' he seasoffs weather was variable: Au- gustwas mostly hot anddry until the thirdweek, when it turnedwet; Sep- temberwas cool, often windy and wet; Octo- berstarted out wet and windy but endedcold and snowy;and Novemberwas milder and 5000km away(GLM). An astounding total of occasionallyrainy on the coast and snowy in- 760 TurkeyVultures was recorded at Rocky land.However, buried in thebroad monthly PointB.O. 26 Sep(DA). A fewOspreys were descriptionswere some notable weather verylate on VancouverI., with the latestat events. A freak snowstorm in the Peace River Tofino27 Nov(RC). Prairie Falcons are very De se• Valley15-16 Septemberdowned numerous rarealong the coast; most there are suspected treesand probablykilled manymigratory of beingescaped birds. One suchbird, on birds.The PolarJet Stream'spath, scraping MandarteI. 8 Sep,was in a mistneteating ß •rt St.John the southernAlaskan shore on its way to capturedEuropean Starlings but managedto BritishColumbia during the firsthalf of Oc- freeitself as the bander approached (KE). tober,brought storms but also a healthyinva- CharlotteQueenMasset •,i• ,,•ePrin;..• •.;rf:•e 0(•':"-•'•-• efawson Creek sionof "Sibes."Finally, a strongcold norther- SHOREBIRDSTHROUGH ALCIDS IslandsQueen_• •t e• ß •t ly flow straightfrom the Mackenzie Delta in An AmericanAvocet made a rareappearance Charlotte mid-Octoberapparently redirected many in Metchosin8-11 Oct (JJet al.), and a flock PrairieFlyway waterfowl migrants such as of 7 was record late in Salmon Arm 3-10 Oct TundraSwans toward the eastern parts of the (CC, TF et al.). Thefamily of Black-necked province.Generally, passerines had a good Stiltsat T'KumloopsMarsh included 3 juvs. Vancouver• ß ['bnt,ctonß ....• summer,as evidencedby near-recordtotals capableof flight22 Aug (RH)--a 2nd suc- IslandVictoria Cranbrook bandedat Vaseuxand record-high numbers cessfulnesting in theprovince. The Salmon bandedat RockyPoint Bird Observatot 7. Armmudflats, just a fewkm in length,pro- duced 26 speciesof shorebirdsthis fall DonaldG. Cecile LOONSTHROUGH RAPTORS (Table 1). A Red-throated Loon was at Vaseux L. 12-13 Amongthe numerousyellowlegs present 7995Wilson-Jackson Road Nov (DBet al.), a veryrare s. interiorrecord. in Salmon Arm was a leucistic Lesser 20-28 WesternGrebes, rarely reported from the Aug (ph. DGC et al.). A pair of juv. Long- Vernon,British Columbia V1B 3N5 PeaceR. area,included singles on Big L., n. of billed Curlews,rare on the coast,strolled Chetwynd,26 Oct (MP) andSwan L. 4 Nov among the touristsat ChestermanBeach, ([email protected]) (MP). The province'sfirst photographically Torino3-11 Aug(ph. AD et al.). Hudsonian documented Manx Shearwater and 4th Godwits,rare away from the PeaceR. area, record overall was of a bird near Victoria 8 werereported seven times, with themost no- Delta24-31 Aug (ph. RToet al.) and 15 at Aug (ph.JJ et al.). An AmericanWhite Pall- tablebeing a juv. at RobertL., Kelowna29 the Sandspitairport, Queen Charlotte I. 30 can,very rare along the s. coast,landed near Aug (RyT). A wonderfulopportunity to Aug(PH, MH). Eightreports of singleRuffs a privatedock on PowellL., whereit allowed studygodwits occurred in BoundaryBay, as a made a seasonalhigh; the only interior peopleto feedand pet it 6 Sep(FS). The in- trio of juvs.---oneBar-tailed, one Marbled, recordwas of a juv. nearPrince George (a vasionof Brown Pelicanscontinued, with at and oneHudsonian--was discovered 5 Sep firstlocal record) 2-4 Oct(CA, ph. JB et al.). least16 birds reported, 11 from Carmanah Pt. (RTo). Bar-tailedGodwits are still rare in the A Black-headedGull, casualalong the on the w. coastof VancouverI. 23 Oct 0E). Region,but 3 werereported from Boundary coast,joined the largeflock of Bonaparte's Very rare on VancouverI., a juv. Black- Bay,and another was at theRocky Point B.O. Gullsin ActivePass 25 Oct (JAM). For the crownedNight-Heron was in Uduelet14-17 28-29 Aug (DA, JJ). An ad. BlackTurnstone 4th consecutiveyear, a LesserBlack-backed Aug(BSI et al.);very rare in theOkanagan, 4 furnisheda 5th interior record,and the first Gull appearedin Vernon,although this is circledDeadman's L. 19 Aug (DB). A Plegadis since1979, in SalmonArm 22 Aug(ph. DGC the firstthat could be a returningbird, an ibis,casual in the Region,was in the Queen et al.).The province's 9th and10th records of ad.seen 9, 12, & 26-30 Nov (ph., ?DGCet CharlotteIs. 13-14 Oct (ph. BC,MC) for a LittleStint involved single juvs. at Boundary al.). Waywardyoung Ancient Murrelets firstlocal record. Catde Egrets staged their Bay 11 Sep (?RTo) and best invasionsince the fall of 1992, with 68 Iona I. 14-15 Sep(?RF). Table1. Record-high counts ofshorebirds at5aimon Arm, British Columbia. reportedand the mostnortherly near 115 Above-averagenum- •ecies. Count Date Observer(s) Mile on 11 Nov (KD). The 3rd bersof Sharp-tailedSand- Black-beliiedPlover 28 195ep CC, record and first fall record of Green Heron pipersoccurred this fall, camefrom Vaseux L. 3 Sep(DB). Many flocks with 16 juvs. reported; AmericanAvocet 7 10Od CC,IF etal. of southboundTundra Swans were reported the only interior report GreaterYellowlegs 163 20AUg DGC e. of the FraserR. duringthe coldsnap in came from Salmon Arm SolitarySandpiper 18 20AUg DGC mid-Oct;many sizeable flocks of 75-100 fol- 18-24 Sep (DGC et al.). SpottedSandpiper 41 20Aug lowedthe RobsonValley (RZ). SnowGeese This fall migration in- UpbndSandpiper 2 2071Aug DGCetal. were alsoreported more than usualin the volved at least 50 Buff- SemipalmetedSandpiper 45 28Aug DGC cen.interior, with a newinterior high count breastedSandpipers. Nine of 55 overthe Quesnelairport 18 Oct 0B). found in Salmon Arm 25 Baird'sSandpiper 260 22Aug DGC Veryrare in theinterior, a singleBrant at Van- Aug (DGC) tied the StiltSandpiper 48 25-28Aug DGC derhoof19 Sep(NK, MP) provideda firstlo- provincialhigh count but Buff-breastedSandpiper 9 25Aug DGC cal record. A color-banded Brant seen in was soon outdone by Short-billed0owitcher 8 29Aug CC,CoC springat Parksvillehad been banded in the coastalcounts of 16 (all Long-billedDowitcher 134 18Sep DGC Lena River Delta, Russiain Jul 2003--over juvs.) at a turf farm in

VOLUME 59 (2005) NUMBER Point B.O., becamethe oldeston record:8 pingSparrow came from Brunswick Pt. 12 yearsand 3 monthsold, with its original cap- Nov (JV).A LarkSparrow, accidental on the ture there 2 Aug 1997 (DA). Chestnut- coast,was at Parksville23 Nov (JHet al.)--in backed Chickadees were outside of usual the samelocation as one two yearsprior! A rangein Princeton11 Nov,with 9 birdsat GrasshopperSparrow surprised observers at threefeeders there (.fide RJC). Rock Wrens WhiffinSpit in Sooke21-25 Nov (TP,?JG). continueto appearon VancouverI., where LaplandLongspurs were unusually prevalent rare,with a singleat McMickingPt., Oak Bay on the QueenCharlotte ls., with an astound- 2-22 Oct (m.ob.). A SageThrasher, rare in ingcount for a coastalarea of 354at Masset the provinceand accidentalalong the s. 13-14 Oct (Mid, PH). A Bobolink,accidental coast,was at BrunswickPt. 19 Nov (ph. GP). in fall in the , was at SeaI. Theprovince's 2nd but first photographically alongthe airport fence 11 Sep(MKM), and a ThisIVlanx Shearwater, thefirst photographically docu- documentedGray Wagtail was an imm. at record-latebird was heard calling overhead at mentedin BritishColumbia, was in theJuan de Fuca Strait Carmanah Pt., on the w. coast of Vancouver SalmonArm 18Sep (DGC). A Regionalhigh 8 August2004. Photograph byJukkoJantunen. I. 26 Oct (ph.JE, JaE). A Sky Lark on the count of 48 Common Grackles was estab- outercoast at JordanRiver 28 Oct (RS,ph. lishedat a feederin Arras28 Aug(MP), with were discovered in the interior at Salmon TA)generated some discussion asto whether the lastnoted there 24 Oct (MP). A species Arm 1 Aug(ph. SP)and along the s. shore it was of the Asian race or a wanderer from thatusually departs the interior in Aug,a late of Quesnelk. 5 Sep(?WCR). A pairof ad. the smallsurviving population on nearby Bullock• Oriole was at Torino30 Oct (AD). Xantus's Murrelets furnished the 6th Victoria.A WarblingVireo was very late in provincialrecord from offshore waters off SalmonArm 25 Sep(DGC, CC). Contributors(subregional editors in bold- Torino25 Sep(tAD). Warblersof manyspecies were found w. face):David Allinson, Kris Andrews,Cathy ands. of typicalrange this fall: a Chestnut- Antoniazzi,Ted Ardley, Jack Bowling (Prince OWLSTHROUGH FINCHES sided Warbler was near the U.S. border George,weather summary), Doug Brown, WhenSnowy Owls began to arriveat Ional. alongChopaka Rd. 2 Sep(DTy); a Magnolia PeterCandido, Richard J. Cannings(South on 30 Oct (PC), it washoped that an inva- Warbler,a BlackpollWarbler, and a Black- Okanagan), Russell Cannings, Chris sionmight follow, but numbersincreased Charlesworth (), Connor onlyto 4 by 4 Nov(m.ob.). Northern Idawk Charlesworth,Brian Charman, Margaret Owlswere noted moving southward, with a Charman,Colin Clasen,Ralph Crombie, singlebird in Kelowna,in the Okanagan GrantDanielson, Marcie Danielson, Gary S. Mountain Park fire burn area 31 Oct (MS), Davidson(), Ken Day,Bill Dia- and at least 5 from the -Chficotin, mond,John Dorsey, Shirley Dorsey, Adrian theearliest being a singleat 139Mile 24 Oct Dorst (Tofino-Ucluelet),Kyle Elliot,Janet (PR, KA). Accidentalin the LowerMainland, Etzkorn,Jerry Etzkorn,Jamie Fenneman, anad. Boreal Owl was picked up aliveafter a MichaelForce, Trevor Forder, Roger Foxall, collision with a window in Tsawwassen 3 BryanGates, Jeremy Gatten, Pierre Geoffray, Oct(fide CC1). The province's 7th recordof CarloGiovanelli, Peter Hamel (QueenChar- White-wingedDove came from Rocky Point lotte Is.), Jack Hammonds,Margo Hearne, Charles Helm, Rick Howie, Todd Hunter, B.O. 7 Oct (?GLM, PG). A White-throated Thisadult Black Tumstone, a coastal spedes, surprised Swift,in a smallflock of BlackSwifts, sur- observersat Salmon Arm, British Columbia 22 August JohnIreland, Jukka Jantunen, Len Jellicoe, prisedobservers at Englishman R. estuary11 2004:it hasbeen nearly 30 years since one has been found JohnKalman, Nancy Krueger, Kevin Louth Sep(?GLM, BD), for oneof veryfew coastal inthe interior of the province. Photograph byDonaldG. Cecile. (Vancouver),JoAnn MacKenzie, Martin K. records.A NorthernRough-winged Swallow McNichol,Guy L Monty (cert.Vancouver was exceptionallylate at ReifelRefuge 23 and-white Warbler were banded at Vaseux L. L), SarahPetznick, Mark Phinney(Peace Nov (JI). BankSwallows, rare on Vancouver 3 Sep(TH, RCa);another Magnolia Warbler River),Guy Piccavance, Tom Plath, Mireille 1.,were reported from Rocky Point B.O. 9 & wasat SalmonArm 3 Oct (RyT,CC); 2 Cape Poulin,Phil Ranson(Cariboo), Wfil C. Rus- 30 Aug(DA) andin Courtenay11 SepOF). MayWarblers were at WilliamsLake 23 Oct, sell,Rick Schortinghuis,Brian Slater, Fiona TheRegions 7th Western Scrub-Jay, initially with oneremaining through 30 Oct (PR);an Southworth, Mike Tabak, Rick Toochin foundin Squamish23 Jun, was seenocca- imm. male BlackburnianWarbler, the re- (Vancouver),Danny Tyson, John Vooys, Rick sionallythrough 27 Nov (ph. GrD, MAD). gion's9th record,was at AmphitritePt., Zammuto.• Casualin the LowerMainland, an imm. Ash- Ucludet22 Sep(?RTo); a PalmWarbler was throatedFlycatcher was in Delta12 Oct-15 at Osoyoos6 Oct (DB):another Blackpoll Nov (CG, MT et al.). Warblerwas at Reikl Refuge19 Sep (JF, Chickadeesof at leastthree species were RTo);6 AmericanRedstarts produced a new on the move. One hundredBlack-capped Vancouverarea high count in QueenEliza- Chickadeeswere tallied in the Osoyoos bethPark 29 Aug (LJ);an imm. Ovenbird Oxbows 26 Nov (DB), while Mountain wasat Aldergrove 21 Sep(ph. JD, SD); and a Chickadeesstaged an invasion into the Low- late Wfison's Warbler was at Torino 11-25 er Mainland,with singlesat SouthSurrey 9 Nov (AD). A late Yellow-breastedChat was Oct (RTo)and Langley16 Oct (DTy) and bandedat Vaseux19 Sep(TH). record-highnumbers up to 20 at Reifel A WesternTanager was recordlate at Refuge2-27 Oct01 et al.);a singlebird was SalmonArm 3 Oct (DGC). A Dickcissd,dis- covered in the bulb fields of cen. Saanich 13 Thisyoung Andent Murrelet, oneoftwo discovered in at TumblerRidge in thePeace R. area(where inlandprovindal waters this fall, was captured and later rare)20 Nov (ph CH). A Chestnut-backed Oct (BG et al.), furnisheda 14th Regional releasedat SalmonArm, British Colombia 1 August 2004. Chickadee,recaptured 18 Sepat the Rocky record.Vancouver's 2nd Nov recordof Chip- PhotographbySarah Petznick.

134 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS