEES THROUGH THRASHERS -- How common 27 throughthe period (fide Gull) anda courtingmale at PacificGrove Black-cappedChickadee is on the n. coastin winteris indicatedby the Feb 3 (LCB). Fewer than usual"Yellow-shafted" Flickersand more followingrecords: 30 at KlamathDec. 18 (RAE, GSL) and45 between thanusual "hybrids" or introgressivesprobably reflected the changing L. Earl and L. Talawa Dec. 19 (RLeV, LD). Numbersof Bushtit at dtscnmination of observers rather than the distribution of the flickers Palomarinhave apparently rebounded from last winter's mortality. The (see ContinentalBirdlife Vol. 1, No. 1:4-15). No one mentioned specieswas againfound on the Los BanosCBC (fide KFC) after last "Red-shafted"types; were numberslow? A PileatedWoodpecker at year'sprecedent. Brown Creeper numbers at Palomarin have not recov- PutahCr., Yolo/SolanoCo., Dec. 19 (S. Saunders,R. Palmer) was eredfrom lastwinter's mortality. House Wren is fairly commonin the newfor theCBC andthe areain general(TB), perhapsa strayfrom the SanJoaquin in winter, but unusuallyscarce in the SacramentoValley Vaca-BerryessaMts. Peripheralhabitat around the SutterButtes may andon thecoast. This winterwas an exception.Of 30 records,4 were bedecreasing, thus accounting for thedecrease in AcornWoodpeckers from Napa/SolanoCos., 3 from the SacramentoValley, 23 from the there (BED), however numberswithin the Buttes themselvesremain immediatecoast (16 on the MontereyPen. CBC!). Most notableof the stableaccording to CBC data (fide BED). Concentrationsof Lewis' coastalrecords was a singlebird in coastaldunes w. of Ft. Dick, Del Woodpeckerwere as follows:nine at San AntonioValley, SantaClara NorteCo., Dec. 19 (GSL et al.). CanyonWren is rarelyreported from Co , Dec. 21 (WGB), 22 in the e. SanJoaquin County foothills Jan. 1 the n. part of its range,especially in winter, so onein the Skedaddle (DY) and 75 at Gardnerville,Nevada (just outsidethe Region)Jan. 2 Mts., e. of Honey L., LassenCo., Feb. 20 (R. Harris,fide DAA) was (DDeS). Nonewas found on the floor of the C.V. or in the StonyCreek of interest.A SageThrasher at RedwoodValley Feb. 21 (?P. & S drainage,Glenn Co. wherethey were concentratedlast winter (BED). Baldwin)was only the secondrecord for MendocinoCounty. The date "Red-breasted"Sapsuckers were scarce,however an imm. Yellow- correspondsto thespecies migratory timing and suggests that this bird belhedSapsucker (S.v. varius)was at PacificGrove Dec. 31 ('?JSt, was a transient. LCB). The only Williamson'sSapsucker was at L. Almanor (on the CBC) Dec. 27 (HG). Nuttall'sWoodpecker moves coastward during THRUSHES THROUGH WAXWINGS -- Exceptfor a few flocks thenon-breeding season on thecentral coast, however one on Tomales in the SanJoaquin Valley (Los Banosand Manteca), Am. Robinwas Pt, P.R.N.S., Dec. 28 (DS) was far out. virtually absentfrom the lowlands.However, in the Willow Cr. area (w. Humboldt/e.Trinity/s. SiskiyouCos.) "tremendousnumbers were FLYCATCHERS THROUGH SWALLOWS -- Two Tropical at Madronesuntil mid-Februarywith a high countof 10,000 on Dec Kingbirdswere found near the coast:one at PrincetonHarbor, San 2" (KVR, RLeV). Both Varied and Hermit thrusheswere absentfrom MateoCo., Dec. 14-20 (B. Sauppe,fidePJM) andone at L. Merritt, most areas. Western Bluebird numbersmay have been low in the OaklandDec. 31-Jan. 14 (R. Young, JM et al.). Late migrantsmay lowlands. A few flocks of Mountain Bluebirds were found at usual remainas long as a fortnight,but seldomoverwinter. Where do they C.V. locations.Seventeen males at Los BanosDec. 28 (KH, BD et al ) go9 Winter recordsof W. Kingbirdsoften find their way into these wasthe highcount for theRegion and a newspecies for theLos Banos pagesand the CBC summaries,but few are substantiatedwith verifi- CBC. In contrastto last winter's extraordinaryinvasion, no Town- abledetails. This seasona reportfrom near Dinuba, Tulare Co., Feb. 6 send'sSolitaires were found in thelowlands. Except for a singlereport (RG) wasreceived without supporting details. It maybe prematureto from Sutter N.W.R., Dec. 13 (FBr, T. McElroy), Blue-gray Gnat- judge, but winter Cassin'sKingbird sightingsseem to be increasing; catcherswere foundonly at coastallocations: two winteredsuccessful- oneat LosBanos Res., Dec. 28 was"plunging into the water head first ly at Palomarin,one at Halfmoon Bay Jan. 13-Feb.24 (PJM), one at thenperching on a 'no swimming'sign" ('?KH et al.). Ash-throated SanGregorio Feb. 3 (PJM), onenear Ft. Dick Dec. 19-20 (RAE, GJS, Flycatcherpresents the sameproblem as W. Kingbird--unsubstantiat- BED et al.) and one at Loleta Bottoms,Humboldt Co., Feb. 4 (JSt et ed records.This seasonthere were two: CoyoteCr., AlvisoDec. 27 one al.). Althoughnumerous in the DouglasFir forestsaround Willow Cr, mist-netted,banded and photographed was probably seen again Jan. 19 Golden-crownedKinglet was entirely absent elsewhere. Ruby- (LRM), one at FresnoState College Feb. 9 (JS) was "immaculately crownedKinglet was poorly reported, whether through lack of numbers described"(fide KH), but detailsof neitherwere seen by the editors.A or interest.As with other"irruptive frugivores", Cedar Waxwing was Mytarchussp. wasreported from Palo Alto Feb. 18 (P. Browning,fide very low everywhereexcept Willow Cr., HumboldtCo., wherethey WGB). Two E. Phoebeswere in Monterey:one in El EsteroCemetery winteredin flocksof up to 200 birds(KVR). Nov 23-Feb. 19 (DR, LCB, BDP) for the third winter, one in Pacific GroveDec. 30-Feb. 3 (LCB). One 2 mi e. of ManchesterJan. 2 ('?OJK PHAINOPEPLA THROUGH VIREOS -- AlthoughPhainopepla et al ) wasalso coastal, but a first recordfor•__Mendocino .•o_u_n_t•. occurrenceis "irregular", thereseems to be a tendencyfor birdsto Recordsare decidedly scarce n. of SonomaCounty.•Tt•e•active ob- dispersewidely in latefall, perhapsexplaining the following 2 records servers(KFC, BED, DY) noted an increaseof Black Phoebein the onefemale 3 mi n.e. of Grenada,Siskiyou Co., Dec. 7 (RE), onemale C V this winter. It would be interestingto compareCBC data and nearMariposa in the Sielxianfoothills Dec. 18 (SSch).Only four N determineif thisis a long-termtrend. A Say's Phoebeon the Klamath Shrikeswere found: two in Del NorteCounty (GJS, RAE, SS) andtwo R, nearHappy Camp Jan. 8 (RE, MRo) may have wintered;first nearHoney L. (DAA). The only SolitaryVireo (cassini)was in Inver- migrantswere at ShastaValley Feb. 2 (RE, MRo) and near Orleans, ness, Marin Co., Dec. 14-17 (RS). HumboldtCo., Feb. 23 (KVR). A W. Flycatcher,very rarein winter, wasfound on the MossLanding CBC at ElkhornSlough Jan. I (DR et al ) andSmith R. mouthDec. 19 (SWH,fide RAE). The Pt. ReyesEur. WARBLERS-- After a lacklusterfall migration,Black-and-white Skylarkremained at leastthrough Jan. 14 (LCB). Warblermade an impressivewinter showing with 16 coastalrecords, Violet-greenSwallows were found in their usualsmall winter num- mostlybetween Monterey and Marin. More northerly records included bersalong the coast. C.V. recordswere of 6-7 at SacramentoN.W.R., one in the town of Mendocino(lst countyrecord) Dec. 17-23 (?J Jan 15 (JW) andone (straggler?) at CreightonRanch Dec. 3 (KH, CP). Heifer, fide OJK), one on the GarciaR., near Ft. ArenaJan. 1 (R Tree Swallows,however, were foundwintering in higherthan normal Giebel)and Jan. 26 (GSL), andone at the SmithR., Del NorteCo, concentrations.Significant numbers included 500-600 at GrizzleyIs., Feb. 26 (JML). The ProthonotaryWarbler reportedin thefall from SolanoCo., Dec. 10 (BDP) 200 in W. Pittsburg,Contra Coasta Co., LoletaBottoms was seen again Feb. 4 (JSt,J. Kelley,D. Krueper) Dec 24-25 (RAE), and 1400 + nearMerced Wildlife Ref., Dec. 24 (E providingthe Regionwith the first winterrecord. Twelve Tennessee

Vol 37, Number 3 335 Warblersbetween Pacific Grove and Bodegawas a high winter tally waspresent at L Memtt,Oakland Jan 1-15(JM, mob ) Three+ of thesewere confirmedwintering: one + at Pacific Grove Dec. 31-Feb.27 (JSt,LCB, DR et al.)and two+ at CarmelJan. 8-30 (CG, DR et al.), mostof the otherswere on CBCs and not relocated. FRINGILLIDS -- One Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Pacific Grove One near Ft. Dick on the n. coastDec. 19 "may have movedon" Dec. 30 (LCB, BDP) was the only Pheucticusreported. An Indigo (RAE). Orange-crownedWarbler was thoughtto have winteredin Buntingat BolinasLagoon Dec. 9 (RS) was very late providingthe "goodnumbers", but a reviewof theCBC totalsdoes not indicate any fourthwinter periodreport ever. EveningGrosbeaks, like othermon- higherthan usual numbers. It wasan extraordinary winter for Nashville tane species,were virtually unrecorded,which makes22 at Palomarin Warbler. Five to ten are usuallyfound along the coast,and mostof Jan.9 remarkable.The finch situationat Palomarin,in general,mirrors theseare late fall migrants.This season34 werereported with at least therest of the Region:"Purple Finch a little low; onlyone House Finch 15remaining beyond the discovery date. A Virginia'sWarbler at Pacif- all winter. Siskinswere erraticand down quite a bit after mid-Decem- ic Grove Dec. 30-Jan. 9 (JSt, LCB, BDP, DR) providedonly the ber" (P.R.B.O.). Cassin'sFinch, Pine Grosbeak, and Rosy Finch were Region'ssecond winter report, however neither has been substantiated uureported.Other than being "quite conspicuous,as expected" in Del with a detaileddescription. None of our recordswill standsolely on Norte County(RAE), Red Crossbillwas alsounreported. Two winter the observer'sreputation (no matter how hot) in 20+ years.Three recordsof Green-tailedTowhee were from the s. San Joaquin,as Yellow Warblerslingered into December: two at Los AltosDec. 2 (J. expected:Lost L., FresnoDec. 19 (KH et al.) and CreightonRanch Campbell,fideWGB) andone at Seaside,Monterey Co., Dec. 29-30 Jan.8 (KH). Six Sharp-tailedSparrows were found, two at eachof the (R. Branson,fide DR). A CapeMay Warbleralong Rowdy Cr., near followinglocations: Bolina.•...•,&g12 • (one banded in 1980•BDP, SmithR., Dec. 19 (SWH, D. Olson,fideRAE) mayhave been a very DDeS,BS), one mi s.of • AlamedaCo. ('•DSch), late migrant,however there are 2 mid-winterrecords for the Region. PaloAlto Ravlands(?JM, m.ob.).Seven Vesper Sparrows in Panoche Furtherevidence of themid-winter movement by Yellow-rompedWar- •alley, SanBenito'Co., Feb 26 were thought to be P.g. confinis based bler(see AB 36:328)was provided this season with numbersdecreasing on theirgray coloration (PU); eitherrace (affinis or confinis)is possible afterthe new year in Del NorteCounty (RAE) andan apparentinflux at in winter and their distributionis not well documented(see Grinnell & Palomarinand Gray Lodge (BED) duringmid-February. Five "Audu- Miller, 1944). One VesperSparrow was found at StaffordL., Mann bon's" Warblersat HoneyL., Feb. 20 were considered"very early Co., Dec. 26 (D. Sierra) and refoundDec. 29 (RS). Juncoswere migrants"(DAA). The Black-throatedGray Warbler that wintered at generallylow in numbers(DY, P.R.B.O.) so it is not surprisingthat Oak GrovePark, n. of Stockton(DY), wasthe only oneof tenthat was only eight "Slate-colored"forms were reported.Tree Sparrowsare not coastal,in contrastto lastwinter's high numberof interiorrecords. casualout of the Basin,one was at NapaDec. 26 (?KVV, KC). Coastal High numbersof Townsend'sWarblers were found in Humboldt,Trin- ChippingSparrows included five onDel MonteGolf Course,Monterey ity andSiskiyou Cos. (KVR) andon the Monterey Pen. CBC where 486 Dec. 30 (fideDR) andone at StaffordL., MarinCo., Dec. 26 (fideDS) establisheda newnational record (fide DR); numberswere "good" in Five Clay-coloredSparrows were found on the coast,all in December Del Norte Countybefore the first of the year (RAE); elsewhere,the twoin Sebastopol(LCB), threein Del NorteCounty (RT, GSL, BED et specieswas fairly low. Numbersof HermitWarblers were higher than al.). Despitelow numbersof otherZonotrichia, Harris' Sparrowmade usualon the Pt. ReyesCBC (8) and the MontereyPen. CBC (15). a strongshowing with 10 records.Those remaining sedentary through Unprecedentedwintering in Californiawere two Prairie Warblerson winter included:singles near Cotati, SonomaCo. (LCB, BDP, NC), the immediate coast: one at Pacific Grove Oct. 13-Feb. 5 (A. Bal- nearGranada, for thefirst overwintering Siskiyou County record (RE), dridge,DR, LCB) andone at Halfmoo9Bay, San Mateo Co., Jan.20- SutterButtes (WA et al.), CrescentCity, Del Norte Co. (GSL) near Feb. 18 (?PJM). Palm Warblerswinter regularlyin small numbers. Smith R., Del Norte Co. (RT, GSL et al.), and in Lee Vining, Mono This year23 reportswas about normal, but 16 of thesewere during Co. (DDeS, HG et al.). Decemberonly andare bestconsidered late migrants.Of 7 recordsin White-crownedSparrow numbers were quite low, especially"puge- Januaryand February,6 were coastaland one was inlandat Cotati, tensis" (P.R.B.O., LM) and especiallyadults (LRM). Numbersof SonomaCo., Dec. 17 & Jan.7 (LCB). An individualof the "yellow" Golden-crownedSparrows were low at Palomafinbut about normal race (D.p., hypochrysea)was in Del Norte CountyDec. 19 (RLeV, inland(LF, DY). Forty-fiveWhite-throated Sparrows (14 on theMon- LD). Of six Wilson'sWarblers, very rare in winter,three were coastal tereyPen.) wasan exceptionalshowing, with numbersconcentrated on Decemberrecords (one on Pt. ReyesCBC, twoon MontereyCBC) and thec. coast.Fox Sparrowwas low exceptin huckleberrypatches of e three were winteringrecords: Halfmoon Bay Dec. 18-Feb. 18 (B. HumboldtCounty (RLeV). Ten SwampSparrows at 9 locationswas a Sauppe),Seaside, Monterey Co., Jan. 27 (BE) and Loleta Bottoms good showing. New sites includedNicasio Res., Marin Co. (RS), Feb. 4 (JSt et al.). An Am. Redstartnear Ft. Dick Feb. 13 (RT) Sebastopol(LCB), Goodwin'sPond near Smith R., Del Norte Co provideda first winterrecord for n.w. California(fide RAE). (SWH), andCreighton Ranch (?KH), the lastfurnished one of few San JoaquinValley records.A flock of 21 LaplandLongspurs at Pt St GeorgeDec. 19-20 movedon (RAE, JAR etal.); fourwere at Redwood ICTERIDS THROUGH TANAGERS -- Low numbers of Tricol- Shoreson S.F. BayFeb. 11and two remained through February (PJM) oredBlackbirds were foundin the SanJoaquin Valley, Los Banosand CreightonRanch CBCs and the specieswas not well reportedelse- EXOTICS -- One NandayConure in the SanJoaquin County foot- where.Although low numbersmay be explainedby the species'some- hills Dec. 12 and Jan. 2 had beenpresent for 3 months(DY). Two whatnomadic nature, it hasbeen historically vulnerable to a significant Monk Parakeetswere in StocktonDec. 19 (DY). EightCanary-winged populationdecline in California(to which it is essentiallyendemic). I Parakeetsare still at largein SanFrancisco, most recently in the vicinity canonly agree with KFC, compilerof LosBanos CBC, thatthis species of DuBoce and Guerrero (PU). deservesclose scrutiny from Regional observers. Please make an effort to documentcurrent breeding colonies and report the sizeand location CONTRIBUTORS- D.A. Airola, W. Anderson,M. Armour, R J to thiseditor. Fortunately, this species is includedin therecent Federal Bacon, S.F. Bailey (SFB), L.R. Ballard, B. Barnes(BBa), B Ba- Register(Vol. 47, No. 251) andis being considered for inclusionon the sham,T. Beedy, F. Bennet,L.C. Binford (LCB), W.G. Bousman,F list of endangeredand threatenedwildlife. Broerman(FBr), S.R. Burge,K.F. Campbell(KFC), K. Cartier,H L A singleOrchard Oriole at PacificGrove Dec. 30-Jan.2 (?JSt,LCB, Cogswell,N.T. Conzett,B. Davis, D. DeSante,B.E. Deuel (BED), L BDP, DR et al.) was variouslydescribed as a femaleand a youngmale Doerflinger,J. Dunn,A. Edwards,R. Ekstrom,B. Elliott, R.A. Erick- by experiencedobservers, underlining the pitfallsof makingsuch a son (RAE), J. Evens, C. Faanes,J. Fabbia, L. Farrar, D. Gaines, T distinction. Three Hooded Orioles were about normal for winter: two in Gates,R. Gerstenberg,G. Geupel,C. Gotlurid,H. Green, M. Green, FresnoJan. 9 & 29 (fide KH) andone at SalinasFeb. 12 (KVV, KC). K. Hainebach (KHb), K. Hansen, R. Hansen, S.C. Hansen, S W Six N. (Bullocks)Orioles and two "Baltimores" was alsonormal. The Harris (SWH), K. Hintsa, (KHi), J. Hornstein,O.J. Kolkmann, B S F. Great-tailedGrackle was seenboarding a ship at Fisherman's LaBar(BLAB), P. LaTourrette,J.M. Langham,R. LeValley(RLeV), Wharf Nov. 24 (SCH). Ten W. Tanagerswas higher than usual. Un- G.S. Lester, J. Lovio (JLo), R.W. Lowe (RWL), J. Luther (JLu), A usuallocations included Willow Cr., Jan. 23 (J. Brack, KVR), two in Makishima,E. Makishima,M. Mans,G. Makowitz,P.J. Metropulos, the upperNapa Valley throughthe period(JSt) and one 2 mi e of L.R. Mewaldt, J. Morlan, D. Olson, W. Orcutt, B.D. Parmeter, C Manchester,Mendocino Co., Jan. 4 (?OK et al.). A SummerTanager Peck,G. Potter,P. Pyle, J. Richmond,M. Rippey(MRi), M. Robbins

336 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 (MRo), D. Roberson,J.A. Rooney(JAR), K.V. Rosenberg,R.R. Vuren,J. Winter, R.A. Witzeman,D. Yee.--JULES EVENS (land Ryno,G.L. SanMiguel (GSM), B. Scharfenstein(BSc), D. Schmoldt birds), P.O. Box 839, Pt. ReyesStation, CA 94956, and RON (DSch), S. Schubert(SSch), J. Seay, D. Shuford,P. Springer,R. LeVALLEY, (water birds), 1876 Ocean Dr., McKinleyville, CA Stallcup,J. Sterling(JS0, B. Stewart,G.J. Strachan,E. Strauss,S. 95521. Summers,C. Swarth,J. Swenson(JSw), R. Tryon, p. Unitt, K. Van

SOUTHERN PACIFIC COAST REGION /Guy McCaskie

The winterseason was appreciably wetter than normal, with all areas receivingrainfall totals of morethan 150%of normalfor thistime of the year, and someareas receiving closer to twice the normalrainfall. The rainswere accompaniedby highwinds resulting in muchdamage; however,temperatures remained mild with no prolongedcold spells. The mild temperaturesenabled a numberof unexpectedbirds suc- cessfullyto winterincluding some species confined primarily to Mexi- co: Thick-billedKingbird (1), Rufous-backedRobin (2), PaintedRed- start(3) andHepatic Tanager (1). How doesone correlate the presence of thesesubtropical birds with the occurrence offour King Eiders in the samegeneral area? Berry-eaters (American Robins and CedarWax- wings)were almosttotally absent, the only AmericanRobins in the southernportion of the Regionare believedto be the few birdsnow residentin someof the cities (e.g., residentpopulations now estab- lishedin Presidioand BalboaParks in San Diego); CedarWaxwings were unrecordedfrom many areas. Pine Siskinswere exceptionally scarcethroughout the lowlands(this speciesnests south to Monterey Countyon the coast,and south to RiversideCounty in the mountains, andis normallyrelatively common throughout much of southernCali- forniain winter),being totally absent from the lowlands of thesouthern half of the Region.Purple Finches were also not to be foundin the coastallowlands south of Los Angeles. specieswent unreported elsewhere. An ad. ReddishEgret, a casual With the increasedinterest in searchingfor raritieswe are learning visitorto the coastof s. California,was on SanDiego Bay Dec. 18+ that manyof these"lost vagrants"are at leastliving full lives, return- (M & DH). An ad.Yellow-crowned Night Heron on San Elijo Lagoon ing year after year to winterin the samelocalities (e.g., two Grace's nearSan Diego Feb. 20 + (TM) mayhave been the bird first seen here Warblersaround Santa Barbara have now spentfour wintersin their duringthe fall andearly winter of 1981,and again during the summer chosenwintering localities). With suchbirds as these returning for four of 1982,having never left the area. A flockof 450White-faced Ibises and five years(normal life expectancyfor smallland birds)we can be nearSeeley, Imperial Co., Jan.14 (JLD) wasa largeconcentration. assuredthey are also successfully summering at otherlocalities, but we are a long way from knowingwhere thoselocalities may be, and SWANS, GEESE, DUCKS -- Nine WhistlingSwans at Pt. Mugu, whetherthey are within the species'normal breeding range. VenturaCo., in mid-January(RD) werethe southernmost of 16 found alongthe coast. A flockof 53White-fronted Geese over Goleta, Santa ABBREVIATIONS -- L.A.C.M. - Los AngelesCounty Museum; BarbaraCo., Jan.27 (JLD)was exceptional; this species is nowvery N.E.S.S. - north end of the Salton Sea, Riverside Co.; S.B.M.N.H. - rarealong the coast with only eight other individuals found there during Santa BarbaraMuseum of Natural History; S.C.R.M. - Santa Clam theperiod. More than the normal one or two Ross' Geese were found River mouth,Ventura Co.; S.D.N.H.M. - SanDiego Natural History alongthe coast with seven in SanLuis Obispo County, four in Santa Museum;S.E.S.S. - southend of the SaltonSea, Imperial Co. Birds of BarbaraCounty, two in Ventura County, one in Orange County, and 14 SouthernCalifornia by Kimball Garrettand Jon Dunn (1981) is the in SanDiego County. A CanadaGoose at theSanta Maria R. mouth standard reference for the status and distribution of the birds in this Nov. 26 (LaS)was of theendangered subspecies leucopareia, the first Region.Since virtually all raritiesfound in southernCalifornia are seen to be foundin SantaBarbara County. A Greenwinged Teal of the by numerousobservers, only theobserver initially identifying the bird Eurasianform creccain Goleta Nov. 3-Feb. 24 (PEL) was the same is included.Documentation is on file for all raritieslisted in the report. birdpresent here last winter. A c•Blue-winged Teal at S.E.S.S., Jan. 19(JLD) was one of veryfew ever found in thisarea during winter; this LOONS, GREBES, PELICANS -- Some 15 Corn. Loons were issurprising asthe species isregular in small numbers along the coast in found winteringon deep water lakes away from the coastand the winter.Eurasian Wigeon were present in expectednumbers with at ColoradoR. valley, includingone at S.E.S.S., where virtually un- least12 along the coast, along with up to threeon L. Henshawin the known in winter Dec. 4 (GMcC). Forty Horned Grebeson L. Perris, mountainsof SanDiego County and 2-3 aroundS.E.S.S., throughout RiversideCo., duringJanuary and February (GMcC) was a largenum- the winter.A hybridEurasian x AmericanWigeon was shotat berfor aninland locality. An imm.Brown Pelican at S .E.S.S., Jan.17 S.E.S.S.,Jan. 23 (T. Clotfelter,fideGMcC, *S.D.N.H.M.), andup to (DS) wasbest considered an exceptionallylate stragglerfrom the late threesimilar hybrids were found among a largeconcentration of Am. summerinflux, but wasonly the secondto havebeen seen here during Wigeonnear San Jacinto, Riverside Co., duringJanuary (EC); this January. concentrationalso included a minimumof six Eur. Wigeon,and I am confidentthat these hybrids are the resultof individualEur. Wigeon HERONS -- A LeastBittern, rare along the coastin winter,was in remainingtobreed with Am. Wigeon in NorthAmerica, and not from SantaBarbara Jan. 2-12 (HM) and two more were at SanteeLakes near captivebirds as once suggested asone of severalpossibilities, includ- SanDiego Dec. 15 (REW). Two ad. Little BlueHerons, a speciesnow ingmy conclusion, by Arbib(Am. Birds 35:799, 198I). regularin limitednumbers in s. California,remained on SanDiego Bay Two c• Tufted Duckson L. PerrisJan. 22-Feb. 21 (AMC) were the throughoutthe period (EC). Up to threeLouisiana Herons were present firstto be foundin RiversideCounty; however, two or threeare now aroundImperial Beach, San Diego Co., throughthe winter(PJ), butthe foundalong the coast of Californiaeach winter, and with increased Vol. 37, Number3 • 337 RAILS, CRANES -- A Black Rail was seenat Upper NewportBay, OrangeCo., Dec. 18 (ASm) andanother was flushed from underfootat SanElijo LagoonFeb. 21 (LuS); reportsof thisspecies from alongthe coastaway from Morro Bay are few indeed.Two ClapperRails at the New Lakes in Whittier Narrows near E1 Monte Jan. 6 (DB) were in freshwaterhabitat 20 + mi inland, and the first seen in Los Angeles Countyin about20 years. SandhillCranes regularly winter in only 3 areasof s. California(Carrizo Plain, ColoradoR. valley aroundBlythe and near Brawley s. of the SaltonSea) so 200 at HarperDry L., San BernardinoCo., Feb. 12 (EAC) was a surprise.

SHOREBIRDS -- At least 30 Am. Golden Plovers of the Asiatic racefulva found winteringat 4 differentlocalities on the coastwere expected,but one at S.E.S.S., Jan. 30 (GMcC) was likely the same bird seenhere last winter, and was one of only two or threeever found inland in winter, A Black Turnstone at S.E.S.S., Feb. 26-27 (H & OC) was unexpected;7 occurrenceson the SaltonSea alongwith one from the ColoradoR. valley (all in spring),were the only previousoccurrences from inland localities in s. California. One or two Red Knots al Adult 8 King Eider. Imperial Beach. San Diego Co.. Jan. 8. 1983. SaltonCity on the SaltonSea through the periodestablished the second Photo/J. Oldenettel. winteroccurrence of this speciesat an inlandlocality. The Rock Sand- piperfound near San Simeon Nov. 22 wasstill presentFeb. 28 (EAC). observeractivity we canexpect even more. A GreaterScaup at Furnace Up to 35 Stilt Sandpiperswere present around S.E.S.S., throughoutthe Cr. Ranchin Death Valley Feb. 12 (LLN) wasat an unusuallocation, period (GMcC); small numbersof thesebirds are found here each andflocks of six on L. CachumaJan. 29 (JLD), up to 15 on L. Perris winter suggestingthat the Salton Sea is the n. limit of this species' Jan. 22-Feb. 12 (REW) and 100+ at S.E.S.S., Jan. 19 (JLD) were normalwinter range.One of the Ruffspresent in Chinolast November significantconcentrations from inlandlocalities. The presenceof an ad. remainedthrough at least Feb. 4 (MDB) to give us our secondwinter d' King Eider at ImperialBeach/Coronado, San Diego Co., Dec. 3- recordfrom an inlandlocation. Red Phalaropenumbers dropped sig- Jan. 25 (MBS, ph. S.D.N.H.M.), a female at the entranceto Newport nificantlyduring December after November'simpressive influx, with Bay, OrangeCo., Dec. 26-Jan. 16 (H & OC), anotherat Huntington virtually all gone by Jan. 1. Beach,Orange Co., Dec. 18-Jan.31 (R & MW, ph. S.D.N.H.M.) and a fourthin SanPedro, Los Angeles Co., Jan.29-early February (Arthur JAEGERS, GULLS, TERNS -- An imm. Parasitic Jaeger at Howe, fide GSS) were unexpected,there being only one previous S.E.S.S., Dec. 4 (JO) was best treatedas an exceptionallylate fall recordof thisspecies in s. California,and no previousrecord of an ad. migrant,being one week later than the previouslate date for thisinland males. of Alaska.The 8 HarlequinDuck originally found in Carlsbad, locality. For the secondsuccessive year LaughingGulls winteredat San Diego Co., in December1977 was still presentFeb. 28 + (JO). FinneyL., nearS.E.S.S., with up to six adultspresent throughout the Three Oldsquaws,rare alongthe coastof s. California, were near San period;the specieswas formerlyconsidered casual/accidental here at Simeon,San Luis ObispoCo., Nov. 13-Feb.13 (GPS)and another was thistime of year. A first-winterFranklin's Gull waspresent in Goleta at Imperial Beach Nov. 29-Jan. 19 (JO). FourteenBlack Scoters, Dec. 2 Jan. 5 (TW); one or two are found along the coast most anotherrarity alongthe coastof s. California, were foundbetween San winters althoughCalifornia is clearly far n. of the species'known Simeonand San Diego Bay for an averagewinter number.Two Surf winter range. At least 15 Thayer's Gulls were presentat variouspoints Scoterson L. HenshawDec. 3 (RH) were inland. A White-winged aroundthe Salton Sea duringthe winter, accompanyingthe thousands Scoterat S.E.S.S., Jan.30 (GMcC) wasone of a veryfew foundinland of gulls attractedto massivefish die-offs, this being an exceptional in winter. A 9 Barrow'sGoldeneye near San SimeonDec. 3-Feb. 5 numberfor this inlandlocation. Up to 20 W. (Yellow-footed)Gulls/ (PEL, ph. S.D.N.H.M.), and anotherin San Luis ObispoDec. 31 day wereto be seenon the SaltonSea throughout the period, which was (TE), were along the coastwhere only 5 previousoccurrences were many morethan we have beenaccustomed to in previouswinters. A known.A •?Hooded Merganser at S.E.S.S., Dec. 4.(GMcC)was in an third-winter W. Gull, 6elieyed to be of the n. race occidentalis, at area where few indeed have been recorded. S.E.S.S., Feb. 27 (GMcC), anda first-winterbird at SaltonCity Mar. 5-19 (REW), were only the fifth and sixth to be found in the true HAWKS -- A Goshawk that hit a window in the San Marcos Pass interiorof California. Glaucous-wingedGulls were also more numer- area near Santa Barbara Dec. 31 (G & JH, *S.B.M.N.H.) was one of ousthan usualon the SaltonSea with a minimumof ten foundduring very few to be foundalong the coastof s. California.The Red-shoul- the period.A GlaucousGull, very rarealong the coastof s. California deredHawk foundnear Brawley,Imperial Co., Oct. 24 remainedJan. at S.C.R.M., Jan. 23-25 (AB) was remarkablein that it was an adult, 20 + (JLD) and anotheradult was in BrawleyJan. 22 (EAC) for the only the secondever found in this Region; a first-winter bird at fourth ever in this area of California. At least four Broad-winged S.E.S.S., Dec. 31 (GMcC) and anotherat N.E.S.S., Jan. 22 (SS) were Hawks were found with an immaturenear San Luis ObispoDec. 6 inland, where casual. Two Royal Terns near San Simeon Dec. 28 (TE), another near Los Alamos, Santa Barbara Co., Dec. 25-Mar. 6 (JLD) were quite far n., this speciesbeing virtually unrecordedin c. (JR), a thirdin Carpinteria,Santa Barbara Co., Nov. 29-Dec. 12 (TW, andn. Californiain recentyears. One or two Com. Ternson SanDiego ph. S.D.N.H.M.) and anotherin w. Los AngelesDec. 30 (JLD); this Bay all winter (REW) and two at Bolsa Chica, OrangeCo., Jan. 6 speciesis now foundwintering along the coastof Californiaeach year (LRH) werebirds showing dark lesser wing-coverts, the plumageworn and is no longer consideredcasual. Zone-tailed Hawks were found by all of the very few Com. Terns found winteringin California. A again in San Diego County with at least two adultsseen in the Fall- Black Tern at S.E.S.S., Nov. 28-Dec. 21 (MH) was either an excep- brook/Vista area Dec. 7-Feb. 27 (TS) and anotheradult on Mt. Palomar tionallylate fall migrantor, morelikely, attemptingto winterlocally. Feb. 26-Mar. 7 (RH). A Red-tailed (Harlan's) Hawk, a race recorded in s. Californiaonly onceprior to this winter, was well studiednear Needles, San Bernardino Co., Dec. 5 (EAC) and a second was near PIGEONS THROUGH WOODPECKERS-- A White-winged Lancaster,Los Angeles Co., Dec. 18 + (JLD); anotherbird fitting field Dove in Santa BarbaraJan. I (EB) and anotherin Oxnard, Ventura guide descriptionsof a light-phaseHarlan's Hawk was at Thermal, Co., early December-mid-February(A & MN) were both alongthe RiversideCo., Dec. 7-14 (GH). A pale Merlin in CarpinteriaFeb. 28 coastwhere very rare in winter;up to a halfdozen in thearea of Yaqui (TW) wasdefinitely richardsonii, the first to be foundin SantaBarbara Wells/AguaCaliente Springs in e. SanDiego County throughout the Countyand one of a very few on the coast;four dark Merlinsin coastal period(BW) werein theonly area of Californiaregularly supporting a SantaBarbara County during December and Januarywere of the rare smallwinter population. The presenceof threeGound Doves in Santa black form suckleyifrom coastalBritish Columbia. PaulaFeb. 23 (SR) gaveus another location in VenturaCounty where

338 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 this speciesoccurs. A LesserNighthawk near Imperial BeachJan. 23 SWALLOWS THROUGH WAGTAILS -- Small numbers of Vio- (MO) was oneof very few ever foundalong the coastin winter. A C• let-greenSwallows were presentinland around Bakersfield all winter Broad-billedHummingbird, a speciesnow foundannually in s. Califor- (MOC), andtwo (possiblyspring migrants) were at S.E.S.S., Jan. 22 nia, was in Santa Barbara Jan. 10-Feb. 15 (HW). another was in (EAC). A Rough-wingedSwallow, most unusualalong the coast in RanchoSanta Fe, San Diego Co., Dec. 18-Jan. 15 (LuS) and a third. a winter, was over O'Neill L., near Oceanside Dec. 28 (BED). A Bank bird returningfor its fourth winter, was in San Diego Dec. 18-Jan. Swallow, exceptionallyrare anywherein Californiain winter, was at 5(PEL). A •? Black-chinnedHummingbird in SanDiego Nov. 20 + S.E.S.S., Jan. 22 (EAC). A Verdin near Mojave, Kern Co., Dec. 26 (JO) was the individualthat has spentthe past 3 wintershere. Nine (JH) wassomewhat n.w. of the species'known range. A singleWinter Costa's Hummingbirdsin the Santa Barbara/Goletaarea during the Wren in SanDiego Dec. 29 (REW) wasquite far s. andalong the coast. winter was an unusuallyhigh numberfor this far n. in winter. Allen's A Rufous-backedRobin foundin NewportBeach Jan. I (MCM) was Hummingbirdshave recently established themselves as permanent resi- joinedby a secondby Feb. I (SJR)with bothstill presentFeb. 28; there dentsin the Malibu area with up to 15/dayreported this winter (KLG) were only 2 previousrecords of this speciesfor California,and it is at suggestingthat the birdsare of the residentform sedentariusrather than bestconsidered a casualstraggler anywhere in the United States.The migratorybirds of the form sasin. onlyBrown Thrasher found this winter wa._EE_os onein Kel•o• Ran Rernar- Single Yellow-belliedSapsuckers of the e. form varius, a rare-to- _din4•Co.ec.•AC)..>JFh-•White/Black-backed Wagtail found casualstraggler to California,were in CarpinteriaDec. 20 (TW), Go- alongthe Los Angeles--R•'.,in Long BeachNov. 4 waspresent through leta Nov. l I-Jan. 2 (PEL) and W. Los AngelesFeb. 20 + (JT, ph. Jan. 18 (B. Van Meter, fide GSS, ph. S.D.N.H.M.). S.D.N.H.M.); a male in SilveradoCanyon, OrangeCo., Dec. 3+ (DRW) was the samebird presenthere duringthe past 2 winters.A Yellow-bellied (Red-breasted)Sapsucker near Tustin, Orange Co., Jan. 8-15 (JW) possessedall the charactersof the n.w. race ruber, a form recorded fewer than 6 times in s. California. A •? Williamson's Sapsuckerin Malibu Dec. 16 (J & LM) wasone of very few ever found in thecoastal lowlands. A White-headedWoodpecker in Altadena,Los AngelesCo., Dec. 3 (L. Fulmar,fide GSS) waswell belowthe normal montanehabitat of this species.

FLYCATCHERS -- Totally unexpectedwere an Olive-sidedFly- catcherin PetersCanyon near Tustin Dec. 20 + (DRW) andanother in Vista, SanDiego Co., Jan.8 (REW) asthere are only 2 previouswinter recordsfor California.A Coues'Flycatcher in Griffith P., Los Angeles Oct. 31-Feb. 16 (KLG) wasthe bird knownto havespent the past3 wintersat thislocation. A LeastFlycatcher. a speciesknown to have winteredin Californiaon 3 previousoccasions, was in GoletaOct. 29- Rufous-backedRobin, Ne,,•ort Beach, Orange Co., Feb. 11, 1983. Mar. 15 (TW) while anotherwas in nearbyCarpinteria Nov. 23-Jan.15 Photo/J. Gallagher. (TW). A Hammond'sFlycatcher, probably casual in winter, was in TapiaP., nearMalibu Dec. 19-25(KLG). Only fourGray Flycatchers VIREOS, WOOD WARBLERS-- Ten SolitaryVireos were found werereported this winter; this used to be by far the commonestEmpi- this winter with six reportedas the grayplumbeus form from the Great donaxfound wintering in s. California,but hasdeclined drastically in Basinarea; this is morethan expected in an averagewinter. A Warbling recentyears. SevenW. Flycatchersfound winteringalong the coast Vireo, exceedinglyrare in winter, was in Goleta Dec. 31 (KB), two betweenGoleta and San Diego were slightly more than expected. Three remainedin Arcadia to at least Jan. 12 (GSS) and a fourth was seenin E. Phoebes,a rare but regularstray to California,were along the coast San Diego Jan. 5 (JML). A PhiladelphiaVireo foundin Huntington with one in Villa Park, OrangeCo., Feb. 16 (AFP), anotherin Mission BeachNov. 26 remainedthrough Jan. I (DRW), beingonly the second Viejo, OrangeCo., Dec. i 2 + (DRW) anda thirdnear ImperialBeach ever presentin Californiaduring winter. Dec. 10-25 (REW); a fourth was inland at S.E.S.S., Dec. 21- Jan. 6 Blhck-andwhite Warblersalong the coastwere aboutnormal. but (REW). A VermilionFlycatcher in Los Osos,San Luis ObispoCo., one in Brawley Jan. 20 (JLD) was inland where few winter records Nov. 15-Feb.7 (GPS) wasthe samebird presenthere last winter, and exist. A Worm-eatingWarbler in Long BeachNov. 5-Mar. 7 (BED) wasexceptionally far n. An Ash-throatedFlycatcher, casual along the was within 3 mi of the locationharboring one last winter, but wasnot coastin winter, was in Goleta Dec. 15-Jan. 10 (TW), anotherwas near believedto be thatbird. SixteenTennessee Warblers were found along UpperNewport Bay Dec. 26-29 (SJR) and a third wasin San Diego the coastbetween San Luis Obispoand San Diego;despite statements Jan. 28-Feb. 5 (TS). A TropicalKingbird in LosOsos Nov. 15-Jan.15 to the contrary(i.e., Monsonand Phillips, AnnotatedChecklist of the (GPS), anotherin Goleta Nov. 24 + (PEL) and a third in SantaBarbara Birds of Arizona, 1981), small numbersregularly winter along the Jan. 2-Feb. 9 (KA) wereall winteringbirds along the coast.A Thick- coastof California.Twenty Nashville Warblers were found during the billed Kingbird in PetersCanyon near Tustin Dec. 18+ (DRW, ph. periodto giveus an averagenumber for winter.A Virginia'sWarbler in S.D.N.H.M.) was only the sixth to have been found in California. NewportBeach throughout the period(S JR) wasthe samebird present hereduring the past3 winters,and another was in SantaBarbara Jan. 2- 4 (KLG). A Yellow Warbler near Bakersfield all winter (MOC) was away from the coastand S.E.S.S., where small numbersregularly winter. More than40 Black-throatedGray Warblerswas an unexpected number,and includedone at 3000 ft on SantiagoPeak, OrangeCo., Jan. 21 (DRW) and anotheron Mt. Palomar(5500 ft) all winter (RH). A Townsend'sWarbler in Brawley, ImperialCo., Jan. 30 (JO) wasin an area where virtually unrecordedin winter. Two Black-throated Green Warblers were found, with one in Goleta Feb. 11 + (TW) and the otherin HuntingtonBeach Nov. 12-Feb.4 (SJR). these'beingonly the third and fourth ever known to winter in California. Ten Hermit Warblersalong the coastwere aboutnormal. A Yellow-throated War- bler foundfreshly dead in SantaMonica, Los AngelesCo., Jan. 7 (C. Bush,fide KLG, *L.A.C.M.) was the first for California in winter, increasingthe list of woodwarblers found in Californiaat thistime of year to 35! Thick-billedKingbird, Peters Canyon near Tustin,Orange Co., all The two Grace'sWarblers that have spentthe past3 wintersin the winter. Photo/J. Oldenettel. Santa Barbara area returned for a fourth winter, the Santa Barbara bird

Vol. 37, Number3 339 presentOct 11 + (LRB) and the Carplnterlabird presentOct 24+ land, Riverside Co , Dec 27-30 (JS) and a fourth in Niland near (LRB), the latterjoined by a thirdbird Jan. 11 (LRB). A Chestnut-sided S.E.S.S., Dec. 21-Jan. 20 (JLD). SwampSparrows were exceedingly Warbler in SantaBarbara Feb. 26+ (AW) was the first to be found scarcewith one in Santa BarbaraNov. 7-Jan 25 (PEL), anothernear alongthe coastin winter, andonly the secondanywhere in Californiaat OceansideDec. 26-Feb. 8 (REW) and a third at San Elijo Lagoon thistime of the year.Palm Warblers may have been scarcer than normal Jan.9-Mar. 6 (DKi) being the only onesreported. Four McCown's with only five reported.The only N. Waterthrushreported was one Longspurswere found nearBlythe Dec. 23 (KVR) andup to 12 were presentnear Imperial Beach all winter(EC). A MacGillivray'sWarbler nearLakeview Jan. 8-25 (AMC, ph. S.D.N.H.M.) suggestingthat we in SanDiego Dec. 29 (REW) wasprobably wintering locally, but could still have much to learn about the winter occurrenceof this species havebeen a late migrant.Only 15 Wilson'sWarblers were reported, all Two LaplandLongspurs on the PlanoTrabuco, Orange Co., Dec 3 m riparianhabitat along the coast.An Am. Redstartin Los OsosJan. (SG) wereprobably fall migrants,but 1-2 in the FremontValley near 15-29 (DS), an ad. male in Goleta Oct. 12-Jan. 31 (PEL), an imm. Randsburgh,Kern Co., Feb. 12-19 (MOC) wereclearly wintering A male in SantaBarbara Jan. 2+ (KA), singlefemales at 2 different concentrationof up to 50 Chestnut-collaredLongspurs was found near locationsin HuntingtonBeach Nov. 10-Jan.29 (DRW)and Nov. 26- Lakeview Dec. 27-Feb. 21 (AMC); similar concentrationshave twice Feb. 24 (DRW), and an ad. male near OceansideDec. 17-Feb. 5 beforebeen found in thisgeneral area in winter,and the speciesmay (REW) were all along the coastwhere consideredcasual in winter. eventuallyprove to winterregularly in theopen grasslands of thisarea ThreePainted Redstarts came as a surprisewith onein SantaBarbara Nov. 11+ (LRB, ph. S.D.N.H.M.), anotherin Oxnardearly Novem- CONTRIBUTORS -- Kevin Aanerud,Larry R. Ballard,Ed B ayly, ber-Feb.20 (A & MN, ph. S.D.N.H.M.) andthe thirdin Malibu Dec. Allyn Bissell,Milton D. Blatt, Dave Bontrager,Joe Boyd, Karen 15-21 (JLD). Bridgers,Mark Brown, Eugene A. Cardiff (coordinatorfor San Ber- nardinoCounty), Mark O. Chichester(coordinator for Kern COunty), Herb& OlgaClark (H & 0C), ElizabethCopper (coordinator for San BLACKBIRDS, TANAGERS -- Four TricoloredBlackbirds near Diego County), Alan M. Craig, Brian E. Daniels, Ron Dow, Jon L Cantilin the FremontValley, Kern Co., Feb. 12 (MOC) weree. of the Dunn, Tom Edell (coordinatorfor San Luis ObispoCounty), Steve species'normal range. A Great-tailedGrackle in SantaBarbara Oct. Ganley, Kimball L. Garrett (coordinatorfor Los AngelesCounty), 14-Jan.14 (AB), one near San Diego Nov. 15+ (JZ)and another near JuneGinger, Wayne and Virginia Gochenour(W & VG), Georgeand ImperialBeach Feb. 13 (M & DH) wereall onthe coast, indicating that JoanHardie (G & JH), Jeff Harding, Marjorie andDon Hastings(M & thisspecies is continuingits pushW. Five OrchardOrioles were found DH), David Hatch, LorenR. Hays, Matt Heindel,Roger Higson, Greg thiswinter with onein CarpinteriaNov. 4-Jan. 15 (TW), an ad. malein Homel, Paul Jorgensen,Dave King (DKi), David Krueper (DKr) Oxnardmid-November-mid-January (A & MN, ph. S.D.N.H.M.), (coordinatorfor the ColoradoRiver Valley), JerryM. Langham,Paul two (a malereturning for its fourthwinter and a femalefor its second E. Lehman (coordinatorfor SantaBarbara and Ventura Counties), winter) in Ventura Nov. 24-Jan. 30 (PEL) and a female in Coronado, Clint Loomis, Jerry and LauretteMaisel (J & LM), Helen Matelson, SanDiego Co., Dec. 10 (REW). A HoodedOriole, inexplicablyrare in Robert McKernau (coordinatorfor RiversideCounty) (RMcK), Mark winter, was in Santa BarbaraDec. 29-Feb. 1 (TW) and anotherwas C. Miller,Terry Myer, Arvid and Margie Nelson (A & MN), LarryL seennear Dana Pt., OrangeCo., Dec. 21 (W & VG). As usual,small Norris,Jerry Oldenettel, Marty Orrell, ArletaF. Patterson,Sylvia J. numbersof N. Oriolesremained through the winter, mostassociated Ranney (coordinatorfor OrangeCounty), Steve Rose, Ken V. Rosen- with floweringeucalyptus, with 75 -+ reported,13 of thesebeing of the berg, Jim Royer, Andy Sanders(ASa), Larry Sansone(LaS), Lms e racegalbula; one in BrawleyJan. 30-Feb. 27 (JO) wasthe only one Santaella(LuS), Tom Scott,Arnold Small (ASm), GregP. Smith, Don trulyinland. Five Scott'sOrioles in the SantaBarbara area during much Sterba,Jim Stevens,Stuart Stokes, Doug Stots,Mary Beth Stowe, G of the winter (PEL), threenear Trabuco Canyon, Orange Co., Dec. 3 + ShumwaySurfel, Jan Tarble, Bill Wagner,Richard E. Webster,Doug- (DRW) and up to three in Vista Jan. 14-21 (JG) were all w. of the las R. Willick, Hazel Wills, John Wilson, JohnnyWilson (JyW), coastalmountains, while an ad. malein WhitewaterCanyon, Riverside Russelland Marion Wilson (R & MW), Alan Wormington,Tom Wur- Co., Feb. 23 (DH) was alongthe w. edgeof the desertwhere small ster, Jim Zimmer. An additional70 someobservers who could not be numbersmay prove to winterregularly. Act HepaticTanager, exceed- individually acknowledgedsubmitted reports this season.--GUY lngly rare in winter, was in Santa BarbaraNov. 11+ (LRB, ph. McCASKIE, San Diego Natural History Museum, Balboa Park, S D.N.H.M.). SummerTanagers appeared to be morenumerous than P.O. Box 1390, San Diego, CA 92112. usualwith six in SantaBarbara County, two in Los AngelesCounty, two in OrangeCounty, and ten in SanDiego County during the period. As usualsmall numbers of W. Tanagerswintered along the coastwith 70 -+ reported;one in Bakersfieldall winter(JyW), andtwo in Brawley Jan. 20 (JLD) were the only onesfound inland.

GROSBEAKS, FINCHES, SPARROWS -- Three Rose-breasted HAWAIIAN ISLANDS REGION Grosbeaksaround Santa Barbara and five morein the SanDiego area wasa goodtotal for the winter.A Black-headedGrosbeak, decidedly /Robert L. Pyle rarer than the previousspecies in winter, was in Los AlamosJan. 20 (MB) and anotherwas in Santa BarbaraJan. 23-Mar. 1 (CL). An Decemberrainfall was a bit belownormal, but the new year brought EveningGrosbeak on Mt. PalomarDec. 1 (RH) was quitefar s., and real droughtconditions as precipitationvirtually ceased over mostof theonly one reported this winter. An IndigoBunting in GoletaDec. 26- the state.Rainfall in bothJanuary and February set new all-timelow 27 (KB) was bestconsidered a very late fall migrant,and a male at a recordsat Honolulu, totalingwell under0.5 inch for the two months feederin SantaBarbara Nov. 9-Feb. 24 wasthe samebird present here comparedwith the 30-yearnormal of nearly7 inches.Damaging fires last winter; there are fewer than 6 documentedwinter recordsof this in southeasternHawaii Island owing to the dry conditions,together speciesin s. California. Six Lark Buntingsin the Palo Verde Valley, with eruptinghot lava from Kilauea Volcano'seast rift zone during RiversideCo., Dec. 4 (RMcK), threein the Lanfair Valley Dec. 12 mostof the winterdestroyed acres of foresthabitat. On Kauai, large (EAC), one in Lakeview, RiversideCo., Jan. 26-Feb. 21 (ASa) and areasof trees and debrisblown down by hurricanelwa have become anothernear nearby San Jacinto Feb. 4 (BW) werethe only ones found tinderdry andnow posea dangerousfire threatto theAlakai forestsand this winter. adjoiningcanyons. A Field Sparrow in the Lanfair Valley of e. San BernardinoCo., Dec. 11 (EAC) was compareddirectly with accompanyingBrewer's ISLAND ABBREVIATIONS --F.F.S.: FrenchFrigate Shoals, H Sparrows,and foundto be muchbrighter, with buff on the breastand Hawaii I., K.: Kauai I., M.: Maui I., O.: Oahu I. muchchestnut on the upperparts;one present on the FarallonIs., June 17-July9, 1969represents the onlydocumented record for California. GREBESTHROUGH HERONS--Highlight of theseason was the The only Harris' Sparrowsreported were one in BakersfieldFeb. 27 latewinter appearance of anEared Grebe, the state'sfirst, at theLowe (MOC), anothernear LancasterDec. 18-Mar. 12 (JLD), one in Sun- Aquafarmnear Kahuku, O. First reportedin mid-February(EH, fide

340 American Birds, May-June 1983 RS), it was studiedby numerousobservers as it developedinto full breedingplumage in late March. LaysanAlbatrosses returned this winter to thenesting sites at Bark- ing Sandsand Kilauea Crater, K., but disturbanceand pox againtook their toll andno youngwere successfullyfledged. Experimental proce- dureswere begunthis year to try to enticethe KilaueaCrater birds to move to the U.S.F. & W.S. Wildlife Area at nearbyKilauea Pt., where the disturbanceand pox factorscan be bettercontrolled (RC). A birders'pelagic trip, thefirst here since 1979, was arranged Dec. 5 in connectionwith the Pacific Seabird Group meeting in Honolulu.In 8 hours at sea s. of Honolulu, the group found Wedge-tailedShear- waters, Red-footed and Brown boobies, White-tailed Tropicbird, a BrownNoddy and several White Terns, all of whichbreed on Oahuand its offshoreislets. The groupalso found several Pomafine Jaegers that winterregularly off Oahu(PD). But the datewas probably too late to catchthe fall migrationof pelagicssuspected to passby the islands.

SoA. The "exodus of seabirds" from Christmas Island. which poisedto nestagain this year?), two Eur. Wigeonat KualapuuRes., receivedmuch media publicity, was relatedto the abnormally Molokai (TB), five Tufted Ducksin femaleplumage at Waipio, O. highsea surface temperatures over most of theequatorial Pacif- (PD, MO) andRing-necked Ducks on Molokaishow the variety of rare ic, andthe copiousrainfall at normallydry islandsin the area. waterfowl presentthis winter. Rainfall amountsat ChristmasI., of 102 inchesfor 1982 (most As Ospreywas seen several times in Januaryand February at Kealia of it August-December),and 28 inchesin January,1983, may Pond,M., andoffshore of boththe n. ands. coastsof that island(CK, be comparedwith the normalannual rainfall of 28 inches(PL). GY et al.). And a PeregrineFalcon (Endangered) was seen well along SootyTerns normally return in themillions to ChristmasI., in the Chain of CratersRoad, H., Jan. 5 & 7 (GY). Thesetwo are the only November-Decemberto nest. This year only a few came, and raptorspecies considered casual visitors in Hawaii,rather than acciden- thendeparted with apparentlyno nestingattempted. Later the tal. rainsstopped, and February and March were very dry at Christ- Two GambelQuails collected by statebiologists on KahoolaweI., masI. Then, hugenumbers of SootyTerns returned to Christ- Feb. 11 (TB, MM) showthat this long-establishedpopulation still masin mid-March(PL), a mostuncharacteristic month to begin thriveson this dry, uninhabitedand legally inaccessible island. A count nesting.(Millions moreusually return in Juneto nestafter the totaling188 Hawaiian(Corn.) Gallinules (Endangered) in 2 recently Decembergroup has departed.) Other species were also affect- harvestedlotus ponds at Haleiwa,O., Jan. 11 (TB) wasa real specta- ed, includingPhoenix Petrels and Wedge-tailed and Christmas cle. Ninety-fourHawaiian (Am.) Coots(Endangered) at Aimakapa shearwaters(PL). Frigatebirdnesting apparently was interrupt- Pond, H., Dec. 11 (PP) was also a good count. ed, butis now proceedingagain. The interactionof thesemas- siveanomalies of seatemperature and rainfall on seabirdnesting SHOREBIRDS THROUGH ALCIDS -- After the fall migration cyclescan only be surmisedat this point. The conditionsno passed, shorebirdssettled down to the usual winter numbers. doubt affected seabirdnesting on other uninhabitedislands Dowitchers,some of which were identifiedas Long-billed by call, had throughoutthe tropicale. Pacific. a banneryear. Countsof 22 and 29 at Waipio, 28 and 31 at Lowe At Jarvis, a small uninhabitedUnited StatesN.W.R. island Aquafarm, and ten each at Kii Pond and Haleiwa, all on Oahu, were 300 mi s.w. of ChristmasI., SootyTerns were found beginning unprecedentedhigh numbers.Other scarcebut regularspecies winter- to nestin July. But returnvisits in Octoberand March found no ing over this year includedBlack-bellied and Semipalmatedplovers, SootyTerns at all--apparentlya completewipeout of latesum- LesserYellowlegs, Dunlin andRuff. A Sharp-tailedSandpiper at Tern mer and winter nesting.Lesser Frigatebirds were presentin I., F.F.S., in February(JAn) was a goodfind. LeastSandpipers were goodnumbers in July, but only a few abandonedyoung were sightedat Kanaha Pond, M. (GY) and OpaeulaPond. H. (AT). A foundin Octoberand no frigatebirdsat all in March.Nesting of GreaterYellowlegs, very rarelyrecorded in Hawaii, appearedat Hon- Brownand Masked boobies was also very much reduced (Jarvis ouliuli Unit of Pearl Harbor N.W.R., in mid-February(RS) and re- notesby DW). mainedat leastthrough March (PD). Theseanomalies may be havingan effectas far n. as Hawaii. A respectablenumber of stragglergulls turned up this winterafter a SootyTern nesting at WakeI. (19øN)was clearly anomalous in lacklusterfall. Glaucous-winged,Laughing, Herring, Ring-billed and late winter (RS), while Sootynesting at Midway (29øN) was Bonaparte'sgulls were reportedon variousislands from Kauai to Ha- muchdelayed this spring(BB, fide SF). An abnormalstatistic waii, andshow the varietythat can be foundhere where no gull species whichmay or may not be relatedto the widespreadanomaly is occursregularly. Best find of the seasonwas a fine winter-plumaged, the reportfrom Sea Life P., O., that only 28 Wedge-tailed ad. Black-leggedKittiwake, residentfor a weekon an artificiallagoon Shearwaters(mostly juveniles) were picked up on Oahubeaches back of a large hotel at Waikiki Beach, O. The week includedthe and turnedin to the Park this fall and winter, comparedto the moretypical countof 82 last year (IK).

AnotherGreat Blue Heron, thisone in imm. plumage,turned up at NuupiaPond, O., onthe Honolulu CBC Dec. 19(RW) andwas seen by severalmore observersuntil at least Feb. 19. The specieshas been recordedfewer than 5 timespreviously in the state.The state'sfirst confirmedGreen Heron, apparently resident at LokoakaPond, H., was sightedthere again Nov. 11 (JA1).

WATERFOWL THROUGH COOTS -- Pintails and N. Shovelers, theonly ducks wintering commonly in thestate, remained in relatively lownumbers throughout the winter. But a surprisingarray of casualand accidentalspecies was reported. Sightings at KealiaPond, M., included Am. andEur. wigeons,Redhead, Tufted Duck, Garganey,Greater Scaupand Bufflehead. Elsewhere, a Brantat KanahaPond, M. (DA, Black-leggedKittiwake at Hilton Hotel Lagoon,Oahu, December18, CK), upto sixBlue-winged Teal at AimakapaPond, H. (AT) (possibly 1982. Photo/Peter Donaldson.

Vol. 37, Number3 341 HonoluluCBC, andthe bird furnishedonly the secondknown occur- Kepler,Patrick Lawrence (Development Officer, Christmas I ), Marie renceof a kittiwakein themain (populated) Hawaiian Is. CaspianTerns Morin,Maura Naughton, Mike ard, PeterPaton, Rob Shallenberger, were here in forcethis winter, only 3 yearsafter the speciesfirst DanSnider, Paul Sykes, Avery Taylor, Ron Walker, Dave Woodside, occurredin the state.Two Caspianswere at KealiaPond, M. (m.ob.), GusYaki.--ROBERT L. PYLE, 741N. KalaheoAve., Kailua, HI oneat PaikoLagoon and at NuupiaPond, a., a secondat NuupiaPond 96734. Jan.21 (TB), andone at HapunaBeach, H., Dec. 11 (AT) andseen in Januaryat nearbyWaikoloa Hotel golf course(AT, PC). Black Terns arerarely recorded in Hawaii, butthe oneresident at AimakapaPond, H , for over a yearwas still therein mid-March.Freshly dead remains of six Parakeet Auklets and one Horned Puffin were found Feb. 6-8 on isolatedbeaches of Sandand EasternIs., Midway (MN). WEST INDIES REGION PASSERINES-- Two Red-ventedBulbuls were reported coming to a yard abovethe Keahoudistrict of Kona on Hawaii I., sincesummer. /Robert L. Norton The identity was confirmedby statewildlife officialsin Januaryand February(TB). This is the first reportedoccurrence of this introduced Weatherconditions during the season were a continuationof the dry peston any islandother than Oahu. Collectingof thesebirds to elimi- fall nowapproaching critical levels in someareas. Although Decem- natepossibility of increasehas been delayed by objectionsof theyard- ber'sprecipitation was about 40% aboveaverage (20-year period of owner. Four Red-billed Leiothrix seen and heard at Nuuanu Reservoir record,PaR) in westernSt. Croix(hereafter, St. C.) (JY) and31% #4, O., Jan. 10 (MM) wasfurther indication that this handsomeintro- aboveaverage for the northernVirgin Islands(hereafter, V.I.), it was ducedspecies may be makinga comebackon Oahu. A Mockingbird notenough to rechargethe diminishing water table. Precipitation was was sightedagain at Tern. I., F.F.S. (JAn). The exceedinglyrare well off theaverage in Januaryand February with amounts of 37%and Kama'o (Kauai Thrush), endemicto Kauai, was reportedagain in 68%below average (60-year PAR). Similar drought conditions prevail Januaryon PiheaTrail in the Kokeedistrict (BE). This wasthe second in Hispaniolaand Puerto Rico ((hereafter, P.R.). Recordhigh tempera- sightingin 4 monthsin thisgeneral area. An ad. Com.Waxbill feeding tureshave been reported from P.R. duringthe last week of February fouryoung at Waipio Dec. 5 (MO) furnishedthe first report of breeding breakinga 19-yearmark (San Juan Star, March 1, 1983).January and or nestingactivity by thisexotic species only recently recognized as Februaryrainfall totals were the lowestin 17 yearson St. C. (Datly occurringon Oahu. News, March 4, 1983). Soiland vegetation regimes have been experiencing stress conditions CONTRIBUTORS-- JoelAbramson, Jeff Allen (JA1),David An- sincelast August.Indigenous land fauna and progeny have suffered derson,John Andre (JAn), BarryBrady, Phil Bruner,Tim Burr, Rick froman average of 24%below-average water balance during the last 7 Coleman, Peter Connally, Peter Donaldson,Bruce Eilerts, Stewart monthscompared to the previous9 years.Evapotransporation has Fefer, JohnGulley, Ed Hagen,Betty Joao, Ingrid Kang, Cameron exceededrecharge, causing extensive leaf dropand slowed growth BIRDING TOURS

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AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND September15-Octobering Sydney, O'Reilly's22 (Lamington(38 days>. Featur- N.P ), Great Barrier Reef, AthertonTableland, Mission Beach, Darwin, Arnehm Land, Jim Jim, Ayer's Rock, Alice Springs, Adelaideto Melbourne,Tasmania, 3 islandsof New Zealand(Milford Sound,Alps, Rotonia).Led by PeterAlden andmany localexperts. $5,500 Land.

BRAZIL/ARGENTINA Novemberdays). Featuring,1-DecemberRio de Janeiro, 11 Ita-(31 tm•aN.P., IguassuFalls, BuenosAires, the Pampas,Cordoba Hills, Bariloche,Argentine Andes and lakes,Punta Tombo and PeninsulaValdez, plus Tierra del Fuego,Led by PeterAlden and Donald Maciver. $4,550 Land.

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LINDBLAD TRAVEL-1983 Ex•r•ce c•s

342 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983 andconsider that migrants are actually'visiting' northtemperate habi- THE NORTHERN VIRGIN 64130 tats to breed. Upon arrival their populationsare at their lowest level, ISLANOS AND EASTERN probablystressed, and perhapscontaminated.

Scale SHEARWATERS THROUGH FALCONS -- Audubon's Shear- ANEGAOA watersreturned to theirnesting sites on or aboutFeb. 14 at SabaCay, St. Thomas(herealter, St. T.). JD reportedthat in Januaryabout 500- 800 MagnificentFrigatebirds inhabit the mangrovecays of Barbuda. NestingBrown Pelicanswere observedat Little TobagoI., British V.I., [br the first time Dec. 30. Five dark andlbur white-phaseReddish Egretswere observed at Providenciales,the Caicos (hereafter, C.) Feb. 13 & 20, respectively(BA). White-cheekedPintails numbered 129 on 0 A• St. John,U.S.V.I. (hereafter,St. J.) Feb. 28. Three Am. Wigeon were presentat St. J.. intermittentlyDec. 17-Feb.20 (GW). A $ andc• N. Saba*o• •N %. •r•E•-•cøe'•_ B - BordeauxMtn Shovelerremained at Hart Baypond, St. J.. Feb. 1-28.providing the ST.THOMAS ST.JOHN " CoB- Co,at Bay firstrecord lbr thatisland. Female and c• Ring-neckedDucks remained for severaldays Dec. 21 +, at St. C.. providinga recordthere. BA reportedthat a PeregrineFalcon was seen at GrandTurk (hereafter, G.T.) Dec. 28 and lbr the first time at C., Jan. 29, possibly inclusive. Peregrinesare noted regularly at V.1. during the winter monthsroutinely visiting the boobycolonies for prey as was the case Insectivorousand frugivorous birds are in directcompetition for limited lbod items. Dec. 10 at CockroachCay and FrenchcapCay, St. T., Feb. 4. Per- Weather conditionson the continentand locally have seemingly egrineshave increased noticeably in theRegion recently. For example, SF Reportsthat no peregrinuswere recorded1972-1979 during the producedwaves of migrantsand vagrantsincreasing island lists and CaboRojo CBCs. Since 1980 however;two, threein 198I, andthree in day totals(see Regional CBCs). This year'sstressful fall migration, 1982 were observedthere. It would appearthe captive breedingand winter period, and springmigration portend low numbersof north releaseprogram is working and/orarctic populations are increasing. temperatebreeders whose real statusmay be consideredas tropical American.Most of theRegion's winter 'visitors' spend as much as 7-9 monthsin non-breedingterritory. Environmental conditions during this COOTS THROUGH DOVES -- American Coots (30) including periodhave much to do with a speciessurvival in view of thefact that a threechicks were carefully observed at Hart Bay pond,St. J., Feb. 1, particularspecies population is lowestat eggproduction and incuba- 18, & 28 (RLN). This is the first knownbreeding of the speciese. of tion. Further, much concern has been focused on environmental con- Hispaniola,if oneconsiders the Caribbean Coot (F. caribaea)a distinct taminationin the tropicsand habitatloss on large and small scales. species.Bond (20th Suppl., 1976, p. 13, to the Check-List(1956) Observersare encouragedto do May countswith thesepoints in mind believesthe latterto be a morphof F. americana.Killdeer nested at Red

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Vol. 37, Number3 343 Bay, St. T., Feb. 25 probablyin responseto thedry substrate within the thanin pastyears and seen Jan. 6. Bond(1979) doesnot list catbirdas feedingterritory. A pairwith downyyoung found Feb. 10, 1941(Beat- beinga winterresident e. of Cuba. BA alsoreported that the Blue-gray ty, 1942) may be the earliestdate for the Region.Considered a rare Gnatcatcheris a commonresident during the winter. Yellow-throated winter residentin the West Indies, Whimbrels(5) were seenat St. C., Vireos were seen at C., Jan. 17 and Feb. 12 and at St. J.. Dec. 18 Dec. 21; (4) Jan. 25; (3) Feb. 28 (JY); at Barbuda(1) Jan.9 (JD); andat (RLN). Similarly, single Blue-winged Warblers were noted at C. St.T. (1) Jan.14 & 24. A CaspianTern was seen at G.T., De%28 (fide (BA) Jan. 9 and at St. J., Dec. 18 (RLNL Yellow-rumpedWarblers BA). A RuddyQuail Dove appearedfor the firsttime at St. J., Dec. 18 wintered at St. T., this seasonand were noted Dec. 23-Feb. 24 with a (RLN) asa vagrantprobably from P.R. Interestingly,another was seen maximumof 12 recorded.Rarely seen in the GreaterAntilles, a Black- at St. C. (DN) Jan. 10 wherea specimenwas collected in 1892 (Wet- throatedGreen Warbler was observedFeb. 27 (GW) at St. J. Also at St. more, 1927). A Ruddy was collectedat St. T., in 1916 (Ridgway, J., anotherrarely notedDendroica sp., Palm Warbler (2), was seen 1916), but has been questioned(Peters, 1931). Vagrancyby West Dec. 18 indicating an extensiveParulid migration e. of expected Indianspecies may be inducedby environmentalfactors. This species routes.JD reporteda N. Oriole from AntiguaJan. 9 providinga new appearsto beprone to vagrancyas illustrated by reports from s. Florida recordfor that island.Northern Orioles (2) were alsoreported from (Robertson and Given. 1980). P.R. (fide SF) Dec. 18 for the secondtime in 11 yearsand again as an annualevent at Coral Bay, St. J., Dec. 18 (GW). NIGHT JARS THROUGH ORIOLES -- More Chuck-will's-wid- owshave been reported this season than in previousyears, constituting EXOTICS -- Mallards (25) have been introducedto C. (BA). Cau- a mild invasionalthough none were reported from the s. Bahamas.The tion is advisedregarding future records of the speciesin s. Bahamasand CaboRojo area reported three for thefirst time on theCBC in 11 years s.e. to the LesserAntilles. An escapedMallard was notedat St. C., in Dec. 18 (SF) and five were seen on St.J., on the same date (GW). An November, 1981. BA also reporteda Gambel's Quail has been intro- occasionalChuck has been reportedthroughout the periodon St. I. ducedat C. FS heardtwo Bobwhite at St. C., June 16, 1982, where the (RLN) andSt. C. (JY, FS). A partialspecimen was retrieved Feb. 24 specieswas introducedabout 150+ years ago and JY reportsthat a on St. T., providingevidence of widespreadoccurrence through the e. small group (8) of SpottedDoves remain extant in n.w. St. C. Greater Antilles. A Stolid Flycatcherwas heard at St. J., Dec. 17 (RLN) which may be the extentof its e. rangein the GreaterAntilles. ADDENDUM -- A c• Red-breastedMerganser wasseen at close SingleCliff andBank swallows were noted at Cruz Bay, St. J., Dec. 14 range(TR) Mar. 9, 1982at Antigua,providing a newrecord e. of P.R. (RLN) andtwo Tree Swallowsseen a few dayslater Dec. 18(fide GW) and the LesserAntilles. TR alsoreported seeing a pair of Monserrat at St. J., a new record, indicatea movementof Hirundinidse. of their Orioles in late March 1982 which are endemic to that island. expectedmigration route. Of particularinterest was a reportof 25 well describedCaribbean Martins seenDec. 18 as well at Cabo Rojo, P.R. CONTRIBUTORS -- Sub-regional editors in boldface; Nelida (SF) providinga rarewinter occurrence. BA statesthat Cuban Crows Agosto,Beverlea Aidridge, JoseColon, OscarDiaz, JohnDrury, are resident at Providenciales, C. Sean Furniss, David Nellis, Thomas Rivers, Fred Sladen, Gerald Gray Catbirdswere reported to be lessnumerous this seasonat C., Whitman, JohnYntema. -- ROBERT L. NORTON, Division of Fish & Wildlife, 101 Estate Nazareth, St. Thomas, USVI 00802.

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344 AmericanBirds, May-June 1983