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a s s o r.i  a r i o n 


THE  WINTER  SEASON 


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VOLUME  60:  NO.  2,  2006  • DECEMBER  2005  THROUGH  FEBRUARY  2006 


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Contents 


The  Winter  Season:  December  2005  through  February  2006 

NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS  • AMERICAN  BIRDING  ASSOCIATION  • VOLUME  60  • NUMBER  2 • 2 0 0 6 


First  photographically  documented 
record  of  Social  Flycatcher 
(Myiozetetes  similis)  for  the 
United  States 

John  C,  Arvin  and  Mark  W.  Lockwood 


Middle  Atlantic 
Todd  M.  Day 

Southern  Atlantic 
Ricky  Davis 


Idaho  & Western  Montana 
David  Trochlell 

Great  Basin 
Rick  Fridell 


First  record  of  European 
Turtle-Dove  ( Streptopelia  turtur ) for 
Massachusetts 
Richard  R.Veit 

The  Changing  Seasons: 

Winter  That  Wasn’t 
Edward  S.  Brinkley 

A melanistic  Northern  Flicker 
( Colaptes  auratus ) in  Colorado 
Alexander!  Cringan,  June  C.  Cringan, 

W.  Jeffrey  Blume,  and  Elaine  R.  Podell 

Stonechat  ( Saxicola  torquata ) on 
San  Clemente  Island:  First  record 
for  California,  with  a review  of  its 
occurrence  in  North  America 
Brian  L.  Sullivan  and  Robert!  Patton 

A brief  report  on  the  illegal  cage- 
bird  trade  in  southern  Florida:  a 
potentially  serious  negative  impact 
on  the  eastern  population  of  Painted 
Bunting  (Passerina  ciris ) 

Paul  W.  Sykes,  Jr.,  Larry  Manfredi, 
and  Miguel  Padura 


220  Florida 

Bruce  H.  Anderson 

Ontario 

Maris  Apse  and  Mark  Cranford 

Eastern  Highlands  & 

Upper  Ohio  River  Valley 
Victor  W.  Fazio,  III,  and  Rick  Wiltraut 

23  Illinois  & Indiana 

James  Hengeveld,  Keith  A.  McMullen, 
and  Geoffrey  A.  Williamson 

Western  Great  Lakes 
Adam  M.  Byrne 

Iowa  & Missouri 
Robert  Cecil 

Tennessee  & Kentucky 
Chris  Sloan  and  Brainard  Palmer-Ball,  Jr. 

Central  Southern 
C.  Dwight  Cooley 

Northern  Canada 
Cameron  D.  Eckert 


New  Mexico 
Sartor  0.  Williams,  III 

Arizona 

Mark  M.  Stevenson  and  Gary  H.  Rosenberg 

Alaska 
Thede  Tobish 

British  Columbia 
Donald  G.  Cecile 

Oregon  & Washington 

Steven  Mlodinow,  David  Irons,  and  Bill  Tweit 

Northern  California 
Luke  W.  Cole,  Scott  B.  Terrill, 

Michael  M.  Rogers,  and  Steven  A.  Glover 

Southern  California 

Guy  McCaskie  and  Kimball  L.  Garrett 

Baja  California  Peninsula 
Richard  A.  Erickson,  Robert  A.  Hamilton, 
Roberto  Carmona,  and  Gorgonio  Ruiz-Campos 

290  Mexico 

Hector  Gomez  de  Silva 


The  Regional  Reports 


Atlantic  Provinces  & 

St.  Pierre  et  Miquelon 
Brian  Dalzell 


Prairie  Provinces 
Rudolf  F.  Koes  and  Peter  Taylor 

Northern  Great  Plains 
Ron  Martin 


Central  America 
H.  Lee  Jones  and  Oliver  Komar 

West  Indies  & Bermuda 
Anthony  White,  Robert  L.  Norton, 
and  Andrew  Dobson 


On  the  cover:  This  adult  four-year  gull,  found  1 1 February  2006  off  the  coast  of  Long  Island,  New 
York,  was  ultimately  identified  as  a Western  Gull  of  the  nominate  subspecies.  Western  Gull  is  very 
rarely  recorded  away  from  the  immediate  Pacific  coastline,  and  many  gull  experts  have  believed  it  an 
unlikely  candidate  for  vagrancy  to  the  East.  However,  there  are  a few  well-documented  records  from 
the  continent's  interior,  as  far  east  as  Chicago.  Discussions  of  this  gull  via  the  Internet  were  extensive, 
and,  as  of  press  time,  authorities  on  gull  identification  appear  to  support  the  identification  as  West- 
ern Gull  strongly.  Photograph  by  Martin  Lofgren. 


202  Quebec 

Pierre  Bannon,  Olivier  Barden, 
Normand  David,  Samuel  Denault, 
and  Yves  Aubry 

New  England 
Pamela  Hunt 

Hudson-Delaware 
Joseph  C.  Burgiel,  Robert  0.  Paxton, 
and  Richard  R.  Veit 


Colorado  & Wyoming 
Tony  Leukering,  Bill  Schmoker, 
and  Christopher  L.  Wood 


Southern  Great  Plains 
Joseph  A.  Grzybowski  and  W.  Ross  Silcock 

Texas 

Mark  W.  Lockwood,  Randy  Pinkston, 
and  Ron  Weeks 


Hawaiian  Islands 

Robert  L.  Pyle  and  Peter  Donaldson 

Pictorial  Highlights 


American  Birding* 

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Sartor  O.  Williams  111,  Geoffrey  A.  Williamson,  Rick  Wiltraut,  Christopher  L.  Wood 


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Storm-Petrel 


VOLUME  59  (2005)  • NUMBER 


2 


179 


I 


1 

I 

|| 

H 


First  photographically  documented 
record  of  Social  Flycatcher  {Mytoetete 
similis)  for  the  United  States 


JOHN  C.  ARVIN  • GULF  COAST  BIRD  OBSERVATORY  • 103  WEST  HIGHWAY  332  • LAKE  JACKSON,  TEXAS  77566  • (EMAIL:  jarvin@gcbo.org) 
MARK  W.  LOCKWOOD  • 402  EAST  HARRIET  AVENUE  • ALPINE,  TEXAS  79830  • (EMAIL:  mark. lockwood@tpwd. state. tx. us) 


Abstract 

We  present  the  first  fully  documented 
record  of  Social  Flycatcher  ( Myiozctetes 
similis ) for  the  United  States,  a single 
bird  present  at  Bentsen-Rio  Grande  Val- 
ley State  Park,  Hidalgo  County,  Texas 
from  7-14  January  2005. 

Field  encounter 

On  7 January  2005,  Arvin  discovered  a 
Social  Flycatcher  (Myiozetetes  similis ) 
near  the  headquarters  of  the  World 
Birding  Center,  located  adjacent  to 


Bentsen-Rio  Grande  Valley  State  Park, 
Hidalgo  County,  Texas  (Figures  1,  2). 
The  bird  was  initially  heard  calling  from 
a row  of  Huisache  ( Acacia  smallii ) along 
an  irrigation  canal  on  the  northern  bor- 
der of  the  state  park,  ft  disappeared  be- 
fore it  could  be  photographed  but  was 
relocated  on  8 January  along  the  edge  of 
a resaca  (an  oxbow  lake  of  the  Rio 
Grande)  within  the  state  park.  This  for- 
mer tent-camping  area  has  manicured 
grass  with  numerous  large  trees  and  a 
dense,  narrow  woodland  along  the  edge 


of  the  resaca.  For  much  of  the  duration 
of  the  observation,  the  bird  remained 
largely  hidden  from  view,  occasionally 
making  sallies  up  to  the  tops  of  the 
trees,  ft  was  not  particularly  vocal,  call- 
ing only  irregularly.  Initially,  it  was 
highly  responsive  to  playback,  but  this 
behavior  diminished  with  exposure. 

In  addition  to  occasional  sallies  for 
insects,  the  bird  was  observed  eating 
fruits  of  Anacua  ( Ehretia  anacua ) and 
Sugar  Hackberry  ( Celtis  laevigata). 
During  the  remainder  of  its  stay,  it 
moved  between  the  for- 
mer tent-camping  area 
and  the  adjacent  densely 
wooded  portions  of  the 
state  park,  primarily  fre- 
quenting the  canopy  and 
edges  of  the  taller  wood- 
land. It  remained  in  this 
area  through  14  January. 
Photographs  taken  on  that 
date  (Figure  1)  seem  to 
show  an  injury  that  was 
not  noticed  prior  to  that 
day.  The  right  leg  ap- 
peared twisted  and  non- 
functional and  its  right 
flank  was  smeared  with 
blood.  The  flycatcher  was 
not  seen  after  that  date 
and  is  presumed  to  have 
succumbed  to  this  injury. 

Discussion 

Social  Flycatcher  is  a dis- 
tinctly marked  species. 
The  individual  observed 
at  Bentsen-Rio  Grande 
Valley  State  Park  had 
bright  yellow  underparts 
contrasting  with  olive- 
brown  upperparts.  Its 
wings  and  tail  appeared 


Figure  1 . This  Social  Flycatcher  exhibited  plumage  characteristics  and  behavior  consistent  with  populations  in  northern  Mexico.  Although 
the  species  is  not  known  to  wander,  this  individual  represents  the  second  sighting  in  the  Lower  Rio  Grande  Valley  of  Texas.  This  photograph 
was  taken  on  the  final  day  of  its  week-long  stay,  7-14  January  2005.  Photograph  by  Geoff  Malosh. 


180 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


PHOTOGRAPHIC  RECORD  OF  SOCIAL  FLYCATCHER  FOR  THE  UNITED  STATES 


slightly  more  brownish  in  color  than 
its  upperparts.  Its  crown  was  a dark 
gray  bordered  by  a broad  white  super- 
cilium.  The  remainder  of  the  head 
plumage  consisted  of  a slaty  gray 
“mask”  (lores,  auriculars,  and  adjacent 
plumage)  and  white  throat.  Its  pale 
gray  irides  contrasted  with  this  mask. 
Although  concealed  most  of  the  time, 
its  crimson  central  crown  stripe  was 
well  seen  by  several  observers  on  9 Jan- 
uary, when  the  bird  was  feeding  low  in 
a vine  tangle.  Its  bill  was  small  and 
somewhat  triangular  in  shape.  The 
bird’s  overall  size  was  described  as 
slightly  shorter  than  that  of  a kingbird 
( Tyrannus  species).  It  called  occasion- 
ally, giving  a distinctive,  shrill  see-yh. 
Less  often,  it  broke  into  a longer  vocal- 
ization. This  vocalization  was  given 
mostly  in  response  to  playback  and 
may  be  transcribed  as  teeya,  tortilla- 
tortilla-tortilla.  Arvin  audio-recorded 
this  vocalization  on  9 January. 

This  plumage  pattern  of  Social  Fly- 
catcher is  shared  with  numerous 
Neotropical  flycatchers.  Of  particular 
interest  in  the  identification  of  this  in- 
dividual are  Great  Kiskadee  ( Pitangus 
sulphuratus) , which  is  locally  common 
in  southern  Texas,  and  Boat- 
billed Flycatcher  ( Megaiynchus 
pitangua),  which  occurs  in 
northeastern  Mexico  but  has 
not  been  recorded  in  the 
United  States.  Great  Kiskadee 
is  a larger  bird  with  obvious  ru- 
fous in  the  wings  and  tail.  Its 
face  pattern  consists  of  black 
(as  opposed  to  slaty  gray) 
crown  stripe  and  mask.  It  often 
displays  its  bright  yellow  cen- 
tral crown  stripe  in  interac- 
tions with  other  birds.  It  is  also 
vocally  distinct.  Boat-billed 
Flycatcher  is  similar  in  overall 
coloration,  though  lacking  ru- 
fous tones,  but  is  even  larger 
than  a Great  Kiskadee  and  has 
a massive  bill.  It  is  also  very 
distinctive  vocally.  In  addition, 
a number  of  geographically  re- 
mote species  in  the  genera 
Conopias,  Philohydor  (merged 
by  the  American  Ornitholo- 
gists’ Union  [1998]  with  Pitan- 
gus), and  Phelpsia  share  the 
“kiskadee”  pattern.  These 
could  also  be  eliminated  from 
consideration  by  a combina- 
tion of  plumage  and  vocal  dif- 


ferences. The  very  similar  congeneric 
Rusty-margined  Flycatcher  (M.  caya- 
nensis ) has  rufous  inner  webs  on  the 
primaries,  has  blackish  (not  gray) 
crown  and  mask  stripes,  and  gives  a 
long,  thin,  up-slurred  whistle,  a distinc- 
tive vocalization.  Despite  careful  study, 
we  were  not  able  to  determine  the  age 
of  the  Social  Flycatcher  in  Texas. 

Social  Flycatcher  ranges  from 
northeastern  Mexico  south  to  Bolivia 
and  Argentina  (Howell  and  Webb 
1995,  Ridgely  and  Tudor  1994).  In 
Mexico,  the  species’  northernmost 
known  population  is  found  in  central 
Tamaulipas  in  the  drainages  of  the  Rio 
Corona  and  Rio  Purificacion,  within 
200  km  of  the  Rio  Grande.  In  Tamauli- 
pas, Social  Flycatchers  are  present 
year-round  in  low  elevations,  and, 
where  forest  has  been  cleared,  occur  up 
to  an  elevation  of  1000  m (Arvin 
2001).  A well-described  sight  record  of 
the  species  comes  from  Anzalduas 
County  Park,  Hidalgo  County,  Texas  in 
1991.  This  location  is  about  5 km 
downriver  from  Bentsen-Rio  Grande 
Valley  State  Park.  This  species  is  appar- 
ently not  prone  to  wandering,  and  the 
two  records  from  Texas  are  the  only  re- 


ports away  from  the  known  range. 

Acknowledgments 

We  would  like  to  thank  Geoff  Malosh 
and  Pierre  Howard  for  the  use  of  their 
excellent  photographs.  Petra  Hockey, 
Eric  Carpenter,  P.  A.  Buckley,  J.  Van 
Remsen,  and  Louis  R.  Bevier  reviewed 
previous  drafts  of  the  manuscript  and 
provided  many  helpful  suggestions. 

Literature  cited 

American  Ornithologists’  Union 
[A.O.U.].  1998.  The  A.O.U.  Check- 
list of  North  American  Birds.  Seventh 
edition.  American  Ornithologists’ 
Union,  Washington,  D.C. 

Arvin,  J.  C.  2001.  Birds  of  the  Gomez 
Farias  Region,  southwestern  Tamauli- 
pas, Mexico:  an  annotated  checklist. 
Texas  Parks  and  Wildlife  Depart- 
ment, Austin,  Texas. 

Howell,  S.  N.  G.,  and  S.  Webb.  1995.  A 
Guide  to  the  Birds  of  Mexico  and 
Northern  Central  America.  Oxford 
University  Press,  Oxford. 

Ridgley,  R.  S.,  and  G.  Tudor.  1994.  The 
Birds  of  South  America.  Volume  2. 
University  of  Texas  Press,  Austin, 
Texas. 


Figure  2.  On  7 January  2005  (here),  the  Social  Flycatcher  was  largely  quiet  and  remained  within  the  woods'  edge  and  canopy. 
Photograph  by  Pierre  Howard. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


181 


I First  Record  of  European  Turtle-Dove 

(Streptopella  tartar ) for  Massachusetts 


RICHARD  R.  VEIT  • BIOLOGY  DEPARTMENT  • CSI/CUNY  • 2800  VICTORY  BOULEVARD  • STATEN  ISLAND,  NEW  YORK  10314  • (EMAIL:  veitrr2003@yahoo.com) 


Abstract 

This  article  documents  a record  of  European 
Turtle-Dove  ( Strcptopelia  turtur ) from  Tucker- 
nuck  Island,  Nantucket,  Massachusetts  on  19 
July  2001.  Previous  North  American  records 
of  the  species  are  known  for  the  French  island 
of  St.  Pierre,  off  Newfoundland,  and  the 
Florida  Keys,  in  May  2001  and  April  1990,  re- 
spectively; these  records  have  not  been  uni- 
versally accepted  as  referring  to  naturally 
occurring  vagrants,  but  all  three  records  fall 
within  the  clear  temporal  pattern  of  vagrants 
to  Iceland. 

Field  Encounter  and  Identification 

On  20  July  2001,  Natalie  Brewer  of  Tucker- 
nuck  Island,  Nantucket,  Massachusetts 
brought  to  my  attention  a dead  bird  that 
proved  to  be  a European  Turtle-Dove  ( Strep - 
topelia  turtur ) (Figure  1),  a European  species 
not  previously  reported  in  Massachusetts. 
Conversations  with  locals  revealed  that  the 
bird  had  been  run  over  by  a truck  the  previ- 
ous day,  19  July.  The  driver  of  the  truck  stated 
that  he  was  driving  at  about  10  mph  and  that 
the  dove  unexpectedly  failed  to  get  out  of  the 
way. 

The  Tuckernuck  dove  was  clearly  identi- 
fiable as  European  Turtle-Dove  rather  than 
Oriental  Turtle-Dove  (S.  oiientalis)  on  the  ba- 
sis of  measurements  and  coloration.  The 
range  of  wing  lengths  for  Oriental  is  188-201 
mm  (Cramp  1985),  and  the  wing  of  the  Tuck- 
ernuck bird  measured 
170  mm.  Similarly,  the 
range  of  tarsus  lengths 
for  Oriental  is  24.7-29.3 
mm  (Cramp  1985),  and 
that  of  the  Tuckernuck 
bird  was  20.0  mm, 
smaller  than  Cramp’s 
range  of  European, 
which  is  22.1-24.2  mm. 

Furthermore,  the  tips  of 
the  rectrices  on  the 
Tuckernuck  bird  were 
white,  not  gray  as  they 
are  in  Oriental  Turtle- 
Dove. 

I studied  S.  turtur 
specimens  at  the  Ameri- 
can Museum  of  Natural 
History  (AMNH)  to  see 
if  I could  identify  the 


Tuckernuck  specimen  to  subspecies.  There 
are  two  African  subspecies,  hoggara  and 
rufescens  (the  latter  now  including  isabcllina; 
del  Hoyo  et  al.  1997),  both  of  which  differ 
considerably  in  coloration  from  the  nominate 
subspecies  of  Europe  and  from  the  Tucker- 
nuck bird.  The  subspecies  arenicola  breeds 
from  North  Africa  and  the  Middle  East 
through  western  China;  it  differs  from  the 
nominate  in  being  smaller  and  paler,  with 
paler  (rufous  rather  than  chestnut)  fringes  to 
the  wing  coverts  and  scapulars,  a whiter  face, 
and  a paler  crown.  Based  on  my  perusal  of 
the  AMNH  skins  (78  turtur  and  69  arenicola ), 
it  does  not  seem  possible  to  assign  a single 
specimen  unambiguously  to  arenicola  rather 
than  the  nominate  subspecies.  Nevertheless, 
the  Tuckernuck  bird  was  darker  than  virtually 
all  arenicola  there,  and  even  darker  than  most 
turtur , so  it  seems  safe  to  conclude  the  Tuck- 
ernuck bird  is  in  fact  turtur,  thus  belonging  to 
the  population  most  likely,  on  geographical 
grounds,  to  disperse  to  North  America.  The 
Massachusetts  specimen  of  European  Turtle- 
Dove  is  now  #336150  in  the  Museum  of 
Comparative  Zoology  at  Harvard  University. 

Discussion 

The  European  Turtle-Dove  on  Nantucket  rep- 
resents a first  record  for  Massachusetts  (and 
has  been  accepted  to  the  state  list  by  the  Mas- 
sachusetts Avian  Records  Committee  [Rines 
2006])  and  the  third  record  of  the  species  for 


North  America.  Single  birds  have  been  docu- 
mented previously  at  Lower  Matecumbe  Key, 
Florida  on  9 April  1990  (Hoffman  et  al.  1990) 
and  on  the  French  island  of  St.  Pierre,  south 
of  Newfoundland,  in  May  2001  (Maybank 
2001).  The  American  Ornithologists’  Union 
has  accepted  the  Florida  record  and  placed 
the  species  on  its  main  check-list  (A.O.U. 
1998).  Citing  reservations  about  the  prove- 
nance of  the  Florida  bird  (DeBenedictis 
1994),  the  American  Birding  Association  in- 
cluded the  species  only  within  its  “Origin  Un- 
certain” category  on  the  ABA  Checklist ; 
however,  on  8 February  1997,  the  ABA  abol- 
ished that  category,  thus  removing  European 
Turtle-Dove  from  the  checklist  entirely 
(A.B.A.  2002). 

European  Turtle-Dove  is  a long-distance 
migrant  that  regularly  strays  to  Iceland,  the 
Azores,  Madeira,  the  Canary  Islands,  and  the 
Cape  Verde  Islands.  There  have  been  numer- 
ous (>200)  published  records  of  European 
Turtle-Doves  initiating  long-distance  disper- 
sal towards  North  America  from  Europe;  and 
most  records  of  vagrants  appear  to  be  from 
the  coastlines  of  islands.  Greenland  appar- 
ently has  no  record  of  the  species  (Boertmann 
1994),  at  least  through  1993,  probably  re- 
flecting the  low  level  of  birding  coverage 
there.  European  Turtle-Dove  is  uncommon  to 
rare  in  captivity  in  North  America  (ISIS  [In- 
ternational Species  Inventory  System]  data- 
base; accessed  most  recently  10  February 
2006).  Like  most  highly 
migratory  birds,  Euro- 
pean Turtle-Doves  are  dif- 
ficult to  keep  in  captivity 
because  of  the  migratory 
restlessness  that  they  de- 
velop during  spring  and 
fall.  Presumably  for  this 
reason,  they  are  relatively 
rare  in  North  American 
zoos  and  other  collec- 
tions. Only  10  individuals 
are  listed  in  North  Amer- 
ican collections,  com- 
pared with  many 
hundreds  of  the  seden- 
tary African  Collared- 
Dove  (S.  roseogrisea)  and 
Spotted  Dove  (S.  chinen- 
sis ).  Certainly  there  may 
be  illegally  imported  or 


Figure  1 . Specimen  of  European  Turtle-Dove  from  Tuckernuck  Island,  Massachusetts,  20  July  2001 . 
Photograph  by  Jarrod  Santora. 


182 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


FIRST  RECORD  OF  EUROPEAN  TURTLE-DOVE  IN  MASSACHUSETTS 


otherwise  unreported  European  Turtle-Doves 
in  North  America  not  listed  by  ISIS,  but  it 
seems  likely  that  the  relative  rarity  in  collec- 
tions of  European  Turtle-Dove  is  factual  and 
moreover  that  bird  smugglers  would  not  tend 
to  import  this  generally  undesirable  species. 

Evidence  from  the  life  history  and  recent 
population  dynamics  of  European  Turtle- 
Dove  suggest  that  it  is  an  excellent  candidate 
for  long-distance  vagrancy,  especially  to  east- 
ern North  America.  Columbids  in  general,  in- 
cluding several  Streptopelia  doves,  are 
renowned  for  their  dispersals  and  for  colo- 
nizations of  oceanic  islands  (Bond  1980,  Dia- 
mond 1975,  Pratt  et  al.  1987,  Sinclair  and 
Langrand  1998);  in  many  cases,  this  extensive 
distribution  is  surely  the  result  of  repeated  in- 
stances of  long-distance  vagrancy.  One  of  the 
best-documented  instances  of  population  ex- 
pansion is  the  rapid  colonization  of  Europe 
by  Eurasian  Collared-Dove  (S.  decaocto ) 
(Fisher  1953)  and  the  species’  subsequent 
colonization  of  North  America,  from  the  Ba- 
hamas (Romagosa  and  McEneaney  2000). 

Data  on  the  occurrence  of  European  Tur- 
tle-Dove in  Iceland  support  the  notion  that 
the  North  American  occurrences  involve  va- 
grants: the  species  has  increased  substantially 
as  a vagrant  to  Iceland,  with  a sharp  increase 
beginning  about  1960  (Figure  2).  This  in- 
crease is  certainly  real,  as  Streptopelia  doves 
are  not  secretive  or  difficult  to  identify,  and 
indeed  many  of  the  records  involve  birds 
found  in  populated  and  frequently  birded  ar- 
eas. The  Icelandic  data  show  seasonal  peaks 
of  occurrence  in  June  and  September-Octo- 
ber  (Figure  3).  The  three  North  American 
records  (April,  May,  July)  fall  within  the  span 
of  dates  noted  in  Iceland.  Interestingly,  the  in- 
creasing numbers  of  vagrants  recorded  in  Ice- 
land do  not  correspond  to  population  growth 
in  Great  Britain  (Browne  and  Aebischer  2005) 
as  would  be  predicted  by  models  that  link  va- 
grancy to  population  growth  (Veit  and  Lewis 
1996,  Veit  2000).  In  fact,  Browne  and  Aebis- 
cher (2005)  show  a declining  trend  in  Great 
Britain  beginning  in  about  1975  and  continu- 
ing through  the  1990s.  It  is  possible,  of 
course,  that  some  subpopulation  within  Great 
Britain  (or  elsewhere  with  in  the  European 
range  of  the  species)  has  been  expanding  in 
recent  decades,  which  might  account  for  the 
increase  in  numbers  of  vagrants  to  Iceland 
1960-2006.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is  possible 
that  vagrancy  may  in  some  instances  be  a re- 
sponse to  declining  population  growth.  Birds 
may  search  for  new,  more  suitable  territory  if 
reproductive  success  is  declining  within  their 
current  range. 


Figure  2.  Increasing  occurrence  of  European  Turtle-Dove 
in  Iceland,  1900-2000.  From  the  "Birding  Iceland"  website 
(<http://www.hi.is/~yannk/>)  by  Yann  Kolbeinsson. 
Graphic  courtesy  of  and  © Gunnlaugur  Petursson. 


35  T 

30  f 

25  : 

20  7 

15  r 

10  7 

0i  • •ll.J 

i 

luiiii  .111IIIIIII11.1 .. . 

Jan  F«J>  Mar  Apr  Ma'. 

J On  J«  Ago  Sep  Ott  NOv  Des 

R:  162 

Turtildufa 

F:  179 

(Streptopelia  turtur) 

Figure  3.  Seasonal  occurrence  of  European  Turtle-Dove 
in  Iceland.  From  the  "Birding  Iceland"  website 
(<http://www.hi.is/~yannk/>)  by  Yann  Kolbeinsson. 
Graphic  courtesy  of  and  © Gunnlaugur  Petursson. 

Acknowledgments 

I thank  Simon  Perkins  for  assistance  in  the 
preparation  of  this  paper,  Yann  Kolbeinsson 
for  discussions  of  the  Icelandic  data, 
Gunnlaugur  Petursson  for  permission  to  use 
his  graphics  in  Figures  2 and  3,  Jarrod  Santora 
for  permission  to  use  his  photographs  of  the 
Massachusetts  dove,  and  Chris  van  der  Wolk 
for  preparation  of  the  flat  skin.  Paul  R.  Sweet 
and  Peter  Capainolo  kindly  arranged  my  ac- 
cess to  the  collection  at  the  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History,  and  Jeremiah 
Trimble  provided  subsequent  correspondence 
on  the  specimen. 

Literature  cited 

American  Birding  Association  [A.B.A.].  2002. 
ABA  Checklist:  Birds  of  the  continental 
United  States  and  Canada.  Sixth  edition. 
American  Birding  Association,  Colorado 
Springs,  Colorado. 

American  Ornithologists’  Union  [A.O.U.]. 
1998.  The  A.O.U.  Check-list  of  North 
American  Birds.  Seventh  edition.  Ameri- 


can Ornithologists’  Union,  Washington, 
D.C. 

Barre,  N.,  P.  Feldmann,  G.  Tayalay,  P Roc,  M. 
Anselme,  and  P W.  Smith.  1996.  Status  of 
the  Eurasian  Collared-Dove  Streptopelia 
decaocto  in  the  French  Antilles.  El  Pitirre  9: 
2-3. 

Boertmann,  D.  1994.  A[n]  annotated  check- 
list to  the  birds  of  Greenland.  Bioscience 
38:  1-63. 

Bond,  J.  1980.  Birds  of  the  West  Indies. 
Houghton  Mifflin,  Boston,  Massachusetts. 

Browne,  S.,  and  N.  Aebischer.  2005.  Studies 
of  West  Palearctic  birds:  Turtle-Dove. 
British  Birds  98:  58-71. 

Cramp,  S.,  ed.  1985.  Birds  of  the  Western 
Palearctic.  Volume  4.  Oxford  University 
Press,  Oxford. 

DeBenedictis,  R A.  1994.  ABA  Checklist 
Committee  Report  1993.  Birding  26: 
320-326. 

del  Hoyo,  J.,  A.  Elliott,  and  J.  Sargatal,  eds. 
1997.  Handbook  of  Birds  of  the  World.  Vol- 
ume 4.  Lynx  Edicions,  Barcelona. 

Diamond,  J.  M.  1975.  Assembly  of  species 
communities.  Pages  342-444  in:  Cody,  M. 
L.,  and  J.  M.  Diamond  (eds.).  Ecology  and 
Evolution  of  Communities.  Belknap  Press, 
Harvard  University,  Cambridge,  Massa- 
chusetts. 

Hoffman,  W.,  P.  W.  Smith,  and  P.  Wells.  1990. 
A record  of  the  European  Turtle-Dove  in 
the  Florida  keys.  Florida  Field  Naturalist 
18:  88-90. 

Maybank,  B.  2001.  The  Spring  Migration: 
Atlantic  Provinces  region.  North  American 
Birds  55:  269-271. 

Pratt,  H.  D.,  P L.  Bruner,  and  D.  G.  Berrett. 
1987.  The  Birds  of  Hawaii  and  the  Tropical 
Pacific.  Princeton  University  Press, 
Princeton,  New  Jersey. 

Rines,  M.  2006.  Tenth  Annual  Report  of  the 
Massachusetts  Avian  Records  Committee 
(MARC).  Bird  Observer  34.2:  94 

Romagosa,  C.  M.,  and  T.  McEneaney  2000. 
Eurasian  Collared-Dove  in  North  America 
and  the  Caribbean.  North  American  Birds 
53: 348-353. 

Sinclair,  I.,  and  O.  Langrand.  1998.  Birds  of 
the  Indian  Ocean  Islands.  Struik,  Cape 
Town. 

Veit,  R.  R.  2000.  Vagrants  as  the  expanding 
fringe  of  a growing  population.  Auk  117: 
242-246. 

Veit,  R.  R.,  and  M.  A.  Lewis.  1996.  Disper- 
sal, population  growth,  and  the  Allee  Ef- 
fect: dynamics  of  the  House  Finch 
invasion  of  eastern  North  America.  The 
American  Naturalist  148:  255-274.  © 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


183 


EDWARD  S.  BRINKLEY  • 106  MONROE  AVENUE  • CAPE  CHARLES,  VIRGINIA  23310 


It  was  a memorable  winter  for  Snowy  Owls  across  southern  Canada,  the  northern  tiers  of 
the  United  States,  and  even  as  far  south  as  Virginia,  Oklahoma,  and  California.  Wandering 
southward  to  Osage  County,  Oklahoma,  this  Snowy  became  a popular  local  attraction  18 
through  (here)  27  December  2005.  Photograph  by  Warren  Williams. 


From  north  to  south,  from 
coast  to  coast,  the  regional 
reports  tell  a remarkably  con- 
sistent story'  about  the  winter  of 
2005-2006.  In  the  Atlantic 
Provinces,  Brian  Dalzell  writes  that 
“‘abnormal’  is  the  new  normal 
weather,  it  would  seem,  and  this 
winter  was  the  warmest  on  record.” 

In  New  England,  Pam  Hunt  notes 
that  “winter  2005-2006  ranked  in 
the  top  f5%  warmest  winters  in 
111  years  of  record  keeping.”  And 
writing  for  Southern  California, 

Guy  McCaskie  and  Kimball  Garrett 
again  supply  the  title  for  this  col- 
umn: “With  temperatures  warmer 
than  average  and  precipitation  less 
than  expected  during  the  winter 
period,  this  seemed  like  the  winter 
that  wasn’t  in  Southern  California.” 

Overall,  the  meteorological 
winter  (which  includes  only  the  months  of 
December,  January,  and  February)  was  the 
fifth  warmest  on  record  in  the  contiguous 
United  States,  according  to  scientists  at 
NOAAs  National  Climatic  Data  Center  in 
Asheville,  North  Carolina  (Figure  1),  who 
report  that  the  average  winter  temperature 
in  the  Lower  48  States  was  36.3°  F,  some 
1.2°  F above  the  1895-2005  mean.  In 
Canada,  however,  it  was  the  warmest  winter 
on  record  since  standardized  record-keeping 
began  in  1948,  according  to  Environment 
Canada,  which  found  that  the  winter  was 
overall  7°  F above  the  average,  beating  out 
winter  1986-1987,  which  was  a mere  5.4°  F 
above  the  average  (Figure  2). 

These  characterizations  represent 
broad  averages,  and  there  was  plenty  of 
real  “winter”  early  on,  particularly  in  early 
to  middle  December  in  the  northeastern 
quarter  of  the  continent.  The  first  half  of 
December  was  bitterly  cold  in  the  Mid- 
west, with  -19°  F in  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa  on 
7 December  2005  a remarkable  low;  tem- 
peratures in  Illinois  and  Indiana  averaged 
11°  F below  normal  for  the  first  three- 
fourths  of  December,  all  the  product  of 
strong  upper-level  air  nows  that  brought 
polar  and  arctic  air  southward.  But  by  the 
third  week  of  the  month,  temperatures  be- 
came milder,  ice  melted  quickly,  and  Janu- 
ary was  the  warmest  or  second  warmest  on 
record  in  Iowa  and  surrounding  states; 
Chicago  saw  temperatures  that  averaged 
almost  14°  F above  average  between  late 


December  and  late  February.  Likewise, 
across  the  Great  Plains  and  into  the  Rock- 
ies, January  temperatures  broke  records  in 
North  Dakota,  Montana,  and  nearly  in 
Idaho,  which  had  its  fourth-warmest  Janu- 
ary in  112  years  of  record  keeping.  Alaska 
had  “nearly  a carbon  copy  of  the  previous 
[record-warm]  winter,”  according  to 
Thede  Tobish.  Across  Canada,  very  mild  to 
moderate  temperatures  persisted  through 
the  same  period:  the  Northwest  Territories, 
Alberta,  and  Saskatchewan  all  experienced 
their  warmest  winter  on  record,  with  tem- 
peratures almost  11°  F above  average  in 
each;  the  Atlantic  Provinces’  temperatures 
averaged  almost  9°  F higher  than  normal; 
and  winter  temperatures  in  Quebec  were  at 
least  3.6°  F above  normal.  It  was  not  only 
the  warmest  winter  so  far  recorded  in 
Canada;  it  was  the  most  overheated  season 
of  any  season  on  record. 

More  typical  winter  weather  returned 
in  the  latter  part  of  February  to  northern 
reaches  of  the  continent — from  New  York 
to  the  Midwest  to  British  Columbia.  The 
pattern  of  a warm  midwinter  bracketed  by 
much  cooler  spells  in  the  early  and  late 
parts  of  the  season  is  surprisingly  constant 
across  most  of  the  continent;  only  the  Pa- 
cific Northwest  recorded  normal  tempera- 
tures in  midwinter. 

Precipitation  levels  varied  from  region 
to  region  over  the  winter,  notably  in  the  in- 
terior West,  but  only  a few  areas  received  a 
bounty,  mostly  the  northern  Pacific  coast 


(from  British  Columbia 
through  northern  California; 
Seattle  recorded  its  third  raini- 
est January)  and  northern 
Rocky  Mountains.  Canada 
overall  had  precipitation  just 
0.4%  above  normal,  making  it 
the  twenty-fourth  wettest  sea- 
son of  59  on  record.  Very  dry 
conditions  plagued  most  parts 
of  the  East,  particularly  the 
mid-Atlantic  region,  and  ex- 
ceptional drought  struck  from 
southern  Texas  through  east- 
ern Oklahoma,  western 
Arkansas,  and  southwestern 
Missouri.  Tulsa,  Oklahoma 
had  its  driest  winter  since 
record-keeping  began  in  1888: 
just  4 cm  of  precipitation  was 
detected  during  the  three- 
month  period.  Snow  cover  was 
well  below  average  from  Alberta  to  the 
Western  Great  Lakes  to  New  Hampshire’s 
White  Mountains  to  Prince  Edward  Island, 
where  “great  clouds  of  red  dust  swirled 
over  the  normally  snow-covered  potato 
fields,”  according  to  Dalzell.  Southern 
Yukon  had  bountiful  snowfall  in  late  No- 
vember but  lost  it  in  an  early  December 
melt  and  a rather  dry  winter  otherwise — a 
serious  problem  for  bird  species  that  rely 
on  snow  for  cover  and  water.  In  eastern 
Montana,  snow  amounts  were  normal  or 
better,  but  the  above-average  temperatures 
meant  that  snowpack  was  lost  to  melt.  A 
similar  situation  was  seen  in  the  northern 
mountains  of  Colorado,  Wyoming,  Utah, 
and  Nevada,  but  the  southern  reaches  of 
those  states  were  contrastingly  dry,  and  se- 
vere drought  returned  to  New  Mexico  and 
Arizona  (attributed  to  La  Nina  conditions), 
where  snowpack  was  nearly  nil:  Flagstaff 
had  just  4 cm  of  snow,  compared  to  a nor- 
mal total  of  184  cm.  Phoenix  had  a record 
143  consecutive  days  without  rain.  In  New 
Mexico,  it  was  the  driest  winter  ever 
recorded  (Figure  3).  The  dr)’  conditions 
contributed  to  wildfire  activity  that  burned 
over  one  million  acres  since  the  first  of  No- 
vember, according  to  data  from  the  Na- 
tional Interagency  Fire  Center  in  Boise, 
Idaho.  Most  wildfire  activity  has  been  in 
the  southern  Great  Plains,  particularly 
Oklahoma  and  northeastern  Texas,  and  in 
Florida. 

In  stark  contrast  to  the  dry  central, 


184 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


THE  CHANGING  SEASONS:  WINTER  THAT  WASN'T 


southwestern,  and  eastern  reaches  of 
the  continent,  the  Northwest  and 
parts  of  the  West  were  hit  by  a series 
of  powerful  Pacific  storms  in  De- 
cember and  January,  making  Wash- 
ington, Oregon,  Idaho,  and  Nevada 
wetter  than  average  for  the  season 
(Figure  3).  Several  significant  snow 
storms  brought  moisture  to  the 
Northeast,  including  one  11-12  Feb- 
ruary that  struck  New  Jersey,  New 
York,  and  Connecticut  with  more 
than  52  cm  of  snow  in  many  areas — 
making  it  a Category  3 (“major”) 
snow  storm  according  to  the  new 
Northeast  Snowfall  Impact  Scale. 

Some  meteorologists  noted  that 
the  seasons  dominant  weather  pat- 
terns could  be  linked  to  conditions 
in  the  western  Pacific  Ocean,  which 
had  abundant  thunderstorms  in 
tropical  areas  in  the  three-month 
period,  apparently  connected  with 
a northward  shift  in  the  East  Asian 
Jet  Stream.  This  jet  stream,  which 
does  not  normally  extend  much 
past  the  International  Dateline, 
reached  well  into  western  North 
America  through  much  of  the  sea- 
son, bringing  almost  continual 
low-pressure  systems  into  the  Pa- 
cific Northwest  and,  overall, 
warmer  Pacific  air  throughout  the 
continent.  This  pattern  took  hold 
roughly  at  the  onset  of  astronomi- 
cal winter  (that  is,  21  December) 
and  was  dominant  well  into  Febru- 
ary. Another  consequence  of  this 
pattern  was  heavy  precipitation  in 
Hawai'i,  which  made  birding  diffi- 
cult or  impossible  in  some  areas  be- 
cause of  flooding. 


Dec  2005-Feb  2006  Statewide  Ranks 

National  Climatic  Data  Center/NESDIS/NOAA 


Temperature 


t = Coldest 
lit  = Warmest 


□ □ □ □ 


Record  Much 

Coldest  Below 

Normal 


Much  Record 

Above  Warmest 

Normal 


Figure  1 . The  lower  48  States  experienced,  as  a whole,  their  fifth  warmest 
winter  on  record  since  1 895;  only  the  Southeast  and  Pacific  Northwest  had 
winters  nearer  the  average.  The  numbers  indicate  the  season's  coldness  rank 
(out  of  1 1 1 winters)  for  each  state.  Graphic  courtesy  of  National  Climatic  Data 
Center,  Asheville,  North  Carolina. 


TEMPERATURE  DEPARTURES  FROM  NORMAL 
Winter  (Dec.  Jan.  Feb)  200S<2(HJ6 

ANOMALIES  DE  LA  TEMPERATURE  PAR  RAPPORT  A LA  NORMALS 
Hiver  (dec.  jan.  fev)  2005/2006 


Warm  weather, 
winter  extralimitals 

Despite  the  doses  of  cold  weather  early  and 
late  in  the  season,  signs  of  spring  came  in 
January  and  February  across  large  areas 
east  of  the  Rockies:  frog  choruses  tuned  up 
from  the  Carolinas  to  Nova  Scotia;  spring 
harbingers  such  as  ground-squirrels,  sala- 
manders, and  butterflies  made  very  early 
appearances  from  Alberta  to  Pennsylvania; 
a woodcock  displayed  through  January  in 
Berrien  County,  Michigan;  and  typical 
March  migrants,  such  as  vultures,  gulls, 
geese,  Sandhill  Cranes,  and  winter 
thrushes,  made  early  northward  pushes 
across  a broad  front.  And  despite  the  cold 
snaps,  many  birds  we  call  “half-hardies”  or 
“lingerers”  made  it  through  the  season,  es- 


Figure 2.  The  winter  of  2005-2006  was  the  warmest  winter  Canada  has  experi- 
enced since  nationwide  records  began  in  1948, 7°  F above  normal,  based  on  pre- 
liminary data.  With  the  exception  of  the  springs  of  2002  and  2004,  seasonal 
temperatures  in  Canada  have  remained  above  normal  for  more  than  eight  years, 
according  to  Environment  Canada.  Graphic  courtesy  of  ©Environment  Canada. 


pecially  mimids,  thrushes,  phoebes,  and 
warblers. 

As  Dalzell  and  Hunt  suggest,  we  have 
had  to  adjust  our  expectations  of  winter 
weather,  which  has  shown  an  overall  ten- 
dency to  follow  the  warming  of  climate 
around  the  northern  hemisphere.  Simulta- 
neously, expectations  about  our  local  win- 
ter avifauna  now  encompass,  almost 
invariably,  more  species  than  in  the  past. 
“From  Sora  to  Pacific  Golden-Plover  to 
Williamsons  Sapsucker  to  Western  Tan- 
ager,”  write  Steve  Mlodinow,  David  Irons, 
and  Bill  Tweit,  “species  considered  mega- 
rarities during  the  winter  season  a decade 
ago  are  now  almost  greeted  with  yawns.” 
In  Alaska,  Tobish  echoes  that  “many  birds 


previously  considered  rare  and/or  ir- 
regular a decade  ago”  are  now  annual 
visitors.  In  some  regions,  long-term 
observers  of  both  wintering  birds  and 
winter  meteorological  conditions 
note  strong  correlations  between 
warmer  winters  and  a changing  avi- 
fauna, an  observation  advanced  in 
decades  past  (e.g.,  Able  1980)  but 
also  often  questioned  by  writers  of 
this  column.  “Each  year,  it  seems  as  if 
the  winter  window  narrows  in  the  Re- 
gion, even  disappears  in  the  southern 
portions  of  the  Region,”  write  Joe 
Grzybowski  and  Ross  Silcock;  “Ne- 
braska’s winter  recalls  Oklahoma’s  of 
25  years  ago,  and  Oklahoma’s  is  now 
more  like  that  of  northern  Texas.” 
They  continue:  “Bird  distribution  ap- 
pears to  be  adjusting  to  the  gradually 
warmer  winters.  Waterfowl  stay  far- 
ther north.  Once  crowding  Oklahoma 
reservoirs  by  the  thousands,  few 
Common  Mergansers  now  make  it  as 
far  south  as  Oklahoma.” 

Ornithologists  working  with 
models  of  global  climate  change  have 
predicted  shifts  in  the  ranges  of  many 
bird  species  (e.g.,  Price  and  Root 
2000),  although  most  studies  concen- 
trate on  breeding  range  rather  than 
wintering  range,  and  some  focus  on 
southern  species  wintering  increas- 
ingly farther  north,  rather  than  north- 
ern species  withdrawing  northward. 
Over  10  years  ago,  Terry  Root  and  Ja- 
son Weckstein  (1994,  1996;  see 
chttp: // biolog  y.  usgs.gov/s+t 
/noframe/m8003.htm>)  looked  at 
winter  distribution  of  58  bird  species 
as  documented  by  Christmas  Bird 
Count  (C.B.C.)  data.  They  found  that 
only  four  species — Northern  Pintail, 
Common  Merganser,  Pied-billed 
Grebe,  and  Brown-headed  Cowbird — 
showed  large-scale  evidence  of  range  con- 
traction or  retraction.  However,  for  the 
purposes  of  their  study,  the  species  had  to 
disappear  from  an  entire  state  to  be  placed 
into  this  category,  so  the  gauge  is  rather 
crude,  and  it  is  probably  the  case  that  a 
more  nuanced  study  would  find  more 
species  of  northerly  distribution  that  show 
such  northward  withdrawal.  Ivan  Valiela 
and  Jennifer  Bowen  (2003)  looked  at  simi- 
lar C.B.C.  data  but  on  a smaller  scale, 
solely  from  Cape  Cod,  Massachusetts,  and 
found  that  across  all  habitats  (aquatic, 
edge,  grassland,  forest),  the  recorded  num- 
ber of  bird  species  of  northern  affinity  de- 
clined significantly  after  1970,  whereas  the 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


185 


THE  CHANGING  SEASONS:  WINTER  THAT  WASN'T 


Figure  3.  Ranks  of  dryness  for  the  contiguous  United  States,  winter 
2005-2006.  The  numbers  indicate  the  season's  precipitation  rank 
(out  of  1 11  winters)  in  each  state.  Graphic  courtesy  of  National 
Climatic  Data  Center,  Asheville,  North  Carolina. 


number  of  bird  species  of  southern 
affinity  increased  markedly:  specifi- 
cally the  ratio  of  southern/northern 
species  rises  from  2.5  in  1970  to  5 in 
2000.  “This  is  consistent,”  they 
write,  “with  the  notion  that  as  the 
world  warms,  we  will  find  a pole- 
ward  shift  of  species’  ranges.”  We 
should  never  be  surprised  that  bird 
populations  change  dynamically 
(Floyd  2005);  but  if  we  are  diligent 
in  collecting  and  tendering  our  ob- 
servations of  birds  whose  distribu- 
tions appear  to  be  changing  quite 
rapidly,  we  might  allow  ourselves 
some  freedom  to  think  about  the  im- 
plications of  our  observations. 

To  hunt  for  the  effects  of  climate 
change  in  a season’s  bird  sightings 
may  seem  imprudent,  or  overeager, 
but  we  should  recall  that  birders 
were  among  the  first  to  suspect  the 
severity  of  the  warming  climate.  Writing 
this  column  three  decades  ago,  P.  William 
Smith  (1976)  noticed:  “It  is  interesting  that 
almost  all  range  changes  noted  in  the  re- 
gional reports  were  northward  expansions.” 
Our  observations  may  often  lack  a scien- 
tific framework,  but  that  does  not  make 
them  trivial;  in  fact,  they  often  spur  on  sci- 
entific research.  Since  the  1980s,  several 
studies  (e.g.,  Root  1988)  using  recent 
C.B.C.  data  have  shown  correlation  of  ex- 
panding winter  ranges  in  North  American 
passerines  with  rising  average  minimum 
January  temperatures.  So  many  studies  are 
currently  underway  or  just  being  pub- 
lished that  it  will  take  some  dedication  to 
read  through  them  and  weigh  their  argu- 
ments (see  Leukering  and  Gibbons  2005), 
but  the  message  thus  far  seems  to  be  con- 
sistent: “These  results  suggest  that  we 
might  be  in  the  midst  of  global-scale  bio- 
logical changes,  changes  that  are  not  only 
relevant  to  those  interested  in  species  dis- 
tributions but  that  could  have  major  con- 
sequences for  many  other  aspects, 
including  fisheries,  agriculture,  and  public 
health’’  (Valiela  and  Bowen  2003). 

In  addition  to  northward  retractions 
and  northward  expansions  of  birds’  winter 
ranges,  changes  in  the  phenology  of  short- 
distance  migrants  and  facultative  migrants 
received  comment  this  season,  as  in  the 
Eastern  Highlands  & Upper  Ohio  River 
Valley  region,  where  Vic  Fazio  and  Rick 
Wiltraut  write  of  a “decade-long  trend  to- 
ward a compression  of  the  migration  for 
several  non-passerines,  notably  Sandhill 
Crane  and  Turkey  Vulture.”  And  even  the 


most  casual  of  birders  are  now  taking  note: 
“Steeped  in  tradition  and  lore,  the  return  of 
the  ‘Hinckley  Buzzard’  on  the  Ides  of 
March  was  as  much  a sign  of  spring  for 
northeastern  Ohioans  as  the  swallows  of 
Capistrano;  no  more.”  In  some  areas,  first- 
arrival  dates  have  been  recorded  for  quite 
some  time,  so  that  editors  can  say  with 
confidence,  for  instance,  that  American 
Robins  in  1999  arrived  in  higher-elevation 
nesting  areas  of  Colorado  14  days  earlier 
than  they  did  in  1981  (Inouye  et  al.  2000). 
In  some  cases,  species  that  formerly  ar- 
rived in  breeding  areas  in  meteorological 
spring  (March-May)  now  arrive  in  the 
winter  season  (see  Mills  2005),  but  this 
journal’s  winter  reports  often  focus  on  ir- 
ruptions of  northern  species,  so  that  the 
late-February  arrivals  of  former  March  mi- 
grants, for  instance,  may  go  unmentioned 
in  many  cases. 

One  can  argue  that  this  winter  marked 
a turning  point,  at  least  in  the  United 
States,  for  the  public  discussion  of  conti- 
nental weather  patterns  in  light  of  scien- 
tific evidence  for  climate  change:  for  the 
first  time,  the  subject  was  openly  discussed 
as  scientific  fact  throughout  the  mass  me- 
dia, and  it  continues  to  be  a daily  presence 
in  the  media  through  press  time.  Skeptics 
seem  increasingly  scarce  and  marginalized. 
Former  Vice  President  of  the  United  States, 
Al  Gore,  addressed  the  issue  squarely  in  a 
widely  distributed  film.  An  Inconvenient 
Truth  (see  <www.climatechange.net>  for 
expanded  discussions  and  ideas  for  reduc- 
ing carbon  dioxide  emissions).  Writers  ol 
this  column,  too,  may  have  reached  a turn- 


ing point:  we  need  no  longer  treat 
the  subject  of  global  climate  change 
as  though  it  were  controversial.  In- 
deed, most  of  the  skepticism  on  the 
subject  was  generated  not  by  the 
scientific  community  but  by  mass 
media  and  by  industrialists. 

Nonetheless,  we  birders  are  still 
bound  to  struggle  in  attempts  to  ac- 
count for  changes  in  bird  distribu- 
tion— some  of  which  perhaps  have 
little  to  do  with  changes  in  climate 
per  se  (such  as  changes  resulting 
from  habitat  modification,  succes- 
sion, destruction,  or  creation),  and 
many  of  which  continue  to  pose  rid- 
dles. And  whatever  the  causes  of  the 
many  changes  in  bird  distribution, 
we  as  birders  struggle  in  winter,  just 
as  we  do  at  other  seasons,  with  the 
categories  into  which  we  often 
blithely  place  extralimital  and/or 
unseasonable  birds:  “lingerer,”  “half- 
hardy”  (“semi-hardy”),  “irruptor,”  “in- 
vader” (“colonizer”),  “vagrant,”  and  more. 
In  looking  at  the  winter  season’s  more  re- 
markable bird  records,  I would  like  to  con- 
sider how  various  regions’  birders  and 
editors  apply  terms  such  as  these,  how  we 
might  reflect  on  their  implications  and  lim- 
itations, and  how  such  terms  might  be 
connected  to  similar  semantics  of  move- 
ment in  other  seasons,  such  as  “shift”  and 
“displacement,”  which  have  multiple 
meanings  but  have  been  used  differentially 
(e.g.,  by  Howe  1978)  to  denote  large-scale, 
patterned  changes  in  bird  distribution,  in- 
cluding those  occurring  during  migration 
(a  “shift”)  versus  singular  records  of  ex- 
tralimital birds  showing  little  or  no  pattern 
(a  “displacement”).  In  the  spring  season, 
certainly,  many  of  the  species  that  might 
have  fallen  under  the  rubric  of  the  “dis- 
placement”— birds  we  usually  call  va- 
grants— now  often  appear  in  larger 
numbers  and  show  clear  patterns,  thus  be- 
coming “shift”  species  (see  Brinkley 
2001b,  2003;  Leukering  and  Gibbons 
2005).  The  same  has  become  true  in  win- 
ter: we  seem  to  be  in  the  midst  of  so  many 
distributional  changes  that  to  put  a label  to 
them  has  become  a confusing  endeavor, 
particularly  in  the  context  of  a regional  re- 
port to  this  journal,  which  is  subject  to 
dreaded  deadlines! 

In  general,  birders  understand  the  dis- 
tinction between  a “lingerer”  and  a “va- 
grant” to  be  clear-cut:  the  former  is  a bird 
(either  locally  nesting  or  transient)  that 
has  stayed  on  in  autumn  or  winter  well 


186 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


past  the  point  that  its  conspecihcs  have 
moved  southward,  while  the  latter  is  a 
species  that  does  not  normally  nest  in  or 
migrate  through  the  area  at  all.  Moreover, 
“vagrants,”  to  most  editors,  are  not  found 
annually  or  even  nearly  so:  they  are  often 
called  “casual”  species  in  some  columns, 
meaning  (depending  on  the  source)  found 
once  every  few  years  to  once  every  20 
years;  in  some  regions,  editors  count  their 
“vagrants”  by  the  dozens  or  hundreds 
rather  than  on  one  hand,  but  they  are  still 
birds  that  are  rare,  if  regular.  With  some 
extralimital  birds,  it  is  obvious  that  the 
birds  have  not  lingered  within  breeding 
range:  in  this  past  winter,  there  were  Ash- 
throated  Flycatchers  in  the  East,  Long- 
bdled  Thrashers  in  Colorado,  Tropical 
Kingbirds  on  both  coasts  (California, 
North  Carolina),  and  widespread  extralim- 
ital Cave  Swallows,  a few  of  which  sur- 
vived into  January  (in  North  Carolina, 
Virginia)  and  even  February  (Georgia, 
South  Carolina).  McCaskie  and  Garrett,  in 
Southern  California,  are  clear  that  some  of 
that  region’s  vagrants — including  multiple 
Broad-billed  Hummingbirds,  Thick-billed 
Kingbirds,  Dusky-capped  Flycatchers  (also 
noted  in  Baja  California  this  season), 
Grace’s  Warblers,  and  Painted  Redstarts — 
probably  came  from  Mexico  rather  than 
Arizona.  For  some  of  these  species  (Cave 
Swallow  in  the  East,  Tropical  Kingbirds  in 
California),  we  now  have  a decade  or  two 
of  solid  patterns  of  occurrence;  for  other 
species  that  lack  such  patterns,  which 
some  would  call  the  true  (or  “mega-”)  va- 
grants, there  seems  to  be  no  pattern  or  only 
a weak  pattern:  Fong-billed  Thrasher,  for 
instance,  is  considered  mostly  sedentary, 
with  few  records  of  vagrants  anywhere. 
Why  such  birds,  even  those  with  clear,  pre- 
dictable patterns,  disperse  northward  (or 
northeastward,  northwestward)  rather 
than  migrating  southward  remains  a puz- 
zle: despite  some  correlation  with  weather 
patterns,  these  movements’  ultimate  causes 
are  matters  of  speculation.  For  all  we 
know,  these  movements  indicate  misorien- 
tations  caused  by  environmental  toxins. 

The  term  “lingering”  seems  to  imply 
that  the  bird  has  not  budged,  that  it  has  be- 
come sedentary,  stuck  in  an  area,  rather 
than  actively  engaged  in  some  sort  of  mi- 
gratory/wintering behavior,  whether  or  not 
the  behavior  is  a rewarding  one,  but  that  it 
may  at  some  point  move  on.  This  implica- 
tion deserves  questioning,  of  course.  In  this 
season’s  reports,  editors  from  California 
clear  to  the  Atlantic  Seaboard  are  quick  to 


point  out  that  some  birds  labelled  as  “lin- 
gerers” probably  came  northward  in  autumn 
from  areas  to  the  south  of  their  regions. 
This  is  an  idea  that  has  been  around  for 
some  time  but  seems  to  be  gaining  more 
and  more  currency  as  birders’  sightings  can 
be  more  easily  communicated  and  com- 
pared over  greater  distances  than  in  the 
past.  For  instance,  certain  Neotropical  mi- 
grants found  wintering  at  northern  feeders 
within  their  breeding  ranges — Indigo 
Buntings,  Scarlet  and  Summer  Tanagers, 
Rose-breasted  Grosbeaks — are  usually  as- 
sumed to  be  individuals  either  too  ill,  weak- 
ened, or  belated  to  undertake  onward 
migration;  records  of  such  species  rarely 
show  patterns  in  any  winter.  In  winter 
2005-2006,  most  of  us  probably  assumed 
that  such  birds,  along  with  singular  regional 
rarities  such  as  New  York’s  Veery  and  Wood 
Thrush,  Virginias  Broad-winged  Hawk,  and 
Kentucky’s  Mourning  Warbler,  were  ailing 
birds  that  never  left — “lingerers”  that  did 
not  survive  the  season.  And  our  intuition 
may  be  correct  in  these  cases;  but  it  may  not 
be.  We  have  no  evidence  that  such  birds  did 
not  come  from  areas  to  the  south  of  their 
presumably  final  destinations,  and,  if  we  at- 
tend to  patterns  of  bird  migration  on  the 
coastlines  (where  migrants  are  often  con- 
centrated), we  might  well  suspect  that  such 
“lingering”  birds  found  within  their  normal 
breeding  ranges  are  more  likely  to  be  mis- 
oriented  (reverse)  migrants,  now  tied  to  an 
artificial  food  source  or  other  limited  micro- 
climate after  having  migrated  in  what  we 
consider  the  wrong  direction.  Every  winter 
season,  even  the  bitterly  cold  ones,  seems  to 
have  such  “gee-whiz”  birds  (Kaufman  1998, 
Brinkley  2001a). 

Tanagers  and  buntings  frosty  at  On- 
tario feeders,  Mourning  Warblers  in  the 
Midwest  marked  for  an  early  end:  such 
birds  represent  an  extreme  in  a spectrum  of 
birds  we  often  label  “lingerers” — these 
birds  are  usually  not  at  all  “hardy”  away 
from  artificial  sources  of  food,  at  least  in 
the  given  geographic  context.  Those  win- 
ter birds  called  “half-hardy”  are  slightly 
north  of  their  core  winter  ranges  and  al- 
ways irregular  in  occurrence  at  the  north- 
ern margins  of  winter  range.  In  some 
reports,  they  are  called  “overwintering” 
rather  than  “wintering”  birds,  to  mark 
their  marginal  or  extralimital  statuses,  but 
often  the  label  “lingering”  is  applied.  In 
this  issue’s  regional  reports  are  many  hun- 
dreds of  records  of  such  birds.  Unlike  the 
Mourning  Warbler  in  Kentucky,  these  half- 
hardy  birds  are  not  boldfaced  and  thus  eas- 


THE CHANGING  SEASONS:  WINTER  THAT  WASN'T 


ily  overlooked  in  a skim  of  the  reports. 
However,  they  are  tracked  well  by  most  ed- 
itors, particularly  where  human  popula- 
tions are  dense  and  Christmas  Bird  Counts 
and  other  such  efforts  abound,  e.g.,  around 
the  southern  margins  of  the  Great  Fakes 
and  in  the  so-called  Northeast  Corridor, 
between  the  District  of  Columbia  area  and 
eastern  Massachusetts.  Here,  as  Pam  Hunt 
observes,  birds  that  typically  winter  farther 
south  (largely  in  the  Southeast)  invariably 
“generate  much  excitement  when  they 
linger  long  enough  to  be  tallied  on  New 
England  Christmas  Bird  Counts.”  The  list 
of  such  species  was  impressively  long  in 
winter  2005-2006:  Yellow-bellied  Sap- 
sucker,  Eastern  Phoebe,  Hermit  Thrush, 
Gray  Catbird,  Brown  Thrasher,  Winter 
Wren,  Eastern  Towhee,  and  several  species 
of  warbler  and  sparrow.  But,  as  Hunt 
rightly  notes,  “weather  does  not  explain 
[these  species’]  exceptional  abundance 
during  the  Christmas  counts.”  She  contin- 
ues: “It  is  conceivable  that  the  inclement 
weather  of  the  2005  breeding  season 
played  a role  in  their  tardiness:  perhaps 
early-nesting  species  failed  on  their  first  at- 
tempts and  had  to  re-nest  in  midsummer, 
resulting  in  many  late  Hedgings.  Without 
detailed  data  on  age  ratios,  and  perhaps 
from  banding  stations,  we  may  never  know 
what  was  behind  the  pattern.” 

This  essay  has  typically  shied  away 
from  analyzing  patterns  of  lingering/over- 
wintering/half-hardy passerines,  and  one 
reason  for  this  is  probably  the  difficulty  in 
quantifying  the  differences  between 
warmer  and  colder  winters:  we  counte- 
nance average  meteorological  conditions, 
over  large  areas,  which  tells  us  very  little 
about  how  individual  birds  might  fare  dur- 
ing local  cold  spells  or  bouts  of  inclement 
weather.  We  know  very  little  about  how 
these  birds  fare  in  midwinter  (how  many 
could  be  found  if  we  conducted  Christmas 
counts  in  late  January?),  how  many  sur- 
vive, or  how  many  might  be  facultative  mi- 
grants, those  that  leave  the  area  when  the 
conditions  become  too  harsh.  Another 
reason  might  be  that  such  species  become 
more  difficult  to  track  in  areas  where  they 
are  not  quite  rare  enough  to  receive  men- 
tion in  print.  But  the  main  reason  is  that 
our  enterprise  here  is  not  an  analysis  based 
on  decades’  worth  of  data  but  a limited 
overview  of  a single  season.  Even  when  we 
look  back  on  multiple  past  seasons,  we 
deal  mostly  with  impressions  and  are 
rarely  able  to  adjust  even  our  careful  tallies 
of  extralimital  birds  to  take  into  account 


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[THE  CHANGING  SEASONS:  WINTER  THAT  WASN'T 


“observer  effort.”  And  so  even  careful 
tracking  of  species  such  as  Eastern  Phoebe 
in  West  Virginia  and  Ohio  (see  the 
thoughtful  S.A.  item  by  Victor  Fazio  and 
Rick  Wiltraut)  can  be  difficult  to  put  into 
comparative  context. 

But  speculation  without  shame  has  al- 
ways been  a forte  of  this  column;  we 
should  not  let  a winter  season  pass  without 
skating  on  thin  ice.  And  so  what  of  these 
northerly  Gray  Catbirds  that  were  reported 
so  widely  in  the  eastern  half  of  the  conti- 
nent? In  reading  the  regional  reports,  we 
see  that  they  were  not  evenly  distributed  in 
December-January.  Over  30  catbirds  were 
found  between  the  Atlantic  Provinces  and 
Quebec,  a record;  Maine  had  14;  and  Ver- 
mont and  New  Hampshire  had  at  least  a 
dozen  between  the  two  states.  Some  New 
England  Christmas  Bird  Counts  set  record 
highs  for  the  species:  in  Rhode  Island,  90 
and  96  were  on  the  Newport- Westport 
C.B.C.  and  Block  Island  C.B.C.,  respec- 
tively. Indeed,  Rhode  Island  counts  found 
315  catbirds  in  total,  almost  double  the 
previous  high.  To  the  south,  20  on  the 
Southern  Bucks  County,  Pennsylvania 
C.B.C.  and  129  on  Cape  May’s  were  re- 
markable numbers.  In  the  Midwest,  how- 
ever, catbirds  were  more  thinly  distributed: 
just  two  each  in  Illinois  and  Minnesota, 
four  each  in  Ohio  and  Michigan.  To  the 
south,  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee,  13  cat- 
birds was  a very  high  winter  count,  and 
two  in  West  Virginia  was  above  average. 
Farther  west,  where  catbirds  are  regular  va- 
grants, seven  were  in  Colorado,  three  in 
New  Mexico,  singles  in  Wyoming  and  Ne- 
braska, and  one  made  it  through  8 Decem- 
ber near  Osoyoos,  British  Columbia. 

There  is  a wider  context  for  the  catbird 
numbers:  mimids  made  news  in  many  ar- 
eas east  of  the  Rockies.  Single  Brown 
Thrashers  out  of  place  included  singles  in 
Newfoundland,  northern  New  Brunswick, 
Prince  Edward  Island,  and  New  York’s 
Adirondacks,  and  there  were  five  in 
Quebec,  four  in  the  Western  Great  Lakes, 
scores  in  New  England,  and  71  on  Cape 
May’s  C.B.C.  The  eight-catbird  “mimid 
winter”  in  Colorado  and  Wyoming  also 
boasted  12  Northern  Mockingbirds,  38 
Sage  Thrashers,  three  Brown  Thrashers, 
and  two  Long-billed  Thrashers.  Other  er- 
rant thrashers  were  a Sage  at  Port  Weller, 
Ontario  24-27  February  and  three  in 
Kenedy  County,  Texas  21-22  February;  and 
a Northern  Mockingbird  in  the  Yukon  13 
November-14  January. 

While  it  is  conceivable  that  late  hedg- 


ings resulted  in  more  lingering  birds  in  the 
Northeast,  another  set  of  explanations  also 
commends  itself,  particularly  in  light  of 
this  broader  context  of  wayward  mimids. 
In  the  East,  autumn  2005  was  noteworthy 
for  strong  cold  fronts  that  moved  record- 
high  numbers  of  mid-  and  late-season  mi- 
grants toward  the  coast.  In  several 
locations  in  the  Hudson-Delaware  region, 
local  counts  of  several  species  shattered 
previous  high  counts  by  a wide  margin. 
Catbirds  figured  prominently  in  several 
such  fallouts.  Several  systems  also  brought 
large  numbers  of  birds  northward  as  ap- 
parent reverse  migrants;  by  the  hundreds, 
at  least,  catbirds  arrived  across  Atlantic 
Canada  as  so-called  reverse  migrants  on  1 8 
October.  Yet  another  wave  of  birds,  includ- 
ing catbirds,  arrived  in  Atlantic  Canada,  es- 
pecially Nova  Scotia,  in  late  October  as 
exhausted  entrainees  of  Hurricane  Wilma , 
the  impact  of  whicli  was  considerable  in 
the  Canadian  Maritimes  (Dinsmore  and 
Farnsworth  2006).  Some  of  the  displaced 
Wilma  birds  remained  into  December — 
species  as  diverse  as  Northern  Shoveler, 
Stilt  Sandpiper,  Long-billed  Dowitcher, 
Forster’s  Tern,  Tree  and  Barn  Swallows,  but 
some  of  these  were  not  observed  after  early 
December  (see  Dalzcll’s  column);  catbirds 
continued  in  some  places  well  into  winter. 
To  the  south  of  Canada,  Wilma's  influence 
was  hard  to  perceive  after  the  last  few  Mag- 
nificent Frigatebirds  and  Chimney  Swifts 
trickled  through  in  November  and  late  De- 
cember, respectively.  The  “spectacular”  au- 
tumn fallouts  of  migrants  from  New 
England  through  northern  Delaware — in 
addition  to  the  Wilma  survivors  and  the 
waves  of  reverse  migrants  arriving  on  the 
southwesterly  winds  preceding  frontal  pas- 
sages— certainly  could  have  contributed  to 
the  record-high  numbers  of  Gray  Catbirds, 
Hermit  Thrushes,  and  Winter  Wrens  found 
on  Christmas  Bird  Counts  in  the  North- 
east. The  mild  weather  may  then  have  per- 
mitted them  to  thrive  and  made  them  more 
detectable — after  all,  humans  tend  to  vote, 
and  to  survey  birds,  more  readily  under 
sunny  skies.  This  set  of  observations  might 
account  for  the  higher  overall  counts  of 
mimids  in  Northeast  than  the  Midwest, 
which  was  hit  harder  with  cold  weather  in 
December  and  which  was  farther  from  the 
autumn’s  fallout  zones.  Together  with  the 
elevated  numbers  of  species  like  Eastern 
Phoebe  and  Hermit  Thrush  in  adjacent 
states  (Pennsylvania,  Ohio)  and  states  just 
to  the  south  of  the  Midwest  (West  Virginia, 
Kentucky)  and  elevated  numbers  of,  for  in- 


stance, Rusty  Blackbird — both  in  core 
range  and  extralimitally,  the  first  time  in 
over  a decade  for  such  positive  news  about 
this  declining  species — the  large  numbers 
of  mimids  and  of  mid-  and  late-season  mi- 
grants overall  suggest  a good  breeding  sea- 
son for  many  species. 

This  familiar  old  formula  (productive 
breeding  season  + strong  autumn  storms  + 
warm  winter  = high  diversity/numbers  of 
half-hardy  birds)  may  be  satisfactory  to  ex- 
plain some  patterns  of  winter  bird  distribu- 
tion, but  what  of  the  broader  continental 
context?  After  all,  the  larger-than-average 
numbers  of  mimids  and  Hermit  Thrushes  in 
Colorado  are  probably  not  connected  to  the 
autumn  weather  patterns  that  made  birding 
so  memorable  in  locations  such  as  Central 
Park  in  New  York  City.  And  birds  far  (1000- 
2000  km)  out  of  winter  range,  such  as  Col- 
orado’s Long-billed  Thrasher  or  Ontario’s 
Sage  Thrasher,  probably  have  no  connec- 
tion to  coastal  storm  activity,  for  instance. 
Moreover,  as  Pam  Hunt  rightly  suggests,  we 
have  no  way  of  knowing  that  at  least  some 
of  the  catbirds  on  the  Christmas  counts 
were  not  local  birds  just  hanging  out  or 
hanging  on.  Analyzing  birders’  assump- 
tions about  fall  migration,  Sullivan  (2004) 
emphasized  that  Atlantic  coastal  fallouts 
must  certainly  be  comprised  not  only  of 
properly  oriented  migrants  but  also  of  ntis- 
oriented  migrants — birds  that  had  been 
moving  northward  through  the  interior  in 
the  autumn  as  others  moved  southward  but 
are  then  pushed  coastward  (either  on 
southwesterly  or  northwesterly  winds). 
Clearly,  the  winter  season  “inherits”  a great 
many  of  these  late-autumn  birds,  so  the 
question  of  birds’  movements  in  relation  to 
the  weather  in  the  autumn  is  germane  to  an 
understanding  of  the  winter  season.  Cer- 
tainly, most  of  us  have  come  to  view  bird 
fallouts  not  as  the  product  of  a uniform  mi- 
gratory wave  of  birds  directed  by  a single  as- 
pect of  weather  but  as  a cross-section  of 
intersecting  movements  of  birds.  Although 
we  experience  fallouts  as  singular  experi- 
ences, they  are  surely  composed  of  multiple 
components;  radar  ornithology  has  begun 
to  unravel  some  of  the  complexity  of  bird 
movements,  especially  during  nocturnal 
migration.  The  Long-billed  Thrashers  in 
Colorado,  like  other  surprising  post-nesting 
wanderers  of  late  (Pyrrhuloxia  in  Ontario, 
Short-tailed  Hawk  in  Michigan),  spur  us  to 
reflect  on  how  we  use  comfortable,  casual 
labels  such  as  “lingerer”  or  “vagrant”  for 
our  wintering  birds:  if  we  consider  these 
more  extreme  records  in  light  ol  the  larger 


188 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


picture  of  a seasons  bird  distribution  (for 
instance,  the  mimid  winter  east  of  the  Rock- 
ies this  season),  the  thought  may  occur  to 
us  that  the  Long-billed  Thrasher  at  Chico 
Basin  Ranch,  Colorado,  the  Brown  Thrasher 
on  Miscou  Island,  New  Brunswick,  and  the 
Curve-billed  Thrasher  in  Sioux  County,  Ne- 
braska (a  long-time  resident!)  might  not  be 
indicators  of  disparate  phenomena  but  of  a 
single  phenomenon  that  is  manifested  in 
different  aspects  or  to  different  degrees,  de- 
pending on  the  individual  and  the  species. 
Could  it  be  that  the  warming  climate  is  a 
common  stimulus  that  links  apparently  dis- 
parate bird  phenomena — the  apparent  in- 
creases in  vagrants,  in  reverse  migrants,  in 
so-called  “lingering”  birds,  and  in  spring 
overshoots?  Could  a warming  climate  be  a 
goad  for  some  individuals  to  remain  farther 
north  for  longer  periods,  for  some  to  dis- 
perse northward  rather  than  southward  in 
autumn,  for  some  to  fly  well  north  of  typi- 
cal range  in  spring  as  well?  (The  scientific 
debate  still  rages  about  whether  increased 
hurricane  activity  is  a result  of  global  cli- 
mate change,  but  one  could  in  theory  add 
this  to  the  list,  and  with  it,  the  two  Gray 
Catbirds  on  the  St.  Pierre  C.B.C.  off  the 
Newfoundland  coast.)  In  other  words, 
could  the  terms  we  use  to  describe  changes 
in  bird  distribution — whether  the  given 
term  falls  under  the  general  umbrella  of 
“shift”  or  “displacement” — be  reducible  to  a 
single  concept,  such  as  “dispersant”  or  “pi- 
oneer”? The  former  term  is  neutral  enough, 
the  latter  perhaps  too  colorful,  but  let’s  use 
“pioneer”  anyhow,  to  remind  ourselves  that 
some  of  these  wanderers  can  sometimes  put 
down  roots  and  extend  their  winter  ranges. 

We  are  comfortable  with  what  we  con- 
sider the  established  winter  ranges  in  New 
England  of  Northern  Cardinal,  Tufted  Tit- 
mouse, Red-bellied  Woodpecker,  Carolina 
Wren;  but  reading  back  on  reports  in  Bird- 
Lore  and  Audubon  Field  Notes  from  many 
years  ago,  one  perceives  quickly  that  both 
editors  and  observers  were  very  excited, 
even  astonished  by  the  patterns  of  north- 
ward dispersal  in  autumn,  northerly  over- 
wintering, spring  overshooting,  and  range 
expansion  in  these  and  other  species 
(Glossy  Ibis,  Black  Vulture,  etc.).  Perhaps 
we  moderns  are  now  in  the  position  of  the 
Vermonter  of  1924,  utterly  bowled  over  to 
see  a Northern  Cardinal  appear  among  the 
Pine  Grosbeaks  at  her  feeding  station.  Are 
today’s  nine  Dusky-capped  Flycatchers  and 
nine  Painted  Redstarts  in  southern  Califor- 
nia— birds  we  might  call  vagrants  or  re- 
verse migrants  today — the  heralds  of 


expanded  winter  ranges  in  these  species? 
Carolina  Wren  has  expanded  not  just  to 
the  north,  of  course,  but  also  westward, 
and  this  season  saw  pioneers  either  contin- 
uing or  appearing  in  Arizona,  New  Mexico, 
North  Dakota,  South  Dakota,  and  Mani- 
toba. Although  we  may  perceive  the  wren’s 
range  expansion  (or  the  cardinal’s,  etc.)  as 
a slow,  steady  annexation  of  new  areas,  the 
reality  of  most  such  range  expansions  has 
been  much  sloppier,  involving  many  wildly 
extralimital  outliers,  including  many  pio- 
neers that  did  not  survive  or  thrive  in  the 
new  environments.  For  the  wren,  pioneer- 
ing by  no  means  produces  a stable  north- 
ern border  of  range — its  fortunes  rise  and 
fall  annually,  depending  on  the  severity  of 
the  winter,  as  do  those  of  other  species 
(Root  1988).  In  this  issue’s  reports,  we  per- 
ceive weak  patterns  of  northerly  wintering 
in  Golden-crowned  Kinglet  (Yukon,  North 
Dakota,  Manitoba),  Blue-headed  Vireo 
(Illinois,  Kentucky),  and  Yellow-bellied 
Sapsucker  (Manitoba,  Minnesota,  North 
Dakota,  Vermont,  Nova  Scotia — and  14  in 
Colorado!).  These  patterns  bear  watching: 
they  are  probably  more  likely  to  indicate 
the  beginnings  of  wintering  range  exten- 
sions than  are  the  records  of  Indigo 
Buntings  shivering  at  feeders  in  the  north 
country  (Kaufman  1998). 

Other  patterns  of  pioneering  are  quite 
strong  but  evolving  with  dizzying  rapidity. 
We  have  seen  the  western  states’  and  bor- 
der states’  hummingbirds,  those  seemingly 
fragile  miniatures,  storm  the  continent  over 
the  past  several  decades,  and  this  winter 
spectacle  shows  no  signs  of  slowing.  As 
with  Carolina  Wrens,  and  probably  like 
some  of  the  more  recent  pioneers,  there  has 
been  a pattern  of  jaw-dropping  vagrants, 
thousands  of  kilometers  from  home,  ac- 
companied by  a much  less  startling  gradual 
expansion  from  core  range.  Broad-billed 
Hummingbird,  still  in  the  jaw-dropping 
phase,  turned  up  this  season  in  Arkansas, 
Nevada,  and  coastal  Texas,  and  three  were 
in  southern  California;  Broad-tailed  Hum- 
mingbirds represented  remarkable  records 
for  Tennessee,  Alabama,  Georgia  (three!), 
Arkansas,  and  El  Salvador;  an  Anna’s  was  in 
Ohio;  single  Costa’s  were  in  Rockport, 
Texas  (Figure  4)  and  Montgomery,  Ala- 
bama; a Violet-crowned  was  in  northern 
California  (the  state’s  fifth);  and  in  one 
birder’s  yard  in  Victoria,  Texas  this  season, 
there  were  at  minimum  124  hummers  of 
nine  species:  41  Buff-bellied,  37  Rufous,  23 
Black-chinned,  8 Allen’s,  5 Broad-tailed,  5 
Anna’s,  3 Calliope,  and  one  Ruby-throated, 


THE  CHANGING  SEASONS:  WINTER  THAT  WASN'T 


in  addition  to  the  above-noted  Broad- 
billed, seen  only  on  26  February.  We  often 
imagine  the  hummers’  range  expansion  to 
be  a product  of  the  hummingbird-feeder 
craze,  but  in  southern  states  from  Texas  to 
Florida,  even  into  the  Carolinas,  these  birds 
are  frequently  seen  eating  insects  and  at- 
tending flowers  away  from  feeding  stations. 
Feeders  and  exotic  plantings  are  certainly 
crucial  in  most  areas,  particularly  the 
northerly  areas,  but  they  are  not  the  birds’ 
sole  means  of  sustenance.  Each  species 
presents  a different  pattern  of  winter-sea- 
son  expansion,  but  the  general  dual  pattern 
of  extreme  extralimital  records  and  rather 
gradual  expansion  of  new  wintering  ranges, 
mostly  in  the  Southeast,  holds  true  for  the 
majority.  The  astonishing  numbers  in  the 
Texas  garden  illustrate,  roughly,  the  ratios 
of  hummers  expected  farther  east,  with  the 
exception  of  Buff-bellied — for  now,  at  least; 
but  how  much  longer  until  North  Carolina 
gets  a Buff-bellied,  for  instance? 

Swallows  would  seem  to  be  following 
the  hummingbirds’  daring  attempts  to  win- 
ter well  away  from  core  range,  leading  one 
wit  to  opine  that  “swallows  are  the  ‘new 
hummingbirds’.”  Barn  Swallows  in  the 
West  and  Cave  Swallows  in  the  East  are 
scarcely  the  only  species  involved  in  this 
phenomenon.  Ted  Floyd  (2005)  noted  that 
winter  Northern  Rough-winged  Swallows 
in  the  Philadelphia  area  were  perhaps  with- 
out precedent  but  not  without  context;  as 
if  to  underscore  that  understatement,  125 
were  found  at  the  Northeast  Water  Treat- 
ment Facility,  Philadelphia  County,  Penn- 
sylvania through  December,  with  95  still 
there  7 January  and  some  hanging  on  into 
March.  At  Pointe  Mouillee  State  Game 
Area  in  Michigan,  Tree  Swallows  had  never 
been  recorded  wintering,  but  two  dozen 
were  there  29  December  and  three  through 
at  least  15  February.  Single  Tree  Swallows 
wintered  at  Glacier  Ridge  Metropark,  Ohio 
and  at  Hamlin,  in  upstate  New  York.  A 
Bank  Swallow  at  Huntington  Beach  State 
Park,  South  Carolina  on  7 January  was  just 
as  unexpected.  Whereas  Tree  Swallows 
may  eat  small  fruits  to  survive  moderately 
cold  winters,  other  American  swallow 
species  are  not  known  to  do  this,  and  so 
these  insectivorous  species  so  far  from  nor- 
mal wintering  areas  must  in  many  cases 
perish.  It  is  difficult  to  see  such  behavior 
as  consistent  with  a concept  of  pioneering, 
as  it  would  seem  to  us — as  for  the  Bell’s 
Vireo  in  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia  this  past  De- 
cember— a dead  end. 

And  what  of  the  strange  phenomenon 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


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THE  CHANGING  SEASONS:  WINTER  THAT  WASN'T 


Figure  4.  This  male  Costa's  Hummingbird  brightened  a gar- 
den in  Rockport,  Texas  from  19  (here  21)  February  through 
3 March  2006.  The  obliging  bird  provided  the  second  record 
for  the  central  bend.  Photograph  by  Susan  Beree. 


this  season  with  Townsend’s  Warblers 
this  past  winter?  As  the  storms  began 
to  pound  the  Pacific  Northwest  in  late 
December,  reports  of  the  species  in 
coastal  Oregon  and  Washington 
flooded  the  Internet.  The  C.B.C.  in  Eu- 
gene logged  141  on  New  Years  Day, 
and  a week  later,  regional  editor  David 
Irons  found  a staggering  59  on  a short 
walk  around  his  Eugene  neighbor- 
hood. Oregon  birders  found  300  in 
January,  with  some  backyard  feeders 
hosting  as  many  as  a dozen  birds;  and 
feeders  in  southwestern  Washington 
recorded  up  to  22  birds!  Although  the 
species  is  regularly  found  wintering  in 
small  numbers  in  this  part  ol  the 
world,  these  counts  were  several  orders 
of  magnitude  larger  than  normal.  Were 
these  birds  simply  out  in  the  country- 
side, already  locally  present,  but  driven 
toward  the  warmer  microclimates  of  feed- 
ers and  suburbs  by  the  heavy  weather?  Or 
does  this  represent  a consolidation  of  the 
winter  range  of  the  species  at  its  northern 
terminus?  The  two  disjunct  winter  ranges 
of  the  species  provide  some  food  for 
thought:  partly  in  the  mountains  of  Mex- 
ico, partly  along  the  Pacific  Coast.  Was  the 
latter  range  established  gradually,  over  cen- 
turies, as  some  few  birds  remained  on  the 
breeding  grounds  later  and  later,  others 
migrated  toward  wintering  zones  but  re- 
versed course  at  some  point?  Are  several 
other  species  poised  to  make  a similar 
movement,  including  warblers  that  cur- 
rently winter  south  of  the  border,  such  as 
Hermit  Warbler,  three  of  which  (plus  a hy- 
brid) were  found  in  Oregon  among  the 
Townsends  flocks? 

In  other  words:  the  winter  birds  we  may 
consider  foolhardy  today  may  be  just  the 
vanguard  of  birds  to  be  considered  normal 
winter  residents  in  the  future.  Indeed,  even 
this  winter’s  apparent  kamikaze  birds — 
Alaska’s  White  Wagtail,  Ontario’s  Sage 
Thrasher,  Yukon’s  Northern  Mockingbird — 
may  not  look  all  that  unusual  in  just  a few 
years,  just  as  birders  in  Oregon  and  Wash- 
ington now  (allegedly!)  almost  yawn  when 
hearing  about  yet  another  wintering  West- 
ern Tanager  or  Williamson’s  Sapsucker. 
With  long-term  projects  such  as  the  Christ- 
mas Bird  Count,  eBird,  Project  Feeder- 
watch,  and  others,  it  should  be  possible  to 
document  changes  in  wintering  ranges  and 
in  turn  to  analyze  these  against  meteorolog- 
ical data,  to  see  if  there  is  strong  correlation 
between  warming  trends  and  changes  in 
winter  ranges.  Our  participation  in  such  cit- 


izen-science projects  will  be  important  for 
scientists  seeking  to  fine-tune  the  avian  data 
against  the  climatological  data. 

Most  of  this  column  has  been  devoted 
to  landbirds  thus  far;  of  course,  watcrbirds, 
too,  have  been  wintering  north  of  their 
typical  winter  ranges  in  recent  years.  With 
the  exception  of  waterfowl,  waterbirds  of- 
ten take  a back  seat  to  landbirds  in  the 
winter  season,  a bias  perhaps  indicative  of 
the  great  number  of  feeding  stations  set  up 
for  passerines  and  extremely  low  number 
of  such  stations  for  grebes,  shearwaters, 
phalaropes,  and  their  kind.  Many  extralim- 
ltal/unseasonable  seabirds  show  little  or  no 
patterns,  just  scattered  reports,  such  as  this 
winter’s  lost  and/or  late  Sooty  Shearwaters 
(Nova  Scotia,  Virginia),  Black-capped  Pe- 
trel (Virginia),  Pomarine  Jaegers  (Ontario, 
Ohio,  Alabama),  Parasitic  Jaegers  (Illinois, 
Virginia),  Common  Tern  (Indiana),  Royal 
Tern  (Arizona),  and  Sandwich  Tern  (New 
Jersey).  Such  records  seem  to  offer  little  in- 
sight beyond  documenting  extreme 
dates/locations  for  these  seabirds  in  a 
warm  winter.  Perhaps  at  least  some  of 
these  birds,  like  the  feeder-bound  Neotrop- 
ical migrants  mentioned  above,  were  mis- 
oriented  and/or  not  in  good  health.  But 
perhaps,  like  more  numerous  species,  they 
are  pioneers  whose  strategies  will  turn  out 
to  be  productive  in  the  long  term.  We  have 
seen  several  examples  since  the  1980s  of 
this,  in  both  ardeids  and  pelicans,  which 
were  recorded  north  of  normal  areas  quite 
frequently  again  this  winter  (and  also  in 
spring).  In  the  East,  American  White  Peli- 
cans have  been  reported  increasingly  often, 
and  farther  north  (and/or  inland),  than  in 


the  past.  Their  numbers  continue  to  in- 
crease in  relatively  new  wintering  areas  in 
the  Carolinas  and  Georgia — e.g.,  109  in  the 
ACE  Basin  of  South  Carolina,  80  in  Cam- 
den County,  Georgia,  and  up  to  30  in 
Carteret  County,  North  Carolina.  Likewise 
in  interior  Alabama,  where  once  rare  in 
winter,  large  counts  up  to  116  were  tallied. 
Probably  related  to  their  increasing  pres- 
ence in  the  Southeast,  up  to  25  were 
counted  between  New  York  and  Maryland, 
and  one  on  the  Ohio  River  in  Cabell 
County,  West  Virginia  17  February  was  un- 
precedented. Winter  Brown  Pelicans,  no 
longer  a winter  novelty  in  many  areas, 
were  reported  twice  in  Maryland,  twice  in 
New  Jersey,  and  once  in  Washington  state 
and  Delaware;  far-inland  birds  in  Georgia, 
Arkansas,  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  and 
western  Texas  were  also  unusual. 

Before  closing  this  section,  we  should 
remind  ourselves  that  long-term  winter 
phenomena  continued  this  season.  Many 
dove  species,  particularly  Ruddy  Ground- 
Doves  in  the  Southwest  and  White-winged 
Doves  almost  everywhere  but  also  Inca 
Doves,  wintered  farther  north  or  attempted 
to  do  so.  Geese  of  almost  all  species  con- 
tinued to  show  increases  in  number  and  in 
some  cases  in  extent  of  winter  range.  Mex- 
ican birds  visited  new  spots  in  the  border 
states,  notably  Rufous-backed  Robins  (Ari- 
zona, California,  Texas),  Yellow  Grosbeak 
and  Green  Kingfisher  (New  Mexico),  and 
Red-faced  Warbler  (Arizona,  where  rare  in 
winter).  We  often  focus  on  rarities  and 
miss  important  context:  if  you  passed 
quickly  through  the  Arizona  report,  for  in- 
stance, did  you  see  that  50  wintering  Ash- 
throated  Flycatchers  received  boldfaced 
type?  (And  who  noticed  that  a single  bird 
wintered  in  New  Mexico?)  Most  Ash- 
throateds  winter  in  western  Mexico,  but 
wintering  birds  are  now  found  in  Gulf 
Coast  states,  and  one  overwintered  in  Rich- 
mond, Virginia  this  season.  Are  the  No- 
vember birds  we  see  on  the  East  Coast  each 
year  simply  outliers  in  a bold  pioneering  of 
new  winter  range  as  indicated  by  these 
sharply  elevated  Arizona  numbers? 

Influxes,  irruptions,  invasions 
(&  wrecks,  earlv  migrants, 
and  "Expresses') 

Some  familiar  winter  “flights”  of  birds,  as 
they  are  often  poetically  called,  appear  to 
have  no  obvious  connection  to  climate 
change  at  all.  The  erratic  influxes  and  wan- 
derings of  wintering  owls,  finches,  hawks, 
waxwings,  and  other  species  well  away 


190 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


from  their  core  ranges  in  the  North  are  of- 
ten the  most  engaging  and  enjoyable  as- 
pects of  winter  for  birders,  who  are  lately 
able  to  predict,  monitor,  and  even  map  (see 
<www.ebird.org>)  such  species  more  effi- 
ciently than  ever  before.  But  this  season 
saw  few  such  events  in  North  America, 
whether  of  altitudinal  migrants  in  the  West 
or  latitudinal  ones  in  the  East.  A few  ex- 
tralimital  finches  here  and  there,  notably 
Purple  Finches,  and  a modest  “echo”  flight 
of  last  year’s  large  influx  of  Northern  Hawk 
and  Great  Gray  Owls,  were  confined  to 
predictable  corridors.  A few  Pygmy 
Nuthatches  strayed  out  onto  the  Plains, 
Bohemian  Waxwings  made  news  in  the 
Great  Basin  and  northern  New  York,  and 
Dovekies  made  a remarkable  showing  off 
Long  Island — 1675  counted  on  11  Febru- 
ary, the  best  count  in  70  years!  But,  by  and 
large,  editors  noted  that  this  was  an  “off 
year”  for  irruptive  species. 

One  exception  was  Snowy  Owl.  Cali- 
fornia’s first  Snowy  since  1978,  near  Davis 
on  13-14  January,  was  among  many  indica- 
tions that  this  flight  was  more  a western 
and  Midwestern  phenomenon  than  an 
eastern  one:  Washington  had  74  (best 
flight  since  1996),  Oregon  14,  British  Co- 
lumbia “a  good  showing,”  Idaho  nine, 
western  Montana  41+  (probably  record 
high;  recent  averages  three  per  winter), 
eastern  Montana  and  North  Dakota  “good 
numbers,”  and  South  Dakota  up  to  20.  In 
the  Midwest,  at  least  161  were  in  Min- 
nesota (the  state’s  second  largest  invasion 
on  record),  at  least  118  in  Wisconsin,  and 
30+  in  Michigan.  The  Atlantic  Provinces 
tallied  about  25,  and  Quebec  had  above- 
average  numbers  (with  an  excellent  count 
of  23  on  the  Hebertville  plain).  Interest- 
ingly, southern  Ontario  detected  no  major 
flight  of  the  species,  and  New  England  had 
a below-average  flight:  up  to  15  in  Massa- 
chusetts, three  each  in  Connecticut,  Rhode 
Island,  and  Maine,  and  singles  in  Vermont 
and  New  Hampshire.  Surprisingly,  the 
Hudson-Delaware  region  recorded  60 
Snowy  Owls,  Maryland  four,  and  Virginia 
one,  the  southernmost  of  the  season. 
That’s  about  650  Snowy  Owls  reported  to 
regional  editors,  certainly  well  above  most 
winters,  and  widespread  mortality  (so  of- 
ten the  case)  was  not  reported,  so  perhaps 
at  least  some  of  these  birds  made  it 
through  the  season. 

Occasionally,  an  irruption  of  one 
species  collides  with  an  irruption  of  an- 
other. The  powerful  coastal  storms  in  the 
Pacific  Northwest  20  December  through  10 


January  produced  several  winter  wrecks  of 
Red  Phalaropes — a “wreck”  being  an  irrup- 
tion thought  to  be  occasioned  by  harsh 
weather,  which  causes  birds  to  become 
weakened  and  move  inshore  or  onshore, 
particularly  when  food  is  scarce.  In  Califor- 
nia, 1500  were  at  King  Salmon  and  2000  on 
Humboldt  Bay,  both  23  December;  in  Ore- 
gon, 2841  were  counted  on  the  Port  Orford 
C.B.C.  that  day,  and  1000  were  at  Coos  Bay 
the  next.  Observers  on  these  dates  saw 
phalaropes  fall  prey  to  Snowy  Owls,  which 
were  concentrated  in  coastal  areas  such  as 
Ocean  Shores,  Washington,  which 
recorded  up  to  10  owls.  At  King  Salmon, 
phalarope  numbers  peaked  1 January  at 
2399  before  falling  off  through  the  month. 
To  the  south,  where  safe  from  Snowy  Owls, 
phalarope  counts  of  500-750  were  made  as 
far  south  as  Pescadero  26  December,  and 
counts  of  up  to  75  as  far  as  San  Luis  Obispo 
County,  California.  Singles  to  dozens  were 
recorded  well  inland,  in  all  manner  of  habi- 
tats, even  east  of  the  Cascade  Crest,  where 
on  was  found  near  Umapine,  Washington 
23  December.  Interestingly,  both  the 
phalarope  wreck  and  the  Snowy  Owl  inva- 
sion made  headlines  in  the  mass  media. 
(An  unrelated  sidebar:  Eastern  Screech- 
Owls,  which  appear  to  be  expanding  in 
Texas,  and  again  recorded  in  eastern  New 
Mexico  this  season,  were  found  several 
times  preying  on  another  expanding 
species — White-winged  Dove — in  Texas.) 

Another  exception  in  the  mostly  irrup- 
tion-free winter  was  the  large  flight  of 
Black-capped  Chickadees,  which  spanned 
eastern  Canada  through  central  Maryland, 
the  most  extensive  such  flight  in  some 
years  (Dinsmore  and  Farnsworth  2006). 
This  irruption  began  in  mainland  eastern 
Canada  in  October  but  by  December 
reached  well  into  the  mid-Atlantic.  Over 
130  were  recorded  in  central/eastern  Mary- 
land, one  in  north-central  Virginia,  three  in 
southern  Newjersey,  and  15  in  Delaware — 
the  latter  a remarkable  count  for  the  Del- 
marva  Peninsula.  As  usual,  a few  Boreal 
Chickadees  got  into  the  act,  with  singles 
away  from  typical  locations  in  Monroe 
County,  New  York  1 December,  Greene 
County,  New  York  16  January,  in  southern 
Vermont  and  southern  New  Hampshire, 
plus  three  in  Massachusetts.  We  tend  to  as- 
cribe large  irruptive  flights  to  multiple  fac- 
tors— typically  a productive  breeding 
season  followed  by  scarcity  of  food  in  the 
core  range — and  at  least  the  latter  was  al- 
most certainly  to  blame  for  the  wandering 
Snowy  Owls  and  Black-capped  Chick- 


THE CHANGING  SEASONS:  WINTER  THAT  WASN'T 


adees.  We  have  well  over  150  years  of  or- 
nithological history  that  suggests  such  ir- 
ruptions predate  the  current  era  of 
warming;  however,  tundra-  and  taiga-nest- 
ing species  may  be  particularly  vulnerable 
to  a warming  climate,  so  that  tracking  their 
southward  irruptions  is  an  important  en- 
deavor. Even  though  these  birds  are  more 
familiar  than  visitors  from  the  south,  the 
dynamics  of  their  distribution  are  well 
worth  monitoring.  Black-capped  Chick- 
adee irruptions  have  become  quite  rare  in 
recent  decades  as  far  as  the  shores  of 
Chesapeake  Bay,  so  there  is  at  least  some 
evidence  of  range  retraction  in  this  species. 

In  the  “almost-irruptive”  category, 
western  thrushes  have  been  found  out  of 
range  rather  frequently  in  recent  winters, 
notably  Varied  Thrush  and  Townsend’s 
Solitaire.  While  solitaires  out  of  range  were 
fewer  this  year  than  last  (Floyd  2005) — 
just  three  in  Ontario,  eight  in  Minnesota, 
nine  in  Wisconsin,  four  in  Quebec,  and  sin- 
gles in  Michigan,  Indiana,  and  Nova  Sco- 
tia— following  a strong  fall.  Varied 
Thrushes  had  one  of  the  more  far-reaching 
winter  flights  in  recent  memory:  24  in  Min- 
nesota, eight  each  in  Ontario  and  Wiscon- 
sin, seven  in  Manitoba,  six  in  Michigan, 
four  each  in  Quebec  and  Texas,  three  in 
Utah,  two  each  in  Nebraska,  Saskatchewan, 
and  Massachusetts,  and  singles  in  Mary- 
land, North  Carolina,  Kentucky,  and  New 
Mexico.  Both  patterns  are  typical  for  these 
species,  whose  extralimital  numbers  vary 
from  winter  to  winter  but  may  be  showing 
a long-term  increase  despite  the  irregularity 
of  their  appearances.  The  subject  might 
make  for  an  interesting  paper,  as  these 
species  are  usually  well  tracked,  but  the 
reasons  for  their  irregular  dispersals  out  of 
range  are  not  known,  though  food  short- 
ages very  probably  play  a role. 

While  we  often  call  birds  that  make  er- 
ratic appearances  from  the  north  or  from 
montane  habitats  “irruptive,”  southern 
birds  that  might  appear  in  similar  patterns 
usually  win  that  label  only  in  summer  and 
early  autumn,  not  in  winter.  Fulvous 
Whistling-Ducks,  which  historically  have 
wandered  in  spring  and  fall,  and  are  quite 
unpredictable  wanderers  among  American 
waterfowl,  put  in  winter  appearances  in 
places  where  unrecorded  in  some  years.  At 
California’s  Salton  Sea,  four  were  shot  "by 
hunters  in  about  early  November,  and  sin- 
gles were  in  Goleta  and  El  Monte;  in  Utah, 
three  were  seen  at  Bear  River  21  January 
(Figure  5);  in  Baja  California,  Lagunas  de 
Chametla  had  three  on  23  December  (and 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


191 


THE  CHANGING  SEASONS:  WINTER  THAT  WASN'T 


one  later  in  March);  in  Arizona,  a single 
bird,  presumably  the  November  Scottsdale 
bird,  reappeared  nearby  through  January, 
and  other  singles  were  in  Mesa  and  Topock 
Marsh — but  a golf  course  in  verdant  Green 
Valley  hit  the  jackpot  with  a flock  of  18, 
historically  precedented  but  not  in  20 
years.  In  Texas,  Fulvous  Whistling-Ducks 
often  linger  into  midwinter  in  the  extreme 
southern  part  of  the  state,  but  they  are  ex- 
traordinarily rare  elsewhere  in  February; 
20  birds  counted  between  Harris,  Travis, 
and  Fort  Bend  Counties  were  noteworthy, 
as  were  two  in  Cameron  Parish,  Louisiana 
28  February,  though  these  could  also  have 
been  early  migrants.  Black-bellied 
Whistling-Ducks,  which  usually  attract  at- 
tention in  spring  and  summer,  were  like- 
wise found  out  of  range  this  past  winter. 
One  shot  at  Reelfoot  Lake,  Tennessee  2 
January  was  the  most  extralimital  to  the 
north,  but  one  on  Grenada  21  December 
was  almost  as  far  from  home  (if  more  likely 
of  the  nominate  subspecies  from  South 
America?).  Black-bellieds  peaked  at  1160 
in  New  Orleans’s  Audubon  Park — with 
four  Fulvous  among  them,  30  January. 
Were  these  Fulvous  Whistling-Ducks  sim- 
ply taking  cues  for  spring  migration  during 
midwinter — as,  clearly,  dozens  of  bird 
species  appear  to  be  doing  lately?  Should 
they  be  considered  “early  migrants”  or,  in- 
stead, belated  late-autumn  “irruptors”  that 
continued  to  straggle  northward  into  a 
mild  winter? 

Could  we  call  certain  gulls  irruptive? 
Nineteen  Slaty-backed  Gulls  away  from 
Alaska  in  a season  was  unheard  of:  three 
different  singles  at  St.  John’s,  New- 
foundland 28  January-12  February, 

18  March-2  April,  and  23  April-7 
May);  one  at  the  Point  Pelee  Birding 
Area,  Ontario  22-26  January;  one 
near  Rochester,  New  York  1 1 Febru- 
ary and  later;  10  at  Half  Moon  Bay, 

San  Mateo  County,  California  2 De- 
cember-8 March;  one  at  the  Alviso 
Salt  Ponds,  Santa  Clara  County,  Cal- 
ifornia 14  January;  one  at  Fremont, 
Alameda  County,  California  9 
March;  one  at  Renton,  Washington 
(a  ninth  for  the  state);  and  one  at  a 
Houston,  Texas  landfill  22  February. 

Have  these  birds  always  been 
among  us,  only  to  be  slowly  dis- 
cerned by  patient  gull-watchers  like 
Dave  Tetlow,  Alvaro  Jaramillo,  Dan 
Singer,  David  VanderPluym,  Dean 
Ware,  Martin  Reid,  Bruce  Mac- 
tavish,  and  Cameron  Cox?  Or  do 


the  far-flung  records  hint  at  a coming  inva- 
sion, the  start  of  a winter-range  extension 
into  the  Americas  like  that  of  Lesser  Black- 
backed  Gull?  After  all,  just  a solo  Slaty- 
backed  Gull  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri — well, 
plus  a Smew,  a Whooper  Swan,  a Siberian 
Accentor,  a Siberian  Stonechat,  a Siberian 
Rubythroat,  two  Rustic  Buntings,  and  at 
least  a dozen  Bramblings  (Lehman  1984) — 
were  responsible  for  the  notion  of  the 
“Siberian  Express”  in  this  column  back  in 
the  chilly  winter  of  1983-1984,  and  the  ma- 
jority of  these  birds  had  arrived  in  the  fall 
season.  Coming  from  roughly  the  same  area 
as  the  Slaty-backeds  this  season,  an  appar- 
ent kamschatschensis  Mew  Gull  (sometimes 
called  Kamchatka  Gull)  was  carefully  stud- 
ied in  Providence,  Rhode  Island  6 
January-11  February.  (Two  other  Mew 
Gulls,  subspecies  unknown,  were  found  in 
Ohio.)  Also  from  Siberia,  Vega  Gull — a 
taxon  listed  as  the  vega  subspecies  of  Her- 
ring Gull  by  North  American  authorities — 
made  quiet  headlines  alongside  the 
Slaty-backeds  in  California  at  Venice  State 
Beach,  where  apparently  three  different 
first-winter  birds  were  seen  8-15  February 
and  a third-winter  bird  21  February 
(<www.coastside.net/chucao/gullsWega.ht 
m>).  Other  birds  that  almost  certainly  came 
from  eastern  Eurasia  or  Alaska  this  season 
were  late-season  (rather  than  mid-autumn) 
migrants:  Bramblings  in  British  Columbia 
and  Iowa  (and  more  in  spring),  Baikal  Teal 
in  Oregon  and  California,  a Falcated  Duck 
(returning)  in  Oregon,  Bewick’s  Swans  in 
British  Columbia  and  Washington  (five!), 
and  11  Emperor  Geese  between  coastal  Ore- 


Three Fulvous  Whistling-Ducks  were  observed  21  January  2006  at  the  Bear  River  Migratory 
Bird  Refuge,  Box  Elder  County,  marking  just  the  third  occurrence  of  the  species  in  Utah 
and  the  first  documented  since  1 959.  These  were  part  of  a widespread  invasion  of  the 
Southwest  that  also  reached  Arizona,  California,  Baja  California,  and  probably  Texas. 
Photograph  by  Paul  Higgins. 


gon  and  northern  California.  This  may  still 
fall  short  of  an  “Express,”  but  we  are  re- 
minded that  not  all  influxes  are  from  the 
south  or  north:  some  are  from  the  west, 
from  Siberia,  and  a few  are  from  the  other 
side  of  Eurasia:  in  this  season,  Newfound- 
land’s now-routine  Yellow-legged  Gulls 
(two  adults  through  mid-February,  one 
third-winter  28  May),  a European  Herring 
Gull  in  Florida  (11-21  February),  Pink- 
footed Geese  in  Connecticut  (4-12  Febru- 
ary), Quebec  (25  March),  and  Nebraska  (30 
January),  and  Barnacle  Geese  in  New 
Brunswick,  Quebec,  Connecticut,  New 
York  (three),  New  Jersey  (one  or  two),  and 
Maryland  must  have  come  from  the  direc- 
tion of  Greenland,  Iceland,  or  the  eastern 
North  Atlantic — still,  scarcely  a European 
Express. 

How  many  of  us  are  actually  scanning 
slowly  through  enormous  flocks  of  gulls 
and  geese  to  look  for  European  Herring 
Gull  (now  split  by  European  ornithologists 
from  our  American  Herring  Gull,  Larus 
smithsonianus) , or  Vega  Gull  (also  now  split 
in  Eurasia  from  Herring  Gulls),  or  Yellow- 
legged Gull  (split  from  Herring  over  a 
decade  ago),  or  Pink-footed  Goose  (now 
increasing  on  the  nesting  grounds,  as  near 
as  Greenland — and  easy  to  overlook  among 
thousands  of  Canada  Geese)?  And  for  those 
of  us  who  live  among  scads  of  Great  Black- 
backed  Gulls:  are  we  looking  carefully  for 
Slaty-backed  Gulls  among  them?  A refined 
understanding  of  the  distribution  of  such 
subtle  species  depends  entirely  on  our  acu- 
men and  our  careful  field  work:  although 
there  are  many  biologists  who  study  geese 
on  the  wintering  grounds,  few 
study  gulls,  and  there  are  zero 
funded  studies  of  vagrant  gulls 
in  North  America!  Although 
the  continent’s  overall  increase 
in  observer  effort  cannot  ac- 
count for  many  of  the  changes 
in  bird  distribution  we  docu- 
ment, a few  keen  observers  who 
regularly  check  local  gull  aggre- 
gations can  rewrite  the  distribu- 
tional maps  over  time. 

The  strong  flight  of  Asian 
gulls  that  spanned  the  continent 
seems,  oddly,  almost  pale  next 
to  the  documentation  of  New 
York’s  (and  the  Atlantic  Coast’s) 
first  Western  Gull,  an  adult  off 
the  coast  of  Long  Island  11  Feb- 
ruary. This  bird,  apparently  of 
the  nominate  (northern)  sub- 
species, could  be  the  product  of 


192 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


the  same  meteorological  anomaly  that  kept 
the  Northwest  so  rainy  and  the  continent  so 
warm:  the  unusual  extension  of  the  East 
Asian  Jet  Stream.  The  term  “Siberian  Ex- 
press” has  been  convincingly  applied  to  au- 
tumn weather  patterns  that  bring  Siberian 
migrants  across  the  Bering  Sea  and  into 
North  America — a decade  or  so  after  the 
phrase  was  coined,  we  are  already  jaded  by 
widespread  Sharp-tailed  Sandpipers  and 
Long-billed  Murrelets — but  has  never  been 
used  to  explain  movements  of  mostly 
sedentary  birds  of  the  Pacific  coast  of  North 
America.  Could  such  a pattern,  if  it  oc- 
curred in  midwinter  rather  than  autumn 
(the  pattern  did  not  appear  in  autumn 
2005),  account  for  a vagrant  Western  Gull 
off  New  York?  Or  a Glaucous-winged  Gull 
in  Newfoundland  (21  March)?  We  tend  to 
assume  that  such  coastal  species  are  seden- 
tary, but  the  heavy  weather  that  brought  a 
Red  Phalarope  inland  as  far  as  Umapine, 
Washington  might  also  have  moved  a gull 
over  the  Cascade  Mountains  and  perhaps 
farther  eastward.  It  is  difficult  to  imagine 
that  we  could  see  a pattern  of  Western  Gulls 
appearing  in  the  East,  but  perhaps  no  more 
difficult  than  coming  to  terms  with  eastern 
records  of  Heermanns  Gulls  or  Black-tailed 
Gulls.  Because  such  movements  (displace- 
ments— or  whatever  the  term!)  occur  along 
an  east-west  axis,  unlike  the  northward  ex- 
pansions of  so  many  species,  it  is  also  diffi- 
cult to  grasp  how  they  might  relate,  if  at  all, 
to  a warming  planet.  Elowever  these  birds 
came  to  be  where  they  ended  up,  the  Ful- 
vous Whistling-Ducks  and  the  Slaty-backed 
Gulls  could  well  be  considered  “irruptors” 
if  future  seasons  do  not  reveal  an  increasing 
trend,  either  in  the  long  term  or  the  short. 
However,  if  such  birds  do  show  increases, 
along  with  consolidation  of  regular  winter 
range,  in  the  long  run,  we  may  consider 
them  “invaders”  instead. 

Whatever  the  ultimate  causes  of  their 
movements,  and  however  we  choose  to  la- 
bel them  based  on  our  deductions  about 
these  causes,  we  can  be  assured  that  the 
fast-paced  changes  in  bird  distribution  in 
our  era  will  leave  us  few  dull  moments.  We 
birders  are  privileged  to  perceive  concrete 
signs  of  a crisis  on  our  planet,  but  unlike 
past  crises — the  wholesale  destruction  of 
habitats,  the  proliferation  of  pesticides — 
we  often  witness  not  the  loss  of  species, 
not  the  canary-in-a-coalmine  metaphor 
turned  literal,  but  the  appearance  of  fasci- 
nating new  birds  on  our  local  patch.  Those 
of  us  who  have  grown  up  in  the  culture  of 
birding,  a culture  scarcely  a half-century 


old,  are  invariably  elated  on  finding  a 
Painted  Bunting  or  a Yellow  Grosbeak  or  a 
Hooded  Oriole  hundreds  of  miles  north  of 
its  range.  Our  eyes  and  minds  tell  us:  this 
is  a marvelous  discovery  and  a beautiful 
bird.  But  intellectually,  we  are  coming  to 
realize  that  such  birds  are  almost  certainly 
the  harbingers  of  a coming  wave  of  envi- 
ronmental calamities.  Perhaps  we  birders 
should,  without  losing  our  deep  sense  of 
wonder  at  what  we  are  witnessing,  become 
the  modern-day  counterparts  of  the  an- 
cient Greek  augurs — people  who  could  ob- 
serve flights  of  unusual  birds  and  put  an 
interpretation  to  them,  make  sense  of  them 
for  people  who  had  no  understanding  of 
bird  movements.  Do  our  friends  and  rela- 
tives understand  the  urgency  of  the  current 
crisis?  Would  a view  of  the  world  through 
our  eyes  open  theirs?  Are  we  all  working 
together  to  reduce  our  negative  effects  on 
the  planet  and  all  its  inhabitants?  In  2006, 
most  scientists  believe  that  it  is  still  feasi- 
ble to  reduce  carbon  dioxide  emissions  and 
slow  the  warming  of  the  planet  and  the 
rapid  melting  of  glaciers  and  of  polar  ice. 
But  most  also  believe  that  we  have  very  lit- 
tle time  in  which  to  act  effectively.  I think 
it’s  high  time  we  add  augury  to  our  arsenal, 
lest  we,  and  those  who  follow  us,  lose  the 
luxury  of  “birding”  as  we  know  it. 

Acknowledgments 

For  help  with  global  warming,  gulls,  geese, 
and  other  things  that  test  my  patience 
perenially,  I thank  Steven  G.  Mlodinow, 
Louis  R.  Bevier,  Alan  Wormington,  Paul  E. 
Lehman,  and  Alvaro  Jaramillo — the 
touches  of  wisdom  herein  are  theirs,  the  te- 
dious parts  my  own. 

Literature  cited 

Able,  K.  P.  1980.  The  Changing  Seasons. 

American  Birds  34:  249-252. 

Brinkley,  E.  S.  2001a.  The  Changing  Sea- 
sons: Winter  2000-2001:  Hawk  owls, 
hummingbirds,  and  hardies.  North 
American  Birds  55:  132-139. 

. 2001b.  The  Changing  Seasons: 

Drifters.  North  American  Birds  55:  258- 
264. 

. 2003.  The  Changing  Seasons:  Dis- 
placements. North  American  Birds  57: 
307-315. 

Floyd,  T.  2005.  The  Changing  Seasons: 
Seeing  the  Forest  for  the  Trees.  North 
American  Birds  59:  222-226. 

Howe,  M.  A.  1978.  The  Changing  Seasons. 

American  Birds  32:  968-976. 

Inouye,  D.  W.,  B.  Barr,  K.  B.  Armitage,  and 


THE  CHANGING  SEASONS:  WINTER  THAT  WASN'T 


B.  D.  Inouye.  2000.  Climate  change  is 
affecting  altitudinal  migrants  and  hiber- 
nating species.  Proceedings  of  the  Na- 
tional Academy  of  Sciences  97: 
1630-1633. 

Kaufman,  K.  1998.  The  Changing  Sea- 
sons. Field  Notes  52:  158-159. 

Lehman,  P 1984.  The  Changing  Seasons: 
The  winter  of  1983-1984 — “The  Siberian 
Express.”  American  Birds  38:  287-292. 

Leukering,  T.,  and  B.  Gibbons.  2005.  The 
Changing  Seasons:  Spring  2005 — Early 
and  late.  North  American  Birds  59:  386- 
394. 

Mills,  A.  M.  2005.  Changes  in  the  timing  of 
spring  and  autumn  migration  in  North 
American  migrant  passerines  during  a pe- 
riod of  global  warming.  Ibis  147:  259- 
269. 

Price,  J.  T.,  and  T.  L.  Root.  2000.  Focus:  ef- 
fects of  climate  change  on  bird  distribu- 
tions and  migration  patterns.  Pp.  65-68 
in:  Preparing  for  a changing  climate:  the 
potential  consequences  of  climate  vari- 
ability and  change  (P.  J.  Sousounis  and  J. 
M.  Bisanz,  eds.)  University  of  Michi- 
gan, Atmospheric,  Oceanic,  and  Space 
Sciences  Department,  Ann  Arbor, 
Michigan. 

Root,  T.  L.  1988.  Environmental  factors 
associated  with  avian  distributional 
boundaries.  Journal  of  Biogeography  15: 
489-505. 

Root,  T.,  and  J.  D.  Weckstein.  1994. 
Changes  in  distribution  patterns  of  se- 
lect wintering  North  American  birds 
from  1901  to  1989.  Pp.  191-201  in:  A 
Century  of  Avifaunal  Change  in  West- 
ern North  America  (J-  R.  Jehl,Jr.,  and  N. 
K.  Johnson,  eds.).  Studies  in  Avian  Biol- 
ogy 15. 

. 1996.  Changing  in  winter  ranges  of 

selected  birds,  1901-1989.  Pp.  386-389 
in:  Our  Living  Resources:  a report  to  the 
nation  on  the  distribution,  abundance,  and 
health  of  U.S.  plants,  animals,  and  ecosys- 
tems (E.  T.  LaRoe,  G.  S.  Farris,  C.  E. 
Puckett,  P.  D.  Doran,  and  M.  J.  Mac, 
eds.).  U.  S.  Department  of  the  Interior, 
National  Biological  Service,  Washing- 
ton, D.C. 

Smith,  P W.  1976.  The  Changing  Seasons. 
American  Birds  30:  805-810. 

Sullivan,  B.  L.  2004.  The  Changing  Sea- 
sons: The  Big  Picture.  North  American 
Birds  58:  14-29. 

Valiela,  I.,  and  J.  L.  Bowen.  2003.  Shifts  in 
Winter  Distribution  in  Birds:  Effects  of 
Global  Warming  and  Local  Habitat 
Change.  Ambio  32:  476-480. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


193 


Editors'  Notebook 


“These  synoptic 
weather  maps  were 
reproduced  incorrect- 
ly in  Figure  5,  A-H, 
of  the  Changing  Sea- 
sons essay  by  Stephen 
Dinsmore  and  An- 
drew Farnsworth, 
North  American  Birds 
60:  17.  We  apologize 
to  these  authors,  and 
the  readers,  for  the 
printing  error  and 
hope  everyone  will  go 
back  and  read  the  ar- 
ticle anew,  with  these 
corrected  maps.” 

— The  Editors 


Surface  Weather  Map  at  7:00  A.M.  E.S.t. 


Surface  Weather  Map  at  7:00  A.M.  E.S.T. 


Surface  Weather  Map  at  7:00  A.M.  E.S.T. 


Surface  Weather  Map  at  7:00  A.M.  E.S.T 


Surface  Weather  Map  at  7:00  A.M.  E.S.T. 


Surface  Weather  Map  at  7:00  A.M.  E.S.T. 


Figure  5 A-H.  A mosaic  of  synoptic  maps  showing  the  0700  Eastern  Standard  time  positions  of  progression  and  occlusion  of  frontal  boundaries  on  dates  in 
2005:  A)  9 October,  B)  1 0 October,  C)  1 1 October,  D)  1 2 October,  E)  1 3 October,  F)  1 4 October,  G)  1 5 October,  and  H)  1 6 October.  The  first  six  (A-F)  maps  show 
a frontal  boundary  that  has  stalled  off  the  Atlantic  coast.  To  the  west  of  the  front,  winds  are  generally  northerly  and  easterly,  with  scattered  precipitation 
visible  on  each  day.  By  15-16  October  (maps  G,  H),  low  pressure  off  the  coast  of  New  England  has  intensified  and  started  to  move  northward  and  eastward 
out  of  the  region.  Simultaneously,  a stronger  cold  front  approaches  from  the  west,  creating  conditions  favorable  for  a large-scale  movement  of  birds. 


194 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


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STANDARD 
ABBREVIATIONS  AND 
SYMBOLS  USED  IN  THE 
REGIONAL  REPORTS 


* 

specimen  collected 

+ 

bird(s)  seen  through  end  of  period 

t 

written  details  on  file 

A.F.B. 

Air  Force  Base 

acc. 

accepted  by  records  committee 

A.R.C. 

Avian  Records  Committee 

b. 

banded 

B.B.S. 

Breeding  Bird  Survey 

B.O. 

Bird  Observatory 

B.R.C. 

Bird  Records  Committee 

C.A. 

Conservation  Area 

C.B.C. 

Christmas  Bird  Count 

C.P. 

County  Park 

cm 

centimeter(s) 

Cr. 

Creek 

Ft. 

Fort 

G.C. 

Golf  Course 

G.P. 

Game  Preserve 

Hwy. 

Highway 

1.  (Is.) 

Island(s),  lsle(s) 

imm.  (imms.) 

immature(s) 

Jet. 

Junction 

juv.  (juvs.) 

juvenal  [plumage];  juvenile(s) 

km 

kilometer(s) 

L. 

Lake 

mm 

millimeter(s) 

m.ob. 

many  (or  multiple)  observers 

Mt.  (Mts.) 

Mount/Mountain  (Mountains) 

N.A. 

Nature  Area,  Natural  Area 

N.F. 

National  Forest 

N.M. 

National  Monument 

N.P. 

National  Park 

N.S. 

National  Seashore 

N.W.R. 

National  Wildlife  Refuge 

p.a. 

pending  acceptance 

P.P. 

Provincial  Park 

Pen. 

Peninsula 

ph. 

photographed  (by  + initials) 

Pt. 

Point  (not  Port) 

R. 

River 

R.A. 

Recreation(al)  Area 

R.B.A. 

Rare  Bird  Alert 

R.P 

Regional  Park 

R.S. 

Regional  Shoreline 

Res. 

Reservoir 

Rte. 

Route 

S.B. 

State  Beach 

S.F. 

State  Forest 

S.G.A. 

State  Game  Area 

S.P. 

State  Park 

S.R.A. 

State  Recreation  Area 

S.R. 

State  Reserve 

S.W.A. 

State  Wildlife  Area 

S.T.P. 

Sewage  Treatment  Plant/Pond 

subad.  (subads.) 

subadult(s) 

Twp. 

Township 

v.r. 

voice  recording  (by  + initials) 

vt. 

videotape  (by  + initials) 

W.A. 

Wildlife  Area 

W.M.A. 

Wildlife  Management  Area 

W.T.P. 

(Waste)water  Treatment  Plant/Pond 

VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  1 


195 


Hazelnut  $9.50 


Item#  13687, 
Guatemalan  $9.50 


Item  # 13688, 
Costa  Rican  $9.50 


Item  # 1 3689, 
French  Roast  $9.50 


Nicaraguan  $9.50 


One  of  the  rarest,  most  beautiful,  and  most  mysterious  birds  in  the 
world,  the  Ivory-billed  Woodpecker  has  reappeared  in  the  deep 
swamp  forests  of  Arkansas.  Feared  extinct  for  decades,  the  species  may 
also  persist  elsewhere  within  its  former  range,  as  significant  remnants  of  the 
great  southern  forests  are  being  protected  and  nurtured  back  to  their  former 
glory.  The  magnificent  Ivory-billed  Woodpecker  speaks  to  us  about  our  past, 
and  about  hopes  for  our  future.  This  was  a bird  of  the  ancient  forests.  When 
we  clear-cut  the  old  growth  southern  forests,  humans  virtually  eliminated  the 
special  haunts  of  this  magnificent  species.  By  securing  and  restoring  large 
expanses  of  forest  across  the  southern  U.S.  and  allowing  these  places  to  grow 
old  in  their  natural  condition,  we  can  hope  that  one  day  Ivory-billed 
Woodpeckers  will  again  grace  the  treetops  of  our  great  southern  forests. 

Your  purchase  of  this  coffee  directly  aids  the  Big  Woods  Conservation 
Partnership  in  the  securing  and  restoration  of  the  Ivory-bill  habitat. 
Money  raised  from  sales  of  the  Ivory-bill  blend  is  shared  by  the  ABA 
and  the  BWCP.  This  shade  grown,  organic  and  fair  trade  coffee  from 
Nicaragua,  grown  as  the  understory  of  the  forest,  also  maintains  winter  feed- 
ing habitat  for  our  neotropical  migrants  and  provides  the  farmers  of  the 
cooperative  with  a living  wage  from  growing  coffee  in  a healthy  and  sustain- 
able environment. 

Ivory-billed  Woodpecker  $9.50 
Available  in  a light  or  dark  roast  and  decaf 


OTHER  FLAVORS  OF  SONGBIRD  COFFEE  AVAILABLE  AT  ABA  SALES: 


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Lafayette  is  located  in  south-central  Louisiana,  surrounded  by 
marshes  and  estuaries  to  the  south,  upland  hardwood  and  pine 
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gum  swamps  to  the  east,  and  the  legendary  2.2  million  acre 
“ricefield  country”  to  the  west.  The  convention  takes  place  at 
the  peak  time  for  spring  bird  migration  in  this  part  of  the  world. 
Migrants  pour  northward  from  the  tropics  into  the  beaches, 
marshes,  ricefields  and  forests  of  Louisiana.  They  include 
songbirds  such  as  the  vireos,  thrushes,  warblers,  tanagers,  and 
orioles,  wading  birds,  seabirds,  and  shorebirds.  Plus,  waterfowl, 
raptors,  and  sparrows  will  still  be  lingering  here.  It’s  easy  to 
see,  then,  that  day-lists  of  100+  species  are  more  the  rule  than 
the  exception  in  southern  Louisiana. 

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Great  Egret  by  H.  Douglas  Pratt 


Atlantic  Provinces  & St.  Pierre  et  Miquelon 


-! 


pKillinek  I. 

m Torngat  Mtns.  N.  P. 
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LABRADOR 


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Schefferville  (PQ) 


Labrador  City  ^ 
Wabush 

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■ V/IIUIVI 


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Mtns. 
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Goose  Bay 


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I ■ Ecological 

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Strait  of  Belle  Isle 


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Sea'i  'Cape  Sable  I. 


Sable  I. 


Lettered  Nova 
Scotia  Sites: 
A Pictou 
B Amherst 
C Truro 
D Wolfville 
E Digby 


Brian  Dalzell 


CC  A bnormal”  is  the  new  normal 
LJL  weather  in  the  Atlantic  Provinces, 
JL  JL it  would  seem,  and  the  winter  of 
2005-2006  was  the  warmest  on  record.  The 
traditional  “January  thaw”  lasted  all  month, 
with  temperatures  almost  5°  C higher  than 
normal,  but  with  precipitation  down  a third 
(snowfall  by  40%).  Heavy  rains  fell  over  most 
of  the  Region  in  mid-January,  when  tempera- 
tures of  10°  C caused  Wood  Frogs  and  Spring 
Peepers  to  commence  calling,  Ruffed  Grouse 
to  drum,  and  dandelions  to  (lower.  On  Grand 
Manan  Island,  New  Brunswick,  maple  syrup 
production  began  in  mid-February,  a full 
month  ahead  of  normal.  Northhumberland 
Strait  did  not  freeze  over  for  the  first  time  in 
recent  memory,  forcing  Gray  Seals  to  pup  on- 
shore, and  great  clouds  of  red  dust  swirled 
over  the  normally  snow-covered  potato  fields 
of  western  Prince  Edward  Island.  As  the  glob- 
al climate  continues  to  change,  we  expect 
more  of  the  same. 

The  only  regions  to  experience  normal 
snow  cover  were  Labrador,  western  New- 
foundland, and  northwestern  New 
Brunswick;  eastern  Newfoundland  got  buried 
in  snow  late  in  the  period.  The  mild  weather 
allowed  many  “ Wilma  waifs”  from  late  Octo- 
ber to  survive  much  longer  than  normal,  and 
lingering/wintering  species  were  legion  this 
year:  American  Bittern,  Great  and  Snowy 
Egrets,  Northern  Shoveler,  Blue-winged  Teal, 
Long-billed  Dowitcher,  Forsters  Tern,  Tree 
and  Barn  Swallows,  and  Gray  Catbird,  among 
others.  Waterfowl  such  as  Brant,  Canada 
Goose,  and  Long-tailed  Duck  took  advantage 
of  mild  conditions  to  return  early  or  to  remain 
in  larger-than-normal  numbers.  New 
Brunswick  had  its  highest-ever  winter  list 
(175  species),  Nova  Scotia  tied  their  best  total 
(214),  and  even  Prince  Edward  Island  tallied 


a respectable  116  species  for  the  season.  1 
thank  Blake  Maybank,  lan  McLaren,  and 
Bruce  Mactavish  for  their  extensive  assistance 
in  the  preparation  of  this  report. 

Abbreviations:  C.B.l.  (Cape  Breton  L,  NS); 
C.S.I.  (Cape  Sable  I.,  NS);  G.M.l.  (Grand 
Manan  I.,  NB);  H.R.M.  (Halifax  Regional  Mu- 
nicipality, NS);  NF  (the  island  of  Newfound- 
land, as  opposed  to  the  province  of  New- 
foundland & Labrador  [NL] );  SPM  (St.  Pierre 
et  Miquelon,  France). 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  VULTURES 

Snow  Geese  were  notable  along  the  outer 
coast  of  Nova  Scotia  and  s.  Newfoundland  in 
mid-  to  late  Dec:  13  were  at  Deans  Corner, 
Lunenburg , NS  26-27  Dec  (JH),  9 at  Harden’s 
Pt„  H.R.M. , NS  22-28  Dec  (TP),  4 at  French- 
man’s Cove,  Burin  Pen.,  NF  12  Dec+  (Allan 
Nolan),  and  4 at  Miquelon  23  Dec  (Guil- 
laume Desmalles).  This  flight  likely  brought 
Newfoundland’s  first  Ross’s  Goose  to  St. 
John’s,  an  ad.  16  Dec+  (m.ob.).  A Barnacle 
Goose  at  Moncton,  NB  into  early  Dec  was  of 
note  (SIT).  Canada  Geese  normally  vacate 
Prince  Edward  I.  in  winter,  but  this  year, 
thousands  remained,  such  as  5000+  at  Vernon 
R.  throughout.  Fair  numbers  of  Brant  began 
returning  to  spring  staging  areas  in  mid-Jan, 


The  best  counts  of  American  Wigeon  were 
75  on  the  Halifax  C.B.C.  19  Dec  and  about  75 
throughout  the  season  at  Wentworth  Park, 
Sydney,  NS.  Eight  Eurasian  Wigeons  wintered 
at  St.  John’s  (BMt),  4 were  at  Glace  Bay,  NS  27 
Dec  (rn.ob.),  4 at  Grand  Barachois,  SPM  into 
Dec  (RE),  2 in  se.  New  Brunswick  in  early 
Dec  (SIT),  and  2 at  Sullivan’s  Pond,  H.R.M.  in 
Feb  (m.ob.).  Near-record  numbers  of  Ameri- 
can Black  Duck  were  found  at  St.  Pierre  et 
Miquelon,  with  counts  of  up  to  575  at  Grand 
Barachois,  which  notably  did  not  freeze  over 
significantly  this  winter  (RE).  Ten  Blue- 
winged Teal  included  a pair  at  St.  John,  NB 
throughout  (m.ob.),  2 on  the  Halifax-Dart- 
mouth, NS  C.B.C.  18  Dec,  3 at  Lunenburg 
Harbour,  NS  12  Jan  (EM),  one  at  Brier  L,  NS 
13  Dec  (EM),  and  a pair  at  C.S.I.  throughout 
(MN).  The  total  of  15+  Northern  Shovelers 
was  well  above  normal;  notable  were  6 in 
Antigonish , NS  16  Dec+  (RL),  3 at  St.  John’s 
(BMt;  “a  rare  event”),  2 at  Yarmouth,  NS  14 
Jan  (GS),  a female  at  St.  Pierre  (a  Wilma  evac- 
uee; RE),  and  singles  at  Montague,  PEI  14  Jan 
(Charlie  Trainor)  and  Windsor,  Dominion, 
Dartmouth,  and  Port  Williams,  NS. 

Three  Canvasbacks  were  found  at  Cherry 
Hill  Beach  1 Jan  (SF)  and  one  at  Sackville,  NB 
25  Jan+  (Kathy  Popma).  Following  last  fall’s 
big  Bight,  many  Redheads  remained  behind  to 


At  East  Chezzetcook,  Nova  Scotia,  this  Great  Egret  stayed  at  least  into  February  2006,  the  latest  on  record  for  the  province 
(here  25  January).  Photograph  by  Hans  Toom. 


principally  at  G.M.l.  and  C.S.I.,  a full  month 
ahead  of  normal.  Two  inun.  Mute  Swans  at 
Pembroke,  Yarmouth,  NS  1 1-18  Dec  may  have 
come  from  the  nearest  established  population 
in  s.  Maine  (MN);  they  furnished  the  2nd 
provincial  record  of  the  species. 


winter,  e.g.,  7 at  Cap  Birnet,  Westmoreland, 
NB  1-4  Dec  (SIT),  10  at  Three  Fathom  Har- 
bour, H.R.M.  29  Jan,  and  5 at  Oyster  Bed 
Bridge,  PEI  18  Feb  (DO);  and  Newfound- 
land’s first  winter  record  was  furnished  by  a 
drake  throughout  at  Spaniard’s  Bay  (BMt). 


198 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


ATLANTIC  PROVINCES  & ST.  PIERRE  ET  MIQUELON 


A species  now  annual  in  December  in  Newfoundland,  this  Dickcissel  was 
photographed  7 December  2006  at  Lower  Cove.  Photograph  byS.  LeShane. 


The  largest  wintering  flock  of  Ring-necked 
Ducks  to  come  to  light  was  10  at  Salmon 
River,  H.R.M.  throughout  (Joan  Czapaly). 
Winter  flocks  of  Greater  Scaup  continue  to 
increase  in  Newfoundland;  100  through 
Feb  at  Miquelon  Salt  Pond  was  a notable 
number  there  (RE).  King  Eider  is  seldom 
reported  from  the  Bay  of  Fundy  shore  of 
Nova  Scotia,  where  2 drakes  were  present 
at  Port  George  25  Jan+  (m.ob.).  Long- 
tailed Duck  wintered  in  greater  numbers 
than  normal  around  Prince  Edward  I.  due 
to  the  lack  of  sea  ice  in  protected  bay 
much  to  the  consternation  of  mussel  farm- 
ers, whose  sites  are  normally  frozen  in.  A 
good  count  of  Barrow’s  Goldeneye  for 
Nova  Scotia  was  12  at  North  Sydney  15  Jan 
(Andrew  MacDonald). 

Up  to  6 Pied-billed  Grebes  wintered  suc- 
cessfully along  the  coast  of  Nova  Scotia,  w.  of 
Halifax;  one  near  Miquelon  Village,  SPM  13 
Dec  was  most  unusual  (RE).  A Sooty  Shear- 
water off  C.S.l.  10  Feb  was  probably  at- 
tempting to  winter  (GS);  there  are  fewer  than 
10  records  of  the  species  in  the  w.  North  At- 
lantic in  midwinter.  One  American  Bittern 
per  winter  is  normal,  so  4 in  Nova  Scotia  rep- 
resents somewhat  of  an  invasion:  singles  on 
the  Halifax  C.B.C.  19  Dec,  at  Lockeport  19  & 
30  Dec  (DC),  at  Smelt  Cove,  Lunenburg  7-9 
Jan  QH).  and  very  late  near  Dingwall,  Victo- 
ria at  the  n.  tip  of  Cape  Breton  18  Feb  (Fritz 
McEvoy).  Great  Egrets  set  winter  survival 
records,  with  birds  lasting  until  23  Dec  at  St. 
Johns,  NF,  1 Jan  at  Trinity  Bay,  NF  (fide  BMt), 
28  Jan  at  East  Chezzetcook,  H.R.M.  (Tim 
Wershler),  and  20  Jan  at  Seal  River,  PEI  (Wal- 
ter Conohan).  A Cattle  Egret  remained  until 
1 Dec  near  Grand  Tracadie,  PEI  (Roy  Mc- 
Nab).  Single  Snowy  Egrets  pushing  the  enve- 
lope were  at  St.  Pierre  Harbour,  SPM  1-6  Dec 
(m.ob.)  and  at  St.  John’s  late  Oct-23  Jan,  the 
latter  found  dead  25  Jan  (fide  BMt).  Tardy 
Black-crowned  Night-Herons  were  found  at 
C.S.l.  in  mid-Dec  (fide  MN)  and  St.  John’s  9 
Dec  (Dave  Brown,  KK),  the  latter  found  dead 
a few  days  later.  The  center  of  abundance  for 
wintering  Turkey  Vulture  in  the  Region  is  in 
Digby  and  Yarmouth,  Nova  Scotia;  10  were 
found  on  the  C.B.C.  at  Brier  I.  14  Dec,  20  at 
a Chebogue  offal  feeder  10  Feb  (Jennifer 
LeBlanc),  and  an  outlier  at  Shelburne  28  Feb 
(Roland  Chiasson). 

HAWKS  THROUGH  SHORE  BIRDS 

Cooper’s  Hawk  is  now  a rare-but-regular  win- 
ter resident  throughout  its  breeding  range  in 
New  Brunswick,  where  they  appear  to  subsist 
principally  on  Rock  Pigeons.  An  imm.  Broad- 
winged Hawk  was  carefully  studied  at  Antigo- 
nish,  NS  18  Dec  (RL),  while  the  identification 


of  one  at  Mader’s  Cove,  Lunenburg,  NS  19  Dec 
was  less  certain  OH).  A Red-shouldered 
Hawk  at  Pembroke,  Yarmouth,  NS  in  Jan  pro- 
vided one  of  very  few  winter  records  for  the 
province  ON).  An  imm.  Golden  Eagle  at  the 
St.  John’s  landfill  26  Dec+  was  very  rare  for 
Newfoundland  (BMt).  Six  imm.  Bald  Eagles 
together  on  the  Isthmus  of  Miquelon  4 Jan 
was  a high  count  locally  (Christine  Hebert). 
Reports  of  wintering  Peregrine  Falcon  contin- 
ue to  increase:  C.B.C.  birds  included  2 at 
Miquelon  3 Jan,  3 at  Memramcook,  NB  26 
Dec,  3 at  Halifax-Dartmouth,  NS  18  Dec,  plus 
singles  in  at  least  six  other  Nova  Scotia  and  s. 
New  Brunswick  locales.  A dark-morph  Gyr- 
falcon  found  at  Brier  I.,  NS  14  Dec  was  the 
only  report  of  the  species  (EM). 

A moribund  Virginia  Rail  found  in  a Christ- 
mas tree  lot  at  Canso,  NS  21-22  Dec  (SB)  was 
later  taken  into  rehabilitation.  A Purple 
Gallinule  picked  up  on  a street  in  St.John’s,  NF 
30  Dec  following  strong  southerly  winds  was 
later  released  in  a city  marsh  (BMt).  A few 
American  Coots  wintered  in  Nova  Scotia  as 
usual,  but  one  at  St.  Pierre  5-29  Dec  was  no- 
tably far  east  (m.ob.).  Further  evidence  of  a 
warm  winter,  19  species  of  shorebird  were 
found  in  Nova  Scotia  this  season.  The  rarest 
shorebird  by  far  was  a Northern  Lapwing  at  St. 
Lawrence,  Burin  Pen.,  NF  30  Nov-4  Dec  (Gail 
& Norman  Wilson).  The  highest  count  of 
Black-bellied  Plovers  was  17  at  C.S.L  14  Jan 
(MN).  Five  Killdeer  at  St.  Pierre  6 Dec  were 
likely  Wilma  birds  (PB);  one  lasted  there  until 
17  Jan  at  Grand  Barachois.  Two  American  Av- 
ocets  (leftover  from  Wilma ) remained  at 
Morien  Bar,  C.B.I.  through  1 Dec  (DM)  The 
odd  Greater  Yellowlegs  attempts  to  winter  in 
sw.  Nova  Scotia,  but  one  at  Apple  River,  Cum- 
berland, NS  1 Jan+  (Kathleen  Spicer)  was  most 
unusual.  A Lesser  Yellowlegs  was  found  at 
Cole  Harbour,  H.R.M.  15  Dec  (Ian  McLaren). 
A Marbled  Godwit,  also  from  Wilma,  lingered 
until  6 Dec  at  Ogden’s  Pond,  Antigonish,  NS 
(RL).  In  the  Region,  Red  Knots  winter  princi- 


pally at  St.  Pierre  et  Miquelon,  where  15 
were  found  on  the  Isthmus  of  Miquelon  24 
Dec  (RE),  and  C.S.L,  where  11  was  a high 
count  14  Jan  (MN).  Four  Semipalmated 
and  5 White-rumped  Sandpipers  were  care- 
fully studied  at  C.S.L  14  Jan  (MN),  while  a 
Least  Sandpiper  near  Cape  Race,  NF  3 Dec 
was  very  late  (BMt).  A Baird’s  Sandpiper  re- 
ported at  River  Bennett,  C.B.I.  16  Dec  was 
most  unusual  (SM,  John  McKay). 

Purple  Sandpiper  winters  regularly  at 
St.  Pierre  et  Miquelon,  but  217  on  the  St. 
Pierre  C.B.C.  19  Dec  set  a record.  A flock 
of  45  Dunlins  at  Evangeline  Beach,  Kings, 
NS  17  Dec  was  away  from  usual  winter 
haunts  along  the  s.  shore  (PK,  Barry 
Youll),  where  68  were  found  at  C.S.L  14  Jan 
(MN).  Notably  late,  thanks  to  Wilma,  was  a 
Stilt  Sandpiper  through  3 Dec  at  Three  Fath- 
om Harbour,  NS  (SM);  the  hurricane  also  be- 
queathed significant  numbers  of  Long-billed 
Dowitchers,  many  of  which  remained  well 
into  winter,  such  as  13  in  Antigonish,  NS  18 
Dec  (RL),  19  at  Rainbow  Haven,  H.R.M.  31 
Dec  (TP),  19  at  Melbourne,  Yarmouth,  NS 
through  31  Jan  (PC),  5 at  C.S.L  20  Feb  (MN), 
and  singles  at  Cymbria,  PEI  4 Dec  (D&rES) 
and  G.M.I.  21  Dec  (BED).  An  American 
Woodcock  at  C.S.L  19  Feb  (MN)  was  in  a 
known  wintering  area,  but  one  at  Wolfville 
Ridge,  Kings,  NS  20  Jan  (Bernard  Forsythe) 
definitely  was  not.  It  was  flushed  from  a 
stream  with  moss-covered  banks  in  woods 
with  many  tangled,  fallen  trees.  Five  Wilson’s 
Snipe  together  at  St.  Pierre  19  Dec  was  quite  a 
sight  but  upstaged  by  one  that  landed  on  the 
street  in  front  of  Etcheberry  in  Miquelon  18 
Feb!  A few  Red  Phalaropes  are  sometimes  re- 
ported in  the  outer  Bay  of  Fundy  in  early  win- 
ter, but  one  inland  at  the  head  of  the  Bay  on 
13  Dec  in  a sewage  lagoon  at  Windsor,  NS 
was  certainly  unexpected  (PK). 

GULLS  THROUGH  SKIMMERS 

The  last  of  a dozen  Wilma  Laughing  Gulls  in 
St.  John’s,  NF  was  seen  15  Dec  (m.ob.);  an- 
other that  had  arrived  in  late  Oct  at  St.  Pierre 
was  found  dead  9 Dec  (RE).  At  least  200 
Black-headed  Gulls  in  St.John's  harbor  in  ear- 
ly Dec  was  the  “highest  ever”  (BMt).  The  only 
Little  Gull  to  come  to  light  was  an  ad.  9 Dec 
at  Canso  Causeway,  C.B.I.  (Angus  MacLean). 
A Thayer’s  Gull  at  Stratford,  PEI  16  Jan  was 
returning  for  a 2nd  winter  (Dwight  Cargill). 
At  least  15  Lesser  Black-backed  Gulls  win- 
tered in  St.  John’s,  with  only  scattered  singles 
found  elsewhere  in  the  Region.  At  least  3 
Mew  Gulls  of  the  nominate  subspecies  win- 
tered in  St.  John’s;  one  at  Stratford,  PEI  26  Dec 
was  an  excellent  find  for  the  province  (DO). 
Two  ad.  Yellow-legged  Gulls  were  regularly 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


199 


ATLANTIC  PROVINCES  & ST.  PIERRE  ET  MIQUELON 


seen  and  well  photographed  in  St. 

John’s  mid-Dec-mid-Feb  (BMt, 
m.ob.).  An  ad.  Slaty-backed  Gull  at 
the  St.  John’s  landfill  28  Jan-12  Feb 
(Dave  Brown,  BMt  et  al.)  was  a first  for 
Newfoundland  (but  followed  closely 
by  a third- winter  bird  there  19  Mar!). 

A late  Caspian  Tern  was  at  Ogden’s 
Pond,  Antigonish,  NS  6 Dec  (BMy), 
certainly  a Wilma  bird,  as  were  2 Com- 
mon Terns  at  Canso,  NS  14  Dec  (TK) 
and  single  Forster’s  Terns  through  1 
Jan  at  Florence,  C.B.I.  (DM),  6 Feb  at 
Conrad’s  Beach,  H.R.M.  (nr.ob.),  19 
Feb  in  normally  frozen  Northumber- 
land Strait,  at  the  Pictou  Causeway,  NS 
(Ken  McKenna),  and  through  the  pe- 
riod in  s.  coastal  Lunenburg  (m.ob.). 

Only  slightly  more  unusual,  and  an- 
other Wilma  refugee,  was  a Black  Skimmer  6 
& 16  Dec  at  Canso  harbor,  NS  (TK). 


Yellow-legged  Gull  is  now  annual  at  St.  John's,  Newfoundland  in  winter. 
An  adult  returning  for  its  fourth  consecutive  winter  and  this  new  individual 
(here  8 January  2006)  were  seen  regularly  from  December  into  February. 
Photograph  by  Bruce  Mactavish. 


DOVES  THROUGH  SWALLOWS 

Single  White-winged  Doves  were  found  at 
Alma,  NB  4-16  Dec  (Doreen  Rossiter)  and 
Canso,  NS  through  21  Dec  (TK).  “Barely  a 
handful”  of  Snowy  Owls  was  found  in  New- 
foundland (BMt),  while  “more  reports  than 
usual”  (10+)  came  from  Prince  Edward  I., 
up  to  5 were  found  on  G.M.I.,  NB  in  late 
Dec  (BED),  and  2 were  at  C.S.I.  in  late  Feb 
(MN).  Great  Horned  Owls  were  apparent- 
ly starving  in  w.  Labrador,  with  at  least 
three  reports  of  birds  carrying  off  small 
dogs  (at  least  two  on  leashes!)  in  and  near 
Labrador  City.  At  least  one  attack  was  suc- 
cessful, with  another  resulting  in  the 
death  of  the  owl  after  the  dog’s  owner  be- 
headed it  with  a hunting  knife  ( fide  GP). 

Up  to  8 Short-eared  Owls  were  present  on 
the  Grand  Pre  dykelands,  Kings,  NS  in  late 
Dec  (nr.ob.).  A dead  Boreal  Owl  was 
found  at  Coleman,  PEI  in  late  Feb  ( fide 
DO),  while  a live  one  responded  to  a taped 
call  somewhere  in  the  wilds  of  Antigonish, 

NS  26  Feb  (RL).  The  last  of  Wilma’s  Chim- 
ney Swifts  bravely  survived  until  early  Dec 
in  Nova  Scotia,  with  singles  noted  at  Hal- 
ifax 2 Dec  (Jean  Flartley)  and  River  Bour- 
geois, C.B.I.  6-7  Dec  (GD). 

Very  few  Red-bellied  Woodpeckers 
showed  up  in  the  Region  following  last 
winter’s  record  flight,  with  about  12  re- 
ports in  Nova  Scotia,  8 in  New  Brunswick, 
and  one  in  Prince  Edward  1.  Three  Yellow- 
bellied  Sapsuckers  came  to  light  in  Nova 
Scotia,  including  one  returning  for  a 2nd 
winter  to  a feeder  in  Hantsport,  NS.  An 
unidentified  Empidonax  flycatcher  at  St.John’s 
4 Dec  was  “probably  a good  one”  (John  Wells 
et  al.).  A Western  Kingbird  survived  until  26 


Dec  at  Oakland,  Lunenburg,  NS  (fide  JH), 
while  an  Eastern  Kingbird  lasted  until  16  Dec 
at  Canso,  NS  (SB).  The  Bell’s  Vireo  found  in 
Nov  in  Halifax  survived  until  at  least  4 Dec 
(m.ob.).  It  appears  some  of  the  swallows  de- 
posited in  the  Region  by  Wilma  tried  to  make 
their  way  back  southward.  Nine  Tree  Swal- 
lows were  still  at  Chebogue,  Yarmouth,  NS  20 
Dec  (PG),  while  2 at  Melmerby  Beach,  Pictou, 


Representing  a first  record  for  Newfoundland  and  second  for  the  At- 
lantic Provinces  region,  this  adult  Slaty-backed  Gull  was  found  29  Janu- 
ary 2006  (here)  and  remained  through  12  February  at  the  city  landfill  at 
St.  John's;  another  Slaty-backed  was  found  there  on  1 9 March.  The  so- 
called  "string  of  pearls"  pattern  of  the  primaries  is  visible  on  both  sides 
of  the  wing.  Photograph  by  Bruce  Mactavish. 

NS  10-20  Jan  (Harry  & Jean  Brennan)  and  one 
at  Point  Michaud,  Richmond,  C.B.I.  8 Feb 
(GD)  were  obviously  intent  on  wintering. 
Barn  Swallows  lasted  until  early  Dec,  with  one 


at  Cape  Race,  NF  3 Dec  (BMt),  one  at 
C.S.I.  2 Dec  (MN,  JN),  2 at  Cape  Tor- 
mentine,  NB  5 Dec  (fide  SIT),  and  12 
at  Soldier’s  Cove,  Lunenburg,  NS 
through  6 Dec  (Helen  MacDonald). 

NUTHATCHES  THROUGH 
WAXWINGS 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch  numbers  were 
very  low  in  the  Maritimes  but  amaz- 
ingly high  at  the  extreme  n.  edge  of 
their  range  in  w.  Labrador.  For  exam- 
ple, 40+  per  day  could  easily  be  found 
in  suitable  habitat  throughout  the  pe- 
riod at  Smokey  Mt.,  Labrador  City 
(GP).  The  only  Carolina  Wren  was 
one  at  Saint  John,  NB  throughout  (fide 
JW).  A House  Wren  was  at  Ferryland, 
NF  until  18  Dec,  while  a Marsh  Wren 
found  nearby  17  Dec  (BMt  et  al.)  was  only  the 
7th  for  Newfoundland  &r  Labrador.  Only  at 
St.  Pierre  et  Miquelon  did  American  Robin 
elicit  comment:  where  there  are  usually  none, 
102  were  on  the  Miquelon  C.B.C.  3 Jan,  200 
were  near  Mirande  L.  5 Feb,  and  100  were  in 
St.  Pierre  15-16  Feb  (RE).  After  last  winter’s 
unprecedented  flight,  only  a single 
Townsend’s  Solitaire  was  found,  near 
Latneque,  NB  18  Dec  (Marianna  Duguay). 
A Varied  Thrush  at  a feeder  in  Penobsquis, 
NB  14-18  Dec  died  after  hitting  a window 
(Bob  Secord;  *New  Brunswick  Museum), 
while  one  at  a feeder  in  Renews,  NF  was 
present  late  Dec-late  Feb  (Joe  Hynes),  the 
province’s  5th.  A Fieldfare  at  Cymbria, 
PEI  1 1 Jan+  (D&SE)  was  a first  for  the 
province  and  spent  most  of  its  time  in 
plowed  fields  with  starlings. 

Gray  Catbird  was  found  in  unprece- 
dented numbers,  probably  thanks  to 
Wilma,  with  20+  in  Nova  Scotia,  5+  in 
New  Brunswick,  and  even  2 on  the  St. 
Pierre  C.B.C.  19  Dec.  Groups  of  2-3  birds 
were  found  in  parts  of  Nova  Scotia,  where 
most  likely  wintered  successfully.  Brown 
Thrashers  are  not  unusual  at  feeders  in 
Nova  Scotia  and  s.  New  Brunswick,  but 
outlying  singles  were  at  Miscou  L,  NB  7 
Jan  (Frank  Branch),  Huntley,  PEI  6 Jan 
(Theresa  D’Armour),  and  Lumsden,  NF 
(near  Gander)  through  the  period 
(m.ob.).  Bohemian  Waxwings  were  said  to 
be  uncommon  and  late  in  Newfoundland, 
with  a few  flocks  in  the  hundreds  (BMt). 
In  s.  New  Brunswick  and  e.  Prince  Edward 
L,  fair  flocks  (250-500)  were  found  in  late 
Dec,  with  the  largest  counts  in  Nova  Sco- 
tia, such  as  2000  at  Canning  18  Feb  (Merrit 
Gibson),  1800  at  Granville  Ferry  1 Jan  (BMy), 
1500+  on  the  Springvale  C.B.C.  17  Dec,  and 
many  flocks  of  500+  in  the  Annapolis  Valley 


200 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


ATLANTIC  PROVINCES  & ST.  PIERRE  ET  MIQUELON 


in  Feb.  Cedar  Waxwing  was  outnumbered  by 
Bohemians  about  25:1.  A hock  of  20  was  at 
Miquelon  4 Jan  (Laurent  Jackman),  and  the 
largest  flock  reported  was  55+  at  Charlotte- 
town, PEI  14  Jan  (lan  Scott). 

WARBLERS  THROUGH  SPARROWS 

A male  Black-throated  Blue  Warbler  at  St. 
Pierre  through  at  least  4 Jan  was  unique  in  the 
Region  (PB).  Four  Yellow-throated  Warblers 
turned  up  in  New  Brunswick,  with  singles  in 
Dec  at  Richibucto,  at  Taymouth  (subspecies 
dominica ),  and  at  Moncton;  another  lasted  27 
Nov-31  Jan  at  Fredericton  (Ron  Wilson),  one 
at  Middle  Musquodobbit,  NS  13  Jan  was  ob- 
served feeding  on  flies  (fide  BMt),  and  anoth- 
er at  St.  Pierre  22  Jan  ( fide  RE)  was  locally 
very  rare.  Pine  Warbler  continues  to  increase 
each  winter,  with  many  reports  of  single  birds 
at  feeders  throughout  the  Region.  The  only 
Prairie  Warbler  of  the  period  was  at  Biscay 
Bay,  NF  3 Dec  (PL).  A Black-and-white 
Warbler  lasted  until  26  Dec  at  St.  John’s. 

An  Ovenbird  was  found  at  Sullivan’s  Pond, 
Dartmouth,  NS  7 Jan  (JH).  An  imm.  Cape 
May  Warbler  in  Halifax  1 Dec  (Andy  Horn, 
BMy),  and  a male  at  a feeder  in  Kentville, 

NS  13-20  Dec  (David  Webster)  provided 
the  first  winter  records  from  the  province 
in  about  15  years.  New  Brunswick’s  2nd 
Townsends  Warbler  was  eventually  killed 
by  a Sharp-shinned  Hawk  at  Gondola  Pt.  9 
Dec  (fide  JW).  Two  more  made  it  into  Dec 
in  St.  John’s,  one  through  1 Dec  and  an- 
other 4 Dec  (BMt),  the  latter  being  about 
the  13th  for  Newfoundland  & Labrador.  A 
Common  Yellowthroat  was  at  Mundy 
Pond,  St.John’s  12  Jan  (BMt).  There  were  sev- 
eral reports  of  Yellow-breasted  Chat  surviving 
into  Feb  in  Nova  Scotia,  such  as  one  10  Feb  at 
Lockeport  (DC)  and  one  at  Sullivan’s  Pond  19 
Feb  (Ann  Morrison). 

The  female  Western  Tanager  attending  a 
feeder  in  Port  Hawkesbury,  NS  was  last  re- 
ported 3 Jan  (Weldon  MacPhail).  As  usual, 
there  were  several  reports  (10+)  of  Eastern 
Towhee  at  feeders  in  the  Maritimes.  Clay-col- 
ored Sparrows  at  feeders  included  one  at  Can- 
so,  NS  21  Dec-9  Feb  (TK)  and  another  at  St. 
John’s,  NF  through  10  Feb  (PL).  The  only 
Lark  Sparrow  wintered  at  a Murray  River,  PEI 
feeder  (fide  DO).  A Grasshopper  Sparrow  was 
a good  find  at  Cape  Race,  NF  3 Dec  (BMt, 
John  Wells,  KK),  and  2 Nelson’s  Sharp-tailed 
Sparrows  at  Saints  Rest  Marsh,  Saint  John,  NB 
13  Dec  probably  attempted  to  winter  (SIT). 
Careful  examination  in  recent  years  has  indi- 
cated that  most  White-crowned  Sparrows 
found  in  the  e.  part  of  the  Region  in  winter 
are  of  the  gambelli  subspecies.  Four  were 
found  in  Nova  Scotia,  while  singles  at  St. 


Pierre  and  at  Ferryland,  NF  were  the  first  con- 
firmed reports  of  the  subspecies  in  those  ju- 
risdictions. A few  Lincoln’s  Sparrows  some- 
times turn  up  in  Nova  Scotia  and 
Newfoundland  in  winter,  but  one  at  Mem- 
ramcook,  NB  18-28  Feb  (YL)  and  another  in 
Labrador  City  in  late  Dec  (GP)  were  of  note. 
New  Brunswick’s  4th  Golden-crowned  Spar- 
row was  present  at  a Memramcook,  NB  feed- 
er 26  Dec+  (YL),  while  the  8th  for  Nova  Sco- 
tia was  at  a Barrington  feeder  2 Jan+  (MN).  A 
Fox  Sparrow  successfully  wintered  at  a feeder 
in  Labrador  City  (GP).  A total  of  68  Dark- 
eyed Juncos  on  the  St.  Pierre  C.B.C.  19  Dec 
was  said  to  be  a record  for  the  islands  (RE). 

CARDINALIDS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

Northern  Cardinal  is  resident  in  sw.  Nova 
Scotia;  50+  were  found  in  a day  of  birding  in 
Yarmouth  and  Shelburne  13  Dec  (MN),  with  as 


Accompanying  the  Western  Reef-Heron  (left)  at  Stephenville  Crossing, 
Newfoundland  through  most  of  the  summer  and  early  autumn  was  a 
Little  Egret;  first  noted  30  May  2006,  it  became  inseparable  from  the 
reef-heron  and  was  even  observed  in  a mixed  colony  of  Black-headed 
and  Ring-billed  Gulls,  passing  sticks  with  the  reef-heron,  as  if  nesting 
(no  nest  was  observed).  The  Little  Egret  was  last  seen  20  September. 
Remarkably,  another  Little  Egret  had  been  seen  in  Newfoundland  in 
late  May,  at  Cape  Freels.  Photograph  by  Paul  Linegar. 

many  as  10  at  some  feeders.  In  Lunenburg, 
small  roaming  flocks  of  3-6  birds  were  en- 
countered in  late  Jan  (JH).  Rose-breasted 
Grosbeaks  were  found  at  Jeddore,  NS  8 Dec 
(Lucas  Berrigan),  at  Shediac,  NB  1 Dec  (fide 
SIT),  and  at  a feeder  in  Wabush,  Labrador  ear- 
ly Oct-19  Dec  and  apparently  later  (Sandy 
Slaney).  A Black-headed  Grosbeak  at  Clifton 
Royal,  NB  28  Dec-9  Jan  (Jean  MacDonald) 
was  about  the  4th  for  the  province.  The  only 
Blue  Grosbeak  reported  was  at  Fredericton, 

NB  10  Dec  (Peter  Pearce).  One  Indigo 
Bunting  report  per  winter  seems  to  be  the 
norm,  with  this  season’s  bird  present  at  a 
Yarmouth,  NS  feeder  18-25  Feb  (Eric  Ruff). 

An  ad.  female  Painted  Bunting  found  at 
Bridgewater,  Lunenburg,  NS  8-10  Feb  (JideJH) 
provided  only  about  the  13th  provincial 
record.  Eastern  Meadowlarks  were  very 
scarce,  at  both  Sackville  (Nev  Gerrity)  and 
Marys  Point,  NB  (David  Christie)  in  the  last 
week  of  Feb.  There  were  6 Dickcissels  report- 
ed from  Nova  Scotia,  including  up  to  3 at  one 
Canso  feeder,  and  2 in  Newfoundland.  Balti- 


more Orioles  survived  much  longer  than  nor- 
mal, all  at  feeders,  but  many  more  likely  per- 
ished. Notable  outside  Nova  Scotia  were  one 
at  Moncton  in  the  last  week  of  Feb  (BED)  and 
another  at  Mayfield,  PEI  26  Jan  (Bill  Evans). 

Pine  Grosbeak  had  a good  winter,  with  the 
best  count  being  160  on  the  Wabush- 
Labrador  City  C.B.C.  19  Dec.  The  species’ 
numbers  were  called  “normal”  in  Newfound- 
land but  drew  comments  in  sw.  Nova  Scotia, 
where  it  had  not  been  reported  for  at  least  five 
years.  Examples  of  flock  sizes  were  16  at 
Round  Hill,  Queens  13  Dec  (Peter  Hope)  and 
12  at  Eel  Lake,  Yarmouth  18  Dec  (MN).  Pur- 
ple Finch  was  common  only  in  w.  Newfound- 
land and  sw.  Nova  Scotia.  At  C.S.I.,  heavy 
snow  16  Jan  brought  60  to  a feeder  (GS), 
where  they  eventually  built  up  to  87  birds  by 
20  Feb.  Red  Crossbill  was  uncommon  at  best, 
mostly  at  feeders,  e.g.,  5 at  Port  Blandford,  NF 
18  Feb  (fide  BMt),  6 near  Buctouche,  NB  in 
late  Dec  (Roger  LeBlanc),  9 at  Barrington, 
NS  14  Jan  (MN),  and  a “number”  the  same 
day  in  Lunenburg,  NS  (SF).  White-winged 
Crossbill  was  common  in  Labrador,  abun- 
dant in  w.  Newfoundland,  and  uncommon 
in  e.  Newfoundland  and  the  rest  of  the  Re- 
gion. Common  Redpoll  had  a peak  winter, 
as  it  does  every  other  year,  although  really 
large  flocks  did  not  reach  as  far  s.  (to  sw. 
Nova  Scotia,  for  example)  as  during  winter 
2003-2004.  Hoary  Redpolls  were  few  and 
far  between,  with  the  southernmost  being  2 
at  Mader’s  Cove,  Lunenburg,  NS  22  Feb 
(JH).  Pine  Siskin  was  common  only  in  w. 
Newfoundland  and  sw.  Nova  Scotia. 

Evening  Grosbeak  had  its  best  winter  in 
years  but  still  not  close  to  historical  highs  in 
the  1970s  and  1980s;  a flock  of  33  at  Mon- 
tague, PEI  30  Dec  (Gary  Schneider)  was 
called  the  “largest  in  a long  time,”  while  20  at 
Windsor,  NS  18  Dec  were  labeled  the  “most  in 
many  years”  (Angela  Slaunwhite);  some  feed- 
ers in  se.  New  Brunswick  had  up  to  65  birds. 

Contributors  (subregional  editors  in  bold- 
face): Patrick  Boez,  Steve  Bushell,  Donna 
Crosby,  Brian  Dalzell,  Roger  D’Etcheberry, 
George  Digout,  Sylvia  Fullerton,  Paul  Gould, 
James  Hirtle,  Tom  Kavanaugh,  Patrick  Kelly, 
Ken  Knowles,  Randy  Lauff,  Paul  Linegar, 
Yolande  LeBlanc,  Blake  Maybank  (BMy), 
Bruce  Mactavish  (BMt),  Dave  McCorquodale, 
Ian  McLaren,  Eric  Mills,  Susann  Myers,  Mur- 
ray Newell,  Johnny  Nickerson,  Dwaine  Oak- 
ley, Terry  Pacquet,  Gordon  Parsons,  David  & 
Elaine  Seeler,  Garvin  Swim,  Stuart  Tingley, 
Jim  Wilson.  ^ 

Brian  Dalzell,  120  Mitchell  Swan  Branch,  Tatamagouche, 
Nova  Scotia  B0K 1V0,  (dalzell@nbnet.nb.ca) 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


201 


Quebec 


... 


JTay  Ferment* 

•Eastmam 

Natash- 
Havre-  qUan 
Cant  St.-Pierre  M « 
Chibou*  SnpF  • 

• Matagami  ‘gamau  Ba,6_  »«•  ^ /te-dxnfcost 

Comeau  <e<'c 

•Amos  • Gaspe  G“^°^ 

L Saint-JeanM  m *Matane  , Lawrence 

• Rouyn  „ Tadoassac.  ' 

Cap-Tourmente  « 

Made  * Mont-  • QoSbacCity. 

Laurier  Berthierville, 

Montreal^  -i  «Victonaville 
Gatineau  ^ t •Sherbrooke 


?/ 

ourmente*  °°% 

ecCity* 

le#/ 


Z,  Champlain 


„ 'Baie-du-Febvre 


Pierre  Bannon  Olivier  Barden 
Normand  David  Samuel  Denault 
Yves  Aubry 


Although  winter  2005-2006  was  not 
nearly  as  warm  in  Quebec  as  it  was  in 
western  Canada,  Quebec  also  experi- 
enced above-normal  temperatures,  with  most 
of  the  province  being  at  least  2°  C above  nor- 
mal. Overall,  the  province  also  experienced 
above-normal  precipitation,  a significant  part 
of  it  falling  as  rain  in  the  south.  As  a result, 
some  rivers  of  southern  Quebec  had  more 
open  water  than  usual,  prompting  waterfowl 
to  winter  farther  north.  A prolonged  spell  of 
mild  weather  in  early  February  lured  some 
early  migrants  into  the  Region. 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  HERONS 

Two  Greater  White-fronted  Geese  were  locat- 
ed at  Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague  5 Dec  (LG).  A 
first  for  the  Saguenay  region,  a Snow  Goose 
wintered  at  Saint-Fulgence  (C.  Cormier), 
while  a flock  of  40  very  early  migrants 
showed  up  at  Elgin  5 Feb  (C.  Lemoyne). 
Canada  Geese  also  appeared  early  in  the  Up- 
per Richelieu  valley,  with  counts  of  100  on  4 
Feb  (E.  Samson,  A.  Lacasse)  and  250  on  5 Feb 
(MG);  farther  n.,  2 wintered  at  La  Baie  (M. 
Tremblay,  S.  Tremblay  et  ah),  while  one  was 
noted  at  Cap-d'Espoir  12  Feb  (ML,  C.  Trem- 
blay) and  2 at  Barachois  12-24  Feb  (JW).  The 
number  of  wintering  Wood  Ducks  was  up  sig- 
nificantly: a female  survived  at  Beauport  (JF 
Rousseau  et  al.),  as  did  2 at  Boisbriand  (LS, 
PS);  elsewhere,  a male  turned  up  at  Noyan  1 
Feb  (MG,  PB),  a female  at  North  Hatley  19 
Feb,  and  a female  at  Victoriaville  in  Jan  (J. 
Ducharme).  A group  of  23  Gadwalls  wintered 
successfully  at  the  bottom  of  the  Lachine 
rapids,  Montreal  (PB),  but  singles  at  Chandler 
15  Dec-21  Jan  (AC,  m.ob.)  and  at  Sherbrooke 
19  Feb  (SR,  FG)  were  more  exceptional.  A fe- 


male American  Wigeon  was  totally  unexpect- 
ed at  Lac-Beauport  25  Dec-25  Feb  (PL,  J. 
Labrecque).  A Northern  Shoveler  lingered  at 
Gatineau  until  18  Dec  (R.  Schreyer),  but  sin- 
gle imm.  males  at  Sherbrooke  31  Dec  (L.  Ger- 
main) and  Beauport  27  Jan-28  Feb  (C. 
Chevalier,  N.  Halle)  were  unprecedented.  A 
Northern  Pintail  at  Sainte-Therese-de-Gaspe 
12  Feb  represented  a hist  Feb  record  for  the 
Gaspe  Pen.  (DM,  R.  Garrett).  An  apparent 
Mallard  x Northern  Pintail  hybrid,  a male, 
was  photographed  at  Sherbrooke  19  Feb  (SR, 
FG).  A Green-winged  Teal  wintered  at  Becan- 
cour  (fide  RB),  while  3 at  Barachois  18  Dec 
were  late  (JW);  22  at  Lachenaie  18  Dec  (SD  et 
al.),  increasing  to  34  on  25  Dec  (S.  Robert), 
topped  this  exceptionally  late  influx. 

A Redhead  at  Chandler  9 Dec-3  Jan  (JRL, 
m.ob.)  and  2 at  Cabano  18  Dec-1  Jan  (M. 
Beaulieu)  were  late.  A wintering  Ring-necked 
Duck  was  reported  at  Sherbrooke  3-19  Feb 
(B.  Turgeon),  while  up  to  95  Greater  Scaup 
spent  the  winter  at  Tadoussac  (RP).  A Surf 
Scoter  at  Cap  Bon  Ami  1 1 Feb  was  a first  for 
Feb  in  the  Gaspe  Pen.  (D.  Jalbert,  T.  Bernier). 
It  was  an  excellent  winter  for  the  Bufflchead 
in  the  Gaspe  Pen.,  as  evidenced  by  sightings 
from  six  different  municipalities  (fide  PP).  An 
apparent  Hooded  Merganser  x Common 
Goldeneye  hybrid,  a male,  was  reported  at 
Sainte-Catherine  4 Jan  (PB);  this  hybrid  com- 
bination is  seldom  reported. 

Single  Common  Loons  lingered  at  I 
Sainte-Helene  until  5 Jan  (S.  Guitnond)  and 
on  L.  Memphremagog  until  3 Feb  (BT).  Pied- 
billed Grebes  were  well  represented,  with  sin- 
gles at  LaSalle  4 Jan-7  Feb  (P  Lamontagne, 
m.ob.),  Sherbrooke  19  Feb  (SR,  FG), 
Boucherville  15  Feb  (P.  Joly),  and  Magog  8-15 
Jan  (SR).  The  125  Red-necked  Grebes  at  Gas- 
cons 1 Dec  represented  a very  high  count  for 
the  date  (AC,  Y.  Cyr).  A Northern  Fulmar  at 
Les  Escoumins  9 Dec  was  noteworthy  (RP,  V. 
Plante).  A dozen  Great  Blue  Herons  spent  the 
month  of  Jan  at  Becancour,  with  one  remain- 
ing until  16  Feb  (RB). 

VULTURES  THROUGH  OWLS 

The  last  Turkey  Vultures  of  the  season  were 
singles  at  Hebertville  4 Dec  0-  Gauthier,  D. 
Larouche,  M.  Savard)  and  Hemmingford  27 
Dec  (D.  Ouellette),  but  migrants  soon  reap- 
peared with  the  unset  of  mild  weather  in  ear- 
ly Feb:  one  at  Saint-Armand  4 Feb  (PB,  GZ), 
one  at  Orford  9 Feb  (S.  Bergeron),  and  a few 
feeding  on  a carcass  at  Becancour  in  early  Feb 
(fide  RB).  A very  late  Osprey  was  spotted  at 
Saint-Paul-de-llle-aux-Noix  13  Dec  (R.  Saint- 
Jean).  Bald  Eagles  were  thriving  this  winter  in 
the  Region;  among  many  sightings,  11  de- 
lighted observers  at  Eardly  26  Jan  (D.  Dal- 


laire).  An  ad.  Cooper’s  Hawk  wintered  e.  of  its 
range  at  Rimouski  (fide  RS,  m.ob.),  and  a Red- 
shouldered Hawk  spent  most  of  the  winter  al 
Quebec  City  (R  Otis,  m.ob.);  a Red-shoul- 
dered at  Boisbriand  4 Feb  was  thought  to  be 
an  early  migrant  (LS,  PS).  Gyrfalcons  were 
widespread,  including  2 birds  roosting  night- 
ly at  Mont-Saint-Hilaire  (m.ob.). 

A record-late  Virginia  Rail  at  Rimouski  25 
Dec  was  astounding  (R.  Pitre),  while  a Com- 
mon Moorhen  at  Gatineau  18  Dec  was  very 
late,  although  previous  winter  records  are 
known  for  the  Region  (fide  M.  Aube).  A 
Killdeer  at  Lachenaie  17-18  Dec  was  also  late 
(G.  Cyr,  J.  Perras),  as  were  2 Sanderlings  re- 
ported on  the  Magdalen  Islands  C.B.C.  10 
Dec  (C.  Roy,  B.  Vigneault.).  A Wilsons  Snipe 
spent  the  winter  at  Val-d’Or,  Abitibi  for  the 
7th  consecutive  winter  (C.  Siano  et  al  ),  and  2 
were  at  La  Pocatiere,  a locality  where  the 
species  has  wintered  previously  (C.  Auchu,  C. 
Girard). 

An  ad.  Franklin’s  Gull  at  Tadoussac  3 Dec 
(RP)  and  a Bonaparte’s  Gull  at  Cap-des- 
Rosiers  8 Jan  (M.  Cote,  MC.  Rancourt)  were 
both  record  late.  An  ad.  Ivory  Gull  at  Cap- 
aux-Meules,  Magdalen  Is.  21-22  Feb  was  cer- 
tainly one  of  the  best  finds  this  winter  (A. 
Richard,  DGG,  CA.  Gaudet  et  al.).  A very  late 
Forster’s  Tern  was  a surprise  at  Barachois  6 
Dec  (AC).  A peak  of  over  3000  Dovekies  was 
counted  at  Les  Escoumins  9 Dec  (RP).  A 
Thick-billed  Murre  stopped  at  Chandler  28 
Jan  (AC,  JRL). 

Eastern  Screech-Owls  are  capable  of  reach- 
ing high  densities  in  suitable  habitat,  as  evi- 
denced by  a high  count  of  15  at  Mont-Saint- 
Gregoire  28  Jan  (MG  et  al.).  Though  not 
present  in  epic  proportions,  Snowy  Owls  were 
more  numerous  than  in  most  winters,  almost 
throughout  the  Region.  An  impressive  count 
of  23  came  from  the  Hebertville  plain,  Lac- 
Saint-Jean  7 Jan  (fide  GS).  Northern  Hawk 
Owl  reports  were  few  and  scattered,  while  Bo- 
real Owls  went  virtually  unnoticed,  with  only 
two  reports  from  the  Quebec  City  area.  Great 
Gray  Owls  staged  a strong  post-invasion  ap- 
pearance over  most  of  the  Region,  with  an  in- 
teresting concentration  of  up  to  8 birds  at  Cap 
Tourmente  (fide  JL). 

KINGFISHER  THROUGH  WARBLERS 

Six  Belted  Kingfishers  were  seen  in  Jan  and 
Feb  in  s.  Quebec,  but  singles  at  Notre-Dame- 
du-Laus  in  the  Laurentians  11  Feb  (D.  Trem- 
blay) and  Sainte-Therese-de-Gaspe  14-27  Jan 
(ML  et  al.)  were  most  surprising.  A single 
Red-bellied  Woodpecker  wintered  at  Saint- 
Godefroi  on  the  Gaspe  Pen.  (MA),  and  a pair 
was  observed  at  Chateauguay  4 Feb  onwards 
(DD,  m.ob.).  A late  Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker 


202 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


QUEBEC 


was  at  Sainte-Petronille  10  Dec  (OB).  A hardy 
Eastern  Phoebe  was  at  Carignan  12  Dec  (SD). 

A total  of  1 1 White-breasted  Nuthatches  in 
Abitibi  was  unprecedented  (fide  LI);  an  indi- 
vidual at  Tadoussac  was  the  first  to  winter 
successfully  on  the  North  Shore  (RP).  Both 
Carolina  Wren,  with  16  individuals  across  the 
Region,  and  Winter  Wren,  with  multiple  win- 
tering birds,  were  well  in  evidence  this  winter. 
Townsend’s  Solitaires  made  solo  appearances 
across  the  Region:  at  Pointe-Platon  1 Dec  (PL, 
MR  et  al.),  at  Charlesbourg  18-21  Dec  (JF  Be- 
dard), at  Beauport  20  Jan+  (JMG),  and  at 
Chicoutimi  22  Feb  (C.  Imbeau).  A Hermit 
Thrush  made  it  through  the  winter  at  Sher- 
brooke (P.  Dulude,  M.  Garneau,  fide  BT). 
Three  Varied  Thrushes  were  reported  at  dif- 
ferent ends  of  the  province:  at  La  Ferine, 
Abitibi  25  Nov-18  Dec  (AG.  Bernier  et  al.),  at 
Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville  30-31  Dec  (P. 
Bouchard),  and  at  Grande-Riviere  18  Jan+ 
(JC.  Halle,  fide  AC,  m.ob.).  Two  Gray  Catbirds 
in  winter  was  a remarkable  event:  singles 
were  at  Boucherville  3 Dec-28  Jan  (S.  Picard, 
m.ob.)  and  Hudson  12  Feb  (A.  Bentley),  the 
latter  establishing  a new  record-late  date. 
Brown  Thrashers  were  unusually  well  repre- 
sented, with  singles  at  Saint-Gedeon  1 Dec- 
18  Feb  (G.  Saint-Pierre  et  al.),  Val  d’Or  4 Dec+ 
(C.  Siano,  R.  Ladurantaye),  Trois-Rivieres  15- 
20  Dec  (S.  Saint-Louis),  Montreal  17  Dec-17 
Jan  (fide  F Hilton),  and  Maria  early  Feb+  (L. 
Audet,  R.  Saint-Onge,/ide  CL). 

A welcome  diversity  of  warbler  species 
complemented  the  clement  weather  in  early 
Dec,  with  some  surviving  the  first  harsh  cold 
snaps.  An  Orange-crowned  Warbler  was  at  I. 
Sainte-Helene,  Montreal  1-4  Dec  (DD),  and 
most  probably  the  same  was  at  nearby  1. 
Notre-Dame  17  Dec  (GZ  et  al.).  The  female 
Black-throated  Blue  Warbler  at  Sept-Iles  was 
present  until  9 Dec  (H.  Hamel,  G.  Hamelin). 
The  male  Audubon’s  Warbler  at  I.  Sainte- 
Helene  remained  in  the  area  until  6 Dec  (DD, 
m.ob.).  Multiple  Pine  Warblers  were  seen 
across  the  Gaspe  Pen.,  with  one  at  Gaspe 
through  30  Dec  (O.  Deruelle,  DJ  et  al.),  2 at 
Pabos  Mills  9 Dec  (JRL),  and  one  at  Matape- 
dia  6-7  Jan  (C.  Pitre,  G.  Gallant,  G.  Belanger). 


A record-late  Palm  Warbler  was  a surprise  at 
Perce  11  Dec  (DM,  PP).  Late  Common  Yel- 
lowthroats  included  singles  at  Chateauguay  1 
Dec  (PB)  and  LaSarre,  Abitibi  4 Dec  (J.  Aube). 

T0WHEES  THROUGH  CROSSBILLS 

The  Spotted  Towhee  at  Les  Escoumins  found 
last  Nov  stayed  put  throughout  the  winter 
into  Mar  (JG.  Beaulieu).  Single  Eastern 
Towhees  were  reported  exclusively  to  the  n. 
and  e.  of  the  province,  with  feeder-dependent 
birds  at  Moisie  4-20  Dec  (JFL  et  al),  at  Sept- 
lles  until  at  least  2 Jan  (BD  et  al.),  at  Riviere- 
Brochu  17  Jan  (J.  Blais),  at  Roberval  6 Dec-12 
Jan  0-  Rousseau  et  al.),  and  at  Gaspe  29  Jan+ 
(D.  Gagne  et  al.).  Always  one  of  the  rarer 
sparrow  species  in  winter,  Chipping  Sparrows 
were  notable  finds  at  Sainte-Petronille  14  Dec 
(MR),  Penouille  17  Dec  (J-  Fournier,  D.  At- 
tendu),  Lachenaie  26  Dec  (F  Rousseu),  and 
Saint-Laurent,  Montreal  24-25  Jan  (F  Riou). 
The  spate  of  rare  winter  sparrows  continued 
with  a Field  Sparrow  found  at  Saint-Lambert- 
de-Lauzon  2 Jan-12  Feb  (JL),  on  the  heels  of 
a Savannah  Sparrow  at  the  same  location  25 
Dec-7  Jan  (MR).  Other  Savannah  Sparrows 
were  seen  at  Saint-Alexandre  17  Dec  (D. 
Dessureault  et  al.)  and  Moisie  until  at  least  2 
Jan  (BD).  Two  Fox  Sparrows  were  reported 
from  Anse-au-Griffon  15  Dec  0-  Lacasse), 
and  singles  were  at  Maria  3-26  Dec  (CL),  at 
Chambord  28-31  Dec  (M.  Poitras),  at  Chelsea 
until  at  least  24  Jan  (R.  Godbout,  fide  D. 
Saint-Hilaire),  and  at  Saint-Lambert-de-Lau- 
zon  2 Jan-11  Feb  (JL.)-  A tough  Lincoln’s 
Sparrow  was  at  Quebec  City  8 Dec-6  Feb  (PL, 
m.ob.),  and  a Swamp  Sparrow  was  at  Saint- 
Etienne-de-Beauharnois  5 Feb  (A.  Quen- 
neville).  An  unusually  high  number  of  win- 
tering White-crowned  Sparrows  was 
recorded,  including  3 of  the  subspecies  gam- 
belli:  an  imm.  at  Sainte-Petronille  14  Dec 
(JMG),  another  imm.  at  the  prolific  cattle 
farm  in  Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon  28  Dec+ 
(OB,  I.  Lechasseur),  and  one  at  Saint-Stanis- 
las-de-Kostka  IJan  (LG). 

Single  male  Rose-breasted  Grosbeaks  at 
Sherbrooke  26  Dec  (D.  Lebreux),  Saint- 
Georges-de-Beauce  1 Jan  (M.  Poulin,  D.  Pa- 


quet),  and  Orforcl  12-23  Jan  (J-  Tougas)  were 
quite  surprising.  The  Region’s  first  winter 
records  of  Indigo  Bunting  were  established  by 
singles  at  Sainte-Therese-de-Gaspe  4 Dec  (C. 
Gariepy)  and  Sept-Iles  11  Dec  (J.  Blais). 
Among  the  scattered  reports  of  wintering 
Rusty  Blackbirds  came  a stunning  group  of  12 
at  Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupre  26-28  Feb  (JI_. 
m.ob.).  Single  Baltimore  Orioles  were  at 
Saint-Godefroi  3 Dec  (MA),  Cap-aux-Os  10 
Dec  (DJ),  and  Sept-Iles  3-22  Dec  (JFL,  M.  Le- 
tourneau).  Winter  finch  numbers,  particular- 
ly those  of  White-winged  Crossbills,  were 
very  low  this  winter  across  almost  all  regions 
of  the  province. 

Corrigendum:  The  report  of  a Harris’s  Hawk  at 
Gatineau  27  Apr  2005  (N.A.B.  59:  402  should 
be  deleted;  the  identification  was  correct,  but 
the  bird  was  not  photographed  in  the  wild. 

Contributors  (subregional  editors  in  bold- 
face): M.  Arsenault,  P.  Bannon  (Montreal),  R. 
Barbeau,  A.  Couture,  D.  Demers,  B.  Duch- 
esne, R.  Fortin  (Lower-St.  Lawrence),  F. 
Gagnon,  DG.  Gaudet  (Magdalen  Is.),  M. 
Gauthier,  JM.  Giroux,  L.  Goneau,  B.  Hamel 
(Brome-Missisquoi),  L.  Imbeau  (Abitibi),  D. 
Jalbert,  J.  Lachance  (Quebec  City),  C. 
Lamarre,  P.  Lane,  JF  Laporte,  M.  Larrivee,  JR. 
Lepage,  D.  Mercier,  R.  Pintiaux,  R Poulin 
(Gaspesie),  M.  Raymond,  S.  Rioux,  Y. 
Rochepault  (North  Shore),  C.  Roy  (Bois- 
Francs),  R.  Saint-Laurent  (Lower-St. 
Lawrence),  G.  Savard  (Saguenay-Lac-Saint- 
Jean),  L.  Simard,  P Simard,  D.  Toussaint 
(Outaouais),  B.  Turgeon,  J.  Wiseman,  G. 
Zenaitis.  O 


Pierre  Bannon,  1517  Leprohon,  Montreal,  Quebec  H4E 
1P1,  (pbannon@videotron.ca); 

Olivier  Barden,  1652  rue  de  Bruyeres,  Sainte-Foy, 
Quebec  G1W  3H1,  (whitephasegyrfalcon@hotmail.com); 
Normand  Oavid,  347  Donegani,  Pointe-Claire,  Quebec 
H9R  5M4,  (ndavid@netrover.com); 

Samuel  Denault,  75  Beauchemin,  Saint-Basile-le- 
Grand,  Quebec  J3N  1J6,  (samuel.denault@videotron.ca); 
Yves  Aubry,  Canadian  Wildlife  Service,  P.0  Box  10100, 
Sainte-Foy,  Quebec  G1V  4H5,  (yves.aubry@ec.gc.ca) 


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VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


203 


B 


New  England 


Pamela  Hunt 


For  the  second  year  in  a row,  the  winter 
in  New  England  was  unremarkable  in 
terms  of  weather,  at  least  if  we’ve  reset 
our  standards  to  the  recent  average.  In  other 
words,  it  was  warm.  Overall,  the  Region 
ranked  in  the  top  15%  warmest  winters  in 
111  years  of  record  keeping.  December  start- 
ed the  season  on  a normal  note,  both  in  terms 
of  temperature  and  precipitation,  but  January 
saw  a thaw  that  ranked  in  the  top  five  and  had 
above-average  precipitation,  much  of  it  in 
rain.  February  continued  generally  warm  but 
drier,  and  much  of  the  precipitation  that  fell 
was  rain.  In  fact,  some  athletic  events  in  New 
Hampshire’s  White  Mountains  had  to  be  can- 
celled because  there  was  not  enough  snow  for 
cross-country  skiing. 

This  was  a winter  for  the  record  books 
when  it  comes  to  those  birds  we  generally  cat- 
egorize as  “half-hardies.”  These  are  the  birds 
that  normally  winter  in  the  southeastern 
United  States  and  that  generate  much  excite- 
ment when  they  linger  long  enough  to  be  tal- 
lied on  New  England  Christmas  Bird  Counts. 
But  as  the  cold  weather  intensifies  and  food 
supplies  run  out,  they  either  succumb  or 
move  farther  south  to  more  hospitable  cli- 
mates. This  season,  an  exceptional  number  of 
these  birds  did  not  have  far  to  go,  and  if  we 
consider  for  a moment  the  numbers  of  indi- 
viduals that  are  not  reported,  the  numbers  of 
half-hardies  in  the  Region  in  the  winter  of 
2005-2006  must  have  been  mind-boggling. 
The  stars  of  the  show  were  Gray  Catbirds, 
Hermit  Thrushes,  and  Winter  Wrens,  but 
Eastern  Phoebes,  Yellow-bellied  Sapsuckers, 
Eastern  Towhees,  a few  warblers,  and  perhaps 
even  bitterns,  rails,  and  crows  were  part  of  the 
phenomenon.  Were  all  these  birds  able  to  sur- 
vive through  February  because  of  the  mild 
winter?  Perhaps,  but  the  weather  does  not  ex- 


plain their  exceptional  abundance  during  the 
Christmas  counts.  It  is  conceivable  that  the 
inclement  weather  of  the  2005  breeding  sea- 
son ( N.A.B . 59:  568-573)  played  a role  in 
their  tardiness:  perhaps  early-nesting  species 
failed  on  their  first  attempts  and  had  to  re- 
nest in  midsummer,  resulting  in  many  late 
fledgings.  Without  detailed  data  on  age  ratios, 
and  perhaps  from  banding  stations,  we  may 
never  know  what  was  behind  the  pattern. 

Rarities  were  diverse  and  widespread,  in- 
cluding the  expected  collection  of  western 
wanderers  (California  Gull,  three  Selasphonis 
hummingbirds,  5 Townsend’s  Solitaires, 
Townsend’s  Warbler,  6 Western  Tanagers, 
Spotted  Towhee);  southern  surprises  (Purple 
Gallinule,  Ruby-throated  Hummingbird,  sev- 
eral warblers,  Painted  Bunting);  and  northern 
nomads  (Great  Gray  Owl,  Northern  Hawk 
Owl,  Bohemian  Waxwing,  winter  finches). 
The  rarest  of  the  rare,  however,  originated 
from  outside  the  continent:  two  Pink-footed 
Geese  in  Connecticut,  a possible 
kamtschatschensis  Mew  Gull  in  Rhode  Island, 
and  a Redwing,  also  in  the  Ocean  State. 

Abbreviations:  Gloucester  (Essex,  MA);  M.V. 
(Martha’s  Vineyard,  Dukes , MA);  Rl.  (Plum  1., 
Essex,  MA);  Rockport  (Essex,  MA);  Truro 
( Barnstable , MA). 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  TUBEN0SES 

Among  the  more  noteworthy  records  of  the 
winter,  2 Pink-footed  Geese  were  along  the 
Connecticut  R.  in  Enfield,  Elartford,  CT  4-12 
Feb  (ph.  M.  O’Leary,  m.ob.),  a 2nd  state  and 
Regional  report  and  first  for  winter.  These 
geese  were  in  the  company  of  a large  flock  of 
5000  Canada  Geese  that  also  included  2 
Cackling  Geese  through  most  of  Feb  (ph.  JS, 
m.ob.).  Other  Cackling  Geese  were  reported 
from  Marlborough,  Middlesex,  MA  5 Dec  (B. 
deGraaf);  Storrs,  Tolland,  CT  12  Jan  (E  Gallo); 
and  Shelburne  Bay,  Chittenden,  VT  22  Jan  (ph. 
TM).  The  latter  location  also  hosted  a Greater 
White-fronted  Goose  1 Jan  (ph.  TM).  To  the 
s.,  where  this  species  is  more  expected,  there 
were  10  in  Connecticut,  2 in  Rhode  Island, 
and  one  in  Massachusetts.  Only  4 Tundra 
Swans  were  reported  in  the  Region  this  win- 
ter, 3 in  Rhode  Island  and  one  on  Cape  Cod. 
Mute  Swans  continue  to  increase  in  the  Con- 
necticut R.  valley,  with  a seasonal  high  count 
of  20  at  Turners  Falls,  Franklin,  MA. 

Northern  Shovelers  continue  to  increase  as 
a wintering  species  in  the  Region,  with  at  least 
24  in  Massachusetts  and  7 in  Rhode  Island 
this  season.  A Common  (Eurasian  Green- 
winged) Teal  was  in  W.  Harwich,  Barnstable, 
MA  28  Jan  (A.  Curtis).  While  Redheads  are 
regular  in  the  s.  parts  of  the  Region,  this  win- 


ter saw  unusually  high  numbers  along  the 
coast  n.  of  Massachusetts,  including  a flock  of 
24  at  Monmouth,  Kennebec,  ME  2 Dec  (P. 
Vickery);  up  to  9 in  Scarborough,  Cumber- 
land, ME  throughout  the  season;  and  4 into 
Jan  on  Great  Bay,  NH  (SM  et  al.).  The  Region’s 
only  Tufted  Duck  came  from  L.  Champlain, 
where  a male  was  seen  at  Grand  Isle,  Grand 
Isle,  VT  14  Feb  (B.  MacPherson). 

Common  Eider  numbers  were  higher  than 
normal  on  Christmas  counts  in  Rhode  Island 
(fide  RF).  Peak  counts  of  Harlequin  Ducks  in- 
cluded 135  at  Rockport,  62  at  Ogunquit,  and 
39  at  Jamestown,  Newport,  RI.  In  addition,  a 
count  of  850  from  Isle  au  Haut,  Knox,  ME  was 
the  first  report  from  the  primary  wintering 
site  in  the  Region  for  several  years  (fide  WT). 
There  were  more  Ruddy  Ducks  in  New 
Hampshire  than  usual  in  early  Dec,  with  13  in 
Exeter,  24  in  Derry,  and  30  on  Great  Bay  (all 
Rockingham).  Farther  s.,  537  were  at  Trustom 
Pond,  Wflsliington,  RI  6 Jan,  and  a record  300 
were  tallied  on  Block  1.  20  Feb.  Given  the  dra- 
matic decline  in  the  Region’s  Northern  Bob- 
white  populations  in  recent  years,  a report  of 
1 1 from  Rockport  7 Jan  (S.  Morse)  is  most 
likely  the  result  of  local  stocking.  However, 
this  editor  remembers  hearing  the  species  in 
this  area  roughly  20  years  ago. 

Red-throated  Loons  showed  up  inland  in 
early  Dec,  with  2 on  L.  Champlain  and  a 
grounded  bird  in  Canaan,  Grafton , NH  12 
Dec.  The  latter  was  rescued  by  a police  officer 
and  released  on  nearby  Mascoma  L.  subse- 
quently. Although  Pacific  Loons  have  become 
regular  in  the  Region  in  the  winter  months, 
they  should  still  be  thoroughly  documented 
by  observers.  Of  the  4 reported  this  season  (2 
each  in  Maine  and  Massachusetts),  only  one 
was  documented:  at  Salisbury,  Essex,  MA  1 1 
Dec  QS).  The  now-fainous  Eared  Grebe  re- 
turned to  E.  Gloucester  for  its  11th  winter. 
Among  the  more  usual  seabirds  observed  off 
Rockport  were  3 Northern  Fulmars  16  Dec. 
Farther  n.,  a Greater  Shearwater  was  reported 
without  details  off  Cape  Elizabeth,  Cumber- 
land, ME  24  Dec. 

HERONS  THROUGH  ALCIDS 

While  American  Bitterns  occasionally  winter 
in  the  s.  coastal  portions  of  the  Region, 
records  in  the  n.  and  interior  are  rare.  In  fact, 
a bird  at  Phippsburg,  Sagadahoc,  ME  2 Jan  (S. 
Cronenweth)  is  the  only  winter  record  on  file 
for  the  state  since  1986  (fide  JD).  Another 
spent  15  Dec-5  Jan  in  Jericho,  Chittenden,  VT 
(S.  Bellomo).  Maine  and  Rhode  Island  each 
hosted  lingering  Great  Egrets.  Most  were  in 
the  first  week  of  Dec,  although  one  stayed 
through  24  Jan  in  Wickford,  Washington,  Rl 
(R.  Graefe).  The  three  s.  states  each  had  a 


204 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


NEW  ENGLAND 


This  gull  at  Burlington,  Vermont  10-1 3 (here  1 3)  December  2005  was  thought  to  be  a Thayer's  Gull,  but  a Kumlien's  Iceland  Gull 
(or  hybrid)  is  also  a possible  identification,  based  on  the  pale  tertials  and  rather  petite  build.  Photographs  by  Heather  Forcier. 


Snowy  Egret  in  Dec,  with  the  latest  making  it 
until  8 Jan  in  Stamford,  Fairfield,  CT.  Reports 
of  Black  Vultures  away  from  traditional  areas 
in  Connecticut  were  down  this  season,  with 
only  2 in  Rhode  Island  and  5 in  Massachu- 
setts. None  of  these  were  observed  during  the 
heart  of  winter,  12  Dec-17  Feb.  By  contrast, 
Turkey  Vultures  were  much  in  evidence 
throughout  the  season.  In  New  Hampshire, 
they  left  in  mid-Dec  and  started  showing  up 
roughly  a month  later.  Observers  in  Maine 
noted  that  this  species  arrived  roughly  a week 
earlier  than  usual  in  early  Feb. 

Single  Ospreys  in  Massachusetts  and 
Rhode  Island  in  early  Dec  are  becoming  ex- 
pected in  recent  years.  Not  so  an  Osprey  in 
Boothbay  Harbor,  Knox , ME  27  Feb  (J. 
Morse),  perhaps  an  exceptionally  early  mi- 
grant. Numbers  of  Rough-legged  Hawks  were 
relatively  low  in  Massachusetts,  and  the 
species  went  unreported  in  Rhode  Island.  In 
contrast,  a statewide  total  of  at  least  15  in 
Maine  was  above  average  for  the  past  decade. 


Is  Merlin  increasing  as  a wintering  species  in 
the  Region,  perhaps  in  conjunction  with  its 
expanding  breeding  range?  Totals  of  8 and  30 
for  Maine  and  Massachusetts,  respectively,  are 
at  or  near  record  highs.  The  only  Gyrfalcon 
reported  was  a white  morph  on  PI.  11  Dec. 

Virginia  Rails  were  reported  in  higher- than- 
usual  numbers,  with  at  least  17  in  Massachu- 
setts, 11  in  Rhode  Island,  and  one  in  Maine, 
although  the  latter  bird  died  at  a rehabilita- 
tion facility.  The  rail  of  the  season  was  an 
imm.  Purple  Gallinule  found  dead  at  Pe- 
maquid,  Lincoln , ME  30  Dec  (ph.  T.  Arter). 
American  Coots  occurred  in  higher-than-usu- 
al  numbers  in  the  n.,  with  up  to  20  in  Rock- 
land, Knox , ME  and  14  on  Great  Bay,  NH. 

As  is  true  of  other  groups  this  season,  the 
shorebird  list  is  dominated  by  species  linger- 
ing much  later  than  in  most  winters.  Four 
Black-bellied  Plovers  in  Scarborough,  Cum- 
berland, ME  24  Jan  (E.  Hynes)  were  three 
weeks  later  than  the  usual  latest  report  in  the 
Pine  Tree  State.  Semipalmated  Plovers  have 


usually  left  Massachusetts  by  mid-Dec,  so  sin- 
gle birds  at  Dennis,  Barnstable  1 Jan  and  on 
PI.  2 Jan  were  noteworthy  (R.  Everett,  RH).  In 
Maine,  2 American  Avocets  lingered  from  the 
fall  through  1 Dec  at  Wells,  York  (A.  Kimball). 
Perhaps  the  biggest  shorebird  surprise  was 
the  presence  of  2 Spotted  Sandpipers  in  the 
extreme  s.  portion  of  the  Region:  on  the  S. 
Kingston  C.B.C.  in  Washington,  RI  and  on  the 
Stratford-Milford  C.B.C.  in  New  Haven,  CT, 
both  26  Dec;  the  latter  was  relocated  in  Bran- 
ford, New  Haven  on  the  unprecedented  date 
of  21  Jan  (R.  English).  The  only  unusual  peep 
was  a White-rumped  Sandpiper  in  W. 
Gloucester,  MA  11  Dec  (RH).  A Marbled 
Godwit  apparently  wintered  successfully  in  E. 
Wareham,  Plymouth,  MA,  where  recorded  8 
Jan  and  8 Feb.  Long-billed  Dowitchers  are 
early  winter  stragglers  in  the  Region,  with  the 
latest  this  season  present  on  M.V.  7-20  Jan;  an 
unidentified  dowitcher  was  found  on  the  Bid- 
deford  C.B.C.,  York,  ME  17  Dec. 

Reports  of  jaegers  were  relatively  few  this 
season,  and  most  were  not  identified  to 
species.  The  more  noteworthy  of  the  latter 
were  in  the  n.,  including  a probable  Pomarine 
on  the  Isles  of  Shoals  C.B.C.,  NH/ME  18  Dec 
and  one  s.  of  Great  Duck  I.,  Hancock,  ME  4 
Jan.  The  high  count  from  Rockport  was  of  3 
Potnarines  16  Dec  (RH).  Unusual  gulls  were 
located  in  three  of  the  Regions  six  states, 
starting  with  a Franklin’s  Gull  that  lingered 
from  the  fall  through  13  Dec  at  Wellfleet, 
Barnstable,  MA  (S.  Jaffe,  m.ob.).  Also  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, a second-winter  California  Gull 
on  Nantucket  1-2  Jan  (ph.  B.  Harris,  m.ob.) 
was  likely  last  winters  individual  returning 
for  another  season.  A bird  showing  several 
characteristics  of  Thayer’s  Gull  showed  up  at 
the  Rochester  W.T.P,  Strafford,  NH  28  Dec 
(p.a.,  tSM);  another  was  in  Burlington,  VT  10 
Dec  (p.a.,  TTM  et  al.).  Without  a doubt,  how- 
ever, the  gull  of  the  season  was  the  apparent 
kamschatschensis  Mew  Gull  that  visited  Prov- 
idence, RI  6 Jan-11  Feb  (ph.  C.  Pedro, 
m.ob.).  Most  records  of  Mew  from  the  Region 
refer  to  the  nominate  subspecies,  though 
there  are  reports  of  brachyrhynchus  as  well. 
“Kamchatka  Gull”  was  not  expected  to  occur 
here,  although  East  Coast  records  of  e.  Asian 
gulls  (Black-tailed  and  Slaty-backed  in  partic- 
ular) provide  some  context  for  its  appearance. 

Forsters  Terns  seemed  more  common  than 
usual  this  winter,  with  at  least  10  reported. 
Most  noteworthy  were  3 at  Provincetown, 
MA  4 Feb  (ph.  BN),  one  in  nearby  Truro  19 
Feb  (J.  Liller),  and  one  at  Cape  Elizabeth,  ME 
21  Jan  (fide  JD).  Of  the  3 Dovekies  reported, 
one  staged  its  own  mini-wreck,  being  found 
in  the  woods  of  M.V.  12  Dec  (T.  Kozul).  High 
murre  counts  came  from  Rockport,  where  43 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


205 


NEW  ENGLAND 


Very  rare  in  midwinter  in  New  England,  this  Cape  May  War- 
bler was  photographed  on  16  February  2006  in  Rutland, 
Vermont.  Photograph  by  Heather  Forcier. 


Commons  and  4 Thick-billeds  were  seen  3 
Jan  (RH).  Razorbill  numbers  seemed  about 
average  at  seawatch  sites  at  Rockport  and 
Cape  Cod.  One  clear  exception  was  a tally  of 
8400  from  N.  Truro,  MA  28  Jan  (BN). 

OWLS  THROUGH  WRENS 

A total  of  4 Eastern  Screech-Owls  in  se.  New 
Hampshire  is  unusually  high  for  the  Granite 
State,  despite  this  species’  abundance  just  to 
the  s.  in  Massachusetts.  Snowy  Owls  occurred 
in  relatively  low  numbers  Region-wide,  with 
10-15  in  Massachusetts,  3 each  in  Connecti- 
cut, Rhode  Island,  and  Maine,  and  singles  in 
Vermont  and  New  Hampshire.  Maine  hosted 
2 Northern  Hawk  Owls:  one  at  Presque  Isle, 
Aroostook  16  Dec-1  Jan  (ph.  BS,  m.ob.)  and 
another  at  Stacyville  through  20  Dec  (BS). 
Just  one  Great  Gray  Owl  was  reported  in  the 
Region  last  winter,  but  5-6  appeared  this  sea- 
son. The  most  reliable  bird  frequented  a 
pipeline  corridor  e.  of  Milford,  Penobscot , ME 
27  Jan-25  Feb  (ph.  T.  Montgomery,  m.ob.), 
where  another  may  also  have  been  present. 
Elsewhere  in  the  Pine  Tree  State,  Grays  were 
seen  in  Fairfield,  Somerset  29  Dec  (fide  Maine 
Audubon),  Kenduskeag,  Penobscot  31  Jan-4 
Feb  (C.  Dorchester),  and  Medway,  Penobscot 
21  Feb  (L.  Little).  To  the  w.,  one  was  reported 
without  details  from  Acworth,  Sullivan , NH  4 
Dec  (fide  DD),  and  there  was  a third-hand  re- 
port of  a bird  photographed  in  the  n.  half  of 
the  Granite  State. 

Rhode  Island  held  the  bulk  of  the  Regions 
hummingbirds  this  winter,  with  one  Ru- 
fous/Allen’s Hummingbird  in  W.  Warwick, 
Kent  throughout  the  period  (ph.,  m.ob.),  and 
2 imm.  female  Selasphorus  lingering  from  the 
fall:  at  S.  Kingston  through  19  Dec  and  at  War- 
wick through  17  Jan  (m.ob.).  A Ruby-throat- 
ed Hummingbird  on  M.V.  1-7  Dec  (ph.  M. 
Rogers,  m.ob.)  was  the  first  winter  record  for 
Massachusetts  and  2nd  for  the  Region.  Al- 
though the  numbers  of  Red-bellied  Wood- 
peckers in  s.  Maine  was  down  after  the  record 


highs  set  the  previous  winter,  the  total  of  26 
reports  was  still  the  2nd  highest  on  record 
(fide  JD).  First  in  the  long  list  of  half-hardies 
that  wintered  in  unusually  high  numbers  is 
Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker:  at  least  14  were  re- 
ported from  Massachusetts  and  3 from  New 
Hampshire,  while  Vermont  hosted  one  and 
the  Connecticut  email  listserv  noted  “several.” 

Second  in  the  half-hardy  list  is  Eastern 
Phoebe.  Our  closest  thing  to  a “winter”  fly- 
catcher was  reported  throughout  Dec  from 
coastal  regions  s.  of  Portland.  As  winter  pro- 
gressed, phoebes  remained  somewhat  reliable 
in  Massachusetts,  where  at  least  10  were  re- 
ported in  Jan  and  3 in  Feb.  A bird  found  19 
Feb  in  Saco,  York,  ME  appears  to  have  sur- 
vived by  frequenting  an  area  near  the  warm 
water  outflow  of  a sewage  treatment  plant  (R. 
Harrison).  Single  Western  Kingbirds  appeared 
at  Westerly,  Washington , RI  10  Dec  (D. 
Finizia)  and  on  M.V.  25  Dec  (ph.  L.  Reese), 
but  the  rarest  flycatcher  of  the  season  was  the 
Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher  that  lingered  from 
the  fall  through  7 Dec  at  Swampscott,  Essex , 
ME  (ph.  L.  Pivacek,  m.ob.).  Crows  made 
news  in  Maine,  with  a Fish  Crow  unusually 
far  ne.  at  Seal  Cove,  Hancock  16  Feb  (P.  & N. 
Wharton)  and  hundreds  of  American  Crows 
in  Presque  Isle  throughout  the  season,  a loca- 
tion where  this  species  is  not  common  in  win- 
ter (BS). 

Despite  the  plethora  of  other  half-hardies, 
Tree  Swallows  did  not  appear  in  unusual 
numbers  or  places,  although  a “probable”  in- 
dividual of  this  species  in  S.  Portland  6 Feb 
was  noteworthy  (fide  DL),  perhaps  the  same 


This  Mew  Gull,  a first  for  Rhode  Island,  frequented  East 


Providence  6 January  through  (here)  1 1 February  2006.  Sev- 
eral characters  suggest  that  it  represents  the  eastern  Asian 
subspecies  kamtschatschensis,  including  a relatively  dark 
mantle,  large  size  in  relation  to  Ring-billed  Gulls,  and 
bright  yellow  bill  and  legs.  Photograph  by  Paul  L'Etoile. 

bird  as  recorded  on  the  Portland  C.B.C.  17 
Dec.  A single  Barn  Swallow  barely  made  it 
into  the  season  at  Barnstable,  Barnstable,  MA 
1 Dec  (M.  Keleher).  After  a notable  south- 
ward movement  of  Boreal  Chickadees  in  fall 
2005,  it  was  not  unexpected  to  have  several 
individuals  frequenting  feeders  in  the  s.  por- 
tion of  the  Region:  3 were  in  Massachusetts, 


while  s.  Vermont  and  New  Hampshire  hosted 
one  each.  House  Wren  is  next  on  the  list  of 
half-hardies  for  the  season.  After  the  usual 
smattering  of  Dec  records,  including  a re- 
markable 9 on  Rhode  Island  counts,  4 made  it 
into  Jan,  and  the  latest  was  in  Westport,  Bris- 
tol, MA  4 Feb  (M.  Lynch).  Winter  Wrens  were 
even  more  abundant,  with  59  on  four  Rhode 
Island  counts  (previous  state  high  of  27),  at 
least  29  in  Massachusetts  in  Jan-Feb,  and  a 
record  12  on  the  Block  I.  President’s  Day 
Count  20  Feb.  A Marsh  Wren  in  Portsmouth, 
NH  25  Jan  was  unusually  late  for  the  Granite 
State  (fide  DD). 

THRUSHES  THROUGH  WARBLERS 

It  was  a good  winter  for  w.  thrushes  in  the  Re- 
gion. Two  Townsend’s  Solitaires  lingered 
from  the  fall  in  N.  Truro,  MA  until  27  Dec 
(BN,  m.ob.),  while  a 3rd  for  Cape  Cod  was  in 
Barnstable  27  Dec  (M.  Kelleher).  Also  that 
day,  an  unconfirmed  report  of  the  species 
came  from  Orono,  Penobscot,  ME.  To  the  s., 
yet  another  solitaire  was  discovered  at  Sleep- 
ing Giant  S.R,  New  Haven,  CT  22  Jan  (K. 
Zyskowski),  at  which  location  observers 
found  another  bird  28  Jan.  Both  were  last  seen 
22  Feb.  Varied  Thrushes  in  Massachusetts  in- 
cluded birds  in  Boston,  M.V.,  and  New  Salem, 
Franklin,  while  another  was  present  in  Orono, 
ME  for  part  of  Dec  (ph.  B.  Duchesne,  m.ob.). 
An  observer  on  the  S.  Kingston  C.B.C.  heard 
an  unusual  song  above  him  and  looked  up  to 
see  a Redwing,  which  he  then  observed  for 
over  10  minutes  (p.a.,  C.  Nunes).  If  accepted, 
this  would  constitute  a first  state  and  Region- 
al record.  Records  are  documented  from  sev- 
eral nearby  states,  including  Pennsylvania, 
Delaware,  and  New  York,  but  many  more 
records  are  known  for  e.  Canada.  Finally,  Her- 
mit Thrushes  were  seemingly  everywhere  in 
s.  and  coastal  areas.  A record  9 were  reported 
in  Maine,  numbers  in  New  Hampshire  were 
“above  average”  (fide  DD),  and  several  Massa- 
chusetts localities  reported  totals  greater  than 
10  well  into  Jan. 

But  if  there  was  a star  in  the  Region’s  half- 
hardy  show,  it  was  Gray  Catbird.  Christmas 
Bird  Counts  in  Connecticut  and  Rhode  Island 
shattered  previous  highs  for  this  species,  such 
as  37  at  Woodbury-Roxbury,  CT  and  90  at 
Newport-Westport,  RI.  Top  honors  go  to  the 
Block  Island  C.B.C.,  on  which  96  were  tallied 
22  Dec.  To  place  the  Rhode  Island  data  in  per- 
spective, the  previous  record  state  C.B.C.  to- 
tal was  160 — while  312  were  tallied  in  2005, 
just  under  half  the  record  Regional  total  set 
for  this  species  two  winters  ago.  Birders  in  e. 
Massachusetts  were  still  recording  10  or  more 
catbirds  at  some  locations  throughout  Feb. 
Maine  hosted  at  least  14  catbirds,  with  reports 


206 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


as  far  ne.  as  Mount  Desert  I.,  and  at  least  10 
were  found  in  se.  New  Hampshire.  Even  Ver- 
mont had  a share  of  the  action,  with  a catbird 
in  Brattleboro,  Windham  11  Jan  (A.  Jones).  Al- 
though not  reported  in  anything  resembling 
the  numbers  of  the  catbirds,  Brown  Thrashers 
were  more  numerous  in  the  Region  than  in 
most  winters. 

An  American  Pipit  in  Addison,  Addison,  VI 
8 Jan  was  exceptionally  late  for  an  inland  lo- 
cation (TM).  It  will  be  interesting  to  see  what 
happens  with  Bohemian  Waxwings  over  the 
next  few  years.  For  a long  time,  this  species’ 
occurrence  in  the  Region  was  very  close  to  bi- 
ennial, with  the  possible  exception  of  n. 
Maine.  Last  winter,  there  was  an  unusually 
large  “off-year”  incursion,  and  available  data 
suggest  that  this  seasons  numbers  were  lower 
than  in  2004-2005.  As  usual,  the  highest 
counts  came  from  Maine  and  New  Hamp- 
shire, but  only  a few  flocks  contained  over 
100  birds.  Overall,  this  winters  numbers  were 
lower  than  those  of  two  seasons  ago  and  may 
rank  as  the  lowest  of  the  last  decade.  Has  the 
biennial  cycle  been  broken,  or  has  it  simply 
shifted  a year,  so  that  we  should  not  expect 
the  Bohemians  in  2006-2007?  Time  will  tell. 
The  high  count  for  the  Region  came  from  Ver- 
mont, where  900  were  tallied  in  Burlington 
12  Feb,  along  with  250  Cedar  Waxwings 
(TM).  To  the  s.,  all  counts  from  Massachu- 
setts were  of  1-5  birds,  and  none  made  it  to 
Connecticut  or  Rhode  Island. 

An  impressive  19  species  of  warblers  were 
reported  this  season.  Among  the  species  that 
normally  winter  in  the  Region,  both  Orange- 
crowned  and  Palm  Warblers  lingered  into  Jan, 
including  one  of  each  in  New  Hampshire. 
These  species  tend  to  be  facultative  migrants, 
and  it  should  be  noted  that  2 of  the  Orange  - 
crowneds  were  at  feeders.  Birders  at  Marstons 
Mills,  Barnstable,  MA  were  most  definitely 
not  dealing  with  facultative  migrants  11-12 
Dec,  when  they  encountered  the  following 
species  feeding  on  a hatch  of  winter  moths: 
single  Yellow  Warbler,  Cape  May  Warbler, 
Townsend’s  Warbler,  Black-and-white  War- 
bler, and  American  Redstart  Q.  Hoye,  A. 
Strauss,  m.ob.),  an  unprecedented  assemblage 
that  also  held  an  Orange-crowned  and  4 Palm 
Warblers,  plus  a Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher.  This 
group  of  birds  is  similar  to  collections  of  “re- 
verse migrants”  in  St.  John’s,  Newfoundland 
in  Nov-Dec  in  some  years.  Far  to  the  n.  of 
Cape  Cod,  another  Cape  May  Warbler  con- 
tinued from  the  fall  at  a feeder  in  Rutland, 
Rutland,  VT,  where  it  survived  the  winter  on 
peanut  butter  and  mealworms  (ph.  F Bates, 
m.ob.).  Also  unusual  so  far  n.  were  a Prairie 
Warbler  at  Kittery,  ME  4 Dec  (J.  & S.  Walker), 
2 Ovenbirds  that  wintered  at  New  Hampshire 


feeders,  and  an  Audubon’s  Warbler  in  Rye, 
NH.  Two  other  Audubon’s  were  in 
Charlestown  and  Wersterly,  both  Washington, 
R1  28  Jan  and  11  Feb,  respectively.  A quick 
run-down  of  other  noteworthy  warblers  in- 
cludes a Nashville  on  Cape  Cod  through  20 
Feb,  Black-throated  Blues  in  Connecticut  and 
Massachusetts,  a Black-throated  Green  in 


Two  Pink-footed  Geese  associated  with  a large  flock  of 
Canada  Geese  on  the  Connecticut  River  in  Enfield,  Connecti- 
cut 4-12  (here  7)  February  2006.  If  accepted,  these  would 
represent  the  first  winter  record  of  the  species  for  New  Eng- 
land. Photograph  by  Ratlin  Tebbetts. 

Massachusetts  4 Dec,  a wintering  Yellow- 
throated  in  East  Haven,  CT,  a Northern  Wa- 
terthrush  on  M.V  29  Dec,  and  a Wilson’s  War- 
bler lingering  through  6 Dec  in  both 
Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island. 

TANAGERS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

A conservative  estimate  places  at  least  6 West- 
ern Tanagers  in  the  Region  this  winter,  3 each 
in  Maine  and  Massachusetts.  The  Maine 
birds — at  Winterport,  Waldo\  S.  Portland;  and 
Machias,  Washington — stayed  through  the 
end  of  the  season.  All  the  Massachusetts  tan- 
agers were  on  Cape  Cod,  at  N.  Truro,  Orleans, 
and  Chatham.  There  is  a possibility  that  there 
were  2 birds  in  Orleans,  but  all  pertinent  de- 
tails were  not  available.  The  less-expected 
Scarlet  Tanager  was  reported  from  two  loca- 
tions: a male  in  Ridgefield,  Fairfield,  CT  6 Dec 
(ph.  B.  Oko)  and  another  male  throughout 
Dec  at  Falmouth,  MA. 

Eastern  Towhees  were  more  common  than 
usual  in  the  Region  this  winter:  Rhode  Island 
C.B.C.s  averaged  over  20  birds  each,  locations 
in  se.  Massachusetts  reported  over  10  birds 
into  Jan,  and  one  managed  to  winter  success- 
fully in  coastal  New  Hampshire.  Connecticut’s 
first  Spotted  Towhee  was  at  Groton  31  Dec- 
mid-Feb  (S.  Tsagarakis).  While  a few  salt- 
marsh  sparrows  linger  through  the  C.B.C.  pe- 
riod in  most  winters,  they  are  far  less  likely  to 
be  seen  in  midwinter.  This  season,  sharp- 
tailed sparrows  (either  Saltmarsh  or  unidenti- 


NEW ENGLAND 


fied)  were  still  present  on  M.V.  12  Jan,  PI.  22 
Jan,  and  Portland  25  Jan.  A Seaside  Sparrow 
was  reported  as  late  as  25  Jan  at  Newburyport, 
Essex,  MA,  where  2 were  present  2 Jan.  Other 
unexpected  sparrows  included  a Clay-colored 
at  S.  Kingston,  RI  16  Jan  and  a Lincoln’s  in 
Fairhaven,  Bristol,  MA  2 Jan.  A Rose-breasted 
Grosbeak  was  something  of  a surprise  at 
Presque  Isle,  ME  1 Jan  (BS) — but  not  as  sur- 
prising as  a green  Painted  Bunting  in  New- 
market, Rockingham,  NH  22  Jan  (ph.  SM). 

We  do  not  normally  think  of  Eastern  Mead- 
owlarks in  the  same  category  as  Hermit 
Thrushes  and  Eastern  Towhees,  but  they  are, 
and  like  those  species  they  were  a little  more 
common  than  usual  this  season.  A count  of  44 
on  the  Newport-Westport  C.B.C. , RI  17  Dec 
was  a ten-year  high,  and  1 1 were  still  on  Block 
I.  20  Feb.  A Yellow-headed  Blackbird  fre- 
quented feeders  in  Stratham,  Rockingham,  NH 
through  at  least  2 Jan,  while  another  was 
found  at  W.  Bridgewater,  Plymouth,  MA  26 
Feb.  Like  so  many  other  species,  Rusty  Black- 
birds were  either  more  abundant  or  farther  n. 
than  usual,  although  not  dramatically  so.  Bal- 
timore Oriole  totals  include  at  least  3 in  Con- 
necticut, one  in  Rhode  Island,  10  in  Massa- 
chusetts, 5 in  New  Hampshire,  and  6 in  Maine. 

Winter  finches  made  few  headlines.  Pine 
Grosbeaks  were  almost  entirely  restricted  to 
n.  New  England,  where  they  were  fairly  com- 
mon but  not  in  large  flocks.  The  exception  to 
this  pattern  was  a single  bird  in  Litchfield,  CT 
17  Dec  (B.  Stanowski).  A flock  of  up  to  30 
Purple  Finches  frequented  a feeder  in  Little 
Compton,  Newport,  RI,  but  otherwise  this 
species  was  quite  scarce.  Common  Redpolls 
staged  a modest  invasion,  and,  as  was  true  of 
Bohemian  Waxwings,  this  marked  the  3rd 
season  in  row  in  which  they  were  reasonably 
common.  The  vast  majority  appeared  in  n. 
and  cen.  Maine,  where  10  flocks  of  over  100 
birds  were  reported  (fide  JD).  Flocks  to  the  s. 
and  w.  averaged  fewer  than  50,  with  numbers 
generally  increasing  in  mid-Jan.  At  this  time, 
a few  stragglers  made  it  to  Connecticut  and 
Rhode  Island.  Among  the  Commons  was  the 
requisite  smattering  of  Hoary  Redpolls,  with 
one  to  3 each  in  the  three  n.  states. 

Subregional  editors  (boldface),  contributors 
(italics),  and  observers:  Jim  Berry , David  De- 
ifik  (NH),Jody  Despres  (ME),  Rachel  Farrell 
(RI),  Greg  Hanisek  (CT),  Rick  Heil,  Seth  Kel- 
logg (MA),  Derek  Lovitch,  Stephen  Mirick,  Ted 
Murin,  Julie  Nicholson  (VT),  Blair  Nikula, 
Marjorie  Rines  (MA),  Bill  Sheehan,  James 
Smith,  William  Townsend  (ME).  ® 


Pamela  Hunt,  26  Whitewater  Drive,  Penacook,  New 
Hampshire  03303,  (biodiva@mvgalaxy.com) 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  . NUMBER  2 


207 


Hudson-Delaware 


Joseph  C.  Burgiel  Robert  O.  Paxton 
Richard  R.Veit 


This  winter  was  one  of  our  mildest 
ever.  December  began  cold,  with  sig- 
nificant snowfall  early  in  southern 
portions  of  the  Region  and  in  mid-month  in 
extreme  northern  portions.  After  about  the 
20th,  temperatures  became  unusually  mild, 
producing  one  of  the  warmest  Januarys  on 
record  and  continuing  a week  into  February. 
The  remainder  of  February  was 
average  but — except  for  a storm 
confined  to  the  immediate  coast 
on  the  11th  and  12th — produced 
relatively  modest  snowfall. 

In  addition  to  a few  uncom- 
mon ones,  most  of  our  normal 
semi-hardy  species  were  present 
in  unusually  high  numbers,  with 
many  surviving  through  the  sea- 
son. Perhaps  most  unusual  was  a 
Veery.  But  also  illustrative  were 
records  of  five  species  of  tern,  3 
Ovenbirds,  a Northern  Wa- 
terthrush,  and  totals  of  71  for 
Brown  Thrasher  and  exceeding 
100  for  both  Gray  Catbird  and 
Eastern  Towhee  on  one  C.B.C. 

The  mild  weather  and  resulting 
open  water  also  kept  waterfowl 
plentiful.  Unusual  species  in- 
cluded Slaty-backed  Gull,  West- 
ern Gull,  Northern  Hawk  Owl, 

Pacific  Loon,  Western  Grebe,  American 
White  Pelicans,  Yellow  and  Black  Rails,  West- 
ern Kingbird,  and  Western  Tanager. 

Abbreviations:  Brigantine  (Brigantine  Unit  of 
Forsythe  N.W.R.,  Atlantic,  NJ);  I.R.l.  (Indian 
River  Inlet,  Sussex,  DE);  Montauk  Pt.  (Mon- 
tauk  Point  S.P.,  Suffolk,  NY);  M.N.W.R.  (Mon- 
tezuma N.W.R.,  Seneca/Wayne,  NY);  Sandy 
Hook  (Sandy  Hook  Unit,  Gateway  National 
Recreation  Area,  Monmouth,  NJ). 


WATERFOWL 

Reports  of  35  Greater  White-fronted  Geese 
represent  a new  Regional  high,  with  16  in 
New  York,  15  in  New  Jersey,  and  4 in 
Delaware.  Typically,  counts  in  recent  years 
have  been  in  the  low  to  middle  twenties. 
Twelve  Ross’s  Geese  was  fairly  normal,  with  5 
each  in  New  Jersey  and  Delaware  and  up  to  2 
at  M.N.W.R.  2 Jan-1  Feb  (m.ob.).  Hybrid 
geese  were  found  at  Colliers  Mills,  NJ:  an  ap- 
parent Snow  Goose  x Ross’s  Goose  hybrid  30 
Jan,  and  4 apparent  Greater  White-fronted 
Goose  x Canada  Goose  hybrids  (with  one 
Canada  and  2 White-fronteds)  5 Feb  (all  Fred 
Lesser,  ph.  Alex  Tongas).  Up  to  3 Black  Brant 
(2  ads.,  one  imm.)  were  present  in  the  normal 
location  at  South  Amboy,  Middlesex,  NJ  8 
Feb+  (SB);  elsewhere,  single  birds  were  at 
Wantagh,  Nassau,  NY  8 Jan  (AG,  AW)  and 
Staten  I.,  NY  18  Feb  (Michael  Shanley).  A 
bird  resembling  the  so-called  “Gray-bellied 
Brant”  (or  possibly  a pale  Black  Brant)  visited 
Wantagh  4 Feb  (SM,  PJL).  Small  numbers  of 
Barnacle  Geese  continue  to  winter  in  the  Re- 
gion: one  at  Eisenhower  Park,  Nassau,  NY 
early  Dec+  (Charleen  Conway,  m.ob.);  one  at 
Calverton,  Suffolk,  NY  27  Jan  (Andy  Baldelli); 


and  one  on  the  Raritan  R.,  at  Califon,  Hunter- 
don, NJ  9-10  Jan  (Alan  Remie,  FS),  with  prob- 
ably the  same  individual  at  nearby  Spruce 
Run  Res.  23  Feb  (FS,  Frank  Sencher,  Sr.).  Re- 
ports of  about  60  Cackling  Geese  were  wide- 
ly scattered  over  the  Region,  with  some  bias 
toward  more  n.  portions;  as  expected,  this 
number  has  increased  dramatically  since  the 
species  was  split  from  Canada  Goose.  Eleven 
Trumpeter  Swans  scattered  in  n.  New  York 
(presumed  as  usual  to  be  from  introductions 


in  the  Great  Lakes  region)  was  about  normal; 
but  one  at  Cape  May,  NJ  18  Dec-5  Jan 
(m.ob.),  which  was  probably  the  same  one  as 
the  single  at  Hoopes  Res.,  New  Castle,  DE  25 
Jan  (Sharon  Speck),  was  far  afield. 

Some  22  Eurasian  Wigeons  was  about  dou- 
ble the  normal  total,  with  1 1 in  New  York,  8 in 
New  Jersey,  and  3 in  Delaware.  Common 
(Eurasian  Green-winged)  Teal  visited  Brigan- 
tine 18  Feb  (LS)  and  Mannington  Marsh, 
Salem,  NJ  28  Feb  (Chip  Krilowicz).  Numbers 
of  Redhead  were  outstanding.  In  their  w.-cen. 
New  York  stronghold,  9000  were  reported  at 
Kendall,  Orleans  8 Jan  (DT,  MD),  6000  at 
Conesus  L.  15  Jan  (T.  & P Smith),  and  about 
5000  near  Cayuga,  NY  in  mid-  to  late  Jan. 
Most  unusual,  however,  were  numbers  at  two 
Long  1.  locations:  115  at  Capri  Pond,  W.  Islip 
4 Feb  (SM,  PJL)  and  104  at  Eastport  Pond, 
Eastport  25  Feb  (SM,  PJL) — extraordinary 
counts  for  recent  years,  though  peak  counts 
on  Long  1.  exceeded  1000  in  the  early  20th 
century.  New  Jersey  tallied  over  50  and 
Delaware  9,  also  on  the  high  side.  Ten  to  11 
King  Eiders,  well  under  last  year’s  30,  was  the 
lowest  count  in  six  years.  Five  were  in  New 
York  and  5-6  in  New  Jersey.  While  3000  Com- 


mon Eiders  at  Montauk  Pt.  31  Dec  (PJL,  SM) 
was  not  surprising,  numbers  along  the  coast 
elsewhere  were  unusually  high.  Up  to  250  re- 
mained in  Shinnecock  Bay,  NY,  a non-typical 
location,  through  the  season.  The  S.  Nassau 
County,  NY  C.B.C.  reported  a record  high  115 
on  1 Jan.  A large  flock  peaking  at  200  on  30 
Jan  (SB)  was  present  near  Barnegat  Inlet,  NJ 
mid-Dec+,  and  smaller  numbers  were  present 
along  the  coast  as  far  s.  as  I.R.l.  Sixty-three 
Harlequin  Ducks  was  about  normal,  with  the 


These  seven  American  White  Pelicans  were  photographed  at  Sandy  Hook,  New  Jersey  1 1 December  2005;  some  of  them  were  probably  recorded 
at  Cape  May  Point  and  Sandy  Hook  in  New  Jersey  and  at  Rehoboth  Beach,  Delaware  as  well.  This  species  has  been  recorded  in  the  New  York, 
New  Jersey,  and/or  Delaware  in  small  but  gradually  increasing  numbers  for  the  past  five  years.  Photograph  by  Mike  fahay. 


208 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


HUDSON-DELAWARE 


largest  flock  as  usual  at  Barnegat  Inlet  through 
the  season,  peaking  at  34  on  23  Jan  (JD,  Doyle 
Dowdell).  Twelve  Barrow’s  Goldeneyes  was 
average,  with  9 near  the  n.  edge  of  New  York, 
2 on  Long  I.,  and  one  in  New  Jersey. 

GROUSE  THROUGH  PELICANS 

Ten  Ruffed  Grouse  were  recorded  on  the  Sher- 
burne ( Chenango , NY)  C.B.C.  17  Dec  and  15 
on  the  Ithaca,  NY  C.B.C.  1 Jan,  reminding  us 
how  habitat  degradation  has  reduced  the  pop- 
ulation farther  south.  Likewise,  24  Northern 
Bobwhite  on  the  Quogue-Watermill  ( Suffolk , 
NY)  C.B.C.  17  Dec,  one  of  only  two  reports  of 
the  species,  reminds  us  that  except  where 
stocked  for  hunting  this  species  also  has  been 
reduced  to  very  small  numbers.  At  Sheldrake, 
Seneca , NY,  a Pacific  Loon  frequented  Cayuga 
L.  28  Jan-3  Feb  (m.ob.).  Thirty-five  Red- 
necked Grebes  made  this  a good  though  not  a 
peak  season:  27  were  reported  in  New  York,  6 
in  New  Jersey,  and  2 in  Delaware,  with  nearly 
all  of  them  mid-Dec-late  Jan.  A single  Eared 
Grebe  returned  17-24  Dec  to  Lakes  Bay,  At- 
lantic, NJ  (WD  et  al.),  where  2 were  present 
last  year.  Other  singles  were  found  at  the 
Batavia  W.T.R,  Genesee,  NY  31  Jan  (tElaine 
Dart,  Doug  Beattie),  where  regular,  and  at  Au- 
rora, Cayuga,  NY  (m.ob.).  For  the  3rd  con- 
secutive year,  a Western  Grebe  visited  the  Re- 
gion: this  year,  at  South  Amboy,  NJ  through  7 
Dec  (T.  Frantz);  what  was  probably  the  same 
individual  was  observed  at  Sandy  Hook  9-16 
Jan  (m.ob.).  Present  in  small  numbers  in  four 
of  the  preceding  five  winters,  American  White 
Pelicans  returned  this  year  in  quantity,  with 
possibly  as  many  as  20  present.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  11  Dec,  12  were  observed  flying  over 
Rehoboth  Beach,  DE  (Steve  Collins).  That 
same  morning,  about  25  km  across  Delaware 
Bay,  7 passed  over  Cape  May,  NJ  (Carr  Kerr), 
flying  northward.  That  afternoon,  7 flew  in  off 
the  ocean  at  Sandy  Hook  and  remained  until 
the  following  day  (SB,  Tom  Boyle).  It  is  be- 
lieved that  the  birds  at  Sandy  Hook  and  at 
Cape  May  were  the  same;  also  it  is  entirely 
possible  that  they  were  part  of  the  group  of  12 
from  Delaware,  having  flown  some  200  km  in 
about  six  hours.  One  more  was  present  at 
Hook  Pond,  East  Hampton,  Suffolk,  NY  14-15 
Dec  (HM).  Similarly,  Brown  Pelican  is  becom- 
ing nearly  annual  in  winter;  singles  were  in 
Newark,  DE  12  Dec  (fide  Kim  Steininger), 
near  Barnegat  Inlet  1 Jan  (Tom  Bailey),  and  at 
Cape  May  20  Jan  (CH). 

VULTURES  THROUGH  CRANES 

In  New  Jersey,  some  high  counts  of  Black  Vul- 
ture included  139  on  the  Salem  County  Rap- 
tor Census  2 Feb  and  99  on  the  Princeton 
C.B.C.  18  Dec;  992  Turkey  Vultures  on  the 


same  census  and  426  on  the  Cumberland 
County  C.B.C.  1 Jan  established  new  records. 
Bald  Eagles  were  again  widely  reported  and 
present  in  respectable  numbers.  The  South- 
eastern New  York  Mid-Winter  Bald  Eagle  Sur- 
vey recorded  172  on  9 Jan,  while  the  com- 
bined total  for  the  N.  and  S.  New  Jersey 
Mid- Winter  Bald  Eagle  Surveys  was  194  on 
14-15  Jan.  Forty-two  or  more  Golden  Eagles 
was  a fairly  normal  number,  with  15  at  the 
Franklin  Mt.  Hawkwatch,  Delaware,  NY  on  4 
Dec  alone.  Though  reported  as  still  declining 
in  some  areas,  American  Kestrel  was  present 
in  modestly  better  numbers  this  year  than 
last.  One  really  bright  report  came  from  the 
Salem  County  Raptor  Census,  with  a total  of 
36,  the  most  since  1997  and  close  to  the  23- 
year  average.  With  about  60  reported,  Merlins 
made  their  best  showing  in  perhaps  a decade. 
As  usual,  the  top  single-location  count  was  at 
the  roost  of  7 all  season  at  the  state  universi- 
ty campus  in  Buffalo.  Three  Gyrfalcons  was 
an  excellent  total:  one  along  the  barrier 
beaches  of  Long  I.  18  Dec-1  Jan  (R.  J.  Kurtz 
et  al.),  refound  at  Wantaugh  3 & 5 Jan  (Ted 
Levinus,  Tony  Tietno);  another,  an  imm.  gray 
morph,  at  M.N.W.R.  21  Jan  (DT,  MD,  Bard 
Prentiss);  and  an  ad.  gray  morph  at  Peru, 
Clinton,  NY  15  Dec  (Candace  Hess). 


A Yellow  Rail  flushed  on  the  Cape  May 
C.B.C.  18  Dec  (tTom  Magarian,  tBob  Fogg) 
provided  the  first  accepted  winter  record  for 
New  Jersey.  Also  a surprise  was  a Black  Rail 
found  at  flood  tide  near  Southampton,  Suffolk, 
NY  14  Feb  (Paul  Stoutenburgh).  A small  num- 
ber of  winter  records  for  this  species  suggests 
that  it  may  be  present  more  often  than  is 
known  at  this  season.  Sandhill  Cranes  were 
more  in  evidence  than  normal  this  winter:  one 
at  Cape  May  3 Dec-18  Feb  (m.ob.);  one  at 
Mecklenberg,  Schuyler,  NY  22  Jan  (Steve 
Kress);  2 on  the  Elmer,  NJ  C.B.C.  28  Dec;  3 at 
Mannington  Marsh,  Salem,  NJ  11  Feb  (NH  et 
al.);  and  one  at  M.N.W.R.  in  Feb  (David 
Wheeler).  Nine  apparently  pure  Sandhills 
were  reported  on  the  Cumberland  County 
C.B.C.  1 Jan,  with  8 there  16  Jan  (CS);  all  were 
in  an  area  known  to  have  hosted  Sandhill 
Crane  x Common  Crane  hybrids/backcrosses, 
2 of  which  were  found  near  New  Egypt, 
Ocean,  NJ  6 Feb+  (SB,  LM,  ph.  Alex  Tongas). 

SH0REBIRDS  THROUGH  ALCIDS 

Reports  of  nearly  400  American  Oystercatch- 
ers,  nearly  all  in  New  Jersey,  made  this  year 
one  of  the  Region’s  best  for  the  species.  The 
leading  total  was  229  on  the  Oceanville,  NJ 
C.B.C.  17  Dec,  100  of  which  were  still  at  Brig- 


On  the  same  day  as  onshore  birders  were  studying  a Slaty-backed  Gull,  offshore  birders  found  and  photographed  an 
interesting  ad.  four-year  gull  not  far  from  Freeport,  Long  Island,  NY  11  Feb — a bird  they  ultimately  identified  as  a 
Western  Gull,  potentially  the  first  conclusively  documented  in  the  East  and  first  e.  of  the  Midwest  (Chicago).  The  photo- 
graphs of  the  bird  posted  to  the  web  were  initially  confusing  to  gull  enthusiasts,  as,  in  some  images,  the  bird  appeared  paler 
dorsally  than  the  bird  did  in  life,  and,  on  some  computer  monitors,  the  eye  ring  appeared  pink  rather  than  yellow  (a  pink  eye 
ring  would  point  away  from  Western  Gull).  But  examination  of  a multitude  of  photographs,  along  with  extensive  discussions 
between  observers  of  the  bird  and  gull  identification  experts,  have  clarified  these  apparent  discrepancies  and  have  resulted 
in  strong  support  for  the  identification  as  a typical  ad.  Western  Gull  of  the  nominate  subspecies. 

First  spotted  by  Frank  Gallo,  the  bird  stayed  with  the  boat  long  enough  for  photographers  to  have  a field  day  and  for 
note-takers  to  record  the  following  features:  ad.  bird  with  immaculate  white  head,  underwing  coverts,  and  tail  and  no  hint 
of  brown  in  upperparts;  pinkish  legs,  with  a hint  of  orange  in  tarsus;  mostly  black  primaries,  with  large  white  mirror  in  plO; 
broad  white  trailing  edge  to  the  wing; 
deep  yellow  orbital  ring;  broad  white 
tertial  crescent;  upperparts  similar  in 
shade  to  graellsii  lesser  Black-backed 
Gull,  perhaps  slightly  darker;  heavy, 
deep,  rich  yellow  bill,  noticeably  deep 
at  the  gonys,  imparting  a bulbous 
look;  orange-red  mark  on  the 
mandible  at  gonys,  with  a small  spot 
of  black  distal  to  it;  and  pale  yellow 
iris,  appearing  a bit  darker  at  a dis- 
tance. Hybrid  combinations  that 
might  look  similar  are  discussed  in  de- 
tail on  Angus  Wilson's  website 
(<www.oceanwanderers.com>).  If 

approved  by  the  New  York  State  Avian  . ...  , , ....... 

J . ...  After  thorough  discussion  of  other  possible  identifications  with  correspondents 

Records  Committee,  this  will  provide  a from  a||  over  the  continent,  observers  of  this  gull,  which  was  photographed  11 
first  state  and  Regional  record  of  the  February  2006  off  the  coast  of  Long  Island,  New  York,  have  concluded  that  it  is  a 
species.  Western  Gull  of  the  nominate  subspecies.  Photograph  by  Martin  Lofgren. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


209 


HUDSON-DELAWARE 


antine  I.,  Atlantic,  NJ  2 Jan  (FW).  A flock  at 
the  Longport  Sodbanks,  Atlantic,  NJ  1 Dec-24 
Jan  peaked  at  54  on  12  Dec  (CS,  JD);  and  nu- 
merous others  were  scattered  in  smaller  num- 
bers along  the  coast.  Two  Western  Willets 
were  again  at  Pt.  Lookout,  Nassau,  NY  5 Dec; 
29  were  recorded  on  the  Oceanville,  NJ 
C.B.C.  17  Dec  and  still  present  on  Brigantine 
1.  25  Jan  (Fred  Weber).  The  Oceanville  C.B.C. 
recorded  37  Marbled  Godwits,  24  of  which 
were  still  at  Brigantine  I.  2 Jan  (FW);  else- 
where, 21  others  were  recorded,  making  a to- 
tal of  58. 

Indicative  of  the  warm  winter,  6 Laughing 
Gulls  were  present  this  season,  the  latest  at 
East  Flampton,  Suffolk,  NY  15  Jan  (Angus 
Wilson).  An  ad.  California  Gull  visited  the 
Niagara  R.  at  the  power  project,  Niagara,  NY 
28  Dec  (AG,  RG),  where  they  have  become 
nearly  annual,  unlike  in  the  remainder  of  the 
Region.  Up  to  7 potential  Thayers  Gulls  were 
reported  in  New  York  and  one  in  New  Jersey. 
In  a good  year  for  white-winged  gulls,  66  Ice- 
land Gulls  were  scattered  in  small  numbers 
almost  throughout  the  Region,  with  the  high- 
est single-location  count  being  7 at  the  Perin- 
ton  Ponds  near  Rochester,  NY  in  Jan  (MT). 
Also  at  Perinton,  a Slaty-backed  Gull  was  re- 
ported 11  Feb  (DT,  MD,  tMT,  tjoanne  Tet- 
low).  New  York  has  the  only  prior  records  of 
this  rare  gull  in  the  Region.  The  movement 
(to  a location  several  km  away)  of  dump  op- 
erations across  the  river  from  Florence, 
Burlington,  NJ,  has  meant  a slight  drop  in  gull 
numbers  at  sites  favored  in  the  recent  past; 
nevertheless,  Lesser  Black-backed  Gull  num- 
bers continue  to  increase:  over  170  were  re- 
ported, with  highest  counts  of  22  both  at  the 
Cherry  I.  Landfill  near  Wilmington,  DE  17 
Dec  (FR)  and  at  Florence  10  Feb  (LS).  As 
with  Icelands,  about  50  Glaucous  Gulls  made 
a good  count  this  year,  widely  scattered,  all  in 
small  numbers,  although  the  southernmost 
parts  of  the  Region  had  below-average  counts 
of  white-winged  gulls. 

Extremely  rare  in  winter,  2 Caspian  Terns 
were  reported,  one  each  on  the  Staten  L,  NY 
C.B.C.  17  Dec  and  the  Cape  Henlopen-Prime 
Hook,  DE  C.B.C.  1 Jan  (DE),  the  former  be- 
ing possibly  the  first  n.  of  Delaware  in  winter 
for  the  Region.  An  imm.  Sandwich  Tern  near 
Longport,  NJ  30  Dec  (JD,  CS)  provided  what 
is  apparently  the  first  winter  record  for  the  en- 
tire Region.  Also  present  this  season  were  a 
Royal,  2 Common,  and  about  40  Forsters 
Terns,  one  of  the  latter  seen  at  Cape  May  as 
late  as  17  Feb  (Chris  Vogel).  With  the  mild 
weather,  2 Black  Skimmers  were  almost  not 
surprising  at  Stone  Harbor,  Cape  May,  NJ  20 
Dec  (KK,  Barbara  Heibsch.  Scott  Elowitz).  An 
11  Feb  pelagic  trip  se.  of  Jones  Inlet  produced 


1675  Dovekies  (PG  et  al.),  probably  the  high- 
est Regional  total  in  the  past  70  years,  plus  20 
Common  Murres,  one  or  2 Thick-billed  Mur- 
res,  and  an  Atlantic  Puffin.  Four  Thick-billed 
Murres  seen  from  shore  was  outstanding:  one 
at  Avalon,  Cape  May,  NJ  17  Dec  (Cameron 
Cox,  Gail  Dwyer);  one  the  same  day  on  the 
Montauk  C.B.C.;  one  on  the  Sagaponack,  NY 
C.B.C.  18  Dec;  and  one  at  Avalon  9 Feb  (CS). 
The  highest  count  of  Razorbills  was  100  at 
Montauk  Pt.  16  Dec  (HM  et  al.);  ca.  45  more 
were  scattered  along  the  coast  as  far  s.  as  I.R.I. 
A Black  Guillemot  at  Barnegat  Inlet  3 Dec-12 
Jan  (tNH,  trn.ob.,  ph.  KK)  provided  a great 
opportunity  to  view  the  species  in  New  Jer- 
sey; nearly  all  of  the  few  recorded  in  the  state 
remained  only  a few  hours.  Two  or  3 others 
were  present  in  New  York:  one  at  Montauk  Pt. 
25  Dec  (Vicki  Bustamante);  probably  the 
same  individual  at  nearby  Culloden  Pt.  11-29 
Jan  (PJL,  SM,  m.ob.);  and  another  at  Jones 
Beach,  Nassau,  NY  4 Jan  (AG). 

DOVES  THROUGH  KINGLETS 

A White-winged  Dove  visited  Jones  Beach  5 
Dec  (John  Fritz);  the  species  is  still  rare  in  the 
Region  but  has  been  nearly  annual  in  the  past 
decade.  About  60  Snowy  Owls  were  reported, 
including  12-13  on  Long  I and  in  New  Jersey. 
Two  Northern  Hawk  Owls  were  reported:  at 
Yates,  Orleans,  NY  7 Jan+  (Paul  Schnell,  Anne 
Terninko,  Mike  Crane,  m.ob.;  said  by  locals  to 
have  been  present  more  than  two  weeks  prior 
to  its  discovery  by  birders)  and  at  Pierceheld, 
Franklin,  NY  14  Feb  (Peter  O’Shea).  These 
add  to  over  50  previous  reports  of  the  species 
in  the  state.  Four  Rufous/Allens  Humming- 
birds remained  from  the  fall  season:  at  New 
Lisbon,  Burlington,  NJ  through  5 Dec;  at 
Paulsboro,  Gloucester,  NJ  through  5 Dec;  at 
Glenwood,  Erie,  NY  through  9 Dec;  and  at 
Verga,  Gloucester,  NJ  through  17  Dec.  There 
was  no  echo  of  last  years  major  incursion  of 
Red-headed  Woodpeckers:  only  12,  an  aver- 
age number,  were  reported,  6 each  in  New 
York  and  New  Jersey. 

Some  50  Eastern  Phoebes  were  reported, 
an  excellent  total,  about  half  on  C.B.C.s,  with 
the  largest  count  being  6 at  Cape  May  18  Dec 
(fide  Pete  Dunne);  one  at  Hartshorn  Woods, 
Monmouth,  NJ  23  Jan+  (LM)  survived  the 
winter.  A Western  Kingbird  at  Cape  Henlopen 
S.P,  DE  6 Jan  (Lorraine  Logan)  may  have  pro- 
vided the  first  Jan  record  for  the  state,  al- 
though there  are  at  least  25  Dec  reports. 
Northern  Shrikes  were  widely  reported  in  n. 
New  York  but  were  sparse  elsewhere.  A late 
Blue-headed  Vireo  visited  the  Brooklyn 
Botanical  Garden  10  Dec  (AW),  and  another, 
very  late,  was  reported  in  Pequannock,  Mor- 
ris, NJ  30  Dec  (Marie  Kuhnen).  Common 


Ravens  were  present  in  good  numbers  in  the 
n.  parts  and  continued  their  expansion  in 
New  Jersey  at  the  se.  edge  of  their  range.  Two 
were  reported  over  most  of  the  season  near 
Secaucus,  Bergen  (Ken  Witkowski),  and  an 
influx  in  Jan  and  Feb  included  2 at  Oxford, 
Warren  and  up  to  10  at  Round  Valley  Res., 
Hunterdon  ( fide  FS). 

Tree  Swallows  remained  into  Jan  at  many 
locations,  but  the  hardiest  were  one  at  Ham- 
lin, Monroe,  NY  6 Feb  (DT)  and  22  at  Brigan- 
tine 8 Feb  (LS).  Black-capped  Chickadees 
staged  a minor  irruption  s.  of  their  range:  3 
were  reported  in  s.  New  Jersey,  and  an  amaz- 
ing 15  reached  Delaware:  the  largest  count 
was  6 at  a feeder  in  Centerville,  New  Castle 
(Esther  Speck)  and  the  farthest  s.  one  at  Mud 
Mill  Pond,  Kent  (Chris  Bennett).  There  were 
few  reports  of  Boreal  Chickadee  away  from 
the  usual  Adirondack  locations;  most  note- 
worthy were  singles  at  Webster  Twp.,  Monroe, 
NY  1 Dec  (DT,  MD)  and  Palenville,  Greene, 
NY  16  Jan  (ph.  Larry  Federman).  A Ruby- 
crowned  Kinglet  was  way  out  of  place  at  Hur- 
ricane Mt.,  near  Glenmore,  Essex,  NY  31  Dec 
(John  & Patricia  Thaxton). 

THRUSHES  THROUGH  WARBLERS 

A Veery  in  Webster  Twp.,  Monroe,  NY  4 
Dec-7  Jan  (tAG,  tSteve  Daniel,  m.ob.)  was 
nothing  short  of  astonishing;  the  species  oc- 
curs in  the  United  States  only  seldom  in  win- 
ter. A Wood  Thrush  at  a feeder  in  Platts- 
burgh, Clinton,  NY  21  Dec  (Charles  Mitchell) 
was  nearly  as  rare.  As  in  most  recent  winters. 
Varied  Thrushes  were  reported:  one  was  in 
Webster  Twp.,  Monroe,  NY  through  Feb  (MD, 
DT,  Dominic  Sherony  et  al.),  another  at  Ham- 
burg, Erie,  NY  1 Jan  (tMike  Zebehazy).  The 
former  launched  a “Patagonia  picnic  table  ef- 
fect,” in  which  Boreal  Chickadee  and  Veery 
were  also  found.  Gray  Catbirds  were  abun- 
dant, and  a good  estimate  of  how  many  were 
actually  present  is  difficult  to  make.  Most 
were  in  the  south,  but  singles  were  present  as 
far  n.  as  Potsdam  and  Massena,  St.  Lawrence, 
NY.  The  Cape  May  C.B.C.  recorded  129  on  18 
Dec.  At  least  one  made  it  through  the  season 
at  Utica,  NY  (MZR).  Well  over  100  Brown 
Thrashers  were  reported,  with  71  on  the  Cape 
May  C.B.C.  alone.  The  northernmost  was  a 
remarkable  bird  on  the  Elizabethtown  C.B.C. 
in  Essex,  NY  31  Dec;  and  one  survived  the 
season  at  Alexandria  Twp.,  Hunterdon,  NJ 
(FS).  Bohemian  Waxwings  staged  an  incur- 
sion, with  high  numbers  confined  to  the  most 
n.  counties:  700,  in  flocks  of  20-200,  were 
counted  in  e.-cen.  Essex,  NY  16  Feb  (RG), 
and  at  least  two-dozen  other  reports  of  up  to 
400  came  from  Essex  and  neighboring  Clin- 
ton. All  reports  farther  s.  were  of  very  small 
numbers,  with  the  southernmost  being  of  2 


210 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


HUDSON-DELAWARE 


on  the  Montauk  C.B.C.  17  Dec. 

Nine  species  of  warbler  visited  this  season, 
seven  of  them  “expected”  in  a mild  winter, 
with  Ovenbird  and  Northern  Waterthrush 
definitely  rarer  than  others.  More  than  20  Or- 
ange-crowned Warblers  were  reported,  about 
10  on  Long  I.  and  the  rest  in  s.  New  Jersey. 
Three  Nashville  Warblers  were  detected,  one 
at  Green  Cr.,  Cape  May , NJ  3 Dec  (PEL);  one 
at  Centerville,  DE  until  17  Dec  (Mike 
Weaver);  and  one  on  the  Sagaponack,  NY 
C.B.C.  18  Dec.  Totals  of  9 Pine  Warblers  and 
21  Palm  Warblers  (15  at  Cape  May)  were 
mostly  from  Long  I.  and  s.  New  Jersey.  Three 
Ovenbirds  were  found:  one  each  on  the 
Sagaponack  C.B.C.  18  Dec  and  the  Orient,  NY 
C.B.C.  31  Dec  and  one  on  Jakes  Landing  Rd., 
Cape  May,  NJ  15  Jan  (Derek  Stoner,  Judy 
Montgomery).  There  are  very  few  recent  win- 
ter records  for  this  species  for  the  Region,  and 
15  Jan  is  close  to  record  late.  A Northern  Wa- 
terthrush remained  until  13  Dec  at  Central 
Park,  New  York  City  (m.ob.);  there  are  also 
few  recent  winter  records  for  this  species  in 
the  Region.  Nine  Common  Yellowthroats  in- 
cluded a count  of  5 at  Elsinboro  Twp.,  Salem, 
NJ  18  Dec  (WD,  PD,  Colin  Campbell,  Allison 
Ellicott)  and  a late  bird  10  Jan  at  Conesus  L., 
Livingston,  NY  (RS,  E Debes).  Reports  of  Yel- 
low-breasted Chats,  all  close  to  the  coast,  in- 
cluded 3 in  New  York  and  one  in  New  Jersey. 

TANAGERS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

Adding  to  10  previous  New  Jersey  winter 
records,  Western  Tanagers  were  noted  at  Brig- 
antine 4 Dec  (NH)  and  at  Sandy  Hook  14  Jan 
(Jim  Schlick).  Eastern  Towhees  were  wide- 
spread and  very  numerous,  with  123  recorded 
on  the  Cape  May  C.B.C.  and  68  on  the  Elmer, 
NJ  C.B.C.  The  high  count  of  Chipping  Spar- 
rows was  a very  surprising  120  on  the  Cum- 
berland County,  NJ  C.B.C.  1 Jan.  Two  Clay-col- 
ored Sparrows  visited  e.  Long  1.:  one  on  the 
Sagaponack  C.B.C.  18  Dec  and  one  at  Orient 
28  Jan  (Tony  Lauro).  Six  Vesper  Sparrows  were 
reported,  all  in  New  Jersey  and  all  singles,  the 
latest  at  Alpha,  Warren  until  18  Feb  (Mike  Hi- 
otis).  An  excellent  find  was  a Grasshopper 
Sparrow  near  Cape  May  22  Dec  (CH);  there  are 
fewer  than  10  previous  winter  records  of  the 
species  in  New  Jersey.  Twenty  Nelson’s  Sharp- 
tailed Sparrows  at  l.R.I.  30  Dec  (FR)  was  a 
good  tally.  A Lincoln’s  Sparrow  at  Bombay 
Hook  N.W.R.,  Kent,  DE  18  Dec  (Bill  Stewart) 
was  the  only  one  reported;  the  species  is  rare  in 
winter  but  is  noted  with  increasing  regularity 
in  Dec.  Very  rare  was  a Golden-crowned  Spar- 
row at  Colt’s  Neck,  Monmouth , NJ  9-12  Jan 
(SB,  LM),  the  state’s  6th. 

Occasional  at  feeders  in  Dec,  3 Rose-breast- 
ed Grosbeaks  were  seen:  at  Wappingers  Falls, 


Dutchess,  NY  13  Dec  (Ed  Hartmann,  Carena 
Pooth),  on  the  Cape  May  C.B.C.  18  Dec  (Bev 
Linn),  and  in  Vermontville,  Franklin,  NY  13 
Jan  (Joan  Kogut),  the  last  both  far  n.  and  very 
late.  Painted  Buntings  at  Wallington,  Bergen, 
NJ  14  Dec-17  Jan  (Robert  & Tonette  Benz) 
and  at  Montville,  Morris,  NJ  17  Dec  (Ray  Hin- 
kle), both  green  birds,  represent  the  state’s 
36th  and  37th  records,  about  one  third  of 
which  have  been  in  this  season.  Six  to  8 Dick- 
cissels  were  reported,  one  each  on  Long  I.  and 
on  Staten  I.,  NY,  the  remainder  in  the  Cape 
May  area.  The  only  Yellow-headed  Blackbird 
of  the  season  was  found  at  the  Thompson 
Pond  Nature  Preserve,  Dutchess,  NY  1 Jan 
(Chet  Vincent).  In  Salem,  NJ,  7 Brewer’s 
Blackbirds  were  near  Pennsville  5 Feb+  (LS, 
m.ob.);  one  visited  Swedesboro  11  Feb  (LS); 
and  one  was  present  near  Woodstown  23  Feb 
(Sandra  Keller).  This  area  has  hosted  Brewer’s 
Blackbirds  in  small  numbers  for  the  past  sev- 
eral years.  As  expected  in  a warm  winter,  Bal- 
timore Orioles  were  numerous,  with  a total  of 
22+.  The  northernmost,  quite  far  out  of  place, 
patronized  a feeder  at  Lake  Placid,  Essex,  NY 
30  Dec-13  Jan  (Larry  Master);  the  latest,  at 
Browns  Mills,  Burlington,  NJ  21  & 23  Feb 
(LS),  may  have  survived  the  season. 

In  a lackluster  year  for  n.  finches,  the 
largest  number  of  Pine  Grosbeaks  was  20, 
recorded  at  Plattsburgh,  NY  7 Feb  (Ju<iy  & 
Roger  Heintz).  Others  in  smaller  numbers 
were  present  in  the  ne.  and  w.  corners  of  New 
York.  About  20  Red  Crossbills  were  reported 
in  or  near  the  Adirondacks,  and  only  5 were 
seen  farther  south.  White-winged  Crossbills 
fared  marginally  better,  with  reports  of  30  at 
Herkimer,  NY  21-22  Jan  (MZR),  30  at  Selkirk 
Shores  S.P.,  Oswego,  NY  28  Jan  (BP),  and  25  at 
Greene,  Chenango,  NY  28  Feb  (Mark  Tannis). 
Over  1000  Common  Redpolls  were  reported, 
with  the  highest  totals  being  of  280  on  the 
Saranac  L.,  NY  C.B.C.  1 Jan,  which  included 
250  at  a single  feeder,  and  350  at  a feeder  in 
Potsdam,  NY  23  Jan.  Others  were  widely  scat- 
tered nearly  to  Cape  May.  Two  Hoary  Redpolls 
were  reported  at  the  Potsdam  feeder  on  26 
Dec  and  8 Jan  (Joan  Collins).  Evening  Gros- 
beaks were  present  in  numbers  similar  to 
those  of  recent  years,  with  largest  totals  of  122 
on  the  Elizabethtown,  NY  C.B.C.  31  Dec;  up 
to  75  at  Barnes  Corners,  Lewis,  NY  Jan-Feb 
and  at  Boylston  Twp.,  Oswego,  NY  12  Jan;  and 
a surprising  67  far  s.  at  Neversink,  Sullivan, 
NY  26  Dec  (Sue  Rayano).  Other  reports, 
mostly  of  small  numbers,  were  spread  over  n. 
New  York. 

Corrigendum:  Dates  for  the  Brown-headed 
Nuthatch  in  New  Jersey  (N.A.B.  59:  576) 
should  be  23-28  Jul,  notjun. 


Contributors  (subregional  compilers  in 
boldface):  Deborah  Allen  (Central  Park, 
New  York  City),  Scott  Barnes  (North  Coast 
Region,  NJ:  Sandy  Hook  Bird  Observatory, 
P.O.  Box  553,  Ft.  Hancock,  NJ  07732), 
Michael  Bochnik  (Hudson-Delaware,  NY;  86 
Empire  St.,  Yonkers,  NY  10704),  Jeffrey  S. 
Bolsinger  (St.  Lawrence,  NY;  98  State  Street, 
Canton,  NY  13617),  Alan  Boyd  (Sussex 
County,  NJ),  Thomas  W.  Burke  (TWB)  (New 
York  Rare  Bird  Alert),  Ward  Dasey,  Mike 
Davids,  Jim  Dowdell,  Paul  Driver  (Lower 
Delaware  Valley,  NJ:  915  Melrose  Ave.,  Elkins 
Park,  PA  19027),  A.  R Ednie  (New  Castle  and 
Kent,  DE:  59  Lawson  Ave.,  Claymont,  DE 
19703),  Vince  Elia  (South  Coast  and 
Delaware  Bay  Region,  NJ:  CMBO  R&E  Cen- 
ter, 600  Rt.  47  North,  Cape  May  Courthouse, 
NJ  08120),  Kevin  Griffith  (Genesee  Region, 
NY:  61  Grandview  Ln.,  Rochester,  NY 
14612),  Paul  Guris,  Andy  Guthrie,  Richard 
Guthrie,  Nikolas  Haass,  Chris  Hajduk,  Kevin 
Karlson,  Laurie  Larson  (New  Jersey  Birds 
list-serve),  Paul  Lehman  (PEL)  (New  Jersey 
Birds  listserv),  Patricia  J.  Lindsey  (Coastal 
NY:  28  Mystic  Circle,  Bay  Shore,  NY  11706), 
Linda  Mack,  Hugh  McGuinness  (Eastern 
Long  Island,  NY:  12  Round  Pond  Ln.,  Sag 
Harbor,  NY  11963),  S.  S.  Mitra  (Long  Island, 
NY:  Biology  Department,  College  of  Staten  Is- 
land, 2800  Victory  Boulevard,  Staten  Island, 
NY  10314),  Mike  Morgante  (Niagara  Fron- 
tier Region,  NY:  59  Briar  Hill  Rd.,  Orchard 
Park,  NY  14127),  Bill  Ostrander  (Finger 
Lakes  Region,  NY:  80  Westmont  Ave.,  Elmi- 
ra, NY  14904),  John  M.  C.  Peterson  (Adiron- 
dack-Champlain  Region,  NY:  477  County 
Route  8,  Elizabethtown,  NY  12932),  Bill  Pur- 
cell (Oneida  Lake  Basin,  NY:  281  Baum  Rd., 
Hastings,  NY  13076),  Rick  Radis  (Piedmont 
Region,  NJ:  69  Ogden  Ave.,  Rockaway,  NJ 
07866),  Ralph  T.  Waterman  Bird  Club,  Frank 
Rohrbacher,  Frank  Sencher  Jr.  (Northwest- 
ern Region,  NJ:  43  Church  Road,  Milford  NJ 
08848),  Lloyd  Shaw,  Robert  Spahn  (Genesee 
Region,  NY),  Clay  Sutton,  Pat  Sutton  (Cape 
May  Bird  Observatory),  Dave  Tetlow,  Mike 
Tetlow,  Alex  Wilson,  Frank  Windfelder,  Will 
Yandik  (Hudson-Mohawk  Region,  NY:  269 
Schneider  Rd.,  Hudson,  NY  12534),  Mathew 
A.  Young  (Susquehanna,  NY:  2910  Crumb 
Hill  Rcl.,  Georgetown,  NY  13072),  Mary 
Zarnoch-Riley. 


Joseph  C.  Burgiel,  331  Alpine  Court,  Stanhope,  New 
Jersey  07874,  (burgiel@alum.mit.edu); 

Robert  0.  Paxton,  460  Riverside  Drive,  Apt.  72,  New 
York,  New  York  10027,  (rop1@columbia.edu); 

Richard  R.  Veit,  Department  of  Biology,  College  of  Stat- 
en Island,  2800  Victory  Boulevard,  Staten  Island,  New 
York  10314,  (veitrr2003@yahoo.com) 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


211 


Middle  Atlantic 


Apparently  rare  in  the  Middle  Atlantic  region,  Greater  White- 
fronted  Geese  of  the  frontalis  subspecies  are  seldom  reported 
in  Virginia  and  Maryland;  this  bird,  thought  to  be  frontalis, 
was  present  27-30  (here  29)  January  2006  in  Montgomery 
County,  Virginia.  Photograph  by  Matt  Hafner. 

nacle  Goose  at  Great  Oak  Pond,  Kent , MD 
first  noted  15-16  Oct  was  seen  again  19  Jan 
(WGE,  NLM).  Ross’s  Geese  were  reported 
from  two  regular  coastal  locations  (Black,  and 
Chine.),  as  well  as  some  unexpected  venues: 
Oak  Grove,  Cecil,  MD  3 Dec  (Glen  Lovelace); 
on  the  Hopewell  C.B.C.  18  Dec  (ph.  LL); 
Clear  Creek  G.C.  31  Dec-29  Jan  (RC  et  al.); 
Richlands  Airport,  Saint  Paul,  Tazewell , VA 
5-7  Feb  (David  Raines,  R&LM,  ph.  Richard 
Kretz);  and  at  Wildwood  Park,  Bridgewater, 


(District  of  Columbia); 
E.S.V.N.W.R.  (Eastern  Shore  of 
Virginia  N.W.R.);  Hart  (Hart- 
Miller  I.,  Baltimore , MD);  Kipt. 
(Kiptopeke  S.P.,  Northampton , 
VA);  O.C.  Inlet  (Ocean  City  Inlet, 
Worcester , MD). 


WATERFOWL  THROUGH 
HERONS 

It  was  an  above-average  winter 
BaymR  for  Greater  White-fronted  Geese, 
with  over  20  reports  of  the  species  in  the  Re- 
gion, almost  twice  the  average.  Only  two  re- 
ports pertained  to  more  than  single  birds,  in- 
cluding 6 at  Clear  Creek  Lake  G.C., 
Washington,  VA  31  Dec+  (RC,  m.ob.).  One  ap- 
parent frontal  is  was  reported  at  the  Virginia 
Polytechnic  Institute  duck  pond,  Montgomery 
27-30  Jan  (ph.,  tMH,  Kim  Caughey,  m.ob.); 
at  least  some  of  the  others  were  Jlavirostris, 
but  most  were  left  unidentified  to  subspecies. 
At  least  one  bird  was  in  D.C.,  seen  from  vari- 
ous locations  in  the  same  general  area  around 
the  Potomac  R.  10-22  Dec  (PP,  m.ob.).  A Bar- 


A=  Huntley  Meadows  County  Park 

■fa  = Washington,  DC 

D=  Pt.  Lookout  SP 


Rocky  Gap  SP  MARYLAND 


Salisbury' 


Chinco- 

league 

NWR 


.Blackwater  NWR 

„ WMA 

WMA 

Saxis  Marsh 

/ 

...£ 

Cap. 

Charles*,  ; ‘ ; 

Kjpg>e»e^lt^.  Sh0K  d ngMa  Nm 

i y "* -Fisherman/. 

\ ’ Chesapeake  Bay 

He*  ’vAj  ~\  Bridge-Tunnel 


Todd  M.  Day 


Winter  2005-2006  made  its  debut 
on  schedule,  with  a memorable 
pre-Christmas  cold  front  mark- 
ing the  decisive  seasonal  break,  but  for  the 
rest  of  the  winter,  we  waited  for  the  other 
shoe  to  fall,  listening  to  frog  choruses 
throughout  the  usually  bleak  midwinter 
months,  watching  vultures,  waterfowl,  and 
Palm  Warblers  begin  northbound  move- 
ments in  mid-January,  even  birding  barefoot 
and  tallying  multiple  butterfly  species  (at 
least  on  the  coast)  during  unusually  warm 
spells  in  January  and  February.  It  was  also 
one  of  the  driest  winters  ever  recorded  in 
both  Maryland  and  Virginia. 

Whether  technically  “lingering”  or  not  (as 
some  were  probably  reversed  migrants  to 
start  with),  the  winter’s  roster  of  unseasonal 
birds  hearkened  back  to  1973,  1984,  years 
almost  forgotten:  Sooty  Shearwater  in  De- 
cember, Ruff  in  January,  and  Black-capped 
Petrel,  Parasitic  Jaeger,  Ash-throated  Fly- 
catcher, and  Broad-winged  Hawk  in  Febru- 
ary! Among  13  warbler  species,  successfully 
wintering  Black-throated  Blue  and  Yellow- 
throated  Warblers  were  highlights. 

Invasions  were  few  but  widely  enjoyed,  in- 
cluding a fine  run  of  Black-capped  Chick- 
adees into  eastern  Maryland,  the  first  in 
decades  of  that  magnitude  (and  southernmost 
extent  of  the  enormous  (light),  five  Snowy 
Owls,  and  the  return  of  Red  Crossbills  to  a 
formerly  favored  hairpin  turn  in  the  Virginia 
mountains.  A few  rarities  were  about,  includ- 
ing the  continuing  Hammond’s  Flycatcher  in 
Maryland,  where  Varied  Thrush,  Townsends 
Warbler,  and  Barnacle  Goose  were  also  wide- 
ly seen,  and  five  alcids,  a long-staying  Allen’s 
Hummingbird  (555  km  from  Virginia’s  first 
record,  in  Bristol),  and  a returning  Clarks 
Grebe  were  recorded  in  Virginia. 

Abbreviations:  Bay  (Chesapeake  Bay);  Black. 
(Blackwater  N.W.R.,  Dorchester,  MD);  Chine. 
(Chincoteague  N.W.R.,  Accomack,  VA ); 
Craney  (Craney  I.,  Portsmouth,  VA);  D.C. 


Rockingham,  VA  18  Feb  (Tom  Pendleton,  fide 
Ken  Hinkle).  At  least  22  reports  of  Richard- 
son’s Cackling  Geese  (the  nominate  sub- 
species) reached  the  editor,  with  13  of  them 
in  Maryland;  most  were  of  single  birds,  but 
two  were  of  counts  of  5 and  one  of  6.  The 
Trumpeter  Swan  from  the  Ohio  reintroduc- 
tion program  seen  at  Airlie,  Fauquier  in  fall 
was  last  reported  8 Mar  (W.  J.  L.  Sladen,  John 
Whissel,  ph.  TMD);  2 of  unknown  prove- 
nance were  among  Tundra  Swans  at  Fairlee 
Cr.,  Kent,  MD  15  Feb  (WGE,  Peter  Mann). 
The  drake  Eurasian  Wigeon  that  has  been 
seen  in  several  ponds  near  Warrenton, 
Fauquier  for  the  previous  10  winters  was  pres- 
ent 5 Dec-12  Mar  (Anna  Green,  TMD,  SAH); 
the  drake  at  Ridgeway  Park  at  Hampton,  VA 
that  arrived  again  in  fall  was  seen  throughout 
winter,  last  reported  12  Mar  (Ben  Copeland, 
Dave  Hewitt,  m.ob.);  another  drake  was  seen 
at  E.S.V.N.W.R.  13  Feb,  which  may  have  been 
the  same  bird  found  at  the  Riverside  Farm  in 
fall  (GK,  MAK).  Maryland  had  six  reports  to- 
taling 7 drakes:  4 Dec-12  Jan  at  Loch  Raven 
Res.,  Baltimore  (SA,  EA,  RFR);  6 Dec-18  Feb 
at  Eagle’s  Landing  G.C.,  Worcester,  with  2 
present  10-1 1 Dec  (C&DB,  BH,  m.ob.);  8-13 
Dec  near  Leonardtown,  Saint  Maty’s  (Patty 
Craig,  RFR);  and  at  the  Chesapeake  Bay  Envi- 
ronmental Center,  Queen  Anne’s  28  Dec-28 
Jan  (JB,  DP,  m.ob.).  Twenty-eight  Blue-winged 
Teal  were  noted  along  Elliott  Island  Rd., 
Dorchester  22  Jan  (HTA).  A drake  Common 
(Eurasian  Green-winged)  Teal  was  at  Huntley 
Meadows,  Fairfax,  VA  14  Jan-16  Feb  (RH,  ph. 
Derek  Richardson,  m.ob.). 

A tally  of  ca.  8800  Lesser  Scaup  came  from 
a n.  Virginia  waterfowl  count  around  Mason 
Neck,  covering  the  Potomac  R.  and  Gunston 
Cove,  Fairfax  and  Charles , MD  (KG).  Com- 
mon Eiders  were  reported  from  O.C.  Inlet, 
with  4 noted  25  Feb,  the  latest  report  (SHD); 
and  from  the  C.B.B.T.  26  Dec  but  not  there- 
after (RLAk,  RLAn,  ESB).  A hen  King  Eider 
was  at  O.C.  Inlet  8 Jan  (SHD  et  al.).  Up  to  4 
Harlequin  Ducks  were  reported  from  the 
C.B.B.T.  through  20  Feb  (m.ob.);  a less-likely 
location  was  on  the  Choptank  R.  near  Cam- 
bridge, Dorchester,  MD  2-21  Jan  (one  bird; 
LW,  LR,  HTA,  m.ob.).  Three  Surf  Scoters  vis- 
ited Little  Seneca  Res.,  Montgomery , MD  3 
Dec  (DCz).  A White-winged  Scoter  was  at 
Centennial  Park,  Howard  4 Dec  (EH  et  al).  An 
impressive  40  Black  Scoters  were  at  Cobb  1.  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Wicomico  R.,  Charles  11 
Feb  (JB,  BH,  HH).  A Long-tailed  Duck  was  on 
Centennial  L.,  Howard,  MD  1 1-17  Dec  (Kurt 
Schwarz,  m.ob.);  another  was  on  the  Potomac 
R.  at  Violettes  Lock,  Montgomery  18  Dec 
(Scott  Baron,  Bob  Clarquist).  Two  impressive 
counts  of  Ruddy  Ducks  were  reported  in 


212 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


MIDDLE  ATLANTIC 


Maryland:  an  estimated 
5000-10,000  on  25  Feb 
along  the  lower  Patuxent 
R.,  MD  (Doug  English)  and 
ca.  10,000  on  the  Potomac 
R.  26  Feb,  seen  from  West- 
moreland S.P.,  Westmore- 
land, VA  but  in  Charles  wa- 
ters (FA). 

A Pacific  Loon  was  again 
found  at  Kerr  Res.,  Meck- 
lenburg, VA  this  winter, 
seen  1 Feb+  (p.a.,  Jeff 
Blalock,  tAD,  m.ob.);  this 
marks  the  3rd  consecutive 
winter  the  species  has  been 
found  at  this  inland  Pied- 
mont location;  also  at  Kerr  was  a Red-throat- 
ed Loon  seen  5-26  Feb  (BTe,  SAH,  H.  Fenton 
Day).  Single  Pacific  Loons  were  also  seen  4-5 
Dec  at  S.  Holston  L.,  Washington  (Rick 
Knight,  Wallace  Coffey,  m.ob.),  the  first 
record  for  the  Mountains  & Valleys,  and  on 
the  ocean  seen  from  Back  Bay  N.W.R.  4 Dec 
(RLAk,  m.ob.).  Forty  Common  Loons  at 
Claytor  L.,  Pulaski,  VA  4 Dec  was  a good 
count  (Bob  Abraham,  fide  CK).  The  Cape 
Charles  C.B.C.  amassed  6582  Red-throated 
Loons  30  Dec,  the  2nd  highest  total  in  the 
counts  41 -year  history  (HTA).  Ten  Horned 
Grebes  were  at  Riverview  Park,  Radford,  VA  5 
Dec  (CK).  Red-necked  Grebes  away  from  the 
immediate  coast  and  lower  Bay  included  a 
brace  at  Leonardtown,  Saint  Maiy’s  through  4 
Dec  (Sigrid  Stiles)  and  a single  at  S.  Holston 
L.  23  Dec,  along  with  8 Eared  Grebes 
(Thomas  McNeil,  Don  Holt).  Two  Eared 
Grebes  were  at  Craney  1-2  Dec,  hold-overs 
from  fall  (Elisa  Enders,  SE);  another  fall  bird 
was  at  Piney  Run  Park,  Caroline,  MD  through 
12  Dec  (RFR);  one  was  at  the  Beauview 
Ponds,  Saint  Mary’s  ca.  6-13  Dec  (RFR,  Mar- 
ty Cribb);  and  2 were  seen  on  the  ocean  at 
Ocean  City,  Worcester  20-25  Feb  (MLH,  RFR, 
DT).  A Clark’s  Grebe  again  made  an  appear- 
ance off  First  Landing  S.P.,  Virginia  Beach  31 
Dec  (ESB,  BL);  it  or  another  has  appeared  in 
this  spot  in  five  previous  winters,  typically  in 
late  Dec. 

A Black-capped  Petrel  was  found  just  45 
km  offshore  in  cold  (8.3°  C)  water  off  Virginia 
Beach  18  Feb  (JBP,  ESB,  ph.  m.ob.),  a first  in 
winter  for  the  state  and  one  of  few  offshore 
records  (most  have  been  recorded  after  hurri- 
canes). On  the  same  date,  a close  Sooty 
Shearwater  was  seen  from  the  beach  at  Back 
Bay  N.W.R.  (TRLAk  et  al),  and  there  were 
other  reports  of  single  Sooties  from  the  Vir- 
ginia Society  of  Ornithology  weekend  field- 
trip  to  Back  Bay,  from  C.B.B.T.,  and  from  ca. 
30  km  off  Virginia  Qohn  Fox),  all  in  early 


Dec.  Field  separation  of 
Sooty  from  Short-tailed 
Shearwater  is  difficult  at  a 
distance,  and  however  un- 
likely the  latter  may  seem, 
it  is  commendable  that 
most  of  these  dark  shear- 
waters were  left  formally 
unidentified.  A Manx 
Shearwater  was  new  to  the 
C.B.B.T.  26  Dec  (RLAk, 
RLAn,  ESB);  one  or  2 were 
seen  on  a Virginia  Beach 
pelagic  trip  11  Feb  (JBP, 
ESB  et  al.). 

A small  group  of  Ameri- 
can White  Pelicans  spent 
most  of  winter  at  Black.,  where  2 were  first 
seen  4 Jan  (LW,  fide  LR)  and  as  many  as  5 
would  ultimately  be  reported  though  18  Mar 
(m.ob.);  wintering  in  Maryland  is  decidedly 
rare.  A Brown  Pelican  was  seen  18  Dec  off 
North  Beach,  Calvert,  MD  QLS);  2 were  seen  at 
Cobb  1.,  Charles,  MD  22  Dec  (Jeanie  Ping,  jide 
GMJ).  An  American  Bittern  was  found  road- 
killed  in  w.  Augusta  26  Feb,  the  2nd  winter 
record  there.  A Great  Egret  at  Blue  Mash  Na- 
ture Trail,  Montgomeiy,  MD  11  Dec  was  a good 
Piedmont  find  (Rick  Sussman).  Two  Little 
Blue  Herons  at  the  W.  Ocean  City  Pond  12  Feb 
provided  one  of  only  a handful  of  mid-winter 
records  in  Maryland  (Elliott  Kirschbaum).  A 
Tricolored  Heron  was  at  E.S.VN.W.R.  13  Feb 
(GK,  MAK);  7 were  at  Deal  Island  W.M.A., 
Somerset,  MD  18  Feb  (Kye 
Jenkins). 

OSPREY  THROUGH 
ALCIDS 

An  Osprey  was  late  at 
Brighton  Dam,  Howard  on 
Christmas  Day  QSo,  EH). 

The  Rappahannock  River 
winter  Bald  Eagle  survey 
produced  276  eagles  in  Jan 
(127  ads.,  137  imms.,  12  un- 
known) and  247  in  Feb  (117 
ads.,  128  imms.,  7 un- 
known); about  half  of  these 
birds  were  noted  in  Cat 
Point  Cr.,  Richmond.  Many 
nests  were  noted  in  Feb 
(Sandy  Spencer,  Bill  Port- 
lock).  A Broad-winged 
Hawk  was  seen  10  Feb  along  1-95  at  Ashland, 
Hanover  (Samuel  W.  Stuart  et  al).  Only  two 
previous  winter  reports  exist  in  Virginia  from 
the  late  1970s.  Rough-legged  Hawks  were  re- 
ported from  typical  locations  at  Maryland’s 
coastal  marshes  and  in  Virginia’s  highlands  6 
Dec-26  Feb.  As  is  typical,  the  majority  of  Vir- 


ginia’s Golden  Eagle  reports  were  from  High- 
land or  Tazewell,  whereas  Maryland’s  winter 
reports  were  on  the  Eastern  Shore;  the  excep- 
tions were  singles  at  Elson  Green,  King 
William,  VA  1 Jan  (FA,  SAH)  and  at 
Wachapreague,  Accomack,  VA  7 Jan  (CLW). 

At  least  2 King  Rails  wintered  at  Occoquan 
Bay  N.W.R.,  Prince  William,  VA,  with  reports 
19  Dec-25  Feb  (Sharon  Lynn,  MR,  JK).  A 
high  11  Common  Moorhens  were  found  on 
the  Cape  Charles  C.B.C.  30  Dec  (HTA).  Two 
Sandhill  Cranes  were  at  North  Fork  Wet- 
lands, Prince  William  18  Dec  on  The 
Plains/Airlie  C.B.C.  (CT,  Craig  Tufts  et  al.); 
another  was  seen  on  a pasture  in  Botetourt,  VA 
19  Jan  ( fide  TMD);  and  one  was  at  Han- 
sonville,  Russell,  VA  29  Jan  (Nancy  Gilmer). 

An  American  Golden- Plover  was  reported 
on  the  Wachapreague  C.B.C.,  Accomack  19 
Dec  ( fide  BW);  details  have  not  been  seen  but 
hopefully  rule  out  other  golden-plovers.  A 
Ruff  was  present  29  Jan-7  Feb  along  Griffith 
Neck  Rd.,  Dorchester  (ph.  Stephen  Davies, 
m.ob.);  a Long-billed  Dowitcher  was  noted 
there  4 Feb  (MH,  BH,  JLS  et  al.).  Some  84  Red 
Knots  were  noted  between  Back  Bay  N.W.R. 
and  False  Cape  S.P  29  Dec  (Dorie  Stolley); 
one  party  on  the  Wachapreague  C.B.C.  17 
Dec  found  10  knots,  plus  324  Willets  (HTA). 

A Parasitic  Jaeger  was  seen  offshore  of  Vir- 
ginia Beach  11  Feb  (JBP,  ESB  et  al).  Up  to  5 
Laughing  Gulls  were  seen  at  the  Fauquier 
landfill  16-17  Dec  (TMD,  SAH);  inland  land- 
fills are  still  relatively  unexplored  in  Virginia. 

A Franklin’s  Gull  was  found 
at  the  Salisbury  landfill, 
Wicomico,  MD  10  Dec  (ph. 
BH,  ph.  GMJ).  Little  Gulls 
were  noted  on  four  occa- 
sions in  Virginia:  a first-win- 
ter bird  at  C.B.B.T.  26  Dec 
with  an  ad.  Black-headed 
Gull  (also  noted  there  15 
Dec),  among  ca.  9500  Bona- 
parte's Gulls  (ESB);  at  Fort 
Story,  Virginia  Beach  31  Dec 
(DLH);  and  offshore  2 each 
1 1 & 18  Feb  GBP,  ESB  et  al., 
ph.  Bob  Wallace).  Two  ad. 
Black-headed  Gulls  were  on 
the  Little  Creek  C.B.C.  at 
Fort  Story  31  Dec  (DLH), 
and  one  was  at  Sandy  Pt.  on 
the  Nanticoke  R.  2 Feb 
(SHD).  The  Prince  William  and  Faiifax  area 
remains  the  most  reliable  place  in  the  Region 
to  find  wintering  California  Gulls  Hunting 
Cr.,  Faiifax  and  Alexandria,  had  an  ad.  re- 
ported 11  Dec  (TRob  Young),  8 Jan  (tRH, 
George  Wheaton),  and  21  Jan  (Sherman 
Suter);  an  ad.  was  reported  from  Neabsco  Cr., 


Ash-throated  Flycatchers  are  typically  discov- 
ered in  Virginia  in  November;  this  bird  was 
found  along  the  James  River  in  the  City  of  Rich- 
mond on  7 (here  8)  January  and  stayed  through 
at  least  4 March,  likely  aided  by  the  mild  win- 
ter. Photograph  by  Larry  Lynch. 


This  cooperative  Snowy  Owl  thrilled  scores 
of  birders,  as  it  was  easily  observed  from  a 
parking  garage  at  Dulles  International  Air- 
port, Loudoun  County,  Virginia  between  20 
(here  28)  January  and  17  March  2006. 

Photograph  by  Mike  Bowen. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


213 


MIDDLE  ATLANTIC 


C A A small  invasion  of  Black-capped  Chickadees  pushed  into  the  Region,  almost  en- 
jMtirely  confined  to  the  Upper  Bay,  specifically  Cecil,  with  scattered  reports  in  other 
areas  and  one  in  Virginia  at  Bull  Run  Mt,  Fauquier  16  Jan  (GW).  First  noted  by  banders  at 
Chino  Farms,  Queen  Anne's  18  Oct  (JG),  the  flight's  next  indication  was  30  Oct  at  Turkey  Pt., 
Cecil,  where  ca.  15  were  seen.  Thereafter,  there  were  many  reports,  some  into  spring 
(Table  1),  with  some  Cecil  observers  reporting  Black-capped  Chickadees  at  feeders  for  the 
entire  winter.  Identification  of  Black-capped  Chickadee  in  this  Region  requires  careful  ob- 
servation, and  many  reports  without  details  were  not  included  here. 


Table  1.  Maryland  Black-capped  Chickadee  sightings,  fall  2005-spring  2006. 


Date 

Number 

Location 

County 

Observer 

18  Oct 

1 

Chino  Farms 

Queen  Anne's 

JG;  b. 

30  Oct 

15 

Turkey  Pt. 

Cecil 

SM 

1 Nov 

1 

Chino  Farms 

Queen  Anne's 

JG;  b. 

2 Nov 

6 

Turkey  Pt. 

Cecil 

MH 

2 Nov 

11 

Cromwell  Valley  Park 

Baltimore 

BH,  KG 

5 Nov 

"several" 

North  East  Town  Park 

Cecil 

SM 

6 Nov 

13 

Turkey  Pt. 

Cecil 

SM 

8 Nov 

1 

Chesapeake  Landing 

Kent 

WGE,  NLM 

9 Nov 

4 

Susquehanna  S.P. 

Harford 

MH 

11  Nov 

1 

Conowingo  Dam 

Harford 

P V 

12  Nov 

3 

Elkton 

Cecil 

MWW 

13  Nov 

"many" 

Turkey  Pt. 

Cecil 

MWW 

19  Nov 

2 

Loch  Raven 

Baltimore 

TM 

20  Nov 

8 

Cromwell  Valley  Park 

Baltimore 

BH 

24  Nov 

20 

Fair  Hill 

Cecil 

SM 

27  Nov 

1 

Serpentine  Barons 

Cecil 

MH,  MB 

27  Nov 

1 

Susquehanna  S.P. 

Harford 

MH,  MB 

4 Dec 

1 

Bald  Friars  Rd. 

Cecil 

BH,  MH 

18  Dec 

5 

Charlestown  area 

Cecil 

CS 

23  Dec 

1 

Columbia 

Howard 

HH 

1 Jan 

"many" 

Hances  Pt. 

Cecil 

CS 

25  Jan-9  Apr 

1-5 

Elkton 

Cecil 

SM 

28  Jan 

1 

Cecil  Landfill 

Cecil 

EJS 

29  Jan 

1 

ne.  Frederick  County 

Frederick 

RFR 

3 Feb 

2 

Tolchester  Beach  Rd. 

Kent 

MH 

18  Feb 

1 

Darnestown 

Montgomery 

DSi 

13  Mar 

2 

Drayton  Manor 

Kent 

DSm 

15  Apr 

1 

Fair  Hill 

Cecil 

SM 

Prince  William  28  Dec  (TMR);  and 
an  ad.  and  a third-winter  were  at 
the  Prince  William  landfill  12  Jan 
(SE,  Robert  Hindle),  with  an  ad. 
there  21  Jan  (PP,  RH).  Six  Iceland 
Gulls  were  reported  from  four  loca- 
tions in  Virginia  26  Dec-5  Feb; 

Maryland  had  4 birds  in  four  loca- 
tions, notably  a rare  ad.  2 Feb  at  Vi- 
olettes  Fock,  Montgomery  (DCz). 

Glaucous  Gull  in  Virginia  num- 
bered 6 at  four  locations  3 Dec-27 
Jan,  including  an  ad.  at  the  Prince 
William  landfill  21  Jan  (PP,  RH); 
Maryland’s  reports,  10  Dec+,  in- 
cluded 4 birds  at  four  locations. 

Up  to  2 Razorbills  were  seen  at 
O.C.  Inlet  17  Jan-26  Feb  (C&DB, 

EJS,  m.ob.),  the  only  ones  reported 
inshore.  Three  pelagic  trips  found  a 
combined  total  of  45  Razorbills,  3 
Atlantic  Puffins,  and  2 Dovekies, 
but  the  11  Feb  trip  out  of  Virginia 
Beach  found  singles  of  Common 
Murre  and  Thick-billed  Murre 
(ph.),  both  rare  off  Virginia  (JBP, 

ESB  et  al.). 

DOVES  THROUGH 
SWALLOWS 

A White-winged  Dove  at 
E.S.V.N.W.R  1 Dec  (SE)  lacked  rec- 
trices,  thus  probably  different  from 
the  fall  Cape  Charles  bird.  A Snowy 
Owl  delighted  legions  of  birders  at 
Dulles  International  Airport, 

Loudoun , VA  26  Jan-17  Mar  (Justin 
Dysart,  ph.  SAH,  m.ob.).  Other 
Snowy  Owl  reports  came  from  Hart 
17  Dec-22  Dec  (EJS  et  al.);  Elliott  Island  Rcl., 
Dorchester  17-21  Dec  (LR,  Carolyn  Roslund, 
ph.  BH,  m.ob.);  Chester  R.  near  Centreville, 
Queen  Anne’s  18  Dec  (DP);  and  Annapolis, 
Anne  Arundel  18  Feb  (Jidcjeff  Shenot).  Short- 
eared Owls  again  found  the  fields  near  Rem- 
ington, Fauquier  appealing,  with  up  to  10  ob- 
served per  visit  (TMD,  Carole  Miller,  m.ob.). 
Seven  Short-eareds  at  Black.  28  Jan  (Brian 
Cassell)  was  a good  count.  A Northern  Saw- 
whet  Owl  was  singing  in  early  Jan  on  several 
visits  to  Highland  Retreat  Camp,  Rockingham , 
VA,  an  area  were  breeding  could  well  occur 
(Charles  Ziegenfus). 

There  were  at  least  8 Rufous  or 
Rufous/Allen’s  Hummingbirds  at  feeders  in 
the  Region  this  winter,  with  several  enduring 
the  entire  season.  The  first-year  male  Allen’s 
Hummingbird  at  a Cape  Charles  feeder  first 
noted  26  Oct  (and  banded  11  Dec)  was  last 
seen  30  Dec  (ESB).  During  Dec,  an  extensive 
survey  of  the  Red-cockaded  Woodpecker 


population  at  Piney  Grove  Preserve,  Sussex, 
VA  by  biologists  from  the  Center  for  Conser- 
vation Biology  and  The  Nature  Conservancy 
identified  26  woodpeckers  by  unique  color- 
band  combinations.  Of  these,  16  originated  in 
the  preserve,  9 were  translocated  from  breed- 
ing populations  in  the  Carolinas,  and  one  has 
a band  combination  that  does  not  match  any 
bird  banded  or  released  in  the  preserve;  12 
were  either  first-  or  second-year  birds,  though 
one  was  in  at  least  its  10th  year,  and  another 
in  at  least  its  6th.  (I  thank  Bryan  D.  Watts  of 
the  Center  for  Conservation  Biology  for  the 
information  summarized  here.) 

Maryland’s  Hammond’s  Flycatcher  that 
was  found  23  Nov  remained  at  the  N.  Central 
Railroad  Tract,  Baltimore  through  14  Dec 
(Hank  Kaestner  et  al.).  An  Ash-throated  Fly- 
catcher made  an  unprecedented  visit  to  Vir- 
ginia, and  the  Piedmont  at  that  (albeit  barely), 
being  first  discovered  7 Jan  at  the  w.  base  of 
the  Manchester  bridge  in  Richmond,  VA,  and 


staying  through  at  least  4 Mar  (AB, 
ph.  LL,  m.ob.) — clearly  a bird  aid- 
ed by  the  mild  winter.  Another  re- 
port of  an  Ash-throated  Flycatcher 
was  10  Jan  at  Dutch  Gap,  Chester- 
field, VA  by  a veteran  bander  (p.a.. 
Bob  Reilly).  All  previous  Regional 
records  come  from  Nov  and  Dec, 
with  one  Maryland  visitor  staying 
until  3 Jan.  Loggerhead  Shrikes 
continue  to  hang  on  in  Virginia, 
with  a handful  of  reports  for  the 
season:  3 Dec  and  8 Jan  at  Blandy 
Experimental  Farm  (John  Drum- 
mond, MR;  BL,  Jon  & B.J.  Little); 
11  Dec  at  Blacksburg,  Montgomery , 
VA,  where  reported  wintering  since 
2003  (John  Kell);  28  Dec  at  the 
Dulles  Wetlands,  Loudoun  (Rich 
Rieger,  KG,  Russ  Taylor);  9 Jan  in 
Bedford,  VA  at  a known  breeding  lo- 
cation (Gene  Sattler);  and  15  Jan 
near  Swoope,  Augusta  (JSp)- 

Common  Ravens  were  reported 
very  near  Virginia’s  Coastal  Plain 
(where  rare)  at  Occoquan  Regional 
Park,  Fairfax  2 & 21  Jan  (Larry 
Kline,  JK);  a leucistic  raven  that  ap- 
peared uniformly  brownish-gray 
was  twice  seen  in  cen.  Loudoun  2 
Feb  and  3 Mar  (CT,  Ian  C.  Topol- 
sky).  Two  ravens  were  at  Patapsco 
Valley  S.P.,  Howard  19  Feb  (Keith 
Eric  Costley);  another  was  near 
Sykesville  in  se.  Carroll,  MD  20  Feb 
(RFR,  DT).  Two  Cave  Swallows 
were  at  Craney  2 Jan,  the  first  Jan 
record  for  the  Region,  likely  owing 
to  the  mild  winter  (ph.  Audrey 
Whitlock,  Paul  W.  Sykes,  Jr.). 

NUTHATCHES  THOUGH  CROSSBILLS 

A Brown-headed  Nuthatch  was  discovered  on 
the  Ft.  Belvoir  C.B.C.  at  Occoquan  Regional 
Park  31  Dec,  possibly  the  first  for  Fairfax,  and 
seen  sporadically  through  26  Feb  (J1C  Mike 
Friedman,  m.ob.).  Several  Brown-headed 
Nuthatches  were  noted  along  Lloyd  Bowen 
Rd.  near  Jefferson  Patterson  Park,  Calvert  21 
Jan  (TB)  and  again  20  Feb,  when  at  least  5 
were  noted  and  activity  around  a nest-  or 
roost-hole  observed  (SA,  EA).  The  northern- 
most population  along  the  w.  shore  of  the  Bay 
extends  typically  only  into  s.  Saint  Mary’s, 
with  a sporadic  outpost  population  at 
Solomon’s  I.,  Calvert.  Only  two  or  three 
records  of  strays — or  perhaps  of  range  exten- 
sion— exist  for  n.  Calvert.  A Sedge  Wren  was 
at  North  Beach,  Calvert  18  Dec  (JLS). 

Twenty  American  Pipits  at  Kenilworth 
Park  10  Dec  were  a good  find  for  urban  D.C. 


214 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIROS 


(PP,  RH).  A Varied  Thrush  was  at  Lothian, 
Anne  Arundel,  MD  18  Feb-26  Mar  (ph.  GMJ 
et  al.);  there  are  three  accepted  records  for 
the  state  from  1965-1966,  1977,  and  1987.  A 
Nashville  Warbler  was  in  a Bowie,  Prince 
George’s  yard  25  Dec  (Maren  Gimpel);  anoth- 
er was  at  Carroll  Park,  Baltimore  25  Jan-6 
Apr  (Jim  Wilkinson,  MH,  m.ob.).  The  war- 
bler of  the  season  was  a Townsend’s  Warbler 
found  along  the  C&O  Canal  near  Nolands 
Ferry  Rd.,  Frederick,  MD  2-6  Jan  (Claire 
Wolfe,  Lydia  Schindler,  Jeff  Gould,  ph.  DCz); 
it  or  another  would  be  re-found  briefly  in 
spring  16  km  from  the  original  location.  A 
Cape  May  Warbler  was  at  Fisherville  2 Jan, 
Augusta’s  2nd  winter  record  (AL,  fide  YL).  A 
female  Black-throated  Blue  Warbler  was  pho- 
tographed in  an  urban  Arlington,  VA  garden, 
present  31  Dec-21  Mar  (AS,  LF).  Three  Yel- 
low-throated Warblers  spent  winter  at  feed- 
ers in  the  Region:  an  albilora  27  Dec-21  Jan 
at  L.  Smith,  Virginia  Beach  (ph.  Debbie 
Schroeder);  another  albilora  at  West  Ocean 
City,  Worcester  7 Jan-21  Feb  (N&FS);  and  a 
dominica  at  Indian  Head,  Charles  7 Jan-2  Apr 
(Carol  Ghebelian).  A Prairie  Warbler  was  dis- 
covered on  the  Ocean  City  C.B.C.  at  Mystic 
Harbor  28  Dec  (N&FS).  A Black-and-white 
Warbler  was  at  Conowingo  Dam,  Harford 
16-17  Dec  (Molly  Daly,  fide  Phil  Davis,  ph. 
Greg  Futral);  another  was  seen  at  Dutch  Gap, 
Chesterfield,  VA  27  Dec  (Al  Warfield).  An 
Ovenbird  was  at  Suitland,  Prince  George’s  9 
Dec  (David  Bridge,  fide  Joe  Coleman).  A Wil- 
son’s Warbler  was  along  Hunting  Cr.,  Alexan- 
dria 14-26  Dec  (LM,  KG);  another  was  dis- 
covered on  the  D.C.  C.B.C.  at  Oxon  Hill 
Farm,  Prince  George’s  17  Dec  (RFR).  Less  un- 
expected was  a Yellow-breasted  Chat  in  a 
Henrico  yard  9 Dec  (Robert  King). 

A Clay-colored  Sparrow  was  picked  out  of 
a flock  of  about  50  Chipping  Sparrows  4 Dec 
at  Mt.  Olive  Church  Rd.,  Worcester  (SHD).  A 
Lark  Sparrow  was  found  29  Dec  on  the  Back 
Bay  C.B.C.,  but  no  Le  Conte’s  was  noted  on 
that  count;  the  latter  had  been  recorded  an- 
nually in  that  area  1988-2004,  but  feral  pigs 
have  destroyed  most  of  the  suitable  habitat  on 
the  refuge  (ESB).  A Le  Conte’s  Sparrow  at 
Green  Springs  Trail,  James  City,  VA  1 Jan  was 
first  noted  27  Nov  there  (BW).  A Nelsons 
Sharp-tailed  Sparrow  of  subspecies  subvirga- 
tus  was  at  Assateague  L,  Worcester  25  Feb 
(MH,  JLS,  HH);  others  of  this  subspecies  were 
seen  through  the  season  in  n.  Suffolk  (CLW). 
A Nelson’s  was  noteworthy  in  Central 
Vaughn,  Worcester  26  Feb  (MH,  JLS,  ph.  BH). 
A Lincoln’s  Sparrow  was  found  on  the  D C. 
C.B.C.  17  Dec  near  Hunting  Cr.,  Alexandria 
(KG,  MR,  LM  et  al.);  another  was  seen  the 
same  day  at  Schooley  Mill  Park,  Howard 


(Nancy  Magnusson,  fide  JSo);  2 were  seen  at 
Wye  Island  W.M.A.,  Queen  Anne’s  22  Dec 
(Zach  Baer);  and  one  was  at  Middle  Patuxent 
Environmental  Area,  Howard  8 Jan  (JSo,  Bon- 
nie Ott).  An  Oregon  Junco  was  seen  intermit- 
tently at  a Frostburg,  Allegany,  MD  feeder 
15-30  Dec  (JBC).  As  many  as  34  Snow 
Buntings  were  seen  at  Poplar  L,  Talbot  13  Dec, 
the  highest  count  reported  in  the  Region  (Jan 
Reese,  fide  LR).  Remarkably,  no  Snow 
Buntings  were  reported  in  Virginia,  the  first 
winter  “miss”  of  the  species  in  over  30  years. 
A Painted  Bunting  was  in  a Newport  News 
yard  14  Jan  (Matthew  Snow).  A Dickcissel 


This  frigatebird  was  photographed  at  the  Great  Dismal 

Campground,  City  of  Chesapeake,  Virginia  9 November 
2005.  It  might  have  escaped  mention  in  this  column,  but  it 
was  dutifully  reported  via  eBird  <www.ebird.org>,  com- 
plete with  photograph!  On  the  same  day,  a female 
Magnificent  Frigatebird  was  observed  near  Kiptopeke  State 
Park,  to  the  north;  these  birds  were  probably  evacuees  from 
Hurricane  Wilma,  which  had  passed  offshore  a week  earlier. 

Photograph  by  Steve  and  Margie  Pitcher. 

was  along  Myers  Mill  Rd.,  Jeffersonton, 
Culpeper,  VA  11  Dec  (KG,  JK,  LM). 

An  ad.  male  Yellow-headed  Blackbird  was 
near  Mt.  Olive  Church  Rd.,  Worcester  3 Dec 
(Gary  Smyle,  Mike  Welch);  another  was  at 
Principio  Station  Rd.,  Cecil  18  Dec  (Russ  Ko- 
vach, Dave  Ziolkowski).  As  Rusty  Blackbird  is 
in  what  appears  to  be  steep  decline  across  the 
continent,  birders  are  encouraged  to  report 
any  sightings  of  the  species  to  data  collectors, 
local  listservs,  eBird  <www.ebird.org>,  or  any 
similar  database  where  the  sightings  can  be 
logged.  There  was  only  one  report  with  more 
than  100  birds  this  winter:  550  on  20  Dec 
near  Beulahville,  King  William  (FA);  however, 
the  Hopewell  C.B.C  compiled  a total  of  1054, 
a new  count  record  (fide  AD).  A Brewer’s 
Blackbird  was  at  Hermitage,  Augusta  9-15 
Dec  (Barbara  McSweeny,  fide  YL);  one  was 
along  Griffith  Neck  Rd.,  Dorchester  4 Feb  (BH 
et  al.);  and  2 were  near  Greenville,  Fauquier 
18  Feb  (KG,  JK).  The  mild  winter  likely  con- 
tributed to  seven  reports  of  Baltimore  Orioles 
away  from  somewhat-expected  areas  in  the 
Region.  A Common  Redpoll  took  advantage 
of  a Herndon,  Fairfax  feeder  after  25  cm  of 
snow  fell  12  Jan  (Glen  Gerada,  Kathy  Burger); 
other  reports  included  2 from  Howard:  15-16 


MIDDLE  ATLANTIC 


Dec  at  Kings  Contrivance,  Columbia  (Erin 
Eve,  Tracy  Eve,  fide  JSo)  and  a male  at  Sand- 
chain  Rd.,  Columbia  13  & 15  Feb  (Jane 
Coskren,  fide  JSo).  For  the  first  time  in  many 
years,  Red  Crossbills  were  reliably  found  near 
the  Confederate  Breastworks,  Highland  and 
Augusta,  with  10  first  noted  13  Jan  (TMD, 
Eric  M.  Hynes)  and  seen  throughout  the  re- 
porting period,  with  as  many  as  15  seen  22 
Jan  (JSp,  Lisa  Hamilton). 

Addenda/corrigenda:  Reports  of  birds  banded 
at  Chino  Farms,  Queen  Anne’s  were  inadver- 
tently omitted  from  the  fall  2005  report;  of 
note  there  was  a Clay-colored  Sparrow  24  Sep 
and  an  Oregon  Junco  8 Nov  (JG).  A Magnifi- 
cent Frigatebird  was  at  Great  Dismal  Camp- 
ground, Chesapeake,  VA  9 Nov  (ph.  Steve  & 
Margie  Pitcher).  The  report  of  Black-bellied 
Plovers  in  Wicomico  (N.A.B.  59:  579)  should 
have  been  listed  as  Worcester,  MD. 

Contributors  (subregional/county  compilers 
in  boldface):  Robert  L.  Ake  (RLAk),  Robert  L. 
Anderson  (RLAn),  Janet  Anderson,  Elaine 
Arnold,  Stan  Arnold,  Henry  T.  Armistead, 
Frederick  Atwood  (e.  Virginia),  Michael  R. 
Boatwright  (cen.  Virginia),  Arun  Bose,  Jim 
Brighton,  Edward  S.  Brinkley,  Carol  & Don- 
ald Broderick  (C&DB),  Mike  Burchette,  J.  B. 
Churchill,  Rack  Cross,  Dave  Czaplak  (DCz), 
David  Davis,  Todd  M.  Day,  Adam  D’Onofrio 
(se.  Virginia),  Samuel  H.  Dyke,  Stephen  Ec- 
cles,  Walter  G.  Ellison,  Linda  Fields  (n.  Vir- 
ginia), Matt  Hafner,  Susan  A.  Heath,  Robert 
Hilton,  Mark  L.  Hoffman,  Hans  Holbrook, 
Emy  Holdridge,  Bill  Hubick,  David  L.  Hugh- 
es, Kurt  Gaskill,  Jim  Gruber,  George  M.  Jett, 
Teta  Kain,  Jay  Keller,  Clyde  Kessler,  Mary  Al- 
ice Koeneke,  Glenn  Koppel,  YuLee  Larner 
(Augusta,  VA),  Beverley  Leeuwenburg,  Larry 
Lynch,  Nancy  L.  Martin,  Roger  & Linda 
Mayhorn  (sw.  Virginia),  Taylor  McLean,  Lar- 
ry Meade,  J.  Brian  Patteson,  Helen  Patton 
(Montgomery,  MD),  Paul  Pisano,  Elizabeth  L. 
Pitney  (Tri-County  Bird  Club,  MD),  Danny 
Poet,  Kyle  Rambo,  Marc  Ribaudo,  Robert  E 
Ringler,  Les  Roslund,  Eugene  J.  Scarpula, 
Alan  Schreck  (n.  Virginia),  Don  Simonson 
(DSi),  Jo  Solem  (JSo)  (Howard,  MD),  John 
Spahr  (JSp)  (w.  Virginia),  Chris  Starling, 
James  L.  Stasz,  Brenda  Tekin,  Debbie  Terry, 
Craig  Turner,  Pat  Valdata,  George  Wallace, 
Marcia  Watson-Whitmyre,  Bill  Williams 
(coastal  Virginia),  C.  Leslie  Willis.  Many  oth- 
ers who  could  not  be  personally  acknowl- 
edged also  contributed  to  this  report;  all  have 
my  thanks  for  the  effort  and  interest.  O 


Todd  M.  Day,  5118  Beaver  Dam  Road,  Jeffersonton,  Vir- 
ginia 22724,  (blkvulture@aol.com) 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


215 


Southern  Atlantic 


Alligator  R NWR 


Ricky  Davis 


This  winter’s  weather  was  generally 
mild,  with  December  and  January  tem- 
peratures decidedly  warmer  than  usu- 
al. Only  in  February  were  temperatures  closer 
to  normal.  Rainfall  was  definitely  not  normal. 
Many  areas,  especially  the  inland  portion  of 
the  Region,  experienced  rainfall  deficits  aver- 
aging over  1 5 cm.  The  mild  winter  was  prob- 
ably not  too  rough  on  the  wintering  birds  and 
was  clearly  responsible  for  increased  numbers 
of  lingering  species  and  winter  rarities,  as  well 
as  for  reduced  numbers  of  waterfowl.  High- 
lights this  season  involved  the  continued  in- 
crease in  goose  numbers,  more  reports  than 
usual  for  western  Red-tailed  Hawks,  a good 
variety  of  flycatchers,  wintering  Cave  Swal- 
lows, wintering  warblers  and  tanagers,  and  an 
influx  of  Bullocks  Orioles. 

Abbreviations:  E.L.H.  (E.  L.  Huie  Land  Ap- 
plication Facility,  Clayton , GA);  H.B.S.P. 
(Huntington  Beach  S.P.,  Georgetown , SC); 
Hoop.  (Hooper  Lane,  Henderson , NC);  L. 
Matt.  (L.  Mattamuskeet  N.W.R.,  Hyde , NC); 
Pea  I.  (Pea  Island  N.W.R.,  Dare , NC);  S.S.S. 
(Savannah  Spoil  Site,  Jasper,  SC). 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  WADERS 

Wintering  goose  numbers  were  again  higher 
this  winter,  continuing  the  trend  that  started 
in  the  1990s.  Greater  White-fronted  Geese 
were  found  in  all  three  states,  in  eight  Geor- 
gia, three  North  Carolina,  and  two  South  Car- 
olina locations.  The  best  total  was  17  on  the 
Eufaula  N.W.R.,  GA  C.B.C.  19  Dec  (fide  SP). 
Snow  Goose  numbers  at  the  traditional  e. 
North  Carolina  wintering  areas  passed  the 
90,000  mark:  72,053  on  the  Pettigrew  S.P 
C.B.C.  30  Dec  (fide  LW)  and  18,000  on  the  L. 
Matt.  C.B.C.  29  Dec  (fide  AB).  Small  groups  of 
Snows  were  also  found  throughout  the  Re- 
gion, the  farthest  s.  being  12  on  Little  St.  Si- 
mons L,  GA  19  Jan  (fide  NVL).  Ross’s  Geese 
were  noted  in  all  three  states;  8 at  the  Bradley 
Unit,  Eufaula  N.W.R.,  GA  11-13  Dec  (SM,  PL, 
PH)  was  the  largest  count.  Cackling  Geese, 
all  apparently  hutchinsii,  were  reported  again: 


1-3  at  L.  Matt.  11-29  Dec  (RD,  HL,  WC),  2 at 
Bear  1 W.M.A.,  SC  5-6  Jan  (RS,  DF,  RC,  CE  et 
al.),  one  at  the  Pungo  Unit,  Pocosin  Lakes 
N.WR.,  NC  4 Feb  (RD),  5 in  s.  Twiggs , GA  19 
Feb+  (JFl,  EH  et  al.),  and  one  at  Santee 
N.W.R.,  SC  26  Feb  (LG).  Puddle  duck  num- 
bers were  down  in  many  areas  this  winter,  as 
is  expected  in  mild  winters.  Diving  ducks 
seemed  to  be  present  in  normal  numbers, 
with  interesting  counts  including  150  Red- 
heads at  Garden  Lakes,  Rome,  GA  23  Feb 
(MD),  almost  2200  Ring-necked  Ducks  at  the 
E.L.H.  7 Jan  (CL  et  al.),  and  33  Black  Scoters 
at  Carters  L.,  GA  3 Dec  (BZ  et  al.),  the  latter 
providing  a new  high  count  for  the  Piedmont 
ol  that  state.  There  were  only  two  reports  of 
Common  Eider  in  each  of  the  Carolinas, 
while  South  Carolina  had  2 Harlequin  Ducks: 
an  ad.  male  at  Myrtle  Beach  17  Jan-early  Feb 
(PL  et  al.)  and  an  imm.  male  at  H.B.S.P  7-15 
Jan  (ST  et  al.,  ND  et  al.).  Noteworthy  inland 
waterfowl  included  a White-winged  Scoter  at 
West  Point  L.,  GA  7 Dec  (EB,  MB),  up  to  19 
Common  Goldeneyes  there  26  Dec  (KB),  a 


Common  Merganser  at  Parr  Res.,  Newberty, 
SC  12-14  Feb  (TK,  RC,  CE),  and  another 
Common  at  Carters  L.,  GA  12  Feb+  (JSp  et 
al.).  Two  Red-throated  Loons  at  West  Point 
L.,  GA  7 & 14  Dec  (EB,  MB)  and  one  on  L. 
Norman,  NC  23  Dec  (DW  et  al.)  were  the 
only  ones  reported  inland.  Only  one  Pacific 
Loon  was  noted  31  Dec  (DC)  in  the  Common 
Loon  flock  at  Wrightsville  Beach,  NC  this 
winter,  a far  cry  from  the  3 last  year.  Red- 
necked Grebe  was  at  L.  Walter  E George,  GA 
19  Feb  (EB,  MB),  the  only  report.  Eared 
Grebes  were  found  in  normal  numbers,  with 


the  best  count  once  again  coming  from  Plant 
Scherer-L.  Juliette  area,  Monroe , GA  3 Dec  (JS 
et  al.).  Rare  from  shore  were  2 Manx  Shear- 
waters, one  at  Ft.  Fisher,  NC  21  Dec  (JE)  and 
one  at  Nags  Head,  NC  5 Jan  (RK). 

American  White  Pelicans  continue  their  in- 
creasing presence  in  the  Region.  The  best 
counts  included  109  on  the  ACE  Basin,  SC 
C.B.C.  1 Jan  (fide  PLa),  80  near  St.  Mary’s, 
Camden,  GA  3 Feb  (PS  et  al.),  and  up  to  30  at 
Drum  Inlet,  Carteret , NC  22  Jan  (fide  JF).  The 
farthest  inland  were  the  15  at  West  Point  L., 
GA  3 Dec  (EB,  MB)  and  9 at  Eufaula  N.W.R., 
GA  8 Jan  (JF1  et  al.).  Only  one  inland  Brown 
Pelican  was  found,  that  being  at  Eufaula 
N.W.R.,  GA  3 Dec  (JF1,  EH).  Farther  inland 
than  usual  in  winter  was  the  Anhinga  at  Holt’s 
L Johnston,  NC  10  Dec  (CS).  The  most  un- 
usual reports  of  long-legged  waders  were  a 
Great  Egret  far  inland  on  the  Peachtree  City, 
GA  C.B.C.  17  Dec  (fide  TM),  2 Cattle  Egrets 
at  Phinizy  Swamp,  Augusta,  GA  in  Jan  (LS), 
and  a Green  Heron  far  inland  at  L.  Acworth, 
Cobb,  GA  10  Jan  (SPg).  Georgia  had  single 


Reddish  Egrets  in  three  locations,  about  aver- 
age for  recent  winters. 

RAPTORS  THROUGH  ALCIDS 

There  was  one  report  of  Northern  Goshawk 
this  winter,  an  imm.  seen  briefly  but  well  at 
Alligator  River  N.W.R.,  NC  20  Dec  (BC).  Re- 
ports of  "Krider’s”-type  Red-tailed  Hawks  in- 
cluded an  imm.  in  Gordon , GA  11  Dec  (KB), 
another  at  the  Jekyll  L,  GA  causeway  18  Dec- 
18  Feb  (PH  et  al.,  LT,  SB),  one  near 
Cartersville,  Bartow,  GA  26  Dec  (T&JFo),  an 
ad.  at  the  Savannah  N.W.R.,  SC  l Jan  (SW), 


There  are  few  documented  winter  reports  of  Chuck-will's-widow  in  North  Carolina.  This  individual  was  located  in  Buxton 
Woods,  Dare  County,  North  Carolina  27  December  2005;  a photograph  from  the  same  location  appears  in  North  American 
Birds  55: 247.  Photograph  by  Audrey  Whitlock. 


216 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


SOUTHERN  ATLANTIC 


one  n.  of  Santee  N.W.R.,  SC  1 Jan  (LM),  and 
an  ad.  in  Gordon , GA  21  Feb  (JSp).  In  Geor- 
gia, dark-morph  calurus  Red-taileds  were  re- 
ported at  Oxbow  Meadows  7 Jan  (WCh)  and 
in  Bartow  28  Jan  (JS,  CL)  and  19  Feb  (JSp)- 
Single  light-morph  Rough-legged  Hawks 
were  at  Alligator  River  N.W.R.,  NC  10  Dec 


and  6 Jan  (RD,  HL,  JP,  RK)  and  in  w.  Orange, 
NC  10  Dec  (DS  et  al.).  This  seasons  Golden 
Eagle  sightings  included  an  ad.  in  Walker , GA 
3 Jan  (JSp),  an  ad.  at  Stone  Mountain  S.R,  NC 
3 Feb  (EHa),  an  imm.  on  the  Pettigrew  S.R 
C.B.C.  in  North  Carolina  30  Dec  (SH  et  al.), 
an  imm.  at  Alligator  River  N.W.R.  1 (JL)  & 7 
Jan  (fide  JL),  plus  an  ad.  there  16  Jan  (RH  et 
al.).  Sandhill  Cranes  were  reported  more  than 
usual  this  winter.  The  most  interesting  re- 
ports involved  the  excellent  total  of  5888  on 
the  Atlanta,  GA  C.B.C.  18  Dec  (fide  BZ),  35 
on  the  Clemson,  SC  C.B.C.  17  Dec  (SG  et  al.), 
and  up  to  6 in  Carteret,  NC  18  Dec+  (JF, 
m.ob.). 

Wilsons  Plovers  regularly  winter  in  small 
numbers  in  s.  coastal  areas,  so  of  interest  was 
the  count  of  71  at  Jekyll  I.,  GA  12  Jan  (RW), 
record  high  for  that  state.  Another  count  of 
note  was  of  26  Piping  Plovers  on  Cumberland 
1.,  GA  3 Feb  (PS).  The  Black-necked  Stilts 
that  lingered  at  the  S.S.S.  from  the  fall  were 
last  seen  15  Dec,  when  2 were  noted  (SC,  PL), 
providing  a very  rare  winter  report.  Spotted 
Sandpiper  reports  were  lower  than  usual,  but 
one  near  Barnardsville,  Buncombe,  NC  late 
Dec-late  Jan  (KC)  was  most  unusual  for  the 
winter  season.  Seven  Long-billed  Curlews 
wintered  at  Cape  Romain  N.W.R.,  SC  (ND), 
the  highest  count,  and  3 were  at  Little  St.  Si- 
mons 1.,  GA  3 Feb  (BZ).  Winter  reports  of 
Stilt  Sandpiper,  rather  unusual,  were  of  sin- 
gles at  the  S.S.S.  in  late  Dec  (SC)  and  in  near- 
by Colleton,  SC  25  Feb  (ND).  Also  rare  in 
winter  was  the  Ruff  photographed  in  Col- 


leton, SC  25  Feb  (ND).  There  are  few  docu- 
mented winter  Ruffs  in  the  Region. 

Apart  from  the  usual  handful  of  sightings 
of  jaegers  along  the  beaches,  a juv.  Pomarine 
inland  at  Walter  F George  L.,  GA  10-12  Dec 
(SM,  PL)  was  a complete  surprise.  Franklins 
Gull  is  not  expected  in  the  Region  during 
winter,  but  there  were  two  re- 
ports this  year.  The  second- 
year  bird  at  Tybee  I.,  GA  from 
the  fall  season  was  last  noted 
17  Dec  (RW).  In  North  Car- 
olina, one  was  found  at 
Manns  Harbor,  Dare  14  Dec 
(JL),  and  it  remained  in  the 
area  until  at  least  15  Jan  (DS 
et  al).  What  was  presumably 
the  same  bird  was  then  sight- 
ed nearby  along  the  beach  in 
the  Oregon  Inlet  area  19  Jan 
(DL).  Black-headed  Gull 
sightings  involved  the  return- 
ing ad.  at  the  L.  Matt,  cause- 
way 1 1 Dec-16  Jan  (RD,  DS  et 
al.,  RH),  one  at  the  Jack- 
sonville, NC  W.T.P.  3-24  Feb 
(GG,  JO  et  al),  and  one  at  the  Georgetown, 
SC  W.T.P  12  Feb  (JBH  et  al.).  Georgia  got  an- 
other California  Gull  report,  a first-winter 
bird  at  Tybee  I.  19-20  Feb  (SB,  JS  et  al.).  The 
first  for  that  state  came  in  winter  2004-2005, 
near  Macon,  interestingly  also  a first-winter 
bird;  North  Carolina’s  reports  of  California 
Gull  involve  mostly  adults.  The  only  Thayers 
Gull  reported  was  the  ad.  inland  at  the  Wake, 
NC  landfill  11  Feb  (DC).  Other  inland  gulls 
of  note  were  an  imm.  Glaucous  at  the  Merry 
Ponds,  Augusta,  GA  17  Dec-early  Jan  (AW, 
LS)  and  a Lesser  Black-backed  at  L.  Norman, 
NC  18  Dec  (TP).  Alcids  were  scarce  this  win- 
ter as  compared  to  last.  Thick-billed  Murre  re- 
ports included  one  in  the  Murrells  Inlet,  SC 
jetty  area  29  Dec  (fide  JPe)  and  again  15  Feb 
(ED  et  al.)  and  2 in  the  surf  at  Nags  Head,  NC 
1 1 Feb  (Virginia  Society  of  Ornithology,  fide 
WC).  Razorbills  included  one  on  the  C.  Hatt. 
C.B.C.  27  Dec  (RD)  and  2 on  the  Wilmington, 
NC  C.B.C.  31  Dec  (JF.JFe). 

DOVES  THROUGH  THRUSHES 

Doves  continued  to  increase,  with  Eurasian 
Collared-Doves  being  found  in  increasing 
numbers  at  various  locations  throughout  the 
Region,  and  White-winged  Doves  again  being 
noted  from  all  three  states.  The  best  count  of 
White -wingeds  was  3 at  Cadwell,  Laurens,  GA 
during  the  winter  (fide  BZ).  Northern  Saw- 
whet  Owls  were  found  several  times:  2 at  Al- 
ligator River  N.W.R.,  NC  1 Jan  (JL),  2+  in  the 
Burrell’s  Ford  area,  GA/SC  15-24  Jan  (KB  et 
al.,  RWa  et  al  ),  and  one  near  Brevard,  NC  6 


Feb  (fide  NS).  Winter  goatsuckers  included  a 
Whip-poor-will  near  the  Newport  R., 
Carteret,  NC  1 Dec  (JF),  another  on  the  St. 
Catherines  I.,  GA  C.B.C.  17  Dec  (fide  EU),  a 
Chuck-will’s-widow  on  the  C.  Hatt.  C.B.C.  27 
Dec  (PS  et  al.),  and  another  at  Ocracoke,  NC 
31  Dec  (fide  PV).  The  latter  species  is  consid- 
erably rarer  in  winter  than  the  former  species. 

Hummingbird  reports  were  once  again 
widespread.  Highlights  this  winter  included  a 
female  Ruby-throated  banded  far  inland  near 
Cohutta,  Whitfield,  GA  22  Jan  (RT),  the  re- 
turning ad.  male  Black-chinned  at  Savannah, 
GA  Dec-Jan  (SC),  an  imm.  male  Calliope 
banded  at  N.  Augusta,  SC  27  Dec  (DCu), 
Georgia’s  4th  through  6th  Broad-tailed  Hum- 
mingbirds (RT;  2 in  the  Atlanta  area,  one  in 
Rabun),  a female  Rufous  returning  to  a Shelby, 
NC  yard  for  the  7th  year  (SCb),  and  the  pres- 
ence of  5 Selasphorus  together  all  winter  at 
Bakers  Mt.  Park,  Catawba,  NC  (JSu,  DM). 

Flycatchers  provided  much  excitement  in 
the  Region  this  winter.  An  unidentified  Empi- 
donax  was  a good  find  on  the  Savannah,  GA 
C.B.C.  1 Jan  (fide  SC).  North  Carolina  got  its 
4th  Say’s  Phoebe  when  one  was  found  at  a 
large  farm  complex  in  Carteret  1-6  Dec  (SCo, 
DC  et  al.,  WI,  JL).  In  recent  years,  Vermilion 


This  Ruff,  probably  an  early  migrant,  was  photographed  in 
Colleton,  South  Carolina  on  25  February  2006,  providing 
documentation  of  a rare  winter-season  occurrence  for  the 
Southern  Atlantic  region.  Photograph  by  Nathan  Dias. 

Flycatcher  has  been  almost  annual  in  Georgia 
in  winter.  This  year’s  bird  was  present  at  the 
Bradley  Unit,  Eufaula  N.W.R.  12  Dec  (PL, 
SM)  through  29  Jan  (MEM).  North  Carolina 
had  at  least  2 Ash-throated  Flycatchers:  at  C. 
Hatt.  27  Dec  (CE  et  al.)  and  at  the  Pungo 
Unit,  Pocosin  Lakes  N.W.R.  28  Jan  (fide  WC). 
An  unidentified  Myiarchus  at  Alligator  River 
N.W.R.  13  Jan  (JSo)  was  probably  also  this 
species.  North  Carolina’s  3rd  Tropical  King- 
bird, present  from  the  fall  near  L.  Phelps, 
Washington,  was  last  seen  26  Dec  (K&JBe). 
Western  Kingbirds  were  found  five  times  this 
winter:  one  on  Ocracoke  L,  NC  7 Dec  (PV  et 
al.),  one  on  the  Okefenokee  N.W.R.,  GA 
C.B.C.  30  Dec  (fide  SWi),  one  at  the  Fulton 
County  Airport,  GA  20  Dec-25  Feb  (DH  et 


Chris  Eley  found  this  Ash-throated  Flycatcher  vicinity  of  the  campground 
at  Cape  Point,  in  Cape  Hatteras  National  Seashore,  Dare  County,  North 
Carolina  27  December  2005.  There  are  about  1 0 previous  records  for 
the  state.  Photograph  by  Jim  Reuter. 


VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


217 


SOUTHERN  ATLANTIC 


al.),  2 near  Fitzgerald,  Ben  Hill,  GA  22-29  Jan 
(JFl,  EH),  and  2 at  Jekyll  I.,  GA  2-18  Feb 
(GK,  SB).  Providing  a very  rare  winter  sight- 
ing was  the  Yellow-throated  Vireo  on  Sapelo 
I.,  GA  1 Dec  (DCo).  Compelling  documenta- 
tion of  these  winter-season  Yellow-throat- 
ed Vireos  is  lacking  and  very  much  need- 
ed; confusion  with  bright  Pine  Warblers  is 
possible.  Not  as  surprising  were  the  4 Fish 
Crows  in  Cherokee,  GA  28  Jan  (V&HD); 
this  species  has  been  found  farther  and 
farther  inland  during  winter  across  the 
Region. 

Swallows  of  note  included  a Northern 
Rough-winged  Swallow  at  the  Merry 
Ponds,  Augusta,  GA  1 Dec  (EB,  MB),  an- 
other at  Oxbow  Meadows,  GA  through  7 
Jan  (WCh),  a Bank  Swallow  at  H.B.S.P  7 
Jan  (ST  et  al.),  a Barn  Swallow  at  Carolina 
Beach,  NC  31  Dec  (RD),  and  another  Barn 
at  H.B.S.P  7 Jan  (ST  et  al.).  There  are  only 
one  or  two  previous  winter  reports  of 
Bank  Swallow  in  the  Carolinas!  Cave 
Swallows  continued  in  the  Region  after 
the  fall  influx.  Amazingly,  the  H.B.S.P  area 
hosted  a flock  of  these  swallows  for  almost 
the  entire  winter.  The  peak  count  was  38+  on 
7 Jan  (ST  et  al.),  and  20  were  still  there  as  late 
as  18  Feb  (JPe).  Other  Cave  Swallow  reports 
included  6 at  Pawley’s  1.,  SC  29  Dec  (SCp  et 
al.),  one  on  the  Bodie-Pea  1.,  NC  C.B.C.  28 
Dec  (PS  et  al.),  one  on  the  L.  Matt.,  NC  C.B.C. 
29  Dec  (RD),  and  one  at  the  Altamaha 
W.M.A.,  GA  4-18  Feb  (JFl,  EH,  GK,  SB).  Red- 
breasted Nuthatches  were  scarce  this  winter 
as  compared  to  last.  Blue-gray  Gnatcatchers, 
however,  seemed  to  be  somewhat  more  com- 
mon than  usual  at  various  Coastal  Plain  sites. 
Most  intriguing  was  the  report  of  a female 
Varied  Thrush  seen  three  times  during  the 
last  week  of  Dec  in  Orange,  NC  (GT).  There 
have  been  a few  reports  from  that  state,  but 
the  species  has  never  been  documented. 

WARBLERS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

Rather  rare  away  from  the  usual  Coastal  Plain 
wintering  range  were  single  Orange-crowned 
Warblers  at  Charlotte,  NC  26  Jan  (JB)  and  in 
Gordon,  GA  1 Feb  (JSp).  Nashville  Warblers 
were  in  North  Carolina  on  the  Wayne  Coun- 
ty C.B.C.  17  Dec  (EDe  et  al.),  on  the  Durham 
C.B.C.  18  Dec  (DK  et  al.),  and  on  the  More- 
head  City  C.B.C.  18  Dec  (JC).  In  South  Car- 
olina, singles  were  at  Conway  9 Dec  (PL),  on 
the  Savannah,  GA  C.B.C.  1 Jan  (fide  SC),  and 
at  H.B.S.P  27  Feb  (D&PD).  Georgia  hosted 
one  in  Columbus  20  Dec  (PF  et  al.)  and  one 
in  Gwinnett  5 Jan  (EH).  Eight  Nashvilles  Re- 
gionwide is  a high  count  for  winter.  Northern 
Parula  reports  were  up,  too,  with  singles  on 
Roanoke  I.,  NC  12  Dec-10  Jan  (JL),  on  the  C. 


Hatt.  C.B.C.  27  Dec  (PS  et  al.),  on  the  St. 
Catherines  I.,  GA  C.B.C.  17  Dec  ( fide  EU), 
and  the  Cumberland  1.,  GA  C.B.C.  17  Dec 
(fide  SWi).  Yellow  Warbler  sightings  involved 
singles  at  L.  Matt.  29  Dec-14  Jan  (JL,  HL  et 


This  Franklin's  Gull  was  present  14  December  2005  (here)  through  15 
January  2006  at  Manns  Harbor,  Dare  County,  North  Carolina.  Winter 
records  of  this  species  are  very  few  in  the  Southeast,  and  the  length 
of  stay  of  this  individual  was  unprecedented  in  the  Southern  Atlantic 
region.  Photograph  by  Jeff  Lewis. 

al.,  LD),  at  Savannah  N.W.R.,  SC  4 Feb  (GK  et 
al.),  and  on  the  Macon,  GA  C.B.C.  17  Dec 
(J&MA).  Of  interest  was  the  Audubon’s  War- 
bler returning  for  a 2nd  year  to  a yard  in 
Chapel  Hill,  NC  for  about  a week  in  late  Jan 
(JM).  Always  rare  in  winter,  a Black-throated 
Green  Warbler  was  a good  find  on  the  Wayne 
County,  NC  C.B.C.  17  Dec  (JF  et  al.).  Anoth- 


Very  rare  for  the  mountains,  especially  in  winter,  was  this 
Yellow-headed  Blackbird  found  on  the  Balsam  Christmas 
Bird  Count  in  Haywood,  North  Carolina  on  29  December 
2005.  Photograph  by  Wayne  Forsythe. 

er  warbler  of  interest  was  the  unidentified 
Dcndroica  seen  briefly  on  the  Floyd  County, 
GA  C.B.C.  31  Dec  (fide  GB).  The  bird  was 
thought  to  be  a Blackburnian,  but  the  more 
likely  Townsend’s  was  not  ruled  out.  Other 
warblers  of  note  included  2 Yellow-throated 
Warblers  on  the  L.  Matt.  C.B.C.  29  Dec  (fide 
AB),  15  Black-and-white  Warblers  on  the  San- 
tee N.W.R.,  SC  C.B.C.  31  Dec  (fide  LG),  an 
American  Redstart  on  the  Hilton  Head  1.,  SC 
C.B.C.  17  Dec  (fide  NL),  a Northern  Wa- 


terthrush  at  the  S.S.S.  15  Dec  (PL,  SC),  a win- 
tering Common  Yellowthroat  in  Henderson, 
NC  18  Dec-8  Jan  (ST,  BO,  MW),  a Wilson’s 
Warbler  at  the  Bradley  Unit,  Eufaula  N.W.R., 
GA  13  Dec  (PH),  and  2 Wilson’s  on  the 
Wayne,  NC  C.B.C.  17  Dec  (JF  et  al.).  Win- 
tering Ovenbirds  included  one  at  Southern 
Shores,  NC  18  Dec  OK).  one  on  the  Petti- 
grew S.P.,  NC  C.B.C.  30  Dec  (AB,  RD),  one 
in  n.  Greene,  GA  3 Dec  (PS),  one  on  the 
Harris  Neck  N.W.R.,  GA  C.B.C.  16  Dec 
(fide  SC),  and  one  on  Jekyll  1.,  GA  4 Feb 
(BZ).  Yellow-breasted  Chats  were  reported 
more  than  usual,  with  all  three  states  host- 
ing several  individuals. 

The  Region  held  three  species  of  tan- 
ager  this  winter.  The  rare-in-winter  Sum- 
mer Tanager  was  represented  by  a female 
at  a feeder  in  Whispering  Pines,  Moore, 
NC  28  Jan+  (SCb),  while  an  even  rarer 
Scarlet  Tanager,  a female/imm.,  visited  a 
feeder  in  Conway,  SC  2-20  Dec  (GP,  JPe). 
Both  birds  were  photographed.  Western 
Tanager  reports  were  down  from  last  year 
but  still  impressive:  a male  a feeder  in  More- 
head  City,  NC  15  Jan  (fide  JF),  a female  in 
Wilmington,  NC  Jan-Feb  (fide  SCb),  an 
imm.  male  at  a feeder  in  York,  SC  late  Feb+ 
(fide  BHt),  and  singles  in  Georgia  at  Powder 
Springs,  Cobb  9-11  Feb  (fide  JS,  BZ)  and  Ma- 
rietta 26  Dec  (fide  TM).  Bachman’s  Sparrows 
are  notoriously  difficult  to  observe  in  win- 
ter; thus  of  note  were  the  7 found  in  Moody 
Forest  Natural  Area,  Appling,  GA  29  Jan 
(JFl,  EH).  Clay-colored  Sparrows  are  rare- 
but-regular  winter  residents  in  the  Region. 
This  year.  North  Carolina  had  practically  all 
the  reports  of  the  species,  with  the  best  to- 
tals being  4 on  the  Pettigrew  S.P.  C.B.C.  30 
Dec  (AB,  RD)  and  2 on  the  L.  Matt.  C.B.C. 
29  Dec  (fide  AB).  Very  rare  away  from  the 
Coastal  Plain  were  single  Clay-coloreds  in 
the  French  Broad  R.  area,  Henderson  19-22 
Jan  (WF)  and  near  Lenoir,  a bird  that  win- 
tered for  the  2nd  year  in  a row  (fide  KF).  The 
only  Lark  Sparrows  reported  were  at  Fun- 
ston  Rcl.,  Brunswick,  NC  31  Dec  (GM)  and 
on  the  Greenville,  NC  C.B.C.  31  Dec  (KH). 
The  most  interesting  Ammodramus  sparrow 
reports  included  10  Grasshoppers  on  the 
Clemson,  SC  C.B.C.  17  Dec  (fide  DLa),  3 Le 
Contes  on  the  Clemson,  SC  C.B.C.  17  Dec 
(fide  DLa),  a Henslow’s  in  Transylvania,  NC 
1 Jan  (EG  et  al.),  and  a Nelson’s  Sharp-tailed 
at  Clemson,  SC  in  the  first  week  of  Dec 
(PC),  the  latter  two  furnishing  very  rare  in- 
land reports  for  those  states.  Lincoln’s  Spar- 
rows were  reported  frequently  again,  with 
the  best  counts  being  8 on  the  Pettigrew  S.P. 
C.B.C.  30  Dec  (RD,  AB)  and  3 on  the  South- 
port-Bald Head  I.,  NC  C.B.C.  1 Jan  (GM  et 


218 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


SOUTHERN  ATLANTIC 


al.);  several  in  the  North  Carolina  mts.  pro- 
vided rare  sightings  away  from  the  usual 
Coastal  Plain  wintering  areas:  one  was  on 
the  Henderson  C.B.C.  18  Dec  (WF,  BO,  ST), 

2 were  in  Transylvania  30  Dec  (NS),  and  an- 
other was  in  another  part  of  the  county  1 Jan 
(B&NS).  This  season’s  Lapland  Longspur  re- 
ports involved  up  to  7 at  Red  Hill,  Edge- 
combe, NC  28  Jan-11  Feb  (RD,  SS  et  al.),  at 
least  5 n.  of  St.  Matthews,  Calhoun,  SC  10 
Dec  (RC,  PL),  3 at  Hoop.  22  Dec  (WF),  and 
one  at  Fite  Bend  Rd.,  Gordon,  GA  17  Feb 
(JSp).  North  Carolina  had  the  only  Snow 
Buntings  reported:  singles  were  at  Oregon 
Inlet  3 Dec  (RD)  and  5 Jan  (RK),  at  C.  Hatt. 

3 Dec  (EDe),  and  at  Wrightsville  Beach  10 
Dec  (BS). 

Rare  winter  Indigo  Buntings  were  located 
at  Southport,  NC  1 Jan  (GM  et  al.)  and  at 
Charlotte,  NC  2 Feb  (JB).  Painted  Buntings 
continued  to  be  found  as  regular  but  quite  lo- 
cal winter  residents,  usually  at  the  coast.  Thus 
the  most  interesting  reports  were  inland, 
where  singles  on  the  Wayne  County,  NC 
C.B.C.  17  Dec  (R&PT),  on  the  Santee  N.W.R., 
SC  C.B.C.  31  Dec  (fide  LG),  and  at  a feeder  in 
Glennville,  Tattnall,  GA  15  Jan  (GW)  were 
documented.  Only  2 Dickcissels  were  men- 
tioned: singles  on  the  Savannah,  GA  C.B.C.  1 
Jan  ( fide  SC)  and  near  L.  Phelps,  NC  2 Feb 
(DL).  Very  rare  for  the  mts.,  and  the  only  one 
reported  this  winter,  a female  Yellow-headed 
Blackbird  was  found  along  Ratcliff  Rd.,  Hay- 
wood, NC  29  Dec  (MW  et  al.,  WF).  The  most 
interesting  Brewer’s  Blackbird  reports  in- 
volved 3-5  near  Townville,  SC  17  Dec-28  Feb 
(SG  et  al.),  3 near  Plymouth,  NC  28  Jan  (HW 
et  al.),  one  at  Alligator  River  N.W.R.,  NC  1 Jan 
(JL),  and  one  at  Congaree  Swamp,  SC  18  Dec 
(fide  RC).  There  was  a mini-invasion  of  Bul- 
lock’s Oriole  into  the  Region  this  winter,  with 

4 birds  being  documented  by  photograph.  In 
Georgia,  one  was  at  a feeder  in  Smyrna,  Cobb 
15-21  Dec  (GS  et  al.),  and  another  was  found 
in  an  orchard  w.  of  Statesboro,  Bulloch  27  Dec 
(JPa,  fide  GB).  These  provided  the  6th  and  7th 
records  for  the  state.  In  North  Carolina,  one 
was  at  a feeder  in  Conover  14  Jan  (fide  DM), 
and  another  was  at  a feeder  n.  of  Pittsboro  late 
Jan+  (CC  et  al.).  Baltimore  Orioles  seemed  to 
be  reported  in  better-than-average  numbers 
across  the  Region  as  well. 

Red  Crossbill  sightings  of  note  included  an 
impressive  count  of  26  on  the  Chattahoochee, 
GA  C.B.C.  18  Dec  (fide  GB),  up  to  2 at  Carters 
L.,  GA  13-28  Feb  (JSp),  one  in  Fannin,  GA  10 
Jan  (NSe),  one  at  a feeder  in  s.  Cobb,  GA  12 
Jan  (PM),  one  at  Jordan  L.,  NC  20  Dec  (TKr 
et  al.),  and  2 at  Johnston’s  Mill  Preserve, 
Chapel  Hill,  NC  24  Dec  (SPh).  An  Evening 
Grosbeak  at  a feeder  in  Black  Mountain,  NC 


on  Christmas  Day  (SGi)  was  the  only  one  re- 
ported. 

Corrigendum:  The  Little  Egret  included  in 
the  fall  2005  report  (N.A.B.  60:  55)  was  not 
accepted  by  the  North  Carolina  Bird  Records 
Committee  and  should  be  deleted. 

Contributors:  Jerry  & Marie  Amerson 
(J&MA),  Steve  Barlow,  Karen  &Joe  Bearden 
(K&JBe),  Giff  Beaton,  Eric  Beohm,  Michael 
Beohm,  Ken  Blankenship,  Allen  Bryan,  John 
Buckman,  Kevin  Caldwell,  Steve  Calver, 
Jamie  Cameron,  Susan  Campbell  (SCb), 
Chris  Canfield,  Brad  Carlson,  Derb  Carter, 
Robin  Carter,  Walt  Chambers  (WCh),  Paul 
Champlin,  Steve  Compton  (SCp),  Doris 
Cohrs  (DCo),  Will  Cook,  Sam  Cooper 
(SCo),  Doreen  Cubie  (DCu),  Evelyn  Dabbs, 
Linda  Davis,  Ricky  Davis,  Eric  Dean  (EDe), 
Vicki  & Harry  DeLoach  (V&HD),  Doug  & 
Pam  DeNeve  (D&PD),  Nathan  Dias,  Marion 
Dobbs,  Caroline  Eastman,  John  Ennis,  Jack 
Fennell  QFe),  Kent  Fiala,  Jim  Flynn  (JFl), 
Pete  Followil,  Terry  & Judy  Forbes  (T&JFo), 
Dennis  Forsythe,  Wayne  Forsythe,  John 
Fussell,  Elizabeth  Galloway,  Sidney  Gau- 
threaux,  Jr.,  Stu  Gibeau  (SGi),  Lex  Glover, 
Gilbert  Grant,  Ken  Harrell,  Eric  Harrold 
(EHa),  Scott  Hartley,  David  Hedeen,  Bill 
Hilton,  Jr.  (BHt),  J.  B.  Hines  (JBH),  Earl 
Horn,  Royce  Hough,  Pierre  Howard,  Wayne 
Irvin,  Tim  Kalbach,  Dan  Kaplan,  Gene  Ke- 
ferl,  Rick  Knight,  Tom  Krakauer  (TKr),  Joan 
Kutulas,  Carol  Lambert,  Nick  Van  Lanen 
(NVL),  Drew  Lanham  (DLa),  Pete  Laurie 
(PLa),  Harry  LeGrand,  Jr.,  Paul  Lehman, 
Dave  Lenat,  Jeff  Lewis,  Nan  Lloyd,  Dwayne 
Martin,  Greg  Massey,  Steve  McConnell, 
Lloyd  Moon,  Pam  Moore,  Terry  Moore,  Judy 
Murray,  Mary  Ellen  Myers  (MEM),  Jim  O’- 
Donnell, Bob  Olthoff,  Sandy  Pangle  (SPg), 
John  Parrish  (JPa),  Sam  Pate,  Jack  Peachey 
(JPe),  Gary  Phillips,  Shantanu  Phukan,  Tay- 
lor Piephoff,  Jeff  Pippen,  Georgann  Schmalz, 
Nedra  Sekera  (NSe),  Jeff  Sewell,  Doug  Shad- 
wick,  Bill  & Norma  Siebenheller  (B&NS), 
Steve  Shultz,  Roger  Smith,  Bruce  Smithson, 
Clyde  Sorenson,  Josh  Southern  (JSo),  Joshua 
Spence  (JSp),  Lois  Stacey,  John  Sutton  (JSu), 
Paul  Sykes,  Lydia  Thompson,  Simon 
Thompson,  Ginger  Travis,  Rusty  Trump, 
Russ  & Patricia  Tyndall  (R&PT),  Emil  Ur- 
ban, Peter  Vankevich,  Steve  Wagner,  Rick 
Waldrop  (RWa),  Anne  Waters,  Marilyn 
Westphal,  Russ  Wigh,  Haven  Wiley,  Gene 
Wilkinson,  Lisa  Williams,  Sheila  Willis 
(SWi),  David  Wright,  Bob  Zaremba.  © 


Ricky  Davis,  608  Smallwood  Drive,  Rocky  Mount,  North 
Carolina  27804,  (RJDNC@aol.com) 


SJJjyp  ali  AlLA 
iljJlJ  JJ3 b (jib 


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XiiriN 


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VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


219 


!a  , Apalachicola 

; SPb  J..  I NF 


i Jacksonville 


/ •Tallahassee 
Y ' / . \^t.  Marks  NWR 

^-Apalachicola  \ 

St.  Vincent*'-' si  George!  I 

NWR  SP 


kSt.  Augustine 


•Gainesville  ’ 
Paynes  Prairie  • 
Preserve  SP 


Cedar  I 


Merritt!  NWR 
i Cape  Canaveral 


Orlando  \ \ 
Viera,* 
Wetlands 


Honeymoon  ! SP 


St  Petersburg*^* 
Ft.  De  Soto  Park 


Okeechobee * 


Everglades 
Agricultural . 
Area 


Corkscrew 

Snamp 


Sanibel  lS! 


Big  Cypress 
Natl  Preserve 


pmestead 


EglinAFB 


Gulf 

of 


Bruce  H.  Anderson 


It  was  another  rather  mild  winter,  with 
harely  freezing  temperatures  reaching 
south  to  Orlando  only  once,  in  February. 
The  season  was  also  drier  than  normal,  the 
central  and  southern  regions  of  the  peninsula 
ending  the  season  with  a deficit  of  about  8 
cm,  which  sparked  wildfires  fueled  by  the  de- 
bris of  two  brutal  hurricane  seasons.  In  some 
areas  of  the  western  panhandle  and  southern 
peninsula,  where  vegetation  has  been  severe- 
ly impacted  by  recent  hurricanes,  resident 
birds  were  extremely  scarce.  Conspicuously 
absent  were  any  Bahamian  and/or  Antillean 
vagrants. 

Abbreviations/definitions:  E.N.P  (Everglades 
N.P.);  EO.S.R.C.  (Florida  Ornithological  Soci- 
ety Records  Committee); 

N.S.R.A.  (North  Shore 
Restoration  Area,  Orange); 
report  (any  observation); 
record  (only  those  reports 
verifiable  from  photograph, 
videotape,  or  specimen  evi- 
dence); UF  (Florida  State 
Museum). 

WATERFOWL 
THROUGH  CARACARA 

Black-bellied  Whistling- 
Ducks  continue  to  increase 
in  the  n.,  with  high  counts 
of  17  in  Leon  (Don 
Bethancourt,  fide  TE)  and 
159  in  Alachua  (Dan  Pearson).  Greater 
White-fronted  Geese  were  widespread,  with 
one  in  Okaloosa  10-19  Dec  (DWa,  RAD  et 
al.),  2 in  Hamilton  12  Nov  (JK),  2 in  Levy  2 
Dec  (Jape  Taylor),  5 in  Orange  17  Dec-7  Jan 
(Gian  Basili  et  ah),  5 in  Hendry  27  Jan  at  Din- 
ner Island  Ranch  W.M.A.  (Tim  & Lesa  Pan- 


to), and  one  in  Palm  Beach  25 
Feb  at  Loxahatchee  N.W.R.  (ph. 
John  J.  Lopinot).  Snow  Geese 
penetrated  s.  to  Highlands  in  Dec 
(C.B.C.)  and  to  n.  Sarasota , 
where  about  30  were  in  flight  17 
Jan  (Tina  Mossbarger).  One 
Snow  Goose  was  seen  captured 
by  an  American  Alligator  at  St. 
Marks  N.W.R.,  Wakulla  (Harry 
Hooper)!  Unprecedented,  9 
Ross’s  Geese  were  in  Okaloosa 
T°  10-19  Dec  (L&RAD  et  ah,  ph. 
PJ),  while  singles  visited  Wakulla 
Nov-17  Dec  (Phh  et  ah)  and  Bre- 
vard 17  Dec-3  Jan  (DF  et  ah,  ph. 
Tom  Dunkerton).  One  small 
white  goose  in  Pasco  (BP  et  ah) 
was  believed  to  be  a Snow  Goose  x Ross’s 
Goose  hybrid  (EO.S.R.C.)  If  accepted  by  the 
EO.S.R.C.,  a small  white-cheeked  goose  in 
Okaloosa  10  Dec-14  Jan  will  be  Florida’s  3rd 
verified  Cackling  Goose  (L&RAD  et  ah,  ph. 
PJ).  Nearly  annual,  an  American  Brant  was  at 
Canaveral  N.S.,  Volusia  18  Feb  (Tad  Fyock, 
BW).  Single  Eurasian  Wigeons  were  in  Bre- 
vard 13  Jan  (BR)  and  Polk  18-20  Dec  (LAI), 
with  2 in  Collier  9 Nov  (AM).  Lone  Cinna- 
mon Teal  visited  Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.,  Or- 
ange 4 & 9 Dec  (HR)  and  Brandon,  Hillsbor- 
ough 18  Dec-2  Feb  (EK  et  ah). 

For  a 2nd  year,  a male  Common  (Eurasian 
Green-winged)  Teal  was  at  Gainesville, 
Alachua  11  Jan-10  Feb  (BRo,  PBu  et  ah), 
while  another  paused  at  Lake  Apopka 
N.S.R.A.  22  Jan  (HR).  Inland,  4 
Greater  Scaup  were  at  Hamilton 


Gulf,  while  on  the  Atlantic,  2 Surfs  were 
found  far  s.  at  Key  Biscayne,  Miami-Dade  23 
Dec  (Roberto  Torres  et  ah,  ph.  TR),  and  there 
was  a high  count  of  42  at  Cocoa,  Brevard 
(C.B.C.).  The  seasons  only  White-winged 
Scoter  was  at  Honeymoon  Island  S.R.A., 
Pinellas  18  Dec  (Wilf  Yusek  et  ah).  In  good 
numbers  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  320  Black 
Scoters  were  s.  to  Hutchinson  h,  St.  Lucie  17 
Dec  (J&EH);  most  unusual  were  2 Black  Scot- 
ers in  downtown  Pensacola,  Escambia  17  Dec 
(RAD  et  ah),  and  a high  count  of  520  came 
from  waters  off  Amelia  h,  Nassau  14  Dec 
(PLh).  The  only  reported  Long-tailed  Duck 
was  one  inland  at  Hamilton  mines  12-17  Dec 
(JK,  PLh).  A female  Bufflehead  21  Jan+  was 
only  the  2nd  for  Broward  (MBe).  Common 
Goldeneyes  staged  a minor  inland  invasion, 
with  2 at  Hamilton  mines  14  Dec  (PLh)  and 
singles  at  Tallahassee,  Leon  30  Dec  (SM), 
Gainesville  14-15  Dec  (Scott  Flamand,  RR  et 
ah),  Tangerine  20  Dec-8  Feb  (ph.  AV,  DR  et 
ah),  Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.  27  Dec-28  Jan 
(HR,  ph.  AV),  and  Viera  Wetlands,  Brevard  10 
Dec  (Diane  Reed). 

Three  Red-throated  Loons  were  in  Duval 
and  one  was  at  Merritt  L,  Brevard  in  Dec 
(C.B.C. ).  Gulfside,  up  to  4 visited  Franklin  in 
Jan  (JM,  Rodney  Cassidy  et  ah).  Common 
Loons  strayed  far  s.  to  Monroe , with  2 in  the 
Florida  Straits  off  Long  Key  20  Jan  (BHA  et 
ah)  and  2 at  Key  West  31  Dec  (C.B.C.).  Mul- 
roony  reported  that  Commons  were  unusual- 
ly plentiful  in  Florida  Bay,  with  6 near  Cow- 


Florida's  first  European  Herring  Gull  (split  from  North  American  smithsonianus  by  European  ornithologists)  frequented  a Volusia  County  landfill  11-21 

(here  15)  February  2006.  Photographs  by  Lyn  Atherton. 


mines  14  Dec  (PLh),  2 were  at  L.  Dora,  Lake 
20  Dec  (AV,  DR),  and  up  to  5 were  s.  in  the 
Zellwood/Tangerine  area.  Orange  2 Dec-19 
Feb  (HR,  AV  et  ah),  these  reports  roughly  ap- 
proximating the  species’  s.  limits  along  both 
coasts.  A lone  Surf  Scoter  at  St.  Marks  N.W.R. 
13  Dec  (PLh)  was  the  only  report  from  the 


pens  Key  16  Dec. 

Apparently  no  Eared  Grebes  wintered;  sin- 
gles visited  Hamilton  mines  12  & 14  Dec  (JK, 
PLh)  and  Aubumdale,  Polk  20  Dec  (PF,  LA). 
Very  rarely  reported,  4 Manx  Shearwaters 
were  seen  74  km  off  Ponce  Inlet,  Volusia  1 Jan 
(BW,  MBr).  A moribund  Masked  Booby  at 


220 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


FLORIDA 


Florida's  migratory  Whooping  Crane  population  increased  by  1 9 this  season,  as  ultra-light  aircraft  guided  these  year- 
lings to  Chassahowitzka  N.W.R.,  Citrus  from  Wisconsin's  Necedah  N.W.R.  Of  the  presumed  still-extant  41  Whooping 
Cranes  that  had  been  led  to  Florida  during  the  previous  four  years,  33  returned  to  Florida  this  season,  while  others  wintered 
in  Tennessee  (4),  North  Carolina  (one),  South  Carolina  (one),  and  2 were  lost  to  tracking  after  reaching  Alabama  and  Ten- 
nessee. The  first  2 cranes  to  return  to  Florida  reached  Madison  15  Nov,  with  5 more  arriving  in  Citrus  four  days  later.  The  first 
2 cranes  to  begin  their  return  flight  left  Florida  on  2 Feb  (<www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html>). 


Ponce  Inlet  9 Dec  died  the  same  day  (fide  MBr; 
*UF  45042,  fide  TW).  Farther  s.,  at  Jupiter 
Colony  Inlet,  Palm  Beach , a live  Brown  Booby 
was  seen  20  Dec  (J&EH).  At  Dry  Tortugas 
N.P,  Monroe,  32  Masked  and  48  Brown  Boo- 
bies were  counted  4 Jan  (C.B.C.).  Lone  Brown 
Pelicans  were  inland  in  Leon  25  Jan  and  10 
Feb  (GM  et  al.),  Alachua  27  Dec  (Helen  War- 
ren), and  Polk  2 Dec  (Tom  Palmer).  Stunning 
in  alternate  plumage,  a Great  Cormorant  re- 
mained on  Doctors  L.,  Clay,  off  the  St.  Johns 

R.  23  Feb+  (Dianne  Wears  et  al.,  ph.  AV).  A 
tardy  Magnificent  Frigatebird  was  over  coastal 
Duval  15  Dec  (RC1).  A brightly  plumaged 
Scarlet  Ibis  photographed  at  Ft.  Myers  Beach, 
Lee  this  season  was  likely  the  same  one  seen 
sporadically  over  several  years  and  believed  to 
be  an  escapee  (ph.  John  Dougherty,  fide  CE). 
Now  annual,  a White-faced  Ibis  was  identified 
at  St.  Marks  N.W.R.  8 Dec  (Andy  Wraithmell 
et  al.),  and  3 were  at  Micanopy,  Alachua  25 
Feb+  (JoH,  AK  et  al.).  Greater  Flamingos  were 
not  located  anywhere  in  Florida  this  season 
and  have  not  been  reported  in  the  state  since 
the  passage  of  Hurricane  Wilma  ( fide  BM).  The 
species  has  been  reported  nearly  annually 
since  the  1950s  at  Snake  Bight,  E.N.P,  but 
Wilma  devastated  the  Park  24  Oct  2005. 

The  earliest  Swallow-tailed  Kites  were  2 
noted  in  Pinellas  26  Feb  OF)-  Single  White- 
tailed Kites,  scarce  in  Florida,  were  spotted  at 
Hole-in-the-Donut,  E.N.P,  Miami-Dade  4 Dec 
QHB),  near  Lake  Placid,  Highlands  29  Dec 
(C.B.C.),  on  Sanibel  1.,  Lee  15  Jan  (Kay  & Paul 
Kiefer),  along  Canoe  Creek  Rd.,  Osceola  8 Feb 
(B&LC),  and  in  Kissimmee  Prairie  Preserve 

S. P.,  Okeechobee  22  Feb  (GQ).  A Snail  Kite  re- 
mained far  n.  at  L.  Tsala  Apopka,  Citrus  18  Jan 
(Frank  Aumack),  where  at  least  one  pair  nest- 
ed last  summer.  The  only  Broad-winged 
Hawks  reported  n.  of  the  s.  peninsula  were  3 
at  Ft.  De  Soto  C.P.,  Pinellas  (LAt),  one  in  Hills- 
borough, and  2 in  s.  Brevard  (C.B.C.).  A Short- 
tailed Hawk  at  I.M.C.  Peace  River  Park,  Polk 
21  Jan  was  early  (PF  et  al.).  Rare  in  the  pan- 
handle, a migrant  Swainson’s  Hawk  was  at  Ft. 
Walton  Beach  Sewage  Facility  10  Dec  (RAD  et 
al,  ph.  PJ),  while  up  to  2 lingered  at  Lake 
Apopka  N.S.R.A.  20  Dec-16  Jan  (ph.  AV).  A 
Swainson’s  at  Brandon  5 Feb  (Chris  Ras- 
mussen) was  likely  an  early  migrant.  A very 
rare  Golden  Eagle  was  seen  attempting  to  kill 
a Wild  Turkey  at  Kissimmee  Prairie  Preserve 


S.E  20  Feb  (GQ).  A Crested  Caracara  at  Turtle 
Mound,  Canaveral  N.S.,  Volusia  23  Feb  (ph. 
PH)  was  ne.  of  its  known  breeding  range. 

RAILS  THROUGH  TERNS 

Surprising  were  single  Yellow  Rails  flushed  at 
Kissimmee  Prairie  Preserve  S.P.  28  Jan  (Jim 
McGinity  et  al.)  and  23  Feb  (GQ  et  al.).  A 


* v 

s-  W f 

"f  L-v  Ip, 

\ y • 

* . 

pi  > 1 « 1 

► :v 

JltJIti 

This  apparent  Cackling  Goose  in  Okaloosa  County,  Florida  10 
December  2005  (here)  through  14  January  2006,  pictured 
here  with  one  of  nine  Ross's  Geese  also  present,  will  provide 
Florida's  second  record.  Photograph  by  Paul  Johnson. 

Sandhill  Crane  over  Fernandina  Beach,  Nas- 
sau 1 Dec  (PL)  was  far  e.  of  usual  areas. 

Rare  in  winter,  up  to  3 American  Golden- 
Plovers  were  at  Hole-in-thc-Donut,  E.N.P. 
21-22  Dec  (RD  et  al.),  and  singles  were  at  St. 
Marks  N.W.R.  1 Dec-29  Jan  (JCa  et  al.)  and 
Merritt  Island  N.W.R.  19  Dec  (C.B.C.)  and  1 
Feb  (DF).  Rare  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  a Snowy 
Plover  visited  Talbot  Island  S.P,  Duval  23  & 
26  Dec  (PL).  For  the  2nd  year,  the  high  count 
of  Piping  Plovers  (38)  occurred  at  Crandon 
Beach,  Miami-Dade  31  Jan  (RD).  Rare  in  the 
panhandle,  lone  American  Oystercatchers 
were  found  at  Gulf  Breeze,  Santa  Rosa  8 Dec 


(RAD)  and  Pensacola  17  Dec  (Jan  Lloyd). 
Black-necked  Stilts  were  widespread,  with  up 
to  19  at  Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.,  Lake  ( AV , 
BHA)  and  Sarasota  (C.B.C.)  throughout  the 
season.  Other  stilts  were  reported  at  Merritt 
Island  N.W.R.  (DF,  PH),  Polk  mines  (PT,  CG), 
Myakka  S.P.,  Sarasota  (BHA  et  al.),  and  on 
C.B.C.s  in  Wakulla,  Seminole/Volusia,  Manatee, 
Miami-Dade,  and  Monroe.  Two  Long-billed 
Curlews  were  spotted  at  Cedar  Key,  Levy  29 
Dec  (DH  et  al.),  one  was  found  at  Ft.  Myers 
Beach  17  Jan  (BHA  et  al.),  and  2 wintered  at 
Ft.  De  Soto  C.R  (LAt).  Purple  Sandpipers  oc- 
cupied the  usual  jetties  along  the  Atlantic 
coast  as  far  s.  as  Sebastian  Inlet  S.R.A.,  Indian 
River  (one  bird;  Frank  Haas ,fide  Dotty  Hull). 
American  Woodcocks  were  very  much  in  evi- 
dence this  season,  with  reports  from  Santa 
Rosa  (RAD),  Jackson  (RoS),  Wakulla  (SM), 
Levy  (DFI),  Hernando  (A&BH),  Seminole 
(BHA),  Orange  (HR),  Pinellas  (JF),  and  Miami- 
Dade  (MBe  et  al.),  as  well  as  on  C.B.C.s  in  Es- 
cambia, Okaloosa,  Bay,  Leon,  Franklin, 
Alachua,  Duval,  Pasco,  Brevard,  and  Highlands. 

A Franklins  Gull  was  found  near  Sanibel  I. 
4 Jan  (CE).  The  Volusia  landfill  attracted  an 
unprecedented  3 Iceland  Gulls  (2  first-winter 
birds  and  Florida’s  first  verified  second-winter) 
11-21  Feb  (ph.  AV,  ph.  BW  et  al).  Also  present 
were  at  least  8 apparent  Herring  Gull  x Glau- 
cous Gull  hybrids  and  Florida’s  first  European 
Herring  Gull  (Larus  [a.]  argentatus;  second- 
winter)  11-21  Feb  (ph.  AV,  ph.  LAt  et  ah). 
Only  casual  inland,  a Great  Black-backed  Gull 
was  at  Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.  27  Jan  (HR). 
More  than  5 Great  Black-backeds  wintered 
along  the  Gulf  in  Pinellas  (LA),  and  one  win- 
tered as  far  s.  as  Key  West  (C.B.C.).  A Black 
Tern  at  Merritt  Island  N.W.R.  6 Dec  (RD),  and 
a Common  Tern  in  Pinellas  17  Dec  (DP)  were 
late.  Rare  in  winter,  3 Sooty  Terns  were  ob- 
served on  4 Jan  at  Dry  Tortugas  N.P  (C.B.C.). 

DOVES  THROUGH  HUMMINGBIRDS 

A White-crowned  Pigeon  strayed  n.  to  Ft. 
Lauderdale,  Broward  18  Dec  (C.B.C.).  White- 


During  the  1980s,  the  Smooth-billed  Ani  population  in  Florida  began  a steady  decline;  causes  for  this  crash  are  a mat- 
ter of  speculation,  but  a series  of  strong  cold  fronts  may  have  been  responsible  for  at  least  some  of  the  local  extirpa- 
tions (see  Mlodinow,  S.  G.,  and  K.  T.  Karlson.  1999.  Anis  in  the  United  States  and  Canada.  A LAB.  53: 237-245).  The  northward 
flow  of  immigrants,  probably  from  the  West  Indies  through  the  Dry  Tortugas  and  the  Keys,  has  apparently  abated,  as  anis  have 
rarely  been  reported  at  those  locales  since  the  decline  began.  More  recently,  the  once  reliable  flock  in  Broward  known  to  many 
birders  was  reduced  to  a single  pair  that  bred  last  summer;  the  ads.  and  their  4 young  survived  Hurricane  Wilma  in  Oct,  but 
they  have  not  been  reported  more  recently.  The  Tropical  Audubon  Society  Miami  Bird  Board  (<www.tropicalaudubon.org>) 
has  posted  several  recent  Smooth-billed  Ani  sightings:  at  least  2 were  seen  near  Miami  Springs,  Miami-Dade  in  Nov;  one  was 
seen  near  Loxahatchee  N.W.R.  16  Dec;  and  one  was  photographed  near  Cutler  Ridge,  Miami-Dade  in  Apr.  In  addition,  a single 
was  located  at  Kendall  in  Mar  (Bill  Boeringer).  An  unidentified  ani  in  Brevard  18  Dec  may  have  been  Smooth-billed  (RP  et  al.). 
Single  Groove-billed  Anis  were  seen  at  Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.  9 Dec  (HR)  and  29  Jan  (RCI).  Smooth-billed  Ani  is  holding  on, 
but  at  present,  there  appears  to  be  no  reliable  location  where  this  species  can  be  found.  Although  still  widespread  in  the 
Caribbean,  the  species  should  be  considered  endangered  in  the  United  States. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


221 


FLORIDA 


winged  Doves  continue  to  expand  their  range 
northward  in  Alachua  and  westward  to  Bron- 
son, Levy , where  2 were  found  13  Feb  (RR). 
Apparent  w.  migrant  White-wingeds  were  in 
Wakulla  17  Dec  (C.B.C.)  and  at  Alligator  Pt., 
Franklin  19  Jan  (SM). 

A Burrowing  Owl  was  captured  13  Feb  in  a 
parking  lot  on  a barrier  island  at  Vero  Beach, 
Indian  River  ( fide  Billi  Wagner),  where  the 
species  is  not  known  to  breed.  A census  of  the 
very  isolated  Eglin  A.FB.,  Okaloosa  colony  on 
13  Jan  turned  up  15  Burrowing  Owls  (Lenny 
Fenimore).  A Lesser  Nighthawk  briefly 
paused  at  Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.  7 Dec  (HR). 
On  3 Dec,  at  least  12  Lessers  returned  to  Lrog 
Pond  W.M.A.,  Miami-Dade  (BRo), 
and  2 were  at  nearby  Long  Pine 
Key,  E.N.P.,  Miami-Dade  20  Dec 
(C.B.C.),  both  traditional  winter- 
ing sites.  One  Lesser  was  found  n. 
on  a Broward  C.B.C.  28  Dec.  Re- 
ported almost  annually,  Common 
Nighthawks  have  eluded  verifica- 
tion until  this  season,  when  2 
were  seen,  heard  and  video/audio- 
recorded  in  Homestead,  Miami- 
Dade  14  Dec  (vr.  LM).  Elsewhere, 
up  to  3 nighthawks  were  seen  at 
Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.  28  Dec+;  a 
Common  was  heard  there  2 Jan 
(BHA,  AV).  Lrom  farther  s.  near 
Kissimmee,  Osceola  came  a report 
of  up  to  9 nighthawks  in  Jan  (fide 
BP).  Rare  in  winter  in  the  n.,  a 
Chuck-will's-widow  was  flushed 
at  St.  Marks  N.W.R.  29  Dec  (RoS), 
while  the  first  of  the  season  re- 
ported singing  was  at  Merritt  1.  27  Leb  (DP). 
Reports  of  Chaetura  swifts  came  from  Alachua 
(up  to  20,  9 Dec-5  Jan;  SC,  JoH  et  al.),  Wakul- 
la (one,  17-20  Dec;  ES),  and  Hemando  (one, 
10  Dec;  Clay  Black);  all  birds  were  identified 
as  Vauxs  by  one  or  more  of  the  observers; 
however,  the  LO.S.R.C.  has  not  accepted  any 
reports  of  this  species  that  it  has  reviewed. 
One  must  consider  the  possibility  that  at  least 
some  of  these  swifts  were  Chimney  Swifts  left 
over  from  Hurricane  Wibna. 

Again  this  winter,  Pred  Bassett  canvassed  n. 
and  cen.  Florida,  banding  hummingbirds. 
Handling  six  species,  he  banded  68  of  the  82 
that  he  captured  (the  remainder  were  recap- 
tured Ruby- throated  [7]  and  Rufous  Hum- 
mingbirds [ 7 1 ) . Single  Buff-bellied  Humming- 
birds were  banded  in  Okaloosa  and  Leon. 
Twenty-two  of  31  Ruby-throated  Humming- 
birds, 30  of  39  Rufous  Hummingbirds  and  6 
of  7 Black-chinned  Hummingbirds  captured 
ranged  from  Pensacola  to  Tallahassee.  Bassett 
banded  other  Rufous  in  Alachua  (7)  and  Her- 
nando (2),  one  Black-chinned  in  Hernando, 


one  Calliope  Hummingbird  in  Leon  (26  Jan), 
and  2 Allen’s  Hummingbirds  in  Leon  (14  Jan 
and  22  Feb).  Another  Buff-bellied  (20  Jan+; 
ph.  Mark  Faherty,  LM  et  al.)  and  at  least  one 
Black-chinned  (31  Dec+;  LM  et  al.)  were  at 
Miami.  A Ruby-throated  visited  Fernandina 
Beach  18  Jan  (PL),  where  the  species  is  occa- 
sional in  winter.  Other  Rufous/Allens  were  re- 
ported at  Orange  (Helen  Dowling),  Brevard 
(ph.  RP),  and  Hillsborough  (EK). 

FLYCATCHERS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

Least  Flycatchers  were  reported  n.  to  Orange, 
with  a high  count  of  9 at  Lake  Apopka 
N.S.R.A.  30  Dec  (HR)  and  Seminole,  where  a 


total  of  5 was  counted  at  two  locations  (BHA; 
C.B.C.).  Vermilion  Flycatchers  returned  to 
previous  winter  territories  in  Miami-Dade 
(JHB),  Hamilton  (JK  et  al.),  Alachua  (JS,  RR  et 
al),  and  Wakulla  (ES,  JM  et  al.).  Elsewhere, 
migrant  Vermilions  were  at  Santa  Rosa  11-12 
Dec  (Larry  Tilley  et  al.)  and  St.  Vincent  I., 
Franklin  9 Dec  (Thomas  E.  Lewis).  Ash-throat- 
ed  Flycatchers  were  not  widely  reported  this 
season,  although  a high  count  of  f 2 came  from 
Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.  23  Dec  (HR).  Single 
Ash-throateds  were  found  in  Seminole  (BHA), 
Santa  Rosa  (DWa),  and  Okaloosa  (RAD).  Also 
at  Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.,  2 Brown-crested  Fly- 
catchers were  seen  28  Dec-9  Jan  (BHA,  HR). 
Another  Brown-crested  was  at  Black  Point  Ma- 
rina, Miami-Dade  24-26  Dec  (LM  et  al.). 

A Tropical  Kingbird  was  audio-recorded  at 
Apalachicola,  Franklin  27  Dec-8  Feb  (TE  et 
al.).  Up  to  2 Cassins  Kingbirds  were  at  Lake 
Apopka  N.S.R.A.  11  Dec+  (HR),  with  another 
in  s.  Hillsborough  18  Dec-6  Feb  (BP,  ph.  LA  et 
al.).  The  best-known  kingbird  roost  in  the 
cen.  peninsula  is  located  near  Lake  Apopka 


N.S.R.A.,  where  up  to  36  Westerns  and  8 Scis- 
sor-taileds  gathered  1 1 Dec+  (HR,  BHA  et  al). 
Two  new  roosts  were  discovered  this  season: 
one  to  the  s.  near  Bartow,  Polk  was  not  re- 
vealed until  15  Mar,  when  32  Western  and  5 
Scissor-taileds  were  reported  (CG  et  al.),  and 
up  to  37  Westerns  and  4 Scissor-taileds  used  a 
roost  at  The  Villages,  Marion,  noted  18  Jan+ 
(James  Dinsmore,  Al  Rouch),  the  northern- 
most kingbird  roost  known  in  Florida.  Only 
of  casual  occurrence  farther  n.,  a Western 
Kingbird  visited  Tallahassee  28  Dec-21  Jan, 
as  did  a Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher  7-22  Jan 
(SM  et  al.).  A Scissor-tailed  was  n.  at 
Gainesville  29  Jan  (Dee  Thompson).  The 
most  exciting  flycatcher  of  the 
season  was  a Fork-tailed  Fly- 
catcher at  Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A. 
10  Dec-15  Jan  (ph.  AV,  DR  et  al.), 
the  first  for  winter  in  Florida. 

In  Miami-Dade,  a Bell’s  Vireo 
wintered  at  Frog  Pond  W.M.A. 
(RD,  LM  et  al.),  as  did  a Yellow- 
throated  Vireo  (JHB),  while  an 
early  migrant  Bell’s  appeared  at 
Bill  Baggs  Cape  Florida  S.R  28  Feb 
(RD).  On  C.B.C.s,  Yellow-throat- 
eds  were  in  Pinellas,  Hillsborough, 
Sarasota,  Collier,  Miami-Dade  (3), 
and  Monroe  (3).  Smith  reported 
the  seasons  earliest  Purple  Mar- 
tins (3)  at  Paynes  Prairie  Preserve 
S.P  14  Jan  and  first  Northern 
Rough-winged  Swallows  (2)  at 
Lake  City,  Columbia  28  Jan.  The 
last  Bank  Swallow  was  at  Lake 
Apopka  N.S.R.A.  13  Dec  (HR), 
and  the  earliest  to  return  was  28  Feb  at  Viera 
Wetlands  (DF).  A Cave  Swallow  of  the  sub- 
species pelodoma  was  at  Cantonment,  Escam- 
bia 8 Jan  (Laura  Catterton,  fide  RAD),  and  far- 
ther e.,  one  was  at  St.  Marks  N.W.R.  22  Feb 
(GM  et  al.).  Three  Barn  Swallows  were  late  in 
Alachua  19  Dec  (RR,  G.  McDermott).  Early 
Barns  were  singles  in  Brevard  27  Feb  (DF)  and 
Hernando  28  Feb  (A&rBH),  while  “several”  at 
Homestead  15  Jan  (JHB,  BM)  may  have  win- 
tered. More  than  322  km  s.  of  its  nearest 
known  breeding  range,  a Carolina  Chickadee 
continued  at  Greynold’s  Park,  Miami-Dade 
throughout  the  season  (AHr,  PBi  et  al.).  Lone 
Red-breasted  Nuthatches  were  at  Alligator  Pt. 
12  Dec-17  Jan  (JM)  and  Gainesville  10-30 
Jan  (Steve  Daniels).  Winter  Wrens  were  re- 
ported at  their  usual  haunts  in  Jackson  (PL 
DB),  Leon  (PLh),  and  Columbia  (PBu  et  al.). 
Two  Marsh  Wrens  at  Dry  Tortugas  4 Jan  were 
the  first  for  the  N.P  (RD).  Two  Hermit 
Thrushes  were  far  s.  at  E.N.R,  Miami-Dade  16 
Jan  (RD),  as  were  several  American  Pipits 
heard  at  Frog  Pond  W.M.A.  7 Jan  (JHB). 


This  Iceland  Gull  was  one  of  three  at  a Volusia  County  landfill  11-21  (here  11) 
February  2006  and  was  the  first  in  second-winter  plumage  to  be  verified  for  the  state. 
Photograph  by  Alex  Vinokur. 


222 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


FLORIDA 


Twenty-three  species  of  warblers  were  re- 
ported this  season.  Single  late  Blue-winged 
Warblers  were  in  Broward  11  Dec  (AHr,  PBi 
et  al.)  and  at  Weeki  Wachee,  Hernando  23 
Dec  (BH,  Rita  Grant),  while  one  at  West  L., 
E.N.R,  Monroe  22  Jan  and  14  Feb  (MBe, 
Monte  Shekel)  may  have  wintered.  Ten- 
nessee Warblers  were  late  on  17  Dec  in  Bre- 
vard (DF  et  al),  Seminole  (C.B.C.),  and  Mia- 
mi-Dade  (JHB,  Greg  Jones).  Single  Tennessee 
Warblers  at  two  locations  in  Miami-Dade  10 
Jan  (JHB)  and  5 Feb  (TR)  may  have  win- 
tered. Tone  wintering  Nashville  Warblers 
were  found  in  Seminole  5 Jan  (ph.  PH),  Jack- 
sonville, Duval  6 Jan  and  25  Feb  (JCo), 
Matheson  Hammock,  Miami-Dade 
8 Jan  (AHr),  Mashes  I.,  Franklin  8 
Jan  (JM),  Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.  20 
Jan+  (HR),  and  L.  Washington, 

Brevard  21  Jan  (AB).  Five 
Nashvilles  reported  from  Okaloosa 
to  Miami-Dade  11-19  Dec  (Jim 
Kowalski,  AV,  AHr  et  al.,  JHB  et  al., 

C.B.C.)  may  have  been  late  mi- 
grants. The  earliest  migrant  North- 
ern Parulas  were  in  Miami-Dade  31 
Jan  (RD).  Yellow  Warblers  were  re- 
ported on  C.B.C.s  n.  to  Lake 
Placid,  Apalachicola,  and  Pensaco- 
la. Three  Black-throated  Blue  War- 
blers at  Merritt  I.  17  Dec  (DF  et  al.) 
were  late.  A fall  Black-throated 
Gray  Warbler  at  New  Port  Richey, 

Pasco  was  last  seen  16  Dec,  and 
there  was  a one-day  wonder  at 
Gainesville  13  Feb  (Grace  Kiltie). 

A Black-throated  Green  Warbler  was  found 
far  n.  in  Columbia  21  Jan  (JS).  A Prairie  War- 
bler at  St.  Augustine,  St.  Johns  17  Feb 
(Jacqueline  Kern)  was  early,  as  was  an  Amer- 
ican Redstart  at  Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.  14 
Feb  (HR).  A redstart  was  late  at  Gainesville 
18  Dec  (Scott  Robinson),  and  one  wintered 
n.  at  Oakland  Nature  Preserve,  Orange  (TR). 
An  Ovenbird  was  discovered  n.  at  Orange 
Park,  Clay  10  Jan  (Lenore  McCullagh). 
Northern  Waterthrushes  wintered  n.  to 
Alachua  (Mike  Paczolt  et  al.);  Robinson 
counted  13  at  Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.  15  Jan. 
Very  rare  in  winter,  a Louisiana  Waterthrush 
remained  throughout  the  season  at  Gumbo 
Limbo  Trail,  E.N.R,  Miami-Dade  (JHB  et  al), 
and  one  was  seen  father  s.  at  Coot  Bay,  Mon- 
roe on  the  C.B.C.  Wilson’s  Warblers  were  re- 
ported from  Duval  (JCo),  Hamilton  (JA), 
Alachua  (MM,  RR),  Seminole  (BHA),  and  Or- 
ange (HR).  Yellow-breasted  Chats  were 
found  n.  to  Alachua  (A.  Kent).  Wintering 
Summer  Tanagers  were  reported  n.  to  Talla- 
hassee (2;  Peter  Homann,  RM),  Pensacola 
(RAD  et  al.),  and  Polk  (PF  et  al.);  one  in 


Alachua  18  Dec  (PBu)  was  late.  A Western 
Tanager  photographed  at  Pensacola  re- 
mained 24Jan+  ( fide  RAD). 

Up  to  8 Clay-colored  Sparrows  were  at 
Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.  9 Dec+  (HR),  while 
one  in  Hillsborough  wintered  at  a feeder 
(Steve  Backes).  A Vesper  Sparrow  was  far  s.  at 
Frog  Pond  W.M.A.  7 Jan  (JHB).  Unexpected 
were  26  Henslow’s  Sparrows  banded  at 
Kissimmee  Prairie  Preserve  S.P.  (PMi  et  al.); 
others  were  reported  on  Christmas  counts  in 
Hamilton , Alachua  (2),  and  Hillsborough.  Up 
to  4 Le  Conte’s  Sparrows  were  at  Lake  Apop- 
ka N.S.R.A.  18-21  Dec  (BHA,  AV);  one  was 
identified  at  Polk  mines  9 Jan  (PT,  CG),  and 


2 were  banded  at  Kissimmee  Prairie  Preserve 
S.P.  20  Jan  and  22  Feb  (GQ).  The  only  Fox 
Sparrows  reported  were  2 at  O’Leno  S.P,  Co- 
lumbia 5-25  Feb  (PBu,  MM).  Lincoln  Spar- 
rows were  widespread,  with  reports  from 
Levy  (MG),  Orange  (HR,  AV),  Polk  (PF  et  al.), 
Palm  Beach  (MBe,  B.  Hope),  Miami-Dade 
(JHB),  and  on  counts  in  Franklin,  Alachua, 
Brevard,  and  Sarasota.  Rose-breasted  Gros- 
beaks at  Ft.  Walton  Beach,  Okaloosa  19  Dec 
(Pat  Baker)  and  Research  Rd.,  E.N.R,  Miami- 
Dade  22  Dec  (RD)  were  late,  whereas  singles 
at  Lake  Apopka  N.S.R.A.  5 & 14  Feb  (HR) 
were  likely  early  migrants.  Three  rare  Black- 
headed Grosbeaks  were  found  in  the  e.  pan- 
handle: at  Panama  City  Beach,  Bay  (Tony 
Menart)  29  Dec,  at  Apalachicola  the  same 
day  (JaD,  JM,  ph.  John  Spohrer),  and  at  East 
Point,  Franklin  10  Jan+  (ph.  Sheila  Klink,/ide 
JaD).  Photographs  of  the  Franklin  grosbeaks 
show  them  to  be  different  individuals.  With 
winter  numbers  increasing  annually,  an  un- 
precedented 30  Blue  Grosbeaks  at  Lake 
Apopka  N.S.R.A.  27  Dec  was  nevertheless  al- 
most predictable  (AV);  one  was  at  Lake 


Wales,  Polk  31  Dec  (PF,  DB),  and  on  the 
C.B.C.,  2 were  at  Lake  Placid  and  one  at  Key 
West.  Dickcissels  were  reported  in  Alachua 
(A.  Kent,  SC),  Orange  (up  to  3;  BHA,  AV), 
and  Sarasota  (Rick  Greenspun). 

A Yellow-headed  Blackbird  was  pho- 
tographed at  Joe  Overstreet  Landing,  Osceola 
18  Jan  (Tom  Tams),  while  one  was  at  Lake 
Apopka  N.S.R.A.  26  Dec-6  Jan  (HR).  Also  re- 
ported by  Robinson  at  Lake  Apopka  was  a 
very  rare  Brewer’s  Blackbird  6 & 22  Jan. 
Rusty  Blackbirds  reported  included  a loner  in 
Franklin  11  Dec  (RM)  and  50  in  Hamilton  17 
Dec  (C.B.C.).  Bronzed  Cowbirds  were  notice- 
ably absent  at  their  usual  locations  this  sea- 
son, with  only  one  report  of  a sin- 
gle in  Collier  28  Dec  (AM).  A 
female  Bullock’s  Oriole  was  well 
studied  at  Tallahassee  18-28  Feb 
(Fran  Rutkousky  et  al.).  Pine 
Siskins  were  scarce,  with  singles  re- 
ported in  Leon  (Jan  Clark  Jones) 
and  Alachua  (Becky  Enneis,  Bob 
Carroll,  MM). 

Cited  contributors  and  members 
of  the  Florida  Ornithological  Soci- 
ety Field  Observations  Commit- 
tee: Larry  Albright  (LAI),  Bruce  H. 
Anderson  (BHA),  Lyn  Atherton 
(LAt),  John  Ault,  Andy  Bankert, 
Fred  Bassett,  Mark  Berney  (MBe), 
Paul  Bithorn  (PBi),  John  H.  Boyd 
(JHB),  D.  Brooke,  Michael  Brothers 
(MBr),  Pat  Burns  (PBu),  Jim  Ca- 
vanagh  (JCa),  Roger  Clark  (RC1), 
Julie  Cocke  (JCo),  Steve  Collins,  Buck  & Lin- 
da Cooper,  Robin  Diaz,  Jack  Dozier  (JaD), 
Lucy  & Robert  A.  Duncan,  Todd  Engstrom, 
Charlie  Ewell,  Paul  Fellers,  Judy  Fisher, 
David  Freeland,  Murray  Gardler,  Chuck 
Geanangel,  Jack  & Elizabeth  Hailman 
(J&EH),  Al  & Bev  Hansen,  Alex  Harper 
(AHr),  Dale  Henderson,  John  Hintermister 
(JoH),  Brian  Hope,  Paul  Hueber,  Paul  John- 
son, Andy  Kratter,  Jerry  Krummrich,  Ed 
Kwater,  Patrick  Leary,  Paul  Lehman  (PLh), 
Mike  Manetz,  Larry  Manfredi,  Ross  McGre- 
gor, Gail  Menk,  Sean  McCool,  Paul  Miller 
(PMi),  Trey  Mitchell,  Brennan  Mulrooney, 
John  Murphy,  Alan  Murray,  Robert  Paxton, 
David  Powell,  Peggy  Powell,  Bill  Pranty, 
Gallus  Quigley,  Dexter  Richardson,  Bob 
Richter,  Bryant  Roberts  (BRo),  Harry  Robin- 
son, Tom  Rodriguez,  Rex  Rowan,  Eric  Shaw, 
Ron  Smith  (RoS),  Jacqueline  Sulek,  Pete  Tim- 
mer,  Alex  Vinokur,  Bob  Wallace,  Don  Ware 
(DWa),  Tom  Webber.  <2r 


Bruce  H.  Anderson,  2917  Scarlet  Road,  Winter  Park, 
Florida  32792,  (scizortail@aol.com) 


Probably  annual  in  winter  in  extreme  southern  Florida,  a few  Semipalmated  Sandpipers 
were  carefully  documented  by  the  photographer  this  season  (here  28  February  2006)  in 
Florida  Bay.  Photograph  by  Brennan  Mulrooney. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


223 


Ontario 


Maris  Apse  Mark  Cranford 


Bird  activity  for  the  winter  period  was 
light.  Winter  finches  did  not  material- 
ize, nor  did  northern  owls  following 
last  winter’s  Great  Gray  Owl  invasion.  An  ear- 
ly start  to  winter  in  December  set  the  tone  for 
the  period.  A cold  snap  in  the  second  week 
moved  many  birds  out  of  the  province.  Weath- 
er for  the  remainder  of  the  season  was  milder 
than  usual,  with  less  precipitation,  and  con- 
sisted of  a brief  series  of  freezes  and  thaws. 
Notable  rarities  included  Ivory  Gull  and  Slaty- 
backed  Gull  from  the  Point  Pelee  Birding 
Area,  a Sage  Thrasher  at  Port  Weller,  and  a 
Purple  Gallinule  rescued  from  beneath  a 
Christmas  tree  near  Peterborough.  We  thank 
Margaret  Bain  and  Alan  Wormington  for  ex- 
tensive assistance  in  assembling  this  report. 

Abbreviations:  K.EN.  (Kingston  Field  Natu- 
ralists); N.W.A.  (National  Wildlife  Area);  P.E. 
Pt.  (Prince  Edward  Pt.);  PPB.A.  (Point  Pelee 
Birding  Area);  P.P.N.P.  (Point  Pelee  N.P.); 
T.O.C.  (Toronto  Ornithological  Club); 
O.B.R.C.  (Ontario  B.R.C.);  O.EO.  (Ontario 
Field  Ornithologists);  ROM  (Royal  Ontario 
Museum). 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  HERONS 

Notable  Greater  White-fronted  Geese  in- 
cluded 5 in  Cobourg  11-13  Jan,  probably  ex- 
ceptionally early  spring  migrants  (MJCB, 
m.ob.),  and  3 at  PPB.A.  23  Jan,  building  to 
10  by  the  end  of  season  (AW  et  al.).  Our 
knowledge  of  the  status  of  Cackling  Goose 
continues  to  be  refined  in  the  Region;  small 
flocks  were  at  Markham,  with  8 on  1 Dec 
(SL),  and  at  PPB.A.,  where  3 were  found  28 
Jan  (DJW,  AP);  singles  were  noted  in  Ottawa 
through  4 Dec  (m.ob.),  at  PPB.A.  5 Dec 
(AW),  at  Whitby,  Durham  7 Dec  (DJL),  on 
Wolfe  1.  18  Dec  (GFV,  RDW),  at  Sarnia  23 
Feb  (AHR),  and  in  Brant  11-24  Feb  (DMa, 


m.ob  ).  Ten  Ross’s  Geese  visited  PPB.A., 
starting  with  the  first  21  Feb  (DJW  et  al.). 
Mute  Swans  continue  to  winter  at  Presqu'ile 
PR,  with  a record  350  there  19  Jan  (BMD). 
Most  southbound  Tundra  Swans  left  the 
province  with  cold  weather  in  mid-Dec;  8 on 
L.  Erie  at  Nanticoke  28  Jan  were  an  excep- 
tion (JBM,  South  Peel  Naturalists’  Club). 
Early  northbound  migrants  (or  wintering 
birds?)  were  24  at  Port  Weller  25  Feb  (ALA, 
fide  Ontbirds).  A Blue-winged  Teal  on  Mani- 
toulin  I.  17  Dec  (DC)  was  late. 

Lingering  diving  ducks  occasionally  winter 
in  numbers  off  Manitoulin  I.,  but  this  year  the 
last  White-winged  Scoter  was  seen  3 Dec,  and 
a maximum  of  just  12  Long-tailed  Ducks  was 
found  over  the  winter  period  ( fide  CBe).  A 
good  count  of  350  Red-breasted  Mergansers 
came  from  Cobourg  11  Feb  (LWe).  The  8 Jan 
Lake  Ontario  Mid-Winter  Waterfowl  Invento- 
ry produced  near-record  numbers  of  many 
species,  thanks  in  part  to  congregations  at 
Hamilton  and  Kingston.  Of  these,  843  Tundra 
Swans  at  Kingston  and  925  Ruddy  Ducks  at 
Windermere  Basin  in  Hamilton  stood  out. 
Three  Barrow’s  Goldeneyes  lingered  through 
the  period  at  the  Renric  Rapids  in  Ottawa 
(m.ob.),  along  with  a Barrow’s  Goldeneye  x 


The  second  recorded  in  Ontario's  Niagara  Frontier,  this  Sage 
Thrasher  hung  on  despite  very  cold  weather  at  Port  Weller 
24-27  (here  26)  February  2006.  Photograph  by  Karl  Egressy. 


Common  Goldeneye  hybrid  through  1 Jan;  2 
Barrows  Goldeneyes  were  in  the  Kingston  re- 
gion, one  wintered  at  Stoney  Creek  (m.ob.), 
and  another  was  at  Burlington  8 Jan  (DBr  et 
al).  Far  rarer  was  a female  Barrows  on  L.  Erie 
off  Hillman  Marsh  20-21  Dec  (AW  et  al.), 
only  the  3rd  record  ever  for  the  PPB.A. 
Hamilton  had  a Common  Goldeneye  x Bar- 
row’s Goldeneye  hybrid  present  throughout 
the  period  (KAM),  as  well  as  an  apparent 
Common  Goldeneye  x Hooded  Merganser 
hybrid  3 Feb  (RZD). 

Gray  Partridge  is  still  found  in  small  covies 
along  the  Quebec  border  from  Ottawa  to  the 
St.  Lawrence.  The  only  other  report  of  Gray 
Partridge  was  from  a traditional  site  at  the 


Brantford  Airport  (fide  CE).  Wild  Turkey  con- 
tinues to  increase  across  s.  Ontario,  with 
record  numbers  tallied  on  many  Christmas 
Bird  Counts.  Common  Loons  remained  in  Al- 
gonquin P.P.  until  freeze-up  6 Dec  (BPa,  RSh, 
JSc);  the  Toronto  area  had  a higher-than-usu- 
al  14  reported  over  the  period.  A Red-necked 
Grebe  was  seen  on  the  Mid-Winter  Waterfowl 
Survey  on  the  St.  Clair  R.  7 Jan  (BAM),  and 
another  was  in  L.  Erie  off  Hillman  Marsh  11 
Dec  (AW).  Two  Pacific  Loons  were  reported: 
from  Wolfe  I.  18  Dec  (RDW)  and  from 
Duffins  Creek  1-4  Dec  (ph.  JI,  RJP,  m.ob.).  It 
was  a big  year  for  wandering  imm.  Northern 
Gannets  on  L.  Ontario  and  L.  Erie,  with  sin- 
gles reported  at  Port  Credit,  Hamilton,  St. 
Catharines,  Long  Pt.,  and  Pt.  Pelee  (tn.ob.);  it 
is  likely  that  some  of  these  reports  involved 
the  same  individual.  Three  Double-crested 
Cormorants  at  Cornwall  Power  Dam  5 Feb 
were  noteworthy  (BMD);  up  to  35  wintered  in 
Windermere  Basin,  Hamilton  (BMa).  Up  to  8 
Black-crowned  Night-Herons  wintered  at  two 
sites  in  Toronto  and  Hamilton.  More  Turkey 
Vultures  are  lingering  well  into  Dec,  and  more 
may  be  wintering,  e.g.,  3 reported  from 
Northumberland  through  the  season  (m.ob.); 
apparent  returning  birds  were  seen  in 
Smithville  as  early  as  20  Jan  (LT,  JT). 

HAWKS  THROUGH  OWLS 

Reports  of  Gyrfalcon  included  an  imm.  gray 
morph  at  the  Central  Experimental  Farm,  Ot- 
tawa 21  Feb  (CT),  a white  morph  at  Wolfe  I. 
18  Dec  (MWPR),  an  ad.  white  morph  at  Hol- 
iday Beach  4 Dec  (Carl  A.  Pascoe,  Rachel  Pas- 
coe)  and  another  at  Wheatley  Harbour  24  Dec 
(TRP),  and  a gray  morph  at  Dufhns  Creek  4 
Dec  (KO,  AW  et  al.).  A late  Osprey  was  re- 
ported 4 Dec  in  Oakville  (BM).  An  imm. 
Golden  Eagle  wintered  at  Port  Bruce  near  L. 
Erie  (RK).  A Red-tailed  Hawk  showing  char- 
acters consistent  with  subspecies  calurus  was 
seen  at  Waterloo  8 Dec  (MVAB,  KB),  and  at 
Woodstock  a Red-tailed  similar  to  “Krider’s” 
(pale  morph  of  borealis)  was  noted  31  Jan 
(JHo).  Two  Peregrines  wintered  in  London 
(tn.ob.,  fide  PAR). 

A juv.  Purple  Gallinule  was  found  6 Feb  n. 
of  Peterborough  beneath  a discarded  Christ- 
mas tree  (fide  Kate  Siena).  A Virginia  Rail  was 
noted  on  the  C.B.C.  2 Jan  at  St.  Clair  N.W.A. 
(BAM),  2 were  seen  at  Pelee  Marsh  Boardwalk 
14  Dec  (HRW),  and  fresh  rail  tracks  (presum- 
ably made  by  a Virginia)  were  seen  at  Wheat- 
ley  PP.  13  Dec  (AW).  A group  of  25  Sandhill 
Cranes  over  Burlington  2 Dec  were  very  late 
migrants  (MG),  as  were  5 over  Hamilton  6 
Dec  (DL,  GL).  Among  the  few  shorebirds  re- 
ported was  a Purple  Sandpiper  at  Humber  Bay 
20  Dec  (IS),  a late  Ruddy  Turnstone  at  Hamil- 


224 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


ONTARIO 


ton  Harbour  27  Dec  (TS),  and  a late  Dunlin  at 
Wheatley  Harbour  13  Dec  (AW).  The  gull  mi- 
gration through  the  Niagara  R.  was  average 
this  year,  with  relatively  few  reports  of  ex- 
tralimital  larids;  the  regular  California  Gull  at 
Adam  Beck  Generating  Station  28  Dec 
(AG,  RG)  was  an  exception.  Away  from 
the  river,  a Black-legged  Kittiwake  at 
Toronto  10  Dec  (DJM)  was  noteworthy. 

A late-Dec  thaw  in  L.  Erie  generated  a 
large  movement  of  gulls  (34,000  Ring- 
billed and  7000  Herring,  plus  a Poma- 
rine  Jaeger)  past  the  Tip  of  Point  Pelee 
over  a 4.5-hour  period  31  Dec  (AW). 

The  P.P.B.A.  hosted  two  rarities  new  to 
that  area:  an  imrn.  Ivory  Gull  at  Hill- 
man Marsh  8-13  Jan  (AJH,  RAH, 

m. ob.)  and  a third-winter  Slaty-backed 
Gull  at  Wheatley  Harbour  22-26  Jan 
(DJW,  m.ob.).  An  apparent  Herring 
Gull  x Great  Black-backed  Gull  hybrid 
was  noted  23  Jan  at  Wheatley  Harbour 
(PSB). 

Northern  owls  appeared  to  remain  in 

n.  Ontario  this  winter,  with  a report  of 
14  Great  Gray  Owls,  2 Northern  Hawk 
Owls,  and  2 Snowy  Owls  from  Hearst, 
Cochrane  11  Feb  (MJ).  Farther  s.,  there 
were  relatively  few  reports  of  Great 
Gray  Owls,  mostly  singles  from  Thun- 
der Bay  and  Kenora,  s.  to  Shelburne, 
Dufferin  (KF).  A Northern  Hawk  Owl  at  Or- 
leans through  22  Jan  (m.ob.)  furnished  one  of 
few  reports  from  s.  Ontario;  another  was  at 
North  Bay  in  Feb  (DT).  A Barred  Owl  win- 
tered at  the  Leslie  Street  Spit  in  Toronto.  Two 
Boreal  Owls  were  in  Thunder  Bay  in  early  Feb 
(BN,  AG,  BH). 

HUMMINGBIRDS  THROUGH 
WAXWINGS 

A Rufous  Hummingbird  attended  the  feeder 
of  Alice  Kenzie  in  London  18  Nov-9  Dec  (fide 
PAR);  it  was  identified  biochemically  from  a 
molted  feather.  Two  pairs  of  Red-headed 
Woodpeckers  wintered  in  Pinery  PR  (AHR, 
MA),  as  did  the  pair  at  Constance  Bay  for  a 
2nd  year  (BMD);  an  ad.  wintered  at  Holiday 
Harbour  through  at  least  23  Feb  (JMG,  JNF  et 
al.);  and  4 were  counted  31  Dec  on  the  Fish- 
erville  C.B.C.  Red-bellied  Woodpeckers,  now 
regularly  seen  in  s.  Ontario,  still  deserve  men- 
tion in  n.  Ontario:  a male  frequented  a feeder 
in  Thunder  Bay  until  at  least  10  Jan  (JSt,  SSt), 
and  another  was  at  Jackfish  L.,  e.  of  Terrace 
Bay,  6 Feb  (AF).  Single  Yellow-bellied  Sap- 
suckers  were  seen  at  Arkona,  Lambton  17  Dec 
(PC),  at  P.EN.R  19  Dec  (HHB,  PJB,  DR  et  al.), 
at  Trenton  14  Dec  (fide  RTS),  at  Napanee  12 
Jan  (EB,  OW),  and  in  Walsingham,  Norfolk 
Dec-13  Feb  (DiS),  the  last  attending  a feeder. 


A Northern  Flicker  on  Manitoulin  I.  13  Jan 
(NS)  was  unusual;  10  at  RRN.R  27  Dec  (AW) 
made  a high  winter  count  for  s.  Ontario. 

As  expected  in  a mild  season,  single  East- 
ern Phoebes  lingered  at  RRN.R  19  Dec  (PDP 


et  al.),  at  Spring  C.A.,  Elgin  28  Dec  (JMc)  and 
1 Jan  (DMa,  LWl,  RSn),  at  Long  Pt.  14  Dec 
(AEMA)  and  26  Jan  (SAM,  FN),  and  at  Ajax 
1-2  Dec  (MJCB),  the  latter  furnishing  a 
record-late  date  for  Durham.  A Black-billed 
Magpie  at  McGregor,  Essex  19  QiH)  & 20  Dec 
(RoH)  may  have  been  an  escapee.  A Gray  Jay 
at  Madoc,  blastings  25  Dec  (fide  RTS)  was  out 
of  range.  Common  Ravens  continue  to  drift 
southward,  with  several  reports  from  loca- 
tions mostly  n.  of  Toronto.  Up  to  3 hardy  Barn 
Swallows  were  al  Kingston  9 Dec  (VPM). 
Some  feeders  in  and  around  North  Bay  host- 
ed Boreal  Chickadees,  with  up  to  6 at  Powas- 
san  26  Jan  (JK);  in  the  Ottawa  area,  there  was 
one  at  Constance  Bay  6-11  Dec  (JSk,  SA)  and 
one  at  Forest  Park,  e.  of  Embrun,  9 Jan-28 
Feb  (TFMB,  m.ob.).  A White-breasted 
Nuthatch  in  Pickle  Lake,  Kenora  6 Jan  (LCo) 
was  very  far  north. 

Carolina  Wrens  were  reported  n.  to  Deep 
River  and  North  Bay.  Single  Winter  Wrens 
were  reported  from  Bracebridge  and  Ottawa; 
Wheatley  PR  had  a total  of  6 and  also  a Marsh 
Wren  30  Dec  (AW).  Single  Ruby-crowned 
Kinglets  were  in  Toronto  22  Dec  (JeB,  AEM) 
and  23  Feb  (SMF),  at  Wheatley  PR  13-19  Dec 
(AW  et  al.),  and  at  the  Visitor  Centre  in 
P.P.N.P.  10  Feb  (SER).  Two  sightings  of 
Townsend’s  Solitaire  came  from  Thunder  Bay, 


with  both  birds  feeding  on  the  bumper  Moun- 
tain Ash  berry  crop  27  Dec  and  13  Feb  (BMo); 
another  was  seen  at  Reevecraig  late  Dec+ 
(RN,  SuL,  m.ob.).  Single  Hermit  Thrushes 
were  widely  reported  from  Gravenhurst  to 


RRN.R  There  were  at  least  eight  widely  scat- 
tered reports  of  single  Varied  Thrushes,  and 
single  Gray  Catbirds  lingered  at  several  loca- 
tions in  the  s.,  with  one  n.  to  Thunder  Bay  in 
early  Feb  (CS,  JLi).  In  n.  Ontario,  reports  of 
Northern  Mockingbirds  included  2 in  Ottawa 
and  singles  in  Powassan  and  Thunder  Bay.  A 
Sage  Thrasher  24-27  Feb  at  Port  Weller  (BA 
et  al.)  caused  much  excitement,  and  many  lo- 
cal birders  braved  the  brutally  cold  and  windy 
location  to  search  for  the  bird,  just  the  2nd 
recorded  in  Niagara  Region  (the  first  was  in 
Oct  1966).  Single  Brown  Thrashers  were  n.  to 
Bracebridge  18  Nov-mid-Jan  and  again  late 
Feb  (BT);  Providence  Bay  (EG  et  al.)  and 
Tehkummah  (JBe),  both  on  Manitoulin  I.,  17 
Dec-3  Jan;  Chalk  River  all  season  (m.ob.); 
and  at  Manitouwadge,  Algoma  10  Jan  (TaH, 
fide  MT). 

Reports  of  American  Pipits  were  unusually 
numerous,  owing  to  the  mild  weather  and 
many  snow-free  fields.  One  on  the  Gore  Bay 
C.B.C.  18  Dec  provided  the  first  Manitoulin 
winter  record;  other  singles  were  at  Presqu'ile 
PR  18  Dec  (DPS),  at  Niagara  Falls  22  Dec 
(RP),  at  Wheatley  Harbour  19-30  Dec  (GTH, 
HAC  et  al.),  and  the  Tip  of  Point  Pelee  5 Jan 
(AW);  in  Toronto,  13  were  seen  3 Dec  (NMu), 
with  singles  there  4 Dec  (SMF)  and  18  Feb 
(NMu);  Port  Rowan  had  2 on  3 Dec  (DiS); 


A first  for  Point  Pelee  and  the  third  for  Ontario,  this  third-winter  Slaty-backed  Gull  was 
photographed  at  Wheatley  Harbour  22  January  2006.  Photograph  by  Brett  Groves. 


V01UME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


225 


ONTARIO 


and  6 were  in  PFN.P.  10  Dec  and  2 there  the 
next  day  (AW).  A locally  rare  Bohemian 
Waxwing  was  at  PPN.P  3-21  Feb  (JB  et  al.); 
flocks  as  large  as  300  birds  were  reported 
from  across  the  province  n.  of  Toronto. 

WARBLERS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

A Yellow-throated  Warbler  was  photographed 
at  a Grafton  feeder  17  Nov-14  Dec  0-  & E. 
Brunton,  m.ob.),  a 5th  Northumberland 
record.  Single  Pine  Warblers  were 
at  Whitby  3 Dec  (DJM),  at  PPN.P 
19  Dec  (PJB,  CR),  at  Niagara  Falls 
22  Jan  (WCD  et  al.)  and  again  28 
Feb  (MA),  at  Bronte  13  Dec-28 
Feb  (D&KO,  m.ob  ),  and  at  a Scar- 
borough feeder  1 1 Dec  (JFa,  fide 
GC),  where  up  to  3 were  seen  on 
different  dates  through  the  end  of 
the  period.  A Palm  Warbler  at 
Cobourg  4 Dec  (MJCB)  provided  a 
2nd  county  winter  record;  others 
were  at  Niagara  Falls  18-19  Dec 
(Bpo,  VR),  at  P.P.N.P.  4 Dec  (HRW), 
and  at  Sturgeon  Creek  23  Dec 
(SER).  An  Ovenbird  was  seen  9-13 
Dec  in  Burlington  (CE,  m.ob.). 

Single  Eastern  Towhees  were  re- 
ported from  Nipigon  10  Jan 
(KMa),  Huntsville  13  Dec+  (BCa  et 
ah),  Oshawa  24  Jan-6  Feb  (D. 

Pazaratz),  and  P.P.B.A.  7 Dec+ 

(HTO  et  ah).  Chipping  Sparrows 
were  also  reported  in  above-aver- 
age numbers,  with  singles  in  Richmond  21-22 
Jan  (PW),  Toronto  6 (SMF)  & 10  Dec  (JFa), 
Brantford  31  Dec  (BLa),  P.P.N.P  1 Dec  (AW), 
and  Camlachie  through  the  season  (AHR);  2 
were  at  Wheatley  Harbour  14-20  Dec  (AW  et 
ah).  Field  Sparrows  were  widely  reported, 
with  23  reported  during  the  period  in  the 
P.P.B.A.  Single  Vesper  Sparrows  were  at 
Brighton  18-19  Dec  (RDM,  FH),  at  Milton  21 
Dec  (DRD),  at  Port  Stanley  8 Jan  (MA),  at 
Shrewsbury  18  Dec  (AW),  and  at  Hillman 
Marsh  11  Dec  (AJH,  RAH).  There  were  at 
least  10  reports  of  single  Savannah  Sparrows 
in  s.  Ontario;  a (lock  of  17  at  Wheatley  Har- 
bour 14-19  Dec  (AW  et  ah)  was  comprised  of 
multiple  taxa.  A Le  Contes  Sparrow  at  the 
Pelee  tip  3 Dec  (AJH)  and  another  on  Wolfe  I. 
18  Dec  (ph.  MWPR  et  ah)  were  record  late.  In 
s.  Ontario,  several  Fox  Sparrows  were  report- 
ed from  Long  Point,  P.P.B.A.,  Hamilton, 
Toronto,  and  Northumberland , but  singles  at 
Levigne  3 Dec  (AM),  Gloucester  18  Dec-5 
Feb  (KZb),  and  Deep  River  20  Nov+  (JU)  de- 
serve specific  mention.  Single  Lincoln’s  Spar- 
rows were  reported  from  Toronto  I.  1 Dec 
(DBe),  Binbrook  13  Dec  (BH),  Dundas  1 Jan 
(RZD,  BC),  Turkey  Pt.  9 Dec  (MA),  and  the 


London  C.B.C.  17  Dec  (PR).  Harris’s  Sparrow 
was  reported  in  Manitouwadge  10  Jan  (TaH, 
fide  MT),  London  29  Dec  (DW,  fide  AW),  and 
Holiday  Harbour  18  Dec+  (JMG,  JNF  et  ah). 
An  unusually  large  flock  of  250  Lapland 
Longspurs  was  at  Ste-Rose-de-Prescott  20  Dec 
(m.ob.);  there  were  20  on  31  Dec  on  the  Fish- 
erville  C.B.C.,  30  at  the  Pelee  Onion  Fields  5 
Dec  (AW),  20  through  the  period  near  Forest 
(PC,  AR),  plus  scattered  singles  and  smaller 


groups.  There  were  patchy  reports  of  large 
flocks  of  Snow  Buntings  from  the  sw.  portions 
of  province,  with  a high  count  of  5000  during 
most  of  Jan  between  Arkona  and  Forest  (PC, 
AHR). 

Two  male  Northern  Cardinals  were  seen  in 
Thunder  Bay  28  (MCo)  & 29  Jan  (JC1).  A fe- 
male Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  at  a Minde- 
moya  feeder  24  Jan  (CBe)  was  likewise  far 
north.  A first-basic  male  Indigo  Bunting 
spent  11-13  Feb  at  Brent  Clutterbuck’s  feeder 
near  Fingal,  Elgin  ( fide  DMa).  Substantial 
numbers  of  Red-winged  Blackbirds  lingered, 
especially  in  Dec  close  to  L.  Erie  and  the  Nia- 
gara pen.,  but  n.  reports  came  from  Mani- 
touwadge, with  one  10  Jan  (THa,  fide  MT); 
Manitoulin  I.,  where  3 on  17  Dec  (CBe)  con- 
stituted their  first  winter  record;  and  Algo- 
nquin PR,  which  had  one  25  Jan  (BFi,  CG, 
JaH,  KL),  only  the  2nd  recorded  there  in  win- 
ter. Single  Eastern  Meadowlarks  tarried  at 
Port  Rowan  3 Dec  (DiS)  and  in  the  RP.B.A.  15 
(AW)  & 19  Dec  (STP,  MB);  3 were  tallied  27 
Dec  on  the  West  Elgin  C.B.C.  (HC).  A male 
Yellow-headed  Blackbird  at  a feeder  in  Em- 
brun  9 Jan  (LHe,  m.ob.)  delighted  Ottawa 
area  birders;  a female  e.  of  Brighton  (pre- 


sumed to  be  the  bird  first  seen  18  Dec  on  the 
Presqu’ile  C.B.C.)  was  seen  11-31  Jan  (RDM, 
m.ob.).  Rusty  Blackbirds  were  reported  in 
better-than-average  numbers,  at  least  for  re- 
cent seasons.  At  the  Tip  of  Point  Pelee,  60 
were  seen  16  Dec  (AW);  120  were  at  Sturgeon 
Creek  27  Dec  (AW);  and  27  were  al  Port  Hope 
1 1 Dec  (ERM).  Two  Brewer’s  Blackbirds  were 
found  at  Shrewsbury  9 Dec  0TB),  2 at  Erie 
Beach  18  Dec  (KTB,  SC),  2 w.  of  Wheatley 


Harbour  13  Dec  (AW),  and  singles  were  at 
Sturgeon  Creek  19  Dec  (STP,  MB)  and  Fish- 
erville  15  Dec  (fide  CE).  In  early  winter,  Com- 
mon Grackles  were  seen  all  along  L.  Erie  and 
L.  St.  Clair,  usually  in  mixed  flocks  with  Red- 
winged Blackbirds  and  Brown-headed  Cow- 
birds;  exceptions  were  one  at  Gravenhurst  18 
Dec  (fide  BT)  and  2 in  Callandar  12  Feb 
(LHi).  A female  Baltimore  Oriole,  surviving 
on  suet,  was  at  South  Bay,  Prince  Edward  4-14 
Dec  (fide  RTS). 

Pine  Grosbeaks  were  regular  in  Thunder 
Bay,  becoming  scarcer  as  winter  wore  on,  with 
a leucistic  individual  found  in  mid-Jan  (ph. 
BRa);  Algonquin  PR  feeders  hosted  a flock  of 
20-30,  with  a few  being  seen  along  Hwy.  60. 
Ottawa  had  small  numbers  irregularly;  the 
Toronto  area  had  12  at  Palgrave  C.A.  19  Jan 
(PG,  fide  TH),  with  2 nearby  22  Jan  (DEP);  in 
London,  3 were  seen  8-10  Jan  at  Fanshawe 
C.A.  (WGL);  and  the  most  sw.  report  was  of  3 
at  Pinery  RP.  29  Jan  (PR).  Purple  Finches 
were  seen  in  small  numbers  on  Manitoulin  I. 
all  winter,  Kingston  reported  8 at  feeders  6-26 
Dec  (K.FN.),  25  were  at  Camden  East  8 Feb 
(PJG),  and  PPN.P  had  14  on  1 Dec  (AW),  2 
on  19  Dec,  and  7 on  24  Dec  (DJW,  AW).  Red 


This  first-winter  Ivory  Gull  spent  8-13  (here  13)  January  2006  at  Hillman  Marsh, 
Ontario,  a first  record  for  Point  Pelee.  Photograph  by  Timothy  C.  Lenz. 


226 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


ONTARIO 


Crossbills  were  in  very  low  numbers  across 
the  province.  In  Algonquin  RR,  all  reports 
were  from  Barron  Canyon  Rd.,  where  small 
numbers  were  seen  6 Dec  and  28  Jan  at  five 
locations  (MWPR),  with  6,  including  singing 
males,  noted  26  Feb  (JSk).  White-winged 
Crossbills  were  reported  as  occasional  tran- 
sients in  small  numbers  throughout  winter  in 
Ottawa;  just  two  flocks  were  reported  along 
Barron  Canyon  Rd.  6 Dec  (MWPR);  7 were  in 
Bracebridge  8 Dec  (fide  BT);  and  one  was  at 
Wheatley  RR  13  Dec  (AW).  Common  Red- 
polls were  noted  in  good  numbers  in  more  n. 
areas,  but  only  4 singles  were  reported  in  the 
s.,  at  Arkona  17  Dec  (PC  et  al.),  on  the  Fish- 
erville  C.B.C.  31  Dec  (2  birds),  and  at  St. 
Marys  17  Dec  (D.  & E.  Brown).  There  were 
scattered  reports  of  Hoary  Redpolls.  Pine 
Siskins  were  in  good  numbers  in  late  fall,  in- 
creasing during  Dec,  and  abundant  in  Jan- 
Feb,  e.g.,  on  Manitoulin  I.  (CBe).  Likewise, 
American  Goldfinches  abounded  all  winter 
on  Manitoulin  I.  and  in  Muskoka,  and  flocks 
of  12-280  were  observed  flying  southward  off 
the  Tip  of  Pelee  1-24  Dec  (AW,  AJH,  DJW). 
On  Manitoulin  I.,  Evening  Grosbeak  numbers 
built  from  early  Dec  and  were  still  increasing 
in  late  Feb  (CB);  similarly  in  Muskoka, 
Evening  Grosbeaks  began  to  arrive  in  Nov, 
and  there  were  135  at  Six  Mile  L.  19  Feb  (BT). 
By  contrast,  Ottawa  reported  having  good 
numbers  early,  decreasing  in  Feb,  and  there 
were  just  7 at  Kingston  14-21  Dec  (EB, 
K.FN.)  and  12  at  Bedford  Mills  1 1 Jan  (North 
Leeds  Birdwatchers). 

Contributors  (subregional  editors  in  bold- 
face): Alfred  L.  Adamo,  Brian  Ahara,  Faye  & 
Lance  Allin,  Lil  Anderson,  Robert  Andrle, 
Steve  Ansell,  Anne  E.  M.  Anthony,  C.  Apper- 
son,  Maris  Apse,  Karen  Auzins,  Doreen  & 
Les  Bailey,  Margaret  J.  C.  Bain,  Matt  Baker, 
Jerry  Ball,  Tom  Banes,  Nels  Banting,  Joe 
Bartell,  E.  Batalla,  David  Beadle  (DBe), 
Eleanor  T.  Beagan,  John  Beard  (JBe),  Tony  F 
M.  Beck,  Chris  Bell  (CBe),  M.  Bense,  Lucas 
Beaver,  Tony  Bigg,  Helmut  H.Birkner,  Peter  J. 
Birkner,  John  Black,  Martin  Blagdurn,  Marc 
Bose,  John  Boulter  (JBo),  Mike  D.  Boyd,  Bob 
Bracken,  Sharon  & Jim  Bradley,  Dave  Brewer 
(DBr),  H.  Bridger,  Hazel  Broker,  Adam 
Brown,  Lyndon  Brown,  J.  & E.  Brunton,  Sue 
Bryan,  George  D.  Bryant,  Bruce  Brydon,  Ca- 
role Buck,  Jim  T.  Burk,  Keith  J.  Burk,  Peter 
S.  Burke,  Mike  V.  A.  Burrell,  Kenny  Burrell, 
Melody  Cairns,  Bill  Calvert  (BCa),  Alvin 
Cameron,  Gordon  Cameron,  Heather  A. 
Campbell,  Peter  Campbell,  Rodney  Camp- 
bell, John  R.  Carley,  Michael  Carlson,  Geoff 
Carpentier,  Paul  Carter,  Cindy  Cartwright, 
Margaret  Catto  (MCa),  Geoff  Cattrall,  Pete 


Chapman,  Laura  Chapman,  Steve  Charbon- 
neau,  Barb  Charlton,  Lauanne  Chowns, 
Janet  Clark  (JC1),  Gerry  Clements,  Bill 
Climie  (BC1),  Brent  Clutterbuck,  Glenn 
Coady,  John  & Coral  Collins,  Jim  Coleman, 
Mark  Conboy  (MCo),  Floyd  Cosby,  Lynn 
Cox  (LCo),  Mark  H.  Cranford,  Dan  Craw- 
ford, Marg  Croswell,  Robert  Cubbitt,  Bob 
Curry,  Hugh  G.  Currie,  Rose  Dafoe,  Willie  C. 
D’Anna,  S.  David,  Floyd  Dieter,  Gene  Den- 
zel, Charlene  Denzel,  John  Dickie,  Jr.,  Jim 
Dickson,  John  Diebolt,  Bruce  M.  Di  Labio, 
Susan  DiPucchio,  Rob  Z.  Dobos,  Andrew 
Don,  Dave  R.  Don,  Burt  & Fran  Douglas, 
Keith  Dunn,  Vivienne  Eaton,  Cheryl  Edge- 
combe, Bill  Edmonds,  R.  K.  Edwards,  Karl  & 
Marienna  Egressy,  Joel  H.  Ellis,  Gord  Ellis, 
Robert  Epstein,  Nick  Escott,  Lois  Evans,  Jim 
Fairchild,  Ariane  Faizetta,  Harold  Farrant, 
Muriel  Farrant,  Steven  M.  Favier,  Bruce  Fer- 
ry, Dave  Fidler,  Bert  Filemyr  (BFi),  Micheal 
Fitzpatrick,  Ron  Fleming,  Tim  Foran,  Janet 
Fox,  James  N.  Flynn,  Marcel  Gahbauer, 
Denys  Gardiner,  Bruce  Gates,  Gaeten  Gi- 
auard,  Allan  Gilbert,  Neil  Gilbert,  Micheal 
Gimmell,  Elsie  Glanville,  Connie  Goldman, 
P J.  Good,  Clive  E.  Goodwin,  June  M.  Gor- 
don, Patti  Gordon,  Matthew  Graham,  Phyllis 
Graydon,  Chris  Grooms,  Chester  Gryski, 
Andy  Guthrie,  Rich  Guthrie,  Tammie  Hache 
(TaH),  Adam  J.  Hall,  Rosalee  A.  Hall,  Keith 
Hamilton,  Pamela  Handley,  Tom  Hanrahan, 
Bert  Harding,  Lynn  Hardy,  Al  Harris,  Audrey 
Heagy,  Chris  Heffernan,  Fred  Helleiner,  Jane 
Henderson,  Linda  Henebury,  K.  Hennige, 
Brian  Henshaw,  G.  Tom  Hince,  Linda  Hines, 
Tyler  Hoar  (TyH),  Doris  Hofmann,  Theo 
Hofmann,  James  Holdsworth  (JHo)>  Carol 
Horner,  Brandon  Holden,  Eric  Holden, 
Randy  Horvath,  Robert  A.  Horvath,  Wilson 
Hum,  Jim  Hunt  (J'H),  June  Huston,  Doug 
Innes,  Jean  Iron,  Mike  Jacques,  Marc  John- 
son, Colin  Jones,  Barbara  Kalthoff,  J.  Kam- 
stra,  Bill  Karner,  John  Karner,  Laureen  Kay, 
Andrew  Keaveney,  Alice  Kenzie,  Harry  Kerr, 
Ron  Kingswood,  Jane  Kirkpatrick  (JKi),  Lyn- 
don Kivi,  Burke  Korol,  Joe  Kostuk,  Steve 
LaForest,  Kim  Laframboise,  John  Larney,  Bill 
Lamoncl  (BLa),  Terry  Land,  Anthony  Lang, 
Rick  Lauzon,  Steve  Lechniak,  Stephanie 
Lechniak,  Susan  Lehmann  (SuL),  John 
Lemon,  Graham  Leonard,  Nicole  Lepage, 
Dennis  Lewington,  Gwen  Lewington,  Chris 
Lewis,  William  G.  Lindley,  Marcus  Lise,  Jean 
Lister  QLi),  G.  Little,  Margaret  Liubavicius, 
DougJ.  Lockrey,  Stan  Long  (SLo),  Joan  Love, 
Karl  Lukens,  Nancy  Lyne,  E.R.  Macdonald, 
Neil  Macdougall,  Dune  MacKay,  Bruce 
Mackenzie,  Jess  MacKenzie,  Karin  Macken- 
zie (KMa),  Stuart  A.  Mackenzie,  V Paul 
Mackenzie,  Blake  A.  Mann,  Lou  Marsh,  An- 


gela Martin,  Dave  Martin  (DMa),  Craig 
Maxwell,  Jason  McGuire  (JMc),  Ken  Mcll- 
wrick,  Theresa  McKenzie,  Craig  McLauchlan 
(CSAM),  Kevin  A.  McLaughlin,  Carol  McK- 
night,  Roy  McMartin,  R.  Doug  McRae,  John 
B.  Miles,  Dave  J.  Milsom,  Brian  Mishell,  Bri- 
an Moore  (BMo),  Elizabeth  Morton,  Norman 
Murr  (NMu),  Bill  Neilipovitz,  Larry  Neily, 
Rubby  Neville,  Fergus  Nicoll,  Stephen  O’- 
Donnell, David  Okines,  Dan  Olech,  Karen 
Olech,  Henrietta  T.  O’Neill,  Karl  Overman, 
D.  Pazaratz  (DPa),  Kathy  Parker,  Martin 
Parker,  Brian  Paul  (BPa),  Gordon  Payne, 
Mark  Peck,  Todd  R.  Pepper,  Don  E.  Perks, 
Don  Peuramaki,  Brian  Pfrimmer,  Gerard 
Phillips,  Stephen  T.  Pike,  Adam  Pinch,  Rob 
Pinilla,  Ron  J.  Pittaway,  George  Popowich, 
Betsy  Potter  (BPo),  Paul  D.  Pratt,  Paul  Pre- 
vett,  Brian  & Christine  Puttock,  Rayfield 
Pye,  Nick  Quickert,  Claude  Radley,  Joan 
Ralph,  Brian  Ratcliff  (BRa),  Pete  A.  Read, 
Maureanne  Reade,  Glen  Reed,  Corey  Reeves, 
Dustin  Reeves,  Jim  Richards,  Ian  Richards, 
Alf  H.  Rider,  Bruce  Ripley,  Maureen  Riggs, 
Vic  Rizzo,  Nathalie  Rockhill,  Julie  Rosenthal, 
Vicky  Rothman,  Bud  Rowe,  Dennis  Roy, 
Kayo  Roy,  Michael  W.  P Runtz,  Sarah  E.  Ru- 
pert, Alan  Ryff,  R.  Sachs,  Ed  Sagle,  Dan  Sal- 
isbury, Diane  Salter  (DiS),  Dave  Sangster, 
John  Savage,  Jerry  Schmanda  (JSc),  Leon 
Schlichter,  Marlies  & Dieter  Schoenefeld, 
Mary  Schuster,  Ron  Scovell,  Kevin  Shackle- 
ton,  Richard  Shalla  (RSh),  Howard  Shapiro, 
Don  P.  Shanahan,  Tessa  Shelvey,  D.  Shirley, 
Langis  Sirois,  Linda  Sisco,  Jeff  Skevington 
(JSk),  Carolyn  Skinner,  Dave  Skinner,  Bill 
Smith,  Nicole  Smith,  Roy  Smith  (RSm),  Tim 
Sneider,  Ross  Snider  (RSn),  R.  Terry  Sprague, 
Dave  Speer,  Joe  and  Stella  Stakiw,  Brad  Stein- 
berg, Tim  Story,  lan  Sturdee,  Pirjo  Suther- 
land, Dick  Tafel,  Barbara  Taylor,  Tom 
Thomas,  Steve  Thorpe,  Ron  Tozer,  S.  Tre- 
ganza,  Chris  Traynor,  Linda  Thrower,  Al 
Thrower,  Brent  Turcotte,  Marlene  Turner, 
Rob  Tymstra,  Jim  Ungrin,  G.E  Vance,  Sandy 
Vanderburg,  Jason  Wade,  Keitb  Wade,  Helen 
Wall,  Brian  Walsh,  Dean  J.  Ware,  D.  Watkins, 
William  Watson,  Mark  Webber,  O.  Weir, 
Ronald  D.  Weir  (RDW),  L.  Wensley  (LWe), 
Anne  White,  Doug  White,  Micheal  White, 
Don  Wigle,  George  Williams,  Joan  Winearls, 
Linda  Wladaarski  (LWl),  Helmut  R.  Wolfes, 
Ross  Wood,  Allen  Woodliff,  Alan  Worming- 
ton,  David  Worthington,  Phil  Wright,  Brian 
Wylie,  Mary  Young,  Kim  Zbitnew  (KZb), 
Kirk  Zufelt.  © 


Maris  Apse,  10094  Red  Pine  Road,  Box  22,  RR  #2,  Grand 
Bend,  Ontario  NOM  1T0,  (apsemaris@hotmail.com); 

Mark  Cranford,  2437  Hurontaio  Street,  Apt.  206,  Missis- 
sauga, Ontario  L5A  2G4,  (mark.cranford@rogers.com) 


VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


227 


Eastern  Highlands  & Upper  Ohio  River  Valley 


Victor  W.  Fazio  III  Rick  Wiltraut 


Seesaw  temperatures  plunged  to  record- 
low  levels  in  December,  soared  to  well- 
above  average  temperatures  in  January, 
and  were  followed  by  mostly  seasonable,  win- 
try weather  in  February.  The  season  left  birds 
somewhat  bewildered,  as  northern  gulls 
massing  for  migration  early  in  December  were 
found  lingering  through  the  period  along  the 
ice-free  shores  of  Lake  Erie  for  much  of  the 
remaining  winter.  A tremendous  number  of 
“half-hardy”  songbirds  (including  numbers  of 
Gray  Catbird,  Hermit  Thrush,  and  Eastern 
Phoebe)  appeared  across  the  Region  well  into 
the  dead  of  winter.  This  accords  with  the 
decade-long  trend  toward  a compression  of 
the  migration  for  several  non-passerines,  no- 
tably Sandhill  Crane  and  Turkey  Vulture. 

Abbreviations:  C.C.S.P.  (Caesar  Creek  S.R, 
Warren/Greene , OH);  G.L.R.  (Green  Lane 
Res.,  Montgomery,  PA);  H.B.S.R  (Headlands 
Beach  S.P,  Lake,  OH);  Hoover  (Hoover  Res., 
Delaware/Franklin,  OH);  K.P.W.A.  (Killdeer 
Plains  W.A.,  Wyandot,  OH);  L.N.S.R  (Lake 
Nockamixon  S.P.,  Bucks,  PA);  M.B.S.P. 
(Maumee  Bay  S.P.,  Lucas,  OH);  O.N.W.R.  (Ot- 
tawa N.W.R.);  PV.R  (Peace  Valley  Park,  Bucks, 
PA);  PI. S.P.  (Presque  Isle  S.P,  Erie,  PA); 
Y.C.S.P  (Yellow  Creek  S.R,  Indiana,  PA). 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  VULTURES 

A strong  fall  flight  of  Greater  White-fronted 
Geese  had  up  to  16  visit  M.B.S.P  4 Dec  (BZ), 
8 in  Hamilton,  OH  17  Dec  (R.  Cottrell),  and 
up  to  8 on  Sandy  Creek,  Wood,  WV  through 
24  Dec  0-  Benedetti,  RE,  rn.ob.).  Considered 
accidental  in  midwinter  only  10  years  ago, 
Greater  White-fronted  was  widely  noted 
from  Ohio  this  season,  with  5 in  the  sw. 
( Hamilton , Montgomery,  and  Clark),  5 in  cen. 
counties  ( Marion , Wyandot ),  and  one  in  the 
n.  (Erie).  The  spring  flight  rarely  matches 
that  of  fall,  so  49  in  Pickaway,  OH  20-21  Feb 
(E.  Reiner,  B.  Sparks)  made  a dramatic  sight, 
while  an  excellent  count  of  12  came  from 
L.N.S.P.  11  Feb  (D.  Farbotnik).  Cackling 
Goose  is  known  to  be  a regular  fall  migrant, 
and  some  linger  into  the  winter:  one  was  at 


M.B.S.P  4 Dec  (BZ),  3 were  in  Clark  11  Dec 
(DO)  and  3 in  Clinton,  OH  7 Jan  (CS),  2 were 
in  Lake,  OH  3 Jan  (JP),  and  7 were  at  PV.R  6 
Jan  (AM).  The  species  remains  a rare  spring 
migrant,  with  2 noted  12  Feb  at  Castalia, 
Erie,  OH  (JP)  and  4 at  G.L.R.  9 Feb  (KC, 
GAF).  A Ross’s  Goose  in  Erie,  OH  17  Dec 
(ph.  C.  Rieker  et  al.)  may  have  been  the  same 
bird  as  reported  from  Bay  Village,  Cuyahoga  9 
Jan  (L.  Richardson)  and  Wellington  Res.,  Lo- 
rain 28-29  Jan  (D.  & J.  Hoffman,  S.  Snyder). 
One  spent  21  Dec-7  Jan  in  the  company  of 
23  Snow  Geese  in  Clinton,  OH  (LG  m.ob.); 
and  singles  seen  4-8  Jan  near  Circlevillc, 
Pickaway,  OH  (TBn,  G.  Stauffer)  and  22-24 
Jan  in  Darke  (C.  Ploch,  R.  Schieltz)  added 
substantially  to  the  few  mid-winter  records 
for  Ohio.  A Ross’s  Goose  was  among  the 
mixed  goose  flock  near  Parkersburg,  Wood, 
WV  18-23  Dec  (j-  Tharp  II,  m.ob.)  and  occa- 
sionally crossed  the  river  into  Ohio  at  Belpre, 
Washington.  Apparently  part  of  the  spring 
flight,  one  was  at  O.N.W.R.  12  Feb  (JP)  with 
200  Snow  and  14  Greater  White-fronted 
Geese.  Ohio’s  7th  Ross’s  Goose  for  the  season 
appeared  in  Highland  16-21  Feb  (TBn)  with 


18  Snow  Geese.  The  spring  Snow  Goose 
flight  in  Ohio  included  38  at  Buck  Creek  S.P, 
Clark  19  Feb  (JMc).  The  Regions  peak  Snow 
Goose  concentration  was  50,000  on  the 
Hamburg  C.B.C.,  Berks,  PA  2 Jan  (RK). 
Adding  to  several  Ohio  records,  an  apparent 
Snow  Goose  x Ross’s  Goose  hybrid  was  nice- 
ly documented  at  Woodlawn  Cemetery  in 
Toledo,  28  Jan  (MP,  ph.  S.  Leatherman),  and 
an  apparent  Snow  Goose  x Greater  White- 
fronted  Goose  hybrid  was  reported  from 
Wood,  WV  18-23  Dec  (RE).  Two  ad.  Mute 
Swans  appeared  11  Dec  in  Cabell , WV  (DP). 
Two  untagged  Trumpeter  Swans  were  at  L. 


Ontelaunee,  Berks,  PA  2 Feb  (M.  Spence).  A 
modest  fall  flight  of  Tundra  Swans  peaked  5 
Dec  with  200  over  w.  Stark  (W.  Sarno),  150 
over  Oglebay  Park,  Ohio,  WV  (SA),  and  91  at 
Tappan  L.,  Harrison,  OH  (T.  Ford).  The  next 
day  found  42  s.  to  Wood,  WV  (JB). 

Away  from  L.  Erie  marshes,  5500  Mallards 
was  a notable  count  at  Hoover  12  Dec  (M.  Ha- 
gar).  Once  exceptional  in  mid-Jan,  the  30 
Northern  Pintails  at  K.RW.A.  are  further  evi- 
dence of  the  mild  season  (LG);  an  early  spring 
concentration  of  migrants  numbered  239  at 
Big  Island  W.A.,  Marion,  OH  18  Feb  (CB). 
Wintering  flocks  of  60+  Northern  Shovelers 
in  both  Hamilton  and  Clermont,  OH  were 
noteworthy  (RF).  A male  Eurasian  Wigeon  at 
Y.C.S.P  21-26  Feb  was  early  (MH  et  al.).  A 
male  Common  (Eurasian  Green-winged)  Teal 
at  Alcoa  Marsh,  Lancaster  27  Jan+  (m.ob.,  ph. 
T.  Johnson)  was  the  3rd  in  as  many  years  in 
the  Region.  The  340  Redheads  at  C.C.S.P  22 
Feb  (LG)  was  a sizable  flock  so  early  in  the 
season;  340  Ring-necked  Ducks  in  Hamilton, 
OH  24  Dec  (RF)  were  equally  notable  so  late 
in  the  season. 

The  fall  flight  of  scoters  included  17  Black 
Scoters  off  Cuyahoga,  OH  3 
Dec  (NA),  4 Surf  Scoters  at 
G.L.R.  4 Dec  (GAF,  KC), 
and  a Black  Scoter  in  Wood, 
WV  16-21  Jan  (RE,  JB),  a 
county  first.  White-winged 
Scoters  remain  scarce  on  L. 
Erie,  with  one  or  2 w.  to  the 
Islands  6 & 18  Dec  (L. 
Brohl,  TB,  m.ob  ).  Inland, 
14  could  be  found  on  the 
Susquehanna  R.  in  Dauphin, 
PA  4 Dec  (fide  AH),  and  2 
appeared  on  Cheat  L., 
Monongalia,  WV  6-15  Dec 
(JB,  MO).  After  a weak 
showing  in  recent  years, 
Harlequin  Duck  was  en- 
countered several  times  in 
the  Central  Basin:  a female 
was  in  Lake,  OH  7 Dec  (JP), 
another  in  Erie,  OH  26  Jan  (SZ),  and  2 were 
at  H.B.S.P.  18  Feb  (E.  Bacik);  the  same  2 may 
have  been  a bit  farther  e.  earlier  in  the  season 
at  P.I.S.P.  16  Dec  (ph.  JM).  Long-tailed  Ducks 
were  scattered  across  the  Region,  with  2 s.  to 
the  New  R.,  Summers,  WV  13  Dec  and  2 Feb 
(BWs,  M.  Hank).  The  1831  Common  Gold- 
eneyes around  Kelleys  I.,  L.  Erie  21  Feb  (TB) 
was  normal  for  the  season.  Bufflehead  for- 
tunes in  the  Western  Basin  continue  their  15- 
year  increase,  with  1944  counted  around  Kel- 
leys 1.  15  Jan  (TB  et  al.).  This  adds  credence 
to  estimates  of  4000-5000  staging,  if  not  win- 
tering, in  the  vicinity  of  the  L.  Erie  Islands — 


This  potential  Bullock's  Oriole  found  near  Bethlehem,  Pennsylvania  5 January  2006 
(here)  remained  through  the  season.  Photograph  by  Steve  Wolfe. 


228 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


EASTERN  HIGHLANDS  & UPPER  OHIO  RVIER  VALLEY 


a sizable  concentration  anywhere  in  North 
America.  On  the  same  count,  3665  Common 
Mergansers  were  in  line  with  seasonal  expec- 
tations for  the  Western  Basin.  The  50  Hooded 
Mergansers  at  Hoover  13  Jan  (CB),  and  170  in 
Hamilton,  OH  9 Jan  (RF)  further  attest  to  the 
mild  season.  An  apparent  Hooded  Merganser 
x Common  Goldeneye  hybrid  per- 
sisted in  the  Region,  appearing  1 1 
Feb  at  C.C.S.R  (R.  Asamoto). 

A Red-throated  Loon  passed  the 
watch  point  in  Lake,  OH  10  Dec 
(JP).  Mid-winter  Common  Loons 
were  restricted  to  sw.  Ohio  (LG) 
and  P.I.S.R  (JM).  One  was  quite 
late  on  the  Penn-Warner  Tract, 

Bucks,  PA  27-29  Jan  (DF,  CR). 

Three  Red-necked  Grebe  reports 
were  limited  to  Pennsylvania,  as 
was  the  only  Eared  Grebe,  a bird  at 
PI.S.E  5-6  Dec  (C.  Wood,  J.  Dunn). 

Up  to  2 Northern  Gannets  win- 
tered in  the  Central  Basin  along  the 
L.  Erie  shorelines  of  Lorain,  Cuyahoga,  and 
Lake,  OH  (T.  Lepage,  RHn,  J.  Talkington,  ph. 
JP,  m.ob.).  An  American  White  Pelican  on 
the  Ohio  R„  in  Cabell,  WV  17  Feb  (WA,  T. 
Igou)  was  completely  unexpected.  The  45 
Double-crested  Cormorants  at  Winfield 
Locks,  Putnam,  WV  26  Dec  dwindled  to  25 
for  the  winter  (DP,  m.ob.).  Inland,  the  winter 
Black-crowned  Night-Heron  roost  along  the 
Olentangy  R.,  Franklin,  OH  numbered  a 
record  10  birds  (D.  Horn,  A.  Sewell,  m.ob.). 
Along  the  Cuyahoga  R.  in  Cleveland,  the 
species  wintered  in  exceptional  numbers, 
with  75  accounted  for  through  Jan.  An  in- 
crease to  95  in  early  Feb  suggests  newcomers 
from  elsewhere  in  the  Region  (PL,  m.ob.). 
Two  Great  Egrets  appeared  within  this  roost  8 
Dec  (MSr),  while  a flock  of  6 lingered  at  East 
Harbor  S.P.,  Ottawa,  OH  26  Dec  (I.  Kern)  and 
a single  wintered  at  Crab  Creek,  Mason,  WV 
(R.  Talbert,  G.  Rankin,  m.ob.).  A Turkey  Vul- 
ture 5 Jan  over  Carey,  Wyandot,  OH  (Z.  Bak- 
er) was  late  for  the  nw.  corner  of  the  state. 
The  6 over  Lima,  Allen,  OH  28  Jan  (M. 
Moser)  and  a lone  bird  farther  n.  over  Toledo 
25  Jan  (MP)  were  coincident  with  a spring- 
like warm-up.  The  species  continues  to  win- 
ter within  more  forested  e.  areas  and  took  up 
residence  in  the  Hinckley,  Medina,  OH  “buz- 
zard” roost  15  Jan,  when  9 were  noted  (J. 
Kolo-Rose).  Steeped  in  tradition  and  lore,  the 
return  of  the  “Hinckley  Buzzard”  on  the  ides 
of  March  was  as  much  a sign  of  spring  for 
northeastern  Ohioans  as  the  swallows  of 
Capistrano;  no  more.  Black  Vultures  continue 
to  push  their  n.  limits  in  sw.  Ohio,  with  45  in 
a Wilmington,  Clinton  roost  (CS)  and  one  in 
Clark,  OH  16  Dec  (DO). 


RAPTORS  THROUGH  GULLS 

Of  3 Ohio  Northern  Goshawks  for  the  season, 
a subad.  at  East  Harbor  S.P,  Ottawa  8 Dec  may 
have  represented  a late  migrant  0-  McCor- 
mac);  others  were  s.  to  Logan  3 Jan  (T.  Shive- 
ly) and  Clinton  8 Jan  (D.  Morse,  Jr.).  One  at 
Greenbottom  W.A.,  Cabell,  WV  9 Feb  (WA) 


was  away  from  the  high  country.  Leaving  little 
left  to  conquer,  Bald  Eagles  were  found  nest- 
ing in  Cuyahoga,  OH — that  states  most  urban- 
ized county,  home  to  metropolitan  Cleveland. 
Among  the  larger  concentrations  for  the  Re- 
gion, 70  Bald  Eagles  were  along  the  Lack- 
awaxen  R.,  Pike,  PA  31  Jan  (J.  Wilson),  and  54 
were  counted  in  Hardy,  WV  8 Jan  (MO). 
Golden  Eagles  in  Pennsylvania  included  sin- 
gles in  Huntingdon  11  Feb  (GG),  Luzerne  20 
Jan  (R.  Koval),  and  Berks  15  Jan  ( fide  L. 
Goodrich).  Two  wintered  at  The  Wilds,  Musk- 
ingum, OH  (A.  Parker);  one  along  the  Ohio  R. 


These  Harlequin  Ducks,  photographed  16  December  2005  at 
Presqu'isle  State  Park,  Pennsylvania,  may  have  been  the  same 
two  that  were  found  1 8 February  at  Headlands  Beach  State 
Park,  Ohio,  to  the  west.  Photograph  by  Jerry  McWilliams. 

at  Lesage,  Cabell,  WV  16  Dec  was  a local  first 
in  winter  (HS);  and  one  at  K.P.W.A.  11  Feb  (J. 
Estep)  furnished  the  only  report  away  from 
the  e.  Highlands.  There  were  10  reports  of 
Peregrine  Falcon  and  nine  of  Merlin  from 
Pennsylvania,  while  in  Ohio  wintering  Mer- 
lins are  branching  out  from  their  suburban 
haunts.  Notable  Jan  reports  came  from  Pick- 
away, Wyandot,  Union,  Warren,  Highland, 
Adams,  and  Hardin.  Ohio’s  2nd  Prairie  Merlin 
(subspecies  richardsoni),  an  ad.  male,  ap- 


peared at  K.P.W.A.  4 Jan  (ph.  B.  Mathys).  A 
record  high  number,  488  American  Kestrels 
were  noted  on  the  RW.R.S.  ( fide  GG). 

Two  Virginia  Rails  lingered  in  Bucks,  PA  26 
Dec  (CR);  3 at  Altona  Marsh,  Jefferson,  WV  17 
Dec  (MO)  dwindled  to  one  in  Feb.  The  Ohio 
Sandhill  Crane  fall  flight  was  relatively  weak 
through  Dec,  with  700+  birds 
recorded  from  five  w.  counties. 
Mid-winter  birds  included  7 late 
migrants  in  Auglaize,  OH  1 Jan  (J. 
Bowers),  17  in  Hamilton,  OH  6 Jan 
(RF),  and  up  to  78  in  Erie,  PA  23- 
30  Dec  (T.  Wallin).  A wintering 
flock  of  8 at  Funk  Bottoms  W.A., 
Ashland,  OH  (T.  Shue)  was  dwarfed 
by  the  45  through  the  winter  at 
Plain  Grove,  Lawrence,  PA  (MV, 
m.ob.).  A Lesser  Sandhill  Crane 
was  reported  in  Greenfield  Tvvp., 
Erie,  PA  30  Dec  (ph.  JM).  The  re- 
turn flight  of  cranes  began  16  Feb 
with  3 at  Pickerington  Ponds, 
Franklin,  OH  (JW).  The  16  birds  21  Feb  at 
Acton  L.,  Preble,  OH  had  Bill  Heck  asking 
“Didn’t  they  just  leave?”  Indeed,  the  winter 
window  between  fall  and  spring  flights  of  the 
species  has  narrowed  from  roughly  10  weeks 
to  just  six  over  the  past  25  years. 

Among  the  shorebirds,  distinguishing  late- 
fall/winter  residents  from  early  spring  mi- 
grants requires  assessment  of  their  behavior 
and  habitat  use.  Two  Killdeer  flying  north- 
ward over  Castalia,  Erie,  OH  23  Jan  (MSr) 
and  2 in  Hardin  30  Jan  (R.  Counts),  despite 
the  early  dates,  fit  the  profile  for  “spring”  mi- 
grants, surely  birds  encouraged  by  the  warm 
spell.  A Greater  Yellowlegs  was  in  Summers, 
WV  17  Dec  (C.B.C.).  A Spotted  Sandpiper 
on  the  Shenandoah  R.,  Jefferson,  WV  17  Dec 
(C.B.C.)  was  exceptional.  A Least  Sandpiper 
lingered  through  early  Feb  near  Walnut  Bot- 
tom, Cumberland,  PA  (m.ob.,  ph.  GM),  while 
another  was  found  at  Beech  Fork  Lake  S.P., 
Cabell,  WV  28  Dec  (M.  Griffith,  J.  Keating). 
Single  Purple  Sandpipers  made  their  annual 
pilgrimage  to  H.B.S.P.  1-5  Dec  (G.  Meszaros) 
and  PI. S.P  16-17  Dec  (JM,  Adam  Troyer);  an- 
other was  reported  from  Eastlake,  Lake,  OH 
11  Dec  (RHn),  on  which  date  a Red 
Phalarope  was  also  found.  Early  spring 
American  Woodcocks  were  widespread 
across  the  Region  3-4  Feb. 

Two  late  jaegers  off  Cuyahoga  2 Dec  (PL) 
were  left  unidentified,  as  was  one  at  PI. S.P  1 
Dec  (JM).  A Pomarine  Jaeger  20  Feb  off  Lake, 
OH  (JP)  fits  a developing  “spring”  pattern  of 
occurrence  on  L.  Erie.  Inland  concentrations 
of  Bonaparte’s  Gull  are  few,  so  1300  at  Hoover 
1 Dec  was  notable  (CB);  the  normal  phenolo- 
gy of  the  species  on  L.  Erie  was  apparently  al- 


These  Sandhill  Cranes  were  nicely  documented  in  Greenfield  Township,  Erie  County, 
Pennsylvania  on  30  December  2005.  Photograph  by  Jerry  McWilliams. 


VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


229 


EASTERN  HIGHLANDS  & UPPER  OHIO  RVIER  VALLEY 


tercel,  as  a Dec  absence  from  many  sites  was 
followed  by  a clear  influx  in  mid-Jan:  the 
species  is  normally  absent  here  late  Jan-Feb. 
Where  these  concentrations  occurred,  about 
12  Little  Gulls  were  dis- 
covered. A flight  of  8600 
Bonaparte’s  Gulls  at 
H.B.S.P  23  Jan  included 
6 ad.  Little  Gulls  (VF), 
while  the  4000  Bona- 
parte’s at  Avon  L.,  Lo- 
rain, OFI  11  Jan  har- 
bored 2 (SZ),  and  up  to 
6 were  at  P.I.S.P.  4 
Dec-15  Feb  among  up 
to  5000  Bonaparte’s  (25 
Jan;  JM).  The  hooded 
gulls  are  largely  migrants 
through  the  Region,  with  the  scarcer  hooded 
species  also  more  often  encountered  in  spring 
and  fall.  In  keeping  with  the  extraordinary 
mid-season  presence  on  L.  Erie  of  Bonaparte’s 
and  Little  Gulls,  an  ad.  Black-headed  Gull 
was  discovered  7 Jan  and  a Franklin’s  Gull  2 
Jan,  both  from  Lorain,  OH  (JP) — only  to  be 
topped  by  an  ad.  Laughing  Gull  in  alternate 
plumage  that  wintered  along  the  Lorain- 
Cleveland  lakefront  (ph.  JP,  m.ob.).  A Black- 
legged Kittiwake  at  P.I.S.P.  3 Dec  (JM)  may 
have  wandered  to  various  Central  Basin  lo- 
cales in  Cuyahoga  and  Lake,  OH  17  Dec-1  Jan 
(LR,  JP,  m.ob.).  Two  reports  of  Mew  Gull 
from  the  Central  Basin  of  L.  Erie  are  pending 
committee  review.  The  gull  variety  this  season 
(15  species  in  the  Central  Basin)  was  not  co- 
incident with  vast  gull  numbers,  as  Ring- 
billed Gulls  were  limited  to  peak  concentra- 
tion of  80,000  at  Lorain  Harbor,  Lorain,  OH  7 
Jan  (JP).  In  the  highlands,  a record  35,683 
Ring-billed  Gulls  were  counted  on  the 
Bernville  C.B.C.,  Berks,  PA  1 Jan  (fide  RK). 

Ad.  California  Gulls  were  reported  by  gull 
watchers  in  the  Central  Basin  in  Cuyahoga  30 
Dec  (RHn),  at  Conneaut  16  Jan  (JP),  and  in 
Lorain  26  Jan  (SZ),  while  one  was  detected  e. 
to  PI.S.P  20  Feb  (JM).  Are  there  really  that 
many  California  Gulls  on  L.  Erie,  or  are  we 


seeing  a highly  mobile  individual?  A seasonal 
average  14  Lesser  Black-backed  Gulls  from  L. 
Erie  included  3 from  the  Western  Basin  on 
Kelleys  1.  15  Jan  (TB  et  al.).  Ohio’s  token  in- 
land report  came  from 
Mosquito  L.,  Trumbull, 
OH  22  Jan  (EK).  An  ad. 
Thayer’s  Gull  in  mid-Feb 
on  Kelleys  I.,  Erie  (VF  et 
al.)  was  a rare  find  for 
the  L.  Erie  Islands.  Else- 
where in  the  Western 
Basin,  up  to  2 each  of 
Iceland  and  Glaucous 
Gulls  visited  the 
Maumee  R.,  in  Lucas 
( fide  G.  Links).  White- 
winged gulls  were  scarce 
in  the  Central  Basin,  where  no  more  than  4 
Glaucous  Gulls  and  3 Iceland  Gulls  were 
briefly  encountered  at  any  given  site.  The 
Eastern  Basin,  as  seen  at  PI.S.P,  hosted  more 
typical  numbers,  with  4 Thayer’s  Gulls,  up  to 
15  Iceland  Gulls,  and  25  Glaucous  Gulls  (JM, 
BC  et  al.)  for  the  season.  Away  from  L.  Erie,  a 
Glaucous  Gull  in  Luzerne,  PA  12  Dec  fur- 
nished a 2nd  county  record  (WR),  and  8 on 
the  S.  Bucks  County  C.B.C.,  PA  was  a record 
high  number  there  (fide  AM).  A remarkable  11 
Iceland  Gulls  were  present  during  the  season 
at  Tullytown,  Bucks,  PA  (fide  AM).  An  appar- 
ent Great  Black-backed  Gull  x Herring  Gull 
hybrid  appeared  in  Lake,  OH  7 Dec  0-  Brum- 
field) and  another  at  P.I.S.P  10  Feb  (JM), 
where  a Herring  Gull  x Glaucous  Gull  hybrid 
was  seen  the  next  day  (BC).  A Great  Black- 
backed  Gull  was  inland  to  Hoover  11  & 22 
Feb  (D.  Linzell,  J Hammond,  R.  Schroeder). 

DOVES  THROUGH  PIPITS 

A White-winged  Dove  at  Upper  Makeheld 
Twp.  9-20  Dec  was  a first  for  Buck s,  PA  (M. 
Rusnak).  In  se.  Pennsylvania,  Barn  Owl  is  on 
the  verge  of  extirpation,  so  2 on  the  Hamburg 
C.B.C.,  Berks,  PA  (fide  RK)  made  welcome 
news.  A minor  flight  of  Snowy  Owls  appeared 
as  the  season  progressed.  In  addition  to  5 or 


This  juvenile  Black-legged  Kittiwake 
photographed  at  Presque'isle  State  Park, 
Pennsylvania  on  3 December  2005  may  have  been 
the  same  bird  that  was  seen  later  along  Lake  Erie 
in  Ohio.  Photograph  by  Jerry  McWilliams. 


r jl  Normally  confined  in  winter  to  sheltered  waterways  such  as  the  Ohio  R.  and  then  only  through  the  first  half  of  the  sea- 
3 n son,  Eastern  Phoebes  were  striking  for  their  widespread  persistence  through  this  winter  season:  one  could  be  found 
anywhere,  it  seemed,  throughout  the  period.  Within  the  s.  riparian  micro-climates  (where  at  best  of  casual  occurrence  in  win- 
ter), the  species  was  numerous,  with  15+  individuals  reported  through  Jan  along  the  Ohio  R.  counties  from  Hamilton  through 
Scioto  n.  to  Ross  (Jay  Stenger,  R.  Foppe,  VF,  m.ob.).  Stenger  notes  that  in  the  first  34  years  of  the  Cincinnati  C.B.C.,  phoebes  ap- 
peared 44%  of  the  time  vs.  on  72%  of  the  last  25  years' counts.  In  sw.  Pennsylvania,  there  were  5 phoebes  (fide  PH),  while  4 
in  Cabell,  WV  28  Dec  (C.B.C.)  were  also  in  an  Ohio  R.  county.  Beyond  these  limits,  noteworthy  individuals  wintered  in 
Kanawha,  WV  (H.  Good),  through  28  Jan  at  Lake  City  Wastewater  Plant,  Erie,  PA  (EK),  at  G.L.R.  28  Jan  (fide  KC),  at  Spring  Val- 
ley W.A.,  Warren,  OH  24  Jan  (J.  Beale),  in  Fayette,  WV  13  Jan  (D.  Beutler),  in  Preston,  WV  12  Jan  (J.  Boback),  at  Chagrin  Falls 
Park,  Lake,  OH  12  Jan  (JP),  at  C.C.S.P.  8 Jan  (S.  Tackett),  at  Shaker  Lakes,  Cuyahoga,  OH  until  8 Jan  (J.  West),  and  at  Woodbury 
W.A,  Coshocton,  OH  4 Jan  (fide  G.  Miller).  Normally,  a 26  Feb  report  from  the  L.  Erie  shoreline  in  Cuyahoga,  OH  (PL)  would  be 
treated  as  an  early  spring  migrant,  but  this  season  turned  many  such  clear-cut  distinctions  on  their  heads. 


more  along  the  L.  Erie  shoreline  (SZ,  m.ob.) 
from  Ottawa  to  Cuyahoga,  there  was  a notable 
presence  in  the  nw.  sector  of  the  Region, 
where  3 birds  appeared  in  Jan  in  Paulding  and 
Van  Wert  (DMD,  J.  & J.  Perchalksi)  and  an- 
other in  Wood  10  Jan  (ph.  T.  McGlaughlin). 
Snowy  Owls  in  Pennsylvania  were  e.  to  Berks, 
PA  18-27  Dec  (M.  Wlsawnski),  Mifflin  mid- 
Dec-9  Jan  (K.  Spicher),  and  Centre  22  Jan+ 
(m.ob.).  Lingering  Rufous  or  Rufous/Allen’s 
Hummingbirds  in  Pennsylvania  included  a 
Rufous/Allen's  at  Albion,  Erie  1 1 Dec  (M.  Lip- 
inski),  a Rufous  in  Beaver  7 Dec  (R.  Hoge), 
and  a Rufous  in  Bucks  7 Dec  (fide  AM).  The 
West  Chester,  Butler,  OH  Anna’s  Humming- 
bird remained  through  24  Dec  (Dan  & Wan- 
da Schmidtz,  m.ob.). 

Very  early  spring  Tree  Swallows  are  known 
from  the  last  days  of  the  winter  period  within 
the  Region,  so  it  is  tempting  to  label  the  2 at 
O.N.W.R.  3 Feb  (P  Sherwood)  as  merely  ex- 
traordinary over-migrants.  Confounding  this 
interpretation  is  the  unprecedented  wintering 
of  a Tree  Swallow  at  Glacier  Ridge 
Metropark,  Union,  OH  through  8 Feb  (fide 
JW).  A Tree  Swallow  circling  a nest  box  in 
Athalia,  WV  26  Feb  (HS)  was  surely  a new  ar- 
rival. For  the  2nd  year  in  a row,  Northern 


A Least  Sandpiper  at  Walnut  Bottom,  Cumberland  County 
(here  21  January  2006)  remained  at  least  into  early  Febru- 
ary, a very  unusual  record  for  Pennsylvania.  Photograph  by 
Geoff  Malosh. 

Rough-winged  Swallows  wintered  at  the 
Northeast  Water  Treatment  Facility,  Philadel- 
phia, PA.  An  amazing  125  were  found  there 
on  the  Pennypack  C.B.C.  in  mid-Dec,  and  95 
were  still  present  7 Jan  (D.  McGovern).  Sev- 
eral of  these  birds  survived  into  Mar,  unheard 
of  for  this  Neotropical  migrant. 

Northern  Shrikes  numbered  5 in  Erie,  PA  1 
Dec-11  Feb  (JM,  m.ob.)  and  5 on  the  Penn- 
sylvania Winter  Raptor  Survey  (fide  GG).  The 
only  Loggerhead  Shrike  report  came  from 
Tucker,  WV  28  Jan  (C.  Rucker,  K.  Sturm). 
Red-breasted  Nuthatches  staged  a substantial 
invasion  of  the  e.  highlands,  spilling  into  the 
w.  in  more  modest  numbers,  with  32  noted  at 
Winton  Woods,  Hamilton,  OH  12  Jan  (Jack 
Stenger).  Two  Common  Ravens  in  Union 
City,  PA  were  unusual  for  Erie  (D.  Peters), 


230 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIROS 


EASTERN  HIGHLANDS  & UPPER  OHIO  RVIER  VALLEY 


and  their  presence  in  sw.  Pennsylvania 
throughout  the  year  is  a “new  phenomenon” 
(PH).  A Common  Raven  reported  from  Fern- 
wood  S.E,  Jefferson,  OH  29-3L  Jan  (p.a.,  SA  et 
al.)  would  represent  a substantial  range  ex- 
tension. A number  of  sizable  crow  roosts  were 
reported,  led  by  the  50,000  estimated  on 
Wheeling  I.,  Ohio , WV  17  Dec  (SA).  Spread- 
ing in  the  West  Virginia  panhandle,  7 Fish 
Crows  were  found  in  Hardy  25  Feb  (MO).  Af- 
ter a unique  fall  record  for  the  L.  Erie  Islands, 
a Tufted  Titmouse  was  a welcome  addition  to 
the  Kelleys  Island  C.B.C.  18  Dec  (TB  et  al.). 

Ruby-crowned  Kinglets  enjoyed  success 
wintering  across  Ohio,  where  they  sometimes 
linger  into  Jan  along  the  Ohio  R.  and  its  trib- 
utaries: of  3 recorded  on  Kelleys  1.  in  Dec,  at 
least  one  wintered  (TB  et  al.).  Two  additional 
mid-winter  records  from  the  n.  came  from 
Cuyahoga  (NA  et  al.),  while  a Logan  bird  29 
Jan  (DO)  was  a local  rarity.  A Blue-gray  Gnat- 
catcher  was  seen  on  the  S.  Bucks  County 
C.B.C.  (R.  Mellon).  A combined  count  of  418 
Carolina  Wrens  from  Bucks,  PA  C.B.C.s  was 
led  by  a record  141  on  the  Central  Bucks 
County  C.B.C.  (fide  AM).  Across  the  Region, 
Hermit  Thrushes  drew  comment,  most  ob- 
servers noting  an  abundance  rarely  seen  in 
winter,  e.g.,  95  on  Kelleys  I.,  Erie,  OH  18  Dec 
(TB,  JP,  m.ob.)  and  52  on  the  three  C.B.C.s  in 
Bucks  ( fide  AM).  American  Robins  found 
plenty  to  tide  them  over  in  the  Region,  as 
more  than  10,000  were  Christmas-counted  in 
Dec  in  Bucks  ( fide  AM),  and  4100  were  count- 
ed 27  Jan  at  Hanging  Rock  Park,  Lawrence, 
OH  (VF).  Gray  Catbird  was  yet  another  half- 
hardy  species  that  took  advantage  of  the  mild 
season;  among  the  more  notable  reports  for 
location  or  count  were:  singles  at  C.C.S.R  27 
Jan  (CS),  Lakeshore  Park,  Lake,  OH  20  Jan 
(JP),  Newtown  Falls,  Trumbull,  OH  4 Jan-1 
Feb  (EK),  until  14  Jan  in  Putnam,  WV  (K. 
Kazmierski  et  al.),  Greenbriar  S.E,  Greenbriar, 
WV  5 Jan  (BWs),  and  Rockmill  W.A.,  Hock- 
ing, OH  31  Dec  (E.  Reiner) — plus  20  on  the  S. 
Bucks  County  C.B.C.,  PA  (fide  AM).  Five 
Brown  Thrashers  on  that  count  was  likewise 
an  excellent  total.  Flocks  of  20+  American 
Pipits  were  reported  from  Wood  and  Hardy, 
WV  in  mid-Dec  (K.  King  et  al.),  but  there  was 
only  one  mid-Jan  report  from  the  n.,  in  Ma- 
honing, OH  (G.  Bennett). 

WARBLERS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

The  Upper  Bucks  County  C.B.C.  found  149 
Myrtle  Warblers  18  Dec;  80  were  tallied  in  a 
survey  of  the  Ohio  Brush  Creek  riparian  corri- 
dor in  Adams,  OH  20  Jan  (VF);  and  30  were  at 
Indian  Creek  W.A.,  Brown,  OH  26  Jan  (RF).  A 
male  Audubon’s  Warbler  appeared  at  Castalia, 
Erie,  OH  19  Feb  (ph.  BZ).  Indicative  of  the 


mild  times,  Pine  Warblers  enjoyed  another 
banner  season,  with  3 n.  to  Lucas,  OH,  where 
one  wintered  near  Maumee  Bay  S.P.  (ph.  BZ), 
and  another  appeared  at  Wildwood  Park  18 
Feb  (MP).  Two  in  Mt.  Airy  Forest,  Hamilton, 
OH  23  Feb  (S.  Pelikan)  may  have  been  early 
spring  arrivals,  while  one  in  Bucks,  PA  2 Feb 
(B.  Keim)  more  likely  wintered.  A Summer 
Tanager  visited  a Columbus  feeder  late  Dec-8 
Jan  for  Ohio’s  2nd  winter  record  (ph.;  fide 
JMc).  The  northernmost  wintering  Chipping 
Sparrow  visited  a Cuyahoga,  OH  feeder  (NA). 
A Clay-colored  Sparrow  was  in  New  Britain 
Twp.,  Bucks,  PA  23  Dec  (DF).  Eastern  Towhees 


This  adult  female  Long-tailed  Duck  was  one  of  two  found 
on  the  Beaver  River,  Beaver  County,  Pennsylvania  on  8 Jan- 
uary 2006.  Photograph  by  Geoff  Malosh. 


were  noted  in  above-average  numbers  across 
the  Region,  with  some  extraordinary  concen- 
trations in  the  Ohio  R.  Valley.  Ohio  Winter  At- 
las efforts  revealed  hundreds  wintering 
through  Adams,  Scioto,  and  Lawrence,  OH, 
with  single  flocks  up  to  50  and  60  birds  (VF). 
The  Lark  Sparrow  at  Limerick,  Montgomeiy, 
PA  was  present  through  5 Feb  (S.  Grunwald); 
another  at  Chambersburg,  Franklin,  PA  was 
cooperative  10Jan+  (m.ob.,  ph.  GM).  Late  Lin- 
coln’s Sparrows  in  Pennsylvania  included  sin- 
gles on  the  Indiana  County  C.B.C.  26  Dec  (Len 
& Linda  Hess)  and  the  Pittsburgh  C.B.C.  31 
Dec  (J.  Valimont).  A male  Oregon  Junco  was 
present  in  Tionesta  Twp.,  Forest,  PA  4 Feb-2 
Mar  (F  McGuire,  ph.) 

The  ad.  Harris’s  Sparrow  present  in  Oak- 
land Mills,  Juniata,  PA  in  the  fall  remained 
through  the  period  (Aden  & David  Troyer), 
and  a first-winter  Harris’s  was  in  Seemsville, 
Northampton,  PA  5-15  Dec  (B.  Mescavage).  A 
strong  showing  of  Snow  Buntings  in  Ohio  was 
highlighted  by  a flock  of  400  in  Paulding  and 
Defiance,  OH  15  Dec  (fide  DMD).  Lapland 
Longspurs  reached  far  sw.  Ohio  in  double  dig- 
its; in  West  Virginia,  2 made  it  to  Hardy  (M. 
Johnson  et  al.)  and  2 to  Putnam  (S.  Aaron). 

A Dickcissel  spent  the  entire  period  at  a 
feeder  at  C.C.S.R  (LG,  M.  Ruane,  m.ob.).  Sin- 
gle Brewer’s  Blackbirds  in  Pennsylvania  were 
reported  from  Allegheny  8 Dec  and  Beaver  22 
Dec  (B.  Shema).  Absent  from  most  reports  in 
the  Region,  the  flock  of  82  Rusty  Blackbirds 
in  Jefferson,  WV  30  Dec  (MO)  stands  apart. 
An  ad.  Baltimore  Oriole  14  Jan  through  Feb  in 


Peter’s  Twp.,  Washington  ignored  oranges  and 
fed  on  peanut  butter  (MV);  2 others  were  not- 
ed in  Bucks,  PA  during  Jan-Feb  (AM,  J.  Hrit- 
zo  et  al.).  Ohio  reports  came  from  a Dayton 
feeder,  where  an  ad.  male  visited  27  Dec  and 
26  Feb  (ph.  J.  Barkeley),  and  from  Clennont  3 
Jan  (J.  Bens).  A potential  Bullocks  Oriole  was 
present  in  Bethlehem,  Northampton  5 Jan+  (S. 
Wolfe,  RW,  ph.,  vt.);  the  back  appeared  to 
show  a “scalloped”  pattern,  possibly  indica- 
tive of  Baltimore  Oriole  genes. 

A Pine  Grosbeak  reported  from  New  Indi- 
ana, Indiana  26  Dec  is  among  very  few  report- 
ed in  the  Region  in  recent  years  (M.  Peterson, 
fide  MH).  A strong  fall  passage  left  good  num- 
bers of  Purple  Finches  across  the  s.  portions  of 
the  Region.  Flocks  of  20-25  w.  along  the  Ohio 
R.  Valley  were  commonplace,  while  120  were 
at  L.N.S.P.  25  Dec  (CR)  in  the  east.  Otherwise, 
winter  finches  did  not  leave  the  e.  highlands, 
where  Red  Crossbills  included  5 in  Berks  20 
Jan  (KG)  and  6 at  Powdermill  Nature  Reserve 
31  Dec  (ML).  Common  Redpolls  numbered  14 
in  Bradford  26  Dec  (T.  Gerlach),  and  60  Pine 
Siskins  were  in  Huntingdon,  PA  (D.  Wentzel), 
while  70  Evening  Grosbeaks  were  near  Maple 
Grove,  Luzerne,  PA  5 Jan  (R.  Mose). 

Observers  (subregional  editors  in  boldface): 
OHIO:  Nancy  Anderson  (NA),  Tom  Bain 
(TBn),  Tom  Bartlett  (TB),  Charlie  Bombaci 
(CB),  Mike  Busam,  Doug  & Micki  Dunakin 
(DMD),  Vic  Fazio  (VF),  Robert  Foppe  (RF), 
Larry  Gara  (LG),  Ray  Hannikman  (RHn), 
Ned  Keller,  Ethan  Kistler  (EK),  Greg  Links, 
Paula  Lozano  (PL),  Jim  McCormac  (JMc). 
Kevin  Metcalf,  Doug  Overacker  (DO),  M. 
Plessner  (MP),  John  Pogacnik  (JP),  Larry 
Rosche  (LR),  Carleton  Schooley  (CS), 
Matthew  Studebaker  (MSr),  John  Watts  (JW), 
Sean  Zadar  (SZ),  Brian  Zweibel  (BZ).  PENN- 
SYLVANIA: Kevin  Crilley  (KC),  Ben  Coulter 
(BC),  Devich  Farbotnik  (DF),  George  A. 
Eranchois  (GAF),  Greg  Grove  (GG),  Paul 
Hess  (PH),  Margaret  Higbee  (MH),  Armas 
Hill  (Philadelphia  Birdline),  Rudy  Keller 
(RK),  Mike  Lanzone  (ML),  Robert  C.  I.chcr- 
man  (RCL),  Geoff  Malosh  (GM),  Jerry 
McWilliams  (JM)>  August  Mirabella  (AM), 
William  Reid  (WR),  Mark  Vass  (MV), 
Cameron  Rutt  (CR),  Rick  Wiltraut  (RW). 
WEST  VIRGINIA:  Scott  Albaugh  (SA),  Wen- 
dell Argabrite  (WA),  John  Boback  (JB), 
Jeanette  Esker,  Richard  Esker  (RE),  Matt  Or- 
sie  (MO),  David  Patick  (DP),  Harry  Slack 
(HS),  Barry  Williams  (BWs).  ^ 


Victor  W.  Fazio,  III,  18722  Newell  Street,  Floor  2,  Shaker 
Heights,  Ohio  44122,  (bcvireo@sbcglobal.net); 

Rick  Wiltraut,  P.0.  Box  294,  Saylorsburg,  Pennsylvania 
18353,  (whiskeyjack@netzero.net) 


VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


231 


inois  & Indiana 


I 


11 


INDIANA  LAKEFRONT. 


James  Hengeveld  Keith  A.  McMullen 
Geoffrey  A.  Williamson 


The  cold  spell  that  hit  the  Region  in  late 
November  continued  through  the  first 
three  weeks  of  December.  During  this 
period  of  December,  temperatures  averaged 
11°  F below  normal,  and  the  highs  rarely 
reached  normal.  These  low  temperatures  re- 
sulted in  the  freezing  of  all  inland  lakes  and 
Lake  Michigan's  harbors.  By  22-23  December, 
the  weather  mellowed,  bringing  some  44  days 
(through  3 February)  of  temperatures  that 
never  dipped  below  normal.  In  Chicago,  tem- 
peratures averaged  13.8°  F above 
normal  during  that  period,  with  no 
single  day  less  than  5°  F above  the 
historic  mean  temperature.  For  the 
Region  as  a whole,  January  was  the 
warmest  on  record;  Bloomington, 

Indiana  experienced  15  January 
days  with  highs  exceeding  50°  F 
During  this  warm  spell,  all  ice  dis- 
appeared on  Lake  Michigan  and  the 
adjacent  harbors. 

Seasonal  highlights  included 
strong  migrations  of  geese  in  late 
winter,  few  rarities,  and  several  un- 
expected lingering  species,  such  as 
Common  Tern,  Parasitic  Jaeger,  and 
Blue-headed  Vireo. 

Abbreviations:  Arklands  (Arklands 
Reclamation  Area,  Perry,  1L);  Bee.  M.  (Bee- 
hunter  Marsh,  Greene , IN);  Bev.  Sh.  (Beverly 
Shores,  Porter , IN);  Carl.  L.  (Carlyle  L.,  Clin- 
ton, Fayette,  & Bond,  1L);  FW.A.  (Fish  & 
Wildlife  Area);  Mich.  City  (Michigan  City 
Harbor,  La  Porte,  IN);  Miller  (Miller  Beach, 
Lake,  IN). 

WATERFOWL 

There  was  an  impressive  flight  of  geese 
throughout  the  Region.  Greater  White-front- 
ed Geese  were  widespread  and  continued  a 


pattern  of  increasing  abundance.  Four  of  the 
top-ten  all-time  Illinois  counts  occurred  this 
winter,  with  the  15,000  at  Arklands  25  Dec 
(KJM)  setting  a new  record  high  count  and 
7500  at  Union  County  C.A.  30  Dec  (KJM, 
HDB)  providing  the  state’s  3rd  highest  count. 
Of  six  triple-digit  tallies  of  Greater  White- 
fronted  Geese  in  Indiana,  the  peak  count  was 
343  at  Universal  Mines  16  Jan  (DG).  By  far 
the  highest  ever  count  of  Snow  Geese  in  Indi- 
ana was  made  at  L.  Gibson  25  Feb  (DL, 
G&LB),  when  clouds  of  these  birds  were  esti- 
mated at  75,000.  Snow  Goose  counts  of 
300,000  at  Carl.  L.  22  Jan  (DMK)  and  90,000 
at  Arklands  25  Dec  (KJM)  exemplified  the 
strong  presence  of  this  species  in  the  s.  tier  of 
Illinois.  More  impressive,  however,  was  the 
record-setting  presence  of  Ross's  Geese  in  the 
Region.  Indiana’s  highest  ever  tally  of  Ross’s 
Geese,  37,  was  logged  at  Kankakee  FW.A.  19 
Jan  (BJG).  Numerous  and  widespread  Illinois 
reports  were  led  by  a count  of  200  at  Arklands 
25  Dec  (KJM),  more  than  triple  the  previous 
record  high  count  of  65.  The  total  of  23  at 
Union  County  C.A.  18  Jan  (KAM).  Illinois’s 
5th  highest  count  ever,  seemed  small  by  com- 
parison. Indiana’s  2nd  highest  ever  winter  tal- 
ly of  Cackling  Geese  consisted  of  a single- 
species flock  of  64  at  Hawthorn  Mines  12  Feb 
(J&rSH,  BK,  KRy).  A report  without  details  of 


20  Trumpeter  Swans  27  Dec  in  Jackson,  IL 
(DGd)  would  represent  a record  winter  high 
count  in  modern  times  for  Illinois.  Tundra 
Swans  were  not  recorded  on  the  Indiana  lake- 
front  this  season,  though  100  were  seen  in  s. 
La  Porte  2 Dec  (DG). 

Counts  of  97  Wood  Ducks  in  Alexander  29 
Dec  (KJM)  and  150,000  Mallards  at  Carl.  L.  3 
Dec  (DMK)  were  reflective  of  above-average 
numbers  in  Illinois  this  year.  A late  Blue- 
winged Teal  31  Dec  at  Mermet  L.  (KAM, 
DMK)  and  an  early  one  25  Feb  at  Carl.  L. 


(DMK)  made  for  a typical  winter  showing  of 
this  species.  Numbers  of  most  other  dabblers 
were  close  to  normal.  Greater  Scaup,  though 
scarce  on  L.  Michigan,  with  high  counts  of 
just  764  at  Illinois  Beach  S.P.  1 Jan  (GAW)  and 
100  at  Mich.  City  10  Dec  (JJM),  showed  num- 
bers higher  than  average  inland:  22  at  L. 
Lemon  13  Dec  (J&SH)  was  the  highest  ever 
inland  count  for  Indiana.  Other  Aythya  duck 
numbers  were  rather  typical,  aside  from  5000 
Lesser  Scaup  at  Carl.  L.  3 Dec  (DMK),  an 
above-average  congregation  for  winter.  The 
season’s  rarest  waterfowl  was  a female  Tufted 
Duck  seen  16  Dec  at  East  Fork  L.,  Richland, 
IL  (p.a.,  tLH,  TBS),  potentially  Illinois’s  5th. 

A new  Indiana  seasonal  maximum  was  set 
for  Harlequin  Duck  with  4 birds,  2 imm. 
males  and  2 females,  at  Mich.  City  17  Dec 
(JKC,  PBG,  DG,  AS  et  al.).  One  male  and  2 fe- 
male Harlequin  Ducks  were  also  noted  8 Feb+ 
in  Chicago  (JSp,  m.ob.).  This  species  is  only 
rarely  seen  in  numbers  greater  than  2 in  the 
Region.  It  is  also  quite  rare  away  from  L. 
Michigan,  making  a Harlequin  Duck  17 
Dec-25  Feb  at  L.  Decatur  (ph.  TAM,  tHDB, 
m.ob.)  a pleasant  surprise  there.  Scoters  were 
in  short  supply  in  the  Region.  Two  Surf  Scot- 
ers at  Winthrop  Harbor  26  Feb  (AFS),  one  at 
L.  Decatur  1 1 Feb  (TAM  et  ah),  and  an  ad.  fe- 
male on  L.  Lemon  16  Dec  (J&SH)  were  the 
only  reports.  The  only  report  of 
White-winged  Scoter  consisted  of  5 
at  Bev.  Sh.  11  Feb  (BJG).  Single 
Black  Scoters  were  at  West  Beach, 
Porter,  IN  7 Jan  and  Bev.  Sh.  14  Jan, 
and  a pair  was  at  Indiana  Dunes  S.P 
28  Jan  (SRB,  m.ob.).  Long-tailed 
Ducks  also  posted  a below-average 
season.  The  peak  lakefront  counts 
were  19  in  Waukegan,  IL  28  Jan 
(AFS)  and  5 at  Bev.  Sh.  24  Dec 
(BJG).  Singles  5 Dec  (DG)  and  3 & 
16  Jan  (LP,  JCr)  in  Indianapolis  and 
30  Jan  in  Lafayette  (EMH)  joined 
five  inland  reports  from  Illinois. 
Common  Merganser  numbers  were 
diminished,  too:  a peak  tally  of  only 
1545  was  made  16  Feb  at  Chau- 
tauqua N.W.R.  (R&SB),  and  they 
were  scarce  at  the  Indiana  lakefront,  with  the 
maximum  consisting  only  of  70  birds  at  the 
Port  of  Indiana,  Porter  18  Feb  (JKC  et  al.). 

GALUFORMS  THROUGH  HERONS 

Two  Gray  Partridges  in  Kendall,  IL  22  Jan 
(DFS)  were  the  only  ones  reported.  Greater 
Prairie-Chickens  were  restricted  to  Prairie 
Ridge  State  Natural  Area,  where  52  were  not- 
ed 23  Dec  (JW).  That  Northern  Bobwhites 
were  not  reported  at  all  from  the  cen.  portion 
of  Illinois  causes  some  concern.  Red-throated 


This  second-winter  Kumlien's  Iceland  Gull  at  the  Hammond  Marina,  Indiana  7 January 
2006  was  notable  in  having  very  light  primaries,  more  like  those  of  nominate 
glaucoides.  Photograph  by  John  K.  Cassady. 


232 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


ILLINOIS  & INDIANA 


Loons  were  restricted  to  Indiana  but  appeared 
there  in  good  numbers.  A record  winter  count 
of  1L  was  logged  at  Mich.  City  17  Dec  (KJB  et 
al.).  Other  lakefront  records  included  counts 
of  7 at  Indiana  Dunes  S.R  28  Jan  (JKC  et  al.), 
an  all-time  high  for  Jan,  and  8 at  Indiana 
Dunes  S.P.  and  Bev.  Sh.  11  Feb  (BJG),  the 
highest  ever  Feb  tally.  There  were  no  inland 
reports.  For  Common  Loons,  the  Indiana 
lakefront  experienced  its  lowest  winter  total  in 
15  years,  while  numbers  inland  were  higher, 
especially  in  early  Dec.  Commons  Loons  were 
also  scarce  in  Illinois,  with  just  two  reports, 
both  in  the  far  south.  A count  of  57  Pied-billed 
Grebes  at  Patoka  L.  20  Dec  (J&SH)  was  Indi- 
ana’s 3rd  largest  for  the  winter,  and  a single 
wintered  along  the  Grand  Calumet  R.  in  Ham- 
mond, IN  (KJB  et  al.).  Horned  Grebes  were 
less  abundant  than  usual  in  Illinois,  but 
several  were  reported  at  the  Indiana 
lakefront  through  Jan.  An  Eared  Grebe, 
representing  Indiana’s  3rd  Jan  lakefront 
record,  was  discovered  at  Mich.  City  2 
Jan  (JM)  and  was  subsequently  ob- 
served through  10  Jan  (DS,  RJP  et  al.). 

The  Region  hosted  2 additional  Eared 
Grebes:  one  17  Dec  at  Rend  L.  (DMK) 
and  one  in  Elkhart,  IN  18  Dec  (DS).  No 
Red-necked  or  Western  Grebes  were  re- 
ported. 

The  high  count  for  Double-crested 
Cormorants  for  the  season,  55,  was 
made  on  25  Feb  at  L.  Gibson  (G&LB, 

DL,  TT  et  al.).  The  28  Double-crested 
Cormorants  tallied  24  Feb  at  Rend  L. 
was  well  below  the  normal  wintering 
population  at  that  location  (KAM).  Just 
a handful  of  Jan  records  of  Great  Egret 
in  Illinois  exist,  all  from  the  s.  part  of 
the  state,  making  the  8 Jan  sighting  in 
the  n.  county  of  Will  (tUG)  quite  exception- 
al. A Black-crowned  Night-Heron  that  ap- 
peared to  be  in  fresh  juv.  plumage  was  found 
along  the  Grand  Calumet  R.  in  Hammond,  IN 
21  Jan  (SRB,  JKC,  KJB). 

VULTURES  THROUGH  SANDPIPERS 

Black  Vultures  continue  to  be  seen  in  good 
numbers  to  the  n.  and  w.  of  their  stronghold 
in  the  se.  part  of  Indiana,  but  they  appeared  to 
be  less  abundant  in  Illinois,  with  25  at  Mer- 
met  L.  31  Dec  (KAM,  DMK)  providing  the 
best  count  in  the  state.  Impressive  counts  of 
Turkey  Vultures  were  made  in  Indiana 
throughout  the  period;  particularly  notewor- 
thy were  20  birds  in  n.-cen.  Indiana  ( Mar- 
shall) 22  Jan  (MH).  There  are  only  about  10 
winter  Turkey  Vulture  records  from  n.  Illinois, 
making  sightings  in  Kane  14  Jan  (RH),  in 
Kankakee  1 Feb  (JBH),  and  of  4 in  DuPage  1 
Feb  (KF)  quite  notable. 


Good  numbers  of  Bald  Eagles  along  the 
Mississippi  R.,  though  reduced  from  the  level 
of  the  past  two  years,  were  evidenced  by  626 
in  Rock  Island , 1L  14Jan  (KJM).  The  mid-win- 
ter eagle  count  in  Indiana  9 & 11  Jan  tallied 
195  Bald  Eagles  (JC,  AH),  the  3rd  highest 
state  total.  Raptor  numbers  in  general  were 
fairly  typical  in  Illinois,  with  the  more  notable 
totals  being  56  Northern  Harriers  at  Arklands 
25  Dec  (KJM)  and  13  Cooper’s  Hawks  in 
Champaign  17  Dec  (EJC).  Four  Northern 
Goshawk  reports  from  Illinois  was  typical  for 
that  state.  Three  Golden  Eagles  logged  at  L. 
Monroe  29  Jan  (DRW)  provided  a record  In- 
diana winter  high  count.  Twenty-two  Merlins 
were  reported  throughout  the  Region,  but  the 
most  exciting  falcon  of  the  season  was  Indi- 
ana’s 6th  Prairie  Falcon,  found  at  Hawthorn 


Mines  21  Dec  (BW,  tDRW,  D&IB).  Interest- 
ingly, all  but  one  of  these  records  occurred 
during  the  winter  period. 

A notable  concentration  of  10,000  Ameri- 
can Coots  was  observed  at  Arklands  25  Dec 
(KJM).  In  addition  to  staging  at  the  tradition- 
al site  at  Jasper-Pulaski  F.W.A.,  Sandhill 
Cranes  have  been  stopping  at  the  Ewing  Bot- 
toms near  Brownstown,  Jackson , IN,  where 
10,000  were  estimated  to  have  gathered  1 Feb 
(AM);  a single  Whooping  Crane  from  the 
reintroduced  Wisconsin  population  was  seen 
with  the  Sandhills  on  19  & 25  Feb  (JD, 
J&SH).  Also  noteworthy  were  2 Sandhill 
Cranes  discovered  17  Dec  at  Rend  L.  (KAM), 
furnishing  only  the  2nd  C.B.C.  record  there  in 
the  past  10  years.  Single  Virginia  Rails  were 
heard  at  Bev.  Sh.  17  Dec  (JKC)  and  at  Pigeon 
River  EW.A.,  Steuben , IN  18  Dec  and  5 Jan 
(JJM,  JAH).  Indiana’s  latest  ever  Baird’s  Sand- 
piper, representing  only  the  3rd  winter  record 


for  the  state,  was  seen  at  L.  Monroe  16-17 
Dec  (tJDk,  CB,  KG).  A Dunlin  was  noted  31 
Dec  at  Mermet  L.  (KAM,  DMK,  FB);  one  win- 
ter report  of  this  species  is  typical. 

JAEGERS  THROUGH  HUMMINGBIRDS 

Winter  records  of  jaegers  are  very  rare  in  the 
Region,  so  2 was  an  exceptional  number:  a 
well-described  Parasitic  Jaeger  25  Dec  in 
Chicago  (p.a.,TSH)  and  an  unidentified  jaeger 
observed  flying  past  Bev.  Sh.  5 Jan  (BJG),  the 
latter  only  the  2nd  Jan  record  for  any  jaeger  in 
Indiana.  A notable  congregation  of  60,000 
Ring-billed  Gulls  was  at  Carl.  L.  14  Jan 
(DMK).  This  winter  featured  2 California 
Gulls:  a first-year  bird  at  Carl.  L.  3 Dec 
(DMK)  and  an  ad.  at  L.  Calumet  4 Feb  (ph. 
RDH,  ph.  WSS,  tWJM).  Numbers  of  other 
gulls  were  much  reduced  in  Illinois  this 
winter,  and  with  the  closing  of  the  La 
Porte  landfill  four  years  ago,  Indiana 
lakefront  gull  numbers  have  continued 
to  slide.  A total  of  37  Thayer’s  Gulls  was 
reported  Regionwide,  with  10  Thayer’s 
Gulls  11  Feb  in  Winthrop  Harbor 
(GAW)  the  highest  count.  Only  10  Ice- 
land Gulls  were  noted,  including  an  in- 
teresting pale-primaried,  second-year 
Iceland  that  lingered  at  Hammond  Ma- 
rina 7 Jan-11  Feb  (JKC,  KJB,  JAH,  LP  et 
al.).  Just  one  Lesser  Black-backed  Gull 
was  reported  at  the  Indiana  lakefront, 
while  an  inland  ad.  at  L.  Lemon  13  Dec 
(J&SH)  was  noteworthy.  In  Illinois,  4 
Lesser  Black-backed  Gulls  were  tallied 
at  three  different  locations.  In  addition 
to  28  Glaucous  Gulls  recorded  at  L. 
Michigan  sites,  a single  first-year  bird  at 
L.  Monroe  3 Jan  (tSE)  was  a notable 
record  for  s.  Indiana.  The  peak  tally  for 
Illinois  came  from  the  Mississippi  R.,  with  4 
noted  in  Rock  Island  5 Jan  (SF).  All  but  3 of  90 
Great  Black-backed  Gulls  reported  at  L. 
Michigan  were  at  Indiana  locations.  The  high 
count  consisted  of  an  impressive  20  birds  be- 
tween two  Lake,  IN  sites  25  Feb  (SRB,  JKC, 
RJP).  One  of  the  most  remarkable  finds  in  In- 
diana this  season,  representing  only  the  2nd 
ever  winter  record  (first  since  1948),  was  that 
of  a Common  Tern  in  basic  plumage  seen  at 
Miller  26  Dec  (J&AC). 

The  count  of  46  Eurasian  Collared-Doves 
in  Macon  26  Dec  (TAM)  tied  Illinois’s  2nd 
highest  daily  total;  a state  high  count  of  13 
was  set  2 Jan  in  rural  Newton,  IN  (SRB,  KJB, 
LyH  et  al.).  Individuals  continue  to  show  up 
at  new  locations.  A new  high  tally  of  Monk 
Parakeets  in  Indiana  was  also  registered  this 
season,  as  16  were  seen  at  the  Hammond 
nesting  site  11  Feb  (LP).  Illinois  hosted  12 
Snowy  Owls  this  winter,  with  3 in  La  Salle  18 


Harlequin  Ducks  are  rare  in  the  Illinois  & Indiana  region  away  from  Lake  Michi- 
gan. This  female  was  photographed  21  December  2005  on  inland  Lake  Decatur, 
Illinois,  where  the  photographer  had  found  it  17  December  2005  during  the  lo- 
cal Christmas  Bird  Count.  The  bird  remained  through  25  February  2006. 
Photograph  by  Travis  Mahan. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


233 


ILLINOIS  & INDIANA 


Feb  (DJS,  m.ob.).  Two  Snowy  Owl  reports 
from  Indiana  included  an  unusually  dark 
imm.  found  in  Jasper  7-16  Jan  (BJG,  JGi, 
m.ob.)  and  one  in  Starke  20  Jan  (BH)  that  un- 
fortunately was  found  dead  beside  the  road  23 
Jan.  The  Burrowing  Owl  in  Pyramid  S.P,  IL 
continued  into  the  winter  and  was  reported  as 
late  as  9 Jan  (DMK,  RAM,  MM,  AFS).  The 
peak  counts  among  a relatively  small  number 


River  W.A.,  IL  24  Dec  (KJM)  and  2 at 
Kingsbury  FW.A.,  IN  31  Dec  (JJM  et 
al.).  Though  numbers  were  down 
slightly  in  Indiana  relative  to  recent 
years,  overall  Short-eared  Owls  ap- 
peared in  good  numbers,  with  notable 
gatherings  of  38  at  Prairie  Ridge  State 
Natural  Area  23  Dec  (JW,  m.ob.),  32  at 
Hawthorn  Mines  3 Dec  (LWS),  11  at 
Glacial  Park,  McHenry,  IL  21  Jan 
(EWW),  and  7 at  Rollins  Savanna, 

Lake,  IL  all  winter  (EWW).  Only  four 
reports  of  Northern  Saw-whet  Owl 
came  from  Illinois.  In  Indiana,  4 were 
heard  at  Jasper-Pulaski  EW.A.  7 Jan 
(BJG),  and  2 were  heard  at  Patoka  L., 

IN  20  Dec  (RB,  LWS).  The  traditional 
Tremont,  Porter,  IN  site  yielded  a sin- 
gle bird  on  only  one  occasion,  2 Dec 
(AS,  JGr).  An  imm.  female  Rufous 
Hummingbird  that  was  banded  in  Posey 
(CHu,  fide  DG)  attended  the  same  feeder 
throughout  the  period  (S&WB,  C&SS,  fide 
DG),  providing  Indiana’s  first  successfully 
wintering  individual  of  the  species. 

FLYCATCHERS  THROUGH  WAXWINGS 

An  Eastern  Phoebe  found  29  Dec  in  Chicago 
remained  at  least  through  15  Jan  (CHi,  ph. 
SH);  there  are  only  four  prior  Jan  or  Feb 
records  from  n.  Illinois.  Late  lingering  Eastern 
Phoebes  were  also  more  numerous  in  s.  Illi- 
nois, with  12  noted  up  to  1 Jan.  Another  was 
seen  24  Feb  in  Johnson,  IL  (KAM),  possibly  an 
early  spring  migrant.  Illinois’s  12th  and  13th 
Say’s  Phoebes  appeared  during  the  season. 
One  was  present  at  Crane  L.  in  Mason  17-22 
Dec  (ph.  tHDB,  ph.  PSW);  another  was  at  Jim 
Edgar  Panther  Creek  State  EW.A.  in  Cass  3 
Jan-13  Feb  (CSw,  KR,  ph.  EWW). 

Only  10  Loggerhead  Shrikes  were  reported 
from  Illinois,  all  in  the  s.  section,  with  half  of 
those  noted  at  Prairie  Ridge  State  Natural 
Area  23  Dec  (JW  et  al.).  Northern  Shrikes  put 
on  a fine  showing,  with  12  in  Illinois  and  13 
in  Indiana,  all  single  birds  except  for  2 at 
Goose  Pond  EW.A.,  Greene,  IN  21  Dec  (LWS, 
JB,  BF)  and  2 at  Paul  Douglas  Forest  Preserve, 
Cook,  IL  1 Jan  (CF).  At  Big  Oaks  N.W.R.,  Ja- 
son R Lewis  was  able  to  study  in-hand  a Blue- 
headed Vireo  that  had  struck  a window  20 


Jan  (the  bird  was  apparently  uninjured).  This 
bird  represented  not  only  the  first  winter  sea- 
son record  for  Indiana  but  the  first  report  be- 
tween 19  Nov  and  3 Apr.  The  only  Illinois 
winter  record  for  this  species  was  one  10-11 
Dec  1992  in  Springfield. 

A Fish  Crow  heard  and  seen  24  Feb  at  Mer- 
met  L.,  IL  was  likely  an  early  spring  migrant 
(KAM).  Two  Tree  Swallows  at  L.  Gibson  25 
Feb  were  also  early  (DL,  G&LB  et  al.),  while 


2 Barn  Swallows  recorded  30  Dec  in  Union,  IL 
were  very  late  (KJM,  HDB).  This  Dec  was  the 
4th  of  the  last  five  in  which  Barn  Swallows 
have  been  noted  in  Illinois.  The  season’s  only 
double-digit  record  of  Red-breasted  Nuthatch 
in  Illinois  was  of  23  in  Champaign  17  Dec 
(EJC).  Three  lingering  House  Wrens  were 
noted  in  Massac,  IL  31  Dec  (KJM,  RSR).  The 
peak  tally  of  Winter  Wrens  for  Indiana  con- 
sisted of  4 at  the  Marian  College  Ecolab,  Mar- 
ion 5 Jan  (JC),  while  13  in  Alexander  29  Dec 
was  an  excellent  count  for  Illinois  (KJM). 
Four  Marsh  Wrens  at  Bee.  M.  21  Dec  (J&SH, 
JD,  BH)  constituted  the  state’s  first  winter 
record  of  multiple  birds. 

Thrushes  were  evident  in  good  numbers.  A 
tally  of  93  Eastern  Bluebirds  in  Jackson,  IL  1 
Jan  (KJM,  VL,  SJ)  was  impressive.  One  of  the 
Townsend’s  Solitaires  that  was  at  West  Beach, 
Porter,  IN  through  the  fall  lingered  well  into 
winter,  with  sightings  in  the  period  5 Dec-9 
Jan  (CS,  MT).  Hermit  Thrushes  were  quite 
abundant  this  winter:  51  were  seen  29  Dec  in 
Alexander,  IL  (KJM),  a large  total.  American 
Robins  were  plentiful  throughout  the  Region: 
46  were  tallied  at  Bev.  Sh.  24  Dec  (SRB,  KJB, 
JKC,  CM),  a nice  total  for  the  Indiana  lake- 
front,  and  900  in  Bloomington,  IN  12  Jan 
(GH)  and  1500  at  Carl.  L.  22  Jan  (DMK)  rep- 
resented significant  concentrations.  An  as- 
tounding 8000  American  Robins  were  seen 


migrating  southward  18  Dec  in  Cook  (WJM, 
WSS),  tying  the  record  winter  season  high 
count  for  Illinois. 

Only  2 Gray  Catbirds  were  noted  this  sea- 
son, both  from  n.  Illinois.  Two  lakefront 
records  of  Northern  Mockingbird  consisted  of 
a Michigan  City  bird  that  was  seen  multiple 
times  and  one  seen  in  Bev.  Sh.  3 Dec  and  21 
Jan  (DG,  JKC,  KJB,  SRB).  A late-lingering 
American  Pipit  was  observed  3 Jan  at  Illinois 
Beach  S.R  (EWW).  Cedar  Waxwings 
were  generally  present  in  low  numbers 
in  Indiana,  with  the  maximum  count 
consisting  of  300  in  Valparaiso  29  Jan 
(CS);  Illinois  saw  three  reports  of  300 
or  more  individuals. 

WARBLERS  THROUGH 
WEAVER  FINCHES 

Yellow-rumped  Warblers  remained  in 
above-average  numbers  through  the 
winter,  especially  in  the  s.  sections, 
with  a peak  of  75  noted  at  Carl.  L.  22 
Jan  (DMK).  Two  Orange-crowned 
Warblers  were  reported  without  de- 
tails: 2 Dec  in  Urbana,  IL  (RJ)  and  17 
Jan  at  Horseshoe  L.,  Madison,  IL  (JPZ, 
YH,  SM).  A Pine  Warbler  was  at  Carl. 
L.  22  Jan  and  26  Feb  (DMK),  and  an- 
other was  in  Cook,  IL  25  Jan  (ph.  ASz). 
A Palm  Warbler  at  L.  Gibson  25  Feb  (G&LB, 
TT,  DL  et  al.)  provided  Indiana’s  2nd  Feb 
record  and  the  first  since  1950. 

Two  Eastern  Towhees  were  in  Chicago,  one 
26  Dec-21  Jan  (KW)  and  the  other  10  Jan 
(JA),  providing  two  of  only  seven  Jan  records 
for  n.  Illinois.  Spotted  Towhees  included  one 
in  Kane,  IL  2 Dec  (KAM)  and  another  in  Ful- 
ton, IL  12  Feb  (KAM).  Less  common  sparrows 
included  a Vesper  Sparrow  24  Dec  in  Lee,  IL 
(tKJM)  and  3 Le  Contes  Sparrows  9 Jan  at 
Rend  L.  (KAM).  Fox  Sparrows  were  present 
in  above-average  numbers  around  the  Region. 
The  largest  among  three  double-digit  counts 
in  Illinois  was  17  at  Oakwood  Bottoms  1 Jan 
(KJM,  VL,  SJ).  A single  at  Bev.  Sh.  21  Jan 
(JKC,  SRB)  was  especially  notable,  as  the 
species  is  rare  on  the  lakefront  in  winter. 
Three  winter  reports  of  Lincoln’s  Sparrow 
made  an  above-average  count  for  Illinois.  The 
only  Harris’s  Sparrow  was  at  Horseshoe  L., 
Madison  6 & 12  Feb  (KAM,  FRH).  The  Re- 
gion’s peak  winter  count  of  Snow  Buntings 
consisted  of  80  birds  at  Pigeon  River  EW.A., 
Steuben,  IN  18  Dec  (JJM  et  al.).  A nice  count 
of  1500  Lapland  Longspurs  was  tallied  22  Jan 
at  Carl.  L.  (DMK). 

Indigo  Buntings  are  absent  from  Illinois 
most  winters,  making  notable  the  reports  of 
single  birds  11  Dec  and  20  Feb  at  Carl.  L. 
(DMK)  and  31  Dec  and  11  Jan  in  Jasper  (LH, 


This  Eastern  Phoebe  was  located  29  December  2005  in  Chicago's  lincoln  Park  Zoo 
and  remained  there  through  at  least  15  January  2006  (here);  the  species  is  quite 
rare  in  winter  in  northern  Illinois,  with  only  a handful  of  records  for  January  or 
February.  Photograph  by  Steve  Huggins. 


234 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


BS).  A huge  hock  of  blackbirds,  estimated  at 
1,000,000+,  was  seen  flying  over  Bee.  M.  21 
Dec  (J&SH,  JD,  BH).  The  flock  consisted  of 
approximately  300,000  European  Starlings, 
200,000  Red-winged  Blackbirds,  400,000 
Common  Grackles,  and  100,000  Brown- 
headed Cowbirds,  providing  Indiana  high 
counts  for  all  of  the  species  except  Red- 
winged Blackbird.  The  maximum  seasonal 
count  of  Brewers  Blackbird  (14)  was  recorded 
at  Hawthorn  Mines,  IN  3 Dec  (LWS  et  ah).  A 
very  late  Baltimore  Oriole  was  photographed 
at  a feeder  in  Greenfield,  Hancock,  IN  20  Dec 
(ph.  J &DW,  fide  JC): 

The  peak  Purple  Finch  tally  was  80  in  Rock 
Island,  IL  4 Jan  (BLB,  KJM).  Purple  Finches 
were  well  represented  in  downstate  Indiana, 
with  65  birds  in  Washington  (JSe)  providing 
the  high  count.  Other  winter  finches  were 
quite  scarce.  Five  Red  Crossbills  in  Rockford 
3 Dec  (DTW)  and  one  in  Kane,  IF  17  Dec 
(EES)  were  the  only  reports.  Common  Red- 
poll sightings  were  limited  to  7 birds  at  Indi- 
ana Dunes  S.P  28  Jan  (BJG),  3 in  Cass,  IF  6 
Jan  (EES),  and  one  at  Carl.  L.  14  Dec  (RSR). 
The  highest  total  for  Pine  Siskins  was  32, 
recorded  in  Highland  Park,  IL  4 Dec  (DRD). 
In  Indiana,  Pine  Siskins  were  remarkably 
scarce  statewide,  as  the  high  count  for  the  sea- 
son was  a paltry  4 in  Greene  2 Dec  (J&MG). 
Numbers  of  Eurasian  Tree  Sparrows  were  up 


Adam  M.  Byrne 


December  started  out  very  cold,  but  by 
Christmas  the  Region  was  experienc- 
ing a warming  trend.  All  three  states 
reported  an  exceptionally  mild  January;  Du- 
luth, Minnesota  had  its  warmest  January  on 
record.  This  long  warm  stretch  helped  many 
semi-hardy  species  to  overwinter  successfully, 
highlighted  by  a handful  of  Tree  Swallows  in 
southern  Michigan!  The  season  finished  with 
a return  to  cold  temperatures  in  late  February. 


ILLINOIS  & INDIANA 


this  winter,  with  a peak  total  of  232  in  Mercer, 
IL  28  Dec  (KJM,  m.ob.). 

Undocumented  reports:  A Prairie  Falcon  in 
Champaign,  IL  22-27  Jan  was  reported  with- 
out details.  This  species  is  on  the  Illinois  re- 
view list. 

Contributors  (subregional  editors  in  bold- 
face): Jill  Anderson,  Susan  R.  Bagby,  David  & 
Ingrid  Beery,  Caroline  Begley,  Frank  Bennett, 
Richard  & Sigurd  Bjorklund,  Brian  L.  Blevins, 
H.  David  Bohlen,  Gary  & Lisa  Bowman, 
Sharon  & Walter  Broadhead,  Kenneth  J.  Brock 
(Indiana),  James  Brown,  John  K.  Cassady, 
John  Castrale,  Elizabeth  J.  Chato,  James  & 
Angie  Cole,  Janet  Creamer  (JCr),  Jiri  Dadok, 
Donald  R.  Dann,  Jerry  Downs,  Scott  Evans, 
Brad  Feaster,  Carolyn  Fields,  Karen  Fisher, 
Steve  Freed,  Urs  Geiser,  Jenny  Girton  (JGi), 
David  Goodnard  (DGd),  Don  Gorney,  Joel 
Greenberg  (JGr),  Brendan  J.  Grube,  Kristopher 
Grube,  Peter  B.  Grube,  Jess  & Maureen 
Gwinn,  Leroy  Harrison,  James  A.  Haw,  Jim  & 
Susan  Hengeveld,  Jed  B.  Hertz,  Greg  Hess, 
Cary  Hillegonds  (CHi),  Lynea  Hinchman 
(LyH),  Aaron  Holbrook,  Bill  Holladay,  Frank 
R.  Holmes,  Yvonne  Homeyer,  Michael  Hooker, 
Edward  M.  Hopkins,  Roger  Hotham,  Steve 
Huggins,  Robert  D.  Hughes,  Bob  Huguenard, 
Cathie  Hutcheson  (CHu),  Rhetta  Jack,  Steve 


Juhlin,  Dan  M.  Kassebaum,  Brandon  Kirk,  Vic- 
ki Lang,  Dan  Leach,  Mike  Madsen,  Travis  A. 
Mahan,  Walter  J.  Marcisz,  Sherry  McCowan, 
Jeffrey  J.  McCoy,  Kelly  J.  McKay  (Illinois), 
Keith  A.  McMullen,  Alan  McNabb,  Cathy 
Meyer,  James  Mitchell,  Randy  J.  Pals,  Larry 
Peavler,  Keegan  Ramey  (KRy),  Kevin  Rich- 
mond, Rhonda  S.  Rothrock,  Eric  E.  Seeker,  Jeff 
Sells  (JSe),  Wesley  S.  Serafin,  Darrell  J.  Sharn- 
baugh,  Bob  Shelby,  Craig  Shillinglaw,  Andy 
Sigler,  Charlie  & Sharon  Sorenson,  Jacob 
Spendelow  (JSp),  Alan  Stankevitz  (ASz),  Lee 
W.  Sterrenburg,  Alan  E Stokie,  Dan  Stoltzfus, 
Douglas  F.  Stotz,  Chris  Swisegood  (CSw), 
Michael  Topp,  Tammy  Turner,  Jeffrey  Walk, 
Eric  W.  Walters,  Peter  S.  Weber,  Betsy  White- 
head,  Donald  R.  Whitehead,  Dan  T.  Williams, 
Jr.,  Geoffrey  A.  Williamson,  Jean  & David 
Wright,  Ken  Wysocki,  James  E Ziebol.  The 
contributions  of  many  other  individuals  who 
were  not  explicitly  cited  were  critical  to  the 
preparation  of  this  report.  We  thank  them  for 
their  observations.  O 


James  Hengeveld,  6354  Southshore  Drive,  Unionville, 
Indiana  47468,  (jhengeve@indiana.edu); 

Keith  A,  McMullen,  1405  DeSoto,  O'Fallon,  Illinois 
62269,  (warbler7@sbcglobai.net); 

Geoffrey  A.  Williamson,  4046  North  Clark  Street,  Unit 
K,  Chicago,  Illinois  60613,  (geoffrey.williamson@com- 
cast.net) 


Western  Great  Lakes  j 


Snow  cover  in  southern  areas  was  below  av- 
erage, with  many  areas  having  little  or  no 
snow  most  of  the  winter;  northern  areas  had 
average  to  above-average  snowfall. 

Northern  Hawk  and  Great  Gray  Owl  num- 
bers were  down  from  last  winter,  but  all  three 
states  reported  the  largest  Snowy  Owl  inva- 
sion in  many  years.  Other  highlights  were  a 
Barrow’s  Goldeneye,  several  Gyrfalcons, 
Black-legged  Kitiwakes,  and  Barn  Owl  in 
Minnesota,  and  Ferruginous  Hawk  and 
Eurasian  Tree  Sparrow  in  Wisconsin.  Michi- 
gan had  an  exceptional  season,  with  multiple 
Ross’s  Geese,  a Barrow’s  Goldeneye,  two  Pa- 
cific Loons,  two  Western  Grebes,  Northern 
Gannet,  Eurasian  Collared-Doves,  Spotted 
Towhee,  and  Eurasian  Tree  Sparrow. 

WATERFOWL 

Greater  White-fronted  Geese  were  reported  in 
four  Michigan  counties,  with  a maximum  of 
38  in  Berrien  21-22  Feb  (TB).  Wisconsin  had 
numerous  Feb  sightings  of  Greater  White- 


fronteds,  with  the  first  in  Dodge  2 Feb  (JB). 
Also  in  Wisconsin  was  a late  fall  migrant 
Ross’s  Goose  in  Dane  2 Dec  (ST)  and  6 spring 
arrivals  in  Racine  23  Feb  (EH).  Michigan 
records  were  3 on  17-27  Feb  (TB,  m.ob.,  p.a.) 
and  another  6 on  22  Feb  (TB,  p.a.)  at  Paw 
Paw  L.,  Berrien  and  one  in  Huron  26  Feb 
(JCD).  Cackling  Goose  was  reported  from  all 
three  states,  with  Wisconsin  having  3 spend 
the  winter  in  Dane  (ST).  Minnesota  had  re- 
ports from  four  counties,  while  Michigan 
birders  found  at  least  25  birds  in  six  counties. 
Wisconsin  reported  a high  of  only  6 Trum- 
peter Swans  21  Jan  in  Winnebago  (DT).  An 
American  Wigeon  17  Dec-4  Jan  at  Grand 
Marais,  Cook  was  an  unusual  mid-winter 
record  for  far  ne.  Minnesota.  Rare  for  Michi- 
gan were  4 Blue-winged  Teal  27  Dec  in  Cass 
(SMG).  Providing  the  first  overwintering 
record  for  n.  Minnesota,  and  one  of  few  from 
anywhere  in  the  state,  were  5 Greater  Scaup  at 
Duluth,  St.  Louis  (PHS,  m.ob.). 

Minnesota  had  near-average  numbers  of 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


235 


WESTERN  GREAT  LAKES 


Harlequin  Ducks  in  Cook  and  Lake;  away 
from  L.  Superior,  a female  and  imm.  8 Jan-22 
Feb  at  Fergus  Falls,  Otter  Trail  (SPM,  m.ob.) 
represented  a 3rd  record  for  this  w.-cen.  loca- 
tion. Wisconsin  reported  several  singles  from 
various  locations  along  L.  Michigan  and  3 in 
Sheboygan  14  Jan  (RH),  while  Michigan  had  2 
at  both  New  Buffalo  and  St.  Joseph,  Berrien 
and  2 in  Manistee  (BAA).  Michigan  birders  re- 
ported a Surf  Scoter  at  Douglas,  Allegan  4 Dec 
(RB)  and  2 at  St.  Joseph,  Berrien  8 Feb  (CB, 
JTW,  m.ob.);  Wisconsin  had  one  in  Milwau- 
kee 28  Jan  (DT).  Unexpected  were  2 White- 
winged Scoters  at  Duluth,  St.  Louis,  MN  11 
Feb+  (CF;  m.ob.).  Wisconsin  had  fall  migrants 
linger  through  27  Dec  in  Door  (R&CL),  and 
Michigan  reported  low  numbers  from  eight 
counties.  In  Wisconsin,  a few  Black  Scoters 
spent  the  winter  along  L.  Michigan  in  Ozau- 
kee (TU);  Michigan’s  birds  were  on  the  oppo- 
site shoreline,  with  4+  through  7 Jan  in 
Beirien  and  3 in  Allegan  15  Jan  (RB).  Long- 
tailed Duck  numbers  were  down  this  season; 
the  largest  concentration  was  1000+  in  Mani- 
towoc, WI  5 Dec  (DT).  Despite  very  few  re- 
ports from  L.  Superior,  Minnesota  birders 
found  single  Long-taileds  in  six  inland  coun- 
ties. All  three  states  reported  ad.  male  Bar- 
row’s Goldeneyes:  one  from  fall-9  Feb  at  Om- 
ena  Pt. , Leelanau,  Ml  (MB,  AMB);  one 
throughout  the  period  in  Milwaukee,  Wl 
(m.ob.);  and  one  at  L.  Pepin,  Wabasha,  MN  19 
Feb  (ph.  NC,  PEJ). 

GROUSE  THROUGH  VULTURES 

Sharp-tailed  Grouse  continue  to  decline  in 
Wisconsin,  where  only  14  were  found  in  Bur- 
nett and  Taylor;  Michigan  had  2 in  Chippewa  3 
Jan  (JCD).  Wisconsin  reported  a high  of  5 
Greater  Prairie-Chickens  17  Dec  in  Portage 
(DTe).  Lost  Nations  S.G.A.,  Hillsdale,  Ml  host- 
ed 10  Northern  Bobwhite  (JR),  an  increasing- 
ly difficult  species  to  find  in  Michigan. 

Red-throated  Loon  was  reported  from  three 
Michigan  counties,  with  a peak  of  5 on  4-13 
Dec  in  Allegan  (RB);  Wisconsin  had  2 linger 
through  21  Dec  in  Ozaukee  (TU)  and  singles 
in  Sheboygan  3 Feb  (AH,  KK)  and  Milwaukee 
12  Feb  (AS,  TP).  Rare  for  Michigan  were  2 Pa- 
cific Loons  in  Baraga  10  Jan,  with  one  re- 
maining through  3 Feb  (p.a.,  JK).  Wisconsin 
had  a Common  Loon  in  Milwaukee  3 Jan  (JF); 
Michigan  had  the  species  in  five  counties,  in- 
cluding 15  on  4 Dec  in  Allegan  (RB).  Pied- 
billed Grebe  wintered  in  Otter  Tail,  MN  (SPM 
et  al.)  and  in  Dane,  Wl  (ST).  Michigan  had 
four  Dec  and  two  Jan  reports  of  Horned 
Grebe,  while  Wisconsin  had  only  one  in  Wal- 
worth 29  Jan  (WM).  Impressive  in  Michigan 
were  23  Red-necked  Grebes  29  Jan  in  Benzie 
(RB)  and  16  in  Marquette  17  Dec  (LFT);  Wis- 


consin had  one  8 Feb  in  Ozaukee  (DT).  Rare 
in  Michigan  were  Western  Grebes  8-9  Dec  in 
Alger  (SCH,  p.a.)  and  28  Feb  in  Marquette 
(SH,  p.a.). 

A Northern  Gannet  was  found  stuck  in  the 
ice  at  Grosse  Pointe  Farms,  Wayne  8 Dec  and 
later  died  in  captivity  (fide  BR);  if  accepted,  it 
would  be  Michigan’s  10th  state  and  3rd  win- 
ter record.  Wisconsin  hosted  4 wintering 
American  White  Pelicans  near  their  nesting 
grounds  in  Brown,  as  well  as  one  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  state  in  Buffalo  28  Dec 
(T&rlB).  Continuing  the  trend  of  uncommon 
wintering  birds,  Wisconsin  recorded  Double- 
crested  Cormorants  in  five  counties,  with  12 
in  Brown  28  Dec  (T&1B);  birds  in  Bay  and 
Wayne,  MI  were  more  expected.  Providing 
further  evidence  of  the  mild  winter  was  a 
Great  Blue  Heron  in  Otter  Tail,  MN  (SPM  et 
al.);  Wisconsin  had  a few  dozen  Great  Blues 
in  12  counties.  Rare  for  Michigan  were  2 
Great  Egrets  in  Wayne  1 Dec  (WGP)  and  2 
more  in  Monroe  17  Dec  QJ).  Becoming  more 
frequent  were  numerous  Dec  and  Jan  Turkey 
Vulture  reports  in  Michigan;  the  first  spring 
migrants  were  noted  by  2 Feb. 

RAPTORS  THROUGH  DOVES 

A Ferruginous  Hawk  in  Crawford  7 Jan  (p.a., 
RZ)  provided  Wisconsin’s  2nd  winter  record. 
Golden  Eagles  were  again  seen  in  good  num- 
bers. All  three  states  also  reported  Gyrfalcons. 
Wisconsin  had  four  separate  sightings,  with 
one  consistent  bird  in  Ashland  (RyB).  Michi- 
gan had  singles  29  Dec  at  Manistique,  School- 
craft (RBA),  3 Jan  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  Chippe- 
wa (JCD),  and  27  Jan  at  Sugar  I.,  Chippewa 
(TRW).  An  ad.  gray  morph  near  Hastings, 
Dakota,  MN  25  Dec+  (ph.  JPM,  PEB,  m.ob.) 
may  have  been  a returning  individual  from 
last  winter.  Birders  at  Duluth,  St.  Louis,  MN 
reported  ad.  gray  morphs  29  Dec  (PHS)  and 
23-29  Jan  (MLH,  ph.  PHS),  sightings  that 
may  have  involved  the  same  bird,  and  a juv. 
21-28  Jan  (PHS,  KRE,  BAW).  The  only  Prairie 
Falcon  reports  came  from  Minnesota,  with  in- 
dividuals 31  Dec  in  Ross  Twp.,  Roseau  (JMj, 
SAS)  and  8 Feb  in  Freeland  Twp.,  Lac  Qui  Par- 
le (BJU). 

Wisconsin  had  a Virginia  Rail  through  31 
Dec  in  Columbia  (ASh),  as  well  as  several 
Killdeer  in  Dec  and  one  29  Jan  in  Sauk  (AS). 
Very  late  in  Michigan  were  a Spotted  Sand- 
piper 14  Dec  at  Muskegon  Wastewater, 
Muskegon  (DV)  and  a Willet  from  fall-1  Jan  at 
Whiting  Power  Plant,  Monroe  (LEH,  ATC, 
DOB,  m.ob.);  not  nearly  as  late  but  still  note- 
worthy were  2 Sanderlings  4 Dec  in  Benien 
(DCy  JTW)  and  a Dunlin  2 Dec  in  Monroe 
(TWe).  A Wilson’s  Snipe  through  20  Feb  at 
Duluth,  St.  Louis,  MN  was  n.  of  normal. 


Michigan  had  snipe  linger  through  11  Dec  in 
Berrien  (DCV,  JTW),  17  Dec  in  Monroe  (ATC), 
and  20  Feb  in  Kalamazoo  ( fide  RS).  Providing 
a rare  Jan  record  was  a very  optimistic  Amer- 
ican Woodcock  displaying  19-30  Jan  in 
Berrien  (MM.JTB,  CB). 

Wisconsin  birders  were  treated  to  excellent 
gull  numbers  and  diversity,  highlighted  by  a 
Mew  Gull  31  Dec-15  Jan  (m.ob.)  and  a Cali- 
fornia Gull  seen  in  early  Dec  (JL  DT)  and 
again  24  Jan  (SL),  all  in  Milwaukee.  They  also 
reported  dozens  of  Thayer’s  Gulls  from  every 
county  along  L.  Michigan,  16  Iceland  Gulls 
from  seven  counties,  6 Lesser  Black-backed 
Gulls,  dozens  of  Glaucous  Gulls,  and  numer- 
ous Great  Black-backed  Gulls,  including  an 
amazing  22  in  Kewaunee  21  Jan  (DT).  In  con- 
trast, Minnesota  reported  4 Iceland,  one  ad. 
Lesser  Black-backed,  and  2 Great  Black- 
backed  Gulls.  Excellent  finds  were  Black- 
legged Kitiwakes  4 Dec  at  Coon  Rapids  Dam 
Park,  Anoka  (GP)  and  7-24  Dec  at  Black  Dog 
L.,  Dakota/Hennepin  (ph.  JPM,  AXH,  m.ob.) 
in  Minnesota,  and  1 Dec  at  Belle  Isle  Park, 
Wayne  (ATC)  and  10-30  Jan  along  the  Sagi- 
naw R.,  Bay  (DD)  in  Michigan.  Wisconsin’s 
2nd  Band-tailed  Pigeon  wintered  at  a feeder 
in  St.  Croix  (ph.  JA).  Eurasian  Collared-Doves 
were  reported  from  all  three  states.  Unusual 
for  n.  Minnesota  were  mid-winter  reports 
from  Grant  (BJU)  and  8 birds  in  Otter  Tail 
(m.ob.);  s.  Minnesota  had  reports  from  five 
counties,  including  10  at  Comfrey,  Brown  28 
Jan-15  Feb  (BTS  et  al.)  and  a first  county 
record  in  Nicollet  (RMD).  Wisconsin  had  one 
17  Dec  in  Columbia  (P&GS)  and  16  counted 
on  three  C.B.C.s;  Michigan  had  2 in  Beirien 
29  Jan+  (TB,  AM),  along  with  the  continuing 
birds  in  Grand  Traverse. 

OWLS  THROUGH  WARBLERS 

An  ad.  Barn  Owl  was  found  dead  20  Jan  after 
crashing  into  a window  at  North  Oaks,  Ram- 
sey, MN  (KN,  KK,  ph.  AXH).  Echoing  last 
winter’s  record-high  numbers  in  Minnesota 
were  over  125  Northern  Hawk  Owls  this 
year,  all  in  n.  Minnesota  within  the  conifer- 
ous forest  zone.  Michigan  had  birds  at  Shel- 
ter Bay,  Alger  (SCH,  LFT)  and  Soo  Junction, 
Chippewa  (PKB,  RB).  Minnesota  also  had  an 
above-average  total  of  66  Great  Gray  Owls  for 
fall  and  winter  2005-2006,  including  a first 
county  record  in  Nonnan  26  Feb+  (ph.  PBB); 
this  was  way  below  expectations  following 
last  winter’s  estimated  5225  Great  Grays. 
Wisconsin  had  a few  Great  Grays  in  Bayfield 
(RyB),  and  Michigan  had  singles  at  Munis- 
ing, Alger  18  Feb  (SCH)  and  at  Brimley, 
Chippewa  (RB).  Wisconsin’s  largest  concen- 
tration of  Long-eared  Owls  was  10  in  Wauke- 
sha (DG),  while  Michigan  had  2 at  Sarett  Na- 


236 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


WESTERN  GREAT  LAKES 


' : On  the  heels  of  last  winter's  record-high  numbers  of  Northern  Hawk  and  Great  Gray  Owls,  this  winter  saw  one  of  the 

: best  Snowy  Owl  invasions  in  memory.  Preliminary  counts  from  Minnesota  indicate  that  no  fewer  than  161  Snowy 
Owls  were  reported  in  2005-2006,  more  than  1 05  of  which  were  found  during  the  winter  season;  this  will  be  considered  the 
state's  2nd  largest  invasion.  Wisconsin  birders  reported  at  least  118  Snowy  Owls  from  more  than  half  the  state's  counties. 
Michigan  had  many  fewer  birds  but  still  tallied  over  30  different  owls  in  13  counties. 


ture  Center,  Berrien  (CB,  MM).  All  three 
states  reported  Short-eared  Owls,  highlighted 
by  a remarkable  18  at  Shiawassee  N.W.R., 
Saginaw,  MI  26  Feb  (BG,  CS,  LA).  An  injured 
Boreal  Owl  was  found  18  Feb  in  Menominee, 
MI  (DBJ);  Minnesota  reports  included  a dead 
Boreal  in  Aitkin  and  singles  lurking  around 
bird  feeders  in  Cook  and  St.  Louis.  Exception- 
al were  8 calling  Northern  Saw-whet  Owls  in 
Sauk,  WI  7 Feb  (AH),  while  Michigan  had  up 
to  3 all  season  at  Belle  I.,  Wayne,  one  3 & 7 
Jan  at  Independence  L.  Park,  Washtenaw 
(MJS),  and  one  25  Feb  at  Muskegon  S.G.A., 
Muskegon  (BJ,  LU). 

Minnesota  had  a Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker 
winter  in  Fillmore  (NBO)  and  a female  Amer- 
ican Three-toed  Woodpecker  in  Koochiching 
and  4 in  Lake  of  the  Woods.  Black-backed 
Woodpeckers  were  reported  from  seven  Min- 
nesota counties  but  only  from  Forest  9 Jan 
(DT)  in  Wisconsin.  Wisconsin  had  excep- 
tionally high  numbers  of  wintering  Northern 
Flickers;  reports  were  received  from  nearly 
every  county.  Rare  winter  finds  were  Eastern 
Phoebes  at  Lakeside,  Berrien,  MI  17  Dec  (KS) 
and  Columbia,  Wl  22  Dec  (p.a.,  P&GS). 
Nothing  better  illustrates  the  seasons  mild 
temperatures  than  the  unprecedented  over- 
wintering Tree  Swallows  at  Pointe  Mouillee 
S.G.A.,  Monroe,  MI;  there  were  24  birds  29 
Dec,  with  3 remaining  through  at  least  15 
Feb  (LW,  AMB,  TS,  m.ob.).  Wisconsin  report- 
ed Carolina  Wrens  from  10  counties,  includ- 
ing 5 in  Dane  17  Dec  (CC);  Minnesota  had 
reports  from  seven  counties,  with  firsts  in 
Freeborn  17  Dec+  (AEB,  RBJ,  NFT),  Pine  1 
Jan  (RBJ),  Blue  Earth  9-15  Jan  (SD,  ph. 
DBM),  and  Mille  Lacs  23  Feb  (fide  HS).  A 
Marsh  Wren  at  Minnesota  River  Valley 
N.W.R.,  Scott,  MN  28  Dec-22  Jan  (DWK) 
provided  an  unusual  mid-winter  record. 
Michigan  had  the  only  Ruby-crowned 
Kinglets  in  Berrien  (JTW)  and  Lapeer  (MS). 

Minnesota  had  fewer  Townsend’s  Solitaires 
than  usual,  with  4 in  Cook,  2 in  Sherburne, 
and  singles  in  Kandiyohi  and  Lac  Qui  Parle. 
Wisconsin  had  8 solitaries  at  their  regular 
wintering  grounds  in  Sauk  (m.ob.)  and  one 
in  Ashland  (RyB).  One  at  Brighton  S.R.A., 
Livingston  15  Jan+  (LEH,  PKB,  ATC,  m.ob.) 
was  very  unusual  for  s.  Michigan.  Michigan 
enjoyed  its  best  Varied  Thrush  invasion  in  re- 
cent memory,  with  at  least  6 birds  in  five 
counties.  Minnesota  had  an  above-average 


year,  with  24  Varied  Thrushes  in  19  counties, 
while  Wisconsin  reported  single  birds  in 
eight  counties.  A Gray  Catbird  17  Dec  in 
Marquette  (LFT,  GC)  was  rare  for  n.  Michi- 
gan; other  reports  were  singles  28  Dec  at 
Humbug  Marsh,  Wayne  (DOB),  1 Jan  at 
Pointe  Mouillee  S.G.A.  headquarters,  Wayne 
(LEH),  and  20  Feb  at  Bath,  Clinton  (JR).  Min- 
nesota had  catbirds  at  Tofte,  Cook  5 Jan  (AB, 
PR)  and  Oakwood  Cemetery,  Olmsted  23 
Jan-12  Feb  (JWH).  Wisconsin  and  Minneso- 
ta had  Brown  Thrashers  successfully  over- 
winter, while  Michigan  had  2 birds  in  Dec. 
An  early  Dec  American  Pipit  in  Kenosha,  WI 
(DT)  was  not  uncommon,  but  a Jan  bird  in 
Milwaukee  (m.ob.)  was  exceptional;  Michi- 
gan had  an  amazing  7 pipits  in  three  coun- 
ties. Both  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota  reported 
overwintering  Yellow-rumped  Warblers, 
while  Michigan  had  Pine  Warblers  2-19  Dec 
at  Shiawassee  N.W.R.,  Saginaw  (SFK)  and 
19-30  Dec  in  Baraga  (JK). 

T0WHEES  THROUGH 
WEAVER  FINCHES 

Michigan  hosted  its  4th  Spotted  Towhee  17 
Dec-27  Jan  at  Hancock,  Houghton  (OM, 
m.ob.),  and  Minnesota  had  one  at  Cook,  St. 
Louis  (E&CR,  m.ob.).  Michigan  had  good 
numbers  of  Eastern  Towhees,  including  an 
extraordinary  5 at  St.  Joseph,  Berrien  6 Feb 
(BT);  Wisconsin  had  one  16  Dec-21  Jan  in 
Waupaca  (DT).  Michigan  had  Chipping  Spar- 
rows in  four  counties,  while  Wisconsin  had  4 
Savannah  Sparrows  (p.a.)  in  Dec.  The  only 
Harris’s  Sparrows  reported  were  visiting  Wis- 
consin feeders  in  Dane  18  Dec  (RHe)  and 
Marathon  10  Feb  (DB).  A phenomenal  flock 
of  5000+  Snow  Buntings  was  recorded  22  Jan 
in  Shawano,  WI  (DT). 

Michigan  had  Rose-breasted  Grosbeaks 
linger  through  mid-Dec  in  Baraga  (LW,  GW) 
and  early  Jan  in  Walton  Twp.,  Eaton  (RCF, 
LRK)  and  one  24  Dec  at  Whitefish  Pt. , 
Chippewa  (LD).  Wisconsin  had  a Rose-breast- 
ed Grosbeak  in  Bayfield  16  Dec  (AW)  and 
very  late  Indigo  Buntings  visiting  feeders  from 
fall-3  Dec  in  Waukesha  (DG)  and  in  Brown  1 
Jan  (RM).  Michigan  had  numerous  Eastern 
Meadowlarks,  with  at  least  18  birds  in  six 
counties,  and  a rare  winter  Yellow-headed 
Blackbird  in  Monroe  18  Dec  (JV).  Wisconsin 
birders  found  late  Rusty  Blackbirds  in  Wauke- 
sha 21  Dec  (DG)  and  Brown  28  Dec  (T&IB). 


An  ad.  male  Bullock’s  Oriole  treated  Michi- 
gan birders  by  visiting  a feeder  at  Brighton, 
Livingston  (CH,  m.ob.);  if  accepted,  it  will  be 
the  4th  state  record. 

Most  winter  finches  were  reported  in  low 
to  moderate  numbers  this  winter.  The  only 
Hoary  Redpoll  reports  were  from  ne.  Wiscon- 
sin in  Brown  9 Dec  (EF)  and  Forest  25  Jan 
(DT).  Good  numbers  of  Evening  Grosbeaks 
were  reported  in  both  Michigan  and  Min- 
nesota; the  latter  had  200+  in  three  different 
counties,  plus  sightings  in  another  11  coun- 
ties; Wisconsin’s  highest  total  was  200  in 
Menominee  29  Jan  (DT).  A Eurasian  Tree 
Sparrow  18  Feb  in  Kenosha,  WI  (p.a.,  NW) 
will  join  a handful  of  state  records,  while 
Michigan’s  first  record  from  last  fall  lingered 
through  the  period  in  Cass  (D&MJ,  m.ob.). 

EXOTICS 

Wisconsin  reports  Great  Tits  in  four  counties, 
a Eurasian  Siskin  specimen  collected  in  Iron, 
and  a European  Jay  at  a feeder  in  Sheboygan 
16  Dec. 

Contributors  (subregional  editors  bold- 
faced): Larry  Abraham,  John  Agger,  Brian  A. 
Allen,  Ronald  B.  Annelin,  Tim  Baerwald,  Jeff 
Bahls,  Patrick  K.  Baize,  Chris  Barrigar,  A1  E. 
Batt,  Ty  & Ida  Baumann,  John  T.  Baumgart- 
ner, Patrick  B.  Beauzay,  Ann  Belleman,  Dan 
Belter,  Ryan  Brady  (RyB),  Rick  Brigham  (RB), 
Paul  E.  Budde,  Marlin  Bussey,  Adam  M. 
Byrne,  Cheryl  Carbon,  Nadav  Cassuto,  Allen 
T.  Chartier,  Greg  Cleary,  Jim  C.  Dawe,  Louis 
Dombroski,  Robert  M.  Dunlap,  Susan  Dupp- 
stadt,  Dan  Duso,  Kim  R.  Eckert,  Richard  C. 
Fleming,  Cheri  Fox,  Jim  Frank,  Elaine  Fred- 
ericks, Susan  M.  Goens,  Bob  Grefe,  Dennis 
Gustafson,  Skye  Haas,  Lyle  E.  Hamilton, 
Richard  Henderson  (RHe),  Michael  L.  Hen- 
drickson, Chris  Hensick,  Anthony  X.  Hertzel, 
Scott  C.  Hickman,  John  W.  Hockema,  Randy 
Hoffman  (RH;  Wisconsin),  Aaron 
Holschbach,  Eric  Howe,  John  Idzikowski, 
Robert  B.  Janssen,  Paul  E.  Jantscher,  David  B. 
Johnson,  Brian  Johnson,  David  & Minu  John- 
son, Jeanie  M.  Joppru,  Jerry  Jourdan,  Steve  E 
Kahl,  Joe  Kaplan,  Kevin  Kearns  (KK),  Kraig 
Kelsey  (KrK),  Douglas  W.  Kieser,  Leah  R. 
Knapp,  Steve  Lubahn,  Ray  & Charlotte 
Lukes,  Mike  Mahler,  Dennis  & Barbara  Mar- 
tin, James  P Mattsson,  Robert  Mead,  Steven  P. 
Millard,  Owen  Mills,  Andre  Moncrief, 
William  Mueller,  Brad  Murphy  (Michigan), 
Kris  Nielsen,  Darrin  O’Brien,  Nancy  B.  Over- 
cott,  Walter  G.  Pawloski,  Gregory  Pietila, 
Tom  Prestby,  Bill  Rapai,  Jack  Reinoehl,  Peg 
Robertson,  Eunice  & Cedric  Roivanen,  Russ 
Schipper,  Kirk  Schrader,  Paul  & Glenda 
Schwalbe,  Mike  J.  Sefton,  A1  Shea  (ASh),  Har- 


V0LUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


237 


WESTERN  GREAT  LAKES 


riet  Sincll,  Tim  Smart,  Brian  T.  Smith,  Shelley 
A.  Steva,  Aaron  Stutz  (AS),  Michael  Super- 
nault,  Peder  H.  Svingen  (Minnesota),  Car- 
olyn Szaroletta,  Louis  F Taccolini,  Dar  Teide, 
Daryl  lessen,  Steve  Thiessen,  Nels  F Thomp- 


son, Nancy  Tibbits,  Bill  J.  Unzen,  Lena  Usyk, 
Tom  Uttech,  Dayle  Vanderwier,  David  C. 
Vinnedge,  Jake  Volker,  Linda  & Gary  Wadaga, 
LaRue  Wells,  Thomas  R.  Wheeker,  Ben  A. 
Wieland,  Nancy  Wisowaty,  Tom  Wood  (TW), 


Jonathon  T.  Wuepper,  Adrian  Wydeven,  Ric 
Zarwell.  © 


Adam  M.  Byrne,  11771  Rachel  Lane,  DeWitt,  Michigan 
48820,  (byrnea@msu.edu) 


Iowa  & Missouri 


Robert  Cecil 


The  first  ten  days  of  December  were 
frigid  reminders  of  winter’s  potential 
for  making  us  miserable  and  for  driv- 
ing typical  lingering  birds  out  of  the  Region, 
including  waterfowl,  gulls,  and  semi-hardy 
passerines.  For  Missouri,  it  was  coldest  such 
period  in  almost  30  years;  in  Iowa,  it  hit  -19° 
F in  Cedar  Rapids  on  7 December  and  pro- 
duced subzero  temperatures  somewhere  in 
the  state  during  the  first  week  and  a half  of 
the  month.  More  seasonable  temperatures 
then  returned  in  the  middle  of  the  month, 
then  warmed  up  considerably  by  the  third 
week.  Snowfall  was  widespread  and  light  in 
Iowa;  in  Missouri,  it  was  primarily  limited  to 
the  northern  and  central  parts  of  the  state. 

“Delightful  January”  seems  an  oxymoron, 
but  delightful  it  was.  Depending  upon  the  cal- 
culation and  the  state,  it  was  either  the 
warmest  or  second  warmest  January  ever 
recorded.  Ice  vanished  throughout  Missouri 
and  well  into  Iowa,  and  the  balmy  tempera- 
tures lured  small  to  moderate  numbers  of  nu- 
merous opportunistic  species  northward.  Wa- 
terfowl, gulls,  Turkey  Vultures,  and  some 
passerines  reappeared  in  January  and  early 
February,  in  some  cases  making  it  to  northern 
Iowa.  January  precipitation  was  below  normal 
for  the  Region  except  for  southeastern  Iowa 


and  southeastern  Missouri. 

February  temperatures  were  above  normal 
for  Missouri  and  a roller-coaster  for  Iowa, 
where  temperatures  were  erratic  but  did  pro- 
duce the  coldest  day  since  2001  with  -26°  F at 
Elkader.  Many  of  the  birds  that  ventured 
northward  during  January  were  squeezed  out 
by  the  cold  temperatures,  but  not  for  long, 
and  most  had  reappeared  by  the  end  of  the 
month.  Precipitation  was  below  normal 
throughout.  Always  of  interest,  winter  finches 
were  no-shows  during  the  season:  5 Red 
Crossbills,  2 Common  Redpolls,  and  a hand- 
ful of  Purple  Finches  and  Pine  Siskins  made 
up  the  entire  invasion — unless  one  counts 
Iowa’s  possible  Brambling. 

Abbreviations:  R.M.B.S.  (Riverlands  Migrato- 
ry Bird  Sanctuary,  5t.  Charles , MO); 
S.C.N.W.R.  (Squaw  Creek  N.W.R.,  Holt,  MO); 
S.L.N.W.R.  (Swan  Lake  N.W.R.,  Chariton, 
MO);  S.L.  (Smithville  L.,  Clinton  and  Clay, 
MO);  W.L.D.  (Winfield  Lock  and  Dam  Lin- 
coln, MO). 

GEESE  THROUGH  GROUSE 

Like  many  waterfowl  species  this  season, 
Greater  White-fronted  Geese  were  lured 


Inca  Dove,  an  increasing  species  in  the  Mississippi  River  Val- 
ley, was  detected  8-28  (here  16)  February  2006  at  the 
Springfield  Nature  Center,  Greene  County,  Missouri. 
Photograph  by  Tommie  Rogers. 

northward  during  the  Jan  thaw,  e.g.,  400  on 
15  Jan  at  Pool  19  in  Iowa  (CC,  CE);  the 
highest  count  was  of  2730  on  27  Feb  at 
S.C.N.W.R.  (FD).  Snow  Goose  numbers  at 


S.L.N.W.R.  and  S.C.N.W.R.  were  huge  and 
pretty  typical;  less  typically,  40,000  wintered 
at  the  latter  location  (TR).  A rare  dark- 
rnorph  Ross’s  Goose  was  identified  on  20 
Feb  in  Stoddard,  MO  (BL,  SDi).  Cackling 
Geese  made  a good  showing  in  Iowa,  with 
1200  on  25  Feb  in  Worth  (tPH)  and  200  in 
Hamilton  (KW),  and  details  were  provided 
for  small  numbers  s.  to  cen.  Missouri,  such 
as  50  on  23  Dec  at  R.M.B.S.  (BR).  Three  hro- 
ta  Brant  at  Pool  19,  Lee,  IA  14  Jan  (tSD) 
would  be  one  of  about  six  records  for  the 
state.  An  actively  growing  Trumpeter  Swan 
population  included  135  on  15  Jan  at 
R.M.B.S.  (DR).  Enigmatic  was  a Wood  Duck 
in  Mason  City,  IA  10  Jan  (RG);  migrants 
made  it  to  Lee,  IA  18  Feb  (RC)  and  Wood- 
bury, IA  20  Feb  (GE).  Small  numbers  of 
most  other  dabblers  (apparently  except 
Northern  Shoveler)  pushed  into  s.  and  cen. 
Iowa  during  the  first  half  of  Jan  but  departed 
with  the  return  of  cold  temperatures  in  Feb; 
all  had  returned  by  the  end  of  the  period. 
Canvasbacks  appeared  in  the  usual  large  Dec 
numbers  at  Pool  19,  while  the  next  high 
count  was  of  357  at  R.M.B.S.  26  Dec  (JE).  Of 
the  other  Aythya,  Redheads  were  scarce; 
Ring-necked  Ducks  peaked  at  750  on  4 Feb 
at  S.L.N.W.R.  (SK)  and  108  on  5 Feb  in 
Union,  IA  (SD,  JG);  and  419  Greater  Scaup 
were  on  the  Keokuk,  IA  C.B.C.,  with  100  at 
L.  Jacomo,  Jackson  MO  7 Jan  (BF).  Sea  ducks 
were  scarce:  a Black  Scoter  on  the  Keokuk 
C.B.C.  19  Dec.,  a White-winged  Scoter  at 
W.L.D. , MO  1-3  Dec  (DRo,  JE,  JU),  and  a to- 
tal of  7 Long-tailed  Ducks  (five  reports,  all  in 
Dec  except  for  2 birds  at  Pool  19  on  10-14 
Jan;  JF,  JD).  By  far  the  most  northerly  mid- 
winter Hooded  Mergansers  were  up  to  4 in 
Woodbuiy,  IA  1-3  Feb  (BH,  GE);  the  high 
count  was  50  at  S.L.,  MO  7 Jan  (BF).  As  ex- 
pected, the  big  concentrations  of  Common 
Mergansers  were  on  the  Iowa  reservoirs: 
8000  each  at  Rathbun  16  Dec  (RLC)  and  at 
Red  Rock  21  Jan  (JG,  JB,  SD).  Post-C.B.C.  re- 
ports of  Red-breasted  Mergansers  were  also 
from  Iowa:  3 on  14  Jan  at  Pool  19  (SD)  and 
2 migrants  on  19  Feb  in  Scott  (CC).  There 
were  30  Greater  Prairie-Chickens  at  Dunn 


238 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


IOWA  & MISSOURI 


Ranch,  Hanison,  MO  24  Dec  (SK),  a usual 
location. 

LOONS  THROUGH  FALCONS 

A Common  Loon  was  stranded  on  the  ice  at 
Saylorville  Res.  16-19  Dec,  providing  both  a 
rare  C.B.C.  report  and  a meal  for  a Bald  Eagle 
20  Dec  (JD,  SD,  m.ob.);  in  Missouri,  there  were 
10  at  Stockton  L.,  Cedar/Dade  21  Dec  (MR) 
and  one  at  Table  Rock  L.  1 1 jan  (DRi,  CB,  DB) . 
Pied-billed  Grebes  returned  to  n.  Missouri  and 
s.  Iowa  by  mid-Feb;  Horned  Grebes  were  not 
reported  after  6 Dec.  Two  American  White  Pel- 
icans wintered  near  Davenport,  IA  (SF),  and 
migrants  in  Iowa  appeared  on  25  Feb,  with  2 
in  Lee , 1A  (WO)  and  one  in  Scott , IA  (DP).  The 
latest  Double-crested  Cormorant  was  one  in 
Des  Moines,  IA  10  Jan  (JF). 

Late  Great  Egrets  were  newsworthy  in  Mis- 
souri, with  5 in  Lincoln  1 Dec  (]E),  one  at 
S.C.N.W.R.  7 Dec  (tTR),  one  at  W.L.D.  3-11 
Dec  (tJU),  one  near  S.L.N.W.R.  6 Dec  (SK), 
one  at  Springfield  4 Jan  (CB,  tGS),  and  one  at 
Otter  Slough  C.A.,  Butler/Stoddard  lOJan  (BB, 
BL).  A Black-crowned  Night-Heron  remained 
at  Cedar  L.  in  Cedar  Rapids,  IA  until  15  Dec, 
the  8th  consecutive  winter  report  for  this 
species  at  this  location  (BS).  There  were  3 
Black  Vultures  and  70  Turkey  Vultures  in  St. 
Genevieve , MO  14  Jan  (JE);  a few  Turkey  Vul- 
tures ventured  into  the  s.  half  of  Iowa  in  ear- 
ly Feb.  Northern  Harriers  had  a good  season, 
with  peak  counts  of  20  going  to  roost  in  Liv- 
ingston, MO  6 Feb  (SK,  LL)  and  15  at 
Taberville  Prairie,  Barton , MO  21  Dec  (MR). 

Northern  Goshawks  were  scarce;  the  only 
reports  were  of  one  in  Scott , IA  7 Dec  (KP,  SP), 
one  that  struck  a window  in  Polk , IA  and 
went  to  the  Iowa  State  University  raptor  reha- 
bilitation center  (SD),  and  one  in  Greene , MO 
18  Feb  (GS).  Iowa’s  four  Red-shouldered 
Hawk  reports  were  all  eastern.  Rough-legged 
Hawks  were  numerous;  8 were  seen  hovering 
over  a Liberal , MO  field  28  Dec  (JC,  KB,  AK). 
Golden  Eagle  numbers  were  normal,  with 
Iowa  reports  from  Polk , Marshall,  Taylor, 
Grundy,  and  Warren  and  Missouri  reports 
from  Lincoln  and  Nodaway.  The  Merlin  roost 
returned  to  Des  Moines,  with  at  least  6 there 
during  the  season  (JG,  RCe);  there  were  3 at 
Taberville  Prairie,  MO  21  Dec  (MR)  and 
about  20  other  reports  from  throughout  the 
season,  mostly  in  Iowa.  Prairie  Falcon  reports 
included  3 in  Iowa  and  9 at  seven  Missouri  lo- 
cations, with  the  most  easterly  at  W.L.D. , both 
3 Dec  and  8 Jan  (ph.,  tJU)  and  at  another  Lin- 
coln, MO  location  22  Dec  (SS). 

RAILS  THROUGH  HUMMINGBIRDS 

The  Columbia,  MO  S.T.P.  near  McBaine, 
Boone  has  become  the  place  to  find  winter 


rails:  this  year,  there  were  12  Virginias  on  the 
C.B.C.  17  Dec,  plus  a Sora  5 Feb  (CM).  A 
Sandhill  Crane  was  in  Union,  IA  24  Dec  (SD); 
another  remained  14  Jan+  at  Cedar  Rapids,  IA 
(BS,  DP,  CE).  A few  Killdeer  pressed  into  s. 
Iowa  in  early  Feb.  Five  Greater  Yellowlegs  at 
W.L.D.  3 Dec  were  unusually  late  (tJU).  Least 
Sandpipers  made  Missouri  appearances  in- 
cluding 10  on  3 Dec  and  4 on  22  Dec  at 
W.L.D.  QU),  one  in  Lincoln  10  Dec  (JE),  and 
one  in  Boone  31  Jan+  (SK,  CM).  Two  Ameri- 
can Woodcocks  were  window-killed  15  Dec 
in  West  Des  Moines  (DT);  a few  were  display- 
ing 22  Jan  near  St.  Louis  (JU).  A California 
Gull  on  at  Ft.  Madison,  Lee  IA  2 Dec  (p.a., 
tJF)  would  represent  one  of  a handful  of  state 
records.  Thayers  Gulls  made  it  to  R.M.B.S., 
with  a first-winter  bird  and  an  ad.  16  & 17 
Dec,  respectively  (JU,  JE) , a first-winter  there 
1 Jan  (JE),  plus  an  ad.  at  Smithville  L.,  Clay, 


This  Townsend's  Soitaire  was  a great  find  at  Meramec  Com- 
munity College,  St.  Louis  County,  Missouri  on  28  (here  31 ) 
December  2005.  Photograph  by  Joshua  Uffman. 


MO  2 Feb+  (DW,  +KM);  Iowa  had  about  15 
reports  of  the  species,  all  from  the  Mississippi 
R.  or  the  large  reservoirs.  There  was  a first- 
winter  Iceland  Gull  at  R.M.B.S.  20-29  Dec 
(JE),  plus  4 in  Iowa.  Seven  or  more  Lesser 
Black-backed  Gulls  were  in  St.  Charles,  MO 
(m.ob.),  and  5 were  in  Iowa,  4 of  those  in 
Scott  (SF).  Among  about  13  reports  of  Glau- 
cous Gull,  two  were  away  from  the  Mississip- 
pi R.  or  the  big  Iowa  reservoirs:  one  at  L. 
Manawa,  Pottawattamie,  IA  1 Dec  (LJP,  BKP) 
and  2 or  3 during  the  season  at  Camp  Branch 
Marina,  Clay  (KM,  DW).  Great  Black-backed 
Gulls  were  reported  only  from  Iowa:  one  on  2 
Dec  and  another  on  10  Jan  at  Pool  19  (JF), 
and  up  to  4 first-winter  birds  from  late  Dec+ 
in  Scott  (tSF,  tJG,  tDAk).  A first-winter 
Black-legged  Kittiwake  appeared  2-4  Dec  at 
Saylorville  Res.  (ph.  AB,  TJG,  TSD);  presum- 
ably the  same  bird  was  at  Red  Rock  Res.  10 
Dec  (ph.,  TSD). 

A White-winged  Dove  made  a brief  ap- 
pearance in  a Dickinson,  IA  yard  31  Dec-1  Jan 
(TLS).  Eurasian  Collared-Doves  continue 
their  expansion  in  the  Region,  with  high 
counts  of  75  at  St.  Joseph,  MO  (LL)  and  41  in 


Lee,  IA  (CC,  CE).  An  Inca  Dove  at  the  Spring- 
field  Nature  Center,  Greene  8-28  Feb  provid- 
ed Missouri’s  4th  record,  its  2nd  in  two  years 
(AD,  ph.  CB,  m.ob.).  The  only  Barn  Owl  was 
one  found  dead  28  Feb  at  S.C.N.W.R.  (RB). 
Long-eared  Owls  were  scarce  in  Missouri, 
with  only  two  reports  totaling  13  birds,  while 
Short-eared  Owls  were  well  represented  in 
both  states.  A Rufous  Hummingbird  again 
appeared  in  Missouri,  this  one  spending  the 
season  in  Farmington,  St  Francois  (BL). 

WOODPECKER  THROUGH  FINCHES 

Red-headed  Woodpeckers  may  be  declining 
in  the  Region  but  not  at  S.L.N.W.R.,  where  a 
record  289  were  found  the  C.B.C.  28  Dec. 
The  most  northerly  Loggerhead  Shrike  was  at 
Rathbun  Res.  21  Jan  (RC),  while  the  seasons 
most  southerly  Northern  Shrike  was  at  St. 
Joseph,  MO  (LL);  numbers  of  the  latter  were 
a little  above  average  in  Iowa.  Black-billed 
Magpies  were  again  found  at  Broken  Kettle 
Grasslands,  Plymouth,  IA,  with  5 on  31  Dec 
(+JB,  JG).  There  was  a Marsh  Wren  on  the 
Keokuk,  I A C.B.C.  19  Dec;  5 Sedge  Wrens 
were  late  in  Barton,  MO  21  Dec  (MR).  Un- 
usually late  too  was  a Ruby-crowned  Kinglet 
in  Lee,  IA  14  Jan  (ph.  SD).  A Townsend’s  Soli- 
taire at  Kirkwood  28  Dec+  (AM)  enlivened 
the  St.  Louis  area  birding  scene;  in  Iowa, 
there  were  singles  on  the  Taylor  County 
C.B.C.  30  Dec  and  in  O’Brien  21-22  Jan  (DT, 
TLS).  There  were  two  Gray  Catbird  reports 
after  the  C.B.C.  period:  in  Lincoln,  MO  8 Jan 
(TJU)  and  in  Busch  C.A.,  St.  Charles,  MO  26 
Feb  (DR).  American  Pipits  were  in  Story,  IA 
1 Dec  (WO)  and  on  the  Red  Rock,  IA  C.B.C. 
17  Dec;  there  were  also  5 in  Lincoln,  MO  18 
Dec  (JU). 

In  Missouri,  an  Orange-crowned  Warbler 
in  St.  Louis  was  a good  mid-winter  find  3-4 
Jan  QU),  and  a whopping  788  Yellow- 
rumped  Warblers  were  recorded  on  the 
Taney  County  C.B.C.  1 Jan.  There  were  8 
Spotted  Towhees  reported  from  throughout 
the  Region  and  the  season.  If  confirmed,  a re- 
port of  Lark  Bunting  in  Decatur,  IA  19  Jan 
(TNM)  would  be  a very  unusual  winter 
record.  An  unusually  late  Savannah  Sparrow 
was  found  on  New  Year’s  Day  in  Worth,  IA 
(TPH).  Le  Conte’s  Sparrows  were  found  at 
two  Missouri  locations:  4 at  Bradford  Farms, 
Boone  21  Jan  (BJ)  and  3 on  the  Clarence  Can- 
non C.B.C.  29  Dec.  Lapland  Longspurs  made 
it  to  the  St  Louis  area,  with  100  counted  on 
both  1 1 Dec  and  on  1 Jan  in  St.  Charles  QU). 
Smith’s  Longspurs  in  Missouri  included  one 
in  Barton  21  Dec  (MR)  and  15  in  Benton  11 
Jan  (AF).  A Snow  Bunting  was  in  St.  Charles, 
MO  18  Dec  (JU).  Unexpected  was  an  Indigo 
Bunting  in  the  Duck  Creek  C.A., 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


239 


IOWA  & MISSOURI 


Bollinger/Stoddard/Wayne , MO  8 Jan  (BR).  A 
Yellow-headed  Blackbird  was  very  late  21  Jan 
in  Pocahontas , 1A  (tLAS).  Brewer’s  Blackbirds 
were  reported  from  three  counts  (Southeast- 
ern Webster  County,  Rathbun,  and  Shenan- 
doah) in  Iowa;  in  Missouri,  there  were  1 5 in 
St.  Charles  as  late  as  16  Dec  (JU)  and  3 in 
Buchanan  the  next  day  (LL,  SK).  The  Regions 
most  northerly  wintering  group,  50  Great- 
tailed Grackles  were  in  Warren,  1A  (AJ).  What 
could  be  Iowa’s  first  Brambling  was  fuzzily 
photographed  during  its  1-21  Jan  stay  in  Linn 
(ph.  JH).  Of  Missouri's  five  reports  of  Purple 
Finch,  all  were  in  the  north;  Iowa  had  an  av- 
erage year.  The  only  crossbill  report  was  of  5 
Reds  at  the  Mt.  Olivet  Cemetery  in  St.  Joseph 


19  Dec  (DW).  Only  2 Common  Redpolls 
were  reported:  one  in  Boone,  MO  14  Dec 
(PM)  and  one  on  the  Ames,  IA  C.B.C.  17 
Dec.  By  far  the  most  southerly  Pine  Siskins 
reported  were  2 in  Springfield,  MO  2 Dec;  the 
most  by  far  were  40  at  the  Sheldon  Cemetery, 
O’Brien  31  Dec  (JB,JG). 

Cited  contributors:  Danny  Akers,  Ron  Bell, 
John  Bissell,  David  Blevins,  Bob  Boesch, 
Aaron  Brees,  Charley  Burwick,  Jeff  Cantrell, 
Kevin  Badgley,  Chris  Caster,  Robert  Cecil 
(RCe),  Ray  Cummins,  Art  Daniels,  Steven 
Dilks  (SDi),  Jim  Dinsmore,  Steve  Dinsmore, 
Mike  Doyen,  Frank  Durbain.Joe  Eades,  Chris 
Edwards,  Gerald  Von  Ehwegen,  Bery  Enge- 


bretsen,  Bob  Fisher,  Andy  Forbes,  Steve 
Freed,  Jim  Fuller,  Jay  Gilliam,  Rita  Goranson, 
John  Hauck,  Paul  Hertzel,  Bill  Huser,  Andrew 
Kinslow,  Steve  Kinder,  Farry  Lade,  Bob  Fewis, 
Kristi  Mayo,  Anne  McCormack,  Paul  McKen- 
zie, Chris  Merkord,  Nathaniel  Miller,  Diana 
Pesek,  Wolf  Oesterreich,  Katy  Patterson, 
Shane  Patterson,  Bill  Reeves,  Dean  Rising 
(DRi),  Mark  Robbins,  Tommie  Rogers,  David 
Rogles,  Bill  Rowe,  Bill  Scheible,  Scott 
Schuette,  Fee  Schonewe,  Greg  Swick,  Dennis 
Thompson,  Josh  Uffman,  Kelly  Weichers, 
Doug  Willis.  © 


Robert  Cecil,  1315  41st  Street,  Des  Moines,  Iowa  50311, 
(wewarb@aol.com) 


Tennessee  & Kentucky 


Pickwick  Landing  SP 


TENNESSEE 


Chris  Sloan  Brainard  Palmer-Ball,  Jr. 

Like  the  autumn  leading  into  it,  the 
winter  2005-2006  season  was  overall 
warmer  and  drier  than  normal.  Slight- 
ly colder-than-normal  months  of  December 
and  February  were  more  than  made  up  for  by 
an  extremely  warm  January.  In  fact,  there 
were  only  two  relatively  short  bouts  of  cold 
weather,  the  first  immediately  prior  to  Christ- 
mas, when  the  temperature  dipped  to  10°  F at 
Fouisville  and  15°  F at  Nashville  on  the 
morning  of  20  December,  and  a second  in 
mid-February,  when  temperatures  dipped  to 
season  lows  of  7°  F at  Fouisville  and  12°  F at 
Nashville  on  the  morning  of  the  19th.  Precip- 
itation was  average  to  below  normal,  with 
hardly  any  periods  of  snow  cover  and  no  sig- 
nificant snow  events.  In  fact,  at  no  time  dur- 
ing the  season  did  Fouisville  have  more  than 
three  inches  (7.6  cm)  or  did  Nashville  have 
more  than  a trace. 

Rarity  highlights  during  the  season  includ- 
ed a veritable  smorgasbord  in  Tennessee: 


Black-bellied  Whistling-Duck,  Yel- 
low-billed Foon,  Inca  Dove,  contin- 
uing Broad-tailed  Hummingbird 
and  Black-throated  Sparrow,  and  a 
Region-first  Golden-crowned  Spar- 
row. Kentucky’s  more  modest  list 
included  a Varied  Thrush,  a Harris's 
Sparrow,  and  two  Spotted  Towhees. 
With  natural  and  ornamental  food 
crops  in  good  supply,  it  was  a good 
winter  for  berry,  cone,  and  mast 
eaters,  with  American  Robins  pres- 
ent in  above-average  numbers  and 
Blue  Jays  and  Red-headed  Woodpeckers  back 
to  more  normal  numbers. 


Abbreviations:  Kentucky 
Dam  (n.  end  of  Kentucky 
L.,  Livingston/Marshall, 
KY);  Pace  Pt.  (Big  Sandy 
Unit,  Tennessee  N.W.R., 
Henry,  TN);  Sauerheber 
(Sauerheber  Unit  Sloughs 
W.M.A.,  Henderson,  KY); 
Standifer  Gap  (Standifer 
Gap  Marsh,  Hamilton,  TN). 


WATERFOWL 

A Black-bellied  Whistling- 
Duck  shot  at  Reelfoot  F., 

TN  2 Jan  ( fide  NM)  added 
to  the  handful  of  Regional  records  and  repre- 
sents the  first  mid-winter  record.  The  peak 
count  of  Snow  Geese  was  150,000  at  Ballard 
W.M.A.,  KY  6 Feb  (CW),  a new  Regional 
high.  A bird  that  possessed  the  characters  of  a 
Greater  White-fronted  Goose  x Snow  (Blue) 
Goose  hybrid  was  present  at  Fong  Point  Unit, 


This  very  accommodating  pair  of  Western 
Grebes  lingered  in  various  parts  of  the  Big 
Sandy  Unit  of  Tennessee  National  Wildlife 
Refuge  through  the  end  of  the  season  (here  at 
Pace  Point,  Henry  County,  7 January  2006). 
Aechmorphorus  grebes  are  very  rare  in  the 
Tennessee  & Kentucky  region. 
Photograph  by  Mike  Todd. 


Reelfoot  N.W.R.,  Fulton,  KY  2 Dec  (BP,  JD, 
NM).  One  to  46  Cackling  Geese  were  report- 
ed at  seven  Kentucky  and  six  Tennessee  lo- 
cales through  the  period.  Mute  Swans  contin- 
ue to  increase  in  the  Region,  with  some  birds 
now  appearing  to  exhibit  winter  site  fidelity. 
In  Kentucky,  one  to  25  birds  were  reported  at 
11  sites  through  the  period.  One  at  Bell’s 
Bend,  Davidson,  TN  17  Dec  (GC,  PC)  was  the 
only  report  from  Tennessee.  The  wintering 
flock  of  Tundra  Swans  at  Sauerheber  peaked 
at  a new  state-high  count  of  56  on  1 Feb 
(MM),  with  5 still  present  there  27  Feb  (MM). 
One  to  2 birds  were  reported  at  two  addition- 
al Kentucky  locales  in  mid-Dec.  In  Tennessee, 
2 imms.  were  at  Hatchie  N.W.R.,  Haywood  24 
Dcc-10  Jan  (ph.  JRW  et 
al.),  and  3 were  in  Dyer  23 
Feb  (AW). 

Overall,  numbers  of  dab- 
bling ducks  were  unim- 
pressive. A male  Mallard  x 
Gadwall  hybrid  at  Sauerhe- 
ber 15  Dec  provided  a first 
record  of  this  combination 
for  Kentucky  (BP,  DA). 
There  were  four  reports  of 
winter  Blue-winged  Teal  in 
the  Region:  one  in  Fayette, 
TN  17  Dec  (PD);  one  dur- 
ing the  Reelfoot  F.  C.B.C. 
(fide  MG);  one  in  Hawkins,  TN  21  Dec  (SHu); 
and  a male  at  Cooley’s  Pond,  Wayne,  KY  7 Jan 
(ph.  RD). 

Except  for  Redheads,  which  were  present  in 
above-average  numbers  towards  the  end  of  the 
season,  divers  were  not  represented  much  bet- 
ter than  dabblers.  One  to  13  Surf  Scoters  were 


240 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


TENNESSEE  & KENTUCKY 


present  at  five  Kentucky  and  two  Tennessee  lo- 
cales 3-10  Dec;  a female/imm.  on  Kentucky  L. 
above  the  dam  26  Jan  (BP)  was  more  unusual 
during  midwinter.  There  were  two  reports  of 
Black  Scoters:  5,  including  an  ad.  male,  on  L. 
Cumberland,  Russell,  KY  6 Dec  (RD)  and  a fe- 
male on  Kentucky  L,  Marshall,  KY  22  Feb 
(DR,  HC).  Single  female/imm.  White-wingeds 
were  at  Robco  L,  Shelby,  TN  9 Dec  (JRW)  and 
Old  Flickory  L.,  Sumner,  TN  1-2  Jan  (CAS  et 
al.).  A few  Common  Mergansers  put  in  a 
showing  during  the  season,  with  peak  counts 
of  8 on  the  Calloway,  KY  C.B.C.  31  Dec  (fide 
HC)  and  8 on  the  Ohio  R.,  Bracken,  KY  20  Feb 
(LM  et  al.),  and  above-average  numbers  in  e. 
Tennessee:  2 females  at  Douglas  L.,  Sevier  26 
Jan  (RK),  a female  at  Bristol,  Sullivan  31  Jan-7 
Feb  (BS  et  al.),  and  a male  with  3-4  females  at 
Bristol,  Sullivan  17-28  Feb  (RK,  m.ob.).  An- 
other female  was  in  w.  Tennessee  at  TVA  L., 
Shelby  13  Dec  (ph.  JRW). 

LOONS  THROUGH  FALCONS 

The  Region’s  6th  and  Tennessee’s  5th  Yellow- 
billed Loon  (ph.  JRW),  as  well  as  a Red- 
throated  Loon,  were  in  Henry,  TN  4 Dec 
(JRW).  Single  Pacific  Loons  were  at  S.  Hol- 
ston  L.,  TN  4 Dec  (TRK,  m.ob.)  and  at  Pace 
Pt.  31  Dec  and  16  Jan  (JRW).  A count  of  740 
Horned  Grebes  at  Boone  L.,  Sullivan,  TN  5 
Dec  (RK)  was  exceptional  for  the  Region. 
There  were  four  reports  of  Red-necked 
Grebes:  one  each  at  Lexington,  KY  10  Dec 
(ph.  JP)  and  S.  Holston  L.,  TN  23-25  Dec 
(TM,  DH  et  al.)  and  2 at  Pace  Pt.  31  Dec+  (ph. 
JRW,  ph.  MT,  m.ob.).  Two  Western  Grebes 
were  discovered  at  Britton  Ford,  Tennessee 
N.W.R.,  Henry,  TN  23  Dec  (ph.  MT);  possibly 
the  same  2 were  then  present  through  the  re- 
mainder of  the  period  at  Pace  Pt.  (m.ob.). 

An  American  Bittern  at  Standifer  Gap  17- 
18  Dec  (DP)  was  only  the  2nd  for  the  Chat- 
tanooga C.B.C. ; one  in  Muhlenberg,  KY  1 Jan 
(MB,  RD,  SD)  was  at  the  same  location  where 
one  has  been  found  on  two  previous  occa- 
sions in  winter.  Quite  unusual  for  Kentucky 
were  3 Great  Egrets  on  the  Land  Between  the 
Lakes  C.B.C.  17  Dec  (fide  CMo).  In  Ten- 
nessee, 3 were  at  Eagle  Creek,  Heniy  4 Dec 
(JRW),  and  singles  were  in  Blount  1 Dec+ 
(CMu),  Reelfoot  L.,  Obion  3 Dec  (JRW,  MT), 
and  Amnicola  Marsh,  Hamilton  29  Jan+  (JC). 

Single  Ospreys  in  Greene,  TN  1 & 26  Dec 
(DH,  RN)  and  Hawkins,  TN  19  Dec-18  Feb 
(SHu)  were  unusual  winter  visitors  for  the 
Region.  There  were  several  scattered  reports 
of  w.  subspecies  of  Red-tailed  Hawk  in  Ken- 
tucky, including  a returning  light-morph  Har- 
lan’s Hawk  that  was  present  for  the  5th  con- 
secutive winter  in  Warren  (DR).  Rough- 
legged Hawks  were  scarcer  than  usual,  with 


Merlins  have  increased  as  winter  residents  in  Kentucky  in  re- 
cent years;  this  female  of  the  prairie  race  { richardsoni ) was 
one  of  six  birds  present  in  a relatively  small  area  in  south- 
eastern Muhlenberg  County  5 February  2006.  This  photo- 
graph provides  the  first  documentation  of  the  prairie  race  in 
Kentucky.  Photograph  by  Brainard  Palmer-Ball,  Jr. 

only  one  to  2 reported  from  one  Tennessee 
and  three  Kentucky  locales.  Up  to  3 Golden 
Eagles  were  seen  during  Dec  and  Jan  in  their 
normal  Bernheim  Forest,  Bullitt/Nelson,  KY 
wintering  location.  Otherwise,  the  only  report 
in  Kentucky  was  for  one 
in  Butler  19  Jan  (DR).  In 
Tennessee,  an  impressive 

4 (2  ads.,  an  imm.,  a sub- 
ad.)  were  just  s.  of  Pace 
Pt.  24  Dec  (JRW);  a sub- 
ad.  was  still  present  there 

5 Jan  (MT).  Six  Merlins 
were  observed  in  Muh- 
lenberg, KY  5 Feb  (BP, 

AC),  a new  high  count 
for  the  state;  one  was  of 
the  prairie  subspecies 
richardsoni  (ph.  BP).  Sin- 
gle Merlins  were  also  reported  at  three  addi- 
tional Kentucky  locales.  In  Tennessee,  Mer- 
lins were  widely  reported  across  the  state, 
with  one  to  3 reported  from  seven  locations 
16  Dec-25  Feb.  A few  Peregrine  Falcons  win- 
tered in  the  Region,  with  one  to  2 birds  re- 
ported from  five  Kentucky  and  six  Tennessee 
locations. 

RAILS  THROUGH  WOODPECKERS 

Virginia  Rails  were  reported  at  three  Muhlen- 
berg, KY  locales  between  1 and  15  Jan  (BP, 
AC,  WR),  with  3 at  one  marsh  1 Jan  (BP,  AC); 
an  impressive  13  were  at  Standifer  Gap  17 
Dec  (DP).  A number  of  normally  transient 
shorebirds  were  either  unusually  late  or  win- 
tering, including:  single  Lesser  Yellowlegs  in 
Knox,  TN  4-10  Dec  (SHo)  and  Crocket,  TN  16 
Jan  (MG);  a juv.  Long-billed  Dowitcher  on  L. 


Cumberland,  Pulaski  that  established  a new 
late  departure  date  for  Kentucky  by  lingering 
until  15  Dec  (ph.  RD);  4 Long-billed  Dow- 
itchers  at  Reelfoot  L.,  Lake,  TN  16-17  Dec 
(JRW,  Reelfoot  L.  C.B.C.);  and  up  to  2 Spotted 
Sandpipers  in  Kingsport,  Sullivan,  TN  20 
Jan-20  Feb  (RP  et  al.).  A Lesser  Yellowlegs  in 
w.  Henderson,  KY  19  Feb  (JMe)  was  likely  a 
very  early  transient. 

An  ad.  Laughing  Gull  was  present  at  Barren 
River  L.,  KY  26-30  Jan  (DR).  An  ad.  Franklin’s 
Gull  was  at  Ensley  Bottoms,  Shelby,  TN  19  Jan 
(ph.  JRW).  Single  ad.  and  first-year  Little 
Gulls  continued  at  Reelfoot  L.,  Lake,  TN 
through  3 Dec  (JRW,  MT).  Mild  weather  re- 
sulted in  greater-than-normal  numbers  of  win- 
tering Bonaparte’s  Gulls  in  Kentucky.  Thayer’s 
Gulls  were  only  reported  from  Kentucky  L./L. 
Barkley,  with  an  ad.  below  Barkley  Dam,  Lyon, 
KY  16  & 18  Dec  (ph.  BP),  2 first-year  birds  be- 
low Kentucky  Dam  17  Dec  (tBLi),  and  a first- 
year  bird  at  Pace  Pt.  1 Jan  (JRW).  peak  counts 
of  Herring  Gulls  were  unimpressive  and  in- 
cluded 85  below  Kentucky  Dam  18  Dec  (BP). 
The  only  Lesser  Black-backed  Gulls  in  Ken- 
tucky were  an  ad.  on  the  Ohio  R.,  McCracken 
31  Dec  (+FB)  and  an  ad.  on  L.  Barkley,  Lyon  22 
Feb  (DR,  HC);  an  ad.  was  at  Eagle  Creek,  Hen- 
iy, TN  16  Jan  (ph.  JRW). 
A first-year  Glaucous 
Gull  and  second-year 
California  Gull  were  at 
Paris  Landing,  Henry/ 
Stewart , TN  24  Dec 
(JRW).  A Caspian  Tern  at 
Hatchie  N.W.R.,  Hay- 
wood, TN  2 Jan  (ph.  MT) 
was  an  exceptional  dis- 
covery for  midwinter.  As 
is  the  norm,  a few 
Forster’s  Terns  lingered 
on  Kentucky  L.  as  far  n. 
as  Marshall,  KY  through  the  season  (m.ob.);  2 
were  in  Lake,  TN  3 Dec  (MT,  JRW). 

Ninety  Eurasian  Collared-Doves  in  w. 
Daviess  12  Nov  (JH)  made  a new  high  count 
for  Kentucky.  Single  Common  Ground-Doves, 
very  rare  in  the  Region,  were  in  Obion,  TN  25 
Jan  (MG)  and  Murfreesboro,  Rutherford,  TN 
28  Jan-1 1 Feb  (TW,  m.ob.).  An  Inca  Dove  fre- 
quented a yard  in  Fayette,  TN  mid-Nov-7  Dec 
(T&DG,  ph.  JRW,  m.ob.),  potentially  a 2nd 
record  for  Tennessee  after  the  one  reported 
from  the  fall  2005.  Short-eared  Owls  were 
quite  scarce  this  winter,  with  one  to  2 report- 
ed at  five  locales  in  Kentucky  and  one  to  4 at 
two  locales  in  Tennessee.  The  only  Long-eared 
Owls  reported  were  2 in  Muhlenberg,  KY  28 
Jan  (BY,  MY).  Hummingbirds  were  again 
widespread  and  carefully  studied  across  the 
Region  (Table  1).  The  imm.  male  Broad-tailed 


This  adult  Harris's  Sparrow  was  present  in  a 
southeastern  Daviess  County,  Kentucky  yard 
for  much  of  the  season  (here  in  late  January 
2006).  Photograph  by  Bobby  Lloyd. 


VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


241 


TENNESSEE  & KENTUCKY 


Table  1 . Records  of  hummingbirds  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  1 1 September  2005-9  April  2006. 


First  date 

Last  date 

Species 

Age 

Sex 

Location 

Countv 

State 

unknown 

unknown 

Rufous 

AHY 

F 

Kingston  Springs 

Cheatham 

TN 

unknown 

unknown 

Rufous 

AHY 

F 

Brentwood 

Williamson 

TN 

unknown 

unknown 

Rufous 

AHY 

F 

Chattanooga 

Hamilton 

TN 

9/11/05 

3/30/06 

Rufous 

SY 

M 

Cookeville 

Putnam 

TN 

9/25/05 

10/2/05 

Rufous 

HY 

M 

Ballardsville 

Oldham 

KY 

9/30/05 

3/28/06 

Rufous 

AHY 

F 

Clinton 

Anderson 

TN 

10/1/05 

10/15/05 

Rufous 

HY 

M 

Sewanee 

Franklin 

TN 

10/1/05 

unknown 

Rufous 

AHY 

F 

Elizabethton 

Carter 

TN 

10/5/05 

12/20/05 

Rufous 

AHY 

F 

Byrdstown 

Pickett 

TN 

10/7/05 

12/10/05 

Rufous 

HY 

M 

Georgetown 

Scott 

KY 

10/15/05 

1/26/06 

Rufous 

SY 

M 

Louisville 

Jefferson 

KY 

10/20/05 

3/29/06 

Rufous 

AHY 

M 

Corbin 

Knox 

KY 

10/21/05 

3/20/06 

Rufous 

SY 

F 

New  Market 

Jefferson 

TN 

10/26/05 

10/26/05 

Selasphorus 

U 

U 

Elizabethton 

Carter 

TN 

11/2/05 

11/4/05 

Selasphorus 

U 

U 

Brentwood 

Williamson 

TN 

11/5/05 

unknown 

Rufous 

HY 

F 

Knox 

TN 

11/5/05 

unknown 

Rufous 

AHY 

F 

Norris 

Anderson 

TN 

11/6/05 

unknown 

Rufous 

HY 

F 

Knoxville 

Knox 

TN 

11/11/05 

unknown 

Rufous 

HY 

F 

Fountain  City 

Knox 

TN 

11/15/05 

unknown 

Rufous 

AHY 

F 

Loudoun 

Loudoun 

TN 

11/17/05 

11/27/05 

Rufous 

HY 

M 

Shelbyville 

Shelby 

KY 

11/17/05 

12/27/05 

Rufous 

HY 

F 

Nicholasville 

Jessamine 

KY 

11/20/05 

4/2/06 

Rufous 

AHY 

F 

Knoxville 

Knox 

TN 

11/23/05 

11/25/05 

Rufous 

AHY 

M 

Owensboro 

Daviess 

KY 

11/24/05 

12/12/05 

Broad-tailed 

HY 

M 

Signal  Mountain 

Hamilton 

TN 

12/16/05 

12/16/05 

Unidentified 

U 

U 

Sevierville 

Sevier 

TN 

12/29/05 

1/28/06 

Rufous 

AHY 

F 

Loudoun 

Loudoun 

TN 

1/7/06 

3/26/06 

Rufous 

AHY 

F 

Lookout  Mountain 

Hamilton 

TN 

Hummingbird  at  Signal  Mt.,  Hamilton,  TN  lin- 
gered through  12  Dec  (DW). 

VIREOS  THROUGH  THRUSHES 

There  was  an  above-average  number  of  winter 
reports  of  Blue-headed  Vireo:  one  in  Taylor  28 
Dec  (RD,  TBP)  represented  only  a 2nd  winter 
record  for  Kentucky;  in  Tennessee,  singles 
were  seen  in  Dekalb  27  Dec  (SJS),  at  Standifer 
Gap  8 Jan  (DP),  and  at  Mem- 
phis 26  & 31  Jan  (RB,B1).  Re- 
turning Tree  Swallows  were 
first  noted  17  Feb  in  Blount, 

TN  (JA).  One  on  the  Reelfoot 
Lake  C.B.C.  17  Dec  ( fide  MG) 
was  likely  a late  transient.  An 
imm.  Barn  Swallow  at  Reelfoot 
L.,  Lake , TN  3 Dec  established 
a new  late  date  for  the  Region, 
outside  of  a few  isolated  mid- 
winter records.  Red-breasted 
Nuthatches  staged  a modest  movement  into 
Kentucky,  with  one  to  19  reported  on  14  Ken- 
tucky C.B.C.s,  but  they  were  scarcely  reported 
from  Tennessee. 

Single  Sedge  Wrens  were  seen  at  two  differ- 
ent locations  in  w.  McCracken , KY  27  Dec  (BP, 
SR);  at  Brainerd  Levee,  Hamilton,  TN  17  Dec 
(JE);  and  in  Gibson,  TN  7 Feb  (MG).  There 
were  three  reports  of  Marsh  Wren  in  Ken- 
tucky: one  to  2 at  two  Muhlenberg  locales  and 


Blue-winged  Teal  are  very  rare  in  Ken- 
tucky in  winter;  one  to  a few  are  re- 
ported nearly  every  winter,  but  few 
are  documented  as  well  as  this  male 
present  in  Wayne  County  7 January 
2006.  Photograph  by  Roseanna  Denton. 


one  in  Pulaski  (RD);  the  species  was  more 
widely  reported  in  Tennessee,  with  one  to  2 at 
six  locations.  Single  House  Wrens  were  re- 
ported from  five  Kentucky  locales  during  the 
season.  Exceptional  numbers  were  reported 
from  se.  Tennessee,  with  7 reported  on  both 
the  Chattanooga  C.B.C.  17  Dec  and  Nicka- 
jack  Lake  C.B.C.  29  Dec.  A Blue-gray  Gnat- 
catcher  in  n.  Madison  17  Dec  (tBM,  KN)  will 
represent  a first  winter  record 
for  Kentucky  if  accepted.  In 
Tennessee,  singles  on  the 
Memphis  (18  Dec)  and  Savan- 
nah (2  Jan)  C.B.C.s  were  also 
very  rare.  Gray  Catbirds  are 
very  rare  in  winter  in  the  Re- 
gion, so  reports  of  13  from 
one  Kentucky  and  10  Ten- 
nessee locations  are  astound- 
ingly  high  numbers.  A female 
Varied  Thrush  in  a Louisville 
yard  4 Feb+  (ph.  D&CP)  furnished  a 3th 
Kentucky  record. 

Orange-crowned  Warblers  were  widely  re- 
ported from  Tennessee,  with  singles  at  eight 
locations,  mostly  in  late  Dec.  Palm  Warblers 
were  positively  abundant  in  Tennessee,  with 
reports  from  12  counties,  including  6 on  the 
Chattanooga  C.B.C.  17  Dec.  Only  a few  Palms 
were  observed  in  Kentucky,  with  one  to  4 re- 
ported from  six  locations.  A male  Mourning 


Warbler  in  Marshall,  KY  17  Dec  was  an  un- 
precedented winter  find  (tCMo).  Three  Com- 
mon Yellowthroats  were  seen  on  the  Reelfoot 
Lake  C.B.C.  17  Dec  (fide  MG). 

Kentucky  hosted  two  male  Spotted 
Towhees,  one  that  returned  to  the  same  thick- 
et in  w.  McCracken  for  the  3rd  straight  winter 
and  another  in  ne.  Hart  from  the  last  week  of 
Dec  into  Mar  (CF,  BB,  tSK,  tBP  et  ah).  Amer- 
ican Tree  Sparrows  are  very  rare  in  e.  Ten- 
nessee, so  one  in  Sullivan  8 Dec  (JMo)  was 
noteworthy.  Chipping  Sparrows  continue  to 
increase  in  Kentucky  as  a winter  bird:  one  to 
40  were  reported  on  10  C.B.C.s,  and  addi- 
tional reports  of  one  to  7 came  from  other 
scattered  locales.  In  se.  Tennessee,  the  Chat- 
tanooga and  Hiwassee  C.B.C.s  reported  their 
highest  counts  ever — 168  and  311,  respec- 
tively. A Vesper  Sparrow  in  Hamilton,  TN  9 
Jan  (DJ)  was  unusual  for  midwinter.  The  Re- 
gions first  Black-throated  Sparrow  lingered 
in  Lincoln , TN  through  27  Feb  (MW,  m.ob.). 
One  to  6 Le  Contes  Sparrows  were  found  at 
four  Kentucky  and  three  Tennessee  locales.  A 
Grasshopper  Sparrow  in  Muhlenberg  1 Jan 
(tBP,  AC)  represented  one  of  only  a few  win- 
ter records  for  Kentucky.  Lincoln’s  Sparrows 
are  Regionally  rare  in  winter,  so  reports  from 
Celina,  Clay,  TN  14  Dec  (BHS)  and  Obion,  TN 
25  Jan  (MG)  were  noteworthy.  An  ad.  Harris’s 
Sparrow  was  present  in  a se.  Daviess,  KY  yard 
late  Dec-Mar  (ph.  BLo  et  ah);  one  was  in  Col- 
lierville, Shelby,  TN  15-22  Jan  (JW  et  ah). 
The  Region’s  first  Golden-crowned  Sparrow 
was  in  Covington,  Tipton,  TN  4 Dec-16  Jan 
(K&rPK,  ph.  MT,  ph.  JRW,  m.ob.). 

A male  Indigo  Bunting  in  basic  plumage  in 
e.  Pulaski,  KY  31  Dec  and  12  Jan  (tCN,  WN) 
provided  one  of  only  a few  winter  records  for 
the  state.  Two  different  male  Baltimore  Orioles 


This  Yellow-billed  Loon  on  Kentucky  Lake,  Henry  County, 
Tennessee  4 December  2005  provided  the  Tennessee  & Ken- 
tucky region's  sixth  record;  all  records  come  from  recent 
years.  Photograph  by  Jeff  Wilson. 

were  reported  in  Tennessee:  one  in  Hamilton 
17  Dec  (ph.  KC)  and  one  in  Nashville  12-15 
Dec  (JK  et  ah).  Purple  Finches  staged  one  of 
the  better  flights  in  recent  years,  with  2-61  re- 
ported on  17  Kentucky  C.B.C.s  and  peak 
counts  of  47-72  at  four  locales  during  the  sea- 
son. Numbers  in  Tennessee  were  smaller.  Pine 


242 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


TENNESSEE  & KENTUCKY 


Siskins  staged  a modest  flight,  with  one  to  4 
on  only  four  Kentucky  C.B.C.s;  the  only  siz- 
able flock  in  Kentucky  all  winter  was  50+  in 
Elliott  11  Feb  (EM,  et  al).  Siskins  were  barely 
reported  in  Tennessee.  The  only  Evening 
Grosbeak  reported  was  a female  in  Morgan,  KY 
4-5  Jan  (ME). 

Cited  contributors  (subregional  editors  in 
boldface):  jean  Alexander,  David  Ayer,  Bruce 
Bardin,  Roger  Beebe,  Frank  Bennett,  Mark 
Bennett,  Kevin  Calhoon  (se.  Tennessee), 
Gary  Casey,  Phillip  Casteel  (middle  Ten- 
nessee), Janice  Chadwell,  Hap  Chambers, 
Amy  Covert,  Phyllis  Deal,  Roseanna  Denton, 


GULF  OF  MEXICO 


C.  Dwight  Cooley 


In  winter  2005-2006,  the  southeastern 
United  States  continued  to  assess,  and 
suffer  through,  the  effects  of  the  terrible 
2005  hurricane  season.  Those  familiar  with 
bird  distribution  in  the  Region  will  note  the 
significant  decline  in  records  from  traditional 
coastal  sites  such  as  Cameron,  Hackberry, 
Grand  Isle,  Gulfport,  Dauphin  Island,  and 
Gulf  Shores,  resulting  not  only  from  habitat 
loss  but  also  coastal  residents  trying  to  pull 
their  lives  back  together. 

Abbreviations:  B.S.N.W.R.  (Bayou  Sauvage 
N.W.R.),  N.N.W.R.  (Noxubee  N.W.R.), 
W.N.W.R.  (Wheeler  N.W.R.). 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  IBIS 

The  eastward  surge  of  Black-bellied 
Whistling-Ducks  advanced  strongly  into  se. 
Louisiana,  where  a peak  of  1160  (plus  4 Ful- 
vous Whistling-Ducks)  was  recorded  in 


Steve  Denton,  Jon  Dunn,  Jim  Eager,  Mary 
Elam,  Carol  Friedman,  Theresa  & Danny 
Graham,  Mark  Greene,  Don  Holt,  Janet 
Howard,  Susan  Hoyle  (SHo),  Susan  Hubley 
(SHu),  Bob  Ilardi,  Daniel  Jacobson,  Steve 
Kistler,  Rick  Knight  (e.  Tennessee),  Julie  Ko- 
rnman,  Keith  & Peggy  Kunkel,  Bill  Lisowsky 
(BLi),  Bobby  Lloyd  (BLo),  Betty  Maxson,  Lee 
McNeely,  Tom  McNeil,  John  Meredig  (JMe), 
Nancy  Moore,  Evelyn  Morgan,  Mike  Morton, 
Carl  Mowery  (CMo),  John  Moyle  (JMo), 
Charlie  Muise  (CMu),  Connie  Neeley,  Wen- 
dell Neeley,  Kay  Neikirk,  Richard  Nevius, 
David  & Clara  Ann  Pallares,  Brainard  Palmer- 
Ball,  Jr.,  David  Patterson,  Rick  Phillips,  Joe 


Audubon  Park,  New  Orleans,  Orleans  on  30 
Jan  (RDP).  One  wonders  when  coastal  Mis- 
sissippi and  Alabama  will  begin  seeing  such 
numbers.  Two  Fulvous  Whistling-Ducks  on 
Lacassine  Pool,  Cameron,  LA,  28  Feb  (SWC, 
DLD)  were  either  wintering  or  early  migrants. 
The  largest  reported  concentration  of  Greater 
White-fronted  Geese  was  of  70  at  N.N.W.R., 
Noxubee  MS  4 Jan  (TLS).  Ross’s  Goose  con- 
tinues to  be  widely  reported,  with  50  in  Tuni- 
ca, MS  1 Jan  (GK,  SK)  the  largest  number  re- 
ported. Only  two  Cackling  Goose  records 
were  received,  down  from  15  last  winter.  In 
Arkansas,  52  were  on  the  Univ.  of  Arkansas 
Farm,  Washington  17  Dec  (MM),  while  in 
Mississippi,  3 were  seen  25  Jan  on  Lower  L. 
Sardis  (GK,  SK).  The  number  of  Trumpeter 
Swan  reports  continues  to  increase,  with 
some  question  as  to  their  provenance.  In  Al- 
abama, 2 imms.  were  near  Marvyn,  Lee  17 
Feb+  (p.a.,  GEH,  m.ob.).  In  Arkansas,  3 ads. 
were  at  Bald  Knob  N.W.R.,  White  1 Dec  (KN, 
BA);  98  were  on  Magness  L.,  Cleburne  2 Dec 
(RH);  2 were  on  Mill  Pond,  Newton,  15  Dec- 
4 Feb  (JSt,  TB,  SC,  m.ob);  and  an  ad.  was  in 
Pulaski  27  Dec  (RH).  Two  ad.  Tundra  Swans 
were  near  Hope  Hull,  Montgomery,  AL  30-31 
Dec  (GTS,  PSn,  LFG).  In  Arkansas,  an  imm. 
was  on  Magness  L.  2 Dec  and  3 Jan  (RH,  KN, 
LDN),  and  5 ads.  and  an  imm.  were  at  Big 
Lake  N.W.R.,  Mississippi  19  Dec  (DB). 

Mottled  Ducks  continued  their  expansion 
up  the  Mississippi  R.:  up  to  13  were  near 
Arkansas  City,  Desha,  AR  23  Dec-25  Feb  (DB, 
SDe).  Cinnamon  Teal  is  a rare  winter  visitor  to 
the  Region.  In  Louisiana,  ad.  males  were 
recorded  in  Rapides,  where  2 were  seen  29  Jan 
(DLD,  SWC),  and  at  Lacassine  N.W.R.,  where 
one  was  reported  12  Feb  (JEk),  DBo,  JS).  The 
bird  of  the  season  had  to  be  Arkansas’s  2nd 


Pulliam,  Scott  Record,  David  Roemer,  Wayne 
Rosso,  Barbara  H.  Stedman,  Stephen  J.  Sted- 
man,  Bryan  Stevens,  Mike  Todd,  Jay  Walko, 
Anthony  Whitted,  Charlie  Wilkins,  Dan 
Williams,  Morris  Williams,  Jeff  R.  Wilson, 
Terry  Witt,  Ben  Yandell,  Mary  Yandell.  Many 
thanks  go  to  the  numerous  additional  indi- 
viduals who  contributed  information  that  was 
used  in  this  report.  © 


Chris  Sloan,  224  Hicks  Road,  Nashville,  Tennessee  37221, 
(chris.sloan@comcast.net); 

Brainard  Palmer-Ball,  Jr.,  Kentucky  State  Nature 
Preserves  Commission,  801  Schenkel  lane,  Frankfort, 
Kentucky  40601,  (brainard.palmer-ball@ky.gov) 

Central  Southern  § 

Tufted  Duck,  an  ad.  male  on  L.  Dardanelle, 
Yell  20  Feb+  (p.a.,  KN,  LDN,  m.ob.).  Inland 
scoter  records  are  always  of  interest.  Two  fe- 
male-type White-winged  Scoters  were  on  Ok- 
tibbeha County  L.,  Oktibbeha,  MS  14-15  Dec 
(TLS),  while  up  to  2 female-type  Black  Scoters 
were  at  Guntersville,  Marshall,  AL  1-27  Dec 
(LBR,  RAR,  LW,  m.ob.).  In  Arkansas,  L.  Dar- 
danelle hosted  a scoter  trifecta,  with  imm. 
Surf,  White-winged,  and  Black  Scoters  17-18 
Dec,  29  Dec+,  and  10  Dec+,  respectively  (KN, 
LDN,  m.ob.).  The  only  Long-tailed  Duck  re- 
ported was  a first-year  male  at  Avery  I.,  Iberia, 
LA  7-25  Jan  (EL,  m.ob.).  Common  Mer- 
gansers, somewhat  rare  in  the  Region,  were  re- 
ported with  some  regularity.  In  Arkansas,  3 
were  on  L.  Sequoyah,  Washington  11  Dec 
(MM,  DC);  4 were  seen  on  Mallard  L.,  Missis- 
sippi 19  Dec  (DB,  JB,  TJB);  an  ad.  female  was 
in  Millwood  S.R,  Little  River  25  Dec  (DS);  and 
up  to  5 were  on  L.  Dardanelle  26  Dec-25  Feb 
(KN,  LDN).  In  Mississippi,  a female  was  on 
Lower  L.  Sardis,  Panola  17-25  Jan  (GK,  SK). 
Ruffed  Grouse  reaches  the  s.  limits  of  its  dis- 
tribution along  the  Cumberland  Plateau  in  ne. 
Alabama,  where  records  are  usually  of  drum- 
ming birds.  One  seen  at  Skyline  W.M.A.,  Jack- 
son,  AL  26  Feb  (AS)  was  noteworthy. 

Traditional  loon  wintering  sites  continue  to 
produce.  As  many  as  4 Red-throated  Loons 
were  at  Guntersville,  AL  26  Dec-21  Jan  (LBR, 
RAR,  SH,  DH,  m.ob.),  while  one  was  noted  29 
Jan  on  Bay  Springs  L.,  Tishomingo,  MS  (WP). 
Up  to  2 Pacific  Loons  were  recorded  at  Gun- 
tersville, AL  25  Dec-21  Jan  (SWM,  m.ob.), 
and  one  was  at  Bay  Springs  L.,  MS  26  Dec 
(WP).  Always  rare  in  the  Region,  single  Red- 
necked Grebes  were  reported  from  Limestone 
Bay,  W.N.W.R.,  Limestone,  AL  19  Nov-10  Jan 
(DBr,  m.ob.);  from  W.F  George  Dam,  Henty, 


V01UME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


243 


CENTRAL  SOUTHERN 


AL  19  Feb  (EBe,  MB);  and  from  L.  Pine  Bluff, 
Jefferson , AR  4-8  Jan  (p.a.,  DB,  DM,  DS). 
Continuing  the  trend  of  recent  years,  single 
Western  Grebes  were  on  L.  Beaverfork, 
Faulkner , AR  17  Dec+  (MJ,  HR,  WS,  DS,  JH) 
and  Bay  Springs  L.,  MS  29  Jan  (WP). 

Once  rare  inland  during  winter,  American 
White  Pelicans  are  now  almost  common- 
place: 116  were  found  17  Dec  on  the 
W.N.W.R.  C.B.C.,  Lime- 
stone/Morgan, AL,  while  17 
were  seen  below  Wilson 
Dam,  Colbert,  AL  26  Jan 
(GDJ,  DGJ,  m.ob.).  Brown 
Pelicans,  possibly  hurri- 
cane-assisted, were  found 
inland  across  the  Region:  an 
ad.  was  on  L.  Pine  Bluff,  AR 
26  Dec-3  Jan  (RDo,  DM, 

WS,  DS);  4 were  in  Rapides, 

LA  31  Dec  (EVM,  MG,  DG); 
and  a juv.  was  seen  through- 
out the  reporting  period  on  Choctaw  L., 
Choctaw,  MS  (JO,  TLS,  MS,  m.ob.).  The  only 
Anhingas  reported  were  a female  in  Alabama 
at  Montgomery  31  Dec  (LFG)  and  ad.  males 
in  Mississippi  at  Oktibbeha  County  L.  1 Jan 
(TLS,  MS)  and  N.N.W.R.  31  Jan  (TLS). 

The  6 Reddish  Egrets  on  E.  Timbalier/ 
Grande  Terre  I.,  Lafouche/Plaquemines,  LA  23 
Jan  (DLD,  SWC,  RD)  was  a good  number  for 
midwinter.  An  ad.  Yellow-crowned  Night- 
Heron  on  the  Birmingham  C.B.C.,  Jefferson, 
AL  23  Dec  (DPG,  SSH)  was  unexpected. 
White  Ibis  wintered  far  inland,  with  one  at 
Millwood  L.,  Howard , AR  4 Feb  (CM),  10  on 
Moore  Bayou,  Desha,  AR  27  Feb  (RH),  and  73 
on  the  Shreveport  C.B.C.  at  Cross  L.,  Caddo, 
LA  17  Dec  (Jk  CL,  RG).  Three  Glossy  Ibis 
were  near  Mamou,  Evangeline,  LA  30  Dec 
(MW),  where  they  are  decidedly  uncommon. 

RAPTORS  THROUGH  SWIFTS 

Osprey  numbers  continue  to  rebound,  with  an 
Alabama  maximum  of  29  on  the  Gulf  Shores 
C.B.C. , Baldwin  and  a good  count  of  15  near 
Venice,  Plaquemines,  LA  (PAW,  DPM,  RS), 
both  30  Dec.  White-tailed  Kites  continue  to 
hold  their  own  in  Louisiana,  where  singles 
were  seen  in  Vennilion  21  Dec-23  Feb  (BV,  LA, 
m.ob.)  and  Evangeline  14  Feb  (BV,  JP,  LA,  EB, 
WSy).  Roosts  of  Northern  Harriers  in  Desha 
and  Poinsett,  AR  topped  26  birds  on  7 Jan  and 
46  birds  on  17  Feb,  respectively  (DB,  m.ob.). 
An  ad.  Harris’s  Hawk,  a common  falconer’s 
species  that  frequently  escapes,  was  seen  on 
Dauphin  I.,  Mobile,  AL  8 Jan+  (DMc,  HD,  SD, 
m.ob.).  On  the  heels  of  last  winter’s  sighting  in 
the  same  general  area,  Mississippi’s  3rd  Fer- 
ruginous Hawk  was  a subad.  in  Tunica  1 Jan 
(p.a.,  GK,  SK).  Two  Rough-legged  Hawks,  a 


Furnishing  only  a second  state  record,  this 
Lark  Bunting  was  found  24  (here  26)  Febru- 
ary 2006  near  St.  Charles,  Arkansas  County, 
Arkansas  and  remained  into  the  spring  sea- 
son. Photograph  by  Jimmy  McMorran. 


light  and  a dark  morph,  were  at  a traditional 
wintering  site  below  Guntersville  Dam,  Mar- 
shall, AL  21  Jan  (RAR,  m.ob.),  where  they 
have  become  rare  in  recent  years.  A dark 
morph  was  near  Carlisle,  Lonoke,  AR  18  Dec 
(DS).  The  only  Golden  Eagle  reported  was  an 
ad.  along  the  Yocona  R.,  Lafayette,  MS  27  Dec 
(GK).  Merlins  were  reported  widely  in  Alaba- 
ma, Arkansas,  and  Mississippi.  In  Alabama,  3 
Peregrine  1 alcons  were 
found  on  the  W.N.W.R. 
C.B.C.  17  Dec,  and  one  was 
on  the  Birmingham  C.B.C. 
23  Dec.  A Peregrine  in 
downtown  Little  Rock,  AR  9 
Dec  (TF,  PP)  furnished  the 
only  report  from  that  state. 

Two  King  Rails  were  at 
N.N.W.R.,  MS  17  Dec  + 
(TLS,  MS),  establishing  the 
6th  area  winter  record.  Vir- 
ginia Rails  were  widely  re- 
ported. In  Arkansas,  2 were  near  Pine  Bluff, 
Jefferson  28  Dec  (RDo,  WS,  DS),  and  one  was 
at  Ned’s  L.,  Crawford  6 Jan  (SB,  RK).  Four  at 
the  Starkville  Sewage  Pond  South,  Oktibbeha, 
MS  established  the  6th  area  winter  record, 
while  a Sora  at  the  same  location  was  the  first 
area  winter  record,  both  species  being  record- 
ed throughout  the  period  (TLS).  One  indica- 
tion of  rail  winter  densities  was  established  by 
Steve  Cardiff  and  Donna  Dittman  in 
Louisiana.  On  2 Dec,  they  counted  rails 
hushed  during  an  unusually  late  rice  harvest 
operation  near  Crowley,  Acadia,  LA.  During 
the  operation,  30  Yellow  Rails,  150  Virginia 
Rails,  and  75  Soras  were  recorded.  While 
these  densities  may  be  typical  of  the  season, 
opportunities  to  document  rail  numbers  are 
rare  this  late  in  the  year. 

The  number  of  Sandhill  Cranes  wintering  in 
the  Region  continues  to  increase.  In  Alabama, 
1775  were  at  W.N.W.R.  3 Jan  (CDC,  SGS,  FBI, 
DSM,  KH),  establishing  a new  state  maximum. 
In  Louisiana,  18  Snowy  Plovers  in  Cameron 
3-5  Feb  (BV)  and  24  Wilson’s  Plovers  in 
Lafourche/Jefferson/Plaquemines  23-24  Jan 
(DLD,  SWC,  RD)  were  good  numbers.  Also  in 
Louisiana,  35  Piping  Plovers  were  reported 
from  Lafourchc/Jefferson/Plaquemines  23-24 
Jan  (DLD,  SWC,  RD,  BV),  while  35  were  in 
Cameron  4-5  Feb  (BV).  A Long-billed  Curlew, 
rare  in  se.  Louisiana,  was  on  Grand  I.  6-22  Jan 
(SWC,  DLD,  RDP),  and  2 were  in  Gulfport, 
Harrison,  MS  27  Jan  (CG,  CE). 

Alabama’s  2nd  and  3rd  inland  Pomarine 
Jaegers  were  at  W.F.  George  Dam  10  Dec 
(SWM,  PEL)  and  W.N.W.R.  16-17  Dec  (CAB, 
SWM,  m.ob.),  respectively.  Franklin’s  Gulls 
usually  move  through  the  Region  well  before 
Dec,  so  an  imm.  near  Magnolia  Springs,  Bald- 


win, AL  9 Jan  (RAD,  BMM)  and  an  ad.  at  Ok- 
tibbeha County  L.,  MS  23  Dec-14  Jan  (TLS, 
MS,  DJS)  were  noteworthy.  The  only  Little 
Gulls  reported  were  an  ad.  and  an  imm.  on 
Millwood  L.,  Little  River/Hempstead,  AR  10  & 
23  Dec,  respectively  (CM).  California  Gulls 
are  rare  but  increasingly  regular  in  the  Region. 
In  Arkansas,  an  ad.  was  at  L.  Dardanelle  3 
Dec-28  Feb+  and  an  imm.  was  near  Russell- 
ville, Pope  17  Dec  (p.a.,  KN,  LDN),  while  in 
Louisiana,  an  imm.  was  near  Maurice,  Vennil- 
ion 31  Dec-1  Jan  (PC)  and  an  ad.  was  on  L. 
Pontchartrain,  Orleans  18  Feb  (DBo,JBo).  Up 
to  5 Lesser  Black-backed  Gulls,  in  various 
plumages,  were  near  Magnolia  Springs,  AL,  29 
Dec-19  Feb  (GDJ,  RAD,  BMM,  m.ob.),  and  an 
ad.  was  on  E.  Timbalier  I.  West,  Lafourche,  LA 
23  Jan  (DLD,  RD,  SWC).  In  Alabama,  an  imm. 
Glaucous  Gull  near  Southside,  Etowah  11-27 
Dec  (LW,  NC)  established  the  first  record  for 
the  mt.  region;  and  an  imm.  was  seen  at  sev- 
eral locations  in  Colbert/Lauderdalc/Lawrence 
1 Jan-4  Feb  (DJS,  m.ob.).  Rare  inland,  an 
imm.  Great  Black-backed  Gull  was  in  Gun- 
tersville, AL  1 Jan  (SM). 

The  movement  of  White-winged  Doves  into 
the  Region  has  been  nothing  short  of  amazing. 
In  Alabama,  where  they  now  occur  year-round, 
161  in  Baldwin  30  Dec  (HEH)  established  a 
new  state  maximum.  One  was  in  Monroe,  AR  3 
Jan  (WS,  CR,  AM),  while  200  near  Crowley, 
LA  2 Dec  (DLS,  SWC)  was  a good  number 
away  from  the  coast.  The  only  Inca  Doves  re- 
ported were  3 near  Texarkana,  Miller,  AR  4 Feb 
(CM).  Short-eared  Owls  were  scarce  in  many 
traditional  areas,  with  the  exception  of  the 
Mississippi  R.  Valley  in  Arkansas,  where  4-8 
were  seen  near  Arkansas  City  28  Jan-26  Feb 
(DB,  SDe)  and  near  Jonesboro,  Poinsett,  where 
16  on  17  Feb  (NA,  DB,  SDe,  EM)  established  a 
new  state  maximum.  The  only  lingering  Com- 
mon Nighthawk  was  one  in  Hoover,  Jefferson, 
AL  4 Dec  (PHF).  Vaux’s  Swifts  were  in  Baton 
Rouge,  East  Baton  Rouge,  LA  for  the  5th  con- 
secutive Feb:  7-8  were  reported  there  20-24 
Feb  (DL,  PB,  DBoJBo). 

HUMMINGBIRDS  THROUGH  ORIOLES 

Arkansas’s  first  Broad-billed  Hummingbird 
was  in  White  Hall,  Jefferson  through  the  peri- 
od (BW,  CB,  MBr,  m.ob.),  and  a first-year 
male  was  in  New  Iberia,  Iberia,  LA  13  Dec 
(MJM,  m.ob.).  Eleven  Ruby-throated  Hum- 
mingbirds were  banded  in  Baldwin/Mobile,  AL 
6 Dec-25  Jan  (FB);  another  was  banded  in 
Roland,  Pulaski,  AR  26  Dec  (VM,  MP,  HP). 
Anna’s  Hummingbirds  were  reported  in 
Louisiana  at  New  Iberia  13  Dec-2  Jan  QVFh 
MJM)  and  in  Slidell,  St.  Tammany  28  Dec-2 
Jan  (LB,  PS);  another  was  in  Bay  St.  Louis, 
Hancock,  MS  22  Dec  (JBi,  DBi,  MMy,  CMy). 


244 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


CENTRAL  SOUTHERN 


Alabama’s  first  Costa’s  Hummingbird — and 
the  first  for  the  eastern  United  States — was  an 
imm.  male  in  Montgomery  late  Nov-17  Feb 
(FB,  m.ob.).  An  imm.  male  Broad-tailed 
Hummingbird  was  in  Mobile,  AL  15  Dec 
(FB),  while  an  ad.  female  was  near  Beebe, 
White , AR  7 Jan  (p.a.,  JBe,  WB). 

A lingering  Least  Flycatcher  was  at 
B.S.N.W.R.,  Orleans , LA  4 Dec  (PAW),  while 
one  on  Grand  I.,  LA  7 Jan  (SWC,  DLD)  un- 
doubtedly wintered.  An  ad.  Say’s  Phoebe  was 
at  the  Fayetteville  W.T.P,  AR  25  Feb+  (GM, 
GMa,  m.ob.),  and  an  ad.  male  Vermilion  Fly- 
catcher was  at  W.N.W.R.  19  Nov-10  Feb 
(DBr,  m.ob.),  a first  for  the  Tennessee  Valley 
of  Alabama.  An  Ash-throated  Flycatcher  at 
Eufaula  N.W.R.  12  Dec  (SWM,  PEL)  was  the 
4th  inland  for  Alabama,  while  one  on  the  Gulf 
Shores  C.B.C.  30  Dec  (WJB,  GB,  m.ob.)  was 
more  expected.  A Couch’s  Kingbird,  seen  and 
heard  in  Red  River , LA  2 Jan  (PD,  m.ob.),  was 
a local  first  and  quite  unexpected. 

Rock  Wren  is  recorded  in  the  Region  most 
years,  usually  in  Arkansas.  In  keeping  with 
that  trend,  one  was  at  Millwood  L.  27  Dec-8 
Feb  (CM,  DoH,  DHa,  MD,  m.ob.).  Bewick’s 
Wren,  increasingly  scarce  in  the  e.  United 
States,  was  seen  at  Craighead  Forest  Park, 
Craighead , AR  20  Jan  (NA).  A Sedge  Wren 
was  at  the  Stuttgart  Airport,  Prairie,  AR  16 
Feb  (WS,  MR),  where  rare  in  winter.  A phe- 
nomenal 200  Marsh  Wrens  were  recorded 
during  an  unusually  late  rice  harvest  opera- 
tion near  Crowley,  LA  2 Dec  (SWC,  DLD). 
Two  Townsend’s  Solitaires  were  at  Mount 
Magazine  S.P,  Logan,  AR  18  Dec-23  Jan  and 
possibly  later  (DS,  KN,  LDN).  Providing  Al- 
abama’s 2nd  winter  record  was  a Swainson’s 
Thrush  at  Ft.  Morgan,  Baldwin  10  Dec  (BKF). 
A Wood  Thrush  was  at  St.  Catherine  Creek 
N.W.R.,  Adams,  MS  19  Feb  (WM).  Sprague’s 
Pipit  probably  occurs  more  often  than  report- 
ed. One  was  at  the  Stuttgart  Airport,  AR  3 
Dec-16  Feb  (DS,  WS,  EF  TF),  and  3 were  in 
Caddo,  LA  19  Feb  (TD,JI). 

Yellow  Warblers  are  exceedingly  rare  any- 
where in  the  Region  during  winter.  Singles,  all 
in  Louisiana,  were  in  Acadia  14  Dec  (PH, 
MRi,  AT),  Baton  Rouge  27  Dec-24  Jan  (JS, 
m.ob.),  and  B.S.N.W.R.  16  Jan  (PAW).  Black- 
and-white  Warblers  become  rare  in  the  winter 
away  from  the  coast.  Arkansas  had  reports  of 
a female  at  Cache  River  N.W.R.,  Prairie  15 
Dec  (JM)  and  at  White  River  N.W.R. : a male 
15  Dec  (NB)  in  Desha,  a female  in  Desha  25 
Jan  QR).  and  a male  in  Arkansas  2 Feb  QM). 
In  Louisiana,  single  Northern  Waterthrushes 
were  found  at  B.S.N.W.R.  10  Dec  (PAW)  and 
Lafayette  12  Jan  0WB.  BF).  Rare  in  Alabama 
in  winter,  female  Summer  Tanagers  were 
recorded  in  Anniston  13  Dec-11  Feb  (DeM), 


Mobile  1 Feb  (LF),  and  Tuscaloosa,  Tusca- 
loosa 19  Feb+  (JCH).  A female  Scarlet  Tanag- 
er  was  at  Bon  Secour,  Baldwin,  AL  early 
Dec-early  Feb  (JD,  KD  et  al.).  A male  Western 
Tanager,  rare  during  any  season,  was  in  New 
Orleans,  LA  30  Dec  (PAW). 

Two  American  Tree  Sparrows  in  Clay,  AR 
19  Feb  (DB,  NA)  were  the  only  ones  reported. 
The  20  Lark  Sparrows  in  Caddo,  LA  19  Feb 
(TD,  JI)  made  one  of  the  largest  concentra- 
tions recorded  in  the  Region.  Arkansas’s  2nd 
Lark  Bunting,  an  ad.  male,  was  near  St. 
Charles,  Arkansas  24  Feb+  (p.a.,  JM,  SW, 
m.ob.).  The  only  Henslow’s  Sparrows  report- 
ed, all  in  Arkansas,  were  8 in  Drew  20  Dec 
(EK)  and  one  at  the  Stuttgart  Airport  1 Feb 
(WS,  DS).  Harris’s  Sparrow  records,  both  in 
Arkansas,  were  of  35  in  Maysville,  Benton  14 
Jan  (JN,  MM)  and  4 near  Harrison,  Boone  19 
Feb  (SR).  Sixteen  Smith’s  Longspurs  were  at 
the  Stuttgart  Airport  3 Dec  (DS,  WS,  EF,  TF), 
a normal  number  there  for  winter,  and  one 
was  at  Ft.  Chaffee,  Sebastian,  AR  8 Dec  (WS). 
Arkansas’s  4th  Snow  Bunting  was  a male  at 
Mount  Magazine  S.P  17  Dec  (p.a.,  DS). 

An  ad.  male  Black-headed  Grosbeak  was  in 
Lafayette,  LA  29  Nov-6  Dec+  (SS),  and  a first- 
year  male  was  in  Reserve,  St.John,  LA  10  Jan 
(RJS).  Rare  inland  in  winter,  single  male  Indi- 
go Buntings  were  in  Anniston,  AL  11  Dec 
(DeM)  and  Parkway  Village,  Pulaski,  AR  5 Jan 
(HP,  MP,  LY).  A Dickcissel  was  in  Mobile,  AL 
18  Feb  (CH).  Alabama’s  2nd  confirmed  West- 
ern Meadowlark  in  30  years  was  on  Dauphin 
I.  24  Feb  (p.a.,  BG,  m.ob.),  while  7 were  in 
Maysville,  AR  14  Jan  (JN,  MM).  In  Fouisiana, 
male  Orchard  Orioles  were  in  Reserve  28 
Dec+  (RJS,  NFN)  and  New  Orleans  18  Feb 
(DBo,  JBo).  Up  to  2 Bullock’s  Orioles  were  in 
New  Orleans,  FA  Oct-27  Jan  (IC,  PAW),  and 
an  imm.  male  was  in  Kaplan,  Vermilion,  LA  26 
Dec  (MMo,  KM,  RM,  ED).  Baltimore  Orioles 
were  widely  reported.  In  Alabama,  a male  was 
in  Silverhill,  Baldwin  21  Dec  (BS);  an  ad.  fe- 
male was  in  Gabon,  Marengo  11  Jan  (JSe, 
DSe);  and  an  ad.  male  was  in  Montgomery  27 
Jan  (CHA).  In  Louisiana,  an  imm.  female  was 
in  Batture,  Jefferson  22  Jan  (PAW);  3-4  were 
in  New  Orleans  4-5  Feb  (PAW);  and  5 were  at 
a different  location  in  New  Orleans  18  Feb 
(DBo,  JBo). 

Contributors  (subregional  editors  in  bold- 
face): Bill  Alexander,  Carol  H.  Alford,  Bill  Al- 
lain  (BA1),  Nick  Andich,  Eric  Balca,  Nathon 
Banheld,  Tim  Barr,  Fred  Bassett,  Dick  Baxter, 
Linda  Beall,  James  W.  Beck,  Jim  Bednarz, 
Phred  Benharn,  T.  J.  Benson,  Eric  Beohm 
(EBe),  Michael  Beohm,  Sandy  Berger,  Jerry 
Berner  (JBe),  Wilma  Berner,  Debbie  Bird  (DBi), 
Jerry  Bird  (JBi),  Faye  Blankenship  (FBI),  Devin 


Bosler  (DBo),  Justin  Bosler  (JBo),  Chester 
Branch,  Maxine  Branch  (MBr),  Greta  Bremser, 
William  J.  Bremser,  Craig  A.  Brown,  Dick 
Bruer  (DBr),  Steven  W.  Cardiff,  David  Chap- 
man, Uze  Choi,  Paul  Conover,  C.  Dwight  Coo- 
ley, Stephanie  Cribbs,  Neil  Cronic,  Eleanor 
Dartez,  Terry  Davis,  Harry  Dean,  Sue  Dean, 
Richard  DeMay,  Sarah  DeViney  (SDe),  Jim 
Dickerson,  Paul  Dickson,  Kate  Dillon,  Mike 
Dillon,  Donna  L.  Dittman,  Robert  Doster 
(RDo),  Lucy  R.  Duncan,  Robert  A.  Duncan, 
Claire  English,  Beau  Falgout,  Ellen  Fennell, 
Tom  Fennell,  Barry  K.  Fleming,  Linda  Floyd, 
Paul  H.  Franklin,  Lawrence  F Gardella,  Ben 
Garmon,  David  P.  George,  Richard  Gibbons, 
Dave  Grant,  Martha  Grant,  Colinda  Green, 
John  C.  Hall,  Dana  Hamilton,  Stan  Hamilton, 
Kevin  Hamrick,  Dolores  Harrington  (DHa), 
Donald  Harrington  (DoH),  Robert  Herron, 
Chazz  Hesselein,  Geoff  E.  Hill,  Joe  Himmel, 
Patti  Holland,  Howard  E.  Horne,  Sharon  S. 
Hudgins,  Jay  V.  Huner,  Jim  Ingold,  Debra  G. 
Jackson,  Greg  D.  Jackson  (Alabama),  Erik  I. 
Johnson,  Martha  Johnson,  Ragupathy  Kannan, 
Eran  Kilpatrick,  Joe  Kleinian  (Louisiana), 
Gene  Knight,  Shannon  Knight,  Elias  Landry, 
Daniel  Lane,  Paul  E.  Lehman,  Jan  Lloyd, 
Charles  Lyon,  Erin  Macchia,  George  Martin, 
Ginnie  Martin  (GMa),  Steve  Matherly,  Delos 
McCauley,  Steve  W.  McConnell,  William 
McGehee,  Don  McKee  (DMc),  Debbie  McKen- 
zie (DeM),  Jimmy  McMorran,  Vicky  Miller, 
Charles  Mills,  Mike  Mlodinow,  Daphne  S. 
Moland.  E.V.  Moore,  Kelly  Morvant,  Marilyn 
Morvant  (MMo),  Ray  Morvant,  Allan  Mueller, 
Michael  J.  Musumeche,  David  P Muth,  B.  Mac 
Myers,  Colleen  Myers  (CMy),  Mark  Myers 
(MMy),  Joe  Neal,  Nancy  F.  Newfield,  Kenny 
Nichols,  La  Donna  Nichols,  Joel  Okula,  Helen 
Parker  (Arkansas),  Max  Parker,  Wayne  Patter- 
son, John  Pitre,  Phil  Purifoy,  Robert  D. 
Purrington,  Herschel  Raney,  Mike  Resch,  Lin- 
da B.  Reynolds,  Richard  A.  Reynolds,  Molly 
Richard  (MRi),  Catherine  Rideout,  Sheree 
Rogers,  Jeremy  Russell,  Jacob  Saucier,  Stacy 
Scarce,  Dan  Scheiman,  Marion  Schiefer,  Ter- 
ence L.  Schiefer  (Mississippi),  Steve  G.  Seib- 
ert. Rosemary  Seidler,  Don  Self  DSe),  Judy  Self 
(JSe),  William  Shepherd,  Peggy  Siegert,  Amy 
Silvano,  Damien  J.  Simbeck,  Don  Simons 
(DSi),  Carolyn  T.  Snow,  Phil  Snow  (PSn), 
Ronald  J.  Stein,  Jack  Stewart  (JSt),  Bill  Sum- 
merour,  Wayne  Syron  (WSy),  Angela  Trahan, 
Bill  Vermillion,  Phillip  A.  Wallace.  Sarah 
Warner,  Melvin  Weber,  Lorna  West,  Becky 
Wheeler,  Lyndal  York.  ® 


C.  Dwight  Cooley,  U.S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service,  Wheeler 
National  Wildlife  Refuge  Complex,  2700  Refuge  Headquar- 
ters Road,  Decatur,  Alabama  35603,  (sabrewing@earth- 
link.net) 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


245 


Northern  Canada 


Cameron  D.  Eckert 


Northerners  put  up  with  the  cold  but 
love  the  snow.  The  same  is  true  for 
northern  birds  that  use  snow  to  their 
advantage  to  survive  intensely  cold  condi- 
tions. The  delight  that  greeted  southern 
Yukon’s  copious  late-fall  snow  turned  to  dis- 
belief when  an  early  December  melt  set  in. 
The  remainder  of  the  winter  saw  very  little 
snow,  with  one  nasty  cold  snap  toward  the 
end  of  the  season.  Northwest  Territories  ex- 
perienced the  warmest  winter  on  record:  tem- 
peratures for  the  period  were  about  6°  C 
above  average,  with  the  Slave  River  valley  in 
the  southeast  experiencing  the  greatest  in- 
crease over  seasonal  norms.  A few  unusual 
bird  records  may  be  attributable  to  these  tem- 
peratures. Our  appreciation,  as  always,  goes 
to  the  diligent  contributors  who  seek  out 
signs  of  bird  life  during  the  long  dark  season. 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  OWLS 

The  traditional  wintering  flock  of  Mallards  at 
McIntyre  Cr.  wetlands  in  Whitehorse,  s. 
Yukon  numbered  22  on  26  Dec  (CE).  A male 
Lesser  Scaup  at  Carcross,  s.  Yukon  9-17  Dec 
(CE;  HG,  RH;  DK;  PS)  provided  a rare  winter 
record.  A count  of  9 Common  Eiders  was 
made  on  the  Rankin  Inlet,  Nunavut  C.B.C.  27 
Dec  (BZ).  The  waters  below  the  Whitehorse 
dam,  s.  Yukon  have  proven  to  be  the  Region’s 
winter  hotspot  for  Barrow’s  Goldeneye;  an  ad. 
male  seen  there  29  Dec-31  Jan  (BB;  ph.  HG) 
provided  the  only  report  of  the  season.  Yel- 
lowknife’s surprise  C.B.C.  bird  was  a lone  Buf- 
flehead  on  the  Yellowknife  R.  2 Jan  ( fide  VJ). 
The  count  of  58  Willow  Ptarmigan  on  the 
Norman  Wells  C.B.C.  27  Dec  (RP)  was  up 
slightly  from  previous  years  and  furnished  the 
high  total  for  the  Northwest  Territories 
counts.  The  Willow  Ptarmigan  count  (7)  nar- 
rowly edged  out  Common  Raven  (4)  as  the 
more  common  of  the  two  species  on  the  Arvi- 


at,  Nunavut  C.B.C.  1 Jan  (fide  MS). 
Rankin  Inlet,  Nunavut  reported  the 
only  Rock  Ptarmigan,  with  4 on  27 
Dec  ( fide  BZ),  and  the  only  Sharp- 
tailed Grouse  recorded  were  at  Nor- 
mal Wells,  NWT,  with  4 on  27  Dec 
(fide  RP). 

A late  Bald  Eagle  was  seen  during 
an  aerial  moose  survey  near  the 
Northwest  Territories/Alberta  bor- 
der w.  of  Ft.  Smith,  NWT  12  Dec 
(LG).  The  Yukon’s  ever-reliable  win- 
tering pair  of  Bald  Eagles  was  right 
on  cue  at  McIntyre  Cr.  for  the  26 
Dec  Whitehorse  C.B.C.  (CE). 
Northern  Goshawks  seen  in  the 
Sahtu  region,  NWT  included  one  on  9 Dec  at 
Prohibition  Cr.,  one  eating  a freshly  killed 
Snowshoe  Hare  7 Jan  at  Vermillion  Cr.,  and 
one  on  6 Feb  at  Norman  Wells  airport  (RP). 
Unusual  in  winter  was  a dark-morph  Gyrfal- 
con  at  Norman  Wells  7 Jan  (DF).  Southern 
Yukon  seemed  poised  for  a strong  showing  of 
Northern  Hawk  Owls  until  the  rapid  melt  in 


WOODPECKERS  THROUGH 
WEAVER  FINCHES 

A Pileated  Woodpecker  seen  during  count 
week  in  Yellowknife,  NWT  (fide  VJ)  provided 
a rare  winter  record.  A Northern  Shrike, 
scarce  in  winter,  was  noted  at  Shallow  Bay,  s. 
Yukon  2 Dec  (CM).  A Steller’s  Jay  at  Tagish,  s. 
Yukon  14  Feb+  (CA,  CR)  may  be  the  same 
one  that  has  been  seen  in  the  area  for  the  past 
few  years.  It’s  a lonely  life  for  the  single  Black- 
billed Magpie  in  Norman  Wells,  NWT,  which 
has  been  counted  on  the  C.B.C.  for  the  past 
five  years  (RP).  Yellowknife  continues  its 
reign  as  the  Region’s  “Raven  Capital,”  with  a 
count  of  1218  on  the  2 Jan  C.B.C.  (fide  VJ); 
Whitehorse  was  a close  runner-up,  with  1075 
on  26  Dec  (fide  WN);  and  Nunavut’s  highest 
total  was  turned  in  by  Cambridge  Bay,  300  km 
n.  of  the  Arctic  Circle,  with  54  on  14  Dec 
(BZ).  Nunavut  participants  in  the  Great  Back- 
yard Bird  Count  (17-20  Feb)  from  Artie  Bay, 
Iqualuit,  and  Kugluktuk  reported  Common 
Raven  as  the  lone  species  seen  (fide  GBBC 
website).  Mountain  Chickadee  is  highly  local- 


The Yukon's  first  Northern  Mockingbird,  discovered  in  Whitehorse  in  November  2005,  proved  elusive  until  19  December,  when 
it  finally  posed  for  this  photograph.  Apparently,  it  survived  until  mid-January.  Photograph  by  Cameron  D.  Eckert. 


early  Dec  severely  reduced  the  snow  cover;  as 
snow  conditions  slowly  improved,  a few  were 
seen  in  the  Whitehorse  area,  and  3 were 
recorded  on  the  Haines  Junction  C.B.C.  27 
Dec  (fide  DH).  In  Northwest  Territories,  sin- 
gle Northern  Hawk  Owls  were  reported  at 
Norman  Wells  the  last  week  of  Dec  (RP),  at 
Hay  River  for  much  of  the  winter  (BL),  and  at 
Ft.  Simpson  25  & 27  Feb  (PK,  RK;  JT).  A 
Snowy  Owl,  first  seen  in  Nov,  lingered  long 
enough  to  provide  a C.B.C.  record  at  Norman 
Wells,  NWT  27  Dec  (RP). 


ized  in  the  Region,  occurring  only  in  s. 
Yukon;  C.B.C.  totals  this  year  included  5 in 
Carcross  17  Dec  (fide  DK),  one  at  Marsh  Lake 
18  Dec  (fide  HG),  3 in  Whitehorse  26  Dec 
(fide  WN),  and  one  in  Haines  Junction  on  27 
Dec  (fide  DH).  A Red-breasted  Nuthatch,  a 
winter  rarity  in  Northwest  Territories,  was  at 
Ft.  Smith  through  the  season  (SS,  WS). 

It  has  been  just  over  10  years  since  the  last 
winter  report  of  Golden-crowned  Kinglet; 
this  year,  a count  of  5 was  made  on  the  Car- 
cross  C.B.C.  17  Dec  (fide  DK),  and  5 were 


246 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


NORTHERN  CANADA 


This  Song  Sparrow,  first  seen  in  Whitehorse  in  autumn  2005  (here  1 6 December),  provided  the  Yukon's  first  winter  record  and 
was  a hardy  bird,  surviving  a cold  spell  with  temperatures  down  to  -40  degrees  C.  Photograph  by  Cameron  D.  Eckert. 


noted  on  the  lower  slopes  of  Montana  Mt.  at 
Carcross  28  Feb  (ph.  CE).  The  Yukon’s  winter 
prize,  a Northern  Mockingbird,  first  spotted 
13  Nov,  finally  stayed  in  one  place  long 
enough  for  a photograph  19  Dec  (ph.  CE,  PH, 
HG);  it  was  seen  infrequently  through  14  Jan 
(CE;  GP;  AS,  CS)  but  not  thereafter.  The  Re- 
gions only  reported  American  Robin  lingered 
long  enough  to  be  recorded  on  the  Ft.  Smith, 
NWT  C.B.C.  19  Dec  (JM).  Bohemian 
Waxwings  wintered  in  Ft.  Simpson,  NWT, 
where  16  were  on  the  C.B.C.  17  Dec  (JC,  JO). 
Large  flocks  of  many  hundreds  of  Bohemian 
Waxwings  seen  in  Whitehorse,  s.  Yukon  from 
late  fall  through  early  winter  had  all  but  dis- 
appeared by  the  26  Dec  C.B.C.;  a late  winter 


flock  of  30  in  Dawson  28  Feb  (ML)  may  have 
been  a vanguard  of  spring. 

Rare  sparrows  in  Whitehorse,  s.  Yukon 
were  a Song  Sparrow  first  reported  in  late  fall 
that  apparently  survived  through  the  winter 


(ph.  CE;  HG)  and  a White-throated  Sparrow 
26  Dec-18  Jan  (MW;  ph.  HG;  AR;  HS). 
White-crowned  Sparrow  reports,  all  from  s. 
Yukon,  included  an  imm.  in  Whitehorse  8 
Dec+  (BaS,  BoS;  HG),  an  ad.  near  Shallow  Bay 
1 Dec+  (CM,  KO),  and  an  ad.  in  Whitehorse 
26  Dec  (CO,  HG).  Dark-eyed  Juncos  were  re- 
ported in  small  numbers  in  the  Whitehorse 
area  and  Teslin,  s.  Yukon;  elsewhere  in  the  Re- 
gion, 4 were  recorded  on  the  Norman  Wells 
C.B.C.  27  Dec  (fide  RP);  3 were  at  Nahanni 
Butte,  NWT  through  the  winter  (GB,  MV); 
one  was  recorded  on  the  Mayo,  cen.  Yukon 
C.B.C.  29  Dec  (fide  MOD);  and  most  impres- 
sive was  one  that  survived  all  winter  in  Daw- 
son, cen.  Yukon,  where  temperatures  got 
down  to  -46°  C (ML).  Small  numbers  of  Snow 
Buntings  were  reported  across  s.  Yukon 
through  the  season. 

A Pine  Grosbeak  was  picked  from  the  top 
of  a spruce  tree  and  eaten  by  a Common 
Raven  in  Whitehorse,  s.  Yukon  16  Feb  (MW). 
The  bumper  crop  of  White  Spruce  cones  like- 
ly contributed  to  higher-than-average  num- 
bers of  Pine  Grosbeaks  around  Hay  River, 
NWT  (BL)  and  Ft.  Simpson,  NWT  (DT, 
m.ob.).  Red  Crossbills  were  seen  in  higher- 
than-normal  numbers  through  the  season  in 
Whitehorse  e.  to  Teslin,  s.  Yukon.  The  abun- 
dant White  Spruce  cone  crop  in  s.  Yukon  and 
sw.  Northwest  Territories  attracted  high  num- 
bers of  White-winged  Crossbills.  Redpoll 
numbers  were  very  low  throughout  much  of 
the  Yukon,  and  the  typical  late-winter  build- 
up never  materialized.  Hoary  Redpolls  were 
common  in  Ft.  Simpson,  NWT  in  early  win- 
ter, with  216  counted  on  the  17  Dec  C.B.C. 


Extremely  rare  in  winter,  a few  Golden-crowned  Kinglets 
were  noted  around  Carcross  in  southern  Yukon  in  winter 
2005-2006  (here  28  February  2006). 
Photograph  by  Cameron  D.  Eckert. 


(fide  DT);  however,  both  Hoary  and  Common 
Redpolls  became  much  less  common  as  win- 
ter progressed.  A flock  of  a dozen  Hoary  Red- 
polls on  11  Dec  was  the  only  non-raven  re- 
port from  Iqaluit,  Nunavut  during  this  period 
(MM).  It  is  not  clear  if  2 Pine  Siskins  seen  26 
Feb  in  Teslin,  s.  Yukon  (BeS)  were  wintering 
birds  or  early  spring  migrants.  House  Spar- 
rows are  found  in  just  a few  settlements  in  the 
Region,  as  evidenced  by  C.B.C.  totals  of  48  in 
Ft.  Simpson,  NWT  17  Dec  (fide  DT),  201  in 
Yellowknife,  NWT  1 Jan  (fide  VJ),  and  13  in 
Arviat,  Nunavut  1 Jan  (MS). 

Contributors  (subregional  editors  in  bold- 
face): Clay  Anderson,  Brian  Bell,  George  Bet- 
saka,  Justin  Carre,  Steve  Catto,  Cameron  Eck- 
ert, Dave  Fowler,  Helmut  Griinberg,  Libby 
Gunn,  Rick  Halladay,  David  Henry,  Vicky 
Johnston,  Dan  Kemble,  Paul  Kraft,  Robin 
Kraft,  Maria  Ledergerber,  Bea  Lepine,  Mark 
Mallory,  Clay  Martin,  John  McKinnon, 
Wendy  Nixon,  Mark  O’Donoghue,  Jen  Olsen, 
Clive  Osbourne,  Katie  Ostrom,  Gerry  Perrier, 
Richard  Popko,  Claudia  Rector,  Aria  Repka, 
Ben  Schonewille  (BeS),  Michael  Setterington, 
Alex  Simmons,  Carolyn  Simmons,  Pam  Sin- 


A dramatic  early  December  melt  likely  made  life  difficult 
for  the  numerous  Northern  Hawk  Owls  that  turned  up  in 
southern  Yukon  in  late  fall  2005.  A few,  such  as  this  one 
photographed  7 January  2006  at  Whitehorse,  toughed 
it  out  and  remained  in  the  area  for  the  winter. 

Photograph  by  Cameron  D.  Eckert. 

clair,  Susan  Starling,  Wayne  Starling,  Helen 
Stuart,  Barbara  Studds  (BaS),  Bob  Studds 
(BoS),  Douglas  Tate  (Northwest  Territories), 
Jonathan  Tsetso,  Morris  Vital  Mary  Whitley, 
Brian  Zawadski.  O 


Cameron  D.  Eckert,  1402  Elm  Street,  Whitehorse,  Yukon, 
Y1A  4B6,  (cdeckert@northwestel.net) 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


247 


Prairie  Provinces 


Rudolf  F.  Koes 


'Hjp  he  winter  of  2005-2006  was  the 
mildest  on  record  for  Canada,  with 
both  Alberta  and  Saskatchewan  regis- 
tering 6°  C above  normal.  It  was  so  balmy  in 
January  that  ground-squirrel  activity  was  not- 
ed in  Alberta.  A few  brief  cold  snaps  occurred 
in  December,  with  a somewhat  longer  spell  in 
the  second  half  of  February.  Snow  cover 
ranged  from  above-average  in  southeastern 
Manitoba  to  almost  non-existent  in  much  of 
Saskatchewan  and  Alberta.  Several  species  es- 
tablished first  winter  records,  particularly  in 
Manitoba.  Winter  finches  were  at  their  lowest 
levels  in  decades,  whereas  several  owl  species 
were  locally  common. 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  RAPTORS 

A Cackling  Goose  at  Winnipeg,  MB  24  Nov-2 
Jan  provided  the  first  provincial  winter  record 
(RN,  JP,  m.ob.,  ph.) . Others  were  noted  on 
C.B.C.s  at  Estevan,  SK  and  Gardiner  Dam,  SK, 
and  5 were  reported  in  Calgary  28  Jan  (RW). 
A swan  at  Windygates,  MB  28  Feb  may  well 
have  been  a Trumpeter,  given  the  early  date 
(fide  AS).  Two  Northern  Shovelers  overwin- 


tered at  Frank  L.,  AB  (m.ob.).  An  imm.  male 
King  Eider  at  L.  Minnewanka,  Banff  N.P. 
17-26  Dec  was  found  predated  on  the  latter 
date  (PP  RS,  TF,  JR,  m.ob.,  ph.).  It  represented 
only  the  2nd  record  for  Alberta,  the  other  be- 
ing an  1894  specimen!  A lone  White-winged 
Scoter  at  Great  Falls,  MB  1-3  Dec  (PT,  m.ob.) 
and  2 at  Cold  L.,  AB  10  Dec  (TH,  m.ob.)  were 
late.  A Ruddy  Duck  overwintered  at  Frank  L. 
(m.ob.).  Wintering  waterbirds  at  Wabamun 
L.,  AB  included  15  Tundra  Swans,  a Trumpeter 
Swan,  10  Greater  Scaup,  a White-winged  Scot- 
er, 300  Common  Mergansers,  2 Horned 
Grebes,  a Red-necked  Grebe,  7 Western 
Grebes,  2 Double-crested  Cormorants,  and 
240  American  Coots  (fide  MH). 

A total  of  14  Wild  Turkeys  on  C.B.C.s  at 
Broadview,  Kyle  and  Leader,  SK  were  found 
away  from  established  populations  and  pre- 
sumably resulted  from  recent  releases.  A tardy 
Pacific  Loon  was  retrieved  for  rehabilitation 
just  across  the  Saskatchewan  border  near  Flin 
Flon,  MB  4 Dec  (fide  KD).  Great  Blue  Herons 
lingered  at  Chain  Lakes  P.P,  AB  until  at  least  2 
Feb  (J&MM)  and  at  Elie,  MB  until  29  Dec 
(DS).  One  near  Elkhorn,  MB  27  Feb  may  well 
have  been  an  early  migrant  (KE).  An  injured 
Turkey  Vulture  at  New  Bergthal,  MB  9 Dec 
provided  the  first  confirmed  winter  record  for 
the  province  (fide  AS).  A Northern  Harrier  at 
Douglas,  MB  27  Feb  was  probably  an  early  mi- 
grant (ES).  Continuing  a trend  of  the  past  few 
years,  Sharp-shinned  Hawks  wintered  in  num- 
bers, with  sightings  at  Brandon,  Dauphin, 
Holland,  Kleefeld  and  Winnipeg,  all  in  Mani- 
toba, and  at  Saskatoon,  SK.  Rough-legged 
Hawks  lingered  in  numbers  until  early  Janu- 
ary, with  a few  remaining  through  the  season. 
Six  Gyrfalcons  were  reported  in  Manitoba, 


while  4 visited  Saskatchewan.  Manitoba  had 
two  Prairie  Falcons  and  Saskatchewan  6.  Both 
species  were  well  represented  in  s.  Alberta. 

SH0REBIRDS  THROUGH 
WOODPECKERS 

Two  Wilsons  Snipe  wintered  at  Mt.  Lorette, 
AB  (PS).  Few  gulls  lingered,  but  Cold  L.  har- 
bored 10  Ring-billed,  22  Herring,  one  Thay- 
er’s, and  one  Glaucous  10  Dec  (TH,  m.ob.). 
Burgeoning  numbers  of  Eurasian  Collared- 
Doves  were  found  in  Saskatchewan,  with  up 
to  20  at  Estevan  (KH),  3 at  Kyle  2 Jan  (fide 
DZ),  30  at  Moose  Jaw  29  Dec  (DC),  25  at 
Swift  Current  31  Dec  (fide  RJ),  and  4 at  Wey- 
burn  18  Dec  (D&VT).  Two  were  at  Winkler, 
MB,  a new  location,  27  Feb+  (LBr).  Up  to  8 
Mourning  Doves  frequented  one  Estevan  lo- 
cation (KH). 

The  mild  weather  triggered  one  Winnipeg 
Great  Horned  Owl  pair  to  lay  eggs  by  mid- 
Jan,  record-early  by  a month  and  a half,  based 
on  photographs  of  month-old  young  in  mid- 
Mar  (ph.  DSw).  Snowy  Owls  were  present  in 
good  numbers  across  the  s.  part  of  all  three 
provinces,  with  up  to  8 in  a day  noted  e.  of 
Calgary  (TK),  while  10  were  near  Kronau,  SK 
20  Dec  (SW)  and  11  were  spotted  between 
Regina  and  Swift  Current  25  Dec  (GK).  Great 
Gray  Owls  and  Northern  Hawk  Owls  were 
prominent  in  se.  Manitoba,  particularly  the 
latter  species,  with  a maximum  count  of  34 
on  28  Feb  (PT,  RK).  Elsewhere,  these  species 
were  scarcer  than  in  the  past  few  years,  al- 
though 7 hawk  owls  were  found  on  the 
Squaw  Rapids,  SK  C.B.C.  5 Jan  (GW,  MS).  An 
amazing  concentration  of  Short-eared  Owls 
was  present  at  Beaverhill  L.,  AB.  Up  to  100 
birds  could  be  seen  in  one  area;  hundreds 


This  Cackling  Goose,  here  with  two  Canada  Geese,  lingered  on  the  Assiniboine  River  at  Winnipeg,  Manitoba  until  2 January  2006  (here  on  the  Winnipeg  Christmas  Bird  Count,  18  December 

2005).  It  provided  the  province  with  its  first  winter  record  of  the  species.  Photograph  by  Christian  Artuso. 


248 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


PRAIRIE  PROVINCES 


A remarkable  trio  of  wren  species  highlighted  a list  of  unusual  lingering  passerines  in  Manitoba  and  Saskatchewan.  A 
Carolina  Wren  first  seen  at  Delta,  MB  in  summer  2005  survived  until  1 Feb  (HD,  m.ob.,  ph.  CA),  while  another  at 
Pinawa,  MB  was  present  mid-Nov-22  Jan  (AD,  LC  et  al.,  NB,  ph.),  furnishing  the  2nd  and  3rd  winter  records  for  the  province 
and  Region.  Also  at  Delta,  a Winter  Wren  28  Feb  (HD)  was  likely  the  same  bird  seen  there  20-21  Nov  2005  (BC,  LD),  finally 
living  up  to  its  name  with  a first  Manitoba  winter  record.  Another  provincial  winter  first  was  a Marsh  Wren  at  Stalwart 
Marsh,  SK  23  Jan  {fide  BL),  as  was  an  Orange-crowned  Warbler  at  a Lorette,  MB  feeder  Nov-16  Feb  (MW,  m.ob.).  Almost 
as  unusual  was  Saskatchewan's  2nd  winter  Ruby-crowned  Kinglet,  observed  at  Coldwell  Park  17  Dec  (WR,  JJ). 


were  likely  present  (LP,  m.ob.).  Gradual  dry- 
ing of  the  lake  had  apparently  created  ideal 
habitat  for  voles.  A Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker 
at  Winnipeg  28  Dec-21  Mar  provided  Mani- 
toba’s first  winter  record  (K&MK,  m.ob.,  ph.). 

PASSERINES 

Horned  Lark  migration  was  noted  as  early  as 
late  Jan  in  Alberta  (TK).  Boreal  Chickadees 
were  outside  their  usual  haunts  at  Pike  L.,  SK 
11  Dec  (DN)  and  6 Jan  (FR),  plus  two  Regina 
locations  (BE  et  al.).  A Pygmy  Nuthatch  visit- 
ing a feeder  at  Treherne,  MB  during  Jan  was 
well  described  but  unfortunately  not  con- 
firmed (fide  LV). 

An  American  Dipper  at  Eastend,  SK  4-28 
Dec  was  a good  find  (HJ,  BG,  m.ob.).  Golden- 
crowned  Kinglets  remained  in  larger  numbers 
than  usual  in  s.  Manitoba,  with  multiples  not- 
ed at  Brandon  (CC),  Grosse  Isle  (KG),  Mor- 
den  (LB),  Pinawa  (RZ),  Seven  Sisters  Falls 
(m.ob.),  Winnipeg  (m.ob.),  and  elsewhere. 

Varied  Thrushes  were  prominent  in  Mani- 
toba, with  7 birds  reported,  whereas  only  2 
were  noted  in  Saskatchewan.  For  the  2nd  year 


in  a row,  a Northern  Mockingbird  wintered  in 
Alberta.  Found  10  Dec  at  Nanton,  it  remained 
into  Mar  (KO,  RR,  m.ob.,  ph.).  A Brown 
Thrasher  at  Fort  Qu’Appelle  17  Dec  furnished 
the  4th  C.B.C.  record  of  the  species  for 
Saskatchewan.  Bohemian  Waxwings  were 


widespread  and  in  high  numbers,  e.g.,  35,298 
on  the  Edmonton,  AB  C.B.C.  and  20,012  on 
the  Calgary  C.B.C.,  both  on  18  Dec,  and  a 
flock  of  2000+  at  Saskatoon  18  Feb  (m.ob.).  A 
late  Cape  May  Warbler  was  at  Calgary  1 Dec 
(BJ);  several  others  were  reported  without  de- 
tails in  Alberta  until  mid-month. 

An  Eastern  Towhee  at  Regina  26  Dec-3  Jan 
was  out  of  range  and  a winter  rarity  (SW,  BL, 
JC,  m.ob.).  The  Fort  Walsh,  SK  C.B.C.  tallied 
92  American  Tree  Sparrows,  including  a flock 
of  57  on  17  Dec  (GW,  JC1,  BE).  A Swamp 
Sparrow  lingered  at  St.  Norbert,  MB  until  ear- 
ly Feb  (AA,  m.ob.),  while  a Song  Sparrow  was 
at  Eden,  MB  18  Dec  (RD).  Calgary  had  single 
White-crowned  Sparrows  12  Dec-26  Feb 
(JG)  and  24  Dec  (A&DW).  Snow  Bunting 
numbers  were  poor  in  s.  Alberta  (TK). 

A Northern  Cardinal  present  since  fall  at 
Regina  disappeared  in  mid-Feb;  4 were  noted 
in  s.  Manitoba  (m.ob.).  Western  Meadowlarks 
rarely  survive  through  winter  in  Manitoba, 
but  singles  at  Grosse  Isle  from  fall  until  24 
Feb+  (J&JM,  KG)  and  near  Virden  18  Feb 
(CH)  may  well  have  done  so.  Icterids  were 


generally  scarce,  but  a feedlot  near  Strath- 
more, AB  held  a Red-winged  Blackbird,  2 
Rusty  Blackbirds,  7 Brewer’s  Blackbirds,  and  a 
Brown-headed  Cowbird  31  Dec  (BW).  Most 
of  these  birds,  including  the  cowbird,  a win- 
ter rarity,  were  still  present  at  seasons  end 


(TK). 

Feeders  in  small  towns  across  s.  Manitoba 
attracted  dozens  of  American  Goldfinches, 
but  otherwise  winter  finches  were  exceeding- 
ly scarce  through  the  Region.  Crossbills  went 
almost  unreported,  and  Common  Redpolls 
were  at  their  lowest  in  decades.  Not  one 
Hoary  Redpoll  was  reported  in  the  south. 

Observers  (provincial  compilers  in  boldface): 
C.  Artuso,  A.  Aug,  L.  Blanchette,  L.  Braun 
(LBr),  N.  Bremner,  Brad  Carey,  J.  Clarke,  D. 
Cork,  L.  Crosthwaite,  C.  Cuthbert,  L.  de 
March,  R.  Deiney,  H.  den  Haan,  K.  De  Smet, 
M.  De  Timmerman,  A.  Drabyk,  K.  Elliott,  B. 
Ewart,  T.  Fujimori,  K.  Gardner,  B.  Gebhardt, 
J.  Goldsmith,  M.  Harrison,  K.  Hedegard,  C. 
Hernandez,  T.  Hindmarch,  J.  Jensen,  R. 
Jensen,  B.  Johner,  H.  Johnson,  R.  Koes,  T.  Ko- 
tolyk,  G.  Kratzig,  K.  & M.  Krieger,  B.  Luter- 


Another  winter  first  for  Manitoba,  this  Yellow-bellied  Sap- 
sucker  was  found  28  December  2005  and  survived  until  at 
least  21  March  (here  6 February)  2006  at  a suet  feeder  in 
downtown  Winnipeg.  The  previous  latest  fall  date  was  29 
October.  Photograph  by  Christian  Artuso. 

bach,  J.  &J.  Minaker,  J.  & M.  Macdonald,  D. 
Neves,  R.  Nickel,  K.  Ottenbreit,  J.  Peters,  R 
Poole,  L.  Priestly,  W.  Renaud,  J.  Rogers,  R. 
Rowell,  E Roy,  E.  Schmitz,  A.  Schritt.  P.  Sher- 
rington, R.  Sommerhalder,  D.  Steppler,  M. 
Stoffel,  D.  Swayze  (DSw),  P Taylor,  D.  & V 
Thomas,  L.  Veelma,  G.  Wapple,  S.  Weir,  A.  & 
D.  Wieckowski,  B.  Wilson,  M.  Wojnowski,  R. 
Worona,  R.  Zach,  D.  Zazelenchuk.  I© 


Rudolf  F.  Koes,  135  Rossmere  Crescent,  Winnipeg,  Mani- 
toba R2K  0G1,  (rkoes@mts.net); 

Peter  Taylor,  P.0.  Box  597,  Pinawa,  Manitoba  ROE  110, 
(taylorp@granite.mb.ca) 


This  Pacific  Loon  was  rescued  just  across  the  Saskatchewan  border  near  Flin  Flon,  Manitoba  on  4 December  2005  and  sent  for 
rehabilitation  to  Winnipeg,  Manitoba.  It  gave  the  province  its  first  winter  record  of  the  species.  Photograph  by  Harvey  Schmidt. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


249 


Northern  Great  Plains 


Ron  Martin 


The  Region  experienced  one  of  the 
mildest  winters  on  record.  December 
temperatures  were  well  above  average, 
followed  by  record-breaking  temperatures  in 
January.  The  average  January  temperature  in 
Minot,  North  Dakota  was  28.3°  F,  five  degrees 
above  the  previous  high  mark.  In  Grand 
Forks,  North  Dakota,  the  January  tempera- 
ture was  16°  F above  average.  For  the  first 
time  in  recorded  history,  the  temperature  did 
not  go  below  zero  in  January  in  Bismarck  and 
Minot,  North  Dakota.  In  Malta,  Montana,  the 
temperature  did  not  go  below  zero  from  22 
December  through  15  February.  Colder  tem- 
peratures returned  by  mid-February,  with 
most  areas  recording  below-average  tempera- 
tures for  the  month. 

As  is  not  uncommon  in  the  Northern  Great 
Plains,  precipitation  amounts  varied  widely. 
Eastern  North  Dakota  had  average  precipita- 
tion, but  the  western  Dakotas  were  devoid  of 
snow  for  most  of  the  winter.  In  eastern  Mon- 
tana, snow  amounts  were  above  average,  but 
the  mild  temperatures  melted  most  snowfalls 
within  a few  days.  As  might  be  expected, 
feeder  activity  was  very  low.  Northern  finches 
were  almost  non-existent.  Good  numbers  of 
late  and  semi-hardy  species  were  noted,  and 
raptors  made  a good  showing  in  the  Dakotas. 

GEESE  THROUGH  GREBES 

Small  flocks  of  early  Snow  Geese  were  mov- 
ing into  e.  South  Dakota  by  late  Jan,  and  a 
Ross’s  Goose  was  record  early  in  Oliver , ND 
28  Feb  (CDE).  A flock  of  160  Cackling  Geese 
wintered  in  Union,  SD  (BH),  and  migrant 
Cackling  Geese  reached  Oliver,  ND  by  28  Feb 
(HCT,  CDE).  Unusual  in  winter,  5 Trumpeter 
Swans  were  at  Freezeout  L.,  MT  4 Feb  (MS). 
Ducks  were  moving  into  se.  South  Dakota  by 
late  Feb.  A Surf  Scoter  wintered  at  Great  Falls, 


MT  (AE),  and  one  that  lingered 
through  30  Dec  in  Hughes,  SD  (SJD) 
provided  the  latest  record  for  the 
state.  White-winged  Scoters  lin- 
gered through  29  Jan  at  Great  Falls, 
MT  (AN)  and  through  14  Jan  in  Sul- 
ly, SD  (RDO).  Only  the  2nd  winter 
record  for  South  Dakota,  a Black 
Scoter  remained  in  Sully  until  11 
Jan  (p.a.,  RDO).  Well  above  average 
were  reports  of  5 scattered  Long-tailed  Ducks 
in  Montana  in  Jan  and  Feb.  A Common  Loon 
was  late  in  Sully,  SD  23  Dec  (RDO).  Single 
Pied-billed,  Horned,  and  Western  Grebes 
wintered  in  Great  Falls,  MT  (AN).  In  South 


Dakota,  a Western  Grebe  14  Jan  in  Sully  pro- 
vided a rare  mid-winter  record  (RDO). 

RAPTORS  THROUGH  WOODPECKERS 

Bald  Eagles  were  again  widespread  in  North 
Dakota,  and  the  annual  winter  survey  along 
the  Missouri  R.  produced  a record  75  birds 
(NDGFD).  An  imm.  Red-Shouldered  Hawk 
on  the  C.B.C.  at  Upper  Souris  N.W.R.  23  Dec. 
furnished  the  first  winter  record  of  the  species 
for  North  Dakota  (p.a.,  RR,  DR,  TP). 

An  American  Coot  wintered  at  Nelson  L., 
Oliver,  ND,  a first  wintering  record  for  the 
state  (HCT,  CDE).  Also  furnishing  the  first 
winter  record  for  South  Dakota,  a Whooping 


Crane  was  in  Sully  1 Jan  (p.a.,  RDO).  Unusu- 
al in  Montana,  2 Sandhill  Cranes  were  in  Still- 
water 23-24  Jan  (BH),  and  the  species  was  re- 
ported in  inid-Feb  in  Yellowstone  (CW). 

A Franklins  Gull  was  late  30  Dec  at  Ft. 
Randall,  SD,  as  were  12  Bonaparte’s  Gulls  at 
the  same  location  (SJD).  A potential  4th 
record  for  South  Dakota,  an  Iceland  Gull  was 
in  Pierre  11-25  Feb  (p.a.,  RDO);  another  was 
photographed  at  Great  Falls,  MT  8 Dec  (p.a., 
AN).  Good  numbers  of  Snowy  Owls  were 
present  in  South  Dakota,  sw.  North  Dakota, 
and  in  Montana.  Twelve  were  noted  in  the 
Glasgow/Ft.  Peck  area  of  Montana  7 Jan  (AS), 
and  15-20  were  reported  for  South  Dakota.  A 


Northern  Hawk  Owl  was  in  Pembina,  ND  6- 
14  Jan  (p.a.,  JM,  REM,  CDE).  Casual  in  win- 
ter in  North  Dakota,  a Red-headed  Wood- 
pecker was  on  the  C.B.C.  at  Icelandic  S.P.  20 
Dec.  Late  Yellow-bellied  Sapsuckers  included 
one  in  Grand  Forks,  ND  12  Dec  (EEF)  and 
one  in  Yankton,  SD  29  Jan  (RD). 

CHICKADEES  THROUGH  WARBLERS 

Two  Mountain  Chickadees  and  a possible 
Mountain  Chickadee  x Black-capped  Chick- 
adee hybrid  spent  the  season  at  Ft.  Peck,  MT 
(CC).  A Carolina  Wren  remained  through  2 
Dec  in  Brown,  SD  (ET),  and  an  individual 
photographed  at  Devils  Lake  provided  the  4th 
record  for  North  Dakota  (p.a.,  EA).  The  bird 
was  seen  once  in  Dec  and  once  in  early  Feb 
and  then  22-27  Feb.  Golden-crowned 
Kinglets  wintered  in  good  numbers  in  North 
Dakota,  possibly  a result  of  the  unusually 
mild  winter.  Casual  in  winter  in  North  Dako- 
ta, 4 Eastern  Bluebirds  were  in  Bismarck  18 
Dec  (SD,  JH,  LS).  Single  Mountain  Bluebirds 
were  unusual  in  Stillwater,  MT  12  Jan  (BJ) 


Ihe  number  of  wintering  raptors  in  much  of  North  Dakota  is  usually  low,  except  for  the  sw.  corner  of  the  state,  where 
moderate  numbers  can  be  encountered.  This  winter,  an  unprecedented  concentration  occurred  in  the  sw.  counties  of 
Slope,  Bowman,  Adams,  and  Hettinger.  Notable  peak  numbers  included  111  Rough-legged  Hawks  and  49  Golden  Eagles  30 
Jan  (JP1).  Up  to  3 Ferruginous  Hawks  were  noted,  the  first  wintering  records  for  North  Dakota  (DWR,  DOE).  The  Prairie  Falcon 
peak  was  1 2 on  28  Jan  (DWR).  Gyrfalcon  numbers  were  also  unprecedented.  Lefor  estimated  8-9  in  the  four-county  area.  Gyr- 
falcon  numbers  in  the  Pierre,  SD  area  were  also  above  average,  with  Backlund  estimating  a minimum  of  21  (7  juv.  and  14 
ad./subad.)  within  a 60-km  radius  of  the  capitol  city. 


Furnishing  a third  record  for  Montana,  this  Northern  Cardinal  was  present  since  July  near  Nashua,  Valley  County  (here  9 De- 
cember 2005).  Photograph  by  Chuck  Carlson. 


250 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


NORTHERN  GREAT  PLAINS 


and  in  Valley  12  Feb  (BL). 

Also  casual  in  winter  in 
North  Dakota,  a Hermit 
Thrush  remained  through  6 
Jan  in  Grand  Forks  (DOL). 

Two  Dec  Northern  Mock- 
ingbird reports  in  North 
Dakota  brought  the  total  for 
2005  to  12  individuals.  An- 
other was  reported  7 Jan  at 
Minot  (DW).  Casual  in  win- 
ter, a Yellow-rumped  Warbler 
was  in  Kingsbury,  SD  14  Jan 

(JSP). 

TOWHEES  THROUGH 
REDPOLLS 

The  4th  report  for  North  Dakota,  and  the  first 
documented,  a Green-tailed  Towhee  win- 


This  possible  Kumlien's  Iceland  Gull  was  photographed 
in  Great  Falls,  Montana  8 December  2005.  The  status  of 
Iceland  Gull  in  Montana  is  currently  under  review. 
Photograph  by  Alan  Nelson. 

tered  near  Grafton,  Walsh,  ND  (p.a.,  LM). 
First  reported  to  the  birding  community  in 


mid-Dec,  the  bird  first  ap- 
peared at  that  location  with 
another  individual  in  late 
Sep.  Usually  very  rare  in  the 
winter  season,  5 White- 
crowned  Sparrows  were  re- 
ported in  North  Dakota,  with 
at  least  2 individuals  winter- 
ing. Northern  Cardinals  made 
a strong  showing  in  North 
Dakota,  with  reports  of  13  in- 
dividuals. Present  since  Jul,  a 
Northern  Cardinal  wintered 
near  Nashua,  Valley,  MT 
(p.a.,  tLS,  ICC;  ph.),  apparently  the  3rd 
record  for  the  state. 

The  only  Pine  Grosbeak  report  was  of  a 
single  bird  at  Denbigh  Experimental  Forest, 
ND  3 Dec  (REM).  Only  2 Red  Crossbill  re- 
ports were  tallied  in  the  Dakotas  away  from 
regular  haunts  in  w.  pine  areas,  while  2 
White-winged  Crossbills  in  Jamestown,  ND 
16  Dec  were  the  only  ones  noted  (LDI).  Only 
5 Common  Redpolls  were  reported  from  three 
locations  in  North  Dakota,  and  South  Dakota 
had  two  Dec  reports  of  the  species. 

Contributors  (state  editors  in  boldface): 
MONTANA:  Charles  Carlson,  Aria  Eckert, 
Billie  Hicks,  Barb  Jaquith,  Bill  Lauckner,  Alan 
Nelson,  Alan  Scheer,  Mike  Schwitters,  Linda 
Sibley,  Carl  Wolf.  NORTH  DAKOTA:  Eldon 
Anderson,  Shelly  Doyle,  Corey  D.  Ellingson, 
Eve  E.  Freeberg,  Jean  Hushhagen,  Larry  D. 
Igl,  David  O.  Lambeth,  Jack  R Lefor,  Lydia 
Maendel,  Ron  E.  Martin,  Janne  Myrdal,  North 


Providing  a first  winter-season  record  for  North  Dakota,  this 
Red-shouldered  Hawk  was  found  on  the  Upper  Souris  Na- 
tional Wildlife  Refuge,  North  Dakota  Christmas  Bird  Count 
23  (here  26)  December  2005.  Photograph  by  Pori  Martin. 

Dakota  Game  and  Fish  Dept.,  Tom  Pabian, 
Dean  W.  Riemer,  Darrel  Rytter,  Russ  Rytter, 
Linda  Stewart,  H.  Clark  Talkington,  David 
Walsh.  SOUTH  DAKOTA:  Doug  Backlund, 
Roger  Dietrich,  Steve  J.  Dinsmore,  Bill  Huser, 
Ricky  D.  Olson,  Jeffrey  S.  Palmer,  Erika  Tail- 
man.  © 


Ron  Martin,  16900  125th  Street  SE,  Sawyer,  North  Dako- 
ta 58781-9284,  (jrmartin@srt.com) 


Present  since  September,  this  Green-tailed 
Towhee  wintered  near  Grafton,  Walsh 
County,  North  Dakota  (here  21  December 
2005).  The  fourth  report  for  the  state,  this 
represented  the  first  documented  record. 
Photograph  by  Tim  Driscoll. 


the  Gift  of  North  A 


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VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


251 


Southern  Great  Plains 


Joseph  A.  Grzybowski  W.  Ross  Silcock 


ach  year,  it  seems  as  if  the  winter  win- 
I dow  narrows  in  the  Region,  even  dis- 
JL.W  appears  in  the  southern  portions  of 
the  Region.  Nebraska’s  winter  recalls  Okla- 
homa's of  25  years  ago,  and  Oklahoma’s  is 
now  more  like  that  of  northern  Texas.  Bird 
distribution  appears  to  be  adjusting  to  the 
gradually  warmer  winters.  Waterfowl  stay  far- 
ther north.  Once  crowding  Oklahoma  reser- 
voirs by  the  thousands,  few  Common  Mer- 
gansers now  make  it  as  far  south  as 
Oklahoma.  While  Trumpeter  Swans  may  be 
on  the  rise  in  the  Region,  wintering  Western 
Grebes  and  California  Gulls  are  on  the  wane 
in  Nebraska. 

Perhaps  because  of  drought  conditions  this 
season,  gulls  and  shorebirds  provided  fewer 
highlights  than  usual — indeed,  the  season 
was  most  memorable  for  its  lack  of  the  un- 
usual. Even  irruptive  species  were  scant,  with 
exception  of  Pygmy  Nuthatch  and  possibly 
Purple  Finch. 

Abbreviations:  Hackberry  (Hackberry  Flats 
W.M.A.,  Tillman,  OK);  Harlan  (Harlan  Res., 
Harlan,  NE);  McConaughy  (L.  McConaughy, 
Keith,  NE);  Quivira  (Quivira  N.W.R.,  Stafford, 
KS);  Red  Slough  (Red  Slough  W.M.A.  McCur- 
tain,  OK);  Sutherland  (Sutherland  Res.,  Lin- 
coln, NE);  Tenkiller  (L.  Tcnkiller,  Sequovah, 
OK). 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  FALCONS 

A Pink-footed  Goose  in  Clay,  NE  30  Jan 
raised  the  usual  question  of  provenance  (ph. 
PD).  Unusual  numbers  of  Greater  White- 
fronted  Goose  lingered  through  at  least  9 Jan 
in  Clay,  NE  (60  birds;  PD)  and  in  Dawson,  NE 
to  3 Jan  (112  birds;  SJD,  JC);  by  28  Feb, 
10,000  had  arrived  in  Clay,  NE  (RE).  Mid- 
winter Snow  Goose  numbers  were  also  high 


in  Nebraska,  with  5000  in  Gosper  and  Dawson 
3 Jan  (SJD,  JC),  5000  in  Clay  9 Jan  (PD),  an 
amazing  50,000  on  the  ground  there  29  Jan 
(JGJ,  PD)  and  200,000  by  28  Feb  (RE).  The 
62  Ross’s  Geese  arriving  with  the  Snows  in 
Clay,  NE  were  a bit  early  31  Jan  (PD). 

This  was  a good  season  for  swans.  Num- 
bers of  Trumpeter  Swan  seem  to  be  on  the  in- 
crease; about  40  were  reported  from  Nebraska 
(fide  WRS),  24  from  Kansas  (fide  LM),  and  4+ 
from  Oklahoma — 2 in  Alfalfa,  OK  20  Dec 
(CO)  and  2-3  from  Tulsa  ( RJ ) and  from  Os- 
age, OK  9 Jan-3  Feb  (SM,  JH,  FS;  m.ob.). 
Now  the  less-likely  swan  in  the  Region,  imm. 
Tundras  were  located  at  Sutherland  3 Jan 
(SJD,  JC;  ph.),  Ellis,  KS  4 Dec  (TM),  and  Co- 
manche, OK  10  Dec  (EBk),  with  4 birds  in 
Coffey,  KS  13  Dec  (DW),  3 in  Texas,  OK  11 
Feb  (GK),  and  5 at  Quivira  25  Feb  (B&NB). 

Some  good  duck  counts  included  19,500 
Mallards  at  McConaughy  2 Jan  (fide  SJD)  and 
20,000  at  Sutherland  25  Feb  (SJD).  Hanging 
n.  were  2 Wood  Ducks  in  Morrill,  NE  9 Jan 
(KK),  one  in  Jefferson,  NE  11  Jan  (RE),  and 
one  in  Washington,  NE  9 Feb  (BB).  A male 
American  Black  Duck  in  Clay,  NE  9 Jan  (PD) 
was  the  only  one  reported.  A Blue-winged 
Teal  in  Lancaster,  NE  24  Feb  (RE)  was  record 
early  by  four  days.  Unusual  were  the  120 
Ring-necked  Ducks  lingering  as  far  n.  as 


These  three  White-winged  Scoters  (here  6 December  2006) 
in  Tulsa,  Oklahoma  were  among  seven  recorded  in  the  area 
in  early  and  mid-December.  Photograph  by  Steve  Metz. 

Scotts  Bluff,  NE  30  Dec  (P&DD)  and  the  2000 
estimated  3 Jan  at  Lynne  Lane  Res.,  Tulsa 
(JWA,  JCo).  Greater  Scaup  were  found  scat- 
tered across  the  Region,  with  the  better 
counts  of  50-125  in  Tulsa  3 Dec-21  Jan 
(JWA),  15  at  McConaughy  2 Jan  (fide  SJD), 
and  15  in  Shawnee,  KS  21  Feb  (DG). 

Scoters,  always  Regional  treats,  included 
single  Blacks  8 Feb  in  Osage,  KS  (DG)  and  25 
Nov-21  Jan  in  Tulsa  (TWA,  m.ob.),  plus  4-7 
White-wingeds  6-18  Dec  in  Tulsa  (SM,  JWA; 
m.ob.).  Single  Long-tailed  Ducks  were  found 
at  three  locations  in  Nebraska — Harlan 
(G&WH;  KS,  JM),  Scotts  Bluff  30  Jan-6  Feb 
(AK,  KD),  and  Keith  26  Feb  (SJD) — and  from 
four  in  Kansas:  Coffey  (ML,  AM),  Sedgwick 
(DV),  Russell  (MR),  and  Osage  (DG).  A Bar- 
row’s Goldeneye  in  Sedgwick,  KS  8 Dec  was  a 
zootie  (BG),  ditto  the  young  male  Harlequin 


Duck  in  Cedar,  NE  27  Feb  (SV;fide  RD),  the 
4th  for  Nebraska.  Common  Mergansers, 
which  now  stay  n.,  numbered  up  to  15,000  at 
McConaughy  1-3  Jan  (SJD) — almost  none 
were  present  in  former  Oklahoma  haunts. 
However,  Red-breasted  Mergansers  seemed 
more  common,  with  rafts  on  lakes  in  Tulsa 
and  Oklahoma  (m.ob.).  Among  hybrid  ducks 
were  a male  Mallard  x Gadwall  in  Wagoner, 
OK  23  Dec  (TWA)  and  male  Hooded  Mer- 
ganser x goldeneye  in  Tulsa  26  Dec-3  Jan 
(JWA). 

Tenkiller  came  through  again,  with  four 
species  of  loons  including  a high  count  of  192 
Commons  23  Dec,  up  to  8 Red-throateds 
through  the  period,  up  to  4 Pacifies,  and  a Yel- 
low-billed Loon  discovered  26  Feb,  all  docu- 
mented by  Jim  Arterburn.  Unusual  loons  at 
other  locations  were  Pacifies  in  McCurtain, 
OK  29  Dec  (BH,  m.ob.)  through  26  Feb  (DA) 
and  in  Wagoner,  OK  21  Jan  (J\VA).  Over  400 
Horned  Grebes  also  adorned  Tenkiller  21  Jan 
(JWA).  Western  Grebes,  on  the  other  hand, 
were  almost  non-existent:  only  one  could  be 
found  on  McConaughy  1 Jan  (SJD).  American 
White  Pelicans  and  Double-crested  Cor- 
morants wintered  n.  to  Sutherland  (SJD,  JC, 
WF).  An  American  Bittern  was  flushed  in 
Cleveland,  OK  11  Feb  (DGu).  Three  Great 
Egrets  lingered  in  Sedgwick,  KS  through  29 
Dec  (PJ),  with  mid-Jan  observations  for  Tulsa 
(PR)  and  Oklahoma  (JAG).  A Black-crowned 
Night-Heron  was  located  in  Oklahoma  City 
21  Feb  (BH,  TU).  Two  juv.  White  Ibis  lingered 
through  7 Dec  at  Red  Slough  (DA).  Turkey 
Vultures  appeared  injan  n.  to  Cherokee  (RM), 
Butler  (DV),  and  Leavenworth,  KS  (JS),  with 
one  arriving  in  Nemaha,  NE  26  Feb  (RE). 

Quite  a surprise  was  a White-tailed  Kite  in 
Greer,  OK  22  Jan  (MP).  Outside  Nebraska, 
Northern  Goshawks  were  reported  from 
Pawnee,  KS  11  Jan  (SS),  Sedgwick,  KS  9 Feb 
(DV),  and  Ellis,  KS  11  Feb  (PJ,  ML,  MG). 
Golden  Eagles  were  noted  e.  to  McCurtain, 
OK  12  Dec  and  5 Feb  (BH),  Quivira  2 Jan 
(DKa),  and  Dakota,  NE  10-11  Dec  (BFH, 
PR).  No  small  surprises  were  single  Crested 
Caracaras  at  different  locations  in  McCurtain, 
OK  18  Jan  and  14  Feb  (BH).  Merlin  has  be- 
come so  regular  in  the  Region  that  we  receive 
few  specific  reports;  many  have  become  town 
birds,  with  abundant  access  to  juncos  and 
House  Sparrows.  Peregrine  Falcons  main- 
tained residence  in  at  least  two  cities:  Wichi- 
ta, KS  (PJ)  and  Tulsa,  OK  (JWA).  Prairie  Fal- 
cons wandered  eastward  to  Seward,  NE  17 
Dec  (fide  JG),  Dodge,  NE  8 Dec  (D&JP),  and 
Tulsa  21  Jan  (JWA). 

A King  Rail  persisted  into  Feb  in  drying 
conditions  at  Red  Slough  (DA).  Virginia  Rails 
continued  to  be  found  wintering  across  the 


252 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


Region  n.  to  the  Niobrara  R.,  NE,  where  2 
were  located  10  Jan  (JED).  Four  Yellow  Rails 
were  located  at  Red  Slough  20  Dec  but  not  lat- 
er (DA,  BH);  might  they  have  wintered  local- 
ly? Sandhill  Cranes  heading  northward  were 
seen  as  early  as  4 Feb  in  Russell,  KS  (MR), 
with  “thousands”  along  the  Platte  R.,  NE  by  9 
Feb  (CG).  A few  small  flocks  were  early,  in- 
cluding 24  in  Hall,  NE  7 Jan  (PD)  and  12  over 
Lincoln,  NE  8 Jan  (TJW). 

Early  arrivals  were  a Pectoral  Sandpiper  at 
Red  Slough  21  Feb  (DA)  and  65  Long-billed 
Dowitchers  at  Hackberry  27  Feb  (L&MT). 
Franklin’s  Gulls  that  should  be  s.  of  the  bor- 
der are  rare  but  apt  to  appear  in  several  places 
in  the  Region  during  winter;  this  season,  sin- 
gles were  at  Tulsa  11  Dec  (JWA),  Sutherland  3 
Jan  (SJD,  JC),  and  Jefferson,  KS  23  Jan  (TM). 
As  in  recent  years,  few  California  Gull  reports 
came  in,  just  3-4  birds  seen  1-2  Jan  at  Mc- 
Conaughy  (fide  SJD),  where  415  Herring 
Gulls  were  counted  21  Jan  and  653  on  26  Feb 
(SJD).  Among  them  were  5 Thayer’s  Gulls  2 
Jan  (fide  SJD);  scattered  reports  of  9 Thayer’s 
came  from  Kansas  (fide  LM).  Three  Lesser 
Black-backed  Gulls  frequented  McConaughy 
31  Dec-3  Jan  (SJD),  single  first- winter  birds 
were  in  Sedgwick,  KS  23  Dec  (PJ,  ML,  MG) 
and  Lancaster,  NE  26  Feb  (LE),  and  an  ad. 
was  documented  in  Oklahoma  28  Dec  (PV). 
Glaucous  Gull  reports  included  3 at  Mc- 
Conaughy 31  Dec-18  Feb  (fide  SJD,  PR),  one 
at  Sutherland  25  Feb  (SJD),  and  one  at  Key- 
stone Dam,  Tulsa  15  Jan-Feb  (PR,  m.ob.), 
plus  5 in  Kansas  (fide  LM).  Great  Black- 
backed  Gull  is  becoming  regular  at  Mc- 
Conaughy, where  2 were  found:  a second-ba- 
sic bird  31  Dec-2  Jan  (SJD)  and  an  ad.  26  Feb 
(ph.  SJD);  one  was  also  seen  in  Douglas,  KS 
21  Dec  (DF).  Forster’s  Tern  can  now  be  said 
to  winter  in  e.  Oklahoma;  up  to  317  were  seen 
in  Wagoner,  the  high  count  12  Feb  (JWA). 
And  our  seasonal  Black-legged  Kittiwake 
came  in  Cedar/Knox,  NE  6 Dec  (MB),  a first- 
winter  bird. 

DOVES  THROUGH  PASSERINES 

A Band-tailed  Pigeon  is  quite  unexpected  in 
Kansas,  making  the  3 observed  at  a grain  ele- 
vator in  Sheridan,  KS  3 Dec  (MC)  all  the  more 
bizarre;  this  species  does,  however,  sometimes 
flock  with  Rock  Pigeons  in  winter.  White- 
winged Doves  are  being  found  in  numbers 
comparable  to  those  of  Eurasian  Collared- 
Doves  in  the  Region;  Nebraska’s  2nd  for  win- 
ter was  in  Scotts  Bluff  17  Dec  (LR,  RH),  while 
98  were  counted  in  a yard  in  Finney,  KS  14Jan 
(T&SS).  Nebraska’s  5th  Inca  Dove  was  seen  in 
Sarpy  Nov-26  Feb  (fide  CNK),  while  2 were  in 
Grant,  KS  9 Dec  (KH);  Incas  are  now  becom- 
ing established  in  an  increasing  number  of 


towns  across  Oklahoma  (fide  JAG). 

Greater  Roadrunners  are  also  “running” 
northward;  2 were  in  Sedgwick,  KS  29  Dec 
(fide  PJ).  Only  4 Snowy  Owls  were  reported,  3 
in  Nebraska  21  Dec-1  Jan  (DS,  SJD,  fide  KS); 
the  bird  noted  in  Osage,  OK  18-27  Dec  (SM, 
WW,  m.ob.)  succumbed  to  gunshot  injury. 
Westerly  was  a Barred  Owl  in  Morton,  KS  31 
Dec  (KG,  MT);  there  are  fewer  than  10 
records  for  the  w.  half  of  Kansas.  Much 
tougher  to  observe  in  the  Region  are  North- 
ern Saw-whet  Owls;  singles  were  reported  in 
Hall,  NE  17  Dec  (KS)  and  Riley,  KS  4 Jan 
(RK).  Yellow-bellied  Sapsuckers  were  promi- 
nent in  Nebraska,  with  one  of  the  9 reported 
(fide  WRS)  as  far  w.  as  Frontier  22  Feb  (WF). 
Likely  the  same  Black  Phoebe  that  wintered 
last  winter  was  noted  at  Broken  Bow  Res.,  Mc- 
Curtain,  OK  through  much  of  the  season  (DA, 
m.ob.).  The  southernmost  Northern  Shrike 
was  in  Cimarron,  OK  3 Dec  (SM),  where  rare 
but  regular;  6 were  reported  from  Kansas  (fide 
LM).  Purple  Martins  arrived  17  Feb  in  Mc- 
Curtain,  OK  (TS,  fide  DA),  with  Tree  Swal- 
lows following  28  Feb  (DA). 

A reduction  in  counts  of  Black-capped 
Chickadee,  first  noted  in  2002-2003,  contin- 
ued in  Nebraska,  most  notably  from  Lancast- 
er w.  as  far  as  Scotts  Bluff  (m.ob.).  This  drop 
coincided  with  the  arrival  of  West  Nile  virus, 
potentially  the  cause  of  the  decline.  In  con- 
trast, high  chickadee  numbers  have  contin- 
ued in  the  Missouri  R.  Valley  (BG,  RSc),  for 
reasons  that  are  unclear  (TEL,  TL,  TJW).  Per- 
haps representing  a mini-irruption  were  the 
elevated  numbers  of  Pygmy  Nuthatches  on 
two  nw.  Nebraska  Christmas  Bird  Counts: 
104  at  Harrison  1 Jan  (fide  EB)  and  27  at 
Crawford  31  Dec  (fide  B&DW).  Rock  Wrens, 
rare  in  Kansas,  were  noted  in  Russell  (DK) 
and  Morton  (SP),  both  31  Dec.  Far  to  the  n. 
was  a Carolina  Wren  in  e.  Cherry,  NE  10  Jan 
(JED);  this  species  continues  to  expand  its 
range  n.  and  w.  in  the  Region.  Again  this  win- 
ter, 2 Winter  Wrens  were  seen  in  Cherry,  NE 
along  the  Niobrara  R.  10  Jan  (JED),  well  n.  of 
expected  wintering  areas.  In  the  Nebraska 
Panhandle,  a Ruby-crowned  Kinglet  in  Scotts 
Bluff,  NE  1 Jan-13  Feb  (P&DD)  was  likewise 
unexpected. 

Two  Varied  Thrushes  offered  a spice  to  Ne- 
braska birding:  one  was  in  Scotts  Bluff  for  a 
few  days  through  17  Dec  (KD),  and  one  was 
at  McConaughy  26  Feb  (SJD).  Tardy  or  fool- 
hardy was  a westerly  Gray  Catbird  in  Lincoln, 
NE  6 Dec  (fide  TJW).  How  can  we  fail  to  men- 
tion the  resident  Curve-billed  Thrasher,  con- 
tinuing its  lonely  stay  in  Sioux,  NE  (fide  AK), 
now  present  since  Oct  2002?  Also  lingering 
were  an  Orange-crowned  Warbler  in  Johnson, 
KS  25  Dec-Jan  (PW),  an  Audubon’s  Warbler 


SOUTHERN  GREAT  PLAINS 


in  Morton,  KS  31  Dec  (SP),  and  a westerly 
Spotted  Towhee  in  Dawes , NE  31  Dec  (fide 
B&DW).  Rare  in  winter  in  ne.  Kansas,  a Field 
Sparrow  appeared  in  Leavenworth  21-25  Feb 
(JS).  Good  numbers  of  Savannah  Sparrows 
were  found  in  midwinter  in  Kansas,  where 
normally  absent,  notably  1 00+  in  Montgomery 
15  Jan  (SS)  and  several  in  Pawnee  26  Jan  (SS). 
Continuing  a pattern  of  northward  wintering 
were  5 Grasshopper  Sparrows  in  Comanche, 
OK  20  Dec  (VF,  EBk)  and  2 in  McCurtain,  OK 
7 Jan  (JAG,  JWA,  JCo).  Up  to  3 Henslow’s 
Sparrows,  ever  enigmatic  in  winter,  were  de- 
tected at  Red  Slough  20  Dec-21  Feb  (DA  et 
al.).  Single  Lincoln’s  Sparrows  n.  of  normal 
were  in  Omaha  28  Feb  (PS)  and  McConaughy 
2 Jan  (fide  SJD),  while  3 White-throated  Spar- 
rows at  McConaughy  2 Jan  (fide  SJD)  were  w. 
of  typical  areas.  Somewhat  out  of  winter 
range  was  a Smith’s  Longspur  at  Red  Slough 
18  Jan  (DA).  The  only  Snow  Buntings  report- 
ed were  in  Nebraska,  where  good  numbers 
were  noted  (fide  WRS). 

Single  lingering  Yellow-headed  Blackbirds 
were  in  Scotts  Bluff,  NE  17  Dec  (fide  AK),  in 
Ellis,  KS  1 Jan  (TM),  and  in  Tillman,  OK  24 
Dec  (L&MT).  The  only  Gray-crowned  Rosy- 
Finches  reported  were  the  30  at  a regular  win- 
tering location  in  Sioux,  NE  16  Dec  (HKH). 
Adding  to  the  small  number  of  sightings  east- 
ward in  winter  in  the  North  Platte  Valley  of 
Nebraska  was  a single  Cassin’s  Finch  at  Mc- 
Conaughy 2 Jan  (fide  SJD).  Few  Red  Cross- 
bills were  reported,  all  from  Nebraska;  the 
best  count  was  85  in  Sioux  1 Jan  (fide  EB); 
easterly  were  3 in  Dodge  29  Dec  (fide  D&JP). 

Cited  observers  (regional  compilers  bold- 
faced): NEBRASKA:  Bob  Berry,  Elliott 
Bedows,  Mark  Brogie,  John  Cecil,  Kathy  De- 
Lara,  Roger  Dietrich,  Stephen  J.  Dinsmore, 
Phyllis  & Dean  Drawbaugh,  James  E.  Ducey, 
Paul  Dunbar,  Rick  Eades,  Larry  Einemann, 
William  Flack,  Carlos  Grandes,  Betty  Grenon, 
Joe  Gubanyi,  Robin  Harding,  Glen  & Wanda 
Hoge,  Helen  K.  Hughson,  Bill  E Huser,  Joel  G. 
Jorgensen,  Alice  Kenitz,  Clem  N.  Klaphake, 
Ken  Kranik,  Thomas  E.  Labedz,  Tony  Leuker- 
ing,  John  Murphy,  Don  &Jan  Paseka,  Lanny 
Randolph,  Paul  Roisen,  Rick  Schmid  (RSc), 
W.  Ross  Silcock,  Kent  Skaggs,  Dave  Stage, 
Phil  Swanson,  Steve  Van  Sickle,  Eric  Volden, 
Bruce  & Donna  Walgren,  T.J.  Walker. 
KANSAS:  Bill  & Nancy  Beard,  Michael  Cross, 
Dave  Fischer,  Bob  Gress,  Kevin  Groeneweg, 
Dan  Gish,  Matt  Gearheart,  Kellye  Hart,  Pete 
Janzen,  David  Klema,  Don  Kazmaier  (DKa), 
Ron  Klataske,  Mark  Land,  Terry  Manned, 
Robert  Mangile,  Aaron  Mitchell,  Lloyd 
Moore,  Sebastian  Patti,  Mark  Rader,  Scott 
Seltman,  Tom  & Sara  Shane,  John  Schukman, 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


253 


SOUTHERN  GREAT  PLAINS 


Max  Thompson,  Don  Vannoy,  Daniel 
Williamson,  Priscilla  Wilson.  OKLAHOMA: 
David  Arbour,  James  W.  Arterburn,  Eric  Beck 
(EBk),  Jeff  Cox  (JCo),  Vic  Fazio,  Joseph  A. 
Grzybowski,  Dick  Gunn  (DGu),  Berlin  Heck, 


Jim  Hoffman,  Rebeccajohn,  George  Kampjo 
Loyd,  Steve  Metz,  Cindy  Odor,  Michael  Pat- 
ten, Frank  Stafford,  Terry  Stuart,  Lou  & Mary 
Truex,  Terry  Underhill,  Pat  Veltc,  Warren 
Williams.  <& 


Joseph  A.  Grzybowski,  715  Elmwood  Drive,  Norman,  Ok- 
lahoma 73072,  (j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net); 

W.  Ross  Silcock,  P.0.  Box  57,  Tabor,  Iowa  51653, 
(silcock@rosssilcock.com) 


Texas 


Mark  W.  Lockwood  Randy  Pinkston 
Ron  Weeks 


It  has  become  a tired  refrain  of  this  col- 
umn, but  for  much  of  the  state  the  key 
word  was  dry.  Across  much  of  the  Trans- 
Pecos,  no  measurable  rain  fell  for  the  entire 
period.  It  was  not  quite  as  bad  for  most  of  the 
remainder  of  the  state,  but  below-average  pre- 
cipitation was  the  rule.  This  has  resulted  in 
reservoirs  across  the  state  falling  to  levels  as 
much  as  5 m below  normal.  This  drought  was 
combined  with  above-average  temperatures 
for  most  of  the  winter.  For  north-central 
Texas  and  the  Rolling  Plains,  the  disastrous 
results  were  many  large  wildfires  that  burned 
thousands  of  hectares  and  even  three  small 
towns.  Large  wildfires  also  spread  through  the 
Panhandle  near  the  end  of  the  period,  result- 
ing in  nearly  400,000  hectares  burned.  These 
hot  fires  removed  virtually  all  avian  habitats 
in  their  wake.  In  the  long  term,  however, 
much  of  the  area  that  burned  in  the  Panhan- 
dle was  in  grassland  habitats,  and  these  fires 
have  the  potential  to  have  a beneficial  effect 
on  the  overall  health  of  these  prairies. 

The  dry  conditions  obviously  have  a de- 
pressing effect  on  avian  populations.  Frugi- 
vores  were  in  very  low  numbers  or  absent 
from  virtually  the  entire  state.  Particularly 
noted  was  the  absence  of  American  Robins, 
bluebirds,  and  Cedar  Waxwings.  Likewise, 
there  was  no  real  invasion  of  montane  species 


or  finches.  The  only  species  to  make  an  unex- 
pectedly strong  showing  in  the  state  was 
Rusty  Blackbird.  In  strong  contrast  to  the 
2004-2005  winter  season,  the  Lower  Rio 
Grande  Valley  was  fairly  quiet.  Still,  there 
were  a few  rarities  to  add  some  spice  to  the 
season.  There  was  definitely  a horse  race  for 
what  was  the  more  unexpected  bird  this  sea- 
son in  Texas:  the  Snow  Bunting  on  South 
Padre  Island  or  the  Rufous-backed  Robin  near 
Bastrop! 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  GREBES 

By  Feb,  when  the  last  lingering  Fulvous 
Whistling-Ducks  have  retreated  and  migrants 
have  yet  to  arrive,  the  species  is  quite  rare 
away  from  extreme  South  Texas;  thus  6 at 
Bear  Creek  Park,  Harris  1 Feb  (SAt),  12  at 
Hornsby  Bend  in  Austin,  Travis  5 Feb  (BL), 
and  2 present  13  Dec- 10  Feb  at  Brazos  Bend 
S.P.,  Fort  Bend  (BGo  et  al.)  were  all  notable.  A 
Brant  in  Plainview,  Hale  14  Jan  (ph.,  tJB)  was 
just  the  6th  for  the  South  Plains.  Two  ad.  and 
3 imm.  Trumpeter  Swans  in  Hutchinson  26-31 
Dec  (BP,  ph.,  tLBa)  and  another  reported  near 
Childress,  Childress  19  Jan  (DS)  were  poten- 
tial indicators  of  the  success  of  recent  reintro- 
duction programs  in  the  n.  states.  Three  Tun- 


dra Swans  located  s.  of  the  normal  wintering 
range  in  McLennan  31  Dec  during  the  Waco 
C.B.C.  were  seen  until  7 Feb  (FB,  JMu);  an 
imm.  in  Morris  11-13  Feb  provided  only  the 
3rd  report  for  ne.  Texas  and  first  since  1984 
(DB,  LBr).  The  Eurasian  Wigeon  reported 
from  the  fall  at  El  Paso  was  seen  sporadically 
until  15  Feb  (TJSp).  Blue-winged  Teal  were 
unusually  conspicuous  in  nw.  Texas,  with  sin- 
gles at  Muleshoe  N.W.R.,  Bailey  18  Dec 
(AHe),  at  L.  Meredith,  Hutchinson  29  Dec 
(RaM),  and  elsewhere  in  Hutchinson  31  Dec 
(BP).  A White-winged  Scoter  in  Harrison  22- 
31  Dec  (DB)  was  notable,  as  this  species  is  ca- 
sual in  the  Pineywoods.  Long-tailed  Duck 
sightings  included  singles  at  Corpus  Christi, 
Nueces  14  Dec  QMc),  Thompson  Park,  Potter 
21  Feb  (BMu),  and  Hagerman  N.W.R., 
Grayson  9 Dec  (BGi  et  al.),  with  2 present  at 
the  latter  location  13-26  Dec  (BGi,  TR,  RR). 
An  exceptionally  large  group  of  200  Hooded 
Mergansers  was  at  Hagerman  N.W.R.  10  Dec 
(BGi  et  al.).  Common  Mergansers  were  found 
e.  of  their  normal  winter  range  at  Hagerman 
N.W.R  10-12  Dec  (BGi  et  al.),  L.  Texoma, 
Grayson  31  Dec-2  Jan  (GCo,  TR  et  al.),  and 
Lake  O’  the  Pines,  Marion  31  Dec  (m.ob.). 

Two  Red-throated  Loons  at  L.  Meredith, 


This  second-winter  Slaty-backed  Gull  made  a one-day  appearance  at  a private  landfill  near  Houston, 
Texas  on  22  February  2006.  It  provided  the  fourth  record  for  the  state  and  the  first  record 
of  a bird  not  in  adult  (or  near-adult)  plumage.  Photograph  by  Martin  Reid. 


254 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


TEXAS 


Hutchinson  31  Dec-31  Jan  (BP,  BiM,  LSa  et  al.) 
represented  just  the  3rd  record  for  the  Pan- 
handle. Four  Red-throated  Loon  reports  in  n.- 
cen.  Texas  included  3 at  L.  Texorna,  Grayson 
31  Dec  (GCo,  TR).  Pacific  Loons  were  report- 
ed from  L.  Tawakoni,  Van  Zandt , with  single 
birds  16-18  Dec  (RKi)  and  12  Feb  (MWh  et 
al.)  and  2 or  3 birds  there  24  Feb  (BGi,  GCo); 
one  at  L.  Meredith,  Hutchinson  21  Jan  (BBe); 
2 at  L.  Brownwood,  Brown  26  Feb  (DLi, 
DDC);  and  one  at  L.  Buchanan  22  Dec 
(JKe).  Least  Grebes  wintered  at  Austin, 
with  an  impressive  total  of  17  on  the 
Austin  C.B.C.  17  Dec.  Good  numbers  were 
also  present  on  the  U.T.C,  as  might  be  ex- 
pected, but  one  at  El  Paso  31  Dec-21  Jan 
was  just  the  2nd  for  the  county  (BJ,JKi,  ph. 
BZ,  m.ob.).  Up  to  18  Western  Grebes  at  L. 
Buchanan,  Llano/Bumet  19  Feb  (TFe)  fol- 
lowed a trend  in  recent  winters.  More  un- 
expected were  2 at  Granger  L.,  Williamson 
19  Feb  (TFe)  and  one  at  Canyon  L.,  Comal 
28  Jan  and  25  Feb  (DPu  et  al.). 

PELICANS  THROUGH  RAPTORS 

An  imm.  Brown  Pelican  at  Balmorhea  L., 
Reeves  7-11  Feb  was  a very  nice  mid- win- 
ter find  for  the  Trans-Pecos  (GW,  ML).  Con- 
tinuing a recent  trend,  lingering  Magnificent 
Frigatebirds  included  one  seen  from  the  Bo- 
livar Ferry,  Galveston  9 Dec  (WB)  and  anoth- 
er at  the  Port  Aransas  jetties,  Nueces  2 Jan 
(MCo).  At  least  one  Least  Bittern  was  pres- 
ent throughout  the  period  at  the  Port 
Aransas  Birding  Center,  Nueces  (LJ).  Single 
Great  Egrets  were  at  two  Lubbock,  Lubbock 
locations  1 Dec-28  Feb  (AHe,  TSo,  m.ob.), 
representing  the  2nd  and  3rd  wintering 
records  for  nw.  Texas.  Two  Snowy  Egrets  at 
Lubbock  lingered  through  8 Dec  (AHe).  Sev- 
en Cattle  Egrets  at  L.  Arrowhead,  Clay  4 Dec 
(DMc,  JuM)  were  unexpected.  A Yellow- 
crowned  Night-Heron  on  the  Gibbons  Creek 
C.B.C. , Grimes  20  Dec  (J&rKA,  ES,  LDe)  was 
a count  first.  The  Greater  Flamingo  discov- 
ered during  the  fall,  with  bands  indicating 
Yucatan  origin,  was  present  throughout  the 
period  in  Aransas  and  easily  seen  from 
Whooping  Crane  excursion  vessels  (m.ob.). 
Amazingly,  another  Greater  Flamingo — but 
this  one  an  escapee  from  captivity  and  of  the 
Old  World  subspecies  roseus  (sometimes 
considered  a separate  species) — was  discov- 
ered on  the  Whitmire  unit  of  Aransas 
N.W.R.,  Calhoun  10-25  Jan  (ph.  PK).  There 
are  several  instances  of  this  subspecies  es- 
caping in  the  state. 

White-tailed  Kite  has  become  something  of 
an  enigmatic  species  in  the  Trans-Pecos,  pop- 
ping up  here  and  there  at  all  seasons.  Singles 
at  Cattail  Falls,  Big  Bend  N.P.,  Brewster  3 Feb 


(PWe),  16  km  s.  of  Pecos,  Reeves  7 Feb  (GW), 
sw.  of  Marfa,  Presidio  16  Dec  (RDa),  and  along 
RR  505  near  US  90  in  w.  Jeff  Davis  3-4  Feb 
(ph.  ML,  KBr;  2 at  that  location  on  24  Feb) 
were  of  interest.  A Common  Black-Hawk  seen 
associating  with  a flock  of  White-tailed  Kites 
27  Dec  near  Mission,  Hidalgo  provided  a rare 
record  for  the  L.R.G.V  (DD).  Harris’s  Hawks 
were  found  in  numbers  n.  and  e.  of  their  typ- 
ical winter  range.  The  U.T.C.  had  at  least  six 


CRANES  THROUGH  TERNS 

An  estimated  15,000  Sandhill  Cranes  in  e. 
Brazoria  15  Dec  (JSt)  must  have  been  a spec- 
tacular sight,  but  a peak  of  150,000  reported 
from  Muleshoe  N.W.R.,  Bailey  10  Jan  was 
breathtaking  (HB).  Over  the  winter,  one  ad. 
and  4 juv.  Whooping  Cranes  died,  bringing 
the  estimated  peak  flock  size  of  220,  up  3 
from  last  year’s  record  217  (TSt).  A 1 Mar 


count  of  215  at  Aransas  N.W.R.,  Aransas  com- 
prised 189  ads.  and  26  young.  A wandering 
Whooping  Crane  was  present  s.  of  the  normal 
wintering  range  near  Raymondville,  Willacy  2 
Dec-25  Feb  (SBe,  m.ob.).  The  Texas  portion 
of  the  U.S.FW.S.  4th  International  Census  of 
Snowy,  Wilson’s,  and  Piping  Plovers  conduct- 
ed over  several  days  in  late  Jan  recorded  an 
encouraging  956  Snowy,  66  Wilson’s,  and 
1080  Piping  (RC).  Lesser  Yellowlegs  are  less 
than  annual  in  winter  in  the  Trans-Pecos, 
so  one  at  Rio  Bosque  Wetlands  Park,  El 
Paso  3 Dec-12  Feb  was  notable  (JSp,  JPa). 
Single  Spotted  Sandpipers  at  L.  Meredith, 
Hutchinson  29  Dec  (LSa)  and  Greenbelt  L., 
Donley  1 Jan  (10)  provided  rare  Panhandle 
winter  records.  A lingering  Baird's  Sand- 
piper at  L.  Tawakoni,  Hunt  11  Dec  (RB) 
was  exceptionally  tardy;  a late  Pectoral 
Sandpiper  was  at  L.  Tawakoni,  Rains  1 Dec 
(RKi),  while  one  at  the  Waco  sewage  ponds 
26  Feb  was  the  earliest  ever  for  McLennan 
(JY).  A Purple  Sandpiper  on  the  jetty  at 
Port  O’Connor,  Calhoun  1 Feb  (tBFr)  was 
a county  first.  A Dunlin  present  8 Jan-25 
Feb  at  L.  Meredith,  Hutchinson  represented 
the  2nd  winter  record  for  the  Panhandle 
(BP).  Two  Stilt  Sandpipers  at  L.  Ray  Hubbard, 
Dallas  3 Dec-24  Feb  represented  a first  win- 
tering record  for  n.-cen.  Texas  (GCo,  BGi). 
Over  300  Long-billed  Dowitchers  were  at  L. 
Ray  Hubbard,  Dallas  18  Dec-24  Feb  (GCo  et 
al.).  Higher-than-average  American  Wood- 
cock numbers  were  noted  nearly  statewide, 
but  this  likely  had  more  to  do  with  the  best 
habitat  being  in  irrigated  residential  areas  due 
to  near-drought  conditions  than  a higher  win- 
tering population.  A Wilson’s  Phalarope  lin- 
gered at  Mitchell  L.  in  San  Antonio,  Bexar 
well  into  Jan  (SC  et  al.).  Two  seen  flying  along 
Galveston  L,  Galveston  17  Feb  (JSt)  and  an- 
other 2 in  Burnet  22  Feb  (DFe)  may  have  been 
very  early  migrants. 

A Laughing  Gull  was  observed  at  L. 
Lewisville,  Denton  26  Dec  (DH,  ph.  BGi).  A 
Franklin’s  Gull  in  El  Paso  12  Dec  (JPa)  was 
noteworthy.  A Little  Gull  3 Jan  at  Boca  Chica, 
Cameron  (ph.  HH)  was  a first  for  the  L.R.G.V. 
Additional  Little  Gulls  were  reported  from  L. 
Tawakoni,  Hunt  12  Dec  (ph.,  tMWh),  L. 
Wright  Patman,  Bowie/Cass  15-25  Jan  (tBGi, 
MD  et  al.),  and  Dallas  23-27  Feb  (ph.,  tBGi  et 
al.).  A Mew  Gull  was  at  L.  Worth,  Tarrant  31 
Dec-7  Jan  (ph.,  t LBa).  Up  to  10  California 
Gulls  were  reported  statewide,  including  an 
ad.  in  El  Paso  12  Dec  (JPa).  The  first-winter 
gull  that  was  thought  to  be  a possible  Yellow- 
legged Gull  continued  from  the  fall  in  Galve- 
ston until  1 Feb  (MR,  m.ob.).  Up  to  4 Thayer’s 
Gulls  were  reported  from  scattered  LJ.T.C.  lo- 
cations. A Lesser  Black-backed  Gull  at  L. 


During  the  past  three  winters,  Baird's  Sparrows  have  been  detected  in 
the  mixed  grasslands  on  the  Marfa  Plateau  of  Trans-Pecos,  Texas.  Habi- 
tat access  is  limited  to  roadsides,  so  that  these  few  observations  sug- 
gest regular  wintering  in  the  area.  This  bird  was  one  of  three  present 
near  Marfa  on  6 December  2005.  Photograph  by  Mark  W.  Lockwood. 

records,  including  up  to  2 at  Freeport,  Brazo- 
ria 26  Dec+  (JAr  et  al.);  the  Austin  area  had  at 
least  four  sightings,  with  2 near  Hornsby 
Bend,  Travis  8 Jan  (A&JB).  A Red-shouldered 
Hawk  was  near  Big  Bend’s  Santa  Elena 
Canyon,  Brewster  28  Feb  (GLe),  where  the 
species  is  considered  accidental.  Another  was 
at  Lubbock  26  Dec  (TSo),  where  the  species 
appears  to  be  becoming  more  regular.  A 
Broad-winged  Hawk  at  Santa  Ana,  Hidalgo  13 
Feb  (TB)  was  likely  overwintering.  Ad. 
Swainson’s  Hawks  were  found  on  the  U.T.C. 
at  Freeport,  Brazoria  8 Jan  (ph.  GLa)  and  near 
Iowa  Colony,  Brazoria  12  Feb  (CTL).  Zone- 
tailed Hawks  were  reported  from  four 
L.R.G.V.  locations,  and  others  were  detected 
over  pastureland  in  Jim  Wells  14  Feb  (BCr) 
and  over  agricultural  land  e.  of  Bishop,  Nue- 
ces 23  Feb  (KT).  Unexpected  Ferruginous 
Hawks  were  in  Wise  11  Jan  (CC)  and  on 
Galveston  1.  26  Feb  (JSt).  Out-of-range  Prairie 
Falcons  were  found  near  Granger  L., 
Williamson  18  Dec  (ph.  TFe)  and  at  La  Sal  del 
Rey,  Hidalgo  27  Feb  (TW). 


VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


255 


TEXAS 


Meredith,  Hutchinson  11-21  Jan  furnished  a 
first  Panhandle  record  (BP,  BBe).  Another  was 
present  in  Bexar  26  Jan-19  Feb  (MMS  et  ah), 
and  n.-cen.  Texas  hosted  returning  birds  at 
White  Rock  L.  and  L.  Ray  Hubbard,  Dallas 
(BGi  et  ah).  Large  numbers  of  Lesser  Black- 
backeds  were  noted  on  the  U.T.C.,  including 
30+  during  a 22  Feb  census  of  Galveston  and 
Harris  landfills  (MR).  A Slaty-backed  Gull 
was  discovered  the  same  day  at  a Houston, 
Harris  landfill  (ph.,  tMR),  providing  a 4th 
state  record.  A Glaucous  Gull  in  w.  El  Paso  21 
Dec-1  Jan  was  a local  first  (JPa,  ph.  BZ, 
m.ob.).  Another  was  present  in  Bexar  26  Dec- 
4 Jan  (MCr,  MR,  ph.  WS).  A Great  Black- 
backed  Gull  at  L.  Meredith,  Hutchinson  26 
Dec-21  Jan  (ph.,  tBP,  tBBe  et  al.)  represented 
a first  Panhandle  record  and  only  the  2nd  in- 
land record  for  the  state.  First-winter  birds 
were  found  at  San  Luis  Pass,  Galveston  30 
Jan+  (ph.,  tTE,  JSt  et  al.)  and  at  a Houston 
landfill,  Harris  22  Feb  (ph.,  tMR).  A rare  ad. 
Black-legged  Kittiwake  was  present  21-24 
Dec  in  Cameron  (ph.,  tBMc).  A first-winter 
bird  was  present  at  Quintana,  Brazoria  30 
Dec-16  Jan  (tRW,  ph.  MGr  et  al.).  Two 
Forsters  Terns  in  Donley  14  Jan  were  note- 
worthy for  the  Panhandle  (BiM). 

PIGEONS  THROUGH  WOODPECKERS 

A pair  of  Eurasian  Collared-Doves  at  Rio 
Grande  Village,  Brewster  Jan  1+  was  new  for 
Big  Bend  N.P.  (m.ob.).  Continued  expansion 
of  White-winged  Doves  reached  Grimes  and 
Rush  (BMe)  in  e.  Texas.  Amazingly,  Gehlbach 
recorded  three  instances  of  Eastern  Screech- 
Owls  feasting  on  White-winged  Doves  in 
McLennan.  A Ruddy  Ground-Dove  at  Estero 
Llano  Grande  S.P,  Hidalgo  28  Dec-22  Feb 
(tTB,  m.ob.)  was  the  first  documented  in  the 
L.R.G.V.  since  1989.  Barn  Owls  occurred  in 
record  numbers  throughout  nw.  Texas  (fide 
AHe);  8 at  a Throckmorton  cemetery  8 Dec 
was  a large  number  for  one  location  (BGi  et 
al.).  As  many  as  14  Burrowing  Owls  wintered 
in  cen.  Texas,  with  multiple  sightings  3 Dec- 
19  Feb.  The  fall  Burrowing  Owl  at  McFaddin 
N.W.R.,  Jefferson  remained  through  the  winter 
(fide  JWh).  It  was  a good  winter  for  Long- 
eared Owls  on  the  South  Plains  (fide  AHe). 
Four  Lesser  Nighthawks  in  Bexar  28  Dec 
(KBa)  were  quite  late.  Single  Chuck-will’s- 
widows  made  unexpected  appearances  at 


Sabine  Woods,  Jefferson  5 & 14  Jan  (ScG, 
SM).  A Whip-poor-will  flushed  at  Freeport, 
Brazoria  18  Dec  (MA)  provided  one  of  very 
few  winter  records  there.  Several  Chaetura 
swifts  on  coastal  C.B.C.s  went  unidentified; 
Vaux’s  has  yet  to  be  documented  in  the  state. 
One  or  2 Buff-bellied  Hummingbirds  visited 
feeders  in  Austin  through  mid-Jan  (SR,  BiB, 
MaC).  Large  numbers  of  Ruby-throated  Hum- 
mingbirds apparently  wintered  on  the  U.T.C., 
highlighted  by  8 on  the  Freeport  C.B.C.  (CB). 
A male  from  the  fall  remained  in  Washington 
through  the  winter  (JRe).  For  the  2nd  winter, 
a female  Black-chinned  Hummingbird  re- 


Varied  Thrushes  made  a good  showing  in  Texas  this  season, 
including  this  female  at  Kerrville  from  8 January  (here) 
through  1 March  2006.  This  bird  was  a sporadic  visitor  to  a 
backyard  water  feature  and  provided  the  first  record  for  the 
Edwards  Plateau.  Photograph  by  Max  Traweek. 

mained  in  Nacogdoches , this  year  until  9 Feb 
(RH,  DW);  while  another  was  present  near 
Utopia,  Uvalde  7-13  Feb  (MH).  Anna’s  Hum- 
mingbirds staged  a major  invasion  into  Texas 
this  winter,  with  multiple  birds  reported  from 
cen.  Texas  and  scattered  coastal  sites.  A male 
remained  at  Conroe,  Montgomery  10-17  Dec 
(LSc,  ph.  KAC).  A stunning  male  Costas 
Hummingbird  was  present  in  Rockport, 
Aransas  19  Feb-4  Mar  (ph.,  tSuB,  m.ob.). 
Calliope  Hummingbirds  were  reported  from 
Brazoria  20  Feb  (TC)  and  from  Atascosa  27 
Dec-5  Jan  (MGi).  Single  Broad-tailed  Hum- 
mingbirds visited  three  Travis  locations,  with 
the  longest  stay  from  8 Dec+  (SAs).  Another 
Broad-tailed  wintered  in  Bellaire,  Harris 
(DVe).  An  ad.  male  Allens  Hummingbird  in 
Alpine,  Brewster  from  the  fall  remained  until 
15  Dec  (ML).  An  Allens  recaptured  in  Brazo- 
ria (CB,  DFr)  had  been  banded  three  weeks 
earlier  in  Harris.  Another  ad.  male,  first  ob- 
served in  the  fall  in  Houston,  remained 
through  Jan  (S&AW). 


Ringed  Kingfishers  made  an  unprecedent- 
ed incursion  into  the  Central  Oaks  and 
Prairies:  2 at  Hornsby  Bend,  Travis  all  season 
(m.ob.),  one  at  Georgetown,  Williamson  1 
Dec-14  Jan  (TFe  et  al.),  and  another,  or  the 
same  bird,  11  km  downstream  18  Dec  (TFe). 
Another  Ringed  Kingfisher  provided  a county 
first  at  Grimes  19  Nov-Dec  (DKu),  while  one 
along  the  Lampasas  R.  in  w.  Bell  26  Jan-4  Feb 
(GCr,  RPi)  was  also  a county  first.  The  Lewis’s 
Woodpecker  at  Guadalupe  Mountains  N.P.  re- 
mained through  the  period  (JWo,  m.ob.),  as 
did  4-5  Acorn  Woodpeckers  in  w.  El  Paso 
(JPo,  m.ob).  The  first  Williamson's  Sapsucker 
for  Whs/migton  was  a male  seen  3 Dec  (DVo) 
near  Chappell  Hill.  A Red-naped  Sapsucker  at 
Santa  Ana  N.W.R.  18  Dec-22  Jan  provided  a 
rare  L.R.G.V.  record  (DJ,  BMc,  m.ob.);  anoth- 
er was  found  on  the  Mad  1.  Marsh  C.B.C. , 
Matagorda  14  Dec  (BO).  Unusual  were  multi- 
ple reports  of  Hairy  Woodpeckers  from  Har- 
ris, Galveston,  and  Orange  on  the  U.T.C. 

FLYCATCHERS  THROUGH  SWALLOWS 

It  was  a good  winter  for  Empidonax  in  the 
Trans-Pecos,  with  four  species  reported,  in- 
cluding a Hammond’s  (KBr)  and  a Dusky 
(ML)  in  Jeff  Davis  17  Dec,  a Dusky  in 
Guadalupe  Mountains  N.P  18  Dec  (ScL),  and 
a Paciftc-slope/Cordilleran  Flycatcher  in  Hud- 
speth 17  Dec  (MSc,  JZ).  A Hammond's  was 
seen  in  Uvalde  25  Dec-late  Jan  (ph.  MH).  A 
Gray  Flycatcher  at  Muleshoe  N.W.R. , Bailey  4 
Feb  (AHe,  AvH)  was  unexpected,  as  was  a Pa- 
cific-slope/Cordilleran  Flycatcher  on  the 
Medina  R.,  Bexar  20-22  Feb  (ph.  RE,  BD). 
Extralimital  Black  Phoebes  were  reported 
from  Randall  9 Dec  (RaM),  Harris  through 
14+  Jan  (SGa  et  al.),  Travis  14  Jan-18  Feb 
(A&JB),  and  Burnet  9 Dec-11  Feb  (BS).  This 
was  a banner  season  for  wintering  Say’s 
Phoebes  in  cen.  and  n.-cen.  Texas,  with  scat- 
tered reports  too  numerous  to  list.  Amazingly, 
on  the  Granger  C.B.C.,  the  county  roads  of 
Williamson  produced  more  Say’s  than  East- 
erns! One  at  Buffalo  Lake  N.W.R.,  Randall  2- 
24  Dec  (KS,  JC)  and  another  in  Fort  Bend  2 
Jan  (CD)  were  still  more  unexpected.  Note- 
worthy Vermilion  Flycatchers  were  reported 
from  El  Paso  through  the  period  (JSp),  Baylor 
11  Dec  (BGi  et  al.),  and  Brazos  7 Jan  (DVo, 
AF).  An  imm.  Vermilion  present  at  Austin’s 
Hornsby  Bend,  Travis  since  the  fall  remained 
through  25  Feb  (m.ob.).  Two  lawrencei 
Dusky-capped  Flycatchers  were  present  near 
Los  Indios,  Cameron  18  Dec+  (ph.,  tTFu, 
m.ob.).  An  Ash-throated  Flycatcher  wintered 
again  at  Hornsby  Bend,  Travis  (EC).  Unex- 
pected in  winter  were  calling  Great  Crested 
Flycatchers  in  Brazoria  18  & 31  Dec  (RMa, 
RW).  Three  Brown-crested  Flycatchers  were 


The  hummingbird  feeding/banding  station  at  Ortego's  residence  near  Victoria,  Victoria,  offers  a cross-section  glimpse 
of  potential  winter  hummingbird  populations.  During  the  reporting  period  (Dec— Feb),  Ortego  and  his  helpers  report- 
ed one  Broad-billed  Hummingbird  (on  26  Feb),  41  Buff-bellied  Hummingbirds  (with  one  9-year-old  recapture),  37  Ru- 
fous, 23  Black-chinned,  8 Allen's  (two  returns  from  previous  year),  5 Broad-tailed,  one  Ruby-throated,  5 Anna's,  and  3 Cal- 
liope. Drought  conditions  could  have  positively  influenced  these  numbers,  which  are  nonetheless  staggering:  124 
hummingbirds  of  nine  species  in  one  yard  in  one  season. 


256 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


TEXAS 


reported  16  Dec  in  Brazoria/Matagorda  and 
another  14  Jan  in  Fort  Bend  (ph.  GLa  et  al.). 
A Great  Kiskadee  in  Wichita  13  Dec-20  Feb 
was  regionally  significant  (ph.  GM);  up  to  5 
were  present  in  Hatris  (m.ob).  A well-docu- 
mented Cassins  Kingbird  in  Lubbock  26  Dec 
was  a first  local  winter  record  (TSo).  A West- 
ern Kingbird  in  Midland  24  Feb  was  very  ear- 
ly (MaC).  Lingering  Scissor-tailed  Flycatchers 
were  reported  from  Williamson  11  Dec  (TFe), 
Dallas  21  Dec  (SBa),  and  Bexar  7 Jan  (HR). 

A White-eyed  Vireo  was  unexpected  at  Rio 
Grande  Village,  Brewster  10  Dec  (DLe),  and 
one  in  Dallas  3 Dec  (BGi  et  al.)  and  mid-Feb 
(RR)  were  also  rare.  Other  unusual  vireos  in- 
cluded a Cassin’s  in  Bexar  7 Jan  (HR),  a Hut- 
ton’s in  El  Paso  2 Jan  (BZ),  and  a Warbling  18 
Dec  in  Brazoria  (NB,  SM).  A vagrant  Blue  Jay 
appeared  at  Bentsen  S.P.,  Hidalgo  11  Dec 
(DD).  A lone  Cyanocorax  jay,  either  Yucatan 
Jay  or  San  Bias  Jay,  was  found  with  Green  Jays 
at  San  Ygnacio,  Zapata  13  Feb+  (JRu,  m.ob.). 
Observers  were  divided  on  the  identity  of  the 
bird,  which  was  certainly  an  escapee  in  any 
case.  Two  Common  Ravens  near  Ft.  Hancock, 
Hudspeth  17  Dec  were  locally  unusual  (JPa). 

An  astonishing  104  Tree  Swallows  were 
counted  at  McNary  Res.,  Hudspeth  17  Dec 
(BZ).  Northern  Rough-winged  Swallows  n.  of 
the  normal  winter  range  included  2 in  Nacog- 
doches, Nacogdoches  14  Dec  (DW),  4 in 
Burleson  17  Dec  (CLi),  and  one  at  Village 
Creek  Drying  Beds,  Tarrant  17  Jan  (DPo). 
Cave  Swallows  continue  to  march  northward 
each  winter.  This  season,  sightings  of  particu- 
lar interest  included  331  on  the  Gibbons 
Creek  C.B.C.,  Grimes  20  Dec  (DPh  et  al.)  and 
up  to  50  at  El  Paso  30  Jan  (JSp).  Tardy  Barn 
Swallows  included  one  in  Bell  17  Dec  (fide 
RKo)  and  4 at  Balmorhea  L.,  Reeves  18  Dec 
(ML,  ph.  KB),  while  an  early  bird  was  in  San 
Antonio  8 Feb  (HR). 

NUTHATCHES  THROUGH  WARBLERS 

White-breasted  Nuthatch  made  a very  nice 
showing  in  nw.  Texas,  with  one  at  Palo  Duro 
Canyon  S.P.,  Randall  10  Dec-5  Feb  (RaM, 
LSa),  3 in  Amarillo,  Potter  17  Dec  (PT,  m.ob.), 
one  at  L.  Meredith,  Hutchinson  16  Feb  (BP), 
and  one  at  Yoakum  County  Park,  Yoakum  18 
Feb  (AHe).  A Brown-headed  Nuthatch  was 
well  out  of  range  at  Freeport,  Brazoria  18  Dec 
(DMe).  A surprising  concentration  of  20+ 
Brown  Creepers  was  noted  at  Sandy  Creek 
Park,  Jasper  2 Jan  (KE1).  Rock  Wrens  linger- 
ing from  the  fall  included  one  at  L.  Tawakoni, 
Rains  (m.ob.)  through  the  season  and  one  at 
Koehne  Park,  McLennan  until  23  Jan  (EH); 
another  was  at  Anzalduas  County  Park,  Hi- 
dalgo 29  Dec+  (MGu,  KP,  SP).  An  early  Blue- 
gray  Gnatcatcher  was  near  Midland,  Midland 


4 Feb  (m.ob.).  Two  Western  Bluebirds  at  Palo 
Duro  Canyon  S.P,  Randall  22  Dec  (KS)  were  a 
nice  find.  A Wood  Thrush  was  present  the  en- 
tire season  at  Salineno,  Stair  (P&GD,  ph. 
KEc,  m.ob.).  A Clay-colored  Robin  in  Corpus 
Christi,  Nueces  13  Feb+  (MCo,  m.ob.)  provid- 
ed the  6th  county  record  of  the  species.  One 
of  the  birds  of  the  season  was  the  ad.  Rufous- 
backed  Robin  at  Utley,  Bastrop  7 Jan+  (ph., 
tBFr,  m.ob.).  Following  the  strong  start  in  the 
fall,  Varied  Thrushes  made  a good  showing, 
with  a male  in  Andrews  17  Dec  (TKH),  a fe- 
male at  Kerrville,  Kerr  8 Jan-1  Mar  (ph., 
tMT),  and  up  to  2 males  in  Big  Bend’s  Boot 
Canyon  17  Jan-17  Feb  (tDLe;  ph.,  tEC  et 
al.).  Three  Sage  Thrashers  in  e.  Kenedy  21-22 
Feb  (BFr,  GP)  were  a rare  find  for  the  e.  South 
Texas  Brush  Country.  A Crissal  Thrasher  at 
Midland,  Midland  31  Dec-24  Feb  (DKe;  ph., 
tMaC)  furnished  a first  county  record.  Al- 
ways a good  winter  find  in  n.-cen.  Texas,  2 
Sprague’s  Pipits  were  at  Lewisville  L.,  Denton 
3 Dec  (LDu),  and  another  was  at  L.  Tawakoni 
Rains  20  Dec  (DH). 

Single  Orange-crowned  Warblers  made 
rare  winter  appearances  in  the  Panhandle  at 
Amarillo  21  Dec-10  Jan  (KS)  and  L.  Mered- 
ith, both  Potter  29  Dec  (RaM).  Unexpected 
were  single  Nashville  Warblers  at  Caddo  L., 
Marion  10-28  Dec  (JI)  and  L.  Wichita  Park, 
Wichita  5 Feb  (SoL).  A Northern  Parula  was 
at  High  Island,  Galveston  6 Jan  (JSt);  a Tropi- 
cal Parula  was  in  San  Antonio,  Bexar  15  Dec+ 
(MCr,  m.ob.).  A Black-throated  Gray  Warbler 
lingered  in  El  Paso  until  28  Dec  (BZ),  a first 
Dec  record  for  the  El  Paso  area;  another  was 
in  San  Antonio  29  Jan  (T&rCF).  A Pine  War- 
bler in  Amarillo,  Potter  1 Dec-1  Feb  (KS)  rep- 
resented only  the  2nd  winter  record  for  the 
Panhandle;  one  in  Midland  28  Dec-31  Jan 
(RMS,  MSt)  was  nearly  as  rare.  Single  Prairie 
Warblers  at  Brazos  Bend,  Fort  Bend  17  Dec 
(AW)  and  at  Sea  Rim  S.P  Jefferson  2 Jan  were 
nice  finds;  and  one  wintered  at  Sabine  Woods, 
Jefferson  (fide  JWh).  A Palm  Warbler,  perhaps 
a lingering  migrant,  was  in  Williamson  10  Dec 
(SH,  BS).  Single  Black-and-white  Warblers 
were  reported  from  Farmers  Branch,  Dallas  7 
Dec  (RDu)  and  White  Rock  L.,  Dallas  17  Dec 
(JH);  a female  in  Salado,  Bell  17  Dec  (RPi) 
provided  a first  winter  county  record.  A well- 
described  Ovenbird  along  the  Window  Trail, 
Big  Bend  N.P.,  Brewster  30  Dec  (J&DC) 
marked  the  first  winter  record  for  the  park; 
more  expected  was  one  in  Dickinson,  Galve- 
ston 18-19  Feb  (BH).  Winter  Northern  Wa- 
terthrushes  included  singles  at  Brazos  Bend 
S.P,  Fort  Bend  18  Dec  (JSt),  Lake  Jackson, 
Brazoria  11  Jan  (JAr),  and  San  Bernard 
N.W.R.,  Brazoria  12  Feb  (RW,  SGr).  Providing 
yet  another  rare  documented  winter  record 


for  the  state  was  a Louisiana  Waterthrush 
banded  at  Guadalupe  Delta,  Calhoun  14  Dec 
(GS);  another  was  reported  from  Brazos  Bend 
S.P,  Fort  Bend  10  Feb  (BGo  et  al.).  Providing 
a rare  winter  record  for  the  U.T.C.,  a 
MacGillivray’s  Warbler  was  discovered  on  the 
Armand  Bayou  C.B.C.,  Hanis  17  Dec  (NB  et 
al).  Continuing  from  the  fall,  one  or  possibly 
2 Gray-crowned  Yellowthroats  were  at  the 
Sabal  Palm  Sanctuary,  Cameron  throughout 
the  period  (JiP,  TBMc,  m.ob.).  A male  Hooded 
Warbler  at  Lake  Jackson,  Brazoria  5 Feb 
(DFr)  may  have  wintered  locally.  Single  Wil- 
son’s Warblers  made  unexpected  appearances 
in  San  Augustine  5 Feb  (LoD)  and  Angelina  13 
Feb  (LoD,  JWi).  A Yellow-breasted  Chat  in 
Aransas  29  Dec  (BFr,  PH)  provided  an  unusu- 
al winter  record  for  the  Coastal  Bend. 

TANAGERS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

An  exceptional  find  for  n.-cen.  Texas  was  a 
Summer  Tanager  in  Dallas  18  Dec  (RT  et  al.), 
while  another  returned  for  its  3rd  consecutive 
winter  to  Bellaire,  Harris  (DVe  et  al.).  Spotted 
Towhees  were  virtually  unrecorded  from 
much  of  the  Trans-Pecos  for  the  entire  period, 
despite  much  searching.  Lark  Sparrows  are 
scarce  and  local  in  winter,  so  a flock  of  21 
near  L.  Tawakoni,  Rains  was  notable  12  Dec 
(MWh).  A Lark  Bunting  was  on  the  Katy 
Prairie,  Harris  18-26  Feb  (HL,  SGr,  HS). 
Grasshopper  Sparrows  n.  of  the  normal  win- 
tering range  include  one  near  Morton, 
Cochran  18  Dec  (AHe),  one  at  L.  Tawakoni, 
Rains  22  Dec  (DH),  and  2 near  Mound  L.,  Ter- 
ry 18  Feb  (AHe).  Following  the  fall  reports,  3- 
4 Baird’s  Sparrows  were  sw.  of  Marfa,  Presidio 
6-17  Dec  (ph.,  tML,  TRDa);  another  was  inw. 
Jeff  Davis  23  Dec  (tML).  Two  Swamp  Spar- 
rows were  at  L.  Rita  Blanca,  Hartley  21  Jan 
(BBe);  the  species  is  rare  at  this  season  in  the 
Panhandle.  A Golden-crowned  Sparrow  near 
Ft.  Hancock,  Hudspeth  17  Dec  (MSc,  tJZ,  ph.) 
provided  a 2nd  county  record.  McCown’s 
Longspurs  graced  the  shores  of  L.  Tawakoni, 
Rains  throughout  the  period  (m.ob.),  with  a 
high  count  of  25  on  19  Feb  (GCo,  DH);  also 
here  were  up  to  1321  Lapland  Longspurs, 
recorded  on  the  Tawakoni  C.B.C.  1 Jan.  (RKi 
et  al.).  Good  concentrations  of  Smith’s 
Longspurs  included  400-500  in  Lamar  in 
mid-Dec  (SLo);  30  in  Harrison  19  Dec  (ER) 
were  likewise  noteworthy.  One  located  by  call 
and  seen  in  flight  in  e.  Brazoria  22  Dec  (JSt) 
made  just  the  2nd  record  for  the  U.T.C. 
Flocks  of  6 to  50+  Chestnut-collared 
Longspurs  in  Kenedy  2 Dec  (BFr)  were  well  s. 
of  the  normal  range  of  this  species  in  Texas. 
Vying  for  the  most  extraordinary  record  of  the 
season  was  a Snow  Bunting  at  South  Padre  1., 
Cameron  24  Dec-6  Jan  (ph.,  tP&RA,  m.ob.), 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  - NUMBER  2 


257 


TEXAS 


representing  the  6th  state  record  and  by  far 
the  farthest  south. 

A Pyrrhuloxia  near  Anderson  20  Dec  (KR, 
JeM,  JD)  was  a first  for  Grimes , while  another 
near  Schmidt,  Waller  12  Feb  (S&AW)  was 
one  of  very  few  records  in  recent  years  for  the 
U.T.C.  A male  and  2 female  Varied  Buntings 
along  Terlingua  Cr.,  Brewster  31  Jan  (EC)  pro- 
vided more  evidence  that  this  species  occa- 
sionally winters  in  the  Big  Bend  region.  Very 
rare  in  winter,  particularly  away  from  the 
coast,  a Painted  Bunting  was  in  Archer  24  Jan 
(ScL).  A Yellow-headed  Blackbird  in  Archer 
16  Jan  (ScL,  DPa)  provided  a nice  winter  n.- 
cen.  Texas  record.  Rusty  Blackbird  made  a 
very  good  showing  in  the  state,  with  high 
counts  in  the  e.  half  of  the  state  that  included 
70  at  Tawakoni  S.P.,  Van  Zanclt  12  Dec  (RB), 
247  at  Longview,  Rush  31  Dec  (PB,  BMe),  and 
110  at  L.  Tawakoni,  RainsAitn  Zandt  1 Jan 
(RKi).  Farther  w.,  this  species  made  news, 
with  4 at  El  Paso  11  Dec  (tJSp)  and  one  at 
Muleshoe  N.W.R.,  Bailey  18  Dec  (AHe).  A re- 
port of  199  Brewers  Blackbirds  in  Burleson  17 
Dec  (CLi,  EO)  was  unusual,  considering  the 
rarity  of  the  species  in  the  Central  Brazos  Val- 
ley. A female  Bullocks  Oriole  appeared  for  the 
3rd  consecutive  year  in  Midland  14  Dcc+ 
(D&JM).  An  Audubon’s  Oriole  was  seen  near 
Utopia,  Uvalde  20  Feb-1  Mar  (ph.  MH),  pro- 
viding a rare  record  for  the  Edwards  Plateau. 
Lesser  Goldfinches  are  expanding  their  range 
to  the  n.  and  e.  in  Texas,  so  one  at  Henrietta, 
Clay  19  Dec-16  Jan  (GJ)  was  less  of  a surprise 
than  it  would  have  been  a decade  ago. 

Cited  observers  (subregional  editors  in  bold- 
face): Pam  & Reid  Allen,  Jim  & Kitty  Anding, 
John  Arvin  (JAr),  Shawn  Ashbaugh  (SAs), 
Scott  Atkinson  (SAt),  Mike  Austin,  Andy  & 
Julia  Balinsky,  Ron  Baltzegar,  Lynn  Barber 
(LBa),  Sheryll  Barker  (SBa),  Peter  Barnes,  Kei- 
th Bartles  (KBa),  Harold  Beierman,  Steve 
Bentsen  (SBe),  Susan  Beree  (SuB),  Billie 
Bernard  (BiB),  Brandon  Best  (BBe),  Nick 
Block,  Jason  Brook,  David  Brotherton,  Lu- 


anne  Brotherton  (LBr),  Charles  Brower,  Tim 
Brush,  Kelly  Bryan  (KBr),  Frank  Bumgardner, 
Winnie  Burkett,  Eric  Carpenter,  Joe  Cepeda, 
Kathy  Adams  Clark,  Robyn  Cobb,  Sheridan 
Coffey,  Tom  Collins,  Greg  Cook  (GCo),  Mar- 
garet Cook  (MaC),  Mel  Cooksey  (MCo) 
(South  Texas:  16  Townhouse  Lane,  Corpus 
Christi,  TX  78412.  email:  ssi@stx.rr.com), 
Mel  Cooksey  (MCo),  Mark  Cranford  (MaC), 
Mike  Creese  (MCr),  Bob  Creglow  (BCr), 
Grant  Critchheld  (GCr),  Jim  & Dede  Crusin- 
berry,  D.D.  Currie,  Claire  Curry,  Rich  Damron 
(RDa),  David  Dauphin,  Louis  Debetaz  (LoD), 
Lucy  Decker  (LDe),  Pat  & Gale  DeWind,  Car- 
olyn Dill,  Mike  Dillon,  Bob  Doe,  Rachel 
Dugas  (RDu),  Lawrence  Duhon  (LDu),  Joan 
Dziezyc,  Kim  Eckert  (KEc),  Rowe  Elliott, 
Kreg  Ellzey  (KEl),  Ted  Eubanks,  Tom  & Car- 
ol Fawcett,  Tim  Fennell  (TFe),  Dixie  Feur- 
bacher  (DFe),  Audette  Foyt,  Brush  Freeman 
(BFr),  Bert  Frenz  (BeF)  (East  Texas:  221 
Rainbow  Dr.,  #12190,  Livingston,  TX  77399- 
2021.  email:  bert2@bafrenz.com),  Don  Fry 
(DFr),  Terry  Fuller  (TFu),  Steve  Gast  (SGa), 
Fred  Gehlbach,  Brian  Gibbons  (BGi), 
Michelle  Giles  (MGi),  Bill  Godley  (BGo), 
Michael  Gray  (MGr),  Scott  Gremel  (ScG), 
Steve  Gross  (SGr),  Mary  Gustafson  (MGu), 
Katherine  Hampton,  Eric  Haskell,  Scott  Hay- 
ward, Mitch  Heindel,  Ruth  Heine,  Anthony 
Hewetson  (AHe)  (Northwest  Texas:  4407 
36th  St.,  Lubbock  TX  79414.  email:  ter- 
rverts@yahoo.com),  Aveline  Hewetson 
(AvH),  Derek  Hill  (North-central  Texas:  1508 
Linden  Drive,  Denton,  TX  76201.  email: 
kinglet32@yahoo.com).  Jack  Hill,  Petra 
Hockey,  Helen  Hoffman,  Barbara  House,  Jim 
Ingold,  Gayle  Jackson,  Bob  Johnson,  Dan 
Jones,  Larry  Jordan,  Peter  Keller,  Donna  Kel- 
ly (DKe),  James  Kessler  (JKe),  Keith  King- 
don,  Richard  Kinney  (RKi),  John  Kiseda 
(JKi),  Rich  Kostecke  (RKo),  Dale  Kubenka 
(DKu),  Howard  Laidlaw,  Greg  Lavaty  (GLa), 
Dan  Leavitt  (DLe),  Cin-Ty  Lee  (CTL),  Greg 
Levandoski  (GLe),  Cathy  Liles  (CLi),  Dell 
Little  (DLi),  Mark  Lockwood,  Scotty  Lofland 


(ScL),  Stephan  Lorenz  (SLo),  Barry  Lyon,  Ray 
Matlack  (RaM),  Steve  Mayes,  R.  Mayfield 
(RMa),  Jon  McIntyre  (JMc),  Debra  McKee 
(DMc),  June  McKee  (JuM),  Bill  McKinney 
(BiM),  Brad  McKinney  (BMc),  David  Merrick 
(DMe),  Don  & Joann  Merritt,  Bob  Metzler 
(BMe),  Greg  Mucciolo,  John  Muldrow  (JMu), 
Bill  Murphy  (BMu),  Jeffrey  Musser  (JeM), 
Irene  Oatman,  Brent  Ortego,  Elaine  Owens, 
Jim  Paton  (JPa)  (Trans-Pecos:  4325  Boy  Scout 
Lane,  El  Paso,  TX  79922.  email:  patonjn@net- 
zero.net),  Dan  Patrick  (DPa),  Katy  Patterson, 
Shane  Patterson,  Jimmy  Paz  QiP),  Glenn  Per- 
rigo,  David  Phalen  (DPh),  Barrett  Pierce, 
Randy  Pinkston  (RPi),  Jane  Poss  (JPo),  David 
Powell  (DPo),  David  Pueppke  (DPu),  Ross 
Rasmussen,  Eddie  Ray,  Jan  Redden  (JRe), 
Martin  Reid,  Helen  Rezjek,  Thomas  Riecke, 
Joel  Ruiz  0ku)>  Sue  Ruotsala,  Karen  Russell, 
Laura  Sare  (LSa),  Linda  Scholey  (LSc),  Marcy 
Scott  (MSc),  Willie  Sekula  (Central  Texas: 
7063  Co.  Rd.  228,  Falls  City,  TX  78113-2627. 
email:  wsekula@evl.net),  Ken  Seyffert,  Ed 
Shackly,  Howard  Smith,  Tom  SoRelle  (TSo), 
John  Sproul  (JSp),  Tom  Stehn  (TSt),  Jim 
Stevenson  (JSt),  Byron  Stone,  Mary  Stortz 
(MSt),  Rose  Marie  Stortz,  Malcolm  Mark 
Swan,  Glenn  Swartz,  Danny  Swepston,  Kent 
Taylor,  Rodney  Thomas,  Max  Traweek,  Peggy 
Trosper,  Don  Verser  (DVe),  Darrell  Vollert 
(DVo),  Ron  Weeks  (UTC:  110  Indian  War- 
rior, Lake  Jackson,  TX  77566.  email:  empi- 
donax@sbcglobal.net),  Patti  Westbrook 
(PWe),  Matt  White  (MWh),  Tim  Whitehouse, 
John  Whittle  (JWh),  Stephen  & Ann 
Williams,  Greer  Willis,  Jack  Windsor  (JWi), 
Jan  Wobbenhorst  (JWo),  David  Wolf,  Adam 
Wood,  Joe  Yelderman,  Jimmy  Zabriskie,  Barry 
Zimmer.  ^ 


Mark  W.  Lockwood,  402  East  Harriet  Avenue,  Alpine, 
Texas  79830,  (mark.lockwood@tpwd.state.tx.us); 

Randy  Pinkston,  4005  Wagon  Trail,  Temple,  Texas  76502, 
(dpinkston@swmail.sw.org); 

Ron  Weeks,  110  Indian  Warrior,  Lake  Jackson,  Texas 
77566,  (empidonax@sbcglobal.net) 


The  Friends  of  North  American  Birds 

Since  its  inception,  the  fund  has  allowed  for  many  improvements  such  as 
Mailing  in  a protective  wrapper  tto  insure  its  delivery  in  one  piece. 

Increase  in  page  count,  allowing  the  addition  of  articles  and  special  sections. 

More  color  pages,  allowing  the  addition  of  Photo  Salons. 

Ail  of  this  has  been  made  possible  with  your  generous  contributions. 

There  are  more  plans  in  the  works  for  future  issues  but  the  fund  does  need  your  continued  support. 

Donations  to  the  "Friends  of  NAB"  fund  can  be  mailed  to: 

The  Friends  of  NAB,  4945  N.  BOth  Street,  Suite  200,  Colorado  Springs,  (CO  8091 9-31 51 

' I ’ I 


258 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


Colorado  & Wyoming 


Tony  Leukering  Bill  Schmoker 
Christopher  L.  Wood 


Yet  another  season  of  above-normal 
temperatures  in  the  Region  created 
many  opportunities  to  document  the 
general  northward  shift  in  the  winter  ranges 
of  several  species  and  to  find  unusual  winter- 
ers as  well.  Precipitation  ranged  from  above 
average  in  Wyoming  and  Colorado’s  northern 
mountains  to  below  average  in  Colorado’s 
southern  mountains  and  eastern  plains,  lead- 


ing to  a dichotomy  of  water-“haves”  and 
“have-nots”  across  the  Region.  Yet  another 
Mexican/South  Texas  species  delighted  Col- 
orado birders,  as  the  state’s  third  and  fourth 
Long-billed  Thrashers  wintered  in  different 
locations.  The  season  proved  outstanding  for 
other  mimids,  remarkable  for  Hermit  Thrush- 
es, and  provided  a first  Regional  record  for  a 
wintering  Northern  Waterthrush.  A well-trav- 
eled Yellow-billed  Loon  provided  a case  study 
of  the  species’  ability  to  cover  large  distances 
in  a short  time,  as  well  as  birders’  ability  to 
use  modern  communication  technology  to 
keep  abreast  of  a rare  bird’s  movement.  The 
excitement  of  these  birding  opportunities  is 
tempered  with  concern  about  the  effects  of 
warming  climate  and  shifts  in  precipitation 
patterns  on  local  ecosystems. 

Abbreviations:  Big  Johnson  -(Big  Johnson 
Res.,  El  Paso);  Bonny  (Bonny  Res.,  Yuma); 


Chatfield  (Chatfield  S.P.,  Jeffer- 
son/Douglas );  Cherry  Creek 
(Cherry  Creek  Res.,  Arapahoe)' 

Chico  (Chico  Basin  Ranch, 

Pueblo/El  Paso);  DMNS  (Den- 
ver Museum  of  Nature  and  Sci- 
ence); John  Martin  (John  Mar- 
tin Res.,  Bent).  “West  Slope” 
denotes  locations  w.  of  the 
Rockies.  Due  to  reporting  bias- 
es, all  locations  can  be  assumed 
to  be  in  Colorado  except  that 
each  Wyoming  location  is  not- 
ed as  such  the  first  time  it  ap- 
pears in  the  text. 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  FALCONS 

Greater  White-fronted  Geese  seemed  more 
numerous  in  and  near  the  Front  Range  urban 
corridor  than  usual;  white  geese  were  mostly 
unremarkable  in  occurrence;  and  Black  Brant 
were  a bit  more  numerous  than  typical  this 
winter.  There  were  seven  reports  of  Trum- 
peter Swan,  the  most  interesting  coming  from 
Gaifield — at  Rifle  4 Jan  (K.  Potter,  A.  Dahl) — 
and  Mesa,  at  Jerry  Cr.  13-16  Jan  (D.  Jandreau, 
LA).  Six  ad.  Trumpeters  were  a first  for  Chaf- 
fee at  Salida  28  Dec-4  Mar  (SY,  ph.  TL, 
m.ob.).  A male  Eurasian  Wigeon  put  in  two 
appearances  at  Rocky  Ford,  Otero 
15  Dec  and  31  Jan  (MP,  m.ob.).  The 
first  Cinnamon  Teal  was  earlier 
than  usual,  even  for  that  early 
spring  migrant,  in 
Boulder  12  Jan  (P. 

Hansley).  Either 
Greater  Scaup  is  be- 
coming more  regu- 
lar in  winter  in  the 
Region  or,  more 
likely,  more  birders  are  be- 
coming comfortable  with 
identifying  them,  as  we  re- 
ceived 15  reports  of  38  indi- 
viduals. All  three  scoters  were 
found  this  winter:  single  Surfs 
in  Fremont  and  Pueblo  and 
single  White-wingeds  in  Boul- 
der and  Douglas  in  Dec,  when 
still  somewhat  expected,  with  a rarer  Black  3- 
4 Dec  at  Chatfield  (JK,  m.ob.).  The  surprise, 
though,  was  an  unseasonal  White-winged 


near  Henderson,  Adams  25-26 
Feb  (GW,  m.ob.).  Of  14  Re- 
gional reports  of  Barrow’s 
Goldeneye,  only  one  came 
from  Wyoming,  6 at  Gray  Reef 
Res.,  Natrona  5-25  Jan  ( fide 
G&JL).  A goldeneye  x Hooded 
Merganser  hybrid  was  a nice 
find  at  Pueblo  Res.,  Pueblo  26- 
28  Feb  (BKP  et  al.).  The  only 
wintering  Ruddy  Ducks  were 
reported  from  Pueblo  Res. 
(BKP)  and  Totten  Res.,  Mon- 
tezuma (JB). 

Odd  for  so  far  n.  in  winter,  single  Red-necked 
and  Clark’s  Grebes  were  reported  from  the 
Valmont  Res.  complex,  Boulder  21  Jan  (BS,  TF 
et  al.).  American  White  Pelicans  occasionally 
winter  in  Colorado,  particularly  at  the  two 
large  se.  reservoirs,  Pueblo  and  John  Martin, 
where  they  did  this  winter.  Almost  unprece- 
dented, however,  was  a single  that  survived 
the  winter  at  Cherry  Creek  (m.ob.).  In 
Wyoming,  where  the  species  is  even  scarcer  at 
this  season,  2 were  near  Glenrock,  Converse 
11  Feb  (CM).  A Turkey  Vulture  s.  of  Pueblo, 
Pueblo  14  Dec  (T.  Crisler)  was  virtually  un- 
precedented in  the  state  in  winter.  An  amaz- 
ing 6 Northern  Goshawks  were  reported  this 
winter  at  low  elevations,  spread  from  John 
Martin  on  14  Dec  (a  juv.;  TL  et  al.)  to  Tama- 
rack Ranch  S.W.A.,  Logan  8 Jan  (a  juv.;  SL). 
Only  one  of  these  was  an  ad.  (though  the  ages 
of  2 were  unreported),  at  Col- 
orado City,  Pueblo  2 Feb  (DS). 
A gray  Gyrfalcon  (age  unre- 
ported) visited  Clark’s  Corner, 
Natrona  12  Dec  (CM). 

RAILS  THROUGH  OWLS 

Three  Soras  were  tallied  on 
the  John  Martin  C.B.C.  14 
Dec  (TL,  MP  et  al.),  in  an  area 
where  they  are  annual  in 
some  numbers,  but  one  upriv- 
er at  Rocky  Ford,  Otero  15 
Dec  (MP,  TL)  provided  a first 
local  winter  record.  Presum- 
ably, more  effort  to  locate  So- 
ras in  winter  in  Colorado  would  greatly  ex- 
pand our  understanding  of  their  winter  range 
in  the  Region.  Early  Sandhill  Cranes  num- 


r f|  In  addition  to  6 Common  and  2 Pacific  Loons,  2 Yellow-billed  Loons  were  reported  this  season.  One  at  Highline  Res., 
Mesa  25  Dec-16  Jan  (LA,  R.  Levad,  m.ob.)  provided  the  first  West  Slope  record  of  the  species.  A juv.,  first  found  at  Chat- 
field 3 Dec  (JK,  m.ob.),  was  present  until  the  early  morning  of  5 Dec  (MP),  when  it  apparently  departed.  Later  that  morning, 
Maynard  found  what  was  presumably  the  same  bird  at  Big  Johnson  (some  1 1 2 km  south),  where  it  was  seen  into  the  early 
afternoon.  However,  by  the  time  Peterson  showed  up  at  Big  Johnson,  the  bird  was  not  present,  and  Percival  had  found  a juv. 
Yellow-billed  at  Pueblo  Res.,  another  56  km  farther  south.  So  this  loon  was  seen  on  three  bodies  of  water  in  four  counties  in 
one  day!  It  remained  at  Pueblo  Res.  until  14  Dec. 


A species  now  found  almost  annually  in  Colorado,  this  Yellow-billed  Loon 
was  photographed  at  Pueblo  Reservoir,  Pueblo  County  on  4 December 
2005.  Photographs  by  Brandon  Percival. 


Providing  a third  winter  record  for 
Colorado  was  this  Black  Phoebe 
along  the  Arkansas  River  in  Pueblo, 
Pueblo  County  on  11  December  2005 
(here);  it  remained  into  March  2006. 
Photograph  by  Brandon  Percival. 


This  Eastern  Towhee  at  Chico  Basin 
Ranch,  El  Paso  County  (here  14  January 
2006)  was  one  of  three  that  wintered 
in  Colorado  this  season;  it  was  heard 
giving  call  notes  typical  of  Eastern 
Towhee  in  winter  but  in  April  gave  sev- 
eral calls  typical  of  Spotted  Towhee. 

Photograph  by  Brandon  Percival. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


259 


COLORADO  & WYOMING 


One  of  a remarkable  four  Pine  Warblers  reported  in  Colorado  this  winter,  this 
bird  frequented  a feeder  in  Fort  Collins,  Larimer  County  throughout  the  winter 
(here  17  December  2005).  Photograph  by  Rachel  Hopper. 


In  a fine  winter  for  sapsuckers  in  Colorado,  five 
Red-naped  Sapsuckers  were  located,  including  this 
male  at  Trinidad,  Las  Animas  County  21  January  2006. 

Photograph  by  Brandon  Percival. 

bered  2 at  Canon  City,  Fremont  11  Feb  (RM), 
6 near  Nepesta,  Pueblo  19  Feb  (SO),  and  one 
at  Salida,  Chaffee  26  Feb  (SY).  Three  winter 
reports  of  Greater  Yellowlegs  was  more  than 
normal,  but  7 Greater  Yellowlegs  at  John  Mar- 
lin lb  Feb  (DN)  were,  pre- 
sumably, very  early  spring  mi- 
grants. For  the  2nd  year  in  a 
row,  Spotted  Sandpiper  suc- 
cessfully wintered  at  Pueblo 
(BKP,  m.ob.).  Single  Least  (2-9 
Dec)  and  Baird’s  (2  Dec)  Sand- 
pipers were  late  below  Pueblo 
Res.  (BKP).  As  many  as  4 
Dunlins  wintered  e.  of  Gree- 
ley, Weld  3 Dec-31  Jan  (J. 

Himmel)  for  a surprising  n. 

Colorado  record.  Of  some- 
what more  regularity,  a single 
Dunlin  spent  the  winter  along 
the  Arkansas  R.  at  and  below  Pueblo  Res.  1 1 
Dec-20  Feb  (BKP,  m.ob.). 

Odd  was  an  ad.  Franklin's  Gull  in  full  al- 
ternate plumage  at  Cherry  Creek  27  Dec  (B. 
Brown).  Seven  reports  of  Mew  Gull,  a large 
number,  was  highlighted  by  2 (an  ad.  and  a 
first-cycle  bird)  at  Pueblo  Res.  17  Dec+  (MP, 
CLW,  ph.  BKP),  a second-cycle  bird  at  Fossil 
Creek  Res.,  Larimer  26  Feb  (CW),  and  a first- 


cycle  bird  at  Erie  Res.,  Boulder 

27  Feb  (BS).  The  13  reports  of 
21  Lesser  Black-backed  Gulls 
seemed  a bit  below  the  recent  av- 
erage. A first-cycle  Glaucous- 
winged Gull  was  a brief  visitor  to 
Pueblo  Res.  15  Dec  (BKP).  A 
possible  Flerring  Gull  x Glau- 
cous-winged Gull  hybrid  was 
present  at  the  same  location  26- 

28  Feb  (BKP);  Colorado  birders 
have  yet  to  confirm  this  hybrid 
combination  in  the  state,  though 
a few  odd  gulls  have  shown 
characters  consistent  with  it. 

Five  reports  of  6 Glaucous  Gulls 
was  typical,  but  6 Great  Black- 
backed  Gulls  was  above  average, 
though  a poorer  showing  than  last  winter’s 
record  season. 

A Band-tailed  Pigeon  at  No  Name,  Garfield 
1 Jan  (T.  McConnell)  provided  a first  local 
mid-winter  record.  The  spread 
of  White-winged  Doves  con- 
tinues, as  evidenced  by  the  six 
reports  of  27  of  these  invaders 
this  winter,  all  in  se.  Colorado. 
Inca  Doves  continue  in  their 
two  Colorado  strongholds, 
Lamar,  Prowers  (DAL)  and 
Rocky  Ford  (SO).  Kellner 
found  an  imm.  Snowy  Owl  in 
the  middle  of  the  night  in  s. 
Kiowa  1 Jan,  providing  the 
only  Regional  report  this  win- 
ter. A Burrowing  Owl  pho- 
tographed in  Pueblo  31  Dec  (R 
Hurtado)  provided  a very  rare  Regional  winter 
record  away  from  the  se.  corner  of  Colorado. 

WOODPECKERS  THROUGH  THRUSHES 

A Red-headed  Woodpecker  (age  unreported) 
found  1 1 Mar  near  Torrington,  Goshen , WY 
was  thought  to  have  wintered  locally  (G&JL). 
The  Regions  sole  outpost  of  resident  Acorn 
Woodpeckers  continues  to  prosper  near  Du- 


rango, La  Plata  (m.ob.).  It  was  a crazy  sap- 
sucker  winter  in  Colorado.  An  incredible  6 
Williamson’s  Sapsuckers  (only  one  female) 
were  found,  half  in  Fremont , where  sapsucker 
searchers  have  been  finding  the  species  regu- 
larly in  recent  winters.  However,  Montezuma , 
Chaffee , and  Pueblo  got  in  on  the  action  this 
year,  each  with  single  birds.  Also  amazing,  14 
Yellow-bellied  Sapsuckers  were  recorded  this 
winter  (including  5 in  Fremont  and  4 in 
Pueblo).  This  species  may  eventually  be  re- 
moved from  the  state’s  review  list.  Oddly,  the 
most  interesting  aspect  of  this  sapsucker  win- 
ter was  the  unprecedented  5 Red-naped  Sap- 
suckers scattered  from  Mesa  to  Las  Animus 
with,  of  course,  one  in  Fremont. 

A Black  Phoebe  at  Valeo  Ponds  S.W.A., 
Pueblo  1 1 Dec-23  Feb  (BKP,  m.ob.)  provided 
only  the  3rd  Colorado  winter  record.  The  12 
reports  of  17  Say’s  Phoebes  seemed  a higher- 
than-typical  number  for  a Colorado  winter. 
The  “elusive”  Craig,  Moffat  Blue  Jay  was  not- 
ed on  2 Jan  (FL).  Bushtits  basically  stayed  in 
the  mts.  this  winter,  as  the  e.  extent  of  sight- 
ings this  season  was  marked  by  8 on  the  In- 
verness Golf  Course  9 Feb  (S.  Stachowiak) 
and  4 at  Cherry  Hills  Village  26  Feb  (K.  Stech- 
er),  both  in  w.  Arapahoe,  which  is  barely  onto 


Minimally  14  Yellow-bellied  Sapsuck- 
ers, a high  count,  were  detected  in 
Colorado  in  winter  2005-2006;  this 
one  was  photographed  18  December 
2005  at  Canon  City,  Fremont  County. 

Photograph  by  Brandon  Percival. 


The  winter  of  2005-2006  will  long  be  remembered  in  Colorado  because  of  the  remarkable  mimid  show.  Included  in  the  festivities  were 
7 Gray  Catbirds  in  five  counties  (plus  one  in  Wyoming  at  Cheyenne,  Laramie  1 Dec  [DF]),  12  Northern  Mockingbirds  in  eight  counties 
(plus  one  in  Wyoming  at  Casper,  Natrona  16  Dec  [D.  Walgren]),  38  SageThrashers  in  seven  counties,  and  single  Brown  Thrashers  in  each  of  three 
counties. 

In  the  context  of  these  records,  two  discoveries  of  Long-billed  Thrashers  were  nevertheless  mind-boggling.  Following  up  on  a 6 Jan 
sighting  of  Eastern  Towhee  on  the  Chico  Basin  Ranch  C.B.C.,  Percival  photographed  a Joxostoma  thrasher  1 4 Jan;  it  appeared  to  be  a candidate 
for  Long-billed.  Maynard  refound  the  bird  22  Jan  and  confirmed  Percival's  suspicion  that  the  bird  was  a Long-billed,  the  3rd  for  Colorado.  In- 
terestingly, the  Russian  Olive  grove  that  harbored  the  Eastern  Towhee  and  the  Long-billed  Thrasher  also  supported  a Gray  Catbird  (found  6 Jan; 
MP),  a Brown  Thrasher  (found  6 Jan;  TL),  and  1-2  Curve-billed  Thrashers  (and  little  else),  and  certainly  provided  for  one  of  the  best  single-site 
mimid  shows  in  Colorado  winter  history. 

On  20  Feb,  Susan  Anderson  noted  a thrasher  in  her  urban  yard  in  Denver.  The  report  made  it  to  the  Colorado  birding  listserv  (CObirds),  and 
Andrew  Spencer  checked  on  the  bird  the  next  day,  confirming  the  suspicion  that  it,  too,  was  a Long-billed  Thrasher!  Maynard  confirmed  that 
the  bird  at  Chico  was  still  present  21  Feb.  Both  Long-billed  Thrashers  survived  through  late  Apr. 


Forty-three  thrashers  of  three  Toxostoma 
species  were  found  in  Colorado  in  winter 
2005-2006,  among  them  this  Long-billed 
Thrasher,  the  state's  third,  at  Chico  Basin 
Ranch  14  January  through  (here)  22  Febru- 
ary 2006.  Photograph  by  Bill  Maynard. 


260 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


COLORADO  & WYOMING 


the  plains.  A Carolina  Wren  at  the  Lamar 
Community  College  first  found  12  Aug  was 
joined  by  another  for  the  winter  (DAL);  other 
singles  were  found  at  Vahnont  Res.  21  Jan 
(TF)  and  at  Two  Buttes  S.W.A.,  Baca  22  Jan 
(BKP,  MP).  Reports  of  Winter  Wrens  were 
fairly  numerous  this  winter  and  were  high- 
lighted by  three  reports  of  “Western”  Winter 
Wrens,  which  are  thought  to  be  quite  rare  in 
Colorado  (most  winter  records  are  of  “East- 
ern” Winter  Wrens):  Colorado  City  29  Jan-2 
Feb  (DS),  Canon  City  18  Dec  (CLW,  TL),  and 
Ft.  Collins,  Larimer  23-25  Mar,  the  latter  a 
bird  that  was  thought  to  have  wintered  (TL). 
A Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher  18  Dec  at  Sundance, 


Part  of  Colorado's  unprecedented  mimid  show  this  winter  was 
this  Gray  Catbird  (here  31  January  2006)  that  wintered  at  the 

Chico  Basin  Ranch,  one  of  eight  found  in  the  Colorado  & 
Wyoming  region  over  the  season.  Photograph  by  Bill  Maynard. 

Crook,  WY  (].  Adams)  was  very  late.  Four 
Eastern  Bluebirds  gracing  the  Salida  C.B.C.  21 
Dec  (SY,  R.  Hancock)  were  rare  that  far  w.  and 
provided  for  a first  Chaffee  record.  The  12 
Hermit  Thrushes  reported  this  winter  in  Col- 
orado made  a completely  unprecedented 
number;  seven  counties,  from  Mesa  to  Baca, 
had  single  Hermits. 

WARBLERS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

Floyd  was  involved  in  the  finding  of  2 differ- 
ent Northern  Para  las  this  winter,  both  in 
Boulder,  Boulder.  The  first  was  an  ad.  male 
found  3 Dec,  the  other  a female  or  imm.  male 
found  dead  on  a sidewalk  15  Jan  (A.  Carpen- 
ter, TF;  *DMNS).  There  is  only  one  previous 
Colorado  winter  record  for  the  species.  An 
apparent  imm.  Cape  May  Warbler  was  seen 
very  poorly  but  heard  calling  quite  well  by  a 
few  observers  16-18  Dec  at  Pueblo  City  Park 
(BKP).  An  amazing  4 Pine  Warblers  were 
found  this  winter,  one  each  in  Jefferson, 
Pueblo,  Larimer,  and  Boulder.  All  but  the 
Pueblo  bird  wintered  and  were  photographed. 
However,  the  warbler  highlight  of  the  winter 
was  the  Northern  Waterthrush  found  17  Dec 
on  the  Ft.  Collins  C.B.C.  (CW;  ph.,  m.ob.) 
that  provided  the  first  solid  Regional  winter 
record  of  any  waterthrush. 

Two  single  Green-tailed  Towhees  were  rus- 


tled up  this  winter  in  Boulder — 18  Dec  (J. 
Harlan)  and  28  Jan  (M.  Arp) — providing  rare 
winter  records,  particularly  for  that  far  north. 
Three  Eastern  Towhees  apparently  wintered 
in  Colorado:  a male  spent  in  Boulder  21  Nov- 
7 Apr+  (ph.  R.  Byers),  a female  was  at  Bonny 
22-23  Dec  (ph.  BS),  and  the  aforementioned 
male  was  at  Chico  6 Jan  into  Apr.  Despite  the 
latter  bird  giving  nothing  but  Eastern  Towhee 
call  notes  in  Jan,  the  bird  was  heard  giving 
Spotted  Towhee-like  calls  in  Apr,  sometimes 
interspersed  with  Eastern  Towhee-like  calls 
(TL).  A Spotted  Towhee  wintering  in  the 
same  grove  may  have  influenced  call-types  in 
this  pheno typically  pure  Eastern  Towhee. 

A Chipping  Sparrow  noted  29  Jan  at 
Chico  (BKP)  but  not  before  or  subsequent- 
ly provided  an  odd  winter  record.  Two  Field 
Sparrows  were  found,  one  at  John  Martin 
14  Dec  (fide  DN)  and  one  at  Navajo  S.R, 
Archuleta  21  Jan  (JB,  R Derven);  the  latter 
would  provide  only  the  2nd  sw.  Colorado 
record  if  accepted.  A Savannah  Sparrow  at 
Brush  Hollow  Res.,  Fremont  23  Feb  (p.a., 
RM)  would  provide  a first  foothill  winter 
record.  Eleven  Lincoln’s  Sparrows  in  Col- 
orado was  a high  number  for  winter,  partic- 
ularly compared  to  the  relative  paucity  of 
Swamp  Sparrows  (only  14);  Lincolns  Spar- 
rows are  usually  found  with  Swamp  Spar- 
rows here  at  this  season.  A Golden-crowned 
Sparrow  was  a nice  surprise  at  Fruita,  Mesa  12 
Feb  (J.  Beason).  A female  Chestnut-collared 
Longspur  was  w.  of  normal,  particularly  for 
winter,  s.  of  Colorado  City  11  Feb  (DS).  We 
received  only  two  Colorado  reports  of  Snow 
Bunting  this  winter,  one  from  the  w.  edge  in 
Moffat,  the  other  on  the  e.  edge  in  Yuma. 

Two  of  the  nine  reports  of  Northern  Cardi- 
nal came  from  areas  w.  of  normal,  single  birds 
near  Greeley  at  the  end  of  Dec  (fide  R Light- 
sey)  and  at  Aurora,  Arapahoe  in  Jan-Feb  (ph. 
L.  Giesecke).  A female-plumaged  Rose- 
breasted Grosbeak  posed  for  photographs  in 
Perry  Park,  Douglas  3-4  Dec  (C.  Zwahlen). 
The  only  Rusty  Blackbirds  this  winter  were 
singles  at  Canon  City  18  Dec  (TL,  CLW)  and 
at  Ft.  Collins  29  Jan  (LS,  RH).  Common 
Grackle  seemed  more  widespread  than  usual 
at  this  season,  with  reports  from  eight  coun- 
ties, including  Mesa  and  Fremont.  A male  Bul- 
lock’s Oriole  x Baltimore  Oriole  hybrid  was 
quite  unseasonable  at  Lamar  20-28  Feb  (D. 
Russell).  The  three  Purple  Finch  reports  were 
all  of  single  brown  birds,  all  from  sites  of  pre- 
vious recent  occurrence:  at  Las  Animas,  Bent 
2 Dec  (DN)  and  at  L.  Beckwith,  Pueblo  25  Dec 
(DS)  and  5 Nov-17  Jan  (J.  Thompson).  The 
only  Colorado  winter  reports  of  Common 
Redpoll  and  Evening  Grosbeak  came  from  w. 
of  Bonny  23  Dec  (m.ob.)  and  Allenspark, 


In  Colorado,  Canon  City  was  again  a hotspot  for  wintering 
sapsuckers,  with  representatives  of  three  species  found,  in- 
cluding this  female  Red-naped  Sapsucker,  here  18  Decem- 
ber 2005.  Photograph  by  Tony  Leukering. 

Boulder  1 Dec  (B.  Kaempfer),  respectively. 
Addenda:  A first-year  Broad-winged  Hawk 
was  a superb  find  near  Kelly,  Teton,  WY  22 
Jun  2005  0-  Bens);  there  are  very  few  Region- 
al records  for  the  summer  period.  An  office 
building  in  Fort  Collins,  CO  claimed  the  lives 
of  two  notable  birds:  a Golden-winged  War- 
bler 1 1 May  2005  (the  only  other  state  speci- 
men, from  1881,  lacks  location  data)  and  a 
Yellow-billed  Cuckoo  in  early  Jun  2005  (both 
*DMNS;JidcJ.  Harrison). 

Cited  observers  (subregional  editors  in  bold- 
face): Jean  Adams,  Jim  Beatty  (sw.  Colorado), 
Coen  Dexter  (w.-cen.  Colorado),  Doug 
Faulkner  (Wyoming),  Ted  Floyd,  Rachel  Hop- 
per, Joey  Kellner,  Steve  Larson,  Gloria  &Jim 
Lawrence  (statewide  RBA  - Wyoming),  David 
A.  Leatherman,  Tony  Leukering,  Forrest  Luke 
(nw.  Colorado),  Bill  Maynard,  Terry  McE- 
neaney  (Yellowstone),  Chris  Michelson 
(Casper,  WY),  Rich  Miller,  Duane  Nelson, 
Stan  Oswald,  Susan  Patla  (Jackson,  WY), 
Brandon  K.  Percival  (se.  Colorado),  Mark  Pe- 
terson, Bert  Raynes  (Jackson,  WY),  Bill 
Schmoker,  Larry  Semo  (n.e.  Colorado),  David 
Silverman,  Glenn  Walbek  (n.-cen.  Colorado), 
Cole  Wild,  Christopher  L.  Wood,  Sherrie 
York.  Many  other  individuals  contributed  in- 
formation to  this  report  but  could  not  be  ac- 
knowledged here;  all  have  our  thanks.  © 


Tony  Leukering,  Rocky  Mountain  Bird  Observatory, 
14500  Lark  Bunting  Lane,  Brighton,  Colorado  80603. 
(tony.leukering@rmbo.org); 

Bill  Schmoker,  3381  Larkspur  Drive,  Longmont,  Colorado 
80503,  (bill@schmoker.org); 

Christopher  L.  Wood,  Cornell  Laboratory  of  Ornithology, 
159  Sapsucker  Woods  Road,  Ithaca,  New  York  14850, 
(clw37@cornell.edu) 


VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


261 


Idaho  & Western  Montana 


A good-to-spectacular  irruption  of  Snowy  Owls  was  one  of  the  many  highlights  of  winter  2005-2006. 
This  image  of  four  sleepy  Snowy  Owls  was  captured  on  film  near  Pablo  National  Wildlife  Refuge,  Lake 
County,  Montana  by  subregional  editor  Dan  Casey  on  7 February  2006.  The  roost  at  this  site  reached  29 
birds  in  midwinter,  a large  concentration  for  any  location  in  the  United  States.  Photograph  by  Dan  Casey. 


David  Trochlell 


The  winter  of  2005  featured  unusually 
mild  mid-season  weather  sand- 
wiched between  very  cold  periods  in 
early  December  and  mid-February.  January 
2006  was  the  fourth  warmest  January  in  112 
years  of  Idaho  records  and  the  warmest  Jan- 
uary ever  recorded  in  Montana.  Precipitation 
amounts  varied  widely  across  the  Region, 
but  most  areas  received  normal  or  above-av- 
erage precipitation  for  the  period.  Unfortu- 
nately, it  was  a season  of  few  notable  avian 
highlights,  and  the  lack  of  migratory  winter 
finches  was  a widespread  lament.  In  general, 
Pine  Siskins  and  Evening  Grosbeaks  were 
few,  Common  Redpolls  were  unusually  rare, 
and  Cassin’s  Finches  were  absent.  At  least 
partly  compensating  for  this  shortfall  was 
the  Region’s  most  significant  Snowy  Owl  ir- 
ruption in  memory. 

Abbreviation:  Latilong  (area  encompassed  by 
one  degree  latitude  and  one  degree  longitude 
used  in  mapping  bird  distribution  in  both 
Idaho  and  Montana). 

GEESE  THROUGH  OWLS 

Unexpected  in  w.  Montana  was  a Greater 
White-fronted  Goose  near  Deer  Lodge  15-18 
Jan  (NK,  GSw).  Very  rare  in  winter  was  a 
Snow  Goose  in  Flathead,  MT  5 Feb  (DC).  A 
total  of  5 Cackling  Geese  was  reported  in  Ida- 
ho, representing  only  about  a fourth  of  last 
winter’s  tally.  Also  weak  for  the  Gem  State 
was  a total  of  only  2 Eurasian  Wigeons.  By 
contrast,  Idaho’s  winter  count  of  10  Long- 
tailed  Ducks  may  have  set  a new  high  record. 
Especially  rare  in  winter  was  a Pacific  Loon 


near  Harrison,  ID  4 Feb  (LH).  An  excellent 
total  of  9 Gyrfalcons  was  recorded.  Very  sur- 
prising were  4 Greater  Yellowlegs  wintering 
in  Gem,  ID  8 Jan,  but  even  more  unusual  was 
an  unidentified  dowitcher  there  8 & 23  Jan 
(RM).  Rare  wintering  larids  were  scarcer  than 
usual,  with  reports  of  only  one  Mew,  3 Thay- 
er’s, 2 Glaucous-winged,  and  3 Glaucous 
Gulls.  Eurasian  Collared-Doves  continue  to 
increase  in  their  se.  and  s.-cen.  Idaho  strong- 
holds, but  new  this  season  were  5 in  Owyhee, 
ID  31  Dec  (MC),  3 in  Gem,  ID  21  Feb  (FZ), 
and  11  in  Bozeman,  MT  17  Dec  (JP).  Repre- 
senting a winter  latilong  first  was  a Burrow- 
ing Owl  in  Cassia,  ID  12  Jan  (SB). 

HUMMINGBIRDS 
THROUGH  BLACKBIRDS 

The  only  Anna’s  Hummingbird  was  one  in 
Burley,  ID  that  held  over  from  last  fall 
through  8 Dec  (SP).  A tardy  Lewis’s  Wood- 
pecker in  Eureka,  MT  10  Dec  (LY)  provided 
a first  winter  record  in  Latilong  1 . Represent- 
ing Idaho’s  3rd  winter  record  was  a 
Williamson’s  Sapsucker  in  Valley  29  Jan 
(CS).  Only  6 Idaho  Blue  Jays  were  reported 
throughout  the  period,  providing  a stark 


contrast  to  last  winter’s  record  irruption.  Sin- 
gle extralinrital  Western  Scrub-Jays  were  not- 
ed in  Lapwai  (m.ob.)  and  Payette,  ID 
(P&LC)  during  the  period;  both  were  appar- 
ently of  the  californica  subspecies.  Unexpect- 
ed both  geographically  and  temporally  was  a 
Northern  Mockingbird  in  Blaine,  ID  6 Dec 
(GS).  A Swamp  Sparrow  was  discovered  near 
Hagerman,  ID  22  Dec  (fide  BD),  where  they 
are  now  almost  expected  in  winter.  Rare 
Zonotrichia  sparrows  were  scarce,  with  only 
2 White-throated,  one  Golden-crowned,  and 
4 Harris’s  Sparrows  noted.  A record-early 
Western  Kingbird  showed  up  in  Ada  25  Feb 
(MM),  representing  Idaho’s  first  winter 
record.  The  only  Rusty  Blackbird  found  was 
near  Kalispell,  MT  1 Jan  (LK,  LW). 

Contributors:  (subregional  editors  in  bold- 
face): IDAHO:  Steve  Bouffard,  Kathleen 
Cameron,  Pete  and  Lynn  Carter,  Mark  Collie, 
Bob  Davis,  Kas  Dumroese,  Lisa  Hardy,  Russ 
Manwaring,  Mike  Morrison,  Stacy  Peterson, 
Hadley  Roberts,  Gary  Stitzinger,  Shirley 
Sturts,  Charles  Swift,  Chuck  Trost,  Poo 
Wright-Pulliam,  Fred  Zeillemaker.  MON- 
TANA: Dan  Casey,  Leslie  Kehoe,  Nate 
Kohler,  John  Parker,  Don  Skaar,  Gary  Swant 
(GSw),  Terry  Toppins,  Linda  Winnie,  Lewis 
Young.  & 


David  Trochlell,  2409  East  N Avenue,  La  Grande,  Oregon 
97850,  (dtrochlell@verizon.net) 


The  major  story  of  the  season  was  the  unusually  high,  probably  record-high  numbers  of  Snowy  Owls  that  visited  the 
J M Region.  At  least  41  were  recorded  in  western  Montana  and  9 in  Idaho,  whereas  for  the  past  20  years  the  winter  tally 
has  averaged  three  reports.  Most  sightings  occurred  at  a spectacular  roost  site  near  Pablo  N.W.R.,  Lake,  MT,  where  Snowy  Owl 
numbers  peaked  at  29  in  midwinter. 


262 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


Great  Basin 


Rick  Frideli 


There  was  a marked  contrast  between 
winter  weather  in  the  northern  and 
southern  parts  of  the  Region,  with  the 
northern  portion  receiving  average  to  above- 
average  snowfall,  the  southern  persistent  dry 
conditions.  It  was  also  a mixed  bag  for  north- 
ern birds  wintering  in  the  Region:  high  num- 
bers of  several  species,  such  as 
Bohemian  Waxwing,  were  offset 
by  moderate-to-low  numbers  of 
most  irruptive  species,  such  as 
Rough-legged  Hawk  and  North- 
ern Shrikes.  Although  Snowy 
Owls  were  found  this  winter  in 
neighboring  northern  states, 
there  were  no  confirmed  sight- 
ings in  the  Great  Basin.  Two  Bore- 
al Owls,  however,  were  pho- 
tographed in  Utah.  As  these  were 
only  the  third  and  fourth  Boreal 
Owls  confirmed  in  the  state,  they 
may  have  been  part  of  a south- 
ward winter  irruption.  Other 
highlights  include  three  Fulvous 
Whistling-Ducks  in  Utah  and  a 
male  Broad-billed  Hummingbird 
in  Nevada. 

Abbreviations:  Antelope  1.  (Ante- 
lope Island  S.P.  and  Causeway, 

Davis,  UT);  Bear  River  (Bear  Riv- 
er Migratory  Bird  Refuge,  Box  El- 
der, UT);  Corn  Cr.  (Corn  Creek 
Unit,  Desert  N.W.R.,  Clark,  NV); 

H.B.V.R  (Henderson  Bird  Viewing  Preserve, 
Clark,  NV);  Lake  Mead  (Lake  Mead  N.R.A., 
Clark,  NV);  Lytle  (Lytle  Ranch  Preserve, 
Washington,  UT);  Miller’s  R.A.  (Millers  Rest 
Area,  Esmeralda,  NV);  Ouray  (Ouray  N.W.R., 
Uintah,  UT);  Red  Hills  (Red  Hills  Golf 
Course,  St.  George,  Washington,  UT);  Zion 
(Zion  N.P,  Washington,  UT). 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  VULTURES 

One  of  the  highlights  of  the  winter  season  was 
the  brief  appearance  of  3 Fulvous  Whistling- 


Ducks  at  Bear  River  21  Jan  (ph.  PH,  RC, 
tKP).  Although  there  were  several  reports  of 
vagrant  Fulvous  Whistling-Ducks  from  else- 
where in  the  sw.,  this  was  by  far  the  north- 
ernmost location  reported.  Trumpeter  Swan 
sightings  have  been  on  the  increase  in  the  Re- 
gion, and  this  winter  was  no  exception,  with 
10  reported  12  Dec-25  Feb  from  four  Utah 
counties  (Juab , Millard,  Utah,  and  Washing- 
ton). Remarkably,  a male  Eurasian  Wigeon 
showed  up  for  the  6th  consecutive  winter  21 
Nov+  at  Lakeridge  G.C.,  Washoe,  NV  (GS  et 
al.).  Washoe,  NV  provided  all  other  reports  of 
Eurasian  Wigeon,  with  males  at  Sparks  8 Jan 
(FP)  and  Lemmon  Valley  21  Feb  (MM).  A fe- 
male Black  Scoter,  first  reported  during  the 
fall  period,  lingered  until  11  Dec  at  Antelope 
I.  (ph.  TA).  As  usual,  Long-tailed  Ducks  made 
a strong  winter  showing  at  Antelope  I.,  with 
up  to  6 reported  this  winter  (12-16  Dec;  TA  et 
ah).  Utah  supplied  all  additional  Long-tailed 
Duck  reports,  with  females  at  East  Canyon 


S.P,  Morgan  11  Dec  (KP),  Bear  River  4 Feb 
(KM),  and  Quail  Creek  S.P,  Washington  28 
Feb  (RF). 

HAWKS  THROUGH  TERNS 

The  only  Red-shouldered  Hawk  reported  this 
season  was  found  10  Jan  in  Cedar  Valley,  Iron, 
UT  (KG).  Several  contributors  reported  mod- 
erate numbers  of  Rough-legged  Hawks  in  the 
n.  portions  of  the  Region;  however,  their 
numbers  in  the  s.  were  well  below  average 
this  winter.  Significant  shorebird  sightings 


were  in  short  supply  this  winter.  Twelve  Least 
Sandpipers  were  an  unusual  find  on  the  Car- 
son  City  C.B.C.,  Carson,  NV  18  Dec  (GS  et 
ah).  Up  to  4 Dunlins  were  observed  2 Jan  at 
the  H.B.V.P  (JBr),  with  at  least  2 remaining 
throughout  the  season.  An  ad.  Mew  Gull 
made  a rare  Utah  appearance  17-20  Dec  at  the 
Orem  Sewage  Treatment  Ponds,  Utah  (KCh, 
ph.  JK).  Thayer’s  Gulls  were  reported  15  Dec- 
15  Feb  from  four  Utah  counties  ( Box  Elder, 
Davis,  Cache,  and  Salt  Lake).  A Lesser  Black- 
backed  Gull  was  located  15-19  Dec  at  the 
Bountiful  Landfill,  Davis,  UT  (CN,  TA  et  ah). 
Glaucous-winged  Gulls  were  reported  from 
three  Utah  locations:  16  Dec-6  Jan  at  the 
Bountiful  Landfill  (JBi,  BH  et  ah);  21  Jan-15 
Feb  at  Farmington  Bay  W.M.A.,  Davis  (BS, 
TA);  and  28  Jan  at  the  Logan  Landfill,  Cache 
(j&KE).  Glaucous  Gulls  also  made  a strong 
showing  this  winter  in  Utah,  with  singles  at 
the  Bountiful  Landfill  16  Dec-4  Feb  (JBi,  BH, 
ph.  TA  et  ah),  Salt  Creek  W.M.A,  Box  Elder  5 


Feb  (KP),  and  Farmington  Bay  W.M.A. , Davis 
15  Feb  (TA  et  ah). 

DOVES  THROUGH  WOODPECKERS 

Just  a few  years  ago,  Eurasian  Collared-Doves 
were  big  news  in  the  Great  Basin,  and  now 
they  are  regularly  observed  throughout  Utah 
and  Nevada,  with  flocks  of  several  hundred 
individuals  reported  in  s.  areas.  White- 
winged Doves  are  always  rare  winter  visitors 
in  the  Region;  however,  a flock  of  10-1 2 spent 
a 4th  straight  winter  in  Washington  City, 


Large  flocks  of  Bohemian  Waxwings  were  observed  in  the  northern  portion  of  the  Great  Basin  in  late  winter.  This  flock  containing  approximately 
300  birds  remained  at  Rye  Patch  Reservoir,  Pershing  County,  Nevada  for  much  of  the  season  (here  7 February  2006).  Photograph  by  Martin  Meyers. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


263 


GREAT  BASIN 


CATS  INDOORS! 

The  Campaign  for  Safer  Birds  & Cats 


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INDOOR 
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★ Killing  Birds 

★ Getting  Lost 

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★ Abcesses 

★ Worms 

★ Fleas 

★ Ticks 

Protect  cats,  birds, 
and  other  wildlife  by 
keeping  cats  indoors! 

For  more  information,  contact: 

AMERICAN  BIRD 
CONSERVANCY 

Cats  Indoors! 

The  Campaign  forSaferBirdsand  Cats 
1 834  Jefferson  Place,  NW 
Washington,  DC  20036 
Phone:  202-452-1535; 
Fax:202-452-1534; 

E-mail:  abc@abcbirds.org; 

Web:  wwvv.abcbirds.org 


Washington , UT  (RF  et  al.).  More  surprising 
was  an  extralimital  White-winged  Dove  ob- 
served 10  Dec+  at  Bluff,  San  Juan,  UT  (LG). 
Up  to  7 Long-eared  Owls  were  observed  at 
Corn  Cr.  19  Feb+  (DaS,  DeS  et  al.).  Utah’s  3rd 
and  4th  confirmed  Boreal  Owls  were  pho- 
tographed in  n.  Utah  in  mid-Jan.  The  first  was 
found  21  Jan  in  Card  Canyon,  Cache  (ph. 
KE),  the  other  24-25  Jan  along  the  Bluebell 
Hwy.,  e.  of  Bluebell,  Duchesne  (AB,  ph.,  tBM). 
A small  population  of  Boreal  Owls  has  long 
been  rumored  in  n.  Utah’s  Uintah  and 
Wasatch  Mts.;  however,  whether  these  recent 
sightings  were  rare  resident  owls  or  part  of  a 
southward  winter  irruption  is  unknown.  A 
male  Broad-billed  Hummingbird  made  a rare 
appearance  in  the  Region  at  a Las  Vegas, 
Clark,  NV  residence  16  Dec-5  Feb  ( SPe,Jtde 
PG,  ph.  PW,  ph.  SPa  et  al.).  A tough  male 
Anna’s  Hummingbird  feeding  in  the  snow  was 
an  unexpected  sight  during  the  Carson  City 
C.B.C.,  Carson,  NV  18  Dec  (GS  et  al). 

FLYCATCHERS  THROUGH  WARBLERS 

Utah’s  first  winter  Empidonax  flycatcher 
records  were  documented  during  this  period. 
Two  flycatchers  at  Red  Hills  caused  some  ini- 
tial confusion  before  their  identification  was 
sorted  out  in  mid-Jan.  The  first  Empidonax 
was  observed  26  Dec  at  Red  Hills  (MT)  and 
reported  in  late  Jan.  On  15  Jan,  a Dusky  Fly- 
catcher was  photographed  at  Red  Hills  (ph. 
TA,  MW,  RF);  a Pacific-slope/Cordilleran  Fly- 
catcher was  also  observed  there  that  day  (TA, 
ph.  RF),  and  another  was  photographed 
along  the  Virgin  R.  near  the  Washington 
Fields  Diversion,  Washington,  UT  16  Jan 
(KCo,  ph.  RF).  All  3 flycatchers  remained 
through  at  least  the  end  of  Jan.  Conventional 
wisdom  suggests  that  Pacific-slope  Flycatch- 
ers are  much  more  likely  to  winter  in  the 
Southwest  than  Cordilleran;  the  species  is 
currently  not  on  the  official  Utah  checklist. 
An  Eastern  Phoebe  reported  at  Lytle  12  Feb 
(LT)  was  another  surprising  winter  visitor  to 
the  Region. 

Varied  Thrushes,  very  rare  winter  visitors 
in  Utah,  were  observed  at  Emigration 
Canyon,  Salt  Lake  29  Dec  (SPr),  Millcreek 
Canyon,  Salt  Lake  1-21  Jan  (J&KB  et  al.),  and 
at  Brigham  Young  University,  Provo,  Utah  2- 
22  Feb  (NN,  JK).  A Brown  Thrasher  visited 
Corn  Cr.  19  Feb+  (DaS,  DeS  et  al.).  Bohemian 
Waxwings  made  an  outstanding  showing  in 
the  n.  portion  of  the  Region  but  went  unre- 
ported in  the  s.  portion.  Flocks  with  300+  in- 
dividuals were  observed  in  several  n.  Utah  lo- 
cations (Cache,  Summit,  Salt  Lake,  and 
Weber),  and  at  Rye  Patch  Res.,  Washoe,  NV  7 
Feb-3  Mar  (ph.  MM,  DSe  et  al.).  A Black- 
throated  Magpie-Jay,  first  discovered  15  Sep, 


continued  to  brighten  a Las  Vegas  neighbor- 
hood through  at  least  17  Feb  (CT  et  al.);  it  is 
certainly  an  escapee. 

SPARROWS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

A Green-tailed  Towhee,  observed  28  Dec  in 
Provo,  Utah,  UT  (KCh),  was  perhaps  the  first 
ever  reported  in  the  Region  during  winter.  A 
Swamp  Sparrow  was  a nice  find  4 Feb  at  the 
H.B.VE  (MB).  White-throated  Sparrows  were 
found  at  Carson  Lake,  Churchill,  NV  16  Dec 
(DM),  Orem,  Utah,  UT  the  next  day  (KCh, 
JK),  and  City  Creek  Canyon,  Salt  Lake  City, 
Salt  Lake,  UT  7 Jan  (ph.  J&JB).  Harris’s  Spar- 
rows made  a strong  winter  showing,  with  2 in 
Washoe,  NV  1 Dec-1  Jan  (RSt,  CD,  JT)  and  3 
in  Salt  Lake,  UT  17  Dec-1  Jan  (BW,  PF,  EL). 
Carson  Lake,  Churchill,  NV  was  again  the 
hotspot  for  longspurs  in  the  Region,  with  4 
Lapland  and  25  Chestnut-collared  observed 
15  Dec  (MM  et  al.)  and  5 McCown’s  found 
there  22  Jan  (GS  et  al.).  Numbers  there 
peaked  24  Jan,  with  over  40  Lapland  and  50 
Chestnut-collared  observed  (MM,  DSe  et  al.). 
Five  Chestnut-collared  Longspurs  were  found 
18-29  Dec  at  Washoe  Lake,  Washoe,  NV  (GS 
et  al.),  and  8 were  at  Swan  Lake,  Lemmon  Val- 
ley, Washoe,  NV  3 Jan-21  Feb  (FP,  BG  et  al). 
Great-tailed  Grackles  are  now  being  observed 
throughout  most  of  Nevada  and  Utah,  as  at- 
tested by  a flock  of  50  in  n.  Nevada  near  the 
Oregon  border  at  Winnemuca,  Humboldt 
(MM  et  al.).  A female  Hooded  Oriole  made  a 
very  late  appearance  at  a hummingbird  feeder 
6 Dec  in  Las  Vegas,  Clark,  NV  (RSc). 

Contributors  and  cited  observers:  Tim  Avery, 
Jim  &Judy  Bailey,  Mike  Baker,  Joel  & Kathy 
Beyer,  Jack  Binch  (JBi),  Je  Anne  Branca  (JBr), 
Analisa  Burton,  Rudy  Chatelain,  KC  Childs 
(KCh),  Kristen  Cornelia  (KCo),  Jim  & Mari- 
an Cressman,  Connie  Douglas,  Kirk  Earl, 
Judy  & Keith  Evans,  Rick  Fridell,  Pomera 
Fronce,  Patrick  Gaffey,  Lu  Giddings,  Bob 
Goodman,  Kate  Grandison,  Paul  Higgins,  Bob 
Huntington,  Josh  Krietzer,  Edson  Leite,  James 
Lofthouse,  Christiana  Manville,  Kelly  Mathis, 
Brian  Maxfield,  Martin  Meyers,  Don  Molde, 
Colby  Neuman,  Nate  Nye,  Scott  Page  (SPa), 
Suellen  Pearson  (SPe),  Fred  Petersen, 
Stephen  Peterson  (StP),  Susan  Prescott  (SPr), 
Kristin  Purdy,  Rita  Schlageter  (RSc),  Greg 
Scyphers,  Dennis  Serdehely  (DSe),  Bryan 
Shirley,  Darrin  Shirley  (DaS),  Dennis  Shirley 
(DeS),  Rose  Strickland  (RSt),  Jane  Thomp- 
son, Carolyn  Titus,  Marshall  Topham,  Larry 
Tripp,  Barbara  Watkins,  Merrill  Webb,  Kit  & 
Janelle  Wilkinson,  Phillip  Worts.  iQ 


Rick  Fridell,  3505  West  290  North,  Hurricane,  UT  84737, 
(rfridell@redrock.net) 


264 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


New  Mexico 


.Reserve  Sln 

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■Mos.il..  „,nt 


La  Joya. 

Socorro.  Bosquedei 

“Apache  N.W.  R. 

'Elephant  Butte  L 


;T  „ .RuidOSO  .i 

i Truth  or  Ssuranjertto  Roswell  tt.W.R. 

Conseguences  sn„  j 

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Hobbs 

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Mim  ’Rattlesnake  Spqs 

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"Bedrock  CitV  S.R? y N-W.R.  „ . 


Sartor  O.  Williams  III 


Winter  2005-2006  brought  a return 
to  serious  drought  throughout 
much  of  New  Mexico,  and  unsea- 
sonably warm  temperatures  were  recorded  in 
January  and  February.  Diligent  birding,  how- 
ever, resulted  in  a good  season  for  vagrant  wa- 
terbirds  and  unexpected  winter  holdovers, 
turned  up  remarkable  numbers  of  mimids  in 
many  areas  and  grassland  species  in  the 
south,  and  culminated  with  a popular  Yellow 
Grosbeak  seen  by  hundreds  at  Albuquerque. 

Abbreviations:  B.L.N.W.R.  (Bitter  Lake 
N.W.R.);  Bosque  (Bosque  del  Apache 
N.W.R.);  C.C.N.P  (Carlsbad  Caverns  N.P.); 
E.B.L.  (Elephant  Butte  Lake);  G.B.A.  (Gila 
Bird  Area,  Grant);  L.V.N.W.R.  (Las  Vegas 
N.W.R.);  Maxwell  (Maxwell  N.W.R.  and 
vicinity);  R.G.V.  (Rio  Grande  Valley);  R.S. 
(Rattlesnake  Springs  area,  Eddy). 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  FALCONS 

Blue-morph  Snow  Geese  are  scarce  in  New 
Mexico,  so  noteworthy  were  201  among  some 
23,000  Snows  at  Bosque  17  Dec  (DH);  other 
blue-morph  Snows  included  7 at  Clayton  14 
Dec  (CR)  and  singles  at  Farmington  17  Dec 
(AN)  and  Sevilleta  N.W.R.  16  Dec  (NC,  SC). 
At  least  one  blue-morph  Ross’s  Goose  was  at 
Bosque  10  & 31  Dec  (BN,  MS,  JZ);  2 others 
there  9 Jan  (ph.  BZ)  were  possibly  hybrids 
with  Snow  Goose.  Tundra  Swan  made  a strong 
showing,  with  reports  from  eight  locales  from 
the  R.G.V  eastward,  including  up  to  15  in  the 
Maxwell  area  6 Dec-11  Feb  (m.ob.,  ph.  DC), 
6 at  Tucumcari  L.  9 Dec  (JO),  2 each  at 
Charette  L.  2 Dec  GO)  and  L.VN.W.R.  16  Jan 
(WW),  and  singles  at  Belen  2-5  Jan  GEP,  CR, 
ph.  JO),  Bosque  9-19  Dec  GEP,  CGL),  Sumner 
L.  8 Dec  GO),  and  L.  Avalon  24  Dec-8  Jan 
(m.ob.),  the  latter  found  shot  27  Jan  (SW).  A 


male  Eurasian  Wigeon  was  at  Albuquerque’s 
Mariposa  Park  16  Dec-19  Feb  (m.ob.).  Sel- 
dom reported  in  the  upper  R.G.V.,  2 male 
Greater  Scaup  were  at  Pilar  22-23  Dec  (FO). 
Single  Long-tailed  Ducks  were  at  E.B.L.  3-6 
Jan  (B.  Locke)  andjal  10  Dec  GEP).  Barrow’s 
Goldeneye  made  an  impressive  showing  e.  of 
the  mts.  in  Colfax , Mora,  and  San  Miguel,  with 
2-3  at  Stubblefield  L.  24  Dec-24  Feb  (m.ob., 
ph.  DC,  ph.  JO),  a male  at  French  L.  near 
Cimarron  18  Dec-27  Feb  (EW,  ph.  DC),  up  to 
2 males  at  Mora  20  & 23  Dec  (ph.  EW),  and  a 
female  at  L.VN.W.R.  1 Dec  (ph.  JO). 

A productive  loon  season  found  single 
Red-throated  Loons  at  Conchas  L.  10-19  Dec 
and  1-24  Feb  (m.ob.,  ph.  JO)  and  Brantley  L. 
12  Dec-3  Feb  (m.ob.,  ph.  JO).  One  or  more 
Pacific  Loons  were  at  Conchas  L.  18  Dec 
(WW)  and  20-21  Feb  (CR,  JEP,  NR  ph.  JO), 
but  reports  of  a possible  Arctic  Loon  there  20 
Feb  were  not  confirmed.  A Yellow-billed 
Loon  at  Brantley  L.  12  Dec-7  Jan  (m.ob.,  ph. 
JO,  ph.  WH)  provided  New  Mexico’s  13th 
overall  record.  Horned  Grebes  where  rarely 
reported  included  up  to  2 at  Cochiti  L.  15 


Jan-1  Feb  GEP,  WW)  and  3 at  Mescalero  L. 
13  Dec  GO)-  A good  Red-necked  Grebe  sea- 
son produced  single  hums,  at  Cochiti  L.  15 
Dec-8  Jan  (MB,  NP,  WW,  CGL,  ph.  JO)  and 
E.B.L.  8 Jan-3  Feb  (ph.  BZ,  ph.  JZ,  ph.  JO,  ph. 
CGL).  Noteworthy  so  far  n.  in  winter  were 
730  Aechmophorus  grebes  at  Morgan  L.  6 Jan 
(AN);  high  counts  at  E.B.L.  amounted  to  only 
2770  on  6 Jan  (MW)  and  2116  on  24  Jan 
(RD),  most  of  which  were  Westerns. 

Neotropic  Cormorant  has  largely  vanished 
from  the  state;  this  season,  only  2 were  report- 
ed, those  at  Caballo  L.  18  Dec  (BV).  Single 
American  Bitterns  were  at  B.L.N.W.R.  17  Dec 
GB)  and  15  Feb  (GW)  and  at  L.  Avalon  30  Jan 
(T.  Hines).  Wintering  Great  Egrets  were  much 
in  evidence  in  the  R.G.V.  and  Pecos  Valley,  in- 
cluding 17  near  Radium  Springs  2 Jan  (CGL); 


far  n.  was  one  below  Navajo  Dam  1 1 Dec-7  Jan 
(AN).  Late  Snowy  Egrets  were  2 in  the  lower- 
most Pecos  Valley  19  Dec  GO),  plus  one  each 
at  Brantley  L.  GO)  and  L.  Avalon  (SW)  24-25 
Dec;  early  was  one  at  Cliff  6 Feb  (DB).  Unusu- 
al for  winter  was  a Cattle  Egret  n.  to  Bosque  17 
Dec  (DH)  and  9 Jan  (BZ);  4 were  at  Las  Cruces 
1 Jan  (CGL).  A White-faced  Ibis  lingered  at  Be- 
len 3 Dec  (CR,  BN)  and  2 Jan  GEP). 

Persistent  reports  of  up  to  2 Turkey  Vul- 
tures at  Roswell  24  Dec-4  Jan  (ph.  WH,  MB, 
NP,  I.  Palma)  culminated  in  discovery  of  14  at 
a roost  there  7 Jan  (DK,  JR);  early  were  2 at 
Silver  City  4 Feb  (P.  Boucher).  Late  was  an  Os- 
prey at  Hatch  11  Dec  (CR,  BN);  at  least  one 
wintering  in  the  E.B.L.  area  was  seen  4 Dec 
(CGL),  1 Jan  (BZ),  and  20  Jan  GEP).  White- 
tailed Kite  increased  its  presence  across  s.  New 
Mexico,  with  3 near  Rodeo  1 Jan  (RW,  ph.  JO), 
one  in  the  middle  Animas  Valley  3 Dec  (B. 
Cavaliere)  and  3 there  31  Dec  (CR,  ph.  JO),  2 
in  Grant  w.  of  Hachita  18  Feb  (ph.  CGL),  2 in 
Hidalgo  s.  of  Hachita  4 Jan  (C.  Brozek),  one  at 
Mesilla  26  Feb  (CR,  ph.  MR),  and  one  at  Sev- 
en Rivers  W.M.A.  4 & 14  Feb  (SW,  RD,  SOW). 

Rare  s.  to  Eddy,  a Bald  Eagle 
was  at  Brantley  L.  23  Dec 
(WH,  CR);  noteworthy  were 
39  at  Heron  L.  4 Jan  (MW). 
Harris’s  Hawk  continued  in 
the  Tularosa  Valley,  with  4 at 
Alamogordo  6 Jan  (ph.  CGL) 
and  3 near  La  Luz  30  Dec  G- 
Mangimeli).  A Crested 
Caracara  near  Rodeo  3 Dec 
(D.  Jasper,  ph.  K.  Maynard) 
was  the  first  for  Hidalgo  since 
1985.  Merlins  occurred 
statewide  Dec-Feb,  includ- 
ing one  or  2 on  16  C.B.C.s 
15-31  Dec;  one  was  e.  to 
House,  Query  10  Jan  (DS). 
Single  native  Aplomado  Fal- 
cons were  in  Otero  25  Jan  G-  Frey)  and  Luna 
on  various  dates  20  Dec-27  Feb  (RM  et  al., 
ph.  JB).  Wintering  Peregrine  Falcons  contin- 
ued to  increase,  including  in  the  Gila  Valley, 
middle  and  lower  R.G.V,  and  lower  Pecos  Val- 
ley; farther  n.  were  2 at  Pilar  22  Dec  (FO), 
plus  up  to  4 in  Taos  Dec-Jan  (FO)  and  one  in 
Rio  Arriba  25  Jan  (DS). 

RAILS  THROUGH  P00RWILL 

North  for  the  season  were  one  Virginia  Rail  at 
Espanola  31  Dec  (BF)  and  5 each  near  Cimar- 
ron 30  Jan  (DC)  and  Clayton  14  Dec  (CR).  A 
Common  Moorhen  was  n.  to  Bosque  17  Dec 
(WH).  A Black-bellied  Plover  lingered  at 
B.L.N.W.R.  7 Dec  (GW).  Rare  in  winter,  a 
Snowy  Plover  was  at  Brantley  L.  23  Dec  (CR, 
ph.  WH)  and  21  Jan  (SW),  and  3 were  near 


One  of  two  Pine  Warblers  documented  in  New  Mexico  this  season, 
this  apparent  male  was  at  Socorro's  New  Mexico  Tech  1 (here) 
through  21  January  2006.  Photograph  by  Brian  Holliday. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


265 


NEW  MEXICO 


Loving  17  Dec  (SW);  earliest  arrival  at 
B.L.N.W.R.  was  one  15  Feb  (GW).  Another 
winter  surprise  was  a Black-necked  Stilt  at 
B.L.N.W.R.  7 Dec-2  Feb  (GW,  JH,  JEP),  as 
were  2 at  Sunland  Park  2 Jan  (MS,  JZ).  Late 
American  Avocets  were  3 at  B.L.N.W.R.  17 
Dec  (GW);  earliest  arrivals  were  16  at 
B.L.N.W.R.  15  Feb  (GW)  and  7 at  Bosque  18 
Feb  (JEP)'  Unexpected  in  winter  n.  to  Colfax , 
2-4  Greater  Yellowlegs  were  at  Springer  L. 
Dec-Feb,  including  2 on  14  & 20  Jan  (ph. 
DC).  Noteworthy  Spotted  Sandpipers  were 
singles  at  Farmington  17  Dec  (AN),  G.B.A.  2 
Dec-17  Feb  (RS),  and  Ruidoso  17  Dec  (A. 
Powell).  Lingering  or  wintering  Long-billed 
Curlews  included  24  at  Loving  17  Dec  (CC), 
3 s.  of  Roswell  7 Jan  (JEP),  and  singles  at 
Deming  28  Dec  (LM),  near  Percha  8 Jan  (BZ), 
at  Six-Mile  Dam  5 Feb  (SW),  and  in  s.  Chaves 
13  Feb  (RD).  Late  for  the  n.  was  a Dunlin  at 
Stubblefield  L.  4 Dec  (ph.  DC);  elsewhere, 
one  was  at  E.B.L.  30  Dec  (JO)  and  a high  12 
were  near  Loving  17  Dec  (SW). 

Unexpected  so  late  was  a Franklin’s  Gull  at 
Sunland  Park  9 (CGL,  MB,  NP)  & 14  Dec 
(JNP).  A good  Mew  Gull  season  produced  sin- 
gles at  Tyrone  4 Dec  (EL,  ph.  DZ,  ph.  LM),  Al- 
buquerque 11-25  Feb  (WH  ct  al.,  ph.  DK,  ph. 
JO),  and  E.B.L.  5-11  Feb  (BN,  CR,  ph.  MB,  NP, 
JEP).  Small  numbers  of  California  Gulls  win- 
tered in  the  R.G.V.  in  Sandoval,  Bernalillo,  Sier- 
ra, and  Dona  Ana  Dec-Jan.  An  ad.  Thayers 
Gull  was  at  E.B.L.  11  & 18  Feb  (JEP).  Glau- 
cous Gull  staged  its  best  winter  ever  in  New 
Mexico,  with  (assuming  no  duplication)  up  to 
5 first-winter  birds  at  four  locales:  at  least  one 
at  Sunland  Park  6 Dec-2  Jan  (JNP  et  al.,  ph. 
JO)  and  2 there  9-11  Dec  (JNP,  ph.  CGL,  MB, 
NP,  BN,  CR),  plus  singles  at  Caballo  L.  31  Dec 
(DH),  E.B.L.  23  Jan-26  Feb  (WW  et  al.,  ph. 
JO,  CGL),  and  Brantley  L.  6 Jan-4  Feb  (JEP, 
DK,  SW).  Rounding  out  the  rare  gull  news  was 
an  inun.  Black-legged  Kittiwake  at  Brantley  L. 
23-27  Dec  (ph.  WH,  CR,JO,  MB,  NP). 

A Band-tailed  Pigeon  was  early  at  Signal 
Peak  12  Feb  (R.  Mansbach).  Now  entrenched 
in  New  Mexico,  Eurasian  Collared-Dove  was 
common  and  conspicuous  statewide,  includ- 
ing on  26  C.B.C.s;  singing  began  at  Albu- 
querque 29  Dec  (SOW)  and  P O.  Canyon  3 
Jan  (CDL).  White-winged  Dove  was  found  n. 
to  Farmington  (AN),  Espanola  (BF),  Santa  Fe 
(DE),  and  Tucumcari  (JO);  at  Silver  City, 
where  formerly  absent  in  winter,  145  were 
counted  17  Dec  (RS).  Single  Common 
Ground-Doves  were  near  Cliff  31  Dec  (E. 
Lewis)  and  at  Las  Cruces  15-29  Dec  (ph. 
DG).  Two  to  3 Ruddy  Ground-Doves  were  in 
the  Rodeo  area  2 & 11  Dec  (P  Hulce,  N.  Dias) 
but  were  not  found  later.  Far  n.  for  winter 
were  single  Barn  Owls  at  Maxwell  1 Jan  and 


24  Feb  (ph.  DC)  and  Clayton  14  Dec  (CR). 
An  apparent  Eastern  Screech-Owl  was  vocal 
at  a wooded  rest  stop  w.  of  Las  Vegas  in  the 
early  hours  of  29  Dec  (P.  Valentik);  there  is 
but  one  certain  record  for  the  state.  A Bur- 
rowing Owl  was  late  at  Farmington  1 1 Dec  (J. 
Rees);  singles  wintered  n.  to  Corrales  (DK, 
JR),  Albuquerque  (SC,  JEP),  and  B.L.N.W.R. 
(GW),  and  2 were  near  Fort  Sumner  10  Jan 
(DS).  Long-eared  Owl  was  conspicuous  in  the 
e.  and  s.,  including  roosts  of  up  to  10  each 
near  Cimarron  and  at  Maxwell  Dec-Feb 
(m.ob.)  and  4 in  the  Animas  Valley  25  Dec 
(AC,  NM-C).  Undetailed  were  C.B.C.  reports 


This  Yellow  Grosbeak,  present  at  Albuquerque  from  early  De- 
cember 2005  (here  28  January  2006)  into  the  spring  season, 
attracted  hundreds  of  birders  and  generated  endless  specu- 
lation about  its  provenance.  Apparently  a subadult  male,  it 
was  the  second  to  be  photographed  in  New  Mexico  (the  first 
was  near  Santa  Fe  18-21  October  2002)  and  central  New 
Mexico's  fourth  since  1999.  Photograph  by  David  W.  Nelson. 

of  single  Short-eared  Owls  at  Maxwell  15  Dec 
( fide  L.  Mowbray),  Loving  17  Dec  ( fide  CC), 
and  C.C.N.P  (fide  SW).  Suggestive  of  winter- 
ing, a Common  Poorwill  was  near  Rodeo  31 
Dec  (fide  AC)  and  a “fresh"  feather  was  found 
at  C.C.N.P  20  Dec  (fide  SW). 

HUMMINGBIRDS  THROUGH  VERDIN 

On  the  hummingbird  front,  a male  Broad- 
billed was  at  a Carlsbad  feeder  10  & 24  Dec 
(SW,  WH,  CR),  and  a female  was  at  another 
Carlsbad  feeder  Dec-Mar  (E.  Pierce),  includ- 
ing 6-7  Jan  (JEP,  CGL).  Late  was  an  ad.  male 
Magnificent  Hummingbird  at  L.  Roberts  1 Dec 
(J.  Day-Martin),  as  was  a female  Black-chinned 
at  Carlsbad  7-15  Dec  (SW).  An  Annas  Hum- 
mingbird wintered  at  Carlsbad  24  Dec-10  Jan 
(SW  et  al.),  singles  were  in  w.  Las  Cruces  19 
Jan  (L.  Hinesley)  and  ne.  Las  Cruces  22  Dec 
and  20  Jan  (CGL),  and  2 wintered  at  Radium 
Springs  Dec-13  Jan,  with  one  there  through  2 
Feb  (MS,  ph.  JZ).  An  ad.  male  Costas  Hum- 
mingbird was  a surprise  at  Las  Cruces  29  Nov- 
2 Jan  (ph.  T.  Lawton).  Up  to  3 apparent  Rufous 
Hummingbirds  were  in  Carlsbad  9-24  Dec 
(SW,  JEP,  JO);  lacking  details  were  several  pos- 
sible Rufous  at  Las  Cruces  17  Dec  (fide  GE) 
and  Silver  City  Dec-Feb  (fide  DB). 

Previously  unreported  from  New  Mexico,  a 
Green  Kingfisher  was  seen  on  the  Pecos  R. 
near  Malaga  17  Dec  (R.  Wiedenmann);  unfor- 


tunately, exhaustive  efforts  to  relocate  it  in 
subsequent  weeks  failed,  so  verification  of  the 
species  for  the  state  must  wait.  Noteworthy 
were  12  Lewis’s  Woodpeckers  e.  to  Sugarite 
S.P.  9 Feb  (CH);  maintaining  a conspicuous 
presence  in  the  upper  R.G.V.  were  20  at  Ques- 
ta  15  Dec  (R.  Weber),  24  at  Dixon  17  Dec  (R. 
Templeton),  and  50  at  Espanola  31  Dec  (BF). 
A Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker  was  w.  to  Colum- 
bus 18  Feb  (LM,  ph.  R.  Matthews).  Unex- 
pected was  a Ladder-backed  Woodpecker 
near  Cimarron  9 Dec  (ph.  DC).  While  it  is 
clear  that  Empidonax  flycatchers  are  wintering 
in  s.  New  Mexico  in  increasing  numbers,  the 
species  involved  are  not  always  clear.  Among 
the  reports  this  season  were  single  likely 
Dusky  Flycatchers  at  Percha  27  Jan  (JO)  and 
3 Feb  (JEP,  CR),  Redrock  5 Feb  (CR),  and 
Bosque  20  Feb  (DH),  single  Dusky/Ham- 
monds at  Mesilla  2 & 29  Jan  (CGL)  and  R.S. 
6-7  Jan  (JEP,  CGL),  singles  reported  (without 
details)  as  Grays  in  the  Peloncillo  Mts.  31  Dec 
(fide  AC)  and  at  C.C.N.P  21  Dec  (fide  SW), 
and  unidentified  singles  at  Silver  City  (P. 
Taber)  and  Mimbres  (DB)  in  Dec.  A Black 
Phoebe  was  n.  to  Zuni  17  Dec  (JT);  single 
Easterns  were  w.  to  Cliff  (RS)  and  the  Pelon- 
cillo Mts.  (AC),  both  31  Dec.  Unexpected  so 
far  n.  in  winter  were  a remarkable  4 Say’s 
Phoebes  at  Farmington  17  Dec  (AN),  3 at  Es- 
panola 31  Dec  (BF),  2 at  Santa  Fe  26  Dec 

(DE) ,  and  singles  at  Philmont  17  Dec  (ph. 
EW)  and  Maxwell  Dec-Feb,  including  14  Jan 
(DC).  Wintering  Vermilion  Flycatchers  were 
in  evidence  in  the  s.  in  Hidalgo,  Grant,  Socor- 
ro, Sierra,  and  Eddy.  A vocal  Ash-throated 
Flycatcher  wintered  at  Caballo  Dam  9 Dec-4 
Feb  (JEP  et  al.). 

Northern  Shrikes  were  reported  across  the 
n.  counties,  including  multiple  reports  from 
Taos  (FO)  and  Colfax  (DC  et  al.)  and  singles  s. 
to  El  Malpais  18  Feb  (C.  Grimes)  and  Tucum- 
cari 11  Dec  (ph.  JO).  A good  season  for 
Plumbeous  Vireo  found  2 at  Percha  4 Dec 
(CGL)  and  singles  there  16  & 31  Dec  (ph. 
CGL),  plus  singles  at  Radium  Springs  24  Feb 
(MS,  ph.  JZ),  Mesilla  Park  7 Jan  (BZ),  and 
Deming  10  Dec  (CGL).  A Hutton’s  Vireo  was 
n.  to  Socorro  29  Dec  0-  Shipman),  and  anoth- 
er was  e.  to  Aguirre  Springs,  Organ  Mts.  7 Jan 

(BZ) ;  the  17  on  the  Peloncillo  Mts.  C.B.C.  31 
Dec  (AC)  established  a record  high  there. 
Rushing  the  season  was  a Blue  Jay  building  a 
nest  at  Clayton  29  Dec  (JO).  Noteworthy  for 
winter  was  a Northern  Rough-winged  Swallow 
at  Santa  Teresa  2 Jan  (MS,  JZ);  earliest  spring 
migrant  was  one  near  Radium  Springs  14  Feb 
(MS,  JZ)  while  the  earliest  Tree  Swallow  was  at 
E.B.L.  18  Feb  (JEP).  Notably  early  were  2 Cave 
Swallows  near  Whites  City  19  Jan  (R.  West). 
North  in  the  R.G.V.  was  a Verdin  near  Belen  12 


266 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


Dec  (DH);  one  was  lining  a nest  with  feathers 
at  Spring  Canyon  S.P  13  Jan  (LM). 

WRENS  THROUGH  WARBLERS 

A wren  killed  by  a cat  at  Sugarite  S.R  13  Jan  (P 
Walsh)  proved  to  be  a Carolina  Wren  (CH).  A 
House  Wren  wintered  n.  to  Luis  Lopez,  where 
seen  2 Jan-23  Feb  (JO).  Unprecedented  num- 
bers of  Winter  Wrens  were  found  nearly 
statewide,  with  reports  from  13  locales  and  in- 
cluding up  to  8 in  the  Corrales  area  21  Dec-16 
Feb  (TF),  2-3  at  Los  Lunas  29  Dec-8  Feb  (M. 
Stake,  G.  Garber),  and  2 at  Eagle  Nest  Dam  14 
Dec  (DC),  plus  singles  at  Cimarron  Canyon  13 
Dec  and  1 Mar  (ph.  DC),  Ponil  Cr.  near  Cimar- 
ron 9 Dec  and  4 Feb  (ph.  DC),  Santa  Fe  26  Dec 
(DE),  Cochiti  8 Jan  (CR),  near  Pecos  17  Dec 
OK),  Santa  Rosa  14  Dec  (WW),  R.S.  15  Jan 
(SW),  Zuni  17  Dec  (JT),  and  G.B.A.  31  Dec 
(RS).  Scarce  in  the  Sacramento  Mts.,  2 Ameri- 
can Dippers  were  at  Ruidoso  4 Dec  (CR,  BN). 
Far  n.  was  a Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher  at  a Farm- 
ington suet  feeder  20  Dec  (L.  Lesperance);  a 
high  3 were  at  Mesilla  2 Jan  (CGL).  Black- 
tailed Gnatcatchers  n.  in  the  R.G.V.  included  5 
at  Bosque  17  Dec  (DH),  with  one  there  14  Jan 
(JEP,  JO),  2 there  22  Jan  (JB),  and  2 in  the  town 
of  Elephant  Butte  4 Feb  GEP);  others  of  note 
in  Sierra  were  10  in  the  Fairview  Mts.  13  Jan 
(CGL)  and  3-4  at  three  sites  in  the  n.  San  An- 
dres Mts.  13  Jan-24  Feb  (CGL). 

Moderate  numbers  of  Eastern  Bluebirds 
were  found  on  15  C.B.C.s,  primarily  from  the 
R.G.V.  eastward,  plus  at  Zuni  and  Gila;  10 
C.B.C.s  reported  all  three  bluebird  species.  An 
ad.  male  Varied  Thrush  was  near  Mesilla  Dam 
29  Jan-16  Feb  (ph.  CGL,  ph.  JO,  MS,JZ).  Un- 
expected anywhere  in  New  Mexico  in  winter, 
single  Gray  Catbirds  were  at  Ranchos  de  Taos 
28  Jan  (FO),  Sevilleta  N.W.R.  16  Dec  (D. 
Prichard),  and  Elephant  Butte  Dam  3 Feb 
(JEP).  Northern  Mockingbirds  were  unusually 
numerous  across  the  s.  half  of  the  state;  singles 
were  n.  to  Cimarron  29  Dec-16  Jan  (ph.  DC), 
Sugarite  S.P.  19  Dec-21  Jan  (ph.  DC),  Clayton 
14  Dec  (CR),  Conchas  L.  18  Dec  (WW),  s.  of 
Mosquero  1-2  Feb  (MM),  and  near  Madrid  14 
Feb  (LS).  Sage  Thrasher  wintered  in  unprece- 
dented numbers  across  s.  and  cen.  New  Mexi- 
co, including  in  areas  where  not  previously 
known  in  winter;  found  on  14  C.B.C.s  in  Dec, 
including  n.  to  Orilla  Verde,  Espanola,  and 
Santa  Fe,  numbers  increased  in  Jan,  including 
45  at  E.B.L.  9 Jan  (BZ),  70  in  Rhodes  Canyon, 
n.  San  Andres  Mts.  13  Jan  (CGL),  10  at 
Madrid  2 Jan  (LS),  and  92  in  the  Caja  del  Rio 
area  near  Santa  Fe  7 Jan  (MR).  Noteworthy  for 
Colfax  was  a Curve-billed  Thrasher  near 
Cimarron  18  Dec  (fide  DC);  another  was  n.  to 
Espanola  31  Dec  (BF).  Northerly  Crissal 
Thrashers  were  singles  at  Tesuque  Dec-Feb 


NEW  MEXICO 


(S.  Tanner)  and  Zuni  17  Dec  (JT)'>  Crissals 
were  singing  in  the  Sandia  Mts.  14  Jan  (BN) 
and  the  Peloncillo  Mts.  18  Jan  (CDL). 

Searches  for  wintering  Spragues  Pipit  were 
successful  in  grasslands  of  the  n.  Jornada  del 
Muerto  e.  of  San  Antonio,  where  several  were 
found  on  various  dates  26  Dec-1 1 Feb  (WW, 
JEP,  JB,  BN,  CR,  SW),  including  a high  7 on  21 
Jan  (JEP);  elsewhere,  3 were  near  Brantley  L. 
23  Dec  (WH,  CR),  up  to  3 were  in  Lima  13  Jan 
(DG)  and  27  Feb  (RM),  and  one  was  in  the  An- 
imas Valley  31  Dec  (RW).  Cedar  Waxwings  be- 
gan drifting  back  into  New  Mexico  in  late  Jan, 
including  20  at  Mesilla  Park  20  Jan  (CGL),  8 at 
Socorro  22  Jan  (BN,  CR),  and  4 at  Valmora  29 
Jan  (CR).  Phainopeplas  were  more  common 
than  usual  in  the  Peloncillo  Mts.  (CDL);  n. 
were  4-5  at  G.B.A.  4 Jan  and  3 Feb 
(RS),  one  at  Socorro  22  Jan  (CR), 
up  to  2 at  Luis  Lopez  5 & 22  Jan 
GO),  and  one  at  B.L.N.W.R.  19-21 
Dec  OH)-  An  Olive  Warbler  at 
Cherry  Creek  C.G.  22  Feb  (LM) 
may  have  wintered  locally.  Small 
numbers  of  Orange-crowned 
Warblers  again  wintered  in  the 
lower  R.G.V.  and  the  Pecos  Valley; 
noteworthy  were  5-6  at  Mesilla 
Park  1-20  Jan  (CGL).  A possible 
Yellow  Warbler  was  at  Las  Cruces 
17  Dec  (H.  Harrison).  Going  for 
higher  education,  a Pine  Warbler 
visited  the  University  of  New  Mexico  campus 
at  Albuquerque  8-19  Dec  (MB,  NP,  JO,  W.  Tal- 
bot, BN),  and  another  was  on  the  New  Mexico 
Tech  campus  at  Socorro  1-21  Jan  (ph.  B.  Holl- 
iday, BZ,  ph.  JO,  CGL,  JEP,  CR),  where  there 
was  also  an  Ovenbird  14  Jan  0EP,  ph.  JO). 

T0WHEES  THROUGH  FINCHES 

A Green-tailed  Towhee  was  n.  to  Bosque  2 & 
22  Jan  GEP).  Careful  attention  to  grassland 
sparrows  helped  to  clarify  the  status  of 
Cassin’s  Sparrow,  with  2 e.  of  San  Antonio  26 
Dec  (WW)  and  at  least  one  there  11  & 13 
Feb  QEP,  WW),  one  at  Brantley  L.  23  Dec 
(WH,  CR),  4 at  Las  Cruces  17  Dec  (DG),  and 
13  in  the  middle  Animas  Valley  31  Dec  (CR 
et  al).  A remarkable  130  Rufous-crowned 
Sparrows  were  reported  at  C.C.N.P.  21  Dec 
(SW);  Rufous-crowneds  were  singing  in  the 
Peloncillo  Mts.  by  17  Feb  (CDL).  Single 
American  Tree  Sparrows  were  s.  to  Albu- 
querque 17-18  Dec  (N.  Shrout),  Bernardo 
W.M.A.  21  Jan  UEP),  and  Luis  Lopez  23  Dec- 
11  Jan  (ph.  JO).  Late  for  the  n.  were  2 Chip- 
ping Sparrows  at  Conchas  Dam  1 1 Dec  (MB, 
NP)  and  one  at  Santa  Rosa  14  Dec  (WW); 
early  was  one  n.  to  Corrales  29  Jan  (DK).  Two 
likely  Clay-colored  Sparrows  were  in  the 
middle  Animas  Valley  31  Dec  GO,  CR).  Sin- 


gle Field  Sparrows  were  near  Conchas  Dam  1 
Feb  (WW)  and  at  Carlsbad  11  Dec  (SW),  and 
2 were  at  Maddox  L.,  Lea  12  Dec  (ph.  JO);  an 
unprecedented  9 were  reported  at  C.C.N.P 
21  Dec  (SW).  North  were  2 Black-throated 
Sparrows  at  Cochiti  2 Jan  (DK)  and  a Vesper 
Sparrow  at  Albuquerque  18  Dec  GK).  Early 
was  a Sage  Sparrow  near  Cimarron  25  Feb 
(ph.  DC).  Savannah  Sparrows  were  moving 
northward  by  Feb,  as  evidenced  by  35  near 
Conchas  Dam  1 Feb  (WW),  4 near  Datil  18- 
19  Feb  (CR,  BN),  one  at  Farmington  22  Feb 
(AN),  and  10  at  Springer  L.  25  Feb  (DC). 
Among  the  grassland  surprises  e.  of  San  An- 
tonio was  a Bairds  Sparrow  13  Feb  (WW); 
one  was  s.  of  Derning  28  Dec  GB),  and  2 were 
in  the  middle  Animas  Valley  25  Dec  (AC, 
NM-C).  Lingering  from  Nov  was 
a Le  Conte’s  Sparrow  at  Clabber 
Hill  Ranch  below  Conchas  Dam 
10  Dec  GEP,  ph.  JO). 

A good  Fox  Sparrow  season 
found  singles  n.  to  Pena  Blanca 
3 Jan  (WW)  and  Ute  L.  27  Dec 
(DC);  farther  s.,  one  to  2 were  at 
12  sites  in  Bernalillo  GEP,  DZ), 
Valencia  (TF),  Sierra  (CGL), 
Dona  Ana  (N.  Stotz),  Grant  (RS), 
Hidalgo  (CDL),  and  Eddy  GEP 
CGL).  North  was  a Swamp  Spar- 
row at  Springer  14  Jan  (DC);  w. 
were  2 each  at  L.  Roberts  6 Dec 
(DB)  and  the  Animas  Valley  31  Dec  (ph.  JO). 
Two  Harris’s  Sparrows  were  at  Ranchos  de 
Taos  13  Dec  (FO);  singles  were  at  Rio  Ran- 
cho 19  Jan  (TF)  and  Bosque  4 Dec-26  Feb 
(m.ob.,  ph.  CGL,  ph.  G.  Froehlich).  Unusu- 
al in  winter,  5 dark-lored  White-crowned 
Sparrows  were  at  Rodeo  31  Dec-1  Jan  (ph. 
JO);  early  was  one  at  Silver  City  19  Feb 
(DZ).  A Golden-crowned  Sparrow  at  Rock 
House  Spring,  San  Andres  Mts.,  Siena  24 
Feb  (CGL)  furnished  a local  first;  at  Bosque, 
one  was  found  along  the  Marsh  Loop  16  Jan 
(CGL),  and  presumably  another  was  at  the 
headquarters  feeder  18  Jan  (DK).  Two  to  15 
McCown’s  Longspurs  were  in  grasslands  e. 
of  San  Antonio  2 Jan-13  Feb  GEP,  SW,  CR, 
BN,  WW);  Chestnut-collareds  were  common 
there  all  season.  Lapland  Longspurs  were  re- 
stricted to  Colfax  and  Union:  the  high  count 
was  11  at  Eagle  Nest  3 & 13  Dec  (ph.  DC). 

Northern  Cardinal  continued  its  presence 
in  the  ne.,  including  5 each  at  Santa  Rosa  14 
Dec  (WW)  and  the  Conchas  Dam  area  18  Dec 
(WW),  2 s.  of  Mosquero  1 Feb  (MM),  and  3 
along  Pajarito  Cr.  near  Tucumcari  11  Dec 
GO).  Pyrrhuloxias  drifting  northward  includ- 
ed singles  at  L.  Roberts  in  early  Dec  (E  Land), 
San  Lorenzo  23  Feb  (R  Walker),  San  Acacia 
15  Feb  (RD),  and  Causey,  Roosevelt  11  Dec 


New  Mexico's  rarest  grebe 
species,  a Red-necked  Grebe 
entertained  many  at  the  Dam 
Site  Restaurant,  Elephant 
Butte  Lake,  Sierra  County  8 
(here  9)  January  through  3 
February  2006.  Photograph  by 
James  E.  Zabriskie. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


267 


NEW  MEXICO 


(JO),  and  3 at  Valley  of  Fires,  Lincoln  4 Dec 
(CR,  BN).  Attracting  national  attention  was  a 
Yellow  Grosbeak  at  Albuquerque.  First  no- 
ticed in  early  Dec  (ph.  R.  Powell)  and  5 Jan 
(ph.  M.  Ratliff),  it  was  discovered  by  birders 
22  Jan  (JEP,  JO  et  al.)  and  enjoyed  (and  pho- 
tographed) by  hundreds  through  the  season. 
Apparently  a subad.  male,  the  grosbeak  fre- 
quented feeders  in  the  North  Valley  through  1 
Feb,  then  relocated  to  the  University  area 
mid-Feb-Mar  (m.ob.). 

An  impressive  Rusty  Blackbird  season  pro- 
duced 3 at  Ute  L.  27  Dec  (ph.  DC),  one  at 
B.L.N.W.R.  1-3  Dec  (JH,  JEP,  ph.  JO),  3 at  R.S. 
17  Dec-7  Jan  (JEP,  ph.  JO,  JB,  DK,  CGL),  and 
2 at  Las  Cruces  17  Dec  (W.  Whitford).  Com- 
mon Grackles  continued  to  linger  or  overwin- 
ter n.  and  w.  of  expected,  but  haphazard  re- 
porting continued  to  confuse  the  issue; 
credible  reports  included  one  w.  to  Playas  10 
Jan  (P  Lehman)  and  2 at  Denting  29  Jan  (LM), 
singles  n.  to  Albuquerque  18  Dec  (A. 
Rominger)  and  San  Antonio  2 Jan  (JEP),  3 at 
Eagle  Nest  3 Dec  (DC),  one  at  Maxwell  1 Jan 


(ph.  DC),  and  6 at  Santa  Rosa  14  Dec  (WW). 
Up  to  10  Bronzed  Cowbirds  were  at  Las 
Cruces  Dec-Feb  (m.ob.,  ph.  BZ).  A male  Bul- 
lock’s Oriole,  first  noted  at  Percha  in  late  Nov, 
remained  Dec-Jan  (ph.  CGL,  ph.  JO,  JEP)  and 
was  last  reported  3 Feb  (BN,  CR).  The  de- 
pendable three-species  flock  of  rosy-finches 
entertained  many  at  Sandia  Crest,  where  271 
were  banded  through  25  Feb — 203  Blacks,  39 
Brown-cappeds,  and  29  Gray-crowneds  (NC, 
SC  et  al.);  a three-species  flock  of  30  at  Eagle 
Nest  13  Dec  (DC)  provided  the  only  addition- 
al locale.  What  was  described  as  an  eastern 
Purple  Finch  was  at  Percha  24Jan  (G.  Bieber). 
Montane  finches  were  notably  scarce — small 
numbers  of  Cassins  Finches  were  reported  on 
seven  widely  scattered  C.B.C.s,  Red  Crossbills 
were  detected  only  twice  during  the  season, 
and  the  few  Evening  Grosbeaks  reported  were 
largely  restricted  to  the  Sangre  de  Cristo  Mts. 
Lesser  Goldfinch  continued  to  make  its  winter 
presence  known  n.  of  expected,  including  out- 
numbering American  Goldfinch  28  to  24  at 
Farmington  17  Dec  (AN). 


Arizona 


Mark  M.  Stevenson  Gary  H.  Rosenberg 


La  Nina  conditions  resulted  in  an  ex- 
tremely dry  winter  statewide:  there 
were  143  straight  days  without  rain  in 
Phoenix,  a record,  and  essentially  no  snow- 
pack  in  the  mountains.  Mild  temperatures  al- 
lowed many  species  to  winter  in  unusually 
high  numbers.  Two  potential  first  state 
records  were  documented,  a Royal  Tern  and  a 
Brown-chested  Martin. 


Abbreviations:  A.B.B.A.  (Arizona  Breeding 
Bird  Atlas),  A.B.C.  (Arizona  Bird  Committee), 
A.V.ST.P.  (Avra  Valley  S.T.P),  B.T.A.  (Boyce 
Thompson  Arboretum),  G.W.R.  (Gilbert  Wa- 
ter Ranch),  FLR.P.  (Hassayampa  R.  Preserve), 
L.C.R.V  (lower  Colorado  R.  valley),  P.L.S.P 
(Patagonia  Lake  S.R),  S.RR.  (San  Pedro  R.), 
Whitewater  (Whitewater  Draw  W.A.). 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  CORMORANTS 

Fulvous  Whistling-Ducks  have  been  ex- 
tremely scarce  in  Arizona  in  recent  decades. 
The  one-day  Scottsdale  record  from  Nov  her- 
alded a change.  What  was  presumably  the 
same  bird  was  relocated  2-29  Dec  on  Chapar- 
ral L.  (H.  Bond,  ph.  PD)  and  again  7 Jan+  at 
nearby  McCormick  Ranch  (TC,  DY).  In 
Green  Valley,  a flock  of  18  was  on  a golf 
course  pond  3 Dec  (ph.  C.  Trible),  and  other 
singles  turned  up  in  e.  Mesa  4 Dec-29  Feb 
(M.  Tomtne,  ph.  MW)  and  at  Topock  Marsh 
13-28  Dec  (tA.  Haskew;  D.  Henderson).  Ca- 
sual in  Prescott,  2 Snow  Geese  were  present 
18  Dec+  (CST).  Ross’s  Goose  is  accidental  in 
the  Grand  Canyon  region,  so  5 at  CRM-8  on 
4 Feb  (CL,  ph.  G.  Nealon)  were  remarkable. 
Still  very  rare  in  the  state,  Cackling  Goose  re- 
ports included  3 in  Scottsdale  17  Jan-3  Feb 
(tPL;  ph.  N.  Kaznajian),  2 near  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  Gila  R.  and  Agua  Fria  R.  13  Feb 
(ph.,  tMMo),  and  3 on  L.  Mary  19  Feb  (JP). 


Initialed  observers:  Jonathan  Batkin,  Matt 
Baumann,  David  Beatty,  David  Cleary,  Nancy 
Cox,  Steve  Cox,  Alan  Craig,  Craig  Cranston, 
Robert  Doster,  Deanna  Einspahr,  Trevor  Fetz, 
Bernard  Foy,  David  Griffin,  David 
Hawksworth,  William  Howe,  Jeff  Howland, 
Charles  Hundertmark,  Jim  Krakowski,  David 
Krueper,  Carroll  D.  Littlefield,  Carl  G.  Lund- 
blad,  Martin  MacRoberts,  Larry  Malone,  Ray- 
mond Meyer,  Narca  Moore-Craig,  Alan  Nel- 
son, Bruce  Neville,  Frank  Oatman,  Jerry 
Oldenettel,  John  E.  Parmeter,  James  N.  Pa- 
ton,  Nick  Pederson,  Mary  Ristow,  Christo- 
pher Rustay,  Janet  Ruth,  Lawry  Sager,  Marcy 
Scott,  Roland  Shook,  Dale  Stahlecker,  John 
Trochet,  Brad  Vaughn,  Gordon  Warrick, 
Mark  Watson,  Richard  Webster,  Steve  West, 
William  West,  Elton  Williams,  S.  O. 
Williams,  James  Zabriskie,  Barry  Zimmer, 
Dale  Zimmerman.  © 


Sartor  0.  Williams  III,  Southwest  Natural  History  Insti- 
tute, 1819  Meadowview  Drive  NW,  Albuquerque,  NM 
87104-2511,  (sunbittern@earthlink.net) 


Six  unbanded  Trumpeter  Swans  seen  at  Kino 
Springs  6-9  Jan  (R.  & R.  Thompson,  ph.  L. 
Smith)  relocated  to  Corona  de  Tucson  S.T.P. 
15-26  Jan  (B.  Howard,  ph.  A.  Tozier);  there 
are  only  two  prior  records  for  se.  Arizona, 
both  since  1994,  and  few  for  the  state. 
Eurasian  Wigeon  reports  included  one  at 
Flagstaff  9-21  Dec  (ph.  N.  Gaines)  and  2-3  in 
Scottsdale  (TC,  J.  Jones,  m.ob.)  all  season.  A 
hybrid  wigeon  was  at  Sun  City  23  Nov-13 
Dec  (CST);  another  returned  to  Willcox  24 
Dec+  (SH).  In  addition  to  the  Mexican  Ducks 
reported  in  the  fall  at  Gilbert,  another  was  in 
Chandler  12  Feb  (MMo). 

Surf  Scoter  is  a rare,  primarily  late-fall  mi- 
grant; reports  came  from  Prescott  L.  28-30  Nov 
(CST,  ph.  S.  Burk),  Many  Farms  L.  1 Dec 
(MMS,  MP),  and  Ashurst  L.  3 Dec  (JP)-  By  far 
the  rarest  scoter  in  the  Southwest,  a Black 
Scoter  at  Saguaro  L.  18  Feb-3  Mar  (J.  Rusinow, 
S.  Fried,  ph.  KR)  made  only  the  8th  state 
record.  Nearly  annual  in  the  state  in  winter, 
single  Long-tailed  Ducks  were  at  Watson  L.  3- 
13  Dec  (ph.  S.  Burk)  and  Parker  Dam  4 
Dec-19  Feb  (H.  Van  Oosten).  While  3 Barrows 
Goldeneyes  at  Parker  Dam  8 Dec-15  Jan  (H. 
Van  Oosten)  were  fewer  than  expected  there, 
an  ad.  male  near  the  confluence  of  the  Gila  R. 
and  Agua  Fria  R.  29  Jan-4  Mar  (ph.  BG)  was 
only  a 2nd  Maricopa  record  and  one  of  very 
few  from  s.  Arizona  away  from  the  L.C.R.V. 


268 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


ARIZONA 


Chukars  inhabit  some  of  the  least-visited  ar- 
eas of  n.  Arizona,  so  knowledge  of  the  extent 
of  their  range  is  incomplete.  In  lower  Glen 
Canyon,  37  were  seen  1 Oct  at  the  mouth  of 
Waterholes  Canyon  (G.  Nealon),  several  flocks 
were  near  Lowery  Thumb  17  Dec  (CL),  12 
were  on  Echo  Peaks  28  Jan  (CL),  and  40  were 
near  Lowery  Spring  at  the  base  of  Vermilion 
Cliffs  18  Feb  (JP),  apparently  representing  a 
recent  range  expansion  ( fide  CL).  In  Tucson, 
both  of  the  long-reported  Least  Grebes  were 
present  all  season  (m.ob.)  One  reported  from 
P.L.S.P.  14  Dec  (tG.  Jones)  will  be  reviewed  by 
the  A.B.C.;  they  are  typically  found  on  small 
ponds.  Horned  Grebe  is  a casual  transient  and 
wintering  species  away  from 
the  Colorado  R.;  singles  were 
reported  near  Granite  Cr.  25-26 
Nov  (CST),  P.L.S.P.  24-30  Dec 
(W.  Russell),  and  Roosevelt  L. 

26  Dec  (KR).  Although  West- 
ern Grebes  may  nest  in  almost 
any  month  in  the  L.C.R.V., 
most  nesting  occurs  Apr-Jul 
(A.B.B.A.)  and  even  later  at 
higher  elevations;  five  or  six 
pairs  with  downy  young  at 
Roosevelt  L.  4 Jan  (KR)  were 
very  early  there.  Dependent 
juv.  Clark’s  Grebes  at  Martinez  L.  on  16  Jan 
(HD)  were  early  even  for  the  L.C.R.V.  A few 
Brown  Pelicans  wintered  in  the  L.C.R.V.,  with 
one  at  Mittry  L.  23  Jan  (T.  Staudt)  and  up  to  6 
on  L.  Havasu  through  14  Feb  (K.  Blair).  Con- 
tinuing the  recent  range  expansion  and  popu- 
lation growth,  several  hundred  Neotropic  Cor- 
morants were  reported  from  greater  Phoenix 
(TC,  DY  et  al.).  At  their  traditional  P.L.S.P  lo- 
cation, none  were  present  until  2 Feb  (SH). 

EGRETS  THROUGH  ANI 

A Great  Egret  at  Lyman  L.  25  Dec-8  Jan  (PL, 
JO)  was  unexpected  that  far  n.  in  winter.  Also 
farther  n.  than  usual  was  a Green  Heron  at 
Willow  L.  11  Dec  (CST).  The  enigmatic  White 
Ibis  was  seen  again  in  the  Arlington  area  18-27 
Dec  (TC  et  ah);  what  is  apparently  the  same  in- 
dividual has  been  present  there  in  multiple 
consecutive  seasons.  Black  Vultures  winter 
along  the  international  border  from  Nogales 
westward,  near  Phoenix,  and  irregularly  in  the 
Santa  Cruz  valley;  thus,  2 at  Douglas  in  Dec 
were  unexpected  (A.  Moorehouse).  Numbers 
of  White-tailed  Kites  have  fluctuated  in  s.  Ari- 
zona since  the  species  first  arrived  in  the  late 
1970s.  Some  21  reports  this  season  represent- 
ed a big  upswing  from  recent  winters:  3 near 
Portal  (DJ),  one  or  more  near  Elfrida  (GB,  H. 
Hansen),  2 at  Hereford  (MMa),  one  near 
Lochiel  (R.  Wolcott),  4 in  the  San  Rafael  Valley 
(C.  Braun),  one  near  Elgin  (m.ob.),  one  near 


A.VS.T.P.  0-  McCabe,  RT),  2 in  the  Santa  Cruz 
Flats  (m.ob.),  up  to  3 at  Paloma  (TC,  TM),  one 
near  Buckeye  (J.  Hammon),  and  2+  in  the  Tac- 
na-Welton  area  (PL,  HD).  Red-shouldered 
Hawk  is  casual  in  the  state  except  for  a resident 
pair  at  H.R.P.  This  winter,  two  pairs  were  re- 
ported in  and  near  the  preserve  by  several  ob- 
servers (C.  Fisher,  H.  Beatty,  TC,  TM).  A Zone- 
tailed Hawk  in  the  Santa  Cruz  Flats  18  Jan  (PL, 
ph.  N.  Kazanjian)  was  in  an  area  where  they 
have  not  been  reported  in  winter.  Continuing 
recent  trends,  Crested  Caracaras  wandered  far- 
ther outside  their  core  w.  Pima  range,  includ- 
ing one  near  Portal  3 Dec  (DJ),  up  to  4 in  the 
Santa  Cruz  Flats  (MW,  M.  Kehl),  one  near  the 
Gila  R.-Agua  Fria  R.  conflu- 
ence 29  Dec-13  Feb  (K.  & L. 
Bielek),  one  near  Whitewater  1 
Jan  (D.  Palmer),  one  near  Ar- 
lington 22-27  Jan  (TC,  T. 
Hildebrandt),  one  at  Red  Rock 
23  Jan+  (RW),  and  one  near 
Marana  2 Feb  (K.  Kroesen). 

A Black  Rail  reported  from 
Topock  Marsh  28  Dec  (tN. 
Miller)  was  at  about  the  n.  lim- 
it of  the  species’  range  in  the 
L.C.R.V.  The  wintering  Sand- 
hill Crane  count  in  the  Sulfur 
Springs  Valley  was  the  2nd  highest  ever  at 
30,000+  (Arizona  Department  of  Game  & 
Fish).  Reports  of  Mountain  Plovers  included 
300+  in  Yuma  1-14  Dec  (HD),  up  to  50  in  the 
Santa  Cruz  Flats  (MW,  PD),  and  up  to  41  near 
Elfrida  (SH,  EW).  Given  the  large  amount  of 
agricultural  habitat  that  goes  unsurveyed,  it  is 
difficult  to  assess  the  true  size  of  the  species’ 
wintering  population  in  Arizona.  A few  north- 
bound American  Avocets  arrived  several  weeks 
early  at  multiple  locations  in  se.  Arizona  be- 
ginning 13  Feb.  Casual  in  the  state  in  winter,  a 
Lesser  Yellowlegs  was  at  G.W.R.  10  Dec-18 
Feb  (R.  Ditch,  RH).  A flyby  Dunlin  at  A.V.S.T.P. 
21  Dec  (DS)  and  2,  farther  n.  than  is  typical,  at 
Willow  L.  31  Dec-5  Jan  (W.  Bull,  W.  Ander- 
son) were  the  only  ones  reported.  An  ad.  Heer- 
mann’s  Gull  was  at  Parker  Canyon  L.  15  Jan 
(MB);  the  species  is  casual  in  every  season  but 
occurs  primarily  in  late  fall.  Sparse  away  from 
the  L.C.R.V,  2 Herring  Gulls  were  at  Roosevelt 
L.  2 Dec  (MMS,  MP),  and  one  was  at  Saguaro 
L.  3 Dec+  (KR).  There  are  virtually  no  tern 
records  from  se.  in  winter,  so  it  was  doubly 
surprising  when  a first  state  record  Royal  Tern 
made  a few  turns  around  the  large  pond  at 
Willcox  15  Feb  (ph.,  tM.  Victoria).  The 
species  is  uncommon  year-round  on  the  Sea  of 
Cortez  but  rarely  strays  inland;  even  at  the 
Salton  Sea  it  is  only  a casual  summer  visitor. 

Ruddy  Ground-Doves  had  another  impres- 
sive season.  Outstanding  was  one  that  sur- 


vived single-digit  temperatures  in  Flagstaff  6 
Dec-4  Jan  (CL,  ph.  J.  Coons),  providing  a 
first  Coconino  record.  Not  quite  as  far  n.,  one 
was  in  Granite  Cr.  Park,  Prescott  21-28  Nov 
(B.  Pranter,  S.  McDougall  et  al.);  one  seen  one 
km  away  21-24  Jan  (CST)  may  have  been  the 
same  individual.  Notable  concentrations  in- 
cluded up  to  19  at  Red  Rock  4 Dec  (GB),  10 
at  Kino  Springs  (SH),  12  at  El  Mirage  15  Dec 
(TC),  and  27  in  a yard  in  w.  Phoenix  15  Jan 
(TC,  TM).  Smaller  numbers  were  at  scattered 
locations  from  Yuma  to  Whitewater  and  n.  to 
Mesa.  The  Groove-billed  Ani  at  G.W.R.  was 
last  reported  11  Dec  (m.ob.) 

HUMMINGBIRDS  THROUGH 
WOODPECKERS 

A male  Broad-billed  Hummingbird  in  Yuma 
25  Nov-14  Dec  (ph.  HD)  furnished  one  of 
fewer  than  10  records  for  the  L.C.R.V.,  where 
it  occurs  as  a fall  and  winter  transient.  In  ad- 
dition to  5 wintering  Violet-crowned  Hum- 
mingbirds in  se.  Arizona,  northbound  mi- 
grants began  appearing  in  the  2nd  week  of 
Feb,  with  6 in  by  the  end  of  the  month,  a 
strong  early  showing.  Unexpected  in  winter,  a 
Costa’s  Hummingbird  was  in  Portal  through 
12  Feb  (DJ).  Casual  in  winter,  Broad-tailed 
Hummingbirds  were  reported  from  Ash 
Canyon  all  winter  (MJB),  Phoenix  30  Oct-23 
Jan  (P.  Hershberber),  in  Prescott  (first  local 
winter  record)  21  Dec+  (CST),  and  in  Clark- 
dale  24  Dec-5  Jan  (ph.  D.  Van  Gausig).  An 
early  imm.  male  Broad-tailed  was  at  G.W.R. 
11-18  Feb  (RH,  ph.  J.  Holloway).  By  the  last 
week  of  Feb,  early  individuals  were  as  far  n.  as 
Payson  and  Pine  (J-  Estis,  L.  Estis).  The  first 
northbound  Rufous  Hummingbirds  arrived  in 
Yuma  on  the  early  dates  of  17  Feb  (HD)  and 
18  Feb  (A.  Borgardt).  The  hummer  of  the  sea- 
son was  an  imm.  male  Selasphoms  that  win- 
tered at  a feeder  in  lower  Miller  Canyon, 
eventually  molting  to  reveal  itself  as  Arizona’s 
first  winter  Allen’s  Hummingbird  (C.  Melton, 
ph.  C.  van  Cleve).  Another  sign  of  the  warm 
winter,  Elegant  Trogons  were  more  widely  re- 
ported. Of  16  reported,  4 in  Humboldt 
Canyon,  Patagonia  Mts  28  Dec+,  3 together 
below  the  mouth  of  Madera  Canyon  28  Dec 
(fide  R.  Freeman),  and  one  taking  suet  in  Ash 
Canyon  25Jan+  (MJB,  ph.  C.  van  Cleve)  were 
the  most  remarkable.  Scarce  Green  Kingfish- 
ers were  reported  on  the  upper  S.PR.  (m.ob.) 
and  at  PL.S.P  (m.ob.).  Yellow-bellied  Sap- 
sucker  reports  included  singles  in  Marana  3-8 
Dec  (GB,  TRH),  near  Portal  1 Jan  (N.  Moore- 
Craig),  in  Seven  Springs  Wash  2 Jan  (TC), 
and  in  Bisbee,  a juv.  4 Feb  (J.  Whetstone). 
With  the  challenges  presented  by  intergrade 
sapsuckers,  Red-breasted  Sapsuckers  reported 
from  the  Catalina  Mts.  4 Dec  (ph.  M.  Kehl), 


This  apparent  Brown-chested  Martin 
was  found  by  Rick  Wright  on  3 Febru- 
ary 2006  at  Patagonia  Lake  State  Park, 
Santa  Cruz  County,  Arizona.  If  ac- 
cepted, it  will  furnish  a first  record  for 
Arizona  and  a third  for  North  America. 
Photograph  by  Gregg  Rosenberg. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


269 


ARIZONA 


Yuma  2 Jan  (ph.  HD),  and  Avondale  9-20  Jan 
(ph.  J.  Truan)  will  be  reviewed  by  the  A.B.C. 
Another  individual  was  well  described  from 
E.  Whitetail  Canyon  in  the  Chiricahua  Mts. 
25  Feb  (RT)  but  was  not  photographed. 

FLYCATCHERS  THROUGH  PIPITS 

Greater  Pewee  is  rare  to  casual  in  s.  Arizona 
during  the  winter,  mainly  in  the  lowlands; 
therefore,  several  reports  in  late  fall  and  early 
winter  from  higher-than-usual  elevations  were 
indicative  of  the  dry,  warm  winter:  singles  were 
near  Prescott  18  Nov  (CST),  in  Madera 
Canyon  11  Dec  (G.  Jones),  in  Ramsey  Canyon 
18-29  Jan  (EW),  at  Patagonia  20-22Jan  (JWo), 
and  again  in  Madera  Canyon  22-26  Jan  (SF). 
Hammond’s  Flycatcher  winters  regularly  in  ri- 
parian areas  in  s.  Arizona,  but  reports  from  the 
Prescott  area  in  Granite  Basin  19  Dec-1  Apr 
(CST),  Granite  Dells  21  Dec-24  Mar  (D.  Moll), 
and  Lynx  Cr.  1 Jan  (S.  & S.  Burk),  as  well  as 
singles  at  Sunflower  16  Jan  (TC)  and  Bill 
Williams  N.W.R.  9 Feb  (K.  Blair),  were  likely  a 
result  of  the  mild  winter.  A Dusky  Flycatcher 
was  at  Sunflower  16  Jan  (TC).  “Western  Fly- 
catchers” (Pacific-slope/Cordilleran)  are  nor- 
mally rarer  than  the  other  Empidonax  species 
during  winter,  but  reports  of  no  fewer  than  6 
(likely  all  Pacific-slopes)  were  received.  Al- 
though Eastern  Phoebe  is  a rare-but-regular 
winter  visitor,  nine  reports  was  a greater  num- 
ber than  usual  for  one  season.  A high  count  of 
67  Vermilion  Flycatchers  on  the  Tucson  Valley 
C.B.C.  in  late  Dec  (fide  5.  Birky)  was  nearly 
double  the  previous  high,  another  indication 
of  the  mild  conditions.  A Dusky-capped  Fly- 
catcher at  Quigley  W.  A.  near  Yuma  25  Dec-1 2 
Jan  (HD,  PL)  provided  one  of  few  winter 
records  ever  for  the  L.C.R.V.  In  a normal  win- 
ter, there  might  be  a scattering  of  Ash-throated 
Flycatchers  found  in  proper  winter  habitat  in 
s.  Arizona;  this  winter  no  fewer  than  50  were 
reported,  clearly  indicating  that  this  species 
wintered  farther  n.  than  the  typical  winter 
range,  which  is  largely  in  w.  Mexico.  Cassin’s 
Kingbirds  also  lingered  into  the  winter,  with 
one  in  Tucson  28  Dec  (GHR),  at  least  6 in  the 
Santa  Rita  Mts.  1 Jan  (G.  West),  and  one  near 
Painted  Rock  Dam  26  Feb  (KR  et  al.)  provid- 
ing the  first  Maricopa  winter  record.  The 
Thick-billed  Kingbird  that  returned  to  Yuma 
for  a 3rd  winter  remained  throughout  the  peri- 
od (HD).  A Rose-throated  Becard  (either  fe- 
male or  imm.  male)  at  PL.  S.P.  4 Dec-4  Feb 
provided  one  of  the  few  winter  records  for  Ari- 
zona. 

A Bell’s  Vireo,  casual  at  best  during  the  win- 
ter in  Arizona,  was  at  G.W.R.  15  Jan+  (RH). 
Another  reported  from  Tucson  27  Feb  (V. 
McKinnon)  may  have  been  an  early  migrant. 
Two  Warbling  Vireos  at  Yuma  28  Feb+  (A.  & 


H.  Borgardt,  HD)  were  likely  early  migrants. 
The  sensational  bird  of  the  year  (or  decade!) 
was  a probable  Brown-chested  Martin  pho- 
tographed at  P.L.  S.P.  3 Feb  (tRW,  D.  Smyth; 
ph.  Greg  Rosenberg).  If  accepted  by  the 

A. B.C.,  this  would  represent  the  first  record 
for  Arizona,  as  well  as  for  the  w.  United  States; 
there  are  just  two  other  U.S.  records.  It  is  al- 
ways difficult  determining  whether  swallows 
seen  during  the  winter  season  are  lingering 
individuals,  wintering  birds,  or  early  mi- 
grants. This  season,  scattered  Tree  Swallows 
were  reported  in  early  Dec,  then  again  in  mid- 
Feb.  A Violet-green  Swallow  was  in  Hereford 
8 Jan  (M.  Marsden),  and  several  were  report- 
ed from  Saguaro  L.  28  Jan  (D.  Stuart).  North- 
ern Rough-winged  Swallows  were  numerous 
in  Dec,  with  a high  total  of  214  on  the 
Salt/Verde  Rivers  C.B.C.  14  Dec  (fide  KR),  fol- 
lowed by  scattered  reports  in  Jan.  At  least  12 
Barn  Swallows  were  also  reported  during  the 
winter;  individuals  reported  in  late  Feb  likely 
represented  early  returning  migrants. 

The  Carolina  Wren  found  in  Cave  Creek 
Canyon  near  Portal  in  fall  was  reported  into 
Mar  (ph.  O.  Niehuis,  v.r.  PD;  tj.  Mirth);  one  of 
the  two  previous  state  records  remained  for 
nearly  two  years.  About  12  reports  of  Winter 
Wrens  were  received  from  scattered  localities 
in  s.  Arizona,  perhaps  slightly  more  than  usu- 
al; both  “eastern”  and  “western”  call-types 
were  reported,  once  again  suggesting  that 
birds  of  both  subspecies  groups  winter  in  Ari- 
zona, though  the  actual  status  of  each  is  still 
uncertain.  A pair  of  Black-capped  Gnatcatch- 
ers  along  Sonoita  Cr.  sw.  of  Patagonia  18  Dec 
(TMMS,  MP)  perhaps  represent  a previously 
unreported  pair.  Pairs  continued  at  several  es- 
tablished localities,  including  Proctor  Rd.  be- 
low Madera  Canyon,  Montosa  Canyon,  and 
P.L. S.P  Exceptional  for  the  winter  season,  a 
Wood  Thrush  was  in  Cave  Creek  Canyon  near 
Portal  4-12  Dec  (M.  Meyers;  ph.  M.  Brooks); 
most  of  the  previous  Arizona  records  are  from 
either  fall  or  late  spring.  It  was  an  above-aver- 
age winter  for  Rufous-backed  Robin,  with  3 
found:  one  in  lower  Miller  Canyon  3 Jan-3 
Mar  (C.  van  Cleve;  ph.  C.  Melton),  one  at 

B. T.A.  8 Jan-27  Mar  (ph.  O.  Niehuis,  M.  We- 
ber), and  one  in  Ramsey  Canyon  11-31  Jan  (R. 
Romea).  Varied  Thrush,  casual  in  the  state 
during  winter,  was  found  in  Huachuca 
Canyon  3 Dec  (fide  E.  Wilson),  nearby  Scheel- 
ite  Canyon  7 Dec  (RW,  D.  Smyth),  Granite 
Basin  near  Prescott  11  Jan  (CST),  and  in 
Flagstaff  mid-Feb-7  Mar  (R.  Ray,  fide  R Keg- 
ley).  The  2 Gray  Catbirds  found  in  Portal  in 
fall  wintered  there  (L.  Gates).  Sage  Thrashers 
were  found  farther  n.  than  usual  this  winter: 
singles  were  at  Prescott  21  Dec  (CST),  Over- 
gaard  29  Dec  (K.  Penland),  and  at  several  oth- 


er sites  above  the  Mogollon  Rim  (m.ob.);  this 
species  is  casual  at  best  during  winter  in  n. 
Arizona.  The  Brown  Thrashers  found  during 
the  fall  season  at  B.T.A.  and  near  Hereford 
were  both  present  throughout  the  season.  A 
Curve-billed  Thrasher  was  found  wintering  in 
Prescott  12  Dec+  Q-  Morgan),  where  this 
species  is  considered  accidental.  A Sprague’s 
Pipit  found  on  the  Gila  River  C.B.C.  27  Dec 
(TC)  was  n.  and  w.  of  this  species’  normal 
winter  range  in  Arizona. 

WARBLERS  THROUGH  ORIOLES 

An  Olive  Warbler  reported  on  the  San  Francis- 
co Peaks  w.  of  Flagstaff  11  Feb  (J.  Prather)  was 
perhaps  the  first  winter  report  from  n.  Arizona. 
A Tennessee  Warbler,  casual  in  the  state  during 
winter,  was  in  Sabino  Canyon  21-31  Dec 
(WR).  A Nashville  Warbler  in  Yuma  23  Feb-1 
Mar  (A.  & H.  Borgardt,  HD)  was  likely  a very 
early  spring  migrant.  Extraordinary  was  the  re- 
port of  a Lucy’s  Warbler  from  Whitewater  4 
Dec  (RH);  the  species  is  virtually  unknown 
from  the  state  in  winter.  Northern  Parula,  nor- 
mally very  rare  in  the  state  in  winter,  was  seen 
with  more  frequency  than  usual,  with  no  few- 
er than  nine  sightings,  mostly  during  Dec.  An- 
other indication  of  the  very  mild  winter,  at 
least  13  Yellow  Warblers  were  reported  in  s. 
Arizona.  Four  Chestnut-sided  Warblers,  about 
normal  for  any  given  winter,  included  one  in 
Scottsdale  2-15  Dec  (J.  Newel),  one  in  sw. 
Phoenix  4-17  Dec  (TC),  one  in  Marana  14  Dec 
(RH),  and  one  at  Imperial  N.W.R.  18  Dec  (ph. 
HD).  A Magnolia  Warbler,  casual  in  the  state  in 
winter,  was  reported  from  Rio  Rico  17  Dec  (J- 
Ambrose).  Black-throated  Blue  Warbler  is  also 
casual  in  winter;  a male  was  in  Sawmill 
Canyon  10  Dec  (A.  & A.  Miller),  while  one  in 
Granite  Basin  near  Prescott  19  Dec-6  Jan  (D. 
Moll,  CST)  provided  a first  local  winter  record. 
Two  Yellow-rumped  Warblers  found  on  18  Dec 
(E.  Morral)  provided  a Mormon  Lake  C.B.C. 
first.  A Hermit  Warbler,  casual  in  the  state  in 
winter,  was  reported  from  nw.  Tucson  18  Dec 
(E.  Moll,  S.  Walker,  M.  Flory).  The  Prairie 
Warbler  found  at  G.W.R.  during  the  fall  was 
last  reported  4 Feb  (m.ob.).  Another  first-year 
female  Prairie  was  in  Chandler  7-21  Jan  (tTC; 
D.  Yellan);  this  species  has  become  more 
prevalent  in  Arizona  during  the  past  15  years. 
The  only  Palm  Warbler  reported  was  at  Punkin 
Center  11-19  Feb  (ph.  KR),  probably  repre- 
senting a first  Gila  record.  Ten  Black-and- 
white  Warblers  were  reported  between  3 Dec 
and  2 Jan.  Only  one  American  Redstart  was  re- 
ported. The  Ovenbird  found  at  the  Phoenix 
Desert  Botanical  Gardens  during  the  fall  was 
still  being  seen  as  of  27  Feb  (ph.  PD). 
Louisiana  Waterthrushes  wintered  at  the  same 
localities  as  last  year,  along  Sonoita  Cr.  above 


270 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


ARIZONA 


Patagonia  L.  and  along  the  S.P.R.  s.  of  Hwy.  90. 
Common  Yellowthroats  were  found  at  higher 
elevation  and  farther  n.  than  usual  during  the 
late  fall  and  winter;  2 were  at  Willow  L.  11 
Nov-6  Jan  (CST),  one  was  at  Lynx  Cr.  25 
Nov-21  Dec  (W.  Anderson),  and  up  to  3 were 
at  Watson  L.  6 Jan  (CST).  Scattered  Wilsons 
Warblers  were  reported  later  than  usual  into 
Dec,  with  one  exceptionally  late  at  Pena  Blan- 
ca L.  29  Jan  (B.  Hilsenhoff).  One  of  the  best 
finds  of  the  winter  was  a Red-faced  Warbler  in 
Humboldt  Canyon  in  the  Patagonia  Mts.  24 
Dec+  0-  Stewart,  MB);  there  are  very  few  U.S. 
winter  records.  A Rufous-capped  Warbler  dis- 
covered in  upper  Sycamore  Canyon,  Santa 
Cruz  6 Dec+  (D.  Jones,  KK;  ph.  DS)  provided 
the  first  relatively  accessible  individual  in  the 
state  since  the  species  disappeared  from 
French  Joe  Canyon. 

A Western  Tanager,  casual  in  the  state  in 
winter,  was  at  B.T.A.  26  Dec-19  Feb  (G. 
Burgess  et  al.).  Green-tailed  Towhees  were 
found  farther  n.  than  usual,  with  several  re- 
ports from  the  Prescott  area  Nov-Dec  (fide 
CST).  A Field  Sparrow  reported  from 
Springerville  12  Feb  (tH.  & C.  Fellows)  is 
under  review  by  the  A.B.C.  and  would  repre- 
sent only  a 7th  Arizona  record  if  accepted.  A 
Lark  Sparrow  at  Watson  L.  21  Dec  (ph.  S. 
Burk)  was  n.  of  its  usual  winter  range  in  the 


state.  A Grasshopper  Sparrow  at  Palorna 
Ranch  28  Jan-26  Feb  (TC)  was  in  an  odd 
habitat;  this  species  is  seldom  seen  away  from 
the  grasslands  in  the  se.  portion  of  the  state, 
where  it  is  resident.  At  least  20  Fox  Sparrows 
were  found  statewide  in  the  expected  ratio 
(about  75%  schistacea  from  the  Rocky  Mts. 
and  25%  zaboria  or  iliaca).  No  fewer  than  20 
Swamp,  20  White-throated,  8 Harris’s,  and  5 
Golden-crowned  Sparrows  were  reported  this 
winter,  all  above  normal  counts.  Up  to  2 Mc- 
Cown’s  Longspurs  were  present  at  A.VS.T.R  8 
Dec-20  Jan  (DS,  MP),  w.  of  the  species’  nor- 
mal winter  range  in  the  state.  Two  Lapland 
Longspurs,  still  only  casual  in  the  state,  were 
at  Reservation  Tank  43  km  e.  of  Flagstaff  4 
Feb+  0-  Prather  et  al.). 

Both  casual  in  the  state  in  winter,  an  imm. 
male  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  was  in  Scheelite 
Canyon  1 Jan  (SH)  and  a female  Black-head- 
ed Grosbeak  was  reported  from  Portal  5 Feb 
(M.  Willys,  fide  DJ).  A male  Indigo  Bunting 
was  at  Banning  Cr.  in  the  Mule  Mts.  20  Jan 
(PL);  there  are  very  few  mid-winter  reports 
from  Arizona.  A female  Orchard  Oriole  win- 
tered in  an  Ahwatukee  yard  for  a 4th  consec- 
utive year  15  Nov+,  and  a male  appeared 
there  15  Feb+  (G.  & S.  Barnes).  Another  male 
was  in  a Queen  Creek  yard  22-26  Dec  (ph.  D. 
Sejkora),  and  yet  another  male  reappeared  in 


a Tucson  yard  18  Feb+  (N.  Markowitz,  J.  Og- 
den et  al).  Casual  in  winter,  female-plumaged 
Hooded  Orioles  were  at  Ahwatukee  1 Dec+ 
(G.  & S.  Barnes)  and  at  Yuma  14  Dec  (HD). 
The  Streak-backed  Oriole  found  during  the 
fall  at  G.W.R.  remained  until  22  Mar;  another 
was  located  along  Sonoita  Cr.  near  Patagonia 
18  Dec  (ph.  GHR,  DS),  with  the  same  indi- 
vidual being  seen  sporadically  at  different  lo- 
cations upstream  until  22  Jan  (T.  Watkins, 
MB  et  al),  only  a 2nd  Santa  Cruz  record. 

Observers:  Mary  Jo  Ballator,  Gavin  Bieber, 
Matt  Brown,  Troy  Corman,  Henry  Detwiler, 
Pierre  Deviche,  Bill  Grossi,  Stuart  Healy,  Rich 
Hoyer,  Shawneen  Finnegan,  Dave  Jasper,  Kei- 
th Kamper  (Tucson  RBA),  Chuck  La  Rue,  Paul 
Lehman,  Michael  Marsden,  Tracy  McCarthey, 
Michael  Moore,  Jerry  Oldenettel,  Molly  Pol- 
lock, John  Prather,  Kurt  Radamaker,  Gary  H. 
Rosenberg,  Dave  Stejskal,  Mark  M.  Stevenson, 
Rick  Taylor,  Carl  S.  Tomoff  (Prescott),  Magill 
Weber,  Richard  E.  Webster,  Rick  Wright,  Eri- 
ka Wilson,  Janet  Witzeman  (Maricopa),  Joe 
Woodley,  Daniela  Yellan.  ® 


Mark  M.  Stevenson  (Non-Passerines),  4201  East  Monte 
Vista  Drive,  #J207,  Tucson,  Arizona  85712-5554, 
(drbrdr@att.net); 

Gary  H.  Rosenberg  (Passerines),  P.0.  Box  91856.  Tucson, 

Alaska 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  RAPTORS 

Although  there  are  occasional  reports  of 
Snow  Goose  into  early  Dec,  an  imm.  around 
Juneau  14  Dec-5  Feb  (GW,  DM)  was  unique 
and  one  of  the  Region’s  few  "true”  winter  re- 
ports. Two  Brant  were  very  late  and  rare  at 
Cordova  17  Dec-16  Jan  (AL),  especially  giv- 
en that  most  fall  migrants  bypass  the  North 
Gulf;  a few,  usually  singles,  winter  in  milder 
North  Gulf  sites.  Unusual  and  late  Cackling 
Geese  were  reported  from  Kodiak,  with  a sin- 
gle present  through  18  Dec  (ph.  RAM),  and 
the  Juneau  area,  with  2 present  14  Dec-15 
Jan  (GW).  Dabbling  ducks  covered  North 
Gulf  habitats  in  near-record  numbers,  which 
diminished  only  slightly  through  the  season. 
Examples  of  unprecedented  winter  tallies  in- 
cluded 1235  Gadwalls  around  Kodiak  31  Dec 
(SS),  638  American  Wigeons  and  3988  Mal- 
lards on  the  Juneau  C.B.C.  17  Dec,  71  North- 
ern Pintail  in  Gustavus  17  Feb  (BP),  and  169 
Green-winged  Teal  in  Juneau  17  Dec  (all  Jide 
GW,  PS).  Collectively,  these  probably  repre- 
sent the  highest  counts  of  "regular”  wintering 
dabblers  for  the  North  Gulf  subregion.  No- 


CHUKCHl  SEA 


BEAUFORT  SEA 
Prudhoe  Bay 


BERING  SEA 


Attu  I.  / Shemya  I. 

~ * Buldir  I. 

Amchitka  I.  Adak  k 


ThedeTobish 


Dutch  Harbor 


With  mild  conditions  lingering  from 
a late  fall  season  and  a slow  snow- 
pack  deposition  across  most  of 
the  Region,  winter  2005-2006  was  nearly  a 
carbon  copy  of  the  previous  winter.  Indeed, 
because  of  a fairly  stable  Aleutian  Low  cou- 
pled with  sporadic  freeze-up  conditions  and 
moist,  northerly  upper-atmosphere  flows,  at 


least  the  coastal  sections  of  the 
southern  half  of  the  state  contin- 
ued to  produce  above-average 
numbers  of  late  migrants  and 
semi-hardy  species.  Christmas 
Bird  Counts  were  at  or  slightly 
above  long-term  averages  for 
species  totals  and  high- 
lights, and  waterbirds,  as 
is  typical,  dominated 
accounts  of  noteworthy 
species.  Many  birds 
previously  considered 
rare  and/or  irregular  in 
Alaska  a decade  ago  are  now,  because  of  bet- 
ter coverage  and  experiences  of  local  resi- 
dents, being  found  annually  and  in  many  cas- 
es are  widespread,  at  least  on  the  coastal 
periphery. 

Abbreviation:  North  Gulf  (North  Gulf  of 
Alaska).  Referenced  documentation  is  on  file 
at  the  University  of  Alaska  Museum.  Italicized 
place  names  or  dates  denote  especially  unusu- 
al locations  or  dates  for  the  noted  species. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


271 


ALASKA 


table  diving  duck  reports  included  4 Ring- 
necked Ducks  in  Gustavus  20  Feb  (BP), 
where  they  are  not  annual  in  winter,  at  least 
9 in  Ketchikan  13  Dec  (TLG),  and  another  2 
offshore  at  Metlakalta  18  Feb  (AWP,  SCH, 
DWS,  AL,  BD);  an  exceptional  Southeast  tal- 
ly of  24  Lesser  Scaup  in  Juneau  17+  Dec  ( fide 
GW,  PS);  and  a single  female  Hooded  Mer- 
ganser in  Cordova  6 Jan  (AL),  plus  2 males 
out  in  the  Gulf  at  Kodiak  16  Feb  (ph.  LM). 
Tufted  Ducks  were  certainly  in  evidence,  with 
a male  in  Cordova  Oct-6  Jan  (AL)  and  at 
least  3 on  Kodiak  lakes  31  Jan-19 
Feb  (ph.  RAM,  JBA).  Both  of  these 
relatively  mild  coastal  sites  have  a 
history  of  harboring  winter  Tufteds, 
at  least  sporadically. 

A one-day  count  of  46  Pacific 
Loons  near  Gustavus  was  notewor- 
thy 18  Feb  (BP).  The  seasons  only 
Pied-billed  Grebe  report  was  of  2 at 
Ketchikan’s  Ward  L.  10  Dec+  (ph. 

SCH,  AWP).  Only  one  Brandts  Cor- 
morant was  located  in  the 
Ketchikan  area,  where  it  was  seen 
sporadically  all  season  (ph.  AWP, 

SCH).  At  the  edge  of  what  has  be- 
come known  to  be  the  w.  limit  of  its 
winter  range  were  12+  Great  Blue 
Herons  in  the  Kodiak-Old  Harbor 
area  through  the  period  (fide  RAM). 

Raptor  highlights  include  2 Sharp- 
shinned  Hawks  in  Gustavus  8 Jan- 
3 Feb  (ND,  PV,  BP)  and  at  least  6 in  the 
Ketchikan  area  all  season  (AWP,  SCH)  and  a 
few  northerly  Merlins  in  Anchorage  through 
3 Feb  (TT)  and  Palmer  6 Feb  (AL).  At  least  4 
Red-tailed  Hawks  in  the  Ketchikan  area, 
where  singles  are  only  occasional  in  winter, 
were  noted  1 Jan-27  Feb  (ph.  SCH,  AWP),  a 
high  winter  tally;  the  later  birds  were  consid- 
ered northbound  migrants,  but  one  27  Feb 
was  a well-documented  light-morph  Harlans 
Hawk,  previously  unsubstantiated  in  the  state 
in  winter.  Moreover,  there  are  few  substanti- 
ated records  of  harlani  from  any  season  in 
Southeast.  An  imm.  Golden  Eagle  was  a rare 
coastal  winter  find  in  Juneau  16-28  Feb  (BD, 
AL,  DWS,  ph.  MS  et  al.). 

SHOREBIRDS  THROUGH  ALCIDS 

Significantly  late  but  within  the  range  of  re- 
cent late  fall  reports  was  a single  Black-bellied 
Plover  in  Gustavus  2 Dec  (ND).  Killdeer  went 
unreported  from  all  coastal  sites  except  for 
the  Juneau  area,  which  produced  extremely 
high  counts  of  29  on  N.  Douglas  1.  20-27  Feb 
(PS)  and  11  near  Salmon  Creek  25  Feb 
(GW).  Juneau’s  habitats  supported  up  to  50 
through  the  season,  which  continues  a recent 
trend  of  unusually  high  numbers  there.  Two 


different  mid-season  Greater  Yellowlegs 
showed  up  in  the  Gustavus  area,  1 Dec-5  Feb 
and  19  Dec  (ND,  BP,  PV).  Any  Tringa  after 
early  Dec  is  unprecedented.  Gustavus  also 
had  above-average  peaks  of  500  Sanderlings 
and  3000  Dunlins  19  Feb  (BP).  Two  banded 
Dunlins  from  that  group  had  been  captured 
from  a breeding  population  on  the  Yukon 
Delta  near  the  Tutakoke  R.  in  2004  and  2005. 
The  Upper  Cook  Inlet  wintering  population 
of  Rock  Sandpipers  (nominate  subspecies) 
shifted  to  the  e.  side  of  the  Inlet,  probably  in 


response  to  the  mid-Dec  cold  snap;  upwards 
of  10,000  birds  remained  in  the  Kasilof-Kenai 
Flats  through  the  period,  in  areas  where  few 
had  ever  been  found  previously  (TE,  REG). 
Unprecedented  as  a winter  species  was  a lone 
Long-billed  Dowitcher  in  the  Gustavus  area  7 
Dec-18  Feb  (BP,  ND);  most  are  gone  from  the 
North  Gulf  by  mid-Oct.  Of  the  handful  of 
winter  Wilson’s  Snipe  observations,  a tally  of 
7 in  the  Ketchikan  area  15  Jan  (AWP,  SCH)  set 
a local  mid-winter  record  and  one  of  the  Re- 
gion’s high  counts  after  Dec. 

Larid  highlights  were  surprisingly  few  after 
late  migrants  noted  from  Dec,  including  an  ad. 
California  Gull  at  Juneau  that  remained 
through  late  Feb  (RJG),  an  ad.  Slaty-backed 
Gull  in  the  Homer  Spit  flocks  late  Dec-8  Jan 
(NH,  AL,  BD),  and  several  ad.  and  krst-winter 
Thayer’s  Gulls  area  through  the  period  in  the 
Kodiak  area  (ph.  RAM),  where  they  are  not 
annual.  The  season’s  only  notable  Marbled 
Murrelet  concentrations  came  from  the 
Ketchikan  environs,  with  a local  peak  of  2000 
estimated  12  Feb  at  Mountain  Pt.  (AWP,  SCH, 
TLG).  Cassin’s  Auklets  also  made  a rare  show- 
ing in  the  same  area,  where  they  are  generally 
absent  in  winter,  with  counts  of  32  from 
Clover  Passage  14  Jan  (AWP)  and  another  3 


near  Pt.  Higgins  as  late  as  20  Feb  (AWP,  SCH). 
Most  Cassin’s  presumably  winter  well  offshore 
of  the  Alexander  Archipelago.  Crested  Auklets 
appeared  well  inshore  in  the  North  Gulf,  both 
at  Kodiak,  where  numbers  are  often  detected, 
and  into  Resurrection  Bay,  where  they  are  ca- 
sual in  winter.  Small  numbers,  5-10,  were  de- 
scribed from  off  the  Seward  docks  14-15  Feb 
(CG),  and  up  to  30  were  noted  in  the  vicinity 
through  the  period.  At  Kodiak,  Macintosh 
noted  that  although  Cresteds  can  be  abundant 
offshore  and  at  several  traditional  sites  in  win- 
ter, this  year’s  observations  included 
huge  flocks  occupying  inshore  wa- 
ters, with  a maximum  count  of 
14,433  from  the  Narrow  Cape  area 
31  Dec  and  later  (RAM). 

OWLS  THROUGH  PIPITS 

Following  trends  of  the  past  few 
years,  owls  made  news  early  and 
across  the  Region’s  s.  half.  Again, 
Great  Gray  and  Boreal  Owls  were 
vocalizing  during  warming  trends 
from  the  Tanana  R.  Flats  s.  of  Fair- 
banks in  Jan-Feb  ( fide  Alaska  B.O.). 
Apart  from  Ketchikan’s  regulars,  the 
season’s  only  Western  Screech-Owl 
was  one  calling  19  Feb  in  the  Gus- 
tavus area  (ND),  where  they  have 
been  nearly  regular  the  past  few 
years.  Snowy  Owl  sightings  were 
above  average  at  sites  where  they 
are  not  annual  after  fall  migration,  including 
at  least  5 in  the  Gustavus  flats  4 Dec-8  Feb 
(ND,  BP,  PV),  several  of  which  likely  per- 
ished; another  specimen  from  Annette  I.  off 
Ketchikan  from  1 Dec  (fide  SCH);  a single  in 
Petersburg  15  Dec+  (RL);  and  one  from  Kodi- 
ak 12  Dec  (HH).  Northern  Hawk  Owls  are  al- 
ways rare  out  onto  the  Southeast  coast,  so  sin- 
gles at  Gustavus  28  Dec-7  Jan  (KW,  ND)  and 
in  Juneau  7 Dec+  (EB,  JJ)  were  special.  Fol- 
lowing what  was  considered  a record  fall  sea- 
son for  Northern  Pygmy-Owls  in  Southeast, 
at  least  4 remained  in  the  Ketchikan  area 
through  the  period  (AWP,  SCH),  up  to  3 were 
located  around  Juneau  3 Dec-14  Feb  (GW, 
PR,  MS,  PS),  and  maybe  3 others  were  docu- 
mented in  Gustavus  20  Dec-17  Feb  (ND). 
Prior  to  about  2000,  this  mainly  winter  visitor 
had  been  confined  to  coastal  Southeast  sites 
from  Juneau  southward,  with  an  occasional 
summer  report  from  the  Southeast  mainland 
watersheds.  Winter  reports  are  now  more 
widespread  and  even  annual  along  several 
Southeast  rivers,  especially  in  the  Chilkat  Val- 
ley. Two  Short-eared  Owls  were  unusual  for 
Gustavus  1 Dec-5  Feb  (ND,  BP,  PV),  and  2 
were  on  the  Kodiak  flats  1 Dec-8  Feb  (RAM, 
ND,  JD,  MM,  IB).  Furnishing  one  of  few  local 


This  female  Brewer's  Blackbird  in  Gustavus,  Alaska  1 1 through  (here)  1 7 February  2006 
represented  the  state's  most  northerly  winter  record.  Photograph  by  Nat  Drumheller. 


272 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


ALASKA 


reports  of  Northern  Saw-whet  Owl  after  Dec, 
one  around  Anchorage  30  Dec-19  Jan  (fide 
SS)  was  unusual. 

Northern  Flickers  were  more  in  evidence 
this  winter  compared  to  long-term  averages, 
especially  in  the  Ketchikan  area,  where  a 
count  of  25  on  the  C.B.C.  17  Dec  (fide  AWP) 
was  representative  of  their  presence  through 
the  season.  Scattered  singles  were  reported 
from  other  coastal  sites.  Following  a very  nor- 
mal fall  passage,  Northern  Shrike  reports 
were  few  except  for  a good  count  of  6 winter- 
ing at  Kodiak  through  at  least  31  Dec  (RAM). 
Few  observers  mentioned  Golden-crowned 
Kinglets,  even  within  their  regular  winter 
ranges  and  habitats,  and  there  were  no  reports 
from  the  ephemeral  habitats  along  the  North 
Gulf  or  from  the  Boreal/Coastal  Forest  inter- 
face in  Cook  Inlet  or  Prince  William  Sound. 
Anecdotally  at  least,  it  seems  this  species  has 
been  retreating  out  of  these  ephemeral  win- 
tering areas  for  the  10  years  or  so. 

This  winter’s  Townsends  Solitaire  reports 
again  came  from  Upper  Cook  Inlet,  with  sin- 
gles located  in  Bird  Creek  26  Dec  (TT)  and  in 
Anchorage  3-4  Feb  (fide  SS).  As  has  been  the 
case  for  years,  the  presence  of  solitaires  in  the 
Region  in  winter  is  attributable  to  the  wide- 
spread availability  of  exotic  plantings  of  fruit- 
bearing landscape  plants  in  the  greater  An- 
chorage area;  sheltered  local  concentrations 
of  Mountain  Ash  in  Turnagain  Arm  and  in 
Homer  also  support  frugivores,  especially  in 
low  snowpack  years.  The  season’s  latest  Her- 
mit Thrush  was  a single  in  Gustavus  17-21 
Dec  (ND).  American  Robins  were  widespread 
in  slightly  elevated  numbers  led  by  a peak 
count  of  115  from  the  Ketchikan  C.B.C.  17 
Dec  (fide  AWP).  Probably  the  most  northerly 
winter  record  for  the  continent,  the  waif 
White  Wagtail,  first  located  in  Nov  in 
Ketchikan,  remained  in  disturbed  edges  of 
gravel  parking  lots  there  through  the  period 
(ph.  SCH,  AWP).  American  Pipits  made  a 
very  strong  showing  this  winter,  with  a record 
21+  present  in  Ketchikan  all  season  (SCH, 
AWP),  including  maximum  day  counts  of  8 
each  from  Ketchikan  15  Jan  and  Annette  1.  18 
Feb  (SCH,  AWP,  DWS,  AL,  BD)  and  singles 
from  Juneau  13  Feb  (BA,  PS)  and  Kodiak  31 
Dec  (RAM).  These  likely  represent  the  most 
ever  reported  from  a winter  season. 

About  average  in  the  winter  warbler  trend 
for  the  past  decade  were  an  Orange-crowned 
Warbler  in  Juneau  12  Dec-5  Jan  (ph.  MS, 
GW,  RJG)  and  single  Yellow-rumpcd  War- 
blers from  Annette  1.  18  Feb  (SCH,  AWP, 
DWS,  AL,  BD)  and  from  well  n.  at  Trapper’s 
Creek  Dec-20  Feb  (fide  DP):  the  latter  repre- 
sents the  Region’s  northernmost  winter 
record  of  any  parulid.  Semi-hardy  sparrows 


were  found  in  scattered  coastal  sites,  often  at 
feeders,  in  numbers  slightly  above  long-term 
averages.  Always  rare  anywhere  in  the  Region 
after  Nov,  a Savannah  Sparrow  wintered  in 
the  Ketchikan  area  31  Dec-9  Feb  (AWP, 
SCH),  a 2nd  local  winter  find.  A single  Lin- 
coln’s Sparrow  offshore  in  Southeast  on  An- 
nette 1.  18  Feb  (AWP,  SCH,  DWS,  AL,  BD), 
and  about  4 in  the  Kodiak  area  all  season 
(RAM),  was  a normal  winter  tally.  One  of  the 
fall  season’s  Swamp  Sparrows  lingered  at  a 
Juneau  feeder  through  20  Dec  (PS);  although 
the  species  is  now  annual  in  Southeast  in  fall, 
there  are  still  few  mid-winter  records.  Three 
White-throated  Sparrows  at  Homer  late  Dec- 

8 Jan  (fide  AL,  BD),  Juneau  Dec-25  Feb 
(GW),  and  Ketchikan  17  Dec+  (SCH)  made 
an  average  season  for  the  species,  which  is 
rare  but  regular  in  fall  and  winter  at  coastal 
sites.  A Harris’s  Sparrow  in  Homer  late  Dec-8 
Jan  (fide  AL)  provided  the  only  report  of  the 
species,  which  was  very  rare  but  nearly  an- 
nual at  feeders  in  Southeast  for  a long  stretch 
of  winter  seasons  in  the  1970s  and  1980s  but 
not  since.  White-crowned  Sparrow  reports  of 
note  included  one  n.  of  the  Alaska  Range  at  a 
Fairbanks  feeder  5 Dec-31  Jan  (fide  Alaska 
B.O.)  and  5 on  Annette  I.  18  Feb  (AWP,  SCH, 
DWS,  AL,  BD).  Two  Snow  Buntings  found  on 
one  day  in  Fairbanks  3 Jan  (Alaska  B.O.) 
were  not  without  precedent  for  midwinter 
but  certainly  represented  a rare  find  from  the 
Interior.  McKay’s  Buntings  staged  a mini-in- 
cursion s.  and  e.  of  their  normal  Bering  Sea 
coast  winter  range,  with  2 at  Kodiak  17-28 
Feb  (ph.  RAM),  where  they  are  occasional, 
and  2 n.  to  Cook  Inlet  near  Kenai  25-28  Feb 
(fide  TE).  These  are  the  northernmost  McK- 
ay’s for  Cook  Inlet. 

Red-winged  Blackbirds  are  casual  in  win- 
ter, usually  in  Dec  as  late  migrants,  so  a male 
in  Anchorage  30  Jan-8  Feb  (fide  SS)  and  up  to 

9 in  the  Juneau  area  11-23  Feb  (GW,  LE) 
were  significant  mid-winter  records.  On  the 
heels  of  local  fall  reports,  a Western  Mead- 
owlark made  a winter  living  on  some  ball- 
fields  near  Ketchikan  4 Dec-23  Feb  (ph.  SCH, 
AWP),  a 6th  Ketchikan  record.  Single  Brewer’s 
Blackbirds  in  Gustavus  11-17  Feb  (ph.  ND, 
PV)  and  Ketchikan  Oct-18  Feb  (ph.  SCH, 
AWP)  made  an  average  winter  tally,  at  least 
for  recent  years;  the  Gustavus  bird  represents 
the  Region’s  northernmost  in  winter.  The 
Ketchikan  area’s  fall  Common  Grackle  re- 
mained at  its  favored  feeder  through  17  Feb 
(SCH,  AWP).  There  are  few  Alaska  winter  re- 
ports of  this  generally  casual  visitor. 

Two  Bramblings  that  materialized  in  Kodi- 
ak late  in  the  fall  remained  at  a local  feeder 
through  Feb  (fide  RAM),  the  season’s  only  re- 
port. Wandering  Gray-crowned  Rosy-Finches 


were  presumably  pushed  out  of  coastal  or 
alpine  winter  niches  into  Anchorage  neigh- 
borhoods, one  each  from  30  Jan-8  Feb  and  6 
Feb  (SS).  Rosy-finches  are  found  occasionally 
away  from  more  traditional  North  Gulf  Coast 
winter  sites  and  into  Upper  Cook  Inlet.  One 
Purple  Finch  in  Juneau  (LE,  BW)  and  a fe- 
male n.  to  Cordova,  both  17  Dec  (AL  et  al.), 
were  likely  late  migrants  and  furnished  the 
season’s  only  reports;  it  is  surprising  that  this 
species  is  not  more  widely  found  in  fall  and 
winter,  given  its  range  and  distribution  over 
the  Coast  Range  and  n.  into  w.  British  Co- 
lumbia and  sw.  Yukon  Territory.  Only  Gus- 
tavus observers  noted  an  abundance  of  the 
conifer  cone  crop,  with  an  associated  late-Dec 
incursion  of  White-winged  Crossbills.  Several 
nests  with  young  were  found  there  in  Feb 
(ND).  Few  to  none  were  reported  elsewhere 
in  the  entire  Region.  For  the  first  time  ever, 
late-winter  population  increases  of  Common 
Redpolls,  which  typically  bring  massive  num- 
bers of  birds  across  much  of  the  Region  by 
mid-Feb,  never  materialized.  Most  locations 
had  few  to  no  redpolls,  save  for  an  occasional 
flyby  pair,  whereas  hundreds  to  thousands  are 
typically  the  norm.  Redpoll  wanderings  have 
been  shown  via  band  returns  to  include  cir- 
cumpolar trips  to  and  from  Alaska  and  north- 
ern sections  of  the  Palearctic. 

Contributors  and  observers:  Alaska  Bird  Ob- 
servatory (N.  DeWitt  et  al.),  B.  Alger,  J.  B. 
Allen,  R.  Armstrong,  G.  Baluss,  B.  Benter,  S. 
Berns,  A.  Berry,  M.  Brooks,  1.  Bruce,  G.  V. 
Byrd,  L.  Craig,  J.  Dearborn,  D.  E Delap,  N.  & 
J.  DeWitt,  B.  Dittrick,  W.  E.  Donaldson,  E. 
Drew,  N.  Drumheller,  L.  Edfelt,  P Eldridge,  D. 
Erickson,  T.  Eskelin,  C.  Fultz,  D.  D.  Gibson, 
R.  J.  Gordon,  T.  L.  Goucher,  C.  Griswold,  N. 
Haydukovich,  K.  Hart,  H.  Heggenrayer,  S.  C. 
Heinl,  P Hunt,  B.  Hunter,  R.  Knight,  J.  F Ko- 
erner,  A.  Lang,  J.  Levison,  M.  Litzow,  R.  Low- 
ell, L,  M.  & R.  A.  Macintosh,  D.  MacPhail,J. 
Mason,  J.  P.  Metzler,  D.  & M.  Miller,  M.  Milli- 
gan, N.  Mollett,  L.  Murphy,  K.  Nelson,  R. 
Neterer,  L.  J.  Oakley,  B.  Paige,  C.  Palmer,  W. 
Pawuk,  S.  Peterson,  A.  W.  Piston,  D.  Porter,  P 
Pourchot,  P.  Robinson,  P.  Rose,  D.  Rudis,  K. 
Russell,  J.  Sauer,  S.  Savage,  R.  L.  Scher,  M.  A. 
Schultz,  W.  Schuster,  M.  Schwan,  D.,  P,  & S. 
Senner,  D.  Shaw,  D.  W.  Sonneborn,  S.  Stude- 
baker,  P Suchanek,  A.  Swingley,  G.  J.  Tans,  M. 
E.  Tedin,  T.  Tobish,  R.  Uhl,  L.  Vallie,  G.  Van 
Vliet,  P.  Vanselow,  M.  L.  Ward,  K.  White,  R. 
Winckler,  E.  White,  B.  Wittington,  M.  A. 
Wood,  B.  Wright,  S.  Wright,  K.  Zervos,  S. 
Zimmerman.  @ 


Thede  Tobish,  2510  Foraker  Drive,  Anchorage,  Alaska 
99517,  (tgt@alaska.net) 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


273 


British  Columbia 


Masset 


mmm 

vM 


Mackenzie 


Queen 

Charlotte 

Islands 


•> 


Prince  Rupert 


\ 


7 


mm 

Queen 
Charlotte  . 

City 

Tofino* 

Vancouver 

Island 


# Prince 
George 

Williams 
Lake* 

Revelstoke 

• 

Kamloops* 

• Vernon 
Vancouver  • Kelowna 

* * \ 

Penticton  \ 


Victoria 


Cranbrook 


Donald  G.  Cecile 


The  season  began  and  ended  with  cold 
snaps,  but  the  bulk  of  the  winter  was  yet 
another  mild  one.  The  most  notable 
event  was  the  month-long  spate  of  rain  in  the 
South  Coastal  sections  beginning  mid-Decem- 
ber. Valley  snowfall  was  meager  everywhere  in 
the  interior.  It  was  a stormy  season  for  the  out- 
er coast,  with  Solander  Island  off  the  north- 
western side  of  Vancouver  Island  recording 
peak  gusts  exceeding  130  km/h  on  14  days  be- 
tween 1 December  and  4 February,  topping  out 
at  a wild  172  km/h  on  31  January.  The  general- 
ly mild  weather  allowed  many  species  to  remain 
farther  north  than  usual.  Most  notable  this  win- 
ter, however,  was  the  absence  of  finches. 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  DOVES 

Hanging  out  with  both  Trumpeter  and  Tundra 
Swans,  an  ad.  Bewick’s  Swan  was  in  Delta  20 
Jan-21  Feb  (ph.  RTo  et  al.).  A male  Gadwall 
was  late  in  Williams  L.  2 Dec  (PR).  Northern 
Pintails  remained  unusually  far  n.  and  late 
this  winter.  A male  was  in  Prince  George  10 
Dec  (SL,  CA),  later  joined  by  a female  7 Jan 
(SL,  NK),  a first  winter  checklist  record;  one 
was  at  the  n.  end  of  Kootenay  L.  6 Jan  (MJ); 
and  3 overwintered  at  Williams  L.  for  the  first 
time  ever  (PR).  Long-tailed  Ducks  are  rare  in 
the  s.  interior,  so  a female  was  notable  at  Rob- 
son 16  Dec  (MMc).  Few  scoters  were  report- 
ed from  the  interior  this  winter,  one  excep- 
tion being  a White -winged  Scoter  rather  late 
in  Williams  L.  2 Dec  (PR).  Several  Red-breast- 
ed Mergansers  found  in  inland  locations  re- 
mained into  Feb,  such  as  one  at  Lardeau  (MJ). 

An  imm.  Yellow-billed  Loon  was  on 
Woods  Lake  14  Dec  (CC,  GW,  CS),  rare  for 
the  interior,  particularly  in  the  winter  season. 
Clarks  Grebes  were  more  numerous  along  the 
coast  this  winter;  one  offshore  from  Es- 


quimalt  Lagoon  furnished  a first  Victoria 
record  in  20  years  ( fide  DA),  and  yet  another 
was  at  the  Little  Qualicum  Estuary  13  Dec 
(GLM  et  al.);  probably  the  same  individual 
was  seen  at  the  mouth  of  the  Englishman  R. 
Estuary  4 Jan  (GLM).  Turkey  Vultures  return- 
ing to  the  interior  tied  last  year’s  record-early 
date  with  a single  bird  in  Naramata  10  Feb 
(JT).  Gyrfalcons  were  more  prevalent  in  the  s. 
interior  this  winter  than  last,  with  at  least  3 
present,  one  just  n.  of  Vernon  3 Dec  (DGC). 
Dunlin  is  very  rare  in  the  interior  in  winter; 
one  was  found  at  Castlegar  30  Dec-3  Jan  (MJ, 
JA).  In  a flooded  corn  stubble  field  near 
Parksville,  a Ruff  was  discovered  23  Dec 
(tGLM);  winter  sightings  of  this  species  are 
rare,  and  this  may  represent  the  first  winter 
record  for  the  province.  Winter  coastal  storms 
in  mid-late  Dec  resulted  in  Red  Phalaropes 
wrecking  in  coastal  areas:  at  least  10  birds 
were  found  onshore  at  Carmanah  Light  Sta- 
tion 23  Dec  (JE),  and  flocks  of  live  birds  re- 
ported included  54  at  Jordan  R.  and  19  at  Wif- 
fin  Spit  30  Dec  (GD  et  al.).  This  was  a fine 
year  for  coastal  Slaty-backed  Gulls,  with  sin- 
gle ads.  near  Courtenay  4-5  Dec  (JI3,  GLM)  in 
Chilliwack  22  Jan  (ph.  GG);  others  were  not- 
ed in  early  spring.  Vernons  Lesser  Black- 
backed  Gull  reappeared  2 Dec-14  Jan  (ph. 
DGC)  at  the  mouth  of  Vernon  Cr;  it  later  ap- 
peared along  the  Penticton  waterfront  2-3 
Feb  (ph.  LN)  and  was  sporadically  seen  back 
in  Vernon  through  the  end  of  the  period 
(DGC).  The  small  Cawston  resident  popula- 
tion of  Eurasian  Collared-Doves  was  counted 
at  a record-high  174  on  29  Dec  (fide  DB). 

OWLS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

Snowy  Owls  had  a good  showing  this  winter 
throughout  the  interior  and  were  particularly 
prevalent  in  the  Boundary  Bay  area.  Northern 
Hawk  Owls  were  reported  in  singles  from 
around  the  interior  in  average  numbers, 
whereas  Northern  Pygmy-Owls  were  very 
scarce.  Northern  Saw- whet  Owls  were  numer- 
ous, especially  in  the  s.  Okanagan,  where  a 
stunning  52  were  tallied  27  Dec  (RJC,  RCa, 
CD,  BS)  during  the  Vaseux  Lake  C.B.C.  While 
this  doubles  the  previous  Canadian  C.B.C. 
record,  it  is  just  shy  of  the  overall  C.B.C. 
record  of  61  (fide  RJC).  Anna’s  Hummingbirds 
wander  as  far  n.  as  Prince  George  almost  an- 
nually, but  they  rarely  survive;  one  was  in  RG. 
16  Dec  (fide  EL).  A Rufous  Hummingbird  was 
very  late  in  Victoria  3 Dec  (DA).  A hybrid 
male  Northern  Flicker  may  not  have  survived 
the  winter  n.  of  Dawson  Creek  had  it  not 
learned  to  feed  on  suet  (MD). 

Two  exceptionally  late  Say’s  Phoebes  were 
found  along  the  w.  side  of  Osoyoos  1 Jan 
(DH).  Indicating  an  increase  in  numbers  in 


the  Kootenays,  9 Blue  Jays  were  tallied  on  the 
Creston  C.B.C.  29  Dec.  American  Crows 
rarely  stay  the  winter  in  the  Peace  R.  area,  but 
6 were  still  in  Chetwynd  2 Dec  (MP).  Com- 
mon Ravens  tallied  at  a roost  near  Bessbor- 
ough  came  to  an  astounding  2697  on  25  Feb 
(MP),  by  far  the  largest  roost  ever  recorded  in 
the  province.  Northern  Rough-winged  Swal- 
lows have  occasionally  participated  in  the 
late-winter  swallow  invasion,  and  this  year  2 
were  found  at  the  Carmanah  Point  Lightsta- 
tion  15  Feb  (JE).  Two  Barn  Swallows  were  at 
Swan  L.,  Victoria  23  Jan  (CSa);  3 were  along 
the  S.  Thompson  Rd.  e.  of  Kamloops  26  Jan 
(JBr);  and  a single  endured  -4°  C weather  in 
Fort  St.  James  12  Feb  (RR).  This  winter’s 
swallow  invasion  was  modest  compared  to 
the  past  few  winter  seasons’;  whether  this  per- 
tains to  less  reporting  or  an  actual  decrease  in 
the  number  of  birds  involved  is  unknown. 

Ruby-crowned  Kinglets  were  present  in  un- 
precedented numbers  in  the  s.  interior,  with  a 
high  count  of  7 along  Mission  Cr.,  Kelowna  7 
Jan  (RyT).  An  American  Robin  that  probably 
stayed  the  winter  in  Dawson  Creek,  where  very 
rare,  was  found  22  Feb  (MP).  An  exceptionally 
late  Gray  Catbird  was  hiding  out  in  one  of  the 
oxbows  just  n.  of  Osoyoos  8 Dec  (TLN).  A 
rather  stunning  find  was  a Northern  Mocking- 
bird on  the  Merritt  C.B.C.  3 Jan  (ph.  MoMc  et 
al.),  which  had  been  in  the  area  in  late  Dec 
feeding  on  Mountain  Ash  berries;  yet  another 
was  in  Cranbrook  7 Jan  (GR).  American  Pipits 
are  very  rare  in  winter  in  the  interior;  5 were 
along  the  Okanagan  River  Channel  just  n.  of 
Osoyoos  8 Dec  (LN),  and  one  was  along  the 
Nechako  R.  18  Dec  (ph.  DD,  TH,  HA),  a first 
local  winter  record.  A Cape  May  Warbler  was 
a terrific  winter  find  in  Nakusp  2-27  Jan  (CC, 
KS;  ph.  GSD).  Also  late  in  Nakusp  was  a Myr- 
tle Warbler  2 Jan  (CC,  KS).  The  province’s  first 
Pine  Warbler,  found  at  the  tail  end  of  the  fall 
season,  was  last  seen  at  Lillooet  2 Dec  (vt.  IR). 
A Western  Meadowlark  spent  mid-Dec-mid- 
Jan  at  Cluculz  L.  (ph.  DW  et  al.),  and  another 
5 wintered  in  Quesnel  (fide  PR),  both  sites 
rather  far  n.  for  wintering  meadowlarks.  Al- 
though Common  Grackles  are  a relatively  com- 
mon sight  in  the  Peace  R.  area  in  summer,  they 
are  extremely  rare  in  winter;  one  spent  1-7  Jan 
in  Arras  (MP).  Despite  the  lack  of  winter  finch- 
es across  the  province,  American  Goldfinches 
were  still  found  in  relatively  good  numbers, 
e.g.,  46  at  Milburn  L.  26  Feb  (fide  CA)  and  5-6 
at  Buckhorn  11  Feb  (ph.  MK),  the  latter  a first 
winter  record  for  the  Prince  George  area.  Casu- 
al in  the  province,  a Brambling  was  discovered 
in  Duncan  28Jan+  (DM). 

Contributors  (subregional  editors  in  bold- 
face): David  Allinson,  Janice  Arndy,  Cathy 


274 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


BRITISH  COLUMBIA 


Antoniazzi  (Prince  George),  Helen  Antoni- 
azzi,  Jack  Bowling  (weather  summary),  Jan 
Bradshaw,  John  Brighton,  Doug  Brown, 
Richard  J.  Cannings,  Russell  Cannings, 
Chris  Charlesworth,  Chris  Dale,  Gabe  David, 
Gary  Davidson  (Kootenays),  Molly  Donald- 
son, Dan  Dunlop,  Jerry  Etzkorn,  Gordie 


Gadsden,  Todd  Heakes,  Donna  Heard,  Mar- 
lene Johnson,  Elsie  Lafreniere,  Marilyn 
Kamp,  Nancy  Krueger,  Steve  Lawrence,  Der- 
rick Marven,  Morva  McMahon,  Mike  Mc- 
Mann,  Guy  L.  Monty,  Laure  Neish,  Mark 
Phinney  (Peace  River),  Phil  Ranson  (Cari- 
boo-Chilcotin),  Randy  Rawluk,  Greg  Ross, 


lan  Routley,  Bill  Sampson,  Chris  Saunders, 
Chris  Siddle,  Kathy  Smith,  Rick  Toochin 
(Vancouver),  Jim  Turnbull,  Dick  Webster, 
Gwyneth  Wilson. 


Donald  G.  Cecile,  7995  Wilson-Jackson  Road,  Vernon, 
British  Columbia  VI B 3N5,  (dcecile@telus.net) 


Oregon  & Washington 


Steven  Mlodinow  David  Irons 
Bill  Tweit 


During  December,  most  of  the  Region 
was  2-4°  F below  normal,  except 
coastal  regions,  which  were  slightly 
warmer  than  average.  The  first  few  weeks 
were  very  dry  (though  in  many  places,  very 
foggy),  and  then  the  rain  began.  From  mid- 
December  through  January,  the  Region  was 
drenched,  Seattle  having  its  third  wettest  Jan- 
uary ever,  while  precipitation  in  Oregon  was 
86%  above  normal.  February  was  a touch  dri- 
er than  typical  and  had  near-normal  tempera- 
tures, allowing  birders  to  return  to  the  held. 

The  season’s  main  event  went  almost  un- 
noticed. From  Sora  to  Pacific  Golden-Plover 
to  Williamson’s  Sapsucker  to  Western  Tanag- 
er,  species  considered  mega-rarities  during 
the  winter  season  a decade  ago  are  now  al- 
most greeted  with  yawns.  The  absence  of 
northern  species  from  this  list,  along  with 
these  overwintering  birds,  implies  a real  and 
climate-related  phenomenon. 

Abbreviations:  FR.R.  (Fern  Ridge  Res.,  Lane), 
N.S.C.B.  (N.  Spit  Coos  Bay,  Coos);  O.S. 
(Ocean  Shores,  Grays  Harbor );  PT.  (Puget 
Trough),  W.V  (Willamette  Valley),  W.W.R.D. 
(Walla  Walla  R.  delta,  Walla  Walla).  “East- 
side”  and  “westside”  indicate  locations  east 
and  west  of  the  Cascade  crest,  respectively. 


WATERFOWL  THROUGH  RAILS 

Emperor  Geese  “invaded”  for  the  first  time 
since  2001-2002,  with  8 detected,  all  in  w. 
Oregon,  including  3 at  Astoria  22  Feb  (MP) 
and  2 at  Eugene  12  Feb  (C.  Haskell).  Prior  to 
1995,  there  were  but  two  westside  Blue  Goose 
records,  yet  this  year  one  was  found  again 
among  the  hordes  of  Snow  Geese  on  Fir  I., 
Skagit  12-25  Feb  (CCx,  SM,  JB);  these  Snow 
Geese  breed  on  Siberia’s  Wrangel  1.,  and  over 
the  past  decade,  small  numbers  of  Blue  Geese 
have  occurred  annually  at  both  Wrangel  1.  (K. 
Litvin)  and  that  population’s  wintering  areas 
in  Skagit/Snohomish.  As  many  as  10  peculiar 
geese,  all  of  similar  lineage,  have  appeared 
during  late  winter/early  spring  over  the  past 
few  years  in  e.  Washington’s  Columbia  Basin 
(see  N.A.B.  58:  423  and  59:  317).  Careful 
study  has  revealed  that  these  are  hybrids,  or 
backcrosses,  between  Snow  (or  Blue)  and 
Canada  Geese.  This  winter’s  birds  appeared 
more  like  Blue  Goose  x Canada  Goose  hy- 
brids than  Snow  x Canada:  one  near  Moses  L., 
Grant  16  Feb  (ph.  MB)  and  2 at  McNary 
N.W.R.,  Walla  Walla  25  Feb  (ph.  SM,  BF, 
M&MLD).  Ross’s  Geese  showed  poorly  away 
their  normal  se.  Oregon  haunts,  with  only  4 
singles  found,  all  on  the  westside;  the  Region 
has  averaged  10  per  winter  over  the  past  five 
years.  Three  interior  westside  Black  Brant  rep- 
resented an  average  winter:  Eugene,  through 
the  winter  (S.  Maulding),  Shillapoo  Bottoms, 
Clark  13  Jan  (P&RS),  and  near  Corvallis  31 
Jan  (M.  Monroe).  For  the  2nd  consecutive 
year,  an  apparent  intergrade  Brant,  thought  to 
be  Black  Brant  x Dark-bellied  Brant  ( nigri- 


cans x bernicla ),  appeared  in  the  Puget 
Trough,  this  one  at  Useless  Bay,  Island  31  Dec 
(ph.  SM);  in  1997,  five  mixed  colonies  of  ber- 
nicla and  nigricans  were  found  in  Siberia,  and 
nigricans  banded  in  Siberia  have  appeared  in 
North  America  (Kear  2005,  Ducks,  Geese,  and 
Swans',  N.A.B.  59:  133).  Two  Greater  White- 
fronted  x Canada/Cackling  Geese  hybrids 
stopped  near  Moses  L.  16  Feb  (MB),  while  a 
Greater  White-fronted  Goose  x Cackling 
Goose  visited  McNary  N.W.R.  25  Feb  (SM, 
BF);  there  is  only  one  prior  Regional  record  of 
this  cross.  Two  Dusky  Canada  Geese  (sub- 
species occidentalis ) at  Nisqually  15  Jan-7  Feb 
were  in  the  P.T.,  where  very  rare  during  win- 
ter (T.  Leukering,  CCx,  SM).  Five  minima 
Cackling  Geese,  rare  in  e.  Washington,  were 
at  McNary  N.W.R.  25  Feb  (BF,  SM,  M&MLD), 
and  8 visited  Moses  L.  26  Feb  (SM,  DSc); 
these  birds  were  likely  migrants,  and  one 
wonders  where  they  spent  the  winter. 

Trumpeter  Swans  continue  to  thrive,  with 
1500  near  Clear  L.,  Skagit  12  Feb  (B.  Boyd) 
and  an  Oregon-record  62  at  Airle,  Polk  9 Jan 
(JG).  It  was  a banner  year  for  Bewick’s  Swans, 
with  an  ad.  and  an  imm.  near  Mt.  Vernon,  Sk- 
agit 2 Jan  (DD,  ph.  SM),  a different  ad.  near 
Bow,  Skagit  1 Jan  (tSM,  M.  Axelson),  an  ad. 
on  Fir  1.  25  Feb  (JB,  tCCx),  and  an  ad.  near 
Centralia,  Lewis  26  Feb  (vt.  BT);  4 or  5 birds 
were  involved,  adding  to  only  three  previous 
Washington  records,  the  first  of  which  was  in 
2002.  This  change  appears  real,  not  just  a re- 
flection of  increased  observer  effort.  A gather- 
ing of  300  Wood  Ducks  at  Springfield,  Lane  8 
Feb  was  exceptional  (LM).  The  male  Falcated 


;;  In  these  pages,  we've  detailed  the  northward  range  expansion  of  many  species,  but  one  has  escaped  mention:  Cack- 
ling Goose.  Cackling  Geese  were  rare  winterers  in  our  Region  until  the  mid-1970s,  when  thousands  (apparently  most- 
ly B.  h.  taverneri)  suddenly  appeared  in  the  W.V.  (B.  Jarvis).  In  the  late  1980s,  these  were  joined  by  approximately  20,000  B.  h. 
minima  (almost  the  entire  population  at  that  time),  which  had  abruptly  shifted  their  wintering  grounds  from  California  to  the 
W.V.  and  lower  Columbia  R.,  possibly  due  to  drought  in  California  (B.  Jarvis).  By  the  late  1 990s  this  population  had  exploded  to 
approximately  250,000  ( Birds  of  Oregon,  Marshall  et  al.  2003).  In  1 990,  several  hundred  Cackling  Geese  started  wintering  about 
160  km  farther  n.  at  Nisqually,  with  the  flock  increasing  to  about  1 500  by  the  year  2000  (P&RS);  this  winter,  the  flock  was  ap- 
proximately 60%  minima  and  40%  taverneri  (SM).  About  800  Cacklings,  with  a similar  mix,  appeared  80  km  farther  n.  in  Kent, 
King  this  winter  as  well  (SM,  JB,  CW),  and  a flock  of  30  taverneri  plus  one  minima  was  near  the  Canadian  border  at  Ferndale, 
Whatcom  19  Feb  (SM,  JB,  CCx).  It  seems  likely  that  within  a decade  Cackling  Geese  will  be  wintering  throughout  the  P.T. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


275 


OREGON  & WASHINGTON 


Duck  returned  to  the  Eugene  area  for  the  3rd 
straight  winter,  spending  most  of  Dec  in 
Coburg  (P.  Patricelli)  and  then  reappearing  in 
nw.  Eugene  5 Feb  (R.  Robb).  Klamath  has  tra- 
ditionally attracted  numbers  of  Eurasian 
Wigeon  unheard  of  elsewhere  on  the  eastside. 
Ten  were  found  there  25-26  Feb  (DI);  else- 
where on  the  eastside,  the  seasons  total  of  17 
was  above  normal.  A swarm  of  250,000  Mal- 
lards, approximately  one  percent  of  the  North 
American  population  (Wetlands  Internation- 
al, 2002.  Waterhird  Population  Estimates ),  was 
on  Samish  Bay,  Skagit  2Jan  (SM,  DD).  A Blue- 
winged Teal,  not  annual  during  winter,  visited 
Tillamook  21  Dec  (KT).  Oregon’s  2nd  Baikal 
Teal  was  shot  by  a hunter  on  Sauvie  117  Dec. 
(fide  J.  Riutta);  ironically,  the  first  met  a simi- 
lar fate  near  Corvallis  in  1974.  Only  5 Com- 
mon (Eurasian  Green-winged)  Teal  and  2 
Common  x Green-winged  Teal  intergrades 
were  detected,  well  below  recent  norms.  Can- 
vasback  numbers  were  supra-normal  in  w. 
Oregon,  as  demonstrated  by  a flock  of  250+  at 
Jackson  Bottoms,  Washington  6 Jan,  which 
about  doubled  the  previous  W.V.  record  (S. 
Pinnock).  A huge  flock  of  Ay  thy  a ducks  in 
Priest  Rapids  Pool,  Grant/Kittitas  contained 
4820  Redheads  and  1000  Ring-necked  Ducks 
12  Jan  (RH).  Two  Tufted  Ducks  this  winter 
was  about  par:  one  in  Kent,  King  8-22  Jan  (JB, 
SM)  and  one  at  Meares  L.,  Tillamook  11  Feb+ 
(B.  McDermott).  Continuing  recent  trends, 
enormous  numbers  of  Greater  Scaup  were 
found  along  the  Columbia  R.  A gathering  of 
10,000  scaup  at  Priest  Rapids  Pool  12  Jan 
(RH)  likely  contained  about  9000  Greaters, 
while  4800  Greaters  were  identified  across 
from  Government  Camp,  Hood  River  5 Jan 
(SJ).  Approximately  5%  of  North  Americas 
Greater  Scaup  and  2%  of  the  continent’s  Red- 
heads appear  to  winter  along  the  Region’s 
stretch  of  the  Columbia  R.  A King  Eider  en- 
livened Waldport,  Lincoln  5-17  Dec  (S.  Lock- 
year,  AC);  Oregon  has  but  eight  accepted 
records,  the  last  from  1999.  An  astonishing 
80,000+  Surf  and  35,000+  White-winged 
Scoters  passed  Boiler  Bay,  Lincoln  30  Dec  (PR 
D.  Tracy).  On  the  eastside,  where  not  annual 
during  winter,  a White-winged  Scoter  inhab- 
ited Potholes  Res.,  Grant  5-11  Dec  (DSc),  and 
2 were  near  Vantage,  Kittitas  10  Feb  (P&RS). 
A tally  of  1335  Common  Goldeneye  in  Priest 
Rapids  Pool  12  Jan  was  exceptional  (RH). 
Five  eastside  Long-tailed  Ducks  represented 
the  worst  winter  showing  since  1999.  Though 
Banks  L.,  Grant  attracts  more  Red-breasted 
Mergansers  than  elsewhere  on  the  eastside,  76 
there  19  Dec  was  unprecedented  (RH). 

A late  pulse  of  2500  Red-throated  Loons 
passed  Lincoln  City  2 Dec  (PP).  Rare  during 
winter  on  the  eastside  after  mid-Dec,  a Pacif- 


ic Loon  stopped  at  Kennewick,  Benton  2 Jan 
(R.  Johnson).  Only  5 westside  Yellow-billed 
Loons  were  found,  but  one  at  Washburn  I., 
Okanogan  5-21  Feb  yielded  a very  rare  east- 
side  record  (tR.Hendrick,  M.  Spencer).  Sev- 
enteen westside  Clark’s  Grebes  furnished  a 
fine  seasonal  total  and  included  a maximum 
of  3 at  Tacoma  17  Dec  (CW);  one  at  Richland, 
Benton  1 Jan  made  an  extremely  rare  eastside 
winter  record  (BL,  NL).  A Northern  Fulmar, 
extremely  rare  in  the  PT.,  was  near  Anacortes, 
Skagit  5 Feb  (DP).  A windstorm  28  Dec  drove 
several  dark  shearwaters  into  the  PT.,  where 
very  rare,  including  3 Short-taileds  at  Seattle 
(ST),  3 Short-tailed/Sooty  at  Richmond 
Beach,  King  (DD),  and  2 at  Edmonds,  Sno- 
homish 28  Dec  (DD).  Winter  Brown  Pelicans 
have  become  almost  annual  in  Oregon,  but 
not  in  Washington,  so  one  at  Long  Beach,  Pa- 


Prior  to  1993,  there  were  but  three  Oregon-Washington 
winter  records  of  Western  Tanager.  Subsequently,  Western 
Tanagers  have  become  nearly  annual  in  winter.  This  year's 
contribution  was  this  male  at  Eugene,  Oregon  on  17  Janu- 
ary 2006.  Photograph  by  Barbara  Combs. 

cific  6 Jan  was  quite  unexpected  (C.  Flick,  S. 
Fletcher);  in  Oregon,  3 were  in  Lincoln  and 
Clatsop  during  early  Jan.  Pelagic  Cormorants 
up  the  Columbia  R.  at  Woodland,  Cowlitz  14 
Jan  (P&RS)  and  near  the  mouth  of  the  Sandy 
R.,  Multnomah/Clark  12  Jan-6  Feb  (S.  Shunk, 
WC)  were  unprecedented  so  far  inland.  Ex- 
tremely rare  on  the  eastside  during  winter,  an 
American  Bittern  enlivened  Columbia 
N.W.R.,  Grant  5 Dec  and  19  Jan  (RH).  Great 
Egrets  again  appeared  on  the  eastside  this 
winter,  with  singles  at  Pasco,  Franklin  17  Dec 
(DR),  Kennewick,  Benton  20  Jan  (DR),  and 
Casey  Pond,  Walla  Walla  12  Feb  (M&MLD). 
Two  Cattle  Egrets  were  at  Port  Orford,  Curry 
23  Dec  ( fide  TR);  this  species  is  nearly  annu- 
al during  winter,  typically  as  holdovers  from 
fall,  so  these  2 were  quite  surprising  inas- 
much as  the  fall’s  only  Cattle  Egret  was  180 
km  offshore!  A tally  of  90  Black-crowned 
Night-Herons  at  Moses  L.,  Grant  4 Dec  was 
utterly  unprecedented  for  winter  in  Washing- 
ton (DSc).  Turkey  Vultures  are  very  rare  in 
Washington  before  mid-Feb,  but  this  year  nw. 
Washington  had  one  during  Dec  and  7 in  Jan, 
and  2 were  near  Yakima  8 Jan  ( fide  D. 
MacRae),  providing  only  the  3rd  Dec/Jan 


record  for  e.  Washington.  Wintering  Turkey 
Vulture  numbers  in  Oregon  continue  to  in- 
crease as  evidenced  by  16  wintering  near  Eu- 
gene (DH). 

Osprey,  very  rare  during  winter  on  the 
eastside,  were  at  Redmond,  Deschutes  21  Dec 
(S.  Dougill)  and  Bend  21  Dec  (S.  Dougill).  A 
tally  of  68  Bald  Eagles  near  Fort  Rock,  Lake  5 
Jan  was  a goodly  count  for  anywhere  on  the 
eastside,  especially  this  area  devoid  of  large 
lakes  (CM,  MM).  Washington’s  only  Red- 
shouldered Hawk  remained  near  Rochester, 
Thurston  31  Dec-18  Feb  (ph.  GG,  P Hicks), 
while  one  near  Klamath  Falls  25  Dec-  23  Jan 
was  in  se.  Oregon,  where  now  nearly  annual 
during  winter  (D.  Haupt,  F Lospalluto). 
Huge  numbers  of  raptors  wintered  in  Umatil- 
la and  Walla  Walla , including  210  Red-tailed 
Hawks  near  Umapine,  Umatilla  19  Jan 
(M&MLD)  and  108  along  Frog  Hollow  Rd., 
Walla  Walla  21  Jan  (M&MLD).  Swainson’s 
Hawks  overwintering  near  Alvadore,  Lane  (F 
Chancey,  ph.  DH)  and  at  Ankeny  N.W.R.  9 
Feb  (ph.  KT)  provided  the  2nd  and  3rd  Ore- 
gon winter  records  for  a species  once  consid- 
ered absent  from  North  America  in  winter. 
Ferruginous  Hawks  were  unusually  numer- 
ous and  widespread  this  winter.  Sixteen  were 
near  Fort  Rock,  Lake  5 Jan  (CM,  MM),  while 
an  amazing  4 were  found  on  the  westside, 
where  very  rare:  Airlie,  Polk  8 Jan+  (JG),  near 
Perrydale,  Polk  16  Jan  (J.  Gatchet,  M.  Rat- 
zlaff),  near  Monmouth,  Polk  9 Feb  0-  Hard- 
ing, B.  Thackaberry),  and  New  R.  bottoms, 
Curry  26  Feb+  (D.  Pitkin).  In  ne.  Oregon  and 
se.  Washington,  migrant  Ferruginous  were 
numerous  by  mid-Feb,  about  two  weeks  ear- 
ly, with  the  first  occurring  in  Walla  Walla  2 
Jan  (M&MLD,  C.  Johnson)  and  near  Benton 
City  5 Feb  (BW).  A tally  of  53  American 
Kestrels  near  Umapine  19  Jan  was  exception- 
al (M&MLD).  A Prairie  Merlin  (subspecies 
richardsoni ),  very  rare  in  the  Region,  visited 
Soap  L.,  Grant  25  Feb  (TDSc).  Only  6 Gyrfal- 
cons  were  found  in  Washington,  about  half 
the  norm,  while  3 in  Oregon  was  near  aver- 
age; the  most  southerly  was  at  Cape  Blanco, 
Curry  26  Dec  (TJW).  Three  Prairie  Falcons  in 
w.  Washington  was  a tad  above  average, 
while  they  were  again  present  in  above-aver- 
age numbers  in  the  W.V.  A species  that  has  re- 
cently attained  “annual-during-winter"  sta- 
tus in  Washington  is  Sora,  with  singles  near 
Wiser  L.,  Whatcom  18  Dec  (D.  McNeely)  and 
at  Bowerman  Basin,  Grays  Harbor  2 Jan 
(P&RS).  The  oft-ignored  American  Coot  col- 
lected in  staggering  numbers  at  Priest  Rapids 
Pool,  where  they  feasted  on  Eurasian  Milfoil 
( Myriophyllium  spicatum ),  with  23,300  tal- 
lied 12  Jan  (RH).  A Sandhill  Crane  was  near 
Fall  City,  King  8 Dec-1  Jan  (EH,  A.  Bauer),  2 


276 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


OREGON  & WASHINGTON 


flew  past  Seattle  17  Dec  0-  Bragg) , and  one 
was  near  Bellingham  in  late  Dec  (fide  T.R. 
Wahl);  Sandhills  are  very  rare  in  n.  Washing- 
ton during  winter. 

SHOREBIRDS  THROUGH 
WOODPECKERS 

Washington’s  7th  winter  Pacific  Golden- 
Plover  inhabited  the  Samish  Flats,  Skagit  24 
Dec-12  Feb  (MB);  now  annual  during  winter 
in  Oregon,  one  graced  Halsey,  Linn  26  Dec 
(M.  Nikas,  R.  Armstrong).  Ever-increasing 
numbers  of  Snowy  Plovers  are  wintering  at 
Midway  Beach,  Pacific , with  a Washington- 
record  60  there  26  Feb  (MB).  Another  species 
that  has  recently  attained  “annual-during- 
winter”  status  in  Washington  is  Lesser  Yel- 
lowlegs;  one  was  at  Crockett  L.,  Island  6 Feb 
(DP).  In  Oregon,  where  more  established  as  a 
winter  visitor.  Lesser  Yellowlegs  adorned 
Turner,  Marion  11  Dec  (R.  Gerig)  and  FR.R. 
23  Feb  (S.  McDonald).  Two  Marbled  Godwits 
graced  Port  Washington,  Clallam  19  Dec  (S. 
Atkinson),  and  one  was  near  LaConner,  Skag- 
it 8 Jan  ( fide  G.  Bletsch);  this  species  is  rare 
during  winter  away  from  the  outer  coast. 
Now  nearly  regular  during  winter  on  the  east- 
side,  up  to  6 Least  Sandpipers  inhabited 
Moses  L.,  Grant  through  14  Jan  (DSc),  and 
one  visited  Benington  L.,  Walla  Walla  4 Jan 
(M&MLD).  The  Region’s  first  winter  Sharp- 
tailed Sandpiper  was  found  on  Fir  I.,  Skagit  5 
Dec  (C.  Wise,  L.  Kittleson).  Good  numbers  of 
Dunlins  were  again  noted  in  the  Columbia 
Basin,  with  82  at  W.W.R.D.  25  Feb  (BF  SM) 
and  40  at  Moses  L.  5 Dec  (DSc).  The  Regions 
first  winter  Curlew  Sandpiper  visited 
Charleston,  Coos  18-22  Dec  (AC,  ph.  DH). 
There  were  several  winter  wrecks  of  Red 
Phalaropes,  resulting  in  large  numbers  on  the 
coast,  such  as  641  on  the  Grays  Harbor  C.B.C. 
(fide  B.  Morse),  1000  at  Coos  Bay  24  Dec 
(TR),  and  2841  on  the  Port  Orford  C.B.C.  23 
Dec  (fide  J.  Rogers).  Interestingly,  many  of 
these  fell  prey  to  Snowy  Owls.  Top  inland  tal- 
lies were  21  at  Forest  Grove,  Washington  27 
Dec  (M.  A.  Sohlstrom)  and  23  at  FR.R.  during 
late  Dec  (S.  Maulding).  Most  notable,  howev- 
er, was  the  eastside’s  first  winter  Red 
Phalarope  near  Umapine,  Umatilla  23  Dec 
(ph.  C.  Freese). 

Six  Mew  Gulls  near  Wallula,  Walla  Walla 
25  Feb  was  a record  for  the  far  eastside  (SM, 
M&MLD,  BF),  while  18  at  Hood  River  2 Dec 
matched  last  year’s  record  high  count  estab- 
lished at  the  same  location  (SJ).  Washington’s 
5th  Lesser  Black-backed  Gull  visited  Wallula 
25  Feb  (ph.  BF,  ph.  SM);  all  but  one  of  Wash- 
ington’s records  are  from  the  eastside.  Wash- 
ington’s 9th  Slaty-backed  Gull  was  at  Renton, 
King  8-18  Feb  (tCCx,  ph.  JB).  A goodly  33 


Glaucous  Gulls  were  detected,  with  a maxi- 
mum of  6 at  Wallula  30  Jan  (M&MLD).  An 
apparent  Glaucous  Gull  x Herring  Gull  hy- 
brid visited  Tacoma  18  Feb  (JB,  CCx,  SM).  A 
winter  storm  blew  a Black-legged  Kittiwake 
into  farmland  near  Brady,  Grays  Harbor  5 Feb 
(T.  O’Brien).  A Cassin’s  Auklet,  very  rare  in 
the  PT.,  was  near  Restoration  Pt.,  Kitsap  31 
Dec  (tW.  Palsson).  Two  dead  Parakeet  Auk- 
lets  washed  up  along  the  beach  near  Newport 
6 Feb  (Bob  Loeffel);  this  species  is  not  quite 
annual  in  Oregon,  and  most  records  are  of  dy- 
ing or  dead  birds  found  after  Dec. 

Eurasian  Collared-Doves  exploded  across 
e.  Washington,  while  inexplicably  disappear- 
ing from  Oregon:  11  were  near  Moses  L., 
Grant  17  Dec-8  Jan  (ph.  RH),  up  to  3 were  in 
Mansfield,  Douglas  1 Jan-12  Feb  (vt.  BT,  BLB, 
K.  Brown),  2 remained  through  the  winter  at 
Washtucna,  Adams  (BF),  one  was  in  Daven- 
port, Lincoln  29  Jan  (GS),  and  one  was  in 
Sprague,  Lincoln  2 Feb  (T.  Munson);  35  col- 


lared-doves have  now  been  recorded  in  Wash- 
ington, only  4 of  which  were  seen  prior  to  Jan 
2005.  A White-winged  Dove  near  Burns,  Har- 
ney 2-6  Dec  was  just  the  2nd  for  e.  Oregon 
and  the  2nd  for  winter  in  the  state  (ph.  R. 
Muser);  most  records  have  been  from  fall 
along  the  coast.  Snowy  Owls  staged  their  first 
major  invasion  since  1996,  with  74  in  Wash- 


ington and  14  in  Oregon;  maxima  included 
10  at  O.S.  10  Dec  (P&RS),  8 on  the  Waterville 
Plateau,  Douglas  25  Feb  (DSc),  and  8 at  Skag- 
it W.M.A.  20  Feb  (TA).  The  southernmost 
was  in  Klamath  8 Feb  (MM).  Thirteen  Bur- 
rowing Owls  in  e.  Washington  was  well  above 
normal,  while  in  w.  Oregon,  only  one  was 
found:  Perrydale,  Polk  15  Dec  (G.  Lindeman). 
A Barred  Owl,  very  rare  in  the  Columbia 
Basin,  resided  in  Kennewick,  Benton  31 
Dec-16  Feb  (DR). 

Anna’s  Hummingbirds  continued  to  spread 
across  the  Region.  At  O.S.,  the  C.B.C.  for- 
merly yielded  one  or  2 per  count,  but  last 
year  there  were  11  and  this  year  24  (B. 
Morse).  In  e.  Washington,  where  rare  away 
from  Klickitat , singles  were  Clarkston,  Asotin 
29  Dec+  (C.  Vande  Voorde)  and  Ellensburg, 
Kittitas  through  late  Jan  (C.  Caviezel).  Now 
annual  during  winter  in  Deschutes,  4 Anna’s 
wintered  in  Bend  (CM,  D.  Tracy);  they  had 
not  been  recorded  there  prior  to  1995  (MM). 


Costa’s  Hummingbirds  seem  to  have  become 
annual  winter  visitors  to  Oregon;  this  winter, 
one  inhabited  Florence,  Lane  16  Dec-4  Jan 
(fide  D.  Pettey),  while  another  first  found  in 
Nov  remained  at  North  Bend,  Coos  until  27 
Jan  (B.  Griffin).  A very  rare  mid-winter  Selas- 
phorus  was  at  L.  Forest  Park,  King  12  Dec 
(EH).  Rufous  again  returned  early,  with  sin- 


These  Bewick's  Swans  (an  adult  and  an  immature)  near  Mount  Vernon,  Skagit  County,  Washington  2 January  2006  were  two 
of  as  many  as  five  different  Bewick's  Swans  detected  in  Oregon  and  Washington  this  winter.  Heavily  birded  Skagit  County  has 
had  five  or  six  Bewick's  Swans  during  the  past  three  winters  but  no  previous  reports,  suggesting  that  the  recent  surge  in 
records  is  more  than  the  result  of  increased  observer  effort.  Note  the  relatively  short,  thick  neck  of  the  adult,  a mark  that 
could  be  useful  for  separating  Bewick's  from  Whistling  Swans.  Photograph  by  Steven  G.  MIodinow. 


V01UME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


277 


OREGON  & WASHINGTON 


gles  at  Geunies  I.,  Skagit  25  Jan,  Maury  I., 
King  5 Feb,  and  Lady  I.,  Clark  6 Feb  (WC); 
the  “traditional”  arrival  time  has  been  early 
Mar.  Similarly,  an  Allens  Hummingbird  in 
Bandon,  Coos  24  Jan  was  about  three  weeks 
early  (DL,  KC). 

Formerly  accidental  during  winter  in 
Washington,  Williamsons  Sapsuckers  were 
detected  for  the  5th  consecutive  winter,  with 
singles  at  Conboy  L.,  Klickitat  (K.  Glueckert) 
and  Walla  Walla  18-19  Dec  (M&MLD).  A 
Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker,  now  virtually  annu- 
al during  winter  in  Oregon,  visited  Sublimity, 
Marion  17  Jan  (J.  Liesch).  Red-naped  Sap- 
suckers  inhabited  Seattle  17-30  Dec  (A.  Slet- 
tebak)  and  Finley  N.W.R.  3-6  Feb  (C. 
Jiminez,  N.  Strycker);  this  species  is  rare  w.  of 
the  Cascades  at  any  time  and  anywhere  in  the 
Region  during  winter.  Similarly  rare  e.  of  the 
Cascades,  Red-breasted  Sapsuckers  visited 
Holliday  S.R,  Grant , OR  14  Dec  (C.  O’Leary, 
M.  O’Leary)  and  Grand  Coulee,  Grant , WA  21 
Feb  (S.  Chaffee). 

FLYCATCHERS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

Black  Phoebes  again  wintered  in  the  W.V.  n.  to 
Polk  and  on  the  coast  to  Tillamook  (M.  Sim- 
per). The  Kent  Say’s  Phoebe  returned  for  its 
2nd  winter,  noted  26  Dec+,  and  another  was 
on  Puget  L,  Wahkiakum  1 Jan  (R.  Koppen- 
drayer);  Say’s  remain  extremely  rare  during 
winter  in  w.  Washington.  In  w.  Oregon,  where 
more  numerous,  a near-average  6 were  de- 
tected. Another  Say’s  at  Potholes  S.P,  Grant  5 
Dec  provided  a rare  e.  Washington  Dec/Jan 
record  (DSc).  Loggerhead  Shrikes  were  un- 
usually prevalent  this  winter,  with  4 in  e. 
Washington  (RH),  3 in  w.  Oregon,  and  5 in 
ne.  Oregon’s  Gilliam  7-8  Jan  (Paul  Sullivan, 
C.  Karlen).  A Hutton’s  Vireo  near  Husutn, 
Klickitat  24  Feb  continued  a string  of  sight- 
ings from  w.  Klickitat , implying  that  this 
species  may  indeed  be  resident  here  (KG); 
prior  to  five  years  ago,  this  species  was  con- 
sidered accidental  in  e.  Washington.  Fifteen 
Blue  Jays — 6 in  e.  Washington,  2 in  w.  Wash- 
ington, 4 in  e.  Oregon,  and  3 in  w.  Oregon — 
was  more  than  normal  but  far  short  of  last 
year's  massive  incursion.  Extralimital  Western 
Scrub-Jays  implied  continued  range  expan- 
sion, with  one  e.  to  LaGrande,  Union  26-30 
Dec  (M.  Penninger,  T.  Bray)  and  one  n.  to  Cle 
Elum,  Kittitas  15  Dec  (M.  Hobbs). 

Far  more  Tree  Swallows  than  normal  lin- 
gered through  Dec  (28  in  Oregon  and  10  in 
Washington),  with  a few  lasting  into  earlyjan 
before  the  vanguard  of  northbound  birds  ap- 
peared a little  early,  in  late  Jan;  6 at  Lower 
Klamath  N.W.R.  11  Dec  provided  an  ex- 
tremely rare  eastside  winter  record  0-  Mered- 
ith). Violet-green  Swallow  sightings,  very 


rare  during  Dec/Jan,  included  one  at 
Nisqually,  Thurston  4 Jan  (P&RS)  and  5 at 
Eugene  8 Jan  (J.  Sullivan).  For  the  5th  con- 
secutive winter,  northbound  Barn  Swallows 
arrived  in  Jan.  The  magnitude  of  this  year’s 
incursion,  however,  was  not  as  great.  Per 
usual,  a few  Barn  Swallows  lingered  into  Dec, 
with  4 in  Washington  and  Oregon  each.  Only 
one  was  found  1-18  Jan,  but  in  late  Jan,  73 
were  detected,  including  47  near  S.  Bend,  Pa- 
cific 30  Jan  (CW).  Fifty-one  were  reported  in 
Feb,  but  as  birders  have  become  accustomed 
to  seeing  this  species  during  winter,  some  un- 
doubtedly went  unmentioned.  Still  rather 
noteworthy  on  the  eastside,  sightings  from 
there  included  one  at  White  Salmon,  Klicki- 


tat 1 Jan  (P.  Moyer),  one  along  Stonecipher 
Rd.,  Walla  Walla  5 Feb  (M&MLD),  one  at 
Potholes  S.R,  Grant  12  Feb  (DSc),  2 at  Wash- 
burn L,  Okanogan  12  Feb  (D.  Stephens),  and 
3 at  Wanapum  Dam  20  Feb  (S.  Downes).  A 
tally  of  80  Horned  Larks  near  Snohomish  17 
Feb  was  exceptional  for  w.  Washington 
(CCx).  The  isolated  plumbeus  Bushtit  popu- 
lation persisted  at  Potholes  Res.,  Grant , with 
20+  there  8 Jan  (DSc).  Bewick’s  Wrens  at 
Bend  16  Dec  (K.  Boddie)  and  n.  of  Sisters,  Jef- 
ferson 6 Feb  (C.  Gates)  were  rare  for  these 
cen.  Oregon  locales.  For  the  5th  consecutive 
winter,  Western  Bluebirds  were  found  in  w. 
Washington,  with  22  at  four  locations;  num- 
bers were  also  elevated  in  w.  Oregon  (fide 
HN).  Four  Mountain  Bluebirds  near 
Alderdale,  Klickitat  28  Dec-27  Jan  furnished 
a very  rare  winter  Washington  record  (KG). 
American  Robins  were  even  more  abundant 
than  usual  during  mid-  to  late  Feb,  with  the 
westside  maximum  of  20,000  between 
Coburg,  Lane  and  Peoria,  Lim l 19  Feb  coin- 
ciding with  a passing  cold  front  (DI).  North- 
ern Mockingbirds  showed  poorly  for  the  4th 
consecutive  winter,  with  only  3 detected,  in- 
cluding one  wintering  at  Eugene  (AC),  one  at 
N.S.C.B.  10  Dec  (TR,  DL,  KC),  and  one  at 
Touchet,  Walla  Walla  27  Jan  (M&MLD).  Fifty 
American  Pipits  in  Walla  Walla  25  Feb  pro- 
vided an  exceptional  eastside  winter  tally 
(M&MLD). 


Rarely  identified  in  the  Region,  but  perhaps 
of  regular  occurrence,  an  Orange-crowned 
Warbler  apparently  of  the  nominate  sub- 
species visited  Klamath  Falls  9 Dec  (ph.  M. 
Iliff).  For  the  9th  winter  of  the  last  10, 
Nashville  Warblers  were  detected,  with  sin- 
gles at  Coos  Bay  4 Dec  (TR)  and  Tillamook  17 
Dec  0-  Gilligan).  Still  extremely  rare  during 
winter,  a Yellow  Warbler  enlivened  McMin- 
nville, Yamhill  11  Dec  (F  Schrock).  A congre- 
gation of  350+  Yellow-rumped  Warblers  in  a 
small  apple  orchard  near  Royal  City,  Grant  26 
Feb  set  an  e.  Washington  winter  record  (SM, 
DSc).  The  Region’s  2nd  winter  Black-throated 
Green  Warbler  adorned  Klamath  Falls  9-22 
Dec  (ph.  M.  Iliff). 


A tally  of  15  Palm  Warblers  on  the  Curry 
coast  23  Dec  was  exceptional  (J.  Rogers). 
Washington’s  first  winter  American  Redstart 
lingered  in  Auburn  through  2 Dec  (MB).  The 
Puget  L,  Wahkiakum  Ovenbird  remained  un- 
til 1 Feb,  providing  Washington’s  first  winter 
record  (G.  Exum).  Common  Yellowthroats, 
formerly  very  rare  after  Dec  in  Washington, 
are  now  nearly  annual.  This  year,  one  visited 
Kent,  King  1 Jan  (CW).  Formerly  a “mega- 
rarity” in  winter,  Wilson’s  Warblers  have  be- 
come annual.  This  year,  singles  visited  Seattle 
8 Dec  (M.  Vernon),  Brownsmead,  Clatsop  29 
Dec  (MP),  and  Eugene  13  Jan  (G.  Morsello). 
For  the  8th  consecutive  winter,  a Western 
Tanager  graced  the  Region,  this  one  at  Eugene 
17  Jan  (ph.  B.  Combs). 

A Spotted  Towhee  of  subspecies  oregonus 
at  Umatilla  25  Feb  was  apparently  a first  for 
e.  Oregon  (SM,  BF);  in  Washington,  this  sub- 
species occurs  regularly  to  cen.  Klickitat 
(Jewett  et  al.  1953,  Birds  of  Washington 
State),  and  it  would  be  surprising  if  oregonus 
did  not  occur  e.  to  Shennan  in  Oregon.  An 
American  Tree  Sparrow,  rare  in  w.  Oregon, 
remained  in  White  City,  Jackson  11  Dec+  (J. 
Livaudias).  Five  Clay-colored  Sparrows,  all 
from  the  westside,  was  about  twice  the  re- 
cent norm.  Rare  in  w.  Oregon  during  winter, 
a Chipping  Sparrow  was  in  Springfield,  Lane 
30Jan+  (R.  Robb).  Thirteen  Savannah  Spar- 
rows at  Iowa  Beef,  Walla  Walla  12  Feb  was 


Starting  in  late  Dec,  there  was  an  unprecedented  surge  in  Townsend's  Warbler  reports  from  w.  Oregon  and  sw.  Wash- 
ington. On  1 Jan,  the  Eugene  C.B.C.  broke  its  all-time  record  for  Townsend's  Warblers  by  48  individuals  (141  total), 
tripling  its  25-year  average  of  Townsend's  Warbler/observer-hour.  This  prompted  Irons  to  query  Oregon  observers  via  Oregon 
Birders  Online  (OBOL)  to  better  quantify  the  incursion.  About  300  Townsend's  Warblers  were  reported  during  a three-week 
period  in  Jan.  Several  involved  groups  of  8-12  birds  attending  suet  feeders.  On  8 Jan,  Irons  found  59  Townsend's  during  a 
short  walk  around  his  s.  Eugene  neighborhood,  including  one  pure  flock  of  approximately  30  birds.  While  the  epicenter  of  this 
event  did,  indeed,  seem  to  be  Lane,  it  was  not  limited  to  that  county,  and  in  addition  to  the  Oregon  reports,  22  Townsend's 
visited  a Vancouver,  Clark  yard  for  several  days  in  Jan  (K.  Kohlschmidt).  Careful  scrutiny  of  these  flocks  produced  a Townsend's 
Warbler  x Hermit  Warbler  hybrid  at  Oregon  City,  Clackamas  3 Jan  (tA.  Ahlgrim),  plus  apparently  pure  Hermit  Warblers  at  As- 
toria 18  Dec  (MP),  Eugene  4 Jan  (M.  Rudolph),  and  Corvallis  10  Feb+  (R.  Armstrong).  Oddly,  there  appeared  to  be  a relative 
dearth  of  Townsend's  Warblers  in  Washington's  P.T. 


278 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


OREGON  & WASHINGTON 


exceptional  for  the  eastside  during  winter 
(M&MLD).  A Grasshopper  Sparrow  at 
Coos  Bay  18  Dec  furnished  the  Region’s  6th 
winter  record  (T.  Shelmerdine).  A Sooty  Fox 
Sparrow  at  Umatilla  10  Dec  added  further 
evidence  that  this  subspecies  group  may  be 
of  regular  occurrence  in  e.  Oregon  (ph.  D. 
Herr).  A tally  of  112  Sooty  Fox  Sparrows 
near  Hoquiam,  Grays  Harbor  3 Jan  was  ex- 
ceptional for  Washington  (P&RS).  It  was  a 
slow  winter  for  Swamp  Sparrow  and  an 
abysmal  one  for  Harris’s  Sparrow.  There  were 
but  9 Swamps  in  Washington  and  Oregon 
each,  including  3 on  Bainbridge  I.,  Kitsap  3 
Dec  (B.  Waggoner,  D.  Watkins)  and  7 
throughout  the  season  at  Millacoma  Marsh, 
Coos  (TR).  The  Region  had  only  5 Harris’s 
Sparrows,  about  20%  of  normal.  A hock  of 
14  Golden-crowned  Sparrows  at  Umatilla  25 
Feb  was  exceptional  for  the  far  eastside  (BF, 
SM).  A pugetensis  White-crowned  Sparrow  at 
Umatilla  25  Feb  (SM,  BF)  was  apparently  the 
first  recorded  in  e.  Oregon,  despite  being  a 
regular  visitor  to  Washington’s  Columbia 
Basin  and  fairly  common  e.  to  cen.  Klickitat. 
Oregon’s  first  winter  Chestnut-collared 
Longspurs  were  2 in  Benton  12  Feb  (R. 
Moore).  A flock  of  800  Snow  Buntings  near 
Joseph,  Wallowa  16  Jan  likely  set  an  Oregon 
record  (J.  Carlson,  Paul  Sullivan). 


Washington  maxima  for  Tricolored  Black- 
birds included  12  near  Corfu,  Grant  24  Feb 
(BF)  and  10  at  Othello,  Adams  12  Feb  (BF);  3 
were  found  again  Shillapoo  Bottoms,  Clark  14 
Jan,  the  only  known  location  for  Tricoloreds 
in  w.  Washington  (SM,  B.  Deuel).  Eastern 
Washington’s  2nd  winter  Bullock’s  Oriole 
adorned  Moses  L.,  Grant  17  Dec  (TL.  Cooke), 
while  the  8th  for  w.  Washington  visited  Flo- 
rence, Snohomish  21  Jan  (M.  Dufort);  despite 
being  nearly  annual  in  Oregon,  Washington 
had  not  had  a winter  Bullock’s  since  1998. 

Crook’s  first  Purple  Finch  was  located  on 
the  Prineville  C.B.C.  31  Dec  ( fide  CG)  and 
was  followed  by  5 in  Prineville  18  Jan  (CM, 
MM).  The  season’s  sole  report  of  White- 
winged Crossbill  was  of  2 on  Mt.  Spokane  25 
Jan  (GS,  CC,  JC).  A flock  of  50  Common  Red- 
polls at  Enterprise,  Wallowa  16  Dec.  (M. 
Marsh)  and  6 in  Portland  26  Feb  (R  Johnson) 
were  unusual  for  a non-invasion  year.  Red 
Crossbills  and  Pine  Siskins  were  nearly  absent 
from  the  Region.  The  Lesser  Goldfinch  at 
Walla  Walla  remained  through  19  Dec 
(M&MLD),  while  one  in  Bellingham,  What- 
com 11  Feb+  (MB)  furnished  only  the  4th 
record  for  the  heavily  birded  P.T.  A gathering 
of  80  Evening  Grosbeaks  near  Stanwood,  Sno- 
homish 22  Dec  provided  w.  Washington’s 
highest  winter  count  in  10+  years  (SM,  DD). 


Initialed  observers  (subregional  editors  in 
boldface):  Tom  Aversa  (Washington),  Jessie 
Barry,  Marv  Breece,  Wilson  Cady,  Kathy 
Castelein,  Alan  Contreras,  Craig  Corder, 
Judy  Corder,  Cameron  Cox  (CCx),  Mike 
and  Merry  Lynn  Denny  (M&MLD),  Dennis 
Duffy,  Bob  Flores,  Chuck  Gates  (Crook), 
Roy  Gerig  (Polk,  Marion ),  Greg  Gillson, 
Kevin  Glueckert,  Dan  Heyerly,  Randy  Hill, 
Eugene  Hunn,  Stuart  Johnston  (Klickitat), 
Bruce  LaBar  (BLB),  Bill  LaFramboise  (low- 
er Columbia  Basin),  Nancy  LaFramboise, 
David  Lauten,  Larry  McQueen,  Tom  Mickel 
(Lane),  Craig  and  Marilyn  Miller  (De- 
schutes, Jefferson,  Lake),  Harry  Nehls  (Ore- 
gon), Bob  Norton  (Olympic  Pen.),  Michael 
Patterson  (Clatsop),  Dennis  Paulson,  Phil 
Pickering,  Dennis  Rockwell,  Tim  Rodenkirk 
(Coos,  Curry),  Doug  Schonewald  (DSc), 
Gina  Sheridan,  Patrick  and  Sullivan 
(P&RS),  Sam  Terry,  Khanh  Tran,  Dennis 
Vroman  (Josephine),  Terry  J.  Wahl,  Bob 
Woodley,  Charlie  Wright.  © 


Steven  Mlodinow,  4819  Gardner  Avenue,  Everett,  Wash- 
ington 98203,  (SGMIod@aol.com); 

David  Irons,  2690  Adams  Street,  Eugene,  Oregon  97405, 
(llsdirons@msn.com); 

Bill  Tweit,  P.0.  Box  1271,  Olympia,  Washington  98507, 
(Sebnabgill@aol.com) 


Northern  California 


Luke  W.  Cole  Scott  B.  Terrill 
Michael  M.  Rogers  | Steven  A.  Glover 


Avery  wet  late  December  and  early  Jan- 
uary Regionwide  included  the  worst 
storm  in  30  years  to  hit  Humboldt 
County.  Winter  also  brought  a number  of  ex- 


citing rarities,  including  the  state’s  first  Snowy 
Owl  since  1978.  Following  the  state’s  first 
Slaty-backed  Gulls  last  winter,  careful  gull 
surveys  by  Jaramillo  and  others  turned  up  an 
astonishing  10-12  Slaty-backeds  this  winter. 

Abbreviations:  C.B.R.C.  (California  B.R.C.); 
C.V.  (Central  Valley);  C.R.R  (Cosumnes  R. 
Preserve,  Sacramento);  C.C.FS.  (Coyote  Cr. 
Field  Station);  FI.  (Southeast  Farallon  I.,  San 
Francisco);  RR.B.O.  (Pt.  Reyes  B.O.);  S.E  (San 
Francisco  rather  than  State  Forest).  Reports 
of  exceptional  vagrants  submitted  without 
documentation  are  not  published.  Documen- 
tation of  C.B.R.C.  review  species  will  be  for- 
warded to  Guy  McCaskie,  Secretary,  PO.  Box 
275,  Imperial  Beach,  California  91933.  Birds 
banded  on  FI.  should  be  credited  to  Pt.  Reyes 
B.O.  and  those  banded  at  Big  Sur  R.  mouth  to 
the  Big  Sur  Ornithology  Lab  of  the  Ventana 
Wilderness  Society. 

GEESE  THROUGH  SHEARWATERS 

An  imm.  and  3 ad.  Emperor  Geese  were  re- 
ported from  Lower  Klamath  N.W.R.,  Siskiyou 


14  Dec  (tMike  McVey).  A group  of  5 Snow 
Geese  in  Diamond  Valley  2 Dec  (ph.  TEa)  was 
thought  to  mark  only  the  2nd  record  for 
Alpine.  Following  3 in  fall,  another  coastal 
blue-morph  Snow  Goose  was  found,  this  time 
at  College  L.,  Santa  Cmz  10  Dec  (DLSu,  ph. 
RgW).  A lone  Ross’s  Goose  with  a domestic 
goose  flock  at  Camanche  Res.  9 Feb  (KMz) 
was  a first  for  Calaveras.  “Extraordinary 
counts”  of  minima  Cackling  Geese  were  re- 
ported in  Humboldt,  with  123  at  s.  Areata  Bot- 
toms 20  Dec  (EE,  JTz)  and  81  on  the  Center- 
ville Beach  to  King  Salmon  C.B.C.  1 Jan  ( fide 
SWH);  perhaps  this  is  related  to  the  increased 
numbers  wintering  in  the  Willamette  Valley 
in  Oregon  (fide  DFx).  An  Aleutian  Cackling 
Goose  (subspecies  leucopareia)  at  900  m ele- 
vation along  Stumpfield  Mt.  Road  17-23  Jan 
(JTz,  m.ob.)  was  apparently  Mariposa's  first. 
Well-documented  family  groups  of  Trumpeter 
Swans  were  found  3 km  se.  of  Durham,  Butte 
23  Dec-6  Feb  (up  to  3 ads.  and  3 imms.;  JHS, 
tBED,  tDEQ,  ph.  DWN  et  al.)  and  7 km  n.  of 
Willows,  Glenn  15-17  Jan  (2  ads.  and  6 
imms.;  tCLu,  vt.  LLu,  JLx). 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


279 


NORTHERN  CALIFORNIA 


Common  (Eurasian  Green-winged)  Teal 
were  reported  in  better-than-average  num- 
bers, with  12  birds  found  in  five  counties;  7 
Common  x Green-winged  Teal  intergrades 
were  also  reported.  Evidence  of  intergrada- 
tion is  often  not  obvious,  and  the  recent  in- 
crease in  such  reports  suggests  that  observers 
are  commendably  submitting  apparent  Com- 
mon Teal  to  close  scrutiny.  Eleven  male  and  3 
female  Tufted  Ducks  were  reported  from  10 
counties,  with  3+  males  and  2 hybrids  on  Bo- 
rax L.,  Lake  16  Jan-25  Feb  (FHa,  m.ob.)  be- 
ing the  largest  concentration.  Notable  records 
included  the  first  for  Plumas,  a male  at  L.  Al- 
manor  25  Feb  (Phil  Johnson  et  ah),  and  a 
male  at  O’Neill  Forebay,  Merced  16-17  Jan 
(ph.,  tGreg  Gerstenberg).  An  unconfirmed 
imm.  male  Stcller’s  Eider  at  King  Salmon, 
Humboldt  22  Dec  (MWa)  was  reportedly  seen 
both  before  and  after  this  date  by  local 
hunters;  it  would  be  just  the  4th  for  the  Re- 
gion if  accepted  by  the  C.B.R.C.  The  imm. 
male  Harlequin  Duck  at  the  Stockton  S.T.R, 
Scm  Joaquin  was  present  until  at  least  25  Feb 
(KMz).  A White-winged  Scoter  at  Lewiston  L. 
26  Jan  was  Trinity's  3rd  (ph.  SAG,  JLx).  The 
male  Barrows  Goldeneye  below  L.  McSwain, 
Mariposa  was  present  until  at  least  15  Dec 
(JTz).  The  male  Hooded  Merganser  x Bar- 
row’s Goldeneye  returned  to  L.  Merritt, 
Alameda  19Jan  (Matt  Ricketts).  A Red-breast- 
ed Merganser  at  Black  Butte  Res.  8 Dec  (BED, 
RoS)  may  have  been  just  the  2nd  for  Tehama. 

Normally  coastal  loons  reported  from  inland 
locations  included  4 Red-throated  and  6 Pacif- 
ic. A Pacific  Loon  at  Bass  L.  15  Jan  (JLx)  was 
Madera’s  2nd.  Typically  the  most  common  in- 
land loon,  only  4 Common  Loons  were  report- 
ed from  such  locations.  Twenty-six  Red- 
necked Grebes  at  King  Salmon  1 7 Jan-20  Feb 
(MWa,  RHw)  represented  a very  high  count 
from  a single  location  in  the  Region  and  a 
record  high  for  Humboldt.  Other  noteworthy 
Red-necked  Grebes  included  singles  at  Glen- 
bum  Church,  Shasta  2 Jan  (BY,  CY);  San  Jose, 
Santa  Clara  7-9  Jan  (found  dead  on  the  last 
date;  fide  Roy  Churchwell;  MMR,  MJM,  AME); 
Coyote  Pt.,  San  Mateo  22  Jan  (RSTh);  and 
Clearlake  Oaks,  Lake  25  Jan  (JLx).  A Laysan 
Albatross  (RS,  m.ob.)  and  an  imm.  Short- 
tailed Albatross  (ph.,  tRyT,  ph.,  vt.,  m.ob.) 
were  present  with  22  Black-footed  Albatrosses 
near  Cordell  Bank,  Marin  4 Dec.  Although 
Northern  Fulmars  (950),  Pink-footed  Shear- 
waters (18),  and  Flesh-footed  Shearwaters  (2) 
were  present  in  normal  numbers  on  the  same 
trip  to  Cordell  Bank,  Sooty  and  Short-tailed 
Shearwaters  were  present  in  very  low  numbers, 
just  3 and  17,  respectively.  Similarly,  only  3 
Sooty  and  3 Short-tailed  Shearwaters  were  ob- 
served on  Monterey  Bay,  Monterey  5 Feb  (ShJ). 


BITTERNS  THROUGH  SHOREBIRDS 

The  only  Least  Bittern  report  was  of  up  to  2 
birds  at  C.R.P.  in  Dec  and  Jan  (JTr).  An  imm. 
Little  Blue  Heron  was  seen  near  Ft.  Dick,  Del 
Norte  3-16  Feb  (Owen  Head;  ph.,  TKGR  et 
ah).  Cattle  Egrets  were  better  reported  than 
usual,  with  reports  received  from  10  counties. 
The  high  count  was  of  231  birds  at  Sebastopol, 
Sonoma  8 Jan  (LHg).  A group  of  29  about  13 
km  s.  of  Corning  13  Feb  furnished  only  the 
4th  record,  and  by  far  the  largest  number,  for 
Tehama  (BED);  one  flying  along  Hwy.  140 
across  the  county  line  into  Merced  17  Feb  was 


Pleasing  crowds  of  birders  in  Alviso,  Santa  Clara  County,  this 
juvenile  Sharp-tailed  Sandpiper  spent  7-18  (here  10)  De- 
cember 2005  roosting  and  foraging  with  peeps.  This  species 
has  now  been  recorded  a remarkable  three  times  on  the 
San  Jose  Christmas  Bird  Count,  the  only  California  count 
ever  to  have  recorded  it.  Photograph  by  Glen  Tepke. 

the  first  for  Mariposa  (DLSu).  The  Yellow- 
crowned  Night-Heron  reported  last  season 
was  present  at  Inverness,  Marin  at  least 
through  5 Dec  (GEC).  An  impressive  4000 
White-faced  Ibis  were  seen  going  to  roost 
along  Rd.  40,  Tulare  12  Dec  (SDS,  MSanM). 

Swainsons  Hawks  were  seen  at  several  lo- 
cations away  from  known  wintering  areas,  in- 
cluding a dark  morph  at  Gray  Lodge  W.A., 
Butte  3 Dec  (tBED  et  ah),  an  imm.  on  the  n. 
spit  of  Humboldt  Bay,  Humboldt  15  Dec  (ph., 
TKGR),  and  a light  morph  at  Pacific  Grove, 
Monterey  27  Dec  (TRbF,  TSRv).  The  first  mi- 
grants returned  to  the  C.V  15  Feb  (2  w.  of 
Madera,  Madera ; GaW).  Returning  Harlan’s 


Hawks  were  found  at  Bayside  Cutoff  n.  of  Eu- 
reka, Humboldt  5 Dec+  (7th  winter;  EE,  ph. 
KGR,  m.ob.)  and  along  Devils  Den  Rd.  near 
Hwy.  33,  Kings  6 Jan  (3rd  winter;  JSy).  An- 
other sw.  of  Madera  21  Dec  (ph.  JND)  was 
only  the  2nd  for  Madera.  The  Santa  Cruz 
Crested  Caracara  continued  through  the  sea- 
son near  Davenport  (m.ob.).  A hardy  Com- 
mon Moorhen  at  over  700  m elevation  in  Is- 
abel Valley,  Santa  Clara  2 Jan  provided  the 
first  record  for  the  Mt.  Hamilton  C.B.C. 
(MMR,  MJM).  The  only  coastal  Sandhill 
Crane  reported  was  associating  with  Wild 
Turkeys  n.  of  Willits,  Mendocino  8-31  Jan 
(GEC,  CEV,  MMtt,  RJK,  BD,  m.ob.). 

Mountain  Plovers  were  reported  in  good 
numbers  and  at  new  locations  this  season.  A 
count  of  645  along  Rd.  80  s.  of  Allensworth, 
Tulare  12  Dec  (SDS,  MSanM)  is  the  highest  to- 
tal in  our  notebooks  in  over  a decade.  They 
were  again  present  at  the  location  discovered 
last  year  sw.  of  Madera,  Madera,  with  286 
present  20  Feb  (ph.  GaW);  7 of  these  were 
color  banded,  6 in  Colorado  and  one  in  Mon- 
tana. Coastally,  4 Mountain  Plovers  e.  of  Sears 
Point  28  Feb+  were  the  first  for  Sonoma  (ph. 
LHg,  AWgh,  RAR).  A Sharp-tailed  Sandpiper 
found  at  Alviso  Marina  C.P,  Santa  Clara  7 
Dec  (Mike  Tyner,  Cliff  Cordy)  lingered  just 
long  enough  to  be  tallied  on  the  San  Jose 
C.B.C.  18  Dec  (ph.,  tm.ob.).  Six  Rock  Sand- 
pipers at  Laguna  Pt.  2 Jan  was  an  “all-time 
high”  for  Mendocino  (DT).  The  Santa  Cmz 
Rock  Sandpiper  continued  through  the  sea- 
son (m.ob.).  One  Ruff  was  reported,  an  ap- 
parent male  at  the  Vic  Fazio  Yolo  W.A.,  Yolo 
26  Feb  (ph.  Sami  LaRocca). 

GULLS  THROUGH  ALCIDS 

An  ad.  Little  Gull  approximately  36  km  sw.  of 
Bodega  Head  (TSBT,  TRyT,  RS  et  al.)  in  Marin 
waters  4 Dec  represented  one  of  the  few  off- 
shore records  for  the  Region.  Five  Mew  Gulls 
were  reported  from  inland  locations,  where 
scarce:  near  Fresno,  Fresno  18  Dec  (GWPo  et 
al.);  at  Eagle  L.,  Lassen  21  Dec  (TSBT,  ph. 
LTer);  at  Turtle  Bay  East,  Shasta  31  Dec  (Red 


Following  the  paucity  of  reports  last  season,  Red  Phalaropes  staged  the  largest  "wreck"in  overa  decade,  with  reports 
from  all  our  coastal  counties  in  late  Dec  garnering  extensive  coverage  by  local  news  media.  First  noted  in  Humboldt, 
S.F.,  and  Santa  Cruz  on  20  Dec,  numbers  in  Humboldt  built  quickly  to  1 500  at  King  Salmon  (MWa)  and  2000  on  s.  Humboldt 
Bay  (DFx)  23  Dec.  Farther  s.  in  San  Mateo,  numbers  peaked  26  Dec,  with  579  heading  s.  off  Moss  Beach  and  750  in  flooded 
fields  in  the  town  of  Pescadero  (both  RSTh).  Slightly  inland  in  Santa  Clara,  38  were  found  at  1 1 locations  26  Dec,  including  in- 
land percolation  ponds  and  reservoirs  as  well  as  bayside  marshes  and  salt  ponds.  Up  to  2 at  L.  Hennessey  28  Dec-4  Jan  (BDP, 
m.ob.)  and  2 at  the  Huichica  Creek  W.A.  29  Dec  (JLx)  provided  only  the  2nd  and  3rd  records  for  Napa.  Other  inland  records  in- 
cluded birds  at  Chain  I.,  Sacramento  28  Dec  (JTr),  at  Lafayette  Res.,  Contra  Costa  4-10  Jan  (Martha  Breed,  m.ob.),  and  far  in- 
land at  Mono  L.,  Mono  29  Dec  (Heidi  Hopkins).  The  total  of  2399  recorded  on  the  Centerville  Beach  to  King  Salmon  C.B.C., 
Humboldt  1 Jan  was  almost  four  times  the  previous  high  for  the  count.  Numbers  dwindled  rapidly  after  New  Year's  Day,  par- 
ticularly away  from  Humboldt.  In  Humboldt,  "only  94"  were  found  12  Jan  (s.  Areata  Bottoms;  RbF),  and  the  last  bird  was  re- 
ported at  King  Salmon  19  Jan  (MWa). 


280 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


NORTHERN  CALIFORNIA 


Modeen,  Nancy  Modeen);  at  Kutras  L.,  Shas- 
ta 7 Jan  (possibly  the  same  bird  as  31  Dec; 
Ray  Braun);  and  near  Kettleman  City,  Kings 
10  Feb  (JSy).  Venice  S.B.,  San  Mateo  was  once 
again  the  Region’s  winter  gull  hotspot.  Gulls 
showing  characters  of  Iceland  and  “Vega” 
Herring  Gulls  were  there  23  Jan  (ph.  DVP) 
and  11  Feb  (ph.,  tDVP,  Oscar  Johnson),  re- 
spectively. Additional  potential  Iceland  Gulls 
were  at  Terrace  Pt.,  Santa  Cruz  16  Feb  (ph., 
tSGe)  and  Redwood  Cr.  mouth,  Humboldt  28 
Dec  and  11-12  Feb  (Jeff  Allen).  These  records 
await  review  by  the  C.B.R.C.  Remarkably,  at 
least  9 and  perhaps  II  Slaty-backed  Gulls 
were  detected  2 Dec+  among  the  thousands  of 
gulls  roosting  at  Venice  S.B.  (ph.,  TAJ,  TRSTh, 
ph.,  vt.,  Tm.ob.).  These  observations  follow 
the  discovery  of  3-4  Slaty-backed  Gulls  (com- 
prising the  first  accepted  records  for  Califor- 
nia) from  the  same  location  last  winter  (N.A.B 
59:  320).  Another  Slaty-backed  Gull  was  at 
the  Alviso  salt  ponds  14  Jan  ( Santa  Clam's 
first;  ph.,  TAJ).  Scarce  inland,  6 Western  Gulls 
were  noted  in  the  Regions  interior.  Twenty  to 
30' Glaucous-winged  Gulls  at  Kutras  L.  2 Jan 
(BY,  CY)  represented  a record  count  for  Shas- 
ta and  a very  high  number  for  any  well-inland 
location.  Of  the  25  Glaucous  Gulls  reported, 
at  least  6,  a high  number  for  a single  location 
anywhere  in  the  Region,  were  at  Venice  S.B. 
throughout  the  period  (AJ,  RSTh,  m.ob.);  one 
at  Kutras  L.  and  Whiskeytown  L.  2-31  Jan 
marked  a first  for  Shasta  (BY,  CY).  Caspian 
Terns  are  scarce  in  midwinter  in  the  Region, 
so  up  to  6 observed  throughout  the  period  in 
Humboldt  ( fide  DFx)  are  of  interest;  else- 
where, 2 at  Clifton  Court  Forebay  21  Dec 
( fide  Jimm  Edgar)  followed  the  first  winter 
record  for  Contra  Costa  last  winter.  The  South 
S.F  Bay  wintering  flock  of  Black  Skimmers 
continues  to  increase,  with  up  to  30  at 
Charleston  Slough  and  Salt  Pond  Al,  Santa 
Clara  19  Dec-1  Jan  (WGB  et  al). 

High  densities  of  Marbled  Murrelets  were 
observed  along  the  San  Mateo  coastline,  with 
310  and  275  counted  off  Venice  S.B.  21  & 24 
Feb  (RSTh),  respectively  and  a county  high  of 
503  off  Moss  Beach  1 Mar  (RSTh).  Coupled 
with  these  high  counts  were  record-high 
numbers  observed  via  aerial  surveys  along  the 
inshore  waters  of  coastal  Santa  Cruz : 246  on 
24  Jan  and  232  on  8 Mar  (fide  LHe).  Suddjian 
comments  that  these  high  numbers  suggest 
that  many  of  these  birds  were  likely  wintering 
migrants  from  the  n.  and  not  members  of  the 
Santa  Cruz  Mts.  breeding  population.  Mar- 
bled Murrelets  made  a good  showing  in  Hum- 
boldt as  well,  with  31  on  the  Areata  C.B.C.  17 
Dec  ( fide  DFx).  Four  Horned  Puffins  were  re- 
ported: one  at  the  n.  jetty  of  Humboldt  Bay, 
Humboldt  21  Jan  (fide  SWH);  one  picked  up  at 


Although  usually  considered  a rare  summer  visitor  to  southern 
and  central  California,  this  immature  Little  Blue  Heron  lin- 
gered from  3 (here)  through  16  February  2006  near  Fort  Dick, 
Del  Norte  County,  in  the  extreme  northwestern  corner  of  the 
state.  The  two  previous  county  records  have  also  been  of  win- 
tering immatures  in  the  same  area.  Photograph  by  Kerry  Ross. 

Bradley  Beach,  San  Mateo  and  transported  to 
a bird  rescue  center  17  Feb  (Michelle  Bel- 
lizzi);  one  off  Pajaro  Dunes,  Santa  Cruz  21 
Feb  (LHe,  Hannah  Nevins);  and  one  off  La 
Selva  Beach,  Santa  Cruz  27  Feb  (fide  Michelle 
Bellizzi).  It  is  possible  that  the  latter  two 
records  involved  the  same  individual. 

DOVES  THROUGH  WRENTIT 

The  Eurasian  Collared-Dove  conquest  of  the 
Region  continued,  with  noteworthy  records 
that  included  3 near  Durham,  Butte  8 Jan  (EP, 
ClH)  and  one  at  C.R.R  3 Jan,  a first  for  Sacra- 
mento (JTr).  Eagerly  awaited  by  many  Cali- 
fornia’s first  Snowy  Owl  since  1978  thrilled 
hundreds  of  birders  during  its  brief  appear- 
ance s.  of  Davis,  Solano  13-14  Jan  (JMHu,  Bet- 
ty Berteaux,  Sami  LaRocca,  ph.,  m.ob.).  This 


This  Snowy  Owl,  present  in  Solano  County,  California  13 
(here)  and  14  January  2006  thrilled  hundreds  of  observers, 
particularly  those  not  active  when  California's  last  Snowy 
was  seen  back  in  1978.  Photograph  by  Chris  Conard. 

is  the  3rd  record  for  the  C.V.,  following  a Butte 
record  from  1916  and  a Yolo  record  from 
1967;  the  other  70  state  records  were  strictly 
coastal  or  nearly  so,  with  57  of  the  records 
coming  from  Humboldt  or  Del  Norte.  Though 
it  is  known  that  at  least  small  numbers  of 
Common  Poorwills  winter  in  the  Region,  we 


receive  few  reports;  no  fewer  than  10  birds 
this  season  appears  unprecedented.  A Chuck- 
will’s-widow  was  picked  up  at  Crescent  City, 
Del  Norte  2 Dec  and  taken  into  rehabilitation 
(ph.  Greg  Frankfurter,  fide  EE).  It  will  provide 
just  the  3rd  record  for  California  if  accepted 
by  the  C.B.R.C.,  though  there  is  some  ques- 
tion as  to  whether  the  photographs  are  suffi- 
cient to  confirm  the  identification. 

Completely  unexpected  was  the  appear- 
ance of  a Violet-crowned  Hummingbird  at 
Grass  Valley,  Nevada  8 Feb  (vt.  Jan  & Barbara 
Collins),  providing  the  Region’s  3rd  and  the 
state’s  5th  record.  Single  Costa’s  Humming- 
birds were  at  McKinleyville,  Humboldt  17  Dec 
(female;  Jake  Houck,  ph.  RLeV),  Meder 
Canyon,  Santa  Cruz  13  Jan  (“female-type”; 
SGe),  and  Napa,  Napa  18  Jan-10  Feb  (DeH). 
Four  Yellow-bellied  Sapsuckers  were  detect- 
ed, all  coastal;  one  at  Pinto  L.,  Santa  Cmz  9 
Feb  (Wayne  Macon)  was  the  only  one  report- 
ed after  Dec.  A Pileated  Woodpecker  31  Jan  at 
Carmel  Highlands  (CHz)  was  well  s.  of  the 
species’  known  range  and  provided  about  the 
6th  record  for  Monterey. 

A Hammond’s  Flycatcher  at  Auburn  Ravine 
28  Dec  provided  a first  winter  record  for  Plac- 
er (AEn);  one  at  L.  Solano,  Solano  4 Jan  was 
likely  a returnee  (RMu).  Though  Gray  Fly- 
catchers routinely  winter  in  s.  California,  one 
at  Tres  Pinos,  San  Benito  5 Feb  was  one  of  few 
ever  found  to  do  so  in  our  Region  (TRJA).  Sin- 
gle Eastern  Phoebes  were  near  Davis,  Yolo  & 
Solano  8-11  Dec  (Brent  Campos,  m.ob.)  and 
near  Ano  Nuevo,  San  Mateo  31  Dec  (FrT). 
One  of  Monterey’s  male  Vermilion  Flycatchers 
at  Moonglow  Dairy  successfully  wintered 
through  at  least  12  Feb  (RF,  DR,  RC,  m.ob.); 
the  other  male  present  in  fall  was  last  noted  22 
Oct.  Individual  Dusky-capped  Flycatchers  in- 
cluded a continuing  bird  at  Areata,  Humboldt 
through  11  Dec  (m.ob.),  one  at  Meder  Canyon 
5 Dec-1 1 Mar  (7th  for  Santa  Cruz',  SGe, 
m.ob.),  and  one  well  described  at  Venice  S.B., 
Sai l Mateo  28  Dec  (TRichard  Trinkner).  Re- 
gional Bell’s  Vireo  records  have  slowly  begun 
to  increase  in  recent  years,  the  newest  addi- 
tion being  one  along  the  San  Joaquin  R.  near 
Friant  5-25  Jan,  the  first  for  either  Fresno  or 
Madera  since  1956  (ph.  P.R.B.O.,  fide  Julian 
Wood).  Four  wintering  Cassin’s  Vireos  includ- 
ed a first  for  the  Benicia  C.B.C.  near  Benicia, 
Solano  19-20  Dec  (DLe,  Tom  Harris,  RLCL) 
and  a 2nd  winter  record  for  Santa  Clara  at 
C.C.ES.  25-29  Jan  (b.;  Rita  Colwell). 

A Blue  Jay  at  Fairfield  19  Dec-28  Feb  pro- 
vided a startling  first  county  record  for  Solano 
and  a 2nd  for  the  C.V.  (Dorothy  & Wayne  Lit- 
tle, Margaret  Barson,  Barbara  Barter,  ph., 
m.ob.).  Though  likely  present  as  much  as 
three  weeks  prior  to  this,  the  bird  was  not 


VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


281 


NORTHERN  CALIFORNIA 


confirmed  until  the  Benicia  C.B.C.  Wintering 
Northern  Rough- winged  Swallows,  virtually 
unknown  in  the  Region  just  a few  years  ago, 
were  detected  once  again,  this  time  with  sin- 
gles at  Chesbro  Res.,  Santa  Clara  30  Dec 
(WGB)  and  Pajaro  Dunes,  Santa  Cruz  1 Jan 
(BBrr).  Though  no  longer  a novelty,  the  mid- 
winter appearance  of  Barn  Swallows  through- 
out much  of  the  Region  was  much  noted 
again  this  season,  with  a bare  minimum  of 
223  birds  tallied,  mainly  between  mid-Dec 
and  mid-Jan.  Though  this  recent  phenome- 
non has  primarily  been  coastal,  this  winter 
brought  inland  sightings  from  Mendocino , 
Napa , Butte , Sacramento,  Contra  Costa , and 
even  Mono,  where  2 were  at  Mono  L.  on  the 
wintry  date  of  27  Dec  (KNN).  Yolo’s  wintering 
Mountain  Chickadee  was  noted  through  at 
least  23  Mar  (MR  m.ob.).  A Chestnut-backed 
Chickadee  at  Sacramento  28  Feb  was  just  the 
2nd  detected  in  Sacramento  ever  (C1H).  A 
singing  House  Wren  at  Junction  City  12  Jan 
was  the  first  found  wintering  in  Trinity  (MMo, 
PAH).  A Townsends  Solitaire  at  Big  Basin 
Redwoods  S.R,  Santa  Cmz  12  Dec  (DLSu) 
was  at  a reasonably  expected  time  and  loca- 
tion, but  one  at  FI.  15  Jan  (PR.B.O.)  seems 
completely  anomalous  during  midwinter  at 
an  offshore  site  with  no  suitable  habitat.  Two 
Wrentits  at  the  Butte  Sink,  Colusa  20  Dec  may 
have  been  at  a normal  location  but  neverthe- 
less provided  the  first  solid  record  for  the 
Peace  Valley  C.B.C.  (BDW  et  ah). 

WAXWINGS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

The  only  Bohemian  Waxwings  reported  were 
one  at  Simis  Ranch,  Mono  27  Dec  (KNN)  and 
2 at  Cedarville,  Modoc  1 1 Feb  (RoS).  Warblers 
reported  this  season  included  2 Tennessees,  6 
Yellows,  15  Palms,  8 Black-and-whites,  and  5 
Northern  Waterthrushes.  A Virginia’s  Warbler 
was  at  Laguna  Grande,  Monterey  3 Dec 
(DWer).  A Northern  Parula  was  at  S.F.’s  Pre- 
sidio 31  Dec+  (Matt  Zlatunich,  Andy  Klein- 
hesselink,  ph.  MWE).  A female  Black-throat- 
ed Blue  Warbler  was  in  Golden  Gate  Park, 
S.F.  8 Jan  (ASH,  ph.  MWE,  Pat  McCullough). 
An  American  Redstart  spent  10  Dec-4  Feb 
along  Coyote  Cr.,  Santa  Clara  (MJM,  m.ob.). 
The  Ovenbird  first  found  in  fall  along  Putah 
Cr.,  Yolo  was  refound  15  Dec  on  the  Solano 
side  of  the  creek  for  a first  county  record 
(Roger  Adamson,  Richard  Hall);  it  continued 
throughout  the  period  until  19  Mar  (fide 
CCo).  A male  Hooded  Warbler  was  in  San 
Jose,  Santa  Clara  12-17  Dec  (Donna  Yokote, 
ph.  Judy  Leonard)  and  4-20  Feb  (Kay 
Partelow,  ph.  Kay  Matthews).  A Yellow- 
breasted Chat  14  Dec  in  McKinleyville  (Linda 
Doerflinger)  was  the  first  Humboldt  record 
ever  between  5 Oct  and  1 Feb  (fide  DFx).  A 


male  and  female  Summer  Tanager  were  in 
Golden  Gate  Park,  S.F.  28  Dec-20  Feb  (Matt 
Zlatunich,  ph.  MWE,  Pat  McCullough, 
m.ob.);  a male  was  at  Carmel,  Monterey  25 
Jan-18  Feb  (Mike  & Nancy  Bobay).  Ten 
Western  Tanagers  were  reported. 

Two  American  Tree  Sparrows  were  at 
Dechambeau  ponds.  Mono  27-29  Dec  (KNN). 
Clay-colored  Sparrows  were  in  Ferndale  (1 
Jan;  GSL)  and  Areata  (29  Jan;  GAB),  Hum- 
boldt, and  at  a feeder  in  Richmond,  Contra 
Costa  20  Feb-4  Mar  (ph.  Paula  & Kevin 
Landdeck).  Two  Brewer’s  Sparrows  were  at 
Yokohl  Valley,  Tulare  26  Dec  (tAWgh).  The 
Region’s  25  Swamp  Sparrows  included  8 in 
Humboldt,  6 in  Santa  Cmz,  and  7 in  other 
coastal  or  Bay  Area  counties,  as  well  as  singles 
at  Cache  Creek  Settling  Basin,  Yolo  10-14  Dec 
(may  be  continuing  fall  bird;  JCS,  m.ob.);  Fri- 
ant,  Fresno/Madera  10-20  Dec  (JSy,  LyH); 
Dechambeau  ponds,  Mono  27-29  Dec  (KNN); 
and  s.  of  Fountain  Springs,  Tulare  21  Feb 
(SDS).  Of  the  139  White-throated  Sparrows, 
40  were  in  Humboldt  (fide  DFx),  38  in  Santa 
Cmz  (fide  DLSu),  and  a remarkable  14  inland 
in  Contra  Costa  (fide  SAG). 

A McCown’s  Longspur  was  seen  7 km  w.  of 
Elverta,  Sacramento  4 Jan  (TEa);  the  only  oth- 
er one  reported  was  a female  at  Shasta  Valley 
W.A.,  Siskiyou  21  Jan  with  the  Lapland  flock 
there  (RE).  This  wintering  Siskiyou  longspur 
flock  of  up  to  150  Laplands  4 Jan-1  Feb  in- 
cluded a Chestnut-collared  16 Jan  (RE).  Small 
numbers  of  Laplands  were  found  in  Humboldt 
as  expected,  and  one  was  heard  in  Salinas, 
Monterey  23  Dec  (RyT),  but  most  unusual 
was  one  at  EI.  15  Jan  (PR.B.O.).  In  what  has 
become  an  almost  annual  occurrence  in  Hum- 
boldt, up  to  3 Snow  Buntings  were  along  the 
Big  Lagoon  spit  12  Dec-22  Jan  (ph.  TWL,  Sue 
Leskiw,  Rob  Santry,  RbF).  Four  Rose-breasted 
Grosbeaks  were  along  the  coast,  and  one  was 
in  Redding,  Shasta  7 Dec-14  Jan  (Lou  & Lin- 
da Simpson);  Black-headed  Grosbeaks  in- 
cluded one  male  19  Dec  at  Stanford,  Santa 
Clara  (Dick  Stovel)  and  a male  and  female  at 
a feeder  n.  of  Soquel,  Santa  Cmz  intermittent- 
ly 16  Dec-30  Jan  (JPo»  DLSu).  A male  Paint- 
ed Bunting  at  a feeder  ne.  of  Sebastopol  8-25 
Feb  (ph.  Kathy  Biggs,  Dave  Biggs,  BDP,  AWgh, 
tRAR,  ph.  RLeb)  would  be  Sonoma s 2nd  (the 
first  since  1966)  if  accepted  by  the  C.B.R.C. 

A female  Rusty  Blackbird  was  in  a flock  of 
6000  blackbirds  in  rural  s.  Yolo  1 1 Dec 
(JMHu).  Experienced  oriole  watchers  were 
humbled  this  winter,  with  7 birds  in  Hum- 
boldt, Santa  Clara,  and  Santa  Cmz  remaining 
unidentified.  San  Francisco  retained  its  man- 
tle as  “Oriole  Central,”  with  3 Orchard  Ori- 
oles at  Ft.  Mason  in  the  period  (Kathy 
Robertson,  ASH,  MWE,  m.ob.),  a Bullock’s 


29  Dec-24  Feb  at  the  Presidio  (Matt  Zlatu- 
nich, BFi),  and  a Scott’s  at  the  Presidio  8 Jan 
(ph.  CLo,  HaF).  Humboldt  also  had  a trifecta, 
with  a Hooded  24  Jan  at  Areata  (ph.  KGR),  a 
Baltimore  in  Eureka  4 Dec  (TWL,  Sue 
Leskiw),  and  a Bullock’s  in  Fortuna  1-30  Jan 
(ph.  Dee  Myers).  A Bullock’s  was  at  Edenvale 
Garden  Park,  Santa  Clara  30  Dec  (Bruce  Bar- 
rett et  al.). 

A Cassin’s  Finch  seen  during  the  Benecia 
C.B.C.  19  Dec  was  a first  for  Solano  (DLe,  Tom 
Harris).  Two  House  Finches  29  Dec  at  Mono 
City,  Mono  provided  only  the  2nd  winter 
record  for  the  Mono  Basin  (KNN).  Feeders  in 
Lee  Vining,  Mono  continue  to  attract  a grow- 
ing winter  flock  of  Lesser  Goldfinches,  which 
numbered  up  to  35  over  29  Dec-20  Feb 
(KNN).  The  only  Evening  Grosbeaks  reported 
were  5 in  a flock  over  Davis,  Yolo  9 Feb  (MP). 

Observers  (county  compilers  in  boldface 
type):  R.J.  Adams,  Bruce  Barrett,  Murray 
Berner  (Napa),  Gary  A.  Bloomfield,  William 

G.  Bousman  (Santa  Clara),  Adam  Brown 
(FT),  Rita  Carratello,  George  E.  Chaniot, 
Luke  W.  Cole  (Kings),  Chris  Conard  (Sacra- 
mento and  Yolo),  Jeff  N.  Davis  (Madera), 
Bruce  E.  Deuel  (n.  C.V  counties),  Barbara 
Dolan  (BD),  Todd  Easterla,  Mark  W.  Eaton 
(San  Francisco),  Alan  M.  Eisner,  Ray  Ekstrom 
(Siskiyou),  Elias  Elias,  Andrew  Engilis,  Brian 
Fitch,  David  Fix  (Humboldt),  Rick  Fournier 
(RF),  Rob  Fowler  (RbF),  Harry  Fuller,  James 

H.  Gain  (Stanislaus),  Steve  Gerow,  Steve  A. 
Glover  (Contra  Costa),  Denise  Hamilton, 
Stanley  W.  Harris,  Chris  Hartzell,  Cliff  Haw- 
ley, Floyd  Hayes,  Laird  Henkel,  Pablo  A.  Her- 
rera, Rob  Hewitt,  Alan  S.  Hopkins,  Lisa  Hug, 
Joan  M.  Humphrey,  John  E.  Hunter  (Trinity), 
Al  Jaramillo,  Robert  J.  Keiffer  (Mendocino), 
Rick  Lebaudour,  Darrell  Lee  (DLe),  Robin  L. 
C.  Leong  (Solano),  Tom  W.  Leskiw,  Gary  S. 
Lester,  Ron  LeValley,  Cindy  Lieurance,  Leslie 
Lieurance,  Jim  Lomax,  Calvin  Lou,  Michael  J. 
Mammoser,  Matthew  A.  Matthiessen,  J.  Mac 
McCormick  (Plumus  and  Sierra),  Peter  J. 
Metropulos  (San  Mateo),  Kurt  Mize,  Mark 
Morrissette,  Roger  Muskat,  David  W.  Nelson, 
Kristie  N.  Nelson  (Mono),  Ed  Pandolfino 
(Placer),  Benjamin  D.  Parmeter,  Michael  Per- 
rone,  Jeff  Poklen,  Gary  W.  Potter,  Jude  C. 
Power  (Humboldt),  David  E.  Quady,  Robert  J. 
Richmond  (Alameda),  Don  Roberson  (Mon- 
terey), Michael  M.  Rogers,  Kerry  G.  Ross, 
Steve  Rovell,  Ruth  A.  Rudesill  (Sonoma), 
Mike  San  Miguel,  Rob  Santry,  Jeff  Seay  Shear- 
water Journeys  (ShJ),Jim  H.  Snowden,  Rich 
Stallcup,  John  C.  Sterling  (Modoc,  Alpine,  and 
Calaveras),  Tim  Steurer  (Amador  and  El  Do- 
rado), David  L.  Suddjian  (Santa  Cruz), 
Steven  D.  Summers  (Tulare),  Linda  Terrill, 


282 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


NORTHERN  CALIFORNIA 


Ryan  Terrill,  Scott  B.  Terrill,  Ronald  S.  Thorn, 
Jim  Tietz,  Dorothy  Tobkin,  Francis  Toldi, 
John  Trochet,  Steve  Umland  (Tuolumne'), 
Charles  E.  Vaughn,  Kent  Van  Vuren  ( Merced 
and  San  Benito ),  David  Vander  Pluym  (Mari- 
posa), Matt  Wachs,  Dave  Werner,  Jerry  R. 
White  (Lake),  Alan  Wight,  Brian  D.  Williams, 


Guy  McCaskie  Kimball  L.  Garrett 


With  temperatures  warmer  than  av- 
erage and  precipitation  less  than 
expected  during  the  winter  peri- 
od, this  seemed  like  the  winter  that  wasn’t. 
This  perception  was  reinforced  by  the  near- 
absence of  irruptive  northern  species  pushing 
into  the  Region,  or  mountain  species  moving 
into  the  lowlands.  The  presence  of  “Arizona 
specialties”  included  three  Broad-billed  Hum- 


The  only  species  of  golden-plover  known  to  winter  in  California 
is  Pacific  Golden-Plover.  This  one,  photographed  on  14  January 
2006,  was  present  on  Mission  Bay  in  San  Diego  through  the 
winter  season.  Photograph  by  Douglas  W.  Aguillard. 

mingbirds,  three  Thick-billed  Kingbirds,  an 
amazing  nine  Dusky-capped  Flycatchers,  six 
Grace’s  Warblers,  and  nine  Painted  Redstarts; 
of  course  we  really  have  no  evidence  that 
these  birds  come  from  Arizona  (the  nearest 
area  where  significant  numbers  breed),  and  it 
is  indeed  possible  that  many  represent  reverse 
migrants  from  well  into  Mexico.  The  season’s 


Roger  Wolfe,  Gary  Woods,  Bob  & Carol 
Yutzy  (Shasta).  Many  more  observers  are  not 
specifically  cited;  all  are  appreciated.  © 

Luke  W.  Cole  (Thrashers  to  Finches),  561  Hill  Street,  San 
Francisco,  California  94114,  (luke@jgc.org); 

Scott  B.  Terrill  (Loons  to  Frigatebirds,  Larids  to  Aicids),  H.T. 


Harvey  & Associates,  3150  Almaden  Expressway,  Suite  145, 
San  Jose,  California  95118,  (sterrill@harveyecology.com); 
Michael  M.  Rogers  (Waterfowl,  Herons  to  Shorebirds), 
499  Novato  Avenue,  Sunnyvale,  California  94086, 
(m.m.rogers@comcast.net); 

Steven  A.  Glover  (Doves  to  Wrentit),  6526  Conestoga  Lane, 
Dublin,  California  94568,  (countylines@sbcglobal.net) 


Southern  California 


rarities  included  California’s  sixth  Baikal  Teal 
(and  the  first  to  be  seen  by  birders),  five  Less- 
er Black-backed  Gulls,  a Rufous-backed 
Robin,  and  a wintering  Smith’s  Longspur. 

Abbreviations:  C.L.  (China  Lake  Naval  Air 
Weapons  Station,  extreme  ne.  Kern);  EC.R. 
(Furnace  Creek  Ranch,  Death  Valley  N.P, 
Inyo);  N.E.S.S.  (n.  end  of  the  Salton  Sea, 
Riverside);  S.C.R.E.  (Santa  Clara  R.  estuary 
near  Ventura,  Ventura);  S.E.S.S.  (s.  end  of  the 
Salton  Sea,  Imperial);  VC.G.R  (Ventura  Coun- 
ty Game  Preserve  near  Pt.  Mugu  Naval  Air 
Station,  Ventura).  Museum  collections  abbre- 
viated in  the  text  are:  SDNHM 
(San  Diego  Natural  History  Mu- 
seum). Because  virtually  all  rari- 
ties in  s.  California  are  seen  by 
many  observers,  only  the  ob- 
servers) initially  finding  and 
identifying  the  bird  are  includ- 
ed. Documentation  for  species 
on  the  California  Bird  Records 
Committee  (C.B.R.C.)  review 
list  is  forwarded  to  the  Secretary 
and  archived  at  the  Western 
Foundation  of  Vertebrate  Zoolo- 
gy in  Camarillo. 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH 
FALCONS 

The  presence  of  4 Fulvous 
Whistling-Ducks  shot  by 
hunters  on  the  Wister  Unit  at 
S.E.S.S.  in  late  Oct-early  Nov  (Aaron  Freitas, 
fide  KCM),  along  with  one  in  El  Monte,  Los 
Angeles  17-28  Dec  (LS),  and  another  in  Gole- 
ta,  Santa  Barbara  1 Dec+  (KB),  suggests  the 
movement  of  these  birds  into  se.  Arizona 
spread  into  s.  California.  At  least  2 blue- 
morph  Ross’s  Geese  accompanied  white 
morphs  at  S.E.S.S.  through  the  winter  (BM, 
GMcC),  and  another  was  at  C.L.  9 Dec-21  Jan 
(SSt).  Two  Tundra  Swans  at  Desert  Center, 
Riverside  7 Dec  (CMcG)  and  another  near 
Westmorland,  Imperial  4-10  Dec  (AK)  were  at 
the  s.  extreme  of  this  species’  winter  range. 
Numbers  of  Blue-winged  Teal  wintering  along 


the  coast  now  equal  or  exceed  those  of  Cin- 
namon Teal,  with  hocks  of  up  to  81  in  San 
Luis  Obispo  and  36  in  Orange;  in  addition, 
numbers  at  the  Salton  Sea  continue  to  in- 
crease, as  indicated  by  30+  at  the  mouth  of 
Salt  Cr.  on  the  e.  shore  of  the  Salton  Sea, 
Riverside  26-31  Dec  (MSanM,  GCH).  A Baikal 
Teal  in  Lompoc,  Santa  Barbara  10  Dec-9  Jan 
(WTF)  was  the  6th  to  be  found  in  California, 
the  other  5 having  been  shot  by  hunters.  A 
Common  (Eurasian  Green-winged)  Teal,  rare 
in  s.  California,  in  Goleta  14  Dec-11  Jan 
(WTF)  was  the  same  bird  present  during  the 
past  three  winters,  and  single  males  were  near 
El  Monte  24  Dec  (CAM)  and  on 
Upper  Newport  Bay,  Orange  8- 
10  Feb  (SSm).  Two  or  3 Harle- 
quin Ducks  on  the  coast  of  San 
Luis  Obispo  were  the  only  ones 
reported.  A Surf  Scoter  at  FC.R. 
17-26  Dec  (V&GW)  and  up  to  2 
at  the  mouth  of  Salt  Creek  21-26 
Dec  (GMcC,  MSanM) — along 
with  a White-winged  Scoter  at 
Tinemaha  Res.  near  Big  Pine, 
Inyo  13  Dec  (T&JH)  and  up  to  3 
at  the  mouth  of  Salt  Creek  4 
Dec+  (PS) — were  inland,  as  was 
a Long-tailed  Duck  on  the  Col- 
orado R.  below  Parker  Dam,  San 
Bernardino  18  Dec-29  Jan  (HV). 
The  continued  decline  in  the 
number  of  White-winged  Scot- 
ers on  the  coast  of  s.  California 
is  illustrated  by  reports  of  only  6 this  winter. 
Twenty  Black  Scoters  along  the  coast,  along 
with  San  Clemente  I.’s  first  on  8 Dec  (ELK; 
see  Western  Birds  36:  158-273,  2005),  was 
about  average.  Ten  Long-tailed  Ducks  along 
the  coast,  including  3 together  on  Morro  Bay, 
San  Luis  Obispo  10  Dec-27  Feb  (DML),  were 
fewer  than  normal.  A Common  Goldeneye  x 
Barrow’s  Goldeneye  hybrid  with  3 Barrow’s 
below  Parker  Dam  18  Dec  (HV)  was  believed 
to  be  the  same  bird  present  here  each  of  the 
past  two  winters;  a Barrow’s  at  the  mouth  of 
Salt  Cr.  19  Dec-22  Jan  (AH)  was  one  of  a very 
few  ever  on  the  Salton  Sea. 


This  Fulvous  Whistling-Duck  in 
Goleta,  Santa  Barbara  County, 
California  was  present  from  1 
(here  13)  December  2005 
through  the  winter  season;  it 
was  believed  to  be  associated 
with  the  movement  of  these 
ducks  into  Arizona,  Baja  Califor- 
nia, and  Utah  in  November  2005 
through  January  2006.  Photo- 
graph by  Jamie  M.  Chavez. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


283 


SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA 


A Pacific  Loon  on  L.  Casta- 
ic,  Los  Angeles  8-28  Dec 
(MSanM)  was  inland,  where 
considered  rare.  A Red- 
necked Grebe  on  Silverwood 
L.,  San  Bernardino  3-4  Dec 
(SJM)  was  inland,  where  con- 
sidered casual,  and  an  another 
at  Imperial  Beach,  San  Diego 

17  Dec-27  Feb  (SW)  was  ex- 
ceptionally far  south.  North- 
ern Fulmars  were  scarce  in  s. 

California  waters  this  winter, 
with  up  to  12  in  Santa  Monica 
Bay,  Los  Angeles  through  the 
winter  (KGL)  being  the  largest  number  re- 
ported. Short-tailed  Shearwaters  appeared 
scarcer  than  normal,  but  one  at  La  Jolla,  San 
Diego  If  Mar  (MS)  was  late  for  s.  California 
waters.  A Manx  Shearwater  8 km  off  Marina 
del  Rey,  Los  Angeles  6 Jan  (JSF)  was  believed 
to  be  the  same  bird  seen  from  nearby  Pt.  Vi- 
cente 30  Dec  (TMcG).  At  least  2 Fork-tailed 
Storm-Petrels  at  Cambria,  San  Luis  Obispo  2 
Jan  (MJI)  were  pushed  close  to  shore  by 
stormy  weather. 

A Tricolored  fieron  at  the  mouth  of  Salt  Cr. 
22  Dec-3  Jan  (DVP,  MSanM)  is  one  of  a very 
few  at  the  Salton  Sea  in  winter.  At  least  8 Red- 
dish Egrets  were  in  coastal  San  Diego  and  Or- 
ange through  the  period.  Two  Yellow-crowned 
Night-Herons  found  in  Imperial  Beach  injun 
were  present  through  Feb  (GMcC).  A Wood 
Stork  near  Escondido  31  Dec  (KW)  was  a bird 
that  has  been  resident  in  the  San  Diego  Wild 
Animal  Park  since  1986. 

A White-tailed  Kite  at  Mountain  Pass  in  e. 
San  Bernardino  22  Dec  (BD)  was  far  from  any 
area  of  regular  occurrence.  A Harris’s  Hawk  of 
unknown  origin  was  around  Blythe,  Riverside 
11  Nov-17  Dec  (RH).  A young  Broad-winged 
Hawk  in  Lake  Forest,  Orange  18  Dec  (JEP) 
was  the  first  to  be  found  in  winter  in  s.  Cali- 
fornia in  many  years.  Five  Swainsons  Hawks 
at  Borrego  Springs,  San  Diego  6 Feb  were  the 
earliest  of  the  spring  migrants  to  pass  through 
that  area,  with  183  counted  by  the  end  of  the 
month  (HC,  PJ);  one  near  El  Centro,  Imperial 
8 Feb  (KZK)  was  also  an  early  spring  migrant, 
but  single  birds  over  Long  Beach,  Los  Angeles 

18  Dec  (TEW)  and  Fullerton,  Orange  29  Jan 
(DRW)  were  either  very  late/early  migrants,  or 
wintering  locally.  Wintering  Zone-tailed 
Hawks  included  single  birds  at  Goleta,  Santa 
Barbara  13  Oct-20  Jan  (HPR),  in  Ojai,  Ventu- 
ra 18  Dec  (BT),  at  Rancho  Santa  Margarita, 
Orange  28  Jan  (VL),  2 around  Escondido,  San 
Diego  through  the  period  (KW),  and  single 
birds  inland  at  Blythe  14  Dec-23  Jan  (RH)  and 
near  El  Centro  24  Sep-22  Dec  (KZK);  in  addi- 
tion an  injured  ad.  was  captured  in  a residen- 


Totally unexpected,  and  establishing 
one  of  a very  few  mid-winter  records  for 
anywhere  in  North  America,  was  this 
Baird's  Sandpiper  in  Santa  Maria,  Santa 
Barbara  County,  photographed  on  the 
first  day  of  its  9-12  January  2006  stay. 
Photograph  Mark  Brown. 


tial  area  of  San  Diego  23  Jan 
(fide  PU;  *SDNHM).  At  least  2 
Rough-legged  Hawks  around 
the  Carrizo  Plain,  and  another 
in  the  nearby  Cuyama  Valley, 
appeared  to  be  the  only  ones 
present  this  winter.  The  pres- 
ence of  a Crested  Caracara 
near  Pt.  Conception,  Santa 
Barbara  10  Jan  (JRS)  and  an- 
other at  the  S.C.R.E.  5 Jan 
(DLG)  adds  two  more  records 
to  the  ever-increasing  number 
from  along  the  coast  of  Cali- 
fornia. 


PLOVERS 
THROUGH  ALCIDS 

Wintering  Pacific  Golden-Plovers  included  3 
at  Guadalupe,  Santa  Barbara  22  Dec  (WTF), 
up  to  3 at  Seal  Beach,  Orange  through  the  pe- 
riod (RS),  single  birds  at  Bolsa  Chica,  Orange 
since  mid-Aug  (BED)  and  on  Mission  Bay  in 
San  Diego  29  Dec-14  Apr  (JRJ),  and  up  to  5 
near  Imperial  Beach  through  the  period 
(RTP).  An  American  Oystercatcher  was  in  La- 


One  of  a remarkable  six  present  along  the  coast  of  southern 
California  this  winter,  this  Grace's  Warbler  was  found  in 
Santa  Maria,  Santa  Barbara  County  on  22  February  2006 
(here  4 March).  Photograph  by  Oscar  Johnson. 

guna  Beach,  Orange  27-29  Dec  (KLP),  and  an- 
other was  on  Santa  Cruz  I.  8 Jan  (OJ);  a black- 
and-white  oystercatcher  at  Seal  Beach  1 Jan 
(TAB)  was  believed  to  be  a hybrid. 

Single  Whimbrels  inland  at  Rosamond  and 
nearby  Lancaster,  Los  Angeles  12  Feb 
(MSanM)  were  believed  to  be  exceptionally 
early  spring  migrants.  A Black  Turnstone  with 
at  least  15  Ruddy  Turnstones  at  S.E.S.S.  3 
Feb-16  Apr  (BM,  GMcC)  is  thought  to  be  the 
same  bird  present  since  Aug.  Single  Sander- 
lings  inland  on  the  Salton  Sea  at  the  mouth  of 
Salt  Cr.  4 Dec  (CMcG)  and  at  Red  Hill  5 Nov- 
24  Feb  (GMcC)  were  believed  to  be  wintering 
locally.  A Bairds  Sandpiper  in  Santa  Maria, 
Santa  Barbara  9-12  Jan  (MB)  provided  the 
first  winter  record  for  California.  A Stilt  Sand- 
piper at  the  V.C.G.P.  through  the  period  (RB) 
and  another  at  the  San  Diego  R.  mouth,  San 
Diego  10-26  Feb  (PD)  were  on  the  coast, 
where  most  unusual,  particularly  so  in  winter. 
The  Ruff  found  at  S.E.S.S.  31  Jul  remained 


through  14  Apr  (DR).  One  Red-necked  and  6 
Wilson’s  Phalaropes  at  S.E.S.S.  20  Dec  (KLG) 
were  either  exceptionally  late  fall  migrants  or 
attempting  to  winter  locally.  Red  Phalaropes 
strewn  along  the  coast  of  San  Luis  Obispo  in 
early  Jan,  with  up  to  75  at  some  locations, 
were  correlated  with  a strong  Pacific  storm, 
but  virtually  none  were  found  farther  s.;  one 
in  the  Cuyama  Valley,  San  Luis  Obispo  3 Jan 
(TME)  was  well  inland,  and  another  in  Hunt- 
ington Beach,  Orange  1 Jan  (SGM)  was  only  a 
few  km  inland. 

A Laughing  Gull,  rare  in  the  Salton  Sink  in 
winter,  was  near  N.E.S.S.  3 Jan  (MSanM),  and 
up  to  2 were  near  Imperial,  Imperial  9-22  Jan 
(BM);  in  addition,  4 were  on  the  coast,  where 
even  rarer,  with  2 in  Goleta  31  Jan  (DMC,  OJ) 
and  single  birds  at  the  San  Diego  R.  mouth  8- 
23  Feb  (MJB)  and  Imperial  Beach  25  Dec 
(BC).  A Franklins  Gull,  even  rarer  in  winter, 
was  in  Goleta  31  Dec  (DA),  and  another  was 
in  Placentia,  Orange  25  Nov-3  Jan  (JEP).  The 
Little  Gull  found  on  L.  Perris,  Riverside  12 
Nov  was  still  present  27  Mar  (HBK).  A Heer- 
mann’s  Gull,  rare  inland,  was  at  S.E.S.S.  17 
Feb-4  Mar  (GMcC).  At  least  4 Mew  Gulls 
were  present  well  inland  around  S.E.S.S.  dur- 
ing the  winter.  Five  Lesser  Black-backed 
Gulls  were  reported,  with  single  ads.  on  the 
coast  in  Goleta  18  Jan  (WTF)  and  at  Doheny 
Beach  S.P,  Orange  12-15  Dec  (MJI),  and  in- 
land an  ad.  on  Obsidian  Butte  at  S.E.S.S.  4 
Dec  (GMcC),  a different  ad.  at  nearby  Red 
Hill  22  Feb-4  Mar  (KLG),  and  a first-winter 
bird  at  the  mouth  of  Salt  Cr.  22  Feb  (KLG).  A 
Western  Gull  inland  near  Lancaster  25  Feb 
(MSanM)  was  one  of  a very  few  ever  found  in 
the  Antelope  Valley,  but  another  near  Chino, 
San  Bernardino  3 Dec  (CMcF)  was  in  an  area 
where  found  in  recent  winters.  The  only 
Glaucous  Gulls  were  an  ad.  at  Pt.  Piedras 
Blancas,  Sail  Luis  Obispo  19-20  Feb  (DR),  and 
first-winter  birds  8 km  off  Marina  del  Rey  25 


The  number  of  Common  Grackles  reaching  California  has  in- 
creased every  decade  since  the  first  was  found  in  1 967.  This 
one  near  Imperial  Beach,  San  Diego  County  was  recorded  17 
(here  19)  December  2005  through  26  February  2006,  one  of 
two  known  in  southern  California  this  winter. 

Photograph  by  Matt  Sadowski. 


284 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA 


This  Dusky-capped  Flycatcher,  photographed  in  Brawley, 
Imperial  County  on  the  last  day  of  its  1 -6  December  2005 
stay,  was  one  of  an  unprecedented  nine  found  in  southern 
California  this  winter.  Photograph  by  Kenneth  Z.  Kurland. 

Feb  (JSF)  and  at  Dana  Pt.,  Orange  5-17  Feb 
(N&MF).  Black-legged  Kittiwakes  were  re- 
markably scarce,  with  only  5 reported  s.  of 
San  Luis  Obispo. 

An  Elegant  Tern  at  San  Elijo  Lagoon,  San 
Diego  12  Dec  (RTP)  was  late,  and  another  in 
Santa  Barbara  2-15  Feb  (GR)  was  evidently 
wintering  locally.  A Black  Skimmer  at  N.E.S.S. 
through  2 Jan  (CMcG)  remained  at  this  in- 
land location  later  than  expected.  A Marbled 
Murrelet  at  San  Simeon  20-25  Feb  (TME)  was 
at  the  s.  limit  of  this  species’  normal  range. 

DOVES  THROUGH  FLYCATCHERS 

White-winged  Doves  are  now  common  resi- 
dents at  Anza  Borrego  S.P. 
in  e.  San  Diego  but  are 
unusual  elsewhere  in 
winter,  so  one  on  the 
coast  in  Los  Osos,  Scm 
Luis  Obispo  20  Feb  (GPS), 
one  in  Niland,  Imperial 
20  Dec  (ELK),  and"  2 in 
Brawley  3 Mar  (DRW) 
were  noteworthy.  A Rud- 
dy Ground-Dove  at  EC  R 
25  Dec  (V&GW),  up  to  3 
around  .Blythe  14  Dec-1 
Jan  (RH),  one  near  El 
Centro  through  the  win- 
ter (KZK),  and  another 
near  Imperial,  Imperial  22 
Dec  (AH)  were  the  only 
ones  reported  away  from 
the  resident  population  at 
Calipatria.  A Spotted  Owl 
in  Silverado  Canyon  18 
Dec  (DL)  is  believed  to  be 
one  of  fewer  than  10  resi- 
dent in  Orange.  Totally  unexpected  were  sin- 
gle Lesser  Nighthawks  on  the  coast  at  the 
Santa  Ynez  R.  estuary,  Santa  Barbara  18  Dec 
(WTF)  and  in  Santa  Barbara  31  Dec-2  Jan 
(RAH);  these  provide  the  first  winter  records 
for  Santa  Barbara.  Three  Broad-billed  Hum- 
mingbirds were  found,  with  one  in  Mission 
Viejo,  Orange  6 Dec-22  Feb  (JEP)  joined  by 


Single  Crested  Caracaras  have  been  found  along 
the  entire  coast  of  California  since  the  fall  of  2001; 
this  this  individual  was  photographed  at  the 
Santa  Clara  River  estuary,  Ventura  County  on  5 
January  2006.  Whether  these  records  pertain  to 
just  one  or  two  birds  moving  up  and  down  the 
coast,  or  instead  to  more  sedentary  birds  that  re- 
main undetected  for  long  periods  of  time,  is  a puz- 
zle under  consideration  by  the  California  Bird 
Records  Committee.  Photograph  by  Daniel  L.  Grant. 


another  17  Dec-22  Jan  (DRW),  and  a male  in- 
land at  Borrego  Springs  5 Dec-8  Feb  (HC). 
Single  Costas  Hummingbirds  in  Los  Osos, 
San  Luis  Obispo  10  Feb  (GPS)  and  near  San 
Miguel,  San  Luis  Obispo  19  Feb  (MTy)  were 
farther  n.  than  expected  in  winter.  A Nuttalls 
Woodpecker  at  N.E.S.S.  2 Jan  (CMcG)  was 
outside  the  species’  known  range.  About  a 
dozen  Yellow-bellied  Sapsuckers  were  found 
scattered  throughout  the  Region,  as  is  nor- 
mal. 

A Least  Flycatcher  in  Long  Beach,  Los  An- 
geles 6 Dec-7  Feb  (TEW,  KSG)  and  a Dusky 
Flycatcher  on  the  Palos  Verdes  Pen.,  Los  An- 
geles 11  Dec-28  Jan  (KGL)  were  the  only 
ones  reported.  Hammonds  Flycatchers  con- 
tinue to  prove  regular  in  winter  on  the  coastal 
slope,  with  5 noted  during  the  period;  Gray 
(about  50  reported)  and  Pacific-slope  (about 
30)  Flycatchers  are  still  our  “default”  winter 
Empidonax.  Eleven  Eastern  Phoebes  during 
the  period  was  a bit  above  normal.  A male 
Vermilion  Flycatcher  s.  of  Nipomo  23  Feb+ 
was  only  the  2nd  for  San  Luis  Obispo.  An 
amazing  9 Dusky-capped  Flycatchers  were 
recorded  this  winter:  coastally,  birds  were  in 
Goleta,  Santa  Barbara  31  Dec-20  Feb  (CAM), 
in  Los  Angeles  at  La  Verne  6 Dec-10  Jan 
(MJSM),  Lakewood  18  Dec-3  Mar  (SB),  Arca- 
dia 17-20  Dec  (EB,  JR 
TEW),  and  at  Costa 
Mesa,  Orange  30  Nov-22 
Feb  (JEP);  in  Imperial 
birds  were  at  Picacho 
State  Recreation  Area  27 
Nov-19  Dec  (GCH), 
Brawley  1-6  Dec  (BM), 
Wister  2 Dec-4  Mar 
(ToE),  and  Ramer  L.  20 
Dec-17  Feb  (BM).  Seven 
Tropical  Kingbirds  win- 
tered along  the  coast,  and 
a returning  bird  was  near 
Seeley,  Imperial  from  the 
fall  through  19  Mar 
(GMcC).  Thick-billed 
Kingbirds  continued 
from  the  fall  in  Santa 
Paula,  Ventura  (reported 
only  through  19  Dec  but 
likely  wintered;  SH), 
Wilmington,  Los  Angeles 
through  20  Apr  (KGL), 
and  Lake  Hodges,  San  Diego  through  13  Apr 
(PEL).  Western  Kingbirds  are  casual  in  the 
Region  in  winter,  so  one  in  Culver  City,  Los 
Angeles  13  Jan  (RB),  up  to  2 in  Long  Beach  29 
Jan-2  Feb  (TMi,  KSG),  and  one  in  Escondido, 
San  Diego  23  Jan  (BZ)  were  noteworthy;  an- 
other in  Santa  Ana,  Orange  18-19  Jan  2005 
(DRW)  was  inadvertently  omitted  from  last 


winters  report.  The  Irwindale,  Los  Angeles 
Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher  remained  through 
the  period;  others  were  in  Alhambra,  Los  An- 
geles 4 Jan  (TC)  and  Santee,  San  Diego  25 
Jan-18  Mar  (BZ). 

VIRE0S  THROUGH  WARBLERS 

A Bell’s  Vireo  returned  for  its  3rd  winter  in 
Long  Beach  11  Oct-5  Mar  (KGL).  Gray 
Vireo's  sole  wintering  area  in  California  is 
around  the  Elephant  Tree  groves  in  Anza-Bor- 
rego  S.P.  (see  Western  Birds  31:  258-262, 
2000);  this  winter,  one  was  found  there  on  18 
Jan  (LH).  Plumbeous  Vireos,  amazingly  un- 
known in  California  until  1960,  are  proving 
to  be  uncommon  but  expected  winter  visitors 
to  the  Region,  with  some  36  noted  this  winter 
on  the  coastal  slope  and  another  5 on  the 
deserts;  in  contrast,  only  about  10  Cassin’s 
Vireos  were  reported  (all  coastal).  Warbling 
Vireos,  casual  in  winter,  were  in  Coronado, 
San  Diego  17  Dec  (EAC)  and  in  South  Pasade- 
na, Los  Angeles  30  Jan  (SMI). 

The  obscura  Western  Scrub-Jay  reported  in 
fall  near  Holtville,  Imperial  was  still  present 
there  9 Mar  (DRW).  Two  Yellow-billed  Mag- 
pies in  Santa  Barbara  through  the  period  (GR) 
were  possibly  escapees,  and  one  at  Bolsa  Chi- 
ca,  Orange  30  Jan-17  Feb  (AB)  was  almost 
certainly  such.  Up  to  10  Bank  Swallows  were 
present  through  the  period  at  S.E.S.S. 
(GMcC),  but  a Cliff  Swallow  there  17  Feb 
(GMcC)  was  probably  an  early  spring  tran- 
sient. High  Barn  Swallow  winter  counts  are 
now  an  annual  phenomenon,  e.g.,  25  in  Gole- 
ta 3 Jan  (DMC)  and  up  to  150  at  S.E.S.S. 
through  the  period  (GMcC);  up  to  9 in  the 
cold  Owens  Valley,  Inyo  17  Dec-9  Jan  (T&JH) 
reinforce  this  trend.  Five  Pygmy  Nuthatches 
in  Santa  Maria,  Santa  Barbara  23  Feb  (MPB) 
were  somewhat  out  of  range.  A House  Wren  in 
Little  Lake  Canyon  21  Dec  (SLS)  was  only  the 


This  Common  (Eurasian  Green-winged)  Teal  on  Upper  New- 
port Bay,  Orange  County,  photographed  here  on  10  Febru- 
ary 2006,  shows  the  strong  pale  lines  on  the  face,  which  are 
much  less  prominent  in  the  North  American  subspecies,  car- 
ollnensis.  Photograph  by  Herbert  Clarke. 

4th  to  be  found  in  Inyo  in  Dec.  A Winter  Wren 
in  Malibu,  Los  Angeles  18  Dec  gave  call  notes 
typical  of  boreal/eastern  hiemalis  (KLG). 

A Rufous-backed  Robin  at  Wister,  S.E.S.S. 


VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


285 


SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA 


21  Dec-20  Jan  (TaE)  estab- 
lished California’s  14th  record. 

Sage  Thrashers  are  remarkably 
early  “spring”  migrants  in  the 
Region,  but  their  status  is  com- 
plicated by  a scattering  of  win- 
tering individuals;  some  this 
season  were  clearly  winter 
birds,  such  as  one  in  San  Luis 
Obispo  16-25  Dec  (RJ)  and 
one  in  Huntington  Beach  8 Jan 
(RAE),  but  several  late-Jan 
sightings  were  in  areas  where 
none  wintered,  and  the  push  of 
migrants  was  illustrated  by 
counts  of  12  near  Mojave,  Kern 
9-10  Feb  (HLJ),  31  in  the  An- 
telope Valley,  Los  Angeles  12 
Eeb  (JSF),  and  22  on  the  Carrizo  Plain,  San 
Luis  Obispo  13-14  Feb  (AFS).  Brown  Thrash- 
ers were  found  in  Long  Beach  18  Dec-8  Mar 
(E&VZ)  and  at  El  Capitan  State  Beach,  Santa 
Barbara  22  Dec-9  Feb  (DF).  A Sprague's  Pip- 
it was  near  Calipatria  13  Nov-10  Dec,  with 
another  there  20  Dec  (GMcC). 

A dozen  coastal  Nashville  Warblers  during 
the  period  were  expected,  but  a Virginia’s 
Warbler  at  Playa  del  Rey,  Los  Angeles  5-12  Mar 
(RB)  was  at  a season  when  casual  in  the  Re- 
gion. Lucy’s  Warblers,  very  rare  coastally  and 
in  winter,  were  in  Carpinteria,  Santa  Barbara 

25  Jan-8  Feb  (PAG)  and  Goleta  22  Feb-11 
Mar  (DMC).  A Northern  Parula  in  Morro  Bay 
1 Dec-12  Mar+  (LA)  was  the  first  to  winter  in 
San  Luis  Obispo ; 2 others  were  in  s.  coastal  Los 
Angeles  (KGL).  A lingering  Yellow  Warbler  in 
Bishop  17  Dec  (C&RH)  was  the  latest  for  Inyo 
by  a week.  A Chestnut-sided  Warbler  in 
Huntington  Beach  remained  from  the  fall 
through  13  Apr  (PEL);  others  were  in  Mission 
Viejo,  Orange  6 Dec-21  Jan  (JEP)  and  near  Ar- 
cadia, Los  Angeles  17  Dec  (ES).  A returning  fe- 
male Black-throated  Green  Warbler  was  in 
Costa  Mesa  26  Dec-25  Feb 
(PTC),  and  another  contin- 
ued in  Riverside  5 Nov-12 
Feb  (DG).  The  4 wintering 
Grace’s  Warblers  continued 
on  Pt.  Lonia,  San  Diego 
through  the  period,  with  at 
least  3 still  present  12  Mar 
(MTH)  and  one  remaining 
through  15  Apr  (PGi);  a re- 
turning winterer  in  Del 
Mar,  San  Diego  was  seen  22 
Dec  (MJB),  and  one  was  in 
Santa  Maria  22  Feb-10  Mar  (JMC).  Pine  War- 
blers were  found  in  planted  pines  in  Fountain 
Valley,  Orange  3-1 1 Jan  (JEP)  and  Santa  Maria 

26  Feb-7  Mar  (DMC).  About  15  Palm  War- 
blers along  the  coast  were  expected,  but  3 


This  Thick-billed  Kingbird,  pho- 
tographed at  Lake  Hodges,  San  Diego 
County  on  20  February  2006,  was  one 
of  three  known  to  be  wintering  in 
California  in  winter  2005 — 2006. 
Photograph  by  Thomas  A.  Blackman. 


were  also  found  at  S.E.S.S.  be- 
tween 13  Jan  and  8 Mar  (SSt, 
TMcG,  JFG).  Twenty-four 
Black-and-white  Warblers  and 
1 1 American  Redstarts  were  on 
the  coastal  slope;  5+  additional 
redstarts  were  around  S.E.S.S., 
as  expected.  An  Ovenbird  at 
Wister  17  Jan-26  Feb  (DG) 
was  only  the  6th  for  the  Salton 
Sink  and  among  the  few  ever 
to  winter  in  the  Region.  The 
only  Northern  Waterthrushes 
were  in  Santa  Barbara  31  Dec 
(HPR)  and  in  Huntington 
Beach  8 Dec-25  Feb  (DC).  A 
MacGillivray’s  Warbler  win- 
tered in  Hunt- 
29  Nov-1  Mar 


ington  Beach 
(JEP). 

The  male  Hooded  Warbler 
found  in  Santa  Monica,  Los 
Angeles  24  Nov  remained  until 
8 Feb  (LP).  Some  40  Wilson’s 
Warblers  on  the  coast  includ- 
ed one  on  Santa  Rosa  1 7 Feb 
(RF).  In  addition  to  the  4 win- 
tering Painted  Redstarts  noted 
in  the  fall  report,  single  birds 
were  in  Los  Angeles  at  Mon- 
rovia 12  Dec-9  Mar  (TEW), 

Newhall  28  Dec-20  Feb  (BA) 
and  Eaton  Canyon  20  Mar 
(MCL),  and  in  San  Diego  at 
Coronado  17  Dec-15  Jan+ 

(EAC)  and  Rancho  Santa  Fe 
22  Dec  (CM).  A Yellow-breast- 
ed Chat  in  the  San  Felipe  Valley  30  Dec  (LH) 
was  the  latest  ever  for  San  Diego. 


At  the  south  end  of  the  Salton  Sea, 
Imperial  County,  this  Lesser  Black- 
backed  Gull  was  findable  22  (here  26) 
February  through  4 March  2006;  it 
was  one  of  five  reported  in  Southern 
California  in  winter  2005 — 2006. 
Photograph  by  Henry  Detwiler. 


A male  Smith's  Longspur  near  Calipatria,  Imperial 
County  20  December  2005  through  17  February 
2006  (here  13  January)  was  only  the  seventh  to 
be  recorded  in  California  and  the  second  in  win- 
ter. Photograph  by  Bob  Miller. 


TANAGERS THROUGH  FINCHES 

At  least  20  Summer  Tanagers  were  found  at 
various  coastal  localities.  A Western  Tanager 
in  Bakersfield  4-18  Dec 
(K&BK)  was  very  late  for 
Kern.  Six  Green-tailed 
Towhees  were  on  the 
coastal  slope  from  Los  An- 
geles to  San  Diego,  and  6 
Clay-colored  Sparrows 
were  scattered  the  length 
of  the  coast.  Black-chinned 
Sparrows  are  very  rarely 
noted  in  migration  and 
winter,  so  up  to  7 in  the 
Anza-Borrego  S.P  area  20 
Dec-18  Jan  (KL,  LH)  and  single  birds  in  Es- 
condido 30  Dec  (KW)  and  near  L.  Henshaw 
14  Jan  (PU)  were  of  note.  A Black-throated 
Sparrow  was  e.  of  San  Juan  Capistrano,  Or- 
ange 17  Dec  (LC,  LN).  A Grasshopper  Spar- 


row was  on  Santa  Rosa  1.  19  Feb  (RF).  The 
last  of  3 wintering  Nelson’s  Sharp-tailed  Spar- 
rows at  Seal  Beach,  Orange  was  seen  13  Mar 
OF);  another  was  in  Imperial  Beach  31  Dec 
(MUE).  Up  to  2 Lark  Buntings  were  on  the 
Carrizo  Plain  30  Dec-21  Feb  (RHZ,  AFS). 
Over  30  Swamp  Sparrows  were  reported 
along  the  coast,  and  8 were  at  S.E.S.S.  during 
the  period.  The  only  Harris’s  Sparrow  was  in 
Fountain  Valley  9 Dec+  (JEP).  The  fields  ne. 
of  Calipatria  again  hosted  large  numbers  of 
longspurs,  with  up  to  15  McCown’s  20  Dec- 
17  Feb,  up  to  25  Laplands  10  Dec-26  Feb, 
and  up  to  300  Chestnut-collareds  10  Dec-26 
Feb,  with  2 still  present  2 Mar  (GMcC); 
among  these  was  a Smith’s  Longspur,  only 
the  7th  to  be  found  in  California,  20  Dec-17 
Feb  (ToE).  A Lapland 
Longspur  in  Goleta  15  Dec 
(DMC)  was  along  the  coast, 
where  scarce. 

Rose-breasted  Grosbeaks  (8 
this  winter)  and  Black-headed 
Grosbeaks  (5)  were  in  near- 
normal numbers.  The  Indigo 
Bunting  found  29  Nov  in  Mor- 
ro Bay  remained  until  3 Dec 
(DB);  a male  was  well  pho- 
tographed in  Northridge,  Los 
Angeles  31  Dec-5  Mar  (ET).  A 
Lazuli  Bunting  in  Irwindale  17 
Dec  (AL)  was  unseasonal.  A 
green  Painted  Bunting  was  in 
Goleta  30  Dec  (WTF). 

Five  Tricolored  Blackbirds 
at  N.E.S.S.  2 Jan  (CMcG)  and 
an  ad.  male  near  Niland  22 
Dec  (ToE)  were  out  of  range.  Single  Common 
Grackles,  still  only  casual  in  California,  were 
near  San  Luis  Obispo  27  Nov-22  Dec  (JSR) 
and  near  Imperial  Beach  17  Dec-26  Feb 
(GMcC).  A flock  of  80+  male  Great-tailed 
Grackles  in  Oceano  demonstrates  the  magni- 
tude of  this  species’  expansion  into  San  Luis 
Obispo.  Five  hundred  Brown-headed  Cow- 
birds  s.  of  Big  Pine  13  Dec  (T&JH)  was  an  un- 
precedented winter  count  for  Inyo.  An  imm. 
male  Orchard  Oriole  was  in  Costa  Mesa  1 Jan 
(JEP).  The  expected  small  numbers  of  Hood- 
ed and  Bullock’s  Orioles  were  found  this  win- 
ter; a Bullock’s  at  Cuyamaca  Rancho  S.P,  San 
Diego  7 Jan  (GLR)  was  at  an  unexpectedly 
high  elevation.  Nine  Baltimore  Orioles  were 
reported  through  the  period.  Three  male 
Scott’s  Orioles  at  Black  Rock  Campground, 
Joshua  Tree  N.M.,  San  Bernardino  24  Feb 
(MTo)  may  have  been  exceptionally  early 
spring  arrivals. 

Cited  observers  (county  coordinators  in  bold- 
face); Dustin  Alcala,  Lisa  Andreano,  Brian  Ash- 


286 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA 


ton,  Ed  Barajas,  Richard  Barth,  Tom  A.  Benson, 
Mark  J.  Billings,  Al  Borodayko,  Suzanne  Bow- 
ers, Dick  Boyd,  Kyle  Braunger,  Mark  P.  Brown, 
Dick  Cabe,  Barbara  Carlson,  Jamie  M.  Chavez, 
Hal  Coen,  Laura  Cohen,  Tori  Collender,  David 
M.  Compton  ( Santa  Barbara ),  Peyton  T.  Cook, 
Elizabeth  A.  Copper,  Brian  E.  Daniels,  Bill 
Deppe,  Pete  Dunne,  Tanner  Easterla  (TaE), 
Todd  Easterla  (ToE),  Tom  M.  Edell  (San  Luis 
Obispo ),  Richard  A.  Erickson,  Michael  U. 
Evens  (San  Diego),  Jon  S.  Feenstra,  John  Fitch, 
Dan  Fontaine,  Rob  Fowler,  Nick  & Mary  Free- 
man, Wes  T.  Fritz,  Peter  A.  Gaede,  Kimball  L. 
Garrett  (Los  Angeles ),  Pete  Ginsburg  (PGi), 
Dave  Goodward,  Daniel  L.  Grant,  John  F. 
Green  (Riverside),  Robert  A.  Hamilton,  Lori 
Hargrave,  Gjon  C.  Hazard,  Sandy  Hedrick, 
Matthew  T.  Heindel,  Tom  & Jo  Heindel  (Inyo), 
Roger  Higson,  Andrew  Howe,  Marshall  J.  Iliff, 


Joseph  R.  Jehl,  Jr.,  Oscar  Johnson,  H.  Lee 
Jones,  Ryan  Jorgeson,  Paul  Jorgensen,  Al  Kalin, 
Eric  L.  Kerslmer,  Howard  B.  King,  Alexander 
E.  Koonce  (San  Bernardino),  Kenneth  Z.  Kur- 
land, Ken  & Brenda  Kyle,  Kevin  G.  Larson, 
Dave  M.  Lawrence,  Andrew  Lee,  Paul  E. 
Lehman,  Vic  Leipzig,  Kurt  Leuschner,  Dan 
Lockshaw,  Michael  C.  Long,  Carol  Manning, 
Curtis  A.  Marantz,  Guy  McCaskie  (Imperial), 
Cathy  McFadden,  Chet  McGaugh,  Todd  Mc- 
Grath, Steven  J.  Meyers,  Thomas  Miko  (TMi), 
Bob  Miller,  Steve  Mlodinow  (SMI),  Kathy  C. 
Molina,  Steve  G.  Morris,  Laura  Norton,  Robert 
T.  Patten,  Kaaren  L.  Perry,  James  E.  Pike,  Lu- 
cien  Plauzoles,  Joan  Powell,  Hugh  P Ranson, 
Gage  Ricard,  Don  Roberson,  Geoffrey  L. 
Rogers,  George  Roland,  Jim  S.  Royer,  Matt  Sad- 
owski,  Mike  San  Miguel,  Michael  J.  San  Miguel 
Jr.,  Robert  Schallmann,  Larry  Schmahl,  Alan  E 


Schmierer,  Peter  Siminski,  Gregory  P Smith, 
Steve  Smith  (SSm)  Susan  Steele  (SSt),  Ed  Ston- 
ick,  John  R.  Storrer,  Mary  Beth  Stowe,  Bob  Tal- 
lyn,  Ed  Thomas,  Mike  Todd  (MTo),  Mike  Tyn- 
er (MTy),  David  Vander  Pluym,  Philip  Unitt, 
Herman  Vanoosten,  Stanley  Walens,  Ken 
Weaver,  Walter  Wehtje  (Ventura),  Douglas  R. 
Willick  (Orange),  John  C.  Wilson  (Kern),  Vic- 
ki & Gerry  Wolf,  Thomas  E.  Wurster,  Roger  H. 
Zachary,  Barry  Zimmer,  Elias  & Val  Zuniga.  An 
additional  25+  observers  who  could  not  be  in- 
dividually acknowledged  submitted  reports 
this  season;  all  have  our  thanks.  © 


Guy  McCaskie,  954  Grove  Avenue,  Imperial  Beach,  Cali- 
fornia 91932,  (guymcc@pacbell.net); 

Kimball  L.  Garrett,  Natural  History  Museum  of  Los 
Angeles  County,  900  Exposition  Boulevard,  Los  Angeles, 
California  90007,  (kgarrett@nhm.org) 


Baja  California  Peninsula 


Ensenada 

lslag  Tijuar._  / Mexicali 

Todos  A V i ‘VCerro  Prieto 

Santos' 


lower  Rio, 

Santo  Tomas 

Maneadero  Plain‘d  Quintin 
El  Rosario* 


Islas  San  Benito$ 
I si  a Cedros 


■Leyes  de  Reforma 
San  Felipe 


Vizcaino 

Peninsula 


Bahia  de 
Los  Angeles 

BAJA 

. CALIFORNIA 

=Guerrer<hI  BAJA 
Neqro 

, , a ^ guR 


Richard  A.  Erickson 
Robert  A.  Hamilton 
Roberto  Carmona 
Gorgonio  Ruiz-Campos 


San  Jose  del  Cabo 


There  was  plenty  to  write  about  this 
season,  as  the  north  and  south  ends  of 
the  Region  were  well  covered.  We  ap- 
preciate reports  from  visitors  to  Los  Cabos 
who  are  not  necessarily  focused  on  birding. 
Highlights  included  the  Regions  first  con- 
firmed Streak-backed  Oriole,  Baja  California’s 
first  Dusky-capped  Flycatchers  and  Blue- 
headed Vireo,  rare  waterfowl,  the  return  of 
Sandhill  Cranes  to  the  Mexicali  Valley,  Long- 
tailed Jaegers  in  the  Gulf  of  California,  and 
numerous  rare  passerines. 


Abbreviations:  C.PG.P.  (Cerro  Prieto  geo- 
thermal ponds);  E.S.J.C.  (Estero  San  Jose  del 
Cabo). 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH 
FRIGATEBIRDS 

Black-bellied  Whistling-Duck  went  unrecord- 
ed for  the  first  winter  this  decade,  while  Ful- 
vous Whistling-Duck  sightings  at  Lagunas  de 
Chametla  continued  from  our  last  report:  3 on 
23  Dec  (IMC,  RV)  and  one  18-22  Mar  (ph. 
MJI).  All  six  of  the  Regions  goose  species  were 
reported.  Only  2 of  20  Greater  White-fronted 
Geese,  but  8 of  10  Snow  Geese,  were  in  Baja 
California.  An  imm.  Ross’s  Goose  at  the  Rio 
Guadalupe  estuary  17-18  Dec  was  relocated  at 
Real  del  Mar  20  Dec-31  Jan  (TJM,  ph.  MJB  et 
al.).  We  consider  many  of  the  following  white- 
cheeked goose  reports  tentative  at  the  sub- 
species level,  especially  at  the  tavemeri  Cack- 
ling/parvipes  Canada  species  interface  (cf. 
N.A.B.  59:  329).  Aleutian  Cackling  Geese  (B. 
h.  leucopareia ) were  at  the  Maneadero  Plain  10 
Oct  (6;  ph.  RAH  et  al.)  and  El  Descanso  3 Dec 
(ph.,  tMJI,  MJB),  and  minima  Cacklings  were 
at  Guerrero  Negro  7-30  Nov  (5,  AG-A)  and 
C.PG.P.  24  Jan  (1,  MJI,  RAE).  Up  to  3 tav- 
emeri were  at  C.PG.P.  24  Jan-25  Feb  (ph.  MJI 
et  al.)  and  “Lessers”  at  Heroes  de  la  Indepen- 
dencia  21  Jan-26  Feb  may  have  included  one 
tavemeri  and  4 parvipes  (TMJB,  ph.  TJM,  DP), 
but  we  still  consider  parvipes  unconfirmed  in 
the  Region.  Lastly,  up  to  40  moffitti  Canadas 
were  at  C.PG.P.  9 Dec-24  Jan  (ph.  GR-C, 
GDLG  et  al.). 


Wood  Ducks  were  well  reported,  with  up  to 
5 at  the  Mexicali  Zoo  22  Sep-25  Feb  (ph.  MJI 
et  al.),  a female  in  Tijuana  7-16  Jan  (ph.  MJB, 
TJM),  and  a male  record  far  s.  in  Baja  Califor- 
nia at  Lagunita  El  Cipres  29  Jan  (ph.  MJB  et 
al.).  A male  Eurasian  Wigeon  at  E.S.J.C. 
18-23  Jan  (ph.  DSC,  ph.  SGM)  was  the  2nd 
for  Baja  California  Sur;  3 were  found  in  the 
Region’s  far  north.  Also  rare  in  Baja  California 
Sur,  3 Mallards  at  E.S.J.C.  25  Jan  (tMN,  CN) 


Sandhill  Cranes  had  not  been  seen  in  Baja  California  for 
nearly  25  years,  so  these  birds  dropping  in  to  roost  at  the 
Cerro  Prieto  geothermal  ponds  24  January  2006  were  a 
welcome  sight.  Their  long  necks,  long  bills,  and  especially 
their  extensive  red  caps  all  indicate  they  were  Greater 
Sandhill  Cranes  (subspecies  tabida),  which  has  recently 
become  more  prevalent  in  the  adjacent  Imperial  Valley. 

Photograph  by  Marshall  J.  Iliff. 

were  the  first  found  since  Sep  2000.  Last  win- 
ter’s female  Garganey  apparently  returned  to 
E.S.J.C.,  where  it  was  seen  17-22  Mar  (ph. 
MJI).  The  most  unusual  of  9 Greater  Scaup 
was  a male  at  E.S.J.C.  21  Jan  (tSGM).  The  fe- 
male Harlequin  Duck  at  La  Joya  11  Nov-31 
Jan  (ph.  MJB  et  al.)  was  presumably  the  same 
one  seen  there  in  Mar  2003  and  Mar-Jun 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


287 


BAJA  CALIFORNIA  PENINSULA 


One  of  the  highlights  of  the  19  December  2005  Ensenada 
Christmas  Bird  Count  was  this  first-year  female  Pine  War- 
bler on  the  Maneadero  Plain,  the  first  to  be  photographed 
well  in  the  Baja  California  Peninsula  region. 

Photograph  by  Marshall  1.  Iliff. 

2004,  one  of  only  2 found  in  the  Region.  Ad- 
ditional rare  sea  ducks  were  5 Black  Scoters  in 
the  far  nw.  and  Long-tailed  Ducks  at  La  Fonda 
3 Dec  (MJB,  tMJI)  and  Estero  Punta  Banda  19 
Dec-31  Jan  (tMSM,  LAC,  AG-A).  A Hooded 
Merganser  was  at  E.S.J.C.  22  Jan  (ph.  SGM), 
and  7 were  seen  in  the  far  north. 

Notable  seabird  sightings  included  Laysan 
Albatrosses  on  both  sides  of  the  peninsula 
near  I.  Santa  Margarita  14  Feb  and  near  I.  San 
Jose  16  Feb  (both  PAG,  PJ),  a Pterodroma  pe- 
trel (probably  not  Cookilaria ) just  s.  of  I.  del 
Carmen  5 Mar  (tMG),  and  a Nazca  Booby 
near  Gorda  Bank  21  Feb  (MG).  Two  Magnifi- 
cent Frigatebirds  in  tbe  San  Felipe  area  26 
Feb  (MJB,  ph.  TJM,  DP)  were  unusual  so  far 
n.  in  winter. 


The  Baja  California  Peninsula  region  rarely  generates  re- 
ports of  Long-tailed  Jaegers  and,  like  most  places  in  the 
northern  hemisphere,  had  produced  none  in  winter.  These 
molting  adults/near-adults  near  Isla  Santa  Cruz  in  the 
southwestern  Gulf  of  California  18  February  2006  were 
among  23  seen  in  the  area  over  a two-day  period. 

Photograph  by  Aaron  Remy. 

HERONS  THROUGH  TERNS 

Two  American  Bitterns  at  Lagunita  El  Cipres 
21  Jan  (ph.  EDZ-H)  were  the  only  ones  re- 
ported, and  up  to  2 Least  Bitterns  in  Tijuana 
28  Aug-7  Jan  (MJB)  and  at  least  one  at 
E.S.J.C.  22  Jan-15  Mar  (MN,  CN,  MJI)  were 
in  areas  lacking  recent  records.  All  Bald  Ea- 
gles seen  were  ads.  in  the  far  north:  Laguna 
del  Indio  14  Dec  (RAE  et  al.),  C.PG.P  24  Jan 
(MJI,  RAE),  and  Laguna  Hanson  26  Jan  (ph. 
GR-C).  An  ad.  Broad-winged  Hawk  at  E.S.J.C. 
20  Feb  (tPAG)  may  have  represented  the  re- 


turn of  the  imm.  that  was  seen  there  in  Jan 
2005.  An  imm.  on  the  Maneadero  Plain  18 
Dec-31  Jan  (ph.  RAE  et  al.)  was  seen  by 
many.  Twelve  Swainson’s  Hawks  were  noted 
in  s.  Baja  California  Sur,  including  3 s.  of  La 
Paz.  A Merlin  on  the  Maneadero  Plain  19  Dec 
(ph.  MJI,  DSC)  matched  the  dark  nw.  sub- 
species suckleyi ; previous  Regional  reports 
have  been  considered  tentative  (Monographs 
in  Field  Ornithology  3:  122).  Four  Sandhill 
Cranes  (apparently  G.  c.  tabula ) coming  in  to 
roost  at  C.PG.P.  24  Jan  (ph.  MJI.  RAE)  were 
the  first  seen  in  the  Region  since  1982  (Mono- 
graphs in  Field  Ornithology  3:  123).  Solitary 
Sandpipers  were  found  again  in  the  Cape  Dis- 
trict: 2 at  Santiago  23  Jan  (SGM)  and  one  at 
E.S.J.C.  17-22  Mar  (MJI). 


This  female  Harlequin  Duck  at  La  Joya,  Baja  California  on 
1 1 November  2005  was  believed  to  be  the  same  individual 
present  there  in  March  2003  and  March-June  2004. 

Photograph  by  Mark  J.  Billings. 

The  season's  biggest  surprise  was  23 
ad./subad.  Long-tailed  Jaegers  in  three  groups 
in  the  s.  Gulf,  from  near  1.  Santa  Cruz  to  near 
I.  Partida,  18-19  Feb  (tPAG,  ph.  AR,  PJ).  The 
species’  winter  range  is  not  well  known,  espe- 
cially in  the  Pacific,  but  there  appear  to  be  no 
records  n.  of  Panama  and  the  cen.  Pacific  (Wi- 
ley and  Lee,  Birds  of  North  America  account). 
A first-winter  Mew  Gull  at  E.S.J.C.  15-17  Mar 
(ph.  MJI)  was  the  2nd  to  be  confirmed  in  Baja 
California  Sur.  Disturbing  was  the  re- 
port from  Bahia  Magdalena  28  Feb  of 
ad.  Western  Gulls:  “many...  had  obvi- 
ously yellow  legs,  but  otherwise  looked 
and  sounded  like  Westerns”  (DAS).  On 
the  heels  of  last  years  first  winter  record 
in  Baja  California,  4 or  5 Gull-billed 
Terns  were  found  in  the  ne.  13  Dec-24 
Jan:  at  C.PG.P.,  Laguna  del  Indio,  and 
the  Rio  Colorado  delta  (RAE,  ph. 

GDLG  et  al.).  Up  to  4 were  at  El  Cente- 
nario  27  Jan-19  Mar  (SGM,  DAS,  MJI). 
Elegant  Tern  was  found  again  itr  the 
Cape  District  in  winter,  with  2 at  La  Paz 
17  Dec  (fide  EP)  and  one  at  E.S.J.C. 

22-25  Jan  (MN,  CN). 

DOVES  THROUGH  PIPITS 

The  Flickers  reported  much  on  small  doves  at 
Bahia  de  Los  Angeles.  An  Inca  Dove  30  Jan-6 
Apr  (ph.)  followed  one  there  19  Oct  1999,  es- 


tablishing the  only  records  away  from  the 
northeast.  The  Ruddy  Ground-Dove  present 
since  Oct  was  joined  by  3 more  30  Jan,  and  all 
remained  through  Feb.  Two  at  Algodones  27 
Dec  (KAR)  were  the  first  for  the  northeast.  An 
Elf  Owl  at  the  Guerrero  Negro  saltworks  25 
Jan  (NA,  VA)  was  nw.  of  previous  state 
records;  the  unusual  habitat  suggests  a wan- 
dering bird.  A high  count  of  775  Lesser 
Nighthawks  at  E.S.J.C.  20  Jan  (SGM)  may 
have  included  wintering  birds  from  the  n.  in 
addition  to  local  residents.  Up  to  20  Vaux’s 
Swifts  were  at  E.S.J.C.  18  Jan-21  Mar  (tDSC 
et  al.).  Rare  hummingbirds  in  the  s.  were  an 
imm.  male  Broad-billed  near  Ciudad  Consti- 
tucion  16  Mar  (tMJI)  and  an  imm.  female 
Black-chinned  at  E.S.J.C.  15  Mar  (ph.,  tMJI). 
In  the  nw.,  wintering  Costas  Hummingbirds 
are  remarkably  hard  to  come  by  (e.g.,  it  was 
missed  on  the  first  four  Ensenada  C.B.C.s),  so 
7 on  the  coast  s.  to  Maneadero  17  Dec-1  Apr 
(ph.  RAH,  ph.  MJB  et  al.)  was  an  unexpected- 
ly robust  total.  The  male  Downy  Woodpecker 
at  Playas  de  Tijuana  since  27  Aug  was  last 
recorded  29  Jan  (ph.  MJB  et  al.),  and  another 
male  was  at  the  Rio  Guadalupe  estuary  9 Feb 
(tCGE  et  al.). 

A Dusky  Flycatcher  on  the  Rio  Colorado  at 
Ejido  Chiapas  #3  on  8 Mar  (TMJI,  MJB,  RAH) 
provided  the  Region's  first  (presumed)  winter 
record.  A calling  Pacific-slope  Flycatcher  s.  of 
nearby  Pachuca  8 Mar  (MJB,  ph.  MJI,  RAH) 
probably  was  also  wintering,  as  were  6 indi- 
viduals along  the  nw.  coast  (ph.  MJB  et  al.). 
Baja  California’s  first  Dusky-capped  Flycatch- 
ers corresponded  with  a banner  year  for  the 
species  in  California:  Playas  de  Tijuana  18 
Dec-1  Apr  (ph.,  TDSC  et  al.)  and  Ejido  Chia- 
pas #3  8-12  Mar  (ph.  RAH  et  al.).  Four  Trop- 
ical Kingbirds  were  seen  in  the  Cape  District 


and  one  was  at  Ensenada  19  Dec  (EDZ-H, 
TRAH).  Wintering  Western  Kingbirds  were  at 
La  Paz  17  Dec  (fide  EP)  and  on  the  road  to 
San  Antonio  de  la  Sierra  26  Jan  (SGM).  A 


A flock  of  over  1 00  Blue-winged  Teal  at  Estero  San  Jose  del  Cabo,  Baja 
California  Sur,  included  this  female  Garganey  1 7 March  2006.  It  was 
assumed  to  be  a returning  individual  from  one  year  before. 
Photograph  by  Marshall  J.  Iliff. 


288 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


BAJA  CALIFORNIA  PENINSULA 


A male  Eurasian  Wigeon  at  Estero  San  Jose  del  Cabo  18-23  January  2006  was  the 
first  to  be  photographically  documented  in  Baja  California  Sur.  The  only  prior 
record  hails  from  nearby  La  Paz  13  April  1970.  Photograph  by  Steven  G.  Mlodinow. 


Scissor-tailed  Flycatcher  roosted  with  Cassin's 
Kingbirds  at  Cantamar  18  Dec-28  Jan  (MJI, 
ph.  MJB  et  ah). 

Noteworthy  wintering  vireos  included  a 
Bell’s  on  the  Maneadero  Plain  20  Dec  (TJM, 
ph.  MJB  et  al.)  and  a Plumbeous  at  the  Mexi- 
cali Zoo  28  Dec  (KAR).  Best  was  a singing 
first-winter  Blue-headed  Vireo,  Baja  Califor- 
nia’s first,  at  Ejido  Chiapas  #3  8-12  Mar  (ph. 
MJI  et  ah).  The  winter  swallow  concentration 
at  E.S.J.C.  is  renowned;  this  year’s  maxima  in- 
cluded 20  Tree,  1000  Violet-green,  100  North- 
ern Rough-winged,  25  Bank,  10  Cliff,  and  400 
Barn.  On  the  e.  side  of  the  Sierra  Juarez,  135 
Western  Bluebirds  at  Canon  de  Guadalupe  1 
Jan  (BLS)  was  a high  number  for  a lowland 
site.  The  season’s  only  Varied  Thrash  was  on 
the  Maneadero  Plain  19-20  Dec  (ph.  PAG  et 
ah).  A Red-throated  Pipit  of  uncertain  age  at 
E.S.J.C.  17-22  Mar  (ph.,  v.r.  MJI)  was  where 
one  wintered  the  previous  year. 

WARBLERS  THROUGH  BLACKBIRDS 

Lucy’s  Warblers  were  present  at  Rosarito  11 
Nov-28  Jan  (ph.  MJB  et  al.)  and  at  E.S.J.C. 
21-23  Jan  (ph.  SGM,  TMN,  CN).  At  Guerrero 
Negro,  the  returning  male  Black-throated  Blue 
Warbler  was  present  Nov-20  Feb  (ES, 

AG-A  et  al.),  and  near  Ciudad  Consti- 
tucion,  the  returning  male  Grace’s 
Warbler  was  present  16-23  Mar  (ph. 

MJI).  The  Region’s  3rd  Pine  Warbler,  a 
first-year  female  on  the  Maneadero 
Plain  19  Dec  (ph.  MJI),  eluded  subse- 
quent searchers  and  so  was  not  con- 
firmed as  the  Peninsula’s  first  overwin- 
tering bird.  After  being  unrecorded  in 
the  fall,  2 Palm  Warblers  were  on  the 
Maneadero  Plain  18-19  Dec  (ph.  MJI  et 
ah),  and  one  was  at  E.S.J.C.  21  Jan-17 
Mar  (SGM,  ph.  MJI).  Up  to  3 American 
Redstarts  were  on  the  nw.  coast  18 
Dec-29  Jan  (DSC  et  ah),  and  an  ad.  fe- 
male was  at  the  Mexicali  Zoo  13  Dec-24  Jan 
(RAE,  ph.  MJI).  The  Regions  2nd  wintering 
Ovenbird  was  at  Miraflores  18  Mar  (MJI),  and 
a male  MacGillivray’s  Warbler  on  the 


Maneadero  Plain  18-19  Dec  re- 
turned for  at  least  its  5th  winter 
(RAE,  LAC,  MJI).  Summer 
Tanager  was  unrecorded  in  Baja 
California  in  fall  2005,  but  8 
were  found  this  season,  includ- 
ing 3 at  the  Mexicali  Zoo.  A fe- 
male Western  Tanager  at  the 
zoo  24  Jan  (RAE,  ph.  MJI)  was 
the  first  in  the  ne.  in  winter;  7 
were  seen  in  the  northwest. 

Sparrows  of  interest  included 
2 Clay-coloreds  on  the 
Maneadero  Plain  19  Dec  (ph. 
MJI  et  ah),  a Black-chinned  in  nearby  Arroyo 
San  Carlos  1 Jan  (DSC),  up  to  3 Grasshoppers 
at  E.S.J.C.  19-20  Jan  (ph.  DSC,  ph.  SGM),  a 
Swamp  at  Real  del  Mar  3 Dec-16  Jan  (ph.  MJI, 
ph.  MJB,  TJM),  White-throateds  at  Punta  Ban- 
da 18-19  Dec  (ph.  MJB,  TJM)  and  the 
Maneadero  Plain  19  Dec  (MJI),  and  a singing 
ad.  pugetensi s White-crowned  at  El  Descanso  3 
Dec  (ph.,  I MJI,  MJB).  Two  Rose-breasted 
Grosbeaks  were  in  the  nw.,  another  was  at  Eji- 
do Lagunero  1 Jan  (NA,  VA),  and  2 were  in  the 
far  south.  Up  to  60  Tricolored  Blackbirds  at  La- 
guna Hanson  4 Dec-27  Jan  (ph.  GR-C  et  ah) 
were  the  most  ever  reported  in  the  mountains. 

Yellow-headed  Blackbirds  are  seldom 
found  in  the  Cape  District,  but  up  to  150  were 
at  E.S.J.C.  17-21  Mar  (ph.  MJI).  A female 
Bronzed  Cowbird  at  Lagunas  de  Chametla  19 
Mar  (ph.  MJI)  was  in  an  area  where  one  or 
more  females  were  seen  on  25  Jan  and  7 Oct 
2005.  The  season’s  only  Orchard  Oriole  was 
an  ad.  male  at  Playas  de  Tijuana  18  Dec-8  Jan 
(tDSC,  ph.  MJB  et  ah).  Northerly  female 
Hooded  Orioles  were  at  Ensenada  19  Dec 
(tRAH,  EDZ-H)  and  Tijuana  3 Mar  (MJI, 
MJB).  A Streak-backed  Oriole  (possibly  an 
ad.  female)  at  Miraflores  22  Jan  (ph.,  tSGM) 


was  an  overdue  first  for  the  Region  (cf.  Mono- 
graphs in  Field  Ornithology  3:  191).  Baltimore 
Orioles  were  found  at  the  Mexicali  Zoo  28 
Dec-25  Feb  (KAR,  ph.  MJB  et  ah),  the  first  for 


Prior  to  this  year,  a Dusky-capped  Flycatcher  collected  in  the  Sierra  de 
La  Laguna  24  June  1896  provided  the  Region's  only  record.  The  second 
of  two  this  winter  was  found  on  8 March  2006  on  the  Rio  Colorado 
near  Ejido  Chiapas  No.  3.  Photograph  by  Robert  A.  Hamilton. 


the  ne.,  and  in  the  Cape  District  at  Santa  Ani- 
ta 19  Jan  (ph.  DSC). 

Contributors:  Nallely  Arce,  Victor  Ayala, 
Adrianne  Beazley,  Mark  R.  Beazley,  Mark  J. 
Billings,  Georgina  Brabata,  Jose  Juan  Butrdn, 
Roberto  Carmona,  Lyann  A.  Comrack,  Daniel 
S.  Cooper,  Andrea  Cuellar,  Gustavo  D.  Dane- 
mann,  Gonzalo  De  Leon  Giron,  Bruce  E. 
Deuel,  Claude  G.  Edwards,  Richard  A.  Erick- 
son, George  Flicker,  Mary  Flicker,  Peter  A. 
Gaede,  Sandra  Gallo-Corona,  Steve  Ganley, 
Daniel  Gant,  Mike  Greenfelcler,  Antonio 
Gutierrez-Aguilar,  Robert  A.  Hamilton,  Steve 
N.G.  Howell,  Marshall  J.  Iliff,  Paul  Jones, 
Scott  Kinzey,  Barry  Levine,  Israel  Martinez 
Cedillo,  Guy  McCaskie,  Eric  Mellink,  Steven 
G.  Mlodinow,  Thomas  J.  Myers,  Carol 


This  Black  Merlin  (subspecies  suckleyi)-p hotographed  on 
the  Maneadero  Plain,  Baja  California  on  18  December 
2005-was  the  first  one  well  documented  on  the  Peninsula 
and  showed  no  obvious  signs  of  introgression. 
Photograph  by  Marshall  J.  Iliff. 

Newlon,  Mike  Newlon,  Eduardo  Palacios, 
Drew  Pallette,  Peter  Pyle,  Kurt  A.  Radamaker, 
Aaron  Rcmy,  Gorgonio  Ruiz-Catnpos,  Mike 
San  Miguel,  Luis  Sauma,  David  A.  Sibley,  Ed- 
uardo Smith,  Brian  L.  Sullivan,  Pablo  Valle, 
Rosalba  Vazquez,  Enrique  D.  Zatnora- 
Hernandez.  © 


Richard  A.  Erickson,  LSA  Associates,  20  Executive  Park, 
Suite  200,  Irvine,  California  92614,  (richard.erickson@lsa- 
assoc.com); 

Robert  A.  Hamilton,  7203  Stearns  Street,  Long  Beach, 
California  90815,  (robb@rahamilton.com); 

Roberto  Carmona,  Departamento  de  Biologia  Marina, 
Universidad  Autonoma  de  Baja  California  Sur,  Apartado 
Postal  19-B,  La  Paz,  Baja  California  Sur,  Mexico,  (beau- 
ty@uabcs.mx); 

Gorgonio  Ruiz-Campos,  Facultad  de  Ciencias,  Universi- 
dad Autonoma  de  Baja  California,  Apartado  Postal  1653, 
Ensenada,  Baja  California,  22800,  Mexico,  U.  S.  mailing  ad- 
dress: PMB  064,  P.0.  Box  189003,  Coronado,  California 
92178-9003,  (gruiz@uabc.mx) 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


289 


Mexico 


Hector  Gomez  de  Silva 


In  winter  2005-2006,  numerous  new  state 
records  and  records  of  species  far  out  of 
their  known  ranges  continued  to  accrue, 
perhaps  the  most  astounding  of  all  being 
records  of  two  Neotropical  eagle  species  in 
northern  Mexico:  a Solitary  Eagle  in  Tatnauli- 
pas  and  a Black  Hawk-Eagle  in  Nayarit. 

NORTHERN  MEXICO 


Sinaloa  and  Nayarit  were  very  dry  throughout 
the  period,  with  little  measurable  rain  over 
most  regions  since  early  October.  Flower- 
banks  were  relatively  barren  away  from 
streamsides.  Carmody  reports  much  less  song 
(except  in  Fan-tailed  Warbler  and  Rosy 
Thrush-Tanager)  and  less  responsiveness  to 
audio  recordings  than  is  usual  at  this  season. 
On  the  other  hand,  he  noted  that  nearly  any 
highway  median  strip  that  had  not  been 
grazed  held  small  numbers  of  Botteri’s  and 
Grasshopper  Sparrows  in  February,  also  prob- 
ably a consequence  of  the  arid  conditions. 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  DOVES 

About  1000+  Ross’s  Geese  and  450  Snow 
Geese  (including  5 or  6 blue  morphs  of  the 
latter)  were  at  Laguna  Fierro,  along  with  4 
Common  Mergansers  5 Dec  (DK,  DMe,  JRu, 
JRa).  An  apparent  Ross’s  Goose  x Snow 
Goose  hybrid  and  800+  Black-bellied 
Whistling-Ducks  were  on  a large  stock  pond 
in  Rancho  Ciudadela,  along  the  La  Noria 
road,  ne.  of  Mazatlan,  Sin.  (MC,  ph.  JL).  A 
Greater  White-fronted  Goose  was  in  riparian 
habitat  s.  of  the  bridge  into  Casas  Grandes, 
Chih.  8 Dec  (DK,  DMe,  JRu,  JRa).  About 
1150  Snow  Geese  and  one  ad.  Ross’s  Goose 
(ph.)  were  seen  20  Nov  at  Laguna  Sayula,  Jal.; 
one  of  the  Snows  wore  a yellow  neck  collar 
that  indicated  it  had  been  banded  in  2002  at 
Queen  Maud  Gulf,  Nunavut  (SJD  et  ah).  Four 
Buffleheads,  an  uncommon  duck  in  the  area, 
were  seen  in  the  Canon  de  Fernandez  S.R  on 


the  Rio  Nazas  15  Jan  (RLL,WB,  FVP). 

A dozen  ad.  Clark’s  Grebes  were  seen  in 
Tanque  Aguilereno  and  Tanque  Genty,  shal- 
low dams  s.  of  Torreon,  3 Jan  (FVP)  and  6 Feb 
(RLL,  FVP).  An  Eared  Grebe,  4 Clark’s 
Grebes,  an  American  White  Pelican,  and  a 
Snowy  Egret  were  at  Laguna  Fierro,  Chih.  5 
Dec  (DK,  DMe,  JRu,  JRa).  A Great  Blue  Heron 
nest,  and  one  carrying  nesting  material,  were 
seen  4 Feb  near  La  Cortina  along  the  Rio 
Grande  de  Santiago,  e.  of  Tepic,  Nay.  (JM, 


AM).  Small  numbers  of  Boat-billed  Herons 
were  at  Laguna  de  Quelele,  Nay.  13  Jan  (MJ1) 
and  12  Feb  (BG). 


Two  White-tailed  Kites  were  near  Laguna 
Fierro  5 Dec  (DK,  DMe,  JRu,  JRa).  After  a pe- 
riod of  almost  six  years  without  reports,  Red 


This  female  Ruddy  Ground-Dove  frequented  riparian  habi- 
tat near  Casas  Grandes,  Chihuahua,  Mexico  8 December 
2005;  it  furnishes  just  the  second  confirmed  record  for  the 
state  of  Chihuahua.  Photograph  by  Dave  Krueper. 

shouldered  Hawks  were  seen  in  the  subre- 
gion: an  ad.  at  Canon  de  Fernandez  S.R  20 
Nov  and  4 Dec  (RLL,  WB,  AVJ,  FVP),  2 ads. 
there  11  Dec  (RLL,  AVJ,  WB),  and  a juv.  at 
Bosque  Venustiano  Carranza,  an  urban  park 
in  Torreon,  2 Jan  (ph.  FVP).  Interestingly,  in 


the  same  area,  no  Northern  Harriers  were  re- 
ported— for  the  first  time  in  many  years.  An 
imm.  Solitary  Eagle  in  the  El  Cielo  Biosphere 
Reserve  between  Gomez  Farias  and  Alta 
Cima,  Tamps,  was  documented  21  Feb  during 
one  of  the  field  trips  of  El  Cielo  Nature  Festi- 
val (PL,  RJ,  SO,  EP,  ph.  RC,  m.ob.);  this  would 
furnish  a first  state  record.  The  El  Cielo  Na- 
ture Festival  is  an  effort  to  promote  sustain- 
able development  through  avitourism;  local 
guides  are  available  year-round,  and  several 
special  events  are  hosted  each  year  (<www. 
elcielofestival.com>).  Another  outstanding 
eagle  record  was  of  an  ad.  Black  Hawk-Eagle 
found  at  La  Bajada,  near  La  Palma,  Nay.  15 
Feb  (GK,  MC,  ph.  KK). 

Two  groups  of  Sandhill  Cranes  totaling  45 
birds  were  seen  flying  over  Tanque  Aguil- 
ereno at  dawn  6 Feb  (RLL,  FVP).  A Pacific 
and  5 American  Golden- Plovers  were  report- 
ed from  the  coast  10  km  n.  of  the  town  of 
Golfo  de  Santa  Clara,  Son.  26  Aug  (MG,  ME, 
ES);  4 of  the  latter  were  at  Bahia  Adair,  Son. 
6 Dec  (MG,  EL,  ES).  A remarkable  count  of 
318  Snowy  Plovers  came  Laguna  Sayula,  Jal. 
20  Nov  (SJD  et  al.).  A Wandering  Tattler  was 
along  the  rocky  coast  n.  of  Punta  Mita,  Nay. 
24  Jan  (MD);  3 were  noted  on  the  Islas  Mari- 
etas,  Nay.  27  Jan  (M.N.T.C.).  An  ad.  Wilson’s 
Phalarope  was  at  San  Bias  23  Feb  (JL<  MC). 
Six  Stilt  Sandpipers  were  farther  n.  than  usu- 
al in  winter  near  the  Mazatlan  airport  9 Feb 
(MC).  A Long-billed  Dowitcher  was  at  Lagu- 
na Fierro  5 Dec  (DK,  DMe,  JRu,  JRa).  One 
and  2 Black  Turnstones  were  at  Playa  Cerri- 
tos n.  of  Mazatlan  at  the  head  of  Emerald  Bay 
8 & 18  Feb,  respectively  (MC).  An  American 
Woocock  was  found  just  outside  Parque  Es- 
tanzuela  in  Monterrey,  N.L.  in  early  Feb  (IG, 
fide  AGS).  A group  of  20+  Sandwich  Terns 
was  reported  well  out  in  the  Bahia  de  Ban- 
deras about  two-thirds  of  the  way  between 
Nuevo  Vallarta  and  Islas  Marietas  27  Jan 
(M.N.T.C.).  A female  Ruddy  Ground-Dove 
was  photographed  in  riparian  habitat  near 
Casas  Grandes  8 Dec  (DK,  DMe,  JRu,  JRa), 
providing  the  2nd  documented  record  from 
Chihuahua.  A Eurasian  Collared-Dove  was 
in  a large  cattle  pen  in  the  La  Noria  road  with 
many  Ruddy  Ground-Doves  and  White- 
winged Doves  9 Feb  (KC,  MC). 

HUMMINGBIRDS 
THROUGH  FINCHES 

Several  Lucifer  and  up  to  10  Costa’s  Hum- 
mingbirds were  seen  near  La  Cortina  at  about 
300  m elevation  4 Feb  (AM,  JM).  Anna’s  con- 
tinues to  be  the  most  common  hummingbird 
species  in  Bosque  Venustiano  Carranza  (FVP 
et  al.).  Three  species  of  sapsuckers  were 
found  along  the  Durango  Hwy.  in  Feb:  2 fe- 


290 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


MEXICO 


male  Williamson’s  and  a male  Yellow-bellied 
near  El  Palmito,  Sin.  11  & 19  Feb,  plus  a fe- 
male Red-naped  below  El  Batel,  Sin.  19  Feb 
(MC).  Near  the  latter  spot,  a pair  of  Eared 
Quetzals  foraged  amid  a large  mixed-species 
Hock  containing  warblers,  vireos,  thrushes, 
tanagers,  woodcreepers,  and  flycatchers  27 
Feb  (DM  et  al. , ph.  ESB,  vt.  LC).  A pair  of 
Pale-billed  Woodpeckers  with  fledglings  at  a 
nest  hole  were  on  the  El  Cuarentano  Rd.,  Nay. 

23  Feb,  and  a pair  was  on  the  coast  n.  of 
Mazatlan  at  Emerald  Bay  8 Feb  (MC).  A Say’s 
Phoebe  was  seen  near  Santa  Fe,  e.  of  Tepic  28 
Jan  (JM,  AM),  and  another  was  in  the  large 
field  at  Rancho  La  Noria,  Nay.  13  & 23  Feb 
(MC).  A male  Gray-collared  Becard  was  in  a 
patch  of  forest  at  the  s.  end  of  Bucerias,  Nay. 

24  & 26  Jan  (M.N.T.C.).  A Bright-rumped  At- 
tila  was  high  at  an  elevation  of  2170  m near  El 
Palmito  19  Feb  (MC);  another  was  high  at 
1980  m along  the  Durango  Hwy.  w.  of  Barran- 
ca Rancho  Liebre  27  Feb  (DM,  ESB  et  al.).  At 
a lower  elevation  on  the  hwy.,  a Blue-headed 
Vireo  was  seen  well  near  Cerro  el  Elefante  26 
Feb  (LC). 

At  least  250  Sinaloa  Crows  were  noted  in 
various  locations  in  Bucerias  20-29  Jan 
(M.N.T.C.).  A Tree  Swallow  was  at  Laguna 
Fierro  5 Dec  (DK,  DMe,  JRu,  JRa).  Two  Col- 
ima Warblers  were  on  the  El  Cuarentano 
road  23  Feb,  where  they  have  recently  been 
found  to  be  regular  (MC).  Two  or  3 Chest- 
nut-sided Warblers  were  noted  in  El  Gua- 
muchil,  Nay.  23,  25,  & 29  Jan  (M.N.T.C.).  A 
Townsend’s  Warbler  n.  of  Santa  Fe  31  Jan 
(JM,  AM)  was  somewhat 
low  at  about  300  m.  A male 
Hooded  Warbler  was  in  the 
forest  at  the  s.  end  of 
Bucerias  17  Jan,  and  a 
Pyrrhuloxia  was  noted 
there  24-30  Jan  (M.N.T.C.). 

Two  Clay-colored  Sparrows 
were  seen  in  riparian  areas 
near  Casas  Grandes  8 Dec 
(DK,  DMe,  JRu,  JRa),  where 
rare  in  winter.  A Swamp 
Sparrow  was  at  Laguna 
Fierro  5 Dec  (DK,  DMe, 

JRu,  JRa).  A Song  Sparrow  was  reported  17- 
29  Jan  at  the  s.  end  of  Bucerias  (M.N.T.C.);  if 
this  report  can  be  confirmed,  it  will  consti- 
tute the  first  record  for  Nayarit. 

Contributors  (area  compilers  in  boldface): 
William  Beatty,  Edward  S.  Brinkley  (Field 
Guides,  Inc.),  Michael  Carmody  (Legacy 
Tours),  Rick  Cech,  Lori  & Mark  Conrad, 
Marcel  David,  Stephen  J.  Dinsmore  (with 
Robert  Cecil,  Jay  Gilliam,  Kay  Niyo),  Martin 
Estrada,  Adrian  Ganem  Sada,  Martha  Gomez, 


Ignacio  Granados,  Marshall  J.  lliff,  Ricardo 
Jimenez,  Kevin  A.  Kalhoon,  Gail  King,  Dave 
Kreuper,  Eugenio  Larios,  Jim  Livaudais,  Patri- 
cia Luevanos,  Refugio  Loya  Loya,  Dave  Mack- 
ay  (Field  Guides,  Inc.),  Dave  Mehlman 
(DMe),  Sonia  Ortiz,  Emily  Peyton,  Jim  Ra- 
makka,  Janet  Ruth,  Eduardo  Soto,  Francisco 
Valdes  Perezgasga,  Alfredo  Villalobos  Jau- 
regui;  Maritimes  Nature  Travel  Club 
(M.N.T.C.). 

CENTRAL  MEXICO 


HERONS  THROUGH  HUMMINGBIRDS 

A Least  Grebe  frequented  a res.  near  Trinidad, 
15  km  s.  of  Guanajuato,  Gro.  21-29  Jan 
(MW);  100  Eared  Grebes  and  a similar  num- 
ber of  American  White  Pelicans  were  there  5 
Feb  (MW).  Eight  Magnificent  Frigatebirds 
soared  over  Rancho  Primavera,  Jal.  19  Jan,  an 
extraordinary  count  well  inland  (MJI),  and 
around  300  Blue-footed  Boobies  were  feeding 
off  the  Rio  Ameca  mouth,  Jal.  13  Jan  (MJI). 

An  American  Bittern  was 
seen  in  Rancho  Primavera, 
Jal.  19  Jan  (MJI).  An  appar- 
ent Snowy  Egret  x Little 
Blue  Heron  hybrid  was  al 
the  Maito,Jal.  estuary  18Jan 
(MJI).  A Reddish  Egret  that 
flew  over  the  pond  in  Cruz 
de  Loreto,  Jal.  9 Jan  (MJI) 
was  unusual  being  away 
from  the  immediate  coast. 
An  ad.  White  Ibis  was  in- 
land at  L.  Colotitlan,  Jal.  5 
Feb  (HGdS,  MPV).  A female 
Lesser  Scaup  was  at  Bosque  de  Aragon  31  Dec 
(HGdS,  MPV).  A male  and  2 female  Buffle- 
heads  were  at  Parque  Ecologico  Xochimilco 
13  Dec  (RW).  A female  Hooded  Merganser 
was  at  the  res.  near  Trinidad  21  Jan  (MW).  A 
Crested  Guan  was  heard  and  seen  near  Bioto 
road,  Jal.  9 & 18  Jan  (MJI),  and  2 were  seen 
at  Los  Mazos  microwave  towers,  Jal.  16  Feb 
(BG). 

Five  Roadside  Hawks  were  seen  near  Cruz 
de  Loreto  10  Feb  (BG).  An  imm.  Broad- 
winged Hawk  was  at  La  Primavera  ranch,  Jal. 


Anna's  Hummingbird  continues  to  be  the 
most  common  hummingbird  in  Bosque 
Venustiano  Carranza,  an  urban  park  in  Tor- 
reon,  Coahuila,  Mexico,  where  this  photo- 
graph was  taken  in  January  2006. 
Photograph  by  Ernesto  Cabrera. 


1 1 Jan,  and  2 ads.  and  an  imm.  were  observed 
soaring  over  Cajon  de  Pena  dam,  Jal.  18  Jan 
(MJI).  A Harlan’s  Hawk  was  photographed  at 
Aquiles  Serdan  W.T.R  18  Jan  (ph.  MJI).  A 
Peregrine  Falcon  was  at  La  Cirna,  D.F  21  Dec 
(HGdS,  MPV),  and  another  was  in  San  Geron- 
imo,  above  the  Periferico  25  Jan  (MG).  Single 
Limpkins  were  noted  in  Cruz  de  Loreto  7 Jan 
(MJI),  at  the  mouth  of  Rio  Ameca,  Jal.  13  Jan 
(MJI),  and  at  L.  Colotitlan  5 Feb  (HGdS, 
MPV);  this  species  was  only  recently  recorded 
in  Jalisco  and  seems  to  be  spreading  in  that 


state.  An  imm.  Purple  Gallinule  was  at  a pond 
along  Las  Barrancas  road,  Ver.  19  Feb  (HGdS). 

Among  interesting  birds  seen  at  the  res. 
near  Trinidad  15  Jan-5  Feb  were  a Laughing 
Gull  15  Jan,  50  Caspian  Terns  (including  2 
color-banded  birds)  5 Feb,  and  a Snowy 
Plover  29  Jan  (MW).  At  the  Aquiles  Serdan, 
Jal.  W.T.P  9,  18,  & 21  Jan  (MJI)  and  8 Feb 
(BG)  were  up  to  4 Stilt  Sandpipers.  An  ad. 
Common  Tern  was  a surprise  at  the  Rio  Ame- 
ca mouth  7 Jan  (MJI).  A first  for  Jal.  was  a 
Eurasian  Collared-Dove  photographed  about 
3 km  inland  from  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Ame- 
ca on  the  Jal.  side  of  the  river  1 5 Jan  (MJI,  ph. 
DW).  A Monk  Parakeet  was  at  Parque 
Ecologico  Xochimilco  11  Dec  (MG).  Ten 
White-collared  Swifts  were  at  La  Bascula 
road,  Jal.  12  Jan  (MJI),  a small  flock  was 
above  El  Tuito  27  Jan,  and  around  25  were  fly- 
ing over  Hwy.  200  about  20  km  s.  of  Puerto 
Vallarta,  Jal.  29  Jan  (BG).  A Mexican  Hermit 
was  at  hibiscus  along  the  La  Bascula  road  9 & 
18  Jan  (MJI).  An  imm.  male  Costa’s  Hum- 
mingbird was  between  Rancho  Primavera  and 
Tehua  9 Jan,  and  an  ad.  male  was  near  Llano 
Grande,  Jal.  18  Jan  (MJI).  A displaying  Bum- 
blebee Hummingbird  was  100  m past  the  two 
towers  at  Los  Mazos  microwave  towers  16 
Feb  (BG). 

WOODPECKERS  THROUGH  FINCHES 

Single  Smoky-brown  Woodpeckers  were  at 
Laguna  La  Maria,  Col.  and  on  the  lower 
slopes  of  Volcan  de  Fuego,  Jal.  8-9  Feb 
(HGdS,  MPV).  An  Olive-sided  Flycatcher, 
rare  in  winter,  was  near  Rancho  Primavera  12 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


291 


MEXICO 


Jan  (MJI).  A mixed  flock  of 
magpie-jays  at  Rancho  Prirnav- 
era  held  at  least  4 Black-throat- 
ed and  2 White-throated  (MJI). 

A Slaty  Vireo  was  found  just 
abve  the  first  large  tower  at  Los 
Mazos  microwave  towers  16 
Feb  (BG).  Three  Golden- 
crowned  Kinglets  were  at  La 
Cima  21  Dec  (HGdS,  MPV). 

More  than  15  Aztec  Thrushes 
were  in  the  area  of  Viboras  mi- 
crowave towers,  Jal.  15  Feb 
(BG).  A pair  of  American  Dip- 
pers was  seen  investigating  a 
potential  nest  site  at  Magdalena 
Contreras,  D.F  16  Feb  (SA).  A 
European  Starling  was  on  the  sw.  outskirts  of 
Guadalajara,  Jal.  5 Feb  (HGdS,  MPV). 

A female  Golden-winged  Warbler  was  on 
the  Cienega  de  Ojuelos  road  about  10  km  to- 
wards Puerto  Vallarta  from  El  Tuito,  Jal.  26 
Jan  (BG).  A Chestnut-sided  Warbler  was 
seen  12  Jan  in  a bamboo  thicket  at  Cienega  de 
Ojuelos  road,  Jal.  just  n.  of  La  Bascula  road, 
the  same  location  at  which  one  was  found  a 
year  ago  (MJI).  A Yellow-throated  Warbler, 
probably  of  the  race  albilora , was  in  pines  at 
the  entrance  of  Cienega  de  Ojuelos  road  12 
Jan  (MJI).  A Black-throated  Green  Warbler 
was  above  Provincia  on  La  Bascula  road  9 Feb 
(BG),  and  another  was  at  Laguna  La  Maria  8 
Feb  (HGdS,  MPV).  A Myrtle  Warbler  was  at 
La  Provincia  on  La  Bascula  road  16  Jan  (MJI). 
A female  American  Redstart  was  at  Parque 
Ecologico  Xochimilco  11  Dec  (MG),  and  a fe- 
male Hooded  Warbler  was  in  the  drainage 
just  n.  of  Rancho  Primavera  11  Jan  (MJI).  A 
Red  Warbler  was  seen  in  Viveros  de 
Coyoacan,  D.F  3 & 9 Feb,  where  it  was  a rare 
visitor  to  this  urban  park.  An  Ovenbird  was  at 
Viveros  de  Coyoacan  9 Feb,  and  another  was 
at  the  UN  AM  botanical  garden  20  Feb  (GdO). 
A Slate-throated  Redstart  and  a pair  of  Olive 


This  Eurasian  Collared-Dove  near  the  mouth  of  the  Rio 
Ameca  1 5 January  2006  represents  the  first  record  of  the 
species  for  Jalisco.  Photograph  by  David  Waltman. 

Warblers  at  the  UNAM  botanical  garden,  D.F 
8 Dec  (GdO)  were  rare  visitors  from  the  near- 
by montane  forest. 

Amazing  was  a Black-throated  Sparrow  in 


weedy  scrub  near  the  three 
small  ponds  just  behind  the 
football  field  in  Aquiles  Serdan, 
w.  of  El  Tuito  8 Feb  (BG).  Four 
Grasshopper  Sparrows  were 
near  Cruz  de  Loreto  17  Jan 
(MJI).  An  imm.  male  Rose- 
breasted Grosbeak  was  near 
Llano  Grande  18  Jan  (MJI).  A 
Varied  Bunting  was  at  Parque 
Ecologico  Cuicuilco,  D.F.  21 
Dec  (HGdS,  MPV).  Around  300 
Dickcissels  flew  past  near  Cruz 
de  Loreto  17  Jan  (MJI).  A male 
Orchard  Oriole  was  at  Trabajo 
Social,  Ciudad  Universitaria, 
D.F  20  Dec  (HGdS),  and  a fe- 
male was  there  21  Dec  (HGdS,  MPV). 

Contributors  (area  compilers  in  boldface): 
Sofia  Arenas,  Gerardo  del  Olrno,  Brian  Gib- 
bons (Victor  Emanuel  Nature  Tours),  Hector 
Gomez  de  Silva  (Victor  Emanuel  Nature 
Tours),  Manuel  Grosselet,  Marshall  J.  Iliff 
(Victor  Emanuel  Nature  Tours),  Amy  McAn- 
drews,  Jorge  Montejo,  Monica  Perez  Vil- 
lafana,  David  Waltman,  Mark  Wilkinson, 
Richard  Wilson.  Uncredited  observations  are 
by  Jorge  Montejo  and  Amy  McAndrews. 

SOUTHERN  MEXICO 

The  interior  valleys  of  Oaxaca  were  very  dry 


in  January  and  February,  and  flowers  were 
well  below  average  for  January,  but  the  level 
of  the  Piedra  Azul  reservoir  was  extremely 
high,  so  there  must  have  been  good  rains 
through  early  winter  at  least:  at  least  two 
species  new  for  the  stale  of  Oaxaca  were  doc- 
umented there  in  January.  In  the  highlands 
above  Oaxaca  City,  weather  was  often  cool 
and  cloudy.  Locations  are  in  Oaxaca  unless 
otherwise  stated. 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  THRUSHES 

Noteworthy  ducks  at  Piedra  Azul  res.  above 
Teotitlan  del  Valle  included  a male  and  2 fe- 
male Wood  Ducks  25  Jan-25  Feb  (the  first 
record  for  the  state  of  Oaxaca  and  apparently 
the  southernmost  anywhere;  MSM,  KK,  ph. 
ESB,  MC,  RAn,  ph.  HGdS,  CDB,  m.ob.),  up 
to  5 Ring-necked  Ducks,  up  to  6 Cinnamon 


Teal,  and  a male  Lesser  Scaup  15  Jan-25  Feb 
(rn.ob.).  A West  Mexican  Chachalaca  was 
photographed  28  Jan  in  the  switchbacks 
above  Piedra  Azul  res.,  a regular  location  for 
the  species  since  at  least  1997  (ph.  MC,  ESB 
et  ah).  An  Eared  Grebe  was  on  Presa  Emil- 
iano  Zapata  3 Dec  (AM,  JM,  RAr).  Many 
Brown  Pelicans  were  seen  inland  at  Presa 
Miguel  Aleman  6 Dec  (AM,  JM,  RAr).  An 
imm.  Reddish  Egret  was  feeding  along  the 
edge  of  Presa  Emiliano  Zapata  3 Dec  (AM, 
JM,  RAr).  Many  White  Ibis  were  feeding  in 
flooded  fields  just  e.  of  Cosamaloapan  8 Dec 
(AM,JM,  RAr). 

A Lesser  Yellow-headed  Vulture  near  Xpu- 
jil  ruins.  Camp.  23  Jan  was  at  high  elevation 
and  away  from  water  (BF,  CL). Two  Ospreys 
were  at  a large  res.  w.  of  Tehuantepec  4 Dec 
(HGdS).  An  ad.  Broad-winged  Hawk  at  Hotel 
Mision  de  los  Angeles,  Oaxaca  City  17  Feb 
was  apparently  a first  for  the  well-birded  gar- 
dens here  (HGdS).  An  Ornate  Hawk-Eagle 
was  reportedly  shot  and  killed  at  2100  m near 
the  El  Portillo-Sanjuan  Yaguila  road,  Ixtlan  9 
Jan  ( fide  RAr).  A Peregrine  Falcon  was  at  Yag- 
ul  4 Dec  (HGdS)  and  15  & 20  Jan  (MSM, 
KK).  A Sora  was  at  Piedra  Azul  res.  15  & 20 
Jan  (MSM,  KK);  in  the  same  area,  Roque  An- 
tonio found  2 Virginia  Rails,  8 Soras,  and  sev- 
eral Common  Moorhens,  Jan-Feb.  Single 
Semipalmated  Plovers  were  at  the  small  dam 
e.  of  Teotitlan  del  Valle  4 Dec  and  the  flooded 


fields  just  e.  of  Cosamaloapan  8 Dec  (AM,JM, 
RAr).  Numbers  of  Least  Sandpipers  at  Piedra 
Azul  res.  were  high,  fluctuating  between  40 
on  20  Jan  and  120  on  15  Jan  (MSM,  KK), 
dwindling  to  70  by  15  Feb  (HGdS).  Four 
Short-billed  Dowitchers  were  at  the  same  lo- 
cation 28  Jan  (ph.  ESB,  MC)  and  15  Feb 
(HGdS). 

A Eurasian  Collared-Dove  near  Piedra 
Azul  res.  15  Jan  (MSM,  KK)  represents  a new 
record  for  Oaxaca.  A Yellow-lored  Parrot  re- 
ported from  Palenque  ruins,  Chis.  23  Jan  (BE 
m.ob.)  was  either  a vagrant  displaced  by  Hur- 
ricane Wilma  or  an  escapee.  More  certainly  an 
escapee  was  a White-fronted  Parrot  at  San 
Agustin  Etla  19  Dec  (MG).  A Lesser  Road- 
runner  was  rather  high  (ca.  2900  m)  at  the 
base  of  the  trail  to  the  La  Cumbre  microwave 
towers  27  Jan  (MC,  ESB  et  al.).  Four  Buff-col- 


An  immature  Red-shouldered 
Hawk  2 January  2006  In  Bosque 
Venustiano  Carranza  in  Torreon 
was  one  of  three  or  four  reported 
inCoahuila  this  season. 
Photograph  by  Francisco 
Valdes  Perezgasga. 


292 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIROS 


MEXICO 


lared  Nightjars  were  heard 
along  the  road  to  Dainzti  28  Jan 
(MG),  and  one  was  heard  at  San 
Felipe  Park  near  Oaxaca  City 
12  Feb  (EdV).  A possible 
Azure-crowned  Hummingbird 
was  seen  at  Nochixtlan  29  Dec 
(MG);  the  bird  had  upper 
mandible  black,  the  basal  two- 
thirds  of  lower  mandible  red,  a 
white  postocular  spot,  greenish 
sides  of  neck,  and  greenish 
head  contrasting  with  greenish- 
gray  back  and  tail.  The  identifi- 
cation of  some  white-bellied 
Amazilia  hummingbirds  in  the 
cen.  valleys  of  Oaxaca  is  still  a mystery.  Again 
this  year,  a Green-fronted  Hummingbird  was 
found  feeding  in  Erythrinia  on  the  lower 
slopes  of  Hwy.  175  below  El  Estudiante  24  & 
27  Jan  (MC,  ESB  et  ah).  A male  Broad-tailed 
Hummingbird  was  at  La  Cumbre  16  Dec 
(HGdS).  A female  Lucifer  Hummingbird  at 
Yagul  23  Jan  (MC,  ESB)  was  in  an  area  where 
Beautiful  Hummingbirds  are  far  more  regular. 

A Northern  Barred-Woodcreeper  was  pho- 
tographed at  Finca  Sinai  above  Nopala  7 Jan 
(ph.  MG);  a Strong-billed  Woodcreeper  was 
at  km  79  of  Hwy.  175  n.  of  Oaxaca 
City  18  Jan  (MSM,  KK).  A Greenish 
Elaenia  was  above  Piedra  Azul  res.  15 
Jan  (MSM,  KK).  Three  Northern 
Beardless-Tyrannulets  were  at  high 
elevation  in  the  forest  above  Arroyo 
Guacamaya  14  Dec,  as  was  one  near 
La  Cumbre  16  Dec  (HGdS).  Often  dif- 
ficult to  find  in  winter,  single  Pileated 
Flycatchers  were  found  below  El  Estu- 
diante 14  Dec  (HGdS),  above  Piedra 
Azul  res.  15  Jan  (MSM,  KK),  and  at 
Monte  Alban  26  Jan  (ESB,  MC  et  ah). 

As  often  occurs  in  winter,  Tufted  Fly- 
catchers and  Greater  Pewees  were  not- 
ed downlope  of  their  usual  habitats  in 
cen.  Oaxaca,  with  Tufteds  at  Piedra  Azul  res. 
15-28  Jan  (m.ob.),  near  Oaxaca  City  13  Feb, 
and  near  San  Miguel  Etla  14  Feb  (HGdS), 
with  a Greater  Pewee  near  San  Miguel  Etla  14 
Feb  (HGdS).  Most  unusual  for  the  location,  a 
Buff-breasted  Flycatcher  was  studied  at 
Monte  Alban  14  Feb  (RAr,  RS,  m.ob.).  A 
White-throated  Flycatcher  was  in  cane  near 
Tuxtepec  18  Feb  (HGdS).  An  Eastern  Phoebe 
was  at  Piedra  Azul  res.  25  Jan  (ESB,  MC  et 
al.).  Several  Scissor-tailed  Flycatchers  were 
around  Presa  Emiliano  Zapata  3 Dec  (AM, 
JM,  RAr).  A female  Gray-collared  Becard  was 
at  the  monument  at  km  96.5  along  Hwy.  175 
n.  of  Oaxaca  City  18  Jan  (MSM,  KK). 

Twenty  Dwarf  Jays  were  seen  well  near  La 
Cumbre  24  Jan  (MC,  ESB  et  al.),  and  13  were 


above  Arroyo  Guacamaya  19 
Feb  (MG).  A Clay-colored 
Robin  was  at  San  Gabriel  Etla 
19  Feb  (MG,  ph.  AD,  RP).  A 
Golden  Vireo  was  s.  of  El  Estu- 
diante 17  Feb  (HGdS).  A Slaty 
Vireo  was  above  San  Gabriel 
Etla  22  Jan  (MG);  another,  plus 
a Dwarf  Vireo,  was  at  La  Cum- 
bre 24  Jan,  part  of  a large 
mixed-species  flock  found  dur- 
ing cold,  foggy,  rainy  weather; 
both  vireos  were  at  their  upper 
elevational  limits  at  just  under 
3000  m (MC,  ESB  et  al);  Crewe 
also  found  a Slaty  Vireo  near 
this  spot  25  Dec.  A Happy  Wren  was  at 
Puente  de  Hierro  16  Dec  and  a pair  s.  of  El  Es- 
tudiante 14  Dec,  with  one  there  17  Feb 
(HGdS).  Two  Marsh  Wrens  were  noted  at  the 
small  dam  e.  of  Teotitlan  del  Valle  4 Dec  (AM, 
JM,  RAr).  A Barn  Swallow  was  at  Piedra  Azul 
res.  20  (MSM)  & 25  Jan  (MC,  ESB  et  al.), 
with  a Tree  Swallow  also  present  28  Jan  (MC). 
Aztec  Thrushes  were  widely  reported  in 
small  numbers:  one  was  at  Arroyo  Guaca- 
maya 22  Dec  (MG);  one  to  2 were  near  the  La 
Cumbre  microwave  towers  28  Dec  (MC  et 


al.),  19  Jan  (MSM,  KK),  and  27  Jan  (ESB,  MC 
et  al.);  a female  was  at  Arroyo  Jilguero  25  Jan, 
and  4 (a  female  and  3 males)  were  there  28 
Jan  (MC,  ESB  et  al).  Two  Black  Robins  were 
at  La  Cumbre  27  Jan  and  2 at  Arroyo  Jilguero 
the  next  day  (MC,  ESB  et  al.).  A Clay-colored 
Robin  was  reported  near  El  Punto  19  Jan 
(MSM,  KK). 

WARBLERS  THROUGH  ORIOLES 

A Tennessee  Warbler  was  at  San  Pedro  Nexi- 
cho  22  Jan,  and  another  was  mist-netted  at 
the  Santo  Domingo  botanical  Garden,  Oaxa- 
ca City  26  Feb  (MG).  A Hooded  Yellowthroat 
was  again  found  below  El  Estudiante  24  Feb 
(CDB  et  al.).  An  American  Dipper  was  at  the 
stream  that  crosses  the  road  to  Arroyo  Gua- 


camaya above  San  Gabriel  Etla  22  Jan  (MG). 
Two  Golden-crowned  Kinglets  were  at  La 
Cumbre  25  Dec  (MC  et  al.),  continuing  a 
string  of  recent  sightings  in  this  area.  A male 
Yellow-throated  Euphonia  was  with  2 Scrub 
Euphonias,  the  latter  apparently  of  the  nom- 
inate subspecies,  w.  of  Tehuantepec  4 Dec 
(HGdS,  MPV).  A Summer  Tanager  of  the  w. 
subspecies  coopen  was  at  Monte  Alban  26 
Jan  (ESB,  MC  et  al.),  possibly  the  2nd  record 
of  this  subspecies  from  Oax.  For  the  3rd  win- 
ter, a pair  of  Red-headed  Tanagers  was  found 
in  eucalyptus  below  El  Estudiante  27  Jan 
(MC,  ESB  et  al.).  Two  flocks  totaling  more 
than  100  Red-legged  Honeycreepers  were 
found  along  the  road  to  Pluma  Hidalgo 
(about  12  km  down  from  La  Soledad)  1 Jan 
(MC  et  al.). 

A male  Yellow- faced  Grassquit  was  seen  18 
Jan  in  roadside  scrub  at  km  162  of  Hwy.  175 
near  Gueletao  (MSM,  KK),  a regular  location 
for  the  species.  A Oaxaca  Sparrow  and  a Ru- 
fous-crowned Sparrow  were  at  Arroyo 
Jilguero  28  Jan  (MC,  ESB  et  al.)  and  16  Feb 
(HGdS).  Female-type  Lazuli  Buntings  were 
noted  near  Guelatao  18  Jan  (MSM,  KK),  be- 
low El  Estudiante  27  Jan  (MC),  and  at  the  lo- 
cation known  affectionately  as  “garbage 
gulch”  (or  “valle  de  los  panales”)  be- 
low El  Estudiante  21  Feb  (ph.  HGdS); 
records  of  this  species  from  the  valleys 
of  Oaxaca  are  increasing.  There  were  at 
least  2 Rose-breasted  Grosbeaks  at  Ar- 
royo Guacamaya  15  Dec  (HGdS),  and 
an  ad.  male  was  near  Yuvila  17  Jan 
(MSM,  KK). 

A pair  of  Melodious  Blackbirds  was 
at  the  village  on  the  turnoff  to  Guien 
Gola  4 Dec  (HGdS,  MPV).  A Streak- 
backed  Oriole  was  at  San  Juan 
Guelavia  30  Jan  (MG).  Two  Baltimore 
Orioles  were  near  Piedra  Azul  res.  15 
Jan  (MSM,  KK).  A Bullocks  Oriole  x 
Baltimore  Oriole  hybrid  was  mist-net- 
ted at  the  Santo  Domingo  botanical  Garden, 
Oaxaca  City  26  Feb  (ph.  MG).  A male 
Abeille’s  Oriole  was  at  La  Cumbre,  where  a 
rare  winter  visitor,  24  Jan  (MC,  ESB).  Two 
siskins  at  La  Cumbre  17  Jan  were  described  as 
having  a contrasting  dark-streaked  crown  and 
bold  yellow  wingbars,  typical  of  young  juv. 
Black-capped  Siskins  (MSM). 

Contributors  (area  compilers  in  boldface): 
Roque  Antonio,  Ramiro  Aragon;  Chris  D.  Be- 
nesh, Edward  S.  Brinkley,  and  Megan  Crewe 
(with  Field  Guides,  Inc.);  Alec  Davis,  Edgar  del 
Valle,  Bert  Frenz,  Ken  Kurland,  Hector  Gomez 
de  Silva,  Manuel  Grosselet,  Cindy  Lippincott, 
Amy  McAndrews,  Jorge  Montejo,  Mike  San 
Miguel,  Ruth  Peacock,  Robert  Straub. 


This  Long-billed  Dowitdier  in 
Merida,  Yucatan  1 December  2005 
is  probably  the  first  to  be  photo- 
graphically documented  for  the 
state.  It  was  identified  as  a Long- 
billed Dowitcher  by  call,  bill  length, 
and  its  rather  straight  supercilium. 
Photograph  by  Manuel  Grosselet. 


Three  Wood  Ducks  joined  other  waterfowl  at  Piedra  Azul  dam  aboveTeotitlan  del 
Valle,  Oaxaca,  Mexico  25  January — 25  (here  15)  February  2006.  These  birds  rep- 
resent the  first  record  of  the  species  for  the  state  of  Oaxaca  and  the  southern- 
most anywhere.  Photograph  by  Hector  Gomez  de  Silva. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


293 


MEXICO 


YUCATAN  PENINSULA 


Rio  Lagartos 


Merida,. 


9 

Cozumel 

Chunyaxche 


Carrillo  Puerto 

» 

Banco 
Chinchorro 


Very  bad  news  this  winter  came  from 
Cozumel  Island,  which  took  the  brunt  of 
Hurricanes  Stan  and  Wilma  last  season.  An- 
nual January  visitors  to  the  island  noted  a 
complete  absence  of  parrots,  cuckoos,  owls, 
nightjars,  hummingbirds,  woodpeckers,  tan- 
agers,  or  Yucatan  Vireos;  only  one  dove  and 
nine  individual  warblers  (of  five  species) 
could  be  found  in  three  days.  Fallen  and 
standing  dead  trees  litter  the  island. 

There  was  good  news  this  winter  from  the 
Ria  Lagartos  Biosphere  Reserve,  where  there 
was  a successful  nesting  pair  of  Jabirus  that 
increased  the  local  population  of  the  species 
by  three.  Two  new  species  were  added  to  the 
Reserve’s  list. 

Abbreviations:  H.S.A.C.  (Hacienda  San  Anto- 
nio Chel,  Hunucma,  Yuc.);  R.L.  (Rio  Lagartos, 
Yuc.);  R.L.B.R.  (Ria  Lagartos  Biosphere  Re- 
serve); R.S.F  (Rancho  San  Francisco,  just  s.  of 
R.L.B.R.  behind  El  Cuyo);  R.S.S.  (Rancho  San 
Salvador,  15  km  se.  of  Rio  Lagartos);  S.F  (San 
Felipe,  Yuc.);  T.R  (Telchac  Puerto). 

WATERFOWL  THROUGH  RAPTORS 

Four  Fulvous  Whistling-Ducks  were  seen  be- 
tween Celestun  and  Chunchucmil  14  Jan 
(DB,  DY).  Two  Gadwalls  and  a Green-winged 
Teal  were  seen  at  R.S.F  27  Feb  (AC,  MM,  MS). 
Another  rare  winter  migrant,  a Cinnamon 
Teal  was  seen  near  the  entrance  to  Progreso 
21  Jan  (DB,  EG,  DS).  A total  of  245  Lesser 
Scaup,  mostly  females,  was  counted  21  Jan  at 
Uaymitun  (DB,  EG,  DS).  Sightings  of  Red- 
breasted Merganser  are  on  the  rise,  with  a fe- 
male at  S.E  20  Dec  (AP,  ER,  MT),  8 in  front  of 
the  Hotel  Reef  Club,  T.R  21  Jan  (DB,  EG,  DS), 
and  one  in  a temporary  puddle  on  the  beach 
in  Celestun  3 Eeb  (ph.  DB).  A rare  Masked 
Duck  was  at  R.S.E  27  Feb  (AC,  MM,  MS).  A 
Singing  Quail  was  taped  24  Feb  at  R.S.S. , a 
new  location  for  the  species  in  the  R.L.B.R. 
(AC,  MM,  MS). 

Least  Grebes  nested  on  Cozumel  I.  this 
winter:  2 ads.  with  chicks  were  seen  there  7 
Jan  (MC,  SC).  Along  the  the  mangrove  loop 


trail  at  Muyil,  in  the  Sian  Ka’an  Biosphere  Re- 
serve, a rare  Agami  Heron  was  observed  using 
the  boardwalk  as  a fishing  perch  16  Jan  (MC, 
SC) — one  of  the  few  benefits  of  the  extremely 
high  water  levels.  Boat-billed  Herons  were 
nesting  at  Progreso  by  5 Feb  (DB),  and  2 
Glossy  Ibis  were  reported  at  Celestun  21  Dec 
(DB).  The  nesting  of  a pair  of  Jabirus  in  the 
R.L.B.R.  made  big  news  this  winter.  Nest- 
building began  in  early  Dec,  and  3 chicks 
hatched  in  Feb.  Two  King  Vultures  were  seen 
flying  over  R.S.S.  24  Feb,  almost  a regular  oc- 
currence in  the  area  of  late  (IN).  A single 
Gray-headed  Kite  was  seen  near  El  Cuyo  6 
Jan  (AC),  and  another  or  the  same  bird  was 
seen  over  Dzonot  Carretera  between  El  Cuyo 
and  R.L.  4 Feb  (AC).  A single  White-tailed 
Kite  was  at  Xcambo  15  Dec  (EG),  and  a male 
Northern  Harrier  flew  low  over  R.S.S.  20  Dec 
(DN).  A Crane  Hawk  was  seen  in  Celestun  21 
Dec  (DB),  and  3 were  together  on  the  road  to 
Chunchucmil  14  Jan  (DB,  DY).  A female  Mer- 
lin was  at  Peten  Tucha  20  Dec  (BM,  DN.  RM). 

RAILS  THROUGH  SKIMMER 

At  least  five  pairs  of  Ruddy  Crakes  were  at  the 
sewage  pond  on  Cozumel  1.  6 Jan  (MC,  SC), 
while  3 Soras  were  seen  along  the  road  to 
Chunchucmil  from  Celestun  14  Jan  (DB,  DY). 
Around  5000  American  Coots  were  at  Ce- 
lestun 31  Dec  (DB),  while  50  Wilson's  Plovers 
were  counted  in  the  coastal  lagoon  behind  the 
Celestun  Reef  Club  during  the  Tex-Mex  Shore- 
bird  Survey  21  Jan  (DB,  EG,  DS,  AS).  A single 
ad.  Piping  Plover  was  found  at  Las  Coloradas 
for  the  C.B.C.  20  Dec  (BM,  RM,  DN).  A large 
number  of  Killdeer  (36,  with  29  of  them  in  one 
flock)  was  counted  at  El  Cuyo  21  Dec  (BM, 
MM,  GP,  ER,  MT),  and  a Solitary  Sandpiper 
was  reported  from  Celestun  15  Jan  (DB,  DY). 
A single  Whimbrel  was  at  Las  Coloradas  20 
Dec  (BM,  RM,  DN),  and  another  was  at 
Chelem  21  Jan  (DB,  EG,  DS).  A Marbled  God- 
wit  was  at  Celestun  15  Jan  (DB,  DY),  and  15 
were  resting  on  a sandbar  at  Rio  Lagartos  21 
Jan  (SC,  ER).  Two  rare  Red  Knots  were  on  flats 
behind  Chixchulub,  e.  of  Progreso  21  Jan 


(DB),  and  3 Dunlins,  which  are  increasingly 
being  identified,  were  at  Las  Coloradas  20  Dec 
(BM,  RM,  DN).  A 2nd  state  record  of  Ruff 
came  from  the  coastal  salt  flats  on  the  turnoff 
to  Xcambo,  30  km  e.  of  Progreso  30  Dec;  the 
bird  was  observed  for  20  minutes  at  a distance 
of  20  m as  it  rested  and  preened  (MB,  BM). 
Some  50  km  w.  of  this  location,  the  same  or  an- 
other Ruff  was  viewed  through  a scope  at  30  m 
on  a sandbar  at  Chuburna  harbor  21  Jan  (BM, 
AS).  A Long-billed  Dowitcher  was  pho- 
tographed at  El  Vivero,  Merida,  Yuc.  1 Dec. 
Two  Red-necked  Phalaropes  were  feeding  in 
salt  ponds  at  Las  Coloradas  21  Jan  (IN,  DN). 

An  ad.  Herring  Gull,  a scarce  winter  visitor 
to  the  n.  coast,  was  at  El  Cuyo  21  Dec  (BM, 
MT).  An  ad.  and  2 imm.  Lesser  Black-backed 
Gulls  were  in  the  coastal  lagoon  behind 
Chelem  Ria  21  Jan  (DB,  EG,  DS);  and  anoth- 
er ad.  was  seen  at  Chuburna  21  Feb  (AD, 
BM).  This  species  is  definitely  increasing  in 
the  area,  as  is  Gull-billed  Tern,  with  13  at  the 
Telchac  Puerto  harbor  21  Jan  (DB,  EG,  DS). 
Caspian  Terns  are  also  on  the  increase  along 
the  n.  coast  of  Yucatan:  10  were  at  Uaymitun 
27  Jan  (MB,  BM).  Three  Forster’s  Terns  were 
at  Celestun  15  Jan  (DB,  DY).  A favorite  loca- 
tion for  wintering  Black  Skimmers  is  the 
sandbar  at  the  Chuburna  harbor,  where  a 
minimum  of  700-800  can  be  found  roosting 
during  the  day,  as  on  20  Feb  (AD,  BM). 

PIGEONS  THROUGH  VIREOS 

A consequence  of  Hurricane  Wilma , a White- 
winged Dove  was  the  only  columbid  seen  on 
Cozumel  I.  6-8  Jan  (MC,  SC).  Eurasian  Col- 
lared-Doves  are  being  reported  more  frequent- 
ly: one  was  feeding  with  ground-doves  at  Ce- 
lestun 21  Feb  (EG),  and  one  was  along  the 
mam  avenue  at  Playa  del  Carmen  22  Feb  (IN). 
A total  of  75  Olive-throated  Parakeet  in  flocks 
of  10-25  were  feeding  on  the  seeds  of  the 
Tajonal  bush  ( Viguiera  dentate ) along  the  road 
from  Sierra  Papacal  to  Chuburna  21  Jan  (MJE, 
BM,  AS).  A Barn  Owl  with  2 young  was  ob- 
served 22  Feb  in  the  ruins  at  Dzibanche,  Q.R. 
(LT),  and  2 Vermiculated  Screech-Owls  were 
recorded  calling  15  Jan  near  El  Cuyo  (v.r.  AC). 
A rare  Black-and-white  Owl  was  seen  at  Chac- 
choben  in  s.  Quintana  Roo  in  early  Feb;  how- 
ever, the  bird  has  not  been  seen  since  then 
(LT).  Yucatan  Nightjars  were  heard  calling 
every  night  26-27  Jan  and  7-14  Feb  at  El  Eden, 
Q.R.  (AC).  Two  Keel-billed  Toucans — a new 
species  for  the  R.L.B.R. — were  observed  along 
the  road  to  Tekal  12  km  s.  of  El  Cuyo  23  Feb, 
at  same  location  where  Collared  Aragari  was 
seen  in  2004  (AC). 

A Smoky-brown  Woodpecker  was  taped 
calling  24  km  s.  of  El  Cuyo  at  Sta.  Pilar,  the  s. 
point  of  the  R.L.  reserve  25  Feb  (MS).  A Gold- 


294 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


MEXICO 


en-olive  Woodpecker  was  excavating  a nest 
hole  in  a tree  on  the  road  to  Tekal  behind  El 
Cuyo  1 Feb  (AC).  A Ruddy  and  a Tawny- 
winged  Woocreeper,  plus  a Northern  Barred- 
Woodcreeper,  were  seen  at  Kiuic,  Yuc.  6 Dec 
(BM,  ph.  AH),  confirming  this  as  a site  with 
five  species  of  woodcreepers  (fide  BM).  At 
least  2-3  Tropical  Kingbirds  remained  on 
Cozumel  1.  6-7  Jan  (MC,  SC).  Scissor-tailed 
Flycatcher,  another  species  that  is  more  fre- 
quently reported  in  the  past  few  years,  was 
seen  at  R.L.  1 & 20  Dec  (DN;  BM,  RM)  and  in 
dune  vegetation  at  Chuburna  21  Feb  (AD, 
BM).  A male  Gray-collared  Becard  was  seen 
Vallalodid  on  15  Jan  (MC,  SC).  Two  Black- 
crowned  Tityras  were  on  Chunchucmil  road 
14  Jan  (DB,  DY)  and  2 more  on  the  road  to 
Tekal  behind  El  Cuyo  21-22  Jan  (AC). 

A female  Mangrove  Vireo  (containing  one 
egg)  was  mist-netted  at  El  Cuyo  4 Jan  (AC). 
At  least  5-6  Cozumel  Vireos  were  seen  and 
heard  on  Cozumel  1.  6-7  Jan  (MC,  SC),  which 
suggested  they  survived  the  autumn  hurri- 
canes better  than  many  other  species.  A Blue- 
headed Vireo  was  reported  in  vegetation  near 
Xcan  toll  station  on  toll  road  between  Cancun 
and  Valladolid  9 Jan  (AR,  SM).  A Warbling 
Vireo  was  at  Hacienda  San  Jose  Cholul  5 Feb 
(BM,  AS),  and  another  was  at  San  Antonio 
Muliz,  Yuc.  12  Feb  (BM,  RM).  Some  180  Tree 
Swallows  were  counted  flying  over  R.L.  20 
Dec  (BM,  RM,  DN,  MT);  50  passed  over 
Chuburna  20  Feb  (BM,  AD);  and  thousands 
were  behind  El  Cuyo  daily  2 Jan-27  Feb 
(AC).  Two  Cozumel  Wrens  were  noted  on 
Cozumel  I.  6-7  Jan  (MC,  SC). 


More  and  more  often,  White-lored  Gnat- 
catchers  are  reported  inland,  such  as  one  at 
Hacienda  Yaxcopoil,  Yuc.  9 Jan  (DB,  GT)  and 
a pair  at  H.S.A.C.  18  & 26  Feb  (EC,  BM,  AM, 
JS).  The  same  can  be  said  for  Black  Catbird, 
although  it  is  more  prevalent  in  coastal  dunes, 
where  one  was  found  3 km  w.  of  El  Cuyo  21 
Dec  (BM,  MM,  GP,  ER,  MT);  another  was  on 
road  to  Chunchucmil  near  Celestun  21  Dec 
(DB);  but  on  Cozumel  I.,  only  2 were  seen  7 
Jan  during  a three-day  stay  (MC,  SC).  Twelve 
were  together  3 km  from  village  square  of 
H.S.A.C.  18  Feb  (EC,  BM,  AM,  JS). 

PIPITS  THROUGH  ORIOLES 

Two  American  Pipits  at  R.S.S.  20  Dec  (BM, 
DN)  added  yet  another  species  to  the  R.L.B.R. 
list;  2 more  were  reported  in  Celestun  in  dune 
vegetation  near  the  port  3 Feb  (ph.  DB).  A 
Tennessee  Warbler  at  Celestun  15  Jan  (DB, 
DY)  wintered,  and  4 were  at  Chichen  Itza  4 
Dec  (and  again  in  Mar).  The  local  subspecies 
of  Yellow  Warbler  on  Cozumel  1.  appeared  to 
have  survived  the  landfall  of  Hurricane  Wilma', 
at  least  6-8  were  seen  there  6-7  Jan  (MC,  SC). 
As  in  the  previous  winter,  a male  Black-throat- 
ed Blue  Warbler  wintered  at  Chichen  Itza, 
where  seen  in  mid-Feb  (AR,  SM).  Only  one 
Black-throated  Green,  one  Hooded,  one  Yel- 
low-throated, and  2 Magnolia  Warblers  and  4 
Common  Yellowthroats  were  found  on 
Cozumel  I.  6-8  Jan  (MC,  SC).  A male  Pro- 
thonotary  Warbler  was  at  Celestun  21  Dec 
(DB)  and  14  Jan  (DB,  DY).  A resident  pair  of 
Gray-throated  Chats,  locally  rare,  was  near 
Vallalodid  15  Jan  (MC,  SC).  A male  Rose- 


throated  Tanager  was  observed  at  Tekal  be- 
hind El  Cuyo  2 Feb  (AC).  At  least  one  West- 
ern Tanager  again  wintered  atop  the  pyramid 
at  Izarnal:  last  winter  (in  Dec  2004),  an  imm. 
male  was  seen  feeding  on  the  fruits  of  Sider- 
ixylon  americanum  (BM);  this  winter,  an  ad. 
male  and  a female  were  observed  there  19  Feb 
feeding  on  the  same  fruit  (EG).  Two  Blue-gray 
Tanagers  were  in  Kinchil  Park  3 Feb. 

A single  Green-backed  Sparrow  was  ob- 
served on  road  to  Tekal  2-3  Feb  (AC);  this  is 
the  only  area  where  this  species  is  found  reg- 
ularly in  Yucatan.  Botteri’s  Sparrow  is  present 
in  numbers  around  R.L.,  but  on  3 Feb  one 
was  found  at  the  entrance  to  the  village  of 
Tetiz,  well  inland  from  Celestun  (DB).  Four 
Baltimore  Orioles  and  2 ad.  male  Rose-breast- 
ed Grosbeaks  were  in  Kinchil  Park  3 Feb 
(DB);  3 of  the  latter  were  at  H.S.A.C.  26  Feb, 
plus  9 Painted  Buntings  (EC,  BM,  AM,  JS). 

Contributors  (area  compiler  in  boldface): 
David  Bacab,  Marilyn  Bowers,  Santiago  Con- 
treras, Michael  Carmody,  Evelio  Col,  Susan 
Connolly  Carmody,  Antonio  Celis,  Alex  Dzib, 
Maria  Jose  Espinosa,  Edwin  Gongora,  Bar- 
bara MacKinnon,  Mario  Marin,  Alberto 
Mezquita,  Rodrigo  Migoya,  Sally  Moffet,  Is- 
mael Navarro,  Diego  Nunez,  Agustin 
Pecheco,  Gabriel  Pacheco,  Eric  Ramos,  Alber- 
to Rodriguez,  David  Salas,  Jose  Salazar,  An- 
dres Sierra,  Ann  Snook,  Martin  Stewart,  Luis 
Tellez,  Guilmet  Tun,  David  Younct.  © 


Hector  Gomez  de  Silva,  Xola  314-E,  03100  Mexico,  D.F., 
Mexico,  (hgomez@miranda.ecologia.unam.mx) 


BIRDERS' EXCHANGE  NEEDS  YOU! 


Assist  in  bird  conservation,  research,  and  outreach  in  the 
Neotropics  by  donating  your  used  but  still  functional 
birding  equipment  to  Birders'  Exchange. 

We  collect  binoculars,  spotting  scopes,  neotropical  field 
guides,  and  backpacks  for  distribution  to  research  and  education 
organizations  in  the  Neotropics,  we  also  accept  financial  contributions 
to  support  the  program. 

Please  send  your  donations  to: 

Birders1  Exchange,  American  Birding  Association,  4945  N.  30th  Street,  Suite  200,  Colorado  Springs,  CO  80919 


www.americanbirding.org/bex 


■■m  *.■ n 


V01UME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


295 


Central  America 


H.  Lee  Jones  Oliver  Komar 


The  expansion  of  open-country  species 
through  deforested  regions  of  Central 
America  continues  unabated.  In  Costa 
Rica  alone.  Pearl  Kite,  Southern  Lapwing, 
Mouse-colored  Tyrannulet,  Melodious  Black- 
bird, and  Crested  Oropendola,  none  of  which 
were  on  the  Costa  Rica  list  two  decades  ago, 
continue  to  extend  their  ranges,  occupying 
once-forested  areas  of  the  country.  A more  re- 
cent example,  Tropical  Mockingbird,  is  ex- 
panding rapidly  after  the  first  birds  believed 
to  be  of  wild  provenance  were  recorded  near 
Palo  Verde  less  than  three  years  ago.  Else- 
where, Eastern  Meadowlarks  have  been  re- 
ported in  pastureland  and  other  man-altered 
grassland  areas  in  Belize,  El  Salvador,  and 
Honduras  in  the  past  few  years,  all  in  regions 
where  they  did  not  formerly  occur.  But  a 
species  that  has  the  potential  to  have  the 
greatest  impact  on  local,  and  even  regional, 
economies  is  the  non-native  Tricolored  Mu- 
nia.  In  the  region,  it  first  appeared  in  Costa 
Rica  in  1999  and  has  subsequently  spread 
into  nearby  rice-producing  areas,  causing  jus- 
tifiable concern.  It  was  first  recorded  in  Hon- 
duras and  Belize  in  2003  and  El  Salvador  in 
2004;  it  has  now,  in  2006,  reached  Panama. 

Continuing  an  unbroken  string  of  “country 
firsts”  each  season  were  the  first  Pacific 
Screech-Owl  and  Cave  Swallow  for  Hon- 
duras, El  Salvadors  first  documented  Green- 
winged Teal  and  Broad-tailed  Hummingbird, 
and  Panama’s  hrst  Tricolored  Munia. 

DUCKS  THROUGH  STORKS 

A flock  of  about  200  Muscovy  Ducks  at  Lagu- 
na de  San  Juan  del  Gozo,  Usulutan  24  Feb 
(ph.  RV)  was  a remarkable  concentration  for 
El  Salvador,  although  apparently  a similar 
group  was  at  the  same  site  last  year.  Three  fe- 
male American  Wigeons  at  a shrimp  farm  at 
Chomes,  on  the  n.  shore  of  Gulf  of  Nicoya,  4 
Jan  (JZ)  were  noteworthy.  This  species  win- 
ters regularly  in  small  numbers  in  Tempisque 
Basin,  but  it  is  much  rarer  in  other  areas  of 
Costa  Rica.  A pair  of  Green-winged  Teal  13 
Jan  at  Lago  Giiija,  Santa  Ana  (ph.  LP)  estab- 
lished the  hrst  documentation  of  the  species 
in  El  Salvador  and  hrst  record  since  an  aerial 


survey  reported  it  in  1947.  In  Panama,  4 Less- 
er Scaup  on  R.  Chagres  at  Ft.  San  Lorenzo, 
Colon  (KK,  RM)  were  in  an  unexpected  local- 
ity. And  in  Guatemala,  6 Ruddy  Ducks  were 
in  San  Miguel  Dueiias,  Sacatepequez  5 Jan 
(KE,  CA). 

Approximately  150  Audubon’s  Shearwaters 
55  km  offshore  from  e.  El  Salvador  14  Dec 
(AM)  provided  the  hrst  winter  record  for  El 
Salvador.  A Magnificent  Frigatebird  was  seen 
over  Tres  Leguas,  nw.  Orange  Walk , Belize  3 
Feb  (BF);  most  published  inland  records  of 
this  species  have  been  from  late  summer.  In 
Guatemala,  2 Least  Bitterns  were  seen  in 
Monterrico  N.P,  Santa  Rosa  12  Dec  (KE).  A 
Great  Blue  Heron  nest  at  Turneffe  Atoll  on  1 
Feb  (BF)  was  attended  by  a pair  comprised  of 
a blue  morph  and  a white  morph,  the  latter 
not  often  seen  in  Belize.  Seventeen  Roseate 
Spoonbills  in  a marsh  near  Las  Lajas  Beach  5 
Feb  (GA)  provided  the  2nd  report  for  Chiriqui 


With  no  more  than  a half-dozen  previous  reports  for  Costa 
Rica,  this  Nashville  Warbler,  found  in  the  Botanical  Gardens 
at  Tirimbina  Rainforest  Center  13  and  (here)  22  February 
2006,  was  the  first  to  be  photographically  confirmed  in  the 
country.  Photograph  by  Ryan  Terrill. 

and  largest  number  reported  for  the  province. 
An  extraordinary  120  Jabirus  in  with  300 
Wood  Storks  at  Fresh  Catch  Fish  Farm  near 
La  Democracia,  Belize  27  Jan  (CP,  CC,  RR, 
SR)  was  easily  the  largest  concentration  ever 
recorded  in  Belize  or  in  Central  America. 

RAPTORS 

The  imm.  Gray-headed  Kite  reported  from 
Caye  Caulker  last  spring  was  still  present 
through  the  end  of  the  period  and  is  now  an 
ad.  (ph.  BE  ph.  EMc).  In  El  Salvador,  3 Hook- 
billed Kites  at  El  Imposible  N.P,  Ahuachapdn 
16  Feb  (TPP,  CA)  were  noteworthy  and  possi- 
bly represented  transients.  A rare  winter  visi- 
tor in  Costa  Rica,  single  Northern  Harriers 
were  at  Parque,  10  km  s.  of  Los  Chiles,  in  the 
n.  Caribbean  lowlands,  8 Jan  (KEa  et  al.)  and 


at  La  Guinea,  10  km  e.  of  Filadelha,  along  R. 
Tempisque,  Guanacaste  26  Jan  (JZ).  The  Par- 
que bird  was  an  ad.  male.  A pair  of  ad.  Crane 
Hawks  was  seen  10  Jan  (LS)  with  several  oth- 
er raptor  species  over  fallow  rice  fields  that 
were  being  plowed  in  preparation  for  cultiva- 
tion at  Sierpe  in  the  s.  Pacific  lowlands  near 
the  mouth  of  R.  Sierpe.  This  species  is  very 
rarely  reported  anywhere  in  Costa  Rica  away 
from  its  two  centers  of  abundance  in  Tor- 
tuguero  and  the  lower  Tempisque  Basin. 

In  Panama,  in  the  forest  along  Old  Gamboa 
Road  near  Summit,  an  area  where  the  species 
is  seldom  reported,  2 ad.  Plumbeous  Hawks 
were  seen  chasing  each  other  and  calling  22 
Feb  (GLA).  Now  that  people  are  looking, 
Zone-tailed  Hawks  are  being  seen  more  fre- 
quently in  the  Caribbean  lowlands  of  Hon- 
duras. One  soaring  2 km  s.  of  Las  Mangas, 
Atlantida  19  Feb  (MB)  and  another  in  the 
Valle  de  Aguan  w.  of  Olanchito,  Yoro  28  Feb 
(DA)  continue  a recent  trend  of  one  to  three 
reports  per  year.  An  intermediate-morph  ad. 
Swainson’s  Hawk  at  Blue  Creek  rice  fields,  Or- 
ange Walk  11  Dec  (LJ,  PB,  EB,  LH  et  al.)  was 
thought  to  be  the  same  individual  seen  there 
last  winter.  In  Costa  Rica,  Swainsons  Hawk  is 
an  irregular  winter  visitor  in  small  numbers; 
however,  up  to  25  birds  attracted  to  burning 
sugar  cane  and  rice  fields  in  Bagatzi  adjacent 
to  Palo  Verde  N.P.  6-12  Jan  (JZ)  represented 
an  unusually  large  number  for  the  season. 

A White-tailed  Hawk,  very  rare  in  the 
Panama  Canal  area,  was  seen  near  Metropoli- 
tan Nature  Park,  Panama  City  18  Dec  (JAC). 
Quite  unexpected  was  an  imm.  Harpy  Eagle 
at  Quebrada  de  Oro,  Bladen  N.R.,  Toledo  15 
Dec  (JM,  SM,  ph.  SB,  SoM,  JR).  There  are  very 
few  documented  reports  of  this  majestic 
species  from  Belize,  and  this  was  the  hrst  to 
be  confirmed  photographically.  An  ad.  Ornate 
Hawk-Eagle  flying  over  Pipeline  Road  23  Feb 
(GLA)  was  in  the  Panamanian  lowlands, 
where  it  is  rare.  In  Costa  Rica,  wintering  Mer- 
lins were  at  La  Fortuna  by  Volcan  Arenal  28 
Dec  (LC)  and  at  La  Guinea,  10  km  e.  of 
Filadelfia,  along  the  R.  Tempisque,  Gua- 
nacaste 25-26  Jan  (JZ).  The  latter  may  be  the 
same  individual  reported  from  this  locality  in 
the  fall  and  perhaps  in  previous  winters. 

RAILS  THROUGH  NIGHTHAWKS 

At  the  Gatun  Drop  Zone  in  Sherman,  Colon , a 
Gray-breasted  Crake  was  seen  2 Jan  (CM), 
and  2 were  seen  there  2 Feb  (BB,  JC,  DM); 
this  rarely  reported  species  has  only  recently 
been  found  at  this  site.  A Sungrebe  carefully 
observed  at  Estero  de  San  Diego,  La  Libertad 
23  Jan  (MC)  was  in  the  same  place  where  El 
Salvador’s  first  record  was  obtained  13 
months  earlier.  The  Southern  Lapwing  first 


296 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


CENTRAL  AMERICA 


recorded  in  Belize  at  Crooked  Tree  W.S.  in 
Apr  2004  was  still  present  through  the  end  of 
the  period  (BZ  et  al.).  A Long-billed  Curlew 
was  at  Costa  del  Este  in  Panama  City  9 Feb 
(AMc).  What  was  thought  to  be  one  of  2 Mar- 
bled Godwits  that  have  wintered  on  Caye 
Caulker  the  past  several  winters  returned 
again  this  winter  (J&DB,  BZ  et  ah).  A surpris- 
ing 4 Ring-billed  Gulls  were  at  Panama  Viejo 
9 Feb  (MJI),  and  an  ad.  Elegant  Tern  in  basic 
plumage  was  found  28  Feb  among  1000 
Sandwich  Terns  at  a beach  near  downtown 
Panama  City  (ph.  CB).  In  El  Salvador,  a flock 
of  more  than  600  Black  Skimmers  18  Feb  was 
an  exceptional  concentration  at  Barra  de  San- 
tiago, Ahuachapan  (OK  et  ah). 

Three  Scaled  Pigeons  at  Tortuguero  N.P.  6 
Dec  (DL)  were  apparently  the  first  reported 
from  the  heavily  birded  Tortuguero  area;  this 
species  is  very  seldom  encountered  in  the 
Caribbean  lowlands  in  the  e.  half  of  Costa 
Rica  and  may  exhibit  pronounced  seasonal 
movements.  Normally  restricted  in  Honduras 
to  cloud  forests  at  elevations  above  1200  m,  a 
White-faced  Quail-Dove  was  observed  at 
close  range  for  several  minutes  24  Feb  (MB) 
in  the  lowlands  at  150  m at  Pico  Bonito  in 
Atlantida.  A Pheasant  Cuckoo  heard  singing 
at  1500  m from  the  forest  edge  at  Las  Alturas 
on  the  s.  Pacific  slope  of  Cordillera  Talaman- 
ca  6 Feb  (JG,  AO,  JZ)  was  only  the  3rd  re- 
ported from  this  area  of  Costa  Rica,  the  others 
having  been  recorded  nearby  last  year. 

A Pacific  Screech-Owl,  the  first  ever  docu- 
mented in  Honduras,  was  found  11  Feb  with 
a mate  on  Isla  Zacate  Grande,  in  the  Gulf  of 
Fonseca  (ph.  TJ,  OK),  where  it  has  long  been 
expected.  Short-tailed  Nighthawk  is  one  of 
Honduras'  most  poorly  known  resident  (?) 
species.  Two  were  reported  this  winter:  one 
seen  about  30  minutes  after  sunset  flying  over 
the  soccer  field  at  Cuero  y Salado  N.W.R., 
Atlantida  12  Jan  (D&ES);  another  flying  low 
over  a seasonally  flooded  pond  30  to  10  min- 
utes before  sunrise  29  Feb  (RG)  and  1 Mar 
(MB,  LSo)  16  km  w.  of  Olanchito,  Yarn.  These 
sightings  support  the  premise  that  this  species 
is  most  likely  to  be  seen  in  the  darkest  twi- 
light hours,  perhaps  explaining  why  it  is  not 
reported  more  often.  The  Olanchito  sighting 
is  the  first  report  for  Honduras  away  from  the 
Caribbean  coast. 

SWIFTS  THROUGH  T0UCANETS 

In  the  company  of  50+  Chestnut-collared 
Swifts  were  at  least  4 male  Black  Swifts  at  El 
fmposible  N.P,  Ahuachapan  15  Feb  (tPP). 
This  represents  either  the  first  winter  record 
for  El  Salvador  or  earliest  spring  migration 
record.  A Vaux’s  Swift  seen  in  a large  flock  of 
Short-tailed  Swifts  above  the  Gamboa  bridge 


over  the  R.  Chagres  26  Dec  (DM)  was  unex- 
pected, as  this  species  is  rare  in  the  Panama 
Canal  area.  A Violet  Sabrewing  15  Feb  (ph. 
JiW)  at  duPlooy’s  resort  in  w.  Cayo  was  the 
first  reported  for  this  heavily  birded  area  at 
the  n.  edge  of  the  species’  range  in  Belize,  and 
a Brown  Violet-ear  singing  from  a high  perch 
at  Altos  de  Maria,  Panama  2 Feb  (MJI)  was 
the  first  reported  in  that  area.  Two  individuals 
of  the  rarely  reported  Emerald-chinned  Hum- 
mingbird in  El  Salvador  were  captured  at  the 
Santa  Ana  volcano,  Santa  Ana  25  Feb  (ph. 
LA).  Four  Rufous-crested  Coquettes  (an  un- 
usually high  number  for  any  locality  in  Pana- 
ma) were  at  El  Valle,  Code  3 Feb  (MJI).  A 
male  Black-crested  Coquette  30  Jan  (CG  et 
al.)  at  150  m in  the  Oro  Verde  reserve  in  Uvi- 
ta  on  Costa  Rica’s  cen.  Pacific  coast  was  visit- 
ing cashew  tree  flowers.  The  species  is  only 
occasionally  reported  from  the  Pacific  slope, 
and  this  one  was  exceptionally  far  s.,  well  be- 


This  attractive  adult  male  Prairie  Warbler  was  mist-netted 
in  the  Playa  Naranjo  mangroves  in  Santa  Rosa  N.P.  25 
December  2005.  The  species  winters  in  the  Caribbean 
and  is  a treat  anywhere  in  mainland  Central  America. 

Photograph  by  Maureen  and  John  Woodcock. 

yoncl  its  normal  range  limit.  In  Panama,  a fe- 
male Green  Thorntail  was  at  Canopy  Lodge, 
El  Valle  16  Dec  (GA),  and  3 females  and  an 
ad.  male  were  there  3 Feb  (MJI).  Twelve 
Snowcaps  seen  at  Altos  de  Maria,  Panama  2 
Feb  (MJI)  was  an  extraordinary  number  for 
this  rare  species.  Convincing  details  were  pro- 
vided for  what  was  almost  certainly  a female 
Broad-tailed  Hummingbird  seen  at  El  Im- 
posible  N.P  15  Feb  (tPP,  CA).  The  species  is 
hypothetical  in  El  Salvador  based  on  two  un- 
documented sight  reports.  An  American 
Pygmy  Kingfisher  was  at  Summit  Ponds  18 
Dec  (DM).  Previously  rarely  reported  from 
the  Summit  area,  it  is  now  being  reported 
more  frequently.  In  El  Salvador,  one  at  Estero 
San  Diego  23  Jan  (MC)  provided  the  first 
record  for  La  Libertad. 

On  16  Feb,  at  about  450  m in  Pico  Bonito, 
seasoned  observers  saw  Yellow-eared  Tou- 
canets  feeding  in  the  same  tree  (Vi rola  kochnyi 
or  “sangre”)  with  Keel-billed  Toucans,  Col- 
lared Aragaris,  and  Emerald  Toucanets  (MB, 
LSo,  DA).  The  elevational  distribution  of  this 


species  in  Honduras  has  proven  enigmatic;  at 
present,  it  is  rather  common  above  350  m in 
Pico  Bonito  N.P,  with  only  a few  recent  re- 
ports in  Pico  Bonito  below  350  nr  and  from 
the  Moskitia.  In  his  Distributional  Survey  of 
the  Birds  of  Honduras , Monroe  described  it  as 
a lowland  species  rarely  reported  above  500 
m,  citing  specimens  from  the  n.  coast  and  in 
Olancho  at  elevations  below  500  nr. 

WOODPECKERS  THROUGH 
FLYCATCHERS 

Single  Yellow-bellied  Sapsuckers  were  seen  in 
Panama  at  Metropolitan  Nature  Park  17  Jan 
(JT)  and  in  Gamboa  and  the  Ammo  Dump 
Ponds  about  3 km  away  4 Feb  (MJI).  A Bare- 
crowned  Antbird,  rarely  reported  in  Belize, 
was  heard  between  the  villages  of  Blue  Creek 
and  Jordan,  Toledo  26  Jan  (LJ).  Farther  s.,  a 
pair  was  at  Dtirika  de  Buenos  Aires  14  Jan 
(LS),  a location  in  Costa  Rica  where  it  was  first 
reported  last  fall.  Seldom  reported  in  the  re- 
gion away  from  Caye  Caulker,  where  there  is  a 
small  resident  population,  a Caribbean  Elae- 
nia  was  carefully  studied  at  Altun  Ha,  Orange 
Walk  28  Feb  (ph.  BF  et  al.).  In  Panama,  a 
rarely  reported  Rufous-browed  Tyrannulet 
was  at  Altos  de  Maria,  Panama  on  2 Feb  (MJI). 

A Northern  Scrub-Flycatcher  was  at  Ft.  San 
Lorenzo,  Colon  2 Jan  (GB),  and  a Pale-eyed 
Pygmy-Tyrant  was  heard  on  the  s.  side  of  R. 
Chagres  near  Gamboa  26  Dec  (DM).  The  for- 
mer is  rare  on  the  Atlantic  side  of  the  Panama 
Canal  area,  and  the  latter  has  not  been  report- 
ed previously  this  far  onto  the  Atlantic  slope. 
A Bran-colored  Flycatcher  near  the  s.  end  of 
Old  Gamboa  Road  near  Summit  18  Dec  (DM) 
was  the  first  reported  in  recent  years  from  that 
locality.  A Yellow-margined  Flycatcher  that 
responded  to  a pre-recorded  tape  was  seen 
and  heard  at  Uvita  5 Dec  (CU,  NU,  CV,  PW). 
In  Costa  Rica,  this  primarily  Caribbean-slope 
species  is  now  fairly  common  in  the  Pacific 
lowlands  around  Ciudad  Neily  and  Paso 
Canoas  near  the  Panama  border,  and  it  has 
been  recorded  at  Golfito  a little  farther  west. 
Uvita  is  much  farther  up  the  coast.  It  is  yet  to 
be  determined  if  this  observation  is  indicative 
of  a species  that  has  been  overlooked  on  the 
Pacific  slope  in  areas  very  seldom  visited  by 
birders  or  if  it  is  indicative  of  a species  that  is 
expanding  its  range. 

An  Olive-sided  Flycatcher  was  observed 
along  the  Coastal  Hwy.  s.  of  La  Denrocracia, 
Belize  12  Feb  (BF  et  al.).  While  relatively 
common  in  winter  in  the  Maya  Mts.,  this 
species  is  seldom  observed  in  winter  in  the 
coastal  plain  of  Belize.  A pair  of  Cattle 
Tyrants  was  discovered  delivering  food  to  a 
nest  in  a palm  tree  at  Tocumen  Airport, 
Panama  15  Feb  (MJI).  The  nest  appeared  to 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


297 


CENTRAL  AMERICA 


have  at  least  3 half-grown  young.  This  repre- 
sents only  the  2nd  known  breeding  locality 
for  the  species  in  Panama.  A Sulphur-bellied 
Flycatcher  at  Tocumen  Marsh  24  Feb  (DM, 
HO)  was  early.  It  is  not  usually  reported  in  the 
Region  before  early  Mar.  About  10,000  Scis- 
sor-tailed  Flycatchers  coming  to  a nocturnal 
roost  at  Barra  de  Santiago,  Ahuachapan  18  Feb 
(OK,  PP  et  al.)  was  the  largest  concentration 
recorded  in  El  Salvador. 

BECARDS  THROUGH  MOCKINGBIRDS 

A Gray-collared  Becard  at  Mayflower-Bocaw- 
ina  N.P,  Stann  Creek  16  Dec  (LJ)  was  note- 
worthy, as  this  species  is  not  often 
reported  in  Belize.  A White-eyed 
Vireo  was  at  the  Gatun  Drop  Zone 
in  Sherman,  Colon  2 Feb  (BB,  JC, 

DM).  Even  more  impressive,  a War- 
bling Vireo,  only  the  2nd  ever 
recorded  in  Panama,  was  observed 
at  Finca  Hartmann,  above  Santa 
Clara,  Chiriqui  14  Feb  (JT). 
Philadelphia  Vireos,  normally  un- 
common to  scarce  in  winter  in  Be- 
lize, were  reported  more  frequently 
this  winter  than  is  typical.  A male 
Gray-breasted  Martin  in  Punta  Gorda  14  Dec 
(LJ)  established  the  earliest  “spring”  arrival 
date  for  this  species  in  Belize,  where  it  is  nor- 
mally absent  late  Sep-late  Dec. 

At  least  7 Cave  Swallows  at  El  Jicarito 
N.W.R.,  Choluteca  1 1 Feb  (OK,  ph.  TJ)  pro- 
vided the  first  record  for  Honduras,  although 
the  species  was  expected  as  a winter  visitor  on 
the  Pacific  coast.  A Slate-colored  Solitaire  was 
mist-netted  26  Feb  at  the  unusually  low  ele- 
vation of  150  m at  Pico  Bonito,  Atlantida 
(MB).  The  species  had  not  been  recorded  pre- 
viously in  Honduras  below  500  nr,  and  it  is 
decidedly  uncommon  below  900  m.  Why  this 
species  and  White-faced  Quail-Dove,  men- 
tioned previously,  were  so  low  and  at  the 
same  location  is  intriguing.  Noteworthy  were 
a Wood  Thrush  seen  on  the  first  part  of 
Pipeline  Road,  Soberania  N.P  26  Dec  (DM) 
and  another  seen  at  Achiote  Road,  Colon  28 
Feb  (LPa,  CW,  RW).  This  is  a rare  winter  vis- 
itor in  the  Panama  Canal  area.  Tropical  Mock- 
ingbird is  in  the  process  of  colonizing  Costa 
Rica.  Birds  of  presumed  wild  provenance  were 
first  noted  in  Guanacaste  in  Mar  2003  and 
have  been  noted  at  several  other  locations 
since.  One  at  La  Fortuna,  near  Volcan  Arenal 
28  Dec  (LC)  through  at  least  mid-Jan  was  at  a 
new  location  for  this  species. 

WARBLERS 

A male  Nashville  Warbler  in  the  botanical  gar- 
dens at  Tirimbina  Rainforest  Center  13  & 22 
Feb  (ph.  RT)  provided  one  of  the  few  con- 


firmed records  for  Costa  Rica.  It  was  observed 
pumping  its  tail,  which  is  apparently  more  typ- 
ical of  the  w.  subspecies  ridgway i (“Calaveras 
Warbler”)  than  of  the  nominate.  In  Panama, 
Northern  Parulas  were  at  the  Gatlin  Drop  Zone 
(DM)  in  Sherman  and  at  Ft.  Davis  2 Jan  (KK, 
RM).  In  Guatemala,  one  was  near  L.  Yaxha, 
Peten  3 Dec,  and  another  was  found  in  man- 
groves in  Monterrico,  Santa  Rosa  13  Dec  (both 
KE).  What  was  likely  the  same  Cape  May  War- 
bler in  imm.  female  plumage  was  seen  feeding 
in  flowers  at  Metropolitan  Nature  Park  9 Feb 
(MJ1)  and  21  Feb  (JT).  These  sightings  repre- 
sent the  first  for  the  Pacific  side  of  the  Panama 
Canal  area.  Rare  anywhere  on 
the  mainland,  a male  Black- 
throated  Blue  Warbler  was  at 
Saint  Catherine  Academy,  Be- 
lize City  18  Feb  (PB),  and  2 
males  were  at  the  Kekoldi  Re- 
serve on  the  s.  Caribbean 
coast  of  Costa  Rica  25  Jan+ 
(PPo,  DM).  One  of  the  latter 
was  captured  and  banded. 

Above-average  numbers 
of  Yellow-rumped  Warblers 
were  reported  in  some  parts 
of  the  Region  this  winter.  Worth  mentioning 
were  5 at  El  Jicarito  N.W.R.,  Choluteca  1 1 Feb 
(TJ,  OK)  and  one  at  Pijije,  20  km  se.  of 
Liberia,  Guanacaste  13  Jan  (JZ),  an  area  of 
Costa  Rica  where  it  is  not  often  found.  In 
Panama,  where  it  is  normally  a rare  visitor, 
one  was  at  Altos  de  Maria,  Code  2 Feb,  and 


one  was  at  Ft.  San  Lorenzo,  Panama  6 Feb 
(both  MJI).  Golden-cheeked  Warblers  con- 
tinue to  be  reported  from  new  or  surprising 
localities.  Providing  only  the  2nd  record  for 
Panama,  a female  was  seen  along  the  road  to 
Respingo  in  Volcan  Baru  N.P  above  Cerro 


Punta,  Chiriqui  13  Feb  (JT)-  The  species  was 
first  recorded  in  Panama  last  winter  in  the 
same  area.  In  El  Salvador,  2 males  at  Bosque 
La  Montanona  4 Dec  (tLG,  EM)  established 
the  first  record  for  Chalatenango.  Another 
male  at  the  same  locality  and  in  appropriate 
pine-oak  habitat  20  Dec  (EM)  suggests  that 
this  may  be  a regular  wintering  locality  for  the 
species.  With  only  about  nine  previous 
records  for  El  Salvador,  and  only  two  of  these 
from  the  coastal  volcanic  highlands,  2 Yellow- 
throated  Warblers  at  Merliot,  La  Libertad  20 
Jan  (AM)  were  unexpected.  An  ad.  male 
Prairie  Warbler  was  mist-netted  at  the  Playa 
Naranjo  mangroves  in  Santa  Rosa  N.P.,  Gua- 
nacaste 25  Dec  (ph.  M&JW).  The  species  is 
an  exceptionally  rare  winter  visitor  in  Costa 
Rica.  Rare  in  Panama  were  2 Palm  Warblers  at 
Gatun  Drop  Zone,  Sherman,  Colon  10  Feb 
(GA)  and  2 Blackpoll  Warblers,  one  at  Metro- 
politan Nature  Park  17  Jan  (JT)  and  one  at 
Tocumen  Marsh  24  Feb  (DM,  HO). 

Rare  in  winter  was  a female  Cerulean  War- 
bler at  Achiote  Road,  Colon  21  Jan  (JT).  A 
Worm-eating  Warbler  at  Metropolitan  Nature 
Park  21  Feb  (JT)  was  both  farther  e.  in  Pana- 
ma than  expected  and  in  the  Pacific  lowlands, 
where  it  is  rarely  recorded.  An  Ovenbird  at 
2000  m Cerro  Alux,  Guatemala  15  Jan  was  at 
an  atypically  high  elevation  (KE,  CA).  Three 
Common  Yellowthroats  were  reported  from 
Panama,  where  it  is  a rare  winter  visitor:  2 at 
Tocumen  Marsh  7 Feb  (MJI)  and  one  at  the 


(AA).  A female  Hooded  Warbler  at  Palo 
Verde  N.P  6 Jan  (JZ ) was  in  an  area  of 
Costa  Rica  where  it  is  unexpected.  In 
Panama,  where  it  is  relatively  rare,  3 
were  reported  this  winter:  one  each  on 
the  s.  side  of  R.  Chagres  near  Gamboa 
26  Dec  (DM),  just  s.  of  Gamboa,  also 
along  the  s.  side  of  R.  Chagres  4 Feb 
(MJI),  and  at  Hotel  Sol  de  Melia  near 
Colon  24  Feb  and  1 Mar  (GLA). 

TANAGERS  THROUGH  MUNIAS 

Rosy  Thrush-Tanagers  continue  to  be 
reported  from  Durika  de  Buenos  Aires, 
Costa  Rica,  where  a small  population 
was  discovered  last  fall.  The  nomadic 
and  unpredictable  Slate-colored 
Seedeater  is  always  worth  reporting.  At 
least  3 were  heard  singing  from  a wood- 
lot  at  Sabalito  de  Coto  Bras  in  the  se. 
Pacific  region  of  Costa  Rica  at  900  m 13 
Feb  (JZ).  This  species  was  very  common  in 
this  area  in  2002  during  a big  fruiting  episode 
of  the  local  understory  bamboo.  Elsewhere, 
Slate-colored  Seedeaters,  including  multiple 
singing  males,  appeared  in  Carara  N.P  along 
the  Meandrica  Trail  and  near  the  visitor’s  cen- 


Cave  Swallow  records  have  long 
been  expected  in  Honduras,  and 
this  one  at  El  Jicarito,  Choluteca 
Department,  on  11  February 
2006,  was  part  of  a flock  of 
seven.  Photograph  by  Tom  Jenner. 


One  of  two  captured  at  Los  Volcanes  National  Park,  El  Salvador,  this  fe- 
male Emerald-chinned  Hummingbird  was  caught  25  February  2006;  the 
species  is  rarely  observed  here.  Photograph  by  Leticia  del  Carmen  Andino. 


298  NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


ter,  as  well  as  just  outside  the  park  near  the  Vil- 
la Lapas  Hotel,  in  late  Feb+  (MV  et  al.).  Inter- 
estingly, there  is  no  sign  of  seeding  bamboo  in 
the  area.  A Stripe-headed  Brush-Finch  was 
seen  1 Feb  at  about  600  m along  the  Vista- 
mares  Trail  in  Altos  de  Cerro  Azul  e.  of  Pana- 
ma City,  where  it  is  not  often  reported  (BB,  JC, 
DM).  Belize  recorded  its  first  winter-season 
Dickcissels  14  Dec,  when  7 were  seen  at  The 
Dump  rice  fields,  Toledo  14  Dec  (MT,  DT,  RC). 

A singing  male  Red-winged  Blackbird  at 
Rubelsanto,  Alta  Verapaz  20  Dec  and  7 Feb 
was  apparently  the  first  ever  recorded  in  that 
region  of  Guatemala  (KE).  Three  Eastern 
Meadowlarks  at  Big  Falls,  Toledo  14  Dec  (MT, 
DT,  RC)  were  about  35  km  s.  of  the  species’ 
known  range  in  Belize.  It  has  been  expanding 
its  range  elsewhere  in  the  region  in  response 
to  expanding  agriculture.  A male  Shiny  Cow- 
bird  seen  near  the  Ammo  Dump  Pond  26  Dec 
(DM)  was  the  first  reported  from  the  vicinity 
of  Gamboa,  and  an  Altamira  Oriole  at  Chan 
Chich,  Orange  Walk  24  Feb  (BZ,  VE  et  al.) 
may  have  been  the  first  recorded  from  that 
heavily  birded  locality  in  Belize.  Noteworthy 
in  Costa  Rica  was  a Bullock’s  Oriole  seen  26 
Dec  (LR,  OM)  feeding  with  a group  of  Balti- 
more Orioles  in  the  town  of  Tarcoles  near 
Carara  N.P,  and  in  Guatemala,  a male  Red 


Crossbill  was  seen  carrying  pine  needles 
(probably  as  nesting  material)  in  Novillero, 
Solold  1 Jan.  A singing  male  and  a female  were 
seen  there  the  next  day  (KE,  CA).  Panama 
recorded  its  first  Tricolored  Munia  6 Feb  just 
w.  of  Summit  Nature  Park,  Panama  6 Feb 
(MJI);  another  was  seen  and  photographed  in 
Metropolitan  Nature  Park  the  following  day 
(JT).  Although  these  could  have  been  escaped 
cage  birds,  this  Asian  native  is  spreading  else- 
where in  Central  America,  and  these  likely 
represented  part  of  the  first  wave  of  a sponta- 
neous colonization  of  the  area. 

Corrigenda:  In  the  2003  Fall  Season  report 
( N.A.B . 58:  157),  a Bare-necked  Umbrellabird 
was  mistakenly  referred  to  as  a Bare-throated 
Umbrellabird.  The  Prairie  Warbler  was  ob- 
served last  winter  at  Ciudad  Colon,  San  Jose, 
not  simply  “Colon”  (N.A.B.  59:  340). 

Contributors  (country  coordinators  in  bold- 
face): Ariel  Aguirre,  David  Anderson  (Hon- 
duras), Leticia  del  Carmen  Andino,  George 
Angehr  (Panama),  George  L.  Armistead,  Clau- 
dia Avendano,  Philip  Balderantos,  Brian  Beers, 
Guido  Berguido,  Jim  & Dorothy  Beveridge, 
Carlos  Bethancourt,  Mike  Boyd,  Steven  Brew- 
er, Erneldo  Bustamante,  Reynold  Cal,  Cecy 


CENTRAL  AMERICA 


Castillo,  Leo  Chaves,  Jim  Cone,  Marcel 
Couwels,  Jan  Axel  Cubilla,  Kevin  Easley 
(KEa),  Knut  Eisermann  (Guatemala),  Victor 
Emanuel,  Bert  Frenz,  Robert  Gallardo,  Julie 
Girard,  Luis  Giron,  Carlos  Gomez,  Luz 
Hunter,  Marshall  J.  Iliff,  Tomjenner,  Lee  Jones 
(Belize),  Karl  Kaufmann,  Oliver  Komar  (El 
Salvador),  Daryl  Loth,  Jake  Marlin,  Sofia  Mar- 
lin (SoM),  Daniel  Martinez,  Esmeralda  Mar- 
tinez, Amy  McDonald  (AMc),  Ellen  McRae 
(EMc),  Sam  Meacham,  Rosabel  Miro,  Olga 
Monahan,  Camilo  Montanez,  Darien  Mon- 
tanez, Alvaro  Moises,  Allison  Olivieri,  Hal  Op- 
pernran,  Luis  Paz  (LPa),  Luis  Pineda,  Celso 
Poot,  Pablo  Porras  (PPo),  Peter  Pyle,  Raymond 
Reneau,  Sr.,  Stevan  Reneau,  Leif  Robinson, 
James  Rotenberg,  Luis  Sandoval,  David  & Eliz- 
abeth Shoch,  Luis  Soto  (LSo),  Jose  Tejada, 
Mario  Teul,  Ryan  Terrill,  David  Tzul,  Carlos 
Ureiia,  Noel  Urena,  Cristian  Valenciano,  Rafael 
Vela,  Max  Vindas,  Catherine  Waters,  Robert 
Waters,  Pieter  Westra,  Maureen  & John  Wood- 
cock, Jim  Woodhouse,  Barry  Zimmer,  Jim 
Zook  (Costa  Rica).  © 


H.  Lee  Jones,  4810  Park  Newport,  #317,  Newport  Beach, 
California  92660,  (hleejones@adelphia.net); 

Oliver  Komar,  SalvaNATURA  Conservation  Science 
Program,  33  Avenida  Sur  #640.  San  Salvador,  El  Salvador 


West  Indies  & Bermuda 


Anthony  White  Robert  L.  Norton 
Andrew  Dobson 


Winter  is  always  a busy  season  in 
the  West  Indies.  The  combination 
of  more  birds  and  more  observers 
produces  more  and  longer  reports.  Increased 
reporting  from  Cuba  and  the  Lesser  Antilles 
was  especially  noticeable  this  winter  and  in- 
cluded some  remarkable  records  of  threat- 


ened endemics  and  strays  from  the  Old  World 
and  North  America.  A new  species  for  the 
A.O.U.  Area,  White-winged  Swallow,  was 
seen  and  photographed. 

Taxonomists  continue  to  re-evaluate  West 
Indian  birds.  Garrido,  Wiley,  and  Kirkconnell 
(2005.  The  genus  Icterus  in  the  West  Indies. 
Omitologia  Neotropical  16:  449-470)  have 
proposed  splitting  Greater  Antillean  Oriole 
(Icterus  dominicensis ) into  four  species:  Ba- 
hamas Oriole  (I.  northropi ),  Cuban  Oriole  (I. 
melanopsis ),  Hispaniolan  Oriole  (I.  dominicen- 
sis.),  and  Puerto  Rican  Oriole  (I.  portoricensis) . 
This  proposal  is  under  consideration  by  the 
A.O.U.  Check-list  Committee. 

Eighteen  dead  birds  (14  Greater  Flamin- 
gos, 3 Roseate  Spoonbills,  and  a cormorant) 
were  found  on  Great  Inagua,  Bahamas  26-27 
February.  There  was  speculation  that  the 
birds  may  have  died  from  “avian  flu.”  The 
birds  were  determined  to  have  died  from  oth- 
er causes,  but  articles  in  the  international 
press  led  to  cancellation  of  tourist  reserva- 
tions in  the  Bahamas.  This  incident  reflects 
the  high  level  of  concern  over  avian  diseases 


and  the  care  one  must  exercise  when  men- 
tioning dead  birds  (fide  EC,  various  newspa- 
per and  Internet  articles). 

DUCKS  THROUGH  FLAMINGO 

A Black-bellied  Whistling-Duck  was  pho- 
tographed 21  Dec  at  a marsh  near  Telescope, 
Grenada  (JF).  Four  ad.  West  Indian 
Whistling-Ducks  with  8 ducklings  were  at  La- 
guna Cartagena,  Puerto  Rico  19  Dec  (FS),  and 
12  ads.  were  noted  at  La  Belen  Res.,  Najasa, 
Carmaguey  Province,  Cuba  25  Jan  (WS,  JC, 
DO).  The  C.B.C.  on  Grand  Bahama  16  Dec 
found  7 Canada  Geese  on  island  golf  courses. 
Three  Snow  Geese  were  at  Bermuda  Airport 
11-13  Dec  (G&rSH),  and  2 spent  Feb  at  the 
Emerald  Bay  G.C.,  Great  Exuma,  Bahamas 
Q&BM).  Six  Wood  Ducks  were  seen  at  Ruby 
G.C.,  Grand  Bahama  16  Dec  (BH,  C.B.C.);  3 
were  still  there  24  Jan  (EG).  Waterfowl  pro- 
vided two  exciting  new  species  for  Guade- 
loupe: a male  Garganey  at  Le  Gosier  14 
Jan-27  Feb  (AL)  and  an  American  Black 
Duck  (also  first  for  the  Lesser  Antilles)  at  La 
Desirade  16  Jan-13  Feb  (AL).  Also  in  Guade- 


V0LUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


299 


WEST  INDIES  & BERMUDA 


loupe,  one  Green-winged  Teal  was  found  10 
Dec  at  Grand  Cul  de  Sac  Marin,  and  2 were  at 
Petit  Terre  Nature  Reserve  21  Feb  (AL).  Two 
Eurasian  Wigeons  were  at  Seymours  Pond, 
Bermuda  29  Dec-28  Feb+  (fide  AD).  Twenty 
Northern  Shovelers  and  42  American 
Wigeons  were  at  Grog  Pond,  Great  Exuma  in 
Feb  (J&BM).  A Common  Merganser  was  in 
Mangrove  L.,  Bermuda  13  Jan  (JM)  and  then 
moved  to  the  Great  Sound  to  28  Feb+  (DW). 
A Red-breasted  Merganser  was  unusual  at  Las 
Salinas,  Zapata,  Matazas  Province,  Cuba  22 
Jan  (WS,JC,  DO). 

Sea-watching  from  Petit  Terre  Nature  Re- 
serve, Guadeloupe  produced  4 unidentified 
Pterodroma  petrels  and  a Masked  Booby  in 
Dec;  a Black-capped  Petrel,  2 Manx  Shearwa- 
ters, and  3 Parasitic  Jaegers  in  Jan;  and  116 
Manx  Shearwaters  and  2 Leach’s  Storm-Pe- 
trels in  Feb  (AL).  On  18-19  Feb,  8 shearwa- 
ters including  3 probable  Manx  were  ob- 
served flying  northward  along  the  w.  edge  of 
the  Little  Bahama  Bank  (BP).  A White-tailed 
Tropicbird  between  New  Providence  and  An- 
dros 9 Jan  was  early  (JS),  another  early  one 
was  seen  off  Spittal  Pond,  Bermuda  30  Jan 
(PW).  They  arrived  in  numbers  (13)  at  Little 
Harbour,  Abaco,  Bahamas  20  Feb  (ABl).  Two 
imm.  Northern  Gannets  were  seen  regularly 
off  Bermuda  9 Dec-28  Feb+  (PW);  another 
was  found  dying  at  Dockyard  and  died  in  cap- 
tivity at  Bermuda  Aquarium  Museum  and 
Zoo  13  Dec  (PT).  Two  American  White  Peli- 
cans in  the  Marls  w.  of  Treasure  Cay,  Abaco  4 
Feb  (EB)  and  one  24  Feb  between  Hog  Cay 
and  Leaf  Cay  at  the  s.  end  of  the  Exumas,  Ba- 
hamas (DL)  were  noteworthy.  An  unidenti- 
fied white  pelican  flying  past  Lauren  Pt., 
Grenada  and  Red-footed  Boobies  off  the  n. 
coast  of  Grenada  were  unusual  21  Dec  (JF). 
The  Great  Cormorant  that  wintered  in  Great 
Sound,  Bermuda  24  Dec-Feb  28+  was  almost 
certainly  the  same  bird  as  was  seen  there  last 
winter  (PW).  The  Anhinga  at  Lakeview 
Ponds,  Paradise  L,  Bahamas  remained 
throughout  the  winter  (m.  ob.).  In  Bermuda, 
an  imm.  Magnificent  Frigatebird  was  present 
through  at  least  7 Jan  (DBW),  a leftover  from 
Hurricane  Wilma , and  an  ad.  male  was  seen 
12  Feb  at  St.  George’s  Harbour  (ABr). 

A first-year  Purple  Heron,  Barbados’s  2nd, 
was  found  at  Fosters  4 Dec  and  remained  at 
Graeme  Hall  Swamp,  Barbados  until  11  Jan 
(EM,  MF).  At  least  4 Little  Egrets  at  Graeme 
Hall  Swamp  18  Jan  suggest  residency  and  a 
source  for  further  expansion  into  the  West  In- 
dies and  beyond.  Several  Tricolored  Herons 
21  Dec  at  Telescope  were  the  first  for  Grena- 
da (JF).  A Least  Bittern  was  heard  at  La  Tur- 
ba,  Zapata  25  Jan  ( fide  AK).  An  American  Bit- 
tern was  seen  at  Rio  Hatiguanico,  Zapata  23 


Jan  (fide  JC),  and  another  was  at  Rock  Sound 
airport,  Eleuthera,  Bahamas  28  Feb  (RB,  DC, 
EJ).  The  Barbados  C.B.C.  recorded  a Glossy 
Ibis  at  Graeme  Hall  Swamp.  One  thousand  or 
more  Greater  Flamingos  at  Las  Salinas,  Zapa- 
ta 22  Jan  was  a good  count  (WS,  JC,  DO). 

VULTURES  THROUGH  TERNS 

A Black  Vulture  over  Chippingham,  Nassau 
was  the  first  for  New  Providence  and  4th  for 
the  Bahamas  (CW,  E&PA,  F&SZ).  On  4 Dec, 
an  Osprey  was  seen  fishing  over  Southwest 
Bank,  11.26  km  from  New  Providence,  the 
nearest  land  (PM).  Two  Hook-billed  Kites  on 
Grenada  19  Dec  were  a welcome  sight  after 
2004s  hurricane  OF).  A Northern  Harrier 
wintered  at  Bermuda  Airport  (DBW),  and  sin- 
gles were  seen  at  the  fruit  farm,  Abaco  13  Dec 
and  4 Jan  (EB,  TW)  and  at  South  Westridge 
Estates,  New  Providence  19  Feb  (PD).  The 


This  Western  Marsh  Harrier  (here  shown  in  composite  of 
two  photographs)  was  observed  on  27  February  2006  from 
the  new  observation  deck  on  the  southwestern  side  of  La- 
guna Cartegena,  now  a National  Wildlife  Refuge,  Puerto 
Rico.  Photographs  by  Chris  Wood. 

Western  Marsh  Harrier  conlined  at  Laguna 
Cartagena,  Puerto  Rico,  where  it  was  seen  19 
Dec  (FS)  and  27  Feb  (CLW  et  al.).  In  Cuba, 
Gundlach’s  Hawks  were  reported  at  La  Guira, 
Pinar  del  Rio  Province  20  Jan  (WS,  JC,  DO), 
s.  ofPalpite,  Zapata  27  Jan  (WS,JC,  DO),  and 
at  Rio  Huatiguanico,  Zapata  27  Jan  (AK).  The 
dessicated  remains  of  a Sharp-shinned  Hawk 
were  found  at  Montagu  Foreshore,  Nassau  25 
Feb  (*SBu).  Common  Black-Hawk  was  said 
to  be  common  on  St.  Vincent  13-19  Feb 
(LGo).  A Broad-winged  Hawk  was  noted  at 
Cueva  de  los  Portales,  Pinar  del  Rio  Province, 
Cuba  19  Jan  (AK  et  al.).  Two  long-staying 
Red-tailed  Hawks  were  seen  over  the  Hamil- 
ton Harbour  Is.,  Bermuda  22  Jan  (NB). 

A Black  Rail  at  Laguna  Cartagena,  Puerto 
Rico  19  Dec  was  a great  find  (FS) — one  of  the 
few  reported  in  recent  years  in  the  Region.  A 
Virginia  Rail,  possibly  the  first  for  Andros,  was 
seen  at  Davis  Creek  near  Small  Hope  Bay 
Lodge  in  the  week  of  9 Jan  (JS,  AF,  SB).  A King 
Rail  and  a Spotted  Rail  were  reported  at  La 
Turba,  Zapata  25  Jan  (AK  et  al.).  Seven  Soras 
were  at  La  Desirade,  Guadeloupe  27  Feb  (AL). 


The  Barbados  C.B.C.  found  a Purple  Gallmule 
at  Graeme  Hall  Swamp  31  Dec;  a subad.  was  at 
Queen  Elizabeth  II  Botanic  Park,  Grand  Cay- 
man 7 Feb  (ME).  Numbers  of  Green  Heron, 
Purple  Gallinule,  Common  Moorhen,  Ameri- 
can Coot,  Limpkin,  and  Northern  Jacana 
along  the  canal  to  Rio  Hatiguanico,  Zapata 
were  greatly  reduced  this  year,  apparently  due 
to  removal  of  canal-side  invasive  vegetation 
and  accidental  introduction  of  exotic  catfish 
(WS,JC,  DO).  Jacanas,  however,  were  numer- 
ous at  La  Belen  Res.,  Najasa  25  Jan  (WS,  JC, 
DO),  as  were  unidentified  coots  at  Las  Salinas, 
Zapata  22  Jan  (WS.JC,  DO). 

Seven  American  Oystercatchers  on  North 
Andros  the  week  of  9 Jan  was  a good  count 
(JS,  AF,  SB).  A flock  of  10-15  Snowy  Plovers 
was  observed  over  Buena  Vista  Cay,  Ragged 
Is.,  Bahamas  31  Jan  (R&WO).  A team  sur- 
veyed Andros  for  Piping  Plovers  27  Jan-3  Feb; 
they  found  11  at  Andros  Town,  43  at  Cargill 
Creek,  6 at  Blanket  Sound,  68  at  Staniard 
Creek,  and  38  at  Mars  Bay  (PD  et  al.).  Three 
Semipalmated  Plovers  and  2 Piping  Plovers 
wintered  at  Grape  Bay  with  a Willet  (AD);  this 
constitutes  the  2nd  wintering  record  of  Willet 
in  Bermuda.  Two  Willets  on  Long  Cay,  s.  of 
Highborne  Cay,  Exumas,  Bahamas  12  Jan 
(MR)  were  unusual  for  midwinter.  In  the 
Grenadines  23  Dec,  a Wilson’s  Plover  and  3 
Stilt  Sandpipers  were  on  Mayreau  I.  and  a Red 
Knot  on  Union  I.  (JF).  Over  100  Lesser  Yel- 
lowlegs  with  a few  Greater  mixed  in  were  at 
Diamond  Crystal  Salt  Ponds,  Long  I.,  Bahamas 
31  Jan  (DL).  A Solitary  Sandpaper  seen  at  Ju- 
bilee Rd.  24  Jan  (DBW)  provided  the  first  win- 
ter record  for  Bermuda.  A Red  Knot  was  at 
Riddell’s  Bay  G.C.,  Bermuda  4 Dec-17  Jan 
(DW).  The  Eurasian  Whimbrel  (nominate 
subspecies)  found  at  Petit  Terre  Nature  Re- 
serve, Guadeloupe  last  fall  remained  there 
through  the  winter  (AL).  Two  Whimbrels  and 
an  unidentified  godwit  were  w.  of  Deadman’s 
Cay,  Long  I.,  Bahamas  25  Jan  (DL,  SM).  Four 
Long-billed  Dowitchers  that  were  pho- 
tographed 16  Dec  on  Ruby  G.C.,  Grand  Ba- 
hama (BH,  C.B.C.)  were  last  seen  9 Jan  (EG, 
M.A.S.),  a 2nd  record  for  the  Bahamas.  Anoth- 
er was  at  S.  Princess  Pond,  Bermuda  mid-Dec- 
2 Jan  (AD).  High  counts  for  shorebirds  at 
Green  Turtle  Cay,  Abaco  this  winter  were  12 
Red  Knots  and  18  Piping  Plovers  30  Dec  and 
100+  Dunlins,  100+  Short-billed  Dowitchers, 
35+  Wilson’s  Plovers,  and  50+  Semipalmated 
Plovers,  all  1 Feb  (EB). 

A winter-record  20  Laughing  Gulls  in 
Bermuda  were  mainly  in  Hamilton  Harbour 
(AD),  almost  certainly  holdovers  from  Wilma , 
as  were  single  Franklin’s  Gulls  in  Hamilton 
Harbour  3 Dec  (AD)  and  Castle  Harbour  11 
Feb  (JM)-  A Franklin’s  Gull  at  West  End, 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


300 


WEST  INDIES  & BERMUDA 


Grand  Bahama  15-16  Dec  was  the  first  for  the 
Bahamas  (tBH,  BM,  DG).  The  Black-headed 
Gull  found  13  Nov  was  present  through  the 
season  on  Bermuda  (AD).  At  Great  Salt  Pond, 
St.  Martin  there  were  2 Black-headed  Gulls  14 
Jan  and  5 Lesser  Black-backed  Gulls  and  a 
Herring  Gull  28  Jan  (AB,  E.P.I.C.)  Guade- 
loupe’s 3rd  Great  Black-backed  Gull  was  at 
Riviere  Salee  21  Jan  (AL,  AM,  FD).  During  the 
Bahama  C.B.C.s,  14  Lesser  Black-backed  Gulls 
were  found  on  Grand  Bahama  16  Dec,  and  12 
(plus  one  Great  Black-backed  Gull)  were  on 
New  Providence  18  Dec.  Another  Lesser 
Black-backed  was  seen  at  Lowe’s  Sound,  An- 
dros 28  Jan  (PD,  LH,  ph.  LL).  The  Barbados 
C.B.C.  found  3 Lesser  Black-backeds. 

Christmas  counters  found  a Caspian  Tern 
at  Dover  Sound,  Grand  Bahama  16  Dec 
(T&GD,  tEG,  PMo).  Five  Royal  Terns  win- 
tering in  Bermuda  were  seen  most  often  at 
Dockyard  (AD),  and  2 Sandwich  Terns  re- 
mained in  the  Hamilton  Harbour  area  until 
early  Feb,  with  3 Forster’s  Terns  there 
throughout  the  season  (PW);  these  birds  were 
first  noted  following  Hurricane  Wilma.  A 
Forster’s  Tern  was  seen  off  Union  1., 
Grenadines  23  Dec  (JF);  another  spent  9 Jan 
feeding  off  Caves  Pt.,  New  Providence,  Ba- 
hamas (TW).  Four  Common  Terns  were  seen 
at  Grand  Cul  de  Sac  Marin,  Guadeloupe  21 
Jan  (AL,  AM,  FD).  Nine  Black  Skimmers  at 
Las  Salinas,  Zapata  22  Jan  made  a pleasant 
surprise  (WS,  JC,  DO). 

DOVES  THROUGH  WAXBILLS 

Rock  Pigeon  is  apparently  established  at 
Kingston,  St.  Vincent  (LGo).  Eurasian  Col- 
lared-Doves  are  becoming  more  numerous  in 
Havana  (WS,  JC,  DO).  Eared  Doves  are  fairly 
common  in  Bequia,  Grenadines,  where  15 
were  counted  (JB).  Bermuda’s  2nd  White- 
winged Dove  was  discovered  at  St.  George’s  5 
Dec  and  1 Jan  (PW).  One  was  s.  of  San  An- 
dros, Bahamas  in  the  week  of  9 Jan  (JS,  AF, 
SB),  and  another  visited  a feeder  at  Coral  Har- 
bour, New  Providence  regularly  throughout 
the  winter  (GW).  The  critically  endangered 
Grenada  Dove  was  heard  at  Mt.  Hartman  19 
Dec  (JF)  but  not  found  at  Perseverance  Estate. 
A Bridled  Quail-Dove  banded  3 Feb  at  Loterie 
Farm  provided  the  first  record  for  St.  Martin 
(AB,  E.P.I.C.).  A Blue-headed  Quail-Dove  was 
reported  at  Soroa,  Pino  del  Rio  Province,  Cuba 
20  Jan  (AK).  On  24  Jan,  2 Gray-headed  Quail- 
Doves  were  at  Palpite,  Zapata  (WS,  JC,  DO), 
with  one  at  Bermejas  (AK  et  al).  A dozen  en- 
dangered St.  Vincent  Parrots  were  seen  easily 
from  the  lookout  on  the  Vermont  Nature  Trail 
14  Feb  (LGo).  At  the  Northern  Forest  Re- 
serve, Dominica  16  Jan,  30-50  Red-necked 
and  2 Imperial  Parrots  were  noted  (JB).  Cuban 


Parrot  numbers  were  clearly  up  from  five 
years  ago:  boisterous  flocks  were  seen  at  Playa 
Larga,  Bermejas,  and  other  Zapata  locations, 
while  Cuban  Parakeets  were  not  found  in  the 
Zapata  area  but  were  seen  at  La  Belen  Pre- 
serve, Najasa  25  Jan  (WS,  JC,  DO). 

A reliable  Stygian  Owl  remained  through 
Feb  around  the  grounds  of  Hotel  Mirador,  San 
Diego  de  los  Banos,  Pinar  del  Rio  Province, 
Cuba  (WS,  JC,  DO).  Bee  Hummingbirds  were 
not  seen  at  a formerly  dependable  location  s. 
of  Palpite,  where  the  species  has  been  hard  to 
find  since  last  year’s  hurricanes  (WS,  JC,  DO), 
but  a female  was  seen  at  Bermejas,  Zapata  24 
Jan  (AK  et  al.).  A Northern  Flicker  (one  of 
the  Yellow-shafted  taxa)  was  seen  on  the 
Ruby  G.C.,  Grand  Bahama  17  Dec  and  28  Jan; 
if  accepted,  this  would  be  the  first  for  the  Ba- 
hamas (tBH,  EB,  PD,  TW,  EG,  tCJ,  PS).  Three 
Fernandina’s  Flickers  were  noted  at  Bermejas 
22  Jan  (WS,  JC,  DO).  The  only  Eastern 
Wood-Pewee  reported  this  winter  was  at  the 
fruit  farm,  Abaco  8 Dec  (EB).  An  Eastern 
Phoebe  was  found  16  Dec  and  24  Jan  at  Ruby 
G.C.,  Grand  Bahama  (BH,  EG);  another  was 
seen  on  New  Providence  at  Bahamas  Associa- 
tion for  Social  Health  7 & 10  Jan  (TW,  ph. 
TH,  O.G.,  LG,  M.A.S.).  At  Grenada,  2 Grena- 


da Flycatchers  were  at  Perseverance  Estate  15 
Jan  (JB).  Single  Western  Kingbirds  were  at 
Kindley  Field,  Bermuda  5 Dec  (PW)  and  s.  of 
San  Andros  airport,  Bahamas  28  Jan  (PD,  ph. 
LL,  LH).  A late  Gray  Kingbird  at  Coral  Har- 
bour, New  Providence  was  last  seen  3 Dec 
(CW,  O.G.).  Giant  Kingbird,  a threatened 
Cuban  endemic,  was  reported  at  Cuevas  de 
los  Portales  19  Jan  (AK),  along  a roadside  in 
Najasa  22  Jan  (AK  et  al),  with  2 at  La  Belen 
Preserve,  Najasa  25  Jan  (WS,JC,  DO). 

A White-eyed  Vireo  banded  7 Jan  at  Loterie 
Farm,  St.  Martin  (AB,  E.R1.C.)  made  the  2nd 
island  record.  In  Bermuda,  single  Blue-headed 
Vireos  were  at  Port  Royal  G.C.  4 Dec  (AD, 
PA)  and  the  Old  Perfumery  29  Dec  (DBW);  in 
the  Bahamas,  one  was  seen  on  the  Grand  Ba- 
hama C.B.C.  16  Dec  (PD).  Twenty  Bahama 
Swallows  on  Mayaguana,  Bahamas  7 Dec 
(ABI)  were  probably  winter  wanderers;  others 
stayed  closer  to  home:  40  along  the  Great 
Abaco  Highway  21  Jan  and  4 at  Fresh  Creek, 
Andros  24  Jan  (ALs).  A few  Cuban  Martins 


returned  to  Havana  27  Jan  (WS,  JC,  DO). 
Large  groups  of  Tree  Swallows  (150+)  were  at 
Rio  Hatiguanico,  Zapata,  Matanzas  Province, 
Cuba  23  Jan  (WS,  JC,  DO);  60  were  at  Najasa 
25  Jan;  and  others  were  scattered  individuals 
(WS,  JC,  DO).  At  least  1000  Barn  Swallows 
were  seen  at  sunset  over  Gaschet  Res.,  Guade- 
loupe 11  Feb  (AL).  About  6 Northern  Rough- 
winged Swallows  were  mixed  with  the  Tree 
Swallows  at  Najasa,  Cuba  25  Jan  (WS,  JC, 
DO).  A few  Cave  Swallows  had  returned  to 
Cueva  de  los  Portales,  Soroa,  Pinar  del  Rio 
Province,  Cuba  by  19  Jan;  2 were  at  Limones- 
Tuabaquey  Reserve,  Sierra  Cubitas,  Cam- 
agiiey  Province,  Cuba  26  Jan  (WS,  JC,  DO).  A 
White-winged  Swallow  photographed  at 
George’s  Harbour,  Grenada  20-25  Dec  (ph. 
JF)  constituted  the  first  record  for  Grenada, 
the  West  Indies,  and  the  A.O.U.  Area.  A Barn 
Swallow  over  Pembroke  Dump,  Bermuda  28 
Dec-8  Jan  was  unusually  late  (DBW).  A Win- 
ter Wren  remained  at  the  Port  Royal  G.C., 
Bermuda  until  15  Dec  (EA).  A pair  of  Zapata 
Wrens,  including  a singing  male,  was  at  Rio 
Hitaguanico  23  Jan  (WS,  JC,  DO).  The  St. 
Vincent  subspecies  of  House  Wren  was  mod- 
erately common  and  vocal  at  Petit  Byahout 
13-19  Feb  (LGo). 


A Wood  Thrush  in  Somerset,  Bermuda  pro- 
vided a rare  wintering  record  31  Jan-26  Feb 
(DW).  Two  American  Robins  were  seen  on 
Wreck  Road,  Bermuda  31  Jan  (DW).  Ameri- 
can Pipits  have  been  scarce  on  Bermuda  Air- 
port, with  just  8 on  22  Jan  (AD).  At  least  22 
species  of  warblers  were  recorded  in  Bermuda 
during  the  winter.  The  more  unusual  included 
a Prothonotary  Warbler  29  Dec  at  Pilchard 
Bay  (PW)  and  2 Swainson’s  Warblers  at  Hog 
Bay  Park  29  Dec-14  Jan  (WF).  In  the  Ba- 
hamas, single  Nashville  Warblers  were  seen  at 
Cable  Beach,  New  Providence  18  Dec  (BH, 
C.B.C.)  and  Waterloo,  Nassau  15  and  22  Feb 
(PD).  On  23  Dec  and  27  Jan,  there  was  a 
Nashville  Warbler  at  Capesterre  Beau-eau, 
Guadeloupe  (AL);  a Louisiana  Waterthrush 
there  23  Dec  was  also  relocated  27  Jan  (AL).  A 
Kirtland’s  Warbler  was  seen  and  photographed 
at  an  undisclosed  location  on  New  Providence 
4,  5,  & 11  Feb  (PD,  ph.  LL,  KHL,  LH).  Eight 
Olive-capped  Warblers  were  at  La  Guira,  Pinar 
del  Rio  Province,  Cuba  20  Jan  (WS,  JC,  DO). 


r A A Bare-eyed  Thrush  banded  10  Jan  at  loterie  Farm,  St.  Martin  represents  a first  island  record  and  first  report  from  the 
3 f t northern  lesser  Antilles  (AB,  E.P.I.C.).  The  steady  march  northward  of  this  essentially  South  American  species  resembles 
that  of  Pearly-eyed  Thrasher  and  Shiny  Cowbird  in  previous  decades.  Bond  (1987.  Twenty-seventh  Supplement  to  the  Check-List 
Birds  of  the  West  indies)  reported  the  species  had  reached  St.  lucia  and  Martinique  by  1951  and  was  already  well  established. 
Indeed,  on  2 Sep  1988, 11  were  found  actively  singing  and  common  in  the  southeast  near  le  Diamont,  Martinique  in  the  dry 
habitats  widely  used  then  for  charcoaling  (RW,  RLN).  Bond  (1987)  suggested  that  heavily  forested  and  wet-regime  islands  to 
the  north  would  pose  a barrier  to  to  further  range  expansion  in  the  lesser  Antilles  by  this  species.  This  record  clearly  indicates 
an  ability  to  prospect  appropriate  habitats;  Antigua  and  perhaps  Barbuda  should  be  watchful  for  the  next  colonizing  wave. 


V01UME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


301 


Statement  of  Ownership, 
Management,  and  Circulation 
(Required  by  39  U.S.C.  3685) 

1 . Publication  Title:  North  American  Birds 

2.  Publication  No:  872-200 

3.  Filing  Date:  10/06/06 

4.  Issue  Frequency:  Quarterly 

5.  No  of  Issues  Published  Annually:  4 

6.  Annual  Subscription  Price:  $32 

7.  Complete  Mailing  Address  of  Known  Office  of 
Publication:  PO  Box  6599.  Colorado  Springs,  CO 
80934-65998. 

8.  Complete  Mailing  Address  of  Headquarters  or 
General  Business  Office  of  Publisher:  PO.  Box  6599, 
Colorado  Springs,  CO  80934-6599 

9.  Full  Names  and  Complete  Mailing  Addresses  of 
Publisher,  Editor,  and  Managing  Editor: 

Publisher:  American  Birding  Association,  PO.  Box 
6599,  Colorado  Springs,  CO  80934-6599; 

Editor:  Editor:  Edward  Brinkley,  106  Monroe  Ave., 
Cape  Charles,  VA  23310-3213 

10.  Owner:  American  Birding  Association,  PO.  Box 

6599,  Colorado  Springs,  CO  80934-6599 

11.  Known  Bondholders,  Mortgagees,  and  Other 
Security  Holders  Owning  or  Holding  1 percent  or 
More  of  Total  Amount  of  Bonds,  Mortgages,  or  Other 
Securities:  None 

12.  The  purpose,  function,  and  nonprofit  status  of  this 
organization  and  the  exempt  status  for  federal 
income  tax  purposes:  Has  not  changed  during 
preceding  12  months 


13.  Publication  Title:  14.  Issue  Date  for  Circulation 
North  American  Birds  Data  Below:  60/01 


15.  Extent  and  Nature  of  Avg  No. 

Circulation  Copies 

Each 
Issue 
During 
Preceding 

1 2 Months 

Actual  No. 
of  Copies 
Single 
Issue 
Published 
Nearest  to 
Filling  Date 

a.  Total  No.  Copies 

(Net  Press  Run ) buuu 

6000 

b.  Paid  and/or  Requested 

Circulation  (i)  Paid  or 

Requested  Mail  Subscriptions  4624 

(Including  Advertisers'  Proof  of 
copies/Exchange  Copies) 

4539 

(2)  Paid  In-county  Subscription  0 

0 

(3)  Sales  through  Dealers  and 

Carriers,  Street  Vendors,  and  390 

Counter  Sales  ( Not  Mailed) 

492 

(4)  Other  Classes  Mailed  USPS  0 

0 

c.  Total  Paid  and/or  Requested 

Circulation  [Sum  of  1 5b.  (1 ),  (2),  5014 

(3)  and  (4)] 

5031 

d.  Free  Distribution  by  Mail 
[Samp/es,  complimentary,  and  0 

other  free / (1 ) Outside-County 

0 

(2)  In-County  0 

0 

(3)  Other  Classes  Mailed  USPS  0 

0 

e.  Free  Distribution 

Outside  the  Mail  1 00 

(Camers  of  Other  Means) 

100 

f.  Total  Free  Distribution  (Sum  ^ qq 

of  15d  and  15e) 

100 

g.  Total  Distribution  c -t  i a 

(Sum  of  15c  and  15f) 

5131 

h.  Copies  Not  Distributed  886 

869 

i.  Total  (Sum  of  15  g.  and  h.)  6000 

6000 

j.  Percent  Paid  and/or 

Requested  Circulation  98%  98% 

(15c.  /15g.  x 100) 

16.  This  Statement  of  Ownership  will  be  printed  in  the 
60/02 

Signature  and  Title  of  Editor.  Publisher,  Business 

Manager,  or  Owner:  Richard  H.  Payne, 
President/CEO,  03  October,  2006,  I certify  that  all 
information  furnished  on  this  form  is  true  and  com- 
plete. I understand  that  anyone  who  furnishes 
false  or  misleading  information  requested  on  the 
form  or  who  omits  material  or  information  request- 
ed on  the  form  may  be  subject  to  criminal  sanc- 
tions (including  fines  and  imprisonment)  and/or 
civil  sanctions  (including  civil  penalties). 


WEST  INDIES  & BERMUDA 


A Chestnut-sided  Warbler  banded  3 Jan  at  Lo- 
terie  Farm,  St.  Martin  furnished  the  5th  island 
record  (AB,  E.P.I.C.).  Two  Black-throated 
Green  Warblers  banded  3 Jan  at  Loterie  Farm, 
St.  Martin  (AB,  E.P1.C.)  were  just  the  2nd  and 
3rd  for  the  island  (see  Table  1).  A Swainson’s 
Warbler  was  reported  at  Bermejas  24  Jan, 
Cuba  (AK),  an  unusual  location  for  this 
species.  Nine  Oriente  Warblers  were  counted, 
despite  heavy  rain,  at  Litnones-Tuabaquey  Re- 
serve, Cuba  26  Jan  (WS,JC,  DO). 

Table  1.  Warblers  banded  at  Loterie  Farm,  St.  Martin, 

from  1 January-2  February  2006. 


Species  Number 

Black-and-white  Warbler 44 

Northern  Waterthrush 4 

Hooded  Warbler 5 

Ovenbird 6 

Northern  Parula 16 

American  Redstart 67 

Prairie  Warbler 2 

Yellow  Warbler 1 

Black-throated  Blue  Warbler 1 

Black-throated  Green  Warbler 2 

Chestnut-sided  Warbler 1 


A Summer  Tanager  seen  in  Nov-Dec  and 
on  24  Feb  (SR)  clearly  overwintered  in  the 
Arboretum,  Bermuda.  In  Cuba,  Summer 
Tanagers  were  found  at  Cueva  de  los  Portales 
19  Jan  (AK  et  al.),  Gaspar,  Camagtiey 
Province  24  Jan  (WS,  JC,  DO),  and 
Limones-Tubaquey  Reserve  26  Jan  (WS,  JC, 
DO).  On  the  New  Providence,  Bahamas 
C.B.C.,  introduced  Cuban  Grassquits  out- 
numbered indigenous  Black-faced  Grass- 
quits  for  the  4th  consecutive  year  (fide 
NMc).  Vesper  Sparrows  were  at  Port  Royal 
G.C.,  Bermuda  4 Dec  (AD,  PA)  and  Ferry 
Point  9 Dec  (G&SH).  On  8 Dec,  a late  Blue 
Grosbeak  was  seen  at  Parson’s  Rd.,  Bermuda 
(DW).  Seven  Zapata  Sparrows  at  Rio  Ha- 
tiguanico,  Zapata  23  Jan  (WS,  JC,  DO)  were 
a good  find;  according  to  park  personnel,  in- 
vasive tree  removal  and  subsequent  increase 
in  grassy,  scrubby  areas  have  been  responsi- 
ble for  this  species’  increase  (fide  WS,  JC, 
DO).  A Snow  Bunting  was  present  at  Bermu- 
da Airport  12  Dec-28  Feb+  (PW). 

The  Bahamas’  first  documented  Boat-tailed 
Grackle  was  found  at  Port  Lucaya,  Grand  Ba- 
hama during  the  C.B.C.  16  Dec  (EB,  ph.  MH, 
CBC).  In  Nassau,  Bahamas,  single  Baltimore 
Orioles  were  at  Camperdown  10  Jan  (TH,  LG, 
M.A.S.)  and  at  Waterloo  22  Feb  (PD).  Two 
teams  of  observers  noted  that  House  Spar- 
rows are  now  established  at  Lowe’s  Sound,  the 
n.  end  of  Andros  (JS  et  al.,  PD  et  al.).  House 
Sparrows  have  also  become  much  more  evi- 


dent in  smaller  towns  in  Cuba  and  at  rest 
stops  along  the  autopista  (WS,  JC,  DO). 
There  seems  to  be  an  expansion  of  House 
Sparrow  populations  throughout  the  Region 
in  the  past  10  years.  At  least  200  Nutmeg 
Mannikins  were  at  St  Franqois,  Guadeloupe 
18  Dec  (AL,  MLC);  a Common  Waxbill,  near- 
ly gone  from  Bermuda,  was  seen  in  Devon- 
shire Marsh  24  Feb  (SR) . 

Addendum:  A White-crowned  Pigeon  was 
seen  twice  on  Anguilla  in  Aug  2005 — the 
species  had  not  been  reported  on  the  island 
for  over  20  years  (SH). 

Corrigenda:  In  the  fall  2005  report,  records  of 
Franklin’s  Gull,  Wilson’s  Phalarope,  and 
Long-billed  Dowitcher  at  Barbados  were  cred- 
ited in  error  to  MF;  these  initials  should  in- 
stead have  been  Sidney  Maddox.  We  offer 
apologies  to  both  observers. 

Observers:  Mike  Acosta,  Peter  Adhemar,  Eric 
Amos,  Ed  & Paula  Andrews,  Rudy  Badia,  Ali- 
son Ball  (AB1),  Nick  Barton,  Elwood  Bracey, 
Adam  Brown,  Ann  Brown  (ABr),  Scott  Brown, 
John  Buckman,  Sandra  Buckner  (SBu),  Eric 
Carey,  Marie-Laure  Cayatte,  Julie  Craves, 
David  Currie,  Paul  Dean,  Andrew  Dobson, 
Tom  & Gale  Duch,  Frantz  Duzont,  Martin  Ed- 
wards, Environmental  Protection  in  the 
Caribbean  (E.P.I.C.),  Ah  Farhountand,  Wendy 
Frith,  Martin  Frost,  John  Furse,  Lynn  Gape, 
Erika  Gates,  Deana  Glinton,  Laura  Gooch 
(LGo),  Bruce  Hallett,  Lee  Hanna,  Michelle 
Hansen,  Gene  & Susan  Harvey,  Tony  Hep- 
burn, Steve  Holliday,  Carol  Jones,  Everton 
Joseph,  Arturo  Kirkconnell,  Keva  Hanna 
Lawrence  (KHL),  Anthony  Levesque,  Lionel 
Levine,  Alan  Lewis  (ALs),  David  Lincoln,  Sid- 
ney Maddock,  Jeremy  Madeiros,  Herve 
Magnin,  Pericles  Maillis,  Manatee  Audubon 
Society  (M.A.S. ),  Alain  Mathurin,  Neil  McKin- 
ney (NMc),  Eddie  Messiah,  Barton  Milligan, 
Jane  & Basil  Minns,  Predensa  Moore  (PMo), 
Robert  L.  Norton,  Bahamas  National  Trust  Or- 
nithology Group  (O.G.),  Darrin  O’Brien,  Rita 
& Will  Olschewski,  Bruce  Purdy,  MacGregor 
Robertson,  Steve  Rodwell,  Bernadette  Russell, 
Fred  Schaffner,  Joe  Steensma,  William  Suarez, 
Peter  Suffredini,  Patrick  Talbot,  David  Wal- 
lace, Carolyn  Wardle,  Paul  Watson,  Ro  Wauer, 
Tony  White,  David  Wingate  (DBW),  Christo- 
pher L.  Wood,  Fred  & Sharon  Zolta.  © 


Anthony  White,  6540  Walhonding  Road,  Bethesda, 
Maryland  20816,  (spindalis@verizon.net); 

Robert  L.  Norton,  8960  NE  Waldo  Road,  Gainesville, 
Florida  32609,  (corvus0486@aol.com); 

Andrew  Dobson,  117  Middle  Road,  Warwick  PG  01 
Bermuda,  (ADobson@warwickacad.bm) 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


302 


Hawaiian  Islands 


Robert  L.  Pyle  Peter  Donaldson 


first  seen  at  Kii  17  Nov  (KP),  was  seen  at  Kii 
2 Feb  (KP)  and  at  Honouliuli  11  Feb  (BD, 
RM,  KP,  MO). 

Gray  Francolins  have  been  increasing  their 
range  on  O'ahu  I.  They  are  now  being  seen 
regularly  in  Ewa  and  Kapolei  and  have  been 
spotted  in  early  Feb  between  Ewa  and  Wa- 
ialua  (RM).  Three  Black  Francolins  were  also 
spotted  between  Ewa  and  Wailua  13  Feb 
(RM).  Black  Francolins  have  been  rarely  re- 
ported on  O'ahu.  Wild  Turkeys  are  locally 
common  on  Hawai'i  I.,  but  a count  of  100+ 
birds  26  Dec  (H.ET.)  is  unusually  high. 


The  weather  through  mid-February 
was  a mixture  of  wet  and  dry.  Starting 
in  late  February,  a blocking  pattern 
over  the  northern  Pacific  resulted  in  persist- 
ent heavy  rain,  especially  over  Kaua'i  and 
O'ahu.  The  weather  was  bad  enough  to  re- 
strict bird  observations,  especially  in  wetland 
areas.  Some  wetland  areas  became  completely 
inaccessible,  and  roads  were  blocked  because 
of  flooding  in  some  areas.  This  winter  was  no- 
table for  a complete  lack  of  large  gulls  and  for 
changes  in  the  distribution  of  estrildrid  finch- 
es and  francolins. 

Abbreviations:  H.  (Hawai'i  I.);  HRBP  (Hawaii 
Rare  Bird  Documentary  Photograph;  used 
with  image  catalog  number  from  the  HRBP 
file  at  Bishop  Museum,  Honolulu);  Hakalau 
(Hakalau  N.W.R.,  Hawai'i  I.);  Hanalei 
(Hanalei  N.W.R.,  Kaua'i  I.);  Honouliuli  (Hon- 
ouliuli Unit  of  Pearl  Harbor  N.W.R.,  O'ahu  1.); 
K.  (Kaua'i  1.);  Kanaha  (Kanaha  Pond,  Maui 
I.);  Kealia  (Kealia  Pond  N.W.R.,  Maui  I.);  Kii 
(Ki'i  Unit  of  James  Campbell  N.W.R.,  O'ahu 
I.);  Kokee  (Koke'e  S.P.,  Kaua'i  I.);  K.P  (Ki- 
lauea  Pt.  N.W.R.,  Kaua'i  I.);  M.  (Maui  I.); 
Midway  (Midway  Atoll  N.W.R.);  O.  (O'ahu 
I.);  Ohiapilo  ('Ohi'apilo  Pond,  Moloka'i  I.); 
Pouhala  (Pouhala  Marsh  Wildlife  Sanctuary, 
O'ahu  I.);  Waiawa  (Waiawa  Unit  of  Pearl  Har- 
bor N.W.R.,  O'ahu  I.);  Waikamoi  (Waikamoi 
Preserve,  Maui  I.). 

GEESE  THROUGH  TURKEY 

A Greater  White-fronted  Goose  remained  at 
Kii  Dec+  (m.ob.);  another,  first  noted  at 
Hanalei  13  Nov  (BZ),  remained  in  n.  Kaua'i 
through  Feb  (m.ob.).  Brant  were  unusually 
widespread,  and  these  conspicuous  birds 
were  frequently  reported.  There  were  at  least 
2 individuals  on  Kaua'i  I.,  with  one  bird  at 
Hanalei  7 Dec  and  an  emaciated  bird  deliv- 
ered to  the  refuge  staff  there  the  same  day 
(BZ).  A Brant  at  Kii  21  Nov-18  Dec  (m.ob.) 
may  have  moved  to  Pouhala,  where  one  indi- 
vidual was  observed  17  Dec+  (m.ob.).  A Brant 
at  Waiakea  Pond,  H.  10  Dec  (RD)  remained 


there  through  at  least  3 Feb  (m.ob.).  Finally,  2 
Brant  were  observed  on  Moloka'i  I.  12-19  Dec 
(ADY). 

Numbers  of  ducks  were  higher  than  they 
have  been  for  several  years.  The  most  numer- 
ous migrant  ducks  in  the  Region  are  Northern 
Shovelers  and  Northern  Pintails.  The  high 
count  for  shovelers  was  359  at  Kealia  5 Jan 
(MN) — up  from  a peak  of  238  last  winter.  The 
high  count  for  pintail,  255  at  Kealia  5 Jan 
(MN),  was  much  higher  than  last  winters 
high  count  of  only  75.  Two  Gadwalls  at  Ohi- 
apilo since  Nov  were  joined  by  4 more  8 Feb 
(ADY).  Gadwalls  are  rare  in  the  Region,  and  6 
is  an  unusually  high  count.  A female  Cinna- 
mon Teal  spotted  at  Honouliuli  15  Feb  (PD) 
was  seen  again  18  (MM)  & 26  Feb  (ph.  BD). 
A female  Garganey  observed  at  Honouliuli  15 
Feb  (PD)  was  spotted  again  18,  25  (MM),  & 
26  Feb  (BD).  A male  Common  (Eurasian 
Green-winged)  Teal  was  observed  at  Kii  9 Feb 
(ph.  KP);  another  was  at  Honouliuli  25  (MM) 
& 26  Feb  (BD). 

There  were  also  good  numbers  of  bay 
ducks.  One  good  find,  a female  Redhead  spot- 
ted in  Kahuku,  0.  in  late  Oct,  remained 
through  the  period  at  the  Kuilima  S.T.P., 
along  with  3 Canvasbacks  (m.ob.).  Three 
Canvasbacks  were  seen  regularly  at  Hanalei  in 
Dec-mid-Feb  (BZ,  DL),  with  4 reported  there 
15  Feb  (JD).  Ring-necked  Ducks  and  Lesser 
Scaup  were  widespread,  with  peak  counts  of  9 
Ring-neckeds  at  Honouliuli  11  Feb+  (m.ob.) 
and  28  Lessers  in  Kahuku,  0.  19  Jan  (MO). 
The  rarest  duck  of  the  season  was  a female 
Hooded  Merganser  on  O'ahu.  The  merganser, 


ALBATROSSES  THROUGH  FALCONS 

Black-footed  Albatrosses  are  reported  regular- 
ly near  the  main  islands  but  unlike  Laysans 
are  seldom  seen  on  land,  so  a Black-footed 
with  Laysans  at  Barking  Sands,  K.  19  Dec 
(BZ)  is  notable.  The  bird  had  been  banded, 
and  the  same  individual  was  spotted  on 
French  Frigate  Shoals  16  Jan  (BZ).  A light- 
morph  Northern  Fulmar  was  observed  16  Jan 
from  Makapu'u  Pt.,  0.,  by  a birder  familiar 
with  the  species  in  his  native  Scotland  (BD). 
One  Wedge-tailed  Shearwater  was  spotted  28 
Jan  off  Lai'e  Pt.,  0.  (BD).  Wedge-taileds  are 
rarely  reported  in  Jan.  Red-tailed  Tropicbirds 
had  not  yet  returned  to  a nesting  colony  in 
Waimanalo,  O.  8 Feb  but  were  back  by  1 6 Feb 
(MW).  A Great  Blue  Heron  was  observed  at 
Lokoaka  Pond,  H.  31  Dec  and  6 & 13  Jan 
(KI);  the  species  is  rare  but  regular  in  the  Re- 
gion. A white  egret,  larger  than  nearby  Cattle 
Egrets,  was  spotted  at  Kii  16  (KP,  DK),  22 
(GSJA),  & 24  Dec  (RM,  RtM).  Most  of  the 
observers  thought  the  bird  was  probably  a 
Great  Egret,  but  the  bird  never  allowed  pro- 
longed observation  or  photographs. 

Ibises  remained  on  Kaua'i,  O'ahu,  and  Maui 
Dec+  (m.ob.),  with  single  birds  on  Kaua'i  and 
O'ahu  and  a high  count  of  6 on  Maui  in  late 
Jan  (MW).  An  ibis  at  Waimea,  K.  10  Feb  (JD) 
and  one  at  Hanalei  13  Feb  (GE)  had  red  eyes 
and  were  thus  identified  as  White-faced  Ibis. 
The  rest  of  the  birds  are  also  thought  to  be 
White-faced,  the  only  species  documented  in 
the  Region.  An  Osprey  was  observed  Dec+ 
near  Honouliuli  (m.ob.).  Single  Peregrine  Fal- 


("  A The  Hawaii  State  Division  of  Forestry  and  Wildlife  conducted  a biological  survey  of  Moku  Manu,  a small,  rocky  island 
3 ft  off  the  ne.  coast  of  O'ahu  28  Feb.  Eric  VanderWerf,  of  the  United  States  Fish  & Wildlife  Service,  helped  survey  the  birds 
and  reported  the  results.  The  ornithological  highlight  was  a Nazca  Booby,  apparently  paired  with  a Masked  Booby,  on  a nest 
with  2 eggs.  (It  would  be  interesting  to  find  out  what  the  offspring  will  look  like.)  Other  interesting  observations  included  a 
pair  of  Christmas  Shearwaters  in  a small  cave.  This  species  was  found  breeding  on  the  island  around  30  years  ago,  but  there 
have  been  no  recent  records  of  birds  on  the  island.  One  hundred  sixty  Red-footed  Booby  nests,  123  Brown  Booby  nests,  and 
33  Masked  Booby  nests  were  counted.  Five  years  ago,  Red-footeds  had  abandoned  nesting  on  Moku  Manu  because  a long 
drought  had  killed  most  of  the  vegetation  suitable  for  Red-footed  nest  platforms.  There  were  at  least  22  Great  Frigatebirds  on 
Moku  Manu,  including  2 recently  fledged  imm.  birds.  At  least  70  ad.  Gray-backed  Terns  with  24  nests  were  counted.  Many 
thousands  of  Sooty  Terns  and  Brown  Noddies  were  observed  but  not  counted. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


303 


HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS 


cons  were  spotted  at  Mokolea  Pt.,  K.  10  Dec 
(BZ)  and  along  Chain  of  Craters  Rd.,  H.  12 
Dec  (KM)  and  21  Feb  (KH).  Ospreys  and 
Peregrines  are  rare  but  regular  in  the  Region. 

SHOREBIRDS  THROUGH  PASSERINES 

One  Killdeer  remained  at  Kii  and  nearby 
aquaculture  ponds  Nov-11  Feb  (m.ob.);  an- 
other was  seen  at  Kealia  25  Jan  (MW).  An 
American  Avocet,  the  only  one  ever  reported 
in  the  Region,  remained  at  Kealia  Dec+  (MN, 
MW).  Bristle-thighed  Curlew  numbers  con- 
tinued unusually  high  over  the  winter,  with 
several  counts  of  more  than  30  birds  and  a 
peak  count  of  46  birds  7 Dec  (PD).  A Whim- 
brel  spotted  at  Kii  26  Nov  (MO)  lingered  at 
the  refuge  Dec+  (m.ob.).  A Marbled  Godwit 
that  remained  at  Kii  Dec+  (m.ob.)  represents 
only  the  3rd  record  for  the  Region.  A Red 
Knot,  possibly  the  same  bird  first  seen  at  Kii 
Oct  10  (PD),  was  observed  7 Dec+  (m.ob.). 
Red  Knots  are  uncommon  in  the  Region. 
There  were  good  numbers  of  Dunlins  around 
Pearl  Harbor,  O.,  with  6 observed  at  Pouhala 


17  Dec  (KP)  and  19  Jan  (PD).  A Curlew  Sand- 
piper made  a brief  appearance  at  Honouliuli 
15  Feb  (PD).  Curlew  Sandpipers  are  rare  in 
the  Region  but  have  been  reported  more  fre- 
quently in  the  past  several  years. 

Glaucous-winged  Gull  has  been  one  of  the 
most  frequently  reported  species  in  the  Re- 
gion, so  it  is  unusual  that  none  were  reported 
this  winter.  Laughing  Gulls  were  widespread 
Dec+  (m.ob.).  A Bonaparte’s  Gull  spotted  at 
Honouliuli  11  Feb  (BD,  RM,  MO,  KP)  stayed 
there  Feb+  (m.ob.).  A Caspian  Tern  spotted  in 
Nu'upia  Pond  8 Jan  (PD,  RM)  lingered 
through  at  least  8 Feb  (m.ob). 

Palila  ( Endangered ) were  reported  regularly 
at  Pu'u  La’au,  H.  (H.ET.,  DL),  but  it  was  trou- 
bling to  hear  reports  of  people  on  off-road  ve- 
hicles roaring  through  the  habitat  of  this  rare 
bird  (DL).  Another  troubling  report  came 
from  Kokee,  where  no  Tiwi  were  found  dur- 
ing a day  of  birding  4 Feb  (BD).  We  received 
no  reports  of  any  of  the  rare  Maui  forest  birds 
this  winter. 

Some  of  the  small  introduced  finches,  in- 


cluding African  Silverbill  and  Nutmeg  Man- 
nikin, were  reported  to  be  unusually  scarce 
over  the  winter  in  parts  of  nw.  Hawaii  L, 
where  they  are  usually  abundant  (DL,  RD). 
On  the  other  hand,  a flock  of  30  Black- 
rumped  Waxbills  21  Feb  (RD)  is  one  of  the 
highest  counts  ever  for  the  Region. 

Contributors:  Jeff  Albeso,  James  Bruch,  Reg 
David,  Jim  Denny,  Arleone  Dibben-Young 
(ADY),  Brendan  Doe,  Peter  Donaldson,  Tom 
Dove,  Gil  Ewing,  Kuntiko  Hasegawa,  Hawaii 
Forest  & Trail  (H.FT.),  Karnal  Islam,  Dave 
Kiehl,  Dan  Lindsay,  Richard  May,  Rita  May 
(RtM),  Matt  Medeiros,  Kathleen  Misajon, 
Aaron  Nedig,  Mike  Nishimoto,  Mike  Ord, 
Kurt  Pohlman,  Ethan  Shiinoki,  Mike  Silberna- 
gle,  Greg  Smith,  Forest  & Kim  Starr,  Eric  Van- 
derWerf,  Michael  Walther,  Brenda  Zaun.  © 


Robert  L.  Pyle,  1314  Kalakaua  Avene,  #1010,  Honolulu, 
Hawaii  96826,  (rlpyle@hawaii.rr.com); 

Peter  Donaldson,  2375  Ahakapu  Street,  Pearl  City, 
Hawaii  96782,  (pdnldsn.bird@mac.com) 


Scoot  on  over  to  the 


WWW  SI 


30,000 


304 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


© ABA-Endorsed  Tours 

AmericanBirding'  Enjoy  Very  Special  B i r d i n g 


2006  - 2007 


SHORT  TRIPS  FOR  TARGET  SPECIES 

Migrants  on  a Prairie  River:  Nebraska's  Platte 

Nebraska's  Platte  River  plays  host  every  spring  to  a migration 
phenomenon  unmatched  anywhere  on  the  continent,  with  half 
a million  Sandhill  Cranes,  up  to  two  million  Snow  Geese,  and 
80%  of  the  American  population  of  Greater  White-fronted  Geese 
filling  the  fields  and  marshes.  Add  prairie  grouse,  several  million 
ducks,  and  a mind-boggling  abundance  of  raptors,  and  it  is  not 
hard  to  see  why  central  Nebraska  in  spring  is  high  on  every 
birder's  list  of  dream  destinations!  23-28  March  2007.  Leader 
and  contact:  Rick  Wright,  Aimophila  Adventures,  www.bir- 
daz.com,  birding@birdaz.com,  (520)  544-8643. 

Springtime  in  Texas  Hill  Country 

Designed  as  a pre-tour  for  the  Lafayette  Convention,  this  trip 
begins  and  ends  in  San  Antonio  on  the  edge  of  the  Edwards 
Plateau.  The  Hill  Country  is  Texas'  most  beautiful  natural  region. 
The  targets  are  two  very  special  endangered  species,  the  Golden- 
cheeked Warbler  and  the  Black-capped  Vireo,  both  of  which 
restrict  their  entire  breeding  range  to  the  plateau.  In  addition  to 
these  two  gems,  we  will  seek  out  other  Texas  specialties  such  as  the 
Green  Kingfisher,  Golden-fronted  Woodpecker  and  Cave  Swallow. 
A special  visit  to  the  Frio  River  Bat  Cave  will  treat  us  to  the  evening 
exodus  of  10  million  Free-tailed  Bats.  17-22  April  2007.  Contact: 
Stephen  Shunk,  Paradise  Birding,  (541)408-1753  or 
steve@paradisebirding.com. 

Trans-Gulf  Migration  Watch-Mississippi 
and  Mobile  Bay,  Alabama 

In  conjunction  with  the  Lafayette  Convention,  WINGS  has 
arranged  a pre-tour  to  maximize  the  birding  opportunities  along 
the  central  flyway  with  leader  Gavin  Bieber..  Witness  the  miracle 
and  spectacle  of  migration  in  one  of  the  best  places  in  the 
United  States:  the  central  Gulf  Coast.  As  millions  of  birds  make 
their  way  to  their  breeding  grounds  by  crossing  the  Gulf  of  Mex- 
ico, we  will  be  in  good  position  for  the  opportunity  to  experi- 
ence a "fall-out".  The  coastal  areas  of  Fort  Morgan  peninsula  and 
Dauphin  Island  also  offer  excellent  access  to  water  and  migrant 
shorebirds.  After  taking  in  one  of  North  America's  busiest  band- 
ing stations,  we  will  bird  along  the  coast,  stopping  at  the  largest 
remaining  patch  of  coastal  Long-leaf  Pine  forest  on  the  Missis- 
sippi Sandhill  Crane  NWR.  19-23  April  2007.  Contact: 

WINGS,  www.wingsbirds.com  or  888.293.6443. 

East  Texas  Woodpeckers  & High  Island  Migrants 

loin  woodpecker  expert  Steve  Shunk  of  Paradise  Birding  on  a 
quest  for  seven  of  the  Lone  Star  State's  ten  nesting  woodpecker 
species  (see  two  of  the  remaining  three  on  our  pre-tour!).  We'll 
spend  two  nights  in  the  Pineywoods  to  look  for  Red-cockaded, 
Red-headed,  Red-bellied  plus  Hairy,  Downy,  Flicker  and  Pileated. 
This  habitat  also  hosts  Hooded  and  Pine  Warblers,  Brown- 
headed  Nuthatch  and  Bachman's  Sparrow.  Our  other  two  nights 
will  have  us  based  on  the  upper  Texas  coast  with  visits  to  Brazos 
Bend,  Quintana  Sanctuary,  High  Island,  Bolivar  Flats  and 
Anahuac  Refuge.  This  trip  is  timed  to  see  hoards  of  migrants, 
including  Yellow-bellied  and  Acadian  Flycatchers,  plus  20  differ- 
ent warblers  and  nearly  two  dozen  shorebird  species.  30  April-4 
May  2007.  Contact  Stephen  Shunk,  Paradise  Birding, 
(541)408-1753,  or  steve@paradisebirding.com. 

Spring  Warbler  Migration  in  Tennessee 

loin  John  C.  Robinson,  author  of  the  "Annotated  Check-list  of 
the  Birds  of  Tennessee",  for  the  spring  bird  migration  in  the 
heartland  of  the  eastern  US.  Once  experienced,  no  one  can  forget 
the  eastern  warblers-one  of  the  most  highly  soucht-after  group 
of  birds  in  North  America.  Learn  to  identify  them  by  sight  and 
by  sound,  a technique  that  John  uses  on  all  his  tours.  Destina- 
tions include  Cross  Creeks  and  Reelfoot  NWR's.  Mississippi  Kite, 
Yellow-billed  Cuckoo,  20  plus  species  of  warblers,  and  Orchard 
Oriole  should  be  seen.  6-11  May  2007.  Contact:  On  My 
Mountain,  5055  Business  Center  Drive,  Suite  108,  Box  110, 
Fairfield  CA  94534,  www.OnMvMountain.com/aba, 
(707)864-8279. 


MEXICO 

Mazatlan  and  the  Durango  Road 

After  initial  explorations  near  Mazadan  for  coastal  species  we 
will  begin  the  climb  from  the  seaside  to  the  high,  arid  plain  east 
of  the  Sierra  Madre  Occidental.  As  we  climb  through  the  moun- 
tains there  is  a marked  change  in  flora,  and  hence,  in  the  birds. 
The  prize  endemic  of  the  trip  is  Tufted  [ay  among  the  35+ 
endemics.  Led  by  PD  Hulce,  our  most  experienced  leader.  5-12 
November  2006.  Contact:  Bob  Odear,  OBServ  Tours,  Inc, 
www.observtours.com,  observtours@bellsouth.net, 
(615)292-2739. 

CARIBBEAN 

Zapata  Peninsula,  Northern  Archipelago  & Eastern 
Endemic  Birding  Regions  of  Cuba 

This  trip  covers  locations  in  western,  central  and  eastern  endemic 
habitats  and  visits  both  the  Adantic  and  Caribbean  coasts,  offer- 
ing the  best  opportunities  for  the  greatest  number  of  endemics 
and  other  species.  17-28  January  2007.  Contact  Gary' 
Markowski,  Cuba  Bird  Study  Program,  aibirds@aol.com, 
(860)  350-6752;  CBSP,  PO  Box  355,  New  Milford,  CT 
06776. 

CENTRAL  AND  SOUTH  AMERICA 

Expedition  to  the  Chilean  Fjords,  2007 

After  two  nights  in  Buenos  Aires,  fly  to  Ushuaia  to  board  the 
Clipper  Adventurer  destined  for  Punta  Arenas.  Zodiac  landings 
offer  better  birding  opportunides,  with  albatross,  petrels  and 
penguins  on  the  agenda.  22  February-8  March  2007.  Contact 
Clipper  Cruise  Line,  www.clippercruise.com,  groupres@ 
intrav.com,  (800)456-0020. 

Quito:  Pre  and  Post  Tours,  ABA  Conference 

Tropical  Birding  will  be  offering  six  pre  tours,  as  well  as  the  same 
six  tours  afterwards  to  make  more  of  your  trip  to  Ecuador.  Some 
trips  will  offer  extensions  for  a fuller  experience.  Destinadons  of 
the  tours  will  be  to  the  Galapagos  (small  group),  Southern 
Ecuador  (endemics  of  the  Tumbesian,  locotoco  Antpitta),  North- 
west Ecuador  (tanagers  and  hummingbirds),  Canade  Reserve 
(forest  trails/experienced  birders),  Eastern  Ecuador  (tanagers  and 
quetzals,  including  Sacha  Lodge  & canopy  walkway),  and  the 
Ecuadorian  Amazon  (6  days  at  Sacha  Lodge).  All  trips  will  begin 
and  end  at  the  conference  hotel.  Contact  Tropical  Birding, 
www.tropicalbirding.com,  quito2007@tropicalbirding. 
com,  (800)348-5941. 

Quito:  Pre  and  Post  Tours,  ABA  Conference 

Neblina  Forest  is  offering  pre  and  post  tours  to  the  conference  as 
well  to  accommodate  the  attendees  for  additional  trips  while  in 
Ecuador.  Destinations  include  Pichincha  (antpittas  galore),  Napo 
Wildlife  Center  (observation  towers,  parrot  licks)  and  Gareno 
Lodge  (target  species:  Harpy  Eagle).  All  trips  will  begin  and  end 
at  the  conference  hotel.  Contact  Neblina  Forest,  www.nebii- 
naforest.com,  info@neblinaforest.com,  (800)538-2149. 

Birding  Bonanza  in  Northern  Argentina 

See  the  birds  and  natural  history  of  Northern  Argentina  with  vis- 
its to  the  Andes  Lagoons,  Calilegua  National  Park,  the  Province 
of  Salta,  the  Ibera  Marshes,  and  Iguazu  National  Park,  loin  lohn 
C.  Robinson  and  experienced  local  field  guides  on  an  unforget- 
table tour.  Search  for  specialties  such  as  Giant  Coot,  Lyre-tailed 
Nightjar,  Rufous-throated  Dipper,  and  Red-ruffed  Fruitcrow.  1-14 
July  2007.  Contact:  On  My  Mountain,  Inc.,  5055  Business 
Center  Drive,  Suite  108,  Box  110,  Fairfield,  CA  94534, 
www.OnMyMountain.com/aba,  (707)864-8279. 

EUROPE  AND  UK 

North  Norfolk  Bush  Bash 

This  is  a very  exciting  time  to  visit  what  many  people  regard  as 
being  the  premier  birding  county  in  the  UK.  Begin  in  London, 
exploring  the  RSPB  reserve  at  Tichwell  and  its  environs,  then  the 
reserve  at  Cley  along  the  coast.  Spot  migrating  terns  and  four 
species  of  skuas,  plus  shorebirds  galore.  Explore  the  East  Coast  of 


Norfolk  for  migrant  warblers.  A boat  charter  for  offshore  seabird 
passages  is  included,  plus  visits  to  other  RSPB  reserves  for  maxi- 
mum observations.  19-27  September  2007.  Contaa  and 
leader:  Neil  Donaghy,  Celtic  Bird  Tours,  Birds@celtic- 
tours.org.uk,  044-1615-645-709. 

Spain 

This  customized  trip  is  designed  to  see  the  maximum  numbers 
of  birds  in  the  height  of  southward  migration  from  Europe  to 
Africa.  There  is  no  better  place  to  see  the  spectacle  of  hundreds 
of  migrating  birds  and  raptors!  Visit  rocky  habitats  and  marsh- 
lands for  endemics  as  well.  Fall  2007.  Contact  Siemer  & Hand 
Travel,  www.siemerhand.com,  travel@siemerhand.com, 
(800)451-4321. 

AFRICA 

Cape  of  Good  Hope  to  the 
Limpopo  Bushveld  via  Kruger  Park 

Discover  the  landscape  of  floral  beauty  that  is  home  to  a host  of 
highly  localized  SA  endemic  birds  species  such  as  the  Cape  Sug- 
arbird  and  the  Orange-breasted  Sunbird.  The  Cape  Peninsula 
provides  excellent  pelagic  birding  to  the  south,  and  the  Great 
Karoo  to  the  north.  The  second  leg  takes  us  to  lohannesburg 
and  in  search  of  the  Big  Six-Martial  Eagle,  Lappet-faced  Vulture, 
Saddle-billed  Stork,  Kori  Bustard,  Ground  Hombill  and  if  we're 
lucky,  the  Pel's  Fishing  Owl.  10-25  February  2007.  Contact: 
Avian  Leisure  Birding  & Wildlife  Safaris,  www.avian- 
leisure.com,  enquiries@avianleisure.com,  tel/fax  +27-21- 
786-1414,  cell  +27-83-272-2455. 

Garden  Route  to  Addo  Elephant  Park 

Explore  seven  different  habitats  in  the  Southern  Cape,  with  a tar- 
get bird  list  of  around  300,  plus  over  30  mammal  species!  With 
staging  migrants  abundant,  seeking  out  the  residents  should  pro- 
vide for  excellent  birding.  A pelagic  trip  should  assure  albatross, 
shearwaters,  gannets,  petrels,  and  marine  mammals.  17-31 
March  2007.  Contact:  Avian  Leisure  Birding  & Wildlife 
Safaris,  www.avianleisure.com,  enquiries@avianleisure. 
com,  tel/fax  +27-21-786-1414,  cell  +27-83-272-2455. 

ASIA 

Turkey 

Our  friends  at  Siemer  & Hand  Travel  are  putting  together  a won- 
derful trip  for  us  during  the  height  of  migration.  This  custom- 
designed  itinerary  led  by  Soner  Bekir,  local  birding  leader,  takes 
in  western  Turkey,  starting  in  Ankara  (Soguksu  National  Park)  to 
Kulii  and  the  Sultansazligi  Nature  Reserve  (rookery):  a dawn 
look  for  Caspian  Snowcock,  then  coastal  birding  along  the 
Goksu  Delta,  and  the  riparian  Euphrates  River.  Desert  habitat  of 
Biraecik  allows  a new  variety  of  birds,  with  275  trip  birds  likely. 
Pre-trip  (May  8-13)  includes  Dilek  National  Park,  the  Gediz 
Delta  (12,000  pairs  of  flamingo  breed  here)  Kocacay  Delta,  and 
Lake  Uluabat.  12-26  May  2007.  Contact  Siemer  & Hand 
Travel,  www.siemerhand.com,  travel@siemerhand.com, 
(800)451-4321. 

PACIFIC  OCEAN 

Nature  Cruising  Through  the  Philippine  Islands 

Enjoy  the  comforts  of  the  Clipper  Odyssey  while  exploring  the 
magic  of  the  Philippines  with  birding  specialist  Brent  Stephen- 
son, the  discoverer  of  the  supposedly  extinct  New  Zealand 
Storm-Petrel,  and  a world  birding  guide.  Shore  excursions  and 
sightseeing  included  in  18  days  of  travel.  3-20  April  2007. 
Optional  post  trip  to  Hong  Kong.  Contact  Clipper  Cruise 
Line,  www.dippercruise.com,  groupres@intrav.com, 
(800)456-0200. 

Wild  Hawaii 

loin  Rob  Pacheco  on  a new  itinerary  for  the  islands.  We  will  visit 
the  vast  variety  of  habitats  and  elevations  to  see  the  greatest 
number  of  bird  species,  both  endemic  and  introduced.  This  trip 
sells  out  every  year,  so  make  plans  early  to  join  us!  13-23  March 
2007.  Contact  Siemer  & Hand  Travel,  www.siemerhand. 
atm,  travel@siemerhand.com,  (800)451-4321. 


For  more  tours  go  to  www.americahbirding.org/tours 


A melanistic  Northern  Flicker 
{(olaptes  auratus ) in  Colorado 


ALEXANDER  T.  CRINGAN  • JUNE  C.  CRINGAN  • 1200  STOVER  STREET  • FORT  COLLINS,  COLORADO  80524  • (EMAIL:  alexc@lamar.colostate.edu) 
W,  JEFFREY  BLUME  • ELAINE  R.  PODELL  • 1201  NEWSOM  STREET  • FORT  COLLINS,  COLORADO  80524  • (EMAIL:  wjb@frii.net) 


Abstract 

This  paper  documents  the  presence  of  a 
melanistic  male  Northern  Flicker  ( Colaptcs 
auratus)  of  the  cafer  subspecies  group  (Red- 
shafted  Flicker)  at  Fort  Collins,  Colorado  on 
21-22  April  2006,  possibly  the  first  instance 
of  this  plumage  aberration  in  this  subspecies 
group. 


Field  encounter 

The  authors  watched  a melanistic  male 
Northern  (Red-shafted)  Flicker  (Colaptes  au- 
ratus cafer)  in  Fort  Collins,  Colorado,  on  21 
April  2006  from  1700-1900  MST.  Blume  pho- 
tographed the  bird  with  a Canon  EOS  10D 
camera  and  an  image-stabilized,  70-200mm, 
f/2.8  Canon  lens  (Figures  1,  2).  The  bird 
spent  this  entire  time  within  an  area  of  about 
10x10  m,  resting,  sleeping,  drinking,  and 
feeding  on  sunflower  seeds  and  suet.  It  ap- 
peared to  be  tired  and  permitted  the  authors 
to  approach  to  within  5 m.  The  bird  reap- 
peared the  next  morning  around  0600  and 
was  then  seen  several  times  over  a period  of 
20  minutes.  It  drank  and  fed  much  more  ac- 
tively at  this  time.  It  has  not  been  seen  in  this 
location  subsequently. 

From  distances  of  5-10  m,  this  flicker  ap- 
peared to  be  almost  as  dark  as  a Common 
Grackle  (Quiscalus  qui scula).  The  red  malar 
patches  and  reddish  shafts  of  the  remiges  and 
rectrices  were  apparent  only  when  observers 
used  a binocular  (Bushnell  7x35)  or  tele- 
photo camera  lens.  The  rump  was  dark;  the 


Figure  2.  Dorsal  view  of  melanistic  male  Red-shafted  Flicker,  late  afternoon  21  April  2006.  Photograph  by  W.  Jeffrey  Blume. 


Literature  cited 

Gross,  A.  O.  1965.  Melanism  in  North  Amer- 
ican birds.  Bird-Banding  36:  240-242. 

Hanisek,  G.  1997.  On  melanism.  Email  com- 
munication posted  to  The  Frontiers  of  Field 
Identification  listserv,  15  January  1997. 

Moore,  W.  S.  1995.  Northern  Flicker  (Co- 
laptes auratus).  The  Birds  of  North  Amer- 
ica, No.  166  (A.  Poole  and  F Gill,  eds.). 
The  Birds  of  North  America,  Inc.,  Philadel- 
phia, Pennsylvania. 


Figure  1.  Ventral  view  of  melanistic  male  Red-shafted  Flicker,  late  afternoon  21  April  2006.  Photograph  by  IN.  Jeffrey  Blume. 


bill  and  feet  were  dark  gray;  the  underwing 
coverts  were  tinged  with  salmon-pink.  The 
ventral  spotting  and  dorsal  barring  of  a typi- 
cal Red-shafted  were  both  discernible  only 
with  close  views.  The  crown,  auriculars,  and 
crescent  on  the  breast  were  all  about  equally 
dark. 

Discussion 

After  consulting  the  literature,  we  concluded 
that  this  flicker’s  dark  plumage  indicated  a 
case  of  extreme  melanism.  Moore  (1995) 


does  not  mention  melanistic  aberrations  in 
his  description  of  the  plumage  of  Northern 
Flicker,  but  there  have  been  several  reports  of 
melanistic  Northern  (Yellow-shafted)  Flickers 
(that  is,  nominate  subspecies  or  luteus):  Gross 
(1965)  cited  two  nineteenth-century  records, 
and  G.  Hanisek  (1997  and  pers.  comm.)  re- 
ported a melanistic  Northern  Flicker  in  Con- 
necticut, presumably  of  subspecies  luteus. 
Thus  the  Fort  Collins  bird  may  represent  the 
first  documented  case  of  a melanistic  Red- 
shafted  Flicker;  the  subspecies  found  locally 
is  collaris.  This  bird  had  not  been  noticed  in 
the  neighborhood  previously,  nor  has  it  been 
reported  since  the  initial  observations  of  21- 
22  April  2006.  It  was  probably  a transient  and 
apparently  stayed  in  the  vicinity  only  about 
13  hours. 


306 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


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VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  1 


307 


Barred  Owl  by  Gerrit  Vyn 


I 


1 


Stonechat  (Saxicota  torquata)  an  San  Clemente 
Island:  First  record  for  California,  with 
review  of  its  occurrence  in  North  America 


BRIAN  L.  SULLIVAN  • P.O.BOX  51701  • PACIFIC  GROVE,  CALIFORNIA  93950  • (EMAIL:  heraldpetrel@gmail.com) 
ROBERT  T.  PATTON  • 4444  LA  CUENTA  DRIVE  • SAN  DIEGO,  CALIFORNIA  921  24  • (EMAIL:  rpatton@san.rr.com) 


Abstract 

This  paper  documents  a photographic 
record  of  a Stonechat  ( Saxicola  torquata ) 
on  San  Clemente  Island,  Los  Angeles 
County,  California  on  20-21  October  1995, 
the  first  record  for  California  and  one  of 
only  two  North  American  records  outside 
of  Alaska. 

The  California  record 

On  20  October  1995,  while  working  as  a 
biologist  on  San  Clemente  Island,  Los  An- 
geles County,  California,  Robert  Patton 
found  an  unusual  bird  in  the  dry  vegeta- 
tion surrounding  a vernal  pond  at  the 
north  end  of  the  island.  He  photographed 
the  bird  (Figures  1,  2)  and  took  brief  held 
notes;  however,  the  bird  was  at  that  time 
identified  as  a Vermilion  Flycatcher  (Pyro- 
ccphalus  tvbinus ),  a potential  first  for  the 
island.  Patton  returned  to  the  research  lab- 
oratory and  alerted  others  to  the  presence 
of  the  bird;  he  was  able  to  relocate  the  bird 
later  in  the  same  day  and  showed  it  to  five 
other  researchers.  The  bird  was  seen  again 
on  21  October,  but  attempts  to  locate  the 
bird  after  that  date  were  unsuccessful. 

While  compiling  information  for  a 
comprehensive  paper  documenting  birds 
recorded  on  San  Clemente  Island  (Sullivan 
and  Kershner  2005),  the  authors  asked 
Patton  to  provide  documentation  for  the 
Vermilion  Flycatcher,  and  he  submitted  his 


photographs  for  review.  Although  not  ideal 
images,  the  photographs  showed  a bird 
having  features  inconsistent  with  Vermil- 
ion Flycatcher,  being  too  warmly  colored 
with  peach-buff  coloration  on  the  breast, 
with  incorrect  shape  and  posture,  and  very 
long  tarsi.  The  photographs  were  sent  to 
numerous  authorities  on  bird  identifica- 
tion, and  the  consensus  was  that  the  bird 
was  a Stonechat  (Saxicola  torquata ),  likely 
one  of  the  Siberian  subspecies  (i.e. , of  the 
maura  group;  see  Urquhart  2002).  Pattons 
field  notes  indicated  that  the  behavior  of 
the  bird  was  also  consistent  with  the  typi- 
cal foraging  style  of  stonechats  rather  than 
with  that  of  Vermilion  Flycatcher:  hawking 
for  insects  from  the  ground,  fanning  tail, 
and  flitting  wings.  The  record  was  re- 
viewed by  the  California  Bird  Records 
Committee  and  was  accepted  as  the  first 
state  record  (Cole  et  al.  2006). 

Discussion 

Stonechat  has  a very  modest  presence  as  a 
vagrant  in  North  America.  Only  one  other 
record  has  been  reported  away  from 
Alaska:  one  photographed  on  Grand 
Manan  Island,  Charlotte  County,  New 
Brunswick  on  1 October  1983  ( American 
Birds  38:  178;  Wilson  1986).  This  individ- 
ual was  identified  as  being  of  the  Siberian 
subspecies  group  mama,  which  is  split  by 
some  authorities  as  Siberian  Stonechat  (S. 


maura),  based  on  differences  in  natural 
history,  vocalizations,  morphometries, 
plumage,  and  genetics  (Urquhart  2002). 

There  are  nine  confirmed  Alaskan 
records  of  the  species,  but  just  two  are 
from  the  autumn.  Six  records  are  from  24 
May  through  6 June  at  Gambell,  St. 
Lawrence  Island:  one  male  6 June  1978 
(Gibson  and  Kessel  1992);  one  male  5 
June  1985  (Gibson  and  Kessel  1992, 
A.B.A.  2002);  one  female  4-5  June  1992 
(A.B.A.  2002);  one  “immature”  31  May 
2003  and  one  adult  male  3 June  2003 
(both  Tobish  2003);  and  one  24-26  May 
2006  (T.  Tobish,  pers.  comm.).  One  at 
Gambell  6 September  2005  (Tobish  2005) 
is  the  only  fall  record  from  that  location. 
There  is  also  a sight  record  from  8 Sep- 
tember 1992  from  Gambell;  it  has  incom- 
plete documentation  and  is  not  generally 
considered  verified.  There  are  two  Alaska 
specimens,  both  of  the  eastern  Siberian 
subspecies  S.  t.  stegnegeri  (in  the  maura 
subspecies  group):  one  found  in  a Bank 
Swallow  ( Riparia  riparia ) nest-burrow  at 
Galena  19  April  1986,  the  specimen 
thought  to  have  been  preserved  since  the 
previous  fall  (Osborne  and  Osborne  1987, 
Gibson  and  Kessel  1992);  and  one  from 
Middleton  Island  on  28  September  1990 
(Gibson  and  Kessel  1992).  The  late  Sep- 
tember date  of  the  Middleton  Island 
record  suggests  that  perhaps  some  fall 
Stonechats  arrive  in  Alaska  after  birding 
coverage  has  ceased  for  the  season. 

The  20-21  October  date  of  the  Califor- 
nia Stonechat  falls  roughly  within  the  au- 
tumn window  for  many  other  Siberian 
vagrant  passerines  encountered  in  Califor- 
nia (all  from  C.B.R.C.,  in  press):  one 
record  of  Lanceolated  Warbler  (Locustella 
lanceolata)  11-12  September  1995;  nine 
accepted  records  of  Dusky  Warbler  ( Phyl - 
loscopus  fuscatus)  between  27  September 
and  31  October  (bird  on  the  latter  date  re- 
mained through  3 November);  three 
records  of  Arctic  Warbler  (Phylloscopus  bo- 
realis) 13  September  1995,  29  September- 
1 October  1996,  and  7 September  2000; 
one  record  of  Red-flanked  Bluetail  (Tar- 


308 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


FIRST  RECORD  OF  STONECHAT  FOR  CALIFORNIA 


siger  cyanurus ) 1 November  1989;  11  ac- 
cepted records  of  Northern  Wheatear 
( Oenanthe  oenanthe ) between  15  Septem- 
ber and  6 November  (the  bird  on  the  latter 
date  remained  through  10  November), 
plus  one  spring  record  11  June;  12  records 
of  apparent  Eastern  Yellow  Wagtail 
( Motacilla  tschutschensis ) between  27  Au- 
gust and  21  September;  one  accepted 
record  of  Gray  Wagtail  (Motacilla  cinerea ) 
9-10  October  1988;  at  least  eight  records 
of  White  Wagtail  (Motacilla  alba  ocularis ) 
9 October-23  December  (bird  on  the  latter 
date  remained  through  6 March  and  re- 
turned to  winter  in  the  next  two  seasons); 
at  least  12  records  of  Black-backed  Wagtail 
(Motacilla  alba  lugens)  7 August-25  Janu- 
ary, plus  four  spring  records,  26  April  and 
10,  13,  and  22  May;  one  record  of  Olive- 
backed  Pipit  (Anthus  hodgsoni)  26-29  Sep- 
tember 1998;  at  least  204  accepted  records 
of  Red-throated  Pipit  (Anthus  cervinus ) 9 
September-11  November,  with  strong 
peak  between  late  September  and  mid-Oc- 
tober; two  records  of  Little  Bunting  (Em- 
beriza  pusilla ),  21-24  October  1991  and 
27-28  September  2002;  and  four  accepted 
records  of  Rustic  Bunting  (Emberiza  rus- 
tica),  25  November-8  January.  Clearly, 
there  are  distinctions  among  these  Asian 
species:  the  mostly  insectivorous  taxa, 
such  as  the  motacillids,  tend  to  arrive  ear- 
lier, whereas  the  granivores,  such  as  em- 
berizids,  may  arrive  later.  Such 
distinctions  conform  to  expectations 
based  on  their  migration  phenology  in 
Asia  as  well  as  Alaska.  Two  other  Siberian 
landbird  species  have  been  recorded  in 
California:  Brown  Shrike  (Lanius  crista- 
tus),  two  records  from  20-22  October  1984 
and  26  November  1986-26  April  1987; 
and  Oriental  Turtle-Dove  (Strcptopelia  ori- 
entalis ),  two  records  from  29  October 
1988  and  9-23  December  2002. 

The  mechanism  by  which  such  va- 
grants appear  in  California  is  a matter  of 
speculation  and  debate.  During  autumn  in 
western  Alaska,  particularly  in  the  Bering 
Sea  on  St.  Lawrence  Island,  such  species 
most  often  appear  with  storm  systems 
coming  from  Asia  (Lehman  2003;  Brinkley 
and  Lehman  2003);  perhaps  farther  south, 
such  as  in  California,  the  pattern  of  the  jet 
stream  also  plays  a part  in  displacement  of 
migrants  (Sullivan  2004).  Some  unique 
combination  of  weather  and  migratory 
confusion  combine  to  produce  such 
records  in  California,  but  much  is  to  be 


learned.  A straightforward  connection  can 
be  drawn  between  the  arrival  of  Asian 
landbirds  in  Alaska  and  strong  weather 
systems  moving  northeastward  from  Asia 
toward  Alaska,  but  the  connection  is  less 
clear  in  the  case  of  Asian  landbirds  in  Cal- 
ifornia, Oregon,  and  Washington.  In  au- 
tumn, the  easterly  air  flows  and  typical 
storm  tracks  move  from  the  Sea  of  Japan, 
northward  toward  the  latitudes  of  Aleu- 
tians and  southern  Kamchatka  Peninsula, 
and  then  back  southeastward  across  the 
Bering  Sea-North  Pacific  interface  and  into 
the  Gulf  of  Alaska.  These  large-scale  base 
flows  apparently  generate  and/or  steer  (ad- 
vect)  the  weather  systems  that  bring  these 
(probably  misoriented)  migrants  to  west- 
ern Alaska.  Farther  south,  dramatic 
weather  events  are  less  frequent,  and  the 
number  of  Asian  landbirds  far  smaller, 
making  inferences  about  the  possible  con- 
nections between  weather  systems  and 
Asian  vagrants  more  difficult.  The  growing 
population  of  astute  birders,  and  improve- 
ments in  meteorological  technology,  may 
permit  an  understanding  of  such  long-dis- 
tance landbird  vagrants  in  the  future. 

Acknowledgments 

We  thank  Thede  Tobish,  Paul  Lehman, 
Richard  Erickson,  Marshall  J.  Iliff,  Kristie 
N.  Nelson,  and  Luke  W.  Cole  for  assistance 
in  preparation  of  this  note. 

Literature  cited 

American  Birding  Association  [A.B.A.], 
2002.  ABA  Checklist:  Birds  of  the  Conti- 
nental United  States  and  Canada.  Sixth 
edition.  Colorado  Springs,  Colorado. 
Brinkley,  E.  S.,  and  P.  E.  Lehman.  2003. 
The  Changing  Seasons:  unabashed  bo- 


nanza. North  American  Birds  57:  14-21. 

California  Bird  Records  Committee 
[C.B.R.C.].  in  press.  Rare  Birds  of  Cali- 
fornia. California  Bird  Records  Commit- 
tee, Camarillo,  California. 

Cole,  L.  W.,  K.  N.  Nelson,  and  J.  S.  Sterling. 
2006.  The  30th  Report  of  the  California 
Bird  Records  Committee:  2004  Records. 
Western  Birds:  37:  65-68. 

Gibson,  D.,  and  B.  Kessel.  1992.  Seventy- 
four  new  avian  taxa  documented  in 
Alaska  1976-1991.  Condor  94:  454-467. 

Lehman,  P.  E.  2003.  Gambell,  Alaska,  Au- 
tumn 2002:  First  North  American 
Records  of  Willow  Warbler  (Phyllosco- 
pus  trochilus ),  Lesser  Whitethroat 
(Sylvia  cunruca ),  and  Spotted  Flycatcher 
(Muscicapa  striata ).  North  American 
Birds  57:  4-11. 

Osborne,  T.  O.,  and  G.  K.  Osborne.  1987. 
First  specimen  of  Stonechat  (Saxicola 
torquata ) for  North  America.  Auk  104: 
542-543. 

Sullivan,  B.  L.  2004.  The  Changing  Sea- 
sons: The  Big  Picture.  North  American 
Birds  58:  14-29. 

Sullivan  and  Kersher.  2005.  The  Birds  of 
San  Clemente  Island.  Western  Birds  36: 
158-273. 

Tobish,  T.  2003.  The  spring  migration: 
Alaska  region.  North  American  Birds  57: 
389-391. 

Tobish,  T.  2005.  The  fall  migration:  Alaska 
region.  North  American  Birds  60:  119- 
123. 

Urquhart,  E.  2002.  Stonechats:  a guide  to 
the  genus  Saxicola.  Helm,  London. 

Wilson,  J.  G.  1986.  Stonechat  (Saxicola 
torquata ) in  New  Brunswick — first 
record  for  North  America.  American 
Birds  40:  58-60. 


VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


309 


A brief  report  on  the  illegal  cage-bird  trade 
in  southern  Florida:  a potentially  serious 
negative  impact  on  the  eastern  population 
Painted  Bunting  (Passerine  c iris ) 

PAUL  W.  SYKES,  JR.  • UNITED  STATES  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY  • PATUXENT  WILDLIFE  RESEARCH  CENTER  • WARNELL  SCHOOL  OF  FORESTRY  AND 
NATURAL  RESOURCES  • THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  GEORGIA  • ATHENS,  GEORGIA  30602-2152  • (EMAIL:  paul_sykes@usgs.gov)  | LARRY  MANFREDI  • 
P.O.BOX  32224  • PRINCETON,  FLORIDA  33032  | MIGUEL  PADURA  • 10725  SOUTHWEST  73RD  COURT  • MIAMI,  FLORIDA  331 56 


Abstract 

Populations  of  Painted  Bunting  ( Passerina 
cii'is)  have  been  declining  annually  over  the 
past  35  years.  A cursory  survey  indicates  that 
illegal  trapping  of  Painted  Buntings  for  a 
black  market  cage-bird  trade  is  widespread  in 
southeastern  Florida.  Coupled  with  other 
negative  factors  confronting  the  eastern  pop- 
ulation, the  trapping  of  buntings  for  the  cage- 
bird  trade  may,  in  time,  produce  dire  results 
for  this  native  songbird.  Law  enforcement 
personnel  need  to  continue  to  monitor  the  il- 
legal activity  of  trapping  native  passerines  for 
the  local  songbird  market  and  to  continue  to 
arrest  those  who  support  it. 

Background 

The  North  American  Breeding  Bird  Survey 
data  from  1966-1999  show  an  annual  declin- 
ing trend  in  populations  of  Painted  Bunting 
( Passerina  ciris)  of  2.9%  range-wide  (Robbins 
et  al.  1986,  Robbins  et  al.  1989,  Sauer  and 
Droege  1992,  Pardieck  and  Sauer  2000,  Sauer 
et  al.  2000).  The  eastern  population  of 
Painted  Bunting  breeds  in  a rather  narrow 
corridor  from  the  vicinity  of  Beaufort,  North 
Carolina  through  Titusville,  Florida  (Sykes 
and  Holzman  2005)  and  winters  in  the  south- 
ern half  of  Florida,  Cuba,  the  northern  Ba- 
hamas, and  possibly  the  Yucatan  Peninsula 
(Robertson  and  Woolfenden  1992,  Stevenson 
and  Anderson  1994,  Howell  and  Webb  1995, 
Raffaele  et  al.  1998,  White  1998,  Garrido  and 
Kirkconnell  2000).  This  eastern  population  is 
a highly  ranked  Species  of  Concern  by  the 
states  of  Georgia,  Florida,  South  Carolina, 
North  Carolina,  as  well  as  Partners  in  Flight 
(Hunter  et  al.  1993).  The  eastern  Painted 
Bunting  has  recently  been  classified  as  a 
“Watch  List  Species”  (moderately  abundant 
or  widespread  with  declines  or  high  threats) 
in  Partners  in  Flight  North  American  Landbird 
Conservation  Plan  (Rich  et  al.  2004).  A re- 
search project  entitled  Annual  Survival  in  the 


Southeastern  Coastal  Breeding  Population  of  the 
Painted  Bunting  (R  W.  Sykes,  W.  Kendall,  and 
J.  Meyers,  in  ms.)  is  in  progress,  and  its  re- 
sults are  currently  being  analyzed.  In  tandem 
with  this  survival  study,  the  authors  made  a 
brief  survey  of  the  illegal  cage-bird  trade  in 
southeastern  Florida.  Our  findings  indicate 
that  this  trade  may  be  contributing  to  the  de- 
cline of  Painted  Buntings  (together  with  habi- 
tat degradation  and  loss,  predation,  and  brood 
parasitism),  but  to  what  degree  is  unclear. 
The  cage-bird  trade  is  also  a problem  in  Cuba 
(Sykes  et  al.,  in  prep.). 

The  trapping  of  Painted  Buntings  for  the 
cage-bird  trade  probably  dates  back  at  least  to 
the  early  1700s  (Latrobe  1835),  and  John 
James  Audubon  (1841)  reported  it  in  the 
early  1800s.  Since  the  early  1900s,  when  laws 
were  passed  in  the  United  States  to  protect 
native  songbirds,  such  activity  has  been  ille- 
gal. Painted  Bunting  and  other  native  birds 
are  protected  at  the  federal  level  by  the  Lacey 
Act  of  1900  and  amendments  of  1981,  1984, 
and  1988,  and  the  Migratory  Bird  Treaty  Act 
of  1916  (expanded  in  1936  and  1972).  Both 
acts  are  administered  mainly  by  the  U.  S.  Fish 
and  Wildlife  Service.  The  species  is  also  pro- 
tected under  Florida  Statute  372.922,  Chap- 
ter 39-4.001,  of  the  state  Administrative 
Code,  for  which  the  Florida  Fish  and 
Wildlife  Conservation  Commission  is  the  en- 
forcement agency.  In  addition,  most  cities, 
towns,  and  communities  in  Florida  now  have 
laws  protecting  songbirds  within  their  juris- 
dictions. 

Recent  evidence  of  captive  Painted 
Buntings  in  southeastern  Florida  (as  well  as 
in  Cuba)  prompted  our  brief  surveys.  For  in- 
stance, during  the  morning  of  30  March  2003, 
a local  Audubon  Society  member  discovered  a 
trap  east  of  Krome  Avenue  in  an  undeveloped 
part  of  Miami-Dade  County.  The  trap  con- 
tained an  adult  male  Painted  Bunting  and  a 
Gray  Catbird  ( Dumetella  carolinensis),  which 


quickly  were  released.  The  trap  (Figure  1) 
was  removed  from  the  site  and  is  now  in  the 
possession  of  Sykes.  Six  people  in  a dark 
pickup  truck  and  a white  sport  utility  vehicle 
were  apparently  involved  with  trapping  at 
this  site.  The  incident  was  promptly  reported 
to  Florida  Fish  and  Wildlife  Conservation 
Commission  law  enforcement  personnel,  but 
no  one  was  apprehended  at  that  time.  The  li- 
cense plate  of  the  pickup  was  recorded,  and  it 
was  subsequently  learned  that  it  had  been 
switched  with  that  of  another  vehicle. 

Methods 

Because  Painted  Buntings  have  in  recent 
decades  been  favored  as  cage-birds  mostly  in 
the  Latino  community,  we  restricted  our  ef- 
forts to  small  independent  pet  shops,  flea 
markets,  and  similar  operations  in 
Miami-Dade  County,  Florida.  (We  made  the 
assumption  that  stores  of  the  major  pet-shop 
chains  would  not  risk  the  legal  implications, 
financial  costs,  and  bad  publicity  generated 
by  the  sale  of  protected  native  birds.)  An  In- 
ternet search  located  85  small  pet  shops  in  the 
Miami  metropolitan  area.  We  selected  a total 
of  26  shops  (12  in  Hialeah,  one  in  Naranja,  10 
in  Miami,  and  three  in  Opa-locka),  plus  a reg- 
ular flea-market-like  gathering  that  features 
several  species  of  finch-like  birds.  Each  estab- 
lishment was  visited  once  in  late  January 
2004  to  see  if  Painted  Buntings  were  present. 
At  each  shop,  we  simply  observed  the  opera- 
tions. At  several  shops,  we  asked  a few  ques- 
tions in  Spanish  to  obtain  some  key 
information,  but  otherwise  tried  to  remain  as 
inconspicuous  as  possible. 

Results 

In  our  survey  of  26  pet  shops,  we  found  only 
one  Painted  Bunting  offered  for  sale,  at  a shop 
in  the  Allapattah  area  of  Miami.  Following 
our  purchase  of  this  bird,  for  $12.00,  the  clerk 
stated:  “Don’t  show  it  to  anyone  because  it  is 


310 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


ILLEGAL  CAGE-BIRD  TRADE  IN  FLORIDA:  A NEGATIVE  IMPACT  ON  THE  PAINTED  BUNTING 


against  the  law,”  or  words  to  that  effect.  We 
measured,  aged,  sexed,  and  banded  the 
bunting  with  a unique  color-band  combina- 
tion before  releasing  the  bird  into  a Princeton, 
Florida  neighborhood,  which  supports  a 
small  population  of  wintering  Painted 
Buntings.  At  the  time  of  its  release,  the 
bunting  was  in  good  condition,  with  no  sign 
of  worn  plumage,  and  all  the  nails  were 
sharp-tipped,  indications  that  it  had  been 
caught  fairly  recently.  We  observed  this  bird 
three  weeks  later  in  the  area  where  it  had  been 
released.  While  only  one  Painted  Bunting  was 
found  for  sale  at  a pet  shop  during  our  search, 
we  were  told  at  several  other  pet  shops  that 
they  could  get  us  a “mariposa”  (the  Cuban 
name  for  the  Painted  Bunting)  if  we  were 
ready  to  buy.  One  shop  owner  said  that  adult 
male  Painted  Buntings  were  selling  for  $55, 
with  females  or  subadult  males  selling  for  $35 
each.  Adult  male  Indigo  Buntings  (P  cyanea ) 
were  being  sold  for  $45  each.  We  found  In- 
digo Buntings,  all  brown-plumaged,  for  sale  at 
one  pet  shop  and  at  an  open-air  market.  This 
clearly  indicates  there  is  a black  market  for 
Painted  and  Indigo  Buntings  in  southeastern 
Florida. 

On  25  January  2004,  we  visited  an  open-air 
gathering  in  southeastern  Hialeah,  where 
birds  (mainly  finches)  were  shown;  some 
birds  were  for  sale.  This  informal 
event  takes  place  every  Sunday  morn- 
ing on  the  north  side  of  Hialeah  Drive 
with  its  intersection  with  NE  9th 
Court.  Cages  with  birds  were  dis- 
played along  both  sides  of  NE  9th 
Court  and  in  parking  lots  behind 
nearby  buildings.  An  estimated  50-60 
people  were  present  while  we  were 
there,  all  men,  and  all  Spanish-speak- 
ing. One  individual  was  selling  birds 
from  the  rear  of  a van.  He  kept  the  rear 
door  of  the  van  closed  except  when 
showing  his  birds  to  prospective  buy- 
ers or  making  a sale.  However,  he  set 
on  the  sidewalk  next  to  his  van  a cage 
that  contained  two  adult  male  Painted 
Buntings.  Later,  from  across  the  street 
we  watched  him  sell  the  more  brightly 
plumaged  male  and  another  unidenti- 
fied bird  from  out  of  the  van.  A second 
individual  in  a sport  utility  vehicle 
was  showing  his  bird  inventory  using 
a digital  video  camera. 

Traps  for  catching  small  birds,  iden- 
tical or  similar  to  the  trap  shown  in 
Figure  1 , were  relatively  easy  to  locate 
in  southeastern  Florida.  We  found  one 
displayed  at  the  open-air  event  in 
Hialeah  along  with  a much  smaller 


trap  made  of  hardware  cloth.  Traps  such  as 
that  shown  in  Figure  1 were  found  at  three 
pet  stores  visited:  one  shop  had  seven  on  dis- 
play, and  another  had  three.  We  were  told 
these  traps  sell  for  $75-85  each. 

We  later  learned  of  a conversation  in  Span- 
ish that  was  overheard  at  a large  permanent 
indoor  flea  market  just  east  of  Tampa  in  Hills- 
borough County,  Florida.  A customer  asked  a 
flea  market  stall  operator  (who  was  selling 
primarily  birds,  bird  cages,  and  cage-bird  sup- 
plies) how  she  might  purchase  a “mariposa.” 
The  response  was  that  he  had  none  at  that  lo- 
cality, but  could  obtain  one  in  several  days. 

In  early  March  2004,  we  turned  over  all  the 
information  that  we  had  collected  in  Florida  to 
the  Division  of  Law  Enforcement,  U.  S.  Fish 
and  Wildlife  Service  at  the  Regional  Office,  At- 
lanta, Georgia,  and  the  field  office  at  Miami, 
Florida.  On  29  August  2005,  the  U.  S.  Depart- 
ment of  Justice,  U.  S.  Fish  and  Wildlife  Service, 
U.  S.  Environmental  Protection  Agency,  and 
Florida  Fish  and  Wildlife  Conservation  Com- 
mission jointly  announced  the  unsealing  in 
Miami  of  a twenty-one  count  indictment 
charging  six  Miami-Dade  County  residents 
with  illegally  dealing  in  protected  species  of 
migratory  birds.  The  six  indicted  were  charged 
with  the  unlawful  sale  and  offering  for  sale  of 
Indigo  and  Painted  Buntings,  Blue  Grosbeaks 


( Guiraca  caerulea ),  and  Northern  Cardinals 
( Cardinalis  cardinalis ) between  24  October 
2004  and  11  July  2005.  According  to  state- 
ments in  court,  the  charged  individuals  con- 
ducted regular  sales  activities  almost  every 
Sunday  at  an  informal  market  on  Hialeah 
Drive.  Undercover  officers  made  direct  pur- 
chases of  birds  from  the  various  defendants 
during  the  months-long  investigation,  which 
was  dubbed  Operation  Bunting.  Juries  in  Miami 
found  all  six  defendants  guilty  on  the  2 1 counts 
of  unlawfully  selling  and  offering  for  sale  the  four 
species  of  songbirds  listed  above,  in  violation  of 
the  Migratory  Bird  Treaty  Act,  Title  16,  United 
States  Code,  Sections  703  and  707  (U.S.  Depart- 
ment of  Justice  Press  Release,  3 Feb  2006; 
<http://www.usdoj.gov/us20/fls/060203-0 1 . 
html>).  Each  of  the  21  trafficking  indictments  is 
punishable  by  up  to  two  years  in  prison  and  a 
$250,000  fine  (U.S.  Department  of  Justice  News 
Release,  29  August  2005). 

The  six  defendants  appeared  before  three 
U.S.  District  Court  judges  for  sentencing  be- 
tween 12  January  and  13  March  2006.  Defen- 
dant No.  1 pled  guilty  on  one  felony  count  and 
received  one  year  of  supervised  release,  $100 
special  assessment,  and  $648  in  restitution  to 
Florida  Fish  and  Wildlife  Conservation  Com- 
mission (FFWCC).  Defendant  No.  2 pled  guilty 
to  three  felony  counts  and  received  one  year 


Figure  1.  This  is  a trap  used  to  illegally  capture  Painted  Buntings  and  other  small  passerines  in  southern  Florida.  Such  traps  may 
be  mass-manufactured  somewhere  in  the  United  States.  Photograph  by  Paul  I H.  Sykes,  Jr. 


VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


311 


ILLEGAL  CAGE-BIRD  TRADE  IN  FLORIDA:  A NEGATIVE  IMPACT  ON  THE  PAINTED  BUNTING 


probation  for  each  count  to  run  concurrently 
and  a $300  special  assessment.  Defendant  No. 
3 pled  guilty  to  one  felony  count  and  received 
three  years  probation,  $2000  in  fines,  $100 
special  assessment,  and  $1650  in  restitution  to 
the  FFWCC.  Defendant  No.  4 pled  guilty  on 
two  felony  counts  and  received  three  years  pro- 
bation, $2000  in  fines,  $200  special  assess- 
ment, and  $544  in  restitution  to  FFWCC.  De- 
fendant No.  5 pled  guilty  to  one  felony  count 
and  received  three  years  probation,  $8290  in 
fines,  $400  special  assessment,  and  $6000  or 
so  in  restitution  to  FFWCC.  Defendant  No.  6 
was  found  guilty  on  four  felony  counts  and  re- 
ceived three  years  probation  and  $400  special 
assessment  (Federal  Wildlife  Officers  Associa- 
tion Web  Site;  <http://www.fwoa.org/>). 

Charges  were  also  filed  against  three  pet 
shops  in  the  Miami-Dade  County  area  for  sell- 
ing protected  native  songbirds  and  apparently 
were  linked  to  the  ring  of  those  trapping 
(American  Bird  Conservancy,  Bird  Calls  10.1: 
8,  March  2006).  We  have  no  further  details  on 
these  three  cases. 

Discussion 

From  our  perspective,  the  sentences  and  fines 
the  six  convicted  felons  received  amounted  to 
little  more  than  a slap  on  the  wrist  and  the 
costs  of  doing  business.  The  sentences  for  the 
six  felons  totaled  12.5  years,  all  on  probation, 
and  all  the  various  fines  combined  amounted 
to  only  $22,147.  This  is  interesting,  as  each  of 
the  21  felony  counts  could  bring  up  to  a 
$250,000  fine  apiece  if  the  maximum  had 
been  given,  but  the  total  of  all  the  fines  for  the 
six  convicted  felons  was  only  8%  of  the  maxi- 
mum for  one  felony  count.  Although  we  do 
not  know  the  actual  costs  for  the  government 
agencies  to  carry  out  their  investigations,  make 
arrests,  and  cost  for  the  trials,  we  venture  to 
say  the  combined  total  of  all  fines  was  a rather 
small  percentage  of  the  overall  costs  to  bring 
the  six  individuals  to  justice.  The  question  re- 
mains: Were  the  penalties  sufficient  to  stop 
these  convicted  felons  and  others  from  trap- 
ping and  selling  songbirds  in  the  future  within 
the  United  States? 

Based  on  our  rather  cursory  survey  of  bird 
markets,  plus  additional  information  provided 
to  us  by  an  eyewitness  to  other  events,  we  sus- 
pect that  the  trapping  of  Painted  Buntings,  In- 
digo Buntings,  and  other  songbirds  for  the 
cage-bird  trade  is  widespread  in  southeastern 
Florida.  While  the  aforementioned  situation 
probably  involved  Painted  Buntings  and  other 
colorful  passerines  trapped  in  Florida,  the  de- 
mand is  such  that  the  illegal  trapping  could  be 
expanded  to  include  the  breeding  grounds 
from  northeastern  Florida  northward.  Male 


Painted  Buntings  are  highly  territorial  for 
much  of  the  breeding  season  from  mid-April 
through  mid-July  (Lowther  et  al.  1999).  Trap- 
ping efforts  to  capture  Painted  Buntings  in 
Cuba,  Mexico,  and  elsewhere  in  Middle  Amer- 
ica target  mostly  the  adult  males  (E.  Inigo- 
Elias,  pers.  comm.),  and  this  is  probably  the 
case  in  Florida  as  well. 

The  style  of  trap  (Figure  1)  used  to  capture 
Painted  Buntings  and  other  songbirds  is  the 
same  or  similar  to  those  used  widely  by  bird 
trappers  throughout  Cuba  (E.  Inigo-Elias, 
pers.  comm.).  In  Florida,  this  style  of  trap  is 
precision-made,  and  we  suspect  those  we 
have  observed  have  been  manufactured  some- 
where in  the  state,  based  upon  the  materials 
used  in  manufacture.  The  trap  is  generally 
used  with  a live  bird  inside  as  a decoy  to  at- 
tract other  males.  This  type  of  trap  is  quite  ef- 
ficient in  capturing  birds  in  Cuba.  In  the 
province  of  Pinar  del  Rio,  Cuba,  Eduardo 
Inigo-Elias  (pers.  comm.)  witnessed  three 
trappers  using  a large  series  of  these  traps 
(hanging  from  wires  strung  between  poles) 
capture  approximately  700  adult  male  Painted 
Buntings  in  one  weekend  in  early  May  2004. 
The  trap  can  also  be  used  on  the  ground  or 
hung  from  a shrub  or  tree. 

Given  the  efficiency  of  this  trap,  we  are 
gravely  concerned  that,  in  addition  to  the  trap- 
ping of  Painted  Buntings  on  their  wintering 
grounds  in  Florida,  trapping  might  be  con- 
ducted on  the  breeding  grounds,  particularly  if 
stepped-up  law  enforcement  makes  the  illegal 
trapping  in  southeastern  Florida  too  risky. 
Given  the  territorial  behavior  of  the  males  dur- 
ing the  breeding  season,  a bird  trapper  could 
place  a trap  on  a male’s  territory  and  catch  that 
individual  in  a matter  of  minutes  and  then 
move  on  to  the  next  territorial  bird.  By  so  do- 
ing, male  Painted  Buntings  of  the  eastern  pop- 
ulation could  literally  be  vacuumed  from  their 
territories  in  their  rather  narrow,  limited 
breeding  range  along  the  Atlantic  coast  (see 
Sykes  and  Holzman  2005).  Such  activity  could 
be  conducted  with  little  chance  of  detection. 
Therefore,  it  is  extremely  important  that  the 
land  management  and  law  enforcement  agency 
personnel  with  Painted  Bunting  habitats 
within  their  areas  of  jurisdiction  be  aware  of, 
and  on  the  alert  for,  this  possible  threat.  Also, 
the  birding  community,  and  the  general  public 
using  these  areas,  should  be  made  cognizant  of 
the  problem  during  the  warmer  months,  when 
eastern  Painted  Buntings  are  present  on  the 
breeding  grounds  along  the  Atlantic  coast  from 
northeastern  Florida  north  to  southeastern 
North  Carolina.  Any  suspicious  activities 
should  be  immediately  reported  to  the  appro- 
priate agency  with  details  (license  numbers, 


description  of  vehicles,  people  involved,  etc.), 
so  that  quick  action  can  be  taken  to  apprehend 
individuals  attempting  to  trap  Painted 
Buntings. 

The  Painted  Buntings  along  the  Florida 
coast  from  the  Georgia  border  south  to  Cape 
Canaveral  have  declined  for  as  yet  unknown 
reasons  in  recent  years.  Is  it  possible  that  this 
decline  is  in  part  due  to  illegal  trapping?  The 
situation  is  in  need  of  investigation.  Given  the 
large  and  increasing  human  population  of 
Florida,  and  given  its  demographics,  the  de- 
mand for  Painted  Buntings  as  pets  could  be 
substantial  and  may  well  increase  in  the  fu- 
ture. The  necessary  laws  and  statutes  already 
exist,  but  greater  vigilance  by  the  public  and 
increased  law  enforcement  effort  is  required. 
A robust  educational  outreach  program  is 
needed  in  Florida  and  perhaps  elsewhere  to 
curb  the  trade  in  wild-caught  colorful  song- 
birds as  pets  as  well  as  the  cultural  traditions 
that  support  such  trade. 

Acknowledgments 

We  thank  the  following  for  assistance  in 
preparation  of  the  manuscript:  L.  Albares,  S. 
Bass,  W.  Blakeslee,  L.  Bois,  E Corrales,  D.  De- 
marest,  A.  Dias,  M.  Elkins,  L.  Fernandes,  P O. 
Gomez,  J.  Hernandez,  R.  Hernandez,  S.  Holz- 
man, E.  Inigo-Elias,  B.  and  C.  Kepler,  E 
Lohrer,  C.  Martinez,  M.  Molerio,  C.  Pacheco, 
R.  Padino,  J.  Peron,  B.  Pranty,  J.  Rodriguez,  Y. 
Rodriguez,  the  late  J.  Rosenfield,  E.  Williams, 
and  G.  Wong. 

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Robbins,  C.  S.,  D.  Bystrak,  and  P.  H.  Geissler. 
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Johnston  (eds.).  Ecology  and  Conservation 
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Sykes,  R W.,  Jr.,  and  S.  Holzman.  2005.  Cur- 
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Springs,  Colorado. 


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VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


313 


Pictorial  Highlights 


1 • Nova  Scotia's  second  documented 
Bell's  Vireo,  evidently  a bird  of  the  nomi- 
nate (eastern)  subspecies,  was  present  in 
Lower  Sackville  through  late  November 
2005  but  only  confirmed  and  pho- 
tographed on  3 December  (here).  It  was 
last  seen  the  following  day.  Photograph 
by  Cindy  Creighton. 

2 • Nova  Scotia's  eighteenth  Painted 
Bunting  (but  just  the  third  in  winter)  was 
sustained  through  the  season  (here  10 
February  2006)  at  a feeder  in  Bridgewa- 
ter. Photograph  by  Hans  loom. 

3 • Two  Cape  May  Warblers  lingered  into 
December  2005  in  Nova  Scotia,  and  this 
adult  male  at  Kentville,  photographed  20 
December,  remained  to  grace  the  local  Christmas  Bird  Count.  Photograph  by  Richard  Stern. 

4 • This  male  Black-throated  Blue  Warbler  at  Saint  Pierre  (here  4 January  2006)  was  an  extremely  rare  find  for  the  French 
Islands  in  midwinter.  Photograph  by  Patrick  Boez. 

5 • Western  Reef-Heron  is  known  in  North  America  only  from  one  record,  a long-staying  bird  on  Nantucket  Island,  Massa- 
chusetts in  1983— until  this  individual  (of  the  nominate  subspecies,  gularis)  turned  up  at  Stephenville  Crossing,  Newfound- 
land on  14  June  2005;  it  remained  in  the  area,  to  be  seen  by  hundreds  of  observers,  through  at  least  6 September.  Photo- 
graph by  Paul  Linegar. 

6 • Newfoundland's  first  Ross's  Goose  appeared  in  St.  John's  during  an  unexpected  mid-December  2005  influx  of  Snow 
Geese.  The  bird  was  photographed  here  on  16  December,  within  the  first  hours  of  its  four-month  stay!  Photograph  by  Bruce 
Mactavish. 

7 • Royal  Tern  is  rare  virtually  anywhere  inland  in  North  America,  and  this  individual  at  Wilcox  Playa,  Arizona  on  1 5 Febru- 
ary 2006  was  all  the  more  astonishing  in  winter.  Photograph  by  Matt  Victoria. 

8 • Wisconsin's  second  Band-tailed  Pigeon  spent  the  winter  at  a feeder  in  St.  Croix  (here  on  unknown  date  in  February 
2006).  Photograph  by  John  Agger. 


314 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


PICTORIAL  HIGHLIGHTS 


1 • This  adult  Streak-backed  Oriole  was  found  by  Gary 
Rosenberg  on  private  property  along  Sonoita  Creek  during 
the  Patagonia  Christmas  Bird  Count  18  December  2005 
(here)  and  seen  nearby  through  22  December.  It  represents 
only  the  second  documented  record  for  Santa  Cruz  County, 
with  the  first  being  photographed  nearTumacacori  earlier 
in  2005.  Digiscoped photograph  by  Dave  Stejskal. 

2 • The  juvenal-plumaged  Gray-headed  Kite  first  seen  on  Caye  Caulker,  Belize  on  1 7 February  2005  (N.A.B.  59: 508) 
was  still  present  a year  later,  by  which  time  (here  31  January  2006)  it  had  molted  into  definitive  plumage.  Photo- 
graph by  Bert  Frenz. 

3 • Baja  California's  first  well-documented  Blue-headed  Vireo  was  this  first-winter  male  photographed  8 March 
2006  on  the  Rio  Colorado  near  Ejido  Chiapas  No.  3.  The  two  prior  records  from  the  Peninsula  were  of  early  October 
migrants  in  Baja  California  Sur.  Photograph  by  Marshall  J.  Iliff. 

4 • Harpy  Eagle  is  a very  rare  bird  at  the  edge  of  its  range  in  northern  Central  America.  This  immature  bird  was 
found  15  December  2005  at  Quebrada  de  Oro  in  the  Bladen  Nature  Reserve,  Belize.  Photograph  by  Steven  Brewer. 

5 • This  Pacific  Screech-Owl  at  Isla  Zacate  Grande,  in  the  Gulf  of  Fonseca,  was  found  with  a mate  1 1 February  2006; 
this  furnishes  the  first  documented  record  for  Honduras,  although  the  species  is  well  known  here  by  local  residents. 

Photograph  by  Tom  leaner. 

6 • A male  Green-winged  Teal  at  Lake  Guija,  Santa  Ana  Department,  El  Salvador  was  the  first  documented  in  the 
country  since  the  species  was  reported  by  an  aerial  survey  in  1947  (here  13  January  2006).  Photograph  by  Luis 
Pineda. 

7 • Outstanding  photographs  such  as  this  one  helped  to  confirm  the  identification  of  this  Northern  Waterthrush, 
which  wintered  (here  24  January  2006)  along  the  Cache  la  Poudre  River  in  Fort  Collins,  Larimer,  Colorado.  Photo- 
graph by  David  Leatherman. 

8 • Colorado's  fourth  record  of  Long-billed  Thrasher  followed  the  state's  third  by  only  about  a month,  when  this  bird 
was  reported  20  (here  23)  February  2006  in  a Denver  neighborhood;  it  remained  well  into  the  spring  season.  Pho- 
tograph by  Glenn  Walbek. 

9 • Furnishing  just  the  second  state  record  of  the  subspecies,  this  Prairie  Merlin  (subspecies  richardsoni)  at  Killdeer 
Plains  Wildlife  Area,  Wyandot  County,  Ohio  was  photographed  4 January  2006.  Photograph  by  Blake  Mathys. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


315 


PICTORIAL  HIGHLIGHTS 


1 • Winter  2005-2006  had  three  reports  of  Black-headed  Grosbeak 
in  Florida's  panhandle.  This  immature  male  visited  a feeder  in  East- 
point,  Franklin  County  from  10  January  (here  12  February)  into  the 
spring  season.  Photograph  by  John  Spohrer. 

2 • This  Empidonax  flycatcher,  either  a Pacific-slope  or  a Cordilleran, 
was  photographed  18  January  2006  along  the  Virgin  River  near  the 
Washington  Fields  Diversion,  Washington  County,  Utah — one  of 
two  "Western"  Flycatchers  found  wintering  in  southwestern  Utah 
this  season.  Along  with  a Dusky  Flycatcher  record  from  this  winter, 
these  furnish  the  first  documented  records  of  Empidonax  wintering 
in  Utah.  Photograph  by  Rick  Fridell. 

3 • Trumpeter  Swans,  probably  from  recent  re-introduction  pro- 
grams in  the  Great  Lakes,  have  been  appearing  for  over  a decade  in 
northern  New  York.  This  one  strayed  farther  south.  First  identified 
at  Davey's  Lake,  Cape  May  Point,  New  Jersey  as  a Tundra  Swan  on 
17  December  2005,  it  remained  there  until  6 (here  5)  January  2006  and  was  probably  the  same  individ- 
ual that  visited  the  Hoopes  Reservoir  in  northern  Delaware  on  25  January.  Photograph  by  Karl  Lukens. 

4 • This  Lark  Sparrow  appeared  at  Chambersburg,  Franklin  County  10  (here  21)  January  2006  and  re- 
mained through  the  winter  season.  Photograph  by  Geoff  Matosh. 

5 * This  Black  Guillemot  at  Barnegat  Inlet,  New  Jersey  remained  from  3 (here  17)  December  2005 
through  1 2 January  2006.  New  Jersey  has  only  1 1 previous  records  of  the  species,  only  one  of  which  was 
for  more  than  one  day  (in  winter  1962-1963).  Photograph  by  Kevin  Karlson. 

6 • Two  Sandhill  Crane  x Common  Crane  hybrids  were  present  at  New  Egypt,  New  Jersey  from  6 Febru- 
ary 2006  through  season's  end,  probably  part  of  the  legacy  of  a Common  Crane  that  escaped  from  an 
upstate  New  York  farm  in  1991  and  produced  offspring  with  a Sandhill  Crane  in  southern  New  Jersey  in 
the  late  1990s  and  early  2000s.  Observers  throughout  the  East  should  study  each  crane  carefully  for 
signs  of  hybrid  derivation.  Photograph  by  Alex  Tongas. 

7 • One  of  four  Selasphorus  hummingbirds,  most  probably  Rufous  but  possibly  Allen's,  in  the  Hudson- 
Delaware  Region  this  season,  this  one  at  Verga,  New  Jersey  remained  from  the  fall  season  through  17 
(here  12)  December  2005.  Photograph  by  Karl  Lukens. 

8 • This  Northern  Saw-whet  Owl  was  found  at  Ledges  State  Park  in  Boone  County,  Iowa  on  1 1 February 
2006;  although  probably  an  uncommon  (if  irregular)  wintering  species  in  the  state,  it  is  difficult  to  lo- 
cate in  most  winters.  Photograph  by  Stephen  J.  Dinsmore 


316 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


PICTORIAL  HIGHLIGHTS 


1 * One  of  two  Say's  Phoebes  in  Illinois  in  winter  2005-2006,  this  bird 
was  photographed  20  December  2005  at  Crane  Lake  in  Mason  County. 

It  had  been  found  there  17  December  by  H.  David  Bohlen  on  a Christ- 
mas Bird  Count.  Prior  to  this  season,  there  were  1 1 records  for  the 
species  in  Illinois.  Photograph  by  PeterS.  Weber. 

2 • This  Pine  Warbler  at  Spring  Valley  Nature  Center  in  Schaumburg, 

Illinois  25  January  2006  (here)  was  the  northernmost  of  three  report- 
ed in  Illinois  in  winter  2005-2006.  It  foraged  between  patches  of 
melting  snow  at  the  end  of  what  was  otherwise  a relatively  snow- 
free  and  record-warm  January  in  northeastern  Illinois.  Photograph  by 
Alan  Stankevitz. 

3 ■ This  Varied  Thrush  remained  at  Lothian,  Anne  Arundel  County, 

Maryland  18  (here  21)  February  through  26  March  2006,  representing 
just  a fourth  confirmed  state  record.  Photograph  by  George  M.  Jett. 

4 • Only  a handful  of  observers  saw  this  Say's  Phoebe  (North  Caroli- 
na's fourth),  which  was  located  on  a large  private  farm  in  Carteret 
County  1-6  (here  2)  December  2005.  Photograph  by  Will  Cook. 

5 • This  female  Eared  Quetzal  was  one  of  a pair  found  near  El  Batel,  in 
Sinaloa,  Mexico  27  February  2006;  although  the  species  is  frequently 
seen  along  the  Durango  Highway  in  the  state  of  Durango,  it  is  very 
scarce  in  this  part  of  Sinaloa.  Photograph  by  Edward  5.  Brinkley. 

6 • This  female  Varied  Thrush  remained  in  a Louisville  yard  4 February  2006  (here)  through  the  end  of  the  season  and 
represented  at  least  a fifth  record  for  Kentucky.  Photograph  by  David  Pallares. 

7 • Following  autumn  reports  of  multiple  individuals  from  four  New  Mexico  counties,  at  least  two  naturally  occurring 
Aplomado  Falcons  were  documented  in  the  state  during  the  winter,  including  this  one  in  Luna  County  28  December 
2005.  Photograph  by  Jonathan  P.  Batkin. 

8 • This  immature  Solitary  Eagle  in  El  Cielo  Biosphere  Reserve,  Tamaulipas  was  a spectacular  find  21  February  2006 
(here)  during  the  El  Cielo  Bird  Festival  and  was  superbly  documented.  This  photograph  confirms  this  as  the  first  record 
of  the  species  for  Tamaulipas  and  one  of  few  for  northeastern  Mexico.  Aside  from  details  of  plumage,  it  resembles  a 
black-hawk,  but  several  distinctive  structural  features  are  apparent:  enormous  feet,  eagle-like  proportions  of  the  head, 
and  wingtips  that  reach  just  about  to  the  tail  tip.  Photograph  by  Rick  Cech. 

9 • This  adult  Black  Hawk-Eagle  at  La  Bajada,  Nayarit  1 5 February  2006  was  far  north  of  its  previously  known  range;  this 
species  is  thought  to  be  sedentary.  Photograph  by  Kevin  Kalhoon. 


VOLUME  60  (2006)  • NUMBER  2 


317 


PICTORIAL  HIGHLIGHTS 


1 • Normally  a very  secretive  species,  a Black  Rail  spent 
over  five  hours  perched  atop  a canoe  that  was  moored 
under  the  interpretive  center  at  the  Palo  Alto  Bay- 
lands,  Santa  Clara  County  on  31  December  2005.  Pho- 
tograph by  Ashok  Khosia. 

2 • This  cooperative  Short-tailed  Albatross  was  found 
on  a pelagic  trip  to  the  Cordell  Bank  National  Marine 
Sanctuary  4 December  2005.  Increasing  records  of  this 
rare  species  off  the  West  Coast  of  North  America  attest 
to  successful  conservation  efforts  on  the  breeding  is- 
lands off  Japan.  Photograph  by  Roger  Harshaw. 

3 • On  18  December  2005,  this  very  late  Le  Conte's 
Sparrow  was  photographed  at  Wolfe  Island,  Ontario. 

Photograph  by  Mike  Runtz. 

4 • A series  of  winter  storms  drove  large  numbers  of 
Red  Phalaropes  onto  the  Oregon,  Washington,  and 
British  Columbia  coastlines  during  December  2005  and 
January  2006,  with  some  small  flocks  travelling  into 
the  interior  of  western  Washington  and  Oregon.  One 
bird,  however,  outdid  the  rest,  landing  near  Umapine, 

Umatilla  County,  Oregon  (here  23  December  2005), 
providing  the  first  winter  record  for  either  eastern  Oregon  or  Washington. 
Photograph  by  Cliff  Freese. 

5 • The  burgeoning  numbers  of  breeding  Lesser  Goldfinches  at  the  northern  limit  of 
their  range  have  apparently  spawned  a number  of  vagrants  recently,  including  this 
male  some  400+  km  north  of  its  normal  range  in  Bellingham,  Washington,  first  de- 
tected on  26  February  (here  1 March)  2006.  Photograph  by  Marv  Breece. 

6 • Pacific  Golden-Plover  was  once  extremely  rare  in  Oregon  and  Washington  during 
winter,  with  only  about  six  records  prior  to  1990.  Over  the  past  decade,  however, 
this  species  has  become  an  annual  winter  visitor.  This  individual  visited  Halsey, 
Oregon  on  26  December  2005.  Photograph  by  Mark  Nikas. 

7 • Oregon's  eleventh  Black-throated  Green  Warbler,  and  second  during  winter, 
adorned  Klamath  Falls  from  9 (here)  through  22  December  2005.  Photograph  by 
Marshall  J.  Iliff. 


8  • Prior  to  the  past  few  years,  Sooty  Fox  Sparrows  (unalaschensis  subspecies  group) 
were  virtually  unrecorded  in  eastern  Oregon,  despite  being  of  regular  occurrence  in 
eastern  Washington.  This  bird  is  typical  of  that  subspecies  group,  with  dusky  flanks, 
a dull  facial  pattern,  no  wingbars,  and  an  unstreaked  brown  back.  It  was  pho- 
tographed at  Umatilla,  Oregon  on  10  December  2005.  Photograph  by  David  Herr. 


318 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIRDS 


PICTORIAL  HIGHLIGHTS 


1 • This  long-lingering  Carolina  Wren  was  banded  soon 
after  its  August  2005  arrival  at  Delta,  Manitoba,  where 
it  remained  until  1 February  2006.  Although  it  proved 
very  elusive,  it  was  eventually  seen  by  several  ob- 
servers and  photographed  on  8 January  2006,  thus 
providing  the  province's  second  winter  record.  Photo- 
graph by  Christian  Artuso. 

2 • Georgia  had  three  Broad-tailed  Hummingbirds  in 
winter  2005-2006;  this  immature  male  was  one  of 
two  in  the  Atlanta  area  (here  3 December  2005).  Prior 
to  this  season,  the  state  had  just  three  documented 
records  of  the  species.  Photograph  by  Bob  Zaremba. 

3 • This  Scarlet  Tanager  was  present  in  a Conway, 

South  Carolina  yard  2-20  (here  5)  December  2005;  the 
species  is  very  rare  in  winter  in  the  Southern  Atlantic 
region.  Photograph  by  Gary  Phillips. 

4 • Bullock's  Oriole  staged  a minor  invasion  into  the 
Southeast  this  winter.  This,  the  first  of  two  in  Georgia, 
attended  a feeder  near  Smyrna,  Cobb  County  15-21 
(here  20)  December  2005  and  provided  the  sixth  state 
record.  Photograph  by  Bob  Zaremba. 

5 • Not  to  be  outdone  by  neighboring  states,  North  Carolina  had 
two  Bullock's  Orioles  in  winter  2005-2006.  This  one  was  present 
in  a yard  north  of  Pittsboro,  Chatham  County  from  late  January 
until  the  spring  season  (here  4 March  2006).  Photograph  by  Will 
Cook. 

6 • This  Henslow's  Sparrow  was  apparently  one  of  several  to 
winter  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  Oklahoma  at  Red  Slough 
Wildlife  Management  Area,  McCurtain  County  (here  30  Decem- 
ber 2005).  Photograph  by  Dave  Arbour. 

7 • This  obliging  adult  male  Broad-billed  Hummingbird  spent  5 
(here  10)  December  2005  through  8 February  2006  at  at  Borrego 
Springs;  it  one  of  three  present  in  southern  California  this  win- 
ter. Photograph  by  Matt  Sadowski. 

8 • This  photograph  of  the  Baikal  Teal  present  in  Lompoc,  Santa 
Barbara  County,  California  10  (here  16)  December  2005  through 

9 January  2006  not  only  shows  the  diagnostic  head  pattern  but 
also  the  differences  in  the  wing  patterns  useful  in  distinguishing 
the  species  from  the  similar-sized  Green-winged  Teal.  Photo- 
graph by  Larry  Sansone. 


VOLUME  60  (2006) 


NUMBER  2 


319 


PICTORIAL  HIGHLIGHTS 


1 ■ This  Plumbeous  Vireo  photographed  in  Goleta,  San- 
ta Barbara  County  on  22  December  2005  was  one  of 
over  40  reported  in  southern  California  in  winter 
2005-2006.  Photograph  by  Jim  Greaves. 

2 • Most  observers  found  this  Rufous-backed  Robin  at 
the  Wister  Unit  Headquarters  near  Niland,  Imperial 
County,  California  21  December  2005  through  20  (here 
5)  January  2006  shy  and  difficult  to  observe.  However, 
as  is  evident  in  this  shot,  it  did  pose  for  some  photog- 
raphers. This  image  not  only  shows  the  rufous  on  the 
back  but  also  the  lack  of  white  crescents  above  and  be- 
low the  eyes  and  the  extensive  black  streaking  on  the 
throat  that  differentiate  it  from  American  Robin.  Pho- 
tograph by  Kenneth  l.  Kurland. 

3 • This  blue-morph  Ross's  Goose  was  one  of  at  least 
two  such  birds  present  through  the  winter  at  the 
south  end  of  the  Salton  Sea,  California  (here  9 January 


2006).  Photograph  by  Bob  Miller. 

4 • A bird  of  the  season  in  Texas  has  to  be  this  female 
Snow  Bunting  at  South  Padre  Island  24  December 
2005  (here)  through  2 January  2006.  This  bird  was  the 
sixth  of  its  species  to  be  documented  in  Texas  and  the  farthest  south — in  a 
year  when  vagrants  from  the  north  were  very  scarce.  Photograph  by  Reid  Allen. 

5 • This  Rufous-backed  Robin  was  present  near  Utley,  Bastrop  County,  Texas  be- 
tween 7 January  2006  and  the  spring  season  (here  12  January),  providing  an 
unexpected  first  record  for  central  Texas.  Photograph  by  Shawn  Ashbaugh. 

6 • This  stunning  male  Bullock's  Oriole  visited  the  feeders  of  Chris  and  Jean 
Hensick  of  Brighton,  Livingston  County,  Michigan  from  1 5 (here  1 9)  February 
through  1 March  2006;  if  accepted,  it  will  represent  Michigan's  fourth  record  of 
the  species.  Photograph  by  Caleb  Putnam. 

7 • Among  three  Rufous-backed  Robins  found  in  Arizona  in  winter  2005-2006, 
this  bird  at  Boyce  Thompson  Arboretum  was  found  8 January  (here)  and  last 
seen  27  March.  Photograph  by  Oliver  Niehuis. 

8 • This  American  Black  Duck  was  seen  between  1 6 January  (here;  on  the  Wet- 
lands International  Survey)  and  13  February  2006  on  Desirade  Island;  it  was  a 
first  for  Guadeloupe  and  probably  for  Lesser  Antilles.  Photograph  by  Anthony 
Levesque. 


320 


NORTH  AMERICAN  BIROS 


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