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Ontario Bird Records Committee Report for 1986 by Alan Wormington

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Ontario Bird Records Committee Report for 1986 by Alan Wormington 42 Ontario Bird Records Committee Report for 1986 by Alan Wormington This is the fiflh annual report of the OBRC will be increased to eight Ontario Bird Records Committee members from the current seven. The (OBRC) of the Ontario Field eight members will consist of seven Ornithologists. During 1986 a total of regular voting members plus a non­ 182 records was assessed, of which voting secretary. This change in the the identification of 141 (about 77%) committee composition has been made was found to be acceptable. to reduce the workload of the secre­ This report officially adds two new tary. species to Ontario's Checklist of Birds Changes in Review List Criteria - Long-billed Curlew and Sulphur­ Recently, the OBRe has revised the bellied Flycatcher - bringing the criteria on which 111e review list for provincial total to 434 species. Also southern Ontario is based. In L'1e accepted is the first breeding record of future, species reviewed will be those Snowy Egret in Ontario. raising the occurring on average five or fewer provincial total in this category to 284 times annually, and will be dropped species. This is the first addition to the from the review list when more than Ontario breeding bird list since James 25 accepted records accumulate for (1984) summarized recent new addi­ any 5-year period. Formerly (see tions. Added to the list of birds which Ontario Birds 2:13-23), the corre­ have been recorded in northern sponding figures were four and 20 Ontario are Burrowing Owl, White­ records respectively. These changes eyed Vireo and Orchard Oriole. do not affect the existing review list The 1986 Committee members and a recently-removed species­ were Dennis F. Rupert (Chairman), Laughing Gull - remains deleted. Alan Wormington (Secretary), Robert Curry. Kevin A. McLaughlin, RD. Historical Records McRae, Ronald J. Pittaway and Examination of historical records of Michael WP. Runtz. We very much review list species continued during appreciate the submissions the com­ 1986. The OBRC has now reviewed mittee has received during 1986 ­ all American Oystercatcher, Mew included in this report is material Gull. White-winged Dove, Common received from a total of 166 different Ground-Dove, Rufous Hummingbird contributors; without this excellent and Green-tailed Towhee records in support the committee could not func­ Ontario (which were documented and tion. available to tlle committee) and, simi­ larly, all Great Egret, Ruff and Blue­ Changes in the Review Process winged Warbler records which pertain Beginning in 1987, membership of the to northern Ontario. Alan Wormington, RR#I, Leamington, Ontario N8H 3V4 ONTARIO BIRDS AUGUST 1987 43 Species Accounts dates, numbers, location, etc. is found In the following accounts, information to be incorrect for any particular on age/sex/plumage for each record is record, then this is oullined along with included, if known. Place names in the data the OBRC considers correct. italics refer to a county, regional We recognize that there are several municipality or district in Ontario. All reasons why previously published contributors who have provided a information may be deemed incorrect. written description, photograph or While blatant errors may exist, many specimen have been credited; contrib­ others are simply the result of typo­ utor's names have also been under­ graphical errors, while still others arc lined if they were a discoverer of the the result of authors who (unavoid­ bird(s). All records pertain to sight ably) are working with sets of data records unless it is indicated that the that arc different (and often incom­ bird was photographed and/or collect­ plete) in comparison to those which ed. arc eventually available to the OBRC. An attempt has been made to deter­ Since future researchers can only be mine the entire period when birds served if indication is given that the were present; this informmion has OBRC has considered as much data as been obtained from the observers possible (when presenting information themselves, various regional publica­ which is deemed correct), we will con­ tions, seasonal summaries in tinue to provide these "corrections" in American Birds and othcr sources. the annual reports. The OBRC itself is C'Ne again repeat here thm much of the not infallible, and any reader with data committee's time could be saved ­ which differ from those published in and accuracy of records improved ­ these pages is urged to contact the if contributors could invcstigate the committee. Corrcctions/updatcs to the occurrence dates of a particular bird first fOUf annual reporl'\ published by before submitting their documentation the OBRC (1982 to 1985 inclusive) to the committee.) If previously pub­ are given at the end of this reporL lished information on occurrence Accepted Records Pacific Loon (Cavia pacifica) 1980 - one immature, 8-20 Nov., Burlington Beach, llamilton·WenlworthJlIalJon (Kevin A. Mel aughlin.13arry Cherriere) - photos on file. Although field identification of the two species of "Arctic" Loons is probably not possible in most instances, the OBRC intends to publish all records as the North American Pacific Loon (Cavia pacifica), as the Arctic Loon (C. arctica) of Eurasia has yet to be recorded anywhere ncar Ontario. 'Western/Clark's Grebe (Aechmophorus sp.) 1984 - one. 11 May, Prcsqu'ile Provo Park. NorJhumberland (Audrey E. Wihon). With the recent A.O.D. decision that the two "colour morphs" of the Western Grebe actually pertain to different species-Westcrn Grebe (Aechmophorus occidentaJis) and Clark's Grebe (A. clarkiz) -the OBRC requires that reports clearly indicate 1..-.- _ VOLUME 5 NWvlBER 2 44 Immature Pacific Loon. 8-20 Nov. 1980. at Burlington Beach, Hamilton­ Vt'enlWorthIIlalton. Photo by Barry Cherricre. which species is under observation. It is presumed that most-if not all-birds occurring in Ontario are Western Grebes, but Clark's Grebe is clearly plausible, especially since it has already been recorded as close to Ontario as Manitoba and Minnesotl, including Duluth (on Lake Superior) during the spring of 1987 (R.P. Russell, pers. comm., 1987). Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) 19&5 - two. 19 Oct.. East Point, Cochrane <R.D. McRae). - one. 21 Oct., East Point. Cochrane <R.D. McRae). American White Pelican (Pelccanus erytJzrorhynchos) 1985 - one. 17 July, Long Point Flats, llaldimand·Norfolk ffieverly Collier). A White Pelican that was observccl five days later, on 22 July 1985 at Point Pelce Nat. Park, Essex (Ontario Birds 4:4). was quite possibly thc same individual. Great Egret (Casmerodius a/bus) 1986 - one. 11·19 May, Manilouwadgc, ThWlder Bay (Alan Wormington) . photos on file. 1985 - one. 8-12 Oct.. Pass Lab: (nO{ Sibley as in American BjrtJs 40: I04), Thunder Bay CB.illh ~, Thomas Dyke) - photo on file. 1978 - one. 22 Aug.-14 Sept. (not to 15 Sept. as in American Birds 33:172), Fort Frances, Rainy River (Alan W. Lowe. Al McRae) - photos on file. 1956 - one. 29 or 30 June. Kapuskasing, Cochrane (l,.G.Neve). These are the only records of Great Egret known for northern Ontario, with the exception of an undocumented sighting on 9 May 1974 at Lulu Lake (49 0 46' N. Lat.. 94 0 42' W. Long.), Kenora. by George Warncr and Wayne Stack. The refer- ONTARIO mRDS AUGUST 1987 45 coce to the occurrence of Great Egret at Winisk, Kenora (James el al. 1976: 10), is in error (R.D. James, pers. comm., 1987). Snowy Egret (Egreua tlmla) 198<) - breeding pair, neSI and fledged young, Hamilton Bay, lIamillOn.Wenfworlh (Robert Curry, George D. Bryant, D. Vaughn Weseloh) - photos on filc. An account of lbis breeding record, the first for Ontario and Canada, appears else­ where in this issue of Ontario Birds (Curry and Bryant 1987). Uttle Blue Heron (Egrelta caerulea) 1986 - one adult, 5-20 May, Hillman Marsh and Point Pclee Nal. Park, Essex (Deaf rice LaZM). 1985 - onc adult, 4 May, Pckc Island, Essex monald R. Tasker). - onc adult, 13 May, Long Point Tip, Ila/dimand·Norjo/k (Kathy Pickard). - onejuvenilc, 4-7 Sepl., I1iUman Marsh, Essex. (peter Whelan, Kathleen J. Sleight) - photos on file. lricolored Heron (Egreaa tricolor) 1985 - one adult, 17 May, Long Point Tip, Jlaldimand-Norfolk (George E. Wallace). - one, 29 July·) Aug., Big Creek Nal. WLldlife Area (29th to 31st) and Long Point f-lals (I Sl), llaldinuJnd· Norfolk <Daniel A Cristo!). 1981 - one firSI summer, 25 May, Brighl's Grove, Lamblon (Dcnni~ F, ~). Green-backed Heron (Bu/orides stria/us) 198<) - two juYeniles, 30 Aug., one to 5 Sept., Thunder Bay, Thu.nder Bay (Nicholas G. Escou, Barry Atkinson) - photo on file. These birds were suspected by the observers to penain to fledged young of a local nesting; the undocumented observation of an adult Green-backed Heron on 21 June 1986 at the same location was the sole basis for this supposition. llIack-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) 19&4 - one adult, 27 June (not 1 July as in American Birds 38:1014), Wolverine Lake (49 0 50' N. Lat., 83° 46' W. Long.), Cochrane (Nonn Hissa). Great Egret, 22 Aug.-14 SepL1978, at Fon Frances, Rainy River. Photo by There arc but few records of this Al McRae, courtesy of the Fort species in northern Ontario, with the Frances limes. VOLUME 5 NUMBER 2 46 above bird one of the most northerly recorded to date. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron (Nycticorax violaceus) 1986 - one adult. 15 May (nol 15-16 May 4'" as in American Birds 40:463). Hillman Marsh. Essex ~ Ylhllin). 1985 - one adult. II May. Long Point Tip. lIaldimand-Norfolk <W1.d Mllikk). Glossy Ibis (Plegadisjalcinellus) 1986 - one adult. 3 May, Point Pelec Nat. Park and Hillman Marsh. Essex <Michael D. Fitzpalrick). dark ibis sp. (Plegadis Sp.) 1986 - one adult, 24 May. Strathroy. Middlesex (Stephen J. Rirch) ­ photo on file.
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