BRITISH COLUMBIA FIELD ORNITHOLOGIST ISSN 1192-0 27 0 Volume 4, No. 1 March 1994 CONTENTS EDITORS' NOTES AND NOTIONS 2 BCFO Officers and Directors 2 UPCOMINGMEETINGSAND EVENTS 3-4 SOCIETY NEWS 4-5 Constitution/Bylaw changes 4 Notice for the BCFO 4th AGM, Kam loops, BC 5 President's Notes 6 NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS 6-7 Prairie Warbler -'""" First Queen Charlotte Islands Record 8 SITE GUIDE: Merritt-KamloC>ps on Highway SA 9,;,;;12 Btirrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) 13-14 Salmon Arm Bay -- a Nature Area in the Making 15-17 Great-tailed Grackle in BC 17 Swainson's Hawk in BC 18-20 KamloopsNaturalist Club Bluebird Trails 21-22 Note>on Northern Shrike Harassing a Northern Pyginy Owl 22 Beaver Ranch Flats -- Building a Place for the Birds 23-24 AUTHORS IN THIS ISSUE 24 The BRITISH COLUMBIA FIELD ORNITHOLOGIST is published four times a year by British Columbia Field ornithologists, PO Box 8059, Victoria, BC vaw 3R7. A subscription to this periodical is a benefit of membership in the society. Members will also receive a copy of the annual journal, BRITISH COLUMBIA BIRDS. Send material for publication in any format (mail, phone, FAX, print, IBM WordPerfect files on discs, etc.) to the Editors (name, address and phone no. page 2) . We especially welcome bird-finding information for the "Site Guide" series & articles about birdwatching experiences, · preferably (but not necessarily) in British Columbia. Membership in British Columbia Field Ornithologists is open to anyone interested in the study & enjoyment of wild birds in British Columbia. Our objectives include: fostering cooperation between amateur and professional ornithologists; promoting cooperative bird surveys and research projects; and, supporting conservation organizations in their efforts to preserve birds and their habitats. Membership dues: Individual memberships or library subscriptions, $20 .00; junior memberships (age under 18 ), $10.00; Family memberships (two or more persons at one address), $25.00; U.S. and foreign memberships, $20 .00 (U.S.). Memberships are for the calendar year. For further information, or to join, write to Michael Shepard, Membership, British Columbia Field Ornithologists, PO Box 8059, Victoria, BC vaw 3R7. Editors for the BRITISH COLUMBIA FIELD ORNITHOLOGIST: A. & M. Buhler Distribution of BRITISH COLUMBIA FIELD ORNITHOLOGIST: Allen Wiseleya Page 2 B.C. FIELD ORNITHOLOGIST March 1994 ED ITORS' NOTES AND NOTIONS Christmas bird counts ar e over and spring migrants ar e winging their way northwards. For members who were at the AGM in Tofino last year you may remember that those low flying White-fronted Geese got a "Directors-at-Larg e" nomination. Well, many other migrants have heard about the BCF O Annual General Meeting being held in Kamloops this year and ar e lining up to be seen , heard, and possibl y nominat ed up there. Make certain you , as members, keep May 13 -15 in Kamloops free to join the fun, to help the Societ y, & to en joy the camarader ie which a meet ing of like-minded birders can provide. See notes on the AGM ag en da on page 5 of this is sue. PLEASE read and/or br ing a copy of the CONSTITUTION and BYLAW proposed am endment s (t his is sue page 4) and a copy of last year's minutes (June 19 93 BCFO 3(2): 4-5) to the AGM in Kamloops so that you ar e better prepared for the bu siness of the meet ing. In our last issu e we as ked members to send us some Kamloops-focused material . Well by mid-January we got panicky and started phoning people for input . The response was great -- such that you get a special AGM is sue of 24 pages instead of 20 pages. Thanks to all who wrote to us. We ap ol ogise to ou r authors/read ers for the small graphics boxes but space was at a prem ium in this is sue. We ap olog is e also if we had to hold your article over to a later issue. You don't kn ow how nice it is for us (the Editors) to have a couple of art ic les on hand for the next is sue! Keep us happy -- keep sending them in ! In this is sue you will find a great SITE GUIDE to Highway SA and a companion art ic le on Beaver/Guichon Flats; art ic les about Bu rrowing Ow ls and Swainson's Hawks with a Kamloops focus; an article on Kamloops bluebird trail s and on e on the Salmon Arm Bay nature proj ect (on e field trip goes to Salmon Arm) ; two reports of rare sight ings for BC (G reat-tail ed Grackle & Prairie Warbl er) ; an int er esting note on Northern Shrike behavior ; and a listing of many events, trips , meetings, et c of int er est to the birding community. This issue gets to you a bit later than we had hoped but we wait ed for Mike's report on the directors' meet ing held the 19th of this month. Pleas e introduce yourselves to us at the AGM. We have spoken to so many of you over the telephone and we would like to put faces an d names together. We will probably as k you to submit an art ic le on something or ot her but don't let that put you off saying hello. Thanks ag ain for your input and we'l l see you in Kamloops in May!� BCFO OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS, 1992'-1.993 President: Mike McGrenere 658-8624 1178 Sunnygrove Terrace, • Victoria, BC V8Y 2V9 · Vice.:..Pres ident: wayneweber 597-7201 51 ..;. 6712 Baker Road, Delta� BC V4E 2V3 Secretary: Michael shepard 388.:..4227 1241 Broad Street, Victoria, BC VBW 2A4 Tr easurer; Johnl)orsey 857-17(58 Ave, 26641 ""'· 29th AldeJ:'qrove, BC V4W 3B3 · · Membership: Michael, Shepard 388-4227 ·· . 1241 Broad street, Victoria, BC vsw 2A4 Directors; Lloyd Bsrals:on ·.··· 581:...4736. · .. .. 309 .,. 14881 104th Ave, surrey, BC ·v3R 1M6 Rick Howie 578-7542 Site 15, Camp. 481 RR#3, Kamloops, BC V2C SKl Marian Porter 531-5747 14831 Buena Vista. Ave, White :Ro.ck, BC V4B Allen Wiseley 477-4593 1881 Grandview Drive, Victoria, BC V8N 2T8 ·�···· ··········· ········�· ·· ····��· ·· ··· News lett er Editors: Andy & Marilyxl. Buhler HOME 744-2521 1132 Loenholm Road WORl{ 952-2184 Victoria, BC VBZ 2Z6 WORK FAX 952-2180 Newsletter Distribution: Allen Wiseley 477 ..459 3 Journal Editors: March 1994 B.C. FIELD ORNITHOLOGIST Page 3 UPCOM ING MEETINGS AND EV ENTS compiled by Wayne c Weber Apr 6-10, 1994 BC WILDLIFE FEDERATION AGM, Courtenay , BC . Wr ite BC Wildlife Federation, 10 2-6070 200th St , Langley, BC V3A 1N4 . (533-2293) . Apr. 8- 10 , 1994 BRANTFESTIVAL, Parksville-Qualicum. Big Day birding competition, wildlife art sh ow , children's activities. Contact Brant Fest ival 94, PO Box 99, Parksville, BC V9P 2G3 . (2 48-4117 or 248-4347) . Apr . 21-24, 1994 FEDERATION OF BC NATURALISTS AGM, Chilliwack, BC . Wr ite FBCN at 321-1367 W Br oadway, Vancouver, BC V6H 4A9 . (737-3057) . Apr . 24- AMERICAN BIRDING AS SOCIATION REGIONAL CONFERENCE, Key Largo, FL. May 1, 1994 Wr ite ABA, PO Box 6599 , Colorado Springs, CO 80934, or phone (t oll-free) 1- 800-835-2473. May 1, 1994 BCFO FIELD TRIP in the Comox-Courtenay area. BCFO member s are invited to join ComoxfStrathcona Naturalists on their 18th annual SPRING BIRD COUNT . Birders are divided into 13 groups st arting between 7-8 AM, and finishing by 4 PM . Refreshment s and tally-up at Royst on Hall at 5 PM. To take part , please phone organizer Barbara Sedgwick (3 35-0064) by April 24th at the latest. May 4-6, 19 94 FIFTH ALASKA BIRD CONFERENCE, Cordova, AK . Wr ite Mary Anne Bi shop , Copper River Delta Institute, U.S. Forest Service, P.O. Box 14 60, Cordova , AK 99574, or phone (9 07) 424-7212. May 12 -15, 1994 BC FIELD ORNITHOLOGISTS 4TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, Kamloops, BC . See page 5 for details. May 14 , 19 94 SPRING BIRD COUNT, VICTORIA NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, from mid­ night to 12 :00 noon . For details, phone David Pearce (4 77-2664) . May 14 , 1994 little BIG Day -- Kootenay Style. Last year on e of ou r members attended the Okanagan Big Day and was very excited about ou r club (R oc ky Mountain Naturalists) host ing a "little" BIG Day. We will begin ou r 12 hour Day at 6:00 AM on Sat , May 14 , 1994. Teams of 2-4 individuals. Registration $20. 00/team . Monies remaining after deduction of expenses will be donated to an East Koot enay conservation program to be announced at the 7:30 PM dinner in Cranbrook after birding ends at 6:00 PM. Registration/ information available by writing: Ruth Goodwin, 404 Aspen Road, Kimberly, BC V1A 3B5; or phone Greg Ross (4 89-2566) or Ruth Goodwin (42 7-5404) May 15, 1994 VANCOUVER BIRDING BIG DAY, sp onsored by Vancouver Natural History Society. A fund-raising ev ent for Nature Trust of BC ; proc eed s intended for wetland habitat acquisition in the Vancouver area. Organizer s George Clulow (438 -7639) or Martin Gebauer ( 543-7764) . May 22, 1994 OKANAGAN BIG DAY CHALLENGE. For details, contact Dick Cannings, 3007 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V6K 1Z7 (phone 734-9489). May 28, 19 94 SECOND OKANAGAN MOUNTAIN PARK BIRD COUNT, host ed by the South Okanagan Naturalists' Club, with help from the Central Okanagan Naturalists & BC Parks. All birders are invited to join in this su rvey of a large but relatively little-known Provincial Park.