671 .A916 BIRD American Binding' men M:JN0. 1, 2010 • AUGUST TMROUeW^NO Birding on Borrowed Time tells, in her own words, the remarkable story of Phoebe Snetsinger, the woman who saw more birds in her life than any other human being in the history of the world. The book includes 45 illustrations by renowned avian artist H. Douglas Pratt (including 16 full-color plates), appendices, indices, and a map showing Phoebe’s travel destinations. ABA Sales Price $1SM Contact ABA Sales to orderyour copy today! hmvinij i,y hun The 7th Edition of the ABA Checklist BIRDS OF THE ABA CHECKLIST AREA A completely revised edition of the ABA Checklist of the Birds of the Continental United States and Canada aba Checklist byGemgiet 111 C4>'a A Birder’s .Guide.lo Alaska gives you the i'detail^1nfQrmation|tdu need to find the ;;LCre^|pnd§..great;birds. Over 60 locations riare-edv^^JncJuding the state’s entire ,.joad:sys(^m^j^^laska Highway from Dawson Creel^t^C^itrough the Yukon to Aaska, the Alask^^me Highway ferr^/ ^s^steiTi,-'and the Aaska Marine Highway [ffelrbBritish Columbia to Alaska. V ■ a total of 957 species 33 species new to the ABA Checklist ^ 3 species removed from the list " ""■" many new species as a result of “splits" 14 species renamed detailed accounts of more than 200 Code 4, 5, and 6 Species: ABA Sales Price $19.95 AmericanBirding ON THE COVER: A first-winter female Common Shelduck appearing at Quidi Vidi Lake at St. Johns, Newfoundland briefly on 1 7 November 2009 brought up the age old question of genuine vagrant or genuine escapee. Its occurrence was preceded by easterly winds blowing directly from Europe to Newfoundland. The species is rapidly increasing as a migrant and breeder in Iceland, the country believed to be the source of other regularly occurring European birds in Newfoundland such as Tufted Ducks, Eurasian Wigeons, Black-headed Gulls, and Redwings. Photograph by Bruce Mactavish Fall Migration: August through November 2009 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS • AMERICAN BIRDING ASSOCIATION • VOLUME 64 • NUMBER 1 • 2010 4 The status of Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) in western North America Steven G. MIodinow and Michael T. Schwitters 16 Birding Journal John Puschock 20 The Changing Seasons: Provenance Edward S. Brinkley 32 Editors’ Notebook Edward S. Brinkley 176 A Brown-backed Solitaire {Myadestes occidentalis) in Arizona Benjamin Van Doren 180 First record of Gray-collared Becard (Pachyramphus major) for the United States Jillian Johnston, Anne Peilegrini, and Ryan Davis 184 Pictorial Highlights The Regional Reports 34 Atlantic Provinces & St. Pierre et Miquelon Bruce Mactavish 55 Southern Atlantic Ken Biankenship and Josh Southern (Jl Florida Bruce H. Anderson and Andy Bankert 65 Ontario Margaret J. C. Bain 70 Eastern Highlands & Upper Ohio River Valley Victor W. Fazio, HI and Rick Wiltraut 76 Illinois & Indiana James D. Hengeveld, Keith A. McMullen, and Geoffrey A. Williamson 79 Western Great Lakes Peder H. Svingen 82 Iowa & Missouri Walter Wehtje 84 Tennessee & Kentucky Chris Sloan and Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr. 90 Alabama & Mississippi Greg D. Jackson 95 Arkansas & Louisiana Steven W. Cardiff 101 Northern Canada & Greenland Cameron 0. Eckert i 119 Idaho & Western Montana I David Trochieli ! 120 New Mexico I Sartor 0. Williams, lil 125 128 Arizona Mark M, Stevenson and Gary H. Rosenberg Great Basin Rick Fridell 132 Alaska ThedeTobish 137 British Columbia Chris Chariesworth 140 Oregon & Washington David Irons, Douglas Schonewald, Brad Waggoner, and Bill Tweit 146 Northern California Jeff N. Davis, Ed Pandolfino, Stephen C. Rottenborn, and Michael M. Rogers 153 Southern California Guy McCaskie and Kimball 1. Garrett 158 Baja California Peninsula Richard A. Erickson, Roberto Carmona, and Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos 37 CJuebec Pierre Bannon, Olivier Barden, Normand David, and Samuel Denault 39 New England Walter G. Ellison, and Nancy L. Martin 44 Hudson-Delaware Richard R. Veit, Robert 0. Paxton, and Frank Rohrbacher 50 Middle Atlantic Mark T. Adams and Matt Hafner 103 Prairie Provinces Rudolf F. Koes and Peter Taylor 105 Northern Great Plains Ron Martin 107 Southern Great Plains W. Ross Silcock and Joseph A. Grzybowski 111 Texas Mark W. Lockwood, Eric Carpenter, and Willie Sekula 116 Colorado & Wyoming Lawrence S. Semo, Tony Leukering, and Bill Schmoker 161 Mexico Hector Gomez de Silva 164 Central America H. Lee Jones and Oliver Komar 169 West Indies & Bermuda Robert L Norton, Anthony White, Andrew Dobson, and Eddie Massiah 172 Hawaiian Islands Peter Donaldson Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks. Photograph by Rachel Cass. See page 55. American Birding® ASSOCIATION CHAIR Dick Ashford BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jane Alexander Dick Ashford Lynn Barber Charles Bell Michael Bowen Paul Bristow Robin Leong Louis Morrell John C. Robinson Bob Warneke Anthony W. White Erika Wilson PRESIDENTS CEO Vacant ASSISTANT TO THE CEO Wendy Witherow FINANCE Arnie Wehofer Cindy Beggs Lisa Slocum COMMUNICATIONS David Hartley OUTREACH Chip Clouse BIRDERS' EXCHANGE Betty Petersen EVENTS Melissa Rausch MEMBERSHIP LeAnn Pilger PAST PRESIDENTS Bettie R. Harriman (2006-2007) Richard H. Payne (1999-2006) Allan R. Keith (1997-1999) Daniel T. Williams, Jr. (1993-1997) Allan R. Keith (1989-1993) Lawrence G. Balch (1983-1989) Joseph W. Taylor (1979-1983) Arnold Small (1976-1979) G. Stuart Keith (1973-1976) G. Stuart Keith (1970 pro tern) PAST JOURNAL EDITORS John W. Aldrich (1947-1951) Chandler S. Robbins (1951-1954) Editorial Board, including Robbins, Ludlow Griscom, Allan Cruickshank (1954-1967) Richard L. Plunkett (1967-1970) Robert S. Arbib, Jr. (1970-1983) John Farrand.Jr. (1984-1985) Susan Roney Drennan (1985-1996) Kenn Kaufman (1997-1998) Michael A. Patten (1999-2000) North American Birds is published by the American Birding Association. The mission of the journal is to provide a complete overview of the changing panorama of our continent’s birdlife, including outstanding records, range extensions and contractions, popula- tion dynamics, and changes in migration patterns or seasonal occurrence. We welcome sub- mission of papers in these areas; papers and other communication should be sent to North American Birds, 124 Peach Street, Cape Charles, VA 23310 or email to the address below. For correspondence on photographic material, contact the Photo Editor at the email address below. PUBLISHER DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS American Birding Association Bryan Patrick EDITOR ASSOCIATE EDITORS PHOTO EDITOR Edward S. Brinkley Louis R. Bevier Brian Sullivan (thalassoica@gmail.com) P. A. Buckley Adam M. Byrne Stephen J. Dinsmore Alvaro Jaramillo Paul E. Lehman (heraldpetrel@gmail. com) Alan Wormington J REGIONAL EDITORS |' i Mark Adams, Bruce H. Anderson, Yves Aubry, Margaret J. C. Bain, Andy Bankert, Pierre Bannon, Olivier Barden, Ken Blankenship, Aaron Boone, Aaron Brees, Adam M. Byrne, Roberto Carmona, t Steven W. Cardiff, Eric Carpenter, Chris Charlesworth, C. Dwight Cooley, Brian Dalzell, Normand David, .; Jeff N. Davis, Samuel Denauk, James J. Dinsmore, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Andrew Dobson, i Peter Donaldson, Cameron D. Eckert, Walter G. Ellison, Richard A. Erickson, Victor W. Fazio 111, f Rick Fridell, Kimball L. Garrett, Hector Gomez de Silva, Joseph A. Grzybowski, Matt Hafner, t James Hengeveld, Pam Hunt, David Irons, Greg D, Jackson, H. Lee Jones, Rudolf E Koes, Oliver Komar, 1 Tony Leukering, Mark Lockwood, Bruce Mactavish, Blake A. Mann, Nancy L. Martin, Ron E. Martin, ) Eddie Massiah, Blake Maybank, Guy McCaskie, Steve McConnell, Keith A. McMullen, Robert L. Norton, “ Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr., Edward Pandolfino, Robert O. Paxton, Simon Perkins, Wayne R. Petersen, J Randy Pinkston, Michael M. Rogers, Frank Rohrbacher, Gary H. Rosenberg, Stephen C. Rottenborn, ' Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos, William Schmoker, Douglas Schonewald, Willie Sekula, Larry Semo, ^ W. Ross Silcock, Chris Sloan, Josh Southern, Mark M. Stevenson, Dan Svingen, Peder Svingen, i Peter Taylor, Thede Tobish, David Trochlell, Bill Tweit, Richard R. 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Visit our comprehensive web site at: www.avisys.net For more information — call 1 ■505-867-6255 ~ iC/VISA 120 day full money back ~ Perceptive Systems, PO Box 369, Placitas, Ni 87043 Fast as a Falcon ~ Powerful as an Eagle ~ Friendly as a Chickadee Looking for a Birding AdventureP Go offshore with Seabirdiiig For more information contact Brian Patteson Seabirding P.O.Box 111 Hatteras NC 27943 (252) 986-1363 http://www.seabirding.com Pelagic trips since 1986 Departures from Virginia Beach, VA Oregon Inlet, NC Hatteras, NC aboard the best & fastest boats available Friendly knowledgeable leaders with extensive offshore experience Chum for bringing the birds close Winter trips for Great Skua and alcids Spring & summer trips for Gulf Stream specialties including rare Pterodromas andtropicbirds Late summer trips for White-faced Storm-Petrel VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 3 I The status of Bewick's Swin (Qf uus bemd^ lin western North America STEVEN G. MLODINOW • 4819 GARDNER AVENUE, EVERETT, WASHINGTON 98203 • (SGMLOD@A0L.COM) MICHAEL T. SCHWITTEiS • P. 0. BOX 143, CHOTEAU, MONTANA S9422 • (SCHWIT@3RIVEK.NET) Figure 1 . These Tundra Swans in Skagit County, Washington on 19 January 2007 provide an example of swans that appear to be intermediate between Bewick's and lliistling subspecies. EMns and Sladen (1980) indicate that Whistling Swans may have a maximum of 15.8% yellow in the bill, measured in profile, although the mean is much lower, at 3.1%. They give 22.9% as the mirrimum amount of yellow in the bill of Bewick's Swan. In this image, the leftmost bird is a Whistling Swan with approximately 16% of its bill yellow in profile; the bird with its head farthest to the right has a bill profile showing approximately 20% yellow; and the bird between them shows roughly 1 8% yellovr, not including the two orange spots near the nostrils. The rightmost tvra birds fall in the gap between Bewick's Swan and Whistling Swan and probably represent intergrades between the two taxa. These birds were photographed in an area that has produced sewn records of Bewick's Swan since January 2004. See also Figures 8, 9. Photograph by Steven G. Mhdinow. Abstract Bewick’s Swan, the bewickii subspecies of Tundra Swan (Cygnus columbianus) , is found across Eurasia and was first reported in North America in February 1974. This paper re- views reports of more than 160 Bewick’s in western North America (west of 100° W lon- gitude), excluding records from Alaska, be- tween 1974 and 2009. Most Bewick’s Swans in the American 'West have been observed among flocks of Whistling Swans that breed in western Alaska from Kotzebue Sound to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and winter in California’s Central Valley. Other Bewick’s have been noted with Whistlings that breed on the Alaska Peninsula and winter on the Pacific coast from southwestern British Co- lumbia to northwestern California. The num- ber of Bewick’s Swan records in western North America has increased sharply since the 1980s, paralleling a population increase 4 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS THE STATUS OF BEWICK'S SWAN IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA Breeding ;■ Migration Wintering 1. Johnson's Crossing, Yukon 2. M'Clintock Bay, Yukon , i 3. Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan ' ' 4. Regina, Saskatchewan 5. Freezout Lake, Montana 6. Camas, Idaho 7. Bear River NWR, Utah 8. Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska 9. Grant County, Washington 10. Skagit County, Washington 11. Grays Harbor County, Washington 12. Lewis County, Washington 13. Sauvie Island, Oregon/Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge 14. Nehalem Meadows, Oregon 15. Chickahominy Reservoir/Malheur area, Oregon 16. Klamath Basin, Oregon/California 17. Humboldt County, California 18. Marin County, California 19. California Central Valley, California 130'’0'0’’W 1,000 — I Mile 180“0'0" Kotzebue Sound Seward Peninsula i Figure 2. Map of western North America, showing iocations mentioned in the present paper, major breeding and wintering areas of Whistling Swan, and general migratory pathways taken by western populations of Whistling Swan. (Some smaller wintering populations, as in Nevada, are not represented in this map.) Whistling Swans that nest in the North Slope region of Alaska follow migratory path- ways toward the Atlantic coast states and winter mostly in the mid-Atlantic states. Map aeated by M Sochi. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 5 THE STATUS OF BEWICK'S SWAN IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA Figure 3. This Bewick's Swan in Yuba County, California 4 December 2009 is a classic example of a Yellowneb type. With extensive yel- low on the culmen connecting the yellow on the sides of the bill, this bird would be hard to mistake for a Whistling Swan, and in- deed, confusion with Whooper Swan would be more likely. Photograph by Michael T. Schwitters. Figure 4. The Bewick's Swan above would fit into the Pennyface category of Bewick's Swan because of the small yellow spot on the culmen. It was photographed by at Freezout Lake, Montana on 8 April 2009. Photograph by Michael T. Schwitters. and range expansion in Eurasia. A review of photographs and sketches of more than 100 well-documented Bewicks, employing the identihcation criteria provided Evans and Sladen (1980), indicates that the great major- ity of reports are accurate, although a few records might pertain to intergrades between Bewick’s and Whistling Swan (C. c. coliimbiamis), the North American subspecies of Tundra Swan. Background: Status, distribution, and migration of Bewick's and Whistling Swans Bewick’s Swan (Cygnus columbianus bewickii) is the Eurasian counterpart of Whistling Swan (C. c. columbianus): the two taxa are current- ly considered conspecific and collectively known as Tundra Swan (C. columbianus). Be- wick’s Swans breed in the Russian Arctic from Cheshskaya Bay, Arkhangelsk District in the west to Chaun Bay, Chukotka in the east (Rees 2006). North America’s first Bewick’s Swan was detected in Eebruary 1974, when one (paired with a Whistling and accompa- nied by two cygnets) was found at Lower Kla- math National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon (Evans and Sladen 1980). Subsequently, 163 additional Bewick’s have been documented south of Alaska in western North America. About half of the records have been from Cal- ifornia’s Central Valley, with the remainder of sightings split between the western interior and the Pacific Coast (Table 1). A review of the taxonomy, identification, and distribution of Bewick’s Swan may be of benefit to readers unfamiliar with this sub- species. Though swan taxonomy has been de- bated for some time, Bewick’s and Whistling Swans were generally listed as separate species (C. bewickii and C. columbianus, re- spectively) until 1982, when the American Ornithologists’ Union combined the two un- der the name Tundra Swan (A.O.U. 1982; see also Brazil 2003, Rees 2006). In Britain, these taxa were considered separate species until 2004 (Sangster et al. 2004). The reasons for considering Bewick’s and Whistling Swans as conspecific are numer- ous. Their breeding behaviors are similar (Evans 1977, Scott 1977), and their vocaliza- tions sound essentially identical (Evans and Sladen 1980). Although the amount of yellow on their bills is distinctively different (Evans and Sladen 1980), Bewick’s and Whistling Swans are quite similar in most other physical characteristics, such as body weight, bill length, tarsus length, and wingspan, although Whistlings average marginally larger in most of these measurements (Evans and Kear 1978). Finally, interbreeding of Whistling and Bewick’s in the wild was confirmed in the 1970s, when mixed pairs with young were found on the Asian breeding and wintering grounds; the frequency of intergradation is still unknown (Kishchinski et al. 1975, Mika- mi 1989, Rees 2006; see Figure 1). We are un- aware of genetic studies of these taxa. Bewick’s Swan consists of two populations, with those nesting east of the Lena River win- tering predominantly in Japan, China, and Ko- rea, and those breeding west of the Lena River 6 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS THE STATUS OF BEWICK'S SWAN IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA Table 1 . Records of Bewick's Swan in western North America, arranged by state and province. LOCATION Date(s) Bill Type(s) of adults (imma- tures noted, if observed) Source Notes OREGON 10 adults Total:3Yellowneb; 7 Unknown Lake Klamath N.W.R. Feb-74 Unknown -i- 2 intergrade imms. Evans and Sladen 1980 paired with Whistling Sauvie Island 1/2/82 Y Gilligan etal. 1994 Nehalem Meadows 2/27/82 Unknown Gilligan etal. 1994 Sauvie Island 11/26/90-1/5/91 Unknown D. Irons Malheur 12/21/97 Unknown Marshall etal. 2003 Wheeler County 3/10/02 Y Marshall etal. 2003 Lake Klamath N.W.R. 2/26/06 Unknown O.B.R.C. files Lake Klamath N.W.R. 3/9/07 Unknown H.A.B. Lake Klamath N.W.R. 3/2/08 Unknown H.A.B. Chickahomony Reservoir 10/25/08 Y N.A.B. WASHINGTON 11 adults Total: 5 Yellowneb; 6 Sladcneb Grant County 4/1/02 Y MIodinow and Aanerud 2006 Skagit County 1/10-3/10/04 P MIodinow and Aanerud 2008 Skagit County 1/13/-1/16/05 P MIodinow and Aanerud 2008 Skagit County 2/5/05 B MIodinow and Aanerud 2008 Skagit County 1/2/06 Y-t-imm. NAB. Skagit County 2/25-3/23/06 B N.A.B. Lewis County 2/26/06 B N.A.B. Grays Harbor County 12/26-31/2006:3/3-16/07 B N.A.B. Grays Harbor County 1/18-2/27/08 B N.A.B. Skagit County 2/24-3/8/08 B N.A.B. Ridgefield, Clark County 11/1/08 Y N.A.B. BRITISH COLUMBIA 7 adults Total: 4 Yellowneb; 2 Blackneb; 1 Unknown Delta 11/11/90-2/16/91 Y A.B. Harrison 12/1-12/2000 Y N.A.B. Harrison 1/2/02 Y N.A.B. Abbotsford 2/3-24/02 Y N.A.B. Nicomen Island 1/12/03 Unknown N.A.B. Delta 1/15-3/25/06 B N.A.B. Chilliwack 2/9-10/06 B D. Cecile IDAHO 1 adult Total: 1 Unknown Camas 3/27/08 Unknown N.A.B. YUKON 2 adults Total; 1 Yellowneb; 1 Unknown Johnson's Crossing 4/19/05 Unknown C. Eckert M'Clintock Bay 5/10-11/09 Y C. Eckert SASKATCHEWAN Total: 3 Blackneb; 1 Pennyface Regina 10/27-11/11/78 B A.B. paired with Whistling Cypress Hills 11/24/99 B Knapton 2000 Regina 10/22-11/2/07 P;B + 2imms. N.A.B. Tablet — Parti of 3 VOLUME 64 (2010) - NUMBER 1 7 THE STATUS OF BEWICK'S SWAN IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA MOiTANfl 17 adults Tetai*.8Yellowneb| I 4 liackneb; S Unknown Freezout Lake 3/23/99 Unknown M. T. Schwitters Freezout Lake 3/26/01 B;B M. T. Schwitters Freezout Lake 3/17/05 Unknown M. T. Schwitters Freezout Lake 3/25/05 B 4- 2 imms. NAB. Freezout Lake 3/25/06 Y NAB. Freezout Lake 10/31/07 Y M. T. Schwitters Benton Lake 4/4/08 Y N.A.B. Freezout Lake 3/28/09 Unknown; Unknown M. T. Schwitters Freezout Lake 4/6/09 Y M. T. Schwitters Freezout Lake 4/8/09 P M. T. Schwitters Freezout Lake 4/10/09 B;Y M. T. Schwitters Freezout Lake 11/1/09 Y M. T. Schwitters Priest Butte Lake 11/19/09 Y M. T. Schwitters UTAH 6 adults Total; 2 Yellownib; 2 Blaclneb; 2 Unlnewn Bear River N.VV.R. 11/26/07 Y;Y -1-2 imms. M. T. Schwitters Bear River N.W.R. 12/4/08 Unknown M. T. Schwitters Bear River N.W.R. n/26/09 B, Unknown M. T. Schwitters Bear River Club 11/26/09 B M. T. Schwitters CALiFORNIA (county) 9S adults Total: 38 fellownsb; 27 Blackneb; 30 Unknown Tehama 1/13-24/75 Unknown Hamilton etal.2007 San Joaquin 12/13/75-1/4/76 Unknown Hamilton etaL2007 San Joaquin 12/21-30/77 Unknown Hamilton etai. 2007 Butte 1/20/78 Y;Y J. Snowden Butte 1/15/81 Y J. Snowden Yolo 1/30-2/2/82 Unknown A.B. Marin 12/12-13/82 Unknown A.B. Butte 12/15/83 Y J. Snowden Butte 1/18/85 Y J. Snowden Modesto 11/9/85 Unknown A.B. San Joaquin 1/20/87 Unknown A.B. Siskiyou 2/20/88 Unknown A.B. San Joaquin 11/19/90 Unknown A.B. San Joaquin 1990-1 4 Unknown A.B. Butte 1/13/92 Y J. Snowden Siskiyou 2/6/93 Unknown N.A.S.F.N. Butte 2/25/93 Unknown N.A.S.F.N. Butte 1/28/94 Y J. Snowden Yuba 2/3/94 Y; B + 2imms. T. Manolis Qusa 1/24/95 Unknown liA.S.F.N. Butte 1/15/96 Y J. Snov/den Qusa early Jan 96 Unknown N.A.S.F.N. Sacramento 1/16-18/97 Unknown; Unknown N.A.S.F.N. San Joaquin 1/24/99 Unknown; Unknown N.A.B. Siskiyou 11/22/99 Unknown N.A.B. Yuba 11/24/99 Y B.Webb Table 1 — Parti of 3 8 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS j THE STATUS OF BEWICK'S SWAN IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA San Joaquin 12/5/99 Unknown N.A.B. 1 Butte 12/15/00 Y J. Snowden | Yuba 12/24/02 B B, V/ebb Humboldt 1/15-2/3/02 Unknown | Harris 2006 Siskiyou 2/4-2/28/03 Unknown | NAB. Butte 1/10/04 Y 1 i. Snowden Humboldt 1/12/04 Unknown N.A.B. Mono 11/7/04 Y N.A.B. Yuba 11/10/06 Y;Y; B;B J. Snowden Yuba 12/1/06 Y NAB. Yuba 1/14/07 B -h 3 intergrade imms. J. Snowden paired with V/histiing Yuba 2/6/07 B; B + imm. J. Snowden Yuba 11/24/07 B N.A.B. Butte 12/7/07 P J. Snowden Glenn 12/12/07 Y J. Snowden Yuba 12/20/07 Y;B J. Snowden Butte 12/27/07 Y J. Snowden paired with Whistling Modoc 1/12/08 Unknown; Unknown + 2 imms. N.A.B. Butte 2/7/08 Y;B J. Snowden Butte 2/7/08 B;B J. Snowden Modoc 2/23/08 Y;Y;Y;Y N.A.B. Two pairs Butte 11/15/08 Y;B J. Snowden Yuba 11/18/08 Y J. Snowden Butte 11/20/08 B J. Snowden Butte n/26/08 B J. Snowden Butte 11/28/08 B J. Snowden Butte 11/29/08 B; B; B; B J. Snowden Mono 11/30/08-3/19/09 Y N.A.B. Yuba 12/7/08 Y M. T. Schwitters Yuba 12/10/08 Y M. T. Schwitters Butte 12/10/08 Y M. T. Schwitters Gienn 1/20/09 Y J. Snowden Siskiyou 2/7/09 Unknown N.A.B. Modoc 2/15/09 B N.A.B. Modoc 2/17/09 Y;B N.A.B. Butte 11/24/09 Y J. Snowden Modoc 11/28/09 B;B S. C. Rottenborn Yuba 12/1/09 Y M. T. Schwitters Butte 12/2/09 B J. Snowden Yuba 12/4/09 Y;Y M. T. Schwitters Inyo 12/19/09 Unknown N.AB. Glenn 12/22/09 PF J. Snowden Butte 12/28/09 B;B J. Snowden Piacer 12/29/09 B B. Webb KefToTfpei KeyTaSources Y=Yel!owneb : NAB. = North AmerkmBUs . B = Blackneb AA-Amerkm Birds " ■ PF = Pennnyface MASiPM = NstiondAudukis.Ssdety field Notes Nate: Some ofthe individuals listed as Yellowneb could have been Pennyfaee. Tablet — Part 3 of 3 VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 9 THE STATUS OF BEWICK'S SWAN IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA Figure 5. Among the different types of Bewick's Swans, those with the Blackneb bill pattern (in ¥rhich yellow on the sides of the bill does not connect across the top) — such as this one at Conway, Skagit County, Washington on 9 March 2008 — are most similar to Whistling Swans. This swan has a bill profile measured at 31% yellov/ and thus is safely identifiable as a Bewick's. Similar swans show- ing less yellow on the bill, however might be hard if not impossible to distinguish from potential intergrades in the field (see Figure 1 ); photographs of such birds are especially useful, as they permit measurement of the extent of yellow. Photograph by Pyan Merrill. Figure 6. This adult Bewick's Swan in Skagit County, Washington 2 January 2006 is a typical Yellowneb; the immature swan to the left had a Bewick's bill pattern as well (readily visible when the bird's head was not tucked but not well photographed). Photograph by Steven G. Mlodinow. wintering mostly in northwestern Europe, particularly the United Kingdom (Bowler 2005) . Part of the western population winters on the Caspian and Aral Seas, but after dra- matic declines, only about 1000 birds now winter there (Bowler 2005, Delaney and Scott 2006) . InJapan, fall migrants arrive from mid- October through November and depart from mid-February into April (Brazil 1991, Brazil 2003). At the other end of their range, in Nor- folk, England, the bulk of fall migrants arrive from late October into early December, and spring departure takes place largely in the month of March (Taylor et al. 2000). Within Bewick’s Swan, there is clinal variation in size and in bill color from west to east, with east- ern birds averaging larger and having less yel- low on the bill than western ones (Bowler 2005, Rees 2006). In the past, this led to the subspecific designation of C. c. jankowskyi for the western population; however, there is near complete phenotypic overlap between the two populations, and jankowskyi is no longer rec- ognized as valid (Bowler 2005, Rees 2006). Bewick’s Swan numbers declined substan- tially between the 1950s and 1970s, but due to conservation efforts, they rebounded markedly during the 1980s and 1990s (Sy- roechkovski 2002). In Japan, perhaps most relevant for vagrancy to western North Amer- ica, annual January surveys found 542 Be- wick’s Swans in 1970, 1954 in 1980, and 31,198 in 1996 (Rees 2006). From 2001 through 2005, the Japanese wintering popula- tion stabilized around 40,000 individuals (Rees 2006). Concurrently, the breeding range of Bewick’s Swan expanded eastward, with 6000-7000 birds breeding as far east as Chaun Bay on the Chukotka Peninsula, an area that may not have been regularly occu- pied prior to the 1980s (Rees 2006). During the same period, Whistling Swans colonized the Russian Far East. They were first noted on the Chukotka Peninsula at Kolyuchin Bay in 1974 (one pair and five oth- er adults; Kishchinski et al. 1975), and by the early 2000s, 600-1000 Whistling Swans were thought to summer on the Chukotka Penin- sula, some as far west as Chaun Bay (Sy- roechkovski 2002, Rees 2006). Perhaps re- flecting this range expansion, japan witnessed a sharp increase in Whistling Swan reports. Japan’s first record was in 1968, and there were only four records in the 1970s, and about 20 during the 1980s (Brazil 1991). Be- tween 1990 and 1998, however, 10 to 29 Whistling Swans were detected annually in Japan (Environmental Agency of Japan 1998). The distribution of Bewick’s Swan in west- ern North America is best understood in the context of Whistling Swan migratory routes 10 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS THE STATUS OF BEWICK'S SWAN IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA Figure 7. This Bewick's Swan near Alturas, Modoc County, California 28 November 2009 has a bill profile measured at approximately 3S% yellow, well within the range of Bewick's and typical of the Blackneb type (note that the black of the culmen is continuous to the base). Photographs by Stephen C. Rotternborn. (Figure 2). Whistling Swans that breed in western Alaska from Kotzebue Sound to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta winter mostly in California’s Central Valley, reaching that desti- nation via an interior route that passes through the southern Yukon, Alberta, central Montana, and the Great Salt Lake, and then turns west- ward over the northern Sierra Mountains to the Central Valley; northbound migration is largely a reversal of this path (Limpert and Earnst 1994, Moermond and Spindler 1997; C. Ely, unpubl. data). The Siberian Whistlings also likely take this route, as their breeding grounds are a natural extension of the spring route taken by Whistlings that nest on the Se- ward Peninsula and along Kotzebue Sound. Many of the Whistling Swans that breed on the western half of the Alaska Peninsula do not migrate but disperse locally, but many also mi- grate southward to winter along the Pacific Coast from northwestern Washington to northwestern California (Dau and Sarvis 2002). Whistling Swans that breed on the east- ern portion of the Alaska Peninsula are more variable in their migration route; some move southward along the coast to winter from southwestern British Columbia to northwest- ern California; others winter in California’s Central Valley, reaching that destination by fly- ing southeastward through northern and then eastern British Columbia before turning south- ward through western Idaho, eastern Washing- ton, and eastern Oregon, and then heading southwestward to the Klamath Basin and final- ly the Central Valley (Bellrose 1978, Harris 2006; C. Ely, unpubl. data). A few of the Whistling Swans that breed in western Alaska winter in eastern North Amer- ica (Moermond and Spindler 1997, Dau and Sarvis 2002), and nearly all of Whistlings breeding on Alaska’s North Slope winter in eastern North America (Bellrose 1978); thus any Bewick’s Swan found among Whistlings in eastern North America may well have origi- nated from Asia rather than Europe. Notably, a search for verifiable records of Bewick’s Swans in eastern North America turned up none. Ontario has two records of Bewick’s, both by competent observers: two adults on the Niagara River at Chippawa 6 November 1971, and one adult in the Dover marshes 31 March 1972 (A. Wormington, pers. comm.). An observation of an apparent Bewick’s Swan at Ocean City, Maryland in February 1982 was assumed at the time to pertain to an abnormal Whistling Swan and has not been accepted by the state’s committee as a valid record (M. J. lliff, pers. comm.); similarly, none of the hand- ful of other sightings from mid-Atlantic states have been endorsed by state records commit- tees (Feldstein 1997). Remarkably, Iceland has recorded few Bewick's Swans, just 23 between 1978 and 2007, many of which were imma- tures (Y. Kolbeinsson, pers. comm.). Identification Adult Bewick’s Swans are distinguished from Whistling Swans solely by the amount of yel- low on the bill (Evans and Sladen 1980). Most adult Bewick’s have yellow on or across the culmen (Figure 3), and these birds are un- likely to be mistaken for Whistlings, though they could be confused with adult Whooper Swans (Cygnus cygiius), a topic that is well covered by most current field guides (e.g., Mullarney et al. 2009, Sibley 2000). Note that the Whooper Swan is a Eurasian species that has bred in the Aleutian Islands (Gibson and Byrd 2007) and occurred twenty or more times away from Alaska in western North America, with most of those records thought to pertain to birds of wild provenance (McE- neaney 2004). The greater challenge is separating a Be- wick’s Swan without yellow on the culmen VOlUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 11 THE STATUS OF BEWICK'S SWAN IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA Figure 8. The appearances of Bewick's Swan x Whistling Swan intergrades have rarely been discussed in the literature or carefully documented. Distinguishing such birds from Blackneb Bewick's Swans may not be possible on current knowledge. This pair — a Whistling (bill less than 10% yellow in profile) and a Yellowneb Bewick's — formed an apparent family group with an immature swan (Figure 9) at Freezout Lake, Montana, IS March 2010. Photograph by Michael T. Schwitters. Figure 9. This immature Tundra Swan (left) remained dose to a mixed pair of adult Tundra Swans (Bewick's and Whistling) at Free- zout Lake, Montana, 15 March 2010 and was assumed to be their offspring. Few suspected intergrade immatures have been docu- mented in spring, when the bill pattern more closely resembles that of an adult. This apparent intergrade shows none of its pre- sumed Yellowneb Bewick's parentage (i.e., no yellow on the culmen) but has a bill that is approximately 26% yellowish in profile, well within the range of Darkneb Bewick's per Evans and Sladen (1 980). Such birds, when seen as adults, would probably be indistin- guishable from Blackneb Bewick's. Photograph by Michael T Schwitters. from Whistling Swans and from Bewick’s Swan X Whistling Swan intergrades. In the discussion that follows, we will follow the classification of Bewick’s Swan bill types used by Evans and Sladen (1980): 1) Yellowneb: The yellow on these birds’ bills is reminiscent of that on Whooper Swans, with the yellow crossing over the culmen (Figures 3, 6). 2) Pennyface: On these individuals, the yel- low is confined mostly to the sides of the bill, but there is yellow spotting on the culmen (Figure 4). 3) Blackneb: Blacknebs have yellow only on the sides of the bill and lack yellow on the culmen (Figures 5, 7). Evans and Sladen (1980) compared the bills of 300 adult Whistling (from Maryland, North Carolina, and Alaska) and 104 adult Blackneb Bewick’s Swans (from Slimbridge, England) by measuring the amount of yellow visible on the bill in strict profile from photo- graphs. This comparison showed a distinctly bimodal distribution, with Whistlings averag- ing 3.1% yellow and Blackneb Bewick’s aver- aging 31.5% yellow in profile. Whistling Swans ranged from 0 to 15.8% yellow, with greater than 90% of birds showing less than 8%. Among Blackneb Bewick’s, the amount of yellow varied from 22.9% to 42%. These num- bers (15.8% and 22.9% yellow) should not be considered absolute boundaries; the numbers studied by Evans and Sladen (1980) is small compared to the populations of both taxa, and it is to be expected that a small number of birds will fall just outside the described limits. It is also worth noting that the yellow on a Whistling Swan’s bill tends to extend some- what linearly forward and downward from the lores, regardless of the extent of yellow; by contrast, the yellow on a Bewick’s Swan’s bill, even when relatively limited, tends to follow the feather contour straight downwards from the lores initially, creating a more globular look in the yellow patch when viewed in pro- file (M. T. Schwitters, pers. obs.). This appar- ent qualitative difference deserves closer scrutiny and may prove useful for observers scanning through flocks of swans for vagrants. Roberson (1980) suggested that a yellowish stripe on the underside of the mandible dis- tinguishes adult Bewick’s from Whistling Swans. Though this mark is present on most Bewick’s, rare Whistling Swans have been found showing yellowish to reddish (Limpert and Earnst 1994), and rare immature Whistlings show an orange stripe here as well (S. G. Mlodinow, pers. obs.). The plumage of immature Bewick’s Swan is described as similar to that of immature Whistling (Rees 2006). (The term “immature” as used herein refers to Basic I plumage, which commences in autumn with the Prebasic 1 molt and follows Juvenal plumage [Limpert and Earnst 1994] ; most young swans observed in the Lower 48 states have begun Prebasic I molt.) Therefore, as with adults, the main dif- ferences between these taxa are in bill pattern. The color on the bill of immature Bewick’s Swans recalls that of adults, but with an ivory, yellow, or pinkish patch at base of bill that is paler than the orange on young Whistlings, which often forms a saddle on the bill, not mirroring the adult pattern (Madge and Burn 1988, Patten and Heindel 1994; M. Ogilvie, pers. comm.). Useful illustrations or photo- graphs of immature Bewick’s Swans are pub- lished in Harris et al. (1990), Kanouchi et al. (1998), and Brazil (2003). As far as mainland 12 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS THE STATUS OF BEWICK'S SWAN IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA | Table 2. Number of records of Bewick's Swan by region and season. Region Number 1 2 3 4 early Oct 0 0 0 0 mid Oct 0 0 0 0 late Oct 6 1 0 0 early Nov 5 0 5 1 mid Nov 2 0 5 1 iate Nov 2 8 10 2 early Dec 0 1 9 3 mid Dec 0 0 7 4 late Dec 0 1 6 3 early Jan 0 0 7 7 mid Jan 0 0 13 8 late Jan 0 0 6 5 early Feb 0 3 12 8 mid Feb 0 1 3 5 late Feb 0 3 5 8 early Mar 0 3 0 5 mid Mar 1 0 0 3 late Mar 10 0 0 2 early Apr 6 0 0 0 mid Apr 0 0 0 0 late Apr 0 0 0 0 KEYTORESiONS Region 1 = Northern Interior (Saskatchewan, Montana, idaho, eastern Washington) Region 2 = Central Interior (Northeastern California, eastern Oregon, Utah) Region 3 = Southern Interior (California's Central Valley) Region 4 = Coastal (southwestern British Columbia to coastal northwestern California) North American records are con- cerned, we are unaware of any report of an immature Bewick’s Swan that was not in the company of an adult. Evans and Sladen (1980) indicate that an adult Tundra Swan with its bill seen well in profile should be re- liably identifiable as either Bewick’s or Whistling, especially if pho- tographed, which allows for precise measurement of the amount of yel- low (rather difficult to assess in the field). However, there are seven records of family groups with at least one Bewick’s Swan parent. In five in- stances, both parents were Bewick’s, but twice the Bewick’s was apparent- ly paired with a Whistling Swan. Giv- en that there were young in tow, it is not surprising that there have been reports of apparent adult Bewick’s Swan X Whistling Swan intergrades. The presumed intergrade imma- tures have bill patterns that seem in- termediate between those of their parents (M. T. Schwitters, pers. obs., S. G. Mlodinow, pers. obs.). However, bill patterns in adult intergrades are undescribed. Obviously, intergrades might simply have the extent of yel- low fall between 15.8% and 22.9%, and one such bird was noted by Evans and Sladen (1980) — an indi- vidual in Regina, Saskatchewan that showed 17.8% yellow on its bill in profile. However, it is conceivable that intergrades might have bill patterns that fall within the range of either parent, even if the Bewick’s in- volved is a Blackneb. Backcrosses would seem even more likely to fall within the typical phe- notype of Bewick’s or Whistling. Because of intergradation, even photographed birds with a bill profile showing less than 30% (or 35%?) yellow might be best considered not identifi- able as Bewick’s with reasonable certainty (Figures 1, 8, 9). Records of Bewick's Swan in western North America By contacting North American Birds regional and subregional editors, state and provincial bird records committees, and swan re- searchers, we were able to locate reports in- volving 153 adult and 12 immature Bewick’s Swans from western North America (west of 100° W longitude) away from Alaska through the end of 2009. The true number of individ- ual Bewick’s Swans involved in these reports is impossible to discern. First, it is highly proba- ble that some birds were tallied more than once, either because they changed location during a given year or because they returned to a site for multiple years. We felt that we had no reliable method by which to separate re- turning birds from “new” birds and thus chose to treat all sightings separately. Additionally, though all sightings were vetted in some man- ner, and many of the birds were pho- tographed, some may still have been misiden- tified (and if so, these birds were more likely intergrades than Whistling Swans; see below). Finally, we discovered no instances of known escapee Bewick’s Swans in western North America, and unlike Whooper Swans, Be- wick’s are very scarce in captivity in North America (M. Axelson, A. Schouten, in litt.). Absent in Table 1 are records of Bewick’s Swans from Alaska and Alberta. Though there are five sightings of Bewicks’ Swan from Alber- ta (plus three more listed as possible/probable) reported in North American Birds and prede- cessor journals, the Alberta Bird Records Com- mittee has chosen not to accept any of these due to the difficulties in separating Bewick’s and Whistling Swans (B. Ritchie, j. Hudon, in litt.). Similarly, identification challenges, plus scant documentation, has led to few published records of Bewick’s Swan from Alaska; current data suggest that this taxon is rare, but not annual, during spring and fall migration in Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands and accidental on the Alaska mainland (Alaska Checklist Commit- tee, in litt.). One Bewick’s was pho- tographed in April at King Salmon on the Alaska Peninsula (Alaska Check- list Committee, in litt.), and there are two specimen records from the Aleu- tian Islands: a bird found dead on Adak Island in December 1977 that had been banded at Chaun Bay (Evans and Sladen 1980), and one on Buldir Island, first seen on 28 May 2004 and then found dead at the end of July (Gibson and Byrd 2007). Oth- er physically documented Alaskan records include an immature Bewick’s photographed on Shemya Island, at the western end of the Aleutians, in October 2005, and two adult Black- nebs photographed there in October 2007 (Schwitters 2008). An immature Yellowneb was photographed with a likely Blackneb Bewick’s Swan (also an immature) on St. Paul Island 7 June 2006 (A. Keaveney; posted on ) . Excluding those from Alaska, records of 164 Bewick’s Swans were located in the literature, in records committees’ archives, or reported to us with written details and/or photo- graphs by swan researchers: 99 in California, 19 in Montana, 12 in Washington, 10 in Ore- gon, eight in Utah, seven in British Columbia, six in Saskatchewan, two in the Yukon, and one in Idaho. All Bewick’s Swans in western North America south of Alaska have been found in the company of Whistling Swans. Only 24 of these birds were observed along the migratory paths used by Whistling Swans that breed on the Alaska Peninsula. The ma- jority of Bewick’s Swans were along, or near, the interior flyway used by the Whistling Swans that breed in western Alaska from Kotzebue Sound to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. This pattern suggests that these Be- wick’s Swans mostly joined their Whistling companions in the Russian Far East or in western Alaska north of the Alaska Peninsula. Of the 153 adult Bewick’s reported in North America south of Alaska, we were able to determine the bill pattern of 108 birds, through direct analysis of photographs, other documentary material, or correspondence with observers. Of these, 44 (40%) were Blacknebs and 62 (60%) were either Yel- lowneb or Pennyface. Scott (1981) noted that 36% of the Bewick’s wintering in Japan were VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 13 THE STATUS OF BEWICK'S SWAN IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA Blacknebs, 51% were Yellownebs, and 13% were Pennyface. The proportion of Blacknebs in Japan is thus notably similar to that in the western North American record. By contrast, Evans and Sladen (1980) found that Black- nebs comprised only 18% of the Bewick’s wintering at Slimbridge, United Kingdom. This difference between birds wintering in Japan and England is consistent with the range-wide clinal difference in bill patterns, with birds in the eastern parts of the range showing more yellow on average than those in the western parts of the range (Bowler 2005, Rees 2006). Seasonal distribution Eor this summary, records were separated into those from coastal versus interior migra- tion routes (Table 2). The interior pathway records were further separated into northern (eastern Washington, Montana, Idaho, Saskatchewan), central (eastern Oregon, Cal- ifornia’s portion of Klamath Basin, and Utah), and southern (California’s Central Valley). Note that adults and immatures (as long as not from mixed pairing) were included, and individuals were tallied during every time pe- riod from which they were known to be pres- ent. The Inyo County, California records and Yukon records were not included in above groups or in Table 2, as they are not easily categorized. Bewick’s Swan records from the northern interior region cluster nicely into fall and spring migration periods. The eleven fall records span 22 October and 24 November, while the 17 spring records are entirely from 17 March through 10 April. Central interior records are also clustered into fall and spring migration periods, plus one late December record from southeastern Oregon that might represent a late southbound bird. The six fall records cover 25 October through 4 Decem- ber. Northbound birds total nine, all between 4 Eebruary and 9 March. As expected, sight- ings from California’s Central Valley do not show any seasonal peaks; records are spread from 9 November through 25 Eebruary and suggest that birds are wintering in this region. The above data tentatively indicate that southbound migration (south of approximate- ly 50° N) occurs mostly from late October through late November or early December, with birds first arriving on wintering grounds in early November. Northbound movement starts in early Eebruary but seems more stag- gered based on latitude, quite possibly due to foraging limitations caused by snow and ice. Accordingly, northbound Bewick’s Swans do not generally reach Montana until mid- or late March, with records farther north (e.g., in the Yukon) coming from April and May. Coastal Bewick’s Swan records (south of Alaska) do not show any migratory peaks. This is to be expected, as coastal Whistling Swans are winter residents from southwestern British Columbia to northwestern California. Records span 1 November through 25 March, with an apparent peak during January and Eebruary. Occurrence by decade and the question of onserver bias Bewick’s Swan sightings in western North America increased sharply after the 1980s. Seven Bewick’s were documented in western North America south of Alaska in the 1970s, and eight were noted during the 1980s. In the 1990s, however, 28 were detected, and 121 have been reported since 2000. It is probably not coincidental that this increase was con- current with a dramatic rise in Bewick’s Swan populations worldwide, their expansion east- ward in the Russian Ear East, and the colo- nization of easternmost Russia by Whistling Swans. Any of these factors could well con- tribute to an increase in western North Amer- ican Bewick’s Swan records. However, other reasons for this change may well exist, in- cluding better optics, increased observer awareness, and a greater number of observers. It is important to note that field guides may have hindered rather than helped birders’ awareness of Bewick’s Swan variation. Al- though Blackneb Bewick’s are shown in Madge and Burn (1988) and discussed in Pat- ten and Heindel (1994), Sibley (2000) depicts only a Yellowneb and makes no mention of Blackneb; furthermore, that guide’s depiction of a Whistling Swan with “maximum yellow” shows a swan with a bill profile that is ap- proximately 19% yellow — beyond the upper limit for Whistling indicated by Evans and Sladen (1980). More recently, the National Geographic Complete Birds of North America (Alderfer 2006) also does not note the exis- tence of Blacknebs and states that Bewick’s Swan has yellow covering more than a third of the bill — again, inconsistent with Evans and Sladen (1980). Conclusions Bewick’s Swan has become a regular, albeit very rare, visitor to western North America. Approximately 82% of western North Ameri- ca’s Bewick’s Swans have been found with Whistling Swans that breed in western Alaska (from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta north to the Kotzebue Sound), winter in California’s Central Valley, and traverse the southern Yukon, western Canadian prairies, Montana, and Utah during migration. The remaining Bewick’s have been found with Whistling Swans that breed on the Alaska Peninsula and winter from southwestern British Columbia to northwestern California. Fall migration from the latitude of Regina, Saskatchewan southward occurs mostly from late October into early December, and northbound migra- tion likely starts by early February and con- tinues into early April at these latitudes. The increase in records of Bewick’s Swans in the West parallels an overall increase in the Bewick's Swan population as well as range ex- pansion eastward in the Russian Far East, where breeding Bewick’s Swans have been in contact with Whistling Swans for over thirty years. This combination of events undoubted- ly bas led to more Bewick’s Swans wandering to, and reported from, western North Ameri- ca during the past twenty years. However, quite probably, some of the Bewick’s Swan re- ports that meet the bill criteria set out by Evans and Sladen (1980) have in fact been Be- wick’s Swan X Whistling Swan intergrades. The similar proportion of Blackneb Bewick’s wintering in Japan and occurring in western North America, however, is an indication that intergrades probably do not represent a sub- stantial proportion of North American Be- wick’s Swan reports at present. Acknowledgments For information about records of Bewick’s Swans considered herein, we thank Jim Snow- den, Michael Rogers, Steven Rottenborn, Donald Cecile, Thede Tobish, Rudolf Koes, David Irons, Harry Nehls, Brian Ritchie, Joce- lyn Hudon, Marshall J. lliff, Yann Kolbeins- son, Cameron Eckert, Tim Manolis, Alan Wormington, Aria Eckert, Eileen Rees, and Bruce Webb. For detailed information on the migratory habits of Whistling Swans, we are indebted to Craig Ely for sharing extensive unpublished information with us. We would also like to thank Maynard Axelson and Arnold Schouten for their insights on captive waterfowl. Finally, we heartily thank Craig Ely and Carl Mitchell for carefully reviewing an earlier version of this manuscript. Literature cited Alderfer, J., ed. 2006. National Geographic Complete Birds of North America. National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C. American Ornithologists’ Union. 1982. Thir- ty-fourth supplement to the American Or- nithologists’ Union’s Check-list of North American Birds. Auk 99: Supplement. American Ornithologists’ Union [A.O.U.j. 1998. Check-list of North American Birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. 14 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS THE STATUS OF BEWICK'S SWAN IN WESTERN NORTH AMERICA Bowler, J. 2005. Bewick’s Swan Cygnus columbianus bewickii. In; Kear, J., ed. 2005. Ducks, Geese, and Swans. Volume 1. Oxford University Press, Oxford. Brazil, M. A. 2001. The Birds of Japan. Smith- sonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C . 2003. The Whooper Swan. T & AD Poyser, London. Dau, C. E, and J. E. Sarvis. 2002. Tundra Swans of the lower Alaska Peninsula: Dif- ferences in migratory behavior and produc- tivity. In: Proceedings of the Fourth Inter- national Swan Symposium 2001. Water- birds 25 (special publication 1: 241-249. Delany S., and D. Scott. 2006. Waterfowl Pop- ulation Estimates. Fourth edition. Wetlands International, Wageningen, The Nether- lands. Environmental Agency of Japan. 1998. Report on the 29th Annual Census of Waterfowl (Anatidae) in January 1998. Environmental Agency of Japan, Tokyo. Evans, M. E. 1977. Notes on the breeding be- haviour of captive Whistling Swans. Wild- fowl 28; 107-112. Evans, M. E., and J. Kear. 1978. Weights and measurements of Bewick’s Swans during ■winter. Wildfowl 29: 118-122. Evans, M. E., and W. J. L. 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Moermond, J. E., and M. A. Spindler. 1997. Migration route and wintering area of Tun- dra Swans (Cygnus columbianus) nesting in the Kobuk-Selawik lowlands, north-west Alaska. Wildfowl 48: 16-25. Mullarney, K., L. Svensson, D. Zetterstrom, and P J. Grant. 2009. Collins Bird Guide. Second edition. HarperCollins, London. Patten, M. A., and M. T. Heindel. 1994. Iden- tifying Trumpeter and Tundra Swans. Bird- ing 26: 306-318. Rees, E. 2006. The Bewick’s Swan. T & AD Poyser, London. Roberson, D. 1980. Rare Birds of the West Coast. Woodcock Publications, Pacific Grove, California. Sangster, G., J. M. Collinson, A. J. Helbig, A. G. Knox, and D. T. Parkin. 2004. Taxo- nomic recommendations for British birds: second report. Ibis 146: 153-157. Schwitters, M. T. 2008. Bird Species Found at Shemya Island, Alaska 1999-2007. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Report. AMNWR 08/15. Homer, Alaska. Scott, D. 1977. Breeding behaviour of wild Whistling Swans. Wildfowl 28; 101-106. Scott, D. K. 1981. Geographical variation in the bill patterns of Bewick’s Swans. Wild- fowl 32: 123-128. Sibley, D. A. 2000. The Sibley Guide to Birds. Knopf, New York, New York. Syroechkovski, E. E., Jr. 2002. Distribution and population estimates for swans in the Siberian Arctic in the 1990s. In: Rees, E. C., S. L. Earnst, and J. Coulson (eds.). 2002. Special Publication: Proceedings of the Fourth International Swan Symposium. Waterbirds 25: 100-113. Taylor, M., P Allard, M. Seago, and D. Dor- ling. 2000. The Birds of Norfolk. Pica Press, Sussex, England. O }j3lp-3 pf3S3SS yjJJiJ ijlTiJil iJjJiJ iiuifliiii ■jopfablfd (Card Code PQOO 0000 American Birding' No Annual Fee Low introductory Rate No balance transfer fee for six months It's the only card that ensures a percentage of every purchase you make will go toward the American Birding Association, to help support a variety of activities and programs designed to inspire ail people to enjoy and protect wild birds. Choose from two distinct designs: Red-billed Tropicbird or Rufous Hummingbi^ To apply call 1-800-853-5576 ext. 8396 or apply online today www.aba.drg The creditor and issuer of the American Birding Association VISA Platinum Card is U.S. Bank National Association ND. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 15 Text and photographs by John Puschock/Ziigunruhe Binding Tours, 9542 32nd Avenue NE, Seattle, Washington 98115 (info@zbirdtours.com) I arrived at Barrow, Alaska on the evening of October 5. Den- ny Hodsdon picked me up at the airport and said he had seen about 25 Ross’s Gulls earlier that day, a relief to hear. While I was mostly confident our timing was good— the Ross’s Gull migration here usually begins in the latter half of Sep- tember—Ihad a nagging wor|y that maybe they’d be late this year. The next morning, we started birding:^t the old runway beyond the old U. S. Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (the main building is now llisagvik College). Several whales had been harvested and then butchered at this site. The carcasses were stored in dumpsters here before transport to Point Barrow. We figured this was the most likely location for an Ivory Gull to appear. As we started birding, we began to notice several flocks of Ross’s Gulls flying fairly high, coming in from the Chukchi Sea and then flying east- northeastward across some of the inland lakes, presumably taking a shortcut to the Beaufort Sea. Most flocks had from 20 to 40 in- dividuals, but one had about 100. By the end of the day, we had seen about 250. This following day, we saw similar flocks overhead, though some Ross’s Gulls were seen flying over the sea and following the coast- ^ line as well, some fairly far offshore. One such flock, flying fairly ^ quickly and low over the water, contained an adult Ivory Gull. A ) few Ross’s also stopped briefly on the frozen lake next to the run- way. Though the passage had not yet approached the mega-flights recorded in some years, we saw about 300 Ross’s on October 7. During my discussions with some of the local biologists, I learned that high winds bring the gulls close to shore, as these winds cre- ate breakers at the coast, and the gulls feed in the turbulent water. ^ (The direction of the wind is apparently not critical, as wind from | several directions can create breakers.) Up to this point, the weather had been mild. 16 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS The adult Ross's Gulls observed 6-9 October 2009 at Barrow showed relatively little variation in their plumages. The pink tint in the white areas of plumage varied among individuals but also with ambi- ent lighting conditions: the heavily overcast conditions of 8 October gave many birds a deep rose-pink glow in ail white areas of plumage, even in the head, the secondaries, and in the white shaft of the outermost primary (top row). There was also some variation in tail shape, with some showing the graduated taii shape depicted in the field guides (middle row), others showing markedly longer central rectrices and even undertail coverts (cf. image at upper left). Several individuals that appeared to be in definitive (adult) plumage showed a few dark tips to outer primaries (lower left) or dusky marks in the lesser upperwing coverts or alulas (lower right); such birds could well be second-cycle individuals, which are little known. All the birds we observed were in basic plumage; we saw very few adults with neck collars, a trait of alternate plumage, and those we did see had very thin, partiai coliars that did not connect across the throat. V 0 L U M E 6 4 ( 2 0 1 0 ) • N U M B E R 1 17 Although there are very few records of first-gde Ross's Gulls in the Lower 48 states, our group at Barrow observed several thousand, and among these there was some variation, mostly in the dorsal pat- tern. We saw none in true juvena! plumage, in which the back, sides of breast, and crown are rich brown in color. By October, most birds hatched that year have completed their partial preformative molt and are thus in formative plumage: the plumage of the head and back resembles that of the adult (top row). Compared to Little Gull, Ross's In any plumage shows a different head shape and a shorter, less pointed bill. First-cycle Ross's in formative plumage might resemble Little Gull from a distance, but Ross's wing pattern is bolder, more like that of a Sabine's Gull or a kittiwake, with strongly contrast- ing, bright white trailing edge to the wing (middle right), clearly visible from below and contrasting with a gray underwing (middle left), which is whitish in Little Gull of the same age. In first-cycle birds, the tips of inner rectrices are still blackish, which makes the graduated tail shape readily apparent, even at great distances (bottom row)— -another distinction from first-cycle Little Gull, In which the tail is more square-shaped. NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS ft-.'/ i'ljr 18 As luck would have it, we awoke to howling easterly winds and rel- atively large breakers on the morning of October 8. ,A few other birders had joined us this day, and as we were getting gas, a few flocks of Ross’s Gulls could be seen flying along the :;.h Divoky, G. J. 1984. The pelagic and nearshore birds .of the Alaskan Beaufort Sea: biomass and trophies. Pp. 417-437 in: Barnes, E W., D. M. Schell, and E. Reimnitz, eds. The Alaskan Beaufort Sea: ecosystems and environments. Academic, New York, -'x-:'- VOLUME 64 (2010) N U M.B E R 1 19 j The Changing Seasons: EDWARD S. BRINKLEY • 124 PEACH STREET, CAPE CHARLES, VIRGINIA 23310 • {THALASSOICA@GMAIL.COM) In Bermuda, this Purple Swamphen spent 26 (here 30) October through 6 November 2009 at Bernard Park. Images of the bird were circulated to rail experts abroad, who felt the bird a good match for the subspecies madagmcariemis, sometimes split as African Swamphen. Some hailed it as the New World's first record of a wild swamphen, as an earlier record from Delaware was widely considered to be of an Individual that had escaped from captivity. And what of a similar Purple Swamphen found five days earlier in Tattnall County, Georgia — also a bird that lacked the grayish head typical of most Florida individuals? Photograph by Andrew Dobson. The Chicken and the Egg As the above image and our cover image sug- gest, we will again raise that vexing question of “provenance” in avian vagrancy — what we used to call questions of “origin,” until a pre- vious journal editor wryly pointed out that the origin of a bird is technically a fertilized egg. In an effort not to rehearse a narrative we already know, perhaps we should consider a new posi- tion in this old debate: anti-conservatism. Af- ter all, if there is a legitimate reason to specu- late about avian vagrancy, in general as well as in particular cases, then a fresh look at the “Hey, it has wings. . stance may be in order. For decades, conservatism has ruled our collective view (and records committees’ views) of many potential vagrants that are not embraced as potentially wild birds; many of these remain as “records” only in scattered lo- cations, often just in newsletters, newspapers, personal notes, and occasionally in print in this journal, when a particular region’s editor sees fit. Lately, we also find them in odd places online, sometimes on sites that have little or no connection to what we might call “the birding community.” We are not considering here the galloping Emu in California or the skulking Banded Pitta in Florida — birds known to have jumped the fence or otherwise flown the coop, and in any case unlikely to ap- pear as wild birds in North America — but mi- gratory Old World or South American species that are also fancied by zoos, theme parks, and private collectors in North America. One marvels at the consistency of the dis- cussion over the past three decades, which of- ten seems stalemated between “Hey, it could be a wild bird, you know — this is the time of year they migrate!” and “Well, they’re com- mon in captivity; unless you can prove it’s wild, the default position is that it’s not.” Of course, absent any evidence that a bird was once held captive, the default position should probably be a suspension of judgment in many cases, but our culture favors a verdict, a vote, a decision. Perhaps because of concerns about the purity of ornithological databases, perhaps because of some worry about “count- ability,” birds of uncertain provenance reveal a Manichaean tension with an implicit choice: the reserve of the ever-skeptical Brahmin, or the rush of the Unwashed to christen a legiti- mate vagrant. Like most American “debates” that tend to- 20 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS Provenance ward polarization, this one often misses subtleties but also too of- ten misses the most obvious point: that the basis for well-founded judgment is usually lacking. And surely, though this set of ex- tremes represents a caricature of some memorable, careful discus- sions of individual birds in the past, it is on the mark for other ex- changes. Certainly, the conservatives’ (or conservativists’?) posi- tion has enjoyed favor for some good reasons: for instance, if a pat- tern of vagrancy develops, then a report can always be reconsid- ered and re-evaluated later on: non-acceptance of a record does not mean that it will be barred from consideration permanently, mere- ly that it is considered likely to be a bird with a history of captivi- ty at the time of review. The problem with this argument, historically, has been that birders tend to submit data on birds when they believe the infor- mation will be taken seriously — in other words, they often do not bother reporting or even collecting information if they anticipate its rejection or dismissal, on whatever grounds. My impression in the past decade has been that we have been crossing into a more neutral period with such records that once seemed problematic. Aging records of rare seabirds once considered “possibly ship-as- sisted” have appeared on state and continental checklists. Barnacle Geese, Pink-footed Geese, and Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks have been taken seriously as potentially wild, and rare geese in city parks once considered untouchable because of their association with tame park birds have become recognized as wild, even if they fail to migrate (and some have even become whistle-stops on bird- ing tours!). Several subtropical raptors, too, from Crested Caracara to Harris’s Hawk, have come to “count” as potentially legitimate wanderers. Some of these changes have come about because of strengthening patterns; others have occurred more because of a change in perspective. Records of potentially vagrant species whose populations are in decline (e.g., Lesser White-fronted Goose), and whose presence in North America has concomitantly gone from slim to none, have not been similarly re-evaluated. Clearly, though, the old conservatism is still very much alive. Take, for instance, Delaware’s report of a Common Shelduck at Prime Hook 19 September through 3 October 2009. I inquired about documentation on this bird — inasmuch as others were re- ported in Massachusetts, Ontario, and Newfoundland in the two months after it — and came up dry. As the finder, Bruce Peterjohn, writes: “At the time, the report of the bird was met with collective indifference from the birding community. I’m not sure that any- body made a serious attempt to look for the bird after I reported it. In light of the other records from eastern North America in the au- tumn, this report is gaining greater significance, so it’s too bad that the record did not receive more interest.” So... I remember reports of Common Shelducks from the At- lantic coast in the 1970s. How would I locate those and other re- ports, in case I wanted to look for a pattern in the historical record to compare to the 2009 records? It turns out that some of the ones 1 remember reading about are in American Birds but are not treat- ed in the state-level monographs, with the exception of Veit and Petersen (1993). State and provincial records committees have lit- tle on the species in their archives, with the exception of Florida and Quebec, which track of all bird species observed in the wild, Table 1. Reports of Common Shelduck in North America. County names are italicized. Date No,, Plumage Location Source or observer(s) 5 Oct 1921 l.imm. female Essex R., Ipswich, MA Veit and Petersen (1993) late Nov 1964 1 Martha's Vineyard, MA Veit and Petersen (1993) 16-17 Jul 1970 3 Bombay Hook N.W.R., DE N. E. Holgerson 13 Aug 1971 3 Bombay Hook N.W.R., DE' American Birds 26: 42 22 Jul 1972 2 Bombay Hook N.W.R., DP American Birds 16: 842 6Jul-24Sep1973 4 ads. Bombay Hook N.W.R., DE N. E. Holgerson 19 Jul 1974 3 ads. Bombay Hook N.W.R., DE American Birds 28: 886 29 Jul 1975 1 Bombay Hook N.W.R., DP American Birds 19: 951 16 Aug 1980 1 Bombay Hook N.W.R., DE R. Ringler, eBird 18 Sep 1982 2 Cap Saint-Ignace, QU American Birds il: 159 22 Aug 1984 3 juvs. Quebec City, QU American Birds 39: 30 17 Jan 1987 1 ad. male Westport, CT Connecticut Warbler 7: 37 30 Jul 1988 1 molting male Edwards Air Force Base, Los Angeles, CA J. L. Dunn 8 May 1989 1 Piney Run Park, MD R. Ringler, eBird Apr 1992 1 ad. Prettyboy Res., MD M.J.IliffJ.LStasz 30 Aug 1993 1 Notre-Dame-de-Pierreville QuebecOiseaux 5 (4): 26 2Jun1993 1 Lac des Pins, QU L'0rnithologie6{A]:19 7-21 Jul 1993 1 Baie-du-Febvre, QU QuebecOiseaux 5 (3): 16 1993 1 Clermont, Lake, FL observer unknown 3 Mar 1994 1 w. of Homeland, /’o/LFL P. Fellers 27 Aug 1994 1 lie du Moine, QU QuebecOiseaux 6 (4): 24 12-24 Nov 1996 1 Rimouski, QU QuebecOiseaux S (4): 30 25 Aug 1998 1 ICI Settling Ponds, Lambton, ON B, Mann, M. Bouman 26 Sep 1999 1 female/imm. Belle Isle Marsh, Suft)/Jr,MA B. Mayer, eBird 17 Feb 2002 1 Sarnia, Lambton, ON B. Mannetal. 30 Oct 2004 1 Dunham, QU' ornitho-qu listserve 24 Jan 2004 1 ad. Bass R., Dennis, MA B. Nikula (ph.) 31 Jul 2004 1 Blenheim S.T.P., Chatham-Kent, ON B. Mannetal. 4 Aug 2005 1 ad. male Scarborough Marsh, Cumberland, ME P. Vickery 19 May 2007 1 Royal Botanical Gardens, Spring Road, ON N. Feagans, eBird 28 Jul 2007 2 Everglades Agricult. Area, Palm Beach, FL N. American Birds 6]: 57S 11 May 2008 1 Jefferson-Davis Parish, LA D. Bosler, eBird 6 Sep 2008 1 male north of Fargo, Cass, ND D. Riemer(ph.) 29-30 Jul 2008 4 Viera Wetlands, Brevard, FL A. Bankert 30 Apr 2009 1 Miami Spi'mgs, Miami-Dade, FL L. Manfredi (ph.) 19 Sep 2009 1 Prime HookN.W.R., DE B. Peterjohn 17 Nov 2009 1 Quid! Vidi Lake, St. John's, NF B. Mactavish (ph.) 6-7 Dec 2009 1 imm. Essex, MA J. Malone (ph.) 29 Dec 2009 1 male Hamilton Bridge, ON* P. Armishaw et al. (ph.) 23 Jan 2010 1 ad. female John Bunker Sands Wetlands, Kaufman, TX G. Cook ' Two birds were seen at Bombay Hook as late as 16 August, and one remained through 15 September (fide N. E. Holgerson). Members of this group (and possibly offspring) apparently returned in late summer through early fall for four more years (with another, possibly from that group, making an appearance in 1980); where they spent the remainder of the year is not known. The American Ornithologists' Union's Check-list to North American Birds indicates that this group was seen through 1976, but I cannot locate confirmation of that in the literature. ^ These birds remained through 4 October 1972 [American BirdsU: 37). In 1973, the one individual showed up on 6 July, with 3 more found 14 July; the 4 birds remained through 24 September [fide N. E. Holgerson). Hhe Bombay Hook birds continued at least through 17-21 August 1975 (R. Ringler, eBird). Hhis bird remained through 17 May 1987; Connecticut Warbler 7: 51, 53; B. Nikula (ph.) * This bird remained through 2 November 2004. ‘ This bird's bill and plumage suggest a male; images posted: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sprint8/4225748433/ NOTE: A record of a shelduck at Tilton, NH 27 Dec 1975 (NH Audubon Quarterly 29: 60) surfaced at press time. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 21 |THE changing SEASONS: PROVENANCE Figure 1 . Towering over a nearby juvenile Common Moorhen was this Purple Swamphen in Tat- tnall County, Georgia on 21 November 2009, the first for the state. Another swamphen, possibly a vagrant from the Old World, was found on Bermuda five days later. Making sense of the prove- nance of these birds is complicated by the proliferation of breeding swamphens in Florida — and by incompletely documented variation in Florida's birds. Though we may never be able to deter- mine where the Georgia and Bermuda birds came from, we do ornithological posterity a disservice if we fail to document them in ways that allow future students of birdlife to learn about them. Photograph by Gene Wilkinson. not just those assumed a priori to be wild. With the help of Marshall Iliff, Harry Armis- tead, and an army of record-hunters, I set out to gather up what information I would on Common Shelduck in North America; the re- sult is Table 1, which may represent a minor- ity of observations. Certainly some of the records in Table 1 re- fer to escaped birds. For instance, the Cler- mont, Florida bird seems likely to have come from the nearby Animal Kingdom Lodge, where guests can watch Common Shelducks and a great variety of Old World birds from the lodge balconies at this Disney resort (Or- lando Sentinel. 29 July 2004). Florida has sub- sequent shelduck reports; mostly, their loca- tions and numbers suggest escapees rather than vagrants from Iceland or elsewhere in Europe, including one near the Miami airport in April 2009. Delaware’s records between 1970 and 1980 were assumed to have been of birds from a farm or a theme park, perhaps New Jersey’s Great Adventure (50 miles away) — but that park was not opened until 1974. The regularity of the Bombay Hook group’s appearance in July/August led the Re- gion’s editors, R A. Buckley Robert O. Paxton, and David A. Cutler, to ask: “Is this a molt- migration? If so, where have they been com- ing from?” Norman E. Holgerson, who origi- nally found the Bombay Hook birds in 1970 while doing an aerial survey of waterfowl on the refuge, recalls that they were all “very wary birds,” with flush distances of between 100 and 200 meters. He consulted his exten- sive notes on the birds and indicated that he saw most of the birds’ legs well (e.g., 13 Au- gust 1971, 25 July 1972) and recorded that they did not have bands. Plumage and size of one of the birds suggested an adult fe- male, according to Holgerson, but the others looked like adult males, though none had a fully de- veloped knob at the base of the maxilla, typical of breeding males (the earliest ar- riving bird he ob- served, a male 6 July 1973, did show some swelling in this part of the bill). Even if we discount these records from Florida and from Bombay Hook, what of the 1921, 1964, and 1987 records? And what of the fall and early winter records from 2009? Could there be a chance that some of these birds arrived in North America under their cause they were not maintained in any con- sistent way. State-level experts sometimes knew of published or archived records but of- ten did not. Second lesson: even when records were uncovered, supporting documentation or photographs were mostly not findable, and in most cases even information on plumage (age, sex, etc.), the presence of bands (used by many collections), and condition of toes (halluces clipped or not) had not been pre- served. Third lesson, and probably the most important one: several new records came to light because of eBird. This might sound triv- ial, but it is not: the more data eBird gets, the more complete our understanding of bird dis- tribution becomes — including species that may not be interesting to us right now, such as presumed escapees. In a few years, we may become interested in high counts of Cattle Egret in the Northeast (as the species contin- ues to decline) or in records of Summer Tan- ager in Canada (as the species marches north- ward). Whatever the bird, eBird offers a way to register the information and to track trends, free from the limitations of other me- dia or other methods. It may seem incompre- hensible, but eBird registers up to two million observations per month now. And, yes, you can add your old records into eBird, just as you log your new ones. And for the first time, you Figures 2, 3. This adult male Common Shelduck dropped into a field full of large gulls just north of the Fargo, North Dakota landfill 6 September 2008. It remained there for the morning but was not relocated in the afternoon or subsequently. Photographs show that it was not banded, and its hind toes (halluces) were not clipped. A search for records of this species indicates that most come from sites well east of the Mississippi River, though this bird was an exception. Photographs by Dean W. Riemer. own steam? It would be unwise to advocate here for any particular record; the disposition of individual records is best left to commit- tees, which can gather and sift through de- tails. Instead, this exercise is a learning expe- rience, with several potential lessons. First lesson: it was inordinately time-consuming to gather a list of shelduck reports, largely be- can use eBird to record birds seen anywhere on the planet, an impressive expansion! So if you see a Banded Pitta, or a White- faced Whistling-Duck, or a Purple Swamphen (Figure 1) in your neck of the woods, or any- where on earth, you have a neutral, efficient way of recording it and of sharing it with any- one who might be curious about the history 22 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS THE CHANGING SEASONS: PROVENANCE 1920 i 1930 0 1940 0 1950 0 1960 1 1970 1 1980 6 1990 10 2000 16 TaMe 2. Reports of Common Shefduck from Table 1 (those with known month of discovery only), shown by decade; Delaware records from 1970-1988 are listed as one record, in the 1970s. of bird distribution. Reconstructing the his- torical record 40-50 years later is almost an exercise in futility: it is much better to keep track of everything we see now, and let cur- rent and future committees and authorities decide how best to interpret what we have seen. As the legions of active birders and eBirders grow, eBird is becoming indispensa- ble for a clear understanding of bird distribu- tion. Indeed, there is nothing that holds a candle to its ability to digest and display in- formation on bird sightings. We will never be able to know in advance what might be inter- esting to birders and ornithologists of the fu- ture, so keeping tabs on everything is the best way to pass what we witness down to future generations. Does the argument above have a senten- tious ring, the suspicious righteousness of the reformed sinner? Perhaps it masks some past missteps? Well, before a blogger reports it; 1 confess. I remember standing on Oden’s Dock in eastern North Carolina on a rainy Memori- al Day Monday in May 1992 (before the In- ternet was widely used) as a huddled, hushed group of birders heard word of not just a Lit- tle Egret at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge to the north but also of a male Gar- ganey in the same pond, a great rarity any- where in North America. 1 offered the buzz- kill bad news: “1 heard from someone in the game department that a shipment of Gar- ganeys was just lost in transit.” 1 had heard this, but 1 had failed to fact-check the infor- mation, which, as it turned out, was un- founded: the source could not produce sup- port for the claim. And I also later learned that Garganeys are rarely held in waterfowl collections (the males hold their fancy plumage for such a brief time that they are not prized by collectors) and that almost all records of the species from our reporting re- gions fall into neat patterns that fit their peak periods of movement in their core range. Had I been a more careful reader of this journal (Paxton et al. 1976, Spear et al. 1988), I would have known both of Garganey’s rarity Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Figure 4. Reports of Common Shelduck from Table 1 (those with known month of discovery only), shown by month of discovery. Bombay Hook, Delaware records (1970-1980) are treated together, as a single record in July. Fipri S. Reports of Common Shelduck from Table 1 (those with known morith of discovery only), shown by month, exdudirsg records from Delaware (1970-1980) and the southern-tier states (California, Texas, Louisiana, Florida), where records have been treat- ed as referring to escapees. in collections and of its pattern of occurrence in North America. The Virginia record was part of that neat pattern. I had done some- thing that is very common in birding circles — to pass on duff gen (U.K. parlance for bad in- formation)— and had also fallen into the “sus- picious until proven wild” trap. As a conse- quence of this sort of dynamic around this striking duck, none of those who observed it took a photograph of it. And the state lacks a verified record of the species to this day. One does not have to look very far on the chat groups to find evidence that this incau- tious narrative continues. One commentator on the most recent shelduck opined: “There are multiple Common Shelduck reports from around the continent yearly,” This seems to be false but is an understandable statement. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 23 THE CHANGING SEASONS: PROVENANCE given that most field guides to North Ameri- can birds segregate shelducks on the “exotics” page, which suggests that they are not worth reporting no matter where they’re observed in North America. With the exception of a few records among California, Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota (Figures 2, 3), American records of this species are restricted to sites well east of the Mississippi River: the North- east and Quebec have about eight records each; Ontario has about five; the Middle At- lantic has about four (given the returning birds in Delaware); the Southeast has six. Al- though there is no evidence available that they were escapees, the Bombay Hook group and the southern-tier states’ records have all been treated as such. So if one takes those out of the equation for a moment, that leaves a pattern of occurrence in the northeastern reaches of the continent that might be pre- dicted for wild wanderers (Figures 4, 5). The paucity of reports in the West is note- worthy. The Edwards Air Force Base, Califor- nia bird (Table 1) remained for some time at Piute Ponds, then left the area after molting and was later seen in November at the nearby Lancaster sewage ponds. The species has also been seen at the Salton Sea, according to Kim- ball Garrett and Guy McCaskie, and at Bode- ga Bay, according to Scott Terrill. Waterfowl enthusiast Steve Mlodinow indicates that his birding travels in western North America “have never turned up a Common Shelduck, though 1 have seen, sometimes on multiple occasions. Bar-headed Goose, Egyptian Goose, Red-crested Pochard, a hybrid involv- ing White-cheeked Pintail, Ruddy Shelduck, Mandarin Duck, Silver Teal, Black Swan, Mute Swan (well away from established pop- ulations), and even a Barnacle Goose in Washington state.” Of course, the species may simply be more common in collections in the East than in the West, but there are many eastern North American records of the other species Mlodinow mentions as well. One would expect — inasmuch as Common Shel- duck is either absent or not widespread in easternmost Russia, China, Korea, or Japan — • that records would be far fewer in the West than the East, if at least some of the birds ob- served in North America have been wild. The temporal distribution of these reports (see Eigures 4, 5) is also roughly what one might expect if birds were moving southwest- ward from European breeding grounds. Com- mon Shelduck is sedentary in some parts of its range but in others undertakes an early mi- gration (usually in July) to favored sites for molting; the birds become flightless for sever- al weeks during this period and can often be seen in very large flocks at such locations. Af- terward, later in the fall, most mainland Eu- ropean shelducks then move on to wintering grounds at subtropical latitudes. When it be- came clear to those of us who visited Iceland annually in the 1990s and 2000s that the numbers of Common Shelduck were explod- ing in that country’s west, we wondered what sorts of strategies (molt migration and au- tumn migration) would develop in this group — and whether North American reports would begin to increase. Although there has been no banding return to indicate that an Icelandic bird has made it to North America, the reports of the species on this continent have increased sharply over the same period of time (Table 2; cf. Eigure 5; note that the small “peak” of records in spring involves birds treated by the finders as escapees). So if one were looking for patterns in the very uneven, mostly unvetted information available, there is arguably a crude pattern similar to that seen in records of several oth- er western Eurasian waterfowl species: records clustered mostly in the Northeast, from times of the year that correspond to pe- riods of regular movement in the Old World. Could some of these birds be escapees from Elorida that wander northward? Or could some of the Elorida shelducks be wild birds that have sought winter quarters in subtropi- cal climes, like those that migrate to northern Africa in autumn? Either scenario is plausi- ble. Even though we may perceive a strength- ening pattern in shelduck records, we cannot know the past history of each individual. This is one reason that some states’ commit- tees have a separate category for birds whose identification is not in question but whose provenance is unknown — the documenta- tion is maintained on file, and the docu- menters receive a letter of appreciation for taking the time to tender the record. In this way, the work of documentation is acknowl- edged (and the work of documentation rein- forced positively), and potentially useful in- formation is not lost. One could say that this increase in shel- duck records is simply a product better com- munication among birders. And there is little that can be said to disprove that; however, records of many other species, of all stripes, have declined in the past decade or so, despite all our new technology. Perhaps, as with oth- er increasing Palearctic waterfowl (Pink-foot- ed Goose, Barnacle Goose, Greenland Greater White-fronted Goose, Baikal Teal), we will take a second look at Common Shelducks in the field and in the review process. At the very least, we should photograph and document them as we do other species — and report them dutifully to eBird and our local commit- tees and North American Birds regional edi- tors. Without well-documented records in ac- cessible archives and databases to aid in as- sessing “provenance,” it’s difficult to have our ducks in a row. Weather (and birds) A controversy older even than exotic fowl, the alleged associations between weather events and the appearances of birds well out of range will probably provide this journal with fodder for speculation for as long as the journal per- sists. Pall 2009 had little low-hanging fruit in the birds-and-storms department, with the exception of a White-tailed Tropicbird found in Carlisle, Massachusetts 23 August, the same day Hurricane Bill hit easternmost Canada — remarkably, birders in Newfound- land found no seabirds of note, and observers in the West Indies found mostly grounded shorebirds. In fact, it was an uneventful sea- son for tropical weather, with Claudette and Ida meriting only brief mentions in the Gulf coast’s regional reports and in the Middle At- lantic region’s report. Likewise, weather patterns for the fall sea- son across the continent were uneven and dif- ficult to characterize. August in North Amer- ica wasn’t as hot as we’ve become accustomed to; overall, it was about half a degree Fahren- heit below the twentieth-century average, though the Northeast, Southwest, and Pacific Northwest were above long-term temperature averages, according to the National Climatic Data Center. September turned warmer, aver- aging a degree Fahrenheit warmer than aver- age for that month, and September in the West overall was the warmest ever recorded, with Nevada breaking its record and Califor- nia’s September tying 1984 numbers. Strong, slow-moving storms, however, meant that the Southern Great Plains had much cooler aver- ages, as in August. The continent’s average temperature in October was shockingly (4° F) cooler than average — the third coolest Octo- ber on record. Unseasonably cold air plunged southward several times in the month, bring- ing several memorable fallouts of migrants to the Gulf coast, and only Florida ended the month with above-normal temperatures. In November, the pendulum swung back, with the continent averaging 4° F warmer than av- erage, with balmy weather and little snow across much of the northern tier and especial- ly the Northeast down to Delaware. In fact, all 24 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS THE CHANGING SEASONS: PROVENANCE Figure 6. This Clark's Nutcracker at Laguna Hanson, Baja California on 24 October 2009 was one of two noted there; the Baja California Peninsula region had not recorded the species since 1997. Interestingly, in a season in which many corvids were widespread in lowland settings in the Southwest, Clark's Nutcracker had a very limited, spotty pattern of dispersal, mostly in the Pacific Northwest. Photograph by Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos. fifty states recorded above-average November numbers (but wait for the winter season sum- mary...). Precipitation patterns across the continent were variable, as usual. Overall, August was dry, about the twenty-eighth driest August since 1895; the northern tier was wetter than average, the southern two-thirds drier. Sep- tember’s precipitation average exactly matched the long-term average in the Lower 48 states, though the South got soaked and the reverse was true in the Midwest and Northeast. October, by contrast, was the na- tion’s wettest in 115 years of record-keep- ing— nearly twice the long-term average — and much the eastern half of the country was especially wet, with Iowa, Arkansas, and Louisiana had their wettest Octobers ever. Only Florida, Arizona, and Utah had below- normal precipitation for the month. Again in November, the pendulum returned to the dry side, with the month ranking eighteenth dri- est out of 115 Novembers on record, though Virginia and the Carolinas had very high pre- cipitation totals that month. The western mountains continued dry, which was proba- bly the source of a fair scattering of mountain birds in lowland settings. Western mountain birds The fall of 2009 distinguished itself in most places as an unusually quiet one; irruptive birds from the north, such as finches, owls, and Red-breasted Nuthatches, were seen in notable numbers nowhere, and many tundra- breeding species, including waterfowl, loons. shorebirds, jaegers, and Sabine’s Gulls (see the S.A. box in the Colorado & Wyoming report), were said to be in extremely low numbers across most of the continent, though there were exceptional counts of 40,000 Pacific Loons off La Jolla, Cali- fornia 28 November and a count of 3294 Sabine’s Gulls well off the Oregon coast 22 September. From the Rockies to the Pacific coast, most totals of eastern warblers were called “lackluster” (with a few excep- tional records noted), and the Baja California Peninsula region called it the worst warbler sea- son since regular reporting be- gan in 2000. Alaska’s remark- able offshore outposts had some notable birds in early Septem- ber, but then winds switched to unfavorable, at least for birders watching for Asian species. Though the central Gulf coast had some amazing fallout days, much of the Atlantic coast found shorebirds in short sup- ply and passerines average or below. In other words, much of the bread and but- ter of our autumn migration was missing in 2009 — which gives us the dubious luxury of expending four pages of copy on Common Shelduck. However, in the Southwest, a few species were on the move into the lowlands, though most of these did not make it onto the Great Plains, into the Great Basin, or east of the Pecos River in Texas. Among the wander- ers were corvids, bluebirds, woodpeckers, plus lesser numbers locally of finches, nuthatches, Bushtits, Brown Creepers, Moun- tain Chickadees, and Golden-crowned Kinglets. Although the counts of individual species broke no major records, their pres- ence enlivened lowland and other areas where they are uncommon or genuinely rare. These irruptions often correspond to regional drought conditions, and 2009’s small flights were probably no exception in that regard. Monsoon rains were spotty at best in the Southwest this season, and Tucson’s August was the driest since 1976 and third driest since 1948. The greatest diversity of mountain birds on the move was recorded in southern Arizona, where the irruption of jays, particularly Steller’s Jays and Western Scrub-Jays, com- menced in September. In addition, a few Piny- on Jays, Mexican Jays, and American Crows were seen in southeastern Arizona through the season; Mexican Jays around Tucson were particularly noteworthy, as the species is al- most never seen away from breeding areas. Arizonans also found high numbers of West- ern and Mountain Bluebirds in the lowlands, along with Cassin’s Finches, Red Crossbills, and Pine Siskins. Scattered lowland reports of Lewis’s and Acorn Woodpeckers, plus a few more Williamson’s Sapsuckers than usual, in- dicated a modest flight of woodpeckers out of the mountains as well. Lawrence’s Goldfinch, which has often been in the autumn news in the past decade, was widespread in southeast- ern Arizona but also had an “amazing” pres- ence in Nevada, with 21 birds recorded, 15 of those in one flock that stayed in Kyle Canyon 1-10 October. To the east of Arizona, in New Mexico, “the season was characterized by conspicuous in- cursions of woodpeckers, jays, chickadees, and other montane groups,” according to Sandy Williams, and this spilled over the bor- der into El Paso, Texas and the Big Bend area as well. As in Arizona, jays dominated the movement, with about a dozen Steller’s Jays and nearly that many Western Scrub-Jays in lowland settings, plus three Steller’s and “ex- cellent numbers” of scrub-jays in western- most Texas. As in Arizona, Pinyon Jays moved in New Mexico, where three groups of tran- sients totaling 35 birds were noted. New Mex- ico had six reports each of wandering Acorn and Lewis’s Woodpeckers, while western Texas had four Lewis’s — the most in many years for the state. (Probably the outlier in the season’s western woodpecker dispersal, the Midwest had its first Acorn Woodpecker ever, an adult male at Crow Wing State Park in cen- tral Minnesota 9 November.) In October, a single Western Bluebird in Texas at Palo Duro Canyon and two at Lubbock defined the east- ern edge of that species’ movement in fall, and the flight of Golden-crowned Kinglets also spanned New Mexico, reaching just into western Texas. To the west, in southern California, Guy McCaskie and Kimball Garrett write that “there was very little irruptive movement of passerines into or within the Region; only Golden-crowned Kinglets and, particularly. Western Bluebirds made incursions of note.” Corvids, woodpeckers, and smaller species (other than the kinglets) observed in Arizona were not detected in southern California. Western Bluebirds on the California deserts included up to 20 at Zzyzx in November, sev- eral dozen around the Salton Sea, and even a half-dozen offshore on San Clemente Island by the season's end — making the first record VOLUME 64 (2010) NUMBER 1 25 THE CHANGING SEASONS: PROVENANCE Figure 7. A New Mexico first, this Blue-footed Booby entertained birders from many states at Conchas Lake, San Miguel County 15 (here 16) August through 10 September 2009. Although the record at first seemed outlandish, it had context in the form of a Blue-footed in Arizona and at least 14 in southern California, the highest count of the species there since 1977. Interesting- ly, New Mexico's Blue-footed turned up earlier than the Arizona and all the California birds. Photograph by Jerry R. Oldenettel. for the Channel Islands, In northern Califor- nia, Southeast Farallon Island had its third Western Bluebird ever at the end of October. Mountain Bluebirds were reported in “greater-than-average numbers” on southern California’s coastal slope, but northern Cali- fornia had a small avalanche of them: flocks totaling nearly 1000 birds in San Benito County, plus rare records for Monterey Coun- ty and Santa Cruz County. Among the few California hints of the Arizona flights were a Red Crossbill at Bellflower, Los Angeles County and a few coastal Cassin’s Finches, with notable singles at Desert Center, at San- ta Cruz, in San Francisco County, and off- shore on San Clemente Island. To the north, in the Pacific Northwest, sin- gle Western Scrub-Jays were seen near Harts Pass in Washington’s Cascade Mountains (where the species is “all but unknown”) and continuing in Maple Ridge, British Columbia. These birds are pioneers in the range expan- sion of the species, rather than part of the lowland irruption of birds in the Southwest. As in Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas (but not California), Lewis’s Wood- peckers descended into lowland areas in Washington, where 10 were reported, and high counts of eight and nine came from Sk- agit County; Oregon boasted over 100 no- table Lewis’s, far more than usual. A Williamson’s Sapsucker in western Washing- ton at Carnation 25 November was locally very rare, but the real wanderer was an oblig- ing female that visited a cemetery in Finney County, Kansas in Oc- tober, furnishing one of very few records for the Southern Great Plains. There was also a modest movement of Clark’s Nutcrackers in the Northwest. In British Columbia, 30 nutcrackers on Grouse Mountain, North Van- couver was a high count, and one on Van- couver Island at the famed Carmanah Point Lighthouse 4 Novem- ber was certainly out of place, as was one at Rocky Point, Lincoln County, Oregon 8 Octo- ber, the only one report- ed west of the Cascades this season. Four in Lincoln County at Swan- son Lake were in shrub-steppe habitat, “far from known populations.” There was essen- tially no other mention of the species else- where in the West — except in Baja California, where two nutcrackers reached Laguna Han- son 24 October (Figure 6), the first in that state since the flight of 1996-1997. One has to wonder where these birds came from. North of normal: the tropical, the lingering, and the misoriented Although the autumn season has become known birds that are found well north of typ- ical areas late in the season, among them mi- gratory birds whose urges have taken them northward rather than southward, we still have far more puzzles than compelling expla- nations, and our habits of categorizing birds according to hunches about their patterns of vagrancy should always be questioned. Among very scarce species that stray north- ward from Mexico, Mangrove Cuckoo is an es- pecial enigma. Single birds with richly colored underparts, similar to the subspecies continen- talis of eastern Mexico, appeared in southern Texas at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge 1 September and in Alabama at Fort Morgan 17 September. Greg Jackson provides much food for thought in his S.A. box on Al- abama’s first record, which joins single records of Mangrove Cuckoos from Louisiana and western Florida, plus about ten other records from Texas, as the only ones of this type from the United States. Not only is the taxonomy of Mangrove Cuckoo in a tangle, but there are ap- parently also different morphs within some populations of this little-studied species, so it is difficult to say where these cuckoos were hatched exactly. And how many of these unob- trusive birds have gone undetected on the Gulf coast over the years? Another Mexican stray to Texas, a northerly Northern Jagana found in Choke Canyon State Park 1 November, was the first in some years for the state (and ac- cordingly visited by thousands of birders dur- ing its long stay) and was also the first of a roy- al flush of Mexican species in southern Texas, including a Bare-throated Tiger-Heron and an Amazon Kingfisher, both new for the United States. Not to be overlooked among five-star finds, a hatch-year Thick-billed Kingbird at Calf Canyon, Utah 20 October was that state’s first and one of the northernmost ever record- ed in the West. If you’re a fan of boobies, you’re probably pleased with the current historical moment, in which the smaller boobies — Brown, Red- footed, and Blue-footed — have been turning heads through much of the West. In Califor- nia in fall 2009, the largest flight of Blue-foot- eds since the late 1970s included two on the coast and at least a dozen at the Salton Sea. This flight kept going: Arizona had its first Blue-footed since 1996, at Martinez Lake in September, and New Mexico had its first ever at Conchas Lake in August and September, a bird that was enjoyed by hundreds of birders during its stay (Figure 7). Not to be outdone, 15 Brown Boobies were reported in southern California waters in autumn; one was on Southeast Farallon Island; Oregon had its third, a long-staying cooperative bird last seen 10 December; and another was found dead in Washington near Long Beach in January. The cherry atop the booby sundae was a subadult Red-footed Booby that perched on a research vessel near Anacapa Island and rode it into Los Angeles County waters. Another Red- footed found on Miami Beach in late Septem- ber and was rehabilitated and released but re- turned to the area of its release for several months, to be ogled by many. In the Midwest and East, it was not a re- markable “southern birds north” season, de- spite the dozens of ibis and handful of spoon- bills, pelicans, storks, and sundry waders seen north of usual places. Although few individu- als appeared to be involved, the summer’s flight of Fulvous Whistling-Ducks into the lower Midwest continued into September (Figure 8). As is probably the case with many 26 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS THE CHANGING SEASONS: PROVENANCE species that inhabit ephemeral wetlands, whistling-ducks’ dispersal is probably driven by breeding success and especially by chang- ing water regimes; worldwide, the distribu- tion of Fulvous Whistling-Ducks shows many irregular patterns over many decades and large areas. Some flights occur during the summer months, but there are plenty of ex- amples of late-autumn flights that stretch into December and later. Nonetheless, we don’t think of whistling-ducks as “reverse mi- grants” at any season, and indeed that label is applied to relatively few waterbirds at all. When we think of small influxes of boobies or ja^anas (or, lately. Least Grebes or Neotropic Cormorants), which we don’t consider long- distance migrants, we generally don’t call them misoriented, as we might the Thick- billed Kingbird or even the Mangrove Cuck- oos, both species whose movements in Mexi- co and elsewhere are likewise little under- stood. All border-crossings are not the same, surely, but we should bear in mind that we still don’t understand what drives the majori- ty of them.What sort of record clearly counts as referring to a reverse migrant? Quebec’s hrst Seaside Sparrow, a molting juvenile found near the tip of the Gaspe Peninsula 20 September 2009, appears to fit the bill (Figure 9); at this time of year, most Seasides at the north end of their range have begun to repair southward. But what, say, of the many record- late passerines found in Atlanta’s Constitution Park (see Ken Blankenship’s S. A. box in the Southern Atlantic report)? Were all these birds lingering and late, or could they have been part of a movement of reverse migrants, moving north-northeastward rather than south-southwestward, as hypothesized of similarly diverse groups of Neotropical mi- grant birds found in coastal areas from Cape May to St. John’s? In some cases, assemblages of birds such as this have been thought to be blown by southerly winds offshore back to these coastal locations; and certainly, contrary winds en- countered offshore do account for some fall- outs of birds in extreme settings, as birds fly downwind to conserve energy reserves that would be expended with a strong headwind (e.g. in fall, McLaren et al. 2000; in spring, McLaren and McLaren 2009; or in autumn hurricanes, e.g. Dins- more and Farnsworth 2006). But, as noted in past autumn migra- tions’ Changing Sea- sons essays, the appear- ances of “reverse mi- grants” do not neatly correspond with storms or southerly/southwest- erly winds, and those that typically do (Cave Swallows and Ash- throated Flycatchers in the East come to mind) remind us that these species are hardly trans- ported passively from their core range to east- ern North America as birds caught by chang- ing winds offshore may be — these are birds migrating over land, ap- parently having some urge to disperse toward the east/northeast in autumn. Granted, there is some evidence that some of these birds be- gin to move southward with the onset of cold weather, but there is also evidence of onward migration in a northeasterly direction in oth- ers. Why, after all, would a Neotropical mi- grant strike out over open ocean toward New- foundland in the autumn? If displacement by weather were involved, such a bird would be far more likely to fall out along the coast of the continent. The interesting Atlanta, Georgia assem- blage appears to be unique because of its in- land location, an island of greenery in an arti- ficially warm landscape. It is tempting to think that something in this urban environ- ment caused illness or misorientation, or that Figure 8. The summer's small Fulvous Whistling-Duck flight of was sustained through the be- ginning of September. These two visited Goose Pond in Greene County, Indiana (here 13 June 2009). After several decades of lull, extralimital records of this species have been increasing, at least east of the Mississippi River. Photograph by Dan H. Kaiser. the birds gathered here were already unfit in some way, or perhaps that they were lingering to take advantage of food supplies and warmth. But in fact some of the birds ob- served were surely passing through, seen only on one or a few days (the park can easily be searched thoroughly). So were the birds con- tinuing their migration — and, if so, did they head southward or northward? All of these questions are worthy of study, and new tech- nologies for studying migratory movements will hopefully unlock some of these mysteries in years to come. Probably because they represent among the most extreme cases, the rare appearances of South American species in North America are routinely called reverse migrants, among them long-distance austral migrants such as Fork-tailed Flycatcher of the nominate sub- species, observed this season in Quebec 13 August, New Brunswick 12-23 October (its stay ended by a cat), Minnesota 18-25 No- vember, and Illinois 25 November (Figure 10). In recent seasons. Brown-chested Mar- tins of the highly migratory subspecies fusca have been documented, and this season boasted singles at Sweet Lake, Louisiana in September and at Middleborough, Massachu- setts in October (Figure 11). Perhaps rarer still, a Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher in Ontario 7 November, the province’s second, could have come from the American Southwest, but more likely it came from farther south in the species’ breeding range, which extends to Costa Rica. It is conceivable, even very probable that many birds breeding in the United States en- gage in similar behaviors during migration but that their familiarity leads us to label them “lingering” instead of reverse migrants. Extreme cases within North America, such as Alaska’s second Great Crested Flycatcher 29 September 2009 at Juneau, seem to fit well with concept of reverse migrants from South America, as does Delaware’s first Tropical Kingbird at Prime Hook 13 October this year; but are those November warblers, vireos, tan- agers, and grosbeaks in northerly areas also largely reverse migrants? Sullivan (2004) writes: My supposition is that large numbers of va- grants are likely present throughout the in- terior continental United States and Cana- da, and it is chiefly when weather events concentrate them (dominant southwester- ly, then northwesterly winds) — or concen- trations of birders find them — that they are detected. I suggest that misoriented mi- VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 27 THE CHANGING SEASONS: PROVENANCE Figure 9. Completely unexpected in Quebec was this Seaside Sparrow at Port-Daniel, near the tip of the Gaspe Peninsula, 20- 22 (here 22) September 2009, about 1000 kilometers from the nearest breeding location. The bird appeared to be in active post-juvenal molt. Photographs by Albini Couture. Figure 10. Like many species engaged in active “reverse migra- tion," Fork-tailed Flycatchers are often one-day wonders, and some have even been found to the north or northeast a few days later. This adult was seen in Rock Island County, Illinois 25 November 2009 by Mabe Wassell but did not tarry there long and was not seen afterward. There are just two prior records of the species in Illinois. Photograph by Kevin Wassell. grants move northward on a broad front across North America and that they might be (and to an extent are) found anywhere over the course of an autumn. The heavy concentrating effects of the coast, coupled with offshore winds on either coast, can produce remarkable numbers of migrant and vagrant birds, but interior sites — espe- Figure 1 1 . This Brown-chested Martin of subspecies fusca was discovered at Cumberland Farms, Middleborough, Plymouth County, Massachusetts on 12 October 2009 (here) and re- mained for two more days. Its flight style with bowed wings and depressed tail was typical of the species, and the strong breast band with spotting down the center of the breast allowed identification to subspecies. Photograph by Jeremiah Trimble. cially along “coastal” edges at lakes, reser- voirs, and major rivers — are turning out to be increasingly productive places to wit- ness this autumn phenomenon on a usual- ly smaller scale. If the Atlanta park turns out to be produc- tive for such birds on a regular or an irregular basis, perhaps we should add “urban green- spaces” to Sullivan’s list of interior sites that concentrate these putative reverse migrants. The phenomenon of reverse migration is usu- ally invoked to explain late/northerly land- birds, but could some “late” shorebirds that are Neotropical migrants be misoriented in some way (Figure 12)? West & East One of the pleasures of autumn migration, whether you’re on Key West or St. Lawrence Is- land, on St. Pierre or San Clemente Island, or in the cen- ter of the continent near Rugby, North Dakota, is the chance encounter with what might be called a longitudinal vagrant, a bird that typically migrates well to the east or west of wherever you happen to be. Even a bird a few miles east or west of normal can make a memorable morning. I have seen but three Olive-sided Fly- catchers on the Atlantic coast during fall migration, even though the species is not a rare migrant west of the coastal plain, but I enjoyed those three immensely. Coastal areas tend to enjoy a great deal of bird- ing attention in autumn, in part because of their diverse birdlife and proven productivity dur- ing migration, in part be- cause so many people live near the American coasts. In fall 2009, the Pacific coastal states produced an interesting array of eastern birds — and not just on the coast. A flight of elegant Fludsonian Godwits (Figure 13) in California kept shore- birders busy in August and September, a time when most Hudsonians are flying nonstop over the Atlantic Ocean from northern Cana- da to southern South America. Also in Cali- fornia, a Baird’s Sparrow at Desert Center 5 September (Figure 14) was well off course — the nearest known wintering areas are in southeastern Arizona — but this species is more seldom seen than the godwit in the state, probably because it is such a skulker. New Mexico’s first Golden-cheeked Warbler was just “one state over” as well, but it makes a truly remarkable record; California has a vagrant record from Southeast Farallon Is- land 9 September 1971 (Lewis et al. 1974), and Florida has one from Sawgrass Lake, Pinellas County 24 August 1964 (Woolfend- Figure 1 2. This juvenile Baird's Sandpiper that appeared In Elkhart County, Indiana 20 November 2009 would typically be called a "late" bird, one that had yet to move south of this location, and this is probably accurate, based on the rapidly increasing number of record-late departure dates set among shorebird species through most of the conti- nent. (Illness or lack of fitness for migration probably explains some "late" departures; and many birds surely expire before completing their first migration.) But could at least some of these "late" shorebirds be misoriented migrants? Photograph by Leland Shaum. 28 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS THE CHANGING SEASONS: PROVENANCE en 1967). A bird associated with migration corridors much farther east, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, was documented in the West at southeastern Washington’s Windust State Park 30 August, the state’s first (Figure 15), and at La Bufadora, Baja California 5 Septem- ber, the state’s third. Yellow-bellied Flycatch- er nests west to Alaska (at least in small num- bers), but its migration takes it through east- ern North America in fall, and even Califor- nia has scarcely more than a dozen records of the species. These birds were all observed on dates that are typical for the species’ passage through these latitudes in their usual haunts, and so — unlike some late-autumn vagrants — their misorientation does not lead us to con- sider them reverse migrants. East of the Rockies, western birds included the typical fall fare; a small number of western warblers, mostly Townsend’s, a few Townsend’s Solitaires, a smattering of Spotted Towhees, scattered Say’s Phoebes, and wide- spread Western Tanagers and Black-headed Grosbeaks. (It speaks volumes that we con- sider Allen’s Hummingbirds in the East and Midwest to be no great shakes; Ohio, Penn- sylvania, and Massachusetts recorded the species this season.) Alabama logged some subtle western species this season, among them single Dusky Flycatchers at Fort Mor- gan 17 and 19 October, and Louisiana had a Pacific-slope/Cordilleran Flycatcher and a Cassin’s Vireo — both at Johnsons Bayou 3 Oc- tober. These dates could indicate some degree of misorientation, but they seem more likely to indicate eastward displacement during southward migration by those unusually strong October cold fronts. In other words, the birds “missed” Mexico and ended up a bit east of their trajectory. However, the Western Warbling Vireo (subspecies swainsonii) band- ed in November in Ontario (and possibly an- other Warbling seen in November in Virginia) raise the red flag of reverse migration: this birds were both far north of normal, and at least the Ontario bird was east of normal. Michigan’s fifth Green Violetear, which turned up in late September, could also be considered late, as northbound birds typically show up earlier in the year. With several species, categorization as re- verse migrants is problematic, as their ex- tralimital appearances seem to be “off’ in I nearly equal measures latitudinally and longi- tudinally. Ash-throated Flycatchers east of typical range make a good case in point. We I may think of autumn birds on the western Gulf coast, such as five together in Louisiana this season, as mostly longitudinally dis- placed, whereas birds found in the Northeast in November — such as Newfoundland’s first (at Ferryland 14 November 2009) — seem to conform more to patterns we associate with so-called reverse migrants. The Northern Canada & Greenland region also had its first Ash-throated ever, on the first day of September, at Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories. Although it is possible that all these birds were simply “misoriented” in dif- ferent ways, it is also possible that we can see in them different facets of a dynamic that is becoming more and more familiar: dispersal that gradually leads to new migratory patterns and new wintering attempts, even new win- tering areas. Hummingbirds provide the most familiar, if still bewildering example of northward/ eastward dispersal, often late in the season, and of expanding winter ranges. But more and more we see orioles, tanagers, warblers, and Broad-winged and Swainson’s Hawks, among others, in extralimital settings that re- call the early days of the hummingbird revo- lution. So it may be with Ash-throated Fly- catcher. The Northwest Territories bird could well be a reverse migrant, but the others could be as well: if much of the population flies in a southerly or south-southwesterly di- rection in autumn, the birds in the East could be reverse migrants that were additionally dis- placed further eastward by storms that come up rapidly from the southern Great Plains to- ward the Great Lakes or the Northeast. And the Louisiana Five? Could they be the latest evidence for winter pioneers in the southern- most parts of the Southeast, a pattern that of- ten follows late-autumn dispersal? One thinks of Western Kingbird in the East or Tropical Kingbird in the West: after decades of reverse dispersal in autumn, we now often see wintering birds in southern Florida and southern California. Wintering Myiarchus ap- pear to be following that trend in some cases, with Ash-throated by far the most widespread of the genus in the East. As Sullivan (2004) noted, too, vagrants usually associated with the coast are being de- tected more and more often inland, and Ash- throated records of fall 2009 surely seemed part of that trend, with singles in interior Pennsylvania (Figure 16) and Tennessee’s third, also in November. Among many minor possible trends that bear watching. Sage Thrasher (Figure 17) appears to have shown an uptick in extralimital records in recent sea- sons, despite populations said to be in de- cline. In short: many birds that we consider longitudinal vagrants may well be examples of reverse migrants, but their trajectories are almost certainly altered by weather condi- tions. Because most nontropical autumn storms track in an easterly direction, we would expect their common displacement to be eastward. And from all this wandering, particularly in a warming climate, we see birds that find suitable wintering grounds thousands of kilometers from their species’ usual winter range. But 1 think the main rea- son we struggle with the concept of reverse migration in so many cases is probably not re- lated to weather but to provenance: in order to say with any confidence that a bird has flown a course reversed from its conspecifics’, we would need to know its point of departure and its bearing. Birds with extensive ranges both in the breeding and nonbreeding seasons surely have variable courses during migra- tion. It would be interesting to see if an Ash- throated Flycatcher from New Jersey in No- vember would show an urge to fly in a northerly or northeasterly direction if it were placed in an Emlen funnel! An even more difficult question regularly raised in this journal; What drives bird species from the Old World to appear on our shores? Alaska offers by far the best opportu- nities to see a variety of Eurasian species, and fall migration now rivals (surpasses?) the spring season for birding coverage on Alas- ka’s offshore islands. In addition to gems such as Broad-billed Sandpiper and Taiga Flycatcher on St. Paul Island this season, birders at Gambell found Pallas’s, Yellow- breasted, and Little Buntings in September, and two Rustic Buntings were at a feeder in Ketchikan in November. A sight record of a Yellow-breasted Bunting on Southeast Faral- lon Island, California 10 October is under re- view and would be North America’s first away from Alaska, which has six records now. That amazing California island also found the state’s third (and island’s second!) Brown Shrike 24-25 September, a species not often recorded in Alaska. The phenomenon of Asian vagrants in Alaska and California was considered most recently in depth by Sullivan (2004), in the essay on the fall of 2003. In most discussions, Asian birds in Alaska have been considered either reverse migrants or migrants displaced by storms moving rapidly off the Asian coast coast toward Alaska (for spring birds at Attu, for instance, see Hadeed et al. 2009). The rather mixed bag of birds recorded in the West each year suggests that storms are criti- cal elements in the appearances of Asian birds in North America: without the storms, we get VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 29 THE CHANGING SEASONS: PROVENANCE Figure 13. This juvenile Hudsonian Godwit, eyeing a Common Raven at Areata Marsh, Humboldt County 4 August 2009, was the earliest ever found in California and the first of up to a dozen recorded in the Northern California region in fall 2009. Another at Paramount, California 22 August was a first for the fall season in Los Angeles County. Photograph by Sean McAllister. Figure 14. Totally unexpected was this Baird's Sparrow at Desert Center, Riverside County S September 2009; only one had previously been found in Southern California, on the coast in October 1981. Photograph byChetMcGaugh. Figure 1 5. A first for Washington, this Yellow-bellied Flycatcher found its way to Windust State Park, Franklin County 30 August 2009. This is the same site that hosted a Variegated Flycatcher in September 2008 — a remarkable pair of records for a location so far from the Pacific coast, where most vagrant flycatchers in the West are found. Photograph by Michael Woodruff. far fewer birds and less diversity overall (Sullivan 2004). Ar- guably, if some pro- portion of a popula- tion of Asian birds is predisposed to re- verse migration — such as our Ameri- can Tyrannus fly- catchers— then it stands to reason that we would de- tect at least a few each season or every few years. But most Asian taxa are high- ly variable in their Alaskan ap- pearances. Sullivan (2004) con- sidered a dizzying number of variables that might influence numbers of Red-throated Pipits that reach Alaska and the Pacihe coast states each au- tumn and concluded tentatively that the vari- able track of the jet stream, which steers storms from Asia to North America, is the key factor in flights of this species and others to the West. (Remarkable, in a poor season for the species’ passage in both Alaska and Cali- fornia, was a Red-throated Pipit in Las Vegas, Nevada 24 September, potentially the state’s first!) Misoriented migrants would surely be among Asian birds that turn up in Alaska, but in this scenario, they would probably be out- numbered by unlucky birds caught up by storms while migrating southward over water. But Alaskan records of Lesser Whitethroat and Spotted Flycatcher, species that do not nest in easternmost Russia and certainly don’t migrate down the western North Pacific coasts, indicate that at least some birds that reach Alaska are not simply storm-borne (Brinkley and Lehman 2003). Eurasian species in the continent’s interior and along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts are understandably fewer, and many — such as Ontario’s first Black-tailed Gull and Virginia’s first Lesser Sand-Plover (in the moun- tains!)— are probably rightly assumed to have “ridden” the jet stream winds eastward from the Pacific basin, much as Michigan’s Ancient Murrelet (Figure 18) probably did this season. Old World birds from Europe or Africa are among the rarest of the rare, and explaining their appearances amounts to reading tea leaves. We will conclude with two examples from the autumn season. On the heels of Maine’s record in 2008, a European Golden-Plover turned up near Bombay Flook Figure 16. Pennsylvania's fourth Ash-throated Flycatcher was present 20-28 (here 22) November 2009 near Mount Gretna, Isbanon County, where it delighted dozens of birders. This species has been a staple of Atlantic coastal birding for several decades and is beginning to be found more often away from the coast in recent years. An Ash-throated at the Tip of Point Pelee on 6 November 2009, for instance, was only the second ever for that intensely birded location — the first was in 1 962! Photograph by Geoff Mahsh. Figure 17. This Sage Thrasher was found at Chicago's Northerly Island on 10 November 2009 by Karen Mansfield. The species is exceedingly rare in the Illinois and Indiana region. The most re- cent record was a bird in 2004 in Indiana, but none have been noted in Illinois in the last 35 years. Another Sage Thrasher turned up 20 October 2009 at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, that state's fifth ever. Photograph by Greg Neise. Figure 18. Berrien County's first, and Michigan's seventh, this very cooperative Ancient Murrelet put on a show for observers at Tiscornia Park 14 (here) through 25 November 2009; on occa- sions, it was even heard vocalizing! It was one of three alcid species found in the Western Great lakes region in the fall sea- son. Photograph by Andy Johnson. 30 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS THE CHANGING SEASONS: PROVENANCE Figure 19. This striking shorebird, found 27 August 2009 on the Delta Beach mudflats of southern San Diego Bay, California, bears strong resemblance to a Great Knot (never recorded in California) but has a rather short bill for that species and showed a very white underwing. Together with several other features, these have suggest- ed to shorebird experts that the bird is very likely a hybrid between Great Knot and Surfbird, the first of its kind ever identified. The bird was seen through 31 August. Photograph by Matt Sadowski. National Wildlife Refuge, Delaware 14-15 September 2009. In Barbados, an unidenti- fied pratincole, probably a Collared, appeared at Woodbourne Shorebird Reserve 21 Au- gust. How did these birds get there? Well, is- n’t it obvious? The golden-plover was storm- blown by easterlies in April, while crossing from Africa to Iceland, then summered some- where in Canada, and later began southward migration with American Golden-Plovers. The pratincole moved off the coast of Africa on the easterly trade winds and was then cat- apulted by Hurricane Bill's ferocious winds to Barbados. Now, wasn’t that simple? The Practiced Eye Kenn Kaufman’s nifty column name, “The Practiced Eye,” from past issues of this jour- nal, and similar subsequent intertitles, such as “Sharp Eyes” in Dinsmore and Farnsworth (2006), gave rise to the thought one day: Why not give out an award every season for subtle- ty, for detection of a rare plumage, or a hy- brid, or a vagrant subspecies, or discovery of a new field mark? Chance may favor the prepared mind; but most of the subtle birds we publish in this journal are found by people who also live “close to it,” as Pete Dunne wrote of Richard Miller in Season at the Point — people who spend much of their lives in the field, who know how to interpret owl excrement like some people know how to program a remote control. I know birders who have seen Cory’s Least Bittern in life, who have found nests of Austral Rail, who have recorded the noctur- nal flight call-note of Henslow’s Sparrow. Their common thread? They are dogged, in- defatigable field people, folks who know sweat, insects, and the sweet earth like few among us. The inaugural Practiced Eye Award goes to Brennan Mulrooney, Matt Farley, and Matt Sadowski for discovering and documenting a shorebird that no one has ever reported be- fore: an apparent hybrid between Surfbird and Great Knot (Figure 19), the latter species an almost mythical bird in North America. Look for an article on this remarkable shore- bird in Western Birds in the near future. Good on ya, guys. Literature cited Brinkley, E. S., and P E. Lehman. The Changing Seasons: Unabashed Bonan- za. North American Birds 57: 14-21. Dinsmore, S. J., and A. Farnsworth. 2006. The Changing Sea- sons: Weatherbirds. North American Birds 60: 14-26. Sullivan, B. L, 2004. The Changing Sea- sons: The Big Pic- ture. North Ameri- can Birds 58: 1-29. McLaren, 1., B. May- bank, K. Keddy P D. Taylor, and T. Fitz- gerald. 2000. A no- table autumn arrival of reverse-migrants in southern Nova Scotia. North Ameri- can Birds 54: 4-10. McClaren, I. A., andj. D. McClaren. 2009. An analysis of un- usual flights of Neotropical mi- grants to northeast- ern North America in April 2009. North American Birds 63: 364-369. Veit, R. R., and W. R. Petersen. 1993. The Birds of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Audubon, Lincoln, Massachusetts. Lehman, P. E. 2005. Fall bird migration at Gambell, St. Lawrence Island, Alaska. Western Birds 36: 1-54. Hadeed, S., H. H. Norwood, M. Flanagan, S. Feldstein, and C. Yang. 2009. The Influ- ence of El Nino on the spring fallout of Asian bird species at Attu Island. Earth In- teractions 13: 1-22. Lewis, T. J., D. G. Ainley D. Greenberg, and R. Greenberg. 1974. A Golden-cheeked Warbler on the Farallon Islands. Auk 91: 411-412. Paxton, R. O., P A. Buckley, and D. A. Cutler. 1976. The spring migration: Hudson-Dela- ware region. American Birds 30: 817-823. Spear, L. B., M. J. Lewis, M. T. Myres, and R. L. Pyle. 1988. The recent occurrence of Garganey in North America and the Hawai- ian Islands. American Birds 42: 385-392. Woolfenden, G. E. 1967. A specimen of Gold- en-cheeked Warbler from Florida. Auk 84: 115. © VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 31 Editors' Notebook This Cackling Goose, apparently of the subspecies minima, was found on Staten Island, New York 16 (here 21) October 2009 and remained into November. Very few such individuals have been found in the East, where most birders are just coming to grips with the complexity of identifying subspecies in this recently split goose. Photograph by Seth Wollney. Manna How fortunate can we get? Once again, North American Birds was blessed with very gener- ous donations to our “Friends” fund, and we thank all of you kindly. Many of our Friends have given annually since the fund was launched in 2003. All of the donated money goes to support recent improvements in the journal, particularly our expanded color of- ferings, which in this issue includes Birding Journal, a new feature that lies somewhere between our Photo Salon and a full-fledged article. The idea is to give readers a snapshot of a birding experience in North America that is remarkable in some way. Our inaugural Journal features photographs of Ross’s Gull from the migration spectacle at Barrow, Alaska. Though naturalists have known about this phenomenon for over a century, few have witnessed it, and in these days of declining counts of so many species, it is up- lifting to read that large numbers of this handsome gull still pass Barrow in the au- tumn. If you see one of our staunch Friends in the field, be sure to say “Hey, thanks for those Ross’s Gulls!” — and consider a small (tax-deductible, yes!) donation some time in near future. We have a nice wish list of changes still to come. Another sort of manna, in the form of dozens of interesting manuscripts, has been flooding our offices of late, on topics ranging from crossbills to king- birds, tiger-herons to hy- brid hawks (and, yes, tubenoses and water- fowl, two groups that continue to fascinate many of us). We are busily reviewing and ed- iting these and look for- ward to bringing you more grist for thought and discussion. In the past few years, we have had the pleasure of pub- lishing articles that gar- ner not just your emailed comments, of correction and praise, but also occa- sion a closer look at birds in tbe field. Steve Mlodinow and a cadre of waterfowl biologists and birders sent us a long manuscript on Cackling Goose sub- species, and though it took us a few years to process the manuscript, the resulting article (North American Birds 62: 344-360) has pro- duced more discussion on the Internet than most any article we have published, particu- larly about individual Cackling Geese in the East that seem not to be of tbe expected nom- inate subspecies (see the image above), but also about individuals in the West that do not appear to conform decisively to any of the taxa as described in that article. The article has been posted on websites and circulated extensively, and we hope that after several more field seasons, we might be able to pub- lish a summary of problematic birds (or pop- ulations). Research on Cackling and Canada Geese on Alaska’s North Slope continues to shed light on that frontier, and we will keep readers posted on those developments as well. In the mean time, please enjoy the lat- est waterfowl offering from the West — the occurrence of Bewick’s Swan, another sub- species whose status has needed attention for some time! ($ The Friends of North American Birds $1500 Steven Mlodinow $1000 Greg and Debra Jackson $500 Robert 0. Paxton $300 Deborah J. Allen George F. Bing John and Laurie Cairns $200 Audubon Society of Central Arkansas Stephen J. Dinsmore $100-$150 Paul J. Baicich Rudolf Koes Ron Martin Brian Olaughlin Randy Pinkston Paul W. Sykes, Jr. Up to $75 Margaret Bain Dr. William A. Carter Susan Epps Daphne D. Gemmiil Dale Henderson Benjamin and Ruthmary Parmeter Mark Stevenson and Molly Pollock Carol Selvey 32 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS The Friends of North American Birds SUPPORT THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS, THE ABA’S JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGICAL RECORD Since its inception, the fund has allowed for many improvements to the journal's look and feel. The journal is now mailed in a protective wrapper to insure its delivery in one piece. The content has benefited from an increase in page count which has allowed for additional articles with even more detailed analysis. The amount of color pages has increased which has allowed for expanded Pictorial Highlights and an occasional Photo Salon. All 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. To become a “Friend of NAB”, simply donate $50 or more. Each "Friend of NAB" will be recognized annually in the first issue of each volume of North American Birds. Send donations to: The Friends of NAB, ABA, 4945 N. 30th Street, Suite 200 Colorado Springs, CO 80919-3151 STANDARD ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS USED IN THE REGIONAL REPORTS specimen collected ■f Wrd(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 CP. County Park cm centimeter(s) Cr. Creek Ft. Fort G.C Golf Course G.R Game Preserve Hwy. Highway I.(ls.) Island(s), isie(s) imm. (imms.) inimature(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 RP. 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.R 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 Italics indicate name of county, parish, or municipality. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 33 I Atlantic Provinces & St. Pierre et Miquelon ^Killinekl. Torngat Mins. N. R LABRADOR Cape Harrison / Hopedale V Cartwright * ^ Gannet Island Scheffervilte (PQ) S ^ - Smallwood , r*\ i^Esker»V ^Churchill Falls . Mealy Mtns. « "A/.P Goose Bay Labrador City ^ WabushW- QUEBK Sepl-iles. ^ Port-aux- Basques # Charlotte- ^sboi Strait towrt iEas PI. mUNSWlCK ^ Fredericton® Jo^n Grand ’ Mananl.- Smit-Pierre et Miquelon pc jT^fasf ^ Cape Breton Highlands N.P. p, -^'-Sydney Cape Breton I. Moncton^ A «Canso K.^c, SI. Mary’s : ' NOVA SCOTIA Halifax-Dartmouth ' MAINE Y Seal I Bruce Mactavish i- *Lunenberg gVi^Yarmouth - Cape Sable I. Lettered Nova Scotia Sites: A Pictou B Amherst C Truro D Woltville E Digby Autumn is a protracted season full of fas- cinating occurrences and dotted with finds of rare birds. While there was no single weather episode that sparked a memo- rable avian event in fall 2009, there was an ex- cellent variety of rarities — among seabirds, waterfowl, hawks, shorebirds, gulls, terns, doves, flycatchers, warblers, and sparrows. WATERFOWL THROUGH HERONS A flock of Canada Geese at Truro, NS held a Greater White-fronted Goose and a Cackling Goose 27 Nov (MK); another Greater White- fronted Goose was at Harris Pond, Kings, NS 6 Oct OT). Eurasian Wigeon totals were rela- tively high: 2 in Prince Edward I., 5 in Nova Scotia, 3 in St. Pierre, and at least 10 in New- foundland. Three Canvasbacks, one imm. male and 2 females, were at Port Clyde, NS 10 Sep (SH) — a relatively high count for the Re- gion. Two Redheads were far e. at Glace Bay, NS in Nov 0^)- The annual wintering flock of Tufted Ducks at St. John’s, NF built up to a record-high 30 by late Nov; there were no other reports in the Region. SA Ecological Reserve y^Strait of Belle Isle Red- ■ / Bay I^L'Anse-aux-Meadows ' ' * « St. Anthony Gander NEWFOUNDIAND 1 ^Boaamla tMorne ' c, ..l,... P Nova ;^t. Johns Corner N.R ■ . ■ Avalon Brook ■ ■ ' '■ Peninsula The widespread use of digital cameras among the general population was responsible for superb documentation of 3 Black-brwved Wbatrosses in the Region. Ali were seen only by fishermen among large number of seabirds at- tracted to their boat. As reported in the spring summary, there was an ad. around a fishing boat for two days about 120 km e. of Cape Bonavista, NF in mid-Jun (fide BMt}. An ad. was photographed at arm's length among Northern Fulmars feeding around a fishing boat about 160 km e. of Hopedale, Labrador 5 Aug (Juliana Coffey), and an imm. was photographed around a fishing boat 1 20 km sw. of Cape Sable I., NS 29 Aug (fide EM). These records document the first for Nova Scotia and Labrador and 2nd for the island of Newfoundland, There are other sight records in the Region, also mostly by fishermen! There has been a noticeable increase in sightings of Black-browed Albatrosses on both sides of the North Atlantic in the past three years. It may be that only a few individuals have produced multiple sightings in different areas, or there may be a real increase in the numbers of Black-broweds in the North Atlantic. Observers are urged to obtain good series of photo- graphs, which may permit identification of individuals. Cory’s Shearwaters occur regularly in small number in s. reaches of the Region not often visited by birders, so most sightings are considered noteworthy; singles were seen 40 km s. of Halifax, NS 7 Sep (fide EM) and over the continental shelf edge s. of Halifax 30 Sep (DF). Higher-than-usual num- bers of Sooty Shearwaters were present off Brier 1., NS early in the season: ex- ceptional counts included 14,000 in two hours 25 Aug (LL) and 5000+ in three hours 19 Sep (EM). One hundred Sooty Shear- waters and a Manx Shear- water flew past Cape Race, NF 31 Oct, late for both species (BMt); a Manx was off Brier I., NS 6 Nov (EM). Two Audubon’s Shearwaters were very nicely described on the continental shelf edge s. of Halifax, NS 30 Sep (DF). The species is probably regular in small numbers in the s. extremities of off- shore Nova Scotia. Three major nor’easters in the period 9-16 Oct in e. Newfoundland drove countless thousands of Leach’s Storm- Petrels inshore on the Avalon Pen.; mortality on roads was less than has been detected in past wrecks (BMt et al). A Least Bittern in exhausted condition photographed at St. Pierre was a 3rd local record (Frederic Detcheverry). An ad. Little ^ A A first-winter female Commen SheWuck was observed at Quid! Vidi L., St. John's, NL 17 flov (BMt, KK). The bird was 3nunbanded and had intact halluces (the hind toes; the hallux is sometimes dipped on captive birds). It was among American Black Ducks and Northern Pintails at a lake where dabbling ducks are habituated to handouts; however, it swam away from the other clucks when bread was offered. After 25 minutes, it flew southward and was never relocated, despite ex- tensive searching and a quarter-page "Most Wanted" photograph posted in the local newspaper. At the time, no Common Shelducks were known to be in captivity in Newfoundland. In w. Iceland, particularly around the mouth of the BorgarflorSur where nesting was first documented in 1 990, the species has been increasing annually for several decades, with over 50 pairs and a minimum population of 665 counted in Sep 2009. These shelducks migrate out of Iceland in autumn, though in recent years, a few have attempted to winter (fide Yann Kol- beinsson). Five days prior to the Newfoundland sighting, easterly winds blew directly across the Atlantic from Europe to New- foundland. While there is a strong case for this duck being a genuine trans-Atlantic vagrant, the species is widely kept in captivity in North America, and the provenance of this particular individual is not known. Later in the season, on 9 Dec, a first- winter male Common Shelduck turned up in Massachusetts. One of veiy few Black-browed Albatrosses ever photographed in North American wa- ters was this near-adult studied from a fishing boat about 160 km east of Hopedale, Labrador S August 2009. Photograph by Juliana Coffey. Blue Heron visited Frenchman’s Cove, Burin Pen., NL 3-5 Sep (Allan Nolan). There was the usual scattering of Great, Snowy, and Cat- tle Egrets across the Region. Yellow-crowned Night-Herons in the e. part of the Region were at St. Pierre 22 Aug and 8 Sep (PA et al.) and in e. Newfoundland 10 Aug, 25 Aug-16 Oct, and 31 Aug (fide BMt). VULTURES THROUGH WOODPECKERS Two Black ’Vultures seen circling together over Brier I., NS 16 Sep provide the first multiple sighting of the species in the Region (BE). A Cooper’s Hawk carefully identified at East Pt., Prince Edward I. 14 Nov furnished a rare provincial sighting (DO). A spectacular flock of 600+ Broad-winged Hawks was over Brier 1., NS 17 Sep (EM). Suspiciously more Gyr- falcons are reported during peak Peregrine Falcon migration in Oct than any other month in the Region. Happily, one at Bear Cove, NF 6 Oct was photographed, thus pro- 34 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS ATLANTIC PROVINCES & ST. PIERRE ET MIQUELON Newfoundland's long-anticipated first Ash-throated Flycatcher was found at Ferryland 14 November 2009, a typical date for this species to appear in the East. Photograph by Jared Clarke. viciing one of the very few documented Oct records s. of the breeding range in the Region (DB). Photographs of a Peregrine Falcon eat- ing another hawk on the ground in New Brunswick in mid-Oct were amazing enough — but were made all the more remark- able when the pictures were circulated, and the unfortunate hawk was easily identifiable as an imm. Swainson’s Hawk, the 2nd provin- cial record (Clarence Nowlan). Single Sand- hill Cranes were at Cape Bonavista, NF 3 Sep (Rod Cox) and Corner Brook, NF 6 Sep {fide BMt). A juv. plover photographed well near Cape Race, NF 15 Sep (DB) showed the field marks of a Common Ringed Plover — the 6th docu- mented in Newfoundland in the past five years. Another candidate at Conrad’s Beach, NS 4 Sep was not confirmable from photo- graphs. A pair and 3 juv. American Oyster- catchers were seen 6 Aug at Cape Sable I., NS (BS, SS), the only breeding location in the Re- gion. A Eurasian Whimbrel (either phaeopus or variegatus, most likely the former) was well observed at the airport at Sydney, NS 6-12 Sep (AM, CM). The annual huge bed of rotting kelp on the beach at Eddie Cove East, NE at- tracted an exceptional but not unprecedented 2500-3000 White-rumped Sandpipers 10 Aug Qohn Ivy Gibbons). There was a good sup- ply of Baird’s Sandpipers across the Region. Every fall seems to be a good one for Buff- breasted Sandpiper lately, which indicates it is actually increasing as a migrant through the Region. There were nu- merous locations reporting one to 3 individuals, with the largest flocks being 12 at Harden Pt., NS 16 Sep (HT) and 20 at the sod farm at St. Shotts, NE 4-7 Sep QC et al). Long- billed Dowitcher remains scarce in the Region; 4 at Cape Sable I., NS 28-31 Oct ON et al.) made a nice count. An American Woodcock made a rare e. Newfoundland ap- pearance at Cape Race 6 Oct (CD). Two Great Skuas were pho- tographed on pelagic trips off Hali- fax, NS 7 & 26 Sep (fide EM). An ad. Long-tailed Jaeger photo- graphed off Grand Manan 1., NB 27 Aug provided one of few substanti- ated provincial records (DI). A juv. Long-tailed Jaeger was pho- tographed near Canso, NS 2 Sep (TK). Three other juvs. were seen on land during nice weather on the s. Avalon Pen., NE in the period 3-5 Sep; they are sometimes observed feeding on insect and berries in coastal Newfoundland and Labra- dor. Single Laughing Gulls in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland made for a below-average total compared to recent years. Always rare in the Region, an ad. Eranklin’s Gull was at Eastern Pas- sage, NS 2-3 Oct (IM et al.). An ad. Mew Gull at Belleville Beach, NE in early Sep (BMt) was probably an individual that regularly shows up in late summer or per- haps even summers at this location. Lour oth- ers were in St. John’s for various time periods be- ginning 20 Oct (DB, BMt). In St. John’s, NE 4 ad. Yellow-legged Gulls, identifiable as distinct individuals in photographs, were present, with the first found 18 Aug and peak activity in Oct-Nov. Usually one bird stays for the winter. Lesser Black-backed Gulls continue to be noticeably more numerous each fall in the Region, with a new record high single location count of 35 at the St. John’s landfill 27 Oct (BMt). An ear- ly ad. Slaty-backed Gull photographed at St. John’s 24-27 Oct (DB, BMt) showed features similar to a bird that spent the three previous winters in St. John’s, but it was not seen after- wards. Surprisingly rare in the Region, 2 Sabine’s Gulls were photographed from a tour boat s. of Halifax, NS 12 Sep (Art Gae- tan). Newfoundland has its 3rd and 4th records of Least Tern, with singles at Grand Bank 24 Aug (DB et al.) and near Cape Race 15 Sep (DB). Nova Scotia had a Least Tern at Eastern Passage 23-26 Aug (MK, PL et al.). A Gull-billed Tern was photographed at Mel- bourne Sanctuary, Yarmouth, NS 2-3 Aug (Barbara Ruff et al.). A White-winged Dove feeding among do- mestic ducks at a city pond in St. John’s, NE 5-7 Sep was the 3rd in Newfoundland in 2009 and about the 10th for the province (DB et al). Nova Scotia's 2nd Eurasian Col- lared-Dove was at a feeder in Canso, NS 6 Oct (TK). Surely there is something signifi- cant about a remarkably low total of 2 Yel- low-billed Cuckoos reported in the Region: singles in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland were observed in the period 4-6 Oct. Two Snowy Owls summered at Malpeque Bay, Prince Edward 1. (fide DS). A hatch-year Bo- real Owl was banded at Pairmont, Antigonish, NS 11 Nov (RL). Vagrant Common Nighthawks were at Cape Race, NE 6 Sep QW) and St. Pierre 10 Oct (fide RE). An ad. male Rufous Hummingbird photographed at a feeder in Rothesay, NB 22-23 Aug (Carol Wipple) might have been the same male not- ed 10 km away at a feeder on Kingston Pen., NB 24-27 Aug (Kelly Baxter). Rare at any time, a late hummingbird at Cape Race, NE 6 Oct was not identified to species (DB). An equally late hummingbird at St. Pierre, SPM 30 Sep and 5 Oct was identified at Ruby- throated Hummingbird (LJ, MB). In contrast to recent falls, there was no obvious influx of Red-bellied Woodpeckers into the s. parts of the Region. Newfoundland's fourteenth Townsend's Warbler was this one-hour wonder in St. John's on 7 November 2009. Photograph by Bruce Mactavish. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 35 ATLANTIC PROVINCES & ST. PIERRE ET MIQUELON I W HAT D O : INDOOR CATS MISS? Killing birds Getting lost >► Getting stolen ^ Getting hit by a car ^ Fatal feline diseases Dog attacks ^ Abscesses >> Worms Fleas ^ Ticks Protect cats, birds, and other wildlife by keeping cats indoors! For more information, contact: American Bird Conservancy Celts Indoors! 1731 Connecticut Avenue, NW Washington, li)C 20009 Phone: 202-234-7181 Fax: 202-234-7182 Web: www.abcbirds.org Fi-mail: abc@abcbirds.org AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY PASSERINES Single Western Kingbirds were at St. Pierre 22 Sep (LJ), Halifax, NS 25 Sep (Ian Marshall), and Cape Sable I., NS 30 Nov QN). New- foundland’s first Ash-throated Flycatcher was well photographed at Ferryland 14 Nov (DB, JC). A Say’s Phoebe was Castalia Marsh, Grand Manan I., NB 31 Aug (DS), and it or another individual was there 21 Oct (fide JWi), A Fork-tailed Flycatcher was at Tra- cadie-Sheila, NB 12-23 Oct and enjoyed by many until killed by a cat. (fide JWi). A Scis- sor-tailed Flycatcher was well photographed at Bayview, Prince Edward I. 15-24 Nov for a 2nd provincial record (Charlotte & Archie Stewart). A Yellow-throated Vireo at Bear Cove, NF 21 Sep (DB, JC) and a White-eyed Vireo at Halifax, NS 2 Oct (IM) were the only ones of their species reported. A late Purple Martin was at Cape Sable I., NS 14 Oct QN). A Carolina Wren was singing at Chester, NS 22 Sep (Ann Lambert). Newfoundland’s 10th Marsh Wren was near Cape Race 24 Oct (BMt). There were 3 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers reported in Nova Scotia and one in New- foundland. Single Northern Wheatears in Nova Scotia were at Rose Bay 26 Sep (David Walmark) and LaHave 1 Oct Qohn Lloyd), while 3 others were found on the Avalon Pen., NF in Oct. A male Eastern Bluebird at St. Pierre 18 & 21 Aug was thought to be the same individual observed several times since late May (LJ et al.). It was a fairly good season for warblers: 36 species were reported. A Blue-winged Warbler was at Duncan’s Cove, NS 6 Oct (ED), and a female Golden-winged Warbler was at Harden Pt., NS 21 Sep (FL et al.). A Black- throated Gray Warbler was picked up dead on at Lower Woods Harbor, NS 18 Sep (*;fide IM), and another was enjoyed by many in Halifax, NS 9-24 Nov (IM et al.). Newfound- land’s 14th Townsend’s Warbler pho- tographed at St. John’s 7 Nov (BMt) was not seen after it swallowed a large purple spider. Yellow-throated Warbler reports included sin- gles at Dartmouth, NS 7-8 Nov (DC), at Antigonish, NS 10 Nov (RL et al.), and at Por- tugal Cove South 10 Oct (BMt). Prairie War- bler numbers were barely average, with totals of 5 in Nova Scotia and 3 in Newfoundland. On the other hand, it was a good fall for Pro- thonotary Warblers — 3 in Nova Scotia and 2 in Newfoundland 24 Aug-17 Sep. Newfound- land’s 4th ever Worm-eating Warbler was at Bear Cove Pt. 15 Sep Qerin Harding). New Brunswick’s first MacGillivray’s Warbler was identifiably photographed on Grand Manan 1. 1 Nov (DI). Late Kentucky Warblers in New- foundland were at Bear Cover Pt. 4 Oct QW) and 16 Oct near Cape Race (DB). There were 2 Hooded Warblers in Nova Scotia and 3 in Newfoundland, all between 11 Sep and 10 Oct. There were ten or so reports of Yellow- breasted Chat across the Region. The Region’s only Summer Tanager was at Cape Race, NF 2 Oct (CD). Scarlet Tanagers at the e. edge of the Region were singles at St. Pierre 15 Oct (fide RE), Cape Race, NF 4 Oct (DB, JC), and Trepassey, NF 4 Oct (BMt). Nova Scotia’s 2nd Spotted Towhee began a several-month stay at a feeder near Halifax 6 Nov (G. & V. Hawkins et al.). There were typ- ical fall totals of Clay-colored Sparrows, with 3 in Nova Scotia and 2 in Newfoundland. A Field Sparrow photographed at Bear Cove Pt., NF 2 Nov was only the 5th for Newfoundland (DB, JC). Lark Sparrows were present in good numbers, with at least 9 in Nova Scotia, 4 in Newfoundland, and one in St. Pierre et Miquelon. The only Grasshopper Sparrow re- ported was at Cape Race, NF 4 Oct (DB, JC). A Northern Cardinal at a feeder in Montague, Prince Edward 1. in Nov provided the only record for the year (fide DS). There were typ- ical totals of Blue Grosbeaks, with 6 in Nova Scotia and one in Newfoundland, all between 28 Sep-17 Oct. A good flight of Dickcissels saw at least 10 in both Nova Scotia and New- foundland. A Yellow-headed Blackbird was at Antigonish, NS in early Aug (fide IM), and 4 were in e. Newfoundland between late Aug and mid-Oct (fide BMt). A widespread good cone crop induced White-winged Crossbills to sing at various locations in Nov, but overall finch numbers were generally mundane across the Region. Corrigendum: Discovery of the Northern Lapwing at Portugal Cove South, NF 27 Nov-6 Dec reported in the winter issue (North American Birds 63: 222) should have been attributed to Richard Thomas, rather than to David Shepherd. Contributors (subregional editors in bold- face): Pascal Asselin, Dave Brown, Jared Clarke, David Currie, Cliff Doran, Elizabeth Doull, Roger Etcheberry, David Fifield, Bernard Forsythe, Sandy Hiltz, Laurent Jack- man, Terry Kavanagh, Michael King, Ken Knowles, Randy Lauff, Fulton Lavender, Lance Laviolette, Bruce Mactavish, Blake Maybank, Junior Metcalfe, Allan 65: Cathy Murrant, Ian McLaren, Eric Mills, Johnnie Nickerson, Dwaine Oakley, David Seeler, Bet- ty June Smith, Sid Smith, Hans Toom, Judy Tufts, John Wells. O Bruce Mactavish, 37 Waterford Bridge Road St. John's Newfoundland Al E 1 C5 (bruce.mactavish 1 (fflnf.sympatico.ca) NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 36 35 Quebec Ung^va Peninsula • Inukjuak ' ■■■ • Kuujjuaq Hudson Bay Pierre Bannon Olivier Barden Normand David Samuel Denault Most of the Region enjoyed tempera- tures above or near normal, accom- panied by below-normal precipita- tion, during the period. The area around James Bay and Hudson Bay showed the great- est departures above the normal. In southern Quebec, August and September were mostly sunny and warm, with below-normal precipi- tation— a welcome change from the poor weather of June and July. October was chilly and rainy, while November saw a return to above-normal temperatures by as much as 3° to 5° C, associated with record amount of sunshine, low precipitation, and almost no snow on the ground. This balmy weather en- couraged several stray species from the south and west to linger into December. Two species were recorded for the first time in the Region: a Common House-Martin, unfortu- nately not photographed, and a well-docu- mented Seaside Sparrow. WATERFOWL THROUGH CRANES Ross’s Geese were widely reported, mostly as single birds, but a peak of 6 at Saint-Louis-de- Gonzague 12 Oct was notable (M. Dennis). Two Barnacle Geese on a golf course at Longueuil 23 Aug were certainly locally re- leased birds (C. Laporte, Jide J. Laporte).Two imm. Trumpeter Swans visited Saint-Gerard- des-Laurentides 10-14 Aug (M. Sokolyk, A. Gelinas, LG, Gdinas), while 2 banded birds were discovered at Joutel 13-14 Aug (MAM). One of them had a wing tag that was set in Feb 2009 near Hamilton, Ontario. Another Trumpeter was located at L. Anticagamac (La Mauricie N.P.) 1-10 Sep (A. van Dijk, ph. S. Desilets). This species has now been recorded annually for the past six years. Only one Can- vasback was reported, at Sainte-Angele-de- Laval 1-4 Nov (E. & R Brassard et al.). This once fairly common migrant has suffered a strong decline since the 1970s in s. Quebec. On the other hand. Hooded Mergansers are doing extremely well, as shown by the count of 500 at Mont-Laurier 6 Nov (MAM). A Red- legged Partridge, an exotic species recorded for the 2nd time in the Region, was pho- tographed at Sainte-Anne-du-Lac 14 Oct (ph. N. Lapointe, Jide R. Lebrun). A female Wild Turkey with 2 half-grown young at Magog 4 Oct provided a very late breeding record for the Region (BT). Four Pacific Loons were re- ported, but only one was described fully, a juv. at Saint-Fulgence 29 Oct (CC). Manx Shear- waters were well in evidence on the North Shore, especially in Aug, e.g., 4 at Cap-de- Bon-Desir 17 Aug (S. Belleau). A Wilson’s Storm-Petrel in the ne. corner of the Gulf of St. Lawrence 11 Nov was one day short of a record late date (OB). Six single American White Pelicans were noted during the period 3-15 Aug: 2 in Abitibi and 4 in s. Quebec. Great Egret made a strong showing e. of its breeding range, with un- precedented local high counts of 8 at Levis 3 Aug (G. Lord) and 7 at Saint-Anselme 14 Sep (R. Gingras, J. Forgues). Most of these stray birds probably originated from the three colonies located in extreme sw. Quebec. Herons and allies from the south were scarce and included a juv. Little Blue Heron at Irlande 12- 24 Aug (A. Boucher, ph. C. Leclerc), a Tricolored Heron at Port Saint- Framjois 6 Sep Q- Brunelle et al.), and a Glossy Ibis at Longue- Rive 22 Sep (Y. Fabe). Single Black Vultures were identified at Baie- Saint-Paul 22 Aug (1. De- schenes), at Cap Tour- mente 14 Oct QPO), and at Sainte-Anne-de-Belle- vue 18 Oct (BB, M. McIntosh). Over the past 30 years, Turkey Vulture has become a familiar feature in the s. Quebec landscape and is still continuing to expand northward. After nesting for the first time in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint- Jean region in 2008, a pair nested in 2009 in the Abitibi region, where a nest with young was found at Mount Kekeko, near Rouyn-No- randa 1-2 Aug (L. Vigneault, M. Lessard, LI). Some notable concentrations involved 110 birds at Mont-Laurier 15 Aug (A. Boisclair) and 35 at Saint-Fulgence, Saguenay-Lac-Saint- Jean 8 Aug (CC, GS). A very weak Swainson’s Hawk was picked up at Gaspe on the record late date of 18 Nov (fide D. Jalbert); the bird died a few hours after it was found. Sandhill Crane is appearing more and more regularly during migration in s. Quebec, where some of them are also local breeders, e.g., 25 at Saint- Narcisse 9 Sep (L. Dumas), 9 at Dundee 18 Sep (A. Pelletier, P. Laniel), and 11 at Notre-Dame- de-Lourdes 5 Oct (A. Sheinck). SHOREBIRDS THROUGH CUCKOOS Single Marbled Godwits were spotted at Sainte-Flavie 11-23 Aug (R. St-Laurent, G. Samson) and at Sainte-Luce 25 Aug-1 Sep (R, Pelletier). A concentration of 10 Buff-breasted Sandpipers at Portneuf-sur-mer 5 Sep was very unusual (S. Guimond). A juv. Ruff was at Yamachiche 14 Sep Q- Gelinas). Long-billed Dowitchers, totaling about two dozen indi- viduals, were reported from seven sites in s. Quebec between 11 Sep and 19 Oct. Red Phalaropes were reported mainly on the Up- per North Shore, with a maximum of 11 at Bergeronnes 28 Sep (SD et al.). Several Sabine’s Gulls brightened the Up- per North Shore between 10 Sep and 25 Oct, but the species was notably less numerous than in the past two years. Little Gulls were also regular on the Upper North Shore, with a maximum of 5 at Godbout 1 Nov (SR, FG). Dovekies were reported mainly on the North Shore starting 12 Oct, with maxima of 283 at Pointe-des-Monts 3 Nov (SR, FG) and 1039 off La Romaine 12 Nov (OB). All land-based Thick-billed Murre sightings were made from Pointe-des-Monts, where totals of 12 and 13 were reported 4 & 12 Nov, respectively (SR). A Eurasian Collared-Dove at La Pocatiere 29 Aug-2 Nov represented the 7th Regional record (ph. CA, C. Girard), while a White- Even though Manx Shearwater is seen every year in Quebec, the first good photographs of the species were obtained only in 2009. These two were photographed off Berg- eronnes 1 1 August 2009. Photograph by Renaud Pintiaux. VOlUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 37 QUEBEC winged Dove at Quebec City 30 Nov-17 Dec was the 24th record, all since 1988 (ph, L. Laflamme, N. Barden, m.ob.). Numbers of Yellow-billed Cuckoo were very few, with sin- gle birds at Cap Tourmente 18 Sep OPO) and at Quebec City 2 Oct (C. Gauvreau). OWLS THROUGH THRUSHES Following last years invasion, a total of 16 Northern Hawk Owls reported s. of their breeding range, including from Monteregie and Estrie, was more than expected. The ad. Red- headed Woodpecker at Saint-Malachie 12 Oct (B. Lacroix, L. Giguere et al.) provided the fall’s only report. Single Red-bellied Wood- peckers were reported at Aylmer 6 Sep (D. Morin), Saint-lgnace-de-Loyola 14 Oct (L. Lemoyne), TAnse-au-Griffon 9 Nov+ (C. Cote), and Ahuntsic 16 Nov (C. Champagne). Four Western Kingbirds were found throughout the season: at Cap Tourmente 2 Sep (SR, OB), Saint-Fulgence 17 Sep (CC), Tadoussac 26 Sep (SD et al.), and again at Ta- doussac 3-6 Nov (G. Olsen, SD et al.). Al- though nearly an annual vagrant in the province, no more than one Western Kingbird had been reported per year since 1992. A worn ad. Fork-tailed Flycatcher stopped by Cap Tourmente all too briefly on the evening of 13 Aug (ph. J. Normandeau, C. Leclerc, R. Paquet). A juv. Loggerhead Shrike at Plai- sance 23 Oct may have been one of the local captive-raised releases (R. Schryer). Northern Shrikes rarely show up as early as late Sep, so one at Lac-Saint-Paul (Outaouais) 6 Sep was astonishing (G. & G. Normandin). A White- eyed Vireo paused by Burbank Pond 30 Oct (S. Kohl, K. Adams). An unfamiliar swallow at a suspicious date and location paused on a wire for a short while at Pointe-des-Monts 22 Oct. Although not formally identihed in the held, the description flts Common House- Martin (FG). The only other report for e. North America is a bird photographed at St. Pierre et Miquelon 26 May 1989. Notable Carolina Wren records include one at Saint-lsidore late Aug-t (2nd record for Beauce-Appalaches; G. Blais, M. Verville), Baie-Saint-Paul Sep-4 Oct (N. Burgdorfer, L. Rousseau), Lac Opasatica, Abitibi 24 Oct (M. Grandbois), Saint-Honore-de-Chicoutimi 27 Oct+ (R. Gagnon), and La Pocatiere 30 Oct (CA). A total of 8 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers was reported from the e. half of the Region, with late birds at I’Anse-au-Griffon 13 Nov (DJ) and Rimouski 20 Nov (R. Pitre). A Northern Wheatear at Saint-Basile-le-Grand 26 Sep-10 Oct (R. Belhumeur, m.ob.) provided an ex- tremely rare opportunity for Montreal-area birders to chase this species a stone’s throw from home. The fall's only Townsend’s Soli- taire was at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue 29 Oct-18 Nov (BB, S. Duval). Two Bicknell’s Thrushes were still on their breeding grounds at Massif du Sud as late as 1 Oct (Y. Aubry). WARBLERS THROUGH ORIOLES A Yellow-throated Warbler at the Mount-Royal Cemetery (Montreal) 4 Sep (E. Samson) pro- vided the earliest fall record ever, followed by a hrst area record at Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce 26 Nov+, a more typical time for this species to appear in the Region (R. Maheu, J. Deneau, m.ob.). A female-type Prairie Warbler was at Lacolle 11 Oct (R. & G. Boulet), furnishing a rare fall record for sw. Quebec. A Worm-eating Warbler glimpsed at Beauport 20 Sep (R. Bdanger) was the earliest ever in fall. The fall’s only migrant Connecticut Warbler was seen at Aylmer 22 Sep (G. McNulty, RLD). Always ca- sual in fall, a hatch-year female Hooded War- bler at Perce 1 Oct was the 3rd for the Gaspe Pen. (PP G. Roy). A Yellow-breasted Chat skulked in Mont-Joli 14 Nov-6 Dec (B. Sainte- Marie, AM. Clement). Six Clay-colored Spar- rows were reported from three localities with an astonishing “concentration” of 3 at God- bout 18 Oct (FG, SR). Lark Sparrows were not- ed at Longue-Rive 23 Aug (R. Lepage, R. Jones, fide M. Robert) and Cap Tourmente 20-21 Sep (A. Cote). An imm. Lark Bunting frequented a feeder at Pointe Lebel 17-23 Oct (ph. D. Do- rais). Rarely recorded in Outaouais, a migrant Nelson’s Sparrow was at Notre-Dame-de-Pont- main 18 Sep (RLD). A messy-looking Seaside Sparrow in active post-juvenal molt hung out with some Savannah Sparrows on the shore- line at Port-Daniel 20-22 Sep, representing a first Regional record (DJ et al., ph. AC). Summer Tanagers were documented at Saint-Romuald 7 Nov (B. Casault, C. Jeffrey) and Sherbrooke 28 Nov+ (BT, ph. C. Dufresne). A hatch-year female Black-headed Grosbeak hung on at a feeder at Cap Tour- mente 21 Nov-1 Dec (Andre Couture, D. Campeau, m.ob.) — the 3rd consecutive year for the species in the province but only the 6th overall record. An Indigo Bunting at Chi- bougamau 10 Aug (M. MacKinnon) was well n. of its typical range. A most excellent harvest of 18 Dickcissels came from throughout e. Quebec; 2 at Pointe-au-Pere 24 Aug (A. Bris- son) were unusually early. A male Yellow- headed Blackbird was at Danville 5 Aug (A. Maire), while a young male ended up in a far- fetched location at the 50th parallel, some 20 km ne. of Lac Peribonka, Saguenay-Lac-St- Jean 9 Sep (C. Bourgeois et al, ph. C. Harvey). A Brewer’s Blackbird at Bergeronnes 7-11 Oct provided a hrst record for the North Shore and one of a handful of documented observations of the species in Quebec (ph. SD, OB et al). October was a strong month for Baltimore Orioles in e. Quebec, with a single-day maxi- mum of 4 at Tadoussac 15 Oct (RP). Contributors (subregional editors in boldface): C. Auchu, P. Bannon (Montreal), B. Barnhurst, A. Beauchamp (Beauce-Appalaches), C. Cormier, Al. Couture, C. Douville (Lower St. Lawrence), RL. Dubois, E Gallant, L. Imbeau (Abitibi), D. Jalbert, MA. Montpetit,JP. Ouellet, R. Pintiaux, P Poulin (Gaspesie), A. Richard (Magdalen Is.), S. Rioux,JF. Rousseau (Quebec City), C. Roy (Bois-Prancs), G. Savard (Sague- nay-Lac-Saint-Jean), D. Toussaint (Outaouais), B. Turgeon. O Pierre Bannon, 1517 leprohon Montreal, Quebec H4E 1P1, (pbannon@videotron.ca) Olivier Barden, 955 Lienard, Apt. 5 Quebec, Quebec GIV 2W6, (iridosornis@gmail.com) Nortnand David, 10385A rue Clark Montreal, Quebec H3L 253, (normanddavid@videotron.ca) Samuel Denault, 75 Beauchemin Saint-Basile-le-Grand, Quebec J3N 1J6 (samuel.denault@videotron.ca) Visit the American Birding Association website f ® Rarities posted on PEEPs, the online blog • Complete issues of Winging It, newsletter^ I • ABA Checklist updates and reports • The Eyrie, the Young Birder blog ^ • Birding WebExtras • ABA Festivals Directory • Sightings 38 NORTHAMERICANBIRDS New England I Walter G. Ellison Nancy L. Martin New England weather featured book- end warmer-than-average months in August and November; September was average to a little cool; and October tem- peratures were below normal. Rainfall was below average, except for a wet October due to coastal nor’ casters that did not greatly im- pact the northern Champlain Valley. The storms led to some good sea duck flights and fallouts inland, particularly during a pro- longed gray rainy spell 16-17 October, and during frontal passage on 23-24 October and 4 November. Highlights of the season were generally not mass phenomena — boreal ir- ruptives did not materialize in notable num- bers, shorebirding was mostly mundane, and the songbird migration had no major Region- wide flights. Nonetheless, a few migration watches had good days locally, e.g., 25 Sep- tember at Cousin’s Island, Falmouth, Maine. Pelagic seabirds were numerous inshore, including excellent numbers of Cory’s Shear- waters well north in the Gulf of Maine, and the one trip to the canyons on the continental shelf edge had excellent numbers of Gulf Stream seabirds. Again this year, two pairs of Mississippi Kites nested successfully in the Region. And at long last, a Manx Shearwater was confirmed breeding in Maine, at Matini- cus Rock. Among the season’s other high- lights were Maine’s first Pink-footed Geese, Vermont’s first Eurasian Collared-Dove, and in Massachusetts, a lost and sickly White- tailed Tropicbird inland and the state’s second Brown-chested Martin. Abbreviations: A.P. (Andrew’s Pt., Rockport, Essex, MA); Block I. (Washington, Rl); Bluff Pt. (Groton, New London, CT); Charlotte (on L. Champlain shore, Charlotte, Chittenden, VT); Cousin’s 1. (Sandy Pt. Beach, Yarmouth, Cumberland, ME); Cumberland Farms (Cum- berland Farms, Middleboro, Plymouth, MA); D.C.W.M.A. (Dead Creek W.M.A., Addison and Panton, Addison, VT); Hammonasset (Hammonasset S.P., Madison, New Haven, CT); Lighthouse Pt. (at New Haven, New Haven, CT); Monhegan (Monhegan I., Lin- coln, ME); Plum 1. (at Newbury/Rowley, Es- sex, MA); Quaker Ridge (Quaker Ridge hawk- watch, Greenwich, Fairfield, CT); Race Pt. (at Provincetown, Barnstable, MA); S. Beach (South Beach 1., Chatham, Barnstable, MA). WATERFOWL THROUGH STORK Geese continue to make ornithological head- lines. Of greatest interest were the 3 long- staying Pink-footed Geese in North Yarmouth, Cumberland, ME from 14 Oct+. These well-documented birds were Maine’s first and also the first in New England in the autumn, following five reports from winter and early spring. Fifteen Greater White-front- ed Geese were observed, in five of the Re- gion’s six states. The first of the season and highest count, 4 were in Fort Fairfield, Aroos- took, ME 2 Oct (BS), with one additional bird in Maine in Nov; 5 others were found in Con- necticut, 2 in Middletown, Newport, RI 5-18 Nov (JSt.J et al), and sin- gles in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Reports of Ross’s Goose were con- fined to D.C.W.M.A., where at least 5 were found 19 Oct-14 Nov (m.ob.); a Snow Goose x Ross’s Goose hybrid was there 3 1 Oct (TGM). The only Bar- nacle Goose of the season was at Durham, Middlesex, CT 11 Oct (M. Barriger). Reports of Cackling Goose continue climb, as ob- servers become more expe- rienced in identifying them. At least 30, appar- ently all nominate hutchin- sii, were reported in Con- necticut, Maine, Massa- chusetts, and Vermont, including a new Re- gional high count of 8 in Ipswich and on Plum 1., MA 7-14 Nov (TW, JB, m.ob.). Brant were well reported inland, including an excel- lent flight on L. Champlain that included a record-high count of 2140 at Charlotte 12 Oct (TGM et al.). Up to 2 Brant of the Gray-bel- lied type, presumably from a cen. Canadian Arctic population, were documented from Norwalk, Fairfield, CT 21 Oct-5 Nov (ph. NB). Three reports of Tundra Swans were bet- ter than average; a flock of 8 graced Lower Kimball Pond in Fryeburg, Oxford, ME and adjacent Chatham, Carroll, NH 9 Nov (BC et al); 2 were on Middle Res., Killingly, Winci- harn, CT 21-23 Nov (PR); and one was on Bantam L, Litchfield, CT 22 Nov (L. Fischer). A Ruddy Shelduck was observed with a Cana- da Goose flock in Pittsford, Rutland, VT 5 Nov (tA. Burke). Ten Eurasian Wigeons were found in all states, save Vermont and Maine, including an impressive 3 at Plymouth, MA 7 Nov (ID). Numbers of Northern Shoveler were higher than average for recent autumns; maxima were 33 at Plum I. 1 Nov (TW) and 12 at Fort Kittery, York, ME 15 Nov (DL). Numbers of Canvasback and Redhead continued low, with about 36 of the former and about 20 of the latter reported in two and three Regional states, respectively. After being missed in four of the past five autumns. Tufted Ducks were seen twice: a rare Maine sighting involved a drake at Sabbatus Pond, Androscogin 12-30 Nov (tMaF et al), and a female frequented Trustom Pond N.W.R., Washington, RI 12-17 Nov OSiJ)- fi is not generally appreciated how many ducks stage on n. L. Champlain; a mixed scaup flock of 10,600 birds at S. Hero, Grand Isle 8-12 Nov (TGM, DJH) was careful- ly documented photographically. Ten King Ei- ders included summering birds at A.P. 13 Aug (ph. K. Bourinot) and at Hammonasset through 9 Sep (m.ob.). Common Eider num- bers in Long Island Sound were impressive, with a maximum of 168 at Stonington Pt., New London 24 Oct (GW). A male Harlequin Duck was well inland on Mesalonskee Stream, Waterville, Kennebec, ME 28 Oct (J. Silver). A fine scoter flight observed from Charlotte on L. Champlain 23 Oct produced counts of 101 Surf, 546 White-winged, and This trio of Pink-footed Geese was discovered at Maine's rare goose hot-spot, Thorn- hurst Farm in North Yarmouth, Cumberland County 14 October 2009; the three re- mained through the end of the season (here 1 November). All prior New England records have been from winter or spring. Photograph by Derek Lovitch. VOLUME 64 (2010) NUMBER 1 39 NEW ENGLAND f-« ■ ■ . ^ - The Brookline Bird Club's "Extreme Pelagic Trip" to the edge of the continental shelf off New England found high numbers of several pelagic species on 3-4 September 2009. This White-faced Storm-Petrel, the first of six for the trip, was at Hydrographer Canyon, about 154 kilometers southeast of Nantucket Island, Massachusetts on 3 Sep- tember. There were also eight Band-rumped Storm-Petrels and five Bridled Terns doc- umented over the two days. Photograph by Ian Davies. 4500 Black Scoters (TGM et al.). The big scot- er flight on the coast fell 16 Oct and produced a massive count of 19,500 Surfs at Corpora- tion Beach, Dennis, Barnstable, MA (BN). An inland sea duck fallout in s. New England 4 Nov produced counts of 916 Black Scoters and 42 Long-tailed Ducks on Wachusett Res., Worcester, MA (MJl). A half-grown Ruddy Duck accompanied a female at the Sanford Sewage Lagoons, York, ME 27 Aug, making it one of very few New England breeding loca- tions (ph. AA, M.A.R.B.A.). Well-supported reports of Pacihc Loon in- cluded up to 2 at Charlotte 23 Oct-1 Nov, in- cluding one identifiably photographed (TCM et al.); 3 on Cape Cod at Provincetown, N. Truro, and Orleans from 3-16 Oct (BN); one at Marblehead, Essex, MA 13-15 Oct (D. Noble et al); and one on L. Quassapaug, Middlebury, New Haven, CT 10-26 Nov (GH, m.ob.). A good inland count of 126 Horned Grebes was tallied at Charlotte 15 Nov (TGM), and the best count of Red-necked Grebe was 124 at Southwest Harbor, Hancock, ME 13 Nov (CM). The only Eared Grebe of the season was a summering bird continuing from Jul at the Sanford Sewage Lagoons, seen until 15 Sep (m.ob.). Large numbers of Northern Fulmars were driven inshore during a late Oct nor’east- er, producing counts of 222 at A.P. 28 Oct (RH) and 380 the following day at Province- town (BN). Cory’s Shearwaters occurred in- shore and well to the n. in the Gulf of Maine in late summer and autumn. Record-high counts for New Hampshire and Maine, respec- tively, were 280 on Jeffreys Ledge 16 Aug (E. Masterson el al.) and 59 off Portland 15 Sep (DL et al). Sooty Shearwater numbers were also impressive for late summer and autumn: 2400 over Jeffreys Ledge off New Hampshire 6 Aug (LK) and 350 off Bar Har- bor, Hancock, ME 3 Oct, including one leucistic bird (EH et al). Also nu- merous were Manx Shear- waters: a New Hampshire record 58 were tallied over Jeffreys Ledge 8 Sep (SM et al.), and 115 were counted from shore at A.P. 29 Aug (RH). Biologists checking nesting burrows on Matinicus Rock 8 Sep were delighted to discover a fledgling-age Manx Shearwater (S. Hall et al.), the hrst known successful nesting of the species in the United States since a pair raised a chick on Penikese 1., Buzzard’s Bay, MA in 1973. Al- though now expected annually on the handful of trips to the continental shelf edge, Audubon’s Shearwaters were seen in unex- pected numbers this season, with record counts of 26 at Block Canyon off Rhode Island 19 Aug (m.ob.) and 28 at Hydrographer and Veatch Canyons 3-4 Sep (RH, B.B.C.). Seven White-faced Storm-Petrels were recorded this season: one 24 km ssw. of Nantucket 28 Aug (P Trimble, VL) and counts of 3 each al Hy- drographer Canyon 3 Sep and Veatch Canyon 4 Sep (RH, B.B.C.). Less often reported in New England waters, 4 Band-rumped Storm-Pe- trels were at Hydrographer Canyon 3 Sep and another 4 at Veatch Canyon 4 Sep (RH, B.B.C.). Almost certainly associated with the passage of Hurricane BUI, which made landfall in Newfoundland 23 Aug, was an emaciated White-tailed Tropicbird found in Carlisle, Middlesex, MA 23 Aug (fide RH). There were six inland reports of Great Cormorants, the most landlocked of which was an early imm. at L. St, Catherine, Wells, Rutland, VT 1-2 Sep (ph., tC. Seaver). A Great White Heron at Fairhaven, Bristol, MA continued from Jul through 9 Sep (CL et al.). A Snowy Egret was seen in several places in se. Vermont 17 Aug-22 Sep (m.ob.), and a Little Blue Heron was at Keene, Cheshire, NH 9 Sep (B. Miller). Tricolored Herons have be- come increasingly scarce over the past decade; only 3 were reported this season; at Scarborough Marsh, Cumberland, ME in late Aug (M.A.R.B.A.), at Fairhaven, MA 2-9 Sep (CL et al.), and at Hammonasset 28 Sep-4 Oct (C. Myers et al.). There were scattered re- ports of Cattle Egrets from four states, with the high count of 9 from Shelburne, Chitten- den, VT 13 Sep (J. Phillips) adjacent to this heron’s L. Champlain colony; the latest was on Nantucket 18-26 Nov (KB). Good counts of Yellow-crowned Night-Herons were both from roosts, with 20 at Eastham, Barnstable, MA 9 Sep (BN) and 44 in Stratford, Fairfield, CT 29 Sep (D. Varza). A White-faced Ibis ac- companied a flock of Glossy Ibis at Silver Sands S.P., Milford, New Haven, CT 30 Jul-6 Aug (E Gallo, ph. E Mantlik). Also a very good find, a Wood Stork was photographed at Duxbury, Plymouth, MA 3 Nov Q- Carnuccio). VULTURES THROUGH SHOREBIRDS Black Vultures continue to spread northward, with at least three reports from n. New Eng- land, including 4 at Brattleboro, Windham, VT 20-28 Sep (ph. H. Breder, m.ob.), 3 over Winooski, Chittenden, VT 9 Oct (B. Holton), and at least one in Newmarket, Rockingham, NH 10 Oct-3 Nov (PB, LK, LM et al.). The high count for Massachusetts was 15 at Sheffield, Berkshire 12 Oct Q- Drucker). Mis- sissippi Kites nested for a 2nd season in New England: at Newmarket, NH, where the pair attended at least one youngster in the nest 1 Aug and remained until 31 Aug (m.ob.), and in Simsbury, Hartford, CT, where a begging juv. was out of the nest 21 Aug (|. Weeks) and an ad. still present 9 Sep QC). Two migrating Mississippi Kites were seen at Quaker Ridge, Greenwich, Fairfield, CT 14 Oct (BO’T). Em- blematic of the improved fortunes of Bald Ea- gles in New England was a one-day migration count of 26 from Mt. Philo, Charlotte, Chit- tenden, VT 16 Sep (TGM et al.). A good Accip- iter flight day at Lighthouse Pt. 5 Oct saw the passage of 355 Sharp-shinned and 97 Cooper’s Hawks (GH, BB). The Broad-winged Hawk migration peaked in mid-Sep, with high counts of 2758 at Mt. Philo 16 Sep (TGM et al.) and 3498 at Quaker Ridge 19 Sep 0- Rug- ger!, E Guida). Three Swainson’s Hawks were spotted in Connecticut: a dark morph at Windsor, Hartford 17 Sep Q- Wojtanowski), a light morph at Torrington, Litchfield 18 Sep (R. Belding), and another light morph at John- nycake Mt., Burlington, Hartford 25 Sep (R Carrier). A dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk was reported at E. Creek, Orwell, Addison, VT 19 Nov (R. Pilcher). Golden Eagles continue to be well reported, with 38 birds noted, includ- ing some early migrants 12 Sep at Mt. Philo (TGM, S. Elliot et al.) and 13 Sep at Quaker Ridge (BO’T, m.ob.). Yellow Rails were briefly seen but reason- ably described in Maine, including one flushed at Scarborough Marsh 17 Sep (fide PV) and another seen under similar circum- stances the next day along the Weskeag R. in S. Thomaston, Knox (D. Reimer). The rarest 40 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS rail of the season in Maine was the ad. Purple Gallinule seen and photographed at the San- ford Sewage Lagoons 6 Aug (D. Hitchcox, N. Schwarzel). About one fourth of the season’s 40 Common Moorhens were from the Cham- plain Valley; in Maine, a family including 6 young birds was at Sanford Sewage Lagoons 1 Aug-21 Sep (AA et al.), while an imm. at Eastern Pt., Gloucester, Essex, MA 9-30 Nov was very late (PB, S. Hurley et al.). Over 40 Sandhill Cranes were reported, with almost half of these at or near nesting areas in Maine, including 6 ads. and 2 colts at Belgrade, Ken- nebec and Smithfield, Somerset 22 Aug (EH, B. Nickerson et al.). Among the cranes seen in four other states, 5 frequented a cranberry bog at Wareham, Plymouth, MA from 15 Sep through the morning of 29 Oct (R. Conway et al.); almost certainly the same birds were sub- sequently seen migrating in Portsmouth, Newport, R1 (P. Champlin) and at Quaker Ridge (BO’T et al.) later that day, with subse- quent sightings outside of the Region in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Over 150 American Golden-Plovers were re- ported, above recent averages; double-digit maxima came from three sites 29-30 Aug, with up to 33 at Eastham, Barnstable, MA 29 Aug (BN). Single American Avocets were noted 19 Aug at Milford Pt., New Haven, CT (BB et al), 22 Aug at Katama, Dukes, MA (R. Stanton), and 11 Oct at Plum 1. (TW et al.). Late were 2 Solitary Sandpipers at Ponemah Bog, Amherst, Hillsborough, NH 27 Oct (C. Sheridan) and a Spotted Sandpiper at Sherwood Island S.P., Westport, Fairfield, CT 29 Nov+ (T. Green). A total of 19 Upland Sandpipers was reported from all states except Connecticut. Most Re- gional high counts of Whimbrel occur in Jul, so a report of 97 at Eastham, MA 17 Aug was noteworthy (D. Clapp et al.). Sixty-two Hud- sonian Godwits were seen at sea 160 km se. of Nantucket 4 Sep (RH, B.B.C.), and a New Hampshire record 65 were at Odiorne S.P., Rye, Rockingham 12 Sep (SM, JM, LM); far inland, one was late at D.C.W.M.A. 18 Oct (TGM et al.). Over 30 Marbled Godwits were reported, including at least 7 in Maine and 3 in New Hampshire and up to 7 during Aug at their Re- gional stronghold of South Beach (BN et al). Red Knots peaked at 750 at South Beach 8 Aug (BN). The 60 Baird’s Sandpipers reported made a good tally, although short of some recent au- tumn counts; only one was reported from the Champlain Valley, and most were encountered in ones and twos. The 53 Buff-breasted Sand- pipers was also a good total but below some re- cent seasons, e.g., 69 in 2007. High counts were 4 each on 7 Sep at Sprague’s Neck, Cut- ler, Washington, ME (B. Southard) and S. Monomoy Barnstable, MA (VL et al.). Just 4 NEW ENGLAND These Black Vultures, the young one on the right still showing down on its head, ap- peared in a Tiverton, Newport County, Rhode Island backyard on 14 October 2009. Vul- tures may travel some distance after fledging, but these clearly nested in Rhode Island or nearby. Photograph by Tom Molinski. Wilson’s Phalaropes were found, single birds seen 17 Aug at Scarborough Marsh, ME (DL, E. Hess), 21-22 Aug in Stratford, CT (NB, L. Flynn), 24 Aug at Manomet, Plymouth, MA (ID), and 6 Sep at South Beach (MaF et al). A Red- necked Phalarope was found far inland at Frye- burg, ME 26 Aug (ph. E & D. Albert, fide BC). Also well inland was a Red Phalarope at S. Windsor, Hartford, CT 4 Oct (S. Zagorski, D. Jernigan). SKUAS THROUGH ALCIDS Just a single skua was reported in autumn 2009, a bird of unknown species seen at Nan- tucket 5 Sep (E. Ray). Only one Parasitic Jaeger was reported from L. Champlain, on 16 Sep at Charlotte (RBL, fide TGM); 3 were found on Long 1. Sound, where they are rare: at Stamford, Fairfield 11 Sep (P Dugan), at Mystic, New London 12 Sep (PR, GW), and off Fairfield 28 Sep 0- Randall). It was a banner year for Long-tailed Jaeger on the coast and offshore: about 23 were reported, including a count of 6 on Nantucket Shoals 3 Sep (RH, B.B.C.); at least 5 were reported off New Hampshire 15 Aug-8 Sep (ph. LM, SM et al; all prior accepted New Hampshire reports were of inland birds); and a remarkable 11 were seen from shore vantage points at A.E and on Cape Cod between 23 Aug and 10 Oct (RH, BN et al.). The only Franklin’s Gull of the season was seen at the Rochester W.T.P, Straf- ford, NH 24-25 Aug (M. Harvey, ph. SM et al). Little Gulls numbered 25, with at least 10 on L. Champlain 8 Sep-8 Nov (TGM, DJH et al); 7 were reported in Maine, with most in Aug in the Eastport, Washington tidal rips; an ad. was at Seabrook, Rockingham, NH 27 Sep (SM); and seven were seen in coastal Massachusetts 8 Aug-18 Nov. Twelve Black-headed Gulls were reported from Massachusetts northward, including an inland bird on L. Champlain at Grand Isle 25 Oct (DJH). The season’s only Mew Gull was found in Gloucester Harbor, MA 26 Novr- (ph. RH et al). Noteworthy re- ports of Lesser Black-backed Gull were 2 on the Connecticut R. at Turners Falls, Franklin, MA 8 Nov (B. Zajada) and an impressive count of 174 on Nantucket 29 Nov (KB et al). Two gull hybrids, apparently Herring x Lesser Black-backed and Herring x Great Black- backed, graced Odiorne Point S.E, NH 12 Sep (ph. JT, ph. LM, SM et al). Only 4 Sabine’s Gulls were reported, the fewest since 2003: a juv. at the (now demolished) Champlain Bridge at W. Addison, VT 30 Sep (RBL, fide TGM), and ads. at Eastport, ME 2 Sep (ph. C. Bartlett), First Encounter Beach, Eastham, MA 29 Aug (BN), and Race Pt., MA 30 Aug Q- Young). Only one Black-legged Kittiwake was seen on L. Champlain this autumn, a juv. at Grand Isle 12 Sep (DJH). A Gull-billed Tern at First Encounter Beach 23 Aug QT) was the 3rd autumn report in the past four years of this very scarce visitor. Just over 40 Caspian Terns were reported, the low- est tally since 2003. This attractive species has apparently begun nesting on Young L, Grand Isle, VT on L. Champlain, with young birds being fed there as late as early Aug (D. Capen). Coastal maxima were 6 each at Charlestown Breachway Washington, R1 5 Sep (m.ob.), Biddeford Pool, York, ME 7 Sep (DL), and Plum 1. 4 Oct (TW). Eight Royal Terns was a good total in a poor year for trop- ical storms; northerly singles were at Rye, NH 9 Aug (B. Griffith, LK) and North Haven har- bor, Knox, ME 24 Aug (MaF). The highly suc- cessful pelagic trip run by the Brookline Bird Club 3-4 Sep recorded an impressive 5 Bri- dled Terns sw. of Atlantis Canyon on the lat- ter date (ph. RH). Rather few alcids were recorded during late-season seawatches. A good late Oct count of 31 Dovekies came from Race Pt. 29 Oct (BN); 34 others were re- ported on later dates. Fewer than 20 Com- mon Murres were reported, but a good count of 97 Thick-billed Murres was tallied at A.E 15 Nov (RH). The top Razorbill count was 950 at Nantucket 23 Nov (W. Hutcheson). DOVES THROUGH WOODPECKERS Vermont’s first Eurasian Collared-Dove ap- peared at a feeder in Norwich, Windsor about VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 41 NEW ENGLAND 15 Nov and remained until 7 Dec 0- & D. Dunn, S. & D. Hardy, m.ob.). The recent string of White-winged Dove records contin- ued, with 2 photographed in the Bay State; in Manomet 6-12 Aug (1. Davies et al.) and in Eastham 25-26 Sep (MaF et al). Monk Para- keet populations in Connecticut continue to grow, with counts of 30-50 from at least six locations in Fairfield and New Haven-, farther afield, 2 were in E. Boston 20-22 Nov. Both cuckoos were notably scarce this season, al- though Massachusetts observers turned up tardy Black-bilieds in Cambridge, Middlesex 15 Nov (E Bouchard et al.) and Duxbury, Ply- mouth 16 Nov (R. Bowes), and a Yellow-billed was photographed at Nahant, Essex 21 Nov (M.A.S., D. Larson). For the first time since 1994, there were no autumn reports of Snowy Owl in New England. The season’s only Bore- al Owl was photographed at Acadia N.P., Han- cock, ME 22 Nov (B. Smith, jide EH). The first autumn Northern Hawk Owl since 2005 ar- rived in Derby, Orleans, VT 1 1 Nov and stayed through the winter (ph. M. Cosgrove, m.ob.). The Common Nighthawk migration peaked first on 23 Aug, with highest counts of 731 at Hatfield, Hampshire, MA (TG) and 800-1000 at New Hartford, Litchfield, CT (E Zygmont), and then again on 2-3 Sep, with tallies of 500+ in Keene, Cheshire, NH (L. McCracken, L. Tanino) and 900-1000 in Massachusetts at Northampton, Hampshire (TG), at Pittsfield, Berkshire (J. Robinson), and at Leicester, Worcester (ML et al). Late nighthawks were recorded at Millennium Park, W. Roxbury, Suffolk, MA 22 Oct (MJI) and Stamford, Fair- field, CT 25 Oct (PD). After the vagrant hummingbird variety of the past three autumns. New England ob- servers had to be content with Selasphorus this season. New Hampshire had a well-docu- mented imm. Rufous Hummingbird in Hollis, Hillsborough 30 Sep-30 Oct (ph. S. Michaels, m.ob.), and unidentified Selasphorus ap- peared at Cove 1., Stamford, Fairfield, CT 14 Oct (PD) and in Charlestown, RI 17 Oct-16 Dec (B. Chaves). The stars of the season were 2 ad. female Allen’s Hummingbirds in Massa- chusetts: one in Scituate, Plymouth 23 Oct-29 Dec (m.ob.) succumbed to the cold, while an- other banded on New Year’s Day was reported to have been present since Oct in Harwich Port, Barnstable (C. Omar, SF); these repre- sent the 2nd and 3rd records for the Bay State. Red-headed Woodpecker reports were limited to two states: Massachusetts had 6, including 4 in Dracut, Middlesex in Nov (m.ob.), and Connecticut had 10, half of which were tal- lied by hawkwatchers at Lighthouse Pt. The late Sep exodus of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers was marked by 21 at Cousin’s I. 25 Sep (DL) 42 i; and 15 at Monhegan 30 Sep (SS). The high count of Northern Flicker of 106 also came from Cousin’s I. 25 Sep (DL). A female Black- backed Woodpecker in Northfield, Washing- ton 23 Nov (W. Barnard) was well away from the species’ usual Northeast Kingdom haunts in 'Vermont, while singles on Monhegan 21 Sep (fide DL) and at Harpswell, Cumberland 26 Nov (B. Briggs) were similarly beyond their breeding range in Maine. FLYCATCHERS THROUGH WRENS An Eastern Wood-Pewee photographed at Plum I. 1 Nov (S. Sullivan) was among the latest on record in Massachusetts. An Acadian Flycatcher on Monhegan 1 Oct was likewise late (M.A.R.B.A.). Three of the season’s 4 Say’s Phoebes were also located on islands; the first at Trott I., Cape Porpoise, York, ME 6- 7 Sep (ph. CR, L. DuPont) was followed closely by 'Vermont’s 3rd state record from S. Royalton, Windsor 8 Sep (tK. Jones), one in Chilmark, Dukes, MA 13-14 Sep (ph. A. Keith et al), and another in Maine on Manana 1., near Monhegan 24 Sep (LS et al). Western Kingbirds returned to their usual seasonal to- tal this year, with 13+ well distributed along the coast from Monhegan to Lighthouse Pt. between 17 Aug and 22 Nov. Two long-stay- ing individuals entertained birders at the Rochester, Strafford, NH W.T.P. 13-22 Nov (pli. P Watts, ph. MJI, m.ob.) and at Ham- monasset 24 Oct-16 Nov (m.ob.). Less coop- erative was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher ob- served on an island while the observer was taking a swim in the Kennebec R. in Rich- mond, Sagadahoc, ME 22 Aug (PV); another in Maine was photographed near the Unity/Freedom town line, Waldo 3 Nov (M.A.R.B.A.). Massachusetts also contributed a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Orange, Franklin 21-22 Oct Johnstone et al). A Fork-tailed Flycatcher graced Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Wellfleet, Barnstable, MA 29 Sep-5 Oct (ph. MaF, m.ob.). Northern Shrikes appeared on schedule in mid-Oct; only 2 of about 37 reported reached as far s. as Connecticut. New Hampshire’s 3rd Bell’s Vireo at Odi- orne Point S.P., Rye 1-4 Oct (ph., tSM, JM, ph. L. Medlock, m.ob.) continues a recent trend in autumn reports along the coast. The last of the usual handful of coastal White-eyed Vireos was located in Rockport, MA on the very late date of 30 Nov (B. Dwyer). For a 2nd year, mi- grant Blue-headed 'Vireos were detected in good numbers, with numerous double-digit counts capped by 29 in Westminster, Worces- ter, MA 3 Oct (T. Pirro). Twelve Warbling Vireos, a high number, were at Medford, Mid- dlesex, MA 30 Aug (MR), and an impressive 60 Red-eyed Vireos were tallied at Cousin’s 1. ,i 1 Sep (EH). Fish Crows were more numerous I than expected in Connecticut, with a maxi- mum of 150+ in Brookfield, Fairfield 23 Sep (R Comins); singles reached inland New Hamp- shire in Marlow, Cheshire and Ossipee, Carroll. The Bay State’s 2nd Brown-chested Martin was thoroughly documented at Cumberland Farms, MA 12 Oct (ph. MJI, ph. JT, M. Garvey, m.ob.); the bird was relocated that afternoon and stayed for two more days. The Plum 1. high count of 100,000 Tree Swallows at the end of Aug was dwarfed by an estimate of 400,000 in an evening roost at Lord’s Cove, on the Connecticut R. in Old Lyme, New London, CT 15 Sep OC et al). Notably late for their re- f spective species were a Northern Rough- | winged Swallow-in N. Yarmouth, ME 21 Nov (T. Lenz et al.) and 2 Bank Swallows at Cum- berland Farms 13 Oct (T. Johnson et al). Af- ter last year’s flight of nearly 200 Cave Swal- ^ lows, this year was a let-down, with just 4 to- tal, all in Connecticut. The first appeared at Cove L, Stamford, Fairfield 25 Oct (E Dugan), | followed by a single at Lighthouse Pt. 16 Nov (GH et al.) and 2 there the next day (N. Bonomo et al). Seldom mentioned in these pages, a White-breasted Nuthatch in Fort Kent, Aroostook 14 Nov was well n. of the species’ usual range in Maine (BS). A pair of I Carolina Wrens at the n. edge of their current | range, in Grand Isle, Grand Isle, VT, fledged j their 3rd brood of the season (5 nestlings) 9 Sep (DJH), while the species was reported to eBird from at least 16 localities in Maine, with a maximum of 6 on Monhegan 27 Sep (SS). ■ The season’s three Sedge Wren reports were j widely scattered, from Gray, Cumberland, ME i 18 Sep (M.A.R.B.A.), Bolton Flats, Worcester, MA 26 Sep (B. Zajda et al), and Narragansett, I Washington, RI 1 & 8 Oct (M. Tucker, JStJ). ' THRUSHES THROUGH WARBLERS | The first of 5 Northern Wheatears was an ad. male photographed on Crane’s Beach, Ip- s swich, Essex, MA 26 Aug (D. Jones); a female !j or imm. male appeared at Hammonasset 4 j Sep (P. Fusco), followed by a lingering ad. j male at Sikorsky Airport, Stratford, Fairfield, j CT 5-14 Sep (M. Cavallero, P. Desjardins, ! m.ob.), one in Knox, Waldo, ME 9 Sep j (M.A.R.B.A.), and finally the Nutmeg State’s 3rd for the season at Bradley International f Airport, Windsor Locks, Hartford 1-4 Oct (R. j Tebbetts et al). Good Eastern Bluebird counts ( of 63 and 66 were tallied at Litchfield, CT 18 ij Sep (DR) and Tyringham, Berkshire, MA 26 Sep (ML et al), respectively. Maine birders es- timated 450 Veeries overhead at Cousin’s I. 'j pre-dawn 5 Sep (LS, EH). Ongoing research | on Bicknell’s Thrushes found 12-15 still pres- j' NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 'new englaWI ent on Vermont’s Mount Mansfield 9-10 Sep (CR, K. McFarland). Watchers at Lighthouse Pt. counted 10,500 American Robins passing 10 Nov (BB). After two irruption years, Bo- hemian Waxwings returned to their usual ear- ly Nov arrival dates and modest numbers across the n. tier of New England, the excep- tion being an early bird in Orono, Penobscot, ME 22 Oct (D. Hitchcock). Cedar Waxwings were on the move in s. New England, with 1800 counted at Lighthouse Pt. 5 Oct and an- other 1000-1 100 there 16-17 Nov (GH et al). Two Golden-winged Warblers in Rhode Is- land in Aug were followed by Sep singles in Connecticut and on Monhegan. A Brewster’s Warbler beautifully photographed in Little Compton, RI 16 Sep (G. Dennis) was the sole Vermivora hybrid reported. Tennessee War- blers were mostly reported in ones and twos across the Region, the one exception being 5 at Cousin’s I. 6 Sep (DL). Fewer than 40 Cape May Warblers were reported; two high counts of 5 came from Scott’s Landing, Deer Isle, ME 6 Sep (CM) and Block I. 19 Sep (m.ob.). Bay- breasted Warbler, the other classic Spruce Budworm specialist, was reported in similar low numbers (43 total) across the Region. All of these species were once again outnumbered by Orange-crowned Warblers, with about 88 of the latter distributed across all six states and a maximum of 4 at Plum 1. 20 Oct (TW). The best of several excellent coastal counts of Northern Parula was 143 at Cousin’s 1. 25 Sep, the best flight day of the season there, with a total of 2514 migrants tallied (DL), Other species represented in good numbers that day were 55 Black-throated Green and 72 Palm Warblers (DL); 75 Palms passed Lighthouse Pt. 5 Oct (GH et al.). Two other species were also counted in excellent numbers on earlier dates at Cousin’s 1.: 444 Blackpoll Warblers 19 Sep (DL et al.) and 500 American Redstarts 1 Sep (LS, EH). To the s., at Bluff Pt., CT, peak warbler flights were noted on 30 Sep (800, with 600 Blackpolls), 2 Oct (1000, with 750 Blackpolls), and 5 Oct (4000, mainly Yellow- rumpeds) (all CE, D. Provencher, GW). An imm. male Yellow Warbler at D.C.W.M.A. 2 Nov (ph. P Manship) was very late for an in- land location, while one in Boston 29 Nov-1 Dec was comparably late for the coast (RS et al). Chestnut-sided Warbler migration peaks in late Aug, so one at Nepaug Res., Hartford, CT 25 Oct (D. Lawton) was considerably tardy. A male Black-throated Blue Warbler at Kittery, ME 13 Nov (ph. P. Augusta) exceeded by one day the latest Black-throated Green Warbler, in the Boston Public Garden (R Pe- ! terson). Other late individuals away from the Bay State included a Prairie Warbler at Pine Pt., Scarborough, ME 27 Oct (M.A.R.B.A.) and VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER an American Redstart in Lisbon, Androscoggin, ME 27 Nov (A. & L. Seamans). Among va- grants and rare-but-regular migrants, the first autumn Regional Townsend’s Warbler since 2005 was banded in Brewster, Barnstable, MA 7 Nov and remained in the area two more days (SF, G. Putonen et al). A Yellow-throated War- bler on Block I, 28 Aug (T. Magarian) was fol- lowed by a white-lored bird on Barnes L, S. Harpswell, ME 6 Sep (M.A.R.B.A.) and anoth- er seen first at a Falmouth residence 8 Nov that later moved across the street to frequent Maine Audubon’s Gilsland Farm Sanctuary through 29 Nov (C. & S. Kent, EH, DL, m.ob,). ‘rhe only Cerulean Warbler reported was an imm. female in Cambridge, MA 29 Sep QT et al). Two Prothonotary Warblers in late Aug and one in early Nov were encountered in Massachusetts, and another appeared in late Aug in Rhode Island. Vermont’s 9th Worm- eating Warbler was well described from Straf- ford, Orange 7 Sep (tj. Miller). Appledore I, York, ME and Eastern Pt., Gloucester, MA hosted Kentucky Warblers in late Aug (M.A.R.B.A.) and 6 Sep (S. Hedman et al), re- spectively. A Regional total of 20 Connecticut Warblers was a little more than half the aver- age total for the past four autumns. Two MacGillivray’s Warblers were discovered late in the season and lingered into winter; the first in the Victory Gardens in Boston’s Fenway neighborhood 17 Nov-16 Dec (P Peterson, m.ob.), the other in Medford, Middlesex 21 Nov-14 Dec (A. Piccolo, m.ob.). In Massa- chusetts, a Hooded Warbler was banded at Manomet 5 Oct (ID et al); dates of 3 others ranged from 5 Sep through 11 Oct. Only 34 Yellow-breasted Chats were reported — the lowest Regional total since 2004, although it is probably too early to attribute this to declines in the species’ main range s. of New England. SPARROWS THROUGH FINCHES Over 45 Clay-colored Sparrows were distrib- uted across the Region, including 2 in Ver- mont and one in New Hampshire; along the coast, an impressive high count of 8 came from Monhegan 1 Oct (W. Russell, Jidc DL). As expected, most of the season’s 27 Lark Sparrows were also on the coast, from Mon- hegan to Hammonasset, with the high count of 3 from Block 1. 30 Sep (D. Finizia et al); this was the best seasonal total since at least 1993. Cumberland Farms continued its repu- tation as a place to find rarities with the dis- covery of an imm. Lark Bunting 4 Nov, which remained until at least 12 Dec 0- Sweeney, m.ob.). There were few outstanding high counts of the common sparrows, although 300 Savannah Sparrows in Hadley, Hampshire, MA 25 Oct 0- Smith) was noteworthy, and a 1 migrant count at Bluff Pt., CT 6 Oct included 500 White-throated Sparrows and 200 Dark- eyed Juncos (CE et al). A number of Ipswich Sparrows appeared inland from their usual haunts on the immediate coast this autumn, including one at the Exeter, NH WT.P 30 Oct-8 Nov (ph. LM et al). Among the low- density migrants, observers reported 8-10 Grasshopper Sparrows, a good total for this hard-to-detect species. The single Henslow’s Sparrow of the season spent 16-18 Nov at Allen’s Pond, S. Dartmouth, Bristol, MA (P. Champlin et al). Vermont’s first fully docu- mented Le Conte’s Sparrow, after a 1988 sin- gle-observer sight record, was found at Po- mainville W.M.A., Pittsford, Rutland 17 Oct (tTGM, ph. A. Strong, ph. C. Provost et al); others appeared in Connecticut in S. Wind- sor, Hartford 9 Oct (B. Asteriades, R. Mac- suga) and Tolland, Tolland 26 Nov (J. Taylor), and one lingered at Cumberland Farms 20 Oct-4 Nov (MJI, m.ob.). A Nelson’s Sparrow found the same day as the Le Conte’s at Po- mainville W.M.A. accommodated searchers and photographers until 23 Oct (m.ob.); New Hampshire inland reports were of a single in Penacook, Menimack 26 Sep (PH) and 2 at Horseshoe Pond, Concord 25 Oct (D. Howe). A Seaside Sparrow at Chapman’s Landing, Stratham, Rockingham. NH 29 Sep was n. of the species’ breeding range and farther inland than usual (P. Chamberlin). An ad. male Summer Tanager was pho- tographed in N. Falmouth, Barnstable, MA 27-31 Oct (A. Pellegrini), and a presumably different bird appeared farther out the Cape in Orleans 25 Nov, remaining to the end of Dec (A. & E. Hultin). Single Western Tanagers were at Lighthouse Pt. 30 Sep (D. Campbell) and in the Boston Public Garden 13-15 Nov (imm. female; T. Factor, ph. JT, ph. RS et al). A good tally of 30 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks came from Dewey’s Pond, Quechee, Windsor, VT 29 Aug (R. Payne). Three out of the ex- cellent total of 28 Blue Grosbeaks showed similar timing late in the season: singles in Maine were a male in N. Bath, Sagadahoc 3 Nov (ph. MiF) and a female in Saco, York 7 Nov (E Mitchell), with another at Cumber- land Farms 5-7 Nov (MJI et al). A thorough search of weedy fields in Penacook, NH turned up 80 Indigo Buntings 7 Sep (PH, R. Suomala). It was another very good season for Dickcissels, with 97 distributed among coastal states and several high counts of 3-4 at locations such as Cousin’s L, Cumberland Farms, Block I, and Lighthouse Pt. Two re- spectable Bobolink high counts were 639 in- land in Northampton, MA 27 Aug (TG) and 550 at Lighthouse Pt. 31 Aug (GH), while 28 Eastern Meadowlarks at Allen’s Pond, S. Dart- 43 r NEW ENGLAND mouth, MA 22 Nov (E. Nielsen) was a good count for this less gregarious species. Massa- chusetts hosted the 2 Yellow-headed Black- birds of the season, an imm. male at Great Meadows N.W.R., Concord, Middlesex 9-14 Aug (C. Cook et al.) and another male on Nantucket 30 Sep (E. Andrews et al.). The best counts of the declining Rusty Blackbird came from an evening roost site at the Exeter, NH W.T.R in mid-Oct (at least 70; SM) and at White Memorial Eoundation, Litchfield, CT 9 Nov (85; DR). There was a late-season incur- sion of Baltimore Orioles into the Region; be- yond the somewhat expected dozen in Massa- chusetts were 7 in Maine, including 4 in Port- land 15 Nov, and one lingering through 29 Nov at Gilsland Earm Audubon Sanctuary, Ealmouth (EH, P. McCormack, m.ob.). Northern finches were nearly nonexistent this season, with only 2 single Pine Grosbeaks and two mid-Nov Common Redpoll reports from Vermont and New Hampshire. Small numbers of Red and White-winged Crossbills confined themselves to the n. tier, with the exception of 2 Reds at Quabbin Res., MA 20 Sep (L. Ther- rien). Some evidence that House Finch popu- lations are recovering from declines caused by disease came with a count of 240 in Marsh- field, Plymouth, MA 1 Nov (ID). Subregional editors (boldface), contributors (italics), and observers: Andy Aldrich, Audubon Society of New Hampshire, Bill Banks, Jim Berry, Bird Observer, Ken Black- shaw, Nick Bonomo, Brookline Bird Club, Phil Brown, Jan Collins, Bob Crowley, Ian Davies, Patrick Dugan, Chris Elphick, Mike Fahay (MiF), Mark Faherty (MaF), Rachel Farrell, Sue Finnegan, Tom Gagnon, Greg Hanisek, Rick Heil, David J. Hoag, Pam Hunt, Eric Hynes, Marshall J. lliff, Lauren Kras, Ver- non Faux, Richard B. Lavallee, Carolyn Long- worth, Derek Lovitch, Mark Lynch, Maine Audubon Rare Bird Alert, Massachusetts Audubon Society, Len Medlock, Steve Mirick, Jane Mirick, Chip Moseley, Ted G. Murin, Blair Nikula, Brian O’Toole, Chris Rimmer, Marj Rines, Dave Rosgen, Phil Rusch, Luke Seitz, Bill Sheehan, Jean St. Jean, Robert Stymeist, Scott Surner, Jeremiah Trimble, Vermont Cen- ter for Ecostudies, Peter Vickery, Barbara Volkle, Tom Wetmore, Glenn Williams. Walter G. Ellison Nancy L. Martin 23460 Clarissa Road, Chestertown, Maryland 21620 (rossgull@baybroadband.net) Hudson-Delaware Richard R. Veit Robert 0. Paxton Frank Rohrbacher In many respects, the fall migration was unremarkable: there were few fallouts, and observers Regionwide noted relative- ly low numbers and low diversity of migrants. Several spectacular vagrants — including Eu- ropean Golden-Plover, Ivory Gull, Tropical Kingbird, and Sage Thrasher — made it nonetheless a memorable fall season. Follow- ing a truly unusually wet and cold summer, the autumn weather was not unusual. No- vember was warm, but the rest of the season saw near-average temperatures and precipita- tion amounts in most areas, with the excep- tion of a cold spell in mid-October. Abbreviations: Avalon (Avalon Seawatch, Avalon, Cape May, NJ); Braddock Bay (Brad- dock Bay B.O., Rochester, NY); Brigantine (Forsyth N.W.R., Atlantic, NJ); Captree (Cap- tree S.P., Suffolk, NY); Derby Hill (Derby Hill Hawkwatch, Oswego, NY); Hamlin Beach (Hamlin Beach S.R, near Rochester, NY); Ja- maica Bay Oamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, Gate- way National Park, New York City); Jones Beach Oones Beach S.P, s. shore of Long L); Moriches (Moriches Bay and inlet, Suffolk, Long I.); Long 1. (Long I., NY); Montauk (Montauk Pt., Suffolk, Long L); Montezuma (Montezuma N.W.R., Seneca, NY); Prime Hook (Prime Hook N.W.R., Sussex, DE); Sandy Hook (Sandy Hook Unit/Gateway Na- tional Recreation Area, Monmouth, NJ); South Cape May Meadows (William C. and Jane D. Blair Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge, Cape May, NJ); Tonawanda (Tonawanda W.M.A., Genesee and Niagara, NY). WATERFOWL THROUGH PELiCANS The previously reported Black-bellied Whistling-Duck remained at Prime Hook un- til 19 Aug (MSG, m.ob.). A Pink-footed Goose at Sunken Meadow S.P, Suffolk, NY 3-11 Nov (K&SF) made the 6th New York record and the 4th for Long 1. since 2007. About 20 Greater White-fronted Geese throughout the Region included 8 at Iroquois N.W.R., Gene- see/Orleans, NY 26-28 Oct (Chris Newton, PY) and 6 at Waterport, Orleans, NY (MS). A Snow Goose summered at Bombay Hook N.W.R., Kent, DE, and others arrived there early in Sep. A total of 7 Ross’s Geese, a bit low for recent autumn seasons, included an early one at Brigantine 27 Sep (Frank Guida) and a rare blue morph in Sussex, DE 17 Oct (BGP, FR). A Snow Goose x Ross’s Goose hybrid was identified at Chautauqua L., Chautauqua, NY 29 Nov (JP). Single Barnacle Geese were both likely returning birds, one at Califon, Hunter- don, NJ 27 Oct-5 Nov (LS, Melissa Fowler), the other at Sunken Meadow S.P, Suffolk, NY 3-25 Nov (SSM, m.ob.). Seventy Cackling Geese, about half the number reported last au- tumn, reflected the generally low waterfowl numbers; as usual, most were in upstate New York, but a group of 14 at Assiscong Res., Hun- terdon, NJ 29 Nov (SG) made a large number for that locality. A Cackling Goose at Staten 1., NY 16 Oct-Nov (SIW et al.) had the dark un- derparts and purplish chest typical of sub- species minima (sometimes called Ridgway’s Goose), previously been reported in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. About 50 Trumpeter Swans were found in upstate New York, with a predictable maximum of 36 at Montezuma 15 Nov (KCG). An ad. male Common Shelduck at Prime Hook 19 Sep-3 Oct (BGP et al.) may have been an escapee, but singles this year in Massachusetts (6 Dec) and Newfoundland (17 Nov) point to possible wild provenance. The species has been in- creasing annually in w. Iceland, the nearest nesting area to North America, for two decades. Large counts of Wood Ducks includ- ed 2106 at Bashakill, Sullivan, NY 1 Sep (MB, VF) and 910 at Three Mile Bay, Jefferson, NY 44 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS HUDSON-DELAWARE This Swallow-tailed Kite was present at Wallkill National Wildlife Refuge, Sussex County, New Jersey 26 (here 29) August-1 September 2009, feeding on large dragonfies in the area. Of over 70 records for the state, only about nine have oc- curred in the fall. Photograph by Rick Wiltraut. (BPu). While waterfowl were generally scarce, 638 Gadwalls at Brigantine 26 Nov (MH) and 2382 Northern Pintails flying past Derby Hill 7 Oct (BPu) were substantial counts. Eight of 11 Eurasian Wigeons were on Long I. and in coastal New Jersey. A young male Cinnamon Teal at Cape May 16 Sep-5 Oct (CJV, TL et al.) followed records of single birds in Delaware in 2006 and 2007; New Jersey has but three pri- or records. Larger flocks of Lesser Scaup were 3500 at Syracuse, Onandaga, NY 22 Nov (BPu) and 3000 at Piseco L,, Hamilton, NY 14 Oct (BK, CM); the largest count of Greater Scaup was 5500 at Edith Read Wildlife Re- serve, Westchester, NY 26 Nov (TWB). A near- average 1 1 King Eiders included a group of 5 at Montario Pt., St. Lawrence, NY 30 Nov QSB), a flyby at Avalon 26 Oct (DG), and 2 singles at Sandy Hook and Cape May 7 Nov (RF, VE). A massive southward movement of Common Eiders during Nov coincided with a departure from s. New England; a record- breaking total of 227 came from Cape May 29 Nov (TBJ et al), 200 were at Barnegat, Ocean, NJ 16 Nov (M. Britt), and 851 at Avalon for the season was the all-time high (since 1995). Some 830 Common Eiders at Montauk 17 Oct (AnW) was early for so many. In e. Long L, counts of 390 at Robert Moses S.P 1 Nov (SSM, PJL) and 200 at Jones Beach 11 Nov (Ardith Bondi) greatly exceeded previous maxima for these well-watched sites, whereas counts were higher for e. Long I. in 1996. The maximum count of Harlequin Ducks at Barnegat Inlet was 20 on 28 Nov (CJV); a sin- gle bird was at Cape Henlopen S.P, Sussex, DE 29 Oct (FRw). Scoter totals at Avalon were well below the long-term aver- age, and the total for White- wingeds (895) was the lowest since 1993. Counts of 4290 Black Scoters at Montauk 17 Oct (AnW) and 2000 at Robert Moses S.P 21 Oct (RJK) were substantial. Strong counts of Long-tailed Ducks were 1600 at Sandy Pond, Oswego, NY 22 Nov (BPu) and 1200 at Mon- tario Pt., St. Lawrence, NY 30 Nov OSB). A Barrow’s Golden- eye at Tomhannock Res., Rens- selaer, NY 12 Nov (WY) was the only one reported. In response to comments in the spring report about the scarcity of Ruffed Grouse, sev- eral subregional editors re- marked on their presence, in- cluding Jeff Bolsinger’s com- ment that they are still “com- mon in the Adirondacks and in the Tug Hill re- gion” of New York. The Red-throated Loon seasonal total of 63,066 at Avalon (DG et al.) was above the long-term mean of 58,000, which is encouraging, as Red-throateds have declined recently, mainly due to gillnet mortal- ity. Four Pacific Loons were found: one at Mer- rill Creek Res., Warren, NJ 23 Oct-12 Nov (TV); one at Hamlin Beach 24-25 Oct (AG); one at Avalon 2 Nov (DG); and a juv. on Cayu- ga L. at Sheldrake, Sullivan, NY 5-12 Nov (Dave Nutter, Dave Nicosia, Wes Hochachka). Between 2 and 5 Eared Grebes were at Batavia W.T.P., Genesee, NY until 12 Nov (MM); an- other was at Irondequoit Bay, Monroe, NY 5 Oct (Charles Goulet). Western Grebes, in- creasing in the East, were reported three times: one at Piermont Pier, Rockland, NY 10-13 Nov (Carol Weiss et al.), one in Raritan Bay be- tween Staten 1. and New Jersey 15-30 Nov (Patrick Belardo, TBo), and one at Ausable Pt., Clinton, NY 30 Nov Qudith. E Heintz). Single Northern Fulmars were early at Easthampton 27 Sep and Montauk 24 Oct (AnW). Numbers of Cory’s Shearwaters were farther n. than usual for the 2nd year in a row; 23 were counted from shore between East- hampton and Montauk 27 Sep (AnW), 18 were at Hudson Canyon 9 Aug (SL), and 10 were off Lewes, DE 15 Sep (ES). Eight Audubon’s Shearwaters were seen at Hudson Canyon 9 Aug (M. Fritz et al.), and 10 were seen off Lewes, DE 15 Sep (ES et al.). Other groups of up to 10 were seen along the conti- nental slope to Block Canyon, and 26 were seen n. of Block Canyon 19 Aug (C. Pedro, m. ob.). A White-faced Storm-Petrel was off Lewes, DE 15 Sep (ES et al.), and one or 2 were s. of e. Long 1. 16-17 Aug 0- Shemilt). The Avalon season total for Northern Gan- nets, 119,001, was more than double the long-term average of 48,000 and reflects the continued increase of gannets in the North Atlantic. Sixteen American White Pelicans this fall included a remarkable flock of 1 1 at Cape May 29 Nov (Nick Pulcinella) and 4 in n. Delaware in early Aug (FR, Bob Stahorn). Brown Pelicans also eclipsed their all-time high at Avalon, with 635 counted this fall (versus the long-term average of 170); other- wise the only substantial number was 28 at Brigantine 12 Aug (MH). Two ad. Great Cor- morants at Hamlin Beach 1 1 Sep were unusu- al for that locality (DT, Diane Stout). HERONS THROUGH RAPTORS The only Least Bittern found away from nest- ing locales was at Sandy Hook 22 Sep (Sharyn Magee), and it was also the last of the season. A Great White Heron at Bethany Beach, Sus- sex, DE 1-7 Nov (BGP) was a 2nd for Delaware and the 3rd Regional record since Sep 2001, when 2-3 appeared between Long 1. and Delaware. High counts of the commoner herons included 335 Great Blues at Cape May 10 Oct (TL), 521 Great Egrets at Brigantine 6 Aug (AM, JM), and 364 Snowy Egrets at Brig- antine 1 Oct QM). Great Egrets continue to in- crease at inland localities; 126 at Tonawanda 3 Oct (WW) continue a recent trend, while 186 at Stockholm, St. Lawrence, NY set a new record for that region (RS). Twenty-five Little Blue Herons were counted at Cape May 18 Sep (TL), and one was late at Staten 1. 22 Nov (SIW). Fourteen Tricolored Herons were at Nummy L, Cape May 10 Oct (ID). Sixty-one Cattle Egrets at Featherbed Lane, Salem, NJ 10 Aug (MW), near the nesting colony at Pea Patch 1. on the Delaware R., was a large num- ber for recent years; one at Wilson, Niagara, NY 3-10 Nov was brought to a rehabilitator Qacalyn Perry). Six White Ibis at Fowler’s Beach, Sussex, DE 30 Aug (APE) was an un- usually large number; one was at Prime Hook 1 Sep (APE); and an imm. at Tonawanda 20 Sep-22 Oct (Mark Pearce, WW, m.ob.) was only the 2nd record ever for that area. Two Roseate Spoonbills that appeared in summer remained into fall: Delaware’s first state record remained at Fenwick L, Sussex until 19 Aug (FR), and New Jersey’s 3rd remained at Brig- antine until 25 Oct LM, PBac). A Wood Stork was at the Ashland Nature Center, New Castle, DE 25 Oct (Bob Rufe, Jim Lewis) for about a 40th Regional record but the first since a sin- gle in 2005. Seven Black Vultures together in VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 45 HUDSON-DELAWARE At a time of year when shorebird enthusiasts check through groups of American Golden-Plovers for stray Pacific Golden-Plovers, this European Golden-Plover In Kent County, Delaware 14 September 2009 was an unexpected pleasure and just the second ever in the lower 48 states, following a record in Maine in October 2008. Photograph by Anthony Gonzon. one group was a notable concentration at New Scotland, Albany, NY 23 Oct (WY). Single Swallow-tailed Kites were at the Wallkill River N.W.R., Sussex, NJ 27-31 Aug (Ken Witkowski, Rob Scherr, m.ob.) and at Ashland, New Castle, DE 6 Sep (DS), the states 9th. At the Fire Island hawkwatch, a to- tal of 291 Sharp-shinned Hawks was 36% lower than the 20-year average, while 47 Coopers Hawks was 70% above that average. A daily total of 587 Coopers Hawks at Cape May 1 1 Oct was impressive but still well be- low the record daily total of 1231 on 26 Sep 2006. Away from hawkwatches, only about 26 Northern Goshawks were reported Re- gionwide. Several observers noted seeing more Red-shouldered Hawks than usual, and daily totals of 39 at Chimney Rock, Somerset, NJ 1 Nov (SL) and 143 at Cape May 6 Nov (DG et al.) support this impression of in- creased numbers (the record daily total at Cape May is 185). Single Swainson’s Hawks were at Cape Henlopen, Sussex, DE 19 Sep (FRw), New Braintree, Greene, NY 3-14 Oct (RG, m.ob.), and Cape May 8-29 Nov (VE, LZ, m.ob.). The first of 5 Rough-legged Hawks in New Jersey was at Cape May 5 Oct (M. GofO. Notable Golden Eagle reports in- cluded 4 at Raccoon Ridge Hawkwatch, War- ren, NJ 6 Nov (EG), plus 9 others in New Jer- sey, and 2 on Long 1. in mid-Oct. A seasonal total of 518 American Kestrels at Fire Island Hawkwatch was 62% below the 20-year aver- age and an all-time low (Drew Panko). An imm. gray-morph Gyrfalcon was spectacular- ly photographed on the sin- gle day it was observed at Jones Beach 25 Oct (L. Or- mond, JGl, GB et al.); this date seems remarkably early, but a search of the literature shows that at least four spec- imens were collected on Fisher’s L, NY in the period 12-30 Oct, and there are oth- er Oct reports from New England and Virginia, the lat- ter 21 Oct. Finally, a seasonal total of 290 Peregrine Fal- cons at the Fire Island Hawk- watch is 61% above the 20- year average at that site (Drew Panko). RAILS THROUGH ALCIDS John Confer and his dog flushed a Yellow Rail in the town of Caroline, Tompkins, NY 17 Oct, and a Purple Gallinule at Mendon Ponds, Monroe, NY 11-13 Oct (Pat Martin, BC) was found dying on the last date (^Cornell Uni- versity), About 70 Sandhill Cranes were re- ported, mostly in upstate New York; 17 were at Husted Landing, Cumberland, NJ 29 Nov (VN). In general, counts of migrating shore- birds were low. However, a group of 3200 Black-bellied Plovers at Jones Beach 8 Nov (Christina Wilkinson) exceeds all fall maxima by a factor of three and appears to be a Re- gional high count. A European Golden-Plover in a field near Bombay Hook N.W.R., Kent, DE 14-15 Sep (Andy Urquhart, AGn et al.) fur- nishes the 2nd record for the e. United States after one in Maine in Oct 2008. Virtually all records for Atlantic Canada, where Europeans appear regularly, are from spring. About 210 American Golden-Plovers were found Region- wide; most observers mentioned their scarcity, but 100 were at Byron, Genesee 6 Sep Qoe Mitchell), and one at Raquette L, Hamilton, NY was the first local occurrence there in 20 years (GNL). A Piping Plover at Plum Beach, Brooklyn, NY 17 Oct (SBl) was late. Semi- palmated Plovers peaked at 2000 at Brigantine 13-26 Aug (CJV); 171 Killdeers were at Franklin, Himterdon, NY 20 Sep (FS). Peak counts of American Oystercatcher were 400 at Nummy L, Cape May 12 Oct (ID) and 450 at Jones Beach 12 Sep (PJL, SSM). There was a substantial incursion of Amer- ican Avocets, especially to w. New York: 5 were at Beaver Island S.R, Erie, NY 27 Sep (Debbie Sharon); 2 were at Dunkirk Harbor, Erie, NY 28 Sep (David Gordon); and singles were at Montezuma 1-11 Sep (m.ob.) and Irondequoit Bay, Monroe, NY 27-28 Oct (Tom Nash et al). In addition, there were 6 in s. New Jersey and 4 on Long 1. until late Oct (m.ob.). Greater Yellowlegs peaked at 831 at Brigantine 5 Nov (JM, AM), and 6 Willets were at Moriches inlet 6 Sep (PJL, SSM), all Easterns. Seventy-five Western Willets were at Stone Harbor 4 Oct (KL) and 60 at Moriches inlet 13 Sep (PJL, SSM). Peak counts of Less- er Yellowlegs were 854 flying by Cape May 12 Sep (TL, DG et al.) and 500 at Brigantine the same day (VS). A Long-billed Curlew that flew past Hamlin Beach 12 Sep (AGu) pro- vides the first upstate New York record since the nineteenth century, even though there has been an increase on the coast in recent years. About 12 Hudsonian Godwits were reported Regionwide, with a maximum of 5 at Brigan- tine 5 Sep (SB). Marbled Godwits continue to increase; about 45 were in New Jersey and Delaware, and one was n. to Jones Beach 12- 13 Sep (SA). Peak counts of the declining Red Knot were 600 at Brigantine 22 Aug (VS), 460 at Wildwood, Cape May 12 Sep (DF), and 360 at Jones Beach 29 Oct-8 Nov (CW). Fifteen hundred Sanderlings were at Stone Harbor, Cape May 4 Oct (DF), and peaks counts of Semipalmated Sandpipers were 8000 at Brig- antine 22 Aug (VS) and 3000 at Anderson Creek Marsh, Hudson, NJ (Neil Maruca). It was a big fall for Western Sandpipers (by re- cent standards): 400 and 500 were counted at Brigantine 26 Aug and 12 Sep (Cjy VS), re- spectively; 400 were at Stone Harbor, Cape May 22 Sep 0- Feenstra); 8 were on Long 1. 22 Sep-7 Nov (SSM et al.); and singles were at Dunkirk Harbor, Erie, NY 10 Sep (DW) and Montezuma 11-12 Sep (KCG). An ad. Red- necked Stint at Brigantine 23 Aug (T. Bailey) would be a 3rd state and about a 12th Re- gional record. White-rumped Sandpipers to- taled 120 at Brigantine 12 Sep (VS), and about 20 were found on Long L, for a below-average fall. Baird’s Sandpipers were also scarce; there were about 5 in New Jersey, 2 on Long L, and 4 in upstate New York. Pectoral Sandpipers were exceptionally scarce, with fewer than 20 reported on Long Island. Dunlins peaked at 10,000 at Brigantine 24 Oct (WK) and 9950 at Jones Beach 29 Oct (TFl). Eighty- five Stilt Sandpipers were at Brigantine 22 Aug (VS), 16 were at Jamaica Bay 14 Sep (SBl), and one was very late at Braddock Bay 18 Nov (DT). A below-average 35 Buff-breasted Sandpipers were found throughout the Region. A Ruff was present for one day at Cape May 28 Aug (GD, CC), and another continued through 3 Aug at Taylor’s Gut, Kent, DE Qudy Mont- gomery et al.). The peak of Short-billed Dow- itchers was 3460 at Brigantine 22 Oct (MH), 46 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS HUDSON-DELAWARE and Long-billed Dowitchers were numerous and widespread: 150 were at Brigantine 10 Oct (MSG), up to 6 were at Tonawanda W.M.A. 25 Sep-16 Oct (MM et al.), one was at the Sullivan and Lenox Mucklands, Madi- son, NY 3-5 Sep (Tony Shrimpton, Kevin Mc- Cann), one was at the Coxsackie Grasslands, Greene, NY 24-30 Sep (RG), and finally one provided a local record late date at Darien Lakes S.P., Genesee, NY 26-28 Nov (Kyle Hor- ton). There were about 10 Wilson’s Phalaropes reported, including 4 at Brigantine 4 Sep (FS), 3 others in Newjersey, one at Tay- lor’s Gut, Kent, DE 1 Aug (FR), and singles at Jamaica Bay 4-8 Sep (SA) and Montezuma 2- 9 Sep (Dave Nutter). Fifteen Red-necked Phalaropes at Brigantine 11 Sep (W. Keim) was a large count on land; 10 were seen at sea off Lewes, DE 15 Sep (ES); and about 10 oth- ers were scattered through the Region. Single Red Phalaropes were seen at Buffalo, Erie, NY 28 Sep (Kurt Fox), at East Greenbush, Rens- selaer, NY 15 Oct (Gordon Ellmers), and at Cole Creek S.P., St. Lawrence, NY 1 Nov OSB). There was an incursion of Black-legged Kittiwakes into the Region, mainly at the coast in late Nov, but these were preceded by several birds at inland locations. Along the s. shore of Long L, about 475 were counted 21- 26 Nov (DFt, TWB, SA), and 8 were at Bamegat Inlet, Ocean, NJ 28 Nov (CJV). Two imms. Were at Fort Niagara S.P 5-9 Sep (DW et ah), and 2 were at Bogus Pt., Monroe, NY 9 Sep (DT). Four others flew by Derby Hill 28 Nov (BPu). An imm. Ivory Gull appeared at Cape May 27 Nov Qini Dowdell, m.ob.) and lingered through 9 Dec; at the time, this was the southernmost record ever for the Atlantic coast and also the earliest one ever in fall s. of Newfoundland. The only previous records of Ivory Gull in New Jersey come from 3 Feb 1940, when Herb Cutler found a dead bird on the beach at Island Beach in Ocean', from 28 Jan-5 Feb 1955 at Manasquan Inlet; and from 10 Feb 1986 at L. Como, a bird that reap- peared at Liberty S.P. 16 Feb. As many have suggested, the sudden recent increase in southerly records of Ivory Gulls is surely in some way related to the deterioration of their Arctic habitats. Single Sabine’s Gulls were at Cape May 11 Oct (MO’B) and at Niagara Falls 31 Oct-1 Nov (WD’A, BP). Bonaparte’s Gulls have declined substantially over the past 50 years; coastal wintering flocks have all but disappeared, and the maximum this fall at Ni- agara was a mere 6000 birds 28 Nov (Bruce DiLabio) — counts there 10 times higher than that used to be the norm. About 5 Black- headed Gulls and 8 Little Gulls were found Regionwide; these dwindling numbers may reflect cleanup of sewage outfalls, where the biggest congregations in the Region once oc- curred. An aggregation of 1700 Laughing Gulls was at Montauk 17 Oct (SSM, PJL), and a single imm. Laughing Gull was unusual in- land at Ithaca, Tompkins, NY 24 Oct (Anne Mitchell, Bob McGuire). An imm. Franklin’s Gull at Hamlin Beach 30 Sep (RSp, R. Hartwig) was the only one reported. Lesser Black-backed Gulls continue their expansion to the n. and w. of their usual stronghold in the n. Philadelphia suburbs: 161 were on Merrill Creek Res., Warren, NJ 23 Sep (TV); 30 were on Long 1. and Staten 1. (SSM, SIW, SA); 5 or so were in the Niagara Falls area (MM); and 8 others were scattered across up- state New York. Two clearly different Califor- nia Gulls were found around Niagara Falls: one ad. on 7 Oct OR WD’A) and another third-cycle bird 17 Oct Qoe Mitchell et al.). A Thayer’s Gull was in the Ithaca, Tompkins, NY area 6-10 Nov (TBJ, Carolyn Sedgwick). Sev- enteen Iceland and 5 Glaucous Gulls were re- ported in all. Ten Bridled Terns were off Lewes, DE 15 Sep (ES et al.). Thirty-one Black Terns at Cape May 28 Aug (TL) was the only concentration reported. Roseate Terns have always been strikingly rare on the coast s. of e. Long L, but in recent years, they have been found seem- ingly more often s. to Cape May. Four were at Cape May 4 Aug-4 Sep (CJV, m.ob.), and 40 were seen from the beach at Easthampton, Suffolk, NY 12 Sep (AnW). An Arctic Tern was off Lewes, DE 20 Sep (ES). Post-breeding ag- gregations of Royal Terns included 181 at Cape May 12 Oct (TL) and 45 on Staten 1. and Long 1. in late Oct (SSM, SIW et al.). Six Sandwich Terns were at Cape May 6 Aug (CJV), and singles were at Cape Henlopen 1 Aug (FR) and Easthampton, Long 1. 12 Sep (AnW). One thousand Black Skimmers at Great Egg Harbor, Ocean, NJ 18 Aug (DF), 750 at Nickerson Beach, Nassau, NY 2 Sep (BB), and 640 at Cape May 21 Sep (MO’B) were impressive flocks. Only 2 Poinarine Jaegers were reported: one at Montauk 8 Nov (SSM) and another at Hamlin Beach 25 Sep (RSp, WS). About 130 Parasitic Jaegers re- ported included 88 and 22 from the beach at Easthampton, Long 1. 27 Sep and 3 Oct (AnW, HM), respectively; 12 off Cape May 8 Nov (PAG et al.); about 26 along the shores of L. Ontario; and about 12 from Cape Hen- lopen in Oct. Single Long-tailed Jaegers were seen at Cape May 12 Sep (CC) and off Lewes, DE 20 Sep (ES). DOVES THROUGH WOODPECKERS Two Eurasian Collared-Doves in Kingston, Ul- ster, NY 4 Oct (M. DeDea) were from a new locality, and 4 others were seen in their now traditional haunts in Parma and Hamlin, Mon- roe, NY (DT et al.). The only White-winged Dove of the fall was one at Cape May 17-25 Sep (DF et al). The strongholds of our Monk Parakeet population are in Bergen, NJ, where 26 were counted at their traditional spot 12 Oct (MB), and at Greenwood cemetery in Brooklyn, where 35 were present all fall. This was not a fall for Snowy Owls, but one was at Wappinger Falls, Dutchess, NY 15 Nov (Bon- nie Fair), and another was banded at Hamlin Beach 27 Nov (T. McDonald). Thirteen Long- eared Owls were reported Regionwide, and 17 Short-eared Owls included 6-8 at Cape Vin- cent, St. Lawrence, NY in late Nov QSB) and 8 at Genesee Community College 27 Sep (KCG). It was not a huge fall for Northern Saw-whet Owls, but 5 were heard calling (in response to tapes) at Cape May 6 Nov (MO’B), and 37 were banded in Wethersfield, Wyoming, NY 10 Oct-10 Nov (David Junkin). One hundred fifteen Common Nighthawks at Middle Run Natural Area, New Castle, DE 4 Oct (DS) were late for that many, and 1495 Chimney Swifts at the George Washington Middle School, Bergen, NJ 24 Sep (Kurt Muenz) seemed later than usual. Late Ruby- throated Hummingbirds included one female at Greece, Monroe, NY 22-27 Oct (KCG) and one captured at Fonda, Montgomery, NY 14 Nov (WY, RPY). An imm. male Rufous Hum- mingbird at Staten L, NY 4 Oct-28 Dec was captured to confirm the identification (HF, SIW, ETB, RRV). Additional Rufous/Allen’s Hummingbirds were at Cape May 28 Nov (SL, SG) and Cumberland, NJ 3 Nov (Carol Dia- ment). About 45 Red-headed Woodpeckers were reported Regionwide, and the peak of Northern Flicker migration appeared to be 825 at Cape May 25 Sep (TL). Three Black- backed Woodpeckers were seen on Mas- sawepie L., St. Lawrence, NY 9 Sep OSB), and 5 were found in the Adirondacks (GNL). FLYCATCHERS THROUGH WAXWINGS An Eastern Wood-Pewee at Allegheny S.P., Cattaraugus, NY 1 Nov (TB) was a record late date for that area; the only later date for New York is a wood-pewee mist netted at Fire Is- land, Suffolk 15 Nov 1969. It seems worth pointing out when specifically identified Alder Flycatchers occur as migrants; 3 Alders were identified to species at Cape May 9 Sep (MO’B). A Least Flycatcher was very late at Ithaca, Tompkins, NY 8 Nov (Mike Harvey). Two hundred Eastern Phoebes were estimated at Sandy Hook 25 Sep Qin Schill), and 40 were at Liberty S.P., Hudson, NY the same day (SL). Only 2 Ash-throated Flycatchers ap- peared: one at Prime Hook 14-16 Nov for the 2nd Delaware record (Ken Bass et al.), the VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 47 HUDSON-DELAWARE other at Ozone Park, Queens, NY 14 Nov+ (R. Bedia, R. Aracil, H. Lopes, m.ob.). A Great Crested Flycatcher was carefully identified at Jones Beach 30 Oct (SA, Kh SSM). There were 1 1 Western Kingbirds this fall, all at the coast, with 6 on Long L, 4 in Newjersey and one in Delaware. A peak of 840 Eastern Kingbirds was at Cape May 25 Aug (DF et al.). A Scis- sor-tailed Flycatcher was seen briefly at Sandy Hook 15 Sep (TR), and another was at Savan- na, Wayne, NY 24-25 Oct (Doug Racine et al.) for a 3rd record for that area. A Loggerhead Shrike visited South Cape May Meadows 31 Aug-1 Sep (VE, TR), where coastal migrants have become extremely rare. Fewer than 20 Northern Shrikes were reported overall. Six Philadelphia Vireos at Prime Hook 20 Sep (BGP) was a large number for a single site/date, and the highest totals of Red-eyed Vireos were 50 at Cape May both 6 & 9 Sep (MO’B, MSG). Four Gray Jays were at Mas- sawepie L., St. Lawrence, NY 19 Oct QSB), and 9 others were reported in the Adiron- dacks (GNL). A Fish Crow at Greece, Monroe, NY 27 Nov (KCG) furnished a record late date for that recently colonized locality. Com- mon Ravens continue to increase; about 17 were seen in New Jersey, and more signifi- cantly, about 10 on Staten 1. and Long 1. An aggregation of 35,000 Purple Martins along the Maurice R., Cumberland, NJ 14 Aug (DF, Dave Lord) exceeds the maximum of 30,000 listed in Birds of New Jersey (1999), while counts of about 100,000 Tree Swallows at Brigantine 18 Sep (TR), Cape May 18 Oct (MSG), and Mauricetown 18 Aug (Cindy Ahearn) were more typical. An aggregation of 1290 Northern Rough-winged Swallows at Fort Niagara S.P. 7 Oct OR WW) appears to be a local record count, and 15 Cliff Swallows at Cape May 5 Oct (MO’B) and 2 at Ithaca, Tomp- kins, NY 13 Oct (CLW, JHB) were late. There were fewer Cave Swallows reported than in previous falls; 4 unidentified Petrochelidon were at Ithaca, Tompkins, NY 31 Oct (TBJ), 2 Caves were at Cape May 2-7 Nov (VE, MO’B), 73 were at Hamlin Beach 9 Nov (DT, MT), and 20 were at Cape May 21 Nov (DF). At least 9 Sedge Wrens were found away from nesting areas at Fort Drum (where they were last seen 9 Sep, JSB) 11 Sep-4 Nov, 5 of these in New Jersey, the rest in New York. A state record count of 2650 Golden-crowned Kinglets was made at Hamlin Beach 16 Oct (DT), and a backyard count of 241 Ruby-crowned Kinglets at Cape May 19 Oct was impressive (TL). One hundred and eighty-one Blue-gray Gnatcatch- ers at Cape May 25 Aug was a large number (MO’B), and one at Ithaca, Tompkins, NY 1 Nov (Chris Wiley, CLW) was late. A Northern Wheatear appeared at Richard W. DeKorte 48 Park, Bergen, NJ 16-17 Sep Oohn Workman, m.ob.), the only Regional occurrence this fall. A Townsend’s Solitaire was at Merrill Creek Res., Wairen, NJ 5 Nov (TV) for about a 10th state record and the 2nd one at that location in three years. Night monitoring of migrating thrushes produced several interesting counts this season. Veeries peaked at 1000 at Cape May 6 Sep (BF) and 55 at Tonawanda 12 Sep (Paul Hess). Thirty Gray-cheeked Thrushes passed over Cape May 30 Sep (MO’B) and 27 over Greece, Monroe, NY 4 Oct (RSp). Reports of calling Bicknell’s Thrushes included 2 at Hamlin Beach 19 Sep (SSp), 2 at Greece, Mon- roe, NY 4 Oct, and 5 at Cape May 5 Oct (MO’B). A Bicknell’s was banded at Braddock Bay 2 Oct. Swainson’s Thrushes seemed scarce by comparison; the highest counts of were 25 at Cape May 30 Sep and 11 Oct (TR, MO’B) and 30 at Tonawanda 15 Sep (Paul Hess). The top count of Hermit Thrushes was 113 in Central Park, Manhattan 18 Oct (AF); a Wood Thrush at Central Park 22 Nov (DA et al.) was late. Indicative of the rather feeble passerine migration overall, numbers of American Robins were low, with the maximum from Cape May being Just 12,000 on 4 Nov (DC) and the peak flight in St. Lawrence, NY occur- ring 21-25 Oct (JSB). A Sage Thrasher was found at Sandy Hook 20-21 Oct (Trailside Birding Club, SB) for the 5th New Jersey and 10th Regional record. At Cape May, 575 Amer- ican Pipits were recorded at 25 Sep (CD). The peak of Cedar Waxwings was 2060 at Cape May 25 Sep (CC), and the only Bohemian Waxwings observed were 10 at Paul Smith’s, Franklin, NY 5 Nov (Paul McAllister). WARBLERS THROUGH FINCHES Five Golden-winged Warblers were seen in Newjersey, one in Delaware, and 2 on Long Is- land. A Lawrence’s Warbler was in Prospect Park, Brooklyn 3 Sep (PD). Migrant Tennessee Warblers were more numerous than they have been recently; 12 were seen at Cape May 9 Oct (MO’B), 12 at Hofstra Park, Passaic, NJ 6 Oct (Stephen Brauning), and a late individual was at Pt. Lookout, Nassau, NY 22 Nov (]G1). About 55 Orange-crowned Warblers were found, and 20 Nashvilles at Lenoir Nature Pre- serve, Westchester, NY 25 Sep was a large count (TWB), A Yellow Warbler at Marshlands Con- servancy, Westchester, NY 16 Nov (TWB et al.) was late, but there are three recent (since 2004) Dec records for New York. Cape May Warbler numbers appear to be elevated; re- ports of about 60 total included 20 on Long L, 10 in Delaware, and 17 at Cape May 14 Sep (CC). Black-throated Blue Warblers seem to be on the slow increase; 110 were in Cape May 14 Sep (CC). Some 20,000 Yellow-rumped War- blers at Cape May 22 Oct (MO’B) was the un- remarkable maximum for the fall. An Audubon’s Warbler was well observed in Itha- ca, Tompkins, NY 20 Oct (TBJ) for about a 20th state record. A Yellow-throated Warbler at Montauk 1 1 Oct (BR) was the only one n. of s. New Jersey. A Prairie Warbler at Westhamp- ton, Suffolk, NY 22 Nov was late (Jim Clinton, Jr.), and 1000 Palm Warblers at Cape May 9 Oct made an impressive total (MO’B). Black- poll Warblers seemed disproportionately scarce relative to other warblers; the maximum count anywhere was 120 at Cape May 25 Sep (MO’B). Five Cerulean Warblers were found in Newjersey 8 Aug-1 Sep. Eleven Worm-eating Warblers at Cape May 13 Aug (CJV) was a large count. An Ovenbird in Central Park, Manhattan 22-24 Nov was late (DA). The only Kentucky Warbler was at Baldpate Mt., Mercer, NJ 31 Aug (Sharyn Magee). About 35 Con- necticut Warblers were reported, with peaks of 6 and 4 at Cape May 14 Sep and 1 Oct (CC), respectively, while the Regional total for Mourning Warblers was about 23. North of New Jersey, about 10 Hooded Warblers were found on Long L; of 2 in the Niagara region, one was late 25 Oct (MM). A Summer Tanager at Ogden, Monroe, NY 28 Nov (Fran 62: David Colby) adds to the re- cently increasing list of late fall occurrences. A Scarlet Tanager at Prospect Park, Brooklyn 10 Nov (SBl, m.ob.) is not quite as unusual. Two Western Tanagers were found, both un- usually early in fall compared to the histori- cal record: one at Liberty Park, Hudson, NJ 5 Oct (SL) and the other at Jones Beach 26 Oct (Sam Jannazzo, Rob Jett). What was presum- ably the same Spotted Towhee that wintered last year returned to the feeder in Palmyra, NJ 28 Nov (WK, B. Filemyr et al). About 40 Clay-colored Sparrows in the Region includ- ed about 25 on Long 1. and 13 in Newjersey. Twenty-four Lark Sparrows included 9 on Long 1. and Staten 1. and 12 in Newjersey. By comparison, only 15 "Vesper Sparrows were found on Long 1. and in Newjersey, illustrat- ing the substantial decline of this and other grassland-nesting species. The only Henslow’s Sparrow reported this fall was one from the nesting grounds at Ft. Drum, St. Lawrence, NY 9 Sep QSB). Two Le Conte’s Sparrows were crisply photographed: one at Cape Henlopen 19 Oct (Chuck Fullmer), the other at Overpeck Creek, Bergen, NJ 27-28 Oct (A. Egan, RF, MB et al.). At least 6 Nel- son’s Sparrows appeared on Staten 1. and Long I. 4-19 Oct, and 14 were found in the Genesee and Finger Lakes regions of New York in Oct. A single Gambel’s White- crowned Sparrow was at Jacob Riis Park, Queens, NY 10 Oct (PJL, SSM). NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS HUDSON-DELAWARE Two Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were rather late: one at Mashomack Preserve, Suffolk, NY 15-28 Nov (Nick Hamblet) and another at Central Park, Manhattan 29 Nov+ (DA et al). Four Blue Grosbeaks on Staten I. and Long I. 4-17 Oct made a low fall total. An Indigo Bunting at the Tifft Nature Preserve, Erie, NY 8 Nov (WW) was record late for that locality. A Painted Bunting was at Prime Hook 22 Aug (Larry Riddle, ES), and another was at Huber Woods, Monmouth, NJ 12 Nov (Vincent Koczurik). About 22 Dickcissels appeared Re- gionwide in Sep and Oct. A total of 4671 Bobolinks at Cape May 13 Sep (DG) is noteworthy, given the recent de- cline of this grassland species. Four Yellow- headed Blackbirds were found in New Jersey 20 Aug-29 Nov and another at E. Quogue, Suffolk, NY 9 Oct (OB). It seems worth listing larger counts of Rusty Blackbirds, given their decline: 550 were at Livingston, Columbia, NY 26 Sep (WY); 330 were at India Creek Na- ture Center, St. Lawrence, NY the same day QSB); 300 passed Hook Mt., Rockland, NY 9 Nov (Chad Whitko); and 225 were at Clay Marsh, Onandaga, NY 19 Oct (BPu). Winter finches were scarce this fall; only about 20 Purple Finches and 50 Pine Siskins were recorded on Long L, following the huge flight last fall. Reports of 13 Red Crossbills all came from upstate New York, and 2 White-winged Crossbills were noted: one at Mecklenberg, Schuyler, NY 3 Sep (Nancy Dickinson), the other at Fort Drum, St. Lawrence, NY 10 Nov QSB). About 1023 American Goldfinches at Cape May 15 Nov (DG, XL) was still far be- low the vast numbers of last fall. Seventy Evening Grosbeaks were found in the Adiron- dacks, and singles were at Golden, Erie, NY 4 Nov (Jim & Karen Landau) and at Camden, Oneida, NY 11 Nov (BPu). Observers (subregional compilers in bold- face): Deborah Allen (Central Park, NY), Seth Ausubel, Scott Barnes (North Coast Re- gion, NJ: Sandy Hook Bird Observatory, RO. Box 553, Ft. Hancock, NJ 07732), Tim Baird, Jessie H. Barry, Gail Benson, Bob Berlingeri, Orhan Birol, Shane Blodgett, Michael Bochnik (Hudson-Delaware, NY: 86 Empire St., Yonkers, NY 10704), Jeffrey S. Bolsinger (St. Lawrence Region, 98 State St., Canton, NY 13617), Tom Boyle (TBo), Michael Britt, E. Thomas Brown, Thomas W. Burke, Bar- bara Butler (Dutchess, NY), Cameron Cox, Willie D’Anna, Ian Davies, Glen Davis, Peter Dorosh, Andrew P Ednie, Vince Elia (South Coast & Delaware Bay Regions, NJ: CMBO R&E Center, 600 Rte 47 North, Cape May Courthouse, NJ 08120), Rob Fanning, An- drew Farnsworth, Ken & Sue Feustel, Howie Fischer, Ted Floyd (TFl), Bob Fogg, Valerie Freer, Don Freiday (Cape May: CMBO R&E Center, 600 Rte. 47 North, Cape May Court- house, NJ 08120), Doug Futuyma, Sam Gal- ick, Mark S. Garland (Cape May, NJ), John Gluth QGl), Doug Gochfeld, Anthony Gonzon, Kevin C. Griffith (Genesee Region, NY: 61 Grandview Lane, Rochester, NY 14612), Frank Guida, Paul A. Guris, Andy Guthrie, Rich Guthrie, Mary Harper, Tom B. Johnson (Finger Lakes Region, 150 Tripham- mer Road, Ithaca, NY 14850), William Keim, Bill Krueger, Robert J. Kurtz, Simon Lane, Laurie Larson (LLa; New Jersey), Gary N. Lee (Adirondack Region, NY; P.O. Box 302, 116 Limekiln Lake Road, Inlet, N.Y. 13360), Tony Leukering, Patricia J. Lindsay (Long Is- land and New York City: 28 Mystic Circle, Bay Shore, NY 11706), Al Martens, Hugh McGuiness (Eastern Long L, NY: RO. Box 3005, Southampton, NY 11969), James Mey- er, Charles Mitchell, Shaibal S. Mitra (Long Island and New York City; Biology Depart- ment, College of Staten Island, 2800 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10314), Mike Mor- gante (MM; Niagara Frontier region, NY: 59 Briar Hill Road, Orchard Park, NY 14127), Vince Nichnadowicz, Michael O’Brien, Jim Pawlicki, Bruce G. Peterjohn, John M. C. Pe- terson (Adirondack-Champlain Region, NY: 477 County Rte. 8, Elizabethtown, NY 12932), Betsy Potter, Bill Purcell (BPu; Onei- da Lake Basin, NY: 281 Baum Road, Hastings, NY 13076), Rick Radis (NW New Jersey: 69 Ogden Avenue, Rockaway, NJ 07866; iso- tria@verizon.net), Tom Reed, Forrest Row- land (FRw), Barbara Rubenstein, Larry Scha- chetti, Volker Schmidt, Micky Scilingo, Robert Scranton, Frank Sencher, Ed Sigda, Robert & Susan Spahn (RSp; Genesee Or- nithological Society), Derek Stoner, W. Symonds, David Tetlow, Michael Tetlow, Christopher J. Vogel, Tom Vouglas, William Watson, Matt Webster, David Wheeler, Christina Wilkinson, Angus Wilson (AnW), Christopher L. Wood, Seth 1. Woolney Will Yandik (Hudson-Mohawk NY: 269 Schneider Road, Hudson, NY 12534), Peter Yoerg, Matthew A. Young (Susquehanna, NY: Cor- nell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850), Robert R Yu- nick, Louise Zemaitis. O Richard R. Veit, Biology Department CSI-CUNY, 2800 Victory Boulevard Staten Island, New York 10314 (veitrr2003@yahoo.com) Robert 0. Paxton, 460 Riverside Drive, Apt. 72 New York, New York 10027, (rop1@columbia.edu) Frank Rohrbacher, 5 Neva Court Wilmington, Delaware 19810, (rohrbaf@aol.com) Search our online database www.aba.org/feslivals American Binding ASSOCIATION i jpg] The ABA'S online birder resource :o travel companies and destinations as wellas birding products and equipment. For rates and information, go to the ABA website at rww.aba.org/netconnections VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 49 Middle Atlantic ^Bladmater NlVfl'-rTT — . .Sal,sbury ^o«an £AV'auffftn/%™ Dea//,^ tVM/7/Se Saxis Marsh ^ '^‘^Chinco A= Huntley Meadows County Park Hoay Gap SP MARYLAND ggaffg ^ Richmond' VIRGINIA Cranay/,. Stumpy L* AREA Beach •8a<*eayWlVR MarkT. Adams Matt Hafner The Region experienced a warm fall with significant precipitation, especial- ly in August and November. The Vir- ginia coast, for example, received 30 cm of rain 12-14 August and another 8 cm on 22 August from Hurricane Bill, which passed 640 km to the east. By 1 October, the annual rainfall total was already 20 cm above normal at Norfolk. A memorable northeaster ham- mered the Region’s already waterlogged coast 11-15 November. The remnants of Tropical Storm Ida, which underwent extratropical transition in the Gulf of Mexico just before making landfall near Dauphin Island, Ala- bama 10 November, moved eastward, and the energy from that storm then led to the forma- tion of new low-pressure area over South Car- olina, which moved off the coast of North Carolina the 11 November. Kept stationary off the mid-Atlantic states by a high-pressure system over New England, this storm deliv- ered winds of up to 65 knots, up to 46 cm of rain, severe storm surge and flooding (ex- ceeding in some areas that seen in Hurricane Isabel of 2003), wave heights up to 6 m along the coast, and extreme erosion in coastal ar- eas. Several unusual mid-November observa- tions, including a late Long-tailed Jaeger in Chesapeake Bay, were almost certainly con- nected to what the media dubbed “Nor’Ida.” Though migration of most birds along the coast was lackluster in the extreme, particu- larly Neotropical migrants and Arctic nesters (from shorebirds to sea ducks), the season held many other avian highlights: continuing Great White Heron and Roseate Spoonbill, a Wood Stork and a splendid Lesser Sand- Plover in the Shenandoah Valley, two Long- billed Curlews together, Maryland’s second Say’s Phoebe, and two Western Tanagers. A late martin in October, and a Warbling Vireo and Summer Tanager in November, raise in- teresting questions about possible vagrant species or subspecies. In addition to this re- port’s many individual contributors, we thank Adam D’Onofrio, YuLee Lamer, Robert E Ringler, and Bill Williams for their assistance in compiling and interpreting the season’s records. Abbreviations: Assat. (Assateague I., Worcester, MD); Bay (Chesapeake Bay); Chine. (Chincoteague N.W.R., Accomack, VA); Craney (Craney 1., Portsmouth, VA); E.S.V.N.W.R. (Eastern Shore of Virginia N.W.R., Northampton, VA); Hart (Hart- Miller 1., Baltimore, MD); Hog I. (Hog Island W.M.A., Surry, VA); Kipt. (Kip- topeke S.P., Northampton); Poplar (Poplar 1., Talbot, MD). WATERFOWL THROUGH RAPTORS A Greater White-fronted Goose at Willis Wharf, Northampton, VA 12 Oct (HTA) skirt- ed the species’ 1 1 Oct extreme early date; an- other visited Chestertown, Kent, MD 9-22 Nov (WEl, NM et ah). The hrst Snow Geese to arrive were at Eyre Hall, Northampton 20 Sep (one blue morph; NF), at E.S.V.N.W.R. 26 Sep (2; BW et ah), and at Chine. 26 Sep (m.ob.). Single Ross’s Geese were at Great Oak Pond, Kent 1 Oct-22 Nov (WEI, NM et ah), at Assat. 11 Oct (MH et ah), and at Worcester, MD 14 Nov (m.ob.). Sev- en Ross’s Geese at Chine. 7 Nov (AL) set a new Virginia peak count. Up to 9 Brant were recorded 7 Oct-8 Nov near Annapolis, MD (SA et ah), where the species rarely lingers in the Bay. A Brant at Piney Run, Carroll, MD 28 Oct-12 Nov (RFR et ah) established a 4th coun- ty record; one noted inland among several hundred Canada Geese at Hog 1. 22 Nov (NF, EE) was unex- pected. Noted nearly annually in late Sep and later, single Cackling Geese were at Western Regional Park, Howard, MD 25 Sep (RC et ah) and at Swoope, Augusta, VA 28 Oct (AL). A Canada Goose x Greater White-fronted Goose hy- brid was at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax, VA 25 Oct (LM et ah). A flock of 11 Mute Swans passing over the E.S.V.N.W.R. at daybreak was an unexpected sight 26 Sep (RLAk et ah). A possible Trumpeter Swan was reported near Chincoteague, Accomack 28 Sep (fide ESB). The Tundra Swan that summered at Hart continued through 17 Aug (KGr et ah). Single Eurasian Wigeon visited Kerr Res., Mecklenberg, VA 4 Nov (AD), Chine. 7 Nov (AL), West Ocean City Pond, Worcester 7 Nov (CBr), and Ridgeway Park, Hampton, VA 24- 28 Nov (BC, NF, AF), the 13th consecutive year at the last location. An imm. male and a female Eurasian Wigeon were at Green Springs Greenway Trail, James City, VA 11 Oct (BW); an ad. male and female were at the same location 15 Nov (BW). A King Eider was at Ocean City Inlet, Worcester 29 Nov QB et ah); an imm. male that summered at Poplar remained through 17 Aug (JR et ah). Com- mon Eiders were at multiple locations begin- ning 1 Nov, hinting at the large numbers to come in the winter in Maryland. Notable counts included 17 at Ocean City Inlet, Worcester 29 Nov (m.ob.) and 10 at Fisher- man Island N.W.R., Northampton 30 Nov (RLAk, CB). A female at Pt. Lookout S.P, St. Mary’s, MD 29 Nov+ QH), was extremely rare for the area. A Harlequin Duck was a nice find at Ocean City Inlet, Worcester 29 Oct-i- (SD et ah). The 9 Surf Scoters summering at Poplar stayed through 14 Sep QR et ah). Triadelphia Res., Howard/Montgomery, MD hosted 2 Surf, 2 White-winged, and 7 Black Scoters 29 Nov QH et ah), and overall it was a good Nov for inland scoter reports. Six Black Scoters at a private pond in Augusta 1 Nov (AL) estab- lished a first fall county record. Single Hood- ed Mergansers were at Amherst, VA 1 Aug (RB) and at Huntley Meadows, Fairfax 23 Aug (KG), probably local nesters rather than migrants from the north. Three Common A rare summer visitor to the mid-Atlantic states, this Wood Stork stayed at a farm pond near Woodstock, Virginia 20 (here 23) August through 7 Sep- tember 2009. Photograph by Adam D'Onofrio. NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 50 MIDDLE ATLANTIC! This Great White Heron along the Clinch River at Blackford in Russell County, Vir- ginia 31 October 2009 was, remarkably, the sixth of its subspecies to be found in far southwestern Virginia. Photograph by Tom Hunter. Mergansers were on the Janies R., Richmond, VA 30 Aug OF); a lone female was at the same location 22 Sep (FE). Inland, a Red-throated Loon was in Mary- land at Triadelphia Res., Howard/Montgomery 11-24 Nov QH et al); singles in Virginia were at Willow L., Rockbridge 12 Nov (AMe), at L. Shenandoah, Rockingham 13 Nov (KH; ph. DW), and at Swoope, Augusta 12 Nov (AL). The sole Red-necked Grebe report came from Piscataway Park, Prince George’s, MD 18 Nov (FF). Three Eared Grebes were at South Hol- ston L., Washington, VA 14 Sep (WC) A single Eared Grebe was at Ocean City, Worcester 14- 15 Nov (RFR et al.); another single visited a pond at Fisherville, Augusta 2-4 Oct (AL). A Western Grebe was an excellent find at Clay- tor L., Pulaski, VA 13 Nov (SBe et al); reports of this species are on the increase in the Re- gion, but documentation is often lacking, and because both Clark’s Grebes and apparent hy- brids have been recorded in the mid-Atlantic states, photographs are useful for confirming the identity of Aechmophorus in the Region. A Wilson’s Storm-Petrel was seen on a Bay cruise near Wolf Trap Shoal lighthouse, Math- ews, VA 16 Aug (GK&MAK); 15 were noted from shore at Scientists Cliffs, Calvert, MD 1 Sep (SHa, JM), rather far n. for this species in the Bay. A White-faced Storm-Petrel (delighted birders on a Worcester pelagic 16 Aug (PG et al). A Brown Booby was photographed on the beach at Assat. 3 Aug (ph. ND) — just two weeks after one had been photographed fly- ing along the beach 14 km to the south. Two American White Pelicans were at Craney 20 Aug-24 Sep (AM et al; ph. BW); one at Blackwater N.W.R., Dorchester, MD continued from last winter and was joined by another 29 Nov (HTA). A Double-crested Cormorant near the Virginia/Kentucky border on the Levisa R., Buchanan, VA 20-22 Oct (ET, fide RM) provided a 2nd county record. Anhinga reports included 2 females at Stumpy L., Virginia Beach 22 Aug (AD) and one at Cavalier W.M.A., Chesapeake, VA 9 Nov (BK). An American Bittern settled into a pond behind a Wal-Mart in Amherst 23 Oct-2 Nov (MJ et al). A Great White Heron visited a field near the confluence of the Clinch R. and Little R., Russell, VA 31 Oct (ph. TH); there are five previous records of this sub- species from the Virginia Mountains & Val- leys region, the last in Aug 2002. The black- billed Great Egret (called Great White Egret by area birders) was last seen at Chine. 28 Aug (HTA, SH, WM). A late Great Egret was at Three Lakes Park, Henrico, VA 17 Nov (SR). Up to 4 Snowy Egrets, uncommon in- land, were at Crewes Channel, Henrico 15 Aug-7 Sep (AB, AD, LBa); 6 were at Sutherlin Mill Pond, Pittsylvania, VA 1 Aug (ME). A juv. Tricolored Heron visited Hog Island W.M.A. 1 Aug (AD, TT); 27 were still at Chine. 21 Nov (DSt, fide AD). Single Cattle Egrets were noteworthy finds on the Piedmont at Triadel- phia Res., Montgomery 20 Aug (BHi) and Hughes Hollow, Montgomery 25 Sep (AMa, JFi); another was on the sel- dom-birded Pamunkey Indian Reservation, King William, VA 9 Nov (FA). A Yellow- crowned Night-Heron at Kipt. 12 Oct was getting late (HTA), as was a Green Heron at L. Biggins, Newport News, VA 25 Nov (DYo). The 428 White Ibis at Bull’s Landing, Northampton 23 Sep (ZP) es- tablished a new high count for Virginia; the 32 White Ibis at Assat. 4 Sep (RG et al.) were unprecedented for Maryland. An imm. White Ibis at Little Seneca L., Mont- gomery 16-22 Aug (MS, m.ob.) was the only Maryland Piedmont record this year. A White-faced Ibis at Assat. 11 Oct (HH et al.) provided a first fall Maryland record and one of few Oct records for the East Coast. The Roseate Spoonbill discovered at Craney 28 Jul remained through 21 Sep (SM et al). A rare summer visitor to the Region, an imm. Wood Stork stayed at a farm pond near Woodstock, Shenandoah, VA 20 Aug-7 Sep (ETr,JL et al). RAPTORS THROUGH SKIMMER The 33rd Kipt. hawkwatch season total of 26,645 was the highest since 1999; highlights included new high counts for Red-shouldered Hawk (194) and for Bald Eagle (462), a late Broad-winged Hawk 21 Nov (CB, RLAk), and a juv. light-morph Swainson’s Hawk 5 Oct (CB et al). A Swallow-tailed Kite soared over Gloucester, VA 22 Aug QW); another was photographed at Hughes Hollow, Montgomery 4-5 Sep (AMa, LSc et al). A Mississippi Kite at Rockfish Gap, Augusta 29 Aug (BTe) fur- nished a 5th fall county record. Seven North- ern Goshawks were recorded between the two hawkwatches in Northampton 1 Oct-22 Nov (ZP, CB, RLAn). Early Rough-legged Hawks were seen in Northampton 19 Oct (ZP) and the same day at Blackwalnut Pt., Talbot, MD (LR et al). An early Golden Eagle at Taylor’s I, Dorchester 19 Sep (AS, WB) was possibly the same bird as the one seen at Rigby’s Folly, Talbot (LA) that day. More than half (894) of the 1654 Merlins recorded at Kipt. this season were sighted 17-26 Sep, with a high count of 311 birds on 25 Sep (CB, RLAn, HTA), A Mer- lin in Amherst, VA 16 Oct (MB, RB) was un- expected. A Sora was flushed from a flooded trail at Ragged Island W.M.A. 14 Nov (NF), and a mower flushed a Yellow Rail at Cam- bridge, Dorchester 16 Nov (ph. Gj). Two Sandhill Cranes flew over Brightwell Mill, s. Amherst 19 Sep (RB et al); a flock of 25-30 crossed the Blue Ridge at Calf Mt., Augusta 1 Nov (RP) for a 2nd fall county record and the r A The bird of the season was an apparent Lesser Sand-Plover that visited a small farm pond by a Days Inn in Augus- Jfxta, VA 6-8 Sep (p.a.). Discovered by Allen Lamer and Ed and Nancy Lawler, the bird drew birders from across the Re- gion and beyond. The Lesser Sand-Plover group breeds discontinuously across eastern Asia from the Himalayas to ne. Russia, rarely in Alaska. The taxonomy of this group is complex and unsettled, and identification of a vagrant can be challenging. Ex- tensive discussion of Internet-circulated photographs indicated mostly support for Lesser as opposed to Greater, but the Vir- ginia A.R.C. is still reviewing the record. Away from Alaska, the interior of the continent has records only from Alberta and On- tario, and the only confirmed coastal record e. of the Mississippi R. is from Louisiana. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 51 MIDDLE ATLANTIC Maryland's second Say's Phoebe spent just one afternoon at Chino Farms, Queen Anne's County on S October 2009. Photograph by Dan Small. state’s highest count. A single Sandhill Crane was at West Ocean City Pond, Worcester 11 Nov (KGr et al). Brisk northeasterly winds coupled with rain and drizzle were likely responsible for 1000 Black-bellied Plovers along Arlington Rd., Northampton 17-18 Oct (CB). Up to 5 Black-bellied Plovers were at locations around Montgomery 6 Aug-25 Oct (m.ob.); a single was at North Branch, Allegany, MD 18 Oct (]BC). Thirty American Golden-Plovers for- aged in a freshly plowed field near Harrison- burg, Rockingham 17-18 Oct (MGi,/lde WL); and 8 birds were seen 15 Nov in lower Northampton (BT), where very few were ob- served over the season. The latest golden- plovers were 7 at Eastern Neck N.W.R. 22 Nov (BH et al). Rarely reported on the Bay side of Northampton in fall, a Piping Plover flew over Cape Charles 26 Sep (ESB); anoth- er was late at Assat. 7-14 Nov (ML et al). Vir- ginia’s extensive coastal barrier island/lagoon system are home to large numbers of post- breeding American Oystercatchers. From 20 Aug-24 Oct, The Nature Conservancy and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries surveyed 85 roost sites from Chin- coteague Bay, Accomack through Fisherman Island N.W.R.; the peak was 2175 on 18-24 Oct (AW, RBo). A single oystercatcher was a good find at Pt. Lookout, St. Mary’s 11 Sep (ML). Three Black-necked Stilts were notable at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center, Queen Anne’s, MD 1-3 Aug (TO et al); the breeding pair at Craney was last seen with 4 fledged young 17 Sep (RBe, SD, BW). Ameri- can Avocet numbers at Craney peaked at 55 birds 1 Oct (RBe, SD, BT); one was there 20 Nov (RBe, IC, SD, BT). Avocet numbers at Hart peaked at 10 on 24 Aug (EJS et al.), with sightings there through 19 Sep. Observers at Poplar recorded avocets through 13 Oct, with a high count of 40 birds 17- 27 Aug OR et al). Rare tran- sients inland, 5 avocets were at Bell’s Lane, Staunton, VA 8 Sep (MHo), and one was at Shirley Plantation, Charles City, VA 7 Sep (ph. LBa). Two Solitary Sandpipers at Whittier Pond, Frederick, MD 31 Oct (AWi) were late. Reports of Upland Sandpiper in Virginia included one along Newby’s Shop Rd., Culpeper, VA 7 Aug (TD), 3 at Woodward Turf Farm, Fauquier, VA 23 Aug (GK&MAK), and one at Craney 20 Aug (BW et al). Maryland observers fared better with this species, including a high Up- land Sandpiper count of 15 birds in Dor- chester 29 Aug OB et al-)- Two Long-billed Curlews were Elkins Marsh, Northampton 15 Sep (FS), a reliable site for one in recent years, but this is the first report of multiple birds in the Region in decades. One to 2 Hudsonian Godwits were reported from a half-dozen lo- cations 3 Aug-26 Oct, almost all on the Coastal Plain; the most unexpected were 2 at Shirley Plantation, Charles City 18 Oct (ph. ABr). Marbled Godwits were reported in small numbers, one to 5 birds, at a half-dozen sites 3 Aug-14 Nov; one at Hog I. 9 Aug was locally rare (WL). Two Ruddy Turnstones at Hughlett Pt., Northumberland, VA 21 Aug (TS) were unusually far up the Bay. Eight Red Knots were at Chine 1 Oct (SB, fide AD), while in Maryland, one was at Poplar 3 Aug QR) and one at Hart 24 Aug (KGr et ah), with multiple reports from Worcester: singles 1 Aug (BH) and 14 Nov (m.ob), 3 on 21 Aug 0I-S)> 3itd 5 on 10 Oct OLS, EB). White-rumped Sandpiper reports came from Hog 1. 29 Aug (AD, TT), Bell’s Lane, Staunton 7 Sep (AL), Kipt. 14 Nov, and near Indiantown Park, Northampton 14 Nov (both AD, TT); the last reports in Maryland came from Worcester 14 Nov (m.ob.). Single Baird’s Sandpipers were in Augusta 6 & 6-8 Sep (AL et al), and one was at Chine. 23-28 Aug (GB, LF, SHe, V/M). Maryland had seven Baird’s Sandpiper reports from five counties, with a high of 3 at North Branch, Allegany 28 Aug (BH). Four Dunlins were at Leonard’s Pond, Rockingham 17 Oct; a single was there 2 Nov (WL). Another out-of-place Dunlin was in a Tazewell, VA pasture 11 Nov (TH). Stilt Sandpipers were at Shirley Plantation, Charles City 13 Sep (3; AB, ABr) and 18 Oct (one; ph. ABr); singles at Swoope, Augusta 24 Oct (AL) and at Leonard’s Pond, Rockingham 1 Nov (WL) provided exceptionally late Pied- mont records. Two Buff-breasted Sandpipers were at the Woodward Turf Farm, Fauquier 23 Aug (GK, MAK); another 2 visited Staunton View, Mecklenberg 6 Sep (PGl). Maryland Buff-breasted Sandpiper reports spanned 29 Aug-1 Oct, with a high of 4 at Murray Sod Farm, Worcester 7 Sep (MLH). A Short-billed Dowitcher at Fisherville, Augusta 1 Nov (AL) was very tardy. A Long-billed Dowitcher was a welcome find at a pond along Rte. 3, King George, VA 1 Nov (FA). A Wilson’s Snipe ar- rived early at Crewes Channel, Henrico 27 Aug (AB). Peak Wilson’s Phalarope counts in- cluded 5 at Craney 26 Aug (RBe et al), vAth one remaining through 8 Oct, more than two weeks beyond their normal late date. Mary- land’s peak Wilson’s Phalarope count of 5 came from Hart 3 Aug, and 3 remained through 7 Sep (EJS et ah). Red-necked Phalarope numbers at Craney peaked at an impressive 13 birds 3 Sep (AM et al), with 5 birds as late as 17 Sep. A single Red-necked visited Chestertown, Kent 9-16 Oct (MH et al), late for an inland record. Four Pomarine Jaegers passed Ocean City Inlet 25 Oct OLS), with one, plus an ad. Par- asitic Jaeger, at Sinepuxent Bay, Worcester 14 Nov QB, DS, MG). As the Nov northeaster be- gan passing northward, a very late Long- tailed Jaeger was noted near Cape Charles harbor, Northampton 16 Nov (FS). Single Franklin’s Gulls were reported in Maryland at Tyaskin, Wicomico 6 Oct (CBr), at Hydes, Bal- timore 31 Oct (BH), at Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s 4-6 Nov (FS et al), and at Ocean City, Worcester 29 Nov (BH et ah). An imm. Little Gull was at the Salisbury Landfill, Wicomico 26 Oct QLS); an ad. was at Kent Narrows, Queen Anne’s 17 Nov (FM); and another ad. was nearby at Love Pt., Queen Anne’s 29 Nov OLS). The season’s Black-headed Gulls in- cluded an ad. in D.C. on the Anacostia R. 20 Sep (PV); an imm. at Ocean City Inlet, Worcester 13 Nov (FJ et al); and an ad. near Parramore I., Northampton 18 Nov OR, FS). A second-cycle California Gull was at Great Oak, Kent 15 Nov (p.a., JLS, HH). A first-cy- cle Iceland Gull was at Oak Grove, Caroline, MD 22 Nov (GL). Some 280 Lesser Black- backed Gulls in Virginia Beach, VA 15 Sep (RLAk, fide GM) continued the trend of in- creasing numbers, now year-round. The Nov storm produced an unusual flight of gulls and terns moving northeastward (into the wind) over the town of Cape Charles 14 Nov, in- cluding a suprising juv. Black-legged Kitti- wake with 32 Royal Terns (ESB). Royal Terns had been absent in the area for several weeks, and so the birds were likely displaced from farther s., as occurs during tropical cyclones 52 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS MIDDLE ATLANTIC of similar intensity. Six Caspian Terns were noted at Staunton View, Mecklenberg 6 Sep (PGl); another was on the Charlottesville Airport runway 15 Oct during heavy rain (ph. DSh). Scrutiny of ex- cellent photographs of a medium-sized Tha- lasseus tern among 20 Sandwich Terns on the Virginia Beach oceanfront 9 Aug (ph. DW) in- dicated to most who viewed it that it was an ad. Elegant Tern (p.a.), though some dark markings in the bill and the bird’s apparently small size in several photographs suggest hy- brid derivation to others. A high count for re- cent seasons, 105 Black Terns visited Craney 3 Sep (RBe, SD, AM, BT, BW); 86 at Violette’s Lock, Montgomery 21 Aug (DCz, R&MO) represented a very high inland count; and 50 at Staunton View, Mecklenberg 22 Aug (PGl) was a similarly impressive number. During Ake’s surveys at Fisherman Island N.W.R., Black Skimmers peaked at 520 birds 16 Sep (RLAk); skimmers appear to stage here for a month or so, before migrating southward, usually in late Oct. D0¥ES THROUGH FINCHES The season’s only White-winged Dove stopped at a residential feeder for 15 minutes at Claytor L., Pulaski 27 Nov (ph. MM); the species is still quite rare in the Shenandoah Valley, though the coast reports the species annually now. The 16th consecutive Northern Saw-whet Owl research season in Northamp- ton produced 30 birds 25 Oct-30 Nov (Cen- ter for Conservation Biology; SE), while 16 were netted in Campbell, VA 5-16 Nov (GS), including one banded in New Jersey 5 Nov 2006. Of the 247 owls netted by the Campbell station since fall 2002, 13 had already been banded. Of the 231 unbanded owls captured at Campbell prior to this fall, 9 have since been recovered elsewhere, including 2 owls recaptured at the Prince Edward Point B.O., Ontario. One banded at the Campbell station in fall 2007 was recovered in Alabama 27 Nov (GS). The Northern Virginia Teen Bird Club observed a leucistic Chimney Swift at Hunt- ley Meadows, Fairfax 13 Sep (NN et al.) The last Chimney Swifts included a dozen birds over Williamsburg Landing, James City 30 Oct, tying the local late date (TA), and a lone bird the same day at Kipt. (CB). An Archilochus hummingbird was at Scientists Cliffs, Calvert 14 Nov (SS). A Rufous Hum- mingbird at Smithsburg, Washington, MD 18 Sep-29 Oct marked a first county record {fide DWe). A hatch-year male Rufous visited a pri- vate Fairfax feeder 17-23 Nov (PK, b. BPe). A Selasphorus hummingbird fed at a Lynchburg, VA feeder 25 Nov+ (TDa). Since 1995, the Lynchburg area has hosted 6 Selasphorus hummingbirds, plus 10 unusual humming- birds that could be identified to species: 8 Ru- fous, one Black-chinned, and one Calliope. A rare but annual transient, at least a half- dozen Olive-sided Flycatchers were seen 5-15 Sep. Several observers commented that Empi- donax flycatcher numbers were low. An ad. Acadian Flycatcher feeding 3 fledged young at Great North Mt., Augusta 1 Aug (AL) indicat- ed late nesting there. A late Acadian Flycatch- er was singing (!) along the Green Springs Greenway Trail, James City 27 Sep (BW). A Least Flycatcher at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax 8 Aug (PP, LC et al.) was very early and unusual at this location, while notably late Least Fly- catchers were at Berlin, Worcester 14-16 Nov (|BC, DY et al.) and Foreman’s Branch B.O., Queen Anne’s 18 Nov (b. JG, DS, MG). A Say’s Phoebe photographed at Chino Farms, Queen Anne’s 1 Oct made just the 2nd Maryland record (DS et al). An Ash-throated Flycatcher at Kipt. 1 Nov (CB, fide BT) was the only re- port of the season. Single Western Kingbirds were in s. Northampton 25 Sep (ESB; AD, TT), 14 Oct (CB), and 14 Nov (AD, TT et al); oth- ers were at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Anne Arundel, MD 29 Sep (TB) and at Assat. 15 Nov (TF, GKi). Daily counts of 34-58 Eastern Kingbirds over four mornings at Sunset Beach, Northampton 29 Aug-1 Sep (HTA) were much lower than in most Labor Day weekend watches here; 4 at the same location 25 Sep (ESB) were notable for the date. A molting Scissor-tailed Flycatch- er stayed at Sudlersville, Queen Anne’s 22 Aug-23 Sep OR et al.) — sufficiently long to grow out its tail feathers! At least 9 Loggerhead Shrikes were reported across the Region; one at Hagerstown, Wash- ington 5 Aug-4 Sep was well observed QGr et al), while one at Stuart’s Draft, Augusta 6-8 Nov (ph. BTe) was at the same location as in 2008. An ad. Northern Shrike returned for a 3rd year to Chino Farms, Queen Anne’s 13 Oct-i- (DS, MG et al.). A Warbling Vireo in Norfolk, VA 28 Nov was more than a month past the previous late date for this species on the Coastal Plain (DC); in such cases, photographs should be obtained, and w. subspecies should be carefully considered. A juv. Horned Lark in James City 23 Aug (BW) established a new lo- cal early date. A Purple Martin at Kipt. 25 Sep (RLAn, HTA, CB) exceeded that species’ late date in Virginia by more than a week; an unidentified Progne martin was at E. A. Vaughn W.M.A., Worcester 16 Oct (SA). Though they typically vacate the Region by 10 Oct, North- ern Rough-winged Swallows were reported into Nov at Kipt., the last on 20 Nov (CB). A Bank Swallow flying with Tree Swallows at Lyndhurst, Augusta 29 Sep (AL) established a new late county fall date. One or 2 Cave Swal- lows were seen on the Coastal Plain on seven days 26 Sep-t-. Tardy Barn Swallows included 2 at Craney 29 Oct (RBe et al); several at Kipt. 2 Nov (CB); and one there 22 Nov (CB, RLAk). The Red-breasted Nuthatch flight was anemic, with only scattered reports of one or 2 individ- uals. Two Brown-headed Nuthatches at South- ern Park, Charles, MD 16 Aug 0Hu et al.) pro- vided a first documented county record. Four Brown-headed Nuthatches were notable at Smith Mountain L., Bedford, VA 25 Aug (TDa, RB). The Winter Wren at Occoquan Bay N.W.R., Prince William, VA 3 Oct (MR) was an early arrival. A Sedge Wren at Bell’s Lane, Staunton 1 Oct (BTe) was just the 6th fall county record. A Marsh Wren in s. Amherst 27 Sep (RB et al.) marked the first county record since 1988. The 162 Ruby-crowned Kinglets banded at Foreman’s Branch B.O., Queen Anne’s 19 Oct QG, DS, MG) made for an extraordi- nary day. Three Blue-gray Gnatcatchers lin- gered in Hopewell, VA 8 Nov, with at least one remaining until 28 Nov (ph. ABr). A Bicknell’s Thrush at Finzel Swamp, Garrett, MD 19 Sep OB et al.) was w. of presumed migratory path- ways in the Coastal Plain. Two Bicknell’s were banded at Kipt. 5 Oct (AG). An early Swain- son’s Thrush was detected as part of a strong thrush flight over Cape Charles, Northampton 1 Sep (ESB). Impressively large American Robin numbers wandered lower Northampton after mid-Oct, including up to 20,000 birds at Kipt. 26 Oct (CB). The Foreman’s Branch B.O. QG. DS, MG) recorded a series of late warbler records in- cluding: a Yellow Warbler and a Chestnut- sided Warbler 20 Oct; a Blackpoll Warbler 4 Nov; and a Nashville Warbler 19 Nov. A very late Northern Parula was in Hopewell 22 Nov (ph. ABr). A male Black-throated Blue War- bler tarried at Monticello Park, Alexandria, VA 1-2 Nov (TAl). Three Palm Warblers were early at Skyland, Shenandoah N.P., Page, VA 6 Sep (SBa). Two late Blackpoll Warblers were in Hopewell 8 Nov (ph. ABr). A total of five Connecticut Warblers were seen Regionwide 14 Sep-6 Oct. A Summer Tanager at Weyanoke Sanctuary, Norfolk 3 Nov (NF) was more than a week beyond the previous extreme date, although there are winter records from feeders. A female Western Tan- ager was an excellent find at Shirley Planta- tion 8-15 Nov (ph. ABr); a Western Tanager at Kipt. 25 Nov (CB, BT) provided a first for well-birded Northampton. An ad. Chipping Sparrow with 2 young at Stuart’s Draft, Augusta 8-9 Sep (BTe) indicated unusually late breeding. Seven single Clay- colored Sparrows sightings spanned 5 Sep-14 Nov, including singles banded at E.S.VN.W.R. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 53 MIDDLE ATLANTIC GET DOWN AND DIRTY F 0 R AMERICA. And when you get you hands dirty in programs like National Public Lands Day, you help spruce up your beautiful lands. Last year, on this day, nearly 80,000 volunteers built trails, bridges, planted native trees and removed trash. To find out how you can help, go to www.npld.com or call 800-VOL-TEER (800-865-8337). HELPING HANDS FOR AMERICA’S LANDS day © 2004 Muench Photography, Inc. 8 & 11 Oct ORu) and one that lingered at Meadowbrook Park, Howard 11-14 Nov QWi et al.). Eight records of single Lark Sparrows were noted over the typical window of pas- sage 30 Aug-4 Oct; one was w. of the Bay at St. Mary’s City, St, Mary’s 12 Sep (TB). A Grasshopper Sparrow at Sky Meadows S.P., Fauquier 1 Nov (SBa) was late, as was one banded at E.S.V.N.W.R. 7 Nov ORu). The Center for Conservation Biology staff cap- tured an impressive 32 Nelson’s and 26 Salt- marsh Sparrows on Parramore 1., Northamp- ton 15 Nov (b. FS et al). A Nelson’s and 2 Saltmarsh Sparrows were at Ragged I., Isle of Wight 13 Oct (NF, EE); another Nelson’s was there 14 Nov (NF). A White-throated Spar- row in nw. Loudon, VA 26 Sep QC et al.) was quite early. A Gambel’s White-crowned Spar- row at Assat. 7 Nov (ML et al.) was notable. Reports of Snow Bunting included 2 at Little Island City Park, Virginia Beach 31 Oct (EE, NF), one over Magotha Rd., Northampton 15 Nov (SB), and one at Kipt. 15-22 Nov (C6irBF et al.; ph. BT). An imm. Blue Grosbeak lingered at Occo- quan Bay N.W.R., Prince William 25 Oct (MBo et al). Dickcissels were recorded through Sep and into Oct in relatively small numbers, the latest at Assat. 23 Oct (RG et al.) and Occo- quan Bay N.W.R. 25 Oct (MBo et al.). A Bobolink at Sky Meadows S.R, Fauquier 11 Oct (MR) was also getting late. An imm. male Yellow-headed Blackbird was trapped at Blairs Valley, Washington, MD 3-4 Aug (BE et al.); another imm. male was with 100+ Brown- headed Cowbirds at Craney 15 & 20 Aug (BW, BT et al). Ad. male Yellow-headeds were in King George 1 Nov (FA) and in Culpeper 26 Nov (TD). Flocks of about 250 Rusty Black- birds were at the Rappahannock R., King George 14 Nov (FA) and at Great Dismal Swamp N.W.R., Suffolk, VA 25 Nov (NF). Ex- cellent held notes and a sketch were submit- ted of a male Bullock’s Oriole at Sycamore Landing, Montgomery 25 Nov (p.a., DCz). An ad. male and 3 female/imm. Red Crossbills were at George Washington N.F, Augusta 15 Aug and 28 Nov (ABr). Staff at a Wild Birds store in Midlothian, Chesterfield, VA enjoyed 4 White-winged Crossbills in nearby cedar trees 19 Nov (SEl, BB, LP), a remarkable record in a non-irruption year. Unlike last fall, only a few Pine Siskins were reported: “small numbers” visited Kipt. 6 Nov (RLAn, CB), and singles were at Claytor L., Pulaski 19 Nov (MM) and at feeders in the Blue Ridge, Bote- tourt, VA 26-27 Nov (NY). Contributors: Robert L. Ake, Tom Albright (TAl), Robert L. Anderson, Henry T. Armis- tead, Liz Armistead, Tom Armour, Stan Arnold, Fred Atwood, Lewis Barnett (LBa), f Scott Barnes, Scott Baron (SBa), Bruce Bass, | Ruth Beck (RBe), Tyler Bell, Wayne Bell, Stan Bentley (SBe), Mike Boatwright, Ruth f Boettcher (RBo), Arun Bose, Mike Bowen i: (MBo), Ed Boyd, Calvin Brennan, Jim Brighton, Edward S. Brinkley, Carol Broderick (CBr), Rexanne Bruno, Allen Bryan (ABr), Greg Butcher, Larry Cartwright, J. B. Churchill, David Clark, Wallace Coffey, Joe Coleman, Ben Copeland, Ralph Cullison, Inge Curtis, Dave Czaplak (DCz), Thelma Dalmas (TDa), Todd Day, Shirley Devan, Nat Donkin, Adam D’Onofrio, Sam Dyke, Shan- non Ehlers, Stephen Elliott (SEl), Walter Elli- son (WEl), Elisa Enders, Frank Enders, Brian Eyler, Fred Fallon, Tom Feild, Jared Fisher QFi), Alan Flanders, Nick Flanders, Chris & Betsy Foster, Mary Foster, Linda Fuller, Kurt Gaskill, Ann Gilmore, Maren Gimpel, Matt Gingerich (MGi), Paul Glass (PGl), Kevin Graff (KGr), Jim Green QGr), Jim Gruber, Paul Guris, Ron Gutberlet, Matt Hafner, Sue Hamilton (SHa), Joe Hanfman, Sue Heath, Steve Hersey (SHe), Bill Hill (BHi), Ken Hin- kle, Mark L. Hoffman, Hans Holbrook, Mae Houff (MHo), John Hubbell OHu), Bill Hu- bick, Tom Hunter, Erode Jacobsen, George Jett, Mark Johnson, Bill Keith, Phil Kenny, Geraldine King (GKi), Glenn Koppel & Mary Alice Koeneke, Allen Lamer, Ed & Nancy Lawler, William Leigh, Jon Little, Jan Lock- wood OLo). Glen Lovelace, Mikey Lutmerd- ing, Sam Maghee, Frank Marenghi, Andy Martin (AMa), Nancy Martin, Roger May- horn, Tom McCary, Andy McGann (AMc), Will McPhail, Larry Meade, Alex Merritt (AMe), Joe Mihursky Alex Minarik, Geralyn Mireles, Mark Mullins, Nicholas Newberry, Rob & Mike Ostrowski, Thomas Ostrowski, Bart Paxton, Bruce Peterjohn (BPe), Paul Pisano, Robert Plank, Leslie Pope, Zak Poul- ton, Jan Reese, Marc Ribaudo, Sue Ridd, Robert E Ringler, Les Roselund, Jethro Runco QRo), Gene Sattler, Eugene J. Scarpulla, Lydia Schindler (LSc), Fred Shaffer (FSh), David Shoch (DSh), Dan Small, Fletcher Smith, Amanda Spears, James L. Stasz, Marty Stephens, Derek Stoner (DSt), Sherman Suter, Brian Taber, Ed Talbot II, Brenda Tekin (BTe), Ed Trelawny (ETr), Tina Trice, Peter Vanke- vich, Dave Wendelken, Dave Weesner (DWe), Alex Wilke, Jim Wilkinson QWi), Bill Williams, Joyce Williams, Andy Wilson ' (AWi), David Yeany Dave Youker (DYo). O Mark! Adams, 2300 Rocky Run Charlottesville, Virginia 22901 (markadamsphd@yahoo.com) Matt Hafner, 330 Orchis Road St. Augustine, Florida 32086, (mh1920@aol.com) 54 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS Southern Atlantic ASigalorR NWR Ken Blankenship Josh Southern Deluge. Buckets. Cats and dogs. Call it whatever you like, precipitation in the Region this fall transcended “above average” and might be better de- scribed as “mind-boggling.” Portions of northern Georgia and western North Carolina were particularly affected: in mid-September, catastrophic 500-year flooding devastated metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, causing mil- lions of dollars in damage and killing 10 peo- ple. By contrast, a patch of unusually dry con- ditions developed in the eastern Carolinas early in the season, but heavy rains associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida in November erased the rainfall deficit there. Neither that system nor any hurricanes had a major impact on coastlines, pelagic waters, or their birdlife. Though the negative impacts of the heavy rains on the Region’s avifauna are not known, birds did respond to new “wet- lands” that formed, especially in agricultural areas. Ponds and farm fields still recovering from years of drought were suddenly saturat- ed, offering foraging grounds for many species, particularly shorebirds and waders; Georgia’s fifth Sabine’s Gull was a surprising visitor to a flooded sod farm. Abbreviations: H.B.S.P. (Huntington Beach S.P., Georgetown, SC); M.N.W.R. (Mattamus- keet N.W.R., Hyde, NC); L.W.EG. (Lake 'Wal- ter P George, Clay, GA); S.S.S. (Savannah Spoil Site, Jasper, SC). WATERFOWL THROUGH WADERS Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks were observed in several locations away from traditional strongholds, including evidence of breeding: up to 28 ads., juvs., and ducklings in Baker, GA 1 Aug-13 Sep (WS, m.ob.); 30+ in Jasper, SC 2 Oct (DF); and 2 ads. with 10 ducklings on Ossabaw I., GA 12 Oct (NF, ph. RC); not surprising but significant was a high count of 75 at Altamaha W.M.A., GA 10 Oct (BL). Sin- gle Snow Geese were unseasonable in Morgan, GA I'i-ll Aug (PM, m.ob.) and Eagle Springs, NC 28 Aug-10 Sep (MM), while 31 migrants were notable over Reed Bingham S.P., GA 7 Nov (WS). Among several reports of the species, a Ross’s Goose in Madison, GA 8 Sep (MMc) has remarkably been resident since Feb 1999. Only one Cackling Goose was reported, at Pocosin Lakes N.W.R., NC 29 Nov (RD). Three Mute Swans were present at the S.S.S. 7 Aug-13 Oct (SC, EC), and a Tundra Swan was early in Augusta, GA 21 Nov (LS). Among five sightings of Eurasian Wigeon from North Garolina was an early male in eclipse plumage at Pea Island N.W.R. 19 Sep (ph. JL). A male Ring-necked Duck at 'Vogel S.P, GA 3 Aug (ph. VD) may have spent the summer there. At Jekyll L, St. Simons I., and Sea I., GA, massive flotillas of diving ducks appeared mid-Nov+, including up to 1200 scaup (both Greater and Lesser) 27 Nov (BZ et al.) and 7500 Black Scoters 15 Nov (NF et al.). An influx of Common Eiders was first noted 6 Nov with an ad. male at Pea L, NC (RD) and 2 imms. at South Bald Head L, NC (MD), fol- lowed by 2-5 at Sea L, GA 7 Nov+ (BF, m.ob.); there were multiple records from four additional sites in the Carolinas through the end of the period. There were several inland reports of Surf, White-winged, and Black Scoters; one Long- tailed Duck was at Jordan L.,NC 29 Nov (RM et al). Four Red-breasted Mer- gansers at H.B.S.P. 1 Aug (ST) apparently spent the summer there. A single Plain Chacha- laca was seen briefly on Sapelo L, GA 5 Oct (LW), where a small introduced population persists. A keen kayaker took note of a vagrant Western Grebe on L. Oconee, GA 6 Nov (ph. WK), only the state’s 3rd well-documented record. Eared Grebes re- turned to the S.S.S., with up to 4 present 29 Nov+ (SC). Pelagic birding off Hatteras, NC was fairly productive, with several notable obser- vations. A high count of 400+ Cory’s Shear- waters was recorded 21 Aug (BPI), while a Manx Shearwater 16 Aug was uncommon for early fall (BPI). A White-faced Storm-Petrel was an excellent observation 17 Aug, as was an ad. White-tailed Tropicbird 6 Sep (BPI). Arriving ever earlier in fall, and increasing in winter, up to 8 American White Pelicans that apparently summered at M.N.W.R., NC (RD) were nonetheless remarkable; equally im- pressive, especially for the inland locale, were 90 flying over Cobb, GA 18 Oct (SZ), while 174 were at the S.S.S. 12 Nov (SC). Single in- land Brown Pelicans were in Macon, GA 3 Aug (TM) and at L.W.EG. 27 Aug (WC), with 3 at the latter location 21 Nov (KB et al.). Anhingas again lingered far inland: one in Clayton, GA 2 Aug (CL et al.), and 2 in Mecklenburg, NC 19-21 Sep OSc, JB). A juv. Magnificent Frigatebird was spotted off Edis- to Beach, SC 9 Oct OGi)- Two Great Egrets were still lingering in Greene, GA 29 Nov (PWS, BBl), and a flurry of Tricolored Herons appeared inland: one in Benien, GA 2 Aug (WS); 10 at Jordan L., NC 22 Aug (TD et al.); and up to 5 in Baker, GA 21 Aug-8 Sep (WS). Reports of Reddish Egrets were numerous, including one still as far n. as Carteret, NC through the end of the period (CA, PG et al). A Green Heron was very late in Bartow, GA 15 Nov (ph. RC). The pink tsunami rolled right into fall, One of several indications of the species' continued expansion was this family of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks on Ossabaw Island, Georgia 12 October 2009; this pro- vides was the first breeding record for this location. Photograph by Rachel Cass. The presence of up to three Mute Swans at South Carolina's Savannah Spoil Site 7 Au- gust (here) through 13 October 2009 suggested possible expansion from established populations farther north. Photograph byEllie Covington. VOlUME 64 (2010) NUMBER 1 55 SOUTHERN ATLANTIC birds in Greene, GA 25 Oct (PWS). Providing one of the southernmost reports of Common Eiders in the Southeast in fall 2009 was a group at Sea Island, Georgia; a first-winter male and two females were present on 27 November (here). Photograph by Rachel Cass. Smartly photographed by an observant kayaker on Lake Oconee, Georgia 6 No- vember 2009 was this Western Grebe, making the state's third well-documented record. Photograph by Walter Knapp. The unprecedented post-breeding expansion of Roseate Spoonbills showed no sign of abating in fall 2009, with multiple reports of over 1 00 individuals. Two Juveniles graced Huntington Beach State Park, South Carolina on 14 October (here). Photograph by Jerry Kerschner. with Roseate Spoonbills appearing all along the coast and at many inland locations; sig- nificant observations included; one far inland in Catawba, NC 11-12 Aug (MR DM); 63 in Colleton, SC 15 Aug (fide ND); a new state high count of 103 in Glynn, GA 3 Sep (GW); an astounding 372 at the S.S.S. 9 Sep (SC); and the northernmost report of 2-3 at Pea Is- land N.W.R. 16 Sep-20 Oct QR, LW). Though post-breeding dispersal of Wood Storks was average, there were several records of note: a juv. in Person, NC 12 Aug (DC); a high count of 414 at the S.S.S. 9 Sep (SC); 2 juvs. at Pee Dee N.W.R. 10 Sep (SCa); and 2 very late RAPTORS THROUGH TERNS Independent “vulture watch- es” on 18 Oct produced 1500 Turkey Vultures over Clarke, GA OM, RH) and 1030 over Cobb, GA (SZ); both counts surpass the previous state high count. An impressive 135 Swallow-tailed Kites foraged over Long, GA 2 Aug (GW, SW et al.); the high count of 43 Mississippi Kites came from Newton, GA 21 Aug (MF). A summering Northern Harrier was again seen at Bodie I., NC 2 Aug QL); the species occa- sionally nests on or near the coast in that state. Rare visitors to s. reaches of the Region were 2 imm. Golden Eagles: at Lake Russell W.M.A., GA 7 Nov (VL) and at Piedmont N.W.R., GA 29 Nov (MMc). A single Black Rail was viewed at close range at Bear I., SC 31 Oct (MB), while at least 6 con- tinued in Greene, GA through Aug (PWS); a Virginia Rail was an interesting find in the mts. of Union, GA 18 Oct 0^1)- A Purple Swamphen was a most unexpected find at the Glen- nville W.T.P., GA 21 Nov (ph. GW), hundreds of kilometers n. of established populations of this exotic species in s. Florida. As many as 40 Purple Gallinules of various ages were tallied at Savannah N.W.R., SC 1 Sep (BBr, SB), while Com- mon Moorhens again nested in Clayton, GA, with 5 ads. and 3 juvs. observed 11 Aug (CL); an extraordinary count for the piedmont was 47 at the latter location 17 Nov (CL). As ex- pected, the vast majority of southbound Sandhill Crane reports came from nw. Geor- gia, with a maximum of 1300 over Carter’s L. 26 Nov (MMe). Among an above-average number of inland Black-bellied Plover sightings was an impres- sive count of 875 at M. N.W.R., NC 25 Oct (RD) and a late individual inland in Henderson, NC 11 Nov (WF); likewise plentiful were American Golden-Plovers, with a maximum of 59 in Henderson, NC 20 Sep (WF). A Snowy Plover again appeared on Ocracoke I., NC 15 56 Sep (SM); interestingly, one was in the same spot 17 Sep 2008. A count of 99 Wilson’s Plovers was recorded on Cumberland I., GA 22 Aug (D&PL), an important staging area for this declining species. Significant Piping Plover observations included 117 on Portsmouth 1., NC 18 Aug (DA) and 16 in Pen- der, NC 8 Nov (GG), 6 of which were banded members of the Great Lakes population. Amer- ican Oystercatchers stacked up on Wolf L, GA during migration, with cumulative counts of 300-1- late Aug-Sep (BW); bands indicated that individuals were from breeding populations in Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, and Virginia (BW). There were six inland sightings of American Avocets, while the high count was a staggering 1014 at the S.S.S. 30 Oct (SC, EC), almost cer- tainly the most ever recorded in the Region at one site. A handful of Western Willets popped up inland, including a high count of 5 at Carter’s L., GA 2 Aug (MMc et al). Upland Sandpipers were widely reported, with maxi- ma of 20-40 again coming from the reliable sod farm in Marshallville, GA in mid-Aug (m.ob.). Single Long-billed Curlews appeared on Portsmouth L, NC 18 Aug (DA) and Little St. Simons I., GA 14 Sep (CM); the high count of 6 was at the latter location 27 Oct (TK). Quite surprising were 15 Hudsonian Godwits feed- ing in a deep rain pool in Rodanthe, NC 8 Sep (BP); the high count of 150 Marbled Godwits came from Wolf Island N.WR., GA 27 Oct (TK). There were four inland reports of Ruddy Turnstones. The mouth of the Altamaha R. in coastal Georgia is likely one of the most critical stag- ing areas on the s. Atlantic coast for migrating Red Knots, as attested by the 6000-8000 there 18 Sep (ph., TBW, TK); 5000 were observed feeding on Wolf Bar and Little Egg Island Bar the next day (BW). An inland flock of 104 Semipalmated Sandpipers was noteworthy at Carter’s L., GA 2 Aug (MMc et al), as were 1100 Western Sandpipers on St. Simons I., GA 31 Oct (JM). Among numerous White- rumped Sandpiper observations was a high count of 9 at Falls L., NC 25 Aug (DL); a sought-after species generally only found in the Region in fall, Baird’s Sandpiper was found in all three states, with a maximum of 4 in Orangeburg, SC 30 Aug (PS, JB et al.). A Sharp-tailed Sandpiper reported from Craven, NC 31 Aug (tRHo) would represent a first state record if accepted. The first Purple Sandpiper was noted at the reliable n. beach of Tybee I., GA 13 Nov (NL et al). Among many Buff-breasted Sandpiper reports were two sightings of this “grasspiper” on beaches: at Topsail Beach, NC 9 Sep (ph. AM) and at Bird L, GA 12 Sep (CM et al). A juv. Ruff was MORTH AMERICAN BIRDS SOUTHERN ATLANTIC A surprising one-day wonder was this striking adult Sabine's Gull, which was found foraging in flooded fields in Murray County, Georgia on 22 September 2009. It provided only the fifth record for the state. Photograph by Darkns Moore. This early-arriving juvenile Lark Sparrow from the summer season remained in Cobb County, Georgia until 8 August 2009 (here). Photograph by Rachel Cass. There is continued concern that management changes recently impiemented at Mattamuskeet N.W.R., forth Carolina may effectively eliminate appro- priate shorebird habitat at this site, which is known to be a critical staging area for thousands of migratory shore- birds. In an apparent move to appease local businesses and boaters, water levels will no longer be allowed to drop during periods of low precipitation, preventing mud flats from forming (fide RD). Years of data support the site's great importance for birds, including a vtfide array of species; typical of peak migration were these 25 Oct counts (fl0): 10 American Goldeii-Fiovers, 123 American : Avocefo, 450 Greater Yellswtegs, 4100 Lesser Yeiiowlegs, 2 Whimbrels, 2 iludsonian Godwits, 21 Marbled Godwits, 15 Red Knots, 17 V/hite-rumped Sandpipers, 2 Baird's Sandpipers, 620 Pectoral Sandpipers, 3800 Dunlins, 340 Stilt Sandpipers, 280 Long-billed Dowitchers, and 275 Caspian Terns. ContinueiJ monitoring of the site may re- veal the impact of higher water levels on these birds. at M.N.W.R., NC 27-28 Aug (DL, ph. AI, m.ob.). Up to 22 Long-billed Dowitchers fre- quented Altamaha W.M.A., GA 10 Nov-e (KB et al., NF, m.ob.). A Wilson’s Phalarope was in Baker, GA 2 Aug OH); 3 remarkable 32 were in Georgetown, SC 23 Aug (ND, ¥/H); and 12 were at the S.S.S. 31 Aug (SC). Single Red- necked Phalaropes were at the Archie Elledge W.T.P., NC 24 Aug (CC, ph. JH) and in Forsyth, GA 22-23 Sep OH, m.ob.), while 2 inland Red Phalaropes were quite a surprise in Athens, GA 15 Oct (ph. RH). An ad. Sabine’s Gull foraging in a flooded sod farm field stunned observers in Murray, GA 22 Sep OSp, m.ob.); it provided the state’s 5th record. Three Black-headed Gulls were noted; in Sanderling, NC 29 Oct (BWa); at the S.S.S. 12 Nov (EC, ph. SC); and at M.N.W.R. 29 Nov (RD). Among eight inland Laughing Gull reports were matching high counts of 5 in Marshaliville, GA 21 Sep (WC) and at Fails L, NC 12-29 Oct (BBo, m.ob.). An imm. Franklin’s Gull was early at West Point L., GA 29 Sep (WC), while an ad. was at M.N.W.R., NC 25 Oct (RD). A total of 27 Lesser Black- backed Gulls provided an excellent tally at St. Simons L, GA 12 Oct (JS). Both Sooty and Bri- dled Terns were present in good numbers off Hatteras, NC in mid-Aug, including many ads. with juvs. in tow (BPI). A Least Tern was still at Surfside Beach, Horry, SC 23 Sep (PWS). Among 102 Gull-billed Terns in Carteret, NC 9 Aug, only 4 were juvs., a disturbing post- breeding ratio for this beleaguered species OF). Tucked in amidst several dozen Com- mon Terns on St. Simons 1., GA was an Arctic Tern 6 Sep (tKB, JM et al), providing the first onshore fall record for that state; a pressure gradient producing stiff easter- ly and northeasterly winds for many hours previous was al- most certainly related to the presence of this highly pelagic species. D0¥B THROUGH FINCHES Single White-winged Doves were in Charleston, SC 29 Nov (ph. ND) and Glynn, GA 22-26 Nov (GK). A Short-eared Owl was a good find in Muscogee, GA 24 Oct (WC), while anoth- er was locally rare in the mts. of Graham, NC 1 Nov (TH). A nocturnal survey detected 34 Whip-poor-wills at Oconee W.M.A., GA 7 Sep QFl), likely representing a new state high count. Two Chimney Swifts in Rocky Mount, NC 15 Nov (RD) were a peculiar sight for such a late date. As expected, winter hummingbirds popped up primarily later in the sea- son; a Black-chinned Hum- mingbird on James I., SC 31 Oct+ (JW); a Calliope Hum- mingbird in Seven Lakes, NC 17-21 Nov (ph. D&LD, fide SuC); and among early Rufous Hummingbirds was a male returning for the 6th year to Carolina Shores, NC 2 Aug QO, fide SuC). There were five sightings of Olive-sided Flycatcher, a species that is more often en- countered in fall than in spring. An Alder Fly- catcher mist-netted and subsequently identi- fied in Charleston, SC in mid-Sep (CS) pro- vided a long-anticipated first state record. An Ash-throated Flycatcher was photographed in Tattnall, GA 19 Oct (ph. GW), and another was in Carteret, NC 1 Nov Ohe, JF). Five records of Western Kingbirds was slightly above average, most of these photographical- ly documented. An Eastern Kingbird was late in DeKalb, GA 20 Oct (DV). A Scissor- tailed Flycatcher was a one-day wonder on Jekyll I., GA 8 Oct (ph. LT). Rare away from breeding areas. Warbling Vireos were detected in Habersham, GA 13 Sep QH) and Muscogee, GA 30 Sep (AC). Six sightings of Common Ravens at different sites in the w. piedmont of North Carolina attest to the species’ contin- ued expansion there. Two Northern Rough- winged Swallows were quite late at Sunset Beach, NC 28 Nov (TP). The annual eastward Cave Swallow pilgrimage began with one in- land at Augusta, GA 24 Oct (AW, ph. LS); Spotted by keen field trip leaders on 1 1 October 2009 were three Yellow-headed Blackbirds in a large flock of black- birds at the Altamaha Wildlife Management Area, Georgia. Photograph by Rachel Cass. subsequently, more appeared on or near the coast; 13 on Cedar I., NC 27 Nov (SWi); one at Sunset Beach, NC 28 Nov (TP); and one in Washington, NC 29 Nov (RD). A count of 23 VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 57 I I SOUTHERN ATLANTIC r h The "migrant trap": a phrase that conjures up the names of famous barrier islands, capes, points, and . . . tiny green 3flspaces surrounded by skyscrapers. Such was the setting of a late fall event that unfolded in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Beginning in late Oct, biologist Nathan Farnau of the Georgia Aquarium began monitoring the very limited habi- tat in adjacent Centennial Olympic Park (C.O.P.): young maples, oaks, crape myrtles, holly bushes, fountains, and open lawns. Central Park, New York City this is not; the full extent of the habitat can easily be covered in less than an hour. What first appeared to be an isolated anomaly of a few late warblers soon became a diverse array of species in the park (Table 1 ), with photographs indicating that some individuals lingered for many days, while others were one-day wonders, e.g., a Chestnut-sided Warbler 3 Nov; a Wood Thrush 7 Nov (KB); and a very surprising Black-throated Green Warbler on the very late date of 1 Dec. Other species remained for weeks in varying abundance, sometimes in considerable numbers: 3 Ovenbirds 6 Nov; 5 Common Yeliowthroats and 5 Tennessee Warblers 29 Nov; and 3 each of Black-and-white and Hooded Warblers on several dates. The late Nov and early Dec records exemplify an impressive yet puzzling phenomenon: one after another, species began to establish exceedingly late autumn departure dates for the entire state of Georgia. Such new records included: Ovenbird 29 Nov; Black-throated Green Warbler and Hooded Warbler 1 Dec; Nashville Warbler and Summer Tanager 6 Dec (GKo); and American Redstart 8 Dec. Several interesting non-passerines were also observed: on 4 Nov, an American Woodcock wob- bled around under bushes between a picnicking family and a busy street, while on 14 Nov (JG, m.ob.), a slumbering Whip- poor-will perched just feet over the heads of hundreds of passing urbanites. Whatever the cause of this phenomenon, local birders will be keen to see if it occurs again in 2010! Wilson's Warbler 6-Nov 14-Nov Summer Tanager 23-Oct 6-Dec Savannah Sparrow 4-Nov 4-Nov Swamp Sparrow 1-Nov 7-Nov Dark-eyed Junco 28-Oct 20-Nov Rose-breasted Grosbeak 29-Oct 7-Nov Table 1. Records of late or otherwise unusual migrants in Centennial Olympic Park, Atlanta, Georgia, autumn 2009. Ob- servations began 23 October and were last made on 12 December. High counts recorded on only one date are indicated parenthetically. Species American Woodcock First Date 4-Nov Last Date 4-Nov High Count Wilson's Warbler, 8 November 2009. Photograph by Darlene Moore. Blue-headed Vireo 4-Nov 14-Nov Hermit Thrush 23-Oct 3-Nov 4(11 Nov) Wood Thrush 7-Nov 7-Nov Tennessee Warbler 1-Nov 4-Dec 5 (29 Nov) Orange-crowned Warbler 3-Nov 20-Nov Nashville Warbler 24-Nov 6-Dec Chestnut-sided Warbler 3-Nov 3-Nov Magnolia Warbler 1-Nov 29-Nov Black-throated Blue Warbler 7-Nov 14-Nov Yellow-rumped Warbler 19-Nov 19-Nov Black-throated Green Warbler 1-Dec 1-Dec Pine Warbler 12-Nov 16-Nov Palm Warbler 23-Oct 18-Nov 3 (9 Nov) Bay-breasted Warbler 7-Nov 25-Nov Black-and-white Warbler 29-Oct 1-Dec American Redstart 23-Oct 3-Dec Ovenbird 22-Oct 29-Nov 3 (6 Nov) Common Yellowthroat 22-Oct 4-Dec 5 (29 Nov) Hooded Warbler 23-Oct 1-Dec Common Yellowthroat, 1 December 2009. Photograph by Gene Koziara. Whip-poor-will 14-Nov 15-Nov Eastern Wood-Pewee 3-Nov 3-Nov 58 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS SOUTHERN ATLANTIC Black-throated Blue Warbler, 13 Novemiser 2009. Photograph by Darlene Moore. Hooded Warbler, 29 November 2009. Photograph by Giff Beaton. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 59 SOUTHERN ATLANTIC This juvenile Baird's Sandpiper (left) with Least and Pectoral Sandpipers in Morgan County, Georgia 1 8 September 2009 provides fine documen- tation of a scarce fall migrant in the Southern Atlantic region, where virtually all records refer to juveniles. Photograph by Joel McNeal. Winter Wrens along the Cooks Trail, Clarke, GA 21 Nov OM) was impressive: it is over half the state high count, which was recorded on a C.B.C. Sedge Wrens were likewise nu- merous at Eufaula N.W.R,, GA, as 15 revealed themselves 23 Nov (KB et al). Good news for the declining Golden- winged Warbler was final approval of a plan to restore open oak woodlands through se- lective logging, controlled burns, and herbi- cide use on Brawley Mt. in the Chatta- hoochee N.E, the only remaining breeding site in Georgia (NK); the project had been stalled for years due to negotiations over en- vironmental concerns. Georgia had three records of Brewsters Warbler this season; this hybrid between Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warblers is emblematic of the deep challenges for Golden-winged conser- vation. A whopping 200-i- Northern Parulas were tallied in just half a day’s birding at M.N.W.R., NC 20 Sep (RD), while a count of 40-t- Yellow Warblers on Wolf 1., GA 18 Sep was surprising for the date (GB). A Black- throated Gray Warbler was superbly pho- tographed in Gilmer, GA 9-12 Nov (ph. RB, m.ob.), the state’s 5th record. A Yellow- throated Warbler was quite late at Carter’s L., GA 17 Nov (MMe). Rare in fall, and even more so inland, a Blackpoll Warbler was a surprise in DeKalb, GA 10 Sep QS, HG). A Black-and-white Warbler may have been a wintering bird in Greene, GA 29 Nov (PWS, BBl), while a Worm-eating Warbler must have been chilly, still lingering in the mts. of Union, GA 1 Nov (BB). A Northern Wa- terthrush at L. Phelps, NC 24 Nov (BBo) may have been a wintering bird. A Connecti- cut Warbler was quite a rare find at Hender- son Park, DeKalb, GA 14 Sep (HG), and an- other was in Buxton, NC 6 Oct (H&EL); an early Mourning Warbler turned up in Win- ston-Salem, NC 27 Aug (PD). There were eight reports of Clay-colored Sparrow, an annual but elusive species that also winters locally in small numbers. Among five reports of Lark Sparrow, a very early bird in Cobb, GA was present until 8 Aug (SA, ph. RC). A migrant Henslow’s Sparrow turned up at the Chattahoochee River N.R.A., Cobb, GA 25-29 Oct (PM et al, HG), while one was at the annual wintering site at Paulk’s Pasture W.M.A., GA 16 Nov (NF). A transient Le Con- te’s Sparrow was a good find at Falls L., NC 31 Oct (BBo), while 2 were found in Henry, GA 19 Nov-r (JS, HG). Rarely observed inland, a juv. Nelson’s Sparrow was a nice find in Mur- ray, GA 6-20 Oct QP)- Still increasing in the Region are Lincoln’s Sparrows, exemplified by 1 1 reports this season. A White-throated Spar- row heard singing in Cobb, GA since 4 Jul and finally spotted 1 Aug (WSk) was quite unex- pected. A Lapland Longspur was on Pea I., NC 7 Nov (RD), while 2 were in Halifax, NC 15 Nov (RD). A Summer Tanager was late in Manteo, NC 7-8 Nov QL et al.). A Western Tanager was in Charleston, SC 1 Nov (ph. ND); a male Western at feeders in Forsyth, GA 5 Nov (RT) was perhaps the same individual seen there in Feb 2009. A significant count of 63 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks came from Roan Mt., NC 23 Sep (RK). Dickcissels remained numerous at two breeding stations: 13 on Moss Rd., Gordon, GA 4 Aug QSp) and 10 in Carteret, NC through late Aug QP)- A lone Bobolink was somewhat early in Bartow, GA 22 Aug (KB et al), while 3000 had plenty of company in Carteret, NC 6 Sep (RMc et al). A Yellow-headed Blackbird was at a feeder in Morehead City, NC 8 Sep (ph. JM); 3 were picked out of a line-up of mixed blackbirds at Altamaha W.M.A., GA 11 Oct (PWS, ph. RC, m.ob.); and up to 2 were present in Calhoun, SC 26-29 Nov (ND, AN). Red Crossbills bred on Bald Ridge Knob, NC, where pairs were observed throughout the period, with a high count of 25- 30 ads. and fledglings 30 Aug (MW et al). Pine Siskins began to trickle into the Region Oct+, in stark contrast to the epic inva- sion of last fall. Contributors: David F. Abbott, Clyde Adkins, Sue Aughey Sandy Beasley, Giff Beaton, Betty Be- langer, Michael Bernard, Bill Blakeslee (BBl), Ken Blanken- ship, Brian Bockhahn (BBo), Brenda Brannen (BBr), Roy Brown, John Buckman, Steve Calver, Susan Campbell (SuC), Rachel Cass, Walt Chambers, Ellie Covington, David Cox, Annie Crary, Carol Cunningham, Ricky Davis, Vicki DeLoach, Nathan Dias, Phil Dickinson, Dick & Lois Dole, Tom Driscoll, Maureen Dewire, Nathan Farnau, Jack Fennell QPc), Bill Flatau, Jim Flynn QP!), Wayne Forsythe, Mark Freeman, John Fussell, Hugh Garrett, Paula Gillikin, Jason Giovannone QGi), Gilbert Grant, Johnnie Greene, John Haire, Richard Hall, Robert Holmes (RHo), Tom Howe, Willy Hutcheson, Ali lyoob. Gene Ke- ferl, Tim Keyes, Nathan Klaus, Walter Knapp, Alan Kneidel, Rick Knight, Gene Koziara (GKo), Carol Lambert, Vanessa Lane, Doris & Patrick Leary, David Lenat, Jeff Lewis, Henry & Elizabeth Link, Nan Lloyd, Bill Lotz, Sidney Maddox, Angela Mangiameli, Dwayne Martin, Patty McLean, Michael McCloy Trey McCuen, Ross McGregor (RMc), Joel McNeal, Mark McShane (MMc), Max Medley (MMe), Robert Meehan, Kathy Miller, Charlie Muise, Ann Nolte, Jo O’Keefe, Monroe Pannell, Johnny Parks, Brian Patteson/Brian Patteson, Inc. (BPI), Taylor Piephoff, Jay Ross, John Scavet- to OSc), Wayne Schaffner, Paul Serridge, Jeff Sewell, Wayne Skelton (WSk), Chris Snook, Joshua Spence 0Sp)> Lois Stacey, Paul W. Sykes, Jr. (PWS), Stephen Thomas, Lydia Thompson, Rusty Trump, Dan Vickers, Linda Ward, Anne Waters, Ben Watkins (BWa), John Weinstein, Marilyn Westphal, Gene Wilkin- son, Sean Williams (SWi), Sheila Willis, Brad Winn, Lorene Winter, Bob Zaremba, Stacey Zarpentine. O Ken Blankenship, 3774 Tulip Tree Road Marietta, Georgia 30066, (kenhbiankenship@comcast.net) Josh Southern, 4100-A Reavis Road Raleigh, North Carolina 27606 (joshsouthern79@gmail.com) 60 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS Florida DryTorlvgasNP ■ •Key West Bruce H. Anderson Andy Bankert Compared to recent hurricane seasons, Florida’s fall was rather benign. Au- gust ushered early “cool” fronts into northern regions on the 13th and 23rd, bring- ing with them a few early migrants. In be- tween those fronts, the first of our two tropi- cal storms, Claudette, began as a stalled low- pressure area off the central Gulf coast, then traveled northwesterward, arriving at Pen- sacola on 17 August with 43-knot winds and without any reports of pelagic species. Sep- tember brought mostly southerly winds to the Region, and Neotropical migrants were slow to arrive. On 30 September, a strong front swept across the Gulf, bringing thunder- storms and pushing trans-Gulf migrants into Florida’s peninsula in numbers higher than usual. October began unremarkably, with continuing southerly winds; rainfall amounts and temperatures were near normal until the 16th, when frost and freezing temperatures extended into the northern regions, the result of an early cold front. This system brought some Neotropical migrants into the state and a large movement of hawks through the pan- handle. Then, on 31 October, another strong “cool” front approached from the west, caus- ing a wave of winter visitors to arrive as well as some western vagrants. The second of our tropical storms, Ida, traveled up the middle of the Gulf, making landfall near the Mississip- pi/Alabama border on 10 November with winds of about 43 knots. From there, Ida be- came a tropical depression and turned east- ward, traversing the panhandle, big bend, and northern peninsula, and finally exiting into the Atlantic. Like Claudette, Ida had little ob- served effect on pelagic species. The best finds this season were Neotropic Cormorants, Say’s Phoebe, Tropical and Cassin’s Kingbirds, Green-tailed Towhee, Lark Bunting, and West- ern Meadowlark. Abbreviations/definitions: big bend (the part of Florida between the Apalachicola R. and Jeffer- son)] FLMNH (Florida State Mu- seum of Natural History, Gainesville); Fort Zachary Taylor (Fort Zachary Taylor Historic S.P., Key West, Monroe); L. Apop- ka (L. Apopka Restoration Area, Orange unless otherwise stated); panhandle (that part of Florida from the Apalachicola R. through Escambia); Paynes Prairie (Paynes Prairie Preserve S.P., Alachua); record (only those reports verifiable from photograph, videotape, or specimen ev- idence); report (any observation); S.T.A. (Stormwater Treatment Area); S.T.F (Spray Treatment Fields). WATERFOWL THROUGH HAWKS Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks showed no signs of stopping their expansion, with one at Ft. Walton Beach S.T.F, Okaloosa 19-20 Sep (DW) and 20 at Alligator Lake Park, Lake City, Columbia 1 Oct (BAh). Most Fulvous Whistling-Ducks were reported near L. Okee- chobee at Harney Pond Canal, Glades (33 on 19 Sep; DS) and L. Apopka (730 on 15 Nov; HR), with 10 at T. M. Goodwin W.M.A., Bre- vard 6 Aug (Tye Anderson) and 4 at Myakka River S.R 13 Nov (Mark Crawford). Geese were in low numbers, with 2 Greater White- fronteds at Southwood, Leon 23 Nov+ (m.ob.) and at least 15 Snows statewide, with a high count of 6 at Canaveral N.S., Brevard 6 Nov (DS, MH). Early waterfowl included a Gad- wall at Pelican Island N.W.R., Indian River 17 Oct (AB); a Blue-winged Teal 7 Aug, a North- ern Shoveler 28 Aug, and 2 Ring-necked Ducks at L. Apopka 25 Sep (HR); and 8 Less- er Scaup at Merritt L, Brevard 9 Aug (DF). One Eurasian Wigeon was at Merritt Island N.W.R.14 Nov+ (PH), where the species is al- most annual, whereas one at L. Seminole throughout the season was Pinellas's first (Steve Prevuznak, RoS). Strong northerly winds on the Atlantic were apparently re- sponsible for the southward passage of 1800 Green-winged Teal off Canaveral N.S. 6 Nov (DS, MH). Rare were 2 Common Eiders at Ft. Clinch S.R, Nassau 6 Nov QK)- Two Surf Scot- ers remained at Bald Point S.R, Franklin throughout the summer through 2 Aug QM). and 3 were s. to Boynton Beach Inlet, Palm Beach 1 Nov (BrH). A White-winged, Flori- da’s rarest scoter, visited Opal Beach, Escam- bia 28 Nov (L&RAD). Two Black Scoters were reported on the Gulf s. to at Honeymoon Is- land S.P., Pinellas 13 Nov (DG et al); 2 on the Atlantic were s. to Biscayne Bay, Miami-Dade 25 Nov (RT), while an amazing 120 were as far s. as Boynton Beach Inlet 7 Nov (BrH). Eight Buffleheads in Biscayne Bay 30 Nov (RT) and a Common Goldeneye on the Hali- fax R., Port Orange, Volusia 11 Nov (MBr) were s. of their usual ranges. A Common Loon was early at Caladesi Is- land S.R, Pinellas 1 Aug Oini McGinity). Re- turning to Yamato Scrub Natural Area, Boca Raton, Palm Beach, where a Least Grebe pair made history in 2008 as Florida’s first known breeders, was a loner 15-24 Sep Qohn Shelly, Nathaniel Stuart, m.ob.). Up to 11 American Flamingos were at Everglades N.P., Monroe 28 Sep at their usual Snake Bight haunts (BR). Of the Cory’s Shearwaters reported, one found 69 km off St. Petersburg 24 Oct (Corey Allen et al.) was Pinellas's first, and 1200+ off Volusia 27 Sep (MBr, BW) were noteworthy. Also off Volusia, Brothers and Wallace tallied 75 Greater Shearwaters, 4 Audubon’s Shearwaters, a Masked Booby, and 3 Brown Boobies 27 Sep. Other boobies included 24 Browns at Fowey Rocks Light, Miami-Dade 24 Sep (RT) and singles at the St. Johns County Pier 30 Oct (MH, Andrew Thornton), Canaveral N.S. 21 Oct (MH), and Stump Pass S.R, Charlotte 29 Nov (DGo, Wes Biggs). Two Brown Boobies and one Masked Booby were seen in Okaloosa as Tropical Storm Ida approached the coast 9 Nov (DW), and one Masked was at Cocoa Beach, Brevard 24 Sep (fide Hyta Mederer). Very rare on the Atlantic in the United States, an imm. Red-footed Booby was found at Mi- ami Beach, Miami-Dade late Sep and taken to a rehabilitation facility (fide RT); after its re- lease, the bird continued to return to roost at the site of its release, where it was seen by many. A Northern Gannet at Matanzas Inlet, St. Johns 9 Aug was early (MH et al.). Just two years after the first state record, Florida’s 5th and 6th Neotropic Cormorants were at St. Marks N.W.R., Wakulla 7 Sep+ (CM, m.ob.) and Viera Wetlands, Brevard 30 Nov-3 Dec (Tom Dunkerton, DF, m.ob.). About 200 Great Blue Herons were noted heading s. over Tomoka S.R, Volusia 1 Sep in groups of 3-18 (MW). Birders visiting St. Marks N.W.R. were treated to up to 5 White- faced Ibis 7 Sep-15 Nov (CM, m.ob.), and one at Bartram Farms 11-12 Nov was St. Johns’s first (MH et al.). Notable were high counts of 600 Roseate Spoonbills inland at Duda Farms, Belle Glade, Palm Beach 5 Sep (Br&JH) and 147 n. at Amelia R., Nassau 22 V01UME64(2010).NUMBER1 61 FLORIDA Aug and 19 Sep (PL). A Wood Stork at Ft. Pickens, Gulf Islands N.S., Escambia 4 Nov (L&RAD) was unusual that far west. A Swallow- tailed Kite at L. Okeechobee, Glades 19 Sep was late (DS), as was a Missis- sippi Kite at Boca Chica Key, Monroe 24 Oct (CG). A rare White-tailed Kite at Bailey Tract, Hillsborough 13-16 Aug (DGo et al.) was w. of its breeding range. A Northern Harrier and an American Kestrel at Ft. De Soto Park, Pinellas 15 Aug (Don & Loraine Margeson) were ear- ly, as was a Sharp-shinned Hawk at L. Apop- ka 12-23 Aug (HR). A Harris’s Hawk of un- known provenance was a one-day wonder at Cedar Key, Levy 20 Oct (Dale Henderson); a favorite of falconers, this species has been found in Florida before, but none have been considered to be of wild provenance. Broad- winged Hawks are rare in the cen. peninsula in migration; 2 were at Sebastian Inlet S.P., Brevard 17 Oct+ (AB), with singles at Ft. De Soto Park 22 Oct+ (RoS et al.), Astatula, Lake 1 Nov (ph. PH et al), and Merritt 1. 4 Nov (DF). Single Short-tailed Hawks were n. of their known breeding range in Alachua at San Felasco Hammock Preserve S.P. 11 Aug (Grace Kiltie) and Newnans L. 23 Aug (Philip Simmons et al,). Swainson’s Hawks are regu- lar only in the extreme se. peninsula and the keys, where 13 were reported this season; sin- gles near Green Cove Springs, Clay 17-19 Oct (Lenore McCullagh) and at Gulf Breeze, San- ta Rosa 18 Oct (L&RAD) were unexpected, as were 10 at the Ft. Walton Beach S.T.F 18 Nov (AH et al). A Golden Eagle at Viera Wetlands 27 Nov (MH et al.) was the only report of this rare but almost annual visitor. RAILS THROUGH JAEGERS Heard only were 3 Black Rails at Marsh Restoration Project area, Tomoka S.P 19 Sep (Laura Ostapko, MW) and one at Robinson Preserve, Manatee 17 Oct (Dan Irizarry). Six Limpkins, including 4 imms., at Jacksonville, Duval 5 Aug QoH, DR) were n. of their known breeding range. Without strong easterly winds this season, the only American Golden- Plovers were one near Belle Glade 29-30 Aug (AB et al), 2 near North Key, Levy 1 Oct (P&DL), and one at L. Apopka 8-11 Nov (HR). Rare and local along Florida’s Atlantic coast, a Snowy Plover was found at Nassau Sound, Duval 11 Nov (PL) for the 10th con- secutive year. A high count of 28 Piping Plovers was made at Talbot Island S.P., Duval 20 Sep (Laura Johannsen). A Solitary Sand- piper at Blue Cypress L., Indian River 4 Nov (DS) was late. A Western Willet and 26 Ruddy Turnstones were inland near Belle Glade 5 Sep, as was a Sanderling 29 Aug (AB et al). Upland Sandpipers, Whimbrels, and Long- billed Curlews were all reported in greater numbers than usual. At least 7 Long-billed Curlews were scattered along the Gulf coast, where only 2-3 are reported in most years. A Marbled Godwit at The Villages, Sumter 15 Nov was unusual inland QD)- The highest count of Red Knots along the Gulf coast was 690 at Shell Key, Pinellas 19 Sep (RoS, LS). Only 11 White-rumped Sandpipers visited four locations; 4 at the Ft. Walton Beach S.T.F 9 Nov (DW) were the latest reported. Very few Baird’s Sandpipers have ever been documented in Florida, and of four reports this season, one at Brough Road Sod Farm, St. Johns 3-8 Sep (MH) and another at Ft. Pickens 12 Oct (RAD) were well documented. Up to 4 Pec- toral Sandpipers lingered at Paynes Prairie through 5 Nov (Caleb Gordon et al), as did a Stilt Sandpiper at Ft. Walton Beach S.T.F 24 Nov (RAD). Buff-breasted Sandpipers passed through in average numbers, with a high of 8 at Avon Park, Polk 21-26 Sep (DS et al.). A Ruff reported at Navarre Beach, Santa Rosa 12 Sep was the 2nd for the panhandle (RAD et al), and another on Virginia Key 18-19 Sep (ph. RD) was the 2nd for Miami-Dade. Thir- teen Wilson’s Phalaropes were reported, with one late at S.T.A.5, Hendry 14 Nov (CE). Four Red-necked Phalaropes were off Volusia 27 Sep (MBr, BW), 3 off Sarasota 3 Oct (CF), and a juv. ventured inland to Brown’s Farm Road, Belle Glade 5 Sep (AB et al.). Single Sabine’s Gulls were at Canaveral N.S. 19 Sep (MH), Ponce Inlet, Volusia 22 Oct (ph. MBr), and Virginia Key 5 Nov (RT). Franklin’s Gulls were in higher numbers than usual, with 12 individuals recorded from 10 localities along both coasts; the earliest were 22 Oct at both Ponce Inlet (MBr) and Ft. Lauderdale Beach, Broward (RuT), the latest 27 Nov at Santa Rosa County Landhll (L&RAD). Both black-backed gulls are increasing on the Gulf, with reports of Lesser Black-backeds from sev- en Pinellas locations (m.ob.), including 4 in Collier (Mark Johnston), and one at Boca Grande Key, Monroe (DS) and 6 Great Black- backeds from Escambia to Collier (m.ob.). A pelagic trip off Volusia turned up 15 Bridled, 300 Sooty, 6 Roseate, and 1000 Common Terns, plus a Brown Noddy 27 Sep (MBr, BW). In the Gulf, a Bridled Tern was reported from Siesta Key, Sarasota 12 Nov (V. Ponzo, M. Heinlen), and a Sooty Tern was found mori- bund at Ft. Pickens 20 Sep (L&RAD, *FLMNH). A Gull-billed Tern at St. Augus- tine, St. Johns 25 Nov (MH) was late, as were 3 Black Terns at Tampa Bay, Pinellas 3 Nov (KT, MG). A flock of about 25,000 Common Terns at Anclote Bar, Pasco 10 Oct (KT, B. Pranty) was stunning. Inland in Polk, where they are almost annual, 2 Sandwich Terns were at phosphate mines 23 Aug (L. Timmer, I L. Albright), and one was at L. Alfred 28 Nov jj (L. Timmer). Also inland, an impressive total of 220 Black Skimmers was counted near Belle Glade 13 Sep (Br&JH). Jaegers were not in im- tj pressive numbers this season; high counts '■ were 34 Pomarines off Miami 30 Oct (RuT, TM) and 2 ad. Long-taileds plus 8 Parasitics at Ft. Lauderdale Beach 22 Oct (RT). A imm. i; Long-tailed Jaeger was photographed off Mia- } mi 30 Oct (TM, RT). i DOVES THROUGH WAXWINGS | Single White-winged Doves at Hickory Mount Impoundment, Taylor 27 Oct, Cedar Key 6 Nov, and St. Marks N.W.R. 13 Nov QoH et al.) may have been migrants from the w. population rather than Florida birds. Yel- low-billed Cuckoos, occasionally found into Nov, were noted at St. Marks N.W.R. 2 Nov |! QoH, Lloyd Davis) and Blue Cypress Lake 4 j' Nov (DS). Of 5 Black-billed Cuckoos report- f ed, 3 were found in the hrst half of Oct, ex- f cept singles seen 18 Oct at Paynes Prairie j| (Peter Polshek) and Genius Drive Preserve, Winter Park, Orange (BHA et al.). Rare but I regular in the panhandle, a Groove-billed Ani remained at Ft. Pickens 30 Sep-10 Oct (L&RAD). There were no reports of Smooth- j billed Ani, although the well-known Dania Beach, Broward birds were seen after the sea- son’s end. Casual on the keys, a Barn Owl at Fort Zachary Taylor 12 Nov (CG) was inter- esting. Short-eared Owls, presumably of the Caribbean population, have become almost annual near Everglades N.P., Miami-Dade, where 2 were at Frog Pond W.M.A. 28 Nov (La&PM). One other report of this species came from Viera Wetlands 24 Oct (PM). A Lesser Nighthawk found in a warehouse in Oldsmar 20-23 Nov became the 3rd for j Pinellas, while “up to a dozen” were at their usual Eco Pond, Everglades N.R, Monroe haunt 31 Oct-2 Nov (BR). A late Chimney Swift was near Brooksville, Hernando 22 Oct (Clay Black); a Chaetura swift at Paynes Prairie 17 Nov was not identified to species (JoH). A Buff-bellied Hummingbird was i banded at Niceville, Okaloosa 19 Nov, as was a Black-chinned Hummingbird (Fred Bas- sett). Casual outside the panhandle, a Buff- bellied was photographed at Lutz, Hillsbor- ough 4-5 Oct Qoni Hartzler et al.). Of 8 Se- lasphorus reported throughout the state, a Rufous Hummingbird at Honeymoon Island i S.P. 10-13 Aug (EK et al.) was the earliest. An imm. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Tomoka S.P. 17 Aug (MW) was the earliest ever re- ported in Florida. Single Olive-sided Flycatchers were at Crane Creek, Brevard 10 Sep (AB), Bald Point NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 62 S.P. 17 Sep QM), and Ft. Pickens 23 Sep (L&RAD). Of seven reports of Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, four were documented: singles at Ft. Pickens 21 Aug (L&RAD); at Guana-Tolo- mato-Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, St. Johns 18 Oct (ph. MH, Dianne Reed); and at Wilton Manors, Broward 2 Oct, where the flycatcher was heard calling (RuT), as was the individual at Matheson Hammock Park, Miami-Dade 8-16 Oct (RT, ph. LaM). Alder Flycatcher is annual only in Miami- Dade, where at least 8 were identified by voice (m.ob.). Singles were also identified at Alliga- tor Lake Park 1 Sep QoH el ^1-) ^nd Gulf Stream Estates, Key Largo, Monroe 17 Sep (LaM), and a Willow Flycatcher was banded at Bill Baggs Cape Florida S.P, Miami-Dade 30 Sep (RD). Single Least Flycatchers were not- ed in Leon 4 Oct (R. Lengacher), in Lake 20 Oct (ph. LS), and in Orange at Winter Park 13 Sep and 25 Oct (BHA et al.); one was at L. Apopka 30 Aug, and an amazing 8 were there 25 Oct (HR). A Say’s Phoebe at Astatula 29 Oct (LS et al.) was likely the same one as seen there during the past two winters. A Vermil- ion Flycatcher at the Ft. Walton Beach S.T.F 1 Oct-24 Nov (DW et al.) was surprisingly the only one reported this season. Rare away from L. Apopka, where the earliest was found 30 Oct (HR), Ash-throated Flycatchers were identified at Gulf Breeze 29 Oct, Ft. Pickens 1 Nov (RAD et al), and Bald Point S.P. 29 Nov QM). Unprecedented n. of Miami-Dade/Mon- roe, up to 3 Brown-crested Flycatchers were discovered at West Delray Beach, Palm Beach 29 Nov+ (BrH). Rare were single Tropical/ Couch’s Kingbirds at “Dump Marsh,” Miami- Dade 25 Oct (RT) and at Arcadia, DeSoto 24 Nov (DGo, Eric Haney); equally rare were up to 2 Cassin’s Kingbirds at S.T.A.5 on 17 Oct and 14 Nov-i- (ph. CE et al.). Local along the coasts of the cen. peninsula and big bend. Gray Kingbirds numbering 30 at Cedar Key 20 Aug QoH et al.) and 29 at Honeymoon Is- land S.P. 21 Aug (DG, JW) were likely mi- grants. Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were scat- tered mainly along the Gulf coast, with a maximum of 9 at Key West 25-28 Oct (CG). Bell’s Vireos winter very locally in the se. peninsula, where singles were reported this season in Broward at Woodmont Natural Area 26 Oct Qohn Hutchison, RuT) and West Mi- ramar Environmentally Sensitive Lands site 23 Oct (ph. Ken Schneider), with 2 in Miami- Dade at Southern Glades Wildlife and Envi- ronmental Area 29 Sep (LaM); migrants at Ft. Pickens 24 Aug and 6 Oct (RAD et al.) and Honeymoon Island S.P 1-7 Oct (Gail Deterra, m.ob.) were unexpected. A Yellow-throated Vireo was late at Lori Wilson Park, Brevard 23 Nov (PM et al.), and a Warbling Vireo at A.D. (Doug) Barnes Park, Miami-Dade 3-4 Oct (RT et al.) was rare. Throughout the peninsula, 13 Philadelphia Vireos were found; all but one, at Merritt Island N.W.R. 28 Sep (MH), were in Oct. Tree Swallows are reported almost annu- ally in Aug, and this year was no exception, with one at Holiday, Pasco 20 Aug (DG). Rare, but likely almost anywhere along Florida’s coasts, lone pallida Cave Swallows visited Ft. Pickens 2-4 Nov (AH et al.) and Bald Point 31 Aug (MF), with up to 25 at Ft. Zachary Tay- lor 18-20 Oct (CG); up to 2 inland at L. Apopka 4 Oct-6 Nov (HR) were more unusu- al. A Winter Wren at Gainesville, Alachua 18 Oct (AK) was early. Rarest of the spotted thrushes in Florida, 13 Wood Thrushes were reported in the peninsula this fall, with a high count of 3 at Pelican Island N.W.R. 17 Oct (AB). Two early Cedar Waxwings were s. to Key West 12 Nov (CG). WARBLERS THROUGH FINCHES The strong cold fronts of 30 Sep and 16 & 31 Oct were largely responsible for high num- bers of predominantly trans-Gulf migrants that occurred throughout the state. Twenty- nine Blue-winged Warblers were reported, with a majority in the late Sep and early Oct, and 16 Golden-winged Warblers were detect- ed, with most in the first half of Oct. Hybrids between these species were noted at Paynes Prairie, Alachua 19 Sep (AK) and Worthing- ton Springs, Union 29 Sep QoH, DR). Large numbers of Tennessee Warblers were detected 30 Sep at Captiva I., Lee (100+; VM) and Bill Baggs Cape Florida S.P. (75; RD). Twelve Nashville Warblers were reported, with 5 coming from the se. peninsula. A count of 20 Chestnut-sided Warblers at Captiva 1. 30 Sep (VM) was high, as were counts of 40 Magno- lia Warblers at Paynes Prairie 18 Oct (Michael Meisenburg, Patty Orr) and 70 Black-throated Blue Warblers at Bill Baggs Cape Florida S.P, Miami-Dade 30 Sep (RD). Cape May Warblers lingered into Nov at Melbourne Beach, Bre- vard 1 Nov (2; AB) and New Smyrna Beach, Volusia 2 Nov (one; MBr), as did 2 Black- throated Blue Warblers at Melbourne Beach 1 Nov (AB). An Audubon’s Warbler at Tomoka S.P 13 Nov (MW et al.) was banded; it is one of the few firmly documented in Florida. A Black-throated Gray Warbler at Columbia City, Columbia 12 Oct was also a rare vagrant QK). All of the 30+ Bay-breasted Warblers re- ported were in Oct except for up to 2 at Turkey Creek, Brevard 20-21 Sep (Bill & Shirley Hills), one at Bill Baggs Cape Florida S.P, Miami-Dade 30 Sep (RD), and one at Matheson Hammock Park 2 Nov Qohn Og- den). There were more than 20 Cerulean Warblers reported, with one late at Rothen- FLORIDA bach Park, Sarasota 25 Oct Qeanne Dubi et al.). Six Swainson’s Warblers and 12 Ken- tucky Warblers were reported, with one Swainson’s remaining at Bill Baggs Cape Flori- da S.P. until 26 Oct (RD). Fourteen Wilson’s Warblers were seen, with one early at Pen- sacola, Escambia 24 Aug (Merilu & Rufus Rose). Ten Canada Warblers were detected; one was quite late at St. George Island S.P, Franklin 1 Nov QM, Jim Cavanagh). The pair of Western Spinalis that nested at Long Pine Key, E.N.P, Miami-Dade at the end of summer fledged 3 young by 1 Sep (LaM; this was the first breeding report of this species, indeed of any true tanager, for the United States. A Green-tailed Towhee, the 3rd for Florida, was identified at Ft. Pickens 1 Nov+ (ph. L&RAD). Single Chipping Spar- rows wandered s. of their usual winter range in Florida to Mahogany Hammock, Ever- glades N.P, Miami-Dade 7 Nov OHB) and Ft. Zachary Taylor 28-29 Oct (CG). Twelve Clay- colored Sparrows were reported at 11 sites from the panhandle (Okaloosa; Dave Chaffin) to Everglades N.P (Miami-Dade; BR). A Ves- per Sparrow was s. at Mahogany Hammock 26 Sep (BR). On 31 Aug, single Lark Sparrows were found at Ft. Walton Beach S.T.F (Larry Goodman) and at Bald Point (MF), while one at Ft. Pickens remained 27 Sep+ (Patrick James et al); other singles were at Home- stead, Miami-Dade 5 Sep (RT) and Key West 26 & 28 Oct (CG). For a 2nd consecutive year, a Lark Bunting (this year a male) was a one-day wonder at Alligator Point, Franklin 29 Aug (ph. JM); this was Florida’s 11th and the 4th at this location! Lone Le Conte’s Spar- rows were identified at Tate’s Hell S.F., Franklin 30 Nov QM) and Merritt Island N.W.R. 29 Nov (MH). Rarely encountered in- land, a Nelson’s Sparrow was not totally un- expected at the “celery fields,” Sarasota 19 Oct (CF). A Seaside Sparrow was southerly at Merritt Island N.W.R., Volusia 1 Nov (ph. Danny Bales), as were a Song Sparrow at Boca Chica Key 15 Nov (CG), a Lincoln’s Sparrow at Frog Pond W.M.A. 29 Nov (RT), and a White-crowned Sparrow at Boca Grande Key 29 Oct (Gina Zimmerman). Other Lincoln’s Sparrows were singles at L. Apopka 15 Nov (HR) and Merritt Island N.W.R. 24 Nov (MH). This season’s only Dark-eyed Juncos were 2 at Tallahassee, Leon 29 Nov (Rob Lengacher). A Western Tanager was found at Gaines- ville 4 Oct (AK). Late Blue Grosbeaks paused at Tallahassee 2 Nov (Gail Menk), Pelican Is- land N.W.R. 7 Nov (AB), and Paynes Prairie 20 Nov QoH). Single Lazuli Bunting males were identified at Ft. George 1., Duval 29 Aug (Roger Clark) and at an Oviedo, Seminole VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 63 FLORIDA feeder 12 Nov+ (fide Mary Acken) for a 2nd year. The only Dickcissels reported were in Palm Beach at West Boca Raton 4 Oct (Br&JH) and Monroe, with singles at Coastal Prairie Trail, Everglades N.P. 18 Nov and at Fort Zachary Taylor 28 Oct and 5 Nov (and 2 there 18 Oct; CG). With only hve accepted re- ports for Florida, a Western Meadowlark was identified at Gulf Breeze 14 Nov (p.a., RAD). Yellow-headed Blackbird reports included singles in Pinellas at St. Petersburg 2-6 Oct (D&FM), at Honeymoon Island S.P 7 Oct (RoS et ah), and in Orange at F. Apopka 22 Nov+ (HR). The only Rusty Blackbirds re- ported were 2 at Alligator Fake Park 4 Nov (Patricia Burns). Boat-tailed Grackles appear to be increasing in the panhandle; in Escam- bia, 2 females were at Ft. Pickens 6 Oct-4 Nov (RAD); in Santa Rosa, 20 yellow-eyed males were at Floridatown 20 Nov (RAD); and in Gulf 14 Aug, 3 were at Jetty Park, Port St. joe and one at Mexico Beach (DS). Along the Gulf coast. Shiny Cowbirds were reported at Pensacola 8 Aug (Ann & Dan Forster) and Ben T. Davis Park, Tampa 3 Nov (MG, KT). Surprisingly, there were more Shinys inland, with singles at Gainesville 31 Oct (Bob Si- mons, John Martin), at F. Apopka 21 Aug, and at Homestead, where 14 were noted 18 Aug and 2 on 28 Nov (FaM). Bronzed Cow- birds are resident in Miami-Dade and Broward', this season, singles were n. at Hague, Alachua 18 Oct-6 Nov (Rex Rowan et al.) and at Fees- burg, Lake 15-23 & 25 Sep (ph. FS), 3 were at Ben T. Davis Park 3 Nov (KT, MG), and 14 were at Clewiston, Hendry 5 Nov+ (EK). House Finches have only recently colonized the peninsula, and not much is known about their breeding habits, but it was surprising to find a late nest under construction on Cedar Key 14 Nov (David Johnston). After last win- ter’s invasion of Pine Siskins, only one was re- ported this season, at a feeder in Seminole 28 Nov (Andrew Boyle). Contributors (and members of the Florida Ornithological Society Field Observations Committee, in boldface): Brian Ahern (BAh), Bruce H. Anderson, Andy Bankert, John H. Boyd, Michael Brothers (MBr), Robin Diaz, James Dinsmore, Fucy & Robert A. Duncan, Charlie Ewell, Craig Faanes, Melissa Fore- hand, David Freeland, David Gagne, Murray Gardler, Carl Goodrich, Dave Goodwin (DGo), Matt Hafner, Al & Bev Hansen, Alex Harper, Mitchell Harris, John Hintermister QoH), Brian & Joan Hope (Br63:JH), Paul ■ Hueber, Andy Kratter, John Krummrich, Ed ; Kwater, Patrick Feary, Tarry & Philip Manfre- ■ di (Fa&PM), Phyllis Mansfield, Don & Fo- raine Margeson, Chris Mason, Vince Mc- Grath, Trey Mitchell, John Murphy, Peggy Powell, Bill Pranty, Dottie Robbins, Bryant Roberts, Harry Robinson, David Simpson, Ron Smith (RoS), Feann Streeper, Russ Titus (RuT), Roberto Torres, Ken Tracey, Bob Wal- lace, Don Ware, Jim Wells, Meret Wilson, (1$ Bruce H. Anderson, 2917 Scarlet Road Winter Park, Florida 32792, (scizortail@aol.com) Andy Bankert, 365 Spoonbill Lane Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951, (abankert@fit.edu) VIREO The, Academy of Natural Sciences (215) 299-1069 vireo@ansp.org WWW. ansp . org/vireo 70,000 photos online for lectures & publication Ontario Hudson Bay Winisk Janies Moosonee •Kenora L' Atikokan Thuncfer , Marathon V^#Wawa ’"X L Superior Huron] L Michigan .. Algonquin PP Cornwall Norths ^ I / Bay.'x / / bury “ ^ \Pmy Sound T' > Kingstpry L .'-v • . _^cOmario PaterborouglL-JiS < Torontot^^,,..^^^^ Sarnia'8' Niagara Fa«s Saini Clair mJa Observatory r^-llc^eau PP , . .(Zei. PeteeNP L. trie Margaret J. C. Bain A disappointingly cold, wet summer led to an exceptionally late breeding sea- son across Ontario and hence delayed arrival of fall migrants in many areas. Early fall brought very welcome sunshine and warmer temperatures over much of the province. These above-average temperatures lingered well into November, with no significant strong weather systems to disturb the pleasant conditions. Much of November was excep- tionally green in the extreme southwest of the province, with a wide variety of insects still on the wing. The north of the province had some light snowfall in mid-October, but it did not last. Algonquin Provincial Park reported no snow on the ground and all water open through the end of the period. In the south, the Greater Toronto Area was snow-free throughout October and November for the first time since weather records began in 1847. Water levels in Lake Ontario and the Ottawa River remained somewhat high until late in the season, with most migrant shorebirds seeking suitable feeding areas elsewhere. Following the cool summer, avian botulism claimed fewer victims among ducks, loons, grebes, and cor- morants on the Great Lakes than in the devas- tating fall of 2007. Poor breeding conditions in the eastern Arctic probably explain the fewer than usual reports of migrant Purple Sand- pipers, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Sabine’s Gulls, and jaegers in the south. Mild weather and persistent flying insects allowed aerial foragers such as swifts and swallows to linger unusually late. Especially heartening were the higher numbers of Com- mon Nighthawks reported after several years of marked decline. In contrast to 2008, there was no large movement of winter finches through south- ern Ontario in the fall. Wild food crops throughout central and eastern Ontario were very poor, and in Algonquin Park by the end of the season the forest seemed almost bird- less at times, with American Goldfinch being the only finch present in any numbers. Even in the northwest of the province, where cone crops were better, most winter finches were still scarce by the end of the period. Noteworthy rarities included a young White Ibis, Ontario’s second accepted Long- billed Curlew, Ontario’s first Black-tailed Gull, an Ash- throated Flycatcher, a win- dow-killed Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher (the second for the province after 23 years), a banded provincial-first West- ern Warbling 'Vireo, a very obliging Phainopepla (the sec- ond for Ontario after 35 years), a Black-throated Spar- row, and a one-day Gray- crowned Rosy-Finch. (m.ob.), and one was at Whittaker C.A., Mid- dlesex 16 Oct (DAM, LW); there were 2 in a flooded field at Codrington, Northumberland 27 Oct (SAEP), one at Fish Point, Pelee 1., Es- sex 11 Oct (AGP), and 8 at Binbrook, Hamil- ton 30 Nov (BRH). In e. Ontario, the first Greater Snow Geese were in scattered small flocks 25 Sep (m.ob.), but by 29 Oct, 10,000 had occupied a sod farm in Stoimont, Dundas Abbreviations: A.FI.P. (Andrew Haydon Park, Nepean, Ot- tawa): H.B.M.O. (Holiday Beach Migration Observatory, Holiday Beach, Essex): H.C.H. (Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch, Port Stanley, Elgin): H.S.A. (Hamil- ton Study Area); K.FN. (King- ston Field Naturalists); L.PB.O. (Long Point B.O., Long Pt,, Norfolk): Point Pelee (Point Pelee Birding Area); S.L. (sewage lagoons); T.C.B.O. (Thunder Cape B.O., Thunder Cape, Thunder Bay): V.W.B. (Van Wagners Beach, Hamil- ton). Place names in italics refer to counties, districts, and re- gional municipalities. Southern Ontario and Northern Ontario are divided by latitude 47° N. WATERFOWL Single ad. Greater White-front- ed Geese appeared among flocks of migrating Canada Geese on Wolfe L, Erontenac 16-23 Sep (BRH, RWS), at the St. John Landfill, Thunder Bay 19 Sep (NGE), in the Moodie Dr. quarry pond, Nepean, Ot- tawa 19-21 Sep (RC, LS), and on Conestoga L., Wellington 2 Oct (MVAB); record early and rare for Point Pelee was an ad. at the Tip 2 Oct (MFC, LJN), Ottawa had reports of a further 4 single ads. 12 Oct-11 Nov In autumn 2009, not only was there a good flight of Brant in eastern Ontario, where numbers are expected, but there were more sightings than usual farther west in the province, including this bird on Lake Erie at Port Burwell, Elgin County 27 November 2009. Photograph by Alan Wormington. This out-of-range adult American White Pelican was enjoyed by many birders as it loitered at Oshawa Second Marsh, Durham County, Ontario 25-30 (here 29) Au- gust 2009. Photograph by Bernie Monette. This adult Black-tailed Gull, a sensational first for Ontario, was tantallzingly elu sive after its discovery on Port Burwell beach, Elgin County 28 September 2009 (here). It was seen by a lucky few the next day, then not refound among the thousands of gulls on area beaches until 1 5 November, after which it appeared sporadically through the end of the period. Photograph by Brandon Holden. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 65 ONTARIO One of only a few seen this fall in southern Ontario, this juvenile Western Sand- piper was at Tilbury, Essex County 8-1 1 (here 1 1 ) November 2009. Photograph by Robert Epstein. American Avocets were widely reported in the south of Ontario in autumn 2009, with this elegant bird among six visiting the West Perth Wetlands in Mitchell, Perth County 26-29 (here 27) October 2009. Photograph by Mike Irwin. Few Red Phalaropes were seen in Ontario in autumn 2009, probably due to poor breeding conditions in the Eastern Arctic. This juvenile was at Colchester, Essex County on 3 November 2009. Photograph by Alan Wormington. & Glengarry near Casselman, remaining into Dec (BLM). Single ad. Ross’s Geese were at Kingsville, Essex 26-27 Sep (RPC et al), on Reesor Pond, York 8 Oct (SL), in Ottawa’s Moodie Dr. pond 10 Oct (TFMB), and in Ajax, Durham 15 Oct QES); there were 2 ads. near Navan, Ottawa 12-16 Oct (TAH, RW, m.ob.). AJuv. Ross’s Goose was at the mouth of Lynde Cr., Whitby, Durham 17 Oct (ALA) and 9-19 Nov QDL, m.ob.) and another in the flooded field at Codrington 20 Oct and 21 Nov (SAEP). A Brant lin- gered from summer through 1 Nov in A.H.P (m.ob.), and an- other unseasonable individual visited Presqu’ile PR, North- umberland 22 Aug (GJDP). Eastern Ontario experienced a good Brant flight, with 700 over the city of Ottawa 12 Oct (m.ob.) and 1000 over Amherst I., Lennox & Adding- ton 13 Oct (BMDL). A flock of 51 Brant at Conestoga L. 22 Oct (KGB, JGB) was very un- usual for Wellington, a lone bird at the Point Pelee Tip 24 Oct was rare for the area (AW, RPC, BAM), as were 2 at Fish Pt., Pelee I. 26-31 Oct (AGP et al.), and a flock of 12 at Sheguiandah Bay 26 Oct (CTB) provided the first Mani- toiilin sighting in nine years; a juv. Brant frequented Ox- tongue L., Muskoka 4-15 Nov (BWo, GS). Cackling Geese were widely reported in small numbers, and there were 10 at Country Glen, Markham, York 27 Sep (RBHS, WP), 18 at nearby Reesor Pond 6 Nov (SL), and 13 at Cranberry Marsh, Whitby 11 Nov ODL). Two ad. Trumpeter Swans in wild rice stands on the East Wabigoon R., Kenora had 4 cygnets 23 Sep (AMM, DJMS), and 2 ads. on Lower Steep Rock L., Atikokan, Rainy River had 2 young 22 Oct (DHE, DLy). Deerbrook, Essex hosted 1500 Tundra Swans 4 Nov (AW). The 112 Wood Ducks at Holland Landing S.L., York 26 Sep (WP, RBHS) made a good count. There were 2 male Eurasian Wigeons on the St. Lawrence R. beside the Long Sault Parkway, Stonnont, Dun- das, & Glengarry 30 Sep (KR), with one still there 4 Oct QMB); another was at Constance Creek, Dunrobin, Ottawa 17 Oct (BMDL). Conestoga L. held 700 American Black Ducks 27 Nov-r (KGB, MVAB, JGB). A flock of 15 Northern Pintails on Radiant L. 3 Nov OHS) was the largest observed in Algonquin PR, Nipissing and set a new late date for the park. There were 1300 Green-winged Teal on Gi- rardin Pond, Point Pelee 30 Oct (AW). Photographed in Aug at Hearst S.L., Cochrane (DAS), three Canvasback broods were very unusual for the location. A drake Tufted Duck was off Wolfe 1. 18 Nov (BRH, JP). A female King Eider was at VWB. 13 Nov (BSC), and 2 flew off the Point Pelee Tip 26 Nov (AW). A Harlequin Duck was noted at Thunder Cape 27 Sep QMW), one was at Prince Edward Pt. 8 Nov (K.EN.), another was on the Ottawa R. at the Deschenes Rapids, Ottawa 23 Nov (RJC), and an ad. male frequented Cobourg harbor, Northum- berland 26-29 Nov (CEG, RWEP, m.ob.). A Surf Scoter at VWB. 28 Aug (KAM) was a record-early fall migrant for the H.S.A. A Black Scoter at Laurel Creek C.A., Waterloo 16-22 Oct (KGB) furnished only the 4th record for the region; there were 15+ Black Scoters at Port Erie, Niagara 24 Oct (MLJ, TAS, PBE) and 32 in Sheguiandah Bay 3 Nov (CTB). Two very early Buffleheads appeared at Lake Pond, Point Pelee 18 Sep (STP). Bar- row’s Goldeneye reports included at least 2 males on the Ottawa R. and Rideau R., Ottawa 24 Oct-26 Nov (m.ob.), and one male was at the Stoney Creek lakeshore, Hamilton 21-30 i Nov+ (BSC, m.ob.), with a male Barrow’s Goldeneye x Common Goldeneye hybrid there 10-30 Nov+ (BRH, m.ob.) and 2 hybrids | 30 Nov (BSC). In just three hours on 7 Nov, 54,000 Red-breasted Mergansers flew past the Point Pelee Tip (AW et al.). A Ruddy Duck was n. to Beaver Creek, Minnitaki, Kenora 13 Oct (CDE). LOONS THROUGH RAPTORS I The Ottawa R. off A.H.P held 48 Red-throated Loons 6 Nov (BMDL). An ad. Homed Grebe with one young at Pickerel L., Quetico RP. 14- 16 Aug (RP) provided a very rare breeding record for Rainy River. A late Red-necked Grebe lingered at Conestoga L. 27 Nov+ (KGB). An Eared Grebe frequented Grand Bend S.L., Larnbton through 2 Sep (m.ob.), an ad. was off Rattray Marsh, Peel 8 Nov QU, and singles were at Port Burwell, Elgin 16 Nov (YSA, SAM, AW), and Sturgeon Creek, Essex 23 Nov (AW). An Aechmophorus grebe was in Haviland Bay, Algoma 1 Nov (KWZ). ^ Away from the nw, single American White Pelicans were in Hamilton harbor 2-5 Aug (KAM, m.ob.), in Port Rowan, Norfolk 7-10 Aug (RR, SAM), at Oshawa Second Marsh, Durham 25-30 Aug (m.ob.) and then at Port Credit, Peel 31 Aug (BE), at Dundas Marsh, Hamilton 10-19 Sep and 10 Oct (DKD), at Wildwood L., Oxford 22 Sep-8 Oct (MJN, m.ob.), and at Shrewsbury, Chatham-Kent 16 Oct (TJ); 2 were observed by T.C.B.O. 25 Sep OMW). 66 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS Two Great Egrets at Mac’s Bay 18 Aug (CTB) were unusual for Manitoulin\ there were 60 at the Muddy Creek roost, Essex 29 Aug (AW), while the roost at Luther Marsh, Wellington held 263 birds 31 Aug (DVCW, CF); 17 were at Fort Erie 29 Sep (BW). A juv. Snowy Egret was at Hillman Marsh, Essex 15 Aug (RHH). An ad. Cattle Egret visited a composting facility near Peters Corners, Hamilton 1-4 Aug (DM et al), and another was near Malden Centre, Essex 11 Sep (AW), with singles at Erie Beach, Chatham-Kent 27 Oct QTB) and near Port Royal, Norfolk 5 Nov (RWW, RDC). On 3 Oct, a very photogenic juv. White Ibis visited Whitby harbor (DK, KJ et al). A White Ibis had been discovered 20 Sep in the egret roost at Tonawanda W.M.A., NY, less than 50 km directly across L. Ontario from Whitby, still present there 29 Sep, and com- parison of photographs taken at both loca- tions suggested it was likely the same bird (fide DFS). A juv. White Ibis then flew past Prince Edward Pt. 6 Oct (BER), while on 21 Oct one was again found at Tonawanda (fide DFS); it remains unclear how many birds were involved in these sightings, but one en- ergetic young bird could easily have made the round-trip within this timeframe. An ad. White-faced Ibis was photographed at Nar- rows Lock, Leeds & Grenville 26 Oct QRW); an unidentified Plegadis ibis flew past Deer- brook 8 Oct (AW), and another was at the Blenheim S.L., Chatham-Kent 11 Oct QTB). Single Black Vultures were over the Burling- ton Beachstrip, Halton 3 Aug (BSC), over Port Burwell 22 Aug (AA), over Turkey Pt. Marsh, Norfolk 31 Aug (probably the same bird; GGB), over Soup Harbour, Prince Edward 13 Sep (TH), and at Turkey Pt. 29 Sep OBF). Turkey Vulture numbers continued their steady rise, with a record-high season total of 43,841 at H.B.M.O. Bald Eagles were in good numbers: the 168 at H.B.M.O. was their 2nd highest season total ever. The fall’s 942 Coop- er’s Hawks became the 4th highest season to- tal for H.B.M.O. An unprecedented one-day total of 32 Northern Goshawks over Port Hope 14 Oct (REF) completely eclipsed Northumberland’s previous high (6). The 1096 Red-shouldered Hawks was the highest season total for H.B.M.O. in 15 years QEB et al.); an ad. Red-shouldered at Hawkesville, Waterloo 22 Nov QGB) returned for its 7th consecutive winter at this location. A light-morph juv. Swainson’s Hawk soared with Turkey Vultures over Holiday Beach 13 Oct QEB), and an in- termediate-morph juv. was at Thunder Bay 28 Sep (SJF et al.). An ad. Golden Eagle was record early and unexpected 19 Sep at H.C.H., where the season total was 158, bested only by ONTARIO 220 in 2008, with a high count of 29 on 6 Nov. A notable 122 Merlins at H.B.M.O. tied 2006’s record-high total. A juv. Pere- grine Falcon at Fort Erie 21 Nov (PBE, MLJ, TAS) had been banded in downtown Toronto 2Jun 2009. RAILS THROUGH SHOREBIRDS A juv. Purple Gallinule was picked up dead after hitting a park store window at Craiglei- th PR, Grey 14 Oct (RDa; *Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, fide MKP). Common Moorhens bred successfully at Smithville S.L., Niagara for the first time since 1993, with 2 ads. and 6 downy young there 6 Aug (KAM, JMP, BW). The 115 American Coots in Lower Steep Rock L. 8 Oct (DHE) were an excellent fall count for Rainy River. Providing the first two con- firmed breeding records of Sandhill Cranes in Algonquin PR were 2 ads. and 2 young at Hailstorm Creek 31 Aug QH, SR) and 2 ads. and 2 young on White Trout L. 10 Sep (RGT, DCT, LAT, KF). On Manitoulin 1., staging cranes arrived slightly earlier than usual, with the peak count 5208 on 8 Oct and the last 3 on 9 Nov (fide CTB). Ottawa had record-high counts of Sandhill Cranes 25 Oct-22 Nov (m.ob.), with the peak 90-100 birds, mostly ads., near Navan 14 Nov (RAB, RJC, CAL). Port Royal, Norfolk saw 250 cranes 27 Nov (AW, KRO et al). Sixty American Golden-Plovers flew offshore at Lighthouse Pt., Chatham-Kent 6 Sep (AW). A pair of Piping Plovers discovered at Carter Bay, Manitoulin I. mid-Jul had 4 chicks flying well 9 Aug (fide BT); by mid-Aug, the ad. male had left, but the 4 fledglings remained through 19 Aug, with one still there 26 Aug (CTB). In early Aug, 7 Piping Plovers had fledged from three nests at Sauble Beach, Bruce (BT). A juv. Piping Plover was at the Point Pelee Tip 27 Sep (RM et al.). American Avocets were widely reported, with 10 breeding-plumaged birds at Columbia L. 18 Aug (MEM) providing only the 2nd record for Waterloo. An ad. female frequented the Durham shore- line from Whitby harbor to Duffin’s Creek, An injured female Barn Owl at Fifty Point Conservation Area, Hamilton/Niagara County, Ontario 8-13 (here 1 3) November 2009 was taken to a rehabilitation cen- ter. Photograph by Frank and Sandra Horvath. This Western Kingbird sallied from roadside wires at Port Burwell, Norfolk County, Ontario 13-16 (here 14) November 2009. Photo- graph by Mike Irwin. Ontario's eighth Ash-throated Flycatcher was this photogenic bird at the Tip of Point Pelee National Park on 6 November 2009. Photograph by Alan Wormington. Ajax 22 Aug-6 Sep (RRP, m.ob.); on 6 Sep, it hit an overhead wire, dropped into the water but recovered and flew off, photographs VOLUME 64 (2010) NUMBER 1 67 ONTARIO This handsome adult Black-throated Sparrow at Port Burwell, Elgin County, On- tario 29-31 (here 29) August 2009 was the second for Ontario but the first for the south of the province; the only previous record was at Silver Islet, Thunder Bay District 2-3 October 1992. Photograph by Alan Wormington. At Moonbeam in Ontario's Cochrane District, this Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch was a one-day sensation when it visited feeders 20 November 2009. Photograph by Ken Reed. showing some blood around the bill, and it was not seen again. Holiday Beach was visited by 2 avocets 11 Oct (GTH, JEB, RCP), and one lingered there 14-18 Oct OEB); Kettle Pt., Lambton had 6 on 24 Oct (PAR et al.) and one 29 Oct-1 Nov (AHR). Nine American Avocets flew in to Oshawa Second Marsh 25 Oct (DK), with 8 remaining through 3 Nov (m.ob.), and the West Perth Wetlands in Mitchell, Perth hosted 6 on 26-29 Oct (ST). There was a juv. Willet at Seacliff Beach, Essex 15 Aug (WGL, KAM). An amazing Long- billed Curlew was seen by a lucky few as it flew along YWB. 23 Aug (RZD, BNC, CEE); there is one previous accepted record for On- tario, though there are believed to be histori- cal records from the nineteenth century. Sin- gle Hudsonian Godwits were reported from several locations, with 2 at Tilbury, Essex 1-10 Oct (RPC et al). The juv. Marbled Godwit at Shirley’s Bay, Ottawa 17 Sep-10 Oct (RAB, RJC, CAL, m.ob.) provided Ottawa's first fall record; another was at Sturgeon Creek 7-21 Oct (AW et al). An ad. Western Sandpiper was at the Mitchell S.L., Perth TJ Aug (KGB); singles were also at the West Perth Wetlands 3 Sep (ST) and the Ravenshoe Road flood- lands, York 6 Sep (KRS), with juvs. at Kingston 6 Sep (RDW) and Tilbury 8-11 Sep (KAM et al). Single juv. Baird’s Sand- pipers were late at Townsend S.L., Haldimand 1 Nov 0V)> Dundas Marsh 2 Nov (RZD, CEE), and Point Pelee Tip 6 Nov (AW, KAM). Blenheim S.L. held a male Ruff 2-3 Aug (KGB, BRH). A strong flight of Long-billed Dowitchers in- cluded a season total 30 at Kingston 13-21 Sep (K.EN.). Locally high counts of Red- necked Phalaropes included a flock of 15 on L. Ontario, seen from a boat off Stoney Creek 3 Sep (BRH, BSC, KAM), and 6 at West Bay S.L., ManitouUn 6 Sep (CTB). Single Red Phalaropes were at Point Pelee 2- 3 Oct (DJM, m.ob.). Tilbury 3- 5 Oct (m.ob.), Colchester, Essex 3 Nov (AW), and the Tip of Long Point 5 Nov (ALB, RWW RDC). GULLS THROUGH OWLS In total, 15 Black-legged Kitti- wakes were seen at VW.B. 2-15 Sep (RZD et al); a juv. was at Kettle Pt. 15 Sep (KGB, MVAB) and an ad. on the Ottawa R. off A.H.R 28 Nov (MAG). The Sabine’s Gull total at VW.B. was 21 birds 28 Aug-26 Oct (RZD et al); on 2 Sep, birders in a Zodiac were able to approach 2 ads. and 3 juvs. on L. Ontario (BSC, BRH, KGB) and even fed several! A juv. Sabine’s Gull landed briefly at the Long Point Tip 27 Oct (ALB). A Black-headed Gull appeared at Niag- ara Falls 17 Nov (WCDA, BP), seen again there 24 Nov (BC). Point Pelee had 6 single Little Gulls 2 Aug-31 Oct (AW et al), an imm. was on the Ottawa R. at Deschenes Rapids 2 Sep (RD), and 5 were on the Niagara R. 31 Oct (WCDA, BP); there were 29 in Prince Edward. 19 at East Lake, and 10 at West Lake 26 Nov (TH), plus 2 at Port Stanley, Elgin 27 Nov (m.ob.), A juv. Laughing Gull visited the Burlington Beachstrip 11 Aug (DM), one was at Breakwater, Long Point 7 Sep (ALB), and a first-cycle bird was at Turkey Pt. 26 Sep (MVAB, KGB, JGB). Seacliff Beach had an ad, Franklin’s Gull 2 Oct (AW), and 2 first-cycle birds were at Wheatley Harbour 10 Oct (CAC). Ontario’s first Black-tailed Gull, a ba- sic-plumaged ad., was an immediate sensation when discovered and photographed on the beach at Port Burwell PR, Elgin 28 Sep (BRH), but it proved elusive to many: a few saw the gull 28-29 Sep, but subsequently there was much fruitless searching among the tens of thousands of gulls along the L. Erie beaches. It was refound 15 Nov (GVR), then seen inter- mittently through the end of the period, often following fishing boats into the harbors at Port ; Burwell and nearby Port Stanley. An ad. Mew I Gull, reported as the larger, darker-mantled ' subspecies kamtschatschensis. was with Ring- billed Gulls in a field near Dracon, Wellington 19 Nov (BRH, JP). California Gulls included | an ad. at Breakwater, Long Point 7 Sep (ALB) and a third-cycle bird on the Niagara R. 17-30 Nov+ (WCDA, BP et al.). Lesser Black-backed Gulls included one n. to Sault Ste. Marie, Aigo- ma 14-30 Nov+ (KWZ), where it is still less than annual; 16 Lesser Black-backeds of vari- ous ages were in Nepean 20 Oct (BMDL), 6 ads. including one darker-mantled intermedins at Port Stanley 16 Nov (AW), and 8+ at Niaga- ra Falls 29 Nov (RGT, Jl). Rare in Ottawa, 2 Caspian Terns were on River Rd. 6 Aug (LS, RJC, RAB); single birds flew close to shore at Thunder Cape 20 & 30 Aug QMW, MEW, SJC); and one at Kingsville 3 Nov was late (AW). Lake Pond, Point Pelee hosted a welcome 600 Black Terns 17 Aug (AW, WGL, KAM). The Port Burwell beaches held up to 5000 Common Terns 27 Aug (AA), whereas 3 Commons at Ragged L. 9 Sep (EH) were rare and late for Algonquin PR It was a poor fall for jaeger sightings. At VW.B., only 4 Pomarine Jaegers were seen 6 Sep-23 Oct j (RZD et al). Parasitic Jaegers totaled 49 from | 28 Aug-23 Oct, with a peak of 35 on 6 Sep I (RZD, BSC et al), and Long-tailed Jaegers ' were represented by a juv. 27 Aug (RZD et al.) ' and 3 ads. and 2 juvs. 28 Aug (BRH, RZD et , al); another 19 jaegers were unidentified to | species 27 Aug-26 Oct (RZD, m.ob.). Other- i wise, only a few scattered singles were report- ed across the province, including an ad, Para- i side Jaeger at Thunder Cape 10 Aug QMW) ' and a juv. there 27 Sep (SHL). |1 Thunder Bay’s 2nd Eurasian Collared-Dove j was found and photographed in Devon Twp. j 6 Sep (TV, MV, ERA). An imm. Yellow-billed Cuckoo was at T.C.B.O, 2-13 Aug (JMW, I MEW, MAJ); one at Confederation Park 22 Nov (PG) was record late for H.S.A. A female l Barn Owl at Fifty Point C.A., Hatnilton/Nia- ' gara 8-13 Nov QT et al.) was found injured j and taken to the Owl Foundation in Vineland, i There was a minor invasion of Northern Hawk Owls in Thunder Bay, with at least 13 | seen 1 Oct-27 Nov (fide NGE); nearby ne. Minnesota experienced a similar influx be- ^ tween the Ontario border and Duluth. NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS ^1 i: la 68 ONTARIO Presqu’ile RE held an unusual concentration of Barred Owls during Oct-Nov, with at least 10 birds, some perched at the roadsides and hence well photographed (m.ob.); 2 were found dead on the beach, likely depredated. At Hilliardton Marsh, Timiskaming, a record 68 Boreal Owls were banded (BDM), but there was a light passage of Northern Saw- whet Owls, with 444 banded there (BDM) and only 520 at Prince Edward Ft. (DO). GOATSUCKERS THROUGH PHAINOPEPLA There was an encouraging flight of Common Nighthawks in many areas, with a one-day peak count of 1000+ near Kingston 22 Aug (TN); 83 were over Little Current, Manitoulin 2 Aug (CTB), Cobourg had 100+ near the lakeshore 23 Aug (CEG, MJCB et al), and 46 congregated near the Thames R., London, Middlesex 2 Sep QMG)- Several nighthawks lingered well into Oct, with very late singles at Holiday Beach 29 Oct QEB, OK) and the Cranberry Marsh Raptor Watch, Whitby 2 Nov (fide JDL). Chimney Swifts also had one of their best, and most delayed, fall move- ments in recent years; 30 swifts were in view at once at Holiday Beach 26 Oct QEB), but only 2 the next day, and a very late bird flew over Point Pelee 3 Nov (KAM). For the 8th consecutive year, a pair of Red-headed Wood- peckers bred successfully at Constance Bay, Ottawa, seen with 2 juvs. 3 Sep (BMDL); a season total of 17 migrating individuals at Holiday Beach was above average for recent years (]EB et al.). A male American Three- toed Woodpecker at the Algonquin Logging Museum 9 Aug (TD et al.) was very unusual for this date. An imm. Ash-throated Flycatcher at the Tip 6 Nov (HTON et al.) was only the 2nd for Point Pelee; the first was in Nov 1962. Record late for the Rondeau Birding Area, a Great Crested Flycatcher was photographed 1 1 Oct in Rondeau P.P., Chatham-Kent (PAW). An imm. Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, 2nd for the province, hit a residential window in Oakville, Halton 6 Nov (AF; *Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, fide MKP). A Western Kingbird was at Thunder Cape 15 Sep QMW) and another at Pt. Petre, Prince Edward 14-24 Sep (NB, m.ob.), with another at nearby Con- secon 24-25 Sep (TH, m.ob.). A Western Kingbird sallied from roadside hydro wires near the hamlet of Houghton Centre, Norfolk 29 Sep-8 Oct 0RA> DLP, m.ob.), and perhaps the same bird was at nearby Port Burwell 13- 16 Nov (AE, m.ob.). The sunset roost of East- ern Kingbirds at Hillman Marsh numbered 400 birds 23 Aug (AW). A young banded Loggerhead Shrike, re- leased on the Carden Alvar 2 Sep, feasted on grasshoppers at Houghton Centre 8-10 Oct (JS, m.ob.). An imm. Warbling Vireo of the swainsonii subspecies (Western Warbling Vireo) was banded at the Tip of Long Point 2 Nov (L.P.B.O.), a provincial first. The Blue Jay flight started early, with 900 birds over Holiday Beach 12 Sep OEB); Blue Jays be- came the most numerous passerine migrants there, with an estimated 946,000+ passing the Hawk Tower 12 Sep-27 Oct (H.B.M.O.) and impressive single-day counts of 158,300 on 1 Oct OEB) and 152,750 on 5 Oct OP)- This large exodus was a response to poor acorn, beechnut, and hazelnut crops across the province. An estimated 218,200 Ameri- can Crows passed the Hawk Tower 13 Oct-17 Nov (H.B.M.O.). Common Ravens continue to expand through Ontario, with one s. to Old Cut and the Tip of Long Point 17 Oct (L.EB.O.). The 253 Northern Rough-winged Swallows at Point Pelee 24 Oct (AW, RPC, BAM) pro- vided an exceptional count for the late date; a very late bird flew past the Holiday Beach Hawk Tower 19 Nov QEB). Small numbers of Cave Swallows moved along the n. shore of L. Erie and L. Ontario, with 4 at Bronte harbor, Halton 14 Nov (GWP), 2 spied from an office window at Burlington Beachstrip 17 Nov (RZD, JB), and 2 at Winona, Hamilton 20 Nov (KAM); there were 3 at the Tip of Point Pelee 16-17 Nov (SER et al), and one flew past Thickson’s Woods, Whitby 21 Nov (GC). Small numbers of Tufted Titmice were found in new locations, including one banded at the Long Point Tip Aug 22 (L.EB.O) and 2 other birds in the area 26 Oct (L.EB.O.), one at In- gleside, Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry 29-30 Oct (HvdZ), 3 separate birds near Kingston 8- 12 Nov (m.ob.), and several visiting feeders in London through Nov (PAR). A Carolina Wren was n. to Bracebridge, Muskoka 6-30 Nov+ (BLT et al.). A Sedge Wren at West Rose L. 4- 7 Sep (RGT et al.) was the first fall record for Algonquin P.E A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was rare for Ottawa at the Brittania C.A. 22 Aug (BMDL, RJC, JMT). The Gray-cheeked Thrush at Rondeau P.P. 24 Aug (BAM) was a locally record-early fall migrant. A Swainson’s Thrush lingered at Aldershot, Halton 16-19 Nov (RW et al.). Brittania C.A. held a Varied Thrush 19 Oct (RW). Small flocks of Bohemi- an Waxwings appeared here and there but did not stay long. The star of the season was the imm. male Phainopepla in a Brampton, Peel subdivision, Ontario’s 2nd — the first was in 1975. It fed on berry bushes in small front yards from 9 Nov into Dec (DBo, m.ob.), viewed and photographed by hundreds of or- derly birders. WARBLERS THROUGH FIHCHES Hundreds and hundreds of warblers, of at least 21 species, streamed westward low over the beach at Holiday Beach 24 Sep (RJM). A fallout of migrants in Rondeau P.P. 11 Oct in- cluded 30 Orange-crowned Warblers 0TB, BAM), and 27 were tallied at Point Pelee the following day (AW); a late, bright bird at Presqu’ile EP. 4 Nov appeared to be of the lutescens subspecies (CEG, JEG). An ad. male Black-throated Gray Warbler was in Ron- deau P.P. 10 Oct (BAM), the 2nd record there in less than a year, and an imm. male was at Port Ryerse, Norfolk 11-12 Oct (SW, CW, m.ob.), providing a first record for the Long Point area. Fish Pt., Pelee I. held a Yellow- throated Warbler 5 Oct (SO, ACP, JF). Single Yellow Palm Warblers were at the Point Pelee Tip 12 Oct (AW), at Rondeau P.P. 18 Oct (BAM), and at Presqu’ile P.P. 17 Nov (MJCB). Several warbler species lingered late in the clement conditions, including a Tennessee Warbler at Holiday Beach 11 Nov QEB) and single Blackpoll Warblers at Lynde Shores C.A., Whitby 4 Nov (AGC) and Dick Bell Park, Ottawa 7-16 Nov OHS. m.ob.). The male Prothonotary Warbler at Rondeau P.P. 10 Oct (BAM) was record late for Rondeau. A Worm-eating Warbler was a good find in Stratford, Perth 1 Sep (KAC). The Yellow- breasted Chat at Prince Edward Pt. 16 Oct (DO) was record late for the area. An imm. male Summer Tanager was band- ed at Breakwater 7 Sep (L.EB.O. ), an ad. male was near Stratton, Rainy River 22 Oct (LBV, JDV), a female-type was at Terrace Bay, Thun- der Bay 7 Nov (PJD), and an ad. female at Prince Edward Pt. 8 Nov (K.EN.). An ad. male Western Tanager was at Val Therese, Sudbury 11-22 Nov (VMK, m.ob.). An East- ern Towhee visited feeders in Manitouwadge, Thunder Bay 17-19 Nov (MS, m.ob.). Two Clay-colored Sparrows photographed at the Old Airfield 10 Oct (LF) were record late for Algonquin P.P. by a month. A Lark Sparrow was at Balsam L., Killarney P.P 18 Aug (PSB, EB, CDJ), and an imm. frequented VW.B. 18- 21 Oct (RZD, CEE, m.ob.). A handsome ad. Black-throated Sparrow was enjoyed by many at Port Burwell 29-31 Aug (AA, m.ob.), a 2nd record for Ontario but a first for South- ern Ontario. Fox Sparrows were in good numbers, with high counts of 31 at Atikokan 9 Oct (DHE), 35 at Prince Edward Pt. 13 Oct (BMDL), and 24 at Brookbanks Ravine, Toronto 25 Oct (RJP). A Harris’s Sparrow at Windsor, Essex 18 Nov (DMN) was the only one reported in the south. An Oregon Junco was photographed at a Minnitaki Feeder 12 Oct (CDE), and a male was banded at T.C.B.O. 19 Oct (SJC, m.ob.). VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 69 ONTARIO A male Rose-breasted Grosbeak with an in- jured wing stayed close to a feeder at Presqu’ile P.P. 13-30 Nov-i- (DB, m.ob.), and another was at a Burlington feeder 15-28 Nov (DRD). An ad. male Dickcissel was at Hillman Marsh 12 Aug (BMO), single imm. males were at Pt. Petre 14 Sep (BRH) and 6 Oct (BRH, JP), one was at the Tip of Long Point 30 Sep-2 Oct (L.P.B.O.), one flew past the Cranberry Marsh Hawkwatch 17 Oct (ALA), and another flew over the Holiday Beach Hawk Tower 26 Oct OEB). A subad. male Yel- low-headed Blackbird was at the base of Long Point 25 Sep (RR). Single Brewer’s Blackbirds were on Manitoulin I. 23 Aug (CTB) and at Blenheim 18 Oct QTB). A male Baltimore Ori- ole visited a feeder in Markham, York 23-30 Nov (BH). A Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch was a one- day wonder at a feeder in Moonbeam, Cochrane 20 Nov (CD, ph. KGR). A few Red Crossbills were reported from scattered loca- tions, but in Southern Ontario, there were no reports of White-winged Crossbill at all. The only report of a sizeable number of Common Redpolls was 200 in old-growth pine near Ea- gle L., Kenora 15 Nov (AMM, DJMS). Pine Grosbeaks, Pine Siskins, and Evening Gros- beaks were very scarce. The only finches pres- ent in any numbers were American Goldfinches, with a protracted early Sep-late Nov migration bringing 61,950+ over Holiday Beach; among several large flights was a one- day count of 5330 on 8 Oct QEB). Subregional editors (boldface) and cited ob- servers: Alfred L. Adamo, Jody R. Allair, Aaron Allensen, Edward R. Armstrong, Yousif S. Attia, Margaret]. C. Bain, Avery L. Bartels, Gregor G. Beck, Tony E M. Beck, Chris T. Bell, Dian Bogie (DBo), Peter BonEnfant, Jacques M. Bouvier, Robert A. Bracken, David Bree , Norma Broadbear, Jacob Bruxer, Jim T. Burk, Evan Burke, Peter S. Burke, James G. Burrell, Ken G. Burrell, Mike V. A. Burrell, Brad Carlson, Stacey J. Carnahan, A. Geoffrey Carpentier, Richard P. Carr, Robert]. Cermak, Barbara N. Charlton, Cherise A. Charron, Barry S. Cherriere, Mark E. Chojnacki, Ken- neth A. Clarke, Glenn Coady, Richard Collins, Richard D. Cope, Willy C. D’Anna, Rov Davies (RDa), Connie Deblette, Paul]. Den- nis, Bruce M. Di Labio, Rob Z. Dobos, David K. Donn, David R. Don, Rodolpe Dubois, Tay- lor Dungate, Carolle D. Eady, Justin Eby- Bosler, Cheryl E. Edgecombe, David H. Elder, Nicholas G. Escott, Andy Eveland, Susan J. Fagan, Janet Fairclough, Karla Falk, Anthony Ferrante, Bruce Ferry, Rob Foster, Lev Frid, Christian Friis, Roger E. Frost,]. Brett Fried, Mark A. Gawn, Clive E. Goodwin, Joy E. Goodwin, Peter Granka, Thomas A. Hanra- han, G. Tom Hince, Tyler Hoar, Brandon R. Holden, Randy H. Holland, Bill Hosking, Ethan Huner, Jean Iron, Marcia L. Jacklin, Anita M. Jacobsen, Karl Jennewein, Mike A. Jervios, Colin D. Jones, Timothy Joyce, Dan Kaczynski, Valerie M. Kirwan, Olga Klekner, Silvan H. Laan, John Lamey, William G. Lam- ond, Denis Lepage, Christina A. Lewis, J. Doug Lockrey, Stan Long, David Lyons (DLy), Stuart A. Mackenzie, Ross Mackintosh, Blake A. Mann, Doug Mannen, Dave A. Martin, An- gela M. Massey, R. James McCoy, Jason McGuire, Kevin A. McLaughlin, David Mc- Norton, David J. Milsom, Brian L. Morin, Marion E. Muirhead, Bruce D. Murphy, Todd Norris, Michael J. Nelson, Linda J. Nuttall, David Okines, Henrietta T. O’Neill, Sumiko Onishi, Ontbirds (Listserve of the Ontario Field Ornithologists), Brad M. Ouellette, Karl R. Overman, Jim M. Pawlicki, Mark K. Peck, Sarah A. E. Petrasek, Robert C. Pettit, Gerard J. D. Phillips, Stephen T. Pike, Adam C. Pinch, Ron]. Pittaway, John Pleizier, Winnie Poon, Richard W. F. Pope, Betsy Potter, George W. Prieksaitis, Rayfield R. Pye, Peter A. Read, Kenneth G. Reed, Sean Rice, Alf H. Rider, Ron Ridout, Maureen Riggs, Garth V Riley, Bruce E. Ripley, Ken Robinson, Sarah E. Rupert, Darlene j. M. Salter, Maggie Schut, Tim A. Sebum, Gary Schultz, Kevin R. Shack- leton, Langis Sirois, Jim E. Skene, Jeff H. Skevington, Roy B. H. Smith, R. Terry Sprague, Robert W. Stamp, Joe Stephenson, David E Suggs, Donald A. Sutherland, J. Michael Tate, Barbara L. Taylor, Jim Thom- son, Steve Thorpe, Brendan Toews, Doug C. Tozer, Laura A. Tozer, Ronald G. Tozer, Mar- ion Vaillant, Ted Vaillant, Josh Vandermeulen, i Justin D. Vos, Lisa B. Vos, Richard Waters, Bill Watson, Ronald D. Weir, D.V Chip Weseloh, Jeff R. Wimperis, Linda Wladarski, Chauncey Wood, Ross W. Wood, Sarah Wood, John M. Woodcock, Maureen E. Woodcock, Barb Woodfield (BWo), P. Allen Woodliffe, Alan Wormington, Kirk W. Zufelt, Hans van der Zweep. @ Margaret J. C. Bain, 21 9 Albert Street Cobourg, Ontario K9A2R6, (mjcbain@sympatico.ca) Eastern Highlands & Upper Ohio River Valley Victor W. Fazio, III RickWiltraut We rarely report on breeding activity during the fall season, yet late nest- ings were the order of the day throughout the Region, perhaps a conse- 70 quence of the very cool summer. Both non- passerines, such as Ruby-throated Humming- bird, and passerines, such as Barn Swallow, were involved. Migration was generally a mixed bag for most groups, whether shore- birds or raptors or waterfowl. Probably a re- sult of the relatively warm autumn tempera- tures, much of the waterfowl and crane flight was delayed into the winter period. American Avocets made a big move eastward, and Red Phalaropes continued a multi-year trend of good numbers. Despite sizeable concentra- tions of the more common sandpipers, the un- common peep species were scarce this season. Late and lingering songbirds were many. Bird- ers were kept busy with a good number of va- grants, highlighted by long-awaited first state records of Allen’s Hummingbird for both Ohio and Pennsylvania. And will we ever tire of the increasing numbers of White Ibis? It is wi.th great sadness that we note the passing of veteran Pennsylvania birder John C. Miller at age 72 on August 11, 2009. John birded Tinicum Marsh in Philadelphia, now the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, from the time he was a boy. Doris McGovern writes: “His birding skills were unique, and his knowledge of the area cannot be duplicated.” Abbreviations: Berlin L. (in Stark/Portage/ Mahoning, OH); B.S.B.O. (Black Swamp B.O.); Buck Creek (Buck Creek S.P., Clark, OH); Byrd Dam (Robert C. Byrd Lock & Dam, Ma- son, WV); Caesar Creek (Caesar Creek S.R, NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EASTERN HIGHLANDS & UPPER OHIO RIVER VALLEY fl juvenile Brant spent a few weeks in November (here 8 November) 2009 at Conneaut Lake, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, where it was seen and photographed by many. Photograph by Geoff Maksh. Rare in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and probably only the fourth for the county ever, this first-winter male Black Scoter spent a week at Dashields Dam, 20-28 (here 20) November 2009. Photograph by Geoff Malosh. WarrenIGreene, OH); Conneaut (Conneaut Harbor, Ashtabula, OH); Deer Creek (Deer Creek W.M.A. and Deer Creek S.P., Fayette/Pickaway, OH); Funk Bottoms (Funk Bottoms WM.A., Ashland/Wayne OH); Green Bottom (Green Bottom W.M.A., Cabell, WV); H.M.S. (Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Schuylkill/Berks, PA); Headlands (Headlands Beach S.P., Headlands State Nature Preserve, and Mentor Marsh/Lagoons, Lake, OH); Hoover (Hoover Res., Delaware and Franklin, OH); J.H.N.W.R. Qohn Heinz N.W.R., Philadelphia/Delaware, PA); M.C.W.M. (Mid- dle Creek W.M.A. , Lancaster/Lebanon, PA); M.H. (Militia Hill hawkwatch, Montgomery, PA); Ottawa (Ottawa N.W.R., Lucas/Ottawa, OH); Pickerington Ponds (Pickerington Ponds, Franklin/Faitfield, OH); Presque Isle (Presque Isle S.E, Erie, PA); S.R.C.E (Suseque- hanna R. at Conejohela Flats, Lancaster, PA). WATERFOWL THROUGH STORK A weak fall flight of Greater White-fronted Goose included a flock of 16 at Mercer W.M.A., Mercer, OH 20 Oct (LG). A Snow Goose at Pickerington Ponds 13 Oct (B. Sparks) was followed by a Ross’s Goose there 16 Oct (DSr) for an early fall record from cen. Ohio; likely the same bird was present there 25 Oct (BWr). A Ross’s Goose at Shenango Res., Mercer, PA 29 Nov was unusual for nw. Pennsylvania (MV). A flock of 5 Cackling Geese were seen at Alpine L., Preston, WV 27 Oct (D. Courtney); one was at Green Bottom 22 Nov (GR). An early flock of 5 Cackling Geese was noted 6 Oct at Conneaut (CH). Conneaut also hosted an early Brant 23 Sep-5 Oct (CH, S. Landes, m.ob.). This was a pre- lude to the passage of flocks of 8 on 17 Oct and 4 on 18 Oct through Lake, OH (JP). One made it to the Hannibal Locks, Wetzel, WV 17-21 Nov (W. Jarrell, MG, DP). Nice counts of Brant in Pennsylvania included 52 at Beltzville L., Carbon 24 Oct (DW), 80 at Har- vey’s L, Luzerne 28 Oct (KR), 105 at Penn Warner Tract, Bucks 1 Nov (DF), and 60 in Berks 3 Nov (K. Grim). The Tundra Swan flight was nicely documented over the West Virginia highlands, where 248 were on Cheat L., Monongalia 28 Nov (TB), 169 over the Canaan Valley, Tucker 11 Nov (C. Rucker), 150 on Sand Run L., Tucker 23 Nov (M. Crockett), and 140 over Laurel Mt., Barbour 16 Nov (D. Mitchell). Up to 723 Tundra Swans were at Greenlick Run L., Fayette, PA 30 Nov (M. Fialkovich). A count of 2000 Wood Ducks at Tinker’s Creek State Nature Preserve, Summit 24 Aug (R. Tressler, E. Hall) represented a healthy number for ne. Ohio. An impressive count of 872 Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal came from RI.S.P. 28 Sep (|M). The 17 Greater Scaup at Beech Fork L., Wayne 27 Nov (MG, DP) was a good count for West Virginia. The normal Nov ratio of Black Scoter to Surf Scot- er was reversed within the Central Basin of L. Erie, where there were 56 Blacks to 28 Surfs this season OR NA, m.ob.). Up to 12 Black Scoters were at Washington Res., Washington PA 8 Nov (MV, R. Gallardy), and 29 were on Schooley Pond, Susquehanna, PA 2 Nov 0- Skinner). Three Black Scoters at Berlin L. 30 Nov (CH) were rare for the Ohio interior in fall. A movement of Black Scoters through Pennsylvania 24 Oct included 9 at Beltzville L., Carbon, PA (DW), 30 at L. Wallenpau- pack, Wayne (KR), and 40 at L. Scranton, Lackawanna (KR). In Pennsylvania that same day, 5 Surf Scoters were at Beltzville L., Car- bon (DW), and 15 were on L. Wallenpaupack, Wayne (KR). Seven Surfs were on Harvey’s L., Luzerne 2 Nov (KR). Reports of 7 White- winged Scoters and a single Long-tailed Duck surfaced for L. Erie. An early Long-tailed Duck appeared 19 Oct-2 Nov at Winfield Locks, Putnam, WV (K. Kazmierski, GR, R. Hardway). In Pennsylvania, the highest count of Long-tailed Duck was 34 at P.l.S.P 21 Nov QM). Up to 7 Surf and 3 Black Scoters could be found on the Shenandoah R., Jefferson, WV 11-12 Nov (MO, D. Myles, CD, JLe). A Buf- VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 71 EASTERN HIGHLANDS & UPPER OHIO RIVER VALLEY - » V ' ■ 'a' ' t This immature White Ibis at Picture Rocks, Lycoming County, Pennsylvania 7 August was one of several that invaded Pennsylvania in July and August 2009 and was especially unusual in north-central Pennsylvania. Photograph by Dave Ferry. flehead at Mercer W.M.A., Mercer, OH 6 Sep (C. Bowers) was decid- edly early. A count of 120 Com- mon Mergansers from Conneaut 5 Oct 0?) was early for a triple-dig- it tally. The observation of 27 birds at Conneaut 22 Aug (T. Lenz) was likely tied to breeding efforts in nearby estuaries of L. Erie within either Pennsylvania or New York. A strong Common Loon flight saw local w. concentrations of 200 each at Buck Creek 20 Nov (MVc) and at Hoover 19 Nov (RTh). Far- ther e., 165 were at L. Arthur, But- ler, PA 27 Nov (MV), and 346 Common Loons passed P.I.S.P. 27 Nov OM). Equally modest was the Nov passage of 6 Red-throated Loons and 3 Red-necked Grebes within the Central Basin. A short distance to the e., a remarkable 123 Red-throated Loons were tal- lied at P.I.S.P 19-30 Nov, with a high of 49 on 21 Nov QM)- Single Red-throated Loons within the Ohio interior were in Allen 22 Nov (RA), Holmes 27 Nov (RHr), Richland 25-28 Nov 0- McGowan, GCo), and Caesar Creek 19 Nov (Jason Cade). The latter was seen among 400-1- Common Loons. A modest flight of loons in West Virginia in- cluded 78 Commons on Cheat L., Monongalia 28 Nov (TBn), where there was also a Red- throated 23-28 Nov (TBn). The e. Panhandle hosted 3 Red-throated Loons 17-26 Nov (MO, CD, m.ob.). Away from L. Erie, 35-1- Red-throated Loons were in 15 counties in Pennsylvania 17 Oct-30 Nov (m.ob.), mostly 22-30 Nov. Two Red-necked Grebes at Har- vey’s L., Luzerne, PA 4 Nov (KR) represented a meager high count for Pennsylvania. Two Eared Grebes were at Bresler Res., Allen 18 Oct-22 Nov (RA). An Eared Grebe was in Lebanon, PA 3-5 Oct (R. Miller et al.). A Horned Grebe was in Washington, PA on the early date of 22 Aug (A. Berchin). The only report of American White Pelicans was of 2 holdovers from the summer season at Mercer W.M.A., Mercer, OH through 29 Aug Q- Bow- ers, RRs). A Brown Pelican on the Susque- hanna R. at Peach Bottom, Lancaster, PA 3 Aug (BS, m.ob.) made a 5th record for the state. An ad. Great Cormorant at Peach Bot- tom, Lancaster, PA 3 Nov was unusual for the lower Susquehanna R. (C. Chalfant), and one was very early on the Delaware R., Bucks, PA 7 Aug (DF). A Cattle Egret at Englewood Reserve, Montgomery, OH 26 Sep (E. Neubauer) was unexpected, as was one was in Bucks, PA 7 Aug (DF). Waifs appear annually in Nov, of- ten after a gap of four-t- weeks in records; this year’s birds were in Richland, OH 9-11 Nov (]. Nisely, ph. SS) and in Holmes, OH 20 Nov (R Hershberger, noted in The Bobolink). Another was in Harrison, OH 29 Oct (ph. K. Benish). A count of 800 Great Egrets at Ottawa 1 1 Aug (TB et al.) attests to the health of the West Sis- ter 1. population, as does a tally of 35 Snowy Egrets in Ottawa 1 1-12 Aug (TB et al). Snowy Egrets dispersed to Hamilton, OH 27 Sep, where 2 were at Winton Woods OMn) and one at Shawnee Lookout 0- Kappa). The Tri- colored Heron in Berkeley, WV continued through 2 Aug OLe)- Ohio Little Blue Herons were well reported away from the Western Basin. One to 2 imms. were at L. Logan, Hock- ing, OH 12 Aug-12 Sep 0- hrY’ D. Horn, m.ob.). Another imm. at Three Creeks Metropark, Franklin, OH 29 Aug (RTh) was followed by an ad. there 13 Sep (K. Adelson); one was also in Delaware at the n. end of Hoover 11 Sep (CBo). An imm. Yellow- crowned Night-Heron at S.R.C.E 1 Aug was a first ever there for a veteran birder (BS). White Ibis in Pennsylvania included single imms. at Picture Rocks, Lycoming 7 Aug (W. Egli et al; ph D. Ferry) and Shenango Res., Mercer 1 Sep (ph. T. Moeller). Another White Ibis for West Virginia in 2009 was an ad. seen from the Gauley Bridge above the Kanawha Falls, Fayette 7 Oct (D. Pollard, B. j: Hinton, Jr.). A Wood Stork flew over M.H. 25 Oct (B. Filemyr et al; ph. J. Stewart). VULTURES THROUGH PHALAROPES The flock of 10 Black Vultures at , Yellow Springs, Greene 17 Nov (N. | Boutis) made a high count so far i n. in w. Ohio. In e. Ohio, the species was reported as far n. as Lucas, Richland 7 Oct (GCo), where 4 were present. Mississippi Kites in Pennsylvania included singles at H.M.S. 15 Aug (LG) and Lansdale, Montgomery 18 Sep (K. Reiker). A Swallow-tailed Kite was at M.H. 27 Aug-5 Sep (N. Murphy, m.ob.; ph. T. Fellen- baum). Another Swallow-tailed ' Kite in Pennsylvania was reported at Cornwall, Lebanon 20 Sep (fide i SK), A Northern Goshawk at ' Conneaut 14 Nov (ES et al.) was a rare find. A close encounter with 2 fledgling Northern Goshawks in the Cranberry Wilderness Area, WV 11 Aug (D. Wood et al.) was very exciting and indicates that the species persists as a local breeder. The 371 Bald Ea- gles tallied at Waggoner’s Gap hawkwatch, Cumberland/Peny, PA (D. Grove et al.) was exceptional. A count of 7525 Broad-winged Hawks at M.H. 19 Sep (B. Murphy et al.) led ]' Regional counts. A Swainson’s Hawk was not- i 1 ed at Rose Tree hawkwatch, Delaware, PA 25 I Sep (B. Kelly, J. Lockyer et al). The 68 Pere- |; grine Falcons at H.M.S. during the season ! made a new high there (LG). A Merlin had re- ? turned to a cen. Ohio wintering site by 23 j Aug (DSr, BWr); an early migrant was in q Grant, WV 18 Aug (E Atwood). ! j A Common Moorhen was unexpected at j Green Bottom 10 Oct (GR). A late start to the j i fall Sandhill Crane migration through the w. j| part of the Region saw fewer than 300 during 1 1 27-28 Nov, with the highest count 207 over I Middleton, Butler 27 Nov (B. Britton). A flock | j of 5 was over Calhoun, WV 30 Nov (T. Fox). An annual fall migrant, the season’s Yellow Rail was an injured bird in Holmes, OH 19 Oct (fide G. Miller), also seen 21 Oct. Two King Rails persisted at Winous Pt., Sandusky, OH 12-19 Aug (TB et al). Single Piping Plovers appeared at Con- neaut 1 (MV) & 23 Aug (M. Studebaker, L. Keene). Over 500+ Killdeer were at Engle- wood Reserve, Montgomery 16 Aug (RA), and 1000+ were at Funk Bottoms 15 Sep Oames E Yoder); on 20 Nov, Deer Creek hosted 378, 72 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EASTERN HIGHLANDS & UPPER OHIO RIVER VALLEY rather late for so many (RR). Best counts of American Golden-Plovers in Pennsylvania were 16 in Bath, Northampton 28 Oct (M. Schall) and 25 near Limestoneville, Northum- berland 30 Oct (L. Shaffer). A strong flight of American Avocets through Ohio involved at least 47 birds. Five at Conneaut in Aug pre- saged a flock of 18 there 7 Sep (C. Pierce). In- land, 3 were at Clear Fork Res., AsMand/Rich- land, OH 3 Aug (GC et al), 3-4 in were at Columbus 25-27 Sep (D. Whitley, G. Stauf- fer), and singles were in Delaware 28 Sep (RTh), Warren 21-22 Sep (RA), and Auglaize 7 Sep (RRs). American Avocet sightings were up in Pennsylvania, with singles at Colyer L., Centre 18 Aug (M. Donnell, GG), L. Redman, York 28 Aug (D. Cleary), Shenango Res., Mer- cer 29 Aug (MV), Smithfield, Huntingdon 9-12 Sep (D. & T. Kyler), S.R.C.E 13-17 Sep (BS et al), Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster 14-17 Sep (D. Weber et al.), and Kahle L., Venango/Clarion 22-29 Nov (G. Edwards et al.). A late flight brought 2-3 to Pickerington Ponds 25-31 Oct (M. Smith, T. Slemmer), 2 to Mosquito L., Trumbull, OH 25 Oct-2 Nov (CH, m.ob.), and one to Lakeshore Metropark, Lake, OH 26 Oct QP), while 2 were at Yellow Creek S.P., In- diana 8 Oct (M. Higbee et al.) and 2 in Som- erset 25 Sep (phj. McCullom, jide JM). Two were unusual for Byrd Dam 19 Aug (WA). About 6 Whimbrels appeared at Conneaut through 11 Sep (RR, CW, m.ob.); adjacent P.I.S.P. hosted one 23 & 28 Aug (fide JM, M. Weible). One was inland to Buck Creek 5 Aug (RA); one in Philadelphia 22 Aug (E Wind- felder) was locally rare. A late passage was marked by singles in Erie and Ottawa, OH, both 20 Sep (BWr, CW). Six Ohio Hudsonian Godwits included one in Sandusky 18-24 Aug (C. Caldwell, SY, m.ob.), 2 at Ottawa 11 Sep (TB et al), 2 in Auglaize 27 Oct (RRs), 2 in Lake 26 Oct QP), and one at Ottawa 31 Oct (fide Rebecca Hinkle). Four Ohio Marbled Godwits included 2 at Hoover 5 Oct (CBo), up to 2 in Sandusky 22 Aug-2 Sep (K. Oster- miller, SY, m.ob.), and one in Ottawa 21-23 Sep (TB et al). Ottawa led the Region in counts of Lesser Yellowlegs, with 1193 count- ed 10 Aug (B.S.B.O.). McClure Marsh, San- dusky, OH hosted 15 Greater and 35 Lesser Yellowlegs 2 Nov (TB et al), large numbers for so late in the season. A single Willet was at Byrd Dam 19-20 Aug (GR, J. Tharp II). Up to 6 Willets were encountered for the season at Conneaut 2 Aug-7 Sep (m.ob.), with another 7 in the Western Basin (m.ob.); one in Han- cock 4 Aug (RSs) was the only inland report. Only 5-6 Red Knots were detected on the L. Erie shoreline 24 Aug-10 Sep (KK, G. See- holzer, m.ob.); in Pennsylvania, 2 were on the S.R.C.E 23 Aug (EW, T. Garner) and one at A rarity at autumn hawkwatches anywhere in the East, this Swallow- tailed Kite favored Militia Hill Hawkwatch, Pennsylvania with an ex- tended visit, 27 (here 31) August-5 September 2009. Photograph by Todd Feilenbaum. Shenango Res., Mercer 21 Sep (MV, Dave & Debra Darney). Ottawa hosted 2081 Least Sandpipers 3 Aug (B.S.B.O.), and at least 39 remained in Ohio in Nov, led by 15 at McClure Marsh, Sandusky 2 Nov (TB et al). Hardy individuals included one in Ot- tawa 24 Nov (KK), 3 at Buck Creek 30 Nov (DO), and 6 in Wayne 28 Nov (SS), while 3 at Riverside, Butler 29 Nov (C. Saunders) remained into the winter pe- riod. The Semipalmated Sandpiper mi- gration fared well; a flock at Ottawa 10 Aug numbered 1532 (B.S.B.O.), and 400 were at Winous Pt., Ottawa 13 Aug (TB et al). A yellow-tagged individual at Conneaut 1 Aug (MV) had been marked in Peru. Conspicuous by their absence, virtually nothing of the pas- sage of White-rumped and Western Sandpipers was detected in Ohio. Sin- gle Western Sandpipers in Pennsylvania were at S.R.C.E 3 & 13 Sep (BS et al.) and P.I.S.P 28 Aug (MV); seasonal totals were little more than 25% of the average for the past decade. An average Baird’s Sandpiper flight in the w. part of the Region was led by a flock of 45 at Ottawa 23 Sep (B.S.B.O.). The best count of Baird’s Sandpipers in Pennsylvania was 3 at P.I.S.P. 28 Aug (MV). The passage of 688 Dun- lins in Lake 26 Oct QP) was followed by a flock of 922 at Ottawa 1 Nov (A. Bartley, m.ob.), which grew to a seasonal peak of 3800 on the late date of 9 Nov (B.S.B.O.). The 450 present at McClure Marsh, Sandusky, OH 2 Nov (TB et al.) were noteworthy for this new shorebird site, while 356 remained at Ottawa 28 Nov (B.S.B.O.). A single Purple Sandpiper was found along the Cleveland lakefront, Cuyahoga 15 Nov (KK, m.ob.). There were but 15 Buff-breasted Sandpipers detected in Ohio 29 Aug-24 Sep (BMo, C. Williams, CH, TB et al), just half the average for the past decade. In the e. part of the Region, where rarer, one was at Byrd Dam 28-29 Sep (WA, DP), 2 were in Bucks, PA 12 Sep (AM), 2 were at Forty Fort, Luzerne 8-9 Sep (KR), and singles were at S.R.C.E 9 Sep (BS et al.) and Mud Level Rd., Cumberland, PA 22 Sep (A. Markel). The 11 Wilson’s Phalaropes from Ohio in- cluded a late bird 18-20 Oct in Auglaize (N. Keller, LG) and 5 at Ottawa 11 Sep (TB). One appeared at Byrd Dam 11 Sep (WA). An im- pressive flight of Red Phalaropes was led by 6 at Conneaut 2 Oct (R. Lane); singles were at Ottawa 11 Sep (TB et al), somewhat early, at Lakeview Cemetery, Cuyahoga, OH 3-12 Oct (R. &J. Hoffman), and at Apple Grove Fish Hatchery, Mason, WV 28-29 Oct (ph. WA) — the latter marking the 3rd fall season in a row for the species in the Mountain State. In This fearless juvenile Franklin's Gull appeared at the Py- matuning Reservoir spillway, Pennsylvania 31 August (here) through 3 September 2009; it often approached observers to within a few meters. Photograph by Geoff Malosh. Pennsylvania, Red Phalaropes were at S.R.C.E 3 (BS, C. Chalfant, T. Amico) & 16 Oct Q. Heller). Eleven Ohio Red-necked Phalaropes included one inland at Pleasant Hill Res., Ashland 2 Oct (LD) and 2 at Clear Fork Res. 29 Sep 0H)> for a 2nd county record for Richland. In Pennsylvania, Red- necked Phalarope reports included 2 in Northumberland 16 Oct (L. Shaffer), 3 in Delaware 11 Sep (A. Guarente), one in Lehigh 14-15 Sep (P. Saenger), and one in Cumber- land 1-4 Sep (V. Gauthier). GULLS THROUGH HUMMINGBIRDS Black-legged Kittiwakes in Ohio were along VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 73 EASTERN HIGHLANDS & UPPER OHIO RIVER VALLEY the Cleveland lakefront 8 Nov (KK, C. Ham- er, m.ob.), at Conneaut 14 Nov (ES et al), and inland to Caesar Creek 10-13 Oct (ph. R. Meetei, m.ob.). Single Ohio Laughing Gulls were at Pleasant Hill L., Ashland 21-24 Sep OH) and at East Fork L., Clermont 13 Oct (R. Edelen, V Fantetti). An above-average flight of Franklin’s Gulls saw flocks of 10 at Hoover 28 Sep (DSr et al.) and 20 at Alum Creek Res., Delaware 29 Sep 0- Davis, T. Bain). A scattering of another 19 birds was reported across the w. third of Ohio through 29 Nov, while one was e. to Pymatuning L., Crawford 31 Aug-2 Sep (S. Kinzey et al). A Black- headed Gull at Easton, PA 18-21 Nov was a first for Northampton (ph. D. DeReamus). Re- markably early Sabine’s Gulls included one at Laurel Hill S.P., Somerset 18 Aug (S. Tucker) and at Lakeshore Metropark, Lake, OH 30 Aug OP)- More typical was one at Huron, Erie, OH 17 Oct (G. Leidy). Huron also host- ed a California Gull 21 Nov (JP). An average number (16) of Lesser Black-backed Gulls was reported for the L. Erie shoreline in Ohio. The arrival of several in the Western Basin 11 Sep (KK et al.) was three weeks ear- lier than normal. Notable inland was a bird at Evans L., Mahoning 20 Oct-13 Nov (CH). A large gathering of 1700 gulls at Findlay Res., Hancock, OH 27-28 Oct included an aston- ishing 650-1- Herrings Gulls (LH et al). In ad- dition, a remarkable 6-8 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were found there 16-28 Oct, matching an Ohio record tally for an interior site (D. Vander Pluym et al.); 3 remained 29 Nov (B. Sparks et al.). Fall 2009 saw perhaps the weakest jaeger flight on L. Erie in a decade. Nonetheless, a prized Long-tailed was detect- ed 30 Aug in Lake QP)- Otherwise, a single Parasitic Jaeger was reported 8 Nov from the Cleveland lakefront 0? m.ob.), and a Poma- rine Jaeger was there 15 Nov (JP m.ob.), while in the Eastern Basin, 2 Parasitics were at P.l.S.E 29 Sep QM) and one there 31 Oct (R. Eakin). Rare in the e. Panhandle, 2 Black Terns were discovered in Berkeley, WV 14 Aug (MO). Up to 11 Eurasian Collared-Doves were reported from Celina, Mercer 29 Sep (D. Sanders). An impressive 1700 Common Nighthawks were counted at M.H. 23 Aug (fide SK) , and 2826 were tallied at Haverford College, Delaware, PA 21 Aug-14 Sep (fide DE). There were 1800 Chimney Swifts with- in a Gahanna, Franklin, OH roost as late as 4 Oct (RTh). In Allegheny, PA, eggs in a Ruby- throated Hummingbird nest hatched on the late date of 18 Aug (D. Bauman). The 71 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds passing H.M.S. 25 Aug furnished a new high for that location (LG). A late male Ruby-throated Hummingbird was still in Palmer Twp., Northampton, PA 10 Nov (fide A. Koch). In Pennsylvania, banded Rufous Humming- birds included 3 in Berks 16 Sep-30 Nov (SW, H. Lebo, T. Leckey, L. Simpson), and singles were in Zionsville, Lehigh 16 Nov (SW), Roxbury Somerset 30 Sep-11 Oct (B. Mulvihill), Ephrata, Lancaster 21-30 Nov (EW, SW), Avondale, Chester 18 Oct-11 Nov (NP), Pottstown, Montgomery 30 Oct-5 Nov (fide SW), and East Earl Twp., Lancaster 16 Oct-30 Nov (SW). A male Rufous Hum- mingbird seen in Jul at Mt. Lebanon, Al- legheny, PA was still present 13 Aug (fide R. Protz). Ohio Rufous Hummingbirds includ- ed an ad. female in Loudonville, Ashland/Holmes mid-Sep-1 Nov (T. Sage, fide SS), one in Butler, Richland 14-18 Oct 0- Nisley), and an ad. male near Shreve, Wayne 24 Oct-9 Nov 0- Kanagy fide SS). A Ru- fous/Allen’s Hummingbird was at Harbor- creek, Erie, PA 15-30 Nov (S. Brandt), and another was in Ephrata, Lancaster 24 Oct-3 Nov (EW). An Allen’s Hummingbird, appar- ently present since Aug, was caught and banded in Dec at Leola, Lancaster, PA (ph. SW, m.ob.). This represents a first state record. Another state first, an Allen’s Hum- mingbird at the residence of Mae Miller near Walnut Creek, Holmes, OH first noted in late Sep/early Oct (fide SS) was banded by Allen Chartier 11 Dec, when it was identified as an imm. male; it was last seen 27 Dec. SHRIKES THROUGH THRUSHES The presence of a Loggerhead Shrike near Greenbank, Pocahontas, WV 28 Aug made welcome news (W. Tolin). Two Acadian Fly- catchers seen through 24 Oct in Holmes, OH (K. Kline) represent the latest satisfactory fall record for Ohio. Ohio’s 4th Vermilion Fly- catcher, a one-day wonder, was discovered at Headlands 2 Oct (BMo, K. Miller, m.ob.). Ohio’s 5th Say’s Phoebe was present in Greene, OH 28-29 Nov (DO, BWr et al). An Ash-throated Flycatcher near Mt. Gretna, Lebanon, PA 20-28 Nov was a 4th for the state (R. Miller, ph. D. Weber et al.). A Western Kingbird on the Marblehead Pen., Ottawa, OH 18 Sep (C. Wood) was rare for the L. Erie shoreline; another was in Hamilton, OH 29 Aug (N. Keller, A. Brunner et al). Late White- eyed Vireos were in Pennsylvania at Hibernia Park, Chester 2 Nov (R. Robinson) and She- locta, Indiana 4 Nov (MH). An impressive 215 Blue-headed Vireos were tallied at H.M.S. 1-11 Oct (LG). A group of 18 Common Ravens at H.M.S. 18 Aug must have been quite a sight (LG). A well-described Common Raven in Holmes, OH 26 Nov (RHr) proved to be the first modern-day record for the county and represents the westernmost report in the expansion of the Allegheny population thus far. A single-observer sighting from the Harri- son County airport, OH 21 Nov was intrigu- ing but lacked details. Demonstrating some local recovery the 15,000 Purple Martins staging at L. Nimisilla, Summit, OH in late Aug represented a healthy total (fide LD). Astonishing was the formation of a roost in late Jul in Huntington, Mason, WV, which grew over the next two weeks to an estimated 40,000 birds 10 Aug (MG, DP). Of 2 present in Wayne, OH 1 Nov (Atlee Yo- der), one remained into the winter period. A Cave Swallow was observed 14 Nov at Con- neaut (ES et al). Absolutely extraordinary was a late nesting of a Barn Swallow near Bunker Hill, Holmes, OH (D. Wengerd), where a recently fledged young with parents were observed 7 Nov (M. Hershberger). The last seen of the young birds was noted 1 1 Nov (D. Wengerd, published in The Bobolink'). A 1 Barn Swallow lingered through 25 Nov in j Hamilton, OH (KW) and a Northern Rough- j winged Swallow through 21 Nov at Hoover j (A. La Sala). In Pennsylvania, up to 1300 I Northern Rough-winged Swallows gathered j at Lower Makefield Memorial Park, Bucks in j late Sep (B. Keim). A Sedge Wren in Hamilton, OH 28 Oct (KW) was late, but 12 at Funk Bottoms 3 Oct (RH et al.) marked the peak of migration through Ohio. A kinglet fallout on Kelleys I., Erie, OH 17 Oct numbered 700+ birds com- prised of 75% Golden-crowned and 25% Ruby-crowned (TB et al). A Townsend’s Soli- taire at H.M.S. 20 Sep represented a 3rd record for that location (J. Vinosky D. Barber et al). Ohio’s 3rd Northern Wheatear was in Holmes 12-16 Sep (R. and S. Harlan, m.ob.), and another was well described at L. Caroline, Bucks 4 Oct (D. Pevear). WARBLERS THROUGH FIHCHES An early Orange-crowned Warbler turned up at Green Bottom 20 Sep (WA). An ad. male Kirtland’s Warbler was a rare fall find at East Harbor S.P., Ottawa, OH 18 Sep (E. Kistler, m.ob.). A Black-throated Gray Warbler was at Big Spring Creek, Cumberland, PA 20-26 Oct (Y Gauthier et al, ph. A. Market). Few warblers lingered into the season. Some Ohio examples included a Nashville Warbler in Holmes 29 Nov (RHr), a Hooded Warbler in Cuyahoga 24 Oct (NA), a Northern Parula at Buck Creek 17 Oct (DO), a Black-throated Blue Warbler in Auglaize 27 Oct (D. Knox), single Blackpoll Warblers in Franklin (DSr) and Cuyahoga (NA) 1 Noy a Connecticut Warbler in Hamilton 11 Oct (A. Scruggs, T. Kopp), and a Kentucky Warbler in Wayne 11 74 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EASTERN HIGHLANDS & UPPER OHIO RIVER VALLEY Oct (A. M. Troyer). An Ovenbird in Kanawha, WV 15 Nov (B. Smith) was late, as was a Northern Parula in Hancock, WV 18 Oct (GR, MG, WA). In Pennsylvania, a late American Redstart was at Swissdale, Clinton, PA 7 Nov (W. Laubscher). A pair of Blue Grosbeaks with 2 fledglings at Grand Central landfill, Northampton 3 Sep (ph. RW) represented the northernmost breeding record of this species in e. Pennsyl- vania. Single Clay-colored Sparrows in Ohio were found on Kelleys I., Erie 18 Sep (TB), at Headlands 3 Oct (E. Bruder), and in Mahon- ing 18 Oct (W. Jones), while 2 were in Butler 27 Sep (M. Busam). A Clay-colored Sparrow was at Chicora, Butler, PA 2 Oct (Debra Bar- ney). Two Henslow’s Sparrows at Ottawa 14 Aug (TB et al.) were unexpected; one contin- ued at Runnymeade Farm, Chester, PA through at least 26 Aug (H. Merker). Lark Sparrows away from known breeding sites in Ohio are unpredictable in fall and may turn up anywhere. Two were noted in ne. Ohio this season, one at Headlands 4 Sep (M. Rohr et al.) and one a bit farther w. along the L. Erie shoreline in Cuyahoga 5 Sep (ph. NA). Another was in Huntfield, Jefferson, WV 29 Oct (MO). A species now regularly detected in the Region in autumn migration, 25 Nel- son’s Sparrows nevertheless made an above- par total for the season in Ohio; 5 were at Mentor Marsh 3 Oct (A. Jones, m.ob.), 6-8 at Funk Bottoms 3 Oct (RHr, ES, m.ob.), and 3 were at Pickerington Ponds 30 Sep (BWr). Two at a wetland restoration in Hancock 3 Oct (LH et al.) and 2 at Big Island W.M.A., Marion (S. Williams, Jack Stenger) were also noteworthy. One appeared at the Ashton Swamp, Mason, WV 4 Oct (DP). An impres- sive 13 Nelson’s Sparrows were in Bucks, PA 11-25 Oct (m.ob, Jide AM), and one at Pen- nypack Trust, Montgomery, PA 10 Oct (P. Driver) was unusual for that location. In Ohio, 5 Le Conte’s Sparrows were detected 3- 27 Oct, with records from Hancock (D. Van- der Pluym), Pickerington Ponds (BWr, DSr), Marion (RR), and Tuscarawas (R. Schlabach). A Golden-crowned Sparrow, sporting a U.S.EW.S. band, returned 17 Nov to the same Hancock, OH feeder where the state’s first record made a brief appearance in Apr 2009 (when it obtained its federal jewelry). It was noted the bird departed in Apr with the de- parture of migrant juncos and returned in Nov with juncos (Jide TB). The bird remained for the winter. Single Oregon Juncos were in York, PA (ph. B. Moul) and Adams, PA 22 Nov (M. O’Brien). A Summer Tanager was at John Heinz N.W.R., Philadelphia 14 Aug (D. McGovern). An imm. Dickcissel found at Pickerington Ponds 25 Oct (BWr) was late. A Bobolink lin- gered through 24 Oct in Holmes, OH Oames E Yoder). A Yellow-headed Blackbird was at Prince Gallitzin S.P., Cambria, PA 19 Sep (G. & S. Young). A Brewer’s Blackbird was report- ed from Hamilton, OH 4 Oct QMn). A Balti- more Oriole remained in Hocking, OH 31 Oct Q. Campbell). An errant Red Crossbill ap- peared 25 Oct in Hancock, OH (LH). Some 15-20 White-winged Crossbills were at Brown’s Run, Wanen, PA 8 Sep Q- Fedak), and a Pine Siskin was near Bath, Northampton, PA 19 Aug (DW). An indication of the absence of winter finches this fall was the 35 Pine Siskins recorded at H.M.S. during the season, com- pared to 13,165 in fall 2008 (LG). Addendum: A Pine Siskin banded in Bangor, Northampton, PA 15 Mar 2009 was found s. of Edmonton, Alberta 27 Jul 2009 — about 3200 km distant (E Karner). Initialed Observers (subregional compilers in boldface type): OHIO: Nancy Anderson (NA), Rick Asamoto (RA), Tom Bartlett (TB), Charlie Bombaci (CBo), Gary Cowell (GCo), Laura Dornan (LD), Larry Gara (LG), Lauren Harter (LH), John Herman QH). Robert Her- shberger (RHr), Craig Holt (CH), Kenn Kauf- man (KK), John Marvin QMn), Ben Morrison (BMo), Doug Overacker (DO), John Pogacnik OP), Russell Reynolds (RRs), Robert Royse (RR), Robert Sams (RSs), Ed Schlabach (ES), Dave Slager (DSr), Su Snyder (SS), Rob Thorn (RTh), Matt Valencic (MVc), Ben Warner (BWr), Kirk Westendorf (KW), Clyde Witt (CW), Sheryl Young (SY). PENNSYLVA- NIA: Justin Bosler OB). Chuck Chalfant (CC), David Eberly (DE), Devich Farbotnik (DF), Greg Grove (GG), Laurie Goodrich (LG), Paul Hess (PH), Margaret Higbee (MH), Rudy Keller (RK), Mark McConaughy (MM; Central Pennsylvania Birdline), Jerry McWilliams OM). August Mirabella (AM), Judy Mirabella OM), Nick Pulcinella (NP), Kevin Ripka (KR), Bob Schutsky (BS), Amy Taracido (AT; Rare Bird Alert, w. Pennsylva- nia), Mark Vass (MV), Scott Weidensaul (SW), Dustin Welch (DW), Rick Wiltraut (RW), Eric Witmer (EW). WEST VIRGINIA: Wendell Argabrite (WA), Terry Bronson (TBn), Carol Del-Colle (CD), Mike Griffith (MG), Jon Little OLo). Matt Orsie (MO), David Patick (DP), Gary Rankin (GR). Q Victor W. Faiio, III, 18722 Newell Road, Floor 2 Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122, (bcvireo@sbcglobaLnet) Rick Wiltraut Jacobsburg Environmental Education Center 835 Jacobsburg Road, Wind Gap, Pennsylvania 18091 (rwiltraut@state.pa.us) American Birding® A s s o C I A I I O N APPLY TODAY FOR THE AMERICAN BIRDING ASSOCIATION VISA® PLATINUM CARD * No Annual Fee * Low Introductory Rate * No balance transfer fee for six months It's the only card that ensures a percentage of every purchase you make will go toward the American Birding Association, to help support a variety of activities and programs designed to inspire all people to enjoy and protect wild birds. Choose from two distinct designs: Red-billed Tropicbird or Rufous Hummingbird. To apply call 1-800-853-5576 ext. 83% or apply online today www.americanbirding.org The creditor and issuer of the American Birding Association VISA Platinum Card is U.S. Bank National Association NO. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 75 Illinois & Indiana ■ Fermilabi Lowden- Jackson Pam Miller SF Lake Calumel INDIANA LAKEFRONT- A = Hammond LakefronI Sanctuary B = Miller Beach C = Dunes SP & Beverly Shores D s Mich. City Harbor Forest Glen ■ Preserve Goose Lake Prairie ■ ■ "S Midewin Natl. ^ ^ Tallgrass Prairie ^ WiilowSlough^MA HiceLakcn mSandRidgeSF Chautauqua NWR* ^ ' ^ Clintonm ■ Siloam Spnngs ^ a Lake Springfield Shelbyville ? \Lake Monroeu < •Alton S ■ \ a Carlyle ^ ) Muskatatuck NWR OIney / J ^^Lake Gibson ^ ■ Rend L a * Pigeon • Kingsbury WMA R.WMA ■ Grand Kankakee Marsh i^Jasper-Pulaski WMA "Paf/fj \ ^ a Salanionie TNC Kankakee Sands ! Pine Creek WMA \ m Creek Luke Park* Waveland Geisi I ■ Ses. ■•S™"'"' Lake Brookville ResM a Lake Lemon Lake Kjioson j ( INDIANA .~3^J^ke A James D. Hengeveld Keith A. McMullen Geoffrey A. Williamson The cool, wet summer in the Region bled into a cool, wet August. Though Sep- tember provided some respite from the wet weather, it’s been nearly 70 years since the Region experienced an October with the amount of rainfall it received this year. The cool temperatures persisted until November, which on average was more than 2.8° C above normal, and the rain finally slacked off, with November experiencing below-normal precip- itation. The distinct lack of strong cold fronts moving through the Region resulted in low to- tals for a number of aquatic species. Unusual sightings included lingering indi- viduals of both whistling-duck species, White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbills, an out-of-range Mis- sissippi Kite, two Green Violetears, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Sage Thrasher, and Lark Bunting. Abbreviations: Carlyle (Carlyle L., s. Illinois); Dunes (Dunes S.P., Porter, IN); EE (Forest Preserve); FW.A. (Fish and Wildlife Area); Goose Pond (Goose Pond FW.A., Greene, IN); Miller (Miller Beach, Lake, IN); Monroe (L. Monroe, Monroe, IN); Montrose (Montrose Pt. in Chicago’s Lincoln Park); Pine Creek (Pine Creek Gamebird Habitat Area, Benton, IN); West Beach (West Beach, Porter, IN). WATERFOWL THROUGH GREBES At Goose Pond, a Black-bellied Whistling- Duck was seen 6 Aug (DRW) and at least 2 of the summering Fulvous Whistling-Ducks re- mained through 6 Sep (GD). A record Illinois fall count of 18 Trumpeter Swans at Spring L., Carroll (DTW) reflected a continuing increase in numbers, while an astounding 1036 Tun- dra Swans migrating past the Illinois Beach S.P hawkwatch 29 Nov (PWS, JRRS et al.) provided an all-time Illinois high count. The 780 Green-winged Teal at Goose Pond 27 Oct (BF, LWS) constituted Indiana’s highest fall count since 1989. The Mottled Duck at Santa Fe Bottoms, Clinton, IL from summer re- mained through 5 Aug (DMK, MSS). A record-early male Greater Scaup flew past Miller 30 Aug 0JM> JCK, BH). A count of 13,500 Lesser Scaup on the Mississippi R. in Hancock, IL 14 Nov (AGD) was notably large. A female Harlequin Duck was observed 28 Nov at Candlewick L., Boone, IL (EWW). Illi- nois’s highest Surf Scoter tally was away from L. Michigan, with 6 at Carlyle 31 Oct (DMK, MSS), whereas 5 of the 10 inland Surf Scoters reported in Indiana were found at Fiddler’s Pond in Goshen, Elkhart 28 Oct (DS, LSh, RT). Among 5 inland White-winged Scoters in Indiana were 2 at Hardy L., Scott 19 Nov (TB, CB) and one at Summit Lake S.P, Henry 21 Nov (SAP). The peak Black Scoter count of 13 at Monroe 16 Nov (MC) constituted Indi- ana’s 2nd highest inland count ever. In Illi- nois, 5 Black Scoters each were seen at Illinois Beach S.P. 24 Nov (MJW) and inland at Shab- bona Lake S.P. 8-28 Nov (DJS, m.ob.), while a female at Prairie Creek Res. 17 Oct (ph. BG) furnished the hrst record for Delaware, IN. A hne flight of Red-throated Loons includ- ed 28 at various Indiana lakefront locations 21 Nov (KJB, SRB, JKC, JJM et ah), and sev- eral inland sightings included 2 at Carlyle 8 Nov ORkS) and an ad. at Patoka L., Orange, IN 28 Nov (AK, NK). The Region’s 4 Pacific Loons included one at Carlyle 6-14 Nov (JS, PAM, DMK, MSS, m.ob.), one at Beverly Shores, Porter, IN 12 Nov QJM, JKC, KJB), one at Prairie Creek Res., Delaware, IN 21 Nov OAH, SAP, FH, SS, MW), and one on Monroe 27 Nov (DRW). A strong count of 251 Common Loons was made at East Fork L., Richland, IL 17 Nov (CLH). It was a good season for grebes, with 9 Red-necked, 15 Eared, and 10 Western Grebes reported. Among these were 2 Red-neckeds at Beverly Shores, Porter, IN 7 Nov (BJG, JJM), 3 Eareds in Monmouth, IL 23-25 Sep (DJM, MJB, KAM), and 2 Westerns at L. Shelbyville, Moultrie, IL 28-29 Nov (TAM, DMK, MSS et ah), while the summering Western at Carlyle continued through 6 Aug (DMK, MSS et al). CORMORANTS THROUGH RAILS An Indiana record, 5650 Double-crested Cor- morants were at Miller 1 Aug OJM, SRB, JKC, MT, KJB). American White Pelican numbers in Illinois keep increasing, with 18,071 counted in Mason between Lake Chautauqua N.W.R. and nearby Clear L. 10 Oct (RGB, SNB). In Indiana, where American White Pel- icans are much scarcer, the 21-24 at Goose Pond remaining through 30 Sep (LWS et al.) were notable, as was the one at Wolf L., Lake 28 Aug (CAM). Summer rarities lingering into fall included the Brown Pelican at Two Rivers N.W.R., Calhoun, IL through 29 Aug (ph. DMK, ph. JRRS, MSS, KAM) and single Neotropic Cormorants at Carlyle until 5 Sep (ph. DMK, MSS, KAM et al.) and in Lake, IL until 2 Aug (CBT). Goose Pond hosted 1 1 American Bitterns 1 Sep and 5 Least Bitterns 31 Aug (LWS). A Least Bittern at Muscatatuck N.W.R., Jen- nings, IN 18 Oct (TB) was late. A count of 397 Great Blue Herons, Indiana’s 2nd highest ever, | was made at Goose Pond 1 Aug (LWS). Indi- ; ana’s three all-tithe highest tallies of Great Egrets, all at Goose Pond this fall, were | topped by 1324 there 1 Sep (BF, LWS). An j imm. Tricolored Heron 23 Aug-6 Sep at Car- lyle (DMK, MSS, CA, m.ob.) provided Illi- nois’s hrst fall record in eight years. Late Cat- tle Egrets included one at West Beach 1 Nov (Ay BH) and 3 at Clinton L., DeWitt, IL 15 Nov (TH). Goose Pond hosted a notable 47 Black-crowned Night-Herons 12 Aug (DRW). High summer numbers of White Ibis spilled into fall, with 4 at Goose Pond 2 Aug (LWS), one in Columbus, IN 11-12 Aug (DA, DHK), and a late juv. at Patoka River N.W.R., Pike, IN 4 Sep (S&RV). An ad. White-faced Ibis at Pine Creek 19 Aug QBD, EMH, MLPR, MCH) pro- vided Indiana’s hrst Aug record, while an amazing tally of 15 unidentihed Plegadis ibis | at Cane Ridge W.M.A., Gibson 30 Sep (ph. | BM) furnished Indiana’s maximum count for i any Plegadis species. The long-staying Roseate j Spoonbill that provided Indiana’s hrst docu- mented record remained at Goose Pond until 6 Sep (LWS, TBG, DH et al), while one 22 Sep-3 Oct near Vandalia (MAH, DMK, ph. MSS, m.ob.) provided the 4th Illinois record. An excellent tally of 297 Turkey 'Vultures came from the Greene Valley FE hawkwatch, DuPage, IL 11 Oct (REF et al). A juv. Missis- sippi Kite at Miller 20 Aug (ph. JCK) fur- nished Indiana’s hrst fall record. At Rockford, IL, a satellite breeding locale, a juv. Mississip- pi Kite lingered through 16 Sep OBe). In In- diana, the 360 Bald Eagles reported constitut- ed the highest fall total ever, but just one Northern Goshawk, an imm. at Pine Creek 24 Oct (EMH), was reported from the state. Five Swainson’s Hawks were located near the McHenry, IL breeding sites 23 Aug (RAM, ALM), while 2 at the Illinois Beach S.P hawk- watch 10 Oct (PWS et al.) and one 30 Oct in Mason, IL (ph. KAM, MSS) were unexpected. On 15 Aug at Dunes, 214 Red-tailed Hawks were tallied (SRB, JKC, RJP, MT, KJB), the largest fall total ever for Indiana. A Rough- legged Hawk at the Greene Valley FE hawk- watch, DuPage, IL 31 Aug (REF et al.) was six weeks ahead of schedule. Eighteen Golden 76 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS ILLINOIS & INDIANA Eagles were reported in the Region. A Prairie Falcon was seen at L. Shelbyville, Moultrie, IL 22 Sep (KAM, MSS, REh KDF). Among 4 Yellow Rails were one at Goose Pond 13 Oct (DW), a disoriented bird rescued in downtown Indianapolis 25 Oct (DG, WH et al), one at Stiritz, IL 1 Nov (LS), and an- other at Prairie Ridge State Natural Area, IL 4 Nov (RES). Two Black Rails were reported from s. Illinois: at Prairie Ridge State Natural Area 24 Aug (CLH, RES) and at Rend L. 28 Aug (LS). The Region tallied 9 King Rails; one heard 7 Nov at Goose Pond (LWS) was late. Excellent American Coot counts included 25.000 at Emiquon N.W.R. 8 Nov QRRS) and 13.000 at Willow Slough EW.A., Newton 10 Oct (EMH), the latter a record for Indiana. SHOREBIRDS THROUGH HUMMINGBIRDS The Region’s 8 Piping Plovers included 2 at Horseshoe L., Madison, IL 19 Aug (WMR, FRH) and Indiana’s first Nov sighting, an ap- parent juv. photographed at L. Gibson, Gibson 8 Nov (G&LB) that lingered through 28 Nov (GEM). The 30 Black-necked Stilts at Big L., Brown 9 Aug (MJB, KBR) provided Illinois’s largest fall tally ever. Widespread reports of nu- merous American Avocets included 28 at Two Rivers N.W.R., Calhoun, IL 21 Aug (MJW) and 15 at LaSalle L, LaSalle, IL 11 Aug QOM, CKM). A count of 150 Solitary Sandpipers made at Pine Creek 2 Aug (MLPR) was Indi- ana’s highest ever. Willets were relatively scarce in Illinois, aside from 8 in Chicago 17 Aug (DFS), while the 62 at Michigan City, La- Porte, IN 17 Aug QCK) provided a fine total. The best among the Region’s few reports of Up- land Sandpiper were 4 at Santa Fe Bottoms, Clinton, IL 5 Aug (DMK, MSS) and 3 in s. Rock Island, IL 9 Aug (SMF). Eight Whimbrels were reported along L. Michigan this season, but notably away from there were singles at LaSalle L., LaSalle, IL 27 Aug (JS) and at Carlyle 1-20 Sep (CA, ph. DMK, MSS, ph. KAM et al.). Among the Region’s 12 Hudsonian Godwits were 3 at Rend L., IL 6 Sep (TJD, LS, DMu, PT), 4 at L. Shelbyville, Moultrie, IL 19-20 Sep QRRS, GN, KMn), and 2 at Eagle Creek Park, Indianapolis 30 Sep (SAP, LP et al). Three Marbled Godwits that passed Miller 1 Aug OJM, jKC, MT, KJB) were among the total of 9 reported in the Region. It was a good season for Red Knots in Illinois, with 9 reported, in- cluding 2 at Montrose 17 Aug (DBJ, APS). Three Sanderlings at Muscatatuck N.W.R. , Jackson 24 Nov and 2 the following day (DCr) provided the all-time latest reports for s. Indi- ana. A tardy juv. Baird’s Sandpiper was found at i Wakarusa W.T.F, Elkhart, IN 20 Nov (NM, ph. I LSh, DS, HK). Indiana’s highest fall count of Pectoral Sandpipers on record was made at Pine Creek 2 Aug, with 1600 (MLPR). The Purple Sandpiper at Waukegan, IL 17 Oct (AFS, ph. JRRS, ph. KAM) was the 2nd earliest on record for Illinois. A highlight of the shore- bird season was a Ruff at L. Shelbyville, Moul- trie, IL 21-22 Sep (TDF, ph. RDF, EWW). At least 15 Red-necked Phalaropes were reported in the Region, among them a flyby at Miller 29 Aug OKC, MJ, RH, RJP, KJB et al.) and 4 off Montrose 5 Sep (JRRS). Single Red Phalaropes were observed in Coles, IL 6 Aug (DMo, ph. RDF, TAM, SDB), at Carlyle 13-19 Sep (DMK, MSS et al), and 31 Oct at both Carlyle (DMK) and Miller (KJB, SRB, JKC, JCK, JJM et al). A juv. Black-legged Kittiwake at Miller 31 Aug (MR) furnished Indiana’s 3rd Aug record. Also strikingly early, and unusual away from L. Michigan, was another juv. at Dresden Lock & Dam, Grundy, IL 11-12 Sep O^G, ph. BA, m.ob.). Two were seen on L. Michigan in Wil- mette, IL 16 Nov (REF, MAM, RE, APS), and another was inland at Clinton L., DeWitt, IL 29 Nov+ (MEF, MM-L). No Sabine’s Gulls were seen in Indiana for the hrst time since 1986, while in Illinois, they arrived early, with one at Carlyle 8 Sep (DMK, MSS); numbers peaked 4 Oct, with 3 at Carlyle (DMK, MSS, CLH); and the last was rather late, in Sanga- mon 1 Nov (HDB). Little Gulls included a juv. flying past Miller 29 Aug QKC, JJM, PBG, EMH, KJB et al), an ad. at Carlyle 31 Oct and 21 Nov (DMK), and 2 ads. at Beverly Shores, Porter, IN 21 Nov (BJG). At least 12 Laughing Gulls were scattered throughout the Region. Most interesting was a possible Laughing Gull X Ring-billed Gull hybrid noted at Winthrop Harbor, IL 4 Aug (ph. EWW). The Region’s 3 California Gulls included an ad. at Port of In- diana, Porter, IN 26 Nov OJM) that was the county’s first, a first-cycle individual 27 Aug-22 Sep at L. Shelbyville, Moultrie, IL (TAM, ph. TDF, m.ob.), and an ad. at Winthrop Harbor, IL 28 Oct-17 Nov (ph. TBL, JRRS, ph. EWW et al). An Iceland Gull at Port of Indiana, Porter, IN 26 Nov OJM) represented the first fall Indiana record in eight years. At least 20 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were present along the L. Michigan shoreline this season, with 8 at Winthrop Har- bor 14 Nov (GAW). An ad. Glaucous-winged Gull was a fantastic find at Winthrop Harbor, IL 17 Oct (ph. GN,JRRS, KAM, m.ob.). A Common Tern identified at Eagle Creek Park, Indianapolis 18 Nov (SAP) represented the 2nd latest record ever away from the Indi- ana lakefront. Two Forster’s Terns lingered until 29 Nov at Carlyle (DMK, MSS). A fine total of 12 jaegers was logged on the Indiana lakefront in Aug, but the lack of subsequent strong fronts meant few jaegers, so the season total of 17 was well below average. Ad. Long- tailed Jaegers were at Miller 22 Aug QRG, JJM, BJG, SRB, JKB et al.) and 29 Aug QKC, JJM, RJP, MJ, KJB et al), and a juv. was at Car- lyle 3 Oct (DMK, KAM). A Barn Owl was at Carlyle 30 Aug (DMK, MSS), and one was reported in Waukegan 1 Nov (EWW). With few Oct records of North- ern Saw-whet Owl for the Indiana lakefront, the 2 females banded at Dunes 18 Oct (BB) were notable. A single Chimney Swift seen hy- ing along the shore at West Beach 1 Nov (AV) provided the 3rd latest record for the Indiana lakefront. The Region’s first Green Violetears were a bird photographed at a feeder in Mas- coutah, St. Clair, IL 10 Aug (ph. R&LS) and another in rural Perry, IN 2-3 Oct (ph. T&AA). A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker at Eagle Creek Park, Indianapolis 26 Aug (RL-S, Jide LP) pro- vided a first Aug record for cen. Indiana. FLYCATCHERS THROUGH TANAGERS An Olive-sided Flycatcher in Sangamon 1 1 Oct (HDB) tied the 2nd latest departure date for Illinois. Two Eastern Wood-Pewees at Pine Creek 1 Nov (EMH) provided the 3rd latest In- diana record; one in Chicago 30 Oct (CLW) was very late, as were an Acadian Flycatcher at Monroe 27 Sep (DRW) and a Least Flycatcher at Montrose 13 Oct (KH). A notable 16 Eastern Phoebes were tallied 7 Sep at Carlyle (DMK, MSS). A Say’s Phoebe in Sangamon 1 Oct (HDB) joined fewer than 15 records for Illi- nois. A Western Kingbird found at the Great Miami Oxbow 29 Aug (AWB, NdK et al.) pro- vided a first record for Dearborn, IN. Excep- tionally late Eastern Kingbirds were observed 28 Oct in Spencer, IN (DAy) and 30 Oct at Spring L., Tazewell, IL (KAM). A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher in Bloomington 31 Oct-1 Nov QB, JF JDH, ph. SEH, ph. PK et al.) provided Indi- ana’s first Nov record, while one in s. Jasper 5 Nov (tCLH, tRES) was Illinois’s 2nd latest ever. A Fork-tailed Flycatcher in Rock Island 25 Nov (MWa, ph. KW) was Illinois’s 3rd. Part of an excellent Northern Shrike flight in Indiana were early birds at Goose Pond 6 Nov (DRW, LW, CS) and Chinook Mine, Vigo 8 Nov (ph. JSu). In Sangamon, IL, a White-eyed Vireo 14 Nov (HDB) was quite late. A fine tal- ly of 16 Bell’s Vireos at Hawthorn Mine, Sulli- van, IN 26 Aug (DRW) highlighted an impres- sive fall total for the species. A Warbling Vireo in Sangamon, IL 15 Nov (HDB) surpassed the prior Illinois late date by a month. A Red-eyed Vireo in Chicago 28 Oct (PRC) was also late. A fine flight of Tree Swallows featured 100,000 at Carlyle 3, 4, & 12 Oct (DMK, KAM, MSS) and 8000 at Hovey L., Posey, IN 14 Oct (DC); one in El Paso, IL 27 Nov (MLPR) was notably late. Two Northern Rough-winged Swallows in VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 77 ILLINOIS & INDIANA / I Kankakee 18 Nov OBH) were tardy. Two Barn Swallows at Miller 6 Nov (MT) furnished the 2nd latest Indiana lakefront record. With Be- wicks Wrens quite scarce in the Region, one in McDonough, IL 3 Sep (TMJB) was notable. A House Wren at Carlyle 27 Nov (ph. DMK) was very late, as was a Marsh Wren at Hovey L., Posey, IN 3 Nov (CC). Counts of 80 Ruby-crowned Kinglets 12 Oct at Carlyle (DMK) and 90 Eastern Blue- birds in Woodford, IL 31 Oct (MJW) were su- perior. Indiana’s earliest Townsend’s Solitaire ever flew past Dunes 16 Oct (BJG); an ad. was at West Beach 31 Oct (KM, JCl, in.ob.) and 1 Nov (C&DM), with presumably the same bird at Burns Ditch, Porter 10 Nov (KJB). A late Veery was at Monroe 19 Oct (DRW). Quite a find was the Sage Thrasher in Chica- go 10 Nov (KMn, ph. JRRS, ph. GN, m.ob.); Illinois has no more than three prior valid records, with none in the past 35 years. An- other rarity was a Sprague’s Pipit at Greene Valley ER, DuPage, IL 27-28 Oct (REF, ph. JS). Indiana experienced a record flight of Or- ange-crowned Warblers (107 reported). Nashville Warbler also had an impressive flight, highlighted by 25 at Eranke Park, Allen 25 Sep (JBr), which tied Indiana’s highest count. A Northern Parula at Fabyan ER, Kane, IL 7 Nov (DJS) was late. A Yellow Warbler at Dunes 7 Nov (StS, JAH, ph. HM, BB et al.) remained through 10 Nov (BB), providing Indiana’s first Nov record. A Magnolia Warbler in Chicago 27 Oct (BW) was late, while a female Cape May Warbler at Pigeon River EWA., LaGrange, IN 15 Aug (SS) was early. Quite tardy was a Yellow- throated Warbler at Lake Chautauqua N.W.R., Mason, IL 16 Oct (TH). Notably late Palm War- blers included the Indiana lakefront’s latest ever at Forsythe Park, Lake 5 Nov (MT) and a later one at Montrose 30 Nov (GAW). Also late was a Bay-breasted Warbler at Illinois Beach S.R 3 Nov (ph. EWW, m.ob.). Cerulean Warblers are scarcely detected in fall, with typically only sin- gles reported, so 2 at Loud Thunder ER, Rock Is- land, IL 27 Aug (MJB) were notable. A Worm- eating Warbler found at Dunes 1 Sep (BB) yield- ed the first fall lakefront record in Indiana since 1992. At Miller, the female Wilson’s Warbler found 1 Aug (SRB) represented Indiana’s earli- est ever fall record. Summer Tanagers 23 Oct in Sangamon (HDB) and 12 Oct at Dunes (BB) were late, the latter the latest ever for the Indi- ana lakefront. SPARROWS THROUGH WEAVER FINCHES Exceptional tallies of 132 and 100+ Chipping Sparrows were made 13 Oct at Mazonia-Braid- wood State EWA., Will, IL QBH) and 19 Oct in Rockford, IL (BCW), respectively. Three Clay-colored and 6 Vesper Sparrows at West Beach 24 Oct (KJB, SRB, MB, JKC, KN et al.) were noteworthy The Lark Sparrow at Mon- trose 29 Oct (ABB) provided a record late date for Illinois. An ad. male Lark Bunting at Mon- trose 10 Aug (RDH, ph. KH, ph. GAW, m.ob.) was Illinois’s first since 2004. Nelson’s Spar- rows peaked with 7 at Springbrook Prairie ER, DuPage, IL 8 Oct (AB) and 6 at McCool Basin, Porter, IN 3 Oct (BB, JCK, m.ob.). Two Le Conte’s Sparrows were at Goose Pond on both 20 (AK, JO & 21 Oct (DRW). A tally of 75 Fox Sparrows at Mackinaw Bluffs, Woodford 31 Oct (MJW) set a new fall high count for Illinois. At Montrose, a Lincoln’s Sparrow 30 Aug (WSS) and Lapland Longspur 19 Sep (FM, LGM) were early. A Smith’s Longspur, unusual in fall, was noted at L. Shelbyville, Moultrie, IL 22 Sep (tTAM, KAM, MSS). An impressive Snow Bunting flight occurred along the Indiana lakefront 28 Nov, with 787 along the e. lakefront SRB, KJB, CM, JJM et al.) and another 450 at Miller (MT). A notable total of 40 Rose-breasted Gros- beaks was logged at the Bill Zimmerman Pre- serve, Brown, IN 27 Sep OR, JDH, SEH, AM). A first-year male Blue Grosbeak at Eagle Marsh in Ft. Wayne, IN 16 Aug QAH) provid- ed Allen’s 3rd record. Bobolink counts of 170 at Rollins Savanna, Lake 8 Aug (EWW) and 120 at Big L., Brown 9 Aug (KAM) were Illi- nois’s 2nd and 3rd highest totals ever for fall. The 72 Eastern Meadowlarks in Jasper, IL 24 Nov (RES) and 165 Brewer’s Blackbirds on sod fields in McHenry, IL 12 Sep (DBJ) were both notably large fall tallies. A Purple Finch seen in Beaubien Woods ER, Cook 12 Aug (DFS) is apparently the earliest fall migrant on record for Illinois. The lone Red Crossbill reports were of single birds 31 Oct at Miller QJM, JKC, KJB, JCK et al.) and 29 Nov in Cook, IL (DFS). Though Pine Siskin reports in the Re- gion were few, with Indiana’s total of 8 the lowest since 1996, 12 were at the Morton Ar- boretum, DuPage, IL 22 Nov (DFS). Unusual in being away from the Mississippi and Illinois R. corridors were single Eurasian Tree Spar- rows in Champaign, IL 16-25 Oct (DLT, GSL) and at Carlyle 28 Nov (ph. DMK, MSS). Contributors cited (subregional editors in boldface): Todd & Angela Albin, Connie Al- wood. Bill Anderson, David Atkinson, David Ayer (DAy), Susan R. Bagby Steven D. Bailey, Jonathan Bauer, Michael J. Baum, Colleen Becker, Mike Becker, Tom Becker, John Bergstrom QBe), Richard G. Bjorklund, Sigurd N. Bjorklund, Alex B. Bloss, H. David Bohlen, Aaron Boone, Gary & Lisa Bowman, Kenneth J. Brock (Indiana), Jerry Brown QBr), Alan W. Bruner, Brad Bumgardner, John K. Cassady John Castrale, Mike Clarke, Jamie Claus (JCl), Paul R. Clyne, Dan Collins, Charles Crawford, David Crouch (DCr), Tim J. Dever, Alfred G. | Dierkes, Gary Dorman, J. Barny Dunning, | Robert Erickson, Brad Feaster, Julia Ferguson, Karen D. Fisher, Robert E. Fisher, Matthew E. Fraker, Steven M. Freed, Richard D. Funk, Tyler D. Funk, Don Gorney Joel R. Greenberg, Terri B, Greene, Brendan J. Grube, Peter B. j Grube, Bill Grummer, Matthew C. Hale, C. I Leroy Harrison, Ted Harzler, James A. Haw, Fran Headings, Ray Helmuth, James D. Hengeveld, Susan E. Hengeveld, Jed B. Hertz, Dawn Hewitt, Kanae Hirabayashi, Mary Ann ! Hoeffliger, Frank R. Holmes, Wes Homoya, Ed- ward M. Hopkins, Robert D. Hughes, Bob Huguenard, David B. Johnson, Marty Jones, Dan H. Kaiser, Dan M. Kassebaum, Howard ! Kauffman, Amy Kearns, Noah Kearns, Ned Keller (NdK), Phil Kelly, John C. Kendall, Thomas B. Lally Gregory S. Lambeth, Rebecca Lomax-Sumner, Clint & Dana Maddox, Michael A. Madsen, Travis A. Mahan, Karen Mansfield (KMn), Carolyn A. Marsh, Ann Maxwell, Bill McCoy, Jeffrey J. McCoy, Cynthia K. McKee, John D. McKee, Matt Mckim-Loud- er, Keith A. McMullen, Cathy Meyer, Holly Meyers, Kip Miller, Neil Miller, Chuck E. Mills, Fran Morel, Anita L. Morgan, Robert A. Mor- gan, David Mott (DMo), D. James Mountjoy | Pete A. Moxon, Don Mullison (DMu), Luis G. Munoz, Greg Neise, Kevin Nevers, Randy J. Pals, Steve A. Pancol, Larry Peavler, Mike Resch, Michael L. P. Retter, Kevin B. Richmond, Jeff Riegel, William M. Rudden, Steve Sarratore (StS), Sandy Schacht, Leland Shaum (LSh), Rick & Linda Scheibel, Mark S. Seiffert, Wesley ' S. Serafin, Darrell J. Shambaugh, Robert E. Shelby, Andrew R Sigler, Jeffrey R. R. Skrentny f Jeff Smith, Caroline Snow, Leonard Stanley, Lee i W. Sterrenburg, Alan E Stokie, Dan Stoltzfus, j| Douglas F. Stotz (Illinois), Jim Sullivan OSu), ij Paul W. Sweet, Craig B. Thayer, David L. i Thomas, Perry Thoms, Michael Topp, Ray Troyer, Sue & Richard Vernier, Alison Vilag, Eric W. Walters, Kevin Wassel, Mabe Wassel (MWa), Lorna West, Donald R. Whitehead, Barbara C. Williams, Daniel T. Williams, Jr., Christine L. Williamson, Geoffrey A. Williamson, Ben Winger, Marisa Winded, Matthew J. Winks, Dennis Workman. Many others submitted observations but could not be personally acknowledged; all have our thanks for their contributions. O James D. Hengeveld, 6354 Southshore Drive Unionville, Indiana 47468, (jhengeve@indiana.edu) Keith A. McMullen, 1405 DeSoto O'Fallon, Illinois 62269, (warbler7@sbcglobal.net) Geoffrey A. Williamson, 4046 North Clark Street, Unit K Chicago, Illinois 60613, (geoffrey.wiiiiamson@comcast.net) I 78 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS Western Great Lakes Peder H. Svingen September and November were much warmer and drier than normal, while August and October were cooler and wetter than usual. Highlights included the Region’s first Black Guillemot and Acorn Woodpecker. Abbreviations'. Hawk Ridge (Hawk Ridge Na- ture Reserve, Duluth, MN); Horicon (Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area, Dodge, WI); Muskegon (Muskegon Wastewater System, Muskegon, MI); North Shore (North Shore of L. Superior, ne. Minnesota); Pte. Mouillee (Pointe Mouillee State Game Area, Monroe, MI); Shiawassee (Shi- awassee N.W.R., Saginaw, MI); U.P. (Upper Peninsula, MI); Whitefish Pt. (White- fish Point B.O., Chippewa, MI). WATERFOWL THROUGH GREBES Michigan hosted a Ross’s Goose in Macomb 21 Oct-11 Nov QFa, BMc, m.ob.). Wis- consin’s only reports were in Ozaukee 31 Oct (NC) and Brown 24 Nov (T&IB), while Ross’s in five Minneso- ta counties was less than half the number recorded last fall. Three Brant (p.a., SH) were followed by one at Big Bay Lighthouse, Mar- quette, Ml (SH). A high count of 3562 Greater Scaup was obtained at Pte. Mouillee 27 Nov (AMB). The Michigan B.R.C. accept- ed an imm. male King Eider in Chippewa 6-7 Nov (CN, ph. KZ) and will review an eider photographed in flight 27 Oct (CN). A total of 7 Harlequin Ducks was the most ever recorded at Whitefish Pt. Four additional Harlequins in three Michigan locations in- cluded a record-early arrival in Berrien 7 Oct (TB, MH). Female or imm. Harlequin Ducks visited two Minnesota and two Wisconsin lo- cations on the Great Lakes. Unusual were “in- land” reports in Minnesota of 2 on L. Osakis, Todd 15 Nov (BWF) and on L. Mille Lacs 28 Nov (male; PEB, JPM, JLO). Above-average numbers of Surf Scoters surfaced in 14 Wis- consin counties for the 2nd consecutive fall, but only 173 were tallied this season at Whitefish Pt. Above the seasonal average were 3163 White -winged Scoters at Whitefish Pt. Black Scoter is usually the scarcest of the scoter species, but they showed up in 11 in- land Minnesota counties and 11 Wisconsin counties, including a high count of 57 at Mil- waukee 31 Oct (AS). In Michigan, a high count of 86+ Black Scoters was obtained at Marquette 23 Oct (SH), and Whitefish Pt. had its 2nd best season with 255. Whitefish Pt. also had its 2nd best total of 32,841 Long- tailed Ducks, with a peak of 10,782 on 27 Oct. A drake Barrow’s Goldeneye at Duluth 17-27 Nov+ (PHS, ph. DD, ph. EB) may be the same individual that wintered last year. More than usual. Northern Bobwhite was reported from five Wisconsin counties. Nor- mally a very rare fall migrant in Minnesota, but continuing its recent increase, were up to 7 Red-throated Loons at Duluth. Wisconsin had five reports of Red-throated Loons from three se. counties. Red-throated Loon migra- tion started with 6 at Whitefish Pt. 7 Sep and peaked at 86 there 23 Sep. Michigan had sin- gle Pacific Loons at Whitefish Pt. 25 Sep (p.a., TP) and St. Joseph, Berrien 4 Nov (MH, TB). Pacific Loons transited five Minnesota and four Wisconsin locations. Eight Western Grebes was an exceptional total for Wiscon- sin. Five Western Grebes made an unprece- dented number for Michigan; one provided the 2nd Whitefish Pt. record 31 Oct-1 Nov (ph. CN, ph. JBo). HERONS THROUGH SHOREBIRDS Continuing from summer was a Little Blue Heron in Monroe, MI through 2 Aug (TW, DO). Another visited Pte. Mouillee 25 Aug (ATC). In Wisconsin, a Little Blue Heron moved back and forth between Dane and Co- lumbia 10-16 Aug (CHe, AH). Most unusual of 2 Little Blue Herons in the Twin Cities area was a long-staying imm. in Ramsey, MN 24 Aug-21 Sep (EC, m.ob.). A Yellow-crowned Night-Heron visited Columbia, WI 24-30 Aug QO, MB). In Minnesota, an ad. Yellow- crowned from summer lingered in Hennepin through 3 Aug, while a juv. strayed w. to Lyon 18 Aug (ph. MO). Wisconsin reported White- faced Ibis in Dodge 16-18 Aug (AH, JS). Unidentified Plegadis ibis were found in all three states; record late for Minnesota was one in Blue Earth 30 Nov-1 Dec (RK, ph. RMD). The Detroit River Hawk- watch (formerly Southeast Michigan Raptor Research, Wayne, MI) and Hawk Ridge both reported low numbers for most diurnal raptors. Cedar Grove Banding Sta- tion documented Swallow- tailed Kite in Sheboygan, WI 19 Aug (NG, HM). Michi- gan had the Region’s only Mississippi Kite at Lake Erie Metropark 20 Sep (SC, GN, ph. DF, ph. JMT). Record late was a Broad-winged Hawk at Hawk Ridge 15 Nov (KJB). Nicoletti trapped and banded a hatch-year fe- male Gyrfalcon in St. Louis, MN 9 Oct (FJN, ph. ABL). Michigan’s only Gyrfalcon was found near Sauk Ste. Marie 3 Nov (HD, CRo). A Gyrfalcon in Ashland, WI 28 Nov+ (RSB) was probably a returning individual. Three Prairie Falcons in Minnesota equaled last fall’s total. Wisconsin’s only King Rail was in Waukesha 1 Sep (DG). An injured Purple Gallinule was turned in for rehabilitation in Milwaukee, WI 21 Oct (SD). American Avocets in 1 1 Michigan counties included a high count of 24 at Ludington S.P., This juvenile Arctic Tern, present at the Three Oaks Wastewater Treatment Ponds, Berrien County, Michigan from 27 (here 28) November into early December 2009, was the latest ever recorded in the Western Great Lakes region. Photograph by Darlene Friedman. VOLUME64(2010).NUMBER1 79 ! WESTERN GREAT LAKES Mason 17 Aug (DCD). Wisconsin hosted avo- cets in five counties, including 12 in Co- lumbia 9 Aug (JRo). Sixty-six Spotted Sandpipers teetered at Muskegon 2 Aug (CW). Normally a rare fall migrant, 18 re- ports of Whimbrel in Michigan was extraor- dinary; the largest group was 10 in Berrien 31 Aug (MH). Unusual for Wiscon- sin was a flock of 25 Hudsonian Godwits in Columbia 17 Aug (JRo). Michigan re- ported one to 3 Mar- bled Godwits at five locations. Wisconsin’s only Marbled Godwit showed up in Dodge 1 Aug (KK). Michigan welcomed more Red Knots than usual. Multiple reports from Pte. Mouillee included a high count of 18 on 6 Sep (AMB). Elsewhere were 3 in Bay 2 Sep (DJ), 8 at Lake Erie Metropark 6 Sep (GN), and an in- jured bird in Monroe 19 Oct (WGP). Minneso- ta’s only Red Knot visited Cass 6 Sep (AB, BAW). A well-documented Western Sandpiper was last seen in Manitowoc, WI 30 Oct (CS). At least 6 Purple Sandpipers were found in Michigan in Nov. Wisconsin’s only Purple Sandpiper visited Kewauneee 8 Nov (RA). Anich tallied 2400 Dunlins in Ashland, WI 26 Oct (NA). Wisconsin reported another good Buff-breasted Sandpiper migration, with 17 re- ports from eight counties, but the Minnesota statewide total of 51 birds was relatively low for the 7th consecutive fall. Michigan record- ed a total of 6 Buff-breasteds in four locations. Michigan hosted Ruffs at Pte. Mouillee 6 Sep (AMB, JD, BMu) and Tawas Point S.P., Iosco 20 Sep (DJ). Minnesota’s statewide total of 401 Red-necked Phalaropes included 145 at War- road, Roseau 6 Sep (KRE et ah). Michigan at- tracted single Red Phalaropes at Whitefish Pt. 8 Oct (p.a., ph. CN, TP, SH), Ottawa 1 Nov (RBr), and Mason 1 Nov (ph. DCD, TG). Es- tablishing the first Sibley record was a Red Phalarope at Gaylord W.T.P., MN 17 Oct (RBW, RMD, PEB, DAB, ph. CHo). GULLS THROUGH HUMiVlINGBIRDS All three states recorded Black-legged Kitti- wake. Michigan had 3, including an ad. in Berrien 16 Oct (AVi) and first-cycles in Berrien (AVi, JLa, DLa) and at Whitefish Pt. (TP), both Providing Michigan's first record since 1939, and third overall, was this Dovekie found dead at South Haven, Van Buren County 21 November 2009. Photgraph by Allen T. Chartier. 15 Nov. Wisconsin had one in Ozaukee 24 Oct (p.a., DT), and Minnesota had one at the Su- perior Entry, St. Louis 31 Oct (MLH, PHS). Scarce compared to recent fall migrations, Minnesota reported single Sabine’s Gulls in Crow Wing 19 Sep (ph. J&SB) and Rice 27 Sep (DAB, jWH), while Michigan’s only Sabine’s passed Whitefish Pt. 9 Oct (TP). Above aver- age were at least 12 Little Gulls in six Michi- gan locations, starting with 2 in Beirien 26 Aug (TB) and ending with one in Mason 25-29 Nov (PF, DCD, JLi); along the way was a first Marquette record at L. Independence 24 Oct (SH, DPa). In contrast, Wisconsin’s only Little Gull visited Sheboygan 13 Aug QO), and Min- nesota had none. Twelve Franklin’s Gulls in six Michigan locations were more than usual. A first-cycle California Gull on the Minnesota side of the Superior Entry 21 Nov-i- (MLH, PHS, ph. KJB) was the 4th for St. Louis', it flew across the state line into Wisconsin on the 25th (p.a., KJB). A high count of 8 Thayer’s Gulls at Marquette, Ml 29 Oct (SH) punctuat- ed an above-average season for the Wolverine State. More consistent coverage at the Superi- or Entry resulted in record-high counts for Minnesota of 16 Thay- er’s Gulls 31 Oct (MLH, PHS) and 4 Iceland Gulls 28 Nov (PHS); most of these birds were also seen on the Wisconsin side of the Entry. Nine Ice- land Gulls in Michi- gan included an early arrival at Marquette 21-22 Oct (SH). Min- nesota’s 6th Siaty- backed Gull since 2006 was a third-cycle bird at the Superior Entry 28 Oct+ (ph. KJB et ah). It flew across the Entry and into Wisconsin 14 Nov (ph. EB) and was subsequently refound and photographed by many at Canal Park, Duluth. Record late for Michigan was a juv. Arctic Tern at Three Oaks 27 Nov+ (KM, AVi, ph DF, ph. JFo, ph. JM). An imm. Pomarine Jaeger was at Port Huron, St. Clair, MI 17 Nov (ph. KO). At least 6 Par- asitic Jaegers were documented at Wisconsin Pt. 17 Sep-7 Oct (m.ob.), most of which were among the 7 identified at Duluth, MN this fall. The highlight of this year’s “Jaegerfest” at Wis- consin Pt. was a juv. Long-tailed Jaeger 18 Sep (p.a., TRS, ph. SF). Another juv. Long-tailed was photographed at Whitefish Pt. 22 Sep (p.a., ph. CN, DF, TP). Minnesota’s 10th Band-tailed Pigeon fre- quented a feeder in Hubbard 27-29 Oct (p.a., ph. RAl). Single White-winged Doves at Du- luth, MN 24 Aug (CRu) and 4-10 Oct (CRu, ph. PHS, m.ob.) were probably different indi- viduals; 15 of Minnesota’s 17 records have oc- curred since 2003. Furnishing the 2nd Cuss, MI record was a Barn Owl in Penn Twp. 7 Sep QTW, MS). Five Northern Hawk Owls in Michigan and 27 in Minnesota were harbin- sa: Aidds made headlines in the Region this fail. Providing Michigan's 3rd record and its first since 1939 was an emaciat- ed male Dovekie found dead at South Haven, Van Buren 21 Nov (p.a., G&BS, *University of Michigan Museum of Zo- ology). In Minnesota, the Region's first Black Guillemot was found alive at Taconite Harbor, Cook 7 Nov (CL, ph. KRE, ph. SBM, m.ob.) but died the next morning (*British Museum of Natural History). Necropsy of this first-year female did not reveal cause of death, as there were no obvious signs of injury and the bird was not emaciated. Recently publicized and providing Wiscon- sin's first record since 1975 was a juv. Ancient Murrelet found moribund in Outagamie 2 Nov 2007 (PH, *University of Wis- consin-Eau Claire). Conventional wisdom predicts that alcids are likely to starve to death on the Great Lakes. This was certain- ly not true of Michigan's 7th Ancient Murrelet at Tiscornia Park, Berrien 14-25 Nov (TB, ph. MH, ph. AJ, m.ob.), probably the most"chaseable"alcid ever found in the Region. It was observed feeding on minnows and even vocalized at times. ! 80 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS WESTERN GREAT LAKES gers of a winter irruption, but Great Gray Owls were scarce. The summering Chuck-will’s-wid- ow in Berrien, MI broke its vow of silence 1 Aug (SAJ). Michigan’s 5 th Green Violetear vis- ited Grand Rapids, Kent 26 Sep (ph. RBo). All three states recorded Rufous Hummingbird. In Wisconsin, males were photographed at feed- ers in Bayfield 5 Aug (TO) and Rock 4-10 Oct (EH). In Michigan, beginning in late Sep, ad. females were photographed in Genesee (KB, ph. ATC, JBu) and Van Buren (KH, ph. ATC, JTW). Furnishing Minnesota’s first confirmed record since 1999 was an ad. male Rufous in Lyon 2-28 Aug (BM, ph. BS). WOODPECKERS THROUGH FINCHES Another Regional first was an ad. male Acorn Woodpecker serendipitously photographed at Crow Wing S.P. in cen. Minnesota 9 Nov (ph. DB). A coordinated walking survey of Park Point, Duluth, MN produced a record- high count of 144 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers 23 Sep (CRu, PHS). Black-backed Woodpeck- ers in three Wisconsin and 10 Minnesota counties were typical numbers. Michigan had above-average numbers of Black-backeds in nine U.P. counties, including 16 at the Black River Falls burn in Marquette 5 Sep (SH). Wis- consin’s 3rd Say’s Phoebe did not linger at Horicon 27 Oct (p.a., DT). Michigan attract- ed Western Kingbirds in Baraga 8 Sep (ph. JY) and Alger 13 Sep (SH, C&MH). In Min- nesota, late Jul’s Scissor-tailed Flycatcher lin- gered in Dodge through 3 Aug. Michigan wel- comed Scissor-taileds at Whitefish Pt. 8 Oct (ph. CN, TP, SH) and Monroe 29 Oct (ph. AVa). Though not seen by anyone except the landowners, Minnesota’s 3rd Fork-tailed Fly- catcher was artfully photographed in Pine IS- IS Nov (CE, ph. HE). Encouraging for Wis- consin was an ad. Loggerhead Shrike with 2 fledged young in Dunn 16 Aug QP)- One or more Fish Crows were last reported in Berrien, MI 16 Oct (AVi) and 28 Oct (MH). Two Cave Swallows were well seen in flight at Wisconsin Pt. 14 Nov (NA). Whitefish Pt. recorded its first Tufted Titmouse 16 Oct (ph. CN, TP, JH et al). Unusually far n. in Michi- gan was a Carolina Wren on Manitou I., Ke- weenaw 5 Oct (GC). Mountain Bluebird was not reported in Minnesota this fall, and Townsend’s Solitaire was relatively scarce in all three states. Wood Thrushes lingered in Free- born, MN 28 Oct (D&BM) and Saginaw, MI 27 Nov (DJP). It must have been challenging to count 28,178 American Robins roosting in Livington, MI 25 Oct (RAW)! Michigan and Wisconsin each reported 6 Northern Mock- ingbirds, while Minnesota had half as many. Record early in Minnesota was an American Pipit in Carver 6 Aug (RBW, CMB). Warblers surviving the cold of Oct estab- lished record or near-record late dates during balmy Nov, including a Nashville Warbler in St. Louis, MN 13 Nov (KJB) and a Northern Parula in Lake, MN 12-13 Nov (CRu, KJB). Furnishing the 3rd Michigan record of Audubon’s Warbler were 2 in Delta 18 Nov; one lingered through the period (p.a., ph. JK, AMB). Less unusual farther w. but still note- worthy was an Audubon’s in Lake, MN 12 Nov (CRu). Also late were a Yellow-throated Warbler in LaCrosse, WI 10 Oct-28 Nov (BG), a Pine Warbler in Keweenaw, MI 9 Nov QY) and another in Hennepin, MN 19 Nov (SLC), single American Redstarts in Mani- towoc, WI 31 Oct (BD) and Hennepin, MN 2 Nov (SLC), a Prothonotary Warbler in Hen- nepin, MN 27 Oct-1 Nov (RHi, DWK, m.ob.), and an Ovenbird in Hennepin, MN 28 Nov+ (SLC). Wisconsin reported Summer Tanagers in Winnebago 26 Aug (DT) and Waukesha 4 Oct (AS). In Minnesota, late fall Summer Tanagers typically show up along the North Shore, making one in Otter Tail 21 Nov (ph. SJ) and one in Hennepin 29 Nov (ph. CBa) even more unusual. In Michigan, a tardy female Scarlet Tanager visited a feeder in Midland 20 Nov (ph. JZR, JaL, JZ). Easterly was a Western Tanager in Burnett, WI 8 Aug (WM); this species is rarely found anywhere in the Re- gion during fall migration. Tardy sparrows in Michigan included a Clay-colored Sparrow in Marquette 4-17 Nov (SH, JH), 2 Grasshopper Sparrows in Berrien 14 Oct (MH, TB), and a Henslow’s Sparrow in Berrien, Ml 14 Oct (MH, TB). Both Michigan and Wisconsin re- ported above-average numbers of Le Conte’s Sparrow. Six reports of Nelson’s Sparrow in five Wisconsin counties was a good showing for the Badger State. Four reports of Ammo- dramus sp. in Michigan included single Nel- son’s/Saltmarsh Sparrows at Pte. Mouillee 4 Oct (AMB, CP) and Huron 5 Oct (p.a., BR, JV). Lincoln’s Sparrows lingered in Wayne, Ml 24 Nov+ (ph. KO) and Milwaukee, WI 29 Nov (TWo). Late and far from its usual haunts was a Chestnut-collared Longspur at Au Sable Lighthouse, Alger, MI 29 Oct (p.a., ph. CBr). A Western Meadowlark strayed eastward to Presque Isle Park, Marquette, MI 7 Nov (ph. SH). Encouraging in light of its recent decline were 1500 Rusty Blackbirds at Shi- awassee 10 Nov (LMA). Record-high counts in ne. Minnesota of 829 Purple Finches in Cook 4 Oct and 757 in Lake 5 Oct (mostly moving northeastward, CRu) were soon eclipsed by 2035 in St. Louis 12 Oct (mostly southbound, CRu). The only significant count of Evening Grosbeaks was II6-1- in Marquette, MI 22 Nov (VB). Cited observers (subregional editors in bold- face): Larry M. Abraham, Roselyn Albers (RAl), Nick Anich, Ryan Atwater, Carolyn Bachman (CBa), Doug Backlund, Tim Baer- wald, Karl J. Bardon, David A. Bartkey Ty & Ida Baumann, Karen Bennett, Vicki Bennon, Andrew Binek, Jo & Steve Blanich, Jason Bo- jczyk QBo)! Marilyn Bontly, Ray Bowers (RBo), Ryan S. Brady, Cynthia Bridge (CBr), Rick Brigham (RBr), Eric Bruhnke, Conny M. Brunell, Paul E. Budde (Minnesota), Jeff Buecking QBu), Adam M. Byrne (eBird Michi- gan), Steve L. Carlson, Allen T. Chartier (Michigan), Greg Cleary Erik Collins, Noel Cutright, Seth Outright, Jim Dawe, Scott Diehl, David C. Dister, Bob Domagalski, Heidi Doman, Diana Doyle, Robert M. Dunlap, Kim R. Eckert, Chris Eichert, Heidi Eichert, Joseph Faggan Qba). Bruce A. Fall (eBird Minneso- ta), James Fox 0Fo)> Scott Franke, Darlene Friedman, Ben W Frichtman, Nancy Gibson, Tim Granger, Brian Gray, Dennis Gustafson, Karen Harmon, Skye Haas, Chuck Heikkinen (CHe), Michael L. Hendrickson, Carl & Mary Henshcen, Patrick Hietpas, Ruth Hiland (RHi), Chris Hockema (CHo), John W. Hock- ema, Randy Hoffman (Wisconsin), Aaron Holschbach, Eric Howe, Joanie Hubinger, Matt Hysell, Doug Jackson, Steve Janssen, Scott A Jennex, Andy Johnson, Joe Kaplan, Robert Kaul, Kay Kavanagh, Doug W. Kieser, David Lautenbach (DLa), Jonathan Lauten- bach OLa). Jana Lind QaL), Joe Lipar 0Li)> Andrew B. Longtin, Cyndi Lubecke, Dennis & Barbara Martin, James P. Mattsson, Bruce McGee (BMc), Bob Meyer, Scott B. Meyer, Kip Miller, Jeff Moore, Helmut Mueller, William Mueller, Brad Murphy (BMu), Gary Nelkie, Chris Neri, Frank J. Nicoletti, Darrin O’Brien, Tim Oksuita, Mike Osmond, James L. Otto, Jim Otto, Karl Overman, Andy Paulios (eBird Wisconsin), David Pavlik (DPa), Walter G. Pawloski, David J. Peters, Janine Polk, Tom Prestby (eBird Wisconsin), Caleb Putnam, Bruce Robertson, Craig Robinson (CRo), John Romano 0Ro)> Cameron Rutt (CRu), Joe Schaufenbuel, Thomas R. Schultz, Bill Schu- na, Mike Smith, Charles Sontag, Gail & Bill Stewart, Peder H. Svingen, Andrea Szymczak, Daryl Tessen, Joan M. Tisdale, Jim VanAllen, Al VanDaele (AVa), Alison Village (AVi), Tex Wells, Carolyn Weng, Ben A. Wieland, Robert B. Williams, Richard A. Wolinski, Tom Wood (TWo), Jonathan T. Wuepper, Joseph Young- man, Jan Zender-Romick O^R), Jerry Ziarno, Kirk Zufelt. We offer sincere thanks to the hundreds of contributors who could not be cited here individually. ^ Peder H. Svingen, 2602 East 4th Street Duluth, Minnesota 55812, (psvingen@cl.umn.edu) VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 81 Iowa & Missouri Walter Wehtje Fall 2009 continued the trend of extreme weather experienced by both states dur- ing the summer. In Iowa, August was cool and wet, with widespread flooding in the southeast and record monthly precipitation totals at some locations. By contrast, Septem- ber was mild and the driest one on record. In Missouri, August was significantly cooler than normal, with much of northern Missouri re- ceiving record amounts of rain during the month. September was a little warmer, but the rainfall pattern changed, with the northern portion of Missouri being relatively dry, and the southern parts much wetter. The earlier weather patterns were ampli- fied in October. It was Iowa’s third coldest and second wettest October on record and the fifth coldest and second wettest October on record for Missouri. The first two weeks of the month were extraordinarily chilly, with record-low temperatures noted in the north- western two-thirds of Missouri and through- out Iowa. Underwood, in southwestern Iowa, received nearly 18 cm of snow on 10 October. This coincided with record-setting precipita- tion in southern Missouri, where much of the area received two to three times the average rainfall. This pattern abruptly ended in No- vember, when another shift in weather pat- terns ended the fall season on a warm and dry note. The extremely wet conditions in Au- gust, aggravated further in October, hlled wetlands, swelled rivers, and flooded fields. As a result, shorebirds and waterfowl had plenty of habitat, making their movements widespread, slow, and difficult to track. The warm November also seemed to delay the tail end of the migration, especially for migrant geese, as plenty of open water remained to our north and west. Few observers reported good birding for fall migrants. The passerine migration was de- scribed by many as light. Despite these wide shifts in the weather, there were several high- lights. Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks and Mottled Ducks showed up in both states, while Missouri also had records of Clark’s Grebe, California Gull, and Common Poor- will. Another species of note for Iowa was Chestnut-collared Longspun Abbreviations: B.B. (Bob Brown C.A., Holt, MO); B.K.L. (B. K, Leach C.A., Lincoln, MO); C.B. (Columbia Bottoms C.A., St. Louis, MO); C.C.L, (Creve Coeur L, St. Louis, MO); C.C.P. (Caruthersville Catfish Ponds Pemiscot, MO); C.C.R. (Clarence Cannon N.W.R., Pike, MO); E.B. (Eagle Bluffs C.A., Boone, MO); EG. (Fountain Grove C.A., Linn/Livingston, MO); Hitchcock (Hitchcock W.M.A. hawkwatch, Pottawattamie, lA); KMOS (KMOS TV Tower, Morgan, MO); Mingo (Mingo N.W.R. Bollinger/Stoddard, MO); M.W.S.U. (Missouri Western State University Buchanan, MO); O.S. (Otter Slough C.A., Stoddard, MO); R.M.B.S. (Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary, St. Charles, MO); P.S.P. (Prairie S.P., Barton, MO); Saylorville (Saylorville Res., Polk, lA); S.C.R. (Squaw Creek N.W.R., Holt, MO.); S.L.R. (Swan Lake N.W.R. , Chariton, MO); S.R. (Smithville Res., Clay, MO); S.S. (St. Stanis- laus C.A., St. Louis, MO). WATERFOWL THROUGH HERONS Two Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks at EG. 12 Aug made Missouri’s 13th record (SK); 2 that visited Iowa near Fort Madison, Lee were shot 23 Sep (tGZ, ph. EVA). In se. Missouri, Fulvous Whistling-Ducks were at C.C.P. 9 (one; JWE), 13 (4; ph. DB), & 30 Aug (2; JWE). Ross’s Geese were early, with 7 birds at R.M.B.S. 17 Oct (BR). Trumpeter Swan sight- ings continue to increase. The earliest Mis- souri sightings this season were of 6 at R.M.B.S. 2 Nov (PB). Missouri’s duck of the season was undoubtedly the state’s 2nd Mot- tled Duck, a male shot at B.B. 20 Nov (*NG). Based upon this record, and the presence of 2 Mottled Ducks found during summer that continued at Saylorville through 5 Aug (SJD, JG), birders should give dark, female-type Mallards a closer look. It may well be that this species is more common than we think. A possibly summering Northern Shoveler was at O.S. 9 Aug OWE); 19 shovelers at O.S. and 18 near C.C.P, both 30 Aug, were undoubt- edly migrants QWE). In Iowa, a Long-tailed Duck visited Saylorville 10-11 Nov (SJD, AB). In Iowa, all three species of scoter showed up in typical numbers. In Missouri, they arrived later and in lower numbers. Single Surf Scot- ers were found at C.C.L. and Binder L., Cole 1 Nov OWE, BJ). White-winged Scoter was seen at R.M.B.S. 6 Nov. Black Scoters were at Little Dixie Lake C.A., Callaway 1 Nov (BJ), at S.R. 7 Nov (SK), and at R.M.B.S.25 Nov OWE). Ruddy Ducks peaked at 900 in late Oct at Saylorville (AB, SJD), and as many as 1000 were at S.R. 2 Nov (SK). There were no reports of Greater Prairie-Chicken for the 2009 fall season. Common Loons peaked in Iowa 15 Nov, when 283 were counted at Saylorville (CG); a count of 133 at Stockton L., Cedar 11 Nov (BJ, AF) may be an all-time high for Missouri, and 67 birds were still present there 29 Nov OWE). Missouri’s 5th Clark’s Grebe showed up at S.R. 4 Nov (DW, ph. AS), associating with 2 West- ern Grebes, with all 3 present at least until 25 Nov. Migrating Double-crested Cormorants peaked in Oct with 500 at R.M.B.S. 13 Oct OWE). More unexpected was an Anhinga in Shell Knob, Barry 4 Sep (NR): if confirmed, this record would only be the 3rd report of this species away from its former stronghold in the Mississippi Lowlands. Two American Bitterns seen during the St. Louis Audubon Society’s Yellow Rail Walk at B.K.L. 3 Oct were note- worthy; one at Saylorville 27 Nov OO) tied the record-late date for Iowa. Also in Iowa, at least one family group of Least Bitterns was discov- ered at Union Slough N.W.R., Kossuth in Aug (MCK), confirming breeding there for the 2nd year in a row. The only migrant Least Bittern reported was a tower-killed bird at KMOS 15 Sep (WW). At S.L.R., more than 300 Great Egrets were present 4 Aug (SK), with a single bird at S.C.R. 28 Nov (LL). A Cattle Egret at Grimes, Polk 22 Nov was the 2nd latest on record for Iowa (ph. JB). Iowa waders of note included 4 Snowy Egrets at Blue Wing Marsh, Palo Alto 29 Aug (LAS) and 3 Little Blue Herons at Adel, Dallas 13 Sep (TLa). Five Ple- gadis ibis at R.M.B.S. 17 Oct (JWE, BR) and 6 at E.B.C.A. 23 Oct (SM) were most likely White-faced; 2 were still present at E.B.C.A. 2 Nov (BJ). Farther w, 2 ibis at S.C.R. 1 Nov (fide JWE) were equally late. RAPTORS THROUGH TERNS Both of Iowa’s annual hawkwatches had aver- age seasons, but Hitchcock did record several record flights. On 23 Oct, during a prolonged break between rain bands, 138 Northern Har- riers, 237 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 4 Northern Goshawks, 933 Red-tailed Hawks, and 19 Merlins were counted, all single-day records. On the other hand, only 248 Swainson’s Hawks were counted there during the season, the 2nd lowest total in 10 years (MO). A late Black Vulture at Bagnell Dam, L. of the Ozarks, Camden 27 Nov QWE) was farther n. than expected. Very impressive were the 50 82 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS IOWA & MISSOURI Northern Harriers at P.S.R 29 Nov (DR). The latest Sharp-shinned Hawks were 2 birds in St. Charles 21 Nov QWE). An imm. Northern Goshawk at S.C.R. 15 Oct (LL) was the only Missouri bird reported. Six Red-shouldered Hawks at S.L.R. 19 Sep (SK) were notable. A late bird was also seen in St. Joseph, Buchanan 19 Nov (ph. JM). An imm. Swainson’s Hawk s. of St. Joseph, Buchanan 31 Oct (ph. MN) provided one of the latest records for Mis- souri. A Golden Eagle at Hitchcock 1 Sep was record early for the fall (MO). In Missouri, 3 imm. Golden Eagles were reported — singles in Macon 31 Oct (RJB), in Clinton 3 Nov (SK), and a bird suffering from lead poisoning at Shelbina, Shelby 15 Oct that was taken in for treatment (KK). The first Merlin was seen at S.L.R. 7 Sep (BJ) and the last at R.M.B.S. 31 Oct (BR). In Iowa, Prairie Falcons were re- ported from Neal Smith N.W.R., Jasper (JN) and Hitchcock Pottawattamie (MO) on the same day, 24 Oct. Both Missouri Prairie Fal- con observations came from the w. tier of counties: single birds were seen near B.B. 1 Nov 0V7E) and at ES.E 27 Nov (LH). Migrant Yellow Rails were reported from six different locations in Iowa between 1 1 Sep and 9 Oct, including 3 flushed from in front of a mower in Marshall 3 Oct (KKu). A fami- ly group of King Rails was found in n. Polk 6 Aug (TDK). The high count of Soras was a staggering 125 at S.L.R. 14 Sep (SK). The only report of Common Moorhen was from Buchanan, where 2 ads. were observed at Horseshoe L. 31 Aug (LL). Iowa reports of Sandhill Cranes spanned the period and came from eight counties. In Missouri, a pair that enjoyed E.B.C.A. for much of the summer stayed until the end of Oct (SM). In Iowa, 5 Piping Plovers were at four locations QG. Jfi JS, RC, SJD), while the single Missouri record was from S.C.R. 10 Aug (SK). Very late was a Killdeer chick found in Stoddard 13 Nov (ph. CB). The latest American Avocet was at R. M.B.S. through 14 Nov (BR). A total of 67 Black-necked Stilts were counted at the C.C.P. 9 Aug OWE). A Whimbrel was at Hawkeye W. A., Johnson 23 Aug (tJP). Other fine Iowa sightings included a Hudsonian Godwit at Hawkeye 1 1 Aug QF) and a Red Knot at Say- lorville 23 Aug (SJD). Red Rock Res., Marion hosted 496 Lesser Yellowlegs 1 Aug (SJD); only 22 were counted in the entire state after that, a testament to the impact of heavy rains in Aug and Sep. Ten Ruddy Turnstones at S. L.R. 10 Aug was noteworthy (SK). Three re- ports of Western Sandpiper included 2 along the Des Moines R. in mid-Aug (SJD, JG, TJ), 2 at the C.C.P. 9 Aug OWE), and one at E.B.C.A. 16 Aug (BJ). Five Pectoral Sand- pipers at S.C.R. 1 Nov QWE) were the latest reported in the Region. Late Stilt Sandpipers included 2 in Chariton 25 Oct (SK). GULLS THROUGH WOODPECKERS The faithful Black-headed Gull continued at Spirit L., Dickinson, lA, last seen there 25 Oct (JG). A single Laughing Gull at R.M.B.S. 24 Oct OWE) was a fairly late sighting. Single Franklin’s Gulls at R.M.B.S. 7 Nov (MT) and C.C.L. 26 Nov OWE) were notable. Iowa re- ported 4 Sabine’s Gulls: one at Saylorville 29 Sep (SJD), one at Blackhawk L., Sac 1 Oct OR), and 2 at Red Rock Res., Marion 18 Oct OG, AJ, MR CE). With fewer than 15 records of the species in Missouri, a first-cycle California Gull at R.M.B.S. 25 Oct (tJWE) was remark- able. An ad. Herring Gull at R.M.B.S. 23 Aug was early, as were 2 (ad. and juv.) there 31 Aug OWE). A third-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull was at R.M.B.S. 12 & 24 Oct OWE). In Iowa, single Lesser Black-backeds were at Coralville L., Johnson 10 Oct OF) and at Cedar L, Linn 1 Nov (BS). A first-cycle Glaucous Gull re- mained at R.M.B.S. 24 Nov+ (BJ, JWE). At least 20 Least Terns were on breeding barges at R.M.B.S. 1 Aug OPU, m.ob.). The last Yellow-billed Cuckoo reported was an imm. at C.C.R. 11 Oct (MT). The only Barn Owl reported in Missouri was at Bois D’Arc C.A., Greene 8 & 22 Nov (ChB, Jide DR). Five Long-eared Owls were found roosting in a pri- vate pine grove in Livingston 10 Nov (SK), while a single Short-eared Owl was on a pri- vate prairie in Newton 14 Nov (|C). In Iowa, a single Snowy Owl was found in Story 30 Nov (HZ). At Hitchcock, banders netted an im- pressive total of 39 Northern Saw-whet Owls, the first on 15 Oct (MO, JT). A strong move- ment of Common Nighthawks occurred over Mason City 12 Sep, with 790 counted in about one hour (PH). The last nighthawks reported were 2 birds over Des Moines, Polk on 21 Oct (KVS) — the 4th latest date for Iowa. More un- expected was Missouri’s 2nd Common Poor- will, hit by a car n. of Maitland, Holt, MO 21 Nov (tBSh, DAE, ph.). The bird was kept overnight and released the following day. Iowa’s last Chimney SvAfts were single birds in Burlington, Des Moines (CF) and the city of Des Moines Des Moines (RC), both on 21 Oct. A late bird was in University City, St. Louis 24 Oct (MT). An imm. male Ruby-throated Hum- mingbird in New Haven Franklin 1-6 Nov (ph. PC) was very late. Three Rufous Humming- birds were present in sw. Missouri. An imm. male was in Greene until 8 Nov (ZE), while an- other or possibly the same male was at a dif- ferent feeder in Greene until the end of the pe- riod (BN, CN). Another male arrived at a feed- er in Christian 5 Oct and stayed until the end of the period (KT). A new seasonal record to- tal of 1860 Red-headed Woodpeckers migrated past the Hitchcock hawkwatch tower, with 521 counted 6 Sep (MO). FLYCATCHERS THROUGH WEAVER FIHCHES An Alder Flycatcher was both seen and heard at S. S. 30 Aug (BR). Several Yellow-bellied Fly- catchers were captured at M.W.S.U. during the season; the earliest one was banded 30 Aug, the last on 26 Sep QH). A Western Kingbird along Hwy. 94, St. Charles 6 Aug (DF) was almost at the Mississippi River. A male Scissor-tailed Fly- catcher was at C.B. 24 Oct (BR). In Iowa, one was in Woodbury 25-26 Oct (TLu, BH, GV), the 3rd latest date for the state. Continuing the trend of the past two years, multiple Northern Shrikes were reported. In Missouri, singles were observed in Dade, in w. Livingston, and near Wah-Sha-She Prairie C.A., Jasper (ChB, Jide DR, SK, tJWE) — the latter may be the southernmost ever in Missouri (]\¥E). An ex- tremely late Blue-headed Vireo was at S.C.R. 1 Nov (DW). A single Black-billed Magpie was found in Pottawattamie, lA 19 Oct (tMO), con- siderably s. of the traditional site in Plymouth. In Iowa, a Purple Martin at Red Rock, Marion 29 Oct (NM) was a 2nd latest on record for the state. Other late swallows included a Tree Swal- low at Little Dixie L., Callaway 17 Nov (BJ), 10 Northern Rough-winged Swallows at C.C.R. 11 Oct (MT), 5 Barn Swallows at M.S.L. 23 Oct (DAE), and a Cliff Swallow at O.S.l Nov (ph. CB). A Red-breasted Nuthatch in nw. Livingston on 1 Sep (SK) was early. A Golden-crowned Kinglet 19 Aug in Jefferson was 2nd earliest for Iowa (DP); a late Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at O.S. 14 Oct (*CB) was possibly the first Oct record for Missouri. The season’s only Townsend’s Solitaire turned up in Lansing, Allamakee, lA 26 Nov (JG). A very late catbird was at Persh- ing S.P., Linn 23 Nov (SK). Another late mimid in n. Missouri was a Brown Thrasher that lin- gered in Country Club, Andrew 11-26 Nov (tLG). A high count of more than 250 Ameri- can Pipit birds near S.C.R. 14 Nov was note- worthy (SK, LL). The only Sprague’s Pipit re- ported was one at Dunn Ranch, Harrison 4 Oct (SK). A single Nashville Warbler at S.S. 31 Oct (BR) was late. There were 9 Black-throated Blue Warblers found in Iowa this fall, all fe- males. Two were reported from Missouri: one at T. G.P. 2 Sep (m.ob.) and a first-year male at M.W.S.U. 11 Oct (b. JH). A Prairie Warbler at O.S. 15 Aug (ph. CB) was the first of the season. Two Kentucky Warblers salvaged at KMOS 24 Sep (*WW) were quite late. A Connecticut Warbler at George Wyth S.R, Black Hawk 23 Sep (DE) was quite rare for the fall season. A Common Yellowthroat at KMOS 12 Nov (*WW) was a very late migrant. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 83 IOWA & MISSOURI r A A valuable method of monitoring migration is to check television and radio transmission towers for nocturnal mi- J /sgrants. Federal regulations require tower operators to keep such structures illuminated at night. During cloudy condi- tions, these safety lights attract nocturnal migrants, many of which are killed or injured when they strike the tower, the guy wires, or other birds. The KMOSTV tower in n. Morgan, MO was checked on 10 occasions in Sep. During a ten-day period (15- 24 Sep), more than 670 migrant birds of 50 species were salvaged from the area. Given that not all observed birds were sal- vaged— and that many birds were eaten by scavengers before sunrise and more than 35% of the area below the tower was not searched — the above numbers represent less than half of the birds killed during this period. The most numerous species salvaged were: Red-eyed Vireo (121), Ovenbird (106), Gray Catbird (103), Black-and-white Warbler (51), and Northern Wa- terthrush (37). Other species found Included Pied-billed Grebe, Least Bittern, Virginia Rail, Black-billed Cuckoo, Sedge Wren, Mourning Warbler, Grasshopper Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager, and Bobolink. SPARROWS THROUGH WEAVER FINCHES Two Spotted Towhees were at S.L.R. 25 Oct (SK). The first American Tree Sparrows of the season were observed at B.K.L. 11 Oct (MT). Two Clay-colored Sparrows at Thompson River Wetlands, Livingstone, MO 9 Sep (SK) may mark a record-early date for this species in Missouri. A Field Sparrow at Weldon Springs C.A., St. Charles, MO 29 Nov was a good hnd (MT). Two Savannah Sparrows at C.C.R. 5 Sep OWE) were a week earlier than expected. Two Lapland Longspurs in Kossuth 30 Sep were (MCK) the 2nd earliest on record for Iowa; 400 were at Wah-Sha-She Prairie, Jasper 26 Nov (JWE), Smith’s Longspurs were found in seven Iowa coun- ties 17 Oct-2 Nov, including a group of 104 in Woodbury 25 Oct (TLu, BH); the only re- port from Missouri was of 6 at Dunn Ranch, Harrison 21 Nov (SK). Two Chestnut-col- lared Longspurs were found in a short-grass field in Kossuth, lA 23 Oct (tCG). A singing Painted Bunting was still in Jefferson City, Cole, MO 2 Aug (KA, JR). Two Blue Gros- beaks lingered until 24 Sep in Woodbury (GV, TLu), the 2nd latest date on record. A flock of 30 Bobolinks at R.M.B.S. 4 Oct was rather late (BR). A single Yellow-headed Blackbird was at G.G.R. 11 Oct (MT). The largest num- ber of Rusty Blackbirds reported was a flock of 100 at S.C.R. 1 Nov OWE). The first report of Brewer’s Blackbirds came from near Hawk Pt., Lincoln/Warren 6 Nov QWE). Considered rare e. of cen. Missouri, 15-i- Great-tailed Grackles were at the Bryan Island Stable, St. Louis 15 Oct (BR). South of its established range, a single Eurasian Tree Sparrow visited a feeder in Bloomheld, Stoddard 22 &t 28 Nov (ph., tCB). Tennessee & Kentucky A = Kentucky Dam B = Barkley Dam C = Kentucky Lake D = Barkley Lake E = Jonathan Creek Embayment F = Land Between the Lakes G = Blood River Embayment KENTUCKY Smithtand Dam!^ Ballard WMA^"' ; Minor Clark Fish m\^Hatchery/Cave Run L Boone} Natl.f^'y Sauerheber Unit, Sloug>,smA FaUso/,heOHioy-^^^^^^^ Henderson Bernheim Forest Boone e f' Area \ , o Mammotti mLPeewee Peabody WMA * ^ Rive^L ' ~'McElroy L/ J ^Cumberland Cap NHP Fork NRA ^ Holston LakF^ Kingston Steam Plant/ HiwasseeWRm '/ tABramrdL^ee '■toss Creeks NWR Chane)' L ■f ,3 Paris I Landing SP Reelfooij ‘ Big Saniy Unit . Tennessee NWR Forest SP Duck River Unit SoddyMln. _ ___Nickajad(Ukem Ensley Bottoms Pickwick Landing SP Craven '$ House oms ^,-92 \ ^'^Roan Mtn. SP I Shady Vaiiey TENNESSEE Chris Sloan Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr. Weather conditions during fall 2009 varied remarkably during the sea- son. Overall, temperatures were near normal during August and September, al- though most of the Region was cool- er than normal during October and warmer than normal during Novem- ber. Precipitation was variable across the Region during August, with western and eastern Tennessee receiving two times normal rainfall but Nashville remaining drier than normal. During September, almost the entire Region experienced rain- fall amounts well above normal, and this continued into October, when the western half was extremely wet (Paducah and Nashville recording record and near- record rainfall, respectively). Subsequently, November was very dry across almost the entire Region — with Paducah and Nashville recording record and near-record dry conditions, respectively! Rarity highlights in Kentucky included White-faced Ibis, a long overdue Regional 84 Observers (subregional editors in boldface): Kathleen Anderson, Paul Bauer, Chris Barri- gar, John Bissell, Devin Bosler, Aaron Brees, Mark Brown, Robert J. Brundage, Charley Bur- wick (ChB), Jeff Cantrell, Robert Cecil, Peter K. Connolly, Ray Cummins, Stephen J. Dins- more, Joe W. Eades, David A. Easterla, David Eastman, Bill Eddleman, Chris Edwards, Zel- da Ellison, David Faintich, Carolyn Fischer, Andy Forbes, Chuck Fuller, Jim Fuller, Leo Galloway, Norb Geissman, Jay Gilliam, Rita Goranson, Cory Gregory, Larry Hebert, Paul Hertzel, Jack Hilsabeck, Bill Huser, Brad Ja- cobs, Ann Johnson, Tom Johnson, Matt C. Kenne, Kathryn Kettenbach, Steve Kinder, Karl Kurtz, Larry Lade, Tom Lawson, Tucker Lutter, Shauna Marquardt, Debra McKee, Ja- son Miller, Nathan Miller, Mary Nemececk, Jeff Nichols, Bonnie Noble, Charlie Noble, Josh Obrecht, Mark Orsag, Wolfgang Oester- reich, Jason Paulios, Diane Porter, Mark Proescholdt, Jim Rathert, Dean Rising, Nancy Rochavansky Bill Rowe, John Rutenbeck, Tom Schilke, Lee A. Schoenewe, Brandon Shields, Jim Sinclair, A1 Smith, Ed Thelen, Mike The- lan, Dorothy Thurman, Jerry Toll, Katherine Trupp, Joshua P. Uffman, Eric Van Ausdall, Karen Viste-Sparkman, Gerald Von Ehwegen, Walter Wehtje (Missouri), Doug Willis, Hank Zaletel, Ric Zarwell, Guy Zenner. ^ Walter Wehtje, 3252 South Old Ridge Road Columbia, Missouri 65203, (wehtjewifflmissouri.edu) first Mew Gull, California Gull, White- winged Dove, and two Say’s Phoebes. Ten- nessee observers found a Clark’s Grebe, two Roseate Spoonbills, two Sabine’s Gulls, a Long-tailed Jaeger, an Ash-throated Elycatch- er, a Vermilion Flycatcher, a Clay-colored Sparrow, and a host of rare gulls. Again this year, the remnants of no tropical systems passed through the Region. A general scarcity of boreal species foretold a relatively poor winter finch season. Natural food crops, in- cluding evergreen cones, berries, acorns, and hickory nuts, all appeared to be produced in average abundance. Abbreviations: Ballard W.M.A. (Ballard, KY); Barren River L. (Allen/Barren, KY); Ensley (Ensley Bottoms, including the EARTH Com- plex and TVA L., in sw. Shelby, TN); Falls of the Ohio (Ohio R. at Louisville, Jejffersoji, KY); Pace Pt. (in Big Sandy Unit, Tennessee NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS TENNESSEE & KENTUCKY Part ef a long-term increasing trend, in which more Glossy Ibis are found well inland and later in the late summer/autumn season, this immature was in Anderson County, Tennessee 14-15 (here 14) September 2009. Photograph by Ron Myers. Three juvenile White Ibis were found in Kentucky during the fall 2009 season. This one was found along a small creel in Taylor County 26-27 (here 27) August. Photograph byJohnMcDermond. N.W.R., Henry, TN); Pickwick (Pickwick Lake/Dam, Hardin, TN); Radnor (Radnor Lake State Natural Area, Nashville, TN); Rankin (Rankin Bottoms, Cocke, TN); Sauer- heber (Sauerheber Unit Sloughs W.M.A., Hen- derson, KY); Standifer Gap (Standifer Gap Marsh, Hamilton, TN). WATERFOWL THROUGH WADIRS Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks continued at Ensley through 6 Sep, and on that date 24 ads. and 4 young were present (ph. JRW); 3 ads. were also at Mud L., Shelby, TN that day (JRW). A Greater White-fronted Goose in Jef- ferson, KY 1 Oct (EH, TBe et al.) and one at Austin Springs, Washington, TN 12 Oct (RK) were relatively early, and the latter was very uncommon for e. Tennessee. Approximately 5000 Greater White-fronteds at Sauerheber 18 Nov (CC) represented an early season peak count. An ad. Ross’s Goose at the Falls of the Ohio 26 Aug (ph. BPa, ph. EH) represented an early date for Kentucky by two months. Two Cackling Geese were at Britton Ford, Tennessee N.W.R., Henry, TN 25 Nov (JRW). The first of Sauerheber’s wintering flock of Tundra Swans to be seen were 5 there 1 Nov (CC). There was only one report from Tennessee: 2 ads. at Big Sandy Unit, Tennessee N.W.R., Henry, TN (ph. MT, N.T.O.S.). Waterfowl migration was rela- tively unspectacular, with the fol- lowing modest peak counts re- ported: ca. 350 Hooded Mer- gansers on Honker Bay Land Between the Lakes, Lyon, KY 30 Nov (DR), and 463 Red-breasted Mergansers on L. Cumberland, Russel!, KY 24 Nov (RD). An injured Gadwall pair remained in sw. Shelby through the season QRW). There were five reports of one to 4 Surf Scoters in Kentucky, while Tennessee had three reports of one to 2, all span- ning 17 Oct-27 Nov. There were only two reports of Black Scoter in Ken- tucky, both on the Ohio R. at Louisville: a female/imm. 4-6 Nov (EH et al.; TBe) and an ad. male 11 Nov (DSt). In Tennessee, single female/imms. were reported at Steele Creek Park, Sullivan 12 Nov (ph. LMcD), on Reelfoot L., Lake 21 Nov (JRW), and at Chester Frost Park, Hamilton 23- 25 Nov (DJ et al.). The only White-winged Scot- ers reported were 8 at S. Holston L., Sullivan, TN (RK) and a female at Booker T. Wash- ington S.E, Hamilton, TN 23 Nov (KAC). The only report of Long- tailed Duck was of 2 on Kentucky L., Marshall, KY 28 Nov (ph. JK). Single Pacific Loons were pres- ent on Barren River L. 13-17 Oct (ph. DR, DB et al.) and in Henry, TN 26 Nov (ph. JRW). Single Red-throated Loons were found at three Tennessee locations: on Pickwick 2 Nov (MT), and in Henry 25 Nov (juv.;JRW) and 26 Nov (ad.; JRW). Two Common Loons on Green River L., Adair, KY 21 Aug (RD) and 3 on L. Cumberland, Russell, KY 3 Sep (RD) were presumably very early migrants; 103 at Reelfoot L., Lake/Obion, TN 27 Nov ORW) may be the highest count ever there. In Ken- tucky, single Eared Grebes were in s. Jefferson 10 Oct (tEH), on Kentucky L., Marshall 21 Nov (HC), and on the Ohio R. at Louisville 24 Nov (EH, tBPa et al). In Tennessee, up to 3 returned to S. Holston L., Sullivan 14 Sep+ (WC, RK, m.ob.) for the 16th consecutive fall, and there were three other reports: one on the Mississippi R., Shelby 26 Sep ORYV), 2 at Ensley 18-29 Oct (ph. JRW), and 2 on Pick- wick 24-31 Oct (ph. JRW et al.). A Red- necked Grebe was in Henry, TN 26-28 Nov (ph. JRW, ph. CS, N.T.O.S.). A well-described Clark’s Grebe at Reelfoot L., Lake, TN 21 Nov (tJRW) furnished Tennessee’s and the Re- gion’s 3rd record. Nine American White Pelicans on an Ohio R. floodplain slough in w. Henderson, KY 1 Aug (CC) made quite an unusual record, es- pecially for late summer; at least 1000 were on L. Barkley, Lyon, KY by 7 Oct (PW). The fall flight along the Mississippi R. corridor peaked with 1719 in Dyer and Lake, TN 10 Oct QRW). An imm. Brown Pelican found 30 Jul flying southward along 1-81 n. of Bristol, VA (TH) was likely the same individual later found at Boone L, Sullivan, TN 2-3 Aug (RK, LMcD, BPo). Approximately 4000 Double- crested Cormorants were on L. Barkley, Trigg, KY by 2 Nov (BLi). Anhingas continue to be regular in small numbers along the Mississip- pi R. in Tennessee, and this fall one to 2 were in sw. Shelby 31 Aug-15 Sep QRW), and one was at Phillippy Lake 7 Aug (DT, AT). American Bitterns were reported in w. Ful- ton, KY 11 Aug (NM), in s. Jefferson, KY 25 Aug (EH), at Sauerheber 14 Oct (BPa, EH, MM), and at Kyker Bottoms, Blount, TN 8 Nov (DT et al), the last rather late. There were only three reports of Least Bittern: singles in Putnam, TN (BS) and at Sauerheber 26 Sep (CC) and 10 Oct (DR, KOS). Seven hundred Great Egrets at Moss Island W.M.A., Dyer, TN Records of White-faced Ibis are increasing in the Tennessee and Kentucky re- gion; this adult entering basic plumage was present in western Henderson County, Kentucky 1 0-1 5 (here 1 2) October 2009. Photograph by Eddie Huber. VOLUME 64 (2010) NUMBER 1 85 TENNESSEE & KENTUCKY Roseate Spoonbills are vagrants to Tennessee, typically individuals involved in post-breeding dispersal. These immatures were at Moss island Wildlife Management Area, Dyer County 23 August 2009. One was still present 1 Sep- tember, and another turned up at Tennessee National Wildife Refuge, Humphreys County 6 September. Photograph by Mike Todd. ■ ■'h' e J ■■ fijplp.". f.-.cted in Tennessee in spring but are very rare in fail. This individual photographed at Island 1 3, Lake County 28 August 2009 was one of two reported in Tennessee during the season. Photograph by Mike Todd. This molting adult Hudsonian Godwit was present in Ballard County, Ken- tucky 17 (here) through 21 September 2009. Photograph by Dsn Martin. 1 Sep (MT) was a noteworthy high count; 340 at Rankin 5 Sep (MSI) was a new high count there and among the highest for e. Tennessee. A Snowy Egret at Lick Creek Bottoms W.M.A., Greene, TN 25 Oct (DMi) was rare for e. Ten- nessee. Four juv. Little Blue Herons at Austin Springs, Washington, TN 27 Sep (RK) fur- nished a new late date for ne. Ten- nessee. A Tricolored Heron at Edgar Evins S.P., DeKalb, TN 29 Aug (JF, MHa) established the 2nd record for the Upper Cum- berland region. A tally of 2381 Cattle Egrets at Little Elder Isle, Woods Res., Franklin, TN 22 Aug (DSw, JSw, SSo et al.) represents a new high count for Tennessee. A Green Heron in Greene, TN 8 Nov (DMi) was late. In Kentucky, juv. White Ibis appeared in s. Jefferson 21-22 Aug (ph. BPa, ph. EH et al), n. of Campbellsville, Taylor 26-27 Aug (RK, ph. JMc et al), and at Minor Clark Fish Hatchery, Rowan 11- 21 Nov (JW ph. RJ). The last was about two months later than one had ever been reported in the state. In Tennessee, juv. White Ibis were reported in above-aver- age numbers: up to 7 remained at Rankin through 5 Sep (MSI); one was in Sullivan 24 Aug-2 Sep (WC, m.ob.); 2 were at Little Eld- er Isle, Woods Res., DeKalb 22 Aug (DSw, JSw, SSo et al); 2 were at Tigrett W.M.A., Dyer 16 Aug (GC); and one was at Moss Island W.M.A., Dyer 8 Sep (KW). Single Glossy Ibis, always rare in the Re- gion, were at Eagle Bend, Ander- son, TN 14-15 Sep (ph. RH, DMy) and in Sullivan, TN 16-17 Sep (ph. WC, RK), and another Plegadis ibis was at Rankin 11 Sep (EL). An ad. White-faced Ibis, the rarest ibis species in the Region, was at and near Sauerhe- ber 10-15 Oct (ph. DR, KOS, ph. EH et al.). Two imm. Roseate Spoonbills were at Moss Island W.M.A., Dyer TN 23 Aug (ph. JRW), and at least one remained in the area through 1 Sep (MT); another was at Tennessee N.W.R., Humphreys, TN 6 Sep (EG). Wood Storks made their now ex- pected post-breeding incursion into Shelby TN, with 3-37 at var- ious locations 31 Aug-18 Sep (ph. JRW); 9 were in Lauderdale, TN 29 Aug (ph.JRW). RAPTORS THROUGH MEGERS An Osprey in Shelby, TN 28 Nov ORW) was late. Single Swallow-tailed Kites, always un- expected in the Region, were in Cocke, TN 8 Aug (DE) and in Carroll, TN 27 Aug (HW et al). Of the Mississippi Kites reported, one over Louisville 27 Aug (MY) was the farthest from traditional breeding areas; a first-year bird in w. Fulton, KY 17 Oct (tHC) represent- I ed a new late departure date for the state by ' more than three weeks. An ad. light-morph Harlan’s Hawk returned to s. Warren, KY for j ; the 9th consecutive winter (DR); an ad. dark j) morph returned to Crockett, TN 30 Nov for p the 7th consecutive winter (GS, fide MG). | Northern Goshawks are very rare in the Re- J gion, so reports of 4 ads. in Tennessee were remarkable: 2 at Ripshin L., Carter 26 Sep [ (FA) and singles at Steele Creek Park, Sullivan i 12 Nov (LMcD) and in Knox 27 Nov (tPS). A !: 'I juv. Golden Eagle at Honker Bay, Land Be- ,i tween the Lakes, Lyon 30 Nov (DR) was the !, only one reported in Kentucky. In Tennessee, |i an early ad. was at Steele Creek Park, Sullivan |j 24 Sep and 1 Oct (LMcD), one was at Hatchie ; N.W.R., Haywood mid-Nov-mid-Dec (MCh), i and a juv. was in Robertson 26 Nov (TL). i A Merlin in w. Jefferson, KY 16 Aug (tJBe, » PB et al.) represented a new early arrival date j' for the state; later in the season, singles were i' reported at six additional Kentucky locales 27 f Sep-20 Oct. In Tennessee, a Merlin in Lake 1 ji Sep (MT) was early; elsewhere, singles were 1 reported on 18 occasions 27 Sep~21 Oct. ^ There were only six Kentucky reports of mi- grant Peregrine Falcons 23 Aug-24 Oct. In j Tennessee, Peregrines sightings are increas- Ij ing, with as many as 17 individuals reported : 2 Aug-11 Oct. Virginia Rails were present throughout the period at Standifer Gap, with a high count of 5 on 24 Oct (TR). Elsewhere in the Region, ; there were only four reports: singles in differ- | ent parts of Jefferson, KY 17 (MA) & 29 Oct j (BPa) and 2 in Shady Valley, Johnson, TN 26 | Sep and 28 Nov (GE, RK). It was another be- ; low-average season for Soras, with the only | reports originating from Sauerheber, where j one to 4 were seen 7-13 Oct (CC, DR et al.), and from Standifer Gap, with a high of 4 on , 24 Oct (TR). There were only three reports of Common Moorhen: 2 juvs. in Union, KY 8 ! Sep (BPa), one to 2 at Sauerheber 26 Sep-7 ! Oct (CC), and an imm. in Hawkins, TN 16-22 , Oct and 20 Nov (SH), the latter a particularly | rare find for e. Tennessee. The season’s peak count for Sandhill Cranes in Kentucky was about 5000 in numerous flocks over sw. Jef- ! ferson 27 Nov (BN, CL). Shorebird migration was relatively unspec- tacular, with only relatively small numbers of most fairly common to uncommon species re- j ported at traditional locales. Five Black-bel- i lied Plovers at Green River L., Adair, KY 14 Oct (RD) and one nearby 31 Oct (RD) were local firsts. A Semipalmated Plover at Green ORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 86 TENNESSEE & KENTUCKY Although annual visitors to the Tennessee and Kentucky region, Red Phalaropes are certainly the rarest of the three phalaropes there. This nicely photographed juvenile was present in southern Jefferson County, Kentucky 1 (here) and 2 October 2009. Photograph by Eddie Huber. The first ever recorded in the Tennessee and Kentucky region, this adult Mew Guli was noted 18 October 2009 at Barren River Lake, Allen/Barren Counties, Kentucky. Photograph by David Romer. This first-gcle Little Gull was at at Lick Creek Wildlife Management Area, Benton County, Tennessee 1 9 November 2009. Not far away, two (a first-cycle and an adult) were at Reelfoot Lake in Lake County 21 November, with the immature remaining through 27 November and the adult through mid-De- cember. Photograph by Mike Todd. River L., Adair, KY 24 Oct (RD) was late. The only Kentucky Piping Plover reported was one at the Falls of the Ohio 18-19 Aug (BPa et ah). In Tennessee, 6 total were reported from three locations along the Mississippi R. in Shelby and Lake 22 Aug~l Sep (JRW, MT), and one was at Gallatin Steam Plant, Sumner 22 Aug (BI, ph. DK). A few lingering/migrant Black-necked Stilts were found in w. Fulton, KY as late as 29 Aug. American Avocets were found in Kentucky four times: one along the Ohio R., Boone 23 Aug (LMcN); 3 in n. Nel- son 29 Aug QBe, PB); one in s. Warren 13 Oct (DB, ph. DR); and 5 at Barren River L. 24 Oct (TD, DR et al). American Avocets were re- ported in above-average numbers from e. Ten- nessee 21 Aug-18 Nov, with the latter being late; elsewhere, 2 were along the Mississippi R., Shelby 17-20 Sep (ph. JRW), and another was in Lake- 3 Oct (NM). A Solitary Sandpiper in Sullivan, TN 24 Oct (RK) was late. The only Willet reported was one at Rankin 30 Aug-6 Sep (MSI, m.ob.). The only Upland Sandpipers reported were an ad. at Ensley 1 Aug ORW) and a juv. at Island 13, Lake, TN 23 Aug (ph. JRW). An ad. Hudsonian Godwit was present at Ballard W.M.A., Ballard, KY 17- 21 Sep (ph. DMa et al.). A Marbled Godwit was at Nickajack L., Marion, TN 21 Aug (TR et al). An ad. Ruddy Turnstone at the Falls of the Ohio 18 Aug (BPa et al.) was the only one reported in Kentucky. Four were reported from w. Tennessee: an ad. male at Ensley 1-4 Aug (ph. JRW), one at Island 13, Lake 24 Aug (MT), a female at Ensley 26 Aug QRW), and one at Pace Ft. 21 Sep (MT). Sanderlings passed through the Region in unusually small numbers. Single White- ramped Sandpipers, always rare during fall, were reported at three Kentucky and two Ten- nessee locales 20 Aug-5 Sep. One to 2 West- ern Sandpipers at Austin Springs, Washington, TN 25 Oct-1 Nov (RK) were late. One to 2 Baird’s Sandpipers were found on about ten occasions each at traditional Kentucky and Tennessee locales 1 Aug-3 Oct. Dunlins passed through in above-average numbers, mostly in the e. part of the Region, with a peak of 160 at Rankin 27 Oct (MSI). Stilt Sandpipers were not numerous; a modest peak count of about 35 came from Ballard W.M.A., Ballard, KY 18 Sep (DR), while one in Sullivan, TN 18-19 Oct (WC, RK) was rel- atively late. One to 5 Buff-breasted Sandpipers were found on about a dozen occasions at tra- ditional Kentucky and Tennessee locales 23 Aug-14 Sep. One at over 1500 m elevation on Big Bald Mt., Unicoi, TN 7 Sep (RM) was highly unexpected, and 2 at Standifer Gap 21 Sep (LW et al.) were rare for se. Tennessee. It was an especially poor season for Short-billed Dowitchers, with very few birds reported 1 Aug-18 Sep. One to 2 Long-billed Dowitchers were re- ported at three Kentucky locales 8 Sep-28 Oct; in Tennessee, 19 were along Great River Rd., Dyer, TN 10 Oct ORW), and one was at Rankin 29 Oct (MSI), a rare oc- currence for e. Tennessee. A Wil- son’s Phalarope at Ensley 1 Aug, one at Gallatin Steam Plant, Sum- ner, TN 15 Aug (DK), and 2 at Ballard W.M.A., Ballard, KY 29 Aug (BY, MY, EH) were the only ones reported. A juv. Red-necked Phalarope was at the Falls of the Ohio 21-27 Sep (ph. BPa et al). A juv. Red Phalarope was on a flood retention basin in s. Jefferson, KY 1-2 Oct (MAu, ph. EH et al). It was a good season for rare gulls in the Region. Four Sabine’s Gulls were reported: a juv. in Union, KY 8 Sep (ph. BPa), an ad. along the Mississippi R., Shelby, TN 13 Sep QRW), and 2 juvs. at Pickwick 25 Sep (RJM, ph. SM). An imm. Bonaparte’s Gull at Rankin 6 Sep (RK, MSI, DMi) es- tablished a new early date for e. Tennessee. There were two Ken- tucky and four Tennessee reports of Laughing Gull: a second-cycle bird at Pace Pt. 11 & 30 Sep (MT); one on Kentucky L., Cal- loway, KY 22 Sep (HC); 3 on the Mississippi R., Lake, TN 10 Oct (JRW); 2 on Kentucky L., Mar- shall, KY 13 Oct (HC, ME); and a first-cycle bird at Pickwick 24 Oct (JRW). One to 6 Franklin’s Gulls were found at several w. Ken- tucky sites 12 Aug-1 1 Nov (DR et al.); one to 3 were present at Bar- ren River L. 28 Sep-1 Nov, with a high count of 5 there on the latter date (DR et al). Franklin’s Gulls were reported in small numbers from large bodies of water on a dozen different dates in w. Ten- nessee 23 Aug-27 Nov, with a high count of 15 at Pickwick 15 Nov (JRW). An ad. and an imm. Little Gull were at Reelfoot L., Lake, TN 21 Nov (ph. JRW); the imm. was last seen 27 Nov ORW), but the ad. lingered through mid-Dec (MT, m.ob.). An- other imm. was at Lick Creek W.M.A., Benton, TN 19 Nov (ph. MT, DK). An ad. Mew Gull at Barren River L. 18 Oct (ph. DR et al.) was a long-awaited first for the Region. An ad. California Guli was at Barren River L. 19 Oct-2 Nov (ph. DR et al), and an ad. and a first-cycle bird were at Pickwick 31 Oct (ph. JRW, ph. DK, ph. MT), with the ad. still present 2 Nov (ph. MT). An ad. Thayer’s Gull was at Kentucky Dam 9 Nov (DR); perhaps VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 87 TENNESSEE & KENTUCKY California Gulls have become annual in the Tennessee and Kentucky region. This nicely photographed adult lingered at Barren River Lake, Allen/Barren Counties, Kentucky, 19 (here 22] October-2 November 2009. Photograph by David Roemer. This adult California Gull was at Pickwick Dam in Hardin County 31 October (here) through 2 November 2009; more rarely reported in extralimital set- tings, a first-cycle bird was identified at this location on the first date. Photo- graph by Jeff R. Wilson. This juvenile Sabine's Gull was one of two found on Pickwick Lake, Hardin County, Tennessee 25 September 2009; an adult was found on the Mississippi River in Shelby County, Tennessee 13 September. Photograph by Steve McConnell. the same bird was at Barkley Darn 30 Nov (DR, HC). An ad. and 2 first-cycle birds were at Pickwick on the extraordinarily early date of 24 Oct (ph. JRW); 2 first-cycle birds were still present 31 Oct QRW, DK), with one was still present 2 Nov (tMT). A Lesser Black- backed Gull (probably a second-cycle bird) above Barkley Dam 12 Aug (DR) represented a new early arrival date for Kentucky by two weeks or possibly a bird that summered somewhere in the area; a first-cy- cle bird at Barren River L. 16-31 Oct (ph. DR et al.) represented only the 2nd record for s.-cen. Kentucky. At least 1 1 different in- dividuals were present at various locations along the Tennessee R. from Paris Landing S.R, Henry, TN s. to Pickwick 9 Sep-25 Nov. An ad. Lesser Black-backed Gull at Woods Res., Franklin, TN 30 Nov (DSw, JSw) was likely the same bird returning for a 3rd consecutive winter. A first-cycle Great Black-backed Gull was at the Falls of the Ohio 21-26 Nov (MAu, ph. EH, ph. BY et ah). An imm. Least Tern, always rare in the Region away from the Mississippi R. and Ohio R., was at Eagle Bend Anderson, TN 21 Aug (RH, DMy); it had been banded as a chick on 14 Jul along the Platte R. in Nebraska (fide JSt). Up to 300 Caspian Terns were present on L. Barkley, Lyon, KY during late Aug (DR et ah). It was a good season for Black Terns in Kentucky, with one to 35 at 15 Kentucky sites 5 Aug-early Sep; ne. Tennessee also recorded higher numbers than usual, with one to 32 at five locations 18 Aug-9 Sep, and an exceptional count of 75 at Nick- ajack L., Marion 20 Aug QH et al.). There were nine reports of Common Tern in Kentucky, but only two of more than one or 2 birds: 60-r — an extraordinary count for the Region — on L. Barkley and Kentucky L., KY 25 Sep (DR), and 8 on a small lake in Pulaski, KY 15 Oct (RD). In Tennessee, there were a few re- ports of one to 2 birds, as expect- ed, and one unusual high count of 35 at S. Holston L., Sullivan 14 Oct (RK). Peak counts of Forster’s Tern included at least 200 at the Jonathan Cr. embayment of Ken- tucky L., Marshall, KY 14 Sep (ME); most of 200-250 Sterna terns in the vicinity of Ken- tucky Dam 25 Sep (BPa, EH, CB); and at least 120 on Kentucky L. above the dam 9 Nov (DR). An imm. Long-tailed Jaeger at Eagle Bend, Anderson, TN 14 Oct (ph. MN) was the first for e. Tennessee and one of only a hand- ful ever recorded in the Region. DOVES THROUGH WAXWING A White-winged Dove was reported in a yard at Independence, Kenton, KY 23 Aug (tDMa). A Common Ground-Dove was in Maury, TN 7 Nov (MW, JN). There were only three Ken- tucky and three Tennessee reports of single Black-billed Cuckoos 23 Aug-10 Oct. Two Short-eared Owls w. of White Plains, Hopkins, KY 11 Nov (EW) and 2 at Ft. Campbell, Mont- gomery, TN 12 Nov (DMo) were the only ones reported. A Northern Saw-whet Owl in e. Shel- by, KY 17 Oct (tTBr, JBr, MCr) was the earliest to be reported in the Region; 13 were cap- tured/banded in ne. Jefferson, KY 18 Oct-12 Nov (MM, BPa et al.), with some additional birds heard, including a tooting male 3 Nov, and two foreign recaptures of birds previously banded in Ontario. A bird banded at the ne. Jef- ferson, KY station as a hatch-year female 2 Nov 2007 was recaptured at Lincoln, MA 25-26 Oct 2009 (KS, fide MM) and again at Northbridge, MA 6 Nov 2009 (PMi,^de MM), both locations in the Boston area. Six were banded 3 & 12 Nov in Seymour, Sevier, TN (MAr), and anoth- er 6 had been banded by late Nov at Big Bald Mt., Unicoi, TN (MHo). These records further establish that this tiny raptor is far more abun- dant as a transient through the Region than the * number of non-capture records would suggest. Numbers of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in n. Kentucky were much lower than normal, ' with peak counts of only a few individuals at any location through Sep; in contrast, it ap- peared that near-normal numbers were present elsewhere in the Region. A few birds lingered in i Kentucky into early Nov, with one n. of Stan- . ford, Lincoln, KY 15-25 Nov (ph. JE) being the latest. By the end of the season, it was apparent that this fall and winter would be another down year for wintering hummingbirds in the Region. A very locally distributed hard mast crop was likely responsible for a paucity of re- ports of Red-headed Woodpeckers after sum- mer residents dispersed. , A very early Olive-sided Flycatcher was found in w. Fulton, KY 7 Aug (tEL, DT, AT et al.); a typically small number of scattered in- dividuals was reported during Sep. An Eastern Wood-Pewee in Pulaski, KY 27 Oct (RD) was the latest reported. There were only four Ken- tucky and two Tennessee reports of Yellow- bellied Flycatcher 22 Aug-26 Sep. An early migrant Least Flycatcher was found at Louisville 12 Aug QBe, PB). Two Say’s Phoebes were found in Kentucky: one at Land Between the Lakes, Lyon 26 Sep (tKCo, MCo, j KOS) and one in Union 11 Oct (ph. BPa, ph. EH). A Great Crested Flycatcher in Adair, KY 88 NORTH AMERICAN BIROS u TENNESSEE & KENTUCKY 4 Oct (RD) was relatively tardy. A well-pho- tographed Ash-throated Flycatcher at Woods Res., Franklin, TN 14 Nov (CW, SJS, ph. DAD et al.) represents Tennessee’s 3rd record and the Region’s 4th. A juv. female Vermilion Fly- catcher was at Tigrett W.M.A., Dyer, TN 21 Nov (GC). The only Western Kingbirds re- ported were from Shelby, TN, where the species is now an annual breeder; the latest was an ad. 15 Aug (JRW). A Scissor-tailed Fly- catcher was in Rutherford, TN 5 Sep (ES). A Blue-headed Vireo in Fayette, KY 4 Nov (LT) was late. Continuing a recent trend, sev- eral Common Ravens were reported in ne. Tennessee and e. Kentucky away from the mts., where they are resident (fide RK). Sig- nificant Purple Martin roosts were monitored at Lexington, Fayette, KY (as many as 25,000 birds?) QW) and at Campbellsville, Taylor, KY (ca. 8000 birds) (BPa, EH) during early Aug; at least one along the Ohio R., Crittenden 25 Sep (RD) was the latest reported. Two Tree Swallows at Henry, TN 26 Nov QRW) were late. A tally of ca. 2500 Cliff Swallows in s. Todd, KY 21 Aug (MB, DR) represented a new state high count away from breeding colonies; 2000 Bank Swallows at Island 13, Lake, TN 28 Aug (MT) was an exceptional high count. Red-breasted Nuthatches in ne. Jefferson, KY 26 Aug (BPa), in Pulaski, KY 14 Sep (RD), and in w. Jefferson, KY 15 Sep QBe, PB, CB) were the earliest to be reported; by mid-Oct, it appeared that most had passed through. In Tennessee, only 3 were reported away from the mts. where they breed, and all of those were in the e. part of the state. A Sedge Wren in Adair, KY 1 Aug (DC) was probably a breeder; only a few migrants were reported during Oct. Eight Sedge Wrens and 15 Marsh Wrens were in the same field at Big Sandy Unit, Tennessee N.W.R., Henry, TN 30 Sep (MT). Elsewhere in Tennessee, 10 Marsh Wrens were at Standifer Gap 5 Oct (KAC), and 2 were at University School of Nashville Wetland in Nashville 18 Oct (DK); one to 5 were reported at eight Kentucky sites 10 Sep-3 Nov. A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher at Louisville 10 Nov (RA) was late, and one at Pace Pt. 28 Nov (DK, N.T.O.S.) was even lat- er. Cedar Waxwings were quite conspicuous across Kentucky from mid-Sep well into Nov. THRUSHES THROUGH PINE SISKIN A Wood Thrush at City L., Putnam, TN 20 Nov+ (SJS, BS) was extraordinarily late and did not appear injured. A late Gray Catbird was in Dyer, TN 27 Nov (GC). Overall, war- bler migration was unremarkable. Unusually early warblers included a Magnolia at Shelby Bottoms, Davidson, TN 12 Aug (PC); a Ten- nessee at Wilber L., Carter, TN 13 Aug (BPo, JPo); a Chestnut-sided in Jefferson, KY 21 Aug QBe, PB, CB); a Black-throated Green in Jef- ferson, KY 22 Aug QBe, PB, CB, BW); and a Golden-winged at Louisville 23 Aug OBe, PB, CB). Unusually late warblers included a Swainson’s in McCreary, KY 12 Sep (RD), a Yellow at Sauerheber 14 Oct (tBPa, EH, MM), a Yellow-breasted Chat at Radnor 9 Nov (FF), a Yellow-throated Warbler at Russellville, Lo- gan, KY 26 Nov (tMB) that represented a new late departure date for the state by two weeks, and American Redstarts in Johnson, TN 2 Nov QSh) and in Sullivan, TN 27 Nov (MSa). It was an excellent season for Golden-winged Warblers in Kentucky, with one to 2 reported on nearly 30 dates at more than 20 sites. Sin- gle Orange-crowned Warblers were at Pace Pt. 14 Oct (MT), Harpeth River Greenway, Nashville 31 Oct (FF), and Shelby Park, Nashville 4 Nov (PC). It was a good fall for migrant Black-throated Blue Warblers in cen. Kentucky, where reports spanned 23 Aug-27 Sep; a male was at Radnor 9 Oct (FF). Two Yellow Palm Warblers were re- ported at different locales in Barren, KY 12 (DR) & 13 Oct (DR). Four Black- poll Warblers were re- ported: one each at differ- ent sites in Jefferson, KY 16 (BPa, JBe, PB, CB) & 17 Sep OBe, PB); Scott, KY 18 Sep (DL, BLa); and at Radnor 10 Oct (FF). A Mourning Warbler at Louisville 29 Sep (DDu) was remarkably the only one reported. There were only 2 Connecticut War- blers reported: an extraordinarily early one at Greeneville, Greene, TN 1 Aug (DMi), and one banded in Hamilton, TN 11 Sep (DA). Breeding Lark Sparrows continued along McDonald Landing Rd., w. Henderson, KY into Aug; at least 3 were seen there 14 Aug (CC). An imm. Lark Sparrow in Sullivan, TN 20 Sep (RK, WC) was just the 5th for ne. Tennessee. A Bachman’s Sparrow was still at Ft. Campbell, Stewart, TN 6 Aug (DMo). A Clay-colored Sparrow in DeKalb, TN 16 Oct (SJS, ph. JF) was the only one reported. Three Grasshopper Sparrows were found in Fayette, KY 10 Oct (DL, ASK); singles at Sauerheber 14 Oct (BPa, EH, MM) and in ne. Jefferson, KY 2 Nov (BPa, JBe, PB) were the latest to be reported. A Henslow’s Sparrow in se. Muhlenberg, KY 3 Nov (DR) was the latest to be reported from a breeding area; one at Brainerd Levee, Hamilton, TN 10 Nov (KAC, DJ) was the latest transient; Present for just one day, this Ash-throated Flycatcher at Woods Reservoir, Franklin County, Tennessee 14 November 2009 furnished the state's third record. Photograph by JudyFuson. the only other report away from breeding areas was one at Austin Springs, Washington, TN 8 Oct (RK), only the 9th for ne. Tennessee. Two Le Conte’s Sparrows and a Nelson’s Sparrow at Sauerheber 10 Oct (DR, KOS) were the only ones reported in Kentucky. A Le Conte’s Spar- row at Great Smoky Mountains N.P., TN 1 Nov (BZ) made a 2nd Park record, and one at Brainerd Levee, Hamilton, TN 8 Nov (KAC, DJ) was a 2nd county record. Tennessee’s only other report was from the Savannah Bottoms, Hardin 2 Nov (MT). In Tennessee, single Nel- son’s Sparrows were at Austin Springs, Wash- ington 5 Oct (RK) and at Pace Pt. 30 Sep (MT). A Lapland Longspur in s. Warren, KY 13 Oct (DR, DB) was quite early. A first-year male Black-headed Grosbeak was along the Mississippi R. levee. Lake, TN 10 Oct (tJRW). A Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Knox, TN 7 Nov (MAu) was late. A tardy In- This Say's Phoebe, present in Union County, Kentucky 1 1 October 2009, was one of two found in Kentucky within a three-week period! Photograph by Braitrard Palmer-Ball, Jr. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 89 TENNESSEE & KENTUCKY digo Bunting was present at Louisville 5 Nov (tDDu). Single Dickcissels at Ft. Campbell, Stewart/Montgomery, TN 21 Oct (DMo) and at Sauerheber 26 Oct (CC) were late. Bobolink reports of interest included ca. 30 in Fayette, KY 2 Aug QPu) and 23 near Rochester, Butler, KY 24 Sep (RD). In Kentucky, a flock of at least 50 Brewer’s Blackbird e. of Cadiz, Trigg 22 Nov (BLi) was noteworthy, while 4 in Fayette 30 Nov (tBPa, KH) were relatively far east. An unidentified oriole, possibly a female Orchard, was in Knox, TN 8 Nov (KR). A Pur- ple Finch in e. Jefferson, KY 15 Oct PB) was the earliest to be reported; by mid-Nov, it was apparent that this year’s flight was going to be very light. Very few Pine Siskins were re- ported this fall; the earliest were 2 in Putnam, TN 7 Aug (SJS, BS, JF; possibly resulting from a breeding effort or summering?), 5 at South Williamson, Pike, KY 1 Oct OC), one at Bard- stown. Nelson, KY 18 Oct (PG), and one at Kingsport, TN 20 Oct OMo). Cited contributors (subregional editors in boldface): David Aborn, Fred Alsop, Ryan Ankeny, Audubon Society of Kentucky (ASK), Mark Armstrong (MAr), Michael Autin (MAu), Tom Becker (TBe), Jane Bell (]Be), Pat Bell, Mark Bennett, Carol Besse, David Brown, John Brown OBt), Todd Brown (TBr), Kevin A. Calhoon (KAC) (se. Tennessee), Joan Carr, Phillip Casteel (middle Tennessee), Hap Chambers, Mike Chouinard (MCh), Wallace Coffey, Kathy Cohen (KCo), Michael Cohen (MCo), Derek Coomer, Charlie Crawford, Glen Criswell, Mike Crouch (MCr), Roseanna Denton, Douglas A. Downs (DAD), Diana Dubbeld (DDu), Tom Durbin, Melissa Easley, Dee Eiklor, Glen Eller, Jackie Elmore, Frank Fekel, Judy Fuson, Evan Gaskin, Paula Geis, Mark Greene, Kathy Gunther, Michael Hawkins (MHa), John Henderson, Kate Hey- den, Ron Hoff, Mark Hopey (MHo), Eddie Hu- ber, Susan Hubley Tom Hunter, Bob Ingle, Daniel Jacobson, Rachel Jenkins, Kentucky Ornithological Society (KOS), David Kirschke, Rick Knight (ne. Tennessee), June Koon, Tony Lance, Betsy Lang (BLa), David Lang, Celia Lawrence, Ed LeGrand, Bill Lisowky (BLi), Don Martin (DMa), Rad Mayfield, Steve Mc- Connell, Larry McDaniel (LMcD), John Mc- Dermond QMc). Lee McNeely (LMcN), Paul Milke, Don Miller (DMi), Mark Monroe, Nan- cy Moore, RJ. Moore, Daniel Moss (DMo), John Moyle OMo), Dollyann Myers (DMy), Nashville Chapter of Tennessee Ornithological Society (N.T.O.S.), Mike Nelson, Barry Nichols, John Noel, Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jr. (BPa), Brookie Potter (BPo), Jean Potter 0Po)> Dick Preston (w. Tennessee), Joe Pulliam QPu), David Roemer, Tommie Rogers, Kelly Roy, Mike Sanders (MSa), Ed Schneider, Kathy Seymour, John Shumate OSh), Michael Sled- jeski (MSI), Chris Sloan, Scott Somershoe (SSo), Glenn Stanley, Barbara Stedman, Stephen J. Stedman (SJS), Del Striegel (DSt), Jennifer Stuckey QSt), Dale Swant (DSw), Jeannie Swant QSw), Paul Sykes, Laurie Thomas, Mike Todd, Allan Trently, David Trently Ken Webster, Melinda Welton, Penny West, Heather Wilkins, Carol Williams, Eric Williams, Jim Williams QW), Jeff R. Wilson QRW), Barbara Woerner, Libby Wolfe, Ben Yandell, Mary Yandell, Benjamin Zank. O 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-bali@ky.gov) Alabama & Mississippi Florence Wheeler Waterloo V~ j Huntsville Muscle ,mwheelermf! : Shoals Decalur Bankhead NF Guntersville Birmingham Tuscalt^sa • Harpersviile ALABAMA Auburn* Montgomery Marion Eufaula NWRu • Jackson Mobile/Tensaw Delia _ A/- C B’ ^Gulfls.Naii Seashore (MS) LETTERED ALABAMA GULF COAST SITES: A = Gulf Shores B = Ft. Morgan C = Dauphin I. D = Bayou La Batre GULF OF MEXICO Greg D. Jackson Autumn 2009 was one of the most ex- citing on record in our Region, espe- cially in Alabama. Migrants were plen- tiful inland and on the coast. Rarities of all levels, from excellent numbers of expected low-level visitors to stunning surprises, re- 90 warded field work this season; Alabama was bestowed a new species in the process. Weather was cooler and wetter than usual in most areas in September and October, par- ticularly inland. Two tropical systems entered the Region this fall. Tropical Storm Claudette made landfall in the Florida Panhandle 17 August with maximum winds of about 40 knots (74 km/hour), weakening rapidly as it traversed southwestern Alabama; few reports of avian effects were received. More produc- tive ornithologically was Hurricane Ida. This late-season cyclone was a Category 1 hurri- cane in parts of the northwestern Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico but weakened and be- came extratropical upon landfall on the Ala- bama coast 10 November. Though inland birding was moderately good in September, despite much gloom and rain, much of that month was rather poor on the coast; the out- standing coastal bounty in October and No- vember was more than compensation. Fronts associated with significant bird movements included 29 September and 16 (especially), 23, and 31 October; the October fronts were conveniently aligned with weekends, to the delight of many. Abbreviations: Dauphin (Dauphin L, Mobile, AL); Delta (Mississippi Delta of nw. and w.-cen. Mississippi); Ft. Morgan (Ft. Morgan State His- torical Park, Baldwin, AL); G.C. (Gulf Coast Region, Mobile/Baldwin, AL); I.C.P. (Inland Coastal Plain Region of s.-cen. Alabama); M.R. (Mountain Region of n. Alabama); Noxubee (Noxubee N.W.R., Noxubee/Oktibbeha/Winston, MS); TV (Tennessee Valley Region of n. Ala- bama); Wheeler (Wheeler N.W.R., Lime- stone/Morgan/Madison, AL). WATERFOWL THROUGH STORKS Black-bellied Whistling-Duck continues to increase in our Region. Present from spring through autumn this year at Blakeley L, Mo- bile, Black-bellieds set an Alabama maximum there with 17 on 15 Oct (ECS et al.); the state’s first nesting was established by the ob- y servation of flightless young 18 Oct (CH). Fulvous Whistling-Duck has become quite scarce in our area, so 3 at Arkabutla L., DeSo- to, MS 21 Aug (ph. QBG) made a surprise. Cinnamon Teal is only occasional, with about eight prior Mississippi coastal records; a bril- liant male was at Seaman Road lagoons. Jack- son 5-12 Nov (NB, HM, m.ob., ph., p.a.). A NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS ALABAMA & MISSISSIPPI Alabama's tenth Audubon's Shearwater showed well 1 06 kilometers south of Or- ange Beach, Baldwin County on 20 September 2009. Photograph by Sean McConnell. Northern Pintail was ahead of the pack in Sunflower, MS 21 Aug (DB). Rare inland scot- ers included 3 Surfs in Oktibbeha, MS 5 Nov (TLS), 2 Surfs in Lee, MS 7 Nov (ph. WRP), and 2 White-wingeds at Wheeler 21 Nov+ (HHK, RJK et al). Though Mississippi has three known breeding records, 21 Ruddy Ducks in Sunflower 21 Aug (DB) likely were just rare summering birds. Four Eared Grebes, rare away from the coast, were in Marshall 21 Nov (SWM), setting an inland fall maxi- mum for Alabama; another was in Madison, MS 27 Nov (GCK, SGK). Occasional in the Region, a Western Grebe was pho- tographed at Arkabutla Dam, DeSoto/Tate, MS 29 Nov ORW, p.a.). A productive pelagic ven- ture to 129 km s. of Orange Beach, Baldwin, AL 20 Sep (SWM, HER, JNW et al.) yielded such prizes as 6 Cory’s Shearwaters (rare but regular offshore, ph.), an Audubon’s Shear- water (10th Alabama record, ph., p.a.), and a Band-rumped Storm-Petrel (10th Alabama record, p.a.). A lone Northern Gannet in Mis- sissippi Sound, Mobile, AL 6 Aug (ph. BS, RC) was rare at that season. Furnishing a maxi- mum for inland Alabama, 900 American White Pelicans must have been a spectacular sight at Wheeler 14 Nov (KW, m.ob.). Non- coastal Brown Pelicans, though still scarce, have appeared more often in recent years; sin- gles at Columbus L, Clay/Lowndes, MS 5-10 Oct (TLS, MRS) and at Guntersville Dam, Marshall, AL 22 Oct (ph. JB) both established 7th local area records. Rare but appearing more frequently in the Delta, up to 5 Neotropic Cormorants were located 5 Aug and 2 Sep at St. Catherine Creek N.W.R., Adams, MS (ph. DB). Noteworthy for the M.R. was the count of 290 Double-crested Cormorants at Neely Renry L., Etowah/Cal- houn 8 Nov (GDJ, DGJ). A maximum for n. Alabama, 279 Great Egrets were tallied in Colbert 30 Aug (SWM, DJS, JTG). Groups of 9 Black- crowned Night-Rerons, provid- ing fall M.R. maxima, were at Logan Martin Dam, St. Clair/Talladega 17 Aug and Neely Henry Dam, St. Clair/Calhoun 8 Nov (both GDJ, DGJ). White Ibis is rare but regular in late summer and early fall in n. Alabama; of hve reports, most notable were 12 imms. in Colbert 29 Aug (KW, m.ob.) and 5 imms. in Shelby 1 Sep (HHK, MS, SR, AGM). Any Plegadis is a rare find inland, so a Glossy Ibis in Oktibbeha, MS 19 Oct (7th area record, TLS) and an unidentified dark ibis 25 Oct in Colbert, AL (ph./vt. JW, JP) were sig- nificant. Roseate Spoonbill, a species promi- nent in the Delta the past two fall seasons, was reported in much smaller numbers this au- tumn; the highest count was of 6 in Humphreys on the late date of 27 Nov (ph. WRP). More unusual farther e. in Mississippi, up to 5 spoonbills were in Lowndes 14 & 26 Aug (FD et al.), and 6 were at Noxubee 18-19 Sep (TLS et al). Rare but increasing in Alabama, 3 of these spatula-fronted curiosities were in Baldwin 17 Aug-1 Sep (CL, m.ob., ph.), one was in Hale 19-25 Aug (BM, Jide ECS), up to 4 were at Blakeley 1., Mobile 13 Sep-15 Oct (CH et al), and a late individual ap- peared 10 Nov at Dauphin QNM/, DM). Eour Wood Storks, rare but increasing in the G.C., were noted 17 Oct in Baldwin (ph. KH). RAPTORS THROUGH DOVES A late Swallow-tailed Kite, rare in n. Mississippi, was reported in DeSoto 16 Sep (RB). Local departure records were established by 2 Mississippi Kites in Oktibbeha. MS 19 Sep (TLS, MRS) and a Broad-winged Hawk at Nox- ubee 13 Oct (TLS). Swainson’s Hawk is rare but regular in recent years on the Alabama coast; this season, up to 2 were noted daily at Ft. Morgan 17-19 Oct (CH, SWM et al, ph.), and another was there 7 Nov (SWM, m.ob.). The sought-after Yellow Rail was flushed while mowing a held near Leeds, Jefferson 8 Sep (GCC), providing a 5th for the M.R. and 19th overall Alabama record. Though Sandhill Crane has increased markedly in winter, an imm. at Wheeler beginning 1 1 Aug (CDC et al.) was only the 3rd for the “summer” season in Alabama since 1960. Another crane in Mon- roe, AL 2 Oct (KC) was locally rare. Two Black-bellied Plovers, rare but regular inland, were spotted 21 Aug in Sunflower, MS, and 64 Semipalmated Plovers at that site the same day were unusually abundant (both DB). Piping Plover is rare away from the coast; one was in Sunflower, MS 24 Aug (ph. DB). Scarce inland, an American Avocet was found 26 Sep in Marshall, AL (NC, m.ob.), 2 were in Pearl River, MS 27 Oct (NB), and 11 avocets were discovered in Humphreys, MS 27 Oct (WRP). Behind schedule, a Spotted Sandpiper was in Oktibbeha, MS 24 Nov+ (TLS). Two Ruddy Turn- stones, rare inland, were in Lauderdale, AL 16 Aug (SWM), and another was photographed in Sunflower, MS 13 Sep (DB). Establish- ing an early area arrival record, a Baird’s Sandpiper visited Oktibbeha, MS 4-5 Aug (TLS, MRS, HMi et al). Rare but regular fall migrants in the TV and G.C. re- gions of Alabama, up to 2 Baird’s were in Laud- erdale 23-30 Aug (SWM et al), and another was on Dauphin 11 Oct (ECS, JAT et al, ph.). A late Pectoral Sandpiper was seen in St. Clair, AL through 11 Nov (HHW, ASC, MS). Tying a departure record for inland Alabama, a Stilt Sandpiper was in Hale 3-5 Nov (ph. JAT). Dowitchers are rare in the I.C.P; a Short-billed appeared in Montgomery 24 Aug (LFG), and 3 Long-billeds were in Hale 3-5 Nov (ph. JAT). Though regular in migration in the Delta, tal- lies of 15 Wilson’s Phalaropes 21 Aug in Sun- At Guntersville, Marshall County, Alabama, which has hosted California Gulls in late October in each of the past three years, this adult (left) found 17 October 2009 provided the ninth state record. Photograph by Steve W. McConnell. Alabama's seventh Thayer's Gull was this juvenile that appeared 29 Novem- ber 2009 at Guntersville, Marshall County. Photograph by Steve W. McConnell. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 91 ALABAMA & MISSISSIPPI Inca Dove is slowly becoming an expected species in Mississippi; this one was noted 11 August 2009 in Jackson County. Photograph by A. Gail Young. This Northern Wheatear, only the fifth for Alabama, was spotted 18 Oaober 2009 at Gulf State Park, Baldwin County. Photograph by Larry Mensi. It is The Vague and Elusive. Meet it and you will not see its head. Follow it and you will not see its back. — The Way of Lao-tzu, Lao-tzu Alabama's first Mangrove Cuckoo was a jaw-dropper 17 Sep in the nets of the University of South- ern Mississippi banding station at Ft. Morgan (JS et al., b., ph., p.a.). This slender beauty was captured twice that morning but was not seen subsequently. Mangrove Cuckoo breeds from w.-cen. Florida through much of the Caribbean, on both coasts from n. Mexico to lower Central America, and in n. coastal South America. Florida birds formerly were considered migratory, but multiple winter records throughout the Florida range indicate at least some, and perhaps all, may be resident there; other populations are believed to be non-migratory. Up to 14 subspecies have been described based on morphometry and coloration of underparts. More recent work, particularly that by Banks and Hole (1991, Caribbean Journal of Science 27: 54-62) citing small previous sample sizes, has led most modern authors to regard the species as likely mono- typic; at least three broad groupings, possibly subspecies, were suggested by Hughes (1997, The Birds of North America, No. 299). Further study is needed to resolve this dilemma. On the n. and w. Gulf Coast, Texas has at least 10 accepted records, Louisiana had a documented occurrence in Dec 2006, and a credible sight record exists from Nov 1981 in the e. Panhandle of Flori- da. All these wandering birds had richly colored underparts atypical of the Florida population (some- times designated Coccyzus minor maynardi), more suggestive of birds found along the Mexican At- lantic coast as far n. as Tamaulipas (f. m. continentalis). Assessment is complicated by the reported presence in some breeding areas of light and dark morphs; populations usually exhibiting richer ven- tral color also include paler individuals, though the converse appears to be less frequent. The Ft. Morgan cuckoo was richly colored below, including the lower face and breast-sides. The pattern is that expected of e. Mexican birds, fitting with the other Gulf Coast vagrants; the appear- ance of the underparts in examined photographs is not typical of individuals found in Florida (S. Cardiff, A. Kratter, B. Pranty, pers. comm.). In the week preceding 17 Sep, a gradually strengthening low-pressure center slowly progressed from Texas to Louisiana, with resultant moderate sw. winds over the Gulf throughout this period. Likely this wayward individual originated in Mexico (or farther s.) rather than nearby Florida. However, given so much apparent variation within populations, with current uncertainties over taxonomy, a definitive answer may be as elusive as a silent cuckoo deep in the mangrove shadows. (Red- In a good year in Alabama for the rare Western Tanager, this striking male was banded 15 October 2009 at Fort Morgan, Baldwin County. Photograph by Fred Bassett. flower, and 16 in Adams 2 Sep (both DB), were notable. Rare inland in Alabama, a Wilson’s was observed 30 Aug in Lauderdale (SWM, DJS, JTG). Two groups totaling 28+ unidenti- fied phalaropes necked/Red) were rare- but-expected finds off the coast of Baldwin, AL 20 Sep (SWM et al). A juv. Sabine’s Gull, rep- resenting the 1 1th for Mis- sissippi and 6th inland, ap- peared 12 Sep at Enid L., Yalobusha (GCK, SGK, p.a.), mimicking a record there last fall. Another juv. Sabine’s was discovered 23 Oct at Ross Barnett Dam, Rankin/Madison, MS (NW, p.a,). Rare but expected at these inland Alabama sites, up to 3 Laughing Gulls were at Wheeler Dam, Lauderdale/ Lawrence 30 Aug and 25 Sep (SWM et al), and another was spotted at W. E George Dam, Henry 4 Oct (SWM). A Laughing Gull in Madison, MS 27 Nov (GCK, SGK) was unusu- al. Franklin’s Gull is rare but regular in the T.Y and G.C. in autumn; of seven reports, most notable were 4 Franklin’s in Lauderdale 25 Sep (S’WM) and up to 8 in Baldwin 26-31 Oct (SWM et al.). Alabama’s 8th California Gull was discovered at Guntersville, Marshall 17 Oct (ph. SWM, p.a.), at a site hosting half the known records for the state (annual in late Oct since 2007). At the same spot in Marshall 29 Nov, a juv. Thayer’s Gull was a treat, fur- nishing the 7th Alabama record (ph. SWM, p.a.). Lesser Black-backed Gull is now expect- ed in small numbers in our Region; I received three reports of singles from Mississippi and five reports of 7 birds in Alabama. Most no- table was an ad. beginning 30 Aug at Wheeler Dam, Lauderdale/Lawrence (DJS, SWM, JTG), setting an early arrival date for Alabama. Though rare, Great Black-backed Gull has be- come regular at Dauphin in fall and winter; up to 2 were noted there this autumn, with a sec- 92 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS Another stunning bird at Fort Morgan, Baldwin County, Ala- bama in fall 2009 was this adult male Yellow-headed Black- bird on 2 November 2009. Photograph by Larry Goodman. ond-cycle bird 6 Aug (ph. BS, RC) represent- ing either an early record for Alabama or an unprecedented summering individual. The Baldwin, AL pelagic trip 20 Sep (SWM et al.) found 9 Sooty and 6 Bridled Terns, both expected in small numbers offshore at that sea- son. A count of 64 Least Terns was unusual as late as 14 Sep in Sunflower, MS (DB). A rare Parasitic Jaeger was spotted with the passage of Ida 10 Nov at Dauphin QNW, DM), and an unidentified jaeger was at Dauphin 9 Oct (SWM). Continuing a gradual upward trend in Mississippi, an Inca Dove appeared in Jackson 11 Aug (ph. AGY, p.a.). Common Ground- Dove is rare in the M.R. but has become regu- lar near Harpersville, Shelby, where up to 3 birds were noted 4 Aug-26 Sep (MS, HHK, AGM, SH). Locally rare, 8+ White-winged Doves were in Pearl River, MS 29 Oct (NB). : ANI THROUGH WRENS Almost annual on the Mississippi coast, 2 i Groove-billed Anis were located 19 Oct in Hancock (NB), A Short-eared Owl, rare and erratic in Alabama, was found injured in El- more 18 Nov (fide TRP, ph.) and was trans- j ported to a raptor rehabilitation center. At j Clay, Jefferson, AL, 12 Northern Saw-whet I Owls were banded 1-28 Nov (RRS, MBS, ph.), I beginning the 3rd season of sleepless nights ; and outstanding results at the “Owl Farm”; I another captured there 27 Nov had been banded in Virginia in 2007, Alabama’s 6th Lesser Nighthawk was unanticipated in con- I junction with Ida on Dauphin 10 Nov (HEH j et al, ph., p.a.). Eight Chuck-will’s-widows ALABAMA & MISSISSIPPI seen at Dauphin 2 Sep (BCG) set a new Ala- bama autumn maximum. Rare but regular in the G.C., Buff-bellied Hummingbirds were in Mobile 28 Sep (4th year return, EB, SK) and on Dauphin 29 Oct (DWD). A rare Calliope Hummingbird was present in Morgan, AL 29 Oct-7 Nov (RRS, MBS, CLa et al, b., ph.). Single rare-but-regular Olive-sided Elycatch- ers were spotted 24 & 30 Aug at two sites in Colbert, AL (DjS et al.) and 5 Sep at Dauphin (KC). Scarce but expected in small numbers, there were 13 reports of 16+ Yellow-bellied Ely- catchers 23 Aug-10 Oct, all but one from Ala- bama. Acadian Elycatchers were unusually abundant for fall in Elmore, AL, with 12 record- ed 26 Sep (LEG). It was a good season for iden- tification of Alder Flycatcher, a species with 16 prior Alabama records; vocalizing individuals were noted 30 Aug in Lauderdale (DJS, SWM, JTG), 13 Sep and 7-8 Oct in Montgomery (LFG), and 10 Oct in Mobile (CH). An early Least Flycatcher was in Colbert, AL 23 Aug (SWM). Exciting discoveries undergoing re- view, Alabama’s potential 3rd and 4th Dusky Flycatchers were banded 17 & 19 Oct at Ft. Morgan (RRS, MBS et al., ph., p.a.). Continuing the rare flycatcher parade, Alabama’s 5th Say’s Phoebe put in a brief appearance on the Mobile Causeway, Baldwin 18 Oct O^o, p.a.). Ash- throated Flycatcher is a rare treat in our area; in addition to several Myiarchus reports very like- ly of this species, unequivocal identifications were made 24 Oct of different individuals at Dauphin (VBF, BB, SF, m.ob., ph.) and Ft. Mor- gan (ph. MJJ). Rare Vermilion Flycatchers were seen only in Mississippi this autumn, with a surprising 3 birds discovered 10 Nov at two sites in Hancock (NB). Sightings of Scis- sor-tailed Flycatcher in unexpected lo- cations were of singles 9 Oct in Clay, MS (D&JP, TLS et al.) and 24 Oct in Winston, AL (LB). Lagging well behind, a White-eyed Vireo was in Covington, AL 29 Nov (TS). Rare Bell’s Vireos were banded at Ft. Morgan 9 & 19 Oct (MA, RRS et al.) and observed at Dauphin 10 Oct (SWM, BS, m.ob., ph.). Also notable were War- bling Vireos 30 Aug on Dauphin (HEH) and 26 Sep at Ft. Morgan (SWM). Fish Crow continues to increase in the T.V, where now rare but regular. A maxi- mum count for that region was provid- ed by a flock of 26 calling birds in Mor- gan 19 Aug (CAB); another declared its identi- ty 30 Aug in Lauderdale (SWM, DJS, JTG). Oc- casional in recent years in the I.C.R, with only one known (and now destroyed) breeding site, 12 Horned Larks counted 6 Sep unveiled a pos- sible new nesting area in Autauga (TRP). Set- ting a new local departure date, a Tree Swallow was spotted 18 Nov in Oktibbeha (TLS). The 3 Bank Swallows 17 Oct in Marshall (SWM) es- tablished a late fall date for inland Alabama. As in 2008, Cave Swallow bucked the usual spring trend in our coastal areas, with a late appear- ance 16 Nov in Hancock (NB, p.a.) furnishing a 12th Mississippi record. Behind schedule, 2 House Wrens were in Shelby 14 Nov (GDJ). Rare but regular in the M.R., up to 3 Sedge Wrens were in n. Shelby 3 Oct and 1 & 7 Nov (ph. GDJ et al); this paled in comparison to the 15 found at a single site in s. Shelby 14 Nov (ph. GDJ), setting a new maximum for n. Ala- bama. More scarce in the M.R., a Marsh Wren was in n. Shelby 3 Oct (ph. GDJ), and 2 were spotted in s. Shelby 14 Nov (ph. GDJ). Colbert 1 Aug (SWM) provided a new arrival date for that area. Furnishing a record early date for the M.R., a Blackburnian Warbler was spotted in Birmingham, Jefferson 20 Aug (GJH). Two Palm Warblers were running late 14 Nov in Shelby, AL (GDJ), as was a Bay- breasted Warbler 13 Nov in Lee (LW). THRUSHES THROUGH BLACKBIRDS Among other thrilling birds that weekend, a Northern Wheatear was a one-day wonder at Gulf S.E, Baldwin 18 Oct (ph. LM, p.a.), pro- viding a 5th Alabama record. Tardy Tennessee Warblers were in Lee, MS 22 Nov (WRP) and Baldwin, AL 23 Nov (KC). Rare in the M.R., lone Nashville Warblers were observed 27 Sep in Winston (LB) and 11 Oct in Jefferson (GDJ); one in Montgomery 24 Oct (LFG) was unusual for the I.C.R On Dauphin, a Nashville 16 Nov and a Northern Parula 15 Nov (both SWM) were late. Early Magnolia Warblers appeared at Wheeler 29 Aug (SWM) and in Colbert, AL 30 Aug (SWM, DJS, JTG). Rare inland. Black- throated Blue Warblers were in Lee, AL 13 Sep (LW) and in Jefferson, AL 27 Sep (RS&DCH); a late individual was spotted in Pearl River, MS 30 Oct (NB). Black-throated Green Warbler is not confirmed as a breeder in the T.V, so 3 in Alabama's fifteenth Bronzed Cowbird appeared on Dauphin Island, Mobile County 25 October 2009. Photograph by Steve W. McConnell. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 93 %INd '■Ae UW OTEAT'pi^ES oW This message is made possible by the generous support of this publication. ^ To a visitor, it*s barren desert ‘V To our supporters, it’s bustling with life. ^ Join us today. Visit nature.org orcalM-888-2 JOIN TNC. ALABAMA & MISSISSIPPI Blackpoll Warbler is only occasionally docu- mented in autumn in our Region, especially away from the coast; representing the 7th in- land fall Alabama record, and the first since 1976, a Blackpoll was studied in Birmingham, Jefferson 13 Oct (GDJ). Late Black-and-white Warblers were on Dauphin 14-15 Nov (SWM, CK) and in Baldwin, AL 21 Nov (MJJ); 2 were particularly delinquent inland in Covington, AL 27 Nov (TS). Also late was an American Red- start at Dauphin 15 Nov (KC). Rare in the T.Y, a singing Swainson’s Warbler was in Colbert 1 & 30 Aug (SWM et al.). Tying a departure record for Alabama, an Ovenbird was noted at Dauphin 14 Nov (SWM). A Louisiana Wa- terthrush, which usually vacates our area early in the season, provided a local late date 18 Sep at Noxubee (TLS). Rare but regular in fall in Al- abama, but particularly plentiful this season, 6 Mourning Warblers were detected 5 Sep-4 Oct in Lee OH et al), Colbert (DJS et al), Mont- gomery (LFG), Mobile QNW), and at two sites in Jefferson (RRS, GDJ et al.). Three Common Yellowthroats were unusual in Shelby, AL at the late date of 14 Nov (GDJ). A Wilson’s Warbler at Noxubee 1 Sep (TLS) was early, singles at two locales in Jefferson 28 Aug (TK) and 28 Sep (DGJ, GDJ) were rare in the M.R., and another was tardy 1 Nov in Monroe, MS (ph. WRP). Ty- ing a local arrival date, a Canada Warbler ap- peared at Noxubee 14 Aug (TLS). Rare but expected in fall on the outer coast of Alabama, 4 Clay-colored Sparrows were not- ed 10 Oct-7 Nov at Dauphin and Ft. Morgan (BS, SWM, JNW, m.ob.). Infrequently spotted in the M.R, a Lark Sparrow was discovered in Jefferson 26 Sep (DPG, SSH). A straggling Grasshopper Sparrow was in Shelby, AL 14 Nov (ph. GDJ). Henslow’s Sparrow is a regular, though local, wintering bird in the s. portions of our Region. This skulker is only occasional- ly detected in n. Alabama, so one in Shelby 1 Nov (ph. GDJ) was a surprise; the following day, a Henslow’s was notable at the s. edge of the M.R. in Lee QH), and another was spotted at the unusual site of Ft. Morgan (RAD, LRD, BT). The 10th M.R. record, and first in Nov, of Le Conte’s Sparrow came 14 Nov, when a sin- gle bird popped into view in Shelby (ph. GDJ). Rare in both the M.R. and I.C.R, single Lin- coln’s Sparrows were observed 2 Nov in Lee (JH) and 8 Nov in Montgomery (LFG). The Summer Tanager in Montgomery 6 Nov (LFG) set a late record for the I.C.R, and ex- cepting a few winter occurrences, also a de- parture date for inland Alabama; late coastal birds were found at Ft. Morgan 15 Nov (MJJ) and at Dauphin 29 Nov (J&TS). Occasional in Alabama, an ad. male Western Tanager pro- vided a rush at Ft. Morgan 15 Oct (FB et al., b., ph.). A lone Blue Grosbeak in Oktibbeha, MS 23 Oct (TLS) furnished a local departure record, and another 14 Nov on Dauphin (SWM) was also behind schedule. If not a rare wintering bird, the Dickcissel 18 Nov in Mo- j bile, AL (ECS, JAT) was late. Rare but regular in autumn in the G.C., single Bobolinks ap- peared 6 Sep in Mobile (RCa), 18 Oct at Ft. Morgan (SWM et al), and 10 Nov on Dauphin QNW, HEH, DM et al.). Yellow-headed Black- bird is rare and not quite annual in Alabama, so four reports this fall were extraordinary. In- dividuals were enjoyed 10 Oct on Dauphin O&TS et al.), 2 Nov at Ft. Morgan (ph. LG, RAD, LRD, BT), 6 Nov at Dauphin (EC et al, * ph.), and 7 Nov in s. Baldwin (CH et al). Rep- resenting an early record for the M.R. of this declining species, 12 Rusty Blackbirds were i located 17 Oct in Lee QH). Bronzed Cowbird continues a slow increase in incidence; Alaba- ma’s 15th and 16th reports came 25-26 Oct on Dauphin (ph. SWM et al.) and 3-4 Nov at Ft. Morgan (2 birds, ph. BS). If not a rare winter- er, the Baltimore Oriole 6 Nov in Montgomery, ' AL (LFG) was tardy. Cited observers (subregional editors in bold- face): Mark Armstrong, Larry Barkey, Fred Bas- sett, Jerry Bevis, Devin Bosler, Jeff Bouton (JBo), Ned Boyajian, Robert Brisco, Craig A. Brown, Barbara Byrd, Eugenia Carey, Rodney ( Cassidy (RCa), Karen Chiasson, Alice S. Chris- tenson, Roger Clay, C. Dwight Cooley, Neill Cowles, George C. Cusick, Frank Dailey, David W. Dortch, Lucy R. Duncan, Robert A. Duncan, Venetia B. Friend, Sylvia Fullerton, Lawrence F " Gardella, Ben C. Garmon, Jeff T. Garner, David : R George, Larry Goodman, Q. B. Gray, R. Stan | & Dana C. Hamilton, Greg J. Harber, Chazz Hesselein, Kathy Hicks, Jim Holmes, Howard i E. Horne, Sharon S. Hudgins, Sue Hutchinson, Debra G. Jackson, Greg D. Jackson (Alabama), I Michael J. Jordan, Ty Keith, Christine Kelley, I, Sandra Kerr, Helen H. Kittinger, Ronald J. Kit- I tinger. Gene C. Knight, Shannon G. Knight, Caila Lamont (CLa), Craig Litteken, Henry ; Maddin, Bill Mason, Steve W. McConnell, Don 'i McKee, Larry Mensi, Anne G. Miller, Hal i Mitchell (HMi), Diane & Jim Patterson, Wayne R. Patterson, John Phillips, Tommy R. Pratt, | Martha B. Sargent, Robert R. Sargent, Thomas Savage, Marion H. Schiefer, Terence L. Schiefer j (Mississippi), Maureen Shaffer, Joan & Tom 1 Siegwald, Damien J. Simbeck, Jaclyn Smolin- .■ sky, Eric C. Soehren, Bill Summerour, Betsy Tet- ■ ( low, John A. Trent, Jacob N. Walker, Ken Ward, ' Jimmy Wells, Lorna West, Jeff R. Wilson, Nick ' Winstead, Harriett H. Wright. © ij f i Greg D. Jackson, 2220 Baneberry Drive , Birmingham, Alabama 35244 !j (g_dJackson(abellsouth.net) , 94 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS Arkansas & Louisiana mCisig Fi$h Halcheiy „ •Harrison • Fayerieville ARKANSAS R. Smith Holla Bald tBendNWR mKnobNWR L Dardaneile Hulsey State Joe Hogan Stale Fishl^atchery ^^^J^^^mFishl^atchery^f White J. DeCrav Lm * RiverM m NWR ArkadelphiaOxi' m dation Ponds Oakwood* MilhvoodL. ^ L. Chicoii Overflow NWRm , jrandL Cross # Monroe ! Shreveport 1 . LOUISIANA \ Red River ToledoP, NWR Catahou Bend^ Lm V Alexandria# <1 Cheneyville# I Lake Rice (Charles Country Cameron J" Rutherford \ Beach \ Lafayette Lacassine NWR Reserve-Bonnet Carre Spillway GULF OF MEXICO Steven W. Cardiff Following last year’s battering by two hur- ricanes, the fall 2009 season was quiet, with zero tropical cyclone impacts in the Region. There was good coverage of both coastal and interior migrant traps, and the usu- al amazing array of rarities and other notable occurrences were reported, at least moderately dominated by western and southern vagrants. On the other hand, there were relatively few dramatic pulses of passerine migrants, and passerine migration in the interior seemed generally lackluster. The weather also cooper- ated for the first organized pelagic trip in sev- eral years, out of Venice on 27 September, and participants were rewarded with several no- j table birds. Reports of northern invasive I species such as Red-breasted Nuthatch and j cardueline finches were almost non-existent. . Abbreviations: A.EE (Anderson’s Fish Farm, Lonoke, AR); B.K.N.V/.R. (Bald Knob N.W.R., White, AR); B.S.N.W.R. (Bayou Sauvage N.W.R., Orleans, LA); C.F.H. (Craig Fish ' Hatchery, near Centerton, Benton, AR); C.N.F (Camp Nine Farm, Desha, AR); C.FP. (Craig- : head Forest Park near Jonesboro, Craighead, ' AR); C.PS.N.A. (Chesney Prairie State Natu- j ral Area, Benton, AR); L.F (L. Fayetteville, I Fayetteville, Washington, AR); L.S.U.M.N.S. ; (Louisiana State University Museum of Natu- j ral Science); M.L. (Millwood Lake, AR); M.S.F (Morganza Spillway Forebay, Pointe Coupee, LA); N.FU./S.FU. (Sherburne W.M.A. “North Farm Unit” or “South Farm Unit,” n. of Ramah, Iberville, LA); S.FF (Saul’s Fish Farm near Des Arc, Prairie, AR); T.FF (Tread- way’s Fish Farm, near Hickory Plains, Prairie, AR); W.W.P. (Woolsey Wet Prairie, Fayet- teville, Washington, AR). Counties/parishes are indicated only for the initial mention of a specific locality, and states are indicated only for the initial mention of counties/parishes, except to avoid confusion. For records of “re- view list” species, documentation has been re- ceived and records have either been accepted by, or acceptance is pending by, the respective state bird records committee. Significance for Arkansas records is based on Arkansas Birds, their distribution and abundance Oames and Neal 1986), and the Arkansas Audubon Soci- ety (AAS) online bird record database (for records since 1986). Significance for Louisiana records is based on the bird record card file database and the Louisiana Bird Records Committee archives at the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science, as well as the most recent draft of the forth- coming Birds of Louisiana (Remsen, Cardiff, Dittmann, and Dickson). WATERFOWL Following the first reports from Crawford, AR in May-Jun 2009, Black-bellied Whistling- Ducks quickly proliferated, with 34 (three family groups, including 28 juvs.) counted at Alma 9 Aug (KH, DS, SH, A&KM, JiD), 32 (including a pair with 8 half-grown chicks) there 29 Aug (B&TB), a peak of 75 (62 ads., 13 juvs.; 2nd highest count for Arkansas) 17 Sep, and an ad. with 4 large young 21 Oct (all B&TB); 45 at C.N.F 10 Oct (DB) were fewer than found there fall 2008 but still a very high number for the state. In Louisiana, 2 Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks in Tensas 26 Aug, 5 in Madison 17 Sep, 6 in Concordia 20 Sep (all DBo), plus a whopping 310 at M.S.F 21 Nov (ph. BL), emphasized that the species continues to spread northeastward, into areas of the state previously unoccupied. Fulvous Whistling-Ducks were again confirmed breed- ing at C.N.F, where several broods of 7-10 young were observed 30 Aug-30 Sep (DS, SH, ph. DB), and a peak of 26 (9 ads., 17 young) was counted 4 Sep (DB); up to 20 lingered through 20 Oct (DB). Nine Fulvous Whistling- Ducks in Concordia 20 Sep (DBo) were note- worthy away from sw. Louisiana. An ad. blue- morph Snow Goose with resident Canada Geese near Grubbs, Jackson, AR 8 Sep (DBo) had most likely summered in the area, but a Ross’s Goose at C.EH. 11 Oct (MAM, JoP) was considered a legitimate migrant and earliest ever for the state. Twenty Cackling Geese at C.FH. 31 Oct (MAM, JoP) set a relatively early arrival date for the Region. A presumed wild Canada Goose, flying with Greater White- fronteds near Thornwell, Jejferson Davis, LA 6 Nov (ph. DLD, SWC), was unexpected; there are few if any recent well-documented records of non-feral individuals, and the species was re- cently added to the Louisiana Bird Records Committee “Review List.” A Gadwall at Sher- burne W.M.A. , Iberville, LA 7 Aug (DBo) was most likely an unhealthy summering bird. Mot- tled Ducks have been reported with increasing frequency in s.-cen. Louisiana, especially at M.S.F, but 150 there 18 Sep (ph. BL) easily sur- passed previous counts for the area. Assuming that they had not summered in the area, 4 Northern Shovelers and 3 Northern Pintails at B.K.N.W.R. 16 Aug (DBo) were very early for fall migrants; another pintail at L. Caliborne, Claiborne, LA 30 Aug QoD) was thought to have summered, and another shoveler at Sher- burne W.M.A. 7 Aug (DBo) was also most like- ly a summering individual. Adding to Louisiana’s relatively few fall occurrences, a record-early ad. male Cinnamon Teal (molting into definitive basic plumage) was well de- scribed at Elm Gove, Bossier 27 Sep (TD), and 2 more molting males, one molting ad. male and the other possibly a molting first-year male, were found near Thornwell 6 Nov (ph. DFL). A “very early” Redhead at Catahoula Lake R.A., LaSalle, LA 19 Sep (ph. DBo) and an even “earlier” Ring-necked Duck at L. Clai- borne 16 Aug (JoD) had both probably sum- mered at those sites. A rare Long-tailed Duck visited L. Maumelle, Pulaski, AR 15 Nov O'D). A White-winged Scoter at L.F 8 Oct (DOu, Although Harris's Hawks are very popular with falconers, and a number of Louisiana sightings have been treated as possible escapees, this individual near Rayne, Acadia Parish 2 November 2009 (here) was considered a wild vagrant and becomes Louisiana's fourth accepted occurrence. It remained into December. Pho- tograph by Dave Patton. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 95 ARKANSAS & LOUISIANA One of the pelagic species found during a Gulf of Mexico boat trip off the mouth of the Mississippi River 27 September 2009 was this Red-necked Phalarope, one of two about 55 kilometers southwest of Southwest Pass. Photograph by Dave Patton. About the tenth for Arkansas, and the first since 1988, this Red Phalarope delighted observers at Mallard Lake, Big Lake Wildlife Management Area, Mississippi County, Arkansas 4-5 (here 5) October 2009. Photograph by Mike Todd. JoP), and the same or possibly a different bird there 27-29 Oct (HDC, MAM, ph. JCN), set a new early arrival record for Arkansas. Eight Ruddy Ducks were at C.N.E 30 Aug (DS, SH), and two pairs reportedly nested there during the summer/early fall (DB, fide DS, SH); up to 8 summering at T.EE through 10 Aug (JiD, Samantha Dixon), and another 6 in breeding LOONS THROUGH STORK Arkansas once again claimed the only Pacific Loon of the season (still no accepted Louisiana records), at L, Maumelle, Pulaski 29 Nov QiD), and the only Western Grebe as well, at Beaver L., Benton 30 Nov (ph, JCN); in- terestingly, the grebe was at the same site where one was present the previous winter, One of the better birds found 27 Sep, during Louisiana’s hrst Gulf of Mexico pelagic trip in several years, was a Cory’s Shearwater about 55 km sw. of the Southwest Pass channel of the Mississippi R., Plaquemines (DBo, ph. JPS, ph. DP, DPM), A subad. Northern Gannet just off the Calcasieu R. mouth near Cameron, Cameron 16 Aug (BMM, ph. DP) was obvious- ly summering in the Gulf of Mexico. The conventional wisdom that Brown Pelicans don’t venture inland unless blown there by hurricanes was once again disproven, as evidenced by 4 (one ad., 3 imms.) at M.S.E 21 Oct QVR, BL). A Least Bit- tern flushed from a rice field near Thornwell during the late harvest 1 Nov (m.ob.) was rel- atively late. Inland dispersal of modest numbers of Roseate Spoonbills in late summer and early fall has become fairly routine, and this fall was no exception, with at least 10 reports from plumage at A.F.F. 15 Aug (DBo), were also suggestive of local nesting. ^ A Plegadis ibis were fairly widely reported across the interior, once again stimulating debate about identification and .JAwhether this late summer/early fall pattern represents northward post-breeding dispersal or actual fall migration through the Region, or both. A few obvious ad. White-faced Ibis were observed, including one atT.F.F. 5 Aug and 2 (among a larger flock of 38 unidentified Plegadis) at Grand L., Chicot, AR (both K&LN). Most reports involved imms. and were (probably wisely) left as" Plegadis sp.,"the largest concentration involving 70 individuals in Concordia, LA 20 Sep (ph. DBo). However, there were also reports of pure flocks of up to 30 "Glossy Ibis." When considering these reports, it is important to bear in mind; 1) imm. White-faced are largely indistinguishable from imm. Glossy; 2) imm. White-faced are also in some ways superficial- ly similar to ad. Glossy; 3) the traditional view has been that White-faced is the"default''species in the interior; and 4) hybrids have been documented in at least a dozen states and appear to be increasing. Thus, inland reports of Glossy Ibis, although not unprecedented, warrant much more intense scrutiny and better verification until such time that we have a better under- standing of status. Suspected pure flocks of Glossy Ibis are especially in need of confirmation, as this situation is seldom if ever encountered even in se. Louisiana, the center of the species' abundance in the Region. Hopefully, these questions will be the subject of scientific inquiries in the near future. sites n. or e. of the normal distribution. Per- haps most interesting were one near Mande- ville, St. Tammany, LA 27 Sep (Stefan Wolt- man) and 16 at Guste L, St. Tammany 31 Oct OVR et al; few records for n. shore of L. Pontchartrain), and maxima of 28 at C.N.F 9 Oct (DB) and 54 at Cotile L., Rapides 8 Nov (smaller numbers recorded there 12 Oct-25 Nov, including as many as 20-30 into the last week of Nov; J VH) . A leucistic Roseate Spoon- . bill was near Welsh, Jefferson Davis 1 Nov (ph. PEC). Reports of late Wood Storks were more than normal, including 5 in Desha, AR 9 Oct : (DB), up to 2 through much of Oct at Cotile L., with one lingering through 22 Oct QVH), 1 one at Madisonville, St. Tammany, LA 15 Nov (Meredith Faye Bodi), and one over Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge, LA 29 Nov (vt. JH). ' RAPTORS THROUGH RAILS Presumed migrant Swallow-tailed Kites thrilled observers near St. Gabriel, Iberville, LA 1 Aug (fresh juv.; DLD, SWC), at Sheppard i I, Jefferson, AR 15 Aug (3; DMcC, Hazel Mc- Cauley), at Two Rivers Park, Pulaski 23 Aug (JiD), and at Golden Meadow, Lafourche, LA ; 23 Aug (PAW, DPM). An imm. Bald Eagle in Baton Rouge 29 Aug (DLD) was difficult to i classify as summering or early migrant; 7+ in the vicinity of Thornwell 1-13 Nov (Michael I A. Seymour, SWC, DLD, m.ob.) was an un- precedented concentration in a sw. Louisiana rice agriculture situation. An imm. Broad- winged Hawk near Rutherford Beach, Cameron, LA 14 Nov (DFL) was probably a 1 late migrant, but 5 in lower Plaquemines, LA i 29 Nov (vt. PAW, DPM, RDP) were almost cer- ' tainly wintering birds. A family group of I Swainson’s Hawks, including an ad. and 3 large fledglings at Vaughn, Benton 16 Aug 1 OCN, ph. JiD et al), provided additional con- firmation of breeding in the area. Noteworthy migrant Swainson’s Hawks included one at WWP. 7 Oct Lyndal York) and one at Grand Isle, Jefferson, LA 24 Oct QCo, ph. JH et al.); 5 soaring with Turkey Vultures at Boothville, lower Plaquemines 29 Nov (vt. ^ PAW, DPM, RDP) were probably wintering i birds. A Harris’s Hawk just e. of Rayne, Acadia '■ 2 Novr- (Bill Hoffpauir, ph. DP, PEC, ph. TF, I ph. DLD, ph. Rosemary Seidler, m.ob.) would represent only the 4th accepted Louisiana record. A pair of Golden Eagles soaring over Mt. Sequoyah, Fayetteville, Washington, AR 27 Oct (Douglas James) made the only report of the species. Although Crested Caracaras are i now increasingly widespread and expected in j sw. Louisiana, 2 near Cameron 31 Oct (ph. i SLP, Joan Brown) were along the Gulf shore- ' line, where seldom reported. Exceptionally i dark-plumaged Merlins at Rutherford Beach i 96 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 27 Sep (SWC, DLD, PEC, BMM) and at Eagle Hill, Sabine, LA 9 Oct 0™ E. Johnson, Willis Sylvest) were suggestive of the Pacihc North- west subspecies suckleyi but, unfortunately, were not photographed; there are no well-doc- umented records of suckleyi in the Region. About 100 Yellow Rails were tallied during monitoring of late rice-harvesting activity in the Thornwell area 1-13 Nov (SWC, DLD, DP, BMM, PEC, m.ob.), and a late imm. Purple Gallinule was flushed from a rice field there 6 Nov (SWC, DLD). High numbers of Common Moorhens remained at C.N.E through the summer and presumably bred there, with 100 mixed ads. and juvs. present through Aug (DS, SH, DB). Signaling a dramatic late Oct influx, 8000 American Coots at C.N.E 25 Oct (DB) ranked among the highest fall counts for Arkansas, and 2000 at L.E 27 Oct (HDC) was a new high for nw. Arkansas. In Louisiana, a coot at Fontainebleau S.P., St. Tammany 10 Aug Outline Robin, Mary Mehaffey, TT) and 12 at Sherburne W.M.A. 31 Aug (DBo) were probable summering birds or rare and local breeders; singles at Baton Rouge 6 Sep O^R, jCo, CSF) and near Sorrento, Ascension, LA 11 Sep OVH) also could have summered but may have been early migrants. SHOREBIRDS American Golden-Plovers are rare fall mi- grants through the Region, so five reports was above average: one at S.EE 29 Aug (A&KM, KH, D&DB, JiD), 9 at C.N.E 7 Sep (DB), 4 at Upper Ouachita N.W.R., Morehouse, LA 7 Sep (ph. SLP), one near Fairview, Chicot, AR 16 Sep (DBo), and one fairly late near Thornwell 31 Oct (SWC, ph. DLD). Migrant Piping Plovers in the Region’s interior are always worth a mention; all sightings this fall were made at T.EE, where 2 were present 7 Aug and one was seen 20 & 22 Aug (all K&LN). Three banded Pipings were well studied at Holly Beach: an ad. 9 Aug had been banded as a chick in 2005 at Dryboro L., s. Saskatchewan ' and had nested in 2006 at L. Diefenbacher, SK; one observed 3 Oct was banded at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore near Empire, Ml (no further banding information received); and an imm. 17 Oct had been banded in sum- mer 2009 at Lewis and Clark L., SD (BMM, vt. DP, PEC). A Semipalmated Plover near Thorn- 1 well 13 Nov (DFL) was late for an inland lo- ! cation, but winter records have been on the j rise in the sw. rice-growing region. There were no fewer than 13 reports of American Avocets I away from the immediate coast, highlighted ! by 24 in Newton 7 Oct (excellent fall count for Arkansas Ozarks; ph. Bob Barber), 20 at M.S.F ; 21 Oct (good for Baton Rouge area; JVR, BL), I one at Alma 21 Oct (possible first fall occur- VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER ARKANSAS & LOUISIANA A.EE 31 Jul-5 Aug O'D, Craig Provost, Dale Provost, DMcC, K63:LN) and one near Thorn- well 27 Sep (ph. DLD). An Up- land Sandpiper in a yard at Jonesboro, Craighead 20 Oct (Joseph Sellers) would appar- ently establish a new late fall date for the species in Arkansas. It was a good fall for Ruddy Turnstones and Sander- lings, both scarce inland mi- grants in the Region. There were about six reports involv- ing about a dozen turnstones at the Lonoke-Prairie fish farm ponds 5 Aug-24 Sep (K&LN); in Louisiana, 5 at M.S.E 2 Aug (ph. BL) was only the 5th occurrence for the Ba- ton Rouge area, and another was found at Catahoula N.W.R. 19 Aug Ootiathan Clark). Inland Sanderlings were also mainly detected in e.-cen. and ne. Arkansas, with 10 reports involving 20 individuals 3 Aug-27 Sep (K&LN, DBo, KH et al); 3 at Gilbert 23 Sep (ph. SLP) were also of interest. A Baird’s Sandpiper at S.F.U. 13-16 Aug (ph. Joshua T. Sylvest, JVR, ph. CSF) and another in Franklin, LA 27 Aug (ph. DBo) added to the surprisingly few records for the Baton Rouge area and for ne. Louisiana, respec- tively. A late Pectoral Sandpiper was near Thornwell 7 Nov (DFL). Dunlin is one of our rarest summering shorebirds and among smaller Calidris is typically our latest to arrive in fall, not showing up in appreciable numbers until mid- or late Oct. One in basic plumage w. of Grand This scruffy adult Great Black-backed Gull was a surprise at Holly Beach, Cameron Parish 21 August 2009 and represented the first Louisiana occurrence between mid-June and mid-September. Photograph by Tom Finnie. One of a territorial pair that made two failed nesting attempts dur- ing the late spring and summer, this Great Kiskadee at Grand Che- nier, Cameron Parish, Louisiana was well into its post-breeding pre-basic molt on 9 September 2009. Photograph by Tom Firtnie. rence for Crawford; B&TB), 3 at C.EH. 31 Oct (rare in nw. Arkansas; JoP, MAM), 12 at Guste 1. 31 Oct (rare on n. shore of L. Pontchartrain; JVR et al), 26 at Gilbert, Franklin, LA 19 Nov (large number and late for n. Louisiana; ph. SLP), and one at C.N.E 28 Nov (very late; DB). There were five inland re- ports of Willets, presumably Westerns, which is about aver- age; four sightings involved one to 2 individuals each from expected areas of e.-cen. Arkansas 5-20 Aug (K&LN, ph. DBo), and the 5th was of a single bird at Catahoula N.W.R., LaSalle, LA 19 Sep (DBo). Rare inland Marbled Godwits included 2 found at California Gull has become almost annual in fall on the southwestern Louisiana coast since first recorded in 1985, but surprisingly few records have involved first-cycle birds; this obliging bird at Holly Beach, Cameron Parish 20 September (here) through 3 October 2009 was also one of the earliest to be found in the state. Photograph by Paul E. Conover. 97 ARKANSAS & LOUISIANA This Tropical/Couch's Kingbird at Holly Beach, Cameron Parish, Louisiana 12 October 2009 possessed worn, outer primaries and rectri- ces and was never heard calling. Photograph by Tom Finnie. Arguably the most remarkable bird of the fall 2009 season for Louisiana, this Brown- chested Martin was a "needle in a haystack" among large numbers of other migrant swal- lows near Sweet Lake, Cameron Parish 6 September 2009. Note the line of dark blotches down the center of the breast, confirming the subspecies fusca, an austral migrant in the Southern Hemisphere. Photograph by Paul E. Conover Isle at Elmers I., Jefferson 6 Sep (vt. PAW, DPM, RDP), a bird in worn alternate plumage at Holly Beach 19-20 Sep (DPM, PEC et al), and a basic-plumaged bird there 20 Sep (PEC) were all intriguing. Sixty-three Dunlins at C.EH. 31 Oct (MAM, JoP) established a new fall high count for nw. Arkansas. Another ex- cellent find during the 27 Sep pelagic trip out of Venice, LA were 2 Red-necked Phalaropes, also at 55 km sw. of Southwest Pass (ph. DBo, ph. JPS, DPM). The species is slightly more regular in Arkansas, but 4 sepa- rate individuals found there during the season was extraordinary and in- cluded one at S.EE 29 Aug (KH, A&KM, D&DB, JiD), another there 10-13 Sep (K&LN), one at Arkadel- phia, Clark 19 Sep (Don &c Dolores Harrington, Glenn & Evelyn Good), and a fairly late bird at C.EH. 16 Oct (MAM, JoP). A Red Phalarope at Mal- lard L., Big Lake W.M.A., Mississippi 4- 5 Oct (ph. JRW, DS, SH, AM, ph. JiD, ph. Mike Todd) furnished about the 10th occurrence for Arkansas and the first since 1988. Rounding out the phalarope department, a Wilson’s at Gilbert 19 Sep (DBo) and 3 there 23 Sep (ph. SLP) were relatively late, but one at C.N.E 25 Oct (DB, Sarah Bax- ter) tied the late record for Arkansas. GULLS THROUGH SKIMMER As almost expected nowadays, a few Laughing Gulls ventured into the inte- rior, including juvs. at B.K.N.W.R. 20 Aug and Dardanelle Lock and Dam, Yell, AR 3-4 Oct, and an ad. and a first- basic bird at the latter location 31 Oct (all K&LN). Exceptionally early Eranklin’s Gulls included singles at L.E 29 Aug (HDC) and at S.EE 30 Aug (K&LN, Dennis Braddy); such anomalous early records possibly pertain to individuals that sum- mered s. of the breeding grounds. Two Franklin’s Gulls at Bob Kidd L., Washington 17 Nov (MAM, JCN) were rela- tively late, especially for the Ozarks region of Arkansas. Completely unprecedented for the sw. Louisiana rice grow- ing region were hun- dreds of Franklin’s in the Thornwell area 1-8 Nov, with a peak of 1200 on 8 Nov (ph. DLD, SWC, PEC, DEL); this would be about the 3rd highest count ever for Louisiana, but, interestingly, the other large fall concentrations from the Region have also been inland and during late Oct-early Nov. Excluding a few anomalous Jul, Aug, and Sep records, a Bonaparte’s Gull at L.E 9 Oct (HDC) represented one of the earliest fall ar- rival dates for Arkansas. A first-cycle Califor- nia Gull was noted at Holly Beach 20 Sep-3 Oct (ph. PEC, ph. DP, MJM, BMM), and an ad. was at Rutherford Beach 27 Sep (SWC, DLD, PEC, BMM). At least 25-30 Lesser Black- backed Gulls were reported along the Louisiana coast 3 Sep-8 Nov (m.ob.). A worn ad. Great Black-backed Gull at Holly Beach 21 Aug (ph. TF) represented the first Louisiana occurrence between mid-Jun and mid-Sep. A second-cycle Glaucous Gull at Elmer’s 1. 18 Oct (ph. PAW, DPM) became Louisiana’s earli- est well-documented fall occurrence, and a probable first-cycle Glaucous at M.L., Hemp- stead 1 Nov (DS, SH, CM) was also a new ear- ly fall record for Arkansas and about the 10th state occurrence. At least 15 Bridled Terns were observed sw. of Southwest Pass on the 27 Sep pelagic trip (DBo, DPM et al.). Several large concentra- tions of Least Terns were found in Arkansas, including new all-time highs of 400 (about 15% hatch-year birds) at A. EE 7 Aug (K&LN) and 500 carefully estimated w. of Lake Village, Chicot 20 Aug (DBo); counts of 295 near Paragould, Greene 12 Aug and another 150 at a separate location in Chicot 16 Sep (both DBo) were also impressive and would bring the cumulative total to over 1300 individuals! About 1200 at Elmer’s 1. 6 Sep (PAW, DPM, RDP) was also a nice pre-migratory aggrega- tion for the coast. A flock of about 20 Com- mon Terns at L.E 13 Sep (MAM, JoP, HDC, Neil Nodleman) was an exciting event, as only a few individuals had previously been found during fall in nw. Arkansas. An estimated 200 Black Terns over a farm field at Hagarville, Johnson 6 Sep (LA) was one of the largest counts ever reported in Arkansas; 2 at Cameron 21 Oct (CSF, Harriet Pooler) were late. A slightly inland Black Skimmer was at Bonnet Carre Spillway, St. Charles, LA 17 Aug (MW). DOVES THROUGH WOODPECKERS Suggestive of local breeding, 2 White-winged Doves were at Grand Isle 23 Aug (PAW, DPM), and 15-20 were present near Lacombe, St. Tam- many 26 Aug-1 Sep (TT et al.). The only Groove-billed Ani reports came from two of the remaining semi-reliable spots for that species in Louisiana: 2 in extreme sw. Cameron at John- sons Bayou 17-25 Oct (MW, ph. TF, BMM et al.) and 6 in extreme s. Plaquemines near Venice 29 Nov (vt. PAW, DPM, RDP). Two exception- ally late Common Nighthawks at Baton Rouge 30 Nov-3 Dec OCo, DEL, ph. Michael Hilferty, ph. DLD, SWC) may have been attempting to winter. A rare Lesser Nighthawk was docu- mented at Oak Grove, Cameron 17 Oct (ph. PEC, BMM, ph. Lainie LaHaye). Louisiana’s first Green-breasted Mango 98 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS ARKANSAS & LOUISIANA A casual fall migrant in Louisiana, this Cape May Warbler was one of two at Johnsons Bayou, Cameron Parish 3 October 2009. Photograph by Matthew I Pontiff. was a one-day wonder at Greenwood, Caddo 20 Aug (Kathy & Steve Johnson, ph. JT, Paul M. Dickson, TD); the new addition is the 13th hummingbird species to be found in the state. Late-lingering Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in Arkansas included an ad. male at L.E 2 Nov (HDC) and an imm. male at Cabot, Lonoke 4 Nov (K&LN). An ad. male Calliope Hum- mingbird at Mandeville, St. Tammany 3-5 Aug (ph. Claire D. Thomas) represented the 2nd earliest arrival date for Louisiana; typically, such early ads. are banded returnees, but, un- fortunately, the bird did not stick around long enough to be captured and examined. The only “western” hummingbirds reported from the n. interior of the Region were an ad. male Rufous at Farmington, Washington, AR 20 Nov+ (Ann Johnson, JCN et al; said to have been present “through the summer,” which would be unprecedented for the Region or anywhere in the se. United States, but corrob- orating evidence was not available) and a probable female Rufous at Fayetteville 16 Nov+ (Sara & Bob Caulk). A “free-range” Ru- fous/Allen’s Hummingbird was noted at John- sons Bayou 19 Sep (vt. PAW). Monitoring of the South Pt. “bottleneck” (se. shore of L. Pontchartrain at e. end of B.S.N.W.R.) after passage of early cold fronts produced more impressive counts of migrant species, this year including some not normally seen in large numbers — e.g., 53 Yellow-bellied Sap- suckers and 37 Northern Flickers 17 Oct (DPM); the next day, relatively large numbers (19 sapsuckers, 13 flickers) were also found at Grand Isle (PAW, DPM). FLYCATCHEiS Six Olive-sided Flycatchers between Johnsons Bayou and Oak Grove 23 Aug (BMM, PEC) tied the previous fall high count for Louisiana; always notable away from the sw. Louisiana coast, another was near St. Gabriel 30 Aug (ph. DLD, SWC). Rather late Eastern Wood-Pewees were encountered near Ft. Jackson, lower Plaquemines 1 Nov (vt. PAW) and at Baton Rouge 9-10 Nov (SWC, DLD, ph. DFL). An ac- cumulation of 27 Yellow-bellied Flycatchers in coastal w. Cameron 23 Aug (BMM, PEC) erased the previous state high count, and 5 Least Fly- catchers at L.E 13 Sep (MAM, JoP) may have established a new fall high count for Arkansas. Belatedly, additional convincing evidence was received of up to 7 breeding ad. Willow Fly- catchers at three locations along the Red R. in the Shreveport-Bossier City area, Caddo- Bossier 25 Jun-1 Aug (TD). No nests were found, but some fledged juvs. were also thought to be present, and a few lingering in- dividuals or possible migrants were noted through 16 Aug (TD). Pending acceptance and identification to species, a Pacific-slope/Cordilleran Flycatcher at Johnsons Bay- ou 3 Oct (*LS.U.M.N.S., ph. PEC, BMM, ph. MTP) would be only the 6th well- documented Louisiana oc- currence for the complex (and only the 2nd from fall). Two Eastern Phoebes near Thornwell 27 Sep (SWC, DLD, BMM) were early for s. Louisiana. Un- precedented for Arkansas, a Say’s Phoebe returned for its 3rd consecutive winter in ne. Boone 24 Oct+ (ph. Esta Lee & Joe Pattie, Sally Jo Gibson, SR, DS, SH, Jack & Pam Stewart); the bird had reportedly first shown up several weeks earlier. Another Say’s was located n. of Ramah near N.EU. 3 Oct (ph. Richard Temple), interestingly, at the ex- act spot where one visited in fall 2007, and a few km from a fall 2006 sighting at S.EU. Sin- gle Vermilion Flycatchers at Johnsons Bayou 19 Sep (vt. PAW, DPM, RDP, Curt Sorrells) and near Sweet Lake, Cameron, LA 20 Sep (PEC, MJM, DP) were quite early. A Great Crested Flycatcher at Baton Rouge 19 Oct (vt. JH) represented one of the latest well-documented occurrences for Louisiana. Ash-throated Flycatcher is a rare but regular fall and winter visitor in s. Louisiana. This fall’s selection included the normal fare of probable migrants near Cameron 18 Oct OS, ph. EIJ, Phred M. Benham, JCa) and at John- sons Bayou 19-23 Oct (ph. TF, JVH, Robby Bacon), as well as a possible wintering bird at L. Martin 28 Nov (Danny M. Dobbs), possibly a returnee that spent the previous winter there. Definitely not usual were 5 Ash-throat- eds associating with each other at B.S.N.W.R. 27 Nov (vt. PAW). A pair of Great Kiskadees first found nest-building near Rockefeller Refuge headquarters. Grand Chenier, Cameron, LA in early May remained in the area through at least 9 Sep; after the first nest was abandoned during Jun or early Jul, an- other, nearly complete nest was located in late Jul, but it too was found damaged and aban- doned 3 Sep (ph. DLD, SWC, BMM, ph. TF), and by that date the birds had initiated their post-breeding molt. One or both of another apparent pair of Great Kiskadees were seen off and on about 30 km to the w. at Oak Grove 27 Sep-7 Nov (SWC, DLD, vr. DFL); one was also seen there the previous Apr and, in hind- sight, may have been a member of this pair. A Tropical/Couch’s Kingbird was an excellent find at Holly Beach 12 Oct (ph. MTP, Gary Pontiff, ph. TF). Standing out among a num- ber of Louisiana reports of Western Kingbirds were very late birds at Cypremort Pt., St. Mary 18 Nov (ph. EIJ), Grand Isle 21 Nov (ph. DPM), and near Vinton, Calcasieu 22 Nov (2; ph. TF); 3 at Alliance, Plaquemines 29 Nov were in the area where a flock has spent the past couple of winters. Most notable among several Arkansas reports of Scissor-tailed Fly- catchers were an ad. male near Lake Chicot S.P., Chicot 8 Aug (rare in extreme se. Arkansas), and a very late bird at Cabot 25 Nov (both K63:LN); the species was also wide- ly reported across se. Louisiana (33 individu- als at 12 locations; m.ob.). VIREOS THROUGH WARBLERS Reports of rare Bell’s Vireos involved a clus- ter of early migrants at Peveto Beach Woods, Johnsons Bayou, including one 30 Aug (ph. PEC), 2 together 12 Sep (possibly the first fall occurrence involving multiple birds to- gether; PEC, ph. James Beck), and one 25 Sep (DBo, EJR), and another cluster of late, possibly wintering individuals at three sepa- rate locations in Orleans 15-22 Nov (RDP, GO, PAW). A Cassin’s Vireo at Johnsons Bayou 3 Oct (*L.S.U.M.N.S., PEC, BMM, ph. MTP) made only the 2nd confirmed Louisiana occurrence. An estimated 4500 Fish Crows in Lafayette 18 Nov (EIJ) obliter- ated the previous state high count. A Horned Lark near S.EU. 7 Aug (DBo) was suggestive of local breeding activity, which is undocu- mented this far se. in Louisiana. A juv. Pur- ple Martin at T.EE 13 Sep was quite late, but an ad. male at Cabot 10 Oct (both K&LN) and a female-plumaged individual 15 km s. of Lydia, St. Mary, LA 17 Oct (EIJ, JCa) were exceptionally so. A Cave Swallow near Sweet Lake 12 Sep (ph. PEC) was, surprisingly, the only report. Three Brown-headed Nuthatches near Tilly 25 Aug (LA) were noteworthy for being about 40 km n. of the species’ known distribution in VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 99 ARKANSAS & LOUISIANA r A A Brown-chested Martin discovered near Sweet Lake 6 Sep (*L.S.U.M.N.S.; PEC) was another first record for ^ /^Louisiana and, amazingly, the 11th species added to the state list in less than two years (including older specimen records of Smooth-billed Ani and Western Gull). As for the few other well-documented United States records, the 2009 Comeron specimen is identifiable as the more southerly and migratory subspecies Phaeoprogne tapera fusca. Interestingly, the bird was an imm. male completing wing and tail molt and was associating with southbound transient swallows, mainly Tree Swallows. So, whether it represented a "wrong way" northbound migrant (should be moving southward during the aus- tral spring) or had actually spent the summer somewhere farther north in North America and was moving back southward towards the South American austral breeding grounds, or was just plain lost, is anyone's guess. Pope, AR. Yet another Rock Wren, about the 10th area occurrence (all since 1996), was discovered at the Little River end of the M.L. dam 21 Oct-r (CM, DS, SH). Two Sedge Wrens at C.RS.N.A. 2 Aug QCN) were suspected of making a late breeding attempt. A very early Ruby-crowned Kinglet was at Grand Chenier, Cameron 16 Sep (EIJ); interestingly, eight of the top 10 earliest Louisiana records are from the coastal zone. A very late Blue-gray Gnat- catcher was spotted at C.N.E 28 Nov (DB), and a Gray Catbird was also relatively late at Eayetteville 9 Nov (MAM). Setting a new Arkansas fall high count, an impressive 5 Golden-winged Warblers ap- peared at C.EP. 20 Sep (RH); singles at L. Ata- lanta, Benton (JoP, MAM) and near Jonesboro, Craighead (Cheryl & Norman Lavers), both 29 Aug, tied the early date for Arkansas. A Brewsters Warbler at C.EP 21 Sep (RH) was apparently only about the 4th occurrence for Arkansas and the first from fall. Nashville Warblers invaded L.E 4 Oct (HDC), where a count of 15 approached the record fall high for Arkansas; another in Fayetteville 1 Nov (MAM) was quite late for anywhere in the n. interior. A Northern Parula in sw. Lafayette 1 Nov (DEL) was fairly late, as were 2 Yellow Warblers at the Pool Unit of Lacassine N.W.R. 1 Nov (vt. jane Patterson, David Ringer, Melanie Driscoll) and a Magnolia Warbler at Grand Isle 21 Nov (DPM). Cape May War- blers are much rarer in the Region in fall ver- sus spring, so 2 found at Johnsons Bayou 3 Oct (ph. PEC, BMM) were cause for excite- ment. Black-throated Blue Warbler is another eastern flyway species that is relatively scarce in the Region, but they tend to be more fre- quently encountered in fall than in spring. Only 3 were reported this fall, all males: at C.EP. 25 Sep (ph. RH; relatively early; there are only about a dozen previous fall records for Arkansas); at Johnsons Bayou 17 Oct (BMM. PEC); and at Grand Isle 18 Oct (DPM, PAW). Spectacular movements of Yellow- rumped Warblers were witnessed at South Point 1 Nov (500; DPM) and near Weeks L, St. Mary, LA 18 Nov (5000; EIJ). An Audubon’s Warbler was a nice find at Buras, lower Plaquemines 25 Nov (DPM). Rare for the Baton Rouge area, a yellow-lored Yellow- throated Warbler was also very late at Baton Rouge 10 Nov-3 Dec (DEL, ph. DLD, SWC). A late Prairie Warbler was spotted at B.S.N.W.R. 22 Nov (vt. PAW). A Palm War- bler at Johnsons Bayou 25 Sep (DBo) was rel- atively early, and one at Holla Bend N.W.R., Pope, AR 21 Nov (K&LN et al.) was very late or possibly wintering. Also very late or possi- bly wintering was a Black-and-white Warbler sighted near Milton, Lafayette 22 Nov (EIJ). An American Redstart at L.E 16 Oct (HDC) was very late for nw. Arkansas, and one at Kincaid L., Rapides 9 Nov QVH) was also very late for cen. Louisiana. Tying the late date for Louisiana’s s. interior was a Kentucky War- bler near St. Gabriel 16 Oct (DLD). A Wilson’s Warbler at Grand Isle 30 Aug (PAW) was very early, especially for the se. coast. TANAGERS THROUGH FINCHES A late ad. male Summer Tanager at Metairie 20 Nov (GO, Dan & Betty Carroll) may have been attempting to winter in the area. Rare Western Tanagers were documented at John- sons Bayou 28 Sep (ph. TF), with possibly the same bird there 2 Oct QVH, MTP) and at Grand Isle 21 Nov (surprisingly few previous island records; ph. DPM). A Spotted Towhee at Johnsons Bayou 7 Nov (ph. Gary Brous- sard) provided the only report. Vesper Spar- rows in the Fayetteville area 5 Oct and 30 Nov (MAM) were very early for Arkansas and very late for n. Arkansas, respectively. A Lark Spar- row at Grand Isle 12 Aug (SWC, DLD) was one of the earliest ever for the coast, and one near Milton 1 Sep (EIJ) was also an interest- ing early migrant for the s. interior. A singing male and 2 juv. Grasshopper Sparrows in the vicinity of a turf farm near Frog Bayou W.M.A. 9 Aug OCN, JBr, DOa) provided strong evidence for breeding in Crawford, AR. Always of interest inland, single Nelson’s Sparrows were located at W.WP 27 Oct (An- drew Scaboo) and C.RS.N.A. 31 Oct QCN, Shane Woolbright), and for the 3rd consecu- tive late fall/winter, 2 were found in rice fields near Thornwell 13 Nov (SWC, DLD, DEL). An ad. male Oregon Junco at Cabot 16 Nov (K&LN) was the only report of this rare fall/winter visitor. Three flyover probable La- pland Longspurs at C.EH. 31 Oct and 2 defi- nites at Fayetteville 1 Nov (both MAM) were ; just short of being record early for Arkansas. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at L. Atalanta 12 Sep (MAM, JoP) and Mt. Sequoyah, Fayet- teville 15 Sep (MAM) were relatively early, whereas one at Little Rock, Pulaski 17 Nov (Doris Boyles) apparently set a new late fall record for Arkansas. A good showing of Black- headed Grosbeaks, all imm. males, included I birds at Grand Isle 18 Oct (DPM, PAW), John- I sons Bayou 24 Oct (ph. BMM, PEC), and near Cypremort Pt. 1 Nov (ph. EIJ). An ad. female Blue Grosbeak feeding an apparent juv. at L.E 13 Sep (MAM, JoP) represented an exception- ally late breeding attempt; a late migrant visit- ed Baton Rouge 10 Nov (DEL). A flyover Dickcissel was unexpectedly late near St. Gabriel 18 Nov QVR). Yellow-headed Black- birds near C.RS.N.A. QCN, JBr, DOa) and at Venice, lower Plaquemines (DBo), both 26 Sep, and another at Ft. Jackson 25 Oct (PAW, DPM, RDP), were the only ones reported away from i sw. Louisiana (where the species occurs with i increasing regularity). Twenty Boat-tailed I Grackles at M.S.E 21 Oct QVR, BL) were un- usual for the s.-cen. Louisiana interior, al- though a territorial male had been reported i there the previous spring. Ninety-five Bronzed I Cowbirds at Venice 26 Sep (DBo, EJR) was an ■; ominously high number. A very late Baltimore 1; Oriole was briefly observed near St. Gabriel 29 1 1 Nov (ph. DLD). A Purple Finch n. of Harri- son, Boone 6 Nov (SR) was relatively early, at i least by recent standards. j Initialed observers (subregional editors in | boldface): Leif Anderson, Dick Baxter, Bill j and Toka Beall, Devin Bosler (DBo), Dottie i and Doris Boyles, Jacque Brown QBr), Steven | W. Cardiff (Louisiana), Jonathan Carpenter QCa), H. David Chapman, Paul E. Conover, Jacob Cooper QCo), Terry Davis, John Dillon QoD), Donna L. Dittmann, Jim Dixon QiD). Tom Finnic, Carol S. Foil, Jeff Harris, Karen Holliday, Samantha Holschbach, Ron Howard, Jay V Huner, Erik 1. Johnson, Bren- nan Landry, Daniel E Lane, Delos McCauley (DMcC), Charles Mills, Michael A. Mlodinow, Allan and Kathleen Mueller, David R Muth, B. Mac Myers, Joseph C. Neal (Arkansas), Ken- ny Nichols, LaDonna Nichols, David Oakley (DOa), Donald Ouellette (DOu), Glenn Ous- set, Stephen L. Pagans, Joanie Patterson 0oP)> Dave Patton, Matthew T. Pontiff, R. D. Purrington, E. J. Raynor, J. V Remsen, Sheree Rogers, Dan Scheiman, John P. Sevenair, Jeff Trahan, Tom Trenchard, Phillip A. Wallace, Melvin Weber. 0 Steven W. Cardiff, 435 Pecan Drive St. Gabriel, Louisiana 70776, (scardif@gmail.com) 100 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS Northern Canada & Greenland | Cameron D. Eckert Relatively mild conditions prevailed this fall, 'without any of the cold snaps that often grip southern parts of the Region late in the season. It’s not clear whether a lackluster fall shorebird season in southern Yukon was due to high water levels at the lo- cal shorebirding hotspot or to poor nesting success in the far north this past summer. Va- grants always add to the excitement of a bird- ing season, and it was Northwest Territories that produced the “bird of the season” this time around, with a new species for their checklist. Yukon birders did some checklist housekeeping, returning a previously “lost” species to the territory’s checklist. The two Yukon bird observatories, at Albert Creek and Teslin Lake, again collected a wealth of inter- esting observations, and we were fortunate to get further interesting reports from the area around Zackenberg Research Station in northeastern Greenland, about 25 kilometers northwest of Daneborg. WATERFOWL THROUGH SHOREBIRDS A pair of Barnacle Geese was reported from Zackenberg, Greenland 1 Aug OH). A flock of about 1000 Canada Geese was at Shallow Bay, s. Yukon 18 Sep (BD, HG, YS). An impressive flight of waterfowl over Ft. Simpson, NWT on the evening of 28 Sep included 58 Tundra Swans and an estimated 4500 Snow Geese (DT, MH), the majority of which went over in one nearly continuous series. Documentation of staging locations for migrating swans in the Yukon’s Southern Lakes is always of interest; an aerial survey 20 Oct recorded 25 swans at Rose L,, 48 at Primrose L., and 44 at Judas Cr. QM). A flock of 195 King Eiders was at Arctic Bay, Nunavut 8 Aug (ph. CK), while 30, rare fall migrants along the Yukon’s North Coast, female White-winged Scoter with 15 ducklings (which had some growing to do before freeze-up) were at Shell L., NWT 15 Aug (CE). A survey of Pauline Cove and Workboat Passage off the Yukon’s North Coast recorded 900 Surf Scoters and 450 Long-tailed Ducks 19 Aug (CE). The annual late fall movement of Willow Ptarmigan into the cen. and s. Mackenzie Valley, NWT brought widespread reports of increased numbers this Nov in Sahtu and Dehcho regions, which encompass- es Norman Wells, Wrigley, Ft. Simpson, and Nahanni Butte (RP; AM; PR; DB). Conversely, numbers of Sharp- tailed Grouse were reported to be low in Sah- tu this fall (RP). A female Rock Ptarmigan with 5 large chicks was noted near Kamelen, Greenland 1 Aug (GV). A lone White-tailed Ptarmigan, uncommon in sw. Yukon but rarely reported in fall, was seen at 1200 m off the Aishihik Rd. 27 Oct (TS). A male Dusky Grouse was an unexpected visitor to a White- horse backyard 25 Sep (ph. GW, MW); while this species is uncommon at treeline in s. Yukon, there are very few lowland records. Notable movements of Pa- cific Loons were seen at Teslin Lake B.O., s. Yukon, with counts of 215 and 100 on 23 & 24 Sep, respectively JJo. SM). As concern for Horned Grebe populations mounts, so too does the interest in counts of migrants: a flock of 70 was recorded at Tagish Narrows, s. Yukon 3 Sep OJa)- High counts for Red-necked Grebes this season were 210 at Tagish Nar- rows 3 Sep and 397 at Marsh L, s. Yukon 27 Sep OJa)- Nunavut, Northern Fulmar counts included 200 near Res- olute 3 Aug, 96 at Baffin Bay 3 Aug, 40 at Prince Leopold I. 4 Aug, and 35 at Beechey I. 13 Aug Ofie)- -A. pair of Osprey that nested in Inuvik, NWT this summer (RG) was at the n. edge of the species’ range; at least 2 were still lingering near the nest 15 Aug (CE). An Osprey nest atop an old crane along Highet Cr., near Mayo, cen. Yukon produced 2 chicks this summer (LB); the nearest body of water "with fish is Minto L., about 5 km from the nest. A tardy ad. Bald Eagle was seen at Jungle Ridge near Norman Wells, NWT 14 Nov (RP, PSp). Watches at the Teslin Lake ing 50 Ospreys, 105 Bald Eagles, 271 North- ern Harriers, 411 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 20 Northern Goshawks, 21 Swainson’s Hawks, 404 Red-tailed Hawks, 179 Rough-legged Hawks, 109 Golden Eagles, 85 American Kestrels, 47 Merlins, a Gyrfalcon, and 34 Pere- grine Falcons QJ^ et al.). The tally of 21 Swainson’s Hawks, with a one-day high count of 13 on 5 Sep OJa). is especially noteworthy, as this species remains enigmatic in the North, where its only known nesting area is Eagle Plains, cen. Yukon and little is known about the timing or pattern of migration. Farther east, a dark-morph Swainson’s Hawk was seen at Watson L., se Yukon 1 Sep (ph. JJo). A Pere- grine Falcon tried unsuccessfully to make lunch of a Common Raven at Arctic Bay, Nunavut 15 Sep (CK). A flock of 30 Sandhill Cranes, part of the regular fall migration through the Yukon, was noted over Ft. Selkirk 26 Aug (GW, MW). Al- though Wandering Tattler is an uncommon breeder in the Yukon, there are very few fall records; a migrant juv. was seen at Teslin L., s. Yukon 20 Aug (ph. JJa). A juv. Western Sand- piper at Watson L. 28 Aug (ph. JJo) provided a rare record for se. Yukon. Two juv. Western Sandpipers and an ad. White-rumped Sand- piper, both casual along the Yukon’s North Monitoring of migration at two southern Yukon bird observatories is helping to clarify the timing and movement patterns of several rare northern breeders such as Swainson's Hawk. This dark-morph individual was photographed at Watson Lakel September 2009. Photograph by Jillian Johnston. Coast, were at Herschel 1. 16 & 17 Aug, re- spectively (ph. CE). GULLS THROUGH FINCHES A trip through the ice flows of Wellington Channel, Nunavut 13 Aug recorded 19 Poma- rine Jaegers OSe)- Parasitic Jaegers were seen at the Teslin Lake B.O., s. Yukon on 11 days over the period 24 Aug-25 Sep, with a high count of 3 on 30 Aug OJa)- Two Sabine’s were recorded at Herschel 1. 17 Aug (CE). A B.O. yielded impressive raptor totals, includ- Gulls, a rare s. Yukon migrant, were seen at VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 101 NORTHERN CANADA & GREENLAND A reward for tossing out a bit of bird seed to see what it attrarts was this imma- ture Clay-colored Sparrow in Whitehorse 5-6 (here 6) October 2009, which estab- lished the Yukon's first fall record. Photograph by Cameron Eckert. Teslin L., s. Yukon 27 & 29 Aug (JJa). Prince LeopoM I., Nunavut hosts tremendous num- bers of nesting seabirds; counts of 15,000 Black-legged Kittiwakes and 10,000 Thick- billed Murres were recorded there 4 Aug QSe). Other high counts of kittiwakes in the area included 600 at Dundas Harbour 1 1 Aug and 400 at Beechey 1.13 Aug OSe). A Sabine’s Gull and and Ivory Gull were seen at Baffin Bay, Nunavut 10 Aug OSe). A count of 250 Dovekies was made at Baffin Bay, Nunavut 7 Aug OSe). This year’s annual monitoring of the Black Guillemot colony at Herschel I., n. Yukon recorded a total of 59 ad. guillemots, along with 17 nests with 31 chicks (CE, RG); this is the highest nesting productivity recorded since the late 1990s. A Eurasian Collared-Dove, the Yukon’s 3rd, hrst reported in Whitehorse 22 Aug, was seen by local residents through the season (LC; ph. CE; ph. DH; ph. CW). A lone Mourning Dove, a rare wanderer to the Region, was seen at Ft. Resolution 11 Sep (ph. RH); another died in a window-strike at a ranch n. of Whitehorse, s. Yukon 7 Oct (ph. VL). Northern Hawk Owl reports included one in Whitehorse, s. Yukon 21 Oct (LC) and another, being mobbed by a flock of redpolls, in a burn at Oscar Cr., NWT 7 Nov (RP, JSa). A near fully grown Short- eared Owl chick literally walked into a cabin at Allavik, Nunavut 16 Aug (ph. JE); singles were at the Ft. Simpson Flats, NWT 28 Oct (ph DT), near Felly Crossing and again near Stewart Crossing, both cen. Yukon 17 Nov (MOD), and at Shallow Bay, s. Yukon through 26 Nov (MB, PB). A female-type Rufous Hum- mingbird seen 5 Aug at Nahanni Butte (vt. WM) provided a rare record for Northwest Territories. A relatively high number of Ru- fous Hummingbirds, all but one being female types, were reported this sea- son from s. Yukon, including singles at Wolf Creek 1-21 Aug (ph. SR), Tagish 4 Sep (ph. JD, PD), Whitehorse 5-7 Sep (RM), Pineridge 5-7 Sep (SL), Haines Junction 11 Sep (ad. male; CD), and Riverdale through 25 Sep (DJa, ph. CE, ph. HG). Alder Flycatcher was again recorded in very high numbers (631 banded) at the Teslin Lake B.O. this fall QJa et al); other Empidonax banded there were 8 Yellow-bellied, one Least, 12 Hammond’s, and 6 Dusky Flycatchers. Albert Creek B.O. in se. Yukon band- ed 6 Yellow-bellied, 92 Alder, 7 Least, 4 Hammond’s, and 2 Dusky (JJo et ah). The Region’s first Ash- throated Flycatcher, an exciting hnd in Ft. Simpson, NWT 1 Sep (tDT), was the bird of the season. Steller’s Jays have once again be- come scarce in s. Yukon since their grand in- vasion in 2006; one was at Tagish 12 Nov (CT). American Crows appeared to have had another successful nesting season in White- horse, s. Yukon, where a flock of up to 16 was seen through early Oct (CE; HG), Nine Amer- ican Crows were at Albert Creek, se. Yukon 8 Sep OJo)- An evening flight of 50 American Crows in Ft. Simpson 4 Sep (DT) was a large number for anywhere in Northwest Territo- ries. A mixed flock of swallows at M’Clintock Bay, s. Yukon 1 1 Aug was comprised of 300 Bank, 100 Cliff, and 20 Barn Swallows (JJa, IP). Single Tree and Bank Swallows at Herschel I., n. Yukon 15 Aug (ph. CE) were beyond their range. In fall 2009, the Teslin Lake B.O. recorded dazzling num- bers of chickadees, and this year, the banding totals were equally impressive, with 831 Boreals (all but one being hatch-year), 26 Black-capped, and 11 Moun- tain OJa et ah); these numbers are indicative of a signihcant post-breeding movement of hatch-year chickadees in the North. A Brown Creeper, perhaps annual in sw. Yukon but very rare in the Yukon’s Southern Lakes, was seen in Porter Creek 19 Oct (CE, MSE, NSE, RSE). A Northern Wheatear carrying insects was noted w. of Aucellaely, Greenland 1 Aug (JH). A hock of about 50 Mountain Bluebirds was i : I, on the rodeo grounds n. of Whitehorse, s. H Yukon 18 Sep (HG et ah). A late Varied M Thrush was observed feeding on Saskatoon f berries in Whitehorse, s. Yukon 19 Nov (LC). r A flock of about 200 Bohemian Waxwings was seen in Haines Junction, sw. Yukon 10 Nov (WR). Cedar Waxwing is sporadic in s. Yukon, ' with notable incursions in some years; a flock of 12 was recorded at Albert Cr., se. Yukon 13 i Aug OJo). and a flock of 17 (a mix of ads. and | juvs.) was at Teslin L., s. Yukon 18-19 Aug > OJa). At Albert Creek B.O., the seasonal total ^ of 137 Tennessee Warblers included an amaz- t ing one-net catch of 37 on 11 Aug (TMK) — a ' bit of a mind-bender, considering that a j “flock” of Tennessee Warblers had never be- . t fore been reported in the Yukon. An imm. J Clay-colored Sparrow seen with American | Tree Sparrows in Whitehorse 5-6 Oct (ph. CE) 1 1 established the first fall record for the territo- I ry. A hatch-year Brewer’s Sparrow, only rarely t seen in the lowlands, was banded at the Teslin ' Lake B.O. 26 Aug (ph. JJa). A White-throated Sparrow, a first for sw. Yukon, was at a Haines ‘ Junction feeder 11 Nov+ (ph. WR). An imm. \ Golden-crowned Sparrow lingered at a White- /• horse feeder 28 Oct-8 Nov (ph. KW). Smith’s 1 Longspur is rarely reported during fall migra- tion, and so a flyby at Teslin L., s. Yukon 27 ’. Aug OJ^) was noteworthy. A pair of Snow ’ Buntings was feeding 7 juvs. somewhat late at Husblokken, Greenland 1 Aug QH)- • This fall. Rusty Blackbirds color-banded as part of the ongoing monitoring of their popu- ' lations included 121 birds in Whitehorse (PSi), 30 at Teslin L. {fide BS), and 10 at Al- bert Cr. {fide TMK). A hatch-year Rusty Blackbird banded 2 Sep 2008 in Whitehorse I was found dead in North Dakota 2 Nov this | season {fide PSi). The high count of Rusties at i the Whitehorse banding site was 150 in early I Sep (PSi); a flock of 37 attended a feeder at J Marsh L., s. Yukon 19 Sep QK)- ^ House j Finch, casual in s. Yukon, was heard singing This photograph of a brilliant male American Goldfinch at Marsh Lake, southern Yukon 20 September 2009 marks the return of this species to the territory's checklist. Photograph by Cameron Eckert. 102 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS NORTHERN CANADA & GREENLAND in Whitehorse 18 Sep (SC). American Goldfinch, removed from the Yukon Check- list after photographs of a male from the ear- ly 1990s were lost, was added to the territory’s checklist 22 Jun, when a male turned up at Tagish (DJo, LJ) and again nearby at a Marsh Lake feeder 20-21 Sep, probably the same in- dividual OK, BB, ph. CE, BD, HG). A female- type Evening Grosbeak, rare in the V/hite- horse area, was seen in Hillcrest 10 Sep (GW, MW). The Yukon’s only population of House Sparrows, first established in Whitehorse in 2007, continues to grow; a high count of 40 was recorded 6 Oct (CE). Rudolf F. Koes Peter Taylor The cold and damp summer lasted through August in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and was reflected in reports of month-old Swainson’s Hawk chicks dead in the nest on 6 August in the former province (DZ) and several passerine species still feeding young in mid-September at Hecla Provincial Park in the latter province (RS). In sharp contrast, September brought record warm temperatures, while October was cool, followed by a very mild November,, particu- larly in the east of the region. Conditions in Alberta were more moderate throughout. Mi- gration on the whole was perceived as being rather poor, with diving duck, shorebird, nighthawk, flycatcher, Catharus thrush, war- bler, and sparrow numbers being mentioned as below par in various areas. WATERFOWL THROUGH IBISES Notable waterfowl concentrations included a flock of 650+ Cackling Geese at East Shoal L., MB 5 Nov (KG), 5000 Tundra Swans e. of Calgary, AB 29 Oct (IH, CH), and 4000 Rud- dy Ducks at Clear L., AB 20 Sep (TK). An Observers (subregional editors in boldface): Mary Beattie, Pete Beattie, Bruce Beaton, Dar- rell Betsaka, Lowell Bleiler, Linda Cameron, Syd Cannings, Judy Dabbs, Paul Dabbs, Boris Dobrowolsky, Claude Duiac, Cameron Eck- ert, Joe Enook, Richard Gordon, Helmut Grtinberg, Mary-Ann Hannaford, Jannik Hansen, Debbie Higgins, Reid Hildebrandt, Donna Jager (DJa), Jukka Jantunen Qja), Jil- lian Johnston OJo): Darci Johnstone (DJo), Larry Johnstone, Jean Kapala, Virginia LaPrairie, Clare Kines, Sherry Lindley, Rob- bie Mackay, Wesley Marcellais, Sergio Marro- coli, John Meikle, Albert Moses, Ted Mur- American Black Duck at Taber, AB 13 Oct was rare (LB), as were the following hybrids; Mal- lard X Northern Pintail and Mallard x Gadwall at Chestermere L., AB 11 Oct and an apparent Blue-winged Teal x Northern Shoveler near Blackie, AB 14 Oct (all TK). Two juv. Harle- quin Ducks were at Regina Beach, SK 15-29 Sep (fide DS; RDo, ph.), and 2 more were at Victoria Beach, MB 20 Nov-1 Dec (RP). Scot- ers were scarce, with no reports of Surf or Black in s. Manitoba and few elsewhere. The highest counts reported were 1 1 Surfs at Regi- na Beach 12 Oct (BL), single Blacks at Buena Vista, SK 3 Oct (BL) and at Cold Lake, AB about 30 Oct (RK), and 3 Blacks at Trestle Bay, SK 8 Nov (BL). Lone Barrow’s Gold- eneyes visited Regina Beach 11 Oct-24 Nov (BL) and Wascana L., SK 21 Oct (BL). Lone Red-throated Loons were at Chain Lakes, AB 18 Oct (TK) and at Regina Beach 7 Nov (BL). A Pacific Loon lingered at Calgary 10 Oct-7 Nov (BWi, m.ob.), another was at Seebe, AB 25 Oct (M&JM), one was at Black- strap L., SK 31 Oct (NS, GW, RDu, ph.), and up to 2 were at Regina Beach 2-6 Nov (BL). Probable Yellow-billed Loons were at Seebe 25 Oct O&MM) and at Genesee, AB in early Nov (fide GR). Noteworthy grebe concentra- tions were 214 Westerns (plus one Clark’s) at Natalie L., MB 12 Oct (PT), 800+ Westerns at Regina Beach 15-16 Oct (BL), and 400 Horneds at Pine Coulee, AB 18 Oct (TK). Great Egret numbers built up to a peak of 72+ at Shoal Lakes 21 Aug; Manitoba’s 2nd breeding colony of Great Egret was discov- ered there on the same date (RKo, PT, DW, RZ). Besides numerous reports of smaller numbers elsewhere in Manitoba, there was one Great Egret report from Tyvan, SK 13 Aug (fide BL). The only Snowy Egret reports phy-Kelly, Mark O’Donoghue, Ingrid Pollet, Richard Popko, Sandra Richardson, Wolf Riedl, Pat Rowe, Jason Salter QSa), Ben Schonewille, John Sevenair QSe), Phil Spencer (PSp), Pam Sinclair (PSi), Maren Sinclair-Eckert, Nigel Sinclair-Eckert, Rory Sinclair-Eckert, Terry Skjonsberg, Yammy Stole, Douglas Tate (Northwest Territories), Cathy Turner, Gergely Varkonyi, Christopher Wheeler, Gerry Whitley, Mary Whitley, Keith Williams. O Cameron D. Eckert, 1402 Elm Street Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1 A 4B6, fccleckert@northwestel.net) Prairie Provinces | came from Whitewater L., MB 6 & 18 Aug (m.ob.). A Little Blue Heron at Banff N.E, AB 8 Sep could not be confirmed (KB). Two tardy Cattle Egrets were at Libau, MB 8 Nov QC), and one was photographed near Lac du Bonnet, MB 14 Nov (D&CJ). The peak Ple- gadis (presumed White-faced) ibis count in the Whitewater L. area was 22+ on 6 Aug (DF, RKo, PT). RAPTORS THROUGH WOODPECKERS The Whytewold, MB hawkwatch tallied 282 Sharp-shinned Hawks 10 Oct, a high number for the late date (MQ, CM). A dark-morph Mild conditions aliowed this Cattle Egret to soreive until at least 14 November 2009, when it briefly appeared at Pinawa Channel, Manitoba. Photograph by Doug and Caro! Jordan. Broad-winged Hawk was a good find in Win- nipeg 25 Aug (TK). Rough-legged Hawks were prominent in s. Alberta and s. Manitoba. Eight Golden Eagles, more than the usual number, were noted in s. Manitoba between VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 103 PRAIRIE PROVINCES This very cooperative Red Phalarope, Saskatchewan's seventh, lingered at Regina Beach on Last Mountain Lake from 30 September through at least 17 October 2009 (here). Photograph by Greg Krdtzig. Although the species had been reported before in the province, there were no fully documented sightings of Northern Wheatear in Saskatchewan until this bird was found at Last Mountain Lake Wildlife Management Area on 6 October 2009. Photo- graph by Lois Vanthuyne. 12 Sep and 15 Nov (m.ob.). A tally of 9 Pere- grine Falcons in a few hours at Windygates, MB 20 Sep was remarkable (A&DS). A Whooping Crane at Chaplin L., SK 24-28 Aug had apparently summered there Q&MP). while another near Coulter, MB in late Sep was a good find O&CJM, m.ob.). Two Ameri- can Avocets at Delta, MB 26 Oct were late (fide CA). Uncommon or rare shorebirds in- cluded 28 Hudsonian Godwits at Shepard, AB 1 Aug (BW), a Sanderling at Calgary 17 Oct (TK et al.), 6 Purple Sandpipers at Gordon Pt. near Churchill, MB 16-18 Oct (BC), and a Ruff at Didsbury, AB 6 Sep (RW). A Red- necked Phalarope at Delta 26 Oct was tardy (fide CA). Saskatchewan tallied its 7th Red Phalarope, a bird at Regi- na Beach 30 Sep-17 Oct (BL, m.ob., ph.). Rare gulls often enliven the fall birding scene on the Prairies, and this fall was no exception. High- lights included an Ivory Gull at Gordon Pt. 8 Nov (fide BC); single Sabines Gulls at Gimli, MB 28 Aug (TK), Calgary 13 Sep (BWi), and Regina Beach 19 Sep (BL, RDo); Iceland Gulls at Calgary 4 & 7 Nov (TK); and Lesser Black-backed Gulls at Calgary 18-25 Oct (HV, m.ob.) and 8-11 Nov (Na- ture Calgary, m.ob.). Glaucous Gulls were widely observed in Alber- ta, with sightings across the south and at Cold L, while s. Manitoba and Saskatchewan had at least 2 each. Reports of Her- ring Gull X Glaucous Gull hybrids came from Cold L. 6-28 Nov (RK, BBr, m.ob.) and Calgary 21 Nov (TK); also at the lat- ter location was an appar- ent Herring Gull x Glau- cous-winged Gull hybrid 15-17 Oct (TK). The only jaegers reported were an unidentihed bird at Lang- don Res., AB 25 Sep (IH) and a Parasitic at Buffalo Pt., MB 28 Oct (VR). A Mourning Dove at Gordon Pt., MB 10 Oct-8 Nov was out of range and late (RT, m.ob.). Snowy Owls started a modest incursion in mid-Oct. A Burrowing Owl at Kyle, SK 16 Oct was tardy (DZ). A late Belted Kingfisher was at Cold L., AB 14 Nov (RK). Alberta had single Anna’s Hummingbirds near Gibbons 26 Sep-31 Oct (fide THi, pb.) and at Jasper 5-15 Oct (fide JR). A Pileated Woodpecker at Oak Hammock Marsh, MB 19 Nov was a first for the well-birded area but is in keeping with re- cent records well away from forested regions (RKo). PASSERINES Two Say’s Phoebes at Mowbray, MB 5-11 Aug were at the e. edge of the species’ range O&RH). A possible Black-capped Chickadee X Mountain Chickadee hybrid was pho- tographed at Pike L., SK 12 Nov (NS). Red- breasted Nuthatches irrupted across the ; south, with large numbers in many areas. A Carolina Wren at Winnipeg from 28 Oct into Dec proved elusive QS, m.ob.), and an Amer- i ican Dipper at Saskatoon, SK 19-20 Nov may have summered in the vicinity (ML). Very tardy was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Win- nipeg 17 Nov (RS). Saskatchewan had its first confirmed Northern Wheatear, seen and i photographed at Last Mountain Lake W.M.A. 6 Oct (AS, RDi, m.ob.); another was near Churchill 16 Oct (RT). Townsend’s Solitaires ' were at Patricia Beach, MB 29 Sep (GB, JW), Regina 23 Oct (RM), Dufresne, MB 8-11 Nov (BK), Kleefeld, MB on about 10 Nov | (T&EW), and Prince Albert, SK 19 Nov I (AH). A Northern Mockingbird pair near Mi- ami, MB raised two broods (m.ob.). Banders at Delta captured above-average numbers of Tennessee Warblers and Black- burnian Warblers (HdH). Late Orange- i crowned Warblers were at Winnipeg 13 Nov ] (RC) and Calgary 14 Nov (DG). Rare was a ' Black-throated Blue Warbler at Winnipeg 8 Sep (BRk). Tardy individual Yellow-rumped Warblers lingered to the latter half of Nov in all j three provinces (m.ob.), and one was far n. at Seal River Lodge, MB 8 Nov (DF). A Yellow- j throated Warbler at Moose Jaw 7-16 Nov i made the 4th or 5th for Saskatchewan (AG, m.ob., ph.). Exceedingly late at Winnipeg were i, an Ovenbird 5-8 Nov (LC, NB, CA) and a j[ Hooded Warbler 16 Nov (RP). A Summer Tan- i ager at Manitou Beach 7-21 Oct (T&SA, ph.) ' provided Saskatchewan with its 4th record, I while Manitoba remarkably recorded its 10th | and 11th of the year: singles at Winnipeg 1-5 j! Nov (BR, m.ob.) and 21-27 Nov (NM, m.ob.). }' A Spotted Towhee at Winnipeg Beach, MB j' 21 Oct was rare (AC, ph.), while a Clay-col- ( ored Sparrow at Regina 3 Nov was late (GK). j; A Northern Cardinal in Edmonton, AB 21 Nov (BB), a Dickcissel at Calgary 12 Aug f (TW), and an Eastern Meadowlark at Buffalo !j Pt. 1 Nov (VR, LG) were all rarities. A flock of !‘ 32 Western Meadowlarks near Birds Hill P.P, ' MB 11 Nov was notable for the large number, late date, and location (RS, DSt). Record late for Saskatchewan was a Baltimore Oriole at S Moose Jaw 26 Nov (fide TH). White-winged Crossbills were numerous and widespread throughout the period across cen. and s. Man- itoba. Common Redpolls made a brief incur- , sion into s. Manitoba in Nov but enigmatical- ly were seen flying northward in large num- bers along the w. side of L. Winnipeg 14 Nov (Nature Manitoba) and were scarce in the south afterwards. A similar scarcity was noted in cen. Alberta (RK). •104 N 0 R T H A M E R I C A N B I R D S PRAIRIE PROVINCES Observers (subregional compilers in bold- face): T. & S. Alcock, C. Artuso, K. Barker, B. Beck, L. Bennett, B. Bretsch (BBr), G. Budyk, N. Butchard, B. Chartier, J. Christie, R. Clarke, L. Cocks, A. Cook, H. den Haan, R. Dickson (RDi), R. Doiron (RDo), R. Dudragne (RDu), D. Fast, K. Gardner, L. Giesbrecht, D. Guinan, A. Gurnsey, I. Halladay A. Hartley, T. Herriot, J. & R. Hiebert, T. Hindmarch (THi), C. Hitchon, D. & C. Jordan, R. Klauke, R, Koes (RKo), T. Korolyk, G. Kratzig, B. Krosney M. Loewen, B. Luterbach, N. MacPherson, R. Marchigiano, J. & M. McDonald, C. McPher- son,]. &J. Murray R. Parsons,]. & M. Priebe, M. Quigley V. Reimer, B. Robinson,]. Rogers, B. Rolick (BRk), G. Romanchuk, N. Saunders, D. Sawatzky A. & D. Schritt, A. Smith, D. Staniforth (DSt), R. Staniforth, ]. Swartz, P. Taylor, R. Taylor, H. Vanderpol, B. Walker, G. Wapple, T. Waters,]. Weier, T. & E. Wiens, B. Wilson (BWi), D. Wilson, R. Woods, G. Yaki, R. Zach, D. Zazelenchuk. © Rydslf F. K0es, 135 Rossmere Crescent Winnipeg, Manitoba R2K 0G1, (rkoes@mts.net) Peter Taylor, P.O. Box 597 Pinawa, Manitoba ROE 1L0, (taylorp@granite.mb.ca) Northern Great Plains | Lake Alice NWR Ron Martin The weather was a study in contrasts, with alternating cool and warm months. August was cool and wet, fol- lowed by a very warm and dry September. At Glasgow, Montana, it was the second warmest September on record. October was very cold, with freezing temperatures and some snow early in the month. November saw record warmth: the average temperature for the month exceeded that of October in most ar- eas. There was abundant open water through- out the Region through the end of the season. The open water allowed many water birds j to remain until the end of the period. There were numerous late waders, and rare loons made a good showing. Late shorebirds were i reported everywhere. Owls made a poor showing, and the warbler migration could only be described as dreadful. No doubt the good flying weather in September contributed to this situation, but it also appeared that re- production was very weak across the spec- I trum. There were good numbers of late I passerines, especially in South Dakota, but j overall the number of passerine migrants I seemed to be the lowest in years. I WATERFOWL THROUGH RAPTORS j Ten Greater Snow Geese that had been band- ed on Ellesmere I. were seen at Freezout L., MT 3 Nov (MS). Casual in Montana, an American Black Duck was in Sheridan 20 Sep (p.a., REM). This species made a good showing in North Dakota, with nine reports of 13 individuals spanning 17 Sep-20 Nov. Two South Dakota reports rounded out the Regional total. Rarely reported in fall in North Dakota, and estab- lishing a new high count for the season, 10 Cinnamon Teal were in Slope and Bowman 7 Sep (eBT). Ten Surf Scoter reports, all singles, from the Dakotas spanned 11 Oct-23 Nov. There were nine reports of White-winged Scoters in the Dakotas, with 14 individuals, recorded 19 Oct-26 Nov. Single Black Scoters were on L. Darling, ND 13 & 25 Nov (REM). In South Dakota, Black Scoters were in Stan- ley 27 Oct (RDO) and in Kingsbury 27 Nov QSP). A Long-tailed Duck was early 21 Oct in Meade, SD OLB). The 7th report for South Dakota, a Red- throated Loon was in Sully 15-22 Nov (p.a., DB, KM, RDO). Casual in Montana, a Red- throated Loon was at Cooney Res. 3 Oct (GM). In North Dakota, Pacific Loons were seen at Bowman-Haley Res. 30 Oct (p.a., REM, CDE) and in McHenry 8-23 Nov (p.a., REM). These represented the 12th and 13th reports for the state, respectively. Single South Dakota Pacific Loons were in Lyman 14 Nov (p.a., KM, RDO) and in Meade 17 Nov (p.a., MO), and the only Montana report was at Tiber Dam 11 Oct (HM). The peak of Com- mon Loons was 50 at Ft. Peck, MT 9 Oct (CC). Great Egrets were late 14 Nov in Lake, SD (MRZ) and 8 Nov in McHenry, ND (CDE), and a notable peak of 180 was tallied in Stutsman, ND 13 Aug (KAS). Other late waders in South Dakota included a Snowy Egret 1 Nov in Marshall (GO), a Cattle Egret 25 Nov in Edmonds (GO), and a Green Heron 14 Nov in Lake (MRZ). Three White- faced Ibis at Freezout L., MT 28 Sep provided the latest record for the state (LC), and 7 in Stark, ND 7 Sep furnished the first record for that w. county (CDE, JPL). Only five North- ern Goshawk reports were received from the Dakotas. A Broad-winged Hawk was late 11 Oct in Charles Mix, SD (RM). SHOREBIRDS THROUGH WOODPECKERS Providing the latest report for North Dakota, 2 American Golden-Plovers were at Grand Forks 24 Nov (EEF). A Black-necked Stilt at Freezout L. 1 Oct furnished the latest record for Montana (LC). Late Upland Sandpipers were in Custer, SD 15 Sep (MMM) and Grand Forks, ND 27 Sep (EEF). Tying the peak fall count for North Dakota, 50 Hudsonian God- wits were in Pierce 5 Aug (WE). The 2nd highest fall count for North Dakota, 13 Red Knots were in Fargo 1-2 Aug (DWR, KRC). Far west, and the first record for Stark, 2 Red Knots were in Dickinson, ND 8 Sep (REM). The latest ever for South Dakota, a Least Sandpiper was in Kingsbury 14 Nov (JSP). More late records in North Dakota included a Pectoral Sandpiper 20 Nov in Grand Forks (EEF), a Dunlin 16 Nov at Long Lake N.W.R. (HCT), and a Buff-breasted Sandpiper 26 Oct in Grand Forks (EEF). Providing the first records for Bowman and Stark, ND, 3 Buff- breasted Sandpipers each were at Bowman- Haley Dam and Patterson L. 15 Sep (REM). Furnishing the latest records for their respec- tive states were single Wilson’s Phalaropes at Freezout L., MT 28 Sep (LC) and in Kings- bury, SD 14 Nov OSP). Record late in North Dakota, a Red-necked Phalarope was in McLean 28 Nov (CDE). Difficult to find in recent years, 3 Black- legged Kittiwakes were noted. Providing the first record for Stutsman, ND, and the first in the state since 2005, a single was at Barnes L. 4 Nov (p.a., HCT). South Dakota reports were singles in Stanley 8-9 Nov (RDO) and in Charles Mix 16-23 Nov (RM). Eight Sabine’s Gull reports from the Dakotas included South Dakota’s first Aug record in Deuel 25 Aug V 0 L U M E 6 4 ( 2 0 1 0 ) • N U M B E R 1 105 NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS (p.a., BJU) and a bird flushed off of Hwy. 3 in Pierce, ND 25 Sep (REM, CDE). The first juv. Bonaparte’s Gull was noted 9 Aug in McLean, ND, and a late peak of 1550 was at Devils L., ND 29 Nov (REM). The only Little Gull re- ported was from Devils L., ND 1 Aug (EB). Providing the first Sep record for South Dako- ta, a Thayer’s Gull was reported in Hughes 22 Sep (p.a., RDO). Iceland Gull reports includ- ed 2 at Garrison Dam, ND 28 Nov (DNS) and South Dakota’s 10th in Lyman 30 Nov (p.a., SS). Casual in Montana, a single Iceland Gull was at Ft. Peck 30 Nov (p.a., CC). Regular in the Dakotas for some time, Lesser Black- backed Guils are only now being recorded in Montana. Furnishing a potential 3rd record for the state, all three records coming in the last 12 months, was one at Great Falls 5-13 Nov (p.a., BH). The 3rd record for South Dakota, if accepted, a Long-tailed Jaeger was in Walworth 9-10 Sep (p.a., eBT, ph. CW). The 5th and 6th reports for North Dakota, Arctic Terns were seen 11 Oct in McLean (p.a., REM, CDE) and 23 Oct in Stutsman (p.a., HCT). The 2nd latest on record for South Dakota, and the 2nd Oct record, a Yellow-billed Cuck- oo was in Charles Mix 4 Oct (RM). Still casu- al in North Dakota, a Barn Owl was in Em- mons 18 Sep (TCK). The 2nd latest report for South Dakota, White-throated Swifts were in Fall River 10 Oct OSP). A Yellow-bellied Sap- sucker was rare and late 25 Oct at Ft. Peck, MT (CC). PASSERINES A possible Hammond’s Flycatcher pho- tographed 16 Oct at Great Falls, MT would, if accepted, mark the latest record for the state (p.a., Montana B.R.C.). An Eastern Kingbird in Ward, ND 3 Oct furnished the latest record for the state (REM). Only one report of the rapidly declining Loggerhead Shrike was re- ceived from North Dakota. The first Nov record for South Dakota, a Blue-headed Vireo was in Edmonds 12 Nov (p.a., JDW). A Philadelphia Vireo in Stanley, SD 3 Aug would make the earliest fall record by 17 days (p.a., RDO). Accidental in se. North Dakota, a Common Raven was in Fargo 1 Nov (KRC, DWR). Rarely reported in the fall season, a Vi- olet-green Swallow was at the North Unit, Theodore Roosevelt N.P., ND 5 Aug (HB). The latest on record for South Dakota, a House Wren was in Hughes 18 Oct (EDS). Still rare, but possibly regular in South Dako- ta, Carolina Wrens were in Fall River 16 Aug (|SP) and in Hughes 17 Sep-23 Oct (EDS). Varied Thrush reports included one in Hard- ing, SD 3 Oct (CEM) and 2 in Ward, ND 23 Nov (SDL). A Bohemian Waxwing reported in Meade, SD 4 Oct would furnish the earliest fall record for the state (p.a., EEM). Only three other reports of this species were re- ceived from the Dakotas. Marking the 4th record for Montana, a Golden-winged Warbler was photographed at Fort Peck 4 Oct (|C). New early and late dates were recorded for Orange-crowned Warbler in South Dakota, singles in Charles Mix 15 Aug (RM) and in Hughes 22 Nov (RDO). Black-throated Blue Warblers includ- ed Montana’s 18th at Ft. Peck 29-30 Sep (p.a., JC, CC) and one in Bowman, ND 7 Sep (eBT). A rare migrant in South Dakota, an amazing 6 Black-throated Blue Warblers were noted 6 Sep-15 Oct. Casual in Montana, a Blackburn- ian Warbler was in Westby 28 Aug (p.a., TN). The latest on record for Montana, a Northern Waterthrush was in Great Falls 15 Oct (NK). Providing only the 2nd fall record for North Dakota, a Hooded Warbler was pho- tographed 19-23 Nov in Bismarck (p.a., fide DNS). The 2nd latest for South Dakota, a Nelson’s Sparrow was in Lincoln 17 Oct (DC). Tying the 2nd highest count for North Dakota, 200 Smith’s Longspurs were in Foster and Stutsman 18 Oct (REM, CDE), while the only South Dakota report was from Roberts 28 Oct ,j (BJU). Casual in w. North Dakota in fall, a ;■ Scarlet Tanager was in Bismarck 21 Sep (CDE, | HCT). The 17th record for Montana, a Scarlet i, Tanager was near Chester 3 Oct (p.a., DA). North Dakota Western Tanagers were in Bow- man 8 Sep (CW) and at Bismarck 21 Sep ( (CDE). Furnishing the earliest fall record for j South Dakota, a Rusty Blackbird was in Mar- | shall 10 Sep (DC). Probably a new high count for South Dakota, 150 Great-tailed Crackles were in Lincoln 25 Oct (DC). Seldom report- ii ed in fall in North Dakota, a Bullock’s Oriole j- was in Bowman 7 Sep (CW). Except for the [ Black Hills of South Dakota, crossbills were [; unreported in the Dakotas. Fair numbers of i Purple Finches and American Goldfinches jf were seen in North Dakota, but other finches i were reported in very low numbers. The 2nd [■ latest for South Dakota, a Lesser Goldfinch [ was still in Fall River 5 Sep (RSL). i’ i : Contributors (state editors in boldface): j'j MONTANA: Dave Allen, Charles Carlson, 4 John Carlson, Larry Carter, Beth Hill, Nate 4 Kohler, Harriet Marble, Ron E. Martin, Mon- ' i tana Bird Records Committee, George Mowat, ; i Mike Schwitters. NORTH DAKOTA: Hugh f'| Beard, Erik Bruhnke, Keith R. Corliss, Wayne i ^ Easley, eBird Team (eBT), Corey D. Ellingson, |J Eve E. Freeberg, Todd C. King, Jack P. Lefor, .;| i Sherry D. Leslie, Ron E. Martin, Dean W. M Riemer, Kris A. Sather, Dan N. Svingen, H. 1, i Clark Talkington, Chris Wood. SOUTH jdi DAKOTA: Doug Backlund, Jocelyn L. Baker, [ i Doug Chapman, Richard S. Latuchie, Ron Ma- ; j bie, Michael M. Melius, Charles E. Miller, | Ernest E. Miller, Kenny Miller, Gary Olson, 4 Ricky D. Olson, Mark Otnes, Jeff S. Palmer, ! I Steve Stolz, Eileen D. Stukel, Bill J. Unzen, J. ' ’ David Williams, Chris Wood, Mick R. Zerr. O i| i Ron Martin, 16900 125th Street SE Sawyer, North Dakota 5878T9284, (jrmartiniSsrt.com) NorthlAmerican Birds A QUARTEftlY J0UfiMliv;0F>0'RMlTfleL0$rai^REl0RD ' V ' . . ^ , x • \ ®The premier periodical ' - '"Whyshoulqybti'Mjspriljel ; ' deaitag A'ith state gnd '' -- .xtflMsinil^Xouslipiild \ distrfbytlon of N>sfth . 'sub$aibetb.bgcdroft'.&-Bet' American bird!" ' . .ter Krddr/S' . — Kenn Kaufman ■ ' ‘ oqw ' Subscriptions are available for ,$32 for US or $37 for Canadian. Renew or give a Gift Sybscrlptlon, today ■» (800)850-2473 Southern Great Plains W. Ross Silcock Joseph A. Grzybowski This was probably the most “normal” fall season in some years, with general- ly good water conditions and mild to cooler-than-average temperatures. Late de- partures were not as pronounced as in some previous autumn seasons. Many waterfowl and gulls, however, had not progressed to the southernmost state by the end of November. Representatives of almost all of the expected groups were reported, but there were few ex- ceptional concentrations and no notable ir- ruptive species. The better water conditions brought some surprises, such as high counts of Virginia Rails and a scattering of localized species such as Common Moorhen, plus a slew of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks in Ne- braska. But even a “normal” fall season also includes an array of extralimital surprises and local rarities. Abbreviations: Cheyenne Bottoms (Cheyenne Bottoms W.M.A., Barton, KS); Hackberry (Hackberry Flat W.M.A., Tillman, OK); Mc- Conaughy (McConaughy Reservoir, Keith, NE), Quivira (Quivira N.W.R., Stafford, KS); Red Slough (Red Slough W.M.A., McCurtain, OK); Salt Plains (Salt Plains N.W.R., Alfalfa, OK). ; WATERFOWL THROUGH ANHINGA , Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks have bred in j several satellite locations in nw. Oklahoma in recent years; the Red Slough group contained up to 22 birds present through 14 Oct (DA et al). In Nebraska, 19 birds (2 ads. ,17 imms.) in Phelps 24 Oct (TH) were rare there but proba- bly an extension of the Regional expansion. Vagrant Aretic geese summering in Nebraska included a Greater White-fronted Goose in Lancaster (LE, SQ), a flock of Snow Geese (mostly of the blue morph) in Harlan (G&WH), and an even more unusual Ross’s Goose in Hall QGJ). Though not established as a species in the Region, 2 unmarked ad. Mute Swans in Sarpy, NE were likely the same that appeared there as juvs. in Nov 2008 QS, JWH, m.ob.). Trumpeter and Tundra Swans were re- ported in numbers s. to Kansas, where peak counts of 16 and 12, respectively, were report- ed from Quivira during Nov (fide LM). Two Trumpeters in Johnson, KS 22 Sep (NN) were quite early. The only report of Eurasian Wigeon was of 2 in Morrill, NE 11 Oct (LH), the 3rd fall record for Nebraska. Rare in the Region in recent years, 2 American Black Ducks were reported from Quivira 14 Nov (PJ), with singles in Bryan, OK 11 Nov (DW) and Osage, KS 14 Nov (MG). Two Mottled Ducks were at Quivira 22-29 Aug (MR, SS), with singles in Cowley, KS 4 Aug (GY) and at Red Slough 25 Aug (DA). Two late Cinnamon Teal at Red Slough 25 Nov (DA) were also e. of usual haunts. Greater Scaup were reported widely in the Region but in generally low num- bers 10-21 Nov (m.ob.); however, most im- pressive were 237 in Noble, OK 20 Nov QWA). A Regional total of 16 Surf Scoters 7-25 Nov (m.ob.) included 9 in Lancaster, NE 7 Nov QGJ). There were five reports of 1-5 White- winged Scoters in Nebraska and Kansas 31 Oct-22 Nov (m.ob.) and four reports of one to 2 Black Scoters in the same states 25 Oct-30 Nov (PJ, JGJ, LE). The only Long-tailed Duck re- ported was in Lancaster, NE 8 Nov (PR). A rarity in the Region away from nw. Nebraska, a female Bar- row’s Goldeneye was in Sedgwick, KS 28 Nov (LL). The 6 Common Mergansers in n. Nebras- ka 22 Sep (MLy) were ear- ly. Custer, NE supports good numbers of both Sharp-tailed Grouse and Greater Prairie-Chickens; 22 of the former 18 Sep, and a flock of 110 of the latter 30 Oct, were near Broken Bow (TH). Rare loons in- cluded Red-throateds in Lancaster, NE 21 Nov QGJ, LE) and Mitchell, KS 1 Nov (SS); Pacific Loons were noted in unusually high numbers, with at least 5 in Nebraska 24 Oct-29 Nov (fide WRS) and singles in Reno, KS 21 Nov (PJ) and in Cherokee, OK 4 Nov QM). Much more surprising was a Yellow-billed Loon in Rock, NE 29 Nov (fide MB). Western Grebes were noted e. to Noble, OK 1 Nov QWA), and 2 were in Washington, OK 2 Nov (MP). Much less common in the Region were Clark’s Grebes in Sedgwick, KS 17 Oct (PJ), Russell, KS 31 Oct (MR), and e. to Hall, NE 26 Oct QGJ). Single Brown Pelicans were seen in Coffey, KS 29 Aug (NJ, JG) and in Canadian, OK 2 Aug (MJ), the latter imm. also noted in Oklahoma 3 & 11 Aug (BD et al.). Neotropic Cormorants were found n. to Coffey, KS 30 Aug (2; ML, MG, NA) and Salt Plains 2 Nov OWA); one lingered at Red Slough through 23 Nov (DA). Up to 2 Anhingas at Red Slough 28 Oct-25 Nov (DA) were rather late. HERONS THROUGH CRANES On the edge of its range was a Least Bittern at Hackberry 15 Aug (L&MT). An impressive northerly concentration of Great Egrets was the 50-100 gathered in Buffalo, NE 24 Aug (KS); a single was late in Sarpy, NE 1 Nov QWH). Tricolored Herons were noted n. to Harvey, KS 21 Aug (RWe) and Salt Plains 5 Sep (BC); elsewhere in Oklahoma, up to 5 were at Hackberry through 6 Sep (m.ob.), up to 4 in Oklahoma through 21 Sep (BD et al), one in Payne 23 Sep (VC), and, less surpris- ingly, one or 2 at Red Slough through 15 Sep (DA, MP). Snowy Egrets in Lincoln, NE 22 Oct (TJW) and Tulsa 1 Nov (TM) were tardy, as was a Green Heron in Sarpy, NE 24 Nov OVvn). A Yellow-crowned Night-Heron wan- dered n. to Seward, NE 7 Aug (LE). Among more recent records of late-departing White- faced Ibis were 7 in Sequoyah, OK 20 Oct QWA), one at Salt Plains 3 Nov QWA), and 13 (identified as Plegadis) at Hackberry 13 Nov (L&MT). Twelve Glossy Ibis at the Salt Plains 14 Aug (fide RW) may have included some hybrids. Red Slough is the only expect- ed site for Roseate Spoonbills in the Region; 1-3 were there through 3 Oct (BH), but a sin- gle at Hackberry 23 Aug (LHa) was a sur- prise. Wood Stork is similarly distributed in the Region; as many as 141 were at Red Slough through 8 Sep (DA), with 7 in John- ston, OK 13 Sep (BA). A northerly Black Vul- ture in Coffey, KS 14 Nov (MG) was also quite tardy for locality. This Neotropic Cormorant lingered through 2 November 2009 (here) on the Arkansas River in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma. Photograph by James W. Arterburn. V 0 L U M E 6 4 ( 2 0 1 0 ) • N U M B E R 1 107 SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS In Oklahoma, this Solitary Sandpiper remained through the entire autumn period and into December in Norman, Cleveland County, Oklahoma (here 17 November 2009). Photograph by Bill Diffin. A second-cycle Black-legged Kittiwake on the Arkansas River at the Kaw Dam, Kay County, Oklahoma 1 4 November 2009 was one of only two kitti- wakes reported in the Southern Great Plains region in fall 2009. Photo- graph by Gary Davis. An excellent tally of Mississippi Kites was the 250 in a kettle over Finney, KS 19 Aug (T63:SS). Westerly were 12 Broad-winged Hawks over Scott, KS 26 Sep (TSrSS). Easter- ly Ferruginous Hawks were in Knox, NE 15 Nov (MB) and Tulsa, OK 27 Oct OL et al-). Golden Eagles are less unusual eastward than Ferruginous Hawks; an imm. was in Saunders, NE 31 Oct (CNK), with others in Leavenworth, KS 25 Oct (DWi) and Pawnee, OK 13 Nov (TO). A Peregrine Falcon at Red Slough 4 Aug was early (DA). Reports of late Peregrines, likely pertaining to a single bird, came from Tulsa, OK 9-29 Nov OSi, JL, TM et al). The best spot for Yel- low Rails in the Region is Red Slough. Chris Butler and his students, banding Yellow Rails at this loca- tion, are encountering double-digit numbers; a rope drag by birders Oct 18 yielded 5 birds (DA et al). Other reports of this tough-to-find species in- cluded singles at Tulsa 22 Sep OF) and in Douglas, KS 15 Oct (MA, JK). Large aggregations of Vir- ginia Rail might seem im- probable in the Region, but the 50 and 300 Vir- ginia Rails in two sepa- rate groups in Cloud, KS 22 Sep (SSo) — the 300 in a 2-hectare patch of smartweed — must have been a spectacle. A peak count of 25 Purple Gallinules at Red Slough, where ex- pected, was tallied 25 Aug; at least one lingered until 30 Sep (DA, MP). Outside Red Slough, Common Moorhen is a rare Regional breeder, restricted to the se. portion of the Region; up to 10 chicks were with ads. in Seward, NE through 9 Aug OGJ, jC, SSc), and Hackberry host- ed up to 8, including 6 imms., 15 Aug-29 Sep (L&MT, m.ob.), indi- cating successful breeding there. A Common Moorhen was late at Red Slough 25 Nov (DA). American Coots numbered 17,359 in Lancast- er, NE 24 Oct, including 16,000 at a single location (LE), an amazing tal- ly. Excellent aggregations of Whooping Cranes occurred in Kansas and Oklahoma, with peaks of 27 at Cheyenne Bottoms 5-8 Nov (fide LM) and an amazing 44 at Salt Plains 10 Nov (fide RW, m.ob.). SHOREBIRDS THROUGH TERNS Migrant Piping Plovers, rare in Oklahoma, were found in Tulsa 9 Aug (BC) and Oklaho- ma 21 Aug QAG). Continuing studies of Mountain Plover in Kimball, NE in recent years by Prairie Partners are establishing fall migration patterns; this season, flocks includ- ed 42 in Kimball 30 Aug (LS) and 40 there 23 Sep (fide LS). A group of 20 Mountain Plovers were in Finney, KS 10 Oct (T&SS). However, the 2 Mountain Plovers photographed at the Salt Plains 4 Sep (RW) represented the first noted within the main body of Oklahoma, ex- cepting questionable historical records. An imm. Black-necked Stilt in Lincoln, NE 19 Oct (TJW) was Nebraska’s latest by 23 days; an excellent count was the 150 stilts at Cheyenne Bottoms 20 Aug (HH). Rare at Red Slough, 1-2 Black-necked Stilts were present there through 1 Sep (DA). A Solitary Sand- piper in Ellsworth, KS 18 Oct (MR) was tardy, while one in Cleveland, OK lingered through I the end of the period (RG, m.ob.). Large but flightless young Upland Sandpipers in Dodge, NE 2 Aug (D&JP) represented late breeding efforts. Very rare during fall was the single Whimbrel at Quivira 4 Sep (BJ). Fifteen Long-billed Curlews gathered at Hackberry 15 Aug, with 24 there on 23 Aug (L&MT); others were found in Dawes, NE 7 Sep (KDy), at Quivira 4 Sep (2; BJ), and in Oklahoma 16 Aug QAG). A Ruddy Turnstone was in Sarpy, > NE 8 Aug (WRS, KDy). Red Knot reports this season were of 3 in Harvey, KS 15 Aug (PJ, CM) and 2 at the Salt Plains 17 Aug (EB). i Late shorebirds included a Sanderling in Tul- | sa, OK 22 Nov (BC) and a Western Sandpiper i i at Red Slough 25 Nov (DA). Good numbers of Buff-breasted Sandpipers were reported in the usual period 2 Aug-7 Sep (m.ob.), with peak count of 318 at a Tulsa, OK sod farm 11 Aug OWA). Tardy Short-billed Dowitchers were located at Red Slough 22 Sep (DA) and at Hackberry 28 Sep (2 birds; JWA). Although Red-necked Phalarope becomes much rarer in the se. part of the Region, reports this sea- son were still scant; 2 were at Cheyenne Bot- toms 24 Aug (ML, MG, NA), 2 in Johnston, OK 11-13 Sep (BA, DW), and one in Oklaho- ] i ma, OK 26-27 Sep QB et al.). The only report | of Red Phalarope, a Regional rarity, was of ( one in Lancaster, NE 7 Nov (ph. PD), a late | Nebraska record by j 23 days. Black-legged Kittiwake was reported twice ' this season from locations on the Arkansas R., in Kay, OK 14 Nov (CD) and in Tulsa, OK 22- 23 Nov (JH et al). The seasonal tally of Sabine’s Gulls was 12, a modest number. Very early was a Bonaparte’s Gull at Cheyenne Bot- toms 23 Aug (MR). Good numbers of Laugh- ing Gulls were reported in Kansas and Okla- homa; no fewer than 8 were in Kansas 12 k Aug-6 Sep (fide LM), 5-6 were in Sequoyah, j OK 22-27 Aug (SB), and one was in Pawnee, .| OK 12 Sep (BC et al.). Few California Gulls ji are reported away from McConaughy in the , Region; this season, one was in Reno, KS 15 n Aug (PJ, CM). The first and only Thayer’s Gull f arriving this season was a first-cycle bird in Harlan, NE 18 Nov (KS). An ad. Lesser Black- | backed at McConaughy 24-27 Oct (JGJ, PD) was the only one reported. An early surprise I was an ad. Glaucous Gull at McConaughy 16 108 N 0 R T H A M E R I C A N B I R D S SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS Oct (TJW), furnishing the earliest Nebraska fall date on record. Only 2 Common Terns were re- ported, both in LeFlore, OK 13 Sep (SB). DOVES THROUGH WOODPECKERS Eurasian Collared-Doves have become dreaded “dirt-birds” in the Region, as indicated by a still impressive count of 483 at a Scott, KS grain el- evator 7 Nov (T&SS). Much more local, the 112 White-winged Doves at a Finney, KS resi- dence 2 Oct (T&SS) was even more impressive; they are still quite rare in Nebraska, with only three reports this season (DK, PD, WF). An Inca Dove was noted w. to Cimarron, OK 16 Sep (DR); still less common in the e. part of the Re- gion were 4 in Muskogee, OK in Oct QW). Al- ways a good find in Oklahoma, a Long-eared Owl was in Cimarron 4 Nov (DR). A calling Northern Saw-whet Owl was heard in Dawes, NE 2 Oct (RE), where breeding occurs. Com- mon Poorwills can appear in e. parts of the Re- gion; this fall, one was in Franklin, NE 4 Sep (MB, DSt), and another was studied closely in snow (!) in Polk, NE 23 Oct (D&JP). Rather late for Nebraska were a Whip-poor-will in Dixon 20 Sep (MB) and 7 Chimney Swifts in Douglas 27 Oct Qk)- Surviving subfreezing nights was a late Ruby-throated Hummingbird in Scotts Bluff, NE 3-18 Oct (KD); others were found through Oct in Oklahoma, the latest in McCurtain, OK 28 Oct (BH) and Marshall, OK 10-11 Nov (DT). Extralimital for Kansas were an ad. male Black-chinned Hummingbird in Haskell, KS 31 Aug (J&NC) and a female in Pawnee, KS 14 Sep (SS). If verified, a “proba- ble” Costa’s Hummingbird in Finney, KS 2 Oct (T&SS) would be the 2nd Regional record. Cal- liope Hummingbirds were reported as expected (5 birds) along the w. edge of the Region 13 Aug-15 Sep (T&SS, SS, AK, KD, JAG), though an ad. male in Miami, KS 8 Aug-15 Sep O&JG) was unexpectedly far east. Broad-tailed Hum- j mingbirds also were reported, as expected, along the w. edge of the Region, with 9 birds 1 j Aug-7 Sep (m.ob.). Rufous Hummingbird is I rare but more widespread in the Region, with more than 15 reported, including singles in Ri- I ley, KS 8-15 Nov Q&DR) and in Oklahoma through the end of period (TU et al). Provid- ' ing one of few Regional records was a female ; Williamson’s Sapsucker that obliged many ob- j servers in a Finney, KS cemetery 9-27 Oct (T&SS, m.ob.). Regular but rare in the Nebras- ka Panhandle, a male Red-naped Sapsucker was banded in Scotts Bluff 20 Sep (JRe). West of the usual Oklahoma range, single Pileated Woodpeckers were in Ellis 24 Aug (SBa) and Alfalfa 14 Nov (DW, BCa). FLYCATCHERS THROUGH WAXWfNGS Quite early was an Olive-sided Flycatcher 1 VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER Aug in Tulsa (TM); another in Wagoner 1 Oct (fide JM) was tardy. An Eastern Wood- Pewee in Sarpy, NE 19 Oct (L&BP, ph.) was very late. An Acadian Flycatcher noted in Tulsa, OK 11 Sep (BCa) may be more normal, though the species is seldom report- ed in fall migration in the Re- gion. A rare migrant on the w. edge of the Region, a Hammond’s Flycatcher was in Cimarron, OK 30 Aug (JAG), and a Dusky Fly- catcher was similarly rare in Finney, KS 6 Sep (T&SS). Migrant Cordilleran Fly- catchers included one in Dawes, NE 10 Sep (b. ED) and another in Morton, KS 12 Sep (SS). An exceptional find was a juv. Black Phoebe in Morton, KS 13 Sep (MS, PH, GJ, DoS). Easterly and late was a Say’s Phoebe in Lancaster, NE 9 Oct (LE). An Ash-throated Flycatcher in Morton, KS 12 Sep (SS) was a bit tardy. A Western Kingbird in Otoe 21 Oct (SQ, LF) was Nebraska’s latest; others in Box Butte, NE 2 Oct (WF) and Okla- homa, OK 15 Oct (PV) were also late. A pair of ad. Scissor-tailed Flycatchers with a “mo- bile” juv. in Knox, NE 8 Aug (MB) established the northernmost breeding record for the Re- gion; the last noted this season were in Se- quoyah, OK 8 Nov (SB). A Northern Shrike in Cimarron, OK, 4 Nov (DR) was early. Two Bell’s Vireos in Dodge, NE 5 Oct (GR) were tardy. The only Cassin’s Vire- os reported were singles in Morton, KS 12 Sep (SS), where rare but expected, and in Sedg- wick, KS 19 Sep (tPJ), surprisingly far east. Westerly Blue-headed Vireos were seen 9 Sep in Dawes, NE (ED) and 29 Aug in Sioux, NE (tHKH). Late were single Blue-headed Vireos in Stafford, KS 2 Nov (BJ), Cleveland, OK 5 Nov (RG), and Wabaunsee, KS 14 Nov (CO). On the margins of their range, 2 Western Scrub-Jays were in Morton, KS 26 Sep (SS), and another was in Grant, KS 15 Oct (DS). The Fish Crow in Sarpy, NE, the state’s first, was still present 8 Aug (tWRS, tKDy). The large Purple Martin roost in Omaha, NE re-as- sembled this fall, with some 40,000 present 28 Aug QR, JED); a roost of 20,000 was in Wi- chita, KS 3 Aug (KG). A single Purple Martin in Douglas, KS 25 Oct (BAn) was very late. About 5000 Tree Swallows were at Red Slough 18 Oct (DA). Only the 2nd and 3rd Sep records for Nebraska, Violet-green Swallows This first-cyde Black-legged Kittiwake was found 23 November 2009 on the Arkansas River at the Keystone Dam near Tulsa, Oklahoma. Photograph by James W. Arterburn. were seen in Dawes 1 Sep (3; KDy) and Scotts Bluff 19 Sep (one; AK), the latter a record late date for Nebraska. Forty-six Cave Swallows at Hackberry 29 Sep (ph. VF), including 26 hatch-year birds, represented only the 4th documented occurrence for Oklahoma; one was at Cheyenne Bottoms 14 Aug (MR, CW). A late Barn Swallow was in Alfalfa, OK 2 Nov (JWA). Few Red-breasted Nuthatches were re- ported this season, but early singles appeared in Finney, KS 10 Aug (T&SS) and Cimarron, OK 29 Aug (MP et al). A Pygmy Nuthatch surprised observers again in Lancaster, NE 16-23 Oct (LE), ap- pearing at the same site where one was found the previous spring. An easterly Rock Wren was attracted to rocky dam habitat in Oklaho- ma, OK 31 Oct (EV). A belated report of a Canyon Wren in Cheyenne, NE 6-7 Oct 2007 (KK) was accepted by the Nebraska Records Committee; it is Nebraska’s 3rd. Rather early for Kansas was a Golden-crowned Kinglet in Rawlins 12 Sep (PJ et al), while a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in Dodge, NE 3 Oct (GR) was Nebraska’s latest. Veeries, rare in the Region, were reported in Lancaster, NE 27 Aug (LE), Sarpy, NE 5 Aug and Rawlins, KS 12 Sep (PJ et al.). Also quite rare in fall, Gray- cheeked Thrushes were reported from Lan- caster, NE 10 Sep (LE) and Fillmore, NE 13 Sep (WRS). Rare but regular in sw. Kansas, 5 Curve-billed Thrashers were in Stevens 1 1 Sep (SS) and 3 in Morton 27 Sep (SS). Rare and er- ratic in the Region away from nw. Nebraska, a 109 SOUTHERN GREAT PLAINS At least 46 Cave Swallows were discovered 27 September 2009 (here) at Hackberry Flat Wildlife Management Area, Tillman County, Okla- homa. Photographs by Victor 0. Fazio, III. single Bohemian Waxwing with Cedar Waxwings was a surprise in Stanton, NE 26 Oct (tJF). WARBLERS THROUGH FINCHES Rare in Oklahoma, a Blue-winged Warbler was in Tulsa 20 Sep (TM). Westerly were 2 Tennessee War- blers in Dawes 7 Sep (KDy). Among rare fall migrants were a Chestnut-sided Warbler in Tulsa 13 Sep (BC) and a Magnolia War- bler in Payne, OK 26 Sep (TO). A Black-throated Blue Warbler in Cimarron, OK 21 Oct (DR) was ex- ceptional; Nebraska had singles in Lancaster 10 (LE) & 17 Sep (TEL, JC, SSc) and in Fillmore 13 Sep (WRS). The only Townsend’s Warbler report- ed was in Rawlins, KS 12 Sep (PJ et al); the species is a regular fall migrant along the w. edge of the Region. Blackburnian Warbler re- ports were all from Nebraska: in Cass 31 Aug OC, SSc), Dodge 18 Sep (GR), and Sarpy 19 Sep OR)- Among few fall records, a Yellow- throated Warbler was in Douglas, KS 30 Aug (MA, JK). Unexpectedly far westward was a Prairie Warbler in Barber, KS 5 Oct (GY). A casual fall migrant in the Region, a Palm War- bler was in Lancaster, NE 14 Oct (KC). Swainson’s Warblers were present at Little River N.W.R., McCurtain, OK until 7 Sep (DW et al.), the only regular site in the Re- gion for this species. A Northern Waterthrush still at Quivira 30 Nov (SS) was tempting fate. At least 9 Canada Warblers were found in Ne- braska 27 Aug-12 Sep (fide WRS), a good showing, while one was rather early in Payne, OK 16 Aug (TO), where rare. Green-tailed Towhees located along the w. edge of Region included one in Kimball, NE 5 Sep (MB, DSt) and 2 in Morton, KS 26 Sep (SS). A Black-throated Sparrow was located at its only current Regional outpost in Cimairon, OK 26 Aug (AD, TMi). Easterly Lark Buntings were singles in Hamilton, NE 18 Aug QGJ) and Kearney, NE 24 Aug (WE); another in Harmon, OK 27 Sep (VE) was rather early there. Rarely reported in fall, one to 2 Henslow’s Sparrows were in Sarpy, NE 14-16 Oct QV). Tripling the previous high count of Le Conte’s Sparrows for Nebraska was the count of 158 in Clay 19 Oct (PD, BE). Two Nelson’s Sparrows were located, a single west- erly in Cherry, NE 27 Sep (LR, REl), the oth- er in Douglas, KS 25 Oct (BAn). A White- crowned Sparrow in Kimball, NE 5 Sep (MB, DSt) was rather early, as was a Dark-eyed (Slate-colored) Junco banded in Scotts Bluff, NE 31 Aug ORe)- Summer Tanager, a species expanding northwestward in the Region, was detected in Cimarron, OK 29 Aug and 4 Sep (DR), in Dodge, NE 18 Sep (GR) and in Lan- caster, NE 12 Aug (LE). A Summer Tanager in Sai'py, NE 25 Oct (L&BP) was rather late, as was a Scarlet Tanager in Pawnee, OK 15 Oct QBa, BS). Migrant Western Tanagers were in Rawlins, KS 12 Sep (PJ et al.) and Finney, KS 30 Oct (T&SS), latter rather late. A Northern Cardinal in Kimball, NE 4 Sep (MB, DSt) pro- vides more evidence of the species’ westward expansion in the Region. Observations of ad. cardinals feeding a fledgling in Wayne, NE 22 Oct (NB) indicate a very late nesting as well. A Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Muskogee, OK 14 Oct (AV) was late, as were 2 Bobolinks in n.-cen. Nebraska 22 Sep (MLy) and a Blue Grosbeak in Franklin, NE 14 Oct (WE). The count of 150-200 Rusty Blackbirds in Sarpy, NE 5 Nov (L&BP) was encouraging for this declining species. Quite tardy were single Baltimore Orioles in Omaha, NE 26 Nov (AA) and Muskogee, OK 14 Nov QM). Eew Purple Finches were reported during the period. A Cassin’s Finch in Dawes, NE 6 Sep (KDy) was a rare find on that date; another was a surprise in Grarrt, KS 29 Aug (KH, SG). Generally an early (though erratic) breeder in Nebraska, a Red Crossbill with a brood patch was banded in Scotts Bluff 10 Sep QRe). Encouraging was the appearance of an Evening Grosbeak in Grant, KS 26 Aug (KH, SG, JRa); this species has been nearly absent from the Region for some time. Cited observers (area editors in boldface): NEBRASKA: Andrew Albright, Norma Brock- moller, Mark Brogie, John Carlini, Ken Carnes, Kathy DeLara, Erika Dittmar, James E. Ducey, Paul Dunbar, Keith Dyche (KDy), Rick Fades, Larry Einemann, Lawrence Falk, Bill Fink, William Flack, Joe Freeborn, Tim Hajda, John W. Hall, Luke Hamilton, Robin Harding, Glen & Wanda Hoge, Helen K. Hughson, Joel G. ; Jorgensen, Alice Kenitz, Dan Klammer, Clem | N. Klaphake, Ken Kranik, Thomas E. Labedz, 1 Meryll Lynch (MLy), Loren & Babs Padelford, Don & Jan Paseka, Susan Quinn, Lanny Ran- | dolph, Julie Remp 0Re)> Justin Rink, Gary p Roberts, Paul Roisen, Shari Schwartz (SSc), W. | Ross Silcock, Kent Skaggs, Larry Snyder, Dave Stage (DSt), Jon Strong, Joseph Verica, T. J. Walker. KANSAS: Nic Allen, Mike Andersen, | Bob Antonio (BAn), Jack & Norma Conover, S Joann Garrett, Matt Gearheart, Kevin Groe- i neweg, Sam Guy, Jerry & Janet Guyer, Paul ; Habiger, Helen Hands, Kellye Hart, Pete ' Janzen, Gary Johnson, Nan Johnson, Barry i Jones, Jon King, Larry Londagin, Cheryl ! Miller, Lloyd Moore, Nea Nuessle, Chuck ( Otte, Mike Rader, John Rakestraw QRa), John i & Diane Row, Diane Seltman, Scott Seltman, | Tom & Sara Shane, Steve Sorensen (SSo), Mike ) Stoakes, Don Stout (DoS), Rod Wedel (RWe), Dave Williams (DWi), Curtis Wolf, Gene i Young. OKLAHOMA: Bill Adams, David Ar- ( hour, James W. Arterburn, Sally Barnes (SBa), 1 Judy Barto 0Ra)> Jiiu Bates, Sandy Berger, Chris Butler, Bill Carrell, Bill Carter (BCa), j Vince Cavalieri, Abigail Darrah, Gary Davis, : Bill Diffin, Vic Fazio, Joseph A. Grzybowski, S Richard Gunn, Earry Hancock (LHa), Berlin ' Heck, Jim Hoffman, Matthew Jung, Jo Loyd, : Jeri McMahon QM), Tim Millican (TMi), Ter- ' ry Mitchell, Tim O’Connell, Mark Peterson, i Dan Robinson, Brandon Scott, Jana Singletary i (JSi), Diane Trisdale, Lou & Mary Truex, Terri 1 Underhill, Eivind Varmraak, Patricia Velte, An- i toinette Verne, Jim Winner, Doug Wood, Re- becca Wolff. iQ W. Ross Silcock, P. 0. Box 57 Tabor, Iowa 51673, (silcock@rosssiicock.com) Joseph A. Grzybowski, 715 Elmwood Drive Norman, Oklahoma 73072, (j_grzybowski@sbcglobal.net) 110 N 0 R T H A M E R I C A N B I R D S Texas Amariyo mM(d9st>wN.W.R. Wichita V Falls Hag$rmanN.WR uatux^' • *03113$ .Fort Worth Guadalupe MtnsN.R Mitfiand" Nacogdoches \ San Angelo Houston Del Rio ^ High Isianc Freeport San Antonio ^^AransasN.W.R. / Rockport 'Corpus Chnsti KingsviHet Falcon Dam p Benisen Santa Ana N.Wft Laguna I Atascosa N.W.R. Mark W. Lockwood Eric Carpenter Willie Sekula The severe drought that gripped South and Central Texas was broken in many areas during September and October. The state’s office that monitors drought ef- fects determined that the current drought was the most severe on record for several counties in central Texas. The effect was dramatic on avian habitats, with reports of trees dying in large numbers in the southern Oaks and Prairies region. The long-term effects on bird populations will undoubtedly be a mixed bag, with some species benefiting and others being negatively impacted. Although welcome rains came in the late fall, this moisture came too late in most areas to allow for a wild food crop j to grow, thereby extending the effects of the drought through the winter season. There were early signs of invasion by mon- tane species in the western portions of the state, particularly in the El Paso area, but in i general the earlier arrivers were not joined by j subsequent flocks. One of the most surprising , of the fall was the discovery of four Lewis’s ' Woodpeckers in the western half of the state. During the 1980s and 1990s this would have , been a more normal occurrence, but in the past decade, the species has become a far rar- er visitor to Texas. WATERFOWL THROUGH ANHINGAS A male Eurasian Wigeon graced Rio Bosque . Wetlands Park, El Paso 3 Oct+ (ph., tJSp); the i species has been present at this location for I five consecutive winters. Quite early was a j Greater Scaup at the Port Aransas, Nueces 16 Aug-6 Sep (MR, ShC, ECa). A Surf Scoter lin- ^ gered at Mitchell L., Bexar 15-29 Nov (ph.m.ob.), and another appeared at S. Padre 1., Cameron 16 Nov (ScC). A male Masked ^ Duck was at Pintail L., Santa Ana N.W.R., Hi- I dalgo 30 Aug (ph., tECa), and a pair was found at Cattail L. 1-7 Nov (ph.LT, m.ob.). The only Red-throated Loon reported was at Benbrook L., Tarrant 21-28 Nov (GC, DDC, DLi, BC). Either very early or summering was a Common Loon at Imperial Res., Pecos 15 Aug (ECa). Least Grebes successfully bred in cen. Texas and on the Upper Texas Coast (hereafter, U.T.C.). Individual outliers were at John Bunker Sands Wetland, Kaufman 1 Aug-5 Sep (m.ob.), Longview, Harrison 12-17 Sep (ph. LP, MEd), and Eldorado, Schleicher 7 Sep (ph. BZe). Pushing the e. edge of their range were single Western Grebes on L. Buchanan, Llano 19 Sep (TiF), on L. Kick- apoo. Archer 24 Oct (BSu), on White Rock L., Dallas 6-22 Nov (CR), and at Hagerman N.W.R., Grayson 27 Nov (RR). Three were at L. Walter E. Long, Travis 21-22 Nov (m.ob.), while the regular wintering flock on L. Buchanan, Llano was at 17 by 27 Nov (TiF). Clark’s Grebes with a recently fledged young at McNary Res., Hudspeth 5 Nov (BZi) made the first breeding there since 2002. The notorious pair of mis- matched flamingos, one Amer- ican and one Greater, was spot- ted near Center Point, Jackson 15 Aug (ph., SR) and then at the Whitmire Unit, Aransas N.W.R., Calhoun 20 Oct (PWa). Two Leach’s Storm-Pe- trels were the highlight of the 28 Aug pelagic trip off S. Padre L, Cameron- a cooperative Sooty Shearwater stole the show on the 19 Sep trip (both ph., tm.ob.). Far-flung Brown Pelicans were singles at Mc- Nary Res., Hudspeth 19 Aug (BZi), Tornillo Res., El Paso 1- 5 Nov QPa). Ascarate L., El Paso 4-13 Nov (BZi), Greenbelt L, Donley 17 Oct (TM), L. Buchanan, Llano/Burnet 18 Aug-17 Oct (BSt, TiF), Belton L., Bell 10-24 Aug (GE, RP), and Waco, McLennan 12 Nov (]Wr). Providing a very rare record for the Panhandle, 2 Anhingas were in Friona, Parmer 31 Oct-1 Nov (ph. TB). HERONS THROUGH RAPTORS An American Bittern at Mona- han’s Draw, Midland 12 Sep OHe) was a good fall find for the w. third of the state. Out of place was a Little Blue Heron at Lubbock, Lubbock 1-2 Aug (AvH, m.ob.) and another near Smyer, Hockley 8 Aug (AnH). Tricolored Herons staged a major in- vasion/post-breeding dispersal this fall, with large numbers present farther n. and w. than usual. Westerly were as many as 7 at Bal- morhea L., Reeves 12-15 Aug (DJ, ECa), 2 in Midland, Midland 15 Aug (RMS et al.) and 2 more there 8 Sep (BLu) , 9 at L. Ballinger, Run- nels 16 Aug (ECa), and one in Lubbock, Lub- bock 7 Sep-4 Oct (CSt, m.ob.). Hill Country records included up to 5 at Junction, Kimble 1 Aug-5 Sep (ph. RH, AnL, ECo), 2 at Utopia, Uvalde 9 Aug-18 Oct (MHe), one at Eldora- do, Schleicher 17 Aug (ph. BZe), and up to 7 at Uvalde, Uvalde in early Sep (MHe). Wan- dering Reddish Egrets, all juvs., included one at Granger L., Williamson 22 Aug-10 Sep (ECa, TiF, BSt), a white morph at Balmorhea L., Reeves 5 Sep-18 Oct O^M, ML), another se. of San Marcos, Hays 12 Sep (BSt), and one at the Ft. Bliss sewage ponds, El Paso 1 Oct (BZi). An ad. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was detected at McNary Res., Hudspeth 29 Aug QP^)- A White Ibis in Friona, Partner 29 Aug (BP) was unexpected, as was one at El- dorado, Schleicher 17 Aug (ph.BZe). Inland Glossy Ibis included one at Balmorhea L., Reeves 15 Aug (ECa), one at John Bunker Sands Wetland, Kaufman 2 Aug and 5 Sep (GC, BC), and another at Village Creek Dry- The northwestern Hill Country of Texas is a very under-birded part of the state. In fall 2009, several out-of-range species were discovered in Schleicher County, includ- ing this Least Grebe at Eldorado 6-9 (here 7) September. Photograph by Bob Zeller. Texas pelagic trips have consistently turned up species thought to be rare in the western Gulf of Mexico. This Sooty Shearwater continued that tradition off South Padre Island, Cameron County 19 September 2009. Photograph by Chris Harrison. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 111 TEXAS Red-shouldered Hawks are recorded less than annually in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas. This cooperative immature was at Balmorhea State Park, Reeves County from 1 1 (here 17) September through 2 October 2009. Photograph by Mark W. Lockwood. ing Beds, Tairant 8 Sep (m.ob.). An impres- sive 6300 White-faced Ibis staged on the Katy Prairie, WciUer in early Sep (BH et al). A large number of Roseate Spoonbills lingered during the period at John Bunker Sands Wetland, Kaufman, with 21 still there 29 Nov (m.ob.). An imm. at Ft. Flancock Res., 27 Sep-14 Oct QPa, ph. BZi) furnished a rare Hudspeth record. A high-soaring Jabiru was studied briefly near San Benito, Cameron 20 Sep (tTFu). A Wood Stork over Blewett 15 Aug and 9 at Cook’s Slough 21 Aug furnished rare Uvalde records (ph. TD). As many as 19 indi- viduals lingered at L. Rogers, Bell 7-10 Sep (RP, BSt). A Wood Stork at Houston’s Arthur Storey Park, Harris 5 Nov+ was lingering lat- er than usual (CD et al). Late too was a lone Turkey Vulture in El Paso, El Paso 5 Nov (BZi). Swallow-tailed Kites in Central Texas in- clude singles at Ft. Hood, Coryell 4 Aug (ph. ERu) and Richland Creek W.M.A., Navarro 7 Aug (ph. MB). After two failed efforts, the White-tailed Kite pair at Rio Bosque Wetlands Park, El Paso had downy young by 16 Sep and fledged 2 juvs. by mid-Oct for the first suc- cessful nesting in that region OSp). Other Trans-Pecos sightings were lone birds nw. of Marfa, Presidio 9 Sep (BZi) and at Rio Grande Village, Brewster 15 Nov Q&JR). Rare Lower Rio Grande Valley sightings of Bald Eagles were one at Anzalduas, Hidalgo 18 Oct (DJ) and another near the Port of Harlingen, Cameron 9 Nov (Kyle O’Haver). A Harris’s Hawk wandered n. to Stratford, Shennan 7 Nov (BP), while another was near White Rock L., Dallas 22-23 Nov QHo, KD). Small numbers of Harris’s Hawks made it to the U.T.C., with 2 at the Galveston Bay Virginia Point Peninsula Preserve, Galveston (LM, GM), singles at the Smith Point Hawkwatch, Chambers 29 Sep and 17 Oct, and 2 different birds in Brazoria 24 Oct (MAu) and 22 Nov (MMP). Becoming more regular in the cen. Trans-Pecos, an imm. Red-shouldered Hawk was at Balmorhea S.P., Reeves 11 Sep-2 Oct (ML et al). A Broad-winged Hawk near Shamrock, Wheeler 26 Sep (AnH) and another at Copper Breaks S.P, Hardeman 10 Oct (AnH) were w. of the normal migration path. A dark-morph Short-tailed Hawk was studied at Estero Llano Grande S.P., Hidalgo 11 Oct (tMGu). A great find was a Zone-tailed Hawk in Midland, Midland 1 Sep (DK, m.ob.), as was anoth- er in Victoria, Victoria 16 Oct QBe). A Golden Eagle soared over the Smith Point Hawkwatch, Chambers 7 Nov. A Prairie Falcon on the Katy Prairie, Waller 1-10 Oct (BH) was one of very few re- cent records for the U.T.C. A Crested Caracara near Crockett, Houston 25 Nov (tLS) was a county first. The Crested Caracaras from the summer in Kent remained until at least 4 Sep (DS). RAILS THROUaH JAEGERS Rarely detected as a migrant, 2 Yellow Rails stopped at Cement Creek L., Tanant 27 Oct (BC, EW). Amazing was a Black Rail seen at John Bunker Sands Wetland, Kaufman 10 Oct (BC); up to 7 King Rails were noted at the same location 1 Aug-17 Oct (GC, BC). A Pur- ple Gallinule in Freeport, Brazoria 15 Nov was on the late side (KP). Hard to come by as migrants, 7 Whooping Cranes were over n. Tarrant 3 Nov (SJ), 2 more were at the Waco Wetlands, McLennan 19 Nov (FG, NG), and a vocalizing individual at Hornsby Bend 27 ( Nov was a rare Travis treat (RD). The continuing drought lowered L. ; Buchanan’s shoreline by 30 feet, exposing ex- tensive mudflats and allowing a unique op- portunity to view numbers of shorebirds on |i the Edwards Plateau. Fennell, Stone, and oth- ; ers found an impressive 27 species by season’s ; end, including several Burnet and Llano firsts. ! Three Black-bellied Plovers made a nice find at Balmorhea L., Reeves 18 Oct, with one still i present 8 Nov (ML). A high fall count for the | U.T.G., 26 American Golden-Plovers were at Smith Point, Chambers 17 Oct QKe)- Snowy Plovers took advantage of the low water lev- ij, els at L. Buchanan, where 2 recently fledged j downy young were found with 5 other birds j around Shaw I., Llano 8 Sep for a first breed- ? ing record for the Edwards Plateau (ph. TiF, BSt et al). Fifty-seven Mountain Plovers e. of Bartlett, Bell 8 Nov was the best showing of this species around Granger since Jan 2003 ' (RP); 100 was a good count for w. Nueces 26 ' Oct (BBi). An ad. Northern Ja^ana at the Cal- liham Unit, Ghoke Ganyon S.P., McMullen 1 Nov+ (ph. JAn, tm.ob.) represented one of the most northerly records for the state. A Whimbrel near Crosbyton, Crosby 9 Aug (KHi) was an unusual find for the South i Plains. Long-billed Curlews again staged at Balmorhea L., Reeves, with a high of 705 on 15 Aug (ECa); more impressive were 1127 : near the Chapman Ranch, Nueces 10 Oct (BF). A Curlew Sandpiper lingered at Cayo i del Oso, Corpus Christi, Nueces 17 Aug-4 Sep (ph., tMC). Buff-breasted Sandpipers staged f: at a sod farm near Calallen, Nueces in last (i Aug, with a jaw-dropping 2600 tallied there L 23 Aug (DMu). An amazing 2400 Long-billed j'i Dowitchers stopped at John Bunker Sands ;ii Wetlands, Kaufman 8 Nov (CR). Easterly Red- '■ necked Phalaropes included one at Tule L., d Corpus Christi, Nueces 20 Aug (MC), one at (j Hagerman N.WR., Grayson 7 Sep (RR), 2 at i!; Hornsby Bend, Travis 12-17 Sep (CW, ECa, |i] m.ob.), one at Southside W.T.R, Dallas 26 Sep ; (RR), and another at Suntide Pools, Corpus r Christi, Nueces 10 Oct (MC). A cooperative Red Phalarope at Hornsby Bend, Travis was ; enjoyed by many during its 17-22 Oct visit j (ph., tew, m.ob.). j Sabine’s Gulls were present this fall at scat- 'j tered locations throughout the state, with an j immaculate ad. at Tornillo Res., El Paso 13 Sep J (ph. JPa) and one observed from the Bolivar 'j Ferry, Galveston 24 Sep (WB) being the most || significant. Twelve Bonaparte’s Gulls at L. Ran- |f som Canyon, Lubbock 26 Nov (StC) was a j high number and furnished a rare South Plains sighting. A Laughing Gull at L. Bryan, Brazos 22 Nov (tTH) provided a long overdue NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS This Curlew Sandpiper was often difficult to locate during its stay at Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas between 17 August and 4 (here 1) September 2009. Photograph by Christopher Taylor. 112 TEXAS] county first. A second-cycle California Gull was present at Calaveras L., Bexar 22 Nov (MR, She). A first-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull was observed at Balmorhea L., Reeves 8 Nov (ML), and another individual that had been present across the Rio Grande in New Mexico since 9 Nov (ph. JPa) visited Keystone Heritage Park, El Paso 25 Nov (DA). An ad. black-backed gull at Ft. Hancock Res., Hud- speth 29 Sep (ph. BZi) exhibited some aspects of a Yellow-footed Gull, but a clear identifica- tion could not be established. The second-cy- cle Glaucous Gull that summered at East Beach, Galveston was present 7-19 Aug (GL, JKa, RS) and 11 Oct (KP). Two gulls thought to be Kelp Gulls or Kelp hybrids were at Quin- tana, Brazoria 13 Sep (ph. JAr). A Caspian Tern was at Balmorhea L., Reeves 13-15 Aug (DJ, ECa). A Royal Tern was discovered at Ft. Hancock Res., Hudspeth 13 Sep (ph. JPa, BZi); no weather systems were thought responsible for this regional first. Ten Least Terns, includ- ing 4 begging juvs., at L. Ballinger, Runnels 16 Aug (ph. ECa) were suggestive of local breed- ing. The pelagic trip out of South Padre I., Cameron 28 Aug produced 30 Bridled Terns and 75 Sooty Terns (BM, ECa, MGu et ah). A Black Tern at Brazos Bend S.P., Fort Bend 1 Nov was late (MMP). A Brown Noddy found at the Port Aransas jetties, Nueces 9 Aug was joined by another 22 Aug-8 Sep QMc. m.ob.). A Parasitic Jaeger was seen off Port Aransas, Nueces 31 Oct (MC). PIGEONS THROUGH WOODPECKERS Single Common Ground-Doves were found at two Midland, Midland locations 28 Aug (RMS, PR), where the species is detected less ; than annually. Single Black-billed Cuckoos ' were noted in Lufkin, Angelina 27 Aug (LD) [ and Caddo Lake N.W.R., Harrison 11 Oct ! (ERa). A Mangrove Cuckoo was discovered at Laguna Atascosa N.W.R., Cameron 1 Sep (ph., I tTFu). A Groove-billed Ani at Lake Jackson, i Brazoria 2 Aug (CRi et al.) was early for a : post-breeding dispersal, and one in Waller 12- . 15 Sep (BH et al.) was farther inland that nor- mal. A Burrowing Owl was at Ft. Travis, . Galveston 24-31 Oct (TK, DMa). A Long- eared Owl along the Brazos R., Burleson 8 Nov (DG, MGw) provided the first county sighting I since 1974. Single Whip-poor-wills were i heard in San Augustine 8 Sep (MAr) and in j Wood 18 Sep QaC)- Three Whip-poor-wills j banded at Smith Point, Chambers 10 Oct (BO j et al.) could be an indication of more mi- grants passing through the area than previ- ! ously realized. An unidentified Chaetura swift ' zipped through El Paso, El Paso 10 Oct QG, I USX Up to 10,000 Chimney Swifts were tal- I lied in late Aug/early Sep while entering a I large smokestack of an old sugar plant in Sugar Land, Fort Bend (GO, PS, BD et al.). An imm. Green-breasted Mango visited a yard in Cor- pus Christi, Nueces 12 Aug (t, ph. LA). A male Broad-billed Hummingbird was present in Houston, Harris 24 Oct-8 Nov (JSh, ph. MHo). Juv. White- eared Hummingbirds were banded in the Davis Mts., Jeff Davis 9 Aug and 8 Sep (KB), providing more evidence that the species in breeding locally. A Buff-bellied Hummingbird One ofthe highlights ofthe fall 2009 season in far western Texas was this Royal seen near Common Fords Park ^em at Fort Hancock Reservoir, Hudspeth County on 12 September. There is only onepreviousrecordofthespeciesfortheTrans-Pecos. P/iofogr) are summarized at the end of this report. GEESE THROUGH CORMORANTS The 1 1 Greater White-fronted Geese at Canon City, Fremont 18 Oct+ (M. Miller, RM), of re- turning birds plus progeny, accounted for the seasonal maximum, but the single ad. at Nava- jo Res., Archuleta 5-10 Oct OBy) provided the first for the season and the only West Slope re- port. One report of 3 Trumpeter Swans and four reports totaling 12 Tundra Swans were all that the Colorado season could muster, but 2 Tundra Swans in swan-poor Denver 5 Nov (GW, L. Kilpatrick) were noteworthy. The high count in Wyoming, where the species migrates through more commonly, was 23 at Yant’s Puddle, Natrona 8 Nov (CM). Wood Ducks with young were observed 15 Aug (and present through 26 Sep) far to the nw. in Col- orado at Craig, Moffat (FL), extending the species’ known local breeding range, while 2 at Carbondale, Gaifield 28 Nov (TM) were pushing seasonal boundaries. A dark male dabbling duck photographed in Pueblo, Pueblo 21 Nov+ (K. Shipe, J. Mitchell) was thought to be either a Mexican Duck x Mal- lard intergrade or a Mottled Duck x Mallard hybrid. The state’s recent spate of spring and summer Mexican Duck records might suggest the former. Two Blue-winged Teal in Broom- field 15 Nov (TS) were late, while one in Teton, WY 20 Nov (J. Owens) was incredibly late. Also late in Wyoming was a Flooded Mer- ganser in Platte 7 Nov (K. Kranik). We received just four reports totaling 5 Greater Scaup, which were outnumbered by both Surf Scoter (five reports, 10 individuals) and White-winged Scoter (8, 16). The scoter highlights were the single Surf Scoter at L. Av- ery, Rio Blanco 20 Oct (DH) that provided a rare nw. Colorado report and the 7 White- winged Scoters at Timnath Res., Larimer 31 Oct (CW). The scoter “lowlight” was the complete lack of reports from South Park, Park, the epicenter of Colorado scoter abun- dance in recent years. Rounding out the scot- er show were the three reports of single fe- male-plumaged Black Scoters, all at Front Range locations. The high fall count of Bar- row’s Goldeneyes in Colorado was of 45, in the last week of Nov at Craig (TD, FL). An ad. male at the JTL Ponds, Natrona 10 Nov (CM) was e. of normal for Wyoming. Despite the very poor showing of the two common loon species in Colorado (9 single Pacifies, five reports of 27 Commons), there was a veritable plethora of rare loons reported this fall, two singles of each species, though one of the Yellow-billed Loons went undocu- mented. Red-throated Loons were document- ed at Union Res., Weld 30 Oct-1 Nov (juv.; NP) and at Pueblo Res., Pueblo 7-14 Nov (age unreported; V. Truan); Arctic Loons (p.a.) were reported from Union Res. 25 Oct (ad.; WS) and Marston Res., Denver 31 Oct-19 Nov (unreported age; D. Kibbe); and a juv. Yellow- billed Loon graced Jumbo Res., Sedgwick and Logan 20-29 Nov (CW, ph. LS). Single Red- necked Grebes were found at Cherry Creek Res., Arapahoe 18 Oct-8 Nov (C. L. Wood) and Union Res. 25 Oct-2 Nov (TD), while the peak of Aechmophorus abundance was of 2000+ at Standley L., Jefferson 11 Oct (LS). Single Neotropic Cormorants were noted at Timnath Res., Larimer 14 Aug (ad.; NK) and Big Johnson Res., El Paso 22 Oct (juv.; JD). HERONS THROUGH JAEGERS The family group of Least Bitterns was pres- ent in Larimer through at least 3 Aug (CW, NK). A calico Little Blue Heron near Prewitt Res., Washington 29-30 Aug QK) was unique for the season. Considering the great reduc- tion of numbers of Cattle Egrets on Col- orado’s e. plains in recent decades, the 100+ found at Red Lion S.W.A., Logan 23-30 Aug (BK) was a real eye-popper. Of the three oth- er reports, 2 provided a Ouray first near Ridg- way 24 Oct (CDe, BW), and one was quite late 14 Nov at Totten Res. (fide JBy) and on the West Slope, where rare. An ad. Yellow- crowned Night-Heron at Jumbo Res., Logan 23-30 Aug (MP) was surprising but the 3 juvs. not far away near Crook 2 Sep (E. De- Fonso) even more so. A juv. Northern Goshawk was unusual at Duck Creek S.W.A., Logan 12 Sep (CW), both in location and in seasonal timing (a tad early). An ad. Broad- winged Hawk in Saguache 30 Aug Q- Beason) provided a county first and this season’s only report from w. of the Front Range. The ad. light-morph Harlan’s Hawk that was photo- graphically documented on migration in Alaska in spring 2009 returned to its Hygiene, Boulder haunts by 8 Nov (C. Nunes) (see: Schmoker, B., andj. Liguori. 2010. Photo-re- covery of a Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk in Col- orado and Alaska. Colorado Birds 44: 16-19). A Peregrine Falcon (age unreported) at Rifle Gap Res., Garfield 15 Nov (TM) was late. As many as 6 American Golden-Plovers, a sizable number, graced Timnath Res. 11-16 Oct (CW). A Snowy Plover was out of place at Jumbo Res., Logan 30 Aug (BK), and a Black- necked Stilt was out of place and late at Grand Junction, Mesa 20-31 Oct (B. Bradley). The lateness of a Lesser Yellowlegs at Stagecoach 116 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS COLORADO & WYOMING This cooperative juvenile Parasitic Jaeger, first observed at Chatfield Reservoir, Jefferson/Douglas Courrties, Colorado 5- 13 (here 1 1 j November 2009, was almost certainly the same bird that appeared later at Pueblo Reservoir, Pueblo County 14-15 November. Photograph by Glenn Welbek. Res., Routt 1-3 Nov (CDo, TL) was probably due to its broken leg. Single Upland Sand- pipers were heard calling in nocturnal migra- tion over Boulder 20 (TF) & 24 Aug (TD); the detection of these birds w. of what used to be considered normal is becoming a tradition for these two listeners. Three juv. Long-billed Curlews at Ridgway Res. 28 Aug (ph. CDe) were nearly unprecedented in Ouray. Very rare in Wyoming, a Ruddy Turnstone was at Edness K. Wilkins S.P., Natrona 5 Sep (A. Hines, B. Rickman). A Sanderling at Totten Res., Montezuma 23 Sep (M. & D. Hill) was on the West Slope, where rare. Also rare on the West Slope, single Semipalmated Sandpipers visited Craig 15 Aug (FL) and Rio Blanco Res., Rio Blanco 23 Aug (DH), and Pectoral Sand- pipers were noted thrice: 3 at Narraguinnep Res., Montezuma 8 Sep (CDe, BW); one at Navajo Res. 10 Oct (HM, JBy) that probably provided an Archuleta first; and up to 2 at Stagecoach Res. 1-3 Nov (CDo et al). Buff- breasted Sandpipers (presumably juvs.) were documented from Cherry Creek Res. 29 Aug-2 Sep (G. & L. Ackert) and Jumbo Res., Logan 29 Aug-2 Sep (BSc). Most unusually, i Red-necked and Red Phalaropes were reported in equal numbers this fall; the only Red- necked was noted at Chatfield Res., Jefferson 8 Nov (BSc, GW), and the Red was documented ' from Timnath Res. 6 Sep (CW, NK). A second-cycle Black-legged Kittiwake at Colorado Springs, El Paso 9 Nov (B. Kozar) was unusual, particularly as the bird was not at a large reservoir. A fresh juv. Bonaparte’s Gull was a surprise at Jumbo Res., Logan and Sedg- wick 23 Aug (BK); most migrant first-cycle birds arrive in Colorado in formative plumage and much later. Pitiably, 3 of the 4 Laughing Gulls and all of the 6 Mew Gulls went undoc- umented. The documented Laughing Gull was an ad. at Timnath Res. 24 Aug-5 Sep (R. Hop- per). Two Herring Gulls were at Vallecito Res., La Plata 8 Aug (S. Allerton) — a month and a half early Of the mere 10 reports of Thayer’s Gull, the one of a juv. at Stagecoach Res. 3-26 Nov (TL) provided only the 3rd or 4th West Slope record and the first for Routt. All nine re- ports of Lesser Black-backed Gull came from the 1-25 corridor from Larimer to Pueblo. Sin- gle Least Terns were n. of normal and season- ally odd at Boyd L., Larimer 10 Sep (W. Reeser) and Sixmile Res., Boulder 23-24 Sep (BSc), while a Black Tern was at high elevation at Crystal Lakes, Lake 23 Aug (TK). The most in- teresting of two Caspian Tern reports was of an individual in the mts. at Blue Mesa Res., Gun- nison 5 Sep (V. Zerbi). Very oddly, Parasitic Jaeger accounted for half of the jaeger reports for the season, particularly odd in a season without a single report of Pomarine Jaeger. And of even more interest, the two reports probably pertained to the same individual at locations separated by almost 150 km! The first report came from Chatfield Res., Jefferson and Douglas 5-13 Nov (|K), the other from Pueblo Res. 14-15 Nov (fide BKP). DOVES THROUGH THRUSHES Five reports of 7 White-winged Doves from four counties were all that could be mustered in Colorado, while Wyoming had one report, of a bird in Goshen 11 Sep (C. Fitz). Regard- ing Inca Doves, the Lamar, Prowers colony continues; we received no word about the Rocky Ford, Otero birds; one visited a feeder in Las Animas, Bent 10 Nov (ph. DN). The only Black-billed Cuckoo report came from Park, WY 1 Aug 0- Brauch). Providing anoth- er point of data for our vague understanding of screech-owl distribution in se. Colorado, an Eastern Screech-Owl was heard at Cotton- wood Canyon, Baca 24 Oct (MP), one of very few sites at which both species' have been recorded multiple times. Late for Wyoming, a Common Nighthawk was near Saratoga, Car- bon 25 Sep (SL). An imm. female Black- chinned Hummingbird was both late and northerly, while an imm. male Broad-tailed Hummingbird was “merely” late — amidst snow and ice — in Lakewood, Jefferson 8 Oct (M. Chavez), with the latest hummer, a Broad-tailed, at that same location lingering until 19 Oct. Establishing the 2nd record for Wyoming, an imm. male Anna’s Humming- bird was at Jackson, Teton 20 Oct (S. Patla). West of normal and only the 3rd for Wyoming’s Carbon, a Red-headed Woodpeck- er was near Saratoga 25 Sep (SL). Black Phoebes were reported from six s. and cen. Colorado locations, with the latest re- ports coming from Fremont and Pueblo 30 Nov. Westerly Great Crested Flycatchers were in Fort Collins, Larimer 3-5 Sep (L. Griffin) and Chico, Pueblo 11-15 Sep QD). This species breeds regularly in extreme ne. Col- orado and sparingly in the se. corner of the state; migrants are not detected annually in Front Range areas. A first for Hinsdale, an Eastern Kingbird was found at Cebolla S.W.A. 14 Sep OBy); the species breeds very locally in w. Colorado lowlands and is rarely seen at such high elevations. A Blue-headed Vireo, a review species in Colorado, was observed at Valeo Ponds S.W.A. , Pueblo 25 Sep (BKP). Very late vireos included a Warbling Vireo 4 Nov in Greeley, Weld (NE) and a Red-eyed Vireo 1 Nov in Arvada, Jefferson (R. Michaels). Rare for the West Slope, a Red-eyed Vireo was in extreme se. Colorado at McElmo Canyon, Montezuma 24 Aug (DAL). Very rare in the San Luis Valley, 2 Chihuahuan Ravens were detected near Blanca, Costilla 20 Aug OBy). A Tree Swallow was very late at Plaster Res., Broomfield 14 Nov (TS), and a Cave Swallow was reported below Pueblo Res., Pueblo 25 Sep (BKP). Although there are a few reports of Cave Swallow from Colorado, there are no ac- cepted records in the Region. Unusually high in elevation, a Canyon Wren probed the rocks at 3450 m in San Juan 22 Aug 0- Bregar). Single Carolina Wrens vis- ited Orlando Res., Huerfano 1 Sep (MP, BSt) and Lamar 24-26 Oct (MP). Five Winter Wrens were observed, a fairly high number for fall; the wrens s. of Lamar 24 Oct 0- Stulp) and in Canon City 7 Nov (RM) were not iden- tified to subspecies group, whereas the 3 Boul- der individuals included a pacificus at Gregory Canyon, Boulder 10 Nov (WS, NP, v.r.) and a pacificus and hiemalis together along the St. Vrain R. 26 Nov+. Of great interest, a Veery at Chatfield S.P., Jefferson 28 Nov OK) was record late by about a month; the C.B.R.C. would ap- preciate details on this report. A Varied Thrush at Chico, Pueblo 15 Oct (BM) provid- ed a first local record. The Brown Thrasher at a residence in Carbon 19-22 Nov (E Bergquist) was quite late and w. of usual for Wyoming. The only Bohemian Waxwing reports involved If accurate, the reports that bird breeding success in the Arctic was generally poor in 2009 may be the ultimate factor in the very poor tegiottal showing by Sabine's Gull. We received only 13 reports of 16 individuals (of these, 2 were in Wyoming), with the high count being ef only 2, at each of three locations. Though the flight was slow in getting going, the first 3 were all ads., 23 Aug-12 Sep. A highlight was provided by 2 juvs. at i^avajo Res. 5-10 Oct (JBy) in sw. Colorado; all other Colorado individuals (12) were, as expected, in e. Colorado. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 117 I COLORADO & WYOMING a flock of 150 at Mammoth, Park, WY 23 Nov (M. Hurt) and a single at Castlewood Canyon S.P., Douglas 28 Nov (L. Reynolds). WARBLERS THROUGH FfUCHES It was a relatively quiet autumn for eastern warblers in Colorado, as revealed by the paltry numbers of Northern Parulas (one) and Ten- nessee (3), Chestnut-sided (one), Magnolia (3), and Hooded (2) Warblers reported from the e. half of the state. By contrast, the num- bers of Black-throated Blue (5), Palm (5), and Prothonotary (3) Warblers were above nor- mal. Rare finds included a Yellow- throated Warbler in the mts. at Estes Park, Larimer 20- 25 Oct (S. Rashid, J. Roederer) and 2 Ken- tucky Warblers: a continuing bird from sum- mer at Gregory Canyon through 16 Aug (R. & C. Steinkamp), and another at Lamar 24 Oct (MR BSt). Single Clay-colored Sparrows, a species rare in w. Colorado and the cen. spine of mts., straggled westward to Crystal Lakes 23 Aug (TK), providing a Lake first; to Duran- go, La Plata 12 Sep QBy, HM); to Rio Blanco Res. 14 Sep (DH); and to Archuleta and Miner- al (both 5 Oct; JBy). Field Sparrows also wan- dered w. of usual, with reports from Doudy Draw, Boulder 19 Sep (WS); from near Flo- rence, Fremont 25 Sep-5 Oct (E Gould); and from Chico, Pueblo 29 Sep (]D). Very late for Wyoming, a Vesper Sparrow was in Casper, Natrona 29 Nov (CM), whereas a Savannah Sparrow at John Martin Res., Bent 28 Nov was only moderately late (DN). Establishing a rare w. Colorado record and a first for Montrose, a Grasshopper Sparrow visited Nucla 19 Sep (CDe). Rare, but somewhat predictable in wet grasslands in migration (and, rarely, ■winter) in Colorado, up to 6 Le Conte’s Sparrows were at Fox Ranch, Yuma 3 Oct (TF, BM, B. Patrick, BSc); another was in Park, WY 13 Sep (M. Hoffman). The Canon City Golden-crowned Sparrow returned 20 Oct (RM) for its 3rd win- ter. Only two reports of Snow Bunting came from Wyoming: one at Healey Res, Johnson 6 Nov (V. Hays, J. Adams) and 7 at Ocean’s L., Fremont 20 Nov 0- Downham, B. Hargis). Two Summer Tanagers, a species much rar- er in fall than spring, made late appearances during the season. One was at Pueblo 3 Oct (T. Ivahnenko, R. Clawges), and another graced Livermore, Larimer 11 Nov (D. Beaver). The Western Tanager at Lathrop S.E, Hueifano 10 Nov (RM) was quite late. Of the 7 Rose-breast- ed Grosbeaks reported, one at Lake City, Hins- dale 6 Aug (V. Simmons), one at Pueblo 8 Nov (M. Yaeger), and one at Grand Junction, Mesa 17 Nov (N. Korte) were most unusual. A Painted Bunting was a nice find at Chico, El Paso 27 Sep (S. Brown), though it was proba- bly the 4th or 5th there in the past decade. A single Rusty Blackbird visited Last Chance, Washington 5 Nov (T. Jones). White-vAnged Crossbills were reported from the mts. in n. Grand 31 Oct (LS) and Steamboat Springs, Routt 23 Nov (TD). More interesting, however, was one in Fort Collins 20-26 Oct (fide C. Kogler) and a pair at Grandview Cemetery in the same city 22 Nov+ (DAL). Evening Gros- beaks staged a fairly good push onto the East- ern Plains, with reports during the season coming from Baca, Prowers, and Pueblo. Undocumented rarities: The follo'wing review species were reported in the period from Col- orado with no documentation: Red-throated Loon (Custer, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson); Yel- low-billed Loon (Jefferson); Neotropic Cor- morant (Larimer); Yellow-crowned Night- Heron (Alamosa, Larimer); Common Black- Hawk (Montrose); Red-shouldered Hawk (Prowers); Yellow Rail (Gunnison); Hudsonian GodvAt (Larimer); Red Knot (Larimer); Buff- breasted Sandpiper (Logan); Black-legged Kit- tiwake (Boulder); Laughing Gull (2 in Wash- ington, Weld); Mew Gull (Arapahoe, Boulder, Larimer, and 2 in Pueblo); Western Gull (2 in ■ Larimer); Glaucous-'winged Gull (Mesa); Arc- tic Tern (2 in Weld); Long- tailed Jaeger (Mesa); Blue- throated Hummingbird (Fremont); Ruby- throated Hummingbird (2 in Prowers); Eastern i Wood-Pewee (2 in Washington); Alder Fly- catcher (Lincoln, Pueblo); Blue-headed Vireo ! (Bent, Lincoln, Prowers, Weld); Varied Thrush (Weld); Cape May Warbler (Fremont, Sedg- I wick) Blackburnian Warbler (Boulder, Fremont, and 2 each in Larimer and Weld); Pine Warbler (Prowers); Red Fox Sparrow (Bent, Weld); East- : ern Meadowlark (Adams); Purple Finch j (Larimer, 2 in Prowers). Cited observers (subregional editors in bold- ■ face): Jim Beatty (sw. Colorado), Todd Deininger, Coen Dexter (CDe, w.-cen. Col- orado), Craig Dodson, John Drummond, Norm Erthal, Doug Faulkner (Wyoming), : Ted Floyd, Dona Hilkey Bill Kaempfer, Tim : Kalbach, Joey Kellner, Nick Komar, Steve Lar- son, David A. Leatherman, Tom Litteral, For- rest Luke (nw, Colorado), Bill Maynard, Tom ' McConnell, Chris Michelson, Rich Miller, Heather Morris, Duane Nelson, Brandon K. Percival (se. Colorado), Mark Peterson, Nathan Pieplow, Bill Schmoker (BSc; Col- ■ orado Front Range), Larry Semo (n.e. Col- ■ orado), Tim Smart, Brad Steger (BSt), Walter ■ Szeliga, Glenn Walbek (n.-cen. Colorado), Cole Wild, Brenda Wright. Many other indi- i vidual observers contributed information to | this report but could not be acknowledged here; they have our appreciation. @ Lawrence S. Semo, SWCA Environmental Consultants 295 intertocken Boulevard, Ste. 300 Broomfield, Colorado 80021 {lsemo@swca.com) Tony Leukering, 102A Delaware Avenue Villas, New Jersey 08251 (greatgrayowl@aol.com) Bill Schmoker, 3381 Larkspur Drive Longmont, Colorado 80503 (bill@schmoker.org) The Friends! of North^American 0it : . Since- its inceptiorij, the ^nd has allowed for Mailing in a protectee wiappei^g insuic^lfts delivery Jncreas45jAj|pa.ge coontv all^winp of art^fes and spe« •.*» y” V color allowing the addition fjrKhoto Salons. vlA All of thispas been With yotir generous contrifew -t N '*V ^ ^ ' > ’ •' i more plains works fund need your Pon^^lnts fund The' Friends of NAB, mh, Colo^do Sp*%s, tc lions, ■ippedwGw NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS j! iy 118 Idaho & Western Montana | David Trochlell The autumn of 2009 was renowned for its interesting if rather bizarre weather fluctuations. August was unseasonably cool and moist, but that changed dramatical- ly with September’s record-setting warm and dry conditions. Then October was unusually cold and moist and was followed by an atypi- cally warm and dry November. Unfortunate- ly, the bird migration picture was not as in- teresting as the season’s weather; in fact, it would be best described as uneventful. Per- haps this might be attributed to a combina- tion of no major fallouts, high reservoir lev- els, and early October’s wintry weather. Abbreviation; Latilong (area encompassed by one degree latitude and one degree longitude, used in mapping bird distribution in both Idaho and Montana); L.E (Idaho Bird Obser- vatory’s banding station at Lucky Peak near Boise). WATERFOWL THiOUSH GULLS Wayward Greater White-fronted Geese were notable in Idaho’s Latah 6 Oct (TG) and Kootenai 1 Nov (LH), where they are unex- pected. Even more noteworthy was a Greater White-fronted w. of Belgrade, MT 25 Oct and 2 others at Harrison Res., MT 26 Oct (RW) I that represented first local reports in a : decade. Idaho had a good turnout of Cack- ; ling Geese, with one in Kootenai 29 Oct (ph., tLH) and 9 tavemeri at Moscow 13 Nov (ph. TG, tCS) — the latter the Region’s largest Cackling flock on record. Apparently, Eurasian Wigeons were elsewhere this fall, as one in Helena, MT 1 1 Oct (BB) was the only report. A total of 24 Surf and 12 White- winged Scoters were recorded, representing an excellent season. Single Long-tailed Ducks were discovered in both states 25 Oct-20 Nov, typical for fall. Red-throated Loons, not reported annually in the Region, were detect- VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER ed at Cooney Res., Carbon, MT 3 Oct (BJ) and in Kootenai, ID 16-22 Oct (tLH, DW). Reports of 5 Pacific Loons 3 Oct-12 Nov rep- resented an average fall season. With only eight accepted records of Yellow-billed Loon in Idaho, one at Sandpoint 5 Nov (p.a., tTG) was a great find. Far n. of range was a Clark’s Grebe in Clearwater, ID 7 Sep (CS). A Broad-v/inged Hawk documented in Fremont 5 Oct ($CW) provided Idaho’s first accepted fall record away from L.E Three Gyrfalcons were reported 14 Oct-18 Nov, representing the best fall in four years. A Whimbrel at Warm Springs, MT 12 Sep (GS) provided a first record for Latilong 27C. Twelve Solitary Sandpipers in Somers, MT 3 Aug (DC) made an impressive Regional count. A Stilt Sandpiper at Harrison Res., MT 22 Oct (JP, RW) was record late. Montana’s 13th Red Phalarope was a splendid find at Sil- ver L., Deer Lodge 24 Oct (GS). A Parasitic Jaeger chasing a Ring-billed Gull at Ennis L., MT 22 Oct (ph., tJP; RW) provided the only report of a jaeger this season; Parasitics have been recorded at this location in three of the past five fall seasons. Two wayward Franklin’s Gulls visited Sandpoint, ID 15 Aug (RD), where they are occasional. The tally of rare- but-regular larids was fairly typical, with 7 Mew, 4 Thayer’s, one Glaucous, and 6 Sabine’s Gulls reported. The headline bird of the season was Montana’s 2nd Lesser Black- backed Gull at Harrison L., Madison 15 Sep (ph.. tDC). One of the highlights of autumn 2009 was the un- precedented number of Broad-winged Hawks re- ported by the Region's hawkwatch sites. In Idaho, 84 were detected at the Lucky Peak banding station 7-27 Sep, which more than doubled the previous record count there. In Montana, 63 were seen at three hawkwatch sites 12 Sep-2 Oct, representing the Treasure State's 2nd highest count ever, interestingly, before the advent of the hawkwatch sites in the early 1990s, it was not even known that small numbers of Broad-wingeds were regu- lar migrants through the Region in fall. PIGEONS THROUGH GRACKLES A lost Band-tailed Pigeon at Elliston 9-12 Aug (GS) garnered Montana’s 23rd record. Anna’s Hummingbirds came through the Region in near-record numbers, with 7 reported 18 Aug-30 Nov. If accepted, a male Ruby-throat- ed Hummingbird that graced a residence in Gem 20-21 Aug (ph., tFZ) will provide Ida- ho’s 3rd record. Very unusual for n. Idaho was a Gray Flycatcher in Moscow 21 Sep (CS). A Say’s Phoebe found in Glacier N.E, MT 7 Aug (SG) provided the first report there in 15 years. Montana’s 11th Ash-throated Flycatch- er was seen at Bannack 1 Sep (ph. BH). Pend- ing acceptance, a Blue-headed Vireo docu- mented in Coolin 22 Sep (tRB) would repre- sent Idaho’s 6th record. There was only one Idaho Blue Jay report, signifying a non-flight year. Only 2 Northern Mockingbirds were de- tected in s. Idaho, with one in Gem 21 Aug (FZ) and another in Grandview 25 Nov (CH). The tally of rare warblers included a Ten- nessee Warbler in Livingston, MT 8 Oct (EH), a Northern Parula in Boise, ID 29 Sep-2 Oct (ph., tLU), and a Chestnut-sided Warbler at L.E 10 Sep (ph., tRM). If accepted, a Hermit Warbler banded at L.P. 6 Aug (ph., tJC) will mark Idaho’s 3rd record. Both interesting and far e. of its Cascadian range was a Townsend’s Warbler x Hermit Warbler hybrid at L.P. 8 Aug GO- An early snowstorm grounded a Hooded Warbler, Montana’s 4th, in Liv- ingston 7 Oct (ph., tEH). A Lark Sparrow was a local rarity near Moscow, ID 5 Sep (CS), and one near Harrison, MT 11 Oct (MB) was record late by a month. Numbers of rare Zonotrichia sparrows were fairly typical, with 12 White-throated, 2 Harris’s, and 6 Golden- crowned Sparrows reported. With only four accepted fall precedents for Rose-breasted Grosbeak in Idaho, reports from L.E 9 Sep OC) and Garden Valley 8 Oct (LY) were sur- prising. Indigo Buntings detected at Idaho’s Camas N.W.R. 8 Sep (DCl) and L.P. 12 Sep (ph. JC) represented an unusually good showing; this casual species has only been re- ported in four of the past 12 fall seasons. A Bobolink that passed through Townsend 18 Sep (RW) set a new Montana record late date by four days. Idaho’s only reported Common Crackle was in Grandview 29 Nov (DH). Contributors: (subregional editors in bold- face): Mike Becker, Robert Bond, Byron But- ler, Kathleen Cameron, Jay Carlisle, Dan Casey, Darren Clark (DCl), Rich Del Carlo, Steve Gniadek, Terry Gray, Lisa Hardy, Ed Harper, Bart Hoag, Denise Hughes, Cheryl Huizinga, Barbara Jacquith, Ron Martin, John Parker, Shirley Sturts, Gary Swant, Charles Swift, Lew Ulrey, Doug Ward, Cliff Weisse, Robin Wolcott, Poo Wright-Pulliam, Linda Yearsley, Fred Zeillemaker. © David Trochlell, 2409 East N Avenue La Grande, Oregon 97850, (dtrochlell@venzon.net) 119 \Ui New Mexico ' S«T«<. 7 '» ^ Hcwii. muj Morgan Farmington £/ Wo l Like Gallup Zuni ’r’/fe. Grants ' '^Ratoiv^^ Maxwell N.W^ te Clayton. SjnlfiFe / ^ jConchd.\L -j/Ss* H^Vegas r.Albuquerque N?Pkt^ Tucumcan. u:eL. {■i/ • f Santa Rosa L. Suniner L Melrose , • ^SonW Rosa L Moriarty Fort Sumn^ PorlaleS' i-” •* Bosque del W Boone Draw ■^Reserve *.■ J'Apaohe N.W.R. r f^Con^sequences '7(7'“ 2 •Ctoudcroft I'o .Silver^ p0^(ja San Andres . n ocK S.R A , * Carlsbad MamieyL n ■ >>11 .. ^^^brns IV.BiSarlsbad .Deming r^Las Cruces \ ^ Miji__^W^nateSgjs .Columbus =ledrocK S.P. ' ■Lordsburg Hobbs Sartor 0. Williams III The dry conditions of summer contin- ued into fall 2009, until early cold and scattered precipitation arrived in mid- October. The season was characterized by conspicuous incursions of woodpeckers, jays, chickadees, and other montane groups, while grassland sparrows were notably scarce. Sev- eral interesting rarities were documented, and Blue-footed Booby and Golden-cheeked War- bler were added to the New Mexico list. Thanks to Bill Howe and John Parmeter for proofreading this report. Abbreviations: B.L. N.W.R. (Bitter Lake N.W.R. ); Bosque (Bosque del Apache N.W.R.); E.B.L. (Elephant Butte L); G.B.A. (Gila Bird Area, Grant)- L.YN.W.R. (Las Vegas N.W.R.); Maxwell (Maxwell N.W.R.); N.R.T. (n. Roosevelt migrant trap w. of Melrose); R.G.N.C. (Rio Grande Nature Center, Albu- querque); P. O. Canyon (Post Office Canyon and surrounding Peloncillo Research Natural Area); R.G.Y (Rio Grande Valley); R.S. (Rat- tlesnake Springs and vicinity, Eddy). WATERFOWL THROUGH FALCONS Noteworthy for Santa Fe was a Greater White- fronted Goose at Santa Fe Canyon Preserve 15-22 Oct (ph. JPB, SF). A Tundra Swan reached E.B.L. 15 Nov (DC, ph. JO), and one was at Bosque in late Nov (CS); a swan below Conchas Dam 30 Nov (MW) may have been this species. A male Greater Scaup was w. to Bill Evans L. 27 Nov (RS). Two imm. Surf Scoters were at E.B.L. 15 Oct (MB, ph. GW); another was at L.YN.W.R. 14 Nov OEP)- A high 50 Hooded Mergansers were at L.YN.W.R. 8 Nov (PB). The Santa Barbara Ridge area, s. Taos was productive for White- tailed Ptarmigan, with one or more ads. and at least 2 chicks seen 8-17 Aug (ph. CW, JEP, 120 LM, W. Khuen). At the n. edge of their range, 8 Montezuma Quail were in the Datil Mts. 13 Sep (fide JH); scarce in the Organ Mts., one was at Aguirre Springs 1 Aug (CR). A Red-throated Loon was at E.B.L. 27 Nov (ph. JO); a Pacific Loon at Stubbleheld L. 6 Nov OEP, JO) provided the lone report. Brown Pelicans in the news were an ad. at Morgan L. since 21 May, last seen 17 Oct (ph. TR), an imm. at Santa Rosa L. since 6 Jun, last seen 6 Oct (MH), and an imm. at Conchas L. 12 Sep (ph. JO); an ad. and 2 imms. were at E.B.L. 17 Aug-20 Nov (ph. DC, m.ob., ph.). High count for American White Pelican was 575 at E.B.L. 26 Sep (CR). New Mexico’s first Blue-footed Booby was discovered at Con- chas Dam 15 Aug (R. Mumford, ph. S. Peter- son) and quickly attracted birders from around the country, who enjoyed its plunge- diving antics until at least 10 Sep (m.ob., ph.). A Neotropic Cormorant was n. to Acomita L., Cibola 16 Oct (DH) and 14-17 Nov (CR, JO), and up to 2 were at Clovis 27 Aug-1 Oct (vt. JO, JEP, ph. S. Collins). Continuing scarce, single American Bitterns were at Belen 13 Sep (CR), Bosque 27 Sep (DH), and B.L.N.W.R. 23 Sep QlS). where there were 3 on 21 Oct and on 18 Nov QIS)- Great Egrets were nu- merous in the R.G.Y, including 73 at E.B.L. 1 Sep (DC) and 91 at Caballo L. 18 Sep (ph. DC), and wanderers were w. to Grant and n. to Santa Fe and San Miguel, late for Cibola was one at Acomita L. 14 Nov (CR). A strong Tri- colored Heron season found singles at Clovis 23 Aug (CR), L. Avalon 6 Sep (SW), and Holloman L. 1 Aug (CR), one con- tinuing from Jul at Brant- ley L. 1 Aug OEP), and 2 continuing from Jul at B.L.N.W.R. 1-28 Aug QEP, m.ob., ph.), with 3 there 9 Sep QIS) and 4 on 11-12 Sep QEP, JO). An imm. Yellow- crowned Night-Heron was at B.L.N.W.R. 23 Sep (ph.JlS). Two peripheral Osprey nests were notably late — the Cochiti L. nest fledged 2 on 9 Aug (ph. MW), the Navajo Dam nest fledged 2 the next day (ph. TR). A Swallow-tailed Kite graced the skies over Santa Rosa’s Power Dam Park 19-20 Sep OEP, CMB, NH, ph. JO, CR), providing the 7th reliable state record. Single White-tailed Kites were at Bosque 11 Nov (ph. WH) and Columbus 15 Nov OO, JEP, CW). A Mississippi Kite pair was feeding 2 fledglings at Corrales 31 Aug (DK, J. Ruth), 5 were n. to Santa Rosa 22 Aug (DH), and sin- gles reached N.R.T. 21 Aug OEP) and 5 Sep OEP, JO). A Bald Eagle was early at Santa Rosa L. 30 Aug (DK). Common Black-Hawks were at three Santa Rosa sites in Sep (m.ob.), and a migrant juv. was at Roswell 24 Sep (ph. C. Powell); last reported were singles at Percha 9 Oct (DC) and near Cliff 17 Oct (fide RS). Sin- gle Harris’s Hawks were n. in the R.G.Y at Bosque 11 Nov (CS) and Radium Springs 14 Sep (MS, JZ); up to 3 were at Columbus 14- 15 Nov (ph. JO, JEP). A probable Red-shoul- dered Hawk was heard but poorly seen at Percha 6 (CLB) & 9 Oct (DC). Broad-winged Hawks were scarce, with singles at Sumner L. 26 Sep (ph. NH) and N.R.T. 2 & 9 Oct (CR, JEP) the only reports away from the Manzano Mts. migration site, where 6 were counted 4 Sep-11 Oct (HawkWatch International). Noteworthy was a Gray Hawk soaring over Silver City 30 Sep (B. McKnight); single ads. were in Clanton Canyon 27 Sep (CR) and the R.S. area 19 Sep (SW). Merlins were reported from over half of New Mexico’s counties 13 Sep-30 Nov; amazingly early, if accurate, were singles in the Ortiz Mts. 1 Aug QPB, LS) and the San Mateo Mts. 12 Aug (WW). RAILS THROUGH SWIFTS Noteworthy for Taos were a Yirginia Rail and a Sora at Taos 8 Aug (SW). An imm. Purple Gallinule near La Union 31 Aug (ph. D. Allen) furnished the state’s 11th acceptable record. A Common Moorhen strayed to Dem- ing 2 Nov (LM). Aerial surveys tallied 20,275 American Coots in the ne. 5 Oct (MW). Un- usual for the date was a Sandhill Crane near Cliff 17 Aug (fide RS), and an albino was in the Uvas Valley, Dona Ana 29 Oct (vt. JO); no- table concentrations were 30,000 at Grulla N.W.R. 1 Nov GO) and 23,500 at B.L.N.W.R. 4 Nov QIS)- The earliest Black-bellied Plovers were 2 at Ruby Ranch n. of Las Vegas 23 Aug (WW); impressive were 16 counted at L. Avalon 7 Oct (SW). An American Golden-Plover was at Holloman L. 2 Oct (MB, CW). Late Semi- palmated Plovers were one at Caballo L. 7 Nov (DC) and 2 at E.B.L. 8 Nov (DC). The “Patag- Rarely verified in New Mexico, this Red-throated Loon was at Elephant Butte Lake, Sierra County 27 November 2009. Photograph by Jerry R. Oldenettel. || i.i I!' :i NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS NEW MEXICO Highlighting an active Brown Pelican season in New Mexico were these three at Elephant Butte Lake, Sierra County 17 Au- gust through 20 November (here) 2009. Photograph byDatfidJ. Cleary. onia Picnic Table” effect was in play at Con- chas L., where booby watchers found a Piping Plover 16 Aug (CR, m.ob., ph.), providing only the 4th confirmed state record. Late for the n. were 45 American Avocets at L.VN.W.R. 20 Nov (JEP). Late Solitary Sandpipers were one at Zuni 27 Sep (jT) and 2 near Radium Springs 4 Oct (DG); high counts were 5 near Las Vegas 23 Aug (WW) and 6 at Alameda 7 Sep (CR). Upland Sandpipers made a strong showing in the e., with reports from seven counties 1 Aug-13 Sep, including up to 45 at Fort Sumner 9-11 Aug (ph. MB, JMB), 23 at Artesia 8 Aug (ph. JWS), and 60 at Otis 16 Aug (SW); noteworthy for Lincoln was one at Ramon 22 Aug OEP)- Two Whimbrels were at Holloman L. 20 Aug (SW). An impressive 500 Long-billed Curlews were near Tatum 6 Sep OWS); late for the n. was one at L.VN.W.R. 8 Nov (PB, MH). Marbled Godwits were scarce, with one at Tatum 10 Aug (JWS) and up to 8 at E.B.L. 3-24 Aug (DC) the only reports. An active Ruddy Turnstone season brought 2 to Conchas L. 18 Aug (M. Arthur) and singles to E.B.L. 3-4 Oct (ph. NP, ph. JO, m.ob.) and Bosque 12 Oct (DH). One to 2 Semipalmated Sandpipers were w. to Morgan L. 7-22 Aug (ph. TR) and 4 Sep (ph. TR). Late for the n. was a Western Sandpiper at Maxwell 20 Nov QEP); another was at Tyrone 29 Nov (EL). A remarkable 36 Pectoral Sandpipers were counted at Zuni 27 Sep (|T). Dunlins arrived in the R.G.V. in late Oct, with singles at Bosque 24-29 Oct (R. Crofton, W. Harmon, JO) and E.B.L. 28-29 Oct (ph. DC, JO) and 4 at Caballo L. 29 Oct (ph. DC). Rare in New ' Mexico, a juv. Buff-breasted Sandpiper pro- ‘ vided a Sierra first at E.B.L. 1-9 Oct (ph. DC, j ph. JO, ph. JZ, m.ob.). Carefully documented i were 2 Short-billed Dowitchers at Alameda 7- 13 Sep (CW, m.ob., ph. JO) and 5 at I B.L.N.W.R. 11 Sep (JEP). Two Red Phalaropes i visited Holloman L. 25 Oct (vt. JO). A juv. Black-legged Kittiwake at Bosque 14 Nov (ph. D. Brown) was the first in New Mex- ico since 2006. A juv. Sabine’s Gull was at Sumner L. 11-13 Sep OER JO. CW), and an ad. was there 19 Sep (NH, CMB); others were single juvs. at Conchas L. 18 Sep QEP), Alameda 20 Sep (m.ob., ph.), E.B.L. 3 Oct (MB), and 2 at Brantley L. 17 Oct (CLB). A second-cycle Laughing Gull was at Brantley L. 17 Oct (CLB). Unexpectedly late were one Franklin’s Gull at L.VN.W.R. 3 Nov (WW) and 3 at Conchas L. 7 Nov (MB). A first-cycle Mew Gull was at E.B.L. 22 Nov (ph. DC); a first-cycle Thayer’s was there 19 Oct (ph. H. Walker). Recently annual in New Mexico, a first-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull was at Sunland Park 9-11 Nov (ph. JNP). An appar- ent Gull-billed Tern was perched beside a Forster’s at Brantley L. 12 Aug (SW); there is but one previous New Mexico record. Two unidentified jaegers were seen speeding over E.B.L. 18 Aug (DC). An Inca Dove was n. to Conchas L. 18 Sep (JEP); a late pair at Las Cruces fledged one young 11 Oct (DG). Single Common Ground-Doves were at R.S. 1 Aug and 11 Sep (SW) and at Rodeo 27 Oct (CLB). Ruddy Ground-Dove, essentially annual in New Mexico over the past decade, made another strong showing, with a male on the Black R. 20 Sep (DG) and 16 Oct (CLB), a female at Percha 19 Oct (ph. JO), a male at Radium Springs 12 Oct (]Z), and one at Cotton City 27 Oct (CLB). A Flammulated Owl was at N.R.T. 2-12 Oct (ph. JO); the species is now a regular migrant to that isolated prairie site. An Elf Owl was vocal along Tierra Blanca Cr., w. Sierra 13 Aug (v.r. DC). Late were 2 Lesser Nighthawks at Las Cruces 3 Nov (DG). A Common Nighthawk swarm of at least 150 birds was over the Valley of Fires w. of Carri- zozo 13 Aug (DG); late for the n. were 5 at Taos 13 Oct ONb)- Three Chimney Swifts were w. to Las Vegas 23 Aug (WW). An im- pressive Vaux’s Swift season found one to 5 at R.G.N.C. 1-2 Oct QMB, m.ob., ph. JO, ph. CW, ph. JPB), one at E.B.L. 4 Oct (ph. JO), and one to 2 near Radium Springs 4 Oct (MS, ph. jZ, ph. DG, JO), plus 3 at San Simon Cienega 19 Sep and one there 26 Sep (RW); the state’s first specimen was obtained in the Peloncillo Mts. 21 Sep (AJ). HUMMfMBIRDS THROUGH FLYCATCHERS On the hummingbird front, Broad-billeds again wandered far from expected haunts, ■with a female e. to Waldrop Park 19-20 Sep (DH; a Chaves first), a female at Carlsbad 11 Oct (SW), 3 individuals near Radium Springs on various dates 10 Aug-14 Sep (MS, ph. JZ), and a female at Silver City 26 Sep (KB). Casual away from Guadalupe Canyon, a Violet- crowned Hummingbird at Las Cruces 3-11 Oct (R. Castetter, MS, ph. JZ, ph. DG, ph. JO) pro- vided a 3rd Dona Ana record. A Blue-throated Hummingbird was at the Lewis Ranch, s. Guadalupe Mts., Eddy 12 Oct (SW), where re- portedly present 5 Sep-18 Oct; among several Magnificent reports were singles in the Black Range above Meason Park 5 Aug (fide RS) and at Las Cruces 8 Oct (M. Weisenberger). Lucifer Hummingbirds in P. O. Canyon peaked at 31 New Mexico's seventh ever, this Swallew-taiied Kite sailed over the Pecos River at Santa Rosa, Guadalupe County 19-20 (here 20) September 2009. Photograph by Jerry R. Oldenettel. on 18 Aug (CL); last was one there 24 Oct (CL). An ad. male Ruby-throated Humming- bird was at R.S. 9 & 11 Sep (DG, SW). A Black-chinned Hummingbird at a feeder in Al- VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 121 NEW MEXICO Occasional at best in New Mexico, this young Purple Gallinule near La Union, Detia Ana County 31 August 2009 furnished the state's first since 2004 and the first ever for fall. Photagraph by Dan Allen. buquerque’s North Valley was weathering a snowstorm 29 Oct and was last seen 31 Oct (BG). Post-breeding Anna’s Hummingbirds were in the Peloncillo Mts. by 1 Aug, peaked at 30 in P. O. Canyon 9 Oct, and were gone by 5 Nov (CL); singles were e. to Las Cruces by 13 Sep (W. Seager), E.B.L. 18 Sep (DC), Florida Mts. 25 Oct (LM), and Carlsbad 29 Nov (SW). Late was an ad. male Rufous Hummingbird at Albuquerque 26 Nov (C. Witt). Lewis’s Woodpeckers on the move includ- ed one at the R.G.N.C. 5 Oct (ph. M. Bruce), flyover singles in the Ortiz Mts. 19 Sep (LS), Capilla Peak, Manzano Mts. 12 Oct (SMF), and Emory Pass 8 Oct (JL), plus singles s. to Virden 28 Nov (JEP) and Cotton City 27 Oct (CLB). Noteworthy for the lower R.G.V, a Red-headed Woodpecker was near Rincon 2 Oct 0- Douglas). Dispersing Acorn Wood- peckers included singles near Jemez Springs 8 Sep (C. Hayes), Fourth of July Canyon, Man- zano Mts. 19 Sep (B. Millsap), Tyrone 11 Oct (EL), Florida Mts. 8 Sep (LM), Radium Springs 20 Oct (ph. jZ), and Tatum 9 Oct QEP). Single Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were w. to Zuni’s Tekapo 27 Sep (]T), in the R.G.V at Luis Lopez 14 Oct (JO), and in the e. at Conchas L. 7 Nov (ph. MB) and at Portales in early Nov (Z. Jones); one to 2 were at R.S. 10 (SW) & 23-25 Oct QO, JEP). Far e. was a Red-naped Sapsucker at Eunice 1 Oct (ph. PM). A Red-naped Sapsucker x Red-breasted Sapsucker hybrid was at Silver City 21 Oct (ph. A. Trombly); pure Red-breasted remains elusive in New Mexico. A Ladder-backed Woodpecker was nw. to Zuni 27 Sep 0T)> where rare; a Downy was s. to Percha 26 Nov (SMF); single Hairy Woodpeckers were in the R.G.V at Corrales 7 Sep (DK), R.G.N.C. 1 Oct (JEP), and Percha 17 Oct QEP), and 2 reached Deming 22 Nov (LM). A pair of American Three-toed Woodpeckers and fledglings were along the Sandia Crest trail on various dates 2 Aug-14 Sep (ph. NH, DL, S. Williams). A Greater Pewee was n. to Heart Bar W.M.A., s. Catron 9 Aug (NH). A vocal Eastern Wood- Pewee was at N.R.T. 23 Aug (CR). An impres- sive migrant wave in the Burro Mts. 1-2 Sep contained large num- bers of Empidonax fly- catchers of several species but primarily Duskies, which were estimated to number perhaps 200 individuals (DC). An Empidonax banded below the Pajarito Ski Area, Los Alam- os 12 Sep had measurements consistent with Pacific-slope Flycatcher (SMF); a bird at N.R.T. 9 Aug was believed to be a Pacific-slope based on call notes (CR). Two Black Phoebes were along the Mora R. near Watrous 12 Sep (CR); others of note were singles w. to Acomi- ta L. 5 Sep (CR), e. to N.R.T. 7 Sep OWS) and to Eunice 27 Sep (ph. PM), and up into mixed conifer habitat in Bear Trap Canyon 30 Aug (AJ). An ad. Eastern Phoebe and 2 fledg- lings were at Santa Rosa 13 Sep (CW); early migrants were singles at Wagon Mound 2 Aug (DH), Santo Domingo 21 Aug (LS), Cer- rillos 30 Aug (LS), and w. to the G.B.A. 21 Aug (RS). Late Myiarchus flycatchers were 2 Dusky-cappeds in Clanton Canyon 27 Sep (CR) and an Ash-throated at N.R.T. 29 Sep (ph. CLB). Single Great Crested Flycatchers were on Sierra Grande 25 Aug (CLB), along the Las Vegas riverwalk 23 Aug (WW), at N.R.T. 27 Aug OO) and 5 Sep (|0, JEP, MB), and at Carlsbad 20 Sep (SW). A Cassin’s Kingbird was late at Tyrone 7 Nov (KB). SHRIKES THROUGH WMWiNGS A Northern Shrike reached Maxwell 1 Nov 0- Hirth). A White-eyed Vireo was at N.R.T. 7 Oct (ph. JO). Single Bell’s Vireos described as the nominate subspecies bellii were at Las Ve- gas 23 Aug (WW) and Ramon 13 Sep (DH), and a duller “western” one was at Sumner Dam 7 Sep OEP); elsewhere, singles at Tyrone 6 Sep (EL) and Spring Canyon S.P. 9 Oct (LM) provided local firsts. Occasional in fall, a Yellow-throated Vireo was at N.R.T. 25 Sep (JEP, ph. JO). Rare but regular in fall on the ' se. plains, a Blue-headed Vireo was at Tatum ' 9 Oct (JEP) . A Red-eyed Vireo was early at Ra- f dium Springs 21 Aug (MS, ph. JZ), and an- j other was there 15-16 Sep (MS, ph. JZ); in the | e., singles were at Ruby Ranch 29 Sep (WW), ! N.R.T. 25 Sep (ph. JO, JEP), and Boone’s Draw 26 Sep (CW). Steller’s Jays staged a modest lowland incursion, including several ! in the R.G.V from Albuquerque to Percha 21 Sep-26 Nov, 5 at L.VN.W.R. 6 Nov QEP), one , near Yeso 14 Oct (JO), and, in the sw., singles at G.B.A. 27 Nov (RS) and P. 0. Canyon 6 Oct (CL). A Blue Jay was w. to Galisteo 18 Oct !, (WH); another reached Socorro 10-21 Nov ; OWS, JEP). Western Scrub-Jays wandered widely, including to the R.G.V from Corrales s. to Las Cruces Sep-Nov; one was at San Si- mon Cienega 6 Nov (AC), while in the e., one to 3 were at N.R.T. 10-28 Sep (m.ob.), and singles were near San Jon 16 Sep (CR), Vaughn 27 Sep QO), and B.L.N.W.R. 23 Sep QIS). Pinyon Jays passing through the Albu- querque bosque included 23 at Alameda 30 Aug (B. Vaughn) and 7 at R.G.N.C. 12 Oct (DH); easterly were 5 at Ragland 6 Sep QO). Unusual for the date was an American Crow at Las Cruces 7 Aug Q- Douglas). A Northern Rough-winged Swallow was late at Alameda 22 Nov (PB, WH); 2 lingered at Bosque 11 Nov (DH). Mountain Chickadees staged a conspicu- ous lowland invasion statewide, beginning in late Sep and continuing through Nov. A Bri- dled Titmouse e. to E.B.L. Dam 17 Oct (CMB, ph. NH) and 10 Nov (DC) provided a new R.G.V locality. Juniper Titmice wandered to Maxwell 12 Sep (CR), Socorro Oct-Nov QO, With only about a dozen records in the state, Buff-breasted Sandpiper is a rare treat in Mew Mexico; this juvenile visited Elephant Butte Lake, Sierra County 1-9 (here 4) October 2009. Photograph by James £ labriskie. 122 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS NEW MEXICO Rare in New Mexico, this first-cycle Black-legged Kittiwake made a brief appearance at Bosque del Apache National Wildife Refuge, Socorro County 14 November 2009. Photo- graph by Douglas A. Brown. DH), Percha 7 Nov (DH), and Carlsbad 28 Nov (SW). Cactus Wrens expanded to Albu- querque’s West Mesa, with 2 near the Double Eagle Airport 21 Nov (JJ), A vocal Carolina Wren was at Santa Rosa 20-26 Sep (CR, ph. CW, JEP); another provided a local first at Carlsbad 20 Oct (SW). An active Winter Wren season found an early eastern type at N.R.T. 5 Sep (MM, SF), one at R.G.N.C. 9 Oct (CMB, NH), 2 pacificus group birds in Haus- ner Canyon, Zuni Mts. 29 Sep QT), and an- other likely pacificus in the P. O. Canyon area 22 Oct (CL). Golden-crowned Kinglets also spread widely over the state, including e. to Curry and Roosevelt by late Sep and s. throughout the R.G.V mid-Oct and later. Late Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were one at N.R.T. 15-24 Oct 0O> CR)> one to 2 at Corrales 20- 29 Nov (DK), and one at E.B.L 27 Nov (SMF). Surveys for Black-tailed Gnatcatchers in the E.B.L. area found seven occupied terri- tories 1 Aug (DC). Maintaining a Guadalupe Canyon presence were 2 Black-capped Gnat- catchers 31 Oct (DC). Seldom detected in migration, a Veery was heard and seen at R.S. 17 Oct (CLB). A Ru- fous-backed Robin at Percha 10 Oct (ph. CW) provided the 2nd Sierra record in two years. Often overlooked as a breeder in the se., American Robins were feeding fledglings at Hobbs 22 Aug (SW). A male Varied Thrush at Silver City 19-20 Nov (MZ, ph. DZ) provided the 3rd for Grant but the first to be confirmed. Gray Catbirds where seldom seen were singles at Texico 17 Oct (CR), Eunice 24 Sep (PM), Madrid 19 Oct (LS), Cedar Crest 4 Nov (DL), Zuni’s Tekapo 27 Sep (JT), near Deming 5 Nov (DW), and P O. Canyon 26 Oct (CL). Note- worthy for Los Alamos, 2 Curve-billed Thrash- ers were at White Rock 29 Aug (CR); in the w, 2 were at San Rafael, and 5 were at Bluewater Gorge 25 Sep OT). Far n. was a Crissal Thrasher at Taos 29 Nov (K. Leopold). An ad. Cedar Waxwing tending 2 fledglings at Cochi- ti Village 8 Aug (ph. MW) provided a 2nd breeding record for that locale. WARBLERS THROUGH FINCHES Two or more Olive Warblers were near Grassy Lookout, San Mateo Mts. 12 Aug (WW). Ca- sual in fall, a male Blue-winged Warbler was at N.R.T. 24 Oct (CR); single Tennessees were at N.R.T. 11 Sep 0EP,JO) and 2 Oct (ph. JO), Percha Dam 6 Sep (CR), and Radium Springs 13-15 Sep (MS, ph. JZ). A Northern Parula was at Albuquerque 30 Sep-2 Oct (ph. NP). A Chestnut-sided Warbler was at N.R.T. 6 Oct (MH); a Black-throated Blue Warbler was there 6 Sep (MM, SF), as was a Magnolia Warbler 20 Oct (ph. MH). Providing a New Mexico first was a Golden-cheeked Warbler at Eunice 23 Aug (ph. PM). A Black-throated Green Warbler at Hol- loman L. 2 Oct (MB, CW) provided an Otero first; single males were detected near Malaga 10 Oct (SW) and at R.S. 17 Oct (CLB). Hermit Warbler made a strong show- ing, including one e. to the Doc Long area, Sandia Mts. 30 Aug (DH) and moderate numbers in the Mag- dalena, San Mateo, Pinos Altos, and Pel- oncillo ranges 8 Aug-18 Oct; among the mi- grants swarming the Burro Mts. 1-2 Sep, DG counted 32 Hermits and estimated at least 50. A Hermit Warbler x Townsend’s Warbler hy- brid was in Bluewater Canyon 24 Sep QT). A male Blackburnian Warbler at Pate Wind- mill, Otero Mesa 27 Sep (SW) furnished an Otero first. Confirmed in New Mexico only in 1995, this season produced 3 Prairie War- blers, an ad. male at N.R.T. 9-11 Aug QO, JEP, CR, MB, ph. NP, JMB) and an imm. there 19 Sep OEP, CMB, JPB, ph. NH, ph. S. Collins), plus one at Bosque 28 Nov (ph. JO, ph. SMF). Black-and-white Warblers were at 10 locales 28 Aug-3 Oct, including singles w. to Cherry Creek Campground 4 Sep (LM), the Animas Valley 5 Sep (DH), and Rodeo 21 Sep (RW). A Prothonotary Warbler at Bonito L. 10 Sep (A, Powell, ph. C. Naegle) provided a Lincoln first; another was at Bosque 13 (CMB, NH) & 27 Sep (DH). A Worm-eating Warbler was at R.S. 5 Sep (SW). Casual in fall, single Ken- Providing the first confirmed Grant County record, this Var- ied Thrush was at Silver City, New Mexico 19-20 (here 20) November 2009. Photograph by Dale A. Zimmerman. tucky Warblers were at Santo Domingo 21 Aug (LS) and Las Cruces 6 Sep (M. Brooks). Intriguing was a Hooded Warbler at the Santa Fe Canyon Preserve 5-16 Sep (A. Fenner, JPB, CR, J. Berry) in the same location where one was found in Jun, and another in Chloride Canyon 27 Aug (ph. DC), at the exact spot where one was present in Jun; elsewhere, one was at Albuquerque 18 Sep-8 Oct (ph. NP, JEP, CW, MB). Far from normal range, a Red- faced Warbler was at N.R.T. 20 Aug (ph. JO), and a Painted Redstart was at Ruby Ranch, San Miguel 18 Sep (WW). A male Scarlet Tanager was unusually ear- ly at Dixon 5 Aug (SW); single females were at Madrid 6 Sep (LS) and Boone’s Draw 26 Sep (ph. NP, MB). Scant summer rainfall resulted in poor grass seed production across the s., and numbers of sparrows and other seed eaters were notably reduced; the few that were seen quickly continued on farther south. Two Field Sparrows were near Grulla N.W.R. 7 Nov (MB), and one was at N.R.T. 22 Nov (DH). Among the few Grasshopper Sparrow reports were one at R.G.N.C. 9-10 Oct (m.ob., ph. CW, ph. JJ) and 7 near E.B.L. 21 Oct (ph. DC). A Baird’s Sparrow was at Rodeo 5 Sep (RW); another was at R.S. 30 Sep (SW). Slate- colored Fox Sparrows numbered 6 in the Zuni area 26 Sep QT), 2 at G.B.A. 3 Nov (RS), and one per visit in P O. Canyon 30 Oct, 5-9 Nov, and 13 Nov (CL); single red ones were at N.R.T. 20-25 Oct (MH et al, ph. NH, ph. JPB), Luis Lopez 23 Nov QO), and near R.S. 31 Oct (SW). An early Song Sparrow reached E.B.L. Dam 31 Aug (DC); single White- throateds wandered w. to Morgan L. 11 Nov (MB) and P. O. Canyon 29-31 Oct (CL). A Harris’s Sparrow was w. to Farmington 29 Nov (TR); 2 Harris’s plus a Golden-crowned entertained many at Bosque 20-30 Nov (m.ob., pb. JO, ph. BF). Surprising was a juv. Yellow-eyed Junco far n. to the Catwalk near VOLUME 64 (2009) NUMBER 1 123 NEW MEXICO of science Fii^d out mc5fe.T7 Visit nature.org or call 1-888-2 JOmi^NC. Wts % i(f6 gmi^m supfiofiof ifiis publiiaOori ' >vk* Far from knswn range, 3rd -n j typical sycamore riparian habitat, this juvenile Yellow-eyed Jutjco was unexpected at the Catwalk Picnic Area near Glenwood, Catron County, New Mexico 7 September 2009. Photograph by Frank Gallo. Glenwood 7 Sep (W. Scott, J. Hand, ph. E Gal- lo), where the habitat (sycamore riparian) is atypical, and the location is 100 km from known range; farther s., 2 Yellow-eyeds strayed to Clanton Canyon 22-27 Sep (Aj, CR). Two Lapland Longspurs at Maxwell 20 Nov QEP) provided the only report. A male Northern Cardinal persisted at Hillsboro 4-14 Aug (ph. DC), and 5 were on the Pitchfork Ranch n. of Separ 22 Aug (CR). A good Rose-breasted Grosbeak season found a female at N.R.T. 20-27 Aug (]0, MB), a male there 11-13 Sep (m.ob., ph.), and a female there 26 Sep OEP); elsewhere, singles were at Shoemaker, Mora 12 Sep (CR), E.B.L. Dam 20 Oct (ph. DC), Silver City 1 Aug (MZ, ph. DZ), and a late male at Bosque 22-25 Nov (ph. JO, ph. JNS, ph. CS). High-elevation Lazuli Buntings were 2 at 2955 m near Grassy Lookout, San Mateo Mts. 12 Aug (¥AV) and one in pines at 2390 m in the Burro Mts. 1-2 Sep (DC). Migrant Painted Buntings moving southwestward included 5 at La Joya 11 Aug (K. Madden) and singles at Deming 8 Aug (LM), Pitchfork Ranch, Grant 22 Aug (CR), E O. Canyon area 27 Aug (CL), and Rodeo 22 Aug, 5 Sep, and 24 Sep (RW). One to 3 Dick- cissels were at multiple sites in 12 counties from the R.G.V. eastward 9 Aug-15 Oct, in- cluding isolated Ramon, Lincoln; in the w. were one at Pitchfork Ranch 22 Aug (CR) and 4 at Rodeo 13 Sep (RW). Some 16 Bobolinks on a fence near Des Moines 24 Aug (CLB) was the largest flock seen in New Mexico in several decades. A Common Crackle was w. to the Datil Mts. 15 Sep QH); unexpected was one at Columbus 15 Nov OER CW). Single Orchard Orioles were w. to Maxwell 11 Aug (D. Nelson) and Sumner Dam 22 Aug (DH). An ad. male Bal- timore Oriole was well documented at N.R.T. 12 Sep (L. Leckman, m.ob., ph. CW); reports I' of single young males at E.B.L. 25 Sep-1 Oct (ph. DC) and Radium Springs 7-8 Sep (MS, JZ) are under evaluation. Latest Scott’s Ori- oles were 2 at Columbus 26 Oct (CLB). About j 30 rosy-finches returned to Sandia Crest 6 ■ Nov and, by 29 Nov, the local flock was esti- ' mated at 150 mostly Blacks, with fewer Brown-cappeds and even fewer Gray- ; crowneds (N. Cox et al). Five Pine Gros- | beaks were s. to the Sandia Mts. 22 Nov ' (MH). A Cassin’s Finch was s. to P. 0. Canyon 4 Nov (CL). Lesser Goldfinches are among the latest of nesting species; this season found an active nest at Albuquerque 2 Oct (H. Schwarz) and ads. feeding fledglings at Madrid 13 Oct (LS) and Radium Springs 1 Nov (MS, JZ). Lawrence’s Goldfinch invaded the sw.; earliest were singles at Radium Springs 6 Oct (MS, ph. JZ) and the Ladder Ranch, Sierra 13 Oct (WW), but others soon appeared elsewhere: 7 at Tyrone 18 Oct (EL), up to 16 near Deming 23 Oct-19 Nov (ph. DW, LM), and at least 10 at Columbus 26 Oct-15 Nov (m.ob., ph. JO). A male Orange Bishop of unknown provenance was lurking in Giant Reed (Arundo) at Las Cruces 3-7 Nov (ph. DC); given establishment of feral popu- lations elsewhere, in s. California and Ari- zona, the situation bears watching. Initialed observers: Jonathan P. Batkin, Matt Baumann, Karen Beckenbach, Phred Benham, Charles L. Black, James M. Black, Celestyn M. Brozek, David Cleary, Alan Craig, Stephen M. Fettig, Bernard Foy Stacey Fradkin, David Griffin, Bill Groll, Joan Hardie, David Hawksworth, Nancy Hetrick, Michael Hilchey, William Howe, Andrew Johnson, James Joseph, David Krueper, Julian Lee, Eu- gene Lewis, David Ligon, Carroll Littlefield, Martin MacRoberts, Larry Malone, Pat Mc- Casland, Jerry Oldenettel, John E. Parmeter, James N. Paton, Nicholas Pederson, Tim Reeves, Christopher Rustay, Lawry Sager, Jef- frey I. Sanchez, Catherine Sandell, Marcy Scott, John W. Shipman, Roland Shook, James N. Stuart, John Trochet, Mark Watson, Richard Webster, Steve West, William West, Diane Williams, Cole Wolf, James Zabriskie, Dale Zimmerman, Marian Zimmerman. O Sartar 0. Williams 111, Division of Birds Museum of Southwestern Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131 (sunbittem@earthlink.net) 124 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS IVIark M. Stevenson (Non-passerines) Gary H. Rosenberg (Passerines) Long-term drought was exacerbated statewide by markedly below-average monsoon and fall rains and above-aver- age temperatures, with the result that birds were concentrated at artificial water sources. The season saw movements of multiple usu- ally sedentary species as well as irruptions of montane species from several families. Wide- spread reports of late-lingering individuals of many species, more than can be included here, reflected the warm fall. Perhaps because of the concentrating effects, a remarkable col- lection of rarities was found. Abbreviations: A.B.C. (Arizona Bird Commit- tee), B.T.A. (Boyce Thompson Arboretum), B.W.D. (Bill Williams Delta, L. Havasu), G.W.R. (Gilbert Water Ranch), L.C.R.V (lower Col- orado R. valley), N.I.R. (Navajo Indian Reser- vation), Sweetwater (Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson), U.L.M. (Upper L. Mary, FlagstafO, Whitewater (Whitewater Draw W.A.) WATERFOWL THROUGH SKIMMER Greater White-fronted Geese migrated through in good numbers, with more than 300 reported statewide beginning 20 Aug. There were a few reports of Cackling Geese: 4 were at Whitewater 7 Nov+ (A. Miller et al), and 2 were at Cibola N.W.R. 30 Nov (tPEL; BC). There was a scattering of migrant scot- ers, with the Flagstaff area again hosting mul- tiple species. A Surf Scoter was on n. L. Hava- su 30 Oct (PN), and 2 were on U.L.M. 24 Nov (SP). Different White-winged Scoters were on U.L.M. 15 & 22-23 Nov (EH); another was at Sunrise L. 9 Nov (ph. DS). Even rarer, 3 Black Scoters were on U.L.M. 22-24 Nov (ph. EH). A Long-tailed Duck was below Glen Canyon Dam 29 Nov (G. Nealon). In the L.C.R.V, goldeneyes have largely moved their winter operations from below Parker Dam to the Bill Williams Arm of L. Havasu, follo’wing infesta- tion of the lake with exotic mussels. Up to 8 Barrow’s Goldeneyes were there 16 Nov+ (K. Blair et al). A juv. Hooded Merganser at Wil- low Tank near Portal 6 Aug (ph. RH) and a fe- male-type on n. L. Havasu 23 Aug QH) were two months earlier than expected for fall mi- grants. Rare migrants away from the Colorado R., 33 Red-breasted Mergansers were reported from other parts of the state 1 Nov+. Loons typically arrive in the L.C.R.V after Sep, so a Pacific Loon and 3 Common Loons on L. Havasu 16 Aug (PEL, BC) had likely summered; a Pacific and 3 Commons present 16 Sep (DS) were likely the same birds. A more timely Pacific Loon was on U.L.M. 22 Oct 0- Wilder, ph. EH), and 2 were on L. Havasu 30 Nov (PEL, BC). Though fewer than last year, 35 Common Loons on L. Hava- su 24 Oct (PEL, BC) was still a good passage number. Away from the L.C.R.V, 12 Common Loons were reported 26 Oct-28 Nov. The first report of Horned Grebes came a bit early, with 3 on L. Havasu 25 Oct (PEL, BC). Migrating Western Grebes were seen in increased num- bers statewide, but Clark’s Grebes were not. A Blue-footed Booby at Martinez L. 19 Sep 0- Coker, J. Keller, ph. HD) was the first found in Arizona since 1996. A few Brown Pelicans were seen in Aug, but the real show started later than usual this fall, on 5 Oct, when 20 were briefly present at B.W.D. (K. Blair) and 6 were seen over Tucson (DS). Sub- sequently, 14 were re- ported from seven sites in s. Arizona 6 Oct-30 Nov, as far e. as White- water. Neotropic Cor- morants were seen again in the L.C.R.V, with up to 2 present at B.W.D. 15-17 Sep (DS) and one there 24-30 Oct (vt. PEL, BC). Others away from typical areas included one at San Carlos L, Graham 15 Sep OBo et al), 2 at Willow L. 20-29 Sep (MN, M. Reigner) and nearby Wat- son L. 29 Sep-5 Oct (MN, ph. FP), and one at Willow L. 14-25 Oct (S. Drown). Many hun- dreds of cormorants continue to be resident in greater Phoenix. A Snowy Egret lingered into Dec at Willow L. (ph. FP). A Tricolored Heron at Patagonia L. 14 Aug (ph. MB), another there 7 Sep (M. White), and a Reddish Egret at Glendale 4 Aug (tj. Dunn) were the only wandering ardeids reported. In the midst of housing tracts, a Wood Stork was a real surprise at G.W.R. 18 Aug-12 Sep (vt. TD, ph. BGr); there are few recent records of this species in Arizona. A White-tailed Kite at Mittry L. 16 Aug-27 Nov (HD et al.) was the only one re- ported away from typical areas. A Mississippi Kite wandered w. to Rio Rico 9-17 Aug (CC). A Red-shouldered Hawk s. of Parker 25 Aug QH) was likely continuing there; others were found at Yuma West Wetlands 7 Oct (ph. D. Sussman), at Tres Rios, Phoenix 22 Oct (ph. J. Ritz), at Willow L. 26 Oct (ph. FG), and at nearby Watson Woods 9 Nov+ (MN). Red- shouldered remains casual in most parts of the state. The only Broad-winged Hawk doc- umented away from the Grand Canyon was at Peppersauce Canyon 26 Sep (ph. B. Bowers, tDJ). While 2 Short-tailed Hawks continued in the Chiricahua Mts. through 30 Aug (m.ob.), one at Mt. Bigelow, Santa Catalina Mts. 3 Sep (ph. J. Edison et al.) made the first record for that range. For the 3rd consecutive year, one appeared set to winter in residential ne. Tucson 2 Nov (DS, ph. J. Florko). During the period 12-22 Oct, single Crested Caracaras were seen at four locations in the Santa Cruz R. valley (m.ob.), indicative of fall movement. North of there, in the Santa Cruz Flats, numbers of caracaras rose to 11 by 17 Nov (DPe et al). At G.WR., an ad. Purple Gallinule present 2-8 Sep (ph. B. Amato, G. Nunn, T. Thomas) furnished a first record for Maricopa. A swarm of American Coots appeared again on matted vegetation at B.W.D. 25 Oct (PEL, BC) through at least 12 Nov, with a high count of 19,000+ on the latter date (K. Blair). There was a good showing by migrant Black-bellied This Blackpoll Warbler was at Sweetwater Wetlands in Tucson, Arizona on the very late dates of 14-17 (here 16) November 2009. Photograph by David Stejskal. VOlUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 125 ARIZONA A Canada Warbier found along the Santa Cruz River at Tubac, Arizona 15 Octo- ber 2009 provided only an eighth state record. Photograph by Andrew Core. Plovers, with 9 reported 2 Aug-7 Nov. While a Mountain Plover appeared in the Santa Cruz Flats on the early date of 17 Sep QM) and up to 18 were present there in late Nov (DPe), they were sporadically relocated. A Solitary Sandpiper at Tuba City 15 Oct (BG, CL) was quite late for the N.I.R. Lesser Yellowlegs were late at Dome Valley 15 Oct-3 Nov (PEL), at Rio Rico 7 Nov (CC), and at White- water 8 Nov (MB). The only Whimbrels re- ported away from the L.C.R.V. were 2 at Glen- dale 2 Aug (ph. MH; TC) and one at San Car- los L. 15 Sep QBo et al). A Ruddy Turnstone was a good find at Willcox 4-7 Sep (ph. DS, REW). Less than annual in the state, single Red Knots were at Glendale 7-8 Aug (ph. CB) and Willcox 11 Sep (ph. DS). Statewide, 14 Sanderlings and 22 Semipalmated Sandpipers were reported. Providing a 3rd Grand Canyon N.P. record, a Baird’s Sandpiper was at Desert View 22 Aug (ph. BG); 2 found there 6-7 Nov (ph. BG) were very late for anywhere in the state. A whopping 40 Dunlins and about 12 Short-billed Dowitchers were reported. Casu- al anywhere in the state, a Red Phalarope was at Pasture Canyon 9 Oct (CR, ph. BG). An er- ratic wanderer from Mexico, single Heer- mann’s Gulls were at Wilcox 28 Oct (MP, ph. MMS) and Tucson 28 Nov 0- Higgins). There was a modest passage of Sabine’s Gulls, with 10 reported 8 Sep-7 Oct. A trio of juv. Black Skimmers at B.W.D. 24-28 Oct (vt. PEL, BC) made only the 9th record for Arizona. PIGEONS THROUGH WOODPECKERS A few Band-tailed Pigeons joined other irrupt- ing species in the s. Arizona lowlands. An Inca Dove was well n. at Lee’s Ferry 5-6 Oct (ph. SP). There was a strong movement of Ruddy Ground-Doves into the state be- ginning in early Oct, from Yuma e. to Whitewater and n. to .Mesa, with a total of 40 reported. Rare in the lowlands, single Flammu- lated Owls were found in Scotts- dale 16 Sep OB) and Mesa 17 Oct (ph. L. Fetter). Likewise, a juv. Spotted Owl was in nw. Tucson 21-22 Nov (ph. A. Mendoza). The last report of Buff-collared Night- jar at Oro Blanco Mine came on 27 Aug (m.ob.). An early Chaetu- ra swift at Tucson 21 Aug QBo) was a harbinger of widespread re- ports of more Vaux’s Swifts than we typically receive in fall. Very rare away from mid-elevation and higher canyons, a White-eared Hummingbird was at Tumacacori 22 Oct (GB, ph. JM). Among six Berylline Hummingbird reports, highlights were an unbanded individual in lower Florida Canyon, Pima 6 Aug (ph. LH) and one that lingered late in Madera Canyon until 15 Oct (LH). Out-of-place Violet- crowned Hummingbirds were found at Tu- macacori 9 Aug (LH) and 22 Oct (GB), plus in a Tucson yard 25 Nov+ (RH). The Violet- crowned Hummingbird x Broad-billed Hum- mingbird hybrid was last reported at B.T.A. 11 Oct (fide P. Wolterbeck) after a three-year stay. The hummingbird highlight of the season was a Plain-capped Starthroat that moved between Patagonia feeding stations 10 Aug-2 Sep (D. Schaffer, F Kee, J. Bartholomeaux, ph. C. West, B. Holliday et ah). Away from Portal and the Huachuca Mts., the only reports of Lucifer Hummingbird came from Leslie Canyon N.W.R. 2 Aug (REW) and from a new loca- tion, the w. slope of the Dragoon Mts., where up to 2 were present 9 Aug-1 Sep (ph. A. Rip- ley). Very high numbers of hummingbirds seen at feeders in towns and canyons during migration suggested a lack of natural nectar sources due to the poor monsoon rains. Cal- liope, Broad-tailed, and Rufous Humming- birds were prominent among them. Converse- ly, just 4 Allen’s Hummingbirds were reported. The occasional Green Kingfisher still wan- ders northward to se. Arizona. The only re- ports this season were from San Bernardino N.W.R. 9 Aug (ph. REW) and Kingfisher Pond on the San Pedro R. through 29 Oct (m.ob.). There was a notable movement of woodpeck- ers into the lowlands. Lewis’s Woodpeckers were widely reported in s. Arizona, mostly in small numbers but with higher numbers in the Prescott region and on Mt. Ord. There was a clear movement of Acorn Woodpeckers into the lowlands, where they are occasional, with 14 reported 27 Aug+. Williamson’s Sapsuckers were over-represented too, with 5 in the low- lands. A more typical count for the season, a single Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was reported, in Madera Canyon 15 Oct and 5 Nov (LH). Reports of hybrid sapsuckers were low, but 3 Red-breasted Sapsuckers were documented, above average: in ne. Tucson 15-22 Oct (L. Harrison, ph. E Collins), in cen. Tucson 18 Oct-i- (MP, ph. MMS), and at Cameron 31 Oct-1 Nov (tCL). There was an indication of movement by Downy Woodpeckers in n. Ari- zona, with scattered reports of out-of-habitat birds on the N.I.R. and even a report s. to Mt. Ord, Gila 15-24 Nov (K. Radamaker, J. Wat- son). Seldom seen in the lowlands, an Arizona Woodpecker was in ne. Tucson 21 Nov+ (ph. R. Payne). FLYCATCHERS 1 THROUGH THRASHERS A Western Wood-Pewee found in Tucson 21 Oct remained there until 8 Nov (D. Smyth; ph. MMS); this species is casual at best in the state beyond mid-Oct. Willow Flycatchers seemed more numerous than usual this fall, I with several reported rather late in Oct around s. Arizona: one was at Arivaca L. 13 Oct (MM), one was at Tubac 16 Oct (DS), and another was at Sweetwater 18 Oct (MMS). Casual in fall in the L.C.R.V, single Dusky Flycatchers were at Parker 17 Sep (DS) and at Quigley W.A., e. of Yuma, 23 Oct (PEL). The Buff-breasted Flycatcher found in Willow i Canyon, Santa Catalina Mts. in May was last seen 12 Aug (B. Bickel). Equally interesting, another Buff-breasted was found nearby in Molino Basin 17-19 Oct (ph. JY), which was not only n. of known breeding areas in the state but also very late. Always a notable bird in n. Arizona, an imm. Vermilion Flycatcher was at Lee’s Ferry 5-6 Oct (ph. SP). Also very ; late was a Western Kingbird at G.W.R. 16 Nov (ph. BGr), with 2 there 29 Nov (ph. J. Biss- chop); this species is practically accidental in i the state during winter. Single Scissor-tailed I Flycatchers were at Sweetwater 1 Oct OBo) i and w. of Paloma 6 Oct (vt. PEL); this species is casual in the state during fall. A Rose- throated Becard discovered along the Santa Cruz R. at Tumacacori 22 Oct+ (GB; ph. P. Suchanek, KK; tMM) was originally reported ' as a female, but photographs clearly indicate 1 an imm. male; this species has declined in the i state to the point of being casual, with most ! records falling during the breeding season. A Northern Shrike, casual to rare in the I state during the late fall and winter, was lo- i cated at Mormon L. for the 3rd consecutive i year 15 Nov+ (EH). The White-eyed Vireo j found at the Cameron seep during the sum- 126 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS ARIZONA mer was still present 1 Sep (BG et al.). A Yel- low-throated Vireo, also casual in the state, was in e. Tucson 23 Aug (vt. B. Nicholas). Two Blue-headed Vireos, a species still con- sidered accidental in the state, were reported this fall, with one at Paradise Forks outside Flagstaff 17 Sep (ph. B. Gebhart), the other in Tucson 18 Oct (ph. R. Payne); given the diffi- culty in separation of Blue-headed from bright Cassin’s Vireos, both reports will be evaluated by the A.B.C. and should be con- sidered tentative at this time. A Hutton’s Vireo at Betty’s Kitchen near Yuma 22 Nov (JY et al.) was away from normal areas of occurrence in the state. Red-eyed Vireos were found at San Simon Cienega 23 Sep (tREW) and at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson 12 Oct (tB. Bickel; tB. Burns); this species is still considered casual in the state. A Yellow-green Vireo reported at Tubac 12 Aug (tMM) has been accepted by the A.B.C. and represents only a 10th Arizona record. A general movement of corvids into (and within) Arizona was detected throughout the fall, with numerous reports of both Steller’s Jays and Western Scrub-jays received from lowland locations across the s. portion of the state beginning by mid-Sep. More interesting were several reports of Mexican Jays, a species that has rarely dispersed away from known breeding areas, from lowland areas around Tucson from mid-Sep through mid-Nov. Also of interest were reports of a few Pinyon jays in s. Arizona and scattered reports of small groups of American Crows, also across s. Ari- zona, with most of the crows found mid- Oct-mid-Nov. Even Common Ravens were detected to be on the move, with up to 400 seen flying westward at Ganado 10 Nov (DS). Tree Swallow is a common migrant in s. Arizona, but observations of thousands at Whitewater 1-6 Oct (SH, DS) suggest that the big push southward through the state oc- curred during the first week of Oct. Two Vio- let-green Swallows at Sweetwater 4 Nov (DS), 4 at Whitewater 6 Nov (EW), and another on the upper San Pedro R. 8 Nov (EW) were all late for se. Arizona. Also late was a Bank Swal- low at Gila Bend 17 Oct (PEL). Casual in the state, a Cave Swallow was reported from Gila Bend 19 Sep (tKR; CR). A single Black- capped Chickadee was along Short Cr. in Col- orado City 27 Nov-1 Dec (tPEL, BC); this species is known to breed in extreme sw. Utah along the Virgin R. (which is not that distant as the chickadee flies) but is reported less than annually in Arizona and has yet to be found breeding. Small numbers of Bushtits, Red-breasted and White-breasted Nuthatch- es, and Brown Creepers were detected at nu- merous lowland locations during the fall. This movement, along with the corvid invasion, gave the general impression that lots of montane species had invaded into the lowlands this fall. Scattered reports of Rock Wrens at odd locations were received; we do not usually think of this species dispers- ing very much, but it has occurred many times as a vagrant in the e. United States, and local movements may be an indication of a more widespread dispersal event to com_e. The Sinaloa Wren present for more than a year at Patagonia was re- ported sporadically all fall. Along with the general invasion of montane birds into lowland Arizona, it appears that Be- wick’s Wren also participated, with numerous lowland reports from both Phoenix and Tuc- son during the fall. An early Marsh Wren was detected at Sweetwater 16 Aug (MMS). At least 20 reports of Golden-crowned Kinglet, many of multiple birds, came from across s. Arizona, beginning in mid-Oct, indicating their participation in the lowland invasion. And reports of both Western and Mountain Bluebirds were numerous and widespread across s. Arizona, another indication of an ex- tensive movement of montane species. A Wood Thrush, casual in Arizona at any season, was at Sweetwater in Tucson on the late date of 21 Nov (R. Grohman; ph. D. Vath, B. Beatson; ph. B. Metz). Unprecedent- ed was the irruption of at least 12 Rufous- backed Robins into Arizona, with one in Por- tal 11-15 Oct and 2 there 12 Oct (RAR, REW); one in Green Valley 12-14 Oct (ph. LH); one in Tumacacori 17 Oct+ (MM, D. Knox; ph. T. Loomis); one at B.T.A. 21 Oct-i-, with 2 there 7 Nov+ (ph. RD; m.ob.); one at Whitlow Dam 22 Oct (|B); one in Martinez Canyon ne. of Florence 26 Oct (SB); one in Harshaw Canyon 4-7 Nov, with 2 there 7 Nov (S. Barlow, J. Smith; ph. MA); one at Congress, Yavapai 6 Nov (ph. S. Drown); and one at Anthem, Maricopa 12 Nov (D. Tay- lor). Eight Varied Thrushes, an above-aver- age number for a single fall, were found 17 Oct-22 Nov. The Aztec Thrush located in Ramsey Canyon in Jul was last reported 11 Aug (ph. J. Smith, C. West). Also reported in greater numbers than normal, 8 Gray Cat- birds were found during the fall. Early Sage Thrashers were at San Simon Cienega 12 Sep (REW), in Tucson 23 Sep 0M)> ™ Elfri- da 25 Sep (G. Klingler). This Rusty Blackbird was in East Tucson 19-29 (here 19) November 2009; there are only about 1 5 previous records for Arizona. Photograph by David Stejskai. WAiBLERS THROUGH FINCHES A Blue-winged Warbler at Cook’s L. 25 Oct (TC et al; ph. AC) provided about an 11th record for Arizona. Casual in the state, single Tennessee Warblers were at Sweetwater 2-5 Sep (PK, TMP; ph. AC), 23-30 Oct (WR; ph. AC), and 3-7 Nov (PK; ph. AC; possibly the Oct bird); another was at Tubac 6 Nov (ph. DS). A very late Virginia’s Warbler was in Tuc- son 25 Oct (R. Taylor). A Lucy’s Warbler in Tucson 20 Oct (WR) was extremely late, but truly outstanding was one at Lee’s Ferry 18 Nov (ph. SP). Rare, but regular in the state, 5 Chestnut-sided Warblers and 4 Black-throated Blue Warblers were reported. Rarer was a Magnolia Warbler in Tucson 6-10 Nov (ph. CC, D. Smyth; ph. AC, DS). Likewise, a Black- throated Green Warbler was at G.W.R. 11-12 Nov (ph. BG). Several late Hermit Warblers were reported throughout early Oct, the latest being at Bear Wallow, Santa Catalina Mts. 19 Oct QBo, MP). Casual in the state, Blackburn- ian Warblers were reported near Saguaro L. 8 Nov (tKR) and in Phoenix 16 Nov (A. Tarby, L. Vogel; tD. Herron), while a Yellow-throated Warbler was at Tubac 16 Oct (tMMS; DS). Palm Warblers were at Rackensack Canyon 13 Oct (ph. M. Vandewater), at San Rafael Valley 16 Oct (GB; ph. JM), at Tucson 27 Oct (tS. Blackman), and at Quigley W.A. 21-22 Nov (ph. JY). Very scarce in the state, a Bay-breast- ed Warbler was in e. Tucson 21 Nov-^ (ph. R. Fray); there have been fewer than 15 total records for Arizona. Another casual species, Blackpoll Warblers were at Tolleson 13-16 Oct (ph. WG) and at Sweetwater on the very late date of 14-17 Nov Q. Jones; vt. T. De- Bardeleben; MMS; ph. AC, T. Loomis). Eight Prothonotary Warblers, above average for a fall, were reported statewide. Still casual, Worm-eating Warblers were at Whitewater 6 VOlUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 127 ARIZONA Oct (ph. DS) and at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 5-9 Nov (S. Parker-Hotchkiss; ph. JY, AC). Another warbler reported more frequently than usual this fall, 8 Hooded War- blers were found statewide. One of the best warblers of the fall, a Canada Warbler, was at Tubac 15 Nov (D. Touret; ph., tAC), provid- ing about an 8th record for the state. A very late Red-faced Warbler was in Sawmill Canyon 8 Oct-26 Nov 0- Saba, SH). The pair of Rufous-capped Warblers found at Patagonia during the summer was last reported 28 Oct (ph. CC), while the breeding pair (and off- spring) in Florida Canyon were reported spo- radically through Aug, with at least one re- maining on territory through Nov (m.ob.). Casual in the state in fall. Scarlet Tanagers were documented in Tolleson 13 Oct (ph. WG) and at Tubac 16 Oct (ph., TDS). The nesting pair of Flame-colored Tanagers in Cave Creek Canyon from this past summer was last reported 22 Aug (ph. B. Percival). Several Rufous-winged Sparrows were found at odd locations away from normal breeding areas in Tucson, Sierra Vista, and St. David during the fall, perhaps an indication of how poor the food crop must have been after one of the driest monsoon seasons on record. Sim- ilarly, Rufous-crowned Sparrows were detect- ed at odd locations away from normal nesting areas. No fewer than 20 reports of Clay-col- ored Sparrows were received, mostly mid- Sep-mid-Oct; this species is considered a rare but irregular migrant, more common in the e. half of Arizona. Outstanding was a Field Sparrow at Roll, Yuma 26 Oct (tPEL); there have been fewer than 10 previous records in the state. The only Harris’s Sparrow was one in Safford 29 Nov (ph. O. Lowe). Almost un- heard of in the lowlands, a Yellow-eyed Junco was in e. Tucson 22 Nov-1 Dec (B. Nicholas; ph. AC). Still considered casual in the state, a single Lapland Longspur was e. of Scottsdale 28 Nov (ph. H. Bond). No fewer than 35 Dickcissels were report- ed, a much higher number than typical for a fall; one at Vail 14 Nov (ph. J. Babson) was very late for the state. Multiple Varied Buntings were at Tubac on the late date of 15- 26 Oct. Only 2 Bobolinks were reported, one at Quigley W.A. 6 Oct (PEL) and one at Dud- leyville 16 Oct (ph. M. Brooks). Still a casual fall transient in the state, a Rusty Blackbird was along Woodland Rd. in e. Tucson 19-29 Nov (MMS et ah; ph. DS, AC). Of similar sta- tus, a Common Grackle was in Bisbee 27 Nov (ph. M. Turisk). It was a particularly good sea- son for rare orioles. Single Orchard Orioles, casual in the state, were at San Simon Cienega 9 Sep (ph. REW), at Portal 23 Sep (ph. REW), at Willow Tank near Portal 4 Oct (ph. REW), at Morgan City Wash 17 Oct (tTC; WG, M. Vandewater), and at Tolleson 18 Oct (ph. WG). Baltimore Oriole reports included a male at Havasu N.W.R. (tDD), a male at Mor- gan City Wash 19 Sep (tTC), and another ad. male at Tubac 16-17 Oct (ph. DS). A Purple ■ Finch, casual in the state at best, was at B.T.A. 7 Nov (ph. BG). Cassin’s Finches, Red Cross- ■ bills, and Pine Siskins were all found in small I numbers in lowland situations, contributing j| to the overall montane invasion detected this | fall. Lawrence’s Goldfinches were numerous ] across se. Arizona during this fall. i Contributors: Moez Ali, Charles Babbitt, Jack | Bartley, Gavin Bieber, Scott Blackman, Jerry j] Bock, Matt Brown, Barbara Carlson, Cliff j Cathers, Andrew Core, Troy Corman, Tommy Ij DeBardeleben, Dee Dee DeLorenzo, Henry De- ^ twiler, Brian Gatlin, Brendon Grice, William ! Grossi, Felipe Guerrero, Laurens Halsey, Stuart j Healy, Melanie Herring, Joe Hildreth, Eric j Hough, Rich Hoyer, Doug Jenness, Philip Kline, Chuck LaRue, Paul E. Lehman, Michael , Marsden, Jake Mohlman, Michael Moore i (MMo), Michael Nicosia, Phil Norton, Dave Pearson (DPe), Molly Pollock, Shaun Putz, Cindy RadamakeyKurt Radamaker, Will Rus- • sell, Dave Stejskal, Mark M. Stevenson, Richard E. Webster, Erika Wilson, Janet Witze- man (Maricopa), John Yerger (Tucson). O Mark M. Stevenson (Non-Passerines) 4201 East Monte Vista Drive, #1207 Tucson, Arizona 85712-5554, (drbrdr@att.net) Gary H. Rosenberg (Passerines) P. 0. Box 91 856, Tucson, Arizona 85752-1856 (ghrosenberg@comcast.net) Great Basin Rick Fridell Fall migration in the Great Basin stretch- es from July to December, with an in- credible mix of waterfowl, raptors, shorebirds, gulls, and passerines moving through the Region. The fall can be especially rewarding for observers studying the timing of 128 western migrants and watching for vagrants at their favorite habitat patches. Amazing num- bers of rare, unusual, and vagrant species turned up in the Great Basin this fall. One of the most remarkable sightings was Utah’s first Thick-billed Kingbird discovered in a remote sandstone canyon in the central portion of the state. Additional Utah highlights included continuing observations of Neotropic Cor- morants throughout the state and outstanding records of Upland Sandpiper, Black-legged Kittiwake, and Little Gull. A potential state first was also observed in Nevada this season: a Red-throated Pipit seen and heard in Las Ve- gas. Additional Nevada highlights included sightings of Long-tailed Jaeger, Common Ground-Dove, and Blue-winged Warbler. Abbreviations: Antelope I. (Antelope Island S.P and Causeway, Davis, UT); Ash Meadows (Ash Meadows N.W.R. , Nye, NV); Bear River (Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Box Elder, UT); Circle L (Circle L Ranch, Esmeralda, NV); Corn Cr. (Corn Creek Unit, Desert N.W.R., Clark, NV); Duck Creek (Duck Creek Wetlands, Las Vegas, Clark, NV); Farmington Bay (Farmington Bay W.M.A., Davis, UT); H.B.VE (Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve, Clark, NV); L. Mead (Lake Mead N.R.A., Clark, NV); Lytle (Lytle Ranch Preserve, Washington, UT); Miller’s R.A. (Miller’s Rest Area, Esmeralda, NV); Pahranagat (Pahrana- gat N.W.R., Lincoln, NV); Quail Creek (Quail Creek S.P., Washington, UT); Red Hills (Red Hills G.C., St. George, Washington, UT); Sand Hollow (Sand Hollow S.P., Washington, UT); Zion (Zion N.P., Washington, UT). WATERFOWL THROUGH HERONS Single Eurasian Wigeons were observed at Provo, Utah, UT 23 Oct QB!) and at Virginia L., Reno, Washoe, NV 28 Oct (MM). A male NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS GREAT BASIN Mexican Duck x Mallard intergrade was pho- tographed at Springdale, Washington, UT 5-22 Nov (RI; RY); Utah’s first such bird was docu- mented in Apr 2009. Below-average numbers of scoters were observed this fall in the Re- gion, and surprisingly no Surf Scoters were reported in Nevada. Utah Surf Scoters includ- ed 5 at Antelope 1. 9 Oct-4 Nov (JBi, S&CS et al.), 2 at Lee Kay, Salt Lake 19-24 Oct (PF; Cl), and singles at Utah Lake S.E, Utah 21-22 Oct (JBl), Otter Creek S.E, Piute 9 Nov (RF), and Sand Hollow 21-25 Nov (RF et al). White- winged Scoters were observed at Pyramid L., Washoe, NV 2 Nov (MM, EA), Antelope I. 4-7 Nov O&KB et ah), 5 Nov at L. Mead (RM), and 29 Nov-t at Sand Hollow (RF, KC et al.). Two Black Scoters were observed at Antelope I. 9-11 Oct OBi, S&CS), and a female Long- tailed Duck was observed there 15-25 Nov OR S&SC). Pacific Loons were found at Steinaker S.E, Uintah, UT 11 Oct (BB et al), at East Canyon S.E, Morgan, UT 30-31 Oct (DH), and at Pyramid L., Washoe, NV 3-4 Nov (GS, MM). A Red-necked Grebe made a rare s. Nevada appearance 19 Nov at H.B.VP. (ph. RM). Neotropic Cormorant sightings contin- ue to increase in Utah, with 2 lingering in Washington through at least 9 Oct (tRF et al). The cormorants were originally discovered in May and split time between Ivins Res. and Gunlock S.E during their four-month-i- stay. The Neotropic Cormorants found in Jul at Lee Kay, Salt Lake remained through 23 Aug (TA et al), and 2 additional birds were pho- tographed at Jordan R., Murray, Salt Lake 23- 24 Aug (PF, KP, ph. RY). A Green Heron found 29 Sep at Porter Springs, Pershing, NV (F&GP) was n. of expected range. HAWKS THROUGH TERNS The Pahranagat White-tailed Kites remained throughout the season (GS, CL et al). Com- mon Black-Hawks were observed away from expected areas at Meadow Valley Wash, Lin- coln, NV 19 Sep (JS) and at lower La Verkin Cr., Washington, UT 26-27 Sep (ph RD, MH et ah). Utah Broad-winged Hawks were re- ported at Jupiter Hill, Wasatch/Summit 25 Sep OBi, BM, BH) and at French Hollow, Wasatch \ 3 Oct (TA). Although it was a relatively slow fall for rare and vagrant shorebird sightings in the Great Basin, there were several note- worthy sightings. An American Golden- Plover was at Antelope I. 29 Nov (|Bl, J&KB), : and 4 Mountain Plovers were photographed ; 24-25 Oct at the Ponderosa Dairy, Nye, NV I (GS, CL). Utah’s- 6th documented Upland I Sandpiper graced Antelope I. 28 Aug (ph., I tKE; ph. PH, S&CS). Whimbrels were found ! at Antelope I. 2-29 Aug (S&CS) and at Pyra- I mid L., Washoe, NV 5 Aug (MM). Dunlins were outside of expected areas at Ash Meadows 5 Oct (CL), Hurri- cane, Washington, UT 23-28 Oct (RF, RD, MH), and Logan, Cache, UT 1 Nov (ph. RO, RR). Single Stilt Sandpipers were reported at Logan, Cache, UT 4 Sep (RO, RR), at Quichapa L., Iron, UT 4 Sep (SH), at Carson L., Churchill, NV 5 Sep (ph. LN), at Upper Sand Cove Res., Washington, UT 12 Sep (LT), and at Ponderosa Dairy, Nye, NV 18 Sep (CL). An extraordinary flock of 14 Stilt Sandpipers remained 3-27 Oct near Farmington Bay (ph. JBl, ph. PH et ah). A Red Phalarope visited Washoe L., Washoe, NV 28 Aug-3 Sep (ph. ST et al). A cooperative ad. Black-legged Kittiwake, Utah’s 4th, lingered 6- 13 Nov in a large gull flock at An- telope I. (ph. JBi et al.). Sabine’s Gulls were observed 10 Sep at South Fork Res., Elko, NV (DS, MM), 12-14 Sep at Logan, Cache, UT (RR, RO), 18 Sep at Dyer, Es- meralda, NV (MM), 19 Sep w. of Tonopah, Esmeralda, NV (GS, DG, RS), 20 Sep at Strawberry Res., Wasatch, UT (TA), 11 Oct at Steinaker S.E, Uintah, UT (BB et al), and 7 Nov at Antelope I. (LW, ph. TA). Utah’s 3rd Little Gull was also found this period at Antelope I. (7 Nov; TA); the ad. gull was with the same large flock of Bonaparte’s Gulls that held the kittiwake. The Little Gull re- mained through 11 Nov, provid- ing photographic opportunities for many observers (ph. TA, JBi, RF, m.ob.). A third-cycle Lesser Black-backed Gull also joined the gulls 6-11 Nov at Antelope I. (tKP, JBe, KE et al.), and an ad. was documented there 24-26 Oct (ph., tJBi et al). An ad. Lesser Black-backed Gull was also found at Hemenway Harbor, L. Mead 29 Nov (tPL, BC, ph. MM, CL). A stunning leucistic Ring- billed Gull visited Liberty Park, Salt Lake, UT 8-10 Nov (ph. BO, ph. JL), and a first-cycle Glau- cous-winged Gull was found at Pyramid L., Washoe, NV 2 Nov (MM, EA). An ad. Long-tailed Jaeger was a major surprise at Ash Meadows 17-30 Aug (ph. GS, ph. CL et al), and a dark- This Red Phaiarope, discovered 28 August 2009 (here), lingered through 3 Sep- tember at Washoe Lake, Washoe County, Nevada. Photograph by Steve Ting. Utah's fourth documented Bfack-legged Kittiwake was one of several rare gulls that showed up in autumn 2009 along the Antelope Island State Park Causeway in Davis County. The kittiwake was observed 6-1 1 (here 10) No- vember, usually with a large flock of Bonaparte's Gulls that fed on brine shrimp and flies. Photograph by Rick Fridell. The first of two Lesser Black-backed Gulls documented in fall 2009 along the Antelope Island State Park Causeway, Davis County, Utah, this adult was ob- served 24-26 (here 25) October. Photograph by Jack Binch. Lesser Black-backed Gulls are increasing in the Great Basin region, with three well-documented reports in autumn 2009. This adult, photographed 29 No- vember, at Hemenway Harbor, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Clark County, was the fifth documented in Nevada, all since 2008. Photograph by Martin Meyers. VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 129 GREAT BASIN Common Ground-Doves are extremely rare in the Utah and Nevada. This indi- vidual visited Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, Lincoln County 1-4 (here 4) October 2009 and is the first to be documented for the Nevada Bird Records Committee. Photograph by Greg Sqphers. Least Flycatcher reports have steadily increased in Nevada and Utah over the past five years, but few have been as well documented as this one, which lin- gered from 4 (here) through 13 October 2009 at Miller's Rest Area along High- way 95/6 in Esmeralda County, Nevada. Photograph by Greg Sqphers. Vagrant Scissor-tailed Flycatchers are always thrilling to discover; this bird found 21 (here 22) September 2009 at the Duck Creek Wetlands in Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada remained through 25 September, providing many peo- ple the opportunity to observe it. Photograph by Chris Rulz-Gardner. morph unidentified jaeger was observed at Pyramid L,, Washoe, NV 20 Sep (GS). Com- mon Terns were reported between 23 Aug and 23 Oct from Clark, Nye, and Washoe, NV and from Box Elder, Davis, Salt Lake, and Wash- ington, UT. DOVES THROUGH WARBLERS Wayward White-winged Doves were observed n, of their usual range in Utah at Dugway, Juab 30 Aug-3 Sep (CZ), at Croy- don, Morgan 2 Sep (WS), and at Moab, Grand 22 Sep QP). A Common Ground-Dove was re- ported 19 Aug from along the Virgin R. near L. Mead OS) with limited details; and a well-docu- mented Common Ground-Dove was at Pahranagat 1-4 Oct (DW, ph. GS). A Short-eared Owl was a surprise find at Sun River, St. George, Washington, UT 29 Oct (ph. SG, fide WH). Noteworthy Vaux’s Swifts appeared during a four-day window: at Quail Creek 2 Oct (RF), at H.B.VR 2 Oct (LV), at Pahranagat 3 Oct (GS), at Hur- ricane Sewage Ponds, Washing- ton, UT 4 Oct (RF, RD, MH), and at Ash Meadows 5 Oct (CL). The small colony of Acorn Wood- peckers remained in the Kolob Meadows, Washington, UT through the season. There were several outstanding flycatcher observations in the Re- gion this fall. A Least Flycatcher was observed at Miller’s R.A. 4-13 Oct (ph. GS, ph. MM); a very late Gray Flycatcher was found at Ash Meadows 22 Nov (CL); and a late, unidentified Empidonax was observed at Springville, Utah, UT 25 Nov (KCh). Yellow-bellied Flycatchers were reported with limited details from Garr Ranch, Antelope 1. 4 Oct Q&KB) and from Veyo, Washington, UT the same day (LT); although both of these sightings were by experi- enced observers, this long-over- due species remains undocu- mented in Utah. Black Phoebes were found outside of expected Utah areas at Matheson Preserve, Grand 13 Sep (JP) and at Salt Lake City, Salt Lake 11 Oct OU- An Eastern Phoebe was reported at Flamingo Wash, Las Vegas, Clark, NV 18 Sep (TS), One of the major surprises this season was a hatch-year Thick-billed Kingbird found 20 Oct by a pair of visiting birders at Calf Canyon, in a remote section of the San Rafael Swell, Emery, UT (ph., tC&CE); this well- photographed bird was the first ever docu- mented in Utah. A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher graced Duck Creek 21-25 Sep (NN, ph. CR). A late Plumbeous Vireo was observed at the Willow Creek G.C., Pahrump, Nye, NV 13 Nov (CL), a Blue-headed Vireo was re- Utah's first Thick-billed Kingbird was discovered 20 October 2009 by Claus and Connie Engelhardt while they were camping in a remote canyon in the San Rafael Swell of Emery County. Photograph by Connie Engelhardt. ported at Garr Ranch, Antelope 1. 20 Sep i (S&SC, J&KB), and a possible Philadelphia Vireo was reported at H.B.VR 26 Sep (RM). Red-eyed Vireos were found at Garr Ranch, Antelope 1. 29 Aug (TA) and at Logan, Cache, UT 31 Aug (DR, CF). An imm. Purple Mar- | tin was photographed at Key Pittman W.M.A., Lincoln, NV 7 Sep (GS). A late Blue- | gray Gnatcatcher was observed at the Provo Airport Dike, Utah, UT 11 Nov (EHu). Varied Thrushes were observed at several Nevada lo- cations, including Porter Springs, Pershing (29 Sep; F&GP), Corn Cr. (3-10 Oct; CL et ah), Circle L (8 Oct; RS, DG), and Floyd Lamb Park, Clark (10-18 Oct; DG, RS, CL, ph. MM). Utah’s only Varied Thrush was at i Lytle Ranch 26 Oct (ph. RF). A vagrant Gray Catbird was at Corn Cr. 22-27 Sep (R&CT, i D&RS), and a Bendire’s Thrasher made a rare . appearance at Lytle Ranch 7 Sep (LT, RF). | Another major surprise this season was a Red-throated Pipit found 24 Sep at Duck One of five Varied Thrushes reported from migrant traps in Utah and Nevada in autumn 2009, this one was pho- tographed 17 October at Floyd Lamb Park, Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada. Photograph by Martin Meyers. 130 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS U i Creek (p.a., tGS). A flock of 12 Bohemian Waxwings was observed along the Mirror Lake Hwy., Summit, UT 21-22 Nov (LG, JBi, DH). Northerly Phainopeplas were found at Tonopah, Nye, NV 4 Oct (GS) and at Fallon, Churchill, NV 23-28 Oct (ph. M&CA). The Great Basin Region typically hosts sev- eral rare and vagrant warblers, and this fall was no exception, with at least 30 species ob- served. The only Tennessee reported this sea- son was at Crystal Springs, Lincoln, NV 27 Sep (XL, GS et al.). A hatch-year female Blue- winged Warbler was discovered at McCarran Ranch, Storey, NV 19-20 Sep (RSe, tDS, ph. GS). Northern Parulas were observed in Ne- vada at Circle L 17 Aug (GS), at Floyd Lamb Park, Clark 29 Aug (CL), at Circle L 19 Sep OB, AQ, TF), at Willow Creek G.C., Nye 23 Sep (CL), and at Floyd Lamb 10 Oct (RS, DG). Chestnut-sided Warblers were reported from Washington, UT 11 Oct at La Verkin Cr. (RD, MH) and from St. George 1 Nov (LT). A Magnolia Warbler was found at Circle L 8 Oct (RS, DG), and a Cape May Warbler was pho- tographed 25 Oct at Lytle (TA). Hermit War- blers were noted at Washington, UT locations, including the Pine Valley Mts. 17 (LT) & 28 Aug O&KB) and Lava Pt., Zion 23 Aug (RD, MH). Palm Warblers were found 10 Oct at Leidy Cr., Dyer, Esmeralda, NV (MM, GS) and 1 1 Oct at Spanish Bottoms, Canyonlands N.E, Grand, UT (tK&JW). A Bay-breasted Warbler photographed at French Hollow, Wasatch, UT 19 Sep (TA) was a nice surprise. A male Blackpoll Warbler was photographed along the Virgin R., Washington, UT 1 Oct (RF). Black-and-white Warblers were sighted at Lo- gan, Cache, UT 26 Aug (CF), at Miller’s R.A. 5 Sep (DG, GS, RS, CL), and at Gunlock S.E, Washington, UT 3 Oct (LT). American Red- start sightings between 5 Sep and 16 Oct in- cluded 12 in Nevada (Clark, Esmeralda, Lin- coln, and Nye) and one in Washington, UT. Prothonotary Warblers were reported at , Floyd Lamb Park, Clark, NV 29 Aug (CL), at i Sand Cove, Washington, UT 30 Aug (LT), at Lida, Esmeralda, NV 5 Sep (GS, RS, DG, CL), ^ and at Dyer, Esmeralda, NV 28 Sep (GS, MM, D&RS). As usual, Nevada cornered the mar- I ket on Ovenbird sightings, ■with individuals I observed at Pahranagat 16 Sep (F&GP), at Com Cr. 21 Sep (SW et al), and at Circle L 8 Oct (RS, DG). Ten Northern Waterthrushes were observed between 26 Aug and 27 Sep in Clark and Lincoln, NV and in Cache, Davis, Salt Lake, and Washington, UT. A Kentucky Warbler was located 21 Sep at Corn Cr. (SW et al), and Hooded Warblers were discovered 17 Aug at Lida, Esmeralda, NV (GS) and 30 Sep along Clear Cr., Sevier, UT (TC). A Red- faced Warbler was present for the 2nd con- VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER GREAT BASIN Discovered by Rebecca and Dennis Serdehely, Nevada's second documented Blue-winged Warbler stopped over at the McCarran Ranch Preserve, Washoe County 1 9-20 (here 20) September 2009. Photograph by Greg Scyphers. One of many vagrant eastern warbler species observed in the Great Basin in autumn 2009, this Palm Warbler was photographed 1 0 October along Leidy Creek at Dyer, Esmeralda County, Nevada. Photograph by Martin Meyers. This male Blackpoll Warbler was found foraging in the riparian area along the Virgin River in Washington County, Utah on 1 October 2009. Photograph by RkkfridelL secutive year at Fletcher Canyon, Mt. Charleston, Clark, NV (22 Jun-10 Aug; ph. BG, ph. CR et al). A Summer Tanager at Lida Pond, Esmeralda, NV 24 Oct (GS) was n. of expected range, and a female Scarlet Tanager was photographed at the Salt Lake In- ternational Center, Salt Lake, UT 7 Sep (ph. TA). SPARROWS THROUGH FILCHES Clay-colored Sparrow sightings continue to increase in the Great Basin, with 3 reported this fall: Floyd Lamb Park, Clark, NV at- tracted a single 30 Aug (ph. CR) and 2 between 26 Sep-3 Oct (GS, MS, TL, MM), and singles were noted 5 Sep at Gunlock, Washing- ton, UT (LT) and 8-25 Oct at Ly- tle Ranch (ph. RF et al.). A possi- ble Field Sparrow was pho- tographed 25 Oct at Lytle Ranch (p.a., TA). Lark Buntings were observed at Lytle Ranch 24 Aug O&KB), at Miller’s R.A. 8-24 Sep (ph. F&GP et al), and at Dyer, Esmeralda, NV 9-10 Oct (CL, DG, RS, GS). Observations of Fox Sparrows other than Slate- colored are noteworthy in the Re- gion. Sooty Fox Sparrows were present at Circle L 9-10 Oct (MM, GS) and at Lida, Esmeral- da, NV 24 Oct (GS), and Red Fox Sparrows were reported in Dyer, Esmeralda, NV 11-17 Oct (MM, GS) and at Lytle Ranch 3 Nov (J&KB). One or 2 Grasshopper Sparrows were present at Miller’s R.A. 22-29 Sep (ph. GS, ph. RF), with singles seen 3 Oct at Duck Creek (JT) and 9 Oct at Lytle Ranch (ph. RF). Swamp Spar- rows were photographed at Miller’s R.A. 17 Oct (MM, GS) and at Leeds, Washington, UT 25 Oct-2 Nov (TA, RF). Ten White-throated Sparrows were reported between 17 Oct and 29 Nov in Clark, Esmeralda, Lincoln, Pershing, and Washoe, NV and in Cache, Washington, and Weber, UT. The only Harris’s Sparrows were reported in Utah — on 18 Nov at Moab, Grand 0?) and 30 Nov at Lytle Ranch (LT). Note- worthy Golden-crowned Sparrow sightings included one at Miller’s R.A. 24 Sep (FP), one at Garr Ranch, Antelope I. 27 Sep (S&CS), one at Lower Sand Cove, Washington, UT 2- 27 Nov O&KB), one at the Virgin River Con- fluence Park, Washington, UT 2 Nov Q&KB), and one at Corn Cr. 27 N0V+ QT et al.). Two Snow Buntings were photographed at Bear River 25 Oct (ph. MMo, M&SS). Rose-breasted Grosbeaks made a nice showing this fall, with 7 observed between 5 Sep and 15 Oct in Esmeralda, NV and in Juab, Millard, Washington, and Weber, UT. Utah’s 3rd documented Painted Bunting, a first-fall female, was photographed 1-7 Sep at Lytle Ranch (tRF et al.). A juv. Painted Bunting also turned up at Dyer, Esmeralda, NV 19 Sep QB, AQ, TF). The only Bobolink reported this 1 131 GREAT BASIN fall was one at Miller’s R.A. 19 Sep (GS, DG, RS). A Common Grackle was found at Battle Mt., in seldom-birded Lander, NV 14 Oct+ (tEH). Female Orchard Orioles were found at Lida, Esmeralda, NV 5 Sep (ph. GS, RS, CL, DG) and at Corn Cr. 7-12 Sep (GS, CT, MD, PJ). Either a hatch-year male or a hybrid Bal- timore Oriole was found at Fish Springs N.W.R., Juab, UT 18 Sep (CN, Cl, JBl). It was an amazing season for Lawrence’s Goldfinch sightings in Nevada; however, none were re- ported in Utah. A flock of up to 15 Lawrence’s Goldfinches graced Kyle Canyon, Clark 1-10 Oct (NN, CL et al); a pair was photographed at nearby Mt. Charleston 11 Oct QW); and singles were found at Battle Mt., Lander 11 Oct (ph. LT), at Corn Cr. 11 Oct (PJ, RS, JJ), at Ash Meadows 12 Oct (CL), and at Search- light, Clark 17 Oct OBo). I Alaska Contributors and cited observers: Aaron Ambos, Elisabeth Ammon, Mike & Carol Amos, Tim Avery, Janet Bair, John Bellmon (JBe), Joel & Kathy Beyer, Jack Binch O^i), Jeff Blisky (jBl), Jim Boone QBo), Bob Bradley, Je Anne Branca QBr), Barbara Carlson, KC Childs (KCh), Kristen Cornelia, Travis Coop- er, Laura Cunningham, Rob Dobbs, Marci Dvorak, Claus & Connie Engelhardt, Keith Evans, Mike Fish, Rick Fridell, Tara Forbis, Craig Fosdick, Pomera Fronce, Sarah Gaines, Dennis Ghiglieri, Lu Giddings, Bob Gotschall, Carol Gwynn, Dave Hanscom, Ed Harper, Steve Hedges, Paul Higgins, Eric Huish (EHu), Meribeth Huizinga, William Hunter, Bob Huntington, Carl Ingwell, Paul Jared, Jeff Johnson, Paul Lehman, Tim Lenz, Jerry Ligouri, Carl Lundblad, Bob McDougal, Mar- tin Meyers, Randy Michal, Don Molde, Mark Mossing (MMo), Larry Neel, Colby Neuman, |! Nathaniel Nye, Ryan O’Donnell, Bryant Olsen, Scott Page, Fred & Gail Petersen, Ja- son Pietrzak, Kristin Purdy, Alan de Queiroz, | Jack Rensel, Dominique Roche, Chris Ruiz- f Gardner, Ron Ryel, Mike San Miguel, Matt & | Stacey Schamberger, Greg Scyphers, Dennis Serdehely, Rebecca Serdehely (RSe), Arnold ' Smith, Weston Smith, Steve & Cindy Som- merfeld, Justin Streit, Rose Strickland, Toby Sulenski, Les Talbot (LTa), Larry Teske (LTe), Jeanne Tinsman, Steve Ting, Carolyn & » Richard Titus, Larry Tripp, Lupe Varela, Kevin ^ Wheeler, Stickland Wheelock, Jim Williams, Kay & James Wilson, Diane Wong, Larene j Wyss, Richard Young, Candy Zaffis. 1 Rick Fridell, 451 North SR-318 Hurricane, Utah 84737, (ndiardfrideli(a)utah.g0¥) ThedeTobish Fall migration 2009 seemed to have commenced early, offered only a few significant early morning fallouts at coastal sites, and stayed rather slow from about mid-October into December. A combi- nation of fine early summer weather — which offered ideal breeding conditions — and a lack of big storms in the first half of the season probably contributed to the rather uneventful autumn passage. The freeze-up period fol- lowed recent trends by coming on the late side and lasting longer, compared to long- term averages. From late September through October, conditions were generally mild, with below-average precipitation, but notable late dates for passerines were fewer than has been usual, probably because many had departed a bit early. As usual, there were still plenty of rarities, mostly early in the season from Gambell and in Southeast, but there was little excitement generated by Nearctic and boreal species out into the Bering Sea. Gambell was basically shut out af- ter early September, when strong northerly winds prevailed. The Aleutian Low’s position after ear- ly September seemed to direct the season’s west- to-east storm tracks into the southern Bering Sea, which meant that the northern half of the Bering Sea was under the influence of a northerly flow. In the eastern Aleutians, good coverage this season from the environs of Un- alaska added considerably to our information from that end of the archipelago. Reports came also from nearby Dutch Harbor, which is located on Amaknak Island and connected by bridge to the rest of the city of Unalaska, on Unalaska Island proper. That site’s unique Strawberry Hill spruce groves are proving to be quite a migrant trap, secluded in the ex- pansive coastal tundra zone. WATERFOWL THROy^H HERONS Greater White-fronted Geese are casual in the cen. and w. Aleutians, so a single was notable at Adak I. 18 Nov (ph. RAM) and within the same timeframe as the few previous fall re- ports. Late Sep produced a strong showing of the species in s. Southeast, including 6800 132 over Ketchikan 24 Sep (SCH, AWP). Still not li well known in fall in Southeast, 3 Aleutian | Cackling Geese were found around Sitka 31 1] Oct-9 Nov (ph. MRG), while another 4 were !: in Ketchikan 3-12 Nov (CAF, ph. SCH) and 6 : there 10 Nov (ph. JHL). It has been presumed that most leucopareia Cacklings take a non- J stop pelagic route from Aleutian breeding 'ji sites to the Pacific Northwest. A shift to i! northerly winds within a few days either side |! of 1 Sep typically ushers in the season’s peak i Emperor Goose counts at Gambell, where this year’s high count was 400 off the Point 1 Sep ' (PEL). Farther s. and e., 5 Emperors at Kodi- J ak 30 Aug (LM) were record-early arrivals at ij a traditional winter site. Thirty-five Eurasian !j Wigeons made a good total for the season ji, from Gambell, including a group of 20, all be- f tween 27 Aug and 19 Sep (PEL). Elsewhere, ■ numbers seemed low, with 5 noted in the ji Homer area 18-24 Oct (AL) being the only !' other significant report. A Green- winged Teal |i was described from the e. Aleutians in the :i Dutch Harbor area from 5 Nov (RAM), where ' this Mainland breeder is rare in passage. Per- | haps because of lingering open water condi- i tions on the Mainland, few interesting Aythya < reports came in, save for the 2 and possibly 3 Lesser Scaup in the e. Aleutians in Dutch Har- I bor, Unalaska 31 Oct and 5 Nov (ph. RAM, I SG), where this Mainland breeder is casual, mostly in winter. A very large and unusually early flock of 400 Black Scoters was located in j : Icy Strait 1 Sep (GS). Most Black Scoters ar- |i rive in Southeast in early Oct. Similarly early 1 1 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS ALASKA In the northern Gulf of Alaska, Pink-footed Shearwater is detected mostly as single birds, from midsummer through early fail, when sea surface temperatures peak; neverthe- less, this bird off Salisbury Sound near Sitka 23 August 2009 is one of fevj for which good documeritation is available. Photograph by Joel Brady-Povm. was a single Long-tailed Duck in Sitka 6 Sep (PN), well ahead of the more normal Oct ar- rival period. Four female-type Hooded Mer- gansers around Kodiak 19 Oct (ph. RAM) made the season’s best showing, while singles in Anchorage 2 Oct (PP) and at Seward 31 Oct (RC) were other notables. These reports are from typical sites for fall dispersants that reach w. and n. of known Southeast sites. The loon passage at various Bering Sea sites was average, if on the late side, with es- sentially no good concentrations or local rar- ities. A single Western Grebe found near , Juneau 17 Oct (GBV, PMS) was at the n. lim- its of the species’ Southeast range. Decent I shipboard coverage in the Bering Sea this sea- I son produced notable and late Short-tailed Albatross reports, highlighted by 12+ w. of the Pribilofs 24 Sep (ph. LHD) and a very late ' bird in the vicinity of Petrel Bank, n. of Semi- sopochnoi I. 10 & 12 Nov and 1 Dec (RAM). Most fall reports tail off after Sep, although there are occasional winter records. The Re- gion’s rarer Puffinus shearwaters made a de- cent showing, coinciding with the season’s ! peak sea surface temperature period. At least ! one Pink-footed Shearwater was off Baranof I I.’s Salisbury Sound 23 Aug (ph. JBP). Al- j though recognized for years as a rare warm- I water season straggler into Alaska waters, it has only been 10 years since Pink-footed was j first photographically documented in the Re- , gion. Lack of North Gulf of Alaska ship sur- j veys limited Buller’s Shearwater reports this I season. Singles from off Salisbury Sound in VOLUME 64,(2009) • NUMBER Southeast 23 Aug OBP) and farther n. from Kodiak waters 4 Oct QBA) were the only ones noted. Of these two rare and sporadic shearwater species, Buller’s is known from Alaska waters in irregular, occasionally high numbers (hundreds), concentrated in Aug and Sep. Two Southeast Manx Shearwaters photographed off the coast near Icy Bay 4 Aug (ph. NH) preceded another report of one off Chichagof I.’s Khaz Bay 23 Aug (JBP). This species has recently been found nearly annually in very small numbers in the North Gulf of Alaska between May and Sep. Casual in the n. Bering Sea, where small numbers probably disperse each fall, were single Fork- tailed Storm-Petrels off the Point at Gambell 29 Aug (PEL) and 8 Sep (AL). Lehman described record- high numbers of Pelagic Cormorant passing the Point at Gambell this sea- son, with notable counts of 300 on 12 Sep and 575 on 19 Sep. The usual dispersal of Great Blue Heron found decent numbers beyond the usual coastal sites, high- lighted by scattered singles into Upper Cook Inlet. In- dividuals were reported from Anchorage’s fish hatchery 31 Aug (DFD), at s. Anchorage’s Potter Marsh irregularly 1 Sep-14 Oct (m.ob.), farther n. in Wasilla 25 Oct (DC), at the Palmer hayflats 22 Nov-i- (KR), and on the w. Kenai Pen. at Ninilchik 6 Sep (KB). In a more typical fall, a few reports from the n. half of Cook Inlet would be considered a good showing. sents one of about ten Alaska records, most of which are from the fall season. Photograph by flick R. Hajdukovkh. HAWKS THROUGH ALCIDS Juneau birders conducted several hawk- watches in the alpine zone in early Sep, which produced decent numbers of southbound birds. Record-high numbers highlighted their 5 Sep count, including 31 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 17 Northern Harriers, 3 Red-tailed Hawks, 4 American Kestrels, and 4 Merlins (PMS, BAA). Farther s. at McDonald L., on the Cleveland Pen. near Ketchikan, a similar vigil from 28 Sep tallied 37 Red-tailed Hawks (AWP, SCH), which tied that locale’s high fall count. Understanding autumn raptor migra- tion in Southeast has always been a tricky en- deavor, given the archipelago’s geography, limited access, and the season’s protracted na- ture; it has been assumed that many south- bound migrants push inland and through the Coast Range via the larger interior-draining watersheds. Two Sharp-shinned Hawks made forays into an ornamental spruce grove near Dutch Harbor in the e. Aleutians 31 Oct (ph. RAM, SC), where at least one remained through 3 Nov; there is one prior record sub- stantiated for the Aleutians, a single that spent the winter 2003-2004 at the same local- ity. Record late in Upper Cook Inlet was a dark-morph Harlan’s Hawk just s. of Palmer 12-15 Nov (PF); Rough-legged Hawk is typi- cally the later-lingering Buteo in South-coastal Alaska. Up to 5 Golden Eagles on the coastal plain near the Colville R. delta 13 Aug QH) were likely typical in fall on the North Slope, where mostly imms. from foothill breeding sites are probably drawn to staging waterbirds and/or high ground squirrel numbers. An American Kestrel at Ketchikan 9-17 Nov (JFK, JHL) set a new local late date for this falcon, which is very rare off the Southeast’s mainland. A lone Merlin 31 Oct-1 Nov was joined by another in an area of isolated spruce at Unalaska 6 Nov (ph. RAM, SC). Of the typ- stay at St. Paul Island, Alaska 29-31 August 2009, ms the first for the Pribilof Is- lands and Bering Sea. All of the state's prior reports of this casual fall migrant come from the central and western Aleutian Islands between 1 S August and 8 September. Photograph by Scott Schuette. 133 ALASKA While duck hunting in dense marshes far out on the Palmer Hay Flats at the north end of Upper Cook Inlet 25 October 2009, Dan Crowson found this Marsh Wren. The observer and others returned and documented Alaska's first record with this and other photo- graphs on 28 October (here). This furtive species breeds into northeastern British Co- lumbia and sporadically into southeastern Yukon. Photograph by Dan Crowson. ical scattered American Coot reports from Southeast sites, 6 each at Juneau’s Pioneer Marsh 17 Oct (NRH) and Sitka’s Swan L. 9 Oct+ (MRG), were high for the season. A sin- gle farther n. at Cordova 15 Nov (MB) was about the 6th from that area and the only oth- er notable observation. Apart from several notable Southeast and Pribilof rarities, it was an average to subpar shorebird season across the Region. Always one of the later species to depart the Region, Black-bellied Plovers made late news from n. Southeast at Gustavus, where 6 were last seen 19 Nov (NKD). An average Lesser Sand-Plover showing included 4 for the season from Gam- bell 27 Aug-14 Sep (PEL, AL et al.) and a sin- gle at St. Paul 1. 17-23 Aug (St. Paul Tour). A juv. Common Ringed Plover at Gambell 29 Aug (PEL) was the latest there by four days; by contrast, most of the few fall reports in the w. Aleutians are from the hrst half of Sep. Of 4 Semipalmated Plovers at Gambell 20-26 Aug, a lone bird lingered through 8 Sep (PEL), the latest ever there. A flock of 13 Killdeer in Ketchikan 12 Nov (SCH) established a new local high count. A record sin- gle-day total of 5 Gray- tailed Tattlers came from Gambell 5 Sep (PEL et al), while St. Paul num- bers were limited to 3 for the season (St. Paul Tour). Eor some reason. Wood Sandpiper reports from the Pribilofs have been more consistent recently than from other sites. There were 2 at St. Paul this season, 23-24 Aug and 30 Aug-5 Sep (St. Paul Tour). Live Upland Sandpipers in Juneau 12 Aug-8 Sep (m.ob.) and a single in Gustavus 29 Aug (BBP) made a strong showing for this very rare fall migrant in Southeast and the 3rd fall in a row for Southeast reports of the species. Rare in fall away from sw. Alaska staging sites, a single Bar-tailed Godwit made news in Gustavus 31 Aug-5 Sep (BBP, ph. NKD). Since most Alaska- breeding Marbled Godwits apparently overfly the Gulf of Alaska in fall migration, fall reports beyond Jul are significant. One in Gustavus 27 Sep (ph. NKD) was deemed one of few docu- mented in fall for Southeast, while another on the Homer Spit 18-26 Oct (ph. AL) is probably the Region’s latest on record and only the 2nd in fall for the Kenai Pen. Pour Rock Sandpipers at Juneau’s Eagle Beach were extremely early migrants 28 Aug (PMS), where they typically arrive at winter sites in early Oct. Later, and mixed in with the larger arriving winter flocks in Nov, single nominate ptilocnemis were noted at Gustavus 26 Nov (ph. NKD) and at Eagle Beach 21-26 Nov (PMS, BAA). Most birds of the nominate subspecies winter in Cook Inlet, and small numbers straggle to the North Gulf of Alaska coast in winter. A juv. Broad-billed Sandpiper at St. Paul 29-3 1 Aug (St. Paul Tour, : ph. SS), the Region’s first in five years, was a ' first for the Pribilofs and first away from Adak I. and the w. Aleutians. Buff-breasted Sand- pipers made a strong showing within their known coastal fall range, which occasionally includes the Region’s w. coast and the South- east. Par westerly reports came in from St. Paul L, a single 28 Aug (St. Paul Tour), plus 3 on the Narrow Cape beach, Kodiak 1. 29 Aug OBA, MP, ph. RAM). In Southeast, Buff-breast- eds were seen at Juneau 31 Aug-1 Sep (2 birds; NRH, ph. MWS) and 2 Sep (3; BBP, ph. NKD); and among several Gustavus reports was a late ; single 30 Sep (BBP). Long-billed Dowitchers : lingered quite late, with the latest a single from what was an already late flock at Homer through 13 Nov (AL), the latest ever for the Kenai Pen. A Long-billed at Gustavus stayed through 30 Nov (NKD), and one at Unalaska Spit in the e. Aleutians 21 Sep (AL, SG) made a first local record. Black-legged Kittiwake breeding success in the n. Bering Sea must have been reduced this year, as the Gambell , tallies were substantially below averages, with a one-day high of only 2000 birds from 2 Sep and juvs. arriving two weeks late, on 19 Sep (PEL). "With good fall coverage at Gambell go- ing back to 1992, this season’s summaries of large Lams gull status in the heart of Glaucous Gull country nicely illustrate their current Bering Sea distribution. Maximum daily counts of vegae Herring Gull were mostly in the 30-45 range until mid-Sep, when numbers decreased. Slaty-backed Gulls were seen near- ly daily, with a slightly above-average season total of 15, while Glaucous-winged Gulls in- creased after early Sep, with 5-25 seen most days and an above-average maximum peak of 55 on 17 Sep (PEL). Glaucous-winged Gull oc- The Strawberry Hill spruce groves at Unalaska in the eastern Aleutians were hot with rarities in fall 2009, including this Yellow-rumped Warbler (right), photographed here 22 September, one of two noted there in late September. Amazingly, a Townsend's Warbler appeared in a tree next to the Yellow-rumped, and it or a second Townsend's was in the area again on 1 Novem- ber. Both species are extremely scarce beyond the mainland and boreal forests, and there is only one previous record of Townsend's for the Aleutians. Photographs by Aaron Lang. NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 134 currence in the n. Bering Sea has clearly in- creased over the past decade or so, and the species is now known to breed on St. Matthew Island. An ad. Black-headed Gull located at Gambell 5-7 Sep (vt. PEL et al.) was a 2nd for fall at Gambell and the season’s only report. Franklin’s Gull reports were subpar, given the species’ recent fall history, with an ad. in the Anchorage area 18 Sep-2 Oct (D’WS, TT, PP) and a first-cycle bird at the Ketchikan water- front 12 Aug (AWP, ph. SCH) the only reports. A first-cycle California Gull that wandered nw. to the e. side of Kodiak 20 Sep (JBA ph.) was the season’s only extralimital find beyond the s. half of Southeast, where peak staging esti- mates included 400 in Ketchikan 12 Aug (AWP, SCH) and 500 farther w. at Lagoon Cr. on Prince of Wales I. 12 Sep (AWP, SCH). A smithsonianus Herring Gull attracted to re- search trawls at Petrel Bank off the n. end of Semisopochnoi I. in the w.-cen. Aleutians 23 & 24 Nov (ph., tRAM) likely documents the westernmost record of this common mainland Alaska breeder. It was seen "with vegae Herring Gulls, which are more typical across cen. and w. Aleutian waters. Seabird observers docu- mented an ad. Thayer’s Gull in cen. Bering Sea waters some 200 km sse. of St. Matthew I. 22 Sep (ph. LHD). Thayer’s Gull is casual in the Bering Sea, and most of the few reports have come from the e. half in autumn. The only Slaty-backed Gull reports of note beyond the Bering Sea were singles at Anchorage’s Ship Cr. mouth 8 Aug (DWS) and up to 4 scattered around Kodiak 25 Sep-4 Oct QBA, RAM, RC). This fall’s Caspian Tern highlights continued the summer’s notable observations from n. Southeast. A juv. at Gustavus 18 Aug (ph. NKD) was one of 42 chicks that had been banded at a Copper R. Delta colony in Jul 2009, and it represented the first band recov- ery of an Alaska-produced bird. Another band- ed at the E. Sand I. colony in the Columbia R., Washington/Oregon in Jul was also noted in Gustavus 6 & 20 Aug (NKD). An ad. near Ketchikan 9 Aug (SCH) was seen feeding a young bird. This species only recently became a regular and rare but increasing breeder in Alaska, following a long-term population ex- pansion along the n. Pacific Coast. Very rare in late summer, and recorded mostly in e. North 1 Gulf of Alaska waters, a South Polar Skua was photographed off Salisbury Sound on the w. side of Kruzof I. 23 Aug (ph. JBP). A basic- j plumaged Marbled Murrelet in pelagic waters over the continental shelf 215 km n. of St. Paul I. 28 Sep (AL) was a long way from familiar waters and made a casual Bering Sea report. Twelve Kittlitz’s Murrelets for the season off I the Point at Gambell 8-20 Sep (PEL et al.) es- I tablished a record-high count from that locali- ALASKA This adult Lark Sparrow, rather out of place in the Ketchikan rainforest 13-22 (here 19) September 2009, furnishes only the second documented record for Alaska. Photograph by Jim H. Lewis. ty and follows good num- bers discovered in the n. half of the Bering Sea as reported last winter. Adding to what appears to be growing fall numbers in the n. Bering Sea over the past few years, An- cient Murrelets were again seen in high numbers off Gambell, with a new record peak of 144 birds passing the Point 13 Sep (PEL). DOVES THROUGH SWALLOWS The latest Band-tailed Pi- geon reports included 2 in Wrangell 19-20 Sep (BHD) and a Regional record-late single at Petersburg 30 Oct (ph. LS). Eurasian Col- lared-Doves continued to turn up in South- east areas in Aug and early Sep, following the species’ incursion from the summer. Up to 6 could be accounted for in Juneau by 2 Oct (ph. GBV), all of which hung around into Dec, and at least 4, including 2 juvs, were in Ketchikan through 14 Sep 0^1^)- Another 2 were well n. at Yakutat 19 Aug (ph. NC); one in a housing area of Cold Bay 11-13 Oct (ph. AB) made a first for Alaska’s Southwest. Fall 2009 also saw a robust passage of Mourning Dove, particularly at Ketchikan, where 124- birds were located 26 Aug-5 Oct (m.ob.). An- other 4 were in the Sitka area during Sep (KLL, m.ob.), while singles were scattered among other Southeast communities. Casual in fall, the season’s only Cuculus report was an imm. from Adak I. 18 Sep (IH, ph. FH, BH); there are no confirmed Aleutian fall records of Common Cuckoo and just one of Oriental. Single Northern Hawk Owls dispersed to the coast in Juneau 11 Oct (m.ob.) and Gustavus 14 Oct (HL) and 9 Nov (NKD). This Interior species is otherwise very rare in Southeast, where the irregular reports are most often from the mainland. A migrant Long-eared Owl was a lucky find in dense conifers at the Juneau golf course 10 Nov (GBV, ph. NRH et al.); there are fewer than 10 records for the Region, most from fall, and all but one from Southeast. An offshore Common Nighthawk at Ketchikan 28 Aug (AWP) made a 3rd local record and the season’s only report. Anna’s Hummingbirds, an irregular, rare fall and ear- ly winter visitor in Alaska since the 1980s, were widely distributed this season, with a lo- cal record-high 5 in Juneau 3 Oct-10 Nov (m.ob., ph. MWS), 2 at a Wrangell feeder 9 & 27 Oct (ON), and singles at Haines 29 Aug (MM), Farm 1. at the Stikine R. mouth 2 Oct (EB), and Ketchikan 28 Nov (SC), the latter a bird that had been present for several weeks. Farther afield, a probable Anna’s was de- scribed from Cold Bay 9 Sep OS, tES), one of few ever from Southwest, and a very late South-coastal bird was at Homer 7-14 Nov (ph. AL). Single Rufous Hummingbirds at Juneau 11 Sep (ph. MWS) and on Prince of Wales 1. 14 Sep (AWP, SCH) were extremely late, given that most depart the Region by late Aug. Following this spring’s sightings from the Juneau area, single Black-backed Wood- peckers were again documented in Juneau 9 (ph. DJ) & 15 Oct (PMS). Record-late flycatchers for their locations were an Olive-sided in Ketchikan 24-26 Sep (ph. JHL) and a Western Wood-Pewee in Ketchikan 22 Sep ODU- Notable Hammond’s Flycatchers included a rare South-coastal bird in an Anchorage yard 17 Aug (ph. TT), where there are maybe six total records, mostly from spring, and one at Juneau 14 Sep (MWS). The Region’s 2nd Great Crested Flycatcher thrilled Juneau observers as it fed in hedge thickets on berries and bugs 29 Sep-11 Oct (NRH ph., m.ob.). A Middleton I. specimen from 29 Sep 1990 represents the only prior Alaska record of this e. species, which breeds as close to the Region as e.-cen. Alberta. Co- incidentally, the only British Columbia record was a coastal bird also from 29 Sep. The first Western Kingbird for Northern Alaska was a startling report, a bird photographed next to an Eastern Yellow Wagtail near milepost 284.5 of the Dalton Hwy. and the Toolik Field Station 8 Aug (ph. JS) in the n.-cen. Brooks Range. This constitutes the Region’s north- ernmost report and one of few from the fall season. A juv. Brown Shrike reported from St. Paul I. 2-3 Sep (St. Paul Tour) would be a first Pribilofs record but lacked documentation. Adak I. again produced an imm. Northern Shrike 9 Nov4- (ph. IH). A Cassin’s Vireo at VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 135 ALASKA Juneau’s Sandy Beach thickets 4 & 8 Sep (PMS) represented only the Region’s 2nd fall record. Probably record late for the Region was a Warbling Vireo in Ketchikan 23 Oct (SCH). There are few reports noted after mid- Sep, and the species is very rare away from the Southeast mainland in fall. Extremely rare on the outer coast in Southeast, a wandering Black-billed Magpie was a surprise find at Big L. above Sitka 22 Nov (KB), where it fed on a Mountain Goat carcass. The season’s signifi- cant late swallow reports included a Tree Swallow in Juneau 12 Sep (PMS, PAR, BAA) and a Bank Swallow 15 Sep (GBV). Cliff and Barn Swallow are the latest swallows to depart while Trees, Banks, and "Violet-greens are typ- ically scarce by the 3rd week of Aug. Gam- bell’s 2nd fall Barn Swallow, a pale-bellied Palearctic bird, was seen 3-4 Sep (PEL, ph. MT, ALet al.). NUTHATCHES THROUGH HOUSE SPARROW It was clearly not a Red-breasted Nuthatch ir- ruption year, as the season’s only notable re- port away from Mainland taiga habitats was a single in the Bering Sea at St. Paul I. 2-3 Sep (St. Paul Tour). While on a duck-hunting for- ay to the outer edges of the Palmer hay flats se. of Wasilla 25 Oct, Crowson found Alaska’s first Marsh Wren. Remarkably, this furtive bird was relocated in a knee-deep Scirpus marsh 28 Oct, when photographs were obtained (ph. DC, RW BE). There are a few Marsh Wren records, including nesting, from extreme se. Yukon Ter- ritories, but the nearest regular breeding areas are in the Peace R. watersheds of ne. British Columbia, e. of the Continental Divide. A lone Ruby-crowned Kinglet came aboard a vessel s. of St. George I. in the Pribilofs 7 Sep (LHD); this species is rare to very rare offshore in fall in the Bering Sea, whereas Golden-crowned Kinglet is strictly casual. Only one Dusky War- bler was located this season, at Gambell on 1 Sep (AL, PEL, ph. MT et al). Casual in fall in the Region, a Taiga Flycatcher skulked around crab pots at St. Paul I. 28-29 Aug (ph. SS), a 3rd Pribilof record and the Region’s 2nd in fall. Twenty-four Bluethroats was deemed a very good fall tally from Gambell 24 Aug-13 Sep (PEL). Two Mountain Bluebirds made news at Fairbanks 23 Aug (LD, NRH), where there are few actual fall records, while another took up residence in Mountain Ash trees at Homer 18 Nov-Dec (AL). There are a few prior fall re- ports from South-coastal Alaska. A Swainson’s Thrush in the Gambell middens 10 Sep (PEL et al.) was remarkably that site’s 10th from fall. A Swainson’s of the Olive-backed group in Juneau 15 Oct (PMS, ph. NRH, LHD) was a rare find and notably late by nearly a month in Southeast, where Russet-backeds breed. Olive- backeds nest in South-coastal Alaska, well w. of n. Southeast. Another Gray Catbird spent a day at a Juneau feeder 13 Oct (ph. PMS et al), providing the Region’s 5 th record, which have occurred mostly in fall. A calling Red-throated Pipit at Unalaska 22 Sep (AL, SG) was the e. Aleutians’ first and marks a nice link between fall records from the cen. and w. Aleutians and the few records from South-coastal Alaska at Middleton 1. and Anchorage. Macintosh man- aged to photograph one of 2 Bohemian Waxwings present in the spruce groves at Un- alaska 1 Nov (ph. RAM, SG). There are a few late fall and winter reports from the cen. and e. Aleutians. Two Cedar Waxwings were in Gus- tavus 2 Aug (NKD), 6 were in Homer 26 Sep, with another there 24 Nov (MK, AL). Late Orange-crowned Warblers included one each at Juneau 13 Nov ODD, in Sitka in “mid-Nov” (MLW, MET), and at Kodiak 1 Nov+ (ph. MM, RAM); another landed on a vessel in the cen. Bering Sea s. of the Pribilofs 4 Sep (LHD). Two more Nashville Warblers were reported: one was found in stored nets on a research vessel way out in the Bering Sea some 200 km se. of St. Matthew 1. 21 Sep (ph. LHD); the other was found by the same ob- server nearly a month later in Juneau 19 Oct (ph. LHD), the 4th for Southeast. The same Bering Sea vessel also harbored a Yellow War- bler s. of St. Matthew 1. 5 Sep (LHD). A sin- gle Yellow-rumped Warbler was drawn to the Strawberry Hill spruce groves at Unalaska 10 Sep, with 2 there 22 Sep (ph. AL, SG). Yel- low-rumpeds are casual in the Aleutians, and these are the first for Unalaska. Remarkably, a Townsend’s Warbler appeared in an adjacent spruce tree with the Yellow-rumpeds at Un- alaska 22 Sep (ph. AL, SG), with another Townsend’s there 1 Nov (RAM, SG). There is one previous Aleutians record of Townsend’s, from Shemya 1. in Oct. The latest Townsend’s report otherwise was one in Ketchikan 26 Nov (SCH). Southeast sites had a decent showing of American Redstarts, highlighted by an imm. in Ketchikan 24 Aug (SCH, AWP) that provided only a 2nd for fall there; one in Juneau 3 Oct (ph. PAR) may have been the Region’s latest ever. Nearctic war- blers at Gambell were few: a Northern Wa- terthrush 13-14 Sep (HLB, vt. PEL et al.) rep- resented the latest of the now five total fall records there, and a Wilson’s Warbler ap- peared 27 Aug (PEL). Especially late Wilson’s included one in the Talkeetna area through 10 Oct (DP) and one in Ketchikan through 22 Nov (SCH et al.). An American Tree Sparrow was a good find on the deck of a vessel at sea s. of St. Matthew 1. 6 Sep (LHD). Elsewhere, southbound mi- grants arrived early in Southeast sites, e.g., 19 Sep in Juneau (NRH, GB'V), and in above-av- erage numbers, including 40 in Juneau 15 Oct (PMS) and 55 there 16 Oct (GBV). Extralim- ital Chipping Sparrows pushed n. of their range: a single was near the Colville R. mouth 17 Oct (ph. JH), making a 2nd fall record from the North Slope, and 4 were at Gambell, on various dates 3-16 Sep (vt. PEL, AL et al). An ad. Lark Sparrow, the 2nd ever docu- mented in Alaska, looked out of place in coastal rainforest at Ketchikan 13-22 Sep (ph. JHL). The season’s only Swamp Sparrow oc- curred in Juneau 19 Nov (tNRH). Nearly all of the Region’s occasional fall reports come from the Ketchikan area. At least 11 White- throated Sparrows from Southeast localities 23 Sep-30 Nov (7 in Ketchikan 25 Oct-30 Nov, a record season) was a good total; an- other was in Homer 8 Nov QDL, AL, MK). Rare and not annual in the Aleutians, another Golden-crowned Sparrow visited Unalaska 10 Oct (ph. AL, SG). What were possibly the same 3 oreganus Dark-eyed Juncos occupied two separated willow patches in two sections of Unalaska 1 & 6 Nov (ph. RAM, SG), the lo- cation of most of the very few Aleutian re- ports, all from late fall and winter. The Little Bunting located at Gambell 23 Sep (vt. PEL) became that site’s 21st overall since the early 1990s. An imm. Rustic Bunting attended a Ketchikan feeder 23-30 Nov and was joined by another 10-29 Nov QFK, ph. SCH, m.ob.). This species is found sporadically in Alaska, most often in the w. Aleutians in spring; in fall. Rustics are casual there and on other Bering Sea islands, and we have four Alaska records away from those sites, including two previous Southeast obser- vations Quneau and Mitkof L). The precious few days with favorable winds at Gambell produced an imm. Yellow-breasted Bunting 2 Sep, the Region’s first in fall and only the 6th ever, and an imm. Pallas’s Bunting, showing remnant juv. plumage characters, also 2 Sep, Gambell’s 3rd in fall (both vt. PEL, ph. AL, ph. MT et al). Eall migrant Western Tanagers are rarely located away from Southeast Main- land breeding areas, so 2 at Ketchikan 22 Sep (SCH, AWP, JDL) and one there 27 Sep (SCH) were notable. Alaska’s 9th Rose-breasted Grosbeak was photographed at a Ketchikan area feeder 27 Sep (ph. CMC), where there are now several fall reports. Black-headed Grosbeaks have been increasing in both spring and fall since the late 1990s, and they made a good showing in Southeast again this season. Two at Wrangell 2 Sep (KM, BHD) ap- parently included a male that had been there all summer. Singles were also reported at Ketchikan 14-21 Sep (ph. JHL) and 22-24 Oct 136 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS ALASKA (ph. LHD) and offshore in Sitka 26 Sep-5 Oct (AJ, ph. BF). A Pheucticus at Ketchikan 30 Aug (SCH, AWP) was likely a Black-headed. An imm. male Yellow-headed Blackbird at Ketchikan 12 Aug (ph. JHL) made a 2nd local report; most of the Regions observations of this casual visitor likely involve overshoots and are concentrated between late May and late Jul. Each fall, small numbers of Brown- headed Cowbirds are typically scattered across Southeast sites, where the species is rare and possibly breeds, but the 17 total for the season was more than double the Region’s previous high. Most were singles noted be- tween 3 Aug and 12 Sep, with a local one-day high count of 3 at Yakutat 11-12 Sep (ph. GSB) and a season peak of 6 around Ketchikan 28 Aug-11 Sep (m.ob.). Casual for the Bering Sea was a Rusty Blackbird that vis- ited St. Paul I. 9-10 Oct (St. Paul Tour), where there are about seven previous fall reports. Brambling reports were outside the norm this fall, starting with a very early arrival, certain- ly for Gambell where they are not annual, on 3 Sep (ph. AL, ph. MT, vt. PEL). Another ear- ly bird was at St. Paul 4 Sep (St. Paul Tour); 6 were in the Strawberry Hill groves at Unalas- ka 21-22 Sep (ph. AL, SG); and one was at sea in Bristol Bay 134 km ssw. of Cape Newen- ham 7 Oct (ph. AL). Casual in fall were single Common Rosefinches in the Gambell mid- dens 22 Aug (vt. PEL) and 28 Aug-2 Sep (vt. PEL, ph. AL, ph. MT et al.). Gambell had pro- duced four previous documented fall reports. Ketchikan always seems good for the Region’s obligatory fall or winter Purple Finch reports. which this season include 2 at a feeder there for most of Nov (KMR). This species remains sporadic and very rare in fall or winter in Ketchikan but still casual elsewhere, mostly in Southeast. Wandering Pine Siskins ven- tured off the Mainland into the Bering Sea, where they are casual. Up to 2 were present at Gambell 20-22 Aug (vt. PEL) for the 5th year there in fall since 1999. More unusual for the e. Aleutians, where siskins are casual, up to 5 foraged in the Unalaska groves 21 Sep (ph. AL, SG), and another 2 were in the vicinity 1 Nov (RAM, SG). The prolific Ketchikan area House Sparrow pioneers nested for a 3rd time 30 Aug-Sep. The female was observed carrying food 6 Sep and attending 2 fledglings 7 Sep (AWP, SCH, JHL). At least 7 of varying ages were observed in the nest area and at a nearby feeder through the season. Contributors and observers (area compilers in boldface): B. A. Agler, J. B. Allen, R. H. Armstrong, G. S. Baluss, E. Benitz, B. Benter, S. Berns, A. Bohl, K. Bovee, j, Brady-Power, K. Buesseler, G. V Byrd, M. Cady, N. Cattrerson, E. W. Clark, P Coffey, R. Corcoran, K. Cren- shaw, D. Crowson,J. E. Dearborn, D. E Delap, B. H. Demerjian, L. Devaney, J. DeWitt, N. De- Witt (Interior), L. H. DiCicco, B. Dittrick, N. K. Drumheller, S. DuBois, L. Edfelt, S. Echols, P Eldridge, M. Enright, T. Eskelin, T. Evans, D. Fox, P & C. Fritz, C. A, Fultz, T. Galloway, D. D. Gibson, R. E. Gill, M. R. Goff, S. Golod- off, R. j. Gordon, T. L. Goucher, C. Griswold, S, Hansen, M K. Hart, C. Harwood, N. Hatch, N. R. Hajdukovich, S. C. Heinl (Southeast), j. Helmericks, 1. Helmericks, High Lonesome Birdtours (D. McKay, D. Radin et al), K. Hocker, P. & T. Hunt, B. Hunter,]. Hunting- ton, D. Hurley, J. Johnson, K. Johnson, D. Jones, P. Keller, W. Keys, M. Kilcher, M. Kissling, E. Kistler, J. F. Koerner, G. Koonooka, K. Kuletz, K. L. LaBounty, A. Lang, J. Leighton, H. Lentfer, J. D. Levison, J. H. Lewis, M. Macintosh, R. A. Macintosh, D. MacKay, D. MacPhail, M. McCafferty, C. McIntyre, S. J. McCurdy, B. Meiklejohn, N. Mollett, M. Mooring, K. Morse, L. J. Oakley, B. B. Paige, E. Pandolfino, B. Pawuk, B. Peluso, G. Pendleton, M. Pherson, A. W. Piston (Southeast), J. E. Piston, D.& S. Porter, P. Pourchot, D. Prentki, J. Puschock, K. M. Rip- ley, P. A. Rose, C. L. Ross, K. Rousey D. Rud- is, K. Russell,]. Sauer, L. Scharf, J. Schas, R. L. Scher, G. Schorr, M. W. Schwan, A. Selin, S. Senner, D. Shaw, L. Skeek, J. & E. Smith, G. Smith, D. W. Sonneborn, M. Spindler, E. Stahl, K. Stenek, St. Paul Tour (S. Schuette et al.), G. Streveler, S. Studebaker, P. M. Suchanek, A. Swingley M. Taylor, M. E. Tedin, T. Tobish, J. Trochet, C. Trussell, W. Tweit, S. Urvina, G. B. Van Vliet, P. Vanselow, V. Vosburg, M. L. Ward, K. L. Wendt, L. A. Wild, Wilderness Birding Adventures (B. Dittrick, A. Lang et al), M. E Wilson, R. Winckler,]. Withrow, K. Zervos, S. Zimmerman. Details (t), specimens (*), pho- tographs (ph.), videotape (vt.), and audiotape (v.r.) referenced in this report are on file at the University of Alaska Museum. © Thede Tobish, 2510 Foraker Drive Anchorage, Alaska 99517, (tgtljo@gci.net) British Columbia yUK0M.. Dease Lake* Fort* Nelson :*a ‘ . Mackenzie Massey .•Pripcs Rupert * Queen Charlotte , Islands • ! Fort St. John •I Dawson Creek \ - Queen i Charlotte C City I * Prince George Tofino* Vancouver Island Williams Lake* Reveistoke' Kamloopsi •Vernon ' ■/ Vartcpilver * Kelowna -* * V • Penticton ’ \ Victoria Cranbrook Chris Charlesworth August began and ended hot and dry, with only a few days of showery weather in between. Forest fires from the previous months continued to burn in ar- eas of tbe interior of the province. Sepember continued the warm trend, with some interi- or locations reporting their warmest Sepem- ber on record. However, it was wetter than during the previous several months. Only the last few days of the month hinted at the au- tumn weather to come. The overall nice weather spurred many migrants to overfly the Region altogether. The Vaseux Lake Banding Station recorded its lowest number of migrant birds ever during a fall banding season. Fre- quent storms moved onto the coast through October and November, but only a timid brand of Arctic air made its way into the inte- rior by season’s end. Snowpacks were low at all valley locations by the end of the period. WATERFOWL THROUGH HAWKS Greater White-fronted Geese, uncommon to rare through much of the interior of the province, were noted at several locations throughout the period. A bird with a neck- band was reported at Fort St. James 9 Oct (RR); 500 were seen in migration over Mc- Queen’s Slough in Dawson Creek 5 Sep QHD); and up to 4 frequented the Kelowna area, first seen at Munson’s Pond 29 Sep (CC). Rare but regular in the interior, 42 Snow Geese were seen over Vernon and later over Kelowna 3 Oct (RC, CS); one was at the Maude Roxby VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 137 BRITISH COLUMBIA This rare Black Phoebe near¥ancoy¥er, British Columbia remained from 7 (here 8) September through 26 October 2009. Photograph by Peter Candida. Bird Sanctuary, Kelowna 28 Sep (RCa). Four Ross’s Geese were in farm fields near New- lands, 50 km ne. of Prince George, 4-18 Oct (CA, MA, m.ob.). A juv. Emperor Goose was seen by many and photographed in Richmond 19-21 Oct (HT, m.ob.). Not particularly com- mon in late summer, 2 male Eurasian Wigeons were at Boundary Bay 11 Aug (DT). Uncom- mon to rare fall migrants in the interior, a White-winged Scoter was seen at the S.S. Sica- mous in Penticton 31 Oct OTu); 5 Surf Scoters were at the same location 11 Oct (LRo), as was a Long-tailed Duck 8 Oct (RCa). In the Peace River region, 2 female Rock Ptarmigan, each with broods of 3 chicks, were found on Pink Mt. 7 Aug QHD)- migrants on interior lakes. Pacific Loons were reported at Burton in the West Kootenays 7 Sep (GD), on the Nechako R. in Prince George 7-12 Nov (JB, LH), and on Okanagan L. near Peachland 21 Sep (3 birds; CC, CS); elsewhere, 2 were at Vaseux L. 18 Oct (RC, TM), and up 4 were at the n. end of Osoyoos L. 18 Oct (RC, TM). An ad. Yellow-billed Loon in basic plumage was on Okanagan L. s. of Kelowna 5 Oct (CC, RC). A few single Clark’s Grebes were seen outside of their only Regional breeding loca- tion, Salmon Arm: at Callanan L. in the Cari- boo 24-25 Oct (JF); at Williams L. 19 Sep (ph. KA); at Chilliwack 27 Sep (DT); and at Black- ie Spit in White Rock 7 Oct OX m.ob.). Very rarely seen from shore, a Black-footed Albatross was noted with a large feeding flock of gulls off Tower Pt., Metchosin, s. Vancouver 1. 17 Sep (DA). A gadfly petrel photographed by several birders on a pelagic trip 6 Oct (MTo, ST, FR, AA) showed an underwing pattern typ- ical of Solander’s Petrel; the bird was found 52 km w. of Tofino. Review of the photographs by Chris Corben, Steve Howell, Hadoram Shirihai, and others suggests that the bird’s slight build, and bill, are more indicitive Murphy’s Petrel, but review is ongoing. A Manx Shearwater was seen from Tower Pt., Metchosin 26 Aug (DA), as was an ad. Brown Booby 11 Aug (MTo, ST). Brown Pelican records were sparse this period, with 2 seen from Tower Pt. 11 Aug (DA). A Double-crested Cormorant was at Lardeau in the West Koote- nays through the first half of Aug {fide GD); another was found in the Okanagan at the s. end of Wood L. in Lake Coun- try 26 Sep (CC, RC); and 35 at Castlegar 25 Sep-3 Oct (MM) was an astonishingly high num- ber for an interior location. Sin- gle Cattle Egrets were seen in a farmer’s field near Prince George 18 Oct (fide CA), near McBride 22 Oct {fide ES), in Telkwa in mid-Oct (Brenda Mallory), at Nakusp 24-25 Oct (ph. SM), and in rural Delta 23 Nov (NH). The only Broad-winged Hawk reported was at Castlegar in the Kootenays 23 Sep (Michael McMann). The province’s first Red-shouldered Hawk, an ad., was found at the Rocky Point B.O. 17 Sep (RM, IC) and seen again later that day over Sooke (Rick Toochin). Rare in the Prince George checklist area, an ad. dark-morph Swainson’s Hawk was at the Vanderhoof Air- port 29 Aug (CA, Nancy Krueger). Also rare on Vancouver I., a juv. Swainson’s Hawk was over East Sooke Park 14 Sep (KM). The only Gyrfal- con reported was along 96th Street in Delta 1 Nov (MT,JT). GULLS THROUGH SHOREBiRDS Two Franklin’s Gulls were at the mouth of Power’s Cr. in West Kelowna 25 Aug {fide CC); singles were noted at Iona in Richmond 13 Aug (Guy Pickavance), at the Maude Rox- by Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna 26 Aug (]L, CC), at Salmon Arm 28 Aug (CC, MR CS), at Robert L., Kelowna 15 Sep (RC), and at Es- quimau Lagoon near Victoria 26 Sep {fide RS). An unusually large flock of 120 Bonaparte’s Gulls was at Kokanee Creek Park near Nelson 9 Oct (JA). On Vancouver I., an ad. Black- headed Gull was near Qualicum Bay 7-8 Nov (Tom & Evelyn Constable, GM, m.ob.). An ad. Little Gull was found at Nulki L. near Van- derhoof 27 Sep (CCo, jG). Interestingly, there have been three records of Little Gull at this lake within the past year. An ad. Black-tailed Gull was studied at Clover Pt., Victoria 14 Nov (MMc). A first-cycle Glaucous Gull was at the Foothills Landfill in Prince George 2-8 Oct (CCo), the 2nd local fall record. An ad. Kumlien’s Iceland Gull was at the mouth of Mission Cr., Kelowna 23 Sep (CC). Also in Kelowna, an ad. Lesser Black-backed Gull was at Robert L. 15 Sep+ (RC, m.ob.). In cen. British Columbia, single juv. Sabine’s Gulls were seen at Eaglet L. 7 Sep (CCo, DCo) and at Nulki L. 27 Sep {fide CA). In the West Kootenays, a Caspian Tern was observed 7 Sep (GD). Rare on the Lower Mainland, a Black Tern was at White Rock 31 Aug-3 Sep (DT, m.ob.). A Parasitic Jaeger was at Salmon Arm 29 Aug (ES, GS). An imm. Long- tailed Jaeger was in Cranbrook 15 Aug (Dianne Cooper), while on Vancouver I., another imm. Long- tailed Jaeger was watched chasing California Gulls off Tower Pt., Metchosin 11 Aug (DA). An American Golden-Plover and a Pacific Golden-Plover were seen together at the Eng- lishman R. Estuary near Parksville 7 Sep (GM, RMo). An American Avocet was at Blackie Spit in White Rock 31 Oct QX A1 McTavish). A long-staying Willet was at Oak Bay, Victoria 3 Sep-27 Oct (Warren Drinnan, m.ob.). A Hud- sonian Godiwit was at the Reifel Refuge in Ladner 27-31 Aug (BS, m.ob.); another was at Boundary Bay at the foot of 96th Street in Delta 7 Sep (MT); and in the interior, a juv. was at Christmas L, Salmon Arm 13-27 Sep (RC, m.ob.). A Dunlin was at the Maude Rox- by Bird Sanctuary, Kelowna 31 Oct (JL, CC). Two Ruddy Turnstones seen near Kamloops at Tranquille 25 Aug (jan Bradshaw) were a nice find. A juv. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was seen at the Shelley Sludge Lagoons near Prince George 10 Sep QB), where another was pho- tographed 27 Sep (Clive Keen). In the Lower Mainland, single juv. Sharp-tailed Sandpipers were seen at Boundary Bay at the foot of 96th Street in Delta 9 Oct (MW, Chris Turner); one was at the Reifel Refuge 11 Oct {fide Peter Lypkie); and one was in Richmond 23 Oct (DT). In ne. British Columbia, an Upland Sandpiper was heard calling in flight at Tum- bler Ridge 13 Aug (Charles Helm). Several Buff-breasted Sandpipers appeared in the province this period, including an ad. pho- tographed at the Shelley Sludge Lagoons, Prince George 10 Sep QB). Also in the interi- or, 2 appeared at Salmon Arm 1 Sep (GS, DC), only the 2nd record for the Prince George area. Up to 2 Buff-breasteds were in the Boundary Bay area between 24 Aug (MW, IP) and 14 Sep (IP, MT), and on Vancouver I., one was at Whiffen Spit, Sooke 2 Sep (Gerry Ansell). Single juv. Stilt Sandpipers were found at Rose’s Pond, Vernon 28 Aug (CC, MF), at Robert L., Kelov/na 8-9 Sep (RC, m.ob.), and at the mouth of Hoden Cr. near Parksville 18 Oct (RMo, Mike Ashbee); up to , 9 were at Salmon Arm 8 Aug (TH). DOVES THROUGH GRACKLES Eurasian Collared-Doves continue to spread through the province at a rapid pace. Report- ed regularly from the Okanagan, Lower Main- land, and Vancouver I., they were also report- ed in the Kootenays for the first time, and in BRITISH COLUMBIA in British Columbia, this Lark Bunting ¥isited Vancouver's Cecil Green Park 11 (here) and 12 October 2009. Photograph by Peter Candida. the Creston, Cranbrook, and Johnson’s Land- ing areas (fide GD). A Snowy Owl was at Iona in Richin,ond 3 Nov (PC). The only report of Northern Hawk Owl for the period came from Kaslo 30 Oct (Lorna Surina). An Anna’s Hum- mingbird was in the Okanagan at a feeder in Naramata 5 Oct OU- A male Rufous Hum- mingbird banded in Dunster in May was re- captured 2900 km away in Fort Davis, Texas 19 Aug (fide ES). Lewis’s Woodpeckers are rare in the province away from of the dry Southern Interior. A pair visited Maplewood Flats in North Vancouver 31 Aug-5 Sep (Paul Kusmin, m.ob.); one was in Burnaby at Deer Lake Park 11 Sep (GC, Cathy Aitchison); and another was at Port Moody 12 Sep (Hilary Maguire). Coastally rare, a Red-naped Sap- sucker at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver 31 Oct was of note (IT). A rare migrant on Vancouver 1., single Dusky Flycatchers were at the Rocky Point B.O. 22 Aug (RM) and at the Englishman R. Estuary near Parksville 27 Aug (GM). A very obliging Black Phoebe remained in Richmond at Terra Nova from 8 Sep (PC) until at least 26 Oct (m.ob.). Two Ash-throat- ed Flycatcher reports were received from the Lower Mainland; one at Serpentine Fen, Sur- rey 20 Aug (Tom Bearss, Rochelle Farquhar et al), the other the Matsqui Trail in Abbotsford 22 Aug OV). In Delta, a Western Kingbird was along 96th Street near Boundary Bay 24 Aug (MW, IP); another was on Vancouver I. at the Rocky Point B.O. 13 Sep (Aziza Cooper). A Tropical Kingbird was on Vancouver 1. at the Carmanah Point Lighthouse 19 Oct (JE). A Blue Jay discovered 9 Nov on Kelowna’s Westside at Trader’s Cove (CC) remained throughout the period. A Western Scrub-Jay, first reported 9 Jun, remained in Maple Ridge throughout the period (RCr, m.ob.). Thirty Clark’s Nutcrackers were seen on Grouse Mt. in North Vancouver 5 Oct (Les Lee, Devin Manky); one appeared somewhat out of habi- tat in the driftwood at the Carmanah Point Lighthouse, Vancouver 1. 4 Nov QE). An amazing 15 Cliff Swallows were reported in Salmon Arm on the late date of 31 Oct (DC). On Vancouver L, a Rock Wren was pho- tographed at Miracle Beach near Comox 12 Oct (Dave Ingram). There was a Mountain Bluebird along 88th Avenue in Delta 12 Nov (NH). A Hermit Thrush in a campground in Oliver 24 Nov provided a very late date (CS). In Prince George, 2 Tennessee Warblers were j seen in with a flock of Yellow-rumped War- blers in Fort George Park 18 Sep OG). The star warbler of the period was a first-fall male Prairie Warbler found in a yard in Tofino 28 Sep; it remained until 3 Oct (AD, m.ob.). Sin- gle Palm Warblers were seen along the Fraser R. in Prince George 30-31 Oct (]G, m.ob.), in the Colwood area of Victoria 16 Sep (DA), on Stubbs I. near Tofino 4 Oct (AD), and at the Nanaimo R. Estuary 21 Oct-15 Nov Qon Carter, m.ob.). A tardy Yellow Warbler was at the Chichester Bird Sanctuary in Kelowna 1 Nov (RC). Rare in British Columbia anywhere away from the Peace R., a first- fall female Mourning Warbler was banded near Rev- elstoke 2 Sep (RC). Northern Waterthrush, rare along the coast, was noted at Maple- wood Flats, North Vancouver 19 Aug (QB), on Vancouver I. at Rocky Point B.O. 17 Aug (IC), and in Victoria at Tuesday Pond 7 Sep (CSa). Rare on Vancouver I., an American Redstart was at the Rocky Point B.O. 17 Aug (IC). New for Sutherland Hills Park, Kelowna’s main migrant trap, was a Clay-colored Spar- row 19 Aug (CC); up to 7 were at the Chich- ester Bird Sanctuary, Kelowna 14 Sep (RC) and one was at Swan L. in Victoria 15 Aug (CSa). A Vesper Sparrow at Iona in Richmond 28 Aug (CC) was a good find. One of Van- couver’s best birds for the period, a Lark Bunting was found in Cecile Green Park 11- 12 Oct (PC, m.ob.). Single Swamp Sparrows were reported at the w. end of McCurdy Rd. in Kelowna 1 Nov (CC), at the Chichester Bird Sanctuary, Kelowna 4 Nov (RC), at the Rocky Point B.O 26 Sep (RS), and at King’s Pond, Victoria 8 Oct (IC). Harris’s Sparrows were very hard to find this fall. The only ones re- ported were 2 imms. at Christmas I. near Salmon Arm 6 Oct (DC, PB) and one imm. along the Kettle Valley Railway in Penticton 1 Nov QGi). The usual smattering of White- throated Sparrows were reported in the Kootenays, the Okanagan Valley, the Lower Mainland, and Vancouver I., all places where this species is a rare but regular migrant. Van- couver’s star bird for the period was undoubt- edly the McCown’s Longspur seen by many in Stanley Park 10-14 Oct (Mike Boyd, m.ob.). A flock of 75 Lapland Longspurs in Nakusp 3 Oct (GD) represents a local high count. A Smith’s Longspur was at the Delkat- la Wildlife Refuge on Haida Gwaii 1 Oct (MH, PH, Martin Williams). A female Black-headed Grosbeak hit a window in Masset on Haida Gwaii 3 Sep (Marvin & Donna Crist), repre- senting the 6th record for the islands. On Vancouver I., an imm. Common Crack- le was at Happy Valley in Victoria 27 Sep (DA). Four Rusty Blackbirds were at Kokanee Creek Park near Nelson 9 Oct QA); a male visited the Kelowna Landfill 27 Nov+ (RC.m.ob.); and one returned to Swan L., Vic- toria for the 5th year in a row 5 Oct (CSa). A Brewer’s Blackbird was at the Dixon Entrance G.C. in Masset, on Haida Gwaii 25 Oct (MH, PH). An imm. Orchard Oriole was a great find in a Tofino garden 3 Oct (RMo). White- winged Crossbills staged a bit of an invasion into the high-elevation forests of the Okana- gan Valley this summer, where large flocks were seen repeatedly; 50 were along the Big White Rd. 13 Aug (CC, CS). A Pine Grosbeak at Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver 28 Nov was noteworthy (IT, m.ob.). Observers (subregional compilers in boldface) Artie Ahier, David Allinson, Kris Andrews; Cathy Antoniazzi, Janice Arndt Peter Blokker, James Bradley, Jack Bowling (JBo; weather re- port), Quentin Brown, Peter Candido, Don Ce- cile, Richard Cannings (RCa), Russ Cannings, Chris Charlesworth, George Clulow, Christo- pher Coxson (CCo), Debbie Coxson (DCo), Roger Craik (RCr), Ian Cruikshank, Gary Davidson Jim H. Davis QHD), Jerry Etzkorn, Jamie Fenneman, Mike Force, Roger Foxall, Jeremy Gatten, Carlo Giovanella, Jim Ginns QCi), Peter Hamel, Margo Hearne, Nathan Hentze, Liz Hewison, Ted Hillary, Marlene Johnston, Judy Latta, Thor Manson, Derek Matthews, Mike Mcgrenere (MMc), Sue Mclean, Michael McMann, Ron Melcer, Kirsten Mills, Guy Monty, Rich Mooney (RMo), Laure Neish, Ilya Povalyaev, Phil Ran- son, Randy Rawluk, Lesley Robertson, Laurie Rockwell (LRo), Chris Saunders (CSa), Rick Schortinghuis, Brian Self, Chris Siddle, Elsie Stanley, Emily Styles, Geoff Styles, Richard Swanston, Mike Tabak, John Tabak, Ian Thomas, Mike Toochin (MTo), Sharon Toochin, Hank Tsen, Jim Turnbull QTu), Dan- ny Tyson, John Vooys, Mark Wynja. O Chris Charlesworth, Avocet Tours 571 Cawston Avenue, Kelowna, British Columbia, VI Y 6S5 (c_chariesworth23@hotmail.com) VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 139 Oregon & Washington Coos Bay 24 Sep+ and 2 at Floras L., Curry || were the only other westside birds. There i;] were no reports from e. Washington, which | has averaged nearly 4 per fall since 2005. A ' heavy movement of Aleutian Cackling Goose 'l (subspecies leucopareia) passed along the i Oregon coast 18 Oct, with 5000+ counted at f N.S.C.B. during a 1.5-hour watch (TR). One Aleutian near Kingston, Kitsap 10-15 Nov (BW) provided a very rare Washington record Ij away from the outer coast. Single Black Brant at Brook L. Grant 5 Nov (R. Finger) and Kent, | King 18 Nov (C. Schulz) were only the detec- j j tions away from salt water; the former repre- j,| sents the 8th record from e. Washington. An exceptionally early Tundra Swan was at 1 Steigerwald L., Skamania 22-25 Aug (C. i; Healy, K. Healy); this species typically arrives ) in late Oct or Nov; it is likely that this bird ( summered nearby. A Mallard x Gadwall hybrid (“Brewer’s f- Duck”) inhabited Tukwilla, King 22-23 Oct I (ph. K. Andrich); this cross is now found an- '■ nually in the Region. A more expected (now i) annual) Mallard x Northern Pintail graced I'; Nisqually 22 Nov (BT). A Eurasian Wigeon, i banded and fitted with satellite telemetry j;. equipment in the Klamath Basin last spring, was tracked as it moved about e. Washington ! ; throughout the summer and into Sep, when it 1 1 succumbed to unknown causes at Gloyd i; Seeps, Grant. Just 2 other Eurasians were re- J ported from e. Washington, yielding one of - With the establishment af multiple hawkwatches in the Padfic Northwest, Broad- winged Hawks have proven to he rare but regular fall migrants through both Ore- gon and Washington. This dark-morph bird was captured and banded at Chelan Ridge, Chelan County, Washington 28 September 2909. Photograph by Unknown Photographer. David Irons Douglas Schonewald Brad Waggoner BillTweit Longest of our four reporting periods, the fall season is invariably comprised of several sub-seasons. In August and even into early September, some species were still completing their nesting duties (see Red- eyed Vireo), so it is not always possible to de- termine whether a bird is a migrant or sum- mered locally. By period’s end, many species of waterfowl, raptors, and passerines had set- tled in at sites where they would winter. In general, it was wetter and milder than normal throughout the season. Precipitation in each month was above normal but substantially so in November. A major “red tide” bloom of Akashiwo sanguined off Oregon and Washing- ton was blamed for the deaths of thousands of seabirds — mostly Red-throated Loons and Common Murres — starting in late October; this was the season’s only significant seabird die-off. When agitated by the surf, blooms of this toxic phytoplankton form a soapy sub- stance, which covers birds and ruins the wa- terproofing on their feathers. Most succumb to hypothermia. During the last two weeks of November, a series of strong storms deposited coastal/pelagic species in locales where they were previously unknown (see Leach’s and Fork-tailed Storm-Petrels and Heermann’s Gull). In between the end of the breeding season and the onset of winter, it seemed that there was something of interest happening with nearly every species. This column offers a mixed bag of high counts, low counts, record dates (early and late), positive data, and, in several cases, negative data. It seemed to be a down year for unusual shorebirds, in particu- lar several semi-rare mid-sized waders (see Stilt Sandpiper and Ruff). This shortfall was offset by a sparkling assortment of unexpect- ed passerines and other rarities that kept ob- servers entertained. Additionally, the seabird show within the Straits of Juan de Fuca was nothing short of spectacular. Huge gatherings of tubenoses and gulls in August and Septem- ber were unprecedented. Finally, two more species were added to the Region’s checklist. In the context of our Region’s ongoing avian story, aspects of this season’s summary may come to represent important benchmarks in long-term trends. Abbrevations: Ankeny (Ankeny N.W.R., Mar- ion), Baskett Slough (Basket! Slough N.W.R., Polk), E.E.W. (E, E. Wilson W.M.A., Benton), Finley (William L. Finley N.W.R., Benton), ER.R. (Fern Ridge Res., Lane), G.L.S.R.A. (Goose Lake S.R.A., Lake), N.S.C.B. (North Spit Coos Bay, Coos), O.S. (Ocean Shores, Grays Harbor), P.N.E (Pt. No Point, Kitsap), P.S.B. (Port Susan Bay, Snohomish), ET. (Puget Trough), Ridgefield (Ridgefield N.W.R., Clark), S.J.C.R. (South Jetty Columbia R., Clatsop), W.W.R.D. (Walla Walla River Delta, Walla Walla). W.Y (Willamette Valley, OR), “Eastside” and “westside” indicate locations e. and w. of the Cascade crest, respectively. WATERFOWL THROUGH FALCONS Peak flights of southbound Greater White- fronted Geese passed through w. Oregon dur- ing the last week of Sep; “thousands” of noc- turnal migrants were heard over Siskiyou Summit, Jackson 24 Sep (E Lospalluto), and flocks total- ing 2185 were counted pass- ing over Merlin, Josephine 25 Sep (DV). A flock of 1950 Greater White-fronteds at McNary N.W.R., Benton 5 Sep (SM) was an outstanding fall count for e. Washington. Numbers of migrant Snow Geese in e. Washington grow with each passing season; this fall’s reports were high- lighted by 2200 at Paterson Slough, Benton and another 475 at Plymouth, Benton 14 Nov (M&MLD). Blue Geese again fraternized with the s. Skagit/n. Snohomish Snow Goose flock, with at least 7 noted 18 Oct-24 Nov (GB), while another at Ridgefield 8 Nov was very rare for sw. Washington (fide SM). On the eastside, 3 were noted away from the favored Harney and Klamath basins 19-25 Sep. An errant Ross’s Goose near Chehalis, Lewis 27 Nov (R. Moyer) was the first fall re- port in w. Washington since 2004; one at the lowest fall tallies in memory. The 2500 [ American Wigeons on Tillamook Bay 3 Oct j (CK, PS) marked the first major influx of the f season. The season’s lone Eurasian Teal was at 1 1 Nisqually 23 Nov (RM, CW), while Eurasian ||: Teal X Green-winged Teal intergrades went b U OREGON & WASHINGTON These two juvenile Hudsonian Godwits lingered at Newport, Lincoln County, Oregon 4-12 (here 4) September 2009. In the field, the front bird was presumed to be fe- male based on its noticeably larger size and longer bill than the rear bird, which was presumed to be a male. Photograph by David Irons. unreported. Although modest when com- pared to the peak numbers found along the Columbia R., a gathering of 3120 Greater Scaup at Lummi Bay, Whatcom 22 Nov (RM, JBP) was a high count for the RT. The female King Eider that summered at O.S. remained through the fall period (m.ob.). A first-year male King at Potlatch, Mason 21 Nov was Washington’s 20th; most records have oc- eurred late Oct-early May. Single Harlequin Ducks at Soap L., Grant 8 Aug (DS) and Hood Park, Benton 8 Oct (fide M&MLD) provided rare lowland fall reports. Fifty eastside Surf Scoters 13 Oct-22 Nov was about 150% of the seasonal average, while 17 Surfs at favored Hagg L., Washington 11 Oct (SS) were the westside’s only inland birds. White-winged Scoters showed spectacularly e. of the Cas- cades; 34 reported 11 Oct-26 Nov was nearly triple the norm. A pair of Black Scoters at L. Lenore, Grant 23 Oct (TL) made about the 13th inland record for the Region; at least one [ of these birds remained through 1 Nov (DS). The inland showing of Long-tailed Ducks was very poor for the 2nd straight fall. One at 1 Banks L., Grant 19 Nov (fide DG) was the only report from e. Washington, where 7+ is normal. A single at Hagg L. 28 Oct (SS) was in the W.V, where less than annual. Barely an- ' nual along the Oregon coast, a lone Barrow’s Goldeneye graced Seaside, Clatsop (DB), : while another inland at Philomath 22 Nov+ ■ was a Benton first (WDR, JS, m.ob.). ■ Major loon flights failed to materialize at i Boiler Bay, where high counts for Pacific , Loons typically range into the tens of thou- j sands. The daily maximum of Pacifie Loons , (2500 at Lincoln City 4 Nov) was about one ; tenth of normal, while counts of 6000 Red- j throated Loons at Boiler Bay on 13 & 19 Nov j (PP) were highest there for either species. Wickiup Res., the eastside’s largest staging site, hosted 200 Common Loons 18 Oct (SD). The only Yellow-billed Loon reports came from w. Washington; a likely return- ing bird was at Pt. Wilson, Jefferson 17 Nov -r (B. Whit- ney), and another inhabited Ediz Hook, Clallam 21 Nov (RM, BW). About normal for w. Washington, 9 Clark’s Grebes were detected 8 Sep- 14 Nov. Four Laysan Albatrosses, reported 9 Aug-27 Sep, equaled the decade’s best fall tally (2006). Offshore trips encountered highly variable numbers of Black-footed Al- batrosses; Westport pelagics averaged 35/trip, but 390 were found 29 Aug. Similarly, Ore- gon’s Perpetua Bank hosted 500 on 8 Aug and 350 on 3 Oct (GGi). Two Cook’s Petrels were reported off Reedsport, Douglas 31 Aug, and at least one more was seen off Coos/Curry the same day (TJG, tOS); Oregon has but one ac- cepted record for this species. Pink-footed Shearwater counts remained well above the norm, with an exceptional 2434 off Westport 22 Aug (fide BT) and 1345 seen from a cruise ship in Oregon waters 22 Sep QW); collec- tively, Oregon and Washington trips averaged about 650, which would represent the sea- sonal maximum in most years. Continuing a recent fall trend, from-shore counts of Pink-footed Shearwaters were far above the norm; 120 flew past Cape Flattery 9 Sep (RM, CW), and 150 were at Boiler Bay 4 Oct (PP). Even more remarkable was the collection of shearwaters that wandered more than 100 km eastward into the Straits of Juan de Fuca 26 Sep (SM, BW). Fourteen Pink-footed Shearwaters off the Elwha R. mouth, Clallam and another 7 even farther e. near Port Angeles that day were nearly without prece- dent; a single storm-driven bird at Clover Pt, Vancouver 1. 22 Sep 1958 represents the only other Pink-footed record for these inland marine waters, in addition to the Pink- footeds, 43 Sooty Shearwaters and one Short-tailed Shearwater were off Ediz Hook, Clallam 26 Sep (SM, BW). Just 8 Flesh-footed Shearwaters were not- ed, with all but one off Westport; the lone Oregon bird was off Coos 22 Sep (fide JW et ah). The Region’s 4th Greater Shearwater (all since 2001) highlighted the 29 Aug Westport trip (ph. RS, tBT); this is Washington’s 3rd record. Mirroring the poor showing in 2008, fewer than 200 Buller’s Shearwaters were re- ported all season. The 36,717 Sooty Shearwa- ters tallied out of Westport 9 Aug was excep- tional; otherwise, this species was reported in low numbers offshore, averaging about 825/trip. As expected, the season’s high count came from shore; 100,0004- were just off Clat- sop Beach just s. of the Columbia R. mouth 15 Aug (C. Cordy). Most surprising, and very rare at any time in the PT., was one Sooty near Bremerton, Kitsap 14 Sep (fide CW). Three Short-tailed Shearwaters seen from shore at Cape Flattery 9 Sep (RM, CW) were about three weeks early. Seven Manx Shearwaters 7 Aug-31 Oct matched recent fall totals; the lat- est, at Boiler Bay 31 Oct (PP), was quite tardy, as most of the Region’s fall records come Aug-Sep. One 35 km w. of Cape Foulweather, Lincoln 12 Sep (D. Mandell) was the only at- sea report. A Wilson’s Storm-Petrel was re- ported 104 km w. of Pistol River, Cuiry 23 Aug (tJG, tOS); there are just three accepted records for Oregon, plus two others pending. Amidst a series of late-Nov storms, a Fork- tailed Storm-Petrel appeared 260 km up the Columbia R. at Hood River 22 Nov (SJ); this is more than three times farther away from salt water than the previous inland record for the Region. The only notable tallies of Fork- taileds came from Perpetua Bank; 700 were there 8 Aug and 550 on 12 Sep (GGi). One near Pt. Bellingham, Whatcom 27 Aug (F Sears) was very rare for the Puget Trough, not a storm-related occurrence. Single storm- blown Leach’s Storm-Petrels were 80 km in- land at Philomath, Benton (ph. WDR, JSi et al.) and 50 km inland near Woodson, Colum- bia 22 Nov (CK, PS), both county firsts. Nine Ashy Storm-Petrels were reported off the s. Oregon coast 31 Aug (TJG, tOS); Oregon has several pending reports, but these are unsup- ported by photograph or specimen evidence. Oregon’s 3rd Brown Booby, an ad., ap- peared in lower Coos Bay 28 Oct, where it was seen daily through 6 Dec (TTR, KC, DL, RN). Ironically, that state’s 2nd washed ashore dead nearby 27 Oct 2008. American White Pelicans were once again conspicuous in w. Oregon throughout much of the season; 165 at Sauvie 1. 26 Aug-30 Sep QW et al.) high- lighted several counts of 50+ birds. Huge numbers (thousands) of Brown Pelicans in- habited the outer coast through the period. Strangely, just 3 (22 Aug-19 Oct) were re- ported in the PT, where 10/fall is the recent norm. The now-annual assemblage of Great Egrets at Portland’s Smith/Bybee Lakes peaked at 302 birds 27 Aug (SN). In e. Wash- ington, no fewer than 22 dispersing egrets were noted 6 Aug-26 Sep away from sites where they are expected; post-breeding/win- tering Great Egrets now commonly inhabit VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 141 ( OREGON & WASHINGTON This stunned Red-eyed Vireo, which struck a window at Coos Bay, Coos County, Oregon 2 October 2009, is one of the latest ever recorded in Oregon or Washing- ton. Photograph by Larry Mangan. many areas in the Region where they were formerly rare. A Snowy Egret at Cold Springs N.W.R. 16 Aug (AS, ES) was Umatilla's hrst. Eor the hrst time in many years, there were no detections of Cattle Egret; this species was once a hxture in the Region during fall, with hundreds per season recorded from 1970 through 2000. White-tailed Kite populations plunged this year in sw. Washington. Encounters during annual surveys in Lewis and Thurston fell from 5-r/day in 2008 to fewer than one/day in 2009 (R. Orness), It is suspected that weeks of heavy snow cover and sub-freezing tem- peratures last Dec, followed by severe hood- ing in Jan, may have precipitated this decline. Eive Northern Goshawks in the W.V. 2 Aug-14 Nov was par for the season. A good- ly 7 Red-shouldered Elawks were noted in sw. Washington 7 Aug-23 Nov; however, for the hrst time in a decade, none was detected n. of Clark. Ten Red-shouldereds — slightly below recent averages — were reported in e. Oregon, where they are now present much of the year at several sites, with nesting suspected in De- schutes, Harney, and Klamath. Broad-winged Hawk has proven to be a low-density fall mi- grant in the Region; 8 this season approxi- mated recent fall averages and included 5 birds away from the hawkwatches at Chelan Ridge, Chelan and at Bonney Butte, Hood Riv- er, where they are annual. A rarer dark- morph bird was banded and photographed at Chelan Ridge 28 Sep (fide DS). Seven Swain- son’s Hawks visited the W.V, where now an- nual in fall, 26 Aug-14 Nov. A Prairie Merlin (E c. richardsoni) was near Rome, Malheur 14 Sep QD, JW), and an apparent returning bird was at Edison, Skagit 11 Nov-h (ph. G. Thompson); perhaps due to increased ob- server scrutiny, this subspecies is now detect- ed annually in the Region. Ten Gyrfalcons 18 Sep-r was more than double the seasonal norm. A Prairie Ealcon at Bandon, Coos 10 Aug (KC, DL) was both ex- tremely early and out of place along the outer coast; this species is rarely found in the westside lowlands before Sep. Two Prairies detected in the w. Washington lowlands 29 Aug-26 Nov was about par, while an impressive 7 were noted along the Cas- cade Crest 3 Aug-5 Oct; there seems to be a small but regular movement to or along high-elevation ridge- lines during late summer and early fall. SHOREBfRDS THROUGH WOODPECKERS Seventy Black-bellied Plovers at Sauvie 1. 25 Sep (W. Gross) was an impressive tally for this early date; flocks of this size are rare in the W.V except during the winter months. Twen- ty-seven westside American Golden-Plovers 20 Aug-18 Oct included a maximum of 4 at Eir 1., Skagit 9 Oct (MB); this was the best fall tally since 2005. Americans exploded on the eastside, with no fewer than 11 detected 6 Sep-24 Oct; all but one of these was in Wash- ington, including maxima of 4 each at the Tyson ponds in Wallula, Walla Walla 25 Sep (MW) and Sheep L., Whitman 9 Oct (TL). Eifty-two Pacific Golden-Plovers 20 Aug-14 Nov was slightly subpar but included 2 ex- tremely rare eastside birds: one graced the Tyson ponds 27 Sep-3 Oct (MW, m.ob.); the other was at Sheep L. 9 Oct (TL). Six Pacifies at Leadbetter Pt., Pacific 26 Aug (TA) made the high count. As with recent falls, only a few golden-plovers were left unidentified. Washington’s breeding population of Snowy Plovers is seriously imperiled. This year’s sur- veys found only 35 adults, nearly a 50% de- cline from the 67 counted four years ago; just two nesting locations remain — Leadbetter Pen. and Midway Beach — down from four in 2005 (Washington State Snowy Plover Popu- lation Monitoring, Research, and Manage- ment: 2009 Nesting Season Research Progress Report, S. Pearson et al). A Black-necked Stilt at the Yakima R. delta, Benton 22 Oct-18 Nov. (MW, m.ob.) was six weeks later than any prior record from e. Washington and ap- pears to be the latest ever in the Region Ninety-four Solitary Sandpipers 1 Aug-29 Sep was the best fall tally since 2005; nearly two-thirds (60) of these birds were in e. Washington. A Wandering Tattler at Bend 30 Aug (tD. LaShelle) was exceptional for the eastside, where there were just eight prior records. Another tattler at Keystone I., Island 142 29 Aug (GB, B. Kuntz) was in the P.T., where ( barely annual. Five Long-billed Curlews visit- | ed the W.V, where now annual, 22 Aug-15 t Sep. Single Whimbrels at Finley 1 1 Aug and 6 , Sep (WDR) provided the first fall reports in | the W.V since 2007. Hudsonian Godwit ap- peared in the Region for the 8th consecutive ' fall, with 2 at Ocean Shores 22-24 Sep (EH, ' GGe) and 2 juvs. at Newport 4-12 Sep (A. & C. Hinkle, m.ob.). After a rare absence in the ( Region last fall. Bar-tailed Godwits once again ! joined the swarm of Marbled Godwits at fa- : vored Tokeland, Pacific, an ad. was there 4 f Sep-10 Oct (KT), and a juv. joined the flock | 16 Oct-1 Nov (R. Hibpshman). A Marbled I Godwit at Sutherlin, Douglas 1 Sep QH) may have been the first ever found in the Umpqua | Valley. Sixty-four eastside Sanderlings 4 I Aug-8 Oct was paltry compared to last year’s j 111+ but still above average; these included a rare ad. at Perch Pt., Grant 4 Aug (DS) and a ] high count of 30 at Potholes Res., Grant 12 l! Sep (P. Sikes). The season’s 148 Semipalmated jii Sandpipers was subpar by recent standards, > particularly on the eastside, where just 68 were reported 2 Aug-7 Sep; westside maxima of 6 were at Florence, Lane 5 Aug (D. Farrar, ' L. Cruz) and Everett 6 Aug (SM), while one at ' Kalaloch, Jefferson 26 Sep (G. Shugart) was : nearly record late. Oregon’s 2nd White- i rumped Sandpiper, at Hatfield L., Deschutes 13 Aug (tJM), is the Region’s first fall season report; the Region’s five prior records span , May-Jul. Forty-one Baird’s Sandpipers at Fir I. ] 10 Sep (RM) bested the previous w. Washing- . ton record; 36 were at PS.B. 19 Aug 2007. | Similarly, a flock of 130 Baird’s se. of Burbank, j Walla Walla 26 Sep (M&MLD) highlighted | the exceptional migration on the eastside; this , tally represents the 2nd highest ever for e. Washington. The westside flight of Pectoral , Sandpipers was probably the best in a decade; ' 55 near Mount Vernon, Skagit 8 Oct (SM, RM) topped Washington reports, while 35 at ER.R. 26 Sep (AC et al.) was Oregon’s maxi- | mum. Fifteen Sharp-tailed Sandpipers 9 Aug-17 Oct was slightly above the recent sea- sonal average. Incredibly, 3 Buff-breasted Sandpipers visit- ed e. Washington, where there were just four , prior records. One was at River Bend, Pend ’ Oreille 14 Aug (TL), and 2 appeared at the W.W.R.D. 3 Oct (MW, M&MLD); the latter birds were Washington’s latest ever, with one !' remaining through 12 Oct (M&MLD). On the westside, Buff-breasteds rebounded to above average after last fall’s abysmal showing; 26 were noted 17 Aug-18 Sep. Two at Fir 1. 7-11 Sep (GB) were rare for the Puget Trough. The near-absence of Ruffs was truly puzzling, as the Region has averaged nearly 10 per fall NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS > OREGON & WASHINGTON r A In the fa!! of 2005, 349 Stilt Sandpipers were reported in Oregon and Washington, the most ever recorded in one sea- 3 Mson in the Region. Since that time, m have reported decreasing numbers for five consecutive fall seasons. This fall, a mere 27 were noted, the lowest fall count since 2001 . One at O.S. 12-14 Sep (KT) represented the only report from w. of the Cascades, which had a flock of 17 {at Staowood, Snohomish} as recently as 19 Aug 2097. Although reports of this species in our Region tertd to vary from year to year, it is hard to ignore this five-year slide. In the coming fall seasons, it will interesting to see if this is part of a long-term trend or Just the nadir in a short-term cycle. since 2003. This season’s lone report came from Leadbetter Pt. 28 Sep (A. Richards). A Washington-record 2000 Long-billed Dow- itchers were near Stanwood, Snohomish 17 Oct (M. Willison), while the 900 amassed at ER.R. 26 Sep (AC) was the high count from w. Oregon. Though difficult to quantify, the number of staging Wilson’s Phalaropes at L. Abert, Lake 16 Aug was estimated to be be- tween 750,000 and 1,000,000 (DI, DF, JP); tens of thousands of Red-necked Phalaropes were also present. Very rare e. of the Cas- cades, single Red Phalaropes enlivened W.W.R.D. 3-4 Oct. (M&MLD) and Royal City, Grant 15-18 Oct (ph. J. Grant, RH). Nov storms pushed Reds near shore in both states, particularly in Oregon, as evidenced by 4000 at Boiler Bay 6 Nov and another 1000 there 14 Nov (PP). The strongest systems deposited 5 birds in the W.V 14-31 Nov. A South Polar Skua near Ediz Hook, Clal- lam 27 Aug (B. Phillips) was only the 6th record for inland marine waters in Washing- ton, while another at Boiler Bay 13 Nov (PP) provided a rare from-shore sighting for the outer coast. Following record summer counts, offshore skua numbers peaked earlier than normal, with maxima of 9 off Newport 8 Aug (GGi) and 14 out of Westport 9 Aug (fide BT); their numbers typically peak in Sep. A goodly 17 Pomarine Jaegers were noted in in- land marine waters, including a rare P.T. sighting off of Bainbridge 1., Kitsap 22-23 Sep (BW) and a maximum of 7 off of the Elwha R. mouth, Clallam 26 Sep (SM, BW). A Parasitic Jaeger at Pt. Jefferson, Kitsap 14 Nov (BW, DW) was about three weeks tardy. The lone inland Parasitic of the season was exception- ally late at the Diamond Hill Rd. wetlands e. of Harrisburg, Linn 23 Nov (R. E Moore); most inland records occur Sep-early Oct. Aside from 60 Long-tailed Jaegers off Charleston 29 Aug (GGi) and 386 seen from a cruise ship in Oregon waters 22 Sep QW et al.), all other counts numbered 10 or fewer. The only Long-tailed seen from shore was an j ad. at Lincoln City 8 Aug (PP). ; A near-normal 13 Franklin’s Gulls were not- i ed away from se. Oregon; all but one were in ; Washington, including 5 westside birds 19 Aug-1 Nov. A Black-tailed Gull enlivened the Tacoma waterfront 13 Oct-8 Nov (CW, m.ob.), adding to four prior records for the Region; all have appeared in Washington since 2004. Smashing any prior Washington count, 20,000 Heermann’s Gulls gathered off of the Elwha R. mouth 26 Sep (SM, BW); the world population is estimated at 525,000 (Delaney and Scott 2006; Waterbird Population World Estimates). Nov storms swept record numbers of Heer- mann’s Gulls inland. One at Finley 13 Nov (WDR) and 6 more at nearby Philomath 22 Nov (WDR, JS) were the first records for Ben- ton, while a flock of 15 — the largest ever recorded inland in the Region — enlivened Fernhill Wetlands, Washington 22-23 Nov (SC, SN). An ad. Mew Gull at Molson L., Okanogan 5 Aug (ph. B&NL) was the earliest ever in e. Washington, while 2 ads at Newport 8 Aug (WH) and another at Coos Bay 21 Aug (TR) were four to six weeks early for the Oregon coast. A first-cycle bird at John Day Dam, Sherman 7 Sep (SJ) was merely a month early for the east- side, where the earliest Mews typ- ically arrive after 1 Oct. In addi- tion to the aforementioned Heer- mann’s Gulls, 45,000 California Gulls amassed off the Elwha R. mouth 26 Sep (SM, BW), narrow- ly missing another Regional record (50,000 were at North Cove, Pacific 7 Aug 2006). Supra- normal numbers of California Gulls persisted through the sea- son along the Oregon coast. This incursion was punctuated by tal- lies of 15,000 at Boiler Bay 22 Nov (PP) and 3500 in Alsea Bay, Lin- coln 29 Nov (SF, DI); the latter flock was comprised almost entirely of adults. Coastal buildups normally peak in Oct, after which time most California Gulls move south- ward. An extraordinary 1000 Thayer’s Gulls congregated at the Elwha R. mouth 21 Oct, providing the 2nd highest count for Washing- ton (CW, RM). Two Lesser Black-backed Gulls (an ad. and a third-cycle) played hop- scotch 'With the state line at John Day Dam, Klickitat/Sherman 20 Nov+ (tSJ, C. Flick, m.ob.); even though this species has been nearly annual in Washington’s Columbia Basin since 2000, these are the first for e. Oregon and just the 3rd and 4th records for that state. A Glaucous Gull that apparently summered at Westport, Grays Harbor (m.ob.) and another at Gold Beach 29 Nov (]. Sullivan) were the only reports of the season; the Region averages about 6 per fall. For the 2nd straight fall, Sabine’s Gulls showed poorly; 1 1 eastside birds 10 Sep-7 Oct is about two-thirds the recent av- erage and, aside from 3 at ER.R. (included 2 ads.) 4 Sep (DI), there were just 2 other west- side birds. Birders cruising southbound 70-100 km off the Oregon coast encountered an excel- lent flight, tallying 3294 on 22 Sep (|W et al), while pelagics averaged just 18/trip. A lone bird off of North Head, Pacific 8 Nov (CW, T. Brooks) was about a month late. Rare in the ET, a Black-legged Kittiwake was at Rosario Beach, Skagit 6 Oct (fide CW). A storm-blown kittiwake 90 km inland at Fernhill Wetlands 22-25 Nov (SC) was the 3rd for Washington. This fall’s incursion of Elegant Tern was mod- est, with just 7 in Oregon 6 Aug-6 Sep; a sin- gle at Tokeland, Pacific 26 (B. LaBar) made the only Washington sighting. Fewer than 20 Common Terns were report- ed from e. Washington, which has averaged about 150 per fall since 2003; only 5 were de- tected in e. Oregon 8 Sep-1 1 Oct. Thirty-four at ER.R. 4 Sep (DI) was more than double the typical high count for this locale, the only W.V. site where Commons are annual in fall. A mere 14 Arctic Terns were noted from pelagics 8-29 Aug, while 1028 were seen from a cruise ship in Oregon waters 22 Sep QW et al.); apparently being farther offshore (70-100 km) later in the season raises one’s chances of encountering this highly pelagic species. Three westside Forster’s Terns 4-20 Sep was about the seasonal norm. Though paltry compared to all-time high counts from nw. Washington, lOO-i- Marbled Murrelets counted from Cape Arago, Coos 16 Aug (RN) was exceptional for the Oregon coast, where it is unusual to see more than 20 birds from a single vantage point. Xantus’s Oregon and Washington observers enjoyed five Northern Parulas in autumn 2009, the most ever recorded in a fall season, including this hatch-year fe- male at Bassett Park in Washtucna, Adams County, Washington 7 September 2009. Photograph by Ryan Merrill. VOLUME 64 (2009) - NUMBER 1 143 OREGON & WASHINGTON This immature Orchard Oriole, at Hoquiam, Grays Harbor County 22-27 (here 24) October 2009, was one of two found this fall in Washington, where there were just four prior records. Photograph by Gregg Thompson. Murrelet reports included one scrippsi off Westport 2 Aug (BS), 4 of unknown sub- species off Charleston, Coos 7 Aug (C. Dilling- ham), and 2 more scrippsi off Newport 12 Sep (GGi). An early Ancient Murrelet was at Pt. Wilson, Jefferson 21 Aug (B. Whitney); this species typically reaches inland marine waters in early Oct, Cassins Auklet numbers appear to be rebounding; high counts of 516 off West- port 9 Aug and 600 off Newport 12 Sep sug- gest a healthy level of reproduction. Normally rare at any time e. of Cape Flattery, Cassin’s Auklet numbers were off the charts for inland marine waters this fall, including an extraor- dinary 64 in Port Angeles Harbor, Clallam 2 Aug (BW). Eleven in the P.T. 1 Oct-26 Nov in- cluded 6 at Edmonds, Snohomish 16 Nov (MB). The season’s Horned Puffins included a flyby at Goat 1., Curry 8 Aug (M. B. Stevens, M. R. Stevens) and a dead bird found on Mid- way Beach, Grays Harbor 10 Aug (K. Brady); live birds seen from land or near shore are generally found May-Aug, whereas most at- sea or beached birds turn up Nov-May. Band-tailed Pigeons are apparently main- taining their foothold in recently colonized Klickitat, with five reports around White Salmon 15 Sep-4 Oct. However, a single near Sentinel Gap, Grant 1 Nov (S. Downes) was farther e. than expected and late. Single White-winged Doves at Malheur 8 Aug (J. Sut- ter), Port Orford, Curry 31 Aug (ph. L, Miller), and G.L.S.R.A. 6 Sep (SR) added to 28 prior Regional records; this species is now de- tected annuallyy in Oregon. Unreported else- where, 2 Snowy Owls near Des Moines, King 14-20 Nov (S. Osmek) and another in Tacoma 18 Nov (fide BS) approximated the fall norm for w. Washington in a non-invasion year. A Spotted Owl was found near Olympia 9 Oct (fidej. Buchanan); this species is known for dispersals of 16-24 km, but lowland w. Washington records are few. Single Boreal Owls near Bachelor Butte, Deschutes 26 Sep (T. Snetsinger) and Tollgate, Umatilla 24 Oct (AS, ES) were at two of Oregon’s best- known sites for this species, which was all but unknown in that state prior to the mid- 1980s. Though well shy of the Regional record (500 at Priest Rapids Dam 14 Aug 1993), the 120 Common Nighthawks over Cheney, Spokane 16 Aug (CC) was still one of Washington’s highest counts ever. The Region’s first fully document- ed Lesser Nighthawk graced Malheur 27 Aug (ph. D. Evered); experienced observers report- edly heard one calling at Beverly Beach S.P., Lincoln 21-22 Jun 2007, but that record has not been submitted to the O.B.R.C. A group of 21 Black Swifts over s. Corvallis 28 Aug (R. & N. Armstrong) is likely the largest flock ever for Benton and an exception- al gathering for the WV Anna’s Humming- birds made news again in e. Washington, with 10 straying n. and e. of Klickitat 30 Aug-20 Nov; the easternmost bird reached Cheney, Spokane 19-20 Sep (CC, MW). A Calliope Hummingbird visited Edmonds, Snohomish 15 Aug (D. Harville); there are few records from the w. Washington lowlands. Another Cal- liope at Bend 1 Oct (T. Crabtree) was nearly a month beyond the typical departure date for the eastside. For the 3rd consecutive year, Lewis’s Woodpeckers graced the w. Washing- ton lowlands, with 10 reported 9 Sep+. A near- record 8 were at Park Creek Pass, Skagit 11 Sep (fide CW); 9 were at Corkingdale, Skagit 2-7 Sep 2008. More than 100 Lewis’s (five-fold the fall norm) invaded w. Oregon 6 Sep+. Sev- eral impressive flocks bolstered this tally, in- cluding up to 40 at Jefferson, Marion 24 Sep-1 Oct (fide B. Altman), 7-15 at Perrydale, Polk 10-14 Nov (CK, D. Robberson), and 20 e. of Roseburg, Douglas 21 Nov QH)- Western Washington’s 6th Williamson’s Sapsucker vis- ited Carnation, King 25 Nov (M. Wile). About par with recent falls, 3 Red-naped Sapsuckers were noted in w. Washington 27 Aug-25 Oct, while none were reported in w. Oregon, A Red-naped Sapsucker x Red-breasted Sap- sucker hybrid inhabited Juanita Bay Park, ; King 17-30 Aug (RM); this cross has been an- ' nual of late w. of the Cascades. PASSERINES The Region’s first documented Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was at Windust S.P. 30 Aug (ph., TMW; tCC); at first, this bird was thought to be a Least Flycatcher, but closer examination of photographs revealed its identity. After pro- i ducing new birds for the Region in back-to- , back fall seasons (Variegated Flycatcher there in 2008), Windust S.P. will surely gain further ij popularity as a vagrant trap. Six Least Fly- catchers in e. Washington 3Aug - 6 Sep matched typical fall numbers, while a singing j Least Flycatcher at DeBay’s Slough, Skagit 6-9 ! Aug (GB) added to very few well-documented fall records of the species in w. Washington. A Dusky Flycatcher visited Portland’s Mt. Tabor 27 Aug (A&CH); though small numbers of northbound Dusky Flycatchers regularly ap- pear in the WV. Apr-May southbound birds ' are less than annual in the westside lowlands, where just 4 have been reported in the past six years. Nearly all of Washington’s antecedent [' Black Phoebes (13 records) have been found I along or near the Lower Columbia R., so one |’ at Julia Butler N.W.R., Wahkiakum 9 Aug (M. , Bartells) was not overly surprising. One at j Cold Springs N.W.R. 16 Aug (M&MLD) was Umatillas first; this species was formerly mega-rare on the eastside, but there is now a „i small resident population in the Klamath !' Basin, and there are records from at least four 'i other e. Oregon counties. Oregon’s 12th East- li ern Phoebe was along Camp Polk Cr. n. of Sis- ) ters, Deschutes 5 Oct (K. Boddie, SK); most of ; Oregon’s birds have come May-Jun. Westside ji Say’s Phoebes were near normal, with 5 record- [i ed (all in Oregon) 15 Sep-11 Nov; the earliest, i | at Finley 15 Sep (WDR), was about four weeks i early. Western Washington’s 22nd Ash-throat- ^ ed Flycatcher enlivened Seattle 31 Aug (C. Si- j dies, ph. K. Lloyd); most records for this species have come mid-May-late Jul. A care- fully identified Ash-throated at Florence 28 Nov (tDF, HH) eclipses the Region’s latest well-documented record for this species, one in w. Seattle 24 Nov 1956. Thirteen Tropi- cal/Couch’s Kingbirds 25 Sep+ was the lowest | fall tally since 2006 but still slightly above the I long-term average; Oregon’s 11 included a I maximum of 3 at Newport 11 Nov-i- 0- I Thomas, m.ob.). Singles at Hoquiam, Grays Harbor 24 Oct Q- Gatchet, BT) and at West- port, Grays Harbor 12 Nov (ph. RM, BW, TA) were heard calling (as were some of the Ore- gon birds), confirming that they were Tropi- 144 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS cals, the expected species in the Region. West- ern Kingbirds typically depart the Region’s westside by mid-Aug; thus 4 along the cen. Oregon coast 1-22 Sep were surprising; one at Yachats, Lincoln 5 Sep (DI, DPe) was clearly a hatch-year bird, the presumed age of most tardy birds. Later still, a Western at E.E.W. 8 Oct (B. Proebsting) adds to just three post-Sep records from the Region. It’s hard to know whether the Eastern Kingbird at Ridgefield 13 Aug (fide BE) had come from the nearby nest- ing outpost at the Sandy R. mouth, Multnomah (about 20 km away) or from a more distant point of origin. A pair of Red-eyed 'Vireos, apparently pres- ent at G.L.S.R.A. since Jul (fide]. Sterling), re- mained through at least 5 Sep, when an ad. was feeding a juv. (SR). The latest eastside mi- grant, at Malheur 14 Sep (0. Johnson, E. Pan- dolhno), was singing, while a Red-eyed that struck a window in Coos Bay 2 Oct (L. Man- gan) was the 3rd for Coos. The season’s lone Blue Jay was at Cascade Head, Tillamook 8 Sep (PP). Considering that Clark’s Nutcrack- ers did not irrupt into the lowlands of e. Washington, it was somewhat surprising that 4 were found far from known populations in shrub-steppe habitat at Swanson L., Lincoln 20 Sep (T. O’Brien). A nutcracker in the Coast Range at Rocky Pt., Lincoln 8 Oct (C. Philo) was the only report from w. of the Cascades. A Western Scrub-Jay at 2100 m elevation near Hart’s Pass, Okanogan 22 Oct (V. Click, L. Scheiner) was clearly out of place; although expanding northward in the PT. and on the eastside, this species is all but unknown in the Cascades. Not annual in the W.V., single Black-billed Magpies were at Portland 21 Oct+ (C. Selker) and Molalla, Clackamas 30 Oct (A. Wimsett). The latest Tree Swallows were at Langlois, Curry 4 Nov (K. Anderrson) and Portland 22 Nov (A&CH). A migrant Bank Swallow at Hoquiam 28 Aug was note- worthy, as there are very few fall coastal records (BT), while a flock of 25 at Sauvie I. 26 Aug 0^) were likely dispersants from a nearby colony at Prescott, Columbia. Two Barn Swallows at Vantage, Kittitas 8 Nov (]. Kozma) and 7 still at Ankeny N.W.R. 22 Nov (R. Gerig) were the latest e. and w. of the Cas- cades, respectively; these were considered to be southbound and not connected to the re- cent spate of mid-winter appearances by this species. The traditional Barn Swallow roost at Dayton, Yamhill built to at least 100,000 birds in late Sep (E Schrock et al.), while a newly discovered Portland roost held 10,000 on 24- 25 Sep (L. Neumann, S. Leaptrott). Two Black-capped Chickadees at Hat Rock S.P., Umatilla 1 Aug (M&MLD) were at a site where they are not resident, while another at VOlUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER Ritzville, Adams 23 Oct Q- Hebert) was in a county with no resident population and at least 40 km removed from the nearest breed- ing outposts in Spokane and Whitman', this species rarely strays from suitable breeding habitat. Up to 6 Blue-gray Gnatcatchers at Prineville Res., Crook 17 Aug-4 Sep were at a site where they have been annual since 2003 (CG). Oregon’s 4th Northern Wheatear en- livened Whalen County Park, Tillamook 17- 18 Sep (S. Engel, m.ob.); this was the first wheatear in the Region since 2004 and just the 5th overall. Four Mountain Bluebirds in the westside lowlands 26 Sep-25 Nov was an excellent showing; this species appears on the westside about every other fall. Gray Cat- birds have now appeared on the westside in five consecutive fall seasons; one at Julia But- ler N.W.R. 21 Sep (BE) was a Wahkiakum first. Another at Colville, Stevens 8-24 Nov (W. Current) was e. Washington’s latest ever; there are just three winter records from the Region. Northern Mockingbirds showed well, with 6 in Oregon and 4 in Washington 22 Aug-27 Nov; the Region averages about 7 per fall. Tennessee Warblers graced both states; one at Belfair, Mason (tK. Brady, M. Mathis) was w. Washington’s 11th, while another at Malheur 5 Sep (AC) was at a site where nearly annual. Though northbound Northern Parulas occur almost annually in the Region, this season’s 5, all in Sep, was unprecedented for fall; only 3 had been reported over the five previous au- tumn seasons. Singles at Washtucna, Adams 3 Sep (TA, ph. RM) and Sooes R. Valley 17 Sep (tBT) were Washington’s 14th and 15th records. A Magnolia Warbler at Lynnwood, Snohomish 3 Sep (ph. K. Mack) and 2 togeth- er at Lacey, Thurston 22 Nov (tj. Dlugo, tA. Wang) add to 15 prior records in Washington. This species has now been detected in that state five of the past six fall seasons; most have appeared early Sep-early Oct. A hatch-year male Cape May Warbler at S.J.C.R. 14 Sep (tS. Terrill) was Oregon’s 18th. Roughly a month tardy, this season’s Black-throated Blue War- bler brightened Redmond, Deschutes 15 Nov (SD); most of the Region’s reports come late Sep-early Oct. A Hermit Warbler, rare for low- land w. Washington during fall, graced Seattle 7 Sep (fide CW). A Townsend’s Warbler x Her- mit Warbler hybrid in the eastside lowlands at Washtucna, Adams 13 Sep (Mike & Merry- Lynn Denny) was just the 5th such cross for e. Washington, where, until recently, birds with Hermit parentage were all but unknown. A Blackburnian Warbler was at Sentinel Gap, Grant 29 Aug (tCW, TSM); this is just the 2nd fall record from that state. It was the worst fall season in recent memory for Palm Warblers, 1 OREGON & WASHINGTON with just 9 reported from outer coastal loca- tions and none in the P.T.AV.V, which had av- eraged nearly 6 per fall since 2003. The sea- son’s only 2 Blackpoll Warblers were at Cas- cade Head, Tillamook 10 Sep (PP) and Mal- heur 14 Sep QD. JW); none were reported in Washington, which had hosted multiple birds every fall since 2004. Two Black-and-white Warblers inhabited G.L.S.R.A. 23 Aug-9 Sep (M. Persmark, DF, JP), and another was at Cape Meares Village, Tillamook 26 Aug (M. Tweelinckx). An American Redstart at Hills- boro, Washington 2 Sep (SS) was the first southbound bird in w. Oregon since 2005; 7 Aug singles at DeBay’s Slough and North State Reserve, Skagit (GB) were in the P.T., where nearly annual in fall. A Yellow-breasted Chat at Ridgefield 19 Sep (BE) was nearly record late for w. Washington, where this species is now considered a rare breeder. A Western Tanager lingering in Seattle 30 Nov (TA) was about six weeks late. A record- early American Tree Sparrow visited Cabin Lake Guard Station, Lake 28 Sep (ph. R. Loud- erback). On the westside, where the species is now annual in fall, early singles visited ER.R. 11 Oct (DI, DPe) and Finley 18 Oct; the for- mer was the 3rd earliest ever for w. Oregon. One at Forest Grove, Wasliington 13 Nov (T. Shreve) was on schedule. All 4 eastside Clay- colored Sparrows were in Washington 24 Aug-8 Sep. As expected, 5 westside Clay-col- ored Sparrows came much later in the season (4 Oct-1 Nov); 4 found in Oregon were all along the coast. A Brewer’s Sparrow at Finley 3 Aug (WDR), 2 at ER.R. 26 Aug (L. McQueen), and one on the outer coast at Cascade Head 1 Sep (PP) were on the westside, where near an- nual over the past decade. Three migrant Ves- per Sparrows detected in w. Washington 3-18 Sep continued the trend of recent fall seasons; until the past few years, southbound birds were less than annual here. For the 2nd straight fall, a Black-throated Sparrow was w. of the Cascades; one at Albany, Linn 17 Oct (T. Gholson) marked just the 3rd fall record from w. Oregon. A Lark Sparrow at Ridgefield 18 Sep (DP) made the 3rd consecutive fall with a report in w. Washington, where this species was only recorded once during fall between 1996 and 2005. In w. Oregon, stray Lark Spar- rows at Cape Blanco, Curry 21 Aug (TJW), Ne- halem, Tillamook 12 Sep (S. Hagen), and Flo- rence 16 Oct (AC) were away from the west- side’s only known breeding sites in Jackson and Josephine. A Red Fox Sparrow (subspecies ilia- ca/zaboria) was near Fall City, King 18 Nov (tTA); this type is now found annually in the Region. Swamp Sparrows showed poorly, with just 8 Regionwide 27 Oct+; only w. Washing- ton, with 6, approached normal numbers. The 145 OREGON & WASHINGTON only eastside Swamp was at Paterson Slough 14 Nov (M&MLD). A mere 3 Harris’s Sparrows 7-19 Nov was half the seasonal norm. It was recently discovered that Golden-crowned Sparrows around Nome, Alaska sing a unique- ly patterned and noticeably different song than other Golden-crowned populations (E. Pan- dolfino, pers. comm.). The wintering grounds and migratory routes for this population are not known, but birds singing the “Nome song” were heard and seen at Marrowstone L, Jeffer- son 10 Oct (SM, BW) and Everett 17 Oct (SM). Thirty Lapland Longspurs at S.J.C.R. 4 Oct (SS) was an exceptional count for w. Oregon, where most flocks contain fewer than 10 birds. Washington’s 7th Chestnut-collared Longspur enlivened Hoquiam 21-31 Oct (tDW, B. Nor- ton); the state’s only other fall record was also from Hoquiam. In Oregon, which has averaged about 4 per fall since 2000, single Chestnut- collareds visited Finley 18 Oct (WDR) and Cape Blanco in early Nov (TJW). A Rose-breasted Grosbeak near Ilwaco, Pa- cific 4 Sep (tJD) was Washington’s 10th fall bird; 5 have come since 2004. Four Rose- breasteds together at Wood River Wetlands, Klamath 15 Sep (fide K. Fairchild) was highly unusual, as most reports of this vagrant in- volve singles. Single Black-headed Grosbeaks at Powell Butte, Crook 30 Oct (CG) and at Ridgeheld 3 Nov (T. Hicks) were at least hve weeks later than normal departure dates. Lazuli Buntings are rare along the outer coast, particularly in Washington, so singles at Sun- set Beach, Clatsop 3 Aug (MP), near Neah Bay, Clallam 9 Sep (RM, CW), and at La Push, Clal- lam 16 Sep (BT) were noteworthy. An Indigo Bunting that summered near Snoqualmie, King remained until 9 Aug (R. Ben-Shalom), while a molting male at E.E.W. 6-9 Sep 0- Geier) was the season’s lone migrant. A migrant Bobolink strayed to G.L.S.R.A. 6 Sep (SR); though this species nests a number of sites in se. Oregon, there are no known colonies near this locale. Western Washington’s 3 Rusty Blackbirds rep- resented a typical fall and included Kitsap’s first near Kingston 10-20 Nov (BW). Two near Burbank, Walla Walla 19 Nov (MW) were on the eastside, where less than annual. A Great- tailed Grackle near Cow Lakes, Malheur 8 Aug (CG) may have summered locally; this repre- sents just the 3rd post-Jul report in the Region over the past decade. Though Great-taileds have been found annually in Oregon since the 1980s, nearly all occur during May and Jun. Single Orchard Orioles at Neah Bay 9 Sep (ph. RM, CW) and Hoquiam, Grays Harbor 22-27 Oct (ph. 1. Ubrovic) were just the 5th and 6th for Washington; all but one were w. of the Cas- cades Sep-Dec. A Bullock’s Oriole at Seaside, Clatsop 10 Nov (S. Warner) was at least six weeks tardy and on the outer coast, where rare but nearly annual in fall and winter. Two Pur- ple Finches near Vantage 29 Aug and another there 4 Sep (likely different birds) were very early for e. of the Cascades, where they are rare (SM, CW). Mary’s Peak, Benton hosted up to 3 Cassin’s Finches 5 Oct-2 Nov (WDR); this species is less than annual w. of the Cascades. White-winged Crossbills continue to be noted in exceptional numbers along the Cascade Crest, vHth 65 tallied 19 Aug-10 Oct. Five Common Redpolls near Bend 25 Oct (SK) were well s. and w. of their normal late fall/winter haunts. Corrigendum: The American Tree Sparrow reported from Clatsop Spit 6 Oct 2005 (North American Birds 60: 149) was in fact at the s. jetty of the Siuslaw R., Lane, OR. Initialed observers (subregional editors in boldface): Tom Aversa, David Bailey, Range Bayer (Lincoln), Gary Bletsch, Marv Breece, Wilson Cady, Craig Corder (Spokane), Mike and MerryLynn Denny, Shawneen Finnegan, Bob Flores, Chuck Gates (Crook), George Gerdts, Greg Gillson (Washington), Denny Grandstrand (Yakima), Garrett Gregor, Anne Heyerly, Dan Heyerly, Paul Hicks, Randy Hill, Wayne Hoffman, Stuart Johnston (Hood River, Klickitat), Bruce Labar, Nancy LaFramboise, Ryan Merrill (Washington), Tom Mickel (Lane), Craig & Marilyn Miller (Deschutes, Jefferson, Lake), Steven Mlodinow, Russ Na- mitz, Harry Nehls (Oregon), Vic Nelson, Mike Patterson (Clatsop), Phil Pickering, Tim Rodenkirk (Coos, Curry), Kevin Spencer (Klamath), Andy Stepniewski, Bill Tice, David Trochlell (Union, Wallowa), Dennis Vroman (Josephine), Charlie Wright (eBird). O David iron, 740 Foothill Drive Eugene, Oregon 97405, (llsdirons@msn.com) Douglas Schonewald, 1535 South Skyline Drive Moses Lake, Washington 98837, (dschone8@donobi.net) Brad Waggoner, 7865 Fletcher Bay Road N.E. Bainbridge Island, Washington 98110 (wagtail@sounddsl.com) BillTweit,R0. Box 1271 Olympia, Washington 98507, (Sebnabgill@aol.com) Northern California Pt.St. r George^ Crescent Areata Eureka Fort Bragg^ Point Arena^ •Santa Bodega Bayf Pi Reyesh •Stockton Cordell Bankm San Ffancisco^f^O®*^*®^^^ • Mode: S.E. Farallon Is.m C' Santa Cruz^' Monterey Bay, ,, _ Montereyf Big SurX. Kings Canyon Sequoialjs/ NP ' Davidson Seamount 146 Jeff N. Davis Ed Pandolfino Stephen C. Rottenborn Michael M. Rogers The Region experienced mostly warm and dry conditions, typical of the sea- son. High water temperatures close to the coast, including well inside Monterey Bay, throughout August were likely related to the developing El Nino-Southern Oscillation pat- tern. This warm water shifted farther offshore in September. Dense fog and strong north- westerly winds offshore during most of the period contributed to a condensed fall migra- tion on the Farallon Islands. The exception to prevailing conditions was the strongest Octo- ber storm in several decades. This storm af- fected the entire Region and brought rainfall totals in excess of 25 cm to portions of the Central Coast 13 October. The season pro- duced several outstanding rarities including the state’s hrst White-chinned Petrel, its sec- ond Brown Shrike, a flurry of Hudsonian Godwits, and a tantalizing report of a Yellow- breasted Bunting. Abbreviations: C.B.R.C. (California B.R.C.); C.C.FS. (Coyote Cr. Field Station, Santa Clara)' C.R.P (Cosumnes R. Preserve, Sacra- mento)', C.V (Central Valley); FI. (Southeast Farallon L, San Francisco)', H.R.S. (Hayward Regional Shoreline, Alameda)', PRBO (PRBO Conservation Science); S.E (San Francisco, NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Nearshore encroachment of warm surface waters was apparently associated with the appearance of record numbers of Cook's Petrels not far off the Northern Cali- fornia coast in late summer and early autumn 2009. This bird was well pho- tographed on Monterey Bay, Monterey County 12 September 2009. Photograph by Scott B. Terrill. not State Forest). Reports of exceptional va- grants submitted without documentation are not published. Documentation of C.B.R.C. re- view species will be forwarded to Guy Mc- Caskie, Secretary, P. O. Box 275, Imperial Beach, CA 91933. Birds banded on FI. should be credited to PRBO Conservation Science. WATERFOWL Up to 4 well-documented Dusky Canada Geese (B. c. occidentalis) at Morgan Hill, San- ta Clara 27 Oct-f (ph. SCR, m.ob.) were un- expected, as there are very few records of this subspecies in cen. California. Two Snow , Geese at Shasta Valley W.A., Siskiyou 24 Aug (RE) were notably early. A Ross’s Goose at Lewiston L. 20 Sep OSL) was the earliest ever for Trinity, where few have been found; others in unusual locations were at Indian Creek Res., Alpine 17 Nov (JSL) and at Goffinet Res., Amador 19 Nov (Don Marsh). Up to 7 Trum- peter Swans were at Modoc N.W.R., Modoc 26-28 Nov (ph. SCR); up to 2 Bewick’s Swans were there the same days (ph. SCR, David Bell). An unusual early push of Tundra Swans was widely reported, with southbound groups of 10-12 seen over Olivehurst, Yuba 18 Aug (Kathryn Sanderson), the Smith R. bottoms, Del Norte 20 Aug (LuB), and Roseville, Placer 20 Aug (Chad Aakre). The male Gadwall x Northern Shoveler hybrid returned to Bel- mont Slough, San Mateo 23 OcH (Pat Boor); another male, apparently of this same hybrid combination, was in Alviso, Santa Clara 31 Oct (Amy McDonald). Other notable male j hybrid ducks reported this season included ' an apparent Cinnamon Teal x Northern Shov- eler at Palo Alto, Santa Clara 15 Nov (ph. Ed j Rooks) and a Ring-necked Duck x Greater Scaup returning to L. Hennessey, Napa for a 4th winter 25 Oct-i- (MBe). Eurasian Wigeons well inland included singles at Boca Res., Ne- I vada 9 Oct (JSL), s. of Corcoran, Kings 10 Oct ' (JLt), at Twin Lakes, Mono 20 Oct-10 Nov j (Ken Wells), and at Goffinet Res., Amador 28 I Nov (Don Marsh). High counts of Blue- winged Teal included 19 in Gilroy, Santa Clara 9 Nov (RWR, FV) and 28 at Gustine, . Merced 23 Nov (PJM, DMo). A male Tufted ' Duck returned to L. Merritt, Alameda 28 Oct^- [ (fide Hilary Powers). Broods of Lesser Scaup included one at H.R.S. 22 Aug-6 Sep (RJR) and 2 at Sunnyvale, Santa Clara 25 Aug (WGB). Five Surf Scoters at Lewiston L. 20 Oct (JSL) constituted the 6th record and a new high count for Trinity. Likewise, 5 at Fall River L. 29 Oct (KAb) was a new high count for Shasta. Inland White-winged Scoters in- ; eluded an imm. at O’Neill Forebay, Merced 22 Nov+ OLD et al.) and as many as 9 in Mono 14 Oct-23 Nov. Merced’s first Black Scoter was an imm. male at O’Neill Fore- bay 10-25 Nov (Ken Schnei- der, ph. m.ob.). Birders search- ing for the Black Scoter also turned up a Long-tailed Duck at the same location 11 Nov-+ OLx, m.ob.). The only other truly inland Long-tailed Duck was at Bridgeport Res., Mono 16-29 Nov OSL, m.ob.). The summering Long-tailed Duck at King Salmon, Humboldt was last reported 16 Aug (MWa); the first returning bird was an ad. male flying s. at Pajaro Dunes, Santa Cruz, found dur- ing an aerial survey 20 Oct (JND et al). An ad. male at Palo Alto 16-17 Nov (WGB, ph. MJM, m.ob.) was the first for Santa Clara since 2002. A Barrow’s Goldeneye at H.R.S. 29 Aug-22 Sep (PDr, RJR) was inexplicably early. The Bar- row’s Goldeneye x Hooded Merganser hybrid returned for a 7th winter to L. Merritt, Alameda 29 Nov+ (Travis Hails). A female Ruddy Duck vHth 2 downy young at Ukiah W.T.E 14 Aug (GEC) supplied one of few Mendocino breed- ing records. LOONS THROUGH CORMORANTS Red-throated Loons inland, where scarce, in- cluded an overdue first record for Lassen at Eagle L. 1 1 Oct (LOr) and one at Bridgeport Res., Mono 16-23 Nov (JSL, m.ob.). Twenty- one Pacific Loons were part of a large group of migrating piscivores grounded by weather at Eagle L., Lassen 11 Oct (LOr); 4 others were inland in Mono, Lake, and Siskiyou. A Com- mon Loon at the Madera W.T.P 9 Nov (KPa) provided an unusual record for the C.Y floor in Madera. The only Yellow-billed Loon was on Humboldt Bay, Humboldt 23-24 Sep (Brent Campos, TKz, ph. ScC). In addition to 20+ Red-necked Grebes (a typical showing) in coastal and estuarine habitats, an impressive 9 on non-tidal water bodies included Mono’s 3rd record at Crowley L. 12-18 Sep (JuH, m.ob.), Lassen’s 4th or 5th at Eagle L. 11 Oct (LOr), and Napa’s 3rd at L. Hennessey 20-25 Oct (MBe, JLx, m.ob.). Eared Grebes nested late and in large numbers at Crowley L., Mono, with 335 active nests on 2 Sep (KNN). A total of 1315 active Western Grebe nests at L. Almanor, Plumas 15 Aug (CPD, Anthony E. Hall) was the highest breeding concentration at that location on record. Diligent coastal surveys recorded high numbers of Aech- mophorus grebes in Santa Cruz, peaking at 4110 at Sequel Cove 8 Oct (DLSu). In addition to 4 Laysan Albatrosses record- ed on three offshore boat trips, the Pt. Arena Cove, Mendocino bird returned for its 17th consecutive winter 18 Nov (Tom Reid, m.ob.). The highlight of the season was a White-chinned Petrel 30 km w. of Pigeon Pt., Four Short-tailed Albatrosses were recorded. A juv. was 32 km sw. of Pt. Arena, Mendocino 31 Jul (ph. Kevin Stockmann), and a bird at least one year old was at Cordell Bank, Marin 16 Sep (Shi). A juv. 48 km w. of Pigeon Pt., San Mateo 1 1 Oct (LTer, ph. AJ, m.ob.) car- ried a satellite transmitter. According to Robert Suryan of Oregon State University, this bird had hatched on Torishi- ma I. but was translocated to Mukojima I., where it was hand-reared until it fledged on 22 May. It then flew a clockwise path around the n. Pacific Ocean, entering Cali- fornia waters in late Sep and continuing s. to the Big Sur/Monterey Bay, Monterey area, where it spent about one week before turning northward to be spotted by bird- ers off San Mateo. It then wandered n. before its signal was lost off Vancouver !., British Columbia. This bird pro- vided a first San Mateo record and obviously traversed the waters of a number of other Regional counties between Monterey and Del Norte during its journey. According to Suryan, another juv. with a transmitter was tracked off Humboldt IS Sep-13 Oct. VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 147 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Very late for any location in the United States was this Western Wood-Pewee in the Panoche Valley, San Benito County, California 26 November 2009. Photo- graph by Debra Shearwater. San Mateo 18 Oct (ph. AJa, m.ob.). This well- documented bird provided a first record for California (pending C.B.R.C. acceptance) and only the 2nd for North America. Hawaiian Pe- trels were found in good numbers this season. On 2 Aug, singles were documented 61 km sw. of Davenport (a Santa Cmz first) and 63 km sw. of Ano Nuevo Pt., San Mateo (ShJ, tJCS, tLTer). Near Cordell Bank, Marin, one or 2 were observed 12 Aug (ShJ, SNGH, ph., tMtB; tOsj, tJLD, ph. NS), and one was seen 16 Aug (ph., TRyT; ph., tMWE; ph. SBT, RS). Another was off Noyo Harbor, Mendocino 23 Aug (GEC, ph. DWN, m.ob.). No documen- tation was received for singles reported in Monterey Bay, Monterey 2 Aug and 12 Sep or 200 km sw. of El. 2 Aug. Cook’s Petrels re- mained in high numbers into Sep. On 2 Aug, a birding trip recorded 71, 11, and 9, respec- tively, off Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Ma- teo (ShJ), while 36 more were recorded far- ther off Santa Cruz and San Mateo by a re- search vessel the same day (MFo); Santa Cruz had just one prior record. Lesser numbers were recorded in Monterey on four more dates through 12 Sep, when 24 were on Monterey Bay (ShJ). Additional San Mateo birds includ- ed 23 on 6 Aug (ShJ) and one 23 Aug 0%)- Sonoma waters off Bodega Bay had 11 on 12 Aug (ShJ) and 2-3 on 15 Aug (RS, RAR, m.ob.), and 2 were at Cordell Bank, Marin 16 Aug (RyT, RS, m.ob.). Three Manx Shearwa- ters, with singles at El. 3 Sep (tRyT) and on Monterey Bay, Monterey 27 Sep and 3 Oct (both ShJ), was about average. Black-vented Shearwaters appeared 8 Oct and were in rela- tively low numbers through the season, with a high of only 150 at El. 3 Nov (PRBO). Six Wilson’s Storm-Petrels on five boat trips in Monterey, Santa Cruz, Marin, and Sonorna wa- ters 12 Aug-27 Sep represent- ed an average showing. Least Storm-Petrels were nearly ab- sent this fall, with one on Monterey Bay, Santa Cruz 20 Sep (Monterey Seabirds, ph. TEa) and 2 there 27 Sep (Mon- terey Seabirds) comprising the only reports. An Ashy Storm- Petrel at H.R.S. 5 Aug (RJR) was at a location where the species is rare but nearly annu- al in fall. An ad. female Brown Booby was on F.I. 19 Sep-25 Nov (tRyT, ph. JTz), and an unidentified booby was at Nat- ural Bridges S.B., Santa Cruz 2 Sep (W. Breck Tyler, Martha Brown) . American White Peli- cans are typically scarce on the n. coast; this season, Humboldt observers recorded 2 at var- ious locations 10-23 Aug, followed by singles at Humboldt Hill 2 Oct (Leslie Tucd) and Trinidad 8 Oct (MHa), and Del Norte had 2 at Crescent City 31 Aug (ADB) and up to 2 at the Smith R. mouth 1-7 Sep (ADB, JRy). A to- tal of 400 at Struve Slough 26 Aug (DLSu) was one of the highest counts ever for Santa Cruz- Inland Brown Pelicans are becoming in- creasingly regular. This season, singles were at the Bufferlands 4-5 Aug (Shawn Petrash, Kevin Cassady ph. CCo, Roger Jones; 4th Sacramento record); at San Luis Res., Merced 25 Aug (PJM) and 7-21 Nov (KW); and at L. San Antonio, Monterey 26 Aug (RJA). Num- bers were unusually low most of the period at EL, with 1732 on 6 Aug dropping to fewer than 100 through most of the period (PRBO). Pelagic Cormorants unusually far inside S.E Bay were in Alviso, Santa Clara 25 Oct (MMR, RGJ) and Benicia, Solano 29 Nov (EPi). HEROICS THROUGH RAILS A pair of Least Bitterns with up to 5 young was at the Yolo Bypass W.A., Yolo 1-27 Aug (ph. Lyann Comrack, m.ob.). Least Bitterns continued in Lake, with 2 at Clear Lake S.P. and 2 at Lakeside C.P. 1 Aug-27 Sep (JRW, m.ob.). Cattle Egrets in less expected locales included Lake's 4th at Clear Lake S.E 2 Nov QRW) and 2 at Crowley L., Mono 23 Aug OLD); a smattering of reports from several coastal counties spanned 13 Aug-16 Nov. Good numbers of White-faced Ibis reached coastal counties throughout the season, with some lingering past the end of the period in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz; an ibis in Fall River Valley, Shasta 27 Nov (KAb) was like- ' wise late. A count of 461 at Bridgeport Res. 14 Sep (PJM) was the highest count ever for i Mono. An unbanded ad. White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) near Montague, Siskiyou 10 Aug-13 Sep stirred up interest (ph. m.ob.), but its provenance remains unknown. A juv. Northern Goshawk flew past Hawk ; Hill, Marin and into S.F. 29 Oct (Steve Bauer). The Sonoma Common Black-Hawk continued I: through the period near Sebastopol (ph. Stan [z Moore). A juv. Broad-winged Hawk at the n. ; shore of L. Tahoe 4 Oct (tTEa) was Placer’s j' first and only the 2nd for the Sierra Nevada in |; our notebooks. Over 200 Swainson’s Hawks !,• assembled at a roost in Visalia, Tulare 6-10 i| Oct (Gary Lindquist), the only known large roost in the Region and one of only two ii known in the state. Migrant Swainson’s ii Hawks were detected in several coastal coun- |i ties 14 Aug-14 Oct. Harlan’s Hawks included 3 returning ads. in Humboldt at Fay Slough j'i W.A. 15 Oct (ScC) and Bayside 12 Nov (dark |i^ morph; ScC), birds in Sonoma along Valley i|j Ford Rd. 27 Oct (dark morph; RS et al.) and jj near Sebastopol 21 Nov (light morph; Bill L Doyle, Helen Kochenderfer), and a returning j ad. along Thornton Rd., San Joaquin 8 Nov fi (BWb, m.ob.). The Del Norte Crested j; Caracara continued through at least 5 Nov ji (MHa). Aug Merlin reports continued, with i: singles in four counties 3-14 Aug. Two downy ii; Clapper Rail chicks at Meeker Slough, Contra 1; Costa 2 Sep (Alex Navarro) confirmed late ) breeding by this species. j SHOREBIRDS i: A Black-bellied Plover at Salt Springs Valley ||; Res. 21 Sep (JSL) was the first for Calaveras, ji American Golden-Plovers were well reported, 'll with 10 found: Areata Bottoms, Humboldt 18- 24 Sep (juv; DFx, JCP, tRbF et al); Bodega v Harbor, Sonoma 18 Sep-3 Oct (juv; RS, ph. j BBg, ph. LHg, m.ob.); O’Neill Forebay Merced li 26-27 Sep (juv; tPJM, ADeM, ph. KVy FrT); N Modesto S.T.P., Stanislaus 27 Sep (juv; ph., j. tJHG, ERC); outer Pt. Reyes, Marin 1 Oct r (RS, BBg); Salinas R. mouth, Monterey 2 Oct i, (juv; tRF); L. Earl, Del Norte 6-12 Oct (juv; LuB, ADB); Loleta Bottoms, Humboldt 11-14 jl Oct (juv; ph., tRbF, KGR, Rachel Smith); Ii Shasta Valley W.A., Siskiyou 19 Oct (RE); and |i Salmas W.T.P., Monterey 24 Oct (juv; ph. j: OsJ). A Pacific Golden-Plover at San Felipe L. it 25 Oct was a long-overdue first for San Benito S (ph. KW). Two Snowy Plovers at S. Lake 7 Tahoe 4 Oct (ph. TEa) were a surprising find y in El Dorado. Mountain Plover numbers sw. of |: Madera, Madera built from 7 on 19 Oct to 320 jj on 29 Nov (ph. GaW), including one bird 13 | Nov that had been color-banded as an ad. NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS) 148 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA r fl Prior to 2009, the Region had amassed 20 Hudsonian Godwit records since the first state record in Humboldt in 1973. 3 A With the exception of 2003, during which 3 birds were found, at most one or 2 birds were found in the Region during any given year. There is thus no precedent for the occurrence ef up to 12 juv. Hudsonian Godwits this season, with at least 4, and perhaps as many as §, being found in Mendocm. Four were at Ft. Bragg 26 Aug (BT, ph. m.ob.). Subsequently, several additional reports came from nearby MacKerridier S.P. to the north: up to 2 were at Virgin Cr. Beach 30 Aug-2 Sep (ph. MMtt et al.), with another there 20-30 Sep {tDT, tCheryl Watson-Heinecken, ph, RLeV, m.ob.), and one was at Ten Mile Beach 30 Aug-2 Sep (ph. Becky Bowen et a!.). Records from other counties included California's earliest fail record at .Areata Marsh 4 Aug {Humboldfs 6th; tDFx et al, pti. SMcA, vt. RbF), followed by Hmbsidfs 7th at the Eel R. delta 19 Sep (ph. SMcA). Santa fra/s first was at Watsonville Siough 25-27 Aug (RgW, ph. OsJ, m.ob.). The Region's 4th inland record, the 2nd for Kings, was s. of Corcoran 30 Aug (ph. JLt, Mark Stacy), in the same area as the Jun bird reported last season. near Arlington, WY in summer 2008 (fide Michael Wunder). Other records of note in- cluded 40 s. of Corcoran, Kings 31 Oct OLt) and one at Crowley L., Mono 13 Sep OuH). American Avocets in unusual locations in- cluded 4 at Prosser Creek Res., Nevada 19 Aug (Steve Rose) and one at Groveland, Tuolumne 18 Sep Qeanne Ridgley). A notable 79 Lesser Yellowlegs at the C.C.ES. waterbird pond 1 Sep (MMR) was a new high count for a single Santa Clara location; 2 at L. Almanor 15 Aug (CPD, Anthony Hall) provided a rare record for Plumas. Migrant Willets in the Sier- ra Nevada were at Prosser Creek Res., Nevada 19 Aug (Steve Rose) and Indian Creek Res., Alpine 6 Sep (juv.; JLD). Three Humboldt Bar-tailed Godwit reports 23 Aug-24 Sep were all undocumented. The only inland Ruddy Turnstones reported were Tulare’s 2nd and 3rd, at Visalia W.T.R 14 Aug and Tulare W.T.R the next day (both JLt), per- haps involving the same bird. Inland Red Knots included 2 s. of Corcoran, Kings 30 Aug (Mark Stacy) and singles 3 km n. of Strat- ford, Kings 6 Sep (PSt), at the Fresno W.T.R, Fresno 15 Sep QCS, Jide JSy), and at Gustine W.T.R, Merced 18 & 26 Sep (PJM, ADeM). Sanderlings in the Sierra Nevada included juvs. at L. Almanor, Plumas 18 Aug (tTim Guida) and at the n. shore of L. Tahoe, Placer 17 Sep (SAbb). Also notable at the latter loca- tion 20-26 Aug was an ad. Western Sandpiper that had been banded in the Russian Far East a few months earlier (ph. WRi). A Western Sandpiper along White Rock Rd. 18 Sep QSL) was apparently Mariposa’s first. A report of a juv. Red-necked Stint at the Yolo Bypass W.A., Yolo 30 Aug-1 Sep (TEa, ph. JCS, m.ob.) I awaits C.B.R.C. review; all 12 previously ac- j cepted state records have been of ads., with the latest lingering only until 18 Aug. A Pec- toral Sandpiper at L. Almanor 7 Oct (CPD) was one of few recorded in Plumas. Seven Sharp-tailed Sandpipers was an above-average total for the season. An unexpected ad. was at the Yolo Bypass W.A., Yolo 4 Sep (TEa, ph. JCS), followed by a juv. in flight over Mon- terey Bay, Monterey 20 Sep (TEa, ph. JPo et VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER al.) and juvs. at West Struve Slough 29 Sep-1 Oct (2 birds on 29 Sep, 2nd record for Santa Cruz; RgW DLSu), at H.R.S. 3 Oct (RJR), and at L. Earl, Del Norte 11-14 Oct (LuB, ADB et al), with a duller bird at this location 21 Oct (ADB, JSL). Santa Cruz’s Rock Sandpiper re- turned for a 7th winter to West Cliff Dr. in Santa Cruz 28 Oct+ (SGE, m.ob.). Nine Stilt Sandpipers in seven counties 6 Aug-26 Oct included 3 inland in Kings and Tulare. Seven Buff-breasted Sandpipers in six counties 23 Aug-19 Sep included Santa Cruz’s 4th at Wat- sonville Slough 28 Aug (ph. JCS, TEa). Yet another rare Plumas shorebird record came in the form of 2 Short-billed Dowitchers at L. Al- manor 1 Aug (CPD). GULLS THROUGH ALODS Increased coverage of productive sites and scrutiny of gull flocks continue to augment our knowledge of gull occurrence at inland lo- cations. This season, inland reports of Sabines Gulls spanned the period 27 Aug-26 Sep, with 15+ individuals in Mono, 3 in Kings, and one in Placer; the only other reported away from the coast was on a Fremont, Alameda salt pond 16 Sep (MJM, Josh Scullen). Aside from 61 Franklin’s Gulls at New Pine Cr., Modoc, where regular, 11 Aug QCS), 13 were in six in- land counties; singles at the Madera W.T.R, Madera 25 Aug (ph. GaW) and at Clearlake, Lake 31 Oct (FHa, Darlene Hecomovich) pro- vided 3rd records for their respective counties. Coastal Franklin’s were at MacKerricher S.P., Mendocino 11 Aug (KHv, ph. REH) and EL 21 Sep OiH Gautreaux; ph MtB, ph. RyT; 6th is- land record). A Heermann’s Gull at Clear Lake S.E 1 Nov (Steve & Diane Ross) provided the 6th record for Lake. Among 6 Mew Gulls far inland, the most extralimital and unseason- able were in Modoc. There, one at New Pine Cr. since May was joined by another 8 Aug (TEa), with one seen again 11 Aug OCS); an- other s. of Alturas 10 Oct (JSL) was more sea- sonally, if not geographically, expected. A Mew Gull at Trinity L. 11 Nov (COg, JEH, RbF) provided a 4th Trinity record. An ad. Western Gull at O’Neill Forebay and San Luis Res., 1 Merced 5 Aug-26 Sep (CCo, PJM, ADeM) was at a location where the species has become regular in recent years; more unusual were singles at Paicines Res., San Benito 24 Aug (tKPa) and Bridgeport Res. 16-23 Nov OSL, ph. KNN, m.ob.), the latter providing a first record for Mono. The first Lesser Black-backed Gull for Kings, an ad. discovered 3 km n. of Stratford 16 Nov (ph. GaW, m.ob.), died the next day (*U.C. Davis). The only Glaucous Gull reported was an early ad. at the Yolo County Landfill, Yolo 10-19 Nov (SCH). A Least Tern s. of Hanford 22-30 Aug (Mark Stacy, JLt, SDS) was in Kings, where small numbers have bred regularly for more than a decade, but one at O’Neill Forebay 25 Aug (tPJM) was apparently a first for Merced. Post-breeding S.E Bay Least Terns apparently staged in Alameda this season, where the high count of 180 was recorded in Coyote Hills salt ponds 4 Aug (MJM), rather than in tradition- al sites in Santa Clara, where the only report was of 10 in Alviso 23 Aug (DvWb). Fourteen Caspian Terns at Indian Creek Res. 6 Sep OLD) provided a new high count for Alpine. Fall migrant Black Terns are typically not re- ported in large numbers; this season, 12 re- ported from six counties 1-29 Aug was a fair- ly good showing. An Elegant Tern at Skaggs Island Rd. 4 Sep (David Bell) provided the first Napa record since the 1970s; all county records are from this site. The only inland jaegers reported were a Parasitic at the n. shore of L. Tahoe, Placer 1 1 Sep (DeR) and an unidentified Parasitic or Long-tailed at Mono L., Mono 19 Sep QuH). Long-taileds were in high numbers offshore; the peak count of 177 on a Monterey Seavalley trip 23 Aug, with 70, 29, and 78 in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Mateo, respectively (Monterey Seabirds, DR, DSg, RgW et al.), was the highest single-day count on record for the Region. Unusual coastal reports included singles at Crescent City Harbor, Del Norte 15 Sep (KMS) and the n. jetty of Humboldt Bay, Humboldt 19 Sep (KGR, Rachel Smith). A Common Murre near Austin Cr., Sonoma 16 Aug (Linda Petrulias) was unusually far inland along the Russian River. Increased scrutiny of murrelets on the n. coast is reveal- ing Long-billed Murrelet to be regular there in fall. Different individuals were off the Smith R. mouth, Del Norte 6 & 7 Aug (ph., tEE, Moe Morrissette, Jeff Jacobsen). One off the Little R. mouth, Humboldt 11 Aug (tEE, Moe Morrisette, Vince Slabe, RbF, KGR) may have been the same one seen at Houda Pt., Hum- boldt 31 Aug (tSeC, TKz). The latest was at the mouth of Humboldt Bay, Humboldt 11 Oct (tKGR, tSFB). Elias considered the 6, 7, & 1 1 Aug individuals to be different from each oth- 149 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA er and from the 31 Jul bird noted in the sum- mer report on the basis of plumage differ- ences. Xantus’s Murrelets were recorded on nine pelagic trips 2 Aug-24 Oct, with a high of 24 at the Monterey Seavalley, Monterey 10 Oct (ShJ); single individuals of the subspecies hypoleucus were on Monterey Bay in Monterey 2 Aug and in Santa Cruz 7 Aug (both ShJ). One to 2 Rhinoceros Auklets were present 1- 8 Aug at H.R.S. (RJR, Bob Dunn), where rare so far inside S.F. Bay. The season’s only Horned Puffin was on Monterey Bay, Monterey 13 Sep (ShJ). D0¥ES THROUGH WRENTIT Notable White-winged Doves included Mod- oc’s first at New Pine Cr. 6 Sep (SCR) and Kings’s 2nd s. of Corcoran 20-28 Sep (ph. SDS et al.). Up to 3 Common Ground-Doves e. of Earlimart 8 Aug-20 Sep (Alison Sheehey m.ob.) were not only the first for Tulare but also for the C.V portion of the Region. Re- ports of Yellow-billed Cuckoo included one at Natural Bridges S.B. 11 Aug (PDB, OsJ, Wes Fritz), furnishing Santa Cruz’s 4th modern record, another netted near Bolinas, Marin 1 1 Aug (ph. PRBO), and San Mateo’s 2nd at Pescadero 5 Sep (RSTh). A road-killed Flam- mulated Owl at Angwin 29 Aug (C. Toews) and a live bird at Big Basin Redwoods S.E 29 The invasion by Eurasian Collared-Doves contin- ues. Groups of 1 37 at Moonglow Dairy 8 Nov (BLS) and 150 at Aituras 26 Nov (SCR) established new high counts for Monterey and Modoc, respectively. One in the interior of Big Basin Redwoods S.P., Santa Cruz 8 Aug (DLSu) provided an unusual record from a densely forest- ed setting. The species made an appearance in the high mts. at S. Lake Tahoe, B Dorado 14 Oct (WRl) and well off- shore at F.1. 25 Aug and 1 Oct (PRBO), providing the first fall records for the island. A bird sitting on a nest in Fres- no, Fresno 30 Sep (Kris McNew) highlighted one of the keys to the collared-dove's success— its ability to nest at any season. Although the species prefers suburban and agricultural areas, some of these records indicate that it is not confined to those habitats. These records also high- light the species' extraordinary dispersal capabilities, an- other key attribute of this adaptable pioneer. The pace of the invasion of this exotic bird rivals that of the European Starling, which ensconced itself in the Region over a few decades during the middle of the last century. Although the effects of the starling invasion on populations of native birds are now coming to light (e.g., see Conservation Biology 17: 1134-1 140 [2003]), those of the collared-dove remain to be determined. Anecdotal evidence, however, suggests the species may be displac- ing Mourning Doves in some areas. Sep (TDLSu) yielded 2nd records for Napa and Santa Cruz, respectively. Although Long- eared Owls occur regularly in parts of the In- terior Coast Range of w. Fresno, 2 near Toll- house 27 Sep OND, JSy GaW) established an unusual record for the Sierra Nevada foothills in the e. part of the county. A Northern Saw- whet Owl found after a storm 17 Oct at Lin- coln, taken to a rehab facility, and then re- leased 30 Nov (Gordon & Shirley Powers, ph. Kari Friedig) represents an unusual C.V. floor occurrence for Placer. Only occasionally de- tected outside breeding areas in the Region, a Common Nighthawk over Salinas 31 Aug (TAm) was one of very few ever reported for Monterey. The Whip-poor-will at Willow Creek, Humboldt was present through Oct (fide Marla Shull). Chimney Swift reports included singles at Swanton Pond, Santa Cruz 12 Aug (DLSu) and Searsville L., San Mateo 19 Sep (tRSTh, Leonie Batkin). A Ruby-throated Humming- bird at Bolinas 30 Sep-1 Oct (KH) would be Marin's 2nd, pending C.B.R.C. acceptance. A female Anna’s Hummingbird gathering plant down at Watsonville 9 Oct (SGe et al.) and another overseeing a fledgling at Aptos Cr. 19 Oct (DLSu) supplied evidence of rare fall nesting in Santa Cruz. An imm. Selasphorus at Bolinas, Marin 30-31 Aug (ph. KH) showed features consistent with Broad-tailed Hum- mingbird. Lewis’s Woodpeckers made a strong showing for the 3rd consecutive year. Notable numbers included 57 passing s. over Long Canyon, Napa 7 Oct during a 15-minute period (MBe) and lOO-t at Michigan Bar, Sacramento 25 Oct (CrS). A Pileated Wood- pecker at Tilden Park 6 & 8 Sep (PCp) was 16 km n. of the only regular enclave for the species in Contra Costa. A Western Wood-Pewee at Panoche Valley, San Benito 29 Nov (ph. DLSh, Don Doolittle) established the Region’s latest fall record by nearly a month. Six Least Flycatchers reported included Yolo’s 2nd at Grasslands Park 14 Sep (TEa). Supplying first Nov records for their re- spective counties were a Hammond’s Flycatch- er at White Slough W.A., San Joaquin 27 Nov (tMDo), a Gray Flycatcher at Elkhorn Slough, Monterey 7-8 Nov (Rp Cheryl Fournier), and a Dusky Flycatcher at C.R.E 7-11 Nov OTf)- A Black Phoebe along Ash Cr. in Adin 7 Sep (SCR) was just the 3rd for Modoc. After a sev- eral-month absence, the banded Black Phoebe X Say’s Phoebe hybrid returned 26 Sep to Fer- ndale Bottoms, Humboldt, where it remained until 14 Oct (Owen Head, KGR, Rachael Smith). A Vermilion Flycatcher at Decham- beau Ranch, Mono 12 Oct-2 Nov (]uH, ph. DHo, m.ob.) was just the 2nd for the Mono Basin. An unprecedented 2 Great Crested Fly- catchers turned up in Monterey, one at Moon- glow Dairy 15 Sep (TRF, Cheryl Fournier), the other at Laguna Grande 15-20 Oct (BjW, RF, ph. DR, ph. BHl, ph. SRv, m.ob.). Tropical Kingbirds were well represented, with 27 re- ports spanning the coast from Monterey to Del Norte. Seven Eastern Kingbirds, all coastal, conformed with the seasonal average. One of the season’s standouts was a well- documented Brown Shrike seen and then netted on EL 24-25 Sep (ph. MtB, tRyT, Jill Gautreaux, ph. JTz), providing the 2nd record for the island and 3rd for the state. White- eyed Vireo is predominantly a spring vagrant, so one at the Big Sur R. mouth, Monterey 16 Sep (tMiT) would provide an unusual fall record for the Region, pending C.B.R.C. ac- ceptance. A Least Bell’s Vireo along the Tule R. near Porterville 11 Sep (tSDS) was a great find for Tulare. Single Plumbeous Vireos were in Kings at Corcoran 30 Sep 0ST-) and at Atwell I. 23 Oct OT-O, as well as in Tulare at Porterville 6 Oct (SDS) and near Black Rock Ranger Station 20 Oct OLD)- Blue-headed Vireos of note were at L. Merced, S.F. 3 Oct (ph. tMWE, DPM, TGr) and El. 9 Oct (ph., tJTz; ph., tKNN et al). Two Hutton’s Vireos traveling with a mixed-species flock at Day 25 Sep (ph. SCR) supplied a first for Modoc. Eight Red-eyed Vireos included 2 summer leftovers: Yolo’s 2nd at Davis through 18 Aug (Chris Dunford, TEa, SHa, JCS et al.) and Modoc’s 2nd at New Pine Cr., through 6 Sep j (TEa, JCS, David Irons). The latter bird was ■ feeding a juv. 6 Sep (ph. SCR), supplying an j outstanding breeding record for the area. Al- j though this would represent the first breeding j for the Region, the nest site itself may have ! been just across the state line in Oregon. Re- j ported without details, a Yellow-green Vireo ! in Pacific Grove, Monterey 9 Oct was in the same area as one found Oct 1988. Late nesting by Western Scrub-Jays in San- i ta Cruz was evidenced by a bird carrying nest- \ ing material at Natural Bridges S.B. 24 Sep , (SGe) and an ad. supervising a fledgling at I Capitola 5 Oct (DLSu). A conspiracy of 415 Common Ravens at Pescadero, San Mateo 11 Aug (DLSu) was the largest gathering ever re- ported in the Santa Cruz Mts. Pygmy Nuthatches feeding nestlings at New Brighton S.B., Santa Cruz 22 Sep (DLSu) may represent the latest fall nesting for this species in the state. A fallout of 59 Golden-crowned I Kinglets at El. 10 Oct set a new high count for the island (PRBO). An unseasonable Rudy- crowned Kinglet was at C.R.P. 16 Aug QTr). A Western Bluebird made it to El. 28-29 Oct (jenny Erbes et al.), for the 3rd island record. Mountain Bluebirds included a dizzying total of 998 among several flocks at Panoche Valley, 150 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Santa Clara County, California's second Canada Warbler was well docu- mented during its short visit to Sunnyvale Baylands Park 19 September 2009. Photograph by William G. Bousman. San Benito 21 Nov (CKf, ELb), the 3rd for the Monterey Pen. at Pt. Pinos, Monterey 9-10 Oct Qim Bangsma et al), and the 3rd modern record for Santa Cruz, with 7 birds at New Brighton S.B. 15 Oct (DLSu). San Joaquin's 3rd Townsend’s Solitaire was at Mokelumne Day Use Area 12 Nov (Steve & Diane Rose). A Gray-cheeked Thrush at El. 9 Oct (ph., tRyT; ph., tJTz et al.) was the 14th for the is- land, which has hosted the lion’s share of the j state’s records. A good month ahead of the normal arrival date for wintering migrants from the north, a Hermit Thrush at Almaden Valley, Santa Clara 18 Aug (|Pa) presumably dispersed from the coastal breeding popula- tion to the west. THiASHEiS THROUGH WARBLERS Sonoma produced our only Gray Catbird, at Campbell Cove 1-14 Sep (DN). Northern Mockingbirds in unusual locations included singles in Mono, at Rush Cr. 19 Sep (JuH) and Simis Ranch 21-23 Sep (KNN), one at outer Pt. Reyes, Marin 16 Oct (RS), and another in Alturas, Modoc 18 & 26 Nov (KAb, LOr, SCR). Ten out-of-range Sage Thrashers matched our fall average, with 3 in Monterey and one each in Humboldt, Alameda, Santa Cruz, Merced, Marin, Tehama, and San Joaquin. An Eastern Yellow 'Wagtail at Pillar Pt., San Mateo 15 Oct (tPBC, TAmel Guanlao) would be the only record for the state outside the narrow win- dow of 27 Aug-25 Sep if accepted by the C.B.R.C. Notable reports of single Phainope- plas came from Oasis, Mono 13 Sep (JuH) and I Big Basin S.P., Santa Cruz 4 Nov (DLSu). A generally lackluster season for “eastern” warblers was brightened by Santa Cruz’s first ; Blue-winged Warbler near Manresa S.B. 10-15 Oct (ph. TEa, DLSu, SRv et al). Among 26 I Tennessee Warblers was Butte’s first at Chico I State University Farm 17 Sep (tJHS) and Lake’s 2nd and 3rd at Rodman Slough Park 7 : Sep QRW) and Anderson Marsh 21 Sep (Nick I Shepherd). Our 6 Virginia’s Warblers includ- ed the earliest record for nw. California at Mad River C.P., Humboldt 21 Aug (tLuB). A Lucy’s Warbler was at Natural Bridges S.B., Santa Cruz 19-27 Sep (SGe, ph. Jean Myers, PDB, OsJ, ph. Wendy Naruo, m.ob.). North- i ern Parula was the only warbler reported in ! large numbers (15; nearly twice our 20-year ' average). Twenty-one Chestnut-sided War- I biers included only one from an inland coun- I ty at Butte Cr. Canyon Reserve, Butte 15 Aug QHS)- Only 9 Magnolia Warblers were report- j ed, fewer than half our average. Pt. Reyes, ; Marin had both our Cape May Warblers, one 13-16 Sep (NS, SNGH, DMo) and another 12 i Oct (NS). Seven Black-throated Blue Warblers I included a male at C.R.P. 17 Sep QTr) and sin- gles on El. and in mainland S.E, Santa Cruz, Alameda, Marin, and San Mateo. Black-throated Greens were on EL 10-12 Oct (KNN, RyT et al.) and at New Brighton S.B., Santa Cruz 16 Oct (DLSu). Black- burnian Warblers were in Areata, Humboldt 25-27 Sep (GAB, RbF, Owen Head, ph. KGR, TKz), on El. 9 & 10 Oct (PRBO), and in Santa Cruz at Lighthouse Field S.B. 12 Oct (LGo, WGo) and New Brighton S.B. 16 Oct (DLSu). A Yellow-throated Warbler at Pt. Reyes, Marin 10 Oct (ph. NS, Ed Conrad, Natalia Penuela) awaits C.B.R.C. acceptance. Eleven Prairie V7arblers was close to aver- age, but 22 Palm Warblers was our lowest total in at least the past 20 years and less than a fifth of our av- erage. A well-described Bay-breast- ed Warbler near Nevada City 27 Oct (tECB) was a first for Nevada; another was banded on EL 27 Sep (PRBO). Our total of 25 Blackpoll Warblers was less than half our average. Seventeen Black-and-white Warblers in- cluded Modoc’s 4th along New Pine Cr. 8 Aug-9 Sep (TEa, SCR), Placer’s first at N. Lake Tahoe 16 Sep (BWb, ph. Jean Myers), and Stanislaus’s 3rd in Modesto 20 Sep (ERC). An American Redstart in Chester 15 Aug (CPD, Anthony E. Hall) may be Plumas's 3rd; another in Milliken Canyon 8 Sep (MBe) was Napa’s 2nd. The other 34 American Redstarts were all in coastal or bayside counties. Oven- birds were at Mad River C.P., Humboldt 7-8 Oct (Phil Chaon, KGR, Rachel Smith), at Pt. Reyes, Marin 8 Oct (NS), and on EL 9 & 11 Oct (PRBO). The total of 16 Northern Wa- terthrushes was well under our 20-year aver- age. Reports of Oporomis warblers were few. A first-winter Kentucky Warbler was reported from Convict L., Mono 1 Sep (tKPa). A Con- necticut Warbler was on El. 17 Sep (p.a., tRyT, Jill Gautreaux, tMtB). Eight Hooded Warblers included a female-type along the American R., Sacramento 19-20 Sep (Kevin Thomas, DKo, JSL). Canada Warblers were on El. 9 Sep (MtB), at Sunnyvale Baylands Park 19 Sep (RKe, PKe, ph. WGB, ph. MMR, m.ob.; 2nd for Santa Clara), and at Pt. Reyes, Marin 10-11 Oct (DDeS). SPARROWS THROUGH FINCHES American Tree Sparrows were at the Carmel R. mouth, Monterey 5 Nov (CHo, ph. BHl, ph. DR), on EL 8-10 Nov (Dan Maxwell, JTz et al), near Areata, Humboldt 15-18 Nov (RbF, COg), and at Ellis Cr. Ponds, Sonoma 19 Nov (RAR). Two Clay-colored Sparrows at S. Lake Tahoe 5-6 Oct (ph. WRi, TEa, TS) gave El Do- rado its first record. Fifty-three other Clay-col- oreds were all in coastal or bayside counties. More than 40 Vesper Sparrows in a 2-km stretch near Millerton L., Madera 8 Nov (|ND) made an unusual concentration for this species in our Region. Black-throated Spar- rows were reported from Ft. Dick, Del Norte 22 Aug (ADB), e. of the Hwy. 32/36 junction, Tehama 31 Aug (tTimothy Guida), and Red Hills, Tuolumne 3 Oct (Charlotte Ginn). Fall observations of Grasshopper Sparrow on the C.V floor are rare, so reports from Yolo Bypass W.A., Yolo 7 Sep (OsJ), Gustine W.T.P., Merced 26 Sep (PJM, ADeM), and Woodbridge Rd., San Joaquin 21 Nov (DVP, Lauren Harter, m.ob.) were notable. Nelson’s Sparrows were reported from Palo Alto Baylands, Santa Clara 1-3 & 30 Nov (Ken Schneider, RKe, PKe, m.ob.) and Heron’s Head Park, S.E 16 Nov (tTrent Orr). Fourteen Swamp Sparrows was a low total, but 127 White-throated Sparrows was above our average. Small groups of Lap- land Longspurs were widely reported, and 14 Chestnut-collared Longspurs from six coun- ties was a good showing. Snow Buntings were on EL 27 Oct (ph. Dan Maxwell, Andrew Greene, tJTz) and on Mission Peak, Alameda 26 Nov (ph. Bob Briggs). The C.B.R.C. will have to decide the fate of the 10 Oct observa- tion of a well-described Yellow-breasted Bunting on El. (tJTz). If accepted, this would be the first North American record outside of Alaska, which this season recorded its 6th VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 151 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA ever, at Gambell 2 Sep. Summer Tanagers celebrated their first fall in a new taxonomic position with the highest total (16) we have seen in over 20 years. In- cluded in this total was Napa's hrst at the Napa R. Ecological Reserve 25-30 Sep (MBe, MBa, m.ob.). The total of 23 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks was above average. Despite a heavy fall snowstorm, a Black-headed Gros- beak stayed into winter at 500 m elevation in Sutter Creek, Amador 13 Nov-h (ph. Mary Petrone). Among 13 Indigo Buntings, Madera's hrst was banded at Devils Postpile N.M. 24 Oct (PRBO, ph. WRi). Our only Painted Bunting was on F.I. 27-30 Sep (PRBO). Twelve Bobolinks made a near-aver- age total. A Rusty Blackbird was near Areata, Humboldt 11-20 Nov (ph. KGR, KBu, m.ob.). A total of 19 Orchard Orioles set a new high for the Region. Baltimore Orioles were on El. 9 Sep (MtB), in S.E 25 Sep (tHuC, PSar), at Sunnyvale Baylands Park 8 Oct (RWR, RKe; 4th Santa Clara record), and near Antonelli Pond, Santa Cruz 1 Nov (LGo, WGo, RRa, BRa et al). A Purple Finch at 3000 m eleva- tion near Minaret Vista at Madera's e. edge 4 Sep OLD) was notable, as were single Cassin’s Finches in S.E 25 Sep (tHuC, PSar) and San- ta Cruz, Santa Cmz 25 Nov (OsJ). WHAT DO INDOOR CATS MISS? Killing birds Getting lost >- Getting stolen Getting hit by a car Fatal feline diseases >► Dog attacks ^ Abscesses >■ Worms > Fleas >■ Ticks Protect cats, birds, and other wildlife by keeping cats indoors! AMERICAN BIRD CONSERVANCY I'or more information, contact: American Bird Conservancy, 0//s Indoors! 1731 (Connecticut Avenue, N\X’ W'asiiington, DCC 20009 Phone: 202-234-7181 • Hix: 202-234-7182 VC'ci): www.abcbirds.org • li-mail: abc@abcbirds.org Addenda: Our fall 2008 column failed to note Mendocino's hrst Canada Warbler at Usal Cr. Campground 13 Sep QRW, KHv); we regret the omission of this signiheant observation. Mono's 2nd Wood Thrush, found dead at Mono L. and preserved in a freezer in late Nov 2008 (Bonnie Noles), was exhumed and iden- tihed in fall 2009 (ph. KNN), when it was prepared as a study skin and sent to the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. Cited observers (county coordinators in bold- face): Steve Abbott, Ken Able (Lassen). R. J. Adams, Tim Amaral, Stephen F Bailey, Alan D. Barron, Bob Battagin, Edward C. Beedy, Mur- ray Berner (Napa), Gary A. Bloomheld, William G. Bousman (Santa Clara), Matt Brady, Phil D. Brown, Lucas Brug, Ken Burton, Eric R. Caine, Phil Capitolo, Scott Carey, George E. Chaniot, Peter B. Colasanti, Chris Conard (Sacramento), Hugh Colter, Maryann Danielson, Rudy Darling (Nevada), Jeff N. Davis (Madera), Al DeMartini, David DeSante, Bruce E. Deuel (n. C.V. counties), Colin P Dillingham (Plumas and Sierra), Matthew Dodder, Peter Drainer, Jon L. Dunn, Todd Easterla, Mark W. Eaton (S.E), Ray Ekstrom (Siskiyou), Elias Elias (Del Norte), David Fix, Michael Force, Rick Fournier (RF), Rob Fowler (RbF; Humboldt), James H. Gain, Steve Gerow (Santa Cmz), Steve A. Glover (Contra Costa), Lois Goldfrank, Wally Gold- frank, Tom Grey, Melody Hamilton, Steve C. Hampton, Keith Hansen, Karen Havlena, Floyd Hayes, Bill Hill, Justin Hite, Craig Ho- henberger, Debbie House, Steven N.G. How- ell, Richard E. Hubacek, Lisa Hug, John E. Hunter (Trinity), Alvaro Jaramillo, Richard G. Jeffers, Oscarjohnson, Robert J. Keiffer (Men- docino), Clay Kempf, Roland Kenner, Pat Ken- ny, Dan Kopp, Tony Kurz, Earl Lebow, Robin L. C. Leong (Solano), Ron LeValley, John Lockhart, Jim Lomax, John S. Luther, Michael J. Mammoser, Matthew A. Matthiessen, Sean McAllister, Peter J. Metropulos (San Mateo), Monterey Seabirds, Dominik Mosur, Dan P. Murphy, David Nelson, Kristie N. Nelson (Mono), Chet Ogan, Frances Oliver (San Joaquin), Lew Oring, Ed Pandolfino (Placer), Kathy Parker, Janna Pauser, Eric Pilotte, Gary W. Potter (Eresno), Jude C. Power, Bernadette Ramer, Robert Ramer, Robert W. Reiling, Will Richardson, Robert J. Richmond (Alameda), Don Roberson (Monterey), Michael M. Rogers, Deren Ross, Kerry G. Ross, Stephen C. Rottenborn, Steve Rovell, Ruth A. Rudesill (Sonoma), Jennifer Rycenga, Paul Saraceni, Adam Searcy (Marin), Jeff Seay (Kings), Shearwater Journeys, Daniel Singer, Keith M. Slauson, Jim H. Snowden, Rich Stallcup, John C. Sterling (Alpine, Calaveras, Modoc, and Yolo), Tim Steurer (Amador and El Dorado), Penny Stewart, Noah Strycker, David L. Sud- djian (Santa Cruz), Brian L. Sullivan, Steven D. Summers (Tulare), Craig Swolgaard, Scott B. Terrill, Ronald S. Thorn, Jim Tietz (FL), Dorothy Tobkin, Francis Toldi, John Trochet, Mike Tyner, Steven Umland (Tuolumne), Kent Van Vuren (Merced and San Benito), David Vander Pluym (Mariposa), Frank Vanslager, Matt Wachs, Bruce Webb, Dave Weber, Brian J. Weed, Jerry R. White (Lake), Roger Wolfe, Gary Woods, Bob & Carol Yutzy (Shasta). Many more observers are not specifically cit- ed; all are appreciated. O Jeff N. Davis (Doves to Wrentit) 7815 North Palm Avenue, Suite 310 Fresno, California 93711 (jdavis@harveyecology.com) Ed Pandolfino (Thrashers to Finches) 5530 Delrose Court, Carmichael, California 95608 (erpfromca@aol.com) Stephen C. Rottenborn (Loons to Frigatebirds, Larids to Alcids) 983 University Avenue, Building D Los Gatos, California 95032 (srottenborn@harveyecology.com) Michael M. Rogers (Waterfowl to Quail, Herons to Shorebirds) 499 Novato Avenue, Sunnyvale, California 94086 (m.m.rogers@comcast.net) 152 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS Southern California Guy McCaskie Kimball L. Garrett The expected summer and fall drought was finally relieved by the first signifi- cant rains in late November. Tropical storms that pushed northeastward through Baja California and the desert southwest had little direct effect on our Region. It was an- other autumn of major brush and forest fires. In the San Gabriel Mountains, three fires be- tween late August and mid-October, includ- ing the largest single fire in Los Angeles County history, burned 666 square kilome- ters and scorched much of the western half of this mountain range. Another fire burned 364 square kilometers of back country and mon- tane woodland in Santa Barbara County, and smaller fires burned in Orange, San Bernardi- no, Riverside, and San Diego Counties. There was very little irruptive movement of passerines into or within the Region; only Golden-crowned Kinglets and, particularly. Western Bluebirds made incursions of note. Unprecedented large numbers of Wilson’s Storm-Petrels were noted on a September pelagic NOAA cruise, and the Region saw its largest influx of Blue-footed Boobies since j 1977. The Region’s first Black Vulture divided its time between Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. There were several excellent shore- ' bird rarities, including an apparent Surfbird x Great Knot hybrid, a previously unknown hy- brid combination, with the latter parental species being unrecorded in California! The appearance of six Curve-billed Thrashers could charitably be termed an “invasion.” Two of the most notable landbird vagrants were the Region’s fourth Sedge Wren and the [ Region’s second Baird’s Sparrow. The fall saw ! below-average numbers of most eastern land- I bird vagrants and virtually no Asian landbird j strays; the six Palm Warblers must surely be ! the lowest fall total in decades. Among the ex- , ceptions to the lackluster counts of eastern landbirds were well-above-normal numbers of Orchard Orioles. VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER Abbreviations: C.L. (China L. Naval Air Weapons Station, extreme ne. Kem); EC.R. (Furnace Creek Ranch, Death Valley National Park, Inyo); G.H.E (Galileo Hill Park in ex- treme e. Kem); N.E.S.S. (n. end of the Salton Sea, Riverside); EM.N.A.S. (Point Mugu Naval Air Station, Ventura); S.E.S.S. (s. end of the Salton Sea, Imperial); S.J.W.A. (San Jacinto W.A., near Lakeview, Riverside); V.C.G.P. (Ventura County Game Preserve, near Pt. Mugu Naval Air Station, Ventura). Museum collections abbreviated in the text are: LACM (Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County). Because most rarities in s. California are seen by multiple observers, only the ob- server(s) initially finding and/or identifying the bird are included. Documentation for species on the California B.R.C. (C.B.R.C.) re- view list (see www.californiabirds.org) is for- warded to the C.B.R.C. and archived at the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology in Camarillo. WATERFOWL THROUGH CORMORANTS Waterfowl arrived earlier than usual, as illus- trated by the arrival of 5 Snow Geese at S.E.S.S. 30 Sep (NB) and 200 Ross’s Geese there 18 Oct (GMcC), both establishing the earliest dates ever for the Salton Sink, along with 19 Surf Scoters flying s. past La Jolla, San Diego 30 Sep (PEL) and 15 more flying s. past Coronado, San Diego on the same day (BMu). Five Brant at Searles L., San Bernardino 12-13 Sep (fide SH) had undoubt- edly summered locally; fall migrants do not reach s. California until Nov. A Tun- dra Swan at Santa Margarita L., San Luis Obispo 14 Nov (DGS) was the earliest, and single birds in Carlsbad, San Diego 23 Nov-h (StB) and on s. San Diego Bay 18 Nov (MMcC) were unusually far south. At least 2 Harlequin Ducks on the coast of San Luis Obispo were in an area where one or 2 are regular, but one at Dana Pt. 1-2 Oct (JLD) was only the 3rd in Orange. Only 6 Surf Scoters were found inland, all after 29 Oct, including one at EC.R. 31 Oct (ADeM). A White-winged Scot- er at C.L. 6 Nov (SLS) was only the 3rd in Kem, and one at Quail L., Los Angeles 8-12 Nov OEF) was the only other one inland. The only Black Scoters reported were one at San Simeon, San Luis Obispo 22-24 Nov QSR) and on San Diego Bay, San Diego 18-20 Nov (MS), 1 and the only Long-tailed Duck was one in El Segundo, Los Angeles 29 Nov (DQ). Forty thousand Pacific Loons flying s. past La Jolla, San Diego in four hours 28 Nov (MS) made an impressive sight; 4 inland in Inyo and San Bernardino after 15 Oct were fewer than expected. The only Red-necked Grebes were singles on Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo 10-30 Nov (MLS) and in Ventura, Ventura 15- 21 Nov (EW). The first Northern Fulmars ar- rived in s: California waters in mid-Sep (TMcG et al) and were numerous offshore by the end of the period. A Cook’s Petrel was seen far off San Luis Obispo 19 Oct (DB). Sin- gle Flesh-footed Shearwaters were 25 km ssw. of Pt. Arguello 15 Nov (PEL) and 5 km off the Palos Verdes Pen., Los Angeles 18 Nov (MF). A count of 220 Buller’s Shearwaters in the area between Rodriguez Dome and the San Juan Seamount 9 Sep (TMcG et al.) was a high number for s. California waters; 30+ in that same area 15 Nov (PEL), along with 2 off the Palos Verdes Pen. 18 Nov (MF), were late. A Manx Shearwater off the Palos Verdes Pen. 22 Oct (DB) was the only one identified. An unprecedented 80 Wilson’s Storm-Petrels with about 1500 Ashy, 300 Black, and 100 Least Storm-Petrels were 53 km sw. of Pt. Bu- chon, San Luis Obispo 11 Sep (MF). Leach’s Storm-Petrels were unusually close to shore off San Diego in Aug-Sep, as indicated by a high count of 138 near the Nine-Mile Bank off San Diego 7 Aug (TMcG et al). An impressive raft of about 8000 Black and 1400 Least Storm-Petrels at the Nine-Mile Bank 10 Oct OSF, WTH) illustrates how numerous these birds were in San Diego waters. Five Red-billed Tropicbirds w. of the Cortez Bank 10 Oct (WTH) were the only ones re- ported. A Blue-footed Booby on Anacapa I. 26 Sep (DP) was the first in Ventura, and anoth- 153 A remarkable twelve Blue-footed Beobies — a virtual invasion — were pho- tographed at the mouth of the Whitewater River at the Salton Sea, Riverside County, California 25 October 2009. Photograph by Curtis A. Marantz. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA This Black Vulture, photographed In Goleta, Santa Barbara County on 11 September 2009, roosted with Turkey Vultures during its 10-13 September stay and established the first record for Southern California. Photograph by Curtis A. Marantz. er was at Corona del Mar 9 Sep (DCR), then at nearby Dana Pt., Orange 24-27 Sep (RMcN); inland, one was at N.E.S.S. 22 Aug-6 Sep (TE), and single birds were at S.E.S.S. 17 Sep (GMcC) and 19 Oct (M&JS), followed by up to 12 at N.E.S.S. 25 Oct-8 Nov (CAM). Eleven Brown Boobies in San Diego waters 26 Aug-23 Nov (JSE FB, MS, DP, BMu), along with single birds in the San Pe- dro Channel 15 Aug QM), at the Bell Bank off Los Angeles 25 Aug O^F), s. of Santa Cruz 1. 26 Sep (BA), and near Anacapa I. 21 Nov (ME), well illustrate the increasing frequency of this species in s. California waters. A sub- ad. Red-footed Booby rode a NOAA research ship from near Anacapa I. to Pt. Dume, Los Angeles 20-21 Sep (ME). A Neotropic Cor- morant on L. Havasu 19 Sep (TAB) was the hrst recorded in San Bernardino' one at S.E.S.S. 6-8 Oct (ME) and another near Seeley, Imperial 26 Nov-r (BK) were in the area where most in California have been recorded. HERONS THROUGH PHALAROPES The only Reddish Egrets away from coastal San Diego and Orange were up to 3 at PM.N.A.S. through the period (DP) and one at Gaviota/Goleta, Santa Barbara 23 Aug-13 Sep (SS) on the coast, along with one at L. Mathews, Riverside 30 Sep (EM) and up to 4 around S.E.S.S. through Aug (GMcC, BK) in- land. The pair of Yellow-crowned Night- Herons in Imperial Beach since 2005 was still present at the end of the period (GMcC); in addition an ad. and an imm. were together at PM.N.A.S. 13 Nov+ (MR), the ad. in Ocean Beach remaining through 13 Aug (PEL), and an imm. was still present there 20 Aug QP)- Ten Wood Storks at S.E.S.S. 12 Sep (GMcC, ESB) were the latest this year. What appeared to be the same Black Vul- ture in Goleta, Santa Bar- bara 10-13 Sep (HPR), then in Santa Paula, Ven- tura 29 Nov-4 Dec (CR), was the 4th in California and the first for this Re- gion. A Harris’s Hawk was in Borrego Springs, San Diego 6 Oct (PJ). Migrant Broad-winged Hawks in- cluded single birds near Arroyo Grande, San Luis Obispo 30 Sep (BKS), on Pt. Loma, San Diego 4 Oct QP), and inland at Desert Center, Riverside 16 Sep (CAM). The largest flocks of migrant Swainson’s Hawks to be reported were 111 at Borrego Springs 18 Oct (PJ) and 80 near El Centro, Im- perial 19 Oct (KZK); 20 near Yorba Linda, Or- ange 16 Oct (HA) was a large flock for the coastal lowlands, and 26 at Borrego Springs 6 Nov (PJ) were late. Wintering Zone-tailed Hawks included single birds around Ojai, Veti- tura 5 Nov-t (DR), L. Forest/Mission Viejo, Or- ange 1 Nov-i- (BAA), and near Escondido, San Diego 25 Oct-i- (KR), plus 2 at San Vicente Res., San Diego 12 Aug+ (HC); others at Fill- more, Ventura 30 Oct (DDesJ), Anaheim, Orange 29 Sep (JF), Encinitas, San Diego 6 Oct (AM), and near Blythe, Riverside 11 Nov (RH) were believed to be mi- grants. The only Rough- legged Hawk was one on the Carrizo Plain, San Luis Obis- po 1-8 Nov (MLS). The long-staying Crested Cara- cara was still present in the Tijuana R. valley, San Diego 14 Nov (AR). A flock of 14 Sandhill Cranes at Desert Center 11 Oct (TAB), and single birds at Piute Ponds near Lancaster, Los Angeles 16 Nov (KG) and in Goleta 31 Oct (NG), were at unexpected locations. Wintering Pacific Golden-Plovers arrived as early as 15 Aug, with one at Bolsa Chica, Orange on that date (BED), and at least 15 migrants or other wintering birds reported from along the coast by the end of the period. A Mountain Plover at S.E.S.S. 12 Sep (GMcG, ESB) was unusually early, and one at Owens L., Inyo 3 Oct (KH-L) was at a location where rare. An apparent “pure” American Oyster- catcher accompanied up to 10 Blacks and an obvious American Oystercatcher x Black Oys- tercatcher hybrid at Pt. Loma 26 Sep-19 Dec (EGK). A Solitary Sandpiper at L. O’Neill 11 Oct (DM) was the latest of the migrants, and one near Seeley, Imperial 1 Oct-24 Dec (GMcC) was wintering. A short-staying Hud- sonian Godwit on the Los Angeles R. in Para- mount 22 Aug (SS) was the first in fall for Los Angeles. A Bar-tailed Godwit at Upper New- port Bay 31 Oct+ (NAG) was the first in Or- ange. By far the most interesting shorebird of the season was an apparent Surfbird x Great Knot hybrid on San Diego Bay 27-31 Aug (BMu, MS). At least 35 Sanderlings were found in the e. part of the Region between 3 Aug and 3 Oct, including an impressive 16 at Owens L. 20 Sep (SLS). About 20 juv. Semi- palmated Sandpipers on the coast, along with 10 more inland between 2 Aug and 5 Sep, plus late stragglers in San Diego 17 Sep (RTP) and near Daggett, San Bernardino 26 Sep (TEW), were fewer than in recent years. An ad. Little Stint, the 4th for fall in this Region, was on Owens L. 29-30 Aug (CBH, JLD). Numbers of Baird’s Sandpipers appeared low- er than normal, whereas Pectoral Sandpipers were far more numerous, as illustrated by 114 together on the coast at the VC.G.P. 29 Sep (LSa), along with 20 at Owens L. 3 Oct (T&JH), 21 near Daggett 25 Sep (TAB), and 120 at the S.J.W.A. 1 Oct (CMcG). A juv. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was at the VC.G.P. on the early date of 5 Sep (LSa). Single Stilt Sand- pipers inland near Daggett 2 Oct (TAB) and Blythe, Riverside 30 Aug-3 Sep (RH), and on the coast in Goleta 29 Aug (NAL), at the V.C.G.C. 8-27 Sep OLD), and in Lakeside, San Diego 16 Sep-5 Oct (EGK), along with 3 in Orange between 21 and 31 Aug QEP, BED, LR), were all away from S.E.S.S. The only Buff-breasted Sandpipers were singles at the Oxnard Plain, Vartura 3-7 Sep OO- on the Los Angeles R. in Long Beach 25-26 Aug QSB), and on San Clemente 1. 23-30 Aug (SMS). The only Ruffs reported were single juvs. at Whale Rock Res., San Luis Obispo 7 Sep (TME) and the VC.G.P. 6-29 Sep (LSa) This somewhat late juvenile Semipalmated Sandpiper was photographed on South San Diego Bay, San Diego County, California on 16 September 2009. Photograph by Robert T. Patton. 154 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA and an ad. at S.E.S.S. 1 Oct (GMcC). Single Red Phalaropes near Cantil, Kern 22 Sep (SLS), at C.L. 6-7 Nov (SLS), and at S.E.S.S. 1- 3 Oct (GMcC) were inland, where rare. GULLS THROUGH FLYCATCHERS Nine Sabine’s Gulls were found inland be- tween 14 and 29 Sep; 2 about 20 km sw. of Pt. Arguello and one about 74 km sw. of Pt. Ar- guello 14 Nov (PEL, CAM) were late. Franklin’s Gulls were scarce, with only 1 1 re- ported. A Western Gull at Tinemaha Res., Inyo 25-29 Aug (JLD) was far inland. The only Lesser Black-backed Gulls reported were returning birds at S.E.S.S. 8 Oct+ (GMcC) and 28 Nov+ (MJB) and one at Salton City 13 Oct (BS). Four exceptionally late Least Terns were at Oso Flaco L., San Luis Obispo 24 Sep (MLS). Eighteen South Polar Skuas seen off the coast in Sep and Oct were expected, but one from shore in Long Beach 6 Sep (GL) was a surprise. Only 2 jaegers were found inland: an ad. Long-tailed in Lancaster 22 Aug (M&JS) and a juv. at S.E.S.S. 1 Oct (GMcC). An Ancient Murrelet at S.E.S.S. 18 Nov (SA) was the 4th at the Salton Sea and the 5th away from the coast in California. A flock of 50 Band-tailed Pigeons at G.H.P. 10 Oct (KH-L) was remarkable for a desert lo- cation. Twenty White-tvinged Doves scattered along the coast was about normal. A Com- mon Ground-Dove at EC.R. 10 Oct (SLS) was well n. of this species’ normal range. Single Ruddy Ground-Doves were at Desert Center 18-22 Nov (DG) and near Winterhaven, Im- perial 3 Nov (PEL), along with 2 at EC.R. 15 Oct-t (JEP, CGL). A Black Swift over the Ti- juana R. valley 8 Sep (MS) was clearly a mi- grant. A Chaetura photographed on San Nico- las I. 29 Sep OMcM) appears to have been a Chimney Swift. A Broad-billed Humming- bird, very rare to casual in California, fre- quented a feeder in Goleta 8 Nov+ (PK). A Black-chinned Hummingbird in Tierrasanta, San Diego through 27 Oct (PEL) was unusu- ally late. Most unusual was a Broad-tailed Hummingbird on the coast in Goleta 21 Nov+ (DMC). Single Williamson’s Sapsuckers near Burbank, Los Angeles 23 Nov+ (RiB) and in Sylmar, Los Angeles 30 N0V+ (RSu) were away from expected montane conifer habitat. At I least 13 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers were found scattered throughout the Region after 8 Oct. t A Red-breasted Sapsucker of the nominate I subspecies in Niland, Imperial 16 Oct (GMcC) was unusually far to the southeast. A j White-headed Woodpecker in Sylmar 6 Oct 1 (DM) was in the lowlands. . Western Wood-Pewees have generally de- parted the Region by about 20 Oct, so single birds near El Monte, Los Angeles 24 Oct QG) and in Huntington Beach, Orange 25 Oct QEP) were of note. Willow Flycatch- ers at EC.R. 10 Oct (SLS) and near Lancaster, Los Angeles 15 Oct (MSanM) were rather late for the in- terior. An Empidonax pho- tographed in Lancaster 10 Oct (M&JS) appeared to be a Yellow-bellied Fly- catcher, potentially the first for Los Angeles, but was not heard calling. The only Least Flycatcher re- ported was at Zzyzx, San Bernardino 3 Sep QEP). Exceptionally early was an Eastern Phoebe photographed in Playa del Rey Los Angeles 22 Sep (DS); more typical were others in Los Angeles at Torrance 12-14 Oct (TD) and in the Baldwin Hills 29 Nov (A&EB). Northerly Vermilion Flycatchers in- cluded a male photographed in Guadalupe, Santa Barbara 25 Oct (MPB) and a late bird in Bishop, Inyo 14 Nov-2 Dec (R&NO); a small but growing population appears to be estab- lished in w. San Bernardino at Prado R.P. and California State University San Bernardino (HBK, TAB). A Great Crested Flycatcher in n. Orange 26-30 Sep (DRW) was the 3rd ever found in Orange. Some 23 Tropical Kingbirds were found on or near the coast after 13 Sep; farther inland were birds at Bombay Beach, Im- perial 14 Sep OLD). Desert Center, Riverside 16-19 Sep (CAM), and Prado R.P. 17 Nov (MJSM). A Cassin’s Kingbird in Brawley 1-12 One of six Curve-billed Thrashers found in Southern Califor- nia in autumn 2009, this bird was photographed at Chiriaco Summit, Riverside County on 14 November during its stay from 8 Ortober through the winter. Photograph by Stephen J. Myers. A visiting birder from Great Britain found this Ancient Murrelet with Ruddy Ducks near Ob- sidian Butte at the south end of the Salton Sea, imperial County, California 18 November 2009; it is the fourth recorded on this inland body of water. Photograph bySteveArlow. Sep (GMcC) was in an area where rare. Eastern Kingbirds were in Santa Barbara at Goleta 6 Sep (MAH) and Montecito 10 Sep OLL); 5 more were found on the deserts 24 Aug-30 Sep. A Western Kingbird at Santa Fe Dam, Los Angeles 14 Nov (AKL) was the latest one re- ported. The only Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was at Mission Bay, San Diego 23-30 Nov (SaB). SHRIKES THROUGH WARBLERS A Northern Shrike in Marble Canyon in the White Mts., Inyo 15 Oct OMH) was excep- tionally early. A Bell’s Vireo banded as a nestling in San Diego during the 2009 breed- ing season was re-sighted in Los Osos, San Luis Obispo 12-15 Sep QSR); such northward post-breeding dispersal has been noted previ- ously. A bright Bell’s at Deep Springs, Inyo 3 Sep (BP-B) was thought to be a stray of the nominate subspecies. A Blue-headed Vireo was on Santa Barbara I. 25 Sep (NAL, WTF). The continuing increase of Plumbeous Vireos in the Region is illustrated by the 13 found in Orange alone 26 Sep+. A Cassin’s Vireo in Brawley 9 Sep (BMi) was the earliest ever found in the Salton Sink. A Yellow-throated Vireo continued from the summer through 2 Sep at G.H.P. OLD); others were in Laguna Niguel, Orange 20-27 Sep (RMcN) and near Bishop 22 Sep O&DP). Red-eyed Vireos were at G.H.P. 25-26 Sep (TEW) and Dos Palmas Spring, Riverside 27 Sep OEP); quite late was one on Pt. Loma 21 Oct (CH). The only Yel- low-green Vireo was at Oceano, San Luis Obis- po 18-19 Oct OSR)- Somewhat out of range were American Crows on the s. Carrizo Plain, San Luis Obispo 28 Oct (AES) and at Borrego Springs, San Diego 31 Oct (PEL). Late for the n. deserts was a Northern Rough-winged Swallow in the w. Antelope Valley, Los Angeles 4 Nov (CDY); also late was a Bank Swallow at Bolsa Chica through 16 Oct (BED) and single Cliff Swallows at Irvine, Orange 18 Oct (BED), Coronado, San Diego 18 Oct (MS), and Imperial Beach 20 Oct (MS). VOLUME 64 (2009) NUMBER 1 155 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA This photograph of the hatch-year female Blackburnian Warbler that remained in Califor- nia City, Kern County, California 16-23 (here 17) November 2009 shows the prominent striped pattern on the upperparts typical of the species. Photograph by Larry Sansone. A Sedge Wren at Glen Helen R.P, 17-20 Oct (MSanM) established only the 4th record for the Region, all of which fall between 15 Oct and 12 Nov. Golden-crowned Kinglets were widely reported in the lowlands in small numbers from the s. coastal counts e. to the Colorado River. Western Bluebirds staged a strong invasion away from their normal habi- tats; a flock of 18-20 was at Zzyzx 7-26 Nov (AEK), several flocks of up to a dozen were at S.E.S.S. 31 Oct-f (PEL), and a flock of 6 on San Clemente I. 28 Nov (TWH) established the first record of this species for the Channel Islands. Mountain Bluebirds moved in greater-than-average numbers to the coastal slope. A Swainsons Thrush at N.E.S.S. 11 Oct (DG) was one of the few ever found in fall in the Salton Sink; one at Desert Center 10 Oct (CAM) appeared to be a of the Olive-backed subspecies group. A Rufous-backed Robin photographed at Black Meadow Landing on the Colorado R., San Bernardino 8 Nov (EP) was the 16th for the Region and state. Six Gray Catbirds on the deserts between 22 Sep and 18 Nov was more than average; another was in Huntington Beach 16 Sep-31 Oct 0^). A Sage Thrasher in the White Mts. 24 Nov O&DP) was quite late for Inyo. An ex- ceptional 6 Curve-billed Thrashers included Los Angeles’s first in the Montebello Hills 1-3 Sep (RoB) as well as 2 birds at Black Meadow Landing 1 Nov-r (EP) and singles in Riverside e. of Indio at Cactus City 22-23 Sep QT, MT) and Chiriaco Summit 8 Oct-i- (MSanM) and in Imperial at Picacho S.R.A. 22 Nov (GCH).It was a very poor fall for Red-throated Pipits, with singles noted only at San Nicolas 1., Ventu- ra 24 Sep and 6 Oct OMcM) and near Impe- rial Beach 20 Oct (LSa). A Blue-winged Warbler, casual in fall, was at Mojave Narrows R.P, Sati Bernardino 12 Sep (BD). Eleven Tennessee Warblers, about half of the normal fall mean, were found 8 Sep-24 Nov, all on the coastal slope. Twelve Virginia’s Warblers were on the coastal slope 30 Aug-1 1 Oct, with 2 more on the e. Mojave Desert Aug-1 Sep. Eight migrant Lucy’s Warblers were along the coast 18 Aug-22 Oct. There was a good showing of Northern Parulas for fall, with 12 along the coast 25 Aug-25 Oct, plus 3 remaining until 9 Oct from the summer nesting period in Los Angeles (DS); in the interior, one was in the high Sierra Nevada at Aspendell, Inyo 23-29 Aug (SLS), and 3 were on the s. deserts 18 Sep-18 Oct. Just a third of av- erage, 6 Chestnut-sided War- blers were on the coast 16 Sep-1 1 Nov. Live coastal Mag- nolia Warblers 22 Sep-26 Oct were augmented by singles near Cantil, Kern 1 Oct (MSanM) and at Zzyzx 24 Oct (TEW, LEA). A bit above aver- age were 7 Black-throated Blue Warblers on the coastal slope 28 Sep-11 Nov, plus 6 on the deserts 19 Sep-23 Oct. A Yel- low-rumped Warbler in La Verne, Los Angeles 4 Aug (KE) was unseasonable in this foothill location. The only Black-throated Green Warbler (a species normally averaging about 4 per fall) was at Deep Springs, Inyo 18 Oct (SLS). A Hermit Warbler in Bishop 9 Oct (DJH) was quite late for Inyo. Six Blackburnian Warblers were on the coastal slope 19 Sep-3 Dec; another was at California City, Kern 16-23 Nov (GS). Re- turning for its 2nd winter, a Grace’s Warbler was in Goleta 21 Oct+ (NAL). Two different Pine Warblers were at Oceano 25 Sep (BKS) and 3 Oct (BAB); another was on Pt. Loma 5 Oct (PAG). Live Prairie Warblers, about aver- age, were along the coast 10 Sep-8 Oct. Palm Warblers were exceptionally scarce this fall, with only 5 along the coast 25 Oct-20 Nov and another at Deep Springs 16 Oct (SLS); an average fall sees 40+ birds in the Region. Well-documented Bay-breasted Warblers were near Cantil 21-23 Oct (MSanM) and at Cactus City 6-10 Nov OFG)- A. below-average 29 Blackpoll Warblers were on the coastal slope 14 Sep-22 Oct, with others at Deep Springs 7 Sep (CBH) and Cactus City 26-27 Sep (MB). Twenty-seven coastal slope Black- and-white Warblers 16 Aug+ included some returning wintering birds; 3 more were on the deserts 19 Sep-8 Oct. American Redstarts in- cluded 34 on the coastal slope 26 Aug+ and 13 on the deserts 24 Aug-12 Nov. Five Pro- thonotary Warblers, about average, were found along the coast 11 Sep-1 Oct. Only 4 Ovenbirds, all coastal, were noted 9 Sep-13 Oct. Eleven Northern Waterthrushes were on the coastal slope 9 Sep-20 Oct, and the same number were on the deserts 30 Aug-11 Oct. The only Kentucky Warbler was a well-de- scribed bird from a yard in Huntington Beach 4 Sep (TP). A MacGillivray’s Warbler in the Laguna Mts. 1 Aug (CH) was probably an ear- ly migrant, as breeding is unknown in the mts. of San Diego. Hooded Warblers made a better-than-average showing, with birds at Cerro Alto Campground, San Luis Obispo 26- Bay-breasted Warblers are now much scarcer stragglers to California than they were twenty years ago, so this cooperative individual at the Cactus City rest stop on Interstate 10, Riverside County, photographed on the first day of its 6-10 No- vember 2009, stay attracted many birders. Photograph byChetMcGaugh. 30 Aug (RHZ), Deep Springs 3 Sep (BP-B), Zzyzx 19 Sep (LSc), Desert Center 8 Oct (MSanM), and Morongo Valley 9 Oct (ReB); the summering bird at Aspendell was present through 6 Sep (SLS). Canada Warblers, which average 4 per fall in the Region, were at Nojo- I 156 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA qui Falls County Park, Santa Barbara 9-12 Sep (DD) and Pt. Loma 19 Sep (MJB). Mi- grant Painted Redstarts were at San Nicolas 1. 29 Sep QMcM), Desert Center 10-11 Oct (CMcG), Irvine 28 Oct (LF), and Limestone Canyon, Orange 31 Oct (LL); returning win- tering birds were in Monrovia, Los Angeles 3 Oct+ (DDo) and on Pt. Loma 4 Oct+ QK); one in Upper Silverado Canyon, Orange 20-21 Nov (NAG) may have been attempting to winter. A Yellow-breasted Chat near El Centro 10 Oct (KZK) was the latest ever found in the Salton Sink. SPARROWS THROUGH MANNIKINS Green-tailed Towhees moved through the lowlands in greater-than-average numbers, as illustrated by a count of 4 on Santa Barbara 1. 27 Sep (NAL) and totals of 6 birds each in Or- ange 8 Sep+ and San Diego 29 Sep-i-. An Amer- ican Tree Sparrow was at Twentynine Palms, San Bernardino 11-12 Nov (TAB). Two Chip- ping Sparrows in Brawley 13 Aug (GMcC) were the earliest to be found in fall in the Salton Sink. Clay-colored Sparrows were rou- tinely noted as migrants, with 31 found on the coastal slope 11 Sep-7 Nov and 13 more on the deserts 30 Aug-19 Nov. A Field Spar- row at Glen Helen R.P. 27 Oct (MSanM) would be the first for San Bernardino and only the 6th for the Region if accepted. The scat- tering of Lark Buntings included birds at Long Beach, Los Angeles 13 Aug (MT), San Nicolas 1. 30 Sep OMcM), Westchester, Los Angeles 10 Oct (RSt), and e. Orange 10 Oct (NAG), and in the interior at Desert Center 23 Sep-3 Oct OFG), Weldon, Kern 1 Oct (DL), and FC.R. 3 Oct (CBH, RHo). A Large- billed Savannah Sparrow at Malibu Lagoon, Los Angeles 1 Sep QT-F) was away from areas of regular occurrence. A Baird’s Sparrow nicely photographed at Desert Center 5 Sep I (CMcG) was only the 2nd ever found in the I Region (and California’s 7th). Nelson’s Spar- i rows were reported only at the three areas of ' regular occurrence (Morro Bay, Seal Beach, and Imperial Beach). Although Golden- I crowned Sparrows are routinely found on the coastal slope by early Oct, one at N.E.S.S. 11 Oct (DG) established the earliest ever fall date for the Salton Sink. The only Harris’s Sparrow j reported was at FC.R. 28 Nov (LSu). It was a I poor year for longspur sightings, with only 4 j Chestnut-collareds reported (2 each in Santa ] Barbara and Inyo), 8 coastal Laplands 27 I Oct-24 Nov, and another Lapland at C.L. 30 I Oct(SLS). I A female Hepatic Tanager was in San Diego 10-15 Oct (TRS), along with a returning win- tering male in Imperial Beach 4 Nov+ (MS). Some 35 Summer Tanagers were reported on the coastal slope 2 Sep+, with an earlier bird in Torrance, Los Angeles 6 Aug-5 Sep (TD); 4 more birds were on the deserts 12 Sep-22 Nov. Scarlet Tanagers were in Oceano 4 Nov (RHZ) and on Pt. Loma 26-27 Oct (GLR); an ad. male, possibly last year’s unprecedented wintering bird, was on the grounds of the San Diego Zoo 16 Nov (TRS) but not seen there- after. Following a record spring, 24 Rose- breasted Grosbeaks were noted on the coastal slope 10 Aug-23 Nov, with 6 more on the deserts 9 Aug-16 Oct. A Black-headed Gros- beak in Brawley 10 Nov (GMcC) was thought possibly to be wintering. The latest of 33 In- digo Buntings was in Goleta 15 Nov (MV). Female-plumaged Painted Buntings were at Imperial Dam 23 Aug (TE), Glen Helen R.P 12-19 Oct (DG), and San Luis Obispo 14 Nov (KH). A Dickcissel was found dead in West Hills, Los Angeles 17 Sep (*LACM), and on the deserts one was at Baker 3 Oct (SJM), and up to 3 were at Desert Center 7-27 Sep (SG, CAM,JT, MT). Nineteen Bobolinks on the coastal slope 13 Sep-19 Oct was a bit below average; another 5 were on the deserts 7 Sep-4 Oct. A female Rusty Blackbird was photographed in Goleta 14-19 Nov (RL). An Orchard Oriole in Gole- ta 10 Sep OLD) was the hrst of a dozen to ap- pear on the coast during the period, with ad- ditional birds to be reported in the winter re- port; 3 more birds were on the deserts 14 Sep-12 Oct. A Bullock’s Oriole at 3930 m on Mt. LeConte, Inyo must surely have set a high-elevation record for the species. Nine Baltimore Orioles were in coastal areas 4 Sep-15 Nov, with another 5 on the deserts 10 Sep-15 Oct. Given the absence of any irrup- tions in the Region this year, a Red Crossbill in the coastal lowlands at Bellflower, Los An- geles 9 Aug (PJM) was unexpected. Cassin’s Finches in unusual localities included a 2nd for San Clemente I. 25 Oct (SMS) and one at Desert Center 10-18 Oct (CAM). Nutmeg Mannikin continues to increase its geograph- ical range and population size in the Region, as illustrated by counts of 200 in Goleta 13 Sep (DMC) and 150-200 in the Hidden Valley Wildlife Area, Riverside 4 Nov (LM). Cited observers (County coordinators in boldface): Jim Abernathy, Renee Baade (ReB), Bruce A. Aird, Bernardo Alps, Steve Arlow, Henry Armijo, Liga L. Auzins, Fred Baker, Mike Barkwell, Richard Barth (RiB), Rob Bates (RoB), Naomi Baucom, David Bell, Thomas A. Benson, Mark J. Billings, Bill A. Bouton, Jeffrey S. Boyd, Steve Brad (StB), Sara Braeutigam (SaB), Edward S. Brinkley, Ann & Eric Brooks (A&EB), Mark P Brown, David M. Compton (Santa Barbara), Howard Cum- VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 mings, Brian E. Daniels, A1 DeMartini, Bill Deppe, Don Desjardin, Darren Dowell (DDo), Tracy Drake, Jon L. Dunn, Todd Easterla, Tom M. Edell (San Luis Obispo), Kathi Ellsworth, Jon S. Feenstra, Jon L. Fisher, John Fitch, Lindsay Fitch, Michael Force, Wes T. Fritz, Noah Gaines, John Garrett, Kimball L. Gar- rett (Los Angeles), Neil A. Gilbert, Peter A. Ginsberg, Dave Goodward, Stan Gray, John F. Green (Riverside), Kristie Grubb, Steve Hampton, Christine Harvey, Gjon C. Hazard, Tom & Jo Heindel (Inyo), Kelli Heindel- Levinson (Kern), Taylor W. Higgins, Roger Higson, Ken Hillers, Justin M. Hite, Mark A. Holmgren, Debbie J. House, Chris B. Howard, Rosie Howard (RHo), W. Terry Hunefeld, Os- car Johnson (Ventura), Paul Jorgensen, Eric G. Kallen, Peggy Kearns, Jay Keller, Howard B. King, Alexander E. Koonce (San Bernardi- no), Barbara Krause, Kenneth Z. Kurland, Graham Langley, Kevin G. Larson, Denise LeBerteaux, Paul E. Lehman, Joan E. Lentz, Nick A. Lethaby, Linette Lina, Rob Lindsay, Carl G. Lundblad, Curtis A. Marantz, Doug Martin, Andy Mauro, Guy McCaskie (Imperi- al and San Diego), Mike McClintock, Chet McGaugh, Todd McGrath, Jimmy McMorran, Robert McNab, Peter J. Metropulos, Bob Miller (BMi), Lynn Miller, Jess Morton, Bren- nan Mulrooney (BMu), StephenJ. Myers, Jack O’Connell, Ron & Nancy Overholtz (R&NO), Brainard Palmer-Ball, Jim & Debby Parker (J&DP), Robert T. Patton, Jim Pea, Dave Pereksta, James E. Pike, Teri Pool, Ernie Psikla, Dana Quincey Hugh P. Ranson, Les Redpath, Anne Reilly, David C. Rice, Geoffrey L. Rogers, David Roine, Kim Roth, Jim S. Roy- er, Martin Ruan, Craig Rudolph, Matt Sad- owski, Mike San Miguel, Michael J. San Miguel, Larry Sansone (LSa), Mark & Janet Scheel (M&JS), Larry Schmahl (LSc), Alan E Schmierer, Brad K. Schram, Greg Scyphers, Bill Shelmerdine, Maggie L. Smith, Scott Smith, Steve Sosensky, Justyn Stahl (San Clemente Island), Trent R. Stanley, Don Ster- ba, Doug G. Stinson, Susan L. Steele, Russell Stone (RSt), Shawn M. Sullivan, Lee Sutton (LSu), Richard Sutton (RSu), Matt Teutimez, Jennifer Tobin, Michelle Tobin, Matt Victoria, Eric Waian, Douglas R. Willick (Orange), Thomas E. Wurster, Callyn D. Yorke, Roger H. Zachary. An additional 40+ observers who could not be individually acknowledged sub- mitted reports; all have our thanks. O Guy McCaskie, 954 Grove Avenue Imperial Beach, California 91932, (guymcc@pacbell.net) Kimball L. Garrett Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90007 (kgarrett@nhm.org) 157 Baja California Peninsula Islas Ensenada Tijuana / Mexicali Todosj 'y ™ Santos'^- lower Rio, Santo Tomas /y San Maneadero P/a/n^Quintm El Rosarii ieyes de Reforma ,l^an Felipe Islas San Benitos. Isla Cedros^ Vizcaino Peninsula Bahia de los Angeles BAJA CALIFORNIA “Guerrerd'T BAJA Negro CALIFORNIA SUR San Jose del Cabo Richard A. Erickson Roberto Carmona Gorgonio Rufz-Campos There was plenty to report, as always; but this was not a typical fall season. Researchers spent nearly a month at sea off the Pacific coast and reported numer- ous tropical seabirds, including the Region’s first documented Christmas Shearwater and third Great Frigatebird. But their best bird — Mexico’s first documented Fork-tailed Storm- Petrel — was of northern origin. Birders also observed many landbird migrants at sea. On land, traditional eastern landbird vagrants were again in short supply, but highlights in- cluded the Region’s third Yellow-bellied Fly- catcher and Baja California Sur’s first Pine Warbler. Some western species are equally rare on the southern peninsula, so two Olive- sided Flycatchers there were Baja California Sur’s second and third. Species making reap- pearances after long absences included Wood Stork and Groove-billed Ani in the Cape Dis- trict (think of the area as a large island off the west coast of Mexico) and Clark’s Nutcracker in the northern mountains. GREBES THROUGH ALCIDS Late nesting was established by a pair of Least Grebes feeding 2 chicks at Nopolo 10 Nov-2 Dec (ph. TH) and a Clark’s Grebe with 2 chicks at the Cerro Prieto geothermal ponds 24 Sep (ph. ESM). Catavina is known for mi- grant landbirds but not waterbirds. An Eared Grebe there 11 Oct (RAE, PAG) was unex- pected. Not all unusual seabird observations were from the McArthur U (see S.A. Box): a Masked Booby at 28° 23’ N, 115° 55’ W (~37 km wnw. of Is. San Benito) 2 Oct was seen from a cruise ship (MDC, ph. TR et ah). And from a sport fishing boat, 75-100 Masked and 15-20 Brown Boobies were seen at Rocas Ali- jos(24° 58’ N, 115°45’W) 17-19 Oct (DWP). The subad. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron found at Lagunita El Cipres in May was last seen on 17 Sep (EDZH), and White Ibis were seen at Bahia Asuncion for the 3rd autumn in the past four, with 4 imms. there 12 Oct (RAE, PAG). Less expected were Wood Storks in the Cape District, the first there since 1999: an imm. at Estero San Jose 8-22 Sep (ph. DGE, ph. JM et al.) and 2 at Lagunas de Chametla 10 Oct (DGE, JAC). There were few uncommon shorebirds, with 3 ad. Solitary Sandpipers at Lagunas de Chametla 7 Aug (ph. SGM), 4 juv. Baird’s Sandpipers at Estero Punta Banda 15 Sep (MJB, RAE), and 8 Pectoral Sandpipers in Baja California Sur 7 Aug-5 Nov, be- ginning with a rare ad. at Lagunas de Chametla (ph. SGM). More unusual were a juv. Semipalmat- ed Sandpiper at Lagunas de Chametla 7 Aug (ph. SGM) and Stilt Sandpipers at Estero Punta Banda 6 Sep, Guerrero Negro 30 Sep, and Las Arenitas sewage ponds 2 Oct (all KAR, DJP). A juv. Sabine’s Gull was inland at the Cerro Prieto geothermal ponds 24 Sep (ph. ESM). This year’s Black Tern high counts were 3341 at the Guerrero Negro saltworks 24 Aug (VA, HO, AY) and 3024 at adjacent Laguna Ojo de Liebre 21 Sep (VA). The only non-NOAA South Polar Skua was seen from a cruise ship crossing the mouth of the Gulf of California 1 Oct (MDC et ah). Eighty or 90 Pomarine Jaegers at “The Ridge,” just above Bahia Magdalena, 20 Oct (DWP) and about 40 Xantus’s Murrelets at Pta. Eugenia 28 Sep (KAR, DJP) were noteworthy concentrations. PIGEONS THROUGH FINCHES Band-tailed Pigeon is now strictly casual in Baja California, so 14 near Laguna Hanson 24-25 Oct (GR-C et al.) were noteworthy. A Grove-billed Ani at La Ribera 19-20 Nov (ph. JSp) was a great surprise. Although the species nested in Baja California Sur late in the 1800s, the only record since was from Tripui in Nov 1985 (Western Birds 23: 158). Vaux’s Swift is generally rare in the Region anywhere s. of n. Baja California; e.g., one at Bahia Asuncion 12 Oct (PAG, RAE) was only the 2nd found on the Vizcaino Pen. and vicinity (cf. Monographs in Field Ornithology 3: 157). A male Rufous Hummingbird was at El Rosario 11 Oct (PAG). In fall, the species These Least Grebes established a late nesting record at Nopolo, Baja Califor- nia Sur, photographed here 12 November 2009. Photograph by Tom Haglund. Q A Our summaries from the Baja California Peninsula are dependent upon the reports of professional biologists — Mex- ■Jtilan and American — more so than in most regions covered by /Vorf/i American Birds. Most significant this season are the observations of individuals working for Lisa T. Ballance of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's South- west Fisheries Science Center, Protected Resources Division. Michael P. Force (actually Canadian) reported highlights from Leg 2 of the Ecosystem Survey oWelphinus Species cruise aboard NOAA ship McArthur II, traveling from San Diego to the tip of the peninsula and back 9 Oct-4 Nov. Other observers included Rich Pagan, Richard Rowlett, Sophie Webb, and Suzanne Yin. Among force's observations (note that the U.S. border is -32.5°; the state line is 28° N, and Cabo San Lucas is ~22.2° N): 23 Northern Fulmars s. to -25.4°; 2 Cook's Petrels at -23.1° 26 Oct; Flesh-footed Shearwater at -28.3° (nw. of I. Cedros) 31 Oct; 140 Wedge-tailed Shearwaters n. to -25.4°; 22 Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrels n. to -24.0°; 36 Masked Boobies n. to -27.1°; 4 Nazca Boobies n. to -25.1° (w. of Cabo San Lazaro); 2 Blue-footed Boobies at -27.1°; 102 Red-footed Boobies n. to -25.4°; 2 South Polar Skuas (-23.5°; -21.5°); and an ad. Long-tailed Jaeger at -23.1° 26 Oct. The birds that got away, given the cruise structure, included 15,000 unidentified storm-petrels rafting ne, of 1. San Jeronimo and 1 00,000 unidentified phalaropes close to shore e. of San Jeronimo, both 12 Oct. And then there were these (all tMPF): a Christmas Shearwater in a loose flock of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters over Pantropicai Spotted Dolphins and Eastern Spinner Dolphins at -23.5° (-70 km w. of Cabo Falso) on 23 Oct; a Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel at -31.5° (-40.5 km w. of Punta Santo Tomas) on 4 Nov; and a Great Frigatebird (cf. imm. female) at -22.5° (-92 km w. of Cabo False) on 25 Oct. Their significance? First published Regional record of the shearwater, first doc- umented Mexican record of the storm-petrel, and third Regional record of the frigatebird. Highlights from similar trips here and in the Gulf of California in previous years include more Christmas Shearwaters and a Kermadec Petrel (fideMPF), all still unpublished {d Marine Ornithology IS: 127-135). 158 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA These Olive-sided Flycatchers, at Bahia Asuncion 1 2 October 2009 (left) and Rancho Santa Monica 1 3 October 2009 (right), were the second and third ever recorded in Baja California Sur. Photographs by Richard A. Erickson. Wood Storks were found in Baja California Sur for the first time since 1999. This immature was at Estero San Jose 8 September 2009. Photograph by Daniel Galindo Espinosa. I Grove-billed Anis once nested in the Cape District of Baja ! California Sur, but this adult at La Ribera 1 9 November I 2009 was only the second one found there since 1896. ; Photograph by John Spencer. is believed to regularly pass through Baja California’s higher elevations, but records of low-elevation Selasphorus are rarely identi- I fied to species. I One Neotropical migrant that generally I avoids the Region is Olive-sided Flycatcher, i Individuals at Bahia Asuncion 12 Oct and j Rancho Santa Monica 13 Oct (both PAG, ph. I RAE) were preceded by one other Baja Cali- ; fornia Sur record: Guerrero Negro 27 Sep j 1999. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher has been j recorded in the Region more often than ex- : pected: one at La Bufadora 5 Sep (ph., tKAR; : tDJP) was the 3rd, all in Baja California 5 j Sep-1 Oct. Other noteworthy migrant Empi- ■i donax included 6 Willow Flycatchers from Catavina northward 30 Aug-27 Sep; Least Flycatchers at El Rosario 27 Sep (KAR, DJP) and Rancho Santa Monica 12-13 Oct (PAG, ph. RAE); a Dusky Elycatcher at Catavina 30 Sep (KAR, DJP); and a late Pacific-slope Fly- catcher on the e. side of the Sierra San Pedro Martir at Canada el Cajon 17 Nov (MSM, RAE). Away from the Cape District, 3 Tropi- cal Kingbirds were on the Vizcaino Pen. 29 Sep-13 Oct, but none were found on main- land Baja California. Three Western Kingbirds were widely scattered in Baja California Sur 21 Sep-13 Oct. The only vireos of note re- ported were 4 Plumbeous Vireos in the ne. quarter of Baja California 14 Oct-17 Nov and a Red-eyed Vireo at Bahia Asuncion 12 Oct (RAE). Cassin’s Vireo was unrecorded as a mi- grant this season. Two Clark’s Nutcrackers near Laguna Hanson 24 Oct (ph. GR-C et al.) were the first found in the Region since the flight of 1996-1997. A Bank Swallow at Estero San Jose 12 Aug (SGM) and 3 on the Maneadero Plain 15 Sep (ph. MJB, RAE) were the only ones reported. Two or 3 Townsend’s Solitaires in the n. Vizcaino Desert 30 Sep-14 Oct were typical, but 8 near Laguna Hanson 24-25 Oct (ph. GR-C) was the greatest con- centration ever submitted to us. The only Sage Thrasher was at the Guerrero Negro salt- works 22 Oct (ph. RC, LM). Vagrant warbler totals this year were prob- ably lower than in any other year since Re- gional reporting began in 2000. Observer coverage has certainly declined since early in the decade, but that is probably not sufficient cause alone. The following species were recorded at about half the ten-year average (includes 2009): Tennessee (2 in Baja Cali- fornia, 1 in Baja California Sur), Virginia’s (1, 0), Lucy’s (2, 0), Northern Parula (1, 0), Chestnut-sided (0, 1), Prairie (0, 1; but first in Region since 2004), Prothonotary (1, 0), Ovenbird (1, 0), and Hooded (0, 1). Num- bers of other warbler species were reduced even further: Blackpoll (0, 2), Black-and- white, American Redstart, and possibly Northern Waterthrush. And some species were unrecorded altogether: Magnolia, Black- throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Black- burnian, and Canada; and there were no mainland Palm Warblers. Three of this year’s best warbler finds were from the Vizcaino We received many reports of landbird migrants off the Pacific coast seen from cruise ships and sport fishing boats. Some involved species that nest on the Re- gion's islands, such as 6 Mourning Doves offs. Baja Cali- fornia 15-27 Sep (RB, MDC et al.) — another was seen at the mouth of the Gulf of California 1 Oct (RB, MDC et al.) — and single Burrowing Owls that came aboard ships off s. Baja California 27 Sep (RB, MDC et al.) and 23 Oct (DWP). Others were of species that perhaps only formerly nested on islands, such as a Barn Swallow at Rocas Alijos 17 Oct (DWP; first record for that tiny remote archipelago) and a Chipping Sparrow off cen. Baja California 27 Sep (RB, MDC et al.). Most of the other species nest in the Re- gion, but the individuals involved more likely originated elsewhere: Tropical Kingbird, Palm Warbler, Vesper Spar- row, and Hooded Oriole off cen. Baja California 27 Sep (RB, MDC et al.); Northern Rough-winged Swallow at the mouth of the Gulf of California 1 0ct (RB, MDC et al.); and a Brewer's Blackbird off n. Baja California 23 Oct that rode all the way to San Diego (DWP). The NOAA observers con- tributed a Grasshopper Sparrow se. of the s. tip of I. Santa Margarita 22 Oct (MPFetal.). VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 159 BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA This Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at La Bufadora, Baja California on 5 September 2009 was the rarest of the eastern vagrants found in the Baja California Peninsula region in autumn 2009. Photograph by Kurt A. Radamaker. Bank Swallows migrate through the Baja California Penin- sula region every year, but no specimens have been col- lected, and no photographs have been published previously. This bird was one of three on Baja California's Maneadero Plain 15 September 2009. Photograph by Mark J. Billings. Pen.: Yellow-throated Warbler at Bahia Tor- tugas 13 Oct (RAE, PAG; first for that pen.), female Pine Warbler at Bahia Asuncion 12 Oct (ph. PAG, tRAE; 5th Re- gional record and first state record), and fe- male Mourning War- bler at Rancho Santa Monica 28 Sep (tKAR, DJP; 7th regional and 6th state record). The final highlight was near Tecate: a Painted Redstart 16-17 Oct (ph. JS). Areas along the lower Arroyo El Rosario in the vicinity of El Rosario were gen- erally unproductive this year (along with the rest of the Califor- nia District), but that area remains the war- bler capitol of the Region, with 35 species recorded. Close behind are the Maneadero Plain (34) and Bahia Asuncion (33). An imm. Black-throated Sparrow at Tecate 26 Sep (ph. JS) was at an unusual location. More Clay-colored Sparrows than usual were seen in Baja California, with 4 on the nw. coast and up to 3 per day on 14 dates in Oct at Bahia de los Angeles (ph. GE, ME). Other rare migrant sparrows at Bahia de los Angeles included up to 2 Lark Buntings 9-13 Oct, Golden-crowned Sparrows 16-22 Oct and 27- 30 Nov, and a Pink-sided Junco 4 Nov (all ph. GE ME). Elsewhere, notable migrant spar- rows included a Grasshopper Sparrow at Villa Jesus Maria 11 Oct and a Gray-headed Junco at Bahia Tortugas 12 Oct (both PAG). Tanagers were rather poorly represented, with a female- plumaged Hepatic Tan- ager at Ojos Negros 18 Nov (RAE, MSM), 5 Summer Tanagers from the Vizcaino Pen. northward 4 Sep-14 Oct, and no Scarlet Tanagers. Two Rose- breasted Grosbeaks and 2 Indigo Buntings were on the Pacific At Rancho Santa Monica, Baja California Sur, this immature male Hooded Warbler was pho- tographed 12 October 2009. Since the first record in 1997, the species has averaged one record per year in the state, but this is the first published photograph. Photograph by Peter A. Gaede. coast of Baja California 27 Sep-1 Oct (KAR, DJP), and another Indigo Bunting was at Bahia de los Angeles 8-9 Oct (ph. GF, ME). Among early migrants at Estero San Jose 19 Aug was a Blue Grosbeak (DGE), apparently the earliest ever recorded in Baja California Sur. Seven Dickcissels and 6 Bobolinks from the Vizcaino Pen. northward 27 Sep-14 Oct was an about-average showing. This year’s Oct Great-tailed Grackle dispersal was high- lighted by 2 males at Laguna Hanson 24 Oct | (ph. GR-C et al.) and up to 8 at Bahia de los Angeles 18 Oct-7 Nov (ph. GE, ME). Single Orchard Orioles were on the lower Rio Santo Tomas 15 Sep (RAE, MJB) and at La Bufadora 26 Sep (KAR, DJP). Our last highlights are all from Bahia de los Angeles (ph. GE, ME): Bul- lock’s Oriole 23 Oct, Cassin’s Einch 10-12 Nov, Pine Siskin 31 Oct-1 Nov, and ' Lawrence’s Goldfinch 17 Nov. ■■ Contributors: Antonio Avelar, Victor Ayala, Renae Baade, Mark J. Billings, Peter H. Bloom, Alejandra Calvo Eonseca, Michael D. Car- | mody Roberto Carmona, Jose Alfredo Castil- | lo, Richard A. Erickson, Daniel Galindo Es- j pinosa, Edith Eernandez, George Elicker, Mary Elicker, Michael P. Force, Peter A. I Gaede, Antonio Gutierrez-Aguilar, Tom ! Haglund, Adriana Hernandez, Steve N. G. | Howell, W. Terry Hunefeld, Marshall J. lliff, Brenda Johnson, John Lobel, Guadalupe Mar- | rdn, Israel Martinez Cedillo, Julio Mendez, |; Luis Mendoza, Steven G. Mlodinow, Denisse Morales, Ivan Moreno, Elena Muriel, Hugo I Ortiz, Eduardo Palacios, David J. Powell, David W. Povey, Eduardo L. Prieto, Kurt A. Radamaker, Mario Rivera, Tommie Rodgers, ij Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos, Oscar Salazar, Mike I' San Miguel, Eduardo Soto Montoya, John Spencer QSp), Joe Sweeney, Kenneth L. Weav- ^ er, Anjelica Young, Enrique D. Zamora- - Hernandez. As usual, records submitted to and accessed from eBird were very useful in the compilation of this report. O Richard A. Erickson, LSA Associates 20 Executive Park, Suite 200, Irvine, California 92614 (richard.erickson@isa-assoc.com) Roberto Carmona, Departamento de Biologia Marina Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Sur Apartado Postal 19-B, La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico (beauty@uabcs.mx) Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos, Facultad de Ciencias Universidad Autonoma de Baja California Apartado Postal 233 Ensenada, Baja California, 22800, Mexico U. S. mailing address: PMB 064, P.O. Box 189003 Coronado, California 92178-9003 (gruiz@uabc.mx) 160 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS I ! ( Mexico Hector Gomez de Silva NORTHERN MEXICO More than 20 Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks were recorded at the sewage treatment facility in Gomez Palacio, Dgo. 30 Aug (MRLL, FVP). A male Bufflehead and an American White Pelican, uncommon winter visitors to the La- guna region of Durango and Coahuila, were at the Gomez Palacio sewage treatment facili- ty 8 Nov (MRLL, FVP). Two Common Black- Hawks, an ad. and a juv, were seen at La Isla on the Nazas R., Dgo. 27 Sep (MRLL, ph. FVP, I HCF). A juv. Red-shouldered Hawk was seen in La Isla on the Nazas R. 15 Nov, making this the 5th consecutive winter it has been record- ed visiting the Nazas (MRLL, FVP). A dis- playing Black Hawk-Eagle was at La Bajada, Nay. 23 Oct (HGdS, MPV, AL). A Laughing i Falcon was heard 28 Nov at a private ranch ! on the Rio Sabinas, Tamps.; this species is reg- ular but rare in this northernmost part of its 1 range, even though there seems to be ade- I quate habitat for it n. to Ciudad Victoria and beyond for 30-40 km QA). I A Baird’s Sandpiper was at Cienega del I Toro, N.L. 1 Aug (ph. RV). Hundreds of Wil- [ son’s Phalaropes, dozens of Western Sand- I pipers, and 2 American Avocets were seen at i the sewage treatment facility in Gomez Pala- cio 13 Sep (FVP, MRLL). Psittacids observed at a private ranch on the Rio Sabinas, Tamps, in late Nov QA) were 100 Red-lored Parrots seen staging before going to roost, four or five pairs of Red-crowned Parrots (down from the flocks of hundreds in the 1960s but more than in recent years), and no Green Parakeets (formerly abundant, but locally absent for the past decade or so). A pair of Red-crowned Parrots was seen flying over Chamal, Tamps. 26 Nov QA). An Orange-billed Nightingale- j Thrush was singing along the Singayta rd. near San Bias, Nay. 22 Oct (HGdS). An Aztec Thrush was at Mesa del Oso, N.L. 16 Aug (DZ, AGS, m.ob.). Two male Lazuli Buntings, only seen previously in the La Laguna region in 2001 and 2002, were recorded at the sewage treatment facility in Gomez Palacio 30 Aug (MRLL, FVP). A Lark Bunting, an un- common winter visitor to the subregion, was recorded at the sewage treatment facility in Gomez Palacio, Dgo. 8 Nov (MRLL, FVP). Contributors (area compilers in boldface): John Arvin, Hesner Coto Fuentes, Adrian Ganem Sada, Hector Gomez de Silva, Alfonso Langle, Maria del Refugio Loya Loya, Monica Perez Villafana, Francisco Valdes Peresgasga, Rene Valdes, Diana Zorrilla. CENTRAL MEXICO A belated record was received of a Great Cur- rassow at Santa Gertrudis reserve, Ver. 16 Mar 2009 (RS). A juv. Hook-billed Kite was at Xo- chitla Parque Ecologico, Mex. 25 Oct (HGdS, MPV), and an ad. was above Erongaricuaro near the village of La Zarzamora, Mich. 4 Nov (ph. GC, VHV, RW, ph. MM). Up to 2 White- tailed Kites and a Roadside Hawk were seen in Xochitla Parque Ecologico, Mex. 6-9 Aug and 19 Sep (HGdS, MPV). An ad. Harris’s Hawk was observed s. just s. of La Mancha la- goon, Ver. 12 Sep (AM, JM). A Peregrine Pal- con was at San Miguel Chapultepec near This photograph of a juvenile Common Black-Hawk taken 27 September 2009 provides solid documentation of yet an- other "tropical" species found by the photographer and his group on the Mexican Plateau along the upper Nazas River in Durango. Photograph by Francisco Valdes Perezgasga. Toluca, Mex. 15 Aug (HGdS, MPV), and a Prairie Merlin was at Xochitla Parque Ecologico, Mex. 1 Nov (HGdS, MPV). Two Greater Roadrunners were seen at Los Humeros, Ver. 15 Sep (AM, JM). Up to 2 Eurasian Collared-Dove x African Collared- Doves hybrids were at Xochitla Parque Ecologico, Mex. 7 Aug and 19 Sep (HGdS, MPV). Up to 3 Western Screech-Owls per night were heard at Xochitla Parque Ecologi- co, Mex. 25-31 Oct (HGdS, MPV). A male Calliope Hummingbird was at Teotenango, Mex. 12 Aug (ph. GdO), and another was at Xochitla Parque Ecologico, Mex. 19 Sep (HGdS, MPV). An imm. Scissor-tailed Elycatcher was at Xochitla Parque Ecologico, Mex. 31 Oct and an Ash-throated Elycatcher there the next day (MPV, HGdS). A male Rose-throated Becard, possibly a former cagebird, was near Bosque de Aragon, D.E 6 Nov (HGdS, MPV). A juv. White-throated Thrush was at Xochitla Par- que Ecologico, Mex. 7 Aug, where 7 Cinna- Distrito Federal V0LUIV1E64(2009)-NUMBER1 161 MEXICO Two Streptopelia doves at Xochitia Parque Ecologico in the state of Mexico 7 Au- gust (here) and 19 September 2009 appeared to be hybrids between Eurasian Collared-Dove and African Collared-Dove. Photograph by Monica Perez Villafaha. mon-rumped Seedeaters were noted that day and again 1 Nov (HGdS, MPV). A Prothono- tary Warbler was at Parque El Haya in Xalapa, Ver. 5 Sep (ph. AM, ph. JM). Three ad. Chip- ping Sparrows and a Lark Sparrow were at Miradores Lagoon, Ver. 8 Sep (AM, JM). A male Red-legged Honeycreeper, likely an es- capee, was at a flowering Grevillea along with at least one Orchard and 3 Hooded Orioles at Xochitia Parque Ecologico, Mex. 19 Sep (HGdS, MPV). Giant Cowbirds were farther n. than ever, at the Montezuma Oropendola colonies along the road to Santa Gertrudis re- serve and at the reserve 14 & 16 Mar 2009 (ph. RS, m.ob.) Contributors (area compiler in boldface): Georgia Conti, Gerardo del Olmo, Hector Gomez de Silva, Manuel Grosselet, Amy McAndrews, Jorge Montejo, Michael Morri- son, Robert Straub, Victor Hugo Valencia, Robert Whitlatch . SOUTHERM MEXICO Fifteen Blue-footed Boobies were off Salina Cruz, Oax. 27 Sep (MG). A Pinnated Bittern was discovered s. of La Ventosa 30 Sep (AM, ph. JM). Belatedly received was a report of a Golden Eagle near Santa Maria Tecomavaca, Oax.18 Jul (AL, RS, m.ob.). An ad. Aplomado Falcon was photographed s. of Nizanda, Oax. 2 Oct (ph. AM, ph. JM). A Peregrine Falcon was hunting at Santa Maria Xadani, Oax. 30 Aug (AM, JM). A Killdeer was seen near Ixte- pec 17 Aug, and 2 were at La Ventosa lagoon, Oax. 29 Aug (ph. AM, JM). Two Surfbirds were discovered at Santa Maria Xadani, Oax. 29 Aug (ph. AM, ph. JM). A White-eyed Vireo was near Teotitlan del Valle, Oax. 31 Oct (ph. MG). At least 5 Tree Swallows and 7 Cave Swallows were seen at Santa Maria Xadani, Oax. 7 Nov (ph. AM, ph. JM). A Blue-winged Warbler was observed 3 Oct w. of Nizanda, Oax. (AM, ph. JM). One Yellow-throated Warbler was mist-netted in the Santo Domin- go botanical garden, Oax. 25 Oct (EdV, IH, LS). An imm. Prairie Warbler was discovered w. of Nizanda, Oax. 4 Oct (ph. AM, ph. JM). Single Townsend’s Warblers were seen at San- ta Maria Xadani, Oax. 29 Aug and s. of Nizan- da, Oax. 2 Oct (AM, JM). Single Hermit and Kentucky Warblers were encountered 20 & 21 Oct, respectively, w. of Nizanda, Oax. (ph. AM). A female Rose-breasted Grosbeak was near Teotitlan del Valle 31 Oct (ph. MG). A Yellow Grosbeak seen briefly near Santa Maria Tecomavaca 20 Jul (AL, RS). Contributors (area compilers in boldface); Edgar del Valle, Manuel Grosselet, Itzel Hernandez, Alberto Lobato, Amy McAndrews, Jorge Montejo, Laura Soledad, Robert Straub. YUCATAN PENINSULA Two notable migration waves were reported this fall. At Ceiestiin, Yucatan, on 11 October, the day after a storm, David Bacab observed 3 Great Blue Herons flying eastward about 5 m over the water some 14 km offshore. These were followed by flocks of warbler-sized birds and Barn Swallows. Also at Ceiestiin on 17 Oc- tober, during a strong norther, Ba- cab reported birds flying south- ward along the narrow stretch of mangrove bordering one side of the estuary for five hours begin- ning at 1100. Species identified included Gray Catbird (the most abundant), American Redstart, Black-and-white Warbler, North- ern Parula, Summer Tanager, Wood Thrush, Indigo Bunting, Tennessee Warbler, Chestnut- sided Warbler, Common Nighthawk, Yellow Warbler, and Magnolia Warbler. The norther continued to blow through 19 October, when Barbara MacKin- non saw evidence of the migra- tion inland at Hacienda San Jose Cholul, 35 km east of Merida, Yucatan; several of the same species were in evidence there. Prior to this date, no migrants had been observed at this lat- ter site, and in general migrants were absent from the Yucatan forests during September. WATERFOWL THROUGH TERNS Rarely seen wild, a Muscovy Duck was report- ed on road to Sacbo, 20 km se of El Cuyo, Yuc. 21 Nov by one of the Yucatan Bird Festival teams, which also saw an even rarer Cinnamon Teal later that day on the road between El Cuyo and Tizimi'n, Yuc. (EC). A Ring-necked Duck was seen 21 Nov by another team near- by in a pond along the San Felipe-Panaba road (HD). A 3rd team reported a female Red- breasted Merganser at Las Coloradas 21 Nov (El, BM, RM, AN). Ocellated Turkey is report- ed with more frequency of late but not always so close to human habitation as on the grounds of Hacienda San Jose 30 km ne. of Merida, Yuc. 25 Nov, where an ad. male and 3 females were seen (CV). In the wetlands at km 6 of the Rio Lagartos-Tizimin hwy., an Ameri- can Bittern was seen 14 Nov (EC). Although Great White Heron has been reported previ- ously in the Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, it is still quite rare in Yucatan; 2 were at Las Col- 162 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS oradas 21 Nov (El, BM, RM, AS). A flock of 120 Cattle Egrets came in to roost in the trees bordering the large pond (aguada) at Rancho Chacmultun 20 Nov (XG, El, BM, RM), and an ad. Black-crowned Night-Heron was in the mangrove between the bridge and Las Col- oradas 21 Nov (El, BM, RM, AS). A Glossy Ibis was reported in the wetland by the cemetery at Rio Lagartos 21 Nov by two Yucatan Bird Fes- tival teams (AD, EC, SM). An incredible 76 Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures were at the garbage dump at Celestun, Yuc. 18 Nov (El); and a single King Vulture was observed flying over Rancho San Salvador 22 Nov (EC). A Gray-headed Kite, no longer common in the subregion, was seen on the road to Sacbb 21 Nov (EC), and another was on road to Chunchucmil near Celestun 22 Sep (AD), where a pair of Snail Kites was also seen on same day (AD). A Northern Harrier was in an area of Rio Lagartos 22 Nov (DB), perhaps the same individual reported 8 km from Rio La- gartos on the Tizimin road a day earlier (AD). A White-tailed Hawk was reported at Ce- lestun 15 Aug (DB); and a Zone-tailed Hawk was at Uxmal 28 Aug (DB). The latter species has been observed in all months of the year, suggesting that it may nest on the peninsula. A Collared Forest-Falcon chick fell from its nest in a temple in Dzibanche, Q. Roo 1 Aug and was being fed by a parent. The same site was used a year ago by the same species, but unfortunately the two eggs laid then were de- stroyed by vandals (LT). A flock of 10 Marbled Godwits was seen feeding at Las Coloradas 21 Nov (El, BM, RM, AS), where 2 White-rumped Sandpipers were also noted, a late date for this transient (HD). Dunlins are often missed among the hundreds of shorebirds that feed on the salt flats at Las Coloradas. Two were observed there 21 Nov (El, BM, RM, AS); and later that day, 15 Wil- son’s Phalaropes were there (El, BM, RM, AS). Least Terns are hanging around later than they did 20 years ago, when most left the subregion by Oct; more than 12 were at Dzilam Bravo, Yuc. 20 Nov (VM). A flock of 30 transient Black Terns was at Progreso, Yuc. 10 Aug (EG). DOVES THROUGH ORIOLES In Yucatan, single Caribbean Doves were re- ported 21 Nov at Izamal and Chichen Itza (VM, RL) and on the road to Sacbb (EC). A flock of 200 White-fronted Parrots fed in a I cornfield at Chumbec 20 Nov (El, BM, RM, 1 AS), and 10 were visiting cornfields at dusk around Rancho Xchen, 6 km n. of Ek Balam, ^ Yuc. 17 Nov (BM, AS). Perhaps Yellow-billed , Cuckoo nested later than usual this year, or [ migrants came through later; late singles were reported 21 Nov on the road to Sacbb behind El Cuyo (EC) and on the road between El Cuyo and Dzonot Carretero 22 Nov (DB). Two Yucatan Poorwills were heard on the road from Tizimin to Ek Balam 22 Nov (EC). Three Yucatan Nightjars were heard at Ek Balam 21 Nov (RL, VM); 3 more were heard on the road from Tizimin to Ek Balam 22 Nov (EC); and another was heard at the Dzinub cenote at Val- ladolid, Yuc. 20 Nov (HD). A Ringed King- fisher was reported at El Cuyo 7 Sep (AC), and a male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was in woods near the large aguada at Rancho Chacmultun 15 km se. of Izamal 20 Nov (XG, El, BM, AS). An Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, very rarely re- ported in the subregion, was seen 21 Nov on the road to Sacbb behind El Cuyo (EC), while a rare migrant to the area, a White-throated Flycatcher, was at Puerto Morelos 7 Sep (AC). A late Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was seen at km 6 on the road to Rio Lagartos, near the turnoff to Dzonot Carretero 22 Nov (DB), and a Fork- tailed Flycatcher was at km 15 on the Rio La- gartos-Tizimin hwy. 14 Nov (EC). Thrush-like Schiffornis has never before been reported in the interior of Yucatan, but one was reportedly heard at Chumbec 20 Nov (El), in an area where other species never before reported in the cen. part of the state have also turned up. A pair of uncommon Gray-collared Becards was seen feeding on fruits of wild mulberry at Ha- cienda Chucab, 50 km sw. of Tizimin, and an equally uncommon Black-crowned Tityra was seen at Uxmal 23 Aug (DB). A Warbling Vireo was among the massive migration that passed through Celestun 17 Oct (DB); another was found at Ek Balam 22 Nov (AD, SM), along with a Red-eyed Vireo and a Yellow-green Vireo, which normally leave in Oct. Additional late sightings of the latter vireo include 4 at 6 km n. of Izamal 20 Nov (VM, RL) and one on the Sacbb road se. of El Cuyo 22 Nov (EC). Tree Swallow migration through the penin- sula is not well known, and so we report all sightings, including an undetermined number on the Chunchucmil road s. of Celestun 22 Sep (AD); 3 at the former garbage dump at Progreso 20 Nov (RL, VM); 20 along the Rio Lagartos-Tizimin rd. 21 Nov (EC); 3 at Las Coloradas 21 Nov (HD); and one at the agua- da at Rancho Chacmultun 15 km se. of Izamal 20 Nov (AD, SM). Another species only re- ported once previously from the cen. region of Yucatan is Long-billed Gnatwren, which was again reported at Chumbec, 20 km se., of Iza- mal, where it was seen and heard several times 20 Nov (AD, SM, JH). Another was reported on the same day 1 km w. of Chumbec (DB) and another at Ek Balam 22 Nov (RL, VM). Black Catbird is widespread but very local in Yucatan, where one was reported at Rancho Chacmultun, se. of Izamal 5 Sep (BM, RM, VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 MEXICO AM). Others were seen at Chichen Itza 21 Nov (RL, VM), on the road to Sacbb se. of El Cuyo 21 Nov (EC), at Ek Balam 22 Nov (RL, VM), and 40 km s. of Valladolid 22 Nov (DB). A Golden-winged Warbler was observed during the massive migration 17 Oct at Ce- lestun (DB), while an uncommon Orange- crowned Warbler was reported at San Antonio Chel in Hunucma 19 Nov (AD, BH). A hatch- year female Chestnut-sided Warbler was at San Jose Cholul, 30 km ne. of Merida 21 Oct (BM). An early arrival was a female American Red- start seen in Celestun 8 Aug (DB), while an ex- hausted male landed in a boat located 14 km from the shore at Celestun during the massive migration of 11 Oct and remained there for a half hour, “jumping ship” while the boat was still 2 km from shore (DB). A regular but rare Worm-eating Warbler was reported 6 km n. of Izamal 20 Nov (RL, VM), and an equally rare male Wilson’s Warbler was seen at Rio Lagartos 21 Nov (AD, SM, JH). Another species that has showed up in the interior of Yucatan in the past year is Rose-throated Tanager: a male was seen on the grounds of the Mayaland Hotel at Chichen Itza 21 Nov (RL, VM). A male Scarlet Tanager was very late at Ek Balam 22 Nov (EC). A Chipping Sparrow turned up at Ran- cho San Salvador 21 Nov (AD, SM, JH), and a Savannah Sparrow was at the cemetery in Rio Lagartos 21 Nov (HD). The sharp drop in the Painted Bunting population brings us to report all sightings: 4 at at Rancho Chacmultun, se. of Izamal 20 Nov (XG, El, BM, AS); 2 at Chumbec 10 km to the e. 20 Nov (AS); 3 at Hacienda Temozon, 10 km e. of Uman, Yuc. 20 Oct (BM); 3 in the botanical garden at Hacienda Santa Rosa, 8 km w. of Maxcanu 27 Oct (BM); 2 at the former garbage dump at Progreso 20 Nov (RL, VM); 2 at a cenote near Kantunilkin 21 Nov (RL, VM); one at Rancho San Salvador 21 Nov (EC); and 3 behind the Rio Lagartos ceme- tery 21 Nov (HD). A Dickcissel was seen along the Chunchucmil road 22 Sep (AD). A male Baltimore Oriole, a regular but uncommon vis- itor to the subregion, was seen at Chichen Itza 21 Nov (RL, VM), and another was at the park in Sucila, Yuc. the same day (DB). Contributors (area compiler in boldface): David Bacab, Elmer Canul, Antonio Celis, Alexander Dzib, Henry Dzib, Xiomara Galvez, Edwin Gongora, Joy Hester, Bernice Hotman, Eduardo Inigo, Ramiro Lara, Bar- bara MacKinnon, Victor Marin, Stennie Meadours, Rodrigo Migoya, Ana Morales, Ann Snook, Luis Tellez, Cesar Vergara. O Hector Gomez de Silva, Xola 314-E 03100 Mexico, D.F., Mexico (hector.gomezdesilva@gmail.com) 163 Central America H. Lee Jones Oliver Komar With pelagic trips now being run out of Costa Rica and El Salvador on a regular basis, and out of Guatemala at least occasionally, the new fron- tier of Central American birding must surely be seabirds. Pelagics again made news in Cos- ta Rica, with a rare fall trip producing docu- mentary evidence that Tahiti Petrels do in- deed occur in the eastern Pacific. In El Sal- vador, Least Storm-Petrel was finally con- firmed photographically, and Black-vented Shearwater was found for the third and fourth time in a little over a year. In Guatemala, where seabirding is truly a new frontier. Bri- dled Tern was added to the country’s list, Sabine’s Gull was finally moved from the hy- pothetical to the official list, and Blue-footed Booby was seen for the second time (having first been recorded just one year ago) — all on a single 23 August pelagic trip. In addition to Tahiti Petrel, Long-winged Harrier is a strong candidate for inclusion on the A.O.U. Check- list of North American Birds, now that one has been definitively photographed in Darien, a locality where it had been reported three times previously (it is found as close as the Cauca Valley in northwestern Colombia). Other country firsts included a Piping Plover (remarkably!) on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, a Great Potoo (finally!) in Belize, and a Tricolored Munia (ugh!) in Guatemala. QUAIL THROUGH BOOBIES Two new sites for Ocellated Quail, which oc- curs locally in the Guatemalan highlands, are San Pedro Volcano, Solold, where a bird was heard calling 21 Aug (KE), and Finca Filadelfia, Jocotenango, Sacatepequez, where one was present 11 Aug Qh RA, RS, OM), 6 on 12 Oct (OM), and 3 on 26 Nov (OM). A Parkinson’s Petrel that came in to chum about an hour before sunset 178 km sw. of the Nicoya Pen., Puntarenas 19 Sep (JZ, RG, BY, PM, ph. NU) provided the first recent fall record for Costa Rica. Although it has been seen rather frequently on recent pelagic trips in spring, little is known about it or any oth- er pelagic species in Costa Rican waters in fall. Wedge-tailed Shearwater is probably more common off the coast of El Salvador than the relatively few reports suggest. This fall, one was observed off Los Cobanos, Son- sonate 17 Oct (NH, LP et al.). There are no confirmed records for Manx, Townsend’s, or Newell’s Shearwater from Costa Rica, but a sighting of either Manx or Townsend’s about 90 km sw. of the Nicoya Pen. 18 Sep (JZ, RG, BY, PM, NU) provides evidence that at least one of these species is possible at this time of year. The bird was seen well, though briefly, and was not photographed. It was a medium- sized shearwater, blackish above, much more extensively white below (including under- wing pattern and undertail coverts), and with longer, more pointed wings than in Audubon’s Shearwater. Lastly, a Black-vented Shearwater seen approximately 20 km off Los Cobanos 29 Oct (ph. JF, LA, CF), and anoth- er observed off Los Cobanos 13 Nov (ph. NH), provided only the 3rd and 4th con- firmed records for El Salvador, all recent. Band-rumped Storm-Petrel has been one of the rarer species on recent pelagic trips off Costa Rica, so 2 seen 18 Sep 28 km s. of, and one seen the next day 246 km sw. of, the Nicoya Pen. (JZ, RG, BY, PM, NU) were note- Our knowledge of pelagic species occurring off the Pacific coast of Central America increases with each passing season. One species, Tahiti Petrel {Pterodroma or Pseudobulweria rostrata), has yet to be accepted by the American Ornithologists' Union's North American Check- list Committee, despite increasing numbers of reports by seabird experts. Until now, there has been no specimen or unequivocal photographic documentation of the species in North American waters; and too, there is a widespread, if incorrect, notion that Tahiti Petrel is difficult to separate from Phoenix Petrel {Pterodroma alba] at sea. We now have sufficient photographic evidence to sup- port its addition to the North American list. Five Tahiti Petrels were seen in Costa Rican waters this fall: different individuals 37 km. s. and 68 km ssw. of the Nicoya Pen. 18 Sep and further singles 285 km sw., 250 km sw., and 213 km sw. of the Nicoya Pen. the following day (JZ, RG, BY, PM, ph. NU). Tahiti Petrel is regularly observed in the e. Pa- cific off Central America. Sophie Webb notes: "We see this species regularly in the fall on the NOAA Southwest Fish- eries Science Center research cruises to the Eastern Tropical Pacific in the Gulf of Tehuantepec [Mexico], often in small flocks of 5-15."Michael Force comments: "I've seen at least 21 Tahiti Petrels in Costa Rican waters over the years, and they're not that uncommon in waters far off the Central American coast, usually beyond 100 nmi [185 kmj. ! agree with Howell and Webb's assessment of the status of Tahiti Petrel in the eastern tropical Pacific, and it does occur a lot farther east than some popular guides suggest. Phoenix and Tahiti Petrels appear quite different at sea." Six active Roseate Spoonbill nests found near Las Lisas in October and November established the first nesting records for Guatemala. This nest was photographed on 9 October 2009. Photograph by Rosa Alicia Jimenez. worthy. In Guatemala, 30 Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrels were seen 20 km off of Puerto Quetzal, Escuintla 23 Aug Ofi RS, ph- RF)- At least one Wedge-rumped Storm-Petrel was observed off Los Cobanos 17 Oct (NH, LP et al). Although apparently only the 4th record- ed in El Salvador, it may be a regular visitor. At least one Black Storm-Petrel was observed 17 Oct (NH, LP et al.) and 12 were observed 29 Oct (ph. JF, LA, ph. CF) off Los Cobanos. In Guatemala, 5 were seen 20 km off of Puer- to Quetzal 23 Aug QF, RS, RF). Among large mixed-species storm-petrel flocks sitting on the water 211 km and 202 km sw. of the Nicoya Pen. 19 Sep were 2 Markham’s Storm- Petrels (JZ, RG, BY, PM, ph. NU). These indi- viduals provided the only recent reports of this poorly documented species in Costa Rica. At least 3 Least Storm-Petrels observed off Los Cobanos 29 Oct (ph. JF, LA, ph. CF) pro- vided the first confirmed record for El Salvador. Red-billed Tropicbird now appears to be regular, albeit in very low numbers, off the coast of El Salvador. This fall, one was ob- served 14 km off Los Cobanos 4 Aug (ph. JF, ph. LA, RJ, OK); 2 more were observed off Los Cobanos 29 Oct (ph. JF, LA, ph. CF). In Cos- ta Rica, one ad. and 8 imm. Red-billed Trop- icbirds were observed on the Sep pelagic trips off the Nicoya Pen.: 2 on the 18th, 5 on the 19th, and 2 on the 20th (JZ, RG, BY, PM, NU). This was the first of recent trips (mostly in the spring) to report multiples, suggesting an in- flux of tropicbirds in Sep. At least one Nazca Booby was observed off Los Cobanos 17 Oct (ph. NH, LP et al). Although probably a reg- ular year-round visitor, additional records are needed to determine its seasonal abundance. Blue-footed Booby was first documented in Guatemala in 2008. On 23 Aug, 3 were seen 20 km off of Puerto Quetzal (ph. JF, RS, ph. RF). One or more observed off of Los 164 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS CENTRAL AMERICA Following reports of two immature Double-toothed Kites in El Imposi- ble National Park on 5 November 2009 and another there the following day, this individual was captured by the SaivaNATURA monitoring team on the 6th. It is possible that this bird was the same one seen nearby earlier in the day or one of the two seen the day before. This species is seldom reported in El Salvador. Photograph by Vicky Galan. BY, PM, NU) attending a fishing trawler was considered atypically far from shore, and an imm. seen a few hundred meters from shore off Playa del Coco, Guanacaste 29 Aug (KEa, ph. SEa et al.) was on the ocean side of the pen., where rare. In Panama, 100-H Blue-footed Boobies were ob- served feeding close to shore off Cos- ta del Este, Panama City 19 Oct, and more than 1000 were seen on the beaches near Santa Clara and Juan Hombron, Panama 12 Nov (both BZ). These are extraordinarily large num- bers for the species anywhere in Pana- ma. Finally, on 29 Nov, about 15 were seen feeding offshore at El Agallito Beach near Chitre, Los Santos (RM, YD, DL, AR), an unexpected locality. Another species photographically documented in North America for the first time this fall was Long-winged Harrier, a stray to eastern Panama from Colombia where it occurs within 250 km of the Panamanian border in the Cauca and Magdalena val- leys. Following three sight records in recent years, this dark morph immature pho- tographed 5 November 2009 at the El Real airstrip provided the evidence necessary for its inclusion on the North American list. Photograph byEuclides Campos. One of three Crested Eagles reported in the region this fall was this dark morph adult photographed 20 August 2009 at Tortuguero. This locality in the Caribbean lowlands may be the only area in the region where Crested Eagle is reported with any regularity. Photograph by William Granados. Cobanos 17 Oct (NH, LP et al.) furnished the 12th record for El Salvador and the first for Sonsonate. In Costa Rica, an ad. seen 26 km e. of the tip of the Nicoya Pen. 20 Sep (RG, JZ, SPOONBILL THROUGH PLOVERS Two active Roseate Spoon- bill nests found 9 Oct and four more found 13 Nov in mangroves near Las Lisas, Santa Rosa provided the Hrst confirmation of nesting in Guatemala (RAJ, ph. JL). Two Jabirus, perhaps a breeding pair, were seen near the La Corona archaeo- logical site 34 km nnw. of Paso Caballo, Peten at the edge of Laguna del Tigre N.P 22 Nov (RBM). A single bird has been seen at the same site previously for sev- eral years (RBM). In Belize, a Turkey Vulture soaring over Caye Caulker 9 Nov (DB) provided only the 3rd record for the cay. The two previous records were 1 Oct 1999 and 19 Mar 2003. Gray-headed Kite continues to be observed regularly at Barra de Santiago after being found there last May. Possi- bly the same ad. was ob- served 18 Oct (OK, MA, RJ) and again 6 Nov (ph. JF, LA et al.). This species is re- stricted in El Salvador to a few coastal sites where in- creased observer coverage in recent years indicates that it occurs regularly and is perhaps resident. About 50 Swallow-tailed Kites circling over Canton Farm (Mile 22, Old Northern Hwy.) 3 Aug (PB) were early fall migrants in n. Belize, where the species is not resident. On the oth- er hand, 2 seen at the Canopy Tower hotel near Summit, Panamd 18 Oct (BZ) were ex- ceptionally late migrants. Also in Panama, an imm. Snail Kite observed near Playa El Toro near Pedasi 4 Sep (ph. BT) was the first re- ported from Los Santos. Two imm. Double- toothed Kites were observed at El Imposible N.P, Ahuachapdn 5 Nov Oh), and another imm. was observed there the following day OF). A bird, possibly one of these, was cap- tured and banded by the SaivaNATURA mon- itoring team nearby 6 Nov (ph. VG, RJ, RV). Single Mississippi Kites were seen migrating over Barra de Santiago in Jujutla, Ahuachapdn 17 Oct (OK, MA, RJ) and at Finca La Giralda, La Libertad during a hawkwatch on 25 Oct (ph. JF, LA). This species is a rare migrant in El Salvador, especially in late Oct. In Belize, a late migrant Plumbeous Kite was observed 29 Aug at Eligio Panti N.P, Cayo (ph. RMa, GG, ET). Two Northern Harriers, a rare migrant and winter visitor in El Salvador, were seen over Finca La Giralda 25 Oct (ph. JF, LA). A dark- morph imm. Long-winged Harrier, seen 5 Nov at the El Real airstrip, Darien (ph. EC), was only the 4th reported from Panama (and North America) and the first to be docu- mented with photographs, thus making it el- igible for inclusion in the A.O.U. Check-list of North American Birds. A Sharp-shinned Hawk seen at the Canopy Lodge, El Valle, Code 8 Nov (BZ) was considered rare so far e. in Panama. A White-breasted (Sharp-shinned) Hawk observed at roughly 1800 m at Cerro Verde in Los Volcanos N.P, Santa Ana 17 Oct OF, LA, GR RoJ), the first to be recorded at the site, was presumed to have strayed from the pine-oak forests some 75 km to the n., where it is resident. Three Crested Eagles were reported this fall. In Guatemala, an ad. was at La Corona archaeological site 34 km nnw. of Paso Caballo 22 Nov (RBM), a local- ity in nw. Peten where it had not been previ- ously reported. In Panama, where it is rare anywhere, a dark morph was seen at Nusagandi, Kuna Yala 1 Nov (ph. JCG), and in Costa Rica, a dark-morph ad. was at Tor- tuguero, Limon 20 Aug (ph. WG), the only area of the country where it is reported with any regularity (roughly once or twice a year). All previous reports from Tortuguero have been of light-morph birds; this individual was an exceptionally black individual, with no white barring on its undertail or thighs. The photograph was reviewed by Bill Clark and Sergio Seipke, both of whom confirmed the bird’s identity. In Belize, a Crested Caracara found dead on the Southern Hwy. at Moody Hill between Golden Stream and In- VOLUME 64 (2009) NUMBER 1 165 CENTRAL AMERICA This unfortunate Crested Caracara, only the 2nti to be recorded in southern Belize, was the apparent victim of vehicular traffic on a newly paved section of the southern Hwy between Golden Stream and Indian Creek villages. The carcass was found on 2 November 2009. Photograph by Ya'axche. Despite the fact that the region boasted two species this fall that were photographi- cally documented for the first time in North America, the most unexpected find of the season must have been this juvenile Piping Plover that graced Playa Avellanas in Guanacaste from 1 -7 November 2009. A species that is confined to the Atlantic and Caribbean coasts of North America and is seldom reported anywhere on the Pacific side of the continent, it is all the more surprising that Costa Rica's first record would have been from the country's Pacific coast. Photograph by Jose David Vargas. dian Creek villages 2 Nov (VB) was only the 2nd to be found in Toledo. A Gray-necked Wood-Rail observed in a residential suburb of San Salvador 7 Nov (ph. AM) was completely unexpected: the species has never been recorded in El Salvador away from s. Ahiiachapdn near the Guatemala bor- der. Rarely reported in the Region, a Spotted Rail was seen along the edge of a flooded ma- ture rice field at Felon de La Bajura, Gm- nacaste 21 Nov (JZ, CJ). At Playa Avellanas, Guanacaste, a juv. Piping Plover seen 1 & 7 Nov (ph. JDV, GM, EB) provided an unex- pected first for Costa Rica. The bird was first observed by JDV on a rocky ocean beach in company of many Semipalmated Plovers and was seen again on 7 Nov by JDV, GM, and EB in the same location. It is odd that it turned up on the Pacific rather than the Caribbean coast, suggesting that it may have been storm-blown. Al- though no Caribbean tropi- cal storms or hurricanes co- incided with the date of its discovery, the area is not of- ten birded and it may have been there for some time. SANDPIPERS THROUGH POTOOS An ad. Wandering Tattler in basic plumage was found on Granito de Oro beach in Coiba N.P., Veraguas 21 Nov (EC, ph. RL); the species is rare in Panama. An Upland Sandpiper heard migrating over San Sal- vador 20 Sep (OK) provid- ed the 6th record for El Sal- vador and the first for San Salvador. Continuing an unbroken string, a Long- billed Curlew was observed at Panama Viejo, Panama City 23 Oct (BZ), where one or 2 have turned up in fall the past 11 years. Three Surfbirds seen flying 19 km offshore from Los Cobanos 4 Aug Oh LA, Rj, OK) es- tablished the 2nd record for Sonsonate. Rare in fall, 3 White-rumped Sandpipers were reported in the Re- gion: one near Punta Chame, Panama 3 Sep (ph. EC); one in a flock of West- ern Sandpipers in freshwa- ter rain pools in a weedy abandoned lot at Golfito, Puntarenas 12 Sep (ph. JZ, AO, SE); and one in a muddy rice field with many other shorebirds at the en- trance to Palo Verde N.P. (Bagatzi), Gua- nacaste on the late date of 14 Nov (JZ). Pro- viding only the 9th record for El Salvador and the first for Sonsonate was a Baird’s Sandpiper observed at the Playa El Flor Shrimp Farms 4 Aug (OK, JF, LA, RJ). A Red Phalarope, El Sal- vador’s 4th, was seen off of Los Cobanos 29 Oct (ph. JF, LA, ph. CF). Rarely reported in Guatemala, a total of 300 Red-necked Phalaropes was seen 20 km off Puerto Quet- zal 23 Aug (ph. JF RS, ph. RE). Belize’s 4t'h Red-necked Phalarope was seen along the barrier reef between Tom Owens Caye and Ranguana Caye 11 Oct (PB). Sabine’s Gull has been reported several This Red Phalarope, photographed on 29 October 2009 off Los Cobanos, provided only the 4th record for El Salvador. Photograph by Jesse Fagan. times in the Pacific off Guatemala, but 6 ob- served 20 km off of Puerto Quetzal 23 Aug OF RS, ph. RF) were the first to be docu- mented in the country. Rarely seen onshore in the Region, an imm. Sabine’s Gull was at Cos- ta del Este, Panama City 20 Nov QAC). Yet another seabird rarely reported in El Salvador, 6 imm. Brown Noddies observed 6-12 km off Los Cobanos 4 Aug (ph. JF, LA, RJ, OK) pro- vided only the 9tli record for the country. Al- though common at Cocos L, White Tern is seldom seen elsewhere in Costa Rican waters, so an ad. seen 94 km sw. of the Nicoya Pen. Rare anywhere on the mainland of Central America, this presymed first year male Cape May Warbler found at La Ale- grfa de Siquirres in the foothills of Turriaiba Volcano in Costa Rica 19 November 2009 was quite a surprise. Photo- graph by Donald Jimenez. 18 Sep (JZ, RG, BY, PM, ph. NU) was note- worthy. Two Bridled Terns seen 20 kro. off of Puerto Quetzal 23 Aug (JF RS, ph. RF) estab- lished the first documented record of this species in Guatemala, and one observed 14 km off Los Cobanos 4 Aug (JF LA, RJ, OK) es- tablished only the 4th record for El Salvador. Rare in Panama, a Forster’s Tern in basic plumage was seen 28 Nov at El Agallito Beach 166 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS CENTRAL AMERICA I I Establishing El Salvador's 5th record was this female-plumaged Black-throated Blue Warbler mist-netted and banded at Los Vokanes National Park 14 October 2009. This species, which winters in the West indies and the cays off Belize and Honduras, is sel- dom seen on the mainland, even in Belize and Honduras. Photograph byRoseivyMrez. Another rare Parulid in E! Salvador, this Prothonotary Warbler at Barra de Santiago 1 7 October 2009 was only the 6th to be recorded in the country. Photograph by Mkhael Andersen. near Chitre (RM, YD, DL, DM, DeM). Poma- rine Jaeger merits reporting in El Salvador at least until its seasonal abundance becomes clearer. Two teams reported it during the bir- dathon on 17 Oct, one from Bahia de Jiquilis- co, Usulutdn (EM, MR) and another off Los Cobanos (NH, LP et al). Three more were ob- served 29 Oct off Los Cobanos (ph. JF, LA, ph. CF). During a three-day pelagic trip off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica 18-20 Sep, Para- sitic Jaegers outnumbered Pomarine 6:3. On past trips, Pomarine has outnumbered Para- sitic by ratios as high as 20:1 in Apr, with ra- tios as low as 1:1 in Jan. The trip’s only Long- tailed Jaeger was an imm. seen 25 km sse. of the Nicoya Pen. 18 Sep (]Z, RG, BY, PM, NU). Rare on Costa Rica’s Caribbean slope and even rarer along the coast, a White-winged Dove was seen in Tortuguero town 20 Nov (ph. DaL). The bird may have been a migrant or a wandering resident. Rare in El Salvador, a pair of Great Horned Owls was heard calling at Hotel Perkin Lenca, Perqum, Morazdn 23 Nov (OK). A pair of Black-and-white Owls in the Rio Sarstun Multiple Use Area, Izabal 18 Nov (v.r. JF, ph. LA) was a first for this Guatemalan site. Fulvous Owl is common in high-elevation cloud forests in Guatemala; however, it had not been recorded at Finca Filadelfia until 11 Aug (v.r. JF, RS), when a pair was heard call- ing. Stygian Owl was docu- mented in 2008 at Atitlan Volcano in Los Andes Re- serve, Suchitepequez, where one or 2 birds have since been observed repeatedly on a day roost OLY). Two birds were seen there 17 Aug QF, RS). Rare in the Atlantic slope lowlands of Guate- mala, where it is at the n. edge of its range, a Great Po- too was heard calling 34 km n. of Paso Caballo in the Multiple Use Zone of the Maya Biosphere Reserve 17 Nov (RBM), thus providing only the 4th record for Peten. East of the Peten, Great Potoo was finally confirmed for Belize when one was discovered 13 km s. of Georgeville, Cayo on a perch just off JM’s veranda on the night of 29 Sep (vt. JM). The ghostly videograph- ic image (taken without a flash) was compared for size with the image of a Plumbeous Kite that regularly uses the same perch, and the voice record- ing from the video was confirmed as that of Great Potoo by Greg Budney at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Macaulay Library. SWIFTS THROUGH MUNIAS Five Great Swallow-tailed Swifts, rarely reported in Guatemala, were seen at Biotopo del Quetzal, Purulha, Baja Verapaz 20 Aug QE RS). In Pana- ma, a male Lattice-tailed Trogon was seen 16 Aug at Omar Torrijos N.P., Co- de QAC, EC, RL, HM, ph. OQ), where rare, and in Belize, an American Pygmy Kingfisher was observed on Caye Caulker 22 Nov (ph. JB), where it is a rare visitor from the mainland. On 8 Oct, an Ochraceous Pewee was seen at Las Nubes, La Amistad Inter- national Park, Chiriqui (ph. EC); this species is rare in Panama. An Eastern Wood-Pewee heard and seen at Finca San Luis in Santa Tecla 29 Nov (OK) estab- lished the latest fall date for this species in El Salvador and the first record for La Libertad. Two species of becards that are rare in Panama were reported this fall. A female Black-and- white Becard was seen for the first time at Omar Torrijos N.E 16 Aug QAC, HM, OQ), and a female Rose-throated Becard at El Valle 10 Nov (ph. BZ) provided the country’s east- ernmost record. Also rare in Panama, at least 4 Bare-necked Umbrellabirds, 3 vocalizing and apparently imm. males with small crests, were seen at Omar Torrijos N.E 16 Aug QAC, EC, RL, HM, ph. OQ). A Cave Swallow at Punta Chame, Panama 16 Oct (ph. EC) was the first for this locality and only the 5 th for Panama. In cloud forest at 1700 m, a Long-billed Gnatwren observed in the Los Andes Reserve on Atitlan Volcano 31 Aug (KE) was at an un- usually high elevation. This and other species typically restricted to the lowlands have been found at this site in recent years, perhaps be- cause of increasing fragmentation and loss of habitat at lower elevations in the vicinity. A Hermit Thrush banded at the pine-oak station in Montecristo N.E 8 Nov QE LA, GK) was El Salvador’s 7th. In Belize, a Wood Thrush at Blancaneaux Lodge, Cayo 10 Sep (RMa) was exceptionally early for a species that typically does not arrive before the first of Oct, With fewer than 20 records for El Salvador, a first-winter Nashville Warbler observed at Cer- ro Verde in Los Volcanes N.E 1 Nov (ph. JF) was noteworthy, and a Northern Parula seen 6 Aug on Caye Caulker QB) was an exceptionally early migrant. A male Cape May Warbler at La Alegria de Siquirres in the foothills of Turrialba Volcano, Limdn 19 Nov-14 Dec (ph. DJ) was also noteworthy, as this species is seldom found on the mainland. Another species rare on the Central American mainland is Black-throated Blue Warbler; thus, a female-plumaged bird This Tricolored Munia found near the Tayazal archaeological site at Lake Peten Itza on 29 September 2009 was the first to be recorded in Guatemala, leaving only Nicaragua among Central American countries without at least one record of this potentially destructive import from southeast Asia. Photograph by Melvin Rivera. VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 167 CENTRAL AMERICA banded at Los Volcanes N.P. 14 Oct (ph. RJ, CZ) was only El Salvadors 5th. Although Golden- cheeked Warbler has been recorded twice dur- ing spring migration in the Kantishul and Chelemha Reserves, Alta Verapaz, an ad. male in the Kantishul Reserve 19 Nov was the first recorded in winter in the Yalijux mt. range (RR, KE). Rare in Panama at any season, a Blackpoll Warbler was seen at Cerro Azul, Panama 22 Nov (WA). With records of Cerulean Warbler, globally listed as Vulnerable, becoming increas- ingly rare over most of the Region, an imm. male seen on Caye Caulker 5 Sep (ph. JB) is worth acknowledging. Possibly overlooked in El Salvador’s wetlands and coastal mangroves in migration, a Prothonotary Warbler observed at Barra de Santiago, Ahuachapdn 17 Oct (ph. MA, RJ, OK) was apparently only the 6th to be con- firmed in the country. A flock of 10 Slate-colored Seedeaters was found 27 Sep in Metropolitan Park, Panama City (ph. OQ), where several were also seen 25 Oct, along with 2 males and a female on Old Gamboa Rd. near Summit Park (both JAC, ph. OQ). All were found in seeding bam- boo, and on the latter date several males were singing. The species is generally rare in Pana- ma. A partially leucistic Thick-billed Seed- Finch (seen in the company of regularly plumaged birds) was at La Platanera de Sara- piqui, Heredia (between Puerto Viejo and Horquetas) 8-10 Aug (ph. RVa). At Las Nubes, La Amistad International Park, Chiriqui, a male Peg-billed Finch was ob- served feeding on seeding bamboo 8 Oct (ph. EC). Elsewhere, a group of 4 females were in seeding bamboo above the Los Quetzales Cabins near Guadalupe, Chiriqui 3 Nov (DM). The species is rare in Panama and is recorded mainly when bamboo is seeding. Tricolored Munia was recorded in Guatemala for the first time when an ad. was seen near the Tayazal archaeological site at L. Peten Itza, Peten 29 Sep (ph. MeR). Providing the 4th record for El Salvador, 3 male Tricolored Munias were observed near the Comalapa In- ternational Airport, San Salvador 6 Nov (NH). Contributors (country coordinators in bold- face): William Adsett, Rocio Aldecoa, Michael Andersen, Leticia Andino, George Angehr (Panama), Philip Balderamos, Dorothy Bev- eridge, Jim Beveridge, Victor Bonilla, Edgar Brenes, Euclides Campos, Juan Axel Cubilla, Yenifer Diaz, Kevin Easley (KEa), Steven Easley (SEa), Knut Eisermann (Guatemala), Susan England, Jesse Fagan (El Salvador), Renato , Fernandez, Carlos Funes, Guillermo Funes, | Vicky Galan, Geraldo Garda, Jose Carlos Gar- ' cia, Richard Garrigues, William Granados, Nes- tor Eierrera, Carlos Jimenez, Donald Jimenez, ! Rosa Alicia Jimenez, Lee Jones (Belize), Rocio Juarez (RoJ), Roselvy Juarez, Gail Kirch, Oliver Komar, Dinora Lopez, Jessica Lopez, Daryl Loth (DaL), Rafael Luck, Esmeralda Martinez, Roni Martinez (RMa), Roan Balas McNab, Jan Meerman, Omar Mendez, Hildegar Mendoza, Rosabel Mirb, Alexandra Monge, Darien Mon- tanez, Delicia Montanez (DeM), Gustavo Mora, i Paul Murgatroyd, Alison Olivieri, Luis Pineda, ; Osvaldo Quintero, Alfred Raab, Rogelio Rax, Marvin Rivas, Melvin Rivera (MeR), Rick Schaefer, Bartolo Tumolo, Eddie Tzib, Noel Urena, Jose David Vargas, Ronald Vargas (RVa), Ricardo Velasquez, Bruce Young, Jesus Lucas Yuxbn, Carlos Zaldana, Barry Zimmer, Jim Zook (Costa Rica). O ' H. Lee Jones, 901 East Washington Street, Apt. 126 Colton, California 92324, (leeJones@att.net) Oliver Komar SalvaNATURA Conservation Science Program 33 Avenida Sur #640, San Salvador, El Salvador (okomar@salvanatura.org) f^^AmericanBirdinq ASSOCIATION 168 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS West Indies & Bermuda | SO. CAROLINA GEORGIA FLORIDA Grsnd OCEAN Srsat- , Uam ^ Dominoo ' aa'“ CAVMAN IS. THE BAHAMAS cJlT^ ✓ W9w PrvvidQnce I. Srookedl. TURKS & “■ CAICOS IS. 'Greaf/nasua VIRGIN Cayman _ JAMAICA®’*"”' "^OOmS Snante CARIBBEAN SEA Curafao Amba I jp> Q^->Bonajrg Granada/ ^SoHBiA )\ ■Tobago 'JjTrinidad Robert L. Norton Anthony White Andrew Dobson Eddie Massiah T 'he season passed with remarkably lit- tle tropical cyclone activity; in fact, it was the least active season since 1997. Precipitation in July and early August was be- low normal at Vieques, Puerto Rico, so la- goons were dry during the first few days of Daphne Gemmill’s surveys there in August. The remnants of Tropical Storm Ana passed to the south of Puerto Rico 17 August, bring- ing much-needed rain to parts of Puerto Rico, including Vieques. Hurricane Bill passed to the east of the Caribbean on 21 Au- gust and to the west of Bermuda the next day, with little impact on weather in these areas, but arrivals and even fallouts of shorebirds in the easternmost part of the Region, including Whimbrels, Lesser Yellowlegs, and a pratin- cole, were perhaps related to the passage of the storm. On Bermuda, a Purple Swamphen made a first for the Region. In the Bahamas, a Manx Shearwater specimen found on Paradise Is- land and two rarities on Grand Bahama in October, a Tropical/Couch’s Kingbird and a Townsend’s Warbler, were highlights. Caro- line Stahala monitored forty-eight Cuban (Bahama) Parrot nests on Abaco this sum- mer and found that only two were depredat- ed by feral cats, illustrating the efficiency of the predator control program. She also sur- veyed White-tailed Tropicbird nests on near- by Tilloo Cay, where there was no predator control program. Four of seven nests had been depredated by feral cats. At Barbados, overall rainfall was well below average in this time period, but the new V7oodbourne Shorebird Reserve still proved a very effec- tive magnet and observation point for shore- WATERFOWLTHiOUGH SWAMPHEf^ Fifty West Indian Whistling-Ducks were counted at Royal Palm Reserve, Negril, Ja- maica 5 Sep (RL). Two Blue-winged Teal at Adelaide, New Providence 8 Aug (PM) were 10-15 days earlier than usual; one at Wood- bourne Shorebird Reserve, Barbados 15 Aug was the earliest ever recorded there, and 2 White-cheeked Pintail in the Oilfields, Barba- dos made only the 3rd record there (BS, fide EM). The long-staying male Eurasian Wigeon continued at Spittal Pond, Bermuda through Aug (DBW). Two Masked Ducks were near Arecibo, Puerto Rico 6 Aug (HM). Purdy had a high count of 13 Pied-billed Grebes at Reef G.C., Grand Bahama 25 Oct; Gemmill noted a pair feeding a chick on Vieques 18 Aug. A dessicated Manx Shearwater corpse found on Paradise I. 12 Oct (PD, ph. TH) provides the 2nd confirmed record for the Bahamas; based on data from Bermuda and Guadeloupe, it is virtually certain that this species passes through the Bahamas in spring migration, probably in some numbers, and this specimen could have been a spring bird. A pair of Brown Pelicans nesting on the bank of an artificial pond in the Mayaguez Zoo, Puerto Rico 8 Aug QS-F) raised 2 chicks. At least 40 Brovra Boo- bies (including 2 ads.) were seen roosting on West Cay off Conception I., Bahamas 7 Aug, and even more (mostly imms.) were noted fly- ing around Mira Por Vos 10 Aug (BP). A gathering of herons at Marls of Abaco, Ba- hamas 29 Oct (EB, BM) included at least 10 Great Blue Herons, 50 Great Egrets, 30 Tricol- ored Herons, 5 Snowy Egrets, 5 Green Herons, 5 Little Blue Herons, and 5 Reddish Egrets. Cattle Egrets numbers increased from 24 at the Bermuda Airport 16 Nov to 32 island-wide 19 Nov (DW). A Black-crowned Night-Heron was at Somerset Long Bay N.R., Bermuda 7 Nov+ (AD). On Guadeloupe, a Gray Heron at Saint Francois 29 Oct (AL, LMa) represented the 2nd island record; a Little Egret ph, at Rex Resort, Grenada 28 Aug (JL, DL, AJ) was prob- ably the first documented record for that is- land. An American Bittern was n. of Tarpum Bay, Eieuthera 16 Nov (DE). A Least Bittern was noted at Royal Palm Reserve, Negril, Ja- maica 5 Sep (RL). A flock of about 100 Glossy Ibis seen flying toward the Cano Tiburones Swamp, Puerto Rico 8 Aug QMN) is an indi- cation of how sharply that species has in- creased in Puerto Rico in recent years. The Roseate Spoonbill at Freeport Harbour, Grand Bahama was last seen 4 Aug (BP). An Ameri- can Flamingo was reported on Los Amadores Pond, a coastal pond in Camuy, Puerto Rico through 22 Aug 0S-F)> and a few remained at Flamingo Lagoon on Culebra, Puerto Rico 30 Aug OS-F). An ad. Peregrine was observed chasing feral pigeons on Bermuda 10 Nov (PH); another was at Green Castle Estate, Ja- maica 7 Oct (RL). A Northern Harrier was at the Bermuda Airport 9-17 Oct (PA, JM). r A Bermuda's and the Region's first Purple j/iiSwampheii was at Bernard Park 26 0ct--6 No¥ but had probably been present for at least a week before that (AD). Following much discussion by experts on both sides of the Atlantic, the conclusion is that the bird ap- pears to be of the subspecies madsgssceriensis, some- times split as African Swamphen, which is native to sub- Saharan Africa, Egypt, and Madagascar. In s. Florida, where the eradication program of feral Purple Swamp- hens has now ended, most birds appear to be of the sub- species poliocephalm, and so it appears that Bermuda's bird did not come from Florida. The only reports of the Purple Swamphen group in North America away from Florida come from Wilmington, DE 5-18 Dec 1999, a gray- headed bird thought to have escaped from captivity, and from the Glennville W.T.P., GA 21 Nov 2009, assumed to have come from Florida. SHOREBIRDS THROUGH SKIMMER Southern Lapwings continue to maintain a presence in the s. Lesser Antilles, with 3 con- tinuing in late Aug at Telescope, Grenada (AJ, JL, DL) and at least 2 in St. Lucy, Barbados through the period (EM). A flock of 39 Amer- ican Golden-Plovers arrived at Woodbourne Shorebird Reserve, Barbados 4 Sep (WRB), the peak count there; singles were at the played host to large numbers of shorebirds on several occasions. An overdue first for Grenada, this Little Egret was at Rex Resort 27 August 2009. Photsgmph by Derek Lovitcb. (EB, TH). On Vieques, 58 Wilson’s Plovers were counted, with a high of 21 at Laguna VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 169 WEST INDIES & BERMUDA A rare transient in the Lesser Antilles, this Baird's Sandpiper was smartty pho- tographed at Pointe des Chateaux on Guadalupe 16-22 (here 22) August 2009. Photograph by Anthony Levesque. Navio when it was dry 14 Aug (DG). On 29 Nov, Purdy found 4 Snowy and 10 Piping Plovers at Discovery Beach, Grand Bahama. Other reports of Pipings in the Bahamas in- cluded one at Discovery Beach 2 Aug (BP), 4- 6 at Green Turtle Cay 12 Sep (EB, TH), 4-6 at South Andros 8 Sep (TH, PD, LH), and 5 at South Beach, New Providence 18 Nov (PD, TH, WP). In Bermuda, 2 were at Cooper’s Pt. 11 Nov (AD). On Guadeloupe, a Killdeer was at Gaschet Res. 15 Oct (AT). Prior to the appearance of 2 American Av- ocets at Spittal Pond 2 Oct (KR), there had been only eight records on Bermuda, so no one expected numbers would peak at 8 there 1 1 Oct — 5 at Spittal Pond and 3 at Port Roy- al G.C.; one lingered through 7 Nov (m.ob.). On Vieques, the tally of 83 Black-necked Stilts included a high of 21 on Laguna Bahia Icacos 14 Aug (DG). Two Solitary Sandpipers were at Green Castle Estate, Jamaica 12 Oct (BL); 2 were noted at Campanulas, Toa Baja, Puerto Rico 15 Aug OS-F); and one was La- guna Kiani, Vieques 16 Aug (DG) — a first fall and only the 3rd confirmed Vieques record since spring 1990. A Willet was at Port Royal G.C., Bermuda 20 Sep (PH). Seven Willets at Laguna Playa Blanca, Vieques 22 Aug (DG) may have been migrants or perhaps a post- breeding group from St. Croix, where the species has nested. The only Upland Sand- piper reported in the Bahamas was one seen at the Gladstone Road Agricultural Center, New Providence 6 Sep (PD, TH); 5 were at the Bermuda Airport the next day (PW) . On Guadeloupe, 9 Upland Sandpipers graced Pole Caraibes Airport 18 Sep (AL, ED, TB, FD). Tracked by satellite, a Whimbrel called "Hope” arrived on Great Pond, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands 19 Aug (LY) and spent at least four months there. Three Whimbrels on Vieques included 2 on Laguna Bahia Icacos 22 Aug and one at Laguna Puerto Diablo the next day (DG). “Luc,” the banded Ruddy Turnstone, arrived for its 9th winter on Guadeloupe 8 Sep (AS-A). On Bermuda, single Red Knots were at the East End Dairy 12 Sep and at Spittal Pond 21-27 Sep (AD). A peak count of 135 White-rumped Sandpipers came from Woodbourne Shorebird Reserve, Barbados 5 Sep (EM); singles were found on Grand Bahama 30 Aug and 20 Sep (BP), Green Turtle Cay 12 Sep (EB, TH), and New Providence 31 Aug (PD, TH). An ad. Baird’s Sandpiper was a rarity for Guadeloupe at Pointe des Chateaux 16-22 Aug (AL, FD, YL). Over 20 Pectoral Sand- pipers at Lyford Cay G.C., New Providence 20 Sep was a good count (TH). Two Buff- breasted Sandpipers were seen in St. Lucy, Barbados 4 Oct, with 3 there 10 Oct (EM), and one was at Gaschet Res., Guadeloupe 15 Oct (AL). A Ruff was on Mid-Ocean G.C., Bermuda 3 Oct (PW). Ruffs elsewhere in- cluded 2 in Guadeloupe — a female 10-16 Aug (AL) and a juv. 25 Sep (AL, KP, LMa) — and one at Woodbourne Shorebird Reserve, Barbados 25 Oct (WRB). A Wilson’s Phalarope visited Pointe des Chateaux, Guadeloupe 12-13 Sep (FD, AL). The passage of low-pressure systems through the Region during autumn migration often brings not just seabirds; even a weak system can occasion a fallout of shorebirds, as can the passage at some distance of a larg- er storm. Hurricane Bill, which readied Category 4 status in the middle of the Atlantic, passed well to the e. of the Region during the 3rd week of Aug and may have been connected to such a fallout at Woodbourne Shorebird Re- serve, Barbados of 100+ Lesser Yeliowlegs and an unidentified pratincsie 21 Aug (EM). There is a previous record for Barbados of Collared Pratincole, and this indi- vidual was thought to have been a Collared but could not be verified. Earlier in the season, an impressive shorebird fallout at Pointe des Chateaux, Guadeloupe S Aug (AL) in- volved 14 species, including 370 Lesser Yeliowlegs, 73 Semipaimated Sandpipers, 34 Ruddy Turnstones, 32 Least Sandpipers, 30 Wilson's Plovers, 25 Stilt Sandpipers, 8 Spotted Sandpipers, 5 Biack-bellied Plovers, 4 Black- necked Stilts, 3 Semipalmated Plovers, 3 Semipalmated Plovers, 2 American Oystercatchers, 2 Sanderlings, a Western Sandpiper, and a Short-billed Dowitcher. On 14 Nov, 4 Lesser Black-backed Gulls were at Tarpum Bay, Eleuthera, with 5 there 24 Nov (DE, RZ). Others were at Wood- bourne Shorebird Reserve, Barbados 26 Sep (WRB) and 25 Oct (EM). A Franklin’s Gull This Tropical/Coueh's Kingbird on Grand Bahama bland 2-3 (here 2) October 2009 would represent the first of either species far the Bahamas; photographs of the bird in profile suggest that it was a Tropical Kingbird, but it was not heard vocalizing. There are no records of Couch's Kingbird in the Caribbean but at least three of Tropical. Photograph by Larry Man fredi. was at Spittal Pond, Bermuda 1 Aug (PW). Gull-billed Terns were noted at Port-Louis i; Swamp, Guadeloupe 9 Sep (AL) and at Wood- bourne Shorebird Reserve, Barbados 12 Sep (EM, WRB). A Least Tern was on the North i Channel marker at Bermuda 5 Sep (AD) , and the species was seen at three Vieques loca- tions: one at Puerto Mosquito 15 Aug; 12 at jl Playa Grande 24 Aug; and 5 over Laguna ji Sombe 24 Aug (DG). Forty Roseate Terns at Andrews Beach Estates, New Providence 5 Aug (TH) was a good count but eclipsed by | the 200-t seen at Crooked I. 6 Aug (BP). Com- i| mon Terns are uncommon fall migrants in the Bahamas, so a count of 25 at Andrews Beach Estates 13 Aug (TH, PD) was noteworthy. A Forster’s Tern landed on a dive boat n. of Bi- j mini, Bahamas 25 Nov (ph.; fide BP). A Black Skimmer was found on Indian Cay, n. of West End, Grand Bahama 18 Oct (ph. GS, BP). jl DOVES THROUGH BECARDS j A White-winged Dove at Coral Harbour, New i Providence 19 Nov (CW) was the first there in nearly three years. A Eurasian Collared- j Dove noted at St. George’s, Grenada 27 Aug i (DL) confirms that the species has reached jl the southernmost of the Lesser Antilles; local || resident Anthony Jeremiah indicates that the jl species has been present here for several jj years. More than a 1000 White-winged Para- ji keets roosted at San Patricio Mall, Guaynabo, jl Puerto Rico 23 Aug QS-F). A Barn Owl was jj watched at Lover’s L., Bermuda 19 Sep (PW) I 170 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS WEST INDIES & BERMUDA This Kirtland's Warbler was found by the photographer on 25 October 2009 in cop- pice near T reasure Cay, Abaco, Bahamas — the first for northern Abaco Island in at least SO years. Photograph by Becky Marvil. and 9 Oct (GA). Yellow-billed Cuckoos were found on Abaco 14 Aug (EB), New Provi- dence 31 Aug (2 birds; PD, TH), and Grand Bahama 25 Oct (BP). Resident 'Antillean Nighthawks normally leave the Bahamas in early Sep; 25 or more nighthawks over Grand Bahama 26-30 Oct and a single bird seen over Abaco 30 Oct were thought to be Common ’ Nighthawks migrating through the Bahamas, but the birds were silent (BP, EB). A road- I killed Antillean Nighthawk was identified on the e. end of Vieques 22 Aug (DG). A late Chimney Swift was over Horseshoe Dunes, Bermuda 1 Nov (AD). A Ruby-throated Hummingbird was on Wreck Rd., Bermuda in early Nov (V/F). Six Bahama Woodstars at the abandoned fruit farm on Abaco 2 Nov was a good count for that location (EB). A possible sighting of Purple-throated Carib at El Pilon, Vieques 16 Aug (DG) would make the 2nd on Vieques of this Lesser Antillean species, known as a vagrant to St. Croix and St. John, U. S. Virgin Islands. A Belted King- fisher at Coral Harbour, New Providence 1 Aug was early (CW). Three Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, not common on Jamaica, were seen at Green Castle Estate, Robins Bay, St. Mary 27 Dec (RL). At least 6 Eastern Wood-Pewees were found in the pine woods of Grand Bahama 4 Oct (LM, BP), and singles were at Gladstone Road Agricultural Center, New Providence 19 Oct (PD, TH) and on Abaco 30 Oct (EB, BM) and 2 & 6 Nov (EB, TH, BM). Six Eastern Phoebes were at Reef G.C., Grand Bahama 4 ; Oct (LM, BP), and singles were on Abaco 30 Oct and 11 Nov (EB, TH). Seldom document- ed on Bermuda, an Acadian Flycatcher was at Spittal Pond 11-12 Oct (AD). The highlight of I the season at Grand Bahama was a I Couch’s/Tropical Kingbird at Emerald G.C. I 2-3 Oct (ph. LM, BP); the bird was silent, but I photographs suggest Tropical. This would be the first record of either species for the Ba- I hamas. There is no record of Couch’s King- ' bird in the West Indies; there are at least three records of Tropical from Cuba and one from Bermuda, On Bermuda, single Western King- birds were at Lagoon Park 3 Oct (PH), Port Royal G.C. 12 Oct (AD), St. Georges G.C. 24 Oct (DW), and Spittal Pond 29 Nov (AD). ■ Five Eastern Kingbirds were seen at Coral ; Harbour, Bahamas 12 Sep, which grew to 20+ : two days later, and singles were seen at Cow- I pen Rd., New Providence 21 Sep and S. An- I dros 27 Sep (all PD, TH, LL, LH). A Gray j Kingbird at Tarpum Bay, Eleuthera 14 Nov j (DE) was in keeping with the later departure dates seen in recent years. Up to 3 Jamaican Becards were noted at Green Castle Estate, Ja- maica 21 Nov-27 Dec (RL). ¥IRE0S THROUGH MANHIKIHS On Bermuda, a Blue-headed Vireo was at North Pond 14 Oct (AD), and a rare War- bling Vireo was at Fort Scaur 2 Oct (DW). On 22 Aug, at Punte Este, the e. tip of Vieques, Gemmill estimated 200+ Barn Swallows heading eastward towards the U. S. Virgin Islands, along with 50+ Cave Swallows. Twenty- five Caribbean Martins were on Mt. Pirata, Vieques 21 Aug (DG). A Purple Martin at Harrold and Wilson Ponds N.E, New Providence 1 Aug (PD, LH, LL) and 2 Barn Swallows on Long Cay off Crooked I., Bahamas 9 Aug (BP) made early arrivals for these species. A Gray Catbird banded at Desir- ade I. 31 Oct furnishes not only a first Guade- loupe record but perhaps only the 2nd for the Lesser Antilles (LMa, NH, AL). On Bermuda, single Gray-cheeked Thrushes were at Spring- field 23-25 Oct (WF PH) and Talbot Estate 31 Oct (AD). Three Swainson’s Thrushes were at St. Augustine’s College, New Providence 1 Oct (PD), and singles were found on South Andros 29 Sep (TH, PD, LH), Nassau 19 Oct (PD, TH), and Garden of the Groves, Grand Bahama 24 Oct (BP). A Swainson’s Thrush was noted at Green Castle Estate, Jamaica 2 Oct (RL). Four Cedar Waxwings, an occasional winter visitor, were at the Lucayan G.C., Grand Bahama 23 Oct (BP). Bermuda had Golden-winged Warblers at the Arboretum 5-6 Oct and Heydon Trust, Bermuda 25 Oct (AD, DW). Uncommon on Jamaica, 2 Yellow- throated Warblers were at Royal Palm Reserve, Negril 5 Sep (RL). A Cerulean Warbler was near East End Dairy, Bermuda 2 Oct (PW), and a Kentucky War- bler was at Cemetery Hill 19 Sep (PW). In the Bahamas, single Chestnut-sided Warblers were at St. Augustine’s College 20 Oct (PD, ph. TH) and along Waterloo Rd., Nassau 27 Oct (PD). A Townsend’s Warbler, making the 3rd record for the Bahama Archipelago, was photographed at East End, Grand Bahama 4 Oct (ph. LM, BP). Previous records are from Grand Bahama 18 Apr 1984 (AE) and Grand Turk 16 Jan 1986 (GR). A Kirtland’s Warbler found in coppice near Treasure Cay, Abaco 24 Oct was the first for n. Abaco in decades (ph. BM); another was found at an undisclosed lo- cation on New Providence 19 Nov (PD, ph. LL). On Eleuthera, Madera Rd. was the site of Dean’s discovery of Kirtland’s Warbler winter- ing grounds in 2002; it remains an active site, as 4-5 Kirtland’s were there 13 & 15 Nov (DE, JW). Ten Blackpoll Warblers at Gladstone Road Agricultural Center, Bahamas 9 Nov made a fine count (PD, TH). Two Prothono- tary Warblers were at Garden of the Groves, Grand Bahama 28 Aug (BP), 2 at Blue Waters, Nassau 8 Sep (PD), and one at Reef G.C. 20 Sep (BP). At Pointe des Chateaux, a Con- necticut Warbler noted 9-17 Oct (b. AL et al.) provided just the 2nd record for Guadeloupe. A Rose-breasted Grosbeak was at Tarpum Bay, Eleuthera 11 Nov (DE). A Saffron Finch was seen collecting nesting material at Cam- panillas, Puerto Rico 15 Aug OS'F)- Six Clay- colored Sparrows were at East End, Grand Ba- hama 4 Oct (LM, BP); singles were at Heydon Trust 25-26 Oct (AD) and along Wreck Rd. 1 1 Nov (WF), both Bermuda. Also on Bermuda, a Chipping Sparrow was at St. Georges G.C. 24 Oct (PW), and 3 were at Port Royal G.C. 16 Nov (DW). A Grasshopper Sparrow was at the Bermuda Airport 21 Nov (AD). A White- crowned Sparrow was photographed at the abandoned fruit farm. Grand Bahama 29 Oct (EB, BM). A White-throated Sparrow was re- ported from Wreck Rd., Bermuda 11 Nov (WF). A Snow Bunting was seen on the Cas- tle Harbour Is., Bermuda 8 Nov+ QM)- An imm. or female Blue Grosbeak, seen 12 Oct at Green Castle Estate, Jamaica, had apparently just arrived, flew inland, and could not be re- located (RL). Single Dickcissels were on South Andros 27 Sep (TH, PD, LH) and at Tu- dor Farm, Bermuda 17 Sep (DW). On Guadeloupe, a Bobolink was at Pointe des Chateaux 25 Oct (AL et al), and a Shiny Cowbird was at Capesterre Belle-Eau 3 Jul (AL, YL). A Brown-headed Cowbird was at the Egg Farm, Grand Bahama 28 Aug (ph. BP), and an Orchard Oriole was at the Marsh Har- bour Dump in Abaco 6 Nov (EB, TH). A Pine Siskin was a good find at Cooper’s Pt., Bermu- da 14 Nov (PW). A second-year male Yellow- crowned Bishop was seen at Laguna Cartage- na N.W.R., Puerto Rico 8 Aug (MJM). A male VOLUME 64 (2009) NUMBER 1 171 WEST INDIES & BERMUDA Nutmeg Mannikin was noted 6 Nov at Green Castle Estate, Jamaica (RL). Nutmeg Manikins were observed feeding fledgling Pin-tailed Whydahs at Laguna Cartagena N.W.R., Puerto Rico 8 Aug (MJM); another pair of Nutmeg Manikins raised a brood of whydahs in Cupey, Puerto Rico, noted 7 Aug OS-F). Addendum: Up to 6 Masked Ducks frequent- ed Green Castle Estate, Jamaica 17 May through 18Jun 2009 (RL). Observers and contributors (subregional edi- tors in boldface): Peter Adhemar, Eric Amos, Gerry Ardis, Stephen Barton, Thomas Bouchara, Elwood Bracey, Wayne R. Burke, Andrew & Sonia Cox, Paul Dean, Eric Del- croix, Andrew Dobson, Fiona Dobson, Lionnel Dubief, Frantz Duzont, Art Edwards, David Ewert, Wendy Frith, Joe Furbert, Daphne Gemmill (DG), Lee Hanna, Nathalie Hecker, Tony Hepburn, Peter Hopkin, Stanley Ingham, Anthony Jeremiah, Anthony Levesque, Yas- mine Levesque, Lionel Levine, Robert Lockett, Bruce Lorhan, Jeannette & Derek Lovitch, Je- remy Madeiros, Pericles Maiilis, Laurent Mal- glaive (LMa), Larry Manfredi, Becky Marvil, Hilda Morales, MikeJ. Morel, Jose M. Nazario, David O’Neill, William Finder, Kevin Pineau, Ron Porter, Bruce Purdy, Petite-Terre Nature Reserve, Susan Roberts, Gary Rosenberg, Keith Rossiter, Alain Saint-Auret, Jose Salguero-Fe- ria, Gary Simmons, Bruce Skeete, Caroline Sta- hala, James Tatham, David Wallace (DW), Carolyn Wardle, Paul Watson, Tim White, David Wingate (DBW), Joe Wunderle, Lisa Yn- tema, Richard ZainEldeen. Hobert L. Nerton (Greater Antilles) 8960 NE Waldo Road, Gainesville, Florida 32609 (corvus0486@aol.com) Antheny White (Bahamas Archipelago) P. 0. Box 2531, Jackson, Wyoming 83001 (spindalis@aol.com) Andrew Pebson (Bermuda) Warwick Academy 1 1 7 Middle Road Warwick PG 01 Bermuda (ADobson@warwickacad.bm) Eddie Massiah (Lesser Antilles) Johnson Road, Fitts Village, St. James, Barbados (ebmassiah@hotmail.com) Hawaiian Islands Peter Donaldson WATERFOWL THROUGH TERNS Geese are rare in the Region. A Cackling Goose at the Kona S.T.E 11 Oct (RD) had summered there; another was at Kii 16 Nov+ (ML, m.ob.). Northern Shovelers and North- ern Pintails are the most numerous migrant waterfowl in the Region. The peak count of Northern Shovelers was 48 at Kealia Pont N.W.R. 12 Nov (MN), while the peak count for Northern Pintails was 30 at Kuilima S.T.P. 31 Oct (PD, RM). Compared to numbers over the past 30 years, the count of pintails is mod- est, while the count of shovelers is low. The first migrant ducks reported this fall were 3 After a very dry summer, the fall brought an increase in rainfall. The ad- ditional rainfall was not enough to end the drought conditions over leeward areas of Oahu Island, the islands of Maui County, and Hawaii Island. Some wetland areas remained unusually dry. On the other hand, the rain was heavy enough to produce flooding over some windward areas. The fall season was good for unusual migrants, but numbers of some common migrant waterfowl species were low, probably due to drought condi- tions. The drought may also have limited the nesting habitat for some of the endangered native waterbirds. Observer coverage was pretty good. There were no pelagic birding trips, but the cetacean researchers with Cascadia Research Collective provided a large number of seabird photo- graphs from a field project off the Kona coast of Hawaii Island. Their images documented a wonderful array of seabirds, particularly Pterodroma petrels. Numbers of the regularly oc- curring waterfowl species were rather low, but several uncom- mon species were reported. A Greater White-fronted Goose arrived on Kure I. 23 Sep (CV), and an Aleutian Cackling Goose arrived there 29 Sep (CV). These are the first records of these species for Kure and mark the earliest ar- rival dates in the Region for both species. Two Greater White-fronteds were at the Kii unit of James Campbell N.W.R. 2 Oct+ (ML, m.ob.), and 5 were observed on Molokai I. 6 OcH- (ADY). Greater White-fronteds had been considered rare in the Region but have been regular for the past 10 years or so. A juv. Snow Goose was spotted at Kanaha Pond State Wildlife Sanctuary 1 Nov (MN); Snow r A Researchers with the Cas- 3ilcaclia Research Collective were at sea 19-31 Oct, working on a, project off the w. (Kona) coast of Hawaii Isiand. They found enough seabird species to make any birder envious. Some of these birds are quite challeng- ing to identify, but the re- searchers took copious digital photographs, which were stud- ied by Peter Pyle, who identified many of the birds in them (Table 1). in addition, to a remarkable six species of gadfly petrel, a South Poiar Skua and a Pomarine Jaeger were observed 19 Oct. South Polar Skuas are rare in the Region, while Fomarine Jaegers are regular in small numbers. Tabli 1 . A partial list of seabirds (ii ferred from photographs) observed off the western coast of Hawaii Island, ■' 31 October 2009, by the Cascadia R-. search Collective. Kermadec Petrel 2 Mottled Petrel 2 Juan Fernandez Petrel 1 Hawaiian Petrel (Endangered) several White-necked Petrel 1 Black-winged Petrel several Buller's Shearwater 1 Leach's Storm-Petrel 2 Band-rumped Storm-Petrel 2 White-tailed Tropicbird 3 Sooty Tern 2 South Polar Skua 1 Pomarine Jaeger 1 172 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS HAWAIIAN ISLANDS This Eared Grebe that visited Kealia Pond Katisnal Wildlife Refgue, Maui Island was nicely documented 6 October 2009; any grebe is a rarity in the state. Photograph by Michael Walther. Although Band-rumped Storm-Petrels probably breed In the main Hawai- ian Islands, their status is poorly understood. Because identification of storm-petrels at sea presents such challenges, it is always good to have photographic documentation, such as this image of a Band-rumped from waters off the Kona coast of Hawaii Island 29 October 2009. Photograph by Daniel Webster/Cmcadia Research Collective. Few birds are named for their underwing pattern, but Black-winged Petrel, like this one off the Kona coast of Hawaii Island 27 October 2009, may be easier to identily by its underparts than its upperparts. Photograph by Dank! Webster/Cmcadia Research Collective. Northern Pintails at Ohiapilo 5 Aug (ADY) — an unusually early date. A Garganey was ob- served at Kii 31 Oct (PD, RM). A Garganey at the Kuilima S.T.E 7 & 11 Nov, and one at the Kahuku shrimp ponds 29 Nov (MW) was likely the same individual. Garganeys are rare but regular in the Region. The most outstanding rarity reported over the fall was an Eared Grebe spotted at Kealia 1 Oct (ph. MN) and observed in the same area 5 (CP), 6 (ph. MW), & 16 Oct (RD). There are only two previous records for the Region. Besides the Cascadia Re- search Collective project, the only pelagic reports came from a group of researchers visiting Lehua I., just s. of Niihau I., in late Aug. On the boat trip from Kauai to Lehua they ob- served one Hawaiian Petrel (Endan- gered), 3 Newell’s Shearwaters (Threatened), and 3 Band-rumped Petrels, plus one Brewster’s Brown Booby on Lehua (EV et al). A Less- er Frigatebird was observed at Poipu, Kauai I. 25 Nov (EH). Lesser Frigatebirds are very rarely reported in the Region, but frigatebirds can be very difficult to identify. Two White-faced Ibis were ob- served on a golf course in Prince- ville, Kauai I. 19 Aug (ph. CL). White-faceds were observed at Kealia Aug+ (MN, m.ob.), with a high count of 5 on 16 Oct (RD); an- other was in Hilo 20 Oct OJ). 14 Nov (DL), and 21 Nov QS)- White-faceds have been regular in low numbers since 1993. A Northern Harrier was observed in Kahuku, Oahu I. 16 & 20 Nov (ph. MW); harriers are rare but regular in the Region. A Merlin, observed at Honouli- uli 15 Nov (PD, PP), provided only the 5th record for the Region. This was a good season for unusual shorebirds. A Whimbrel (sub- species hudsonicus) on Molokai I. 7 Sep-t (ADY) was likely the same individual seen there a year earlier. Whimbrels are uncommon but regular in the Region. There were good numbers of Bristle-thighed Curlews in Kahuku, Oahu I., with counts of 50 at Kii on 22 (PD), 24 (PD, RM), & 29 Oct (PD). Up to 8 Bristle-thigheds were seen on Molokai I. Aug-f (ADY), 2 were on Hawaii I. at Makalewe- na 27 Aug (GD), and singles were on Kauai I. at Kilauea Pt. 16 Aug QDJJ) and at Hanapepe 3 Sep (JF). Bristle-thigheds are regular in small numbers in limited areas of the main islands. A Bar-tailed Godwit was at Kahuku, Oahu I. 12 Sep (ph. PD, m.ob.). A Red Knot was observed at Honouliuli 7 Nov (PD). A Curlew Sandpiper was at Kahuku, Oahu I. 19 Sep-2 Oct (ph. EV, MW); one noted around Pearl Harbor, Oahu 1. 28 Oct-i- (PD, PP, RM) might have been the Kahuku bird. Bar-tailed Godwits, Red Knots, and Curlew Sandpipers are all rare in the Re- gion. A Ruff remained on Molokai 16 Sep-2 Oct (ADY). Ruffs are uncommon in the Re- gion. A Wilson’s Snipe was carefully identified at Kii 7 Oct (PD, RM); Wilson’s are regular in the Region. A snipe at Honouliuli 6 (PD), 28 (PD), & 30 Oct (PD, RM) and 16 Nov (MW) appeared to have pale underwings but was The unique dark belly patch on this Mottled Petrel off the Kona coast of Hawaii Island (27 October 2009) makes it one of the most distinctive of the gadfly petrels. Mottleds are among the most regular gadfly petrels encountered in wa- ters of the Havraiian Islands. Photograph by Daniel Webster/ Cascadia Research Collective. Juan Fernandez Petrels are apparently rare in Hawaiian wa- ters, so this bird off the Kona coast of Hawaii Island 29 Oc- tober 2009 was a fortunate find. Photograph by Daniel Webster/Cascadm Research Collective. Hawaiian Petrels breed in the Hawaiian Islands, but they are rare and Endangered, and migrant petrels are often more numerous in offshore waters of the region. This Hawaiian Petrel was obsen'ed off the Kona coast of Hawaii Island 28 October 2009. Photograph by Daniel Webster/Cas- cadia Research Collective. never seen clearly enough to determine whether it was a Wilson’s or Common. Up 2 Laughing Gulls and 2 Ring-billed VOLUME 64 (2009) • NUMBER 1 173 frafllABII! BFG to Rio Grande Valley by Mark Lockwood, William McKinney, James Paton, and Barry Zimmer Revised 2008 List Price: $25,95 ABirder’s Guide to the Rio Grande Valley is designed to help you locate not only the specialty birds of the Rio Grande Valley — those not occurring elsewhere in North America — but also to find the more common birds of the region. In addition to descriptions of over 230 birding sites, the authors — all of them long-time Texas birders — have completely updated the Annotated Checklist, covering more than 500 species. Cuideto Southern California by Brad Schrarn revised 2007 440 pages; paper(lay-flat) List Price: $28.95 A Birder'S Guide to Southeastern Ariiona by Richard CachorTayior, revised 2005; 384 pages; paper (lay-flat) List Price: $24.95 Call to Order &00/722-2460 lerican Birding' - ■ ahasales.com A Birder's HAWAIIAN ISLANDS Buller's Shearwaters are distinctly patterned dorsally but also below; the nearly all-white underwings on this bird off the Kona coast of Hawaii Island 20 October 2009 mark it as a Buller's. Photograph by Daniel Webster/Cauadia Research Collective. This photograph of a South Polar Skua off the Kona coast of Hawaii Island 19 October 2009 provides excellent documen- tation of this rare species in the region. Photograph by Daniel Webster/Cascadia Research Collective. Pomarine Jaegers are relatively common in waters around the Hawaiian Islands, but good documentation of any jaeger, such as this Pomarine off the Kona coast of Hawaii Island 28 October 2009, is always welcome. Photograph by Robin Baird/Cascadia Research Collective. Gulls were observed on Oahu and Molokai Nov-f (m.ob.). One to 3 Least Terns were ob- served in Kahuku 22 Aug-7 Nov (m.ob.), with counts of 3 birds 22 Aug (PD) and 19 Aug (MO). Two Least Terns were spotted at the Kona S.T.R, Hawaii 1. 11 Oct (RD). Least Terns, Laughing Gulls, and Ring-billed Gulls winter regularly in small numbers in the Re- gion. L'p to 56 Red-masked Parakeets were counted in e. Honolulu 22 Oct (MO), and 35 were counted 19 Nov (MWe). A small popu- lation of Red-masked Parakeets has persisted on Oahu for at least 20 years, but some of the birds may be Red-Masked x Blue-crowned hy- brids. A Mariana Swiftlet (Endangered) was observed in Moanalua Valley, Oahu 1. 4 Sep (EV). These swiftlets are seldom observed away from the nearby valley where they nest. PASSERINES Birders on a tour into the Kokee area on Kauai Volunteers with the Maui Forest Bird Recovery ■: Program conducted a survey in a 2S0-acre (101- : hectare) portion of The Nature Conservancy's Waikamoi ■; Preserve on Maui !. 8-18 Sep. Ten different Maui Parrot- i bills (Endangered) were found on one day. Data from the j survey teams indicated there were 15 differerst male par- rotbills in the survey area; 5 of the males had mates, and . 3 had offspring. Good numbers of Akohekohe (Endan- ,j gered) were also found, suggesting 35-70 birds were present in the survey area. ; 1. 7 Sep reported one Puaiohi (Endangered), as well as both Akikiki and Akekee, both rare and rapidly declining in numbers, but no de- tails were provided OU- One Greater Neck- laced Laughing-thrush was seen at Huleia N.W.R., Kauai I. 13 Aug OD, JJ)- This exotic babbler is hard to find, and its range and habits on Kauai are poorly understood. Two Akikiki were spotted in Kokee 29 Aug QF)- Five Akekee were found in Kokee 14 Aug, and 3 were observed 15 Aug JJ)- Tour groups on Hawaii I. were able to consistently find very small numbers of the rare and Endan- gered Palila, Akiapolaau, Hawaii Creeper, and Akepa, but few details were provided (H.ET.). Contributors: Dusti Becker, Randy Cab- dreros, Phil Capitolo, Cascadia Research Col- lective, Reg David, Garry Dean, Jim Denny, Arleone Dibben- Young, David Dolan (DDo), Peter Donaldson, Darren Dowell, J Foster, Justin Fujimoto, Anna Gebbie, Calvin Gehlen, Hawaii Forest & Trail (H.ET), Eu- gene Hunn, Jack Jeffery, Dustin Johnston, C Jordan, Joe Jordan, Pauline Kawamata, Jeri Langham, Dan Lindsay, Mike Lohr, Carl Lundblad, Richard May, Kumu Misaki, Mike Nishimoto, Mike Ord, Jay Ovsiovitch, Carol , Pecot (CPe), Chuck Probst, Peter Pyle, Phillip Raab, Cristi Rasmussen, Neil Reimer, Brooks Rownd, Jesse Swift, Elizabeth Tapley, Cynthia Vanderlip, Eric VanderWerf, Michael Walther, Megan Westervelt (MWe), John York. O Peter Donaldson, 2375 Ahakapu Street Pearl City, Hawaii 96782, (pdnldsn.bird@mac.com) NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 174 I Providence, Rhode Island 3-8 October, 2010 $995 per person • Includes daily breakfast and lunch • • Includes dinner the first and last night • • Hotel accommodations at the Crowne Plaza • Live close by? Just $99 per person for the bird tours Interested in these birds? • Blue-headed Vireo* ■ Black-throated Blue Warbler - • Cory's Shearwater • • Greater Shearwater • • Great Cormorant* And Possibly Some Rare Western Vagrants!^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ f or more inrormation: www.alia.or9/everits 800.850.2473 A Brown4Hid(ed Solitaire (Mf(HkstS50«kkiAaS5) in Arizona BiWAMIN ¥AH D0ilN • 87 SOUNDVIEWAVENOE, WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK 10606- (BENJAMIN.VAMJOREN@GMA1LC0M) This portrait of the Brown-backed Solitaire was taken in Ramsey Canyon, Arizona 26 July 2009, after it had apparently mowd from Miller Canyon, where first found 16 July. In May 201 0, the record was accepted by the Arizona Bird Committee, thus becoming the first for the state and any location north of Mexico. Photogmph by Cbristis Val^ CkK. Abstract This paper documents the occurrence of a Brown-backed Solitaire (Myadestes ocdden- talis) in Arizona, first found in Miller Canyon on 16 July 2009 and last noted in adjacent Ramsey Canyon through at least 1 August 2009. Although there are other reports of this species in the United States, these have either not been documented or have not been ac- cepted as referring to wild birds, as the species is frequently kept in captivity in Mex- ico and Central America. This paper summa- rizes the discovery and identification of the Miller/Ramsey Canyon bird and considers the likelihood of wild provenance. Field encounter On. 16 July 2009, the author and eleven other campers from Camp Chiricahua, led by Dave Jasper and Rob Day of Victor Emanuel Nature Tours, were hiking in Miller Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains of southeastern Ari- zona. Miller Canyon is situated at about ■ 31.410938° N, 110.28162° W, less than 10 kilometers from the border with Mexico. Miller Canyon is composed largely of pine- ' oak woodlands, with typical trees including White Fir (Abies concolor), Bouglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Gambel’s Oak (Quer- cus gambelii), and Arizona Sycamore (Pla- tanus wrightii). The steep walls of the canyon terminate in a streambed, and a hiking trail runs along its side. In some areas, the trail is positioned such that the canopies of trees rooted near the streambed are at eye level. Miller Canyon starts at an elevation of 1650 , meters and continues to Miller Peak, at 2840 meters. Because bird species typical of the northern Mexican highlands, such as Aztec Thrush (Ridgwayia pinicola), have been recorded in Miller Canyon on several occa- sions, we had hopes of finding a wanderer from Mexico. | Just after 1000 MST, the Camp Chiricahua , group was hiking in an area around 4506 me- ters in elevation and had begun the return to the base of the canyon in advance of the mid- day heat. Several minutes into the return hike, Jasper halted suddenly, having heard a strange bird song (31.40611° N, 110.287743° 'I W). Most of the group had heard it as well, but no one in the group was able to identify the song. One who heard it mentioned that the song recalled that of Canyon Wren i (Catherpes mexicanus), a species we had heard singing most of the morning. However, this vocalization was markedly different from Canyon Wren: although it was descending in pitch, the song was composed of a complex rolling gargle of metallic, flute-like notes. The J group tentatively identified the singer as a member of the thrush family, largely on the basis of the flute-like quality of the vocaliza- tion. Aztec Thrush was the top suspect, given our location and the time of year, but we could not confirm this; and a quick review of the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America (2003) revealed that its song is “un- known.” The author had stored a collection of regional bird songs on his iPhone, which in- 176 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS A BROWN-BACKED SOLITAIRE IN ARIZONA eluded a small selection from Sonora, Mexico. The first thrush recording in this collection was Brown-backed Solitaire (Myadestes occi- dentalis); when played, the song perfectly matched the song we were hearing, much to the group’s astonishment. To document the identification thoroughly, we then worked to obtain photographs of the singer. We used a set of small speakers to broadcast the song in the direction of the bird. I The bird sang shortly afterward and moved closer to the group. After five long minutes of waiting in silence, punctuated only by a few seconds of playback and responses by the bird, it vocalized from a location near the trail. Though it was still out of sight, we judged that it was very close. Suddenly, the bird flew into view in the treetops, where it perched on an exposed pine branch 50 meters from the group (Figure 1). We could see that the bird was a medium- sized thrush, slender, and with a relatively long tail. Its uniformly gray undersides con- trasted with a grayish-brown back and solidly warm brown upperwings. The bird’s head ap- peared gray as well, and a prominent white eye ring was clearly visible. Also apparent was a thin, dark submalar stripe below a paler ■malar mark, dark lores, and dull white above the eye, which continued to the bill, forming “spectacles.” The small amount of playback allowed us good ■views of this bird. In addition to coming to investigate the song, the bird sang on sev- eral occasions and called frequently; this call ' was similar to the “hesitating” introductory notes of the song. After a few minutes of ob- servation by the group, the solitaire then : burst into a dazzling flight song display, : singing while fluttering in the air between I trees and eventually landing in another 1 conifer. It has been suggested that this I species’ song is sung in its fullest form during 1 this display flight (del Hoyo et al. 2005). Af- ! ter this spectacular behavior, which elicited awed reactions from the group, the solitaire flew up the canyon, past our group, and sang from another perch (Figure 2). This was the last time we saw the bird, though its remark- able song was audible for many minutes after I it had retreated up Miller Canyon. ' While visible, the bird did not remain I perched for long, keeping to the treetops and I moving from tree to tree. Many photographs I were taken during the several minutes the ! solitaire was seen (Figures 1, 2). In addition, the author recorded the bird’s vocalizations (Figure 3) and logged the GPS coordinates of i the encounter on his iPhone. Unfortunately, there was no cell phone reception in the canyon, so we contacted the Arizona Rare Figure 1 . When first coaxed in view by use of playback, the Brown-backed Solitaire in Miller Canyon flew to an exposed perch, where it was easily studied and photographed. Visible in this first image taken is a combination of field marks that distinguish it from other similar thrushes: slaty gray body plumage, a bit darker on the crown; dark lores and submalar mark; rich brown upperwings; short, relatively thick black bill; and narrow white eye ring. The legs and feet are a vinaceous pink. Photograph by Benjamin Van Boren. Figure 2. During about five minutes of study of the bird in Miller Canyon, the Brown-backed Solitaire flew about from perch to perch, singing and once performing a flight display, before moving up the canyon — behavior typical of wild birds observed in Mexico that have responded to an audio-lure. The Camp Chiricahua group was able to determine that its plumage appeared uniformly worn but not bedraggled in wing or tail feathers, as cagebirds often appear. Photographs taken later, in Ramsey Canyon (see frontispiece), show that some flight feathers had begun to become abraded, possibly because the bird had been feeding regularly in dense bar- berry bushes. Photograph by Benjamin Van Daren. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 177 A BROWN-BACKED SOLITAIRE IN ARIZONA Figure 3. Sonagram of the Brown-backed Solitaire's song given from a perch in Miller Canyon, 16 July 2009. The bird m% recorded us- ing the author's iPhone (Voice Memo application) and rendered as a sonagram using Raven Pro software. Recording and sonagram by Benjamin Man Doren. Bird Alert just after noon; the sighting was posted to the Arizona Birds email listserve a few hours later. The group was able to alert a few people already in the Miller Canyon vicinity to the bird’s presence. After returning from the canyon, we consulted Peterson and Chalifs A Field Guide to Mexican Birds (1973) to confirm the identification. The Brown-backed Solitaire was heard and observed by a handful of people later on 16 July in Miller Canyon. On the following day, it was neither seen nor heard in the canyon, despite searching by more than 50 birders. However, around noon on 18 July, a singing Brown-backed Solitaire was found in Ramsey Canyon, the canyon adjacent to Miller. The bird was observed irregularly in Ramsey Canyon for two weeks and sporadically for a few days afterward, allowing many more pho- tographs and audio recordings to be obtained. Confirmed reports extended through 1 Au- gust, with unconfirmed reports through about 9 August. Discussion Brown-backed Solitaire is endemic to the highlands of Mexico and Central America. It occupies a variety of montane forest habitats, including pine-oak woodlands (Howell and Webb 1995), habitat very similar to that of the Huachuca Mountains. Brown-backed Solitaires prefer brushy ravines and are often found along streams (Clement and Hathway 2000, del Hoyo et al. 2005); when found at Miller Canyon, the solitaire was very near the streambed. During the many days the soli- taire was observed in Ramsey Canyon, it was often reported feeding from a Wilcox’s Bar- berry bush (Berberis wilcoxii) in the lower part of the canyon. Like many other thrush species, Brown-backed Solitaire takes fruit and often forages in the lower strata of forest vegetation (Russell and Monson 1998, del Hoyo et al. 2005). A common bird of southern Sonora (A.O.U. 1998), Brown-backed Solitaire is often de- scribed as a permanent resident where it breeds, and breeding occurs from February through July (del Hoyo et al. 2005). It has been recorded as an altitudinal migrant, e.g., in Tamaulipas (Gomez de Silva et al. 1999). In southern Sonora, the species winters in low- elevation mountains and foothills from mid- August through mid-May (Miller et al. 1957, Binford 1989, Howell and Webb 1995). In re- cent years (see Flesch 2008, 2009), Brown- backed Solitaire has been documented to breed farther north than previously described. Several were found singing in the Sierra Huachinera, a small mountain range 130 kilo- meters south of the Mexico/United States bor- der and 192 kilometers southeast of Miller Canyon (30.138002° N, 108.867645° W), during the 2006 breeding season (Flesch 2009; A. Flesch, pers. comm.). Approximately 16 kilometers to the southeast of Sierra Huachinera is Sierra Tobaco (30.066667° N, 108.716667° W), another location where Brown-backed Solitaire has been documented to breed (Lammertink et al. 1996). Flesch (2009) describes the species as a “winter resi- dent in moist canyon forests,” implying that it engages in seasonal movements in the north- ern part of its range. Like many bird species of the Mexican mountains, thrushes apparently undertake minor movements in response to environmental stimuli, such as a lack of water or population build-up (del Hoyo et al. 2005), and the apparent increase in records of essen- tially Mexican montane species in the south- western United States in recent decades is probably a result of such pressures and possi- bly also of climate change. While the documentation from the first ob- servation on 16 July left no doubt that this ” bird was a Brown-backed Solitaire, the ques- , tion of its provenance is important, as the species is kept in cages very commonly in Mexico. A Brown-backed Solitaire seen from 4 October through at least 7 October 1996 in Madera Canyon of the Santa Rita Mountains was not accepted by the Arizona Bird Com- ' mittee (Rosenberg et al. 2007), largely be- cause the bird appeared to have damaged ■' rectrices. This led some to conclude that it ■- had been held in captivity (M. Stevenson, .• pers. comm.). Photographs were obtained that showed apparently unusual wear on ' these feathers; this wear may have been due, at least in part, to the bird spending a large amount of time on the ground (G. Rosenberg, ‘ pers. comm.). There are two further Arizona ' reports of Brown-backed Solitaire from the ' Chiricahua Mountains that have not been re-j* viewed: 24 June 1987 in Cave Creek Canyon J above Herb Martyr Campground, and 20 Sep- fl tember 1991 in Cottonwood Canyon, south! of West Turkey Creek (Taylor 1993). These 1 birds were not seen but were heard clearly by* an observer familiar with the species, and^ both were in typical pine-oak habitat (R. Tay- D lor, pers. comm.). Neither bird, however, was I studied to assess feather wear or damage to ] flight feathers, commonly seen in solitaires^- that have recently been kept in cages. ’■u The July 2009 individual showed some J feather wear but no broken or unusually, abraded remiges or rectrices when first dis-, covered. Molt in this species commences be-, tween August and September (Clement and ■ Hathway 2000), so a worn coat of feathers isj expected in summer. The Miller/Ramsey ^ Canyon record is consistent with the timing of post-breeding wandering, which occurs in summer, but the bird’s strong territoriality.) perhaps suggests a first-year male wandering in search of a good territory and a mate (wej were not able to determine the bird’s age). In any case, the solitaire’s observed behavior was consistent with that of birds observed in the mountains of Mexico (A. Jaramillo, pers. comm.). The species sings year round (How- ell and Webb 1995), though more often dur- ing the breeding season. Conclusions Although the evidence is inferential, the 2009 bird may v/ell have been part of a population of Brown-backed Solitaires’ that breed in the 'i northern Sierra Madre Occidental of Mexico,:^ rather than a cagebird brought over from((i Mexico. The bird’s behavior, physical condi- w tion, and the timing of its occurrence are con- J sistent with what would be expected in a wild ifi individual, and the fact that there are popula- j 178 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS A BROWN-BACKED SOLITAIRE IN ARIZONA Foslcii/tj/fOJijAlli}: v/fiP/ WtWtA ‘‘“^'TOnv W&ndeT) Contact ABA Sales to order your copy today! , www.abasales.com American Birdi ^ -i Jl Attu: Birding on the Edge A miscellany of personal essays, historical narratives, . , poems, maps, photos, and an extensive annotated checklist A chronicle of North America's finest destination for rarities Binford, L. C. 1989. A Distributional Survey of the Birds of the Mexican State of Oaxaca. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washing- ton, D.C. Clement, R, and R. Hathway. 2000. Thrushes. Christopher Helm, London. del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, and D. Christie. Hand- book of the Birds of the World: Cuckoo- shrikes to Thrushes. Volume 10. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. Flesch, A. D. 2009. Breeding, migratory, and wintering birds of the Northern Jaguar Re- serve of east-central Sonora, Mexico. Re- port to Northern Jaguar Project and Naturalia A.C. . 2008. Distribution and status of birds of conservation interest and identification of important bird areas in Sonora, Mexico. FWS Cooperative Agreement Number 201816J827. Tucson, Arizona. Gomez de Silva G., H., E Gonzalez-Garcia, and M. Patricia Casillas-Trejo. 1999. Birds of the Upper Cloud Forest of El Triunfo, Chiapas, Mexico. Omitologia Neotropical 10: 1-26. Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb. 1995. A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press, New York. Lammertink, J. M., J. A. Rojas-Torre, E M. Casillas-Orona, and R. L. Otto. 1996. Sta- tus and conservation of old-growth forests and endemic birds in the pine-oak zone of the Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico. Ver- slagen en Technische Gegevens 69; 1-89. Miller, A. H., H. Friedmann, L. Griscom, and R. T. Moore. 1957. Distributional check-list of the birds of Mexico: Part 2. Pacific Coast Avifauna 33: 1-436. Peterson, R. T, and E. L. Chalif. 1973. A Field Guide to Mexican Birds. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Rosenberg, G., K. Radamaker, and M. Stevenson. 2007. Arizona Bird Committee Report, 2000-2004 Records. Western Birds 38: 74-101. Rowley, J. Stuart. 1966. Breeding Records of Birds of the Sierra Madre del Sui; Oaxaca, Mexico. Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology, Camarillo, California. Russell, S., and G. Monson. 1998. The Birds of Sonora. University of Arizona Press, Tuc- son. 1998. Sibley, D. A. 2003. The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America. Knopf, New York. Taylor, R. C. 1993. Location Ghecklist to the Birds of the Ghiricahua Mountains. Border- land Productions. O tions of this species breeding less than 130 kilometers south of the Arizona/Mexico bor- der that engage in seasonal movements also supports this supposition. This record has been accepted by the Arizona Bird Commit- tee, making it the first accepted record of the ! species for the state and any location north of ' Mexico. The Committee may also re-review the 1996 record in light of the 2009 record I (G. Rosenberg, pers. comm.). i Acknowledgments I I am grateful to Scott Haber of the American ' Museum of Natural History in New York for ! providing access to the museum’s ornithology I library and to Andrew Farnsworth of the Cor- nell Lab of Ornithology for providing feed- : back on the manuscript. I would also like to , thank Aaron D. Flesch, Gary Rosenberg, Mark Stevenson, Alvaro Jaramillo, and Rick Taylor for helpfully responding to inquiries regarding this paper. Literature cited American Ornithologists’ Union [A.O.U.]. 1998. American Ornithologists’ Union Gheck-list of North American Birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists’ Union, Washington, D.C. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 179 {Mjfmmpm majoifi for the United States JULIAN JOHNSTON • BOX 325, DONNELLY, ALBERTA, CANADA TOH 1G0 • (JILLIAN_SPARROW@YAHOO.CA) ANNE PELLEGRINI • 79 MOUNTAINSIDE RD, WARWICK, NEW YORK 10990 • (FIDDLEHOPPER@GMAIL.COM) RYAN DAVIS • 142 ST. ANDREWS ROAD, MOYOCK, NORTH CAROLINA 27958 • (RDDAVIS11@GMAIL.COM) Figure 1 . This first-year male Gray-collared Becard turned up on 5 June 2009 in the famed Cave Creek Canyon of Arizona's Chiricahua Mountains. It has been accepted by the Arizona Bird Com- mittee as the first record for Arizona, and it would represent the first record of the species north of Mexico, if approved by North American checklist committees. Photograph byJillian Johnston. Abstract Tliis article documents the first record of Gray-collared Becard (Pachyramphus major) for the United States, a bird photographed at the South Fork Zoological and Botanical Area, Cave Creek Canyon, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona on 5 June 2009. The species’ apparent northward expansion in Mexico in recent decades is also discussed. Background Southeastern Arizona is home to part of a unique biogeographic region known as the “Sky Islands.” This region encompasses parts of southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northern Mexico and contains more than 40 separate mountain ranges with elevations ranging from 760 meters in the valleys to 3350 meters at the peaks. These isolated, forested mountains surrounded by expanses of grassland and desert have rela- tively high biodiversity. In the United States, the region occasionally hosts bird species typical of northern Mexico — such species as Eared Quetzal (Euptilotis neoxenus), Flame- colored Tanager (Piranga bidentata), Tufted Flycatcher (Mitrephanes phaeocercus) , Fan- tailed Warbler (Euthlypis lachrymosa) , Slate- 180 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS FIRST RECORD OF GRAY-COLLARED BECARD FOR THE UNITED STATES Figyre 2. In this image, and in Figure 1 , the becard's rusty crown is clearly set off by a broad, dark eyestripe, widest behind the eye. The hindcollar is dearly dirty white. These features indicate the western Mexican subspecies uropygiaiis; the nomi- nate subspecies shows a uniformly dark cap and a cinnamon or buff hindcollar. The strong contrasts in upperwing coverts and in rertrices indicate a young male rather than a female Gray-collared. Female uropygiaiis have cinnamon-edged upper- wing coverts and lack white in the outer rectrices. Photograph by Jillian Johnston. throated Redstart (Myioborus miniatus), and Yellow Grosbeak (Pheucticus chrysopeplus) are especially sought after by birders, as they are sporadic in their occurrence in the Unit- ed States. Located within the Sky Islands region, in the extreme southeastern comer of Arizona, are the Chiricahua Mountains, which boast such birding hotspots as the town of Portal and Cave Creek Canyon. Within the canyon is the South Fork Zoological and Botanical Area, situated along Cave Creek. In the oak~pinyon juniper-pine belt of the canyon, tree species include Emory Oak (Quercus emoryi), Silverleaf Oak (Q. hypokucoides) , Mexican Blue Oak (Q. oblongifolid), Arizona White Oak (Q. arizonicd), and several other species of oak, Arizona Sycamore (Platanus wrightii), Arizona Cypress (Cupressus arizoni- ca). Alligator Juniper Quniperus deppeana), Apache Pine (Pinus engelmannii), Chihuahua i Pine (E Idophylla), Arizona Walnut (Juglans major), Bigtooth Maple (Acer grandidenta- tum), Box Elder (A. negundo), Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), and Velvet Ash (Fraxinus velutina). ^ Field encounter : While birding the south fork of Cave Creek ■ Canyon on 5 June 2009, the authors arrived , at the bridge over Cave Creek at about 1000 MSI, where the elevation is approximately 1600 meters. About 15 minutes later, Pelle- grini noted an unfamiliar bird perched in a j tree next to the bridge. She pointed the bird I out to Johnston and Davis, who also could i not identify it. The bird was observed for ap- i proximately 30 minutes from as close as ■ about five meters away, as it foraged from tree to tree along the road near the creek. It was observed actively flycatching and gleaning in- sects from twigs, mostly at a height of 4-5 me- ters in broadleaf trees, among them several oaks and later a Chinese Elm (Ulmus parvifo- lia). The bird seemed very intent on feeding ! and appeared not to be perturbed by the group’s presence. It was mostly silent but oc- I casionally produced high, thin, monosyllabic calls. Numerous photographs were obtained during the observation period (Figures 1-3). I The bird was stocky and large-headed, with i a stout, dark bill. Its crown, upperparts, and ! tail were all rusty brown. The lores were j blackish, and a wide, black eye-stripe bor- I dered the crown. The cheeks, hindcollar, and I supraloral stripe were grayish white; the un- I derparts, including the throat, were pale yel- I lowish white. The upperwings were blackish , with pale edging. The graduated tail had i blackish subterminal markings, with the out- I ermost rectrices having whitish tips. Hoping to find someone who could help identify the bird, the group proceeded to the Southwestern Research Station, a research facility of the American Museum of Natural History. There the images of the bird were shown to E D. Hulce, who identified it as a Gray-collared Becard, matching the photo- graphs to the illustration in Howell and ■Webb’s A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America (1995). The be- card was last seen at about 1300 that after- noon when Hulce, Chris West, Bob Weaver, and one other birder relocated it and ob- served the bird for approximately 15 min- utes before it flew down the canyon. The be- card appeared to be more sensitive to the presence of humans than it had during the original encounter. Reports of up to three Gray-collared Becards (two in female-type plumage, one adult male) came from Sunny Flats Campground, approximately 1.3 km to the north, later in the month, but to our knowledge these have not been confirmed or documented. LI VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 181 FIRST RECORD OF GRAY-COLLARED BECARD FOR THE UNITED STATES Figure 3. In this image, as weil as In Figure 2, the large, blackish subterminal marks in the rectrices typical of Gray-collared Becard can been seen; the extensive pale tip to the outer rectrices is visible in Figure 2 (left side only). Unlike some other species of becard, Gray-collared has a graduated tail, with outer rectrices pro- gressively shorter than the central two rectrices. The disparate lengths of this bird's rectrices are apparent from photographs, although this worn bird also appeared to be in molt of, and/or show damage to, the rectrices. Photograph byJillian Johnston. Discussion The only becard species expected in Arizona is Rose-throated Becard (P. aglaiae). Female and first-year male Rose-throated Becards — the plumages of this species that would be most similar to the South Fork bird — have unpatterned wings and tails, uniformly dark crowns, and lack a supraloral stripe. More- over, Rose-throated Becard does not have a graduated tail like the South Fork bird. Sever- al species of South American becards bave plumages that include a rusty crown, such as female Black-capped Becard (P marginatus) and female Black-and-white Becard (P albo- griseus)' however, they differ from Gray-col- lared in other key plumage features, such as wing edging (Ridgely and Tudor 2009). Gray-collared Becard ranges from north- central Nicaragua to central Nuevo Leon and eastern Sonora (Howell and Webb 1995). Of the five named subspecies, two are found in northern Mexico, not far from the United States: P major major of eastern Mexico and Central America, whose range extends near- ly to Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, about 250 kilo- meters from Texas; and P major uropygialis of western Mexico, which breeds as far north as eastern Sonora, about 300 kilometers from Arizona. The rusty crown that contrasts with the blackish eyestripe (rather than solidly dark cap) and the whitish (not pale cinna- mon or bufO hindcollar of the South Fork bird indicate uropygialis rather than the nominate subspecies. The pattern and colors of the remiges and rectrices indicate a first- year male rather than a female: the central rectrices were gray with black subterminal marks; the outer rectrices showed pale tips (though somewhat abraded); and the black- ish upperwing coverts and tertials had broad pale edges. Female uropygialis of any age show much less contrast in remiges and rec- trices generally, with cinnamon-edged up- perwing coverts and no white in the outer rectrices (Howell and Webb 1995). The geo- graphically more remote subspecies of Gray- collared Becard — it^cnsis of Campeche, Yu- catan, and Quintana Roo; matudai of the Pa- cific slope of Chiapas and Guatemala; and australis of Guatemala, El Salvador, Hon- duras, and north-central Nicaragua — appar- ently have plumages that resemble the nom- inate subspecies rather than uropygialis (del Hoyo et al. 2004). Uncommon throughout its range, Gray-col- lared Becard is found from sea level to 2500 meters and is an altitudinal migrant, residing at lower elevations in winter (Howell and Webb 1995). Gray-collareds inhabit pine-oak wood- lands and cloud forest (Peterson et al. 1973) but have been observed to frequent forest edges and plantations as well (Howell and Webb 1995). The species was only known as far north as southeastern Sinaloa until 1983 and 1984, when four birds were discov- ered in eastern Sonora (Mon- son 1986). In 1987, Gray-col- lared Becards were found breeding in Sonora (Russell and Monson 1998). The indi- viduals found in Sonora in the early 1980s, near Yecora and Sahuaripa, were over 670 kilometers north of any previ- ous sightings and less than 300 kilometers south of the U.S. border with Mexico (Monson 1986), which sug- gests a possible northward ex- pansion; however, we have not located published records of Gray-collared Becard from the 1990s or the 2000s closer to southeastern Arizona than these records. Extensive field work by Aaron D. Flesch and others in Sonora in recent years has not produced records of the species; Flesch (in litt.) suggests that the lit- tle-investigated area north- west of Mesa Tres Rios may have good habitat for the species and that there are plans to conduct research in the area in the near future. Jones (1998) summarized experts’ predictions for six bird species likely occur for the first time in the United States in southern Arizona or southwestern New Mexico; Gray-collared Becard won top “honorable mention,” selected by Chris Benesh, Doug Danforth, and Gale Monson. Unlike many Mexican and Central Ameri- can passerine species, Gray-collared Becard is apparently unknown or very rare as a cage- bird; its unremarkable vocalizations and its scarcity make it an unlikely, though by no means impossible, candidate for the cagebird trade from Mexico into the United States. To our knowledge, there are no previous reports of the species from the United States. Acknowledgments We thank P D. Hulce for his assistance in identifying the Gray-collared Becard and in providing information on the South Fork Zo- ological and Botanical Area and Aaron Flesch for review of the status of Gray-collared Be- card in Sonora. Literature cited Howell, S. N. G., and S. Webb. 1995. A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America. Oxford University Press, New York. del Hoyo, J., A. Elliott, and D. Christie. 2004. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 9: Cotingas to Pipits and Wagtails. Lynx Edi- cions, Barcelona. Jones, R. 1998. The Next New ABA-Area Birds: southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico. Birdmg 30: 484-491. Monson, G. 1986. Gray-collared Becard in Sonora. American Birds 40: 562-563. Peterson, R.T., and E. L. Chalif. 1973. A Field Guide to Mexican Birds. Houghton Mifflin, Boston. Ridgley, R. S., and G. Tudor. 2009. Field Guide to the Songbirds of South America: The Passerines. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas. Russell, S., and G. Monson. 1998. The Birds of Sonora. University of Arizona Press, Tuc- son, Arizona. 182 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS Masimnsioii “A skillful mix of video and stills that will delight and inform.” New York Times “Not only authoritative, but also literate, witty and full of interesting facts.” Librm'y Journal “An important addition to printed field guides. ” Philadelphia Inquirer Audubon’s VideoGuide to 505 Birds of North America on Two DVD is the ideal application of DVD tech- nology to a reference source. Beauti- ful moving footage and stills, bird calls and sounds, annotated visuals, authoritative narration and range maps help users quickly and pre- cisely locate any of 247 bird species in DVD I, 258 species in DVD II, or all 505 species in the two-disk set, at the touch of a button. By using your DVD player's remote control you can repeat a segment, a shot or any part of a bird’s descrip- tion as often as you like, or even study footage in slow motion. DVD puts you in control. Use a laptop or portable DVD player and you can easily bring this unique reference into the field for easy on- site identification. Also included in each DVD package is the informative 64-page Mini FieldGuide to 505 Birds of North America^ which will help you find birds on disk and in the field.. 6 Hours $69.95 Maatcn'ishon New Audubon DVD Release Available September 2008 Orders Accepted Now Audubon’s VideoGuide to Butterflies Common and Endangered contains extremely rare, never before seen mov- ing footage of 21 of the 22 U.S. endan- gered and threatened butterflies — the lone exception, the Lotis Blue, has not been seen by anyone in its Northern California habitat since 1994 and may be extinct — and tells the stories of how they came to be at risk. This companion to the classic Audubon Society’s VideoGuide to 505 Birds of North America, is also the first field video guide to common North American butteiTlies, the kind found in backyards across the continent. It features beautiful video, range maps, and informative narration about more than 70 common butterflies in their native habitat. The VideoGuide was written by Dr. Paul Opler, author of the Peterson Field (^ides to Eastern and Western Butterflies^ and Jim Ebner, director of Audubon Butterfly Essentials for Be- ginners and Gardeners. 2 Hours $39.95 Ma.slcrrismr "Fascinating and memorable. Children might get hooked on butterflies." Neiv York Times "Stunning footage, soothing narration and lovely background music. An ex- traordinaiy duo.” Booklist “Engrossing.... magical... an excellent learning tool for adults and children.” Washington Post Audubon Butterfly DVD Essentials for Beginners and Gardeners has everything the budding lepidopterist needs to begin identifying the common butterflies found across the United States. Included is an easy-to- understand introduction to butterfly bi- ology, butterfly lifecycles and behavior, as well as identification sections on 30 of our most common species. Each butterfly species has its own fa- vorite foods and habitat which can help attract them to your backyard garden. Essentials contains all the information you'll need to turn your garden into a butterfly paradise, plus in depth looks at 25 favorite butterfly plants and many of the butterflies they attract. The beautiful video of favorite and sur- prising butterflies is sure to delight. Essentials for Beginners and Garden- ers was written by Paul A. Opler, author of the Peterson Field Guides to East- ern and Western Butterflies^ and di- rector Jim Ebner. 2 Hours 30 Mins $39.95 MORE INFO OR ORDER AT mastervision.com or 800-876-0091 xl03 money back guaranteed.' Or send check or money order to Mastervision, Dept. 103, PO Box 48, Howell MI 48844-0048. Add $5 S&H per order. Pictorial Highlights 1 • Located 29 September 2009 near Juneau — 1 9 years to the day after the first Alaska record from Middleton Island — this Great Crested Flycatcher provided a second state record and re- mained through 11 October. Photograph by Doug Jones. 2 • This Nashville Warbler was photographed at dawn on 21 September 2009, immediately af- ter it landed on a research vessel in the central Bering Sea about 260 kilometers southeast of St. Matthew Island. Amazingly, this is the second Nashville Warbler for the Bering Sea, follow- ing one from fall 2004 at Gambell. Most of Alaska's seven records, all from the fall season, are photographically documented. Photograph by Luke DeCicco. 3 • Alaska's first ever Yellow-breasted Bunting for the fall season was this immature that skulked within the middens at Gambell 2 September 2009. It made the state's sixth overall record. Pho- tograph by Aaron Lang. 4 • This immature Pallas's Bunting, associating with the Yellow-breasted Bunting at Gambell on 2 September 2009, was Gambell's third ever in autumn, all of which have come in the past four years. Some remnant juvenal plumage is visible on the upper breast. The overall dorsal pattern and tones, along with the straight culmen, help to identify this species. Photograph by Aaron Lang. 5 • An immature Rustic Bunting that took up residence at a Ketchikan feeder 23 October into December 2009 (here 1 5 November) was only the third ever found in Alaska's Southeast. Amaz- ingly, it was joined by a similarly piumaged individual 1 0-29 November. Note the strongly pat- terned plumage, obvious crest with white nape patch, white outer retrices, rusty rump and shoulders, and rusty streaks on the underparts. Photograph by Steven C Heinl. 6 • A first for Delaware, this Tropical Kingbird visited Prime Hook Beach, Sussex County 13 Oc- tober 2009. Photograph by Frank Marenghi. 184 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS PICTORIAL HIGHLIGHTS 1 • Rapid communication and response allowed birders to verify a one-day visit by Louisiana's thirteenth species of hummingbird — this immature male Green-breasted Mango at Greenwood, Caddo Parish 20 August 2009. Photograph by Jeff Trahan. 2 • An exciting first for Alabama, this Mangrove Cuckoo was banded 1 7 September 2009 at Fort Morgan, Baldwin Coun- ty. Photograph byJadynSmolinksy. 3 • A species only occasionally recorded in northertj Alabama, this Henslow's Sparrow visited Shelby County 14 Novem- ber 2009. Photograph by Greg D. Jackson. 4 • Another of the amaiing birds found in the Johnsons Bayou area, Cameron Parish on 3 October 2009, this Padfic- slope/Cordilleran Flycatcher was only the sixth of this complex to be documented in Louisiana. Photograph by Matthew I Pontiff. 5 • Only the second to be confirmed in Louisiana, this Cassin's Vireo was probably the rarest bird found during an ex- traordinary 3 October 2009 at Johnsons Bayou, Cameron Parish. Photograph by Matthew 1 Pontiff. 6 • Wood Stork is a casual late summer visitor to southern Arizona. This individual was present at Gilbert Water Ranch 17 August (here) through 12 September 2009. Photograph byBrendon Grice. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 185 PICTORIAL HIGHLIGHTS 1 • A casual summer visitor to Arizona from Mexico, this Aztec Thrush was in Ramsey Canyon 31 July through 11 (here 9) August 2009. Photograph by Chris West. 2 • This Black-throated Green Warbler, a species casual in Arizona mainly during fall, was at Gilbert Water Ranch 11-12 (here 1 1 ) November 2009. Photograph by Brendon Grice. 3 • The number of Sage Thrashers wintering on the Baja California Peninsula appears to have dropped sharply in recent years, consistent with population declines through much of the species' breeding range. This bird was found mid-peninsula at the Guerrero Negro saltworks, Baja California Sur on 22 October 2009. Photograph by Roberto Carmona. 4 • The Baja California Peninsula region's warbler highlight was this female Pine Warbler at Bahia Asuncion 12 October 2009, the first recorded in Baja California Sur. Photograph by Peter A. Gaede. 5 • This bird, initially identified as a Solander's Petrel based on underwing pattern, would if confirmed be the first for Canada, and first clearly documented in North American waters. Distinguishing this species from Murphy's Petrel at sea is difficult, and in fact the bill and overall structure of this bird look closer to Murphy's than to Solander's. It was seen off Tofino, Vancouver Island, British Columbia 6 October 2009. Photograph by Sharon Toochin. 6 • A great find at Richmond, British Columbia was this immature Emperor Goose 19-21 (here 19) October 2009, furnishing one of very few recent records for the province. Photograph by Peter Candida. 7 • Discovered in Tofino, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, this first-fall male Prairie Warbler thrilled birders 28 September-3 (here 2) October 2009. Photograph by Adrian Dorst. 186 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS PICTORIAL HIGHLIGHTS 1 • Vancouver, British Columbia's Stan- ley Park hosted this vagrant McCown's Longspur 10-14 (here 11} October 2009. Photograph by Peter Candida. 2 • Ohio's third ever, this Northern Wheatear frequented Bunker Hill in Holmes County 12-16 (here 13) Sep- tember 2009. Photograph by Geoff Malosh. 1 • Utah's fourth documented Upland Sandpiper turned up 28 August 2009 along the Causeway at Antelope Island State Park, Davis County. Photograph by Paul Higgins. 4 • Miller's Rest Area, located along Highway 9S/6 west of Tonopah in Esmeralda County, Nevada, has a well-deserved rep- utation as a vagrant trap. The third Grasshopper Sparrow record accepted by the Nevada Bird Records Committee was dis- covered there 22 September 2009 (left). Although it was not located during subsequent searches, another turned up on 29 September (right). Photographs by Greg Scyphers (left) and Rkk Fridell (right). 5 • Garganeys are rare in the Hawaiian Islands, and those that are observed are often wary and difficult to photograph. This fine image was taken at the Kuilima Sewage Treatment Plant on Oahu Island 7 November 2009. Photograph by Michael Walther. 6 • Utah's third documented Little Gull was one of the star attractions of a large gull flock observed 7-1 1 (here 1 0) November 2009 along the Antelope Island State Park Causeway in Davis County. Photograph by Pick Fridell. VOLUME 64 (2010) NUMBER 1 187 PICTORIAL HIGHLIGHTS 1 • Kermadec Petrels can confusingly variable in appearance, but this pale morph photographed off the Kona coast of Hawaii Island 28 October 2009 is distinctive. Photograph by Daniel Webster/Cascadia Research Collective. 2 • Bar-tailed Godwits that breed or fledge in Alaska migrate to New Zealand for the winter. Most fly past the Hawaiian Islands, but some, like this juvenile photographed at James Campbell National Wildlife Refuge, Oahu Island 12 September 2009, do stop in Hawaii. Photograph by Peter Donaldson. I • New York's sixth Pink-footed Goose was found at Sunken Meadow Park, Suffolk County, New York 3 November 2009 and remained through the 11th. Photograph byShaibalS. Mitra. 4 • The blank-looking facial pattern and rufescent tones of the underparts distinguish this Cinnamon Teal (right) from Blue-winged; New Jersey's fourth, it was present at Cape May 1 6 (here 17) September through 5 October 2009. Photograph by Michael O'Brien. 5 • Hands-down the Middle Atlantic region's bird of the season, this apparent Lesser Sand-Plover attracted numerous birders to a small farm pond in Augusta County, Virginia 6-8 (here 7) September 2009. Photograph by Brenda Tekin. 6 • Discovered in a Sandwich Tern flock at Virginia Beach, Virginia 9 August 2009, this bird was identified by most experts who viewed the photographs as an adult Elegant Tern, though several commented that the bird's apparently small size suggested possible hybrid derivation. Photograph by David Wendelken. 7 • White-rumped Sandpiper is a casual migrant along the Yukon's North Coast. This molting adult touched down briefly at Herschel Island 17 August 2009. Photograph by Cameron Eckert. 188 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS PICTORIAL HIGHLIGHTS 1 • Several plumage features of this Brewster's-type Warbler, documented 16 September 2009 in Little Compton, Newport County, Rhode Island, suggest back-crossing with Blue-winged Warbler, among them the greenish mantle, whitish wingbars, and extensive yellow below. Photograph by Geoff Demis. 2 • A White-chinned Petrel off the San Mateo County, California coast 18 October 2009 became the first widely accepted record of the species in North America, though a specimen was salvaged in Texas 27 April 1986, and another was photographed off North Carolina 17 October 1996. Photograph by Alvaro Jaramillo. 3 • This Brown Shrike on Southeast Farallon Island, San Francisco County 24-25 (here 24) September 2009 provided the second record for the island, third record for California, and ninth record for North America. As with previous records of this Asian stray, this bird was believed to be the of nominate subspecies. Photograph by Ryan Terrill. 4 • Over half of California's records of Connecticut Warbler have come from one location. Southeast Farallon Island, San Francisco County, where this bird was documented 18 September 2009. Photo- graph by Matt Brady. 5 • This young White Ibis may have wandered both shores of Lake Ontario in September and October 2009; it is shown here 3 October, during its one-day visit to Whitby harbor in the Durham region of Ontario. Photograph by Joe Noordman. 6 • New Mexico's first Golden-cheeked Warbler made a brief stop at Eunice, Lea County 23 August 2009. Photograph by Pat W. McCasland. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 189 PICTORIAL HIGHLIGHTS 1 • This immature male Phainopepla, only the second for Ontario, delighted many as it fed on the nu- merous berry bushes in a small subdivision in Brampton, Peel County from 9 (here 29) November 2009 into December. Photograph by Sam Barone. 1 • Washington's fifth Black-tailed Gull (all since 2004) was this lovely adult found by Charlie Wright on Puget Sound's Commencement Bay in Tacoma County 13 (here 27) October 2009. It was last re- ported 7 November, and its departure coincided with a notable decrease in California Gull numbers. Photograph by John Puschock. 3 • This immature Northern Wheatear, Oregon's fourth, inhabited a gravel parking area at Whalen County Park, Tillamook County 17-18 (here 18) September 2009. Photograph by Anne Heyerly. 4 • Nicely photographed, this Yellow-throated Warbler remained at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan 7-16 (here 14) November 2009. Its yellow lores and long bill seemed to Indicate southeastern origins. Pho- tograph by Nick Saunders. 5 • Furnishing a first record for the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas, this immature male Magnificent Hummingbird visited the The Nature Conservancy's Southmost Preserve in Cameron County 6-8 (here 8) September 2009. Photograph by Gwyn Carmean. 6 • Although in a location where the species is reported annually, this male Eurasian Wigeon (right) at Pea Island National Wildife Refuge, Dare County, North Carolina on 19 September 2009 was still In eclipse plumage, rarely observed in the Southeast. Photograph by Jeff Lewis. 190 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS PICTORIAL HIGHLIGHTS 1 1 • Representing only the fourth state record was this : I vagrant Black-throated Gray Warbler in Gilmer County, I Georgia on 9 November 2009. Photograph by Roy Brown. 2 • This juvenile Bar-tailed Godwit found on Upper Newport Bay on 31 October 2009 (here 1 November) remained into the winter and established the first record for Orange County, California. Photograph by ; Larry Sansone. 3 • Northern Ja^anas have been all but absent from Texas in the past 1 5 years, so the appearance of this adult at Choke Canyon State Park, McMullin County from 2 (here 6) November 2009 well into spring 2010 created considerable interest. Photograph by Lee . Pasquali. 4 • Possibly the first "wild" Purple Swamphen ever recorded in the New World, and certainly the first for Bermuda, was this adult at Bernard Park foursd 26 October 2009 (here); the bird lin- gered for study through 6 November. Expert opinion on this individual appears to favor identification as subspecies madagascar'msh, sometimes split as African Swamphen. Most of the non- native birds established in Florida, by contrast, resemble gray-headed subspecies, such as poliocephalm. Photograph by Andrew Dobson. 5 • In 2003, Illinois had its first accepted record of Roseate Spoonbill. This bird, the state's fourth, was in ¥andalia 22 (here 25) September through 2 October 2009. Photograph by \Nes Serahn. 6 « Indiana's first documented Roseate Spoonbill, which was discovered at Goose Pond in Greene County 2 June 2009 (here 14 June), remained through 6 September, achieving celebrity status among the state's birders. Photograph by Jim B. Sullivan. VOLUME 64 (2010) • NUMBER 1 191 The Friends of North American Birds support the future development of North American Birds, The ABA’s Journal of Ornithological Record, Since its inception, the fund has allowed for many improvements to the journal's look and feel. The journal is now mailed in a protective wrapper to insure its delivery in one piece, The content has benefited from an increase in page count which has allowed for additional articles with even more detailed analysis. The amount of color pages has increased which has allowed for expanded Pictorial Highlights and an occasional Photo Salon, All 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. To become a “Friend of NAB”, simply donate $50 or more. Each "Friend of NAB" will be recognized annually in the first issue of each volume of North American Birds, rUK'JU'JH .lOVtWBtK Ml), VijLUWt il','' ‘‘j To dontate go online to: aba.org/donate/nab.plip Or send donations to: Tbe Friends of NAB, ABA. 4945 N. 3Bth street, Ste 200 Colorado Springs. GO 80919 wOTCAnmo'* T K U : WtN.TllB & r. s ilEE, HEAR & INSTANTLY IDENTIFY BIRDS ON DVD! A skillful mix of video and stills that will delight and inform.” — New York Times Not only authoritative, but also literate, witty and full of interesting facts. Enthusiastically recommended.” — Librm-y Journal An important addition to printed field guides.” — Philadelphia Inquirer Ludubon’s VideoGuide to the Birds of North imerica is the ideal application of DVD technology to , reference source. Beautiful moving footage and tills, bird calls and sounds, annotated visuals, author- tative narration and range maps help users quickly ,nd precisely locate any of 247 bird species in DVD I, !58 species in DVD II, or all 505 species in the two- lisk set, at the touch of a button. By using your DVD (layer's remote control you can repeat a segment, a hot or any part of a bird’s description as often as you ike, or even study footage in slow motion. Ldd a portable DVD player or laptop and you can easi- f bring this unique reference into the field, for imme- iiate on-site identification. Informative 64-page Mm 'ieldGuide to 505 Birds of North America included with ach DVD VideoGuide. If you liked the VideoGuide on HS, you’ll love it on DVD! 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