STANDARD ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE REGIONAL REPORTS

Abbreviationsused in place names: In mostregions, place names given in •talictype are counties. Other abbreviations: THE Cr Creek Ft. Fort WINTER Hwy Highway I Island or Isle Is. Islands or Isles SEASON Jet. Junction km kilometer(s) December 992-February28, 993 L Lake mi mile(s) Mt. Mountain or Mount Mts. Mountains N.E National Forest N.M. National Monument AtlanticProvinces Region 235 SouthernGreat PlainsRegion 272 N.P. National Park Ian A. McLaren JosephA. Grzybowski N.W.R. NationalWildlife Refuge 237 274 PE Provincial Park QuebecRegion TexasRegion RichardYank and Yves Aubry GregW. Lasleyand Chuck Sexton Pen. Peninsula Pt. Point (not Port) New EngiandRegion 239 Idaho-Western Montana 278 Blair Nikula R. River ThomasH. Rogers Summer 279 Ref. Refuge Hudson.Delaware Region 243 ThomasH. Rogers Res. Reservoir(not Reservation) WilliamJ. Boyle,Jr., S P. State Park Robert O. Paxton, MountainWest Region 281 and David A. Cutler HughE. Kingery W.M.A. WildlifeManagement Area MiddleAtlantic Coast Region 246 SouthwestRegion 284 Abbreviations used in the names of birds: HenryT. Armistead Arizona:David Stejskal and Am. American GaryH. Rosenberg Corn. Common SouthernAUantic Coast Region New Mexico: Sartor O. Williams III E Eastern ReportsJ5om this Region will appearin thenext issue. AlaskaRegion 288 Eur. Europeanor Eurasian TG. Tobish,Jr. andM.E. Isleib Mr. Mountain FloridaRegion 250 Richard L. West and N. Northern BritishColumbia/Ynkon Region Noel Warner Chris Siddle S Southern W. Western OMa•o Region 252 Oregon/WashingtonRegion 293 Ron Ridout BillTweit and Jeff Gilligan Other abbreviationsand symbols referring to birds: AppalachianRegion 256 Middle PacificCoast Region ad. adult GeorgeA. Hall DavidG. Yee,Stephen F. Bailey, and Bruce E. Deuel •mm. immature WesternGreat LakesRegion 259 juv. juvenalor juvenile JamesGranlund SouthernPacific CoastRegion sp. species Guy McCaskie MiddlewesternPrairie Region 261 ? means that written details Kenneth Brock HawaiianIslands Region 302 were submitted for a RobertL. Pyle sighting CentralSouthern Region StephenJ. Stedman West IndiesRegion * meansthat a specimenwas Robert L. Norton collected PrairieProvinces Region 269 lY•nterz.o.oz -Lo.o2 c• male RudolfE Koesand Peter Taylor Winter•992-$995 9 female NorthernGreat PlainsRegion 270 CBC Christmas Bird Count GordonBerkey

234. American B•rds,Summer 1993 Therewere three Lesser Scaup at NorthR., the St.John's, NF, dump,were "about aver- ATLANTICPROVINCES PEI, Dec. 5 (SM), fiveat Pictou,NS, Jan.z3 age"there (BMct). (CB,KM), andat least four through February For the first time in 5 winters,no imm. REGION nearHalifax, NS (v.o.).Heavy ice off n.e. Broad-wingedHawks hazarded a stay in the Ian A. McLaren Newfoundlandpushed •4ooo Com. Eiders S Region.A record+_aoo Red-taileds were on to CapeSpear (BMct). Another 3ooo ap- theKing} NS, raptorcensus Jan. 3I. Rough- pearedaround S.P.M. (RE). King Eiders, _Bar- I6+;two with +,o Bald Eagles were found har- recordcold. Harbors froze where they hadn't rowsGoldeneyes were at the usualsites at rassinggeese at MartiniqueBeach Sanct., NS. inyears and heavy snow accumulated, except Cocagne,NB, NorthR., PEI,and Bedford, Onlyfour post-CBC Am. Kestrelsand two in s.e.Newfoundland. Even open-sea areas NS. A fewHooded Mergansers and a Ruddy Merlins,normally commoner, were reported. becameheaving sheets ofbrash ice. Neverthe- Duckin NovaScotia stayed only until early Theobligatory c3 Peregrine Falcon wintered less,birders were active and birds aplenty. It January. at SaintJohn, NB (v.o),and three others were wasan off yearfor irruptiveSnowy Owls, notedat scatteredlocations. Gyrfalcons were Northern Shrikes,and winter finches.The DIURNAL RAPTORS featuredfor the3rd winter around St. John's, regularwoodland insectivores and brush Followingupon individuals last spring and NF,with I2-•5 birds,mostly whites and grays sparrowsheld their own, but grassland spar- autumn, _>zBlack Vulturesmaterialized in (BMct).About nine were seen elsewhere in rowsand straggling warblers were in trouble. NovaScotia. The first appeared Jan. •3-•6 on theRegion. Rarities included two Eared and a Western the GrahamKnickless porch at GreenBay, grebe,Tufted Ducks, Black Vultures, a whereit ate "dogfood and peanut butter PARTRIIXIE TO ALCIDS Sabine'sGull, anda WesternMeadowlark. sandwiches(which it reallyliked) plus warm, Forthose interested in anexpedition, there is freshlycaught mice" (SC). The birdthen a "robustRock Ptarmigan population" on the Abbreviations:NB (New Brunswick);NS moved•z mi E forz days.Shortly after it (?) LongRange Mts., NF (HD). The Ruffed (NovaScotia); PEI (PrinceEdward L); S.P.M. wasseen 65 mi SW.A clearlydifferent indi- Grousewas "near the top of itscycle" (DSC) (Saint-PierreetMiquelon). Place names in vidual died in Stewiackein mid-January in New Brunswick,but was scarceor under- italics are counties. (*AcadiaUniversity). Finally, a weakened reportedin NovaScotia. Wild Turkeyshave bird foundFeb. 8 nearWindsor, 50 min. of beenextirpated from Grand Manan I., NB LOONS TO WATERFOWL thefirst sighting, was captured for rehabilita- (DSC). A surprisingPied-billed Grebe was inland on tion. A TurkeyVulture was observedat An Am. Coot was seenon Sable I., NS, Petite Rivi•re, NS, Feb. 23 (SC). Horned Tweedside,NB, Dec. •6-Jan.zo (v.o.).The Dec. 24 (ZL) but, for the firstwinter since Grebeswere scarceoutside Nova Scotia,but raptorcensus inKing}, NS, Jan. 3I produced a •986-I987,none stayed in Dartmouth,NS. A Red-neckedGrebes were unusually abundant record44z Bald Eagles (fideJW), abandoning SandhillCrane was seen at CampAldershot, on MaritimesCBCs, reachingt5o off frozencoasts for poultry-farmoffal. Fewer NS, Dec.30qdeJW) ßDogged shorebirds in- Miquelon,S.P.M., Feb. i8 (RE).Two Eared thanusual post-CBC N. Harriersincluded cludeda Black-belliedPlover Feb. •4 at Little Grebeswere r/ear Halifax Dec. t2 (?Roger onethat stayed until Jan. z4 at St.John's, NF Harbor,NS, threeRuddy Turnstones until Foxall,BM) andagain Jan. 6 (BIL),and a first (latestever, BMct). About m N. Goshawksat Jan.•7 atMiquelon, S.P.M., a RedKnot Jan. fully satisfactoryWestern Grebe ...... 17at Miquelon, S.EM. (latest since was at Ketch Harbor, NS, Dec. •6 z986, RE), fewer than usual (PM, ?BS). Three N. Gannets '"• 'c•r• SandealingsandDunlins inNova were off Chebucto Head, near Scotia,a late Com. Snipeat St.- Halifax, NS, Jan. 23 (PM, BS). Pierre,S.P.M., Jan. 2o (E Luberry), Double-crested Cormorants lin- and an Am. Woodcock at W. Pub- geredat S.P.M.,Dec. •6 (JCH), nico,NS, untilJan. I8 (v.o.). Charlottetown, PEI Jan. •5 (A. In Nova Scotia a Parasitic McGuigan),and Neil Harbor, NS, Jaegersighted Dec. 2o offChebuc- Jan.I6 (AI'V[).Of onlyfour post- to Head(PM, ?BS) was apparently CBC Great Blue Herons,the latest a firstfor winterin the Region. wereseen Jan. •z at Cocagne,NB, Common Black-headed Gulls andJan. z3 at Trenton,NS. wereabsent from S.EM. after early A SnowGoose was sighted near January,none remained by late Wolfville, NS, Dec. 24-28 (v.o.). Februaryin St.John's, and num- Largenumbers of CanadaGeese, berswere below average in Nova asusual staying only in NovaSco- Scotia(v.o.). No Bonaparte'sGulls tia, requiredfamine relief during were noted after late December. February.Urban dabblers included An ad.Mew (Com.) Gull wintered 30 N. Pintailsin St. John's,NF, a at St. John's,NF, andanother at N. Shovelerin Dartmouth, NS, a Dartmouth,NS. One hopesthat Gadwallin Trenton,NS, and a • . NEW collapseoffisheries will trouble the BRUNSWICK • largerlarids, but only in s.w.New- Eur.Wigeon in St.John's, NE An • . Sackville.•Amher= imm. • Tufted Duck was near - foundlandwas it noted(HD) that Dartmouth,NS, throughFebru- "numbersdropped drastically," ev- ary(IM etal..),and a male Feb. 7 at idently throughemigration. A N. River,PEI (SM et al..), wasa first-winterHerring Gull Feb.28 provincialfirst. Diving ducks were in St.John's, NF, lookedlike L. ar- generallyscarcer than usual,al- gentatusargenteus (BMct). Com- thought7oo Greater Scaup win- paredwith smithsonianus,it had tered at Pictou-Trenton, NS. paler,scalier upperparts, and the

Volume 47, Number 2 - 235 Kingfishersincluded individuals Jan. 2o at toLanglade, S.EM., Feb. •2 (JCH).It wasnot PleasantGrove, PEI, Jan. xo at Cocagne, NB, aN. Shrikewinter, with only one each report- andthrough February near Yarmouth, NS. ed from Newfoundlandand S.P.M., none Red-headedWoodpeckers were in CapeBre- from PrinceEdward Island, five from Nova ton,NS, mid-January(CM) and through Scotia,and "wellbelow average" numbers winter at Yarmouth, NS (ER). Red-bellied (DSC) in New Brunswick. Woodpeckerswintering after the autumn in- It is surprisingthat any reverse-migrant vasionincluded three in New Brunswick,one warblerssurvived the winter.An Orange- at StanleyBridge, PEI, and one at Canning, crownedWarbler lasted until Jan.• in St. NS. A record•8 post-CBCN. Flickerswere John's,NF, asdid three until late January at reportedin NovaScotia, but none elsewhere. NovaScotia feeders. Yellow-rumped War- biersare routine along coastal Nova Scotia, OORVIDS TO WARBLERS butone remaining until Feb. x5 at St.John's, A fewlong-resident Am. Crowson SableI., NF, supplieda znd latestprovincial record NS,were extirpated last year, but an explorer (BMct). The previouslyreported Black- arrivedin January (ZL). Black-capped Chick- throatedGray and Yellow-throated warblers adeeswere "buoyant" in s.w.Newfoundland in St.John's, NF, were last seen Dec. 5. At least (HD) and"extremely numerous" in Nova five Pine Warblers wintered in Nova Scotia Scotia(RS), and New Brunswick CBCs pro- and a like number in New Brunswick. A duced"the highest number per party-hour in BlackpollWarbler was seen in Pictou,NS, 33years analysed" (DSC). Numbersof the Dec. z (CB). A Black-and-whiteWarbler was BlackVulture at GreenBay, Nova Scotia, resting otherregular insectivores were average or somewhatabove. Two Winter Wrens were at after a mealof dogfood and peanutbutter sandwiches,on Ja.uary 15, 1993. Rarein the Langlade,S.P.M., Feb. •2 (JCH).Newfound- provi.cea.d remarkablyfar .orth for the lands6th and 7th HouseWrens were around seaso.. Photograph/b. McLare./VIREO. St.John's in lateDecember (BMct etal..);two in Nova Scotiathen (v.o.)were firstsfor win- tail wasbasally whitish with narrow,dark ter. Ruby-crownedKinglets lingered into bars,and broad,laterally diffuse terminal Februaryat DurhamBridge, NB (W. Gam- band. Mactavish also found two first-winter mon) and Halifax, NS (v.o.). EasternBlue- and one 2nd-winterGlaucous x Herting birdsagain wintered inNova Scotia, eight in Gullsduring January. Two ad. Lesser Bhck- King•and five near Yarmouth. A Townsend's Backedswintered in St.John's, NF, ->4 around Solitaireat AppleRiver, NS, Nov. 26 (K. Halifax,NS, onefor the nth winter,and one Spicer)can be added to lastfall's trio. Flocks atLockeport, NS. Among the rewards of sea- of hundreds of Am. Robins roamed Nova watches(PM, BS) off ChebuctoHead, NS, Scotia,but they were below average or scarce werean ad. Sabine's Gull Dec. 2o, furnishing elsewhere. Varied Thrushes were at Yar- a 3rdprovincial winter record, and an Ivory mouth,NS, briefly in January and at Cherry- GullJan. 23. Another Ivory Gull seen Jan. 25 field,NS, throughFebruary (v.o.). At least at RockyHarbor was the first in s.w.New- two Brown Thrashers wintered in Nova Sco- foundlandin a decade(fide HD). No Dove- tia andone at Desable,PEI (IL Macfarlane). kie wreckswere reported, but therewere The pattern of incursionof Bohemian countsof thousandsfrom S.EM. (RE) and BrownsBank, NS (Rd'E)Dec. 27. Notable White-morphGyrfalcon at CapeSpear, was an estimateof 5ooo-xo,oooRazorbills Newfoundland,February 21, 1993. wintering around Grand Manan I., NB Photograph/BruceMacravish. (BD). verylate Jan. x in St.John's, NF (BMct).A Com. Yellowthroatnoted Dec. •4 on DOVES TO WOODPECKERS Miquelon(JCH) was the latest ever on S.P.M. In New Brunswick,Brian Dalzell found di- Wilson'sWarblers were last seen Dec. 5 in St. minishedMourning Dove numbersafter John's,NF, andDec. 20 (L. Cohrs)in Halifax, stormsand observed them roosting maladap- NS. The brest Yellow-breastedChat was at tivelyin exposedalders, yet DavidChristie St.Johns, NF, feeders through December. suggestedthat selectionhas produced birds with"fewer foot problems. • Certainly they TANAGERS TO FINCHES did well in the Maritimes,and five survived A c3Western Tanager was at Murray Pt., Pic- winterat St.-Pierrefor an S.EM. first(RE). A tou,Dec. 2 (tCB). Five N. Cardinalsin New MonkParakeet inSussex, NB, may have been Brunswickand six in Nova Scotiawere fewer onethat had summered x3mi away(v.o.). Is a thanusual. Dickcissels survived through Jan- s. New Englandorigin possible? In New uaryat GrandDesert and at Yarmouth,NS BrunswickCBCs Snowy Owls were "below Appareuthybrid Glaucous x HerringGull In (v.o.). A Rufous-sidedTowhee was in St. first-winterplumage at St. John's, averagein thesouth, average in the north" John's,NF, until at leastJan. 5, anotherwin- (DSC). Sevenwere noted in Newfoundland Newfoundland,January 17, 1993. Photograph/BruceMacravish. tered in Sussex,NB, and six at feederswere (HD), anda likenumber on S.EM. (RE), but more than usualin Nova Scotia.At leastseven onlythree POst-CBC birds reached Nova Sco- Waxwingsis suggestedby above-averageChipping Sparrows wintered in the Mar- tia.A N. Hawk Owl reachedMiddleton, NS, numberson N. NewBrunswick CBC. sand by itimes.Clay-colored Sparrows were found Nov.z9 (k Duncanson,ph.), andfour win- largeflocks later in winterin NovaScotia. Dec.5 in St.John's, NF, Nov.3o-Dec. 4 at Pe- teredin NewBrunswick. Up ton Short-caredCedar Waxwings were unusually numerous tite Rivi•re, NS (SC), and Dec. n at Sheffield Owlswere around Grand Pr•, NS, through in NewBrunswickand Nova Scotia, two get- Mills,NS (AM).Surprising numbers ofwin- January(v.o.). The few POst-CBCBelted tingto Sable I., NS,Jan. 2x-24 (ZL) andthree teringField Sparrows were found, with one

236- American Birds, Summer 1993 at a feeder30 mi w. of St.John's, NF, for the undlmid-February. 4thprovincial record, BMct); two at feeders Southeast Newfoundland had the "worst in NewBrunswick, including one on DeerI. finchyear since the Vikings landed" (BMct). throughFebruary; and e7 in NovaScotia, PineGrosbeaks were "up • onlyin NovaSco- someaway from feeders. A LarkSparrow at tia (DAC), and PurpleFinches were scarce CapeRace, NF, Dec. z3 (C. Brown) was only everywhere.House Finchesmanaged to the2nd for the province inwinter, and anoth- flourish,with 113on New BrunswickCBCs erstayed at a feederin W. Pubnico,NS (v.o.). (DSC)and about a dozenwintering in Nova A GrasshopperSparrow noted Jan. z at Cape Scotia.Crossbills, Com. Redpolls,and Pine Race,NF, was"too cold to move"(PL, JP). Siskinswere uncommoneverywhere; Eur. Othergrassland sparrows suffered from snow Goldfincheswintered Dec. 6+ at Sussex,NB andice; e.g., of-+5o Savannah and 5 Sharp- (J.Candy etal..) and Jan. z7+ at S.Granville, tailedsparrows at RainbowHaven Beach, PEI (M. Rodgeretal..). Even in thisRegion a NS,in eady December, none remained in late Europeansource is implausible for such rela- winter(IAM etal..).Brush sparrows did bet- tivelyshort-distance migrants. Evening Gros- ter,at leastfarther s. Usualspecies numbers beakswere virtually absent from Newfound- were"above average" on New Brunswick landand well below average elsewhere. CBCs(DSC), and White-throated Sparrows andDark-eyed Juncos were more common in Contributorsand observerssummarizers in bold- Nova Scotiathan for someyears (DAC). face): Calvin Brennan, Richard Brown, Amongthem were five White-crowned Spar- Shirley Cohrs, Ray Cooke, David S. rowsin theMaridmes during December, as Thisfirst-winter Herring Gull at St. John's,New- Christie, David A. Currie, Brian Dalzell, well as Lincoln'sSparrows Jan. ix at Cape foundland,on February22, 1993, wastbought Hank Deichmann,Jim Edsell,Raymond Broyle,NF, until Jan. zo in St. John's, NF, and to representthe race L a. argenteus,normally d'Entremont,Roger Etcheberry, Jackie & throughwinter at W. Pennant,NS (v.o.).An foundin northwesternEurepe, Britain, and ChristineHebert (JCH), KeithKeddy, Paul "OregonJunco" was on theMactaquac, NB, Iceland.Photograph/Bruce Macravish. Lingar,Zoe Lucas,Peter MacLeod, Bruce in lateDecember (fide DSC) and an apparent Western Meadowlarks, one of which win- Mactavish(BMct), Scott Makepeace, Blake "pink-sided"at W. Pubnico,NS, Dec. z5 teredat Gagetown,NB (E. Inchet aL).A Maybank,Dan McAskill,Ken McKenna, (Rd'E).Two juncos with whitewing bars meadowlarkDec. 19at St. Brides,NF (PL, CathyMurrant, John Pratt, Eric Ruff, Bever- winteredin Halifax,NS; wing length and re- JP)and two in Januaryin NewBrunswick ly Sarty,Francis Spalding, Richard Stern, strictedwhiteinthe tail of a captive precluded weretoo shy for identification, and only one JamesTaylor, Stuart Tingley, James Wol- true"white-winged" (IM, PM). ofa dozen in NovaScotia was apparently crit- ford. Ian A. McLaren,Biology Depart- Fewer icterids than usual remained in the icallydiagnosed asEastern. Of five post-CBC ment, DalhousieUniversity, Halifax, NS Maridmes.Again some observers looked for N. Oriolesin NovaScotia, only one survived B3H 4JI.

winteredon TdmiscouataL., for the znd con- Dec.z (DD etal.), while singles were noted QUEBECREGION secudveyear (MBa, RD). A loneHorned thenext day off Pointe-Claire,Montreal (M. RichardYank and Yves Aubry Grebespotted on theYamaska R., at Saint- Thabault),and Portneuf (CM). More unusu- HyacintheJan. I6-X8 (R. Roy,D. Roy),was al wasa N. Fulmar,also at the lattersite, Dec. recordlate, while a tardyRed-necked Grebe 3 (CM). AlthoughGreat Blue Herons were waspicked up in poorcondition atLaval Jan. stillwidely reported in lateDecember, few This wasa winter of extremes.Eastern Que- 7 (fideS. David).Wandering up the St. werereported inthe new year. One was found becwas cold throughout the period because Lawrence R., asregularly occurs in latefall, atLaval Jan. 23-z7 (fideGL), and another sur- of a westerlyextension of theIcelandic low- three imm. N. Gannets reachedBeauharnois vivedthe seasonat Cowansville,Missisquoi pressurearea that dominated At- lantic weather. Blanc-Sablon was nippedwith averagetemperatures of 3.5ø, 5.4ø, and6.zøC below nor- mal during December,January, andFebruary, respectively. Above- averagetemperatures were record- QUEBEC ed for the western one-third of the t ßRadisson province.During December and January,the area received much of Eastmain• its precipitationas rain borneby stormsoriginating in the south- ß Matagami ßChibougarnau westernUnited States, spawned by E1Nifio.The rain prompted agood varietyof speciesto tarry.By con- trast, Februarywas the coldest monthon record,bringing several ß Rouyn heavy snowstormsto southern partsof the province. •e Mont- LOONS TO WJ•ERFOWL Laorier ß •-dhierville A speciesrarely found inland in • Montreal Hull ß winter,two Com. Loonslingered Sherbrooke ß on the Chicoudmi R., at Laterri•re, untilJan. 17 (CC, GS),and another

Volume 47, Number 2. 237 (R.Deshaies, D. Deshaies).Also exceptional- count ofio N. Saw-whet Owls for the season ly latewas a Black-crownedNight-Heron washigh; most unusual was one that over- presenton Notre-DameI., Montreal,Dec. winteredon I. desSoeurs, Montreal(m.ob.), i6-zo (GZ, m.ob.). and two others that were found at Les Hau- The Tundra Swan well seenat Saint-Timo- teurs,Rimouski, Feb. 2-n (H. Claveau),and thee,Beauharnois, Jan.i8 (RY),may well have at Saint-Eus•be, Tdmiscouata,Feb. 3 beenthe unidentified swan sighted at C6te- (MBa)--thelatter possibly early migrants. Sainte-Catherine,Laprairie, the previous day Surprisingly,no BeltedKingfishers over- (L. Galipeau).The bird was somewhat unex- wintered.The only Red-bellied Woodpecker pected,as it constitutedQuebec's first Janu- of the winter wasa femalethat visiteda feeder ary record.A Mute Swanof undetermined in Hinchinbrook,Huntingdon, during the originfrequented an areaof openwater on latterpart of February(fide DG), butseveral theRichelieu R. nearCarignan Jan. 26+ (M. N. Flickersspent the season along the Lower Smith,m.ob.). A fewwild geese again over- St.Lawrence (fide PF), as did eight or more winteredat the Hemmingfordzoo, where aroundQuebec City (fideLM). Smallflocks two Snowand 85 Canadageese remained ofHorned Larks remained on the Gasp• Pen., (PB).Elsewhere anad. Snow Goose was quite wherethe species isirregular in winter(fide late at Sainte~Foy,Quebec, Dec. 29 (G. PP). Observerswho visitedboreal forests en- DubS),while four Canada Geese lingered at counteredRed-breasted Nuthatches, Brown LesC•dres, Soulanges, Jan. 24 (BB, MM). Creepers,and Golden-crowned Kinglets in Despitea frigidFebruary, eight early Snow good numbers.Twelve CarolinaWrens Geesewere spotted in flightat Montreal Feb. Black-throatedSparrow at Plaisance,Quebec, brightenedthe season, including two individ- I5 (C. Larocque),while 20 CanadaGeese flew in early December1992. First recordfor the ualswell N oftheir normal range at Chicouti- overChfiteauguay earlier in themonth (fide province.PhotograplVJ. Alar• and R. Cantin. mi Dec. zo-Jan.I4 (D. Leblancetal.) andat PB). By contrast,relatively few duckswere Baie-Comeauuntil Jan. 2 (GB). consideredout of season.Most notable were a Pocati&e(CA)--both regular wintering sites An extraordinaryconcentration of >23 E. c3Blue-winged Teal that remained at Bona- forthis species. A first-year Franklins Gull at Bluebirdsdrew observers to Oka, Deux-Mon- ventureDec. i (JMP), an Am. Wigeonat Aylmer,Gatineau, Dec. 6 (M. Aub•, CR), tagnes,Dec. 31-Jan. t7 (B. Lismonde, Baie-Comeauuntil Dec. 31 (GB, C. De- providedthe firstDecember record for the m.ob.)--theprevious late departure record schines),and three Greater Scaup that win- province,while Thayer's Gulls were identi- datingback to Nov.22, 1942! Among frugi- tered successfullyat Rivi•re-des-Prairies,fied in unprecedentednumbers, with single vores, a Hermit Thrush was late at Saint- L71ssomption(M. Duchesnay). - adultsat Saint-JeanDec. 4 (BB,MM), andat Stanislas-de-Kotska,Beauharnois, Jan. i6 (L. Saint-Romuald,Lgvis, Dec. io (G. Lemelin), Goneau), as was another in the Montreal DIURNAL RAPTORS TO GULLS a first-yearimmature at LaPocati•re Dec. 22 botanicalgardens until Jan. z4 (GZ), while Typicallyabsent from the province in mid- (CA), and at least3 differentbirds in the Am.Robins were widespread throughout the winter,N. Harriersprovided evidence of a Montrealarea Dec. 12-Feb. 27 (PB, v.o.). The season.They wereparticularly numerous temperateJanuary in extremes. Quebec, with onlyLesser Black-backed Gulls observed in- aroundQuebec City, where they found moun- lonemales at Saint-Constant, Laprairie, Jan. cludedup to four immaturesat Pointe-du- tain-ashberries plentiful (fide LM), with as I7-3o (MBr,PB), and at I2Acadie,Saint-Jean, Buisson,Beauharnois, Dec. i2-i 3 (PB,MBr et many as I5o at Cap-TourmenteJan. 3 (C. Jan.28 (M. Arnaudin).Five Sharp-shinned al.), but impressiveinland concentrations of Nadeau,J.E Rail, P. Lapointe). A total of14 N. Hawksin theUpper Saguenay/L. Saint-Jean Greater Black-backeds were viewed, with 925 Mockingbirdswas similar to thatof lastwin- regionand two on the MagdalenIs. were at ChicoutimiDec. i6 (CC), 500at Aylmer ter,while single Brown Thrashers, rare in win- moresurprising, in viewof thecold weather. Dec. 2o (JD, CR), and an estimated2ooo ter,were good finds at Montreal Jan. 9-x2 (R. As hasbecome the norm in recentwinters, roostingnightly at Rivi•re-des-Prairiesdur- Guilletteetal.), and at Philipsburg, Missisquoi, aboutI5 Cooper'sHawks were sighted ins.w. ingFebruary (GL). Also at Chicoutimi,a to- Jan.zi-Feb. 28 (J.G. Papineau, E. Rosenthal). Quebec.Feeders certainly appear to becon- tal of 7ooGlaucous Gulls were counted Dec. CedarWaxwings were widely reported in tributingto theincreased number of accip- 2 (CC). Recordlate by one day were io Black- smallnumbers, but Bohemian Waxwings were itersremaining in the Regionduring recent leggedKittiwakes flying offshore at Petit- scarce,except for a flockof I5oosighted at winters. An ad. Red-shoulderedHawk seenat Gasp•Jan. n (S.Marchand). Robeveal,L. Saint-Jean,Jan. I7-I 9 (NB). Hudson,Vaudreuil, Jan. i2-2i (P. Tarassof, Warblerssupplied considerable excite- m.ob.) was worthy of mention, while Rough- DOVES TO WARBLERS ment.Not unexpectedin an areahaving a leggedHawks were sighted farther N than Noteworthywere io MourningDoves at mildwinter were single Yellow-rumped War- usual,including four at L. Saint-Jean through Chandler,Gaspg (C. Pelchat,JRL), and I3 on bierssighted at Beauportand Cap-Saint- January(fide GS), one at CacounaJan. 23 the MagdalenIs., sustainedby feedersat Ignace,Montmagny (fide LM), and at La (J.L.Martel), two at La Pocati•re,Kamouras- Grand-Ruisseau(UD) and at Cap-aux- Pocati•re(CA), whilesingle Pine Warblers ka,all season (CA), and three on the Mag- Meules(DGG). This wasthe bestwinter for were locatedat Saint-Joseph-de-la-Rive, dalenarchipelago in January (M. Roussy,R. SnowyOwls since i987-i988. The Sague- Charlevoix,Dec. 25 (H. Mead),and at Saint- Gauthier).There were few large concentra- nay/L. Saint-Jean area hosted an estimated 5o Joseph,Quebec, Jan. 17 (M. Grenier).Quite tions,with the exceptionof 28 at Saint- birds(fide GS); peak counts elsewhere were of exceptionalwere a record-latec• Black- Barth•l•my,Berthier, Dec. 28 (MLe, RT, 9 at Rivii:re-OuelleDec. i (CA), n at Saint- throatedBlue Warbler, admired by many on KT). Gyrfalconswere found in higher-than- HubertDec. I3 (fideDD), and14 at Saint- I. desSoeurs Dec. 3-2o (PW, DD, m.ob.); the averagenumbers for the 3rd consecutive win- Barth•l•myDec. 28 (RT,MLe, KT). Likely Regions6th Yellow-throated Warbler, which ter,with approximately I4 individuals report- northbound,birds concentrated again in late brieflyvisited a Portneufyard Dec. 13 (M. ed S of 49øN.Unprecedentedly late shore- February,with a remarkable38 at H•bertville Darveau,C. Brodeur);our firstwintering birdsincluded aSanderling atPointe-au-P•re (C. Girard, M. Savard),7 at Louiseville, Ovenbirdat Aylmer Dec. i8+ (T. Catterel, J.p. untilDec. i (J.R.Pelletier, L. Brigson)and a Maskinongg(GL),and 5 at Saint-Clet 03. Laz- Artigan);and late Com. Yellowthroatsat White-rumpedSandpiper seen at Gros-Cap, zoni), all seen Feb. 28. Itwas an above-average Longueuil Dec. i8-2i, and at both Saint- MagdalenIs., until Dec. x9 (m. ob., fide BL). winterfor N. HawkOwls, with approximate- Louis-de-Gonzague, Beauharnois, Dec. z• Upto five Com. Snipes survived atBeauport, ly z5 reported, but seven Great Gray and nine (DD, PW), and Cabano, Tdmiscouata,the Quebec(J.E Rousseau),and three at La Borealowls were unspectacular numbers. A nextday (MBa, RD).

AmericanBirds, Summer 1993 CARDINALINES TO FINCHES A • Rose-breasted Grosbeak was later than NEWENGLAND REGION usualat LongueuilDec. zz (DD, PW),while Blair Nikula addingto the fall Dickcisselsightings were birdsat Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines,7•rrebonne, Dec. •-•z (R. Archamhaulr),and at Cap- NATURE SERIES TourmenteDec. •3-•9 (R. Gingras,D. Thewinter of•992-•993 in NewEngland was Campeau),as well as one that suddenly ap- California Gnatcatcher characterizedby abruptextremes. Averaged pearedat RobervalFeb. z5 (Y. Fortin, NB), to This tiny little bird wasonce common along the overthe season, though, it wasvery close to furnish Quebec'sfirst mid-winterrecord. coastand inland areasfrom Ventura, California southinto Baja, Mexico. Now asfew as 1200pairs normal--atleast in Boston wheretempera- Thiswas an exceptionalwinter for ember- survivein whatis left of its rapidlydisappearing tureswere within a fraction of adegree of nor- izines. '1%voc• Rufous-sided Towhees were CoastalSage Scrub habitat. This beautifullyfilmed 1/2hr. videoprofiles the maland precipitation was up by 2-3 inches. completenesting cycle and habitat of t[•eCalifornia December was mild and wet. The most foundwintering on the Gasp6 Pen., at Chan- Gnatcatcher. An ]nvalnabletool for activists, dler(EE. Soucy)and at Grande-Rivi•re(G. educators and naturalists. significantevent of the month,indeed the Sendcheck for $29.00 + 3.00 shippingto: Jim Dupuis),while a ChippingSparrow was seen Karnik Productions,248 Village GreenRd., season,was a powerful northeaster that devel- atCharlesbourg, Quebec, until the end of Jan- Encinitas,CA 92024, (619) 436-2308 CompleteSatisfaction Guaranteed! opedin classicfashion off theCarolinas and uary(R. Lepage).American 'Gee Sparrows movednorth up the coast,impacting New winteredfarther N thanusual, including two EnglandDec. n-•3. Althoughthe storm ac- all winter at Grand-Ruisseau(UD, S. De- beakswere reported in small groups, except in tuallystalled and died just to thesouth, its ef- coste)and • at ChandlerJan. 3• (JRL).Pro- borealforests near Quebec City (fideLM), fectswere considerable, particularly in south- vidingour firstDecember record were two alongthe North Shore (fide GC), andalong centralNew England, where z-$j•et of snow VesperSparrows studied at Saint-Bernard-de- the Lower St. Lawrence (fide PF), where they fell,and along the eastern coast, where winds Lacolle,Saint-Jean, Dec. z8-3• (R. Belle- weretermed abundant, but PurpleFinches reachedhurricane force Dec. •2 (78mph peak humeur,J. Lavall•e),but the birdof thesea- remainedfarther N than in recentyears, in Boston).The tempestproduced a memo- sonwas a stunningBlack-throated Sparrow, foundall season as far N asAbitibi (fide EV), rable seabirdshow, one of the best ever wit- Quebec'sfirst, that cameto a yardin Plai- L. Saint-Jean(fideGS), and Quebec City (fide nessedby severalveteran observers. Red sance,Papineau, Oct. •5-Jan. z7 (R. Cantin, LM). White-wingedCrossbills were consid- Phalaropeswere the majorplayers, but ful- J. Alarie).A SavannahSparrow was observed ered common in the Laurentians (M. mars,skuas, jaegers, and alcids figured promi- at HemmingfordJan. I4-I9 (J. Hodges,D. Sokolyk),in theQuebec City area (fideLM), nentlyas well. January was pleasantly mild Smith),and four different Fox Sparrows were at L. Saint-Jean(fide GS), and in theLower anddry, with temperatures almost 4øF above detectedat Lavemitre,Magdalen Is., Dec. St.Lawrence (fide PF). Redpolls were general- average.The largerlakes remained ice free •o-Feb.z• (BL),at Repentigny,L]4ssomption, ly scarce.High numbers of PineSiskins win- wellinto the month, and bare ground was the Jan.•o-Feb. •o (C. Gagnonet al.), at Hem- teredat L. Saint-Jean(fideGS) and at Quebec rule,rather than the exception, even in many mingfordFeb. 7 (MBretal.), and at Saint-Ar- City (fideLM), whileAm. Goldfincheswere northernareas. Winter finally arrived with a mand,Missisquoi (K. Kaiser);both Savannah numerousin mostareas, many at feederson vengeancein February,dropping tempera- and Foxsparrows are almostunknown in theGasp6 Pen. (fidePP) and the Magdalen Is. tures (-3.2øF)and a profusionof snow mid-winter.Song Sparrows wintering as far (fideBL). Evening Grosbeaks drew few com- throughoutthe Region. N asL. Saint-Jeanand the Gasp• Pen. were mentsfrom observersin w. and c. Quebec, Althougha goodvariety ofhalf-hardies re- lesssurprising, but a Lincoln'sSparrow at and few were found in the St. Lawrence low- mained to test their mettle, the number of L•visJan. 3-Feb. •9, providedonly the 3rd lands;they were reported in "average"num- suchindividuals seemed noticeably lower mid-winterrecord for the province(J. bersalong the Lower St. Lawrence (fide PF), thanin the2 previousmild winters. Perhaps Lachance).A White-crownedSparrow was but a fewdid reachthe Magdalen Is., where cooler-than-normal late fall weather dissuad- unseasonalat Desbiens,L. Saint-Jean,Feb. z7 theyare irregular (fideBL). ed manypotential lingerers, but thosethat (fideGS), while a rareHarris' Sparrow over- EXOTICS did remainoften survived deep into the sea-- winteredat anAylmer feeder Dec. zo-Feb. 28 son.The weather was undoubtedly beneficial SingleEur. Goldfinches brightened feeders In (JD etal.).A Harris'also appeared atRivilre- to manyspecies that have been increasing of Portneuf,Saguenay, Jan. 7 (M. Dixon, C. Decemberat Montreal (GZ) and at Belle- feuille, •rrebonne(L. Lemieux). late,such as Gadwalls, Turkey Vultures, Red- Dixon).Wintering White-throated Sparrows shoulderedHawks, Red-bellied Woodpeck- werewidely reported, as were Dark-eyed Jun- Conigenda:The Great Egret reported at Bien- ers, Carolina Wrens, and EasternBluebirds. cos.Good numbers of LaplandLongspurs court during Spring I99Z should be deleted Winterfrugivores, such as American Robins, werefound in s.Quebec throughout the win- (AB46:39I). A belatedreport was received of CedarWaxwings, and GrayCatbirds, were ter,including _>z 5 at La Pocati•re(CA) and a a Yellow-throatedWarbler seen and photo- plentiful,but irruptives,with theexception flockof•oo accompanying •5o Horned Larks graphedat Sept-liesOct. 5-9, I99I (S. Landry). of SnowyOwls, stayed home this year; boreal nearSainte-Marthe, Vaudreuil, Feb. 8 (PB). fincheswere fewer than perhaps at anytime Icteridswere widespread but not numerous, Contributorsand observers(area editors in boM- thiscentury. Also conspicuously scarce this with the exceptionof 500 Brown-headedface): C. Auchu, Y. Bachand, E Bannon, B. seasonwere Am. Coots and several species of Cowbirdsat Ch&eauguayFeb. 7 (PB),and Barnhurst,M. Beaulieu(MBa), M. Bertrand duck. zooo-3ooonear Valleyfield (DG). Highlights (MBr), N. Binet,G. Bouchard,J. Bdsson,C. Outstandingamong the seasons vagrants elsewhere included a lone Brown-headed Cormier,G. Cyr,D. Daigneault,U. Decoste, were several Black Vultures, Connecticut's Cowbirdand a pairof Red-wingedBlackbirds R. Desch0nes,J. Dubois,E Fradette,D.G. firstAsh-throated Flycatcher, multiple Paint- thatwintered at Cap-aux-Meules(DGG), a Gaudet,D. Gervais,D. Jauvin,G. Lachalne, ed Buntingson CapeCod, a Green-tailed single Red-wingedBlackbird at nearby M. Lalancette,B. Leblanc,J. R. Lepage,M. Towheein NewHampshire, Rhode Island's Grande-EntreeJan. •4-Feb. z6 (J.C.Richard), Lepage(MLe), C. Marcotte,M. Mcintosh,L. firstLeConte's Sparrow, and the Region's first and a RustyBlackbird at BonaventureFeb. Messely,J.M. Pitre,P. Poulin, C. Rirnmer,G. Lesser Goldfinch. •o-z6 (JMP). The mostnotable N. Orioles Savard,K. Turgeon,tL Turgeon,E. Van de encountered were a male that visited a feeder Wall, E Wery, G. Zenaitis RICHARD Abbreviations:CCL&PWS (CapeCod Lake at BonaventureDec. z-z4 (JMP)and another YANK, 566 ChesterRd, BeaconsfieldPQ, & PondWater•wl Survey); EE. (FirstEn- viewedat Baie-Comeauuntil Dec. zz (GB). H9W 3KI; and YVES AUBRY, Canadian counterBeach, Eastham, MA); M.V. (Martha} Contributors did not consider this an inva- WildlifeService, EO. Boxmioo, Sainte-Foy l•neyard);S.N.(Sandy Neck Beach, Barnsta- sionyear for northernfinches. Pine Gros- PQ, GIV4Hs. ble,MA).

Volume 47, Number 2 ß239 LOONS TO HERONS ed;puzzling, however, was the re- Single Pacific-typeloons were port of IOOflying over Piermont, identifiedat Plum I., Dec. z7 (M. NH, on thecurious date of Feb.I4 Lynchet al.) andin Provincetown, (T. & S. Sears). MA, Feb. 7 (G. Martin et al.). For the znd consecutiveyear, a CommonLoons were widely re- Green-winged(Eurasian) Teal ap- portedin good numbersfrom pearedin White Brook,RI, Jan. Maine to Massachusetts,and 300 9-Feb. 7 (R. Sunnetal.). Fewtears latemigrants flew past S.N., Dec. t•_]Park •' will be shedover the inexplicable 13 (TC et al.). By contrast,Red- MAINE ,•, news that the xI8O Mallards on the throated Loons were scarce. A CCL&PWS constituteda 9-year countof 63 Pied-billedGrebes on low. A record low for Am. Black 305 ponds covered by the Duckson that surveyis consider- CCL&PWS Dec. 5-6, was the ablymore disturbing. Winter Blue- mosttallied for that surveysince wingedTeals have rex:ently been I987 (C.C.B.C.),but onlya hand- discoveredwith somefrequency; fulwere reported from elsewhere in thisyear a femalewas studied at the Region.Indicative of thetem- doserange in ProvidenceJan. 9 peratefirst half of theseason was a (DE), and a male on Nantucket Pied-billedat CharlotteFerry, VT, Jan.xo (E. Ray). aslate as Feb. z (JP).The only note- In contrastto manyof thepuddle worthyconcentration of Horned duck populationsRegionwide, Grebes was in Boston Harbor, Gadwallsare doing just fine, as in- where184 were tallied Jan. 24 .. dicatedby a totalof 529birds in (T.A.S.L.); in w. Massachusetts,a Massachusetts,293 of whichwere peakof sixat Quabbinbefore ice- in SeekonkJan.9 (H. Willoughby), up wascategorized as "veryfew" andIO 7 in YarmouthJan. 23 (BN). (SK). Red-necked Grebes were EurasianWigeons numbered per- veryscarce, the expected late-winter buildup another was at the traditional site on M.V., hapsas many as three in Connexzticut,two to apparentlyfailing to materializeat all this throughat leastearly January. Mute Swans fourin RhodeIshnd, and eight in Massachu- year;indeed, the largest count of theseason continue their inexorable increase: Numbers setts.The bulk of theRegiods wintering Am. cameduring the Decemberstorm, when 5 x on the Connecticut DEP mid-winter water- Wigeonsapparently congregated in Upper flewpast S.N., Dec. x3 (RAF etaL). Rounding fowlsurvey were up x8% (fide BK); 255 were NarragansettBay, where 968 werepresent out the grebelist werean Earedin Mat- presentat WatchemoketCove, RI, Dec.x8 Jan.9 (DE). tapoisett,MA, Dec.3x (ph., RB), and the ven- (DE), and 2z6 on the CCL&PWS was a Canvasback is another duck that has re- erableWestern, seen sporadically in George- recordhigh on that 9-year survey (C.C.B.C.). centlydeclined demonstrably; in Rhode Is- town, ME, the z6thconsecutive winter in that SingleWhite-fronted Geese were present in land and s.e. Massachusetts,where the bulk area(fideJD). S. Wellfleet,MA, Dec. 5 (SAPetal.), andin of the Regiodsbirds winter, a maximumof NorthernFulmars have not beeneasy to New Bedford,MA, Dec. x5-Jan.3x (D. Zim- 400 in LittleCompton, RI, Dec.2 (DE), was comeby in recentyears, but the December berlan),while six Barnacle Geese in Walling- buta shadow of peaksof a few years ago. Red- galeblew xx5past Rockport, MA, Dec. xx ford,CT, Jan.30 (SMaet al.) generatedthe headsremained hard to find,except on Nan- (RSH),and >50 past EE., Dec. x3 (SAP etaL). usualquandary over their origins. In recent tucket,where a peakof 33was noted Jan. x6 Also at the latter site, Dec. x3, were a late years,a fewSnow Geese have persisted into (E. Andrews).A c3TuftedDuck entertained Greater Shearwater (BN et al.) and an thewinter, but this year only five were report- manyobservers in GreenwichHarbor, CT, unidentifiedlarge shearwater (WRP et al.). Jan.2-Feb. 28 (fideBIQ. By far the largest Gannetsapparently moved through the Re- concentrationof GreaterScaup was in West gionearly this year, as the onlysignificant Haven,CT, where>8ooo were present in Jan- concentrationwas 2000 on Nantucket, Dec. uary(SMa etal.). 4 (JPa);even the December gale failed to pro- KingEiders were as scarce as at anytime in duce counts much in excessof Ioo. Two Dou- recentmemory, with only fivein Massachu- ble-crested Cormorants remained as far north settsand six or so in Maine. After a decadeor as ChamplainBridge, VT, throughice-up moreof dramaticincreases along the s. New (fideJP). Englandcoast, Harlequin Ducks seem to have Apparentlyunique after the first of the year hit aplateau; the peak at Sachuest Pt., RI, was wasan Am. Bitternon Nantucket,Feb./4 (T. only45 birds (J. Murphy), the 3rd consecutive Loring).Tardy Great Egrets were at Green- yearof declinesince the record83 of 3 years wich Pt., CT, Dec. 8 (B. O'Toole); in Center- ago,while in Mainethe peak at Ogunquit was ville,MA, Dec.z7 (R. Jenkins);on M.V., Jan. 32,down from last years 49 (fideJD). A few I--3 (V.O.);in Barnstable,MA, Jan.z (fideJS); Oldsquawsoften show up on the larger inland andin StamfordJan. x7 (SMa). Snowy Egrets lakesduring fall migration, but singles atShel- werefound in Hyannis,MA, Dec. zx (PT), burneBay, VT, Jan.2x (D. Cargill),and at andin Dennis,MA, Jan.x (fideJS).Rarest of Holyoke,MA, Feb.2-28 (fideSIO, were most thedilatory herons this season was an ad. Yel- unusual mid-winter occurrences.Likewise, low-crownedNight-Heron in Stamford,CT, fourWhite-winged Scoters in Hadle3•MA, Dec.23 (D. Provencher). Jan.x6-x7 (P Yeskie),were aseasonal and in- dicative of the ice-free conditions. Red-breast- WATERFOWL Male Lesser Goldfinch (of the black-backed edMerganser numbers were well below nor- A TundraSwan appeared in Provincetown,form) at Georgetown,Maine, February17, real,with a highcount of onlyxo23 in Boston MA, Dec.5 (K. Jones);two were at theSdtu- 1993. First record for the state and for the Harbor,Jan. 24 (T.A.S.L). Encouraging, ateReservoir, RI, Jan.3 (A. StraussetaL), and Region.Photograph/Denny Abbott. thoughperhaps simply a reflectionofthe qui-

240- American Birds, Summer 1993 escentweather, were counts of I75 Ruddy seenat CharlotteFerry, VT, Feb.2 (JP),was arePomafines, but a Parasiticwas reported, Ducksin Middletown,RI, Jan.• (RB), and verylate at thatlatitude. withoutdetails, from Cape Elizabeth, ME, >80in Framingham,MA, Dec.9 (KH). Despiteseemingly favorable conditions, Dec.2 (fideWT).Skuas during"the" storm in- shorebirdsonce again provided few high- cludedtwo Greatsat S.N., Dec. •3 (R. Dono- HAWKS AND VULTURES lights.Late Semipalmated Plovers were seen vanet al.); three Greats and five skuas (sp.) at SingleBlack Vultures were sighted on M.V., at Rye,NH, Dec.5 (SMi etal.),andat Hark- EE., Dec. •3 (SAP et al.); and three to four Dec. 5 (G. BenDavid), and in Cohasset,MA, nessS.P., CT, Jan.IO (SMaetal.). Apparently skuas(sp.) at EE., Dec. •4 (BN etal.). Dec.2o (TC), but asmany as five, a record veryfew Greater Yellowlegs tarried this year, An ad. Little Gull on M.V., Dec. 5 (G. highfor the Region,were sighted in New withthe only reports after the first of theyear Daniels),was apparently unique this season. Milford, CT, Dec. ž9-Jan.x6 (B. Devineet of a singlebird in Winthrop,MA, Jan.3 (MR A Corn.Black-headed Gull in Burlington, al.). This speciesis still a legitimaterarity et al.), and of six in HyannisJan. 8 (S. Jan.•9-27 (TG, m.ob.)was Vermont's 4th, throughoutmost of New England, despite re- Clifton). Very late Spotted Sandpipers while elsewherethere were several in Maine; centincreases tothe south. Wintering Turkey teeteredin Centerville,MA, Dec. •o (RP), >27 in Massachusetts,with a peakof 2xin Vultures were more numerous than ever: and in W. Newbury,MA, Dec. •8 (RSH). WinthropDec. 20 (v.o.);nine in RhodeIs- Emersonreports a "virtualexplosion" in Groupsof zo-4o+ RuddyTurnstones often land,with a peakof sixat Watchemoket Cove RhodeIsland, where the populationin the overwinterat 3 or 4 favoredcoastal locations Feb.5 (fide DE); and two in Connecticut(fide s.w.corner of thestate peaked at 30 birdsin between s. Maine and Rhode Island, but BK).An ad.Mew Gull spent Dec. 2o-Feb. 28 AltonJan. 30 (D. Kraus).In e. Massachusetts, countsat those sites this year failed to exceed a inWinthrop, MA (SAPeta/.), the only one of at least22 vultures were observed January to dozen birds. itsspecies to bereported this season, as was a earlyFebruary, while one was seen farther N Thayer'sGull in S. Portland,ME, Janxo-n in N. Ferrisburg,VT, Dec.•5 (T. Cecchini), (LB et al.). Most curious,but unfortunately andup to fivewere found in Turner,ME, lackingany details, was a reportedHerring x throughlate January (JD). The only lingering Ring-billedGull present throughout the peri- Ospreyreported was in Milford,MA, Dec.6 'RedVhalarpp.es •inter[egularly [,the•lf od in Southbury,CT (R. Naylot);I canfind (CQ). Totalsof BaldEagles on the annual Stream6ffihe •id-Atl•tic Coast,•ith iub- noprecedence for such a hybrid.An ad.Great mid-wintersurvey induded 6x in Connecti- itantialconcentrations often occurring N Black-backed• Herring Gull in Lynn,MA, cut OffdeBK), a record7o in Massachusetts,Deceniber (Lee •)!S.• i98•; WilsbnBul•' Dec.24 and Feb. I3 (J.Quigley), was a more andxz in Vermont(fide V. LN.S.). 99!II•i2i• •,B.S.• •86••B •o:•112)• typicalcross. A near-recordnumber of winter BothSharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks Occasipnal;•traggi•rs gen•rali• ap•r in Lesser Black-backed Gulls included one in remained numerous. Northern Goshawk NewEngland in early?inter, so,the sighting Vermont,at least•o in Massachusetts,and >6 numbersappeared average at best,although ofsix phalaro• amongthe many itorm-dri- in Connecticut.A Black-legged Kittiwake was "verygood numbers" were noted in Vermont ve9,seabirdspassing Rockport• MA; D•. n sightedon L. Champlainat Addison,VT, (JP).Red-shouldered Hawks again wintered (RSIA)was not sUrPrising. Dec. 2 (TG), andsizable numbers were blown in numbers in the southern half of the Re- ,Thestorm continue• to rage•and none in by the Decemberstorm--x32o in Rock- gion,with morethan two dozenreported; wasseen the next day from various vantage port,MA, Dec.n (RSH);"thousands" atS.N. someof the breeding birds in s. New England points al6ng the s. •ape • Bayshore, until (RP) and 8oo in one hour at Dennis,MA, seemto havebecome almost year-round resi- !ateaftemoon•wh•n a s[a•tlifig acc•mu!a* Dec. x2 (BN); andx5oo at EE., Dec.x3 (BN et dents.An almostpure white Red-tailed [i0nof •4oo turned up •bng the safidwich al.). Otherthan these sightings, there was a Hawkwas seen in Barrington,RI, Dec.I9-27 shorein the s.w. corner o(the bay (SAP et a•). dearthofkittiwakes, in sharpcontrast to their (BG eral.). Rough-leggedHawks were very Jtmtone day liter, Dec. •3, unparalleled mass• abundanceof thex97os and early x98os. scarcevirtually throughout the Region, with eswere prelent alongth• entire s. l•ay ibore, A totalof about30 Dovekiesin Massachu- the exceptionof w. Massachusetts,where with'>•ro, .o00 estimat• tohave passed S.N. in settsin Decemberincluded >x 5 at EE., Dec. numberswere considered"average" (SK). lessthan i hours(SAP e} a•)• while •5oo were x3(SAP et al.); the only others in theRegion Thepeak count of Rough-leggedswasin the notedat EE. (E B•iey et a•)[ •t leastacoupie were singles at 2 sitesin Maineand one in Addison/Bridportarea of Vermont,where II offl•kswere even seen fl•,ing ove•la•d,; or2 Rhode Island. Five Com. Murres identified werecounted Feb. 3 (JP).As usual, a Golden mileginfrom • coast.By •1•( Dec.x4, only flyingpast Rockport, MA, Dec. xx(RSH), Eaglewintered in the Quabbin,MA, area aboutx• philaropeswere stillpresent atEE. wasa goodcount for this normally tough-to- (fideSK), whileanother was found in Old (BN),bet 3oo'were seen sitting on a calmsea find alcid;the four to fiveothers reported Lyme,CT, Jan.IO (SMa etal.). offSandwich,..Dec.x5 OS). Although several were all seenin Massachusetts,as were six of American Kestrels continued to be dis- : d or dY lng P halamPes were P• •cked urn, theRegions eight Thick-billed Murres. Ra- tressinglyscarce, and rather few Merlins were mortalityseemed .su•prisi•[ty minir-q• We zorbills,the Regions bread-and-butter a/cid reported,except in w. Massachusetts,where canonly oue•s atthe total number ofblr.• !n- overthe pastdecade or so,were relatively fourwas "more than usual" (SK). Peregrine volredih trusspectacle, 'but ihe event• • scarce,except during the Decemberstorm, Falcons likewise seemed somewhat less nu- deaflyof a nmgnitudenever. previously when x565 were at RockportDec. xx (RSH) merousthan in recentwinters, particularly recon'.d in the R ,,•ou. and275 at EE., Dec.x3 (SAP etal.). Another alongthe coast. Two Gyrfalcons, a gray bird >8oounidentified large aidds at EE., Dec. x3, in theAddison/Bridport area, VT, Jan. 8-Feb. aswell as350 seen there the followingday 9 (R. Olsen,m.ob.), and one reported with- (BN etal.),probably represented most, if not out detailsfrom Sorrento,ME, Feb.IO (J. JAEGERSTO ALCIDS all,of thisspecies. At CapeElizabeth, ME, 85 Murnane,fide V/T), constitutedbarely a Numbersof tardy jaegers were evident in Cape storm-dfiven Razorbills were tallied in 6 shadowof last years' flight. Cod Bayduring the stormy weather of De- hoursDec. I3 (LB). Ten Atlantic Puffinsat cember.Following the passageof a weak EE., Dec.•3 (WRP etal.), comprised one of COOTS TO SHOREBIRDS storm,>25 jaegers (sp.) were noted at EE., thelargest totals ever recorded in theRegion AmericanCoots remained in alarminglylow Dec.6 (BN).The big blow produced 3xjaegers awayfrom their breeding grounds. numbers,as evidenced by a paltry,9 yearlow (sp.)at S.N., Dec.x2 (RP etal.), and three Po- of threeon the CCL&PWS (versus a high of marinesthere the following day (SAP et al.), OWLS TO FLYCATCHERS x75in x984).Even in Plymouth,MA, there- whileat EE., xo Pomafines and 2o jaegers (sp.) SnowyOwls were present in well-above- centRegional stronghold for the species, the were seenDec. x3 (m.ob.), as well as four averagenumbers, though noticeably below peakof•23 coots Feb. 27 (MR etal.)was only jaegers(sp.), Dec. x4 (BN etal.). Virtually all lastyears exceptional levels. A verycrude esti- about half that of recent levels there. A coot jaegersin the northeastafter mid-November mate of statewidetotals includes>14 in

Volume 47, Number 2 - 241 Maine,_>2 In New Hampshire,only one In noobvious northward expansion was obvious Sachuest,RI, Feb 7 (CP) Vermont;>35 in Massachusetts;_>4in Rhode this year.Winter Wrens were numerous A W. Tanagerwas observed visiting a feed- Island; and at least one in Connecticut. At again,as demonstrated bya "well-above-aver-er in Berkley,MA, Jan.•-Feb. z8 0. Ketner, Boston'sLogan Airport, •9 birdswere banded age"total of 36 in w. Massachusetts(SK). v.o.).An invasionof PaintedBuntings, per- (versus36 last year) out of an estimated winter ManyRuby-crowned Kinglets lingered, two hapsinvolving as many as four different ad totalof 2• birds;the daily peak at that loca- survivinginto February in Massachusetts.A males,reached Cape Cod, beginning in late tionwas eight owls Dec. 2o (N. Smith).In Blue-grayGnatcatcher first discoveredin November: the first in Sandwich Nov. zz-z8 contrastto lastyear's booty, no N. Hawk mid-Novemberat TrustomN.W.R., RI, was (R. Smith,v.o.); the second (?) briefly in W Owlsor BorealOwls were detected, and sug- lastseen there Dec. • (BG etal.). Barnstablea few miles to theeast Nov. z9 (M gestivebut inconclusivedetails were submit- EasternBluebirds remained in healthy Fuller,fide BN); anotherin BrewsterNov tedfor theonly reported Great Gray Owl, a numbersthroughout the s. two-thirds of the zs-Feb.z8 (ph.,A. Furman,v.o.); and the last birdin Strafford,NH, on 3dates Dec. •7-Jan. Region,while Hermit Thrushes were plenti- in HyannisDec. z•-Feb. 15 (ph., D. Stewart, 3. TwoLong-eared Owls in Vermont,•o in ful in s.coastal sections but apparently scarce m.ob.).Despite a goodfall flight, few Dick- Massachusetts,and five in Connecticut con- to absentelsewhere. Flocks of Am. Robins, cisselsremained into the winter,with one In stituteda fairlygood showing for thismost oftenin the rangeof •oo-zoobirds, were Rhode Island and about six in Massachusetts elusivestrigid. Short-eareds were once again much in evidence acrossthe s. two-thirds of Briefbut convincingdetails were submitted fewand far between,with meagertotals of theRegion as well. For the first time in >zo for a Green-tailedTowhee at a Keene,NH, oneeach in NewHampshire and Vermont, years,no VariedThrushes were reported. A feederDec. •o & •z (?D.Maynard). two in Maine, sixin Massachusetts,and four BrownThrasher in Springfield,NH, Feb.•6 or so in Rhode Island. (C. Bruss),was notable for latitudeand date. SPARROWS TO ORIOLES The 9 imm.-plumagedhummingbird in a AmericanPipits apparently found the snow- ChippingSparrows are now wintering with Surry,ME, greenhousesince early October free conditionsfavorable, as •5 were un- suchregularity that many are probably unre- remained•bothin thegreenhouse and un- earthedin Dartmouth,MA, Jan.• (MB); ported;northernmost this season was a bird identified.Plans were to keepthe bird captive ninein Middleboro,MA, Feb.n (S. Bolton); atNorridgewock, ME, Feb.•o-i8 (W.Sumn- untilspring, in hopesthat it wouldmolt into andone on DeerI., ME, Feb.9 (tL Hildreth). er),while •5 in Brewster, MA, Jan. 3 (A. King), a recognizableplumage. Four Red-headed BohemianWaxwings were few andcon- wasa sizablewinter flock. Six Clay-colored Woodpeckersremained in Bridport,VT, finedto extremen. NewEngland, except for Sparrowswere found in Massachusetts:sin- wherethey nested successfully lastyear, while <9in Enfield,NH. Thereis typically a strong glesin FalmouthDec. •9 (BN et al.) and fiveothers were seen in Massachusetts,and a correlationbetween wintering populations of Hadley Dec. 22 (P. Champlin);and <4 singlein Georgetown,ME (K. Patterson). robinsand Cedar Waxwings, asboth key in to throughoutthe period among an extraordi- Red-belliedWoodpeckers continued to in- thesame fruiting plants, and this year was no narysparrow assemblage in Sandwich (PT et crease:>•4 were reported from the northern 3 exception.Flocks of waxwingsnumbering al.).Other peak sparrow counts in Sandwich states,and a smallpopulation explosion was 8oSavannahs, one Grasshopper Feb. •9-z8 The latestof severalYellow-bellied Sapsuck- er flockswere scattered across the remaining (PT), •zo Songs,and six White-crowneds ersafter the first of theyear was one in Water- two-thirdsof theRegion. Northern Shrikes (PT,RAF etal.). Unfortunately, access to this town,MA, Feb.z5 (N. Dane). SeveralBlack- wereabout as rare as ever: only two were found site,a private farm, is limited. Additional Ves- backedWoodpeckers were found in extreme in Connecticut(fide BK), apparently none in perSparrows numbered two in Middleboro, n. New England,but apparentlynone wan- RhodeIsland, only seven in Massachusetts,MA, Jan.•7 (J.Hoye etal.), and one in Addi- dered south. andjust a handful in then. 3states. son,VT, Jan.26 (?JP). Half a dozen E. Phoebes tarried as late as A LarkSparrow on Nantucket Jan. z-4 (RS earlyJanuary in Massachusetts,and one en- VIREOS TO TOWHEES etal.)was unique this season, aswas avery co- duredto Feb.7 in NewMilford, CT (A.Dim- A lateWhite-eyed Vireo was seen in West- operativeLeConte's Sparrow, Rhode Island's mitt).Connecticut's first Ash-throated Fly- port,MA, Dec. •-4 (EThurber). An Orange- first,in MiddletownJan. 2i-Feb. z8 (ph.,D catcherdelighted many in StamfordDec. crownedWarbler at a feederin SpruceHead, Finizia,m.ob.). A few "Ipswich"Sparrows zo-Jan.•5 (T. Burke,m.ob.). ME, Dec.•-Feb. •3+ (R. Ruby-Burg,graff et regularlywinter in scatteredcoastal locales, al.) wasunusually far north;as usual, several but a maximumof eightin S. Dartmouth, SWALLOWS TO SHRIKES otherswere found in s.New England, the lat- MA, Jan.•-z (TA etal.), was an unusual con- A Tree Swallow in Brewster,MA, Dec. •8 estFeb. 2. Tardy among the season's 14species centration.Fox Sparrows were in above-aver- (MR et at.)was the only representative of its of warbler were a Nashville on Nantucket agenumbers in MassachusettsandVermont, clan this season.American Crows at the tradi- Dec. 6 (JPa);a Yellowon the St.Albens, VT, wherea "gray-headed"individual was report- tionalFramingham, MA, roostpeaked at a CBC,Dec. 2o (4;E.Alton etal.); a CapeMay edfrom Randolph, Dec. •o (M. Herwig,fide far-below-average25oo, but >Sooo were esti- on the Dumerston,VT, CBC, Dec. 2o (E JP).Yet another sparrow that has become al- mated at anotherroost in Lawrence,MA, Hunt, 4;W.Nichols et al.); a Black-throated mostroutine in the earlywinter is Lincoln's, some3o mi to thenorth (E. Taylor).A Fish Bluein Taunton,MA, Dec. 5 (J. $weeney); thiswinter's sightings included one in Con- Crowin Hampton,NH, Jan.z3 (P.Hunt et and a Wilson'sin Marblehead,MA, Dec. • necticutand four in Massachusetts;the latest at.),was unusually far northfor theseason, (TA). Three Ovenbirdstarried in Massachu- weretwo birds in N. Dartmouth,MA, Jan.I5 anda "record-high"six birds were seen at 4 setts:in BostonDec. 8 (B. Bochan);in Mash- (MB), anda singlein E. Gloucester,MA, Jan sit'esin w. Massachusetts(SK). However,the peeDec. 9 (E LeBaron);and in Charleston •6 (C. Leahy).Scattered reports of White- Framinghamroost hosted only zoo Fish Dec. •7 (K. Folsom). crownedSparrows in thes. 3 states included a Crows,Jan. 3 (KH etat.),a fractionof recent The Yellow-throated Warbler first found in maximumof •z in Portsmouth,RI, Jan.•6 peaksthere; Rhode Island's largest wintering Burlington,VT, Nov.25, remained through (DE etal.)."Oregon" Juncos were detected In flock in Buttonwoods Park consisted of 6o Dec. 3• (E Grassley,v.o.). Most startling S. Wellfleet,MA, Dec. 5 (SAPet al.), andIn birds,Feb. n (R. Gee). amongthis winter's late parulids, and follow- W. Roxbury,MA, Feb.6 (RAFetal.). A BorealChickadee in S. Londonderry,ing two birds on Cape Cod CBCs in Decem- Encouragingtotals of E. Meadowlarksin- VT, Dec.•3 andJan. •2 (W. Norse),was the ber,was a N. Waterthrushin Sandwich,MA, duded>33 at z sitesin Connecticut;many re- onlyone to strayeven slightly S thiswinter, onthe astonishing date of Feb.28 (PT etal.). portsin Massachusetts,witha highcount of andthe southernmost reported inthe Region Fewer than usual Yellow-breasted Chats were 46 in MiddleboroJan. 17 (Gd'D; five at z sites In severalyears. Carolina Wren populations found in December;of thesix reported after in Maine;and a singlebird in Bridport,VT, continuedtosurge to higherlevels, although the firstof the year,the latestwas seen at Jan.z4 (T. Hall etal.). SeveralN. Oriolessur-

242. American Birds, Summer 1993 vived into the secondhalf of the season,in- cludingat least one in Maine and three in New HUDSON-DELAWARE Hampshire."Bullock's" Orioles were identi- fiedin Watertown,MA, Dec. 6-26 (JH) and REGION in Plymouth,MA, Dec.29 (J. Atwood). WilliamJ. Boyle,Jr., WINTER FINCHES RobertO. Paxton,and Winterfinches had an abysmalshowing, as DavidA. Cutler badas, if notworse than, that of thepitiful i9õõ-i9õ9 season.Pine Grosbeakswere al- most nonexistent,even in northernmostlo- cales;a reportof •5 in Williamsburg,MA, Feb. 28, was anomalous(fide SK). Purple Finches were described as "scarce" in Maine (JD) and wereonce again virtually absent The winterseason started off with tempera- fromthe s. coastal plain; elsewhere, however, turesand precipitationwell abovenormal. theywere fairly widespread, with some flocks Themajor event was the powerful nor'easter containing>5o birds. Crossbills were found of DecemberI2 thatwreaked havoc along the onlyin extremen. Maine,where a "few"of coastlinesof the Region, especially in north- bothspecies were present (fideJD) and, curi- ernNew Jersey and Long Island. Buffalo aver- -z ously,in Massachusetts,where four Reds aged3-3 and 5-9 degrees above normal for the weredetected at 2 sitesin thew. partof the first2 months,but the ampleprecipitation stateand a singleWhite-winged in W. New- fellmostly as rain during January. The Syra- Say'sPhoebe at Eckville,Pen.sylva.ia, Ja.ua•j buryFeb. 5 (RSH); neither species was report- cuse area received more than IO feet of snow 5, 1993. Photograph/RickWiltraut. edfrom New Hampshire or Vermont! for theseason, a good foot-and-a-half above LOONS TO HERONS The few Corn. Redpollsreported were, normal.Philadelphia, in the south,experi- Unlikelast year, there were not many reports oddly,found mostly in Connecticut,where 35 encedan equally mild early winter, although of loonslingering away from their usual win- birdsat 3 sitesincluded 3o in SimsburyFeb. Februarywas much colder throughout the tering grounds.Individual Red-throated 23-24 (D. Girardin,fide BK). Therewere Region.On average,it wasa nearlynormal Loonsat BeltsvilleL., Carbon,Dec. t7 (B. Sil- none in Rhode Island,Massachusetts, or Ver- winter.The only major snowstorm blew in as ties),and at PeaceValley, Bucks, PA, Dec. mont;only 13 at 2 sitesin New Hampshire the blizzardof I993,well afterthe end of the 3x-Jan.2 (AM), werenoteworthy. The only (fideDDL); and an unspecifiednumber at reportingperiod. PacificLoon was at Manasquan,first located just2 sitesin Maine(fide JD). PineSiskins Despitethe chilly temperatures of the fall, Feb.7 (J.McKee), and seen sporadically into wereabsent from Rhode Island, at onlyone the moderateearly winter produced excep- april. site (I5 birds)in Connecticut,and at 4 sites tionalnumbers of half-hardymigrants linger- Red-necked Grebes were found in the (37birds total) in Massachusetts,while across inginto the season and even successfully win- highestnumbers in yearsin thes. part of the n. NewEngland they were very few and far teringin a surprisingnumber of cases.A Region,including two in Delaware,t3 in between. The bird of the seasonwas the Re- modestnumber of raritiesprovided some ex- New Jersey(several on inlandCBCs), and gion'sfirst Lesser Goldfinch, a maleof the citement to an otherwise dull season.Unusu- abouteight in NewYork, mostly at Montauk. dark-backedform, in Georgetown,ME, Dec. alwaterfowl were well represented, but alcids Fourreports of the increasingly regular Eared •5-Feb.28 (ph.,J. & L. Frank,m.ob.). This other than Razorbills were scarce dose to Grebecame from coastal New Jersey, Mon- apparentlyis oneof only3 or 4 recordsfrom shore(though in good numbers offshore) and tauk, and upstate New York---one at anywhereeast of the Mississippi.Athough therarer gulls were hard to findafter the ex- Dunkirk Dec. 31and Feb. 19 (B. Robinson, mostlikely a wild bird,can the provenance of citementof lateNovember-early December TM), andone at SodusPt., •yne, Jan.2-3 anywayward finch ever be entirely above sus- in theNiagara Falls area died down. Winter (DSh, DT, MDa). picion?Evening Grosbeaks were absent from fincheswere again virtually nonexistent, ex- A N. Fulmarthat flew past the Derby Hill, RhodeIsland, at onlyone site (three birds)' in ceptin partsof upstateNew York, where mi- Oswego,NY, hawkwatchon L. Ontario,Dec. Connecticut,in a few scatteredlocales in in- norincursions of bothspecies of crossbillre- 3, was the 4th for the Oneida Lake Basin terior Massachusetts,and in well-below-aver- sultedin apparentbreeding records. (JHa).Great Cormorants continue to spread agenumbers across n. NewEngland. Amongthe outstanding rarities were the awayfrom the coast, this season again reach- Region's,and New Jersey's,first Rock Wren ing up the HudsonR. to Rocklandand Corrigenda:The 243 grebes in BostonHarbor, andNew York's first Spotted Redshank. Oth- Dutchessin New York, but alsoas far NW as Nov.22, •992,were Horned, not Red-necked. er goodiesincluded Black-throated Sparrow BeltsvilleL., Carbon,PA, Dec. 2o, for a first Subregio.al editors (boldface), contributors in New Jersey,Harris' Sparrow and Painted countyrecord (RW, m.ob.).The growing (italics),and observers: Tom Avcrsa,.Jim Berry, Buntingin Pennsylvania,and a possible DelawareR. winteringpopulation numbered RichardBowen, Tom Cameron,Cape Cod Black-backedWagtail in NewYork. several dozen and contributed first CBC Bird Club (C.C.B.C.), Glen d'Entremont, recordsat Trenton, Northwestern Gloucester, Diane De Luca,Alan • BarbaraDelorey, Abbreviations:Bombay Hook (Bombay Hook, andat Salem,NJ. JodyDespres, David Emerson,Richard A. N.W.R.,near Smyrna, DE); Brig(Brigantine Themild earlywinter again tempted sever- Forster,Ted Gaines,B. Gearhart,Ken Hamil- Unit, ForsytheN.W.R., Atlantic, NJ); Cape alherons and egrets to lingerlate and even at- ton, RichardS. Heil, SethKellogg, Betty Henlopen(Cape Henlopen S.P. Sussex, DE); tempt to overwinter.Least Bitterns tried to Kleiner,Steve Mayo, Steve Mirick, Jackie Pa- Dunkirk (Dunkirk Harbor, Chautauqua,spend the season at CapeMay Point,where pale,Robert Pease, Simon A. Perkins,Judy IVY); Indian R. (Indian River Inlet, Sussex, theyare common breeders, with as many as Petersen,Wayne R. Petersen,Candy Powell, DE); LI (LongIsland); Manasquan Inlet four seenFeb. 5 (JDo); unfortunately,the CharlesQuinlan, Marjorie Rines, Jackie (ManasquanInlet, Monmouth-Ocean,N]); moreextreme weather of lateFebruary and Sones,Robert H. Stymeist,Take A Second Montauk(Montauk Point and vicini• Long earlyMarch led to the demiseof several.A Look (Boston Harbor Census), William Island,IVY); Sandy Hook (Sandy Hook Unit, GreatEgret on the Harrisburg CBC, Dec. t9, Townsend,Peter Trimble, Vermont Institute GatewayNat• RecreationArea, Monmouth, probablydidn't stay, but two at RogersRef., of Natural Science.--BLAIR NIKULA, z N]); CBC (ChristmasBird Count). Place Princeton,Jan. I9, wereclearly not planning Gilbert Ln, Harwich Port,MA oz646. names in italics are counties. to migrate(RJB). Thirteen winteredat

Volume 47, Number 2 ß243 Short'sBeach, Sussex, DE (WWF), (possiblythe same birds) were near as apparentlyhad a Tricolored the L. Ontario shore at Yates, Or- Heron at Indian R. (APE, CC). ß• Robeftk, lose.•.. ' leans,late February (v.o.). The pre- viouslyreported white Gyr on n. L. WATERFOWL =' •,•,ron•lgck Champlainwas seen at several spots A wing-taggedswan observed sporadicallythrough Jan. 6+, while alongthe Wading R., Burlington, a grayGyrfalcon was seen in the NJ, Jan. •5, turnedout to be a NewYork section of theFerrisburg, TrumpeterSwan released in De- VT, CBC. A graybird at Jones cemberas a part of the growing NEWYORK Albanye Beach,LI, Feb.xS, was suspected of OntarioTrumpeter Swan Restora- R•hester ß MontezumaNWR beinga Gyrfalconx Peregrine hy- tionProgram (fide PS). Although a brid(M. Phillip,SS). The only oth- few of thesebirds have previously er reportcame from the Cumber- beenseen in w. NewYork. this ap- lana•NJ, CBC,Jan. •, a graybird pearsto be the first Regional report seenalong the CohanseyR. (E awayfrom the GreatLakes; there Guriset al.). will likelybe others. Seven reports of Greater White-fronted Goose Hawk•.' Priceton RAILS TO SHOREBIRDS wastypical for a season,with only ' . Nd An interestingmix of Clapper, Delawarefailing to registerone; King,and Virginia rails were active detailswere lacking for all but an andcalling on themorning of the immaturein Suf•lk,LI (JJR,BIO. Middletown,DE, CBC at Hang- An extraordinaryfive Ross' man'sCr., New Castle(WJW).Two Geesemade the season roundup-- different Corn. Moorhens at amazingwhen one considers that Rochesterin Januarywere extreme- evena singlewinter Ross' would ly rarewinter visiton, one of them havebeen greeted with great skep- ß at Mendon Ponds, where a Sora ticism x5 yearsago. Two were wintered as well (MDa, DT). A holdoversfrom the fall, one at Point au Roche HybridCom. Goldeneye x Hooded Mer- Sandhill Crane discovered on the Cumber- S.P.,Clinton, NY, to Dec. 3, and a rareblue gansetdrakes were discovered at Nummy I., land,NJ, CBC,Jan. •, wasstill present near morphbird at Brig to Dec. 7 (DSi).Mid-win- CapeMay,NJ, Dec. z (FM),and at Black Rock Bridgeton,Jan. z6 (CSS, B. Caril), while an- terbirds were at Watermill,Suf•lk, LI, Jan. Canal,Buffalo, Jan. 23 (B. Chilton).The • other was discoveredby octagenarian 3o-Feb.x (TL, J. GrifFm)and at Broadkill Barrow'sGoldeneye retumed to the Throgs DorothyMcIlroy and the C.C.B.C., at King Beach,Sussex, DE, Jan.z3 (CDC, ES,JS). An NeckBridge, Bronx, for a 3rd winter; other fe- Ferry,Cayuga, NY, Jan. x9-zx. estimated•oo,ooo SnowGeese wintered near maleswere found at Moriches Bay, Suf•lk, LI, Largenumbers of Am. Oystercatchers Odessa,New Castle,DE, with another50,000 Jan.•7 (JC),and at Rye,Feb. 28 (TWB). The winteredagain, induding a peak•oz at Brig at Prime Hook N.W.R., Sussex, DE onlydrake was far upstateon LakeCham- I., Atlantic,NJ, Jan.x5(JDo). An Am. Avocet (DNREC). plain,Clinton, Jan. x7 (C. &J. Hess). atBombay Hook, Jan. z4, was apparently try- A Green-winged(Eurasian) Teal was at Ja- ingto winter (S. Lawrence), and both species maicaBay, Dec. •9, for the localCBC; in RAPTORS ofyellowleg were outstanding forthe Wilm- Pennsylvania,one was seen at Harrisburg, An Ospreyapparently wintered along the ingtonCBC. The shorebird ofthe season was Jan.•6 (D. Henise),and a returningdrake SusquehannaRiver west of Owego,•oga, a cooperativeSpotted Redshank discovered winteredat PeaceValley (AM). A Cinnamon NY, whereit wasseen on several dates in Jan- at a roadsideboat basin in Brooklyn,Dec. 6, Tealof unknown origin was at Shorts Beach, uaryand February (fide MDo). Anotherwas byJohn Yrizarry, who was scouting for the Feb.z7-z8 (WWF,eta/.); it will bereviewed seenat BombayHook, Jan. 6, anda north- upcomingCBC. After playing hard to get for bythe DOS recordscommittee. It was a very bound bird was seen headingup the a few weeks, the bird settled into a routine goodseason for Eur. Wigeons, with ->•7 on DelawareRiver at NewHope, Bucks, PA, Jan. (ph.,m.ob.) through February. This is the LongIsland, six in NewJersey, one in Lan- z8(fideAH). Bald Eagles continue to increase firstconfirmed record for New York (beyond caster,PA (JHe), and one at PortMahon, DE. througoutthe Regionand are reported in one unconfirmedpublished sight record Last winters influx of Tufted Ducks into s.e. suchnumbers as to be beyondthe scopeof fromx977), and the 4th for theRegion, the NewYork was echoed this year with the reap- this account to itemize. previous3from Brig. pearanceof the drakeat Rye, •stchester, A Broad-wingedHawk was reported by a A pairof MarbledGodwits were at Brig.I. Dec.z7 andJan. •7 (TWB) andthree birds in veteranobserver at Doodletown, Rocklana• for the Oceanville CBC, and modest num- Suf•lk,LI. A drakeat Manorville,Jan. •z NY, Jan.4 on a winterbird census (ET). Yet bersof W. Sandpiperswintered at various (JC),was seen the next day in thecompany of anotherBroad-winged, an adult,wintered coastallocations. More unusualwere a small a female(JJR); another drake at E. Hampton, aroundahigh school in Medford, Burlington, flock of6-x7 Leasts that spent most of the sea- Jan.z3, was probably adifferent bird (JJR). NJ,where it wasseen from early January+ (J. sonat NummyI., Dec.8-Feb. z (JDo,VE), A largeflock of Corn.Eiders at Montauk Palumboet al.). The recentincrease in fre- anda singlebird at PortMahon, Feb. z7-z8 throughoutthe winter peaked at about•ooo quencyof winteringMerlins continued, al- (CDC, APE).A PectoralSandpiper found on birds,Jan. •z (fideTWB); smallgroups were thoughin somewhatreduced numbers from theBombay Hook CBC, Dec.z6 (NP), was seenas far S as Cape May. Small flocks of King lastyears record totals. Individuals spent exceptional,though not unprecedented,but Eidersnumbered <6 at BamegatLight; one their3rd consecutive winter in Buffaloand a StiltSandpiper at CapeHenlopen, Dec. zo, wasnoted in Buffaloharbor in earlyJanuary. Syracuse,and another was far upstate at Point provideda firstwinter record for the state Neither speciesseems to have reached au RocheS.P., December-January. At least (ES).Up to sevenLong-billed Dowitchers Delaware.The usual scattering of Harlequin fourothers were reported after the New Year winteredat Massapequa Preserve, Nassau, LI. Duckswas noted at regularconcentration in the north, plus several on Long Island and a pointsalong the coast;noteworthy inland dozenon NewJersey CBCs. JAEGERSTO ALCIDS recordscame from Phoenix, on theOswego TwoGyrfalcons, one brown and one gray, Threejaeger reports came from upstate New R.,n. of Syracuse,Jan. 7-z7 (m.ob.),and So- were seennear the e. end of Lake Erie, Erie, York:a Parasitic,Dec. 4 (W. Symonds),and dusPoint, Feb. z8 (R.& R. Shone). NY, in earlyJanuary, and another one or two an unidentifiedjaeger, Dec. zo (Rochester

244. American Birds, Summer 1993 CBC), both at Hamlin Beach,Monroe, and justone day in lateFebruary (H. Hamiltonet anotherjaeger (sp.) at Ft. Niagaraon New al., fide RGS);there is oneprevious record YearsDay (WDn, DD). Theclosure of land- from the same location. fills continues to lead to a drastic reduction of Thebird of theseason in NewJersey was a gullswintering at former hotspots, such as L. Rock Wren--the first for the state and the Cayuga,the Syracuse area, and the Hacken- Region,and long overdue. The typically tame sackMeadowlands of n. NewJersey. Conse- individualwas discovered by Sibleyat Cape quently,white-winged gulls have become May Point,Dec. 5. Although it managedto somewhatharder to find, but the premier rar- elude CBC counters, the wren entertained itiesof the family were mainly holdovers from the multitudesas it foragedaround new thefall season at NiagaraR. housingconstruction almost daily through LittleGulls were scarce along the Niagara theend of theperiod (DSi, m.ob.). Often re- R., witha maximumof onlyfive--one or two portedon CBCs, particularly in thes. part of individualson Long Island in December,and theRegion, three House Wrens that spent the two to threeat CapeMay in January.Com- entirewinter at HiddenValley Ranch, Cape mon Black-headedGulls were also poorly May,were exceptional (JDo). representedbut included one that wintered at SedgeWrens on the Barnegatand Belle- a mallin Bridgehampton,Suf•lk, LI (JjR, plain,NJ, CBCs,represented the only occur- BK),a couplein Delaware,about six in New rencesof the season,while a Marsh Wren Jersey(one a firstfor Camden,Feb. 4, fide winteringat RogersRef., Princeton, NJ, Feb. CDC), and one in Pennsylvania.The latter 5, wasthe onlyone reported after the CBC period(B. Dodelson).A Blue-grayGnat- bird was presentat the Oxford, Chester, Black-throatedSparrow at CherryHill, New sewageponds, Jan. 22*, apparendyfurnish- Jersey,in December1992. Thirdstate rocord. catcherwas a highlightof theHarrisburg, PA, ingthe first state record away from a major Photograph/PatLowman. CBC, and anotherwas found on the Lancast- lakeor river(G. Saunders,m. ob.). er,PA, CBC, for the 2nd consecutive year. A Mew Gull (PacificCoast ssp.), perhaps A whale watch out of Brielle,Jan. z4, THRUSHES TO WARBLERS thesame bird previously found along the Nia- hailedthe only Thick-billedMurres (LL, A WoodThrush reappeared for a 2ndwinter garaR., wasobserved at Dunkirk,Dec. 3 (B. RD), and a subsequenttrip producedtwo at thesame Bergen, NJ, park, for the Hacken- Sundell),while another individual (nominate more Commons(no date available).Razor- sack-RidgewoodCBC (J.Traynot), and an- Europeanssp.) was found at the Moses-Saun- bills werescattered along the coastfrom other was seen in Central Park, New York ders Dam, near Massena,St. Lawrence,NY Montaukto IndianR., mainlyin onesand City,Jan. 28-Feb. 6 (ph.,T. Fiorietal.). Po- Dec.27 & 29 (?DSi,C. Bonde,C. Wratten). twos;30 were observed at Montauk,Dec. •2 tentiallythe most exciting, but unfortunately Thepreviously reported California Gull and (BIO,and >250 flew by the point in earlyJan- uncooperative,bird of theseason was a wag- Slaty-backedGull at the NiagaraR. gorge uary(TL). tail, believedto be a Black-backedWagtail, wereseen again on the New York side of the thatflew by 3 observers who were looking for riveron a coupleof datesin earlyDecember. OWLS TO GNATCATCHERS the SpottedRedshank at Plumb Beach, LesserBlack-backeds were again widely dis- It wasa pooryear for themigrant owls, al- Brooklyn,Dec. 2•. Details and sketches ofthe tributed,but only scattered ones and twos of thoughfair numbers of SnowyOwls were W bird,seen at closerange, but onlyin flight, thewhite-winged gulls could be found. Up to of Rochester;about a dozenwere on LongIs- havebeen submittedto NYSARC (?DSi, K. threeIceland Gulls were present in earlyDe- landand eight or soin NewJersey, but most Kadson,B. Lewis). cemberat Blue Marsh L., Berks,PA, siteof so did notlinger at oneplace >•-2 days.Excep- A BohemianWaxwing, discovered on the muchgull excitement last winter, and a Glau- tionswere a SnowyOwl nearSmyrna, Kent, S. Nassau,LI, CBC, was seen Jan. 3-6 couswas an outstanding find for the Philadel- DE, nearBombay Hook, December-Janu-(m.ob.). After a coupleof biginvasion years, phiaMid-winter Bird Census, Jan. •7. ary,and another at CapeHenlopen, Jan. 2•+. thiswas, unsurprisingly, nota N. Shrikeyear; Black-backed Kittiwakes occurred far from A Northern Hawk Owl was seen around L. however,a LoggerheadShrike returned to their usualopen-country haunts--three at Placidall winter (fideJMCP). BroadkillBeach, Sussex, DE, for a 4th consec- DerbyHill, Dec.3 (JHa),and singles at the TheCayuga area Short-eared Owl census utivewinter (m.ob.). AWhite-eyedVireo dis- NiagaraR., Dec.•2 andagain Jan. 30 ( .WDn, turnedup >37birds in lateFebruary (NB), coveredat HigbeeBeach, Cape May, Feb. 9, DD). Mostextraordinary was one at Marcus and a callingN. Saw-whetat Connecticut musthave spent the winter there (JDo), but Hook, Delaware,PA, on the Delaware R., Hill, nearIthaca, NY, Feb.28, was in a possi- oneseen on the Montauk CBC, Dec. •9, was nearPhiladelphia, Dec. • (RMS).A Caspian ble nestinglocation (L. Elliot).Few Saw- not relocated.More outrageouswas a Ternwas extremely late at Rochester,Dec. 4 whetswere found elsewhere, including tradi- PhiladelphiaVireo encountered onthe Sandy (CTC), aswere two BlackSkimmers that lin- tionalwinter concentration spots at Thoro- Hook,NJ, CBC, Dec.•9- Viewedat leisure geredat Jamaica Bay until Dec. 20 and a pair fareand Palmyra, NJ (TBa). for•5 minutes at distancesasclose as 6 feet,by of skimmersat CapeMay Point, Jan. 5 (JDo). A Say'sPhoebe near Hawk Mt., Eckville, 2 observersthoroughly familiar with the A flockof 3o-35Forster's Terns at IndianR. Berks,Jan. 4-•5 pumpedan amazing5th species,the record is as hard to dispute as it is stayedas late as Jan. 3• (WWF). recordfor the county(T. Lecky,ph. RW, unprecedented(RD, J. Bussman etal.). A numberof reports of less common alcids m.ob.);several of theserecords may represent The mildearly winter apparently encour- filteredin, mostlyfrom boat trips well off- thesame bird returning in different(but not ageda numberof warblersto lingerlate. In shore. A Corn. Murre came almost to shore at consecutive)years. Eastern Phoebes were additionto the usualscattering of Orange- Montauk,Jan. 2 (A. Ott), and.eight oiled widelyrepresented on CBCsin thes. part of crowneds,Nashville Warblers were found on birdswere treated by a localrehabilitation theRegion, a fewlingering through January, 2 NewJersey CBCs, and a Yellow Warbler was center.A Feb.•5 boatttip out of CapeMay andsingle W. Kingbirdswere at Cedar Beach, atCape May, Dec. •5 (JDo). A Black-throated cameup with four Corn. Murres in NewJer- LI, Dec.9, andon the Brooklyn CBC, Dec. Blueat Cape May, Dec. 2, was outdone by an- sey waters,and with what would be 19 . other on the Orient, LI, CBC, Jan. 2 (M. Delaware'sfirst, if acceptedby the state A flockof-

Volume 47, Number 2. 245 sp,edat a parkin Monmouth,NJ, formost of L, NY, feederin the heartof the Adirondacks (C C B C ), William D'Anna (WDn), Ward December(RD, TBa), and Yellow-breasted (C. Delehanty). Dasey(WDa, s.w.NJ: z9 Ark Rd.,Medford, Chatswere widely reported on CBCs,with Althoughonce again not a winterfinch NJ 08055),Mike Davids(MDa), RickDitch, severalwintering at Cape May. yearover most of theRegion, a minorincur- DeanDiTommasso, Delmar Ornithological sionof both crossbill species occurred in scat- Society(DOS), Mary Dobinski (Susquehan- TANAGERS TO FINCHES teredareas of upstateNew York, and in sever- na Region,NY: 7 SpencerDr., Oneonta,NY A SummerTanager regularly visited the Ran- al casesthey apparently stayed to nest.Red 13820),Jim Dowdell (JDo), A.E Ednie(New cocasNature Center Feeder in Burlington, Crossbillswere seen nest building in Phillips Castleand Kent, DE: 59Lawson Ave., Clay- NJ, earlyDecember-Jan. 2 (E Colemanet Cr. StateForest, Allegany, NY, in January mont,DE 19703),Vincent Elia, W.W. French al.). Two PaintedBuntings in onewinter (WDn, EB);others were present for extended (Sussex,DE: Carr.Rt. 3, BoxII44, Lewes,DE wereunprecedented--the first a femaledis- periods,believed to be nestingat Fabius, 19958),K.C. Griffith(Genesee Region, NY coveredat theMontauk town dump, Dec. I9, Onondaga,and in n. Chenango.White- 6i GrandviewLn., Rochester,NY 14612), lastseen Dec. 28 (A. Baldelli,D. Mizrahi), wingedCrossbills were at the samesite in Barb & FrankHaas, Jim Hanyak(JHa), and the 2nd a male at a feederin Broomall, Chenango(D. Messineo)and at Boylston, Os- David Harrison(n.w. NJ: I26 Westchester Chester,PA, Feb. ii+, seenby thosewith the wego(NB). Cornell'sProject FeederWatch Terr., Annandale, NJ 08801),Jonathan Heller patiencefor a longwait (T. Reeves,m.ob.). suggeststhat the dedinein EveningGros- (JHe),Armas Hill, GeneHuggins (GHu, Dickcisselswintered at Pt. Lookout,Nassau, beaksmay simply reflect a returnto more OneidaLake Basin, NY: Io65Westmoreland, LI, andat Barnegat Light, NJ. normalnumbers, after the boom of theI97os Syracuse,NY 13210),Rich Kane, Bob Kurtz, BothClay-colored and Lark sparrows con- andearly I98os, in responseto the now-wan- Laurie Larson (n.-c. NJ: 90 N. Stanworth nnued.their recent trend of winterappear- ingspruce budworm outbreak on its breeding Dr., Princeton,NJ 08540),Tony Lauro, R.E. ances.One Clay-coloredwas on the Cape grounds(fideJMCP). Long(St. Lawrence, NY: 2807Citation Dr, May CBC, anotherwas at Clinton,Hunter- Whateverthe reason,grosbeak numbers Pompey,NY I3138),Alan A. Mapes(Hudson- don,NJ, Jan. 3 (E. Patton),and a 3rdwintered continueto decline,although readers are re- MohawkRegion, NY: FiveRivers Center, at Dix W.M.A., Cumberlana•NJ, Jan. 2+ mindedthat this species only became abreed- GameFarm Rd., Delmar,NY I2o54),Fred (JDoetaL). The onlyLark Sparrow seen was er andregular winter visitor in thenortheast Mears,C.K. Melin (FingerLakes Region, atSandy Hook, Feb. 6 (PB,L. Mack),but the duringthe past 5ø years. NY: 449 IrishSettlement Rd., Freeville,NY outstandingsparrow was New Jersey's3rd I3068),August Mirabella, B.L. Morris (e. PA Black-throatedSparrow at a CherryHill, EXOTICS MuhlenbergSt., Allentown, PA I8Io4), Terry Camden,feeder, Dec. I2-mid-February(P. Theescaped Com. Crane that first appeared Mosher,Bill & NaomiMurphy, New York Lowmanet al.). Unfortunately,this find was in Dutchess,NY, in Aprili99i, resurfacedin StateAvian Rarity Committee (N.Y.S.A.R.C), not accessibleto most area birders after initial Salem,NJ, discovered bybirders, Feb. 15. Ap- J.M.C. Peterson(Adirondack-Champlmn problemswith trespassers. parently,the bird hadbeen present for 2 Region,NY: DiscoveryFarm, RD I, Eliza- Late-lingeringsparrows included a months(G. &V. Nixon eta•) andwas still be- bethtown, NY I2932), Nick Pulcinella, GrasshopperSparrow in Salem,NJ, Jan.3 ingviewed in March. William Reid (n.e. PAA:73 W. RossSt, (TBa,WDa), anout-of-habitat Sharp-tailed Wilkes-Barre,PAI87o2 ), GeraldRising on then.w. Hunterdon, NJ, CBC, a Lincoln's CORRIGENDA agara Frontier,NY: 295 Robinhill Dr, on the lgOstchester,NY, CBC, and another The RedCrossbills reported in AB (46:II25) Williamsville,NY 14221),J.J. Ruscica, Sy Lincoln'sat BrandywineCr. S.P.,DE, Jan.Io were at Golden Hills StateForest, Cattamu- Schiff (Long Island:603 Mead Terr., S (A. Guarente).A Harris' Sparrowvisited a gus,NY, not at Golden Hill S.P.,Niagara.. Hempstead,NY n55o), R.M. Schutsky,Do- feederin Cochranville,Chester, PA, Feb. I2+ minicSherony (DSh), David Sibley (DS,), (L. Sharp,m.ob.), and another was discov- Observers(subregional compilers in boldface): EllenShort, R.G. Spahn(Genesee Ornitho- eredby an observer searching for the Gyrfal- RobertAndrle (Buffalo area), John Askild- logicalSociety), Clay Sutton, Pat Sutton, Joe conat Yates,Orleans, NY, Feb.26+ (B. Ewald sen(Lower Hudson Valley, NY: 202Miller- Swertinski,Dave Tetlow,Ed Treacy,WJ etal.) FourYellow-headed Blackbirds winter- townRd., Bedford, NY Io5o6),Peter Bacins- Wayne,Rick Wiltraut, AI Wollin(Long Is- lngin Salem,NJ, twonear Smyrna, DE, Dec. ki (coastalNJ: 260 Page Ave., Lyndhurst, NJ land:4 MeadowLn., RockvilleCenter, NY i2 (B&N Murphy),and <5 in Lancaster,PA, 07071),Tom Bailey (TBa), Irving Black (n.e. 11570),R.P. Yunick. Many otherobservers wasa near-normalshowing. The Brewer's NJ: EagleRock Village, Bldg. 26, Apt. 8B, whosent reports to usor to theirRegional Blackbirdflock near Bombay Hook hit a high BuddLake, NJ o7828),R.J. Blicharz, Frank compilerscould not be listed, but theircon- countof 225, Dec. 27, but only one report, of Bonnano(Rockland, NY: 71Richard Court, tributionsare gratefullyacknowledged.-- fivebirds, came from the recent hotspot of Ft. Pomona,NY 10970),Ned Brinkley (Cayuga WILLIAM J. BOYLE, JR., Iz Glenwood Elfsborg,Salem, NJ, Jan.15 (WDa). Two to Basin,NY), Elizabeth Brooks,T.W. Burke Rd., Denville,NJ 07834;ROBERT O. PAX- four Brewer'swere at AssunpinkW.M.A., (NewYork Rare Bird Alert), Colin D. Camp- TON, 46o RiversideDr., Apt. 7z, New Monmouth,NJ, Dec.I2-Jan. z6 (TBaetal.); bell(CDC), CarolynD. Cass(CTC), James York,NY iooz7; andDAVID A. CUTLER, moreunusual was an individual at a Tupper Clinton, Cornell Campus Bird Club IIio RockCreek Dr., Wyncote, PA 19095.

wellas for pelagic trips. Apparently the result ington,D.C.); Deal (Deal L W.M.A.,MD); E MIDDLEATLAN11C of a crashof capelinpopulations farther S. (EasternShore of MD or VA);O.C. (Ocean north,alcids staged another remarkable inva- Ci• MD); Susq.(lower Susquehanna R, COASTREGION sion. Numbers were mediocre for northern MD). Placenames, counties, dates, and band- HenryT. Armistead raptorsand very poor, yet again, for northern edbirds may appear in italics. finches. LOONS TO IBISES Abbreviations:Assat. (Assateague L, MD); Red-throatedLoons passed O.C. at a rateof This wasanother mild winterwith good BackBay (Back Bay N. W,R.,VA); Bait. (Balti- I5o/hrDec. 6 (MO), and200 werethere Dec numbersof half-hardylingerers, such as more,MD); theBay (Chesapeake Bay); Black. 4 alongwith 400 N. Gannets(MO, MH) herons,Blue-winged Teals, Eastern Phoebes, (BlackwaterN. W,R.,MD); C.B.B.T.(Chesa- Excellentcounts for Piedmont,VA, werefour andPine Warblers, and Chipping Sparrows. peake Bay Bridge & TunnelVA); Chinc. Red-throatedand 45 Com. loons on theKerr Coverageand reportingwere excellent for ( ChincoteagueN. W.R., VA); Craney ( Craney L Res.CBC Jan.3, plusIo5 Hornedand 42 fish-eatingspecies, waterfowl, and gulls, as DisposalArea, Portsmouth, VA); D.C. ( lg&sh- Pied-billedgrebes (B pet al.). Common

2•. AmericanBxrds, Summer 1993 Green-backedHerons. Back Bay I• Conowingo• CBC furnisheda winterRegional record,with 34Cattle Egrets, seen ß Frederick Baltimore at 3 locations,Dec. 28.Deal contin- uedto bethe star heron spot in the Patuxentß Sandy Point otherwiseusually bleak ardeid win- Neck NW' WashingtonD.C. S.R ter that is MD, with a recordwinter countofxx2 Tricolored Herons plus four Am. Bitterns,nine Snowy

eBlackwater NWR Egrets,and two GlossyIbises Jan. '•andriaßMD ß Salisbury J earty 23 (MO). Outstandingwas a Wood Deal Island •' Stork presentfor severaldays in

ßCharlottesville Norfolkand seen Dec. x 7 nearthe intersectionof I64 and Tidewater VIRGINIA Dr. (DD), a firstRegional winter record.

ß Richmond ßLynchburg WATERFOWL ß Appomattox Mute Swans continued to take over

Ha [ theBay in MD, witha record500 at St. Michaels CBC Dec. 2o, and smallnumbers of pioneersin other ß Martinswile ß Kerr Res. areas,such as nine at Williamsburg CBC Dec. 2o. There goes the neighborhood.Single Greater Loonslingered in increasednumbers on the White-frontedGeese were at 5spots, includ- upperBay; a record33 at St. Michaels,MD, ingone near Wachapreague, VA, in mid-Jan- CBC Dec.zo (CM etal.)were seen by 8 ofxo uary(GR). SnowGeese continued to increase parties,with recordhighs on severalother in MD with suchestimates as 66,58o plus a CBCs.Along the coast,loon countswere Ross'Goose in the O.C. areaCBC Dec. 29 mediocre.A totalof 289Pied-billed Grebes at (BD etal.) and zS,ooo at RuthsburgJan. x 9 Brooke,VA, CBC Dec. 2• was a near-record (J&PG). Other Ross'were at Black. (two) maximumfor the Region (DBS etal.). It sur- throughthe winter(SHD, BPj, MG, ph.) passedthe cumulative total for the 45 years of and BackBay Dec. 28-Jan.6 (GA et al.). thiscount, attributable to the spreadof the Brantswere in abysmalnumbers on theVA exoticaquatic plant Hydrilla.. Not all intro- coast,with recordlows of x45and 9x9 on the ductionsare bad it just seemsthat wa• CapeCharles and Chine. CBCs, respectively. Otherhighs were 83 at CapeCharles, VA, HutchinsGeese, which may soon be split CBC Dec.27 (HTA etal.);5o at LochRaven from otherCanada Geese, were seen at 4 lo- Res.n. of Balt.,Feb. 28 (SWS);and 69 in the calities,all in MD (MO, J&PG).Top counts Balt.area Jan. •6 (RFR etal.), clearlya good fromChine. were •653 Am. BlackDucks and winterfor Pied-billeds. Hit singlegrebes were 2399N. PintailsFeb. [7; and 64x Gadwalls Red-neckedsat C.B.B.T.,Dec. 3• (MG, BPj) and582 N. ShovelersFeb. 25 (IWA). Excellent andat O.C., Jan.3 & •9 (JGR,DC), aswell as numbersof Blue-wingedTeals were seen an Earedat LittleCr. CBC Dec. 3x(TG). Al- coastally,such as 35 at DealJan. 23 (MO) and ways electrifyingRegionally, N. Fulrnar 23at BackBay CBC Dec.28, with one at Kerr sightingsincluded five Feb. 6, with 2 hump- Res. CBC Jan. 3 and another inland at backwhales and 50 corn.dolphins thrown Adultmale Harlequin Deck at OceanCib', Maryland,December 13, 1992. PhotograplV Howard,MD, Decemberand Feb. 6 (JS,BO, into the bargain(BP, KHB), oneplus four Micbaei O'Brien. SSet al.)--a goodwinter for them,as some- Manx ShearwatersFeb. •4 (BW, GP), and timesnone is seen. On thePotomac R., good fourMar. 2 (KHB) off VirginiaBeach. For GreatEgrets; 32 Brown Pelicans were seen at Hydrilla-boostedcounts at BrookeCBC Dec. the first time, small numbers of N. Gannets nearbyCraney Feb. x7 (DMt). As Brinkley 2•, were540 Gadwalls, 522 Tundra Swans, 350 overwinteredin the c. Bayin MD with a few opinesabout Norfolk: "The pelicansnow Am.Wigeons, and 900 Canvasbacks.One to on CBCsat Pt. LookoutDec. 27 (EW) andat makeus a bonafide sultrysouthern city." twoEur. Wigeons were at Deal throughout JugBay Dec. x9 (BB). Even more interesting Record numbers of Great Cormorants were theperiod (OJ, SHD, B&ES,BPj, MG). Ex- recordscame in later,including xo in Honga in VA atC.B.B.T., with 7 x Feb. 9 (DS)and 65 cellenttotals in the Balt.area were 5•75 Can- R., Dorchester,Feb. 5 (SD); two in Claiborne, Jan. 3x (GA, CCW) and providingfirst vasbacks,xo,x7o Ruddy Ducks, and 9•z Ring- Talbot,Jan. x7 (LMD); threein Calvert,MD, recordsfor Williamsburg and Wachapreague necked Ducks Jan. •6 (RFRet al.).Czaplak Jan.•7 (RFR);and one at PatuxentNaval Air CBCs. Double-crested Cormorants contin- countedxo5o Ring-neckeds at Little Seneca Station,Jan. 9 and Feb.8 (KR), but coastal uedto lingerlonger in winteron theupper Res.,MD, Jan.4. Thiswas a goodwinter for countswere unimpressive. Two Am. White Bayin MD, with 35at GreatShoals Light, thethree jetty duck spedes, with six Corn. Ei- Pelicansspent the winter at Chine.(m.ob.), Wicomico,Feb. 7 (RFR)and eight at Rock dersat O.C. in Jan-February(WHH, MO, but twoat WilliamsburgCBC Dec.2o were RunCBC plus2o3 Great Blue Herons, Dec. MH, JBk, SHD), plus a strayat Wacha- unexpectedDec. 2o (BT). Only a few decades 27 (DK). Talliesfar inlandin VA of 33Dou- preagueCBC, Dec.x9 (CCW)--new forthat ago,they were actdental Regionall• Brown ble-crestedsplus an Am. Bitternat KerrRes. site. King Eiders(56) were at C.B.B.T. Pelicanscontinued to consolidate,with a CBC Jan.3 andsix at StauntontL S.P.,Dec. throughthe winter (GM, DS,TG, BL etal.), recordRegional winter tally of x7oat Litre •9 (JCB) werealso significant. Both cor- aswere six Harlequin Ducks January-Febru- Cr. CBC, evidentlya pisdvoralparadise, morantshave had a long-term upswing in this ary(GM, CRV,JMA, BL etal.).A 2ndrecord Dec.3x (PWS et al.), plus•5x8 N. Gannets, Region.From Chine. CBC Dec. 3o (TK) for Harford,MD, alwaysa rarityon theBay 2o2o Double-crestedCormorants, and 44 camecounts of 44 GreatEgrets and four awayfrom the coast,was a HarlequinJan.

Volume 47, Number 2 - 247 roostat Black.had 59 Jan.•5 (BG), and 5I (GP);and i823 Sandedflngs at Back Bay/False wereat thisrefuge Jan. 24 (HTA, CM). Ten CapeS.P., Dec. 5 (DS). In MD, notablesight- wereinland at Kerr Res.,Feb. 27 (BP,MPn); ingsincluded eight W. Sandpipersat Back R. 36at RockRun CBC Dec.27, along with an e. of Bait.,Jan. 2 (EJS);five late Least Sand- Osprey,i79 Blackand 248 Turkey vultures, pipersat BaysideRd., Worcester,Dec. i2 and 84 Red-tailedHawks; and 32 at the Cr- (MO); 8-IX LesserYellowlegs at DealJan. isfield,MD, CBC Dec.30 (CRV).The only 23-February(SHD); 24 Greater plus six Less- N. Goshawkreports were of singlesin MD at er yellowlegsand 25 Least Sandpipers at As- U. of MD CentralFarm in Howard,Dec. 4 sat.,Dec. 4 (MO); 40 Am. Oystercatchersat (MC) andat BettertonFeb. •4 (CG). Unique O.C., Feb.6 (JBk);and 362Killdeers at the wasa Broad-wingedHawk at DismalSwamp CrisfieldCBC Dec.3o. N.W.R. CBC Jan.3 (DS, TG). Two Golden Eagleswere at Black., Dec. 24 (DC). SixMer- JAEGERSTO ALCIDS linswere at the Back Bay CBC Dec. 28 (PWS Thiswas an excellentwinter for thisgroup. etaL).The continueddecline of N. Bobwhite For jaegers,a Pomafinewas at O.C., Jan.8 isunderscored bya wretched total of seven on (C&DB), and a Parasiticwas at the mouth of the D.C. CBC Dec. 19 (cf. 264 in i962) and theRappahannock R.,VA, Nov. 29, harassing noneon theCrisfield CBC Dec.30, this latter gullsand terns (DD). Pelagictrips off VA a fairly prime E.S. location.Ring-necked Beach(KHB, BP etal.) werehighly success- Pheasantsare also declining, although estab- ful, with twoGreat Skuas, 213 Black-legged lishedintroduced birds reached a new high of Kittiwakes,a Razorbill,and three Dovekies 3o at theS. Dorchester,MD, CBC Dec. 31 CommonBlack-headed Gull, adult in winter (CSRet al.;previous high I4). A BlackRail plumage,at ConowingoDam, Maryland, wasseen at Wachapreague, Dec. 8 & •9 (GR, December13, 1992. The blackon the undersideof the primariesis apparenthere. GA, CCW, MS), flushedfrom the upper salt- Photograph/MaryGustafson. marsh.The best railing was at Back Bay CBC Dec.28, with fourClappers, i6 Kings,five 20-28 at AberdeenProving Ground (JW, Soras,2i Virginias,and two Corn. Gallinules, DK, NS et al.). Scoterswere in low numbers althoughseven Virginias and 802 Am. Coots on thesea, except for 492White-wingeds at in theBait. area were of interestJan. i6 (RFR WachapreagueCBC Dec. 19 (GA, HTA, et al.). A Soramaterialized at PatuxentNaval CCW, MS), a highcount for thescarcest of Air StationJan. 8 (KR). A Corn. Moorhen the three on the coast. Good totals for the c. overwintered near O.C. (DM, RFR, MH, Bayin MD were4o00 Oldsquaws, 2000 Buf- MO, JSp),most unusual for MD. At Loch fieheads,and 60o Corn. Goldeneyes at Belle- Raven Res. n. of Balt., Simon saw 6oo Am. vueon the glass-calmChoptank R., Jan.23 CootsDec. 6 and Feb.•3 & 27. Formerly (HTA, PSr).Best Hooded Merganser counts coundessthousands wintered at BackBay, were 302 at Little Cr. CBC Dec. 3i; 294 at whichhas become an ecological disaster since IcelandGull in first-winterplumage at Ocean Chinc.CBC Dec. 30;and ill in inlandCar- theaquatic vegetation died out there. City,Maryland, December 13, 1992. Photograph/MichaelO'Brien. roll,MD, Jan.23 (RFR et al.). At RockRun CBC Dec. 27, alongthe lowerSusq., 8184 SHOREBIRDS Jan.15; 114 kittiwakes and one Razorbill Jan. Corn. Merganserswere reportedDec. 27 Trueto form,the most interesting shorebirds 23;a GreatSkua, a GlaucousGull, ioo kitti- (DLK eta/.), a recordRegional count. Red- were found on the E. S. of VA, with its vast wakes,and 30 RazorbillsFeb. 6; 7o kitti- breastedMergansers were abundant coastally, saltmarshes and tidal flats. At CapeChades wakes,27 Razorbills, and seven Dovekies Feb. with750o at False Cape S.P., VA, Dec. 2 (DS). CBC, Dec. 27, 3o8 Black-belliedand 27 i4; anda GreatSkua, eight kittiwakes, and 62 Fora groupin suchgreat decline on so many SemipalmatedPlovers, 87 Greater Yellowlegs, Razorbills Mar 2. A Razorbill was seen from fronts,waterfowl continue to manifestmany 45Marbled Godwits, a LeastSandpiper, and shoreat O.C. and Assat.,Jan. i7-24 (DC, impressivecounts in thisRegion in spiteof 37 Short-billedDowitchers were seen. The SHD, OJ, MO, FD). LaughingGulls were such disasters as the massive die-off of sub- WachapreagueCBC slightlyfarther north scarceat theirusual winter stronghold in s. mergedaquatic vegetation in theBay and at talliedeight Red Knots, 260 Black-belliedVA, yet452 were at theJug Bay, MD, CBC BackBay. But many species are still in trou- andthree Semipalmated plovers, and 2oi W• Dec. 19 (PM). A suspectedRing-billed x ble.Compare the total of 52Ruddy Ducks at Sandpipers(IWA et al.). At WillisWharf, LaughingGull hybridwas at O.C., Dec.28 the D.C. CBC Dec. 19 (JBket al.) with the Dykesaw i8 MarbledGodwits and 45 Willets (MO), perhapsthe same bird seen there dur- record9611 in 1962. Feb.20, and three Whimbrels were at Oyster, ingfall 199o and spring 1991--very interest- Jan.17 (BP, HFD, GP); theselatter 2 sitesare ing,especially since their respective breeding PdUvI'ORSTO P•ILS accessibleby mainlandroads, whereas the rangesdo not come even close to overlapping. TurkeyVultures were in recordnumbers with CapeCharles and Wachapreague flats must SixLittle Gulls were at VA BeachJan. 23 (BP), 722 at TriadelphiaCBC nearD.C., Dec. 26 be reachedby boat.Beset by densefog, the andsingles were seen sporadically at O.C., (F&NS etal.)and 542 at Salisbury CBCJan. 2 Chinc.CBC, normally superb for shorebirds, Dec.4-Jan. 22 (SHD, OJ,DC, MO). Single (CRVetal.) in MD. A fewOspreys continued couldboast but 43 Greater Yellowlegs, aLeast Com. Black-headed Gulls were in MD at to linger,such as one at LittleCr. CBC Dec. Sandpiper,and i8 Short-billedDowitchers O.C., Feb.15 (SHD), at Susq.,Dec. I3-Jan. 8 31(CB), markingthe areds 7th consecutiveamong its notables,Dec. 30. Vaughn saw a (BPj,MG, etal.,ph.), and at Crownsville Jan. year,while Back Bay hosted a singleOsprey RedKnot at WallopsI., Feb.5, and Hoffman 7--I8(WM, EMW, JLSet al.). Extraordinary Jan.ix (DD), andan early one was seen near sawone at O.C., Jan.23 Other goodVA wasa Bonaparte'sGull in breedingplumage SalisburyFeb. 27 (C&DB). BaldEagles ap- shorebirdsfrom non-E.S. areaswere two Am. at BackR. e. of Balt.,Jan. 2 & i6 (EJS),and pearedin onlyfair numbers, compared with Avocetsat CraneyFeb. 17 (DMt); a Spotted 2i4 werefar inland at theKerr Res. CBC Jan thebooming standards of recentyears. The Sandpiperfar inland at Staunton R. S.P.,Dec. 3- Indicativeof howfine a winterthis was for Jani4-i 7 BaldEagle count in a MS statesur- i9-27, Jan.2, andFeb. 20 (JCBetal.); anoth- gullsis the report of 4oooRing-billed, 6000 veyof 3key areas (GDT eral.)was I2I, against er at KerrRes., early to mid-February(JB, Herring,a Yellow-legged(Larus cachinnans), the 263observed in JanuaryI99O. The new FC); a RedPhalarope offVA BeachJan. 23 anIceland, and ix Lesser Black-backed gulls at

248- American Birds, Summer 1993 the Laytonsville,MD, landfillJan. x6 (MO, Solitaryvireos were seen on the new and PO, DC et al.). Two California Gulls were uniqueDismal Swamp CBCJan. 3 (DS,TG et identified:one at D.C., Jan. x6 (OJ, WM, al.), and sixSolitaries were seen on the Little ph.)and one at Laytonsville Jan. x5 & 23(DC, Cr. CBC Dec. 3x.Best warblers were in VA, PO, GM). TheYellow-legged Gull (believed with a Nashville at Annandale most of De- to bejust one bird) was seen intermittendy at cember(DKn), a CapeMay at ManassasJan. both D.C. and LaytonsvilleJan. 9-Mar. 6 2 (AW,fide EMW), anOvenbird at Lucketts (OJetal.).So-called Thayer's Gulls were care- Jan.3 (GH, fideEMW, anda Wilson'sWar- fullyobserved at Susq.,D.C., nearNassawa- bler on the D.C. CBC Dec. x9 (RLH) & 20 dox,VA, andat Laytonsville(BPj et al.).Ice- (OJ). A Black-throatedGreen Warbler near landGulls were detected at 6 places,with >9 Laurd,MD, Jan.6, furnisheda first Regional individualsseen in thegreater DC area(DC winterrecord (GG). There were 5 sightings of etal.) andGlaucous Gulls were also at 6 sites. themore expected Black-and-white Warbler. LesserBlack-backed Gull reports came from Dyke founda Yellow-rumped(Audubon's) >25localities, including seven at Triadelphia Warblerat Deal Feb.x4. CBC Dec.26; seven at BackBay/False Cape S.E,Dec. 5, with xo late Royal Terns (DS); ix OROSBEAKS TO FINCHES onthe D.C. CBCDec. x9; and eight at Little Uniquefeeder birds in MD werea d' Blue Cr.CBC Dec. 3x. A mostunexpected find was Grosbeakin ChestertownFeb. xx (PMr, fide a Black-leggedKittiwake at Susq.,Dec. x3-x4 J&PG)and a PaintedBunting at BerlinFeb. (BPj,EB, MG, ph.).Ten Black Skimmers x5-28(MHu, SHD, CRV, ph.). Chipping wereat LittleCr. CBC Dec.3x, the best place Sparrowswere in goodseasonal numbers, es- Lark Sparrownear Ridgely,Maryland, Februery forthem in theRegion in winter,but they are peciallycoastal/y, with xx4on the Salisbury 27, 1993. Photograph/MichaelO'Brien. farfrom regular here. CBCJan. 2, and 82 near Shad Landing Feb. x3 (MO) in MD. SingleLark Sparrows were at MD, a CBC that is almosthalf water. North- DOVES TO SHRIKES Ridgely,Caroline, MD, Feb.26-27 (MO, ern finchesand Red-breastedNuthatches had The topMourning Dove count was x494 at GDT, SASet al., ph.)and Indiantown Park, yetanother very poor winter here. NewportNews CBC Dec. 19 (TK etal.).The VA, January-February(VBK, DFA etal.). A mostinteresting owl recordsincluded two GrasshopperSparrow was at Kiptopeke,VA, Ob•erver,:D.E Abbott,I.W. Alles,J.M. An- Long-earedsat Stillpond,Kent, MD, Feb. Dec.27 (BP, HFD, GP).Le Conte's Sparrows derson,G. Armistead, Cooper Barefield, T.R. 8-April (FLP),a Snowyat BackBay early wereseen at 3 VA localities:two at BackBay Barry,ICH. Bass,Paul Bedell, Jim Biggs, John Dec.-Dec.25 OqdeEMW), andx8 Barns at CBC Dec. z8-Jan.6 (CCW, MS etal.);one at Bjerke(JBk), J.C. Blalock,Eirik Biota, Bob Nokesville,VA, CBC Dec. zo (KHB et al.). Little Cr. CBC Dec. 3x (TRB), for the 3rd Boxwell,Ned Brinkley, Carol & DonBroder- Red-headedWoodpeckers are commonest re- countrecord; and one nearWilliamsburg, ick,Danny Bystrak, Martha Chestem, Fred- gionallyin thes. VA Piedmont,as evidenced Jan.x8 (BW). Lincoln'sSparrows were ob- die Collins,Patty Craig, David Czaplak by68 at BanisterR. W.M.A., Dec.20 (JCBet servedat 4 locations,all in MD (MO, PM, (D.C. area),L.M. Davidson,Doug Davis, a/.) comparedwith x3 farther n. at Nokesville FritzDavis, Phil Davis (PDs), H.E Day,Bob CBC, Dec. 20. Thiswas a goodflycatcher Dixon, Sam Droege,Paul DuMont, S.H. winter, with robust numbersof E. Phoebes, Dyke, S.D. Eccles,Jeff Effinger,Howard anAsh-throated at CapeCharles CBC Dec. Elitzak,Ethel Engle, A.J. Fletcher (Caroline, 27 (4th recordfor thisCBC), andanother at MD), Gary Friedhaber,Bill Giese,Caleb Black.,Dec. 4-5 (OJ,DC etal.,ph.), 30 years Gordon,Greg Gough, Jim & PatriciaGru- to theday since the last MD recordand 4th bet (Kent, MD), Mary Gustarson,Tom for state);a d' VermilionFlycatcher near Gwynn,Charles & MelvaHansrote, M.W. Nassawadox,VA, Jan.xs-Feb. 27 (DS, TG, Hewitt, Bruce Hill, Robert Hilton, Mark m.ob., ph.), providing afirst VA record; and a Hoffman (Assat.I.), Guy Hodge, R.L. W. Kingbird,whose sojourn generally coin- Homan, Marbry Hopkins (MHs), W.H. cidedwith that of the Vermilion, a few miles Howe, Mary Humphreys(MHu), Ottavio awayat IndiantownRd. (JMA et al.). In S. Janni, GeorgeJett, Teta Kain (C.B.B.T.), Frederick,MD, x7ooHorned Larks were seen GregKearns, Donald Kirkman (DKn), Den- Feb. zx (MO). CarolinaWrens were in excel- nis Kirkwood, V.B. Kitchens,Ellen Lawler, lent numbersafter severalmild winters,with BevLeeuwenberg, Harry LeGrand,Willem recordcounts of 529on theD.C. CBC Dec. Maane,Gall Mackiernan,Nancy Magnus- x9. Blue-grayGnatcatchers were at 3VA sites: son,Pat Melville,Janet Millensen, Doug BrookeCBC Dec. 2x;Kerr Res.CBC Jan. 3 Miller (DMr), Carolyn Mills, Dorothy (BP,GP); and WilliamsburgJan. x 7 & 25 Mitchell (DMt), Pat Moser (PMr), Dottie (BT). EasternBluebirds continued to boom Black-leggedKittiwake in first-winterplumage Mumford, Michael O'Brien, Paul O'Brien, with record totals for some CBCs, such as a at ConowingoDam, Maryland,December 13, BonnieOtt, EL. Parks,Brian Patteson, Myr- 1992. Photograph/MaryOustafson. bonus823 at Mathews,VA, Jan.3 (MP etal.). na Parteson (MPn), Elizabeth Peacock, The troubledLoggerhead Shrike was found DC) and,refreshingly, none on CBCs.This GraysonPearce, Carl Perry,Bruce Peterjohn onlyat Emmitsburg,MD (RFR), Loudoun, wasan excellentwinter for SnowBuntings (BPj), E.L. Pitney (lower E.S. of MD), VA (BH), Nokesville,and Kerr Res. CBC, and alsoLapland Longspurs, with a maxi- WilliamPortlock, Nick Pulcinella, Mary Pul- wherethere were nine, Jan. 3. mum of 24 in S. Frederick,MD, Jan. x7 ley,Kyle Rambo, J.G. Reese(Talbot, MD), (MO). Bestblackbirds were an ad. d' Yellow- GeorgeReiger, Sue Ricciardi, R.E Ringler, C. VIREOS TO WARBLERS headedat SalisburyJan. 23 (MO) andBrew- S. Robbins,Stephen Rottenborn, Ronald In MD White-eyedVireos were at Lothian, er's,with <2oat NokesvilleDec. 5 (KHB) and Runkles,Frances & Norm Saunders,E.J. AnneArundel,Nov. 27and Dec. x3 & x9(PM) -<3in the Stockton,MD, areain December Scarpulla(pelagic trips), Don Schwab,Susan andnear O.C., Dec. 29 (CRV etal.), for the andJanuary (MO, MH, OJ).House Finches Setterberg,Matthew Sharp,Jay Sheppard 3rdCBC recordthere. In s. VA, wherethey continuedtoexpand and increase, the highest (JSp),L.T. Short,S.W. Simon, T.W. Simp- aremore expected, six White-eyed with seven count2x47 Dec. 20 on theSt. Michaels CBC, son,S.A. Smith,Jo Solera(Howar• MD),

Volume 47, Number 2 ß249 David Spector,Paul Sp•tzer (PSr), Bfil & Wallace,Gerry We•nberger, H.L. W•erenga, Sh•rleyWood,JohnWortman.--HENRYT. EleanorStandaert, J.L. Stasz,D.B. Stewart, Claudia Wilds, Bill Williams, Ernest ARMISTEAD, 5z3 E. Durham St., P.W.Sykes, Brian Taber, G.D. Therres,Ada Willoughby,Anita Wilson,E.M. Wilson Philadelphia,PA r9ii 9. VanNess, C.R. Vaughn, Gail Vaughn, David (greaterD.C. area),G.B. Wilmot, C.C. Witt,

Abbreviations:A.B.S. (ArchboldBiologicalSta- Collier, Dec. •6-Jan. 3 (THB);single White- FLORIDAREGION tion, HighlanahCo..); E..N.P. (Evergladeswinged Scoters were found off St. Lucie, Dec Richard L. I•st and N.P.); D.I. (DogL, FranklinCo.); P.P.M. z (JMB), off Pinelias,Dec. 3-•9 (KDN, Noel Wamer (PolkCounty Phosphate Mines); S.Pr. (State BRP), and in S.M.N.W.R., Feb.r4 (PF). A Preserve);S.M.N.W.R. (St. Marks N.W.R., highofz•5o Hooded Mergansers were found WakullaCo.); S.R.A. ( StateRecreationalArea); in theP.P.M., Dec. z6 (PJF). S.R.C.(Florida Ornithological Society Records Committee). KITES TO COOTS An unusualwinter appearance of an Am Afterthe considerablechanges wrought by LOONS TO MERGANSERS Swallow-tailedKite was reported from n. Du- Andrew,one would hope that naturewould Onlytwo Red-throated Loons were reported, val,Jan. •7 (PJR),but the newswas dominat- havespared the coasta hardwinter. Not so; onenear D.I. Jan.z 5 (DE, LM) andanother edby the dispersing Black-shouldered Kites we havehad more and stronger cold fronts off StJohns, Feb. 7, butzoo Corn. Loons were A pairfirst reported w. of W. PalmBeach Jan thanusual along the southwest coast. There in a raftin St.George Sound, Franklin, Jan. 4 r7 (BHH) waslater suspected ofnesting when was further erosion in the sandbar and beach (DE, LM). Farthersouth, Corn. Loonswere seennearby, Jan z3 & 30 (fideHPL);another areasin southernCollier, leading to a pre- scarce(THB) exceptfor the numbers of dead pairwas first seen in Browara•Jan. z 9, andthe sumeddecrease and stress in thebird popula- that washedup on the s.c.coast (JMB). A female was found Feb. z8 on a nest in an or- tions observedthere. The rains, wind, and peaknumber of 360Pied-billed Grebes were angetree near Davie (JLB). Further disper- coldof the fronts certainly played abig part in winteringat the P.P.M.(PJF), but a pairin sionwas marked by individuals seen Feb. r s.e the failureof the Wood Storkcolony at KeyWest were already feeding three young by of L. Placid,Highlands (DF, CF) andFeb. r7 Corkscrew(THB). PalmBeach County had Jan.zr (JAO).The onlyHorned Grebes re- in Big CypressNational Preserve, Collier the fourthwettest winter in historyas gulf portedwere zo offD.I., a verylow count (DE, (THB). A d'SnailKite seenfrom U.S. • s. of stormsswept across the peninsula forcing wa- LM). EaredGrebe numbers have been down FloridaCiry Feb. z7 (JLB,UF) wasin anarea ter releasesfron the Water Management Dis- thepast few winters, so a countof fourat the ofthe Everglades inwhich the species israrely trictand preventing the drawdown of feeding P.P.M.,Jan 3• is consideredgood (PJF). An reported.Six February reports of eight Short- poolsused by Wood Stork and herons. These imm. BrownBooby, rarely seen from land, tailedHawks suggest that they are on the stormsmay have led to thehigh numbers of hungaround Ft. WorthBeach Jan. 6-•6 moveor are setting up breeding territories by Gannetsand Common Loonsnear the coasts, (GSHetal.), and another flew by D.I., Jan.r• then. The northernmostcomes from Gilcrest, thescattered sightings ofjaegers, the loon and (DE,LM). NorthernGannets must have been Feb. 9 (JTK), and threewere found in Ar- gannetkill alongthe southeast coast, and the more common than usual this winter, with buckleS.E, Polk (ME), whereanother was firstThick-billed Murre record. By contrast, +•ooooff New SmyrnaBeach Jan. r8 (PJF, sightedFeb. •3 (JF) & •4 (BCo,LCo, m.ob ) the Tampaarea northward enjoyed an ex- DMF, RK), hundredsoff Dania, Broward A sub-adultGolden Eagle was identified m tremelymild winter, with only three weather Dec.z6 (JLB,ER), andz5o e. of D.I., Jan.•7 LoxahatcheeN.W.R., Jan. 30, for which cau- systemsbringing overnight lows of lessthan (DE, LM). BothHoward Langridge and Jane tiousbut convincingnotes were submitted 4ooFin Tampa.In termsof birdsthis led to Brooksreported dead Gannets washing up on (?LCh,JG); onewas also seen Dec. • farther thepoorest winter ever at the Stedmans' Sara- thes.c. coast in January.A late,large migra- n. in Alachua(BBR), more normalfor th•s sotabanding station, and to a poorwinter for tionofszo Am. White Pelicans passed D.I. in rare winter visitor. ducks in the Miami area. Winter invasions 3 groupsDec. • (DE, LM). Double-crested A Black Rail was found Dec. •9 m werenil, with fewPurple Finches and Pine Cormorantshave increased spectactularly on S.M.N.W.R.(JBa) where it maybe regular Siskinsreported. Robins and waxwings were theirn.e. breeding grounds, and •ooo were thoughrarely reported. A muchmore com- common in north Florida but most did not winteringin St. GeorgeSound, Franklin, mon rallid is the Am. Coot, which attained a reachthe southern peninsula until February. Dec. •8 (DE, LM), and7000 in the P.P.M., peaknumber ofr4,ooo in theP.P.M., Dec. z6 Evencursory analyses of long-standingDec. z5 (PJF).All 4z6 WoodStork nests at (PJF). ChristmasBird Counts can yield important CorkscrewSanctuary failed, perhaps related trendinformation, especially if parryhours to whya record•63 were seen on theVenice SHOREBIRDS TO MURRES remainrelatively stable. Ted Below's analysis areaCBC Dec. z6 (S&AS). Ninery-fivePiping Plovers were observed m of the NaplesCBC is veryinformative and Black-belliedWhistling-Ducks continue HoneymoonI. S.R.A., Pinelias,Feb. rr supportsinformation from other parts of the to spreadin Florida;six were found in the (M&ST). A high-tideroost of 9z Piping species'ranges (Table 0. Venicearea CBC (fideStedman). The few re- Ploverscounted on D.I., Feb.z• (DE, LM) portsof unusual wintering ducks include lone underscoresthe importanceof the Franklin FulvousWhistling-Ducks in w. Pasco,Jan. z baysto thisspecies in winter.High counts of (M&HS) and at S.M.N.W.R., Jan.z 9 (CG) z5 SnowyPlovers Jan. r 7 at HoneymoonI, and a Cinnamon Teal at Merritt I. N.W.R., Pinelias(PJF, RK), aswell as •9 seenJan. zo at Brevara•through early December (HR etal.). D.I. (DE, LM) pointto remainingnumbers Reportsof somewintering sea ducks were A possibleindication of earlynorthward m•- morecommon than usual,including a 5? grationwas signaled by the appearance of rz Corn.Eider in JetryPerk, Brevara• Dec. 5, Black-neckedStilts in thelower keys Feb. •z wherea pairwas found Jan. 3 (MH,WB), and (JAO) andfive of themat TavernierFeb. z 7 an imm. d' Corn. Eider in NassuaSound, (JLB,UF). Reportswere received of rarewin- DuvaLFeb. 3+ (CAI, m.ob.),and an imm. d' teroccurrences of lone Solitary Sandpipers at Oldsquawat S.M.N.W.R.,Dec. 6-r 9 (JR, Ft. LauderdaleDec. r8 (DF), in Polk,Dec. •9 m.ob.).A flockof sevenSurfScoters were off (CGe),and calling over A.B.S., Jan. r8 (GW, CedarKey, Levy, Dec. •5 (BPM,DCH), and RB). An unprecedentedwintering Hudson- twowintered much farther s. in RookeryBay ian Godwitturned up at S.M.N.W.R.,Dec

250 American B•rds,Summer 1993 8-Jan.3 (CG, m.ob.,video BA, ph. jan. m (CGe).High counts of win- JEC,•RAD to S.R.C.).High winter teringScissor-taileds included seven countsof65 at Coot Bay Jan. 3(GM) 4• at CanalPoint, Palm Beach, Dec. •7 and z• at HoneymoonI., Jan. •7 (CW) and n observedDec. zo at (PJF,RK) suggestthat Whimbrels KeyWest (JAO). A TreeSwallow maystill be increasingsince their -LakeCity roost estimatedin excessof one mil- decimationby markethunting. A lionbirds occupied the marshes w.of rareCurlew Sandpiper was reported TitusvilleDec. •o-Jan.•5 (DS, BBr, from Ft. Clinch S.P.,Nassau, Feb. zz DD etal.). Nine Fish Crows were at Boca Chi- (BB).A goodwinter peak of zo5 Stilt GULF Sandpiperswas found at theP. PM. caKey, Monroe, Dec. 9 (JAO),where (PJF). theymay have nested during the past .Tampa 'ClearSpnngs Six reportsof ParasiticJaegers summer. A •? E. Bluebird at Ft. Des- werereceived; the moresignificant oto Park,Pinelias, Dec. •-7 (MSW) Gulfreports were of oneseen from wasjust the znd recorded there. The D.I., Jan.it and two Feb.I (DE, SwainsonsThrush at Ft. PierceInlet LM), andone seen from Redington S.R.A., Dec. •4 (•JMB, SB) may Beach, Pinelias,Jan. i6 (KDN, havebeen a late migrant. High num- BRP). An uncommonimm. Corn. bersof Am. Robinswere present in Black-headedGull was reported fly- the n. portionof the Region-- ingwith Bonaparte's Gulls at Riviera •5,oooen route to rooston the Little Beach, Palm Beach,Feb. 6+ (KE, St.Marys R., Nassau,Dec •o (RTP, m.ob.).The increasingLesser Black WG), 70,000near Cedar Key, Lev3 BackedGull was reported from 5 lo- (v.o.), and •4,ooo over downtown calesaround the coast, but the only GainesvilleJan. z 7 (GA). reportof multiple birds was of two at Marco Sandbar, Collier, Dec. 6 WARBLERS TO FINCHES (THB). Theonly white-winged gull A verylate Tennessee Warbler was at reportedfrom the Regionwas a -- Ft. Desoto Park Dec. 3 (MSW). Glaucous found at Sebastian Inlet Dec. z in Horida this winter. A Buff-bellied Hum- ThreeNashville Warblers were reported: indi- (DD). A minimumof five Great Black- mingbirdappeared for the 4th winter at a Ft. vidualsw. of BocaRaton Jan. 30 (BHH) and BackedGulls wintered in s. Pinellas(LSA, Lauderdalefeeder (B&TC), arrivingDec. z3. in MiamiFeb. 6 (WB etaL)werein typicallo- KDN), whileimmatures found at D.I., Dec. A Black-chinnedHummingbird remained cationsfor winteringbirds, but oneat D.I., z8(ph. DE, LM) andinland at Paynes Prairie autumn-Dec.8 at a Tallahasseefeeder (NW), Dec.•8 (DE, LM, TL) mayhave been a late S.Pr.,Alachua, Jan. • (JHH, BPM) alsocon- andtwo maleswere in Pasco,Dec. z•-January migrant.Among the more unusual warblers stitutegood records. Single Black-legged Kit- (DR, videoto S.R.C.,BHA), for the first reportedduring the period were a Chestnut- tiwakeswere reported at Longboat Key Sara- countyrecord (fide BPr). A • Ruby-throatedsided at TallahasseeJan. • (•JC, KN), single sota,Jan. 8 (ph.JDU) and Riviera Beach Palm Hummingbirdlocated in TallahasseeFeb. z5 Magnoliasat L. Placid,Highlands, Dec. z3 Beach,Feb. 7 (CP). Forster'sTern, common mayhave been an early arrival (TM); others (DF, B&MK) and at Miami Feb.6 (WB et in winternear Marco I., wasreported down wereglimpsed wintering around the state. A al.), a Black-throatedGray at Toteekeegee 8I% this winter from a zo-yearaverage RufousHummingbird visited Tallahassee Yungee Park, Hollywood, Jan. •7 + (JDi,WG, (THB). A Thick-billedMurre found injured Jan.14 (BS), and a femalewas found in v.o.),a Bay-breasted atBlue Springs S.P., Volu- onHobe Sound Highway Palm Beach, Dec. 6 Broward,Feb. 6 (WB etal.).The Red-headed sia,Dec. z8 (AK), a Black-throatedGreen at (JS,ph. KC, RE,*A.B.S.) provided the first Woodpeckermigration may have been AvonPark Bombing Range, Polk, Dec. •o Floridarecord for this species. strongerthan usual, with two found Dec. I9 (DF), anda Prothonotaryat E.N.E, Monroe, in Pinelias,where they have recently been ab- Jan.3. A singleday count of ]2Am. Redstarts ANIS TO WOODPECKERS sent(LSA, BA), and 14 found in L. Arbuclde westof BocaRaton Jan. 30 was very high. A SingleSmooth-billed Anis, now becqming S.F.,Polk, Feb. 19 (PJF, m.ob.). totalof nineWilson's Warblers were reported scarce,were found n. to Tierra Verde, fromPalm Beach (v.o.), while the only others Pinelias,Jan z (LAH, MJH) and Paynes FLYCATCHERSTO ROBINS reportedwere individuals at PaynesPrairie PrairieS.E, Jan. z8 & 3• (JEW). Groove- SingleLeast Flycatchers at Oakland Park, S.Pr.,Alachua, Dec. •-zo (RKR, m.ob.)and billedAnis invadedfrom the w., including Broward,Dec. •3 and the SeminoleIndian in Broward,Jan. 6 (JLB).Perhaps unprece- two to AlligatorL., Columbia(RH, fide Reservation,Hendry Dec. z6 (bothJLB) dentedin winterwere two species of tanager, BPM), 6-8 on D.I. in mid-January(DE, weren. of theirnormal wintering range. Al- Summerand Western, on thesame day w. of LM), 3-5 winteringat S.M.N.W.R.(RC et thoughconsidered rare in n. Polk,three BocaRaton Jan. zo (BHH). AnotherSummer al.),and four at ShellI., Ig&kulla,Dec. •9 (JC, Great-crestedFlycatchers were at the Lake Tanagerwas in JacksonvilleDec. 26 (ph. KN). ArbucldeS.F., Jan. 9 (LCo,BCo), and three JAW)and a •?W. Tanagerwas reported in A returningChuck-will's-widow netted in morewere in anotherpart of the forest Feb. t9 NaplesFeb. zo (VM).A Black-headedGros- Sarasota,Feb. •6 (S&AS)was found beating (PJF).A highcount of •4 Great-crestedswere beakat Wellington Jan. hand Feb. z 7 (•HPL, another netted on D.I., Feb. z8 (DE, LM), w. of Boca Raton, Palm Beach,Jan. 30 BHH, FJB,GSH) providedthe first record both furnishingearly records. The only (BHH).Two more reports of the increasingly for Palm Beach..Blue Grosbeaksare more fre- northernowls reported were a Short-Earedat recognizedBrown-Crested Flycatcher have quentlywintering in s. Floridathis season, S.M.N.W.R., Dec. •o (TM) and a Long- beenadded this winter-•one in Mahogany withsix individuals reported from 3 locations earedfound in cassia,Lake, Dec. 8 (KP) that Hammock,Dade, Jan. 3 O•de LCo) and an- in PalmBeach, Jan. 3-Feb. z7 (v.o.);even more diedDec. n (fideilK).Up to six Vaux's Swifts otherin FlamingoFeb. 8 (WBetal.). Scissor- unusualwere two in e. Pasco,Feb. 9-t8 (SCB roostedon theUniversity of Floridacampus, tailedFlycatchers lingered N of their normal etal.)and two in Alachuc6Jan. •o (JHH). Also Gainesville,Jana9-Feb. 8; identifiedby winteringrange, with oneat S.M.N.W.R., rarein e.Pasco were four Indigo Buntings Feb. voice,they were also tape-recorded forconfir- Dec.•z & •9 (JL,m.ob.), one Dec. •7-zo and 7-n andtwo Painted Buntings Jan. zS-Feb. n mation (TAW). twoJan. •z-Feb. z8, at TierraVerde, Pinellas both (SCBet al.). AnotherPainted Bunting Fourspecies of hummingbird were found (SCB,m.ob.), and one at BabsonPark, Polk, wasin L. Wales,Polk, Jan. 24 (PT). Sixteen

Volume 47, Number 2- 251 VesperSparrows was a locallyhigh count at L. nis,Duncan Evered, Ursula Feller, Donna M. WalesJan. x8 (PT), and one in Dade,Dec. x9 Fellers(DMF), PaulFellers (PJF), Joe Fisher, (ML)was locally very rare. Grasshopper Spar- Don Ford,Clarice Ford, Paul Franklin, Dot rowswere widely reported, with five at L. Freeman(DFr), JackGardner, Chuck Gea- Walesand Auburndale in Polk,Dec. 27 and nangel(CGe), Wally George, Red Gidden Jan.24, respectively(PT). SingleLeConte's (CG), Dale Henderson,John Hintermister, Sparrowswere at HoneymoonI. S.R.A.Jan. BrianHope, Larry Hopkins, Judy Hopkins, 23-Feb.x 3 (KDN, BRP,,m.ob.) and at the RobertHornback, Gloria S. Hunter, Cherie SpringhillS.T.E in TallahasseeFeb. 2 (GMk). Irby,Herb Kale, Adam Kent, Bruce & Mari- ThreeWhite-throated Sparrows were rather an Kittridge,Ranier Kruger, Jerry Krumm- farsouth in e.Pasco, Feb. Ii-t 5 (SCBetal.). A rich,Howard Langridge, J. LaVia,Tony singleBrewer's Blackbird atFlorida City Jan. 4 Leukering,J. McGinity,V. McGrath,Gail (MC)and x2 Corn. Grackles atKey West Jan. Menk(GMk), Lyla Messick, George Meyer, x5 (JAO) were both consideredunusual at Thick-biiledMurre found injured on Hobe Tom Morrill, BarbaraMuschlitz, Kris Nel- theselocations. Wintering Shiny Cowbirds SoundHighway, Florida, December 6, 1992. Firststate record. Photograph/ son,Katy NeSmith,Joe Ondrejko,Tom includedtwo at Florida City Jan. 4 and3o-4o Ken Christensen. Palmer,Bruce Parkhurst, Rich Paul, K. Petry, ata feeder near Rookery Bay, Collier, for most CynthiaPlockelman, Peggy Powell, Bill of theseason (JM). The wintering group of Observers(area editors in boldface): Gary Ap- Pranty(BPr), Joe Reinman, Bryant Roberts, BronzedCowbirds returned to theSkyview pleson,Brooks Atherton, Lyn Atherton, H. Robinson,Ed Rosenberg, Rex Rowan, Pat GolfClub in Lakeland, where six were present StephenBackes, Jocelyn Baker (JLB), John Rider,M. & H. Spielberger,Stanley & An- Dec. x7+ (LCo, BCo, m.ob.), and five more Bateman(JBa), Ted Below,B. Bergstrom,nette Stealman, D. Stuckey,Julia Stutevoss, winteredat McJunkenDairy, Highlands, De- Wes Biggs,Susan Blackshaw, R. Bowman, PeteTimmer, M. andS. Turner, Noel Wamer, cember-Feb.3 (GW, BPr etal.). House Finch- FredJ. Broerman,Jane Brooks (JBr), B. TomWebber, Chuck Weber, James Weimer, esare becoming established near Gainesville, Brown, D. Canterbury,James E. Cavanagh,Jim Wheat (JAW), Glen Woolfenden,E whereeight were seen Dec. 3 x (RKR).Very Jr.,B. & T. Center,Ron Christen,Ken Chris- Wright.--RICHARDL. WEST,z8o8 Rab- fewwinter finches were reported. The only re- tensen,Lois Chapman (LCh), Buck Cooper bit Hill Rd., Tallahassee,FL.; and NOEL port receivedof PineSiskin was one at Talla- (BCo),Linda Cooper (LCo), Mort Cooper WAMER, 5ozE. GeorgiaSt., Tallahassee, hasseeFeb. i 7 (JEC),and three Purple Finches (MC),Jim Cox, Joe DiPasquale (JDi), Don FL 32303. winteringat a Waldluafeeder (JHE) consti- Devitt,Jim Du Bois(JDu), RobertA. Dun- tutedthe only report received. can,Mike Egan,Rebecca Elliot, Keenan En-

onlysporadically. Rarities included several Weirbegan his term as Ontario's editor dur- ONTARIOREGION TuftedDucks, Slaty-backed Gull, and West- ingthe equally long, cold winter ofI9õI-I9õ2 , RonRidout ernTanager. andfor 42 consecutiveseasons, up to the Duringthis seemingly endless winter, it springof i992, he chronicledthis vast Re- seemsappropriate to acknowledgethe effort gion'sbirdlife, never missing a deadline. We of theprevious editor of thisRegion. Ron areindebted to himfor his tinflagging enthu- Afterseveral years of warmer-than- normal winters, most of Ontario ßWawa experiencedconditions closer to thelong-term average. Observers in thesouth lamented "a hard winter," Moosonee ß whilenortherners shrugged and said,"welcome back to reali•." Ac- tually, Decemberwas slightly •_-'- milder than average,allowing i%ault St,Marie &'• • Cochrane., manybirds to lingerlate. By the • ßSudbu• •. • •underBay •- M•hon new year,temperatures began to plunge,and February was 8 degrees ' ß Sudbu• colderon average in thesouth than it wasin i992. For the firsttime in severalyears, there was no measur- ablemigration by the end of Febru- •-Par• Sound• • " n ary. Theannual late winter buildup of divingducks occurred on the • • •t • • 0 ARIO west end of Lake Ontario. With the ) • .• Cornwall exceptionof SnowyOwls, northern raptorscame no farthersouth than centralOntario during the period. :' • Establishingapattern for the irrup- Presqu'ile•ov P• tive winter finches was difficult. Toronto e Eveningand PineGrosbeaks were Waterlooß non-existent, but a few scattered Hamilton

sightingsof both crossbillswere London notedin lateFebruary in thesouth. All speciesof the groupshowed goodnumbers in the north,with theexception of redpolls,reported

252. American Birds, Summer 1993 siasm for the task and for the wealth of infor- Marshthrough December (m.ob.) were ex- mationthat he soably documented. As the ceptional.Among the 17 Wood Duck newRegional Editor, I amparticularly grate- records,individuals at Pembroke Dec. •9 ful forthe support Ron has given me during (MF), HavillandBay, Algoma, Jan. 4 (EC), myfirst year on the job. and OttawaJan. 2x (BD) wererare so far north.A d' Green-wingedTeal at Pelee Jan. •7 Abbreviations:Pelee (Pt. Pelee N.P. and (AW) furnishedthat areasfirst wintering vicinity);P.E.Pt. (Prince Edward Pt.).; Algon- record,while a male at Hamilton Jan. 28 quinand Presqu'ile are Provincial Parks. Place (AW) wasnotable there. Northern Pintails at namesin italicsrefer to countiesor Regional Hamiltonpeaked at 32 birdsJan. 28 (AW), municipalities. and a female that wintered at Manotick was rarefor that region(BD). LingeringBlue- LOONS TO HERONS wingedTeals were seen at Hamilton's Winde- Followingthe largeautumn flight of Red- mereBasin Dec. 3 (RD) andat Kingston Dec. throatedLoons, 25 birds,five timesthe •o- 2o (SH). Of the43 N. Shovelersat Toronto's yearaverage, lingered into December. High- HighPark Dec. 4, 26were still present Feb. 28 estcounts were four at KettlePt., Dec. 5 (AR) (RY).Up to 37Am. Wigeons wintered along andBurlington Dec. 17 (RD, AW). The most the Torontowaterfront (EJ}, while a maleat northerlywas grounded on a highwayat En- WheatleyJan.•8 (AW) gave Pelee its 2nd win- teringrecord. glehattDec. 5 (LT), andthe latestwas at 7 TorontoJan. i6 (HK, RY).At least•3 Corn. A countof 492oCanvasbacks at Long Pt., Loonsremained into Januarywith threeat Dec. 4 (RK) had dwindledto I75 by Jan.8 Immature Double-crested Cormorant at Wheat- Colpoy'sBay, Bruce, Jan. • (SG) andfive, (DM). At Presqu'ile,a flock of 60 observed leyProvincial Park, Ontario, December 21, whichoverwintered at Hamilton (m.ob.), the Jan.23 (CG) was noteworthy. The Dec. 4 wa- 1992. Photograpb/AianWormington. mostnotable. Single Pied-billed Grebes win- terfowlcensus at LongPt. also recorded 3•oo teredat Lakefield(RP) and to earlyFebruary Redheads,564 Ring-neckeds, and 450 Rud- squawsatEE. Pt., Dec. •9 (K.EN.) wasexcep- atTaquanyah C.A., Haldimand (JM, m.ob.), dies(RK). A remarkableJ3ur Tufted Ducks tional.Notable numbers ofscoters away from whileone on the E. ThamesR., Ox)Ora•Feb. werediscovered on w. L. Ontario, with a male w. L. Ontario includednine Blacksand 55 7 (JMH) furnishedthat county's first Febru- at Hamilton's Windemere Basin Dec. Surfsat PeleeDec. 2x(m.ob.) &xz (AW etal.), aryrecord. Two Horned Grebes at Colpoy's •4-February(AW, m. ob), a femaleat various respectively,and •85o White-wingedsat BayJan. • (SG)were well n. forthe date. A locationsin Hamiltonharbor Jan. •5-28 (RC, P.E.Pt.,Dec. I9 (K.EN.). SingleBarrow's Red-neckedGrebe at ManitotalinIs., Dec. •9 m.ob.), a bandedfemale at Bluffer'sPark Goldeneyeswere at CornwallDec. 28 (fide (JN) waslate that far N, whileone on the •ronto,Jan. 14 (,JMa), and a malethere Jan. BD);Oakville Jan. 8-Feb. 28 (DD; andLake- GrandR. at BrantfordJan. 3 (WL) wasun- x9(DSt, JGi). field Feb. 9 & 2• (TB, PB). Four different usual for the location. birdswere reported at Ottawa throughout the No fewer than 3• Double-crestedCor- winter (BD, m.ob.). morants remained into the winter, with five welln. to ManitotalinIs., Dec.•9 (fideCB), VULTURES TO SHOREBIRDS and sevenwintered at Hamilton (m.ob.).An TheFuildup ol• divihgduck fiurnbers along TurkeyVtdture sightings in wintercontinue Am.Bittern at Westport Dec. 22 (JKW etal.) thew.•. •tari6 wat•rfror/tinlate winter has to increaseacross s. and c. Ontario. The most wasstartling that far north. A loneGreat Blue becomean annualphenomenon hot easily northerlyof the>•2 birdsreported were at Heronat OttawaJan. • (MJ) wasvery late, exp•ified••peci•lati ønthat the fløcks are Manitoulin Is., Dec. 20 (YF). Severalwere andsix at WildwoodL., Oxj•ra• Jan. •6 (RF, feedingheavily or, Zebra Mussels;which have seenin Januaryand February, likely overwin- DB)were a large number for the locale at that •&/iify•de•tl• •t•atLakes• isPllusjbi•: tering birds. The continuedstrong numbers date. Twenty-oneBlack-crowned Night- fo• •me of thespecies involved•.but studies ' ofBald Eagles, ix7 acrossthe province, are sol- Heronslingered late from Pickering Jan. xo elsewhereseem•b indicate •hatn5 all sp•i•' id evidenceof thespecies' reestablishment in (DGa),south, with highs of six at Queenston •?e•ehiihlarge h•fi•rs finL. Ohtario:are the Region. A high of 3I birds wintering along Jan.i (WD, DD) and•o along Red Hill Cr.in hOavymusseLfeeders; B•late Pebruary, num- the St. Lawrence R. in Leeds Grenville Hamiltonthrough the winter (m.ob.). fiersi• •hew. • i•f •:i• incl•d&[ (K.EN.) waspardctdady noteworthy. The 35 x55• •tef•C•up••3, q00 Whit•Winge• N. Goshawksin the southwere a strongin- WATERFOWL Scoters,and m,oo0Common Goldeneyes flux for the 2nd consecutivewinter. Red- The annual L. Ontario mid-winter waterfowl (m.'0b3••ed amonlthe•e floc• mere five shouldered Hawks well n. included one at inventoryJan. IO tallied a record-high99,226 KingEiders Feb, 28 •RD, m.ob3), five Black Mindemoyauntil Dec. •9 (GG,JL etal.) and individualsof 34species along the nearshore ScoterS•and thr•.Surf S•i•k F•b.•z 7 (WSi anotherat OwenSound Dec. 27 (DF). An al- watersfrom Kingston toNiagara. Leading to- m.6b.}i bino Red-tailed Hawk at Lowville Feb. 20 talswere 22,3o3 Oldsquaws, 2h64o Canada (WS,m. ob.) was a raresight, as were 60 Red- Geese,•3,9o5 Mallards, and n,445 Greater tailedstogether at a chicken-processingplant Scaup.All thisdespite winds of 3o-45mph nearHagersville Jan. •5 (JM, v.o.).Seven andtemperatures of x5-oøF (WE). Tundra Other King Eiderswere singlesat GoldenEagles matched the xo-year average. Swansremained in high numbers into the pe- Presqu'ileDec. x3 & i8 (SHa,v.o.); Winona Singleswere at NiagaraFalls Dec. 4 (IR); riod,with 5•8•at LongPt., Dec. 4 (RK)and Dec.x6-Jan. 17 (WS, m.ob.); L. St.Clair Jan. DorsetJan. 8 (RP); WebbwoodJan. 8-xo x4oostill in Kentin earlyJanuary (SC). The x(SC); Kettle Pt., Feb.2 (AR);and two at Port (JL);Petroglyphs EE, Jan. x6 (GC);Frank- annual Mute Swan in W. Guilford was frozen Weller,Niagara, Dec. 20 (RD, BC, KM, townJan. 20 (D&HMa); andPort Elgin Feb. out by Dec. 25 (RP).Two Greater White- GIN).Five Harlequin Ducks included indi- •9 (B&DF);singles were found at Port Ryerse frontedGeese remained at Bradley'sMarsh, vidualsat SaultSte. Marie throughoutthe Feb. 6 (C&SW) and Port Dover Feb. 23 Kent,Nov. 6-Jan.6 (JH). SnowGeese were winter(m.ob.); Kettle Pt., Dec. •9 (fideRTy); (RG). Representinga continued winter in- reportedin manyplaces across the south. a femaleat Ajaxand Pickering Dec. 26 and crease,20 Merlinswere sighted across the One at OttawaJan. x (BD) providedthat Jan.x (JF,THo); a maleat TorontoJan. xo-x4 southwith oneN to KincardineJan. 2 (fide areasfirst January record, while flocks of 4o at & x6 (v.o.);and a femaleat BurlingtonJan. MP).Winter presence of Peregrines was also bothMerrickville Dec. x9 (JC) and Bradley's xs-Feb.28 (WL). A countof 20,500Old- strong,with individuals atQueenston Dec. 2

Volume 47, Number 2. 253 (RR); oneall winter at Ottawa(m.ob.); Peter- m.ob.). Two Mew Gulls included the bird boroughDec. 8 (RB);Vankleek Hill Dec.z7 firstreported last period on the Niagara R., (fideVH); a bandedbird well N at Westfort, whichremained until Dec. 4 (pAW et al.), ThunderBay, Jan. 3 (NE,AH); CayugaJan. andanother at Comwall, Dec. 29 (fide SGa). to (EM); andPort Rowan Jan. 2• (DBr, LE). Firstreported Nov. 29, the ad. California Gull NineteenGyrfalcons were seen across the onthe Niagara R. remained through the win- province,the majority in c. andn. Regions. ter (v.o.). LesserBlack-backed Gulls totaled Individuals in the south were at Floradale 26,with 7 birdson the Niagara R. in early De- Dec.t4 (SG),Cayuga Dec. 28 (G&PR),and cember(m.ob.) the highest count. The last KingstonJan. 3t (RDW). verifiedsighdng of theSlaw-backed Gull on Huntersreported several Willow Ptarmi- theNiagara R. was Dec. 7 (DM, DS),though gansin theMoosonee area in December(JT). therewere undocumented reports undl the The speciesoccasionally moves into the s. end of December.Impressive numbers of JamesBay region in winter. The lone Virginia GreatBlack-backed Gulls were 536 at Hamil- Railwas at LongPt., Dec. t9 (BJ,JHe, RCo). tonJan. zo (AW) and•32o at OttawaDec. zo A Corn.Moorhen at DundasDec. 2t+ (BW, (L&BD). LoneBlack-legged Kittiwakes in- v.o.)was exceptional. Sandhill Crane records cludedone at theNiagara R., Dec.3 (DMi) includedone quite late at SheguiandahDec. andJan. 30 (DD), onefound dead at Hamil- 6 (GG) andtwo throughDecember at Port ton Dec. t6 (RD), andone at CedarCr., Essex, Royal(CP, v.o.). A White-rumpedSandpiper MaleBlack-throated Blue Warbler at Elgiu, Dec. t9 (fidePP). TwoCaspian Terns, one Ontario,December 16, 1992. eachat Whitby Dec. zo (DT, RRu) and Photograph/RobertA. Hubert. TorontoJan. •3 (DG), wereremarkable. Two MourningDoves at MoosoneeDec. 6 (SS, Dec.6 (DGa);Burlington Dec. •6 (WS,JD); EH, JT) werewell north of rangein winter. andRichmond Hill (JMy)and Cedar Cr., Es- SnowyOwls, though fewer than last winter, sex(fidePP)Dec. •9. werewidespread across the province, with the highestconcentrations in the Kingston and THRUSHES TO WAXWINGS Ottawa areas. Northern Hawk Owls and A TownsendsSolitaire strayed to Thunder GreatGrays remained in the north for the BayDec. 5-z6 (NE, m.ob.);it waspossibly mostpart. The most southerly of25 N. Hawk the samebird that reappearedthere Jan. Owls wasat PictonDec. •9-Feb. 2• (AB, r7-Feb. z8 (JW, m.ob.). Another was at J&SB),while of 25 GreatGrays, one at TorontoDec. z-Feb. z8 (RY,m.ob.). All the Marmorain eadyDecember (RPr) wasfar- catharusthrushes that summer in Ontario thestsouth. A BorealOwl was seen briefly at wererecorded in December.A Veeryre- Presqu'ileJan. z (TO). mainedat TorontoDec. z7-Jan. to (RY,PSS, v.o.), a Gray-cheekedThrush at Peterbor- WOODPECKERSTO WRENS oughDec. zo-zI (G&HRo), a Swainsons Red-headedWoodpeckers condnue to de- Thrushat NormandaleDec. iz-zt (C&SW, cline,while Red-bellieds expand their range. v.o.),and Hermit Thrushes lingered in good SevenRed-headeds compared to 95Red-bel- numbers,with 20-30 wintering at Pelee alone liedswere reported. The most northerly Red- (AW,v.o.) and as far north as Kingston Dec. bellledwas at SaultSte. Marie Dec. •9 (fide zo (fidePG). A WoodThrush at PeleeJan. 5 Remarkableaway from the tropicsat this RCa). SeparateYellow-bellied Sapsuckers (WS, JD) suppliedthe parksznd winter seasonwas this Veery at Toronto,Ontario, on wereat TorontoDec. rs-Jan.3 (HK) and record.Nine Varied Thrushes reported were January2, 1993. Photograph/Alan Dec. z7 (AA); BurlingtonDec. z8-Feb.z8 abovethe long-term average ofsix per winter. Wormiugton. (KM, v.o.);St. Williams Jan. n-Feb. 23(RR, Singlesincluded a male at Trout L., earlyDe- JMc,v.o.); and Hamilton Jan. •9 (GP).A lone cember(RTa); a maleat Kaministiquia Thun- at theNonquon lagoons Dec. t (MB) fur- Three-toed Woodpeckerappeared at derBay, Dec. t3 (J&RLi);a maleat Bolsover, nishedDurham• first winter record. Away Presqu'ileDec. 9 (c&Jg, m.ob.) and spent Dec.is-Feb. z8 (JS,m.ob.); one at Nipigon fromNiagara Falls, one Purple Sandpiper was thewinter, retuming faithfully to the same mid-December(NE); a femaleat Callander at ErieauDec. 2o (KB), while four different roosthole each night at dusk.Black-backed Dec. z7-Feb. z8 (GD, RTa); a femaleat birdswere seen at Presqu'ileDec. t-22 (DSh, Woodpeckersinvaded the south with _>•2ex- ThunderBay Dec. 30 (PK,m.ob.); one at Ice MR, v.o.).Late single Dunlins were observed tralimitalsightings. Four separate individuals L.,Dec. 3I OS•/eDBa);amale at PeleeJan. 5-3t at NiagaraFalls Dec. t (AW,v.o.); Hamilton at WalsinghamDec. •2-Feb. •9 (m.ob.)were (JD, WS, v.o.);and a maleat LondonJan. Dec. 5-26 (KM, v.o.);Pelee Dec. 2• (TH); farthestsouth. Lingering E. Phoebeswere at I7-Feb.z8 (JMn, m.ob.). At leasteight Gray and PortWeller, Niagara, Jan. z (IR). Red LongPt. (D&RGo)and Waterloo (fide RS), Catbirdslingered with one at Arnprior Dec. Phalaropesincluded one at Niagara Falls Dec. bothDec. t9, St. CatharinesDec. zo (fide z6 (fideMRu) exceptional. A N. Mocking- •-3 (v.o.)and two different birds at Presqu'ile MEH), whileone at TurkeyPt., Jan. 2 (MC) birdat ThunderBay Dec. z6 (ND wasthe Dec. 3 & t7-22 (MR). andFeb. t4 (RD, BC)attempted to winter. farthestN, while of severalBrown Thrashers TwoTree Swallows at DodandDec. 5 (KH) onCBCs in thenorth, one at IgnaceDec. zo {lOLLS 10 OWLS were recordlate for that location,while one (fideAH)was outstanding. Forthe most part, Threesightings ofan imm. Pomarine Jaeger, Rough-wingedSwallow remained atNiagara BohemianWaxwings were not numerous, at bothPort Weller, Niagara, Dec. 2o (RD, Fallsuntil Dec. • (m.ob.).Three Tufted Tit- thougha groupof 4ooat ThunderBay Dec. BC,KM, GN) andBurlington Dec. z8 (AW) miceat RockspringsFeb. 28 (PD) werewell z4 (ND wasnotable. & 3t (RD), mayhave been of thesame bird. beyondtheir normal range in theprovince. Theimm. Laughing Gull reported last period Carolina Wren numbers on CBCs remained WARBLERSTO FINCHES at BelwoodL., Ig•llington,remained until stablefrom •99t, with z37 tallied, though the Orange-crownedWarblers lingered at Toron- Dec. z (m.ob.),while anotherimm. bird seen populationmay have suffered later during the to Dec.7 (KK) andat Morpeth(PPr) and at QueenstonJan. 24 (DM), movedacross L. heavysnow and cold in February inthe south. Blenheim(SC, KB) Dec. zo. A Nashville Ontario to Toronto Jan. z6-Feb. 2 (RY, Verylate House Wrens were at Niagara Falls Warblerat PeleeDec. 6-Jan. 6 (AW,v.o.) was

254. American Birds,Summer 1993 record late, and another at Ottawa Dec. zo latefor that area.Late Lincoln's Sparrows in- (RGr),S. Hadlington(SHa), J. Haggeman,J. (MG) providedthe first December record for cludedsingles at SelkirkP.P., Haldimand, & E. Hancock(J&EHa), S. Hannah,A. Har- the area. A fresh road-killed Yellow Warbler at Dec.7 (WS,JD) andBlenheim Dec. •z (SC) ris,V. Harrison,M.E. Hebb,K. Hennige,J. BrightonDec. 3 (DTy)represented oneof the andtwo at KettlePt., Dec. 19 (fide RTy). Both Heslop(JHe), T. Hince,T. Hoar(WHo), T. fewwinter records ever for the province. A • Harris'Sparrows were in thenorth, with one Hofmann(THn), J.M. Holdsworth(JMH), Black-throated Blue Warbler near Port Stan- at MarathonDec. 19 (NE, WC) andthe other IC Hooles(KHo), J. Horn OHo), R. Hubert, ley Dec. 14-16(ph. RH) wassurviving on at EspanolaFeb. 1-28 (R&WFa).Yellow- E. Hunter,M. Jaques,E. Jefferson,J.Johnson, cornmealworms at a feeder.Many of theYel- headed Blackbirdsincluded one at PeleeDec. B. Jones,I. Jones,H. Kerr,J. Kerr-Wilson low-rumpedreports were well into January 2• (G&PGe,KBo) andtwo at Wallaceburg (JKW),Kingston Field Naturalists (K. EN.), and February.Fifteen at PeleeJan. 16 (hW) Dec.27 (fideKB). Twenty-six Brewer's Black- R. Knapton,K. Konze,M. Kubisz,E Kuper, and nine at P.E.Pt.,Jan. 2o (MR, AB) were birdswere reported, with a highof 13at St. S. Laforest,W. Lamond,J. Langlois(JLa), J. noteworthy.One PineWarbler lingered at ClairN.W.A., Kent, Jan. 2 (fidePAW) and one Lemon,J. & R. Lipowskl(J&RLi), k AmherstburgDec. 14 (AW), while two sepa- welln. at EarFalls Dec. 28 (fideDSa). Two Lougheed,J. Macey(JMy), J. Mains(JMa), ratebirds attempted towinter, one at Guelph separateN. Orioleswere seen, one at Port D. & H. Maeston (D&HMa), S. Martin Dec. 6-Feb. 27 (JP,JHo) and the otherat ColborneJan. 3 (fideDC) andone at Missis- (SMa),J. McCracken(JMc), J. McKeeman TorontoDec. •3+ (HK). The lonePalm War- saugaJan.5-Feb. z8 (J&EHa,m.ob.). A lone (JMn),IC McLaughlin,D. McRae,E. Meiss- blerwas near Townsend Dec. 2o-2• (fideMS). Com. Grackle wintered far n. at Moooonee ner,A. Mess,S.J. & J. Miles, D. Milsom A Wilson'sWarbler at TorontoDec. 7 (KK) Dec. 20+ (IJ).With mootPine Groobeaks re- (DMi), G. Naylot,J. Nicholson,T. Osborne, wasexceptionally rare. The Summer Tanager mainingin thenorth, eight at Richmond Hill M. Parker,G. Pawlick,D. Perks,R. Pittaway, lastseen at ThornhillNov. 19, reappeared for Jan.io (JCB)was noteworthy. Reversing the C. Poll,J. Poklen,P. Pratt, R. Prentice(RPr), P. situation,a House Finch at Algonquin Dec. 3I Prevett(PPr), P..Read (PRe), L Richards,M. (RT,WCr) wasequally notable. Both cross- Richardson,A. Rider, R. Ridout,G. & H. Rop- billswere numerous across the n. regionsof er (G&HRo), M. Runtz (MRu), G. & E theprovince. White-wingeds staged a minor Rusin,R. Russell(RRu), D. Sadler(DSr), D. movementsouth in mid- to late winter,with Salter (DSa), S. Scholten, D. Shanahan fouras far S as Turkey Pt., Jan. 30 (RR), while (DSh),J. Smith,M. Smith,W. Smith,M. Redswere more sporadic in numbersand tim- Smout(MSm), M. Speirs(MSp), R. Steinach- ing,with seven at NormandaleDec. I3 (DS, er,P. Stepien-Scanlon, D. Stevenson (DSt), P. DM etal.) the farthestsouth. Common Red- Stinnissen,D. Sutherland,R. Tafel (RTa), L. pollsseemed erratic everywhere. Single Hoary Taman,J. Thompson,W. Thompson,D. Redpollswere reported at NewLiskeard (fide Tozer,R. Tozer,D. Tyerman(DTy), R. Tym- SWe)and Pembroke (fide MF1), Dec. I9 and stra(RTy), S. Weilandt (SWe), R.D. Weir,C. at MoosonceFeb. 5 & zo (EH), whilefour & S.Wood, J. Woodcock,P.A. Woodliffe, A. wereat WawaJan. 3 Oqde PS). Observers Wormington,B. Wyatt(BWt), B. Wylie,R. everywherelamented the very low numbers of Yukich. RON RIDOUT, LPBO, P.O. Box EveningGrosbeaks. •6o, Port Rowan, ON NoE •Mo.

Subregionaleditors (boldface), co#tdbutors (italics), and cited observers:A. Adamo, R. Andr- le, D. Bailey(DBa), M. Bain, R. BeardsIcy,C. Bell, T. Bigg,J. BIRD WesternTa.ager at Wai.fieet, O.tafio, & S. Blaney,A. Boisvert,K. December6, 1992. Pbotograpb/KayoRoy. Bondy(KBo), H. Bremner,D. Brenner(DBr), D. Brown,D. oneday Dec. io (THn).A 9 W. Tanagerwas Bucknell (DBu), IC Burk, P. SLIDES VIREO at a feedernear WainfleetDec. 3-7 (MCu, Burke,M. Cadman,D. Camp- m.ob.)before being captured and transported bell, R. Campbell(RCa), M. 5000 SPECIES to an avian rehahilitator in Toronto. Individ- Camerie (MCa), G. from all over the world • ual Rose-breasted Grosbeaks tarried at Carpentier,S. Charbonneau, BerfordL., Bruce,Dec. i-Jan. 8 (RGr,JJ, SG, B. Charlton,T. Cheskey,W. SLIDE SETS v.o), at PeleeDec. I2-31 (SMa, v.o.), and at Climie,R. Copdand(RCo), J. Endangeredspecies. Owls. Bird families. Charley'sLocks Jan. 22 andFeb. 7-i3 (JLa). Copp, J. Cramner-Byng,W. Eastern warblers. Herons. Raptors. Theonly Dickcissel wasat a feeder inW•lpole Crins(WCr), M. Cunningham Shorebirds. Waterfowl Twp.,Haldimand, Dec. 20 (J&SM).At least (MCu), R. Curry,E. Czerwins- 56Rufous-sided Towhees were seen, many of ki, W. D'Anna, G. Davis, P. INDIVIDUAL SLIDES whichwintered, the mootnortherly at Hey- DeJong,L. & B. DiLabio,D. Selected from over 65,000 images and den (EC). SingleAm. Tree Sparrowsat DiTommaso, R. Doboo, J. customduplicated to suit your needs MarathonDec. 19 (fideWC) andAtikokan Dowall, W.Edmunds, D. Elder, Requestour freeNorth American catalog or senda list Jan.2 (DE) werewell n. of theirusual winter L. Enright,N. Escott,R. & W. of speciesdesired. indicating age, sex, behavioror colorphase. Catalogslides are $3.00 each, non-catalog range.A remarkable4ß ChippingSparrows Farnham(R&WFa), R. Fergu- slides arc $4.00 each. with a minimum order of 5 slides wererecorded, with a high count ofi2 at Pelee son, B. & D. Fidlet, M. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. (Theseslides are for non-- Dec.2I (m.ob.).Single Lark Sparrows includ- Fleguel,J. Floegel,Y. Fogal,D. commercial use only and may not be duplicated.} ed one in autumn at Corner Marsh, Durham, Garratt, G. Garrcttc, D. Gas- thatremained until Dec. I (MSp,m.ob.) and coigne(DGa), M. Gawn,S. oneat GuelphDec. 5-Feb. 23 (LL, m.ob.).A Gawn (SGa), G. & E Gervais VISUAL RESOURCES for ORNITHOLOGY GrasshopperSparrow at Toronto Dec. iz (G&PGe),S. Giilck,J. Giraud Write: VIREO/Academy of Natural Sciences (MR, HK) gavethe provinceits 2ndwinter (JGi), P.Good, R. Goodlet,J. 1900 Ben Franklin Parkway Phila, PA 19103 record.Equally outstanding was a Sharp- & C. Goodwin, D. & R. tailedSparrow at PeleeDec. 2I (AW),record Goodyear(D&RGo), R. Gray

Volume 47, Number 2. 255 Abbreviation,:B.E.S.E (Bald Eagle S.P., Centre ducks,were almost universally low, attributed APPALACHIANREGION Co.,P/O; Ch.N.E (ChattahoocheeN.E, CA); by someobservers to the mildearly season GeorgeA. Hall G.L.O.R. (GallipolisLocks, Ohio R., Mason weatherand to the lackof freeze-upto the Co., WV ); M.C.EH. (Minor Clark Fish north.This was particularly true of theCom. Hatche•gRowan Co., KY); O.R.I. (OhioR. Is. Goldeneye,for which only x7, instead of the N. W.R.,Parkersburg, WV); EI.S.P.(Presque usual >3000, were found on the Linesville, Is. S.P.,Erie Co,PA); EN.R. (PowdermillNa- PA,CBC (RFD; only a singleGoldeneye was ture Reserve,•stmoreland Co., PA). Place seenall season in theHuntington, WV,, area names in italics are counties. (MG). In e. Tennessee,the decline of dab- It was a seasonof contrasts,for weatherand blingducks over the past few years to only birdsalike. Except for a shortperiod of very LOONS TO WATERFOWL xo%of formernumbers may be attributable coldweather that brought snow throughout Two Red-throatedLoons at ELS.E, Dec. I8 to theT.V.A. policy of removingthe weeds theRegion in lateDecember, the early season (JM)were noteworthy, aswas one sighted at fromthe lakes (JPa). wasquite mild. January was much warmer RockyGap S.P., MD, Jan.x9 (MT). The Pa- Tundra Swans in the north were recorded thanusual and had normal precipitation. The cificLoon noted in thefall report remained at in all 3 months,with x67counted in Craw- mildweather continued through early Febru- EI.S.Euntil Dec. z+ (JM).A goodfall flight j•rd, PA,Dec. zo (RFD, anda flockof5z over ary,but realwinter returned in the second of Com. Loons continued into December. Warren,OH, Jan.x (CB). More unusualwere half of the month. This severe weather Threewintered at Watauga L., TN (RK),and reportsfrom s. Pennsylvania, with 2o at Ligo- broughtthe seasons lowest temperatures, to- fivespent the winter at CaveRun L., Rowan, nierDec. 7 (AS,fideRCD andxo and 26, re- getherwith some heavy snowfall that contin- KY (FB).Horned Grebes were widely report- spectively,atSomerset, Dec. 2o & 26 (AM). A ued into March. ed,but there were no large concentrations. A MuteSwan was at seenat P.I.S.P.,Dec. 3-Feb. Duringthe mild early season, birds appar- Red-neckedGrebe was found at Pymatuning x4+ (Je&JiS), and another at L. Moomaw,Au- entlywere widely dispersed, with little incen- L., PA, Feb. I4 (RFL). Five Double-crested gusta,VA, Jan.x6 (LH). A GreaterWhite- tive to visitfeeders. Many observerscom- Cormorantswintered near Kingsport, TN fronted Goose was seen in Frederick,VA, mented on the lack of birds, but thosewho (RK), andone lingered at ConneautL., PA, Dec.x4 (RSi). Snow Geese were reported at- spentmuch time afield had excellent finds; in Dec. 28-Jan.I5 (RFL, RCL). Centre,PA, Dec. 8 (K&JJ);at PymatuningL., fact,record counts for numerous species were Theopen weather of earlywinter resulted PA,Dec. x3& zo (RFL) andFeb. 5 (DS); and setby thedme CBC timerolled around. Of in morethan the usual reports of GreatBlue at Sullivan,TN, ca.Nov. xs-Dec. xS+ (RK). A particularnote were the myriadreports of Herons, but numbers were below normal at Brantwas seen at ELS.E, Dec. 3 (Ji&JeS). largepopulations of suchpermanent resi- M.C. EH. (FB). Arrival of heronsat the Mer- Canada Geese continue to thrive at most dentsas woodpeckersof severalspecies, cer,PA, heronties was delayed until after Mar. places.Noteworthy were the x97 on the chickadees,and Tufted Titmice. With the ad- I bythe late February freeze (EB). The only Blairsville,CA, CBC (DF). At Pymatuning ventof the severeweather, feeders were well GreatEgret was at M.C.EH., Dec. 54 (FB). L., PA.,numbers ranged from 6750 Dec. zo, occupied. Green-backedHerons at Stuart'sDraft, VA, to 9000 Feb.5 (RFL). A fewsouthbound migrants were still evi- Jan.x7 (CC) andat Warren,PA, Jan. 22 (CP, TheTufted Duck noted in thefall report dent in earlyDecember and, as the mild DDo) wereunusual sightings for winter. Ten fromPymatuning L., PA,remained until Jan. weathercontinued during December and Black-crownedNight-Herons wintered at 9+ (RFL).A GreaterScaup at M.C.EH., Jan. January,unusual winter recordswere fur- Kingsport,TN (RK), anda Yellow-crowned31 (FB) wasunusual for thisinland location. nished.Because no singleregion had very Night-Heronwas seen in •shington,TN, One 9 and two 6 King Eiderswere at manyof these,most observers called it a dull Jan.xx (JB). ELS.E,Jan. 2-2o (JM). The onlyreport of season,but the true variety becomes apparent Waterfowlnumbers, particularly ofdiving Oldsquawscame from Pymatuning L., PA, onlywith the compilationof this Dec. I3 (RFL). A Black Scoterat summary.The earliest of thenorth- EI.S.E, Dec. I3, andsmall flocks of boundspring migrants arrived in White-wingedScoters there Dec. time to be greetedby the cold, I-I 3 andFeb. x5 (JM) were the only snowyweather. The ultimateeffect reportsof thesespecies, but Surf remains to be determined. .•.,• lq "'15A-StmeC Scoterswere reported from EI.S.P., What hashappened to the so- L. Arthur Dec.I2-I8 (JM) and from Warren, called "Northern Finches"?It was ß Pittsburgh PA, Jan.2 (BH) and SaltFork S.P., another winter without an influx of OH, Jan.2 (JPe).A Barrow'sGold- substantial numbers of these eneye appearedat ELS.E, Feb. species.Snowy Owls staged the best x3-2o(JM). An exoticrecord of un- movementin recentyears, and known origin was the Chiloe more Northern Shrikes were re- Wigeonat PymatuningL. (ph.) portedthan usual. The cardueline Feb.x5 (RFL, AM). finchesremained scarce, except for the American Goldfinch, not nor- HAWKS TO OWLS mallyconsidered a northern invad- Turkey Vultures wintered in er. greater-than-normalnumbers, in- TheAppalachian country lost its cludinga firsttrue winter record for premiernaturalist and ecologist in Erie, PA (LM). BlackVultures were the passingof MauriceBrooks in reportedat Harrisonburg,VA, Feb. January,in his 93rdyear. Maurice x] (CZ), Summersville,WV,, Jan. x5 wasthe firstRegional Editor for (MG), and O.R.I., Mar. xz (PM). Appalachia;he hadserved in that The onlyOsprey report came from capacityfor IO years.All students, Centre,PA, Jan. x6, supplyingthe notonly of birds,but of anyphase 3rd winter record for that area of naturalhistory, in thishill and (GG). BaldEagles were widely re- mountaincountry remain forever portedfrom L. Erie in thenorth to in his debt. WataugaL, TN, in the south.

256- American Birds, Summer 1993 Adult birdsoutnumbered iramatures by a ra- B.E.S.E,Jan. 3 (JP,EZ), oneat MoraineS.E, tio of>-3: x.At M.V.EH., numberswere the Feb. 15-28 (DD), and one found dead at lowestin IOyears (FB), possibly a reflection of Pittsfield,PA, Jan. I (DW). themild weather to thenorth. The pairnest- ingat MosquitoL., OH, wasbelieved to be HUMMINGBIRDS TO SHRIKES incubatingFeb. 28 (D&JH). The RufousHummingbird reported in the WinteringN. Harriernumbers were above fallreport at Edinboro,PA, was last seen Jan. average.The only N. Goshawkreports were z4 (JeS).Record CBC countsof Red-bellied from BlackwaterFalls S.P., WV, Dec. 2I (SR) andPileated woodpeckers and of Yellow-bel- and Lander,PA, Jan. 16 (CP). Coopers liedSapsuckers in the Ligonier, PA, area were Hawksfared slightly better, and Red-shoul- chalkedup to increasedtree kills from the dereds were found in well-above-normal Gypsy moth infestationand to recent numbers,with one feeding regularly on suet droughts(RCD. Red-belliedWoodpeckers at a feederin Sheffield,PA (CN). Bycontrast, continue to do well in the north, and the re- Red-tailedswere in below-normal numbers, port of increasingnumbers of Red-headed aswere Rough-leggeds, in Erie, PA, where Woodpeckersin Adams,PA (KG) wascer- only I-2 werereported (JeS, DV0. Other tainlywelcome. records came from 3umbull, OH (NB, The E. Phoebeat EI.S.E, Feb.I3-2o (DP) J&DH), andfrom Cumberland and Franklin, establishedthe first Erie winter record, but- PA (fideDHe). Moreunusual were reports tressedby unusualJanuary reports from from P('bod,WV (KC) and CabelLWV (WA, Cumberland,MD (MT), Morgantown,WV SS). (LG), and Harrisonburg,VA (CZ). Three Youngmale King Eider at PresqueIsle State Tree Swallowsat Cumberland,MD, Feb. 9 GoldenEagles observed in Centre,PA, Park, Peuusylvania,January 18, 1993. Dec.6 &i2 wereprobably late migrants, but Photograph/JerryMcWilliams. werequite early (MT). The Wheeling,WV, Jan.31 and Feb. I8 providedunusual winter CBC cameup with •7,oooAm. Crows(fide records(JP). One was found shot in Hunting- only about500 gulls(JM), but concentra- LW). FishCrows wintered in Rockingham, ton,PA, Feb. 24 (fideJP).The only other re- tionsof 2o0-30oRing-billeds were seen at VA (CZ) andCentre, PA (Jp). In Somerset,PA, portcame from the regular wintering area in manyspots. These groups included more Corn.Ravens had returned to lastyear's nest Highland,VA, Feb. 2o (RS). HerringGulls than usual for this inland area. siteon theabandoned mine building by Feb. The mildopen weather of theearly period As usual,P.I.S.P. reported some of therarer, 5(AM). The Rector,PA, CBC hadrecord tal- reducedroadside sightings of Am. Kestrels, butnow fairly regular, species: Iceland Gull liesof suchpermanent residents as Blue Jays, butoverall numbers were good. In V&shing- Dec.8 (JiS)and Jan. 24 (JM), Little Gull Dec. Black-cappedChickadees, and Tufted Tit- ton,TN, 40 werecounted in an 8o-mi road 24(JM); Lesser Black-backed Gull (3 individ- mice.There were few reports of Red-breasted transect(RK). Peregrineswere reported at uals)Dec. Io-Feb. n (JM), and Glaucous Nuthatches, and none was evident on the Winchester,VA, December-January(RSi); Gull (8-9) Dec. 5-Feb.I2 (JM, DHo). Un- breedinggrounds on Roan Mt., TN (RK). G.L.O.1L,Jan. zI-Feb. 25(WA, MG); Eliza- usualreports from s.c. Tennessee included CarolinaWren populations were high dur- bethton,TN, Dec. 19 (GW); and BooneL., IcelandGull, ChickamaugaL., Dec. I2, for ingDecember and January, even in n. Penn- TN, Feb.i4 (RI0. the 2nd state record, and a LesserBlack- sylvania.The effectof the severewinter Ruffed Grousewere scarcein Cabel• WV, backedGull at Nickajack L, Feb.27, furnish- weather experiencedlate February-early butWild Turkeyswere more abundant than ingwhat is possiblythe 4th recordfor the March remains to be seen. House Wrens were everbefore in thiscentury (LW). Turkeysin state(JPa). Greater Black-backeds were re- reportedin Tennesseeat Elizabethton Dec. 3umbul• OH, Dec. 29 (CB) werean unusu- portedfrom 3 unusual inland locations: War- zo and Hawkins,Jan. zz (RK). A Ruby- al find that far north in Ohio. The N. Bob- ren, PA, Feb. 3, a znd local record(TG); crownedKinglet at P.I.S.P.,Jan. z (DPo)was whitepicture was the reverse, almost non-ex- Meadville,PA, Feb.I3 (RFL); and Cumber- unusual.This specieswintered at EN.R. istentin mostareas, but the Waynesboro, VA, land,PA (DHe). An out-of-seasonCaspian (RCL) andin the GeorgeWashington N.E, CBClisted a totalof 26 (RS).A VirginiaRail Temwas seen at ChickamaugaL., TN, Jan. VA (CZ). EasternBluebirds were widely re- in Rockingham,VA, Dec. I-I2 (RSi)was note- 22 (GL). portedin goodnumbers, even in thenorth. worthy.Sandhill Cranes at Ch.N.E, Dec 5 Theonly Barn Owl reportcame from Jer- HermitThrushes were present at P.I.S.E until werestill moving S, but those noted Feb. 4-7 seyShore, PA, Jan. I8, markingthe first local Feb.xS+ (LM, DD) andwere unusually nu- mayhave been wintering birds (HD), aswas recordin severalyears (G&PS). merousin Centre,PA, with CBC countsof z6 onein nearbyWhi{field, CA, Jan.27 (VG). The Regionexperienced its bestyear for atState C•llege and nine at B.E.S.P. (JP). De- Cranes wintered in some numbers on Hi- SnowyOwls in recenthisto•. Reportscame cemberand January had few reports of Am. waseeI. andat nearbyHiwassee Wildlife Ref. from Edinboro, PA, Jan. I4 OHo, WS); Robins,but large numbers began to appearin nearChattanoga, TN, where4500 migrants EI.S.P.,Jan 29-3I (JM); PymatuningL., PA, lateFebruary, e.g., a countof 5ooin down- delightedFeb. 27 (JPa). Dec. 28 (RCL);State College, PA, Feb.I9 townWeston, WV, Feb.27 (LW). Two late shorebirds were the Dunlin at (PW,RC); Greencastle,PA, early December The onlyreport of a GrayCatbird came P.I.S.P.,Dec. 23 (DS) and the Least Sandpiper (KG);Fayette, PA, early December-Feb. I5+ fromLinesville, PA, providing the 2nd winter in V&shington,TN, Jan.I4, providingthe 2nd (fide RCL); Frederick,VA, Dec.7-Feb.6 recordDec. 20 (RFL). Mid-winter Brown localJanuary record (RK, DHu). Wintering (RSi);and Winchester, VA, earlyDecember Thrashers were found at Elizabethton, TN Corn.Snipes in Centre,PA (JP), Rockingham, (RSi). Long-earedOwls were found at (RK) and at EI.S.P.,Feb. z4 (JM). Cedar VA (CZ), and n.e. Tennesseewere found in P.I.S.P.,Dec. I2-Jan. 2 (DHo, DD); Moraine Waxwingswere more common than in most below-normal numbers (RK). American S.P.,PA, Feb.22-28 (DD); andStaunton, VA, winters,with smallflocks noted in •Fumbul• Woodcockswere engaged in courtshipat Dec. 28 (SR).The recoveredsurface mines in OH (CB);Clarksville, PA (RB); Front Royal, BeechFork S.P., WV, Feb.7 (MG). Jeerson,OH, had4-5 Short-earedOwls, Jan VA (RA); Elizabethton,TN (RK); and Unusualnumbers of Bonaparte'sGulls I9-Feb.7 (MA); theonly other reports were Rowan,KY (FB). Northern Shrikeswere re- werereported from the s. part of theRegion, of onesighted Dec. 27 and two Jan.28 in portedat severallocations: P.I.S.P., Dec. at L. Shenandoah,VA (CZ), atCabel• WV Fayette,PA (AC) and in Cumberland,PA, 3-Feb.I7, with I-2 sightings(JiS); Lander, (WA),M.C.EH., withas many as 75 (FB), at Feb. 2o (DHe, RHe). Reportsof N. Saw- PA,Jan. 2 (DW);Jones Mills, •stmoreland, BooneL. TN, with_<2x (RK), and at Murray, whetOwls came only from n. Pennsylvania:PA (RCL);and Erie N.W.R., PA,Jan. 3 and GA (HD, JPa).By Feb.I5, P.I.S.P.displayed 4-5 P.I.S.P.,Dec. 5-Feb. I2 (DD), two at PymatuningL., PA,Jan. 8 (RFL).The Re-

Volume 47, Number 2- 25? gionalstronghold of theLoggerhead Shrike remainsthe GreatAppalachian Valley, with J•ew• Armored,waterproof reportsfrom Gettysburg and Mercersburg, PA(KG), Rockbridge and Botetourt, VA (SR), COMPACT AUDUBON andMurray, GA (HD). In n.e.Tennessee, an 8o-miroad transect yielded xo Loggerheads, •/• rr• ModelIn aCdillon#825I0 IlS inlernallonally famous -• paclAudubon"_ slightlyabove average, Dec. z, droppingto ROOlprism s; a heldol viewo1420 leer al 1,000 • t'• • Audubonyards;close binocular,tocusmg Swittcapab•tly •nlroduceso113 leel; the"Corn-5 inch fourby Feb. zi (RK,DHu). he•fihl;and bghl weighl ol 21 ouncesmake the CornpaclAudubon an ideal glasstor lhe bird watcher-- or anyoutdoor enlhuslasl. WARBLERS TO FINCHES Its 1our4ensocular $yslem, rnagenla lully ccaledoptics, with m ulli-Ccallng on the ocular and Yellow-rumpedWarblers were presentin ß '• objectivelens,give ahigh resolving powerresult- i ingin an especially brightimage even under the above-averagenumbers, as far north as State mosldemanding 01lighl ccnddions College,PA (Jp). Belatedwarbler reports 7 x 35 CF, R L.E. 45.0 - Lisl Price $565 00 - OurPrice: $316.25 FOR OUR CATALOG AND DISCOUNT PRICE LIST ON A werebeyond expected, including Orange- COMPLETE LINE OF SPORTING OPTICS, CALL (518) 664-2011 crownedWarbler, Huntington, WV, Jan.6+ OR WRITE TO: (WA, MK); N. Parula,Vienna, WV, Jan.Zl (fideJE);Magnolia Warbler, Carter's L., GA, RDING A Divisionop,...... of Sporting Opticsfor Inc. Dec.5 (fideTM),Pine Warbler, coming daily PC Box 4405AB Haltmoon. NY 12065 to a suetfeeder at Waynesboro,VA(GK); easthroughout the Region but hardly consti- PalmWarbler, Johnson City, TN, Jan.9 eg30 tutedan invasion.A singlereport of a Red (RK)and Elizabethton, TN, twoFeb. 6 (JB); Crossbillcame from RoaneMt., TN, Dec. 18 Com.Yellowthroats on the B.E.S.P. CBC Jan. (FA),and a flockofiz EveningGrosbeaks at 3 (fideJP)and EI.S.E until Jan. 23 (EK); and N. Warren,PA, Dec. 6 (MY) representedthe onlyreport for the species. Remarkable for the season was this Wilson's Warblernear Carlisle, Pennsylvania, February Contributors:Richard Almy, Fred Alsop, 27,1993. Photograph/DonHenise. MichaelArabia, Wendell Argabrite, Carole Babyak,Ralph Bell, Blanche Bordner, James Dec.zo (BB,GG), Waynesboro,VA, Dec.xo Brooks (JB), Edward Brucker,Nancy (GK), andBerkeley, WV, Feb.7 (BHo);Sa- Brundage,Fred Busroe, Crista Cabe, Kathy vannahSparrow, Jersey Shore, PA, Jan. z Cain, LindaChristenson, Alan Clark, Robert (G&PS); Lincoln'sSparrow, Rector, PA, Clarke,Dave Darney (DD), HarriettDi- CBCproviding the znd winter record (DK); Gjoia,Dan Doherty(DDo), JeanetteEsker, andSwamp Sparrow, Rockingharr•VA, Jan.19 Ted Floyd,Dot Freeman,Kenneth Gabler, (CZ). VesperSparrows in l•shington,TN, VernonGordon, Steve Grado, LeJay Graf- Feb.z werethought to be eady migrants (RK, ticus,Mike Griffith, Ted Grisez, Greg Grove, DHu). An "Oregon"Junco was present Nov. LisaHamilton, John Heninger, Don Henise IO+in Rockingham,VA (CM), whereanother (DHe), RobynHenise (RHe), PaulHess, wasseen Feb. zI (CZ). ThreeLapland Long- WilliamHighhouse, Bill Hill (BH), David spurswere at P.I.S.E,Dec. 8 (JiS),I-Z werein Hochadel(DH), Judy Hochadel(JH), Cumberland,PA, Feb. I7-26 (DHe), andone DeuaneHoffman (DHo), JoyceHoffman keptcompany with Snow Buntings at Cham- (JHo), Bill Howe (BHo), Dan Huffine bersburg,PA, late February (KG). The only (DHu), JenningsJones, Katharine Jones, otherreports of SnowBuntings came from MarjorieKeatley, Gene Kerby, Rick Knight, SouthAvis, PA, Jan. zi & 24 (P&GS), State Don Koch, Ed Kwater,Robert C. Leberman Undoubtedlyan escapee,lint an attractiveone, College,PA, Feb. 24 (TF), and Cumberland., (RCL), Ronald E Leberman(RFL), Galen wasthis male ChiloeWigeon at Pymatuning PA, Dec. IX& IZ andFeb. I6 (DHe). Lenhert,B. Lumadue, H. Lumadue,Anthony Lake, Pennsylvania,February 15,1993. Blackbirdswere rather uncommon through Marich,Jerry McWilliams, Linda McWil- Photograph/AnthonyMarich, Jr. thewinter; both Red-winged Blackbirds and liams,Clair Mellinger, Terry Moore, Pattica Com. Grackles arrived the last z weeks of Feb- Morrison,William Murphy, Charles Neel, Wilson'sWarbler (ph.), at Carlisle,PA, Feb. ruary,just in time to hit the only severe DaveParker (DP), JohnnyParks (JPa), John 25 (JSt etal.) weatherof thewinter. By contrast, E. Mead- Peplinski(JP), John Petrella(JPe), Dora Manyobservers held N. Cardinalsto bein owlarkswere more numerousthan usual, Porter (DPo), ChasePutnam (CP), Robert lownumbers, but thisimpression seems to winteringas far north as Warren, PA (TG). A Rine,Stephen Rottenborn, Glenna Schwalbe, havecome from feeder watches early in the noteworthyfour Rusty Blackbirds appeared Paul Schwalbe,Walter Shaffer,Alex Sim- season;witness the record29o listedon the at PymatuningL., PA,Jan. I5 (RFL), and a kovitch(AS), Robert Simpson (RSi), Mike CBC at P.N.R. (RCL), wherefew had come pairof Brewer'sBlackbirds in l•shington, Smith,Shelly Smith, Donald Snyder, Ruth to feeders. The advent of severeweather in TN, Dec. 6 (RK) wasmost unusual for both Snyder(RS, Ann Stamm,Sally Stebbins, late Februarybrought normal numbers to seasonand location. Craig Stihler,Judy Stine (JSt),Jean Stull feeders. Two Dickcissels were listed on the The finch of the season was the Am. (JeS),Jim Stull(JiS), Tennessee Valley Au- Augusta,VA, CBC Dec.19 (H&BL). Goldfinch,in unusuallyhigh numbers thority(T.V.A.), Mary Twigg, Gary Wallace, The onlyreport of Rufous-sidedTowhee throughoutthe Region. The House Finch re- Don Watts, Paul Weeden, Leon Wilson, wasof one wintering at P.N.R. (RCL). Amer- port wasmixed. Numbers at Canfield,OH RuthYoung, Martin Yucha, Chades Ziegen- icanTree Sparrows were reported in better (NB) andMorgantown, WV (GAH) werefar fus,Eugene Zielinski--GEORGE A. HALL, numbersthan in mostrecent years. Song belownormal, but a roostat Ona, WV, had P.O. Box 6o45,West Virginia Universit• Sparrowswere generally in lownumbers, and _>3000birds (LW), andCBC recordswere set Morgantown,WV 26506-6045. White-throatedSparrows brought mixed re- with 554 at Clarksville,PA (RB) and I6 at ports.Unusual winter records included Chip- Blairsville,GA (DF). PurpleFinches were ping Sparrows,found all winter at P.N.R. uniformlyuncommon. Reports of Pine feeders(RCL), at 2 feederspots in Centre,PA, Siskinsin verysmall numbers came from ar-

258-American Birds, Summer 1993 ganand Wisconsin. The only reports for Red- Dec.z7+. Like others of this species, this indi- WESTERNGREAT neckedand Eared grebes were of lingering in- vidualwas extremely tame, causing observers dividualsinto earlyDecember at Madison, to speculateabout the bird's origin. Another LAKESREGION WI. Two American White Pelicans overwin- wasseen Jan. 3o (KOetaL) and Feb. 3 (MM) JamesGranlund teredin both Dakota,MN, and Green Bay, at ErieMetropark, •yne, presumablythe Wisconsin. The Wisconsin record constitut- sameindividual present there in the fall. edthe first time this species has overwintered. Nearly all normalspecies of ducksoverwin- Ashas been more frequent over the past few teredin eachof the3 states.The onlyeider re- Duringthe winter of I992-I993,all 3 states years,Double-crested Cormorants overwin- portfor the Region was of a 9 eiderspecies had a mild first3 weeksof December,fol- teredin all 3 states.Great Blue Herons over- Feb.6 nearArcadia, Manistee, MI (BA). Har- lowedby colder, harsher weather by Christ- winteredat scatteredlocations, but one in the lequinDucks in Wisconsinwere reported at mas.January brought a return to milderbut Cedar Cr. Natural Area,Anoka, MN, wasun- Milwaukee,Kaukauna, until Feb.19 and in wetter weather.This patterncontinued usual(JH). SevenBlack-crowned Night- MenashaDec. 6-Jan. zI. In Michigan,an ad. throughthe first 2-3 weeks of February, only Heronsoverwintered inMichigan at the Ford malewas seen sporadically between Sault Ste. to terminateabruptly by end of month.Real RougePlant, Ig'ayne (JF), while another lin- MarieOntario and Michigan, and another winterreached many portions of theRegion gereduntil Jan. 8 at the KaroPlant, Bay wasseen Jan. I9-2o in New Buffalo,Berrien in lateFebruary and early March. In summa- (MW). An unmarked,free-flying Whooper (KM). In Minnesota,a male overwintered in ry,temperatures were average to aboveaver- Swanwas reported Feb. zo in Dakota,MN Otrertail(SM,DM). Scotersappear to bere- ageand precipitation above average in most (BF).Itwas determined that local avicultural- mainingon theGreat Lakes in betternum- localities. istshad previously released this species aswell bersover the past few winters. This was par- The theme of the seasonwas low numbers asother hybrid swans, adding to ourswan ticularlyevident in Michigan,where White- ofbirds but good diversity ofspecies. Rarities identificationwoes. Trumpeter Swans con- wingedScoters were reported from 6 coastal includedMew Gullsin bothMichigan and tinueto increasein Michiganand Minnesota, counties,induding a maximumof 3Ioover- Wisconsin,Anna's Hummingbird, Golden- thisseason reported from several locations in winteringnear Arcadia, Manistee (BA). At the crownedSparrow and Western Tanager in theformer and a hightotal of 44 overwin- samelocation, an amazing416 Oldsquaws Wisconsin,and Black-throatedSparrow in tered in Sherburneinthe latter. Tundra Swans and360 Corn. Goldeneyes were recorded. As the shallowreef is closeto shore,the ducks Minnesota.Notable in thecategory of rare overwinteredin locationsin Michiganand Wisconsin;however, >iooo observedDec. 19 mayhave been attracted by therecent out- but regularwere Townsend's Solitaires in break of Zebra Musselsin the area. Also in Minnesota and Michigan, Three-toed in 3empealeau,WI (TH) isworthy of note. A Woodpeckersin Minnesota, and Harlequin migratingGreater White-fronted Goose, Michigan,Black Scotors were reported Dec. Ducks and Northern Hawk Owls in all 3 Dec.t4, in Lyon(HK) provideda record late 14in NewBuffalo, Berrien (KM), aswell as states.Unusual late fall migrantsincluded datefor Minnesota, while another lingered in fourJan. 9 nearManistee (TB) while two Surf NorthernOrioles throughout the Region, MichiganDec. i-z6 mainlyat BelleIs., Scoterswere reported Feb. 13 near Arcadia, Ovenbirdsin bothMichigan and Wisconsin, V&yne(JF). A Brantappeared atNew Buffa- Manistee(BA). All 3 speciesofscoter were re- andseveral sparrow species in the triad.To lo, MI, November-Dec.i+ (KM). A d' Blue- portedin Wisconsin: Blacks, Dec. 3 atSauk avoidduplication, CBC data are used spar- wingedTeal reported Feb. 8 at GrandMere Ckyand Feb. 27-28 at Milwat•kee;Surfs, inglyin the following accounts. L., Berrien,MI (RS)was either a veryeady Dec.I6--I 7 atKaukauna and three Feb. 27-28 migrantor a rareoverwintering individual. at Milwaukee; and White-wingeds, early De- LOONS TO WATERFOWL Northern Shovelers have wintered in in- cemberin Madison,Feb. I in Iron, and Feb.7 CommonLoons lingered into December in creasednumbers in Michiganwithin the past with 27-28 at Milwaukee.A d' Barrows bothMichigan and Wisconsin and resurfaced few years; this season, reports come from 7 Goldeneyereturned to Elk Rapids,Antrim, in eachstate by Fcbruar 7. BothHorned and counties.A d' Eur.Wigeon at Grand Haven, MI, Dec.io (DJ) andwas seen sporadically Pied-billedgrebes were reported from Michi- Ottawa,MI, wasseen by manyobservers, throughJanuar3• The return of most migrat- _ __ ingducks was delayed by the onset of bad weatherin late February; however,Wisconsin reported an in- flux of I50O GreaterScaup Feb. 27-28in Milwaukee(MK). ßAgassiz NWR • -,. P•PTOR$ Grand Marais A TurkeyVulture lingered late in 'Felton Prairie / • Michiganwith an individualob- ßIt.... State Park / • served Dec. zI at Warren Dunes MINNESOTADululh.1•'•'• • r • •.• S.P.,Berrien (RS). This species had -- I Supenor* Ashland• Sen• NWRg ' notreturned to Michiganor Min- nesotaby the endof the period; however,one wasseen, Feb. zo, in Racine,WI (PS),very early for that Minneapolis..St, Paul •f J • ßTraverse C• [ location.Bald Eagles were reported ingood numbers from both Michi- ganand Minnesota, with increased Bochester • ta Crosse • BlueMounds 8P • • = numberswintering in then. por- tionsof the latter.Sharp-shinned •' • t ßGrand Rapids • MaSson-•l•ukee ß [ • Hawks were more common in Detro•ß. .- ' Michiganthis winter, particularly in then. portionof thestate, while ...... •' / ß•lam•oo N. Goshawkswere reportedin goodnumbers in thes. portion. A SwainsonsHawk reportJan. 31 in Ionia,MI (JW) is pendingreview

Volume 47, Number 2- 259 bythe M.B.R.C.; if accepted,itwould consti- vided a new record-latedate for the state. reportedin averagenumbers from both tutethe first winter record of thisspecies in MewGulls staged a mini-invasion along L. Michiganand Minnesota. the Region.Rough-legged Hawks were re- Michiganduring the season. Wisconsin re- portedas scarce inMinnesota. Golden Eagles ported two intermittently, February-March SWALLOWS TO WARBLERS werereported from all 3 states;Minnesota at Milwaukeeand another at RacineJan. 3•+ A TreeSwallow lingered in Michiganuntil hadnoteworthy records from Ottertail, Jan. (m.ob.). Michigan had reports of adults,Jan. Dee.iz at theThree Oaks Sewage Ponds, io (SM, DM), fromRenville, Jan. •6 & i8 i at NewBuffalo, Berrien (KM) whileanother Berrien(RS, WB, JRo). CarolinaWrens con- (RJ,KB), and from Norman, Jan. 17, while wasseen Jan. z4-z8 (KT, DMc, FS,JWi) at tinueto expandin Michigan,reported from Wisconsinreported three in Monroe(EEet Holland, Ottawa.. The z former records 13counties; the species isalso doing well in al.), severalin Grant,and individualsin Sauk wouldconstitute only the 3rd and 4th Michi- Wisconsin.Winter Wrens apparently win- andBuf•lo. Michigan had only z reports,one ganrecords if acceptedby the M.B.R.C. teredin above-average numbers inall 3 states; Feb. 6 in Allegan (FS, JWi) and Thayer'sGulls were reported in Wisconsina MarshWren seen Feb. zo+ in Washington, anotherDec. 9-Jan. 30 at the Shiawasseealong the harbors ofL. Michigan,especially WI, wasvery unusual (RD). Ruby-crowned N.W.R., Saginaw(DP, MW, BG). Merlins Milwaukee,and from L. Superior inSuperior. Kinglets overwintered in Berrien(RS) and occurredinabove-average numbers inMichi- In Minnesotaa first-winter bird was reported lingeredwell into December in Wisconsin.A gan,with reportsfrom 6 counties.A Pere- throughJanuary on BlackDog L., Dakota Golden-crownedKinglet alighted Jan. z 9 in grineFalcon seen Jan. 6 in GrandRapids, (m.ob.),while in Michigan a single report of Roseau,MN (PS), for the znd consecutive Kent,MI (JWi)was possibly a bird "hacked" anotherfirst-winter bird camefrom the New year.Townsend s Solitairesmade a minorin- Buffaloarea, Berrien (KM, KT). Wisconsin reporteda few Iceland Gulls along the shore- lineof L. Superiorand L. Michigan;Min- nesotahad only a singlereport, from the Goodhue/WabashaareaDec. 4 (KB). Lesser Black-backedGull reportsinduded one throughDec. zz in the Twin Citiesarea of Minnesota(KB etal.); Michigan had reports ofone adult Dec. z-Jan. iz onL. Lansing, In- gham(MJ, BC), another Dec. i3-i 5 at Bay City, Bay (RW), and Jan. 30 at Erie Metropark, •yne (KOet al.). Increased numbersof Great Black-backedGulls were reportedon L. Michiganin bothMichigan andWisconsin, while Minnesota had a report fromSt. Louis, Dec. i6 (KE).The only Black- leggedKittiwakes reported for theRegion camefrom Michigan, with first-winter indi- vidualsseen Dec. 3 at St. Joseph, Berrien (RS) andDec. •3 on the Saginaw R., Bay, MI (JS).

OWLSTO WOODPECKERS Thenumber of owls during the season pales Tmmsend'sSolitaire in C#ippewaCounty, MewGull (center) at Milwaukee,Wisconsin, incomparison with last year, but Snowy Owls Michigan,on February10,1993. Partof a February3, 1993. Photograph/BrianBoldt. werereported in goodnumbers in all3 states. mini-invasionto t#e WesteruGreat Lakest#is There wereat leasttwo N. Hawk Owls in the season.Photograph/Dave Evers. at the location.Gyrfalcons reported from SaultSte. Marie area in Michigan(DE, Wisconsin induded individuals observed WPa),while about adozen birds were report- vasioninto the Region, with ii reportsfrom Jan.9 inAlgoma(KG) and Feb. 15 in Ozaukee ed in n.e.Minnesota. Unprecedented were Minnesotamainly along the North Shore of (DG).In Minnesota,an adult was reported reportsfrom Wisconsin for the3rd consecu- L. Superior;singles were seen in Wright,Dec. sporadicallyDec. z6-Jan. 17, Aiken (WN et tiveyear. These records included individuals zo(AB), in I&llowMedicine, Jan.16 &531 (RJ et al.),while in Michiganhad >z individuals in seenJan. 7-Feb. z7 in Superior(LS,RJ etal.), al.),and inRamsey, Feb. 3+ (KB). Michigan SaultSte. Marie, Chippewa (JG, DE, m.ob.). January-Februarynear Phelps (BRet a/.), and hadreports undl Feb. 16 in GrandMafias, Al- Theonly Prairie Falcon report for the Region atPelican L. (m.ob.).In Michigan,>•6 Great ger(DPa, WP) and Feb. io in Chippewa(DE), wasan individual Jan. i andFeb. 7 in Clay Gray Owlswere present around Sault Ste. whileone was found in WisconsinFeb. 5 at MN (LF,CF). Marie(DE), and Minnesota reported i8 from Devil'sL. S.P.(PS). Varied Thrushes were re- itstraditional sites. Only a singleBoreal Owl portedfrom ix countiesin Minnesota,while RAILS TO GULLS wasreported from Chippewa, MI; justthree Michiganhad only z reports,one Feb. t6 in SandhillCranes remained well into Decem- werein Minnesota--asingle Jan. 7 nearDu- IZAnse,Baraga (KT) andone Feb. i9-zi at berin Michiganand Wisconsin and had not luth (KE) and two birds found dead near HigginsL. S.P.,Roscoramon (BSet al.). Wis- returnedby period'send. A tardyBaird's Grand Mafias and Biwabik. For the znd con- consinhad reports from LaCrossethrough the Sandpiperwas presentDec. I9 at the seeutiveyear, Wisconsin had a wintering period(JU), in Januaryat LakeMills Janu- MuskegonWastewater System, Muskegon, Anna's Hummingbird, this year's bird surviv- ary-Feb.9 in Price(MH) andJan. I5+ in MI (PC,TW). Exceptionalfor Michigan ing untilJan. 4 in Racine(WP). Yellow-bel- Marathon(DB). A GrayCatbird Jan. IX in werereports of a PurpleSandpiper Jan. 3-4 liedSapsuckers wintered throughout the Re- Rockford,Kent, MI (GW) wasvery late. andof two Jan. 8 at New Buffalo, Berrien (RS, gion;however, the immatureseen in •sh- NorthernMockingbirds remained in good VJ, KM). CommonSnipes overwintered in ington,(TBe, EB) provided only the 2nd con- numbersin bothMichigan and Wisconsin, all3 states,but the individual seen Jan. i6 in firmedSapsucker record for Minnesota.Six withan individual overwintering inSault Ste. Cook,MN (DN) wasn. of normalrange. A Three-toedWoodpeckers were reported in Marie, MI (KO) well n. of normal.Brown Franklin'sGull, Dec. 3, in St. Joseph, Berrien, theextreme n.c. and n.e. parts of Minnesota, Thrashers also remained in both states.Bo- MI (RS)was quite late, while four Bona- more than had been recorded since winter hemianWaxwings were scarce throughout parte'sseen Dec. 15 in Dakota, MN (RG)pro- I985-I986.Black-backed Woodpeckers were the Region;the onlylarge flock reported

260- American Birds, Summer 1993 numbered500, Jan. •6, in Roseau(SM, DM). Northern Shrike numbers seemed about av- MIDDLEWESTERN eragein Michiganand Minnesota, whereas Wisconsinreported a poorflight. Unusual PRAIRIEREGION were two LoggerheadShrike reports in KennethJ. Brock Michigan,one Jan. •5 at SleepyHollow S.P., Clinton(MP) and anotherFeb. 2 in Lapeer (MP)..A NashvilleWarbler coming to a feed- er in Racine,WI, Dec. n-•2, wasvery late. Thisseason dispelled the widely accepted no- Yellow-rumpedslingered, probably overwin- tion thatwinter birding is alwaysboring in teringin Berrien,Kalamazoo, and lY&yne, MI, theMiddle Western Prairie Region. No fewer andinSauk, WI (DL, KL) andstaying as late than 6 first state records were established, asJan. 8 in Duluth(KE) and Jan. •8 at I½llow with 3 in Indianaand one eachin Illinois, Medicine(KB), in Minnesota.Less common Missouri,and Ohio. Accompanyingthese inMichigan was a PineWarbler, found Jan. 8 rarities were a sufficient number of other in Dearborn,lY&yne (JF, DW). Remarkably, "goodbirds" to satiate all but the most greedy Ovenbirdsremained until Jan. •7 in Milwau- frost-belt birders. kee,WI (m.ob.) and Jan. 9+ in Dearborn, Temperatureswere unusually mild through lY&yne,MI (KO,JF, BCo, BCr). January;winter finally arrived in mid-Febru- ary.Taking full advantageof thewarm early TANAGERSTO WEAVER FINCHES winter,a remarkablearray of birdslingered farther north than usual;first winter records A WesternTanager coming to a feederat Far from its usual desert haunts was this Black- wereestablished in every state. Especially no- WhitefishBay, Milwaukee, Jan. 29+, provid- throatedSparrow iu WilkeuCounty, Miuuesota, ed the fitst Wisconsin winter record. A Ru- December2, 1992. Presentsiuce November, tableamong these were unusual numbers of fous-sidedTowhee of the western"spotted" it provideda thirdstate record. PhotograplV shorebirdsand warblers.The mild conditions race overwinteredin Madison,providing PederSviugen/VIREO. mayalso explain the absence of many regular Wisconsin's4th recordof thisform. Ameri- boreal passerines(e.g., Red-breasted canTree Sparrows were quite scarce in Michi- Good numbersof Am. Goldfinchesand Pine Nuthatchesand winter finches) across the Re- gan.Rare in Michiganduring the winter, Siskinsat scatteredlocations were reported. gion. ChippingSparrows apparently overwintered Evening Grosbeaks were very scarce in Wis- A mostinteresting phenomenon was the inboth Ingham (MJ) and Lenawee (KO). The consinand in average numbers in Michigan. appearanceof almosta dozenwestern va- Black-throatedSparrow present in Minneso- grantswithin the Region. The explanation taduring November was last seen in Wilkin, Observers:Brian Allen, Kad Bardon, Tom for thisinvasion remains problematic; how- Dec.z 7. Vesper Sparrows were seen undl Jan. Beachy,Hizabeth Bell, Tom Bell (TBe), Dan ever,its magnitude iscertainly atypical, if not •4 in Columbia,WI (KBu)and Jan. •5 inHills- Belter,Glenn Belyea,A1 Bolduc,Walter unprecedented. da/e(JR). Savannahs lingered very late and Booth,Kay Burcar(KBu), Steve Carlson, Gullsfurnished a major component of the perhapsoverwintered, with reports Jan. •7 in Phil Chu, Bruce Cohen, Barbara Cross season.Present in greatnumbers and remark- Ozaukeeand Jan. I8 in Dane, WI (KBu), (BCo),Bob Cross (BCr), Robert Domagals- ablediversity, with •5 speciesreported, gulls while in Minnesota a bird remainedat a feed- ki, Kim Eckert,Eric Epstein,David Evers, permeatedvirtually every corner of theRe- erthrough mid-February, unprecedented for Carol Falk, LaurenceFalk, Jim Fowler,Ray gion.The largestaccumulation was an esti- thatstate. Notable was the overwintering Fox Glassel,Kevin Glucckert, Jim Granlund, Bob matedzo,ooo at RivedandsEnvironmental Sparrowin Berrien,MI (RS).Swamp Spar- Grefe,Dennis Gustarson, Maybelle Hardy, DemonstrationArea, Missouri, Feb. •3, fol- rowrecords Dec. zz in Dakota(KB) andJan. JamesHowitz, Thomas Hunter, Dorothy lowinga fishkill, but counts of moobirds 9 alongPurgatory Cr. (SC)and Bass Ponds Legler,Karl Leglet,Vic Janson,Robert camefrom every state except Kentucky. (TT) in Hennipinprovided unusual records Janssen, Don Jennette,Robbye Johnson, for Minnesota. Wisconsin'sGolden-crowned Matt Johnstone,Mark Korducki,Henry Abbreviations:L. Cal. (L. Calumet,Chicago); Sparrowappeared November+ at SheboyganKyllingstad, Doug McWhirter (DMc), Mike R.E.D.A. (Pa'verlandsEnvironmental Demon- (m.ob.). A Yellow-headedBlackbird re- Mencotti,Michigan Bird Records Commit- strationArea, MO); Spfld. (Springfield, MO). maineduntil Jan.9+ in Mortroe,MI (KO). tee (M.B.R.C.), SteveMillard, Diane Mil- EasternMeadowlarks possibly overwintered lard, Kip Miller, WarrenNelson, David LOONS TO IBISES in theSaginaw Bay area of Michigan,while Neitzel,Karl Overman, Donna Parish (DPa), SingleRed-throated Loons were recorded in bothEasterns and Westerns were reported as Walter Parish,Warren Parker (WPa), David Chicago,Dec. 6 (fideRB), L. Barkely,KY, overwinteringin Iowa, WI. Amazingly,N. Peters,Mike Petrucha,William Pinnow,Bill Deca9 (DP), and Hamilton,OH, Dec. z9 Orioleswere reported from all 3 states.In Reardon,Jack Reinoehl, John Roosenberg (BSfide NK). The fall PacificLoon at L. Michiganan individualremained through (RSo), Frank Schermers,Larry Semo,Roy Spfld.lingered until Dec. (DBo), and anoth- theperiod in Clinton(GB), while Minnesota Smith,Joe Soehnel, Bill Staples,Paul Sunby, er was identified at Clinton L., IL, Dec. zo playedhost undl Dec. • in Duluth(fideKE). RogerSundell (RSu), Peder Svingen, Daryl 0*DBo).Small numbers of Com.Loons were The Wisconsin recordwas of the "Bullock•" Tessen,Kevin Thomas, Tom Tustison,John reportedacross the Region; the most notable Oriolepresent Dec. •9-2o in Milwaukee Unbehaun,Dave Washington,Gordon reportconsisted of sixobserved over Tus- (DG, DT, RSu).Pine Grosbeaks and Red- Wiede,John Will (JWi),Myles Willard, Ron carawrus,OH, Jan.• (ES).Almost certainly pollswere nearly absent from the Region with Weeks, Tex Wells, Joan Wolfe--JAMES in responseto the mild temperatures, unusu- a fewreported in thevery n. portionsof the GRANLUND, 6253N. Westnedge,Kala- allyhigh numbers ofPied-billed and Horned states.Purple Finches were seen in fairnum- mazoo,M149004. grebeswintered; the largest count of lingering bersin n. Michigan.Red Crossbillswere Pied-billedswas 3 z in Gibson,IN (GBo).For scarcein Minnesota but were found in fair the znd consecutiveyear, an EaredGrebe numbersin n.w.Wisconsin and in thee. Up- winteredatL. Spfld.(DBo), and 5 additional per Peninsulaof Michigan.White-winged reportscame from s. Illinois. The only other Crossbillswere abundant in the Sault Ste. Eared Grebe wintered on Freeman L., KY, Mariearea of Michigan but in fair numbers in (RHe,m.ob.). A W. Grebelingered in Gibson, n.e. Wisconsin and scarce in Minnesota. IN, lateNovember-Dec. •9 (GBo),and an-

Volume 47, Number 2 - :L•! -" .:•A (3Eur. Wigeon at Clinton L., IL, Dec. 2o ($RCh)provided the Re- gion'sonly record. Canvasback re- portsranged from verypoor in Ohio(fide LR) to quiteimpressive : in Illinois, where •7,ooo were IOWA ...... ß countedalong the Illinois R. Valley '; Chicago ' - '•' Toled(••/' Dec. 8 (MGe). Inland Greater Michigan Ottawa i ßSaylorville Res.Davenp•ert City Ft.ß NWR Scaupreports included three at L. 'i:ßDeSoto ßDes Moines Gage,n.e. IN, Dec.6-x2 (JHa) and Nw. ILLINOIS Wayne OHIO _<27at L. Jacomo,MO (BF), where a ß Peoria INDIANA Columbusß thisspecies rang up its 7th consecu- i :•'Squaw Creek NWR ; tive winter. : .•_ ßSpringfield • S•vanLake NWR I•dianapolisßDayton Theonly eider report consisted of Muscatatuckß ßCincinnati a singleton,unidentified as to NWR .• ••= "• KansasCity St.Lou•s. species,seen off Miller Beach,IN, Dec.n (KB).Harlequin Ducks and RendL.• EvansvilleßLouisville CrabOrchard • Lexingtonß Oldsquawswere scarce. The most MISSOURI NWR noteworthyreports of the latter ß KENTUCKY wereaway from the GreatLakes; inland recordsincluded five in Illi- MJngoNWRe ßBallardWMA L. Cumloerlandg•- ß j. nois, three in Iowa, one in Mis- souri, and two in Ohio. The most frequendyreported scoter was the Surf Scoter, with records from : everystate except Kentucky and .... Missouri.The highestcount was otherwas reported at CarlyleL., IL, Dec.•3 3o,made on L. Eriein RockyR., OH, Jan.3 (KM). (CH).Notable inland sightings included 2 at TheChicago areas first winter Am. White Spfld.,Dec. 27-Jan. 6 (DBo),2 at Montrose, Pelicanrecords were recorded in February. IA, Dec. x3(SD), and2 at HooverRes., OH, Twowere discovered at Michigan City har- December-January(KA). White-winged bor,IN, Feb.7 (ASieta/.); one of thesewas Scoterswere hard to find; the mostnotewor- subsequendyinjured and died in aveterinari- thy reportconsisted of 2 on the Ohio R. at an'soffice. The otherpelican was reported ShippingportI., KY, Dec. •9 (ASmetal.). An sporadicallyalong the Indiana lakefront ad. (3 BarrowsGoldeneye at theAvon L. throughFeb. zz andat L. Cal.,Feb. z 7 (JL). powerplant, Lorain, Feb. 28-Mar. • (•'CH, Great Blue Heron numbers reflectedexten- LR, m.ob.), providedexcitement for Ohio siveopen water during the warmweather. birders.An impressive2o,6zo Com. Gold- Thehighest counts were no Dec.I7 in Dear- eneyeswere counted along a •75•mistretch of born,IN (PWh,JB) and58 Jan. 3 at Ottawa theIllinois R. ValleyJan. 5 (MGe).Hooded N.W.R, OH (EP). Two GreatEgrets re- Merganserswere reported in everystate; the mainedat Rivedands C.A., MO, untilJan. •7 highestcount, by far, was 9o0 at Chautauqua, (KK).Groups of •-4 Black-crownedNight- IL, Jan.'5 (MGe). CommonMergansers Heronswintered at z n.e. Illinoislocations, peakedin IowaDec. •3, when•o,ooo+ were wherethey are becoming regular (WM, JM). countedon RedRock Res. (SD) andin Illi- Moreremarkable was an accumulation of z 7 noisJan. 5, whena censusproduced •6,935 Black-crownedsatLorain, OH, Jan.•7 (DD). alongthe lower Illinois R. Valley (MGe).

WATERFOWL Ross'Goose (with Canada Geese) at Ottawa NationalWildlife Refuge, Ohio, Febmagi 9, VULTURESTO CRANES Followingseveral years of dismalreports, a 1993. Photograph/JohnNicholl. BlackVulture counts were average inall states winterwaterfowl survey in Missouriyielded exceptOhio, where an expanding population waterfowlnumbers exceeding anything (VKI, CW etal.), and anotherwandered east- producedan impressive 49 in Knox,Feb. •4 recordedover the past decade. Highlights in- wardto OttawaN.W.R., Feb.9 & 28 (RBr, (BG,ph.). Turkey Vultures wintered farther cluded57o,00o Snow Geese, 3o4,344 Mal- JNi,ph.), where this species isaccidental. Sin- n. thannormal, providing December records laMs,x8oo N. Pintails,22,500 Ring-necked gle Brants were recorded in Lorain,OH, Dec. asfar n. asLake and Steuben,IN. Maximum Ducks,and 20o Com. Mergansers (DHu). x9(fide PJ) and at UnionCounty C.A., IL, countsincluded zoo-3oo at LeiberRecre- Modest numbers of Tundra Swanswere Dec.24 (VKI, CW etal.).The CanadaGoose ationArea,IN, Dec.28 (JCs) and x5o in Knox, recordedin every state except Kentucky; the populationisapproaching thenuisance level. OH, Feb.x 4 (BG,ph.). The Regions only highestcounts were •4 at Muscatatuck Regionalnumbers peaked Jan. x 9, whenthe Ospreysappeared at L. Lemon,IN, Dec. 3 N.W.R, IN, Jan.23 (DG) and n at Ottawa IllinoisDepartment of Conservationtallied (AP)and along 1-55 near Carurhersville, MO, N.W.R.,Jan. 3 (EP). Groupsof •-4 Trum- 597,00oin s.Illinois (RWh). Dec.zo (PM). Mid-winter Bald Eagle counts peterSwans appeared in Illinois,Iowa, and Openwater enticed many ducks to remain yieldedimpressive results. Tallies included Missouri;banded individuals among the Illi- n.of their normal winter range. Notable dab- •46 in IndianaFeb. 9 & •o (JCs),57z in the noisand Iowa groups indicated that the birds blercounts included 4585 Am. BlackDucks LinearR. Valley,IA, nodates given (PP), and werefrom the Wisconsin flock. The Regions Dec. x6, •27,oooMallards Dec. 8, and 6xoo 2394 in Missouri,no datesgiven (JW). peak GreaterWhite-fronted Goose count N. PintailsDec. 8, alonga •75-misection of NorthernHarriers were well represented, consistedof4o in Union,IL, Jan.• (RD). East theIllinois R. Valley(MGe). Counts exceed- withpeak counts of 64in Pulaski,IL, Jan.•o of theMississippi R., an imm.Ross' Goose ing•ooo birds in Illinois, Kentucky, and Mis- (TF, JDe), zz-z5 in Ohio,KY, Feb.6 (KC, wasfound at Union County C.A., IL, Dec.24 sourisuggest that the Gadwall is prospering. B.B.C. field trip), and zz in Knox,IL, Jan.z3

262- American Birds, Summer 1993 the state. Almost as remarkable was a W. Seeminglyubiquitous, a total of 79 Thayer's Sandpiperthat lingered at thesame location Gullsappeared in everystate except Ken- until Feb. io (CP, DP). Three to six Least tucky.The largesttally came from Illinois, Sandpipersremained at Gibson,IN, until where57 birds were aged at 65%adult, 25% Dec.x6 (GBo), with two photographed Dec. firstwinter, and xo% second winter; many of 24(JHa). The seasons only Purple Sandpiper thesesightings came from inland locations. It appearedJan. 2 in Cleveland,OH (EM, wasa spectacularwinter for IcelandGulls. m.ob.).The JonathanCr., KY, sitesported Totalsfrom their normal range on theGreat 4-x9 Dunlinsthroughout the winter (CP, Lakesincluded six from Illinois, three from DP), providingthe first February record for Indiana,and eight from Ohio. Remarkably, that state. Dunlins were also recorded in fivewere also reported in Iowa,where Ice- Lake,IL, Feb.x3-x4 (JNe) and in Gibson,IN, landswere accidental just a few year'sago. Dec.27 (GBo)and Feb. 23 ($MBn). The lat- SingleIcelands also appeared at R.E.D.A., terconstituted a first February record for In- Feb.6 & x3(DBe, PS,m.ob.). Lesser Black- diana.Common Snipes were present in every backedsfollowed the patterndescribed for state,the peakcount x8 in Union,IL, Jan.3 the two previousspecies with I5 in Illinois, (JDe,BK). Mostinteresting was a deadAm. twoin Indiana(including the wintering bird Woodcock,found beneath a Peregrineroost in Gibsononce again), three in Iowa,five in in Cincinnati,OH, Feb.4 (JHy,fide NK). Missouri,and xo in Ohio. Ohio'sfirst, and the Slaty-backedGull at Loraiu,Ohio, February 8, TheRegions only Red Phalarope appeared in Regionsthird, Slat-y-backed Gull was at East- 1993. Apparentlythis samebird was fouud Januaryat Eastlake,OH (TBt). lakeDec. zS-z 9 (BPj,MGu, m.ob.)and at nearbyin December1992, providinga first LorainFeb. 8 (JP,ph.). Interestingly, the tint state record.Photograph/John Pogacuik. GULLS of this bird'smantle was quite pale,much Evenwhen compared tolast year's superb gull nearerthe darkness ofa HerringGulI's mantle (MBm).Though detectable, the anticipated report,this winter's list is outstanding. Lin- than that of a Great Black-backed. This ob- N. Goshawkinvasion was quite modest, with geringFranklins Gulls were reported Dec. x servation stimulated the discoverersto inves- only29 reports.Rough-legged Hawks were tigatethis matter with the following results. scarcein everystate except Missouri, where theywere deemed numemns. Golden Eagle numberswere near normal in everystate ex- ceptIndiana, where a countofxx birds for the seasonwas unusually high. The Regional tally Arecent examinatiort ofskins at the •.S. Na- for Merlinswas zo, exceedingrecent winter tionalMuseum x!emonstrated a wider range totals.Peregrine Falcons were reported in all6 ofvariability inSlaty-backed.Gull rnanile col- states,most presumably released. It wasa or than has been described-in the literature. goodseason for PrairieFalcons, with t7 re- Thepalest mantle isonly slighdy'da•ke• portsfrom 4 states.The most noteworthy of thatof the darkei• California Gull, while the these wintered (Dec. 6-Feb. 6) at the mantleof thedarkest individuals is slightly PeabodyHomestead Surface Mine in Ohio, palerthanthatbfGreat Black-backeds. These KY, (•DP m.ob.). PrairieFalcons have win- sp•irnen•reinforced theim•rtance.of the teredat thismine for the pastseveral years underwingpattern for the identification of Slaty•backeds•This species has smoky gray Illinois Greater Prairie Chicken numbers websto the outer 3-4 primaries that are dark- are dangerouslylow (fideRD); a Feb.27 erthan the remainder ofthe underwing--but countin Marion,produced only 9 (MSi).A neverblack as occurs on HerringGulls and •?Greater Prairie Chicken was caught Dec. xi h3 brids of HerringGulls. An article describ- bya dognear Latchwood, Ii (ME,fideJDi). ingthN information i• greaterdetail ii ih The henwas speculated to have been a wild MountainBluebird iu GibsauCounty, Indiana, pr•aration(BPj, MGE) ( bird from SouthDakota (JDi). The submis- February13, 1993. First state record. sionof few N. Bobwhitereports suggests that Photograph/JimCampbell. thisspecies remains scarce. A deadVirginia Rail was found in Hamilton, OH, Dec. I5 in St. Charles,MO (JVB) and in Hueston The znd-yearGlaucous Winged Gull pho- (NM, fideNK). LiveVirginia Rail sightings Woods, OH (MRw etal.). SixFranklins were tographedinChicago last fall remained until included four at Illinois BeachS.E, Jan. • seenat JonathanCr., KY, Dec. 22, 24, & 25 Dec.iz. Followingthis report, two birds in ONe) and threethat winteredat Theodore (CP,DP). An ad.Little Gull, present in Spfld. 3rd-yearplumage were reported in c. Illinois: Marshin CrestHill, IL (JM, ph.).American sincefall, remaineduntil Dec. 2o (DBo). An- one at Decatur Feb. x9-2o (tMD, tRP, Cootswere recorded in everystate; the high- otheradult was seen at FairportHarbor, OH, tRCh) and the other in Peoria,Feb. 27-28 estcount was xooo•_ in Calloway,KY, Feb.5 Jan.i (RHa, m.ob.),and threeLittle Gulls (tLA). Februaryaccounts apparently de- (CP). DecemberSandhill Cranes were ob- wereamong the >3000 Bonaparte's Gulls at scribe different birds, as one had a dark iris servedin Indiana,Kentucky, Missouri, and Lorain,OH, Jan.xo (TBt, WKI). The largest andthe other yellow. Although the documen- Ohio. The latterrecord consisted of 75 birds accumulationof Ring-billed Gulls consisted tationsappear rather convincing, the likeli- standingon iceat RockyFork S.P., Dec. 8 of xx,3ooat CarlyleL., IL, Dec.zo (KM). hoodthat the first threeGlaucous-winged (Lg ph.). Mew Gullsappear to havebecome regular Gullsever to occure. of the MississippiR. wintervisitors to the Region,with adults wouldrandomly appear within 3 monthsat SHOREBIRDS sightedDec. 3 in Illinoisat bothJoliet (JM, sitesseparated by <200 mi plumbsthe limits A plethoraof wintershorebird records ac- ph.)and Waukegan (ASk, JNe). A first-year of plausibility.This is especially true, as two companiedthe mild temperatures and open CaliforniaGull was at Spfld.,Dec. 5 (DBo), of the birdswere in 3rd-yearplumage (the water.Perhaps the mostremarkable was a and adultswere reported Dec. 7 at Fairport rarestplumage). It is conceivablethat these Wilier identifiedat Jonathan Cr., Ix'Y,Feb. 28 Harbor,OH (•-JP),Dec. i2 at ClintonL., IL occurrenceswere not random(i.e., somehow (CP),which provided a first winter record for (RCh),and Feb. 25-27 in Tazewell,IL (KR). humanassisted). It is also possible that the vi-

Volume 47, Number 2. cissitudesof gull hybridization or aberration thehighest count was four in Union,IL, Jan. Ruby-crownedreports included six that win- mayhave produced previously unrecognized 3i (RD).Northern Flickers were widespread, tered in Sangamon,IL, (DBo) and one in plumagesand structural features that mimic and one of the "red-shafted"form was ob- Cleveland,OH, Dec. i6 (TD. thoseof Glaucous-winged Gulls. Or perhaps servedat LongBranch L., MO, Dec.z7 (SH a fewGlaucous-winged stragglers regularly etal.).A countoft8 PileatedWoodpeckers in BLUEBIRDS TO SHRIKES winterin theMidwest but have simply been Randolph,IN, Dec.zo (LC), reflectedthe re- MountainBluebirds made an impressive overlookedin the past. One thing is certain, centpopulation expansion. Perhaps in re- showingwith 3 records.One unfortunate however,additional information is required sponseto themild conditions in earlyFebru- diedafter crashing into a Chillocothe,MO, beforethe Glaucous-wingedGull statusin ary,apair ofPileatedsin 79imble, KY, was also windowDec. 30 (fideBJ*), a femalewas theMidwest is clearly understood. observedbeginning courtship Feb. IO (JA). foundat BigCreek S.E, IA, Jan.4 (GBr),and The Region's90 GlaucousGull records a female was discovered inside the Gibson weredistributed across every state. State to- FLYCATCHERSTO KINGLETS Co.Power Plant facility Feb. I3-t5 (?JCa, ph., talsranged from 45 in Illinois(aged as 47% Despitemild winter conditions,E. Phoebe m.ob.) constitutedIndiands first record. An- first-year,io% znd-year,and 4z% adult), to a numberswere below normal, with singletons other long overdue Indiana first was logged singlefirst-year bird seen Dec. 19 at Barkely reportedfrom only 3 states.The largest Jan.z when the state'sfirst Townsends Soli- Dam,KY (DP),where this species israre. The HornedLark flocks appeared: in DeWiu,IL, tairewas identified at DuneAcres (?RWy, westwardexpansion of GreatBlack-backed where5000 were seen Feb. z7 (MD, RP),be- ?BW). Two Solitairesalso wintered in Cerro Gullsacross the Region continued, with one tweenDallas and CrawjSrd,IA, wherez8oo Gordo,IA, near Rock Falls(PWi, m.ob.), at R.E.D.A.Jan. 17 (PJ etal.) and a first-year werecounted Feb. z6 (RCe), and in Hamil- wherethey are rare but regular.One of the bird at Bettenforf,IA, Feb.z8 OF). Farther ton, OH, where zooo were found Feb. z8 Region'sfew winter SwainsodsThrush east, Ohio was awash with Great Black- (MSe,fide NK). LateTree Swallows included recordswas made Dec. z7 in Cook,IL (LB, backeds,asIOO-5OO could be found at anylo- DJ).Hermit Thrushes were present in above- cationalong the L. Erieshoreline (LR). In- normal numbers and wintered farther n. than landimm. Black-legged Kittiwakes were re- usual.Both Gray Catbird and Brown Thrash- portedDec. 9, belowthe damat Red Rock er numberswere up for the season;Catbirds Res.,IA (SD), on ClearforkRes., OH, Dec. lingeredas far n. as Will,IL, whereone was I9-Zo (?JHe),and at Spfld.,Dec. z7-Feb. 4 photographedJan. •5 (JM, RRe).Illinois' first (DBo). Curve-billed Thrasher was discovered Dec. •6at Rend L. (TF,JDe, JL, ph., m.ob.). Much TERNS TO WOODPECI•RS to thedelight of Illinoisbirders, this very co- ThreeForster's Terns lingered at Jonathan operativebird lingered until Jan. z4. Ameri- Cr., KY,until Dec. 19 (DP), wherethey are canPipits were reported from only 3 states, extremelyrare in winter.Barn Owls were ob- thehighest counts 36 in Highland,OH, Feb. servedat Cleveland,OH, Dec. 19(LR, RHa) z7 (ST, fideNK) andzo in Gibson,IN, Dec. andat Madisonville,KY, Dec. z9 (DHa,fide 19 (JHa, GBo). Missouri'sfirst winter JHn). The winterSnowy Owl flightwas Sprague'sPipit was flushed from Monegaw deemedaverage by mostcontributors; some Prairie,St. Clair, Dec. z9 (MRb). The Re- 13birds were scattered across every state ex- giodsonly Bohemian Waxwing reports con- cept Kentucky.Noteworthy among these sistedof twoin ayard inCherokee, IA, Feb.to were one at Mark Twain N.W.R., MO, in (DBi) and onein •'nnebago,IL, Feb.zo November(fide BJ) and another in Licking; (?ABh).Small Cedar Waxwing flocks were centralOH, that remainedJan. i6-Feb. i recordedin everystate, but individual counts (KA).The 54Long-cared Owls reported for rarelyexceeded too individuals.A totalof t 5 theRegion constitutes an excellent total; the GrayCatbird in WillCounty, Illinois, January 1S, 1993. Photograph/JoeB. Miloserich. N. Shrikeswas about average for the Region. highestcounts consisted of t 5 nearBolchow, The mostimpressive of the 13Loggerhead MO, Jan.30 (DM) andIO in Cook,IL, Feb.7 Shrikereports was a countof fiveat Carlyle (WSe).Short-cared Owls were widespread, one supplyingIowa's first winter recordat L., IL, Feb. z8 (KM). with 84 reported.Counts of z7 fromIllinois RathbunRes., Dec. 5 (TJ), one at RendL., andz5 in Kentuckywere encouraging, but IL, Dec. I6 ODe), and one in St. Clair, IL, VIREOS TO WARBLERS numbers were down in Indiana and Ohio. Dec.zo (KM). The mostremarkable report, Amongthe lingering passefine were a Vq'hite- NorthernSaw-whet Owls appeared in every however,was of twoin thelatter county Jan. eyedVireo at CapeGuardeau, MO, Dec.z 3 stateexcept Kentucky; state tallies included 15(JVB), providing the Regions 3rd January (ID) and Illinois'first DecemberSolitary five in Illinois,one in Indiana,seven in Iowa, record.By far the largest Am. Crow count oc- Vireoat Spfld.,Dec. io & ii (DBo).A dozen two in Missouri, and three in Ohio. curredat a Keokuk,IA, roost,where 30,000 warblerspecies were reported across the Re- A d' RufousHummingbird, present at a wintered (RCe). Red-breastedNuthatches gion,with a majorconcentration in Holmes, Bloomington,IN, feedersince fall, cameto continuedto boycottthe Region, with only a OH. Vyingfor top honorsas Januarys best the attentionof birdersJan. 2 (DWh). The handfulof reports.By conrtast,Brown warbler were Illinois' znd-winter N. Parula in bird,representing a first confirmed record for Creeperswere well represented,with an im- I•rmillion,Jan. • (MD, • ph.)and a Cape Indiana,was still presentJan. t2, when it pressive46 reportedin •'nnebago,IL, Dec. May Warblerin TerreHaute, IN, Jan.t6 movedto aninaccessible feeder (?AB, m.ob.). t9 (DWi) andfour at OttawaN.W.R., Jan. 3 (•MBn, ph.). Yellow-rumpedsenjoyed a An imm./9Selasphorous hummingbird also (EP).A RockWren remaining at CrabOr- greatseason in the n. states.Notable high visiteda Columbia,MO, feederDec. 30 chardN.W.R., Jan. t4+ (RD, TF, JDe,ph., countsincluded zo at bothHuntington and (TBk).Attesting to thegeneral availability of m.ob.)provided a pleasantsurprise for Illi- SalamonieRes., IN, Feb.zo (JHa,FH) andt 5 openwater, Belted Kingfishers were reported nois birders. Three December Marsh Wrens that winterednear RathbunRes., IA (TJ, in everystate. Small numbers of Red-headed were recorded in Illinois; one of these re- RCu). Without doubt the bestwarbler of the Woodpeckerswere widespread; the highest mainedto winter at Sangchris S.P., IL (DBo). seasonwas a d' Black-throatedGray Warbler countsincluded 5ø that winteredin Shades BothGolden-crowned and Ruby-crownedthat graced the EmilyPasquale residence in S.P.,IN (AB)and 23 in •'nnebago,IL, Jan.2 kingletnumbers were generally good. The Georgetown,OH, Nov. z5-Feb.t6 (•DBr, (DWi). Most observersheld Yellow-bellied maximtunGolden-crowned count was 42 in ph., m.ob.),providing Ohio's first winter Sapsuckersto be more common than normal; Winnebago,IL, Dec.t 9 (DWi). Noteworthy record. Ohio's znd winter Yellow-throated

264-American Birds,Summer 1993 Warbler residedin Holmes,Feb. 2-2o (LY, singletonsfrom Jackson, IL, Jan.3o (RD) and BG,ph.). Remarkably, Pine Warblers were re- fromKentucky Dam, KY, Dec. 19 (DP). Fol- portedfrom every state except Missouri; the lowinglast springs first state record, Mis- peakcount was eight at BarkleyDam, KY, souri'sznd and 3rd Golden-crownedSpar- Dec.19 (DP), and one straggler visited a feed- rowsarrived at Terryresidence z.5 mi e. of er in Hamilton, extremen.e. Indiana, Dec. Columbia, in late November and were still 7-Feb.16 (JHa, RRa, ph.). Completely unex- presentMar. 13(•PM et aL). Harris'Spar- pectedwas a PrairieWarbler at Carlisle,KY, rows,e. of theirnormal Iowa range, occurred Nov.3o-Feb. 3 (VKi, WKi); thisindividual as follows:one in Mason City Jan. I8--I9 providedthe first February record for the Re- (CFet a•(), an immatureat GrammerGrove gion.A PalmWarbler was present in Holmes, W.MA., Feb.3 (MPr), and threeat Mystic OH, Jan.iS-Feb. 2o (EM, BG, ph.);photos Feb. z8 (TJ). Smallnumbers of Lapland showextensive yellow on the underparts, sug- Longspurswere recorded in everystate, with gestingthat this individual belonged to the highcounts of 7o0 in Sangamon,IL, Jan.io eastern race. An Ovenbird in Akron, OH, (DBo)and 60o at BilbyRanch Conservation Dec. 6 (WSt) wasconsidered late, and anoth- Area,MO, Jan.I6 (DE). The Region'sonly er remained at the Asherwood Nature Center, Smith'sLongspur reports consisted of IX from IN, fromJan. IO, until it wasfound dead Feb. extreme w. Missouri. Moderate to low Snow I8 (JS,fide JHa). Buntingcounts came from every state except Kentucky,with a maximumof 7oo-9ooin GROSBEAKSTO FINCHES Dickinson,IA, Jan.i8 (DBi). Believeit or Rose-breastedGrosbeaks were recorded at 2 not,a Rippey,IA, feederattracted io Snow Yellow-throatedWarbler in HolmesCounty, locations:an imm. male was in LaSalle,IL, Buntingsand three Lapland Longspurs dur- Ohio,February 2, 1993. Secondwinter record Feb.6-24 (CW), anda wintermale visited a ingthe winter (SR). for the state. Photograph/BruceGlick. Marshalltown,IA, feederThanksgiving-Jan. The onlysizable Red-winged Blackbird 28OK, fide MPr). Lingering Dickcissels ap- flockconsisted of I7,OOOat L. Cal., Feb.z8 OH(AB46:4z9).In thesame report, the Pip- pearedin Sangamon,IL, Dec.14 (DBo) and (WM). Oftendifficult to identifyin winter,a ingPlover at Conneaut,OH, Apr.25-26, was in Menard,IL, Jan.30+ (VK1). Ohio's4th W. Meadowlark was detected in Knox, IL, seenby R. Hannikman,not R. Harlan.In ref- Green-tailedTowhee spent Jan. Io-Feb. z8 in Dec.3I andJan. I 7 (MBm).Yellow-headed erence to Sandhill Cranes,the final sentence AmherstTownship (WA, •RHn, •CH, BG, Blackbirdswere recorded at 3 locations:a fe- in the Waterfowl to Cranes section of the ph.,m.ob.). male or immature in Stark, OH, Jan. 6 summerreport (AB 46:1141), should read, Most winter sparrowswere recorded in (•WSa),one found among amixed blackbird family groupwas alsofound at Willow typicalnumbers. The general consensus that flockin Kossuth,IA, Jan.14 (MK), anda fe- SloughW.M.A, in n.w.Indiana (fide JSC)." Am. TreeSparrow numbers were up across male at a Wadsworth,OH, feederFeb. 13 Alsoin thesummer report, the Black-throat- the Regionwas substantiated by a Feb.z8 (IB). WinterBrewer's Blackbirds are extreme- ed BlueWarbler at BigOak TreeS.P., MO, countin Johnsonand Louisa,IA, that pro- ly rarein Kentucky,making the report of a Jun.25 (AB 46:II43),should be creditedto duced4oo-Iooo birds(RHo). Four docu- singlebird at a Grayson,KY, feeder Feb. 26 Mr. and Mrs. Scheibe. mentedChipping Sparrow sightings came (KC, HC) noteworthy.An albinoand a fromthe n. states,suggesting that this species white-headedpartial albino Com. Grackle Contributors(subregional editors in boldface): lingeredfarther n. than normal.These appearedata feeder in n. Boone,MO, Feb.IX Many otherindividuals who couldnot be records,all singletons, are for Winnebago, IL, (BC).The largest Great-tailed Grackle con- personallyacknowledged also submitted Dec.z 7 (•DWi), Holmes,OH, Dec.z4-Jan. 3 centrationconsisted of 25 near a Jackson, notesto thevarious state reports. J. Ahlquist, MO, farmhouseFeb. 6 (fideBJ). The only W. Akin,IC Alexander,C. Alwood,L. Augus- confirmedN. Oriolereport was of a breed- tine, T. Barksdale(TBk), T. Bartlett(TBt), I. ing-plumedc• "Baltimore"at BlueSprings, Beck,Beckham Bird Club (B.B.C.), J. Bens, MO, Dec. 6 (BF). D. Becher(DBe), D. Bierman(DBi), L. Bin- The decline of winter finches noted in re- ford, R. Biss,D. Bohlen(DBo), G. Bowman centyears continued unabated this season; (GBo),A. Branhagen(ABh), R. Bret(RBr), indeed,the shortage became even more acute. D. Brinkman(DBr), K. Brock,G. Brown,Jr. Smallnumbers of PurpleFinches were wide- (GBr),M. Brown(MBn), M. Brum(MBm), spread,but no count exceeded 30 birds. Red AlanBruner (Indiana), J. Campbell (JCa), L. Crossbillsappeared in 4 states,the largest Carter,J. Casttale(JCs), R. Cecil(RCe), R. flockconsisting of 30 at SandRidge S.E, IL, Chapel(RCh), B. Clark,H. Clay,K. Clay,R. Dec.5+ (LA). A femalestraggled southward Cummins(RCu), RobertDanley (Illinois), to Pulaski,KY, where it appearedat a feeder M. Deaton,J. DeNeal (JDe), J. Dinsmore Feb. z6-z7 (JE). The total White-winged (JDi),S. Dinsmore, D. Dister,I. Domazlicky, Crossbillreport consisted of one at Sand D. Easteta,M. Eby,J. Elmore,T. Fink, C. CapeMay Warbler out of seasonat TerreHaute, RidgeS.E, IL, Dec.IX (KR) and a flockof six Fischer,B. Fisher,J. Fuller,L. Gara,M. Geor- Indiana,Jannary 16, 1993. Photograph/ in IowaCity, IA, Dec. z9 (TK). The only gi (MGe),B. Glick,IC Goslee,D. Graham, Michael RayBrown. Com.Redpoll report was of"a few" at Sioux M. Gustarson(MGu), D. Hancock(DHa), J. (•ES), Marshall,IN, Jan.8-zo (tAB), and Center,IA, feedersmid-January to Feb.8 Hancock(JHn), R. Hannikman(RHa), R. Holmes,OH, Jan.3o-Feb. I4 ('•LY,EM). (JVD);token Pine Siskin counts came from 5 Harlan(RHn), J. Hayes(JHy), J. JHa (JHa), Missouri'sfirst Black-throated Sparrow fre- states.The Regionsonly Evening Grosbeak S.Hazelwood, E Headings,R. Healy(RHe), quenteda roadside ditch 8 miw. of Skidmore, wasa singlebird at Clinton,L., IL, Dec.i2 J. Herman(JHe), R. Hollis(RHo), C. Holt, Jan.ts-zo (DE, KG, ph., m.ob.).This bird, (RCh).Spfld. Eur. Tree Sparrow population D. Humburg(DHu), BradJacobs (Mis- anadult, frequently associated with Am. Tree appearsto beexpanding, with the appearance souri), D. Johnson,T. Johnson,B. Kasse- Sparrows.Savannah Sparrows were reported of z5Jan. i8 (DBo. baum,N. Keller,M. Kenne,T. Kent (TK), J. in 3 states,the largest accumulation 3owin- King,V. Kingsolver(VKi), W. Kingsolver teringat R.E.D.A. (CA, m.ob.). The Region's Corrigenda:Delete the five Oldsquaw report- (WKi), W. Klamm(WK1),V. Kleen (VK1), K. onlyLe Conte's Sparrow reports consisted of ed May 30 at Little Cedar Pt. N.W.R., Kohen,J. Landing,T. LePage,W. Marcisz,P.

Volume 47, Number 2- McKenzie,K. McMullen,D. Mead,N. Mey- E. Schlabach,M. Seymour(MSe), W. Serafin Wykes(RWy), L. Yoder.Many other individ- er,E. Miller,J. Milosevich,Butt Monroe,Jr. (WSe),M. Sieffert(MSi), A. Sigler(ASi), ualswho could not be personallyacknowl- (Kentucky),J. Nichol(JNi), J. Neal ONe), R- RossSikock (Iowa), P. Snetsinger, A. Stamm edgedalso submitted notes to the various Palmer,A. Parker,B. Peterjohn(BPj), C. Pe- (ASm),B. Stanle•A. Stokie(ASk), W. Stover statereports.--KENNETH J. BROCK, De- terson,D. Parker,P. Peterson,E. Pierce,J. (WSt),J. Sweeton,J.VanBenthysen (JVB), J. partmentof Geosdences,Indiana Universi- Pogacnik,M. Proescholdt(MPr), R. Rang Van Dyk (JVD), S. Wagner,C. Watkins,E ty Northwest,34oo Broadway, Gary, IN (RRa), S. Raub,R. Renwick(RRe), IC Rich- Wickham (PWi), J. Wilson, P. Wharton 46408. mond,M. Robbins(MRb), Larry Rosche (PWh), D. Whitehead(DWh), R. Whitton (Ohio), M. Rowe(MRw), W. Sarno(WSa), (RWh),D. Williams(DWi), B. Wykes,R.

CENTRALSOUTHERN • - CrossCreeks NWR • . '• ß Nashville ß Fayetteville • ßReelfoot L t• • REGION - j' DuckR.Unit StephenJ. Stedman TENNESSEE ß Memphis Ft.Smith ARKANSAS WheelerN•/R-•e'V/j •= Winter was warm for the third consecutive ß L•leRock ßSardis L, year.Observers were consequently afield in drovesand discoveredsome remarkablebirds. L•,MillwoodWhite River NWR MISSISSIPPI Nowhere were discoveriesmore remarkable ß B•rrningham than in Louisiana,and nowherein Louisiana • } NoxubeeNWRß thanin Haqueminesparish, notably near ALABAMA • Venice and Ft. Jackson--vagranttraps supreme. :•Shreveport -Mo.... Hummingbirdsinundated the coastand ß LOUISIANA Jackson penetratedwell inland,providing the hall- markof thewinter. Collared-Dove sightings increased,including two well inland;this speciesgives every indication of massivere- •obi•-- lVlontgomeryFLORIDA gionalcolonization during the nextdecade. '-J BatonRouge 't.Gulfport Myiarchusflycatchers staged a conspicuous invasion.These matters and many more were gs•Ft• '% oi welldocumented bya largecadre of coopera- •C...... Par tive observers.To them,thanks and good birding. -,r - Abbreviation:p.a.(pending acceptance [by the winteredin La•yette,MS (VT, GCK eta/.). when230 were sighted in Lake(WGC), but statebird recordscommittee]). Brown Pelicanreports were scarceexcept thatcount was eclipsed by 17ooin LeFlore, fromLouisiana, where the species continues MS, Dec. x6 & i8 (TLS, GCK). Tennessee's LOONS TO SPOONBILLS to recoverits former range, as indicated by 3I 4th Ross'Goose appeared Jan. 27 in Lake Thelone Red-throated Loon report described in CameronJan. 28 (RB) and I4 on L. (JRW,TW, DMc); Alabamds8th, 9th, and onein Baldwin,AL, Dec.I3 (•CK).A single Pontchartrainduring January and February 10thsightings were duly recorded in Lime- PacificLoon, Mississippi's 6th, visited Desota (DMu); silenceelsewhere presumably indi- stone,Clarke, and Perry counties, respectively Dec. 27-3I (MG, •'GCK, JRW, TH, MD); catesthe species' continuing prosperity. (fideGDJ);several Ross' in LeFloreandTuni- two in BaldwinJan. z 0'GDJ, •'DC et al.) The onlyfar-inland Green-backed Heron caleft Mississippiwith morethan a dozen constitutedAlabama's iith record(p.a. wasencountered Dec. I3 & i8 in Putnam,TN records(TLS, GCK, JRW). A.LB.R-C.); and one showed up in Chicot, (SJS,BHS). A firstlocal December record was Dabblingducks brought forth few news- AR,Feb. 6 & 8 (•DM, DS, p.a.A.R.B.R-C.). providedby a GlossyIbis in SantaRosa, FL, worthycomments. Exceptions to this peren- Inland concentrations of Horned Grebes Dec.2i (RAD, LD), whilea RoseateSpoon- nial rule of thumbincluded mention of 56 induded300 in Dekalb,TN, Dec.I3 (SJS),58 bill in Orleans,LA, Dec. 26 (GS, RSe)was the WoodDucks in Escambia,FL, Dec.3 (RAD), in Henry,TN, Dec.22 (DMy, RH), ioo in lonerepresentative of its kind. providingan all-timearea maximum; i5,o00 Clay,TN, Jani6 (SJSet al.), and I50 in Ben- Green-wingedTeals in I/ermilion,LA, Feb.20 ton,AR, Jan. 23 (MM, RD). Theonly report- DUCKS (JK),considered anexceptional aggregation; edRed-necked Grebe, found in Panola,Dec. Sightingsof whistling-ducksemanated only andsmall numbers ofBlue-winged Teal in in- z2 0'GCK), providedMississippi's 8th fromLouisiana, including ii 5 Black-bellied in teriorMississippi and n. Arkansas,deemed record.Eared Grebes appeared in 2 Louisiana EvangelineDec. 20 (WF,GB), eight others in unusual in both states. parishes,3Arkansas counties, 3inland Missis- l•rmilionFeb. 13 (AK), andx3 Fulvous in Or- Divingducks dicited greater comment, sippicounties, and the 2 southernmostAlaba- leansDec. 26 (RHa, JH). FiveTundra Swans anotherRegional rule of thumb.Besides just macounties. The season's only W. Grebe,de- arrivedin Lauderdale,TN, Dec.5, to staya 2 reportsof Redheadand about 20 of Greater tectedDec. 20 in Cameron,LA (CS, PW, DD, full month(JRW); an adult reposed in Cle- Scaup,all involvingfewer than 3o birds,7 SC),was carefully distinguished from Clark's. burne,AR, Dec.24-Feb. 27 (ph.,MP etal.); recordsof singleOldsquaws were submitted: Alabama's first winter record of Greater fouriramatures stopped briefly in Laj•yette, four in Mississippi,and one each in Shearwateroccurred Dec. 3x and Jan. 3, when MS,Dec. 29 (VT);and one immature stayed Louisiana,Tennessee, and Alabama. Single oneappeared in Baldwin (•-ALM, ADM, p.a. withequal brevity in •shington,MS, Jan. xo SurfScotersappeared in Orleans,LA, Dec. 26 A.L.B.R.C.).Flocks of lateeastward-migrat- (GCJ, SK). (GG, CS) and Oktibbeha,MS, Jan.i3-Feb. ingWhite Pelicans were noted during Janu- A new Tennesseehigh count of Greater 20 (TLS etal.), a mid-winter firstfor the latter aryin Louisiana,Arkansas, and Florida; -<36 White-frontedGeese was established Jan. 26, area;and five visited Wapanocca NWR, AR,

266-American Birds,Summer 1993 Dec.2x (KJB). A White-wingedScoter stayed (JRW,'tGCK et al.) was Mississippi's7th. Dec. 6-Feb. 28 on L. Millwood, Little Pa'ver, Single,first-year Great Black-backed Gulls AR (LH, CM et al.), the first scoterever to visitedHardin, TN (JRW); St. Bernard,LA winterthere; another appeared Jan. x9 in Put- (?DMu, JD); Mobile,AL (ph. ?CK); Pen- nam,TN (SJS,DLC, TR), providingthe first sacolaBeach, FL (CW); and GulfFL (JH). localwinter record; the only other report in- For the 4th consecutivewinter Panola,MS, volveda singlein Okaloosa,FL, Dec.x5 (JP). hostedan imm. Black-legged Kittiwake, this A Corn.Merganser in Yalobusha;MS, Dec. x3 onestaying Dec. 8-Jan. z3 (MD, •'GCK,ph. (GCK,JRW) was a rarity. JD); Alabama's6th (p.a.A.L.B.R.C.) re- mainedin Colbertand LawrenceDec. 5-Feb. DIURNAL RAPTORS z8 (BG,ph. ALM, $SMc,$SM). An uniden- Early migratingAm. Swallow-tailedKites tified "crested"tern puzzledobservers Dec. wererepresented by twoin Walton,FL, Feb. z4-Jan.xz in Lauderdale,AL (ALM, MO), z5 (TF, fideDW) andone in Plaquemines,LA, whereeven Royal Terns would be considered Feb.z 7 (JS).At leastfive White-tailed Kites accidental. werereported from Cameronand 13rmilior6 LA (VR, MMu, JK etal.),but nowhere else in DOVES TO GOATSUCKERS theRegion. The BaldEagle concentration at The Eun Collared-Dovecontinues its popu- DaleHollow L., Clayand Pickett, TN, reput- lationand range expansions in the Regions edlynumbered >9 ø duringDecember (fide coastalzone, where it remainslocal and rare, SJS),wing with theReelfoot L. concentra- thoughthat status certainly will not continue long.Besides sightings in coastal Florida, Al- tion for largestreported local group; the Prairie Falconat EnidLake, Mississippi, speciescontinues to increasein coastal December26, 1992. Photograph/JonL. Dunn. abama,and Louisiana,including new loca- Louisiana and n.w. Florida. tionsin BayandGulf, FL (WB),and Baldwin, Amongthe seasons more curious sightings eron,LA, Jan. 24 and Feb. 27 (JKetak). AL (AF,RR), collared-doves were reported in wasthe Sharp-shinnedHawk whichgave a Interiorsightings of shorebirdsnormally Montgomery,AL (LG), where they were noted boomeranga "good hard chase" in Arkansas,wintering only on thecoast were numerous, last summer,and for the first time in Lime- AR, Jan.3 (KY, SY);whether in desperation reflectingthe mild winter.However, a Pec- stone,AL, where one sighted Feb. 6 (MB,fide or in fun wasundetermined. The onlyother toralSandpiper in Shelby,TN, Jan.x6, xs, & GDJ,p.a.A.L.B.R.C.) was just 40 km s. of notableAccipiter report discusseda N. z4 (JRW,MGW et al.) wouldhave been un- Tennessee.If the expansion pattern exhibited Goshawkin Shelby,TN, Jan.zx (JRW). usualeven on the coast.A Ruff in Acadia, LA, bythis dove in peninsularFlorida holds true An ad. Harris' Hawk of undetermined, Dec.x7 ('•SC, DD) anda Wilson'sPhalarope asit expandsits range, most medium to large but suspect,origin was well studied in Cal- in l•rmilion,LtL Feb. x3 (ph. AK) meritmen- urbancenters in theRegion will probablybe casieu,LA, Dec. n (?RBr,RB), while an ad. tion. colonizedby century's end. SwainsonsHawk of unsuspiciousorigin was Concentrationsof 50 White-winged detectedDec. x7 in Acadia,LA ($RSt,MW). JAEGERS TO TERNS Dovesin Calcasieuand Plaquemines, LA,Jan. Rough-leggedHawk numbers were decided- An unidentifiedjaeger at DauphinIs., AL, t5 (PC) andFeb. x6 (RB),respectively, were ly down,with just a singlereport, from Ten- Feb.9 (CW) wasthe only bird of itsgenus re- notable. Common Ground-Doves were un- nessee.Golden Eagle sightings numbered ported.Alabama's 4th and 5th Little Gulls ap- usuallycommon, with two in Lauderdale, four, two from Louisianaand one eachfrom pearedin Perryand Lawrence, Jan. 2 (?MO, TN, Jan.16 (MGW etal.);two in Shelby,TN, Mississippiand Tennessee. p.a.A.L.B.R.C.)and Jan. 7-3 ø (•'SM,GM, Feb.3-x8 (JRW, CB); fourin Yalobusha,MS, Merlin sightingscame from 4 Arkansas JD et al., p.a.A.L.B.R.C.),respectively; an- Dec.x7 (GCK, TLS); andtwo in Tunlea,MS, counties,a good inland showing. Prairie Fal- othervisited Chicot, AR, Feb.8 & x4-t5 (DS Feb.6 & z4 (CB, VR, HD, BW). conshad a fine season:one in Marshall,AL, et al.). The znd California Gull for s.e. A populationof MonkParakeets estimated Jan.7 + (JD,fide GDJ) waslikely the same Louisiana was discovered Dec. 26 in St. at 8o-x5oindividuals isestablished in a z4-sq- birdpresent during winters since x985; anoth- Bernard(SC, DD). A first-yearIceland Gull mi areaof New Orleans(RRu). The only er in Yalobusha,MS, Dec. t-Jan.zz ($GCK, in Gulf,FL, Dec.3o-Feb. 27 (WB, RAD et Groove-billed Anis reported outside JD et al.) wasprobably a returneefrom the al.) waswell studied. One imm. andfour ad. Louisianawere at the PascagoulaR. Marsh, previouswinter; sites in Popeand Benton, AR, LesserBlack-backed Gulls were seen in 3 MS, Dec.z7 (KJB).Burrowing Owls in Mis- alsohosted this falcon Dec. zI (HE MP etal.) Louisianaparishes (SC, DD, KVR, DMu, sissippi,AR, Feb.z6-z8 (EP et al.), continu- andJan. 30 (KG,MM), respectively. PY, '•AK) late December-earlyJanuary; an inga fall•99 z record,and in Walton,FL, Feb. adultin Florence,AL, Dec. x7-Jan.x4 wasAl- xx(fide DW) wererare. The only Short-eared CRANES TO PHALAROPES abamœs5th ('•ALM, p.a.A.L.B.R.C.);the Owlsreported were in l•rmilion,LA, Feb. z 7 SeventeenSandhill Cranes in Arkansas,AR, onein Biloxi,MS (JD), returnedfor thexoth (JK);Lake, TN, Jan.z 7 (JRW);Noxubee, MS, Jan.zo-zz (KY, SY et al.) constitutedthe winter. Dec. xx (TLS); and Tunica,MS, Jan. 30 largestflock in thatstate since x9xx; five were Certainlythe seasons most tantalizing bird (MD). A Corn.Nighthawk was late in Shelby, unusualin Baldwin,AL, Dec. z6 (RAD, LD); wasthe probable Slaty-backed Gull appear- TN, Dec. 3 (JRW);another wintered in East an ad. and a flockof xz wereunexpected in ing Feb.x3-z6 in Tunica,MS (ph., •JRW, BatonRouge, LA (AK,SC, *L.S.U.M.N.S.). Laj•yetteand Madison,MS, Jan.z4 (MD, ?GCKetal.). A first-year-immature,thebird VT) andFeb. 3-to (TLS,WT etal.),respec- displayedcharacteristics consistent with the HUMMINGBIRDS tively;flocks of 38and z6 in Rapidesand Je• few descriptionsof imm. Slaty-backedsI Ninespecies ofhummingbird wintered in the j•rsonDavis, LA, Jan. t6 (JK)and Feb. z-t8 found;photographs, reviewed by Dan Gib- Region,many in exceptionalnumbers. A (RB) werealso unusual; early migrants were son(University of Alaska),also lent credence banderin Louisianaexperienced her best in Putnam,TN, Feb.8 (RWS). to the identification.Intriguingly, the bird bandingyear ever (NN), but claimedthat SixSnowy Plovers in Cameron,LA, Feb. z 7 carrieda steelband, apparently not recently eventhat superlative failed to indicatethe (JKeta/.); ->30 in Escambia,FL, duringearly usedon gullsby U.S. banders(DB, fide awesomemagnitude of the hummerinva- December(RAD); 37 in Bay,FL (TM), dur- JRW). sion. In Alabamaand Mississippi,many ingthe season; and several in Gulf,FL, Dec. At leastone Glaucous Gull appeared in St. hummingbirdsformedy considered vagrants, 30 (SJS)were the only ones reported. A tally Bernard,LA, Jan.9 (JD, •DMu) and Feb.6 butnow expected constituents of thewinter of zooo Am. Avocets was counted at Cam- (SC, DD); another in TunicaJan. 23-29 avifauna,were banded (B&MS). Arkansas

Volume 47, Number 2- 25? experiencedits besthummingbird winter *L.S.U.M.N.S.).Three Brown-crested Fly- Nebo in I•ll, AR, Dec. 2i and Feb.2o (WS et ever,recording 4 species. The only geographic catchers also found homes in Plaquemines,al.). American Tree Sparrows were reported exceptionto the blizzardof nectar-suckersLA, Jan. t6 (SC, DD, PY, $DMu, only from Lake and Madison,TN offde wasTennessee, where none materialized. *L.S.U.M.N.S.), and two morewere noted MGW). A Clay-coloredSparrow in Vermil- A roughcount of hummingbirds observed, thereFeb. z3 ($DMu). Myiarchussp. that may /on, LA, Feb.7 (videotapeGBr et al.) was by minimumnumber of individualsin each havebeen Ash-throateds were sighted in noteworthy.Lark Sparrows were represented state, follows: Broad-billed two in LA; Evangelineand Calcasieu,LA, Dec. zo (RSt) byone in Shelby,TN, Dec.2I (SNM);anoth- Buff-bellied--i5 in LA, two in MS, and one and Jan. i8 (RB), respectively.A Great er in Polk,AR, Dec. i6 (LA); and threeon the Kiskadeewintered in l•rmilion,LA (ph. Pine Prairie,LA, CBC Dec. 2o (DP). WE). Scissor-tailedFlycatchers were sighted Henslow'sSparrows in l•rnon,LA, Jan. 4 in 3 Louisianaparishes and Gulf, FL, Dec. 30 (CSh)and Ft. Morgan,AL, Feb.3 (CW)were (W•). newsworthy,while eight in DeSotoN.E, MS, Well n. of its usualwinter haunts,a Barn Feb.5 (CW) representedquite a healthycon- Swallowvisited Henry, TN, Jan.I3 (TW). centration.Harris' Sparrows were reported ThreeBewick's Wrens were reported, includ- from 2 Arkansas counties and 2 Louisiana inga single in Lowndes,MS, Jan. ro-3o (TLS) parishes.Lapland Longspurs were represent- and differentbirds in Benton,AR, Jan.I7 edby state high counts ofI 9 in Limestone,AL, (MM) and Feb. 6 (RD). A Northern Feb.28 (SMc); zoo+on the Crowley,LA, Wheatear,residing in Acadia,,Dec. i7-Feb. CBC Dec.17 OffdeDMu); anda whopping z7+ (videotapeSC, DD etal.) andestablish- I9OOin Tunica,MS, Jan.i6 (JRW).Twenty- ingLouisiana's 3rd record, delighted numer- sevenSmith's Longspurs at the Stuttgart Air- ousobservers, as did a Mountain Bluebird in portin Prairie,AR, Feb.7 (WS etal.)were ata thesame parish Jan. 3-Feb. z7+ (MMu etal.). traditional site, but one was consideredrare in Benton,AR, Feb.28 (MM), aswas another VIREOS TO DICKCISSEL in Bolivar,MS, Dec. i8 (GCK). A Bell'sVireo, appearing in Plaquemines, LA, Western Meadowlark numbers were note- Jan.3 (ph.KVR etal.), was seen again Jan. 22 worthy,with one in Benton,AR, Jan.30 (AS).Lingering late in Clay,AL, Dec.2 (RS) (MM), four in Tunica,MS, Feb.I3 (JRW, wasa TennesseeWarbler; another may have GCK), and<2i in Shelby,TN, duringDe- beenwintering when seen Jan. z in Iberville, cember (JRW). Bronzed Cowbirds were Ash-throatedFlycatcher in NoxubeeCount},, LA (SC, DD). SingleYellow Warblers and deemed more abundant than usual this win- Mississippi,in February1993. Third state record. Photograph/JeffR. Wilson. Black-throatedGrays were in Plaquemines,ter inJe•rson, LA (NN), where<•5 wintered LA,Jan. 3 (PW) andDec. 24 (KJB),respec- at a singlesite. Many N. Orioleswere report- in AR that provideda staterecord and re- tively;another Black-throated Gray intermit- ed from Louisiana;one in Oktibbeha,MS, mainedall seasonin White(ph. MP, HP); tently regaledobservers in Cameron,LA, throughoutthe season(RL, MC, TLS) and Ruby-throated--ninein LA and one in mostof the season(RSt, RB et al.). A Prairie anotherin •te, MS, Dec. 28 (JRW,GCK) FL/AL; Black-Chinned--i5+ 3 Archilochus Warblerfound Jan. 2 on theGulf ShoresCBC were considere rare. sp.in LA, two inAL, threein MS, andone in providedAlabama's 3rd winter record(JVP, PurpleFinches were again decidedly un- AR; Anna's--threein LA, oneinAR, banded, TWe).American Redstarts in Laj3urcheand commoneverywhere in the Region.House providinga 2nd state record, that was present Plaquemines,LA, Dec.2o (MR) andJan. 3 Fincheswere not reported much except from allseason in Faulkner(MJ etal.);Calliope-- (KVR)were the only ones reported. Three re- s. Louisiana,w. Arkansas,and n.w. Florida-- twoin LA andtwo in MS, furnishing2nd and portseach of Ovenbirdand N. Waterthrush "frontier"sites at which the species continues 3rd state records);Broad-tailed--six in LA; came from Louisiana. to increase.Red Crossbills were represented Rufous•25 in LA, four in AL, one in MS, A CSMacGillivray's Warbler, Louisiana's by only one individual on theNoxubee, MS, and threein AR; Allen's--two in LA, and one 8th,was well studied in (whereelse?) Plaque- CBC Dec. I9 (GCK). Pine Siskinswerescarce in AL, for the 3rd state record; Rufous/ mines,Feb. 23 (PY, •'DMu). Rare during win- asever; Evening Grosbeaks, merely a mirage. Allen's--i4 in LA, onein MS, andone in FL ter alongthe Gulf Coast,a Yellow-breasted (i); andhummingbird sp.--i2 in LA. Chat wascounted on the Gulf Shores,AL, CorrJgenda:In AB 47, Spring1993 issue, the CBCJan.2 0-RAD, LD). S.A.on p. io6should read"The 2nd Regional FLYCATCHERSTO THRUSHES SingleSummer Tanagers in EastBaton Recordfor Broad-billed Hummingbird came A LeastFlycatcher identified by call in Rouge,LA, Dec.22 (GL, KVR etal.)and New Oct.12-13, when a • (notcS-type) bird was Plaquemines,LA,Feb. z3 (DMu) was the only OrleansJan. i7-i8 (DMu) werethe only ones observed..." one reported,though an Empidonaxsp. reported.Western Tanagers were considered turnedup in lOrmil/on,LA, Jan.I6 (video- rarewhen noted on theArkabuda, MS, CBC Cootribotors(subregional editors in boldface): tapeGBr, PC). Rapidesand Cameron,LA, Dec. 27 (MG) andwhen photographed in Alabama Bird Records Committee hosteda Say'sPhoebe apiece, the former Feb. Rankin,MS, Feb.27-28 (WT etal.). (A.L.B.R.C.), ArkansasBird RecordsCom- 6-I 3 (-•Jlet al.) andthe latter Jan. 30 until at Providingthe firstJanuary record for the mittee(A.R.B.R.C.), LeifAnderson, Robby leastFeb. z 7 (MMu etal.). Single Vermilion locale,a BlueGrosbeak stopped off in Santa Bacon,Michael Bierly, William Boyle, Roger Flycatchers,one on the •shington,MS, Rosa,FL, Jan.13 (RAD). IndigoBuntings Breedlove(RBr), William Bremser(WBr), CBCand present until Jarl. z3 (GCK) andan- werereported from 5 Louisianaparishes, as KennethJ. Brock,Gary Broussard (GBr), otherstaked out in Hancock,MS (JD),were wellas Baldwin, AL, Dec. 30 (RAD, PT) and GeorgeBroussard, Carolyn Bullock, Danny thespecies' only representatives notlocated in Putnam,TN, Feb. 6 (SJS,BHS). Painted Bystrak,Steven Cardiff (Louisiana), Daniel Louisiana.An Ash-throated Flycatcher stayed Buntingreports came only from 3 parishesin L. Combs, Dwight Cooley, Margaret in NoxubeeFeb.6-25 ('•TLS, ph. JRW etal.), Louisiana, which issued two Dickcissd re- Copeland,W. GlenCriswell, Marvin Davis, providing Mississippi's3rd record; in portsas well; the latterspecies appeared in Helen Dinkelspiel, Donna Dirtmann, Louisiana at least one was in Cameron Baldwin,AL, Jan.23 (WBr) and inBolivar, RobertDobbs, Lucy Duncan,Robert A. throughoutthe period0'DMu, •'A&GS), MS, Feb.22 (NH) aswell. Duncan,Jon Dunn, W. Edwards,Thomas one visited•rmil/on, Dec. 17 (videotape Fleck,William Fontenot, Ann Forster, Larry KVR),and one found a homein PlaqueminesSPARROWS TO GROSBEAKS Gardella,Murray Gardler,Ben Garmon, Jan. i6 (tDMu, SC, DD, PY, Rufous-crownedSparrows remained on Mt. KarenGarrett, Richard Hale (RHa), James

268. American Birds, Summer 1993 Harris,Tom Heatley,Nona Herbert,John DollyannMyers (DMy), NancyNewfield, bara H. Stedman,Stephen J. Stedman, Hintem•ister,Ronald Hoff, Greg D. Jackson Michael Owens, Helen Parker (Arkansas), Ronald Stein (RSt), Phillip Tedow,Vic (Alabamaand n.w. Florida),Martha John- Max Parker(Arkansas), David Patton,Jan•es Theobald, William Turcotte, Martha G. son,J. Kielman,Clive Knee, Gene C. Knight, V. Peavy,John Porter, Robert Reid, Van Rein- Waldron(west Tennessee), Phillip Wallace, ShannonKnight, Andrew Kratter, Ruth Lee, sen, VirginiaReynolds, Michael Rhodes, Donald Ware, Melvin Weber, Ted Weems LouisianaState University Museum of Nat- ThomasRobeils, K.V. Rosenberg,Robert (TWe), Barbara Wilson, Jeff R. Wilson, ural Science(LS.U.M.N.S.), David McCar- Russell(RRU), Martha Sargent, Robert Sar- ChristopherWitt, TerryWitt, KarenYaich, rol (DMc), SteveMcConnell (SMc), Susan gent,Terence L. Schiefer(Mississippi), Rose- ScottYaich, Peter Yankey, about 5o additional N. McWhirter,Tony Menart, A1 D. Miller, marySeidler (RSe), John Severnair, Clifford unnamedobservers.---STEPHEN J. STED- Ann L. Miller, Mike Mlodinow, Duane Shackelford(CSh), William Shepherd, MAN, Departmentof English,Box $053, Moren, GeraldMoske, Sue Moske, Michael RichardW. Simmers,Jr., Don Simons,A1 TennesseeTechnological University, Cooke- Musumeche(MMu), David Muth (DMu), Sinalley,Gwen Sinalley, Curt SorrelIs,Bar- ville, TN 385o$.

wayalmost a V2-mito freedom (RD, BOu)!A dudedfour at GardinerDam Jan. x7 (FR) and PRAIRIEPROVINCES less inventive Yellow-billed Loon in Edmon- threeat RiverHills, MB, Feb.5 (BN). Sharp- tonwas rescued by a scubadiver and released shinnedHawks were reported in Albertaat REGION at L. Wabamun, late December(GL et al., EdmontonDec. 6 (fidePM) &. x9and Jan. x9 RudolfEKoes and Peter •ylor ph.),and another lingered at GardinerDam, at Taber(LBt) andJan. x8 near Lethbridge SK,Nov. 28-Dec. zz (RKr,MHy, BG,JPetal.). (RMu).Northern Goshawk reports totaled xo A TundraSwan lingered at EchoL., SK, in Saskatchewanand x 5 in Manitoba,indicat- aboutDec. 5-I 5 (RKr,RH, MHy, SSh),and ingsome movement out of theboreal forest. Aftera faidymild start, very cold weather en- anotherpaused at St.-Georges,MB, Dec. xz Gyrfalconsightings induded four in Manito- gulfedthe Regionfrom mid-December to (PT). ThreeTrumpeter Swans were at Water- ba,eight in Saskatchewan,and>x9 in Alberta, mid-Januar)•Conditions for thebalance of tonLakes N.E, Dec.xz (fideTD). More than indudinga whitebird nearCochrane, AB, theseason were less severe but stillgenerally 3oo0 CanadaGeese remained in Medicine Feb.z8 (JS,MSt). PrairieFalcons were seen cold,except for a mildweek around the end of Hat,AB, through December, but most left in matingin MedicineHat asearly as Jan. xo January.In easternManitoba, snow accumu- earlyJanuary (DBo). (BV). latedsteadily through November and De- A Green-wingedTeal was a CBC firstat Gray Partridgeswere very scarce: xzo on cember,then remained throughout the peri- Lethbridge,Dec. •9 (LBt).Two Am. Black nine of zz Manitoba CBCs, contrastedwith od. Fartherwest, snow cover was lighter, Duckswintered for the 4th consecutiveyear 43zin Winnipegalone in I988,while 709 on muchof it disappearingin February. Overall, at Regina(RE, RKr, CB). Two record winter 33Saskatchewan counts was a xo-yearlow; the it wasa dull birdingseason. Most flocking countsof Mallardswere reported in Alberta: specieswas also scarce in Alberta.The cool, passefineswere scarce or patchilydistributed ->z4,oooin Calgaryin mid-December(IH) wetsummer and high Red Fox populations at best,while a promisingcrop of straggling and •ooo on the Oldman R. near Taber Dec. likely contributedto theselow numbers. waterbirds was soon frozen out. 19 (LBt). EstimatedMallard totals at Gar- Ruffedand Sharp-tailed grouse were also gen- dinerDam were •6oo, Jan. •7 (FR) and>zooo erallyscarce. Four Killdeer lingered at Taber Abbreviations:AB (Alberta);MB (Manitoba); Feb.z (BL).Few other waterfowl were report- L., AB, to Dec. xx(LBt). Februaryz8 wasa SK (Saskatchewan). edbeyond mid-December, even in Calgar)• strangedate for a Ring-billedGull at Spruce Unusualsightings included an Oldsquaw at Grove,AB; overwinteringseems likely (VB, LOONS TO GULLS Estevan,SK, Dec.4 (WH), Manitoba'sfirst fidePM). Morenormal was a GlaucousGull A Corn.Loon at Lacdu Bonnet,MB, stillhad winterHarlequin Duck at Pinawa Dec. 5 (PT at GardinerDam Dec. 5, (SSh),and four re- ampleopen water when last seen Dec. xz etaL),and four White-winged Scoters at Lac mainedat Nipawin,SK, to Dec.xo (WH). (PT);the same day, one was trapped by ice on du BonnetDec. x (RP, DBy). theBow R. in Calgary,and "tobogganed" its Mid-winterreports of adult Bald Eagles in- OWLS TO WOODPECKERS An E. Screech-Owl called in Win- nipegat temperaturesdown to - x7øFin Januaryand February, con- foundingour owl-finding theories (RKo). The highestSnowy Owl / WoodBuffalo Nat.Park ß ' countswere x7 Dec. 6 and x4Jan. •t •L.Athabasca z4, within xookm, nearElie, MB (BN), plus nine within 7¸ km from GardinerDam to Hanley, SK,Jan. x7 (FR). Snowy Owl pel- •= -GrandePrairie - lets retrievede. ofLibau, MB, con- tained _

Volume 47, Number 2- 269 fromArmit Dec 24 (WH) andthe CandleL mpeg(RKo) Fiveerrant Cape May Warblers A fewsmall flocks of White-winged Cross- area(BL). appearedin Calgaryin November,and two bills visiteds.e. Manitoba,Jan. •o-Feb. 2o Exceptionalnumbers of Short-earedOwls lingeredinto December--oneseen with a CommonRedpolls were uncommon Region- concentratedabout •o mi e. of Calgary Yellow-rumpedDec. I8 (NC), andone found wide,with few flocksexceeding 2o birds (m.ob.),with a peak count of 23 Feb. 20 (TK); deadDec. •9 (JV,sp.). Amazingly, a Yellow- HoaryRedpolls were extremely scarce, but 2o sixwere seen s.e. of Milestone, SK, Dec. •2 & rumpedWarbler survived in Calgaryon a wereseen near Good SpiritL., SK, Jan.I I5 (CB,MBa, RMo). The only reported Bore- high-energydiet offruitcake (NC etal.);oth- (BA). By contrast,Pine Siskins were abun- al Owl wasat Kleefeld,MB, Feb.•I (CP,DF). erindividuals were seen in CalgaryDec. •7 & dantin s.w.Manitoba in earlywinter; num- One N. Saw-whetOwl wasfound at Wey- 3• (RW) andin Claresholm,AB, Jan. 9 (GN). bersdeclined there, but increaseddramatical- burn,SK, Jan. •9 (NP), andone died in abarn lyin s.e.Manitoba around the end of January, nearWhitemouth, MB, Feb.•8 (BOp, PT). CARDINALS TO HOUSE SPARROW whenflocks of •o-3o birdsarrived at many TwoThree-toed Woodpeckers visited a dead A c3 Northern Cardinal overwintered at Ft. feeders.This mid-winter redistrihution may sprucetree in MedicineHat in lateDecember Saskatchewan,AB, Oct.3•+ (ph. LG), anda havebeen triggered by anexceptionally mild (fideDBo), and one wandered widely in Was- female overwinteredat Ponoka, AB (BB, spell.Small flocks of Am. Goldfincheswere canaPark, Regina, early November-Jan. m.ob.).A • "Spotted"Rufous-sided Towhee seenacross s. Manitoba from Bird's Hill EP. to (RKr, CB et al.). Another Wascanawood- at Beynon(MBi, RS, MHr) wasan excep- Brandon.Evening Grosbeaks were again pecker,a Red-shaftedFlicker, was seen Dec. tionaloverwintering record in Alberta. largelyconfined to the fringesof the boreal • (CB) and founddead in a nestbox in late A FoxSparrow in Pinawasince Dec. 5sur- forest,mainly in Manitoba.Low numbers of January(RE). A few otherN. Flickersover- viveda windowstrike Jan. 27 and was still go- HouseSparrows were noted away from urban winteredin citiesin eachprovince. ingstrong Mar. 23 (L&CC, PT). Otherun- centers in Saskatchewanand s.e. Manitoba usualsparrows included a Songnear Lac du This findingindicates at leastsome local CORVIDS TO WARBLERS Bonnet,Jan. 2 (PT), a Lincoln'sat White- movementof thissedentary bird during hard Clark's Nutcrackers were seen near L. Waba- wood,SK, Dec. n-•8 (ph.JP), singleover- winters--or,perhaps they're getting out of mun,AB: oneJan. 29 andtwo Feb.8 (fide winteringWhite-throateds at Prince Albert, theway before the House Finches arrive! PM). White-breastedNuthatches seem to be SK (BL and Ardrossan,AB (DBr), and a on the increase across s. Saskatchewan to White-crownedat Pike L. P.E, SK, Jan. 2 Contribntors (subregional compilers in bold- MedicineHat, AB (m.ob.).Forty-one Am. (SSh).Increasingly frequent at winter feeders, face):Bill Anaka, Elsie & JackAtkins, Martin Dippersconcentrated along • mi of the Harris'Sparrows were seen in all3 provinces; Bailey(MBa), Vern Ball, DennisBaresco KananaskisR. s.e.of Canmore,AB, Dec. 3• the5 reportsincluded one overwintering at (DBo),Keith Barr, D. Barry(DBr), Doug (PS). Lethbridge(fideTD). Barry(DBy), Billie Beddingfield,Leo Be- Townsend'sSolitaire reports were well SnowBunting was the 2nd most abundant langer(LBr), Lloyd Bennett (LBt), Myrtle aboveaverage: three in theCalgary area (TK specieson ManitobanCBCs, and several Biggs(MBi), CarolBjorklund, Flossie Bog- et al.), threein MedicineHat (DBo), and "a flocks of 5oo-•ooo were reported in dan,A. Bowland,Nancy Cook, Les & Chris few"overwintering in Edmonton(PM), as Saskatchewan,mainly in December.Distrib- Crosthwaite, Ken De Smet, RossDickson, were>2 in Regina(KB, RKr,FL et al.) and utionwas patchy, however, with someob- TeresaDolman, Robert Ewart, Dennis Fast, onein Saskatoon(FR). Other single Towns- serversfinding them scarce.The Taber Jim & LaureenGardner, Ken Gardner,Bob end'sSolitaires were seen near Douglas EE, "blackbirdfarm" had nine Red-winged Girvan, Gordon Grieef, Leah Gunther, Ian SK, Dec. 2o (FR), at Swift Current, SK, in Blackbirdsall winter, six Yellow-headedsun- Halladay,Wayne Harris, Michael Harrison December(fide CB); at SevenSisters dam, til mid-December,and •5 Brewer'sFeb. 23+ (MHr), MalcolmHayes (MHy), RonHoop- MB, Nov. 29-Dec. 7 (GG, RKo, PT et al.) (LBt).The highestRusty Blackbird counts er,Bill Jones, Rudolf Koes (RKo), Terry Ko- and near Kleefeld,MB, Nov. 2I-Dec. 3¸ were•3 in theSpring Valley area, SK, Dec. •8 rolyk,Robert Kreba (RKr), MaryKrueger, (T&EW, DF et al.). VariedThrushes ap- (FB) and•5 on the CBC in Carberry,MB, FredLahrman, Bob Luterbach, Gerry Lunn, pearedin CalgaryDec. 23-26 (JS), Edmon- Dec. 27. Pat Marklevitz, Rick Morell (RMo), Ross ton, to Jan.23+ (AB), MooseJaw, SK, Dec. 2 A RosyFinch visited Cold L., AB,in Feb- Munroe(RMu), Bob Nero, Grace Norgard, & 7 (E&JA), and Swift Current,SK, in De- ruaty(fide PM). PineGrosbeaks were com- Bud Opie (BOp), Bob Ouellette(BOu), cember(fide CB). In Manitoba,four Varied mononly at the edgeof the borealforest, RobertParsons, Clark Penner,John Pollock, Thrusheswere reported,and individuals from Pinawa, MB, to Prince Albert, SK. Nick PosteyMarlene Priske, Frank Roy, overwinteredin Winnipeg (J&LG) andAsh- Countsof eightPurple Finches at Weyburn, Karyn Scalise,Stan Shadick(SSh), Peter ern (MP,MSi). Jan.3• (NP) and •4 at VictoriaBeach, MB, Sherrington,Martin Siepman (MSi), Shirley BohemianWaxwings were generally Jan.I6 (DF et al.) wereunusual. The House Sillito (SSi),John Steeves,Marion Steeves scarce,but almost2500 were tallied on 3 Finch sagacontinues with overwintering(MSt), RobertStorms, Peter Taylor, Jeanette CBCsin w.c.Manitoba (Dauphin, Minne- recordsin all3 provinces: four in Regina(KS, Vancise,Ben Velner, Ray Wershler, Ted & dosa.and Swan R.); the only other high count BJ),three in Weyburn(LBr), three or fourin Emma Wiens--RUDOLF E KOES, was500 in Saskatoon,Feb. 2o (FR).About 50 Altona,MB (MK et al.), and two in Card- RossmereCres., Winnipeg, MB, RzK OGI; CedarWaxwings overwintered in Saskatoon ston, AB (SSi,LBt). ThreeCBC recordswere and PETER TAYLOR, Box 597, Pinawa, (SSh)and several flocks of-<4o stayed in Win- providedin Manitoba. MB, ROE IJO.

spreadsub-2oøF temperatures. This cold spell creasedafter the coldsnowy late December NORTHERNGREAT broughtample snow cover that remained over period,apparently pushed farther southward mostof the eastern part of the Region, but dry Manyobservers commented on the lack of di- PLAINSREGION conditionscontinued in Montana.Late Janu- versityof species;most of thisperceived lack GordonBerkey arywas mild, and much of thesnow cover had wasprobably due to another poor showing of dissipated,but February was colder, unlike re- finches. centyears when late winter was much above normal. LOONS TO WATERFOWL Afterfive consecutive mild winters, tempera- Mildfall weather enabled afew semi-hardy ACom. Loonlingered on L. Elwell,MT, tureswere close to the long-term average. The speciesto surviveinto late Decemberand throughDec. •9 but was not seen later (HM) first part of Decemberwas mild, but mid- helpeda terriblylost Inca Dove in Mandan A Pied-billedGrebe was seen in Fall R., SD, Decemberthrough mid-January saw wide- lastuntil Dec. 24. Severalhardy species de- onthe late date of Jan. 2, anda probablewin-

270 AmericanB•rds, Summer 1993 teringRoss' Goose was in Brook- ingsJan. 30 (JSP).An Am. White Pelicanwas seen flying up theYel- ßShelby MedicineLakeNWR I UpperSourisii[ •,•lyer NWR lowstoneR. at Miles City on ßBowdo•n NWR ß NWR• '""-' ChristmasDay, after a week of very • • •----, NORTH GrandForks• cold weather (CL). A Green- For1PeckRes. DAKOTA • wingedTeal at Garrison Dam Dec. x2 was late (GB), as was an Am. • NWRFargoe ',• Wigeonin GrandForks Dec. •7 I•GreatFal• / • •''•GParr•nB•Aød ..... (EF). An Am. Black Duck win- rckL•'Lew'støwn / • tered at L. Yankton, SD (SVS). An , •j•'Milescity • •nger

Oldsquawwas in Yankton,Dec. WaubayNWR ß 8-•5, and one at GarrisonDam, ND, Jan.23 & •-4(RM) mayhave beenmoving through at that late date, as none had been seen there -,&•Billing• . ,<-. SOUTH•• •; sinceDec. 6. Onceagain a Barrows i.=;.;?•idCity DAKOTA SiouxFa,s. Goldeneyewintered Canyon L., Black Hills SD (NW). Of five Red-breasted ßLacreek NWR Yankt%n Mergansersat Ft. PeckDec. •o, a pairspent the winter (CC). ConsiderableBald Eagle migra- tion occurred in Montana and N. Dakota it untiljust before the CBC period and, un- at Sawyer(RM), Minot, Long L. N.W.R. throughthe early part of the CBC period, but fortunately,few were able to seethe dove. Al- (AMV), and Fargo(D&DW); the lastwas thecold snap caused most to continueS, and thoughthe bird was wild, skepdcs might have seenalive Jan. •o. NorthernShrikes may have fewerwintered along the Missouri below Ft. arguedthat thisspedes could not possibly pushedfarther S than normal;after good Peckand GarrisonDams. Sharp-shinnedhave made it this far north on its own, but the numbersthrough early December, the N. Hawksstayed at 4 S. Dakotasites, at Het- widespreadwanderings of Inca Dovesthis DakotaCBC totalwas the lowest in 2oyears. tinger,ND (D&CG), and at Malta,MT fall wouldseem to dispelany doubts.How Mostwinter Loggerhead Shrike reports from (MTS). The Maltabird became trapped in a manytrue vagrantsare discountedby the thisRegion may be erroneous. One at Long lumber warehouse and was netted and re- birdingcommunity because it is believed they L., Dec. 22, wasthe first for N. Dakota with leasedat nearbyBowdoin N.W.R. Goshawks couldn't have wandered so far without human adequatedocumentation (MH), whileone in werepresent in fairbut unexceptionalnum- assistance?Some S. Dakota birders believe Pennington,SD, Jan. 22 (NW) wasalso con- bers.The proportion of adukswas relatively that a rejected•983 record from their state sideredunusual, even though it wasseveral high,perhaps indicative ofpoor reproduction should now be reconsidered,so the N. Dako- hundredmiles farther south. Swamp Spar- the previouscool summer.Rough-legged ta birdmay represent the 2nd record for the rowsseen Dec. •9 at Mayville,ND (DL) and Hawkswere low in theChester, NT, vicinity, Region. Jan.2 in FallRiver,SD (JSP)provided the 2nd but a trip fromBillings to YellowtailDam It wasa good winter for Snowy Owls, with winterrecords for each state. Two juncos at a Jan.x, netted a countof 26.A GoldenEagle reportsas far south as Hyde and Deuel, SD. In GrandForks feeder Dec. x2 (MK) appearedto was found on a still- quiveringyearling mid-February-qo were seen daily in Grand havebeen "Gray-headeds"; this subspecies pronghornn. of Pompey'sPillar, MT, Feb.23 Forksand Walsh,ND (EF). Four wintered in hasbeen recorded twice previously only in (WR). It hadapparently brought its much thevicinity of Chester,MT (HM). NearFar- the s.w.part of the state.A Brown-headed largerprey down by breakingits back. Mid- go, a BarredOwl repeatedlyflew against a Cowbirdat J. ClarkSalyer N.W.R., Dec.z• winterPeregrine Falcons were in Bismarck, window,attempting to attacka parrot;the (GE) wasa rarewinter sighting. Eastern N. Jan.7 (AP) andin Penmngton,SD, Feb.•4 parrotdied, presumably of fright. Three re- Dakota birderswondered whether Purple (MM). A totalof n Gyrfalcons,including portsof N. Saw-whetOwls werefrom N. Finchesmight be decreasingbecause of the sevenfrom N. Dakota, two from Montana, Dakota,including a dead specimen collected increasein House Finches, but most winter andtwo in Stanley,SD, Dec. x2 (J&RP), were by a cat. The presenceof five Red-headed fincheshave been reduced for severalyears. reported.White birds were seen at Bismarck Woodpeckersat 4 Fargoarea sites (RHo, et Therewere only 5 reportsof PineGrosbeaks in earlyFebruary (TL) andn. ofHazen,ND, al.)was surprising, asthere were only about 4 e. of the mountaim. About 6o Red Crossbills Feb.xo (BD). previousoverwintering records for the state; winteredat a pineplantation near Denhigh, another was seen near Bismarck. The Red- ND (GB), and 2o wereseen in Codington, GALLINIDS TO WOODPECKERS belliedWoodpecker at a Miles City, MT, SD,Jan. 29 (BH), butthere were only 3 other Pheasantnumbers remained high in N. feeder in the fall was last seen in mid-Febru- reportsof •-2 Redse. of themountains and Dakota;•636 on the LongL. CBC nearly ary.A tallyof PileatedWoodpeckers on the onlyone of a singleWhite-winged Crossbill. doubled the previousstate record. A FargoCBC nearly doubled the previous high Redpollswere present in the northin small Franklidsand a Californiagull were late at anddocuments the increasein thee. partof numbersbut were reported from only one S. Oahe Dam, SD, Dec. 5 (BH); the latterwas the Region;they continueto be seenin Dakotacounty;, no Hoarieswere noted. Pine the latestever for the state.Herring Gulls Roberts,SD (BH). Siskinsightings were sporadic in thew. Dako- werelast seen Dec. z7 at GarrisonDam and tas but commoneast. Evening Grosbeaks aboutJan. • at Ft. Peck.The IcelandGull, PASSERINES went unreportedfor N. Dakota,the entire Nov. z9+ wasseen again at GarrisonDam The Varied Thrush in Grand Forks died Dec. season the first winter since•973-•974 in Dec.6 (RM). MourningDoves seldom sur- zz;the retrieved spedmen, a first for the state, whichthey have not beenseen--but there vivethe winter sofar north, but one madeit at wasgiven to theUniversity ofND (DL).An- mayhave been a few morethan normal in Thompson,ND (RLR). An amazingly other Varied Thrush wasin Roberts,SD, Dec. Billings(WR). tough,though misdirected, Inca Dove that x2(MSS). Bohemian Waxwings were widely arrivedat the Mandan, ND, feederof Frank distributedin w. NorthDakota but were very Contributors (subregionaleditors in boldface): and GladysBrazda in Novembersurvived scarceeast, with none seenin Grand Forks MONTANA; CharlesCarlson, Carey Lund, temperaturesbelow-zoøF until last seen Dec. or Fargo.An unprecedentedfour Brown HarrietMarble, William Roney,Michael T. 24(FG, RNR, GB).Birders were not aware of Thrashersattempted to winterin N. Dakota Schwitters. NORTH DAKOTA: Gordon

Volume 47, Number 2- 271 Berkey,Brian Dinkins, Gary Eslinger, Eve Randall,Russell L. Rytter,Anna Vos, Dennis NathanielWhitney.--GORDON BERKEY, Freeberg,Florian Goldman, David & Car- & Diane Wiesenborn. SOUTH DAROTA: Divisionof Science,Minot StateUniversit• olynGriffiths, Mary Hunnicut, Martha Kle- Bruce Harris, Michael Melius, JeffreyS. Minot, ND 597o7. vay,David Lambeth,Tom Lewis, Ron Mar- Palmer,Juanita & RichardPeterson, Dennis tin, RobertO'Connor, Amy Price, Robert N. Skadsen,Mark S. Skadsen,Steve Van Sickle,

in e. Oklahomaappears to be a meccafor GreaterScaup were reported from 2 localities SOUTHERNGREAT Com.Loons, with 73 reported Feb. 23 (MMI). in Oklahomaand from 3 in Kansas,with the Otherslikely wintering were reported from L. maximumnumber observed •7 in Keith,NE, PLAINSREGION Hefnerand Tulsa during January and Febru- Dec.x9 (RCR, DJR). Oldsquaw reports came ]osephA. Grzybowski ary.An EaredGrebe seen Feb. 28 in Tulsa(PS, in for 4 locationsin Kansasand for 3 in Ne- JL)may also have spent the winter, and 26 W. braska. One was discovered as far south as Grebeswere still present on L. McConaughy, Bryan,OK Dec.I OWe).Five White-winged Keith,NE, Dec. •8 (SD, RS). Scotersin Cowley,KS (WH) werethe only Althoughlarge portions of Kansasand Ne- AmericanWhite Pelicans were widespread scoters reported. Exceptional was a Barrows braska and northwestern Oklahoma were in n.e.Oklahoma (JM, MMI, m.ob.).Three, Goldeneyein Osage,KS (GK). Alsoexcep- snowcovered for an extendedperiod, most includingone injured bird, were present in tional in number were 6000 Corn. Gold- observersconsidered it an otherwiseaverage Lincoln,NE, to Feb.I+ (BJR).Great Egrets eneyesin Lincoln,NE, Dec.17 (RCR, DJR). winter, perhapsonly a little harsheron continueto makelate showings in Oklahoma CommonMerganser numbers in Okla- ground-feedingpassetines. The rest of Okla- with one Dec. n in Garvin,(JSt). An un- homa were low, while Red-breastedMer- homahad another placidly mild winter. Sev- commonsight was a Black-crownedNight- gansersappeared to bemore common than in eralresident passerines may have maintained HeronFeb. x8 at L. Hefner(JGN). previousyears. At L. Hudson,Mayes, OK, 87 density-dependentpopulations, perhaps forc- Twoad. and four imm. Trumpeter Swans Red-breastedswere counted Jan. x6 (MMI, ing someindividuals, such as wrens, to be- weredocumented in Osage, OK, Jan.6 (DLR, DC, KG). CommonMergansers apparently come extralimitaL BG) andmay represent a coming trend in winteredfarther north, as •o,ooo were report- Mlodinow characterized Eastern Bluebirds winteringbirds. Seven were noted in Keith, ed in Lincoln,NE, Dec. z9 (RCR, DJR). as common in northeastern Oklahoma. Car- NE, Dec.x8 (RCR, DJR) &•l 9 (SD, RS).Col- olinaWrens are certainly maintaining their lared birds are almost a safe bet to be Trum- RAPTORS TO OWLS numbers acrossmost of Oklahoma. Numbers peters,as are very dark immature swans. This TurkeyVultures stretched their wingsinto of PineWarblers were high in southeasternshould make us all lookmore closely at Tun- Comanche,OK, Feb. 2 (KB), and Cleveland, Oklahoma.More than the usual scattering of draSwans such as those reported Dec. 3• in OK, Feb.6 (VB). NorthernGoshawks made EasternPhoebe and Orange-crowned War- Comanche,KS (MT, SP) and Jan. i7-24 in a modestshowing in Kansas,furnishing 4 blerobservations were reported in December Cowley,KS (MT, pJ,JNo). records.A Peregrineor twoagain graced the andJanuary. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers also A noteworthy250,coo Snow Geese were downtowndistrict of Tulsa(m.ob.). Fifteen appearedto bemore common in centralOk- beheldDe& 2 at DesotoN.W.R., NE (JT). Merlinswere reported this season, a healthy lahoma.The surgeof LeConte'sSparrows Ross'Geese continue to be reportedin in- sample. notedin thefall report was validated, at least creasingnumbers in theRegion. Twelve were A marshwith a warmwater spring in Gar- for some areasof Oklahoma, where these se- notedFeb. 26 & 27 in Canadian,OK (JGN) den,NE, appearsto haveprovided favorable cretivesparrows could be flushed at will from andsmaller numbers in 5locations in Kansas. abodefor a KingRail observed Dec. •9 (RCR, mostpatches with suitabletall, thickgrass One, a veryrare blue morph, was observed DJR).Another surprise was a Sora Rail Feb. 13 cover. Dec. •2 in Pottowatorhie,KS (DR). in Sequoyah,OK (TR). The morehardy waterfowl appeared to The onlyAm. BlackDucks reported were A numberof shorebirdslingered or win- concentratein thenorthern portions of the sightedin e.Kansas (fide LM). A Blue-winged teredin theRegion, including a Black-bellied Region,with good numbers of somespecies TealDec. 2o in Jeerson,KS (GP)was tardy. Plovernoted Dec. •7-Feb. 5 in Sequoyah,OK reportedfrom Nebraska.Buteos (JM, m.ob.). GreaterYellowlegs appearedin reasonablygood num- werenoted as far northas A/•/•, -Chadron bers,with Ferruginous Hawks per- Jan. 3z (JH, JN, JM). Seventeen hapsin modestnumbers into the were observedFeb. 2 in Johnston,

middleof the Region.Although ß Crescent Lake NWR OK (JWe).A SpottedSandpiper not outstanding,a representative Lake McConaughy lingereduntil Dec. i in Tulsa(SB et number of waterbirds and shore- - • ..•soo,•u•,• NEBRASKA•No.Platte• al.), and two were present Dec. I• •/• •Grand island birds that are normally more in Johnston,OK (JWe). southerlyin theirwinter distribu- A FranklinsGull wasnoted Jan. I5 tion, werefound. This mayhave in Tulsa(SM). An ad. Common been particularlytrue of cor- Black-headedGull at PerryL., Jef- morantsand pelicans,though. •rson, KS Dec. 8-28 wasvideo- Moore commentedon the large Hays.KANSAS .Topeka taped(CH, m.ob.),providing the concentrationsof geesethat win- first fully documentedrecord for tered in Kansas. Kansas.Although a shadowof last yearsfind, >6 California Gulls were Abbreviations:L. Hefner (L Herher, reportedfrom e. Kansas.A pale OklahomaCo.,OK). Placenames Thayer's/Icelandtype Gull was in italics are counties. presentin Sedgwick,KS, Jan 6 (PJ), and >5 Thayer'swere claimed for LOONS TO DUCKS Kansas,with a few more for Ne- WaShirax'•-,•Oklahoma City A Pacific Loon was was noted Dec. braska,including one well decribed zz in Canadian,OK (JGN), where from Keith,NE, Dec. I8 (SD). An this bird, or a znd, was observed ad. Lesser Black-backed Gull was Feb.27 (JGN, MO). LakeTenkiller =" TishomingonotedFeb. •8-Mar. 3 at L. Hefner,

272-American Birds, Summer 1993 notedJan. •4 in Scott,KS (TS). teringin Tulsawere also unusual(DH, An extralimitalRock Wren spent the win- m.ob.).AVesper Sparrow Dec. zo inJe•rson, ter on the Ft. Gibson Dam (TR, m.ob); two KS (GP) wastardy. LeConte's Sparrows ap- notedFeb. •3 at Tenkiller L.,Sequoyah, Chero- pearto behaving a populationpulse, almost kee,OK (MMI, DC, KG) maybe spin-offs common in Carter, Cleveland,and Coman- fromthe population buildups of thelast sev- che,OK (JAG,BF). A SwampSparrow Dec. eralyears in w. Oklahoma.A CarolinaWren x9in theWichita Mts. wasthe first to benot- w. in Morton,KS, Jan.z wasalso outside its edthere (JAG). An undocumentedreport of a normalrange (SP). A CanyonWren discov- Golden-crownedSparrow was received for eredeadier in Morton,KS wasstill present Jeerson,KS, Dec. 2 (RR).A fewChestnut- Jan.6 (SS).Several Sedge Wrens wintered in collaredLongspurs Feb. I7 in Tulsa(JWi, ES) Tulsaand were observed Jan. 3o-Feb. x4 • may havebeen early migrants. Among the PS et al.). Winter Wrens bravedthe snowin few winter records of Brewer's Blackbirds for FontenelleForest, Sarpy, NE, Dec. 6 (MS) w. Nebraskawas that of 3o birdsnoted Dec. andpersisted in Buffalo,NE, Jan.z4-3o (RH, x7 in Garden(RCR, D JR). LR), andDakota, NE, Jan.zo-3x (BH). A PineGrosbeak was duly reported Jan. Four Townsend's Solitaires wan&red E to x-4 in Geary,KS (CO). WinteringPurple Kearney,NE (RH, LR).A surpriseany time, a Finchescontinue to berelatively scarce, caus- VariedThrush graced Scott, KS, Jan. x4 (BC), ing oneto wonderabout their interaction while another visited a feeder in Omaha with HouseFinches, which have finally made (JWv,m.ob). A maverickGray Catbird that it intos.e. Oklahoma (fide BH). RedCross- mayhave spent the winter in Omahawas seen billswere fairly numerous in farw. Nebraska Sapsuckerwintering at •shomingo National (RCR, DJR) but werescarce elsewhere, with Wildlife Refuge,Oklahoma. Possibly a Red- Feb.7-8 (WN). Amongvery few recent re- .aped, althoughthe amountof whiteon the portsof BohemianWaxwings was that of one onlyfive reported Feb. ix, andone Feb. x5 in face and the nearly-completeblack border Dec.x9 in RileyKS (TC). NorthernShrikes Omaha(JS, M J). CommonRedpolls made it aroundthe !•roat suggesta Red-napedx werescarce in w. Nebraska(RCR, DJR), al- s. to Gear3KS, Dec.z4 (DLS).Pine Siskins Yellow-belliedhybrid or evena variant Yellow- thougha fewmade it intoKansas. Three Wa- finallymade an appearance across the Region bellledSapsucker. Photograph/Steve Metz. ter Pipitswere either tardy or winteringin thiswinter, after several years of scarcity;they likelythe samebird appearingsince x984 Keith,NE, Dec.x9 (RCR, DJR). were actuallyconsidered common in e. (JGN). Another,accounting for the znd A SolitaryVireo was again discovered in Kansas.A c•Lesser Goldfinch that turned up record for Nebraska,was noted Dec. x7 in in Jackson,OK, Feb.x (EB)provided one of Lincoln,NE (SD, RS). GlaucousGulls were fewwinter records. Four Evening Grosbeaks reportedfrom 7 locationsin Kansas,two in Dec. x6 in LeFlore,OK (LA), one Dec. i6 in Oklahoma and two in Nebraska. Harrison,NE (SD, RS), and oneJan. 24 in Certainlythe find of theseason, and prob- Halsey,NE (TB)were among the very few re- ablyof theyear, was a Ross'Gull in znd-win- portedin thepast several years. terplumage discovered bySteve Dinsmore at SutherlandRes., Lincoln, NE, Dec. x7. The Observers(area editors in boldface):KANSAS: firstreported for the Region, it remainedun- KenBrunson, Ted Cable, Barbara Campbell, til Dec. z7. Joann Garrett, Chris Hobbs, Wayne Inca Dovesappear to be stagingan up- Hochstetler,Pete Janzen, Nan Johnson,Dan surge,with one reported from Seward, KS, Kilby, Geln Koontz,Dan LaShelle,Lloyd Jan.x (SP), three in Ford,KS, Dec. x9, three in Part of a familyof TrumpeterSwans i. Osage Moore,John Northrup (JNo), Chuck Otte, Scott,KS, all winter (L&BR), and one Dec. County,Oklahoma, lannary 3, 1993. SebastianPatti, Galen Pittman, Paul & Billie z9-Jan.z9 in Jackson,OK (IM). Hard to Photograph/PatriciaSeibert. Rhudy,Leonard & BettyRich, David Rin- come by sincethe mid-x97oshave been McCurtain,OK Jan.z (fideBH) andasecond toul, Richard Rucker, Scott Seltman, Tom SnowyOwls. Only one was reported this sea- wasreported from Carter,OK Dec.24 (BF). Shane,Max Thompson,Trish Wilds. NE- son,from Pratt,KS, Dec. x9-zx(KB). Lingeringwas a NashvilleWarbler Dec. xo in BRASKA:Mark Brogie,Steve Dinsmore, A RufousHummingbird visited a feederat Sumner,KS (fide DK). Thiswinter also pro- RobinHarding, Bill Huser,Marilyn Jensen, Leavenworth,KS, Dec. 3-6 (TW). Another duced a few Com. Yellowthroats in Tulsa Feb. Jan& RichardJohnson, Wanda Neaderhiser, was noted in TulsaDec. m-Jan. x7 (ML, I4• 27 (PS,JL etal.). BabsPadelford, DorothyJ. Rosche, Richard m.ob.).The rotationof feederbotdes by a C. Rosche,B.J. Rose, Julie Schroeder, Mark dedicatedhummingbird watcher was likely TANAGERS TO FINCHES Shubert, Ross Silcock,Jerry Toll, John instrumentalin allowing it topersist through A Pyrrhnloxiain Morton,KS, Jan. x-Feb. z8 Weaver(JWv). OKLAHOMA: LiefAnder- freezingweather. (JG, NJ) providedonly the 2nd Kansas son,Edith Bishop, Scott Bucker, Kenn Butts, record.A Dickcissel,undoubtedly lost, was Vicki Byre,David Chapman, Peter Dunne, WOODPECKERS TO WARBLERS notedin Osage,OK, Dec.x 9 (PH).Unusual BrushFreeman, Bonnie Gall, KarenGarrett, An apparentRed-naped Sapsucker was pho- in migration,but evenmore so in winter, JosephA. Grzybowski,Jim Harman, Berlin tographedFeb. xz-x9 in Johnston,OK (PD, wereGreen-tailed Towhees in Scott,KS, Jan. Heck,Paul Hendricks, Margaret Lindsey, Jo DS, m.ob). The recordis unusualin that the •-z3 (L&BR)andJ•rson, KS Dec. x9 (CH). Loyd,Louis McGee (LMc), Jeri McMahon, speciesis normallya migrantthrough the A Rufous-sidedTowhee staked a hardyat- Ina Mery, SteveMetz, Mike Mlodinow veryw.border of the Region. The photos may temptin Antelope,NE, Feb.x4 (MB). Likely (MMI), John G. Newell,Jimmie Norman, stillneed to beexamined more dosely to de- one of the better finds of the season was a MitchellOliphant, Dan L. Reinking,Tom terminewhether it wasa hybrid. Black-throatedSparrow Nov. 3o-Jan.7 in Roberts,Pat Seibert, Eleanor Seig, David Sib- A TreeSwallow lingered until Dec. 19 in Johnson,KS (P&BR, m.ob). Surprisingly, an- ley,John Steding (JSt), Jack D. Tyler,Jeff l•goner,OK (JM). A Clark'sNutcracker otherwas noted in Dixon,NE, Jan.z-Feb. 28 Webster (JWe), June Wilson (JWi), Jim sightedFeb. x9 in Sioux,NE, wasunusual (J&RJ,m.ob.). A flockofxIo Chipping Spar- Woodard.--JOSEPHA. GRZYBOWSKI, (RCR, DJR). TwelveCom. Bushtitsthat rowsin Comanche,OK, Dec. x9(JDT etal.) I7OI Lenox,Norman, OK 73o69- pushedout onto the plains were discovered in wasexceptional; >60 were noted Jan. 2 in Me- Morton,KS, Jan. z (SP).A singlebird was Curtain,OK (fideBH). Theone or twowin-

Volume 47, Number 2- 273 Kickapoo,Laguna Atascosa, Sabal Palm, and portsin Texasare concentrated in spring and TEXASREGION Santa Ana. earlysummer; however, two at Ft. Worth GregW. Lasley and Chuck Sexton Dec.19 (ph., ?CH, MPW, TR) andanother LOONS TO IBISES at SantaAnaDec. 3o-Jan.2 (•'JI etal.) would Red-throated Loons seemed to be all over n.e. constituteunusual winter records, if accepted Texasthis season,with threeat L. Murvaul, bythe T.B.R.C. It was a mild and wet winter over most of Panola,Dec. 27 (KN), twoat L. TexomaJan. Texas.Coastal and south Texas were generally 9+ (HG, LLe eta/.), and another at L. WATERFOWL frostfree. The LowerRio Grande Valley and TawakoniJan. 31 ('•M•4'h, D&LB, DO, AV) FulvousWhistling-Ducks are rare in the partsof westTexas were a bit drierthan nor- joinedby a znd bird by Feb.7 (•'RK, GH, L.R.G.V.during winter, so two at SantaAna mal,but no realdrought conditions were re- JN). PacificLoons have been reported in in- Dec.31 were unexpected (JI), aswas a group ported.The Panhandle,in fact,had an abun- creasingnumbers during recent winters, but of 43 on MustangI., Feb.14 (TA). Several danceof snowafter several years of verylitde thisseason only three were seen, two at L. largeconcentrations of Black-Bellied Whist- of thewhite stuff. Observers might have pre- TawakoniDec. i2-Feb 7 (•-RK,JN, AV etal.) ling-Duckswere notedalong the coastal dicted an influx of northern and montane andone at GooseI., Aransas,Feb. 27 (•'DW, bend,with i2ooat oneKleberg site Dec. 2i species,but quite the opposite occurred, with JF etal.). LeastGrebes were reported in "in- (N&PP)and 2500 at L. CorpusChristi Feb. many late-lingeringand overwinteringcredible" numbers from all of s. Texas and t6 (fideSWh) most noteworthy. Twenty-two speciesfrom the Panhandle southward. muchof the coast.As manyas 50 Least TundraSwans spent the winterin the Pan- A numberof reportersspeculated that the Grebeswere on a singlelarge pond in San handlecounties of •rry and Yoakum(AG, predominanceofPacific fronts, as opposed to Patricio,Feb. 8 (GL et al.), with numerous BR, SM), and two were at BoerneDec. 22 Arcticair masses,may have been responsible other reports of"dozens"at ponds in Kleberg (EXV)and four in FayetteDec. z6 (DN). An for inhibitingthe onset of a harsherwinter, andelsewhere in s.Texas (fide PP). Another imm.swan at the LouisvilleFish Hatchery, with its attendant avifaunal shifts. The con- LeastGrebe wandered all the way up the coast Denton,Dec. 28-Feb.27 (•-KL, m.ob.) was tinuedpresence of a sprinklingof western to Houstonduring the fall, where it remained identifiedby many as a Trumpeter.If accept- speciesat moreeasterly longitudes would ap- until Feb. 2+ (PDH). MaskedBoobies were edby the T.B.R.C., this would represent the pearto be symptomaticof the samelarge- reportedoff Aransas,with <6 sightedJan. 3rd staterecord. The presenceof 62 Ross' scalephenomenon. The unprecedentedin- I6--I7 (EL); thisspecies is unusualin Texas Geeseat Lorenzo,Crosby, Feb. 7 (ML) was flux of selected waterbirds from lower lati- duringwinter. Northern Gannets were re- unprecedented,where rarely are more than a tudes(e.g., Northern Jacana, Masked Duck) ported in greater-than-normalnumbers half-dozenseen in aseason (fideCSt). Canada wasalmost certainly the resultof wet and alongthe coast from Galveston s.to S. Padre Geesewere scarce in s. Texas(fide PP, AO et mild conditionsin northeasternMexico, hav- I. A BrownPelican wandered inland to Irion, al.), but •oo,ooo wintered in Lubbock inglasted nearly z years. where it was found exhausted and later re- (L.E.A.S.).Muscovy Ducks continue to be turnedto a rehablocation (TOM). This bird reportedalong the Rio Grandefrom Falcon Abbr•viali0ns:Ft. Bliss (Ft. Blisssewage ponds, providedonly the 2nd Concho Valley record Damto Bentsen,with a high count ofi 9 seen E1Paso); G.M.N.P. (Guadalupe Mrs. N.P.); forthe species. An extraordinaryzo,35o Dou- at SalinenoDec. I7 (fideTP).Initial enthusi- L.R.G.V. (Lower Rio Grande Valley); ble-crestedCormorants were seen along a asm over the Jan. •3-i6 observationsof a S.S.W.T.P.( SouthsideWater 7•eatment Plant, stretchof MustangI., Dec.26 (TA),while a White-cheekedPintail near Angleton, Brazo- Dallas);U.T.C. (Upper7•xas Coast). Short- singleDouble-crested overwintering at Lub- ria,was quickly doused upon the discovery of enednames for respective county, state, or na- bock wasunusual (CSt). An Am. Bittern at a waterfowlcollector nearby, who had pur- tionalparks, wildlife refuges indude Aransas, BigBends Rio Grande Village Dec. 30 (MR, chaseda pair of"Bahama Ducks" shordy be- Attwater,Bentsen, Big Bend, BuffaloL., GL) wasunexpected. Recent Glossy Ibis re- fore the observations were made. The T.B.R.C. currently accepts a i978-i979 recordof this spedes from LagunaAtascosa, but there ßAmarillo havebeen recent rumblings about ß Buffalo Lake thatbird as well. Certainly this sea- NWR sonsexperience in Brazoriaunder- scoresthe need to beextremely sus- ßMuleshoe NWR •/Vichitaß Hagerrnan NWR: piciousand cautious regarding all ß Lubbock Falls rarewaterfowl reports. What ap- Fort Worth pearedto be an Am. Wigeonx ß ß Dallas Gadwallhybrid was photographed .^bi,ene \ in LubbockFeb. 5-7 (ML). A Eur. Wigeon at Ft. HancockJan. 27 (•ph. BZ) wasthe 4th for that area. GreaterScaup were reported more often that normal at scattered loca- •. • TEXAS • tions in the s. two-thirds of the state.Lesser Scanp, whose numbers [ havebeen greatly reduced inthe BaffinBay system during years of browntide, were present in near- normal numbers(•ooo) on the Cayodel Grulloin late February (PP).No Oldsquawswere seen in • Kingsvilleß Texasthis winter, in contrastto re- ports for previouswinters. A • ß •ate White-winged Scoter at L. Park TawakoniJan. 3I (MWh) provided a first winter record. The Barrow's

274- American Birds, Summer 1993 Goldeneyepresent in LaPorte, Harris, in De- Turkeysseemed more abundant than usual in cember1991, was seen sporadically at the thes. Texas Brush country around Kingsville, samelocation Dec. 17-Jan.I5 -+ (?BH, LLa). Riviera,and Falfurrias (fide PP). A colonyof BlackRails was found on privateproperty in SanPatricio, Dec. 19(A&MC eta/.), an extra- ordinaryfind for that area,while a single Black Rail was flushed from a controlled burn Texas experienceda virtual invasionof in MatagordaDec. 6 (JBe).Elsewhere along MaskedDucks, a speciesthat is typically less thecoast, birders had little luck sighting the than annual in occurrence, The first was species,but the raptors seemed to findthem: foundin Seadrift,Calhoun, Dec, •4-Jan.3 Ortegowatched a Merlinwith a BlackRail (•'ph.,PH, JT,m. ob.)• while x-4 wereseen at Jan.lO in Calhoun,while an Am. Kestrelwas Brazos Bend S.E, Ded• 20* (m.ob.), A eyedfeasting on another at BolivarPen., dur- MaskedDuck sighted in C9rpusChristi Dec. ing late February (WB). Common 20 (fideCC, ?A&MC)wasfound dead Jan. i Moorhens,typically alocal summer resident (*fideT.C.W.C.•, while ye• another was seen in n.c.Texas, could be found in goodnum- at SantaAn• •. 25-3i•'ph,, GDL):The berswintering near S.S.W.T.P., Dallas (PS). most incredibleMasked Duck bbservationof Stehnreported I2i ad.and 15 imm. Whoop- theseason,however, wasi5•9 reportedfrom ingCranes at Aransasthis winter. This total a privateSan Patricio location inmid-January of I36 birdsrepresents a loss of IO birdssince (TB)•In 6•e?to document •he record, other lastyear, but there were apparently no losses observers(CC, GL) were allowedonto the thiswinter in Texas.A countof I5I Piping JuvenileSwaiusou's Hawk south of SanAngelo, p?dpe• Febl 8, with• DucksPlovers along Mustang I., Dec.I4 (TA) was Texas,on February5, 1993. Either a veryrare •ou0te•and phq5ographe d On2 lhrg•p0n•, noteworthy,as was a countof>50 Mt. Plovers winteringbird or a very early migrant. ceFtainlythe mos• ever observed • one time nearEdroy, San Patricio, Feb. 20 (E&NA).At Photograph/MarkLockwood. inth••nited States: An indiyidual Was found least two Black-necked Stilts wintered at at ,•9i•ra Feb::z7(?JG). Watch the spring DoniphanMarsh, E1 Paso, for the 2ndyear GULLS ;fi•mawfo•sd•r re•6}ds! ...... (BJeta/.); beforelast winter, there had been FranklinsGulls, rare anywhere in theUnited no winter records for the Trans-Pecos. A va- Statesin mid-winter,were reported several times,with threeDec. 22 at Uvalde (AJO, EW), twoin Lewisvillein mid-January(LH, PdlFrORS MR), and another at Ft. Hancock Jan. Black-shoulderedKites turned up in several z4-Feb. z8 (DE, BN, BZ). Little Gulls unexpectedlocations late this season; one at seemedto turnup everywhere, with one adult NacogdochesFeb. 25 was the first for that area at WacoDec. x-Jan. 3I+ (?JMu,m. ob.), one sinceI979, while anothernear L. Electra, to two (ad.and zndyear) at White RockL., Wilbarger,Feb. 27 (RR)provided a 2ndlocal Dallas,Feb. 5-27 ('•R&NA, m.ob.),an adult record.Black-shouldered Kites were present at CooperL., Delta,Feb. 13 (?MWh), andan- againin goodnumbers in theKingsville and otheradult the same day in s.e.Dallas (?EW). Falfurriasareas, after 2 yearsof fewsightings Detailswere receivedfor two separatead. (fidePP,AO). An impressiveconcentration of Com. Black-headedGulls, one seenin far n.e. I3 BaldEagles Jan. x5 in Harris(PDH) wasun- Texasin Bowie.Jan. 2 & 2o (?CMi, D&DH) expected.A Corn.Black-Hawk was reported andanother at closerange at Drum Pt. on at SalinenoFeb. 26-z 7 (JBu),and another was BaffinBay, Kleberg, Feb. 28 (?AO). If accept- seenat nearby Zapata Feb. 27 (JI). A record44 ed, thesewould representthe 5th and 6th Harris'Hawks were found on the Kingsville Texas records. A first-winter Mew Gull was CBC Dec.zo (fidePP). GrayHawks were photographedat Ft. HancockJan. 26 (?BZ), seenat Salineno, Bentsen,and Santa Ana. A representingthe 2nd Trans-Pecosand 4th SwainsonsHawk at SanAngelo Feb. 5 (ph., Texas records.The first- (or 2nd?-) winter ML) wastotally unexpected, while others at California Gull at L. Waco recorded in the fall FalfurriasFeb. 9 & I3 werealso unusual (AO, reportwas seen through Jan. 17+ (fide FBu). N&PP).A Zone-tailedHawk was sighted in Fo.r Masked Ducks (of thirty-sevenpresent) at Another first-winter California Gull was in Bastropduring February (BF, EK etal.). Fer- one locationin San PatricioCouM•, Texas, SanAntonio Jan. 5-9 (?ph.,WS) whilean February8,1993. PhotograplVGregW. tasley. ruginousHawks were more widespread than adult wasseen in ¬'ctoria,Feb. 2 (BO). A re- normalin n.c. Texas(fide CH). A Crested grantso far north in winterwas an Am. Avo- portof twoHerring Gulls at MidlandDec. Caracarawas at an unusual location, along the ceton a smallplaya near Crosbyton, Crosby, 12-x7 (FW)was unusual. A first-winter Thay- coastinJe•rson, Dec. z 3 (BG),while another Feb.7 (ML). Thetwo N. Jacanasreported last er'sGull studiedat White Rock L., Jan. 24 atTornillo, Hudspeth, Jan. I3 (ph.BZ) maybe fall fromFalcon remained through Feb. z3•, (?CH, MR) would constitutethe first docu- the first documented wild bird in that area of butthey were not the only ones to showup in mentedrecord for n.c. Texas,if accepted. the Trans-Pecos.Banded Aplomado Falcons Texas this season. Another was discovered Now routinewere >7 coastalLesser Black- continued to be seen at Brownsville and Fal- nearSeadrift, Calhoun, Dec. lO+, while yet backed Gulls between Brownsville and Port furrias(TP, AO eta/.). anotherwas at SantaAna Feb.1•+ (JI, TP et Aransas.An unexpectedrecord of thisspecies a/.). A few unusualshorebird records were wasfurnished by an adult seen in thee. Texas PRAIRIE-CHICKENS TO SHOREBIRDS furnishedat the Trans-Pecos,including a pineywoods at L. Livingston,Polk, Dec. 29 Ortegofound 13 Attwater's Greater Prairie- LesserYellowlegs at Ft. HancockJan. z4-Feb. (?DFi,D J, NB). Singleimm. Glaucous Gulls Chickensnear Refugio Feb. •o, whileonly 13(DE, BN, m.ob.),77 Long-billedCudews wereat theBrownsville Dump Dec. 28-Jan. 2 fivecould be foundat the Attwaterrefuge, at FabensJan. z6-•7 (BZ), andtwo W. Sand- (?ph., CH, JH, m.ob.), San AntonioJan. Colorado,Feb. I9 (fideJHo)."Fair numbers" pipersand five Dunfins at Ft. HancockJan. 3-30(-•ph, WS,), and Mustang I., Feb.20-28 of thisspecies were reported at a closedpri- 24-•7 (DE, BN, BZ). (?ph., TA, DW, JF). An ad. Great Black- vate site on the central coast(CC), Wild backedGull at CorpusChristi Dec. 3x-Jan. 2

Volume 47, Number 2- •r/5 (•'ph.,A&MC, PI) wasa rarefind. A 3rd-win- MM). Wolfreported that this is the first Rock ter Great Black-backed Gull was discovered Wren record for that area of the state. The in n.e. Texasin Harrison,Dec. 3o (•'GLu, first winter record of Carolina Wren in Mid- DBro).The bird relocated about io mi away, /andwasof one (or two?)Dec. 12and Feb.13 to LakeO'The Pines,where it remainedJan. (FW, m.ob.). Elsewhere,several Carolina 3-Feb. 2 (ph., JLu, PHa, HB, JD et al., Wrensin thePanhandle spent the winter as m.ob.).This recordrepresents the firstfor well;one was found in PaloDuro Canyon Texasaway from the coast. Dec. I2 (KS) andJan. 2o (RS), andtwo were in CaprocksCanyon, Briscoe, Jan. 3 (KS). DOVES TO NIGHTJARS EasternBluebirds enjoyed increased abun- TheWhite-winged Doves that nested in Lub- dancealong the U.T.C. in Jeerson,Cham- bocklast summer remained into winter; eight bers,and Harris (BG, GDL), with someob- werefound Dec. I9 (RE), whileanother visit- serversreporting "more than they have ever ed a CollegeStation feeder in Januaryand seen before." Mountain Bluebirds and February(CCa). A roostof >zoooWhite- Townsend'sSolitaries were extremely scarce wingedswas present in a residentialblock of in the Panhandle(KS) and in otherareas ofw. n.Austin in Decemberand January (fideCS). Texas aswell. A lone Mt. Bluebird was unusu- IncaDoves again wintered in Amarillo,and allyfar e. at CanyonL., Comal,late Decem- otherswere found in Vega,Oldham, Dec. 4 ber-Feb.8 (CiR, ph., DH, DBe et al.). Re- (RS)and Palo Duro Canyon Feb. 28 (KS). A portsof fiveClay-colored Robins came from Green Parakeet was at San Antonio's Calaw the L.R.G.V. (SantaAna, Bentsen,McAllen) erasL., Dec. 24-27 (WS), and the Groove- Dec.I7-Feb. 24 (m.ob.). Gray Catbirds occa- DownyWoodpeckers rarely approach the billedAni seenin DallasDec. 24-26 wascer- Mexicanborder, and this one provideda first sionallyturn up in winterin c. ands. Texas, but one in the Panhandle discovered at Palo tainlya surprisefind (CR, TGo, WP).A pair conat• recordat El Paso,Texas, on January22, of Elf Owlsagain wintered at Bentsenand 1993. Photograph/BarryZimmer. Duro CanyonDec. •9+ (TMa, JR, m.ob.) werecalling there by early March (R&LG). A tonioR. nearthe coast Jan. 27 (CC) andone constitutedan amazingrecord. Three Sage "treefull" of Long-earedOwls may occur in at E1 PasoJan. 22-29, providingthe first Thrasherswere observedboth Jan. 24 and someareas of thecountry, but IO foundin a countyrecord (BJ, ph. BZ). Feb.4 (AO) in theFalfurrias area, where even singletree in n.e.Texas in Archerwasan un- a singlewinter sighting of thisspecies isnote- usualevent (fide DMc)! The latestCorn. FLYCATCHERSTO SWALLOWS worthy.Furnishing a new recordfor the L. Nighthawklingered in SanAntonio until A carefullydescribed Hammond's Flycatcher Tawakoni area was a Curve-billed Thrasher Jan.5_+ (WS). in McKittrickCanyon Feb. 8-27 (•'JGe etal.) in Rains,Dec. Is-Jan. 3 (ph.,JH). Oneof the furnished a first G.M.N.P. winter record, outstandingrarities of the seasonwas a Bo- HUMMINGBIRDS TO WOODPECKERS whileat leastfour Gray Flycatchers wintered hemianWaxwing discovered in a flockof Perhapsa larger smattering ofhummingbirds at Big Bend'sRio GrandeVillage (PI, ph., CedarWaxwings at PaloDuro CanyonJan. overwintered this winter than in harsher GL, BW).A "Western"Flycatcher was pho- 28(•'MEm, JJo); there are currently only 3 ac- years.The SintonBroad-billed Humming- tographedat Utley, Bastrop,just outside ceptedTexas records. Loggerhead Shrike con- bird reportedin the fall remainedthrough Austin, Dec. 22-24 (•'GP,DBo). This record tinuesto bequite abundant in s.Texas, with Feb.19 for a totalof 99days, the longest-stay- represents the first for thesuper-species in c. plentyof wintering birds and a growing num- ing Broad-billedever found in Texas Texas.Say's Phoebes made a widespreadbut berof year-roundresidents (PP et al.). This (L&MS). Recordsof Anna'sHummingbirds sparseincursion into n. ande. partsof the trendis of interest,particularly considering seemeda bit morenumerous (5 birds)away state.with records asfar-flung as Randall, Pot- thespecies' decline in otherareas of thecoun- from w. Texas. Small numbers of Buff-bel- ter, Palo Pinto, Harrison,and Goliad.An E. tr)• liedsreached the U.T.C. About sevenRufous, Phoebeat Midland Feb.4-20 (JMe et al.) four Broad-tailed,and two Archilochushum- providedone of only a fewwinter reports ever VIREOS,WARBLERS mingbirdswere reported in central,south, fromthat area. Tropical Kingbirds continued A HuttonsVireo at Ft. BlissJan. 14 (ph., BZ) and coastal Texas. Observers differed over the tobe reported from their 2 Cameronoutposts providedE1 Paso's first winter record. Archer identityof a Selasphorusseen at Salinenoin of recentseasons. Two late Scissor-tailed Fly- reporteda Yellow Wadoler Jan. 9 anda Blue- January;it seemedto "fit the bill" for an catchers remained in Dallas on Christmas wingedWarbler Jan. 9-1o in Medina.A very Allen's(m.ob.). Another probable Allen's was Day (B&CH). A Rose-throatedBecard was unusualwarbler record was that of a Lucy'sat in Houston, but detailed documentation or seensporadically atSanta Ana Jan. 2+ (fideJI, BigBend Ranch, Presidio, Dec. 9 (•'JGe).A photosare still lacking. A RingedKingfisher R&LG). Cave Swallowscontinue to be con- Black-throatedBlue Warbler spent much of atWelder Ref., Dec. •7 (CC)was noteworthy. spicuousin s.and parts ofc. Texas during the the winter at Sabal Palms. A Black-throated Fartherafield were three Ringed Kingfishers winter. Two Cave Swallows in Bastrop,Jan. 9 Greenwas in CorpusChristi Dec. 3 (CC), all seasonat Ft. Clark,Kinney, two at Mill (JA) weremore unexpected. A Jan.I Barn whilea Townsend'shung around with a cou- Dam,Comfort Feb. 8 (fideSW),and another Swallowat Aransas(PH) wasearly, as was a pleof White-collared Seedeaters atSan Ygna- Jan. 27 on IndependenceCr., l•rrell (JK, pairinvestigating a nest site in KerrvilleJan. cioduring February. Pine Warblers drew at- KT). Thelatter record may represent the first 28(J. Bry). tentionat a few locales where they are uncom- for theTrans-Pecos. Red-bellied Woodpeck- mon to rare,induding one at L. Pat Cle- ersagain cropped up fartherw. thannormal; JAYS TO SHRIKES burne,Johnson, Jan. 9 (CE), oneat Midland onewas at Buffalo L. N.W.R.early in thesea- At leastone out-of-range BlueJay spent much late December-Feb.•3 (FW), oneat Aransas son(DBI), whiletwo others were found Jan. 3 of theseason in Kingsville(DO). TheCaroli- Pass all winter (E&NA), and another at in Briscoe(JR, RS, KS). Two Red-naped Sap- na Chickadee first found in the fall was still KingsvilleFeb. 8 (PP).An Am. Redstartwas suckerswere reported at Palmetto S.P., Jan. 28 presentthrough January in Midland(fide at BrazosBend S.P., Ft. BencLDec. 26 (PDH). (EK).A WilliamsonsSapsucker remained at FW), echoedby repeatedreports of oneor ProthonotaryWarblers very rarely make ap- Utleyuntil Dec. 6 (BF).Downy Woodpeck- moreothers at SantaAna during the period. pearancesin Texas during the winter season, ersseem to be moving W alongc. Texas river- Rock Wrens made news at severallocations, but one wasseen this seasonin Corpus courses(TG); fivewere found in Mason,Jan. withone wandering N to L. Arrowhead,C/a 3 ChristiDec. •5-•8 (•'WJ).Details of a Gray- 2 (DF,DR, BFa).Other out-of-range Downy Feb.26 (RR), and another well out of rangeat crownedYellowthroat reported at SantaAna Woodpeckersincluded one along the San An- AlazanW.M.A., Nacogdaches, Jan.6-•6 (DFi, Dec.30 and Jan. 2 (JI)have been submitted to

276- American Birds, Summer 1993 theT.B.R.C. It hasbeen 6 yearssince the last die;several thousand could be found in a day Blasky(DBI), HazelBluhm, Doug Booher reportof a Rufous-cappedWarbler in Texas at BuffaloL. (KS et al.), and>-•5oo Lapland (DBo), Brant Bowling,David Bradford and >to yearsseparate the lastsighting by Longspurswere seen in HansfordJan. z3 (DBr), Leslie Brannan, David Brotherton multipleobservers. We received z reports this (KS).It wasalso a goodlongspur winter in (DBro),John Brotherton, Hugh Brown, Bar- seasonfrom differentareas of the stateby n.c. Texas;unlike last year, roughly300 baraBruns, Jerry Bryant (JBry), Katie Buck, knowledgeableobservers. The firstwas re- SmithsLongspurs returned to fieldsnear L. John Buckman (JBu), LawrenceBuford, portedDec. t9 nearCorpus Christi (gHS, Tawakoni. A Yellow-headed Blackbird at L. FrankBumgardner (FBu), Winnie Burkett, GA) andthe znd wasseen on Dolan Cr. in Val TawakoniFeb. 6 (MWh) providedafirst win- Fern Cain, Oscar Carmona, Carolyn •rde, Jan.to ('•JK,KT). If acceptedby the ter record for that area. Palmer continues to Cartwright(CCa), CeriseCauthron (CeC), T.B.R.C.,these would represent the 7th and becomecautiously optimistic regarding the JasonCheever, Charlie Clark, Jeremy Clark, 8th Texas records. numbers of Bronzed Cowbirds in and around Mary Coldren,Gary Coleman, Mark Con- Kingsville,where numbers are far lower than way,Mel & Arlie Cooksey,Marylin Crane, TANAGERS TO FINCHES to yearsago. A Scott'sOriole at Kickapoo DallasCounty Audubon Society, Richard A W. Tanagernear Lufkin Nov. zt (JPu)pro- Feb. •3 (ML) providedthe areasearliest Damron, Betty Rae Davis, Nancy Decker, videdthe firstrecord for Angelina..Pyrrhu- recordby >z months.Winter finches had an Gladys Donohue,John Dunn, Charles 1oxias were in increased abundance in excellentyear in mostareas of the state.The Easley,Mary Helen Elliott, Mark Elwonger Kingsvilleand otherareas of s. Texas;484 oneexception was Purple Finch, reported in (ME1), Doug Emkalns,Marguerite Empie weretallied at KingsvilleDec. zo (fidePP). low numbersalmost everywhere.House (MEm), Myrna Engle,Rosemary English, SinglePyrrhuloxias, that "notorious northern Finchescontinue to spreadin e. Texas,with DixieFeuerbacher, Dean Fisher (DFi), Josiah wandererin winter"(KS), showed up n. of multipleobservations this season in Victoria, Fisher,Ft. WorthAudubon Society, Tony & Amarillo, Potter,Jan. •7 (TMa) and Palo Gregg,and Harris. House Finches were also PhyllisFrank, Bobbye Frazier (BFa), Brush Duro CanyonFeb. 7 (PA)& •3 (TMa). An- Freeman,Tony Gallucci (Central Texas: PO otherPyrrhuloxia wintered in Ft.Worth Dec. Box 6, Camp Verde,TX 78oto), Red & z6+, providingthe firstdocumented record LouiseGainbill, Hugh Garnett,John Gee forTarrant(IGK, m.ob., ph.). The species was (JGe),Tim Gollob(TGo), AliceGomez, Jeff encounteredupthe coast to Houstonduring Gordon,Peter Gottschling, Bill Graber, John the season.Black-headed Grosbeak is a very & Theo Guillaume,Laurens Halsey, Hap rarevagrant to thepiney woods, so individu- Hamous,Bill & CarolynHardesty, Peggy alsin Nacogdoches,Dec. z6-Mar. 6 (DVOand Harding(PHa), George Harmon, Donald & s.Angelina were of interest.An out-of-range DoloresHarrington, Joe Harris, Bob Harri- Olive Sparrowwas in SanJacinto, Dec. z9 son,Carl Haynie(North CentralTexas: 737 (DP,RM). CanyonTowhees continued their Meadowcrest,Azle, TX 76o2o),Tom Hays, fall lowland invasion with unusual numbers BerlinHeck (BHe), Dick Henderson,Greg presentin oddriparian habitats in BigBend Heppner,Petra Hockey, Buddy Hollis, Jenny (GL) andin EIPasoand Hudspeth (BZ). The Hoskins(JHo), P.D. Hulce,Joe Ideker, Pete obligatoryWhite-collared Seedeaters were Isleib,LucyJalbert, Jim Jenkin, Bob Johnson, seenat SanYgnacio, but one was also report- ThomasL. Johnson,Willard Johnson,Dan edat FalconDam Feb. •5 (SWh). After a good Jones,Judy Jones (JJo), Sally Karas,John seasonlast year, many observers across the s. Karges,Greg Keiran, I.G. Kennon,Richard halfof thestate believed that sparrow num- Kinney,Homer Klonis, Dean Kresta,Mark berswere spotty or downthis winter. By con- Kulstad, Ed Kutac, Leon Lalonde (LLa), trast,Haynie reported from n.c. Texas that Greg Lasley,Lee Lemmons(LLe), Ernie FemaleWhite-winged Crossbill (with American Lewis, Linda Lewis, Llano Estacado "wintersparrows were average in numbersto Goldfinches)at Aledo,Texas, December 16, wellabove average." A stray Rufous-crowned 1992. Photograph/GrogW. Lasley. AudubonSociety, Keith Lockhart,Mark Sparrow,the firstfor Dallas,was seen Dec. Lockwood,Gail Diane Luckner (EastTexas: 24-Feb.2• (ph.,HK). Wolfreported higher reportedatWelder and College Station, loca- t37o8 BohemianHall, Crosby,TX 77532- numbersof ChippingSparrows than usual in tions where they are still rare. Unusual 632o), Guy and Joan Luneau, Curtis far e. Texas.A Black-throatedSparrow pho- records of Red Crossbills included one in Marantz,Terry Massey (TMa), Tom Mayse tographedin Ft. WorthDec. rS-Jan. 6 (GC, FlowerMound, Denton,Jan. z3-z7 (ME, (TOM), Debra McKee (DMc), Mike McKee, LB et al.) establisheda first •rrant record, WP) andanother in Bastrop,Jan. 27+ (BF). Brad McKinney,Don & Ruthie Melton, whileanother in Victoria,Jan. 24-Feb. 7 (ph., Totally unexpectedwas a White-winged JoannMerritt (JMe), Bob Metzler,Dorthy BB)was new for that county. Unprecedented Crossbill that visited a yardin Aledo,Parker, Metzler,James Middleton (JMi), Harvey were26 SageSparrows at Ft. BlissDec. t Dec.t2-Feb. 27; the pioneer supplied just the Miller,Charles Mills (CMi), RalphMolden- (BZ). This uncommonand localwinter resi- 3rdrecord for thestate (•J&TN, ph., CH, hauer,Jack & Elaine Morman, Gretchen dentnormally requires some searching to find GDL, GL, m.ob.). Pine Siskinsand Ameri- Mueller,John Muldrow (JMu), Jeani & Terry oneor twoin a dayin thatarea. Gee reported canGoldfinches were in verylarge numbers Naas, Ken Nanney,Bruce Neville, David goodnumbers of thisspecies banded at Big everywhereexcept deep s. Texas. A smallflock Nichols, Northeast Texas Field Ornitholo- Bend Ranch, and a lone bird was recorded ofEvening Grosbeaks was found in Ft.Worth gists,Julius Nussbaum, Darren O'Brien, Jan.26 at L. Balmorhea(CM, CeC), whereit Dec.t9, roundingout an amazing finch year AndyO'Neil, A.J. Oilre, Urban Oilsen, Brent israre. Savannah Sparrows seemed markedly in thatarea (MS etal.) Ortego, Dan Ott, Nancy Palmer,Paul down on the U.T.C. (DBr, GDL) but were Palmer (South Texas:6x5 South Wanda, seenin abundancein s.Texas (fide PP). Two Contributors and cited observers (subregional Kingsville,TX 78363),Jim Paton, Mike Pat- HenslowsSparrows were seen in Shelby,Dec. editorsin boldface):Peggy Acord, Lynne terson,Dick Payne,Glenn Perrigo,Wes 27 (?DW), and6 reportsof eightHenslows Aldrich,Guy Alexander,Tony Amos,Ben Phillips,Tom Pincelli,Perry Ping, Barbara Sparrowscame in fromHarris during the pe- Archer,Eddie & Nina Arnold, Keith Arnold, JeanPotthast, Wendy Powell, Prairie & Tim- riod.Numbers of LeConte'sSparrows were Rich & NanetteArmstrong, John Arvin, bersAudubon Society of McKinney,Warren higherthan normalon the U.T.C. (fide Mike Austin, Frank Bachman, Sharon Bar- Pulich,Jr., WarrenPulich, Sr., Jimmie Put- GDL), whereasO'Neil couldonly find one tels,Gift Beaton,Jim Bergen(JBe), Duane nam(JPu), Davette Ray, Jim Ray, Joe Redden allseason at Falfurrias.McCown's Longspurs Berry (DBe), Nancy Bird, Diane Birsner, (JRe), Joel Reese(JRee), C. Reid, Martin were abundant in some areas of the Panhan- KathleenBlair, Terry Blankenship,Dan Reid,Kay Rice, Hanna & ArtieRichard, Pe-

Volume 47, Number 2. 277 ter Reisz,Teresa Risdon, Tom Roberts(TRo), KristinTerpeniug, Texas Bird Records Com- CharlesWiedenfeld, Dale Wiedenfeld, Egon CindyRodriguez (CiR), Ed Rosenberg, Kent mittee (Texas OmithologicalSociety) & Sue Wiedenfeld,Kathy Wiley, Oliver Rylander,Paul Saraceni, Willie Sekula, Lon- (T.B.R.C.),Texas Cooperative Wildlife Col- Willaims, FrancesWilliams, Dalton Willis, nie & MauriceSdby, HerschdSessions, lection (Texas A&M University)(T.C.W.C.), Glenn Wilson, Scott Wilson, David Wolf, Chuck Sexton,Ken Seyffert(Panhandle: Texas PanhandleAudubon Sodety, Rob BryantWoods, Shirley Wright (SWr),Ad zzo6 S. Lipscomb,Amarillo, TX 79io9), Thacker,Jay Thomasson,Peggy Trosper, York, Barry Zimmer (TransPecos: 67zo Louis & Nian Sinclair,Frank Smith,John Richard Uzar, Allen Valentine, Rob Van Heartstone Ct., E1 Paso, TX 79924).-- Sproul,June Stacey (JSt), CliffStogner (CSt), Zandt, Peter Walsh, Re Wauer, Ed Wetzel, GREG W. LASLEY,3o5 LoganberryCt., RoseMarie Stortz, Marylin Sumner, Glenn Mary Pat Wheeler,Strickland Wheelock Austin,TX 78745;and CHUCK SEXTON, Swartz, Bill & Brian Tarbox, Delbert Tarter, (SWh), Matt White (MWh), JohnWhitde, iol E. 54thSt., Austin, TX 7875I.

Coeurd'Alene L. had -<40Tundra Swans, Stevensville,MT, Jan. 30 (CB). Pondsand IDAHO-WESTERN andnearbyThompson L. hosted several more parksalong the riverat Boisehosted three (DS, SW, JN). A TrumpeterSwan with a Eur. WigeonsDecember-February (MC, MONTANAREGION greenneck band was sighted on L. Helena FK, DT). A loneCanvasback appeared on ThomasH. Rogers Jan.7 (D.F.W.P.),subsequently seen through FlatheadL. Flathead,Jan. 17 (CB). An ad. c• Feb.6; twoothers were identified there Feb. GreaterScaup was viewed at HarrisonJan. 9, (fideGH). More than 30 werecounted on andtwo imm. males and eight females were at Am. FallsRes. Jan. I5 andFeb. I5 (CHT). Red thesame locale Feb. 6+ (KD, DS). Oldsquaw Winterwas very cold and snowy in mostareas RockL. N.W.R.terminated winter feeding of sightingsin Idahoincluded one on the Snake of the Region,with snow coverlasting waterfowl;the program worked well, with all R. at GrandviewJan. z 7 (MC, FK), oneover- throughoutthe period. Persistent snows gave TrumpeterSwans reported leaving by early winteringin Idaho FallsDec. 8-Jan.30 theimpression ofabundant moisture, but low Januaryand a fewreturning for shortvisits. (CHT, m.ob.),and two in MagicValley near temperatureskept the snow from setding and (In previouswinters, 4o0-800 swanshad re- HagermanDec. zo andFeb. z8 (fideCHT). melting.There were exceptions, with Red mainedto feed.)Wintering duck numbers In Montanaone was seen just below Hauser RockLakes NWR, Lima,MT, reportingaver- alsodropped markedly there as a result,with Dam n. of Helena(CJ). One to two Barrows age weather conditions and Helena, <50remaining (KN). TwelveGreater White- Goldeneyeswere seen in the Coeurd'Alene MT, somewhatabove-normal precipitation, fronted Geese and two Snow Geese showed L-St. Maries,ID, areain January-February thoughvery low temperatures. Salmon, ID, up at Hamilton,MT Dec.5 (CB). Up to (DS,IS). Alate ½ Ruddy Duck was sighted at had no morethan 7 inchesof snowcover at WoodDucks frequented a pond in Lewiston, HarrisonDec. 5 (DS). any time. Generallydeficient snowfall pre- ID, throughoutthe period (C.B.), and a male sageda hot, dry summerin this Region, competedwith otherducks and gullsfor HAWKS TO GULLS whichdepends so much on moisture stored in handoutsof breadat Coeurd'Alene's City SixteenBald Eagles were on the ice at Harri- winter. Beachin Januaryand February.MallaMs sonFeb. 7 (JW).Single "Harlan's" Red-tailed numbered5o00-+ at KootenaiN.W.R., Bon- Hawksappeared in fourplaces in Idaho'slati- LOONS TO WAT[RFOWL nersFerry, ID, beforethe earlyDecember longz in Decemberand February (DS, IS, A Corn. Loon froze into the ice on the Clark freeze-up(JR). A c• CinnamonTeal wintered PC, SW, JT, SHS) and near Potlatch,ID, ForkR. just e. ofMissoula, MT, a fewdays af- ona pondnear Pocatello, ID (CHT) andone Dec.z5 (ZP). One wasseen at BoiseJan. z5 ter theCBC there(fide PLW). A Pied-billed wasreported Dec. z at Hamilton,MT (CB). (MC, FK). A partialalbino "head of Krider's Grebe on the Bitterroot R. s. of Missoula, A Gadwall was at Metcalf N.W.R., but body,tail, etc.,of adult Red-tail"was MT, apparendymade the latilong's photographedat Nampa, ID, Feb. firstwinter record (TT, CT). Forty 14(fide DJ). Single Golden Eagles Horned Grebes were on Coeur weresighted at 3 localities,also in d'Alene L. at Harrison, ID, Dec. Idaho'slatilong z (DS, IS, CV, z6 (DS),and nine appeared at C.J. WH, SR). Merlinswere reported StrikeDam, Bruneau,ID, Jan.27 as "regular";Peregrines, three; alongwith seven Eared Grebes and Gyrfalcons,I3; and Prairie, one. threeW. Grebes(MC, FK). A W. Wild Turkeysappeared to beon Grebe was sightedon Coeur the increasein Idaho'sladlong z, d'Alene L. Dec. z6 (SW). Two and a flock ofli N. Bobwhites sur- Red-necked Grebes were at Harri- vivedby seeking shelter in a heated sonDec. 5, and sixwere found on stockbarn (DS)! A VirginiaRail at HaydenL., Hayden,ID, nextday Hamiltonwas apparently winter- (C.A_S.).Two Am. White Pelicans ing(FN). A Corn.Snipe was found showedup on the BitterrootR., Dec. 30 nearPotlatch (ZP). Coeur just s. of Missoula,Dec. 3 (JH). , d'AleneL., close to thecity, had a One was on the Snake R. below Mew GullJan. 29+ (KD, DS, WH, Am. FallsDam, Power,ID, Jan.9, CV, GHa, SHS,JW). Threemore and four were there in late Febru- wereat the Polson,MT, dumpin ary (CHT). A Double-crested December, and another was re- Cormorant was seen on the Mis- portedto the Universityof Mon- souriR. belowCanyon Ferry Dam tana (*U.M., DH, JM, PLW). e. of Helena,MT, Jan.x for a rare HerringGulls reached a peakof 600 at Coeur d'Alene L. in late De- wintersighting (BN). On theice at NWR NWR -. • Harrison were 4z Great Blue SnakeR American }"-'_-1 cember,and •-3 Thayer'sGulls re- HeronsFeb. 7 (JW). The BoiseR. DeerFlat i:/•.Grays Lake-_ mainedthroughout the period s.e. of Boise, ID had a Green- (DS, PC, KD, DHo, DS, JW). backedHeron Dec. z7 (MC, FK) SingleThayer's were observed at andFeb. zz (JG). :' BoiseJan. IO and in February,as

278, American Birds, Summer 1993 wellas at C.J. StrikeRes., Jan. •7 (MC, FIO. VickiHtzgerald, John Gatchett, Carole Gob- "Morethan one" was seen at thePolson dump le, PamGontz, BradHammond, GertieHan- (DH, JM) andone Dec. •o (*PLW).A lone son(GHa), WinifredHepburn (WH), John IcdandGull appearedat theCoeur d'Alene Hoffland, Warren & Ethel Hohnstein landfillDec. •9 (DS). SingleGlaucous- (WHo), Dave Holick (DHo), Denver Holt wingedgulls were sightedat the Coeur (DH), GeorgeHolton (GH), CedronJones, d'Alenelandfill (DS, KD, CV, WH). Glau- DeanJones, Florence Knoll, Merlene Kolin- cousGulls appeared at thatlandfill, 2 ad.and er, JeffMarks, Tim & Mary Maxam,John 5 imm.the highest number (KD, DS, DHo, Nigh, BruceNewell, Fletcher Newby, Ken- CV,WH, JW,C.A.S.). neth Niethammer,Zoltan Porga, Scott Robinson,Jimmie Reynolds, Paul Sieracki, OWLS TO WRENS BrianSturgis, Shirley H. Stuns,Dan & Ila BarnOwl observationsare becoming routine Svingen,Terry & Carol Toppins,David in theLewiston-Moscow, ID, vicinity.Three Trochlell, Charles H. Trost, Carole Vande appeareds.of MoscowDec. •6 (KD). A pair Voorde,Virginia Vincent, Ken Tanner, July wassighted at NampaFeb. •4 (MC, FK). Waring,Sue Teller, Jeff Wisman, Philip L. SnowyOwls appeared all winter in theLower Wright,Hedvig Vogel-Wright.---THOMAS FlatheadValley s. of FlatheadL., (PLW),and H. ROGERS,IoSzo E. Maxwell,Spokane, 2 sightingswere made in the vicinityof WA 99206-4894. Kalispell-Somers,MT (DC). Singleswere seenw. of IdahoFalls and near Stanley, ID (fideCHT), aswas an individual s. of Gene- Male Barrow'sGoldeneye at Couerd'Alene, see,ID (KD, m.ob.).A N. Hawk Owl wasre- Idaho, in February1993. PhotograplV portedat Niarada,MT, beforeChrist- Dan Svingen. IDAHO-WESTERN mas-Feb.3+ (DH). A GreatGray Owl ap- pearedat Bigfork,MT, Jan.•o (DC); another rowresponded toa tapeof itssong at Bruneau MONTANAREGION wascalling at HamiltonFeb. 6 (CB).A N. Dunes S.E, Dec. 28 (BH), and two or three Saw-whetOwl calledincessantly at Victor, were noted at Trueblood W.M.A., Grand- Summer1992 M1, Feb. 6 (CB), and two were heards. of view, ID, December-January(Me, FK, ThomasH. Rogers Princeton,ID, theweek of Feb.8 (KD). The DT). Two White-throatedSparrows win- prizeof theseason was a Red-belliedWood- teredat Boise,as did a Harris'Sparrow (BB, pecker5mi s.w.of Coeur d'Alene Oct. 2-Jan. Me, FK, DT). The Missoulaarea had a Har- 23(TM, MM, GHa, SHS, DS), Idaho'sfirst; ris'Feb. 27 (VV). Junein theRegion was abnormally hot and St. Maries had a "Yellow-shafted" N. Flicker SingleLapland Longspurs were sighted n. dryin partsof Idaho,but w. Montanafared Feb.•3 (DS). An unusualsighting was a flock of SomersJan. 9 (DC), with HornedLarks better,with total precipitationgenerally of•6o Horned Larks on Rathdrum Prairie, nearIdaho FallsDec. xo (BH), with hrks at abovenormal, though mostly concentrated at Kootenai,ID, Feb.23 (PG), aswas a flockof PocatelloDec. 2o (CHT, DT), and•5 mi e. of mid-monthand at themonth's end. July was 89 at MissoulaFeb. •6 (DH). A BlueJay was BoiseJan. •2 (MC, FIO. A flockof 4o Snow actuallycooler than in Junein manyplaces! identifiedin MoscowDec. 8 (CG) and Dec. Buntingswas observed near Idaho Falls Dec. Althoughprecipitation totals were above nor- x7 (KD). Chestnut-backedChickadees were •o (BH);another flock alighted near Pocatel- malin manyareas, the distribution was limit- reportedat severallocalities in Kootenai,ID lo Jan.•o (CHT, DT). Singleswere seen in edto thefirst x2 days and the third week. Total (DS, SHS, ST, JW) and in the Potlatch, theBoise area Jan. •2 andFeb. •5 (MC, FK).A precipitationin theRegion for theyear was ID,vicinity (ZP). SingleWhite-breasted lone bird was found on the Lewiston grade n. stilldeftdent due to theprevious winters low Nuthatcheswere found at St. Maries (a fe- of LewistonJan. xo (CV). snowpack in themountains. The effectsof malethroughout the period); at RoseL., ID, ThreeRusty Blackbirds accompanied Red- waterlack in the Regionprobably will be- Jan.24 (DS), at Cataldo,ID, Dec.•9 (ST), wingedand Brewer's blackbirds 3 mi n.w.of comebetter known by earlyAutumn. and in the Potlatcharea (one or two) (ZP). St.Maries. Apparently present Dec. 5+, they Bewick'sWrens keep moving N in Idaho, were,finally, positively identified Feb. 6 (DS, Abbreviatkms:B.B.S. (Breeding Bird Survey); wheretwo maleswere seen at St. MariesJan. KD, m.ob.).Only two reportsof Cassin's C.G. (Campgr0und). 24+ (DS). Finches came in: •o in the Cataldo area Dec. x9(SHS) and a sighdngin theMissoula area, GREBES TO IBISES BLUEBIRDS TO FINCHES whereHouse Finches were reported as the Threepairs of Red-neckedGrebes incubated A Mt. Bluebirdfrequented the University of mostcommon bird in the city (PLW). Red at KootenaiN.W.R., Bonners Ferry, ID, until Montanacampus, Missoula, late Decem- Crossbillswere reported only once, near Pot- mid-July,when they left for unknown reasons bet-February(fide PLW). The TroutFarm latchin earlyFebruary (ZP). CommonRed- (JR).One of thespedes was on the Clearwa- nearPocatello spawned a Hermit Thrush polls(75-xoo) were reported near Cavendish, terR. at Lewiston,ID, Julyz3 (LL).Another, Dec.•9 (CHT). A 9 VariedThrush at Boise ID, Feb.8 (WHo, EHo) but wereuncommon a nestingbird, was found on Silver L., Harri- Feb. 26 (MC, FK) was unusual.Four Am. elsewhere.A Hoary Redpollwas observed manS.P., Island Park, ID, June•8 (CT); juv. Robinsappeared at Kerr Dam nearPolson nearMissoula Jan. 22 (TT, CT, HVW, fide birds were later noted there and on another Jan.x7 (CB). A N. Shrikenear Boise Feb. 28 PLW), and threewere reported at Elkhorn pondin the park(JT). NearbyIsland Park was noteworthy(DJ). A late LoggerheadVillage, ID, Feb.3 (MC, FIO. EveningGros- Res.yielded >50 Eared Grebe nests, 275 adults Shrikeappeared Dec. •o alongSimco Road, beakswere sparsely reported and noticeably and ->xoonests ofT. Grebes,and two Clark's 25 mi e. of Boise (MC, FK). Bohemian absentat manyfeeders in theKalispell area GrebesJune •9 (CT). LakeHelena, Helena, Waxwingdistribution was spotty--abundant (DC). MT, hadnests of 40 EaredGrebes, 9o ofT. in someplaces, scarce in others.A Rufous- Grebes,and two of Clark'sGrebes, but strong sidedTowbee seen Jan. 6 providedHelena's Observers c'•ed (subregional editors in bold- windsdisrupted the attemptsperhaps •oo firstwinter record (VF). A FoxSparrow was face): Bill Belknap,Dan Casey,Coeur percent,though four imm. Westernswere carefullyobserved at a Hamiltonfeeder Dec. d'AleneAudubon Society (C.A.S.), Mark seenlater. Thus, the lakeappears not to be 2I (CBetaL). A Lincoln'sSparrow appeared at Collie, Montana Departmentof Fish, shelteredenough for consistentgrebe repro- BoiseDec. 29 (MC, FK), anda SwampSpar- Wildlife & Parks(D.EW.P.), KasDumroese, duction(GH). A Clark'sGrebe near Salmon,

Volume 47, Number 2 - 279 ID Junex4 was Hadley Roberts's first observa- were seen at Metcalf N.W.R-, Stevensville, tionof thespecies. MT, Junei5, and>50 were at theNational Bi- A GreatEgret appeared at WarmSprings, son Range,Moiese, MT, June15-I6 (BM, MT, in lateJuly (GG). SingleGreat Egrets SS).Hummingbird numbers at Troy,MT, wereseen atAm. FallsRes., Pocatello, ID, and were high, with >4oo banded(KB). A on the nest at Mud L. W.M.A., Hamer, ID: CordilleranFlycatcher sang at Palisades C.G. two were found at Market L. W.M.A., s.w.of RedLodge, MT, JuneI4 (BM, SS).A Roberts,ID (CT). Green-backedHerons on nestof thisspecies was found at BenewahL. the SnakeR. near Blackfoot,ID, were sus- near St. Maries (DS). A well-documented pectedof nestingagain this year (LB). A GreatCrested Flycatcher was sighted in Par- Black-crownedNight-Heron July I4 at adiseValley s. of Livingston,MT, Julyiz, ap- KootenaiN.W.R- for therefuge's first sight- parentlythe state's 3rd (DT). A Cassin'sKing- ing(JR). Six White-faced Ibis were viewed at birdwas found near Mud LakeW.M.A., June CamasN.W.R. Hamer, ID, Junen (BM, SS). zo,for a raresighting (CT etal.). A White-breasted Nuthatch was observed WATERFOWL TO BOBWHITE nest-buildingat 6ooo-ft. elevation on Sawtell TrumpterSwan production at Red RockL. Pk. n. of IslandPark, ID, JuneI8 (BK,JT). A N.W.R.,Lima, MT, wasslightly above aver- c• Bewick'sWren was still singing and dis- age,with 73 cygnets counted in theCentenni- playingon territoryat BenewayL., June13 al ValleyJuly z2 (KN). LakeHelena had two (DS).A N. Mockingbirdwas identified about beginningJuly x6 (Jeff Herbert).Canada • mi s.e.of E. Helena,MT, Junexo (BM, SS). Gooseproduction at KootenaiN.W.R. was FemaleRed-bellied Woodpecker at Cooer low,with only 80 goslingsfledged. High d'Aleae,Idaho, December 31, 1992. Firststate windshad damaged nests on artificialplat- record.Photograplt/Daa Svingea. forms(JR). Young Wood Ducks were noted at Lewiston,apparently fledged from nest werestill nesting in thearea from Three Forks boxesplaced by the Army Corps of Engineers to Belgrade,MT, whereeight were seen June (LL). LilyL. alongHwy. x2, IO mi. e. of Lolo i8 (EH). A loneWhooping Crane, first seen Passon the Idaho-Montanaborder June 2I at Red RockL. N.W.R. May I4, stayed provideda c• Green-wingedTeal, for a lati- throughoutthe period.It wasone from the longfirst (PW). That lake also had a latilong GraysL., ID, foster-rearingproject that has first for Ring-neckedDucks July 3x with a summeredat RedRock for thepast 3 years broodof eight plus eight or IOother adults of (KN). A breeding-plumagedBlack-bellied thespecks (BB, PW). McDonaldCr., Glacier Ploverand two SemipalmatedPlovers ap- N.P.had a broodof>3 Harlequin Ducks June pearedat IndianCr. s.e. of Boise,ID, July2I 17(BM, SS).The upper St. Joe K-Marble Cr. (MC, FIO. ThreeWhimbrels appeared with arease. of St.Maries, ID, had>4 broods(DS), migratingMarbled Godwits near Am. Falls andproduction along the tributaries of Priest Damin s.ID (CT). TwoSolitary Sandpipers and PendOreille Lakes,n. ID, wastwice that were found near Market L. W.M.A., Roberts, of lastyear (FC). Lower St. Mary L. juste. of ID, July2I (BH). IndianCr. Res.s.e. of Boise GlacierN.P. had a brood of eight Corn. Gold- had two SemipalmaredSandpipers July zI eneyesand five subad.c• BarrowsGold- (MC, FK). Mann L. e. of LewistonOrchards, eneyes,June i8 (BM, SS).Breeding pairs of ID, hostedtwo Short-billed Dowitchers June ducksat KootenaiN.W.R- totaled47 z, well 2 (LD. Two Wilson's and three Red-necked ImmatureHarris' Sparrow at Boise,Idaho, ia belowthe normal 700+4 production, estimat- phalaropeswere at IndianCr. Res.,July 2x January1993. Photograph/MarkR. Collie. edat 9oo,was correspondingly off.Mallards (MC, FK). A northbound flock of Red- were the principalnester, with Gadwalls, neckedwas noted at MarketL., June5 (BH), In Glacier N.P., a c• TennesseeWathler was WoodDucks, and Corn. Goldeneyes follow- andflocks were showing up on Am. Falls Res., singingalong McDonald Cr. near Apgar June ing,in thatorder (JR). July25 (CT). A FranklinsGull was sighted at I7 (BM, SS),and another was singing along The pair of BaldEagles whose nest was LewistonJune 2I (CV). A CaspianTern the samecreek near Avalanche Cr., JuneI8 blowndown at KootenaiN.W.R- in spring showedup at MissouriHeadwaters S.P. near (EH). A Bay-breastedWarbler was identified hadbuilt another nest nearby, toward the end Three Forks,MT, JuneIO (BM, SS).Black at ApgarJune IO-II (AB,fide PW), wherea of July(JR). A pairat RedRock L. N.W.R. Ternswere seen at KootenaiN.W.R. in May pairwas found June I7-i8 (EH, SSc)for the fledgedtwo young,July io+ (KN). These andJune but departed quickly, leaving only a latilong'sfirst records. An Ovenbird sang near birdsseem to be wellestablished along the fewin Jul)•Apparently none nested for the PalisadesC.G. nearRed Lodge C.G., June x4 MissouriR. throughWold Cr. Canyonn. of 2ndconsecutive year there (JR). (BM,SS). A N. Waterthrashwas singing near Helena,MT; apair seen there June x8 was sus- thedam at Island Park Res., ID, Junex8 (CT). pectedof nesting(EH). A surveyin Targhee OWLS TO WARBLERS Yellow-breasted Chats were seen in z loca- N.E, Fremont, ID found at leastI6 activeN. Noteworthywas the sightingof a BarnOwl tionsalong the Wolf Cr. Canyonstretch of Goshawknests (SP). Sevenbroods of Wild nearMcCannon, ID, July i6 (CT). A W. the MissouriR., Junex6 (EH). A dropin Turkeyswere observed near Fernan L. e. of Screech-Owlwas calling along the St. Maries hatching-yearwarblers was noted in theTroy, Coeur d'Alene and at St. Maries, ID (DS). R., St.Marie, s, June z4 (DS).A pairof Barred MT, vicinity(KB). Threeor fourN. Bobwhiteswere calling at Owlsbehaved very territorially in the Cen- Firth,ID (BH). A broodof CaliforniaQuails ntennialMts. n. of Spencer,ID, July9 (SP, SPARROWS TO FINCHES wassighted 5 mi. S. of Coeurd'Alene, ID CT). SagehenRes. near Ola, ID, hadtwo July A BlueGrosbeak showed up on a B.B.S.near (DB). I4 (MC). One wascalling at SalmonL. near Preston,ID, in earlyJune (JTr). A Clay-col- SeeleyLake, MT May z7 (KA).An ad.Great oredSparrow sang near Three Forks, MT, RAILS TO TERNS GrayOwl with two young was sighted in the June IO, and one was seennear Cut Bank AVirginiaRail was calling at CamasN.W.R., uppermeadows of MarshCr., ca.x2 mi n.w. C.G., GlacierN.E, JuneI9 (BM, SS).Several JuneIX (BM, SS).Sandhill Cranes apparently of Stanley,ID, JulyIX (LH). TwoBlack Swifts sightingsof LarkBuntings occurred in s.e.

280-American Birds, Summer 1993 Idaho: one in the Island Park areas in mid- descriptiononfile with t• E.) ; $( writtendescrip- June(BH); onenear Tetonia, ID (fideCT), MOUNTAINWEST tionon file with, and subject toapproval of, state and males and femaless. of Idaho Falls, ID, and localrecords committee). July26 (BK,JT). At thelatter spot, the next REGION day,females and/or iramatures were noted, HughE. IOngery PELICANS TO DUCKS possiblyindicating a nestinggroup (CT). Two Brown Pelicanswintered at L. Mead, Thespecies, typically seen spasmodically in NV•birds that had arrived last summer c. Montana,appeared in a few localities: (J&MC).A hotspring s. of Renoagain had CanyonFerry Res. e. of HdenaMay 23 (CJ et BaikalTeals, Dunlins, Long-billed Thrash- threeAm. BitternsJan. z3 (tJW). An unusual a/..);near Belgrade June 3; and on theBel- ers, Pine and Palm warblers,and Oven- winterGreat Blue Heron stayed near moun- gradeB.B.S., June 7 (DSu);another was birds--a remarkableset of out-of-place tain townBreckenridge, CO, Dec.I5+, and found near Three ForksJune 8 (GH). A specieswintered, or triedto, in theDenver onestopped at FontanelleDam, WY, Jan. ]7- GrasshopperSparrow was sighted near Mud areathis year. Benign weather could not have A White-facedIbis winteredat Fish Spgs. L. W.M.A.,June zo (CT etal.),as was a single engenderedthis gallimaufry. The fall was N.W.R., UT (JB),and two spent Jan. 12-3] at individual near Hells Gate Park C.G. near cold,the winter snowy. Faulty internal com- LasVegas (J&MC). Despitethe coldfall LewistonJune 6 (CB). A Lincoln'sSparrow passesand satisfactory food supply may ex- weather,the C.D.O.W. count in n.e. Col- wason territory at Marble Cr., June 27 (DS). plainsome of them.What else?The winter oradoproduced 63,590 ducks cf. ]2,2]3last Bobolinksapparently bred successfullywas a "droughtbuster"(LN). Nevada'sstate year.Attempts to displaceTrumpeter Swans againin thePocatello, ID, area;several were climatologistsaid that z wintersworth of fromtheir n. U.S. refugesworked; migrant foundon nearbyFt. Hall IndianRes., June 15 snowcame in one, but the statestill needsto familygroups appeared in Nevadaand Col- (fideCT). CommonGrackles were reported findanother 4 winters."Nevada's sponge isn't orado.Three Trumpeters, from a transplant- breedingatPolson, MT (JRo).Small flocks of fullyet" (jJ). "Everyone waits with great an- edOregon population, were at Ft. Churchill RosyFinches were found on the snowfields s. ticipationto seethe generoussnowpack St. Pk., NV, Jan.IZ (NS, LN). Coloradoat- of BorahPk. nearChilly, ID, July3] (CT). translate into wildlife habitat this summer. tracted3 groups,z on theColorado R. Five Flocksof ca.]o and30 White-winged Cross- Butreservoir storage is solow that systems appeared atMack Dec. 4, stayingthere and at billswere encountered in theSapphire Mts. e. willabsorb much of this years runoff, making Debequeuntil Jan. I6 (CD, RL). Twocame of Anaconda,MT, June]5 (BM, SS).June zo it hardto predicthow much improvement in to Radiumon the ColoradoR., Nov.3o; by a pairof LesserGoldfinches was found along wetlandconditions will berealized this year" Feb.] onlyone remained, the other shot by a Mink Cr. Rd.s. of Pocatello,where they bred (LN). In Utah, Duck Cr., e. of CedarCity, poacher(BT etal.). The Radium swans came lastyear. They were also heard at MarketL. had34o inches of snow. Thirty inches of snow fromSeedskadee N.W.R., WY, where poach- W.M.A. and nearPocatello (CT). made the roadsto the s.c. side of Great Salt L. ersgutted a transplantedpopulation. Two impassable.Regional observers found fewer men,found and convictedthrough anony- Addenda:A Clark's Grebe was identified at birds;the shortnessof this column reflects moustips after a communityoutcry, paid MetcalfN.W.R. May 9 (SB)DB, CH). A thatscarcity. •'65ooand will contribute2oo hours of ser- Harris'Sparrow frequented a feeder at Libby, viceto the refuge.They thoughtthat the MT, duringthe spring period (fideDSk). Abbreviations:L.L.B.L. (Longmont/Lyons/swans were Snow Geese,a rare bird in s.w. BerthDud/Lovelandarea, CO, usingFoothills Wyoming(TSS). Another group of four Observerscited (subregi0naleditors in b01d- AudubonClub records); G.S.L. ( GreatSalt L.); Trumpeters--twoadults, 2 immatures--ar- face):Kathleen Anderson, Bill Ballard,Dale I.EW.C. (Indian Peaks,CO, Winter Bird rivedFeb. z8 at Ordway,CO, in theArkansas Beeks(DB), LindaBeidleman, Ann Belamy, Count);S.S.G.L. (South Shore, Great Salt L.); R. valley(LL $BP).At theirregular breeding Sharon& Dan Browder(Dbr), Kay Burk, ]stLat. (first latilong record [a latilongis out- groundat RubyL. N.W.R., 3o Trumpeter CanyonBirders (C.B.), Frances Cassirer, Pat linedby one degree each of latitude and longi- Swanswintered, the same as last year, but up Cole,Mark Collie, Gary Gallagher, Lucinda tudeand measures about 5o by 7o mi ]); *ph. froman average ]5. Haggas,Brad Hammond, Ed Harper,Cal (photographonfile withReg. Ed.); t(written Greater White-fronted Geese wintered at Henry, Jeff Herbert, George Holton, CedronJones, Florence • Knoll, Merlene Koliner, Barbara ,• ,. Sheridan Kracher,Louise La Voie, BobMa- ;•e SundanCe chover, Kenneth Niethammer, SusanPatla, Jimmie Reynolds •:•;'•son WYOMING (JR),Hadley Roberts, Jim Rogers (JRo), Starr Saphir(SS), Susan e•{•,.. Casper Scott (SSc), Don Skaar (DSk), Dan Sullivan(DSu), Dan Svingen Loganß (DS), Drew Thate,Joel Tinsley O•-BearRiver .R•k Springs .•:5•eye•e ,. . (JT), CharlesTrost (CT), Jack Great• ßNWR •L.:=¾2'-•,• -- Trotter (jTr), CarDieVande Vo- a• .... VernalCOLORADO orde, Philip Wright Thomas RubyLa•eNWR Rogers, [oSzo E. Maxwell, NEVADA Fisl•Spnngs,.:•' Spokane,WA 99zo6-4894. •,Lahontan Lunde •Valley ,:•!!.'UTAH- •;.•;,-t•:: ß Dyer '•--•"Zion•. ParkNat. LasVegaas

Volume 47, Number 2- 2•1 Canon City, CO (2nd year); MasonVal. pastfew decades. Of theRegions nS, Pueblo WildlifeArea, NV, reported24 Jan. 5, while observerssaw 50 mergs Dec. 7- WalkerL., NV, had•5o SnowGeese Jan. 24. Forthe 2nd year, counts of CanadaGeese de- RAPTORS dinedin Denver,with 55•2for theseason, as A bumpercrop of pocketgophers, produced comparedwith 6o92-•2,366over the past6 infields left fallow because ofthe drought, at- years,and with 933oat L.L.B.L.,against tractedimpressive concentrations of buteos 20,699last year. to LovelockVal., NV. Estimatesranged from 30oin Decemberto •25counted on a foggy Januaryday (LN, GH). The Regions42 N. Goshawksoccurred mainly on theColorado plainsand in Utah.The Lovelockbuteos in- A 9 Baika!Teal .created • great kfir at Ever- duded20-27 FerruginousHawks, also the grecniC¸; Nov. 28-Jan, ij (• eta). mostcommon hawk at RockyMt. Arsenal, She associatedconstantly, though or•th e CO, with •6/day on the regularraptor fringes, with a flock of wild Mallards ,Habitu, counts. Merlins failed to achievethe numbers atedto humansbecause residents and restau• ofseveral years ago; the Region had only scat- rantsalofi• Bear Cr. lbave cracked COrn tbr teredreports, though to werefound winter- them,the flock roamed along 3 miof Bea•Cr. ing at Grand Jct., CO. One Gyrfalcon The distinctiveteal attracted listers from all reacheds.w. WY, Dec.6 at Hudson(RS). over•he country, butshe leaves• i•gacyBfun- certainty--wasshe wild? For approv• by the RAILS TO GULLS b•dingbureaucracy., vagrants ifi Co161•do Both Logan, UT, andEagle, CO, document- mustsurmount a greaterburden o•proof edtheir first winter Virginia Rails (RJ, ?JM). AduRMew Gull (front---with CaliforoiaGull) thancoastal vagrants (e.g.:, the Red-b•cked Sandhill Cranes did notreach Ruby VaL in at PyramidLake, Nevada, Jauua•j 17, 1993. B•d at Gunnlson).Apparently bird February,but four stopped inJanuary at Ma- Photograph/JaneThompson. fancierslike Baikal Teals because of thebirds' sonVaL W/L Area,and m passedthrough •trikingplumage. Aduck breeder-in Gr%ley, Fowler, CO, in theArkansas Valley Feb. 27. dan,UT, feederDec. x5-Jan.7 (TS). From too mi away,reportedly lost i-2 pairs•8 GreaterYellowlegs now winter regularly at thefall Inca Dove incursion, only the two at monthsbefore the tealg arrival at-Evergreen. Fish Spgs., with 26 at the peak,•3 low (.lB), Pueblostayed, reduced by Jan. 4 to a single Th•breeder daimed tohave •0•plkd with SaltLake City, and Grand Jet., with 3 (CD). bird(BP). At Morgan,UT, smallowls paid a fedgrallaws for captive birds: Hc said all his FishSpgs. also had an Am. Avocet Jan. 2 and9 tollto the rough winter. Two N. Pygmy-Owls birdsh•d bands and clipped halluxes. Janos Long-billedDowitchers Dec. 8 (.lB).A few werefound in weakenedcondition, and two arguedfor wildness: (0 collectors rarely have Dunlinstypically migrate through e. Col- Saw-whetswere founddead. An elderly Ba• Tealsand would prefer thE. m9re strik- orado in November;this winter, 2-3 re- rancherrescued one of thepygmy-owls and ingmales (but note the report fromGreeley; mained at Denver and were last seen Feb. 6 nursedit to health;a catcaught the other. •1S%nobqdy saw any, males or females, dur- (D.EO., ph. DL). Anotherspent 2 weeksat SeveralN. Pygmy-Owlsand N. Saw-whets, ingthose•8 months); (z) this bird haghallux- LasVegas Dec. •9-Jan. •2 (?MC).Several gull workingbackyard feeders, hung out in Salt gson both legs, showed perfect p!umage; arid speciesmentioned in thefall report spent the LakeCity residential areas. At RockyMt. Ar- lackedbands; (3) she was free-flyipg , wildl winterat LasVegas: Laughing, into March; senal,CO, to Long-earedOwls roosted be- and comp•rativelywary, even though her Mew,to Feb.7; Yellow-foote& to Jan.9; and sidea regulartour road all winter (UK). flockof Mallardsfed regularly on cracked Western,to Jan. •6; withBlack-legged Kitti- GrandJct. reported to seenDec. 7, and2-5 cornhando6ts, and her "lowthreshold emade wakes into March. Pueblo's first winter birdsthereafter (CD). The Long-earedat it hardfor photographers toget doselot pho- FranklinsGulls appearedFeb. t4 (?MJ). MonteVista Feb. 2 providedthe San Luis Val- ber-Jhfi•togr•phs•(4) window the datesestablished match the t96o-•98o Novem- Bonaparte'slingered into December,with 3o ley'sfirst winter report (JJR); Reno had three at PuebloDec. 5 and•6 at LasVegas Dec. Feb.•3 (EK).At Jackson,WY, ravenschevied for "wild"Vagrants onthe Pacific Coast; (5) 6-to. OtherMew Gullsvisited Pyramid L., aShort-eared Owl and drove it tothe ground. in Japan,Baikal Teals winter ar the same Jana7and Feb. 28 or wintered(JT ph.).Cali- Thenthey had to sitback in treesand watch a latitude;and (6) Coloradohas attracted forniashave begun to replaceRing-billeds as N. Goshawkconsume the deadowl; whether manyrare high Arctic and n. Pacificspecies; the winteringgull aroundGSL; they oc- theravens or goshawkkilled the owl was not Red-throatedand Yellow-billedLoons, Gar- curredall winteralong S.S.G.L. (ES). Col- apparent(GB). For the 5th year,an Anna's ganeys,Sharp-tailed Sandpipers, Ancient and oradogull numbers plummeted, perhaps be- Hummingbirdwintered at DavisDam, s. of Marbledmurrelets, and Ross' Gulls (one was causeof frozen reservoirs,or due to dosed LasVegas. Two Costas wintered at L. Mead, in Nebraskaat thesame time) and, more landfills:D.EO. tripshad 678 Ring-billeds, near Las Vegas. A Red-headedWoodpecker commonly,Pacific Loons, Oldsquaws, three ascompared with n78-•4,9t9in otheryears. ran the gamutin a parkin Fountain,CO, scoteiand three jaeger spedes, and Red Longmonthad only •9, a hugedrop from last whereit hatchedand thenchanged from Phalaropes. year's39•2. Pueblo had 40oo Ring-billedsirnm. to ad.plumage as it stayedhome over Dec.4- An extraordinaryfour Lesser Black- thewinter (TB). Forthe 2nd year, Red-bel- backedGulls visited Colorado in February:lied Woodpeckers wintered along the Col- anadult Feb. 7 at Pueblo,for the2rid consec- oradoFront Range, at Ft. Collinsand Penrose Big mid-wintercounts of ducksincluded utive winter record (•MJ); an adult Feb. (GF,HB). After last year's glut of Yellow-bel- 885N. Shovelersat Denverand 2ooo Canvas- 27-28 at Ordway,55 mi e. of Pueblo(•BP); liedSapsuckers, the FrontRange recorded backsat PyramidL., NV. Observersfound a andtwo, a'n adult and another, variously de- only seventhis year,from Ft. Collinsto surprising35 Greater Scaup, from 4 Colorado scribedas a 2nd-or 4th-winterbird, Feb. 2o+ Pueblo.Each of the otherthree sapsucker and6 Nevadasites, topped by •4 at Pyramid atBoulder (DE, ph.,•SF). Colorado now has speciesstopped at Reno(EK); Pueblohad a L. (?JW).Nevada reported two Oldsquaws, IO records. WilliamsonsJan. 2 (MK). andabout to spentthe winter in e. Colorado. Two White-wingedScoters wintered at DOVES TO WOODPECKERS FLYCATCHERSTO WAXWINGS Rawhide Res.n. of Ft. Collins. Hooded Mer- FortCollins hosted 20-30 wintering Mourn- An Ash-throatedFlycatcher and •-3 Black gansetshave increased significandy over the ingDoves, and 20 hoveredaround a W. Jor- Phoebesoverwintered in Las Vegas. Blue Jays

282- American Birds, Summer 1993 spentthe season atMonte Vista, CO, and Lo- gan,UT. Black-cappedChickadee numbers shotup this winter, from Logan to L.L.B.L., thelatter reporting 324, as compared with 219 Coloradosznd Long-billed Thrasher, found last year. CactusWrens, once common atChatfield S.E near Denver, captured aroundLas Vegas but now hard to find,in- theimagination of Coloradobirders, It tra• creasedsomewhat this winter, with 8 observa- versedthe snow cover to seek exposed patches tions.Pueblo had 3-5 wintering Rock Wrens. of!eafiitter,where :it flung leaves 6 inches into Bewick'sWrens picked 2 unusualsites for theair in vigorous pursuit of food. Observers spendingat leastpart of thewinter: Logan wereable tO find it by listeningfor noisy Nov.25-Jan. 6 (LR, xstLat) andFt. Collins scratchingamong the leaves, The Colorado Jan.xs-Feb. 15. An Am. Dipperstrayed to winter closed in after the last observation RubyL. in earlyDecember. Ruby-crowned Feb. tjl 4-6 inchesof snowfell Feb. Kingletswintered at Grand Jct. and Boulder; andthe temperaturedropped -8øE Subse- Story,WY, had one Jan. 25 (J&GL). The Col- quentse&rches forthe thrasher proved unsuc- oradoFront Range attracted n E. Bluebirds,cessful (•-UK, HEN), includingone male at Boulder Feb. 28 visiting a nestbox and behaving territorially, without a mate to showfor his efforts(BK). FiveHer- mit Thrusheswintered at LasVegas, and sin- WARBLERS glebirds appeared inJanuary and February at Likelast year, an Orange-crownedWarbler seenfeeding at a hummingbirdfeeder win- Male Red-belliedWoodpecker at Fort Collins, teredin LasVegas (VM). TheLas Vegas CBC Colorado,in lanum,j1993. Photograph/ also had a Yellow Warbler Dec. I9-Jan. 3 Ron Ryder. (?MC). precedented•o Harris'sSparrows Dec. 6 (LK). Averagenumbers of LaplandLong- spursdrifted in, with typicalcounts of 8o-xoo in e. Colorado. Observersfound five •!oradohostedthreeremarklb!• warblers at Bear R. N.W.R., UT, and two at Farson, f61th'e •inter. Two Pi•eS; one adult, one itu: I WY, Dec. 5.The sameday, Bear R. hadtwo mature,.•nhabiledBoulde•D•c•:•5• feedingSnow Buntings and Farson had a flockof 35 o, 0nt•rtoi•cal•ifi*S•tS 0•fie, boxelde?•; I risingto 545oby Jan. 3. Earlysnows forced andbeaff slsroutg out0[area dump sterse:• a farmersto leavesorghum unbarvested in restiltoftheir eati• g h•bit• and f0}a•in g ;n Baca;zo,ooo Red-winged Blackbirds took ic•e-ifil•si•dtlees7withblack •61d•both advantage of the easyfood supply Feb. •6 girdschangea co!oz during the winter. !ffDe- (JnlT).At least6 Corn.Grackles wintered in thwereCleanSed i61or,ny n. Coloradoat Evergreen,often seen by the F6bru5•their heads and thr6ats had turned BaikalTeal searchers, and at Ft. Collins.Rosy almostblack (•SF, DL): The samearea in Finchesdescended into town feedersin Sheri- -Ba61deihart?ed; Pal Watble dan,Casper, and Loveland. Others straggled Denver.Ove.ir4 cme to to Reno,Ruby L., andPawnee Nat'l G/L. aYard•h• ii:at••eii i•ed;ahd •il. If a}- "Ornithologicalskiers" reported fewer Red rived Nov.,Zz, arid 'probably would have Crossbills,Pine Siskins, and EveningGros- weathered•e winter, •xcept •r thefa• in• beaksaround Logan than last year (KD), al- One of tbe two Pine Warblerswintering in thoughcrossbills spread out to Cheyenne, Boulder,Colorado, December 10, 1992. te•enuouby ane• hbotscat Feb.it Photograph/DuaneNelson. •D.M)N.H0. Sheridan,and Story,WY. Most surprising wasthe number of White-winged Crossbills: Reno,Salt Lake City, Springdale, and Grand •-8 at Cheyenneall winter, 3-•o in theEver- Jct.A paucityof Am. Robins braved the win- greenarea, one all winterat SaltLake City, ter;D.EO. countedonly 23, the lowest ever, SPARROWS TO GROSBEAKS andanother at ProvoJan. 23. Except for one against27-4o8 counted other years, and 295 Two Rufous-crownedSparrows popped up ortwo at SaltLake Cityand Logan, Wyoming reportedby L.L.B.L.,versus 84• lastyear. A fromsome brush near Las Vegas Feb. 7, for reportedthe only Corn. Redpolls, with many Varied Thrush found at Sutcliffe, NV, Dec. Nevada's7th record (*J&MC). Most re- at Jacksonand small numbers across the rest zs-Jan-3, may have been there since Sept. 30 portersdeemed Am. TreeSparrows scarce, of the state,south to Fontanelle,Farson, and (JTph.), and others were found at Bountiful thougha handfulwintered in mountain GreenR. This winter,Pine Siskinsstayed andOgden, UT, Dec.zo & z• (TN, BB).A townssuch as Breckenridge, Eagle, and As- closerto people, with •5o at Springdale, UT, a surprising5o-•oo Sage Thrashers wintered at pen,CO. Onlyfour wintered at RockSpgs., recordnx on D.EO. trips,and good numbers Pueblo.Single Brown Thrashers stopped for a WY, and L.L.B.L.reported z47, versuslast in Cortez, Salida,and Ft. Collins.At Sheri- dayat Beulah,Pueblo, and Lyons, CO, Dec. years824. The D.EO. fieldtrips, however, dan, Casper,and Cortez,45-2oo Evening z4-Jan.29. tallied•96, an average number. A FieldSpar- Grosbeakswere reported. Onlya fewBohemian Waxwings filtered S rowsurfaced at GrandJct., as did an errant beyondtheir usualn. Wyominghaunts. LarkBunting, both on Jan. 9 (CD). A large- Corrigenda:A Nashville,not a Townsend's, GrandJct. had one Dec. •z, LasVegas had •o for-winterflock of 25o LarkBuntings swirled Warblerwas observed at RenoJune z•-z8 last Dec.•8, Fallon,NV, reportedz on itsCBC overa Baca,CO, field,s. of the CimarronR., summer(EK) (AB 92(5):46). Dec. 26, andin Colorado,the I.P.W.C.found Feb.6 (SS).A Golden-crownedSparrow re- 65Jan. 9, Lovelandhad IOO Jan. 22, and 30 turned to Red Rocks Park near Denver, the Compilers(boldface), contributors (italics), and flew throughpinyon/juniper woodland at 3rdstraight year one has hung out at the feed- cited observers:Keith Archibald (zo ob- EagleFeb. 7- er there.Grand Jct. also reported a Golden- servers),Lu Bainbridge,H. Baake,Jay Banta, crownedin January. Jackson, WY, had an un- Norm Barrett,B. Blamer,G. Boren,Nelson

'Volume 47, Number 2 ß283 Boschen,T. Brevillier,W. W. Brockner(36), SteveHedges, G. Herron,J. James,Mark Ryel, N. Saake,Terry Sadler,S. Seltman, A. & G. Brown,Jerry Cairo, CO Div. of Janos,R. Jockel,Bill Kaempfer,M. Ketchen, Dave Silverman(zo), Arnold Smith, ELLA Wildlife, K. Cook,Jim & Marian Cressman L. Kietling,Merlin Killpack, U. Kingel3 Ed- SORENSEN (Utah Editor,3868 Marsha Dr., (8), CoenDexter (5), DenverField Ornithol- ward Kurtz, Jim & Gloria Lawrence(]6), WestValley, UT 84]2o),Rick Steenburg (5), ogists(D.EO.), DenverMuseum of Natural DaveLeatherman (]o), R. Levad,L. Lilly,Jeff Jane Thompson(6), JanealThompson History (D.M.N.H.), Keith Dixon (20), Mackay,Larry Malone, Dan Matiatos, Linda (JnlT),D. Trousdale,Trumpeter Swan Soc., RubyEbright, P. Echelmeyer, Margaret Ew- McMenamy,Ann Means(47), Jack Merchant Alan Versaw, J. Walters.---HUGH E. ing,S. Feldstein,G. Finley,Sharon Gander, (6),V. Mowbray,Larry Neel (3), T. Newler,B. KINGERY, 869 MilwaukeeSt., Denver,CO JewelGifford, Dave Hallock, Phil Hayes (]6), Percival,J. J. Rawinski,Bert Raynes (25), L. 80206.

P.R.D.,Jan. ]3 ($TC),representing about the alongthe Salt R. e.of PhoenixJan. ]5-24 (LH SOUTHWESTREGION nth recordfor the state. Slightly more expect- et al.). There is only one previouswinter ed in the state was a Pacific Loon near Granite record for the state. About 80 White-faced Arizona Reef Dam e. of PhoenixJan. 9-]5 (?PSc, Ibiseson the Gila R. nearBuckeye Dec. 22 DavidStejskal and DH), onlythe 5thfor Maricopa.The only wasa surprisingnumber for winter(fide T. HornedGrebes reported this seasonwere Hildebrandt),but ]-5 birdsat PicachoRes., GaryH. Rosenberg threesighted at Picacho Res., Dec. J8 (PM). A Dec.]5-Feb. zo were more expected (DP). pairof Pied-billedsnested extraordinarily ear- ly in Mesa,with two downy young seen with WATERFOWL two ad. birdsJan.]z (PSc, DH). Equally An astoundingtally of 245 Black-bellied This winter was one of the mildest and amazingfor Arizonawas a concentrationof Whistling-Ducksin ChandlerJan. ]o proba- wetteston record,with all areasof the statere- *6ooPied-billeds on Picacho Res., Jan. 30 (TC blyrepresents the largest concentration ofthis ceivingrecord or near-recordprecipitation. etal.). Most of thesegrebes were believed to speciesever recorded in Arizona(RN). Two Muchof southernArizona experienced mod- havebeen displaced from s. Arizona's flooded TrumpeterSwans, one bandedand color- erateto severeflooding because of prolonged rivers.A flockof 4I Am. White Pelicanswin- marked, were seen near Kirkland, s.e. of periodsof rainduring January and February. teredsuccessfully at P.R.D. this season, the Prescott,Dec. 24+(?)(J. Lawrence,fideT. Tib- The mild temperatureswere probably re- groupfirst found Jan. J3 (TCet aL); two at bitts).The bandedbird, according to Tib- sponsiblefor a numberof lesshardy species GilbertS.T.P., Dec. ]7 (SGa),one at Picacho bitts,was an ad. femalecaptured by the (mostlyhummingbirds, insectivores, and fru- Res., Dec. 26 (DW), and three more at L. U.S.EW.S. in n.e. Idaho, releasedDec. ]6 at givores)lingering late or winteringin the PleasantFeb. zz (S. Walchuck)probably all SeedskadeeN.W.R., Wyoming,as part of a state.Highlights for the season are many, with representmigrants. Five imm. BrownPeli- winterrelocation project. The originof the Arizona'ssecond Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, cansin s.Arizona during the season were a bit unbandedbird is unknown. There are no pre- thewintering Crescent-chested Warbler, and of a surprise,as there are few winter records viousreports for thisspecies in thestate, and Arizona'sfirst Tufted Duck deserving special for the state.One wasat PicachoRes., Dec. 26 the recordis nowbeing considered by the mention. (DW), threeat P.R.D.,Jan. ]3 (TCet a/.),and A.B.C. Tundra Swans,rare winter visitorsto onein TucsonJan. ]9 (T. Wentch).A single c. and s.e.Arizona, were recorded from 4 ar- Abbreviations:A.B.C. (ArizonaBird Commit- Neotropic Cormorant was seen at Kino eas:one at G.EE, Dec. 2 (BDet al.), two at tee);B.T.A. (BoyceThompson Arboretum); SpringsJan. 23-29 (DJoetal.), and]2birds GilbertS.T.P., Dec. 4 (SGa),one flying over G.EE (Gila FarmsPond); L.C.R.V. (Lower wereat L. PatagoniaJan. 30+ (PLetal.). the Universityof Arizonacampus, Tucson, ColoradoR. Valley);M.EL. (ManyFarms L.); A confusedAm. Bitternspent the day in a Dec.9 (B. Lyons),and a groupof sevennear P.R.D. (PaintedRock Dam); S.ER. (SanPedro c.Tucson yard Jan. 22 (B. Brown). One to two GillespieDam, Gila R., Dec.3] (R. Smith). R.); S.T.P. (Sewage7•eatmentPlant); sr. Least Bitterns were recorded from Picacho Four Greater White-fronted and four Ross' (soundrecording). Place names in italicsare Res.,Dec. z6-Feb. 6 (DW, JBo);this was not geese,all in s.Arizona, were reported for the counties. terriblyunexpected, considering the large period,with three GreaterWhite-fronteds numbersof LeastBitterns there during sum- andtwo Ross' remaining (m.ob.). An impres- LOONS TO IBISES mer ]992. Two imm. Litde BlueHerons were sivenine Eur. Wigeons were reported for the A Red-throatedLoon, accompanied by two reportedfor the period,with oneat Picacho winter season,with three different birds in Com.Loons, put in a one-dayappearance at Res., Dec. ]8-25 (PM, DJo), and another Scottsdale,one remaining from fall (m.ob.), oneat thePhoenix Zoo through the period(m. ob.), one at Ahwatukee, s. of Phoenix,Jan. i+ (PB), onein CasaGrande Dec. 2 (BDetaL), one at Kino Springsmid-December (WR), oneat NogalesS.T.P., Jan. 23+(B. Jones,M. Hansen),and an- other at Arivaca Feb. ]4-]5 (T. Ewen);all of thesebirds, except for the Kino Springsindividual, were ad. males. In addition, a c• Eur. Wigeonx Am. Wigeonhybrid was describedfrom Kino Springs Jan. 30 (?PL etaL).The duckof thesea- sonwas undeniably the c• Tufted Duck,first found in MesaJan. 8-]o (R. Shultset al.). The birddisap- pearedafter its short initial showing but wasrediscovered Feb. 4 at the samelocality, where it remained Gulf (m.ob.,ph. R. Jones).This repre-

284-American Birds, Summer 1993 one to two nests on the Verde R. n.e. of ingfrom feeders (m.ob.). An imm.t3 Mag- Phoenixwere destroyed by floodwaters this nificentHummingbird remained at a n.e. season.Thirty wintering Bald Eagles counted Tucsonfeeder through Dec. 7, anda female ]an.3o in theL. Mary/MormonL. areas. of wasat thesame feeder on the odddate of Jan. Flagstaffwas the highestsingle-day count 25 (LK). AnotherMagnificent was reported everfor thatlocation (CVC). A realrarity in earlyat a Sedonafeeder Feb. 23, and an extra- winterin thestate was an imm. GrayHawk ordinarilyearly Black-chinned Humming- seensoaring over the SonoitaCr. Sanctuary birdwas reported there Feb. 5 (E.&E.Gard- Dec. •6 (LD). The Red-shoulderedHawk ner). A 9Archilochussp. waspresent at a foundearlier in theyear along the Salt R. s.w. Prescottfeeder Dec. t-t5 but wasnot identi- of Phoenix remained in the area until Dec. fieddefinitively as to species(S. Harris et al., 20+(RN). An imm.Broad-winged Hawk, a fideCT). A singlet3 Broad-tailed Humming- rarevisitor to the statein anyseason, was re- bird at TontoNatural Bridge near Payson portedsporadically from n.e. Tucson in early Feb.23 was very early that far north (R. Hef- February(WR). Another rarity for this season fernon).An ad. t3 RufousHummingbird was wasa Zone-tailedHawk reported from near discoveredat a Scottsdalefeeder in mid-De- MaricopaDec. 20 (PSc,DH); thereare few cember,where it remaineduntil Feb. 25_+ (fide validwinter records for the state. The onlyre- JIB). The RamseyCanyon Eared Trogons portreceived for "Harlan's" Hawk this winter wererecorded sporadically throughout the wasof a single bird near Elfrida Jan. 7-27 (LD period(fide S. Williamson).Single Elegant eta/.).A CrestedCaracara, unusual anywhere Trogonswere found near Pena Bianca L., Feb. in thestate away from w. Pima,was reported t7 (D. Touret)and in GardenCanyon Feb. 24 sporadicallyfrom Picacho Res., Jan. 3-Feb. 6 (R. Smith),and both may have wintered lo- Photographedin January1993, this Crescent- (A.&S.Hilts eta/.). cally.Single Green Kingfishers were reported Three Black-necked Stilts on the Santa chestedWarbler--representing the third fromlower Sonoita Cr. n. of NogalesDec. t record for the United States--remained for Cruz R. n.w. of TucsonDec. zt-26 (m.ob.), (MJ),at theSonoita Cr. Sanctuary Jan. 23+ (J. manymonths at Patagonia,Arizona. and anotherbird nearMcNeal Jan.25 (AM) O'Brieneta/.), andalong the upperS.ER., Photograph/ChrisD. Benesh. werenoteworthy, as thisspecies is virtually Jan.29-3t (PL,R. Smith). unknownin winterin thestate away from the sentsthe first report of thisspecies in Arizona. Phoenixarea. A singleRed Phalarope at the FLYCATCHERS TO DIPPERS A pairof GreaterScaup, an extremelyrare SierraVista S.T.P., Dec. 3 ø wasa very late mi- A N. Beardless-Tyrannuletat Empire Ranch winter visitorto s. Arizona, wasfound at Sil- grant(J. Shipley). Asingle Bonaparte's Gull, a n. of SonoitaJan. 23 (GM), and anotherat verbellL., n.w.Tucson Dec. 26-late January rarewinter visitor, was observed at G.E P.,Jan. RoperL. S.P.near Safford Feb. 5 (LD), were (CDB et al.), whileanother was reported •7 (RN). TwoCaspian Terns, another bird bothat newwinter localities for thatspecies. from ScottsdaleJan. t6 (RB). Four to five thatis quiterare in winterin Arizona,were A late Greater Pewee was seen in Madera GreaterScaup were present on WatsonL. seenJan. 20 nearCibola N.W.R. (PS). CanyonDec. 5 and another, or thesame, was nearPrescott Jan. •4-t9, withtwo (3 birdsre- in lowerMadera Canyon on Proctor Rd., Jan. mainingthere until Mar. 2 (CT). FourOld- PIGEONS TO KINGFISHERS t9-z7 (LD). Extraordinaryand completely squaws,another rare vagrant to the state, were TwoBand-tailed Pigeons at a feederin Camp unexpectedwas the discovery ofa calling Yel- found, with a male at Parker Dam Nov. VerdeDec. t8 (H. Haas)and two moreseen low-belliedFlycatcher at PatagoniaDec. 20. 27-Jan.t5+, when it wasjoined by a female onMingus Mt. nearCottonwood Jan. 2t (T. This bird, covetingthe znd documented (SF,•'CM, PS),another at AlamoL., Jan.t6 Hudey)were indicative of therelatively mild recordfor the state,and probablythe first (PN), and the 4th at LedsFerry Feb. 27 (T. wintertemperatures throughout the state. An winterrecord n. of Mexico,was seen by many Britt).An ad. pair of SurfScoters was found at IncaDove at Portalfeeders Dec. t-Jan. t wasa throughthe period (WR, ph. GR, sr.DS, Lee'sFerry Dec. 28 (TC, DTr),while another localrarity (DJa eta/.). Two Corn. Ground- m.ob.).Two "Western-type" flycatchers were 9/imm. bird was found the sameday at Dovesat CampVerde Jan. 5, well n. of their presentsince late fall untilJan. z_+ at Rio G.EE (DS). As usual,several reports were normal winter range in Arizona, were Verde,n. of Ft. McDowell (m.ob.);at least submittedfor individual and small groups of edipsedby the report of two Ruddy Ground- oneobserver (TC) characterizedthe callsas HoodedMergansers, the most significant of Dovesthere the same day (V. Vaughn eta/.). typicalof thePacific-slope Flycatcher. Three thesesingle females in n. Arizona(where AnotherRuddy Ground-Dove was reported E. Phoebes,about normal numbersfor the rarelyrecorded) at LedsFerry Dec. 28 (TC, from the Granite Reef Dam areae. of Phoenix season,were reported from Patagonia Dec. 6+ DTr) andKayenta Feb. t5 (CL), andan in- Dec.t7 (H. Fibeletal.), and the 3-4 birdspre- (DW eta/.), SilverbellL., Dec. 13-16(PM), credible concentration of 86in n.w. Phoenix sentin Patagoniaduring the fall lingered and Cooks L., lowerS.ER., Jan.28 (MJ, D. Jan.to (RN).The latter record is, by far, the therethrough the period (m.ob.). A N. Saw- Laush).Single Ash-throated Flycatchers were largestnumber ever recorded for a single loca- whet Owl washeard calling in pinyon/ju- foundat PortalDec. t9-2o (DJa)and near St. tionin Adzona.A singleRed-breasted Mer- niperhabitat at Navajo N.M. throughFebru- David,Feb. 2 (JWh);these areas are e. of that gansetfound at GilbertS.T.E in earlyDe- ary(B. Mellbery, fide CL). IndividualCorn. species'winter range in Arizona.A Cassin's cemberremained (SGa). Poorwillswere seen in Portal,with oneJan. t7 Kingbirdat GardnerCanyon n. of Sonoita andanother, or thesame, Feb. 6 (DJa).These Jan.zo supplied one of just a handful of Janu- VULTURESTO TERNS sightingsare an excellentindication of the aryrecords for the state (all from the past few A singleTurkey Vulture near Portal Feb. mildness of the season. years)(GW). An unidentifiedTyrannus sp. t5 wasabout 3 weeksearly (fide DJa). Thir- A lingering5? White-eared Hummingbird wasreported from near Gillespie Dam Dec. teenBlack-shouldered Kites were reported wasseen regularly at the RamseyCanyon z2 (TG, R. Smith). throughoutthe period,with mostrecords feedersthrough mid-January but wasnot Oneto two Violet-green Swallows lingered (nine)coming from the Gila R. valleys.w. of seenafter the torrential rains of the month. A in PatagoniaDec. 29-3o (LD, J. Shipley); Phoenix(m.ob.). The BaldEagle nest discov- (3White-eared returned to thecanyon on the there are few valid winter recordsfor the state. erednear L. Pleasantin t984hatched its first earlydate of Feb.2o (fideS. Williamson). A late Barn Swallow was seen at Ruthrauff nesdingever Feb. 26_+ (fideTG). On agloomi- Twoto threeViolet-crowneds were reported Pond,Tucson, Dec. 7 (DW). AnAm. Dipper er note,the same observer reports that 3 nests throughthe period in thePatagonia/Sonoita along Beaver Cr., Verde R. Valley,Jan. t 5rep- on the Bill Williams R. near Alamo L. and Gr.Sanctuary region, with most reports com- resentedthe lowestlocal record ever (AG).

Volume 47, Number 2 ß285 GNATCATCHERS TO WARBLERS ThreePine Grosbeaks, thought to repre- loonalso there dunng the samepenod was A c• Black-cappedGnatcatcher was well de- sent a continuation of the mini-invasion of mostprobably aRed-throated Loon (JP, CR et scribedfrom near SaNno Canyon Feb. 2• (?T thisspecies during the fall to n.Arizona, were al.).Horned Grebes, regular but rare in winter, Fiore);this area is well n. of previousrecords foundon Black Meia Dec. 26 (CL). Only two were reportedat Storrie L. (EE, PS), in the state. Two Rufous-backed Robins were PurpleFinches were reported from the state, L.V.N.W.R.(JP, BP, CR), ConchasL. (CR), recordedfor the period, with one s. of Patago- with a femaleat CatalinaS.P., Jan. 23 (SGo), andE.B.L. (v.o.), including ahigh of• at the niaDec. 2o-Jan. • (B.Johnson et al.), and an- anda male n. of Nogales on the Santa Cruz R. lattersite Feb. 26 (CR, PS).Late were single otheron the Santa Cruz R. n. of NogalesJan. Feb.28 (C. Cathers).Thirty-six Lawrence's Clark'sGrebes at L.V.N.W.R., Dec. 3 (CR) •+ (R. Kelmanetal.). A N. Mockingbirdnear Goldfinchesat Quail Springsnear Cotton- andat Bill EvansL., Dec.z- 7 (RF), while3-8 TubaCity Feb.•3 representsone of thefew woodDec. 2o-Jan. 23 were n. of theirwinrer Westernswere early at NavajoL., Feb.•4 (CR winter recordsfor n. Arizona (CL). Three rangein Arizona(CVC,VG). et al.) and ConchasL., Feb.z 7 (CR). Aech- Brown Thrashers were uncovered--one at mophorusgrebes again wintered in thelower KinoSprings Dec. 7 (H. Winkler),one at the Contributors (area compilers in boldface): R.G.V.,with >600at E.B.L.,Jan. •5 (SOW) as SonoitaCr. Sanctuary Dec. •2-27 (DJo etal.), ChadesBabbitt, Pat Beall, Chris D. Benesh, well assmaller numbers at CaballoL., Jan.3 andthe last at theHassayampa Preserve s.of JerryBock (JBo), Robert Bradley, Jim Burns (GE,BZ); an estimated 6000, including both WickenburgDec. •3+ (J. Barde7 etal.). (lBu),John Coons (Flagstaff), Troy Corman, species,were at E.B.L.,Feb. z6 (CR, PS), A TennesseeWarbler put in a brie•appear- BixDemaree, Louie Dombroski, Rich Fergu- wherecourtship was in progress.Unusual for anceat PatagoniaJan. 5 (GM), probablyrep- son, ShawneenFinnegan, Steve Ganle7 winterwere <35 Am. White Pelicans at Caballo resentingthe first January record for the state. (SGa),Tom Gatz, Virginia Gilmore (Se- L., December-January(CS, BZ, JP); seven A N. Parula'sstay at Rio Verdespanned au- dona), SharonGoldwasser (SGo), Alma wereearly at La Joya, Feb. •3 (LH). At leastone tumn-Dec.•2 offdeSGa). The very obliging Greene,Liz Hatcher, Diana Hews, John Hig- Brown Pelican remained in the state into the Crescent-chestedWarbler at Patagonia,first gins (Tucson),Marty Jakle,Dave Jasper period--animmature at Bosque Ref., Dec. zz foundin September,was seen by hundreds of (DJa)(Portal), Dan Jones (DJo), Kenn Kauf- (ph. H. Messing).A Double-crestedCor- observersthroughout the period (m.ob., ph. man, Lynn Kaufman,Jeff Kingery,Dave morantat L.V.N.W.R.was late, Dec. 3 (CR); CDB, SF).Alate or wintering Yellow Warbler Krueper (Sierra Vista), Chuck LaRue both Double-crestedsand Neotropicsre- wasfound along the Santa Cruz R. in n.w. (Kayenta),Paul Lehman,Curtis Marantz, mainedin thelower R.G.V., from Bosque Ref. TucsonDec. 26 (CDB).The onlyChestnut- Paul McQuarry,Gale Monson,Arnold south(v.o.). Great Egrets lingered at BitterL., sidedWarbler reported for the season was the Moorhouse, Robert Morse, Phil Norton, with 2-3 observedDec. •2-Jana8(SW, SBi); birdfirst found during the fall on the Salt R. Robert Norton, Dave Pearson,Don Rosie, singleswere noted at Tucumcari, Feb. 3 (CR), s.w.of Phoenix,and last reported there Dec. Will Russell,Peter Scott (PSc), John Spencer Isleta,Dec. •8 (ASetal.), and Caballo L., Dec. n (SGa).A PalmWarbler was reported from (Globe),Walter & Sally Spofford,Mark 3•-Jan.3 (CS);Las Cruces had a highof five, PicachoRes., Dec. •5 (DP); thereare few win- Stevenson,Paul Sunby, Rick Taylor,Dick countedDec. 2o (BZ etal.), along with several ter recordsof thisspecies in thestate. Three Todd,Carl S. Tomoff (Prescott),Deb Tread- CattleEgrets, Dec. •5-Jan •o (CS).Unusual Black-and-whireWarblers, about average for way (DTr), U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service for winterwere •-4 Plegadisibises at Bosque winter,were reported from Rio Verde(two (U.S.EW.S.),Cristie Van Cleve,Greer War- Ref.throughout the period (v.o.). Two of three sincefall) (m.ob.),and another at Cook'sL., ren,David Wharton, Jack Whetstone (,JWh), ad.swans at Bell Ranch, Harding; Jan.-Feb. 25 Jan. 25 (TG, D. Laush).The LouisianaWa- JanetWitzeman (JWi) (Phoenix).--David weremarked Trumpeter Swans released as terthrushfound during the fall in Madera Stejskal,5755 E. RiverRd., Apt. 703, Tucson, cygnetsin Wisconsinback in •99• Offde R. Canyonwas last seen there Dec. 2 (LD), and AZ 857x5;and GARY H. ROSENBERG, Drewien).Two apparentWhite-fronted x another was found in the Sonoita Cr. Sanctu- 8xoxN. WheatfieldDr., Tucson,AZ 8574x- Canadagoose hybrids were at L.V.N.W.R., aryJan. 2o-Feb. 2• (GW etal.). Feb.•7 (CR).Wintering Ross' Geese, steadily increasingin the state in recentyears, included TANAGERS TO FINCHES severalthousand, both at BosqueRef., Jan. 4 The c•Summer Tanager found during the fall (J.Taylor) and at BitterL., Dec.19 (SBi);a at the Phoenix Zoo was last seen there Dec. 8 NewMexico noteworthyfind was 330 at L.V.N.W.R.,Feb. (R. Jones),and anothermale was found in Sartor O. lY•'lliamslII 2i (CR)and eight at CaballoL., Jan. 3 (BZ et ScottsdaleJan. 25-Feb. 2 (JIB).A fewCassin's al.).Westerly Wood Ducks included one at Sparrowswintered successfully at B.T.A., well GlenwoodDec. 27 (RD, JH) andfour at Silver n. of normalwintering areas in thestate, pre- City Dec.•7 (RF et al.). MexicanDucks in- sentDec. •+ (CT). A Rufous-crownedSpar- Moist and mild conditionswere again the cludedthree at BosqueRef., Dec. 19 (DM), rowatParker Dec. 5-6 (TC, DTr) wasevident- rule in New Mexico this winter. Most areas five near RodeoDec. 26 (RS et al.), and •z ly thefirst for the L.C.R.V. Two Clay-colored receivedabove-average or recordprecipita- at LasCruces Dec. zo (BZ etal.).Among sev- Sparrows,very sparse in the statein winter tion,with rainsresponsible for floodingin eral early CinnamonTeals were two at months,were reported for the period,with someareas. Birding was relatively quiet, with L.V.N.W.R.,Jan. zo (CR, PG),followed by I3 onen. of Nogalesalong the SantaCruz R. essentiallyno lowlandinvasion of montane observedFeb. z (CR, PG). Highsfor Greater Dec.•9 (DJo),and another at a feederin Portal species,but enough surprises were sprinkled Scaupwere six at L.V.N.W.R.,Jan. 5 (CR, (DJa,RM). A singleVesper Sparrow in Kayen- aboutto keep things interesting. PG); n at ConchasL., Dec. 8 (CR); six at ta Dec.•2 furnishedwhat is probably only the E.B.L.,Jm•. •6 (JP);and a remarkable(but un- zndwinter record for n. Arizona(CL). At least Abbreviations:Bitter L. (Bitter L. N.W.R.); detailed)five in theGila Valley, Jan. 2 (RF et sevenGolden-crowned and five Harris' spar- BosqueRef. (Bosquedel ApacheN.W.R.); al.). The only Oldsquawwas at Maxwell rowswere found acrossthe state(v.o.). As E.B.L.(Elephant Butte L.); L.V.N.W.R.(Las N.W.R., Dec. n (CR). Up to Io Barrow's manyas •oo McCown'sLongspurs were pre- lOgasN.W.R.); R.G.V. (Rio Grande Valley); Goldeneyeswere on the SanJuan R. below sentin theSan Rafael Grasslands s.e. of Patag- Zuni (Zuni IndianReservation). Guadalupe NavajoDam from mid-December (DC) into oniaDec. 6+ (m.ob.);this species has been Canyonrefers only to thatportion in New mid-February(JP et al.); sevenon the Rio verysparse in thisarea in recentyears. A c• Mexico. Place names in italics are counties. Grandebelow Taos, Jan. •7 (SW) provideda Great-tailedGrackle, rarely recorded from n.e. newwintering locale. Moderate numbers of Arizonain winter,was at KayentaDec. •5-Jan. LOONS TO WATERFOWL HoodedMergansers were found from the •o (CL). For the 4th consecutiveyear, a c• New Mexico's 2nd Yellow-billed Loon in 2 R.G.V.eastward, including highs of z3at Bit- Streak-backedOriole was reportedfrom yearswas at NavajoL., Feb.4 (B. Grossi) terL., Dec.•9 (SBietal.) and 4z at CaballoL., Cook'sL., Feb.23 (D. Laush). throughFeb. 23+ (v.o.); a mysterioussmall Jan.3 (BZ etal.); westerly sightings included

American B•rds,Summer 1993 twoat BearCanyon L., Grant,Dec. 7 (J&M winteredlocally, but seven atBosque Ref., Feb. proveto winter more commonly than now be- Carter,fide RF). z7 (JP) werelikely springmigrants. Long- lieved,in the lowlandsfrom the R.G.V. east- billedDowitchers, similarly rare in mid-win- ward;this season produced detailed reports in RAPTORSTO CRANES ter,likewise made a goodshowing inthe lower the R.G.V. at Tesuque(CR), Albuquerque Remarkablyearly was a Turkey Vulture at Sil- R.G.V.,including II-ZZ at Bosque Ref., Jan. 9 (BV,AS), Socorro (JP, BP), Bosque Ref. (v.o.), verCity Feb. t8 (D&MZ,fide RF). Unusual (CS)& zi (CR)and a highof I6Oat Caballo CaballoL. (BZ),and Las Cruces (L. Schulteet for winterwas an Ospreynear Cliff Jan.2 L., Jan.3 (ph.BZ). The seasonwas quiet on a•), andeastward at Conchas L. (CR) andRat- (RF).The Black-shoulderedKite invasionof thegull front, with the exception ofa probable tlesnakeSprings (CB, CM). A DownyWood- autumn remained much in evidence,with Mew Gull atConchas L., Feb.z7 (CR), for the peckercompleted the picture at Rattlesnake continuedreports of I-2 at BosqueRef. zndconsecutive year. For better or worse, Her- SpringsDec. t9 (L.Bush). throughFebruary (m.ob.) and in theAnimas ringGulls were reported in bevviesat reser- Valleythrough Dec. z4 (AC, NMC). Newlo- voirsin the northeastand in the R.G.V., with calesfor kitesinduded the Nutt-Uvas Valley highsof I4 nearLas Vegas Jan. 2o (CR), io at areaDec. 26-Jan. 7, wheretwo were seen (P. E.B.L.,Jan. i6 (JP),and 2i, plus I5 Californias, Pashe,W. Baltosser,R. Irvin); Doga Aria, atCaballo L., Jan. 3 (BZ eta•). Small groups of Infriguin•wasthe saga of a BarredOwl, pr e- withone Dec. 2 (CB);as well as the vicinity of White-wingedDoves again wintered n. toAl- sumablyOfNewMexican ori•gin, The freshly RattlesnakeSprings, with t-2 sightedDec. 20 buquerque(AS) and Socorro (JP), with hun- :killedcarCaSs .wasretrieved frd•'•,irtick dri - (E Hernandez,fideSW).The 487 Bald Eagles dredsin the LasCruces area (CS, BZ) and"in- 'vet'atthe Trinidad, C¸, Poff,of•try,on.I- countedon standardizedaerial transects Jan. creasing"numbers atCadsbad (fide SW); two zS;just n. of the,NewM•co state'line,the. x2-I5(SOW, GS) wasthe 2ndhighest total at ColumbusFeb. 25 (CR, PS)were notewor- recordedon thesesurveys. These wintering thy.Mourning Doves in thenorth included /hewas lUStOUtSide of Albuquer•uewhen eagleshave been increasing on averageby singlesatL.V.N.W.R., Jan. 5 (CR, PG) and at he sawtwo owlsqufront 0[ his truLk,Nor _+toobirds every 4 yearssince the early I98OS ApacheCr., Dec.26 & 3t (JH);Mournings kfib•ingthii hi hadhii On• Ofth era, he Con- (SOW).An ad.N. Goshawkapparently win- werejudged "unusually common" at Zuniin tinuedalong to a NewMexico truck stop, teredin a pecangrove at Mesilla(GE, ph. mid-winter(DC). The previouslyreported &here passerSBy •6ih[ed outan owl pal'the BZ). Harris'Hawks may be expandinginto IncaDove at Claytonremained until Feb. to rigsfront gr!l !. In(aneffort to preserve ig the theTularosa Valley, where three were seen s. (WC eta•,ph.); among the other Incas count- driverplacedthe freshly killed bird ha a cooler of AlamogordoJan. I2 (DS);numbers con- edwere t-2 at Socorrothroughout the period and','declared" ii when he crossed into Col- tinuedto improvein Eddy(SW), and small (JP,BP, SW), -<4 in Roswell(SBi), a remarkable orado. Told that possession ofan owl is illegal; numberspersisted in Hidalgo (v.o.). Souther- 4o-50 at OwensFarm, Doga Aria, Dec. z and the carcasswas Confiscated byBob H61der, ly Rough-leggedHawks included t-2 in the Jan.22 (CB), and-20locales (m.ob.). Countedamong Feb.22 (GE). winteringperegrines were singles in theSan- FLYCATCHERSTO KINGLETS diaMts., Jan. 26 (BM,fideHS) and at Bosque OWLS TO WOODPECKERS An earlyN. Beardless-Tyrannuletturned up Ref.,Jan. 9 (ED, CS), plustwo in theGila Eleven W. Screech-Owlswere encountered at at GuadalupeCanyon Feb. 27 (AC,NMC). ValleyJan. 2 (RF).Montezuma Quails at the BosqueRef., Dec. t9 (SC eta/.). A Short- January3scored aHammond's Flycatcher re- n. edgeof theirrange were

Volume 47, Number 2- • a/.) and335 in theSandia Mts., Jan.3 (T. Bu- R.G.V., with an "eastern"at PerchaDam Dec. (CR)Feb. 5 (JP, BP) &•8 (SBa),as well as oth- low eta/.), and ioo in the Datil Mts., Dec. 2 3• (CS)and one each solitarius (ph. BZ) and ersat Springer (CR) and near Las Vegas (v.o.). (GS); thes. sector had 30 at L. Roberts,Grant, cassiniatLas Cruces Dec. zo. Single Hutton's Northerlyfor January were small numbers of Dec.25 (EL). Peripheral Am. Crowsincluded werealso at PerchaDec. 3• (CS) andJan. 3 Chestnut-collareds at Maxwell N.WR. and singlesat ClaytonFeb. •o (WC) andConchas (ph. BZ) & •6 (JP)and at LasCruces Jan. 8 LasVegas (CR); I4o nearRoy Feb. 5 was a no- L., Feb.27 (CR) plus•-2 at Aragon,Apache and Feb. 8 (CS). A total of z• Orange- table find (CR), as were four in the Datil Cr., Alma, and GlenwoodDec. 26-3• (JH, crownedWarblers at LasCruces Dec. zo (BZ Mts.,Dec. z (GS).Noteworthy were seven E. RD). Foundroosting with crowsat Albu- et al.) was unusuallyhigh. A probable Meadowlarkssinging near Mule Cr., Dec. z 9 querqueDec. 2o were <55 Chihuahua Ravens Townsend'sWarbler at Las CrucesDec. z3 (RD, JH). CommonGrackles, unusual in (BM). EasterlyBridled Titmice were at Per- (CS)furnished the state's 4th winter report in winter,were reported among Great-taileds at chaDam Jan. 3 (BZ etal.), Jan. i6 (JP),and thepast 5 years. RoswellDec. •9 (SBi et al.) and LasCruces Feb.26 (CR, PS).A Red-breastedNuthatch Dec. zo (CS, CR); far westerlywere nine at nearMule Cr., Dec.29, was an excellent find CARDINALS TO CARDUELINES RedrockFeb. z4 (CR, PS).A Scott'sOriole at (JH). More evidenceof CactusWrens colo- Farn. ofthe usual range was a c•N. Cardinal PanchoVilla S.P.,Jan. zi (CB) providedthe nizingthe northeast was provided by three at at Tucumcariin February(ph. B. McClel- 3rdrecent winter record for that site. Varying Gallegos,Harding, Feb. 3 (CR). Golden- land,fide HS). Pyrrhuloxiaswere numerous flocksofzo-45o Rosy Finches were observed crownedKinglets were scarce in submontanein thes. lowlands especiallyin DogaAna (BZ) in thenortheast December-February, atsuch areas,but an easterly two were found among andEddy (SW) and northward to Grant,So- localesas Eagle Nest (JH eta/.), AngleFire thesalt cedars at LovingDec. zi (SW,CR); corro,and Chaves(v.o.); one found in theSan- (CR, SW), BlackL. (CR, LH, SBa),and Las Ruby-crownedswere in unusuallyshort sup- dia Mts., Dec. i3-Jan.•3 wasfar northand a Vegas(CR); the vast majority were identified plyat many reporting locales (m.ob.). localfirst (HS, ph. C. Treat).Canyon Tow- as Brown-cappedswith only a few Gray- heesremained conspicuous in previously un- crownedsand a handfulof Blacks;36 more BLUEBIRDS TO WARBLERS occupiedlowland areas in DogaAna (GE, RosyFinches were at NavajoDam Feb.I4 EasternBluebirds were conspicuous in the CS) andEddy (SW); a remarkable37z were (CR etal.).A highof•o PineGrosbeaks were southeast at Ft. Sumner, Conchas L., countedin thePeloncillo Mts., Dec. z6 (RS et at SandiaCrest Jan. 3• (JP, BP). Cassin's Roswell,and RattlesnakeSprings (v.o.); in al.).Abert's Towhees included three near Cliff Fincheswere generally scarce in theirusual the southwest,-<5 .Easterns delighted ob- Jan.z (RF), -<•oat RedrockFeb. z 4 (CR, PS), haunts and showed little evidence of sub- serversnear Cliff Jan.z andFeb. •3 (RF), two andtwo at SanSimon Cienega Feb. z 5 (CR, montane movement. Red Crossbills located at SilverCity Dec. •7 (RF etat), fourin the PS).Three Rufous-crowned Sparrows were at wherethey are rarely reported included five PeloncilloMts., Dec. z6 (RS etal.), and Io at theCanadian R., nearRoy Feb. 5 (CR), where nearCuba Feb, I3 (JP),I5 n. of ApacheCr., Las CrucesDec. zo (BZ et al.). Mountain theyare unusuallyhard to find in winter. Dec.z 9 (RD,JH), andfive in theGuadalupe Bluebirdswere unusuallyplentiful in the Numbersof Am. Tree Sparrows in thenorth- Mrs., Feb.6 (K. Bruns,fide SW). Evening EasternPlains and Canadian Basin, includ- eastwere down from previousyears (CR), Grosbeaks were scarce, restricted to n ing 600 at L.V.N.W.R.,Jan. zo (CR, PG), perhapsreflecting milder conditions farther foothillareas from NavajoDam (JP) and "increasednumbers" at ConchasL., Jan.7 north.Black-throated Sparrows were found Zuni (DC) eastwardto Cuba (JP), SantaFe (CR), and >ioo near PasturaDec. • (CS et northerly,with -<5wintering at Petroglyph (JH),and Las Vegas (CR). al.). Comparedwith recentyears, Am. N.M. (HS).A LarkBunting was early at San Robinswere relatively scarce in mostareas Jon,Quay, Feb. 3 (CR).The only Grasshop- Citedobservers: Sy Baldwin,Pat Basham, (v.o.).Well-detailed Gray Catbirds, casual at perSparrow was one in the PeloncilloMts., SherryBixler, Charles Black, David Cleaty, bestin winter,were singles at SocorroJan. 30 Dec. 26 (RS),where seven were reported in Wes Cook, SteveCox, Alan Craig, Narca (JP,BP) and RoswellDec. •9 (P. White). thepast •o years.Only five Fox Sparrows were Moor Craig,Robert Dickerman, Ellen Es- NortherlyN. Mockingbirds,perhaps often seen,all in the s. one-thirdof the state(v.o.). pinosa, Gordon Ewing, Ralph Fisher, overlookedin winter,included singles at Alwaysnoteworthy, Golden-crowned Spar- BernardFoy, Phil Garcia,Sheila Gershen, Clayton(WC), Harding, Feb. 3 (CR),and Ft. rows were more numerous than usual, in- LoisHerrman, John Hubbard, Pat Insley, Eu- SumnerJan. •4 (CR). NineBrown Thrashers cludingtwo found in AlbuquerqueDec. 2o geneLewis, Curtis Marantz, Bill Maynard, werereported at 6 localesfrom the R.G.V. (HS etaQ-Jan.3• (v.o.),one near Cliff Jan.z DavidMehlman, Benjamin Parmeter, John eastward(v.o.). Moderate numbers of Cedar (RF),and one in GuadalupeCanyon Feb. •3 Parmeter,Christopher Rustay, Catherine Waxwingswintered in the southwestfrom (NMC). The onlyHarris' Sparrows were sin- Sandell,Gregory Schmitt, Robert Scholes, Pleasanton and the Peloncillo Mts. eastward glesat EspafiolaDec. zo (BF) andPercha Hart Schwarz,Patricia Snider, Dale Stahleck- to CaballoL. and Las Cruces(v.o.); in the' Dam,Jan. 3 (ph.BZ). AWhite-winged Junco er, Alan Swain, RossTeuber, United States PecosValley, however, >•oo stayed at Roswell wasat Clayton(WC), wherethe speciesis Fish & Wildlife Service(U.S.EW.S), Brad allwinter (fide SBi). Seven N. Shrikeswere re- rarelyreported, while Gray-headedswere Vaughn,Steve West, S.O. Williams,Barty portedfrom as many areas in thenorth, in singingin theZuni Mts.,Feb. 27 OH, EE). Zimmer, Dale & Marian Zimmerman.-- SanJuan, McKinley Rio Arriba, •os, Mora, Effortsto find LaplandLongspurs in the SARTOR O. WILLIAMS III, New Mexico andSan Miguel(v.o.). Winter records of Soli- northeastwere generallysuccessful, with Departmentof Gameand Fish,EO. Box taryVireos may be on therise in thelower smallnumbers at MaxwellN.W.R., Jan. 32 25II2, SantaFe, NM 87504.

thelate fall; that is, slow-moving low-pressure Basin. Elsewhere,snow cover was a mixed ALASKAREGION systemsgenerated near-record snow accumu- bag,given local mild conditions. TheodoreG. 7abish,Jr., and lationsacross the Interior; weak high and low Althoughfall migrationbegan early, lin- M.E. Isleib pressureacross the North Gulf of Alaska gerersremained noteworthy well into De- Coastproduced many weather combinations cember.Wide temperature swings punctuat- with no realpattern all season; and extended ed Februarystatewide, but the averagefor high-pressurecells over Southeast permitted Februaryranged above normal in Southeast below-averagecold and snow conditions and andincreased steadily toward the westand Exceptfor a Regionwidehigh pressure and northwest coasts. Such late winter weather subzero freeze in late January,winter below-averagesnow for the northwest coastal •99z-•993was mostly mild, uneventful,and regions.Snowpack accumulation was at max- usuallyallows for an early intra-Region move- imumof recordin 35years in the s. Interior, mentof earlymigrants. None was noted as of tedious. This winter's weather patterns seemedto mirrorthose set in motionthrough concentratedespecially in the lowerTanana period'send. An Asiaticcomponent was dis-

288 American B•rds, Summer 1993 ofvery few away from s. Southeast. ' MiddletonI. providesextensive in- tertidalhabitat that wouldlikely producethe highest annual winter • populationsof BlackTurnstone andSanderling. Counts from this wintersMiddleton survey included >-50 Black Turnstonesand >-30 SanderlingsJan. x (RLS).N. Gulf SewardPen. Coastwinter Dunlins peaked at >8 ': Fairbanks at MiddletonI., Jan.x (RLS),six at CordovaDec. zo (REF), and IZ at ALASKAe KodiakJan. z (RAM). Elsewhere, ,•o•?,,••.:7.'..-!:•:•:•:.:5•:{:• the bestDunlin countwas 44 from PetersburgJan. x4 (PJXX/).Com- .i•;.: Cordov.• 'V-' monSnipe was missed at Anchor- agethis winter after several consec- utive winters.Two Com. Snipes were flushedat Middleton I., Dec. 3I (RES),the site of the N. Gulf Coasts first winter record back in the x96os,and another wintered at Cordova Dec. xz-Feb. zx (NB, REF).The only notable larid report tinctlylacking this winter. This year saw the ducingfascinating information about semi- wasoftl•e ad. Slaty-backed Gullthat lingered firstrecent winter survey of birdsfrom at-sea pelagicwintering waterfowl. It isdear that at the KetchikanDump Nov. 3o-Dec. 6 and isolated Middleton I. thereare significant local populations ofeider (DB). in Lower Cook Inlet. Extralimital Barrows For an undetermined reason, Corn. Mur- LOONS TO WATERFOWL Goldeneyesincluded a pair at ColdBay Feb. res came inshore in massivenumbers in late Lastyears winter Pacific Loon counts (q.v.) 27 (MZ, CFZ), fora 6th localrecord, and a Januaryalong the N. GulfCoast, concentrat- fromthe Ketchikanarea may have been an drakeat Adak present all season (JCW, MIO ed between e. Prince William Sound and Res- anomaly,since winter x99z-x993counts forone of very few Aleutian reports. Hooded urrectionBay. Several thousand remained for peakedonly at 4z Dec.x (SCH).Pied-billed Mergansersappeared more common and weeksJan. zo-late February at Seward(RES, Grebeswent unreported for oneof veryfew rangedbeyond traditional sites. Three were WS).Many more dead or dying and stranded seasonsover the past IO years. The Regions in Cordovauntil Dec. [3+ (PG), a pair re- birds were noted _-6oo ed Dec. x (SCH). The seasonsonly Great theyare rare, at Kuiu I., Feb.23 (PJW). birds, Feb. zz (REF). Concentrationsof BlueHeron away from traditional winter ar- Com.Murres are typically rare and unusual eas,was one at KodiakJan. 5 (BP).A Greater RAPTORS TO ALCIDS inwinter, except at seasonal feeding zones off- White-frontedGoose lingered with local Theseasons only N. Harrierreports were sin- shore in the Gulf of Alaska. Murre numbers CanadaGeese on theJuneau flats until Dec. glesat Middleton I., Dec.28 (RLS) and Kodi- in KachemakBay peaked at an above-average xx+(MS) for a znd Southeastwinter record. akFeb. 2-2x (CR, RAM, BP).Sharp-shinned 800, Jan. II (CF). Singleswere found either Consistentnumbers of TrumpeterSwans Hawks were described as common around deador stunned to UpperCook Inlet, inland continue to winter on Mitkof I.'s Blind feedersat Kodiak and in Homer in the znd on the PalmerFlats Feb. x (OH) & 27 (PP) Slough,where this years peak hit 57Dec. 6 halfof theseason, but no numbers were given andat ChugiakHigh School near Eagle R., (PJW).This and a fewother sites in s.South- for reference.Traditionally, Sharp-shinned Feb. x7 (fideCM). There are approximately 6 eastsupport probable wintering groups of and Medin winter numbers in the N. Gulf previousUpper Cook Inlet records, all but Southeastand w. British Columbia breeders. Coastare directlytied to the earlywinter one from late winter. Thisyears winter waterfowl survey data from abundanceof "winter"finches. Ptarmigans IzembekLagoon at thewest end of the Alaska wentunmentioned, except from the North- OWLS TO MIMIDS Peninsulainduded peak counts of bothEm- west,where the Willow Ptarmigan popula- WesternScreech-Owls were reported from perorGeese Jan. 15 (7870 and Brants Feb. 26 tion in the foothills out of Kotzebue was char- Sitka,where one was brought to the local rap- (xo,55I) (CPD, CFZ). acterizedas severelydepressed this season torresearch center Feb. zz+ (fideMVO, and at Themild fall led to noteworthywaterfowl (WRU). Ketchikan,singles Jan. z3 & 30 (fideSCH). reports,including single N. Pintailsand Am. Two Am. Coots each overwintered at Anotherthat responded to a tapeat Seward Wigeonsin Anchorageall season(m.ob.), Ketchikan(SCH) and Sitka (IVlXV),the sea- Dec. z7 (WS), is the Regionswesternmost. fourGreen-winged Teals at SewardDec. z7 sodsonly records. The mildearly season no SnowyOwls were found at MiddletonI., <3 (TGT), twoLesser Scaup, and a singleBuffle- doubtcontributed to thevery late Black-bel- in Decemberand until Jan.I (RES),and at head,both casual, at Anchorageall season liedPlovers, one each, which lingered at Sitka Homer,where singles appeared Dec. n (DP) (m.ob.),and one N. Shovelerat MiddletonI., untilDec. I6 (MW) andnear Glacier Bay un- andJan. x 5 (WD). Aswe have few mid-winter Dec. 3o-Jan.x (RLS).Steller's Eiders made til Dec. 19 (BBP).There is only one state data,a N. Saw-whetOwl in an Anchorage strongshowings at traditionalwinter sites. recordfrom beyond these reports of a single yardJan. IS-late February (ILLS) was most in- Peakcounts reached 35,380 in the Izembek in Sewardto early January. The Regions first terestingand nearthe northend of the Lagoonarea Feb. z6 (CPD,CFZ); I381 at Ko- winterSemipalmated Plover report was of a species'known nesting range. A lingeringc3 diakJan. z (RAM); anda surprising>300 in groupof 5 birdsat JuneauDec. x 9 (•JGK, Anna'sHummingbird that appearedat a KachemakBay near Seward Feb. IZ (GCW). MLIO. TheKilldeer that lingered at Seward Juneauarea feeder through most of Decem- Winter boat trips into the n. edgeof untilDec. 27+ Os) representsthe states most ber(MS) wasthe winters only report. A pair KachemakBay-Lower Cook Inlet arepro- northerlyand westerly winter report and one of DownyWoodpeekers was found in the

Volume 47, Number 2 - 289 MiddletonI. thickets,Dec. 3o-Jan. I (ILLS), Regionsrarest winter sparrow,Lincolds providingthe first island winter report. Two Sparrow,was also widespread, with four at N. Flickerswere locatedin midtown Anchor- Kodiakall period (RAM), one at Homer Dec. ageJan. z-Feb. I9 (LW,DFD). A singleflicker zo OqdeGCW), and anotherat Ketchikan thatspent parts of thez previouswinters in Jan.n (SCH).Fitting the recent pattern of Anchoragerepresented Upper Cook Inlet's latefall appearancesin Southeast, an imm. onlyother winter record. Another N. Flicker SwampSparrow was described from Peters- lingeredat Homer until Dec. 20 (GCW), burgsBlind Slough Dec. xo (PJW). The win- whileelsewhere three N. (Red-shafted)Flick- ter'sonly White-throated Sparrow appeared ers overwintered at a Ketchikan feeder at SewardDec. z7 (RLS,TGT), a 3rdlocal (SCH), andseveral were noted around Peters- record,remaining until Feb. I7+ (GCW). burgDec. i7-Feb. I5 (PJW). There arenow about6 Southcoastalrecords, The five Black-billedMagpies found allfrom winter. Several c• McKay's Buntings aroundthe s. sideof UnimakI. at Cape werewith wintering Snow Buntings inJanu- LazarefFeb. 2 (CPD,CFZ), likelyrepresent aryand February, at whatmust be the ex- theRegions westernmost. Magpies were his- tremen. edgeof bothspecies' winter ranges, toricallyrecorded in wintercasually W to at Kotzebueand inland at Sisualik(WRU). A FalsePass, an areathat now supports small fewMcKay's overwintered atCold Bay, where numbersannually in mid-winter.In a yearin theyare annual, Jan. 4-Feb. zS+, and a maxi- whichthe NorthGulf CoastBlack-capped mumthree Jan. z8 (MZ, CFZ). Chickadeepopulation swelled to record num- Last winter's 9 Brewer's Blackbird re- bers,including •83 seenDec. x9 at Anchorage White-throated Sparrow at Seward,Alaska, turned to the sameKetchikan feederin Octo- (m.ob.), threewandered offshore to Middle- December27, 1992. Phot0grapl•R.L. Scher. berand remained until mid-February (SCH). tonI., Dec.3o-Jan. I (RLS). There are no pre- I992). It remainedall seasonand roosted Theseasods only Brambling was a singlere- viouschickadee records from the more distant againsta south-facingcondominium win- mainingat KodiakOctober+ (PS). After De- offshoreislands in the Gulf (e.g.,Kodiak, dow,feeding on freshmealworms at a local cember,both crossbill species were absent or Middleton, the Barren Is.). Red-breasted feederduring prolonged subzero tempera- rares. of the AlaskaRange. North of the Nuthatchnumbers showed no signs of falling tures and north winds. mountains,White-wingeds were locally com- fromlast year's record counts in theAnchor- mon at Tok (TJD) in the eastto the lower agearea, where this seasods peak reached STARLING TO FRINGILLIDS NoatakR. drainage in thenorthwest (WRU). Dec. I9 (m.ob.).Twenty nuthatches in Se- ExtralimitalEur. Starlingreports included White-wingedCrossbill numbers have been waM Dec.27 (m.ob.) constituted one of Res- two in an Anchorageneighborhood until verylow throughout the Region for nearly 3 urrectionBays best winter totals. Dec. I9+ (TGT, ILLS,RA) and threearound yearsnow. Wintering Redpolls were wide- At least two Townsend's Solitaires wan- KodiakJan. 3-Feb. I3 (DWS, RAM, JBA). spreadand in aboutaverage numbers, except deredaround the Anchorage area seen spo- Unusuallytardy were two Orange-crowned in Southeast,where numbers built to above- radicallyDec. I OqdeDWS)-Feb. 26 (AS). Warblersaround Petersburg Dec. 8 & n averagelocal peaks in earlyFebruary (m.ob.). Anothersolitaire spent the month of Decem- (PJW).The Orange-crownedWarbler that berat Juneau Oqde MEI). Previouslyconsid- appearedat a Kodiak feederJan. 24-30 Contributor•and observer•: J.B. Allen, M.A. ered casualin winter, a few Solitaireshave (RAM)may well have been the same bird that Archie, R. Austin, P. Benson,N. Bird, D. nowbeen found somewhere inthe s. portions had successfullyoverwintered at the same Bowers,G.V. Byrd,M. Chase,C.E Dau,T.J. of theRegion for the past 6-8 winters.Varied feederlast winter, for the Regions first winter Doyle, W. Dunne, R.E. Fairall,C. Field, Thrusheslingered late and north, where they record.Wintering sparrows were found in D.D. Gibson, E Green, S.C. Heinl, O. arecasual away from the immediateNorth above-averagenumbers across Southcoastal, Hughes, J. King,M.L. King,M. Krom,C. Gulf Coastalfringe, with singlesnoted where most are annual in variable numbers. Maack,R•. Macintosh,B.B. Paige, P. Pour- at Fairbanksuntil Dec. 23+ (DDG) and in AmericanTree Sparrows were widespread in chot,R. Pfutzenreuter,C. Ranney, tLL. Sch- AnchorageDec. i-Jan. Io+ (TGT). Milder Southeastand Southcoastal, with high counts er,W. Schuster,M. Schwan,J. Sinclair,D.W. weatherat offshoresites enables good num- of fiveat SewardDec. z7 (m.ob.); six on Ko- Sonneborn,A. Sorenson,P.Sunberg, W.R. bersof Varieds towinter (e.g., 84) were count- diak'sNarrow Cape •BC Jan. 3 Oqde DWS) Uhl, P.J.Walsh, M. Ward, G.C. West, L. edaround Kodiak Jan. 2 (RAM, m.ob.).We andat HomerDec. zo (fideGCW); and nine White, E. Whitney,J.C. Williams, C.E receiveda second-hand "by-the way" report in Anchorageto Dec. I9 (fideDFD). Fox Zeillemaker,M. Zeillemaker.All details(t), of a NorthernMockingbird tracked down Sparrowswere also widespread, notably four photographs(ph.), and specimens (*) refer- andconfirmed in anAnchorage neighbor- at Cordovathrough December (REF), z-3 at encedhere are on file at theUniversity of hood(DFD, ph.RLS, EW, TGT). Thisbird, SewardDec. z7 (ILLS,TGT), n at Kodiak AlaskaMuseum.--G. TOBISH, JR., 25IO presentsince Nov. Io, was believed by most to Jan.z Or'deRAM), and four in HomerDec. zo ForakerDr., Anchorage, AK 99517;and M. bethe same individual that appeared briefly OqdeGCW). RustyInterior forms were de- E. ISLEIB, 9229 Emily Way,Juneau, AK at a site

cellsfrom the Pacific produced much more andVictoria, but the rest of the province con- BRITISHCOLUMBIA/ snowthan the coast has seen in manyyears. tinuedto shiverunder a seriesof coldspells. Whileimpressive, the 35 cm of snowthat fell Somebrought record-setting lowtempera- YUKONREGION in Vancouverwas by no means record break- tures. Chris Siddle ing.Mid- and late January were frigid in the Canaddsfirst Dusky Thrush, a Siberian va- interior.Dawson Creek experienced -5oøC grant,appeared in a yardin Langleyand for a week.Prince George had a coldsnap stayedin theneighborhood for morethan z Dec.27-Jan. x7, one of thelongest since the months.Almost everyone who searchedfor With thedeparture of El Nifio andits warm- x94os.January began with moresnow, fol- thebird found it. In theinterior, to quote inginfluence earlier in theyear, winter was lowedby a cooldrying trend on thecoast, SubregionalEditor Dirk Septer,"The cold more"normal" along coastal British Colum- Januaryto early February. Early spring began, weatherand lack of openwater made this bia.Arctic outbreaks meeting low-pressure as usual, in lateFebruary around Vancouver winter very dull .... "

250. American Birds, Summer 1993 Manythanks to Victoriabird- temptedto flush a partyof six Gray ers,who provided an exceptionally Partridgesfrom snow near White concise,ready-to-use report. L., Jan.I (RJC, SGC, SRC). Six Anyoneinterested in northern PeregrineFalcons each were seen avifauna will be interested in the on both the Vic. and Duncan Yukon Bird Club's new and attrac- CBCs. A remarkable five Pere- tive quarterlynewsletter. For grineswere reportedby the membershipinformation, write R.B.A.V.,Jan. 26 from the Martin- to: The Yukon Bird Club, RR t, dale Rd. area ofc. Saanich.As is of- Site t6, Comp. 44, Whitehorse, ten the caseon Van. I., a single Yukon,Canada YxA 4Z6. Gyrfalconwas observedat c. SaanichJan. 9 (KT), Jan.28 (DAi), Abbreviations:Q.C.I. (Queen & Jan.29 (HV). AnotherGyr was Charlotte/s.);Van. I. (Vancouver in Duncan,Jan. 9 & n (DM). L); Vic. (Victoria). Thirty-fourreports of Gyrfalcon were receivedfrom Van., but most HERONS TO WATERFOWL probablyrepresent the same A latereport received after the fall RobertsBank bird (RJC)seen Dec. wasof a GreatEgret photographed r-Feb.26 (m.ob.,ph. TH). Eight at Moose L., Mt. Robson P.P.,in reportswere received of a Prairie lateOctober (ph. PB, ES).The Falcon around Brunswick Point- bird wandered around the areaand Roberts Bank Dec. r-Feb. 8 was last seen at the Columbia Ice- (m.ob.).No doubtthis is thesame fields,Jasper, Alta., ca. Nov. t3. Af- birdthat has frequented these loca- ter the Decemberfreeze-up of all tionsfor the past 4winters. lakesexcept Okanagan L., Great Ring-neckedPheasants continue Blue Herons around Kelowna be- theirdecline in theVico area, likely ganto appearstanding near the due to extensivehabitat loss. The holescreated by ice fishermen. Vic. CBC, Dec. t9, foundonly Now and then a fisherman would five,a recordlow. Comparethis takepity on a poorbird and toss it a scaly werereceived confirming the identification of with a median of 46 for Vic. CBCs of snack(CRS). After the hugefall invasion, theGarganey reported at IonaI., Sept.t3-t4 t958-t984( The Birds of British Columbia, Vol. only two CattleEgrets were reported, at (ph.RV). The single-site high count for Eur. 2, p. 5t9).The winter brought deep snow to Courtenay(DHa) (no other details).A Wigconson Van. I. waseight at Parksvillemany locales, with unknown effects on many Green-backedHeron at BrackendaleJan. t 7 FlatsFeb. t4 (DGC). Forthe mainland, it was ground-feedingspecies, including Wild (BS)provided an unusualwinter record. As t3at Tsawwassen Jetty, Delta Jan. to (WCW). Turkeys.Three groups were reported: 50 at has beenusual for the pastseveral years, A 5? Canvasbackwas seen on the Yukon R. Sirdar,Feb. 24 (LVD); >30at Ha Ha L. (e.of Black-crownedNight-Herons wintered at belowLewes Dam Dec.19 (HG) and2o (CE, Kimberley),early February (JR); and t8 s.c. of ReifelI., Ladner.This season'scount included PS) for a firstYukon winter record.Tufted Cranbrook(no date,MW). two adults, two subadults,and two irama- Ducksreached their highest total ever, with <5 Two SandhillCranes frequented 68th tures(JI). differentbirds reported from Iona-LostLa- Street,Delta, in earlyDecember (PSp, BSp, The extremelycold weather probably ac- goonDec. 5-23. A countof threemales at GPA,GA), whilea wild birdassociated with countedfor the low Trumpeter Swan count at Iona,Dec. t4, wasunprecedented (PSp, BSp, ReifelI.'s captive(s)throughout the period thetraditional wintering spot at Crooked R., RT). ThreeSurfScoters near Balfour, Nelson, (JI). Two SemipalmatedPlovers seen at n. of PrinceGeorge. Only 29 adults and one Feb.20, was very unusual, possibly represent- BoundaryBay Dec. 4, provideda rare winter immaturewere found Jan. t7 (P.G.N.C.). ingthe first winter record for the E. Kootenay record(MG). A LesserYellowlegs at Reifel I., Contrastrhis sighting with 36 adults and t2 region(LVD). Avery rare winter sighting ofa Feb.z, wasalso a very tare find (JI). A Spotted immaturesin Januaryt992. One of to Trum- Bufflehead,perhaps the first, was made in the Sandpiperoverwintered at Goldstream P.P. petersseen at SummerlandJan. 24 worea YukonR. at WhitehorseDec. 5 (HG). Red- (m.ob.),and two iramatureswere found at black collar that read 46 HC. Swan re- breastedMergansers continue to increaseas the samesite Dec. 25 (DA). A Whimbrelat searcherstake note. The high count of Trum- wintererson Okanagan L.An unprecedented Ten Mile Pt., Feb.7 (RBAV) & •5 (J&RS), petersat ReifelI. was341 Jan. 29, with sightingof fivemales was made at Gellady wasin themost reliable wintering Whimbrel 200-300present most of the season (JI). Ver- BayFeb. 4 (DW,JBu, DMu). spotaround Vic. The "ThreeAmigos"--a non'sRoss' Goose, which first appeared Sept. Whimbrel,a Long-billedCudew, and a Mar- t3,stayed in thearea into winter. It waslast VULTURES TO OWLS bled Godwit--continuedtheir lengthyso- seenDec. 24, accepting handouts with a flock TurkeyVultures, rare on Van. I. inwinter, had joumat BlackfieSpit (m.ob.). In spiteof the of Canadas(MC, PR, CRSph.). Reifel I.'s 3 reports:four were seen over Rocky Pt., numbingweather, a Dunlin appeared along imm.Ross' was seen Dec. t-x5 (JI,m.ob.). Six SookeDec. 2o (RS),two in MetchosinJan.t6 theKelowna lakeshore Jan. 3o-Feb. t5+ (DB, EmperorGeese appeared atSandspit, Q.C.I., (AC), andone at the Malahatsummit Jan. to m.ob.).A Corn.Snipe located at a tinyspot of Jan.3t (MH)--the firsrflock of thesevery (DA). Anotherwas observedat Boundary openwater in SmithersDec. 27 probably rarestragglers tobe recorded on the BC coast Bayairport Jan. 22 (MBI). Two Bald Eagles, failedto survivethe late-December cold snap in livingmemory. an adult and an immature, at Kluane L., Dec. (DH). A nimia- or crecca-typeGreen-winged i2 and Jan. 2o, providedunusual winter More Glaucous Gulls than usual were Teal,shot by a duckhunter at PortAlberni recordsfor the Yukon(PU, EH). The Victo- foundaround s. Van. I: fiveoverwintering at Dec. 9 (DGC), wasphotographed Dec. 13 ria CBC reporteda record-high3o Sharp- Duncan-Cowichan(DM); one 2nd-winter (SM). Van. areareported two non-North shinnedHawks Dec. t9. Cooper'sHawks ap- bird at GoldstreamDec. t3 (AC, DFF), Dec. AmericanGreen-wingeds: one at Blackie pearedin average numbers on s. Van. I.; many 25 (DA), andJan. 24 (J&RS);a first-winter Spit,Feb. 26 (WCW), and another atMaple- wereobserved hundng the numerousbut bird at CumbedandDec. 20 (OKM, NJM); woodFlats (CS, BD). Theseteals are very rare slow-flyingSteller's Jays at Victoriafeeders. and a first-winterbird at CloverPt., Jan.4-5 stragglersto coastal locations in BC. Slides Bothan ad. andan imm. GoldenEagle at- (J&RS).An adult,representing an agegroup

Volume 47, Number 2- 291 seldomseen on Van.I., turnedup at Co- werereported from s.w.BC., a firstfor all ob- wichanBay Dec. I2-I 3 (DM). serverscontributing to thiscolumn. Steller's SeveralVic. observers kept careful records Jayscontinued to bemore common than usu- of Band-tailedPigeon numbers. The largest alaround Vic. all winter. A record-highcount groupincluded 60 in N. SaanichJan. 9 of 659was made on theVic. CBCDec. I9. (J&GA).The high count for the Comtenay Bushtitsstill seem to be slowlyincreasing areawas 23 at Union BayJan. 17 (BMS).A aroundVic. The CBC had an all-time high of Barn Owl wasfound deadat Little R., Co- II58 bushtits,compared with IO95in i9õ9. moxJan. 22 (DWI). ThreeBarn Owls were Golden-crownedKinglets also reached ahigh reportedfrom the Vic. area.As BarredOwl countof 3337,up from z9o7 in I99O. numbersincrease (_>6 reported this winter The bird of the seasonwas a Dusky aroundVic.), W. Screech-Owlsappear to be Thrushof theeunomusssp., discovered Jan. z decreasing,with only nine found on the Vic. at zoox5Fernridge Crescent in Langley,E of CBC,down from 23 last year. Van. (JI, HNM, JAM, ?MAP,rmob.). This Followingthe fall invasion ofSnowy Owls birdwas the first of its species ever to be found intothe Van.-Vic. region, afew were reported in North Americaoutside of Alaska,where it fromthe s. interior, asis usual during invasion had beenrecorded about a dozentimes in the years.Singles were at VernonDec. i3-I 4 (FP, pastfew decades. The birdcentered its activi- CRS)and at NakuspFeb. 2 (MGe,DSt). A tiesaround alarge, well-treed yard, especially Snowywas sighted at ViewRoyal, Van. I., around some bushescovered with red berries Nov.30 (JH, DSo),and one spent Dec. 7 Gyrfalconat BoundaryBay, Br'•ish Columbia, February17, 1993. Photograph/l'omHeiudel. (Ilexor Pyracantha?).It often displayed ag- perchedon a roofin downtownVic. (JL). gressivebehavior toward Am. Robinsand Oneat GooseSpit, Comox Dec. 6 (JN eta[), OfficeBuilding at PortAlberni Feb. z 7 (de- scribedby DGC). Theznd was found at I6O VariedThrushes that attempted to feedon providedthe only up-island report. The sin- the berries.Most birderswho cameto seethis glehighest count for Snowy Owls was 9 at72 St.and Fraser Hwy in SurreyFeb. 17 (speci7 men at UBC). A N. Saw-whetOwl wasfound raritywere successful, mainly because the St., Delta Dec. 23 (MBr) & 27 (MBr). propertyowners were wonderfully coopera- Snowiesremained widespread in the Van. deadin nettingfrom a chickenpen near Qukk Feb.II (EC). tive. Many thanksto Noel and Deborah area,with 92 reports received from Delta and O'Brien, who alloweda total of >I5OO Ladnet. Great Horned Owls were scarcein HUMMINGBIRDS TO FINCHES strangersto walkaround their yard for z« theYukon, probably because of lowSnow- months.I wish this story had a happy ending, shoeHare numbers(HG). The only N. Theonly interior Anna's Hummingbird was but it doesn't. HawkOwl reported in BCwas at thejtmc- oneat Osoyoos Dec. 8-z8 (JK,HK). A prob- ableRed-naped x Red-breastedSapsucker Thethrush stayed throughout the period. donof Hwy 99 and91 Dec. 12 (LA). In the TheVan. Bird Alert stopped reporting it after Yukon,hawk owls were also considered very wasat GoldstreamEP., Jan. 9 (AB,MB). The birdwas described asa c•Red-naped with an mid-Marchupon request from Mr. O'Brien, scarce,with only two reported. Continuing whofelt it wastime to get his life back to nor- theirtrend from the fall, N. Pygmy-Owlsorange-red wash on its breast below the black bib. As occurredlast year,cold weather mfl. How did somebirders repay the weremore commonly encountered than usu- O'Briensfor their incredible patience? They alin the lowlands ofthe North Okanagan and aroundChristmas brought Red-breasted Sapsuckersinto the lowlands. They were re- trespassedonthe O'Briens' property, even af- the W. and E. Kootenays.One observer ter theVan. Bird Tape had requested that (WCW)saw four in oneday while driving portedby many observers from ix locations in theVic. checklistarea. In theVan. area, indi- peoplestop looking for thebird. When con- fromHope to Cranbrook. frontedby Mr. O'Brien,several admitted Smallnumbers of GreatGray Owls "in- vidualsshowed up in suchlowland locations asReifel I., Jan. io (HNM,JAM) and Langley theyknew they weren't supposed to be there vaded"s. BC.A GreatGray, accidental on butdidn't think the rules applied to them. It's Van.I., turnedup at PortAlberni Jan. 9-Feb. Dec.31 (HNM, JAM).Noteworthy was a concenttadonof eight Three-toedWood- timefor every one of us to stop rationalizing 22 (?DGC.,JVA, m.ob.). Two appeared in that our actions as individuals cannot have the Van.area at UBC Feb.7 (MK), andat peckersin a standof beede-infestedspruce alongthe Willow tL, near Prince George Jan. far-reachingor harmfuleffects. Each of us BurnabyL., Jan. 8 (MP, ESa, SR). The musttake responsibility forour actions, even Okanagan(where the species isvery rare) had 14(MPh). The first Say's Phoebe of theap- proachingspring arrived at the appointed if it meansmissing a bird The problem is not 2-3 at VernonDec. 31+(PR, m.ob.),one at theother guy: it's you and me. MahoneyL., Jan.2 (RJC),and anotherat hourFeb. zz at Rd. zz, Osoyoos (BC, RW), in spiteof muchcolder-than-usual tempera- A c•Am. Robinpresent at a Teslinfeeder TugulnuitL., Jan.2 (GL).Prince George re- tnres. December-Februarysurvived Yukon tem- portedonly one Great Gray, in contrast tolast peraturesas low as-55øC (D&PD). Two N. wintersinvasion (JB). One wasreported TheEur. Skylark population around Vic. showeda healthy increase over recent levels, Mockingbirdswere found in GoldenFeb. IO; fromQuick and two from Tyhee L. nearTelk- one was later found dead (EZ). Vancouver wa (nodates, EC). A deadGreat Gray was attributedto a drier-than-normalbreeding seasonand to a largersupply of fallowfields alsohad a mockingbirdDec. 29-Feb.2I broughtto the Nakusp Conservation Officer (GPA,SPA, m.ob.). Prince George, Nakusp, Jan.21 (JBe,GSD). A singlewas seen at thisyear in theMartindale Rd. area. For the pastdecade, the Saanich population has been andGrand Forks observers allreported that WhipsawCr., 20 km E of PrincetonDec. 26 theirflocks of Bohemian Waxwings had gen- (DBr).A Long-earedOwl, a vagrant on Van. estimatedat IZ 5 birds Feb. z 7 (J&GA),both at thebulb fields. Four skylarks were found at (WEM).As would seem reasonable, given the mouth; and SeaI. colder-than-usualwinter, only 4 reportsof BorealOwls arealmost unknown from s.w. Maber'sFlats, C. SaanichJan. 3I (J&GA). The Yukon'sfirst winter Horned Lark was in Yellow-rumpedWarblers were received bythe BC, yettwo road-killedbirds were found this downtownWhitehorse Dec. 19 (HG). Dur- Vic. subregionaleditor. A TownsendsWar- season.An adultkilled by a vehicle near Toil- bler on Thetis I., Dec. 26 (AC) wasa nice ingearly fall I99Z, large flocks of Sreller'sJays noin Februaryended up in theGovernment find.This species isa rarewinterer on Van. I.

292-American Birds, Summer 1993 Even rarer was a Wilson's Warbler at Ravine werefound on Van. I., wherethe Com. Red- Way,Saanich, Dec. 5-27 (DM). FiveSwamp •oll is accidental: the first at Nanaimo, Dec. OREGONASHINGTON Sparrowswere reported from Saanich and 28(M. Slingerland),and the 2nd in Vie., Jan. Cowichan and four from the Lower Main- I7-25(BBa). An outbreakof Salmonelladeci- REGION land, but no detailswere forwarded.Come mated Pine Siskin flocksaround Van. Thou- Bill TweitandJim Johnson on,kids. Swamp Sparrows aren't that com- sandsdied (RJC). A flockof Io EveningGros- monyet! About the usual number of White- beaks,accidental in the Yukon,stayed the throatedSparrows were reported from the winter at a Teslinfeeder (PD), and a Watson Vic. area,but one on Saltspring, Dec. z9-Jan. L. feederfilled the bill for a flockof2o (RF). Aftersix or moreconsecutive mostly mild, I (GSm)was a firstfor thatisland. A • Yel- drywinters, this one came as a shock.The low-headed Blackbird was seen at Creston C0rfigenda:In AB46:n7o, I guessedthat TG's droughtcame to a temporary halt for much of Jan.25 (WCW), providingone of veryfew observationof MourningWarblers near Ft. theRegion, except for western Washington. Kootenaywinter records. A small mixed flock Liardmight provide first records for this The interiorreceived a deepcover of snow ofBrewer's and Rusty Blackbirds survived the speciesfor the NWT. Well, I guessedwrong. thatstayed on the ground. In easternWash- snowyRevelstoke winter at a feeder(ACh, MourningWarblers are regularly found in ington,the Tri-Citiesbroke the snowfall GSD, ph.). SingleRusties were at Duncan summerat NahanniHot Springsin Nahanni recordby morethan one foot, and Yakima Jan.I- 3 (DM), ChichesterMarsh, Kelowna, N.P. (AG).All Say'sPhoebes referred to in recordedthe second-highestlevel ever. Dec. 6 (CC), and CrestonJan. 25 (WCW). thiscolumn (AB 46:1169) were Sage Thrash- Spokaneset a record for lasting snow cover. It Fifteen Rusties were at Barrett near Houston ers. was called the worst winter ever in central Oregon,with 84 inches of snow in Bendand Contributors(subregional editors in boldface): continuoussnow cover for IO7 days, 40 days Dave Alcroft (DAi), David Allinson,Jerry longerthan the previous record. Precipitation andGladys Anderson, L. Andrusiak, Gerry E in theHarney Basin was well above average, Ansell,Stephen E Ansell,B. Baker(BBa), andsnow covered the ground for 90 consecu- BarbaraBegg (Victoria), Jim Beck(JBe), tivedays. The interior was cold as well, with PhilipBoston, Jack Bowling (Prince George temperaturesin the Tri-Cities, Colville, and andnorth), Doug Brown (DBr), M. Brown Lewistonbelow average all winter. (MBr), DeniseBrownlie (Central Okana- The west side snowfall had neither the gan),Andy Buhler, Marilyn Buhler, Joan depthnor the duration of thaton theeast Burbridge(JBu), E. Campbell,Richard J. side,and west side temperatures were only Cannings(Vancouver), Syd G. Cannings, slightlybelow average. An intense windstorm SteveR. Cannings(S. Okanagan), Don G. blewthrough western Washington Jan. 20, Cecile(Port Alberni and Pacific Rim), Arnie withwinds reaching 94 mph at Hood Canal, Chaddock,Christopher Charlesworth, Mary butno effects on birds were reported. Rainfall Collins,Ann Cooper, Bert Coral, Evi Coul- wasaverage orbetter in western Oregon, but son, Gary S. Davidson(Kootenays), D. it remainedbelow average in westernWash- Denison, Pat Denison, Brent Diakow, ington.February rainfall in Seattlewas less CameronEckert, Rob Florkiewicz,David E thanIO% of average. Fraser(Victoria), Martin Gebaurer(Vancou- SauvieIsland, in the Columbia River near GreatGray Owl at PortAlberni, Vancouver ver), M. Gelber (MGI), Mimi George Portland,hosted an inexplicablehorde of Island,British Columbia, during January- (MGe),Alex Gray, Tony Greenfield (Sun- gullsthat built in sizefrom late December Febrnary1993. Photograph/DonaldG.Cecile. shineCoast), Helmut Gr'tinberg (Yukon), D. throughthe winter. The numbers and variety Jan.6 (E.Jaarsma). The hardiest Rusty Black- Hansen(DHa), DaveHatler, Jacob Haynes, weremagnitudes larger than observed in pre- birdswere clearly the two malesseen in MargoHearne (QCI), Tom Heindel, Doug viouswinters, even though the gulls winter- WhitehorseJan. i8+ (CE, PS).Two Brown- W. Innes,John Ireland (Reifel I.), Evelyn inghere have been well studied for three headedCowbirds at Creston Feb. 24 provided Jaarsma,Martin Kaplan, Harold King, Joan decades.The flocks included hundredsof a rarewinter recordfor the W. Kootenays King,Gary Lawrence, James Lindsay, Sandy HerringGulls, normally very unusual away (LVD).A N. Oriole(race not given) overwin- McRuer, Hue N. MacKenzie, Joann from the ocean,at least20 GlaucousGulls, teredin N. Saanich(E. Campbell,fideBD). MacKenzie,Alan L. MacLeod,Derrick Mar- andtwo definiteSlaty-backeds. What hap- Theonly sizable numbers of RosyFinches re- ven,N.J. Morton,O.K. Morton,Jan New- pened? portedwere the zoo at GrandForks, Dec. son,Michael A. Patten,Frank Paul, Mark On thewest side, an unusualassortment of 6-I4 (RWa).A 9 and c• HouseFinch, pre- Phinney (MPh), Michael Price, Prince neotropicalmigrant passerines wintered: Ru- sentin theYukon since the summer, lingered GeorgeNaturalists' Club, Phil Ranson, Rare fousHummingbird, Least Flycatcher, Ten- at aWhitehorsefeeder until Dec. 26 (B&RS). BirdAlert Tape of Victoria,S. Rendel,Jim nesseeWarbler, Wilson's Warbler, and West- The femaledisappeared, but the malere- Ritchie,Joy Satterfield, Ron Satterfield, E. ernTanager. Even in thecold interior, some mained into late December,when it almost Savary(ESa), Barbara M. Sedgwick,Dirk unexpectedspecies attempted to winter: frozeat anunhospitable -43øC. Rescued and Septer(Smithers), Beverly Sharrick, Chris R. GreaterYellowlegs, Orange-crowned War- warmlyhoused in Whitehorse,it awaits Siddle(N. Okanagan),Pam Sindair, M. bler,and Lincoln's Sparrow. spring(HG, PS,CE). RedCrossbills were Slingerland,Glen Smith, Dan Soburg (DSo), scarceinthe N. Okanagan,uncommon inthe BernieSpitmann, Prue Spitmann,Denis Abbreviations:Malheur (Malheur N.W.R., S. Okanagan,but in goodnumbers in the Stanley(DSt), ElsieStanley, Barbara and Harney,OR); O.S. (Ocean Shores, Grays Har- Vic. area.The sizeof thewintering popula- RobertStubbs, Keith Taylor, Rick Toochin, bor,WA); Sauvie (Sauvie L, Columbia,OR). tionof Com.Redpolls was confused by the JohnVan Apeldoorn,Linda Van Damme, spottynature of thespecies distribution this HankVander Pol, University of BritishCo- LOONSTO WATERFOWL season.The E. Kootenaysand Yukon report- lumbia(UBC), RichardVeit, Ron Walker For the 3rd consecutivewinter, <5 Yellow- edhigher numbers than usual. Grand Forks (RWa), RobertWapple, Mildren White, billedLoons were reported. One was sighted hadnone. The N. Okanaganhad about nor- BruceWittington, Don Wilson, Ellen Zim- at Blaine, Whatcom,WA, Jan. I5-Feb. 2I malnumbers. Prince George andVanderhoof merman CHRIS R. SIDDLE, R.R. 8, Site (m.ob.),and one was seen on theColumbia indicatedthat Com. Redpolls were widely re- io, Comp.56, Vernon,British Columbia, R., I•kima, WA, Feb.I4 (•AS), a long-over- portedin smallflocks (JB). Two individuals Canada, VIT 8L6. duee. Washington first; they are annual in the

Volume 47, Number 2 ß interior of B.C. All seven Clark's • , vidualssighted at GreenL., anur- Grebereports were of singlebirds [ ban Seatdelocation (M. Muller). in Januaryand February:two on i Six Red-shoulderedHawks were PugetSound (SM, RR),one on the • foundin theWillamette Valley, an Washingtoncoast (?G&WH), and - • above-averagetotal.The number of fouron the Oregon coast (m.ob.), :- • FerruginousHawkreports wasthe apparentlytypical of theirwinter i most ever in winter, with nine in e. distributionhere. The Jan. t6 Oregon(SS, TC); two in the Rogue pelagictrip off Westport,WA, •es,;.ß Olymp,•:• ß Ellensbur9 Valley(H. Sands,MM), wherethey foundthe Holy Grail, a first-winter arequite rare; and five in e. Wash- Short-tailed Albatross (TW, ington(AS, RW, M&MLD). Five m.ob.). The last Washington / individual Peregrine Falcons recorddates back to the late t9th residedin Seattleduring February century.Only two N. Fulmarswere (FalconResearch Group), and two foundoff Westport;the numbers werein Tacoma(fide EH); theirre- foundin latefall hadapparently " ....k ?.• •5TheDalles ;•.:;-.., .•:::0;.;•' covery continues! The usualnum- moved S. berof Gyrfalconswas found: three Small numbers of Am. White in Whatcom/Skagit,WA (fide TW) Pelicanswintered in the Columbia and one each in the Reardan/Dav- Basin(RW, S J), despitethe cold • ugene-•5•'-3.• • Bend enportarea, Lincoln, WA (SM,JA), winter. A few Brown Pelicans lin- nearEnterprise, I•llowa, OR, Jan. geredafter the large fall flight: sev- t6+ (ph. CC, m.ob.),and in the eralat Tokeland,Pacific, WA, in WillametteValley in Linn, Feb. earlyJanuary (fide R. McCausland) 9-to (R. Hoyer,St.); another pro- and the latestOregon report at videda countyfirst in l•kima,Feb. YaquinaHead Jan. n (fideRB). Medford..?-4•'t'?f•::' 'KlamathFalls •t An{elopeRange zo (?AS). At leastfour PrairieFal- SomeCattle Egrets also lingered af- consfound in thePuget lowlands ter a recordfall flight.They were • includedlocal firsts at Nisqually foundinto December on the Skag- N.W.R.,Thurston,Dec. 5-Jan-t wereseen at WallowaL., •llowa, OR, Dec. it flats,WA (SM), andat severalOregon (BL,BT) andat Toledo,Lewis, Dec. 26 (BH, zo (S.Russell), near Carver, Clackamas, OR, coastalsites (m.ob.). The latest were eight at M-PC).Twelve Prairie Falcon reports from w. PortOrford, Curr 3 OR,Jan. z (JimRogers) allwinter (fide HN), nearBellingham, WA, Oregonis an average total for recent years. andone at the Salmon R., Lincoln,OR, Jan. Jan.5 (P-DeBruyn), near Shady Cove, Jack- t7 (PaS). son,OR, Jan. z9 (O. Swisher),two along the CRANES TO ALCIDS MuteSwans appear to beincreasing in the McKenzieR., Lane,OR, Feb.13 (fide HH), Two golden-plovers(sp.) were found:at Region;observers should document this. In andone on the Siuslaw R.estuary, Lane, OR, Dungeness,Clallam, Jan. tz (D&SS),and at Feb.z 7 (JJ).Black-shouldered Kite numbers Washington,aflock of six subad. Mute Swans Ft. Flagler,Jeerson, Feb. 3 (•B. Dickison). wasin SnohomishJan.z3-3t (SM) andlater in wereabout average in Oregon, although five Thereare few Washington winter records. SkagitFeb.8-t6 (fideBK). An immaturewas at Fern RidgeRes., Lane, two at Baskett The SnowyPlover reports included three at SloughN.W.R., and one in Polkare a berter seenwith other swans in SkagitJan.t (?MPt). YaquinaBay, Lincoln, OR, in earlyJanuary In w.Oregon, single Mute Swans were fount totalfor the Willamette Valley than in recent (fideRB) and30 at BandonS.P., Coos, OR, withTundra Swan flocks Jan. t-4, nearCor- winters.In Washington,kites were found at z new locationsin w. Lewis:Curtis and Bols- Jan.3t (fideHH). One or two GreaterYel- vallis,Benton, and Jan. 24 in Polk(HH). The lowlegsapparendy wintered in theTri-Cities MuteSwan population in Bend,OR, hasin- fort,Feb. 15 (BH, M-PC). Bald Eagle num- area(RW), very unusual in a harshwinter. A creasedfrom one in 1983to 25in I993(TC). bersin w. Washingtonwere excellent this winter (D&SS, BT), with _>izdifferent indi- L. Yellowlegsat Tillamook, OR, Dec.8-i 9 An imm. Ross'Goose was near Vancouver, (JG, ?JJ,m.ob.) was well described;most Clark,Dec. 26-29 (?PL,SF) for aboutthe 6th winterreports of this species are poorly docu- w.Washington record. Two Emperor Geese mented.The winteringflock of Marbled foundin Oregonincluded one on the outer Godwitsat Tokeland, Pacific, WA, numbered coastin Lincoln,Dec. zo-Feb. 27 (m.ob.) and zoo (B&GR, TB). The largeshorebirds are at least one at various locations in the rarelyfound wintering innumbers anywhere WillametteValley, Dec. 6+ (fideBB, HN). elsein theRegion, so 50 each Long-billed Severalobservers reported unusually large Curlewsand Marbled Godwitsat O.S. this countsof Eur.Wigeons in Skag&WA; the winter(G&WH) wereunexpected. A con- highestwas 78, Feb. 7 (SM),probably a Re- centrationof >t5,oooDunlins at Halsey, gionalrecord. Three Tufted Duck reports are Linn,OR, Feb.t3, is huge for the Willamette average:a male near Wenatchee, WA, to Dec. Valley(M. & E. Eltzroth),and a largenum- z (?AS), a male at Julia Butler Hanson ber for most outer coastlocations. Short- N.W.R.,lghhkiakum, WA, Jan. z3-Feb. 6 (J. billedDowitchers, another rare winter shore- Miller),and a maleat Quilcene,Jeerson, bird,were found at Stanwood,Snohomish, WA, Feb.to-z3 (VN). WA,Dec. z5 (?SM) and at North Cove, Pac/f d ic,WA, Dec. z7 (?C.Chappell). P•PTOR$ TO $110RFBIRD$ A PomarineJaeger observed at O.S.,Feb. Thenumber of Turkey Vulture and Osprey [9 (G&WH), providedthe only report this reportswas unusually high, considering the winter;the January pelagic trip found none. severityofthe season. Vulture reports includ- An imm. Common Black-headedGull at edone in the Coquille Valley, Curry, OR Dec. BayCity, Tillamook,Dec. 3-t9 (S. Moskie, z7-3o(m.ob.), five over W. Dungeness, Clal- ?JJ, m.ob.) provided Oregon's 2nd record and lam,WA, Jan.z9 (D&SS),and two Feb. 8 at EmperorGoose at Newport,Oregon, on anadult at Nisqually N.W.R., Thurston, Jan. Malheur(D. Staller,B. Ullenberg).Ospreys February 20, 1993.Photograph/Skip Russell. I7-3I (?DP,m.ob.) Washingtons 6th record.

294- AmericanBirds, Summer 1993 Bothwere the first multiple-day and multi- agingin daylightover snow-covered fields, pie-observeroccurrences foreach state. Little probablythe most conspicuous effect of the Gullshave begun to winterregularly at z recordsnow cover in theinterior. Snowy Owl PugetSound locations. For the 5th consecu- numbers began recovering last winter, after tive winter, adultswere found on American severalwinters of near absence.They im- L., Pierce.until Feb. • (PtS) and at Pt. No proveda bit more this winter, with w. Wash- Point,Kitsap, Dec. I andJan. •5 (VN). It wasa ingtonreports from Whatcom, Skagit, and greatGlaucous Gull winter,similar to the GraysHarbor; e. Washington reports of four recordnumbers of •99o-•99L In Washing- in Lincolnin February(JA) and two in Dou- ton,at leastthree adults were found, all on the glasin January(D. Hill);and two in e. Ore- eastside (RW, SM, M&MLD), andn imma- gon duringearly December (CD, CC). tureswere reported. In w. Oregon,>zo, in- Northern Hawk Owl records this fall were cludingtwo adults,were on Sauvie(HN, supplementedwith two more:one near m.ob.),and seven others were reported else- Spokane,WA, Dec.n-z9 (MarkHouston, where.Although <4 aduk and two subadult m.ob.),and anothernear Pearygin L. S.P., Slaw-backedGulls were reported at Sauvie Okanogan,WA, late January-Feb.•7 (T. Bramblingat LummiFlats, Washington, in thiswinter, we have only seen solid evidence Smith,fideJ. Tangren). It had been a decade Jannary1993. Aboutthe eleventhstate record. documentingtwo adults, so we leave it to the sincethe previousWashington record. A PhotograplgDickMcNeely. OregonRecords Committee to sortthrough GreatGray Owl foundin Okanogan,WA, thesightings. The firstwas found Dec. 27 Dec.I2 (AS),along with other sightings in the THRUSHES TO FINCHES (•PL, SF,m.ob.) and the znd at somelater areain recentyears, points to a smallresident Ruby-crownedKinglets essentially disap- population.Good numbers of Short-earedpeared from the Yakima valley in January (AS), Owlswere found in thePuget Trough (EH) asthe cold weather settled in. A Loggerhead andin s.e.Washington (MD), butonly a few Shrike was well described at Frenchman reportscame from elsewhere. Springs,Grant, WA, Jan. 3 (?MPt); manywin- A 9 AnndsHummingbird at Richland, terrecords are suspect. A Tennessee Warbler WA, untilJan. 8 (RW) anda c3at College atYaquina Bay, Lincoln, Feb. n (?DF)repre- Place, Walla Walla,WA, ca. Oct. •5-Dec. •4 sentedabout Oregon's 4th winter record. Or- (ph.M&MLD) were both local firsts. A 9 or ange-crownedWarblers atRichland, WA, un- imm.Rufous Hummingbird that wintered til Jan.• (RW),were lingering unusually late at Burien,/(•'ng; Dec. 3-Jan.3I (M. Bruce, for a cold winter. A Palm Warbler was seenat •EH), furnisheda very unusualwinter Corvallis,OR, throughDec. •2 (m.ob.)for a record.A Red-breastedSapsucker atWindust 2nd localrecord, and two werefound on the Park,Franklin, WA, Dec. 5 ( ph.M&MLD), outercoast through Jan. 8 OffdeRB, A. Bar- wasa countyfirst. A LeastFlycatcher at ron),as usual. Washington has only 2 previous Tillamook, OR, Dec. 2o-28 (CR, ?PL), was winter recordsof Wilson's Warbler. This sea- mist-nettedand identified in hand, for Ore- son three were seen:at Seattle,Dec. 4 (D. gon'sfirst winter record. An ad. c3 Vermilion Hutchinson),a malenear Bayview, Skagit, Flycatcherat MyrtlePoint, Coos, Dec. 6- 7 Dec.2• OffdeK&JW), and a malenear Stan- (StanWilson, BG) furnishedOregon's 2nd wood,Snohomish, Dec. 25-26 (?SM). record.After heavy snows had brought the snowpackto52 inches, the 2nd highest ever in e. I•kima, WA, >13,000Horned Larks were NorthernHawk Owl in OkanoganCouut•, countedalong a singlestretch of highway Washington,November 28, 1992. Fourseen Feb. 2o (AS). 'Pine5isldns were • remarkably abundant duringfall andwinter were the first for BlueJays have become annual winter visi- thr9u• •!&J•ua• j• ma•y•asi s,Puge [ WashingtonIn a decade.Photograph/ torsto Washington.Four were present this Sound.(G&WH,. BT)•-niw,'Wash•0fi Paul DeBruyn. time:in Kitsap(M. Briejre),King (R. Hand- - (•), ihe;W•a Wan• area: date (m.ob.). These are the first Oregon ley),Spokane (TR), and Skamania(WC). 4owerSn•e K (•KJ; ma the•. records.Only two Black-leggedKittiwakes Thiswinters chapter in theScrub Jay range V•ley(HN7 BB). werefound on the pelagic trip off Westport, expansionsaga included two noteworthyappa•ntly •sociat•with this abun&nce, Jan.•6 (TW); generally>50 are found on Washingtonbirds, one on Mercer I. during h•e •r• 0fsia• Okd•d-siskinsTwek mid-wintertrips. February(m.ob.) for the 3rd K/ngrecord and gfind:ihr0u•outme'w.: fi•fof:me Regib• Viewedoff the GraysHarbor channel at onein Cle Elum,Dec. 5 (RS)for the firstat Siskinmørt•i Wasflso rep0•ted •0m i f• dawn were >30,000 Corn. Murres,Jan. •6 Kittitas.On theOregon coast, they have been eait'sidi' !8•ifiong but we dodt .•o• (TW); thisflock may have included most of regularonly in Curry,so five at Myrde Point, .wh•er S•lmo•el•w• Oe SdPdi:)8•me thes. population in the e. Pacific. An oil spill Coos,Dec. 7 (BG)and three in Clatsop,Feb. 6 mon•[• 6• Ev•nlng:Gr0s• in this areain December1988 had killeda (PaS)are significant sightings. Small numbers Gol•nE•es w•,•s6 rip6ned.SNhn num- largenumber of murres.We believe the area havebeen present since moving into e. Ore- be• gadde•lineasøme•hat:O me deservesspecial protection. A countof 38• gonin fall •99•- Wintering birds included one '•iod•bm'the• Were st•l qfilie abUndanL deadCassin's on a Lincolnbeach in January at SilverL., Lake(SS), two in Bend(TC), and Sis•n nett•'at Ponhnd; Dkc::•6(C. Kebbe, indicatesa high mortalityoff the Oregon onenear Warm Springs, Wasco (PaS). Some coastOffde RB), and only 19 found on the Bewick'sWrens in newlycolonized areas in ' Mifin•0ia;May •8, t99o, pelagictrip off Westport, Jan. 16 (TW), may theinterior survived the harsh winter; reports alsoindicate high winter mortality. came from Asotin Cr., Asotin,WA, Feb. 6 (MK), fromSnipes Cr., Benton, WA, Feb. 24 OWLS TO TROGLODYTES (SJ),and from Dry Cr.,Benton, WA, Feb.28 An imm. C3Western Tanager on Mercer BarnOwls in the Yakimavalley (AS) and (SJ).One at TumaloS.P., OR, Dec. •9-27, I., King,WA, through at least early March (J. Barn,Long-eared, and Great Horned owls in providedafirst Deschutes record (LR, TC). & N. Fellows,ph. N. Morningstar)was an- theWalla Walla valley (M&MLD) werefor- otherhighly unusual winter species. A C3

Volume 47, Number 2- 295 Rose-breastedGrosbeak was at Salem,OR, portedin w. Washington(G&WH, D&SS) Hnge,Bob Hughes, Eugene Hunn, Stuart Jan.7-8 (tC. Anderson);there are now quite andwere scarce in e.Washington (AS). They Johnston,Ken Knitde, Medene Koliner, Bob a fewwinter records for the Region. Ameri- seemedslightly more abundant in Oregon Kuntz,Bruce LaBar, Paul Lehman, Phil Mat- can Tree Sparrowsare very rare in the (JJ).Small numbers ofCorn. Redpolls, rare on rocks(Washington), Dick McNeely,Steve Willamettevalley, one was at Ankeny thewest side, were found in thePuget low- Mlodinow,Marjorie Moore (Rogue valley), N.W.R.,Marion, Dec. 24 (PaS).Wintering landsS to Seattle(m.ob., fide EH), andone RogerMuskat, HarryNehls (w. Oregon), Vic Lincoln'sSparrow numbers were well above comingto a Portland,OR, feeder,Feb. 8+ Nelson,Michael Patten (MPt), DennisPaul- averageon Lummi Flats in n.w.Washington (m.ob.) was highly unusual for w. Oregon. son,Bob & GeorgiaRamsey, Lew Rems, (JD),lingering in theinterior at Sacajawea CraigRoberts, Russel Rogers, Tom Rogers S.12.,until Jan. 22 (RW), a very late date. Contributors(subregional editors in boldface): (easternmostWashington), Dory &Stan The RustyBlackbirds at Walla Walla, WA, KevinAanerud, Jim Acton,Range Bayer, Smith(Clallam), Andy Stepnewski, Patrick remaineduntil Feb.20 (M&MLD), for the BarbBellin, Thais Bock, Wilson Cady, Mal- Sullivan(PtS), Paul Sullivan(PaS), Steve 4the. Washington winter record. A Brambling Pina Chan, Craig Corder, Tom Crabtree (e. Summers,Bob Sundstrom, Terry Wahl, Jan- onthe Lummi Flats, Whatcom, Jan i-2o (JD, Oregon),Paul DeBruyn, Mike & Merry uary& KeithWiggers, Robert Woodicy-- ph.DM) providedabout the nth Washington Lynn Denny, Colin Dillingham, Jim Duem- BILLTWEIT, P.O.Box i:z7i , Olympia,WA record,five of which have appeared inthe past mel,Shawneen Finnegan, Dave Fix, Barbara 985o7-xz7I;and JIM JOHNSON, 9o4o SW 2 winters. Red Crossbillswere almost unre- Griffin,Hendrik Herlyn, Glen & Wanda 5zndAve.,Portland, OR 97zi9-$ooi.

Feb.II (?GjH),and unusual numbers of all3 (DSg).The Leach's represented thefirst win- MIDDLEPACIFIC COAST common species were inland in SantaClara. terrecord for Monterey and about the 4th for Yellow-billedLoons were near Hayward, theRegion prior to this species' late February REGION Alameda,Dec. 22-Jan.I4 (D. Reinsche, returnto colonies.Unprecedented numbers DavidG. I3e,Stephen E Bailey, ?RJR,MiD andat RodeoBeach, Marin, Feb. ofLeach's far offs. California inJanuary and and BruceE. Deuel 24 (?CLF). A Horned Grebe at Mono L. Februarysuggest aneffect of E1 Nifio (PP, fide CountyPark Jan. 3 was late (DS). Red-necked DR). GrebesatClifton Court Forebay, Contra Cos- Brown Pelicanswintered in numbers un- ta, Dec. 8-9 (AWi,JM) and ClearL., Lake, usualn. of Monterey Bay. Exemplary maxima Thestate's 6-year drought came to an abrupt Jan.3o-Feb. 7 (C.Johnson, JRW) were scarce were 450 at PrincetonHarbor, San Mateo, haltas heavy storms all period brought above- inland. Dec. 29 (RSTh) and ioo at the samesite Feb. averagerain totals to all parts of theRegion. Decreasingfrom their fall irruption, Black- 9 (PJM),I42 at Petaluma,Sonoma, Jan. 3 Moreimportantly, the snow pack in theSier- ventedShearwaters were still numerousDec. (BGr),300 at Bird Rock,Marin, Jan. i8 ra/Cascadeswas the heaviestin 4o years. 26,when 316 were counted in 5.5hours at Pi- (JCo),and sixon HumboldtBay Feb. I3 Heavysnow in Sierranvalleys and our Great geonPt., SanMateo (PJM, BS). Small num- (GjH,DFx). Unseasonal sofar into greater Basinareas apparently forced many bird berslingered into Spring. An intenseeady S.E Baywere singles at SuisunBay, Contra species,especially waterfowl and passerines, morning storm undoubtedly drove to land Costa,Dec. 19 (EHa) and PaloAlto, Santa outof theseareas (RE,, LJ, RLR). the Leach'sStorm-Petrel found deadin Pacif- Clara,Feb. i6 (JiC).A heakhyad. Pelagic Effectsof the lingeringE1 Nifio were ic Grove,Monterey, Dec. 29 (DSg,T. Love, Cormorantswam a manmadelagoon at Red- shownby Black-ventedShearwater, Leach's *P.G.M.N.H.) and the unidentified dark woodShores, San Mateo, Jan. 8 (RSTh). Storm-Petrel, Brown Pelican, Heerman's storm-petrelseen from Pt. Pinos the same day Gull, andperhaps alcids. Winter EGRETS TO DUCKS irruptivessuch as thrushesand Red-breastedNuthatch had aver- Hatchery(7000') Jan.4 wasthe age totals,while some,such as c•.•?"•75/•:..•:•,:..v,•6 •'• '• '57 [ firstinwinter forthe gr•ter Mono Golden-crownedKinglet, showed Ots•=-f "j:?•!?s3•- • • AL.Great arm (DS). EgretOnly atthe•e Hot 4thCr. alongFish poorly.Among the finches,only ],•::'• •f•:•/•:•:•:'•i:.::•-.-:• •'"5•• •en. coast, ani•. Little Blue PineSiskin and Purple Finch had a strongSeason. . ..•?•.:?"•.':?.m•.,•. Norte,D•. 5-z4 (ADB, m.ob.). • ..•. '7 •.•,..... • •ttleEgrets werewell rearted Abbreviutio.s:C.B.R.C. (Cali•rnia • ',?i'•.::½',:•':.....'.•::•.-:•- Heron wasatCrescent Ciw, Dd Bird RecordsCommittee); C.C.R.S. • •:5 c•sml.A minimum offive •ite- (CoyoteCr. Riparian banding Sta., $ '•:':::-'• • %'::•-:'•:':.'- •o, wi•facedIbises,over >7owhich sightings,rarely rmch mostlythe SantaClara); C.V. (Central Valley); / -• OVall•refu•es ' coastin •nter, we• aroundMon- Cyn.(Canyon); El. (SoutheastFar- allonL); M.B.O.S.P (MonteBello •'•73"•CALIFORNIA i•]•-:.:i(•'•.. ter•TwoBay"Bewic•s"Dec. 3_Feb. Swans,7(m.ob.) aform ' OpenSpace Preserve, San Mateo); P•t• k ..•.,•.o• ß '-"-d P.G.M.N.H. (PacificGrove Muse- • •-- s...... to :-,•ff. firstrecorded in •e Regionin um of NaturalHistory); P.R.B.O. • • '•;•'i5'•:,' '•?'•:vo,o• I975,N.•R.,we• Siskiyo•at Lower Feb. 6•a•th (•); (Pt. ReyesBird Observatory);S.E • • • .stem, :•'• • ano•erwas n•r Nelson,Butte, (SanFrancisco); ph. (photoon file . "Vo•m,,•e•,.v•m Feb.z 5 (MMa). A transplantof withRegional Editors). All records • .... ?• .•{•.?..• ß color-mark•Trumpeter S•ns from El. and Palomarin should be •s•,,•c• ow,,•y•.... '• •5•?g-- fromIdaho to Summer L.,Ore- creditedto Pt. Reyes Bird Observa- ,•. v•k .• con,•sulted in thesighting of I8 tory. Place namesin italicsare s• ">:'"•"•of•ese birds fromSiskiyou toYolo, counties. • • '_.• '• ur•,•rot.•,,':-:•. while adescription ofthree un- •e j .•,•.• •. ;.:.::. mark•birds seen at L. •manor, LOONS TO CORMOI•NTS ,• •o•,•,o • Plumas,Feb.15 (pJTr) was sent to A PacificLoon misguidedly pad- .... [ theCC. dledin a floodedfield about 5 mi e. of PinnaclesN.M., San Benito, •/•,• s•,• madeArcticthe coastn•ting inaverage goose tospeciesabove American Birds, Summer 1993 averagenumbers, but x5 Snow Geese in Pope Cranesmade very rare coastal appearances 45:3x6, & 46:3xx),but not so e. of theSierra. A Valley,Napa, Jan. x (PBu)were between the with one immature in Santa Cruz Dec. x9 lightmorph ad. SwainsoddsHawk in Sierra C.V. andthe coast, where they are much less (ELb); threeon the SanJose CBC Dec. zo Valley,Plumas, Dec. 8 (?LJ,KL) mayhave common.More than usualblue morph (m.ob),representing the 4th SantaClara been the samebird seenacross the line in Sier- "white"geese were reported, including nine record;and x 5 in thew. Suisun Marsh, Solano, ra throughDec. xS, x99x. Of fourreported Snow,8 Ross',and x hybrid, all from the C.V. Jan.z9-3o (GFi, JMR, CLO). "Harlan's"Red-tailedHawks only one at TheRegion• znd Wilsodds Plover, found LynchCyn., Solano,Dec. zo-zI wasde- in fall,remained for the Moss Landing CBC scribed(?S. Bobzien). DelNort&second Fer- Jan.x (m.ob.).A peakof 800 Mt. Ploversat ruginousHawk that wintered last year re- S.A. PixleyN.W.R., Tulare, Dec. z offdeJ.Engler) turned to Ft. Dick (ADB, RAE). Merlins An attemptby 'the P.R.B.O. Pacific Flyway wasthe largest number reported in theRe- werevery numerous throughout the coast Projectto 9btaih a minimumestimate ofthe gionin •5 years.There were also 5630 in and C.V. Sevenwere reported as the dark White-fac• Ibls wint•fifigin the c.V, PanocheValley, San Benito, Dec. x6-Feb. z7 northwesternrace suckleyg including three iturneffnp a tot• of z38o,far more than ever (m.ob.).An inlandWillet, very rare in winter, togetherinMarin, Dec. xz (RS). Stallcup not- recor&dbefore, . But P erhaPs notsurprisin g, was near SacramentoFeb. 6 (GEw). Two ed that theywere associated with the Pine giventh• size 6œsorne recent,nesting colonies. Sanderlings were in theTulare L. basin,Tu- Siskinirruption, as they were during the Red • m9nyas'74-•7% ofihese birds wereseen lare, Jan. z9 (?DS,N. Warnock),where one Crossbilland siskin irruption of x984-I985. onprivate land deliberately flooded aswai•r• winteredlast year. Western Sandpipers aren't Supportingthe notion of Merlinsfollowing fowlhabitat, illustrating h6• importantthese supposedto winterin the n. C.V., but finches,x3 of zo Merlinsin SantaClara were the.stae'waterbit&. P.R.B.O.censuses found several large flocks awayfrom the S.E Bay. Two in SantaClara there,including 450 in SutterFeb. x3 (DS, (WGB, MMR) andone at PixleyN.W.R., Tulare,Dec. z4 (J. Engler)were reported as thepale race richardsonii, which is rare in the Veryrare in the Mountain and Great Basin Region. districtsin winter were a Wood Duck at L. Al- manorDec. x8 (fide HG) andthree at Hot Cr. LARIDS AND ALCIDS FishHatchery Jan. 4 (DS). Sixcoastal Eur. A firstbasic Laughing Gull at L. Mendocino, Green-wingedTeals was an average count for Mendocino,Jan. z3-Feb. zx 0RW, NWh, ph. recentyears; still rarely reported inland, sin- RJK,ph. DR, m.ob.)broke tradition in 3 gleswere at SacramentoN.W. IL, Glenn ways:of x8prior records, 17 had been between (LLu) and nearLos Banos,Merced (RJR), April and September,x6 coastal,and I6 bothJan. x. An imm.d' Garganeywasfound adults.A first basicCorn. Black-headedGull at theLas Gallinas sewer ponds, Marin, Jan. atArcata Jan. z3-Feb. 7 (R.J.Adams, ?BBA, x6(?K. Burton, ?K. Howard,•E Allen),for ?TWL,?JM) was Humboldt} 4th and the Re- our4th recordin z years.Always interesting gion'sx4th. No doubt the E1Nifio and Brown to Regionalbirders, Blue-winged Teals and Pelicansinfluenced many Heermandds Gulls Eur. Wigeonswere teported in numbers to winter in numbersn. of MontereyBay. aboutequal to thoserecorded last year, in- Countsof2$$at Stinson Beach, Marin, Dec. cluding87 of the latterat GrayLodge z7 (RS,SBT, JW) and3oo at Pacifica,San Ma- W.M.A.Dec. z7 (fideBED). teo,Feb. 9 (PJM, A. DeMartini) were un- A pairof TuftedDucks at CosumnesR. precedented.An ad.W. Gull at Lakeport, Preserve,Sacramento, Feb. x3 (fide DGY) and Lake,Feb. z4-Mar. 8 (JRW,JPM, C. John- anad. female in FresnoDec. x3 (L. Parmeter) son)was very rare so far inland.Glaucous wereinland, where there are very few records. LaughingGrill in first basicplnmage at Lake Gull numbersequaled those of the record Six Tufted Ducks were located around S.E Mendocino,California, on February 9, 1993. x99o-x99xwinter. Four or five adultswere Photograph/RobertJ. Keiffer. Bay,in keepingwith recent trends. The •? amongthe z6-z8 individuals reported. KingEider that returned toHumboldt Bay in GWP).A singleStilt Sandpiper on Elkhorn TwoCaspian Terns frequenting Arcata all fallremained all period(?JM, ?DR, m.ob.). Slough,Monterey, Jan. z9 (?C.Hickey) fol- winter(BBA, DFx, SWH, R.J.Adams), one Oldsquawnumbers were slightly below nor- lowedlast years first Regional winter records. in Tulareandfive to sevenin IGngs,Jan. z8-z9 real but includedShastak first, a maleat Red- Ruffswintered again, with two observed near (DS, N. Warnock)were rare in winter.An El- dingDec. z6-Feb. I4 (BY,m. ob.). Up to six Lemoore,IGngs, through Jan z9 (DS, N. egantTern at Bolinas,Marin, Dec. z7 (PP) Barrow'sGoldeneyes at L. MendocinoJan. Warnock);one at Moss Landing Dec. x3-Jan. waslate. A BlackSkimmer rested at theBig 3x-Feb.zx (RS, m.ob.) were reported as Men- 7 (C. Scollan,M. Sutherlin,m.ob.); one in SurR. mouth,Montere3 Jan. xI (J. Davis), docino'sfirst; four in SmithR. estuary,Del Alviso, Santa Clara, Dec. zo-zx (MJM, and one bandedon both legsstopped at Norte,Dec. 4-z4 (ADB, m.ob.)was an "ex- MMR); andone at MercedN.W.R, Merced, PrincetonHarbor, San Mateo, Feb. zo (D. cellentshowing." Two •? Red-breasted Mer- Jan.24 (D. Gray).A Wilson• Phalarope atthe Witter).Two were rumored to havevisited- gansersshowed up inland at O'Neill Forebay, Lodi sewer ponds, San Joaquin, Dec. I2-X9 SantaCruzin February. The oneprior winter Merced,Dec. z8 (PJM, DS) anda maleand OffdeDGY); threeon SaltPond A8, Santa recordfor the Regionwas at MontereyBay threefemales were on Clifton Court Forebay, Clara,Dec. x9-2o (MMR, MJM, S. Formen- Feb.xz-March x988. A Thick-billedMurre ContraCosta, Jan. 3I (SAG). ti); and one s. of LemooreJan. 28 (DS, N. wasat KingSalmon, Humboldt Bay, Dec. x6 Warnock)were exceptional winter numbers. (?DFx, ?BBA,?TWL). The E1Nifio may RAILS TO SHOREBIRDS havecaused the very high counts of alcids The best winter for Black Rails since RAPTORS fromshore and notable mortality of smallal- •984-•985included x3 birds in s.Tomales Bay EightOspreys on theAngwin CBC, Napa, cids.In 5-5hours ofseawatching from Pigeon Jan.9 (RSet al.). A ClapperRail was art he Jan.x tied the second highest count for Win- Pt., z0,sooCom. Murres and 843Rhinoceros samelocale Dec. xz (RS)and Jan. I4 0GD, ter.Two Broad-winged Hawks made one-day Aukletswere countedDec. z6 (PJM, BS). whereit is accidental,and onewas described appearances:at Willow Cr., Sonoma,Jan. 3 The WesternSonoma County CBC tallied asa "probable• from the Carmel R. mouth (DE) andover Brisbane, San Mateo, Feb. z8 476zCorn. Murres, z6 Marbled Murrelets, 8z Dec. z2 (?HOs); there are no acceptable (ASH).A fewwinter Swainsons Hawks are AncientMurrelets, and xI5 unidentified mur- Montereyrecords since x98o (DR). Sandhill nowexpected in theC.V. (AB43:362, 44:323, reletsJan. 3- Closeoffshore Arcata I6O An-

Volume 47, Number 2- 297 cientswere recorded Dec. t9 (GFfide DFx). JAYS TO VIREOS Hundreds of dead Cassin'sAuklets littered Therewere no reports of wandering corvids CarmelR. andPt. Pinosbeaches, Montere3 exceptfor San Mateo's first Pinyon Jay at El Feb.z (C. Scollan).Five Marbled Murrclcts GranadaFeb. xo (BS). The RockWren that and two Cassin'sAuklets were found dead at returnedfor itsznd winter at BractTract, San CrescentCity Dec.z4-Fcb. t9 (ADB). Joaquin,Dec. x9-Jan.•6 (AEn, DGY) and oneat the Salinas sewer ponds Feb. to (DEG) DOVES TO WOODPECKERS wereconsidered vagrants. Mountain Blue- The White-wingedDove at Pescadero,San birdsappeared in .slightlyabove-average Mateo,Dec. 26 (RSTh)was probably a late numbersin theI.C.R., coastallowlands, and fall migrant,as true winter records are few. C.V.,but Townscnd's Solitaire managed only Thestate can now officially consider Barred eightsightings in the greater S.E Bay area. Owl a breeder,as the pair at WheelGulch, The Gray Catbirdat Orick, Humboldt, Mendocino,was observed copulating Feb. 6 Dec. •z-Jan.3• (J-Allen, •'L. Barnes,•'BBA, (RJB,B. Kciffcr).Away from the Klamath •'DFx,•'DR, ph. C. Dillingham)was a first Basin,winter recordsof Short-caredOwls in forthe n. coast and the Regions 3rd in winter. theGreat Basin portion of the Region are very Our onlyextralimital Sage Thrasher was at rare;thus, one at MonoL., Jan.3 (DS)was of BayFarm I., Alameda,Dec. zo-Feb. x5 (ALE, interest. m.ob.).Northern Shrikes away from the n. Lastwintcr's Costas Hummingbird in Fair portionof thestate were singles at Merced Oaks,Sacramento, returned Sept. 9-Feb. 28 N.W.R.,Jan. xo (RJR) and at Panochc Valley, (GEw). Anotherwintered in Hayward, SanBenito, Jan. •6-Mar. • (CKf,m.ob.). Two Alameda,Dec. 2o-Jan. 23 (D. Hamilton, coastal"Cassin's" Solitary Vireos during De- m.ob.).Our onlylingering Rufous Hum- GrayCatbird at Orick,California, December cemberfell into the recent pattern of latefall mingbirdwas an imm. male at U.C. Berkeley 24, 1992.The Region's third in winter,am] first migrants. Botanical Gardens, Alameda, Dec. •2 forthe northerncoast. PbotograplV (DFVO. The male at Ano Nucvo State Re- ColinDillingham. WOOD-WARBLERSTO TANAGERS serve,San Mateo, Jan. 24 (RSTh)was one of Veryrare on the n. coast during winter, single Outstandingrarities highlighted the winter theRegions earlier spring arrivals; fewer than Say'sPhoebes were at Ft. Dick, Del Norte, warblershow; however, it was the 3rd consec- to mid-lateJanuary records fall within this Dec. 9 (ADB, JGa) and Willow Cr., Hum- utive mediocreseason for our more common- category.Interior sightings of Allen'sHum- boldt,Dec. 26 (C. Ogan,R. Adams,•'DFx). ly occurringvagrants. Coastally, there were mingbirdsare very rare, with movement not- Thepresence ofVermilion Flycatchers inthe onlyone Tennessee, two Yellows,z3 Palms, ed March-September;thus, a malevideo- n. portionof the statecontinued unabated five Black-and-whites,two Am. Redstarts, tapedin Folsom, ElDorado, Feb. 7 (fideGEw) fromlast winter and fall, asa maleand female threeN. Waterthrushes,and to Wilson's.As wasmost interesting. wereat the LuckySeven Duck Club near expected,few of thesebirds were seen past Amongan impressive eight Yellow-bellied Gray Lodge W.A., Butte,December-Jan. 30 December.Undoubtedly, the bird of the sea- Sapsuckersthat wintered along the c. coast, (D. Cavalloetal.). sonwas the d' Blue-wingedWarbler that thefirst noted Nov. rS, singles at SanMateo Thefall deluge of Dusky-capped Flycatch- winterednear Ferndale on theSalt R., Hum- Dec.x9+ (I. Lake,m.ob.) and La Honda Jan. ersgathered steam as Marin's znd was at Pine boldt,Jan. z-March 7 (•'DFx,•'BBA, •'JM, 3t (CB,WGB) representedSan Mateds first GulchCr., Dec.7-x3 (•'RS, •'DS eta/.),and m.ob.),providing what appeared to be only records,while an ad.female on ButtsCyn. two(!) were in PacificGrove, Monterey, Dec. the3rd winter record for N. Americaaway Rd., Feb. 28 (RS) establishedLakds first. z3-Jan. xx (•'DR, •'RC, m.ob.) and Dec. fromthe Tropics. Twenty coastal Nashville Conversely,two Red-napcd Sapsuckers along z9-Jan.z (T. Love,•'DSg, •'RC, •'ph. DR, Warblerswas about the recent average. The thec. coast during December-January wasan m.ob.). Lastdates for birdsof the fall:Natural VirginiasWarbler in CarrodJan. z-5 (B. anemicshowing. The Williamson's Sapsuck- BridgesS.E, Dec. z 7 (fideJM), El Granada Hill, •'BJWetal.) was the Region's 4th in win- erat Tomales S.E remained until Jan. 3 (JCo), Dec.z (BS),and Big Sur R. mouthDec. x5 ter; three of the four have been from Mon- andanother was found in Berkeley,Alameda, (•'DR,•'RC). Almost as rare in winter, single terey.A Lucy'sWarbler in BodegaBay Dec. Feb.2o-Mar. 4 (•'R.Swenson, •'GFi, m.ob.). Ash-throatedFlycatchers were in Rohnert 7-Jan.9 (S.Cogen, m.ob.) was Sohorods first Thespecies iscasual in theS.E Bay area. A Park,Sonoma, Dec. •z (R. Morris,ChVO; and the first to winter on our n. coast. Hairy Woodpeckerin Golden Gate Park SacramentoDec. z6-Fcb.z5 (RSt,WEH), YellowWarblers at NelsonHill, Solano, Dec.t2-25 (ASH, PJM) was equally rare for probablysame bird seen z wintersago; and Dec.zx (•'E. Meyers) and at FairOaks, Sacra- S.EPilcated Woodpeckers arealways note- DavisJan. z6-Feb. x3 (JMHu, m.ob.).Three mento,Feb. 3 (R. Smith) were very rare for the worthy in the S.E Bay area; one at TropicalKingbirds along the n. coastDec. interior.The Chestnut-sidedWarbler in S.E, M.B.O.S.P.,Feb. t3 (S.Rottenborn) was San- x-to werelate fall representatives.The first Dec.z9 (PJM)was exceptional for December ta Clara}4th. winterrecord of Cassin's Kingbird in toyears butwas probably a late fall vagrant. A pure camefrom Paicines Res., San Beniw, Dec. z 7 flockof 500"Myrtle" Yellow-rumped War- FLYCATCHERSTO SWALLOWS (BJVO,while the W. Kingbirdat Pt. Reyes blerson Woodley I. near Humboldt Bay Dec. Therecent surge of winter empids continued Feb.z8 (E. Ruhlen) was the Regions earliest 4 (DFx)gave an example of how"separate" asthe 3rd Regional Winter record of Dusky springarrival ever. theycan be from'•Audubon's." Amazingly, Flycatcherwas at Buena Vista Park, S.E, Dec. Horned Lark is rare and local on the n. the Regionsznd winter recordof Black- z4 (ASH).Two "Western" Flycatchers along coastpast mid-December, so a countof x7at throatedGreen Warbler again came from Del thec. coast in mid-Decemberwere expected. L. Talawa,DdNorte, Jan. 3x (ADB, JGa) was Notre,Smith R., Dec.x-z4 (SDS,ADB,BED Eastern Phoebeswere numerous in the c. noteworthy.Several observers noted swallows et al.). An Am. Redstartin SacramentoDec. state,for the znd consecutivewinter. In addi- arrivedearlier than normal; in coastalMon- x6 (TDM) was a first in winter for the C.V. tion to twoon the outercoast Dec. 30 and tere34a Tree Swallow Jan. 30 (CHo) andtwo Peoplepaid admission tosee the the Regions Feb.4, firstcounty records were at C.C.R.S., N. Rough-wingedsFeb. x9 (BHG) were 3rdwintering Ovenbird at theS.E Zoo Dec. Dec.zo-Jan. 3 (J-Mancini, •'WGB, •'MJM et recordearly there by 5 days(DR), andBarn z9-Jan.z3 (DPM, m.ob.). a/.)and Davis, I3/o, Jan. z6-Mar. 3 (JMHu, Swallowsat Los BanosN.W.R., Jan. z4 As usual,S.E corneredthe marketon Sum- m.ob.), while Alameda}znd wasnear Liver- (DES) & 3• (E Allen), with one and two merTanagers, with four Dec. xz-Jan. x6; one moreJan. z4+ (J. Robinson,•'GFi. m.ob.). birds,respectively, wereRegionally very early. at PineL. Parkmay have returned for its 3rd

298. AmericanBirds, Summer 1993 winter.Another was near Palaro, Monterey, dlus,reports included one McCown's Long- Evens,Gfi Ewing(GEw), Carter L. Faust, Jan.I (fideDR). A veryimpressive five W spurJan. I4-I6, <223Lapland Longspurs Mike Feighner(MiF), GeorgeFinger (GFi), Tanagerswere found along the coastDec. Dec.17-Jan. I7, oneChestnut-collared Long- DavidFix (DFx), Joe Gartland 7-Jan.4, with anotherin SacramentoDec. z5 spurJan. Io-I6, anda SnowBunting Jan. Io (JGa),Douglas E. George,Bruce H. Gerow, (GEw).Early winter records are expected, so (all •'RE).This area has produced impressive Ron H. Gerstenberg,Steve A. Glover,Ed- onein S.E,Feb. z7 (MLR) wasquite unusual. numbersof longspursin the past.Another wardD. Greaves,Helen Green, Betty Groce, McCown'sLongspur at TuleL., Dec.22-26 W. EdwardHarper, Stanley W Harris,Ed- GROSBEAKS TO FINCHES (•'K.Spencer, •'RE) was added to the Regions wardHase (EHa), Gjon Hazard (GjH), Craig A Rose-breastedGrosbeak at StinsonBeach, lessthan 15 records.Additional Lapland Hohenberger(CHo), Alan S. Hopkins, Wal- Marin,Oct. 9-Dec.z 7 (RSetal.) was proba- Longspurswere 14 at Lower Klamath doR. Holt,Joan M. Humphrey(JMHu), Lin bly attemptingto winter.Another was in N.W.R.,Jan. I8-23 (K. Spencer),2I atAshCr. Jensen,Robert J. Keiffer,Clay Kempf(CKf), PetalumaDec. 6-•z (W Nelson).Our only W.A., Lassen,Dec. 27 (T. Easterla),and -<9 Karen Laslo,Earl Lebow (ELb), Tom W Black-headedGrosbeak was in Pengrove, alongthe n. coast.Plumas'first Snow Bunting Leskiw,Robin L. C. Leong,Leslie Lieurance Sonoma,Jan. I8 (H. Boysne,DN). The Re- wasin SierraValley Jan. 15 (•'LJ). (LLu),Michael J. Mammoser,Timothy D. gion's2nd winter record of LazuliBunting Winter orioles included at leasttwo Hood- Manolis,Michael Marsh (MMa), PeterJ. wasa maleat the CarmelR. mouth Feb.4 edsat LosAltos, Santa Clara, Jan. Is-Feb. 6 Metropulos,Joseph Morlan, Dan Nelson, (•'HOs).Monterey continued to shine,as it (V. Reynolds,PLN), andsix coastal N. Ori- PaulL. Noble,Charles L. O'Connor,Hadley alsoheld the Regions 9th winter record of In- olesDec. 1z-Jan.3- An interiorN. Oriolewas Osborne(HOs), GaryW Page,Peter Pyle, digo Buntingat ElkhornSlough Jan. I at GrayLodge WM.A. Dec.5 (BED).Rosy Harold M. Reeve, Jean M. Richmond, (?PJM,A. Demartini).Most of our winter Finchesaway from traditional sites included RobertJ. Richmond,Don Robenon,Mike Green-tailedTowhee records are just one-day -<3"Hepburn's" at FallR. Mills, Shasta,Dec. M. Rogers,Mary LouiseRosegay, Ruth A birds, so one at a feederin Martinez, Contra I9-22 (R. Modine)and two at IndianValley Rudesill,Ronnie L. Ryno, BarrySauppe, Costa,Feb. •o-Mar. 2 (D. Kirshen)was note- Jan.15 (G. Rotta,Y. Coulgoulat)--Plumas•Donald E. Schmoldt,David Shuford,Daniel worthy.The extremesnow cover over the Re- first).A wanderingCassin's Finch was seen Singer(DSg), Rich Stallcup, John C. Ster- gion'sGreat Basin areas likely forced many alongMines Rd., Alameda,Dec. 28 (RJR); ling,Bradley M. Stovall,Emilie Strauss, Ron passerinestonon-traditional sites; species like more unusual were three on the C.V. floor in Storey(RSt), David L. Suddjian(DLSu), Am. Tree Sparrowwere rarely noted (only Stockton Feb. I2-28 (DGY, WRH). A no- Scott B. Terrill, Ronald S. Thorn (RSTh), 8-Io). One Clay-coloredSparrow at Half table die-offofPine Siskinsat bird feeaerswas JohmTrochet (JTr), Kent Van Vuren, Brian J Moon Bay,San Mateo, Dec. 19-Feb.z8 (D. notedin thegreater S.E Bayarea and the c. Weed,Jerry R. White, NikkiWhite (NWh), Powellet al.) was our lowest total output for Sierramid-December to earlyJanuary. Sal- Anna Wilcox (AWi), JonWinter, DennisF the periodin years.A LarkSparrow at Ft. monellawas detected in recoveredspecimens. Wolfe, Chris Wood (ChW), David G. Yee, Dick, Del Notre,Dec. I5-2o (ADB, JGa)was Salmonellawas also discoveredin dead siskins BobYutzy. Many more contributors were not a vagrantto the n. coast,and the Lark in theNorthwest earlier in winterand appar- specificallycited; all are appreciated.- Buntingat Gustine,Merced, Jan. 30 (RJR) entlyfollowed birds as they invaded south. STEPHEN E BAILEY (loonsto cormorants, was a vagrantto the entireRegion. The raptors,larids, and alcids), Museum of Nat- GrasshopperSparrow at Ano NuevoReserve Contributors(subregional editors in boldface): ural History,I65 ForestAve., Pacific Grove, Dec 26 (?E Keel)was consistent with recent BrooksB. Allen,Stephen E Bailey,Alan D. CA 93950;BRUCE E. DEUEL (egretsto winterrecords from the c. coast.Two Sharp- Barron, Clark Blake,William G. Bousman, ducks,rails to shorebirds),18730 Live Oak tailedSparrows were reported from tradition- Phil Burton, Rita Carratello,John Com- Rd., RedBluff, CA 96o80;DAVID G. YEE al S.EBay area spots. stock,Jim Codis,Bruce E. Deuel,Arthur L. (dovesto finches),2930 Driftwood Pl. #39, GazelleFlats, Siskiyou, gave us quite a show Edwards,Ray Ekstrom, Doug Ellis, Andrew Stockton,CA 95219. of snowbirds this Season.Within a •A-mi ra- Engilis(AEn), Richard A. Erickson,Jules G.

Abbreviations:EC.R. (Furnace Cr. Ranch, low-billed Loons were found, with one on SOUTHERNPACIFIC DeathValley, Inyo Co.); H.D.L. (HarperDry MorroBay, San Luis Obispo, Dec. io (TME, L., n.w. of Barstow.San BernardinoCo.); CAM),and the other photographed in Santa COASTREGION N.E.S.S.(n. endof theSalton Sea, Riverside Barbaraharbor, Dec. ii (J&PC): thereare GuyMc Caskie Co.); S.B.C.M. (San BernardinoCo. Muse- only2 previousrecords for the coast ofs. Cali- um);S.C.R.E. (Santa Clara R. Estuarynear fornia,and z morefor inlandlakes within the !•ntura,Ventura Co.); S.E.S.S. (s. end of the Region.The Red-necked Grebe in SantaBar- SaltonSea, Imperial Co.); S.EK.R.E (South bara,Nov. zI-Feb. Io (JMG), oneon Morro ForkKern R. Preservenear Weldon, Kern Co.). Bay,Dec. 7 (KAH), andanother in Malibu, This wasone of the wettestwinters on record, LosAngeles,Jan. 4 (BE)were the only three re- endingthe 6-year drought with majorflood- Asvirtually all rarities in s.California are seen. portedin theRegion. lngin manyareas. By theend of theperiod, by manyobservers, only the observer(s) ini- Only five LaysanAlbatrosses were seen mostsouthern California rivers were actually tiallyfinding and identifying the bird are in- duringthe Jan. i2-27 CalCOFI Scientific running,and virtuallyall reservoirswere cluded. Documentation is on file with the Cruiseoffs. California, with the closest one 53 overflowing. California Bird RecordsCommittee (c/o nauticalmi SW of SanNicolas I., Jan17 (pP) Birdwise,this was one of the most unevent- Michael A. Patten, EO. Box 86x2, Riverside, ThreeLaysans were sighted 7o-80 nautical fulwinters in memory.A minimalnumber of CA 9z515)for all raritieslisted in thisreport. mi W of Pt.Arguello, Santa Barbara, during mountainspecies, such as Red-breastedRecords submitted without documentation an organizedpelagic birding trip, Feb. 6 Nuthatchesand MountainChickadees, made arenot published. (SJS),and one flew over the same waters dur- theirway down to thelowlands; berry-eaters, ing a similartrip, Feb.15 (KLG). The only suchas Hermit Thrushes,American Robins, LOONS TO STORM-PETRELS Cook's Petrelsseen within 200 mi of the coast and CedarWaxwings, were present in only A Red-throatedLoon on L. Isabella,Dec. wereone I7z nauticalmi WSW of SanNico- aboutaverage numbers. Pine Siskinswere 2x-Jan.5 (MTH) wasthe first to be docu- lasI., Jan.I6 (PP);another I47 nauticalm• widelyscattered in largenumbers, but other mented in Kern..Two PacificLoons, rare but WSW of SanMiguel I., Jan.2I (PP);and a finches,such as Purple Finches, were scarcer regularon the larger inland lakes, were also on 3rd,65 nautical mi W of Pt.Arguello, Feb. 15 thannormal away from breeding areas. L. Isabella,Dec. 22-Jan.5 (JCW). Two Yel- (BKS,SEF). Eight Black Storm-Petrels con-

Volume 47, Number 2 299 DiegoBay, Dec. 5 (GMcC);this hybridis found in Californiaevery yearand is probablycommoner ß•..'.,•. . thanthe few reportswould indi- ).-•$cotty's Castle . .•,q. ':• cate.The only TuftedDucks re- portedwere a maleon LopezL., SanLuis Obispo, Jan. 3-4 (KAR) ' :':• ' Creek ' '\•::. Ranch and another male, near Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, Dec. z7-Feb.28 (ph. BHi). The d' Har- lequin Duck seenat Pt. Mugu, .. MorroBay CALlFOR N IA '".• IOntura,Jan. z9 (BD hasbeen pre- Oceano sentsince I99O. An Oldsquawwas inland at S.E.S.S.,Dec. zz-Feb. •3 oSanta Maria • Harper Dry . '-,;•:.....i!•;. •(•"•'ßBakersfield "• •'•"'•' California' City Lake ßBaker ßKelso :•:•.-' (DDi), and the malefound on the Golet;.•,.x.,•,•,_•.•::.: ßLanc•er ':'•' Colorado R. below Parker Dam, ß . • •.. Nov. z7, wasstill presentJan. zz, ' :-•.•-•t•%:•; • - ...• accompaniedby a female(JLD); eightcounted along the coast was • • M;l•bu ' MorongoValley aboutaverage. Black Scoters have LosAngeles ;•'•?'%-•-•-'•.. ß becomeexceedingly rare in s.Cali- ßHuntington '•- '•. -•;.:•: •' h forniawaters in recentyears, as in- Beach '• dicatedby onlyfour reported S of Pt. Conceptionthis winter.The only scoterfound inlandwas a White-wingedat S.E.S.S.,Dec. zz espnDiego• -•: . ...' (DDi). A 9 BarrowsGoldeneye near Cantil, Dec. •9 (MTH) was onlythe znd to be foundin Kern, centratedin an area24-28 nauticalmi W of and another,shot by a hunterat S.E.S.S., then. tipof San Clemente I., Janx 7 (pp)were Dec.zo (DDi) wasa veryunusual find, this unexpected,asfew have been found in Cali- far south. forniawaters this time of year. An imm.Bald Eagle at Pt.Mugu, IOntura, Dec. 5 (BL) wasthe onlyone found on the TROPICBIRDS TO HERONS immediate coast. An imm. N. Goshawk near SingleRed-billed Tropicbirds were seen 49 Shandon,San LuisObispo, Jan. 9-Feb. 28 nandealmi SW of San ClementeI., Jan.13 (EMcM),joined by an adult, Feb. I5 (GPS), (PP)and 4 6 nauticalmi SSWof SanNicolas aretwo of a veryfew ever to be foundaway I., Jan.17 (PP);this species is unusualin s. fromthe higher coastal mountains and the California waters in winter. A Red-tailed extremen.e. corner of theRegion. Swainson's Tropicbirdwas sighted at 31ø18'x•, i2oø4 ¸'w, Hawks(z-4) carefullyidentified in theCen- about13o naudcal mi SW of SanNicholas I., tral ValleyW of Bakersfield,Kern, Jan. Jan. 14 (PP) and another at 31ø28'x•, 2x-Feb.19 (SF), wereclearly wintering; an •zzøo6'w,about x6x naudcal mi WSW of San immatureat Pt. Mugu,Feb. 13-2- 7 (JMC), NicolasI., Jan.•6 (PP);both locationsare Immature Little Blue Heron inland at California wasthought to havebeen wintering locally, overdeep water w. of thecontinental shelf, City,California, December 20, 1992. The near but extremelyearly spring migrants this year wherethis species is provingto be rarebut wingtipis droopingslightly, showing the dusky includedone over the SanFernando Valley, regular.A Brown Pelican near Brawley, Imper- primarytips that helpto distinguishthis LosAngeles, Feb. 17 (DA), two morethere, ial, Dec. 23-Feb.6 (WRR) was evidently speciesfrom pale-leggedyoung Snowy Egrets. Feb.zo (RB),and another in ImperialBeach, Photograph/JohnWilson. winteringat thisinland locality. An ad. •? SanDiego, Feb. z6 (GMcC).Three Zone- frigatebirdnear Bolsa Chica, Orange, Feb. 19, sincefall 1981was presentamong Black- tailedHawks were found along the coast this wasnot specifically identified 0- dela Cues- crownedNight-Herons in LaJolla, Dec. 26+ winter,including an adultnear L. Murra)5 ta);considering that a GreatFrigatebird was (EC). SanDiego, Dec. 14 (JM); another, possibly photographedover s.e. Farallon I., at about thesame, in nearbySantee, Jan. z9-3o (EA); this dme of year (AB 46:475,•992), this SWANS TO RAPTORS anda 3rdadult in CapistranoBeach, Orange, speciescannot be eliminated,though Mag- The three marked first-yearTrumpeter Jan.ix (JEP).With few recordsof Harlan's nificentwouldappear the more likel)• Swansobserved near Independence,Inyo, Red-tailedHawks in s. California,the pres- Theonly Little Blue Heron reported away Dec. 24-27 (LK) and then on nearbyTin- enceof one near Big Pine, Inyo,Feb. I3+ fromSan Diego Bay was an unprecedentedncmaha Res., Jan. 22-31 (T&JH) had been (T&JH) and of anothernear Needles, San immaturephotographed inland on thehigh transportedfrom Red Rocks Lakes N.W.R., Bernardino,Dec. 5 (MAP), isof interest. desertat CaliforniaCity, Kern,Dec. •9-zz Idaho, and releasedat SummerL. in extreme (MTH). The imm. TricoloredHeron found s.Oregon eadier this winter. A "BlueGoose • SHOREBIRDS TO PUFFINS at themouth of theTijuana R. nearImperial wasnoted on OwensL., Inyo,Jan. x9-Fcb. 2 WinteringPacific Golden-Plovers included Beach,San Diego, Oct. z4, was still present at (T&JH); thiscolor morph is unusualaway twonear Santa Maria, through Jan. 15+ (KH); theend of theperiod, joined by an adult, Jan. fromthe regularwintering flocks of Snow 53on n. VandenbergA.EB., Dec.x9-Jan. 27 zz-Feb.5 (TC). The imm. ReddishEgret at Geeseat S.E.S.S.A tallyof 35Eur. Wigeons (AA);and eight at SealBeach, Orange, No- BolsaChica, Oct. x8-Mar. 2o (DRW) wasthe scatteredthroughout the Region was a little vember+(DRW). Unusualfor this time of onlyone found in Californiathis winten The lowerthan normal. A c• Eur. x Am. Wigeon yearwas a countof <•xSnowy Plovers, for Yellow-crownedNight-Heron that hasfre- waspresent in Goleta,Santa Barbara, for its Owens L., Dec. 23-Feb. 2 (T&JH). Seven quentedthe SanDiego coast N of La Jolla 4th winter(PEL), and another was on s. San Mt. Ploversat Pt. Mugu,Dec. xo (BL)were

300-American Birds,Summer 1993 ingconsidering that this species was unrecord- Diego,Dec. 6-Jan. zo (AM), at S.E.S.S.,Jan. edin thisarea before I976. 25-Feb.13 (PEL), and near Cantil fall-Dec. A dead Ancient Murrelet on the beach in 19(MTH); thisis the expected Empidonaxin Cayucos,San Luis Obispo, Jan. I6 (DC) was s. California,this time of year.A "W. Fly- theonly one reported this winter. A Parakeet catcher," rare in winter, was seen in Irvine, Auklet at 31øO3'N,121ø12'w, about 158 nauti- Dec.8-Jan. 30 (RAE), another in nearbyMis- calmi SW of SanNicolas I., Jan.I4 (PP)plus sionViejo, Dec. 2o (BED),and a 3rdfar in- an unheard-ofconcentration (in modern landat SFKRP,Jan. 3 (SL);one at SCRE, Feb. times)of possibly-<40 (I8 positivelyidenti- 27 (BHef),was probably an earlyspring mi- fied)materialized between 34ø28 'N, I22øo6'w grant.Three E. Phoebesare known to have and34ø34'N, I2Iø53'w, -75-60 nauticalmi W beenpresent during the period,with single of Pt. Arguello,Jan. 25 (PP).Three Tufted birdson SantaCruz I., Jan. 23 (MAH); in Puffins,a speciesrarely reported in s.Califor- Irvine,Dec. 8-Mar. 7 (RAE);and inland near nia waters, came into view between Santa BorregoSprings, San Diego, Dec. 29-Feb. 22 Rosaand San Miguel Is., Jan. 22 (CH). Ruffat Port Hueneme,California, December 5, 1992. PhotograplVDonDesjardin. DOVES TO WOODPECKERS In recentyears, White-winged Doves have on the immediatecoast, where they are now winteredat oasesalong the e. baseof theSan consideredrare, and an unusuallocality was Diegomountains, and this year was no excep- OwensL., Jan.28-Feb. 2 (T&JH), where2-3 tion,with >25, December-February (H&PB); werefound. Numbers of Mt. Ploverspersist alongthe coast, where they are unexpected, as in the Palmdale/Lancaster,LosAngeles, area, manyas five were in Goleta,Jan. •-Mar. 12 where250 through- stillat EC.R., Jan.4 (T&JH) but couldnot out the winter (WRR). The SolitarySand- befound at theend of theperiod. Common pipersighted in Torrance,Los Angeles, Nov. Ground-Doveshave expanded their range N Scissor-tailedFlycatc#er wi.tering in Goleta, 25,and still present at theend of the period alongthe coast, appearing to favorcitrus or- California,January 5, 1993. P#otograph/Hugh (DM), isone of a veryfew to havewintered chards;they are now resident as far N asSanta P. Smit#. in California.Two Ruddy Turnstonesat Barbara. One found in Santa Maria, Jan. N.E.S.S., Feb. 6 (GH) were believedto be 8-Feb. 28 (DWQ) was N of the species' (AM). TwoDusky-capped Flycatchers, a ca- winteringon this inland body of water. knownrange. Five Ruddy Ground-Doves re- sualstraggler to California,were found: one Owens L. had <4 Sandealings,Jan. •9+ mainedat FCR, fall-Jan.4 (T&JH), andtwo in GoletaDec. z9+ (SEF)and another in San (T&JH), thefirst to befound staying inland stayedon (REW). The Groove-billedAni Marino,LosAngeles, Dec. 13-19 (KLG). Ash- awayfrom the SaltonSea. A PectoralSand- foundalong the San Gabriel R. in Whittier, throatedFlycatchers numbered 16 along the piperin Niland,Imperial Dec. 22 (PAG)is LosAngeles, Nov. 27, waslast seen Dec. 30 coastthis winter farmore than usual. Single one of lessthan a half-dozen observed in Cali- (AME),after which access to thearea was hin- TropicalKingbirds at Pt. Mugu, Dec. 1-13 fornia in winter. As usual, small numbers deredby flooding. A LesserNighthawk over (GS);in SolanaBeach, San Diego, Dec. 1-5 of Stilt Sandpiperscongregated around Brawley,Imperial Dec. 30 (AK) was un- (RP);and near Imperial Beach, Dec. 15 (TC) S.E.S.S.,with •3o, seenFeb. 20 (REW), the doubtedlywintering locally. A numberof arebest viewed as late fall stragglers. One in largestsingle-day count. A Ruff remained Vaux•Swifts spent the winter in theGreater Goleta,Dec. I-Mar. •5 (BHen)had cleady at Port Hueneme, Ventura,Dec. 5-Mar. I4 LosAngeles Basin, as indicated by two wing- winteredlocally, and anotherinland near (DDe). Two Wilson'sPhalaropes in Salton ingover San Gabriel, Jan. lO (KLG), 50over Chino, San Bernardino,Mar. ii-i 3 (HC) is City,Imperial, Feb. 6-t4 (CMcG)were un- SierraMadre, Feb. 4 (CMcG), z5 overthe believedto be the sameindividual present doubtedlywintering locally lowerportion of SantaAnita Canyon, Feb. zo heremost winters since I98I--I982. A Thick- An ad. LaughingGull presentin Santee, (MSM), and _<37over HansenDam, Feb. billedKingbird returned to SealBeach for its Jan.I7-Feb. I2 (CGE)was in thecoastal low- 17--25(DA). A c• Broad-billedHumming- 2nd winter, Oct. 9+ (DP). A Scissor-tailed landsca. 20 mi from the coast,a mostunusual bird,a rare-to-casual straggler tos. California, Flycatcherwas in SolanaBeach, Dec. 4 locality for this species.A first-winter wason a privategolf course in W. LosAnge- (PAG);another was present in E1Monte, Los FranklinsGull in LakeForest, Orange, Dec. les,Jan. 3 (KLG). A CostasHummingbird Angeles,Dec. 6-Jan. I (JG);and a 3rdwas in 5-6 (JTo)was most likely a latefall straggler, founddead in SanLuis Obispo, Jan. •6 0Mu) Goleta,Dec. n-Mar. 5 (BHen);there are only but the same could not be saidof the immature wasunusually far N forthis time of year. Four abouta dozenprevious records of wintering noted in Long Beach,Los Angeles, Dec. Yellow-belliedSapsuckers were reported, in- Scissor-tailedsin California. 22-Feb. 2o (KL). The first-winterCommon cludingan adult in SantaBarbara, Nov. Reportsof Rough-wingedSwallows were Black-headed Gull found in Santa Barbara, 28-Jan.2 (AB),a juvenilenear Santa Ynez, of interest,as this species isconsidered casual Nov. 2I, waslast seenDec. 2I (SEF). An ad. SantaBarbara, Dec. 3-30 (CP), anothernear alongthe coast in winter:a singlebird in Go- Yellow-lootedGull in NewportBeach, Jan. 9 LompocDec. 2o (KH), anda 3rdjuvenile leta, Dec. 29-Feb. 2 (PEL), as many as 25 (MTH) wasthe first for Orange,one of a very near CantiL Kern, remainingfall-Jan. 23 aroundE1 Monte, Jan. IO (KLG), andseveral fewto befound away from the Salton Sea in (MTH). remainingall winter--two in Long Beach California.Four Glaucous Gulls were report- (MH), _<3near Irvine (RAH), and >6 in San- ed thiswinter, with singlefirst-winter birds FLYCATCHERSTO VIREOS tee (CGE). A BarnSwallow near Cantil, No- aroundArroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo, Dec. A GreaterPewee found near Imperial Beach vember-Jan.23 (MTH) certainlychose an 6-13(TME), at Goleta,Feb. 9 (TS), at SCRE, Dec. 19 (GR) waspresent through Jan. 3, unusuallocality to winterin. The Bendire's Jan.29-Feb. 5 (RWH), andin SanPedro, Los when the area became inaccessibledue to ma- Thrashernear Lakeview, Riverside, since Nov. Angeles,Feb. 6 (JDB).Black Skimmer num- jor flooding.A Hammond'sFlycatcher, rare 8 waslast reported Dec. 22 (TM), butmajor bersin SantaBarbara peaked at 117in January in winter,was on Pt. Lomain SanDiego Dec. floodingin thisarea precluded access to the (FS), and threewere on Morro Bay,Dec. •6 1-Jan.z4 (REW). TwelveGray Flycatchers site. The onlyN. Shrikereported was one (G. McClure),with one or two remaining werefound wintering along the coast,and nearBishop, Inyo, Dec. 23 OF). throughFeb. Zl (EG,TME, DWQ)--amaz- singlebirds were inland at YaquiWells, San A Bell• Vireo on the Hidden Valley

Volume 47, Number 2 - 30! TANAGER$ T0 FINCHF• ofScott's Orioles were found wintering along Thec• Hepatic Tanager found in Irvine,Nov. theextreme w. edge of the desert in San Diego; 2i, wasstill in evidenceMar. 5 (MTH), an- however,the presence of_>I 5 alongthe coast other known to have been in Santa Barbara wasfar more than expected. forthe past io winterswas again present, Nov. Three Red Crossbillsin Cambria,Jan. I3-Mar. 5 (SEF),and a femalewas seen else- i3-i 5(BB) were the only ones found, but very wherein SantaBarbara, Jan. 3-Feb. 13 (PEL). few finches, other than Pine Siskins,were EightSummer Tanagers along the coastwas notedaway from breeding localities. lessthan expected, and W. Tanagerswere far lessnumerous than in recentyears. A Rose- Contributors(county coordinators ia boldface): breastedGrosbeak in Niland, Dec. 22 (PAG) AlexAbela, Eva Aiken, Jonathan K. Alderfer, wasonly the 2nd seen in thisarea of Califor- Dustin Alcala, Bob Ball, Ron Beck,Louis R. nia thistime of year;just threemore were Bevier,Allyn Bissell,Jeff Boyd,Jean D. Adultmale Orchard Oriole at Irvine,California, foundon the coast.Single Black-headed Brandt, Hank & PriscillaBrodkin (H&PB), January3, 1993. Photograph/MattHeindel. Grosbeaks,normally much scarcerthan EugeneA. Cardiff(San Bernardino), Jaime Wildlife Area, Riverside,Dec. 19 (MAP) is Rose-breastedsinwinter, were in Carpinteria, M. Chavez,Hank Childs, Derrick Clausen, oneof a veryfew found in Californiain win- SantaBarbara, Dec. 26-Feb. 25 (P& GZ) and ThereseClawson, Jim and Peggy Connolly ter.Twenty-four Solitary Vireos were report- in SantaBarbara, Dec. 28-Jan. 14 (JL). An In- (J&PC), ElizabethCopper (San Diego), edfrom along the coast, I6 of theinterior race digoBunting, most unusual in winter,was MichaelCraig, Brian E. Daniels,Don Des- plumbeous;one seen in ArroyoGrande, San seenin SantaBarbara, Jan. 9 (Ph-SEF). jardin (DDe), Dan Dinkler (DDi), Eileen LuisObispo, Jan. 3o-Feb. 28 (KAR)was iden- A Clay-coloredSparrow, rare in winter, Duarte, Jon L. Dunn, Tom M. Edell (San titledas solitarius; another in Independence,was in SantaBarbara, Dec. ix-Jan.13 (PEL), LuisObispo), Claude G. Edwards,Alan M. Dec.5 (AK)was unusually late for the area. A anotherin Anaheim,Orange, Feb. i3-2o Eisner,Barbar Elliott, Richard A. Erickson, WarblingVireo in SantaBarbara, Dec. i8 (BED), and a 3rd somewhatinland near JohnFinkbeiner, Shawneen E. Finnegan, (HPR)was thought to be wintering 1ocall)• Lakeview,Dec. 22 (GH). The only Lark Sam Fitton, Elder Garrett Kimball L. Garrett Buntingswere one in Niland,Dec. 22-Feb. I3 (LosAngeles), Joanne Getze, Peter A. Gins- WOOD-WARBLERS (PAG), another at H.D.L., Feb. i (EAC, burg,James M. Greaves,Robert A. Hamil- TwelveNashville Warblers along the coast was *S.B.C.M.), anda 3rdnear Soda L., SanLuis ton, Robert W. Hansen, Scott Harris, Karen a less-than-normalcount. A N. Parula,rare in Obispo,Feb. 2 (KH). A LeConte'sSparrow A. Havlena, Gjon Hazard, Bob Hefter winter,was at NESS,Jan. 2-Mar. 6 (HK). Yel- photographednear Malibu, Dec. 2o-Jan.zx (BHef), Bill Hentze (BHen), Matt T. Hein- lowWarblers appeared to bescarcer than usu- (SH, KLG) was the first to be found in Los del (Kern),Mitch Heindel,Tom & JoHein- al,with 5zo reported. A Chestnut-sidedWar- Angeles,and only the 7th alongthe coast of del(Inyo), Brad Hines (BHi), Ken Hollinga, bler in Niland, Dec. 22 (PAG) was the 6th California,away from the Farallon Is. Twenty MarkA. Holmgren,Charles Hood, Howard foundin thisgeneral area, this time of year. SwampSparrows scattered throughout the King,Andrew Kirk, Leah Kirk, Zev Labinger, Theonly Hermit Warblers reported were one Regionwas about average, a similar number BartLane, Kevin Larson, Steve Laymon, Paul nearPt. Buchon,San Luis Obispo, Dec. /4 of White-throatedSparrows was a little less E. Lehman (Santa Barbaraand IOntufa), (MC) andanother in NewportBeach, Feb. 5 thanaverage, and six Harris' Sparrows was JonathanLentz, Curtis A. Marantz, Chet (JB).Sightings of IO Palmand of IO Black- nearaverage. A flockof HornedLarks near McGaugh,Robert McKernan(Riverside), and-whitewarblers along the coast this winter Palmdalecontained 5z McCown'sLong- EbenMcMiilan (EMcM), Tony Metcalfe, were disappointing.Eight Am. Redstarts spurs,two Lapland Longspurs, and six Chest- DavidMoody, Art Morley,Jim Morris,Jay alongthe coast was a littleless than average, nut-collared Longspurs, Dec. IS-Jan. I Munns, Bill O'Connell, Michael A. Patten, and onlythree were found around S.E.S.S., (JKA);the only otherlongspurs reported RobertPatton, Cruz Phillips, James E. Pike, wheresmall numbers are expected. An Oven- werea Lapland at SESS, Feb. 2o (GMcC) and DickPurvis, Peter Pyle, Dave W. Quesenber- birdnear Hansen Dam, Feb. i7-i 4 (DA) isone a Chestnut-collaredon the Plano Trabuco, ry, Kurt A. Radamaker,William R. Radke, of avery few to beseen in Californiain winter. Nov. 2x-Jan.30 (DRW). HughP. Ranson, Geoff Rogers, Paul Rosso, A N. Waterthrushin NewportBeach, Dec. A RustyBlackbird, a rare straggler to Cali- San BernardinoCo. Museum (S.C.B.M.), io-Mar. 7 (RAE)was the only one reported. A fornia,was in Malibu,Dec. 3• (SJS)and an- FlorenceSanchez, Mike San Miguel, Brad K. verylate, or possiblywintering, MacGillivray's other in LongBeach, Feb. 24 (ph. MH). The Schram,Grace Smith, Tom Sullivan,Sher- Warblerwas found injured in SantaBarbara, onlyOrchard Orioles were a malein Irvine, manJ. Suter, Gregory P. Smith, Jerry Tolman, Dec.5 (ED), andanother was present in San Dec. I9-Jan. 3o (BO'C) and anothermale in PhilipUnitt, Richard E. Webster, Douglas R. Diego, Dec. x9-2o (PU). One of the two Goleta,Jan. I4+ (ZL). Six Hooded Orioles, Willick(Orange), John C. Wilson,Peter and Hooded Warblers at Hansen Dam at the end normallyvery rare in winter,were found GinaZarella (P&GZ). An additional75 + ob- of Novemberwas last seen Jan. 6 (DA). Twen- alongthe coast,December-January. North- serverswho couldnot be individuallyaco ty-oneWilson's Warblers on thecoast was cer- ern Orioles, scarcerthan normal, included knowledgedsubmitted reports this season.-- tainlyless than we havebecome accustomed fivegalbula; a bullockiinear L. Isabella,Jan. GUY McCASKIE,San Diego Natural His- to.A PaintedRedstart, a rare but regular strag- 24(JS) and another in nearbyWeldon,Feb. 2 tory Museum,Balboa Park, P.O. Box•39o, glerto s. California,was in CostaMesa, Or- (JE)were inland, where they are unexpected San Diego, CA 92II2. ange,Dec. 5-Feb. 5 (RAH). in winter.As appears normal, small numbers

sincemid-January, rainfall has again been sig- newsfor survival prospects offive critically En- HAWAIIANISLANDS nificantlybelow normal. Signs of an unusually dangeredendemicforestbird species. earlyreturn of El Nifio conditions inthe equa- REGION torialPacific suggest the strong likelihood that ß •!i•m• EEE (FrenchFrigate Shoals); H. RobertL. Pyle dryweather will prevailthroughout the state (Hawai• L); K. (Kaua•/.); M. (Maul/.); O. throughout•993- The fall rainsevidently ( O•hu L); ICEN.W.R.(Kilauea Pt. N. W.t•,K.). broughton an excellentbreeding season for Above-normalrainfall began in Julyand con- the introduced estrildids. But wounds from ALBATROSSES TO IBISES tinuedto yearsend, canceling the drought hurricaneInikiremain on Kaudi, and the first The same two banded Short-tailed Alba- causedby lastyears E1 Nifio conditions.But post-Inikisurvey in theAlaka'i brought grim trossesreturned again to SandI., Midway

•02-American Birds, Summer 1993 Atollthis winter (BE, EF), the nesting season for breeding.A Brant,casual in Hawaii,was FALCONS TO TERNS for all albatrossbreeding in the n. hemi- seen at Liliuokalani Gardens on the ocean Wintersightings of a PeregrineFalcon (En- sphere.One (band c• ooo) seems fully adult; front at Hilo, H., Nov.3o-Dec.z7+(KI,TG). dangered)on O'ahuwere reported at Ulupa'u the other, now nine-years-old,is still in FeralMallards are a scourge on O'ahu now, Head for the Christmas Count (LT), Ki'i subadultplumage. They are not seen togeth- but theyare usually seen in smallindepen- Pond(TS, MO, LT), and KahukuPt. (PD). er.When not at sea,each remains in itsspecif- dentgroups of-<5. Thus, a loosegroup of 3] Anotherinteresting report was of a Peregrine ic "territory"about 1/4 mi apart,among the mallaMson a pondat Waipi'o, O., Feb.7,was duo performimgaerial acrobatics, observed thousandsof nestingLaysan and Black-foot- an interestingcount. They seemed skittish, from the Ko'olau Cr. Trail near Pu'u Pauao edAlbatrosses. Unfortunately, indications are eventuallyflying off in oneflock (MO). Fully Mar. 6 (TC etal.). thatboth may be males (EF). wild migrantMallards have appearedin One SemipalmatedPlover in breeding LaysanAlbatrosses retumed to ICEN.W.R., Hawaiiin eadieryears, but whetherthese plumage,was at SandI., Midway,Jan.•7 and wheretheir nesting grounds had been cleared werewild can only be conjectured.Eight Feb.7(NS). Two Sharp-tailedSandpipers at of much debrisleft when hurricanelnikistruck Koloa and three N. Pintails were on the KanahaPond, M., seenregularly until Dec. in September.A record-high 90eggs were laid fringesof the Mallard flock (MO). 26, andone in Kihei until Dec. 24 (bothJO) in theRefuge itself, but only 24 hatched suc- A c• CinnamonTeal, very rare in Hawaii, werevery late for thisnormally fall-transient cessfully.In onearea, all 23eggs were aban- firstseen in eclipseplumage at Ki'i Pond,O., species.Three Snipes, probably Commons, donedfor unknownreasons. Outside, 13 of 29 Dec.5 (TS,MO), hadchanged to fullbreed- werefound repeatedly at Ki'i Pond,O., Dec. knowneggs hatched, considerably more than ingplumage byseason's end (v.o.). The 9 teal 5-27 (v.o.),and a PomarineJaeger was seen lastyear. One chick off the Refuge was killed seenwith it wasprobably a Blue-winged(PD wellJan. 9 within 5o-Ioo metersoffshore of bya do• butall others are expected to fledge etal.). An assortmentof otherunusual ducks the new Kaka'akoPark in Honolulu (PD). successfullyin spring (KV). visitingthis winter includedthree Eur. A first-winterRing-billed Gull that ap- BrownBooby sightings included 56 in Jan- Wigeonsat KealiaPond, M., Dec.zo-Jan. 3 pearedat very popular Ala Moana Beach Park uaryin Ma'alaeaBay on Maui's w. coast (JO, (JO)and single Gadwalls on O'ahunear Wa- in Honolulu in December became so tolerant BP),and <4 offHo'okipa Pt. in n.e.MauiJan- ialua,Dec. t9 (EV) andat Ki'i Pond,Dec. z7 of curiousbeachgoers that it waseasily baited uary-earlyFebruary (JO). Boobiesare sel- (PD, LT). SingleCanvasbacks in 9/eclipse to a long-handlednet, captured,measured, domreported s. of O'ahu.Another Lesser plumagewere reported at AimakapaPond, andbanded Jan.4 (JM, RLP,BP). Apparently Frigatebird,this time a female,was reported H., Dec.I 7 (KI) and Feb. z8 (CD) and at thefirst to becaptured and banded in Hawaii, atTern I., EES.,Feb. I8 & z8(fideEF). A Cat- PunamanoPond, O., Feb.z (PD).A groupof thisgull can now be recognized if it shouldes- tleEgret visited Laysan I. forone day, Dec. I 7 I4 Aythyaducks, mostly Lesser Scaup, at tablisha migratorypattern ofretuming in fu- (RS). A White-faced Ibis, accidentalin PunamanoPond during February, included turewinters. Any gull in Hawaiiis an uncom- Hawaii, was seen regularlyat Hanalei two 9 Ring-neckeds,another bird identified monvisitor, although afew individuals usual- N.W.R., K. December-Feb.•z+ (KV,TS). asa 9 GreaterScaup (TS), andone darker, ly turn up eachyear, with Ring-billetsthe Firstreported on Kaua'iin October(DP), it drab female believed to be a Tufted Duck mostfrequently recorded. Other gull strag- mayhave been the same bird seen eadier that (PD, TS etal.). Single Greater Scaup, much glersincluded two Laughing Gulls at a pond monthat Aimakapa Pond, H. rarerthan Lesser Scaup in Hawaii,were also at the WestinHotel near Lihu'e,K., Jan.8 reportedat Aimakapa Pond, Dec. [7 (KI) and (TT) andsingle Bonapartes at Ki'i Pond,O. GEESE TO DUCKS Jan.IO & 3I (TS).Single 9 -plumagedBuffle- (LT, RLP) and HanaleiN.W.R., K. (KV) re- The littlegroup of Nene(Hawaiian Goose, headswere present on Laysan,Kaua'i, and maininguntil at leastFebruary. One and Endangered)introduced last year to O'ahuthis winter. A 9 HoodedMerganser, sometimestwo Glaucous-winged Gulls were K.P.N.W.R.not onlysurvived Iniki well but veryrare vagrant to Hawaii,was discovered at seenrepeatedly around Ki'i Pond,O., in Feb- producedfour goslings from z neststhis win- WaiakeaPond, H., DecI4-January(TS, v.o.). ruary (v.o.),one at AimakapaPond, H. ter.All weredoing well at seasoh'send. Three Anotherwas seen on a cattlepond near Wa- (KI,TS),and one at HanapepeAirport and at of thefour parents involved were only one- ialua, O., Dec.•3,and on anothernearby thenearbyWaimea R. mouth on Kaua'i (TS). year-oldat nesting, an unexpectedly early age pondDec. I9 (EV). A Corn.Tern, another rare straggler, was ob- servedat Kealia Pond, M., Dec. z7-z 9 (JO),and a White Temwas seenoffshore from Ho'okipaPt. nearPa'ia, M., Jan.IO (JO). White Ternsare rarely reported nearshore s. of O'ahu.

SANDOROUSE TO GRACKLES More than 50 Chestnut-bellied Sandgrousein small groups of 2•8 wereobserved flying near the high- way s. of Waimea,H., between 4:30and 5 p.m.,Dec. J7 (KI).The site,just s. of the turnoffto Ka- muelaAirport, was a favoredvan- tagepoint for seeingthese birds a decadeand more ago. A JapaneseBush-Warbler was ob- servedJan. 2o at Waita Res. near Koloa, K., well S of the localitiesin n. ande.Kaua'i, where it hasgener- ••auna KeaHilo• ally been found (TT). This alien specieshas only recently colonized Kaua'i,apparently expanding its •range.The introducedSaffron Finchis locallyabundant on the

Volume 47, Number 2- 303 Konaiide of H., andvery small numbers have persistedsince the 197os on O'ahuin favored spotsaround Honolulu. They hadnot been •i•ten•vesureey inthe hebron{he Alaka'i wildet•essPreserve; K.,th e flfst sin•e fiurri•e recorded on other islands until December Inikisini•klasi S•piember, wasconducted,Fib. '9•i•bya •eam 0fi• trainedfederal and state bi• thisyear, when a totalof tz werefound on ol'%ts'•h•fotmd,bloWaOwnfromlnikitdbemor•ve•e•h•h•d'been•fi i* 'i•d Kaua'iin 3 differentareas of the Lihu'eand fr9maerial•urveys, although damage was patchy, with some go0d forest remaining in,prOtected Kapa'aChristmas Counts, much to the sur- areas!The•on.-efi•ge•d •ative'f0reiibird spedes were found in ab0•t normal n•b•l• over- priseof Kaua'ibirders. One canspeculate • (TT),with encoti•ng numbers 0•;Ele•aib, •udi'Creep•r, and'Akeke'el but•th'Fiwi aboutwhether Inikimay have been a factor in 7and:,*10wetUneXplctediVC).Z½ox, aicoag"wtbabs.ofanyco.fdt transportingSaffrons from O'ahu or in caus- •ingofa•y ofKaua?•cnticaily En•ngered •ic speCtes.O•ly2 brief, inadeqUat• 0bs•tiø•s ingsome to escapefrom cages on Kaua'i. Werer%orded6fglidsthatm•ghtp0SsigkhavebeenaKama'ooiPuaighibut'UStaslikelwere Smallgroups of Red-billedLeiothrix, recov- not(PC, JD,:•)• Best•stirnat• hre ihai four bfth4•e dritieally rare spe•es weie down to xo or eringwell on O'ahu, were reported inJanuary fev/er individuals rera•ng or possibly•readY extineteveff before Iniki. Only the Puai0hi was onManoa Cliffs Trail (scolding, LP), Wa'ahila though{}oh'ave'had •haps • many as •0 iXdi•au• rem•"i ng' Thi •o•t4•/•/•r•eY •d Trail(family of 6, PD),and in centralO'ahu on notadd anY0ptimlS• forth• pmspect• that/hese gridCally iCarc• spedes can long survive, MananaTrail (EV). Yellow-facedGrassquits wereobserved again along Manana Trail, their traditionallocality. Five were seen Jan. •5 and ESTRILD•S March(EV). These large flocks probably re- to Jan.3o (EV). TwoYellow-billedCardinals at One c• Red-cheeked Cordonbleu seen in a fleeta successfulnesting season stimulated by WhittingtonPark e. of SouthPoint, H., parkat Kihei,M., Jana7(JO) was probably a thegood rains during the fall. Demi7 (KI) confirman earlier sighting there at recentisolated escape. Four Lavender Waxbills thee. edge of their expanding range. Oahu's c• havebeen coming to a feederin theWaialae Contributors:Marlie Breeze,Phil Bruner,Teresa Great-tailedGrackle was seen again at SandI. sectionof e. Honolulusince September and Cabrera,Meredith Carson, Ann Carter,Paul Parkin Honolulu,Jan.2• (PD). were seen Dec.2o for the Christmas Count Conr'3 ReginaldDavid, Jim Denny,Colin (EV).Several small groups of Warbling Silver- Dillingham,Walter Donagho, Peter Donald- NATIVE FORESTBIRDS billswere noted Jana on Landi at Manale Bay son, BruceEilerts, Renate Gassmann-Duvall, On a happiernote, the critically Endangered andin Palawai Basin (DM). An unusually large ElizabethFlint, Lorin Gill, TedGrisez, Hawaii MauiParrotbill was sighted twice during Jan- numberof juvenileRed Avadavats in several StateClimate Center, Kamal Islam, Jaan Lep- uaryin the WaikamoiPreserve, M. One was flocksof 20-50each was observed at Waipi'o son, Jeff Marks, Diana Miner, Donna atthe edge of Ko'olauGap, well e. of previous Pen.,O., Feb.7 (MO). Largeflocks of several O'Daniel,Jerry Oldenettel, Mike Ord, Thane sightingsnearer to HosmerGrove (AC). And hundredmixed estrildids,predominantly Pratt, Bill Principe,Leilani Pyle, Rick Schauf- 36'Amakihi,a remarkable aggregation, were Com. Waxbills with lesser numbers of Red tier,Nanette Seto, Tom Snetsinger, Lance Tani- countedon O'ahu Jan. 2t, at the start of Avadavatsand Nutmeg and Chestnut Man- no, Tom Telfer, Eric VanderWeff,,Kathleen Wa'ahila Trail in Wa'ahila Park and down the nikins,were seenaround Waialua and other n. Viernes,Mindy Young.--ROBERT L. PYLE, ridgea bit (PD). and w. O'ahu localities,December-early 741 N. KalaheoAve., Kailua, HI 96734.

theParrot Reserve, StV, Feb. •7 (AK),and five CubanGrassquits came in attoo, at a feed- WESTINDIES REGION LaughingGulls were noted off the w. coast of er stationin downtownNassau, the Bahamas, StV,Feb. •8 (AK).A WoodSandpiper, pro- Dec. •2 (PW&SAS). Two St. Luria Black Winter1991-1992 vidingthe 2nd record for the Region, was seen Finches,a threatenedendemic, were seen at Robert L. Norton throughoutthe winter at Barbados(tick MF, ChalopeRavine, StL, Feb. •5 (AK). AK,EM; detailsforthcoming). Contributors:Gabriel Charles,Martin Frost, Maurice Hutt, Allen Keith, EdwardMassiah, DOVESTO GRASSQUITS E William and SusanA. Smith,Paul Sweet, Thefaithful continue to reportsightings in The GrenadaDove, a rare and endemicform hopesthat their contributions will once again M.C. Wheeler,C.C. Whitcomb. seethese pages. We aregrateful for their per- of gray-fronteddove (Lept0tila ruj•xilla), was sistence. seennear Mr. Hartman,Grenada, Feb. •9 (AIO. Four Eared Doves were seenat their Abbreviations:D.R. (DominicanRepublic); Vieux Fort, StL, outpost (AK et al.), Feb.•4, Winter1992-1993 Bahamas(New Providence, Bahamas); StL (St. butseven Eared Doves, including one juvenile Robert L. Norton Lucia);StV (St. Vincent). onBarbados, Feb. 2•, tripled the islands previ- ousrecords and provided evidence of an ex- BOOBIES TO GULLS tendedbreeding range. A dozenGray-rumped Rainfall for wintert99•-•992, as measured at Red-footedBoobies (z adults,• immature) Swiftswere seen near St. George,Grenada, Cruz Bay,St. John,U.S. Virgin Islands, wereseen at Pigeonand Fous Cays, StL, Feb. Feb.2o (AK). FourWhite-breasted Thrashers, •8o2t'•, 64o28'w, was 40% (December •6 (GC, AK) andoff thew. coastofStV (AK), oneof themost Endangeredspecies of theRe- 40%,January +to8%, February 60%). High- Feb.2o. A LittleEgret, an Old World species gion,were seen at Chalope Ravine, StL, Feb. •5 er-than-normal rain in the central Bahamas thatis almostcertainly breeding in theRe- (AK). The elusiveCocoa Thrush wasnoted at providedsuitable habitat for large numbers of gion,was seen at CosgroveSwamp, Barbados, StV'sParrot Reserve, Feb. •7 (AK). waterbirdson Eleuthera. And a rainydry sea- Feb.2• (MF, AK, EM). A LeastBittern was re- A HouseWren was observed at Kingston sonwas also reported by residents in theEast- ported(PS) near Cabarete, D.R., Dec25. On BotanicalGarden, StV, Feb. •7 (AIO. The ernCaribbean to JCH etal. duringtheir 22- StL,26 Blue-winged Teals were seen at Vieux Smithsreported t9 speciesof warblerin the weekblitz through the Lesser Antilles. Fort;also found were Green-winged Teals Bahamas,including a Kirtland's Warbler. The The EasternCaribbean was uniquely cov- andAm. Wigeons, Feb. •4 (AK etal.).At Par- birdwas seen Dec. t3 on CoralHarbour Rd., eredin 2 weeks(Feb. •6-29) by 3 observers adiseI., NewProvidence, Bahamas, 25Ruddy the samelocation at whichthe specieshad (JCH, BB,DL) on a missionto assessthe mar- Duckswere seen, Dec. •2 (PW&SAS);some beenreported by them 5 winters ago. A Hood- ketabilityof a Subregionaltour. Ecotourism in of themales exhibited bright plumage, a pos- ed Warbler furnished the first record for Bar- theWest Indies is educational and very beneft- sibleindication of a localbreeding popula- bados,Feb. •2 (MF,AK, EM).A Prothonotarycial, both to thevisitor and to thevisited, with tion. Four Com. Black Hawks were seen at Warblerwas also found Feb. •2 (AK). regardto sustainableyield economies and re-

304-American Birds, Summer 1993 wereseen on Grenada(JCH etaL). GuadeloupeWoodpeckers appear to haveresponded well after the devas- ATLANTICOCEAN tationof hurricaneHugo in ]989, withfour seen Feb. ]9 thisyear. The GrenadaFlycatcher staged a z-island endemic:it wasfairly common on StL,with twosighted Feb. z7, and on Grenada,where six and four were found,Feb. z8 & z9,respectively. The house wrens of the Lesser rilles pose a peculiartaxonomic problembecause the 7 neitherlook alike,behave alike, nor occupy syn- onymoushabitats. The wrenson Guadeloupe,Dominica, and Mar- dnique(now probably extinct) are dark-breastedforms (RLN) inhab- iting moist and humid upland forests. The house wrens of StL oc- cupyarid lowland scrub; these birds havea whitethroat and upper breast source conservation. Whether it is feasible to Feb.9 (•). An Ospm7 wasseen at Savannes (RLN), asdo theStL wrens. The white-throat- sustaina ]o-islandtour remainsunknown, but Bay,StL, Jan. z9 (•) andanother at Grena- ed formof Grenadais atypicallyurban. All 3 theopportunity should not be ignored. How- da, Feb.29, wherethe trio (JCH, BB, DL) typeswere recorded in the LesserAntilles ever,for thoseof uswho are interestedin, and also reporteda singleHook-billed Kite. (JCH etal.),with eight from Dominica, Feb. concernedabout, the endemicbirds of these Common Black Hawks were common, num- z]; two from StL, Feb.24, and two from StV, smallishnds--ergo Endangered---we aregrate- beringm, atVermont Nature Trail, StL, Feb. Feb.z7; andsix from Grenada,Feb. 29. The ful for a once-in-a-blue-moonsnapshot of 27. The Merlin boo• wasone at Dominica, CocoaThrush was fairly common Feb. z 7 on their results. Feb. zo; two at StL, Feb. z7; and one at StV, but not on Grenada.The ForestThrush is In the Bahamas,forest loss or fragmenta- Grenada,Feb. 29. PeregrineFalcons were an elusiveendemic of the LesserAntilles; one tionis having a negativeeffect on neotropical seen, Jan. 26, at Pointedu Cap,StL •), wasnoted on Mont. and anotherat Dominica, migrantwarblers and native birds of andFeb. 26-27, at St• ThreeSora rails found Feb.]8 & zx,respectively. One of the rarest Eleuthera,where JS reports that housing and at Boisd'Orange wetland, Jan. zz, werea sur- birds of the West Indies is the z-island endem- roaddevelopments during his ]6 yearsof an- prise(WB). Two CollaredPlovers were m- ic White-breastedThrasher; five were noted nualspring counts are replacing coppice habi- portedfrom Grenada, Feb. 29. Another sur- onMartinique, Feb. 2z, and Burke found five tat in thesame general area in whicha Kirt- prisevagrant from Antigua was an American on St. Lucia,Feb. 5.A flockof fiveAntillean land'sWarbler was reported a few years ago. Avocet,engaging Feb. x7. Three Red •ors Euphoniaswere seen (WB), Feb.xz, at Piton andthree other calidrids (Least, Semipalmat- Flore, StL. Abbreviations:Mont. (Montserrat);StL (St. ed,and • sandpipers),were sighted at An- Lucia);StV (St. l•ncent). tigua,Feb. •6, suggesting astrong stopover in- WARBLERS TO ORIOLES flueneein then. LesserAntilles during spring. Neotropicalmigrant and residentwarblers PETRELS TO TERNS An imm.Herring Gull was noted at Tarpum werereported as follows: Yellow Warblers-- TwoBlack-capped Petrels were noted flying Bay,Eleuthera, Feb. •7, representingthe first ]o onAntigua, Feb. ]6; one on Mont., Feb. xS; SE off the w. coastof Mont., Feb. ]8. This seenthere by JS in •6 years.A •ng-billed oneon Guadeloupe, Feb. x9; one on Domini- findingsupports the notion that breeding still Gull and seven Sandwich Terns were ob- ca,Feb. zo; and three on Martinique, Feb. 23; exists in the Lesser Antilles on Dominica and servedat Antigua,Feb. •6. And a raremid- Adelaide'sWarblers--so on StL, Feb. zS; mayyet into the nextcentury. The Guade- winterglimpse of a BrownNoddy, possibly PlumbeousWarblers five on Guadeloupe, loupecolony has been extinct since ]85o. fromthe Aves colony to thewest, was provid- Feb.x9; and eight on Dominica, Feb. zo; and Three Red-footed Boobiesseen off St. Lucia, ed at Dom[nica, Feb. z•. WhisdingWarblersfive on StV, Feb. z 7. Feb.9 (WB) andzo spottedfrom the w. coast NorthernWaterthrash put in an appear- ofMont., Feb. ]8, are probably breeding near- DOVES TO THRUSHES ance,with one in Mont., Feb. ]8, and one on byat Redondaand feeding off Guadeloupe.Two White-winged Doves were noted at Isla StV,Feb. 27. Lesser Antillean Tanagers includ- LeastGrebes were widespread throughout GrandeAirport, Puerto Rico, Feb. ]5. Eared edeight on StVand five on Grenada, Feb. z7 & Heuthera,Feb. xS, as a resultof highpond Doveswere common, with nine at Vieux Fort, zS,respectively. Lesser Antillean Saltators were levels. Double-crested Cormorants num- StL,Jan. z9, and x 5 and 35 at Grenada, Feb. z8 & commonlynoted on Guadeloupe,Dominica, bered58 at a pondn.w. of PalmettoPoint, z9.But the Endangeredendemic Grenada Dove Martinique,and StL. One of the Grenada spe- Hemhera,Feb. zx. A vagrantReddish Egret wasnot. Only one was seen, Feb. z8 & z9, cialties,the Blue-blackGrassquit, was noted (nocolor morph) was noted at McKinnon's thoughtwo were heard Feb. z9. On Dominica, Feb.zS, and a highlightof StL,the St. Lucia SaltPond, Antigua, Feb. x6, providing one of theRed-necked Parrot tally came to 25, and Im- BlackFinch, was fairly common, with four re- the few recordsof the LesserAntilles. perialParrots numbered 3,Feb. z], encouragingported, Feb. z4. As for the endemic orioles of LesserScaup numbered z] atthe pond near newsfor theseThreatened species. Nine St. the LesserAntilles, two were seenon Mont., PalmettoPoint, Hemhera, Feb. x8,and seven Lucia Parrots were encountered Feb. 2 at Feb.]7; threeon Mart., Feb.zz; andseven White-cheeked(Bahama) Pintails at a pond Edmond-Quileseforest reserves, but onlytwo (WB) and]o on StL,Feb. x3 & 24,making a n. of DoubleBay, Eleuthera, proved to bethe were found Feb. z4. St. Vincent Parrots fairlycooperative showing during the period. largestgroup JS has seen there. Seventy-five totaled 25, Feb. z6. The endemicSt. Lucia White-cheekedPintails and 3o Blue-winged Nightjarcame in at five,Feb. zS; one White- Contributors:Benton Basham, Wayne Burke, Teals were seen at McKinnon's Pond, An- tailedNightjar on Martinique was also report- J. ChrisHaney, Dwight Lee, and Joe Siph- tigua,Feb. x6 & x7, respectively.Two Blue- ed,Feb. z3. Four Short-tailed Swifts were seen ron. ROBERT L. NORTON, 96I Clop- wingedTeals were noted at VieuxFort, StL, on StL,Feb. z6, but no Gray-rumpedSwifts perRd, Bx, Gaithersburg, MD 20878.

Volume 47, Number 2- •05