Newsmagazine of the British Columbia Field Ornithologists ISSN 1206-1611 BCFO.ca Volume 28 Number 1 / March 2018

Short-eared Owl at Boundary Bay – see page 2 for details, and the back page for another image. BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1)

Publisher BC Birding is published four times a year by the British Columbia Field Ornithologists, P.O. Box 61670, RPO BCFO Officers & Brookswood, Langley, BC V3A 1K0. A subscription to this quarterly is a benefit of member- ship in the society. Members also receive a copy of the an- Directors nual journal, British Columbia Birds.

Officers President: Mike McGrenere, Victoria, 250-658-8624, [email protected] About the BCFO Vice President: Art Martell, Courtenay, 250-334-2979, Membership in BCFO is open to anyone interested in the [email protected] study and enjoyment of wild birds in British Columbia. Secretary: Marian Porter, Salt Spring Island, 250-653-2043, BCFO objectives include: fostering cooperation between [email protected] amateur and professional ornithologists, promoting cooper- Treasurer: Josh Inman, Langley, 604-532-0455, ative bird surveys and research projects, and supporting [email protected] conservation organizations in their efforts to preserve birds and their habitats. Other Directors Membership Jude Grass, Surrey, 604-219-2043, [email protected] See the website (http://bcfo.ca) for details, or write to the Clive Keen, Prince George, 250-963-9520, BCFO address given above under “Publisher.” clive_keen@ hotmail.com Adrian Leather, Quesnel, 250-249-5561, Annual Membership Dues q-birds@xplornet. com General Membership (Canada): $30 Monica Nugent, New Westminster, 604-220-8816, Junior Membership (Canada): $20 [email protected] U.S. and International Membership: $35 Gary Davidson, Nakusp, 250-265-4456, [email protected]

Ex Officio Newsmagazine Submissions Immediate Past President: George Clulow, Burnaby, 604-438 To submit material to this publication, contact the Editor by -7639, [email protected] email ([email protected]). Submissions may include articles about birding experi- BCFO Committees & Representatives ences, casual observations about bird behaviour, site guides, AGM Planning Committee: TBA photographs, and other topics of broad interest to birders, Archivist/ Librarian: Les Gyug preferably, but not necessarily, in British Columbia. Trip British Columbia Birds (Journal) Editor: Art Martell reports by members, both in Canada and elsewhere, are BC Birding (Newsmagazine) Editor: Clive Keen; welcome. Items can be of any length up to a maximum of Associate Editor: Virginia Rasch 2,000 words. Please remember to give the full name of the BC Bird Records Committee Chair: Nathan Hentze photographer for any photographs submitted, BCFO Two-day Trips: Adrian Leather Deadlines (i.e final dates for submission of material) are Canadian International Joint Venture: Wayne Weber as follows. Material received after the deadline will be held Cannings Award Committee: Wayne Weber over to the subsequent edition. Featured Photographer Committee: Carlo Giovanella • March edition: February 15 IOC Vancouver 2018: George Clulow Membership Committee: Larry Cowan • June edition: May 15 Website: George Clulow, Neil Dawe • September edition: August 15 Young Birder Awards Committee: Carlo Giovanella Young Birders Program: Melissa Hafting • December edition: November 15

Advertising Rates Front Page Photo Full page: $125 per issue or $112.50 each for four or more John Gordon writes: The development of cranberry and blue- issues. berry farms has shrunk their traditional hunting grounds, but Half page: $75 per issue or $67.50 each for four or more Boundary Bay still has a few areas left where owls can hunt. issues. Although this image looks like I’ve used great stealth and Quarter page: $40 per issue or $36 each for four or more expertise, the truth is that this owl has become so habituated issues. to humans it frequently hunts very close to the dyke pathway. The bird became a regular visitor to the same fenceline where BCFO members are welcome to include classified ads, of it caught numerous Townsend’s voles, stashing its catch for up to 25 words, at no cost. later consumption and away from the marauding Northern Harriers.

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Contents

Notices & Notes President’s Message ...... 4 Welcome New Members ...... 4 Notes ...... 5 Upcoming Meetings & Events ...... 13 Oddments ...... 35

AGM & Conference Details Registration Form ...... 7 Conference Speakers ...... 7 Schedule of Events ...... 8 Registration Information ...... 8 Accommodation ...... 9 Important Dates Field Trips ...... 9 Extension Trip ...... 10

BCFO Two-day Trips Hope Conference Princeton, May 31–June 1, 2018 ...... 11 & AGM 2018 Farewell

Registration Martin K McNicholl ...... 11 Peter Blokker ...... 12 April 1 Online registration opens for Avian Encounters Conference & AGM, and post- Young Birders Program ...... 15 conference trip. Welcome Visitors ...... 17 The Unexpected...... 19 Southern Travels ...... 20 Event Dates CBC 2017 ...... 22 May 31 – June 1 Pre-conference Princeton area Features two-day trip (see page 11). In the Media ...... 24 Featured Species – Marbled Godwit ...... 30 June 1 – 3 Wintering Marbled Murrelets...... 34 Hope Conference & AGM. Gallery ...... 37

June 3 – 6 Briefings Post-conference Williams Lake area How Vulnerable Are Birds to Climate Change? ...... 25 Extension Trip (see page 10). Instant Bird ...... 26 More Instant Birds ...... 26 Closing Deadlines Not So Instant Bird ...... 27 Book Reviews May 20 The Biggest Twitch ...... 28 Registration for the pre-conference Birding Without Borders ...... 29 and post-conference trips. Regular Columns May 20 Gone Pishing – Get Away from My Berries ...... 32 Registration for Hope conference The Reflective Birder – Profundity from a Snail Kite ...... 36 and AGM. Listers’ Corner Introduction and Tables ...... 38

Page 3 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) that have produced some exciting rare Registration information for the 2018 birds. There will also be a trip to AGM and conference in Hope is also President’s Manning Provincial Park for a look for presented in this issue (pages 8–10) and higher elevation species. will be posted on the website in the Saturday evening will be a highlight Events Section. Online registration for Message as Kelly and Scott will be giving the both the AGM and the post-conference banquet presentation on the bird blitzes extension trip will open on April 1, The AGM held in Manning Provincial Park and 2018 at 9:00 a.m. PDT. The Hope area has mainly been a the Skagit Valley. These annual birding location that I passed through on events have provided a considerable On a sad note, two of our long-time Highway 1 to go birding in the Interior amount of data on bird abundance and members recently passed away. Martin and in northern parts of BC. It is usually we will be treated to some analyses of McNicholl was a board member in the a location to fill up the car with gas and bird trends and some highlight species 1990s and a long-time editor of our to have lunch. My only birding from the bird blitzes. journal, BC Birds, and he was a experience in the Hope area was on two The previous two AGMs have been recipient of the Steve Cannings Award camping trips in the 1980s to the Skagit our largest with over 70 members in 2014 for his contributions to Valley where my wife, Barb, and I were attending the Cranbrook and Tumbler ornithology. It was a shock to learn that able to enjoy a great variety of birds Ridge meetings. Hope is located within Peter Blokker passed away on a trip to found in this valley. easy access for a large number of our Italy earlier this year. Peter was an The Hope area offers some excellent members. This year’s event will be held active birder in the Vernon area and birding opportunities and the field trips at the Hope Golf & Country Club and is regular participant at BCFO AGMs and planned for the 2018 Annual General a smaller venue than the previous two on the extension trips. You can read Meeting and Conference will take years. Therefore, we are limiting farewell notes for Martin and Peter on BCFO members to many of the birding attendance to 100 participants. pages 11 and 12 of this issue. habitats in this area. With the assistance The pre-conference two-day field I look forward to seeing you at the of Kelly Pearce and Scott Denkers of trip will take place in the Princeton area Friday evening social in Hope. the Hope Mountain Centre, five field while the post-conference extension trip trips have been planned to take will be to the Williams Lake area. Mike McGrenere, President participants into the Skagit Valley, to These trips are described in this issue of nearby wetlands and to birding hotspots the newsmagazine (pages 10 and 11).

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Notes BCFO Records Committee Christmas Bird Count Late-breaking news: Adam Dhalla is Rounds 18, 19, 20, and 21 were complet- Volunteer Needed ABA Young Birder of the year. See ed and the following species were accept- ed to the Main Provincial List: page 15. The BCFO provides a service • Acorn Woodpecker to the birding community and general public by giving Year-end Membership • Black Phoebe one-stop-shop information on Membership Secretary Larry Cowan • Black-throated Sparrow the CBCs in the province – reports that as of December 31, 2017 • Blue-gray Gnatcatcher see the website at bcfo.ca, the BCFO had 296 regular members, up • Burrowing Owl clicking on CBCs. from 273 a year previously. There were • California Scrub-Jay also (2016 figures in square brackets) 3 A volunteer is now needed • Chestnut-sided Warbler honorary members [4], 20 Young Bird- to maintain and update the er Award recipients [15], 2 complimen- • Costa’s Hummingbird website information. This es- tary memberships [6] and 6 [6] institu- • Curlew Sandpiper sentially involves identifying tional members, for a total of 327 [304] • Dickcissel and chasing up the various members. There were 39 new members • Hermit Warbler organisers for CBC dates and in 2017 [35] with 27 members [29] not • Indigo Bunting reports. (Note that BCFO has renewing from 2016. no involvement in how the • Lark Bunting This represents an increase in regu- CBCs are operated and orga- • lar membership over the year of almost Lesser Black-backed Gull nized.) 8% – the fourth year of healthy growth. • Lesser Goldfinch If you would be willing to Membership by Region • Little Gull take on this task, please con- • Loggerhead Shrike • Vancouver, Coast & Mountains: tact gclulow@ shaw.ca. • Northern Cardinal 38% [41%] • Northern Parula • Vancouver Island: 24% [26%] • Painted Bunting • Thompson, Okanagan: 16% [14%] • Red-headed Woodpecker • Northern BC: 5% [5%] • Red-necked Stint • Ruby-throated Hummingbird Which sparrow is which? • Kootenay, Rockies: 7% [6%] The answer – we hope we got it right • Ruff • Cariboo, Chilcotin, Coast: 3% [4%] this time – is on the next page. Photos • Tufted Duck from Creative Commons. Plus small numbers from the US, Al- • White-winged Dove berta, Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova A full account will be published in the Scotia and Finland. forthcoming edition of British Colum- bia Birds.

Year-end Finances Treasurer Josh Inman reports that as of Know Those Sparrows December 31, 2017, the Society had Oops, the Clay-Colored Sparrow shown $38,117 operating funds and $50,000 in the December 2017 edition wasn’t – earmarked for conservation and educa- it was in fact a Brewer’s or Timberline tion. The year-end total of $88,117 Sparrow. Faces were a bit red on the compares to $82,356 at the end of the editorial desk. previous year. It’s not surprising that Rick Wright spotted the error immediately, since he is writing a book on the identification Honour for of sparrows. His Sparrows volume of the Peterson’s Guide series will before Ann Nightingale too long be joining his other bird- Ann Nightingale from Victoria is now a related publications, and will no doubt director of the American Birding Ass- be reviewed in this magazine. sociation, one of the two Canadians on the Board. For information on the ABA, head to www.aba.org. Page 5 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1)

Left: Purple Sandpiper, Creative Commons photo.

Those Sparrows (Previous page) The Clay-colored is on the top, and yes, the bottom one is a Brewer’s. For those finding sparrow identification difficult, Rick Wright promises to get his ID book finished as soon as possible.

Canada’s National Bird? BC Bird of the Year Ken Otter writes: “Unfortunately, Gray Jay (or Canada Jay, as the call has come out to officially reclaim the original name) isn’t the national bird yet, and the gov- The annual BC bird-of-the-year vote ernment has taken a stance “not to consider adding any new national symbols at run by Kevin Neill (Victoria) had a re- this time.” markable abundance of candidates. On ‘I have two official letters from the Heritage Minister on this point, after being top of the regional firsts, which were asked to write to her as President of the Society of Canadian Ornithologists. bound to pick up some votes, there were “...There is still poking at the government to consider this, and there is a group five apparent BC firsts: Northern Cardi- actively lobbying the American Ornithological Society’s nomenclature committee nal, Pink-footed Goose, Purple Sandpi- to re-establish the original name (based on an investigation by Dan Strickland that per, Curve-billed Thrasher, and Piping was published last spring in Ontario Birds that found the original name change Plover. There were also some other very was brought in under faulty reasoning, and actually the officially recognized fine birds that might have been seen American Ornithologists’ Union name was Canada Jay from the 1850s to 1957 before but still counted as megaticks. when Canada Jay and Oregon Jay were merged.” It’s quite a year when Redwing, Red- flanked Bluetail and Black-tailed Gull The jay – Gray, Canada, or Wisakedjak – nevertheless bows to his many fans. get to be considered also-rans. Kevin CNK photo of a January 2018 visitor to a Prince George feeder. writes:

After much thought, debate, and internal strife that some birders put themselves through with their deep and sometimes scientific exami- nation of this year’s candi- dates, a clear winner has emerged. Others simply sent me two words: Purple Sandpiper

In a relatively close second place was the Northern Car- dinal. The Pink-footed Geese and the Curve -bil led Thrasher tied for third place. The Summer Tanager received quite a few votes in the waning days of Decem- ber, but couldn’t quite place.

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BCFO 28th AGM & CONFERENCE, June 1 – 3, 2018, Hope, BC Registration Form Name(s) ......

Address ......

......

Phone ...... Email ...... …….

Conference Registration Maximum registrations: 100. Attendance is limited to BCFO members and accompanying spouses/family members. If spaces are available, non-members may join BCFO at the same time as they register for the Conference.*

Full conference fee includes: Friday night Meet & Greet, Saturday & Sunday breakfasts, lunches and Saturday evening Ban- quet plus all field trips and talks. _____@ $170 /person = $______

BCFO Young Birders _____@ $85 /person = $______

Social events ONLY (Meet & Greet, and Banquet) _____@ $75 /person = $______

*Membership fee for non-members ` `_____@ $30.00 – single/family = $______(see BCFO website for membership details)

Total registration fee(s) for the Conference = $______

Will you be attending the Friday evening reception: Yes . . . . . No . . . . .

Do you have any dietary requirements: Yes . . . . Requirement ...... Waiver All registrants for the conference and extension trip are required to complete the WAIVER OF LIABILITY AND RELEASE OF CLAIMS form. Forms will be made available at the AGM at the time of registering for the field trips.

Participation in the AGM is not possible without payment of applicable fee(s) by the registration date.

All fees are payable upon submission of this registration form. Please make cheque or money order payable to BC Field Ornithologists. If registering by mail, send your registration and payment to BC Field Ornithologists, P.O. Box 61670, RPO Brookswood, Langley, BC V3A 1K0. Please submit AGM registrations by May 20, 2018.

profit promoting outdoor education. ing birding as a favourite hobby in his Conference Speakers Kelly worked as a naturalist in Man- spare time. After immigrating to Cana- ning Provincial Park for 14 years and da in 2006 and a stint of IT consulting David Manning has lived in Hope since 1997. He has work, Scott decided to leave technology Although Dave has been a birder for devoted his life to celebrating nature and bureaucracy and return to his natu- over 50 years, he didn’t get hooked on and enjoys sharing that passion with ral roots and joined Hope Mountain Turkey Vultures until ten years ago, others. Centre where he is currently Adminis- when he discovered a young chick in its Scott Denkers developed his passion trative Director. Much of Scott’s life as nest cave. A former elementary school for birds, and nature in general, early in a volunteer in Canada has been with the teacher, Dave is retired and lives on life while growing up in the Chiltern Great Blue Heron Nature Reserve Soci- Pender Island. He recently completed a Hills near London. His interest in birds ety and as an executive committee book on Turkey Vultures with the same followed him when he moved from the member of the Chilliwack Field Natu- title as his presentation. UK to North America to follow aca- ralists. Title: The Old Man & the Vultures. demic pursuits in the early 1970s. With Title: The Bird Blitz Legacy degrees in biology and physical geogra- (Manning Park and Skagit Valley Bird Kelly Pearce and Scott Denkers phy, Scott changed direction and estab- Blitzes). (joint presentation) lished a 25-year career in information Kelly Pearce is Program Director for technology in the United States, keep- the Hope Mountain Centre, a local non- Page 7 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1)

BCFO 28th AGM & CONFERENCE, June 1 – 3, 2018, Hope, BC Schedule of Events

Location: Hope Golf & Country Club, 900 Golf Course Rd, Hope. All conference activities and field trip departures take place from here. Friday, June 1

5:00 pm to 9:00 pm – Registration and Social (appetizers & cash bar). Pick up your conference package, socialize with fellow birders and confirm your field trip selection for the Saturday trips.

Saturday and Sunday, June 2 & 3

Breakfast: 5:15 to 5:45 am, prior to field trips (both days).

Conference Field Trips: 6:00 am departures both days from the golf course parking lot.

Trip 1 - Cheam Wetland. Trip 2 - Thacker Marsh and Thacker Mountain. Trip 3 - Hope Airpark/Jack Delair Property. Trip 4 - Silver Lake. Trip 5 - Manning Park (Spruce Bay, Strawberry Flats).

Lunch: 12:00 to 1:00 pm (both days).

Afternoon Speaker: 1:15 to 2:00 pm, Saturday. David Manning: “The Old Man & the Vultures.”

Annual General Meeting: 2:15 to 3:30 pm, Saturday. Field trip selection for the Sunday trips will occur after the AGM.

Social Hour Cash Bar: 5:00 to 6:15 pm, Saturday.

Banquet: 6:15 to 7:15 pm, Saturday.

Steve Cannings Award Presentation: 7:15 to 7:30 pm, Saturday.

Banquet Keynote: 7:30 to 9:00 pm. Kelly Pearce and Scott Denkers: “The Bird Blitz Legacy.”

To register for the To register for the Field Trip Selection and AGM/Conference Extension Trip Waiver Forms

Via regular mail Via the BCFO website Field trip selections for the mornings of Complete the registration form in this Note: The only way to register for the June 2 and June 3 will be made when issue of BC Birding and mail it along extension trip is via the website. checking in on Friday, June 1. At the with your cheque for payment to: Payment may be made either by same time, you will be asked to com- cheque, or via the PayPal button. plete your conference waiver form. To P.O. Box 61670 ensure fairness, field trip selection will RPO Brookswood Go to the AGM/Extension Payments tab be opened at 5:00 pm on June 1. under the Events > Annual Conference Langley, BC V3A 1K0. drop-downs. The fillable registration Mountain Bluebird by Ken Willis. form will include the opportunity to Via the BCFO website (PayPal) indicate your desire to attend the post- Go to the AGM/Extension Payments AGM Extension. tab under the Events > Annual Confer- To pay for more than one registra- ence drop-downs. tion via PayPal, simply make sufficient A fillable registration form is availa- single payments for each person you ble for completion. To pay for more wish to register. than one registration, simply make suf- ficient single payments for each person Online registrations open on you wish to register. April 1 at 9:00 am PDT.

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BCFO 28th AGM & CONFERENCE, June 1 – 3, 2018, Hope, BC

1-866-508-5223. Windsor Motel Accommodation – www.colonial900motel.com. 778 3rd Ave, Hope BC V0X 1L0. Phone: 604-869-9944; toll free: 1-888- Hope Skagit Motor Inn 588-9944. 655 3rd Ave, Hope BC V0X 1L0. All conference events will be held at 604-869-5220; toll free: 1-888-869- the Hope Golf & Country Club so there 5228. www.skagitmotel.ca. Campgrounds will be no host hotel. There are many accommodation choices in Hope in- Park Motel cluding hotels and motels, bed and 832 4th Ave, Hope BC V0X 1L0. Coquihalla Campground breakfasts and campgrounds. Some of 604-869-5891; toll free: 1-888-531- 800 Kawkawa Lake Rd, Hope BC V0X the possible accommodation choices 9933. www.parkmotel.ca. 1L0. toll free: 1-800-869-7118. are listed below: www.coquihallacampground.ca. Heritage Inn Hotels 570 Old Hope Princeton Way, Hope Telte-Yet Camp Site BC V0X 1L0. 604-869-7166; toll free: 600 Water Ave, Hope BC V0X 1L0. Colonial 900 Motel 1-888-869-6577. Phone: 604-869-9481. 900 Old Hope Princeton Way, Hope www.heritageinnhope.com. BC V0X 1L0. 604-869-5223; toll free:

munity of Silver Creek. Stay on Flood Hope Airpark & Hope Road, passing through Silver Field Trips Creek, and over an overpass that cross- Jack Delair Property es the Trans-Canada Highway. Immedi- ately after the overpass, turn sharply Thacker Marsh & Thacker The Hope Airpark has the longest grass right onto Tobina Road and follow to Mountain runway in BC, at 6,000 feet in length. Yale Road, turn left, and follow Yale Birds like to drop in here too, and many Road over the railway tracks. After the Thacker Marsh is a Fraser Valley Re- species gather in the forests that line the gional District (FVRD) park located tracks, turn left and follow Yale Road edges of the runway. We will look for to Airport Road. Turn right on Airport within Hope. It offers great bird habitat Western Kingbird, MacGillivray’s War- and accessible shoreline trails, includ- Road and stay on it for about 1 km. bler and Lazuli Bunting. We’ll also Keep an eye on your left for the airpark ing access to the Coquihalla River. Wil- visit the adjacent farm owned by Jack low Flycatcher, Cedar Waxwing and administrative building, where you can Delair, a local naturalist whose property park. Red Crossbill should be seen. We then is a paradise for birds. drive up to nearby Thacker Mountain which offers a different birding habitat. Leaders – Jude and Al Grass Jude and Al hardly need an introduc- Cheam Wetland Leaders – Scott Denkers and Kelly tion, being, as they are, legends in the Pearce world of birding. They’ve been coming Cheam Wetland is an FVRD park locat- Scott and Kelly both work for Hope to Hope for many years and have an ed between Hope and Chilliwack. It Mountain Centre and co-manage the intimate knowledge of the rich birdlife offers wonderful bird habitat, accessible Manning Park Bird Blitz and the Skagit found here. Jude and Al played a key via shoreline trails, floating walkways, Valley Bird Blitz. role in establishing the Skagit Valley and viewing platforms. In addition to Bird Blitz. wetland habitat, there is adjacent forest How To Get There and trails nearby. Species to look for Leaving the Hope Golf Club, cross the How To Get There will be Wood Duck, Band-tailed Pi- bridge and turn left onto 7th Avenue. Leaving the Hope Golf Club, cross the geon, Black Swift and Bullock's Oriole. Travel to the end of 7th and turn right bridge and turn left onto 7th Avenue. onto Wallace Street. Follow Wallace to Travel to the end of 7th and turn right Leader – TBA 6th Avenue and turn left. Follow 6th onto Wallace Street. Follow Wallace to Avenue over the railway tracks and past 6th Avenue and turn left. Follow 6th How To Get There the recreation centre, turning left onto Avenue over the railway tracks and past Travel east from Hope on Highway 1 Kawkawa Lake Road. Follow Kaw- the recreation centre until it ends at Old for 35 km. At Exit 138, leave the high- kawa Lake Road over the bridge and Hope-Princeton Highway. Turn right way and turn right at the first intersec- take an immediate left at the end of the and follow Old Hope–Princeton High- tion, connecting with Yale Road East. bridge, onto Union Bar Road. After a way to the intersection beside the over- At Yale Road East, turn left and travel short distance, you’ll see a parking lot pass. Turn left onto Flood Hope Road, to Popkum Road. At Popkum Road, on your right. travel up a hill and down into the com- turn right and travel to Elgey Road. At Elgey Road, turn left and drive to

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BCFO 28th AGM & CONFERENCE, June 1 – 3, 2018, Hope, BC

Cheam Lake Wetland. Total travel time Leader – Marian Porter How To Get There from Hope is about 30 minutes. Marian is a former park naturalist at Leaving the Hope Golf Club, cross the Manning Park and is very familiar with bridge and turn left onto 7th Avenue. the birds in the park. She is a long-time Travel to the end of 7th and turn right member of the BC Field Ornithologists onto Wallace Street. Follow Wallace to Manning Park – Lodge, as well as a past president. 6th Avenue and turn left. Follow 6th Lightning Lake, Avenue over the railway tracks and past How to Get There the recreation centre until it ends at Old Strawberry Flats Drive east out of Hope on Highway 3, Hope–Princeton Highway. Turn right traveling for 60 km until you see Man- (Also: the Alpine Lookout if access is and follow Old Hope–Princeton High- ning Park Lodge on your right. Park in way to the intersection beside the over- available) the parking lot in front of the main pass. Turn left onto Flood Hope Road, Manning Park is an excellent location lodge and gather there. travel up a hill and down into the com- Vehicles will stay in a convoy as for birding at a higher elevation and in munity of Silver Creek. As you pass the transition area to the dry interior of you move to various birding areas with- through Silver Creek, a bridge will take BC. Our first stop after leaving Hope in the park. you over Silverhope Creek, then take will be the Manning Park Lodge which the first left onto Silver Skagit Road. often has turned up some interesting Follow Silver Skagit Road for 8 km birds on the surrounding grounds. We Silver Lake until you reach Silver Lake. Eventually then head to the Spruce Bay parking lot the road turns from pavement to gravel, and hike the trail along Lightning Lake Silver Lake is a popular birding hotspot but any two-wheel-drive vehicle can for about an hour. Our next stop will be enjoyed by birders as they travel into navigate the road. A Bailey bridge on Strawberry Flats where we will look for the Skagit. You can bird the road that your right takes you to the Provincial higher elevation birds such as Mountain runs along Silver Lake’s eastern shore, Park on Silver Lake’s western shore. If and Boreal Chickadee, American Three visit the Provincial Park on the west you avoid the bridge and stay left, con- -toed Woodpecker and Sooty Grouse. If shore, and explore the floodplain at the tinuing to follow Silver Skagit Road, the road to the alpine lookout is open, lake’s southern end (protected by the you will arrive at Silver Lake’s eastern we will adjust the timing at some of the Nature Trust of BC). Species to look for shore. Continuing south along the east- stops so that we will be able to take include Harlequin Duck, Black Swift, ern shore, you will eventually come to advantage of the birding opportunities Black-throated Gray Warbler and Black the southern end of the lake where an along this route. Clark’s Nutcracker is -headed Grosbeak. access trail on your right takes you to usually found at the lookout. the floodplain protected by the Nature Leader – TBA Trust.

Possible Species Bluffs, Alkali Lake. Evening: Tally-up Say’s Phoebe, Lazuli Bunting, Lewis’s at The Point (restaurant), Signal Point Extension Woodpecker, Western Meadowlark, Gaming, 1640 Broadway Ave. S. 250- Mountain Bluebird, Horned Lark, 398-5554.

Western Kingbird, Dusky Grouse, Long Wednesday morning. Scout Island, Trip -billed Curlew, Ring-necked Pheasant, Mission Rd. Bag lunch or restaurant of Prairie Falcon, Golden Eagle, Cassin’s your choice. Finch, Bobolink, waterfowl. Williams Lake Maximum Participation Itinerary June 3–6, 2018 20 in one group. Sunday 1.30 pm. Meet following BCFO Conference & AGM. Drive to Williams Leaders Overview Adrian Leather & Brian Murland. We will roam the wild west with this Lake (4.5 hours direct), stopping for extension trip based at Williams Lake refreshment and birding at Horsting’s Fee & Registration Farm, Cache Creek. $200 per person. See page 8 for regis- in the Central Cariboo. Habitats ex- plored will include agricultural, Monday. Farwell Canyon (bag lunch) tration details. riparian, and arid mountains, in followed by an evening search for Suggested Accommodation spectacular scenery along the river Common Poorwill and Flammulated valleys of the Fraser and Chilcotin. The Owl. • Super 8, 1712 Broadway Ave. S. 250-398-8884 rugged terrain makes carpooling with Tuesday. Morning: Alkali Lake, Dog four-wheel or all-wheel-drive vehicles Creek Bluffs, Gang Ranch. Bag lunch. • The Stampede Campground, 250- highly recommended. Afternoon: Gang Ranch, Dog Creek 398-6718, williamslakestampede [email protected].

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Lake, and Ferguson’s Pond. Species expected include waterfowl, swallows, BCFO How the Trips Work Mountain Bluebird and Western Blue- bird. Bag Lunch, or restaurant of your BCFO two-day field trips are member- choice. Two-day Trips led, but participants make their own arrangements for accommodation, Friday afternoon: Drive to Hope (95 food, and travel. minutes direct), with birding stops en Princeton route. Manning Park is 45 minutes from May 31–June 1, 2018 • Day 1: all-day birding and then Hope. evening get-together at a restaurant to recap the day and tally Accommodation Itinerary The guides have recommended the fol- species. Thursday morning: Kettle Valley Rail- lowing for overall convenience: • Day 2: morning birding, afternoon way Trail. Walk by the Tulameen River Canada’s Best Value Inn & Suites, 169 optional birding. to the hoodoos for grassland, riparian, Hwy 3. 250-295-3537. and forest species, including Harlequin Carpooling is encouraged and will be RV/Camping options: Duck, Lazuli Bunting and Black- arranged on the morning of Day 1. headed Grosbeak. • Rivers Edge RV Park, 305 Sander- Bag lunch (items available at Register at least two weeks in advance. son Way. 250-295-6568. Thomasina’s, Save-on-Foods, Subway, The leader will give specific details of • Princeton RV Campground, 365 and Chevron station). when and where to meet. . Hwy 3. 250-295-7355. Thursday afternoon: Swan Lake Sanc- Cost: Members $10 per person; non- tuary hiking trails – 57 hectares of members $40, which includes BCFO Registration: Adrian Leather, 250-249- grassland and riparian habitat. Birds membership. 5561, [email protected]. include Pied-billed Grebe, Ruddy Trip Leaders: Ed & Cathy Lahaie. Duck, Western Meadowlark, rails. Ideas for future two-day trips are al- Tally-up at The Vermilion Fork, 157 ways welcome. Contact Adrian Leather Maximum Participants: 30 (2 x 15). Vermilion Ave. (250-295-7711). at [email protected] . Local Organizers Friday morning: Lake tour, which Vermilion Forks Field Naturalists – see could include Separation Lakes, August vffn.ca.

the Winnipeg area. He became interest- uate, he met Dr Roger Evans, who em- ed in birds at a very early age, and says ployed him one summer to do surveys Farewell that his first memory of a bird, at age of waterbirds and Sharp-tailed Grouse. three, was a Common Loon yodeling as He then embarked on an MSc program The BCFO lost two well-known mem- it flew over a rowboat containing Mar- under Dr Evans, and completed his bers in recent months. Both had con- tin, his father, and his grandfather. Master`s thesis on Forster’s Tern biolo- tributed significantly to the organiza- ...Martin enrolled in a Zoology pro- gy in 1971. For his PhD work, Martin tion. gram at the University of Manitoba, and moved to Edmonton and studied Blue earned a bachelor’s degree (Honours Grouse (now called Sooty Grouse) biol- Martin K McNicholl Zoology) in 1968. While an undergrad- ogy under Dr Fred Zwickel. However, his study area, where he did re- Martin joined the BCFO board in the search for four summers, was in early 1990s and was editor of our jour- the Comox Burn on Vancouver nal, BC Birds, from 1994 to 2002, as Island. Martin’s PhD dissertation, well as a regular contributor to BC which he completed in 1978, was Birding, including acting as compiler entitled Behavioural and Social or co-compiler of the “Upcoming Organization in a Population of Meetings and Events” column. He was Blue Grouse on Vancouver Island. also a valued member of the Awards After completing his PhD, Committee since its inception. Martin worked for several envi- As a result of Martin’s many con- ronmental consulting firms be- tributions to ornithology, he received tween BC and Ontario. From 1984 the Steve Cannings Award at the to 1987, he served as General BCFO AGM held in Pemberton in Manager and Executive Director 2014. The citation for this award was of the Long Point Bird Observato- published in the September 2014 issue ry, now part of Bird Studies Cana- of BC Birding. An extract follows: da. Since moving to BC, and until

Martin was born in Winnipeg, Manito- recently, he has worked mainly at ba on April 16, 1946, and grew up in the Vancouver International Air- Page 11 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) port, first for LGL Environmental Re- search Associates and then with Airport Peter Blokker Wildlife Management International, with the objective of managing birds on Peter, who died at the age of 84 on a the airport and reducing bird hazards to trip to Europe, was well known in a aircraft. number of BC communities, not least Martin is widely known for his en- because he was an active figure in more cyclopedic knowledge of the scientific than one pursuit. Known as an avid literature of ornithology, and for his birder in communities including Ques- strong abilities as a writer and editor. nel, Prince George and Vernon, he was He has published dozens of articles and probably best known as a very serious short notes in scientific journals. He speed skater. He took up speed skating edited Manitoba Bird Studies: a Bibli- when he lived in Prince George, and is ography of Manitoba Ornithology remembered there partly because of his (1975), and was senior editor of A Bib- role in creating skating circuits. Need- liography of Alberta Ornithology less to say, he was also a well- (1981), as well as Ornithology in On- remembered fixture at naturalist events. tario (1994), a 400-page historical re- After moving to Vernon in 1992, he view of ornithology and ornithologists became a key member of the North in Ontario. He also authored 45 entries Okanagan Naturalists, the head of their in the Canadian Encyclopedia, mainly birding section, and coordinator for the dealing with birds and natural history. Vernon CBC. Meanwhile, he started a Finally, for more than 30 years, he was skating club there, now known as the in charge of the “Recent Literature” Vernon Vortex Speed Skating Club. section of the North American Bird Vernon Vortex Speed Skating holds the Canadian Short Track record Bander. Team’s Laura Hall and Peter Blokker for the 1500 metres (age class 70-74). Martin has served in many volunteer dominated the recent CanAm Interna- A few days before his death, he had capacities, and has always been willing tional meet in Calgary. Peter ruled the the 2017 Vernon Christmas Bird Count to donate his time to worthwhile pro- Masters category, recording the world’s results published by the local media. jects and activities. Over the years, he top times for his age division while im- All in all, Peter was quite a guy. We has served on more than 30 boards and proving on his showings at the World were lucky to have had him in our committees from BC to Ontario. Masters Championships last February. midst. As a master skater, Peter set ten Ca- nadian Long Track records. He also

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Apr. 9–14 – 136th STATED MEETING, AMERICAN ORNITHO- Upcoming Meetings LOGICAL SOCIETY, Tucson, Arizona. For further infor- mation, check the AOS website at www.americanornithology.org/content/aos-2018-meeting . & Events Apr. 13–15 – OLYMPIC BIRD FESTIVAL, Sequim, WA. Compiled by Wayne C. Weber For information, visit the festival website at http:// www.olympicbirdfest.org , or contact the Dungeness River Audubon Center by phone (360-681-4076) or by email The following meetings and other events are those that take ([email protected]). place in BC and immediately adjacent areas or that potential- ly include information on birds that occur in BC. Information Apr. 18–24 – GODWIT DAYS, Arcata, California. It’s a lit- on additional meetings is listed in the bimonthly Ornithologi- tle way away, but Godwit Days is one of the premier birding cal Newsletter at www.birdmeetings.org and on the BIRD- festivals in North America. For information, check the festi- NET website at www.nmnh.si.edu/BIRDNET/ornith/ val website at godwitdays.org. birdmeet.html . For most meetings, festivals and other events, the website Apr. 27–29 – GRAYS HARBOR SHOREBIRD FESTIVAL, is the main source of information, and registration can often Aberdeen, WA. For information, contact the festival office at be accomplished online as well. Wherever information can be PO Box 470, Montesano, WA 98563 (phone 360-289-5048) or check the website at www.shorebirdfestival.com. obtained through a phone number or email address, we have included these as well; if no contact information is listed, it May 4–6 – TOFINO SHOREBIRD FESTIVAL, Tofino, BC. can be assumed that none was provided by the organization, Events not all scheduled yet, but check the festival website at at least not on the date when this listing was compiled. It is raincoasteducation.org/events/tofino-shorebird-festival . usually not necessary to contact a particular individual, ex- cept for scientific meetings when one is interested in making May 4–6 – SKAGIT VALLEY BIRD BLITZ, Skagit Valley a presentation. Names and contact information for individuals Provincial Park, BC. For information and to register, check are listed whenever they are available. the event website at hopemountain.org/programs/skagit- valley-bird-blitz-may-4-6-2018. Inquiries may be made by Mar. 16–18 – 15TH ANNUAL WINGS OVER WATER email to La Vern at [email protected] or by phone BIRDING FESTIVAL, Blaine, WA. For information, phone at 604-869-1274. the Blaine Visitor Information Center at 1-800-624-3555, May 7–13 – WINGS OVER THE ROCKIES FESTIVAL send an email to [email protected], or check the (22nd annual), Invermere, BC. For information, contact the website at www.wingsoverwaterbirdingfestival.com. Pynelogs Cultural Centre, PO Box 2633, Invermere, BC V0A Mar. 17 – First WESTPORT SEABIRDS pelagic birding trip 1K0, phone 1-855-342-2473, email of the spring from Westport, WA. Westport Seabirds will be [email protected], or check the website at operating about 22 trips in 2018 from February through Octo- www.wingsovertherockies.org. ber. For the trip schedule and other information, please check May 10–13 – BC NATURE ANNUAL GENERAL MEET- the website at westportseabirds.com. ING, Vancouver, BC, hosted by Nature Vancouver. For in- Mar. 19–Apr. 28 – BRANT WILDLIFE FESTIVAL, Quali- formation and to register, check the BC Nature website at cum, BC. For information, phone Robin Rivers at 1-866-288- www.bcnature.ca, or phone Betty Davison at the BC Nature 7878 (in Greater Vancouver, 604-924-9771), email office (phone 604-985-3057; email [email protected].) [email protected], or check the festival website at May 11–13 – CRESTON VALLEY BIRD FEST, Creston, brantfestival.bc.ca. BC. For information and to register, please visit the festival Mar. 23–25 – 21st ANNUAL OTHELLO SANDHILL website at www.crestonvalleybirds.ca. CRANE FESTIVAL, Othello, WA. For information, check May 17–20 – LEAVENWORTH SPRING BIRD FEST, the festival website at www.othellosandhillcranefestival.org , Leavenworth, WA. For information, email or contact the Grant County Conservation District at 1107 [email protected] or check the festival South Juniper Way, Moses Lake, WA 98837 (phone 509-765 website at www.leavenworthspringbirdfest.com. -9618). May 17–21 – MEADOWLARK NATURE FESTIVAL, Apr. 5–7 – Joint Meeting of the ASSOCIATION OF PRO- Penticton, BC. For information, please check the festival FESSIONAL BIOLOGISTS (APBBC) and COLLEGE OF website at meadowlarkfestival.ca. A complete schedule of APPLIED BIOLOGY, Westin Wall Centre, Richmond, BC. events will be posted, and registration will begin on April For further information, please check the website at 14th. professionalbiology.com/professional-development- networking/annual-conference. June 1–3 – BC FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, Hope, BC. For further information Apr. 5–8 – HARNEY COUNTY MIGRATORY BIRD FES- see pages 7–10 of this publication or check the BCFO web- TIVAL, Burns, Oregon (near Malheur National Wildlife Ref- site (bcfo.ca). Online registration will begin on April 1st. uge). For further information, check the festival website at www.migratorybirdfestival.com.

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June 7–11 – WASHINGTON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY contact Jennifer Leach at the City of Edmonds Parks Dept. annual conference, Hood River, Oregon. For information, (phone 425-771-0227), or email her at visit the website at wos.org/annual-conference/current-year. [email protected] .

June 7–9 – WILSON ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY annu- Sept. 16 – PELAGIC BIRDING TRIP from Ucluelet, BC on al meeting at the Chattanooga Convention Centre, Chattanoo- the MV “Frances Barkley”, organized by Nature Alberta. ga, Tennessee. For further information, check the website at Tickets may be purchased at www.eventbrite.ca/e/nature- wilsonsociety.org/meetings/2018-meeting. alberta-pelagic-trip-tickets-41032135221. For additional info, questions, comments or concerns, please contact the pelagic June 7–9 – ASSOCIATION OF FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS trip coordinator, James Fox at [email protected]. annual meeting, jointly with Wilson Ornithological Society, at Chattanooga, Tennessee. For information, check the AFO Sept. 26–30 – ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF WESTERN website at afonet.org/wp_english/meetings. FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS at Ventura, California. For fur- ther details, check the WFO website at June 15–17 – MANNING PARK BIRD BLITZ, Manning www.westernfieldornithologists.org/conference.php. Provincial Park, BC (based at Loneduck Campground on Lightning Lake). For information and to register, check the Sept. 28–30 – ANNUAL MEETING OF OREGON BIRD- website at hopemountain.org/programs/manning-park-bird- ING ASSOCIATION, Garibaldi, OR (near Tillamook). For blitz-june-15-17-2018. Inquiries may be made by email to La details and to register, check the Oregon Birding Association website (www.orbirds.org) at a later date. Vern at [email protected] or by phone at 604-869- 1274. Oct. 7–11 – 25TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE

Aug. 19–20 – ANNUAL MEETING OF THE WATERBIRD WILDLIFE SOCIETY, Cleveland, Ohio. For information, SOCIETY, Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC check the TWS conference page at wildlife.org/2018-conference. (in conjunction with the IOC). For details, check the society website at waterbirds.org/annual-meeting. Dec. 14 to Jan. 5 (2019) – CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS.

Aug. 19–26 – 27th INTERNATIONAL ORNITHOLOGI- For information on dates of counts and contact information CAL CONGRESS, Vancouver, BC. This gathering of orni- for count organizers, check the BCFO website in November thologists from all over the world is a “must” for anyone with and December, or check the December issue of BC BIRD- a scientific interest in birds. For information and to register, ING. please visit the IOC website at www.iocongress2018.com.

Sept. 14–16 – PUGET SOUND BIRD FESTIVAL, Ed- Below: A painting of a Black-throated Gray Warbler by monds, WA. For information and to register (starting Aug. 1), BCFO Young Birder Viktor Vandereyk. check the festival website at www.pugetsoundbirdfest.org, or

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the little Rufous. Hopefully he/she will which we decided to search one by one. survive the winter – I have a feeling First one: no. Second one: no. Third Young Birders that it will, since I saw many people one: no. It continued for a while. Sulli- hanging their feeders out. Maybe this van Ridge, Sullivan Parkway, but no Rufous was a symbol of good luck! We peacocks. We parked on the side of the Program got to see it twice before we decided to road, defeated. What would we do? Just after this newsmagazine was ini- do some road birding. We decided to search the interwebs tially completed it had to be pulled “Road birding” doesn’t need a thor- for any hints on how to find them. After from the cyber-presses because of the ough explanation – it’s birding from a a thorough Internet search we found an news that Adam Dhalla (above), a 12- car. Pitt Meadow gives optimal road exact location – the crossing of 150 year-old BCFO Young Birder from birding possibilities with the extensive Avenue and 62 Street. So we headed Coquitlam, had been named one of the backroads and bird habitat to explore. there. We talked to a man walking his two ABA Young Birders of the Year. In fact, we have found many species dogs (dog walker = local!) and he said His award from the ABA includes a here with this technique. It’s a good that he just saw one a short walk from Leica Trinovid binocular – a step up fallback for rainy days. where we were. We said thanks and from the plaque, spiffy hat, and free From what we saw, I think that it drove towards where he said they were BCFO membership he gained from us. may have been, well, a slow day in Pitt when BOOM a flash of blue appeared But as a pleasing coincidence, Ad- Meadows. Except for a few eagles and on top of a townhouse roof. am had just sent this magazine a terrific Red-tailed Hawks there was no sign of We panicked and went down the essay, which appears below. the reported Prairie Falcon or Gyrfal- street, parked and got out of the car con. It’s okay, though, since we saw with camera and winter clothing. We both earlier this year. This is the third walked to the place we saw it, and there year the PRFA has returned to Pitt it was, a beautiful male peacock on top Last-Minute Meadows (around Sharpe Road) and it of a black-shingled roof, which is, uh, Stocking Stuffers seems as though the Gyrfalcons come interesting behaviour for an Indian Pea- back as well. Oh well. fowl. Being one of the most iconic birds Adam Dhalla We had lunch and then my dad re- in the world, the peacock didn’t think membered that a few weeks ago I much of us and continued to sunbathe December 23, 2017 learned about a small colony of Indian on the sun-drenched rooftop of an un- Christmastime was coming soon, and so Peafowl in Surrey. It sounded far- suspecting homeowner. were winter vagrants. But, it seemed as fetched but there were multiple news Many people we talked to are used though the Summer Tanager (still here) articles about one nesting on someone’s to a life with peacocks. We talked and would be the biggest thing this season doorstep. So we decided to head to Sul- heard many people saying “Oh, there’s and not much more was going to show livan Heights, Surrey. the peacocks again” and many people up. After a long drive to Sullivan just walked past peacocks on the Close to home there was a Rufous Heights, we were perplexed. When we ground without acting surprised what- Hummingbird, quite the rarity for this got to the neighbourhood, where the soever. According to some news arti- time of year, at a feeder in Port Moody. high school was, we couldn’t see any cles, in the early 2000s when Sullivan Thanks to the owner of the house, we peacocks. There were at least 15 differ- Heights was just farmland, a farm own- were allowed to enter and we got to see ent townhouse complexes in the area, er owned a small flock of peacocks.

Page 15 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) Once the buildings came, the farmer his dog, on a decided to release the peacocks since leash. The dog he/she didn’t have enough land for then exploded them anymore. Turns out they stuck in off the door- the area, and now have a full-blown step, jumped mini-population, which now has suc- down four steps cessfully bred in the wild at least one and landed on time. Some homeowners loved them the sidewalk – and some hated them, mostly for their with the man noise and poop. still holding the We walked down the road and spot- leash. Appar- ted another male walking down the ently, the leash sidewalk, and right after we spotted may have been another male and 11 females sitting on a few feet too a car and a few compost bins in short because someone’s driveway. It was crazy! the dog pulled They seemed not to be bothered by any- the man with one’s presence, and continued to feed him and he fell on some scrumptious grass while we on the side- watched them. Another flock of females walk. At the came walking down the road and before same time, an- I knew it I had counted 21 peacocks. other dog walk- One man came up to us and told us that er was nearby. When the man fell on by Linda Koch earlier in the day and there were more by a nearby elementary the ground, his dog ran off, unleashed, had been seen for an hour and a half school, about a block away, so we de- and began to attack the other dog and when we got there. cided to walk there. his dog walker. I swear he shouted The caretaker of the area has a large On our way there we saw quite the “Garlic” multiple times in this hubbub. bird-feeding area which at least six scene – one man on his doorstep with After the event, the first man got up and Steller’s Jays were using, while many they both went on with peanuts were on the ground. When we their lives. got there, we waited. Time after time a We then went to the Steller’s came when we thought it was school, and as soon as the Blue Jay, but then after two we entered the area I minutes, a smaller, much lighter bird spotted 13 peacocks, flew in. It was the Blue Jay! which were, very sur- The Blue Jay is a very rare visitor prisingly, all males. We on the West Coast of BC and even watched them for a good though they naturally live in areas in amount of time, while BC like Cranbrook and other places they preened and fed. east of the Rockies, they are a rarity After that, we went back anywhere past the Rockies. It was a into the car, where we bird I had really, really wanted to see got a ridonkulous report: for a long time and it was awesome to a BLUE JAY in Rich- finally see one, in Vancouver! It had a mond. And of course, we white belly and vent with a light blue only had an hour left of back and crest and a diagnostic, easy-to daylight. Then again, it -see black throat collar. It was a very was a freaking Blue Jay. cool-looking bird. It came down to the We bolted to Rich- ground with us, coming quite close – mond and got there by sadly the dying light and fence made 3:20 pm, quicker than we photography hard. It fed on the peanuts expected. It was at the and tried to visit a tube feeder twice. It Woodwards Camping flew around the area, perching in fara- area, near Horseshoe way trees. Wow! It really appreciated Slough, in southern peanuts. There were lots of rabbits Richmond. When we got around the area as well. Once it became there, there were many too dark to shoot properly, we decided birders standing outside to leave. of a metal fence. Appar- ently the place was Quite the day of Christmas bird- closed for the season so ing. the only views were from the outside of the Blue Jay (top) and Indian Peacock gate. It was first found photos by Adam Dhalla. Page 16 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1)

Welcome Vancouver Gray-crowned Rosy-Finches are certainly not to be expected around Canada Place. This coastal Rosy is one of the recent celebrities there, photographed by Janice Visitors White.

Comox Valley The Comox Valley has, unusually for the location, been seeing flocks of Common Redpolls – and, even more unusually, a Harris’s Sparrow (below). Another welcome visitor was a Sharp- tailed Sandpiper hanging out with the Black-bellied Plovers and Killdeer. Notes and photo from Kathryn Clou- ston of Courtenay.

Kootenays Below is a Swainson’s Thrush spotted in the Kootenays at a very unusual time – December 15 and 16, when it should have been somewhere between Southern Mexico and Argentina. Notes and photo from Gordon Brown (Kaslo).

Quadra Island Unexpected on Quadra were Rose- breasted Grosbeaks in the summer and then Mountain Chickadees and this Pine Grosbeak in the winter. Notes and photo from Vibeke Pederson (Heriot Bay).

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move, flying at great Maplewood Flats speed through the forest about twenty feet above John Gordon the ground, an amazing experience. It moved so When I arrived at Maplewood Flats fast that I lost contact (December 2017) my spirits were high. within seconds. It remind- As I made my way to the salt marsh I ed me of one of those kept passing birder after birder heading Robert Bateman paintings, back to their cars. There were smiles all a special moment when around, that meant only one thing... time seems frozen. I don't they had seen the bird. The bird in think I’ll ever forget that question was the Northern Goshawk scene, something a camera that had been well reported and first would never be able to found by Perry Edwards a week previ- capture. ously. The Northern Goshawk is a bird I continued my way rarely seen in Metro Vancouver. I had back to the bridge and the only ever seen one before; the chance to car park thinking about view another was high on my year list. my experience when just Arriving at the salt marsh I met an- above me I noticed a dark other birder who motioned that the bird shape – it was the gos- had just flown. He pointed to a tree way hawk again, but facing off in the distance but I couldn’t see away from me. I watched anything. It was time to catch my and admired and then Tofino breath. walked slowly under the Any birder will know that sinking bird (Kung Fu walking on A lifer for many: this Laysan Albatross was photo- feeling, the abject disappointment when rice paper style) to get a graphed by Mark Yunker on a pelagic trip. the seeker just misses the quarry. frontal view. It never I spent ten minutes at the salt marsh, moved. Here (below left) is the result. but with nothing happening I decided to in as many years. It was a welcome search elsewhere. Walking along the addition to many birders’ Vancouver trail to the big pond I found the bird list. high up in a poplar. The view was ob- structed but shooting through a tiny Richmond opening allowed me to get a decent This Blue Jay appeared during the “keeper” shot. Richmond December 23, 2017 Christ- However, the bird was soon on the mas Bird Count. A Metro Van- couver rarity, the species has Northern Goshawk (left) and Blue Jay been seen only a dozen times (bottom) photos by John Gordon.

Page 18 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) The Unexpected

Six-Pack Fitness Barry Lancaster, normally of Oliver, but currently in Teneriffe, has been follow- ing the welfare of a juvenile Yellow- legged Gull, which he has understanda- bly named Six-pack. The youngster has got itself tangled in some beer-can packaging – all those warnings about cutting the plastic up before discarding have clearly gone on some deaf ears. Barry notes that while the bird is now unable to peck, it seems to have learned to cope, and is eating regularly, at least while it hangs around a fish stall. It bathes regularly, though whether it can preen is moot. Attempts to get locals to help cap- ture the bird, in order to remove the plastic, have not met with success to date. Leucistic Bald Eagle The leucistic Bald Eagle Smart Bird reported in the March 2017 The enterprising Black-capped Chicka- edition has returned. dee below was spotted by Lee Harding On the last day of 2016, (Coquitlam) as it used a homemade ant then-new BCFO member trap for drinking and bathing. The tin Janice White (Langley) was supposed to be used to keep ants spotted and photographed out of a hummingbird feeder, but the this remarkable bird. One bird had different ideas. year on, the bird returned to Boundary Bay, and again Janice managed to get a

good photograph. She was curious to see any changes in the plumage, and compared the latest photographs to those from the previous year. The most notable change was in the bill colour, which is now mostly yellow, while the head is less buffy in coloration with a patch of clear white.

Top: Yellow-legged Gull by Barry Lancaster. Left: Black-capped Chickadee by Lee Harding, Above: Bald Eagle by Janice White.

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she was about fourteen. We’ve come to deep ash layer which time has turned to know some very informed birders in rock. Wind and water erosion have cre- Southern recent years, and this young lady is al- ated sculptured pinnacles, columns, and ready arcing toward the best of them. monoliths rising as high as 40 feet She said the robin was often seen in the above a square mile of the Chihuahuan Travels company of a Hermit Thrush and was partial Gordon Brown to junipers, so we set out into Arizona, Ten Miles From a riparian tan- Mexico gle of hackber- ry, buckthorn Having failed to get away from the RV and mesquite park in Patagonia as early as we’d looking for hoped, it was 9:00 by the time Jeannie both. and I finally got to the famed Sonoita She led us Creek path at Patagonia Lake (see the over the mari- opening pages of Mark Obmascik’s The na bridge and Big Year – and no, we didn’t get a Nut- progressively ting’s Flycatcher). Almost immediately, further afield we met an elderly gentleman birder until we were who knew the entire Southwest like the bushwhacking The very Rufous-backed Robin. Photos by Gordon Brown. back of his hand, and proved to be one into ravines of those who loved expanding the bird- which only a week earlier were almost ing experience of others. He introduced certainly full of rattlesnakes. Frankly, I desert, half way between Deming and Silver City, New Mexico. It’s now a us to the Henderson Bird Ponds (who wasn’t all that confident of their depar- knew there was actually a good reason ture. Finally, the going got so rough spectacular campground and a very to go to Las Vegas?); Mary Jo’s birding that Jeannie, mother, and dog hung rewarding birding destination. We’ve mecca, Ash Canyon Bed and Breakfast back in a little clearing from which camped there a number of times over in the Huachuca Mountains south of Amara and I ventured further. After a the years and had always been lucky enough to secure a campsite with the Sierra Vista; and the Sunday morning scramble of only another twenty yards, guided tour of the Sierra Vista sewage Amara, finger on lips, froze and point- electrical hook-up so essential to bat- ponds (sounds magical, doesn’t it?). ed. My line of sight wasn’t as good, and tery charging and coffee grinding. Not In response to my grumbling about I got nothing but the back end of a this time. But, as Jeannie had long ex- having missed a male Northern Cardi- thrush; the robin had been there, but pressed a desire to camp instead out among the magical rock formations, nal moments before, he told us good departed almost immediately. Fortu- photo opportunities for that bird could nately, it flew back toward the rest of this time she got her wish. be had when the feeders were filled at our troop where Jeannie spotted it, this Birding at City of Rocks has always the Patagonia Lake State Park visitor time in the company of a female Cardi- been very satisfying; it’s a place where centre. So, of course, we presented later nal (which none of us had seen until the Cactus Wrens will gladly access an open camper door looking for tortilla that day on the appointed hour and images were on the monitor). In dense scored a parking spot right beside the thicket and backlit by regrettably dap- chip crumbs (or “illegal alien” stowa- observation area. As I got out of the pled sunlight, it stayed just long enough way BC cedar bugs). camper, I saw a lady and her teenage to allow a couple of difficult record There have always been Roadrun- daughter walking an especially beauti- shots. But, that’s birding. It was still a ners, Ladder-backed Woodpeckers, Loggerhead Shrikes, Say’s Phoebes, ful merle collie. Being unable to do great experience: a rare sighting for otherwise, I went to meet them and which the kindness of others was whol- Western Bluebirds, Canyon Towhees, asked if I might be introduced to the ly responsible. We can’t help but think and the inevitable Black-throats, White- dog. I was, but before I’d even man- that in years to come the ornithological crowns, and Red-tails. aged to get down on one knee the girl world will hear a good deal more from This time however, a special treat lay in store. A meadowlark appeared asked if we were interested in birds; Amara. Our experience would seem to I’m not sure I’d fully articulated the suggest she’ll be a force with which to the second morning we awoke in the “yes” before she wondered if we’d like be reckoned. nonelectric site. Across the road, a less- to see a Rufous-backed Robin. I’m sure monolithic rock was very close to an I must have stammered something, but occupied campsite, so birds perched on had only time enough to grab camera it the previous afternoon had not been and binos before Jeannie and I were Lillian’s and the City of photographically pursued out of respect marshalled off to search an area where Rocks for the camper’s privacy. On this morn- they’d found the bird earlier in the day. ing however, I realized we were seeing Feeders and cardinals were forgotten. Foundations for the City of Rocks State something unusual. The binoculars said Her name was Amara and I’m guessing Park were laid 34.9 million years ago “meadowlark,” but the bird was some- when volcanic eruptions deposited the how different. As the occupants of the Page 20 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) camper had yet to put in an appearance, by the New Mexico State Parks Astro- surrounded by fresh fry bread I grabbed the camera and began my nomical Observatory which has a 14- “popovers,” are wonderful. Best to have approach. Predictably, the bird left be- inch Meade telescope with monitor your own water though, because the fore I got as close as I’d have wished, hook-up permanently on site; this loca- canned soft drinks are unchilled and so only a couple of “portraits” and some tion has some of the least light-polluted prove instant wasp magnets once out-of-focus flight shots were recorded. and most contrail-free skies in the lower opened. A short time later we were sitting at forty-eight. At dusk, about thirty camp- When you leave town after lunch, the picnic table, over a second cup (I’d ers had assembled in the shallow box retracing your route back to the ground some beans at the visitor’s cen- canyon housing the Orion Loop group highway intersection and find yourself tre), when the campground host and sites and the telescope building. As we stopped, respecting the sign, be sure to park ranger drove up. They stopped to sat and stood around in the waning light check the huge dead tree beside the visit, and when the subject of birds waiting for workable darkness, I hap- houses directly across the highway. came up it quickly became apparent the pened to look west to the head of the That’s where the magnificent Crested ranger was an ornithological specialist. canyon and saw an unmistakable silhou- Caracara was perched, imperturbably I told him I’d just photographed a ette: a Great Horned Owl was looking watching the proceedings. I’d have meadowlark that wasn’t a Western and down at us from the top of the rock. I asked permission, but as there wasn’t didn’t quite seem typically Eastern, at had just enough time to get everyone’s anyone around I took a chance which he laughed and said, “It’s neither attention before the bird took off and trespassing on native land to get the – it’s a Lillian’s.” He then said the bird flew right over us, down the canyon and shots. I had expected someone would was on the cusp of being recognized as out to the open desert beyond the rocks. suddenly appear and challenge me, but a separate species, and would be once Later, the ranger told us the owls have it didn’t happen and I was lucky enough Clements Checklist and the IOC World nested in the trees growing tight be- to escape with the photos and deeply Bird List had finally got around to for- tween the rocks for much longer than felt gratitude. malizing it. records have been kept. Although the bird is uncommon, The host was also a birder, and On any Southwest trip we set a goal we’d spotted another from the car just of finding new birding experiences, but an hour earlier. We doubled back but inevitably can’t help revisiting most of couldn’t locate it, and so were thrilled our favourite locations as well. A bit out with this much better second chance. It of the way, like Kaslo, City of Rocks is continues to amaze me that we’d made a jewel and especially rewarding once about ten trips into this bird’s typical the commitment has been made. habitat before it decided to reveal itself. Of course the same can be said of the trip’s thirteen other “new” birds, but that’s birding. Trusty Caracara

If you’re leaving the Gilbert Ray Left: Lillian’s Meadowlark. Below: campground just west of Tucson and Crested Caracara. Photos by Gordon need to find a grocery store before Brown. heading farther west to find Organ Pipe National Monument and a Harris’s Hawk, don’t expect to find Tina’s Market where the Google map leads you to believe it will be. In fact asked me if I’d seen the Scrambled there won’t be any markets at all; Quail. I provided the blank look I’m expect nothing but cactus and sure was expected, so he went on to mesquite. And, fifty-nine miles later, explain that the Scaled/Gambel’s inter- when you find yourself in the middle grade was called the “scrambled.” of the Tohono O’odham Indian Walking to the visitor’s centre, we’d Reservation you can’t help but think probably flushed the flock more than there might have been a better course once without realizing what we were of action. But don’t despair, because seeing. He also told us that on the previ- at that moment the town of Sells ous day a Roadrunner had done an ex- presents itself and promises a Bashas’ tended “happy dance” on a bare area Grocery. The wise birder, or ordinary beside what was to become our third- traveller with more rational night electrical site. Sadly, there was no sensibilities, will take this option not repeat performance; gladly, nor was only because the store actually exists there for the five-foot Prairie Rattler – although the department signage on seen stretched across a path I’d walked the walls is of another language the day before. written in a different alphabet – but The City of Rocks experience ended also because a native family plies its with another lovely birding moment. lunch trade out in the plaza courtyard. We attended a late evening presentation The “Indian” tacos and burgers, Page 21 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1)

years. Two groups covered the dyke with the usual get-together over a light while the rest of us walked the roads, supper at the Semiahmoo Fish and CBC 2017 covering all the area south of the High- Game Club where participants had the way. We stopped for lunch at the Air- opportunity to discuss how the day port to summarise the morning’s sight- went and make suggestions for future Audubon Data ings and reshuffle our teams as some counts. One thing that I have learned is The Audubon Society reports that participants had to leave. We split into that the more participants we can get 1,634 official Christmas Bird Counts two groups for the afternoon and com- out, the better our results, so I have were completed in 2017, tallying pleted the whole area before meeting to asked all those who took part this year 36,455,144 birds. assemble all the records. We finished to make an effort to “bring a buddy” with a total of 67 species, our highest- next year. I am very fortunate also to ever total for that area. Highlight birds have two colleagues who prepare very were Common Redpoll, Yellow-headed good press releases for all the local pa- Bird Count Mania Blackbird, Long-eared Owl, Northern pers which definitely increased the Shrike and Yellow-rumped Warbler. number of counters and feeder watchers Gareth Pugh The following day I joined George this year. Clulow’s team for the Burnaby Lake Is it manic to want to take part in four part of the Vancouver Count, and what CBCs? I know my better half thinks so, a miserable day it was, raining all day. her opinion of birding being much the As a result most birds were keeping out same as my opinion of shopping. This of sight but we did have some good year I took part in the Ladner, Alouette, moments including finding a mixed Vancouver and White Rock Counts and flock of around 70 Pine Siskins and a number of our well-known local bird- Common Redpolls feeding in the birch ers were at all of those as well so I trees. We were very lucky at lunch time knew I was in good company. as we were allowed to stay inside the The Alouette Count took place on lobby of the Rowing Club pavilion and December 16 with my team covering plan the afternoon. the southwest portion in North Surrey. After lunch we walked part of the We met in the parking lot at the Barn- Burnaby Lake trail on the south side of ston Island ferry on a cold, damp morn- the lake before heading back to our ing, but no rain, and all commented on cars. George had intended to go to how much better it was than the previ- count the crows at their regular roosting ous year’s snow and ice conditions. spot but told me later even he decided Due to illness, vacations etc., we were a not to do so which shows how bad the The Snowy Owl. Photo by Bob Puls. small group of five taking the ferry to conditions were. Barnston where we spent the morning My final count was White Rock for walking the road around the island in which I am the compiler and this year two groups, each walking a kilometre at the weather cooperated. We had a dry a time leap-frogging each other with Al day with sunny periods, so a good day CBC Distraction Achulze driving for us. The morning for birding. Due to the ice storm that was very successful with several Ring- had swept through the valley from Ab- Gary Davidson necked Pheasants and a Northern botsford eastwards one area did not get Shrike being good sightings. Absent covered but otherwise the day went Erin and I were standing beside the Na- this year was the large number of Cana- very well. My own area that covers kusp sewage lagoons watching several da Geese usually seen here but we did Blaine and Drayton Harbour was pro- goldeneye. I guess we got a little too see about eighty decoys set out in one ductive, although we ended up with close because most of them flushed. I field so hunting may well be the reason. 4,000 sightings and three species less continued to watch the couple that Back across the river we stopped at than the previous year. As for the over- stayed and suddenly Erin said, “What is Surrey Bend Park to have lunch and all count, total sightings were around that?” I had no idea what she had seen decide what areas to focus on in the 6,000 lower than the previous year but but she said a raptor appeared to go afternoon. We split into three groups total numbers of Mallard and Dunlin down into the snow on the other side of and had an average count as the day were down by around 19,000, so the the road. (We had had almost 30 cm of quietened down, the major highlight final result was much better than we soft powder snow the day before.) We being a large number of Common Ra- had hoped. Highlights were a Snowy walked toward the area and soon saw a vens which appeared to be flying to Owl far inland, Yellow-headed Black- large bird mostly buried in the snow: a roost. bird, Redhead and White-winged Northern Goshawk. It struggled to get For the Ladner count, a week later, Crossbill. Another highlight was the up out of the snow and eventually made the weather was again dry. Our team for increase in the number of feeder watch- it. We still weren’t sure exactly what Area D, led by Peter Candido, met at ers, more than double the previous year, had happened until a Common Golden- the Delta Airport and had a very good who made a very useful contribution. eye popped up out of the snow a couple turnout so we were able to cover the The day, and my CBC year, ended of metres away from the goshawk. The area much more thoroughly than in past goldeneye was having trouble with the

Page 22 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) snow and was totally unable to fly off despite being apparently healthy. The goshawk managed to close the gap on the duck by flapping across the snow but every time it tried to grasp the prey it sank below the snow. This continued, the duck flapping across the snow with the hawk in pursuit. The duck eventual- ly made a fatal mistake when it went underneath a small structure mounted above the ground. Now the duck was on solid ground and the goshawk had no trouble subduing it. As much as we would have liked to stay and watch, we had a CBC to finish! The last we saw was the goshawk partially hidden un- derneath the structure (below), but with its prey firmly under control.

Above: A painting (“Hooded Merganser with Scarf”) by young birder Cedar Forest was appropriate to the CBC for Kids.

Below: Fifteen kids turned out for the CBC for Kids held in Delta on December 17. The half-day count tallied 46 species, including a very late Barn Swallow and a Glaucous Gull. After the count, some spotted a lifer Summer Tanager. Melissa Hafting photo.

Page 23 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1)

Photos In the Media Left: Another photog- rapher succeeding in Viral Tanager getting a fine shot of the Summer Tanager The story of Vancouver’s Summer Tan- was Ken Willis, one of ager went viral across Canada, follow- whose shots appears to ing a Vancouver Sun report on the bird the left. on December 11. The previous day,

John Gordon (Surrey) had taken a pho- Below: The shot of to used in the Sun account and else- Murray Brown used to where, and spoken to the reporter. John accompany the feature notes that a Summer Tanager appearing in the Agassiz- in a Canadian winter was splendidly Harrison Observer. reminiscent of Stuart MacLean’s “The Bird” from The Christmas Vinyl Café. It’s well worth hearing at: ... But aside from the glory and adrenaline of beta.prx.org/stories/33450? finding a new species, play=true the fundamental purpose of birding is conserva- tion. Brown recalls how, when he first moved to BCFO Member Featured Agassiz, a three-acre parcel of land next find is a penciled tick and sometimes a to his home housed a miniature ecosys- The Agassiz-Harrison Observer ran a photo. long story on Murray Brown in its Jan- tem. From Eurasian Collared-Doves and Amidst the bush, plants and grasses uary 24, 2018 edition. The following Calliope Hummingbirds to Golden- are amended extracts: sat massive, broad-leaved maple trees crowned Kinglets and Yellow-bellied and one hawthorn. A tiny stream next Flycatchers, Brown has seen (almost) …A lot of birders don’t pick up the to the fence contributed to the thriving all there is to see and has no plans of biodiversity developing right next to hobby until later in life – post- stopping. He said his 425 BC birds are retirement even. But Agassiz resident human life. impressive, but shy in comparison to “Consequently those bits of habitat Murray Brown took an interest in birds some of the birders he’s met. when he was just a kid. “In BC, if you’ve seen 400 At nine years old he spotted his birds…that’s a milestone, “spark bird,” a Red-winged Blackbird that’s a benchmark. You can that would start a lifelong obsession pretty much relax after that; with winged creatures around the you don’t need to prove your- world.... his fascination only grew. self anymore…. I’ve got 425 Brown’s field guide contains “a lifetime and even though that’s worth worth of ticks;” 425 birds positively bragging about, I meet people identified in BC, 462 for Canada and occasionally who have 471 or 600 in total for North America. 478…. ...Brown himself is an active mem- One of his favourite finds ber of the online birding world and re- happened in spring 2011 when ceives daily email updates to stay on he wasn’t looking for birds at top of the newest trends and discover- all. While walking his cocka- ies. He is also a member of the British poo near the boat launch in Columbia Field Ornithologists (BCFO), Harrison, Brown saw a Sage a non-profit encouraging the study, Thrasher, a bird that is rarely, preservation and enjoyment of BC’s if ever, recorded outside of wild birds. Sage Brush Country – Wash- Despite the modernization of an age ington, Arizona or Oregon. -old pastime, Brown hasn’t stopped “It was very uncommon,” recording his birds by hand. Pages of Brown recalled. “I immediately ticks illustrate his dedication to bird went online and spread the discovery and a deep appreciation for word. Within hours there were the region’s biodiversity. It’s as if people coming up from Vancou- Brown is collecting the birds, despite ver with binoculars and cameras the fact that all he has to show for each to see if I was accurate.” Page 24 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) draw the birds. Particularly during mi- The final bird noted in his yard book habitat loss and lobby municipalities gration …. I started keeping a list of the was a falcon recorded in January, 2017. and developers to consider habitats birds I saw – a yard list – you record “It occurred to me, this is what habi- when zoning or building. any bird from your yard that you can tat loss looks like. I’m witnessing it “My mission or mandate now is to identify.” firsthand,” he said. “[The land] used to try to encourage people to appreciate But about ten years after Brown have coyotes running around in it. Now what we have left because there are moved next door, a multi-family com- it houses humans, period.” species disappearing very rapidly.” plex was built over the miniature eco- Brown says birding groups around system. the country hope to educate others on

influence bird habitat, including vegeta- similar to that of the predictive index, tion (cover) and food resources. but with spotty losses across the entire Briefings To study the adaptive potential of continent. Presumably land use and the birds, the investigators examined land cover changes, not directly climate M Church the correlation between those top three driven, also factor into the birds’ for- precipitation indicators and the birds’ tunes. 1. How Vulnerable Are genetic character. They found that the To improve predictions of likely Birds to Climate Change? strongest associations with climate pa- changes, both regionally and through rameters appeared on genes associated time, of animal populations in the dec- Birds and all other organisms are with migration and with exploratory or ades ahead, analyses of this sort – in- adapted to particular environmental novelty-seeking behaviour. They were corporating measures of animal behav- conditions – those that provide the con- thereby able to construct a regional ioural adaptability – will need much ditions and resources for them to thrive. “vulnerability to change” index based further development. As the most mobile of organisms, one on these associations and regional vari- supposes that birds may simply move to ations in the birds’ genotypes. They References new areas to find those conditions as compared this index with observed Bay, RA, Harrigan, RJ, Underwood, V Li, Gibbs, HL, Smith, TB and Ruegg, climate changes. To some degree that changes in Yellow Warbler occurrence happens: we note range extensions and extracted from breeding bird surveys K, 2018. “Genomic signals of selection predict climate-driven population de- contractions in individual species, and and were able to demonstrate some sim- migrants may turn up in particular plac- ilarity in the spatial patterns. This sug- clines in a migratory bird.” Science es at different times of year than previ- gests, first, that the index has predictive 359: 83–86. Fitzpatrick, MJ and Edelsparre, AH, ously. But there may be some limit to capacity and, second, that they may the adaptive potential of an organism – already to some extent suffering the 2018. “Commentary: the genomics of some genetically hard-wired constraint effects of climate change. on their propensity to alter their behav- The predictive index and the breed- Below: A different view of a Trumpeter iour appropriately – such as changing ing bird data both show that birds are Swan, by Rick Howie (Kamloops). their breeding schedule. A group of particularly vulner- researchers has combined genetic anal- able to the effects yses with global-climate predictions of climate change – and population trends of the Yellow in particular to Warbler (Setophaga petechial) to gain changes in precipi- insight into this question. tation regime – The Yellow Warbler is a suitable along the East candidate for study. It is widely distrib- Coast and Appala- uted in North America, occupying habi- chian Mountains, tats that range from marsh and forest to and in the Western urban parkland and gardens, and includ- Cordillera. They ing a wide range in altitude in the are particularly mountains. Using DNA samples from vulnerable in the 229 birds collected from all parts of American South- their summer range, the investigators west and in British correlated population-level genetic vari- Columbia. Perhaps ation with 25 environmental variables. this is because, in The leading correlated environmen- the apparently less tal factors were all related to precipita- vulnerable conti- tion, the top three being precipitation in nental interior, the warmest and driest quarters of the birds are already year, and precipitation seasonality. adapted to more Among the leading 16 indicators, eight extreme conditions. were associated with precipitation and The breeding bird eight with temperature. This makes records reveal a sense: these are factors that strongly pattern broadly

Page 25 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) amongst all those ground finches? Well, istics and behaviour. For example, birds 2. Instant Bird the larger bill of the Big Birds enables living in fir/hemlock forests have a rela- them to crack larger, tougher seed cases tively easy time extracting seeds from Darwin’s finches of the Galapagos Is- than the ground finches, so that their the soft cones of the firs; accordingly, lands are the most famous example of diet is different than that of the ground their bills are of moderate size and speciation by natural selection. Natural finches; they occupy a different ecologi- strength. In contrast, birds relying on selection takes many generations and a cal niche, a key factor in times of envi- the pine forests farther south, cones of long time to be accomplished. But now, ronmental stress (such as commonly which are tight and strong, have larger biologists have documented an example occurring droughts). and heavier mandibles and are, overall, of essentially instantaneous speciation At last count (2012) there were 23 larger, more robust birds. In addition, involving – of course – Darwin’s finch- Big Birds, including 8 breeding pairs. the birds’ beak length appears to be es. By any standard, they remain a critical- adapted to the length required to extract In 1981, a male Large Cactus Finch ly endangered population. They could seeds from their favourite cone. It has (Geospiza conirostris) arrived on Daph- be extinct now. But even if so they will been noted that these different popula- ne Major, a decidedly minor Galapagos remain prominent in biological history. tions also have distinctive flight and islet lying just off Santa Cruz Island. They represent the only proven case of alarm calls and that they do not general- How or why this happened is not clear. successful homoploid speciation ly interbreed, even when they form The bird originated on Española, more amongst vertebrate animals. Other cases combined flocks (though mixed pairs than 100 km away. Perhaps it was storm involve Heliconius butterflies and three have been found). Altogether, the vari- -blown. Lacking a conspecific mate on species of Helianthus sunflowers. Most ous populations constitute decidedly Daphne Major, it shacked up with a successful hybrid speciations entail a distinct phenotypes. (A “phenotype” is Medium Ground Finch (G. fortis). The genetic variation whereby the offspring defined on the basis of the bird’s physi- pair produced hybrid offspring who, are reproductively isolated from the cal character and its behaviour.) These with one exception, have subsequently founding parents and, of course, many distinctive phenotypes have been cate- bred only with each other and with their hybridizations are sterile. This opens an gorized as “types,” nine of which are descendents. All this was observed and interesting question in evolution; if ho- recognized in North America. The recorded by Rosemary and Peter Grant moploid hybridization is more common many different “types” found in Europe – ecologists who have made distin- than heretofore expected, the evolution have been assigned subspecific status guished careers out of studying Dar- of species might proceed much more but no such decision has been made wins’s finches – and their collaborators. rapidly than currently understood. here. The genetic basis of this hybridiza- So a nagging question arises: are tion event was such that it would have these “types” in fact also distinct geno- References been possible for the offspring to mate types (i.e., are they distinct, genetical- with the parent species (technically, it Lamichhany, S, Fan, H, Webster, MT, ly), and so different species? was a “homoploid” speciation event). Andersson, L Grant, BR and Grant, PR, Enter Craig Benkman, an ecologist 2018. “Rapid hybrid speciation in Dar- Such interbreeding would cause suc- at the University of Wyoming who is ceeding generations to collapse back win’s finches.” Science 359: 224-227. probably the leading contemporary au- Wagner, CE, 2018. Commentary: into one or other of the parent species. thority on the crossbills. He has identi- So, for the new species to persist, it was Improbable Big Birds. Ibid. 157-159. fied and studied an isolated population necessary for the offspring to experi- of crossbills on the South Hills and Al- ence effective reproductive isolation bion Mountains of southern Idaho. Ex- from the parent species. How does one ceptionally, this population is resident achieve that on a 0.34 km2 islet that is 3. More Instant Birds and appears to be specialized to extract teeming with G. fortis? seeds from the large cones of the Pon- It turns out that body size, bill size The Red Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) is derosa Pines of these hills. Since the and male song are key factors in the a specialist of northern hemisphere co- forest is also isolated, the birds have no finches’ mate selection ritual. The hy- niferous forests, peculiarly adapted via incentive to travel. After much work, brid birds are characteristically interme- its distinctive bill to extract its principal Benkman has demonstrated by genetic diate in size between the large G. coni- food – the seeds of coniferous trees – analysis that these birds clearly are a rostris and the smaller G. fortis (since from their cones. The birds are irregular distinct species. Speciation in this case that made them stand out amongst the migrants or irruptive in behaviour, trav- is probably the consequence of the re- local finches, they have become known elling in large flocks and settling wher- productive isolation of this unusual, as “Big Birds”). They also possess the ever they find abundant seed sources. sedentary population. Accordingly, it large bill of the ancestral father and they They breed when they find assured seed was proposed that the birds be named, have learned his song (the pattern in all supplies at almost any time between formally, Loxia sinesciurus*, and, com- of Darwin’s finches). So the Big Birds December or January and October. monly, “Cassia Crossbill” (after the have no trouble remaining faithful to Students of these birds have identi- county where they are found). This cre- their lineage when choosing mates. fied distinctive characteristics and hab- ated a truly instant bird by human deci- This, of course, has resulted in a highly its among different populations of sion. The situation makes more urgent inbred population, but it has neverthe- crossbills. An individual population the question of status of the other eight less remained a highly fit one, as appears to specialize for its seeds on a “types.” demonstrated by their breeding success. particular conifer species and the birds The newly-minted Cassia Crossbill And what about competitive survival accordingly vary in physical character- is already in trouble. There being only a Page 26 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) few thousand of them, they are a highly Using museum samples of British the feeder and grab the grub more assur- endangered species. Benkman specu- and continental birds, the researchers edly. As the result, longer-billed birds lates that they may be a very recent found that British birds indeed have are more fit, presumably as the result of product of natural selection, evolved longer bills (by 0.40±0.06 mm; this tiny better winter nourishment, and so more only within the last six thousand years difference is, nevertheless, statistically reproductively successful, which per- with the Idaho Ponderosa Pines, which highly significant! These are small ani- petuates the trend of natural selection. themselves have been established in the mals). What is more astonishing is that Reference region only since the mid-Holocene in measurements made on 2,489 live epoch. Now, with contemporary climate Wytham birds over a 25-year period, it Bosse, M and 14 others. 2017. “Recent change, the pines are expected to be was found that their beaks are, on aver- natural selection causes adaptive evolu- tion of an avian polygenetic trait.” Sci- gone from the Idaho hills by 2080. Will age, currently lengthening at the meas- the birds then perish or will they finally urable rate of 0.004±0.001 mm/year, ence 358: 365-369. move and adapt? that is, 0.1 mm in a quarter century, also (Crossbills in general are declining highly significant. at a rate of about 2.5% per year in North What can be driving this dichotomy America, the consequence of forest har- between continental and British birds, vesting and the spread of introduced and the current rate of change in British squirrels, that are effective competitors birds for which there is no comparable Below: A dream bird for many: Hawk for the food resource.) evidence on the continent? It turns out Owl, photographed by Rick Howie that the British are (Kamloops). *Sinesciurus means “without squirrels:” avid bird feeders. It the absence of squirrels in the Idaho is estimated that Ponderosa Pines is probably an im- more than half of all portant factor in the development and British gardens persistence of the Cassia Crossbills. have a bird feeder. UK expenditure on Reference bird seed is twice Neely, N, 2017. “The West’s newest that spent in the bird species has a beak like a crowbar.” whole of continen- Access by title from Google. tal Europe! And

Great Tits are en- thusiastic customers at bird feeders. 4. Not So Instant Bird The Wytham Wood birds are ra- Natural selection arising from random dio-tracked, and genetic variations is thought to be the there are supple- main driver of the evolution of living mental feeders in organisms. A surprising example arises WW. In an analysis from a study of Great Tits (Parus ma- of the WW birds, it jor) in western Europe. Specifically, was found that populations consisting of over 1,000 those that habitually birds each were studied at a site in the visited the feeders United Kingdom (Wytham Wood, a were the longer- long-standing field laboratory for stud- billed individuals ies of birds and general ecology super- and that these birds vised by Oxford University) and at two expressed a higher sites in The Netherlands. Whole ge- genetic propensity nome analyses of birds from each popu- for long bill devel- lation revealed significant differences opment. The availa- amongst the populations in several bility of bird feeders genes collectively responsible for skele- represents an envi- tal development. Closer analysis re- ronmental feature vealed that the genetic drivers of beak that confers evolu- development differed between the Brit- tionary advantage ish birds and the continental ones. As on those birds able the result, British birds should have to exploit them effi- longer bills than their continental cous- ciently. A long bill ins. Further, amongst the British birds a promotes such definite fitness advantage was detected “feeder efficiency,” for those with the longest bills; no such presumably, a long- advantage was detected among conti- er bill enables the nental birds. bird to reach into Page 27 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1)

ord. We had, in just over ten names for). Now everything he does, he weeks, seen as many spe- does to conserve nature. Hundreds of Book Reviews cies north of the Mexican young birders have read and re-read border as anybody had ever Kaufman’s book, finding inspiration previously seen in a year…. not only for their listing obsession but World Big Years more importantly for the humble but The crucial bird – Number Chris Siddle eloquent love of nature infused 498 – came shortly after we throughout Kaufman’s narrative. The Biggest Twitch: Around the World reached Anchorage. Flying The idea of the Big Year, North in 4,000 Birds by Alan Davies and Ruth overhead near the airport American style, gained an increased Miller. 2010. Christopher Helm, was a Short-billed Gull public exposure in 2004 when The Big Softcover. Price highly variable at Am- [Mew Gull]. We sent Guy Year: A Tale of Man, Nature, and Fowl azon.ca. Emerson a telegram inform- Obsession was published. The author, ing him that he had lost his Mark Obmasick, an award-winning Birding Without Borders: An Obses- throne as champ of the bird- journalist, told the true tale of three men sion, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in listers.” (Wild America, pp. competing to set the North American the World by Noah Strycker. 2017. 368-9) Big Year record in 1997. The book was Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $36. fairly popular and was turned into a You will notice that Peterson doesn’t movie starring Owen Wilson, Steve In 1953 Roger Tory Peterson, author of call this competitive listing a Big Year. Martin and Jack Black. Although the the best-selling A Field Guide to the That’s because the term wasn’t in com- movie did not do particularly well in Birds, took his friend, James Fisher, mon usage among birders until some- cinemas, the drawing power of its three editor of the famous Collins New Natu- time in the 1970s when American bird- A-List comic actors ensured that The ralist series of books about the nature of ers, some of them founders of the Big Year was widely viewed outside of Great Britain and world expert on the American Birding Association, gave a theatres. Otherwise completely conven- Fulmar, on a 100-day, 50,000-kilometre name to the attempt to see as many spe- tional as a comedy with a happy end- odyssey around North America. Peter- cies of birds in North America north of ing, The Big Year introduced a wide son’s goal was to show Fisher some of the Mexican border as possible within a audience to the Big Year concept. “Big the continent’s birds, mammals, plants, calendar year. Year” edged closer to entering the pub- and geology, from the seabird colonies Two publications brought Big Years lic lexicon. at St. Mary’s, Newfoundland, to the to public attention. The first and argua- The notion of extending the BY be- great “goose factories” in western Alas- bly still most influential among serious yond continental boundaries to cover ka. They turned their field notes into birders was The Kingbird Highway: The the world had been around for decades. Wild America (Houghton Mifflin, Story of a Natural Obsession That Got In 1974 G Stuart Keith, a British orni- 1955), which became a much-loved a Little Out of Hand by Kenn thologist, published an article “Birding classic among North American bird- Kaufman (Houghton Mifflin, watchers, as they were then called. Part 1997). Kaufman called Wild Amer- of Wild America’s appeal lies in Peter- ica “the bible of [his] teen years.” son’s introduction of what later became So it’s little wonder that as a teen- known as the Big Year. While the actu- aged high-school dropout he felt al finding and seeing as many bird spe- inspired to do a BY. He spent 1973 cies as possible in a calendar year in hitchhiking his way across North North America north of the Mexican America in search of a big annual border received little space in the book, bird list. Along the way he learned Peterson clearly enjoyed the competi- that Floyd Murdoch, a middle-aged tive nature of the listing game. As early birder, with more money but less as the third sentence of his preface Pe- free time, was in pursuit of the terson mentions that he and Fisher same record. Harper’s Magazine broke the previous Big Year record, picked up the hippie David versus held for 13 years by Guy Emerson. But establishment Goliath story. The it’s in the third-to-final chapter that intriguing thing is not Kenn’s total Peterson details how the record was (Floyd won by three species) but broken: how he outgrew the game over the We would reach Anchorage course of the year. His attitude in an hour, so we dug out toward birds matured. Kenn went our notebooks and brought on to develop an influential series the bird list up to date. of field guides, including the first Vaux’s Swift …had been our North American bird guide pub- lished for Spanish speakers (he last new bird Number 497. paid for the translation himself, Our running total now reasoning that people won’t con- equaled Guy Emerson’s rec- serve creatures that they have no

Page 28 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1)

Planet Earth: A World Overview” in the own planning and returned home only Bay-Owl, a species he had seen previ- ABA’s magazine, Birding. As Kenn once, as part of his itinerary anyway. ously elsewhere but a bird that’s very Kaufman later wrote, “For many young He did not rely on guiding companies rare in India. He had beaten Davies and birders, that article changed everything for help. Instead, he set up an online Miller’s record by an additional 1,701 … and made it clear that birding the network of volunteer guides. He species and, like them, had maintained planet was not only feasible but irresist- scanned dozens of field guides into dig- an online website detailing his daily ible.” ital format for his laptop, and created a adventures. With cheap airfares, and the prolif- stripped down, minimal pack, the con- Birding Without Borders is a eration of field guides to many of the tents of which are listed and shown in pleasure to read. Listers will love it world’s countries, World Big Years an appendix, from the contents of his though the author emphasizes the story (WBY) began to seem less of a pipe first aid kit to the type of compact tele- of his pursuit without bogging down his dream and more of a realistic possibil- scope he carried (Leica Televid 65 narrative with lists. (An appendix gives ity for adventurous birders in the 21st mm). Noah’s complete world list.) The book century. WBYs received a major injec- Birding Without Borders has a will also appeal to readers who like tion of interest with the publications of slightly humorous tone, though without travel literature. Judging him from his two recent books, the first by two Brit- the stranger-in-a-strange-land vibe of story I would conclude that Strycker is ish birders and the second by an Ameri- The Biggest Twitch. Let’s face it, a a bright young man of impressive ener- can. completely serious book about what is gy, and quiet fortitude, and one quick to In 2007 Alan Davies and Ruth Mil- meant to be an enjoyable activity would express his gratitude to the legion of ler sold their home in England, quit be a disastrous mismatch. Noah is just birders who helped him set his record. their jobs, and bought airline tickets to more serious than Allan and Ruth, who As a writer he has a master’s grasp of do a WBY in 2008. They visited over were not shy about relating their misad- which details to include to create a live- twenty countries and totaled a new rec- ventures which include fear of heights, ly account without bogging down to a ord of 4,341 species, out of a possible seasickness, frequent travellers’ illness, mere list. The Biggest Twitch will long total of about 10,500. They depended occasional lack of crucial travel docu- be an essential part of the sporting as- heavily upon a tour company and its ments, guides’ failures to show up, and pects of birding and an essential vol- bird guides for planning, and occasion- compulsory tango lessons. Strycker was ume in the literature of Big Years. ally returned to England to touch home better prepared for the vicissitudes fac- Highly recommended. base. They co-wrote the story of their ing a global traveler and handles rough Postscript year in The Biggest Twitch: Around the roads, high altitudes and tropical down- World in 4,000 Birds. pours with little apparent upset. Fortu- Arjan Dwarshuis, a young Dutch birder, broke Strycker’s record in 2016. Read Casual in tone and fun to read, The nately Noah is a highly appreciative about Dwarshuis’ WBY in “My Biggest Biggest Twitch is a tale of mishaps and traveller and one who pauses to inform inadvertent adventure in which Davies his reader of interesting background Year: A Record-breaking Journey” in the ABA’s Birding Guide to Listing and Miller almost always keep calm, information. So while the reader laughs except for occasional outbursts and along with Allan and Ruth, he and Taxonomy, October 2017. brief lamentations, and carry on bird- stands in admiration of Noah’s quiet ing. Guiding them is their birding guru resolve and superb foresight. Bird- and man with the big ideas, Iain Camp- ing Without Borders is expressed in bell, president of Tropical Birding, a a style just as interesting but faster large UK-based tour company. By the paced than the comparatively re- end of New Year’s Eve Allan and Ruth laxed and good-natured style of The had set a new record of 4,341 bird spe- Biggest Twitch. Strycker’s clear cies in one year, had spent 366 days in style is the product of an experi- Ruth’s words “in each other’s pockets,” enced author, a person who can be and “had compressed about ten years of immersed in science and yet retain married life into just one … but amaz- the ability to clearly explain science ingly [they] were still best friends.” If to the layperson. you can find a copy of The Biggest Strycker’s WBY narrative be- Twitch, you’re in for a good read. gins at midnight, January 1, 2015, The circle of world listers is still not in Antarctic waters where as natu- a large one so it’s not surprising that ralist aboard a comfy cruise ship for Miller and Davies became friends with well-heeled travellers he waits to a young American ornithologist, Noah spot Bird Number 1. Finally after Strycker, a published author who had two hours of birdless darkness, No- already described his fieldwork with ah spots a Pintado, a striking black- penguins in Antarctica in Among Pen- and-white petrel, flying through the guins (2011) and introduced basic bird murk. His year ends with 6,042 spe- biology in his second book, The Thing cies in India where he and Indian With Feathers (2015). Noah was next in friends see a Silver-breasted Broad- line to set a new world record. Unlike bill as Noah’s final new bird, and Miller and Davies, Noah did all of his notably also, after dusk, an Oriental

Page 29 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1)

estimate for this subspecies in 2012 was 2,000 birds, while the estimate for the Featured total population ranges from 140,000 to 200,000. Marbled Godwits are seen more Species often on Vancouver Island’s west coast Adrian Dorst, a member from Tofino, than anywhere else in British Colum- recently finished writing The Birds of bia. In 1978, Birds of Pacific Rim Na- Vancouver Island’s West Coast, shortly tional Park listed 20 sightings of the to be published by UBC Press. The Marbled Godwit, recorded from May to book covers 360 species in its 550 pag- October. There was only a single sight- es, and permission has been granted by ing in May, with most occurrences in UBC Press to include the following July and August. Its status was listed as example in this publication. If ongoing “a very rare migrant.” permission is received, this will be a Much has changed in the interven- regular feature in BC Birding. ing years. More birds than were record- ed in all of the years up to 1978 may Marbled Godwit – now occur in a single year. In 2012 and 2014, there were more than 30 records Limosa fedoa of individuals and flocks in each year. My personal records alone add up to STATUS: A fairly common spring mi- more than 300 in the years since 1978. grant. Rare transient in summer and Most sightings occur in spring and in- fall. volve from one to a handful of birds, but also larger flocks. There are 49 rec- Marbled Godwits are exclusive to ords of flocks of 10 or more birds, North America and have three widely while the largest flock, recorded on 30 America over the past 40 years has re- separated breeding populations. While April 2013 by a former park naturalist, mained stable. The main spring move- the bulk of the population breeds on the the late Barry Campbell, contained 48 ment is usually brief. The earliest arri- Great Plains of Canada and the north- birds. The most prolific spring was in val date ever recorded was on 9 March ernmost of the American states, a 2001, when 165 individuals in 13 flocks in 2013, nearly a full month earlier than smaller, disjunct population breeds were recorded. The greater number of the next earliest date of 4 April in 2006. along the southwestern shore of James birds seen annually since the early The first flocks usually begin passing Bay in Ontario. A third population nests 1970s, particularly in spring, is proba- through by about mid-April or shortly remotely on the north side of the Alaska bly due to more thorough monitoring in thereafter. Exceptions occurred in the Peninsula, nearly 3,000 km (1,864 mi) the field rather than an increase in pop- years 2007, 2015, and 2016. A flock of northwest of its closest neighbours on ulation. Indeed, the population in North 10 birds was seen on 11 April 2007, 15 the Great Plains. The birds we see in Marbled Godwit, still largely in breeding plumage, photographed by Adrian Dorst our area are from that population. The subspecies winters from southern at Long Beach on July 23. Most south-bound birds we see in BC arrive later and are in their buffy winter dress – see the next page. Washington to Panama. Although Marbled Godwits were first recorded as occurring in Alaska in 1881, when three birds were shot, breeding was not verified until June 1982, a full century later. Although no nests were found at that time, from 700 to 1,000 birds were observed feeding in Ugashik Bay near suitable habitat dur- ing the June breeding season. Further study has revealed that the Alaskan birds are larger than birds elsewhere, but with shorter measurements in tarsi, wing, and bill, and that they winter from southern Washington to the San Francisco Bay area of California. They were subsequently given the subspecies designation of L. f. beringiae. While the name may be new, it is believed that this population was already well estab- lished in the region now called Beringia during the last ice age, which ended some 12,000 years ago. The population Page 30 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) on 9 April 2015, and 22 on 7 April 2016. The movement peaks by the last week of April or the first week of May at the latest. An occasional flock may be seen later. In 2001, 18 birds were seen as late as 19 May, and 13 birds on 21 May. In 2005, a flock of 16 was still present on 22 May. A few stragglers may be seen until the end of the month. June sightings were rare prior to 2012, with only four records. In that year, two nonbreeders were present at Jensen’s Bay, Tofino, until 17 June. In 2013, two birds appeared on 6 June, and one was seen as late as 30 June. In 2014, nonbreeding birds again showed up in early June, this time three of them. It isn’t clear whether birds were previously overlooked in June or whether birds spending the summer is a new phenomenon. I suspect it is the former. The most reliable location for find- ing Marbled Godwits in spring, particu- larly in late April, is the mudflat beside Dead Man Islands, across from Tofino harbour. With the use of a spotting scope, birds may often be found feeding Marbled Godwit spotted in late August in California. CNK photo. at low tide, directly in front of the is- land. Marbled Godwits may also be sighting five birds. In September 2014, than the breeding area. This is support- found at Jensen’s Bay, at the end of two birds spent five days feeding on ed by the paucity of sightings on most Sharp Road, at Grice Bay, at Chester- Chesterman Beach. These birds likely of the BC coast as well. The relatively man Beach, and at Long Beach, though had had a difficult crossing as they ap- few sightings in our area in fall sug- not as reliably as at the first location. peared emaciated. gests that most birds bypass the island, During the southward movement, The breeding grounds for the Alas- making landfall south of us in Wash- the species has been recorded from July kan population are situated about 2,250 ington and Oregon. Fall birds seen on to November. Records include 8 sight- km (1,400 mi) northwest of Tofino (or our coast are presumed to be birds that ings in July in six separate years, 3 directly west of Sitka, Alaska). The aimed a little too far north, or that were sightings in August, 14 in September, authors of a paper on this subspecies, driven to shore by adverse weather. 12 in October, and 1 in November. Five Daniel D Gibson and Brina Kessel, of the October sightings occurred in speculated that godwits from this popu- Further information about the book is 2006. Flock size during the southward lation fly a route directly across the available at: migration is much smaller than in ocean, rather than following the shore spring, with one to three birds being the around the Gulf of Alaska. They offer www.ubcpress.ca/the-birds-of- norm. However, one July sighting in- as supporting evidence the fact that vancouver-islands-west-coast volved seven birds, one September Marbled Godwits are only rarely seen sighting eight birds, and one October in any coastal areas of Alaska other

Left: Snow Bunting at Iona Beach Regional Park photo- graphed by Young Birder Adam Dhalla.

Right: Young Birder Willa Crowley photographed this Chestnut-mandibled Toucan in the Sarapiqui area of Costa Rica – her first trip to the tropics.

Page 31 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1)

searchers have called a “floater.” More highlight his work. about winter territories later. The theory that it was a flycatching Gone Pishing Townsend’s Solitaire was unknown species is also reflected in the solitaire’s to science until the 1830s. A young modern Latin name, Myadestes town- Chris Siddle Quaker born in Philadelphia, a keen sendi, meaning Townsend’s “fly or gnat shotgun ornithologist named John Kirk eater.” The genus Myadestes contains Get Away from My Berries Townsend became a scientific member 13 species. With the exception of the of Jarvis Wyeth’s second expedition migratory Townsend’s Solitaire that You probably know Townsend’s Soli- across the Rocky Mountains to the Pa- breeds as far north as Alaska and the taire as a slightly odd thrush, a long, cific Coast. With botanist Thomas Nut- Yukon, most solitaires are neo-tropical, slim, gray bird with buff marks on its tall, Townsend collected several speci- sedentary and slow-moving birds of slender wings. To the uninitiated the mens of birds that proved new to sci- mid-canopy forests. The five species solitaire looks more like a flycatcher ence including in 1835 one odd slim found on various islands of Hawaii than a thrush, at least a thrush of the grey songbird shot along the lower have been decimated by avian malaria, robin or Swainson’s Thrush kind. In Willamette or near the mouth of the introduced predators and habitat de- your area it may be a spring and fall Columbia River, depending upon your struction among other causes, with the migrant, a summer resident, or a winter source. The collector could tell it was a Kamao (Myadestes myadestinus) and resident. For many birders in southwest female by its internal details, but that’s the Amaui (M. woahensis) declared BC Townsend’s Solitaires have an in- all he knew about the bird that was go- extinct and the Olomao (M. lanaiensis) teresting way of just showing up in the ing to be eventually given his name. It possibly extinct. yard. One day the neighbourhood is looked like some kind of flycatcher. Townsend’s Solitaire has complex normal, the next day individual soli- Eventually the specimen was sold to migratory patterns, unlike the stay-at- taires are quietly flashing through back- John James Audubon who was eager to home other members of Myadestes. It yards, adding a bit of excitement to the complete his life’s work, The Birds of may be a resident in warm areas of its day. That’s how I remember my first America. broad breeding range (Alaska south to Townsend’s Solitaires from my boy- With no background information Arizona and New Mexico), an altitudi- hood in the Central Fraser Valley. A about the specimen, in 1838 Audubon nal migrant from the mountains to the bird that was will o’ the wispish. A named it “Ptiliogonys townsendi” lowlands in many places, and a migrant slightly exotic bird and an unexpected which means Townsend’s bird with of longer distances, completely depart- gift. feathered knees. He painted it in an ing in autumn from its northern-most Some of you may be lucky enough uninspired pose where it appears on breeding areas. to live in the Interior where solitaires Plate 419 sandwiched between a bug- Townsend’s Solitaire eats flies, but- are fairly common summer residents in eyed Little Tawny Thrush (a Hermit terflies, moths, beetles, ants, termites upland forests. You may even have Thrush subspecies) and a dingy juvenal and other flying insects during the found a nest or two. Along some forest Canada (Gray) Jay. If the fame of The warm seasons. During the seasonal shift roads, solitaires habitually build their Birds of America had depended upon from summer to autumn the Town- stick-lined cup nests in hollows be- Plate 419, Audubon’s art would have send’s Solitaire changes its diet from tween the top of the road cut and the disappeared long ago into obscurity. invertebrate prey to fruit, and it is in overhanging forest edge. They will also Fortunately for Audubon he had many this shift that I find what interests me nest in natural sites like crevices, hol- dramatic and much more colourful sub- about this small grey bird. lows beneath boulders, and dirt banks, jects than a Townsend’s Solitaire to In the autumn a Townsend’s Soli- but cutbanks created for road construc- tion are favoured nest sites. A pair lays 3–5 eggs, incubating them for about 12 days (Bowen, 1997). The juveniles wear a distinct spotted plumage, rather like juvenile American Robins, but in a few weeks they moult to closely resemble their grey parents. What I find fascinating about Town- send’s Solitaire is not its migrations nor its nesting habits, but the winter territo- riality many individuals display. A sin- gle solitaire locates a food source in the autumn and defends it into winter to the best of its ability, but sometimes the odds are stacked too much against it, the food runs out and the bird must move on, becoming what solitaire re- A Townsend’s Solitaire on Plate 419 of Audubon’s Birds of America.

Page 32 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) taire seeks out fruit, preferably juniper ritory, the solitaire is usually energetic from the edges of the territories of oth- berries. In the best situation the bird enough in its territorial defense to drive ers or searching widely for new sources locates and defends a large supply of the intruder away. However, sometimes of food. juniper berries that will sustain it a solitaire can have a very bad day, as The winter territoriality of Town- through the winter. One American on 19 December 2015 when Gary Da- send’s Solitaire has been studied most study estimated that a single Town- vidson and I were counting birds for the extensively in the southwest United send’s Solitaire ate between 42,000 and Kelowna Christmas Bird Count. States where several species of juniper 84,000 berries of One-seed Juniper As we drove slowly along Swainson grow. Three junipers grow in British (Juniperus monosperma) during a win- Road east of the city we saw a lone sol- Columbia: Common (Juniperus com- ter season. For birds living or passing itaire perched next to a juniper bush full munis), Creeping (J. horizontalis), and through areas where junipers do not of berries. The bird was a picture of Rocky Mountain (J. scopulorum). All grow, the Townsend’s Solitaire will eat alert composure. It was clearly enjoying three grow on dry, open sites, often the fruits of mountain ash, crabapple, Plan A, maintaining a visible presence south-facing slopes. How dependent winterberry holly, hawthorn, choke- atop his tree and ready to drive off all Townsend’s Solitaire is upon junipers cherry, hackberry, Russian olive, cur- competitors. He was Lord of the Man- in BC is not known. Does juniper have rant, serviceberry, rose, sumac, and or. A few minutes later as we came to be present before a solitaire will es- buckthorn. But juniper berries seem to back down the road, a flock of about a tablish a winter territory? We don’t be preferred above all other fruit. In hundred Bohemian Waxwings swirled know, but probably not. The bird will some western states several species of down from the clouds and settled as a defend territories that include plants juniper grow ensuring that should one gobbling mass on the juniper’s branch- including hawthorns, chokecherry, and species have a poor fruiting year, other es. From sleek dominance to obvious other species whose fruit lasts into win- juniper types will help sustain the bird. agitation, the solitaire seemed to try to ter. A single solitaire will defend its turn every way at once. It watched as a Next winter when you see a Town- food source against all other fruit-eating week’s, then a month’s supply of ber- send’s Solitaire perched high on a birds by being on watch for intruders. ries disappeared down the gullets of the prominent tree top look around to see You may have noticed that winter soli- busy waxwings. It dashed hither and what it may be protecting. If you’re taires often perch at the very top of a yon trying to drive off the dozens of lucky you may see an interaction be- tall tree, alert to competitors that would plump waxwings. For each one it sup- tween solitaires like a obstacle chase or “steal” its berries. A solitaire will de- planted three or four others took its grappling. For more information start fend its territory by threatening, chas- place. The flock as a unit was unmovea- with The Birds of North America ac- ing, supplanting, and fighting other sol- ble. In a case like this, where the wax- count No. 269 by Rhys V Bowen itaires, bluebirds, waxwings, and other wings are likely to return again and (1997), the introduction to Thrushes by berry-eaters, but according to the litera- again and finish off the wild crop, it’s Peter Clement (2000) and the general ture, not the American Robin. Howev- time for Plan B which means the soli- introduction to the thrush family in er, American Robins are not shy about taire can only give up and move on, Volume 10 of Handbook of Birds of the attacking the smaller Townsend’s Soli- looking for a new food source. Such a World by NJ Collar (2005). taire. When a territorial solitaire goes solitaire becomes a floater like many after another solitaire, it will involve a first-year solitaires, poaching berries chase. Chases range from a slow, distance chase of an intruder that may be just crossing the territory to rapid chases where the owner fol- lows the intruder as closely as possible, the birds dodg- ing foliage and other obsta- cles at times so closely that their wing tips can be heard clipping the vegetation! If neither of the birds backs down, they grapple beak to beak, sometimes tumbling to the ground in a flailing of wings. Injuries can result. If single berry-eaters ap- pear and try to take fruit from a solitaire’s winter ter- Townsend's Solitaire guard- ing berries at Goose Lake, Vernon, December 12, 2017. Photo by Chris Siddle.

Page 33 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) Wintering Marbled Murrelets

Daryl S Henderson prise, because long-time local birder February 4, scoping, we observed six Sandy McRuer had told us he’d seen pairs of Marbled Murrelets at the west The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus Marbled Murrelets here in the past. But end of Taylor Arm; we also counted marmoratus) is a diminutive seabird, a how long ago that was, Annette and I three more pairs on Klehkoot Arm dur- member of the Alcidae family. Unlike weren’t sure. ing a brief stop on our way back to Port most other alcids, which nest in colo- The murrelets we encountered that Alberni — a total of 18 murrelets seen nies on sea cliffs and rocky islands, day never let us approach closer than on Sproat Lake in one afternoon! Marbled Murrelets typically nest as sol- about 25 metres; they would move Other Winter Lakes itary pairs in stands of coastal old- away either by swimming on the sur- growth forest, upon moss-covered limbs face or by diving and then resurfacing What does the scientific literature say about Marbled Murrelets on lakes in of select large trees (De Santo and Nel- farther along. The two birds stayed winter? Carter and Sealy (1986) re- son, 1995). Loss of old-growth forest close together (never separating by habitat due to logging has led to signifi- more than 2–3 metres) and swam and viewed historical and contemporary records (from 1922 to 1984) of observa- cant population declines of this species, dove in unison. While we were watch- and is the principal reason it is listed as ing this pair, we spotted a second pair of tions of Marbled Murrelets on lakes throughout the species’ range in North Threatened in both Canada and the murrelets some 100 metres away. They, America (Alaska to central California). United States. (See Gary Kaiser’s book too, remained closely apposed. The Marbled Murrelet: Little Lord of Throughout our ~90 minutes of obser- They compiled 57 records for BC lakes, of which only 12 were sightings in win- British Columbia’s Fiords for a highly vation, none of the birds took to the air. ter months (November, December and readable account of Marbled Murrelet Unfortunately, we hadn’t brought a January; there were no records of sight- biology and conservation efforts; also, camera. So, on January 10 (the next day ings in February). Five of these 12 were Maria Mudd Ruth’s excellent Rare with decent weather) I set out again by sightings on Cowichan Lake on south- Bird: Pursuing the Mystery of the Mar- kayak to look for the birds and take ern Vancouver Island — 28 Nov 1923, bled Murrelet.) photos — both pairs were still on the 7 Jan 1924, 24 Dec 1924, 27 Dec 1925, If you’ve had the privilege of en- lake! Subsequently, I made several and 27 Dec 1926. The December obser- countering a Marbled Murrelet in your more early-afternoon visits to Klehkoot vations were made on Christmas Bird birding travels, then almost certainly Arm to scope the birds from shore, and Counts, which recorded 8, 24 and 30 you spied it on ocean water — sightings I saw them on each of those occasions: Marbled Murrelets, respectively. For of murrelets on freshwater are exceed- January 22, 24, and 30; February 4. only one other Vancouver Island lake is ingly rare. Here, I report my New Other local birders reported seeing the there a winter record of Marbled Murre- Year’s Day and subsequent sightings of murrelets on dates in between. Evident- lets: Henderson Lake (southwest of Port Marbled Murrelets on Sproat Lake, a 22 ly, these Marbled Murrelets were using Alberni), on which “many” Marbled -km long, multi-armed lake 15 km west Sproat Lake as a winter home. Murrelets were seen on 10 Nov 1922. of Port Alberni on Vancouver Island. I Apart from the treed provincial park The remaining six winter records are also review historical sightings of this on its east side, Klehkoot Arm is ringed for three lakes which today would be species on other lakes in British Colum- by lakeside homes and commercial unthinkable as places to spot Marbled bia. properties. Annette Bailey and I won- dered whether Marbled Murrelets might Murrelets — Cultus Lake (south of Chilliwack), Harrison Lake (northeast Sproat Lake also be present at less-impacted areas of January 1st, 2018 was a windless, spot- Sproat Lake. We were especially curi- of Chilliwack), and Alouette Lake (northeast of Maple Ridge). The Cultus less, sunny day in Port Alberni, perfect ous about Tay- for kayaking. Annette Bailey and I took lor Arm — its our kayaks to Sproat Lake to paddle and fjord-like to- look for ducks that had been reported pography and there two days earlier during Port Al- steep slopes of berni’s Christmas Bird Count. The lake coniferous for- was glass-smooth and nearly empty of est would seem other boats. Within minutes of setting to offer better off from Sproat Lake Provincial Park in murrelet habi- the early afternoon, we spied in the dis- tat. Indeed, on tance two black-and-white specks swi- mming and diving in the middle of Marbled Klehkoot Arm. Wondering what species Murrelet in of bird they might be (Horned Grebe?), winter plum- we paddled closer and peered through age. Creative our binoculars. Amazingly, they were Commons Marbled Murrelets! Finding this species photo. on Sproat Lake was not a complete sur-

Page 34 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) Lake murrelets were observed in winter sighting was also for Sproat Lake! of 1932–1933 (“many” birds) and on 28 Sandy McRuer reported two Marbled References Dec 1936 (six birds). The Harrison Murrelets in Klehkoot Arm on 11 Nov Carter, HR, and SG Sealy (1986) “Year Lake murrelets were observed on 3 Dec 2016 (13½ months prior to our first Jan- -round use of coastal lakes by Marbled 1926 (six birds), 13 Dec 1980 (one bird) uary 2018 sighting). Murrelets,” The Condor 88:473–477. and 3 Jan 1981 (two birds). A single It is possible that Marbled Murrelets TL De Santo and SK Nelson (1995) Marbled Murrelet on Alouette Lake was are annual visitors to Sproat Lake in “Comparative reproductive ecology of observed on 30 Nov 1981. (More re- winter, but have gone undetected until the auks (Family Alcidae) with empha- cently, in 2002, radar surveillance to this and the previous one. Access to the sis on the Marbled Murrelet,” in Ecolo- detect Marbled Murrelets in areas near lake by Marbled Murrelets could be via gy and Conservation of the Marbled Chilliwack indicated the presence of Alberni Inlet, an ~40-km fjord stretch- Murrelet, CJ Ralph, GL Hunt, Jr, MG very small numbers in breeding season ing from Barkley Sound (where the spe- Raphael, JF Platt, eds, Gen. Tech. Rep. [Manley and Cullen, 2003].) As noted cies is common in winter) to Port Alber- PSW-GTR-152, Albany, CA. Pacific by Carter and Sealy (1986), the Cultus ni. The birds might fly up the entire Southwest Research Station, Forest Ser- and Harrison sightings are among the length of the inlet before tilting west- vice, US Department of Agriculture. pp. farthest inland records for Marbled ward to the lake, or they might follow 33–47. Murrelets. Furthermore, they speculated the marine corridor partway and then G Kaiser (2012) The Marbled that the use of lakes in winter may be take an inland route to Sproat. The Murrelet: Little Lord of British Colum- related to activities such as courtship, murrelets’ apparent extended presence bia’s Fiords. (eBook, available at Ama- pair-bond maintenance, and nest pro- on Sproat Lake this winter suggests that zon.ca.) specting. We presume the Sproat Lake food is plentiful and conditions hospita- IA Manley and SA Cullen (2003) pairs to be breeding pairs because of ble. In winter, boat traffic and other “Marbled Murrelets in British Colum- their conspicuous togetherness, but they human activities are usually very light. bia’s lower mainland: a summary of might be simply “fishing bud- Next winter, however, scoping of the historical and current distributions.” dies” (Kaiser, 2012). lake will be stepped up, as we will be Pacific Seabirds 30:47 (abstract). A search of eBird (conducted 27 Jan keeping a watchful eye out for the pres- M Mudd Ruth (2005) Rare Bird: 2018) turned up only one other record ence of this captivating little seabird. Pursuing the Mystery of the Marbled of Marbled Murrelets on a BC lake dur- Murrelet. Rodale. ing November to February, and that

being trained by the French Military to by mittens of leather and Kevlar. Once hunt drones. completed training, they’ll be deployed Oddments The four juvenile raptors, named at airports and special events like politi- d’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Ara- cal summits. Another group of four, mis, have been honing their attack skills also bred in captivity, are next to be Prospering Costa’s since mid-2016, using talons protected trained. A Costa’s Hummingbird in BC is rare enough, but a Costa’s prospering in Pierre Cenerelli (North Vancouver) writes: Although Piper Spit at Burnaby Lake Powell River in January is even more Provincial Park can be quite challenging when people are feeding the ducks, some so. For those that find it hard to believe, bird species completely ignore the food being offered. This was certainly the case there’s a video at: for the Long-billed Dowitchers, which numbered at least 50 individuals at one point. To my great pleasure, much of the flock insisted on resting on a small www.youtube.com/embed/ mound of mud not far from the walkway, allowing me to get some good close-ups. _LqNTnhvdeI?rel=0

Rampaging Turkeys If you need Wild Turkeys for your BC list, head to Edgewater, south of Gold- en, where some 100 turkeys can be found wandering the streets. They are apparently making such a nuisance of themselves that a don’t-feed bylaw may be introduced.

Drone Killers The January 31, 2018 edition of Netletter, an avian-based magazine, carries a story about Golden Eagles

Page 35 BC Birding March 2018 Edition 28 (1) ried about her and her offspring’s fu- son of humans with animal life. Having ture: the food supply has gone seriously spent many years studying educational The Reflective wrong. But one particular Kite seems to statistics, I became aware of something be revelling in it, because his bill is consistent and conspicuous about hu- Birder unusually large. Faced with possible mans: females tend towards normality starvation for you and your future kids, while males tend towards abnormality. Clive Keen who do you choose to share your nest In statistician’s jargon, standard devia- with? No contest. Males with the wrong tion among human males is much great- Profundity from a bills will remain celibate, as the Grants’ er than among females. It’s a stark, rock studies poignantly show. Males with solid, fact. And that is extremely wise Snail Kite the right bills, on the other hand, will of evolution. Combining female choosi- You’ll no doubt have heard that, in swamp the gene pool of the next gener- ness with widely deviating males gives spite of all the fears about their immi- ation, either as husbands or cuckolders. a double boost to rapid evolution. If nent demise, Snail Kites in Florida are This supercharges the pace of evolu- males were relatively homogeneous, the now prospering. To recap: the snails tion. trick wouldn’t work if rapid change that were the birds’ usual fare are being It is such an obvious strategy from should ever become necessary – which displaced by an invasive snail five the gene’s point of view that evolution it inevitably does, sooner or later. times bigger. That might seem scrump- will have long since mastered the trick, I find it impossible to believe that tious news for any snail eater, but not adding built-in choosiness to the fe- evolution would not have stumbled for your old-fashioned Snail Kites: their males of species. But scientists have for across this double whammy. I have bills just aren’t big enough to deal with long been uncomfortable with the idea never, though, come across solid data the monsters. In a sea of plenty they go of animal life making choices, so this confirming the higher rate of variability hungry. To the apparent amazement of explanation has not had wide currency. of males in other species. If someone scientists, though, the Florida Snail Only recently I came across an ornithol- could explore this, and show that males Kites have evolved, in a mere two gen- ogist who seemed to imply that a bird exhibit greater variability than females erations, and a new larger-billed brood in his study had made a choice, and in throughout the animal kingdom, the is happily tucking in to their super- embarrassment “corrected” himself, overall hypothesis explaining really sized escargot. saying that of course he wasn’t imput- rapid evolution would be confirmed. To understand why this rapid evolu- ing any mental act to the bird – that it Choosy females would then be under- tion amazed some scientists, you have was “just reacting to hormones.” That’s stood as the determinants of evolution, to remember the textbook explanation what scientists worried about their rep- while deviating males would be seen as of how evolution works. If a member of utation still do. Not having to worry the vector. Perhaps there’d be a Nobel a species has a favourable trait, the sto- about the scorn of my peers, I can, by Prize in it. I’d be happy to receive a ry goes, it will tend to live longer, and contrast, happily attribute a mental life share. Give me a call. thus its genes are more likely to be to the animal world, because it is per- passed on. The same will be true with fectly obvious to the less-tutored that it the offspring. After enough generations, is both real and rich. And I A choosy-looking female Snail Kite, photographed therefore, those genes could come to can gain some insights as a by the author in Nayarit, Mexico. predominate. How many generations? result. Thinking about the Evolutionists are used to talking about a inner life of other species process occurring over millions of can also give insights into years. Two generations? Don’t be silly. our own species. Even with epigenetics on fire, that is far Learning from the Snail too fast. Kites, for instance, I can see But, for anyone who has not read that it would be extremely The Beak of the Finch, there is an in- odd if human females did credibly important amendment to the not show preference, in the tale, showing that two generations is mating game, for males not so outlandish after all. This wonder- with genes likely to benefit ful book by Jonathon Wheeler, which their offspring. Of course fully deserves its Pulitzer Prize, follows human females will show the research of Peter and Rosemary preference for prospering Grant, who have spent decades study- males. It’s not some moral ing the birds on an isolated Galapagos fault that we should be em- island. Among their many findings was barrassed about and deride, one which will surely rewrite the text- but a sound, built-in, bio- books and ought to give great delight to logical imperative, surely the naturalist community. shared with all higher ani- An explanation for extremely rapid mals. evolution is easily presented through an And there’s another example. Imagine you are a female very interesting line of Snail Kite, about to start nesting, wor- thought based on compari-

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Upcoming Meetings Gallery Left: Two more unusual shots by Rick Howie (Kamloops) – & Events see also page 22 for Rick’s abil- ity to give a different spin on a Compiled by Wayne C. Weber common bird.

Below left: A Merlin photo- graphed by Sharon Godkin (Sidney) on December 13, 2017 at Tanner Ridge, Central Saan- ich.

Below right: A Cooper’s Hawk photographed by Penny Hall (Port Alberni) at the Somas Estuary in Port Alberni. Note Good bird photographs by members are always very wel- come in this publication. They do not need to be part of an Avian Encounter story; just send a sentence or two to give context.

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Another take on the Boundary Bay Short-eared Owls. Photo by David Whiting.

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