STANDARD ABBR[VIATIONS USED IN THE REGIONALREPORTS
Abbreviations used in placenames: In mostregions, place names g•ven in THE italic typeare counties. Other abbreviations: SUMMER Cr Creek Ft. Fort Hwy Highway SEASON I Island or Isle Is. Islands or Isles June-July 993 Jct. Junction km kilometer(s) L Lake mi mile(s) Mt. Mountain or Mount Mts. Mountains N.E National Forest AtlanticProvinces Region 1084 NorthernGreat Plains Region 1120 N.M. National Monument Bruce Mactavish GordonBerkey N.P. National Park N.W.R. NationalWildlife Refuge QuebecRegion 1086 SouthernGreat Plains Region 1122 P P. Provincial Park RichardYank a•nd Yves Aubry JosephA. Grzybowski Pen. Peninsula 1124 Pt. Point (not Port) NewEngland Region 1088 TexasRegion GregW. Lasleyand Chuck Sexton R River WayneR. Petersen
Ref. Refuge 1128 1092 Idaho-WesternMontana Region Res. Reservoir(not Reservation) Hudson-DelawareRegion Robert O. Paxton, ThomasH. Rogersand S P. State Park WilliamJ. Boyle,Jr., Dan Svingen W.M.A. WildlifeManagement Area and David A. Cutler MountainWest Region 1130 HughE. Kingery Abbreviations used in the MiddleAtlantic Coast Region 1096 names of birds: Eirik A. T. Blom, Michael O'Brien, Brian Patteson, SouthwestRegion 1133 Am. American andEugene J. Scarpulla Arizona:David Stejskal and Corn. Common GaryH. Rosenberg E Eastern SouthernAtlantic Coast Region 1099 New Mexico: Sartor O.Williams III 1136 Eur. Europeanor Eurasian RickyDavis Mr. Mountain AlaskaRegion 1138 N. Northern FloridaRegion 1101 T. G. Tobish,Jr. Richard T. Paul and S Southern Ann E Schnapf 1141 W. Western BritishColumbia/Yukon Region Chris Siddle OntarioRegion 1104 Ron Ridout Otherabbreviations and symbols Oregon/WashingtonRegion 1143 referringto birds: BillTweit and Jim Johnson ad. adult AppalachianRegion 1106 •mm. immature GeorgeA. Hall MiddlePacific Coast Region 1145 StephenE Bailey, luv. juvenalor juvenile WesternGreat Lakes Region 1109 David G. Yee, sp. species Daryl D. Tessen and Bruce E. Deuel ? meansthat written details were submitted for a MiddlewesternPrairie Region 1112 SouthernPacific Coast Region 1149 sighting KennethJ. Brock GuyMcCaskie * meansthat a specimenwas CentralSouthern Region 1115 HawaiianIslands Region 1152 collected RobertD. Purrington RobertL. Pyle d' male 5? female PrairieProvinces Region 1118 WestIndies Region 1153 CBC Christmas Bird Count RudolfFKoes and Peter Taylor RobertJ Norton
Volume 47, Number 5 ß1083 Conrad'sBeach, NS Juneio (fideBMy), at verycommon on theGreat Northern Pen. of A'ITANllCPROVINCES Seaforth,NS June28 (IM) andLamLque I., Newfoundlandand were expected to have NB June28 (HC); aSnowy Egret at Baie-du- goodnesting success because of the high REGION Petit-Pokemouche,NB June2• (BH); anda meadowvole population.Rough-legged BruceMactavish Litde Blue Heron in n.e. New Brunswick at Hawksbenefited in a bigway from the high Wishart'sPt., May 31(RD). meadow vole numbers in Newfoundland. Nestswere found throughoutthe island, It wasa cold,wet June and July across the WATERFOWL,DIURNAL RAPTORS even in forest cutovers, but were most Region.There were no reportsof anyill A laggardSnow Goose was found at Water- numerous on the Great Northern Pen. Dark effectsof the inclement weather on the nest- side,NB Junex (AC). With reportsof three morphswere outnumbered by lightmorphs. ingsuccess of birds. In fact,reports on birds (3 Eur.Wigeons in Juneat widelyscattered A Rough-leggedHawk at Kentville,NS was werelacking for the writing of thisreview. A locationsin New Brunswick,Cape Jouri- unseasonalJune 6 (RS et al.). A very rare populationexplosion of meadowvoles in main(CA), Cape Bru16 (RD), and Wishart's summerGyrfalcon sighting came in from Newfoundlandresulted in widespreadnest- Pt. (RE)),we againposit that the species G.M.I., NB Junei6 (BD). ingof Rough-leggedHawks and good nest- mightindeed breed in the Region.A Gar- ingsuccess among owls. Many of the rarities ganeyfound at PriestPd., PEI May to was GROUSES TO SHOREBIRDS foundare part of a growingtrend, like Black stillpresent July 3I (RC etal.). An unseasonalSandhill Cranes continue a record of occur- Vulture, AmericanOystercatcher, Royal and adventurous(3 Redheadwas on SableI., ringalmost anywhere at anytime.One Sand- Tern, White-wingedDove, and Scissor- NS July3 (ZL). An ad. (3 KingEider lin- hill turnedup May 25-27 at Windsor,NS tailedFlycatcher. The Yellow-nosedAlba- geredat MisocuI., NB until mid-June (fideJT)and two on BrierI., NS Junei •x[2 trossand Garganey were at theextreme end (m.ob.).Several pairs of HarlequinDucks (PM). AmericanOystercatcher is now an of the rarities scale.The author's favorite rar- foundon the Torrent R., NF inJune strongly annualevent in thes. extreme of theRegion. itieswere the oddoccurrences of twosepa- suggestsnesting on this previouslyunex- Twoat Matthew'sL., NS July9-II raisesthe rate femaleWestern Tanagers, unprece- ploredwaterway (fide BMt). Twopairs of possibilityof eventualbreeding in the dentedin summerin theRegion. RuddyDucks on the Tracadie sewage lagoon Region(DYet al.).An Am. Woodcockdis- remainedthrough June without breeding playingat Pasadena, NF June3-x7(BMt) and Abbreviations:G.M.I. ( GrandManan L ). (fideST) threecalling at themouth of theSerpentine A BlackVulture was viewed in a backyard R., NF June13 (GK) garneredrare summer LOONS TO HERONS near CansoTown, NS June22 (NP). The recordsfor the province. The astoundingYellow-nosed Albatross specieshas recently become an annual stray Upland Sandpiperscontinue to make photographedatMoncton, NB May24 (ST) to the Region,with thisbeing the eastern- headwayin theRegion, with newbreeding wasapparently seen again June 2o, a few mostto date.Very scarcebreeders in the locations found at the Fredricton and Monc- milesfarther upriver, soaring overhead for 45 Region,an actual nest of Cooper's Hawk was ton,NB airports(fide ST); and a groupof I3 minutes(I. Gunn,fideST). A JulyI Cory's found in a remote area of s.-c. New wasat theCharlottetown, PEI airport(RP). Shearwater,on the North Sydney,NS to Brunswick(DM). Northern Harriers were Highcounts of earlysouthbound shorebirds Argentia,NF fenyin Newfound- were35 Lesser Yellowlegs July x at landwaters was early and near the W. Lawrencetown,NS and 300 n. limit of its range(BMy). The Short-billedDowitchers July io at usualswarms of Greaterand Sooty Three Fathom Harbor, NS (IM). shearwaters were attracted to the The 250,000Semipalmated Sand- annualcapelin Mallotus villosus pipersat CapeSable, NS July25 spawningphenomenon around (IM) mayhave accounted for the Newfoundland's coast. Greaters apparentshortage atthe traditional usuallyoutnumber Sooties by at Minas Basin, NS sites,where the least 5:I. This year severalob- ..' highestcount was 30,000 at Wind- serversnoted higher than usual sorJuly zo (JT). numbersof SootyShearwaters. Twoad. W. Sandpiperssighted Samplecounts include iz,ooo Julyi6 at WhiteHead I., NB were Greaterand 8ooo Sooty shearwa- earlyfor thisrare migrant (GW). terson the NorthSydney, NS to • Thehighest count of Hudsonian Argentia,NF ferryJuly • (BMy) Godwit was35 at Robichaud,NB andI5OO Greater and x5oo Sooty July3I (fideST). EarlyStilt Sand- shearwatersat Cape SpearJuly piperswere singlesJune z7 at 19 (BMt). Two Wilson'sStorm- UpperCanard, NS (JT) andJuly Petrels in the Straits of Belle I., xo at Three Fathom Harbor, NS NF July25 were far northin the (IM). The only Wilson'sPhala- Region(BMt, ST). Prolonged NE ropeswere two throughJune at windsand fog along Newfound- CapeJourimain, NB (CA) anda land'se. coastin Juneresulted in juvenileJuly 3I at Inkerman(RD). manyreports of Leach'sStorm- Rarities were two Ruffs in mid- Petrel found dead and alive in Julyat BrierI., NS (PM) andtwo sheltered coves. CurlewSandpipers July II atCape The only"southern herons" re- SableI., NS (WA). portedwere single Great Egrets at
10•4 ßAmerican Birds,Winter 1993 JAEGERS TO ALCIDS samelocation and date as one last year (MH Goodsummer counts of subadultjaegers in et al.) Newfoundlandwere 5o Pomafine and io Thereseveral reports of therare Regional ParasiticJuly 3 at St. Vincent's/Pt.La Haye breeder,N. Rough-wingedSwallow, from (CB);zo Pomafineand two Parasitic July zo Mace'sBay, NB duringJuly (fideST). A off Argentia(BMt, ST), and 14Pomafine HouseWren sangJune 13 at the sameloca- andtwo Parasitic July z5 from the Straits of tion, Grand Harbor, G.M.I., NB, whereone theBelle I. ferry(BMt, ST). A Long-tailed hadsung for most of June-July I99:z (BD). A Jaegeroff the mouthof the PinwareR., SedgeWren singingin a smallmeadow in LabradorJuly I3 (BMy)was not as out of the Musquash,NB in mid-Julywas the only ordinaryas were 5 sub-adults on the beach at reportof this erraticand scarceRegional e. tipof Sable I., NSJuly z9 (ZL). breeder(RW). Very late springBlue-gray Newfoundland had the lions share of Gnatcatcherswere singles at Pictou,NS June LaughingGulls, with three of the total of five 9 (KM) andEast Pt., PEI in mid-June(AS). reportedin theRegion: one adult early June Ten "Bicknell's"Gray-cheeked Thrushes Adult Northern Hawk Owl at a uest site near at St.John's, NF (m.ob.);one znd-summer weresinging June I9 at FrenchMt. andCape July6 at StephenvilleCrossing, NF (BMt); DeerLake, Newfoundland, on June26,1993. Photograph/BruceMactavish. North,Cape Breton I., NS (BMy).A Brown oneznd-summer July I6 & 19at St. Vincent's ThrasherJune 6 at UpperStewiake, NS was NF (JG et al.); one adult JuneI4 at St. birds from the Straitsof Belle I. ferry, latefor a springmigrant (SG). Andrews,NB (RD), andone July 4 BirdI., detectedJuly IZ (BMy) & z5 (BMt, ST). A WarblingVireo sang at its usual CapeBreton I., NS (KM). Much rarerwas Common Murre still awaits confirmation as Wolfville,NS hauntall summer (fide BMy). anad. Franklin's Gull June z7 inlandat Deer a breederin the Bayof Fundy,but with Iz Thisis a veryscarce summer resident in the L., NF, forthe I3th provincial record, but the adultsand 3 juveniles seen around the Wolf province. firstaway from the coast (BMt). A first-sum- Is.,NB, weare getting very close (fide BD). mer Little Gull was at the Tracadie, NB WARBLERS TO FINCHES sewagelagoon July 5-Aug. I5 (RD). The DOVES TO VIREOS As an illustrationof just how earlyYellow maximum Corn. Black-headed Gull count at A White-wingedDove at GrandHarbor, Warblersbegin their migration,IO were StephenvilleCrossing was six (5 adultsand G.M.I., NB Junez furnishedthe 3rdrecord found at various locationson Sable I., NS onefirst-summer) July 6 (BMt). The same for the islands(H. Cossaboom)!A Black- duringthe last week of July (ZL). A Yellow- locationhad two ad. hybridCorn. Black- breastedChat singingin Lower Prince headedx Ring-billedgulls throughout the William,NB in mid-Junewas extraordinary period,including the individual noted there (DM). Chatsare among the regular strays to in summert99z (BMt). Lessthan annualin Newfoundlandsh•gh meadow vole popula- the Regionin autumn,but theyare rare in summer,an ad. Mew Gull was at the mouth springand almost unheard of in June! of the PinwareR., LabradorJuly I3 (BMy). tioffprOVided • bofifitY forOwls. Atleastf0U• :S,nowy Owlg remained th?oti• Jul• 0n the WesternTanager is a less-than-annual SummerLesser Black-backed Gull reports •rens of the s.-AvalonPen. (m.ob0. Sh6ix- vagrantto the Region,with almostall seemto be decreasing,perhaps because less eare•d•Owls were eomm9n along coastal !ow- recordsnoted for fall andearly winter. So it effortis directedat summergulls. The one lands.Three BorealOwl nest• in onepark comesas a surpriseto receivez excellent reportfor the season was of anadult sighted fledgedyoung. Several N-Hawk Owls •vere reports of WesternTanager for thissummer JulyI3 at PinwareR., Labrador(BMy). A seen-inw. Newfoundland, including • nest season:one male June 5 & 7 at BrownsArm, Black-leggedKittiwake exhibiting melanis- near'D•erL tfiai:fledged 5'r0bust young Bay of Exploits,NF (D. Gaskin,D. Fancy) ticcharacteristics, uniform smoky gray with ,(BMt). andanother male July 5 on Sable I., NS (ZL). thedarker pattern of znd-summerplumage A c3Painted Bunting was photographed on showingthrough, was studiedat Sally's a one-dayvisit to a bird feederat Red R., Cove,NF Julyz5 (BMt, ST). An ad. Ross' CapeBreton I., NS Junez (A. Timmons). Gull in highbreeding plumage was pho- billedCuckoo was lost on theedge of a bal- Another male was at a feederin Pictou, NS tographedat RameaI. off thesouth coast of samfir forestin w. NewfoundlandJuly 4 June i7-i8 (fide T. Bunbury). Painted Newfoundlandon the surprisingdate of (BMt etal.). The specieshad a banneryear Buntingsin theRegion are tainted buntings JuneIO (RN).Thisbird representsthe 7th aroundFredficton, NB, in responseto an becausewe never really know whether they recordfor the province,the firstfor early outbreakof tentcaterpillars. aretruly wild vagrants or escapeesfrom cap- Mayand mid-August. A BorealOwl callingat PortDufferin, NS tivity.Scarce vagrants to theRegion, appear- Singlead. RoyalTerns graced Castalia June5 provided a raresummer record for the ing thistime during late spring migration, Marsh,G.M.I., NB June17 (BD) andThree province,and the first outside Cape Breton I. werea Rufous-sidedTowhee June 6 and a FathomHarbor, NS June4 (BMy).After z (BMy et al.). A Red-headedWoodpecker GrasshopperSparrow June 8, both on the yearsof suspidousactivity, a pair of Black JuneIO at LowerJemseg, NB wasa raresum- tiny islandknown as Gannet Rock, in the Ternsactually nested at GrandBarachois, St. meroccurrence for the Region(fide DM). Bayof Fundy(RM). A Sharp-tailedSparrow Pierreet Miquelon(RE). This unexpected Up to threeWillow Flycatchers were singing in properbreeding habitat at Mummichog breedingrecord is 35omi e. of the nearest at Avonport,NS Junei3-July 6 (Sherman EE, NF July I5 representedonly the 5th knownbreeding site in New Brunswick. Williamset al.). The specieswas also singing recordfor the province,and first outside of SummerDovekie records are often suspect, at4 locationsin s.New Brunswick (fide ST). autumnmigration (BMy). espedallywhen young Dovekie-size murres A W. Kingbirdat Pictou,NS JuneIO was Fincheskept a low profile.Only Pine beginto leavethe nesting ledges during the unseasonablefor thisregular autumn stray Siskinsdid anythingextreme. They were 3rdweek of Jul• The summertally included (KM). A Scissor-tailedFlycatcher at North verycommon in flocksthroughout New- z reliableDovekie reports, both of single Head, G.M.I., NB June zz-z9 stakedthe foundlandand Nova Scotia. They made it to
Volume 47, Number 5-10• DIURNAL RAPTORS TO ALCIDS YA, L. Breton)was likely the samebird DOVES TO THRASHERS Themost notable Turkey Vulture sighting of viewedat Baie-du-Febvrein May. Notably A Mourning Dove at Lourdes-de-Blanc- the seasonwas of an adult at Percd,Gaspg early(or late!)on the MagdalenIs. wasa SablonJune 26 (JN) wasa raresight along June I6 OldePP). Rough-leggedHawks RuddyTurnstone at Grande-EntrdeJune 18 the Lower North Shore,as was a Black-billed nestedfarther S thanusual, building a nest (FS etal.) and two RedKnots at Pointe-aux- Cuckooat Cap-aux-Meules,Magdalen Is., on the man-made cliffs at LG-z dam e. of LoupsJune 29 (FS, AR). Also in thiscategory June2o (FS). And a BarnOwl wasfound JamesBay (R. Alvo),while an apparently wasa StiltSandpiper in alternateplumage at hundngover fields at Cap-TourmenteJune non-breedingindividual lingered at L. Saint- BromeL. June19 (I. Ferrier).The Upland t4-t7 (J-Lachance, C. Deschines,m.ob.). A JeanJuly II (CC, GS).A 9 WildTurkey was Sandpiperappears to be consolidatingits Snow7 Owl summeredat Grosse-Ile,Mag- encountered with her brood at Saint-Pierre, statusat then. limitsof itsrange, with a new dalenIs. (BL etal.), while the sighting of an ChateauguayJune6 (MM). colonycontaining 13 birds at Saint-Louis- apparentjuv. N. Hawk Owl at Sainte-Mar- du-Ha!Ha!, TgmiscouataJunez7 (MB) and guerite-MarieJuly 8 raisedthe possibility of othersfound at Notre-Dame-du-Portage, nesdngin theL. Saint-Jeanarea (JFR, CM). Rivibre-du-LoupJuly I (MB, A. Beaulieu) Whip-poor-willsare still found along the andSainte-Margudrite-Marie, L. Saint-Jean, n. shoreof L. Sainte-Jean,at VauvertJune Astudy conducted bythe CanadianWildlife through July 9 (CM, JFR). A Corn.Snipe 3-2I (JFR, CM) and La DordJune i2 (CC, .Service on I. auxGruesi offMontmagny, and encounteredat PovungnitukJuly 7 repre- GS,NB). A ChimneySwift was locally rare at Cacounacla?ified the statusof theYellb•v sentedour mostnortherly sighting of this at Grand-Ruisseau,Magdalen Is., June6 Rail,considered avulneribl• species intile species(YG). Uncommongulls included OqdeBL). Alsorare at Lourdes-de-Blanc- Region.As many as I5 and seven rails, respec- singlead. LaughingGulls inland at Aylmer Sablonwas an E. Kingbirdfound July IO tively,Were.hlard at'the i sites.'Twenty-o ne, June I (J. Dubois) and along the St. (JN). Eastof their currentbreeding range 2dofkhem males• 3vere bandedit/n6 i5-July Lawrenceat Rivi•re-OuelleJune 8 (CA), the wasa pair of PurpleMartins observed at •.z.Many we[e/e•ptur•d io•iy. 5Among Gasp6's first FranklinkGull at Barachois L'lslet-sur-MerJuly IO and a loneN. Rough- them was a.male. bande• atCac0ufia'June I7. June 6 (S. Marchandetal.), and anotherat wingedSwallow at Rivi•re-OuelleJune z5 (CA). BarnSwallows have not bredon the revapture•thereJulyZo,:•U• t•is,time 9nI t Rivikre-OuelleJuly 5 (CA). Thoughincom- MagdalenIs. since the i97os , so sightings at a0x•ru•,'!0catcd •ho•[ I•5'•km W•Of • plete,the description ofa laridat La Martre, Havre-aux-BasquesJune z (BL, C. Roy), bandling•ite(1V•_R, .eL)ß GaspalJuly z wasconsistent with that of an BassinJune 5 (SC), andHavre-Aubert June ad. CaliforniaGull (J.E Ouellet)--the bird zo (FS, AR) were a treat. Marsh Wrens .wascompared directly with both Ring-billed appear to beextending their range eastward, and Herring gulls.Single Lesser Black- notedon I. auxOies throughout the summer backedGulls were identified at Pabos,Gaspd andat Cacouna(MR). Enrichingour knowl- June4-i2 (ML, EL, m.ob.),at BirdRocks, edgeof thedistribution of N. Wheatearsin MagdalenIs., June 14 (FS, AR, SC), andat Quebecwere sightings of adultsdefending Ch•teau-Richer,Montmorency July 24-30 youngat Inukjuakand Akulivik July 9 & (G. Harvey).A Bonaparte'sGull in breeding i3-i4• respectively(YG); both sites are south plumagedefended a territoryat Havre-aux- of thepublished breeding range. A 9 Moun- Basqueson the MagdalenIs., Junez6 (FS, tain Bluebirdat Pointe-aux-Loups,Mag- PL, AR), where the speciesnested quite dalenIs., Junezy-z 9 representedthe first exceptionallyin I99o (see AB 44:IIII). One, documentedrecord for the Region (J. andpossibly z, Ring-billedGull nestsdis- Hardy,v.o.). What was very likely the same coveredin a tern colonyat Grande-Entr& bird wasseen July 1 at nearbyEtang-du- One of the 21 Yellow Rails that were banded in constituteda first for thearchipelago--cer- Nord (D.G. Audet, C.A. Audet). Quebecduring summer 1993. tainlyunwelcome news for residentterns Photog•aplVMicbe!Robert. "Bicknell's"Gray-cheeked Thrush, whose (FS, AR). Two Great Black-backedGulls statusand distribution are still poorly known Two Yellow Rails were also detected at werefound at Akulivik July 9 (YG).Several in s. Quebec,was identified at 3 new loca- nearbyCap-Tourmente July 8 (R. Gingras). CaspianTerns were noted along the St. tions.Single birds were calling on Mt. Trem- Noteworthywas an ad. Com. Moorhen with Lawrence;the species was absent, however, blantin June(P. Dupuy), in Montmorency 9 youngon I. auxOies July I8 (MR etal.); fromFog I., alongthe Lower North Shore. ForestJune 9 (E Bdbard),and at Viller L., while the specieshas nested as far eastas This is the onlyknown nesting site in the Maskinong•July 25 (B. Asselinet al.). The Cacouna,it is still rareanywhere e. of Que- province,and the search this year uncovered BrownThrasher appears to bedoing well at bec City. A groupof six SandhillCranes evidenceof recentegging by localnatives the e. limit of its range,with two seenat reportedon I. d'Orldans,near Quebec City (GCh).A thoroughsearch of theMagdalen ChandlerJune 7 (LL, AC), one found at June2z (A. Durand,fide PE) was quite unex- Is.for the rare Roseate Tern produced 3pairs; Baie-ComeauJuly 5 (GB), andat leastone pected,while a lone crane heard in a bog near a 9 Roseate mated with a Common tern, pairsummering at Rimouski(J. Boulva,fide L'Ascension,L. Saint-Jean,not far from while another Common found dead at PD. whereseveral birds were sighted back in May, Grande-EntreeJune I8 had beenbanded in waspossibly a local nester (JFR, CM). Brazil(FS, AR). Majortern colonies on the VIREOS TO GROSBEAKS Shorebirds had a rather uneventful sea- Gasp•Pen. failed totally as a resultof preda- A WarblingVireo seenat Mdtabetchouan son.Lone Willets turned up at all 3 sites tion by foxesand Herring Gulls (M. June5 (CC, GS) waswell n. of its breeding along the St. Lawrenceestuary (GB, A. Guillemette).Only threeAtlantic Puffins range,while a c• Golden-wingedWarbler Duval, CA, M.A. Rub•novitch, PF, B. wereseen at BirdRocks, Magdalen Is., June sightedat DoyleyL., GatineauJune 2 (M. Bernier),while a Marbled Godwit at Saint- t4 (AR, FS), down from ca. ioo birdsthat Aub•, S. Barrette)was a firstfor thislocale. A Barthdldmy,BerthierJune 10--14 (C. Nadeau, hadoccupied this colony ini989. searchof the pineryat Saint-Lazare,Vau-
Volume 47, Number 5' 1087 DIURNAL RAPTORS TO ALCIDS YA, L. Breton)was likely the samebird DOVES TO THRASHERS Themost notable Turkey Vulture sighting of viewedat Baie-du-Febvrein May. Notably A Mourning Dove at Lourdes-de-Blanc- the seasonwas of an adultat Percd,Gaspd early(or late!)on the MagdalenIs. wasa SablonJune z6 (JN) wasa raresight along June16 (fidePP). Rough-leggedHawks RuddyTurnstone at Grande-Entr6eJune 18 the Lower North Shore,as was a Black-billed nestedfarther S thanusual, building a nest (FS etal.) and two Red Knotsat Pointe-aux- Cuckooat Cap-aux-Meules,Magdalen Is., on the man-made cliffs at LG-z dam e. of LoupsJune z9 (FS,AR). Also in thiscategory Junezo (FS). And a Barn Owl wasfound JamesBay (R. Alvo),while an apparently wasa StiltSandpiper in alternateplumage at huntingover fields at Cap-TourmenteJune non-breedingindividual lingered at L. Saint- BromeL. June19 (I. Ferrier).The Upland 14-17(J. Lachance,C. Deschines,m.ob.). A JeanJuly 11 (CC, GS).A 9 Wild Turkeywas Sandpiperappears to be consolidatingits SnowyOwl summeredat Grosse-Ile,Mag- encounteredwith her brood at Saint-Pierre, statusat then. limitsof itsrange, with a new dalenIs. (BL etal.), while the sighting of an ChateauguayJune6 (MM). colonycontaining 13 birds at Saint-Louis- apparentjuv. N. Hawk Owl at Sainte-Mar- du-Ha!Ha!, TdmhcouataJune z 7 (MB) and guerite-MarieJuly 8 raisedthe possibility of othersfound at Notre-Dame-du-Portage,nesting in theL. Saint-Jeanarea (JFR, CM). Rivi?re-du-LoupJuly i (MB, A. Beaulieu) Whip-poor-willsare still found along the andSainte-Margudrite-Marie, L. Saint-Jean, n. shoreof L. Sainte-Jean,at VauvertJune throughJuly 9 (CM, JFR).A Corn.Snipe 3-21 (JFR, CM) and La Dord June I2 (CC, encounteredat PovungnitukJuly 7 repre- GS,NB). A ChimneySwift was locally rare sentedour mostnortherly sighting of this at Grand-Ruisseau,Magdalen Is., June6 species(YG). Uncommongulls included (fideBL). Also rare at Lourdes-de-Blanc- singlead. Laughing Gulls inland at Aylmer Sablonwas an E. Kingbirdfound July lO June i (J. Dubois) and along the St. (JN). Eastof theircurrent breeding range Lawrenceat Rivi•re-OuelleJune 8 (CA), the wasa pair of PurpleMartins observedat Gasp•'sfirst Franklin'sGull at Barachois 12Islet-sur-MerJuly lO and a loneN. Rough- June6 (S. Marchandet al.), and anotherat wingedSwallow at Rivi•re-OuelleJune z5 (CA). Barn Swallowshave not bred on the Rivi•re-OuelleJuly 5 (CA).Though incom- plete,the description ofa laridat La Martre, MagdalenIs. since the 197os, so sightings at GaspalJuly z wasconsistent with that of an Havre-aux-BasquesJune z (BL, C. Roy), BassinJune 5 (SC), and Havre-AubertJune ad. CaliforniaGull (J.E Ouellet)--the bird zo (FS, AR) were a treat. Marsh Wrens .wascompared directly with both Ring-billed appearto beextending their range eastward, and Herring gulls. SingleLesser Black- notedon I. auxOies throughout the summer backedGulls were identified at Pabos,Gaspd andat Cacouna(MR). Enrichingour knowl- June4-1z (ML, EL, m.ob.),at Bird Rocks, edgeof thedistribution of N. Wheatearsin MagdalenIs., June 14 (FS, AR, SC), andat Quebecwere sightings of adultsdefending Chiteau-Richer,Montmorency July z4-3o youngat Inukjuakand Akulivik July 9 eg (G. Harvey).A Bonaparte'sGull in breeding 13-14,respectively (YG); both sites are south plumagedefended a territory at Havre-aux- ofthe published breeding range. A 9 Moun- Basqueson the MagdalenIs., June z6 (FS, tain Bluebirdat Pointe-aux-Loups,Mag- PL, AR), wherethe speciesnested quite dalenIs., Junez7-z9 representedthe first exceptionallyin 199o(see AB 44:1111). One, documentedrecord for the Region (J andpossibly z, Ring-billedGull nestsdis- Hardy,v.o.). What was very likely the same coveredin a tern colonyat Grande-Entr6e One of the 21 Yellow Rails that were banded in bird wasseen July 1 at nearbyEtang-du- constituteda first for thearchipelago--cer- Nord (D.G. Audet, C.A. Audet) Quebecduring summer 1993. tainly unwelcomenews for residentterns Photograph/MichdRoberL "Bicknell's"Gray-cheeked Thrush, whose (FS, AR). Two Great Black-backedGulls statusand distribution are still poorly known Two Yellow Rails were also detected at werefound at AkulivikJuly 9 (YG). Several in s. Quebec,was identified at 3 new loca- nearbyCap-Tourmente July 8 (R. Gingras). CaspianTerns were noted along the St. tions.Single birds were calling on Mt. Trem- Noteworthywas an ad. Corn. Moorhen with Lawrence;the specieswas absent, however, blantin June(P. Dupuy), in Montmorency 9 youngon I. auxOies July 18 (MR etal.); fromFog I., alongthe Lower North Shore. ForestJune 9 (E B•bard),and at Viller L., whilethe specieshas nested as far eastas This is the onlyknown nesting site in the MaskinongdJuly25 (B. Asselinet al.). The Cacouna,it is stillrare anywhere e. of Que- province,and the search this year uncovered BrownThrasher appears to bedoing well at bec City. A groupof six SandhillCranes evidenceof recentegging by localnatives the e. limit of its range,with two seenat reportedon I. d'Orl•ans,near Quebec City (GCh).A thoroughsearch of theMagdalen ChandlerJune 7 (LL, AC), one found at Junezz (A. Durand,fide PE) was quite unex- Is.for the rare Roseate Tern produced 3 pairs; Baie-ComeauJuly 5 (GB), andat leastone pected,while a lonecrane heard in a bognear a 9 Roseatemated with a Common tern, pairsummering at Rimouski(J. Boulva, fide L'Ascension,L. Saint-Jean,not far from while another Common found dead at PF). whereseveral birds were sighted back in May, Grande-EntrdeJune 18 had been banded in waspossibly a local nester (JFR, CM). Brazil(FS, AR). Majortern colonies on the VIREOS TO GROSBEAKS Shorebirdshad a rather uneyentfulsea- GaspdPen. failed totally as a resultofpreda- A WarblingVireo seenat Mdtabetchouan son.Lone Willets turnedup at all 3 sites tion by foxesand Herring Gulls (M. June5 (CC, GS) waswell n. of its breeding alongthe St. Lawrenceestuary (GB, A. Guillemette).Only threeAtlantic Puffins range,while a c3Golden-winged Warbler Duval, CA, M.A. Rub6novitch, PF, B. wereseen at BirdRocks, Magdalen Is., June sightedat DoyleyL., GatineauJune 2 (M. Bernier),while a Marbled Godwit at Saint- 14 (AR, FS), down from ca. lOObirds that Aub& S. Barrette)was a firstfor thislocale. A Barth•l•my,Berth•erJune IO-14 (C Nadeau, hadoccupied th•s colony •n1989 searchof the p•neryat Sa•nt-Lazare,Vau-
Volume 47, Number 5.10•? dreuilJulyz produceda c• TennesseeWar- B•langer,L. Brisson)and singles noted near influxof N. Oriolesonto the GasptPen., z blerand eight Cape Mays (PB). At leastone LtvisJune •2 (A. Desrochers)and at Beau- birdsbrightened the Magdalen Is. at Bassin nestingpair of the latterestablished a first port, QudbecJune 2• (D. Campeau).Lone (SC)and Grand-Ruisseau (N. Richard)June breedingrecord for the Montreal area. Both Clay-coloredSparrows were found at 5 & 6. Smallnumbers of RedCrossbills were borealspecies were s. of theirusual summer Granby(R. Bannon)and Saint-Polycarpe, widely reported in June,including z adults range.Palm Warblers were apparently more SoulangesJune•z & •3 (B. Barnhurst,MM), feeding3young at Saint-FulgenceJune z5 (L common than usual in the Lower St. whilea LarkSparrow showed up at Chan- Irabeau).Irregular in the MagdalenIs, Lawrence,with •4 countedin a bognear Riv- dler,Gaspal June 5 (LL,ACet al.),to furnish EveningGrosbeaks were sighted there on 4 •tre-du-LoupJune •5-July 7 (CM, JFR)and our firstJune record. This species appears occasionsin June,with a maximumcount of at Pointe-an-PtreJune zo-z5 (J.L.Martel). moreregularly as a fallvagrant. Outside their •o at LavernitreJune z6 (JBo,BD. Breedingof theCerulean Warbler was con- Abitibi stronghold,Le Conte'sSparrows firmed at Pte. du Gouvernement,Iberville, weredetected at 6 locations,including Saint- Initialed observers and area editors (in bold- for the first time (PB, N. Roy, DD); a Fulgencein June(CC, GS etal.) andI. anx face):C. Auchu,P. Bannon, M. Beaulieu,N remarkable concentration of five Ceruleans GruesJune 4-July •4 (MR). The brackish Binet,G. Bouchard,J. Bourque(JBo), J. turned up in GatineauN.P., June•9-zo marshat Saint-Fulgencealso produced a Brisson, G. Chapdelaine (GCh), A (B.M. DiLabio, fide M. Gosselin).A Sharp-tailedSparrow June 2• (J.Ibarzabal), Charette,C. Cormier,G. Cyr, S. Cyr, D Louisiana Waterthrush was at La Blanche whilea White-crownedlingered at a feeder Daigneault,E Dorais,P. Ethier, E Fradette, L., PapineauJunez3-July • (C. Baumann). at Sainte-Hedwidge,L. Saint-Jean, until the Y. Gauthier,D. Janvin,M. Lalancette,L Out of rangewere a ScarletTanager at latedate of June •z (NB, C. Bouchard). Lake, E Laporte,M. Larrivte (MLr), E FranquelinJune • (GB) anda 5•N. Cardi- A beaverpond near Wemindji, James Bay, Lavoie,B. Leblanc,C. Marcotte,M. Mcin- nal at Grand-Lac-Victoria,Pontiac June •4 hostedat leastfour d' Red-wingedBlack- tosh,L. Messely,J. Nove,P. Poulin,A (E. Artigau).Single c• IndigoBuntings birdsJune •9 (PD), providingevidence of a Richard, M. Robert, J.E Rousseau,G. observedatBonaventure June z (R.Jean,fide n. range extension. Western visitants Savard,E Shaffer.--RICHARD YANK, 566 J.M. Pitre) and Lavernitre,Magdalen Is., includeda W. Meadowlarkin songat Saint- ChesterRd., BeaconsfieldPQ, H9W 3I•; June5-8 (JBo,BL) wereremnants of thelate Edouard,Lotbini?reJune 24 (G. Lepage,R. and YVES AUBRY, CanadianWildlife Ser- Mayinflux into e. Quebec. Lepage)and lone Yellow-headed Blackbirds vice,P.O. Box IOiOO,Sainte-Foy PQ, GIV Rufous-sidedTowhees may have bred far- evenfarther e. at Cascap•dia,Gaspt Pen., 4H5 ß thereast than usual, with a pairfrequenting June6 (MLr, EL) andat CacounaJune •4-5 th• RimouskiW.M.A., June•6-July •9 (E. (CM, JFR,v.o.). In additionto the spring
mer EveningGrosbeak incursion. Never Grebewas seen at Rye,NH July24 (SM), NEWENGLAND withoutrarities, the Region also managed to whilemore unusual were three non-breeding producerecords of LittleEgret, Long-billed Red-neckedGrebes at Rockland,ME June REGION Curlew,Black-tailed Godwit, White-winged •9 (GS,JP) and one viewed throughout July lyne R.Petersen Dove,and Fork-tailed Flycatcher. at Chatham,MA, (v.o.). Continuingthe tradition of thelast sev- LOONSTO CORMORANTS eralsummers, pelagic species were generally In additionto theusual scattered reports of scarcewithin the boundariesof the newly Weatherin New Englandcould only be lingeringRed-throated Loons, abird in basic designatedStellwagen Bank Marine Sanctu- describedassunny, warm, and dry. In south- plumageat NapatreePt., RI Junet was ary, the Region'smost accessible inshore ern New England,June temperatures were judgedto be a PacificLoon (CRa). This is commercialfishing area. Only Wilson's less than zør above normal, and rainfall the 2ndsuch Regional summer report in 5 Storm-Petrelswere consistentlypresent totaledonly •.75 inches. July's weather nearly yearsof this tricky-to-identify species. If only there,the maximum count being 300 June I9 paralleledthat of June. Although the average theywere in breedingplumage! The nesting (E. Salmela).In nearbyCape Cod Bay,a temperaturewas a mere•.2ør above normal, successof New EnglandCorn. Loons was countof4oo Wilson'sand •2 Leach'sstorm- sizzling99 % weatherJuly 7 toppeda record dimthis summer, apparently due to heavy petrelswas made July 20 (PT). Other setin •883,and 8 dayshit the 9oørmark. predation.In Massachusetts,8 pairs raised Regionalpelagic bird maxima induded 3oo Despitethe severeheat in the firsthalf of only4 chicks,the fewest since •985; and at L. Cory'sShearwaters at Cox'sLedge July 22 July,the lack of heavyrain may have spared Winnipesaukee,NH, •8pairs hatched a pal- (DE, DF), •oo Greater Shearwatersat the nestingbirds the highmortality that rainy try 3 chicks,of whichnone survived (BB). samesite July 8 (DF), 2oo Sootiesoff weatherso often brings. Vermontloons faired slightly better, with •5 ChathamJune 5-6 (WH), fiveManx Shear- Outstandingamong the grains garnered nestingpairs fledging •2 chicks(CR). On a watersat Cox'sLedge July •5 (DF) andone from the season'schaff were continued nest- morepositive note, a singleconcentration of nearthe mouthof LongIsland Sound off ing successesamong New England'sBald 75non-breeders in upper Buzzards Bay, MA Stonington,CT July•4 (R. Amodeiet al), Eagle,Peregrine Falcon, Piping Plover, and July• (fideSAP) was higher than normal. and one Audubon's Shearwater in warm tern populations;the continuationand SouthernNew England'sdiminishing waternear Cox's Ledge July 8 (DF). expansionof a "Bicknell's"Gray-cheeked population of breedingPied-billed Grebes Shoalingbait fish were apparently respon- Thrushbreeding survey in n. NewEngland; washighlighted by the presence of anadult siblefor concentrating•oo N. Gannetsoff a comprehensiveinventory ofgrassland birds with 4 youngat RhodeIsland's Trustom ChathamJune 5-6 (WH), and6o seenoff in Massachusetts;unusual nesting records of PondN.W.R., July •-8 6qdeJ.Osborn). This Rockport,MA June7 (CL) mayhave been Pied-billedGrebe and Hooded Merganser in specieswas unrecorded asa breederin Rhode partof thesame late-moving flight of gan- RhodeIsland and Lincoln's Sparrow in Mas- Island duringa breedingbird atlascon- nets.In the ever-expandingworld of the sachusetts,and an unprecedented m•dsum- ductedI98z-•987 A summenngHorned Double-crested Cormorant, numbers of
10• .American Birds,Winter 1993 pairsin RhodeIsland this year that area (DE). In Rhode Island, reachedI97I, comparedwith I8 in Hooded Merganserswere only I98I (J.Meyers, R. Ferren),while confirmedonce as breeders during at YoungI. in L. Champlain,a i982-i987,so the discoveryof a minimum of 340 nests were broodof ix youngat SummitJune •l-•Baxter countedJuly 14 (CR). Although 22 (R. Champfin)was a notable increasinglyfrequent, inland event.Especially intriguing was reportsof Great Cormorantsin the appearanceof two Ruddy summerare still notable, so singles MAINE Ducks at Trustore Pond N.W.R., at Harrisville,NH June 13 (K. Junei2 (C. Harten).This species I Grandlsle Bangor ß Kotila)and at Lakeville,MA July3 Machias•e3 hasa history of irregularbreeding (K. Anderson)deserve mention. i?DleadBurlingtonCreek in s. NewEngland, so all summer WMA l•occurrences shouldbeviewed with HERONSTO WATERFOWL NH ', thatpossibility in mind. A count of four Least Bitterns VT throughoutJune at Wayland,MA Concorde RAPTORS (SA)was the highest in theRegion Portsmout• i Threesingle reports ofthe ever- for thisreclusive species, while a Quabbin•3• i increasingBlack Vulture were Res •; pairat CapeElizabeth, ME July4 MA ; received,in Sheffield,M_A June i 4-5 (fideSK),Cranston, RIJulyx6 (JB)represented thenorthernmost Hartford, report.Breeding data on colonial (J.& R. Gee),and N. Kingston,RI long-leggedwaders in Mas- July2I (J. Gee).Breeding success sachusettsand Rhode Island were : of Ospreyswas apparently better the mostcomplete in severalsea- • than lastyear, when a numberof sons.In Massachusetts,Catherine younghad died of starvation.In Parsonsprovided information for several speciesin New Englandseems to be New Hampshire,x 4 successfulnests pro- colonies.At MiddleBrewster, Gallops, and marginalat best.In Vermont,the Cattle duced25 chicks (DD), whilein Connecticut, Sarah islands, all in the Boston Har- Egretcolony at YoungI., L. Champlain, 65nests fledged 119 young--a 23% increase bor/HinghamHarbor area, nest counts containedat least15 nests with young, July 14 from1992. The nowroutine northward wan- includedthe following:Great Egret, 6; (CR).A tallyof fourYellow-crowned Night- &tingof Swallow-tailed Kites this year man- SnowyEgret, z66; Black-crownedNight- Heronsin Hingham,MA throughoutJune ifestedin theform of reportsfrom Brewster, Heron, 73i; and GlossyIbis, 3- On Cape (K. Ward)strongly suggested the possibility MA JuneIX (T. •X•R. Noyes)and Acoaxet, Cod,Sampson's I., Barnstable contained the of localbreeding by this solitary nester. MA June3o (R. Clifton). nestsof sixGreat Egrets, 4o SnowyEgrets, ThreeWhooper Swans in Massachusetts BaldEagles continue to flourishin their and 155Black-crowned Night-Herons. At continuedto beseen in theBeverly/Plum I. newlyconsolidated breeding areas. At L. Coatueon Nantucket, the nest tally was 5 for areathroughout June and July (v.o.).As Umbagog,NH, a singlepair brought off 2 GreatEgret, 48 for Snowy Egret, and 70 for describedby SimonPerkins in the Spring young(DD) andat Barkhamsted Res., CT, a Black-crownedNight-Heron. Overall, Par- Report,the origin of thesebirds was defi- singleyoung, plus a fosterchick from Mas- sons'research in Massachusettssuggests that nitelysuspect. Perhaps more meaningful was sachusetts,were successfully fledged (fide there has been a I6ø/0decline for all the listed the first confirmedbreeding of the Mute BK). In Massachusetts,thes. New England heronspecies since i977-i984, with a dropof Swanin Vermont,where a pair raised3 strongholdof the Bald Eagle, 6 pairsfledged 3z%since i984. One hypothesis to explain youngin Georgia(M. Zetterstrom),aswell IO chicks,induding a pairin Middleboro, this declineis thoughtto be relatedto asan increase in NewHampshire as reflected Plymouth,for the first confirmed nesting in increasingPCB contaminationat certain by 4 pairsand xo yearlings in theNewmar- e.Massachusetts thiscentury (fide B. Davis). suboptimalrookerysites near urban areas. In ket/Durhamarea (SM). Two notablylate A single-sitetally of 17Am. Kestrelsin an annual surveyof heronriesin Narra- Brantsappeared in SeabrookHarbor, NH Middleboro,MA July31 (WRP) was indica- gansettBay, RI, J. Meyers and R. Ferren pro- July24 (D. Abbott). tiveof a post-breedinggathering at anopti- videdthe following nest counts: Great Egret, In AroostookME, wherelast year's first mumforaging location. A small,but appar- i6o;Snowy Egret, i5o; Little Blue Heron, 5; Maine nestingrecord for N. Pintailwas ently regular,breeding population of Cattle Egret,six; Black-crownedNight- obtained,17 pintails and IOO Am. Wigeons Merlinsin e.Maine was exemplified this year Heron,394; and Glossy Ibis, z97. The Great werecounted at Ft. Fairfield during mid-July bya pairin Cuder,Washington, in late June Egretand Snowy Egret totals showed a dra- (W. Sheehan).Four pairs of nestingwigeons (fideJD).As with BaldEagles, the hacking maticincrease from i992, when countswere werelocated at GrandI., VT duringJuly (D. effortswith PeregrineFalcons during the xxoand z3, respectively; however, these fig- Hoag),and three apparently non-breeding I98us are steadily reaping rewards. For exam- uresare lessimpressive as compared with individualswere found at Rye,NH July24 ple,in Maine,a pairat Acadia N.P. raised 4 1991counts. Other noteworthyreports of (SM). More enigmaticwas a drakeEur. young(m. ob.); in Vermont,IO nesting pairs long-leggedwaders included i8 GreatEgrets Wigeonfound at Newport,RI June25 (C. produceda spectacularzi chicks(CR); in andIX Snowy Egrets inland along the lower Manning).Bewildered can only describe the NewHampshire, 5pairs fledged IX young-- ConnecticutR. in MassachusettsJuly z9 & condition of a hen Corn. Eider that hit a the bestin I3 years(DD); and in Mas- z8-3o, respectively(fide SK). The Little truckthe evening of July29, far inlandat sachusetts,z pairs raised 5young (TF). Egretpresent at NantucketI. sinceMay Jackman,ME, practicallyon the Quebec remainedthroughout the period (v.o.). Five border(fide C. Dtmcan). A maximumof z8 RAILS TO SHOREBIRDS TricoloredHerons were reported Region- eidersat SakonnetPt., RI throughoutthe A convincingdescription of a callingYellow wide, althoughcurrent breeding of this periodwas significantly higher than usual in Rail in the SebasticookWatershed, Somerset
Volume 47, Number 5.10•9 ME June14 (J. Pinchbeck et al.) offerscom- tentwith thatof mostrecent years. Because thetern colony at Plymouth,MA (fideSH) pellingsupport to thenotion that this secre- conditions in Alaska and arctic Canada were Othergulls distinguished themselves with t,verail may be a rarebreeder in thenorthern advancedand considerablywarmer than appearancesby a LittleGull at Barnstable, recessesof the Region.Perhaps equally usualin someregions, unlike I99Z, the MA Julyz6 (BN), an uncommonmid-sum- unusualwas the persuasive sighting of a King arrival of southbound adult shorebirds was merLesser Black-backed at Ninigrit Conser- Railat Scarborough,CumberlandME June slightlylater than last year, suggesting that vation Area, RI June I6 (PB), and a most I3-zz (S.Pollock m.ob.). The precisecurrent breedingactivity may have been more nor- unusual Sabine's Gull in first-summer breedingstatus of thisspecies in theRegion mal. A Whimbrel noted at Scituate, MA plumageat NausetBeach, Eastham, MAJuly ,svery poorly known, even in s. NewEng- JuneI8 (SH) couldnot confidently be deter- I (J. Sones).What wasprobably the same land.Only slightly less scarce than the King minedas late or early;however, 493 entering individualappeared at ChathamJuly z5 Rail thesedays, Com. Moorhenswere an eveningroost at N. MonomoyI., Julyz 4 (BN). reportedfrom a meager5localities. The sin- (WH) wasclearly the periodpeak count. A The mostoutstanding tern reports of the gleconfirmed breeding report was of z pairs white-rumpedWhimbrel of oneof theOld season involved a Gull-billed Tern at N with 6 chicksat Stratton I., Saco, YorkME World races also appearedat the N. MonomoyI., July 5 (M. Sylvia),an early July17 (G. Carsonet al.). With the virtual MonomoyI. roost,July u (WH). A briefly CaspianTern at MilfordPt., CT Julyzi (J abandonmentof theRegion by nestingAm. seenLong-billed Curlew at S. Dartmouth, Young),and a totalof at leasteight Royal Cootssince the early I97os, the appearance MA July14 (M. Sylvia)was one of very few Terns,all in s. New England.In Mas- ofa singleindividual at Milford, MAJune z6 modernoccurrences in the Region. Could it sachusetts,the seasoh'stotals for breeding (TA)was intriguing. The increasinglyregu- have been the same individual seen in Rhode pairsof ternsincluded i35I Roseate,8õ9I lar SandhillCrane made a tokenappearance Islandin I99I?Undoubtedly the premiere Common, sevenArctic, and z6i4 Least,as in New Englandthis summer, with oneat shorebird of the season was a Black-tailed wellas three Black Skimmers (fideSH). Par- Sharon,CT JulyI7-3I (L.Whittlesey et al.). Godwit in alternate plumage at N. ticularlyinteresting was the discoveryin AnAm.Golden-Plover at Hadley, MAJuly 9 MonomoyI., June z3-July 7 (ph., BN mid-Julyof a RoseateTern at Bird I., MA (S.Surner, P. Yeskie) was early by more than a m.ob.).This striking individual represented that had been banded in Dublin, Ireland in month.On thenesting front, Piping Plovers onlythe znd recorded in NewEngland, with JulyI991 (I. Nisbet).Could this individual continue to increasein most areas.In Maine, theprevious record back in Aprilz3, I967 at possiblyprovide a clueto solvingthe mystery 3zpairs were found breeding (fide M.A.S.); S. Dartmouth,MA. AmongBlair Nikula's of where North American Roseate Terns ,n Massachusetts,z87pairs statewide totaled other godwit recordsof interestat N. spendthe winter? At L. Champlain,izo pairs twice that of i99o (SH), and in Rhode MonomoyI. werean earlyHudsonian, June ofCom. Terns fledged a record 75 young this Island,8 pairsat QuicksandPt. producedz1 z9;the period's highest tally of Io5,seen July season(CR). young (CRa). Only in Connecticutwere zS;and the first Marbled Godwit of thesum- numbersreportedly down, although precise mer,July 17 . DOVES TO PIPITS figureswere not available at thetime ofwrit- A maximumcount ofz5oo Sanderlings in A White-wingedDove at Chappaquiddick ,ng(fide BK). Chatham,MA July3I (BN) seemspaltry as I., Martha'sVineyard June Iz-I3 (E. Potter, AmericanOystercatchers numbered 9 comparedwith someof the greataggrega- v.o.)represented yet another in an irregular breedingpairs in NarragansettBay, RI (fide tionsrecorded in that area4 ¸ yearsago. seriesof summerreports for thisitinerant DE), and respectablenumbers of Willets Peepshad not distinguishedthemselves by columbid. In Massachusetts,the first con- wererepresented bycounts of 3zat Seabrook theend of July, and only a late,northbound firmed nestingof the Monk Parakeet Harbor,NH, Julyz 4 (A. & B. Delorey)and groupof5o White-rumped Sandpipers at N. occurred when a nest was located at Taunton zoo at N. MonomoyI., MA duringJuly MonomoyI., June8 (BN) wasworthy of JuneI (DE). Verylikely, this pair originated (BN). The decline of grasslandbirds comment.A PectoralSandpiper at N. at a not-too-distantcolony in Warwick,RI. throughoutthe Region has increasingly been MonomoyI., June8 (BN) wasdecidedly late A pairof BarnOwls very close to the regu- ,dentitled ascause for concern. In an effort to but wasconsiderably eclipsed by Iz Purple lar n. limit of theirbreeding range success- properlyassess the populations of severalof Sandpipersat MatinicusRock, Knox, ME fullynested at Newburyport,MA forat least themost characteristic grassland species this July 19 (fideM.A.S.). The Region'sonly the znd consecutiveyear (TF). In mid-June, season,an intensivestatewide survey was CurlewSandpiper visited N. MonomoyI., an emaciatedSnowy Owl wascaptured alive undertakenin Massachusettsby Andrea July z5-3I (BN). The first southbound and taken to a rehabilitation center after it Jonesworking under the direction of Peter Short-billedDowitchers appeared at N. wasfound harassing terns in the colonyat Vickeryof the Massachusetts Audubon Soci- MonomoyI., June17 (BN), shortly to befol- SealI., Knox,ME (fideW. Townsend).An ety.One result of thissurvey was the discov- lowedby a peakcount of zoooat thesame impressivetotal ofzo N. Saw-whetOwls was erythat only 6i pairsof UplandSandpipers siteJuly z (v.o).A totalof sevenWilson's locatedin n. Berkshire,MA duringJune and arecurrently breeding in Massachusettsand Phalaropesat S. MonomoyI., JulyIi (D. July (R. Rancatti).Glenn d'Entremont's thatthese pairs are concentrated at u sites, Scott)represented a notably high count for annualWhip-poor-will surveys in theMyles only5 of whichcontain 4 or morepairs. In thatlocality. StandishS.E, Plymouth,MA, produceda Vermont,Upland Sandpipers were noted at maximumtotal of 3ocalling birds June z4. In 14 sites(JP); at PeaseInternational Trade- JAEGERSTO TERNS Connecticut,13 birds were heard calling in port, NH, Io-i2 pairsproduced 15 young Themost inexplicable jaeger report involved thePachaug S.E, Voluntown, June 19-July 4 (DD); and in Connecticut, I-IO birdswere a PomarineJaeger that was picked up alive (D. Provencher). presentat BradleyInternational Airport, approximatelyio mi fromthe coast on a turf The Region'smeager population of Red- WindsorLocks, throughout the period(J. farm in Richmond,RI July 30 (M. & S. headedWoodpeckers this year included a Morin),and three were seen at SikorskyAir- Carr). The bird wastaken to a rehabilitation totalof 6 reportedbreeding pairs, 3 ofwhich port,Stratford July 7 (B. O'Toole).Overall, center,where it eventuallydied. Laughing were in Vermont and the others in Massa- thepassage ofad. arctic-breeding shorebirds Gulls established a new beachhead this sum- chusettsand Connecticut. Nesting Yellow- wason schedule and of a magnitudeconsis- mer,when Io pa,rsbegan nesting adjacent to bell,edFlycatchers have yet to beconfirmed
1090. AmericanB•rds, Winter 1993 in Massachusetts,so 2 singingindividuals ablynorth of the species'regular summer in Windsor, WindsorMA June 19 (CQ) range.A pitiful 8 Regionalreports during weretantalizing. Scissor-tailed Flycatchers June, all from Massachusetts,were received appearedat BarnI., Stonington,CT June3 for therapidly disappearing Golden-winged More noteworthywas an unprecedented (D. Provencher)and at Chatham,MA June Warbler(fide B.O. and SK). Three reports of •id-summerinflux of EveningGrosbeaks 27 (R. Heil,J. Smith),while a rare-in-spring "Brewster's" and 2 of"Lawrence's" warblers intos, NeW England. Beginning in lateJUne, Fork-tailedFlycatcher briefly graced Ram I., in the Massachusetts area underscore the smallnumbers of grosbeaksbegan to appear Mattapoisett,MAJune 29 (R. Andrews, BB). continuinggenetic problem for the belea- in m •rcesterandFranklin MA, so that by At Lebanon,NH, a flock of 250 ad. and gueredGolden-winged Warbler. Particularly latejuly, more tha n !5obirds had been juv. Cliff Swallows,July 25 (P. Hunt) was earlysigns of southwardwarbler movement reportedfrom a wide scatte?ing oflocalities, noteworthy,and in Massachusetts,respect- werereflected by a reportof singleTennessee including s•veral areas in WhichPOsitive abletallies included 63 activenests at Wil- and CapeMay warblersin Petersham,MA nesrlngtq9 k place(fide WRP, D• Small), liamsburg(M. Silver)and 33 active nests at July•8 (J.Baird), while seemingly late spring • specieshas alwaYS been arare peripheral Marshfield(D. Clapp).It isalmost scary to migrantsat PlumI., MA includeda Palm breede?ifi Massachusettsand, although findthat 25 pairs of HouseWrens at the High WarblerJune •2 (RAF)and a BlackpollWar- some6f theflying young noted may have RidgeW.M.A., Gardner,MA, fledgedx47 bler June 27 (E. Salmela).A handful of B•enfledged N of the Bg• Sta•e, anumber young(BB) out of a totalofn 7 boxesposted CeruleanWarblers were reported from tradi- clearly•re not.South of MissachUSett•t for E. Bluebirds! For at least the 2nd consec- tionalbreeding localities in RhodeIsland therewere at least Io reports:fromRhode utiveyear, Winter Wrens were heard singing and Massachusetts(v.o.) and at Great Mead- •slai•d(fide DE)and • from •Conne•icut in lateJuly in the stateforest on Marthas owsN.W.R., Concord, MA, a d' Prothono- Vineyard(A. Keith,PB). If nestingoccurred taryWarbler was present throughout June there,it wouldrepresent a significant depar- for the 3rd consecutivesummer (v.o.). Six turefrom the usualbreeding haunts of this Worm-eatingWarblers at FreetownState specieselsewhere in New England.Sedge Forest,BristolMAJuly 24 (TA) possiblyrep- Lesscolorful, but no lessinteresting, were a Wrensdefinitely had a presencein Mas- resenta previouslyundiscovered breeding singingDickcissel in FranklinPark, Boston sachusettsthis season, as reflected by onein station,while 23 Hoodedsat 2 sitesin s.w. June2 (TA);no fewer than five Clay-colored LincolnJune x5-July7 (S. Ells), two in RhodeIsland during June (CR) areindica- Sparrowsdistributed among Maine, New BrookfieldJune 2x (T. Swochak,K. Fay),and tiveof thatspecies' solid foothold in s.New Hampshire,and Massachusetts(fide JD, 2-3 pairsin Windsor(CQ, v.o.). In Con- England. DD, B.O.); four SeasideSparrows at the necticut,a SedgeWren was present at New In the out-of-seasondepartment were a extremen. limit of the species'range at Milford,June 648 (C. Wood). SummerTanager in Acoaxet,MA July •8 Hampton,NH June26 (SM);three different Aswith Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, Ruby- (fideR. Bowen)and a Blue Grosbeakin singingFox Sparrowsin suitablenesting crownedKinglets are found occasionally in Braintree,MAJune •2 (ph,G. Hutchinson). habitatin n. Maine duringlate June (fide summerin the hill country of w. Mas- JD);and only the 2nd ever confirmed breed- sachusetts.Yetbreeding ruby-crowneds have ingof Lincoln'sSparrow in Massachusettsin onlybeen confirmed ahandful of times. This Florida,Berkshire June •o48 (R. Rancatti,R. year'stease came in the form of a "probable Daub). nestingpair" at Hill 5x,Savoy June 7-x2 Asdesciibed inth• Upland Sandp!lS•f g•- Forthe 2nd consecutive summer, a Rusty (CQ). Despitethe previouslymentioned mary,this season saw an extensive.•Pissland Blackbird nest was found in Monroe, plethoraof HouseWrens at High Ridge birdsorveE take place in Massachusetts.Franklin MA June 8 (R. Daub), as well as W.M.A., 5 pairsof E. Bluebirdsdid success-Andre• Jones •sited 71 sites thr9u95 ihg confirmation of what is believed to be the fullyfledge 32 healthy young at thislocation BayState, inclhding small. hayfields;':farm first nesting record of OrchardOriole at the (BB).In this,the 2ndyear of a breedingsur- pastures5 bot h prigateand pfbl k al}porrs,well-worked Parker River N.W.R., Plum I., veyof"Bicknell's"Gray-cheeked Thrushes •d l•'•ilitary ai•b•. Additi6nal•iiits MA June•2 (RAF). Threewandering Red in n. NewEngland, the presence of thrushes weremad6 t6 MarthdsVineyaM and/he Crossbillswere found at QuabbinRes., MA was confirmed at xo new localities in Ver- ElizibethIS. Using •oint •9untand•røad- July 28 (J. Murray), and a slightlyless mont,bringing the total to 79sites out of x35 •sf vo•lilationmeth•!ogies• as well as anomalousPine Siskinappeared in Rock- mountainssampled in that stateduring dataprovided by the Massachme • Division port,MAJuly •7 (CL). x992-x993(CR). Chris Rimmer'swork at of?i.sh•i• andWildlife; •9nes •rmed Mr. Mansfield,VT suggeststhat the thrush ibepresfn? 0•5h efol!o•in• numbe•r sof Subregioual editors (boMface), co.trilmtors densityat thatsite may approach 40-55 pairs pairs:Vesper SParro% 72ai 22 sites; Savan• (italics), aud observers: Steve Arena, Ibm per xoo acres. In Maine, "Bicknell's" nahSpa}røW, .3•iat 44 sitdsi GraiSh0Pper Aversa, Jim Berry, Bird Observer, Brad Blod- Thrusheswere found on 55of 65mountain Sparrow,366 at23 sites;qBb•olin• i77•t32 get, Paul Buckley,Diane DeLuca, Jody peakssurveyed, and they appear to beoccu- siteS;•nd E. MeadoWlark, •48•t 25õitel. The Depres, David Emerson, Dan Finizia, pyinga higherpercentage of suitablehigh rn•t outstandingfeatUre.of•hese resfi!ts: is RichardA. Forster,Ibm French, Winty Har- elevation habitat than in other n.e. states. the factthat a relativelyliiige/number of' rington, Scott Hecker, Andrea Jones, Seth Kel- The continuednesting of Am. Pipitson Mt. birdsare concentrated at alimitednum16er of logg, Betty Kleiner,Chris Leahy,Maine Washington,NH (firstdiscovered last year) qPt!mumsites?Am9.ng futur• agen• wi!l AudubonSociety, Blair Nikula,Catherine wassuggested by the presenceof xo birds Bei•iemPis io ifiitiate appropriate •nage2 Parsons,Simon A. Perkins,Judy Peterson, thereduring June and July (v.o). •efi• itrategi•a• tlS• m•t c•i•ical•ites for JimPotyraj, Charles Quinlan, Chris Raithel thesehabltat-senlitive g•ankl Spe•es. (CRa), ChrisRimmer, Gene Scarpulla, Peter VIREOS TO FINCIIE• Trimble. WAYNE R. PETERSEN, Con- A White-eyedVireo banded at Wells,York servation Department, Massachusetts ME in mid-July(fide M.A.S.) was consider- AudubonSociety, Lincoln, MA o•773.
Volume 47, Number 5.10•1 ters were counted off Fire I. Inlet at the NorthernPintails bred at CiceroSwamp, HUDSON-DELAWAREbeginning of July (mostly Greater,as OswegoNY (D. Nash)for the first time since expectedat thatdate; J. Passieet al.). Excep- thenesting of somereleased birds 30 years REGION tional numbers were visible from ashore in ago,and they were believed to havebred at RobertO. Paxton, therain on s.e. winds at DemocratPt., July 3: BraddockBay, MonroeNY, alocal first (BE et WilliamJ. Boyle,jr., 90 Cory's,30 Greater,four Manx, and one a/.). One to threewere present in Junein and DavidA. Cutler Sootyshearwater, plus •5o Wilson's Storm- Clinton NY (J&RH, MGr). American Petrels and a dozen immature N. Gannets Wigeoncontinues to establishitself as an (AJL,ABa). Numbers were closer to thenor- uncommon breeder in n.w. New York, maldozen or twoper trip offNew Jersey. youngwere observed atBuffalo in July (RA), An Am.White Pelican, possibly the same andthey were believed to havebred in Clin- reportedin lateMay fromthe lower Hudson ton(MGr). Redheadsbred at theIroquois Summerx993 will be rememberedfor North R. andat JamaicaBay, was in the Hacken- N.W.R., Genesee-OrleansNY, wherethey America's first Whiskered Tern: It made the sackMeadows, Bergen NJ in early July. havebeen stocked, but they no longer breed frontpage of TheNew }ark 75'mes and set off Brown Pelicans wandered into this area later in JamaicaBay. a greatmigration of birders.The ensuing and in smaller numbers than in recent sum- TwelveCom. Goldeneyeeggs in a nest •ntensecoverage of centralDelaware's rich mers,and they did not repeatlast summer's boxat Monty Bay, on L. Champlain,Clinton bay-shoremarshes revealed that all threeof practicenests. The maximumwas only NY June4 (MGr) markedone of the few theworld's species of marshterns, Chlido- abouta dozenat IndianR. Inlet,DE July3 documentednests at the verys. edgeof its nias,were present there at the endof July. (WWF), a similarnumber around Cape range.Common Merganserscontinue to Many unusualwaders were turned up as May,and up to threeoff LongIsland in July breedsuccessfully on the upperSusque- well.In New YorkState, Wilson's Phalarope (ABa,J. Fritz, N. Zurcher). hannaR. and in Bucks,s.e. Pennsylvama wasfinally confirmed as a breederin this Double-crested Cormorants continued (WR, KK). Region. theirrapid increase throughout the Region. For the rest,our reportswere a bit thin. Althoughthey are everywhere on the coast, Atlasingcontinues only in New Jersey, where we know of no new colonies there. On the Anothersummer passed without discovery resultswere still preliminary at presstime. GreatLakes, a new colonywas begun at of the Black Vulture nest that must exist Aftera coldspring that damaged some nest- PerchRiver W. M. A., ]Orson NY, andlast somewherein s.e.New York.Ospreys did •ng,summer weather was painfully hot and year'snew colony at BuckhornI. S.P.in the well in New Jersey,where an aerialsurvey humid. Well north into New York State the NiagaraR. in ErieNYcontinued with 7 nests revealeda new high of zoonests, up from x58 temperatureexceeded 9øo during the first (W. Watson).This establishesan apparent sightedz years ago (CCI), andof 25opairs on weekof July at Rochesterand exceeded xoo ø footholdon w. LakeOntario after one previ- LongIsland (MS). Within New York City, a in DutchessCounty July 8-m. New York ousattempt on the Canadianside in x983. znd pair tookup residenceat JamaicaBay City hadtwenty days over 9 øo in July,a Lastyear's nesting near Rochester was not (DR) anda firstpair on StatenIsland (MS) record. But human disturbances interfered repeated,but cormorantscontinued to Ospreysin upstateNew York produced farmore than natural ones with the breeding attemptto neston OneidaL. feweryoung than last year, however, particu- season. larlyin theAdirondacks, where only x8 of 4x HERONS TO WATERFOWL activenests produced young according to an Abbreviations:Bombay Hook (Bombay Hook Yet againwe cannotcomment on general aerialsurvey (V. Gilligan).Of particular N. W.R.,near Smyrna, DE); Brig.(Brigantine trendsamong breeding waders, for lackof interestis the successfuluse of hackingto Unit, EdwardP. ForsytheN. W.R.,Atlantic surveydata. A juv. dark-morphReddish hastenthe buildingof inlandpopulations NJ); Green Lane (Green Lane Reservoir, Egretat the LoganTract July 29 until late EasternPennsylvania now hasabout 3 ø MontgomeryPA); Jamaica Bay (Jamaica Bay August(DAC, m.ob.) provided only the znd adults,including xo active pairs. The hack- V•ldli• Ref.,New }ark City); Little Cr. (Lit- Delawarerecord. A groupof up to seven ingprogram begun in x99oat TiogaHam- tle CreekWildlt• Area,near Dover, Kent, CattleEgrets was well north of known breed- mondLakes, 7•'oga PA, in cooperationwith DE); LoganTract ( 7•dHarvey W.M.A., s. of ingareas at Point-an-Roche,Clinton on L. theArmy Corps of Engineers,has led to the Kitt} Hummock, Kent, DE); Little Galloo ChamplainJune 29 into mid-July (WK, C. formationof thefirst 2 pairs at that site (LR) (LittleGalloo L, in e.Lake Ontario, off Hen- Mitchell),as was a Yellow-crownedNight- A nestingpair of apparentlyhacked origin dersonHarbor, Jef•rson NY); PortMahon Heronat GulaRes., Montgomery, PA July 30 establishedsince last year on the Delaware R (marshesand bay shore e. ofLittle Cr., Kent, (P.Morris, BLM). at the Gilbert Power Station, near DE); SandyHook (Sandy Hook Unit, Gate- Twoimm. White Ibises were at the Logan Riegelsville,Hunterdon NJ, constitutesthe wayNat'l RecreationArea, Monmouth NJ); Tractin lateJuly; one was even farther afield firstnest away from tidewater in NewJersey SBC (Summer Bird Count); S.C.M.M. at MarshCreek S.P., ChesterPA July 30 in this century(LR, CCI). In Delaware, (SouthCape May Meadows, Cape May NJ). (PHu,G. Saunders).Glossy Ibises seemed to wherestorms have destroyed duck blinds Place names in italics are counties. dowell in thes. partof the Region(APE et usedfor nesting,Osprey nests declined for al.), and one wanderedas far asIthaca, NY the2nd year (LG-I). LOONS TO CORMORANTS July29 (M. Amy,fide NBr). SingleWhite- Followinga verybusy spring for Missis- Thoughtheir slow decline continues in most facedIbises, now found almostannually sippiKites, only one hung around Cape May of our area, Pied-billed Grebeswere found somewherein thisRegion, were reported at intoearly June. But wandering singles were breedingin 8 locationsin ClintonNY BombayHook June 25 (B. Peterjohn)and at widespreadonce again: a sub-adultat Mt (MGr), morethan in theAtlas. Large con- Brig.,July x8 (PBa). One at Lawrence,SujC Misery,Burlington NJ JuneIX (G. Cannon), centrationsoftubenoses gathered offc. Long j•lk, LI for aboutxo days after June 6 (AJL, an immatureat Elmer,Salem NJ Julyx2 (J Islandfrom lateJune into earlyJuly, for ABa,JAs, A. Guthrie)was joined by another Haag),one June 8 at New Hope,Bucks PA unknownreasons More than xoooshearwa- June•9 (TWB) (fideAH), andan adultnear Mecklenberg,
10•2. American B•rds,W•nter 1993 7•mpkinsNY July9 (J-& S. Gre- highfor goodshorebirding until goire).Thirty-two individual N. seasonsend. Harriers in Clinton NY, between Somewhathigher numbers of April and August (MGr) were _ late migrantshorebirds lingered impressive;a goodreport away - intoearly June than usual, perhaps fromtheir remaining strongholds asa resultof thecold spring. Five on the coastand in upstateNew Lesser Golden-Plovers in Monroe
York wasa pair at LongPond, DerbyHill NY June 4 (CCa) was highly MonroePA(BLM, E Morris). NEWYORK Albanyß unusualin spring(RGS). A Hud- BaldEagles continue their long- Rochester ß MontezumaNWR sonian Godwit June 4 and two term upwardtrend as the massof ßBuffalo •' WilletsJune 6 wereunexpected on ßIthaca floatingiramatures reaches breed- { L. ChamplainatGravelle's Farm, Lugage. We intimated in ourspring Clinton (WK, m.ob.), and five report that late snowstormsin Aprilhad adversely affected breed- recordlate at GreenLane June lO ing,however, and final figures now ISemipalmated(K. Crilley).Early Sandpipersreturnees were confirmthat. In NewYork, I8 pairs [ in evidencea mere 3 weekslater: increasedto 2o in 1993.But while Two Least Sandpiperswere at 16of those laid eggs, young hatched ! PeaceValley Park, Bucks PAJune in onlyseven of them. In theend, ii .• 30 (S. Farbomick), and Short- youngfledged, compared with 24 i billedDowitcher numbersswelled lastyear. Four of 5 of then. nests from one to 30 at S.C.M.M. June and 2 of 3 w. nestsfailed; most of ! 29-30 (DSi, E Mears).But which the youngwere produced in the way wasthe SolitarySandpiper newlyestablished population in -' headedJune 2I in AshfordTwp., the reservoirsof s.e. New York (P. Nye, programfunded by the William Penn Foun- CattaraugusNY? (W. D'Anna,B. Potter)-- NYDEC).In Pennsylvania,although 2 new dation(CCI, JHa). andthe Short-billedDowitcher seen June 15 at Gravelle'sFarm on L. Champlain,Clinton pairswere established in n.w. Lancaster, 5of TURKEYS TO SHOREBIRDS the6 nestse. of the Susquehanna failed (JHa, NY (WK, L. Stevenson)? While Ring-neckedPheasant and N. Bob- PipingPlovers inched upward to I9Opairs DB, Pa.Game Commission). Only 3 of New whitenumbers dwindle, Wild Turkeyscon- Jersey's6 pairs were successful, producing 6 onLong Island (MS), perhaps aided by the tinueto provethemselves the gallinaceousmetal cages used again this year in Babylon young(CCI). The exceptionwas Delaware, speciesmost adaptableto this Regions where5 of 7 pairshad successful nests, pro- Twp.,Sufjhlk, toreduce predation. The town extensiveouter suburbia. Perhaps they can offered a $I5OO reward for information duced9 young,the best in recenttimes (LG- protecttheir young better than the others I). Not oneShaw-shinned Hawk nestwas regardingthe vandalism of 2 of thecages. fromraccoons and cats. A releaseprogram at PipingPlovers had a "terribleseason" from reportedto us, althoughwe learnedof 8 sitesin NewJersey has led to increasednat- Holgatesouth in NewJersey, where beach Cooper'sHawk nests as far southas Prince- uralnestings, poults being reported from erosionpushed them closer to humanuse. ton, NJ and the WertheimN.W.R., LI (R. severalareas, including Assunpink W.M.A., The4th of July weekend took a bigtoll. Pre- Parris). Monmouth, and Sourlands, Somerset Merlins nested in New York State for the dadonfrom foxes,gulls, and crowswas (R.Brown,T. Bailey,E Ward,H. Suthers).A heavy(DJ). At theirlast stand in Delaware, 2ndyear. One was observed around Blue Mt. newpopulation is alsoproducing young at C. Henlopen,II eggswere hatched, but only L., HamiltonJulyx9-z 4 (TW]3),and a nest BombayHook. oneyoung was fledged (J. Sebastiani). wasfound at the L. PlacidGolf Club, Essex A YellowRail was reported calling on L. ThreeAm. Avocets at theConejohela flats Aug.4 (G. & S. Cameron,m.ob.). Peregrine Champlainat AusableMarsh S.W.M.A., Julyn providedonly the 3rd record forLan- Falconshad a "reallygood year" in New ClintonNY Junez8, along with the expected casterPA (R. Schutsky,m.ob.). Atlas work York.Actively breeding pairs increased from VirginiaRails and Soras (J&RH); although turnedup 9 pairsof UplandSandpipers at 15to 18,half in theNew York City areaand thisspecies breeds nearby in s.Ontario, the McGuireAFB, Burlington NJ (P.Warren). A half on natural sites in the Adirondacks. existenceof breedinghas never been proven carefulsurvey would underline how impor- Whilethe production of young upstate has in theRegion. tantairports are to thesurvival of thisspecies remainedsteady at arounda dozenfor sev- A SandhillCrane at BraddockBay, Mon- asa breederin all of thisRegion, except n. eralyears, production in pigeon-richNew roeNYJune zz (BE)may have been the same New York State.Migrants peaked at an York's9 nestssoared to 33young fledged (21 that wasnearby in May.Another fed and encouraging45at WilmingtonAirport July lastyear). Six sites fledged 4 young each, and danced with a Corn. Crane (believed 3I (APE). one fledgeda record5 (BL). The lower escaped)June 2-Aug. iI at Lowville,Lewis Thirty-sevenWhimbrels at JamaicaBay DelawareR. Valley now has 13 actively NY (RED. A few vagrantcranes now turn July29 (fideTWB) wasalmost like the old breedingpairs on boththe New Jersey and up practicallyevery season, particularly in days.But the best Hudsonian Godwit count thePennsylvania sides. The New Jersey nests then. partof thisRegion. wasonly nine on theLine Is., GreatSouth producedyoung at the goodrate of 2.0 Hot, dryconditions were good for shore- Bay,Sufj•lkLI (AJL). Only a fewsingle Mar- youngper pair. The New Jersey Commission birdsat Jamaica Bay, where 5000 on the East bled Godwits were found on the coast;one at of Fish,Game, & Wildlifeand the Pennsyl- Pondalone July 31 were the mostin many theBraddock Bay hawk watch, Monroe NY vaniaGame Commission jointly hacked years(RJK). RaymondPool at Bombay July27 (BE) was a good record. Ruddy Turn- youngPeregrines in the citiesof Trenton, Hook,however, was completely dry by the stones remained until mid-June and Reading,Harrisburg, and Williamsport, in a endof theperiod, while L. Ontariowas too destroyedevery Com. Tern egg at the
Volume 47, Number 5' 1093 OneidaL. colonies(fide DC). Two,possibly doesnot seemto haveproduced any (D. three,Curlew Sandpipers arrived during the Russell). New! Armored,waterproof lastweek of July in the centralDelaware Gull-billedTerns, which have long bred at COMPACT AUDUBON marshpools (Litde Cr., LoganTract, Bom- Brig.,did sofor thefirst time in Hereford bayHook) that have been for the last IO or t5 Inlet, CapeMay NJ (DJ), whileseveral were In additionto its ilqtemat•onallylameus Audubonbinocular, $wilt introducesthe 'Corn- yearstheir most reliable spot in NorthAmer- presentall summerin c. Delaware,where pactAudubon'. Rootprisms; a heldel viewel 420feel at 1,000 ica.Individuals were also at Brig. (J. Danzen- theyare uncommon (APE, CDC). Although yards;Modelclose 8825locusrag capabflily of 13loot; 5 tach haghi;and light weight of 21 ouncesmake the baker,fide JKM) andJamaica Bay (RJK et therewas no reportof breedingon Long CompactAudubon anideal glass for I•e bird watcher- or anyouldoor enlhuslasl. al.) at the endof July.Buff-breasted Sand- Island,one exploredas far asMarshlands Ils loutlens ocularsyslern, magenta lully coatedoplics, wilh rnulli-coalmg onIhe ocular and pipersshowed up all over the place in thelast Conservatory,Rye, Ig&stchesterNY July 26 objectivele•s, givea highresolwng power resull- [ ingm an especially bright i•age even under the daysof July, so early that one wonders about (fideTWB). As usual,a few Royal,Sand- mostdemanding ol light conditions. problemson the breedingground: Ig&yne wich,and Roseate terns hung around Cape 7 x 35 CF, R.L.E. 45.0 - List Price: $565.00 - OurPrice: $316.25 FOR OUR CATALOG AND DISCOUNT PRICE LIST ON A NY (J.Gregoire); Democrat Pt., Suf•lk,iI May without signsof breeding.Roseate COMPLETE LINE OF SPORTING OPTICS, CALL (518) 664-2011 (RJK);Clarksville sod farm, Burlington NJ. Ternswere back up to •4oo pairson Great OR WRITE TO: (WD); alongRoute 9 andnear Dover AFB Gull I. (HH), likelythe largest colony in the optics Headquarters for BIRDING A D•vlslonthe ofBird SportingWatcher Optics Inc. (DE, B&NM, L. & D. Simonson).About world. Another•4o pairswere at several PO Box 4405AB Hallmoon, NY 12O65 four Ruffswere in c. Delaware(Bombay smallLong Island colonies. An estimated Hook,Logan Tract) at theend of July(SD, •9,4o6pairs of Com. Ternswere on Long southerlyof the 3 speciesof marshtern, m.ob.),and singles were at Jamaica Bay and Island(MS), 7oooof themat thevery suc- approachingNorth Americaneither in at Riverhead,Sufj$1k, LI (rES). cessfulGreat Gull I. colony(HH). Theother Siberianor in n. Europe.Thus Whiskered greatcolony, at CedarBeach, ended up with Ternis the most unexpected of the3 species onlyabout one-quarter of its normalnests of Chlidonias in North America. As has been becauseof foodshortages and predation by speculatedfor theWhite-winged Tern, it is squirrels,grackles, crows, gulls, and Am. conceivable that this bird consorted with After manytantalizing hints of possil•e Oystercatchers(JB). New York'sfirst sub- BlackTerns in thewintering range in coastal breedingfrom upstate New York stantialForster's Tern colony, in JamaicaBay, West Africa and returned with them to D•laware•Wilson's Phalarope has finally continuedfor its2nd year, slightly reduced North America. beenc6nfirmed as a breederin thisRegion• to 40 pairs(DR). Salt marshcolonies of BlackTern production was slightly better • foreseeninthe spring report, An ad.male Commonand Forster's terns are "way down" thanlast year at 3 sitesin ]e•rsonNY under • 3q,hi• were videotaped junei• in Delaware,perhaps due to weather,gull closestudy by NYDEC. Eighty-sixnests G}avell••Farm, on L. Champlain,Clinton predation, and human activity (LG-I). Least thereproduced at least60 young;the total (WK)..Theneaxest known breeding areas •re Ternsseemed to be holdingtheir own on breedingpopulation in the stateis z5o-3oo s. Onflrioahd, occasionally, the LongIsland, with an estimated32m pairs pairs(BMi). Sach•ettg-coast.Red-necked PhalaroPes (MS). In NewJersey, nests slipped slightly to BlackSkimmers had a goodyear in New wereeitdy at-JamaicaBay July xo-n and 754,and a reproductionrate of only 0.46 Jersey,with nestsslightly up, to 838,and a Unexpectedin l•yne NY July 27 0. Gre2 therewas disappointing 0B). reproductionrate of•a4 (JB). gOire). North America's first Whiskered Tern appearedin breedingplumage at S.C.M.M., OWLS TO SHRIKES July•z (m.ob.)and was seen at CapeMay Pt. NorthernSaw-Whet Owls probably breed thefollowing morning and again z dayslater. morefrequently in thisRegion than we real- GULLS TO SKIMMER After a hiatus,it turnedup July •9 in c. ize.Adults found with fledglingsin Juneat The New YorkPort Authority continued to Delawareat theLogan Tract and was there or Carverville,Bucks (M. Rutbell) continuedto shootLaughing Gulls over the runwaysat alongthe nearby Pickering Beach Road into spura seriesof recentreports in e.Pennsylva- JFK Alpoft in an effort to reduce lateAugust. Birders flocked to c. Delaware nia. aircraft-birdcollisions, despite a lawsuitby fromall over the country and, since the bird AcadianFlycatchers with youngwere con- Friendsof Animalsagainst agencies of the wasnot easy to find,many spent several days firmednear their n. breedinglimit at Lake federalgovernment. Estimates of thenum- in thesearch. The result was the discovery of View,Erie (RA etal.) andVan Buren Twp., bers killed this summer varied from 6000 to manymore rarities. A White-wingedTern OnondagaNY (DC). A minorflurry of rare •o,ooo(DR, PAB).Even so, New York's only sightedJuly 17 (CDC, E. Short,m.ob.) was midsummer Scissor-tailed Flycatcher LaughingGull colony at nearbyJamaica Bay followeda weeklater by a znd individual recordsincluded two for LongIsland, at continuedto holdabout 6000 pairs (DR). A (APE, E DuMont, m.ob.). Somebirders had ManorvilleJune •z (J. Clinton, S. Biasetti, LaughingGull on L. Ontarioat Charlotte, theheady experience of seeing all the world's C. Storce)and at East Hampton airport July MonroeNY wasrare but not unprecedentedmarsh terns of thegenus Chlidonias in one z5 (K. Sabin);one at Woodbine,Cape May (RGS). binocularfield, plausible in thee. Mediter- NJ July•6 (P.Kosten), and an immatureat The onlyFranklins Gull reportedwas an raneanbut hardlydreamed of in North BombayHook July z4 (•G. Scarpula,E adult at the S.C.M.M., July •z (DSi, L. America.That presumption isstrengthened DuMont), garneringDelaware's 3rd record Zemaitis,R. Schwartz).Ring-billed Gull bya •9thcentury Barbados record, which the and first in midsummer.Most previous continuesto expandas a breedingspecies in A.O.U. ChecklistCommittee rejected as recordshave typically occurred in latespring. c.NewYork. The colony at Watkins Glen, L. being"of doubtful origin" (A.O.U. Check- Delaware'sfirst Cliff Swallowcolony, on Cayuga,new since the Atlas, was finally sue- list,6th Ed., •983, p.78z). Route9 atTaylor's Bridge, New Castle, noted cessfulin itsznd year, producing zo young TheWhiskered Tern has a broadbreeding in thespring report, swelled to 7 activenests (J. O'Malley),while a firsteffort at Elmira rangefrom the Mediterraneanslope of in July (APE). This speciescontinues to with about 49 nests on islandsin the Europeand s. Russiato China,India, Aus- spreadS andE of itstraditional range, mak- ChemungR., nearthe Pennsylvania border, tralia,and s. Africa.Its rangeis the most inguse of concretebridges.
1094. American Birds,Winter 1993 A Red-breasted Nuthatch invasion seems to bebrewing. Yunick banded a record45 fromJune into August at Jenny L., Saratoga NY. Highly unusualsoutherly records included2 locationsnear Allentown, PA (N. & J. Boter,P. Morris), probable breeding at W. Nyack,RocklandNY (I. Bein)and near Swarthmore,Delaware PA (NP), several locationsin CapeMay NJ, and"all over" BurlingtonNJ (WD). SedgeWrens summered at Buckhorn IslandS.P., ErieNY (M. Galas,W. Watson); OnondagaNY (5birds, W. Purcell,m.ob.); S.C.M.M. andJake's Landing Road, Cape MayNJ(T. Todach, R. Crossley); and Bom- bayHook. They "exploded" along the St. AdultCurlew Sandpiper (with Samipalmated Sandpipers) atPort Mahon, Delaware, July 24, 1993. Lawrence R. in the towns of Lisbon, Oswe- Photograph/ColinCampbell. gatchie,and Morristown, NJ, perhaps due to latemowing. Thirteen sites held 32 singing EXOTICS R.E.Long (St. Lawrence, NY: z8o7 Citation males(REL, D. Prosser,DDiT). LoggerheadA BlackSwan at OctararaRes., ChesterPAin Dr., Pompey,NY •3•38),Barbara Loucks Shrikeswent unreported this season. earlyJuly (Phila. Birdline) and a Chiloe (NYDEC),Alan Mapes (Hudson-Mohawk, Wigeonat MarshlandsConservancy, Rye, NY: Five Rivers Educational Center, Del- WARBLERSTO FINCHES l•stchesterNY June 4-6 were no doubt mar,NY •zo54),C.K. Melin (FingerLakes A N. Parulawith young observed June z7 in escapes. Region,NY: 449 Irish SetdementRd., VanBuren Twp., Onandaga (M. Rusk)was Freeville,NY •3o68),J.K. Meritt, Bob Miller thefirst confirmed nesting in moderntimes Observers(snbregional compilers in boldface): (BMi) (NYDEC), DennisMiranda, B.L. in NewYork away from the Adirondacks for JanetAnderson, Robert Andrle (Buffalo Morris (e. PA:8z5 MuhlenbergSt., Allen- thisdrastically reduced species. Up to three Area),John Asldldsen (Lower Hudson Val- town, PA •8•o4), Bill & Naomi Murphy, Yellow-throatedWarblers were presentin ley,NY: zozMillertown Rd., Bedford, NY PeterNye (NYDEC), Timothy O'Connell, AlleganyS.P,. NY (L. Holmes),where the •o5o6),Peter Bacinsld (PBa) (coastal NJ: KathyParsons (Mahomet Bird Observa- first New York nestwas discovered in •984. z6oPage Ave., Lyndhurst, NJ 07070, Andy tory), BrucePeterjohn, J.M.C. Peterson CeruleanWarblers were confirmed nesting Baldelli(ABa), Frank Bonanno (Rockland (Adirondack-ChamplainRegion, NY: Dis- forthe znd time on e. LongIsland (P. Lind- NY), IrvingBlack (n.e. NJ: Eagle Rock Vil- coveryFarm, RD •, Elizabethtown,NY say).A ProthonotaryWarbler nest on the lage,Bldg. z6, Apt. 8B, Budd L., NJ o78z8), •z93z),Vivian Pitzrick,Nick Pulcinella, Seneca-Wayneline June z 7 (W. Evans,K. DanielBrauning (Pa. Game Commission), William Reid (n.e. PA: 73 W. RossSt., David,NB etal.)was n. of itsusual limit in c. NedBrinkley (Ithaca, NY area),Elizabeth Wilkes-Barre, PA •87oz), Don Riepe New York,which isat MontezumaN.W.R. Brooks,T.W. Burke (NY RareBird Alert), (JamaicaBay Wildlife Ref.), G.R. Rising A Clay-coloredSparrow present in JoannaBurger, C.D. Campbell,Carolyn (NiagaraFrontier, NY: z95Robinhill Dr., FranklinNY in July(T. Hall) suggestsfur- Cass(CCa), Cathy Clark (CCI) (NJDepart- Williamsville,NY •4zz0, RochesterBirding ther eastwardexpansion of this recent mentof Fish,Game, & Wildlife),Dorothy Association,J.J. Ruscica, Larry Rymon, Eric arrival.Atlasers found n5 pairsof Grasshop- Crumb (OneidaL. Basin,NY: 3983Gates Salzman, Mike Scheibel (NYDEC), Sy perSparrow atMcGuire AFB, Burlington NJ Rd., Jamesville,NY •3o78),Ward Dasey Schiff (LongIsland: 6o3 Mead Terr., S. (P.Warren), but they were scarce away from (s.w.NJ: z9 Ark Rd., Medford,NJ o8o55), Hempstead,NY •55o), DaveSibley, R.G. suchspecialized habitats. Henslow's Spar- Paul DeBenedictis, Dean DiTommaso, Spahn(Genesee Ornithological Society), Pat rowssummered at z locationsin Wyoming SamuelDyke, A.P. Ednie (New Castle and Sutton(Cape May Bird Observatory), Guy and at one in LuzernePA (WR), but farther Kent,DE: 59Lawson Ave., Claymont,DE Tudor,AI Wollin (LongIsland: 4 Meadow eastnone was reported south ofc. New York •97o3),W.G. Ellison,Brett Ewald, W..W. Ln., Rockville Center, NY •57o), R.P. State,and even there they were missing from Frech (Sussex,DE: Cart. Rt. 3, Box •44, Yunick.--ROBERT O. PAXTON, 460 familiar areasaround Rochester (RGS) and Lewes,DE •9958),Lisa Gelvin-Innvaer (DE RiversideDr., Apt. 7z, New York, NY the OneidaL. Basin(DC). A Sharp-tailed Division of Fish and Wildlife), Mike •ooz7;WILLIAM J. BOYLE,Jr., •z Glen- Sparrowbanded at ManitouJune z 0-R. Gochfeld, Mike Gretch, K.C. Griffith woodRd., Denville,NJ 07834;and DAVID McKinny)provided the 5th such late-spring (Genesee, NY: 6• GrandviewLn., Rochester, A. CUTLER, •no Rock Creek Dr., Wyn- recordin MonroeNY (RGS).A reportof a NY •4&z), AI Guarente,David Harrison cote, PA 19095. singingmale July 8 in CantonTwp., St. (n.w.NJ: •z6 WestchesterTerr., Annandale, Lawrence(DDiT) has been referred to NJ 08800, Jerry Hassinger(PA Game NYSARC. A Dark-eyed Junco at Comission),the Hawk Mt. Association, Montchanin,DE (H. Brokaw)was unprece- HelenHays (Great Gull I.), Judy& Roger dented;some n. breedingareas reported this Heintz, JonathanHeller, Armas Hill speciestocontinue in lownumbers (RPY). (PhiladelphiaBirdline), Phyllis Hurlock, Followingscattered Red Crossbill nest- Dave Jenkins(NJ Departmentof Fish, ingsin New York State reported in thespring Game,&Wildlife), Rich Kane (RKa), Hugh report,a pairattempted to breedon the Kingery,Ken Kitson, William Krueger, R.J. Wyoming-SullivanPAborder, the first in n.e. Kurtz, LaurieLarson (n.c. NJ: •6z N. Stan- Pennsylvaniasince •98o (DB). worthDr., PrincetonNJ 08540),A.J. Lauro,
Volume 47, Number 5' 10•$ MIDDLEA'n..AN11C harborsmost of the Regions breeding Pied- well,although none has been suggestive of billedGrebes, with a high count of 56 sighted breedingyet. This yearthere were four COASTREGION JulyI7 (HTA).Elsewhere inthe Region they reportsfrom Howard alone (JKS et al.). A areirregular and ephemeral in summer.Sin- Eirik A. T.Blom, GreatCormorant in ad. plumage summered gles, perhapsrepresenting breeding at Ocean City (DB). A singleAnhinga was at Michael 05Brian, attempts,were at EL.S.E, St. Mary} MD StumpyL., VAJuly IO (MW). Brian Patteson,and June6 & IO(PC); and Myrtle Grove, Charles Edgeneff Scarpulla MD June19 (gJ). One at WildeL., Howard HERONS MD July24 (MC)was almost certainly an earlymigrant. The latest N. Gannetswere 2 at OceanCity, IgOrcesterMDJune 14 (BD). Unremarkable were the small numbers of Thebig dlkp•sal 'St9• was •ite Ibis, Greaterand Sooty shearwaters and Wilson's whichmadeits.larges t l•te-•ummer incur. Storm-Petrelsreported from shore and from ,sioninib the Region in m0re,than,a decade. Rainfalland temperatures were normal in fishingtrips. None of thereports involved 'A flabb•rgasiihg35g werein th• Back' June,but July was hot and dry, with I5 days unexpecteddates, numbers, or species. Bay-rals•Cape ire ofvirgiiaj.ul)• I; (DS). of 9ø0 temperatures.Reservoirs remained BrownPelicans, now commonplace along and4o wereinland'it Hb• I., Su•July 7, high,so there were few inland places for eady thecoast, continue to expandin theChesa- allimmature blrds (TD): •gingle immature migrantshorebirds tostop. Coastal coverage peake Bay, with several reports from EL.S.P. wasat HUghes/H011ow,Mo•}gomery MD wasdown from last years intensive effort, (PC,DL, KR),where they have been rare. At J•J?39 (GG, MC), •et •l.),The north- andthere were no organized pelagic trips in the SouthPt. Spoilscolony, IgOrcester, 17 ,wardand westward,dispersal contihued well" the Region,although there were several pairsfledged 23 young(GT). The big 'int0August:Whk4-II;is began greeding at reportsfrom fishing forays. The number of increasewas at Fisherman's I., VA. Last year's Fishertfian'sL on. the Chesape akeBay reportsalways drops off in summer,and this recordtotal of Io2 nests more than tripled to Bridge/Tunnelin i977, but tha•mall pOpu. yearthe excitementin nearbyDelaware 324(BW), and on Cheeseman I., just south 'lafion•oes not explain thismovement. seducedmany local birders. As usual, reports of theMD/VA in theBay where last years fromthe VSO BreedingBird Foray; Bill singlepair (firstBay nests record) became Williams, who conductscolonial waterbird 35-5ø pairsfledging 57 young (DB). The censusesin coastalVirginia; and Glenn annualWhite Pelicanwas at FlounderPt., American Bitterns, rare in summer in the Therresat the MarylandDepartment of near Cedar and Metomkin Is. in coastalVA Region,were at CentennialPark, Howard Natural Resources,were invaluable. (BW). Double-crested Cormorants are July7-8 (CB),and Deal I. July17 (HTA), solidifyingtheir hold as breeding birds in the oneof thefew places they have bred. Great AbbreHafions:E.N.N.W.R. (EasternNeck c. Bay.The large colony at PoplarI., Talbot BlueHerons are doing well on the Bay N.W.R.); P.L.S.P. (Point Lookout S.P.); MD hadnearly 3oo pairs and a newnesting islands.The July 4 tallyinduded i2o active P.N.A.S.(Patuxent Naval Air Station). locationon a smallisland s. of BarrenI., nestson BloodsworthI. and the i8 artificial DorchesterMD representsthe first nest LOONSTO CORMORANTS nestplatforms along Fin Cr. contained 2 to 4 recordfor the county. There were only two activenests each (HTA). The platforms have Eightreports of summeringCorn. Loons groundnests, but 300 birds were sitting beenin placeat leastIO years. There was a wereslighdy above average, with birds seen aroundwaiting for next year (GT). Double- slightbut significant increase in GreatBlues bothalong the coastand at a fewinland crestedsarebeginning toshow up as summer reservoirs.Deal I. W.M.A., SomersetMD, at Fisherman'sI., where last years nesting birdsat a growingnumber of inland sites as establishedthe firstfor the VA barrierislands (BW). Catde Egretnumbers at Holland I., Dorchester,were "defi- nitelyup comparedto thelast few ß Frederick years"(HTA), and9o at Scodand, Baltimore St. Mary} July 25 (PC) was an Patuxent.Sandy unusuallyhigh number for the Point Eastern Neck NW, WashingtonD.C. 'P' WesternShore in recentyears. For Alexandriaß ßEaston the 2ndconsecutive year, a Little MD Egretwas at ChincoteagueN.W.R., ß Blackwater NWR VA.First found by Pearce July 24 , ßSahsbury thisbird lacked the nuptial head Deal island • plumespresent onlast year's visitor eCnarloltesville •out but may havebeen the samein dividualin a laterstage of molt. It waspresent through the endof VIRGINIA ß the period (v.o.). Black-crowned ßLynchburg Night-Heronscontinue to decline ß Appomattox in Dorchester,as theydo on the ßRichturned • EasternShore of Virginia (HTA). Forthe first time in severalyears, NorfOlk ß Martinsville the dispersalof heronsN and W ß Kerr Res. } intothe Piedmont was substantial.
IOn-American Birds,Winter 1993 Greatand Snowyegrets and Little Blue Aprilto July (MW); a Com.Eider at Ocean theRegion (GT). A Sorafound in EssexVA Heronswere well reported(m.ob.), and a Citythroughout the summer (JR, DB) and June3 wassouth of the expectedbreeding iuv.Tricolored Heron at LilyPonds, Freder- anotherat PoplarI., TalbotJuly •3, where x4 range,but couldnot be relocatedduring ickJuly 29-3• (SM, MO, RFR)was a firstfor White-winged,x3 Surf, and four unidenti- subsequenttrips (JD). the county and the westernmostever fied scoters,and an Oldsquawwere also reportedfor MD. foundin July(DB); an Oldsquawon the HongaR., Dorchester,June 22 (fideDB); a SHOREBIRDS TO ALCIDS WATERFOWL Buffieheadat P.N.A.S.,St. Mary} MD June AmericanOystercatchers declined for the MuteSwans ("sky carp," HTA) continueto z4 (KR,DL); (3 Com.Merganser atTriadel- 2nd straightyear on the Virginiabarrier increase,with an unprecedented48 on the phia Res.,Howard July 5 (NM); a Red- islands(BW). Black-neckedStilts continue Bayislands in DorchesterJuly4- Of particular breastedMerganser at P.L.S.P.,June xz (PC, to breedat DealI., with a highcount ofxs, concernis their spreadinto areassuch as JBo),and another at CedarI., VA Junezz induding2-3 juveniles, July 27 (DB). Three Adam., N. Pone,S. Pone,and SpringIs., (JV); and a RuddyDuck at Chestertown, at CraneyI., VA arealso probably breeding wheresubmerged aquatic vegetation isstill KentMDJuly •3 (J&TG). The VSO's breed- birds. Bill Williams reportsthat winter doingwell (HTA). MD DNR surveysin the ingbird foray onto the n. necksduring the stormscreated excellent plover habitat at coreEastern Shore breeding range of Kent, firstweek in Juneadded one Tundra Swan, a Cedar and Assawoman Is. in coastal VA, QueenAnnes, Talbot, and Dorchester counties Canvasback,a Lesser Scaup, a SurfScorer, a contributingto stablepopulations of our2 thisyear found •54 pairs, 382 young, and Red-breastedMerganser, and a RuddyDuck rarestbeach nesting species, Wilson's and morethan x3oonon-breeding birds. The (fideJD). Pipingplovers. Upland Sandpipers are very totalof 2o47birds compares with 6n found rarebreeders in theRegion, so it wasencour- in thesame area in 1989and only 265 in 1984 agingto hearthat onewas near Lilypons (GT).A growingnumber of waterfowl biol- PJIPTORS TO RALLIDS Junex3 (PN), thesame site at whichone had ogistsrecognize that such growth cannot go MississippiKites were againalong the appearedlast year; this was the last known unchecked,but publicopinion still favors Meherrin R. in GreenvilleVA where breed- placein Maryland,back in the x97os,at the swans.Another not-quite-native, the ingis suspected, with a highof three sighted whichregular breeding had occurred. Four Mallard,is also penetrating the Bay islands, June29 (SA).One seen during a VSO foray thereJuly 3x (RFR) may have been migrants. with a record74 in thearea July 4 (HTA). near Farnham, Richmond VA, was more With highwater inland and low coverage The introducedbreeding population of likelyan overshoot (MP). A pairof Osprey alongthe coast,reports of migrantshore- CanadaGeese shows no signsof slowing nestedsuccessfully at TriadelphiaRes., birds were nearly nonexistent,with no down;m5 inland at Lilypons,Frederick, was Montgomery(JKS et al.), oneof the few notable numbers reported anywhere. nearlyexpected. recentinland records for MD and perhaps Unusualwere single Marbled Godwits in VA the 2ndfor thecounty. The firstever Bald at ShipShoal I., June2x (BW), HogI., June Eaglenesting for Howard,reported in the 23(BW), andCraney I.,PortsmouthJune 28 spring,resulted in onefledged young (JKS et (TD), all at thewrong season to begoing in al.). The nestingpair at LochRaven Res., eitherdirection. Unexpected was a reportof Re lingeringd•ck st0ry 6f the sumrnef was BaltimoreMD, thefirst breeding attempt at Long-billedDowitchers on the beachat the pairof Rin•-neekedst14fit •yed, thisinland location, failed (SWS). Fifty-two BackBay July x4 (DS). b•d, •t Patu•edt W'fldlife l•esea•chCemer, BaldEagles (22 adults, 30 immatures) along Oneof the most exciting and obliging birds AnneArUndeLproviding the first for Ma•, the RappahannockR., VA June2 wasan of theseason was the ad. light-morph Poma- landand the Region (EW.R.C. pers0nnel•. excellent count (JD, BPo). BaldEagles in rineJaeger at BeaverdamRes., Loudon VA in TheI•irds, unenii(ed and un•ded by Marylandhad a slightlybelow-average sea- lateJuly. First found by Larkin July x6, it was researchers,were found in an areathat had son,with •68 young fledged. Most of the fail- presentthrough July 28 and photographed by beenadded to th• centerv•en theArmy ures were attributed to late winter storms AbbottJuly 25 & 26. Pattesonbelieves that dosedFt• Meade. The male and femaleSere (GT). Northern Harriers are widespread inlandoccurrences may be morefrequent seenoh June m •cC0mp•nied b•• aucklihgs, uncommon breeders in Baymarshes, but the thanthe reports indicate, especially at large andthe nest was discfvered later ava0i•g only report was 6, includinga family group, inlandlakes with few birders.A nearlyall- balelof hay on a small islan atDeal I., Julyx7 (HTA). American Kestrels whiteRing-billed Gull that hungaround rh.epond Createdwetland, ofamiti? werereported to bein slightlyabove-average Ocean City during the summer (DB etal.) gationpr6ject, and ihe b•l•{ of hay were in numberson the EasternShore (v.o.). A Mer- was the sourceof occasionalconsternation for placeto reduce sedimentation andrun-off_ lin reportedin lateJuly from the Eastern theunwary. Herring Gull numbers continue LargenFmB.e.t.s ofRing-neckers winter at Shoreof Virginia N.W.R. (BW etal.) should to increase;the largest colony ever found in PWRC,althougk not on th• pbnd.•he•e havebeen somewhere else. Peregrine Falcons Dorchesterhad 765 birds, induding approxi- nestingo6cufrcd. Details will be published nested at 8 traditionalMaryland sites and mately85 nests,July 4 (HTA),and the colony elsewherel fledgedx7 youngat 6 of the locations, in BakimoreHarbor, the northernmostin the includingfour from the U.S.E &G. building Bay,now exceeds 50o pairs (DB). The MD in downtownBaltimore (GT). Ring-necked breedingpopulation now exceeds 3000 pairs Pheasantsare rapidly disappearing from the (DB).The only Lesser Black-backed Gull was The numberand diversityon lingering formerbreeding range in HowardandMont- at E.N.N.W.tL, KentJuly 3• (J&TG).Hart- duckswere higher than usual, as indicated by gomery,to the pointwhere any reportis MillerI., longa centerpieceofthese reports, is thefollowing list of birdssummering well noteworthy(JKS). By contrst, an increase in nowdried up, and the summer concentrations southof theirbreeding ranges: • N. Shov- reportsfrom the c. Eastern Shore (v.o.) is the ofyoung Lessers must be elsewhere. Laughing eler and t3 LesserScaup at PiscatawayCr., result of extensivelocal releases(GT). Gull populationson the Virginiabarrier PrinceGeorge} MD Julyx8 (PN); a pairof NorthernBobwhites continue to declinesig- islandsdeclined for the second year, dropping Ring-neckedDucks at a pondin Howardlate nificantlyand are in realtrouble in muchof tojust under 7000, down from over x2,ooo 2
Volume 47, Number 5 ß1097 yearsago (BW). The species disappeared asa Mostunusual were 2 summerreports of Red- beextirpated from the Region, the species has breederin Marylandin x99t. A first-summer breasted Nuthatch; individuals at Court- eitherstarted to comeback or was being over- Corn. Black-headedGull was on the beach at housePt., CecilJuly 5 (PP),and Kiptopeake lookedin someareas. This year up to Ixwere BackBay July 14 (DS). CommonTerns con- July31 (MD). An excellentcount of Marsh foundin Nottowayduring May (TO). These tmue to declineas breeders in Dorchester,with Wrens was x2o at McGuire Cr., Richmond birdswere almost certainly breeders. Much veryfew found this year (HTA). On theother June4 (JB, TK, BPo). Veeriesare uncom- lessexpected was the discovery of a fewbirds hand, 97 RoyalTerns was the highestin monbreeders in the Piedmont,but quitea in Caroline(fideTO). Armistead'sz6 yearsof Bayisland surveys. fewreports were received, suggesting a possi- Veryrare in earlysummer was a Lark Spar- Maryland'sonly confirmed breeding colony ble increase(JH, v.o.). Brown Thrashers row at a feederin Queenstown,Caroline, of Royals,at OceanCity, ballooned to 350 continuetheir downward spiral and were in MD June9 (DP). TheVSO Forayturned up pairs,one of the largest colonies ever reported poornumbers (RFR, MO). TheLoggerhead a VesperSparrow in NorthumberlandJune z, (DB). Least Terns continue to colonize Shrikestill teeters on the edge ofextirpation; whereit isa scarcebreeder (JD). SixteenSea- rooftopsas natural habitat becomes increas- onlyz reportswere received this summer, sideSparrows along McGuire Cr., Rich- inglyinhospitable. About 45 were at an indus- one at Lilypons(BD, PN) and one near mond,and three near Lewisetta,Northum- trialcomplex in Harfbrd MD July4 (PP),hav- GumSpring, VA Junetz+ (BT). berland,were farther upriver than any ing movedthere after the small island they reportedduring the VA BreedingBird Atlas favoredhad acquired rats (DB), andzz were project(JD); x65at DealI., Julyx7, was an overa schoolroof in St.Michaels Talbot June VIREOSTO ICTERIDS excellentcount (HTA). Bobolinksare very z7 (JR).Brinker reports that in t986about Asusual, there were very few reports of land- rarebreeders in the Region,but they re- 90% of LeastTern nets in MD wereon natural birds,with the focuson the unusualand the turned to the z most reliable locations, near s•tes,but that by this yearthe patternis gaudy.Many passerines aredeclining in the Keysville,Carroll, where tz malesand 3 reversed,with morethan 90% on rooftops. Regionbut, with the conclusion ofBreeding femaleswere present June x9 (RFR); and to Increasinglyrare, the only Black Tern was near Bird Atlas work in both states,observers are Fair Hill, Cecil,where Henslow's Sparrows Choptank,Dorchester July 8 (DF). Black payinglittle attention to mostnesting birds. werefound several years ago. Eastern Mead- Skimmers colonized several new sites in the A WarblingVireo noted June z at Smith owlarks,rapidly disappearing from most of Virginiabarrier islands, but the overall totals Mt. Landing,•stmorelandVA was probably theRegion, were in lownumbers everywhere continuedan eight-year decline (BW). This a latemigrant (fide JD). A Black-throated(v.o.) and apparendy no longer nest on the year'swinner in the"Gee, I musthave over- GreenWarbler in EssexJune 5 (JD, TD) was lowerBay islands in Dorchester(HTA). slept"category was a Dovekieoff Virginia eitherextremely tardy or from the tiny popu- Beachin lateJuly (BWa). lationof suspectedWayhe's Black-throated Greensbreeding in theRegion. A pairof Pro- Contribntors:David F Abbott, Janet M. thonotaryWarblers along the PatapscoR. Anderson,Roger A, Anderson,Henry T. CUCKOOSTO SHRIKES providedthe first breeding record for Howard Armistead,Scott Atkinson,John Bazuin, After a good springflight, Black-billed (CB, JKS et al.). The Grubersnoted a few Jim Boxwell(JBo), John Bjerke, Connie Cuckoonumbers remained slightly above earlymigrant passerines at their banding sta- Bockstie,Dave Brinker,Danny Bystrak average,but the Yellow-billed totals seemed tion at E.N.N.W.R., includinga Wood (DBy),Martha Chestem, Patty Craig, Dave low (HTA, RFR). For the pastfew years, ThrushJuly z• anda Veery July 30, three Yel- Czaplak,John Dalmas,Thelma Dalmas, Red-cockadedWoodpeckers have been lowWarblers July z•, a Chestnut-sided Julyx8, MichelleDavis, Fenton Day, Bill Dobbins, barelyhanging on in VA,with' all known anOvenhird July t8, $. WaterthrushesJuly 30 SamuelDyke, Frank Enders, Ethel Engle, clans in SussexCounty, so one in s.e. & 3x,a LouisianaWaterthrush July x8, and an JohnFlowers, Roberta Fletcher (Caroline, Greenville(SA) was somewhat encouraging, Am.Redstart July 3x. Many passerines begin MD), D. Ford,Gary Griffith (GGr), Greg althoughthere have been records of wander- their migrationin lateJuly, but thesego Gough,Jim & TrishGruber (Kent, MD), ersand no breeding evidence isavailable yet. largelyunnoticed by birders.Late spring JaneHill, ClarkHolscher, William Harvey InterestingEmpidonax flycatcher reports migrantsincluded a Blackburntan Warbler at (WHa), William Howe,George Jett, Steven •ncluded a late Yellow-belliedat Lucketts, Denton,CarolineMD June z (MN), a Black- Jones,Teta Kain, DougLister, Nancy Mag- LoudonJune 6 (JA,RA) and an early Least at pollWarbler on theAppalachian Trail n. of nusson, Stauffer Miller, Paul Nistico, M. BeaverdamRes., Loudon July 3x (DFA). East- Frederick,MD June xo (JF), and a N. Nuttie, Tim O'Connell, GraysonPearce, ern Phoebe numbers seemed down this sea- Waterthrushin HenricoVA June7 (FD). As Paul Pisano,Elizabeth L. Pitney (Lower son,raising concern that they may have suf- usual,there were a fewDickcissel reports, tes- EasternShore, MD), DannyPoet, Bill Port- fered from the March blizzard (RFR). The tamentto the tenacity of a bird that seems des- lock,Mike Purdy,Kyle Rambo, Jan Reese, firstconcentrations of migrantsTree Swal- tinedto vanishfrom the Region. Singles were Robert E Ringler, Jack Schultz, Don lowswere z5o at Chestertown,Kent July t 9, nearLeedstown, •stmorelandJune 5 (JD, Schwab,Stephen W. Simon,Joanne K. with500 there July z4 (J&TG).This species TD), in EssexJune xz (TK), andnear Lilypons Solem(Howard Co., MD), PamelaStevens, nolonger nests on the Bay islands in Dorch- Junet 3 (PN), The onlyconcentration was at BrentTarter, Glenn Therres (MD Depart- ester(HTA). Top countsof N. Rough- the CuriesNeck Farm, VA June3-July x6, mentof NaturalResources), Phillip Uhrig, wingedSwallows were from Kent, with zoo witha peakof 5males and z-3 femalesJune x6 Jerry Via, Mark Wallace,Bryan Watts atFairlee July I6 and300 at Chestertown July (FD). Rufous-sidedTowhees continue to be (BWa),Tony White, Bill Williams,Martha z4 (J&TG). Alsoat FairleeJuly x6 were 350 in lownumbers (v.o.). The possible Clay-col- Woods.-•EIRIK A.T. BLOM, 8•2 Pecan Bank Swallows and zoo Barn Swallows. Fif- oredx FieldSparrow near Salisbury, •co- Ct., Bel Air, MD zxox4; EUGENE J. teenCliff Swallownests were on a shopping micoMD continuedto singa modifiedClay- SCARPULLA, 79o6-B Knollwood Rd., centerin Eldersburg,CarrollMD this sum- coloredsong through July x6 (SD). As birders Towson, MD zxz86. mer(RFR). Migrant Blue Jays are often seen continueto searchregenerating clear-cuts in •ntoearly June, but two flyingover Balti- s.e.Virginia, the known range of Bachman's moreJune t8 wereparticularly late (RFR) Sparrowkeeps expanding Once thought to
10•. American B•rds,W•nter 1993 Pelagicbirding brought much excitement BITFERNS TO KF.STREL SOIJ111ERNA'!TANTIC withgood numbers of mostspecies and sev- LeastBitterns were reportedly doing fine at eral rarities. Black-cappedPetrel was severallocations, such as n. Greene,GA (PS) COASTREGION recordedoff all 3 states,with the bestcount andPamlico Pt., NC (JF).Nesting Yellow- RickyDavis 212off Oregon Inlet, NC July3• (BP,NB et crownedNight-Herons were found in the al.).A possiblerecord count for Georgia was Atlanta,GA area,with z youngfound in each II2 spottedJuly IO (TH). The dark-phaseofz nestsJune 6 (JS,CL). Inlandwandering HeraldPetrel off OregonInlet July 3I pro- heronsand egrets were in goodsupply across videdabout the 7th recordfor NC (BP,NB et theRegion, attributed to thegood nesting Two words could describethe summer of al.).The most exciting reports involved the successin most coastalheronties this summer. I993--hotand dry ! In manyareas June was BermudaPetrel, seen for about5 minutes by WhiteIbises also wandered in goodnumbers, the drieston record,and July the hottest. thesame group attending the Oregon Inlet with Atlanta,GA experiencingan invasion Theseconditions were generally good for foray.T. Hass also observedone off (MO, JS, PR). It is importantto monitor nestingbirds but horriblefor thebirders. Charleston,SC thesame day. In bothcases, roostsof troubledspecies; therefore, the Some observersbelieved that their local birds fieldmarks and flight behavior were reported WoodStork roost in Jackson,SC at theSilver did not fare well in the heat, but it wasmore and,if provenconclusive, will ruleout the BluffAudubon Sanctuary has become a key likelythat the birders just did not get out as supposedlysimilar Black-capped. Expect to inlandsite, with up to 24in lateJuly (AW). often. Despitethe usualmixed reviews seemore documentation on theseamazing Most unusualamong several reports of regardingnesting success, theconcensus was sightingslater. Shearwater numbers were lingeringwaterfowl was the Com. Eider that that the seasonwent well. Once again, higherthan in past seasons,with i68 spentthe entire period at the tidal pool at C. pelagicbirding provided most of the exciting Greatersoff OregonInlet, NC July31 (BP, Hart. Pt. (m.ob.). Fusselldid somefield recordsduring the summer. Let's hope that NB et al.), and recordcounts for SC of 375 work in and around the Pamlico Pt., NC thepursuit of understandingour Regional Audubon'sand 677 Cory'sJuly z7 (TH). areain Juneand found that Black Ducks and nestingbirds does not takea backseat to Storm-Petrelswere also seen frequently, with Gadwallsare still nesting in thisinfrequently chasingrarities over the open ocean! Band-rumpedsfound on all NC trips.A birded area. countof 5 off McClellanville,Aug. I (TH) Swallow-tailed Kites were last seen in the Abbreviations:C. Hatt. (Cape Hatteras); was high for South Carolina.An early Buxton,NC areaJune 23 (LL, JB), while two H.B.S.E (HuntingtonBeach S.P.); S.R.S.S. White-facedStorm-Petrel off Oregon Inlet, alongthe GreatPee Dee R., HorryJuly 4 (SavannahI• Spoil Site). Place names in ital- NC luly z4 (MT et al.) wasvideotaped, werenear the n. breedingrange in SC (RC, icsdenote counties. demonstratingthis species'characteristic CE). MississippiKites were well reported, flightstyle. A minimumof six White-tailed highlightedby a birdin ChapelHill, NC tOONS 10 FRIGIi'[BIRD$ Tropicbirdswere sighted off NC thisseason July26 (TH) anda goodcount of 4o along A bizarresight was an alternate-plumagedand, not to be outdone,SC had at least3 the Great PeeDee R., Marlboro SC June I Com.Loon resting on a canal bank in Alliga- reports.One Masked Boobywas reported off (LG, JC). The inland nestingOspreys at tor R., N.W.R., NC July14 (HL). The bird CapeLookout, NC in mid-July(SHy, fide Greensboro,NC successfullyraised 3 young musthave been sick or injured,as summer JF).Three Frigatebirds 30mie. of C. Hatt., from2 nests(HH); anunusual record for the lingerersare rarely in thisplumage. Another June7 (NB etal.) was extremely unusual in Atlanta,GA areawas provided by 2 birds breeding-plumagedsummering bird was a that almost all records for NC are from buildinga nestin earlyJuly (JS, BD). At Horned Grebeat C. Hatt. Pt., NC (m.ob.). inshore waters! PortsmouthI., Dinsmorephotographed a ...... ,• N. Harriernest containing 5 eggs, i for oneof the rarelydocumented breedingrecords in NC. He also Greensboroß Fails L. sawa pairwith 2 recentlyfledged siblingsat PeaI. N.W.R.,, NC in JorcIanL.• ßRaleigh July.Sharp-shinned and Cooper's • ß Charlotte NORTH hawkswere reported in all 3 states, but theonly evidence of breeding . ß"ßG .....ille CAROLINAMoreheadCi• wasan ad. Cooper'sworking in tome" " \ tandem with an immature to defenda nestin OrangeNC (SH). .•t•n• Broad-wingedsarealways reported •F•R•IA Augu•a.ßAiken •ntee NWR near the edgeof their breeding -.- range,but onedisplaying territo- rialbehavior within the Wilming- ...con ton, NC citylimits June 27 (SC) wasdefinitely out of range.Two Merlinsflying by KennesawMt., July3• mayhave been extremely earlymigrants (BD). The only breedingreport for Am. Kestrel eAIbany wasof a pairwith animmature at the CherryHospital grounds in Goldsboro,NC (GH, v.o.).
Volume47, Number 5. RAILS TO TERNS LeeSC July •o (RC,CE). May observers com- Then. GreeneGA area hosted King and Black mentedon the above-average numbers of Yel- railsduring the summer (PS), and Virginias at low-billed Cuckoosin their areas,while the 2 sitesnear Atlanta, GA in earlyJune were sus- Black-billedwas reported away from the pectedof breeding(JS, CL). Ten eggs of the mountainsonly twice, with the evidence of BIRDING ß BOTANY ß GEOLOGY ß TUCSON D ESE3•T SPRINGTIME ß SEA OF CORTEZ BlackRail were discoveredin the stomachof a breeding.One ad. c• Scissor-tailed Flycatcher KingSnake collected from Piney I., NC. It wasobserved at the n. endofOcracoke I., NC seemsthat these birds have many problems to June30, for the only Regional report (SW, fide contendwith (JG,fideJF). SD). GrayKingbirds are casual breeders at
PipingPlovers continue to bemonitored bestin SC, soa pairwith an immaturein Our 28th Season alongthe NC OuterBanks, with n pairs coastalGeorgetown SCJuly •3 was of interest CALL PIET VAN DE MARK alongC. Hatt., N.S. and27 pairsalong N. (LG).The adults had been present since June. 800- 726- 72:31 CoreBanks (SW, SP, fideJF). Black-necked Purple Martins regularly congregate in mid- Stiltsseem to bedoing well, as evidenced by a summerinlarge roosts, but the one that made recordcount ofz5o pairs nesting at Altamaha localheadlines around L. Murray,SC con-
WaterfowlArea, Darien, GA in June(MH, tained an estimated•5, ooo birds (LG, RC, SPRING 1992 fideJS).Also, 800 birds at S.KS.S., SC July 22 CE,JC). Not muchto reportregarding the A CapeVerde Petrel (Pterodroma)•ae) was (LG) is probablya recordcount for the breedingsuccess of the thrushes,but an photographede. of C. Hatt., NC May z4 Region.The Spotted Sandpiper israrely doc- unusualrecord portrayed aVeery singing and (MT, BP,HL, RD, m.ob.),providing what umentedas a breederin theRegion, so the behavingterritorially in FernbankForest, should be the first documentedrecord ofth•s reportof 2 nestingrecords in ForsythNC isof Atlanta,GAJune •8 (GS). formof the"Soft-plumaged" Petrel complex •nterest.One adult and 2 young,July 3• (RS et in NorthAmerican waters. The firstspring a/.)and a pairwith 4 young,Aug. • (RB,JM, VIREOS TO GRACKLES recordof Bar-tailed Godwit was pho- fideRS) were at 2 sewagetreatment plants, to Thedisjunct population of WarblingVireos at Santee N.W.R., SC was still intact this tographedat PortsmouthI., May 8-9 (SD) mopup first and znd county records. Migrant North Carolina hasseveral fall records,but UplandSandpipers returned to the usual summer,with 3 singingbirds present June 5 SouthCarolina and Georgiahave yet to haunts,with one near Goldsboro, NC June25 (LG et al.). On a BBS in Alligator R. recordthe species.Most unusualfor the (ED) a little early.The only Long-billed N.W.R.,NC, Lynchnoted amazing totals Regionwas a singingNorthern (Bullock's) Curlewsightings were of one that remained at for severalwarbler species. Counts of 93 Oriolein a yardnear Mayesville, SC May PortsmouthI., NC Juneto July(SD). Mar- Prairie,70 Prothonotary,and z4 Worm-eat- io-n (EDa). bled Godwitsare rare inland transients, mak- ingwarblers suggest that this coastal area has ingone seen near Charlotte Aug. i (TP)and healthypopulations of thesebirds that are FALL 1992 onein GoldsboroJuly z6 noteworthy for NC. strugglingelsewhere. Cerulean Warblers A light-phaseHerald Petrel was pho- Southboundmigrant shorebirds returned on werenot reported in NC, butKennesaw Mt. tographedoff Oregon Inlet, NC Aug.8 (BP, scheduleto theusual haunts, but a Ruffspied nearAtlanta, GA washome to goodnum- AB). Another rare pelagicspecies, the June•7 at BodieI. pondon the Outer Banks bers,with sixto •4 presentin lateJuly (GB, White-faced Storm-Petrel, was found off ofNC defiedcategorizing (SM etal.). Curlew BD). Severalobservers noted that Black- OregonInlet Sept. 5 (TH). Thesummer and Sandpiperswere recorded twice in July on the and-White Warblers, Am. Redstarts,and fall produceda recordinvasion of Reddish Outer Banksas well.There were no early Ovenbirdsappeared to be morecommon Egrets--•0-• in NC, four or morein SC, reportsof the rarerpeeps, such as Baird's. thanusual in thecoastal plain areas of Scand andat least two in GA!What's going on with Wilson'sPhalaropes were recorded atz sitesin GA. American Redstarts were observed in thisspecies? Georgia had its 4th or 5threcord NC: threeat Pea I. N.W.R.in earlyJuly, and Francis Marion N.E in coastal SC, with a of BrownNoddy, one off JekyllI., Aug.30 threeat Portsmouth I., July 19 •x5 2.0 (SD). juvenilebegging for foodJune z 5 (ND, (BD etal.). HuntingtonBeach S.P., SC was South Polar Skua was recorded twice off J&SS).Also increasing are Indigo Buntings the siteof a well-seenand photographed NC andonce off GA.A light-morphindi- Regionwideand Scarlet Tanagers eastward. BlackGuillemot, that lingered from early vidualwas videotaped July 9 (TH). A Para- Dickcisselsbred in z areas:3 birds near Novemberuntil spring (m.ob.). It counted siticJaeger was discovered hanging around Goldsboroin June(ED, GH) and6 (includ- asthe first record for theRegion, although the C. Hatt. Pt., NC areaJune 2o (RM et inga fledgling!)near Fountain Inn, Laurens SC did havean earliersight record at the al.). LesserBlack-backed Gulls lingered SC in Juneand July (TK). A countof •3 samelocality in i975.A c•Townsend's War- throughthe summer in NC, with at least5 Bachman'sSparrows at Merry Oaks, bler wasfound at PeaI., NC Nov.7 (RM) birdsfound along the Outer Banks in June ChathamNC July•8 wasgood for this pied- Theobserver was lucky enough to getpho- andJuly (SD). What were three Arctic Terns montspot (RM). Henslow'sSparrow contin- tos,which couldturn out to be the firstwell- off Charleston,SC Junei8 (ND, EB, JP) uesto dowell at severale. NC sites,with 4o documentedrecord for theRegion. North doingin Regionalwaters, at this time? birdsat theVOA-B sitein Pitt Co. and•7 at Carolinahad its 5th record of theincreasing RoseateTern was found in NC onlytwice, theVOA-A site in BeaufortCo., during the ShinyCowbird, with oneto twomales at a butthe Sooty made news this season at C. period(JW). North Carolina'shad its 7th feederin C. Carteretthroughout the season Hatt.Pt. Numbers peaked at 5adults July z 7, and 8th ShinyCowbird records: an imm. (BF,JF, HHa, m.ob.). andhatching chicks provided what is proba- maleat FigureEight I., Juneiz (DC) anda bly the firstdocumented record of nesting maleat CapeLookout June •o (SD). In SC WINTER 1992-1993 successin NC (SD). theOrangeburg Sod Farm was the site of the South Carolina's first Pacific Loon was county'sznd record of Boat-tailedGrackle, foundat Huntington Beach S.P., Dec. z (DF, DOVES TO THRUSHES with a maleseen June i (Re, CE). RC)--in samemonth and area as the Guille- Alwaysworthy of note,a Com. Ground- mot.South Carolina's 2nd Snowy Plover was Dovewas detected away from the coast •n s recorded•n January at NorthI, Georgetown
1100 AmencanB•rds, Wlnter 1993 (MS, LG), thesame site as the previous year. LOONS TO PELICANS NorthCarolina obtained photographic doc- FLORIDAREGION Threesummering Com. Loons were found, umentationof tworare gulls this winter. An Richard T. Paul onein theHalifax R. at DaytonaBeach June ad.California Gull at theNewport Landfill andAnnE Schnapf 2 (JD) andtwo near St. Marks Light July 9 in lateJanuary (SD, JF, JN) wouldbe the (L&JE). Mid-Junebrought a remarkable state'sfirst (p.a. by the N.C.B.R.C.). A Mew array of pelagicsto the Atlantic coast. (Common)Gull at C. Hart. Pt.,Feb. x9 (SD, Counts of shearwatersat Turtle Mound, JF,JN) furnishedthe state's 3rd record of this C.C.N.S.,peaked June 16, with 62 Cory's, 20 race. Greater,and one Audubon's(HR). Many Throughoutthe Region, the unseasonable died, with 70+ deadGreaters recovered over rainsof Januaryto Aprilwere followed by thenext few days between Cape Canaveral unseasonabledrought in Mayto July. Colo- andW. PalmBeach (HK, m.ob.;*several col- nialwaterbird nesting was greatly affected by lections).At C.C.N.S.June i8 were47 Wil- G•orgia•Witnesseda fiumdinger ofan influx this patternin both southand central son'sand io Leach'sstorm-petrels, and one Of.winteringhumm•ngbi•d• in •992•x993,.. Florida, but in vastlydifferent ways. In the Band-rumpedJune i6 (HR, HK). Also -with•i thegi rds doct•mented bybandin• Everglades, January rainfall exceeding 8 recordedwere an ad. BrownBooby at New inchesended any chance for WoodStork •B•)•b•We}e Tw;found:• Magnificentone atS• •t•e•in•I•m• • I.•' SmyrnaBeach June I9 andan imm. Red- nestingand dampened the early efforts of footedBooby, plus a numberof northbound Sept!t• &:l•,•nd anotherthai •ttled ih White Ibis and other waders. At Corkscrew N. Gannets near Turtle Mound, C.C.N.S., .Winde•Nove•b•? through the•ter. One Swamp,where 426 pairs of storks had begun JuneI6 (HR). Did a loopof theGulfStream .? Anna'sHmnmi•gblrd spent'janu• tb nestingin December,the entirecolony Mirchin:Walnut Grove. TIie•e were two pinchoff andwander shoreward, carrying failed.In theTampa Bay area, however, early thesepelagics with it andstarving them as it Black•chinnedHummingbirdsz a'maie in rains"set the table" for improvingwetland came? Fi=gedin Dceer, conditionsbefore the onset of nestlingfood FortyAm. White Pelicansat CapriPass dostaDecember toJanuary. An imm• (?) demandswere at their highest; wetland dry- June 5 markedthe first summerCollier Broad-taiiedHmmin•ird ih Tifto•as downsensured favorable foraging condi- recordof more than one bird (TB), while prelen'tO&ober tG Fe•}uary.K8 Allen's tionsinto July.Furthermore, the lack of I3-I6 birdsat MayportPond June 25-27 fur- Hummingbirditayed in Sand?springs storms minimized "natural"failures of nishedthe first summer Duvalreport (BR, Decemberiø Febiuary, .TheM,aghificen•, ground-nesting gulls, terns, skimmers, and JW).Some 8866 nesting pairs of BrownPeli- Anna's;Br0aa-tailea, and hamming-other species normally vulnerable toflood- cans were estimated in the annual G.EC. birdsgarnered first state and RegiOnal ing.Overall, it wasthe best year for nesting aerialsurvey in lateApril, slightlybelow records.'At least four, Rufous, and the colonialwaterbirds the Tampa Bay area had •992'sestimate of 9335(SN). Someobservers epeidRubytfir0ds, rOudea0ul seen in a decade. blamedthe 50% drop(2ooo pairs) in the invasiom Eventhe stormof March 13-I4 hadlittle TampaBay areapopulation on excessive long-lastingeffect. Winds of 6o to 80 mph or commercialbait fish harvest.This year, more,tides 5 to 12feet above normal, and numbersstabilized and nestingsuccess Corrigeml-m:In AB47: 403, the report of two locallysevere erosion occurred along a broad improved(RLP). The small colony of Brown different"soft-plumaged"petrels offOregon portionof theFlorida Gulf coast. At Alafia Pelicansfirst discoveredin s. L. Okeechobee Inlet, N.C., shouldbe deleted. The birdswere Bankin HillsboroughBay, 60% of the280 in i99i wasnot reported this year. notseen well enough to identify to species. activeBrown Pelican nests were destroyed. Mostbirds managed tore-nest, however, and HERONS TO STORKS Contributors:Gift Beaton,Jean Bickall, Ed Regionalpopulation surveys showed no Respondingto favorableforaging condi- Blitch,Alan Brady,Ned Brinkley,Reggie decline.Most otherspecies had not yet tions,heron and especially White Ibis nest- Burt,Derb Carter, Robin Carter, John Cely, begunto nest.Likewise, 70% of theSnail ing effortsrebounded at TampaBay area SamCooper, Evelyn Dabbs (EDa), Rick7 Kite nestson L. Okeechobeewere lost in the colonies.More than 8800 pairs of I3 species Davis, Eric Dean, Nathan Dias, SteveDins- storm, but the birds re-nested (J.A. of heron,ibis, and spoonbill nested at Alafia more, BruceDralle, Caroline Eastman,Den- Rodgers).Re-nesting was not an option for Bank,and 3000 pairs used the Washburn nisForsythe, John Fussell, Betsy Gallagher, BaldEagles; a dip in nestingsuccess was Sanctuaryin Terra Ceia Bay (RLP,AS). JohnGerwin, Lex Glover, Henr 7 Haberyan attributed to storm losses.Concern was also Thesenumbers represented increases of 6o% (HHa), ScottHartley, Todd Hass, Herb Hen- expressedforRed-cockaded Woodpeckers. and ioo%, respectively,over i99z nesting ddckson,Mal Hodges,Gene Howe, Sonny Asalways, this report is an amalgamof estimates.At M.I.N.W.R., z85opairs of xx Hyman(SHy), Tim Kalbach, Carol Lambert, breedingrecords, late spring migrant sight- specieswere found at iz colonies(BS, DB). LaurieLarson, Hart 7 LeGrand,Merrill ings,and early fall reports. Unfortunately, Near Marco I., zz5opairs of 7 speciesat 5 Lynch,Joyce Mauch, Roger McNeill, Steve rigidspace limitations have forced radical siteswere regarded as an average effort, but Metz,Jeremy Nance, Mark Obede,Brian compressionand, too often,omission of nestingsuccess was good (TB). Further- Patteson,Jim Peters,Sue Philhower, Taylor noteworthyrecords. more, the RookeryBay roostbuilt up Piephoff,Paul Raney, Bob & MarthaSargent, quicklyin lateJuly to a highof morethan GeorgannSchmalz, Jeff Sewell,Ramona Abbreviations:A.B.S. (ArchboldBiological 4400waders, the most ever recorded there by Snavely,Mark Spinks, J. & S. Stratton,Paul Sta.); C.C.N.S. (Cape CanaveralNati'l TB. Sykes,Mike Tore, Ann Waters,Suzanne Seashore);G.EC. (Fla. Game& FreshWater About45 pairs of Reddish Egrets nested in Wrenn,John Wright.--•CKY DAVIS,P.O. FishCommission); J.I.S.P. (Jack Island State 3Tampa Bay colonies and one near Clearwa- BOX 277,Zebulon, NC 27597. Preserve);L.A.S.F. (Lake Arbuckle State ter,fewer than expected (RLP, AS), while x7 Forest); M.I.N.W.R. (Merritt Island pairswere at 3 M.I.N.W.R.heronries (BS). N.W.R.);S.G.I. (St. George L). •n ReddishEgrets in theBig Bend area in
Volume 47, Number 5.1101 mid-Julyindicated a strongpost-breeding north and central Florida." Several other movement(m.ob.). Although White Ibis reports seemedto lend credenceto an XVESSEX BIRD TOURS faredpoody in theEverglades, large nesting increasein this species(m.ob.). A dark- England* Se0tlatt(I *Wah,s effortswere reported from 2 areas:Tampa morphShort-tailed Hawk seenJune 6 and Bay,with 8000 pairs at 4 colonies(RLP, AS), July•5 at BrookerCr. Preserve,Pinellas was Birding in small and M.I.N.W.R., with •7oo at 7 sites(BS, probablya resident(DSu, HM), whilean friendly groups DB).At thew. limit of theirbreeding range imm.Am. Kestrelat Ft. DeSotoJuly 4 was through beautiful in Floridawere 4 pairsof GlossyIbis found veryunusual (A&RS). countryside, staying in nestingin the EastR. PoolRookery at St. A BlackRail was heard at PaynesPrairie country hotels. MarksN.W. tL, July3 (RG). Julym (RR),where they are rarely detected To see Bntain's birds at their A yearago, 999 RoseateSpoonbill nests butare probably permanent residents (BM). best write for our 1994 werefound in a surveyof allknown nesting Of •4 WhoopingCranes experimentally brochure to: sites.Of these,880 were in FloridaBay (RB). releasedin OsceolainJanuary, nine had been 12 Redland Court Road, Thisyear, no comprehensive estimates were killedby bobcats by Aug. i. Pre-releasecon- Bristol, Avon BS6 7EQ, UK. available,but a recordio6 pairswere found ditioningwill bemodified to makecaptive- Telephone: (+) 44-272-246255 at 3 TampaBay sites (RLP, AS), and x4 pairs rearedbirds less vulnerable topredation. The byreports from St. Marks N.W.R., Ocrden- at 5 sitesat M.I.N.W. tL colonies(BS, DB). survivorsall usedappropriate crane habitat talPhosphate in Hamilton, Kennedy Space WoodStork surveys by the G.EC. andcol- in s. Osceola,and three traveled up to •25mi Center,and TampaBay (NW, JK, MJB, laboratorstallied 44oo pairs of storksat z9 fromthe release site (SN). ML). At St.Marks, where nesting was first sitesdespite the washout of theEverglades reported3 yearsago, 7 pairswere found SHOREBIRDS andCorkscrew colonies (JRo). (NW). Fourhundred Willets at ShellKey The first2 SnowyPlover nests in s.Pinellas DUCKS TO CRANES July•5 was a veryhigh early number (PB), "in manyyears" were watched through the whilea singlebird flying over L. Lochloosa An apparentlywild-plumaged c• Muscovy seasonatShell Key, Pass-a-Grille, with a high SEof Gainesville July 27 (RR) marked only Duckwas present May 27-June 6 with a pair ofeight adults recorded July 2• (PB,BA, LH, the 4th arearecord (BM). Other early- of WoodDucks at A.B.S.,an areanot yet RS). Nestingpairs were also recorded at returningshorebirds included aWhimbrel at infectedby feralwaterfowl (DSt, AB, BP). Sanibel(DSt, FM) andDog Is. (DE, LM). AlafiaBank July 3 (AS),single Long-billed OneN. Shovelerlingered S of Mulberryat Threeadults were also reported from the Curlewsat AlafiaBank July 3 (AS)and Ft. thePhosphoria phosphate mine until June PhippsPreserve, Alligator Pt., July 28 (GF, MyersBeach July 25 (NP), 40 MarbledGod- z7(PF), and a SurfScoteroff Alligator Pt. in RG).Piping Plovers spend two-thirds of the witsin HillsboroughBay July 5 (RLP),and FranklinJuly 28 provideda raresummer yearon their "wintering"grounds;early 200Red Knots at ShellKey July •5 (PB,RS). record(GF, RG). Noteworthy duck nesting returnsincluded one at DogI., Julyn (DE, SingleWhite-rumped Sandpipers at Dog I. recordswere furnished by a HoodedMer- LM), •6 at ThreeRooker Bar near Honey- werepresumably northbound June 6 and ganserwith 6 ducklingsnear Wilma, Liberty moonI., July20 (RLP,AS), and30 moreat southboundJuly •8 & 22 (DE, LM). A Pec- April •3 (JP),and a RuddyDuck with 7 DogI., July22 (DE, LM). toral Sandpiperon Dog I., July•8 wasan downyyoung in anartificial impoundment Black-neckedStilts apparently nested suc- unusualcoastal find (DE, LM). SevenWil- nearHillsborough Bay May 4 (RLP,AS, cessfullythroughout the state, as indicated sonsPhalaropes seen July 2• in a spoildis- ML). Two c• Ruddies were seen posallagoon near Gibsonton were June27 in separatePolk phosphate veryrare for the local area (RLP). mines(PF).
Veryscarce residents in s.-c.Fla., SKUAS TO SKIMMERS a singlead. White-tailedKite was A SouthPolar Skua found and pho- found in e. HighlandsJune 23 tographedon the beachnear Mel- (DSt).Snail Kite nesting surveys in bourneJune •7 (D. Wilson) fur- L. Okeechobee and the Kissimmee ".•,,•Gainesv,lle. • nishedthe first fully verified Florida R. basinproduced a total of 2oz record,and 2nd summer report Oqde nests,a niceincrease over last year. BP).Laughing Gull numbersat the Nestingsuccess averaged about one Orlando.-1 • bigHillsborough Bay colonies con- youngper nestdespite the Mar. MEt'CO•..Tampa 'Clea•liS•,oenrl•;' t tinued their recent slide due to habi- •3-•4storm, also a healthy improve- tat changes(RLP), and the gulls ment(JRo). Bald Eagles continued beganto occupynew sites. Some theirremarkable increase, with 667 700 pairs nestedat Alafia Bank activeterritories found this year. (RLP), •5oat ShellKey (PB), and That'sup 52% in just 4 years! • 'g -Corkscrew(J•) about 40o0 at Three Rooker Bar Floridaeagles represent 7o% of the (AS,RLP). Fifteen "Laugher" nests knownbreeding population of the werefound at theS.G.I. Causeway southeasternUnited States(SN). June • (JG, EE, HS). Two Great Withless fanfare, Cooper's Hawks Black-backed Gulls in 2nd alternate alsoseem to bemaking a comeback. plumagesummered at ShellKey Brian Millsap reported•2 nests (PB, BA, LH, RS), andan adultwas found in 4 northerncounties in foundat MelbourneBeach July 3 onlycursory field effort and opined (RLP,LA). that "Coopersare more common Three nestsof Gull-billedTerns, than Red-tailedsin uplandsof
1101- American Birds, Winter 1993 mid-Junerainstorm, it landedintact in the Prairie Warblers were found at Ft. DeSoto in mouthof thefireplace with the young still in repeatedvisits, far below numbers detected it. The adultscontinued to feed them until atthe start of theBreeding Bird Atlas in •986 theyfledged (fideA. Stedman). (RS,BA). Brown-headedCowbirds, the sus- TwoAcadian Flycatchers seen June x2 at pectedvillains, were seen on each visit. Dog Blackwater Cr. in Seminole State Forest, Island's first-ever Prairie Warbler was found Lakewereat theedge of theknown breeding Julyx7, no doubt a migrant(DE, LM). Like- rangefor this species (L. Malo).Eleven Gray wiseon the movewas the CeruleanWarbler 3 Kingbirds,including several fledglings at mi s. of TallahasseeJuly 27 (TM). Swain- WeedenI. StatePreserve July 23, wasan sons'sWarblers were reported from z sites. Prese,t at leastApril to July1993 (and One was seen June 5 near Callahan, photographedhere on June 17) wasthis adult encouragingfind, in viewof recentdeclines BahamaMocki.gbird in KeyWest, Florida. in theSt. Petersburg area (RS). Only spo- Nassau--anexcellent find (BR). Up to four Photograph/SteveMetz. radicbreeders near Jacksonville, the first pair foundthroughout the seasonat the new in someyears was seen July x7 with z fledged SteinhatcheeSprings W.M.A. in s.w. rarebreeders in the Panhandle,were found at young(JW). Extremely rare in Florida,an Laj•yetteprobably nested (BM etal.). theS.G.I. Causeway June x (JG,EE, HS). adukFork-tailed Flycatcher was seen July •6 Blue Grosbeaks were believed to be nest- Thelargest Royal Tern colony in thestate in onBuck Island Ranch, Highlands (JF, LC). ingat 3 sites this summer ins.e. Highlands, at recentyears has annually occurred atPassage the edgeof theirknown breeding range KeyN.WR. An estimatedzmo pairswere JAYS TO FINCHES (D&CF, B&MK, DSt). Two ShinyCow- talliedMay I9 (RLP,AS), down about zo% ThreeScrub Jays near a feederjust n. of birds,an ad. maleand an imm. male,made fromrecent years. Royals also nested at 4 GuanaR. S.P.in St.]ohm July z7-zS, consti- an appearanceat EastR. Pool,St. Marks otherGulf coast sites, including Lanark Reef tutedthe first verified report of this species in N.W.R.,July xo (NW). Occasionalin recent (x39nests June • (JG, EE, HS) and Three thearea in manyyears (fid• PP). Two Brown- summers, two c• Brown-headed Cowbirds RookerBar (65 pairs July zo (RLP,AS). Two headedNuthatches made a first-everappear- wereseen June x4 at J.I.S.P.(JB). Their pres- Royalsseen July 9 at NewnansL., e. of anceat A.B.S.,July 7 (AB),and five more encemay explain the local rarity of Black- Gainesville(RR), providedthe areasznd were found at BrookerCr. Preserve,Pinellas whiskered Vireos noted above. House summerrecord (BM). A totalofx9o pairs of July3• (HK). Sparse breeders in c. Florida, a Fincheswere present throughout the period SandwichTerns nested at just z Florida pair of Blue-grayGnatcatchers with z at thehome of James Easterley in LakeCity colonies,both in TampaBay (RLP, AS). At fledglingswas found at A.B.S.,June xz (fideJD. leastzoo (mosdy juvenile) Com. Terns sum- (DSt).Eastern Bluebirds responded well to a meredat Marco I. (TB, WBu). Another z3o nestbox project at theAvon Park Air Force Cootributors (area compilers iu boldface: Commons,including just 3 adults,were Rangeand adjacent L.A.S.E Bluebirds occu- Howard Adams, Brooks Atherton, Lyn foundon Dog I., Julyi8 (DE, LM). Eleven pied67 of xo5boxes, produring 33o young Atherton,MaryJo Barkaszi, Alfredo Begazo, reportstotaling some 60o pairsof Least (D&CF etal.). An Am. Robinat Longwood Ted Below,Wes Biggs, Paul Blair, Dave Ternsfrom all overthe state(m.ob.) defied Junez3 was very late (JR). Lingering at least Breininger,Jane Brooks, W Burkett,Cerise simplegeneralization, but the I3 pairsthat throughthe period was the Bahama Mock- Cauthron,Leslie Cooperband, Jack Dozier, fledgedx• young from an artificial platform ingbirdpresent in KeyWest since April Erik Egensteiner,Linda and John Epler, at StMarks N.W..R. (JR, RW) deservedhon- (JOn). Remarkably,this bird was pho- Duncan Evered,Paul Fellers,Gail Fishman, orablemention. Several surveys allowed pos- tographedfeeding what appeared to be a JohnFitzpatrick, Don & ClariceFord, Dot siblythe firstgood statewide estimate of youngN. MockingbirdJune x7 (S. Metz). Freeman, SteveFutch, Karen Garren, Red BlackSkimmers: about i8oo pairs at z5sites Gidden,David and Casey Gluckman, Jeff (JG,JH, RLP et al.). More thanone-half Gore,Harvey Hill, WayneHoffman, Larry wereat m TampaBay area colonies. Nesting Hopkins,Julie Hovis, Herb Kale, Bruce & washighly successful in the latter area for the MarianKittridge, Jerry Krummrich, Fred firsttime since at least•98o (RLP,AS), and [Th•decline 6•Blac•Whis•erea. V7ireosLohrer,Manny Lopez, Michael Manetz, lessso elsewhere (JG, JH). [ se•mstobe continuing.' NoneWas ,found Curtis Marantz, Lyla Messick, Tom Morrill, (agaia)"•dng•oatsurveys inTampa ana Ron Mumme, Fran Muraski, Barbara DOVESTO FLYCATCHERS •firasotaBay•[hroughout spring and sum- Muschlitz,Henry Mushinsky, Steve Nesbitt, RingedTurtle-Doves at FernandinaBeach met,an• • •nlyone •as •rd •hGasparilla John Ogden (JOg), Joe Ondrejko (JOn), haveincreased from a singlepair released 4 JohnPalis, Rebecca L. Payne(RLP), Neil yearsago, to x5 birds (E. Colborn). A Chest- :-gdi•es•tha{•ey ar•'b6•mln• s'•fCe in •1- Pettis,Peggy Powell, Bill Pranty, Joe Rein- nut-fronted Macaw and two Blue-crowned li•. Onehe Athfid• gidk, jUseone man(JRe), Bob Richter, Harry Robinson, Parakeetssummered in St. Petersburg;the whiSkereOwa•'he•rd •in•ng Ted Robinson, Mark Robson,James A. macawrepresents an additionto thelocal Luci6•re in p•t yeg••ever• •u!•d bq Rodgers(JAR), Rex Rowan, Dave Simpson, exoticslist (RS). Mangrove Cuckoos aren't foun60B), •We r•peat •warnin• ofpast Andrea& RonSmith, Becky Smith, Hank exactlysongbirds, but two calling in Rook- years:Th•eciex i{ thsea•ed by cew•ird •eff Smith,Doug Stotz (DSt), Dana Strothers, eryBay National Estuarine Research Pre- Rarmi•sm:•' c•b3rd:: on•t• pro,am DaveSumpter (DSu), Peter Van Thiel, Noel serveJuly z4 charmedeven a grizzledfield u•ent0 nee&• Wamer,Rick West, Jim Wheat, Robin Will veteran(TB). (RWi).•CHARD T. PAUL andANN E CommonNighthawks near Gainesville SCHNAPF, National Audubon Society, maybe decreasing(BM). Any thoughts, TampaBay Sanctuaries, 4m WareBlvd., readers?From the Ripley'sDepartment A highnumber of 38 N. Parulaswas recorded Suite 5oo, Tampa, FL 33619. comesthe report of a ChimneySwift nest at at SaddleCr. ParkJuly 24, of whichone- EdithMiller's Sarasota home. Dislodged by a thirdwere young (PF). Just four territorial
Volume 47, Number 5' 1103 Abbreviations:Pelee (Pt. PeleeN.P.); P.E.Pt. Thesewere likely the same birds seen earlier ONTARIOREGION (PrinceEdward Pt.); L.P.B.O. (Long Pt. Bird in June in Quebec. Brantscontinued to Ron Ridout Observatory);T.C.B.O. ( ThunderCape Bird movethrough the e. partof theRegion into Observatory);Algonquin, Presqu'ile, and earlyJune; a flockof 24at DarlingtonEP., Rondeau are Provincial Parks. Junen (RP)was a goodnumber for the date. Severalinteresting waterfowl breeding Duringthe summerof I993, the province LOONS TO WATERFOWL recordsincluded a 9 Green-wingedTeal wassharply divided east to westalong a line SummeringRed-throated Loons were noted with5 downy young at Wainfleet Bog June 6 runningthrough Lake Superior. Observers in above-averagenumbers on the Great (BF, MJ, RK), one •? N. Pintail with 2 west of this line lamented a secondconsecu- Lakes. Individuals were seen at T.C.B.O., downyyoung at Presqu'ile July 22 (TB), 3 ad. tivesummer of cool,wet weather and spoke July5 & 7 (DS,MD) andat TorontoJuly 8 N. Shovelerswith io youngat Wiarton July of conditions that were not amenable for (TS) & 20,when 2 birdswere seen (RY). The t4 (JJ),a •?N. Shovelerwith 7 downyyoung breedingsuccess. East of the line, the lastmigrants in thesouth were singles on L. at DesbaratsJuly 25 (EC, AWa), and a •?Am. provinceexperienced very warm and gener- Ontarioat MississaugaJune 13 (KM) and Wigeonwith one youngat Hamilton's allydry conditions, which presumably aided EE.Pt.,June 16 (RR). SummeringRed- WindemereBasin July 17 (KM). Two pairs of manyspecies in recoveringfrom the disas- necked Grebes numbered t6 on L. Ontario RuddyDucks nesting at Tavistockprovided trousbreeding season ofi992. offBurlingtonJune z4 (RvV).In thenorth, a thefirst breeding record for OxJ3rd(JMH). Amonginteresting inclinations was the recordI5O pairs were censused at Whitefish Individualsofvarious species ofdiving duck continuingincrease of breedingrecords of L., ThunderBayJuly I (TR).A SnowyEgret have been known to summer in the south. traditionally"western" waterfowl in south- at RattraysMarsh, PeelJune 27-28 (DP et Noteworthyrecords this year included a c3 ernOntario. The appeal of sewagelagoons al.) providedthe only occurrencefor the GreaterScaup at HamiltonJune 6+ (KM), at to somespecies cannot be denied.Sandhill period.The Litde Blue Heron at LongPt., leastone of 2 ad.•? Lesser Scaup at Hillman Cranescontinued their gradual reclamation Junet5 & z9 (DAS)was probably the same MarshEssex June to (AW)that was thought of formerbreeding range in thesouth, fol- individualseen there in May.Two Cattle to havesummered, 2 males at TorontoJune lowingthe path of BaldEagles, though for Egretswere at HamiltonJune 16 (BM), and 2i & 24 (MM), one at TavistockJuly 7 different reasons. one was seenJune 2t at Presqu'ile(KC), (JMH),a c3Oldsquaw at PitrockL., Ox•rd Spring'scool conditions retarded north- wherethe species has bred in thepast. Single July4 (JMH), threelingering Buffleheads at boundpasse fine movementin the south, GlossyIbises were at CranberryMarsh, TorontoJune 22 (HS), and a •?Burrßhead at resultingin severalvery late passage dates. DurhamJune io-ii (BA, MB) and St. Clair theNonquon lagoons Durham July io (RT). Raritiesincluded Black-bellied Whisding- NWA, KentJune t8-26 (RB etal.). Eleven9 Oldsquawsthat turned up at St. Duck,Least Tern, Gray Flycatcher, and Scis- Thenine Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks Isidore June 26 (BD) werelikely very late sor-tailedFlycatcher. All raritiesmentioned discoveredat a sodfarm near Blezard Valley springmigrants. in thisreport are subject to theapproval of Junet7 (FM, DK, m.ob.) lingered until July the Ontario Bird RecordsCommittee. 7, providinga firstrecord for theprovince. RAPTORSTO SHOREBIRDS
ß Wawa OneBald Eagle, of a pairnesting at ? ( •.• Winisk 'Jarr•s Bay OwenSound, carried a patagialtag denotingit as a bird fledged at Long Pt., the first proof that the s. Moosoneeß • ß E • '½ Ontariopopulation is recruiting fromits own ranks (ritz PH). Four pairsat LongPt. fledged 6 young, Cochrane I the highesttotal in severalyears (JM). A N. Goshawkobserved at ßSudbury •_ ---., ,•ThunderBa..y,,•.,.%ß Marathon PineryP.P., July 22 (AR) may have been a local breeder. A Red-shoul- • N•hBay ß :- • ßSudbu• dered Hawk nestwith 3 young foundon St.Joe 1., June t2 (m.ob.) providedAlgoma• first breeding record.After several years, the Pere- • •Par•Sound • grinehacking program has begun to showresults in theprovince. Of • '• ONTARIOO•a•' Cornwall• a record4 pairswith nests in Thun- derBaydistrict,4 of theadults were banded,two from the Ontario pro- gram(NE). Lonebirds in thesouth • Presqu'ileProv.• • wereseen at TillsonburgJune 6 • W•erlooß Torontoß (JMH), Hamilton June8 (RvV) Hamiltonß andJuly 25 (RD, BC), Purpleville ß Samia •brk June15 (GB), and Wolfe Is., ßLondon FromenacJune23 (S&AT). YellowRails, in traditionalsites, included one in the Richmond Fen Junei2 (VL) andobservations from
110•- American Birds,Winter 1993 WheatleyHarbour June •9 & 30(AW) and a PeleeJune •6 (AW), and DorlandJune 23 juvenileat Long Pt., July 28 (JMH), begging (JMH). Thesemay be the precursorsof a thequestion: Where are these birds nesting heavyfall passage. Despite the harsher winter in the Region?Lingering Glaucous Gulls of •992-•993,Carolina Wrens seemed to hold wereseen in thesouth at FiftyPt., Niagara theirown at then. edgeof theirrange in the June t5 (RD) and Maple June•8-July 9 province,although no furthernorthward (GB). Fifty-twoCaspian Terns at theNon- expansionwas noted. House Wrens at their n. quonlagoons Durham July •o (MB) wasa limitincluded singles at MatachewanJune •o high inlandcount, while one Caspian at (LT) andat AlgonquinJune z4 (MR, MH). PickerelL., RainyRiver July 30 (DS) fur- In a former low-densityarea, Golden- Scissor-tailedFlycatcher east of TerraceBay, crownedKinglets are on the increasein Ontario,June 13, 1993. Photograph/Frank nishedonly the znd record for QueticoP.P. Leppanen. The lastnorthbound Arctic Ternsmoving Oxj$rd,with an estimated 30 breeding pairs upthe Ottawa R. weresix June • andthree reported(JMH). As pine plantations mature, 5 sitesin the RainyR. areaJune •5 (DG). June6 (BD).An ad.Least Tern observed off numbersof thisspedes should be expected to Alwaysrare in theprovince, King Rails were WheatleyHarbour June 9 (AW)was only the expandaccordingly. A Swainsons Thrush at notedat Long Pt., July 5 & •z (DAS);several zndever for the province. PeleeJuly •8 (AW) was a record-early migrant. wereheard at St. Clair NWA duringthe Cuckoosoccurred in higher-than-usualBy July zz, 5birds had arrived (AW). Reports period(JH). Breedingof SandhillCranes numbers. In the southwest, Black-billeds of N. Mockingbirdscontinue to increase wasfinally confirmed at LongPt. in June numbered30 at RondeauJune 6 (KB, JB, acrossthe province as far northas Sudbury withthe observation of a pairwith flightless SC)and seven at PeleeJuly zz (AW).Yellow- andThunder Bay, but one north of Hawley L. young(KBr). Tardy northbound littorals billedswere widely scattered across central on theSutton R. CochraneJune z5 0T) wasa induded a Black-bellied Plover at Hamilton andeastern Ontario. Great Gray Owl sight- trulyoutstanding find. Loggerhead Shrikes Junez7-july • (KM), GreaterYellowlegs at ingsin Algonquinincluded one adult at continuedtheir precadons breeding status in AylmerJune 4 (DM) andTavistock June 5 OtterslideCr., July •6 (BN) andz juveniles theprovince with an estimated 50 pairs sur- (JMH), a Whimbrelat PeleeJune 7 (AW), at DicksonL., Julyz3 (AS, JSi), securing the veyedduring June and July (fide O.M.N.R.). RuddyTurnstones at PortStanley June 26 zndconfirmed breeding record for the park. Thelast spring migrant was seen at Pelee June (SP,LW) andBright's Grove June z9 (AR), A Chuck-will's-widowseen at Long Pt. in •o (AW). two SemipalmatedSandpipers at Bright's June(DB) wasbelieved to bepaired with the GroveJune z7 (AR), and a Dunlin at territorialmale found there in May. The VIREOS TO FINCHES Presqu'ileJune z4 (M&JS).A Semipalmatedmale located on Manitoulin I. was last heard A White-eyedVireo nest with 4 eggsJune n Ploverat RussellJune 26 (BD) wasconsid- July3• (RTr, v.o.). (DB, PB) wasonly the 3rdever found at eredan early fall migrant. Other early birds LongPt., where a singingmale was observed headingS consistedof two GreaterYel- FLYCATCHERSTO SHRIKES June z9 (RDM, LE, GG). Five breeding lowlegsat Wolfe Is., FrontenacJune z3 A walkfrom Pelee's Visitor Centre to theTip pairswere reported at Pelee(AW, v.o.). A (S&AT),n Sanderlingsat Pelee July I4 (AW, June7 netted6 speciesof Empidonaxfly- PhiladelphiaVireo at Uxbridge June •3 (MB) RC), a record-earlyjuv. Least Sandpiper at catcher,comprising a record 68 Yellow-bel- was somewhattardy in its northbound EssexJuly 2• (DC), twoBuff-breasted Sand- liedsand Ontario's znd recordof GrayFly- migration. The Blue-winged-Golden- pipersat ErieauJuly •9 (KB), andan ad. catcher, which was well observed and wingedwarbler story continues to ebband Long-billedDowitcher at SchombergJuly documented('•AW). Observationsof Aca- flow acrosssouth and central Ontario. Some •o-t3 (GB et aL). Unusual shorebirds dianFlycatchers included z singingmales at areasreport Blue-wingeds asalmost totally included the Am. Avocet found at Holland PeleeJune 7-•o (AW,KS et al.) &n (AW), dominant, while others see no serious LandingMay 22, which remained until June severalterritorial males at Rondeau(PAW), z inroadsinto the Golden-wingedpopula- z (GB,JMa), a Wilieron Amherst I., Lennox malesin theWilson Tract Nor•lk through tions. At Pelee, a record-latemigrant AddingtonJuly 9 (RE, KE), loneMarbled June(DAS), and a territorialmale in the Golden-wingedwas seen June z (KS,AW). Godwitsat KagawongJune 8 (SM) and BlackCr. swampOxJbrd (JMH etal.). The The first southbound Tennessee Warblers ThunderBay June 8-9 (BAt,AH), singleW. firstsouthbound Least Flycatcher appeared werethree at Pelee(AW) and one at Dorland Sandpipersat Kincardine June 4 (JMc,AM) at PeleeJune z3 (AW), just •6 daysafter the (JMH) July•7- An ad. NashvilleWarbler andRock Pt. P.P.,HaldimandJuly z4 (KR), lastspring migrant. Individual W. Kingbirds witha juvenilein theSweaburg Swamp June theCurlew Sandpiper discovered May 30at werenoted at T.C.B.O., Junen (DS), Heron 30 (JMH) provideda rarebreeding record Oshawa, which remained until June 3 BayJune •z (DT), GoulaisBay Algoma June for OxJbrd.Yellow Warblers began massing (m.ob.), and a cinnamon-collaredRuff at r5 (CS), and near RutherglenJune z6 for migrationwith a highcount of 300at MunsterJuly n (BSetal.). (?RTa).A Scissor-tailedFlycatcher was pho- EE.Pt., July 4 (RDW,JE). A singingd' Mag- tographedalong the Prairie R., e. of Terrace nolia Warblerat Mud L., OxJbrdJune 30 JAEGERSTO GOATSUCKERS BayJune •3 (FD. (DBu)furnished arare summering record. A An imm.Parasitic Jaeger at T.C.B.O.,June 3 Continuingthe strongspring passage at femaleat PeleeJuly •7 (AW) wasa record- wasan unusualsighting. Laughing Gulls L.P.B.O., Bank Swallowsnumbered in the earlymigrant. Two territoriald' Black- havedecreased in the province over the past tensof thousandson several evenings in early throatedBlue Warblers in OxJ3rd0MH) fewyears, so one at BlenheimJuly 9 (KB) Julyas they flew to roostin the LongPt. providedisolated records south of theirnor- wasunique. The samecan be saidfor the marshes(DAS, RR et aL). Barn Swallows malrange. Three pairs of Yellow-rumpeds at FranklinsGull at PeleeJune z (NS). A juv. attained a maximum count of z3oo at Presqu'ileJune 30 (RDM) wasa highcount. Bonaparte'sGull at PeleeJuly z 7 (AW) tied Presqu'ileJuly •9 (SL).Five Blue Jays at Pelee A singingd' Yellow-throatedWarbler at theareas record-early arrival date for young June•6 (AW)were late spring migrants. Red- Long Pt., June z3 (DB, PB) surprised of theyear. Sightings of LesserBlack-backed breasted Nuthatches moving S included observers.Apparently the birdwas passing Gulls consisted of a first-summer bird at record-earlybirds at ErieBeach June •z (KB), through,as it couldnot be found subsequent
Volume 47, Number 5 ' 1105 to the ,n,t,alobservauon. After a 5-year wereseen at Burwash Farm, Sudbury ,nJuly to three;AB47:89, change N. HawkOwl at absenceof thespecies, a d' PrairieWarbler (HB). A Sharp-tailedSparrow at theRich- MiltonNov. ii-i 9 to Nov.i9-25; AB47:9o, establisheda territoryat St. Williams mondFen June •z (VL)was a late migrant. changeWorm-eating Warbler atPelee Aug throughmost of June (MSt, v.o.). The pres- SingleW. Meadowlarkswere observed in 29 to Aug.z9-Sept. z; AB 47:9o, change ence of a female was not detected. Two Juneat BlezardValley (JL) and in s.Durham Harris'Sparrow atPelee Oct. 3 to Oct. 3-4 Black-and-whiteWarblers at PeleeJuly i8 (BH,AJ). A strongshowing ofup to z 5 pairs (AW)were record-early fall migrants. A d' of Yellow-headedBlackbirds were counted at Subregionaleditors (boldface), contributors ProthonotaryWarbler at the Black Cr. theSt. Clair NWA inJune (JH). The territo- (italics),and citedobservers: R. Andrle, B Swampin June(RS) provided Oxford's first rialmale at Long Pt. remained until the end Ariss, B. Atkinson (BAt), M. Bain, H summerrecord. A singingd' Worm-eatingof June (DAS). Another bird at KirklandL., Baines,B. Baker,T. Beck,G. Bennett,R Warblerat UticaJune II (GS)was the north- June z (WM) had ventured even farther Boardman,H. Bremner(HBr), D. Brenner ernmostsighting during the spring. Equally afield.A surveyofBruce inJune came up with K. Brown(KBr), D. Bucknell(DBu), J intriguingwas a singingd' KentuckyWar- about75 pairs of Brewer's Blackbirds, astrong Burk,K. Burk,P. Burke, G. Carpentier,P blerat FonthillJune •2 (RK).Six d' Hooded showing(JJ, DF). Breedingat Peleewere Carson,D. Cecile, S. Charbonneau,B Warblers,three of whichwere paired, were approximately50pairs of OrchardOrioles, Charlton, K. Craig, R. Curry, E discoveredat FonthillJune 20 (RK, v.o.). up fromi992 (AW).Sixty juveniles were Czerwinski, B. DiLabio, R. Dobos, M Two of the pairswere later found with countedalong Pelee's w. beachJuly i 7 (AW). Dugdale,K. Edwards,R. Edwards,D. Elder, fledgedyoung. Hamilton l•ntworth had its A pairof PurpleFinches nested at Wildwood J.Ellis, L. Enright,N. Escott,B. Farnan, D. firstbreeding record of HoodedWarbler L., Oxj•rd,the county'sonly known site Fidler,M. Gartshore,G. Gibson,C. Good- withthe discovery of a nestwith 2 eggsat (JMH).Continuing agood spring movement win, D. Graham,J.Haggeman, A. Harris,B AncasterJuly 2 (MG, PC). in theprovince, 400 Pine Siskins at T.C.B.O., Henshaw,M. Holder,J.M. Holdsworth,P A late springmigrant Dickcissel was June7 (DS)was the peak of a strongpassage Hunter, M. Jacklin,A. Jaramillo,J.Johnson, observedatthe tip of PeleeJune 4 (L&KS).A there.Nine EveningGrosbeaks at various R. Knapton,D. Kuehnbaum,V. Ladouceur, spotsin Leedsduring June (N.L.B.) furnished maleand a female were observed onseparate S.Laforest, J.Lemon, E Leppanen, J.Macey occasionsin Junenear Smiths Falls (RW). raresummer records. They may be the fore- (JMa), F. Marshall,D. Martin, J. Thispresumed pair was in suitablehabitat, runnersof thisspecies' return to s. Ontario aftera noticeableabsence. McCracken,J. McKeeman(JMc), K but breedingwas not confirmed.Another McLaughlin,B. McMartin,M. McNicholl, birdwas observed nearby at Merrickville R.D. McRae, S. McRae, A. McTavish,A. June15 (BB). A LarkSparrow was found s.w. Corrigenda:AB 45:44o,correct Mississippi Mess (AMe), W. Murphy,B. Needham,J. of ThunderBay June IO (JW). A weeklater, Kiteat Peleeto read:one adult May 17--18 Nicholson,North Leeds Birdwatchers, whatwas probably the same bird was seen a (G. Catley,A. Sims,T. Osborneet al.) and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, fewmiles away. Three sightings of d' Lark onefirst-summer immature May 19-2o (K. OntarioBird Records Committee, D. Perks, Buntingsrepresent an excellentseason's Thorpe,J. Linderet al.); AB 45:441,delete S. Proud,R. Pye,P. Read, P. Richter (PR,), total-•oneat Kingston June 5 (AV),another LaughingGull at PeleeMay 1i; AB 46:416, A. Rider,R. Ridout,T. Ross,K. Roy,M at PeleeJune 29 (AW),and the latest at Sault EaredGrebe at HamiltonApr. 29-May 1 Runtz,D. Sadler(DSa), G. Sadowski(GSa), Ste.Marie July z 5 (GSa).Grasshopper Spar- shouldbe Apr. i9-May i; AB46:416, Eur. A. Schumacher,B.Scott, K. & L. Sealy,G rowswere reported widely across their range Wigeon"singles in the Dundasmarsh and Shemilt,D. Shepherd,N. Sherwood,J ,n the provinceand appearto be on the areaMar. 8, 26-z7, Apr. 5 (N. Murr, RGF, Siegreist(JSi), R. Skevington,H. Smith,R. ,ncrease.Three singing males on St.Joe I., GP),"should read "singles in the Dundas Smith(RSm), M. Smout(MSm), J. & M AlgomaJuly25(AWa, EC)were significantly marsh Mar. 8, 26-27(N. Murr,RGF etal.), Speigle,M. Street(MSt), C. Suhay,D. A n.e.of theirbreeding range. An intensive at CayugaApr. 5 (GP)"; AB 46:417, Sutherland,T. Swift,R. Tafel (RTa),L. surveyfor Henslow'sSparrows in former HarlequinDuck at Burlington Mar. 8-May Taman,R. Tasker (RTr), D. Tate,J. Thomp- breedingareas in theprovince revealed only 31should be Mar. 8-May 1; AB46:417, add son,R. Tozer,S. & A. Treganza,A. Valkr,s, one pair (L.P.B.O.). The fortunesof this "forspring" to therecord high count of i8 R.van Vliet, L. Wagner,A. Walker (AWa), R specieshave plummeted over the past SurfScoters at PeleeApr. 25;AB 46:419, Walton, R.D. Weir, J. Woodcock,P.A decade,and extirpation seems imminent. A changelocation of BlueGrosbeak at Pelee Woodliffe,A. Wormington,B. Vdyatt,R colonyof 5 singing d' LeConte's Sparrows at May 16to PeleeIs. andthe totalrecords for Yukich.--RON RIDOUT, L.P.B.O.,P.O. HilliardtonJune i2 (WM) wasnew but well thespring to five;AB 47:89, change one Box I6O, Port Rowan, ON NoE IMo. withinthe species' provincial range. Two Black-leggedKittiwake at HamiltonSept. 5
APPALACHIAN breedingranges orin the fluctuation ofpop- active,than on the birds.Food crops ulationshad much to ponder, and perhaps appeared good despite the lack of rain,and at REGION argueabout. mostplaces nesting proved successful. In n Theweather was hot and dry. June tem- Pennsylvania,anoutbreak of theelm span- GeorgeA. Hall peratureswere about normal, but July was wormprovided abundant food for nestlings, muchwarmer than normal, with a ii6 day- and the resultantdefoliation made the birds degreeexcess atPittsburgh and 25 days of 9o- easyto see. Gypsy moth outbreaksalso plustemperatures atElizabethton, TN. Offi- occurred.By contrast,insect populations cialrainfall for bothmonths was slightly weresorely lacking in the Pittsburgh region, It wasa fascinatingsummer, even though belownormal in Pittsburgh,but what rain leadingto the poor nesting success ofseveral manypeople failed to go afield. The paucity occurredwas highly localized. commonspecies (PH). of raritiesfrustrated some birders, but those The hot weatherseemed to havemore of At PowdermillNature Reserve, a totalof who are interestedin the ebb and flow of aneffect on the birders, who were not very 1325birds were banded dur,ng the per,od,
110•. American B•rds,W•nter 1993 comparedwith a 7-yearaverage of • • tinue to increasein the Region, 8o5.Several species were banded in : withreports from many places, and recordnttmbers for the season,and new nestingcolonies reported the numberof youngbirds was from Greene(RB) and Butler PA high(RCL, RM). (CBi).A GreatEgret at Edinboro, A sampleof how manyspecies PA, Junez (JH) was an unusual are in the Regionin summeris • sighting,but the normal number givenby the IO8 species counted on of reportscame in July.The Snowy the Carter, TN, second annual _ Egretwas not reported, but single summercount, and the I3Zspecies imm. Little Blue Herons were listed on the Brooks Bird Club WEST? found at Bristol,TN, July 9-zo Forayin the CheatMountains of VlRGINIA• WestVirginia. 3o(WC), (MH,Lyndhurst, RS), and VA, at Julyleast29 six,& Thelong-term trend for some • including 2 adults, were at so-callednorthern species tonest . G.B.W.M.A., July 27-3I (MG, farther southor at lower elevations WA). Immature Black-crowned was especiallynoteworthy this gear.The opposite trend for south- places,but no actualnesting was ernspecies was not as pronounced. .! I' reported.Night-HeronsAn ad.were Yellow-crownedseenatseveral The followingaccount deviates ] Night-Heronwas seen in Mor- from the usual checklist order to •-gan,TN,June 6 (SSt)and an emphasizethese range extensions. injured immaturebrought to a rehabilitationcenter July zx came Abbreviations:Ch.N.E (Chatta- from McDowellWV (fide CS). hoocheeNatl. Forest,CA), G.B.W. Immature White Ibises were seen M.A. (GreenBottom W.M.A., Cabell at New Hope, VA, July zo-zI Co.,W•, j•rmerlyknown as Glen- (SSp)(3rdcounty record) and at woodSwamp), G.S.M.N.P. (Great Smoky Mt. I3--I8 (RMa). Pied-billedGrebes nested at McClintic W.M.A., WV, July iz-zz (ph.) N.P., TN/NC,EI.S.E (PresqueIsle S.P., Erie G.B.W.M.A. (WA); one wasseen at L. Som- (SM etal.) Co,PA); P.N.R. (PowdermillNature Reserve, erset,PA, July x (AM). Up to 30 Double- Anunusual number of straggler waterfowl WestmorelandCo., PA). Place names in italics crested Cormorants were at Meander Res., wasreported. Tundra Swans were seen at are counties. OH, throughthe season (NB). Mill Village, PA, June 9 (DP) and at The onlyAm. Bitternreports came from PymatuningL., PA,June zo-July z 5 (m.ob.). LOONS TO DUCKS ConneautMarsh, PA, June 3 (DB) & zz At P.I.S.P.,N. Pintail (first summerrecord Stray Com. Loonswere reportedfrom (RFL), whileLeast Bitterns were seen at the for thecounty), N. Shoveler,Gadwall, and P.I.S.P.,June 26 (LM), PymatuningL., PA, sameplace, July z 5 (RFL) and at ELS.E, June Am.Wigcon were all reportedin July(JM, Junez8 (RFL),and Ripshin L., TN , June 6-7 & t6-z8 (JM). GreatBlue Herons con- DS). Two nestingsof HoodedMergansers were firstsfor the L. Arthur, PA, region (GW) anda Com. Mergansernear Bartow, WV, in earlyJune (B.B.C.E) was remark- No• speciesMovi• South able. LeastFlycatchers were'found at3IOO ft onPoeøsin Mt., VA,for ,the fi}st record; there sincd 1987(MS)"and were•en on th& Blu• Ridge Parkwa'y ifi Botetourt, VAfi•39o0 ft (KP).'Red- RAPTORS TO GULLS breastedNuthatches Were found at 26oo ft5n:Lycoming PA(SS), at Zoo0 fta• Micha. uxS;E, Ospreyhacking was successful, with six PA(CG; DH)• and 9n:a BBS route inTAugusta, VA(YI•).• A straytumid uF at •inboro, PA, hacked at L. Arthur, PA (PH) and IX at June•5(D•S5 Golden-c•owned Kinglet•ia•sted atxg Oø fta5 P.N.,R• (RCL, .RM)aq•d were BlennerhassetI., WV (JE).A White-tailed foundat Caesar's Head $.P., S C, June 2• (.ID).In Penl3sylvaniaHermit T hrttshes were foun d Kitein HaywoodNC,July z3 (N&BS) was a aflower elevations in:LycomingPA•t zoo0ft((SS), •t Michau x&E pA, (DHj, and.at Sc9tia Regional first. In additionto thethree Bald Barrens,PA0P). Hermit Thr ushes areconsolidating theirrecent incursi6fi iniothe the hi•h- Eaglenestings in n.e.Ohio and the two in w. l•ndsof•e•neSSe•North Carolina •;½ith retoids from Roafi Mi• (RK, JD). Pennsylvaniamentioned in the Spring Severalwarblers •rovided the most interesting records. Atleast zo MagnoliaWallets spent report,z pairsnested in Bath,VA (RS).Indi- theirjrd stlmmeron Unaka Mr., T.N (RMa).-The Yellow-.rumped Warbler continues itsrapid vidualeagles were reportedfrom EI.S.P. range ex7ansi0n. Ifwas føundthis.summer innew stations jOPennsylvania inlZyc0ming (SS)(JM), PocahontasWV (B.B.C.E), Augusta andMichaux S.E (DH).•e.real prize was,the successful fled,ang ofYello•-ru•peds onthe VA (YL),and Rockingham VA (CM). Sharp- NorthCaroli naside oœRoan Mr.(RK), afitst for the state and amaj9r exrension 0f• •reed- shinned Hawks were generally in goodnum- •ngrapge. Judgin• from itsrecord i• West Virginia; itghould soonbe found throughout th• bers, but Coopers Hawk continuesto •ubalpineforest ofthe R•gion. A•adaWarbler was found at4•oo ft6n Slldghte} Mt.,GA, decline,and the only report of N. Goshawk • neveløcationforthat state (DE•. What t0 make of this? A singingc•Blfickpoll Warbler'a• the wasof a singlein •rren PA,June zz (CP). Sinks6fGandy Cr., WV, in early Jun• oœ t99z'•gS considered aiate migrant, bui a iinging Red-tailedscontinue to do well, but Red- '.male,possibl• thes•e, s.Pent. •h• Month OfJdn etlijs year atihe •ame •ite (ZF, GE). shoulderedHawks were reported in low Pin•Sis•ns were •e•n 3n. Clingman•:Dome, TN;June •2 •D) an• nesting.was9bseyved numbers, except at P.N.R.,where they are • July.onthe North •arolin• Side of•:Mt., the3rd nesting •fortha • stat e(•. doingwell (RCL, RM). A provocativeobser- vation came from Massanutten Mt., VA, wherea groupof I4 Broad-wingedHawks
Volume 47, Number 5 - 1 at ConneautMarsh, Crawj3rdPA, June4 erationof feeLrs?The only reports of Red- (DS).The southbound flight started by mid- headedWoodpeckers came from Augusta VA SouUmmSpecies Julybut, except for both species ofyellowlegs (MS), andPocahontasWV (B.B.C.E). Three Acadian Flycatchers. nested in theSCOtia Ba/• andSolitary, Least, and Pectoral sandpipers, to four Red-cockaLdWoodpeckers were re-s of CentrePA, in atypica•habitai; not muchhad arrivedby the endof the foundnear Cumberland Falls, Whitley KY, o•-mapllwith no stream (JP). Noixhe•rn period. Most of the unusualrecords came on a summer count, and anotherwas seenat tV-9fking;birdlnested for thefirst tim, e jn fromELS.E, comprising Am. Avocet July •9 a knowncolony in LaurelKY, July 22 (fide TrurabulLoH (CB)iand one was seen at (JM), WhimbrelJuly 26 &27 (JM), Red JEI,BM). Yellow-belliedSapsuckers nested P.I.S.E,July 2o (DS). The Yellow-throated KnotJuly 3o-3I (JM), White-rumped Sand- in Elk PA (LC) and in PocahontasWV WarblerContifiues t• •h N.Th• sPecie• piper July 30 (JM), and Stilt Sandpiper July (B.B.C.F.). was•eefi atlOine, WalrenPA, JuneL 36 I9 (DS).Other noteworthy records were of a Most areasreported low numbersof E. (D•, andin a GreenePA, BBS route.a Willet at CherokeeL., TN, Julyi6 (RMa); WoodPewees, but Willow Flycatchersare countof 6waa an all-timehigh {RB).A Short-billedDowitchers at CherokeeL., doingwell, with generally increasing num- Swiinsofi'sWarbler atJefferson Lake S.P.• TN, Julyt6 (RMa), at McClinticW.M.A., bersin the newlyestablished range. At o., une wa;'ti;oatorgei Julyi2-2o (SM, WA) and G.B.W.M.A., July P.N.R. the last northbound Yellow-bellied thiispedes has shown .atendency top•erfly. 2o (WA). Flycatcherwas banLd June6, andthe first Asingin• d Blue Groibeak spent the •sum- A CaspianTern on the Ohio R. at Blenner- southboundspecimen was nened July 3• mer.n•ar Fi. McCord, PA (CG), andone was hassetI., Julyt9 (JEetaL) was unusual, as was (RM, RCL). Concern for E. Phoebenum- s?•nhontasWVat an unusually (•.B.C:F.)• high elevati0fi ih Poca• theCom. Tern at S.Holston L., TN, sighted bersafter the "Blizzard of'93 • turnedout to June28 (WC). Forster'sTerns were found at beunfounLd, as populations were normal. ELS.E,June 4 (JM),Pymatuning L, PAJune BothGreat Crested Flycatchers and E. King- 24(RCL), and Boone L., TN Julyto (RK).At birdswere generally in lownumbers. Note- "ketded"to thetop of a thermaland then EI.S.E,Black Terns were seen carrying food worthywas a Scissor-tailedFlycatcher in pealedoff andheaded S in typicalmid- to a nestingsite June 6-23. Theywere not WhioqeldGA,June x7 (JHafideHD). Septemberfashion--this occurred July 2t seenlater, nor was there evidence regarding Tree Swallowscontinue to do well at the s. (CM). Explanation,please! There was a thesuccess of the nesting (JM). Black Terns edgeof theirrange, and in PocahontasWV, reportof a GoldenEagle at Massanunen Mr. failedto appearthis year at the previous nest- theywere more common than N. Rough- duringthe period (fideCM). ingsite at Hartstown,PA (RFL). winged Swallows(B.B.C.E). The laner In WarrenPA, the 41nest boxes contain- specieswas in shortsupply almost every- ingAm. Kestrelsproduced i97 eggsfrom CUCKOOS TO WRENS where.A colonyof 40 nestsof BankSwal- whichI4I youngfledged, the best year ever Black-billedCuckoo populationsare lowswas found in lgOodWV (JE). The forthat project (DW, BW). The Peregrines increasing, particularly in thesouth. By con- recentlyestablished Cliff Swallow colonies in nestingin downtownPinsburgh fledged z trust,the Yellow-billed isgenerally declining, the southcontinue to grow.For example, young,one of which was killed by flying into exceptwhere occupied with the abundant onecolony in e. Tennesseeswelled from 4x awall shortly after fledging (PH). gypsymoth in CentrePA (JP). nestsin I992 to 71in i993 (RK). P.N.R.had 2 A BBS count in CumberlandPA,turned In linewith the usual findings, the only newcolonies, although an establishedone up t4 Ring-neckedPheasants, compared reportsof Corn. Barn Owl came from haddeclined (RCL, RM). Reportersdid not with a previoushigh of four(DH). Ruffed AugustaVA (2 sites)(RS)and Elizabethton, givemuch anention to BarnSwallows, but Grouseappear to beat a highpoint in the my impressionis that numberswere lower cyclein WestVirginia (GB). The N. Bob- than normal. white has all but disappearedfrom the Brown-heaLd Nuthatches in Union GA Region,so the report of two heard in Augusta wereat a newlocation (DF). CarolinaWrens VA(RS) was welcome news. More intriguing camethrough the "Blizzard" in goodshape was the one heard on the summit of Roan at mostplaces, although their numbers were Mt., TN, in July(RK). belownormal on 3 BBSroutes in Rocking- Threepairs of VirginiaRails nested at ham VA (CM). The B.B.C.E recordeda G.B.W.M.A.(WA), and one answered a tape Bewick'sWren on Allegheny Mt. at theVir- callin 29umbullOH,June6 (CB). A late ginia-WestVirginia border. Winter Wrens reportofa SoraMay 8 at 320oft in Ch.N.E Adult Little Blue Heron at Green BottomWildlife werein goodnumbers in thehighlands, and (HD) wasmost interesting, and a broodof ManagementAroa, West Virginia, Jnly 27,1993. werenesting at EN.1Lat lower-than-normal Photograph/MikeG,•;•;.h. youngSofas was seen in Crawj$rdPA,June altitudes(RCL, RM). 2i (RFL,RCL). Common Moorhens pro- TN (onesite) (RK). A Short-caredOwl seen ducedyoung at G.B.W.M.A. (MG, WA)and in ClearfieldPA,June 2x (PS, GS), was east of KINGLETS TO FINCHES at HartstownMarsh, PA (RFL). the knownsummer range in the state. A Ruby-crownedKinglet in CarterTN, June SummeringUpland Sandpiperswere Reportsof N. Saw-whetOwls from Gaudi- t3 (GWa,FW) wasmost probably a late reportedfrom Cumberlandand AdamsPA neet Knob, WV, June3 (GAH) and Unaka migrant,but perhapsthis species, which is (DH), SomersetPA(AM), andJej•rsonOH Mt. TN, June7 (RMa)were noteworthy but notknown to nestanywhere in the Region, is (MA). ACom. Snipewas found in the not unexpectedat thoselocations. The thenext candidate for major range expansion. mountainsof RandolphWk;, in June Whip-poor-willwas more willy reported Both E. Bluebirdsand Wood Thrusheshad (B.B.C.E).And a LesserYellowlegs was at than in recent summers,but it is still a anexcellent breeding season atEN.R. (RM, EI.S.E,June i6-27 (JM). Ldiningspecies in the Region. RCL),but most areas reported a disappoint- A fewshorebirds were still moving N in Ruby-throatedHummingbirds were ingbreeding season for Am. Robins, the first earlyJune, and a Wilson's Phalarope was seen reportedin above-averagenumbers. Isthis a nestingshaving been almost atotal loss. Veery realincrease, oris it anartifact of the prolif- populationsona Pocosin Mt.,VA,census 1108- American Birds,Winter 1993 GrasshopperSparrows slightly sub-par (DH). SavannahSparrows were at theJohn- WESTERNGREAT sonTN, sitefor the3rd year and were found at z new locations in the n.e. Tennessee LAKESREGION region(RK). The almost vanished Henslows Sparrowwas reported from Dan's Rock, MD, June5 & 6 (RKi)and from a recoveredsur- facemine in JeffersonOH (MA). A White- throatedSparrow at Kingsport,TN, June6 Weather was the news this summer. Both (AS)was certainly a stragglingmigrant, but Wisconsin and Minnesota saw unbelievable FourAmerican Avocets at Pres•ue Isle State onein PocahontasWV(B.B.C.E) mayhave rainfallduring June and July. Numerous Park, Pennsylvania,July 19,1993. Photograph/JerryMcWilliams. beenaffiliated with thesporadic nesting pop- stormswould dump as much as 7 toxz inches ulation in the Cheat Mrs. of rain,only to befollowed a few days later wereup 30% (MS). In theCheat Mrs. of West EasternMeadowlarks continue to decline, byanother wave of torrential rains. Flooding Virginia,Swalnsons had the edge over Her- astold by a n.West Virginia BBS route count wascopious throughout both states, with mit Thrush (B.B.C.E, GAH, GB). The of only seven,an all-timelow (RB). Wel- morethan 50% of thecoundes in bothstates SwainsonsThrush at Slippery Rock, PA, June comenews, however, were the reports of near beingdeclared disaster areas. During July the 8 (GW)was probably a late migrant. absence of Brown-headed Cowbirds from MississippiRiver became the sixthGreat GrayCatbirds in w.Pennsylvania and n. EN.R. (RCL, RM), Morgantown(GAH), Lake, with worseflooding south of the WestVirginia had a disappointingseason and a GreenePA,BBS route (RB). region.Temperatures were cool, with many (PH, GB, GAH). An Am. Pipit at P.I.S.P., PineSiskins were found in earlyJune in areasnever recording even a single9øo day! Junex (DS)was an unusualsighting. Good Elk PA (LC) and WarrenPA (DW). Red Bycontrast, Michigan's weather was far less newsfor Loggerhead Shrikes: pairs accom- Crossbillswere reported from Clingman's extreme.While precipitationwas above paniedby young were reported at Franklin Dome and NewfoundGap in G.S.M.N.P., averagein June,it wasnowhere near record PA (CG, DH),PocahontasWV (B.B.C.E), June23 (JD); UnakaMt. (June7 (RM) and levels.Rainfall in Julywas generally below andl•shington TN (RK); the species RoanMt., TN, July3 & x6(RMa, RK), and average.Temperature during both months, wasalso recorded on a BBSroute in Augusta theCheat Mts. of West Virginia in earlyJune whilepunctuated by cool periods, was close VA (YL).Solitary Vireos had a niceshowing, (B.B.C.E). However,the permanentresi- to normal. found nestingat lowerelevations. They dentsat ShenandoahMt.,VA, were seen only The effect of the cool, wet conditions on nested for the first time in the Scotia Barrens onceon x6visits to the site(CM). nestingspecies was hard to ascertain.The of CentrePA, where White-eyed Vireos were high waterlevels of lakesand wetlands alsodiscovered nearby (JP). Late Reports:A Franklin's Gull was at Ft. undoubtedlyflooded out nests and delayed Despiterecent hand-wringing over the London, Dam, TN, Apr. 24 (AC). A N. nestingattempts. The cuttingof haywas plightof Neotropical migrants, most of the Shrikespent the winter at Finzel, MD (DB). considerablydelayed, which should have nestingwarbler species arrived in goodnum- aidedgrassland species. In addition,insects bers.This was true not only for thelowland Coutributors:Michael Arabia, Wendell were extremelyabundant. However, the speciesbut for thehigh-country northern Argabrite,Carole Babyak (CB), Ralph Bell, excessivemosquitoes made it difficultfor forestspecies as well. At EN.R. summer CharlesBier (CBi), Dan Brauning,George manybirders as the summer progressed. bandingsofAm. Redstarts, Ovenbirds, and Breiding,Brooks Bird Club Foray, Edward This summerproved to be one of the HoodedWarblers exceeded the 7-yearaver- Brucker,Nancy Brundage, Danny Bystrak, quieteston record.No outstandingrarities age,and the Yellow Warbler population was LindaChristenson, Wallace Coffey, Andrew appearedRegionwide, certainly a first.The the highestin severalyears (RCL, RM). Core, David Davis, Harriett DiGioia, Jon coolspring delayed the expectedmigrants. HoodedWarblers were up z4ø/0on a census Dunn, GregEddy, Jackie Elmore (JEI), The fall passerinemigration was also late, on PocosinMt., VA (MS). Exceptionswere JeanetteEsker (JE), Tom Fox, Dot Freeman, perhapsa resultof the latenesting season. Black-and-White Warblers in Elk PA (LC) Carl Garner,Mike Griffith, Joel Hayes Minnesotafound good numbers of shore- and Yellow-breastedChats almost every- (JHa), Don Henise,Mozelle Henkel, Paul birdsas July progressed, but Wisconsin and where.Sadly, the Golden-wingedWarbler Hess,Bill Highhouse, James Hill (JH),John Michiganhad no similar buildup. If youdid apparentlycontinues its march toward obliv- Heninger,Ray Kiddy (RKi), RickKnight not bird much this summer because of the ion. Therewere only z reportsof Prairie (RK), YuLeeLarner, Robert C. Leberman conditions,you really did not missa great Warblerin n.e.Tennessee (RK), andthey are (RED, Ronald E Leberman(RFD, Steve deal. almostgone from the Morgantown,WV, Mace, Anthony Marich, Rad Mayfield region(GAH). In CentrePA,low Pine War- (RMa), JerryMcWilliams, Linda McWi- Abbrevialio•s:EM.S.G.A. (Pt. MouilleeState bler numbers were attributed to "blizzard" Iliams, Clair Mellinger, Burt Monroe, GameArea,MI). Countynames are in italics. casualties(JP). RobertMulvihill (RM), DaveParker, John Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were abundant Peplinski(JP), Keith Peters,Bill Sieben- LOONS TO IBISES in EIkPA(LC), and41 were banded at EN.R. heller,Norma Siebenheller,Don Snyder, Two Red-throated Loons June 28 on L. (averagexS.5)(RM,RCL). At StateCollege, RuthSnyder, Sarah Splaun (SSp), Stanley Superiorin St.Louis MN wereprobably late PA, grosbeakswere unusually common at Stahl(SS), Steven Stedman (SSt), Craig Stih- springmigrants (TB). SevenCommon feeders,with a simultaneoussighting of 5 ler,Gary Wallace (GWa), Frank Ward, Beth Loonswere in Madison,WI July3 (KB), malesand one female (JP). Indigo Bunting Watts,Don Watts(DW), RobertWhitmore, undoubtedlyrepresenting wandering birds. numberswere up by asmuch as 35% on the Gene Wilhelm (GW).--GEORGE A. A HornedGrebe was present at EastTawas, PocosinMt., VA, census(MS). HALL, P.O. Box 6o45,West Virginia Uni- MI untilJune 25 (DP). No lessthan 4 Wis- A grasslandcensus forCumberland PA, versity,Morgantown, WV z65o6-6o45. consin sites had Eared Grebes. They foundSavannah Sparrows faring well and includedDane until Junexo (v.o.), Dunn
Volume 47, Number 5-11• YellowRails were found in 3 Min- nesota counties, the usual Aitken (WN et at), Cookwith two into
ß AgassizNWR ßß earlyJune (m.ob.) and St. Louis, with a maximumof•4 (KR etal.). GrandMaralJ Birdscalled into August in thelat- FeltonPrairie •" • ter county.Shiawassee NWR, MI ß ßIt.... State Park / j.• recordedits firstKing Rail with MINNESOTADuluth•-.-"•'•_•.,• .•"•'-• v•'•-• "•'• ....•(•... onepresent June 23 (DP, SL). • I •u•rior•Ashla• SeneyNWR• • / ßCrex Meado• • •' N SHOREBIRDS ßBig •one NWR • W• • /' • Despite the very poor spring • WISCONSIN Y/? • migration,•7 spedeslingered into Minneapolise.• PaulE• [•1 • :•...... C,• Junein Wisconsin.The mostsig- nificant observationsincluded two Whimbrelsuntil Junez at Mead . BlueMounds S.R re ß • • WA (DB), singleMarbled God- ß HericonNWR[ -Muskegon Po•Huron wits in WashingtonJune z (BD)
M•i•nßMilwaukee.• ' - -Grand RapidsDeCeit. • and DodgeJune 4 (MK), Ruddy
ß •lam• Turnstones,Semipalmated and White-rumped sandpipersat Manitowacuntil Junezz (CS), a W. Sandpiperin OcontoJune •4 (JS), and a Reeveat the flooded fieldsn. of BeaverDam June3 wheretwo werepresent until June 22 (JPo), DUCKS TO RAILS (MP). Interestinglate spring Dodge.until earlyJuly (m.ob.), and Goose TundraSwans were present at Fish Pt., July i migrantsfor Michiganincluded a Willet PondColumbia, where 5 adultswere found, (MW) andNayanquing Pt., Julyz 7 (TW, June 5 near P.M.S.G.A. (v.o.), a Whimbrel includinga pair that successfullynested DC), both MI. A c3 Canvasbackwas alsoat June5 at NorthPt., Alpena (RA), and a Mar- (m.ob.).This is one of the few nesting NayanquingPt., June12 and July 2• (RW) bledGodwit June •-io atEast Lansing (RP et recordsfor the state. It was found at 2 Michi- with twoat P.M.S.G.A.,July 3 (JG). Three al.). gan sites:Muskegon Wastewater System Greater Scaup summeredat Milwaukee Thefall migration started somewhat later June13 and July 9-31 (JP et al.) andThree (MK etal.) with one lingering into June in thanusual as migrants commenced appear- OaksJuly 31 (WB, RS). The Clark'sGrebe OcontoWI (JS).Three were at P.M.S.G.A., ing fromvery late June into earlyJuly. No that was in TraverseMN during May July3 (JG). LesserScaup were found in n PipingPlovers were found in Wisconsinand remaineduntil June8 (PS). Anotherwas Wisconsin counties, several of which had Minnesota, an indication of the bleak out- seenJune zo on LongL., Meeker(AB) for summered.A HarlequinDuck waspho- look for this species.Single birds were about the nth Minnesota record. The W. tographednear Ashland June 28 (fideDV) observedat SangatuckDunes SP (SM etal.) Grebecolony on DiamondL., MN totaled for a rareWisconsin summer sighting. A andTawas Pt. (RW), Michigan. Am. Avocets 232adults/immatures byJuly 31 (fidePB). tardyOldsquaw was at TawasPt., MI June5 attemptedto nestin BeckerMN, but the Againthis summer,Am. White Pelicans (MW). ThreeWhite-winged Scoters were heavyrains flooded out the nest (TWMN). werecommon in Wisconsin.Numbers rang- observedby Weeks June •z, alsoat TawasPt. An avocetwas in LaCrosseWIJuly •o (JD), ing to z5 were foundin 5+ sites,plus an A • Buffieheadwas discovered byBurcar in with oneat Bentonharbor M1 July z6 (RS, impressivez• 5 on the MississippiR. in l•r- aflooded field north of Beaver Dam, WI July KM). Willetswere found on July 3• in Mil- non(v.o.). Michigan had nine July 31 near [8.Single birds were at Nayanquing Pt., June waukee (MK) and GoodhueMN (RJ). RapidRiver (m.ob.). Snowy Egrets again 5 (JSo)and Muskegon Wastewater System Michigantotaled •5 birdsfrom 5 sitesJune nestedat GreenBay. One waspresent in Julyz5 (JP).ACom. Merganserlingered z5-Julyz9, anexcellent showing. A Whim- Minnesota'sKandiyoki during mid-June throughJune at Menasha,WI (DN). brelwas observed along the L. Michigan (SE), with threein Lac Qui ParleJuly 3o The nestingpair of Ospreysin Winona beachharassed by gullsJuly 3I in Sheboygan (FE). Michiganhad one June lZ at the Erie was one of the few records s.e. of the Twin WI (D&MB). Five Hudsonian Godwits MarshPreserve (PC, TW), twoJuly 15-z9 at Cities(HVA). Alsoout of rangefor Min- werein I•11owMedicine MN Julyi8 (HK). the KarnPlant (MW etal.), oneJuly •5 at nesotawas a nestingpair of Red-shoulderedSingle Marbled Godwits were found at St. NayanquingPt. (MW) andtwo July24 at Hawksin Becker(m.ob.). Very unusual was Joseph,MI June25 and July •2-•3 (WB, RS). P.M.S.G.A. (MPe). A TricoloredHeron was an ad. Swainson's Hawk at Wisconsin's WesternSandpipers were at EM.S.G.A., July alsoat P.M.S.G.A., July n-lZ (m.ob.).Cattle Mead,WA July 7 (MPI).Also unusual was an [6-22 (m.ob.)and New BuffaloJuly 24 Egretswere found in severalMinnesota and individual in n.e. Minnesota's St. Louis that (KM). Wisconsincounties, with nesting occurring wascaptured July 8 (fideSW). It subse- at GreenBay. A Yellow-crownedNight- quentlydied. No lessthan three imm. Fer- GULLS TO FLYCATCHERS Heron wasseen June 5 in CottonwoodMN ruginousHawks were recordedin Min- Only two LaughingGulls were found in (RJ). Michigan had an adult during nesota- June5 in Wilkin(KBa), June •5 in Wisconsin. The first was at Madison's Nine May-June6 at Maple RiverSGA (m.ob.) •averse(BF), and June •6 in Clay(BF). SpringsSewage Plant June n-/4 (EH etal.), whilean immature was at New Buffalo July • GrayPartridge is declining in Minnesota whilethe other was more expectedly atMan- (RS). and Wisconsin.Minnesota had only •4 itowocJune 28-July i (cs etal.).One was at reportingcounties, the fewestsince 1984 . NewBuffalo, MI June26 (KM). Onlythree
1110. American Birds,Winter 1993 FranklinsGulls appeared in Wisconsin,at cludedJune 6 in Sheboygan,WI (D&MB), picturein Michiganwas the brightestsince Madison, Manitowoc,and Sheboygan. andJune 9 in HennepinMN (DZ). A N. I96I, with485 singing c• Kirtland'sWarblers Michiganalso had three, at New Buffalo and Mockingbirdwas present in WatonwanMN tallied. St. Joseph.During the springLittle Gulls duringJune •qde ED). The dismalLogger- The PrairieWarbler present during May werelate in arrivingat Manitowoc,but the headShrike picture continued as Minnesota in Wisconsin'sSheboygan sang well into July numbersincreased during the summer.A andWisconsin each had only one confirmed (m.ob.).The July I6 BaysbreastedWarbler in maximumof eightcould easily be found nesting.Minnesota had an additional15 Minnesota'sClay (LCF) wasa record-early (m.ob.). One Little Gull was watchedand individualsfrom 9 counties,while Wiscon- fall migrant.Worm-eating Warblers were at photographedby the BoltesJuly 23-24 in sinhad only one additional sighting. 2 sitesin SaukWLSix were found during the KoochichingMN, andanother was seen at summerat AlleganSGA, MI (m.ob.).Min- BentonHarbor July 3• (RS).An ad.Califor- VIREOS,WARBLERS nesotahad a recordnumber of Kentucky nia Gull waswatched by Miller June•4 at The White-eyedVireo was reported in only Warblersighrings this spring and summer, NewBuffalo, MI; thissighting is subject to one Wisconsincounty, unusually scarce. with at least5 individuals.The Nicolletbird recordscommittee acceptance. A Thayer's Bell'sVireos were found in 4 Wisconsin remainedon territory throughJune 26 Gullwas at Madison, WI JulyI (EH). An ad. countiesand x Michigan county. Avery tardy (m.ob.).Good numbers of KentuckyWar- Lesser Black-backed Gull was at Pt. LaBarbe springmigrant was a SolitaryVireo spotted blerwere found in s.Wisconsin, particularly June30 (JG), while an immaturewas in St. June6 in HennepinMN (TT). Alsolate was atWyalusing S.P. Michigan had from at least JosephJune 19 and July •9 (JG), both in a PhiladelphiaVireo June 2 in Washingtonfour 3 sites.Hooded Warblers were recorded Michigan.Glaucous Gulls were found July • WI (BD). Blue•wingedWarblers continued in surprisingnumbers in s. Wisconsin, at Madison(EH) aswell asJuly IO at Mani- theirrange expansion into n.w.Minnesota, repeatinglast summer'spicture. The evi- towoc (CS). Unusual inland were four asevidenced by one nesting with a Golden- denceindicates that this species ismore com- CaspianTerns that summered at Madison.A wingedin Becker(PS et al.). Hardto explain mon than originally believed.Yellow- LeastTern was watched by Regan for more wasa singingTennessee Warbler in Wiscon- breastedChats were found in 4 Wisconsin thanan hour at GreenBay July 7, subjectto sin'sDodge June 22 (TS). Fallmigrant Ten- counties,while Minnesota had none for the recordscommittee acceptance. 5thconsecutive year. Northof the normalrange was a Yellow- billedCuckoo in Minnesota'sRoseauJune 26 TANAGERS TO FINCHES (PS).Great Gray Owls nested in Airkin,with A c• SummerTanager was at Ann Arbor eachof the z nestsfledging two young June•3 (DC). Schniederobserved a Black- (WN). Alsoin Minnesota,6 birdswere seen headedGrosbeak June 9 in lacksonMN. in theSax-Zim bog St. Louis •qde KE). The Dickcissels made what was characterized as Chuck-will's-widownear Hintz, WI sang an impressiveshowing in Minnesota,with until mid-July.Minnesota "logged" its 3rd morethan 27 reportingcounties. However, recordof a nestingThree-toed Woodpecker Wisconsin numbers were down dramati- whena loggerdiscovered a nest in anactive cally.A c• LarkBunting was seen by Bolduan loggingarea in St.Louis (SS etal.). A Black- Wisconsin'sthird confirmednesting of Great JuneI in PopeMN. At leastthree Baird's backedWoodpecker nest was also nearby. GrayOwl was discovered in spring1993. This Sparrowswere present at the FeltonPrairie, adult was photographednear the nest in Ashland Latespring migrating flycatchers included County,Wisconsin. Photograph/Keith Merkel. Clay MN, June 26-July 5 (KE et al.). an Olive-sidedJune 5 in l•shingtonWI Henslow'sSparrows continue to decline (BD) anda Yellow-belliedJune 9 in Milwau- nesseesincluded July •2 in Anoka(CF), the regionwide.This is definitely a speciesthat kee (MK). In contrastwas an Olive-sided 2ndearliest date for s. Minnesota,and July needsto be closelymonitored, as do many FlycatcherJuly 3• in Rock,for the 2nd earliest 20 in PortageWI (MB). A singingOrange- grasslandspecies. Several Sharp-tailed Spar- fall date in s. Minnestoa (KE etaL). Western crownedWarbler was in Michigan'sNewaygo rowswere sdll singing July •2 at Wisconsin's Kingbirdswere found in Wisconsin'sJune I2 (SR, BR). Out of rangewas a CrexMeadows WA (TSo).Were they nest- La•yetteJune8 (KC) and in ColumbiaJune NashvilleWarbler in Dane WI June 3--I8 ing?The July29 Lincoln'sSparrow in Hen- zi (EH). Numbers were down in s.w. Min- (PA). Tying the latestdate for a spring nepin(SC) was the 2nd earliest fall date for s. nesota(m.ob.). Scissor-tailedFlycatchers migrantin s. Minnesotawas a N. Parulain Minnesota.Hard to explainwere the two appearedin Minnesota'sSt. LouisJune IO NicolletJune 5 (SC). Anotherenigmatic White-crownedSparrows at Michigan's (TWi) andHubbardJuly 25-26 (AB, RG). sightingwas a Yellow-rumpedWarbler June WhitefishPt. Bird ObservatoryJune 30 28in StevensMN(BB). Extending the nest- (JG). A Dark-eyed Junco was at the SWALLOWS TO SHRIKES ing rangefor Wisconsinwas a Yellow- MosquitoHill NatureCenter July xo in Out- Three Black-billedMagpie nests in Min- rumpedobserved carrying nesting material agamieWI (JA).No surprisewas the con- nesota'sAitkin produced a totalof 14young at Point BeachS.P., July 4 (DN). Late firmednesting of HouseFinches in Douglas. (WN). Red-breastedNuthatches were found migratingBlackburnJan Warblers were This now blanketsWisconsin, except for in the s. half of Wisconsin,with nesting observedJune 3 in MurrayMN (ND) and the n.e. forests.White-winged Crossbills occurringin Appletonand Madison,and JuneIX in OutagamieWI (JA).The former appearedduring the 2nd half of Julyin Dou- summeringbirds in 4 additionalcounties. was a record late date. Yellow-throated War- glas(LS). Far south was a PineSiskin in Mil- BrownCreepers also appeared in severals. blerswere again found this summer at Tower waukeeJune 20 (MK). counties. Good numbers of Carolina Wren Hills S.P.(two) andWyalusing S.P. (one), continue to be seen in Wisconsin. South of bothWisconsin (m.ob.). In Michigan,birds Contributors:Jim Anderson,Ron Annelin, their normalrange were Winter Wrensin werepresent until July 20 in Berrienand June PhilipAshman, Parker Backstrom, Karl Bar- Houstonand Scott, with evidence of nesting 23along the Kalamazoo R. Allegan(RS). For don (KBa),Tony Barrett, Dan Belter,Brad in Winona(MCBS), all in Minnesota. the firsttime in 5 years,no Kirtland'sWar- Bolduan,AI Bolduc, Bill & JaniceBolte, Latemigrating Swainson's Thrushes in- blers could be located in Wisconsin. The WaterBooth, David & MargaretBrasser,
Volume 47, Number 5 - 1111 KayBurcar, Murray Berner, Steve Carlson, Lewis,Kip Miller, SteveMinard, Minnesota CharlesSontag, Tom Soulen(TSo), Peder KathyCastelein, Don Chalfant,Phil Chu, CountyBiological Survey, Warren Nelson, $vingen (Minnesota),Tamarac National JeffDankert, Nelvina Dekam, Bob Doma- Don Nussbaum,Rosemary Pavlick, David WildlifeRefuge, Daryl Tessen (Wisconsin), galski,Ed Duerksen,Jim Eckert, Fred Eck- Peters, Mark Peterson, Michael Petrucha Tom Tustison,Dick Verch, Ron Weeks, Tex hardt, Steve Erickson, Laurence & Carol (MPe),Mike Plant(MPI), JaninePolk 0Po), Wells,Warren Whaley (Michigan), Terry Falk,Bruce Fall, Cole Foster,Ray Glassel, Jim Ponshair,John Regan, Kim Risen,Bar- Wiens (TWi), Myles Willard, Dave Jim Granlund(Michigan), Ellen Hansen, bara Ross, Steve Ross, Elaine Schnieder, Zumeta.--DARYL D. TESSEN, z Pioneer HiawathaValley Audubon, Robert Janssen, SteveSchon, Thomas Schultz, Larry Semo, ParkPI., Elgin, IL 6OlZ3. Mark Korducki,Henry Kyllingstad, Steve JerrySmith, Roy Smith, Joe Soehnel 0So),
Someground-nesting species suffered mea- summerrange, Am. WhitePelican numbers MIDDLEWERN surable declines, and marsh-breedingwere typical, but countsof 3oin CarrollIL Forster's and Black terns failed to nest in the Junez3 (EA) andofioo at S.C.R.,July z4 PRAIRIEREGION Region.However, the relativelylate date of (RBe)were unusual. Expansion of the Dou- KennethJ. Brock seriousflooding no doubt allowedmay ble-crestedCormorant population contin- breedersto completetheir nestingcycles. uedthis summer, with 78onests in oneMis- Indeed,the greatest impact may be seen next sissippiR. colony;55 of the nestswere in year,when birds return to damagedbreeding CarrolllL, and the balanceacross the river in DickAnderson's explanation for his abbrevi- sitesand to lessproductive foraging habitats. Iowa(LW). Colonies containing more than atedSt. Louis-area summer bird report aptly zoo nestswere also reported in Iowaand n. capturedthe season's picture. The full-page Abbreviations:I.P.L. Ponds (Iowa Power and Illinois.Flooding along the MississippiR. colorphotograph of the inundatedRiver- Lights,Pottawattamie Co.), L. Cal. (L. contributedto the discoveryof an ad. (3 lands Environmental Demonstration Area Calumet,Chicago); R.E.D.A. (Riverlands Anhingaon FountainCr., fivemi. s.w.of showedonly treetops. After a wetspring, the Environmental Demonstration Area, St. Columbia,IL JulyZI & Z3 (tKMc). entireRegion experienced unusually high Charles,MO), S.C.R.,(Squaw Creek N. W.R., Refreshingly,summer bittern reports were precipitationin June.In the westernstates, MO); Spfld.(Springfield, IL). not gloomy. American Bitterns were Julyrainfall increased to delugelevels that reportedin everystate except Indiana and continuedthrough the month. Accordingly, lOONS 10 IBlSr:S Kentucky;nesting was confirmed at Spring Iowa, Missouri, and westernIllinois suffered As occursmost summers,small numbers of RunW.M.A. in DickinsonIA, withprobable the bruntof the flooding.By mid-month, Corn. Loon were scattered across the n. nestingin 4 otherIowa counties •Sc, fide recordJuly precipitationcaused swollen states.Pied-billed Grebes did wellRegion- JD).Notable among numerous Least Bittern rivers to breach levees and inundate flood- ally,enjoying especially good nesting success nestingreports was the discovery of 45nests, plainsin thosebdeaguered states. in Illinois.A pair of Red-neckedGrebes eachcontaining at least5 eggs,at S.C.R., High watersalong major waterways had observedconstructing a nest in a restored June 9 0Hi, RBe, DE). Great Blue Heron an immediate and obvious effect on Cattle wetlandw. of Estherville,IA June9, pro- andGreat Egret numbers were up acrossthe Egret rookeriesand LeastTern colonies vided Iowa's first summer record. The nest Region. Snowy Egrets occupiedheron alongthe MississippiRiver. Inland effects was abandoned and the site deserted the fol- coloniesin E. St. Louis, IL, and Charleston, were more subtle and difficult to evaluate. lowingday (•'BE, MF). Withintheir normal MO (at leastzo nests)(RMc). Little Blue I4eronshad a successfulnesting season;the largest count consisted :3' of about 5oo in 4 coloniesat • Charleston,MO,(RMc). A Tricol- • oredHeron atthe Charleston, MO ß heronryJuly30 (BL) provided that states second summer record. Despitedestruction of the Carroll IL, colonyby flooding,Cattle Egretsfared extremely well in Iowa / o.,o and Missouri. In s.w. Iowa IO67 • .Peo•a /INDIANA• Columbus' SquawCreek NWR / • werecounted at 4 sitesin Fremont •- / ß • ßDayton • e ßSpringfield J In•an•olis• (BP,LP), and anotheriooo wereat . SwanLake NWR •Muscmatucke•incinnati • the Charleston,MO rookery • .Kans•Ci• _ • NWR • •- (RMc).A May z7 surveyof theBig •- St.Louis ß / / =- RendL• /E•nsvil•• •uisville ; - Marsh Black-crownedNight- '• • • • • •Lexin•on- , ' Heron colonyat L. Cal. yielded MISSOURI Cra•O½c•rd•• - -- •_, 57z activenests (SE); z nearby ß • KENTUCKY• colonies,one among the cotton- MingoNWR. •.r•WMA •.•. ( woods and the other in at home in thephragmites, were estimated to contain at least [oo additional nests(WM). Anotherimpressive Black-crownedcolony, located at ll12-AmeficanBirds, Winter1993 the Louisville (KY) Zoo, containedca. 2oo rails;two ad. King Rails with 4 youngwere nests(BM, MS). An imm. White Ibis, dis- reportedat Beardstown,ILAug. x (PW), and coveredat RockyR., CuyahogaOH July19 nestingoccurred at ClearanceCannon (JA,LA, '•RHa),provided Ohio's 3rd record. N.W.R., MO June8-•o (LM, SHu). Simi- larly,summer Virginia Rails and Soras were WATERFOWLTO CRANES reportedin everystate except Kentucky. Takingfull advantageof highwater levels, CommonMoorhens showed encouraging manyducks lingered within the Region. evidence both in n.e. Illinois, where broods Notableamong these were: an Am. Black werereported at 3locations, and in Missouri, Duckin ChampaignIL July 4 (RCh),an Am. wherenesting also occurred at 3 sites.Iowa's Wigeonat Conneaut,OH July30 (KM), a LesserBlack-backed Gull, apparently in third- zndand 3rd Sandhill Crane nesting records summerplumage, on the LakeMichigan shore in Canvasbackat R.E.Daøt., June 19 (KP), a pair wereestablished when a nestcontaining z PorterCounty, Indiana, on July6,1993. of Ring-neckedDucks at HorseshoeL., MO eggs,discovered inlackson Apr. z9, was later PhotograplVClydeFields. June•7 (DE, JHi), a Com. Goldeneyeat destroyedby high water (RR, fide LJ), and a R.E.Da•t.,June 19 (KP), a Com.Merganser youngbird was observed with adults at Otter seenin Decatur,IL June25 (-•RPa,'•MD et at RockyR., OH June5 (RHa), anda free- Cr. in lateJune or July (TK etal.). al.), threewere at Headland BeachS.E, OH flying $ Red-breastedMerganser in Nod- July25 (LR), and one was at Lorain,OH July awayMOJuly 29 (DE). The list of breeding SHOREBIRDS T0 TERNS 3x (TL). A HusdonianGodwit at Ottawa ducksinduded a pairof Green-wingedTeal Two midsummer Lesser Golden-Plovers N.W.R., OH June6 (EP),was an extremely that nestedin floodedfields near Fireside, appearedJune z6 near Union Slough late migrant. Single Marbled Godwits OH (TB), a femaleand eight young N. N.W.R., IA (MK), anda singletonwas in appearedin MasonIL June26 (DBo), at the Shovelersin Havana,IL June28 (KR), a SangamonIL (DBo)July •4. Threepairs of Port of IndianaJuly 3 (KB et al.), and at broodof threeCanvasbacks at Big Wall L., PipingPlovers nested at I.P.L.Ponds, pro- Lorain,OH July3I (TL). A RuddyTurn- IA July22 (TK), nestingHooded Mergansers ducing at least5 young; 7 adultswere seen at stoneat the I.P.L.Ponds June x (BP,LP) was in everystate exceptMissouri, and a $ that locationJuly z3 (BP,LP). Elsewhere, unusualfor Iowa.The summer'sonly Ruff RuddyDuck with 6 youngat Frontenac migrantswere seen June 8 and July z2 at wasreported at OttawaN.W.R., OH JulyI2 Marsh,OuPage IL July24-3i (JM, ph.). Conneaut,OH (JP)and June 30 andJuly z8 (TB). A Long-billedDowitcher found in ImpressiveBlack Vulture counts included at Decatur, IL (DBo). WhitleyIN Julyt8, identifiedby plumage 50 at Boaz,IL May 22 (VK, TF) and47 in andcall (DB), providedthe first well-docu- ]ohmonIL July6 (JHo). SummerOspreys mented summer record for the state. In n.e. appearedin Illinois,I0wa, and Ohio, but Illinois,summer Com. Sniperecords came nestingwas not observed.Raccoon preda- fromGoose Lake Prairie S.P. June 5 (JM) and tion at the traditional Brookville Res., IN Acciden•l!ess:than adecade agø, 'the Black- theJoliet Arsenal June 9 (BGa).The Wilson's Ospreynest site resulted in an unsuccessful•eeked Sti!Pig, cle•rly O•panding into }h e Phalaropenest reported at S.C.R. in the season(fideJC). Among the pioneering Mis- Region•This •urn•er •eiiin•wa• •pOtt• springwas ultimatelydestroyed (DE). A sissippiKites were a pairobserved carrying ]n3states. Rjune bird• observed fei•fiii•g Red-necked Phalarope, seen in Champaign, nestingmaterial at Clive,IAJune x9-2o (FC, ifijuryi• slw. JaCkso•[• e,aZS, •rov•d•d IL July 31 (RC), provided the Regions only fidetRPi);an adult near L. OzarkS.P., MO 5illin6i'sl fi}? nei•!!•g re50rd: Kent•ck 0 2n45 record. June2, joined by an immature, June 24 (TN Bla•k=neckedSiilt;;di•Overkd Ju%'6 (MB), Smallnumbers ofad. and imm. Laughing et al.); a pair summeringat Eureka,MO I'atSassafras RidgeSn•Fulton, provedtoI•e th• Gulls appearedacross the Region;most (DC); and 2 adultsat PikeS.E, IN Aug.7 vanguardOœihi• gtlte's firit nesrin re•ord notable was a bird that wandered W to (JDu,SU). Bald Eagles nested successfully in Eight:adiilts and•6 young Were qbserved at S.C.R., June 9 (JHi,RBe, DE). Expansionof everystate. Northern Harriers had a good that sitein lateJ•nE(BM, MMo, gM$)• theL. MichiganRing-billed Gull population summer,with nestingreported in Illinois, Andin. Missouri, 23 •tilts and 2 nestswere continued unabated. In addition to the Iowa,Missouri, and Ohio. Amongthese, •o,ooo+Ring-billed Gull nestsat L. Cal. Missourihad the greatestactivity, with 6 fields;.30 birds,:,but nonests; were found July (JL), new colonieshave appeared in n.w. nests--twolocated in n.e. Linnsuccessfully • whenthe survey v•as repeated {SHu,; LM• Indianaand n.e. Illinois.Among these, a fledgedyoung from nests separated by only Bj, jw). newsite, which contained zo nestswith eggs x5oyards (WB). The RegionalRed-shoul- andyoung May xS,appeared at DresdenL., deredHawk population appears to befaring in WilllL,providing afirst nesting record for well;nesting was reported in Illinois,Indi- thatcounty (JM, ph.). ThreeLesser Black- ana, Missouri, and Ohio. Adult Swainsons AmericanAvocets were scarce, with only 3 backedGulls were reported on L. Michigan, Hawks were observed at the traditional Kane reportsinvolving five birds.Willets on L. and a znd-yearbird wanderedS to Spfld., IL site in June(RPa) and August(CMc, Michiganstaged their bestmovement in whereit wasseen July z6-31 (DBo). Oddly, JMc). In conjunctionwith the restocking years,with 2o reported at BeverlyShores, IN no LesserBlack-backeds were reported from program,Peregrine Falcons nested in every June25 (JWh) and 67 at MichiganCity har- L. Erie. stateexcept Kentucky. bor, IN July 9 (SB). The Regionspeak SummerCaspian Terns were reported The wet springand summer apparently UplandSandpiper count was made at the fromevery state except Kentucky; an impres- contributedto poorRing-necked Pheasant JolietArsenal, WillIL, wherean impressive sive count of z4+ was made at flooded productivity;the Illinois statewide index was 55adults were seen May i2-i4; i8 youngwere R.E.D.A.,June xo (BL). Illinois'3rd Royal 1.6%below the 5-year mean (LD) andnum- notedin June(BGa). The situationwas dis- Tern was observed for three or four minutes berson the CherokeeIA BreedingBird Sur- malat theS. Bend Airport, Indiana's premier at MontroseBeach, Chicago June i8 (•JO, veywere the lowestin 13years (DBi). Wet breedinglocation, where Uplands failed to DM). For the znd consecutivesummer, two conditions,however, may havebenefited nestthis year (VR). An ad. Whimbrelwas ArcticTerns appeared in the Region.This
Volume 47, Number 5-1113 successfullyfledged 4 young just w. of Kings- observedfeeding a fledglingCowbird in buryW.M.A., ins. LaPorte(BGr, m.ob. ph.). BrownS.P., IN June26 (JD, SU); previous JulyzS, when the family group was discov- nestinghas occurred at this site. ered, fledglingscould barely fly; they remained in the area for several weeks. An WARBLERS TO FINCHES extralimital Scissor-tailed Flycatcher Nestingwarblers were generally recorded in appearedat Perks,IL Julyro (•CMc, JMc, goodnumbers across the Region. A Golden- ph.).The onlysizable swallow accumulation wingedWarbler at Urbana,IL July[6-z8 consistedof at least[zoo Purple Martins in (?EC),was most unusual. July 23, a Tennessee ChicagoJuly ro (JL). Warblerwas banded and photographed at Probablya veryearly migrant was this adultmale TennesseeWarbler captured for bandingin SpringValley Marsh, OH (LG), providing NUTHATCHES TO VIREOS GreeneCounty, Ohio, on July 23,1993. oneof veryfew summer records for Ohio. Photograph/LarryGara. Out-of-rangeRed-breasted Nuthatches were Alsoout of place was a NashvilleWarbler in e. recordedat 3 locations:a nestwas discovered WilllL July7 (?JM).Northern Parulas were year'sbirds, which constitute Ohio's 2nd in PokagonS.P., IN June15 (AS), onewas believedto be expandingin Wyandotand record,appeared June 5, when z adultswere seennear Iowa City, IA June29 (JF),and a inSenecaOH, where6 birdswere found along identified at Alum Cr. Res., Delaware OH singletonwas at Shades S.E, IN Julyzo (AB). theSandusky R. in lateJune (TB). A Yellow 0-BP).Although June Forster's Terns were BrownCreepers likely nested at 3Mississippi Warblerwas discovered in Hopkins, KYJune z reportedin 8 Iowacounties, none was con- R. Valleysites in Iowa (JD). The Regions (JHa),where this species isquite rare locally. firmedto havenested (JD). The LeastTern only Bewick'sWren report came from Observations of C• Chestnut-sided Warblers nestingreport was mixed. This species failed Havana,IL June•9 (KR). SedgeWrens did werereported for 2 Missourisites: in Spfld., to nestat the I.P.L. Ponds(BP, LP), andMis- well thissummer with encouragingreports June7-8 (SD)and in MorganJune 28 (JW). sourinesting sites along the Mississippi R. fromevery state except Kentucky; the peak Mostremarkable among a numberof sum- weredisrupted by flooding(JW). By con- countwas •5 males in BooneILJuly zz (ABr, merc• Black-throatedGreen Warbler reports trast, the Indiana site (in Gibson)had an MR). Golden-crownedKinglets nested suc- were: Missouri's third summer record which astonishingr8nests (fideJC). An extralimital cessfullyin MedinaOH (RHa), providing wasfound near Otterville, MO Juneix (SHa) first-yearLeast Tern appeared at L.Cal. July thatstate• znd confirmed breeding record. A anda singletonin WillIL June2r (JM).The 4-rr(BQ,WM, m.ob),providing a raresum- verylate Ruby-crowned Kinglet migrant was Regionsbreeding population may be cen- mer recordfor the L. Michiganarea. The observedat Spfld.,June • (DBo). teredin Mohican S.P.,OH, where33 Black- BlackTern report remained bleak; there were throatedGreens were counted July 3 (LY). noconfirmed nestings in theRegion, includ- Thelatter site also yielded two Blackburnran ingthe normal breeding areas in Iowa. WarblersJuly 3 (LY),and the nesting of this specieswas confirmed in MedinaOH June9 CUCKOOS TO SWALLOWS (RHa).Prairie Warblers appear to haveestab- Both Cuckooswere scarce. The Region's lished a foothold in s.e. Iowa where several onlyGreater Roadrunner was seen in Stone observersreported birds in theCroton Unit MO June r9 (TBk). SuccessfulBarn Owl of ShimekS.F., where a pairwas noted June nestingoccurred in Illinois,Iowa, and Mis- 24 (JF). A first HoodedWarbler breeding souri;at leastr8 youngfledged at thelatter record for WilllL was establishedwhen a nest state(JW). A deadLong-eared Owl possess-Cassin's Sparrow in WhitleyCounty, Indiana, on containing3 eggswas located June 3o (JM, inga broodpatch was found May r9 in Ogle June13, 1993. Secondstate record. ph.).Farther east an impressive ro Hoodeds IL (•'MBm,SBm, ph.), where a livebird was Photograph/JimHaw. werecounted in SalamonieRes. S.E, Junezz seenabout a weeklater. The Regionsonly (Haw),suggesting that this species isflourish- nestingShort-eared Owl reportcame from The verdict for Veerres? Abundant in ingalong the n. bordersof its range. FranklinIL, where5 young were seen June x6 Ohio,as evidenced atR. avenna (LR), and also SummerTanagers spent the seasonin (LS). Two Chuck-wills-widowswere heard bydeft detection of a nestin Clinton(a signif- Indiana Dunes S.P.(CF), well n. of their nor- in AdamsOH June26 (JD, SU). An impres- icant findingfor that location)(LG). A malrange. Blue Grosbeaks continued their sive r4r Whip-poor-willterritories were singingHermit Thrush, heard near Indiana northwardexpansion, with reportsbeyond locatedin SandRidge S.E, IL June5-to DunesS.P., July II (SP,JO etal.), provided then. peripheryof theirrange across all the (RBj). Low Ruby-throatedHummingbird Indiandsfirst July record. Northern Mock- n. states.Three June Dickcisselsat Oak numbers were cause for concern. ingbirdscontinued their push northward, Openings,OH (MA), constituteda good A late Yellow-belliedFlycatcher was with4 youngseen June r and3 eggsdiscov- local record. Bachman'sSparrows were observedat CooleyL., MO June5 (MMc) eredJune ri at Braidwoodin n.e. IL (JM, restrictedto theirnormal range in s.w.Mis- andan Alder Flycatcher, detected on a Lewis ph.),as well as 5 observed in Lagrange, in n.e. souri(Ozark and Taney),where at least3 MO BBSJune rz, establisheda new late Indiana,June r 9 (Haw, DR). Loggerheadpairs successfully fledged young (RCb). Indi- recordfor thatstate. It wasa goodsummer Shrikesdid extremelywell in Illinois•r8 andsznd Cassin's Sparrow was discovered in forLeast Flycatchers. Nesting was confirmed nestswere reported. The mostproductive WhitleyJunerz, a locationonly 60 mi from in ChampaignIL (?RCh),Pokagon S.P, IN locationwas the Joliet Arsenal, where 9 young the siteof the state'sprevious record. The (AS),and at least5 territories were located at fledged(BGa). Extralirnital Bell's Vireos were bird,which was singing and apparently on Ravenna,OH (LR). Additionally,for the loggedat BuckCreek S.P., OH June6-12, territory,remained until Juner6 (JMo, 2nd consecutive summer a Least was when two maleswere discovered(DO). A thaw etal., ph.). Lark Sparrows returned to recordedin Missouri;a singingLeast was SolitaryVireo, discovered atCooley L., June 5 theirtraditional nest site in Oak Openings, detectedon a BBSin SullivanJune rr (SHe). (MMc),constituted only the second summer OH andwere seen June •6 (RHa). Henslows Indiandsfirst nesting Western Kingbirds recordfor Missouri.A singingSolitary was Sparrowsreceived positive commentary
1114- American Birds,Winter 1993 Great-tailedGrackles expanded into the Red Fink,M. Flaherty,J. Fuller,L. Gara,B. Glass TailRidge area of CherokeeIA, wherea nest (BGa), B. Glick (BGi), B. Grube (BGr), J. containing3 young June 4 wassubsequently Hancock (JHa), R. Haftan (RHa), S. Hazel- destroyed(DBi). A nestingcolony farther s. wood(SHa), J. Haw (Haw), S. Hein (SHe), at HorseshoeL., Me comprisedmore than J. Hilsabeck(JHi), J. HooverOHo), S. Hud- zoo Great-tailedsJune z4 (DE). House dlemeyer(SHu), L. Jackson,B. Jacobs,M. Finchesare completing their invasion of the Kenne,T. Kent, VernonKleen (Illinois),J. Regionwith expansion into Spfld., in s.w. Landing,T. LePage,B. Lewis,D. Mandell, MissouriOqdeJW). An ad. Pine Siskin with a W. Marcisz,R. McDonough(RMc), L. broodwas seen in lateJune in Glenwood,IA, McFarland,M. McHugh(MMc), C. McKee Yellow-headedBlackbirds nested for the first (CMc), J. McKee (JMc), P. McKenzie time in Will County,Illinois, where this malewas forthe Regions only breeding record. defendingfledged young on June 6, 1993. (PMc), K. McMullen (KMc), K. Metcalf,J. Photograph/Joee. Miloserich. Corrigenda:The Black-neckedStilt reported Milosevich,Burr Monroe, Jr. (Kentucky), in Chicago,Apr. zz, •99z (AB46:43o), was M. Monroe (MMo), J. Moore (JMo), T. acrossthe Region.A c• Henslow'swas actuallyseen in North Chicago(Lake IL). Nagel, J. O'Brien, D. Overacker,B. detectedin CooklLJune6 (WM), •5singing The Chestnut-sidedWarbler at Joliet, IL Padelford, L. Padelford, K. Palmer, R. males were heard on Tucker Prairie, Me June8, I99Z(AB46:n43) was a personalfirst, Palmer (RPa), M. Patterson, S. Patti, E. Juneix (PMc), ninewere counted at the not a first-summer record for Will. Pierce, R. Pinkston (RPi), D. Plank, J. RavennaArsenal, OH July3 (LR),and a sin- Pogacnik,B. Quinn, M. Rand,K. Rich- gletonin MarshailiAJune io (MP,fide JD) Contributors(snbregional editors in boldface):J. mond, V. Riemenschneider, R. Robinson, occupieda new site. In Ohio, summer Adelson, L. Adelson, E. Anderson, M. D. Rood,Larry Rosche (Ohio), L. Stanley, White-throatedSparrows are generally Anderson,S. Bagby,T. Barksdale(TBk), T. A. Starling,M. Stinson,S. Utterback,P. restrictedto areasalong L. Erie; conse- Bardett,M. Baumgardner(MBm), S. Baum- Ward,L. Wargowski,J. White (JWh),Jim quently,the singingbird discoveredin gardner(SBm), R. Bell(RBe), M. Bennett, Wilson(JW) (Missouri),E. Yoder,L. Yoder, HolmesJuly I 5was noteworthy (EY, BGi). D. Bierman(DBi), R. Bjorklund(RBj), D. R. Yoder. Numerous individuals contributed TheRegions easternmost W. Meadowlark Bohlen (DBo), D. Bordner (DBr), A. Brei to thisreport, consequently, many persons wasrecorded in HolmesOH June5-6 (RY, (ABr), K. Brock, Alan Bruner (AB) (Indi- not individuallyacknowledged submitted ES). Yellow-headedBlackbirds established a ana),W. Burger,J. Castrale,R. Chambers notes for various state reports.--KEN- newn. Illinoisbreeding site in Will,where a (RCb),R. Chapel(RCh), D. Coles,E Crane, NETH J. BROCK, Departmentof Geo- nestcontaining 4 eggswas located May •6 L. David, M. Deaton, James Dinsmore sciences,Indiana University Northwest, (JM, ph.). An extralimitalYellow-headed (Iowa), L Domizlicky,S. Domfield,J. Dunn 3400Broadwa• Gar• IN 46408. was recordedin LaPorteIN June i (DP). (JDu), D. Eastefta,S. Elston,C. Fields,T.
theMississippi R., aswell as very dry condi- total of 9) and Okitibbeha,Noxubee, and CENIRALSOUTHERNtions along the Gulf coast. In Birmingham, GrenadaMS (TS, MC, GK, PHi8) added for example,July registered a temperature to knowledgeof their statusas somewhat REGION excessof about I2oøFand a precipitation scarcebreeders in n. Mississippiand RobertD. Purrington deficiencyof morethan 4 inches,and the Arkansas.Other recordsfrom Shelbyand weather was hotter and drier than normal in LakeTN June•2-July z4 (JRW,JH, KJ,PH, Nashville.There was no tropical weather. DJ) involvedat least6 individuals.While a singleSnowy Egret in MarionAR May 6 & 8 The seasonwas one that will be remembered, Abbreviations:M. E W.C. (MississippiFish and (DM) did not in itselfsuggest nesting, a at leastby Louisiana observers, more for an l•ldli)• Corn.);N.W.R. (Nat'l l•ldli• ReJT). seriesof sightingsin Oktibbehaand Noxubee eventthat occurredjust after the season's MS June8-3o (TS, MC), totaling•5 individ- end,and several thousand miles away: the ualsdid. Therehas been no knownnesting death,in Ecuador,of TedParker, August 4- I. NESTING,RANGE EXTENSION sincethe i97os. A concentrationof more Anyonewho birdedwith Tedknew of his than•2oo Little BlueHerons in Washington greatgifts as a fieldornithologist, but Ted GREBES TO EGRETS andHumphreys MS July•7 (GK, SK)seemed wasfar more than just the sum of these.He Pied-billedGrebes are known to breedspar- to consistentirely of adults.Unusual records will besorely missed as a scientistand as a inglyalong the coast,as buttressed by the of Tricolored Heron included two in Laud- humanbeing. observationof six(2 adults,4 juveniles)in erdaleTN June •o (CHB, LVZ, MGW, As is sometimestheir wont, observersin IbervilleLA July8 (CGB).Seven Neetropic VBR), two in NoxubeeMS June25 (TS) that theRegion failed to providemuch informa- Cormorantsin Acadiaand fOrmilionJuly 3 I apparentlyincluded one fledged young, and tion on theeffects of weather,rainfall espe- (MMS, CAM), weresubstantially inland of 2 near-coastal,but inland,records July 3• in cially,on nesting.Often the causal relation- theirnormal coastal nesdng areas. A persua- Acadia LA (CAM, MMS) and AdamsMS shipsare obscure, but at leastone ought to sivedescription was submitted of a single (TS). CattleEgrets had a banneryear in n. havethe meteorological data at handwhen adult in LakeJune x9-zo (JRW, m.ob.), Mississippi,with perhaps 4000 pairs nesting tryingto understandthe patterns that devel- which would constitute the first Tennessee at NoxubeeN.W.R., representingthe first oped.This is especially true this year, when record.Photographs showed a small,long- breedingthere (TS, MC), andabout 24oo the authorof this reporthad beenabroad tailedcormorant and the drawing submitted pairsre-establishing a colony on the Ross duringthe endrenesting season. But pro- representedthe shapeof the gularpouch Barnett Res. in Madison, which had been ceedwe shall, noting merely the heavy rains well. Severalrecords of Anhingasfrom abandonedin •986 afterM.EW.C. cut back of the midwest that led to record floods on HempsteadandœonokeAR (HP, MP, MH-- vegetation(DW,, m.ob.).
Volume 47, Number 5' 1115 highwater. Some birds apparently moved ß Cross Creeks NWR ß Nashville fromislands inthe river to nest on land along ß Reelfoot L. ß Fayetteville the river, with somesuccess. One in Colbert Duck R. Unit AL Junezo (SM) wasunexpected at this TENNESSEE inlandlocation. Far from the ChandeleurI., ß Ft. Smith ß Memphis ARKANSAS LA nestingcolony was a SootyTern found deadon Rutherford Beach, Cameron July I1 ß Ltttle Rock ß Sardis L. (SWC,DLD, PG).Although the only report of Collared Dove was from Reserve,LA, L•MilIwood White River NWR MISSISSIPPI whereup to three were seen (RJS), they con- ß Birmingham tinueto bepresent in extremes.e. Louisiana, withoutshowing much sign of growingin numbers.White-winged Doves, which have ShreveportßMonroe nestedonly in theLouisiana delta, as far back asthe I97OS, are becoming increasingly regu- LOUISIANA•,•Jackson ; •%•'•-Monlgomery lar in the townof Cameron (DLD, SWC). IncaDoves also persist in smallnumbers in s.w.Louisiana, as evidenced by two individ- • • t FLORIDA ualsin separatelocations in Cameron,July io %BatonRouge•[LGulfport •1•.•_/ _•"• •X5II (SWC etal.).
CameronPar. FLYCATCHERSTO WAXWINGS An E. Wood-Peweeheard intermittently during June and July in New Orleans (DPM) providedonly the znd summering records. ofL. Pontchartrain.According to DUCKS TO HAWKS involvedthe possibility ofnesting: One June Jamesand Neal (ArkansasBirds), Willow The onlyreports of nestingBlue-winged z in l•'11iamsonTN (SJS),which was an odd Flycatcherisnow at besta scarcebreeder in Tealscame June z9 from Lake and Dyer TN timeand place, but the Osprey is increasing Arkansas, which gives importance to one Junez9 (JRW), when 7 z werecounted along asa nestingbird in middleTennessee (fide foundcalling repeatedly in Benton, AR July theGreat R. Roadand July 6-Aug. 5 from SJS).Another was seen carrying sticks in 4 (MMI). Althoughnesting of LeastFly- BentonAR (MMI), wherea femaleappar- MorganAL July9 (SM). The otherrecords catcherhas not beenconfirmed in Arkansas, entlysucceeded in raising 7 young.Records wereof onein Shelby,TN June13 (JRW), a totalof three in songin thevicinity of Scot- of Am. Swallow-tailedKites induded z4 seen andtwo at ReelfootL., TN June29 (WGC). land, VanBuren June 30 (TBW) raisedthat on a zz-mitrip bycanoe on thePascagoula possibili•.A singleScissor-tailed Flycatcher R. below Merrill, MS (BR, MH) and zz PLOVERS TO DOVES that exhibitednesting behavior on the adultsalong Whiskey Bay Road in the Remarkably,in viewof thepressures of civi- NichollsState campus in Thibodauxduring AtchafalayaBasin, LA June z6 (DLD, lization, and the resultant lack of undis- theznd half of May (RSB,MR, GW) wasfar SWC).While a singleMississippi Kite near turbedsand strand habitat, Snowy Plovers E andS of itsnormal summering range in StarkvilleJune 4 (TS) waslocally unusual, stillbreed on West Ship I., MS,where 5 birds Louisiana;several were noted on a BBS cen- countsof 79 alonga 3o-mi.stretch of the werefound during the summer, including susin Ina½pendenceAR June z• (HP, MP). MississippiR. leveein Washingtonand Boli- onenest with z eggs(BR, GH). Pairsof Am. Also noted on a BBS route were seven Tree varMS Julyi8 (GK, SK), 40 feedingover Oystercatchers,which also have to contend Swallowsin DeshaAR June z (HP, MP), fieldsnear Ocean Springs, MS July 14 (KH), with recreationistssharing their breeding whichprobably were nesting locally; several andzz in AdamsMSJuly 3z (TS, MHu) rep- habitat, were seenon Petit Bois I. and West in MauryTNJune 7 (SJS)were significant in resentedgood numbers of probablypost- ShipI., MS, bothduring the first week of viewof recentdeclines in nesting.By June •5 breeding/migratingindividuals. Thirteen June (BR, GH, SF). There were inland aboutone-half the 400 BankSwallow nest- seenearlier on a zz-mi canoetrip on the records of Black-necked Stilts in Adams MS ing holesat a sitein LauderdaleTN were PascagoulaR, in GeorgeMS (BR,MH) were duringJuly, with IO-Z5nests (RA, NH) and occupied(CHB, MGW). Nestingof Cliff more representativeof breedingdensity. asmany as 47 July3I; recordscame from Swallowsin ClayMS June6 (TS) and in Numbersreported from W. Tennessee PonteCoupee and St. LandryLA (CGB, CameronLA July4 (RJS,MW, JB)was sus- included49 June5 in Lake(WGC) and z8 TGH) totalingn birds,and two eachin pected,but not confirmed, and the same was Juneio at LH N.W.R. (fideMGW). The MonroeAR June 17 (RHD) and in Poinsett trueof a SedgeWren in LakeTN Junez6 onlyreport of Bald Eagle was of an adult seen AR July•8-zz (MH, HH). The discoveryof (JH, DJ, JRW). House Wrens, which are atSardis L., MSJune 31 (VT). TWOreports of an ad. SpottedSandpiper with three"two- veryrare nesters in n.w.Alabama, were seen Sharp-shinnedHawks, June 2 in La•yette thirds-grown"downy young in Williams withyoung in a wrenbox June ii in Colbert MS (GI0 andJune 2o in Pope,AR (PR)were June8 (SJS)represented one of only a few (PK, SW, WB). The firstsummer and breed- veryinteresting, in viewof the factthat the nestingrecords for theNashville area. Least ingrecord of E. Bluebirdin St.John LA was speciesis not knownto breedin eitherstate. and Gull-billed Terns continued to nest on of five(z adults,3 iramatures)there in July Recordsof singleaccipiters June I & 30and shoppingcenter rooftopsin the New (RJS).The 5 reportsof CedarWaxwings July5 in n.w.AR (MMI) werethought to be Orleansarea, along with BlackSkimmers. from n.w. ArkansasJune 9-July •o were of CoopersHawks, which are scarce nesters Interior LeastTerns, which neston sand bars probablyall of breeding birds. Actual nesting in thestate. Of 4 reportsof Ospreysfrom onthe Mississippi R., hadpoor nesting suc- wasconfirmed in FranklinJune I9-July z inlandTennessee and Alabama, 2 clearly cessbecause of the seasonsextraordinary (two adults,four immatures)(JT, MR) and
1116- American Birds,Winter 1993 in PopeJuly 5 (PR). There was a single record guessesthat it wouldturn out to be regular in fromcoastal breeding locations, as were two fromMorgan AL July 9 (SM),of a birdpre- goodhabitat. Since Dickcissels breed only imm.Roseate Spoonbills in AdamsMS July sumedto benesting. sparinglyand erratically ins.e. LA, four terri- 3I (TS,MHu). TheRegion had a near-explo- torial males(and one female)at the Bonnet sionof Wood Storks, with I2 reportstotaling COWBIRDS TO CROSSBILLS CarreSpillway during July (RJS) were of more than IOOOindividuals sighted June Bronzed Cowbirds have apparently interest.While a singingd' Rufous-crowned6-July 3 I, at Acadiaand I4rmilionJuly 5 expandedtheir breeding range in Louisiana Sparrowon MagazineMt., LoganJune 7 (GB, JD, DMa, PM) & 2o (SWC, DLD) to the north of L. Pontchartrain, where for (WMS, RO etal.) wasin itstraditional loca- anda monthlater DP, CAB, ph.), at Pointe the first time an ad. male was seen in sum- tion in Arkansas,two in PinnacleMt. S.P., CoupdLA July x3(CGB,TGH), and at mer, JuneI8 and July x in St. Tammany PulaskiAR Aug.5 (MWh) representedper- AdamsMSJuly 3x (TS, MH). A singlebird in (HLP);sadly, numbers continue to increase hapsthe easternmostU.S. record.Single GeorgeMS June 6 (BR)was apparently the in the New Orleans area. There were 5 Lark Sparrowsshowed up in Noxubeeand earliestever for S. Mississippi.Records of reportsof HouseFinches from Louisiana, LowndesMS June5 (TS, MC), the latter lingeringwaterfowl included d' Gadwallsin wherethe specieshas now begunnesting recordinvolving an adult with 5 eggs in the Maury,TN June7 (SJS)and in BentonAR (MJM, DF, HLP). GeneKnight reported at onlyknown regular nesting area in thestate, duringJuly (MMI etal.), a healthyCanvas- least6 nestsites, all in hangingferns in and a pair apparentlyraised young in backin LauderdaleTN June26 (JRW,ph.), a Laj•yetteMS June-July.Although Red LawrenceAL basedon sightingsof May non-flyingRing-necked Duck July xx in Je• Crossbillsoccasionally summer in Arkansas, zo-July4 (SM);the species isat besta rare j•rsonDavis LA (SWC,DLD), andrecords thereis apparentlystill no nestingrecord. breederin theTennessee Valley. According of RuddyDucks that consistedof two on Similarlyambiguous was this years record of to Schiefer,it appearsto nestonly in the RobcoL. in ShelbyTN,where some summer an individualseen in ClarkJune 5 (HP,MP). BlackBelt Prairie region of Mississippi.Ter- regularly(but do not nest) and 14 in ritorialGrasshopper Sparrows, which also HumphreysMS July •7 (GK,SK). The only WARBLERS TO SPARROWS seemto beconfined to thatregion of Missis- reportof non-breedingraptors was of a Althougha singingc3 Yellow Warbler found sippi (plusthe Delta) wererecorded on a Swainson'sHawk in BentonAR July xx at Ft. Chaffe,AR June6 (MM1) wasin an BBS route in Monroe, MS June 6 (TS, (MMI). area of the Ozarks where it is an uncommon MC--2) andon theMississippi IL leveein BolivarMSJuly x8 (GK, SK--3), as well as in SHOREBIRDS Arkansasnear Eudora June 7 (DRS, CS) and Shorebirdsfigured prominently among non- in Lake TN June 26 (JRW). Stedman breedingbirds, with 30 reportsreceived. encounteredthe specieson severalBBS Theseinclude, at leastin principle,both routesin middle Tennessee.A possible northboundand southbound migrants and breedingpair of SongSparrows, including a non-breedinglingerers whose destination or singingmale, was noted on a BBSroute near directionis unknown (perhaps to thebirds as Wilson,ARJune 22 (HP, MP). well).Among these records are a Black-bel- liedPlover June xo & x5in DyerTN (WGC); a SemipalmatedPlover in LakeTNJuly 8 The smallerof thesetwo birds(found luue 19, II. MIGRANTS,NON-BREEDERS, (WGC), earlyfor W. Tennessee;an early 1993, in LakeCounty, Tennessee) was ideufified POST-BREEDING WANDEIdERS PipingPlover in BentonAR July 4 (MMI); a as an adultNeotropic Cormorant. If accepted, this would fornisb a first state record. GreaterYellowlegs in ShelbyTN July 3 LOONS TO HAWKS PhotograplVJ.R. Wilson. (CHB, RDH, PM, MGW), alsoearly; three A Corn.Loon in PanolaMSJune I (GIO was late(eady?) Lesser Yellowlegs in BentonAR breeder,four singingd' Chestnut-sidedperhaps the same bird present in spring.Also Junezo (MMI): andWillets near Kingston, Warblers in clear-cut areasat about zooo-ft out of season,though not unprecedented,ARJune 2x (PR), in BentonAR July 5 (MMI), elevationin Popeduring June and July (PR) wasan imm. N. Gannetseen over the gulf off andat L. Millwood,AR July24 (CM). An representedthe first summerrecord for CameronLA JulyIX (DLD, SWC etal.). A UplandSandpiper was in BentonAR on the Arkansasand perhapsthe entire Ozark White Pelicanin BaxterARJuly3x (DM) was earlydate of July 2 (MMI), a Whimbrelwas region.Also unprecedentedwere I2-i 4 reportedas a veryearly fall migrant, but zoo seenin Lake TNon the unusualdate of June singingd' Black-throatedGreen Warblers, thesame day in AdamsMS(TS, MHu) were x (WCG), a MarbledGodwit was also unex- plus3 femalesand at least 5 juveniles, in Pope merelynoted as a largeconcentration for an pectedin therice fields of Acadia LA July 3x June-July(PR et al.).; anothermale was inland Mississippilocation in summer. (CAM, MMS), andsingle Sanderlings were recordedin PopeJuly 8 (MWh). Therewere Therewere reports of MagnificentFrigate- notedin TallahatchieMS July26-27 (GK, no previousnesting records for Arkansas. birdsfrom Cameron, LA July4 (RJS,MW, SK,PH), in BentonAR July27 (MMI), and Twelvein a well-knownbreeding site in Put- JB)and July IO & xx(DLD, SWC etal.);the in AcadiaLA July3x (MMS, CAM). Semi- namTN--among thewesternmost in Ten- speciesis scarcein s.w.Louisiana. Among palmatedSandpipers were at StarkvilleMS nessee--JuneIO (SJS,JJL) representeda heronsand allies that dispersed away from Junexo (TS), thelatest there by xodays and high numberfor that locale.Although coastalbreeding sites were 75 Great Egrets at in AcadiaLA July 3I (CAM),while an early Cerulean Warblers are known to breed in the SardisWaterfowl Ref., July 23 (VT, GK), an LeastSandpiper was seen in BentonJuly x Arkansashighlands, a total of zo singing earlyWhite Ibis at Noxubee N.W.R., June 25 (MMI). Up to I7 northboundWhite- males,many with mates, in Polknear Pelsor (TS), anotherin DyerTN July13 (WGC), rumpedSandpipers were in ShelbyTN June June-July(PR) was significant. Despite the eightand 45 July x7 and 2I, respectively,in 5/6 (JRW),single Baird's Sandpipers were fact that a Swainsons Warbler at Noxubee GrenadaMS (GK, SK, PR), onein Shelby thereJune 5 and July 20 (JRW),clearly mov- N.W.R. June z7 (TS) was regardedas TNJuly24 (JRW),and another at Decatur, ingin oppositedirections, a full alternate- unusualfor the7 countyarea of N. Missis- AL thenext day (SM). GlossyIbises in Lake plumagedDunlin was seen in l/brmilionJuly sippi regularlybirded by Schiefer,one andDyerTNJune-July (WGC) were also far 3x(MMS, CAM), anda Buff-breastedSand-
Volume 47, Number 5 ß1117 piperrecorded July 22•23 in Laj•yetteMS out of first-winterplumage, were seen in CharlesA. Butterworth, StevenW. Cardiff (GK, VT, PH) providedOxford areas znd LaJ•urcheJune 27 (DPM, MM, ph., NN, (Louisiana),Margaret Copdand, W.G. Julyrecord. Common Snipes in ShelbyJune RDP); there are only a handfulof June Criswell,Jack Deshotels, Donna L. Dittman IO (JRW)equaled the earliest ever record for recordsfor Lo.,isiana. All other larid records (Louisiana), Robert H. Doster, Doris E. Tennessee;the first z Julyrecords of the wereinland: three Caspian Terns in Benton Falkenheiner,Helen Fisher, Steve Fox, speciesfor the n.-c. MS/Oxfordarea con- AR on theearly date of July8 (MB, MMI), Wanda Green, Paula Griswold, Ken Hack- sistedof onein Laj•yetteJuly23 (GK, PH) Forster'sTerns July I2 & 22in Laj•yetteMS man,Norman Haigh, Don Harrington,J. andtwo in TallahatchieJuly26 (GK, SK). (VT, GK), the3rd and 4th July records for Henderson,Ron D. Hoff, Ted G. Hokka- RecordsofWilson's Phalarope included one thearea, and Black Terns in ShelbyTNJulyIt nen,Prentiss Hooper, Gary Hopkins, Mark at ReelfootL., TN July8 (WGC), fivein & 24 (JRW),in BaxterAR JulyI8 (DM) & Howington,Hervey Howington, Mike Hoy, BentonARJuly25 (MMI), anda totalof three 26in Tallahatchie(GK, SIO. Perhaps the bird Marion Hutto (MHu), Greg D. Jackson July 26-27 in TallahatchieMS (GK, SK, of the seasonwas an ad. c3Magnificent (Alabama),D. Jacobson,K. Jacobson,Paul PH),for the first July record. Worthy of sep- Hummingbirdin ClarkAR JulyI8 (DH, Kirtle,Gene Knigth, Shatton Knight, Dar- aratenote, perhaps, were a recordof Long- DIH, WG, HF, CM, ph.), furnishingthe nell Macintoch, Paul Macintoch, Curtis A. billed DowitcherJuly 6 in BentonAR firstrecord for Arkansas. Taken together, the Marantz, Steve McConnell, Charles Mills, (MM1),which was regarded as some two IOphotographs by CharlesMills submitted Mike Mlodinow,Duane Moren, Michael J. daysearly, and another in TallahatchieMS tothe writer are definitive, with one showing Musemeche,David P. Muth, Polyann Myers, July26 (GK, SIO,which was the first ever for the bird'spurple crown. An ad. c3Yellow- MackMyers, Norton Nelkin, RalphOde- Julythere. Benton is, of course,in far n.w. headedBlackbird in BentonJuly I8 (MMI) gard,Helen Parker (Arkansas), Max Parker Arkansas. wasdistinctly out of season. But the fully ad. (Arkansas),Harvey L. Patten,Dave Patton, alternate-plumagedc3 Chestnut-collaredRobert D. Purrington,Miz Revels,Victoria GULLS TO SISKINS Longspuron RutherfordBeach, Cameron, B. Reynolds,Mike Rhodes,Paul Rodewald, An ad.jaeger seen soaring over the Decatur LAJuly II (SWC,DLD etal.)provided what TerenceSchiefer (N. Mississippi),William boatharbor for about5 minutesJune 2o is presumablythe first recordfor the Gulf M. Shepherd,Don R. Simons,Cassie (SM, PD) representedonly the znd inland coastin summer;this find demonstratesthat Simons,Steven J. Stedman(Middle Ten- recordof any jaeger for Alabama. Although a anythingcanhappen. Similarlyout of season, nessee),Ronald J. Stein,Mark M. Swan,Vic numberof detailsindicated Pomafine, a def- if substantiallyless exotic, was a PineSiskin Theobold, James Tucker, Suzanna initeidentification was impossible. A Bona- at Malvern,AR June 28 (HP, MP), securing Wadsworth,Martha G. Waldon (W. Ten- partesGull in ShelbyTNJune I (JRW) possi- the2nd June record for the state. nessee),David Watts. Melvin Weber, Mel bly representedthe first June record for the White (MWh), J.R. Wilson, Tom B. Wil- state,while a Ring-billedGull at SardisL., Contributors(subregional editors in boldface): son, Gary Worthington.--ROBERTD. MS June22-23 (GK, VT, PH) providedthe Ray Aycock,Jim Beck, RichardS. Bello, PURRINGTON, Departmentof Physics, 4th July recordfor that area. Two imm. Mike Biven,Chris G. Branrley,George TulaneUniversity, New Orleans, LA 70118. LesserBlack-backed Gulls, perhaps molting Broussard,Carolyn H. Bullock,Walt Burch,
LOONS TO FALCONS southcomprised seven at O.H.M., Julyzo PRAIRIEPROVINCES An ad.Pacific Loon graced Charton L., AB (RKo);most surprising was an unconfirmed REGION July2 (BRp).Common Loons occupied new reportof nestingSnow Geese near Melfort, territory,nesting at NickleL. nearWeyburn, SK (fideFM). RudolphE Koes and Peter laylor SK (NP) and in new irrigationreservoirs A 5?Wood Duck entered a nestcavity at near Brooks,AB (fideWS). Also unusual Moose Mountain P.E, SK June 9 (FR). wereRed-necked Grebe nests in Regina(BD Saskatchewan'sCinnamon Teal population etal.) and nearTaber, AB (LB). One Great Onlya fewwarm, sunny days punctuated a wasfar below last years census, with all of 4 cool, wet summer acrossthe southern half of Egretvisited Delta, MB July3I-Aug. 1 (fide birdsreported (all by BL); a singled Cinna- VF), andsingle Green Herons were noted the Region.Conditions were drier in the monTeal visited St. Alphonse,MB JulyI nearLuck L., SKJune 5 (FR),Regina July I7, north,and manyforest fires broke out in (PGr, DBo, MS). No Ring-neckedDuck northern Saskatchewan and northwestern andSt. Adolphe, MB June20 (AC). broods could be found in e.-c. Saskatchewan A TrumpeterSwan was well seen at Manitobain June.Bonnie Chattier made us (BL), but at leastI5 broodsnear Pinawa, MB O.H.M., June1o (RP, LS, ASk). The largest enviouswith her reportof an "incredibly in July (PT) was a normaltotal. Eight groupof SnowGeese summering in the beautifulsummer" at Churchill.Although White-wingedScoters at DeltaJuly I3 (fid• wewere not inundated a•s badly as parts of theAmerican Great Plains and the Midwest, floodingwas locally severe in Julyand early August.According to oneinsurance adjuster, After5 consecutive yeats of poor produLtivit3• thefortunes ofSwainson's Hawks pinmeted Winnepegreceived a century'sworth of furtherin most of thelr Saskatchewan range* The niamber ofpairs was down, half of them lousyweather in just5 weeks. Some species •Vere noteven trying tonest, and•ost that did try retained justasingle youns by early July suffereda devastating breeding season, espe- Theratloof L27 young per successful nest• thelowest•n3b years of banding records (SH)• ciallyin southern Saskatchewan. Birding was a keyfactor inthe•clip• i•the extre• •arc!ty oœRichardson's Gro,na Squirrel.(SH): rer- lackluster. ru0,qus,Hawks•l•?•ffered about •9% nest failurein Saskatchewan (CB); •hereas •ar- ri• •ndRed•tailed'•awks app•t 9•nag• rathe;better. Abbreviations:L.M.L. (Last Mountain Lake, S/0; O.H.M. ( OakHammock W.M.A., MB).
1118-American Birds,Winter 1993 A peakconcentration of IOOO RuddyTurnstones, 5o0 Red Knots ß (aprovincial record total), and 3o0 Sanderlingswas exceptionalat . ß WoodBuffalo Nat. Park turnCity Delta June z (PGr et aL). L.Athabasca • Saskatchewan's first confirmed LeastSandpiper nest contained 4 Churchilleggs near Close L., SK Junez4 '• R. McMurray. / •, % ,• (WH, DWe).Single • Red ß -GrandePrairie / h Phalaropeswere found near Elk I., .:, ALBERTA/ • •f"l .Thompson AB Julyz (AH) andWillingdon, •.,;. / 'LaRong• I MANITOBA ABJuly 8-IO (BRt,BCa etal.). •,!JasperNat. Park /SASKATCHEWAN/ ./• A delightfulstory ofchumming •.. Edmonton.. • / e• ,•','• • ': BeaverhillL. I • J/• •__•f." bycanoe came from Lac la Plonge, ':•; The Pas. •'...f t"'-'•( SKJune IO. A PomarineJaeger was anffNat.Park nipeg eventuallycoaxed into snatching .• Saskatoo,. I tl'•t %•k' :' food from an outstretched hand ','t. -Calgary //' I . .•x,:•_• I• - •"t ' ß}• LastMountain I.• RidingIV•untain•"•/,,, (RWa, BK). Guess who wished • .. {.[ Nat.Park he'dpacked a camera?An uniden- •;;i LethbridgeSwift Curren '• •*". ' ,-:•.,•.. • -Regina - '-• t.J -Oak '. tifiedjaeger visited Beaverhill L., ß :?••;ypress Hills ...... OldWives L..Weyburn Brandon Winnipeg AB June I6 (BCa). As usual, Churchilldominated the rare gull scene.Highlights were one Little Gull June I8 (PL), a California VF) wasan interesting booty. Do theysignal counts of Marbled Godwits included IOOO+ Gull (onlythe 2nd for Churchill)June zo the recoveryof lostbreeding territory in s. at Bassano,AB Junezo (JR), 43onear Lost (JK,ph.), up to fourRoss' Gulls in June, and Manitoba? A successfulBufflehead nest at L., AB June27, andanother IOO at Stirling upto I8 Sabine'sJune i7-24 (m.ob.).An Arc- MooseJaw, SK (DCe) wasI5O mi fromthe L., ABJuly 4 (LB),and 92 near Camper, MB tic Ternwas closely compared with a Com. nearestknown breeding population. A 9 Junez8 (KG). Ternat then. endof L.M.L., JuneI (RKr). HoodedMerganser with downy young was a A Band-tailedPigeon visited Edson, AB rare find at Waterton Lakes,AB June zz Julyz8 (fidePM). At leasttwo Yellow-billeds (CG). wereat the sceneof lastyear's sightings at SomeRough-legged Hawks lingered well How didpassefines fare•h tl•is cool, wet Coulter,MB Junei8-July i8 (RKo,GG et intoJune s. of Regina(CB, PGe), and one summer?For'Tree Swallbws; the answeris at), raisingsuspicions of nesting.A red- wasseen at Nokomis, SKJUly z7 (RL).Three unequivocal:very poorly. From Saskaroon, morph E. Screech-Owl'slate-morning bath pairsof GoldenEagles nested in theSwift :-veteranobserver Stuart Houston .wrote: We wasinterrupted by mobbing Com. Grackles CurrentCr., SK area (FR). Peregrine Falcons hav•neve• s•n':•t•hg likeqfiBox afte• in WinnepegJune 6 (JI). And, despitethe raisedone young at Brandon,MB, a siteof b0xaftkr box fill•d •VitNdead yotmg." • milling(m.ob.) scene near Churchill, in the recentreleases (fide RWi). •azing •ota•of z8 •d: -Tree Sw•gWS •o9p < faceof constantharassment by birdersand photographers,N. Hawk Owls fledged3 RAILS TO WOODPECKERS eratedmfeed •ne famiiy ofsurvi•ng yqungl ;five or six were see• at several'other nests young;z other nests were rUmored. A Boreal Owl wascalling at II a.m.June zo at Narrow Saskatoonwere successful, down from nor- Hills EP.,SK (TH). Up to II BlackSwifts : matx)alueswellove• 3i5% '.More {ban 5b% wereseen through the periodin the Mr. :Sadnews Com!nue • for the Burrowing •! TreeSwallow nests •nthe •di•nt0n h•ea Lorerte-Ribbon Cr. area,AB (PS), and five 5in SaskatcheWan,i}s [fist •an.adia• Vaux's Swifts were counted over Waterton •vi•i•k&6titas •ell (SJ)•E•lii?on•iing townsite,AB June 5 (DBa, DD, DWa). knd,s0m• 6bse•rs fei
Volume 47, Number 5.1119 E. Kingbirdat ChurchillJune II (fideBCh). Rare observations at Churchill were a A count of 35,oooTree Swallowsat Delta Lark SparrowJune 9 & I7 (JJ,PL) and a NORTHERN July19 (fide VF) wasan impressive peak, but LeConte'sSparrow June 21-22 (PL, JK). An not a record. E. Meadowlarknear Cypress R., June25-27 GREATPLAINS Brown Creeper nests were found at (GH et al.) was about the 6th recordedin GordonBerkey Churchillin July (m.ob.,fide BCh) and Manitoba. Several records this summer DuckMountain P.P., SKJune 19 (RKr). Edg- (RKr, BL, CP) indicate that the Orchard inginto the rare-but-regular category was a Orioleis edging into the Regina area, where N. Wheatearat ChurchillJtme 9 (fideBCh). it wasformerly a rarespring migrant. The severedrought of thepast several years No E. Bluebirds were reported in A pair of "Gray-crowned"Rosy Finches seems to have come to an end in two Saskatchewan,and the species seemed scarce foragedtogether, possibly collecting nesting months.Every reportingstation in N. in Manitoba.The W. Bluebirdpair at Koote- material,at MartenMt., just e. of Lesser Dakotareported record July precipitation, nayPlains, AB raisedanother brood (ET). SlaveL., June2 (SJ).The "mountain,"250 with Bismarckreceiving a whoppingi3.75 An ad. Townsend'sSolitaire accompanied a mi from the Rockies, featuresa small clear- inches.The summer was also extremely cool; fledglingJuly 9 at theConglomerate Cliffs, ing for a firewatchtower, as well asa rock- Minotdid not reach 90% through the entire CypressHills PP., the site of Saskatchewan'scovered slope. No further House Finch yearof 1993!The long-termeffects of the onlyother breeding record, in I979;another advanceswere reported this summer. More moisturewill bepositive, but floodingcer- adultwas found singing in thepark July io thanzo RedCrossbills (likely L.c. minor) tainlyaffects ground-dwelling birds even (TH). were seennear McArthur R. Mine June moreseriously than it doeshumans. In addi- SingleN. Mockingbirdswere fotmd at 2I-25 (DWe).White-winged Crossbills were tion, thecool weather kept down popula- ReginaJune i (DBr),at Lethbridge,AB Jtme widespreadin small flocks s. and w. of Grand tionsof mostinsects, although all observers 25 (DWa), and at Strasbourg,SK through Rapids,MB in earlyJuly (PT). Fairnumbers wouldagree that the rains brought an abun- mostof July (fide FB).There were 3 reports of of both crossbillspecies were found in danceof mosquitoes.The coolweather and SageThrasher in the Gorenlock-Consul, Alberta(fide PS). A passingRedpoll (sp.) in excessmoisture were responsible for the poor SK area(BL, WH). A BohemianWaxwing WinnepegJuly 13 (RKo) presentedan reproductivesuccess of manyspecies, but nest near McArthur R. Mine June zi-25 enigma:Was it 2 monthslate or 3 months latere-nesting by waterfowlwas a positive (DWe)was apparently the first reported for early? sign. Saskatchewan. A d' Black-throated Blue Warbler was dis- Contributors(subregioual compilers iu bold- GREBES TO CRANES coveredsinging at NarrowHills P.E, June 2i face):Helen Barrett,Lloyd Bennett, Carol A brood of Pied-billed Grebes at Grand Bjorklund,Dale (Baumback(DBa), Derek ForksJune 2 wasearly (EF). Late June winds Boutmug(DBo), Frank Brazier, Don Bryant of morethan 9o mphdestroyed most Red- (DBr), Bob Carroll (BCa), BonnieChartier neckedGrebe nests at FreezeoutL, MT, but (BCh),Doug Cole (DCe), DougCollister 2 broodswere seen in July(MS). Up to 7oo (DCr), Andy Courcelles,Ross Dickson, Am. White Pelicanslingered at Kelly's Doug Dolman, Bill Dowhanuik,Victor SloughN.W.R. near Grand Forks(DL). Fazio,Ken Gardner,Paul Geraghty (PGe), Uncommon for S. Dakota were the Least Clive Goodwin, Gordon Grieef, Paula Bitternin Jerauld,SD, June29 (JB)and the GRieeff(PGr), Wayne Harris, David Hatch, Little Blue Heron in Clark June28 (BH). TrevorHerriot, GeorgeHolland, Andrew The Green Heron at Bowdoin was last seen AdultCalifornia Gull (right--with adult Herring Horton,Stuart Houston, R. Hughes,John June2 (DP). A GreenHeron nest in Day, Gull)at Churchill,Manitoba, June 20,1993. Only Ingram, Paul James,Joseph Jehl, Stefan SD, containing3 eggsJune io (DS) waslater the second record for this well-watched locale. blowndown. The copiousmoisture reached PhotograplVJohnG. Keenleyside. Jungkind,John Keenleyside, Rudolph Koes (RKo), BurkeKorol, Robert Kreba (RKr), muchof the Regionafter mostbreeding (TH). A (3 ScarletTanager, very far west FredLahrman, Ross Lein, Pat Lindsay, Bob waterfowlhad migrated, but indications are nearCarendish, AB Junei8 (J&MM, DCr), Luterbach,Joan & Malcolm McDonald, thatbirds were already benefiting. While N. wasaccompanied by an unidentified•? tan- FriedaMarkland, Pat Marklevitz, Ross Mon- Dakotapair countswere down, July brood ager.Twenty-two territorial Scarlet Tanagers roe,Wayne Neily, Randy Nystrom, Robert cotmrsincreased 34%, and the average brood werecounted in a season-longsurvey at Parsons,Curtis Pollock, Nick Postey,John of 7.7 ducklingswas the highest since 1975. SpruceWoods RE, MB (GH)--a surprising Riddell,Blair Rippin (BRp), Brian Ritchie Thepicture would look even brighter if the totalso far west. A vocalizingW. Tanagerin (BRt), FrankRoy, DorothySchritt, Lou large numbersof very late broodsseen DuckMountain RE, SKJune 20 wasalmost Schultz,Peter Sherrington, Martin Siepman, beyondAugust are included.While the at the Manitoba border(RKr, BL). Two N. Arnold Skei (ASk), Andrew Slater (AS1), breedingseason is encouraging,the number Cardinalnests in Winnepeghad a successfulWayne Smith, John Steeves, Peter Taylor, of unusual summer waterfowl recordswas far outcome, and a female visited Woodmore, Eric Tull, Doug Walker (DWa), Robert abovenormal. Perhaps the wet, cool weather MB July7-9 (fideDH); the residentc• N. Wapple(RWa), Don Weidl (DWe), Renee was to blame. Tundra Swans and Corn. Mer- Cardinal at Moose Mt., SK was heard Will (RWi). RUDOLPH E KOES, 135 gansersat DevilsL., June4 (REM)were late, singingJune iz & 13(BL). A Black-headed RossmereCres., Winnepeg, MB RzK oGI; aswas the GreaterScaup at GrandForks Grosbeaksang in Calgaryfor 2 weeks in early and PETER TAYLOR, Box 597, Pinawa, throughJune 25 (EF). GreaterWhite- July(AS1 etal.). Two Dickcissels at Lyleton, MB RoE iLO. fronted Goosewas found in McLean, Kid- MB July i8 (WN) were the only ones der,and Grand Forks June 9, 18,& 2i. Snow reported.A Green-tailedTowhee at a Leth- Goosewas reported from 4 N. Dakotaand bridgefeeder June 17 (RM, RN) providedan two S. Dakotalocations as late asJune 24, overdue first record for Alberta. but mostpuzzling were the threeapparent
1120- American Birds,Winter 1993 GrandForks in lateJuly indicated at leastfair reproduction.Caspian ß Shelby Medic*heLakeNWR UpperSouris •"[ l•lyerNWR Terns,apparently on the move, ß BoWdOln NWR ß NWR % •' werereported from 5 widespread locations in the Dakotas June ß DAKOTA 18--30.One observedflying over F••""'""-••'••.. •L•arrison NORTHDarn GrandArrowwoodForks Aberdeen, SD, June18 provided a GreatFallsMONTANA / , • NWRFargoß choice "yard bird" (DT). Up to fourCaspian Terns were present at ßLewistown / Bismarck Bowdoin N.W.R. and Nelson Res. (TF, DP). An Arctic Tern at the Waubay NWR ß Billin••llesC,tyH•ettinger • TewaukønNWoRMinot lagoonsJune 2o (REM, 1_Oahe doe.)was the 3rdfor the state.Up to sixLeast Terns foraging in theFt. Peckarea in Juneand earlyJuly ,j!i?.•RapiaCity DAKOTA siouxFallsß • werethought to bedisplaced non- Black Hills breeders(CC). ßLacreek NWR Yankt%n A White-wingedDove pho- • tographedin EdmundsJune 7 & 8 (JDW,doe.) will bethe first for the juv."Blue" Geese at theMinot Lagoons July SHOREBIRDS TO SWIFTS stateif acceptedby the records committee. A 26 (GB). A TrumpeterSwan remained at Breedingof PipingPlovers was severely cur- flightlessSnowy Owl capturednear Powers FreezeoutL. throughoutthe season.Mon- tailedby risingwater levels. There was no L., ND, June16 was injured too severelyto tanasfirst Garganey, which had arrived in reproductionat Nelson Res., MT, for the bereleased (RKM). A Long-earedOwl was May,was seen at Bowdointhrough at least firsttime since surveys began in I986.Rising heardcalling in Marshall,SD, June2 (PS), June26. Butmost unusual for summerwas water levelsof Ft. Peck and SakakaweaLakes and onewas on a nestin StanleyJune 5 (DB). the c• Black Scoter, which remained at the extendedinto beach vegetation, making ren- Thesingle Short-eared Owl territory at Lost- GrandForks lagoons throughout; up to two estingimpossible. At LostwoodN.W.R., woodwas the first for that refuge since 1982, iramatures/females were also seen intermit- whereabout 40 pairsuse natural salt lakes, whenthey were common. The firstCom. tently(EF). Bufflehead numbers were high s. earlynests were flooded but many pairs were Nighthawkswere not noted at Ft. Peckuntil of theirbreeding range. A totalof 23was able to reneston higheropen shoreline June3 and at Maltauntil June 4- Thisspedes foundin Kidder,ND, June18, and a female (RKM). A downyyoung and ad. Black- was absent from urban Minot for the first wasin Clark,SD, June28. neckedStilt discovered in mid-August at the timein at leastx 7 years.Interesting transient Therewere also a large number of late rap- DevilsL. lagoonsby EldonAnderson and nightjarsincluded calling Com. Poorwill in tors.Turkey Vulture was present in Traill, BruceBurkett provided a longoverdue first Minot June4 (GB) andWhip-poor-will in ND (RK) andone was at WaubayN.W.R., breedingrecord for N. Dakota.Another stilt Mayville,ND, July12 (RK). A Chimney June13. Breeding has not beenrecorded in wasin GrandForks June I (EF). Earlyfall Swiftnest with 2 eggs was found in Edmunds theseareas. Osprey nested again at Pactola migrantshorebirds were displaced from tra- July5 (MZ). Res.,SD (NW). LingeringOsprey were near ditionalstaging areas to floodedagricultural PASSERINES BowdoinJune 7 (DP) andin Cass,ND, June fields.The resulting dispersal, coupled with 24 (GN). A BaldEagle was in Union,SD, impassibleroads, made them more difficult Lastdates for Olive-sidedFlycatcher were June17 (EL), and an adultwas in the N. to find. A flockof 50 MarbledGodwits was June2 in Marshall,SD, andJune 7 in Cava- Unit, Theodore RooseveltN.P., June 19 sightedin Edmunds,SD, July 8 (MZ). Least lier, ND. A Yellow-belliedFlycatcher was (DL). No evidenceof breedingwas found in Sandpipersatthe Minot lagoons June 2o and ratherlate June 5 at Hope,ND (DK), aswas eitherinstance. Two imm. GoldenEagles in GrandForks June 21 were very early fall an AlderFlycatcher in Lake,SD (JP).An were reportedfrom Ransom,ND (DE). migrants.A Stilt Sandpiper at KellysSlough imm. Scissor-tailedFlycatcher near Bow- Theydo not usually linger so far east in sum- June17 may havebeen a very late spring doinJune 22 (TK) wouldbe the 7th for mer.A PeregrineFalcon at theGrand Forks migrant. Montanaif acceptedby the committee. Pur- lagoonsJune 18 was very late. AmericanWoodcocks were found along ple Martins continueto declinein N. both the North and Little North Pembina Gallinids,being ground-nesters,were Dakota.The pairof CommonRavens at Jay apparentlyvery hard hit by therains. Few Riversin Cavalier,ND in earlyJune and are WesselsW.M.A, Cavalier,June 6 & 7 (DL) is broodswere seen and some had only a few probablygenerally distributed along those intriguing,as the species was extirpated from chicks.Soras rebounded quickly, readily drainages(DL). A breeding-plumaged• N. Dakotain the188os, probably because of reoccupyingareas that had been dry for the RedPhalarope at the GrandForks lagoons poisoning of wolves. Red-breasted pastseveral years. A reportof threedowny June3 & 4 (EF)was the 7th forthe state. Nuthatches,which have not madea major youngCommon Moorhens in Brown,SD, SeveralN. Dakotaareas had unusually incursionfor a fewyears, began movement July12 & 29 (JS)will beconsidered by the highsummer numbers of FranklinsGulls. in N. Dakotaas early as July x when singles recordscommittee; there are no definite Peaksaway from nesting colonies included were seen at Grand Forks and Portland. breedingrecords for the state. A youngSand- 5oooat Minot July26, 800 at GrandForks Theywere said to be "quiteabundant" at hill CraneatJ. Clark Salyer N.W.R. (GE) in June6 andJuly 24, 55o at LostwoodJune 16, Malta, MT, July18-24 (D&TP). A Sedge Julyprovided the first N. Dakotabreeding and18o at FargoJuly xx. It seemedplausible Wrennest building in Walworth,SD, issig- confirmationsince a youngbird was seen thatbirds had been displaced from flooded nificantfor that state; akhough the species is therein 1973. breedingcolonies, but the number of juve- regularlyfound singing in theeast there are nilesappearing among flocks at Minotand no previousrecords of nests.A Wood
Volume 47, Number 5- ! 121 Thrushwas heard singing in Marshall,SD, migrant5• TennesseeWarbler banded at Thereis one other breeding season record for June• (PS);the species iaa rare breeder in the AberdeenJuly •6 still retainedits brood this area,and it is possiblethat thereis a n e.part of thestate. The Dakotas tallied five patch(DT). A singingTennessee July 3 in a small breedingpopulation there. Two N. Mockingbird reports. Loggerhead bogin Pembina,ND, waspossibly on terri- singingMcCown's Longspurs in Harding, Shrikeshad a goodyear in N. Dakota,as tory. BreedingOrange-crowned Warblers SD, June•5 (GB)were the firston breeding numberswere up in Stark and around werefound to befairly common in thePem- territoryin thestate in sometime. Birds were Minor. Two pairsbred in GrandForks, and binaHills, with up to zo singingper day in still on the siteJuly • (BH). This mayhave two werefound in townat Farg6June z 7 earlyJune (DL). For the znd consecutive beena disastrousreproductive year for N (L&CF). year,one was on territoryin the Interna- Oriolein N. Dakota,with only z reportsof PhiladelphiaVireo seems to havenearly tional Peace Gardens in the Turtle Mts. nestsor young.A 5• RedCrossbill with 3 disappearedasa breederin N. Dakota.It has (REM). Foursinging Nashville Warblers in dependentyoung was in Day,SD, June•o not been found in the Turtle Mts. for the thePembina Hills June 5-7 wasan exciting (DS). Pine Siskinswere numerousin e. N pastseveral years, and Lambeth was able to indicationof previouslyunsuspected breed- Dakotaand werepresent throughout the findonly a singlesinging male in thePem- ing in N. Dakota;on July 3 onewas found state. b,naHills thisJune. repeatedlycarrying food into a thicketat Jay An unusualnumber of latemigrant war- Wesselsadding a newbreeding species to the •onlfibnlor, [•hal• •tor, in •l&ce): MON- blers,were discovered, including several rare state(DL). Foursinging "Myrtle" Warblers TANA:Charles Carlson, Doug Easthouse, to accidentalspecies. A pair of Golden- at thePeace Gardens June n leavelittle doubt Thad Fuller,Ted Kelley,Dwain & Thora wingedWarblers in Lake,SD, Junet9 (JP) that thissubspecies breeds in N. Dakota.A Prellwitz, Michael Schwitters. NORTH wasexceptionally late, if theywere migrants. Black-and-whiteWarbler in MarshallJune z DAKOTA:Gordon Berkey, Gary Erickson, A N. Parulain Buffalo,SD, July t wasunex- (PS)may have been on territory.A singing Larry& CarolFalk, Eve Freeberg, Robert pectedfor thatdate, while a Chestnut-sidedN. Waterthrushin theGoose R. Valleynear Kruger,Donald Kubischta, David Lambeth, ,n CusterJune 9 wasvery late (JB). The PordandJuly • (DK) wasin goodhabitat but Ron E. Martin, RobertK. Murphy,Gary s,ghtingof a 5• Black-throatedGray War- in an areafor whichthere is no previous Nielsen, Bonnie Stout. SOUTH DAKOTA bler at Ft. PeckJune •5 (CC) hasbeen sub- breedingrecord. DougBacklund, Jocelyn Baker, Bruce Har- mitred to the Montana records committee. A TwoSharp-tailed Sparrows were found in ris, Eric Liknef, Jeff Palmer, Dennis BlackburnianWarbler was very late at Grand Walworth,SD, Junezo anda SwampSpar- Skadsen,Paul Springer, Jerry Stanford, Dan ForksJune 9 (EF). A c• Pine Warbler at row nest,the firstfor thestate since •9z•, was Tallman,Nat Whitney,J. DavidWilliams, ArrowwoodN.W.R. (BS)June 8 represents found in WalworthJuly •o (JDW, MZ). Myron Zimmer.--GORDON BERKEY, thelatest spring record for this casual species Threeor four Dark-eyedJuncos, presum- Division of Science, Minot State Univer- ,n N. Dakota. A Cerulean Warbler was in ably "white-wingeds,"were found in the sity,Minor, ND 587o7. RobertsJune 5 & 6 (BH). An earlyfall PonderosaPines in Slope,ND, July• (BH).
likely averagedbetter acrossthe Region. pairof W andClark's grebes (carefully stud- SOUIHERN LeastBitterns may have had morehabitat, ied adultsand also recently hatched young but fromgreatly reduced populations there July 3•; RCR, DJR). The Clark'sGrebe PLAINSREGION were few birds to benefit from the more youngprovided the first nesting record for JosephA. Grzybowski recentwindfalls. And, while mudflats usu- Nebraska.An additional475 ad. W. Grebes ally mean more shorebirds,the caked werepresent there July 3• (RCR, DJR). A remainsof recedingfloods left precious little singleClark's Grebe was noted in GardenNE The word of the season was water! In the to be desired for birds and humans alike. June•4 (NR). oftenparched and drought-besieged plains, Althoughwet and muddy in manyplaces, A BrownPelican observed June •z-z 4 in there waslots of it this summer,but much of shorebirdingwas generally poor. RussellKS (KP) is oneof an almostannual ,t camein thewrong manner and stayed in occurence.Only oneAnhinga was noted in waysmost of usplains folk don't ever worry Abbreviations:McConaughy (L. McConaughy,McCurtain OK (BH, JM, JN). LeastBitterns about. In northwestern Nebraska, the Keith Co.,NE); Quivira( QuiviraN.W.R., werereported at 4 localitiesin Tulsa(JA), Roschesreport that it camewith 1oo-mph StaJ•rdCo, KS); Salt Plains (GreatSaltPlains and one in OsageOK (DLR). In Oklahoma, windsthat interrupted the nesting of most N.W.R., AI•I• Co., OK); Wichita Mts. in marsheswhere bitterns had been common waterbirds.Along most of theeastern mar- ( WichitaMrs. Wildli• Ref.,Comanche Co., in previousyears, only one could be found g•nof the Region,it wasthe Floodof the OK). Placenames in italicsare counties. (JGN).Cattle Egrets appeared tohave a ban- Century,leaving many reservoirs too high ner yearin e. Kansas(LM) and alongthe forany marsh vegetation, oreven that weedy, LOONS TO WATERFOWL MissouriR. in Nebraska(BP), but numbers scrubbycover that many birds use along the The onlyreport of Com.Loons was of one in s.-c.Oklahoma seemed lower than in pre- edge.But, water did not fall everywhere;it sightedJuly 30 on L. Ogallala,Keith NE viousyears (JAG). A colonyof 3ooo-5ooo wasdry in southwesternOklahoma through (RCR, DJR). Junestorms and high water heronsand ibises (mostly Cattle and Snowy mostof theperiod. levelsmeant few early broods of Pied-billed egretsand Little Blue Herons) has developed The rainsand storms meant significant and Earedgrebes in w. Nebraska(RCR, at Quivira,higher numbers than in previous failuresfor many waterfowl and riverbottom DJR). However, higher water on years•qde LM). Amongthe rarevagrant species;fortunately, results are often mixed. McConaughythis year provided habitat for ardeids and ibises were three Tricolored Lateseason success may offset the early sea- at least3 broodsof W. Grebes(RCR, DJR), HeronsJuly z 7 andAug. x4 in BryanOK sonvagaries. Some species, such as Pied- twoClark's Grebe young (recently hatched (JWe)and one at QuiviraJuly •z (MR), as b,lledGrebes, if sub-regionallydampened, July3I), andtwo young attended by a mixed wellas a Wh,te Ibis June z8 (JM,JR) to July 5
11•. American B,rds,Winter 1993 (DLR) in OkmulgeeOK, and to four California Gulls were anotherJune 24 and July x in Bryan ' -Chadron '• noted in Keith NE at the end of OK (JWe). July(RCR, DJR). Ten CaspianTerns were also A Ross'Goose noted in Phelps ßCrescent Lake NWR NE (RH, LR) wasa peculiarsur- Lake McConaughy • notedin KeithNE, July 3o, an prise.Most unusual for season and exceptionalnumber for w. Nebraska locadon was an Am. Black Duck in (RCR,DJR). In spiteof disasters for SiouxNE June20 (RS). Male Cin- otherspedes, Black Tern nests fared namonTeals were observed June 6 theJune rains and winds well (RCR, in LoganNE (TB,JT, JAu), June x4 DJR).An uncommonCom. Tern in Gartt•nNE (NR), June •9 in H•y•.KANSAS .Top• wasspotted July x8 in DouglasNE PhelpsNE (RH, LR), July•o in •CheysnneBoRoms (JT). Thirty pairsof LeastTerns QUlvlra ß SheridanNE, andJuly •5 in Dawes NWR C fledged55 young in ClevelandOK NE (RCR, DJR)--many more (VB),making for a reasonablysuc- thanthe usualnumber of reports, cessfulseason. andamong only a pittanceof sum- . Great Salt Plains. DOVESTO SWALLOWS mer recordsfor the Region.A A Black-billed Cuckoo was found HoodedMerganser July 19 at Key- LAHO stone L., Keith NE was unusual W•hita•Oklahoma Ci• • in Buj•loNE, June6 (RH, LR). (RCR, DJR),as were two females Long-earedOwls fledgedthree July5 in PhelpsNE (RH, LR).A youngin ThomasNE, June 6 (TB, pair of Corn. Merganserssum- JAa,JT). With the presenceof Corn. Poorwillsin the Flint Hills of meredin KeithNE (RCR, DJR). (RH, ER)were likely summer vagrants. Per- Kansasknown for some time, it wasexpected RAMORS TO T!ZRN$ haps6-7 pairsof Sno• Hoversnested in thatthey should be discovered inthe Tallgrass An OspreyJune 2 in SedgwickKS (RW) was ClevelandOK, further re-establishinga PrairiePreserve in Oklahoma.Such hap- lingeringor summering.Sketchy details populationdisappeared in the •96os. pened.A nestwith 2 eggswas observed July were receivedof an Am. Swallow-tailedKite PipingPlovers appeared July 7 in Tulsa 9-20 (TW,MP, CG) beforeit failed,only the detectedJune 7 in McCurtainOK (DC, (JA)an JulyS in •xas OK (•)•both 6thnesting recorded for Oklahoma. A imm. MT). At leastfive Bald Eagle chicks hatched early.A groupof about•oo •. Avocetsin Selasphorussp.hummingbird was seen briefly in Nebraska,more in a yearthan in over•oo •xas OK, July8 (KN) wassubstantial. coming to a set of feeders attended simukane- years.However, Swainson's Hawks appeared Along with eight Marbled Godwits, also in ouslyby at least 25-3o Black-chinned Hum- to have had a poor breedingseason in •xas,July S (KN), however, •ey mayreflect mingbirdsin the WichitaMts., July 20 Nebraska(RCR). earlyterminations of breeding. No long- (JAG). Black-chinnedswere regularly billedCurlew broods were noted this year in observedthrough the season, where only 3 w. Nebraska(RCR, DJR), and Wilson's yearsago they were rare (JAG). Phalaropesmay have suffered a parallel fate Thelatest migrant Olive-sided Flycatcher (RCR,DJR). Two ad. PipingPlovers were reportwas of one observedJune xo in Bl&ck-ne&kedStilts have been known to seenJuly z• in Cle•el•ndOK(VB), a more ThomasNE(TB). Our knowledgeof nesting •breed regularly atQuivira andirregularly ata normal migration date, and Long-billedWillow Flycatchers is peculiarly spotty. A fewsites in w.Nebraska.. At least z5 'adults CurlewsJuly •S (one bird) & z4 (4birds) in recendyfledged brood of fourwas observed wereobserved atQuivi?a June z5 (PJJ; and Clevelan•OKare among rare sightin• for c. in KeithNE, July3x (RCR, DJR). Banders ßup to five were observe• sh•'rida• NE,jul)•' OMahoma. areadding to ourknowledge of their migra- t8(TBL Mowever,there were no •bleedid g Amongthe collection of earlymigrants tion.Four "Traill's" Flycatchers were netted recordsforOklahom•nti[ thisyeir. Three notedJuly 8 in •s OK, werea Ruddy in Washington,andOsage OK, June 4-5 OK stilts,observed bffMarcus Koenen a the Salt Turnstone(very early), 75 Lesser Yellowlegs, (R&AA, LB, NV); otherswere netted June 5 Plainiihrough0ut th;•petjbd, we• heard 6 W. Sandpipersand zo Baird'sSandpipers & x2in l•gonerOK (DV,JM). Mostwere givingdis•is calls June xg.Two p0ssib!• stilt (KN). Evenearlier were 4o Lesser Yellowlegs identifiedas Willows. The CordilleranFly- ]nestsWere discovered;in Adult stilt was anda Baird'sSandpiper June z• at Quivira catcherin SowbellyCanyon, Sioux NE, the flushedfrom'q•e •e•st ]une zs. Th5 •t (PJ),with another B•ird's June •6 in Cleve- onlybreeding locality known for years, has at youngfro•th!g n• •a•ch•July z•ndPro• land OK (VB). Two ad. • Sandpipers leastone neighbor inMonroe Canyon (RS). videdthe first observed nesting for Old•- arrivedin SherManNE by Julyxo (RCR, PurpleMartins appeared down in c. Okla- honda.B•t• in Ga•eldOK,-John Kef al'•O DJR).Also early was a SanderlingJuly x9 in homa(JAG), but a roostof 2500was noted discovereda group•f •il• Jul•t. In the Cherry•E (•B). •e onlyclaim for Short- July27 in Tulsa0L, PS). •nauingw4eks, • broods totalin• 6 yofing, billedDowitcher was one July 3• in Tulsa .and wereosere, Proid (TM, J• BC).•1 in all,the shorebird •11y JAYSTO VIREOS ingyet hdditional reCOrds ofsfilt nesting for wasunimpressive. A smallpopulation of Verdinspersists in s. Oklahoma• With the increasein LaughingGulls JacksonOK (PS,DI, JL).A SedgeWren was observedin the Region,more have been spottedJuly 26 in SarpyNE (BJR).A Blue- adults,and more a• occurringoutside the grayGnatcatcher observed June x6 had made fall period.This season, an ad.Laughing it out to KimballNE (RS). Kansasatlasing A LesserGolden-Plover in breeding Gullwas seen J•y x•-zoin Tdsa(BC etal.). turnedup nesting Cedar Waxwings in Har- plumageatthe Salt Plains June 23 (MK), and Five Fran•in's •ls, uncommon in sum- vey(CS, BD), substantially out of normal a Black-belliedPlover in PhelpsNE June•9 mer,app•red in Tdm•uly 6 (ARet al.). Up rangelimits.
Volume 47, Number 5' 11Z• A pairof Black-cappedVireos discovered eredextirpated populations in c. andw.-c. in ClevelandOK,June 27 (KR)verified local Oklahoma. breedingsuspected from the observation of a HouseFinches were reported by numer- maleabout 5 mi from the site2 fall seasons ousindividuals across Oklahoma this sum- ago.The pair was observed feeding at least mer.Pine Siskins appear to be re-establishing onefledged vireo young by early August (JS, themselvesspottily in w. Nebraskaafter sev- MN). Populationsof vireosin theWichita era]years of nearabsence. One in McCurtain Mts. andin BlaineOK, underwentslight OK, June4-7 wasa surprise(BH). Again, dedinesafter last year's poor reproductive theonly Evening Grosbeaks toreport were in effort.Cowbird trapping in the Wichitas DawesNE, whereup to 3 birdswere noted Partof a recently-realizedbut extensive reducedparasitism toless than •o% and pro- populationiu Oklahomawas this Henslow's comingto a feeder(RCR, DJR). ducedone of the bestbreeding seasons Sparrow singing in Tulsa Count}, on June 26, recordedfor the vireo (JAG); trapping was 1993. Photograph/PatSeibert. Citedobservers (area editorsboldface): KAN- not as successfulin BlaineOK, however, SAS:Bob Dester, Pete Janzen, Loyd Moore, wherenumbers ofvireos are low and repro- June26 in BrownNE (RH, LR)were clearly KevinPatterson, Mike Rader,Carol Schwab, ductivesuccess w.as below the markfor a znd westof mostoccurrences. Along the way of RalphWiley, John Zimmerman. NEBRAS- year(NJ). theOrchard Oriole, Blue Grosbeaks may be KA: Jim Ault (JAu),Tanya Bray, Duane next.They appearto be lessand less com- Bright,Joe Gubanyi, Robin Harding, Babs WARBLERSTO FINCHES monwith eachpassing year in c. ands.w. Padelford,Loren Padelford, Dorothy J. Blue-winged(JG) and Ceruleanwarblers Oklahoma(JAG, JGN). Dickcisselswere Rosche,Richard C. Rosche,Lanny Ran- (BP, LP) were noted in FontenelleForest, commonin n. Tulsa,with 35o counted June dolph,Dick Rasmussen, Neal Ratzlaff, B.J. SarpyNE, June n & z6,respectively. Among 24 (PS,JL). Rose,Ross Silcock, Jerry Toll. OKLAHO- onlyscattered reports for thespecies were Up to •4 HenslowsSparrows were seen in MA: Rod & Amy Adams,Jim Arterburn. threeYellow-throated Warblers June 8 in n.Tulsa July •o (JA),part of a clearlywell- LisaBall, Vicki Byre,Doyle Crosswhite, Tulsa(AR et al.). Seven of a series.ofnesdng establishedgroup in thistall-grass prairie ClaudiaGlass, Joseph A. Grzybowski,Berlin boxesfor ProthonotaryWarblers in Okla- area.Better than average numbers were in e. Heck,Dolores lsted, Nora Jones, John Key, homawere used between floods; young were Kansas(JZ). Three Swamp Sparrows noted MarcusKoenen, Jo Loyd,Jeri McMahon, raisedfrom only one of these(JGN). Little Julyz 5 in PhelpsNE(RH, LR)were extralim- TerryMitchell, Melissa Nagel, Kenneth River N.W.R., McCurtain OK, continuesto ital. Nanney,John G. Newell, Jim Norman, bea reliablelocality for Swainsons Warbler, A Brewer'sBlackbird was observedbuild- Mike Phillips,Kathryn Reeves, Daniel L. with four observedJune 7 (JN, JM, BH). inga nestin DawesNE,May •z; one in Bujc Reinking,John Ridge, Ailene Romero, Pat LouisianaWaterthrushes found June z4 in j•1oNE, Junen (LR)was also unusual. Two Seibert,John Shackford, Mike Tiernan,Don ButlerKS, provideda firstcounty record pairsof Great-tailedGrackles nested success- Varner,Nadine Varner, Teri Waltman, Jeff (PJ).At leastthree Hooded Warblers set up fullyin KeithNE (RCR,DJR); this repre- Webster(JWe), Jim Woodard.--JOSEPH shopin TulsaJune t7-July 8 (BC, m.ob.), sentsthe westernmost nesting in Nebraskato A. GRZYBOWSKI, 715 Elmwood Dr., nowfor the3rd consecutive summer. date.Orchard Orioles had a verysuccessfid Norman, OK 73o7z. A SummerTanager noted June t6 in nestingseason in w. Nebraska(RCR, DJR), ThomasNE (DB,DR) andScarlet Tanager but it hasnot benefitedwhat mustbe consid-
"monsoon"pattern of summerthunder- muchof that movementhad apparently TEXASREGION stormsstruck the far reachesof the Trans- begunwell before Arlene or theonset of the GregW. Lasley and Chuck Sexton Pecos,producing verdant habitat condi- drought.In centralTexas, we noticedthat tions.Big Bendand the DavisMountains someof the southboundwaterbirds that nor- wereat theeastern edge of thatgreenery, mallyshow up in numbersby the end of the It wasthe wettestof times,it wasthe driestof althoughthe High Plains and Panhandle got seasonwere uncharacterisdcally sparse (e.g., times.With apologiesto CharlesDickens, somelocalized deluges inJuly. PectoralSandpiper, Wilson's Phalarope, wecouldn't find a betterway to describethis Thesestriking weather patterns had Blue-wingedTeal); we speculate that the wet seasonof contrasts.Spring rains continued intriguingeffects on avian life, to theextent weatherpatterns and flooding in statesto the intoJune around the state. Tropical Storm thatwe had observers afield to spotthem. northof usmay been responsible fora short- Arleneexacerbated thesituation bydumping HeavyJune rains may have contributed to fallof some southbound migrants held back •3to zoinches of rainon various parts of the thepoor success of groundnesters such as bypoor traveling conditions orby enticing upperTexas coast June •9-z•. On or about Attwater's Greater Prairie-Chicken and habitats. June26, over most of the state, the spigot just Cassin'sSparrows, but abundantsummer simplyturned off. The middleof the state insectand seed crops were a benefitto many Abbreviatious:Ft. Bliss (Fort Bliss sewage settledinto •ooør weather.San Antonio, otherspecies. Arlene had relatively localized ponds,E1 Paso);G.M.N.P. (Guadalupe Austin, and Kerrville headed into what effects;there were a few errant Brown Peli- MountainsNat'l Park);L.R.G.V. (LowerRio would becomerecord-breaking rainless cans (some of which had not waited for a GrandeValley); S.S.W.T.P. (South Side •ter droughtsbylate August. June brought con- tropicalstorm to promptthem to wander •eatmentPlant, Dallas);T.B.R.C. (7•xas tinuous high winds to the Panhandle, inland), a singlesignificant shearwater Bird Records Committee, 7•xas Ornithological exceedingthe expectationsof residentsin recordon the beach, and a fewSooty Terns a Society);T.C.W.C. ( 7•xas Cooperative thatnormally windy region. As a counter- shortways inland. There was a significantWildlip Collection, 7•xas A&M University); pointto July'swithering effects, a heavy influxof coastalardeids into theinterior, but U.S.EW.S.(U.S. Fish & WildliftService);
1114- American Birds,Winter 1993 U.T.C. (Upper•xas Coast).The following cosaandLive Oak June z 7 (BD, MH), proba- expectedregularly in that area.An imm. are shortenednames for the respective blyblown inland by tropical storm Arlene. white-morphReddish Egret surprised county,state, or nationalparks, wildlife Fivepairs of Double-crestedCormorants observersat L. Balmorhea,Reeves July 2 refuges,etc.: Anahuac, Aransas, Attwater, built nestson pumpjackson an otherwise (MR, JG, KB etal.); this species isa veryrare Bentsen,Big Bend, Hagerman, Kickapoo, barrenplaya in Midland.First found June wandererto the Trans-Pecosregion. White LagunaAtascosa, and Santa Ana. 26,they were still on eggs July 3I, providing Ibisesseemed to wander inland from coastal thefirst nesting record for that area (RMS, rookeriesearlier and in greaternumbers than GREBESTO FLAMINGOS FW et al.). As manyas 53 Neotropic Cor- usual.Single imm. White Ibiseswere at L. The highwater levels in pondsand lakes morants summered at Mitchell L., where TawakoniJune 9 (RK) and at Hagerman fromthe wet spring led to a successfulnest- Sekuladiscovered 7 nests,providing a JuneI5 (KH). Fourothers were in far n.e. ingseason for Least Grebes in theL. tLG.V.; notablerecord. Another at Hagerman,June Texasin GreggJune I5 (PHa),eight were in Pied-billedsalso seemed more conspicuous 22 (KH) wasthe mostnortherly Neotropic GrimesJune I9 (BFz),and four were in •avis on c. Texaslakes this season.Eared Grebes Cormorantreported. Substantial rookeries July5 (BFr). Roseate Spoonbills, like White summered in the Panhandle counties of of colonialwaterbirds developed w. of Fal- Ibises,showed up at inlandlocations earlier Hartley,Moore, and Randall •qde KS), but than usual. A single spoonbillwas at nestingwas not confirmed. An exhausted S.S.W.T.P.,June 13 (BG, PB), one was at Manx Shearwater,undoubtedly grounded Hunt, KerrJune I6 •qdeKM, SWie)and bytropical storm Arlene, was discovered on threewere at Austin July io (EK). MustangI., NuecesJune2I (•ph., A&MC, WS). Thisrecord provides another caution WATERFOWL forbirders who might be quick to identify Bothspecies of whistling-ducknested in any small summer shearwateras an abundanceat Falfurrias(AO) as well as at Audubon's.Most incredible was a juv.Blue- severalother s. Texaslocations. Usually footedBooby that showed up at L. Lyndon uncommonin summerat Anahuac,i35 Ful- B. Johnson,Burner, 60 mi n.w.of Austin, ApparentManx Shearwater found on the beach vousWhistling-Ducks, many with young, June2 (MB, JF). This bird, the znd for at MustangIsland, Texas, on Jnne 21, 1993, just werepresent at that locationduring July afterthe passageof tropicalstorm Arlene. (GDL). A FulvousWhistling-Duck at Texas,was not brought to theattention of PhotograplVArlieand Mel Cooksey. theactive birding crowd until late August, so Austin'sHornsby Bend June 6-io (BFr)was watch for more information in our fall furrias and e. of Riviera thanks to the unexpected,aswere I5 Black-belliedsin the report. Within recentyears, we have unusualwealth of water•qde PP). By con- pineywoodsof BastropJuly 25 (EK). Mute regardedinland records ofBrown Pelicans as trast,rookeries of Little BlueHerons, Snowy Swanis not acceptedon the Texaslist of unusual.As reportscontinue to increase,we andGreat Egrets in n.-c.Texas were low in birds,but we get occasional reports of this aregoing to haveto re-evaluatethe inland number,with many abandoned presumably species away from urban areas. This summer statusof thisspecies. An irnm.Brown Peli- dueto thedrought conditions of July(MW, wegot a fewreports from the Panhandle; canwas at SanAntonio June I6 (WS), while CH, m.ob.).A LittleBlue Heron showed up threewere on an Oldhampond June 2 (KS) anotherwas at MidlandJune 26-27 (RMS). at E1Paso's Feather L., Julyio andremained and four morewere discovered on a playa Severalother Brown Pelicanswere over Aras- throughthe season (JSp); the species isnot nearEtter, Moore July 5-I8 (KS, CSt). The farmerwho ownsthe playatold • Seyffertthe birds had arrived on •' theirown. Wood Ducks and Mal-
ß Amarillo l lardsnested inabove-average num- ß Buffalo Lake NWR • betsin n.-c.Texas (CH). A • i Wood Duck swimming with ß youngin StephensJune 5 provided ß Muleshoe NWR •Nichita a firstnesting record for that area Falls .= ß Lubbock Fort Worth i (RR).Mottled Ducks reportedly ß ß Dallas had excellentnesting success in Brooks(AO). A N. Pintail, rarein ß ß El Paso &• J Nat. mid-summer,was at Hagerman '.... •f Park ßMidland •ASna;el•lene .•,•Nacogdochesß •n JulyI3-2o (KH, m.ob.).A pairof Blue-wingedTeals nested in Jim l•lls (AO). While not a common nester,this species has at least a few - nestingrecords in mostcounties in TEXAS that areaof s. Texas(PP). Single ß San Antonio summeringBlue-winged Teals wereat L ArrowheadJune i2 (CH) and at Millers Creek L., July 9 (KN). The latter bird nested.A Kingsvilleß pair of out-of-seasonCinnamon Teals was near Riviera July 23
•e•. BentsenStata (WS). One of thebest finds of the ß.,.= Park seasonin n.-c. Texas was two • Gadwalls, each with a brood of
Volume 47, Number 5-1125 young,on a smallpond in Throckmorton duringthe season. A most unusual sighting (GL). No nestscould be located,but it is JuneI9-July 9 (KN). Thereare very few wasan ad. Broad-winged Hawk soaring over stronglysuspected that nesting did occur. Texasnesdng records of thisspecies. Among BigBend near Boot Canyon July 3I (BZ, Tim Brushreported an unseasonable315 7 speciesof waterfowlpresent at S.S.W.T.E, DT). In busyn. Dallas,a pairof Swainson'sBlack-bellied Plovers at LagunaAtascosa July IO, the most notablewas an Am. Hawksnested near a sitethey used z years JulyIZ. Two Snowy Plovers July zI atFt. Bliss Wigeon(JHa, EW); fewJuly records exist ago, but developmentpressures make (BZ)and nine at Austin July 25 (CS) pro- for Texas.Although there are few nesting chances of future successesthere remote videdunusual area records. Significant records,Redheads can be a common sum- (AV). SwainsonsHawks nestedin Nueces inlandrecords of PipingPlovers this season meringduck in thePanhandle; 4o (almostall duringthe season(N&PP); thereare few includedone in HarrisonJuly I2 & 17 males)were on L. RimBianca, Hartley, June nestingrecords in thatarea of the c. coast.A (D&LB,GLu, KN eta/.),another at Hager- io (KS)and ZlO (again almost all males) were FerruginousHawk nestin Dallamlast occu- manJuly 20 (KH, m.ob.) and one at Cooper on an Amarillosewage pond July 4 (KS). piedin r983was again used this summer; L.,July z6 (MW), thelatter providing a first Unexpectedsummer recordsof Lesser Seyffertsaw young in thenest June xz. A pair Delta record.Black-necked Stilts nestedin Scaupswere provided by a birdat Ft. Bliss of CrestedCaracaras may have nested this the Panhandlecounties of Moore,Randall, JuneIi (BE),another atAransas June z4 (fide andSwisher (KS). Willets wandered widely ME), andtwo in JeffDavis July z (SW).A in w. Texas,with one at Ft. BlissJune z 9 Corn.Goldeneye in CalhounJune i8 (PH) (BZ),eight at L. BalmorheaJuly z (MR,JG anda Red-breastedMerganser in Freestone etal.), one at Amarillo, Randall July 4 (KS), June9 (ph.,JT, SKi) providedrare Texas andIi at Ft. BlissJuly II (nz) especially summerrecords. Two Com. Mergansers notable.An UplandSandpiper seen June rz showedup on L. Tanglewoodin the Panhan- onthe prairies s.of Henrietta,Clay was near dlein earlyJuly and remained through the thesite at whicha pairpresumably nested period(TLJ). The MaskedDuck "madness" lastyear (CH). A verylate Whimbrel was on (GDL)continued this season. At least4 pairs MustangI., JuneII (CC);another at Hager- of MaskedDucks remained until late June at White-earedHummingbird iu the Davis manJuly 25 provided only the znd recent the SanPatricio site, where recordnumbers Mountains,Texas, on June 25,1993. At leasttwo individualswere visRing this feeder. Texas had refugerecord (KH, LLe). Long-billed hadbeen present last winter and spring (TBI, oulythree previouswell-documented records. Curlewsare fairly common birds in summer JAn). At leastone nestwas under construc- Photograph/KellyB. Bryan. in Dallam,but there are few nesdng records; tion thereJune zz-z4, but wehave not been Seyffertfound a pair with a young bird there advisedof the outcome. At leastone breed- summerin n.-c. Texasin Kaufman,where JunerI. A MarbledGodwit July 4 atAmar- ing-plumagedc3 MaskedDuck wason a thespecies isscarce (BSc). Other unexpected illo (KS)and another at Ft. BlissJuly 7-I1 WalkerlakeJune IO (ph., RM), providing a Crested Caracara records included one in (BZ)were unexpected sightings. Typically first record for that area. Farther s. we UtopiaJune 9 (E&SWie) andanother near scarcein n. Texas,a RedKnot in breeding receivedreports of as manyas five ad. MasonJuly z3 (BFa).The Aplomado Falcon plumagehung around Hagerman July r8-29 MaskedDucks and seven young in s.Jim hackingprogram at LagunaAtascosa (KH, m.ob.)and an amazing 8 birds were at VkllsJuly8-z9 OqdeAO). releasedanother 28 birds there during the S.S.W.T.P.,July 27 (BG, PB). White- season.An earlyPeregrine Falcon was at Sali- rumpedSandpipers are rareanywhere in RAPTORS nenoJuly ro (TB), while anotherwas at Texasin July.This year we had a singlebird BlackVultures generally do not stray as far w. S.S.W.TE, JulyI4-27 (BG,JHa). in AustinJuly I7-Aug. I6 (CS,GL, m.ob.); asthe rollingplains of n.-c.Texas, so one otherswere at McAllen July 25 OqdeTP) and seenJune 5 overFt. Richardson,Jack (DMc) PRAIRIE-CHICKENSTO SHOREBIRDS fivemore at Laguna Atascosa July z7 (TB).A wasnewsworthy. Ospreys are only known to Broodsurveys of Attwater's Prairie-Chickens rare record was provided by a callingShort- breed in far e. Texas,but we continue to conductedat Attwaterrefuge in July billed Dowitcher in far n.e. Texasin Harrison receiveisolated summer sightings. This year detecteda disappointingx7 adultsand 3 July17 (D&LB, GLu eta/.). A Corn.Snipe in we had 5 reportsof singlebirds scattered young.Hoskins speculates that heavy June CarsonJuly 25 (KS) furnishedjust the znd from Dallas to the Rio Grande. There were rainsmay have affected the nesting success of Julyrecord for thatarea. sightingsof singleAm. Swallow-tailedKites thesebirds. Two calling Black Rails were in July4 & I5 in Newton(Bull) but stillno con- CalhounJune z6 (PH) andanother July 4 GULLS TO SKIMMER firmationof nestingthere. Kinney was star- (ME). Two more Black Rails were in In themidst of the heat and drought of July, tledby an imm. Bald Eagle over L. Tawakoni MatagordaJunez9(BO). A surprisingrecord a fewad. and juv. Laughing Gulls wandered July r4. This is probablya first summer wasof fivecalling King/Clapper Rails at a upinto c. and n. Texas.Of moresignificance recordfor that areaof Texas.A Sharp- freshwatermarsh at L. BalmorheaJuly z weretwo ad. LaughingGulls at Imperial shinnedHawk in G.M.N.E,July 3 (KN)was (KB, MR, GL eta/.). One of the birdswas Res.,Pecos, July 5 (rstco. record)(BJP) and a noteworthy.A first-summerPalo Pinto photographed,but we are still not certain of iuv.at Ft. Hancock,HudspethJuly 29for the recordwas provided by a Cooper'sHawk thespecies. Some races of Clapper Rail from zndco. record (BZ, DT). A CaspianTern nearPossum Kingdom L., JulyIO (KN). At theinterior of Mexico appear visibly brighter photographedin Austin July z 5 (CS)pro- leastone Cooper's Hawk nest fledged young thantheir saltwater relatives approaching the videda first-summerrecord there. Early at Falfurrias(AO), while another nestwas brightnessof Kings.Either species would southboundForster's Terns were noted July discoveredon thenew Balcones Canyon- representa significantrecord for the Trans- IO-I7 fromfar w. to c. Texas.Two Sooty landsN.W. tL in •avis(DKH).Gray Hawks Pecosregion. Following up on ourspring Ternswere found exhausted near Falfurrias, werereported at BigBend's Rio Grande Vil- reportof callingVirginia Rails in theDavis Brooks,one June zo andone June 2I in the lageand at SantaAna. We continuedto Mts.we can confirm that at leastIO calling wakeof tropicalstorm Arlene (fide AO). receivea few 3rd-hand reports, without doc- birdsremained there through the season (KB Both birds later died (*T.C.W.C.). This umentation, of a RoadsideHawk at Bentsen eta/.); severalwere tape-recorded July • summera portion of San Luis Passwas
1126. American Birds,Winter 1993 fencedoff by HoustonAudubon Society Therewere perhaps more encounters with youngbirds, but the numberper nesting with grant money providedby the N. Beardless-Tyrannuletsthanin a typical attemptis about one bird lower than tallied U.S.EW.S.The protectedarea hosted 300 summer:3 pairswere at Bentsen,z more forthe past z years.A familygroup of Black- pairsof BlackSkimmers, where only 5o-xoo birds were at SantaAna, and at least6 more cappedswith 3 youngwas seen on the Win- pairshad nested historically. The skimmers were located on 3 Brooksranches (m.ob.). An dowTrail in BigBend July 30 (BZ, DT). The fledgedover Ioo chicks this year compared to out-of-seasonOlive-sided Flycatcher was at Yellow-greenVireo in 3avis remained atotal of only 3 chicks in I99z(fide GDL). CorpusChristi June zI (GS).The W. Wood- throughthe period. A VirginiasWarbler in Peweeis a notoriouslylate migrant;one themountains of BigBend June z4 (GDL) DOVESTO HUMMINGBIRDS singingin LipscombJune 6 (KS),however, wasunexpected; it breeds in smallnumbers A remarkablenumber of White-winged wasunexpected so far east.A WillowFly- in boththe Davis and the GuadalupeMts. Dove sightingsin the Dallas/Ft.Worth catcherwas seen and heard singing along but is not known to breed in the Chisos. metroplexsuggested that the species may be MusquizCr., JeffDavis July z (SW);the nest- TropicalParulas were reported at Saritaand colonizingthat area offdeJWS, CP, m.ob.). ingstatus of thisspecies in Texasis poorly at SantaAna during the period (fide TP, JI). Huntgot its firstInca Doverecord June 9 known.Dusky Flycatchers were reported We receiveda well-describedreport of a nearQuinlan (RK, GH). A Corn.Ground- fromDog Canyon, G.M.N.P., June 8 (GT) singingCrescent-chested Warbler in Big Dove at Quitman, lY&odJuly z8 (MW) andJuly 4 (KN);this is the only location in Bend'sBoot Canyon June z ('•E&RWo),but securedone of the few recordsfor n.e. Texas. Texaswhere nesting is suspected. One and later observers were not able to locate the A Groove-billedAni sightedJune 6 at Big possiblyz VermilionFlycatcher nests in bird.All acceptedU.S. records of thisspecies Bend'sDugout Wells (GT) isnot expected Midland representedthe first there since are from s.e.Arizona, but it is a bird we have thereduring summer. A paircourting in I97õ (DK, m.ob.). A significantnesting expectedhere. Documentation has been BexarJuneI6 signaled possible nesting again recordwas provided by GreatKiskadees at submitted to the T.B.R.C. Pine Warblers (WS),while three in 3avisJuly4 (BFr)pro- Ft. ClarkSprings, Kinney, where Lockwood nestedin apparentlygood numbers in s.e. videda significantrecord. Following on last discovereda pair with z fledglingsJune zo. A VanZandt, confirmingtheir summerresi- spring'sreport from G.M.N.E, a N. Saw- massivePurple Martin roost,containing at dencyin n.-c.Texas (RK, GH). Solidconfir- whet Owl was seen and heard at the same leastio,ooo birds,assembled at duskeach mationof nestingBlack-and-white Warblers locationJuly 3 ('•BS).An unusualurban eveningin anAustin hackberry grove July z3 stilleludes Tarrant, but a juvenileseen in the recordwas provided by Corn. Poorwills nest- throughearly August (GL, CS, m.ob.).A Ft. WorthNature Center July 5 comes tanta- ingatop a universitybuilding at Kingsville veryearly Tree Swallow was at Ft. BlissJuly 5 lizinglyclose (CH). TwoBlack-and-whites (fidePP). After 3 successiveyears of obscure (BZ). A GreenJay provided a firstGoliad in the mountainsof Big BendJuly 3I were reportsin Kerr,a GreenViolet-ear was finally recordJuly I8 (ME).There are few records of unexpected(BZ, DT), whilea Swainson's welldescribed in HuntJuly I8 (CCa). FishCrow in Walker,so it wasa surpriseto Warblerat Aransas June n (fideME)was also find onethere July zo (DP). The Carolina of interest;the sp. bred at Aransas for the Wrenat Amarilloreported in thespring sea- time in I988. Never has a Louisiana son remainedthrough the summer,and Waterthrush oversummered so far west in n.- anotherwas at PaloDuro CanyonJuly 7 c. Texasas one did thisyear near Weather- Clia•ly tl/e rarityevent ofih6slason i•th• (KS). The onlydocumented Clay-colored ford, Parker(Boll); anotherat Hagerman Tran•-Pecoswas•epresence •ftwo,anti I Robin recordfor the seasonwas a singing JulyI8 wasunexpected (RR). Kentucky War- possigi• Oree, 'Whl•ared H..ummi•gbirdg [ bird in McAllen July 17 (GDL); the bird blersmay have nested for thefirst time in at:aprivate regid•nce inJeffDavis.,June I reportedly remained through the season. A Huntwherethree singing males were noted newbreeding record for Klebergwasestab- all summer long (RK, GH, JN). A ;GL½m. ob0. One oflhe birdl was th0ugh•'t6 I lishedby Am. Robinsobserved with newly MacGillivray'sWarbler was in the Davis .be '•(jUV., •}0mptihg speculatlOn of15bs•ibl• fledged young at theend of the seasonin Mts., Junen (KB); it isnot knownto nestin el•al bleeding..:There•ere only'3 •/evio us. Kingsville(TH). AmericanRobins were Texas,but a few recentJune observations ,d6cum6nted}ecordSbfthisspeciesil•-Texas. more in evidence as breeders in Austin this haveBryan on the lookout.Yet another seasonthan in recentmemory (GL, CS). intriguingrecord of a bird not known to nest Anotherunexpected summer record was in Texaswas provided by twosinging Wil- providedby a singingGray Catbird in Amar- son'sWarblers at L. Tanglewood,Randall, A Blue-throatedHummingbird visiting illo, RandallJune I4-I8 (RS).Two unseason- fromlate June to July5 (TLJ).An apparent the samefeeders as the White-earedsJune ableBrown Thrashers were in s. Jim lY&lls Red-facedWarbler was seen at LostMaples, zs-Julyi (ph.,GDL, KB, GL) provideda JuneI (JBo),and a Long-billedThrasher was BanderaJune 5 ('•TH). Althoughwell out of firstDavis Mts. record. Up to I5 Magnificent n. of itsnormal range at SanMarcos July I range,our previous experience with this war- Hummingbirdswere alsoin evidenceat (DBe). blerin Texasindicates that it canturn up just thesesame feeders during June and July; the aboutanywhere in thew. halfof thestate. If speciesisknown to breedin theDavis Mts., VIREOS,WARBLERS acceptedthis record will be theIoth docu- but thiswas an unprecedentednumber at The first summerrecord of White-eyed mented for the state. Four Painted Redstarts one location.Single Calliope Humming- Vireo in Midlandwasprovided by a singing nearBig Bend's Boot Canyon June z4 were birdswere present in MidlandJuly z7-z 9 birdJuly I5-3I (D&JM); neithera matenor a theonly ones reported all season (GDL). (FW, m.ob.)where the sp. is rare,and in nestcould be found Offde FW). Newsites for Pampa,Gray July z4-z5 (F&JE,E&SWil) Bell'sVireo were discovered in Shackle•rd TANAGERSTO FINCHES where it is accidental. A Broad-tailed Hum- and Palo Pintoduring the season(KN). An unusualimm. d Pirangatanager (Hep- mingbirdwas seenJune I3 in El Paso's Lockwoodreports a mediocrebreeding sea- aticor Summer?)was in BastropJune 6-July Franklin Mts. (BZ), where breedingis sonfor Black-cappedVireos at Kickapoo 19(BFr, AD, m.ob.).Vocalizations connoted unknown. wherezz9 fledglings were produced from I38 Hepatic,but mostvisible field characters FLYCATCHERS TO THRASHERS knownterritories. This may seem like a lotof pointedto a SummerTanager. A Rose-
Volume47, Number 5 ' 1127 breastedGrosbeak at B•g BendJune 8-•5 unexpected1ocat,on. M•dland got an (TLJ),Tom Johnson, Greg Kelran, Donna (Bill etal.) and anotherin far n.e. Texasin unwanted2nd Bronzed Cowbird record June Kelly,Dean Keddy-Hector,Sammy King Smithduring late June(BG) wereout of 8-July •z (D&JM). Finally, a Lesser (SKi), RichardKinney, Ed Kutac, Greg place;the speciesis not knownto nestin Goldfinchat a Ft. Worth feederJune 4 (GK, Lasley,Lee Lemmons(LLe), Mark Lock- Texas.An extraordinaryreport ofa d' Blue MP,JWS, m.ob.) provided the first 7•rrant wood,Gail Diane Luckner(e. Texas:•37o8 Buntingalong the WindowTrail in Big recordin morethan 2o years. BohemianHall, Crosby,TX 77532-6320), BendJuly 29 was received. The birdwas well Guy Luneau(GLu), DebraMcKee (DMc), describedby an observerfamiliar with the Addendum: We received several belated Don & JoannMerritt, Ralph Moldenhauer, species(ET). If acceptedby the T.B.R.C., reportsfrom the spring season at BigBend. KayMueller, Kenneth Nanney, Julius Nuss- thiswould represent the first record for the Amongthe more significant was a Red-faced baum,Andy O'Neil, BrentOrtego, Nancy Trans-Pecos.Seyffert points out thatdespite WarblerApr. 30 (RSiet al.) andan Elegant Palmer,Paul Palmer (s. Texas:6•5 South what some field guidesshow, Painted TrogonApr. 29 (BJV).Documentation has Wanda,Kingsville, TX 78363),Jim Paton, Buntingsare common in someareas of thes. been submitted to the T.B.R.C. Mike Patterson,Dick Payne,Tom Pincelli, Panhandle,particularly in Palo Duro CharlesPotter, Barbara Jean Porthast, Ross Canyon.Dickcissels were in aboveaverage Cited observers (subregionaleditors in bold- Rasmussen,Martin Reid, Bob Scott (BSc), numbersin n.e. Texasthis summer(MW) faee):James Anderson (JAn), Duane Berry RosemaryScott, Willie Sekula,Chuck Sex- and commonin the e. Panhandle;a nestwith (DBe),Peter Billingham, Terry Blankenship ton, KenSeyffert (Panhandle: 2206 S. Lip- youngin MooreJune 28 (CSt)was a firstfor (TB1),John Boerjan (JBo), Duane & Luanne scomb,Amarillo, TX 79to9), J.W. Sifford thatcounty. Olive Sparrows, at theedges of Brotherton,Tim Brush,Kelly Bryan, Marge (JWS),Richard Sims (RSi), Clyde & Ruth theirrange, were in Utopia,UvaldeJune 9 Bryant,Winnie Burkett,Caroline Callery Ann Smith,John Sproul(JSp), Carolyn (SWie) and KarnesMay 3• (ME). Thirty (CCa),Charlie Clark, Arlie & Mel Cooksey, Stallwitz(CSt), ByronStone, Rose Marie singingOlive Sparrowsin GoliadJuly •8 Billy Davidson,April Day, Fred & Jan Stortz(RMS), Glenn Swartz,Drew Thate, (ME) wassurprisingly high for thatarea. A Elston,Mark Elwonger, Janie Flack, Bobbye JamesThomas, Elliot Tramer, Gary Tuggart, CanyonTowhee near Albany June •2 pro- Frazier(BFa), BrushFreeman (BFr), Bert A1 Valentine,Beverly J. VanDyke,Steve v,deda rareShackle•rdrecord (KN). O'Neil Frenz(BFz), Tony Gallucci(c. Texas:PO West,Ed Wetzel,Matt White,Egon & Sue suggestedthat decreases in Cassin's Sparrow Box 6, Camp Verde,TX 78oIo), Red & Wiedenfeld (E&SWie), Ed & Sandy nestsin the Falfurriasarea may havebeen LouiseGambill, John Gee, Brian Gibbons, Williams (E&SWil), FrancesWilliams, Eliz- dueto the heavyrains of June.By contrast, PhilGlass (PGI), Karl Hailer, Peggy Harding abeth& RonWolfe, Barry Zimmer (Trans- Seyffertreports that Cassin's Sparrows nested (PHa), GeorgeHarmon, Joe Harris (JHa), Pecos:6720 HeartstoneCt., El Paso,TX ,n abundance in the Panhandle this season. CarlHaynie (n.-c. Texas: 737 Meadowcrest, 79924).--GREG W. LASLEY,305 Logan- Therewere strong indications of nestingby Azle,TX 76020),Tom Hays, Petra Hockey, berryCt., Austin,TX 78745;and CHUCK Yellow-headedBlackbirds at L. Rita Blanca, BobHolland (Boll), BuddyHollis (Bull), SEXTON, IOI E. 54th St., Austin, TX HartleyJune•o (KS),while a singingmale at Bill Holmes (Bill), Mark Howell, P.D. 7875I. Plata,Presidio June •o (KB, TJ) wasat an Hulce, Joe Ideker, ThomasL. Johnson
from w. Montana, attributed to the cool, wet The specieswas prominent in s.e. Idaho, IDAHO-WRN weather.Two Evening Grosbeaks were deter- with 2 to 3 birdsseen at 5 locations(CHT) minedto havedied ofsalmonellosis (DS, fide The ReddishEgret reported from Am. Falls MONTANAREGION GH). Res.,June • (?AG)would be a firstfor Idaho ThomasH. Rogers if accepted,and an amazing distance from its andDan Svingen LOONS TO WATERFOWL normal range.A Black-crownedNight- A PacificLoon at Clark CanyonRes. s. of Heronappeared at ThompsonL., Kootenm Dillon, MT JultII (DS) will, if accepted, ID July28 (JN). A colonyof White-faced Thougha welcomechange from last year's providethe 3rd Montana record and the first Ibisescontaining •3 nestsprovided the first drought,the •993 summerwas generally for the summerperiod (DS). Red-necked documentationofnesting at Red Rock Lakes unfavorable both to birds and to birders. Grebeswere absentfrom Kootenai N.W.R., N.W.R., Lima, MT (KN). Recordlow temperatures and high precipita- BonnersFerry, ID; lastyear their nesting A SnowGoose in the Selway-Bitterroot t,on discouragedbird tripsand dampened attemptsproved unsuccessful there (JR). Wilderness,ID June• wasunusual for both bird reproduction.At Red Rock Lakes Grebesapparently did notmount an effort location and date (KS, SHS, JW, PW) NationalWildlife Refuge in Lima,Montana, to nestat L. Helena,MT, ascool, cloudy Three pairs of Greater Scaup,very rare manyTrumpeter Swans failed to breed,and weatherkept emergentvegetation from Regionallyin summer,were seen at George- ducknesting was delayed (KN). However, an reachingthe surface(GH). More thanI5o townL. w. of Anaconda,MT (WEH); a pair abundance of shallow wetlands around Am. White Pelicansreturned to a breeding wassighted near E. GlacierPark, MT June•5 Helena,Montana, produced the best North- colonyon Blackfoot Res., Caribou ID forthe (DC), anda malewas at Mud LakeW.M.A., ern Pintailcrop of the pastdecade. Hum- firsttime sincetheir eliminationcaused by Hamer,ID June•5 (CHT). An unseasonable mingbirdswere scarcethroughout the disturbancein I96I (CHT). Singleimm. sightingof a Red-breastedMerganser was Region.Nest box monitoring in theCoeur Double-crested Cormorants were seen on made at Ennis L., MadisonMT June 22 d'Alene,ID vicinity revealedthat many the SalmonR. upstreamfrom Riggins, ID (WEH). A LesserScaup and several Ruddy bluebirdand swallow nestlings failed to sur- JulyI andat Boise,ID July31 (DJ). The St. Duckssummered at St. Maries(DSv), and a v,ve the moderatetemperatures and low Maries,ID GreatEgret present since May N. Shoveler and a Bufflehead raised broods ,nsectsupply (GHa, SS).Vireo and warbler wasobserved sporadically (m.ob.). Another therefor thelatilong's first breeding records numberswere down in thevicinity of Troy, (or possiblythe same)bird visited Thomp- (DSv,SHS, CV). A d' HarlequinDuck was MT (KB) Deathsat feederswere reported sonLake WM A, KootenaiID July22 (JN) stillat Avery, ID Junezo (DSv)
112fl American B•rds,W•nter 1993 anad. Arctic Tern appeared July 27, followed White-breastedNuthatch on SawtellePeak, bytwo to threemore July 29 (?CHT). The Fremont (CHT). The harsh winter of specieshas been seen less than io timesin the i99z-i993 andthe wet, coolspring appar- state. entlydiscouraged the recentadvance of Bewick'sWren in n. Idaho. OWLS TO WRENS BarnOwls, formerly rare in theMoscow, ID THRUSHES TO FINCHES area,fledged 4 young from a nestbox (KD). SwainsonsThrushes dedined by more than A FlammulatedOwl respondedto a tape 50%from the long-term BBS average for nearNew Meadows, ID July3o (MRC, FK). Mivoden (n. of Coeurd'Alene, ID) (SHS). Black Swifts were noted at lower elevations Numbersappeared to benormal elsewhere. in theFlathead Valley of n.w.Montana, pre- A singingHermit Thrush near Wallace, ID A pairof Greater Scaup with one male Lesser sumablyto escapethe cold,wet weather July9 waspresumably nesting (SHS). A N. Scaupou Georgetown Lake, Montaua, June 28, (DC, DL, JM). White-throatedSwifts were Mockingbirdat Salmoncontinued to be 1993. Photograph/W.Edward Harper. seenwith BlackSwifts at Polson,MT Julyio seeninto mid-June(HBR). The specieswas RAPTORS TO GULLS (DL), anda pairof White-throateds was seen also observed at Bozeman, MT June z6 BaldEagles fledged z young in Julyat Koote- at GraniteCr. s.w.of Riggins,ID Junez3 (WEH, JBH) and near Apgar,MT July • nai N.W.R. (JR), 4 at Three Forks,MT (DK). Two c• Broad-tailedHummingbirds (•WEH, JBH). The Brown Thrasher (SMS, WEH), and z at Red Rock Lakes weresighted in theKilgore, ID vicinityJune sightedJune zz nearMelville, MT madea N.W.R. (KN). TwentyGolden Eagles were 25;a displayingmale was found about 35 mi latilongfirst. The Reedppoint,MT BBS countedalong a zs-mistretch of roadnear n.e.of thisarea, at QuakeL., MT the next foundaSprague's Pipit June zo. The location Albion,ID Julyzi (MRC, FK). Peregrine ay ison thefringe of thespecies' range and has Falconsreports induded nesting at z sitesa TheBlack-headed Woodpecker was noted beenfound on only 3 such surveys held there sighdngof onebird. A "red-billedcoot-like as"very uncommon" in theSt. Mates area overthe past •5 years (WEH). On thewar- bird"seen July zz atMud Lake W.M.A. may (DSv),and the species was found e. of Rig- bler scene,a singingTennessee was at St. havebeen Idaho's 3rd Com. Moorhen(TM). ginsduring July (MRC). A pairof White- MariesJuly 5; this was a latilongfirst. And a Spendinganother summer at Red Rock headedWoodpeckers was discoveredat c•Virginias Warbler was near Twin Falls, ID LakesN.W.R. wasa loneWhooping Crane DaggettCr. n.e.of Boise(AL, HL). Many July2I (MRC,FK). The story for the Yellow fromGrays L. foster-rearingproject (KN). A Ash-throatedFlycatchers worked the juniper Warblerwas one of apparentdecline in n. Black-bellied Plover arrived at Island Park habitatw. of BlackPine, ID June27 (CHT). Idaho;they were absent from some of the Res.,FremontlD July 17, for a ladlongfirst A Scissor-tailedFlycatcher showed up June usuallocales (DSv, SHS). Montana's7th (CHT). Noteworthywere two Solitary 25in w. Montana'sBitterroot Valley for the recordwas furnished by a singingChestnut- SandpipersatHubbard Res. s. of Meridian, state's7th record(ph. BG, JJ).Several lati- sidedWarbler near Libby, MT June22-July ID Julyz5 (MRC,FK). An UplandSand- longfirsts were garnered in Idaho:two 9 (DC, JM, DS, m.ob.).A N. Waterthrush piperwas again on territory near Round Val- BorealChickadees along the Selway wasfound singing June 28 at IslandPark Res. ley,not far from Cascade, ID, Junei8 (AL) Idaho(MRC), a PlainTitmouse at MoresCr. (MRC, FK); thatvicinity is a likdy nesting andJuly z7 (MRC, FK). A Long-billed n.e. of BoiseJune z3 (MRC, FK), and a area(CHT). The SummerTanager reported Curlewnear Elk City,ID Junez6 in IdahoFalls in May wasagain suggestedbreeding in a newlati- • seennear Market Lake W.M.A., long(KD). MarketLake W.M.A., ' KooienaNWR •f::: Glacier ':' in Roberts, ID, had two Stilt JuneGrosbeakIX(JSbrightenedetal.). Asinging a BBS c•route Blue SandpipersJuly zz (CHT). A near Daniels Res.,n.w. of Malad, Short-billedDowitcher was spot- ID June II (CHT). Rare in W. ted at Hells Gate S.P., Lewiston, Montana,Clay-colored Sparrows ID July17 (RG, MK), andseven bredat theNational Bison Range, appeareddose to Aberdeen,ID Moiese,MT, for the rangdsfirst July13 (CHT etal.). record(fide PLW). A very late A first-summerBonaparte's Harris'Sparrow was spotted near Gullat St.Mades July i8 provided Culdesac.ID Junen (HH), anda theareas first July record (•DSv). Corn. Grackle was present at SixCaspian Terns were on Coeur bving•on Somers,MT June 3I (DC). An d'Alene L., n. ID June 17 (ES, imm. c• PurpleFinch was seen at SHS),with singlebirds seen near ": Mores Cr. n.e. of BoiseJune 13 Ennis,MT Junez6 (EWH, SMS). (MRC, FK). ElevenCaspians were seennear Ennis,MT Junez6 (EWH, SMS), Observerscited (subregionaleditors and a pair was observednear in boldface):Carla Alvafez, Larry Somers,MT July5 (DC). Nesting Barnes,Dan Casey, Pat Cole, coloniesof this specieswere dis- DeerFlat ' /Grays•ke' MArk R. Collie, Kas Dumroese, covered at Mormon Res. and S . 0 . Russ Gebhart, Arnold Getstell, Blackfoot Res. in s.e. Idaho Bill Good, J. BruceHallert, Jr., (CHT). American Falls Res. Gertie Hanson (GH), W. Edward hostedup to n (non-breeding?) •--} Harper,Hank & Winnie Hep- Com.Terns June 8-July 2 (CHT); burn, Jeff Herbert, George
Volume 47, Number 5-1129 Holton, JonJackson, Don Johnson(DJo), HadleyB. Roberts,Susan M. Scott,Rose- Wright.--THOMAS H. ROGERS,10820 Dean Jones,Dwight Kilgore, Florence mary Shaber,John Shipley,Don Skaar, E. Maxwell,Spokane, WA 99206-4894;and Knoll, Merlene Koliner, Dan Lane, A1 & Esther Stewart, Don Stoecker, Keith & DAN SVINGEN, P.O. Box 273,St. Maries, HildaLarson, Mary Manning, John Martin, ShirleyH. Sturts,Dan Svingen(DSv), Ila ID 83861. Ruth McCombs, Tom Moeder, Kenneth Svingen,Charles H. Trost, CaroleVande Niethammer,John Nigh, Jimmie Reynolds, Voorde,Judy & Phil Waring,Philip L.
remainingi2 succumbedwhen rising water GREBESTO IBISES MOUNTAINWEST floodedthem (AM). At Eagle,CO, oneof TwoPied-billed Grebe families found during HughE. Kingery manywinds broke offa tree 2o ft up,proba- Atlaswork confirmed nesting for thefirst blyat an oldflicker hole. Midway down a time in the SanJuan Basin ofs.w. Colorado youngflicker's head stuck out of a hole;"he (RL, HEK). Eared Grebeshad ioo nestsat musthave had an exciting time" (JM). Waldenand 25 immaturesat L. Johnin NorthPark, CO, andfledglings in z isolated COLORADO ATLAS WORK pondsin the SanLuffs Valley, CO (RL, Utah recordedone new species(White- Manyreports that fill in or expandbreeding HEK). In n.w. Nevada, researchersfound rumpedSandpiper) and Colorado has a new rangescome from field work by Colorado 30-35 W. Grebe nests in the Stillwater breedingspecies (Golden-winged Warbler). atlasers.One striking group of recordsorigi- Ref.-Winnemuccaarea (LN). At Anaho Nestingwaders in Nevadabegan to recover natesfrom a 7o-mistretch between Hugo Ref.,NV, 3500Am. White Pelican nests pro- fromyears of drought. In Colorado,nesting and ColoradoSprings. In this stretchof ducedonly 13oo-i5ooyoung (LN). Col- successof Pipingand Snowy plovers and of plains,the Kuenningsand Pandesfound orado's3 pelicancolonies had a goodyear LeastTerns declined; Snowies had a poor MountainPlovers in 7 blocks,Long-billed and produced,at RiversideRes., Antero yearin Utahand Nevada, too. All partsof the Curlewsin 4, BurrowingOwls in 7, Chest- Res.,and N. Park,respectively, IOOO+, zoo+, Regionreported cool and wet weatherin nut-collaredLongspurs in 3,and McCown's and75 + young(RAR). At anew nesting site, earlyJune. Combined with a coolMay, the Longspursin 2. This adds,for the plovers YellowtailRes. near Lovell,WY, 3 nests snowmelt came late; snow-covered ground andcurlews, 4 IStLat breedingrecords in fledged6young. Anaho's colony of Double- andcold temperatures kept many mountain previouslyunknown breeding clusters and crestedCormorants produced i3oo young birdsfrom their nesting habitats until mid- extendsboth longspurs' breeding ranges 60 from 82o nests. Riverside and Antero each June.Vegetation and bird activityin some mi Sfrom their prior limits. producedioo-zoo youngcormoranrs, io areaslagged 3 weeksbehind normal. (The Abbreviations:L.L.B.L. (Longmont/Lyons/pairs nested at RubyL. N.W.R., NV, North restof the summerwas mostly warm and Berthoud/Lovdandarea, CO, using Foothills Park'sproduction increased, and Cody, WY, dry.)Despite late nesting starts (nest build- AudubonClub records);G.S.L. (GreatSalt hosteda newcolony. ingin Julyby juncos and flycatchers) most Lake);R.E. (RegionalEditor); ISt Lat (first In w. Nevadaproduction by bigwaders birdsseem to have enjoyed normal reproduc- latilongrecord [a latilongis outlined by one burgeoned.The LahontanVal. nest count, tion.A majorwindstorm blew through n.c. degreeeach oflatitude and longitude, and mea- includingCarson L. andStillwater N.W.R., Coloradoon July 3--94 m.p.h. at Fort suresabout 5o by 7o mi]); ph. (photographon had 30 GreatBlue Herons and 5 z Great,5 I Collins, where at Lone Tree Res. wind file withR.E.); * (writtendescription onfile Snowy,and z7 Cattleegrets (LN). Near knocked30 of zooyoung Great Blue Herons withR.E.); * (writtendescription onfile with, Winnemucca, Iron Pt. contained zo Great, out of their nests(DL). Of 36 EaredGrebe andsubject toapproval of, state or local records i8o Snowy, and z Cattleegret nests plus zz 5 nestsat Loveland,the wind destroyed z4; the committee). Black-crownedNight-Herons. In theDen- verarea C.D.O.W. reporteda nest
• .;'. ß Sheridan blues, and 325 Black-crowned ;-:,-:5'6; Uy Sundange Night-Herons.Four pairs of Great • Egretscounrof nested357cormorants, in Colorado--z9igreat RiversideRes., Boulder, and a new site, San Luis L. in the San Luffs Val. (RAR).Snowy Egrets had 6 1 nestsat Mason Val. Ref., NV, IO at • ßRock Spnngs ;,.•eyenne • • Bear R ver . FarmingtonBay, UT (PP, CK), Gre• NWR .•.::i•;•:'. =•---• and30 at SanLuffs L. FishSpgs. SaltLake •?•' Vernal•,'• '•';' N.W.R., UT, had i57-3zi birds Reno throughthe summer (JB). Farm- NEVADA Lahontan Lurid ß ingtonBay had 5 nestingpairs of - Valley CattleEgrets; 6 pairs nested at San Luis L., Green Herons nested in .-_ß Dyer Ft. Collins--the first in n. Col- oradoand only the 4th sitein the ß.. LasVegas =•.--.- ...... • - .. ..• state--andfledged 4 young (DL). Black-crownedNight-Herons nested for the first time in s.c. Utah, with 4 nestsat Moab (NB). A Yellow-crownedNight-Heron
1130-American Birds,Winter 1993 stood stock sull for a Bnush v•s•tor at Love- tures--LN) and G.S.L.--5o3b•rds July z8 Spgs.,June 9 ($SF). Ogdenhad •oo-zoo land,CO, June30 ('[EM). White-facedIbis butwith fewer juveniles than the last 3 years nestingpairs of Franklin'sGulls; at Farming- stageda comeback:z385 nesting pairs in w. (PP). At the Great PlainsReservoirs N of ton Baythe G.S.L.population swelled to Nevadaat Stillwater,Sleeper, Iron Pt., and Lamarx4 pairsfledged one young. Piping 645¸ Julyx6. By July z8,400 hadarrived at RyePatch Res., good production at RubyL., Ploversalso had a pooryear in Colorado:9 Wiggins,CO (JCR). BearR. Ref. had 3 zooyoung at FishSpgs., xoo nesting pairs at pairsfledged only 3 young;5 othershatched Bonaparte'sGulls on June z 3 (PP,CK). At 3 FarmingtonBay, xoo pairs and I5O young in but fellprey to stalkingGreat Blue Herons Coloradocolonies (Riverside, Walden, and theSan Luis Valley. Wanderers appeared in (whichalso enjoyed eggs from at leastz Antero)thriving California Gulls produced mid-Julyat WashoeL. nearReno, Casper, SnowyPlover nests) (DN). A PipingPlover 966, zoo, and zooo young(PAR). Curi- WY, andCortez, Grand Jct., Jefferson, and stoppedJuly xxat Casper,WY ously,they andwhite pelicansnest at the Ft. Morgan,CO. Near Vernal, researchersfor U.D.W.R. samesites. Colorado's 4th colony,near Las found at least 8 Mountain Plover broods, Animas,attracted only a fractionof last WATERFOWL TO HAWKS including3 nests--thefirst confirmed nest- year'snumbers and the returneeshad an The Black-belliedWhistling-Duck that ingin Utah [exceptfor a possiblenesting in unsuccessfulnesting season (DN). Anaho arrivedat LasVegas May x7,Nevada's 3rd, i978, the details of which are buried in Ref. had 5300 nests,and more than 3000 stayedall summer(J&MC). An apparently Bureauof Land ManagementFiles] (KD, throngedthe nest island at Casper.At Anaho healthySnow Goose visited Rawhide July NB; detailsto be publishedelsewhere). CaspianTerns had z5-3o nests May z3,but zx-z5 (PAR). The Nevadawildlife agency Heavypredation (revealed by radiotrans- noneon June z 9. At BearR. zo pairsnested roundedup CanadaGeese at VirginiaPark mitters)by unknownpredators hurt Mt. Julystrays showed up at Casper,Colorado •n Reno and sentsome out of state(EK); Ploversin PawneeGrassland (FK). In the City, and Julesburg,CO. Of 57 nesting consideringhow geese have multiplied all ShirleyBasin near Casper,WY, xo adults Forster'sTern pairs reported in theRegion, overthe countryand become urban pests, herded5 chicks(J&GL). The first report in onlysome at Sleeper,NV, fledgedyoung onewonders who would want transplants. severalyears from near Denver cameon FishSprings Ref. reported bird numbers, not Wood Ducks bred for the first time in z s.e. B.B.S., which counted5 on June6 (JTb), nests,but its94 Forster'son June 8 dropped Coloradolatilongs, at CarrizoCanyon (KN, andone was near Alamosa July z (BP).(Also to x8July zI, suggestingunsuccessful nesting ph.) andMcClave (HEK). In w. Colorado seeabove about the birds near Hugo.) there too. atlasersfound z Ring-neckedDuck nests, At FarmingtonBay, 30,000 Black-necked Predatorsand habitat problems doomed bothfirst Lat breedingrecords, near Craig Stiltsand •o,ooo Am. Avocets began to nest, s.e. Colorado Least Terns. At Blue L. near andPagosa Springs (RL, HEK). Twofirst- but inexplicablya Davis Co. agencyflooded RockyFord xo nestingpairs fledged x4 yearMA Red-breastedMergansers were near thearea and destroyed about one-half of the young,down from z3 pairslast year. High RangelyJune zz (CD). nests(PP). Downy Willet chicks ran around water raisedthe lake levelto the treeline: 4 Colorado's •oth American Swallow-tailed SodaL. at CasperJuly x• (J&VH). Atlasers C.D.O.W. researcherschopped down xS,OOO Kiteperched and flew among the Mississippi foundad. Willets in NorthPark away from treesin orderto providea nestingarea--in Kitesin theLamar City ParkJuly 5 (:I:WH). ArapahoRef. (theone known current Col- time for the terns,too latefor the Piping Observersnoted few N. Harriers(only one oradonest site), and at Lay,CO (RL). The Plovers.At theGreat Plains Res., 6 pairsof all summerat G.S.L.--PP), thoughin z G.S.L.shorebird survey found Whimbrels LeastTerns built II nests;all succumbedto Atlasblocks on theplains near Burlington throughoutJune--5 June •o andone June z, predators.In orderto penetrateexclosures Junez4 agitatedmales defended territories 8, & z3, in 3 differentsites (PP, CK): Casper builtto protectPiping Plover nests the cul- from a Great Horned Owl and a crow hadone July xx (J&VH). A Baca,CO, B.B.S. pritshad to besmall-bodied non-flying am- (HEK). Out of seasonBroad-winged Hawks routecounted 37 ad. Long-billedCurlews mals, probablyweasels. A deephole at stoppedat AyersNatural Bridge, n.e. WY, (zI lastyear) and zo wereat Two Buttesin anothernest fingerprinted a skunk (DN) June4 (J&VH) and Pueblo,CO July z4 BacaJune 17. Atlasers located one June 30 at Black Terns also had bleak results--z nests in (CW etal.). Along a mileof roadnear Hugo, Maybellin n.w.Colorado (RL). Curlewsat Nevada,75 birds in theBear R. colony,and CO, 36 Swainson'sHawks aggregated on G.S.L.had relatively poor success--i8 birds somesuccess in theSan Luis Val. ByJuly xS, Julyxo within a mile,apparently waiting for producedonly z broods(PP, CK). Marbled 5¸ hadappeared at thesewer pond at Walsh, a farmer'splow to stir up grasshoppersGodwits occurredthroughout June at CO--far fromany known nest sites. (W&RK). Swainson'ssometimes flock G.S.L.--from onesJune 3 and4 to 6I god- beforemigrating; a kettle of 98occurred near witson Junez 5 (PP,CK). A tardyRed Knot DOVES TO WOODPECKERS CheyenneWells, CO, Junez3, •99z (HEK). provideda June8 recordat Layton,UT (PP, A White-wingedDove, described orally, vis- CK), andone to twostopped at CasperJuly itedPueblo June z6 (VT,fide DS). Colorado RAILS,SHOREBIRDS xx-x8(-[J&GL). A 3o-secondobservation on atlasersand othersfound 3 Barn Owl nests Observers heard the Arkansas Val. Black Rail Juneone of twoWhite-rumped Sandpipers and6 otherlikely nesting sites; one nest had throughoutJune (NE, DN, KS).An extraor- (-[PP)will addthat species to thestate list if 3 adults attending it (PAR). Atlasers dinarythree Com. Moorhens boosted Col- the StateRecords Committee approves. At reportedFlammulated Owls from xz sites oradoto I6 records:Boulder May zo ('[SF), StillwaterRef., NV, x5ooLong-billed Dow- W. Screech-Owlsnested at Cody,WY, and PuebloJune zx (-[RD, '[DS), and Monte itchershad arrived by July I6 (LN). Massive perhapsat Lyons,CO (the"perhaps" refers VistaN.W.R., July 5 (-[KN). Sandhill Cranes flocksof Wilson'sPhalaropes on G.S.L. to the identity,not the nesting;logically, expandedtheir nesting range; a pairSW of assembledearly: xzS,OOO at Ogden July x and Lyonslies within the rangeof the Eastern GrandJct. fledged z young(CD), asdid a x75,oooat Layton July 7--by mid-Julydown Screech-Owl. The owls sounded like West- pairnear Richfield, UT (forthe znd year-- to z5ooand xx,ooo (PP, CK). erns (MG, -[DWK, BPr). At RockyMt AS). Two at SheldonN.W.R. in n.w. Nevada Arsenalnear Denver, 43 pairs of Burrowing Junez 3 might have nested (LN). JAEGERS TO TERNS Owlsproduced I56 young;in the Denver SnowyPlovers had poor nesting success in Utah's6th Long-tailedJaeger displayed its areaC.D.O.W. reported I6 otherpairs with w Nevada(84 adultsproduced z7 imma- longtaft feathers to severalobservers at F•sh 38young Two U S F &W b•olog•stsreport-
Volume 47, Number 5' 1131 FLYCATCHERS TO WRENS ravenfeasted on babyflickers (J&VH). A Observersand BBS data suggest a decline of SedgeWren sang on territoryJune i5-z 7 at Olive-sidedFlycatchers. Anecdotal data Wellington,CO; byresponding to playbacks fromAB contributorsprobably sheds little of a taperecording of itsown voice, he posed light on their actualstatus; however Ever- for photographs.He disappearedwhen the green,CO, observershave complained for irrigatedhayfield he had inhabited dried up severalyears about their disappearance(?DL, SM). This is the 4th similarsummer (WWB). On the other hand, z Colorado recordin Colorado--no breedingcon- atlasersrecorded 35 observationsbetween firmed. them. GNATCATCHERS TO CHAT We continueto puzzleover gnatcatchers with blackundertails. Two observedJune 24-27 at RedRocks Park near Denver, and U•S.E&W.may designat• the s,w. Willow photographed,had black undertailsand Flycatchera threatenedspecies, That sub• black caps (:•BJR);unfortunately, other spadeswas though• tooccu? Only in cdi- observersfound only Blue-grays in thesame oradoin theSan Juan Basi n. Recenilyexam: placeon the samedates. A Gray Catbird ined Specimensin Denver Museumof summeredat Torrey,UT (AS);Jackson, WY, ThisSedge Wren be#avedas if it wereon NaturalHistory, from Rifli on the CblOrado had five June 13 (BR). Three Bendire's territorynear Wellington, Colorado, in lateJune •. (fideCA), expand the rang e (•ho•g h nor Thrashersheld territoriesat Del Norte, CO, 1993. Coloradobas had similar summer records, but no confirmationof actualbreeding. necessarilyihebreedihg ran•)• thestwo- Junet9 (?HEK). The declinein Bell'sVireos Photograph/DavidLeatherman. thirdsofw. C61•rado• •hd •Plids dlstribd• mayhave reached Colorado: Two observers, tiOfiins, Utah as •LII• Oui C•htributors who saw one each in July,agreed on their edly observeda SpottedOwl in an old- .foundWillOws •mOstly s•fi•ii•g m•&s) scarcity (DL, CW). A Red-eyedVireo was at growthred fir forestW of CarsonCity, and •ilhin thii territor 'af Torr6 UT, and5 LoganJune ii (KF). Coloradorecorded its collectedpellets at a roostsite; if docu- 'Pago•Spgs:,i C0•, they M•o:.repor•e•! ihe• first nestingGolden-winged Warblers: a mented,this would provide Nevada's znd from 6 other sites in ,n.w.eColorado• The male(no femaleobserved) fed a fledgling record(fide LN). Westof Pueblo5-6 pairsof speciesprefers willow carrs at mid•elevatibns July I7--I 9 at RoxboroughPark near Denver SpottedOwls nested (DR). A Long-eared (?CW, ?SS,JBH ph.). Orange-crowned Owl with z fledglingsprovided s.e. Utah's Warblers (adults carrying food and 2ndnesting record (NB). Loganobservers, fledglings)S of RockSpgs., WY, provideda for the first time, sawno Short-earedOwls-- first Lat breedingrecord (RS). Two Black- a "precipitouscrash"(KA). The only At McClave,CO, a pairof E. Phoebesfed throated Gray Warblers strayedN to Regionalreports came of 2 broodsfledged at youngunder a bridgefor a firstLat nesting Tensleep,WY, June4 (J&GL). One or 2 Carson L., NV, and of one to two that sum- record,June 8 (HEK). The Ash-throated singingGraces Warblers near Wetmore, CO meredat FishSpgs., N.W.R. Nest boxes on Flycatcherfound July 3o at Jackson, WY, had June19 (DR, first Lat) augment the sporadic Grand MesaNational Forest,CO, attracted wanderedN or E to a newLatilong (?BR). breedingrecords from Rye, 5o mi S. Perhaps, an incredible•6 pairsof BorealOwls this At Corn Cr. nearLas Vegas pair of Brown- likeChestnut-sided Warblers along the Col- summer(U.S.ES.). To protectthe birds crestedFlycatchers behaved territorially all oradoFront Range, scattered pairs of Grace's fromdisturbance by listers the location was summer, but observers saw no nest or breed in this area. An Am. Redstart visited not released.Black Swifts strayed 25-50 mi fledglings(J&MC). Dexterfound possibly Kremmling,CO, June19 (?NBa).A male from their nest sites to Denver's Chatfield nestingCassin's Kingbirds in in Atlasblocks ProthonotaryWarbler sang, preened, fed, StatePark and the SanJuan R. upstream nearMeeker and Maybell,in z n.w. Col- andrested in densefoliage in a Colo.Spgs. from Navajo Res. in earlyJune, and to oradolatilongs without confirmed breeding. yardJune t-8 (?JR).Convincing details, Puebloand ColoradoCity in July.While A 9 Scissor-tailedFlycatcher built a nestat largelybased on song,describe Wyoming's Chimney Swiftsoccur in most Colorado GlenwoodSpgs., CO--325 mi n.w. of the zndMourning Warbler at TensleepJune 4 plainstowns, observers have had trouble nearestbreeding site, in Baca--andstayed ($J&GL). confirmingbreeding. This summerRigli on territoryall summer.Not surprisingly founda smallcolony nesting in tall chim- that far from its normal haunts, she had no TANAGERS TO ORIOLES neysin Ft. Morgan.Reno reported anAnna's mate(VZ, CD). Largenumbers of Clark's Two ad. and a fledglingHepatic Tanager HummingbirdJune 20 (EK).A maleBroad- Nutcrackerscruised the pinyon pine wood- confirmedbreeding at Cedarwood,Pueblo tailedHummingbird heard June i6 at Peetz lands--fromAntonito and Pagosa Spgs., N (DJ, ist Lat). Eightanswers to a newspaper hadtraveled I25 mi E of thefoothills (DAL). to Nathropand Canon City (AV).Nutcrack- noticefrom the Colorado Atlas asking about Rufousarrived a weeklate, the first reports ersthrong these woodlands all year, but so far nestingN. Cardinalsconfirmed breeding by fromLogan July 3 (KA)and Mogote, Cone- noone has confirmed actual nesting there. cardinalsin Wrayand Beecher I., CO. Nine jos,CO, July7 (AV).A recentarticle in AB A family of ChihuahuanRavens in the Dickcisselssang at the Fondis,CO, Atlas assertedthat Red-naped Sapsuckers prefer to CarracasAtlas block near Navajo Res. con- blockJuly IZ (VD), andt5 wereat RedLion nestclose to willowcarrs. Merchant reports firmedbreeding for thefirst time in w. Col- S.W.A.,CO, July23 (BPr).At Bonanza3-6 that of 6 nestshe found this summer,one orado(HEK). The stilt and avocetcolonies MA Lark Buntingslarked and sangJune wasI/4 mi. and onei/z mi. from the nearest at G.S.L. attracted numerous Corn. II-I4; a femalefed fledglings July 22, for a willows,and that both had scrub oak nearby. Ravens--apeak of 6t on June29•which rareUtah breedingrecord (NB). A pair of Sincetheir nests are fairly easy to find,more preyedon the eggsof thevulnerable shore- Fox Sparrows,carrying food, confirmed Mt. Westobservers could test this theory. birds(PP, CK). In YellowstoneJune z9, a nestingSof RockSpgs., WY, June iz (RS,ist
1132-American Birds, Winter 1993 Lat).After researching Bobohnks for many speoes,they have been found nesting there years,Martin started to createhabitat for SOIlraWESTREGION for at least6 years(fide EM). Individual themat Wellington.This year, success: 2-3 MagnificentFrigatebirds were reported for •airs nestedin their specialfield. Since theperiod with one over Green Valley July 3 Bobolinkshave strong site fidelity, he expects Arizona (G. White),and another over Tucson July 24 themto returnnext year. Hooded Orioles (MB). continuedtheir n. Nevadaforays, with 2 all DavidStejskal and A LeastBittern was reported from Roper summerat Fernley(]'DT) anda maleJuly 23 GaryH. Rosenberg L. S.P. near Saffordthrough June (K. at Reno(•EK). Williams).This species isalmost unknown in thestate e. of PicachoRes. Very surprising Abbreviations:G.EP. (Gila Farms Pond); UndocumentedRarities: This report omits the was an ad. Tricolored Heron at Keams L.C.R.V.(Lower Colorado R. Valley);M.EL. followingrarities because the observers did CanyonJune 9 (CL);this represents only notprovide details of the observations: Blue- (ManyFarms L.); P.R.D. (PaintedRock aboutthe 3rd record for n. Arizonaand the Dam);S.P.R. (San Pedro R.); S.T.P.(Sewage footed Boobyand Little Blue Heron in firstfor Navajo. TreatmentPlant). Placenames in italicsare Nevada, Mt. Plover in Utah, and Blue- counties. throatedHummingbird and Band-tailed GEESE TO RAILS Pigeonin Wyoming. A CanadaGoose, rarely reported in thestate LOONSTO STORKS duringthe summermonths, was seen on Mid-summer Com. Loon recordsin Arizona Corrigenda:Boldface and italics disappeared BlackMesa June I4 (CL). Four • Corn. arefew, so an alternate-plumaged birdJuly II MergansersonBlack Mesa June 9 werepossi- from the Mt. West Winter report (AB s. of Willow Beach, L.C.R.V. (T. Baum- 47:28T).Boldface should have highlighted blylate migrants (CL). garten)is worthy of mention. As many as 35 No fewerthan I3 White-tailedKites were the followingrecords: Trumpeter Swans, W. Grebes were seen at Mormon L. from BaikalTeal, Dunlins, LesserBlack-backed reportedfrom scattered localities in s.c.Ari- earlyJune through the end of theperiod Gulls,Long-billed Thrasher, Ovenbird, and zonathroughout the period (m.ob.), but the (EM, VG). Duringthis time, several pairs onlyreport of successful nesting came from Rufous-CrownedSparrow. Also, the swan wereobserved performing courtship dis- poacherspaid a fineof $65oo. near Buckeyein mid-June(J. Bartley). plays,and one bird was seen attending anest VagrantMississippi Kites were reported June9. Waterlevels on the lake dropped in Compilers(boldface, contributors in italics,and fromPatagonia June z-Iz (DJo),and from July,and the birds were forced to moveto citedobservers: C. Aid, Keith Archibald(•8 theBig Sandy R. nearWikieup May 5 and another area on the lake where no subse- observers),Lu Bainbridge,Jay Banta, Norm June4 (J.Bridges, R. Glinski).A pairofad. quentbreeding or courtshipactivity was N. Harrierswas found in mesquite/grassland Barrett(NBa), NelsonBoschen (4), W.W. observed.Western Grebesare not known to Brockner(27), CO Div.of Wildlife, J. & M. habitat on the n. side of the Santa Rita Mts., nestin Arizonaaway from the L.C.R.V., June26, with the female seen there again July Cressman,K. Day, V. Dayhoff,Denver Field P.R.D. (I98o, 199I, and I992 only), and Ornithologists,Coen Dexter, R. Dickson, B. 17(DTr). Mostrecent June records for Ari- M.EL. (probablyannually since I988). A sin- Dillon, N. Erthal,S. Fennell,K. Flannery, zonahave involved single birds. During the gleW. Grebewas seen at WillcoxJuly 3-4 M. Griest, Dave Hallock (28), May past20 years,there have been few nesting (m.ob.);there are few mid-summer records Hanesworth(2I), J.B. Hayes, Steve Hedges, recordsof Com. Black-Hawkin Arizonas. of ofthis bird from s.e. Arizona. A singleClark's Mark Janos,D. Johnson,B. Kaempfer, theGila R. awayfrom the Aravaipa Canyon Grebe,possibly one of twopresent there in Ursula Kepler,Merlin Killkpack,D.W. area,so z activenests on thelower S.P.R. near May,was at WillcoxJuly I4 (MS).Eared King,C. Kneedy,E Knopf,W. & R. Kuen- Winklemanwere interesting (TC). An addi- Grebesnested successfully foronly the 2nd tionalad. bird nearHwy. 9¸ on the upper rang,Edward Kurtz, Jim & GloriaLawrence year this summer at Willcox, where at least (I6), DavidLeatherman (I4), R. Lentz,Rich S.ER.,June 30 may have just been a wander- Io adultswith 4 youngwere seen July I4 Levad,Bill Lisowsky,Jeff Mackay, E. Mar- ing,non-breeding individual (JWh). Gray (MS).Additionally, a flock of Iz ad.Eared shall,S. Martin, Linda McMenamy,Ann Hawkswere reported to be doing well on the Grebeswas seen at L. Pleasantin lateJuly Means(26), Jack Merchant (4), VinceMow- upperS.ER., with as many as 27 pairs and I8 (MJ);most summer records from the Ari- bray(8), Kenneth Nanney, Larry Neel (3), D. nestslocated (JWh). This specieswas zonalowlands are of single, subadult birds. thoughtto alsobe on theincrease on the Nelson,D. & S. Pantle,Peter Paton, B. Per- Immature Brown Pelicanswere found in c•val,B. Prather(BPr), Bert Raynes(2o), lowerS.P.R. between Cascabel and Winkle- GreenValley July 4 (L.Speros), atTubac July man,where a numberof nestingpairs were J C. Rigli,J. Romero,B. J. Rose,D. Roth, Iz (MB), andin ScottsdaleJuly Iz-z 7 (JIB); Robert Rothe (I7), R.A. Ryder, Alan foundthis year (fide TC). A wanderingad anotherwas found dead at the top of Mt. Schmierer, K. Schofield (KS), Kathy GrayHawk was seen at the Hassayampa Pre- Siemenski, Dave Silverman (I5), ELLA WrightsonJuly 19 (L. Nistas). Extraordinary serve near Wickenburg July I8 (S.Miller, P wasthe discovery of an imm.Blue-footed SORENSEN (Utah Editor, 3868 Marsha Friederici),representing the 4th recordfor Booby that landed on Hwy 89 near Maricopa. Dr.,West Valley UT 8412o),S. Stachowiak Cameron,Coconino, July 27 (fideTC).The Rick Steenberg,Joe Tenbrink,Janeal An ad.Purple Gallinule was an exciting birdwas caught but attempts made to reha- discoverynear the mouth ofTonto Cr. near Thompson,D. Trousdale,U.S. ForestSer- bilitateit failed(*N. Ariz. Univ.).This pro- vice, D. Wheeler,Christopher Wood, V. RooseveltL., July20 (H. Messinget aL) videdArizona with only its 2nd record since Zerbi.--HUGH KINGERY, 869 Milwau- This bird, which remainedin the area into i977,and the first for n. Arizonaaway from kee St., Denver CO 8o2o6. August,represents only aboutthe Izth the L.C.R.V. Double-crested Cormorants record for Arizona. wereagain fbund nesting at ScholzL. near Williams(9 nests)June I3 (EM). It waserro- SHOREBIRDSTO CUCKOOS neouslyreported in thespring I992 report It wassomewhat surprising to find Long- thatScholz L. wasa newnesting area for this billedCurlews nesting w of EagarJune 2I
Volume 47, Number 5 ß1133 (•DJo). Two ad. birds with three half-grownchicks were seen feed- ingadjacent to a roadon that date whilethe observer was censusing a breedingbird atlas block. This rep- resentsthe first breeding evidence of thisspecies in Arizona.Two ad. Ruddy Turnstones, very rare migrantsin thestate, were found at G.EE, July3I (CBa).Very surpris- ing, andnearly unprecedented in the state,was the discoveryof a very early alternate-plumaged Dunlin at KayentaS.T.P., July I9-2• (CL). Fall Dunlins do not normallyappear in the stateuntil the first week of October. Two ad. SemipalmatedSandpipers were reportedfor the period, with one at SierraVista S.T.P., July m (Din), and anotherthe sameday at SnyderHill S.T.E(DS); theserepresent the earliestfall recordsfor this speciesin the state.An ad. Stilt Sandpiperat KayentaS.T.P., July 26 Thdb!rding Ph•nomknor(during t•d summd•period in6rizona revolycd aroufid the pres• (CL), and 5 adultsat Willcox the nextday enceofwar% backed upb "ehin•R.p? Qn•he Gil•tk w. 6•il&;Bend]•eavy raingand mbse, (R. Tweit) are noteworthy.An ad. Short- qUen(•oding 0fthe Gilg •nd ]• Vi•u[arie•Outing •he'Winter rnp•ths. pr0daced atmcii•e billed Dowitcherwas found at SnyderHill habitatfo•• wide variety ofwaterbirds;This hugelake wept inexplicably unbirded •nfilJuly S.T.P.,July •8 (DS). Twopairs (including a Ip;whe• •. Kaplanand MS vi•ite• •f a;e.a,t0• • fewSg.0wy •!0ver sbree. ding Dear nestwith 4 eggs)of Com. Snipe,a veryrare s]W'c0rner of the lake (fi•lY ihe •.•ne•ting record fo• tfiis lb•ale); aba•ic•plU maged and local breederin the state,were found e. L0on;•everal Browfi Pelic•s, and a smittefingofsllbrebirds. July'4•fieffUp aft lhkredible of Alpinealong the SanFrancisco R., July• (fo/AdZOna)array of war&birds (GHR• DS, KK, GM)s/hi•ligh•ed b•A¾iZønh's..4th'bi 5th (TC). Singleearly Red-necked Phalaropes Bla&Skimm er(ph. GHR)• From that da•e-.b• p,R.D was 3isiied neg}ly. ever•pther dayby wereseen at NogalesS.T.P., July 8 (H. Win- bkderskpm Phoenix; Tu•dn, andCalifornia Themos• &ign:ifi•nt records fro• th•produq} kler) and at Willcox July I3 (J.Gotdieb). tivearea may b• •u•ize• as*f011ows::W-•[ebes,total'rag •. •5o birds;were •igoro•slY SingleInca Doves strayed to the Chiric- calhngand &splaying July'4 ankl later (m:0b,); two •& Clar14sGrebes •.ere s•gn July• 7 (DS); ahuas,with one nearParadise June 22, and •n. WhkePdicans were seen in,real ! grpup• •t vari0••ppts •n thelake,wi•a high•unt anotherin Portalduring early July (DJa). A 6fk5Jul•q (m.•b.); j•i g•dwnPel}&• were preSe• iato AugU•tl with• •ig!• coun•6œ•7 wandering Yellow-billed Cuckoo at P.R.D., offjuly •& (m. ob.); ca. •bo Doubl•crlsted c6rmovanii• po•ibly m0•were seen ihrohgh th& July•4 wassome distance from any known endof the pefi0Cl, with ka. 3•acfi.i,e nests found below the dam• tw 0 to'fouvMag•!ficent breeding area (KK). A hopelesslylost Frigatebirdswereseen sporadically J•lyz•-•4 (A. Tarby, Si Barn• eta•) 1la4- American Birds,Winter 1993 A BlackSwift was reported from Sedona Flycatcherin theSouthwest (E.. t. extimus)is alongthe lowerS.P.R., July 3o (ph., •*TC), Julyx6 (?A. Thornburg); this species has yet criticallyendangered due to habitatloss. Ten providingabout the xxth record for thestate. to bedocumented by photo or specimenfor singingGray Flycatchers e.of Young June zz The Yellow-throated Vireo found on the thestate. Two Chimney Swifts were reported suggestslocal breeding and would signifi- upperS.ER. in May wasseen there through fromTucson July xx in thesame general area cantlyextend the summerrange of that theperiod (m.ob.), and another was discov- reportedhistorically (PM). Anotheruniden- speciesto the southwestif actuallyfound eredalong Sonoita Cr., July 4-xo (DJo). tified Chaeturaspecies was seen near here nestingthere (TM). A pair of Cordilleran Two Black-and-white Warblers were July30 (SGo). A d' BeryllineHummingbird Flycatchersbuilding a nestn. of BigSprings reportedfor the period, with oneat theHas- wasbanded June 29 in CaveCr. Canyon, on theN. KaibabPlateau zo June amazingly sayampaPreserve June 28 (S. Miller, E Chiricahua Mts. and was last seen the next representsthe first evidence of breedingfor Friederici),and a maleat Cook'sL., July30 day(fide DJa). Violet-crowned Humming- that regionn. of the Grand Canyon(J. (DS, R. & R. Colwell). An imm. d' Am. birdsaway from the traditionalPatagonia Spence,TC). Twopairs of Buff-breastedFly- Redstart,another rare migrant, was found fee&rs includedone in RamseyCanyon catchers,suspected of nesting,were found in on the upperS.ER., June30 (JWh). More June6-July 4 (SW), onein MaderaCanyon FrenchJoe Canyon, Whetstone Mts., July z8 unusual was a •? Hooded Warbler found Junex4-July 29 (LD), threeto fiveat Portal (TM), representingwhat is probably a first near there,possibly the sameindividual fromlate June through the period (DJa), and recordfor that range. A Sulphur-belliedFly- foundthere in May, Julyxo (T. Godfrey, anotherat RamseyCanyon July 28 into catcherin BassCanyon, Muleshoe Preserve, DJo). Outclassingall of thesewarblers was August(SW). Otherthan the now-regular July z8 representsa new localityfor that the discoveryJuly 24 of a Rufous-capped White-earedHummingbirds at Ramsey speciesin Arizona(T. Godfrey,DJo), and Warblerin CaliforniaGulch, providing the Canyon,a singled' White-earedwas at statewith only the 5th recordof this rare MaderaCanyon, where quite rare, June 30 vagrantfrom Mexico (?RS etal.). throughthe endof the period(D. Fugate), The famouspair of Flame-coloredTan- anothermale was seen at ComfortSpring, agersin RamseyCanyon hatchedthree HuachucaMts., July x9 (GHR), and yet nestlingsin earlyJune, but the female, another was at a feeder in the Santa Catalina unfortunately,disappeared around June 8, Mts.in July(RS etal.). possiblyfalling prey to an unknownpreda- A singled' EaredTrogon was infrequently tor.The nestlings,now with onlyone parent reportedfrom RamseyCanyon thoughout to carefor them, vanishedfrom the nestsoon theperiod (fide SW). A pairof BeltedKing- thereafter,also likely victims of an unknown fisherswas seen at what surelymust have White-earedHummingbirds were fouud at predator.The lonemale was last reported in been an active nest burrow (the male was four Arizona s'•es this season. This oue was at the canyonJuly 29 (fideS•q). Suchare the seencarrying afish into the burrow) in aroad RamseyCauyou, the mostreliable spot in perilsof colonizers. cut well above the Little Colorado R. near recentyears, ou July 16, 1993. Photograph/ Matt Heindel. Greer,White Mts.,June 29 (TC), represent- GROSBEAKS TO ORIOLES inga newnesting locality in thestate for that anotherin Brown Canyon, Baboquivari The onlyRose-breasted Grosbeak reported species.Less surprising was the reportof a Mts. (date?) is one of onlya fewrecords for for the periodwas one near Sedona June z5 nestlingbeing caught by a catnear Cornville that range(TU). A pair of TropicalKing- (B. Pierce).Varied Buntings continue to on thesame day (D. Orsborn);most recent birdsfound nesting just s. of the Hwy 9o establish themselves at the n. end of the nestingrecords of BeltedKingfisher in Ari- bridge,upper S.ER., July z4 represents a first Chiricahuas; an imm. male and two female- zonacome from this area.Additionally, a localnesting (JWh). Farthern., multiple plumagedbirds were seen near Portal during female,present in the areasince May, was pairswere found nesting during the period theperiod (date?), and two more males and a lastreported in the CoonBluff area on the on the lower S.ER. between Cascabel and female were noted at Willow Tank s.e. of Salt tL, June20 (TGa). Along the upper Winkleman(TC), representinga significant PortalJuly •x-3x (DJa). A d' PaintedBunting S.P.R.between Charleston and Hereford,•5 increasethere. Thick-billed Kingbirds were wasfound on the upperS.P.R.s. of Hwy 90 GreenKingfishers were counted(date?), likewisefound in highernumbers along the July3-5 (B, Lyon,C. Cathers),a dullfemale- indicatinga ratherhealthy population along samestretch of river, with 4 or 5 pairs plumagedbird was seen in CaliforniaGulch thisstretch of river(T. Velasco, fide JWh). detected(TC et al.). An E. Kingbirdwas July z5 (TC, DTr), anotherdull bird was Additionalsingle birds were reported from photographedat San Bernardino Ranch e. of uncoveredat PatagoniaJuly 3o-Aug. x Kino Springsand SonoitaCr. duringthe DouglasJune z7 (ph.AM, D. Danforth).An (GHR, DS), andyet anotherbird, an ad. period(m.ob.). ad.Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was a surprising female,was discovered near St. David during findnear Kayenta June z4 (CL). the period (date?)(DK). A few Black- FLYCATCHERSTO SWALLOWS A late ad. Tree Swallow was headed n. near chinnedSparrows were heard singing in Pep- A pairof GreaterPewees building a nestin an Cascabel,lower S.P.R., June 6 (D. Felley). persauceCanyon on then. sideof theSanta oakin FrenchJoe Canyon, Whetstone Mts., BarnSwallow is a surprisingly rare breeder in CatalinaMts. in earlyJuly (fide SGo); this May 24 (TM) providedthe first nesting n.e. Arizona, so z active nestsfound at Teec speciesis not knowndefinitely to breedin recordfor that range.Censusing done by NosPos July 6 wereworthy of note(CL). thisrange. A coupleof lateWhite-crowned ArizonaGame & Fishpersonnel during the Sparrowswere reported in earlyJune, with periodreportedly identified ca. 70 Willow THRUSHES TO TANAGERS oneat Kino SpringsJune 7 (C. DeWaard), Flycatcherterritories in thestate, with most A verylate Swainson'sThrush (race?) was andanother on BlackMesa June 8 (CL). beingfound in thelower S.ER. region, and uncoveredon the upper S.P.R.,June •9 A d' Hooded Oriole wandered N. to in theWhite Mts. (fide TC); it isunclear how (JWh).The Brown Thrasher first reported in LymanL. n. of SpringervilleJuly 4 (MS).A many of these birds representsinging Portalduring the spring was last seen there completesurprise was the discovery of a male migrantsstill heading n. duringthe first half on thevery late date of July6 (DJa).Unex- and two •? Streak-backed Orioles with 2 of June.The breedingsubspecies of Willow pectedwas a singingWhite-eyed Vireo nestson the lower S.P.R.,June 6-7 (TC, Volume47, ]Number5.1135 GM). The male and one of the females JuneI3-I4 (DS);a possiblejuv. Clark's was at 1orJune I5 (JT, BW) may havebeen the pairedwith it successfullyhatched and prob- StorrieL., JuneII (JH). Late were 52Am. productof past introductions. ablyfledged an undeterminednumber of White Pelicansnear Tajique June 9 (HS); youngin lateJuly to earlyAugust Details of otherswere in Col•xJunei-July (v.o.).A PLOVERS TO TERNS thisfirst nesting record for this species n. of juv. Brown Pelicanliterally crashed and A Black-bellied Plover was late at Holloman Mexicowill be published elsewhere. burned,a victim of powerlines at San L., June6-7 (GE),wtlile four Semipalmat- Miguel, DonaAria July 25 (H. Bigelow). edswere early at ZuniJuly z 7 (DC). Snowy Contributors (are• compiler, in Italian): Double-crestedCormorants again nested at Ploverswere successful at Holloman L. (GE, CharlesBabbitt, Pat Beall, Chris D. Benesh, AbiquiuL., with at least6 nestsJune 2 (JH, CR, CS),with a highof 6z, includingnine Mike Bissontz,Jerry Bock (JBo),Robert EE) and July2 (CR, PRS);westerly was a youngplus 6 activenests June z4 (CS) Bradley,Jim Burns (JIB), John Coons, Troy Double-crestedat L. RobertsJuly I3 (EL). Numbersremained low in the Laguna Corman, Bix Demaree, Louie Dombroski, Least Bitterns at sites rarely reported Grandearea, where only I4 weresighted June ShawneenFinnegan, Steve Ganley (SGa), includedtwo to threeat Tucumcari L. in July 5 (SW).The only Mt. Ploversreported from Kimball L. Garrett,Tom Gatz, Virginia (CR, PI, JP)and one at AlbuquerqueJuly 7 thenortheast were two each near Farley June Gilmore (Sedona), Sharon Goldwasser (BVO.Black-crowned Night-Herons had a 4 (GF) andGrenville June II (KS), the latter (SGo) (Tucson),Alma Greene,Liz Hatcher, recordyear at StinkingL., with 24 nests downconsiderably from •97o levels;more JohnHiggins, Jack Holloway, Marty Jakle, foundand 42 youngbanded (DS). White- encouragingwere two foundJune 6 near Dave Jasper(DJa) (Portal), Dan Jones faced Ibiseswere likewise successfulat Stink- Datil, wherethey are rarely reported (LE), (DJo),Kenn Kaufman, Lynn Kaufman, Jeff ing L., with at least39 nestsfound June migrantswere at LosLunas by July 7 (JP,BP) Kingery,Dave Krueper,Chuck LaRue 28-JulyIo and38 young banded (DS); the 6 with64 thereJuly 17 (JP). Unusual for sum- (Kayenta),Paul Lehman, Tracy McCarthy, ibis nests located earlier at Zuni succumbed mer wasa Black-neckedStilt at Zuni June Paul McQuarry, Gale Monson, Arnold to predatorsby June22 (DC, SA). Wood z3-Julyz7 (ph. DC). Notablyearly was a Moorhouse,Elaine Morrall, RobertMorse, Ducksaway from usual areas included three Willet at Holloman L., Junez5 (CR, CS), DavePearson, Don Rosie,Will Russell,John at StubblefieldL. JuneII (CR), one at the otherswere at 6 localesJuly 4-z7 (v.o.), Spencer(Globe), Walter & SallySpofford, GrayRanch June 9 (SOW), anda pair at includingII nearTucumcari July 9 (CR,PI) Rich Stallcup,Mark Stevenson,Carl S. MesillaJune I3 (RM). A Gadwallbrood at an Rarer shorebirds included a Marbled Godwtt Tomoff (Prescott),Deb Treadway(DTr), e. plainswetland near San Jon June I7 (JH) at StorrieL., JulyII (BF) andfive Marbleds Thea Ulen, Cristie Van Cleve, Greer War- was noteworthy,as were singleRedhead plusa Pectoralat TucumcariL., July9 (CR, ren,Jack Whetstone (JWh) (SierraVista), broodsat 2 Zuni localesJune 30 andJuly 9 PI). SummeringCom. Snipes included sin- SheriWilliamson, Janet Witzeman (JWi) (DC). glesat SargentW.M.A., June4 (JH), Los (Phoenix).--DavidStejskal, 5755 E. River OjosJune 5 (JH, RD), and Valle Grande Rd., Apt. 7o3,Tucson, AZ 85715;Gary H. RAPTORSTO QUAILS June Io (DS), plus nine in the Angel Rosenberg,8Io• N. WheatfieldDr., Tuc- Enthusiasmover the recent discovery of two Fire-BlackL. areaJune z3 (CR). Wilson's son,AZ 85741. nestingOsprey pairs in n. NewMexico was Phalaropesagain bred in theWagon Mound dampenedby the disturbance-related failure area(JH, RD), whilea newbreeding site was of the Heron L. nest;however, the El Vado L. confirmedat Zuni June•4 (SA) when an nestsuccessfully fledged 4 youngin July adultflushed from a nestwith eggs; a return (DS). The sightingof an ad. Ospreyat L. tripJune zz foundup to zo adults(ph. DC) NewMexico Roberts(RF) hintedthat the speciesmay withdistraction displays observed. Two pos- Sartor O. Williams Ill alsobegin summering in the southwest. sibleLaughing Gulls, described asan adult White-tailed Kites remained in evidence in and a znd-year bird, were at Maxwell thesouth, with twonear Lordsburg June 19 N.WR., June•o (CB). Moderatenumbers of (SOW) and singlesat RodeoJuly •5 (J. CaliforniaGulls again summered at Heron Abbreviations:Bitter L. (BitterLake N. W.R.); Dunn) andat MesillaJuly 7 (RM). Missis- L. (v.o.),but nesting was not discovered; sin- BosqueRef. (Bosquedel Apache N.W.R.); sippiKites showed further evidence of recol- gleCalifornias were at EagleNest L., Junez3 Zuni (ZuniIndian Reservation). Guadalupe, onizingthe middle Rio Grande Valley, with (CR) and StorrieL., JuneII (JH). Unusual Skeleton,and Post Office canyons refer to oneat AlbuquerqueJuly 6 (DL) and eight were three Forester's Terns at L. Carlsbad thoseportions in Hidalgo,New Mexico. nearLos Lunas June 29 (DL, JB).New Mex- Junez (SW);the only additional June report Place names in italics are counties. ico'sz knownBald Eagle nests were success- wasof a singleat BitterL., June I8 (SW).The ful, theone in Col•xfiedging three by June smallpopulation of LeastTerns at BitterL LOONSTO DUCKS z5 (SOW) andthat in Sierrafiedging two numbered7 nestingpairs (SOW, G. Kna- TwoCom. Loons lingered into thesummer, (GE etal.). FourN. Harrierswere near Rat- die), the mostthere in almostz decades.The oneeach at HaydenL., JulyII (PRS,MM) tlesnakeSprings July 5, where a "local"juve- onlyJune report of BlackTerns was of •4 andEagle Nest L., June23 (CR). The •25o nilewas found shot the same date (SW, TH); non-breedersat BitterL., Junez3 (SOW). EaredGrebe nests at StinkingL., JulyIo thespecies is a scarcebreeder in New Mex- (DS) amounted to lessthan one-half the ico. An ad. Com. Black-Hawk on the w. PIGEONS TO SWIFTS •99o nesttotal there;Ioo nestswere at Horse slopeof the San Mateo Mts. in Water Band-tailedPigeons continued to bewidely L., June29 (DS) and I65 nestsat 3 Zuni sites CanyonJuly 3 (P.Stacey) may be a firstfor reportedin n., w., ands.-c. montane areas June19-July 3• (DC), whilesoutherly but thatrange. A sextetof Harris'Hawks near (v.o.);a vagrantwas at MesillaJuly 5 (GE) apparentlynon-breeding were nine Eareds GageJune 17 (SOW) suggested continuing Farn. ofthe usual range was a White-winged nearHatch July 4 (CS)and seven at Hollo- successin the Luna area. Swainson's Hawk Doveat Carson,Taos July 3 (J. Healy,fide man L., June 25 (CR, CS). Thirteen W. numbers in the southwest were described as PRS).Strengthening their colonization of Grebenests were active at HorseL., June28 down considerablyfrom I97o levels Albuquerque,White-wingeds were reported (DS), but onlyone nest was at StinkingL, (D&MZ) A Gambel'sQuail e ofMt Tay- thereat up to 7 locales(v o ), threewere at 11a6. AmericanB•rds, Winter 1993 ValenciaJune 5 (HS) and one at LosLunas Red-headedWoodpecker was in a new a singingCanyon Wren near Grenville June June28 (DL, JB); in the southeast,seven in locale,at GalloArroyo s.c. of CoronaJune x z xx(KS). Marsh Wrens, only recently found theGuadalupe Mrs. at QueenJune 26 (SW) (DM), whilesoutherly and unusual for sum- nestingat StinkingL., hada recordseason furnisheda local first. The only Com. merwere single Downies in theBosque Ref. there,with xx nests containing eggs or young Ground-Dovewas a singleat Hill, DonaAna areaJune 5 (JP,L. Gorbet) & 27 (N&SC). JuneI3-i 4 (DS),plus 3 morenests with eggs June8 (RM). Yellow-billedCuckoos where NorthernBeardless Tyrannulets were at 5 found July io (DS). Nine E. Bluebirds, theyare seldom reported included singles at GuadalupeCanyon sites June xo (SOW), describedas 3 familygroups each, with at Tucumcariand Apache Cr., at SanSimon wherethis and other species may be benefit- leastone juvenile, were in a Mesillapecan Cienega(v.o.); highs were xo along the Rio ing fromthe exclusionof livestockgrazing orchardJuly 24 (RM), providingthe first Grandebetween Rincon and Leasburg July 4 fromthe canyons riparian zone. solidevidence of localbreeding; singing (CS)and nine at RattlesnakeSprings June x3 Concern for the welfare of the Southwest- maleshad been present there since May. One (SW, TH). A Greater Roadrunner was at ernWillow Flycatcher prompted statewide to twoVeeries singing along the Rio Pueblo PericoCr., nearClayton June 24 (HS); the surveys.June xo-July zo, 3x pairs or singing e. ofVadito, TaosJune20 (SW) & 26 (JT) speciesis very localin n.e. New Mexico. maleswere recorded at x5locations. furnishedfurther evidence of probablelocal Concernwas expressed over possible Bur- breeding.Swainsods Thrushes in newareas rowing Owl dedines in the southwest werefound singing in FelipitoCanyon, Rio (D&MZ) and southeast(SW). A Whip- ArribaJunez4 (CB)and e. ofTalpa, •osJuly poor-willat WaterCanyon June 5 (CR)was 7 (C. Milensky);one to twowere near Red nearthe n. limitof theusual range. A proba- R., July29 (JH). Gray Catbirdssouth of bleBlack Swift was at SargentW.M.A., June knownsummering areas were one at Cotton- 4 (RD, fideJH); at JemezFalls, five Black woodCanyon, Zuni Mts.,July x4 (HS) and Swiftswere on nests July x6 (CR), but by July two at MescaleroJune z8 (RG). A Brown 25 only 4 nestswere left (CS). The only Thrasherwas at AlbuquerqueJune x4 (S. ChimneySwifts were one to threeat Tucum- Segal),where it is casualin summer. cariL., July9 (CR,PI) & 24 (JP).Easterly Bendire'sThrashers were noted frequently in were two White-throated Swifts near Mon- thewest, from Crownpoint (CS), Nageezi toya,Quay June x7 (JH). (CS), and Counselor(CS) south to Cerro Verde (GF), Datil (LE), and the San HUMMINGBIRDS TO FLYCATCHERS AugustinPlains (JP, BP) and at Rodeo(CS) Twonortherly c• White-caredHumming- andthe Animas Valley (JP, BP); out of range birdswere near L. Roberts,Grant July 9* was one singingnear Las CrucesJune 5 (v.o.,ph. D&MZ); evenfarther n. wasa pos- (RM). SeveralAm. Pipitswere a goodfind at sibleWhite-cared at HolyGhost C.G., near BrazosRidge, Rio ArribaJuly z3 OH, EE). Terrero,San MigudJuly 25 (T. & S. Shane). A DuskyFlycatcher was southerly near Phainopeplasnorth of their usualrange Blue-throatedHummingbirds were near Vicks Peak,San Mateo Mts., June27 (CS); includedone nearAlma June3o OH, EE), PostOffice Canyon and 2 PeloncilloMt. onenear Tijeras July 22 (CR) may have been two at La JoyaJuly x6 (CR, PI), and three sites(v.o.). Luciferswere restrictedto the Pel- an earlymigrant. A Cordilleransinging at nearSan Antonio June z7 (N&SC); zo were oncilloMts., with 4-6 pairsin PostOffice Mesillawas late, June 9 (RM). Si.ngleE. sightedJune 9-xo at SanAndres N.W.R. Canyon(RS) and a maleand 2 femalesin Phoebeswere at FolsomFalls June 5 (DC) (GF,MW); thespecies was still there in July SkeletonCanyon June x7-x8 (SOW). Anna's ande. of SabinosoJune xo (CR). Westerly E. Hummingbirdswere largely absent from the Kingbirdswere one at LosOjos June 5 OH, SilverCity areain Junebut were conspicu- RD) and"2 adults plus 2 juveniles"at Sandia VIREOS TO TANAGERS ous-and singing--in July(D&MZ); other PuebloJuly x2 (DL, JB). Thelarge "colony" of GrayVireos recently Anna'swere at PostOffice Canyon(RS), discoveredon thew. slopeof the Manzano SkeletonCanyon June x7-x8 (SOW) and CORVIDS TO PHAINOPEPLA Mts. at KirtlandA.E B.had a minimumof 25 July4 (JPet aL), andGuadalupe Canyon Awayfrom expected habitat were x6 Pinyon territoriesJune x7-July 7 (CB);a nestwith July3 (JPetal.). Two c• CostasHumming- Jaysat BosqueRef., June x (RT etaL). East- eggswas found July 6 (CB, HS). A Yellow- birds were seenJune 9-II in Guadalupe erlyCom. Ravens included two at Newkirk throated Vireo at Boone'sDraw was late, Canyon,where several had beenseen in June x7 OH) plus a nestwith youngon June3 (CB).Westerly Red-eyed Vireos were spring(SOW), but none was reported there- PericoCr., nearClayton June 25 (HS). A singlesat IsletaPueblo July 6 (DL, JB)and after.Easterly were a c• Black-chinnedatUte Black-cappedChickadee at SargentW.M.A. WaterCanyon June 4 (AS).On thewarbler Cr., nearLogan June 17 OH) anda c• Mag- nearChama June 4-5 OH) wasnoteworthy. front,an Orange-crowned at Hill, DonaAna nificentat HighRolls, OteroJuly 3 (L&JS); A PlainTitmouse was banded at Dripping June zo (RM) was late, a N. Parula was anearly Rufous was viewed at SantaFe June Springs,Organ Mts., July 8 (CS),where the singingat Tolby C.G.e. of EagleNest June 9 25 (SOW).A probableElegant Trogon was speciesis scarce.Three Verdins at La Luz (CB),a c•Magnolia was at Albuquerque July in the MimbresMrs., s.w.of EmoryPass June25 (CR) wereat the n. edgeof their 7 (DL, JB), an Am. Redstartwas at Ojo June2 3 (S.Brown); at leastone pair of Ele- range.Early for thes. lowlands were single Caliente,TaosJuly x (CR), a lateOvenbird cantswas in SkeletonCanyon June I7-Iõ Red-breastedNuthatches at PerchaJuly 2o wasat a migrant trap in RooseveltJune 3 (SOW). SingleBelted Kingfishers were at (DL, JB) andMesilla July 30 (RM). Cactus (CB), and one to two late Wilson'swere at RattlesnakeSprings June 8 (SW) andat the Wrenscontinued to pressN, with June SixMile Canyon,Magdalena Mts., June5 upperBlack R., July 5 (SW,TH); thespecies reportsat CerroVerde, Cibola(GF) and (CR)and Post Office Canyon June 6 (RS). israre in summerin Eddy.An activeLewis' Glenrio,Quay (JH); noteworthy were eight Seven Red-facedWarblers in Copper Woodpeckernest at Mule Cr., July2 OH, plusa neststructure on the n.e. flankof the Canyon,Magdalena Mts., June x 5 (HS) was EE) maybe the first for Grant.Westerly; a CapitanMts., e. Lincoln(BW). Easterlywas a goodnumber for that northerlylocale; Volume 47, Number 5-1137 numbersof Red-facedswere up generally •n Blackbirds•ncluded •o betweenMortarty the southwest(D&MZ), including22 near andEstancia June 23 (JH, EE) andthree at ALASKAREGION EmoryPass June lZ (PFB),and one was near SandiaPark June 25 (JH, EE). BronzedCow- CloudcroftJune z5 (CR, CS). Northerly was birds continued much in evidence in the a PaintedRedstart at SawmillSpring, Mag- southwest,with reports of oneto fivefrom at dalenaMrs., June11 (HS). Farnorth of the leastio locales(v.o.). Orchard Orioles made knownrange were four probable Olive War- a goodshowing in thenortheast, with one to biersat Mr. TaylorJuly 4 (GF).Continuing two in the Dry CimarronValley June 5 the springtrend was a northerlySummer (DC), NaraVisa June i8 (JH), andGlenrio Thanksto a majorsouthward drift of the Tanagerat BernalilloJune z5 (RD). June•7 (JH). Worthyof note,a Hooded Aleutian Low well into the N. Pacific,the Oriolewas at RopesSpring, San Andres entireRegion baked in recordwarm temper- BUNTINGS TO FINCHES N.W.R., June9-1o (GF,MW) andin July aturesand extensivehigh pressure.Pro- A •' LazuliBunting was observed feeding (MW), whilea northeasterlyScott's was seen longeddeviations above historical high tem- youngat ZuniJuly 9 (De), wherebreeding in HardingJune z (SOW). RedCrossbills peratures were reported at stations •srare; southerly reports of Lazulisincluded werewidespread and relativelynumerous Regionwide,including peripheral sites on s;nglesinging males at Glenwood July 6 (JP, aftermid-June, particularly in then. high- the North Slope,across most of Southeast, BP),Bosque Ref., July I7 (CRetal.),Percha lands(v.o.) but also in smallerranges from andon the BeringSea coast. Precipitation JulyI7 (RM), andMescalero June z8 (RG), Mr. Taylorand the Datils south to theSacra- waswell belowaverage through July and, aswell as a pair at Garfield July z3 (RM). San mentos(v.O.); fledgedjuveniles were at z coupledwith the heat, likely compromised AndresN.W.R. in July(MW) provideda localesin the SanJuan Mrs. (JH, EE, CR) localnesting conditions. Nesting success, newlocale for two Varied Buntings and con- andnear L. Roberts(CR). SummeringAm. whenit wassummarized, was very sporadic, unuedthe string of recentreports from s.-c. Goldfincheswere at SargentW.M.A., June 5 especiallyfor waterbirds. Young-of-the-year New Mexico.Single •' PaintedBuntings (JH), LosOjos July z (CR, PRS),Espanola non-alpinebreeding passerines and dabbling werea welcomesight near both Leasburg Julyn (MM), CoyoteCr. S.P.,June z3 (CR), ducksRegionwide were evident very early, June13 (RM) andEl PasoGap, Eddy June lZ andZuni June z3 & 30(DC); a stragglerwas thanksno doubtto theunseasonably warm (L. Foster,fide SW), the latterthe firstfor at BosqueRef., June 5 (CR et al.). Evening andearly spring. Although survey results had Eddyw.of the Guadalupe Mrs. Two Dickcis- Grosbeakswere relativelynumerous in a not beensummarized by the season's dead- line,preliminary indications were that it was selswere singing at MaxwellN.W.R., June 4 varietyof habitatsin then. highlands(v.o.), an above-averageyear for the traditional (ph. DC) & lO (CB); threenear Clovis June but outlyingreports came only from Mt. drought-displacedn. prairie species, espe- 4 (CB) furnisheda newlocale. Two Botteri's Taylor(JT, BW) and High Rolls,Sacra- ciallyin theeastern Interior. Seabird nesting Sparrowswere singing in theAnimas Valley mentoMts. (L&JS). successwas also sporadic, with localfailures July5 (JP,BP), marking the 3rd consecutive noted especiallyin the Gulf of Alaska yearfor the speciesat that site.Westerly Addendumaud Corrigendum: Received late was colonies.Southbound shorebird migration Cassin'sSparrows included three at Zuni newsof a Broad-billedHummingbird at Las wasearly, uneventful, and without notable JuneI9 (DC) and17 near Datil JuneI3 (LD; CrucesJuly lZ, 199z(ph. B. Thompson). concentrations,even at standardstaging localhighs included IO nearValencia June 4 TheLeast Tern at NutriaL. July8, I99Zwas areas.Nevertheless, summer i993 wasnot (HS), and59 northof LordsburgJune 19 in McKinley,not Cibola. withouthighlights, this year concentrated in (SOW).Three Chipping Sparrows were late Southeastand on the North Slope. at SanMarcial June io (RM), whileone was Citedobservers: Steven Albert, CharlesBlack, earlyat MesillaJuly z4 (RM). Brewer'sSpar- JamesBlack, Paul E Boucher,David Cleary, LOONS TO WATERFOWL Nancy& SteveCox, RobertDickerman, rowsin areasin whichthey are not known to A pairof Arctic Loons exhibited site tenacity breedincluded one at MelroseBombing LisaEllis, Ellen Espinoza, Gordon Ewing, around the same area of coastal tundra and Greg Farley,Ralph Fisher,Bernard Foy, Range,Roosevelt June z5-z 7 (GF) andfour s. nearshorewaters near Safety Lagoon out of ReneeGaleano-Popp, Tommy Hines, John of EncinoJune z4 (CR).Savannah Sparrows Nome well intoJune (ATTOUR, KK). This Hubbard,Pat Insley,David Leal,Eugene werereported from 9 localesin RioArriba, pairfrequently flew inland and back to the Lewis, Martin MacRoberts, David Col•x,and MoraJune 4-July 8 (v.o.),but no coastand was indicative of nestingor nest Mehlman, RaymondMeyer, Benjamine nestingwas documented; unusual were four prospectingbehavior. There are no breeding at ZuniJune zz (DC). SoutherlySong Spar- Parmeter,John Parmeter Christopher Rus- records of Arctic Loon s. of Nome. The sea- ray,Catherine Sandell, Gregory Schmitt, rowsincluded three singing along Bluewater son'sShort-tailed Albatross report came RobertScholes, Lorraine & JohnSchulte, Cr., Zuni Mrs.,June 18 (HS) andtwo at Zuni from the Kodiak I. area, where a brown- Hart Schwarz,Kenneth Seyffert, Patricia R. July9 (DC). Lincoln'sSparrows were rela- plumagedimmature was reported over the Snider,Dale Stahlecker,Alan Swain,James uvelynumerous in theSan Juan, Jemez, and ContinentalSheIre. of KodiakJune n (JBA) Travis,Ross Teuber, Mara Weisenberger, Sangrede Cristoranges (v.o.); one in the The Region'sznd American White Pelican Steve West, Bill Willard, S.O. Williams, Zuni Mrs.,July z (DC) wasunusual, while wandered into SE and offshore to Klawock Dale & Marian Zimmerman.--SARTOR threenear Cloudcroft June z 5 (CR, CS) con- on Princeof WalesI., Junez3-z 7 (DJ, KL O. WILLIAMS III, New MexicoDepart- unued recent summer records there. Seven ph.). Another(or the same)bird was seen ment of Game and Fish, P.O. Box Bobolinksat LosOjos July z, includinga independentlywell to the east near SantaFe, NM 87504. stub-tailedjuvenile being fed by an adult KetchikanJune zs-z6 (LS,fide SCH). The (CR, PRS),provided the first solid evidence only previousrecord was of a singlebird of nestingin New Mexico.Eastern Mead- fromPetersburg in summer 198i. Most unex- owlarkswere found N to Zuni (DC), Sevil- pectedwas a singlead. Trumpeter Swan near letaN.W.R. (RT etal.), StorrieL. (BF), and SafetyLagoon June 9-IO (VENT ph., SC nearNara Visa (JH) SoutherlyBrewer's ph ) The onlyother documented record of 11•. American Birds, Winter 1993 in the e. Interior nearly at the U.S.-Canada border at Border City LodgeJune 9 (TJD ph.). There is now documentation for about 3 Killdeer nestsfrom the Region.Following past circum- ,SewardPen. stantial nesting evidence,the KodiakArchipelago's first Spotted ß Fairbanks Sandpipernest was documented o•r/ALASKA June24 fromthe American R. near ChiniakBay (RAM ph.,WD). ..:•i•?•• ßnchorag•" .'{' What mayhave been the same ad. Franklin's Gull that had appearedin Anchoragein the springseason (q.v.), turned up at Homer June13 (DT, GCW ph.). Likely the samead. Black-tailed Gull from fall 1992 reappeared brieflyat theKetchikan waterfront July5 (?SCH).Itwas not relocated thistaiga breeder from the Seward Pen. is an RAILS TO ALCIDS amongthe gull masses. Unusual summering eggsetcollected in 19o260 km"northeast of FiveSoras were reported from the e. Interior, Ring-billedGulls were reported from the Cape Nome." The e. Interior Trumpeter mostlyalong the Alaska Hwy. e. to YargerL. Ketchikanarea with up to 4 first-and 2nd- Swan nestingpopulation continued its JuneI9-July I5 (TJD). Nonewas reported summerindividuals present June 14-26+ recentexpansion after several new territories from the Stikine R. area from mainland SE. (SCH). The firstpost-breeding wanderers werelocated in the UpperTanana V. this Over the past5 years,Sofas have been far appearedin the Regionat Ketchikan,on June(TJD). Low broodsuccess was noted, moreregular in thee. Interiorthan had his- time,with twothere July 26 (SCH). Peters- however, in the Tanana Basin and in the toricallybeen believed.American Coots burgsfirst Western Gull was an adult picked CopperR. Deltaarea (REF). madea strongshowing and bred in the e. outof thegull hordes at thecanneries along The North Slopesfirst summer and 3rd Interior, with a total of 32 adultsand zI the NarrowsJuly 25-26 (PJW ph.). Most ever Baikal Teal was found with other dab- young-of-the-yearseen July I5--I6 in the records of this casual visitant are from late biersw. of PrudhoeBay near Milne Pt., vicinityofTetlin (TJD). As evidenced in the summerinto earlyfall. ExtralimitalGlau- JuneI3(TM et al.). This gaudydrake dis- past,Am. Cootsremain to breedin the e. cous-wingedGulls wandered well inland to playedto 9 N. Pintails;it remainedfor at Interior lake systemswhen enoughbirds Fairbanksfor the first summer record, with least5 weeks and was last seen in earlystages appearto stimulatebreeding. Noteworthy twoadults there June 1o (DS, GHR, TGT), of molt. Dabblingduck productionwas extralimitalshorebird reports included the andup the CopperR. to Chitna,where a found to be the lowest ever recorded in the following:a singleMongolian Plover from znd-summerbird wasseen June 15 (TGT, UpperTanana V. thisseason (TJD). Unusual NomeJune 3o (= latestSeward Pen. record, RLS).A hybridGlaucous-winged x Herring summerreports of singledrake Eur. Wigeon +WS);Black-tailed Godwit at PrudhoeBay adult was also identified at the Fairbanks came from Solomon, e. of Nome June n June24 (= firstBeaufort Sea record, +RF); dumpJune io (DS,GHR, TGT). Rarein the (VENT) andKotzebue June •4-i 5 (ER, JR). MarbledGodwit at IzembekLagoon July 6 N. Gulf Coastarea especially in earlysum- Non-breedingitinerant Lesser Scaup were (= westernmostfor the Region, CPD, mer, and most unusual inshore, was a Red- morewidespread than usual, with extralirni- REG);a remarkableflyby flock of sixGreat leggedKittiwake in the intertidalzone of tal birdsat Barrow,a singlefemale June 26 Knotsat St. LawrenceI.'s NorthwestCape Kodiak'sWomens Bay June 22 (tRAM). It (VENT), anda flockof fiveat PrudhoeBay June7 (?KJZ);an ad. Sandedingwell inland, wasa quietyear for CaspianTerns, and few June27-July 7 (RF,NW, SW,KTIQ. Lesser whereit isvery rare, at L. Louises. of Glen- werenoted around the Copper R.-Cordova Scaupwere also more common than the nallenJuly I5 (TP); above-averagenumbers area,where this pioneer breeds. A singlead. normin Southcoastal,at least at Anchorage, of Rufous-neckedStints, in the Nome area, CaspianTern appeared far from the coast at whereeasily 2oo+ summered at thekey large withup to sevenper day June 14-17 (VENT, L. Louise,s. of GlennallenJune 15 (TP), pro- waterbodies(TGT, RLS), and in the Cor- KK), and two adults near Nome June 30 vidinga 3rdinland report for the Region. dovaarea, where they were reported as "the (WS ph.),and five at St. PaulI., Junei5-i 7 Excellent concentrations of Marbled most numerousever in summer" (REF). At (VENT); SpoonbillSandpiper at Barrow Murreletswere reported from s. SE this sea- least5 broods were evident on Anchorage's L. June27 (= firstBeaufort Sea and 4th state son, where there are few suchmid-summer Hood July 17 (RES), for the first docu- record,KJZ, ph. VENT); a singleReeve at data. More than ioo were counted offGrav- mented nest records in Southcoastal. An PrudhoeBay June i4-i 5 (m.ob.,fide RF); inaI. nearKetchikan June 26-July 17 (SCH), above-averagecount of 19 RuddyDucks, and an alternate- plumaged c• Red anotherloose group of ioo+ wastallied to consistingmostly of pairs,was tallied on the Phalaropeon freshwater at AnchorageJuly thesouth in NicholsPassage July 17 (SCH), expansivee. Interiorlake system July t5-16 11--12(= firstUpper Cook Inlet andone of and13o+ were in nearbyClover Pass in late (TJD), centeredaround Tetlin. A female veryfew inland Southcoastal records (DWS, June(RL). Northwestof thesein Thorne with 7 youngat the traditionalNorthway RLS). Killdeer wanderedto unusualsites, Bayon Princeof WalesI. wasa groupof nestingsite July 26-28 (LC, BC, TJD) withsingles found at PrudhoeBay, where it 2oo+July 24 (MAA). An unusualMarbled securedthe only certain breeding record for iscasual June io-n (KTK) andon the Denali Murrelet nest was found on a moss- covered the season. Hwy.in theAlaska Range Foothills June 15 cliffledge in theThorne Bay area of Princeof (DDG). Another Killdeer nestwas located WalesI., July23 (CF, fideMAA). Volume 47, Number 5-1139 Swallowsat St. PaulI. in the PribilofsJune knownnesting areas approximately zoo km 8-xoshowed very dark plumage characters, to the east in s.w. Yukon-n.w. British oftenattributed to PalearcticR. r. ijimae, Columbia for S. b. taverneri. Another whichis now considered invalid. A pioneer- White-throatedSparrow wandered W of the ingpair of BarnSwallows were building a speciesrange in the Yukoninto the e. Inte- nestand later seen feeding young on a shed riorat ScottieCr., June •6 (?TJD).This dry at PortageJune •6 (WINGS) until July3+ landpine forest nester is casual in springin (CM). This constitutesthe znd recentbreed- thee. Interior.As a follow-upto lastyear's e. ingrecord of thiscasual visitant to theCook Interior records, a Western Meadowlark Inlet basin. reachedTok June•5 (?RS).After at leasta The Hyderarea Am. Crow population decade hiatus, an imm. c• Yellow-headed AmericanWhite Pelicanat Klawock,Prince of WalesIsland, Alaska, on June25,1993. Second produceda verylow countof only z birds Blackbirdappeared in theRegion, this time state record. Photograph/KelliLoudon. Julyz- 3 (SCH).Whether this pioneer popu- at BarrowJuly x 3 (= zndlocal record, RSu). lation has declined or birds were off at nest Red Crossbillsexploded into mostof s. OWLS TO CORVIDS sitesand tending young was not clear. SE, includingat leastPrince of WalesI., Of thescattered few mid-summer N. Pygmy PrudhoeBays znd Red-throated Pipit was while White-wingedswere scattered and Owl reports,mostly from Mitkof I., most a singingmale in thesame area as last year's locallyuncommon mosdy in theInterior w. significantwas one farther off themainland femaleJune zo-z5 (KTK et al.). There are to at leastFairbanks. Perplexing and without on KupreanofI., June•8 (PJW). Single now about 3 BeaufortSea coast records in Barred Owls were located at each end of Alaska.New data from SE in thealpine area RevillagigedoI. at RooseveltLagoon June 3 aboveKetchikan outlined a clearerpicture of (RL) ands. of KetchikanJuly 7+ (HK, fide the breedingstatus of Am. Pipit.Twenty- SCH) and throughoutJuly n. of Juneau plusad. birdsand a numberof begging (DWS). Bothareas appear to supportresi- youngwere counted July xo along z mi of dentBarred Owls. The Regions 5th summer ridgelineabove 800 m (SCH).These repre- Yellow-belliedFlycatcher, a singingbird, sentthe firstrecent breeding records from appearedoff the SEmainland at Mitkof I., theAlexander Archipelago and demonstrate Junez3-z 5 (*PJW). For the firstsummer in an unexpectedhigh density. Cedar severalyears, Least Flycatcher went unre- Waxwingsare very rareaway from the SE portedin the Region.Western Kingbird, mainland,so two at SitkaJune •8-24 (MLW) anda singleat ThorneBay, Prince of Wales I., JulyxS-x9 (MAA) were noteworthy. Asa long-distancemigrant, Franklin's Gull has the potentialfor showingup welloutside its VIREOS TO PASSER normalrange. This adult was at Homer,Alaska, The ATTOUR group witneSSed anunprece- One of the twoJuneau area Solitary Vireos onJune 13, 1993. Photograph/GeorgeC. West. 'dentedpassage'ofArct!c Warblersalong the was still presentand singingnear the explanationis the onlyway to characterize ,SewardPen. coast on the Te!ler-Nome Road MendenhallGlacier June z6 (MWS). Most the appearanceof a c• HouseSparrow at June•, I, Oe 65km between Woolley surprising was an aggregationof at leastfive Gambell June x3-•4 (*BK, JWF et aL). Lagoon,and Nome• everystop revealed a singing TennesseeWarblers outside of Althoughthere is apparentlyan. Japan frenzy6f•'0-1} slhging bi}dl and dozens of Juneau in uncharacteristicevergreen woods record,it's a guesshow this individual 0the•Skulkingihrøugh th• willows. Proctor July 3-n (MCW). Two other Tennessees arrived at St. Lawrence I. There are now 2 estimatedthat total numbers had to indude werenoted for onlythe 2nd time in summer Alaska records. thousandk3of birds.No bther speciesnear Petersburg June •9 andJuly • (PJW). appearedtobe moving •i[h thewarblers as TennesseeWarbler is typicallya very rare theystreamed across the B•ring Strait. No summerbird, usually scattered in theripar- Contributorsand observers: J.B. Allen, M.A. previousone,day coum .comes close to this ian zonealong a few mainlandSE rivers. Archie,ATTOUR (P.J.Baidch, N.S. Proctor numberof•rctic Warbi. ersfor the Region. Walshfound the Petersburg areas znd-sum- et aL), K. Bagne,B. Cooper,L. Cooper,S. mer MagnoliaWarblers, two birdsJune 5 Cox,C. E Dau, W. Donaldson,T.J. Doyle, (PJW),while likely the same territorial Mag- J.L. Dunn,R.E. Fairall,J.W. Fitzpatrick, K. nolia was relocated in the Fish Cr. woods Fluetsch,R. Fraker,D.D. Gibson,R.E. Gill, recentlyannual in SE,appeared this year in nearHyder July z (SCH)for the 3rd succes- R.J.Gordon, S.C. Heinl, M. Irrinaga,M. the Juneauarea on Douglasl., June6- 7 siveyear. Noteworthy extralimital warbler Johnson,K. Kaufman, K.T. Karlson, H. (RJG,MWS). Farmore expected in Hyder recordsincluded a Blackpollat Barrow, Kenoyer,B. Kessel,K. Loudon,R. Lowell, thanin the N. Slope,where last year's first whereit iscasual on the N. Slope,June •6-•8 C. Maack, C. Marantz, T. Mabee, R.A. Mac- state record was furnished, was an Eastern (MJ, KB, KF) and a singingCorn. Yel- Intosh,J. Maisel,L. Maisel,ED. Martin, T. Phoebein "downtown"Hyder June z• (JM, lowthroat65 km s. ofTok Junez4 (?TJD). Menard,T. Pogson,E. Robb,J. Robb,G.H. LM). Thisflycatcher occurs regularly as close Followinglast summer's(q.v.) single- Rosenberg,R.L. Scher,R. Schulz,M.C. ase.-c. BC. Afterseveral years of fewor no observersight record, Brewer's Sparrow was Schwan,W. Scott,D. Sibley,D.W. Son- summer records,an E. Kingbird was substantiatedin Alaska near Gold Hill in the neborn,R. Suydam,L. Swanson,D.A. Tay- reportedfrom PetersburgJuly 5 (PJW). WrangellMts., s.e. of NabesnaJuly •7 lor,D. Trochlell,W.R. Uhl, V.E.N.T. (K.J. Notableextralimital swallow reports came (?TJD, DWS ph., PDM). The bird was Zimmer, D. Wolfe et at), EJ. Walsh,M.L. fromthe North Slope around Prudhoe Bay, observedfeeding a singleyoung in anopen Ward, N. Warnock, S. Webb, G.C. West, with oneBank Swallow June z (TM et al.), scrubwillow situation on a s.e.slope close to C.E Zeillemaker. T.G. TOBISH, JR., anda CliffSwallowJune 9 (MI). TwoBank •5oo m. This habitatresembles the closest zS•oForaker Dr., Anchorage, AK 995•7. 1140-American Birds,Winter 1993 visitor.Four BrantJune I8 (LJ, OG, ph.) BRmSHCOLUMBIA/ provideda firstrecord for Revelstokeand a veryrare interior record. A c•Eur. Wigeon at YUKONREGION IonaJune 14-I 7 providedthe znd summer Chris Siddle record for Van. (WCW, GA, RT, m.ob.). Very high numbersof HarlequinDucks appearedaround Sandspit Jan. 23 (645 birds) and Feb.6 (685).In both cases,storm force windsconcentrated the ducksin Shingle The seasonwas wet throughoutBritish Bay.They scattered when each storm abated Columbia. However,no reportsof the (MH). FerruginousHawks are very rare weather's effects on birdlife were received. stragglersto the province. This season's bird Thissummer saw the continued prolifera- wasa light-phaseadult atop Mr. Kobau, tionof"seadoos," little one-person ski-doo- Osoyoos,June 4 0'CC, •'DB). Brirish jet boatsthat can travel through marsh and Columbia'sfirst and znd Mongolian Plovers wetlandwith devastatingnoise and distur- werean ad.male at RoseSpit, QCI, Junezz bance.No onein authorityseems concerned 0'MH, •'PH) andan ad. male at Esquimalt at thispoint aboutpossible wildlife/water- Lagoon,Vic., July26-29 (RY,ST ph., TZ fowldisturbance, soonce again it's up to nat- ph., m.ob.).A pair of UplandSandpipers uralistsand birdersto documentcarefully mobbedan observer atRiske Cr. in earlyJuly and bring to official attentioncases of (AR),an eventsuggesting that breeding was FourBrant at Revdstoke,British Columbia, ou seadoo-wildlife conflict. in force.Twenty-three Marbled Godwits at June18,1993. Thespecies is veryrare b the Interiorof the province.Photograph/Orville Dedicatedinvestigators like Anna Roberts SandspitApr. 3o representedthe peakof Gordon. exploringthe Fraserand ChilcotinRiver migrationfor thisspecies, rare on thecoast CaspianTerns may havebeen the highest benchlands,Rev. Peter Hamel traveling (MH). A late Marbled and a Hudsonian countyet in BC, July25 at RobertsBank alongthe NassRiver, and Mark Phinney, Godwitwere at McQueenSlough, Dawson (MP-L). LairdLaw, and Sandra Kinsey working the Cr., JuneI2 (SK, LL, MP, G&LM). A Bar- tailed Godwit, casual6n the coast,at Sand- SouthPeace turned up many species north of ALCIDS TO NIGHTJARS theirknown ranges. In somecases vagrants spitMay x4 was well described (tMH, RT). More alcids summered off s. Van I. than areinvolved, but in manyothers, hitherto An ad.Thayer's Gull at Summit L, 80km w. usual.Common Murres were very abun- unsuspectedpopulations of speciesbetter of Ft.Nelson July z (CAph.) provided one of dant,with 3oonear Portland I., July8 (BW), known in southern British Columbia are veryfew records for n.e. BC, where it isa rare 35o flying past Beaver Pt., Saltspring I., July 9 transient.A Forster'sTern at McQueen's being discovered.British Columbia's andI5OO off Clover Pt., July zz (RS).Cassin's ornithologicalmap continues togain detail. Slough,Dawson Cr., June I2 (SK,LL, MP, Auklets,normally very rare or absentfrom s. G&LM) addsto therecords suggesting that Van I., appearedin very smallnumbers. Abbreviati..s:EG. (Prince George);Van. Forster's is a annual transient to BC's Peace Reportsof oneto threebirds from mid June (l&ncouver);Van. I. (l&ncouverL); Vic. (Vic- R. Threehundred seventeen ad. andxz juv. onwardcame from Clover Pt., OgdenPt., toria),Y.N.C. (Yukonnorth coast). Esquimalt,and Sooke (RWB). PELICANS TO TEI•IS YUKON'•:•i•)': .... NORTHWEST Rhinocerous Auklets also were more common than usual around The onlyBrown Pelican reported ::)•!t•ß TERRtO•i;%" TERRITORIES:.- s. Van. I. and Pt. Roberts. wasone at QuadraI. n. of Camp- bellRiver July 3I (B MacKinnon). The disjunctpopulation of A small colonyof Great Blue Band-tailedPigeons often seen Herons nested in Beacon Hill along the TransCanadaHwy. Park,Vic. Six adults and 5 juveniles betweenKamloops and Revelstoke were noted June I6 (RS). Great still exists. Small numbers were in Egret sightingscontinue as the Revelstokeall period(DP). speciesspreads into BC. Oneadult Flammulated Owls were discov- wasnear Summit L., 5o km n. of ered in areas e. and w. of their usual EG., June3 off and on to June3o ' range.Anna Roberts surveying the (SK, LL, MP, m.ob.). This was a ' benchlandsalong the Chilcotin and Fraser Rivers heard several newspecies to the P.G.checklist. Anotherwas at KamloopsJune 5 hootingbirds between May 24 and (SR). Two GreaterWhite-fronted Aug.I 3. One at 94o m in the Geeseat KamloopsJune 5 andone Empire Valley was considered Junex3 were very unusual (SR). Six exceptionallyhigh (AR, fide PR). EmperorGeese wintered at Sand- SingleFlammulated Owls heard at spit,QCI, Jan.z 9 toApril IO (one ColumbiaL. Eco.Res., May 3I and absentafter Mar. 24) (MH, ph. at WindermereCr., Junez (LH) BBo). This tieswith a Dec. I93O werethe 2nd and 3rdEast Koote- record(Estevan Pt.) for thelargest nayrecords. flock ever encountered in B.C. of Common Nighthawkswere thisvery rare migrant and winter reportedas rarer than usual from Volume 47, Number 5 ß1141 theN. Okanagan(CS) and Revelstoke (DP). about I982 (DF). Two Three-toed Wood- However,in theS. Okanagan, the Okanagan peckersat CroteauL., StrathconaPP, June 13 R. justbelow the OK FallsHwy. bridge con- (WGH)were good finds, as the species israre tinuesto drawlarge flocks at dusk,a phe- and local on Van. I. nomenonfirst noted in i990. Fivehundred Yellow-belliedFlycatchers returned to the nighthawksfed over the river'ssurface June EG. area,where a nestwith eggs was discov- i6 and ioo July 25 (DS). Sightingsalso eredJuly i3, incubationlasted until at least increasedfrom Van. with 27 submitted. July2I, andhatchlings were seen July 25 (JB Does this simplymean that the bird is ph.,m.ob.). ByAngust 2 thenest was empty. becomingso uncommon that it is turning Thismay be the first nest ever found w. of intoa speciesof note? theRockies. Other Yellow-bellied Flycatcher CommonPoorwill distribution is slowly observationsincluded one in P.G., June7 better understood as field work reveals new (LL); severalmales in the Donna Cr. area locationsw. and e. of the known range. Anna about80 km WNW of MackenzieJune I3, Robertsfound poorwills frequent along the i6, 26, &529 (MDP, KS, CB); and a male 50 benchlands of the Fraser and Chilcotin km NW of P.G.,June 17 (DW). A Pacific- Riversin theChilcotin. In theE. Kootenays, slopeFlycatcher at FortSt. John in earlyJune onecalled May 30at the ColumbiaL. Eco. wasone of veryfew North Peacerecords Res. n. of Canal Flats (MPo). A 2nd was (G&LM). An E. Phoebe 45 km W of Scissor-tailedFlycatcher at Richmond,British Columbia,on June16, 1993. Photograph/Sharon MackenzieMay I9 (MDP) wasw. of its Toochin. knownBC rangebut another at StewartJune 27(PH) onthe uppermost BC coastwas way June2-23 (CWM), and Pt. RobertsJune 5 out of range.Ash-throated Flycatchers are OL RO). increasingas transients to thes.w. coast. This The Rev.Peter Hamel investigatedthe seasons bird was a well described individual NassRiver of BC'supper coast and found July [6 at MartindaleFlats (?GA, ?BB, severalspecies in Junenw of theirknown BC m.ob.).A •?Scissor-tailed Flycatcher pho- range.These included single Solitary Vireos tographedon the Iona I. jettyJune i6 (ST at New AiyanshJune 28, at KitsaultRoad ph., ?WCW) providedone of veryfew BC June25 and at StewartJune 26 (PH). He also recordsfor this vagrant. foundRed-eyed Vireos, with three heard and The flightsong of a PurpleMartin was seenon the CanyonCity-Greenville Road heardover S. Surrey June 24 by a veryexperi- June 29 and one at Kitsault June 25. A encedobserver (?JAM). Fortunately, martin PhiladelphiaVireo at TeslaR. Campground nestboxes have already been erected at the Junez4 representsa new locale for thisrare Nicomekl R. mouth, within the former species(D&EJ). Other Philadelphiaswere range of this provinciallyendangered foundat BoundaryL., June28 (D&EJ), and species,and await expansion of theWashing- BeattonPP in earlyJune (G&LM). The ton population.Observations of Purple Yukon'sfirst Magnolia Warbler was a male Nestof Yellow-belliedFlycatcher east of Prince Martinsat higherelevations than usual (no feedingyoung at LiardR. n.w.of WatsonL., George,British Columbia, on July 20,1993. July 14 (CE, PS). Both Mourningand Photograph/JackBowling. otherdetails) in theVic. areamay be a sng- gestionof expanded breeding but field inves- MacGillivray'swarblers were found on the tigationis needed.Ten pairs of BankSwal- samebrushy cutblock 50 km s. of Dawson heardat StoddartCr., s.w.Kootenay N.E, lowswere nesting n. of the species'known Cr. duringthe latterhalf of June(SK, LL, June17 (LH). These2 recordssuggest a range range9 Juneat BabbageR., YT (MCo, DSe, MP). A Yellow-breastedChat, far north of its extensionalong the Rocky Mt. Trench. CE, PS). usualrange, was singing at AlkaliL., June 14--21(AR). SWIIrrS TO SWALLOWS THRUSHES TO SPARROWS Havinglost their only Van. breeding pond Asexpected during a stormysummer, Black TwoVeeries were recorded at StewartJune 26 to expansionof the InternationalAirport Swift sightingswere more commonthan (PH), a regularlocation for this species since Yellow-headed Blackbirds shifted to Iona I. usualexcept in Van.,where the highwas a it hasbeen reported here several times in the where4 pairsbred in a rehabilitatedmarsh puny6I at WhistlerValley June n (MG). pastfew years. More impressive was a totalof outsidethe sewage plant and one pair bred at EG.'shigh at the extremen of the species' 39 singingVeeries tallied between Canyon a sewagepond (LGL Associates).Two pairs rangewas I5-2o at PunchawL., 50km SSW City and Greenvilleon the roadbeside the of Brewer'sBlackbirds atNew Aiyansh in late July15 (JB, TF). Severalreports confirmed the lowerNass R., June29 (PH). SeveralGray- Junewere nw of their knownBC range regularoccurrence of CalliopeHumming- cheeked Thrushes were found at Donna Cr. (PH). Farnorth of itsknown breeding range birds in n.-c. BC: males at Donna Cr. 80 km 80 km WNW of MackenzieJune 4-July I4 wasa juv. Brown-headedCowbird attended WNW of MackenzieMay 22-23(MDP, KS); (MDP, RT, CB). Further field work is by 2 SavannaSparrows at KomakukBeach, a male 30 km fartherto s.e.,June 28 (CB, neededto establishthe s. boundaryof this YNC June27 (CE, PS). Of 72 Warbling MDP,KS): a pair at Manson Cr. store June 28 poorlyknown species' BC range.A pairof N. Vireonests found in the Okanagan,80% (V. & L. Dyck);a male30 km s. of Dawson Mockingbirdsnested at Princetonand were containedat leastone cowbird egg this sea- Cr., June 9 (SK, LL, MP); and a male at a seenfeeding 3 fledglingsJuly 3I (?JAM, son! Other Okanaganparasitism rates Mackenziefeeder July 3 (K&MB). A pairof m.ob.).This is said to bethe second nesting included35% for Willow Flycatchersand WilliamsonsSapsuckers nested at Lightning everfor BC. Othermockingbirds included ChippingSpartrows, and 30% for Veerys Lakes,Manning EP., for the firsttime since singlesat StewartJune 26 (PH), BlackRock, (DWa). Strayt3 Rose-breastedGrosbeaks 1142. AmericanBirds, Winter 1993 werefound at WestbankJune •o (?AC,DB), inland waters.The count of 6oz Fork-tailed VernonJune •9 (MC), RevelstokeJuly 3• OREGON/WASHINGTONStorm-Petrels off Westport,WA July •7 (DP), Liard Hot Springs PP June •5 (TW) wasoutstanding, asthey virtually dis- (G&LM), and BurnabyJuly 8-3• (?JD, REGION appearedlater in theyear. m.ob.).A d Black-headedGrosbeak near BillTweit andjh'm ]ohnson The unusualnumbers of Am. White Peli- GreenvilleJune 29 (PH)was well to then of canin w. Washingtonthis spring were fol- thespecies' usual range. A d IndigoBunting lowedby a totalof five at Nisqually N.W.R., anda probabled Indigox LazuliBunting Junex•eather wasabout normal--which is ThurstonJune z-6 (L. Vicencio);one spent were at the Premier Landfill, North Van., never•really pleasant--but July was the summerin Whatcom(TW). BrownPeli- June•3 (?JL, ?MP-L ) toJuly • (?JAM).The extremelywet and coldthroughout the canswere abundant on the s. Washington Indigobecame Van.'s 3rd ever. Three Lazuli Region.Several local records for precipita- coast(BT), an indicatorof ENSO condi- Buntings,very rare on Van. I., presentat Mt. tion or cold, or both, were set. Nobody tions.The ENSO apparently hindered cor- Douglassince late May, remained into June, seemsto know whetherthe extremeweather morantbreeding success: 68% of the Pelagic withthe last reported June •7. The • Dick- reflectedan unprecedentedsecond succes- Cormorant nestswere abandoned on the cisselpresent in UclueletMay z3-z4 was sivesummer of E1 Nifio/Southern Oscilla- LincolnOR coastby mid-July (RL) and the relocatedJune z- 7 at a Torinofeeder (RP). tion (ENSO) conditions;last summer numberof Brandt'sCormorants nesting at Redand White-winged crossbills were very ENSOappeared tohave been responsible for SeaLion Caves,Lincoln was much lower numerous in n. BC this summer. White- thedrought conditions. thanaverage (RL). A pairof Cattle Egret was wingedswere believed to beslightly more The summerof •993, so differentfrom foundnesting near Malheur (RV); they are common,with themain influx occurring in •992onshore, seemed identical to it onthe onlysporadic breeders inthe Region. An ad earlyJune around P.G. (JB). Many White- ocean.For many seabird species, especially Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at Walla wingedswere noted between Ft. St. John and cormorantsand murres,breeding success Walla,WA May 3o-June•3 (MD, m.ob, Ft. NelsonJuly • (CA). waseither poor or nonexistent; other species, ph.), totallyunexpected, secured a first such as Cassin'sand Rhinocerosauklets, Regionalrecord. Contributors:David Allinson (s. Van. I.), shiftedtheir feeding patterns to theinside SingleMute Swans found at Malheur Jerry& GladysAnderson (s. Van. I.), Gerry marinewaters, which seemed more produc- twiceduring the period (GI) maybe indica- Ansell,Cathy Antoniazzi, Robin W. Baird, tive. tiveof a rapidspread in theRegion. The sea- Ken& MaxineBalch, Barbara Begg (s. Van. There was some indication that south- son broughtseveral unusual waterfowl I ), ClaudioBianchini, Bob Botel (BBo), boundpassefine migration in the interior breedingrecords. Forest Grove, Washington JackBowling (Prince George and n. BC), beganearlier than usual, with a few warblers OR July •o had a brood of Blue-winged Teals DeniseBrownlie (c. Okanagan), Richard J. andvireos appearing up to twoweeks early. (GG), a rarebreeder in theWillamette Val- Cannings(Vancouver), Chris Charlesworth The shorebirdmigration was apparently ley.Rare breeders in WAwere Lesser Scaup, (c.Okanagan), Mary Collins, Marc Connor unremarkable. withbroods at EverettJuly •8 (SM) andat (MCo), AzizaCooper, Gary S. Davidson RoyalSlough, Grant July zz (AS)and z (Kootenays),Brent Diakow (s. Van. I.), Abbreviations:Fields (Fields, Harney, OR); broods of Buffleheads and one of Com John Dorsey(Van.), Victor & Lorriane Malheur (MalheurN.W.R., Harney,OR); Goldeneyes,atBig Meadow L., Pend Oreille Dyck,Cam Eckert, D. Fidler,Tom Fogg, O.S. (OceanShores, Grays Harbor WA); (ASet al.) Junez6. Twobroods of Buffle- DavidE Fraser(s. Van. I.), OrvilleGordon, Sauvie(Sauvie L, Columbia,OR); S.J.C.R. headson Upper Midway Res., Klamath OR MaxGotz, Helmut Grunberg (Yukon Terri- (s.jetty ofthe Columbia R., Clatsop, OR). June•7 (RH,HH) wereless than •o mi from tory),Larry Halverson, Peter Hamel, Willie the California border. G. Haras,Margo Hearne (Queen Charlotte LOONSTO DUCKS KITES TO PHALI•OPE$ Is.),John Ireland, Dale & EvelynJensen, Les A pairof Corn. Loons, avanishing breeder in Jones,Sandra Kinsey, Laird Law, LGL Asso- Washington,bred on LostL., OkanoganThe pair of White-tailed Kites at Brookings, ciates,John Luce, Jo Ann Mackenzie,B. (TW); breedingwas also noted here in •99•. CurryORthrough June •z (AB)and three m MacKinnan (BMac), Gerry 8: Lorette The z chickswith a pair of Red-necked theRogue Valley, OR inJuly (MM) werem Maisel,C.W. Morehen,Robin Owen, Rory Grebesseen July 25-26 provided a first Mal- expectedlocales. Two kites in Curtis,Lewts Paterson,Mary Peet-Leslie, Mark Phinney heurbreeding record (T. Love); the Klamath [une9 (BT) followedthe spring report of a (MPh),Marion Porter (MPo), Douglas Pow- regionis the only part of Oregon in which courtingpair there and may indicate a znd ell, Michael D. Price, Phil Ranson,Anna thisspecies breeds regularly. Medium num- breedinglocale in Washington.A pair of Roberts (Cariboo and Chilcotin), Syd bersofN. Fulmarswere found off Washing- Red-shoulderedHawks found 5 mi up the Roberts,Ron Satterfield,Dwayne Sempel ton this summer,with •o-3o per day off RogueR., June •z (CD)had ventured to a (DSe), Chris Siddle(N. Okanagan),Pam NeahBay in June (PA) and 68 off Westport new site inCurry.The Merlin seenat Sinclair,David Stirling, Ken Summers, Rick July•7 (TW). Numbersof summeringful- Sequim,Clallam WA July 6 (BT)and the Toochin, SharonToochin, David Ward marsvary annually, absent in •992yet quite PeregrineatTacoma, WA July z8 (J.Lyles) (DWa), WayneC. Weber,Don Wilson commonin •99•.A beachedBuller's Shear- wereboth probably summering non-breed- ers. Prairie Falconsare unusualeven in win- BruceWittington, Richard Yanks, Tim waterat Waldport, Lincoln OR June •o (RL) Zurowski.--CHRIS SIDDLE, RR 8, Site probablyrepresented theearliest record for terin thePuget lowlands, soone at Belling- •o, Comp.56, Vernon, BC VIT 8L6. the Region.Very low SootyShearwater ham, WA July z3 (?C. Blake) was a surprise numbers were probably reflective of ENSO SandhillCranes apparently bred at Dia- conditions;less than 2ooo were seenoff mondL. in thes. Oregon Cascades in June Westport,WA July •7 (TW). OneSooty at (R. Maerz),for a firstDouglas record. Two theeast end of theStrait of Juan de Fuca July cranesremained on Sauvie(DB) for the 3rd 6 (PL,SF) was another indication that some of thelast 5 summers;there were no summer seabirdssh•fted their d•stnbution to the recordsprior to then An Am Golden- Volume 47, Number 5' 1143 Ploverat O.S., July4 (RW) was zo (RL),two at YaquinaBay, Lincoln early,the only reportof either •,•Bellingh•m. } / L OR July2I (RL), andtwo at Boiler speciesthis summer.A Snowy Bay,Lincoln OR July 24 (GL). Up to Plover count of 2ox at Malheur 40 MarbledMurrelets were censused Junex5-x8 (RV) was heartening, off BrownsPt., PierceWA May but x82at Abert L., LakeOR (G. z6-June3, a surprisinglyhigh num- Keister)was not muchhigher berfor s.Puget Sound waters (TB). than the recordlow of x7o.Both • • • ßOlympia •- 2 / The Rhinoceros Auklets that for- Black-necked Stilts and Am. Wes• .• •- .Ellen• agedon PugetSound apparently hvocets were much lesscommon fared better than their alcid brethren in theColumbia Basin than any , "4'-3•S51•3Yakima• on the ocean,as burrow occupancy of the previous xo years Astor•.g::•:•4•::•::;,7 Richland.Walla •ila onProtection I., JOrsonwas report- (G&WH, RW, BT). Depart- edly higherthan averagethis year ment of Wildlife staff observed • •illa• .:The Dalles ' (UW). The final pieceof gloomy noUpland Sandpipers this sum- oceannews: Tufted Puffin breeding merin theironly known breed- successwas much lower than normal ing areain Washington.The countof 65Lesser Yellowlegs at RoyalSlough, Grant WA July22 OWLS TO MIMIDS (AS)was the only notable peak. ,-•...' ;v.• OREGON A BarredOwl heardcalling near An ad. Rufous-necked Stint at Coupeville,WA in lateJuly (CCh) is WhidbeyI., Julyx8 (tSM) pro- an Island first. Broad-tailed Hum- videda first(but a single-person) mingbirds,not found regularly any- report for Washington.The : •;•:•M•ørd:..•..5?•7 •. Klama• Falls •Mt. An{elo• Range where in Oregon,were near Brogan, detailswill be evaluatedby the MalheurJune2 (•BC) and at Mal- Records Committee. Fall records heur June 5-6 (fHH). Both states of ad. Stilt Sandpipersare very wereshowered with Least Flycatch- unusualin the Region,so one at S.J.C.R., ers.The highest number of summerrecords July2 (MP)•vas noteworthy, foreshadowing ever (x7) included two on Hart Mr., Lake a goodfall flightof thisspecies. Interior S.A. OR Junex-5 (AC), one at Malheur June3 records of the scarceShort-billed Dowitcher CommonMurres failed to breedsuccessfully (ShJ, RS), one at RidgefieldN.W.R., Clark included an ad. caurinusat Potholes Res., in eitherWashington or Oregon(UW, RL); WAJune xo-x5 (•sJ), four at ClydeHolliday GrantWAJuly 3 (DP),and singles at Wamic, ir has been at least3 summerssince these S.E, GrantOR Junex2 (SR), one on the ll•scoOR July17 (DL), OchocoL., Crook populationshave had a productivebreeding OwyheeR., MalheurOR June•3 (AC), two OR JulyI8 (L. Rems),and Summer L., Lake season.They deserted the colonies during nearCurlew, Ferry WA Junex3 (AS), one OR Julyio (SS). Juneand movedN early,as indicatedby nearWoodland, Cowlitz WA Junex3 (*SJ), countsof 2500at O.S.,June 5 (G&WH) and one at DishmanHills, SpokaneWA June GULLS TO ALCIDS xo,oooflying N pastS.J.C.R., June 2[ (MP). •5-x6 (tJA), oneat DavisL., PendOreilleWA TheS. PolarSkua off Westport, WA July 17 Mostof thepopulation apparently moved Junex 7 (fJA), a pair at SullivanL., Pend (TW) wasearly. Up to x4Franklins Gulls offthe ocean and into the in!an• Waters; Oreilk WA June ?-4(RW), and one at Ft. were at the Walla Walla R. Delta, Walla xoo+were viewed off Pt, Wilion;Jeffirson Lewis, Pierce WA June3o-July 3 (•CCh). WallaWAthroughJune5(EH, BT);they are WA byJnly6 (BT, PL, SF). This early move- Dusky Flycatchersnear Skykomish,Sno- not knownto breedin Washington,but mentinto inland waters set the stage for a homishWA July 7 (BBo) and several, summerrecords are increasing in frequency. largekill of murresby gillnetsfishing for thought to be nesting,in the Burnt The newlyestablished (x992) Caspian Tern salmonin PugetSound in August. Bridge/BearCamp area, CurryOR (CD) colonyat Everett,WA numbered•5oo adults weredistant from their only known west side andzoo young. Three pairs of Arctic Terns, breedingarea in the s. OregonCascades. alsonesting there, fledged 3 young(SM). Otherunusual flycatcher breeding records TheElegant Tern flight that we have begun Cassin'sAuklets, another apparent victim of forthe west side included W. Kingbirdnest- to assodate with ENSO summers was much ENSO, were common near their coloniesoff ing nearSpanaway, Pierce WA (S. Agnew) lessimpressive than the hundreds noted in NeahBay, WA in May,but had vanished by andat OakFlat, OR Julyzo (CD) forproba- x992.The firsttwo reported were at Brook- mid-June(PA). Only threewere found off blythe xst Curry breeding record, E. King- ings,Curry OR Julyxx (D. Pederson),fol- Westport,WA Julyx7 (TW). SomeCassin's birdsnesting near Ft. Lewis,PierceWA June lowedby x5 at O.S., July•3 (BS),and apparentlyshifted to the insidewaters, z4-July3x (c. Sheridan),and another pair wereat nearbyWestport July x5 (BT, TW), spawningthe largest number ever reported possiblynesting near the mouth of the Sandy andfour reached Puget Sound at Crockett in a seasonon Puget Sound: •o at Pt.Wilson, IL, MultnomahOR (B. Altman). L., Is/andJuly 25 (tSM). OneBlack Tern at ]effirsonJuly 6 (BT,PL, SF),singles on each The report of Bank Swallowsnesting BarnabySlough, Skagit June z (sJ)and two sideofWhidbey I., July25 (SM), two in the alongthe Skykomish R. nearMonroe, Sno- near BellinghamJune 3 (M. Sandsberry) SanJuan Is., July 25 (MD), andanother two homish(BBo) would be a firstw. Washington were unusual wanderers to northwest Wash- thereJuly 3o (TW). Unusualnumbers of breedingrecord in recenttimes. Purple Mar- ington. AncientMurrelets summered inxhe Region: tins,a greatlyreduced breeder in w. Wash- In contrastto themurre situation, Pigeon oneat Pt. Wilson,Jef•rson WA July6 (PL, ington,were found nesting at Everett(SM), Guillemotsapparently bred successfully in SF, BT), one at WhidbeyI., WA July x8 at Shilsholein Seattle(W. Beecher)and pos- someOregon coastal locations (RL, RB). (SM), two nearNetarts, Tillamook OR July siblyin Hoquaim,Grays Harbor (G&WH). 1144. AmericanBirds, Winter 1993 More news from the fronthnes of the Scrub m.ob.)for the 3rdWashington record. Tn- Jayrange expansion: one in W SeattleJune colored Blackbirds are recent arrivals in e. MIDDLEPACIFIC •3-•5 (G. Henikoff), a pair in Normandy Oregon:25 males were at the CampHan- COASTREGION Park,KingWA during June (fide E Wood),a cockMarsh May 29 (DL), anda malewas at nestin Astoria,Clatsop OR (MP), andin the Wamic, WascoJuly • (DL). The Bobolink DavidG. Ie, StephenE Baiy, •nterior one at the north end of the Alvord populationincreased at Malheur;3o• males and BruceE. Deuel Basin,HarneyJune I3 (HN). CanyonWrens were counted,compared with HO in I992 are expandingtheir rangeW; onewas at a and 2o6 in •99• (RV). At leastfour Great- potentialnest site on Mt. Index,Snohomish tailed Grackles were found in Harneyduring WA June2I (BBo).A RockWren pair with 3 June(K. &J. Kearney,HN, GI); canabreed- Rare and occasionallyhigh numbersof juvenileson Mary'sPeak, Benton July I7-23 ingrecord be far behind? ACom. Gracklein seabirdsreflected a persistingwarm water (BB)furnished a first breeding record for the PortOrford, Curry June 6-July x3 (A. Pfand, patternalong the coast. The breakingof the OregonCoast Range. The N. Mockingbird ?CD) wasthe 6th for w. Oregon,and three droughtled to extensivewaterfowl produc- reportsconsisted of twoin w. Oregon(fide foundin FieldsJune • (JG) addto a number tionin severalareas. For example, I35o chicks from more than 2oo broods were found at HN) andseven from e. Oregon(m.ob.). of Harneyrecords. one lake east of the Sierra Nevada. The A • Pine Grosbeakwas at Tenmile, Dou- WARBLERS TO FINCHES glasJuly 30 (A. Adams);despite many sum- emphasison breedingbirds reflected the The zoneof intergradationfor Hermitand mer recordsfrom the OregonCascades, workof countrywideatlasing projects. Read- Townsend'swarblers includes the Kitsap there is no evidenceof breedingyet. Red ersare encouragedto participatein local efforts. Pen.in Washington;intergrades were fairly Crossbillsremained scarce through June (s J, commonat TahuyaState Forest,Mason BT) but increasedin abundanceduring July Continuing the pattern set in spring, (CCh). A • Hermit Warblerwas at Fields throughoutthe Region(CCh, BT, HN, vagrantlandbirds were few and far between June3 (JG, HH); thiswest side warbler is MM, AS).The only White-winged Crossbill If notfor a decentMay, the vagrant warbler season would have been a washout. accidentalin Harney.Three territorial Black- reportwas of oneon Mt. Spokane,WA July throatedGray Warblers were found June zo z 5 (JA)and another at DeepL., StevensWA onBald Mt., OR (SS);they are not known as Junez 5 (AS).After impressivespring num- Abbreviations:B.S.O.L. (Big Sur Ornithology Klamathbreeders. The typicalhandful of bers,Evening Grosbeaks bred in Olympia, Lab.,Monterey); C.C.R.S. (Coyote Cr. Ripar- vagrantwarblers reports, all fromOregon, WA (G&WH) and probablyat numerous ianbanding Station, Santa Clara);C.V. (Cen- includedasinging • N. Parulaat the mouth other locationsin the lowlands (SJ, BT). tral Valley);Cyn. (Canyon); El. (Southeast of the WinchuckR., CurryJune I7 (AB, Theywere very common in theOregon Cas- FarallonL, S.E); P.R.B.O.(Pt. ReyesBird ?CD) andanother at BayoceanSpit, Tillam- cadesthis summer(DL, HN). Pine Siskins Observatory);S.E (SanFrancisco); ph. •ohoto ookJuly 24 (?GG),for the 4th and 5thw. were alsocommon and widespread,with onfile with RegionalEditors). All records from El. and Palomarin should be credited Oregonrecords; a singing • Am.Redstart at verygood nesting success (HN). Detroit JuneI7-2o (BB) for a Marion first, to Pt. ReyesBird Observatory. Place names in italics are counties. andat leasteight in e. Oregonaway from Contributors(subregional editors in boldface): their knownbreeding areas (m.ob.); and Jim Acton, Phil Anderson,David Bailey, LOONS TO FRIGATEBIRD• Ovenbirdsin theCatlow Valley, HarneyJune Alan Barron,Range Bayer, Barb Bellin Many loonssummer along our coast,but 3-4 (ShJ,RS, HH) andnear Red Bridge S.P., (Salemarea), Thais Bock (Tacoma area), Bill few go inland. 7•inityhad an alternate- UnionJune •z (SR). Boyes(BBo), Chris Chappel (CCh), Barbara Rose-breastedGrosbeaks, found almost Combs, Alan Contreras,Tom Crabtree (e. plumagedPacific Loon on LewistonRes., anda basic-plumagedCom. Loon on Trinity annuallyin Harney,were at z locationsJune Oregon),Mike Denny,Colin Dillingham, Res.,both July 3I (?R.W Hewitt, ?GjH, 5-•o (B. Ullenberg,E. Scheuring).A • ShawneenFinnegan, Jeff Gilligan, Greg DFx). Conversely,the alternate-plumaged IndigoBunting, another regular vagrant, Gillson,Hendrik Herlyn, Glen & Wanda Horned Grebe at the Elk R. mouth, Hum- wasat AlvordRanch, Harney June I z (?JJ). Hoge,Rich Hoyer, Eugene Hunn, Gary Ivey, boldtBay July 4 (BED) wasrarer because it S•nging• Clay-coloredSparrows, a rare e. StuartJohnston, Sheran Jones (ShJ), Gerard was coastal. A count of •o8o Eared Grebe Washingtonbreeder, were found at z sites Lillie, Paul Lehman,Roy Lowe, Donna nestsat CrowleyL., MonoJuly2o-2I wasthe near Omak, OkanoganJuly 3 (WW) and Lusthoff,Steve Mlodinow, Marjorie Moore nearRocklyn, WA July n-Iz (?JA).The Lark highestever at thatlocale (PJM). Three W (Roguevalley), Harry Nehls(w. Oregon), Grebe nests and a Clark's nest at Calaveras Sparrowat BarnabySlough, WA June 3 (?sJ) Mike Patterson, Dennis Paulson, Tom Res.,June Io (SCR, MMR) were firstsin wasa Skagitfirst. The pair of Black-throatedRogers (e. Washington),Skip Russell, SantaClara. Most of the496 W. Grebesand Sparrowsfound e. of Yakima June 5-27 (AS), RichardSmith, Andy Stepnewski,Steve 233Clark's Grebes counted on L. SanAnto- were a •st Yakima record and the •st summer Summers, Bob Sundstrom, Rick Vetter, nio, MontereyJune I4 werenesting or court- recordin Washingtonsince the small breed- Terry Wahl, WayneWeber, Keith & Jan ing in now-floodedbrush that grew in dur- •ngcolony near Vantage disappeared in I99I. Wiggers,Ulrich Wilson, Robert Woodley-- ingthe 6-year drought (SFB). These were the A c5'Lark Bunting in WallaWalla June z BILL TWEIT, P.O. Box I27I, Olympia, firstnestings in Montereysince the species (K&JW)secured Washington's Ioth record. WA 985o7-1271;and JIM JOHNSON, 3244 weredistinguished. GrasshopperSparrow numbers were well NE BrazeeSt., Portland,OR 97212. aboveaverage in theOkanogan (AS) and in Two LaysanAlbatrosses were scarcein s e. Washington(BT). They are casual summer,but we nowfind a fewyear-round breedersin theWillamette Valley. A singing Twohours ofseawatching at Pigeon Pt., San malewas at BaskettSlough N.W.R., June MateoJuly I8 talliedI25 Pink-footed Shear- 2o+(BB) for the3rd or 4thyear at thisloca- waters,an exceptionalnumber from shore uon.A territorial• LeConte'sSparrow was (RSTh). As in recentyears, Black-vented foundat DeepL, StevensJune I8-29 (?EH, Shearwatersarrived early The firstone was Volume 47, Number 5 1145 at PigeonPt., July 18 (RSTh), with sixthere Engler).This is another species with a popu- shinnedHawk nestthat fledgedfour in (BS)and eight off Monterey(ASH, DLSh) lationin a stateof flux,making a morethor- PacificGrove June 26 (K. Travaille,RC, DR, July zS. Five speciesof storm-petrelat oughsurvey of itsnesting status desirable. SFB)was the firstproven nest in Monterey Cordell Bank, Marin, June19 includeda A TundraSwan, probably injured, sum- since JosephGrinnell found one near Wilson'sand I5 Blacks(both very early), meredat Humboldt Bay (fide Sandpiper). The Carmelin 19Ol.A Sharp-shinnednest with 3 alongwith five Fork-taileds, 18Leach's, and N. Pintailresponds better than most ducks to young,near Calistoga June/4 (BIG), was the 9o Ashies(C. Lieurance,DLSh). A Fork- opportunisticbreeding conditions, as evi- firstnesting known in Napasince 1939- Two tailedat Ano NuevoI., SanMateo July [3 dencedby the 29 broodsfound at Pixley Cooper'sHawk nestswere successfulin (GJS,fide RSTh) adds another island where N.W.R., Tulare,after the wet winter (J. Sacramento(E. Vak, H. & C. Smith), and nestingmight be foundin the future.A Engler).A broodof Canvasbacksin Sierra V., Cooper'scontinue to expandthrough cities Fork-tailedover S.E Bayat AlamedaJune 3 June15 (LJ) was the first known from Plumas, aroundS.E Bay. (RJR)was a vagrant. andMono} znd Ring-necked Duck nesting Large concentrationsof Swainsons Only2 mi n.w.of Pt.Lobos, a Red-billed was documented when broods were seen at Hawksin the C.V. probablyrepresented Tropicbirdat MontereyJuly z5 (DLSh)was Crowley L., July zo (PJM). Single C3 non-breedershunting concentratedprey. veryclose to shoreand reflecteda warm HarlequinDucks lingered in Montereyat the Firstand largest was the 15o near Los Banos, waterpattern. A juv.Brown Pelican flying W BigSur R. mouthto July 17 (m.ob.) and Mon- MercedJune 7 (KHt). Eighty-sevenat at LosBanos, Merced July 5 (?SCR)was sea- tereyto June 4 (m.ob.).An Oldsquawpresent Mountain House,Alameda June [7 (RJR) sonallyunprecedented, asall 5previous C.V. *atthe PescaderoCr. mouth,San Mateo Apr. lingeredin decreasingnumbers throughout recordshave been in fall. NestingDouble- iS-July27 (m.ob.)was variously called a theperiod (SAG, R. Cimino).Sixty-five ket- crestedCormorants at S.E Bayincreased in female,an imm. male, and an ad. male in par- tled x/z mi s. of StocktonJuly xx (ShH), 5o both San Mateo (RSTh) and Santa Clara tial breedingplumage, suggesting that we all werein fieldsand overhead in SutterJuly 19 (MMR, PJM, MJM). Five sightingsof needto studyup on Oldsquawplumages. (JAM), and 17 attendeda field nearDavis, frigatebirds,all presumedimm. Magnifi- Continuingthe recent expansion of coastal YoloJuly 26 (GEM).Three ad. Ferruginous cents,probably represented two to fourindi- breedingrecords, a Com. Merganserbrood Hawks n.e. of Ravendale,Lassen June zo viduals.Birds at EI., June8 andat Sausalito was discvovered at the PescaderoCr. mouth (TDM, AM) wereclose to wherethey were andqfburon, Marin June16-17 (?J.R. Blair, Junezz tothe end of theperiod (RSTh etal.). recentlyfound nesting (AB44:i182). B. Randolph)preceded the one watched by manyfishing boat skippers flying N fromPt. RAPIORS SHOREBIRDS Surto PacificGrove, Monterey June zs. The Among the widespreadrecords of Bald An extremelyrare summer Lesser Golden- final reportswere from LimantourSpit, Eagles,most surprising was the adult flying Plover,unidentifiable as to race,was at the MartinJuly 13 (J. Dineen) and flying S past E overCasa de Fruta June 18 (?SCR), for the C.C.R.S.,Santa Clara July 24 (SCR, MMR). Devil'sSlide, San Mateo July z5 (BS,fide first recent summer record for Santa Clara. A SnowyPlovers studied in Humboldtand Del RSTh). BaldEagle nest in Napawas active at least Norreproducedno young from x 7 nests(M. until Junexi (G. Gamble),much later than Fisher),illustrating why this population was BI'ITERNS TO DUCKS recentaborted nesting attempts. More accip- recentlylisted as threatened..A Semipal- A LeastBittern found on S. CoyoteSlough, itersare nestingin urbanareas. A Sharp- mated Plover at MacKerricker S.P., Mendo- SantaClara July 3 (MJM et al.) cinoJunexo(DT) was alate spring wasconsidered a non-breeding • migrant.Apair of Am. Avocets stray.This bird isstill rarely seen KlamathBasin • •:' - with chicksat HumboldtBay anywherein the Region.An ad. refuges....!:• N.W.R.,June x5 (K. Forester)rep- Little Blue Heron at the resented the first confirmed nest- RavenswoodOpen Space Preserve ing on the n. coast.A Solitary June5-9 (SCRetal.) was only the Sandpiperwas considered early at 2ndfor San Mateo, in spiteof their MonoL.,July 24 (R. Scalf) and presencefor yearsin adjacent wasthe only one reported. SantaClara, where up to 3 adults A flockof 2x85Long-billed and a nest were found in the Curlews at the S. Wilbur Flood Alviso heronry this summer AreaJune z7-July 7 (J- Engler) (m.ob.). Nesting Cattle Egrets was impressive,though not were reportedfrom S. Wilbur unprecedentedfor the C.V. FloodArea, Kings (J. Engler,32 AlthoughBlack Turnstones are nests)and the Alviso heronry sometimesfound within S.E Bay, (PJM et aL, z nests).Until we a bird in alternateplumage at the obtaina completereport from all Alvisosalt pondsJuly 3x (PJM) nestingareas, we will notbe able wasvery rare for the locale. An ad. to determine the true status of ß Santa Cruz SemipalmatedSandpiper at the CattleEgret in the Region.The PescaderoMarsh June 27 (RSTh) speciescontinues to explorenew SequoiaNat.•k•.f provided one of very few June areas,with four at SanFelipe L., records,while iz coastalreports Junezx (B. Merrill) comprising Julyx8-31 was an above-normal the first summer record for San number. Benito.White-faced Ibis nesting Occasionally,Pectoral Sand- was documented at S. Wilbur pipersreturn in July.This year's Flood Area, with IX7 nests (J. was at PescaderoMarsh July 25 1146-American Birds, Winter 1993 (RSTh). Ruffswere reported from Lower July•7 (PJM).After a strongMay showing, CoyoteCr. W.M.A., Santa Clara July i6 (R. onlyfour E. Kingbirdsappeared coastally Colwell)and TulareL. DrainageDistrict, June5-July z. Anotherwas in SierraValley KingsJuly z5 (?R. Saval, B. Barnes,J. Wil- Julyxx (?LJ, KL), theznd for Plumas. The son).In contrastto previouslypublished DuskyFlycatcher at El., July9 providedan reports,there are now records from every odd mid-summerrecord, as all Regional monthof theyear in theS.J. Valley. A Corn. sightingsfrom this time periodare from Snipein theArcata Bottoms June z6 (TWL, breedinggrounds. J.Hunter) was a very rare find in summerfor TheAm. Pipit at CrescentCity, DelNorte Humboldt,while one at Ft. Hunter-Liggett July•z (ADB)was a realhead-scratcher, the July4 (CHo,JDv, S. Rovell) was the earliest Regionsfirst summer record away from local bya monthfor Monterey. breedingpopulations in theSierra Nevada. Up to sixCedar Waxwings at theBig Sur R. LARIDS,ALCIDS mouth,Montery June z4 (B.S.O.L.,SFB, An ad. Long-tailedJaeger at Pacifica,San BW)were very late, even for this tradition- MateoJuly •9 (BS,fide RSTh) was an excep- ally late-movingmigrant. The birdsmay tionalsighting before August. Five Franklins havenested locally, as suspected in recent Gullsin the GreatBasin was expected, but a recentyears. Likewise, three Loggerhead first-summerbird in SierraValley June •5 Shrikesspent the summer at theBig Sur R. (?KL)was only the znd for Plumas.A Mew Thisfirst-year male Indigo Bunting mated with a mouthfor thefirst time (B.S.O.L.), suggest- Gull at HaywardShoreline July •7 (RJR) femaleLazuli Bunting a.d attemptednesting in inglocal nesting. Regionally, Loggerheads SantaClara County, California, iu June1993. plustwo Mew andtwo Herring gulls sum- Photograph/MikeM. Rogers. rarelynest anywhere on the unprotected meringin SantaClara were rare (PJM, outer coast. SCR).A newCalifornia Gull colony at the at Folsom,Sacramento July z4 (AEn)in the A territorial • Bell's Vireo on the Salinas MountainView sak pondsfledged 50+ neighboringe. foothills may have indicated R. at Bradley,Monterey June t4-July 4 (PJM).Sabine's Gull wasagain at Cordell localnesting. (?SFB,DR, RC) broughtcheers for the Bank in June,with fiveJune •9 (C. Lieu- Not surprisingly,Black-chinned Hum- underdog.Though there were no signsof rance,DLSh), while IO 3 offshoreMonterey mingbirdsappeared tobe doing more home- nesting,its presencewas very encouraging. July25 (DLSh, ASH) demonstrated a strong steadingin thes. S.E Bay area, as z pairswere Their numbershave been increasing in s. earlymigration. notedalong Coyote Cr., June •5 (SCR), •5 mi California,thanks to strategiccowbird trap- CaspianTerns nested at SanFelipe L., fromthe breeding population at C.C.R.S.. pings;always look for color bands. The last Junezx (RMrr) for a SanBenito first. Seven Regionalrange expansion among Costas Regionalnesting birds were at thissame ArcticTerns tarried at CordellBank June •9 Hummingbirdshas been occurring,as location in t983. The bandedRed-eyed (C. Lieurance,DLSh), and singlesstrayed demonstratedby regular extralimital Vireoat B.S.O.L.,July to waslikely the bird shorewardto HaywardShoreline June • (R. records.After its incipient discovery in our bandedthere in May andwould constitute Lindeman,RJR) and Bolinas Lagoon July 6 GreatBasin district last year, they invaded theRegions first record of atruly summering (KH). FourBlack Skimmers at theTulare L. Mono.An amazinga7 birds,including z individual. basinJuly 8 (C. Marn,fideJ. Engler) made nests,were discovered at OwensR. Gorge onlythe 2nd C.V. record, though skimmers June 13 (PJM), with at leastfive more in the WOOD WARBLERS nestedthere in 1986(AB4o:•25•). Mono BasinJune xz-July zz (PJM, DJK, A juv.Orange-crowned Warbler in Wildrose Used Marbled Murrelet nestswere found ?ES,M. McClaskey).Farther north, one at Cyn., MonoJuly •9 (PJM) was of the in JedediahSmith S.P., DelNorte, and Prairie IndianValley May z7-JuneIX (M. • B. expectedGreat Basin race orestera. The CreekS.E, Humboldt,by searchingfor McMillan, G. Rotta, ?LJ) wasa first for breedingstatus of the Orange-crownedin droppedeggshells (fide R.W. Hewitt).An Plumas.A displayingmale at ColoradoCr., theRegions Great Basin district away from unseasonal Ancient Murrelet visited Ano JuneI (MMR, SCR) wasa first probable the Warner Mts. remains unclear. Little NuevoJuly 14 (GJS, fide RSTh). At least3 nestingfor Santa Clara, while a possible pair SulpherCr. held nesting Nashville Warbler, pairsof RhinocerosAuklet still nest at Dav- atPrunedale, Monterey July 2•-3• (KVV) was asan adult fed 3 fledglings June zo (?LLu,C. enport,Santa Cruz (RMrr, DLSu), where well away from known breedingsites. Lieurance,S. Coogan).This was Sonoma's theywere first confirmed in •987. Finally,the seemingly resident male at Fair firstnesting record; they traditionally breed Oaks, Sacramentowas last seen June 3o atthe e. edge of the coastal forest along the n. OWLS TO HUMMINGBIRDS (GEw).A CalliopeHummingbird was again coast,so this record is not unexpected.For A deadLong-eared Owl at PixleyN.W.R., found nestingat low elevationsaround the3rd consecutive year, N. Parulassuccess- TulareJune 6 (J. Engler) and one in GraniteBay, Folsom L., PlacerJune6 (BW). fullybred along the c. coast. In Marin,a male Petaluma,Sonoma July z3 (BBu) were from fedz youngnear Samuel P. taylor S.E, June areaswith no nestingprecedent. However, WOODPECKERSTO VIREOS •7-zo (RS);a territorialpair in OlemaMay summerwanderings do occur, as evident by Arousingnesting suspicions, the Red- zx-June5 (RS,m. ob.) and a singingmale at oneat Pt. ReyesJuly n (G. Griffeth)and breastedSapsucker at L. Elizabeth,San TomalesBay S.P., June •2-20 (A. Tabor, RS) theseat El. (i.e.,two July z9 and one Aug. 4)- MateoJune 6 (RSTh,MFe) wasprobably a werealso noteworthy. Successful breeding CommonNighthawks are rarely noted in latemigrant. Nine Ash-throated Flycatchers again occurred slong Gazos Cr. Road,San migration,especially from the C.V. floor. alongcoastal DelNorteJune •-•8 (ADB,J. Mateo,as up to four singingmales, one Activelycalling birds at CitrusHeights June Gartlandeta/.) was a heftyshowing for the female,and a juvenilewere observed May •8 (EKS) and at Fair OaksJune z3 (?BMo) n. coast.Giving us a discourseon upslope 29-Julyx7 (PJM, ?RSTh, m.ob.). Four addi- providedfirst mid-summer records for the post-breedingdispersal, a W. Kingbirdele- tionalJune birds were spotted along the c. valleyfloor of Sacramento.However, another vated to 8•oo ft. at Sawmill Meadows, Mono coast,including Napas first at L. Berryessa Volume 47, Number 5 ' 1141 Junexx (?R. Bertoli,G. Ganble,J. O'Con- May andyou have an above-average show- Always unpredictable,Red Crossbills nell). ing.As with N. Parula,Indigo Bunting is stageda smallsummer invasion on the c. Apparentlylacking precedent on the C.V. definitelyundergoing a range expansion in coastfrom Monterey to Sonoma,asgroups of floorduring July, a Yellow-rumpedWarbler thec. portionof thestate, especially along more than 20 were observedJuly3-3o in FairOaks, Sacramento July3o (GEw) was the c. coast. Santa Clara established its first (m.ob.).Five in Davis,I•1o July t3 (MP) eithera veryearly fall migrantor a non- breedingrecord when a first-yearmale and a weremost unseasonal forthe C.V. A pairof breedingdispersant. The breeding status of 5?Lazuli Bunting nested, had z eggs,but Lawrence'sGoldfinches at Beegum, •hama theBlack-throated Gray Warbler in Alameda eventuallyabandoned the nest along Col- June26 wasat the n. limit of theirrange wasagain affirmed during the county's first oradoCr. in theSan Antonio Valley June Regionally,but the species isprobably regu- breedingbird ariasing year, when five territo- I--I2 (•'SCR,ph. MMR). An apparentpair larin •hemaand Shasta despite the paudty rial maleswere at AlamedaCr., Junex6 was at the Big Sur R. mouthJuly I8 ofrecords (BY, CY). An Evening Grosbeak at (KGH).Confirmed breeding was the word (B.S.O.L.),and another pair on Woodbridge Bale Mill, NapaJuneI3-26 (•'G.Statton) has for Hermit Warblerin SantaClara, as an RoadJune z9 (?D. Hoffman,?RAR) would fewsummer precedents s. of Humboldtin adultwas feeding young in UpperStevens be San Joaquin's first (p.a. Sacramento Bird theCoast Ranges. Cr. S.P.,in the SantaCruz Mts., July2x RecordsCommittee). Three more coastal (SCR).The Region's 4th spring Prairie War- birdswere observed July 4--I3. Corfigeodum:In AB46:ii74 , thereference to a blerwas at the Big Sur R. mouthJune 8 The Dickcisselat MonoCity, Mono June breedingrange extension for Willets should (JDv).In additionto a BlackpollWarbler at I2 (?ph.J. Collins,G. Zeitlin,S. Jewett) was be deleted.They areknown to nestmuch EI., July9, onefound inland at Davis,Yolo theRegions first for theinterior. Confirma- farther south in the Great Basin. tionof nestingRufous-crowned Sparrow for Mendocinoat DosRios July 4 (DT) wasover- Cited contributors(subregional editors in bold- due.Sierras first Black-throated Sparrow face):Brooks B. Allen, StephenE Bailey, wasat KnudsenMeadow June z3 (R. Little); AlanD. Barron,Edward C. Beedy,William thebird is a regularbreeder just to theeast. G. Bousman,Betty Burridge (BBu), Rita Widespreadnesting Grasshopper Sparrows Carratello,Jeff Davis (JDv), Bruce E. Deuel, werealong the Monterey coast from the Big Sur R. mouth to Marina. These areaslacked AndrewEngilis (AEn), Gil Ewing(GEw), Marc Fenner(MFe), DavidFix (DFx), Bruce nestingbirds during the drought because of H. Gerow,Ron H. Gerstenberg,Steve A. insufficientgrass (DR). A Bobolinkwas at Glover,Helen Green,Bill Gummet(BIG), the Big Sur R. mouthJuly x (JDv). The KeithHansen, Shawn Hayes (ShH), Gjon Regionaverages a couple each spring. Two Hazard(GjH), KevinG. Hintsa,Craig HoodedOrioles at Ft. BraggJuly 3-5 0RW, DT) were coastalMendocino's first. Hohenberger(CHo), Alan S. Hopkins, KarenHoyt (KHt), Lin Jensen,Robert J. MaleDickcissel (with Brown-headed Cowbirds) Keiffer,Dan J. Keller,Karen Krieger, Karen at Mo.oCity, Califoroia, on Juee 12,1993. First Laslo,Tom W. Leskiw,Robin L.C. Leong, recordfor the interior of northernCalifornia. LeslieLieurance (LLu), MichaelJ. Mam- PhofograplVJea,Collins. &•L moser,Annette Manoils, Timothy D. TheGreat-tailed Grackle õaga in the XiWest Manolis, Jerry A. Marinovich, Gerard Junex8 (ph. J. Whitcombe,tECB etal.)was continued.Having tl•eir b½•ty•ar Regionally McChesney (GEM), Robert V. Merrill exceptionalduring spring. (seelast season), they peri,ted in our Great (RMrr), PeterJ. Metropulos,Barbara Mohr Coastally,three Black-and-whiteWar- blersJune x3-July xzwas an average taliy, but Basindistrict into junk •vi{h singles near (BMo), JosephMorlan, Michael Pertone, LikelyJune II andModoc N•R.., June Harold M. Reeve,Jean M. Richmond, x5Am. redstarts June x-July x2 along with the bo• Modoc(•R), B•nton Hot Springs,Robert J. Richmond,Don Roberson,Mike fourin Maywas above average. Three Oven- MonoJune 17 (PJM), a•d MapesRanch, M. Rogers,Steve C. Rottenborn,Ruth A. birdsat EI., July9-xx epitomized the poor LassenJune •9 (TDM, •)• Ano•er at vagrantseason. The Hooded Warbler at Rudesill,Ronnie L. Ryno,Barry Sauppe, MacKerrikerS.E, M•dodno J•y i5-26 Debra L. Shearwater(DLSh), David Shu- B.S.O.L.from last season lingered to June t2; (*DT,ph. JRW etaL) w• •e n. coast•first ford,Evelyn K. Smith,Paul E Springer,Rich additionalbirds in Montereywere at Pacific above Marin. This invader from Middle Stallcup,Bradley M. Stovall,Gary J. Stra- GroveJune t2 (SFB)and San Jose Cr., July x7 Americawas Mitia•y detected in •izona in (BHG, KIO. Another Hooded at Arcata, chan,Emilie Strauss, David L. Suddjian I935,in s.•lifornia in I964,and RegionMly HumboldtJune 25 (?PFS)made it another (DLSu),Ronald S. Thorn (RSTh), Dorothy in I978;recor• in O•n arenow annuM, Tobkin,Kent Van Vuren, Jerry R. White, healthyspring for the spedes. Two singing c• andthey have,recently descended onWash- BrianWilliams, David G. Yee,Bob Yutzy, Ydlow-breastedChats at the Big Sur R. in,on, Theirspectacular •xpansion, how• CarolYutzy. Many morecontributors wer mouthMay-June t7 (BW) suggestedlocal ever,has not beeR met Ml t•at favorably,• notspecifically cited; all areappreciated.- nesting.They are very rare nesters along the coast s. of Mendocino. they are ve• a•essi3e and.have been STEPHEN F. BAILEY (loonsto frigate- •o• to up•0otnative nesters, such • birds,raptors, larids, and alcids), Museum TANAGERS TO FINCHES Cbm.Grac•es ifi t• Mi•weli• Theyhave of NaturalHistory, •65 ForestAve., Pacific evenb•n blamedfo• •e extinctloft•f the Our loneSummer Tanager was at Stanford, Grove,CA 93950;BRUCE E. DEUEL (bit- SantaClara June 5 (DS).Breeding W. Tan- S!•-•er•bflledGyacMe inw. M•co duringterns to ducks,shorebirds), i873o Live Oak •e e•l•partof•e centur•(C. •erhosl•r, Rd., RedBluff, CA 96080;DAVID G. YEE agersat RosePeak June 26 (RJR)provided Alameda'sfirst nesting record in 29 years. Bi• ;7 •xa,,:i½74, OffiCers [• of Te• (owlsto finches),z93o Driftwood PI. #39, Press,•A•tM)• Stockton,CA 95zi9. Addthe seven Rose-breated Grosbeaks along thec. coastJune-July 9 to thex 3 presentin 114g.American Birds,Winter 1993 3 (H&JB) wasthe onlyone reported after Two pairs of Litde Blue Herons nesting SOIJ'nlERNPACIFIC that time. among35 pairsof SnowyEgrets on the groundsof Sea World in SanDiego fledged 5 COASTREGION youngthis summer (JRJ), and one or two GuyMcCaskie morepairs were suspected nesting around nearbyImperial Beach at the sametime UnexpectddWere 4 hornallyPelagic birds (GMcC),but thisspecies went unreported inlandon the Salton Sea J•alyio, ACook's away from coastal San Diego. The maximum The weatherwas milder than normal, with Petrelwas at N.E.S,S.,July io-tz (GMcC, number of Wood Storks at S.E.S.S. this sum- relativelycool temperatures along the coast. REW,MApI, believed to bethe •amebird merwas 2t Aug. 8 (KM);the declining num- An abundanceof waterand lush growths of seenatS•S•:, j•y •7(G•, • an• bersof thesebirds reachingCalifornia vegetationthroughout the Region enabled BackatN.E'S.&; J•y •5•Aqg(6 •c• undoubtedlyreflecting breeding failures to waterand landbirdsalike to explorenew the south in W. Mexico. breedingareas, giving us some interesting zndto • •d on•is inl•d •dy Of•i•r; A FulvousWhisding-Duck near Lake- nestingrecords. The expectedarrival of •epre9i0us •fie•aving beth Pr•nt i4-•} view,Riverside July t7 (C-TL)is one of avery southboundshorebirds in lateJune, and an J•y1984 (AB 38;i•$) •8•).A Bul•: few foundaway from S.E.S.S.in recent interestingvariety of wood warblersI -ria, believedto B•we•s Pe•, Was years.A Black-belliedWhistling-Duck at throughoutthe summer, made for an excit- w•tchediN flightat •5•zooSy•dsas, it N.E.S.S.,July tz (GH) isonly the znd to be ingseason. co•d M• and for•a•o• the mou• of foundaway from the S.E.S.S. and establishes the tzth recordfor California.A pair of lbbr•iations: C.L. (China Lake Naval Air mifiutdsq•yxo(GM•c• GH• Tc)i ii'Was Wood Ducks near Pauma Valley, San Diego IgOaponsStation, extreme n.e. I•rn Co.); cl•rly• pmcel•id•, intermediateinsN• Mar.z9 (PU)were quite far south if nesting. E.A.EB. (EdwardsAir ForceBase, s.e. Kern be•een a Blhc•Sto•-Petrel anda Cook's Mostunusual were two pairs of Blue-winged Co.);EC.R. (FurnaceCreek Ranch, Death Pe•;it hadlong mrr• win•probed for- Teal,one accompanied byn flightlessyoung, ValleyNat'l Monument, Inyo); N.E.S.S. (n. w•Mat •e carpaljoi• anti•ad a long rail on E. CroneseL. near Baker, San Bernardino endof the Salton Sea, Riverside Co.); S.E.S.S. thatapp•r• pointedat •e tip.A l•e dark July 5 (SJM) sincenesting is previously (s. endof the SaltonSea, Imperial Co.); Sh•ater offS•ton Ci unrecordedin thee. portionof thisRegion; S.EK.R.P.(South Fork Kern 1L ). Asvirtually G•C) wastpo •smnt to • jdentifie4• to threepairs fledged young in BolsaChica in all raridesin s. Californiaare seen by many species.A L• &orm-Pet•l at N,EiS.S., June(RAH) to establishthe first nesting observers,only the observer(s) initially find- Jul?x• •W, •, GM•; •MSM) recordsin Orange.A SurfScoter at N.E.S.S., ing andidentifying the bird are included. qv• m the ind 'recordfor •is spedi• June9 (GH), and two morethere July 3 Documentation is on file with the California inland,the previous record b•ing •of h• throughthe end of theperiod (MAP, REW), Bird RecordsCommittee (c/o Michael A. dt• d•pOsi•on the Salton 5• and the werethe only ones found on theSalton Sea Patten,EO. Box86tz, Riverside,CA 925t5) •er Co10r•doRive• by tropic• stqrm this summer. ACom. Merganseraccompa- for all raritieslisted in thisreport. Records •thk• inSeptembody976 (•3c•4z•xSZ). niedby to youngon Piru Cr. t mi upstream submitted without documentation are not Thereare now •8 •e•rds øf9 SPe•esof fromL. PiruJune 9 (SJM)provides the first published. Pmcel•es on•i SaltbnS•i •lare evidenceof nestingin l•ntura. believedtfi •i•ed this• byway of the A pairof White-tailedKites near Cantil, LOONS TO FRIGATEBIRDS G•fof C•iforni•M• haveap•r • dur/ wherethey are previouslyunrecorded in Up to x4basic-plumaged Com. Loons on L. ing•lm con•fions,the o•y obdo•storm- summer,during June and July (MTH) prob- Mathews,Riverside during June and July relatedoccurrences involving a •achs and ably nested;a pair at a nest at S.E.S.S. (SJM,CMcG) were unexpected since only a mxme5o••ea•St0r•-Petre• im•e•tely throughoutJune (GMcC) and a recently fewhave previously been found summering follo•ngtr9pi• storm•thk• in I976. fledgedjuvenile ca. 5 mi awayJune z inland in S. California. H•eg tropi•lstorms ifi•e •st Pacific (GMcC) givesus additionalevidence of Aboutt5oo Black Storm-Petrels in the San bff•e s.tip 0fB4a •fomia nestingin the ImperialValley. An imm. PedroChannel June 5 (KLG) wasa large bir• imo•e NfiUthof th• G• 9f C•or- Sharp-shinnedHawk at thebase of theSan numberfor thisearly in theyear, and sug- ni•rome might •e• mov•Nto3h ehead of BernardinoMts. in SanBernardino July tz gestsbreeding failures to the south. •e G•L•me •ed, andcross •ec. (SJM)is one of a veryfew found in S. Cali- An imm. BlueffootedBooby at N.E.S.S., •zom• oflow-l•ngland to theSflton Sea. forniain summer.A pairof N. Goshawks July25 (RMcK) is thefirst to befound in •tis •e•fore notyw0rthythat • •r9picfl wason Mt. Pinos,Kern June t8 (KFC) where California since the influx in t99o (AB sto• w• offs.B4a during •e •t weekof nestingwas recently confirmed, one or two 44:II84--II88, t99o). Brown Pelican numbers were in the Cottonwood Basin of the White builtup to morethan 6oo on the Salton Sea Mts.,MonoJuly z3 (REW)where nesdng is in late June and remainedat this level suspected,and anotherwas near Papoose throughthe end of theperiod; this species Flatsin theInyo Mts. July z 4 (REW)where regularlydisperses northward from the Gulf EGRETS TO RAILS previouslyunrecorded. An ad.Zone-tailed of Californiaafter nesting. An earlyinflux of GreatEgrets have only recently been found Hawk perchednear a knownnest on Hot MagnificentFrigatebirds produced an nestingaway from the Colorado R. andthe SpringsMr., SanDiego June z6 (GMcC) immatureover San Pedro, LosAngeles June 4 SaltonSea; therefore, the presence of at least stronglysuggested breeding at thissite this (JAJ),five more immatures along the coast to nestsin a mixedcolony of Snowyand Cat- summer. June26-July n (BED, PHB, BHa, PEL, tle Egretss.e. of Bakersfield,Kern in May TwoBlue Grouse flushed on thee. slope GR), andat leastfive inland on the Salton (SRG) andanother with GreatBlue Herons of SawmillMt., KernMay t (MOC) indicate SeaJune 2o-27 (KLG, GMcC, BM), but a at the JessRanch in Apple Valley, San thata smallpopulation still persists at this singleindividual at Del Mar,San Diego Aug. Bernardino,in April (SJM)are of interest. isolatedlocation. A minimumof 96 Clapper Volume47, Number 5-1149 presentJune z 7 (GMcC), andtwo more were at S.E.S.S., June zz (CB).Most intriguing was an ad. ß:::p-•. ß - :t½Scotty'sCastle . Gray-backed/BridledTern at BolsaChica June xz (LS);a similar bird was at this exact location in x99o(AB 44:xx87,x99o ). Between Ranch z5oand 300 pairsof BlackSkim- merssuccessfully nested on the Salton Sea (KM) and more than 300 pairssuccessfully nested on 2ø•ø•B•y CALIFORNIA '•. the coastin BolsaChica (CTC). SantaMaria ..;•,. • ßHarper Dry ;•.' A pairof PigeonGuillemots at SanNicolas I., Junez 9 (GEM) was noteworthybecause this spedes is notknown to nestat thislocality, andone flying past Crystal Cove S.P., OrangeJuly xx(MTH) was unusuallyfar south.A Marbled Murrelet off San Simeon, San Luis ObispoJuly6 (GPS)was at the s. limitof this species range. CUCKOOS TO PIPITS ßSan BieDo• A Yellow-billedCuckoo in Ridge- crest, Kern June x3 (DVB) and Railsat S.E.S.S.this summer (MR) waswell breedinglocality. Unexpected, considering anotheron the coastin Carpinte- aboveaverage. thelocation and time of year,were two Red ria,Santa Barbara July x 9 (RWH) wereaway Phalaropeson Owens L., Inyo July 8 fromany known breeding locality;, zxpairs at PLOVERS TO ALCIDS (T&JH). S.EK.R.Eduring June and July (SL) and up An Am. Golden-Ploverat C.L., July x2 An ad.Pomarine Jaeger at S.E.S.S., July xo to sevenindividuals near Big Pine after June (DVB) is one of a few to be found inland in (GMcC, MAP) and another at N.E.S.S., z8 (SL)were at knownbreeding localities. thisRegion. A PacificGolden-Plover near Aug.3 (PEL)may have moved N ontothe Long-earedOwls were more numerous and SantaMaria, SantaBarbara July 27 (JMC) SaltonSea during July; most of theprevious widespreadthan usual,with nestsfound was the first to be found this fall. The first PomafineJaegers seen on the Salton Sea were alongthe coast at l/bntura (VK), inland, near SolitarySandpiper of the fall wasone on foundduring June and July. A S. PolarSkua Shandon,San Luis Obispo (RZ); the high TinnemahaRes. near Big Pine, Inyo July 29 in theSan Pedro Channel June 5 (KLG) was desert,at AntelopeValley (KLG); Owens (T&JH). A groupof fiveBlack Turnstones at thepeak of northwardmigration for this Valley,near Olancha (T&JH); Death Valley on Mullet I. at S.E.S.S.,June I7 (KM), with speciesoffS. California,but sixz-3 m• s. of Nat'l Monument, F.C.R. (GMcC); and the fourJuly xo (RMcK) and three still there July thew. endof SantaCruz I., Julyz4 (MH) low desert, CoachellaValley N.W.R. x6 (WRR), arethe firstto be found in sum- was more unusual. The arrival of an ad. (WRR). A pair of Short-earedOwls, a mer on the Salton Sea. A Red Knot on Tin- LaughingGull on SanElijo Lagoon,San speciesnow somewhat rare in S. California, nemahaReservoir July 29 (T&JH) wasonly DiegoJuly 6 throughthe end of theperiod near Lancaster,Los Angeles during May the3rd to befound in Inyo.The only Sander- (DP) coincidedwith the annual influx of (KLG)probably attempted nesting. Calling lingsfound inland away from the Salton Sea post-breedingbirds onto the Salton Sea from Whip-poor-willswere at Hart BarCamp- weretwo at E.A.EB., July24 (MTH) and the Gulf of California.Ten pairs of Gull- groundin theSan Bernardino Mts. in June oneto two on TinnemahaRes., July 2i-29 billed Ternssuccessfully nested on s. San (REW), aroundL. Fulmorin theSan Jacinto (T&JH). An ad.Semipalmated Sandpiper in DiegoBay (JK, DS), this beingthe only Mrs. in May andJune (HK) and on Clark Goleta,Santa Barbara July 22-25 (SEF), localityon the coast of Californiawhere this Mt. in e. SanBernardino May 22 (SBT). anothernear the Kern N.W.R., July 25 speciesoccurs; another izo pairs successfully Forty Black Swifts were flying low overL. (JCW),and single juveniles in GoletaJuly nestedon the Salton Sea (KM), wherethey Elsinor,Riverside, during heavy rain on June 24-29 (SEF)and Irvine, Orange July 29-30 havebreed since the i9zos.Caspian Terns 5(HK, BM).An Annœs Hummingbird feed- (RAH), were the earliestthis fall. An ad. againbred at S.E.S.S.,with 60 foundon inga recently fledged young at EC.R. May 2i Baird'sSandpiper at the SantaMaria R. MulletI. inJune (KM). Three pairs of Royal (PAG)documents nesting at this locality. mouth,Santa Barbara July 6 (BHe) anda Ternssuccessfully bred among the more than TwoWilliamson sSapsuckers, induding one juvenilein IrvineJuly 30 (BED) were the ear- x6oopairs of ElegantTerns at BolsaChica carryingfood near Papoose Flats in theInyo liest of each this fall. An ad. Pectoral Sand- this summer(CTC). An ElegantTern at Mrs.,July z4 (REW) werein an areawhere piperin GoletaJuly 25-26 (PEL) was some- S.E.S.S.,July xo (C-TL) isone of onlya very unknownas a breedingspecies. A pair of whatearly. A moltingc• Ruff,always an fewto befound away from the coast. An ad. Brown-crestedFlycatchers at MojaveNar- excitingfind, was in GoletaJuly 2o-Aug. 5 ArcticTern at S.E.S.S.,June z 7 (GMcC) and rowsRegional Park near Victorville,San (PEL).ACom. Snipenear Anza, Riverside anotherat C.L.,June x8 (DVB) were proba- BernardinoMay 30 (SJM) and at least3 pairs June5 (GH) wasthought to beon nesting blyvery late spring transients. A Least Tern, at S.EK.R.P.throughout the summer (SL) territory, but anotherat Boulevard,San rareon theSalton Sea, was at N.E.S.S.,June wereat the w. extreme of thisspecies' known DiegoJuly 6 (PU)was far from any suspected 9 (GH), twowere there June zo with onestill breedingrange. Single E. Kingbirdsalong 1150-American Birds, Winter 1993 the coastnear Morro Bay,San Luis Obispo in NojoquiFalls Park, Santa Barbara in late Ramona,San DiegoMay z8 (CGE) was Julyi-2 (TME), aroundLompoc, Santa Bar- July(CMcG, BHi), providingdocumenta- believedto havesuccessfully fledged young; baraJune 25 (GL) andJuly 3-4 (BHi), anda tionof the znd nesting in S.California; other otherreports of IndigoBuntings included 4th inlandat S.E.S.S.,July Io (MAP) were sightingsof thisspecies include single birds four at S.EK.R.P.all summer(SL), andsin- unseasonable.A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher on at WildroseRanger St. in the Panamint glebirds near Big Pine June Io (T&JH), on SanNicolas I. June9 (GEM) wasundoubt- Mrs., Juneiz (REW), at S.EK.R.P.all sum- VandenbergA.EB.,May zI-July6 (MW), at edlya latespring vagrant. mer (SL), at SanMarcos Pass near Santa Bar- 3500ft in theSan Gabriel Mrs., June 7-July 6 PurpleMartins, decreasing in numbers as baraJune i3-i 5 (JH), at CharIronFlat in the (C-TL), at ca.6000 ft alongArrastreCr. in a nestingbird in S.California, were found on SanGabriel Mrs. July z-3 (JG),at Mountain the SanBernardino Mrs., Junez4 (REW), at BreckenridgeMt., Kern(one July II, MOC) HomeVillage in the SanBernardino Mts. CushenburySprings, San Bernardino July 8 overthe mouth of BigSanta Anita Canyon, June30 (REW), at CactusFlat in the same (REW), in MorongoValley, San Bernardino LosAngeles (2 regularlyMay 31-Junez4, mountainsJuly 8 (REW) andat 5800ft in JuneIz-I9 (MAP),and near Pine Valley June MSM), alongthe E. Forkof HemlockCr. in theLaguna Mrs., June 5 (CGE). A Chestnut- I7-z 4 (CGE), mostappearing to be first- the San BernardinoMts. (A pair at a nest sidedWarbler at ButterbredtSpring near summer males. cavityMay I4, SJM), nearL. Hemetin the Cantil June I3 (JCW) was a late spring Black-chinnedSparrows arrived earlier SanJacinto Mts. (oneJuly Io, GH), around vagrant.A MagnoliaWarbler at Butterbredt thannormal (eight singing males near San- VolcanMt. nearJulian (3-4 individualsdur- SpringJune •2-I3 (MTH) wasalso a late tee, SanDiego Mar. I8, HLJ), weremore ing May andJune, PU) andin the nearby springvagrant, but a maleat c. 7000 ft on widespreadon thecoastal slope than normal LagunaMts. (3-4 pairsat nestholes during WymanCreek in theWhite Mrs., InyoJuly (3 on thePalos Verdes Pen. May Iz, MCW) May andJune, PAG). I6-I8 (REW) wasmost unusual for summer. andpushed farther N thanusual in the e. A Swainson'sThrush near Cantil July io A c• Bay-breastedWarbler in PineValley, portionof theRegion (one at 7800ft above (MTH) wasremarkably out of season.The SanDiego June z3 (CGE) was believed to bea BigPine May 22, T&JH). Sixto eightjuv. presenceof oneto twoHermit Thrushes on latespring vagrant. A Black-and-WhiteWar- SageSparrows of therace canescens were on VolcanMt., May 3I (PU) suggestsnesting at bler in Irvine, OrangeJune 25 (ADB) was the coastalslope of the SanGabriel Mts., thislocation, which is just to the south of the unusual,considering the time of year,and June27-July 4 (JF); thesesightings con- s. extremeof this species'known range in the same can be said of two Am. Redstarts at firmedthe pattern noted by Ned K. Johnson California.A VariedThrush on Big Pine the samelocation June z 5 (ADB), anotherat of desert-slopebreeding canescens moving Mt., Santa BarbaraJune II (TDW) was CharltonFlat in theSan Gabriel Mts., June up-mountainand coastward after breeding, totally out of season.A pair of Bendire's z7 (JF)and a fourthin Encinitas,San Diego bringingsome into contact with coastal bel- Thrashersthat fledgedone young from a June30 (BED).A ProthonotaryWarbler in lii. A SavannahSparrow carrying nesting nestnear Ocotillo Wells in e. SanDiego in CarpinteriaJuly 22 throughthe endof the materials on the Carrizo Plain, San Luis lateApril (PU) givesus the first record for period (SEF) had probablybeen present ObispoApr. 28 (KAH), a nestnear Cantil in breedingin the w. ColoradoDesert. Two sincelate spring.Two KentuckyWarblers June(MTH), anda recentlyfledged juvenile Am. Pipitsat thesummit of TelescopePeak were found this summer, with a male in accompaniedby an adultat E. CroneseL., •n the PanamintMts. JuneI2-24 (REW) and EncinitasJune 3o-July 19 (BED, DRW) and JulyI6 (GH), wereall far fromany previ- anotherat thesummit of Mt. SanGorgonio anothermale at c. 5000ft. onWyman Cr. in ouslyknown nesting localities. Grasshopper •n theSan Bernardino Mrs., June29 (REW) the White Mts. JulyI6-i8 (REW). Single Sparrowsappeared more numerousand wereprobably on breeding territories. Hooded Warblers at Galileo Hill in e. Kern widespreadthan usual,as suggestedby a JuneII (RS), at ButterbredtSpring June singingbird in MalibuCr. S.P.,Los Angeles VIREOS,WOOD WARBLERS i3-I 9 (SL) andJune 19 (SL), aroundCharI- June5-6 (RB), some75 aroundL. Skinner, Bell'sVireos appeared to bemore numerous ronFlat in theSan Gabriel Mrs. June 27-July Riversidethroughout the summer (RMcK), andwidespread than normalthis summer, 8 (KLG, BE) and near Boulder Oaks, San and multiplesinging birds at half-a-dozen with territorial males found as far north as Diego,June I4 (PU)were the ones found this sitesaround San Diego (CGE, JCL) in May. the mouth of the Santa Maria R., San Luis summer--afar cryfrom the numberspre- A White-crownedSparrow near Big Bear L. ObispoMay 26-June5 (RAH)and at Scotty's senta year ago. A PaintedRedstart at Cloud- in the SanBernardino Mts., June19 (HEC) Castlein DeathValley Nat'l Monumentin burstSummit in the SanGabriel Mts., June wasidentified as oriantha, the race suspected lateMay andearly June (REW, T&JH), and 29 (KLG)was probably a lostsummer wan- to occasionallybreed this far south. encouragingnumbers such as 40 adults derer. Great-tailedGrackles continue to expand fledging7 ø youngalong the Santa Clara R. theirrange in S.California with breeding, or •n •ntura (JMG).A singingRed-eyed Vireo TANAGERS TO FINCHES suspectedbreeding, as far northas Oceano, photographednear Big Pine July 3-7 Fourterritorial Hepatic Tanagers on Clark SanLuis Obispo (female carrying nesting (T&JH), anotherat c. 7500ft alongCotton- Mr., May zz (SBT)were at a seldomvisited materialsMay I6, KAR),the Buena Vista L. woodCr. in theWhite Mts., July23 (REW) butlong suspected breeding locality. Single Rec.Area nearBakersfield (two malesdis- anda 3rd at S.EK.R.P.all summer(SL) were SummerTanagers near Pala, San Diego July z playingMay z-5, SRG) and Bishop,Inyo unexpectedconsidering the time of year. (JCL), near Banning,Riverside July Iz (multiplepairs nesting,T&JH). A c• At least4 pairsof Lucy'sWarblers near (RMcK), in RiversideJuly 15 through the Bronzed Cowbird was well north of its BorregoSprings in e. SanDiego this summer endof the period(MAP), alongSan Fran- knownrange at EC.R., JuneI3 (REW). (PU) wereat thew. extremeof thisspecies' cisquitoCanyon near Newhall, Los Angeles Red Crossbills moved into the Coastal breedingrange. A VirginiasWarbler at Onyx May z1(SJM) and near Big Pine all summer Mountainsthis summer as indicated by up Summitin theSan Bernardino Mts., July z 7 (T&JH) werewest and north of thisspecies' to I4 on Big PineMt. duringJuly (JMG, (RMcK)was in anarea in whichnesting has knownbreeding range in California.A Rose- MAH), up to I6 on nearbyFigueroa Mt. in previouslybeen suspected, but the date does breastedGrosbeak at GalileoHill Julyio lateJuly (JH, JEL),20 on Mr. Pinosafter not ruleout an earlymigrant. A pairof N. (MTH) would appearlost. A c• Indigo earlyJune (BHe, JEL), up to 30 in the San Parulassuccessfully fledged at leastz young Buntingpaired with a LazuliBunting near BernardinoMts duringJuly (HK, REW), Volume 47, Number 5' IISI oneor two in the SanJacinto Mts. in early rett (LosAngeles), Joanne Getze, PeterA. Patten, Kurt A. Radamaker, Marcia Radke, July(PU), andup to I5 aroundthe Laguna Ginsberg,James M. Greaves,Robert A. WilliamR. Radke,Gary Robinson, Geoffrey Mts.during the last halfofJuly (GLR, PAG). Hamilton,Robert W. Hansen,Joan Hardie, L. Rodgers,James S. Royer,Larry Sansone, BobHargis (BHa), Karen A. Havlena,Gjon RickSaval, Arnold Small, Gregory E Smith, Contributorsand c'•ed observers(county coordi- Hazard, Bob Hefter (BHe), Matt T. Heindel DoreenStadtlander, Scott B. Terrill,Philip nators in boldface):Hank & Jane Bail (Kern), Mitch Heindel,Tom & Jo Heindel Unitt, T. Dion Warren, Richard E. Webster, (H&JB), PatriciaH. Baird,Alan D. Barron, (Inyo),Brad Hines (BHi), Mark A. Holm- Mike Weinstein, Douglas R. Willick Ron Beck,Clark Bloom, David V. Blue, Kurt gren,Joseph R. Jehl,Jerry A. Johnson,H. (Orange),John C. Wilson,Mark C. Wimer E Campbell,Eugene A. Cardiff (San LeeJones, Virgil Ketner, Howard King, John and Roger Zachary.An additional5o+ Bernardino),Jaime M. Chavez,Mark O. Konecny,Steve Laymon, Cin-Ty Lee,Paul observerswho could not be individually Chichester,Henry E. Childs,Therese Claw- E. Lehman (Santa Barbara and Ventura), acknowledgedsubmitted reports this sea- son,Charles T. Collins,Elizabeth Copper JoanE. Lentz,John C. Lovio,Gene Lynch, son.--GUY McCASKIE,San Diego Natu- (SanDiego), Brian E. Daniels,Tom M. Edell GerryMcChesney (GEM), Chet McGaugh, ral HistoryMuseum, Balboa Park, P.O. Box (SanLuis Obispo), Claude G. Edwards,Bar- RobertMcKernan (Riverside), Stephen J. i39o, SanDiego, CA 9ZllZ. baraElliott, ShawneenE. Finnegan,Jon Meyers,Mike SanMiguel, KathyMolina, Fisher,Sylvia R. Gallagher,Kimball L. Gat- Bill Moromarco, Dennis Parker,Michael A. HAWAIIANISLANDS REGION N•wel['s•hea•aters(threateOe••enot•ow• tøfi•a•e bred 9nQ•ahu; inthis •ntu• at RobertL. Pyle butstragglers areoccasi0nMl•found thereor/•eaches, This year five were turned into geaLifepark,an auringJU• a,i•j•iy.On• •i•ihYand wasb•naea • rele;s•; •utthe •!hersHighwaywerejustwe w. ak of a•d the soo•Nuuanu •i.ed(MB):Pall •nneis 0• Newe!t•ida, Oiher• foundNewell; o,n,,O,'ahuhave beenj• ;)deafound d•e0n re Pall •n • yehrsamong the many Wedge:tail&ds blown by itrong Windg •rofigh the gap aBøVe •h$ t•n%lsand down on m the highway i•to night-time headlights. Ob!•ing'froma charter Althoughlate summer rainfall was ample, boat••i Newells were counte• July •8 m thechannel between •uay•nd N• diau;an•3; the statewas still feelinglong-term effects NewelIsAu 19•n thechannel between Kaua •and O ahu(JM) F•nally,and most s• fromthe extremelydry winterand spring cantty,i3Newell's were detected after dusk july z3in Punlena Crater ih th• Puna District of resultingfrom the El Nifio conditionsof last Hawai!i I.,by F.W.S. bioibglsts•searching forNewell nesting sit•s (M• Reynold set fall andwinter. The endemicLaysan Ducks BD,TS),Lesser numbers were detected there later in Julyand Auggat: •his (rat•s closetq fledgedno youngat all this year,and the theKalapana area, where many Newell s were heard one everang last summer, streaming breedingseason for endemicforestbirds at towardthe mountains (AB4t61z•80. HakalauN.W.R. was largely a bust.On the brightside, Puaiohi were sighted twice in the Koke'e/Alakœiarea, the first reports of anyof Abbreviations:H. (Hawai• L); K. (Kaua• L); GREBES TO STORM-PETRELS Kauai's rare forestbirds since hurricane Iniki M. (Maui I.); O. ( O}thuL). A Pied-billedGrebe sighted July 29 at Nuu strucklast September. Pondon the s. coast of Maul (VG) maywell havecome from the new breeding colonyat AimakapaPond on the lAWAll n.w. coast of Hawai'i I., since mainlandstragglers would not be likelyat thisseason. Three Hawai- ian(Dark-rumped) Petrels (Endan- gereeOseen flying inland from the sea at Haena on the n. coast of Honolulu'•..-.• MOLOKA'It. Kaua'i at duskJune 25 (TS), and one turned in to the shearwater aid stationat Lihuein lateJuly (TT), providemore fragmentaryevi- dencethat this speciesmay be increasingas a breederon Kaua'i. Some•5o-2oo Wedge-tailed Shear- waters in a foragingflock in Ma'alaeaBay, just offshore Kealia Pond(JO), was an unusually high count for Maul waters. A total of z7 Band-rumped Storm-Petrels, in severalflocks of 8-io birds,were sighted July z8 from a charter vesselin the channel w. of Kaudi (JM). It was dark 1152.American Birds,Winter 1993 Aug.x9 whenhe passedback through the with flocksof foragingshearwaters. At Mid- Grove(DA). Theseare the first reports of any channel,but laterthat dayhe did seeone wayAtoll, two ad. Least or LittleTerns were of Kauai'scritically rare forestbirds since hur- bird about 8o km w. of O'ahu. One storm- observedfrequently on Sand I., July ricaneIniki strucklast September. Puaiohi petrel,reported to bea Band-rumped,was 5 Aug.8, and an immaturewas on Spit I., wasthe most likely species to befound, since founddead in downtownHilo, H., July28 July22 (LT, BFetal.). SevenWhite Tern pre-Iniki numberswere consideredto be andwas turned in to EW.S.(fideBD). This chicksfrom Midway Atoll, displacedby largerfor Puaiohi than for the other rare ones. specieshas long been suspected of breeding cleanupactivities prior to closingthe Navy Fifty-sixnests of Palila(Endangered) had on Kaua'i,and perhapsalso on Hawai'i I. basethere, were brought to SeaLife Park, O., beenfound by mid-August in thestudy area The HawaiianIs. populationis a candidate June24 to be raisedfor release(MB). at MaunaKea, H., comparedto nonelast forlisting as an Endangeredspecies. Remainsof a dead'Apapane and an 'I'iwi yearduring the height of theEl Nifio-related were found under a Barn Owl nest in drought.Return of the rainsin latespring TROPICBIRDS TO OWLS Hakalau N.W.R., H., and bones of andsummer this year evidently was a factor A White-tailedTropicbird was seen in drepanidsand other small birds were found (T.Prattfide BD). AnotherMaui Parrotbill HaleakalaCrater, M., July 6 (VG), an in pelletsnearby. Last year, no deadbirds (Endangered)was spotted along the nature unusuallocality. Great Frigatebirds, uncom- werenoticed at thisnest, and only rodent trailat HosmerGrove, M. July5 (LP).Only monlyreported in thes. Main islands,were boneswere found in thepellets. One young one male 'Akiapola'au(Endangered) was seenthis season along Ma'alaea Bay shore- owlfledged from the nest in lateJune (JL). found this summer in the research area on line,M. (3,June x3, JO), off Ho'okipaPark Mauna Kea, where three males had been M. (x, June2o andJuly 24, JO), and at understudy last year (T. PrattfideBD). How- Honaunau,H. (5, soaringhigh June3o, 'ALALA TO HAWAIIAN HONEYCREEPERS ever,a pairwas reported seen at Pu'uLa'au KW). An ad. Little Blue Heron was found The five 'Alala(Hawaiian Crow, critically June28 & 30, and one alongMauna Loa July28 at WestLoch Shores Park (BE), the Endangered)hatched from wild eggs,refer- StripRd., H. July2 (KW). samegeneral area in whichall of the state's encedin lastseasons report, were fitted with dozen or so occurrences have been recorded radio transmitters and released from the Contributors:David Ainley,Jeff Andrade, overthe past 3o years. It wasseen repeatedly hackingaviary during the 4th week of Marlee Breese,Robert Cummins, Reg throughAugust (m. ob.). A White-facedIbis August.Monitoring of their subsequent David,Jim Denny,Peter Donaldson, Bob reportedat AimakapaPond in late July movements and interactions with wild Dusek, Fern Duvall, Bruce Eilerts, Beth (MM) andAug. x (RD) isespecially interest- adultsindicates that all is going well thus far. Flint(reporting for U.S. Fish & WildlifeSer- ingsince the sighting of onethere last fall, Thevery late egg mentioned last season did viceRefuges), Vicki Grieve,Harvey King, andone reported in winteron Kaudi. hatchsuccessfully, and that young chick was JaanLepson, Matt Kishinami,Jeff Marks, Followingthe extremelydry winterand placedin the captiveflock at Olinda, M. MarieMorin, Jerry Oldenettel, Leilani Pyle, spring,the lake on LaysanI. droppedto its Sadly,the one young bird hatched eadier at VaughnSherwood, Tom Snetsinger, Lance lowestlevel in recentmemory. Laysan Ducks Olindadied there in mid-Augustof undeter- Tanino, Tom Telfer, Eric VanderWerf, Kath- (Endangered)failed to fledge any young birds minedcauses; initial necropsyrevealed no leen Viernes, Ken Weaver, Dave Wood- this year,although adults seemed to have diseaseor injury.Thirteen birds now remain side. ROBERT L. PYLE, 741N. Kalaheo survived in normal numbers. More rain in in the captiveflock, and x7 in the wild on Ave., Kailua, HI 96734. latespring and summer restored the lake to Hawai'i I. (EW.S.). expectedlevel, but too late for theducks to An adult and a separatejuv. Puaiohi startnesting (EW.S.,fideBF). Koloa (Hawai- (Endangered)were well observed July x3 along ian Duck,Endangered) were already nesting Mohihi Trail in the Koke'e/Alaka'i area of thissummer in thenew Kawaiele sanctuary Kaua'i(JD). One hadbeen seen in thissame beingdeveloped from sand-mining pits near localityin Julyx99x. Another Puaiohi was BarkingSands, K. (TT). seenJuly z onlower Pihea Trail near the Sugi At Hakalau ForestN.W.R., H., June20, an 'Io (HawaiianHawk) wasseen to catchand eat a young 'Akepa--anotherinstance of an endangered predator eating endangeredprey (JL). OneSemipalmated Plover and at least eight Bristle-thighed Curlews oversummered at Sand I., MidwayAtoll (fideBF). The firstfall Bristle-thighed was found at KahukuPt., O., July28 (EV), and two werethere Aug. x (RLP, PD). Four early Sharp-tailed- Sandpiperswere at Amorient , Aquafarm,O. thesame date (EV). A S. PolarSkua was seen July 28 from a vessel between Kaua'i and Ni'ihau; anothersighted s. of Kaua'iAug. x9 mighthave been the samebird (JM). Both were • Volume 47, Number 5' 1153 foundon small roadside ponds in SanDiego The GreaterAntillean Pewee has 3 distinct WESTINDIES de los Banos, Cuba. The Cuban endemic forms:the JamaicanPewee (C. pallidus), REGION raceof Broad-wingedHawk was sighted at HispaniolanPewee (C. hispaniolensis),and La Guira National Park, Pinar del Rio Prov. the Greater Antillean form found in Cuba RobertJ.Norton (PWSet al.) July 3L andthe Bahamas(Reynard et al., •993).In A SemipalmatedPlover seen July 3• (PWS Cuba,its single-note call could be heard eas- et al.) in Pinardel Rio Prov.may have been Twobrief reports are offered from the U.S. ilyin mostwoodland habitats (PWS et al.). A oversummering.Killdeer, common and wide- Virgin Islands,and Cuba. The latterreport PuertoRican Flycatcher, resident in theVir- spreadin Cuba,where they are recorded as representsobservations made by some of the gin Is.,was observed July n onthe w. endof breedingresidents (Garrido and Kirkconnel), •oo membersof the Societyof Caribbean StL,near the airport (EH). ThisMyiarchus werefirst noted by membersof theS.C.O., Ornithology,which met in Havanalate this flycatcherseems to bemuch less common on July3o at the Havana airport. A SpottedSand- summer.Previous reports from Cubacame StLthan on StJ,although its abundance is piper,which may have oversummered, was primarilyin the springseason, when the notwell known among the other islands of seenat a roadsidepond in Pinardel Rio Prov., optimumnumber of species may be encoun- the e. Puerto Rico Bank (RLN). The tered. However, with severalmembers and July3• (PWSet al.). TwoLeast Sandpipers endemic Cuban Martin rounded out the list wereat Salt Pond, StJ July n (EH),suggesting residentguides keen on seeingevery bird at SanDiego de losBanos July 3• (PWS et andeparture from breeding areas. Four breed- that the w. provinces,Pinar del Rio and al.). It wasonly a matterof timebefore the ing-plumagedLong-billed Dowitchers, rare Matanzas,had to offer,the specieslist was in theWest Indies, were spotted at a roadside HouseSparrow would be recordedfrom still veryimpressive. Since the bulk of the pondin Cuba,on the July 3• foray in Pinardel CruzBay, StJ, where 2 birdswere carefully reportoverlaps with the fall season, look for RioProv. Apparently the females had already notedover a spanof 4 days,July •2-•5 (EH). thebalance in thenext seasonal report. leftthe tundra breeding areas. Until •98•,House Sparrows were apparently Precipitation,measured at the National CUCKOOSTO SPARROWS extant in Charlotte Amalie, StL, where one ParkService, Cruz Bay, StJ, was less than 0.5% Althoughfairly common and widespread in wasobserved entering a ceilingcavity in the belowthe •oo-year period of recordfor the Cuba, the Great Lizard Cuckoo, first noted shoppingdistrict (RLN). summerseason: June +•7% and July q6%. July3• by S.C.O. members,awed observers Abbreviations:StJ (St. Johns); StT (St. with itssize and resemblance to prehistoric Contrib.tors:Elwood Bracey, Ed Heise,P Thomas). birds.Two of themost delightful endemics William,Susan A. Smith,Society for Carib- EGRETSTO SANDPIPERS of Cubaare the CubanTrogon and the beanOrnithology.--ROBERT L.NORTON, A ReddishEgret'was noted in Pinardel Rio CubanTody; the latter is superior to alloth- 3408N.W. 27th Terr.,Gainesville, FL 32605. Province(PWS et al.). RuddyDucks were ersof thisgenus in theWest Indies (RLN). for: The Urner-StoneCup HighestTotal -- Record 215 BIRD Muster The Ed Stearns Award HighestTotal/Out of for the Region Team -- $LI 1 lth Annual Record 215! 50OO SPECIES from all over the world World Series of TheCape Island Cup Birding HighestTotal for a Limited SLIDE SETS Route -- Record 171 Endangered species. Owls. Bird families. Midnight to Eastern warblers. Herons. Raptors. Shorebirds. Waterfowl Midnight For RegistrationMaterials May 14, 1994 Write to: WSB, Cape May INDIVIDUAL SLIDES Bird Observatory,PO Selected from over 65.000 images and custom duplicated to suit you]- needs Box 3, Cape May Point, NJ Requesl our free North American catalog or send a list A Big Day 08212 or call 609-884-2736 of species desired, indicating age. sex. behavior or color phase. Catalog slides are $3.OO each. non-catalog Birding Contest slides are $4.00 each. w/th a minimum order of 5 slides in the name of Hostedby the New Jersey Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. (These slides are for non-- Audubon Society commercial use only and may not •e duplicated.) fun, glory and Endorsedby the American conservation Birding Association VISUAL RESOURCES for ORNITHOLOGY dollars Sponsoredby: American Write: Vll•EO/Academy of Natural Sciences for the cause of Birds, Bird Watchers 1900 Ben Franklin Parkway Phlla, PA 19103 Digest,Birders World, your choice.* TheLiving Bird, and * but most•for the fun WildBird. 1154-American Birds,Winter 1993