CONTINENTAL
The Autumn
August
NORTHEASTERN
REGION
weather
this
fall
seemed
variable.
August and Septemberwere warmer than
averagewhile August, especially,was wetter
than normal. The period October 5-12 produced
another
classical
fall-out
Migration
1- November
30, 1979
competentobservers.On the other hand, Pt.
MARITIME
/Peter D. Vickery
The
SUIVEY
of rarities.
During this period Seal Island, Nova Scotia,
recordedWhite-eyedand Yellow-throatedvireos, Pine, Hooded and Yellow-throated war-
blers, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Indigo Bunting,
Judith, Rhode Island, observersreported no
fewer than sevenBridled Terns and S0+ Sooty
Terns. Unfortunately,no Bridled Tern specimen was recoveredanywhere in New England. Farther north alongcoastalNew Hampshire,33 Black Skimmerswerereported,some
Cory's Shearwaterscontinuedto draw atten-
tion (see Nesting Seasonreport). Nineteen
werephotographedoff Rye,N.H., Sept.3 providinga first staterecord(DJA et aLL whilein
fromanyotherNew Englandlocalities.In fact
skimmerswerethoughtto be noticeablyscarce
alongCapeCOd,wheretheyregularlyoccurin
smallnumbers.Suchdisparitiesseemto defy
explanation.
Perhapsthe most significantweather this
fall developed
in November when very mild
temperatures
and sunny
dominated
well into
note that
J
Mt. %
•e•
!•a'
• •
the
December;
several rec-
Christmas
Bird
Region.Theseincluded
a d Lucy's Warbler
photographed
in
Ipswich, Massachusetts
and presumably the
first record anywhere
high,the 9 Chestnnt•:ollared
Longspur
netted,
measured,
bandedandphotographed
on NantucketIslandwasentirelyunexpected.
The remnantsof hurricaneDavid, September 6-7, left unprecedented
numbersof Sooty
Terns alongthe New Englandcoast.Perhaps
predictably,David createdasmuchambiguity
as ornithologicalexcitement.It seemsadvis-
east of Texas. Significantly,the Lucy's Warbler wasfoundfeedingwith a Yellow Warbler
and a Cape May Warbler, both of which are
virtuallyunknownin December.Other remarkable strays included two Ash-throated Flycatchers,two puzzlingMyiarchusflycatchers,
an Olive-sidedFlycatcherand the Region's
first confirmedBlack-chinnedHummingbird!
The provenanceof the outer Cape'sYellowbilled Stork remains in doubt.
able that observations made under less-than-
ideal circumstances, sometimes at consider-
WesternGrebe off Hum I., Mass., Nov. 25-30+
able distances,and at times in poor light, be
treatedwith extremecaution, indeedskepticism. David producedas many as 170+ Sooty
Terns, quite a number of which were found
was carefully noted to be a dark-morph
dead. Coastal Massachusetts recorded 100+
ad. Yellow-nosedAlbatrossoff Cox'sLedge,
R.I., Aug. 21 providedyet anothersightingof
a speciesthat has apparentlybecomealmost
Tern --
and not for want of dedicated
Volume34, Number2
and
from SandyNeck, BarnstableAug. 12 (BN et
al.) while S0-75+ wereseenfeedingat various
Cape localitiesin late November(v.o., .fide
Shearwaters have become
s. edgeof George'sBank Sept.13 (RSH) and
in Nova Scotia waters, at Western Bank Oct. 7
(RGBB). Three hurricane-related Wilson's
Storm-Petrelsoff Branford, Conn., Sept. 7
constituteda notable state occurrence,especiallyconsideringhowdesperatelybleak lower
Long Island Soundhas beenfor pelagicspedes (NSP). Also probablyhurricane-related
was the Magnificent Frigatebird over the
HousatonicR., Conn., Sept. 6 {fide CSW).
Interestingly,an imm. Magnificent Frigatebird was photographedat Branford, Conn.,
Aug. 28 (NSPet al.) whileanotheror the same
bird wasreportedfrom GreenwichPt., Conn.,
Aug.25 (fideTB).
STORKS
THROUGH
WATERFOWL
--
A Yellow-billed Stork wandering about var-
iousouterCapelocalities(Orleans,Provincetown) Nov. 16-30 was of uncertainorigin as
the speciesis apparently housed by avicul-
LOONS, GREBES -- Numerousreporters
indicatedthat Red-throatedLoonsexperienced
an excellentfall flight throughoutcoastalNew
England; 921 loons, predominantly Redthroateds, were seen passing Manomet Pt.,
Mass., Nov. 14 (M.B.O. staffif/deTLL-E). A
individualsbut, curiously,not a singleBridled
were likewise
BN). Audubon's
of mild weather there
was a considerable
movement of southwestern
birds
into
the
Grasshoppersparrows. White-eyed Vireos
occurredextralimitally in Maine and on Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. Note alsothe
number of widely distributed SummerTanager recordsfrom this period. Althoughthe
numberof more-or-less
expectedvagrantswas
Shearwaters
impressiveon the Cape, 120+ were observed
more or less regular on Cox's Ledge in
August;this yeartwo werenotedthere Aug. 4
(CW et al.). Consideringthe massivemovement of Cory's Shearwatersthis summer and
fall, it was perhapsnet surprisingthat single
Audubon's Shearwaterswere found along the
Count period. During
thisextraordinary
stretch
and Blue Grosbeaks, Dickcissels, Lark and
Counts of Manx
ter season. To every-
the
olMAIN•
e•m'•/'•'
the same state 250+ were noted at Jeffrey's
LedgeSept. 1S(EWP et al.,fide KCE). Cory's
numbered3S0&-_
individualsalongthe w. edge
of George'sBanks in the Gulf of Maine Sept.
11-16 (RSH) but were easily eclipsedby a
count of 2500+ Cory's at First Encounter
Beach, Eastham, Mass., Nov. 4 (BN et al.).
ords dip into the winone'sdelight,manycuriousspecies
survived
into
Red-headedWoodpecker,SummerTanager,
fall.
whereas no other skimmers were reported
southern part of the
Region.This continued
•o,o•,•.1
•"- w•'"•c•:•'
N.B., and Yarmouth, N.S., Aug. 16 {fide
DSC). Breakingfrom its pattern of the past
three-fourfalls, N. Fulmarwasalmostentirely
absentfrom inner New England watersthis
seencloselyenoughto discernred bill color,
skies
t'
regular off the w. Atlantic seaboard(TD). An
albatrosssp.wasseenbetweenGrand Manan,
individual (DWF,RAF,WCR
TUBENOSES,
et mult. al.).
FRIGATEBIRDS
-- A sub-
turalists{fide BN). However,knowledgeable
observerssuggestthat this speciesis a good
candidate for vagrancy. A White Ibis at
Quonochontaug,R.I., Aug. 12-15 furnished
onlya fourthstaterecord(DLK et al.).
TwelveWhistlingSwansturnedup at Mashpee, Mass., Oct. 23 (SD) while three were
found at Quabbin, Mass.. Nov. 28 {fide SK).
Unusualinland migrantswere75+ Brantover
VfmdsorLocks,Conn., Oct. 14 (PJD). An imm.
Greater White-fronted Goose was carefully
observed in Hancock, Me., Oct. 23-25 (WCT
et al.). Snow Geese of the blue form seem to
showup in largernumbersduringfall migra139
Repeatedobservations
of adultandimm. TurkeyVulture on Brier I., N.S., and alongDigby
Neck suggestthe strongpossibilitythat the
speciesmay have bred locally (BMacT,
George'sBank; 53 werenotedon one M.B.O.
seabirdsurvey-(fideTLL-E). Jaegersof any
speciesare veryrare off Connecticut.This fall
a singlePomarineJaegeroff BranfordSept.7
wasnotableaswasa singleParasiticoff Barn
I., Aug. 25 and two more Parasiticsoff Branford Sept. 12 (NSP et al.). At least22 Great
Skuaswere reported acrossthe Regionwhile
the only certainlyidentified SouthPolar Skua
wasseenoff the n.w. edgeof George'sBank
Sept. 15 (RSH). At least20 unspecifiedskuas
werereported.
The Region's five Lesser Black-backed
Gulls wereseensinglyat GreenwichPt., Con-
IAMcL).
n., and on Sable I., N.S., and three were
tion. This year five were noted on Nantucket
Oct. 9 and a single individual was seenthere
Nov. 15 (RRV et al.), while three were observed
in Unionville, Me., Oct. 15-17 -(fideWCT).
Predictably3500+ SnowGeesewereflying S
over c. MassachusettsNov. 12 -(fide BH).
Three FulvousWhistling-Duckswereshoton
NantucketNov.27 (fideEFA).
VULTURES,
HAWKS,
EAGLES
--
A Swainsoh's Hawk was noted over
Mt. Tom, Mass.,Sept.10 {fide SK). The New
Hampshirehawkwatchat MonadnockMt.,
observed on Nantucket.
observed and detailed
occurred in e. Massachusetts
observations
of two
Rough4egged
HawksSept.15 (fide KCE). In
addition, a light-phase Rough-leggedwas
notedon SableI., N.S., Sept.13{fideIAMcL).
Perhaps SeptemberRough-leggedskeptics,
includingthiseditor,shouldacknowledge
that
the speciescan, indeed,occurat this time of
At least seven Black-
headed and more than three Little gulls
while nine Little
Gullsin Seabrook,N.H., Nov. 24 wereimpressive(DWF,WCR et al.). Of specialinterestin
Nova Scotia was the first provincialbreeding
colony of 200_+pairs of Black-leggedKittiwakes on the Cape Breton Bird Is. (fide
RGBB). This is a first breedingrecords. of
year. However,all Septemberand early October Rough-legged
Hawk reportsshouldbe fully
documented.Golden Eagleshave seemingly
become more regular, or at least regularly
reported:thisfall nofewerthan sevenindivid-
Newfoundland.
uals were noted in Massachusetts, three over
billed Terns were found in Salisbury, Mass.,
Littleton Sept. 13 (JB), while singleswere
Sept. 8-22 (fide RPE) and Branford, Conn.,
Sept. 10 (NSP). Forster's Terns occurred
throughout New England in unprecedented
observed in Connecticut
and Nova
Scotia.
This waseasilythe bestfall in recentyearsfor
PeregrineFalcons.A roughlyestimated228+
individuals reported was almost twice the
number in the previousfive falls (c.f. 80-90,
149, 78, 102).
GALLINULES, SHOREBIRDS -- Unique
this seasonwas an ad. Purple Gallinule near
Bar Harbor, Me., Aug. 10-17-(fideWCT,ph.).
Single American Avocets were noted in
Portland,Me., Aug. 10-22(DWF et mult. al.,
ph.). and at Plum I., Mass., Aug. 30 and Chatham Oct. 27 (RSH,BN). A count of 170 Am.
GoldenPloverswascertainlya high countfor
the state and probablyNew England(SW).
Farther s., 360+ Whimbrels observedflying to
roost on Monomoy was by a wide margin a
Regionalhigh count (RSH.BN).In Connecticut 23 Whimbrels
were unusual in Guilford
Aug. 20 (NSP).A singlewhite-rumpedWhimbrel was uniquein Wellfleet.Mass., Oct. 17
-(fideBN). Baird's Sandpiperreportswerenot
fully detailed in New England, but 26, a
better-than-average
fall total, were found in
NovaScotia{fideELM). Stilt Sandpipers
in s.
New Englandwere impressive;32 werenoted
on Plum I., Sept.4 (RSH) while.?8in Lordship, Conn., Aug. 26 wereremarkable(SS et
al.). A singleStilt Sandpiperat AmherstPt.,
N.S., Nov. I was very late indeed (SIT). A
CurlewSandpiperon NantucketAug. 4-5 was
the only individualreported(fide EFA). The
previouslymentioned(see Nesting Season)
Bar-tailed Godwit remained on Monomoy to
Aug. 26 -(fideRAF) whileanotherwasseenat
Plum I., Aug. 7-26 (fide RSH). A Marbled
Godwitwasrare at Malagash,N.S., Aug. 18
-(fideELM). Three Ruffs were found in Connecticutwhileanotherwasseenin Little Compton, R.I., Oct. 2 -(fideCW). Wilson'sPhalaropeswerenot fully reportedin New England;
13werefoundin NovaScotia-(fideELM).
JAEGERS
THROUGH
SKIMMERS
--
PomarineJaegersagainoccurredregularlyoff
140
No fewer than
s/x Sabine's
Sooty Tern, Plymouth, Mass., Sept. 7, 1979.
Photo/Joe
VanOs.
Gulls were noted in New Englandwaters:one
each in Rhode Island, and New Hampshire
the
and four in Massachusetts,the latest on Stell-
throughoutthe length of the Cape (v.o.,fide
wagenBank Oct. 6 (RSH,WRP). SingleGull-
RAF).
numbers this fall. At least 35 individuals were
noted in Eastham, Mass., Aug. 31 while
200+ were observedat Wellfleet Bay, Mass.,
Novembernumberedinto the hundredsalong
Massachusetts coast from
DOVES
THROUGH
Plum
I.,
HUMMINGBIRDS
-- A singleWhite-wingedDovewasfound on
Sable 1., N.S., Aug. 10 (fide 1AMcL) while
anotherindividualwasphotographedon Seal
I., Aug. 27 for a first confirmedprovincial
record (IAMcL
et aLL The incursion of
Oct. 27 (RSH,BN). In Maine, no fewer than
Yellow-billed
nine individualswere recorded,including six
at Back Cove, Portland and a pair at FalmouthOct. 14 (v.o.,fide PDV).
largestin recentyears.The main waveoccurred
in late Septemberthroughmid-Octoberwhen
70+ were noted in Nova Scotia,including16
Cuckoos this fall was one of the
on Seal I., Oct. 8. No fewer than 21 were
SoAo
Certainly the major excitement of the
fall involvedthe large number of Sooty
Terns carried into New Englandby hurricane David Sept. 6-7. Some ambiguity
remains as to what else was seenduring
and immediatelyfollowingthe hurricane.
Certainly100+ SootyTerns wereobserved
in Massachusetts
-(fideRAF) while 60+
were reported from Rhode Island (v.o.,
fide CW). Three eachwerereportedfrom
Maine and New Hampshirewhile Connecticut estimated no fewer than ten individ-
uals. In addition, Rhode Island reported
as many as sevenBridled Terns (RACet
al.) while 33 Black Skimmers were recorded
off Rye, N.H., Sept. 6 (EWPfide KCE).
Interestingly,the only other Bridled Tern
of the fall was critically identified from
SandyNeck, Mass.,Aug. 12 (RSH et al.).
reportedin Maine, sevenplusoccurredin New
Brunswick, possiblyas many as 100+ were
thoughtto be on Block 1., R.I., Oct. 6-7 (fide
CW) and 100+ were noted on Nantucket
throughOctoberwith a peakof 12 on Oct. 11
(RRV
et al.). Three Yellow-billed Cuckoos
wereevenobservedat seaby Monomet observers, one being eaten by a PeregrineFalcon
-(fideTLL-E). The latest individualreported
was found at Schoodic Pt., Me., Nov. 16
(WCR).
Barn Owls were apparently doing well in
Connecticut, at least nine pairs successfully
reared young this year (fide NSP). In Newfoundland, a Hawk Owl was unusual at Terra
Nova N.P., Oct. 21 .(fideRTB). A •5 BlackchinnedHummingbirdfxequenting
a Cohasset,
Mass. greenhouse.subsistingon ornamental
flowers Nov. 25 - Dec. 10 before it i'mally
expired{fideRAF), wasbut anotheraspectof
this fall's extraordinary flight of western
strays.Measurementsleaveno doubt as to the
One very late Royal Tern or possiblytwo,
wereobservedfrom the Capeat First Encounter Nov. 27, a late date for the Region(DWF,
WCR et al.). As many as three Sandwich
Terns were noted in Rhode Island (fide CW)
while a single individual was again found
among the fall concentrationof Corn. Terns
off Nantucket Oct. 2, where it seemsquite
likely Sandwich Terns are of annual occurrenee (RRV et al.).
ALCIDS -- The only alcidsto occurin any
numbers this fall were Razorbills, which in
bird's identity which constitutesa first confirmed Regionalrecord.
FLYCATCHERS
THROUGH
KINGLETS
-- Western Kingbirds experiencedanother
excellentfall flight, perhapsthe largest on
recordwith 54+ individuals(c.f.,47, 37, 25, 23)
in what seemsto be a steadyprogressionof
increased occurrences.A flock of six W.
Kingbirds in Fairfield, Conn., Nov. 29 OW)
and four in one tree on Nantucket (RRV) are
vividindicatorsof the species'abundance
this
fall. Unique this seasonand very rare in fall
was a Scissor-tailedFlycatcherin Freeport,
American
Birds,
March1980
Me., Oct. 21 (DN). A Great CrestedFlycatcher
waslate on NantucketOct. 18 (RRV). Single
Ash-throated Flycatchers in Riverside, R.I.,
Nov. 12 - 30+ (HW et aL, ph.)(third staterecord) and in Cambridge,Mass., Dec. 1-9 (fide
RAF) and two suggestive
Myiarchus sp., one
eachin Hampden,Me., Nov. 30 - Dec. 1 and
Mt. DesertI., Me., Dec. 8 (fide (MKL,WCR)
were presumablyall westernstrays.The season'sonly Say'sPhoebewasfound on Plum I.,
Sept.8 (fideRPE). Extraordinaryby anystandards was the critically identified Olive-sided
Flycatcherat Sachuest,R.I., Nov. 23 (fide
cw).
Single Short-billedMarsh Wrens occurred
in Greenwich, Conn., on Seal l., N.S., and
near Lincoln, Mass. Single Wheatears were
veryearlyand in lovelypartial breedingplum-
Warbler wasseenon SealI., Aug. 31 (IAMcL
et al.). Two Golden-wingedWarblers were
reported from Nova Scotia, one of which was
on Brier I., for a first confirmedprovincial
record (fide SIT). Three Blue-wingedWarblers were seen in Maine while five were noted
m Nova Scotia.
S.A.
Undoubtedly the rarest bird of the
seasonwas the ad. d Lucy's Warbler
found associatingwith singleYellow and
Cape May warblers in Ipswich, Mass.,
Dec. 1 (RSH et al.. ph.). Identifiablephotographs confirm this first state and
Regional occurrence,which may well be
the first recordanywheree. of Texas.
ageat CaronPt., N.B., Aug. 14(fideDSC)and
Scarborough
Marsh, Me., Aug. 15-17 (SL et
A d PaintedBuntingin Bristol,N.H., Sept.
al.). Another Wheatear was seen near L'Anse-
aux-Meadows,
Nfld., in late September
(fide
BMacT). A Blue-grayGnatcatcherseenon the
"Marine Nautica" just 1.5 hrs from Port-auxBasque,Nil&, Sept. 18 providedonly a sec-
Other rare warblers included: a Kentucky
banded and photographedon Kent I., N.B.,
Aug. 23 (PFC et al.), singleYellow-throated
Warblers in Hampton, N.H., Aug. 1 (fde
seem to have recoveredsomewhat; 40 Golden-
KCE) and aD.d. albilora on Seal I., Oct. 5-9
(ELM eta/.), and a Louisiana Waterthrush on
crownedsand 60 Ruby-crownedswere seenon
SealI., Aug. 31 (IAMcL et aL). Interestingly,
Nantucket Oct. 9 (RRV).
Connecticut
ond provincialrecord (SIT). Both kinglets
Warblers
were
noted
over
an
impressively
longperiodof time.Theyoccurred
as early as Aug. 27 on Seal I., and as late as
VIREOS -- White-eyed Vireos were widespread in October. Singleswere seenon Seal
Oct. 9 at sea off the Massachusetts coast
I., Oct. 7 (fide PRD), Kennebunkport,Me.,
(M.B.O. staff,fide TLL-E). Lastly.five Hooded
Oct. 9 (CR), Nantucket Oct. 13 (RRV) and
Warblers
Lincoln Center,Me., Oct. 16 (secondlocality
record-- PDV). Ten White-eyedVireos were
found on Martha's VineyardOct. 9 (VL, fide
{fidePRD).
were found in Nova Scotia this fall
THROUGH
FRINGILLIDS
--
A Bobolink at Windsor Locks, Conn., Nov. 11
SealI., Oct. 7 (fide PRD) whilesinglePhil-
was notably late (PJD). Regional Yellow-
WARBLERS
--
Curious warblers
seen at
seaby M.B.O. surveyorsAug. 18-25 included
two Prothonotaries,one Blue-wingedand one
Kentucky(fide TLL-E). An ad. Prothonotary
Warbler photographed on Campobello I.,
N.B., Aug. 26 providedonlya secondconfirmed
provincialrecord(PDV et aLL An injuredProthonotarywaspickedup near Wolfville, N.S.,
in October {fide SIT,*A.U.). A Worm-eating
Warbler on AppledoreI., Me., Aug. 22 furnisheda third state sight record but another
banded and photographedat Brunswick,Me.,
Oct. 5 provideda first confirmedstaterecord
(JCh et a/.,ph.). Elsewhere,a Worm-eating
headed Blackbirds
numbered
12 individuals
while two Brewer'sBlackbirdswere carefully
studied on Brier I.. N.S.. Sept. 24 (BMacT)
and a singleindividualwasfoundat Corn Hill,
Mass., Nov. 4 (fide BN). Feeder operators
beware! While conductingseabird surveys,
M.B.O.'s CraigKesselheimobservedand photographeda Com.Gracklechasingand eating
juncos.Watch out for hungrygrackles.
WesternTanagersexperiencedan excellent
fall flight. Single, breeding-plumagedmales
were carefully observedon the surprisingly
early datesof Aug. 6 on Matinicus Rock, Me.
{fideSKr) andAug. 11 at W. Cornwall,Conn.,
{fide AG). A singleW. Tanagerwasseenin
Pembroke, Me., Oct. 11 (SB) and two W. Tan-
agers seen together were fully described in
Manchester. N.H., Oct. 23-24 {fide KCE).
Readers
should
follow
the
winter
season
report carefully as additional W. Tanagers
will be reported. Summer Tanagers, like
White-eyedVireos, occurredwidely in early
and mid-October. Six individuals were found
in Nova Scotiawhile in Maine a singlebird
was banded in S. Waldoboro
Oct. 9-12 and a
{fideKCE). A Green-tailedTowheewasfound
in S. Ipswich,Mass., Oct. 12 - Nov. 3 (RSH et
aL). The season's
threeLark Buntingsoccurred
individuallyon MonheganI., Me., Sept. 11
(HTet a/.), MonomoySept.27 (CAG,fide BN)
and in Millis, Mass., Oct. 16 (fide RPE). A
Henslow'sSparrowwas unique this fall on
NantucketOct. 11 (RRV et al.), whilesingle
Seaside Sparrows at Back Cove, Portland,
Me., Aug. 21 (DJA.DWF.PDV) and Rye,N.H.
(EWP, fide KCE) were unusual.Clay-colored
Sparrows
wereeitherscarceor poorlyreported.
seven were
noted
on Nantucket
(RRV et aL). A hatchingyear 9 Chestnutcollared Longspur netted, measured,banded
and photographedon Nantucket Oct. 12-16
providedonlya third staterecord(RRV et al.).
ADDENDA -- Pleasenote that a Purple
Gailinule wasseenand photographedat Harriersfield,N.S., May 18 (fide IAMcL) and in
the same province two Black-necked Stilts
wereseenon CapeSableMay 27 {fideELM).
SUB-REGIONAL
EDITORS
(boldface
italic), Contributors (boldface), Observersand
other abbreviations -- Dennis I. Abbott,
Edith F. Andrews, Jim Baird, Sid Bahrt, Jim
Berry, Roger G. B. Brown, Roger T. Burrows,
Tom Burke, Joe Cadbury, Peter F. Cannel!,
Jeff Cherry (JCh), David S. Christie, Shirley
Cohrs, Robert A. Conway, Rena Cote, Tom
Davis, Steve Dempsey, Paul J. Desjardins,
PhyllisR. Dobson,Kimball C. Elkins, Ruth P.
Emery, Davis W. Finch, Richard .4. Foster,
Arthur Gingert, Carl A. Goodrich,Richard S.
HeR, BartlettHendricks,SethKellogg,Craig
Kesselheim,Douglas L. Kraus, Steve Kress
(SKr), EllseLapham, VernonLaux, SallyLee,
Trevor L. Lloyd-Evans,Michael K. Lucey,
Bruce MacTavish, Ian .4. McLaren, Eric L.
Mills, Dan Nickerson,Blair Nikula, WayneR.
Petersen,Jan Pierson,Elisabeth W. Phinncy,
also occurred on Nantucket Oct. 18 (RRV et
al.). Lone Black-headed Grosbeaks were seen
Noble S. Proctor, Chris Rimmet, William C.
Russeil,StevenSibley,Helene Tetrault, Allen
in Halifax, N.S., Oct. 13 {fide PRD) and on
individuals
(RRV) andon the Capeand Mar-
Thomas, Bob Thompson, Stuart L TingIcy,
William C. Townsend,Richard R. Velt, Peter
D. Vickery, JosephWall. Stephen Weston,
Hugh Wmoughby,Chiles Woo• Christopher
S. Wood, A.U. = AcadiaUniversity,M.B.O. =
Manomet Bird Observatory,* = specimen,
ph. = photographed,v.o. = variousobservers,
-- PETER D. VICKERY, Box 14, Lincoln
tha's Vineyardnumbered20+ birds(VL,BN).
Center, Maine 04458.
Blue Grosbeaks were seen on Nantucket
this
fall and 13+ werenotedon the Capeand Martha's Vineyard. Thir.tv Indigo Buntingson
Seal I., Oct. 8 were remarkable (ELM et al.).
Dickcissels
Volume34,Number2
presumedto be connectedto hurricane David
freshlydeadroadkillwaspickedup in Milford
Oct.9 (PDV).An additionalSummerTanager
Nantucket Oct. 28 (RRV et al.). At least ten
Worm-eating Warbler, Brunswick, Me., Oct.
5, 1979. Photo/Tom P. Skelling.
11 was perhapsthe only observedpasserinc
However.
ICTERIDS
BN). Two Yellow-throated Vireos were rare on
adelphiaVireoswere late in Lynn, Mass., Oct.
31 (RSH) and at ManometNov.5 .(fideTLL-E).
A Warbling Vireo was notablylate in Boothbay Harbor, Me., Nov. 1 (BT).
Imm. Chestnut-collared
Longspur, Nantucket
I., Mass., Oct. 12, 1979. Photo/R. R. Veit.
on
Nantucket
totalled
20-25
141
Magog Nov. 8 (YA)
QU!•BECREGION
/Normand
Michel
was a remarkable inland
record. The most out-
David and
Gosselin
standingshorebirdsof
Weatherin Augustwas normal but extremes
prevailed afterwards. The only rainy periods
in Septembercoincidedwith the passageof
hurricanes David
and Frederic
off the Atlan-
tic coast. Long sunny periods in October
were accompanied by lower-than-average
temperatures.Conditionschangedin November as mild temperatures preventedthe usual
heavy snowfalls.
the season were the
well-described ad. W.
Sandpiper of Qu6bec
City Aug. 30 - Sept. 9
(PC,JHy, m.ob.) and
an ad. Long-billed
Dowitcher
-- details in Bull. Orn.
A Stilt Sandpiper was
at
GREBES
THROUGH
DUCKS
--
A Pied-
billed Grebe breeding record was received
from Arvida at the n. edge of the species'
range;a bird wassccnfor the last time Oct. 7,
a local late date (fide YB). A Leach's StormPetrel was rescued in the city of Rimouski
Sept. 21 (JR) and released on the shore of the
St. LawrenceR.; another reachedQu6becCity
Oct. 4 (JHy,MG) where the speciescan be
expectedeach fall. Also at Qu6bec City a Wilsows Storm-Petrel was identified by its flight
pattern Oct. 12 (LM,JPB). Two Great Blue
Herons at L. Mistassini Aug. 27 (YH) were
noteworthy; uncommon waders included a
Litde Blue Heron at Charny Aug. 17 (ABt,
JLD), a Great Egret at Ile du Moine Sept. 8
(BB), up to seven Cattle Egrets at Rimouski
Nov. 10-15 (fide JLa), and a Glossy Ibis in
the Boucherville Is., Aug. 9 ½CP). Two Can-
at Cacouna
Aug. 22 (GG,NB,YB)
Pointe-au-P6re
Aug. 3 (JRP), 15 were
at Cacouna Aug. 4
(PC), and another was
at Saint-Fulgence
Aug.
12 (MBo), the first in
18 years in the Saguenay R. valley. Single Buff-breasted Sand-
pipersoccurredat QuebecCity Sept. 6 (AD),
BeanharnoisSept. 7 {BB,MM), and Chandler
Sept. 16 (RB,PP), the first in the Gasp6Pen.
A Marbled Godwit was at Etang-du-Nord,
MagdalenIs., Aug. 28 {RY), and a Wilson's
PhalaropereachedLes EscouminsSept. 9
(ABd). Two N. Phalaropesin the n. Laurentians were quite noteworthy, one at 54o50' N,
69ø55'W,Aug. 10 (GM), the othernear ChibougamauAug. 21 (GLu).
ins# at Saint-Fabien Oct. 18 (ABt,GC), but
The hope of finding Peregrine Falcons
breeding in the Northeast should not be
seven small and dark Canada Geese could not
relinquished.Last summer in s. Quebec
be studied long enough to ascertain their
racial identity at Vaudreuil Nov. 30 OWL A
Eur. Wigeon at Bic Aug. 15 (GG) provided a
second regional "summer" occurrence (see
an ad. male and an imm. female were seen
ada Geese were identified as Branta c. hutch-
our previousreport). A Wood Duck Aug. 23,
and a RedheadSept. 30 at Bergeronnes
were
rare sightson the North Shore (ABd). A record of five Barrow's Goldeneyesat Deanville
Oct. 8 (YA) proved that the speciescan be
encountered anywhere inland. King Eiders
were also in evidence inland
ture
at
Aylmer
Nov.
with an imma-
17-30 (FB,BMD,
m.ob.), and a bird shot at Rigaud in midNovember (fide GH). Ruddy Ducks, which
have bred only once in the Region, made their
annualappearance,with eight birdsat Granby
Oct. 27 (JLe), and ten at Laprairie Nov.
10-11 (FH).
VULTURES
THROUGH
PHALAROPES
-- An ad. Turkey Vulture spottednear Perc6
Sept. 1 (GG, m.ob.) provided a secondrecord
in Gaspesia.Four GoldenEagleswereno exception to the rule that the speciesis mostly
reported in migration; they included single
birds at Aylmer Nov. 4 (BMD), Cap Tourmente Oct. 18 (GG), and SennevilleOct. 2 &
10 (MM). A Marsh Hawk at Ft. Chimo June
1 (PM, fide RMP) supplied a noteworthy
extralimital
record.
An imm. Purple Gallinule found dead in a
ditch near StokeOct. 18, representeda fourth
regional occurrence,all in September- October (ftde YA), and apparentlya gustpreserved
specimen(*Nat. Mus. of Canada). Five Am.
Coots at Barachois Oct. 28 (PP) afforded a
rare sighting in Gaspesia. Our third regional
American Avocet was again on the Lower St.
Lawrence R., at La Pocati&re Nov.
5-11
(GLa,YT, m.ob.). A Purple Sandpiper at L.
142
briefly togetherbut did not breed,apparently owing to the youth of the female
(YvesAubry, David Bird); after seeingthe
birds at very close range, the observers
felt certain that they were unhanded. A
full report on their behavioris in preparation. Suchan event and the regularityof
the spedesin migration render worthwhile
a serioussurveyof suitable breedingsites
in the Northeast.
Readers should also be
reminded that Peregrine Falcons have
been releasedin Quebec each year since
1976. In Hull the Canadian Wildlife
Serv-
ice (fide IP) releasedfour birds each year
on Aug. 8, 1976; July 24, 1977; Aug. 11
and 26, 1978; Aug. 11, 1979; in SainteAnn•-de-Bellevue, the Raptor Research
Centre of MacDonald College has released
17 birds; 3-5 each year on Aug. 1, 1976;
July 20, 1977; Sept. 2, 1978; Aug. 14,
1979.
JAEGERS
THROUGH
TERNS
--
A
Pomarine Jaeger at Sainte-Anne-des-Monts
during a storm Sept. 7 (DWF) was to be
expected,but a bird at La Bale Nov. 7-9 (GS,
m.ob.) representedthe secondjaeger ever in
the SaguenayR. valley, the first beinga previouslyunpublished
ParasiticJaegerat Roberval June 26, 1969 OLD). Another Pomarine
Jaeger at Beauharnois Nov. 1-6 (MM,BB)
was the sixth ever in the Montreal area. Inland
ParasiticJaegersare more frequent; this fall
one was at Gentilly Sept. 3 (MM,PB) and
another at BeauharnoisNov. I (MM,BB).
For the second consecutiveyear a Lesser
Black-backed Gull appeared at Gatineau
Nov. 11 (SG) where an ad. Thayer's Gull was
also seenNov. 10 (RF). A LaughingGull at
L6vis Sept. 9 - Oct. 14 (FG) was a rare I•1
occ•rence, •d another at Beauharnois Nov.
4-13 (BB) dupli•ted a 1977 late record. The
t•ee Sabim's G•ls for the s•on were ap•ently rem•kable • there were only 16 pre•om re•o•
record, bm t•
•ably
••ted • a•l
•ttem m•t oft• u•otic•;
these Sabine's
Gulls
cons•ted
of •
ad•t
seen from the Tro•-P•toles ferry Sept. 7-8
(GG,DB), and single immatures at Qu6•c
City Oct. 1 (LH), and Ile aux BasquesOct. 8
(PL). A Black-leggedKittiwake at La Bale
Sept. 3 (GS) furnished only a •cond occurrence in the Saguenay R. valley; s•gle birds
also app•red at Qu6bec City Nov. 14 (BH)
•d •u•ois
Nov. 21-24 •.
It is tempt•g to rdate the regflar inland occurrenc• of
kittiwak• over the past 10 y•rs to welldoc•ted
pop•ation in•e•es on breeding colonies.Three •ctic Term at Pointe-auP•re Sept. 18 (GG) repr•ented one of the
very few re•o•l
fall records and tbe lat•t
•er. A Caspian T•n w• fo•d at Ile du
Mo•e Aug. 25 (BB).
ALCIDS
THROUGH
OWLS • As usual
some alcids ventured westw•d:
a R•orbill
at
•bec
City Oct. 30 (MD), a Corn. Murre off
lie a• Basques Nov. 3 (ND,MG), and a
Com. •fgm at •c
•W Nov. 10(BH,PL).
S.A.
A str•ge bird obtained from a h•ter
d•ing a bag check in November at Oka,
ne• Montr6• (M. Fontaine,fide R. Titm•), turned out to be a Marbled Murrelet (L. Alison). Although a first record
•st of the Rockies,the occurrenceis perhapsmore 1ogic• th• past •land r•ords
of Ancient Murrelets (including a bkd in
Montr6fl • April, 1913); the Marbled
Murrdet is suspect• of n•ting • far •
• mi. from the oeec. Stragglers •e
kno• from the Bering Strait area (s•
Condor 68:504). We •e informed that the
Oka sp•imen will eventuallybe &posited
in the Nat. M•.
of Canada.
The only Yellow-billed Cuckoo of the season was at fie a• B•ques Oct. 7 (PL). A
Sno• Owl at Baracho• Aug. 14 (AV) was
not unprece&nted in that part of the province in late summer.
Three Boreal Owls at L.
Opocopa Aug. 5 (BH,CS) re•esent• one of
the ve• few recor• with• the br•ding
range, and single bir• wan&r• to B•uport
Oct. 27 (FD) •d Bagotville Nov. 6 •de YB).
American
Birds,
March
1980
WOODPECKERS
ROWS --
THROUGH
SPAR-
An imm. Red-headed Wood-
pecker,a Blue-listed
species,
wasrecorded
at
L. BeauportOct. 30 (YH). SingleWestern
Kingbirds
werefoundat LesEscoumins
Sept.
2 (FC,DStH et al.) and Qu6becCity Sept. 9
(FG,DR, ph.). Thirty Rough-winged
Swallowswasa highcountfor an Oct. 14recordin
Hull (BMD). Blue Jays were particularly
numerousduring their fall migration in s.
Qu6bec.The (same?)Tufted Titmousewas
R., Ungava, Sept. 15 (PM,fide RMP). Single
Blue-grayGnatcatchersoccurredat Hudson
Aug. 21 (JW), Cap TourmenteOct. 20 (JHn)
and Qu6becCity Oct. 20-21(DT). Also from
Cap Tourmente came the report of a welldescribedBlue-wingedWarbler Oct. 7 (GD,
CB), only the secondsuchreport for a species
regularin neighboringRegions.The second
Cardinal in Gaspesiawasdiscoveredin a bog
near Rimouski Nov. 13 (JR); the specieswas
Nov. 21 (DP et al.), a real invasion!The
noticeably numerous in the Montr6al and
Sherbrookeareas. Single Rufous-sidedTowbeesvisited BarachoisOct. 24 (fide RB), and
Rimouski Oct. 31 (RC et al.). A singing
Sharp-tailedSparrow at Ile du Moine Aug. 12
(ND,MG,PC,YA) paralleled a similar 1975
record (details in Bull. Orn.). A Clay-colored
Sparrowat CharlesbourgOct. 11 (JG) estab-
Carolina Wren recorded in our last report
lished a first fall occurrence in the Province.
presentat anotherNorth Hatley feederin
November,ca. 1 km from whereit spenllast
winter(seeAB 33:266),sixbirdsturnedup at
Stansteadin early November,two at nearby
Rock I., in mid-November(fide YA), and
another was found at B&hanie, Johnson Co.,
waspresent
at Lavalthroughout
the period
(PD), andanotherwasnotedat Senneville
in
Septemberand October(PA); hopefullythe
species
will makea comeback.
A WoodThrash
Aug. 10 at Saint-Ambroisede Chicoutimi
EXOTICS -- An Am. Flamingo reported
from Saint-Paul-de-l'Ile-aux-Noix
Aug. 2
area. Four E. Bluebirds turned up at BaieSaint-Paul Oct. 6 (PB), and the only Wheatear of the seasonwas 150 km up the George
(fide MBu) was not carefully examinednor
subsequentlyseen.A few reportsof a Chukar
from Saint-Lambert September- November
{fide, BB,MR) are betterlistedunderAlectorix
sp. since the possibility of Red-leggedor
Rock Partridge cannotbe ruled out.
HUDSON-DELAWARE
in August 1976. and.
(YB) providedan interesting
recordfor the
REGION
CONTRIBUTORS
(boldface)
AND
OBSERVERS -- P. Abbott, Y. Aubry, P.
Bannon, B. Barnhurst,J. P. Barry, C. B•land,
F. Bell, R. Bisson, Y. Blackburn, D. Bordage, A. Bouchard (ABd), M. Boudreau
(MBo), A. Bourget (ABt), N. Breton, M.
Bureau(MBu), P. Chagnon, G. Chapdelaine,
R. C6t6, F. Cotton, M. Darveau, J-L.
Desgranges, A. Desrochers, B. M. Dilabio,
F. Dumont, P. Dupuy, G. Duquette, D. W.
Finch, R. Foxall, S. Gawn, 'G. Gendron, J.
Giroux, F. Grenon, Y. Hamel, J. Hardy
(JHy), F. Hilton, B. Houde, L. Houde, J.
Hudon (JHn), G. Huot, P. Lane, G. Langlois
(GLa), J. Lariv6e (JLa), J. Legris (JLe), G.
Lupien (GLu), P. May, M. Mclntosb, L.
Messeley, G. Michaud, J. R. Peiletier, C.
Pilon, D. Pontbriand, P. Poulin, R. M. Poulin, I. Price, M. Ranger, J. Rocheleau, D.
Roy, D. St-Hilaire (DStH), G. Savard, C.
Simard, D. Tousignant, Y. Turcotte, A. Valise, J. Wright, R. Yank. -- NORMAND
DAVID, Centre de recherches6cologiquesde
Montr6al, 5858 Cbt• des neiges#400, Montreal, Canada H3S IZI, and MICHEL GOSSELIN, 370 Metcalfe #707, Ottawa, Canada, K2P 159.
in sheer numbers, the
/Robert O. Paxton,
richest storm ornitho-
Keith C. Richards, and
logically
thatthisRegion
David A. Cutler
has known. Passing
NY
inland over n.e. Flor-
bers seemed low. and all irruptive species
ida on the morning of
Sept. 5, David moved
N, e. of the Appala-
without exceptionwere in a cyclicaltrough.
Mary E. Doseherbandedonly 1.3 birds per
and
Fall 1979 was warm, with rainfall only
slightlyaboveaverage.Almostall bird num-
net hour at Island Beach. N.J., even below last
year's1.5, andlessthan half her rate of the
mid- 1970s.Therewere no strongcold fronts in
September.althoughthe broadhigh pressure
areaof September8 triggereda heavymigration. Then vigorousnorthwesterlies
on October 8 and 13-14 producedspectacularpassagesof cormorants,raptors, and Yellowrumped Warblers. The more commonplace
westernstragglersseemedmore widespread
than usual.
chiansduringthe night
reached
n. New
Jerseyand the Hudson
Valley at daylight,veering NE during the
morning of Sept. 6,
toward
Ward planted himself at Townsend'sInlet
ities increased dramatic-
ally northwardwherethe stormpassedafter
firstlight(seeAB31:155for a similareffectin
1976).An alternativeexplanation-- frankly
spectflative
-- is that SootyTerns,highlyactive
at night,hadmoretimein thesouthto regain
17 and November 30 counting what passed
southwardoffshore.His figures providethe
firstsystematic
sea-watch
datain thisRegion,
and a base-lineuponwhich subsequent
sea-
thelargestflocksof SootyTernseverrecorded
watches can build.
HURRICANE
DAVID
--
(We
thank
ThomasH. Davisfor helpwith this section).
The main event of the season,David was the
first hurricaneto strikethis RegionsinceBelle
Volume34, Number2
o,
ital birds were found in
the openseabeforedawn.
It wasclearlycrucialto be on the sceneas
soonaspossible
followingthe storm'spassage.
Birdersout at dawn(somehavinglost interest
N.J., and spent206hoursbetweenSeptember
City
the storm's bird fallout
was distributed. While
the areas crossed by
the storm at night, rar-
(hereafter, T.I.), at the north end of Avalon.
NWl
been crucial to the way
carefullycountedwhat passedthem. The
Region'smany hawk watchesare familiar
examples.Two individualprojectsthis fall
wereexceptionally
interesting.
AlongtheHudlook, Ned Boyajianonceagaincensused
the
nuds©n
Cany•en
Provinces
(seep. 133).
The timing of daylight seems to have
relativelyfew extralim-
birds that follow the Hudson south. David
.,
the Maritime
The seasoWsmost valuable reports came
from observerswho remained in one spot and
sonRiver Palisades,at the Alpine, N.J., over-
, wl
when the storm went inland) were treated to
in this Region. These birds dispersedvery
rapidly,leavingonlyscatteredindividualsby
afternoon.Thisexperience
suggests
that many
birds have beenmissedafter previousstorms
whenthere werefewerbridgesand causeways
to the barrier beaches.
As usual, virtually all storm-bornebirds
werefounde. of the eye,wherewindvelocities
are greater.Therewasnothingw. of the eye.
In fact,thegreatmajorityof extralimitalbirds
were found on the coast, at some distance
from storm center.Whether they found their
waytherefromthe eye,or whethermostmaritime speciesmanaged to stay over water as
theywereborneN by the hurricane's
outlying
gale winds is a matter that is still poorly
understood.(See R. C. Murphy's distinction
betweenvortex-borneand gale-bornebirdsin
OceanicBirds of SouthAmerica(1936)pp.
53-59).
The species
deposited
by David reflectthe
storm'sCaribbeanorigin and its passageup
the coast.Bellein August1976,camein out of
143
the Gulf Stream,carryingmore BridledTerns
(•'GSR,JChnton,BJS)A partly decomposed
than Sootles, "black and white" shearwaters,
bird foundOct 8 nearAtlanticCitywasldentitled as a Bridled Tern, andbelievedrecently
dead sincemaggotswere still active(RRy). A
BrownNoddy flew over the CapeMay hawk
and petrels,but few southerncoastalspecies.
By contrastto Belle, but like the hurricanesof
1878, 1928, 1955, and 1960, David brought
SootyTernsand southerncoastalbirds.
Among Procellariids,David carried only
SootyShearwaters:one at SandyHook, N.J.
(RRy),and one headeddownthe HudsonR.,
past Dobbs Ferry, WestchesterCo., N.Y.
(BW) There were no petrels.(The date hereafteris Sept.6 unlessotherwise
specified.)
DavM grounded numbers of over-ocean
shorebirdmigrants, much like any autumn
storm. Twenty-two Hudsonian Godwits were
at SandyHook(MF) and outsizedgroupsof N.
Phalaropeswere widespread:12 at Dobbs
Ferry (BW), eight at ShinnecockInlet, L.I.
(GSR),and sixat SandyHook (RK), for example There were no Red Phalaropes.An ad.
Long-tailedJaegerwas at ShinnecockInlet,
along with one Pomarine Jaeger and one
unidentifiedjaeger (AJL).
Localgullsseemto havebeensweptN. Over
1500 Great Black-backed
Gulls were "stream-
watch Sept.8 (PD,DW).
LOONS, GREBES, PROCELLARIIDS
--
DW counted21,860loonspassing
T.I., during
the season,with a peak of 7060 Nov. 18. He
believed that 90% of them were Red-throated
Loons, as expected.The speciesratio was
inversefor the smallerbut regularinlandloon
passage:220 Corn.Loons(a bit low) and four
Red-throated Loons were counted over Hawk
Mr., Pa., duringthe season(AN).
Four Red-neckedGrebesin CornwallBay,
on the HudsonR., OrangeCo., N.Y., Nov. 12
(BSg)was a high countfor so mild a fall, and
one was unusualwithin the Philadelphiacity
limits Oct. 16 (JHG). An Eared Grebe -- less
than annual in this Region -- lingered at
JamaicaBay Wildlife Refuge, N.Y.C. (hereafter, J.B.W.R.) Oct. 6- Nov. 25 (m.ob.).
A record regionalcount of 225 Audubon's
ing S along the [Hudson]river" at Dobbs
Ferry (BW), and LaughingGulls weregreatly
researchvessel105 mi e. of Barnegat,N.J.,
increased: 1000+ at Jones Beach S.P., L.I.
Sept. 19, in 1000-fathom water, at 39ø12'N,
(hereafter, J.B.S.P.) (THD) and 500 at Dobbs
could have been in the area before the storm.
71ø55'W (RHe), and a single Audubon's
Shearwaterwasin a Gulf Streameddy,associatedwith matsof sargassum
andflyingfish,
at Block Canyon,90 mi s. of Montauk Pt.,
Four Forster's Terns at Spruce Run Res.,
Hunterdon Co., N.J. (GH) representeda first
L.I., Sept. 29 (BJS, D. W. Crumb, F. Scheider,, R. Long, R. Andrle, THD). A White-
record there, and the farthest inland fallout
faced Storm-Petrel
knownto us. Three morewereup the I-[udson
on Long Island already,but four (an adult and
son'sStorm-PetrelsSept. 19just outsideHudson Canyon, in 160 fathoms, at 39ø18'N, 72ø
16'W, about90 mi e. of Barnegat(•'RHe).This
three immatures) at J.B.S.P. (THD,AW,
warm-water specieswas photographedin
Ferry (BW). The Gull-billed Tern at Robert
Moses S.P., L.I. (hereafter, R.M.S.P.) (THD)
(K&JMcD,BW).
A few Sandwich Terns were
E.
Shearwaters
was observed from
a Russian
was found with 200 Wil-
Levme,S.Rosenberg)may have been storm-
August 1972, off Delaware (,,lB 27:17) and
borne. At Stone Harbor, N.J., where there had
thereare sightrecords,mostlyin late summer
been 15 Royal Terns before the storm, there
were 200q- Sept. 7 (CS), and 125 were at
or fall tAB 30:818).
Roosevelt Inlet, Del. (WWF).
BOOBIES, GANNET, FRIGATEBIRD
The most spectacularcargo of hurricane
Davtd was, of course,tropical terns. Sooty
Terns predominated. An injured individual
broughtin by a motorcyclist
furnishedthe second state record for Delaware (fide DAC).
NewJerseyhad oneinland, an exhaustedbird
broughtto the BergenCountyWildlife Center
in Wyckoff, and 12 on the coast, including
three specimensand a weakenedbird photographed(fide RK,PWS). Up the Hudson R.,
three appearedat Dobbs Ferry in the afternoon, headed S into the wind (BW) while, still
Two
ad. Brown
HERONS
THROUGH
FLAMINGOS
--
GreatBlueHeronturnedoutto be a steadyoff'shoremigrant at T.I.; 148 passedduring the
season, 40 of them Oct. 31 (27 in one flock)
An imm. Wood Stork at N. Cape May Aug
19-20 (AB,RWR,KS,PD,C.Hardy,ph.) was
part of a generalinvasionof the Northeast(cf
AppalachianRegion).The previously
reported
pair of White-faced Ibises remained at
J.B.W.R., until at leastSept. 7 (THD). Three
White Ibisesin Delawaretfide AH; tJGo) and
one at B.N.W.R. (F.Frazier, R.Muskat) compriseda faint echoof the great incursionof
late summer1977.One or twoflamingosp.in
the Seabright- Absecon,N.J., areauntil Aug
26 were probably escapes.One description
received suggestedthe Chilean Flamingo,
Phoenicopterus
chilensistfidePWS).
GEESE, DUCKS -- The peak Brant passage at T.I., was 3450 in 10tA hours Oct. 17
(DW). One at Tinicum National Environmen-
tal Center,Philadelphia(hereafter,T.N.E.C ),
Nov. 16 addedto recentsporadicinland records.The blue morph of the SnowGoosewas
reportedunusuallywidely.Onewasat Tunkhannock, n.e. Pennsylvania,Nov. 30 (WR),
nine at Smith's Pt., L.I., Oct. 11 and five more
scattered later in the month (GSR), six at
B.N.W.R., in late November(JDD), and 200+
at B.H.N.W.R., Del., Oct. 15 (JMA). Since it
has beensuggested
that the blue morph also
occurs in the Greater Snow Goose (Palmer
1976:Handbook, II, 129), it is no longercertain that thesebirdshavea w. origin.
FulvousWhistlingDucksshowedno signof
irruption, the only record being two at
B.H.N.W.R., Nov. 28 (DAC). After only two
Eur. Wigeonslast fall, four on Long Island
(GSR,HMcG et al.), a female or eclipseplumagemale carefullystudiedat Shark R,
N.J., Nov. 18 (RJB), and one Nov. 6 at Port
Mahon, Del. (HPB), were more normal.
--
Boobies studied off Island
BeachOct. 29 (RRa) add to recentNewJersey
sight records,none corroboratedso far by
photograph.DW counted5560Gannetspassing T.I., this fall. His bestday, Nov. 23, with
1458 in 5V2 hours, was a "fantastic date for
Gannets" all along the coast(PWS), with a
steadystreamof groupsof up to 30 off the n.
New Jerseycoast and "thousands"passing
Island Beach (WJB,JB). A Great Cormorant at
Morrisville,BucksCo. (J'TT)represented
the
third Pennsylvaniarecord in 40 years. DW
Diving ducks were almost uniformly late
and low in numbers,probablybecauseof the
warm fall. Alongwith the usualfew early (or
summering)Corn. Eiders on the coast, a
female at Quaker L., DutchessCo., N.Y., Oct
13-18 (m.ob),for a first countyrecord,was
exceptional
for thistruly maritimespecies.At
T.I., 100,170scoterspassedDW thisfall. The
bestday by far wasOct. 17 when 29,500went
by in 10•Ahours.Of thosecloseenoughto
identify,thespecies
break-down
wasa surprisinglylow 1.4% White-wingedScorer(it is the
farther upstream, up to eight at a time were
seenover the next three daysfrom both the
Orange and Dutchesscounty shores(J&MK,
R TW.B.C.,K&LMcD).
On Long Island,
counted 45,200 Double-crested Cormorants
commonest wintering species off e. Long
Island and farther n.), 48.3% Surf, and 50.3%
passingT.I., during the season.The largest
flight of this expandingspecies
followedthe
coldfront of Oct. 13, when3000passedover
Black (DW), "a far cry fi'om 25 years ago
when the White-wingedScorermatchedthe
THD estimated a total of 90 (PWP et al.),
BrigantineN.W.R., N.J. (hereafter,B.N.W.R.)
scarce one" (PWS).
includingten birds pickedup dead, someas
lateas Sept.28-30.Thebirdsdispersed
quickly,
althoughone was on the n. shoreof Long
Island Sept. 8 (G. Quinn). One picked up
and 120 were inland over BombayHook,
JTMcN'sannualcensusof RuddyDucksat
N.W.R., Del. (hereafter,B.H.N.W.R.); 7740
Flood Gates, Gloucester Co., N.J., was dis-
passedT.I., in 6 hours Oct. 15.
heartening.After peakingat 5000 in recent
years,thisyear'swintering'
flockpeakedat only
1800 Nov. 8 (qfi 17,280 in November,1976,
prior to a major oil spill, and 40-50,000in the
early 1950sbefore the area had becomethe
shipchannelfor a majorportarea).
exhaustedat Gatdiner County P., L.I., was
rehabilitated and released Sept. 10 at
R M S.P., whereit flew off stronglyout to sea
and S (FF).
A probable Bridled Tern was reported at
Cape May Sept. 7 (•-DW), and five were on
Long Island: two adults at R.M.S.P. (PWP)
and two adults and an immature
at Shinne-
cock Inlet (AJL). An adult was reportedoff
MecoxBay, L.I., Sept. 13 (L.Clark), and, after
another tropical disturbance,Frederic, one
was around Shinnecock Inlet Sept. 15-18
144
Repeatedobservationsof single MagnificentFrigatebirdsaroundLongIslandSound
Aug. 11-27 appear to have involvedat least
three individuals, as an ad. male an ad. female
and an immature were described (S. Hollan-
der, S. Ruppert, JDiC; qf. also Northeast
Maritime Regionfor Connecticutshore).One
Oct. 3 at N. Cape May (Mrs. Keith Seager)
was the Region'slatest, sincethe previous
eightNewYork andthreeNewJersey
records
all fell betweenJuneand September.
These
unprecedentedmultiple occurrencescannot
bedirectlyrelatedto anystormactivity.
Surf in abundance
VULTURES,
and the Black was the
HAWKS, EAGLES -- Two
hundred Turkey Vultures at Cape May Oct
26 was the largest single flock ever recorded
there (CS), and 260 wereexceptional
at Muddy
Run, Drumore, Pa., Oct. 29 (RMS). While
the usual scattered
inland
records of Black
Vulture did not reach n. and e. of Hook Mt ,
American
Birds,
March
1980
Nyack, N Y, whereone Sept 11 provideda
first fall record (J. Irvine), four Aug. 31 Nov. 29, with two Sept. 9, furnished first
records
for theCapeMay hawkwatch(PD).
Goshawks remained well below their great
flight years of the early 1970s, when the
Hawk Mt. count could exceed 300 (see Fig.
1) The other ,Accipiters had banner years,
however. Sharp-shinned Hawk counts
approachedor even surpassedthe 1977 records (e.g., Cape May). Particularly spec-
Golden Eagles were found in good numbers, especially along the coast. three in
WestchesterCounty (M.F.N., BW), two over
Staten I. (RZ), and a record 16 (one banded)
at Cape May, six of them in two days, Oct.
26-27 (PD,CS). This major coastal passage
recallsthe 1977 suggestionthat the Qu6becGasp6 population was greater than previously
supposed (AB 31:183). Inland the ridge
counts were normal
and there were a credit-
J B.S.P., the morning of Oct. 14 and recalled
able seven scattered records in New Jersey
(DE,ABi,ST,JE,FTe,JTM) and one in s.e.
Pennsylvania (EW). It was hard to find real
encouragement in the more dispersed Bald
Eagle reports. The hawk watch counts were
at or below recent norms, and NB counted
four at Alpine, N.J., where his average is
8-10:21 scattered individuals were reported
that "back in the 1950s and 1960s to see a
elsewhere.
dozen or more in a day was considered
After last year's dip, Osprey numbers rose
again encouragingly,and Cape May's count
tacular flights followed the cold fronts of
Oct. 8 & 14. On Oct. 8 Hawk Mt. had its all-
time daily high of Sharp-shinnedHawks with
2616 (ECS,BLM), and Oct. 8 & 14 were Cape
May's biggestdays,with 4608.NW estimated
1000+ Sharp-shinnedH.awks passing
good."
Red-tailed Hawk totals set records at sev-
eral hawk watches, but Red-shouldered
Hawk totals were poor at most of them.
Broad-wingedHawks movedthrough in dis-
persedfashion without forming the usual
ridgeline concentrations, as the weather
neither bottled them up nor hurried them
along. They dribbled through a bit early,
after successivefronts Sept. 8, 12 & 16, on
paths that led them both w. and e. of the
usualmainridges.
Therewere850in a hour
over Chester,Pa., Sept. 16 (JHG) and ridges
near the coast (Montclair, Skyline, Hook)
had good counts, but Raccoon Ridge, Warren Co., N.J. had no major Broad-winged
flight for the first seasonobserved(FPW).
An imm. Swainson's Hawk was observed
at Hawk Mt., Oct. 26 (SB,AN), a secondoccurrence there (the first in 1977), but Cape May
missedthis w. stragglerfor only the second
time since 1973. For the second successive
year we have detailed reports of Ferruginous
Hawk studied at Cape May by experienced
raptor specialistsNicholson and Sutton, an
immature
Oct.
27 and an adult observed
repeatedlyNov. 28 (also PS). Unfortunately
photographscould not be obtained. These
two w. Buteos are not really comparable.
Swalnson's
Hawk
now breeds e. to Min-
nesota, is abundant, and is a long-distance
migrant. It is now annualsomewherein this
Regionexcepton Long Island, which is off
all Buteo routes. FerruginousHawk is only
was a record. The total at Hawk Mt., was by
far the best in recent years, and 133 Oct. 6
was a record day's count (BLM).
Sixty Merlins passedJ.B.S.P., in the big
flight of Oct. 8 (NW,H.Darrow), and Cape
May's record total was nearly half again the
previous high. Even inland Hawk Mt., broke
its all time record with 62 (45 in 1950 and
1952, AN). Kestrelswere also in good numbers and Cape May's total was a recent record, although well below-the 30,268 counted
in 1970 from a different lookout. (E.
Choate).
Cape May's spectacularraptor season-second only to 1977's 81,597 -- revives the
questionoften raised(e.g., AB 32:185)about
what happenson the other side of Delaware
Bay. It is well known that most raptors and
many other migrants double back NW rather
than cross the water. This fall WWF
observed
kestrelsarriving from the n. at Cape Henlopen, Del. (31 on Oct. 16, 21 on Oct. 24) and a
Peregrine Oct. 21, small numbers compared
to the carnival at Cape May but clear evi-
RAILS,
CRANES --
Rails, althoughweak fliers, reach the
most preposterousplaces and have colonized
the
most remote
locomotion
was revealed this fall when
33:271).
SHOREBIRDS -- A singleWilson'sPlover
at Cape May Pt., Sept. 28 (CUA) was the
Region'sonly report. The most impressive
Am. Golden Plover concentrations were found
at the Warren Turf Farms, near Warwick,
OrangeCo., N.Y., with a maximum of 350
Sept. 23 (JT). Four Ruddy Turnstoneswere
exceptionalinland over Baer Rocks, near
Allentown, Pa., Oct. 7 (K.Kranick). Upland
Sandpiperswerein mostsuitablehabitats,but
in discouraging
numbers.The highesttotals
reached only 16 at the Philadelphia airport
dencethat someraptorsdo make the crossing.
There were repeated sight records of an O
European Kestrel around Cape May, possibly
more than one bird, Oct. 10-15 (JDo,ANI,
CS). No photograph could be obtained. This
abundant long-distancemigrant has already
beentrappedat CapeMay; thereis a 19thcentury Massachusetts
specimen
(Auk 91:172).
Aug. 1 (JCM), and ten each at StewartAirport, OrangeCo., N.Y., Sept. 1 (BSg)and at
CapeMay Pt., Aug. 7 (PD e! al.). This seems
to us the mostprecariousregularshorebirdof
the Region. A Spotted Redshank was at
B.N.W.R., for the secondfall in a row, Sept
28 to at leastOct. 8 (R.Appleby,R.Burk,WJB,
JB,ph. W. Murphy). Other unusualinland
shorebird records included three Red Knots
carefully describedover Bake Oven Knob,
Pa., Sept.24 (FM) and a White-rumpedSand-
migrant.
Hook Mr.
Nyack, N. Y.
Cape May's record total included two
days with 21 (Oct. 2 and 6) (PD). NW
counted 41 for the season at J.B.S.P.,
including 12 on Oct. 8, a "remarkable
comeback."
Anencore'aging
6S%-were
immature. We have no direct reports of the
restocking program, although one Pere-
grine at Hook Mt., was believedto be
trailing a wire and an immature chasing
pigeonsaround Wilmington, Del., office
buildings Sept. 6 (G. Inskip, fide WJW)
sounds like a hacked bird. In the main
these numbers would seem to indicate an
excellentarctic breedingseason.
b)aperMontclair
N.J.
Hawk Mr.
Pa.
Sharp-shinnedHawk
Cooper'sHawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-wingedHawk
Rough-legged
Hawk
GoldenEagle
Bald Eagle
N. Harrier
Osprey
PeregrineFalcon
Merlin
Am. Kestrel
Totals
Cape May
N.J.
767
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Goshawk
of the
employeesof a Philadelphiaflower shop
opened a shipmentof plants from Venezuela,via Florida. Somethingjumped out
of the box that was first thought to be a
rat, but provedon closerinspectionto be a
bird. Unfortunatelythe bird disappeared
after being placedin a box outside.From
descriptionsobtained by DAC, it seems
likelyto havebeena VirginiaRail, although
sometropical rail is not ruled out. Hummingbirdshavearrived in air shipmentsof
flowersalso.This is a not totallyimplausible explanationfor such recordsas last
winter'sPaint-billedCrake in Virginia (AB
Fig. 1: SomeRegionalHawk Watches
in PeregrineFalcons. Every hawk watch
had the best seasonin recent years, and
islands
world. Another possible means of rail
accidental e. to Minnesota, is uncommon
throughout its range, and is a short-distance
The best news of the season was a surge
We received three
reports of Sandhill Cranes,more than usual
Tobay, L.I., Sept. 9 (A. Dignan, AW),
B.N.W.R., Oct. 13 (B. Augustine,D. Abbott,
H. Dielstein); and T.N.E.C., Oct. 21 (K&CR,
JCM,ph. FH).
9
74
4
17
4284
4472
12,033
62
235
134
28
1220
137
386
4451
280
1875
1668
529
18,405
12,548
1058
11,175
4
15
5
5
1
4
35(18imm.)
19(10imm.)
209
273
11
17
141
481
14
14
293
572
18
62
48,447
5
16
13
1125
1307
230
1180
587
1202
607
19,815
14,039
26,308
31,628
78,057
We thank ST, ABi, AN, and PD for thesedata.
Volume34, Number2
145
piperat Exeter,Pa (WR), establishing
a first
fall record there
Baird's Sandpipersshowedtheir usualsite
fidelity, althoughno more than three or four
werefoundin eachplace:a favoriteball field
at J B.S.P., Sept. 8-24 (m.ob)., the Warren
Turf Farms and Stewart Airport in Orange
Co, N.Y., Sept. 15 - Oct. 4 (JT,BSg),
B H N.W.R., Sept. 14 (JMA), and a flooded
field near Smyrna, Del., Aug. 25 - Sept. 4
(K&CR,RW). The drawn-down East Pond at
J B W.R., was once again the Region's best
placefor CurlewSandpipers,with four Aug.
15 - Sept. 11 (D. Maynard, THD, D. Riepe,
PWP). Buff-breastedSandpiperswerelow,the
bestcountsbeing15at StewartAirport Oct. 4
(BSg)and up to six at Miller Field, Staten I.,
Sept 6-12 (RZet al.).
By far the bestshorebirdof the seasonwasa
Black-tailed Godwit, found by JCM and
observedrepeatedlyaroundT.N.E.C., and the
Philadelphia sewageponds Oct. 16-26 (F&
BH, K&CR, JHG, E. Kramer). Photographs
were unfortunatelyinconclusive,but the white
wing-linings"all the way to the body" were
carefully noted as well as the more extensive
at BraddockBay, N Y, on L Ontario tAB 33
174) and another in the Hackensack Marshes,
N.J., in fall 1973 •.J. Nature News XXIX:86).
Suchgroupscouldbe ofw. origin.The annual
fall RoyalTern build-upwasfar greaterthan
usual,perhapsas a result of David. On the
coldfront of Oct. 7, 207 passedT.I. (DW) and
5-600werein the CapeMay area (RK,PWSet
al.). An ad. SandwichTern feedingan immature frequentedthe Sagaponack-Mecox,
L.I.,
area Aug. 9 - Sept.7 (HMcG, JA, L. Johnson,
GSR),andan adultwasat CapeMay Aug. 19
- Sept. 16 (CS,JDo,JKM,JDD),possiblypostbreedingwanderersfrom the increasingmidAtlantic nestingpopulation.The first successfulMaryland nestingrecord dates from
1974(Raven48:59-65).TwentyCaspianTerns
at Avalon,N.J., Sept. 11 (DW) and 22 at DelawareCity Sept. 23 (JKM, H. Goldstein)were
goodcounts.
Two precocious Dovekies Oct. 10 at
R.M.S.P., L.I. (PAB) promiseda good Alcid
flight that never materialized. Two Black
Guillemotsin winter plumagewere at Montauk Pt., L.I., Nov. 30 (DE) and one the next
day(M.Cashman).
white wing stripe.This constitutesa second
regional record (the first was at B.N.W.R. in
1970). More southerlyin its European distribution, this speciesis a far rarer vagrant
here than the Bar-tailed Godwit, althoughit
breeds
in
Iceland.
Our
Bar-tailed
Godwit
DOVES
TO
HUMMINGBIRDS
--
A
Ground Dove near PickeringBeach Oct. 31
(ph. K. Bass)representedthe first Delaware
record.There havebeenfour in Maryland tAB
32:191), three in New Jersey(Fables 1955: 42;
vagrantsmay in fact comefrom Alaska. It was
the poorestfall in many yearsfor Ruffs. Aside
from two Sept. 9 near Smyrna, Del. (BH et
coastalrecord.The cuckoopopulationwas
al ), only one other wasreported,a Reeveat
Dutch Neck, Monmouth Co., N.J., Sept. 30
Island Beach, N.J., MED banded 11 (seven
Yellow-billed, four Black-billed) where she
(PWS et al.).
had neverbandedmorethan oneper season.
Evidenceof breedingLong-earedOwl, even
American
Avocets
built
to
155
at
Leck 1975: 177), and a recent Massachusetts
even more massive this fall
than
ever. At
The bestreportscamefromthe w ridges,such
as a flock of 75-100 in the Poconos near
Skytop,Pa., Sept. 26-28 (Mrs. R. Malkowsky,
fide ST), and from areaswith nest-boxprograms.In DutchessCounty, N.Y., whereone
pair bred in 1962,235 youngwerefledgedin
57 boxesin 1979(F.Germond).After two very
goodN. Shrikefalls, onlyonewasreported.
Nov. 6, DutchessCounty, N.Y. (HM). Some
observersconsiderLoggerheadShrike a vanishingspecies
in thisRegion.
Amongmanylate warblersin the warm fall,
the early-departing
Vermivoradeserve
special
mention:a Worm-eatingWarbler Nov. 22 at
HarrimanS.P.,RocklandCo., N.Y. (R. Speiset),a recordlateGolden-winged
Warblernetted
Oct. 13 at Manorville, L.I. (GSR) and another
Oct. 6 at Higbee'sBeach, Cape May (PB,
WWa), and a Blue-wingedWarbler netted
Oct. 13 at Island Beach, N.J. (MED). Two d
Lawrence's
Warblerreportswerenoteworthy
Aug. 28 at PeaceValley Park, Pa. (A&JM),
andWilmington,Del., Sept.10 (D. M. Nileset
al.). An unusuallyhigh count of Orangecrowned Warblers was five Oct. 27 at Mon-
tauk Pt., L.I. (JA) and up to 20 otherswere
reportedin the Region(RK,A&JM,RJB,JHG,
PD). NB reportedthe largestYellow-rumped
(Myrtle)Warblerflight everat Alpine,N.J
976perten hours,comparedwitha long-term
averageof 175.The cold front of Oct. 14 inun-
datedthe Regionwiththem.At Alpine,2247
passedin 3 hours,and 4000 wereat Higbee's
Beach,CapeMay, the sameday (JKM). Three
KentuckyWarblers on Long Island Aug. 28 Sept.1 (THD,JDiC,LB)and onetrappedin a
garagein ManapalanTwp., N.J., Sept.18 (JP)
wereexceptional
fall records,perhapsa reflection of increasedbreedingin the n. of this
B H N.W.R., Aug. 27 (JMA), the best recent
count. Although none straggled up the Delaware R. Valley this fall, one at Croton Pt.,
indirect,is rare enoughto warrant mentioning
the adult and youngAug. 19 at Tunkhannock,
Region.A Yellow-breastedChat came aboard
n.e. Pa. (WR). On the heels of David, 1540
Westchester
Co.,N.Y., Aug.25 (BW) provided
Corn. Nighthawks streamed s.w. along the
coast at Rye, Westchester Co., N.Y., "in
very late and unusualHoodedWarbler wasat
OceanCity, N.J., Oct. 2 (RMa).
a first countyrecord, and one at Pine L., near
Wayne, PassaicCo., N.J., very late Nov. 11
was the first so far inland in non-tidal
New
Jersey(fide IB). Two remainedto a recordlate
date of Nov. 28 at Tobay Pond, L.I. (GSR).
FourWilson'sPhalaropes
at partly-drainedL.
Tappan, RocklandCo., N.Y., produceda first
county record (RFD) and an illustration, in
companywith about 200 shorebirds,of the
rich habitat provided wherever ponds are
drawndownduringshorebirdmigration.
GULLS, TERNS, ALCIDS -- LesserBlack-
backedGulls are clearlyincreasing.Two on
LongIsland(HMcG,BJS),onenearMargate,
N J, Sept. 19 (JDD) and one near Smyrna,
Del, Sept. 9 gi'deAH) are not abnormal,but
three together at JohnsonPark, Highland
almostan hour" Sept. 7 (TWB,S.Stappers).
Few of thesebirdscrossLong Island Sound;
THROUGH
SPARROWS
S.P., L.I., Oct. 10-11 (PAB) and three at
Sept. 1 (RC). At Alpine,N.J., Ruby-throated
Hummingbirds"have declinedfrom an averageof 12-15per ten hours(1968-72)to 4-6 per
ten hours(1977-78)to onlyeightfor [the]entire
feedersin coastalNew Jersey(E. Zobel, H
Amory,fide PWS)wereslightlybelownormal
seasonin 1979" (NB).
FLYCATCHERS
for thisnowregularvagrantwhosebreeding
area expandssteadilyE. A SummerTanager
Oct. 6 at Rockaway,
N.Y.C. (JY)wasexceptional,mostbirds in this RegionbeingnonTHROUGH
NUT-
HATCHES -- Five W. Kingbirdson Long
breeders
that departearly.
Ed Marshall banded 910 House Finches in
Island (fide THD) and 5-10 in coastalNew
Ardmore,Pa., during 1979 (307 in August)
Jersey
werenotunusual,althoughoneof those
His best previoustotal had been 365 in 1975
wasan unexpectedshipboardvisitor90 mi off
the New JerseycoastSept. 19 (RHe). Inland
(fideDAC). Nine BlueGrosbeaks
on Long
recordsreachedalmostinvasionproportions
Aug. 31 at CapeHenlopen,Del. (WWF) continuethe highnumbersof spring.OneNov.28
with six individuals Oct. 6 - Nov. 20: one in
Orange County,N.Y. (D. Murphy, m.ob.),
able,as wasOneinlandfor the secondyear at
Penn Manor, Bucks Co., Pa. (R.Mellon et al.).
The California Gull that settled in at
three in Pennsylvania(FM,SS,JC,JHG), and
two in interior New Jersey(fide RJB,TT). A
Say's Phoebe was carefully described at
RocklandCounty P., N.Y., Oct. 3 (BW) was
presumedto be the same bird that made his-
Media, Pa., Nov. 24 (KCR), for about the sixth
state record. ACom. Raven at Dallas, Pa.,
tory last fall. An ad. Franklin'sGull at Cape
May Aug. 5-26(RWR,CS,KS)provideda first
recmdthere and secondtbr New Jersey.An
foundon pelagictripsoff NewJerseyOct. 14,
Nov. 10 (WR) wasin the sameplaceas last
year'sfirst fall record,possibly
a harbingerof
the anticipated take-off of ravens in this
Regionto matchthat in the s. Appalachians.
Red-breasted
Nuthatcheswerevirturallynon-
20 & 27 tN.J.Aud.Soc.,AB,JDD).
existent.
The unprecedented
gatheringof up to 46
Forster's Terns in the Hudson R., between
Cornwall Bay and Piermont Oct. 23 - Nov. 2
Eastern Bluebirdswere nearly absentfrom
(RFD) recalled a similar concentration last fall
some areas, and locally abundant in others.
146
BLACKBIRDS
-- One9 Yellow-headed
Blackbirdat Captree
the maximum Long Island count was 40 on
Paik, N.J., Oct. 13 (RJB,m.ob.) were rentark-
unprecedented three Sabine's Gulls were
a boat at HudsonCanyonSept. 19 (RHe). A
BLUEBIRDS, SHRIKES, WARBLERS --
Island Sept. 30 - Nov. 18 (THD) and 11 on
at Croton Pt., WestchesterCo., N.Y. (BW) was
remarkably late. A Eur. Goldfinch of uncer-
tain provenantefrequentedtwo feedersat
Medford,N.J., throughthe period(ph.fide
DAC). Winter finches were all but nonexis-
tent, exceptfor one flock of Red Crossbillson
StatenI., Sept.15 (R.Clermont).
Ten Vesper
Sparrowsat Miller Place,L.I., Oct. 11 (DL),
five at Garvie'sPt., L.I., Oct. 20 (RC,BJS)and
overtwo dozenin coastalNewJerseyOct. 2 -
Nov.23 (fidePWS)wereencouraging
reports
of this declining
species.
TwentyLark Sparrows,all coastal,Aug. 26 - Nov. 16, and six
Clay-colored
Sparrowswerewellabovenormal
for the Region.An ad. Harris' Sparrow
reportedfrom CapeMay Aug. 26 (RWR) fell
American
Birds,
March
1980
far outsidethe usuallate arrival pattern of this
Joe DiCostanzo. Mary E. Doscher, Aline
w. vagrant.
Dove, James Dowdell (JDo), Peter Dunne,
CORRIGENDUM
--
The
Scissor-tailed
Flycatchersreported as two individuals on
LongIslandin Oct. 1978(AB 33:162)referto
a singleindividualat SpringCreek.
OBSERVERS-- (sub-regional
compilersin
boldface) J. M. Abbott, Jim Ash. C. U. Atkinson, Pete Bacinski. Maurice V. Barnhi!l, Seth
Benz.LouisBevier.AndrewBihun (ABi). Irving
Black, Raymond J. B!ieharz, Ned Boyajian.
William I. Boyle,Alan Brady.Howard P. Brokaw, P. A. Buckley. Joseph Burgiel. T. W.
Burke, JohnCadwallader,Ted Chase,Ralph
Cioft].
John D.
Danzenbaker,
Thomas
H.
Davis, Robert F. Deed, StephenB. Dempsey.
MIDDLE
ATLANTIC
COAST
REGION
/F. R. Scott
This seasonhad something for everyone.
After a cool summer. fall temperatures
averagednear normal in August and September. were cool in October. and were well above
normal in November. Precipitation although
varying from station to station. was mostly
well abovenormal.particularlyin September,
and streams and impoundmentsstayed full
mosl of the period. The weather highlight of
the season was hurricane David, whose rem-
nants passednorthward and northeastward
overthe centralpart of the RegionSeptember
S and 6. accompaniedby heavy rainfall and
dropping a considerablearray of pelagic
birds. mostlySootyTerns. in its wake.
The fall movementseemedto begin early.
urgedon by an unusualcoolspellthat lasteda
week and was started by a strong cold front
August II. An exceptional warbler flight
occurredSeptember8 and 9 overmuch of the
Region,andtherewereseveralgoodflightsthe
last two weeks
of October
and
an unusual
inland waterbird flight November 12. Aside
from these. however.the last part of the
migration seemeddraggedout, and there was
everyindicationthat therewouldbe manylate
JohnEbner. Dianne Engleke, Michael Fahay,
Peter Fahey, Fran File, George A. Franchois,
William W. Frech. John H. Ginaven. Jeff Gordon (JGo), Jesse Grantham (JGr). Barbara
Richard Ryan (RRy), Keith Seager.Beezer
Seguin(BSg). R. M. Schutsky,P. William
Smith, SteveSmith, BarbaraJ. Spencer,Clay
and Pat Sutton. Edward C. Swab, Martha and
and Frank Haas. Greg Hanisek, Dorothy
Paul Taylor. Fred Tetlow (FTe), Stiles
Thomas. Fred Tilly, Theed Tobish. John
Tramontano, Ed Treacy, Wade Wander
Hartman.
(WWa). David Ward. Neil Ward, Ralph T.
Richard
Heil
(RHe).
Armas
Hill.
Richard Kane. Jim and Mary Key. David Lar-
Waterman
sen. A. J. Lauro. S. R. Lawrence, Helen Man-
Wayne.BernaWeissman.GeorgeWenzelburger. Rick Wiltraut. Eric Witruer. Floyd P.
Wolfarth. AI Wollin. John Yrizarry. Richard
ZainEldeen. Symbols:t = detailed descriptions submitted; ph. = photograph. -ROBERT O. PAXTON, 560 RiversideDrive,
son. Robert Mauer
(RMa).
Ken and Joan
McDermott. Hugh McGuinness.J. T. McNeill,
Fred Meats. James K. Merltt, Mianus Field
Notes(M.F.N.). J. C. Miller, Augustand Judy
Mirabella. Bernard L. Morris, Alex Nagy.
Alfred Nicholson(ANi). J. Peachey.Eleanor
Pink. Peter W. Post. Don Powers. Richard
Radis (RRa). Gilbert S. Raynor, William
Reid, Charlotte Richards, Roberl W. Russell.
were two probable Sooty Shearwatersinland
at L. Anna Sept. S OBB) and an ad. Magnlfieent Frigatebird photographedon the James
R.. near Williamsburg. Va.. Sept. 6 (TEA,
MAB&RAB). Although there are a very few
summer records (including Augus0 of Sooty
Shearwaterin Virginia. this is the first probable fall report and would be the only state
recordw. of ChesapeakeBay.
cruises offshore continued
into
the fall with overwhelmingresults. The
most spectacularday was Sept. 26 when a
feeding concentrationof 1335 Cory's and
1545
Audubon's
shearwaters
W. J.
Apt. 12K, New York, N.Y. 10027, KEITH C.
RICHARDS, 348 Summit Road, Media, Pa.,
19063, and DAVID A. CUTLER, 1110 Rock
Creek Drive, Wyncote,Pa. 19095.
HERONS
THROUGH
IBISES
--
Fall con-
centrationsof heronsalongthe coastwerenot
notable, bul there were some good reports
from ChesapeakeBay and farther inland. Cattle Egrets returned to the Hopewell.Va., area
with >100 noted there in late August and
September(PM&JWD). but there was still no
nesting evidencehere. At Deal I., and Fairmount W.M.A.,
Md..
Armistead
totaled S8
Green Herons and 60 LouisianaHerons Aug.
S.A.
Rowlett's
Bird Club (R.T.W.B.C.),
was found
alongthe edgeof the ContinentalShelf6S
mie. of Virginia Beach,Va. Other concentrationsof Audubon'sincluded565 approx.
13S mi e. of the Virginia Capes Sept. II.
and 225 in one flock 12S mi e.-s.e. of Chin-
coteagueOct. 14. In this samearea off the
Capes. Rowlett and Burrell observed a
Black-capped Petrel and a White-faced
Storm-Petrel Aug. 30, the latter a first
Virginia sightrecord. Rowlettrecordedthe
last Wilson'sStorm-Petrels
off Cape Henry
Oct. 20, a record late date. Details of these
cruises, which extended from Delaware s.
to Florida and e. to the SargassoSea. will
be publishedseparately.
4 and 40 Louisiana Herons Oct. 3. and Reese
had 30 SnowyEgretsstill on nestsat Poplar l.,
Md.. Aug. 16. There were three Louisianas
near BaltimoreAug. S (PJK),oneremainingto
Aug. 18 (EATB), and one was observedat
S.P.S.P.,Aug. 16(HLW). Near Hopewellthere
were two LouisianasAug. 19 and 77 Great
EgretsAug. 26 0WD&FRS), and Rowlettestimated 200-300 Yellow-crownedNight Herons
at Smith !., Md.. Aug. 14-1S.One to two imm.
Wood Storks were present near Montross.
Va., Aug. 2-13 (JEJ.JMA eta/.), and a few
Glossy Ibises were noted inland. mostly in
August. near Hopewell. at S.P.S.P., and
Baltimore. The only White Ibises reported
wereoneimmatureat Mockhornl., Va.. Aug.
22 (MAB&DD)
and four iramatures at Fisher-
man l.. Va.. Sept. I (MAB et al.). Apparently
the sameWhlte-faeed Ibis previouslyreported
at ChincoteagueRef.. in July was seenagain
thereAug. 2 (RLAn&NS).
holdoversinto early winter.
LOONS
THROUGH
FRIGATEBIRDS
--
Three Cora. Loons in breedingplumage at L.
Anna, Louisa Co., Va., Aug. 19 (BWK&
TDW) seemedto have been early migrants,as
incredibleas that may seemat that date. This
specieswasa major constituentof the Nov. 12
flight with >100 seen(HLW) at SandyPoint
S.P..Md. (hereafter.S.P.S.P.)and an amazing
500 estimatedat L. Anna (LR&MA). by far a
record Piedmont count for Virginia. These
last birdsdid not remain long as only 28 could
be found there Nov. 18 (SC). Anderson observed
two Red-throated Loons at Chincoteague
N.W.R., Va., Aug. 2 which were probably
summering birds. A Red-necked Grebe at
Baltimore Nov. 22+ (EATB) was the only fall
report,and therewerean estimated
400 Horned
Grebes there in the harbor Nov. 12 (EATB&
JB). An Fared Grebe was photographedat
Chincoteauge
Reft, Oct. 6 (RM), and 44 Piedbilled Grebes at Deal Island W.M.A.,
Md..
Aug. 4 (HTA) were probably local breeders
and young. Among the pelagicsleft byDavid
Volume34,Number2
The sagaof the White Pelican,firstreported
WATERFOWL -- WhistlingSwanswerea
in Virginia in October 1978, continued
throughoutthe fall, but nowthere is obviously
major constituentof the big waterbird flight of
Nov. 12. especiallyin the Washington and
Vß
"•/'"••
more
than
one
bird
_movnear
Metomkin
1.,seen
Va.,
ing
around.
One
was
Sept.
3 (BT),andupto
'
fourwere
present
atChincoteagueReft, Sept. 21 -
,
Oct.
10
(NCM,BWK.EV
et al.).
At
Back Bay
N.W.R..
Va..
one
appeared
same
area
where
one
winOMW,TRWet
al.,
in
the
teredin1978-e9'The
re•
viously
reported
Pelican at
L. AnnaBrown
was
present
atleast
toSept.
3
(NL).anda goodphoto-
graph
of
the
bird
taken
Aug.19
(JJM&WLP)
appeared in the Louisa Cen-
tralVirginian
forAug.30.
•
•"•=•,•
•"•
..•
'
147
Baltimore areas and at S P S P, but numbers
seemed below normal over much of their win-
ter rangeat the end of the month.The first
CanadaGooseflightswerequite early, and a
"largeflock" wasnotedflyingSE overFairfax
County,Va., as early as Sept. 3 (GM). A
Fulvous Whistling Duck was reported near
Chestertown, Md., Oct. 18 (JSm), and at
Eastern Neck Island N.W.R., Md., Ringler
and 20_+ others were startled to discover a
flock of 35 of these birds. A flock of 500 Pin-
tails near HopewellSept. 30 (FRS) was a
remarkable number for this date, and there
were numerousAugustsightingsof Greenwinged Teals, includingfive at Blackwater
N W R., Md., Aug. 3 (HTA). Early BluewingedTeal includedtwo at S.P.S.P.,Aug. 6
(HLW) and ten at CraneyI., Portsmouth,Va.,
Aug 10 (GMW), and a Eur. Wigcon was
except for a count of 53 Red-talledsat St
reported,the most interestingbeing inland,
Michaels, Md., Nov. 22 (JR) and an lmm.
SwalnsoWsHawk trapped and banded (and
two at S.P.S.P., Sept. 24 (HLW) and one at
photographed)
at FishermanI., Oct. 20 (MAB
only Ruff was a singlebird at AnacostiaSept
23 (DFA). There were two Sanderlingsfar
inland at L. Anna Sept. 8 (TDW).
The Craney I. populationof Am. Avocets
&DD), the last the first confirmed record for
Virginia. Golden Eagleswere reportedtwice,
one near Towson,Md., Sept. 29 (JLS) and an
immature at Kiptopeke Beach, Va., Oct. 7
(BW,WCF et al.). In King George County,
Va., Byrd notedan ad. Bald Eaglethat began
nestbuildingaboutNov. 15; the nestappeared
essentiallycompletedby Dec. 8. Armistead's
peak count of this speciesin s. Dorchester
County,Md., wasnine adultsand five immalures Oct. 3. Unusual inland Osprey concentrations included seven at L. Anna Sept. 14
(JBB)and 15 at Ni Res., SpotsylvaniaCo., Va.,
Sept. 23 (SC).
Merlins also seem to be continuing their
Baltimore Oct. 20-22 (EATB et al.), and the
slowlybuilt up overthe fall to a peak of 600
Nov. 27 (TRW), but at Chincoteagueno more
than threewereseenon any oneday.Notable,
however,wasthat the specieswasalsoseenin
six otherlocalities,includingone photographed
on the Piedmontat L. Anna Aug. 14 (WW&
FM), four in SurryCounty,Va., Aug. 19(LR&
MA), three in Baltimore Aug. 19 (RFR&DH),
oneremainingto Aug. 25, and anotherin Baltimore Oct. 20-22 (EATB
et al.). Two Black-
necked Stilts were seen at Deal I., Aug. 4
(HTA) and one at Piney Run Park, Md., Sept
reportedat BlackwaterRef., Sept. 19 (fide
increaseof recent years, inland as well as
7 (DS), the last apparentlya first regional
HTA) In general,divingduckswerereported
alongthe coast.Usingthesamecriteriahe used
for the Peregrine,Ward feelsthe specieshas
BlackRail wasstill respondingto tape recordings at S.P.S.P., Sept. 16 (HLW), and Armi-
recordfor the Piedmont. A Red Phalaropeoff
Virginia Beach Oct. 17 (RAR) providedthe
only report of this species. There were,
however,numerous Wilson's and N. phalaropesnear the coast, althoughthe numbers
were not impressive.Inland N. Phalaropes
included one at Anacostia Sept. 6 (DFA&
JMA) and one at Chestertown,Md., Sept. 11
stead counted 21 Corn. Gallinules
(FLP).
m verypoornumbers,andmostof thosethat
camein early movedon by the end of the
period. Of most interestwere small numbers
of Redheadsthat appearedin a numberof
inland areas in November. At L. Anna two
Oldsquaws
appeared
firstOct,26•ide BWK),
and a remarkable 45 were countedin nearby
Beaverdam Res., Louisa Co., Nov. 25 (JBB), a
recordcountfor Virginia's Piedmont.
increased77% in the last 10 years at AssateagueI.
RAILS
THROUGH
PHALAROPES
--
A
at Deal I.,
Md., Aug. 4. The gallinule count was much
lower than those here in the early 1970s but
HAWKS -- Apparentlyincreasinghawk
numberstogetherwith more interestin these
birds by field observersresulted in more
observations
beingreportedthan everbefore.
still indicated a fairly viable population.
Single very early or summering Am. Coots
were seen near Williamsburg Aug. 14 (BW)
and at L. Anna Aug. 23 (SC), and the peak L.
SingleGoshawks
wereseennear To•son,
Anna count was a record 1418 Nov. 18 (SC).
Md, Oct. 14 (JLS&SS)and in Baltimore Nov.
17 (MR), and the Sharp-shinnedHawk migration was one of the best on record,with peaks
at K•ptopekeBeach, Va.. of 2000 Sept. 27
(WPS) and 1967 Sept. 29 (BW). Cooper's
Hawks were also in unusual numbers as com-
pared to recentyears,and at FishermanI.,
Byrd and Davis noted 115 Oct. 20 and 200
Oct 21. Buteo numbers were not outstanding
The migration of Peregrine Falcons
alongthe coastwasundoubtedlythe best
documentedin historywith bandingstationsor observers
operatingfor extended
periodson Assateague
I., Md. and Va.,
ParramoreI., Va., KiptopekeBeach,FishermanI., Chesapeake
Light Tower(14 mi
e of CapeHem•), andthe BackBay, Va..
area.Preliminarytotalsindicatedthat 196
new birds were banded (plus sevenpreviouslybandedbirdscaptured)and approximately 1000 separateobservations
were
made (FPW,MAP,TN et al.). The observa-
tions, of course,included some multiple
sightingsof thesamebirds,sothisfigureis
more a measureof effort expendedthan a
measureof populationsize.Over half of
the bandingsand observations
weremade
on AssateagueI., where Ward has now
completedhistenthyearof fall Peregrine
research.Comparinghis observationsper
100 man-hoursduring the last five years
with thoseof the first five, Ward feelsthat
the Peregrinehas increased148% in this
period.A Peregrineappearedin downtown
Oct. 5 for the fourth
consecutive
year (RLAn), and birdswerealsoreported
m downtown Baltimore and Newport
News, Va.
mediocre
concentrations
this fall.
American
Oystercatchersappeared in excellent numbers,however,in Hog I. Bay,Va., possibly
using
the oyster"rocks" there asa stagingarea, and
Hennesseyand Truitt estimateda peak of
1000 Oct. 4. Wierengafound a Piping Plover
at Ft. Smallwood Park, Md. (near Baltimore),
Oct. 25, and Am. Golden Ploverswere widely
S.A.
Norfolk
Becauseof high water levelsmany of the
traditional shorebird localities had only
reportedbut in smallernumbersthan in some
recent years. A late individual was seen at
ChincoteagueNov. 25 (DFA&HB). Amongthe
shorebirds found inland at Anacostia, D.C.,
was a Ruddy TurnstoneAug. 12 (JMA). A
Corn. Snipe at DealT, Aug. 4 (HTA) and a
Purple Sandpiperalongthe ChesapeakeBay
Bridge-Tunnel.Va. (hereafter,C.B.B.T.) Sept.
20 (JOP&EPP)were quite early, and Baird's
Sandpiperswere reportedfrom eight localities, includingfour at Anacostia,D.C., Sept.
6 (DFA&JMA),five at CraneyI., Va., Sept.20
(RLAn,DLH&NS), and a very late one at
S.P.S.P., Nov. 9-10 (HLW). A most obliging
Curlew Sandpiperfound by the Pullmansat
ChincoteagueRef., Sept. 22 was studied at
leisurethe next day by 100+ observers(DLH,
FRS e! al.). Single Long-billed Dowitchers
were found inland at Anacostia Sept. 23
(DFA), Baltimore Oct. 24 (HK), and Piney
Run Park, Carroll Co., Md., Nov. 10 (EATB).
Stilt Sandpiperswere also reported inland,
with one at Baltimore Aug. 25 (HK et al.), one
at AnacostiaSept.6 (DFA&JMA), and oneto
two off and on at S.P.S.P., July 28 - Oct. 1
(HLW). The best count of Buff-breasted Sand-
pipers this fall was only four at Craney I.,
Sept. 20-21 (TRW,RLAn,GMW et al.), and
MarbledGodwitswerereportedonlyat Chincoteaguewith a maximum of sevenSept. 8
(SC). There were few Hudsonian Godwits
148
JAEGERS
THROUGH
SKIMMERS
--
Thanks to Hurricane David, two jaegers of
uncertainspecieswere seen at S.P.S.P., Sept
6 (BA&HLW),
and a Parasitic Jaeger was
found there Oct. 5 (HLW).
Rowlett recorded
21 Pomarine and one Long-tailedJaeger off
Cape Henry Sept. 26. and an imm. Great
Black-backedGull was seenat L. Anna Sept
6 & 22 (JBB), obviouslybrought inland by
David. Two LesserBlack-backedsappeared
againon the C.B.B.T., Sept.24+ (RARet al ),
two were presentmost of the fall at Baltimore
harbor (WB et al.), and one was seen at Chin-
coteagueRef., Nov. 23 (DV&EV). The famous
gull concentration
at Alexandria,Va., produced
an apparent subad. California Gull and a
smallHerringGull with yellowlegs,apparently
oneof the Europeanraces.Both of thesewere
found Sept. 21 (JMA). An imm. Laughing
Gull at L. Anna Sept. 14-15 (JBB)furnished
the first state Piedmont recordfor the fall, and
several
Franldin's
Gulls
were
seen
In
Baltimore, an immature and a subadult Oct
14 (EATB,TE&RFR) and single adults Oct
20 and Nov. 18 (EATB). An apparentlysummering Bonaparte'sGull was noted at Baltimore Aug. 19 (DH&RFR), and twowereseen
in Washington Aug. 22 (DFA). An imm
Black-legged Kittiwake was observed at
S.P.S.P..Nov. 17 (HLW et al.), apparently
only
the second Maryland record away f¾omthe
coast, and another immature was noted at
OceanCity, Md., Nov. 24-25 (DFA). The only
offshoreconcentrationwas a flock of 71, 33 mi
e. of Cape Henry Nov. 24 (RLAk,RLAn&
DLH). An imm. Sahine's Gull about 40 mi e
of the Virginia CapesAug. 2 (RAR) provided
the fifth state sight record. Two Forster's
Terns were on the Potomac R., near Seneca,
Md., Sept. 3 (JBB),and at L. Anna therewere
two Sept. 6 and one.Sept. 14 (JBB).Common
Terns peaked at 375 at S.P.S.P., Sept. 14
(HEW).
David producedthe biggestfallout ever of
SootyTerns in the Region.Some32 different
birdswerereportedinland or alongthe coast,
27 in Virginia, onein Washington,andfour in
American Birds, March 1980
Maryland, and 18 of thesewere seenor picked
Blaek.throatedSparrowwas carefullydescribed
in w. Henrico County,Va., Oct. 21 (BR&EY),
and Weber found a Dark-eyed Juncoin Bal-
up aliveSept.5 or 6, whereasdeadbirdswere,
appearanceas well as later than the Eastern
hasbeen recordedin Maryland. D. F. Abbott
in at least one case, found into November.
had an unusual concentration
Piedmontrecordswerethree at L. Anna Sept.
5 and onethe next day (JBB),and Sept.6 one
waspickedup deadin w. HenricoCounty,Va.
(CRB),anotherwaspickedup alivenearLynchburg, Va. {fide RER) which later recovered
Peweesat Ft. Washington,Md., Sept.20. An
ad. HornedLark wasfeedingfledgedyoungat
Craney I., Aug. 20 (RLAn), and Roughwinged Swallowsput in their by-now-usual
late appearances,includingfour at S.P.S.P.,
Oct. 14 (WK) and oneat HooperI., Md., Oct.
BaltimoreAug. 14. A Clay.coloredSparrow
was banded at Kiptopeke Beach Oct 15
(DLM&SM), andthe first LaplandLongspurs
appearedat S.P.S.P., Nov. 16 (HLW) and at
21 (HTA). Stasz and others observed a Com.
CONTRIBUTORS -- D. F. Abbott, J M
Abbott, R. L. Ake (RLAk), R. L. Anderson
and was flown to Florida, one was found dead
near Amherst, Va. {fide EPE), and another
live bird was recoveredat OwingsMills, Md.
{f•de RFR) but later died. The other records
were mostlyon or near the coast,althoughD.
F Abbott photographedone at Anacostia,
D C., Sept. 6, and two were seenthe same day
at S.P.S.P. (BA&HLW).
One of the more
interestingreports was of three sitting in a
driveway at Nassawadox,Va., during the
night of Sept. 5; they had to be physically
removedto allow a truck to pass(RH)! Since
this fallout occurred in the middle of the week
and reportswerereceivedfrom onlyoneof the
many inland impoundments,the number of
unrecorded birds must have been incredible.
This full extent of this dislocationmay be better realized by Rowlett and Burrell's discovery
of a flock ofllO SootyTerns 135 mi e. of the
Virginia CapesSept. 11!
Two ad. Bridled Terns carefully examined
at L. AnnaSept.5-6 (JBB)constituted
the only
onshorereport, but off the Virginia Capes
RowlettrecordedsevenAug. 30, one Sept. 4,
and six Sept. 11. Although the inland record
was clearly a David product, the oft•hore
reports were apparently unrelated to this
storm. Two Royal Terns were found inland at
Loch Raven Res., Md., Aug. 26 (MR), and
theypeakedat 230 on Hooperand BarrenIs.,
Md, Sept.23 (HTA). At the ChesapeakeLight
Tower, Va., D. F. Abbott estimated 150 Sand-
wichTerns Sept.26 and 100the next day, the
former a record count for Virginia. David
apparently caused some concentrationsof
Caspian Terns, and peak counts Sept. 6
included 10+ at L. Anna (JBB), 100 at Alexandria (JMA), and 225+ in Baltimore harbor
(EATB et al.). Late Caspianswere seen at
of 31 E. Wood
Raven near Towson off-and-on Aug. 28 into
October,and at KiptopekeBeachthe peak
Blue Jay migration occurred Oct. 6, when
8000 were counted flying over (BW&FRS).
Absolutelyno Red-breastedNuthatcheswere
reported this fall, and many active observers
commentedon their total absence.An early
Swainson's Thrush was banded at S.P.S.P.,
Sept.1 (WK), and mostobservers
thoughtthat
both kingletsappearedin much better numbers this fall than last, although one active
observercomplainedthat he found only one
Golden-crownedthe whole period. A Yellowthroated Vireo at ChesapeakeLight Tower
Oct. 2 (DFA) was unusual for extreme s.e.
Virginia, and Parks noted a Solitary Vireo
near Chestertown, Md., on the unusual date of
WARBLERS
THROUGH
LONGSPURS
-- Many warblersbeganmovingS unusually
early,someevenbeforethe cold snapin midAugust. Single Blue-wingedWarblers were
noted at Charles City, Va., Aug. 11 (PM),
ChestertownAug. 13 (JG),and Lewisetta,Va.,
Aug. 16 (FRS), and a TennesseeWarbler was
also present at Lewisetta on the last date
(FRS). Among the other early arrivalswere a
CapeMay Warbler bandedat BaltimoreAug.
20 (JSc),a Bay-breasted
founddeadat Annapolis Aug. 20 (WK), two singing Mourning
Warblers at ChestertownAug. 8 (FLP), and
three Am. Redstartsat Bellevue,Md., Aug. $
(HTA). A Golden-wingedWarbler at Chesapeake, Va., Sept. 20 (GMW) was unusual
--
A
Ground Dove at Back Bay Ref., Oct. 15
(BBW) provided one of the few late fall records for the state, and a late Yellow-billed
Cuckoo was observedat Blackwater Re:[., Nov.
23 (ECS et al.). A record count of Com.
Nighthawkswas obtainedAug. 29 at Clifton,
Va, when10,000 wereestimatedpassingover
in two hours (JWE&CLE), and late Chimney
Swifts were recorded at McLean, Va., Oct. 20
(JBB) and Clifton Oct. 22 (JWE). Rubythroated Hummingbirds remained late in
many areas. Among the latest were one at
Newport News, Va., Nov. 1 (DLM), one at
Wheaton, Md., Nov. 23 {fide RFR), and one at
Norfolk, Va., into December (EM). A Yellow-
bellied Sapsuckerat Bellevue,Md., Sept. 8
(HTA) was early, and a roostingflock of 800
E Kingbirds at Kiptopeke Beach Sept. 2
(FRS) was impressive.J. M. Abbott found an
ad Acadian Flycatcher feeding a fledged
young at Dyke Marsh, Fairfax Co., Va., Aug.
13, and a wood peweeat S.P.S.P., Oct. 30 Nov. 2 (HLW) was suspiciouslyWestern in
Volume34, Number2
Mitchell, SydneyMitchell, Mrs. Emily Moore,
Paul Murphy,Tom Nichols,W. L. Parker,F L
Ringler, Larry Robinson,BetsyRoszell,R A
Rowlett, Joe Schreiber (JSc),Jim Smith (JSm),
W. P. Smith, Dick Soisson,J. L. Stasz, Nick
Strayos, Sherman Suter, E. C. Swab, Barry
Truitt, Dale VanDenburg,Era VanDenburg,
F. P. Ward, Glenda Weber, H. L. Wierenga,
Mrs. B. B. Williams, Bill Williams, G M
Williamson, William Willis, T. D. Wilson, T R
Wolfe, Peter Yaukey, Emily Young -- F. R.
SCOTT, 115 Kennondale Lane, Richmond,
Va. 23226.
SOUTHERN
ATLANTIC
COAST
REGION
/Harry E. LeGrand, Jr.
Not counting hurricane David, the thll of
concentrations
30. Late records included
VIREOS
Wayne Klockner,P. J. Knight, NelsonLewis,
J. J. Mason, Frank Massie, Richard Mellon,
George Menefee, N. C. Middleton, Mrs. D L
1979providedsomeof the mostexcitingbuding of the decadein the Region.When one
unusual
THROUGH
Hennessey,
David Holmes,D. L. Hughes,J E
Johnson, Hank Kaestner, B. W. Keelan,
apparently a late record for Maryland. Some
Washington, Md., included 50 Magnolias
Sept. 19 and 65 N. ParulasSept.20 (DFA). J.
M. Abbott carefullyobserveda bird thought
to be a Kirtland'sWarbler at AnacostiaSept.
DOVES
lard, E. P. Edwards, C. L. Eike, J. W. Elke,
Ted Eubanks, W. C. Foster, Jim Gruber, Rod
there, and one at Laurel Oct. 8 (DBk) was
S P S.P., Nov. 26 (HLW).
occurredwell up ChesapeakeBay again with
threeimmaturesat S.P.S.P., Aug. 8-13 (HLW)
and an adult nearBaltimoreAug. 25 (HK).
(RLAn), Mary Arginteanu,H. T. Armistead,
T. E. Armour,BobAugustine,
JohnBarber,J B
Bazuin,Jr., R. A. Beck, Warren Bielenberg,
Henry Bielstein, C. R. Blem, E. A. T. Blom,
Dan Boone(DBe), Galen Burrell, M. A. Byrd,
Danny Bystrak(DBk), Sam Cooper,J. H. Dalmas,Thelma Dalmas, Doug Davis,J. W. Dil-
Parks, E. P. Pullman, J. O. Pullman, Jan
Reese, Mike Resch, Mrs. R. E. Ricketts, R F
Aug. 7.
Back Bay Ref., Nov. 23 (two -- TRW) and
Black Skimmers
Carroll I., Md., Nov. 18 (EATB).
of warblers
at
Ft.
a Yellow-throated
Warbler in SpotsylvaniaCounty,Va., Sept. 26
(SC), Blackpollsbanded at S.P.S.P., Nov. 4
(WK&HLW) and Newport News Nov. 19
(DLM), and an Ovenbird at Laurel, Md., Nov.
17 (DBk). A Bobolink at Blackwater Ref.,
adds the hurricane bird records to the rest of
therecords,it wasprobablythe bestseason
of
all time! The fall had basicallynormal temperatures(with a warmspellin late NovembeO
and abovenormal rainfall, with many lakes
and ponds being disappointinglyfull. Thele
were six major features of the season:1. hmricane David provided an abundance of
Nov. 25 (DBe) was extraordinarily late.
notablerecordsfor the Carolinas;2. strong
cold fi'ontsfrom late Septemberto mid-October created excellentlandbirding along the
Northernfinches,as onecontributorput it,
"stayed that way." Evening Grosbeaksand
Purple Finches were late and in very poor
coast: 3. PeregrineFalcons stageda remarkablyheavymigrationalongthe coast:4. wlnte•
fincheshad their secondconsecutive
year of
numbers, and few observersreported any Pine
Siskinsat all. The only crossbillreport was a
low numbers; 5. Red-breasted Nuthatches
were practically nonexistent for the first time
in memory; and 6. Jordan "Reservoir", south
of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, became the
singleRed in SpotsylvaniaCounty,Va., Sept.
27 (SC). Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were in
usually good numbers in c. Virginia; peak
counts reported included 14 at Richmond
Sept. 27 (FRS) and 15+ at Dyke Marsh Sept.
29 (JMA). A BlueGrosbeakwasstill singingat
BellevueSept. 8-9 (HTA), and Barber found
one on Carroll I., near Baltimore on the
unusualdate of Nov. 23. Lark Sparrowswere
reported at Craney I., Sept. 13 (TRW),
C.B.B.T., Sept. 23-24 (JHD,TD et al.),
Charlottesville, Va., Oct. 11 (PY), and Chin-
coteague Ref., Oct. 11 (DV&EV). An ad.
premierinlandbirdingspotin theRegion
HURRICANE
DAVID
--
This
hurricane
wasthe mostdevastatingoneto hit the Region
in the past decade.It movedNNE on a nearly
straight path from coastal Georgia to the
vicinity of Sumter, S.C., to the Greensboro,
N.C., area, and then into Virginia. The storm
enteredGeorgia near daybreak Sept. 4, and
during the morning of Sept. 5 it passed
throughthc Carolinas.The counterclockwise
149
Sabine's
Gull:
an unver-
ified report of a singlebird
near Long Beach, N.C..
Sept. 4 or S; if confirmed.
this will representthe third
state record.
Forster's
Tern:
small numbers(5-8) reported
from
three
inland
sites.
Common Tern: individuals
reported from three inland
lakes,with a peakof 40 near
Fayetteville, N.C., Sept. S,
beingexcellent(PJC).Bridled
Tern: literally common
alongthe extremes. coastof
North
Carolina
with
120+
seenby Parnell at Wrightsville Beach Sept. 5, and
smaller numbers seen by
others in this area and n. to
flow of air around the storm meant strong
winds from the e., generally 40-75 mph at
coastal localities. Thus. conditions were excel-
Ft. Macon Sept.5-6; however,onlya fewwere
reported from coastal South Carolina and
Georgia.Theserecordsare remarkablein that
(BB). Georgia'ssecondrecord of the Eared
Grebe was truly phenomenal.One was discoveredby Pageton a pondnear Pendergrass,
JacksonCo., Sept. 25; however.a Regional
high was establishedwhen s/x were present
Sept. 29 (m.t/a.. ph.). One was still present
Oct. 4 •i'de TM). Most of the pelagic trips
taken off North Carolina this fall were unevent-
ful, and the only shearwatersseenon a trip off
Jekyll 1., Ga., Sept. 2 were four Cory's(TM et
aLL Lee has several late records for shear-
waters off Oregon Inlet. N.C.: 12+ Cory's
Nov. 29. a Greater and 39 Audubon's Nov. 9.
Another Greater was seen from shore at Bodie
I., N.C., Oct. 6 (BL). Black-cappedPetrelsand
sightingscontinueto increasein North Carolina waters as counts of five or more are no
longerunusual.and the species
is nowreported
on nearlyS0% of all trips in the fall. Birders
on trips out of HatterasInlet foundeightAug.
19 and sevenSept. 2 (MT et al.). and Lee saw
19 on a handfulof fall trips out of Oregonand
Hatteras
inlets.
Several W•fison's Storm-Petrels
week, a number of birders cut classes. took a
therewerepracticallyno previousreportsof
livebirdsseenalongthe coastof the Region!
SootyTern: as with Bridleds,numbersalong
the coastwereunprecedented,
far too many
day off from work. or drove far out of their
coastalreportsto mention;in addition,several
individual reportedin the hurricanesection.
onewasseenat MoreheadCity in mid-August
wayto take advantageof the unusualweather
were found inland. An adult and an immature
(fide JF), four were observedin flight at
conditions.
were seen near ClemsonSept. 5 (HL), and a
In summary,the major speciesinvolvedin
displacementswere the three subtropical
terns;Sooty,Bridled,and Noddy(BrownNoddy),
with a scattering of reports of other subtropicalspeciesthat are normallyrare visitors
to the coast.In addition. severalspecieswere
deadbird wasfoundon theGeorgiasideof L.
Hartwell {fide SM}. Anotherwas picked up
aliveat Chester,S..C., Sept.6 {rideJEC), and
the only inland report from North Carolina
wasonefounddeadat the AlligatorR. bridge
in w. Dare County(DL). Along the coastthe
Oregon Inlet Sept. 19 (MS.JOP.EP). and two
groupsof four birds eachwereseenmigrating
WNW in coastalCarteret County Oct. 23 (FM
et al.). Singleimm. Great Cormorantsat Huntington Beach S.P., S.C., Oct. 29 - Nov. 3 (SA.
recorded inland
highercountswere 90+ in the Ft. Macon area
JC) were good finds. Out-of-rangewere two
Anhingasat an impoundmentin n.e. Pamlico
Sept.5 (JF),80+ at WrightsvilleBeachSept.5
0EP et aL), and 100 restingon rocksat Ft.
County.N.C.. Oct. 4 (PJCet al.). and quite
lent for bringingsubtropicaland pelagicspeciesto the coast. and taking coastalspecies
inland. Althoughthe hurricanestruckin mid-
in the Carolinas
for the first
time. The bestbird activitywasreportedfrom
the s. half of the North Carolina coast. with
only a few excitingfinds from the SouthCarolina coast, and practically nothing from
coastal Georgia. lnland. Georgia observers
came away empty-handed, but several noteworthyfinds werereportedfrom inland lakes
in theCarolinas.Whetherthesereportedpalterns of bird activity were representativeis
unknown, owing to spotty coverageand very
fewbirdersreportingregularlyfrom the Georgia coast.
The followingis a brief overviewof the highlightsof the hurricane,on a species-by-species
basis.Audubon's Shearwater:one seenflying
overthe surf at SullivansI., S.C., Sept.5 (PN)
wasthe only shearwaterreportedfrom shore
during the storm.Wilson'sStorm-Petrel:one
carefullystudiedskimmingoverthe surfaceof
L. Hartwell at Clemson,S.C., Sept.5 (SG,PH,
HL) providedthe first inland record for the
Region.Anotherwasseenon the soundsideof
WrightsvilleBeach,N.C., Sept.5 (JH). Whitetailed Tropicblrd: an adult seen resting on a
pondin the JordanRes. lakebed,e. Chatham
Co., N.C., Sept. 6, furnished a first inland
record for the state (BW,MW,JP). Single
individuals observedon pelagic trips out of
Hatteras Inlet, N.C., Sept. 2 (PD, MT et aLL
and Beaufort Inlet, N.C., Sept. 3 UF) may
Fisher, N.C., the same date (MG). Small num-
Tern: this tern is seldom seen inland, but
regular in coastal Georgia in the warmer
threereportswerereceived-- singlebirdsin
North Carolina Sept. 5 or 6, near Raleigh
(JM), Fayetteville (PJC), and L. Pinehurst
(TH). Sandwich Tern: the first inland records
for NorthCarolinawereof singles
nearFayetteville Sept. S (PJC),L. Surf near Vass Sept. 6
(TH,MJ), and near Raleigh Sept. 7 (TLQ).
CaspianTern: onlytwoinlandreportsin early
September.Black Tern: the most commonof
the "hurricane birds" on inland lakes, with
numbersfrom 5-20 seenat many lakesin the
HERONS
THROUGH
FLAMINGOS
--
months. with two or three in the Brunswick
area Aug. ll - Sept. 3 (TM et al.). A whitephaseReddishEgret wasveryrare at Moore's
Landing. near Charleston. S.C.. Oct. 13
(DMF), and what may have been the same
bird was reported farther s. in the state at
Savannah N.W.R., Nov. 4 (PN). The bed of the
as yet untilled Jordan Res. was a haven for
waders this summer and fall. With the common-
to-abundant
Little Blue Herons, and Great
Carolinas,NoddyTern {BrownNoddy}:the
Egrets other wadersof note there were Cattle
Egret as late as Nov. 23. SnowyEgret. Loui-
onlyspeciesaddedto an official statelist as a
siana
result of the hurricane. Four or five dead birds
crownednight herons.Am. Bittern Aug. 12
(m.ob.).five GlossyIbisesAug. I 1-25and five
werefound alongthe North Carolinacoastat
Ft. Macon and WrightsvilleBeach,and six or
seven live birds were seen in the Ft. Macon
area(JFeta/.), andoneor twoat Wrightsville
Beach (JFP et aLL Until this fall, the state had
four sight recordsof noddies,but no photo-
graphorspecimen.
Somewhat
surprisingly,
no
noddies were noted in South Carolina or Geor-
gia. For a full account of the hurricane and
(in prep.) in The Chat.
150
late was a Magnificent Frigatebird at Mt.
Pleasant.S.C., Sept.23 (GMa.GM,MR).
White-phase
GreatBlueHeronsarebecoming
associated birds in the Carolinas see Fussell
later UF).
MA.PP. RPL and at Pea I., N.C.. Nov. S (P&
alive,alongthe SouthCarolinacoast,but they
went unreportedfrom coastalGeorgia.Least
seenSept.6-7 at JordanRes., not far from the
tropicbird. was an extremelyrare inland rec-
were observedat a spoil pond at Ft. Macon
S.P.. N.C., Sept.7, with 15 still theretwo days
North Carolina; in addition to the inland
bers with a peak of five, were seen, dead or
have been storm-related. White Pelican: one
ord for the Region (BW.MWjP et aLL
MagnificentFrigatebird: two at Wrightsville
BeachSept.4 (BN) and anotherat Kiawah I.,
S.C., Sept. 5 (ABu). Northern Phalarope:35
Oct. 23 wererather late off OregonInlet (DL).
White Pelicanswere in "good" numbersfor
LOONS
THROUGH
FRIGATEBIRDS
--
Heron,
Black-crowned
and
Yellow-
again in mid-October (BL et al.). and White
Ibis. An imm. Yellow-crownedNight Heron
wasobservedSept. I in a residentialsectionof
Raleigh (TLQ), and 12 Wood Storks near
SunsetBeach. N.C., Aug. 24 {KK) was an
excellentstatecount.Anotherwadernow regular in summerand early fall in coastalGeorgia is RoseateSpoonbill: the peak number
near Brunswickwas 17 on Sept. 1-3 (TM et
aLL perhapsa record Regionalcount. Four
Am. Flamingos were also in the Brunswick
area in early fall (TM). and one was seenin
mid-October
at Oak I.. N.C. (BB).
A Red-throated Loon Nov. 17 near Kennesaw,
Ga. (JC)furnishedapparentlyonlythe second
record for the Atlanta area. Jusl as rare inland.
and extremelyearly. was a Red-neckedGrebe
seenon g Wylie near Charlotte. N.C., Oct. 27
WATERFOWL -- Definitely out-of-season
wasa WhistlingSwanAug. 19along1-26in s.
OrangeburgCo., S.C. (D&PF). Eight Fulvous
WhistlingDucks at SavannahN.W.R.. were
American
Birds,
March
1980
notable Nov 4 (PN,CN). as was one at Pea I.
Oct
Nov. 24 (CW). The tale Eur. Wlgeon was
observedat Pea I., Nov. 5 (P&JC). Early Pin-
JordonRes,, Sept 19 (BL) A (or perhapsthe)
Long-billed Curlew was observedat Cape
LookoutSept. 7 & 25 (SP. JF) and 58 Upland
Sandpipersat ShawAir ForceBasenear Sumter, S.C., Aug. 22 (DM) musthavebeenquite
a spectacle.Single Willets at Jordan Res.,
Aug. 25-26 (BL,KK) and L. Marion, S.C..
Sept.1 (DM) werenoteworthy.
Fussellhad severalnoteworthyshorebirds
out Nov 9 was one of the earhest ever for North
at a new spoil pond at Ft. Macon: lingering
White-rumpedand Semipalmatedsandpipers
mind-boggling (JF.RJH.BM,DC). The outstanding.bird of the seasonwas the Groove-
until Nov. 22, and a Curlew Sandpiper Aug.
26 & 28. There were only two Baird's Sand-
billed Anl at Savannah N.W.R.,
tailswerereportedfrom LaurensCounty,Ga..
Sept. 19 (TKP) and Ft. Fisher Oct. 6 (RD).
The Augusta,Ga., CinnamonTeal returned
for the fourth winter, being first noted Nov. 23
(AW). Some controversyhas arisen over this
bud, asscveralGeorgiaobservers
claim that it
is a hybrid. and despitegood details that I
have receivedover the past few years. there
hasbeenno mentionof a red eyecolor.In fact.
I am not aware that any photosexist of the
teal. A d Redheadspentthe summerand fall
at a spoilpondat Ft. Macon (JF),and another
male wasvery early near Bunn, N.C.. Aug. 27
(EFP). Unusual inland was a Surf Scorer near
Pendergrass.
Ga., Oct. 22 (JPag).A d Whitewinged Scoter seen in flight at Carolina
Beach,N.C., Auto.$1 (RD) wasextremely
early,
and rare inland wcre a female noted near Kennesaw, Ga.. Nov. 23-25 (JC.BG eta/.) and two
individuals near Charlotte Nov. 3 (BB).
27 (KM.PJC)
Four turnstones were at
pipersat BodieI.. N.C., Aug.22 (JA).Another
Curlew Sandpiper. in juvenal plumage, was
notedat OregonInlet Oct. 7 (DF et al.). A few
Short-billedDowitcherswere reported inland,
as usual,but a Long-billedDowitcherat Jordan Res.,Oct, 24 (BL) wascertainlynot usual.
Good inland recordsfor Stilt Sandpiperwere
three at Santee N.W.R.. S.C.. Aug. 23 (DM).
and as many as eightat JordanRes.,Aug. 3-26
(m.ob.), with one also there Oct. 25 (BL). The
KITES
THROUGH
RAILS
--
Two
ad.
M•ssissippiKites in s.e. Anson County, N.C.,
Aug. 16. might have been breeders (DM).
Elsewhere.an immature was most surprising
at JordanRes., Sept. 20 (BW.MW.JP), as were
two immatures near Oak I., N.C.. Oct. 18 (BB)
and a singleimmaturenearHuntingtonBeach
S P. the previous day (BB). Broad-winged
Hawks generallyavoidthe coastin fall: thus.
goodfinds were one at Bodie I., Oct. 7 (DF)
and iwo near Charleston (PL). A well-described
Rough-legged
Hawk at RaleighOct. 1 (GW)
was exceptionallyearly. and the only Golden
Eaglereportedthis seasonwasan adult near
Burlington,N.C., Sept. 24 (AB). Bald Eagle
reportscontinueto increase.with at leasteight
inland sightingsand just as many coastal
ones:approximately55% of the birds were
adults.This was clearly a banner year for the
PeregrineFalconin the Region,with numerouscoastaland five inland reports.The specieswas fairly commonalongthe coastfrom
late Septemberto mid-October.with several
parties reporting 15-20/day on the Outer
Banksand at Cape Lookout. N.C., Oct. 6-8:
and Volpi banded 27 at CumberlandI., Ga.,
during this period and observed125_+birds.
Merlins
seemed to have occurred
in normal
numbersalongthecoastduringthefall. but in
this particular year they were actually outnumberedby Peregrines!
Three speciesof rails were found at Jordan
Res., each on noteworthydates: a late King
Nov. 16 (BL). an early Virginia Aug. 29 (EG,
DK), and early Sofas Aug. 12 & 23 (J&OM.
BL). A Black Rail was tower-killed near Char-
lotte Sept. 21 (DB), and anotherJordanRes.
highlightwas a Com. Gallinule Nov. 12 (F&
WI).
SHOREBIRDS -- An excitinginland bird
wasa PipingPloverat Beaverdam
Res.,n of
peak Buff-breastedSandpipercount (based
onsix reports),wasdisappointingly
just one!
Quite rare inland was an Am. Avocet at
AugustaNov. 3 (CB,AW). and as manyas 150
near Brunswickduringthe fall {fideTM) was
excellentfor Georgia.
One shorebirdthat hasshowndefinitesigns
of increaseduring the decade,the Wilson's
Phalarope,was surprisinglynumerousalong
the coast: peaks of 30 near Brunswick Sept.
1-3 (TM et al.), and 12 at Ft. Macon Aug. 28
(JF et al.) were notable. Jordan Res., had one
to two Wilson'sAug. 5-14. anotherSept. 12.
and still another Oct. 24 - Nov. 2 (BLet al.).
JAEGERS
THROUGH
ALCIDS
--
An
excellentcount of 35 PomarineJaegerswas
madeby Lee off OregonInlet Nov. 25, a late
date for such a number, and he had two dark-
phaseParasiticJaegersin thesameareaSept.
18. A second-yearGlaucousGull Aug. 19 at
the harbor in Hatteras, N.C., was truly
remarkable (JA). and a Lesser Black-backed
Gull near LoMand. N.C., Oct. 4 (PJC et al.)
addedto the rapidlygrowingnumberof sightingsfor that state.At least85 LaughingGulls
Sept. 1 on LakesMarion and Moultrie. S.C.,
may have been a record inland count (DM),
THROUGH
FLYCATCHERS
--
erally everywhereat Cape Lookout Oct 14,
with estimates
rangingfrom 150-500absolutely
S.C., a first
recordfor the Region.With the exceptionof
an individualkilled by a car in Maryland in
November
1975{fideCSI•,),thisis thenortheasternmostrecordknown. [Seealsop. 161] It
wasfirst discovered
and photographedOct 27
(LE,PY et al.), andit wasstill presentat least
into early December. An injured Long-eared
Owl was found at Columbia, S.C., Oct
20
(GT,GTa) and taken to nearby Riverbanks
Zoo for rehabilitation.
Still another outstand-
ing record was of a Short-earedOwl on the
unheard-ofdate of Aug. 12, 6 mi s.e.of Columbia (DM); the bird was carefully studied in
flight low overa plowedfield and wasmobbed
by Fish Crows.A flight of 200+ Com. NighthawksSept. 7 at JohnsI., S.C., was remarkablefor a coastalsite(PL), and a O hummingbird with no rusty coloration,presumablya
Ruby-throated,lingeredin a Beaufort, N C,
yard to at least Dec. 3 {fide JF). Five Gray
Kingbirds,probablya familyunit, werenoted
at JekyllI., Sept. 3 (TM et al.), and one was
veryrare at the CapeHatteraslighthouseOct
6 (DFet al.). A W. Kingbirdnear Atlanta Oct
20 (JG) was the only inland report, and one
wasbandedat JekyllI., Oct. 13 (D&DC), possibly a first suchevent for the Region. Other
noteworthyflycatcher recordswere of a late
Great Crested at L. Mattamuskeet, N.C., Nov
19 (JFP), a Yellow-belliedat AugustaSept 8
(CB). a Leastbandedat JekyllI., Oct. 10 (D&
DC, TM), and an Olive-sided seen and heard
at AugustaSept.23 (AW).
SWALLOWS
THROUGH
VIREOS
-There were a number of late swallows this fall
a Bank at Savannah Ref.. Nov.'4 (PN), 30
Barns at Pea I.. Nov. 18 (RD). two Barns Nov
Oct. 23 (DL). McNair had 42 Forster's Terns
breasted Nuthatches. but the fall of 1979 was
at L. Marion Aug. 23. and 65 at LakesMarion
and Moulttie Sept. 1. One of the few exciting
pelagicfinds for the seasonwasthe threeAretie Terns seenoff Hatteras Sept. 2 (MT,PD et
al.): and nearly as thrilling were a Roseate
Tern in breedingplumageat the Hatterasharbor Aug. 19 (JA). and two Roseatesat Huntington BeachS.P.. Aug. 11 (DA.PN). Rather
different. These nuthatcheswere absent nearly
everywhereall fall. and only three people
reportedthem. Never before.in my memory.
has such a dearth of nuthatches been noted in
thisRegion.A Bewick'sWren wasa goodfind
near ChapelHill. N.C., Oct. 7 (SGr et al.), and
a Wood Thrush lingeredat McCain. Hoke
Co.. N.C.. through Nov. 29 (LW). McNair had
small numbers of Bridled Terns were noted on
excellent nocturnal call note counts of several
North Carolinapelagictrips this fall; in fact,
the peakpelagictotal reportedwasthe 12seen
thrushesat Columbia:a peak single night
4 (m.ob.). with 41 seen Nov. 3 (BL,AB) and
Oct. 5 (JV) defiesexplanation.In additionto
perhapsconstitutinga recordNorth Carolina
the three inland reportsduring the hurricane.
count. Black-bellied
Least Terns were noted inland also at L. Mar-
Volume34, Number2
DOVES
Of casual occurrence in the Piedmont was a
Ground Dove at Jordan Res., Oct. 27 (BL,
RJH.KK,AB). Yellow-billed Cuckoos were ht-
son Sept. 14 (HL.SG). The only kittiwake
report was of one collectedoff OregonInlet
out of Jekyll I., Ga., Sept. 2 (m.ob.). Another
Bridled seen sitting on CumberlandI., Ga.,
at JordanRes.,off-and-on.Aug. 12 - Nov. 19,
with a peak of five Sept. 19 (BL). Another
Black-belliedwas at L. Surf Sept. 5-6 (JHC,
TH). Single Ruddy Turnstoneswere noteworthy at ClemsonSept. 13-17 (HL), and L. Surf
Carolina (SP,CD).
25 at Huntington Beach S.P. (DM). and a 9
Purple Martin on the phenomenaldate of
Nov. 18 at Pea I. (RD). Everyotheryear or so
is an off year for winter finches and Red-
and three were notable farther inland at Clem-
RaleighAug. 30 (DL). One of the many highlights from JordanRes., was the remarkable
numberof Am. Golden PloversAug. 25 - Nov.
Plovers were also found
(GM) A Razorbill in the bight at Cape Look-
ion Aug. 23 (onebird -- DM) and nearTownville, S.C., Aug. 26 (two birds -- HL). Other
outstandingtern reportswere60 Caspiansat
LakesMarion and Moultrie Sept. 1 (DM) and
a very late Black near Charleston Oct. 21
count of Swainson's of 500 in mid-October.
100VeeriesSept.2, and1000VeeriesSept 7
A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher was very late at
ClemsonNov. 25 (HL), and.PhiladelphiaVireoswerereportedfivetimes,all in North Carolina
WARBLERS
THROUGH
BLACKBIRDS
-- A "Brewster's"hybridwasseenat Augusta
Sept. 11 (CB) and againSept. 22 (AW), and
eightTennessee
Warblersbandedat JekyllI .
Oct. 8-11 (D&DC,TM) was excellent for the
151
coast Eight reports each of Golden-winged
and Nashvillewarblerswere good, but one of
the warbler highlights was the impressive
Another bandedand photographedat Jekyll
I., Oct. 14 (D&DC,TM) provided Georgia's
numbers of Yellows seen by Perry Nugent et
noted on the North Carolina coast at Pea I.,
al, in Septemberin the Mt. Pleasant and
SullivansI. area of South Carolina. On Sept.
8, they saw500 Yellows,along with $00 Corn.
Yellowthroats, 1000 E. Kingbirds, and 1000
Bobolinks;on the 15th Nugent had 200 Yellows,with 1000 being seenSept. 23. Among
the many late sightingsof warblers were two
Sept. 19 (JOP,EP), Ft. Fisher Oct. 8 (RD),
arid Ft. Macon Oct. 12 (MT). Five sightings
of Lincoln's Sparrows, all in October, were
fourth record. Other Clay-coloreds were
about normal, but an abnormal report was of
Lapland Longspur at Oregon Inlet Oct. 4
(RD); a Yellow at a Charleston feeder until at
(DF), perhaps the earliest date for the
Region. Another Lapland was noted on the
Clemson University campus Nov. 25 (HL).
Only one Snow Bunting was reported, at
Oregon Inlet Nov. 18 (RD); this specieshas
leastDec. 2 (BK); a Cape May near Durham.
been unusually scarce in the Region for most
N C.. until Nov. 26 (JOP); a Black-throated
Green near Smyrna, Ga., Nov. 9 (TMi); and
o f the decade.
or three Prothonotaries near Bunn, N.C.,
Sept. 18 (EFP); a N. Parula Nov. 18 at Pea I.
an
Am.
Redstart
near
Columbia
Nov.
13
(DM). Unusuallyearly warblerswere a Goldenwingedat Mt. PleasantAug. 12 (BWi,E&SC),
a Tennesseenear Atlanta Aug. 19 (EH), a
Yellow-rumped at Augusta Aug. 20 (AW,
VW), and a Blackburntan at Hilton Head I.,
S C, Aug. 15-16 (R&RH). Mourning Warblers escapeddetection,but single Connecticuts were banded at Jekyll I., Oct. 8 (D&DC)
and observed at Buxton, N.C., Oct. 7 (HL,BL
et al.) and Chapel Hill Oct. 13 (SGr,MGr).
The five reportsof Yellow-headedBlackbirds
might be a record for one season:single
individualswerenotedat Hilton Head I., July
23-24(VS). at JordanRes.,Sept.30 (BW,ALB,
JCo),at Cape HatteraslighthouseOct. 6 (DF
et al.). at Savannah N.W.R.,
Nov. 4 (PN), and
near Rocky Mount, N.C., Nov. 28 (THa). Fussell noted 100 N. Oriolesin the OregonInlet
area Sept. 16, and a pair of Brewer'sBlackbirdswereveryearly at a Hilton Head I. feeder
Aug. 10 (VS).
FINCHES
-- A Rose-breasted
Grosbeak at
a feeder in Rocky Mount Nov. 28 - early
December(CS) wasmostunusual;and two c•
Dlckcissels were observed at Ft. Fisher Oct.
6, with a probable male there Oct. 11 (RD).
Winter finches staged another poor flight,
with Evening Grosbeaksbeing rare to uncommon (mainly in North Carolina), Pine Siskins
very rare (only two reports), Purple Finches
mostlyuncommon, and Red Crossbillsunreported. House Fincheshad a big fall, however; Augusta finally got its first records,and
as many as eight were at a feeder in late
November (AW,CB); numbers were up in
Atlanta (fide TM); two were reported from
the North Carolina Sandhills, where they
have always been surprisingly scarce (CG,
DM); severalwerenoted in late Novemberin
CONTRIBUTORS
--
Dennis
Abbott,
Jackson Abbott, Mary Alford, Stan Alford,
ClarenceBelger, Bill Brokaw, A. L. Broughton, Dick Brown, Allen Bryan, Avery Burns
(ABu), Dana Carter, J. H. Carter III, Jack
Carusos, J. E. Cely, Don & Doris Cohrs,
JamesComan (JCo), Ed & Sandy Conradi,
P. J. Crutchfield, Pat & Jim Culbertson,
Chip Davis, Ricky Davis, Paul DuMont, Lee
Ellis, Davis Finch, D. M. Forsythe, Don &
Pat Frey, John Fussell, Mark Galizio,
Charlotte Gantz, Eric Garner, Sid Gauthreaux, Bob Gilbert, Patricia Gowaty,
Maurice Graves (MGr), Steve Graves (SGr),
Joe Greenberg, R. J. Hader, Tom Haggerty
(THa), Paul Hamel, John Hardwick, Royce
& RoyceHough, Tom Howard, EileenHutcheson, Fran & Wayne Irvin, Marion Jones,
Dan Kaplan, Ken Knapp, Bruce Krucke, Pete
Laurie, Dave Lee, Joshua Lee, Harry
LeGrand, Bob Lewis, G. Marquard (GMa),
Kevin Mason, Jim & Owen McConnell,
Douglas McNair, Gardner Miller, Stanlee
Miller, Terry Miller (TMi), Bill Moffltt, Jim
Mulholland, Fentress Munden, Bud Needham, Chris Nugent, Perry Nugent, Mark
Oberle, John Paget (JPag), J. F. Parnell, T.
K. Patterson, Johnnie Payne, E. F. Potter,
Skip Prange, Pat Probst, Ren& Probst,
Elizabeth Pullman, J. O. Pullman, T. L.
Quay, M. Richmond, C. S. Robbins,Virginia
Scheetz, Malcolm Simons, Carr Speight,
Gray Taylor (CTa), Gary Tomlin, Mike
Tove, Joel Volpi, Bill Wagner, Margaret
Wagner, Anne Waters, Vernon Waters, Libba
Watson, Gall Whitehurst, Claudia Wilds, Bill
Winfield (BWi), Pat Young. -- HARRY E.
LeGRAND, JR., Department of Zoology,
Clemson University, Clemson, S.C. 29631.
Morehead City, the southernmost place on
the Atlantic
Coast where these birds have
been reported; and they have become rather
widespread even in rural country over much
of North Carolina
REGION
/Lyn S. and BrooksH. Atherton
and n.w. South Carolina.
The elusiveLe Conte's Sparrow was observed
at Cumberland I., Oct. 10 (JV) and at Ft.
Fisher Nov. 23 (MO). Very rare inland was a
Sharp-tailed Sparrow near Raleigh Oct. 8
(JM,RJH), and also of interest away from
the coast were single Lark Sparrows at Durham Aug. 11 (J&OM), Clemson Sept. 30
(HL,PG), and Raleigh Oct. 15 (JL). J. H.
Carter saw a Bachman's Sparrow in n. Scotland County, N.C., Oct. 26, and he found a
tower-killed bird in Bladen County, N.C.,
Sept. 19. One of the rarest birds seenat Jordan Res., during the season was a Claycolored Sparrow Oct. 21 (BL) & 28 (KK).
152
FLORIDA
August was hot and sultry. In fact, it
appearedthat the more typical subtropical
weather had returned to much of Florida after
several years of abnormally dry summer
weather. Temperatures during the month
hoveredaroundthe 90øFmark. Perhpasthe
high temperaturesand dripping humidity
were subtlewarningsof thingsto come.Septemberwaspunctuatedby two hurricanesand
a tropical depression.
Local birders'hopes
soared as the first of these storms, hurricane
Keysand populoussoutheasternFlorida Hurricane force windsblowingonshoreaheadof
the eye generateda rash of rare and unusual
sightingsas far inland as Lakeland. In the
keys strong southwestwinds producedsome
"verynicewarblerwatching"for localbirders
as well as a possible"reversemigration of
Bobolinks."
Just one week later hurricane
Frederic shot the gap betweenKey West and
Cuba, and then veerednorthwardto eventually
deliver its fury on the Alabama coastline
Toward the end of the month the stormy
onslaughtwas broughtto a soggyconclusion
with a five-dayinundationof the Tallahassee
area by a stubborntropical depression.The
remainder of the period was characterizedby
a return to above-averagetemperaturesand
weak, ineffectual cold fronts. The first and vir-
tually the only cold front of note passed
through the state on October 2-3 dropping
temperaturesin the Tallahasseearea into the
SOs.
ABBREVIATIONS -- E.N.P.: Everglades
National
Park,
F.S.M.:
Florida
State
Museum, O.P.M.: Occidental Phosphate
Mine, T.T.R.S.: Tall Timbers Research Station, T.S.P.: Tosohatchee State Preserve,
U.S.F.: Univ. of South Florida.
LOONS
THROUGH
FRIGATEBIRDS
--
A Corn.Loonwasearly at St. GeorgeI., Oct. 3
(JMS) as were 17 Herned Grebes at O.P.M,
near White SpringsOct. 10 (DM) and oneon
Tierra Verde in St. PetersburgOct. 12 (LSA)
An Audubon'sShearwaterwassighted2 mi e
of Mayport Aug. 8 0PC) and one was found
dead at Ward's Bank near JacksonvilleAug
19 (JLW,*F.S.M.).
A sick Leaches Storm-
Petrel came ashorein Martin Countyand died
Nov.7 (JHe*F.S.M.). Probablythe bestbird of
the seasonwas a Red-billed Tropicbird that
came ashore ill s. of the Martin-St.
Lucie
Countyline Sept.1, aheadof hurricaneDavid
It was taken to the Martin CountyAudubon
Wildlife Hospitalwhereit died Sept.S (JHe,
*U.S.F.). This representsonly the second
specimenfor Florida and one of the few for
the e. United States.(fi'deHWK, note to Fla
Field Nat.). Another casualtyof the stormwas
a White-tailed Tropicbird found dead at
Marineland Sept. 6 (JL,*F.S.M.). An early
White Pelicanwasat St. Marks Light Sept.28
(Mrs. F.H. Stoutamire).A Ft. Piercepelagic
trip produceda sub-ad.MaskedBooby10 ml
o•hore Aug. 19 (H&WD,m.ob.)whilethe only
Brown Booby reported was an immature at
ConchReef Sept. 28 (SS,JJB).Five Gannets
were observedheadingW off Long Key, Dry
TortugasNov. 11 by Robt. P. Russellwhosurmised that this might be the route by which
Gannetsenter the Gulf. NoteworthyMagnificent Frigatebird sightingsfollowingDavtd
were one at L. Butler, Orange Co. (JBu),a
"flock" over the St. Johns R., near S.R. 520
(JackSalmella)Sept.4 and oneat the Guanna
W.M.A., Sept.5 (JPC).
WADERS,
GEESE
AND
DUCKS
--
A
flock often ReddishEgretswassightedfrom a
boat offshore Palm Beach County Sept. 3
(HPL). Hopefullythis is an indicationof very
successful
breedingin their n. range.An early
David, rakedthe East Coast.On September
3
Am. Bittern
the eye of the storm moved ashorein northeasternPalm BeachCountyafter skirtingthe
Glade Aug. 26 (GSH,PWS).This localityalso
produced Wood Stork high countsof 1770
was at Duda Farms near Belle
American
Birds,
March
1980
CENTRAL
SOUTHERN
. ,:
ArtANTIC
REGION
•.____
.• -TALLAHASSEE
paniedby a BaldEagle
(BP).DudaFarmsalsorecorded
theonlyRuff
and sixAccipiters,fly-
of the season Aug. 12 (m.ob.). American
Avocets,usuallyuncommonin the n. portion
Light, Sept. 20 (JEC)
were possibly early
migrants (fide HMS).
FiveMississippi
Kitesat
E.N.P., Aug. 14 were
of the state, were too numerous this fall to list.
A result of David, no doubt, was the occur-
ing E at St. Marks
DIVISION
while three were late in
reneeof fiveRedPhalaropes
at Ft. GeorgeInlet
Sept.6 (JLW). A total of six Wilson'sPhalaropesobservedAug. 20 - Sept. 4 at Ft. Pierce
was the first occurrenceof this speciesin St.
LucieCounty(H&WD,HWK) whileoneof two
Wakulla CountySept.
at Tallahassee remained until the late date of
18 (RMS).
Nov. 2 (HNS).
unusual there (RPR)
An imm.
EvergladeKite 5 mi s.
of Mahogany Hammock, E.N.P., Sept. 6
(RPR, George Avery)
*F.S.M.).
City Oct. 2 (JCO,MAB)
werepossiblythe southernmost sightings of
this speciesin years.
Onefirstsightedin July
Gullsat Ft. PierceInlet Aug. 19 (m.ob.)may
have been at the species'southernmostsummering range .(fide HWK). An ad. Lesser
Black-backedGull arrived early at Toytown
Landfill in St. PetersburgOct. 26+ (LSA) and
at T.S.P., was observed
one was at Ward's Bank Nov. 22+ (JLW,PCP).
regularlythroughSept.
9 when David passed
close by (fide DF). A
S.A.
Aug. 12 and 1221Sept.9 (PWS et al.). Highly
unusualanywherein the Keys were sightings
of 22 GlossyIbisesat MolassesReef Aug. 23
(SS)and of one at Garden Key, Dry Tortugas
Nov. 11 (JB,MM). A "bright" ad. ScarletIbis
was observedthroughoutthe period at Flamingo .(fideRPR). A first record for Pinellas
County was a Scarlet X White Ibis hybrid
observedflying with a flock of White Ibises
Sept.22 (LH,KT). Its destinationprovedto be
a landfill nearbywhere it visitedthroughout
at T.S.P., throughoutthe period(fide DF, see
Am. Birds'33:275).Immature GoldenEagles
were reported near St. Marks Light Oct. 17
the period to feed on garbage(LSA). A
(JBo), at T.T.ILS.,
RoseateSpoonbillat FernandinaBeachSept.
22 (MCD) providedoneof the few recentrec-
and one at E.N.P., Nov. 17 carrying a decapitatedbobcat!(fide RPR). A Marsh Hawk was
ords for the East Coast n. of the St. Johns R.
earlyat Duda FarmsSept.2 (PWSet al.) and
.(fidePCP).
Garden Key hosted a Canada Goose
throughNov. 20 (Beryl Givens).Meanwhile,
an unusuallylarge number of White-fronted
Geesewas reported:eight as O.P.M., on the
earlydate of Oct. 14 (DM), one at St. Marks
Light Oct. 20 (CSG) and five at Alligator Pt.,
Loxahatchee N.W.R.,
were observed at Lower
Matecumbe
Key Oct. ll (SS) while two were very late at
Alligator Pt., Oct. 25 (HMS). Five Swainsoh's
Hawks were at Key West Nov. 11 (TBW,JPM)
and four at SummerlandKey Nov. 17 (MRB).
Short-tailed
Hawks continued
to be observed
Nov. 25 (B&LA.H&WD)
had its first record of
CaracaraOct. 10 (AYA, CharlesAyers). An
early kestrelappearedat Key Largo Aug. 28
(Jco).
CRANES,
RAILS
AND SHOREBIRDS
--
St. Marks Lighthad nineearlymigratingSandNov. 3 (Howell Neel). O.P.M. also had a Snow
hill CranesSept. 17 (JBo)and an early Sora
GooseNov. 18 (DM). Althoughmost of the
Aug. 17 (CSG). A Yellow Rail at Mayport
Black-belliedWhistling Ducks observedin
Sept.2 waswelldescribed
(JLW).BahiaHonda
Florida are consideredescapees,an immature
Key had a SnowyPloverOct. 16 (SS)estabat Mrazek Pond, F•N.P., Nov. 18 might poslishingonlythe third recordof the decadefor
sibly have been a true w. migrant. Although
the Keys. American Golden Plover sightings
there were FulvousWhistling Ducks on the
were widespread,with five at Chiefland Sept.
pond, the bird was associatingwith Mottled
13 (BSO), two near Ft. Pierce Sept. 18 (H&,
DucksandGadwalls(RPR).Blue-winged
Teal
WD,m.ob.),oneeachat St. GeorgeI., Nov. 11
withbroodAug. 11 at O.P.M. (DM) established (HMS), Key West Nov. 6+ (TH,RS,m.ob.)and
the first breedingrecordfor the area,although
Port EvergladesNov. 17-18 (WJB,WG,TH).
there are a few other breeding recordsfor
Duda Farmshad an early Com. SnipeAug. 5
Florida .(fideJHH). A CinnamonTeal was
(BH,BC).A Long-billedCurlewwasat Ward's
near Myakka River S.P., Nov. 4-5 (SI,m.ob.)
Bank throughout the period (m.ob.) and a
Whimbrel
was at Boca Chica Nov. 26-28
and four Ring-neckedDuckswereat Big Pine
(JMP,LK).
Key Nov. 6-17 (TH,RS,MRB). St. Marks
N.W.R., had an early Canvasback Nov. 2
Upland Sandpiperswerereportedat Hypo(CSG) while veryunusualinland wasa Whiteluxo I., Aug. 11 (PWS), 15 at ZellwoodAug.
wingedScoterat O.P.M., Nov. 11 (RR). Nine
26 (KD,H&WD) and at Duda FarmsAug. 26
RuddyDucksat McKay Bay in Tampa Aug. 3
andSept.2 (PWSet al.). A PectoralSandpiper
was late near Tallahassee Nov. 23 (GEM).
had been observedthroughoutthe summer,
but noyoungwerenoted(LSA).Therewasan
Sightings of the rare Baird's Sandpiper
includedtwo at Virgfnia Key Aug. 12-15 (BH,
apparent nestingof this speciesat O.P.M.,
whereseveralyoungwereobservedwith adults
m.ob.) and three at St. GeorgeI., Aug. 25
(JMS). The only Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Aug.11(DM).
reportswere of one at Duda Farms Aug. 12
VULTURES
THROUGH
FALCONS
--
Fifty-three
TurkeyVulturesin a "kettle",accore-
Volume
34,Number
2
Jaegerfounddeadat MarinelandSept.6 (JL,
and two near Florida
Krider's
Red-t.ailed
Hawk was identified at Payhe'sPrairie Nov.
17 (JHH).Two to threehundredBroad-winged
Hawks
JAEGERS, GULLS AND TERNS -- Prob-
ably another victim of David was a Parasitic
Two
imm.
Great
Black-backed
The sightingof an ad. California Gull
Nov. 19+ at ToytownLandfill and at least
two other third winter individuals (LSA,
ph to T.T.R.S.)wasnot unexpected.
since
at least four different
California
Gulls
observed
lastMarch andApril (LSA, ph to
T.T.R.S.)wereconfirmed
recentlybyJ.R.
JehlandGuy McCaskie.The Apr. 14 bird
wasdescribedby McCaskieas "a stunning
bird in breedingplumage."it is doubtful
that the occurrence
of this speciesin Flor-
ida is a newphenomenon,
but morelikely
it has just been overlookedsince most
observersfind "gull-watching"tedious
and frustrating.The first recordfor Florida (Am. Birds 32:995), a beautiful third
nuptial-plumagedgull whichwasassociat-
ing with onlya few imm. HerringGulls,
was overlookedby a group of at least 20
observers who were no more than $0 ft
from the bird!
A first winter Franklin's Gull at Toytown
Oct. 26+ wasjoined by anotherNov. 2+. An
ad. winter-plumaged
bird on Nov. 10 apparently did not remain, but another first winter
bird appearedNov. 17+ (LSA). St. Marks
N.W.R., had an early Bonaparte'sGull Nov.
23 (MJD). An ad. Arctic Tern was a rare find
at St. GeorgeI., Sept. 14 (JEC,HNS, note to
Fla. Field Nat.). David brought Palm Beach
Countyits first RoseateTerns Sept. 3 when
three adultsand five immamresweresighted
between Lantana and Boynton Inlet (PWS,
HPL,TT). This hurricane also sent Sooty
Terns up the coastwith at least sevenbirds
sighted in the Jacksonvillearea Sept. 4-13
(fide PCP). Althoughthere were too many
sightingsto list all of them separately,260
birds at JunoBeachSept. 2 (RPR) and 35 in
OrangeCountySept. 4 (JEu,TR) were especially noteworthy.BridledTern sightingswere
also numerous, after the hurricane with at
least
50 birds
seen from
shore at various
(PWS et al.), three at ZellwoodAug. 26
pointsalongthe East Coastby m.ob. A SandwichTern, uncommonin the Tortugas,wasat
GardenKey Nov. 7-8 (PRP). A BrownNoddy
Tern was observedAug. 19 only one mi offshoreduring a Ft. Pierce pelagfctrip (H&
WD,m.ob.).This specieswasalsoaffectedby
David with 15 at Palm Beach County(HPL,
(H&WD,KD) and three at OveidaSept. 13-20
PWS,TT) and one at Jacksonville Beach (JS)
153
Trail Sept. 23 (KD). The birds were observed
throughoutthe next three weekswith at least
oneremainingthroughOct. 14(LSA,H&WD).
ICTERIDS,
LIDS
--
TANAGERS
The
effects
AND
of
both
FRINGILDavid
and
Frederic on the migration of Bobolinksin s.
Florida were noticed. Heavy flights were
reported over Homestead on the nights of
Sept.7-9 & 18. Peak numbersoccurredSept.
9 at the rate of 3600/hr (RPR). Reversemigrationswere reported in the Keys Sept. 2-3 and
again Sept. 11, obviouslyinfluenced by the
strongcirculationpatternsassociated
with the
storms (RTP,JCO). Yellow-headed Blackbirds
were found at St. George I., Sept. 23 (JMS)
and at St. Marks Light Sept. 30 & Oct. 30
(JEC). On Sept. 9 an early N. Oriole was
observed at San Felasco S.P. (RC) while a late
Orchard Oriole was reported near St. Marks
Light Sept. 9 (GEM,HMS). Brewer'sBlackbirds were found again this year at Casey's
Dairy in Pinellas County with seven noted
Nov. 11 (LH,KT)and 23 individualsreported
an early appearanceat Casey'sDairy Oct. 15
be deleted.
(LH, Kathy& Ken Irey).A 9 W. Tanagerwas
reported in JacksonvilleOct. 3 (VMM) while
OBSERVERS
(area editors in boldface) --
the TallahasseeDivisionreportedthe earliest
recordthere for ScarletTanager Sept. 14 at
St. GeorgeI. (JEC,HMS).
Two very late Indigo Buntings were near
Azalea Alvarez, Manny Alvarez, Brooks H.
Atherton, Lyn S. Atherton, Ann Y. Ayers,
JohnBangma,Mary Anne Biggar,Wes Biggs,
Tallahassee Nov. 17:18 (GEM).
(JBo), Jane Brooks(JBr), L. Page Brown,
Dickcissels
were at two locations. One was near Tallahas-
seeOct. 27 (GEM) and two appearedwith a
flockof HouseSparrowsat a feederin Tampa
Nov. 20-22 (LSA, Chuck Geanangel,Jack
Dozier).An early Sharp-tailedSparrowwasat
Ward's Bank Sept. 16 (RWL) while the first
known record of this speciesfor the Keys or
Florida Bay (fide W.B. Robertson)occurredat
EagleKey Oct. l0 (RPR). Lark Sparrowswere
reported in w. Leon County Sept. 23 (JMS)
and SummerlandKey Sept. 27 (MRB,LPB et
al.). Unusual for E.N.P., was a Bachman's
SparrowOct. 12 (RPR). A veryearlyChipping
Sparrow was at St. George I., Sept. 15 (JEC,
HMS). A Clay-coloredSparrowappeareda!
Palm BeachSept. 11 (Marge Eaton,GSH)and
another was at Toytown Landfill Nov. 9-12
(LSA,H&WD,SI). the latter providinga third
Pinellas County record .•de LH). WhitecrownedSparrowswere reportedthroughout
the state with an immature at Sandy Key,
William J BoRe, Jo Booser, Jean Bordeaux
Margaret R. Brown, Jeff Burch (JBu), Jack
Cadbury, Tessa Cadbury, Robin M. Carter,
JamesE. Cavanaugh, Ron Christsen, Julie P.
Cocke, Bill Consiglio, Robert L. Crawford,
Mary Davidson,Helen Dowling, Kevin Dowling, William Dowling, Michael J. Doyle,
Carolyn M. Eastman, David Elmer, L. Falk,
Judy Fisher, Dottie Freeman, William G.
Genung, Wally George, C. S. Gideen, Tom
Haggerty, Ted Hendrickson, Jean Henry
(JHe),JohnH. Hintermister,BrianHope,Judy
Hopkins, Larry Hopkins, Gloria S. Hunter,
Scott Isherwood,Herb W. Kale, Cecil Kilmer,
LoisKitching,Howard P. Langridge,Jim Loftin, RobertW. Loftin, David Maehr, Virginia
.ffk/eHMS). The Keysrecordeda late date for
Bank Nov. 12(JLW)whilean equallyunusual
Corn. Grackle when 27 were observedat Key
West Nov. 29 fFBW). A very unusual occur-
Snow Bunting was there Nov. 25+ (JLW,
M. Markgraf, William D. Matthews, J. Paul
May, St., Gall E. Menk, Mandy Muller.
Barbara Muschlitz, Bryan S. Obst, John C.
Ogden, Jeanne M. Parks, Richard T. Paul,
Becky Payne, Carl Perry, Peggy C. Powell,
RobertRepenning,Ted Robinson,Kathy Rosen,
Robert P. Russell, Jean Shepherd, Sandy
Sprunt, Henry M. Stevenson,Jim M. Stevenson,RogerStone,Paul W. Sykes,Kad Thompson, Tadziu Trotsky, Noel O. Warner, Julie
m.ob.).
Watt. Charles H. Watt, Jr., Thurlow B. Weed,
Nov. 30 (LSA).
It is unfortunate
for local
birders that this dairy which has produced so
many rare local recordshas recentlybeen sold
and will, no doubt, soonfall to the developer's
bulldozers. Boat-tailed Grackles were present
in Leon County August-Octoberwhere they
nestedlast summer for only the secondtime
rence
of
the
Brown-headed
Cowbird
Florida Bay Oct. 17 (RPR)the most noteworthy. A rare Lapland Longspurwas at Ward's
was
reportedfrom the Lower Keys when a lone
CORRIGENDUM
--
The report of the
Tony White, Brad Williams, M. JoyceWilliams, Joseph L. Wilson. -- LYN AND
femaleappearedOct. 26 at SummedandKey
Thayer'sGull at St. Petersburg,
erroneously BROOKS ATHERTON,
(LPB,MRB et al.). A Bronzed Cowbird made
attributed to LA (Am. Birds 33:27S), should
ONTARIO REGION
/Clive E. Goodwin
experienced
a very mild
Southern
It was a quiet fall. In mid-Augustexceptionally early frosts introduceda three month
period of below-normal temperatures. This
must have stimulatedmigration,and generally
fair weatherdid little to interrupt it.
There were several periods when heavy
movementswere reported in the last half of
September, but the only time widespread
groundings and heavy visible migration
occurred was during the first eight days of
October. This followed severaldays of unfavourable winds and warmer
Ontario
November,
second
weather
at the end
half
and
the
of
the
monthwasexceptionally
warm throughout.The
predictableeffectwas a
rash of late records,
exceeding
eventhoseof
the last two falls, as
every reporting area
seemedto have a long
list of abnormally late
warblersand other passerines. Indeed, at the
time of writing(Decem-
of September.On October 1-2, northern and
central Ontario reported exceptionallyheavy
Canada Goosemovements-- at Pimisi Bay,
"one of the most specacularmigrations" in
the last 40 years (LdeKL). StrongNorthwest
galeson Lake Huron on October7-8, brought
heavyloonmigrationto the Kettle Point - Sarnia area (AR,DR) and on October 7, Rupert
saw 11 Parasitic Jaegersat the mouth of the
St. Clair River. Landbirdswere in good numbers as well in the cold stormyweather: Long
Point Bird Observatorybanded 1195birds of
S7species,31% of the fall's total at onestation
ber 20) swallows are
there. At
out mention.
Prince Edward
Pt.
(hereafter,
P.E.Pt.) October8 was "one of thoserare days
ß. . when so many birds were rushingthrough
they couldn't be counted.For two hoursafter
sunrisewe could see thousandsof songbirds
flying West alongthe peninsulaand overthe
water to the North as far out as we could see"
(RDW).
Volume
34,Number
2
4619 Woodmere
Rd., Tampa, FL 33609.
reportedlystill surviving
at a sewage plant in
London, and many of
the later
species
remained past November 30 to grace the
next season's
reportand
ONT.
•-Br.ockvillej•
;.•'•.•
•'
the winter lists of those
who collectsuchthings.
Short of devoting the
rest of this report to a list of "lares", most of
thesegoodieswill haveto be passedoverwith-
LOONS
THROUGH
HERONS
--
John
Nicholsonagain this fall visitedGreat Duck I.,
(hereafter, G.D.I.) Sept. 10-27ßThis island is
in L. Huron about 10 mi s.w.of Manitoulin I.,
and the visit recorded good loon countswith
762 Corn. LoonsSept. 20. Caribou I.,>20 mi
w. of Agawa Bay in L. Superior (hereafter,
C.L) is •
moreremote,andwas•isitedby
AlanWormin•oo andRobot Flnlaysun
Sept.
20 - Oct. 18. Loonswereseenreg•ady, with
129 headingE in two hoursO•. 6.
Ke•le •. recordedhea• loon movement,
and Oct. 27 two small loons thee
w•e
iden-
tified as Arctic Loons (AR), bm the record
awaits review. Unfortunately the extreme
range and unfa•ourable co.ditiom often asso-
155
Table 1. Hawk Counts in Ontario.
elated with movememts at the Point can make
Fall 1979
identifications problematical. Red-throated
Loonswere moving there from Oct. 7, with
over 21 in all (AR,DR). The peak was 15 on
Nov. 4, whenthe speciesalso appearedin five
Turkey Vulture
other localities on the Great Lakes. A Horned
Goshawk
Grebe at Rondeau July 29 was the earliest ever
in the southwest: the highest count of this
grebewas 166 MacGregor Point P.P.. Sept.29
(CEG,JEG). Only one Eared Grebe was
Sharp-shinned
Hawk
Cooper'sHawk
12898
539
153
1
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
5372
638
112
--
reported.
fromP.E.Pt.,Oct. 17& 26(MJE.RDW).
Broad-winged
Hawk
Rough4egged
Hawk
GoldenEagle
BaldEagle
19061
107
21
23
80
407
9
6
398
12
Double-crested
Cormorants
were
wide-
spread in small numbers,with 100+ at KingstonSept.9 (WT) the mostseen.A GreenHeron
at Dundas
Nov. 21 was the latest of several
very late birds, and one of the latest ever
recordedin Ontario (RF). After a few yearsof
lower numbersCattle Egretswerewidespread.
ranging n. to Thunder Bay (DA et aLL and
surprisingly late. Ten of II birds sighted
occurred after Oct. 28, and the latest was a
record Nov. 28 in Smith Twp., Peterborough
Co. (DCS).
Holiday
Totals
Beach
Marathon
5073
--
26
Marsh Hawk
Osprey
PeregrineFalcon
Merlin
Am. Kestrel
Unidentified
Totals
Elsewhere t
28
57
II
9
2
7
3262
995
19
114
25
48489
977
16
16
55
19
tLesscommonspecies
only;Bald Eaglesfiguresexcluden.w.Ontario.
SWANS, GEESE, DUCKS -- Whistling
Swans, Brant and Snow Geese were unusually
widespread in small numbers. Noteworthy
were 1000 Brant at KingstonOct. 20 IAEH).
and 668 Snowsat Marathon Sept. 18 - Oct. 24
(NGE et al.). The latter wererecordedduring
a period-longhawk watch along the shore of
L. Superior.Pimisi Bay wasnot the only locality with huge flights of Canariasthis fall, as
10,000+ passedover Kearns Sept. 29 (JNk,
fide PWR). The second Fulvous Whistling
Duck report of the year. and onlythe seventh
record ever, was of two at Erieau Oct. 23-25
(KJB,PAW). Noteworthy breeding records
werea Gadwallwith youngat Harris Hill Aug.
3 (MR), and an Am. Wigcon brood at Garson
Aug. 11 (KM,JN); the former seemslikely to
haveoriginatedfrom the prairies.but couldbe
from the rapidlyexpandingGreat Lakespopulation. Ottawa's two Barrow's Goldeneyes
reappeared-- onefor the sixthsuccessive
year
(MG) --
and another bird was at Kettle Pt.,
Nov. 25 (AR). Ten Harlequin Ducksequalled
last year's high fall total. Most were in the
Kettle Pt. - Sarnia area and there was one on
C.I., but, for the first time in 12 years, no
winteringbird appearedat Toronto. A King
Eider at Strathroy Nov. 2 (WRJ) was the second MiddlesexCountyrecord.and one of very
few away from the lower Great Lakes. Scoters
were in relativelypoor numbersalthoughthe
Sarnia total of Black
Scoters was 277 Oct. 7 -
Nov. 11 (DR). Ruddy Ducks, by contrast, continued to increase;350+ were reported from
the southwestalone •de AHK), and Hooded
Mergansers
werealsounusuallycommonwith
192 at Kettle Pt. (AR et aL) and 100 on the
Bruce Pen., Nov. 13 (JWJ).
VULTURES, HAWKS -- Again this fall
HolidayBeachP.P., wasthe onlyhawk watching stationin the southfor whichtotals are
available (JPK et al.). In general numbers
there (Table 1) were down from last year -GoldenEaglesand Merlinssubstantially
so-but Cooper'sHawkswereup some30%, and
Goshawk and Turkey Vulture counts almost
doubled.However,of thesepossiblyonlyTurkey Vulture and Cooper's Hawk numbers
werelargeenoughto excluderandomyear-toyear variations. Certainly Turkey Vultures
wereexceptionally
numerouseverywhere
with
ten countsof groupsof >20, and oneof
156
PeregrineFalcon, CaribouL, Ont., Sept.28, 1979. Photos/Alan Wormington.
at Glen Morris Sept.20 (AH,DRu,MS).
Both of the island visits recorded Accipiter
flights:the G.D.I., Sharp-shinned
Hawk peak
was290 Sept.14, and at C.I., the highwas20,
with the birdsarrivingfrom the E and leaving
via the s. end. The Marathon count (Table 1)
wasof great interestas someenormousflights
of Rough4egged
Hawkshavebeenrecordedin
the area, and this was the first systematic
coveragethere. Nick Escottfelt the numbers
were disappointing,but the results were
continuingscarcityof Ring-neckedPheasants
in many areas. A Sandhill Crane was at Rondeau from Nov. 9 (PAW,PDP)
and there were
two Ottawa and four Sudbury-Manitoulin
area reports. Farther n. there were several
sightings,the most 53 flying W over L. NipigonSept.10 (AM,DMcC).
SHOREBIRDS
--
Shorebird movement fol-
lowed the pattern of recent falls, but was
rather disappointing.There was little good
intriguing nevertheless,
particularly if the
habitat
ratios at the two stations are compared.
Rough-leggeds
werescarcein the south,appearing in earlyOctoberbut wereregularon C.I.,
from Sept. 26. Pimisi Bay had a remarkably
noteworthyamong many late recordswas a
and concentrations
were few. Most
Killdeer at Marathon Nov. 24 (AW,NGE).
Piping Ploverswere seenat Long Point Aug.
29 & Sept.24 (JM et al.) and Presqu'ileP.P.,
late Broad-winged
Hawk Sept. 27 (LdeKL).
Oct. 14 (RDM). On G.D.I., Am. Golden Plover
Somenoteworthy
numbersincluded13 Golden
Eaglereportsfrom Hamiltonoverthe period
if/de GC) and 22 Bald Eaglesat Lake of the
was the commonestshorebirdwith a peak of
23 on Sept. 21 and the specieswasunusually
widespreadin small numberselsewhere.
The
highestcountof LesserYellowlegswas900 on
the SableIs., Aug.3, when23 Stilt Sandpipers
werealsoseen(MRo,AW, SP). The fall's only
Willets wereat Tiny Marsh Aug. 25 (WZ) and
AmherstI., Aug. 12 (RTa), and therewasonly
oneMarbled Godwitreport at Presqu'ileP.P.,
Sept. 17-20 (LW, m.ob.). Both Hudsonian
Godwitsand Buff-breastedSandpiperswere
Woods Nov. 3 (AVO. It is most unusual to be
able to identify the progressof a particular
migrant, although one often suspectsthat
duplicatesightings
occur,especially
alongthe
lower Great Lakes. This year a captive-bred
PeregrineFalconreleasedin AlgonquinP.P.,
left thereAug. 12,to be seenagainabout 175
mi SSW at DundasAug. 25 if/de RT). Two
Gyrfalconswere reported:a gray-phasebird
at WoodbridgeOct. 10 (AD) and a whitephaseat GoreBayNov.21-24(VR,CBJL).
GROUSE
THROUGH
CRANES
--
Bob-
much reduced from their recent fall numbers:
there were eight godwit reportsof 18_+birds
from an early Aug. I1 on AmherstI. (RTa).
Buff-breasted
sightings
totalled11,of some20
birds in all, spreadfrom the Sable Is., and
Loboin November(DH) wasan encouraging
Marathon in the n. to Pt. Pelee and Ottawa in
the s. The Am. Avoeet records were all from L.
number. There were also comments on the
Erie: one at LongPt., Aug. 14 (JS)and three
whites continued very scarce although 20 at
AmericanBirds,March1980
Table 1. Hawk Counts in Ontario.
clated with movememts at the Point can make
Fall 1979
identifications problematical. Red-throated
Loons were movingthere from Oct. 7, with
over 21 in all (AR,DR). The peak was 15 on
Nov. 4, whenthe speciesalsoappearedin five
Turkey Vulture
other localities on the Great Lakes. A Horned
Goshawk
Grebe at RondeauJuly 29 wasthe earliestever
in the southwest:the highest count of this
grebewas166 MacGregorPointP.P., Sept.29
(CEG,JEG). Only one Eared Grebe was
reported,from P.E.Pt.,Oct. 17 & 26 (MJE,RDW).
Sharp-shinned
Hawk
Cooper's
Hawk
12898
539
153
1
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
5372
638
112
--
19061
107
21
23
80
407
spreadin small numbers,with 100+ at KingstonSept.9 (WT) the mostseen.A GreenHeron
Broad-wingedHawk
Rough-legged
Hawk
GoldenEagle
Bald Eagle
at Dundas
Marsh Hawk
Double-crested
Cormorants
were
wide-
Nov. 21 was the latest of several
very late birds, and one of the latest ever
recorded in Ontario (RF). After a few years of
lowernumbersCattle Egretswerewidespread,
ranging n. to Thunder Bay (DA et al.), and
surprisinglylate. Ten of 11 birds sighted
occurred after Oct. 28, and the latest was a
recordNov. 28 in Smith Twp., Peterborough
Co (DCS).
Holiday
Totals
Beach
Marathon
5073
Elsewhere •
--
26
28
16
9
6
398
16
12
Osprey
57
PeregrineFalcon
11
2
55
7
3262
995
19
114
25
19
48489
977
Merlin
Am. Kestrel
Unidentified
Totals
9
'Lesscommonspecies
only;BaldEaglesfiguresexcluden.w.Ontario.
SWANS, GEESE, DUCKS -- Whistling
Swans,Brant and SnowGeesewere unusually
widespread in small numbers. Noteworthy
were 1000 Brant at KingstonOct. 20 (AEH),
and 668 Snowsat Marathon Sept. 18 - Oct. 24
(NGE et al.). The latter wererecordedduring
a period-longhawk watchalongthe shoreof
L Superior.Pimisi Bay wasnot the only locality with huge flights of Canadasthis fall, as
10,000_+passed over Kearns Sept. 29 (JNk,
fide PWR). The second Fulvous Whistling
Duck report of the year, and only the seventh
record ever, was of two at Erieau Oct. 23-25
(KJB,PAW). Noteworthy breeding records
werea Gadwallwith youngat Harris Hill Aug.
3 (MR), and an Am. Wigconbroodat Garson
Aug. 11 (KM,JN); the former seemslikely to
haveoriginatedfromthe prairies,but couldbe
from the rapidly expandingGreat Lakespop-
PeregrineFalcon, CaribouL, Ont., Sept.28, 1979.Photos/Alan Wormington.
at GlenMorrisSept.20 (AH,DRu,MS).
Both of the island visits recordedAccipiter
ulation. Ottawa's two Barrow's Goldeneyes
flights:the G.D.I., Sharp-shinned
Hawk peak
reappeared-- onefor the sixthsuccessive
year
was290 Sept. 14, and at C.I., the high was20,
with the birdsarrivingfrom the E and leaving
(MG) -- and another bird was at Kettle Pt.,
Nov. 25 (AR). Ten Harlequin Ducks equalled
last year's high fall total. Most were in the
Kettle Pt. - Sarnia area and there was one on
C I., but, for the first time in 12 years, no
wintering bird appearedat Toronto. A King
Eider at Strathroy Nov. 2 (WRJ) was the second Middlesex County record, and one of very
few away from the lower Great Lakes. Scoters
were in relativelypoor numbersalthoughthe
Sarnia total of Black Scoters was 277 Oct. 7 -
Nov. 11 (DR). Ruddy Ducks, by contrast, cont•nued to increase;350+ were reported from
the southwestalone •fide AHK), and Hooded
Merganserswerealsounusuallycommonwith
192 at Kettle Pt. (AR et al.) and 100 on the
Bruce Pen., Nov. 13 (JWJ).
VULTURES, HAWKS -- Again this fall
Holiday BeachP.P., wasthe only hawk watching station in the south for which totals are
available (JPK et al.). In general numbers
there (Table 1) were down from last year -GoldenEaglesand Merlinssubstantially
so--
but Cooper'sHawkswereup some30%, and
Goshawk and Turkey Vulture counts almost
doubled.However,of thesepossiblyonlyTurkey Vulture and Cooper's Hawk numbers
werelargeenoughto excluderandomyear-toyear variations. Certainly Turkey Vultures
wereexceptionally
numerouseverywhere
with
ten countsof groupsof >20, and oneof >100
156
via the s. end. The Marathon count (Table 1)
wasof greatinterestassomeenormous
flights
of Rough-legged
Hawkshavebeenrecordedin
the area, and this was the first systematic
coveragethere. Nick Escottfelt the numbers
were disappointing,but the results were
intriguing nevertheless,particularly if the
ratios at the two stations are compared.
Rough-leggeds
werescarce
in the south,appearing in earlyOctoberbut wereregularon C.I.,
from Sept. 26. PimisiBay had a remarkably
late Broad-winged
Hawk Sept. 27 (LdeKL).
Somenoteworthy
numbersincluded13 Golden
Eagle reportsfrom Hamilton over the period
.(fideGC) and 22 Bald Eaglesat Lake of the
Woods Nov. 3 (AW). It is most unusual to be
able to identify the progressof a particular
migrant, although one often suspectsthat
duplicatesightings
occur,especially
alongthe
lower Great Lakes. This year a captive-bred
PeregrineFalconreleasedin AlgonquinP.P.,
left thereAug. 12,to be seenagainabout175
mi SSW at DundasAug. 25 .(fideRT). Two
Gyffalconswere reported:a gray-phasebird
at WoodbridgeOct. 10 (AD) and a whitephaseat GoreBayNov.21-24(VR,CB,JL).
GROUSE
THROUGH
CRANES
--
Bob-
continuingscarcityof Ring-neckedPheasants
in many areas. A Sandhill Crane was at Rondeau from Nov. 9 (PAW,PDP) and there were
two Ottawa and four Sudbury-Manitouhn
area reports. Farther n. there were several
sightings,the most 53 flying W over L. NlpigonSept.10 (AM,DMcC).
SHOREBIRDS
-- Shorebird movement fol-
lowedthe pattern of recent falls, but was
rather disappointing.There was little good
habitat
and concentrations
were few.
Most
noteworthyamong many late records was a
Killdeer at Marathon Nov. 24 (AW,NGE)
PipingPloverswereseenat Long Point Aug
29 & Sept.24 (JM et al.) and Presqu'ileP P,
Oct. 14 (RDM). On G.D.I., Am. Golden Plover
was the commonestshorebirdwith a peak of
23 on Sept.21 andthe species
wasunusually
widespreadin smallnumberselsewhere.The
highestcountof LesserYellowlegswas900 on
the SableIs., Aug. 3, when23 Stilt Sandpipers
were also seen(MRo,AW,SP). The fall's only
Willetswereat Tiny Marsh Aug. 25 (WZ) and
AmherstI., Aug. 12(RTa), andtherewasonly
oneMarbledGodwitreportat Presqu'ileP P,
Sept. 17-20 (LW,m.ob.). Both Hudsoman
Godwitsand Buff-breastedSandpiperswere
much reduced from their recent fall numbers
therewere eight godwitreportsof 18_+birds
from an earlyAug. 11 on AmherstI. (RTa)
Buff-breasted
sightings
totalled11,of some20
birds in all, spreadfrom the Sable Is., and
whites continuedvery scarcealthough 20 at
Lobo in November(DH) was an encouraging
Marathon in the n. to Pt. Pelee and Ottawa in
the s. The Am. Avocet records were all from L
number.
Erie: one at LongPt., Aug. 14 (JS)and three
There were also comments on the
American
Birds,March1980
from the southwest Oct 25 - Nov 6 (JPK,
ASW,PAW). It is ironic that such a lacklustre
fall shouldproducetwo extremerarities: the
first a LitItc Stint, nettedJuly 10 at North Bay
on James Bay, in the courseof the Canadian
Wddlife Service'sshorebirdbanding operatlonsthere. Apparentlyit constitutesnot only
the first record for the Province,but furnishes
the first specimenrecordfor North America as
a whole (RIGM, fide RDJ). See Condor 80:
451-452(1978)andAB 30:918(1976)for photographicrecords.The secondwas a BlackneckedStilt seenat Smithvillesewagelagoons
Oct 14 (GC, G&AN). There is one unsupported Provincialsight record dating from
1955 at Timmins, and hencethe speciesis not
on the Ontario
list. Documentation
on the
presentsightingawaitsreviewby the Provinreal Records.Committee,but stilts are unmistakable!
(RB), Marathon Oct 8 (NGE), McKenzie Nov
4 (NH) and Rainy R., the sameday (AW). It
was probablyto be expected,but still came as
a surpriseto receivereports of Great Grays
summeringin areashundredsof miles s. of
their normalrange: a bird wasreportedfrom
L. Catchacoma(fide GCa) and two (a mated
pair?) from a remote area near Kingston
throughout the summer (K.F.N.). A Longeared Owl at Marathon
Oct. 29 was the first
recordedthere (AW,f/de NGE), but in the s.
owls were generally scarce. Only 66 were
admitted to the Owl Research and Rehabilita-
tion Foundationto Nov. 30. This comparedto
148 in 1978, when 17 Screech Owls were han-,
dled -- only one juvenile was received this
year! One doubtsthat the owlsare lessinjuryprone this year! The P.E.Pt., Saw-whetOwl
movementcommencedtwo weekslate; finally
342 were banded in 41 nights, and 67 were
handledat LongPt. (L.P.B.O.).
LARIDS -- Jaegerrecordswereprincipally
from the Sarnia - Kettle Pt. shoreline, where
four+
Pomatines and 35+ Parasitics were seen
Sept.7 - Nov. 10(DR,AR). Oneveryintriguing
reportfrom TorontoOct. 28, suggests
a skua
(JC-B,TL) but as neither observerwas familiar
with PomafineJaegersandthe documentation
doesnot whollyexcludethis species,the record is still under review. Pomarines
are rare
enoughin Toronto but there are no existing
specimensor recentrecordsof skua for the
Province. Parasiticselsewherewere e. along
the lower Great Lakes to Main Duck I.: jaegers,probablythis specieswereobservedSept.
22 (K.F.N.) and in L. Huron there were two off
G D.I., Sept.23. Fewwhite-wingedgullswere
reported,the first an earlyGlaucousOct. 8 in
the southwest,and an Iceland at Port Stanley
Sept.26 (WGG et al.). A Great Black-backed
Gull n. to Providence
BaySept.24 (CB.JL)was
noteworthy,and there were 83 at Kingsville
Nov 3 (JPK). A LesserBlack-backed was seen
at Ottawa from Oct. 20 (MG,m.ob.) and at
least one was seen along the Niagara R., in
November(RFA,m.ob.).A secondbird supertically similarto this speciesdifferedin important respectsandmayhavebeena hybrid.
Niagara also had its usual assortmentof
rarer gulls, including Little and Franklin's,
HUMMINGBIRDS
THROUGH
WOOD-
PECKERS -- A very late hummingbirdwas
seenat Peterborough
Nov. 1 (AHe);thereare a
coupleof previousNovemberrecordsbut it is
unlikely any of the birds were identified critically. Red-belliedWoodpeckerswere at Toronto from Nov. 8 (FB) and Oshawa Oct. 31 -
Nov. 1 (DC). Reportsof late woodpeckers
includeda Yellow-belliedSapsuckerin Algonquin P.P., Nov. 4 (DFB,RJP) and a Com.
Dyer'sBaySept.12(JWJ),butthespecies
continuesscarce,and nonewere reportedfrom
the favouredSudbury-Manitoulinareas.Alan
Wormingtonhad no fewer than three Town-
send'sSolitairesightings:from C.I., Oct 2,
andMarathonOct. 25 & 29. Blue-grayGnatcatcherswere seen throughoutthe period,
continuing their pattern of unusual abundancethis year.Two of the mostunexpected
sightingswerefrom C.I., Oct. 1-3, and G.D I,
Sept. 14, although the specieshas been
recorded from Whitefish Pt., in adjacent
Michigan.One of the mostencouraging
featuresof the fall wasthe reboundof both speciesof kinglets:the preliminaryL.P.B.O.figurestell the story:Golden-crowneds
wereup
299*/o over fall 1978, and Ruby-crowneds
135%.
PIPITS
THROUGH
VIREOS
--
Two
Water Pipitsin AlgonquinP.P., Oct. 29 (RJP)
were very late. A few BohemianWaxwings
were seen, mostly in the extreme w.: 300 at
QueticoNov. 15 (TN,NB) wasan exceptionally
large flock. LoggerheadShrike fortunes do
not seemto haveimprovedmuch as onlyfour
Flicker at Marathon Nov. 22 (NGE et al.).
reportswere receivedin all. The first birds in a
There were three Red-headedWoodpeckers
on C.I., Sept.27 - Oct. 1, and oneat Marathon
Oct. 4. The Marathon watch yielded other
interestingsightingsin this group: 40 BlackbackedThree-toedsSept. 6 - Nov. 22 and 30
N. Three-toedsSept.29 - Nov. 22. ThesesightingsandNorthernson C.I., from Oct. 1 with a
high of four, suggestmuch more extensive
migrationalmovementsin thesetwo species
than the literatureimplies.
light N. Shrike movementwere at Marathon
Oct. 7 (NGE et al.). A White-eyedVireowasat
Long Pt., Aug. 12 (MSm,JS), and another at
Pt. Peleeto the end of the period (m.ob.) A
WarblingVireo at KelleyL., SudburyAug 22
FLYCATCHERS,
SWALLOWS -- Two W.
Kingbirdswere seen; at Colpoy Bay Aug. 4
(LHR) and G.D.I., Sept.21. An E. Phoebewas
at Marathon, where it is rare, Oct. 25 - Nov. 1
(AW). Long Point's Oct. 25 record of a
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher(fide RDTH) was
and a Sabine's Gull from Nov. 11 (TRS et al.).
one of the latest-ever in Ontario.
A very late Ring-billed Gull was seen in
AlgonquinP.P., Oct. 16 (RT) and 200 Sept.
swallowreportswill form part of the winter
summary,but a Purple Martin in the south-
6-7 n. of Atikokan (DHE,TN) were the most-
west Oct. 26 was the latest-everthere (fide
ever there. Other high counts included 300
Bonaparte'sGulls on Sutton lagoonsfrom
Aug. 1 (BP) and 900 Franklin'sGulls on the
Sable Is., Aug. 3 (SP,AW,MR); however,
unprecedented
werethe 79 flyingdownthe St.
AHK) and possiblyfor the Provinceas a
Clair R., at Sarnia Oct. 23-25 (DR). Sarnia
Nov. 4 (AW). Both Com. Ravens and Com.
and area alsodid well with Black-leggedKitti-
Crowscontinuedin high numbers:there were
three ravensin the Kingstonarea Sept. 23 -
wakes,with six Nov. 3-10 (AR,DR); and others
qmn P P, includeda Gray Catbird to Nov 19
(PW) and a WoodThrushSept.19 (RK). One
of the Gray-cheeked Thrushes bangled at
P.E.Pt., wasof the easternbicknellirace.(fide
RDW) whichdoesnot normallyreachOntario. The highestE. Bluebirdcountwas 25 at
The latest
whole.
CROWS
THROUGH
WRENS
--
Seven
Black-billedMagpieswere seenat Rainy R.,
WARBLERS -- Prothonotary Warblers
werelast seenat Pt. PeleeAug. 19 (JPK,JAG)
One of the Torontoarea'sfew Worm-eating
Warblerrecordswasof a bird at Woodbridge
Aug. 28 (AD). Golden-winged
and Blue-winged
warblers yielded an unusual number of
reports: there were four Golden-wingeds
recordede. to AlgonquinP.P., Aug. 20 (DG)
and SibbaldPt., Sept.2 (BP),and Blue-wingeds
were at P.E.Pt., and a late Nov. 4 at Hamilton
(L&J Fazio).Thereis spaceonlyfor the most
outstandingof a hostof late warblerrecords a
Tennesseeat Niagara Falls Nov. 17 (KJB,
PDP), a Nashvilleat Pt. PeleeNov. 28 (AW), a
Cape May at Long Pt., Oct. 23 (L.P.B.O.), a
BlackburnianNov. 10 in the southwest(fide
AHK), an Ovenbirdat Red Rock Nov. 9 (AW),
and a Wilson's at Whitby Nov. 5 ,(fidePB)
The "budworm"warblers-- Tennessee,
Cape
May and Bay-breasted
-- wereagainunusually
common,althoughperhapslesssothan in the
pastfew years.Other speciesfelt to be exceptionallyabundantwereOrange-crowned,
Yellow and Yellow-rumped,the latter in enor-
were seenat Niagara (m.ob.) and Hamilton
Nov 4 (H&P van Dyken).The onlyLittle Gull
awayfrom the Niagaraand L. Erie wasone at
Nalrn I., Oct. 28 (MG). BothCaspianand Forster'sterns wereseenon SableI., Aug. 3-5 as
Nov. 3 (K.F.N.),
well as 1500 Black Terns (AW,MRo,SP,DHE).
first Tufted Titmouse from Nov. 6 (RBe).
at Rock Pt., and P.E. Pt. (JR,RDM). Connec-
The 240 Com. Terns at CoilingwoodSept. 23
(CJM,EAM) constituteda goodfall count for
this speciesin recentyears.
Wrens continued scarce.Only four Carolina
Wrenswerereported;two from the southwest
and oneeachfrom Torontoand LongPt. Northerly House Wrens were at Marathon Aug. 25
(NGE,CE) and C.I., Oct. 2.
ticut Warbler reportsincludedan early bird
MIMIDS, THRUSHES -- Mockingbirds
ords in this group included a Bobolink in
OWLS -- The first arrivalsin a very light
SnowyOwl flight were at KingstonNov. 18
(K F.N.). All the Hawk Owls seenwere within
the species'breeding range: birds were at
GeraldtonSept. 11 (ND), Atikokan Sept. 28
Volume
34,Number
2
and crow counts included
(JL)wasat theedgeof itsrange.
13,500at Holiday BeachSept. 27 (JPK) and
105 at C.I., Oct. 6. The only Boreal Chickadee
report s. of the species' range was from
mous numbers
P.E.Pt., Nov. 4 (MJE,RDW). Ottawa had its
to be reportedmorethan usualfrom Aug 21
in several localities.
A less
commonspecies,Prairie Warbler, alsoseemed
at Ottawa Aug. 28-29 (I.&PJones),and Yellow-
breastedChat wasreportedfrom Orillia Aug
22 (WZ) and-- amazingly
-- C.I., Sept.25
BLACKBIRDS,
TANAGERS
--
Late rec-
ranged N to SibleyNov. 3 (JH,MH) and E to
AlgonquinP.P., Sept. 26 (RJP,RT), a W
Kingston(RDW). Late recordsfrom Algon-
Meadowlark at Dorion Nov. 25 (WZa), and a
157
N. OriolekRledat ColpoyBayDec. 3 (LHR).
A nestingrecordoverlooked
in the last summarywasof an OrchardOrioleat Port Britain
June 24 (AKS,RJ). The only Yellow-headed
Blackbirdsightedin the southwasat Avening
Sept. 9 (CIM,EAM). By contrastits fellow
westerner, Brewer's Blackbird was in record
numbers: 160 at Bartie Nov. 11 (CJM,EAM)
impressive:7400 Evening Grosbeaks from
Aug. 23; 14,980PurpleFinchesfrom Aug. 2;
3420 Pine Grosbeaksfrom Aug. 24; 18,560
Corn.Redpollsand at leastfive Hoariesfrom
Oct. 16; 15,620Pine Siskinsfrom Aug. 6; 183
Red Crossbills
from Aug. 1; and 3120WhitewingedCrossbills
from Aug. 3. Apart from the
D. Graham, J. A. Greenhouse, G. Hamilton.
M. Hansen,C. G. Harris, D. Hasley(DHa), J.
Hebden,A. Heldman (AHe), D. Higgins,A.
Hiller. N. Hordy, A. E. Hughes.R. D. T. Hus-
Corn. Grackle concentration outside the
southwest: 130,000 at Coldwater Oct. 20. A
A Rufous-sided
Towheewasat Magnetewan
Sept. 16 and a Field Sparrowwas there Oct.
were seen at C.I.
Summer Tanager was reported from Neys
14 (AM). Fall records of the more secretive
P.P., Oct. 21 (AW), but documentation is
sparrows are always scarce: a record-late
awaited as there are very few fall recordsand
Henslow's was at Pt. Pelee Nov. 10 (PDP et
the date is late.
aLL and a Le Conte's was at Go Home Bay
--
A
Rose-
breasted Grosbeak was at Sudbury to a very
late Nov. 20 (L&AA,JN). Indigo Buntingpop-
ped up at the limits of its range:three at
Magnetewan
Sept.26 (AM), andbirdsat Atikokan Nov. 3 (DHE,AW), C.I., Oct. 12 and
Marathon Oct. 23 (AWL Marathon also had a
DickeisselOct. 6 (NGE). The only HouseFinch
M. J. Evans,H. Ferguson,M. H. Field, R. Finlayson,M. Gawn, S. Gawn, D. Gildher (DGi),
W. G. Girling, C. E. Goodwin,J. E. Goodwin,
ing NVgfollowingthe shoreline,but spread
some distance inland (NGE et aLL Few finches
SPARROWS
Duncan. D. H. Elder, C. Escort, N. G. Escort,
scatteredRed Crossbillsthe flockswereall fly-
and 60 at FerndaleAug. 8 (JWJ)with smaller
numbersandsinglebirdse. to Ottawa(DFB).
The MacFaydensalso reportedthe highest
FINCHES,
D. Calvert, C. A. Campbell, G. Carpentier
(GCa), G. Chapple,J. C. Clarke, J. CranmerByng, A. Dawe, N. Denis, B. M. Dilabio, B.
Sept.29 (CGH) aswell as a deadbird at C.I.,
the same day. Five Sharp-tailedswere seen;
two at TorontoSept.29 (HK), one at Ottawa
Sept.29 - Oct. 2 (BMD), and two at Oshawa
Oct. 6 0Mo,LP0. There was a late Gay-colored
Sparrowat Marathon Oct. 30. Harris' Sparrow movementat C.I., peaked at four Sept.
25, and in the s. a Harris' was at Hawk Cliff
Oct. 27 (MHF). The SnowBuntingflight was
average-to-good,
from an earlyOct. 7 on Man-
se• R. D. James,W. R. ]armaln, R. John,J. W.
Johnson. A. H. Kelley, D. Kerr. H. Kerr,
KingstonField Naturalists.J.P. Kleiman. R.
Knapton, L. de K. Lawrence. L Lemon, M.
Lemon,T. Levere,Long Point Bird Observatory, C. I. MacFayden,E. A. MacFayden.D.
McCorquodale,
E. R. McDonald•K. McKeever
(KMcK), R. D. McRae, A. Mills, K. Morrison,
R. I. G. Morrison,J. Mountjoy(JMo),multiple
observers(m.ob.), J. Murphy, T. Nash, J.
Nicholson,J. Nickerson(JNk), G. & A. Novosel. B. Parker, D. E. Perks, S. Perunlak, R. J.
Pittaway,P. D. Pratt, L. Raczkowski,J. Reynolds, P. W. Richter, A. Rider, L. H. Robert-
son,M. Robson(MRo),M. Runtz,D. Rupert,
Purple Finch migration was average, but
otherwisethe fall winter finch flight was
itoulin I.
V. Rusk, D. Russell(DRu), D.C. Sadler,J. A.
Satterly, M. Scholz, T. R. Scovell,A. K. Scul-
negligiblein the south,with only Evening
SUB-REGIONAL
EDITORS
(boldface),
CONTRIBUTORS
(italic)
and CITED
OBSERVERS -- L. & A. Anderson, R. F.
thorpe, M. Smith (MSm), J. Stewart, R. Tait
(RTa), R. Tozer, W. Travers, P. Ward, A. S.
Weir, R. D. Weir, L. Wensley.P. A. Woodliffe, A. Wormington.W. Zarowskl(WZa), W.
reportedwasfrom Ottawafrom Oct. 10 (I-IF).
Grosbeakswidespreadin small numbersfrom
late October. There were scattered flocks of
Pine Siskinsand redpollsin the sameperiod
and a few Pine Grosbeaks. At Marathon
the
storywas very different, and the countswere
NIAGARA-CHAMPLAIN
REGION
Andtie, D. Asquith, F. Barrett, R. Bedford
(RBe), C. Bell, G. Bennett, N. Boag, P.
Bridges,D. F. Brunton, K. J. Burk, R. Burns.
Ibises
remain
very
rare,
SummerdraggedslowlythroughAugustinto
fall but the subsequentmonths produced
someof the mostinterestingbirding to bless
the Regionin manyyears.The arrivalof hurricane David September6, marked the season'sturningpointand rekindledmanybirders' previously
saggingspirits.Tropicalstorm
Frederic followedonly a week later. creating
furtherchaosin the migrationpatternof some
species.The remainderof the seasonwas
mild, temperatures
evenreaching70ø+F,in
as•gle
near
Buff•o
•
B.O.S.)
constitut-
ing
the
sole
r•ort.
A
M•e Sw• rem•n• at
• •rado
most
ofthe
while a second
fall
ap•
brieflyat Bu[
falo. An excellentauck
Region,
• reflected
in
birdson.Montezuma
N.
W.R., including40,0•
Mallards (fide WB).
Other exceptional
tallies from New York included 15,000
the Septemberstormswas disappointing
in
somerespects
but the unusualconcentrations Greater Scanp at both Niagara Falls Res.,
Oct. 27 (DF) and Wescotts Beach S.P., Nov. 8
and straysfromeastandwestwhichappeared
BlackScoters
Nov.11onthe
in subsequent
weeksgave many observers (fideLC), 2000_+
some areas in November. Avian fallout from
St. Lawrence R., between Morristown and
moments to remember.
Wellesley
I. (fideLC),and 1500Bufflehead
off
THROUGH
WATERFOWL
1S4.
coastal
regions
G'ossy
/Douglas P. Kibbe
LOONS
Zufelt. -- CLIVE E. GOODWIN, 11 Westbank Crest., Weston, Ontario, Canada, M9P
--
Hamlin Beach Nov. 10 (AK,ST).
Rarities
About20 Peregrinesreportedincludedfour at
SandyPond on L. Ontario'se. shoreOct. 6
(FS), a remarkabletotal parallelingthe increase
in sightings
throughout
theNortheastthisfall.
One of the seasoh'seight Merlins consumed
both a red squirrel and garter snake in E.
Craftsbury, Vt. (FO), blithely scorning published sourcesdescribing nearly exclusive
Rochesterenjoyeda superlativeRed-throated
Loonflight, whichpeakedNov. 11 with 358
includedtwo FulvousWhistling Ducks which
arian diets.
flewpastRochester's
IrondequoitBay Outlet
counted at Hamlin Beach (AK et aLL Small
Nov. 30 (RS) establishingthe Region'ssecond
Ruffed Grouse populations in both the
Adirondack and Green Mrs., appeared to be
numbers
as
record,three HarlequinDucks off Hamlin
usual,widelyreportedin smallnumbersfrom
Beach (R.B.A.,G.O.S.), and a Barrow'sGolden-
mid-October on and the Kendall Eared Grebe
eyeat NiagaraFalls(B.O.S.).
of
Red-necked
Grebes
were,
continuedthroughmid-August.Also on L.
Ontario near Rochester were two Gannets
Sept.9 (R&SS).Anextraordinary
500DoublecrestedCormorantswere reportedmigrating
over Montezuma N.W.R., Nov. 13 (TL, fide
WB). Giventhe species'
regionalscarcityand
the unusuallylate date the record appears
questionable,
althoughseveralflocksof 20+
birds were noted on L. Ontario earlier in the
A melanistic Killdeer was found near Roch-
HAWKS
THROUGH
SHOREBIRDS
--
Goshawkscomprised507o,
Cooper's5ø70,and
Sharp-shinneds
90%, of theAccipiterstallied
from 17 Vermont hawkwatches. Three Golden
Eaglesweresightedin Vermontand12_+
Bald
Eagles,manyfestooned
with streamers
from
the Montezuma N.W.R.. reintroductionproject, were satisfactorily identified in the
Vt., furnishedthe state'ssecond consecutivefall
Region.Over 100Ospreyweretalliedby Vermont watcherswhile a singlebird at Selkirk
record(m.ob.).Despitetheir abundance in
ShoresS.P., N.Y., Nov. 8 (FS) was rather late.
fall. An imm. Little BlueHeronat Springfield,
158
at their cyclicpeak.A SandhillCranephotographedat Glenora, N.Y. (JB,fide WB) lingeredfor sixweeks.
ester(G.O.S.). Fortunatelyfor observers
melanism appearsto be very rare among shorebirds.E1DeradoShores,longoneof the Reg'•n's
premier shorebirdingsites but inadequately
reportedfrom in recentyears,yieldedseveral
noteworthyrecordsincluding27 RuddyTurnstones(FS) and seven Red Knots (fide LC).
Whimbrelsmadea fair showingwith three at
both Sandy Pond Aug. 30 (FS,DWC) and
RochesterSept. 2 (R.B.A.) and a single at
Burlington Aug. 24 (B&OE). The latter,
American Birds, March 1980
althoughonly Vermont's sixth recordwas the
second this year Five Wlllets flashed past
Kendall, N.Y., Aug. 18 (CP) and anotherwas
at Derby Hill Sept. 15 (FS). Godwits proved
scarcewith only a single Marbled at Monte-
Niagara R, and L Elie Nine Black-legged
Klttiwakesincludingan adult and threelmma-
banded Oct 10 and Com Yellowthroat seen
Nov 11 (WE) in e-c Vermont While none of
tin'es were on e. L. Ontario Oct. 25 (FS), and
these dates are extraordinary they serve as
one to two imm. Sablne's Gulls were at Buf-
falo (m.ob.) plussingleson e. L. Ontario Sept.
good indicators of this fall's mildness. As
usual about six Orange-crownedWarblers
zuma N.W.R.,
15 and Oct. 7 (FS).
were reported.
Oct. 19 (HA) and the max-
lmum of three reportsof HudsonJanGodwit
was six on Hamlin Beach Nov. 14 (WS,,fide
R B.A.). A PurpleSandpiperOct. 31. at Rochester was the earliest of a hall' dozen L. Ontario
shore reports. More than 24 Baird's Sandpiperswere identified. A carefullydescribed
ad Long-billedDowitcherin the companyof
sevenShort-billedsat BurlingtonAug. 13(FO,
JW), might seemextremelyearly for a species
consideredrare in Vermont at any date, but
the specieswas presenton the Long Island,
N Y., shore by mid-July (TD). From one to
three Buff-breastedSandpiperswere found at
six New York locationswith the latest sight-
lngs.bothsingles,
at HamlinOct. 1 (R.B.A.)
and HorseheadsOct. 5 (WH). Only Wilson's
and N. phalaropeswere reported. both in
usual small numbers.
An unidentified alcid whirred past HamIra
BLACKBIRDS
Beach Nov. 14 (WS).
THROUGH
SPARROWS
-- A Bobolink at White River Jct., Vt., Oct 21
OWLS
THROUGH
SHRIKES
--
One of
(WE), provideda late recordfor the state. Five
three fledglingsfrom an Allegany County
Orchard
Barn Owl nestfound dead in Septemberand a
(R.B.A.) wherethe Region'sonly thrivingcolony persists.The species'apparent scarcityin
the remainder of the Regionis extremelypuzzling and it is hopedthat BreedingBird Atlas
Projectsongoingin the Regionwill do muchto
separate real froin apparent range disjunctionsin this and many other breedingspecies
A ScarletTanagerin WoodstockOct. 27 (GE).
and Indigo Buntingat Herrick's CoveOct 11
(WJN) are both exceptionallylate recordsfor
Vermont. Contentwith a superiorsprucecone
crop in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom few
Purple Finches,Pine Grosbeaks,Pine Siskins
or White-wingedCrossbillsventured farther
parentstill in thevicinityin mid-Octoberwere
the only reportsof this, our rarest resident
owl. No invasion of n. owls seemed imminent,
as only two Snowieshad appearedby November 30. A Ruby-throatedHummingbird at
Salamanca.N.Y.. Oct. 27 (FM,fide VP)was
remarkablylate and one wondersif the possibility of it being any other specieswas considered. A N. Three-toed Woodpecker identified on Giant Mt., N.Y. (H.P.A.S.) was the
seasoWssole sighting.The L. Ontario plain
wasembellishedwith severalw. straysthis fall
includingtwo WesternKingbirdsnear Roch-
Orioles were found
on Pt. Breeze
ester (m.ob.) and a Scissor-tailedFlycatcher
S. Where the Red Crossbillswere is anybody's
(CP et al.). It provedto be a banner year for
near SandyPond Sept. 18 - Nov. 3 (FS et al.).
Bothspeciesare veryrare regionally,the latter
sightingapparentlyonlythe third for upstate
ParasiticJaegerson L. Ontariowith the best
New York. Common Raven continued to be
esee and one at Olean brideVP). Although
reports indicated that a nestiugattempt by
guess.Ithaca hostedtwo rarities. a singing
Lark Sparrow Sept. 5 and a Clay-colored
Sparrowsortedout of a huge flock of 2000
sparrows
Oct. 16(SSa,fideWB), nomeanaccomplishmentconsidering
its similarityto that of
imm. ChippingSparrow.Althoughmild conditionskept birds dispersedand made assess-
Ithaca's
Fish Crows was unsuccessful this
ments of abundance even more speculative
summer, four were reported Nov. 17 (DS et
than usual, there is a growingconsensusof
opinionthat Tree and White-crownedsparrows have declined markedly in recent years,
particularlyin the e. portionof the Region.
JAEGERS
THROUGH
ALCIDS
--
Five
PomarineJaegerreportswerereceived,with a
maximum
of three Oct. 14 off Hamlil•
Beach
tally an astonishing202 at Derby Hill Oct. 7
(FS). Perhapsthe mostsurprisingreport howeverwasof an exhausted
immatureeatingearthworms in an Essex. N.Y. field Sept. 15
(H P.A.S.). A flock of rare gull sightingswas
submitted from w. New York including a
LesserBlack-backedGull at NiagaraFallsfor
the third consecutivefall; two Black-headed
Gulls (FR,fide B.O.S. and DWC,fide FS): an
lmm. Laughing Gull at Montezuma N.W.R.
sightedin w. NewYorkwithtwoat LittleGen-
al.).
Another mass movement of Black-capped
Chickadee was observedat Braddock Bay in
October (R.B.A.,G.O.S.). It is amazing that
the migratoryhabits of this common,easily
(MT. fide R.B.A.): at leasta dozenFranklin's
in the Buffalo area through November
studied
resident
ParM
are not better
understood. The same could be said of Tufted
(B O.S.)
Titmousewhich,althoughapparentlydownin
w. New York. continuesits phenomenal
increasethroughoutthe e. portion of the
and one at
Rochester (R.B.A.,
G O.S.). A record 60,000 Bonaparte'sGulls
were estimatedon the Niagara R., Oct. 25
brideB.O.S.). Little Gulls continuedto showa
distinctE migrationpath alongL. Ontario to
the St. LawrenceR., and L. Champlain. Populations were still building in the Rochester
area in November as birds moved E from the
Region.Onewasevendiscovered
deepin the
Adirondack Mts., at Chubb R. Swamp, an
area renowned for its boreal avifauna. A Carolina Wren at Brattleboro, Vt.. was an indica-
tion that the speciesis clingingto its foothold
in that state. Swainson'sThrusheswere pass-
The passageof hurricaneDavid and
tropical storm Frederic brought birders
scurryingout in searchof storm-blown
strays.Unfortunatelyfew were rewarded
since most of the storm-assisted fallouts of
southern exotics occurred e. of the storm
track. David however,gracedAlbanywith
11 SootyTerns and four were found dead
in Vermontplus anothersightedon the
Connecticut
left
and two on Pt. Breeze (CP) constitutingthe
onlysightings.
R. While these numbers are
far belowtotalsproduced
in coastal
regions,
they are withoutequalwithin the Region.
Surprisingly
nonecouldbe found,deador
alive, on Lakes Champlain or Ontario.
Frederic
ing overs.c.Vermontat a rate of 6/rain (estimate based on flight calls), throughout the
nightSept.4 (WDN) but onelingeredthrough
Oct. 21 near Buffalo(DF). Only a singleBohemian Waxwingwasfound,at Brockport(CP),
and N. Shrikesonlyput in tokenappearances.
LoggerheadShrikes remained alarmingly
scarcewith a singleat Olean (FM, fide VP)
no exotics but
caused an
VIREOS
AND
WARBLERS
--
No fewer
thail four White-eyed Vireos were noted
includingonebandednear Alfred, N.Y. (EB)
and another on Burton I., in L. Champlain
(RNS et al.), furnishingVermont'sfirst con-
BREEDING
BIRD
ATLAS
PROJECTS
--
A slightdisgression
from fall reportsseemsan
appropriateconclusionas this seasonalsummary will not leavethe pressesuntil spring
The Niagara-Champlain
Regionbecame.with
the advent of the New York State Breeding
Bird Atlas Project,the first AmericanBirds
reportingregionto be totally encompassed
by
Atlasingefforts.I wouldlike to coinmendthe
organizersand participantsfor their ambitious undertaking and urge all readers to
assistin theseprojects.For informationcontact: Vermont Institute of Natural Science,
Woodstock, Vt. 05091 or Gordon M. Meade,
27 Mill Valley Rd., Pittsford•N.Y. 14534.
CONTRIBUTORS
(in
boldface)
AND
CITED OBSERVERS -- Allegany County
Bird Club, R. Andtie, It. Axtell, W. Benning,
E. Brooks, J. Brubaker, Buffalo Ornithological Society,D. Burton, L. Burton• L. Chamberlain,D. B. Clark, D. W. Crumb, T. Davis,
I. Dye, M. Dye, B. Eastman, O. Eastman, G
Ellison, W. Ellison, D. Freeland, Genesee
Ornithological Society, A. Goshell, N. Henderson, High Peaks Audubon Society, W
Howard, A. Kemnitzer, S. Laughlin, G.
LeBoutillier• T. Leger, M. Metcalf, F. Meyer,
W. D. Nichols,I. Nicholson,W. I. Norse, F.
Oatman•OnondagaAudubon'Society,
C. Per-
astonishingconcentrationof Com. Terns
firmed record since 1975. The latter area also
on e. L. Ontario.
and at Sandy Pond/Selkirk ShoresS.P.,
hostedthe Region'sonly Worm-eatingWarbler Sept.9 (RNS). Late lingerersincludeda
SolitaryVireo Nov. 11 in Grafton, Vt. bride
Sept. 15, producedcountsof 3000 and
DBC); a TennesseeWarbler banded Oct. 24
(SSa), lv. Seheider,D. Sibley, R. Spahn, S
7800 birds respectively(FS), both esti-
Spahn,R. N. Spear,W. Symonds,S. Taylor,
mateswell aboveboth last fall's recordtally
(EB), a MagnoliaOct. 20 (FS),Chestnut-sided
Oct. 26 (NH), Bay-breastedOct. 21 (DF), and
on the Niagara R., and past coastalNew
York highs.
Pine Warbler Nov. 3 (FS), Ovenbird Nov. 10
(NH), and Am. RedstartOct. 27 (G.O.S.) all in
ence, J. Wood, R. Yunick -- DOUGLAS P.
KIBBE, Box 422• Saxtons River• Vermont
c. or w. NewYork: plusa MourningWarbler
05154.
While exact tallies were
impossible,
carefulestimates
at DerbyHill
Volume 34, Number 2
rigo,V. Pitzrlck,F. Rew,C. Rimmet,Rochester Birding Association, M. Rusk, S. Sabo
M. Tetlow, Vermont Institute of Natural Sci-
159
APPALACHIAN
REGION
was a really dull month, exceptfor a storm
over the mountains
/George A. Hall
While it was a pleasant and mild autumn
season for both the observers and the birds,
the twooftendid not gettogether.
Onereporter
characterizedthe fall migration as "Dullsville "There is sometruth to this, but perhaps
November
11-12 which
precipitateda good waterfowl flight, and
broughtsomeunusualcoastalspecies
to eastern Virginia. A large numberof migrantsdid
remain quite late. By the end of the period
therewasno signthat therewouldbe anyinvasionof "northern species."
In a normal fall this accountrelies heavily
the season could best be described as neither
on the restfitsfrom the two large banding
verygood,norverypoor,but rather asmediocrewith a numberof verybright spots.
operations. This year Powdermill Nature
Reserve(hereafter,P.N.R.), near Rector, Pa.,
reportedthe bandingof
6346 birds, 12% above
an eight-yearaverage,
and at the Allegheny
FrontMigrationObservatory
(hereafter,
A.F.M.O.),
in Grant
but on only six daysdid the kills go over 10,
and on thesedaysonly 250 birds werefound
LOONS,
GREBES
AND
PELICANS
--
Red-throatedLoons were reported from P I,
Nov. 14-16 (SS,JM,DS), and were early in
Butler County, Pa., Oct. 14 (MV). Common
Loons were more numerous than in most recent
years. Another rarity at P.I., was an Eared
GrebeNov. 11-30 (ph. -- JM&SS),for probably the third state record. A Red-necked
Grebe was reported from Westmoreland
County, Pa., Oct. 13 (TW&JD). Horned
Grebeswere quite commonin the north: 60 at
P.I., Nov. 18 (RFL&ML),
but Pied-billed
Grebes were generally low in numbers. A
White Pelican was seen at Fairlawn, Va., Nov
7-24 (m.ob.).
County,W. Va., only
30S2birdswerebanded,
S0% below a five-year
average.Thesetwofigures alone illustrate the
great
differences in
various parts of the
Region.
RARITIES
--
The
general mediocrity of
the season was enlivened
by a record number of
real
The weather patterns of the seasonwere
quite atypical,and this fact alonecan account
for some areas having poorer-than-normal
and othersbetter-than-normalmigrations.At
the PittsburghweatherstationAugust,September, and October were all cooler than nor-
rarities
in
a
Region which usually
doesnot get many. At
least16 real prizesare
reportedin the following account.Of these,severalare worthyof
specialmention. An exhaustedBlack-capped
Petrel waspickedup at Covington,Va., Sept.
6, a productof David •'de NM). A Surfblrd
wasseenin the spectacular
shorebirdflight at
PresqueIsle S.P., Pa. (hereafter,P.I.), Aug.
mal while November was much warmer than
18, for a first record for the state (JM&SS). A
Wood Storks, Lexington, Va., August 1979
usual. The entire Regionexperiencedmuch
greater-than-normalrainfall from August
throughOctober,but November's
rainfall was
belowaverage.There were few heavyfrosts
even in November, and except for a midOctoberstormthat depositedup to 18 inches
of snowon the West Virginia Mountains and
the Shenandoah
Valley of Virginia, snowfall
wasnegligible.
The September
weatherwashighlightedby
Groove-billedAni wasphotographedin Tazewell County,Va., Oct. 20, for a first staterecord (EK,fide NM). Perhapsthe Ciark'sNut-
Photo/Nell
cracker seen Nov. 4 at the Tuscarora Mt., Pa.
manyyearsGreatEgretshad notbeenappearingin late summeraswasusualyearsago,but
in recentyearsthey have begunto return in
numbersand this trend continuedthis year
with many sightingsthroughoutthe Region
An interestingone was an egret and four
GreatBlueHeronsseenflyingat highaltitude
two hurricanes. In the first week of the month
David movedup the East Coastand brought
heavyrains and somestraybirdsto the eastern
part of the Region,and a weeklater Frederic
came up the MississippiValley bringingthe
rains and straysto the southwesternpart of
the Region.Thesehurricanesinterruptedthe
normal pattern of northwesterlywinds and
producedsomemajor changesin the patterns
of warblermigration.
The first really goodmigratorymovement
cameon a coldfront August11 whichbrought
goodshorebirding
to the Lake Erie shoreand
to
eastern
Tennessee.
Another
cold
hawk lookout(CG) belongsin this category,
but thereis a possibility
that it wasan escape.
The Black-bcllicdWhistlingDuck trappedby
Pennsylvania
GameCommission
personnelat
PymatuningL., Pa., Aug. 26 {fideRFL) was
mostprobablyan escape.
Only two reportersmentioned"tower kills"
of migrants. At Sharp'sRidge, Tenn., Sept.
29-30 about 316 birds of 33 specieswere killed
(MD&LTu). At Youngstown,O., dead birds
wcrc collectedat a TV tower Sept. 6 - Nov. 2,
160
STORKS AND IBISES --
For
over the Mt. Roosevelt Fire Tower near Rock-
wood, Tenn. (CN&JH). Cattle Egrets were
reported from Chattanooga,Tenn., Oct. 26
(LD) and from Dalton, Ga., Nov. 28 for the
latestdatethere(MM). The onlyreportof Little BlueHeroncamefrom Chattanooga
with
12 on Aug. 20 (RS), and a LouisianaHeron
a new county record (R.B.C.). An adult and
one imm. Yellow-crowned
Night Heron were
seenat Waynesboro,Va., in August(RSn)
indicatingpossiblenestingthere. LeastBitternsat AustinSprings,Tenn., Sept.26 - Oct
23 werenoteworthy,and stayeda little late
(GE). A groupof Wood Storkswasnear Lex-
front
Septemberbirds to remain late. November
HERONS,
wasat AugustaCounty,Va., Aug.4 providing
August 23 brought the first good warbler
wave.There were a number of early arrivals.
During Septemberthe migrationwas interrupted by the incessantrains, and the general
impressionwas of a slightly late migration.
Octobermigrantscameat aboutthe expected
times, and the mild weather induced many
Bolen.
ington,Rockbridge
Co., Va., July25 - Aug
29,with a peakcountof 19. Photosshowsome
immatures but the adult:immature
ratio was
not determined (PT,MMo,JH,NSa,R.B.C)
Groove-billed Ani, Tazewell Co., Va., Nov.
4, 1979. Photo/Philip C. Shelton.
An imm.WhiteIbis wasseenat theNickajack
Recreation
Area near Chattanooga
Aug. 13
(KD&LD).
American
Birds,
March1980
WATERFOWL -- The waterfowlflight was
generallyratherhght.The mild weatheroffered
little inducementfor a S flight and thosebirds
that did come by passedthrough the area
quickly.A veryheavyand widespreadmovement of Whistling Swans Nov. 10-11, with
1600 seenat PA. (DS), 1500at PymatuningL.,
Pa. (RFL), 500 at Cheat L., W. Va. (GAH),
300 near Warren, Pa. (WH), and 270 near
Stuart's Draft, Va. (YD. This flight was
about 6000 ft above sea level (GM)
Most
encouragingwas the total of 20 Peregrines
reportedthis fall. Most of thesewere from the
hawk-watching
lookoutsfrom Pennsylvania
to
NorthCarolina
andTennessee
but fourreports
camefrom awayfromthe ridges,four sightings at P.I. (DS), State College,Pa., Oct. 7
(PSi),FayetteCounty,W. Va., Sept.23 (DK&
at A.F.M.O., Sept. 25 (KF), Cove L., Tenn.,
Sept. 26 (CN), and Kingsport,Tenn., Sept.29
(RL). At PymatuningL., the fall concentration
had built up to 7-8000 by Oct. 14 (RFL). A
GW), and most remarkablynear Charleston,
W. Va., Aug. 20 (CB,RS1).Oddly there were
fewerMerlins than Peregrinesreportedwith
only 12 sightings,all at lookoutsexceptone at
Kingston,Tenn., Sept.15 (BS).
There appearedto be a moderate flight of
Goshawks,many at remarkably early dates:
Aug. 15 at Ludlow, Pa. (TG), P.I., Aug. 30
(SS), early Septemberat State College, Pa.
(JVM), Sheffield,Pa., Sept. 15 (NS) and Bear
Rocks, W. Va., hawk station Sept. 16 (GP).
Brant was seen at Stuart's Draft, Va., Nov. 21
The other records were all in late October
(IO&LT).
Nov. 4-26 (m.ob.). Black and Surf scoterswere
the n. part of the Region. Rough-legged
Hawks were not numerousanywherethis year
but onewasseenasfar s. asChattanoogaNov.
12 (LD&KD). At Tuscarora Mt., a total of 33
Golden Eagleswas loggedduring the season,
presentthroughoutthe periodat P.I. (DS).
with a fantastic seven on Oct. 19 (CG). Other
Elsewhere scoters were more commonly
sightingscame froin Rector, Pa., in October
(fide RCL), one shot near Lock Haven in
recordedat a numberof otherplaces,but this
year the swansdid not strayfrom the usual
migratorypath exceptfor one seenNov. 13
near Knoxville, Tenn. (SV). Canada Geese
beganto comeS ratherearlywith a flockseen
Snow Geese more common than
usual, and were reported from Pymatuning
(RFL) and P.I. (SS)on the early date of Sept.
23. A White-fronted
Goose was at L. Arthur
reported than usual: White-winged: Lock
Haven, Pa., 16 on Nov. 13 (PS), Stuart'sDraft,
Va., three on Nov. 12 (YL), presentall fall at
P I. (DS); Black: Lock Haven sevenon Oct. 28
(PS),near Chattanooga,Tenn., one on Nov. 9
(RS); Surf: L. Chillisquaque,Montour Co.,
Pa., 13 on Oct. 5 (SSt), and near Asheville,
N C., three on Nov. 18 (MT).
RAPTORS -- Hawk watching along the
ridgeswassuccessful
this year. In the Knoxville area the season was felt to be the best on
record (SJS),and at Tuscarora Mt., Pa., it was
the fourth best season(CG). A partial sum-
mary is givenin Table 1. Note that Tuscarora
Mt. was the only station to remain in operatlon long enoughto catch the peak of the
Sharp-shinnedflight. These mountain stations are the places where we expect to see
good hawk flights, but in recentyearsattention has been drawn to someareaswell away
fromthe "longridgecountry"whichgetsgood
flights. Often theseoccurwhen the weather
over the mountainsis poor for hawk migration. At Charleston, W. Va., in the "hill country," flights of 1200 Broad-wingeds were
observedSept. 22-23 (AS). The most interest-
lng report camefrom near Pikeville,Ky., also
m the "hill country"where,on Sept.24 a pilot
of a light aircraft suddenlyfound himselfsurrounded by Broad-wingeds.He estimated a
total of 2-3000 birds in all in severalgroups
someof which went out of sight in cloudsat
in
November(fide PS), LookRock, Tenn., Sept.
9 (BS), Elizabethton, Tenn., Oct. 13 (HF),
Harvey's Knob, Va., Oct. 28 (JHo), and one
apparentlysetto winter near Burke'sGarden,
Va. (RP). The most unusualraptor of the seasonwas a MississippiKite at Decatur, Tenn.,
Aug. 24 (RS,LD,KD)
GALLINACEOUS
BIRDS, CRANES AND
Kingston,Tenn (SJS)Someof the highlights
of the seasonfollow(relegatingto the unmentionedlist suchusuallynoteworthyspeciesas
Black-belliedPlovers,Stilt Sandpipers,and
Ruddy Turnstone, as well as the more com-
mon species).There was an unusuallygood
flight of Am. GoldenPlovers:PymatuningL,
Sept. 23 (RFL), Montour County, Pa., Oct 1
(SSt),AustinSprings,Tenn., Sept.10-14(second local record-- RK&RL), and severalout-
standinginvasionsinto the Great Valley of
Virginia, Roanoke, two, Sept. 30 - Oct 3
(NM), 13 at Stuart'sDraft Oct. 21-23, 29 &
Nov. 1 (YL), and four recordsin Rockingham
County with 23 on Oct. 13 (R.B.C.).
Otherunusualrecordswere:PipingPlover,
RoanokeAug. 29 - Sept. 5 (NM&MP); Whimbrel, PA., Aug. 25 (SS); Willet, Clinton,
Tenn., Aug. 22 (LTn,SJS),Kingston,Tenn,
Sept. 2-3 (m.ob.); Long-billed Dowitcher
(carefullyidentified), P.I., Aug. 18 (DS),
Greensburg,Pa., Oct. 28 (DSm), and Dale-
ville, Va., Aug. 19-20 (BK,MP); Red Knot,
PA., 1-6 on 5 days Aug. 25 - Sept. 24 (DS),
Saltville,Va., Sept.2-3(TH), Kingston,Tenn,
Sept. 3 (CN,RS,KD,LD); Purple Sandpiper,
PA., Nov. 10-27 (SS,JG,DS);W. Sandpiper,
PA., Aug. 18 (DS), Clinton, Tenn., Aug 12
(SJS,RB);
Buff-breasted
Sandpiper,
PA., Sept
8 (JM) and Sept. 28 (DS), Kingsport,Tenn,
Sept.15-16(RPh&TL), Kingston,Tenn., Sept
8-13 (LTu,SJS,RB); Hudsonian Godwit, P I,
12 on Aug. 18 (JB),and one Oct. 13 (SS); Red
PhalaropeP.I., Oct. 9 (SS);Wilson'sPhalarope
Kingston, Tenn., Aug. 24 & Sept. (BS,SJS,
MD); N. PhalaropeRoanokeSept. 15, 18 &
Sept. 7 (MP), Kingston, Tenn., Sept. 14-15
(SJS),and FayetteCounty, W. Va., Sept 23
RAILS -- Ruffed Grouse populations are
beginning to recoverfrom the recent lows.
Ring-neckedPheasantswere scarcein w. Pennsylvania (PH). Historically this species has
(GW&DK), and Am. AvocetLouisville,Tenn,
11 on Sept. 3 (MD), P.I., six on Nov. 3, one on
Nov. 10 (DS,SS), and Wellsboro, Pa., Nov 5
never done well s. of the Mason-Dixon
(FW).
line
and sothe reportof a tEmalewith 10youngin
the ShenandoahValley, Va., Aug. 3 is of great
interest. No reports of rails came in this season, and the only report of Sandhill Cranes
came from Norris, Tenn., Nov. 29 (WJ).
SHOREBIRDS,
GULLS, AND TERNS --
This Regionhasvery few placeswherethere is
good shorebirding,but this year, more than
any recent one, there was a remarkable number of unusualrecords.Usuallythe bestshorebird locationis PA., on the s. shoreof L. Erie,
but this year on Aug. 18, this stationhad one
of the mostspectacularflightseverseenthere.
In five-hours time on the heels of a storm 463
shorebirdsof 20 species(includingthe Surfbird mentioned above) were listed (JM&SS).
Frederic brought a number of shorebirdsto
Sabine's Gull, Presque Isle S.P., Pa., Oct
15, 1979. Photo/DonaM B. Snyder.
Some large concentrationsof grounded
Ring-billedGulls werereportedat Lewisbing,
W. Va. (CH), and the ShenandoahValley on
the heelsof the stormNov. 11-12that brought
other waterbirds
Tuscarora Mt., Pa. (CG)
Beam Rocks, Pa. (RCL)
Hooversville, Pa. (GRS)
AlleghenyFront, W. Va. (GP)
Peters Mr., W. Va. (GH)
Charleston, W. Va. (AS)
BlueRidgeParkway,N.C. (MT)
Mendora Tower, Tenn. (TF)
Rockwood Tower, Tenn. (SJS)
Chilhowee Dam, Tenn. (SJS)
Look Rock, Tenn. (SJS)
Volume 34, Number 2
Days
Obs.
Total
87
14
-17
11
17
7
16
3
4
9
8248
241
302
3125
4315
3110
449
8286
1304
4105
1275
Oct. 15 (found moribund --
Sh.-sh. Br. -wg.
3010
88
65
45
65
55
98
40
9
1
22
to that area. As usual the
rare gulls came from L. Erie at P.I.: Sablne's
Table 1. Hawk Migration, Fall 1979
2739
82
181
2937
4181
2945
257
8213
1270
4053
1024
Br. -wg.
High
720 (9/17)
63 (9/9)
181 (9/9)
806 (9/12)
1593 (9/15)
1151 (9/24)
203 (9/29)
3407 (9/17)
1100 (9/26)
3726 (9/29)
888 (9/23)
AC), Lesser
Black-backed
Sept.8 & 15 (possibly
onlyfourth
state record --
SS&DS), Franklin's Oct 25
(SS),Little Nov.24 (CZK), and an earlyGlaucousNov. 25 (SS). This year there were two
other interestinggull reports:from Kil•gston,
Tenn., wherea LaughingGull wasseenSept
14-15 (SJS&RB) as a result of Frederic and
from Bell County, Ky., where a Frankhn's
Gull was seenOct. 13 (PA). Caspian Terns
were more common than usual and Forster's
Ternswerereportedfrom P.I., 15 on Aug 14
and oneon Oct. 24 (SS),Clinton,Tenn., Aug
23 (DT,LTu), and S. HolstonL., Tenn., five on
Sept.29-30 (RL).
161
CUCKOOS, OWLS AND NIGHTHAWKS
-- Both species
of cuckoowere,n low numbers and as usual there was a number of late
October records for Yellow-billeds. Screech
Owlsaremakinga comeback
fromthe decima-
The
Brown-headed
Nuthatch
returned
to
Waynesboro,
Va., m Octoberafterbeingabsent
during the summer (RSn). Brown Creepers
werein better numbersthan last year but are
stilllowfollowingthe wintermortality.
tion of recent winters but still remain at low
numbers.A Short-earedOwl at P.I., Sept. 29
(JB) was rather early, and a Long-earedOwl
washeardcallingNov. 28 nearWise, Va. (RP).
The onlyreportsof largeconcentrations
of
Com.Nighthawks
camefrom Troutville,Va.,
1146Sept.4 (BK) andfromtheKnoxvillearea
(CN) but there were severalremarkably late
s,ghtmgs:
StateCollege,
Pa.,Oct. 21 (KJ),Pittsburgh Oct. 18 (MV) and KnoxvilleOct. 12
(CN).
WOODPECKERS,
FLYCATCHERS AND
SWALLOWS
-- The Red-bellied Wood-
peckercontinuesto increasein numbersin w.
Pennsylvania
whereit had beenunknownuntil
recently,one being seenin Erie County Oct.
15 (DS). There were more reportsthan usual
of migrating Red-headedWoodpeckersbut
sapsuckerswere very scarce,with several
localitiesreportingnone seen,and only one
bandingeachat P.N.R. (RCL) and A.F.M.O.
(GAH).
The E. Phoebewas felt to be in very good
numbersin the Pittsburgh
area(PH) andband-
ingsat P.N.R., wereup 17%(RCL).Most of
the other flycatcherswere in lower-thannormal numbers.At P.N.R., only 90 (8-year
av = 140) Least Flycatcherswere banded
(RCL), and several localities commented on
the scarcityof E. Wood Pewees.Olive-sided
Flycatcherswerereportedfrom P.N.R., Sept.
8 (RCL), Murraysville, Pa., 17 on Sept. 9
(RBy), Bear Meadows,Pa., Sept. 16 (RW),
Unaka Mt., Tenn., Aug. 25 (ES), Trout L.,
N C, Aug. 28 andLinvilleFalls, N.C., Sept.8
(TH&RSt).
There were late dates for migrating swal-
lows: Purple Martin, Elizabethton,Tenn.,
Sept. 7 (GE), Cliff Swallow, Slippery Rock,
Pa, Oct. 11 (DH), Tree Swallow, Elizabethton
Nov 5 (GE) and Barn Swallow, Harrisonburg,
Va, Oct. 6 (R.B.C.), Knoxville Oct, 14 (BS),
three in below-normal numbers (PH). There
was little consistencybetween stations as to
WRENS, MIMIDS
AND THRUSHES
--
Most reportersfound House Wrens to be in
low numbers, even after what seemed to be a
good breeding season, and while Winter
Wrens were below normal, they too have
begunto recoverfrom the winter mortality.In
the n., Carolina Wrens are still in very low
numbers, but at least there are some, in con-
trast to last fall, while at Elizabethton,Tenn.,
they werefelt to be in goodnumbers(GE). In
recent years it has become apparent that
Short-billedMarsh Wrens may well arrive in
this Regionin late summer,and indeedmay
nestthen. The previouswhereaboutsof these
birds is unknown.This year severalappeared
at L. Arthur, Pa., in Julyand August(PH), two
appearednearP.N.R., Aug. 4 (JL).
Mockingbirds are increasing near Lock
Haven,Pa. (PS) and werereportedfrom Sheffield, Pa., in October and November (NS). The
migration of spottedthrusheswas generally
very good. At P.N.R., 536 (average, 224)
Swainson'sThrushes and 103 (average,31)
Gray-cheekedThrusheswere banded (RCL).
Wood Thrushes were also banded in above
which speciesbelongedto which category
However, it was generally agreed that the
Cape May, Bay-breasted,and Tennessee-the notorioussprucebudworm specialists-were in good numbers.At A.F.M.O., Blackpollswereabout 50% of normalnumberswith
only 238 banded. It is thought that these
reducednumberswere causedby the change
in generalwind patternsduring the fall, and
notto a reducednumberof birds goingS. This
samesituationprobably accountsfor all the
A.F.M.O. resultsand points anewto the hazardsof inferringbird populationsfrom banding stationresults.There were someverylate
sightings:TennesseeNov. 25 at Waynesboro,
Va. (RSn), Yellow Nov. 10 at Clarksville, Pa
and Nov. 17 at StateCollege,Pa. (DB),Mourning Nov. 17-22 at Waynesboro(RSN), as well
as a great many mid-October records for
many species.
ICTERIDS
AND
TANAGERS
--
Some
late dates for Bobolinks were reported: Erie
N.W.R., Pa., 15 on Sept. 24 (RFL), Pigeon
Forge, Tenn., 20 on Oct. 13 (BS&SJS),and
normal numbersthere. In August three sing-
70-75 at Jonesboro, Tenn., Oct. 23 (RK)
ing Hermit Thrusheswerefound in Mohican
S.F., AshlandCo., O., well away from the
knownbreedingrange(JB).EasternBluebirds
wereveryplentifulin the n. part of the Region.
Three Brewer'sBlackbirdswereseenat Wise,
Va., Oct. 19 (RP). An interestingreport wasof
a flock of 12 Scarlet Tanagersfeedingin a
backyardat Warren, Pa., Oct. 6 (WHi).
KINGLETS,
WAXWINGS
AND VIREOS
-- Both kinglet speciesare making a strong
comeback
and while
some areas still noted
shortages,at P.N.R., bandingswere up 37%
for Golden-crownedsand 6% for Rubycrowneds(RCL). Two early reportsof Rubycrownedswere AlleghenyCounty, Pa., Aug.
16 (WHa) and A.F.M.O., Sept.9 (GAH). The
A.F.M.O.
record adds to the idea that there is
an undiscovered
breedingpopulationin those
mountains.A verylate Blue-grayGnatcatcher
AustinSpring,Tenn., Oct. 23 (GE), Washing- was banded at Ona, W. Va., Nov. 27 (LW).
South at least to Harrisonburg,Va., the
ton County,Pa., Oct. 25 (RI), and Chattanooga,
Tenn., Nov. 3-5 (LD,KD,RS).
Regionwas "overrun"with Cedar Waxwings
throughoutmostof the fall. At P.N.R., a total
CORVIDS,
TITMICE,
AND
NUTof 983 wasbandedduringthe period (RCL).
At Elwood City, Pa., severalBohemian WaxHATCHES -- The Blue Jayflight was a little
wingswere seenin a flock of CedarsNov. 11
later than usual but along the mountain
(JLe&MK).
ridges.At A.F.M.O. the flight wasvery good.
In past reports I had expressedsome conTwo high counts that were submitted were
cern over the decline in Yellow-throated
1275 at TuscaroraMt., Pa., Sept. 29 (CG) and
Vireosbut whiletherewereonlyfour sightings
1500 at Chilhowee Mt., Tenn., Oct. 30 (SJS).
Common Ravens continue to increase in n.
in the Pittsburgharea (PH) at both A.F.M.O.
and P.N.R., six were banded while a normal
and c. Pennsylvania
with four sightingsin the
year would see one or none. Solitary Vireo
Warren area (WH) and two in Lock Haven
bandingswereup 31% at P.N.R. (RCL).There
Sept.9 (PS).
weremanymorereportsof PhiladelphiaVireos
There was a modest S flight of Blackthis fall awayfrom bandingstations,and the
cappedChickadeesin mid-November.This
flight of Red-eyedVireos was thought to be
flight extendedat least as far s. as Morgangoodat mostplaces.
town (GAH) but was not a major incursion,
although150-200were seennear Exchange,
WARBLERS
-- Warblers are the most
Montour Co., Pa., Nov. 24 (SSt). Tufted Titcharacteristic
groupof birdsfor the Appalamice appearedto be in above-normalnumchiansbut during each migrationa compiler
bersin w. Pennsylvaniaand n. West Virginia.
The summer populationsof Red-breasted is facedwith an almosthopelesstask of summarizingthe highlyvariablereportsfrom varNuthatcheshad been good on Roan Mt.,
ious parts of the Region. Considerthat at
Tenn. (GE), but the S migration was very
poor Many areascommented
on their absence, P.N.R., of the 31 speciesbanded,threewerein
averagenumbers, 11 were aboveaverageand
nonewere bandedat A.F.M.O. and very few
17 were below (RCL), while at A.F.M.O., of 17
were heard flying by that mountain station.
162
specieshandled •n large numbers16 were •n
belowaveragenumbers,rangingfrom40-50%
of normalnumbers(GAH). At Pittsburghfour
specieswere noted as in above-normaland
FRINGILLIDS -- In late Augusttwo flocks
of Blue Grosbeakstotalling about 50 birds
werefoundnearWeston,W. Va. (ESe).A pair
with youngwasfoundin AugustaCounty,Va,
Aug. 23 (R.B.C.)and therewasa reportfrom
RockfishGap, Va., Sept.3 & 10 (RSn).
A verylateIndigoBuntingwasseenat Bundy's
Beach, Pa., Nov. 19 (RFL&ML). Dickcissels
were reported from East Erie, Pa., Oct. 11
(DZK), Boone City, N.C., Oct. 12 (TH),
Blacksburg,
Va., Oct. 13(CK&JMu),andButler, Pa., Oct. 30 (MG).
Aboutthe onlysignof any influx of "northern finches"wasthe moderateflight of Evening Grosbeaks which appeared in early
Novemberand by the end of the period had
penetratedthe entire Region.There wereno
large concentrations,
and the early arrivals
were mostlyseenflying overrather than at
feedingstations.Purple Fincheswere generally
in goodnumbersin October, but at P.N.R,
the flightwaspoor(RCL). Therewasonlyone
reportof redpolls:12 at Sheffield,Pa., Nov.26
(NS)and onlyfour of Pine Siskins:Pittsburgh
Sept.12 (MV), StateCollege,Pa., Sept.13-26
andthenagainin November(KJ),Gatlinburg,
Tenn., Nov. 9 (JMn), and s. Knox County,
Tenn., Nov. 18 (BS). The only reportsof Red
Crossbillscame from Newfound Gap, Tenn,
in October(cN), and from two placeson
Shenandoah
and AlleghenyMts., on the Virginia - West Virginia border. An immature
was seen there in August (R.B.C.). House
Finchescontinueto thrive asillustratedby the
75 seenfeeding at Blacksburg,Va., Nov. 3
(CK) and about 25 at one feeder in Johnson
City, Tenn. (HD) A Eur. Goldfinchat Erie,
Pa., Oct. 11 (JA)wasmostprobablyan escape
Lark Sparrowswere seen at Wesset, N.C,
Sept. 1 (SJS)and at Blacksburg,Va., Oct. 13
American
Birds,
March1980
(CK). Two other rare sparrowswere Sharptailed at PA., Sept.28 & 30 (DS,SSJF) and Le
Conte'sat Staunton,Va., Oct. 10 (during the
earlysnowstorm
-- YL) and at Stuart'sDraft,
Va., Oct. 13 (RSn). Tree Sparrowswere very
scarceat mostplaces,and the White-crowned
Sparrow flight was poor. At Morgantown,
Song Sparrowswere unusuallyscarceand
White-throatedSparrowswere in low numberscomparedwith recentyears.
CONTRIBUTORS
--
Pierre
Aliaire,
Richard Almy, Julia Appletree, Clinton
Kathleen Finnegan, Tom Finucane, Jim
Flynn,Carl Garner,MargueriteGeibel,Norris
Peake (RP), Glen Phillips, Rick Phillips
(RPh),FrankPreston,
Mike Purdy,Rocking-
Gluck, Jim Gray, Ted Grisez, Tom Haggerry,
hamBird Club (R.B.C.),Glen& Ruth Sager
Anne Hamilton, Dennis Hamm, Walter Ham-
(GRS), Norm Samuelson,N. Sauder(NSa),Ed
Schell.Paul Schwalbe,ElsieSeese(ESe),Anne
mond (WHa), Charles Handley, John Hen-
inger, Paul Hess,William Highhouse(WH),
William Hill (WHi), JoyceHolt OHo), Joseph
Howell (JH), J. Huntley 0Hy), GeorgeHurley
(GH), Roy Ickes, Wesley James, Katharine
Jones,Clyde Kessler. Edwin Kinser, Barry
Kinzie. Rick Knight, Don Kodak, Charles&
Zettie Krantz (CZK), Mary Kruth, YuLee
Larner, Tom Laughlin, Mary Leberman,
Shreve(AS), Paul Sindelar(PSi), Roy Slack
(RSI), DennisSmeltzer(DSm), Don Snyder
(DS). Ruth Snyder(RSn),StanleyStahl(SSt),
Anne Stamm,BarbaraStealman,StephenJ.
Stealman,Jerie Stewart,Roger Stone(RSt),
Randy Stringer(RS), Sam Stull (SS),Leonard
Teuber(LT), MichaelTove,DaveTurner,Linda
Turner (LTu), P. Turner, Marc Vander Ven,
Sam Venable. Forrest Watkins, Ted Weller,
David White, Cora Williams, Leon Wilson,
Banks,William Bartolo,Cathie Baumgartner
Robert C. Leberman, Ronald F. Leberman,
(CB), Jim Baxter 0B), Robert Beck (RB),
JohnLersch0Le), Richard Lewis, Jay Lough-
Ralph Bell (RBe), Dorothy Bordner,George
Breiding, Jim Bruce (JBr), Richard Byers
(RBy),Anne Castde,CharlesConrad,Marcia
ton. -- GEORGE A. HALL, Divisionof Forestry (Mail Address:Department of Chem-
Davis, Helenhill Dove, Ken Dubke, Lil Dubke,
lin 0L), JoeManley (JMn), GeorgeMayfield,
John & Vera McGuire UVM), Jerry McWilliams (JM), Mary Meidinger, NorwoodMiddleton,M. Moger(MMo), JohnMurray (JMu),
JulietDunsworth,Glen Eller. Harry Farthing,
Chuck Nicholson. Isabel Obenschain, Richard
WestVirginia 26506.
WESTERN
GREAT
Peninsula
LAKES
Exceptionally wet weather characterized
August. At its conclusion many areas had
received7-11 inchesof rain. Septemberproved
to be a sharp contrastas there was almostno
precipitationduringthe month.For example,
Madison recordedonly 0.11 inch of rain while
had an almost unbelievable
0.02
substantial numbers, a
situation similar to last
year's migration. Redthroated
Loons were
found
in
Wisconsin
where two-three were
seen intermittentlyOct.
above normal.
20 - Nov. 4 in Ozaukee
October
and Novem-
ber saw a return to more seasonalprecipitation. Temperaturesfacilitated considerably,
as periodsof Indian Summeralternatedwith
late fall/early winter conditions.In contrastto
previous autumns there was a minimal
amountof snowat the period'sconclusion.
Unanimity was expressed by reporters
about the lackluster migration this autumn.
Major waveswere almostnonexistent,
undoubtedly owingto an absenceof strongfronts passing through the three states.This was especiallytrue duringSeptember,whichasnoted,
was exceptionally devoid of precipitation.
Unfortunately, this is the prime time for
passerinc
movement.
During the season there were unusually
goodconcentrations
of waterfowlthat lingered
longer than usual. The shorebird migration
wasgenerallya disappointment,with August
being too wet and Septembertoo dry. As is
becomingcustomary,gullsprovidedconsiderable excitement, especially in Michigan.
Thrushesseemeduncommonlyscarcethis fall,
while the warbler flight was characterizedas
varied.Finchesprovedshockinglyscarcethis
year! While last autumn's movement was
characterizedas poor, it looked good compared to this year's. Only Red Crossbillwas
presentthroughoutthe Regionin respectable
numbers.The sparrowflight provedunusually
good,espeeiallyin Wisconsinand Michigan.
Despite this apparent lacklustermigration,
the customary number of exciting finds
appearedduringthecourseof theseason.
[In the following report, italicized place
o
remainderof the Region
failed to discover any
inch. Temperatures
duringthe month averaged
However
MAN.
numbers
of
Corn.
Loons.
However
the
/Daryl D. Tessen
Milwaukee
istry),WestVirginiaUniversity,Morgantown,
(hereafter,
LP.),thatreported
good
REGION
RickWiltraut,MerrillWood,GaryWorthing-
(DT,DG,RH)
Madison's
and on
L. Mendota
• VfORTHINGTO•
where three were present Nov. 18 (AS). In
Michigan two were at
St. JosephNov. 7. Rednecked Grebes remained
at their Rush L., Winnebago,Wis., nesting
site until mid-September(TZ). Migrant Rednecked Grebes were seen more frequently
than usual this autumn in Michigan, with a
total
of 12 birds in seven counties.
Horned
early Novemberin Muskegon (GW) and Mar-
quette(GBa et al.), plusan exceptionally
late
individual Nov. 29-30 in Bay (VJ). One of the
Marquette birds spent the nights in a cow
barn! For Minnesota
about ten birds were
Grebes lingered into Decemberin Jefferson
and Milwaukee, Wis. Michigan had Eared
foundin the n.e. part of the state,primarilyin
Grebes in three locations.
record departure date for Great Egret was
recordedin Wisconsinwith the sightingof one
Nov. 27 in Oconto(TE). A SnowyEgret was
found in s.e. Michigan Aug. 12 (TW) while
birds were located at two sites in Minnesota,
Big StoneN.W.R. in September(C&MB) and
JacksonAug. 14 (RJ). SeveralYellow-crowned
Night Heronswere found in the Regionwith
one in Michigan'sWayneduring September
(TC), two-three in Wisconsin's Horicon
N.W.R., and Milwaukee during August and
September(MS,DG,DT) and at least one in
Minnesota'sBig StoneN.W.R., Sept.6 (C&
Two were in Mus-
kegonAug. 17 - Oct. 28 (m.ob.); two in Newago Sept. 1 (ES) and one Oct. 29 in Washtenaw (BS). In Wisconsin one was discovered
Aug. 22, in the Milwaukee harbor area (JI),
remaininguntil the end of September(m.ob.).
A W. Grebelingeredon Madison'sL Wingra
Oct. 13-23 (RH et al.). Two White Pelicans
presentduring the summerat the Shiawassee
N.W.R., Saginaw,Mich., remainedthrough
August (m.ob.). One was found in Wood,
Wis., Sept. 17 (DF). Late Double-crestedCormorants were found Nov. 23 at Rochester,
Minn. (JBo,J&SD) and Nov. 26 at LaCrosse,
Wis. (FL).
the Duluth area Oct. 30 - Nov. 7 (m.ob.). A
MB).
A late Am. Bittern
was in Milwaukee
Nov. 24 (JI).
One to two Little Blue Herons were found
on a flooded field n.w. of Beaver Dam, Wis.,
WATERFOWL
-- Several areas in Wiscon-
Aug. 8-23 (m.ob.). Birds remained at Big
StoneN.W.R., Minn., into September(C&
MB). Wisconsinhad Cattle Egretslingeringin
the usual sitesof Brown until Sept. 18 (EC)
sin sighted500+ WhistlingSwanswith a maximum of 3000 along the MississippiR., in
Buffalo Nov. 10 (JP). Major Canada Goose
concentrations in the Region included
and Dodge, Oct. 14 (m.ob.). Additional birds
werefoundin SheboyganandMilwaukeedur-
25,000+ at Shiawassee N.W.R., Mich., and
71,000 at Horicon N.W.R., Wis. The latter
inglateOctober.HoweverbothMichiganand
Minnesotahad unusuallylate sightings.In
number is in marked contrast to the 200.000_+
were several placesin Michigan's Upper
Peninsula(hereafter, U.P.), and upper Lower
Michigan birds were found in late October -
namesare counties.]
LOONS THROUGH
Volume 34, Number 2
HERONS
--
There
that characteristicallyassembledonly several
years ago in the Horicon area. Thousandsof
163
remarkable Nov. 25 at Manitowoc. Wis. (CS).
Late were Dunlins in Madison and Milwaukee
Nov. 25. WesternSandpiperswere reported
t¾omall three states.Michiganhad single
sightingsat MuskegonAug.8 & 25 and Sept.
14 & 27. pinsa remarkablylateNov. 2 sighting in Marquette (N1).Wisconsinhad observationsof singlebirdsat MadisonAug. 2 & 26
and Sept. 3, in OutagamieAng. 5, and in
Dodge Sept. I. Minnesota had two record
departuresightings
with Onein Duluth Sept.
Barnacle and Canada geese, Allegan State
Ad. and imm. Ross' Geese,Allegan State
Game Area, Mich., Oct. 25, 1979. Photo/
Game Area, Mich., Oct. 28, 1979. Photo/J.
James Portshair.
Ponshair.
Canadas lingered in many spots throngrout
the Region well into December. undoubtedly
owing to the mildnessof the season.Five
Brant were carefully studied along the
4 (MK). representingonly its fourth record.
An ad. Ferruginous Hawk was carefully
NineteenGolden Eaglesweretallied at Hawk
(m.ob.). Several Hndsonian Godwits were also
Wisconsin R., in Dane Nov. 17 (RH). Two
Barnacle Geese were discovered at Fennville,
Ridge this autumn while Wisconsinhad three
foundin the BeaverDam areafromlate Sep-
sightings.Unusuallylate was an Ospreyin
Chippewa.Wis., Nov.27 (JP).The rareGyrfal-
tember to mid-October(m.ob.). pins one in
Marinetie Aug. 11 (HL). In Michigana Marbledwasin M•mroeAug.2 IDF),whileHudsonians were in Newago Sept. 18 (ES), and
Mich., by Payne Oct. 22. where they subsequentlywere photographedand seen by
many others.This representsthe fifth state
record. While Michigan observersfelt these
representedwild rather than escapedbirds,
the
record
of
an
individual
seen
in
late
September at Wisconsin'sHoticon N.W.R..
wasrejectedin part owingto the possibilityof
it being an escapedbird. The only Whitefi•ontedGoosereport came from the Hoticon
N.W.R., where one was present Sept. 25-26
(RD
et al.).
While
several hundred
Snow
Geesewere reported from several Wisconsin
and Michiganlocales.the latter statealsohad
a concentration
of I000+
at Shiawassee
N.W.R..
Oct. 22-26 (BJ) and 2100 in Mus-
kegon Nov. 23 (JPo). Unusually early was a
flock of 75+ in Minnesota'sLeSueur Aug. 14.
The extremely rare Ross' Goose appeared
twice in the Region. One was shot dm'ing
October in Kittson, Minn. fide CH), represent-
ing the eighth state record. Two were discoveredin Michigan, again at FennvilleOct.
27 (JFo).They remained until Nov. 12 during
which time they were photographedand seen
by many observers.This representsthe state's
first record. Inland Oldsquawswere noted in
Muskegon and Mason, Mich. Harlequin
observed Oct. 2 in Marshall.
Minn.
(NH).
con was observed in St. Louis. Minn., Nov. 10
(KE) and an immature appearedat the Mnskegon. Mich.. wastewater system Nov. 16
(JW). remainingthroughNov. 24 (m.ob.). For
Wisconsin the very.rare Prairie Falcon was
observedat SuperiorSept. 16 (JD) while Minnesotahad three sightings:Sept. 30 at Hawk
Ridge (KEI, Oct. 7 in Traverseand Oct. 21 in
Wilkin (SM). The PerewineFalconflight this
fall inclndedsix in Michigan. 14 in Minnesota
and 65+ in Wisconsin.
GROUSE THROUGH RAILS -- Spruce
Grouse were reported from Dickinson and
Lute. Mich., and Forest, Wis. Solitary
sightingsof King Rail came from the Erie
Marsh area, Mich., Aug. 25 (TW) and Horicon N.W.R., Wis., Sept. 12 (RD). Yellow
Rails were fonnd in Minnesota, Ang. 25 in
Anoka (KL)and
Oct. 7 in Itasca (TL).
SHOREBIRDS -- Piping Ploversappeared
in Milwaukee Aug. 2 & 27 (DG). In Michigan
they were observedin Emroeft Aug. 26 (VJ)
and late sightingswere in Monroe Oct. 20
(TW) and Berrien Oct. 26 & 28. Tardy Rnddy
Turnstones included one at Duluth Nov. 3 (RJ)
Ducks were found at Grand Marais Oct, 20-21
and Milwaukee
(D&GW)
unusualnumberof Whimbrelsightin• in the
and Duluth Nov. 23 (SH) while in
Nov. 8 (DG). There was an
Wisconsin sightings occurred in Milwaukee
Nov. 18 (JF) and Pepin Nov. 25 (RH).
Michiganand espedallyWisconsin
experienced
an excellent scorermovement.All three spe-
Region. Duluth had several birds in late
cies were recorded
birds
in both states with
most
Augnst - early Septemberand again in late
September. Michigan had single sightings
from three counties. In Wisconsin a total of 15
from
three
counties was recorded,
sightings during October and November.
includingtwo recordlate individualsin Oconto
Maximum
Nov. 2 (TE). Wisconsin had a total of seven
numbers
included
200
White-
wingedsOct. 18. at WhitefishPt., Mich. (VJ).
and 50- 100 several t Jmes from mid -October to
Willets reported from five counties while
Michigan had ten birds from four counties.
early November in Ozaukee, Wis. (m.ob.).
Several Red Knots remained in the Milwaukee
Maximums for Surfs and Blacks included 41
and 17, both in Ozaukee Oct. 13 (DT).
harbor dnring September, with additional
Wisconsinsightingsoccurringin Dane, Dodge
and Manitowoc. In Michigan a total of five
birds was found in Midland, Muskegon and
Berrien. In Michigan two rare Purple Sandpipers were found in Ottawa Oct. 27-28 (TH
Unusually early were 10 White-wingedsAug.
25 in Sheboygan,Wis. (BV) and one Surf Sept.
26 at Dulnth (KE).
HAWKS
-- The unfavorable weather conditions for hawk movement that existed this
autumn generallydecreasedthe totals of variousspeciesat the Region'sobservation/banding stations.Principally this included Hawk
Ridge at Duluth, and Little Snamico and
Cedar Grove in Wisconsin.There were exceptionsto this pattern as witnessedby the 5S,448
Broad-wingedscounted at Hawk Ridge and
16,985 at Little Suamico this season. A Swain-
sowsHawk was observedat Hawk Ridge Oct.
164
et al.), while Berrien had birds Oct. 23-26 and
30 and in Freeborn Oct. 13 ½RJ).Buff-breasted
Sandpipersuere fonnd in Michigan with a
total of 12+ birds from four counties. Wisconsin totaled 20_+birds in five counties.
A few MarbledGodwitswerepresentuntil
mid-September n. of Beaver Dam, Wis.
Monroe Oct. 13-16 ½EC,AM). The Hndsonian
at Duluth Oct. 4 (KE) representeda record
departure fin- Minnesota. A Ruff was watched
in Monroe, Mich., Aug. 4 (JHaet al.): another
was in Wilkin, Minn.. Ang. 18 (GO) while a
remarkably late bird wasseenin Dodge, Wis..
Oct. 13 (DT). Three Am. Avocets were found
near Beaver Dam. Wis., Aug. 13 (JH) while
severalremained in Milwankee from early
Augustuntil mid-September
(re.oh..ph.). In
Michigan Onewas in Monroe Sept. 3 (AM.
TW) with two in MuskegonOct. 24 & 28 (VJ.
GBa et al.). A Red Phalaropewas found in
MonroeSept.23 (TW). NorthernPhalaropes
were in Muskegondnring Augnstand Septemberwith a maximrimof ten. pins one in
B•v. Mich., dnringearly September.In Wisconsinthisspccics
wasfoundin OneidaAug.
I I (PV). bnt the bestplaceto seeit during
Augnstand early Septemberwasnear Beaver
Dam and HoticonN.W.R. Numbersrangedto
15_+ birds tm.ob.).
LARIDS -- Two Parasitic Jaegers were
found in Duluth Sept. 20. with three unidentified jaegers there Sept. 18 (fide KE). In
Michigan Par•siticswerefound Sept. 22 (one),
and Oct. 6 (two) in Berrien with another Oct.
13 in Senilac (VJ). An additional two unidentified
birds were seen Nov. 2 in Berrien.
A
Glaucons Gull was found in Milwaukee Nov. 4
& 23 (TDB.RH. DG). Michigan had two in
Chippewa Nov. 24 (TH,RM) and one in Betrien Nov. 28. HeatIcyand Morrison also made
a careful study of an lceland Gull and Great
Black-backedGull in ChippewaNov. 24. The
latterbird wasalsoseenNov. 28. ThreeThayer's
Gulls were seen Nov. 17 & 20 at Duluth 0G,
KE). Again this fall the rare California Gull
wasrecordedin the Region,this time at Minnesota'sMille Lacs L., in late Augnst (TS).
The Black-headed
Gull
was found
for the
fourth consecutiveyear in Monroe, Mich. This
year it was seen at the Erie Power Plant Nov.
again in late Novemberlingeringinto December. Horicon N.W.R., had a peak of 300 Pectoral SandpipersOct. 16. with two tardy birds
22 (JK). In contrastto pastautumnstherewas
onlyone LaughingGull .sighting
in the Region,
at Manitowoc
Franklin'sGullswerereportedfromfour Wis-
Nov. 22 (CS). There was an
unusualnnmberof White-rumpedSandpiper
sightingsin all three statesthis fall. Curiously
a nnmberof the observationsrepresentedrecord late dates as witnessedby one Nov. 4, at
Rochester,Minn. 0oF). another Nov. 4 sighting, this from Monroe. Mich. (RS) and a
this in Berrien.
Mich..
consin counties until
Oct.
23 (WB.RS).
late November.
while
Michiganhad reportsfrom threecountiesuntil
mid-November.
In
Monroe,
Mich.,
IS00
Bonaparte'sGulls werecountedOct. 27 (DB).
The Little Gull waspresentduringthe entire
period in Milwaukee, with a maximum of
American
Birds,
March1980
seven.This specieswasfoundintermittentlyin
Berrien until early Novemberand during the
Undoubtedlythe bird find of thisfall wasthe
discoveryof a Iteermann•sGull along L St.
sightings)and apparentlyis holdingits own in
Wisconsin,the Michigan sightingof 20+ in
onetree in Mason Oct. 18 (EG) is noteworthy.
The Carolina Wren was only reported from
Michigan, with lone sightingsin Kalamazoo,
Clair in Macomb Aug. 26 by the Coxs. It was
Bar.rv and Berrien. Most unusual was a Rock
photographedand seen intermittentlyinto
early December(m.ob.).It wasdescribedas a
third-year bird, and representsMichigan's
Wren
first half of November
in Monroe,
Mich.
first record. Black-leggedKittiwakesappeared
observed for several hours in the Mac-
Donald yard in Copper Harbor, Mich., Oct.
29. Mockingbirds were found only in Michigan,with singlebirds in Betrich, Kalamazoo,
a surprisingnumberof timesthis fall, especiallyin Michigan. SinglebirdswereseenOct.
Mason
27 (DB) and Nov. 9 (GB) in Monroe and Nov. 8
(WB) in Berrien while three iramatures were
found Nov. 3 in St. Claire (TH.AR). The
immature found at Grand Marais Nov. 24
Nov. 24 (JD), Minn., andIron Nov. 7 (MB and
Rusk Nov. 28 (RuH), Wis. A Mountain Bluebird was seen in Duluth Nov. c}(MC). A Townsend's Solitaire was at Deer River, Minn..
(KE,JG) representedMinnesota'sfourth rec-
Oct. 30 (MC). Remarkableis the sightingof a
Blue-grayGnatcatcherat Michigan's White-
ord. Milwaukee had 225 Caspian Terns Aug.
28 (DT). A very late Forster'sTern was seen
and Grand
Traverse. Varied Thrushes
appeared in Beltrami Nov. 5 (SM) andDakota
Black-throated Sparrow, Milwaukee Co.,
fish Pt.. on the absurd date of Nov. 25 (WB,
Wis., Oct. 31, 1979. Photo/John ldzikowski.
RS). Numbersof Water Pipits included 120 in
Dodge, Wis., andAnoka, Minn., both Oct. 14,
and 140 in Kalamazoo, Mich. A Sprague's
Pipit was found at Rothsay W.M.A., Minn.,
(M&KH). The Corn. Redpoll wasalsoexceedingly scarce with but two Minnesota, three
Wisconsinand five Michigan reports. The
during late Octoberon L. Winnibigoshish, Sept.2c}(RJ). The only BohemianWaxwings
precedingspedes.Only Red Crossbillwas present this fall in goodnumberswith manysightingsfrom both Minnesota and Wisconsinand
to a lesserdegn'ee,Michigan. Reports commenced in early autumn and generally con-
Nov.24 in Michigan'sMonroe (JAGel al.).
ALCIDS
THROUGH
KINGFISHERS
--
An Ancient Murrelet was shot by a hunter
Cass.The specimenwas turned over to Vermilion CommunityCollegein Ely •fide BT).
This representsonly the sixth Minnesotarecord. Two Groove-billed
Ants were in the Two
Rivers, Wis., area in mid-November with one
found dead Nov. 18 (LH). There was a limited
seenthis fall werein Ta.vlor. Wis., during the
last half of November (SR). Fewer N. Shrikes
weresightedthis fall, especiallyin Wisconsin.
The only LoggerheadShrike report was from
Pine Siskin was also almost as scarce as the
tinued
Winnebago. Wis., Aug. 28 (DT).
into Deeember.
In contrast,
White-
throughoutthe n. and c. partsof the Region,
imm. White-eyedVireo waspresentAug. 19 -
wingedCrossbillwas seenonly four times in
Wisconsin,twice in Michigan and once in
Minnesota.A large finch movementwasnoted
primarily during November.Hawk Owls were
found in all three states. One was leisurely
watched in Copper Harbor, Mich., Oct. 16
Sept. 15 in Kalamazoo, Mich. (m.obd. A Bell's
at Whitefish Pt., Mich.. Nov. 25. It consisted
Vireo was at Jencho,Mich., until Aug. 15.
of 10,000+Am. Goldfinches,a very few Pine
Siskins and Corn. Redpolls, 325 Red and
seven White-winged Crossbills (RS,WB). A
SavannahSparrowat Manitowoc, Wis., Nov.
25 (CS)wasverylate. There werenine reports
of Le Conte's Sparrows in Wisconsin this
autumn. The Sharp-tailed Sparrow was
observedonly in Wisconsin. Three were in
Fond du Lac Sept. 30 (TSc), while Milwaukee
had severalbirdsseenintermittentlySept. 29 Oct. 25 (TDB,DT,JP,JI). A Lark Sparrowwas
found Oct. 10 in Muskegon. Mich. (VJ). In
Wisconsinit was seentwice. Sept. 3 in Pepb•
VIREOS
number of Snowy Owl sightings scattered
(MM et al.). In Minnesota sightingscame
from Itasca Nov. 4 {fide MC), Beltrami Nov. 9
{fideJG) and Duluth Nov. 13 (DA) while Wisconsinhad oneof its infrequentsightings,
this
in Douglas Nov. 21 (BK). Great Gray Owls
continueto appear in n. Wisconsinwith surprisingfrequency.The two birds that spent
the springand summeraroundtheBill Cochrane farm in Foresl remained until early
November.During this time theywerephotographedand seenby severalpeople(DF el al.).
Additional sightings included Aug. 19 in
Washburn (GP,ph.) and early November in
Douglas (BK). Minnesotahad three reports.
all from St. Louis Oct. 25 - Nov. 13 (m.ob.).
Fifteen Short-eared Owls spent much of
November on the n. portion of Hodcon
N.W.R..
Wis. (RD).
Two Boreal Owls were
THROUGH
--
An
Due to the mildness of the autumn there was a
number of record or near-record late warbler
sightings.Minnesota'scontributionsincluded
Nashville Oct. 25 in Duluth (KS), N. Parula
Oct. 7 in Duluth (JG), Black-throated Green
Oct. 7 in Duluth (JG), Blackburntan Oct. 10 at
Mountain Lake (LF) and N. Waterthrush Oct.
23 in Duluth (DA). For Wisconsin near-record
departures were the N. Parula Oct. 5 in Eau
Claire (JP), Palm Nov. 8 in Taylor (SR) and
Com. Yellowthroat Nov. 30 in Waukesha (JB).
Recordlate sightingsincludedKentuckyWarbler in Milwaukee Nov. 3 (DH) and Hooded
Warbler in Waukesha Oct. 4 (JB). An addi-
tionalKentuckywassightedon the morereasonable date of Sept. 11 in Dane (RH) and a
Yellow-breasted
Chat wasseenSept.3 in Pepin
(RH). Michigan had only one late sighting,
that of Blackpoll Warbler Oct. 21 in Clinton
{DM). Of interest were 800 Yellow-rumped
(Myrtlel Warblers found at a Muskegon site
banded at Hawk Ridge, Minn., Oct. 9 and
Nov. 12 (DE). Four thousand Corn. Nighthawks were watched mign'atingover MilwaukeeAug. 29 (DG).
GeneseeAug. 25 (BR).
WOODPECKERS
THROUGH
STARLINGS -- Black-backed Three-toed Wood-
--
peckerswere sightedin four Wisconsinand
severalMinnesotacounties,plus five individualswere seenat Seney,Mich.. Nov. 24. Northern Three-toedWoodpeckers
wereseenAug.5
near Ely (B&DC), Sept. 19-23 in Cook •ide
WARBLERS
Oct. 10 (LW) and a Yellow-breasted Chat in
BLACKBIRDS
THROUGH
BUNTINGS
An Orchard Oriole was still in LaCrosse,
lakeshore Oct. 30. The bird
was remarkably obliging as it fed daily in the
samearea with other sparrows.By the tinre it
waslastseenNov. 10, it had beenphotogn•aphed
and observedby many birders. It represented
only the third state record. In Price. Wis..
there were 1000 Dark-eyed (Slate-colored)
JuncosSept. 25 (MH). There were two exceptionally early Lapland Longspursightingsin
the Region.One wasin Burnett, Wis., Sept.6
(JP)and the otherin Itennepb•,Minn., Fept.8
Marathon, Wis. (K&JL). Smith's Longspurs
came to a Duluth feeder Oct. 25 - Nov. 1 (KE).
were found
Unusually tardy was a Rose-breastedGros-
first wasat Duluth Sept. 19 (KE) and the other
wasin Cla.v Oct. 17(SM). Largeflocksof Snow
Buntingswere lacking in Wisconsinbut present in bothMichiganand Minnesota.For example, 1000 were at Muskegon Nov. 23 (GW)
while an impressive6000 were near Fergus
beak still at a feeder Nov. 30 in St. Clair.
Mich. (SD). A W. Kingbird was leisurely
watched with other passerinesin Iowa, Wis.,
Oct. 20 (AS). A Say's Phoebewas carefully
studiedSept. 10 in Big StoneS.P. (NH), representing only the fifth Minnesota record.
Mich. (DMo). An IndigoBuntingat Babbitt,
Minn., Oct. 12 waslate (TH). EveningGrosbeakswerepresentin goodsizedflocksonlyin
extreme n. Wisconsin,the U.P., and upper
L.P. Elsewherethey were unusuallyscarce.
Also in Minnesota 25,000 Tree Swallows were
Pine Grosbeak
estimatedpresentin Anoka Aug. 16 (KL). A
Black-billed Magpie found Nov. 6 at Big
Region this fall. Michigan had only four,
Wisconsinbut two countiesreportingthem. In
Minnesotatherewereonlysix reports,all from
the n.e. corner. Howeverone representedan
extremelyearlysightingAug. 27, nearDuluth
Volume34,Number2
the Milwaukee
Wis., Aug. 15 {FL). A ScarletTanagerfound
in Milwaukee Nov. 22 (WW) representsa
recordstate departure.A SummerTanager
RJ), both Minnesota, and Nov. 18 in Iron,
Stone N.W.R. (C&MB) was farther s. in Minnesota than usual. While the Tufted Titmouse
continues to be scarce in Minnesota (three
(RH) and Oct. 29 in Milwaukee (DG). The lat-
ter is a recorddeparture date. Wisconsinwas
understandably excited about the Blackthroated Sparrowdiscoveredby Casperalong
was almost
nonexistent
(OJ). Four hundred were counted Nov. 25 in
in Minnesota
twice this fall. The
Falls. Minn.. Nov. 14 (SM).
in the
CORRIGENDUM-- In AB 33:866.a typographicalerror causedthe Kirtland's Warbler
singingmale censustotal to be listed as 310.
The correctfigureis 210.
165
CONTRIBUTORS -- Darryl Anderson,G.
Baldwin(GBa), Glenn Belyea,JohnBielefeldt,
JerryBonKoski(JBo),Walter Booth,Chuck
& Micki Buer, Dennis Burke, Mary Butter-
brodt, Betty& DougCampbell.E. Carhart, T.
Carpenter,M. Carr, GaryCasper,Bill Cochrane, Tom deBoor (TDB), Steve Deming,
JoaneeDempsey.Robert Drieslein, Joel &
Sandy Dunnette.Kim Eckert (Minnesota),
Tom Erdman. D. Evans, Mrs. Loren Fell. Don
Follen. Jim Fowler (JFo}. Joan Fowler (JoF),
Jim Frank, D. Friedman, Ethel Getgood,
Janet Green, J. A. Greenhouse(JAG), Dennis
MIDDLEWESTERN
Gustarson,Don Hahbury, Maybelie Hardy, S.
Hargy, T. Hargy (TH), JudyHaseleu,J. Haw
(JHa). Tom Heatley. C. Henderson. Nestor
Hiemenz. Lorraine Hoffman, Molly & Ken
Hoffman, Randy Hoffman. Rudy Hon (RuH).
John ldzikowski, Nick llnicky (U.P., Michigan), Vic Jansen,Robert Janssen,Bob Johnson. Oscar Johnson,Alice Kelley (s.c. Michigan), J. Kleiman. Bernie Klugow. M. Kohlbry, Ken LaFond, Tim Lamey. Fred Lesher.
Harold Lindberg, Ken & Jan Luepke, Mary
MacDonald, A1 Maley, Doug McWhlrter
(Michigan), Steve Millard, D. Moilaned
observation. For the fall season, 1S0 documentations were received: Illinois, 49; Ohio, 40;
PRAIRIE
REGION
Indiana, 35: Iowa, 18 and Kentucky, 8. In
addition, nine photographswere received.All
documentedrecordshave been denoted by a
/Vernon M. K!een
The 1979fall migrationwasrather ordinary
and lessthan spectacularin most instances.
Observersdid report a fair number of extralimital occurrences,high concentrationsas
well as scarcities. The most common
concern
was the lack of winter finchesand other species that often enhance the fall excitement.
dagger(t). Recordswhich were not satisfactorily documented,but which may be credible
appear in the UNCORROBORATED RECORDS section. The Missouri subregional
report was not received for inclusion in this
report.
As a publicationaide, the followingabbre-
Floodingprovidedexcellentshorebirdhabitat in someareas but inundated good places
normally available to birds and birders.
Shorebirds,as a group,werewell represented
viations have been used in the text: Col. = Colum-
this fall.
M.T.R.
Herons
were
rather
scarce
and
observers
are requestedto recordtotal numbersof eachspecieseverytime they are in the
field. Duckswereratherlate in arrivinginland,
but concentrations
alongthe Mississippiand
Illinois riversmay havemade up for the general lack of birds elsewhere.
Owing to the mild fall, many specieslingeredbeyondlocaldeparturetimes;of course,
testSeptemberever,whileSpringfield.Illinois
recorded the driest ever with no measureable
precipitation.Heavy rains in Iowa in midAugustruinedthe mostproductiveshorebird
areas. Rainfall during the remainderof the
seasonwas sporadicboth in abundanceand
Twain National
Wildlife
strom. Joan Wolfe,
Winnie
Woodmansee.
Thomas Ziebell -- DARYL D. TESSEN, 2
PioneerPark Place, Elgin, Ill. 60120.
Ind., Sept. 8 (BW); 64 at Spfld., Oct. 2 (H);
and 56 at Madisonville, Ky., Nov. 9 (JHa).
The peak of the White Pelican migration
appearedin mid-Septemberwhen 2500 were
presentat Riverton N.W.R., Ia. Ode JD); the
species
first appearedin w. Iowa Aug. 10 (IG)
but elsewhere in mid-September to midOctober
in small
numbers.
Double-crested
Cormorantswere most prevalentfrom midSeptemberto mid-October; >350 were noted
by the U.S.F.&W.S., along the Illinois and
Mississippi
riversOct. 2 (RCr);thespecies
was
Ref-
uge, Illinois: O.W.R. = Ottawa National
Wildlife Refuge; Ohio; Spfld. = Springfield,
HERONS
THROUGH
IBISES
-- Great
Blue Heron numbers seemed rather low and in
Illinois;
and U.S.F.&W.S.
Wildlife
Service.
someinstancesappearedto be takinga downward plunge: the greatest concentration
reported was only of 141 birds at O.W.R.,
Aug. 15(LV); otherconcentrations
wereof 85,
67, 50 40 and 37 birds;we may needto keepa
closerwatch on this and other heron species.
Fifty-five Green Herons were reported from
LOONS
THROUGH
= U.S.
Fish &
CORMORANTS
--
Normal numbers of Corn. Loons passed
through from mid-October on; groupsof ten
Porte County,Ind., Aug. 11 (PG). Indiana's
first fall Arctic Loon was identified in Mont-
gomery County Nov. 7-14 ('l'ABr, fm.ob.).
Therewerefour Red-throatedLoonsreported;
three in Ohio
and one in Indiana.
Of four
Red-neckedGrebes reported only two were
properly documented:Cleve., Oct. 30 and
Nov. 19 (*M) and Iowa City: Ia., Oct. 28-30
(TT, 'I'TSH).HornedGrebespassedthroughin
excellent numbers; 150 were estimated at
Mich. C., Nov. 24 (CK et al.), but at Cleve., a
distribution.
peak of 958 was reached Nov. 18 (M); one
individual had arrived in Allen County, Ind.,
As usual, all extraordinary sight records
mustbe thoroughlydocumented
at the time of
by Aug. 8 (Hawet al.) and anotherat Chicago
by Aug. 30 (JL);the majoritywere notedNov.
8-24. Small numbers of
Eared
two
at
Grebes
(max.
one location)
appeared Aug. 28
(Spfld.) - Nov. 18
(Mich. C.).
Three
W.
Grebeswerereported,all
in w. Iowa in early-tomid November (m.ob.).
Young
Pied-billed
Grebes were still present at L.Cal.. Sept. 23
(JL); the migration
extended September
throughDecemberwith
with concentrations
of
87 at Willow Slough,
166
Daryl TessenIWlsconsln}, Phill Vanderschaegen. Bill Voelkert, Dick & Gloria Wachtler.
Larry Watkinshaw.Tex Wells. GeorgeWicker-
to six birds.
= Mark
or fewer was normal for most inland locations
tribution was abnormal. Flash floods occurred
in the south and Louisville recorded the wet-
Smith. Roy Smith (s.w. Michigan), Charles
Sontag.Bob Storer. K. Sundquist.B. Teffi,
Illinois; Mich.C. = Michigan City, Indiana;
with peaks of 325, 60 and 50 reported; one
bird in breedingplumagewas presentat La
The weather was rather mild for the entire
Schultz (TSc). Allen She& Ellen Slater. Martin
bus, Ohio; cleve. = Cleveland, Ohio; E. St.L.
= E. St. Louis, Illinois; L.Cal. = L Calumet,
a few arrived earlier than anticipated. Spar-
period; however,rainfall abundanceand dis-
Payne, Greg Peterson. Janine Polk, James
Ponshair(JPo -- w.c. Michigan). Bill Ryan.
Sam Robbins.Alan Ryff. T. Savaloja,Thomas
widelyreportedin all statesexceptKentucky
includinga peakof 72 on L. Erie Nov.15(JP);
the majority of encountersincludedfrom one
rows were scarce, and in some cases, almost
absent.The late springmay havebeenresponsible for the extended breeding seasonfor
somespecies.
(DMo), Randy Morrison, Gary Otnes, Tim
Newton,O., Sept.16(WR). The post-breeding
dispersalof Little Blue Herons was not wellmarked; the greatestnumber, outsideof the
E.St.L. colonyarea, was ll at Peoria,Aug. 5
(VH et al.); the species
wasreportedfromall
states,usuallyas singlesor doublesthroughout early August but occasionallyin late
August and early September; however,one
bird remainedin GibsonCounty,Ind., through
Oct. 7 {REr). Cattle Egretsdid not stagea
large post-breedingmovement however,they
were more widespread much later and the
flockswerelarger;the 50+ in Jefferson
County,
Ky., Oct. 28 (DSu) was the largestnumber
everrecordedin the state:groupsof 5-26were
reportedfrom 5 non-nestingIllinois locations
in August, Septemberor October; up to 20
werepresentat O.W.R.. Aug. S (LV) and the
specieswas reported from five Indiana locationsSept.27 - Nov. 13 (m.ob.).The greatest
concentration of Great Egrets was 146 at
O.W.R., Aug.S (LV); the species
wasrecorded
in fewerthan 20 areas.The 14 SnowyEgretsat
E.St.L., near a probablenestingsite, werenot
indicativeof the speciesoccurrenceelsewhere;
in fact. only three other birds werereported,
all in Augustin Illinois. There wereonlya few
isolated encountersof Black-crownedNight
Heronsexceptfor 200at E.St.L., Sept.14(BR)
and 205 at O.W.R.. Aug. S (LV); four birds
were found at four Iowa locations; none were
noted in Indiana. Yellow-crownedNight Heronswere reported as singlesin five scattered
areasin all statesexceptKentucky as pairs in
American
Birds,
March1980
two Ohio localitiesand as a group of four in
Manes County, Mo., Aug. 21 (PS et al.).
American Bitterns were scarcely reported.
Indiana and Illinois locations A typicallarge
numberof Red-breastedMergansersoccurred
in the Cleve., area in November;a peak of
Three dark ibises were encountered: one each
75,000 was recordedthere Nov. 24 (JP).
at St. Louis Oct. 6-7 (RK, m.ob.); Ottawa
County,O., Oct. 9-10 (]-JP)and Port of Indiana, Ind., Oct. 27 (•-KB et al.).
WATERFOWL
--
Mute
Swans
were
reportedaspresentin n.w. Indianafrom summet throughOctoberand may haveaccounted
for the two at Palos Park, I11.,Oct. 25 - Nov.
18 (JL). The greatestmovementof Whistling
SwansappearedNov. 11-12throughn. Ohio,
Illinois and parts of Iowa; the specieswas
THROUGH
FALCONS
--
High countsof Turkey Vultures included100
individualson three occasions:
WabashCounty,
Ind., Sept.22 •de CK); n. AllenCounty,Ind.,
Sept.23 9fideCK); and Keosauqua,Ia., Sept.
15 q[de T); 55 werenotedin Oldham County,
Ky., Nov. 3 (BP). The 80 Black Vultures at
Hopkinsville,Ky., Oct. 2 was a high total
(J-PH).The Mississippi
Kite at Willow Slough,
Ind., Aug. 19 was exceptional(•-TK). Only
four Goshawks were located this fall: three in
ot the regularflight pattern acrossthe n. portions of the Region;two birds appearedat
n. Illinois in early-to-mid October and one in
w. Iowa Nov. 17 (•-JGet al.). Only two flights
hadbuilt upto 179,000byOct. 23 andpeaked
at 230,000+ in early and mid-November;it is
believedthat much of the flock was not present in its traditional wintering area. Two
Brant were noted at Pt. Clinton,O., Nov. 10-21
(J-Jet al.). Commentsconcerningthe duck
migration were variable, but most observers
felt it wasa poorseason,especiallyinland. A
tally of the U.S.F.&W.S. (RCr) weeklyflights
alongthe Mississippi
and Illinoisriversbegin-
rangSept.4 indicatedthefollowingmax.concentrations for each species: Mallard
1,600,000 and Black Duck 29,000 both Nov.
20; Gadwall 16,000 Nov. 13; Pintail 151,000
Oct. 30; Green-wingedTeal 31,000 Nov. 7;
Blue-winged
Teal 42,000Sept.11; Am. Wigcon 230,000, N. Shoveler 3100, Redhead
18,000, Ring-neckedDuck 116,000,Canvasback 194,000and LesserScaup447,000all six
species
Nov. 7; Buffiehead
7300Nov. 13; Ruddy
Duck 3800 Nov. 7; and Hooded Merganser
1600 Nov. 13.
Other individual
records of note included:
Gadwall 700 at Spfld., Nov. 1 (H); 100 at
Louisville Nov. 24-25 (JKr); Green-winged
Teal 951 at O.W.R., Nov. 4 (LV). One European Wigconwasat Streetsboro,O., Sept. 15
- Oct. 26 (J-LRo,m.ob.). Oldsquaw numbers
tncluded 400 at Evanston, I11.,Nov. 22 (RBO)
six at LouisvilleNov. 16 (•-LRa,m.ob.),a good
migrationinvolvingsmall numbersat Cleve.,
Oct. 30 - Nov. 30 (M, m.ob.) and singlesat a
few inland locations (m.ob.). There was one
HarlequinDuck at Mich.C., Oct. 20 (TK).
White-wingedScoter sightingsincluded the
normal small number at Cleve., with a max-
lmum of nine beginningOct. 19 (M), present
at five widelyscatteredIowalocationsincluding a maximumof eight in one area (J-JDet
al.); eightat four inland Ohio areas(m.ob.)
andoneat Oquawka,I11.,Nov.24 (J-LM).Surf
of Red-tailedHawks were reported:49 at
Cherokee,Ia., Oct. 6 (DB) and 17 at Spfld.,
Nov.17 (H). Exceptfor the sixRed-shouldered
Hawks at Louisville Oct. 28 (BP) and five in
SenecaCounty,O., Sept. 18 (JKn),five other
singleswere reported. The largest one-day
total for migratingBroad-wingedHawks was
only 500 birds; the next was 250; there just
were not many flights observed.There were
JamaCounty,Ia., Nov. 13-24(JD). A Virginia
Rail was present at Bedford, Ky., Aug 25
(JY). SingleYellow Rails were encounteredat
Spfld.,Oct. 11 (J-H)and L. LaDue, O., Nov 11
(•-DSt, •-LRo). A Black Rail was flushed from
a Willow Slough,Ind. marsh Sept. 29 (J-KB
•-etal.). YoungCom.Gallinuleswerestill eradent at L.CaI., Sept. 23 (JL) and at Green I,
Ia., Aug. 15 (T). The peaks of 2000 or more
Am. Coot at Madisonville,Ky., Nov. 1 (JHa)
and Spfld., Nov. 2 (H) were insignificantin
comparisonto the U.S.F.&W.S. counts of
852,000 along the Illinois and Mississippi
as slow to e•traordinary.Floodingallowed
Sept.11 (SD) all othersarrivedin Octoberor
excellent habitat at some locations, but ruined
later;oneat Hamlin,Ky., Oct. 6 (JEr)wasearly
there. Three Golden Eagles were reported
from Hamburg,Ia., Nov. 24-25 (IG) and also
from the upper Iowa R., Nov. 24 (tT, m.ob.);
singleswerefound at Illinois BeachS.P., IlL,
existing habitat at others. There were many
early arrivals and large concentrations;therefore, overall,an excellentseason.Owingto the
Oct. 6 (DJ et al.) and M.T.R., Nov. 15 & 24
(•-HW,TBa,VB).Bald Eagleswerefirst detected
on the U.S.F.&W.S. waterfowlsurveysOct. 30
when 43 (24 ad., 19 imm.) were counted; a fall
peak was reached in late November when
>340 werecountedon two separatedays;one
bird had arrived at Ft. Wayne, Ind., by Oct.
24 (Haw); three at MosquitoL., O., by Oct. 6
SHOREBIRDS
-- The season was recorded
wide variety of speciesand numbers of
individualsit is impossible
to recordall of the
detailsfor eachspecies;therefore,the following is a synopsiswhichcould not have been
preparedwithoutall of the individualobservations reported. SemipalmatedPlover was
widespread and most numerous in August
exceptfor the peak of 354 at O.W.R., Sept 5
.(fidePJ); otherhighswerein the twentiesand
thirties.PipingPloversingles
werenotedat
(CJ);andsixalongthe s.w.part of L. Erie Oct.
eight Regionwidelocations,Aug. 1 (Spfld) -
7; an immature had appearedat Streetsboro,
O., by Aug. 5 (LRo) and at Iowa City, Ia., by
Oct. 20 (Miller, Ind.)with a maximum of three
Aug. 4 (•-T, J-TSh);the majoritywasobserved
after mid-November.There was a paucity of
Marsh Hawks.Ospreyswerenot too common:
Ohio 16 birds; Indiana 8; Kentucky 10; Illinois 22; and Iowa 12; there were also six from
the St. Louis area; late departureswere noted
at Cincinnati Nov. 23 (NW) Manito, I11.,Nov.
22 (RKn). Two Prairie Falcon observations
were documented: one at M.T.R., Nov. 27
(•-BR,J-PS)and the otherin LawrenceCounty,
II1., Dec. 2-3 (J-LH). There was an excellent
Indiana; two in Ohio (three others were not
Volume34,Number2
30 - Oct. 3 (m.ob.); casual observationswere
reported from: St. Louis, Mo., Nov. 4 (TBa),
Ottawa County,O., Nov. 4 (J-JP);two at Wfilow Pt. Wildlife Area, O., Oct. 10 (J-JP)and
rivers Nov. 7 (RCr).
this was the "most numerous"
Scoters,usuallyoneto five birds,wereencountered near the shoresof LakesMichigan and
Erie; 11 werepresentat Winnetka, I11.,Nov.
22-23 (JL,RB). The largestinland concentrations of Ruddy Ducks were: 700 at Spfld.,
Nov. 9 (H); 500at Clinton,Ia., Nov. 10 (P); 446
at Findlay,O., Oct. 29 (Fry) and 109 at Mad•sonville,Ky., Nov. 27 (JHa).Flocksof 45-125
HoodedMerganserswere reportedfrom four
Wildlife Area, Ind., in late October (LC),
birds werepresentin the Louisvillearea Aug
29 - Nov. 12 (DP et al.); four adultswerepresent at Chain-O'-LakesS.P., I11.,Aug. 21 (FH),
flightsof 35-67werenotedin n.e. IllinoisSept
Aug. 16 - Sept.9; anotherbird wasdocumented
at Olney, Ilk, Oct. 5 (•-LH). Only a small
number of Rough-leggedHawks penetrated
the Region;exceptfor the oneat Dundee,I11.,
migrationof PeregrineFalcons;hawk observers in n.e. Illinois reportedat least26 during
the period (RCo) and there may have been
more (DJ,m.ob.);two were documentedin n.
scoterspeciesat Mich.C.; there were a few
moreinlandrecordsthan for the previousspecieswith groupsup to six per location.Surf
hill Cranes were present at Jasper-Pulaski
five fall records of Swainson's Hawks in Iowa
Scotersshoweda similar distribution except
for Iowa where none were reported; five were
identified at Louisville Nov. 19 (BP, J-et al.);
of the three
Sept.20 (BR) wereunusual.The wild Turkey
has been "successfully"
restockedin many s
and c. Indiana areas;it has also appearedin
new Iowa locations.An estimated 12,000 Sand-
VULTURES
reportedin smallnumbersNov. 17-24outside
Horseshoe L., Alexander Co., IlL, Oct. 15
(DT). The s. Illinois flock of Canada Geese
scarce,the 40 feeding on an E St L mudflat
documented);one in Iowa (plus one undocumented); and two inland occurrences were
documentedin Illinois; the migrationperiod
lasted Sept. 21 - Oct. 20. There was also a
goodmigration of Merlins; 19 of the 26 sightings were documented;the migration period
lastedSept.7 - Oct. 28 (with two exceptions
-one earlier and one later).
at M.T.R., Sept.16. AmericanGoldenPlover
was reported from only seven areas in low
numbers with a maximum of 20; Aug 4
(L.Cal.) - Oct. 31 (20 at E. St.L.). American
Woodcockreports were few; however,the 50
at Cincinnati Oct. 15 were noteworthy(fide
W). Common Snipe were reported in good
numbersas indicatedby widespreadhighsof
75, 73, 65 and 24 primarily in late Octoberor
November.There were 11 sightingsof Whtm-
brel alongL. Erie (peakof 8) Aug. 6 - Sept 22
(m.ob.);singlesat EvanstonJuly28 (RB) and
ChicagoAug. 30 (JL).Only small numbersof
Upland Sandpiper were normally encountered; however, flocks of 35, 22 and 15 were
recorded in early August; one in Johnson
County, Ia., Sept. 15 was the latest recordfor
the speciesin Iowa (T,TSh).
A breeding-plumaged Spotted Redshank
wasproperlyidentifiedand documentedAug
28 at Huron, O., and provided a first state
record (J-LRo,EE). Red Knot were usually
encounteredin small humbeYs;howeverwere
"too numerousto count"alongL. Erie Aug 2 Oct. 7, with a maximum of 13 at Huron, O,
Sept.11; notedsixtimesnear Mich.C., Sept 7 -
Grousemadea'downtownCleve.appearance
Oct. 20; presentat Chicagowith a maximum
of five Aug. 21 - Oct. 21; and recordedas
Oct. 30 - Nov. 1 (M). Bobwhite remained
singlesat three inland locations during the
GROUSE
THROUGH
COOTS -- A Ruffed
167
first four daysof August There weretwo recordsof PurpleSandpiper.ChicagoNov. 24-25
(•'RB, •'m.ob.) and Erie County, O., Nov. 28
(•JP) Therewasa fairly goodflight of Baird's
Sandpiper
frommid-August
- earlyOctober;a
few birds arrived earlier and departedlater.
Short-billedDowitcherwas reported in good
numbersincluding300 at O.W.R., Sept. 2
OffdePJ). Long-billedDowitcherwas widespreadand in good numbers;the majority
were noted in October including 100 at
O W R., Oct. 23 (J) and 30 at M.T.R., Oct. 13
(TBa) Stilt Sandpiperswere not nearly as
common as in some years; however200 at
E St L., Aug. 29 (RGo) and 100 at O.W.R.,
Sept 15 (DHo); mostwerepresentin August,
but one was identified in Gibson County, Ind.,
as late as Oct. 7 (CM). SemipalmatedSandpiper appeared in expected numbers most
places;1000 at O.W.R., Aug. 11 (J). BuffbreastedSandpipernumberswerelow but had
widespread reports; never more than six
individuals;presentAug. 1 - Sept.22.
There were nine Ohio reports of Marbled
Godwit (max., 8 birds at O.W.R.) Aug. 5 Oct 1 (PJ,JP);onebird at ChicagoSept.9-30
(JL) There were nine Ohio reportsof Hudsonlan Godwit (usuallyof one to three birds, but
21 at Brown Res., Aug. 26 (fide JHi,m.ob.)
Aug 26 - Oct. 27; singlebirdswereat IowaCity,
la, Aug. 4 (T) and E.St.L., Sept. 19-29(•'BR,
mob ). There was one Ruff at E.St.L., Sept. 2
(•'RGo)and onein Erie County,O., Sept.8 (•'J).
There were several inland records of Sander-
ling, but lower numbersalong major lakes;
peak of 30 at L. Chautauqua,II1., Sept. 19
(DF), presentlate July - Oct. 13. American
Avocetwassightedin fourteenlocationsAug.
8 - Nov. 11; all statesrepresented;recorded
mostly as singlesor pairs, but up to six at
E St L., Nov. 1 (BR); two distinct movements
were noted: late July - late August and late
October- early November.Wilson'sPhalarope
appearedin goodnumbersRegionwide;peaks
of 33 at O.W.R., Sept.2 (PJ)and 30 at L.Cal.,
Aug 18(JL);onewaspresentat Spfld.,Oct. 4
(H-rather late); primary migration period:
Aug 11 - Sept.6. NorthernPhalarope
recorded
nineencounters
alongL. ErieAug.5 - Sept.29
(usuallyone or two birds); only a few other
reportsreceived.There werefour documented
recordsof Red Phalarope,all singles;Winous
Pt, O., Oct. 5 (•'JP);E.St.L., Oct. 24-31 (•-BR,
•'RK), Mentor, O., Nov. 5 ($LRo); E. Harbor
S P, O., Nov. 10-11 ($J,JP).
JAEGERS, GULLS AND TERNS -- Two
Pomafine Jaegerswere documented,both at
inland Illinois locations:Alton Nov. 7-9 (•'BR,
•'m ob.); and Olney Nov. 9-11 (•'LH et al.)
includingphotographs.
Five ParasiticJaegers
were mdentified at Mich. C., Nov. 10 (TK,
ABr), anotherat Evanston,II1., Nov. 22 (RB et
werepresentat L Cal, Nov 25 (GR), singles
werereportedfrom Spfld., Oct. 23 & 25 (•'H)
months Saw-whetOwls were scarcelyreported
-- only five birds Oct. 24 (Davenport,la.) -
and Evanston Nov. 22 (RB,JL.). Ohio's first
Nov. 11.
acceptable record of California Gull was
establishedat Huron Nov. 24-25 (•'J, •'RH et
al.). A peak of 75,000Ring-billedGulls was
presentin Erie County,O., Nov. 17 (JP); five
had arrivedat KentuckyLakes, Ky., Aug. 6
(JEr).SingleLaughingGullsweredocumented
at four locations:Monroe Res., Ind., Sept. 2
(•'SG); Cincinnati Sept. 23 (*DSt); Mich.C.,
Aug. 21 (*KB); and Spfld., Sept. 27 - Oct. 3
(•'H). Up to 13 Little Gulls were presentat
Cleve., Nov. 26 (M); the first was noted there
Aug. 5 (RH); two were observedat O.W.R.,
Aug. 11-20 (J, m.ob.); and three different
individualsoccurredat Mich.C., Aug. 12-26
(*PG,KB). Single Black-leggedKittiwakes
were noted at Mich. C., Nov. 2 (•'TC) and
Cleve.,Nov. 30 (M). A photographdocuments
the presenceof a Sabine'sGull at Beverly
Shores,Ind., Oct. 14 (•'KB); the specieswas
also documentedat Spfld., Sept. 18-21 (*H)
and in Erie County, O., Nov. 2 (*JP).
Few observersmentioned Forster's Terns; a
peakof 215 occurredat O.W.R., Sept.2 offde
PJ). CommonTerns were quite scarceeverywhere except n. Ohio where a peak of 4000
NIGHTHAWKS
THROUGH
WOOD-
PECKERS -- The largest flocks of Com
Nighthawkswere notedduringthe last week
of Augustwhen>1000 birds wereobservedat
two locations;otherhigh peaksrangedfrom
200-425birds;smallergroupswereregularly
encounteredbeginningwith the 80 at LouisvilleAug. 8 (BSt)andconcluding
with singles
thereOct. 23 (JEi),CincinnatiOct. 22 OffdeW)
andLafayette,Ind., Oct. 17(DA). A gathering
of 2000 Chimney Swifts was reported from
LouisvilleAug. 7 (JEi); one bird lingeredat
Col.,untilNov.7 (J).The Nov.7 presence
of a
hummingbird
at Urbana,Ill. (IM) wasunusual,
a Ruby-throatedwasstill at Dayton,O., Oct
11 (CMa). It may be that Pileated Woodpeckershave moved into many new areas,
since the speciesis reported more often
Yellow-belliedSapsuckers
werelesscommon
than expected.
FLYCATCHERS
THROUGH
CROWS
--
The 45 and 27 E. Kingbirdsnear CoveMarsh,
la., Aug. 31 (MN) and Streetsboro,O., Aug
27 (LRo),respectively,
werenot indicativeof a
wasnotedat O.W.R., Sept. 2 (fide PJ)and 300
occurredat Cleve.,Sept.23 (DHo); somewere
still presentthereat the end of the period;only
possiblescarcity (m.ob.) this fall. Four W
two birds were found in Iowa all fall. Three
period, Sept. 2-6; two at Woodburn, Ind
LeastTerns appearedat Spfld., Aug. 20 (H);
two arrivedat E.St.L., Aug. 18 (•RK, m.ob.);
and onestoppedat Willow Slough,Ind., Aug.
2 (•'BW). CaspianTernswereapparentlythe
most widespreadof the terns, occurring in
smallnumbersthroughout
muchof the Region;
a peak of 58 occurredat O.W.R., Sept.2 offde
PJ); singlesor pairs were the rule for most
observers
Aug. 4 (Chicago)
- Oct. 20 (Mich.C.);
onelingeredin Erie County,O., until Nov. 18
(tHaw et al.) andsingles
in HolmesCounty,O
(TB). The Black Tern was noted as more com-
mon than usual at Spfld. (H); the majority of
birdspassedthroughthe Regionmid-Augustmid-September
with a peak of 200 occurring
at Cleve., Sept. 13 (DHo); the 80 at E.St.L.,
was also above normal for the season (BR et
al.).
DOVES, CUCKOOS AND OWLS -- The
presence of two Ground Doves at L.
Sangchris,I11.,Nov. 7 & 11 (and oneNov. 24)
wasphenomenal
(,H), anotherwasdocumented
in- Marshall County, Ill., Nov. 20-21 (?DC,
•'VH et al.). Young Yellow-billed Cuckoos
were still in nestsin PocahontasCounty, la.,
Sept.8 (RCu) and at Westville,Ill., Aug. 30
(MC); one was detected at Clinton, Ill., Nov.
11 (?RC). A Groove-billed Ani, for the first
official state record for Illinois, was first identified at Evanston Oct. 6 (•'JL) and remained
throughat leastOct. 12 (?m.ob.);anotherani,
probablythe samespecies,wasfound in Beall
WoodsS.P., IlL, Oct. 10 (?CM). Young Barn
Kingbirdswerereportedduringthe five day
(DKi) and LawrenceCounty, Ill. (•'DJo). A
Scissor-tailedFlycatcher made a one-day
appearanceat ChicagoOct. 8 (•'JL).Empidonax flycatcherswere scarcefor observersbut
not so for banders. Olive-sidedFlycatchers
were encounteredmore frequently this fall
than duringmostyears(m.ob.);the migration
periodrangedAug. 3 (WaukeganIll.) - Sept
29 (Spfld.);fourbirdswerefoundin onedayin
late Augustin Tuscarawas
County,O. (J).Only
one key reporter mentionedthe scarcityof
mostswallowspecies;
fewreportersmentioned
the group at all. Purple Martin roostsnumbering >1000 birds were noted at: Kentucky
Lakes, Ky. 5000+_birds on Aug. 11 (JEr),
Chicago2000 on Aug. 17-22 (JL); Col., 1500
on Aug. 29 (J); and Cleve., 1000 on Aug. 8
(DHo).
Six Fish Crows were heard
near
E.St.L., Aug. 16 (RGo).
NUTHATCHES,
WRENS
--
CREEPERS
Red-breasted
AND
Nuthatches
were
exceedingly
scarcethis fall; nonewereobserved
in Kentuckyand onlyone wasencounteredin
Iowa. Further breedingevidenceof Brown
Creeperswas apparentby the Aug. 22 pres-
enceof onebird at Cincinnati(W) andsingles
at Spfld., Aug. 19 and Sept. 1 (H). Young
HouseWrens successfully
fledgedfrom an
Iowa City nest, Sept. 10 (HO). Winter Wrens
experienceda slight population recovery
(m.ob.)Regionwide.There was also a suggestedincreasein the number of Carolina
Wrens present-- only a slight suggestion,
al ) The following unidentified jaegers
(probablyParasitic)were reported:Mich.C.,
Sept 30 - Nov. 22 (CK,KB et al.); Huron, O.,
Sept 4-6 (tTL et al.); and AvonL., O., Oct. 2
(tJP) SingleGlaucousGulls were discovered
at Sandusky,O., Oct. 9 (JP);Mich.C., Nov. 18
during August (BB); a singlewas reported
from Hamburg, Ia., Sept. 22 (IG). The Aug.
11 presence
of a Short-cared
Owl at Hamburg,
though, and primarily in the s. The 50+
and Dec. 1 (KB, m.ob.); Evanston,II1., Nov.
la. (IG) mayhavebeenfroma localnesting
(?);
16werenoteworthy(VB).
22 (RB,JL); ChicagoNov. 24 (RB,JD; and
early fall migrants were reported Sept. 22
L Cal, Nov. 25 (JL); two were noted at Huron,
(Sioux Center, la.), Oct. 3 (Evanston,IlL) and
O, Sept. 14 (JP).An ad. LesserBlack-backed
Gull wasidentified at severalErie County,O.,
locationsNov. 17-25 (•-JP,m.ob.). A Herring
Gull at LouisvilleAug. 9 & 18 wasnoteworthy
there(JE1,m.ob.).Two to threeThayer'sGulls
Oct. 8 (Spttd.).The onlySnowyOwl waslocated
168
Owls were monitored near Richmond, Ind.,
Short-billedMarsh Wrensat St. LouisAug
MIMIDS
THROUGH
SHRIKES
--
Mock-
19 (JKe) a Burrowing Owl was regularly
observedalong an Illinois toll road near
ingbirdswereamongthe speciesreportedas
scarce; they were conspicuouslyabsent in
Iowa, and n. portions of other states. The
migration of Gray Catbirds and Brown
Rochelle (m.ob.); it remained at least three
Thrashers was excellent. Normal numbers of
at Cleve.,Nov. 24 offdeDHo). BeginningAug.
American
Birds,March1980
Am Robins were encountered, but the roost
of 10,000 at Somerset,Ky., in mid-November
(JEi)washigh. Of the migrantthrushes,only
the Swainsoh'sand Hermit were reportedin
normal numbers,the Gray-cheekedand Veery
were
much
reduced.
Eastern
Bluebirds
remainedscarcebut werereportedin slightly
increased
numbers
at
isolated
locations
Regionwide.Both the Golden-crownedand
Ruby-crownedkinglet populationsshoweda
modestgain. NorthernShrikeswerereported
from only five locations-- all in n.e. Iowa
Nov. 11-30. Few LoggerheadShrikes were
encountered,especiallyin the n.
VIREOS
AND
WARBLERS
--
November
recordsfor SolitaryVireosincludedsinglesat
Dwight, II1.,Nov. 27 (DF) and Streetsboro,
O.,
Nov. 11 (LRo, m.ob.). A PhiladelphiaVireo
wasnotedat Charleston,
II1.,Nov.17 (tBH);
nine were countedSept. 24-25 at Spfld. (H).
Warbler flights were weak and casual;there
were two or three detectable movements in
following accounts were submitted Cleve,
40-80 all fall UP); Col., 23, mostof the persod
(CG); Richmond,Ky., 40 on Nov. 6-30 (AW);
Lexington, Ky., 13 in late November(RMo et
al.); onein IndianapolisNov. 3 (tLPe) and one
in Holmes County, O., Nov. 7 & 16 (DKi).
There wereonly scatteredreportsof Pine Siskins but none in Indiana, Kentucky or Missouri. American
Goldfinches
even seemed
scarce.The secondlargestfinch influx was of
Red Crossbills,flocksof up to 20, movedinto
the n. portionsof the Regionand penetrated
asfar s. as Cincinnati(WR) duringan apparent first movementSept. 17-29, and Charleston, Ill. (BH) during a secondmovement,Oct.
27- Nov. 18 (m.ob.).
names in bold face type, contributorsare
requested to send their reports to these
editors.) Major contributors (A) Richard
Anderson, (H) David Bohlen, (J) Bruce Peterjohn (Ohio), (K) Vernon K]een (Illinois), (M)
William Klamm, (P) Peter Petersen,(S) Anne
Stature (Kentucky)(T) Thomas Kent (Iowa),
(W) Arthur Wiseman, other observers and
re,portersincluded: K. Anderson,D. Arvin, L
Augustine,L. Balch, T. Barker (TBa), A. Barron (ABa), K. Barrel, T. Bartlett (TB), P
Bauer(Pb),C. Becker,D. Bierman,P. Biggets
(PBi), R. Biss(RB), R. Bjorklund(RBj), G
Black, K. Brock, M. Brown, W. Brown, A
Brunet (ABr), V. Buchholtz, E. Burstatte, B
Buskirk, T. Cable (TC), J. Campbell, M
Few observers were successful in
Campbell, L. Carter, T. Carter (TCa), R
Chapel (RC), D. Collins (DC), R. Collins
(RCo),D. Coskren(DCo),R. Crompton(RCr),
identifyingLe Conte's Sparrows;however,20
were reported from Montgomery County, Ia.,
Eiseman (REi), E. Elder, J. & D. Elmore (JE1),
SPARROWS, LONGSPURS AND BUNTINGS
--
Oct. 13 (RMy); mostwerefoundwerepresent
in early-to-mid-October.Sharp-tailedSpar-
R. Cummins(RCu), S. Dillon, J. Dinsmore,R
R. Erickson (REr), J. Erwin (JEt), D. Fight
(DFi), D. Fischer(DF), T. French(TF), J Fry
(Fry), C. Gambill, B. Gelman (BGe), I
Davenport,Ia., (P); Orange-crowned
Nov. 22
rowswere evenmore scarcethan the previous
specieswith only five reports:Aug. 25 - Sept.
27. A Lark Sparrowwas still presentat ChicagoOct. 8 (REi).A Slate-colored
Juncoarrived
at Okolona, Ky., by Sept. 11 (DP); the species
was down in numbers in many areas. Tree
Sparrowswere definitely scarce. Up to five
Clay-coloredSparrowswere present in the
Chicagoarea Aug. 21 (RB) - Sept. 30 (JL).
at Evanston, I11. (RB,JL); Yellow Nov. 7 at
Therewasa paucityof White-crownEd
Spar-
(JKe), CharlesKeller (Indiana), T. Keller, D
Spfld. (H); Cape May Oct. 4 at Hamburg, Ia.
(16); Sept. 30 at LawrenceCounty,Ill. (LH);
Black-throatedBlue 12 on Sept. 28 in Indiana
(MO); oneOct. 22 at Davenport,Ia. (P); Baybreastedwastermedthe mostcommonmigrant
m Ohio (J); one Oct. 20 at Iowa City, Ia.
(tT,TSh); Pine Nov. 18 at Mahomet, IlL
(tRC); OvenbirdNov. 7 in Indianapolis(DZ).
rows but fairly good numbers of Whitethroated Sparrows.Two Fox Sparrowshad
arrivedat Louisvilleby Sept.28 (DP). Up to
532 SwampSparrowswerepresentat Winous
Pt., O., Oct. 5 (JP).The first LaplandLongspursweredetectedSept.20 at Huron, O. (TL)
and Sept. 26 at Col. (J); they arrived in n.e.
Iowa by Oct. 7 (JS);ChicagoOct. 13 (JL);and
Spfld., Oct. 23 (H); the greatest numbers
appearedin early November.Three fall recordsfor Smith'sLongspurwerereceived:nine
birds at Spfld., Nov. 4 (H); six at Lawrence-
Kline (DKi), R. Knisley(RKn), J. Knoblaugh
(JKn),P. Knoop,D. Kocnig(DK), R. Koroter
(RK), J. Krull (JK),J. Landing,T. LePage,F
August and an equal number in September.
The followingis primarily an accountof the
most "unusual"
observations since there were
few other data submitted.Worm-eatingSept.
9 at Cleve. (DHo); Golden-wingedOct. 1 at
Louisville(JEi); TennesseeAug. 1 at Streetsboro, O. (LRo); Nov. 19 New Haven, Ind.
(tHaw); Oct. 28 at Cincinnati (DSt); Oct. 23
A moderate number of Connecticut Warblers
were encounteredin the n. portions of the
Region(Davenport,Ia. - Akron, O.) Aug. 21
(Chicago)-Oct. 1 (MageeMarsh,O.); theonly
exceptionwas one at Dayton, O., Sept. 30 Oct. 3 (tCMa); Yellow-breasted Chat Oct. 3
Resthaven Wildlife Area, O. (JP) and Canada
onebandedOct. 3 at Davenport,Ia. (P).
WEAVERS
THROUGH
FINCHES
-- Eur-
opeanTree Sparrows
maybe furtherexpanding their range as individuals have been
encounteredin more areasin and n. of Spfld.
(H,K). Eastern Meadowlarks were scarce.
Three Yellow-headedBlackbirdswere present
at the MarbleheadPen., O., Oct. 23 - Nov. 15
(JP);onewasobservedat Akron, O., Sept.28
(mob.); anotherwas sightedat Gary, Ind.,
near
Spfld., by Nov. 4 (H); the speciesapparently
pentratesthe n.e. portionof our Regiononeto
two weeks earlier than the other n. areas as
peaks of more than 500 were reportedfrom
Huron, O., by Nov. 6 UP) but onlyfirst arrived
at Chicago(JL)and n.e. Iowa (DK) Nov. 10; an
incredible number passedby Mich.C., Nov.
18-25 1000-2000/hour
(CK).
were noted Nov. 24
ADDENDA -- A photographdocuments
McNeely(LMc), C. Mills (CM), R. Montgomery (RM), R. Morris (RMo), D. Mosman, R
Murray (RMu), R. Myers (RMy), W. Nelson,
M. NewIon, H. Osmundson, M. Otter, B
Palmer-Ball, D. Parker, L. Parker (LP), L
Peavler (LPe), C. Peterson,R. Phipps, J
Pogacnik, T. Potter, W. Randie, L. Rauth
Shaefer(MSh), B. Shaw(BS), T. Shires(TSh),
J. Smith (JSm), L. Smith, P. Snetsinger,J
Stafferahn(JSt),F. Stamm, R. Starr, B. Stehling (BSt), T. Store (TSt), D. Styer (DSt), D
Summerfield(DSu), J. Tebussek,F. Thomp-
son,D. Thornburg,R. Thornburg,M. Travis,
C. Tveekrem,L. Van Camp, D. VanDyk, N
Walker, H. Weber (HWc), H. West (HW), A
White, J. Williams, Z. Williams, B. Wilson, H
Wuestenfeld(HWu), J. Young, H. Zalatel, D
Zumcta -- VERNON M. KLEEN, Division of
Wildlife Resources,Department of Conservation, Springfield,IlL 62706.
Recordssection.A Ruff occurrednear Elgin,
I11.,May 5-6 (RM et al.). A Say'sPhoebewas
al.).
EXOTICS -- A free-flyingAm. Flamingo
appeared at Whous Pt., O., Oct. 5 (tJP) and
the northern finches,however,eventhesewere
may have beenthe sameone at Findlay, O.,
Oct. 29 (Fry). A Ruddy Shelduckwasencountered at O.W.R., throughOct. 7 (LV, m.ob.).
represented
by smallnumbers.HouseFinches
may havebeenthe most"populous"of the
regularly observed in the Chicago area
Volume34, Number2
Loetscher,W. Marcisz, C. Mathena (CMa), P
Mascuch, I. McLure, L McKeown (LM), L
band, B. Rudden, S. Schacht, J. Schaufenbucl
(JS), M. Scudder (MS), H. Shadowen, M
and one had arrived
noted near Akron, Ia., June 6, 1979 (TSt et
species-- especiallythe followingaccounts
weresubmitted:Cleve.,40-80 all fall (IP); Col.,
23, most of in Ohio and Kentuckywherethe
D. Johnson(DJ), D. Jones(DJo), J. Keegan
Nov. 11 (RC). SnowBuntingsappearedby the
end of October
Indiana's second Black-headed Grosbeak was
documented Oct. 24 at Martinsville
"accidental" occurrencesof Evening Gros-
R. Irmscher, V. Inman, P. Jack, C. Johnson,
(LRa), D. Rogers,L. Rosche(LRo), G. Rosen-
the presenceof three White Ibises at Crestwood, Ky., Aug. 9, 1978 (RI), the record
shouldbe upgradedfrom the Uncorrobated
beaks.PurpleFinchesweremostcommonof
Hart (DHa), L. Harrison, F. Harty, J. Haw
(Haw), J. Hill (JHi), D. & J. Hoffman (DHo), E
Hopkins, V. Humphreys,B. Hunt, P. Hyatt,
ville, II1., Nov. 4 (LH) and one at Clinton, I11.,
Aug. 18 (KB et al.). Late recordsof Scarlet
Tanagerswere:Oct. 28 at Ames,Ia. (HZ);
Oct. 25 Spfld.(H); andOct.22 Davenport,Ia.
(P). A late-departing
Rose-breasted
Grosbeak
wasnotedat Ft. WayneNov. 21 (fide Haw).
The Oct. 18 presenceof a Blue Grosbeakat
Louisville(BP) was exceptional.All finches
were exceedinglyscarce.There were only
Getschef, B. Gill (BG), S. Glass, R. Goetz
(RGo), J. Greet, P. Grube, R. Gustafson
(RGu), J. Hancock (JHa), R. Hannikman, D
Small numbers of Monk Parakeets have been
(m.ob.).
CONTRIBUTORS -- (Subregional
Editors'
169
CENTRAL
SOUTHERN
REGION
/Robert D. Purrlngton
LOONS THROUGH
FLAMINGO
-A
Red-throated
seen at L.
It is difficult not to be of two minds about
the destructionwroughtby a storm like hur-
ricaneFrederic.The gulf coastlinehas been
shaped,in part, by the fury of tropicalstorms
which have hurled themselves
againstit for
Loon was
Millwood
Nov. 10 (CM), the first
for that locality and
apparently
the fifth record for the state. There
was an extremelyearly
centuries. The loss of habitat, whether coastal
Eftred Grebe at Hatties-
beaches,dunes,or woodlands,
is onlytemporary. The lossof foodcrops,berriesand seeds,
mayaffectresidentandwinterpopulations
for
a season,or longer,but again the effectsare
mostlyof shortduration.It is sadto surveythe
damageto the landscape.
familiar placeswill
not be the samefor years,and yet disastersof
burg, Miss., Aug. 13
(TF,RM,PR),whileearly
individuals at Marion,
Ala., Sept. 12 & 19
(ALM et al.) and near
Grand I., La., Sept. 1S
(DH,KH) -- the earliest
ever for Louisiana -this sort serveto dramatizethe folly of unconIxolledcoastaldevelopment
whichhas ravished may have resultedfrom
the conditions created
the delicatebeachand marshecosystems.
The
human dimension of the storm destruction is
by hurricaneFrederic.A
Grebe
was
tragic, especiallyas it often involvesfriends Western
and fellow birders, and such lossescannot be
presentat the Hattiesrationalized.Yet it still may be true that to the
burg Sewage Ponds
extentthat coastaldevelopmentis inhibited
by the devastationof a Camille or a Frederic.
thenitseffectsarenotcompletely
negative.
Fredericwasa storm not soonto be forgotten by thosein coastalMississippi,Alabama,
and
Northwestern
Florida,
who
suffered
Sept.1S- Nov. 11 (TF,
RM,PSR,LG),establishing
oneof the first recordsfor Mississippi.
A Sooty Shearwater 30 mi off the Alabama
werefoundin HancockCounty,Miss., Sept.
15 OAT) and on L. Pontchartrain at New
OrleansSept. 30 (RDP,NN), the earliestfor
s.e.Louisianaby two weeks.Alsoearlywasan
coastSept.8 0EK) providedthe secondrecord
Am. GoldeneyeOct. 30 near Decatur, Ala.
throughthe longafternoonand night of September 12-13. Somesolacewas providedby
the storm-drivenwaifswhichturned up in the
wake of the storm,notablythoserecordedby
Ralph Havard and Phil Kilpatrick, who rode
out the stormon Dauphin Island,just eastof
for thesewaters.Three seenfour dayslater at
(DCH).A totalof fourWhite-winged
Scoters
DauphinI., just aheadof Frederic.alongwith
wasreportedOct. 25 - Nov. 23 at inland local-
1S-20 Cory's Shearwaters,the secondoccur-
ities in Arkansas, middle Tennessee, and n.
Alabama. Two Surf Seoters were seen, one
wherethe eyecameashore.
between Ft. Pickens and Perdido Bay, Fla.,
The othermajorstoryof the fall wasprovided
by a spectacularinflux of westernvagrants,
includingmostof the classicwesternstragglersto this Region,somein unprecedented
numbers.As wasremarkedin thesepageslast
fall, the forceswhich determinethe timing
July7 (LS),Aug.25 (WV), and Sept.1 (LS);
and extent of the western "invasion," as it
reneefor Alabama.wereamongthe recordsof
pelagicspeciesaccumulatedby Havard and
Kilpatrick. SingleGannetswere found dead
therewasa previousAugustrecord,but all are
remarkable.
Another was seen at Gulf Breeze,
Fla., Aug.30 (LD). On Nov. 18 an imm.Sulid
was seen 18 mi s.c. of Grand I., La. An imm.
cormorant photographedat Bellefontaine
Beach,JacksonCo., Miss.,Aug. 4 (JAT,MH)
fluctuatesfrom one year to the next, are still
wasclearlyan OlivaeeousCormorant,the first
largely a mystery. Persistentsouthwesterly for Mississippi.A Cattle Egret at Nashville
windsundoubtedlyplay a role, as do regular Nov. 24 (RR) wasthe latestthere by overthree
frontal intrusions. But whether factors intrinweeks.A peakof 200 WoodIbiseswasreported
at the Morganza Spillway, La., Sept. 23
sicto the breedinggroundsplay a role. e.g..
(DWG); ten RoseateSpoonbills,rare away
breeding success,food supply, etc., is
unknown.The frontal passages
of late Sep- from the coast,werealso present.The origin
temberand earlyOctoberapparentlyresulted of a flamingo (speciesunknown) presentin
in the largestmovement
of westernvagrants mid-October in Cameron Par. (MR,JS,JW) is
into the Region,which, in Louisianaat least,
unknown,
butcertainly
suspect.
tured hurricane Bob as well as Frederic, the
seasonwas without any significantmeteoro-
logicalpattern.Golden-crowned
Kingletprovided the only suggestionof a boreal influx
GEESE
AND
White-fronted
DUCKS
--
A count
of 63
Geese at L. Millwood,
Ark.,
Oct. 14 (CM) wasunusual,while onetwo days
later at Ft. Morgan, Ala. (GDJ) was the
earliestever for Alabama. Similarly early was
a Snow Gooseat Pace, Fla., Sept. 29, the
earliestfor n.w. Florida by over two weeks.A
veryearlyGadwallwasat HattiesburgAug. 16
(PSR,TF,RM). Also early there were two
Green-winged Teals Aug. 23 (TF). BluewingedTeal numbersreached600 in Lonoke
with observersRegionwideof one voice in
noting the large numbersof this species.Its
occurrenceis notablyerratic, but this year's
numberswereespecially
welcome
considering County,Ark., Aug. 26 (HP,MP), whilea few
recent losses.
CinnamonTeal werepresentin CameronPar.,
in October and November.
Peak movementsof raptorswere noted followingthe frontsof September
22 andNovemA very early Am. Wigcon was at Hattiesber 3 in muchof the Region.Two weeksspent
burg Sept. 13 (LG,TF), while a nearlycomby Ortegoon an oil rig 30 milessouthwest
of
plete albino of this specieswas identified at
Wheeler N.W.R., Nov. 24 (RWL). A Redhead
Venice in Septemberyieldedno seabirdsof
importancebut the sightings
of elevenpasser- at Pensacola
Sept.29(BP,GP,PR)wasthefirst
incspecies
includinga NashvilleWarblerwere
September record for the Florida section;
interesting,
as werea PeregrineFalconand a
there were a few reportsindicatingslightly
Merlin he observed.
increasednumbers.Very early LesserSeaups
170
another at Nashville Nov. 18 (WM,GM,MLB).
DIURNAL
RAPTORS
--
A Swallow-tailed
Kite at Pace,Fla., Sept. 10 (BM.JM) wasthe
latest ever for n.w. Florida by nearly two
weeks,and reportsof MississippiKites from
Arkansasand middleTennessee,
includinga
countof 139 in Union County,Ark., during
August, were gratifying.A single bird in
DesotoCounty,Miss.,Sept.23 (RP) wasquite
late. The only Goshawkreport wasof a male
seeneatinga Mockingbirdat a Gulf Breeze,
Fla., feeder Nov. 4 (DB,JB). This established
the first record for n.w. Florida. Sharpshinned Hawks continued to hold their own or
perhapsincreasein numbers,with by far the
biggestcountbeing30_+/hrbetween8:30and
10:00a.m., on the St. JosephPen., Fla., Oct.
14 (TFr). The eightCooper'sHawksactually
led to remarkable results afield on the week-
endof October6-7.Thisis.ofcourse.thepeak
of normalmigrationaswell,and is a periodof
especially
heavybirding.
Exceptfor the tropicalweather,whichfea-
near Birmingham Oct. 6 (ALM,HHW) and
reportedshedlittle light on the statusof this
raptor.A countof 87 Broad-winged
Hawksin
W. FelicianaPar., Sept.22 (PMcK,PO,MBu)
was a substantial number for c. Louisiana,
which
is rather
far
from
the
traditional
flywaysfor this species.
Two flockstotalling
1200seenmigratinga daylaterin ScottCounty,
Ark. (MP,HP) were in an area where such
flightsare a regularfall occurrence.A count
of 400passing
Gulf Breeze,Fla., Sept.24 (LD)
highlighteda seasontherein which914 raptors wereseen,including659 Broad-wingeds.
Swainson'sHawks are consideredextremely
rare stragglersto c. and s. Louisiana;this fall
there werethree recordstotallingnine birds:
two on Aug. 26 in Pt. CoupeePar. (DBC,
PMcK), five on Oct. 14 at Venice (RDP, MB),
andoneon Nov. 10 at the BonnetCarreSpillway(RJS.MW).The four previousrecordsfor
s.c. Louisianawere of singlebirds. Unusual
records of Rough-leggedHawks included
singlelight-phaseindividualsat Gulf Breeze,
Fla., Nov. 3 (LD). the second record for the
AmericanBirds,March1980
section,and in the AtchafalayaFloodwayNov
10 (DF,CF,MJ).
The only report of a Golden Eagle was of
one at Gulf Breeze Nov. 11 (LD,RD,SD,OF).
Reports
of at least22 BaldEagleswerereceived,
including nine adults and five immatures.
This includedthe return of pairs to nestsat
White Kitchen, St. Tammany Par., La., and
near Gulfport, Miss. Marsh Hawks returned
in good numbers and 40+ Ospreyswere
reported,includinga total of 18 on Sept.8 Oct. 22 at L. Millwood, Ark. (CM) and 14
from the Mississippicoast(JAT). Two Caracaras at Lacassine Ref., La., Oct. 30 (RBH)
werein an areawheretheyhavenot previously
been reported. There were reports of ten
PeregrineFalcons:five from Louisiana,two
from Arkansas,one from coastalMississippi,
and two in n.w. Florida.
At least 19 Merlins
werecounted,includingsixat onetime in New
Orleansin October(fide MB).
COOTS,
BIRDS
--
GALLINULES,
Peak
numbers
AND
SHORE-
of Am.
Coots in
LonokeCounty,Ark., were 6000 Nov. 3 (HH,
EH). A very late Purple Gallinule wasseenin
Hancock County, Miss., Nov. 29 (JAT,BT).
Readers are directed
to a recent article in
Wils. Bull. (91:469, 1979) in which it is
reported that a one-day old Am. Woodcock
banded at Wheeler N.W.R., Mar. 3, 1976 was
shot in Michigan Oct. 1 of the sameyear. A
singleAm. Woodcockat New OrleansAug. S
(JR), assumedto be a fall migrant, was the
earliestever for s.e. Louisiana.A Long-billed
Curlew at the Morganza Spillway Sept. 16
(DWG) providedan unusualinlandrecord,as
did two in New Orleans Nov. 22 (AS), the first
wasseenat Marion Sept 14 (CB,PB),two days
after the storm. The description included
mentionof size approachingthat of a Laughing Gull, black-tippedyellowbill, black "terminal" band,primariesdark below.A Laughing Gull wasunusual at the inland locationof
Decatur,Ala., July 29 - Aug. 3 (DCH,RWL,
SwiftsmigratingagainststrongSwindson the
earlyeveningof Oct. 19 (Halbergs)is interesting in viewof the controversy
overthe effectof
wind directionon arian migration.After severalyearsof anticipation,Louisianafinallygot
ALM,HHW);
and heard Nov. 11, 18-19 at the same spot
(VR,RJN, m.ob.).A veryearlyimm. d Rufous
Hummingbirdwasseen.onDauphin I., Aug 4
(HHK). Activity at New Orleans feederswas
againhigh, especiallyduring the first 10 days
there were also inland records
associatedwith Frederic. More surprising
were ad. Franklin's Gulls at Decatur July 30
(fide TAI) and Aug. 30 (ALM,HHW). The
total of 696 recordedat L. MillwoodSept.23 Nov.30 (CM) wasunprecedented.
In Cameron
Par., La., the specieswasfrequentlyseenin
October and early November. Another contribution
of hurricane
Frederic
was an ad.
Black-leggedKittiwake at Dauphin I., Sept.
12 (RH,PK) just ahead of the storm. There
were no previous Alabama records. Single
Sabine'sGullssightedat L. MillwoodOct. 6 &
21 by Mills were precededby only one other
record for Arkansas. Two days ahead of
Frederic, Sept. 10, three ad. RoseateTerns
wereseenat Dauphin I. (ALM,BJ,MS,HHW)
for the fourth Alabamarecord(fide TAD. The
first recordof SootyTern for NewOrleanswas
of two seen and photographedthe day after
hurricane Bob (MB,m.ob.). Fifty or more
recorded by Havard and Kilpatrick on Dauphin I., Sept. 12 as Frederic approached,
exceededprevioushigh countsfor Alabama.
The numbersmade it unlikelythey were from
the colonyon the ChandeleurIs., whosetotal
numberswith young would be 100_+.Thirty
had beenreportedat Dauphin I., July 11 after
Bob. Bridled Terns wereseenon Dauphin I.,
as Frederic
drew near but there had been
recordsfor the immediate vicinity of New
Orleans.Evidenceof nestingof SpottedSandpipers near Decatur, Ala., was again found,
with two adults and two young seenJune 18
numeroussightingsoff Alabama during June
and July. Up to six seen(ph. -- L.S.U.M.Z.)
70 mi s.s.e. of Grand I., July 21 by many
observersrepresentedthe secondLouisiana
record except for storm-driven birds. It has
(DCH). Willets were found at the inland Bon-
become clear from these and other observa-
net Carre Spillway, La., Aug. 18 - Nov. 10
(RJS,MW),and at L. Millwood,Ark., Aug. 19
tionsthat BridledTernsare probablyregular
in summeroff the c. Gulf Coast. Caspian
(CM). Also unusual were Red Knots in New
Orleans Oct. 31 (JR) and at the Bonnet Carre
SpillwayNov. 10 (RJS,MW); White-rumped
Sandpipers
in earlySeptember
in NewOrleans,
at the PascagoulaR. marsh, Miss., at Eufala
Ref., Ala.,
and at L. Millwood were all
unusualfor fall. A Stilt Sandpiperat Pace,
Fla., Nov. 11 (OF,JA,BM) was the latest ever
therein fall; similarlylatewasa Buff-breasted
Sandpiper at L. Millwood Oct. 4 (CM). A
Hudsonian Godwit, rare anywhere in the
Regionin fall, wasseenin Baton Rouge,La.,
Oct. 28 (GL,JL), the first ever there. A Sander-
ling at L. MillwoodNov. 14 (CM) wasunprecedentedlylate for Arkansasby two weeks.The
fourth record for Arkansasof Red Phalarope
PARAKEETS
THROUGH
HUMMING-
BIRDS-- A MonkParakeetseenin Memphis
Oct. 27 (FW) furnishellthe secondrecordfor
w. Tennesseeof this troublesomespecies.
Apparentlygatheringfor trans-Gulf flight
were 100+Yellow-billed
Cuckoos in Escambia
County,Fla., Oct. 23 (OF). Althoughunrecordedprior to 1965, a few Groove-billedAnis
find their way to n.w. Florida each fall; this
secondrecordtherein the pastthreeyears.
year there were two records.One in E. Baton
RougePar., Oct. 28 (SC,VR,LH) wasunusual
In
part becauseof hurricanes
Bob andFrederic,
Laridsprovidedan unusualamountof excitement this fall, especiallyin Alabama. A
Long-tailedJaeger,the first for Alabama,was
seenjust aheadof Fredericat the DauphinI.
bridgeSept.10 (CCD)and at the samelocation in the teeth of the storm Sept. 12 (RH,
PK). For the sixth consecutiveyear, the Great
Black-backed Gull was recorded in n.w. Flor-
ida, in this casea bird at Ft. PickensAug. 22
(MMa) and Nov.22 at Destin(RD,EL).An imm.
Black-headed Gull, the secondfor Alabama,
Volume34,Number2'
of October when the movement of Rufous and
Black-chinned
hummingbirds
wasquitestrong,
although outnumberedby Ruby-throateds
(fide NLN). A number of Rufousand Black-
chinnedhummingbirds,along with one or
more possibleAllen's wereapparentlywinter-
ing. An ad. d Ruby-throated
Hummingbird
in Cameron Par., Nov. 18 (NLN,PN,SAH,
DBC) wasverylate.
WOODPECKERS
THROUGH
PIPITS
--
A Yellow-bellied(Red-naped)Sapsuckerwas
discoveredin Cameron Par., Oct. 6 (DBC,JS,
SAH), on the weekend of a massiveW movement, representedthe secondLouisiana rec-
ord of this race. Amongrecordsof W. Krugbirdsthis fall was one from JacksonCountyin
Alabama'sTennessee
ValleySept.16 (JJ),the
earliest inland record for the state. A Cassin's
Kingbird, the secondfor Louisiana,wasseen
Oct. 6 in CameronPar. (JS).It mightbe mentioned at this point that this and all other
observations of birds on the Louisiana Review
List will be consideredby the newlyformed
Louisiana Bird Committee (c/o L.S.U.M Z )
Alsodocumenting
the large W influx evident
Oct. 6-7 in s.w. Louisiana was a count of 500+
Scissor-tailedFlycatchers in Cameron and
Calcasieuparishes(DBC,SAH,JS). A Great
Crested Flycatcher at New Orleans Oct 7
(RDP,SP,JP) was the latest ever for s.e. Loui-
siana,while earliesteverfor the Baton Rouge
area was an E. PhoebeSept. 3 (DH,KH) In
Terns were presentin unusual numbersat L.
view of the paucityof informationon the relMillwoodand in Dyer County,Tenn., in Sepativefrequencyof the migrantEmpidonaxflyte•nberand October,perhapsa consequence catchersin the Region,the followingrecords
of the hurricane. Certainly a product of
are important:Least Flycatcher,four banded
Fredericwasa BrownNoddyin Mobile Sept.
Oct. 11 (LD); Alder, one banded Sept 29
13 (GDJ), the third record for Alabama, all
(LD); Yellow-belliedFlycatcher,one banded
hurricane-related.
Sept.5 (LD), all at Gulf Breeze,Fla., and one
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher seen and heard at
was of one at L. Millwood Oct. 18 (CM), the
JAEGERS, GULLS AND TERNS --
its first Anna's Hummingbirds, a female Nov
10 (SC,L.S.U.M.Z.) and an imm. male seen
at that inland locality. A Long-earedOwl
watched for ten minutes at the Holla Bend
Hattiesburg,Miss.,Sept.3 (LG,TF). Pending
further critical examination, two peweesin
Cameron Par., Oct. 6 & 21 (fide VR) have
been tentatively identified as Western Wood
Pewees.Both had gray backs, dark breast
band, and dark lower mandibles. Earliest ever
'at Gulf Breeze, Fla., by three days was an
Olive-sidedFlycatcherAug. 15 (RD,LD,SD)
At least four Vermilion Flycatcherswere seen
duringthe fall in New Orleans,with onebeing
present through the end of the period. Two
others were reported from s.w. Louisiana
Latest for Alabama in fall but for a single
Ref., Nov. 10 (WMS,MP,HP,HT) wasthe first
winter record was a Barn
live bird seen in Arkansas since at least 1974.
A Whip-poor-will
founddeadin Craighead
ShoresNov. 30 (GDJ,DGJ). An ad. Blue Jay
feeding a juvenile Nov. 5 in Metairie, La
County,Ark., Oct. 10(NL)wasby 17 daysthe
latesteverfor the state;onesingingOct. 27 at
(NLN) represented
a surprisingly
late nesting
A very tame SageThrasherat New Orleans
Nashville (KAG,MGa)
Swallow at Gulf
was the latest ever
Oct. 27-28 (JR,m.ob.) furnished the fifth rec-
thereby 10 days.Anotherwasseenat Grand
I., Nov.18(VR). A LesserNighthawk,the only
ord for Louisiana(ph.,L.S.U.M.Z.), but onein
CraigheadCounty,Ark., Nov. 24 (NL,CL,EP,
reported this fall, was seen in Cameron Par.,
EJ) was the first ever for that state. Definitive
on the early date of Sept. 1 (PMcK,BeMcK).
The observationof hundreds of Chimney
Thrasher
photographs were obtained of this Sage
as well. Earliest ever for Louisiana in
171
alsonotedin ChicotCounty,Ark., Oct. 17-18
(NH). Very earlywasa d Wilson'sWarblerin
AscensionPar., Aug. 26 (DH), while one on
Dauphin I., Sept.3 (GDJ,DGJ)wasthe earl-
in different CameronPar. locations.Reports
of longspursincluded one Lapland at Birmingham on the remarkabledate of Sept. 1
iest ever for Alabama. American Redstarts
New Orleans(JR,NN). A verytame MeCown's
Longspurat NewOrleansNov. 30 - Dec. 1 (JR,
werethoughtto be more commonthan usual
this fall in the Nashville area (T.O.S.).
ICTERIDAE,
FRINGILLIDAE
-- Records
regular in small numbers in fall. Yellow-
field, PeggyBrasfield, Velma G. Brasfield,
Blackbirds
were encountered
near
diff, Ben Coffey,Curtis L. Christenberry,Dot
Cameron Par., Oct. 6 (DBC,SAH). The existence of a localized resident population of
Crawford, Paul Crawford, D. Bruce Crider,
exemplifiedby >30 seenin Miller CountyNov.
Charles C. Duncan, Lucy Duncan, Robert
Duncan, Scott Duncan, Terrie Fairley, Doris
Falkenheiner, Owen Fang, Tom Francis
22 (CM). SingleW. Tanagerswerenotedat
(TFr), CharlesFreyling,Mel Garland(MGa),
Hattiesburg,Miss., Sept. 29 (LG,TF) and in
Larry Gates,KatherineA. Goodpasture,Mary
Gray, Dale W. Gustin, BessieHagan, Edith
Halberg,Henry Halberg,Linda Hale, Robert
B. Hamilton, Dudley Harrington, Kathleen
Harrington, Ralph Havard, Stan A. Heath,
Malcolm Hodges, D.C. Hulse, Thomas A.
lmhof, Debra G. Jackson,Greg D. Jackson,
Michael Jenkinson,HoranceH. Jeter,Evalyn
Johnston,Betty Joiner, D. T. Kee, James E.
Keeler, Phil Kilpatrick, Helen H. Kittinger,
Cheryl Lavers, Norman Lavers, Eric Lefstad,
Grackles
in
s.w.
Arkansas
is
prising concentrationof five Black-headed
Grosbeaks was present in Peveto Beach
fall was a SwainsoWs Thrush in Cameron
Woods, Cameron Par., Oct. 14 (DBC,SAH).
Par.,Sept.8 (DH,KH). Golden-crowned
Kingletsstagedsomethingof an invasionthis fall,
highlightedby 20 seenby Reinoehlat New
Orleansin migrationOct. 25. Sprague's
Pipits
Only one report of Evening Grosbeakswas
received, of a !one bird in Sumner County,
Tenn., Nov. 30 (BH). Single 13-plumaged
House Fincheswere seen in Sumner County
Nov. 15-30+ (DC,PC), and Nov. 17 in Decatur,
siana.especiallyat the BonnetCarte Spillway
wherethey are regular (RJS,MW), and New
Orleans
haditsfirstrecords
in several
years(JR).
VIREOS,
WARBLERS --
A Bell's Vireo
watchedsingingat Hattiesburg
Aug.11 (LG)
Ala. (RWL,LAL). The latter was the sixth record for Alabama. There is every indication
that the speciescontinuesto spread slowly.
There were a few reportsof Pine Siskins,but
no suggestionof a sizableinflux. The fourth
record for Louisiana
of Great-tailed
Towbee
was unusualenoughmerely for its presence was of one in Cameron Par., Oct. 14 (DBC,
there;the datewasquiteastonishing,
especially SAH). A Rufous-sided Towhee heard in Desha
for a bird which was singingconstantly.A
County,Ark., alongwith recordsduring the
total of 15 Tennessee Warblers Nov. 10 in
past three nestingseasonsstronglysuggests
Cameron Par. (VR,SC) was unusual for so late
nesting there. A Lark Bunting seen near
a date;on the otherhand,an Orange-crowned Grand I., Sept. 22 (DBC,PN,NLN) provided
the third record for Louisiana, all from the s.c.
Warblerat Grand I., Sept.22 (DBC,PN,NLN)
was the earliest ever for Louisiana. Nashville
cornerof the state. An early arrivingVesper
Warblers were encountered with unusual freSparrowseen Sept. 29 in EscambiaCounty,
Fla. (BP,GP,PR)was the earliestever by six
quencyin s.e.Louisianawheretheyare consideredrare: one Sept.22 (JR).two Oct. 9-10
days; also early was a Dark-eyed (hyemalis)
Junco at New Orleans Oct. 10 (RDP). A Tree
(JR,NN,BMcK). One was also seenin nearby
Hattiesburg,
Miss., Sept.15 (LG). A Yellow
Sparrow was reported from Hattiesburg,
Warblerin ForestCounty.Miss.. Nov.4 (TF)
Miss., Oct. 28 (RM,TF,PSR) and Nov. 4 (LG).
was late. Remarkable was a Cape May War-
Althoughsubmitteddetailsweresketchy,the
bird wasreportedlyphotographed
(TF). Claycolored Sparrowsseeminglystageda major
bler reportedfrom Malvern, Ark., Nov. 26
(MP); this was the third fall record for the
stateand the latestby more than a month. A
late Magnolia Warbler was at Hattiesburg,
Miss., Nov. 18 (TF). and a cYBlack-throated
Blue Warbler was seen in New Orleans Sept.
23 (JR,m.ob.). The only Black-throated Gray
Warbler reportedwas one in CameronPar.,
Nov. 10 (VR,SC). A Cerulean Warbler near
Cameron Oct. 20 (VR,SC,LH) was the latest
everfor Louisiana,while a Blackpoll Warbler
thereon the samedate (VR,SC,LH,*L&U.M.Z.)
movement into Louisiana this fall,
Paul McKenzie(PMcK), Ann L. Miller, William
Milliken, Gloria Milliken, Charles Mills, Bill
Milmore, Judy Mulmore, Richard Moore,
Mac Myers, Norton Nelkin, Nancy L. Newfield, Paul Newfield,RobertJ. Newman, Peter
Osenton, Helen Parker, Max Parker, Rob
Peeples, Bill Plaia, Gayle Plaia, Ed Price,
Robert D. Purrington, Jackie Purrington,
StephenPurrington,Mac Read, JackReinoehl,
Van Remsen, Rich Rimmet, Pedro S. Rodri-
guez,PhaeneRoss,Madge Scharber,RoseC.
Schatz,William M. Shepherd,Loetta Simmons, Jo Sims (JSi), AI Sinalley, Ronald J.
Stein, Jim Stewart, H. Terelius, Judy A.
Toups, Bill Turcotte, Wayne Valentine,
Melvin Weber,Jim Whelan,FreemanWright,
Harriet H. Wright. -- ROBERT D. PURRINGTON, Dept. of Physics,Tulane University,New Orleans,La. 70118.
Orleansthe recordswere one Sept. 11, two
Oct. 9-10, three Oct. 13-17, and three Oct.
23-25. Apparently all were different individuals.all foundby Reinoehlbut seenby others.
There were four records from s.c. Louisiana
before 1977. In s.w. Louisiana two were seen
Oct. 6, and four Oct. 14, and one Nov. 10, all
PRAIRIE
PROVINCES
REGION
/Wayne C. Harris
Except for August 13 when temperatures
droppedto aslow as-3 ø C (oneof the earliest
and most widespreadfrostson record),the
month could be summarizedas very hot and
dry. The entirefall periodfollowedthe August
pattern of unseasonablywarm temperatures
with little precipitation. The period ended
War-
bier, only the fourth Louisiana record, was
seen by many observersat the L.O.S. fall
meetingin CameronOct. 20 (HHJ,DTK et
al.). The bird had a grayhood.no blackin the
throat, complete eye ring, and long yellow
under-tail coverts. Of Mourning Warblers
there were four n.w. Florida sightings,all of
singlebirds Sept. 5-9 and Oct. 19 (RD,OF,
MG,LD). These representedthe earliestand
McCown's Longspur, New Orleans, La.,
latestrecordsfor that section.The specieswas
Dec. I, I979. Photo/R. D. Purrington.
172
Roy W. Lowe, Mike Magley (MMa), Bil
McKee (BMcK), BeckyMcKenzie (BeMcK),
with
Orleans Oct. 9-10 (JR,NN) furnishedthe fourth
A Conneetleut
Gary Lester, JosetteLester, Laurie A. Lowe,
reports totalling 16-20 individuals. At New
providedthe secondfall specimenfor the
state. A careful sight recordof one in New
fall record for Louisiana.
Mike Braun, Merl Butler (MBu), Steve Car-
Grand I., La., Sept. 22 (DBC,PN,NLN) and in
Cameron Par., Oct. 7 (JS,DBC,SAH). A sur-
were also seen in unusual numbers in s. Loui-
(area editors in bold-
face) -- JacksonAbbott, Duk Ballmann, Jane
Ballmann, Michael L Bierly,Charles Bras-
Great-tailed
Purrington.
CONTRIBUTORS
(RJS,RDP,MM,NN), alongwith other recent
sightingsindicate that the speciesmay be
headed
1979. Photo/R.D.
and another Nov. 29 at
m.ob.), furnished the first record for Louisiana (*L.S.U.M.Z.).
of Bobolinksin Septemberfrom s.e.Louisiana
Sage Thrasher,New Orleans, La., Oct. 27,
(CB,VGB,HHK,RCS),
with continuingmild weatherand manyareas
still had no snow.
The warm weather and lack of snow cover
resultedin almosteveryreportedspecies
being
seenat one locality at least at a record late
date. Besides the myriad of late dates, an
unusuallyhigh numberof raritieswasreported,
American
Birds,March1980
resultingin thisbeingoneof the mostexciting
fall migrationsm recenthistory
Large concentrationsof birds were rare
undoubtedlybecauseof major fronts moved
through,to groundmigrantsor forcethem to
shelter.This is particularly true of the pas-
Manitoba
serines.
Sask., Nov. 12 (BL).
LOONS
THROUGH
CORMORANTS
--
with five dif-
ferentlocalitiesreporting 11 individualsOct.
8
Nov. 17 •fide
HWRC), as well as a
singleat ReginaBeach,
HAWKS,
EAGLES,
CommonLoon numberspeakedin Saskatchewan during late Septemberand early October with 14 on Sept. 27 on Wappawekka L.,
FALCONS -- Accipiter
numbersappearedaver-
Sask., and 13 on Oct. 3 at Round L. (WCH,
this Region,thusan adult and two imm. Arc-
the Region. Goshawk
populations
however,
are
reported to be very
high in forested Sas-
tic Loons at Oak Lake (DRMH) providedthe
katchewan(WCH,SML).
first
Large
concentrations
of
DF). Reportsof Arctic Loonsawayfrom the
coastalwaters of Hudson Bay are a rarity in
record
for
s. Manitoba
and
another
age in the s. parts of
Swainson's Hawks were
individualat Regina Oct. 14-22 (RK,FWL,
ph.) warrantmention.Red-throatedLoonsare
seldomrecorded
duringfall at Churchill,consequently
oneseenthereSept.2 wasof interest (BAC)and a singleat BeaverhillL., Alta.,
recorded at Regina
with 100 Sept. 22, and
75 Sept. 27 (RK). Hawk rarities included a
Broad-winged at the Wildlife Reserve of
m Novemberconstituted
a rarity (DD). Extreme
Western Canada, 6 mi s.w. of Bottrel, Alta.
late dates were recorded for Double-crested
Blue and Black-crowned
Night Heronsappear
to be recoveringafter several low years,
(hereafter,W.R.W.C.) Sept.9 and a Ferruginousat Oak Hammockduring late Augustand
earlySeptember,onlythe secondor third record in recenttimesin s. Manitoba (WPN,ph.).
A countof 55 eaglesOct. 29, s. of Kyle, was
noteworthy(JBG,BWJ). Of these only three
were ad. Bald Eagles,the remainderbeing
dark. Gyrfalcons
maybe makinganotherS inva-
howeverAm. Bittern numbersremainedvery
sionwith sevensightings
in s. Manitoba•ide
low at a majorityof reportinglocales.Great
HWRC) and four in s. Saskatchewan (BCG,
SOJ et al.). At Churchill there were an addi-
Cormorantswith singlesat Lockport,Man.,
Nov. 26 (RFK) and ReginaBeach,Sask.,Nov.
20 (RK,BL).
HERONS, EGRETS, BITTERNS -- Great
Blue Herons remained much later than usual
with singlesNov. 18 at Piersonand Ninette,
Man., and Maidstone (RW, D. Stewart, SML).
A GreenHeron at WinnipegAug. 1-2 was a
rarity. The threeegret specieshavecontinued
to increasein the Regionto a pointwherethey
are considered
regularbut rare. Four Cattle
Egretswere at Oak Hammock Marsh, Man.
(hereafter,Oak Hammock)Aug. 24 (M. Siepman), and a singlewasat SpringValley Oct.
24-30 (FB). Great Egret reportswere all from
Manitoba with two at L. FrancoisAug. 29,
and singlesat Brandon Sept. 6, and Oak
HammockSept.9 (CWC,RFK,GDG).The only
SnowyEgret reported was from Oak Hammock wherea singlebird was presentAug.
1-25 (B. Cameron). A Black-crownedNight
HeronOct. 29 at Delta provideda record-late
date for Manitoba.
WATERFOWL
--
A Bewick's
Swan
at
ReginaOct. 9 (BL) followedlast year'swell
documented occurrence. A concentration of
tional six Gyrfalcon sightings(BAC). PeregrineFalconswerereportedfrom four s. Manitoba localitiesand an additional 11 sightings
fall. There were two reports of Ross' Geese
from s. Manitoba with 16 at Lynch'sPt., Sept.
22 (GEH,IAW) and nine at Oak Hammock
ing Novemberat BeaverhillL. (GRAE,DD)
and a possiblesightingof onefrom Oak Hammock Sept. 16 (AAM), and a WesternSandpiperAug.5 at Winnipeg(GEH).
JAEGERS, GULLS, TERNS -- This group
easilyprovidedthe mostraritieswith no fewer
than nine speciesrecordedwell outsidetheir
normalrange.ParasiticJaegersare extremely
rare in the s. portions of this Region, thus
sightings of singles at Beaverhill L, in
Novemberand at St. Ambroise,Man., Sept
30 were noteworthy(DD,IAW,GEH). The St
Ambroiserecordwas only the third or fourth
in recent times for s. Manitoba.
An uniden-
ewanhad nine sightings(HWRC,BAC,GJW,
(BCG,KMM).
MAG).
cousat WinnipegNov. 26-29 (seventhrecord
in the past25 years-- NJC),an IcelandGull
GALLIFORMES
THROUGH
COOTS
--
Both Ruffed and Sprucegrousenumbersare
low in the forestedareasof the Region.An
excellent concentrationof 400 Sharp-tailed
Grouse was reported from Arborg, Man.
(DRMH).
We have all heard about the haz-
ards birds are to aircraft, but a new twist to
the hazard story occurredwhen a Sandhill
Crane collidedwith a ship at Churchill. The
bird, needlessto saysufferedinjuries and was
sent to s. Manitoba to recuperate.There was
no reporton the damagesincurredby the ship
Gull rarities included a Glau-
Nov. 10-18 at Oak Hammock (RFK,ph), a
LaughingG•ll at ChurchillAug. 9-14 (CWC)
and an Ivory G•ll at ChurchillOct. 8 (BAC)
Two reportsof Sabine'sGull were received,
one found dead at St. Ambroise Sept 22
(WPN) and one at ReginaBeachOct. 28-30
(MB,BL,ph.). Two California Gulls at Win-
nipegAug.5 wererecorded
farthere. thanfor
the past20 years(GEH). Two ArcticTernsat
Delta Sept. 22, provided only the second
recordfor s. Manitoba (GEH,IAW). A single
CaspianTern at GoodSpirit L., Sask.,Aug
(BAC).
15 furnished a first record for that area (WJA)
There were sixteenWhoopingCrane sightingsfromtheregion.
A largeconcentration
of4700BlackTernswas
at the n. end of Last Mountain L., Sask. (here-
after,N.L.M.L.) Aug.5 (WCH).
SHOREBIRDS -- Record late dates prevailed throughoutthis group: a Killdeer at
Dry Meat L., Alta., Nov. 20 (fide GRAE), an
Am. Woodcock at Lac du Bonnet, Man., Oct.
28, a Baird's SandpiperNov. 4 at Oak Hammock, 12 White-rumpedSandpipersOct. 7 at
Churchill,and a Long-billedDowitcherNov.
11 at Lockport were the most extreme.There
werealsosomeexcellenthigh countsand rarAlberta and extreme w. Saskatchewan. There
ities.The largestflock of Long-billedCurlews
everrecordedin the Regionwasof 90 feeding
werenumerousreportsfor the s. portionof the
Regionof rare ducks.A Barrow'sGoldeneye in onefield nearHarris, Sask.,Aug. 6 (WER).
A flockof 270Black-bellied
Ploversat Regina
Nov. 12 at Edmonton(JF); HarlequinDucks
Aug. 23 and 80 Dunlins at Oak Hammock
at Grand Beach, Man., Oct. 28 and Lockport,
Man., Nov. 10-27; Black Scoters at Delta
wereexceptional
countsfor this Region.HudsonianGodwitscontinueto stagein SaskatchSept. 25 and Oct. 5, at St. Ambroise,Man.,
ewan with counts of 100+ at several localities
Oct. 8, and at ReginaSept.23 - Oct. 1 (CWC,
RFK,RK). In addition to these there were
and a peakof almost2000 at SaskatoonAug.
Volume 34, Number 2
two Buff-breasted Sandpipers Aug. 26 at
W.R.W.C. (SJ),a Sharp-tailedSandpiperdur-
titledjaegerwasseens. of SaskatoonOct 21
Sept. 29 (GDG). These, combined with
increasingconcentrations
at Saskatoon,3000
presentSept. 13-22(GWB,AD), suggesta possibleshiftfrom traditionalstagingareasin e.
unprecedented
numbersof Oldsquawin s.
NORTH DAKOTA
at Churchill in n. Manitoba, while Saskatch-
100,000SnowGeeseat Oak Hammock during
late September
wasnoteworthy
ass. Manitoba
is morenotedfor its springstagingratherthan
MONTANA
15 (WER,JBG,MJL). Rarities this fall included
OWLS
THROUGH
CORVIDS
--
A
barely-fledgedScreechOwl caughtat a nest
near Moose Jaw providedone of the few
breedingrecordsfor thisspecies
in Saskatchewan(RK). A goodone-daycountof 19 Snowy
Owls at N. L.M.L., Nov. 14 (PST) indicated
that this species
is up in numbers.Great Gray
Owl numberswere high only in Manitoba
where125 sightings
werereportedduringOctober and November (R.W.Nero).
A Rufous
Hummingbirdat Selkirk,Man., earlySeptember - Oct. 18 providedthe first confirmedrecord for Manitoba (fide HWRC,ph.). At Regina
a O hummingbirdSept. 2 wasthoughtto be
Rufous (TR). Black-backed Three-toed Wood-
peckerswere found s. of the forest in Saskatchewanwith singlesat WasecaNov.5, and
MooseJaw Sept.26-27(CDP,EWK).A Scissor173
tailed FlycatcherAug. 18 at Whitemouth,
Man., furnishedthat province'sfirst record
since1952(PT,WPN,ph.).Clark'sNutcracker,
extremelyrare e. of the Rockies,appearedat
Frontier,Sask.,Aug. 18 (JJW)and Kayville.
Sask., Oct. 24-27 (DWR,FB).
THRUSHES
THROUGH
STARLING
-An albino robin was seen near Cabri, Sask.,
Sept.24-30(BCG,BWJ).A WoodThrush at
WinnipegAug. 31, was considered
unusual
(.fideHWRC). Varied Thrusheshavebecome
rarebutregulartransients
in theRegion.This
year there were singlesat Eastend(TD),
Wolseley0DH), IndianHead(MS), Saskatoon
(EDS) and Regina(MB,FHB) in Saskatchewan and W.R.W.C., in Alberta (SJ).
Golden-crowned
Kinglet populationsindicateda recoveryafter beingverylow for the
past 3 years.but werestill belowmid-70s
levels.Loggerhead
Shrikenumberswerestill
low at several localities which warrants sur-
veillancenext year to see if they are indeed
recovering
as someobservers
haveindicated
(GJW).A Starlingwhichremainedat Churchill until the end of the period was the latest
thisspecies
haseverremainedat thisn. Manitoba locality(BAC).
WARBLERS -- Many speciesremained
well beyond their normal departure dates.
NORTHERN
GREAT
NashvilleWarblerswererecordedat Lockport
Oct. 14, WinnipegOct. 19, Stonewall,Man.,
Oct. 27 and an incredibleNov. 25 at Calgary
(RIB) where the speciesis extremelyrare at
best. Other extremely late records were for
Yellow-rumpedWarbler at Kleefeld, Man.,
Nov. 2, and WinnipegNov. 13 and a Palm at
Winnipeg Nov. 2 (D.Fast,J.Smolleck,DRMH).
Speciesoutsidetheir normal range included
Townsend'sat W.R.W.C. (SJ),Golden-winged
bers were down throughout as were Whitewinged Crossbills. Red Crossbills were low
everywhereexceptin s. Manitoba wherepopulationswere well abovethe past 2 years. A
Clay-coloredSparrow Oct. 7 at Oak Hammock was an extremely late date for this
Region(GEH).
at Onanole, Man. (BR), and five Pine War-
CONTRIBUTORS
-- (Area editors in boldface), ALBERTA -- R. J. Butot. D. Dekker,
blersat SpringValley(FB).
G. R. A. Ebel,1. Faragher,S.Johnston.
MAN-
ICTERIDS
THROUGH
FRINGILLIDS
-Orchard Orioles were recorded at two Man-
H. W. R. Copland,C. W. Cuthbert.D. R. M.
itoba localitieswith seven at Delta Aug. 7
(CWC) and one at LyletonAug. 2-3 (JLM). A
Koes, A. A. MacLean, J. L. Murray, W. P.
Nelly,B. Robinson,P. Taylor. I. A. Ward, R.
Brewer's Blackbird
Wange. SASKATCHEWAN -- William &
Joyce Anaka (WJA), M. Belcher, G. W.
Beyersbergen,
F. Bogdan.F. H. Brazier,T.
ITOBA -- B. A. Chartier, N.J. Cleveland,
at Churchill
Oct. 29 was a
first for that area .•de BAC). A flock of 33
Brown-headed
Cowbirdsat ChurchillAug. 26,
was a good count for this n. locale (BAC). A
Cardinal s. of Saskatoonfrom early Augustto
Nov. 26 providedonlythe sixth Saskatchewan
recordfor this speciesand the first in 7 years
(LMH). A pair of Black-headedGrosbeaksat
KleefeldAug. 25. was well n.e. of its normal
range.The winterfinch populationswerevery
low throughout the Region with Evening
Grosbeaks
beingdownat mostreportinglocations and Pine Grosbeaksbeing virtually
absent everywhere.Common Redpoll hum-
Hatch, G. E. Holland, G. D. Grieef, R. F.
Donald, A. Dzubin, D. Francis, B.C. Godwin,
J. B. Gollop,M. A. Gollop,W. C. Harr'ls,J. D.
Hayward.C. S. Houston,L. M. Hoyte,B. W.
Johns, S. O. Jordheim, E. W. Kern, R. Kreba,
F. W. Lahrman, S. M. Lamont, M. J. Lewis,
B. Luterbach, K. M. Mecres, C. D. Pike, W.
E. Renaud, T. Riffel, D. W. Robinson, M.
Skinner, E. D. Smith, P.S. Taylor, G. 1. Wap-
ple. Jack & Janet Wilkinson(JJW).Photographed(ph.).-- WAYNE C. HARRIS, Box
994, Prlnee Albert, Sask.S6V 5S5.
McLean Co., N.D. (RQ,
PLAINS
REGION
JGS). A Snowy Egret
/Esther M. Serf
Mont.. Sept.3 (HMM).
was at Freezeout
A
Least
Bittern
L.,
was
Fall on the northernprairie was mild and
seen Aug. 26 near
dry throughoutthe period.As a result the
reportswere loadedwith late datesfor the
regularspedesand severalfirsts were well-
Stratford, S.D. (ECM).
White-faced Ibises were
documented.
Birding west of and along the Missouri
present this fall with
eight reported from
Sand
Lake
N.W.R.,
River in the Dakotasand Montana might be
Aug. I and Sept. 3
(TKK) and 18 at Benconsidered
in the exploratorystageexceptfor
N.W.R..
a veryfewsmallareas.Thosefewexperienced ton Lake
Mont., Sept.17 (PDS).
birderscovering
thisvastarea haveput forth
much effort to check out sightingsand to
WATERFOWL -- Five Trumpeter Swan
guideseveralteenagersand adult beginners
cygnetswereraisedat the Weta Dam, Jackson
who have added a great deal to our knoMCo., S.D. (E. Grimes,fide EMS). A Brant was
edge.Travelingbirdershavebeenhelpfulin
submittingreportsfrom areasin the Region in a flock of Canada GeeseOct. 6 at SibleyL.,
Kidder Co., N.D.
where there are no local birders.
(CAF).
There were 400
only White-wingedsand Surf scoterswere
found
in South
Dakota
Oct.
20 - Nov.
25
(DAT,WH). A Ruddy Duck with five young
probablyevidenceda secondnestingSept.2 at
Bowdoin N.W.R. (PDS.JCC,CMC).
White-fronted Geeseat Salyer N.W.R.. N.D.,
GREBES THROUGH
IBISES -- A total of
Sept.23 (JFK.DOL)and a total of 9000 Sept.
Aug. 19 - Nov.21 in the Dakotas(LLW,.GSL,
29 at Fox L., Richmond Co., Mont. (TCH).
Two Ross' Geese were at Sand Lake N.W.R.,
DOL,CAF,WH). Among large numbers of
White Pelicans present the following were
Sept.30 (WAS) and onewasshotat RushL.,
N.D., Oct. 22 (K. Ray,fide DOL). A pair of
reported:115 at L. ArdochN.W.R., Walsh
Fulvous Whlsfiing Ducks stayed at Stewart's
Co., N.D. (SOL) and 50 still at the Peace
Gardens, N.D., Oct. 23 (PCH). Four lingered
Slough.GrandForksCo., N.D., Aug. I - Sept.
2 (DOL,SOL,JFK).AmericanWigeonat Bow-
RAPTORS
--
Two Goshawks were observed
Cormorant nests and 156 Great Blue Heron
Scaupwas at Big Alkali L,, Kidder Co., N.D.,
nestsdispersedfrom the combinedcolonyby
Aug. 7 at theTongueRiverRes.,Mont. (NCF.
Nov. 2 (CAF). A d Barrow'sGoldeneyewas
Sept.9 and Oct. 10 in s. CusterCounty,S.D.,
wherethey are knownto nest(MJP).One was
alongthe BellyR., GlacierN.P., Oct. 7 (WCH,
SML), and two werein Valley County,Mont.,
Nov, 13-16(MWA). Cooper'sHawksmigrated
in modestnumbersthrough the Region and
were observedAug. 23 - Nov. 13. They probablylingeredaroundthe MissouriR.. until the
water was frozen before moving to their wintering area. Several Sharp-shinnedswere
caughtin blackbirdtraps Aug. 1-15at Arrow-
presentat Canyon L,, Rapid City, S.D., Nov.
wood N.W.R., N.D. (JGS).
25 (JLBet aL). ThreeOldsquawwerereported
A Broad-wingedHawk was observedSept.
27 at Oakwood Lakes. BrookingsCo., S.D.
11 Red-neckedGrebe sightingswas unusual
in ClayCounty,S.D., Nov.10(W. E. Lemons, doin N.W.R.. Mont., numbered25,000 during
fide WH). Juvenilesfrom 129 Double-crested October and November (TWP). A Greater
BAS). A concentration of 260 Double-cresteds
was on Golden L., Steele Co., N.D. (DLK).
Six Little Blue Herons were observedAug.
20 at Sand Lake
N.W..R..
Columbia,
S.D.
(WAS). One CattleEgretwasverylate Nov. 19
in NelsonCounty,N.D. (RKC).The lastsighting of Great EgretswasOct. 24 at Turtle L.,
174
on lakes in c. North Dakota Oct. 24 - Nov. 5
(RAS et al.) and one was photographedin
Yankton County, S.D., Nov. 17-29 (WH).
WoodDuckspeakedat 250 Sept. 15 at Fargo.
(GCR). Over 100 Swainsoh's Hawks were ket-
N.D. (GIO). Threescoterspecieswerefound
tling s.w. of Hettinger. N.D., Sept. 30
(JMS,GTS).Three OspreysweresightedAug.
29 and Nov. 21 at the Tongue River Res..
in North Dakota (JFK,RKC,DOL,CAF)
Mont. (NCF). One was at L. Ardoch N.W.R.,
while
American
Birds,March1980
N.D., Sept. 22 (GSL et al.) and four were
notedin SouthDakota Sept.9-30 (TKK,GLS,
tana as 12 were sighted Sept. 25 - Nov. 30.
Eight Pition Jays visitedat feedersnear Man-
WH.RDM).
dan to become the first known
GALLIFORMES
THROUGH
CRANES
--
Gallinaceousspecieswere reportedas doing
well in the Region but for Sage Grouse no
reportswerereceived!
One WhoopingCrane bandedin 1978was
at Medicine Lake N.W.R.. Mont.. Sept. 24-29
(MWA). Seven adults were seen in Burke and
McLean Counties. N.D., Oct. 15-30 (fide.
TMP). Montana and North Dakota had thou-
sandsof SandhillCranesSept.2 - Nov. 12 but
onlya fewthousand
wereobserved
overSouth
Dakota.
SHOREBIRDS -- Mi•ation was rather
pooryet a few speciesstoodout. Six Piping
Ploverswere seenAug. 8 in Kidder County,
N.D. (CAF) and four were in Clay County,
S.D. (WH). Two Upland Sandpiperswerevery
late in a field at FargoNov. 2 (MAB.CAS).A
Short-billed Dowitcher was observed at Aber-
deen. S.D. (DAT). It apparentlyis a common
althoughrarely recogni7edmigrant through
the Dakotas. Long-billedswere estimatedat
2000eachplace:BentonLake N.W.R.. Havre
and BowdoinN.W.R.. Mont.. Aug. 31 - Sept.
3 (PDS). On Oct. 14 there were still 2500 in
marshes at Upper Souris N.W.R.. N.D.
(GBB). Eleven Buff-breasted Sandpiperswere
unusualAug. 5 - Sept. 13 near Grand Forks.
N.D. (DOL.SOL).
JAEGERS THROUGH
GULLS -- An imm.
jaeger of undeterminedspecieswas harmssing birds at Stink L., StutsmanCo., N.D.
(CAF). One of threegullsviewedwith a 40x
scopeat about 300 ft as it sat on a rock in the
Missouri R., below Ft. Peck Dam Sept. 23-26
(CMC) showeddark eyeswhile the other two
had pale eyes.This was reportedas a [rather
unconvincing--Ed.]first Montana recordfor
Larus thayeri. An imm. Sabine'sGull flew
within 10 ft of the observers several times at
Cooney Dam, Carbon Co., Mont. (G. Weber, HWC,BBF,RDF). Huge numbers of
Franklin's Gulls again -- as every year --
passed through the Dakotas peaking at
18,000in Kidder County Aug. 29 (CAF) and
40,000 Sept. 24-30 in Day, Brown and Clay
counties,S.D. (LLW,ECM,RAP). At Chase
L., N.D., therewere23 Corn. TernsAug. 19
(JGS,JRF).
OWLS
THROUGH
FLYCATCHERS
--
A SnowyOwl wasfirst seenOct. 20 at Grand
Forks (DOL). ChimneySwifts peakedat 50
at Grand Forks Aug. 25 (DOL) and a late one
wasseenOct. 7 in Brookings,S.D. (CAT).
Three Pileated Woodpeckersightingswere
reportedfrom Fargo and Mayville, N.D.,
Oct. 15 - Nov. 3 (WEL,PPF,PSH).
Redbellieds are well established along the
Missouri R., and in s.e. South Dakota but
onewasseenSept.2 at Fisher'sGrove,Spink
Co., S.D. (CB). Two Black-backedThreetoedsweresightedOct. 3 & 11 in the c. Black
Hills, S.D. (JAH,RH,MJP).
A Scissor-tailed Flycatcher provided a
third Montana record as it was viewed feed-
ing on insectsin a 30 mph wind Oct. 18-20at
BigTimber (L. Peavey,LMM,PDS et al.).
JAYS THROUGH
MIMIDS
-- Blue Jays
are spreadingfastacrossthe n. part of MonVolume 34, Number 2
North
Dakota
record Oct. 26 - Nov. 30 (JCS eta/.). A Pi•on
Jay, banded Jan. 1973, was re-netted Nov. 4
at Rapid City (LMB). Four Clark's Nutcrackers were feeding on the side of Bear Butte
Mt., Meade Co., S.D., Sept. 2 (TAG, S.
Rothe). A Mountain Chickadee was sighted
at Billings Oct. 21-27 (L. Porter) and two
were at Silesia, Mont., Nov. 5-12 (SM). A
Dipper was sighted Oct. 7 in the Belly R.,
Glacier N.P. (WCH,SML); three were seen
Sept. 30 and two Nov. 4 in the n. Black Hills
(GGR,DLB). A Mockingbird was late at
Aberdeen, S.D., Nov. 26 (DAT).
THRUSHES
THROUGH
VIREOS
--
A
Wood Thrush was banded Sept. 7 at Newton
Hills S.P., Lincoln Co., S.D. (GCR). A
Varied
Thrush
was at
Bismarck
Nov.
19
(DMR) and a Hermit Thrush was seen Oct.
29 in n. Moody County, S.D. (LIW). A Veery
was singing at Bowdoin N.W.R., Sept. 2-3
(PDS). Four E. Bluebird nestlings fledged
Aug. 12 in Hutchinson County, S.D. (RLS)
and a family of six was seen in N. Unit,
Theodore Roosevelt N.P., N.D., Aug. 20
(GBB), and there were numerousother sightings in e. South Dakota (WH).
Golden-crowned Kinglets were numerous
in the Region after being virtually absent for
several years. Seldom-identified Sprague's
Pipit were found in Stutsman County, N.D.,
during migration(CAF). BohemianWaxwings
were first seen Nov. 9 in Fargo (PPF) and
Nov. 10 in s.w. Perkins County, S.D. (AH).
Cedar Waxwingswere very numerousin early
fall but they seemedto leave in early November. Northern Shrike sightings were also
reported across the Region. A Bell's Vireo
was heard and seen Aug. 23 at Highmore,
S.D. (JHH)and a Yellow-throatedVireo was
singingSept. 9 at Minot, N.D. (GBB).
WARBLERS -- Warbler migration waves
are not normal for this area in the fall except
for e. North Dakota, but rare or uncommon
transients seemed to be. Single Cape May
Warblers were seen Sept. I at Fargo and
Minot (CAS,GBB). A d Black-throatedBlue
was closelystudiedin DeSmet Forest, Kingsbury Co., S.D. (RLS). An imm. Pine Warbler was viewed for almost five hours in s.
Billings(RDF), but the possibilityof its being
a Bay-breasted has been raised. Palm Warblers were noted at Grand Forks Sept. 15-16
with a peak of four, but only one was seen
Sept. 23 in n. Moody County, S.D. (LIW). It
was unusual not to have any sightings of
Yellow-breasted
Chat this fall.
The Oporornis group made an unusual
showing. A Kentucky Warbler was photographed Oct. 19 as it foraged underneath a
buffaloberry bush at Ft. Peck, Mont., and
provided a first record for the state (JCC,
CMC). Single Connecticut Warblers were
sightedat Grand Forks (DOL) and at Fargo,
N.D. (MAB) Aug. 28 - Sept. 3 and one was
late Sept. 23, in s.e. Volga, S.D. (CO). Mourn-
ing Warblersweresightedat four placesin e.
North Dakota Aug. 26-30. An unusualgroup
of ten MacGillivray's Warblers were at City
Springs,Rapid City Sept.23 (NRW).
BLACKBIRDS
AND
FINCHES
--
Thir-
teenjuv. N. Orioleswerecaughtin a banding
net at the same time Sept. 19 at Newton Hills
S.P., S.D. (GCR). A late N. Oriole was at
Upper Souris N.W.R., N.D., Nov. 17-30 (L.
Wittenburg). Maximum count of Rusty
Blackbirdstotaled 90 Oct. 4 - Nov. 20 as they
passedthrough the Bismarck-Mandan, N.D.
area (RNR), and one was at Rapid City Nov.
25 (JLB). A flock of 100 Brown-headed Cowbirds was in a sheep feedlot, in s.w. BrookingsCounty, S.D., Oct. 15 (NJH). Cardinals
were common
in s.e. South
Dakota
with
a
total of 17 rural sightingsand 51 in Yankton
during the period (WH,JEW). A Rosebreasted Grosbeak was very late at Fargo
Nov. 26-27 (PPF). A flock of 25 Purple
Finches was feeding along the Red R., at
Grand Forks Oct. 19 (DOL) and a flock of 15
was at Waubay N.W.R., S.D., Nov. 22 (RRJ).
A flock of 86 Gray-crowned Rosy Finches
was at Billings, Mont., Nov. 18 (BBF). Red
Crossbills
made
an
invasion
across
the
Canada border through the c. Dakotas by
Sept. 22 (JFK,DOL). By Oct. 22 they had
worked down to near the Nebraska border
where a flock of 225 was seen at Burke L.
(GLS). One White-winged Crossbill was seen
at the Peace Gardens, N.D., Nov. 29 (CAF).
Le Conte's Sparrow, Lake Alice N.W.R.,
N.D., Sept. 23, 1979. Photo/David O.
Lambeth.
SPARROWS -- A good wave of Savannah
Sparrowswas seenSept. 23 at Minot (GBB).
A flock of 20 Le Conte's was at Lake Alice
N.W.R., RamseyCo., N.D., Sept. 23 (JFK,
DOL). Vesper Sparrowswere common in the
e. half of the Dakotas while Lark Sparrows
were again scarcein the Region. An ad. Field
Sparrow with three nestlingswas noted Aug.
I in Yankton County, S.D. (WH). Five Field
Sparrows were seenat Hazen, N.D., Oct. 15
(DNS). From mid-SeptemberthroughOct. 20
White-crowneds were widespread. Seven
were in Fargo Sept. 21 - Oct. 20 (MBB) and
one was at Golden L., Nov. 18 -- both in the
Red R. valley area (PSH). A Fox Sparrow
Nov. 8-11 furnished a first record for the Bill-
ings area (HWC et al.). Lincoln's Sparrows
migrated through South Dakota Sept. 9 Oct. 10 with peaks of 16 in s. Clay and
Yankton Counties (KJH,WH).
Three
McCown's Longspurswere observedin a new
area in c. Custer County, S.D. (MJP). A
flock of 20 Smith's Longspurs was observed
Sept. 5 at LamesteerN.W.R., Wibaux Co.,
Mont. (B. Whelton) and 40 werein a hayfield
in w. Grand Forks Oct. 16-19 (PJD). At least
100 Chestnut-collareds
were
seen between
175
Farmingdale and New Underwood, S D,
Sept 28 (NRW).
CONTRIBUTORS (area editors in boldface) MONTANA -- M. W. Aberhold,C. M.
Carlson, J. C. Carlson, H. W. Carlson, B. B.
FitzGerald,N. C. Forrester,R. D. Foxall,T. M.
Hays, W. C. Harris, T. C. Hinz, S. M.
Lamont, H. M. Marble, S. McClintock,L. M.
Moos, T. W. Planz, P. D. Skaar, B. A. Stettler NORTH
DAKOTA
-- M. A. Bergan,
Pawnee County, Kans.,
Aug. 11 provided an
anticipatedfirst record
/Frances Williams
(SS). In CoftEyCounty
a flock comprising38
Bird movements
appearfar morepronounced birds was locatedAug.
whenbandingis involvedthan whenjudged 26 (JS). Great Egrets
at Cressolelyby field observations.
This wasdemon- werenoteworthy
strated this fall when most contributors stated
cent L., Sept. 14 (ER),
that migrationwas dull, but bandingopera- Washington County,
SOUTHERN
GREAT
Baylor, D L. Bjerke, T
G. B. Berkey, M B Brophy, R K Crawford, P. J. Dubowy, C. A. Faanes, P. P.
Forness, J. R. Foster, T. A. Gatz, P. C.
Hart, P.S. Hlavinka, J. F. Kelly, D. L.
Kubischta, D. O. Lambeth, G. S. Lambeth,
S. O. Lambeth, W. E. LeBien, G.I. Oliver,
T. M. Patton, R. Quanrud, R. N. Randall,
D. M. Rieckmann, G. T. Sailer, J. M. Sailer,
R. A. Schmidt, J. G. Sidle, C. A. Spurbeck,
J. C. Swanick, D. N. Svingen. SOUTH
DAKOTA -- C. Baird, J. L. Baker, L. M.
A
Gatz, J A
Hagen, W. Hall, R. Hansen, J. H. Harter, A
Hinds, N.J. Holden, K. J. Hoover, R. R
Johnson,T. K. Kesseler,R. D. Michael, E. C
Montgomery, C. Oleson, M. J. Parker, R. A
Peterson, G. C. Rogge, G. G. Ross, W. A
Schultz, E. M. $err, R. L. Spomer, G. L
Steffen, D. A. Tallman, C. A. Taylor, L. L
Watters, L. I. Wells, N. R. Whitney, J. E
Wilcox. -- ESTHER M. SERR, 110 - 11 E
Watertown, Rapid City, S.D. 57701.
PLAINS
REGION
tlons at Crescent Lake National Wildlife Ref-
Okla., Nov. 11, Buffalo
uge and Lincoln,Nebraska,JohnsonCounty,
Kansas,Oklahoma City, Walker and Brazos
L., July 29 - Sept. 2
and Presidio County
Counties, Texas, all revealed specieswhose
Nov. 18. A Louisiana
Heron
visited
San
presence
wouldhavebeenundetected
without
the nets.
The generallymild fall meantthat winter
ß
-•
/ .......
•
Heron was carefully
identified in Douglas
County, Neb., Oct. 10
and Clark's Nutcracker, there was little indi-
(TB
cationof "invasion"species.
But the number
of seabirdsin the Regionwasremarkable.
et
al.).
In
Denver
.....
•
•
enne Bottoms W.M.A.,
Neb, Oct. 19 (FZ). A Red-necked Grebe was
Kans., Aug. 11 (SS).Wood Storkswerefound
at Great Salt Plains Sept. 3-5 (m.ob.), Tarrant
County,Tex., Aug. 15-27•fideMR) and Hunts-
mon Loonssummeredon L. Livingstonand L.
Conroe in e. Texas and remained into the fall
period.On L. Tenkiller, n.e. Okla., 37 Corn.
sightedin SarpyCounty,Neb.,Oct. 13 (MM,
IBu) HornedGrebesnormallymigratethrough
the e half of the Region,but arerarelyseenin
thew half. Thisfall theyappearedin w. Texas
ville S.P., Tex., Oct. 7 (ST). White-faced Ibis
madea goodshowingthroughoutthe Region.
at Buffalo Lake N.W.R. (hereafter, Buffalo L.)
.A Roseate Spoonbill which remained in
and Lubbock. Western Grebes continued to
ComancheCounty,Okla., Aug. 22 - Sept. 12.
disperse
widelyandwerenotedin SarpyCounty provideda first recordthere (JMa,CC,m.ob.).
Nov 10, Oklahoma City Oct. 24, and Palo
The specieswas located in Texas at San
AngeloAug. 4-5, L. SomervilleSept. 7 & 14,
P•nto County,Tex., Nov. 10. The speciesis
nowregularin winteron manyw. Texaslakes. Tarrant CountyAug. 7.
Severallargeconcentrations
of White Pelicans
WATERFOWL -- Whistling Swanswere
werereported:1000at L. Livingston
Oct. 26,
present at Crescent L., Nov. 23 (M&SM),
5000 in PawneeCounty,Okla., Sept.30, 2000
at Great Salt Plains N.W.R., Okla., Sept. 5.
CowleyCountyNov. 25 (J&MR) and HutchinAt Nacogdoches,
Tex., a flockof 280 remained sonCounty,Tex., Nov. 25 (B&JR). One imm.
and two ad. Trumpeter SwansgracedNorth
on the small sewageponds Sept. 18-21. An
estimated 10,000 Double-crested Cormorants
gathered at L. LivingstonOct. 26. An
Ohvaceous Cormorant was seen in Presidio
County, Tex., Nov. 18 (SW) and two were
reportedat Ft. Worth (RDC). An Anhinga
visited the Ft. Worth area Oct. 20.
HERONS
THROUGH
SPOONBILLS
--
Platte N.W.R., Nov. 7 (MC,m.ob.). At Plattsmouth Waterfowl Area, Neb., 160,000 Snow
GeesemassedNov. 15-16. Refuge personnel
estimatedtwo immatures to each adult 9•ide
MW). A Ross'Goose*provideda first record
for Brazos County Nov. 13 (RH). A Fulvous
Whistling Duck was discoveredat the Ft.
Worth fish hatcheryNov. 9 (MP,JMS). Eleven
From mid-Augustinto Septembera flock of
Black-belliedWhistlingDuckswerepresentin
Little Blue Herons, of which all but two were
BurlesonCounty, Tex., Nov. 19 & 21-25 (RN
et al.). Wood Ducks visited Morton County,
white immatures,roostedat night with a flock
of 100_+Com. Crowsnear BaldwinCity, Kans.
(AJB) Other localitiesvisited by Little Blue
Herons included Sarpy County, Plattsmouth,
Neb, CoffeyCounty, Kans., Great Salt Plains
N W R., and San Angelo,Tex. Cattle Egrets
are seldom considerednews now, but one in
176
KANS.
eHall•ad
I MO.
Wichi•
j
I
•
•,x•.
•u•m. ß •HGibm•
. e*•
Lake
•
ß Muleshoe
I Grand
La•
Lake Te•ma
Re•ge
Jeff
Loons were counted Nov. 3 (EG). Two Arctic
-- Com-
Manhaltan
Hays* Topeka
eL•
wren•
•,•
Loons were presentat North Platte N.W.R.,
ANHINGAS
Lincore
l•
!
Davis County, Tex., 14
Black-crowned Night
Herons were sighted
Sept. 16 (JM). The only
sightingsof Least Bitterns were at Hagerman N.W.R., Tex., Aug.
25 (CRB) and Chey-
LOONS THROUGH
ß
• t• / t•
Angelo in August. A
Yellow-crownedNight
residentswere tardy in arriving and summer
residentsremainedlate. Exceptfor Red Crossbillsandonereporteachof Bohemian
Waxwing
Valentine
ß
Sco•bluL
ß Platte
NEBR.
Colu_mbu*'•
IOWA
I North
ß , *Omaha
I
....
r
Kans., Nov. 11 (JDT), Buffalo L., Oct. 14 (KS),
Lubbockthrough November(m.ob.) and Big
Bend N.P., Oct. 16 (RS). Two Barrow'sGoldeneyes were carefully studied at North Platte
N.W.R., Nov. 26 (M&SM). White-wingqdScoters reached Oklahoma City Nov. 9 (JSh),
Mi•lland
Tulsa Nov. 9 (BJ,EH), Douglas County Nov
15-16 (NR,m.ob.). SurfScoters were located at
Tulsa Nov. 10 (BJ,EH), Crescent L., Nov. 19
(FZ). North Platte Oct. 19 (FZ) and Nacogdoches* Nov. 21-22 (DF).
Last winter male and female first year
HoodedMergansersspentthe winter at Nacogdoehes
with Ray Jochetz'game birds on a
pondjust30 ydsbehindhishouse.The d merganserhad a noticeablelimp in oneleg. This
Novembertwo mergansersarrivedin ad. plumage,the malelimpingin the sameleg asthe
previousbird. The peak number of Hooded
Mergansersat Hagerman was 150 Nov. 23
(CRB). Other observations included one at
Tulsa,nine at BuffaloL, fivein CoffeyCounty,
sevenin SarpyCounty,and one in Lancaster
County, Neb.
KITES THROUGH
FALCONS
-- At least
50 Mississippi Kites cruised over Nacogdochesfor severalhoursAug. 22. Wolf stated
he had never before seenkites in comparable
numbers in the area. Mississippi Kites also
gatheredin Ft. Worth on variousdatesAug
21 - Sept. 10. The largestflock comprised25
birds. Goshawkswere sightedat Plattsmouth
Sept.8 (GW) and at CrescentL., Sept.29. At
Nacogdoches,
Wolf counted56 Sharp-shinned
Hawks and only four Cooper's Hawks Sept
20 - Nov. 6. In the Kerrville, Tex., area, the
Muellerssaw only Sharpies.Elsewherein the
Region, the two were reported in approximately equal numbers.So few contributors
American
Birds,March1980
report on populationsof Red-shouldered An unexpectedbird in the piney woodsof e.
Franklin's Gulls in Howard County. Tex..
Texas was a Snowy Plover found dead in
Polk County Sept. 21. Very late Snowieswere
about the status of this species. Five were
noted in the Bartlesville area, six in the Kerrfound in Reeves County Nov. 19 (SW). At
ville area and two in Sarpy County, where
Crowley, Tex., an unusualrecord was protheyareuncommon.RecentlyfledgedBroad- vided by Mountain Plovers Aug. 10 & 12
wingedHawks were discoveredin Grayson (RLi,MR). Over 500 Long-billed Curlews
massed at Buffalo L., Sept. 2. A single
County, Tex., Aug. 4 (RR). The only large
flight of Broad-wingeds
wasat Nacogdoches Long-billed Curlew was discoveredNov. 29
where 500+ flew by in 30 min., Oct. 8 (CT).
in a strangehabitat -- the hill country of c.
A flock of Swainson'sHawks spentthe night
Texas in GillespieCounty (EWM). A Willet
found a flooded field in Tulsa County Aug.
about 7 mi s.w. of Albion, Neb., Sept. 27-28.
22. The seldom seen Red Knot was detected
They left in the morning over a 45-min.
at Tulsa Sept. 3 (JH et al.) and San Angelo
period, allowingthe observerto arrive at an
estimate of 700 birds (WM). Another flock
Sept. 23 (CCW). Dunlins and Sanderlings
were reported throughoutthe Region at too
comprising300_+birds was near O'Neill,
many localitiesto list. Buff-breastedSandNeb., Sept. 30 (JAM). A Zone-tailed Hawk
was observed in Guadalupe Mr. N.P., Tex.,
piperswere tallied at Tulsa Aug. 11 & 13,
Arlington Sept. 6 - Oct. 4, Ft. Worth Aug.
Sept. 1 (AB). Rough-legged
Hawks arrivedin
30, HagermanAug. 18 and San Angelo Sept.
Pawnee County, Kans., Oct. 2, Crescent L.,
30. The rare (on the plains) Marbled Godwit
Oct. 3, Johnson County, Kans., Oct. 10,
appearedat North Platte Ref., Aug. 29 in
ReevesCounty, Tex., Oct. 25 and Tulsa Nov.
Creek County Aug. 28, Ft. Worth Sept. 18
10. A FerruginousHawk at Norman, Okla.,
and Lubbock Oct. 22. About 400 Am. AvoOct. 20, was e. of its normal range (JG).
cets assembledat Buffalo L., through OctoOspreysmadea goodshowingin mostof the
ber (KS). This speciesalso remained into
Region.A Caracarawaslocatedat L. SomerNovember in Ottawa County, Okla. (PW),
ville Sept. 15. Prairie Falcons were almost
Tarrant (MR) and Trinity (JF) Counties,Tex.
"common" in the w. third of the Region and
Northern Phalaropespausedat CrescentL.,
were seene. to OsageCounty, Okla., Nov. 17
Buffalo L., Lubbock and Balmorhea L.,
and Tulsa Nov. 10. An imm. Peregrine FalReeves Co., Tex. Two Red Phalaropes were
con remainedat Buffalo L., Sept. 30 - Oct. 14
Nov. 18 comprisedthe largest number ever
Hawks that no conclusions can be drawn
and an adult sailed over Dallas Nov. 8. The
only other Peregrinesreportedwere resident
birds in the Guadalupeand ChisosMts., Tex.
discoveredat Nacogdoches
Oct. 12 (SL,CT)
and a single bird was located at Lorenzo,
PRAIRIE
CHICKENS
JAEGERS
THROUGH
SKIMMERS
--
(What an amazingheadingtbr a paragraphin
this Regionalreport!) A jaeger was tbund at
OklahomaCity Nov. 12.It wasseenrepeatedly
THROUGH
JA(•ANAS -- The population of Greater
Prairie Chickens increased in Lyon County,
Kans. (JS). Donald Vannay wrote that the
placeto find LesserPrairie Chickensin Kansas is the Pratt Sandhills Wildlife Area in w.
Pratt County. Last summera pair of Turkeys
raiseda family in an undevelopedarea of an
urban park at Midland. All fall residentsof
the area were enthralled to have young Tur-
keyswalking about their yards, but a misanthrope wonderedif there would still be Turkeysleft after Thanksgiving.
A King Rail was presentat CheyenneBottoms Oct. 6. A Black Rail appeared briefly
near Omaha Sept. 20 (RGC). Virginia Rails
were noteworthy in Jeff Davis County Sept.
16 (JM) and Buffalo L., Oct. 28 (KS). A surprisinginhabitantof a playa in Gray County,
Tex. was a Cam. Gallinule Aug. 11 (EBE).
Extraordinary was the word for a ,la•:anaon a
stockpond in Real County, Tex., from midOctober to mid-November. According to the
ranch owner the bird fed on "moss" on the
water until the moss sank to the bottom of
the pond during a cold spell (BCo,GM, fide
EWM).
SHOREBIRDS -- Post-breeding Piping
Plovers were still present on the sandbars
along the Platte R., in Sarpy County Aug. 22
(MW). An early migrant Piping Plover was
discovered in Arlington, Tex., July 26
(RLN). Migrants also pausedat Great Salt
Plainsand Rogersand Creek Counties,Okla.
Volume 34, Number 2
Sabine's Gulls were identified
L., Oct. I1 (DWi)•tnd
at Balmorhea
L. Livingston Sept.
21-23 (KB,DSt,m.ob.).
Forster's Terns were
abundantAugust-November
on L. Livingston.
with a peak of 2000 Oct. 12. Least Tern recordsincludedtwo eachin SarpyCountySept.
5. Ft. Worth Aug. 30, RogersCountyAug. 28
and singlebirds at HagermanRef., Aug. 25
and Osage County. Kans., Aug. 10. Black
Terns wereveryscarcein much of the Region
bul 679 were tallied at CrescentL., Aug. 16
and 200 werecountedin RogersCountyAug.
28. A Black Skimmerat Nacogdoches
July 26
wasanotherconsequence
ofClaudette {DW et
al.).
DOVES
THROUGH
GOATSUCKERS
--
A Ground Dove was carefully identified at
DeSoto N.W.R..
another
0AM.PN).
was
Neb.. Nov. 18 (L&BP)
located
at
Yellow-billed
late at Lubbock
until
Midland
and
Oct.
18
Cuckoos remained
Oct. 7 and Ft. Worth
Oct. 26. Groove-billed Anis experienced
another season of wandering. They visited
Midland Oct. 1 (TJ), Washington County,
Okla.. Oct. 20 (RP. ED). Ft. Worth
Oct. 25
(LM) and Baldwin City, Kans.. in late November. The Baldwin bird ate frozen grasshoppers
on the lawn within a few feet of spectators.On
Dec. 8. the farmer whose land the bird was
Tex., Oct. 14-16 (ML,m.ob.).
A total of 12 Merlins was reported, perhaps
indicatinga coming "Merlin winter". American Kestrelsare adapting well to man-made
structuresas nesting sites on the treeless
plains.A late reportnotedthat a pair of kestrels nested in the football stadium a! Big
Spring,Tex. (GWa).
seen in this western area (GWa et aLL
Imm. Pomarine Jaeger, Oklahoma City,
Okla.,Nov. 18, 1979.Photo/JohnShackford.
throughNov. 18. but was found dead and
partlyeatenthe next day. Measurements
of
the remainssuggested
it wasan imm. Pomafine Jaeger(JSh,JN).A singleCaliforniaGull
was detected at Red Bluff Res.. Loving Co..
Tex.. Nov. 19 (SW). There was an unprec-
edentedincursionof LaughingGulls into e.
Texas undoubtedlycausedby tropical storm
Claudette.Theywerepresenton all areareservoirsJuly 25-26 in flocksoccasionally
com-
usingnoticedthe ani wasin a weakenedcondition and easilycaughtit. He took it to Roger
Boydat Baker Universitywho got it to eat a
few mealybugs,but the bird died thal nigfit
•6'de AJB). A Burrowing Owl was found in
PawneeCounty, Okla.. Sept. 30 (JH). Spotted
Owls are residentin Guadalupe Mr. N.P.. but
il is necessaryto make a long. arduousclimb
to reach their habitations.They may be found
on both the Bear CanyonTrail and N. McKittrick Trail. Long-earedOwls weredetectedin
Lyon County Oct. 20 (MSc) and Jeff Davis
County Oct. 60M). Short-earedOwls were
early in Sarpy County Aug. 19 and Pawnee
County, Kans., Sept. 13. A Saw-whetOwl was
photographed at Oklahoma City Nov. 25
(JSh).Whip-poor-willswerefound in Grayson
CountySept. 9 & 30 (RR) and Tulsa Sept. 10
(HE).
HUMMINGBIRDS
CATCHERS
--
THROUGH
FLY-
A Lucifer Hummingbird.
whichis rarelysightedoutsideBig Bend N.P..
was found in Pinto Canyon.PresidioCounty
Aug. IS {AR). An Anna'sHummingbirdfre-
quented
a feederin Ft. Davis.Tex..Sept.12Nov. 6 (PE) and two were seen at a feeder in
BigBendN.P..Oct.23(ARet al.). A c•BroadtailedHummingbird
visiteda feederin Oxford,
Kans.. Aug. 13-17 and Aug. 20-22 (we.
m.ob.). Rufous Hummingbirds wandered to
Tulsa. Crowley. Kerrville. Ft. Davis and
Walker County. A Rivoli's Hummingbird
ingGullswerefoundat OklahomaCitySept. found an El Paso feeder Oct. 22-2.3{JSp).A
Blue-throatedHummingbirdwas observedin
1-23 (JN) and L. SomervilleAug. 16 (KK et
Guadalupe Mt. N.P.. Sept. I. SeveralconaLL One never ceasesbeing amazed at the
enormous flocks of Franklin's Gulls which
tributors reported a phenomenalincreaseof
crossthe plainseachfall. Amongthe many Red-headedWoodpeckers.Williamson'sSapreported.the mostoutstanding
concentration suckerswere spottedin Big Bend N.P.. Nov.
26 (MBe) and Lubbock Oct. 13 (GJ). Two W.
was 10.000 at L. Texoma Oct. 7-13. In Kansas
Oct. IS. Hobbs traveledfrom Topeka to RusKingbirdswerefoundin PolkCountySept.21
sell. about IS0 mi. and Frankliu's Gulls were
(KB.DSt). One remainedi• SedgwickCounty.
in sight the wholeway. A flock of 200+ Kans.. until Oct. 6. Migrating .Cassin'sKing-
prising100birds.Someof the gullslingered
into October.the last beingsightedOct. 26 in
Polk County(KB). Other out-of-rangeLaugh-
177
birds frequentedthe plains s w of Mafia,
Tex, as 25 werecountedAug. 15 and 35 Sept.
22 Migration on the latter date alsobrought
Cassin'sKingbirdsto Lubbockand Midland.
Scissor-tailedFlycatcherswanderedto Louisville, Neb., Aug. 19 and Lincoln Sept. 13.
Sclssor-tailedsare becoming scarce in the
trans-Pecosarea of Texas, so one in Big Bend
N P, Oct. 16 was noteworthy(RS). In midSeptember,in c. PawneeCounty, Kans., as
many as ten Great CrestedFlycatcherscould
be seen in placeswhere even one would be
unexpected(SS),and singlebirdswereseenas
far w as Muleshoe Ref. and Midland.
Ash-
throated Flycatchersremained until Nov. 16
m Palo Duro Canyon S.P., Tex. Two Say's
Phoebesremainedat the same!ocationuntil
Nov 25 (KS) and one was noted at Waco, Tex.,
Nov 23 (MBu). Black Phoebes visited Midland Oct. 20-21 (m.ob.) and Brazos County,
Tex Nov. 16 (MH). Vermilion Flycatchers
brightenedCoilin County,Tex., Oct. 10 and
L Ray Hubbard near DallasOct. 27.
SWALLOWS
THROUGH
NUTHATCHES
-- About 20,000 Tree Swallowsfestoonedthe
wereobservedat closerangeDec 1 in Johnson
County,Kans. (MLM). A White-eyedVireo at
L. LivingstonOct. 26 was late (KB). Red-eyed
Vireos were unexpectedat Guadalupe Mt.
N.P., Sept. 1, Buffalo L., Sept. 3 & 19, and
Midland, Sept. 22. PhiladelphiaVireos were
carefully identified in Johnson County Sept.
14 & 26, Tulsa Oct. 7, Oklahoma City Sept.
20, Ft. Worth Oct. 31 and Hagerman Ref.,
Sept.22.
Grackles
were
discovered
at Hueco
Tanks
S.P., Tex., Oct. 27 (JD0. SummerTanagers
made news by being late: Lyon County Oct
27, CrosbyCountyOct. 26 and one at Norman
which flew h•to a window and was killed Nov. 4.
FRINGILLIDS
--
Rose-breasted
Gros-
beaksvisitedOklahoma City, Tulsa, Lorenzo,
Muleshoe N.W.R., and Midland during September and one at Oklahoma City remained
Oct.
3-10.
A
Black-headed
Grosbeak
was
WARBLERS -- Golden-wingedWarblers
flitted throughJohnsonCountySept.24, Sarpy
CountySept. 9 and CollegeStation Sept.28. A
Blue-wingedWarbler was detected in Sarpy
County Sept. 9 (L&BP). TennesseeWarblers
werecommonat Lubbockthrough September
and October and one was sighted at Midland
Sept. 22. Northern Parulaswere noteworthyat
Oklahoma City Sept. 22 and Big Bend N.P.,
sighted in Grayson County Sept. 8 (CRB)
Dickcisselswerestill feedingyoungin the nest
Sept.27 in DouglasCounty.The onlyEvening
Grosbeaksreportedwere at CrescentL., Sept
29, Oct. 14 and Nov. 4. Purple Finchesvisited
CrescentL., Sarpy County and Tulsa. A few
Pine Siskinswere sighted in the Region, but
thosefew soon moved on. A pair of Lesser
Nov. 17. Black-throated
Oct. 20 at Midland.
Blue Warblers
were
locatedat CrescentL., Sept. 29, Oct. 4 & 20
(FZ), LancasterCounty Oct. 5 (MBO), Douglas CountySept. 20 (RC) and JohnsonCounty
Oct. 2 (MLM). More than 100 "Myrtle" Warblers were presentin JohnsonCounty Oct. 23
while in Walker County,Tex., 477 werebanded
Nov. 2-17. Black-throated Gray Warblers
werefound in Palo Duro CanyonDec. 2, Midland Aug. 11 and Oct. 20, Big SpringSept. 15,
and Big Bend N.P., Oct. 19. Five Townsend's
Warblerswerenettedat CrescentL., Aug. 30 Sept. 11 (MZ,FZ) and otherswere observedat
Goldfinches
wasfeedingnewlyfledgedyoung
A Lesser Goldfinch
at
Palo Duro Canyon Nov. 25 was very late
Small flocks of Red Crossbills
were seen in
LancasterCounty Oct. 2 (MBO), Omaha Nov
30, Johnson County Aug. 10-12, Winfield,
Kans., Nov. 10, Crescent L., Oct. 6 & 13, North
sion building at BalmorheaL. (TG), further
adding to the qualities that make this w.
Lubbock Oct. 4, Midland Oct. 18 (JAM et al.)
and CollegeStation Sept. 27-28 (GD). Black-
Platte Ref., Oct. 19 and GuadalupeMt. N.P,
Sept. 1. A Lark Bunting in breedingplumage
wasfoundin RushCounty,Kans.,Oct. 7, long
after all his companionshad gone to Texas
(SS).His hormonesmust havebeencompletely
unbalanced.GrasshopperSparrowswere still
singingvigorouslyat Buffalo L., Aug. 5 and
remained at Tulsa until Sept. 4. Baird's Sparrows were carefully identified at Bailingre,
Texas oasis a mecca for birders.
throated
Tex., Oct.
deadtreesin L. LivingstonOct. 26 at 11 a.m.
Two hours later not a swallow could be found.
More than 500 Barn Swallows,mostly irama-
tures,gatheredat BuffaloL., Oct. 7. At a Cave
Swallowcolonyin ReevesCounty60 were wesent Aug. 14 and 20 on Sept. 22 (SW). Last
summer Cave Swallows nested on the conces-
A Black-
billed Magpie found its way to Saunders
County, Neb., Nov. 8 •fide MW). Five Fish
Crowswere seen and heard along the Mountain Fork R., McCurtain Co., Okla., Oct. 4
(HM,CRB). A Clark's Nutcracker visited a
Green Warblers
were discovered at
CrescentL., Oct. 13, Oklahoma City Sept. 22,
Ft. Worth Aug. 20 and Nov. 5, Guadalupe
Mrs., Sept. 1 and Midland Dec. 2. A Hermit
Warbler was locatedin the ChisosMrs., Aug.
1S (IW
et al.) and Muleshoe,
N.W.R., Sept. 23 (KHi,m.ob.). At Omaha
Sept.27 a groupof sparrowsfeedingin a weed
patch included Sharp-tailed, Savannah, Le
Conte's, White-crowned
and White-throated
tm Wrenswerepresentthroughoutthe Region
SpringSept. 16. Four Bay-breastedWarblers
in JohnsonCounty Sept. 21-24 were unusual.
Blackpoll Warblers were seen in Pawnee
Le Conte'sSparrowswere also tbund at Waco
Nov. 27, Muleshoe Sept. 23, OsageCounty,
Okla., Oct. 14, Washington County, Okla,
Nov. 3, and Crosby County Nov. 26, A
Rufous-crownedSparrow at Waco Nov. 23
was noteworthy (MBu). A Black-throated
Sparrow was surprising at Wichita Oct. 27
(DV). Several Clay-colored Sparrows were
banded in Walker County and two remained
at least as late as Dec. 2 (RJ). Fox Sparrows
in good numbers.Bewick'sand Carolina
County, Kans., Oct. 25 and CrescentL., Sept.
were observed at Crescent L., Oct. 23 and Nov. 2
wrens remain very scarce.Janet McGee at
Lawton, Okla., notedthat neither specieshad
visitedher yard sinceNovember,1977. Only
2 aud Oct.
cottongin at Lorenzo,Tex., Nov. 3 (ML). A
Carolina Chickadee was observed at Amarillo
Oct
22. Red-breasted
Nuthatches
were
recordedat onlyeightlocalities.A PygmyNuthatchwasdiscovered
in the ChisosMts., Aug.
25 (T&GP).
WRENS THROUGH
THRUSHES
-- Win-
three Carolina Wrens were seen at Tulsa all
yeai, andHobbswrotehe had seennonein e.
30 (AB). A Blackburnian
Warbler adorued a
ranch in Tulsa County Oct. 10. Yellowthroated Warbleis were noted in Sarpy County
Sept. 14 and Tulsa Oct. 16. Chestnut-sided
Warblers were present in Johnson County
Sept. 14 & 24. BartlesvilleSept. 11, Oklahoma
City Sept. 13, Sherman,Tex., Sept. 16 and Big
13. Pine Warblers
visited Okla-
homaCity Sept.20 and LancasterCountyOct.
12. Palm
Warblers
were observed
in Okla-
homa City Oct. 3, Cleveland County, Okla.,
Oct. 7, Lorenzo Sept. 29, Midland Oct. 21. A
Kansas in 1979. Rock Wrens were found in
N.
Sarpy CountySept. 6 (S&JK) and Jefferson
County.Kans., Nov. 11 (KHo). Mockingbirds
strayedto DouglasCountyin late October.A
Oklahoma City on the late date of Nov. 9. A
Mourning Warbler was netted and banded at
CollcgeStationon the early date of Aug. 26.
Wood Thrush wasfound in Hays, Kans., Oct.
Yellow-breasted
Waterthrush
was netted
Chats
were
and
found
banded
at
at Okla-
7 by participants
in theKansasOrnithological homaCity Sept.22, CollegeStationSept. 16&
22, and in Walker County Nov. 17. A Canada
Societyfall meeting. Wood Thrusheswere
sightedin TulsaOct. 19(FP)and Big Spring, Warbler was discoveredat Bartlesville Sept.
Tex, Sept. 25 (GWa,GS).A Veery reached 21.
Plesidio County Sept. 22 (JM) and two wqre
nctted at CrescentL., Aug. 28 and Sept. 2.
Thcrewereencouraging
reportsof an increase
in E Bluebirds in the Omaha and Bartlesville
areas A MountainBluebirdin DouglasCounty,
Oct 6 was noteworthy(L&BP).
KINGLETS
THROUGH
VIREOS
--
Golden-crowned Kinglets were reported
thioughoutthe Regionin largernumbersthan
in severalyears. In JohnsonCounty 25 were
tallied Oct. 23. Two Bohemian Waxwings
178
ICTERIDS
THROUGH
Yellow-headed
Blackbird
TANAGERS
-- A
was located
in
Alfalfa County. Okla., Nov. 21 (SK). Scott's
Orioles were observedin Big Bend N.P., Nov.
4 and Monahans Sandhills S.P., Tex., Oct. 12.
A N. Oriole was visiting a feeder in Sarpy
County at the end of the period. Brewer's
Blackbirds
invaded
Tulsa
in November.
A
CONTRIBUTORS
AND
OBSERVERS
--
Kansas: Amelia J. Betts, Wally Champeny,
Carl Freeburg, Kelly Hobbs (KHo), Steve
Kingswood, Mary Louise Myers, Jean &
Miriam Roark, Jean Schulenberg, Marvin
Schwilling (MSc), Scott Seltman, Dwight
Spencer, Donald Vannoy. Nebraska: Tanya
Bray, Jerry Burke (JBu). Mike Corbett, R. G
Cortelyou. James Douglas, Vivian DeWltt,
Scott Foster,Ruth Green, Davis Harvey,Sandy
& JimKovanda, JohnManning (JoM),Mike &
SherryMcCoy, Wayne Mollhoff, Marge Mueller, Mabel B. Ott, Loren & Babs Padelford,
Neil Ratzlaff, EverettRussell,Andy Saunders,
Monte Shaul, John Upchurch. Melba Wigg,
GertrudeWood, Melly Zeillemaker,Fred Zeillelemaker.Oklahoma:Pat Bergey,JackBreathwit, Brad Carlton,CharlesClemons,Ella Delap,
Hazel Ekholm, Leo Galloway, Everett Grigsby, Joe Grzybowski, Elizabeth Hayes, Ken
Hayes,Jim Hoffman, WesleyIsaacs,Bob Jennings, Steve Kingswood,JamesMalinowski
Chinati Mts., Tex., Nov. 17 and a flock of S0
(JMa), Janet M. McGee, John Newell, Fred
Pianalto, R. Porter, Sarah Seaman, John
was tallied
Shackford(JSh),EleanorSieg,JackD. Tylm,
Great-tailed Grackle found its way into the
at Tulsa
Nov.
10. Two
Com.
AmericanBirds,March 1980
Henry Walter. Paul Wilson. Texas: Peggy
Acord, Keitb Arnold. Alma Ban'era. Sandy
Howard. Ray Jochetz.Ted Jones.GeorgeJury.
Kathy Klimkiewiz. Ruth Lightner(RLi). Rick
Beach. M. Beaman (MBe). Charles R. Brown.
Lx•Bello. Mark Lockwood. Jo Lowe. Sue Lower.
Lillian Brown, Kelly Bryan. Mary Bush
(MBu). Robert D. Coggeshall.BessieCornelius (BCo). Charles & Betty Crabtree. Joseph
DiPasqualeODD. Gil Doran, E. B. Ellis.
RoscmaL¾English. Pansy Espy. Gary Falxa.
George Mahaffey. Raul Martinez. Howard
McCarley. Jo Ann Merritt. Jody Miller (JM).
Ralph Moldenhauer. Ernest W. Mueller. Len
Murphy. Robert L. Neill. Pat Newmeyer. R.
Nohb. T. & G. Palmer. Margate! Parker.
Clyde Priddy. Warren Pulich. Midge Randolph. Barbara & JohnRibhie. Alan Roberts.
Dean Fishcr. John Ford, Tony Gallnoel. Kelly
Himmel
(KHi).
SOUTH
Mark
TEXAS
Hitchcock.
Randall
/Fred S. Webster, Jr.
The fall season will be remembered
for an
averagegood migration without spectacular
concentrationsof birds. a good infusion of
westernspecies,oil pollutionon the beaches,
and either too much or (usually)too little rain.
For the Region as a whole, temperatures
averagednear normal, although a closelook
at daily recordsshowsome notably low recordings; these were reflected in defoliation of
treesearlierthan in someyears.For morenorthern areas, frost came as early as November 14
Fatalities
included at
least two Masked Boobies in the latter half of
"• ......
August. Concentrations
of gulls and ternswere
Midland, TX 79703.
....-
,•
Island:perhapsthiswas
in response to oily
beaches.
Late
in
the
summer a freightertanker collision off Gal-
::•
'' !
•av
•:•::
----•..•.:.:::.:.
:;.. •
onto
most areas.
ing hulk of the Burmah Agate was still
clearlyvisiblefrom the beach,but little oil was
Mexico from the Pacific Coast and moved north-
ward from the Gulf of Campechesoakedthe
Rio Grande Delta with needed rain August
25-28. TropicalstormElana movedonto the
westernupper coast SeptemberI with good
rains. The real surprisecame from an unadvertisedlow pressuresystemwhich movedup
the coast Septmber 19-20; near hurricane
windssweptpartsof the CoastalBend{central
coast) and torrential rains fell from Corpus
Christi to Houston.
troubled
as Christmas
found on the sands.
It should be' acknowledgedthat pre-and
post-Christmasare not ideal times to solicit
reports.Response
wasat a low levelthis year,
with
a
near-total
news
blackout
from
the
importan!Rio Grande Delta. The inadequacy
of comparativedate in the following report
shouldbe kept in mind.
SHEARWATERS
THROUGH
SPOON-
BILLS -- A few Cory's Shearwaters and
Masked Boobieswereseenon trips to fishing
grounds out of Galvestonand Port Aransas in
counties. Ground
Sept.20 (CS)wasunusual.aswereten Roseate
Spoonbillstarrying at Mitchell L., San Antonioduring September0AM).
lxtoc I, a Mexican oil well in the Gulf of
Campeche,blew out on June 3 and remained
out of control into December. During the
summer,giant oil slicksmovedslowlytoward
the Texas coast, advancingand retreating at
the whim of wind and tide, while government
agenciesmobilizedfor the anticipatedbeach
party. Finally the afternoonof August 6, tar
ballsup to 5 inchesin diameterbeganwashing
Government
strategywasto block the passesto the Laguna
A flock of 14 White-faced
Ibises over Austin
WATERFOWLWaterfowl migration
was steadyand unhurried but cold weather in
late November pushedconsiderablenumbers
to the coast. Three Wood Ducks in a flooded
field Nov. 17 (MJA) was the second occurrence
reportedfor Zapata County.Amonglocalrarities were an Oldsquawin JonesBay, Galveston Co., Nov. 24 0GM&DWo), and a Surf
Scoter at Austin Oct. 29 (CS). Hooded Mer-
ganscrs moved through Austin in aboveaveragenumbers in early November.
Madre, behind the island barrier, and thus
keeppollutionout of the estuaries
and marshes.
Apparently this plan was successful,and
cleaning of the beachesproceeded.Considerable oil was deposited from Port Aransas
southward, and it was reported that the Mexican beacheswere "black". While many birds
were observedwith oil on their plumage, few
. .
:•-•.
.
the burn-
October.The greatestcount of Magnificent
Frigatebirdswas 22 on Sept. 18 at RoCkport
(RC),theeveningbeforeheavyrainsandwind.
water was evaporatingrapidly in many areas
west of the waterloggedcoastal plains as the
seasonprogressed.
-•
waters.
Wild food supplieswere good-to-adequate,
thanks to rainfall earlier in the year. This
generalizationis made without the benefit of
reports from any of the deep South Texas
cover was thin and surface
-•
vestonpoured more oil
Northerlywindsand efficient cleanup crews
kept the Galveston
beachesopen. As late
Lack of rain with cold fronts hindered huge
migrant "buildups" along the coast.Tropical
weather provided more excitement. if not
morebirds.A tropicaldepression
whichcrossed
Pat•rro Houston
e_ •Cove . "•.
observed on the landward
side of Padre
was near normal in Augustand abovenormal
in September.An incrediblydry periodbegan
with the last week of Septemberand lasted
throughmostof October.Rainfall wasspotty
in November,but enoughto revivehabitat in
Volume34,Number2
Winship (DWi). David Wolf (DW). Tom
Wood. -- FRANCES WILLIAMS, 3307Neely,
ß...........r;a•'q
and a hard freeze on November 30. Rainfall
Island.
(GWa). Steve West. John W. White. C. C.
Wiedcnfeld. Iris Wiedenfeld. Rick Wilt. Doris
thoroughlyoiledindividuals were reported.
REGION
ashore on South Padre
Bob Robinson. Rod Rylander. Ken Seyffert.
R. Simmons.JessieMaye Smith. Gary Spence.
John Sproul (JSp). Layfette Stankewitz.
Darlene Stevens.Cliff Stogner.Davis Stuart
(DSt). Start Taft. Cathy Turney. Gene Warren
(DTD) and 356 at Austin Oct. 2 (G&BLJLR.
RAR). A Ferru•nous Hawk over Austin's
"hawkridge"Oct. 4 (RAR) wasa rare sight.
Golden Eagles:a first-yearbird near Sabine
Pass and a third-year bird at Sea Rim S.P..
N•. 2 (CS) togetherconstituteda Jefl•mon
County first. American Kestrels moved in
large numbersin late Septemberand early
October.
CRANES -- A single Whooping Crane
cameinto Austin'sriversidesewagepondsat
sundown Oct. 20. It was "discovered" the fol-
lowingmorning(CA) and viewedby several
alertedbirdersbeforea S departureat 11:30
a.m. By Dec.3, 70 ad. andsixjuv. Whooping
Cranes were accounted for at Aransas N.W.R.
First arrivals,four adults,arrivedby Oct. 9.
By Oct. 25 the populationhad increasedto 10
adults. The first juvenile was noted Nov. 2
with 11 additionaladults.By Nov. 9 only one
adult (of the eventualtotal) wasyet to come
(SED.
SHOREBIRDS, GULLS -- Twenty-five
Am. Oystercatchers
were foundon Mustang
I., Sept. 14 (G&BL). Piping Plover were in
goodsupplyon BolivarPen., in September.At
least12 Am. GoldenPloverswerereportedon
the upper coastwhich is more than normal
•i'de JGM), fivewereat Mitchell L., Sept.16
(WS), and a! least two were seen at Austin
(m.ob.).Therewerethreehypothetical
sightingsof CurlewSandpiperfor Texasbeforethis
HAWKS -- A Swallow-tailed Kite. very
rare in fall, wasseenover Baytown,Chambers
Co., Sept. 14. A total of 11,540Broad-winged
Hawks wascountedat this localitySept. 14-21
(DTD). Otherwise,reportsof largeflightswere
noticeablyabsent. Largest flights of Swainson's Hawks were 410 at Baytown Sept. 14
fall. Now there are two more. One on Bolivar
Pen., Sept. 29 (L&MB et al.), and the other at
Laguna Atascosa N.W.R., in mid-November
(describedNov. 10 by AB). Both werewinterplumagedbirdsand werewell-described.
Fifty
very late Wilson's Phalaropeswere in a salt
marshnear GalvestonBay Oct. 27 (D&RM).
179
A N Phalaropewas at Austtn Oct 2 (GL),
almostunknownin otherparts of the Region,
a seasonrarelypasseswithoutan individual
appearingat Austin'sfabledsewageponds.A
first-yearCalifornia Gull at Texas City Dike
Oct 28, wascarefullyobserved(GL,CS&BW)
and described in detail (BW).
Barn Swallows, 2000-5000+ was encountered
in the Austin area Oct. 18 (G&BL,CS). Mex-
Worm-eattngs,
18Kentuckys
and 15Hoodeds
ican Crowswere appearinge. of Brownsville
asearlyasAug. 9 (HMS), presumablyontheir
daily fall-winter pilgrimage to the Brownsville dump. A Red-breastedNuthatchin Austin Oct. 19 (FSW) was the first of extremely
Six W. Tanagerswere reportedon the upper
coastthis fall, much aboveaverage.A Blackheaded Grosbeak was seen at Freeport Oct
few.
hybrid,an imm. male, wasat High I., Oct. 26
TANAGERS
28, and a Black-headed
(GL,CS&BW).
ANIS
THROUGH
HUMMINGBIRDS
--
Groove-billedAnis appearedon the upper
coast in mid-Augustand were widespread
WRENS
THROUGH
THRUSHES
--
A
alongthecoastalstripbymid-September
•fide
Winter Wren in Zapata County Nov. 11
(KAA) provideddocumentationof the species
for the Lower Rio Grande Valley. A Short-
JGM). A rare LesserNighthawkwasfound on
billed Marsh Wren at Austin Oct. 23 (BL&
Galveston I., Oct. 27 (GL,CS&BW).
BW) wasa rarelocalityfind. A SageThrasher
wasflushedfrom a clumpof saltcedarat High
Some
Turk's cap has grownback on Rockport's
A stand of bottlebrush at a residence in the
I., Oct. 26 (GL,CS&BW). A Gray-cheeked
Thrush at Freeport Oct. 28 (GL,CS&BW),
and a Veery at High I., Sept. 16 (TBF) were
areaprovidedsomeconsolation
for birdersas
rare in fall.
tradttional hummingbird staging area, previously
bulldozed,
but is nowfencedandlocked.
well as 50-60+ hummingbirds,mostlyRubythroateds Sept. 23-24 (DNW). A BlackchinnedHummingbirdwas a notablefeeder
vtsttor in Houston Oct. 3-7 (MA). This was an
excellentseasonfor readily identifiableAnna's
Hummingbirds.Singleswere:sub-ad.male at
Algoa,BrazoriaCo., Oct. 24-26 (DWi); sub-
WARBLERS -- The absence
of largemLxed
warblerflight wasveryunusual,althoughone
noteworthyconcentrationof CanadaWarbler
was observed.An imm. Cape May Warbler
was at Galveston Island S.P., Oct. 27 (GL,CS
&BW), a second fall record for the upper
ad male at Alvin, Brazoria Co., Nov. 3-10
(D&RM); a male at San Antonio Nov. 15 (LA);
sub-ad. male at Kenedy, Karnes, Co., Nov.
17-19 (RR); and a sub-ad. male in Wilson
coast. A Black-throated
Blue Warbler
in the
CountyNov.21-29(WS).
JGM) and at Galveston Oct. 28 (GL, CS&BW).
same locality Oct. 28 (GL,CS&BW) was
almost as rare. Single Black-throatedGray
Warblerswereat High I., Oct. 21 (JE,DMa&
One in ZapataCountyNov. 11 (KAA), provided
a first county record and a first documented
WOODPECKERS,
FLYCATCHERS
-- A
female of the Red-naped race of YellowbelltedSapsucker(S. v. nuchalis),wasseenat.
Rockport Nov. 18 (CTC). There are no prevtoussightingsfor the Texascoast.A LadderbackedWoodpeckerat Houston Aug. 12 (MJ)
constitutedonly the third recordfor the upper
coast A Wied's CrestedFlycatcherin Zapata
CountyNov. 11constituteda first documented
fall record for the Lower Rio Grande Valley. A
Grace's Warbler at Austin Oct. 28 (J&BR,
MW) apparentlywasthe first everobservede.
of the 102nd meridian. Oddly enough, a
Black-throated Gray and a Prairie Warbler,
both rare at Austin were present with the
Grace's in the same yard (FSW). A MacGillivray'sWarbler wason the Capitolgroundsat
Austin Oct. 14 (GL&BW).
A late Yellow-
fall record for South Texas (KAA). Olive-sided
breasted
on Bolivar
Flycatchersscoredwell on the upper coast;28
Nov. 24 (JGM&DWo). Morgan wrote: "On
Sept. 2 a tremendousthunderstormspawned
by tropical storm Elana crossedHigh I., at
mid-morning.Immediatelyafter the storm...
(field trip members) found 115 Canada
Warblers... believedto be the greatestnumber everreportedat onelocation"(onthe upper
wereobserved
at HighI., Aug.25 •/i'deJGM).
SWALLOWS
THROUGH
NUT-
HATCHES -- A steady daily migration of
swallowspeciespassedthrough the Sabine
area in October.The greatestnumberof Barn
Swallows, 1500+, was noted there Sept. 29
(CE) An exceptionally heavy migration of
NORTHWESTERN
CANADA
REGION
/Helmut Grfinberg
Most areas of the Region experienceda rel-
Chat
was observed
Pen.
Boreal Owl,
Brown-headed
180
Hermit
Cowbird.
Thrush and
A Green-tailed Towhee was
observedat Austin Sept. 30 (CS), forerunner
of an unusually good movement into the
Region.A few Lark Buntingswerenotede. of
their normal limits of recent years; the
easternmostindividual was reported in w
Harris County Dec. I (JE&DMa). A Sharptailed Sparrow, an individual of an inland
race,wasobservedat RockportNov. 17 (CTC)
Most unusual,and providinga secondrecord
for the upper coast, was a Rufous-crowned
Sparrowin Houstonin late September
(WC)
This w. sparrowof rockyterrain wasfoundin
a brushy patch on White Oak Bayou. A few
Cassin's Sparrows, very unusual in fall at
Austin, were in a mixed sparrow fallout
resultingfrom a fast-movingcold front and,
perhaps,a light shower,bothoccurringbefore
dawn Oct. 22. Clay-coloredSparrowswere
alsoinvolved,reinforcinga goodfall showing
of the speciesat Austin. The latter species
were in "incredible" numberson the upper
coast,consideringthat oneor twobirdsshould
be expected; at least 22 individuals were
reported in October.
CONTRIBUTORS
AND
CITED
OBSERV-
ERS -- CharlesAlexander,Margaret Anderson, Lucille Armstrong, Keith A. Arnold,
John C. Arvin, Michael J. Austin, Larry &
Martha Ballard, Alma Barrera, Russel Caba-
niss,Charles T. Clark, Wesley Cureton, David
T. Dauphin, Charles Easley, John Eyre, T
Ben Feltner, Margaret Jones,Chuck& Hilde
Kaigler, Edward A. Kutac, SteveE. Labuda,
Jr., Greg & Becky Lasley, David Matson
(DMa), Kay McCracken, Don & Ruth Melton,
JamesA. Middleton, JamesG. Morgan, Mrs
RaymondRegmund,John& Barbara Ribble,
John L. Rowlett, Rose Ann Rowlett, Willie
4926 Strass Drive, Austin, Texas 78731.
LOONS
THROUGH
FALCONS
--
Two
Red-throated Loons with one young each
were observed on small lakes in the c. Yukon,
Dempster Hwy., km 110-122, Aug. 16-18,
indicatingbreeding(FIG). A pair was observed
at Graham Inlet, Tagish L., B.C., in August
(MB). The rare sightingof a cormorant, sp.,
Gull,
X Rose-breasted
speciespresentwere 20 Black-and-whites,12
was reported from the e. end of Graham Inlet
at the mouth of the Atlinto R., in October
(fide MB).
Whistling Swans in family groups were
following speciesthat are regularly seen
(commonor uncommon)escapeddetection
during this season:Northern Shoveler,BluewingedTeal, Osprey, Killdeer, Bonaparte's
--
coast). Most numerous of 13 other warbler
noticeable in November.
Territories had heavy snowfalls in early winter, October. This snow stayed. Precipitation
m Whitehorsewas mostlyrain, and at the end
of November there was no protective snow
cover on the ground.
A total of 147 specieswas observed.The
SPARROWS
Sekula, Chuck Sexton, Henry M. Stevenson,
Marie Webster, Bret Whitney, Doris N. Winship, Diane Wise (DWi), David Wolf (DWo),
PhyllisYochem.-- FRED S. WEBSTER, JR.,
atively mild fail seasonwhich was especially
Southern Northwest
THROUGH
commonon tundra pondsbetweenWellington Bay and Merkley L., on Victoria I., Aug.
5 (DD). An accumulationof 1000+ birds was
reported from Nisutlin Bay, Teslin L., Oct.
10 (DMo). Two ad. and five imm. swanssp.,
were seenat Joe Irwin L., outlet to Dease R.,
B.C., as late as Nov. 20 (PMan). A Snow
Goosewas observedat Teslin Sept. 4 (BS).
Three thousand Mallards were gathered at
Nisutlin Bay Oct. 10 (DMo). A 9 Mallard
was seen at km 213, Dempster Hwy., on a
very late Nov. 28 (TT,fide DMo).
A Swainsoh's Hawk
was identified
in the
Ogilvie Mts., Sept. 2 (RC&NW). November
30 was late for the presenceof three Golden
Eagles near Kluane L. (KP). Severaiunconfirmed Gyrfalcon observationswere made in
the c. Yukon (HG). Gyrs were widespread
although rather scarce in the e.c. Yukon
(RF). Reports were receivedof six other Gyrfalcons
at three
locations
in s.w. Yukon
(DMo,DR). One to two Gyrs wereseenat the
N. Canol Rd., close to the N.W.T. border
Nov. 5 (MHe). Peregrine Falconsseemedresident in the c. and e.c. Yukon (HG,RH) and
the e. Backbone Range near the Yukon border (RF). A group of three Peregrines,noisy
and aggressive, was encountered at Artillery
L., N.W.T.,
Sept. 8 (DMu). One bird was
American
Birds,
March1980
Whitehorse (hereafter,
Whse.) Aug. 1 (WH).
One
to
three
were
reportedfrom the Ogilvie Mts.,
c.
Yukon
Aug. 1-18 (HG) and
Sept. 3 (RC&NW) as
well
as
from
the
Richardson Mts., n.
Yukon Aug. 4 (HG).
Seven birds were seen
in Yk., for the first
report for the area,
Sept. 10 (DMu&GG).
A Wandering Tattler
was observed at Sheep
Cr., KluaneN.P., Aug.
4 (WH). In the c.
RichardsonMts., on the
of one-to-
Peak numbers of >2000
Pectoral
Sandpipers
were observed at Nisut-
Sept.9 (TW). OnePeregrinewasseenn.w. of
Fish L., Sept. 9 (WH), and one pair was
lin Bay Sept. 12
(DMo). Baird's Sandpipers numbering 10-17
were noted in the Ogilvie Mts., Aug. 1 (HG).
They were also reported from the N. Canol
noted near Nisutlin R., Sept. 13 (DMo). A
Rd., nearthe N.W.T. borderAug. 21 (RF).
THROUGH
WOODPECKERS
-- Ten Thayer's Gulls were seenin a flock of
HerringGullsat the sanitarylandf'dlin Yk., Sept.
ulatlon increaseof this speciescomparedto
adult plumage.GG is familiar with the species
in other parts of the Arctic and he provided a
detailedsight record. Thirty Arctic Terns were
reported at Garry I., Mackenzie Delta Aug.
lastyear'snumberwasnotedin theKluaneL.
area(KP).Also,Sharp-tailed
Grouse
seemed
17 (RPMar). This speciesis regularlyseenin
many areas of the Region in small groups.
to have increasedhere (KP). Eight Sharptailed Grouse, uncommon permanent res-
ldentsnear Yk., wereseennear PreludeL.,
Sept.4 (BW).Thisspecies
wasalsoreported
from the 60-mile Hwy., c. Yukon Oct. 12
(RF). DMo noted15 individuals
at Donjek
R, Oct.27.Thefirstarrivalfor thewinterof
Willow Ptarmiganat Yk., wasNov. 17 (fide
DK).Thisspecies
iscommon
in theYukonin
suitable habitat. Several White-tailed Ptar-
miganwerereportedfrom the AishihikL.
area Aug. 2 (DMo). They were commonat
Kusawa L., Aug. 7 (DMo). A flock was
was observed w. of Fish
anceSept. 8 (DMu). This speciesis considered
rare but regular in the Great Slave L. area by
DK. Four observers
reportedN. Shrikesfor the
Yukon (RF,HG,WH,DMo). An ad. d Townsend's Warbler was observed in a migration
group of 11+ warblers of five speciesin the
Ogilvie Mts., far n. of its known breeding
range Aug. 14 (HG). Two or more O Townsend's Warblers were seen at Troutline Cr,
near Cassiar, B.C., Aug. 25 (PMan). RF's
most "startling" observation was that of an
Am. Redstart in a snowstorm above timber-
line in an area containing much shrub and
some tree willows on the Stewart R., e c
Yukon, at 64ø2GN, 131ø15fWon Aug. 30.
GULLS
22-23 (G&TG). The Thayer's Gulls were in
Mt, nearCarcross
Oct. 2-3 (DMo). A pop-
Nutcracker
Shrike was seen near Lynx L., e. of Ft. Reli-
N.W.T.
the upper Snake R.
area, e.c. YukonN.W.T.,
the last
one seen Sept. 11.
GROUSE THROUGH SHOREBIRDS -Ten Blue Grouse were reported from Nares
Clark's
in numbers
and
RF saw few tattlers in
seennear Wind R., e.c. Yukon during the latter half of September(RF).
PERCHING BIRDS -- A pair of Barn
Swallows managedto raise a secondbrood at
GrahamInlet, TagishL., in August(MB). A rare
side, they were found
three Aug. 4-6 (HG).
pmr of Merlins was observednear Nisutlin
R, Sept. 13 (DMo); severalindividualswere
Whse., Nov. 10 (MHo). A Black-backedThreetoed Woodpecker was reported from Polar
L., near Buffalo R., N.W.T., Sept. 11 (IR)
FishL., Aug. 12andat JacksonCr., FishL. area
Sept. 15-16 (WH). An Am. Robin was still at
TeslinNov. 3 (BS). A Wheatearwasseenin the
c. Richardson Mts., Aug. 5 and one was in
theOgilvieMts., Aug. 13(HG). Therewasa pronounced migratory movement of Water Pipits through Yk., Sept. 11-18 (DK,CM). A N
Yukon
observednear Yellow-knife (hereafter, Yk.)
throughout the season(D&LS), Sept 27-28
(RS) and Oct. 14 (HG), as well as from the
DempsterHwy. turnoff in late October(RF) A
9 Downy Woodpeckerwas seenseventimes
at a feederin the Whse.areaSept.22 - Nov 25
(D&LS). One Downy was 20 km n.w. of
Single CaspianTerns were observednear Yk.,
Aug. 18 (G&TW). Rock Doves seem to be
thrivingin largercommunities
and spreading
into
other areas as one was seen for the first time
at Graham Inlet, Tagish L., Sept. 15 (MB) and
one at Teslin Oct. 19 (BS). A Mourning Dove
was noted in Whse., Aug. 27 (WC). Two very
surprising owl reports were received from
Kluane L.: KP reportedhaving seen12 Barred
Owls, including young, in late summer and
fall, comparedto lastyear'sfive Junreported
-Ed.], referring to the high productivity last
If there is indeed a decline in the Pine Gros-
beak, it cannot yet be seriousas the bird was
reported by 11 observers.Not unexpectedly,
someof the redpollsidentifiedin the s. Ogflvie Mts., in November were Hoarys (RF)
Thepeakmigrationof TreeSparrows
at Yk., was
Oct. 1-6 (CM,G&TW). Harris' Sparrows,
uncommon at Yk., were reported Sept. 10
(DMu) andOct.3 0EB).HG wouldliketo receive
confirmation of a suspectedSong Sparrow
observation.The songwas heard only briefly
in the Ogilvie Mts., just s. of the Dempster
Hwy. bridge over the Blackstone R., km 122
Smith's Longspurs with young were seen in
the Aishihik L. area, Aug. 1 (DMo). Among
migrating longspurs,one was identified as a
d Smith's in the Ogilvie Mts., Aug. 14 (HG)
One wasn.w. of Fish L., Sept. 9 (WH).
CONTRIBUTORS
--
Esther
Braden,
Marion Brook, Syd Cannings,Ren6 Carlson,
William Classen, Paul Dabbs, Tom Dafoe,
summer. This owl is rare and has not been
Doug & Sandra Desjardins,Robert Frisch,
observedat the headof Arctic Red R., just on
reported since fall 1974. Therefore, this
the N.W.T. sideSept.7 (RF). FromGraham
observation
Inlet, TagishL., B.C., the first GreatBlue
Heron sightingin 17 yearswasreportedby
MB, Aug. 6 and Sept.1-18.A detailedbut
as comparedto last year's sevenJunreported
-- Ed.]. The latterreportof GreatGray Owlsis
Carole, George& Troy Gibson, Willi Harms,
Robert Hayes, Marg Henderson (MHe),
Manfred Hoefs (MHo), Don Karasiuk, area
editor, N.W.T., Canadian Wildlife Service,
Box 2310, Yellowknife, N.W.T., Canada,
unconfirmedsightrecordof a VirginiaRail at
ReedL., nearYk., wasprovidedSept. 11 by
BW;hesawthebirdingoodlightat<50m
distance.This appearsto be the first record
of thisspecies
for N.W.T., andtheRegion.
A Black-bellied Plover was observed at
NlsutlinBay,TeslinL., Sept.12(DMo). Several Ruddy and Black turnstoneswere seenat
the s. end of Kluane L., Aug. 16-17 (SC). A
Whimbrel appearedon the Bullion Plateau,
Kluane N.P., in late August (MHo). An
UplandSandpiper
wasseenat the airportin
Volume 34, Number 2
should
be confirmed.
KP
also
reported15 Great Gray Owls, includingyoung,
interesting in light of last year's incursion of
this speciesinto e. North America (Am. Birds
33:242). A Hawk Owl was seenat Kluane L.,
X0E 1H0 (observations
from N.W.T. should
Oct. 25 (WH). One was noted at Kluane R.,
Oct. 27 and one at Snag, White R. area Oct.
28 (DMo). Hawk Owls were observedtwice in
(RPMar), Clifford Matthews, Dave Mossop
(DMo), Dave Muirhead (DMu), L. Osburne,
the s. Ogilvie Mts., in November (RF).
The 9 Rufous Hummingbird, of a nesting
pair, left GrahamInlet Aug. 3 (MB). A Yellowbellied Sapsuckerwas heard at Swan L., n. of
Whse., Aug. 25 (HG,WH). One or two Hairy
Woodpeckerswerereportedfrom the Whse.area
be sent to that address),Maria Ledergerber,
Paul Mantle (PMan), R. Patricia Marcellus
Kate Postoloski, Ian Robertson, Don Russell, Don & Lilly Schuler, Rhia Stewart,
Barbara Studds,Tommy Taylor, Boyd, Glen
& Trish Warner, Norbert Wolffe. --
HELMUT GR•JNBERG, Yukon Conservation Society, 301 Steele St., Whitehorse,
Yukon, Canada, Y1A 2C5.
181
NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAININTERMOUNTAIN
REGION
ently had six of the
nests active this year
(PS). A tardily reported
/Thomas H. Rogers
ad. Green
Heron
BRITISH
J.
J
COLUMBIA•.•
_•
!
was
spotted 2 mi e. of
I
LaGrande,Ore., May 26
MostpartsoftheRegion
wereunseasonably0E)
warmanddryup to mid-November.
Although
Spokane,
WallaWalla.andYakima,Wash.,
and Fortinc, Mont., reportedabove-normal
and one was on
the S. Fork of the Mal-
heur R., s. of Riverside (BE). Six adult
---
/%
and four young Cattle
precipitation
inAugust,September
turnedout
verydry nearlyeverywhere.
No measurable Egrets perched on a
moisturefell at Spokanefrom September4
fence
through
October14.Mostareasreported
low
Pocatello,Ida.. Aug. 5
(CHT). The Nampaarea
waterlevelswithdried-upmarshes
andexposed
mud flats. However,Malheur Nat'l Wildlife
Refuge
reported
a "wetyear"with! !.81in.of
precipitation
through
November
andMalheur
Lakelevelswereveryhigh.An unseasonable
10 mi
n.w.
•
failed to arrive in normal numbers, and were,
in fact, scarceor absentfrom most areas.
LOONS, GREBES -- The largest concentrations of Corn. Loonswere on L. Wenatchee,
ChelanCo., Wash., Nov. 7 (WD) and Wells
KAMLO•
PS/ ß
.....
......
Wash., Nov. 14 (RF)
and two adults and one
mated at 415 at Malwerereportedbul someareasseemednot to
havehad bird departures
significantly
delayed. heur N.W.R., with the
places,apparentlyextendingtheir ranges.
Perhaps
the mostnoticeable
eventwaswhat
didnothappen:
"northern"
finches
in general
,ooM,tE
R•S[
had one (G.E.A.S.);
one was near Touchet,
immaturewerefeeding
near Lawen,Ore., Sept.
earlyfreeze-upto pondsandlakes.
5 (ST). Nestingpairs of
The mildfallproduced
little in the wayof
excitingobservations.
Many late lingerers Great Egretswereesti-
and Barn Owls continuedto appear in new
•
of
•EELDM
%ß] ,. •
•OEUR
I'ALENE
[LLENOIRG
e • ' J
coldsnaparoundmid-November
broughtan
Double-crested Cormorants, Cattle Egrets,
AtBERTAJ
i
' -,•WlLLIAMS LAKE
•..YAK•A V LA. ) IFWI•T•a
•
•-•
i BILLEl
I.
eriELENA
/
ep B ' N
Joe
EN
LETO('• BOZEMAN
LIVI•T•
.--./
BEKB
__.__
•e PAYETTE
peak number of birds
in the basin 1155 Sept.
6. Seven were sighted
at the breedingarea of
the n. Potholes Res..
ColumbiaN.W.R., Aug. 19 (JA) and one was
ners Ferry, Ida., 1130; Coeur d' Alene and
at Boardman, Ore., Oct. 20 (MC). Snowy
Pend Oreille R., Ida.,
Egretnestingpairsat Malheurwereonlyhalf
Wash., 1000. Nineteen Caelding Geese were
picked out amonga flock of 400 Canadasat
of the 10-yearaverageof 80; 190wasthe peak
fall count of individuals.Nampa reported 14
on Sept.9. Black-crowned
Night Heronnum-
1525, and Brewster.
Park L., Grant Co., Wash., Nov. 11 (JA).
White-fronted
Oct. 31 and
Geese reached 1300 at Malheur
Snow Geese 3500. Deer Flat
Arctic Loonsightingsever.in Octoberand
bersappearedgood.An immatureat SwanL..
near Vernon,B.C., Sept. 12-17furnishedthe
most northerlyrecordfor the speciesin the
November.Columbia N.W.R., Othello, Wash.,
had an imm. bird (DP, JEr, RMA); the Wells
Province (PS,PMcA). White-faced Ibises con-
N.W.R., had 66 White-fronted Sept. 9. Two
blue-phaseSnowGeese,very rare in interior
British Columbia, were at Karoloopsin Octo-
tinued to increase at Malheur with nesting
ber (RR).
pairsat 150(10-yearaverage,
70)andthefall
peak,780 birds.A migratingflockof 97 was
Ducks peaked at 18,700 at Kootenai
N.W.R., half of 1979'snumber. Mallard production at Malheur was 5635. The fall peak at
Pool above Wells Dam on the Columbia R.,
Oct. 19 (GB). The seasonyielded the most
pool-Pateros-Brewster
areahad I-2 (GB,NM),
and onewas pickedup on Hwy. 20 in the
Burns, Ore., area (CS,CDL.ST). A YellowbilledLoonwassightedon the SnakeR., 1.5
min. of Marsing,Ida., Sept.23 (J&RC,RC,
nearPocatelloAug. 16. The birdsseemto be
doing well in that area but their very local
distribution and their winteringin Mexico are
had a peak of 11,0004-.The top countfor all
JH) for apparentlythe first staterecord.A
causingconcern(CHT). The Nampaareahad
Red-throated Loon was at the Yakima R.
75 Aug. 19.
ducks at Columbia N.W.R., was 49,000+. The
Pend Oreille, Coeur d' Alene and St. Jo R., in
mouthOct. 13: two appearedthereOct. 20,
and onewason the ColumbiaR., 2 mi upstream
Nov. 17 (REW). Two Red-necked Grebes were
WATERFOWL -- WhistlingSwanspeaked
at Malheur at 7500 and 225+_were on the win-
(JN).Singlebirdswereon the WellsPoolon
threedatesin Augustand September(NM).
ThetopnumberofW. Grebes
was155onC.J.
teringgroundsof S.ThompsonR., Kamloops.
B.C., Nov. 18. Exceptfor 200 at Ennis,Mont.,
Nov. 10, only minor numberswere reported
elsewhere,mostly in c. Washington.TrummpeterSwanproductionat Red Rock Lakes
N.W.R., Lima, Mont., wasup with 53 cygnets
survivingto flight stage.Drying of off-refuge
Strike Res., near Bruneau. Ida. (J&NH).
wetlands drove more birds into the refuge,
at RadiumHot Springs,B.C., Aug. II (RB);
one was on Twin Lakes. Kootenai Co., Ida.,
Aug.26(SGS)andthespecies
wasnotedat the
mouth of the Colville R., StevensCo., Wash.
Deer Flat N.W.R., was 260,000 and Turnbull
n. Idahohad a peakof 8550Mallards and also
tallied 175 Wood Ducks Sept. 22 (I.F.G.).
Gadwallproductionat Malheur was7650with
a fall peak of 11,000+; Turnbull averaged
500+-during the fall. Malheur apparentlyhad
most of the Pintails with a peak of 39,000.
Other peaks there were: Cinnamon Teal
10,000, Am. Wigeon 21,500; N. Shoveler
22,600, and Canvasback 21,000. The Lower
St. Jo and Pend Oreille R., had a high of
with a peak of 349 Sept. 26. Color-marked
10,750 Am. Wigeon and Turnbull peaked at
2155Am. Wigeonand 795 Canvasback.Red-
PELICANS
THROUGH
HERONS
-White Pelicans seemed to be on the increase in
s. Idaho at Deer Flal N.W.R.. near Nampa
birds from Grande Prairie, Alta., numbered
head reached 12,000 on the Pend Oreille R.,
five there in November.Refugepersonnelare
and Canvasbackwere up to 250 there. Highest
LesserScaupnumberswere at Turnbull with
and alongthe SnakeR. Up to 300+_were at
color and if possiblethe numberon collar or
leg band. The speciesproduceda record 33
fledgedyoungat Malheur,with oneadditional
cygnetraisedoff the refuge.Turnbull N.W.R.,
Cheney,Wash.,had a peakof 18onOct. 24.
The largestconcentrationof CanadaGeese,
Columbia N.W.R.. Othello. Wash.. August Octoberand the birdspeakedat 2500at Malheur N.W.R.. Burns, Ore., in late August. At
least 515 Double-crested Cormorants were in
the latter area Sept.6; 80+_pairsnestedthere
cf. to 60 last year(ST). Two wereon Park L.,
Grant Co., Wash.. OcL 17 0A) and one was on
Wells PoolOct. 5 (NM,GB). The Nampa, Ida.,
area had 100 Sept. 23 and an immaturespent
Nov. 9~25 near the foot of L. McDonald. Glacier N.P., Mont. (RRW).
A newly-found
Great Blueheronryof eight
nests, 2 mi e. of Bonners Ferry, Ida.. appar182
requesting
reportsof markedbirds,including
1059. An aerial count at Deer
Flat revealed
150 Ring-necked Ducks, unusual there.
Unusualrecordswereof a 9 GreaterScaupon
Upper KlamathL., Ore., Oct. 23 (SS)and 30
at Columbia N.W.R., Oct. 18 (DP); an Oldsquaw on Lenore L., Grant Co., Wash., Nov.
25,000, was at Stratford, Wash., Oct. 17 (JA).
11 (JA), and a 9 HarlequinDuck lingering
Deer Flat N.W.R., Nampa, Ida., had 10,000+
Nov. 29 and numberspeakedat 6600 at Malheur Nov. 15. Top number at Columbia
N.W.R., was 12,000 and Karoloops, B.C.,
peaked at 1500. McNary N.W.R., Burbank,
until Nov. 26 near the foot of L. McDonald,
Wash., had several thousand. Other peaks
were: Turnbull 2193; Kootenai N.W.R., Bon-
Glacier N.P. (RRW). Noteworthy were I6
White-wingedScoterson the Columbia R.,
near Brewster, Wash., Oct. 19 (RF) and six
plus an ad. male and a Surf Scorer,on Lenore
L., Nov. 11 (JA), and a Surf Scoreron Upper
Klamath L., Oct. 23 (SS).
American Birds, March 1980
Several notable
one wasat SwanL, Vernon Sept 8-17 (JG)
NWR,
gatheringsof Turkey Vulturesoccurred.A
deadtree near Armstrong,B.C., held39 Aug.
Up to 33 SnowyPloverswere at Alvord L., the
JEt). An adult and a subad. Sabine's Gull
only area reporting them, Aug. 19 - Sept. 9
(MS). Two Am. GoldenPloverswereon alpine
terrain at 8000 ft in CathedralP., B.C., Aug.
common" at Malheur. Six were at an elk car-
(REW) and one was at W. Medical L., Spokane Co., Wash., Sept.20 alongwith a Black-
were spotted at Ninepipe N.W.R., Lake Co,
Mont., Sept. 15-16(JSM,BW). A singleCom
Tern wassightedat FlatheadL., Mont., Sept
16 (BW). An Ancient Murrelet, evidently
woundedby a hunter, wascollectedon Toston
Res., s. of Toston,Mont., Sept. 30 (*Montana
casson Darland Mt., in the Yakima areaAug.
bellied Plover (JA). One of the latter was heard
State U. -- LT) for the third state record.
2 Numbers for all three Accipiters appeared
at Reardan, Wash., the same day (JA) and
Richlandhad two Sept.21-22(REW). Onevisited SwanL., Vernon Sept.12 (PS,PMcA)and
VULTURES,
HAWKS --
20 (JG) and a flock of 20 was at a carcasss. of
Kimberley,B.C. A groupof 14 wasalongthe
Valley-Springdale
Rd., StevensCo., Wash.,
Sept.24 (JN)andthe birdswere"extremely
good.Swainsoh's
Hawksfledged13 young
from four nestsin Oregon (U.S.F.S. et at.).
Ferruginous
Hawknumbersin s.e.Idahowere
very good.Kilgorehad 13 by Aug. 14 and
HenrysL., had 45 on Sept.2. The area appears
to be a major stagingarea precedingmigration (CHT). Oregonfledged73 from 23 nests
(U S.F.S. et at.). One was still at Eltopia,
Wash., Nov. 2 (GS). Montana's Glacier N.P.
concentration
of Bald Eaglesreachedits peak
of 497 Nov. 14, 287 of which were adults, but
ad numbers climbed to 328 Nov. 29 (RRW).
SingleverylateOspreys
werenearCle Elum,
Wash., Oct. 24 and over Crab Cr., Columbia
N W.R., the next day (JEr.Dp). Observers
reported
threeGyrfalcon
sightings
andfourof
Peregrines.
Merlin sightingswereup with 16
28 (RH). Richland, Wash., had two Oct. 27
six were in fields s. of Klamath Falls, Ore.,
Oct. 14 (SS).
Two flocks of Long-billedCurlewstotaling
66 wereat Harrison,Mont., Aug. 8 and up to
sevenwere in the Nampa, Ida., area Aug.
10-12. A belatedly-reportedWhimbrel was
with Long-billed Curlewsnear Union, Ore.,
May 26, 1979. (JE). A Wandering Tattler was
photographed
at CaledoniaSloughon the w.
side of Upper Klamath L., for the second
county record; the first was in 1882 (SS).
Willets were describedas plentiful until fall
migrationin the Rupert,Ida., area(WHS) and
up to four wereseenin the Nampa area Aug.
12-19 (A&HL).
Three were at the Yakima R.
had alone Mew Gull Oct 24(DP,
PIGEONS
THROUGH
HUMMINGBIRDS
-- Single Band-tailed Pigeons appeared at
Indian Rock Lookoutn.w. of Bates,Ore., July
19 and Sept. 5 (RAH). Barn Owls continued
extendingtheir range in e. Washington.One
near Monse Nov. 21 (NM) and one found sick
at Malott Nov. 19 (CW) furnishedpresumably
the most n. records for the state. The birds
alsoappearedat Bridgeport;Upper Twin L,
LincolnCo.; BasinCity, Franklin Co.; Quincy,
George,and near Asotin.A FlammulatedOwl
was found
dead between
Walla
Walla
and
Dixie, Wash., Nov. 17 (GWA). The only
SnowyOwl report was of one at Vernon Nov
24 (DL). A Hawk Owl was found at 6500 ft on
Big White Mt., e. of Kelowna,B.C., Oct 7
or more reported. Prairie Falcon sightings
(BH). A Barred Owl was found at Bottle Bay
near Sandpoint,Ida., Sept.6 UP,JR).A Great
exceededthis number. A monitoringof raptor
Gray Owl wassightedSept.23 & Nov. 12 near
mouth Aug. 15 for Woodley'sfirst record
there. A Red Knot wasobservedat length at
Harney L.. Malheur N.W.R., Sept. 11 (DT).
migrationon a crestof the BridgerRange10
mi n.e. of Bozeman, Mont., revealed 677
Up to 11 Pectoral Sandpipersappeared at
Upper Klamath L., and a Baird's was at Klaindividualsof 13 species.Completelyunexpectedwasthe sightingof threeBroad-winged math Falls Sept. 3 (SS). A single Dunlin
Hawks. The four previousMontana records appeared at Stratford, Wash.. Oct. 17 and
anotherwasin the Nampa area Sept. 9 for the
wereall for the e. part of the state(FT).
only reportss. of Canada.Three werestill at
Kamloops,B.C., Nov. 25 and five at GooseL.,
GALLINACEOUS BIRDS -- Sharp-tailed
near Vernon Nov. 18-19. The speciesoccasionand Sagegrousewerereportedas quiteplenally winters in the area. A Short-billed Dowtiful beforethe hunting seasonin the Rupert,
itcherwasidentifiedat Harrison,Mont., Aug.
Ida., vicinity, but "Valley" and Mountain
Quail,scarce.Sharp-tailednumbersappeared 15 (PDS,CH,EH) and another was at Red
good w. of Rogerson,Ida. (EB). Eastern Rock Lakes Sept. 14 (BW). Up to six Stilt
Sandpipersfrequentedthe Yakima R. delta
Washington,by contrast,reportedthe sightlngof a singlebird. A smallcoveyof Bobwhite Sept.2-3 (REW) and the birdsreacheda peak
of nine at Reardan, Wash., Aug. 25-26 (JA).
was flushed at L. Lowell, Dear Flat N.W.R.
The BozemanareahadoneAug. 15 (PDS)and
Turkeyswere reportedonly in the Prairie,
Chewelah,Wash., notedthe speciesin August
Ida., area with 36 on Oct. 20 (PCo).
(JN)for the onlyotherreports.The only Semipalmated Sandpiperswere 12 in the Nampa
CRANES THROUGH COOT -- Eight subareaSept.9 (J&NH);threeat Chewelahin late
ad WhoopingC•anesthat hatchedat Grays
August(JN), and up to 50 on Aug. 15 in the
Lake N.W.R., Ida., during 1975-1979 had
Fortine,Mont., area for Weydemeyer'slargest
arrivedat their winteringgroundsin the Rio
number ever. Malheur had an impressive
Grande Valley, N.Mex., by Nov. 26. Of 24
23,000W. Sandpipers
in late September(ST).
eggstransplantedinto SandhillCranenestsat
Marbled Godwit wasreportedonly for Alvord
Grays L., this spring, 16 hatchedand eight
fledged.One wasfatally attackedby a large L., one Aug. 31 & Sept. 9 (MS), and for the
raptor during migration (RD). Sandhill Yakima R. delta Aug. 22 for Woodley'sthird
record there. Malheur had 11 Sanderling
CraneswereseenmigratingAug. 5 - Nov. 25.
Theypeakedat 3400at Malheurat October's Sept. 11 (DT), three were at Upper Klamath
L., Sept.23 (SS),'andReardanhad two Sept.
end. Numerousflights of 30-100 passedover
14 and one Sept. 23 (JA). At Fortine where
Potholes Res., Wash., and several hundred
they are rare, sevenappearedJuly 26 and 12
wereseenoverColdSpringsN.W.R., Umatilla
on Aug. 11 (WW). Only the Nampa area
Co., Ore. One was still at Kamloops, B.C.,
Nov. 25 (RH). American Coot had an excellent
reportedBlack-necked
Stilts,Aug. 2-19. Northern Phalarope sightings were spotty. More
year in the Malheur-Harney Basin with
noteworthyobservations
wereof four at Chew132,000recordedSept.6. ColumbiaN.W.R.,
elah, Aug. 29, sevenin the Nampa area Aug.
hada peakof 800,downfrom 1979andTurnbull reached 7770. Numbers were much lower
12 andup to 200 at AlvordL., in late August.
than usual on the Pend Oreille,
Coeur d'
Alene and Lower St. Jo R., of n. Idaho, with
peaknumbersat 14,700.
SHOREBIRDS
--
Montana
had two Semi-
pahnatedPloversightings,
oneat EnnisAug.
8 (PDS) and two at Red Rock Lakes N.W.R.,
Sept. 14 (BW). Alvord L., Harney Co., Ore.,
hadsevenAug. 19 andoneAug. 31 (MS) and
Volume34, Number2
JAEGERS
THROUGH
MURRELETS
--
Ft. Klamath for the only reports(SS). A colony
of White-throated
differentAnna'sHummingbirdsappearedat
SpokaneAug. 1 - Sept. 29, departingin spite
of feedersprovidedthem (JA). Three were at a
Wenatchee, Wash. feeder Nov. 5 (PC)
A
Rufous Hummingbirdlingereduntil Oct. 18,
feedingon morning glory flowersat Yakima
(Y.A.S.).
WOODPECKERS
THROUGH
WRENS
--
A few Lewis' Woodpeckersappearedat scatteredlocationsin e. Oregonand Washington
and s. Idaho. A 9 Williamson'sSapsuckerwas
at Browne(Tower)Mt., near SpokaneSept 23
(JR). A White-headedWoodpeckerappeared
Sept. 30 at Falkland, n.w. of Vernon. The
speciesis extremely rare this far n. Gray
Flycatcherswere positively identified near
Bend, Ore., Sept. 5 (MHM) for the only
report.FourBarnSwallows
werestillat Columbia N.W.R., Oct. 26 (DP,JEr);two at Nampa
Nov. 2 (LN) and three Nov. 17 and one Dec 1
at the Yakima delta (REW). One or two Blue
Jaysappearedin Hamilton; near Willow Cr
Res., e. of Harrison, and alongthe Missouri
R., s. of Townsend, all in Montana. In Wash-
ingtononeor twoweresightedat Johnsonand
Spokane. In British Columbia single birds
were at Summerland and Kimberley. Two
Corn. Ravens 20 mi s. of Pocatello, Ida., were
noteworthy;
the species
has largelydisappeared
from that area, for unknown reasons(CHT)
Nampa had 7000 Com. Crows Nov. 16 A
group of eight BorealChickadees,the largest
seen in years, was in the Salmo Pass area of
extreme n.e. Pend Oreille County, Wash,
Sept.30 (JA).HouseWrensoccupied23 boxes
at the bluebirdnestbox projectw. of Spokane
and fledged 172 young(DP1). Rock Wrens
AlvordL., Ore., had a ParasiticJaeger(MS).
The onlyGlaucousGulls reportedweresingles
were
at Moses L.. Wash., Nov. 2 (TC) and at Wells
JEr).
Pool the next day (NM). Bonaparte'sGulls
were moving down into e. Washingtonand
Oregon in late October and the specieswas
reportedfor the Rupert, Ida., area. Columbia
Swifts was discovered in n
Ferry County, Wash. (TB,SZ). At least three
still
common
Nov.
8
at
Columbia
N.W.R., and might even winter there (DP,
THRASHERS
--
THROUGH
STARLINGS
Sage Thrashers were "extremely abun-
dant" in the Wenatcheearea this past sum183
with two accompanyingMacGi!livray's War-
Sparrowsappearedat Indian Canyon,Spokane Sept. 1-29.with a peakof eightSept. 14
ruer;manywereat BadgerMt., n.e. of the city
Aug. 6 (PC).At least50 werewith largenumbersof birdsof otherspeciesalongFosterCr.,
betweenBridgeportand Leahy Jct.. Wash..
Aug. 11 (DP) and the specieswas"verycommon" in the Rupert. Ida.. area (WHS). A d
Varied Thrush, very rare in s.e. Idaho, was in
common. must have flooded the Troy-Yaak
R., Mont.. area for Kay Burk banded503 this
year. An Am. Redstart was at Fields Aug.
RexburgOct. II (RG). The bluebirdnestbox
projectnear Spokanefledged167 youngW.
Blackbirds Sept. 9 and 150 Brown-headed
CowbirdsAug. 27. One of the latter waswith a
Bluebirds from 37 boxes (DPI).
largeflockof Red-wingedand Brewer'sblackbirds near College Place. Wash., Oct. 21
(B.M.A.S.).A RustyBlackbirdwasat Meadow
L, betweenWenatcheeand Malaga, Wash..
Niel Cobb, Mary Collins (MCo), Craig &
Marion Corder (MC), Wayne Doane, Rodetick
Oct. 20 (PC,HO,N.C.A.S.).
C. Drewien, Brad Ehlers, Jim Erckmann (JEr),
Bohemian
Waxwingshad put in but scant appearances
by November'send. Nampa counted 5500
StarlingsOct. 3.
VIREOS
THROUGH
BLACKBIRDS
--
biers(MCo). Ye!!ow-rumped
Warblers,always
CONTRIBUTORS
27-29 (MS).
The Nampa area had 8000 Red-winged
CITED
-- James Acton,
G. Witt Anderson,Ronald M. Anglin, Ethlyn
Barneby, Blue Mountain Audubon Society
(B.M.A.S.), George Brady, Kay Burk, Tom
Burke, Rudi Botot, Phil Cheney,Jim & Ruth
Clark,
Priscilla Cook (PCo), Tom Clement.
Joe EvanichUE). Ron Friesz, Ririe Godfrey.
JamesGrant, Camille & Ed Harper (EH). Jim
A
Red-eyedVireoput in an appearanceat Malheur N.W.R., Sept. 21 (ST) and one wasat
Fields, Ore., Aug. 15 (MS). Cold Springs
N.W.R., yielded a Black-and-whiteWarbler
Sept. 22 (REW,MC,CC). Single Orange-
(JA).
FINCHES.
SPARROWS
--
A
Rose-
breasted Grosbeak stayed in Helena several
daysstartingAug. I (LS). Large numbersof
& Naomi Heckathorn,
Rick Howie. Robert A.
Hudson (EHu), Eugene Hunn, Bill Huxley,
Idaho Fish & Game Dept. (I.F.G.), JoeJeppson, AI & Hilda Larson. Carroll D. Littlefield,
Falls Nov.
very noisy Evening Grosbeaks were feeding
fully fledgedyoungalongthe MethowR., w. of
11(SS)andat L. Lowell,NampaNov.27 (DT),
Winthrop, Wash., Aug. 13 (DP). Little or no
McAllister, Marjorie H. Moore, Jack Nisbet,
both late dates. Fields, Ore., had a 9 N.
mention was made of the specieselsewhere.
Lorraine Noble, North Central Audubon Soci-
Paruladuringthe summer(NC,MS).Malheur
Red Crossbills were almost unmentioned
ety(N.C.A.S.).HowardOswood.DennisPaul-
had a MagnoliaWarbler Sept. 28 for the first
documented
sightingthere(CDL). A supposed
Townsend's X Hermit Warbler was sighted
apparently very scarce.A Green-tailed Towhee was alongthe DeschutesR., w. of Bend,
crowned Warblers were at Klamath
Sept.4 at H.yak,Wash.(EHu)and a Blackpoll
Warblerwasphotographed
at FieldsSept.6-8
(MS). An imm. Palm Warbler was banded at
Pocatello (JJ) and an adult was seen there Oct.
18 (CHT). Another adult appearedin Indian
Canyon,SpokaneSept. 14 (JA) and one was
bandednear Troy, Mont. (KB). Fieldsobserved
a N. Waterthrush
on several dates in late
Augustand onewasnettedand photographed
thereSept.6 (MS). A ConnecticutWarbler at
Lavington,B.C., Sept.6 wascloselycompared
MOUNTAIN
Ore., Sept. 5 for the only report (MHM).
Black-throated
Sparrowswere commonaround
Fields and Malheur
and as far n. as Fossil,
Ore., with noneseenafter mid-August(MS).
The only Harris' Sparrowreportswereof one
at Kelowna,B.C., throughNovember(RY)
and one at Vernon Nov. 15-20 (MCo), both at
feeders. A Golden-crownedSparrow was at
son (DP). Dave Plemons (DPI), June Potter,
Jan Reynolds.Ralph Ritcey, Lorelei Saxby,
Gary Scrivens,W. H. Shillington, Paul R.
Sieracki, P. D. Skaar, Mark Smith, ShirleyG.
Sturts. Steve Summers, Pat Swift, Cindy
Sword, Dan Taylor, Larry Thompson, Steve
Thompson,Fred Ti!!y, CharlesH. Trost. U.S.
ForestService(U.S.F.S.),CindyWest,Winton
Weydemeyer,Bart Whelton, RebeccaR. Williams, Robert Wilson, Robert E. Woodley,
Yakima Audubon Society (Y.A.S.), Robin
CathedralPark, B.C.. at 7300ft Sept.16(RH).
SingleWhite-throatedSparrowsvisitedfeeders at KelownaNov. 19 (RY) and at Spokane
ROGERS, E. 10820 Maxwell Ave., Spokane,
Oct. 14 (RW). Unusual numbers of Lincoln's
WA 99206.
LOONS,
WEST
--
/Hugh E. Kingery
and
D. Low, Jeffrey S. Marks, N. Marr, Peter
Common
Yellowlees,
Steve Zender.
--
THOMAS
H.
GREBES
Loons are
increasingly noticed;
highcountwas30 near
A combination of four eastern Nevada con-
Denver Nov. 17 (HS).
tributionssuggeststantalizing potential for
future study. Elko County lies on the west
edgeof the Great Salt Lake desert.Ruby
LakesRefugehasreceivedgoodcoverage
for
someyears;twootherElko Countystudies,by
and
so
are
Aretle
Loons. Two Arctics at
Martin and Hoffman. and anotherby Perrone
farther south,in White Pine, Nye, and Lincoln
Counties,producedrecordsreferred to fre-
ord. while one at Sher-
Minersville. Utah (tMP)
apparently constituted
the second
state
rec-
idan Nov. 17 provided
Wyomingitsseventh
rec-
quentlyin thisreport.Theydocument
an impor-
ord (tHD).
tant hawk migrationroute and perhapsa sig-
with seven records on
nificant landbird one as well.
the E. Slope Oct. 28 -
"Bright blue Octoberdays," is the way H.
Jackson characterized the entire fall in the
Mountain West this year.The majorityof the
migrantsleft earlierthan usual,perhapsdispatchedby food suppliesdiminishedby the
dry summer and fall. Nonetheless,many
individual migrantslingered late, and some
northernspeciesarrivedlate.
Nov.
18,
Colorado.
had
44+
reports, doubled since
1975.One wasat Pyramid L., Nev., July 9
(DG). Neither the Redthroated Loon Nov. 24
(F&JJ)
northeRed-necked
GrebeSept.29(]&
held September8-9, tallied 1S7 speciesand
JC) seennear Denver stayed.Peak countsof
migratingEared Grebeswere500 at Minersville Nov. 11 (SPH) and 600 at the AntelopeI.,
the
causeway
overthe GreatSalt L., Nov.24 (JN).
The Denver Fall Count (hereafter, D.F.C.)
Fort
Collins
Fall
Count.
(hereafter,
Ft.C.F.C.)found 124specieson September1S.
Regionalobserverslisted 348 speciesthis
fall, elevenmore than in fall 1978. Colorado
had 314, Nevada 261, Wyoming 243. and
Utah 222. (For the year the Regionreported
Colorado reported unusual numbers of W.
421species
-- elevenmorethan in 1978:Col-
their usualfall contingents,
with hundredsat
orado 378, Nevada 293, Wyoming 281, and
L. Powell and 1000 at L. Mead by midNovember(CC,VM).
Utah 281).
184
Grebes, with Union Res., near Longmont
hostingthe most, a varying populationof
1300-1500, Oct. 6-28 (B.A.S.,F.A.C.). Lake
Powell, Utah, and L. Mead. Nev., attracted
PELICANS
THROUGH
counts of White Pelican
IBISES -- Peak
were 175 on the
D.F.C., Sept. 8 (D.F.O.), 200 at Torrington.
Wyo., Sept. 19 (CM), and 1060 in n.c. Col-
oradoSept. 22 (JRd).The 150-200at Ogden
Bay W.M.A., Sept. 22 (JN) were a fraction of
the Great Salt L. population.ColoradoDivisionof Wildlife (hereafter,C.D.W.), reported
nine colonies of Double-crested
Cormorants
nestingin Colorado,and eight along the S.
Platte R., associatingwith Great Blue Herons.
At Casper the nesting flock numbered 100
Aug. I 1 (HD). Cormorantspersistedto Nov.
American
Birds,March1980
Nov. 8 and seven Nov. %27 sent Nevadans
(and this editor) to their reference books.
"There are only 1400-1S00left in the wild. and
theseare the first in Nevada. They are quite
smalland dark withverywell-developed
barring."
(CL,ph.). A hunter shot a Black Brant at Bear
R.. Oct. 13 CRV). The S00 Snow Geese Nov. S
and 700 Nov. 7-8 at Sheridan filled in the first
record for Latilong 4 w. of Sheridan. Reports
of Snow Geese of the blue form came from
Cattle Egrets, Laramie, Wyo., Oct. 27, 1979.
Photo/David
Mozurkewich.
10 at Laramie, Wyo. (DM), Nov. 20 at L.
Oct. 27 (DM).
/day (6-7/day for two weeksin October; KC).
quite late (DGt). They frequentedthe Humboldl R.. near Halleck. Nev., throughout the
summer (RM). A nesting colony of Whitefaced Ibisesat Logan, Utah increasedfrom 75
to 3000 overthe past 5 years,but the neststhis
year had 90ø7ofailure rate. owing to skunk
predation(KA).
WATERFOWL -- Utah ducks peaked at
529,361 Sept. 1-15 -- earlier and lower than
last year. The major component, Pintail,
peaked at 226,917 Aug. 16-31. Canvasbacks
peaked at 21,339 Nov. 1-15. JacksonL., Wyo.,
reported 10,000-12,000 ducks, mostly Redheadsand wigeons.
Whistling Swanspeakedat 25,000 Nov. I at
Bear River N.W.R.
(RV), with 2504 at other
Utah refuges. Five Aleutian Canada Geese
a month and a half. Observers could count 3-4
Both the Wellsville
Scoters made a noticeable incursion: one Oct.
watchesproducedBroad-wingedHawks; two
(MP.$SPH), the first record for s. Utah; and
The first n.
incursion of Red-tailed Hawks at Gunnison,
one was shot by a hunter Nov. 23 (RV). Surf
singlesat Gunnison,Colo.. Oct. 21 (KC) and
Nevada record was of one near Ruby Lake
N.W.R., Aug. 3-7 (RM). Both Nevadawith 16
at Las Vegas in mid-October (VM), and Coloradowith 39 a! Latham Res.,Sept. 22 (JRd),
had their largest flocks of Cattle Egrets yet
reported. One Nov. 19 at Fruita, Colo., was
Outside of the lookoutobservations,
Accipiter sightingscontinuedto increase,Goshawks
and Sharp-shinnedsslightly and Cooper's
substantially,to 131. Half the observationsof
Cooper's came from Nevada and s. Utah. An
Oct. 28 (OKS) and Bear R., Nov. 20, where
inactive Great Blue heronries in Colorado,
with 660-800 active nests. For the fourth con-
two at Laramie
blizzard (CWa).
Colo., brought 2-3 times as many as usual for
(F&JJ). The C.D.W., located 38 active and 21
secutiveyear, the Salt L. Valley reportedLittle
Blue Herons. This year two were at Farmington Bay W.M.A.. Aug. 25 (I'SPH,VJH).
Wyoming establishedits secondCattle Egret
record,the first verified by photograph,with
rison(R&NG, fide D.F.O.) and a Zone-tailed
Hawk in BacaCountyNov. 2, followinga 2<lay
Sheridan and Laramie (HD,KB). A Eur. Wigeon was at Bear R., Oct. 12 (RV), furnishing
Utah's third record.OldsquawsvisitedCasper
23 at Kirch W.M.A.. Nye Co., Nev. (MP) and
one shot Nov. 4 at Ruby L. (NE,*Nev. Mus.,
fide SHB); 2-3 at Minersville Nov. 10-IS
powell, Utah (CC). and to Nov. 24 al Denver
hawks in e. Colorado which C.F.O.
will
review: a White-tailed
Kite Nov. 12 at Mor-
Denver Nov. 8 (MOS). With the Surfs at Miners-
ville were 1-2 White-wingeds Nov. 10-11
(MP,tSPH).
also the first for s. Utah.
A
White-winged Scoter visited Bear R.. Nov. 7
(RV,CCr), and two were at Arealga sewage
lagoon near Logan Nov. 11 (SV.AG). The
count of 400 Corn. Goldeneyeson the Antelope I. causewayNov.27 seemedhigh ON).
HAWKS, EAGLES -- On the e. side of the
Salt L. Basin are the Wellsville Mts., where for
the third year Hoffman and otherLoganbirders conducteda hawk watchthis fall. They tallied 12.0 hawks/hr, surprisinglyconsistent
in the Wellsvilles and five in the Goshutes,
doublethe number of reportedrecordsfor the
respectivestates. Nevada had another Black
Hawk, its fourth, at Las Vegas Sept. 15 (J&
MC). While GunnisonreportedonlyoneMarsh
Hawk all fall, an extremescarcity(KC), 75 mi
s. Monte Vista N.W.R., peaked at 40, most
remainingthrough Nov. 30 (MBS). Ruby L,
reportedonly 17 on four days, comparedto
the usual 3-10 daily (SHB); yet to the s. the
surveyof Nye and White Pine Countiesturned
up 28 on Oct. 22-27 (MP), and Cedar City and
L. Powellhad daily observations(SPH,CC).
Table 1. Wellsville and Goshute Mts.
Hawk Watches
I4•ellsvilles
Dates:
withthepast2 years.On thew. sideof the Salt
L. Basin in Nevada are the Goshute Mts., 20
mi s.w. of Wendover, Utah. There, at a new
site. observerscounted more raptors in 14
daysthan the Wellsvillewatcherscountedin
41 days:the rate was26.7/hr. The locationon
the w. side of the Great Salt L. desert, creates
the "principal reasonfor the extremefunnel-
ing effect found there." See Table I (SH).
Fourdaysof hawkwatchingnearBoulder,followingup on previous
years'studies,
reaffirmed
the theory that Red-tailed Hawks prefer a
route 10 mi e. of the foothills to one running
alongthe edgeof the foothills.Accipitersdo
notshowsucha preference(FH).
Observers reported two far out-of-range
Days of observation
Species
Accipiters
Sharp-shinned
Cooper's
Sept. 1%24.
Oct. 4-11
41
14
1229
2151
1084
909
Goshawk
Unid.
Buteos
Red-tailed
Swainsoh's
Other
30
356
286
236
18
32
22
158
405
384
S
16
Falcons
856
311
837
12
7
305
5
1
Golden Eagle
Bald Eagle
255
2
46
1
Marsh Hawk
184
24
10
13
69
12
4
47
Am. Kestrel
Prairie Falcon
Other
1978 Hawks/hour
1977 Hawks/hour
Volume
34,Number
2
Goshutes
484
389
Total
1979 Hawks/hour
Nev., Nov. 9, 1979. Photo/C. S. Lawson.
Sept.6Oct. 20
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Unid. raptors
Aleutian Canada Geese, Clark •.,
and the Goshute hawk
2935
12.0
3023
26.7
I 1.0 {revised)
11.6 (revised)
CRANES -- Twelve to 14 Whooping
Cranesstoppedin the San Luis Valley, Colo.,
with 11 thereOct. 14 (MBS).At Rangely.Colo..
on the route from Grays L.. to the San Lais
Valley. a Golden Eagle attacked and killed a
WhoopingCrane as it and two Sandhillsrose
several hundred feet above a pond (U.P.I..
MBS). One of the Grays L. birds, identifiedby
leg bands. strayedE over the Rockies200 mi
to Longmont,Colo., Sept. 15 (NS). A substantial number of Sandhills migrated along the
Wyoming and Colorado E. Slope, mostly in
late Octoberand November;e.g., 300 at Arvada,
Wyo.. Nov. 6 (HD), 3000-5000at Ft. Morgan,
185
Colo, Oct 3 (JCR), and 400 at Boulder and
200 at Denver Oct. 21 (FH,D.F.O.), possibly
row pit at Tlmpas, Colo, with severalMournlng Doves, provided the first record for s.e.
Colorado (•GPE). Late observationsof Yellow-
the same flock.
billed Cuckoos came with rare Las Vegas
SHOREBIRDS
--
Fall counts tallied 884
shorebirdsof 18 speciesat Denver Sept. 8-9
including368 Killdeer and 178LesserYellowlegs,and 460 of 12 speciesat Ft. CollinsSept.
15 including244 Killdeerand 95 LesserYellowlegs A D.F.O. trip to Lamar, Colo., Aug.
11-12 counted 549 shorebirds,including 155
Snowy Plovers. Plover reports included a
Semipalmatedat Coal Valley, Lincoln Co.,
Nev, Aug. 8 (MP), 300 Killdeer in early
Augustin onelocationnear LasVegas(VM), a
tardy Am. Golden Plover at Casper Oct. 28
(OKS), a Black-belliedthere Sept. 22 (HD et
al ) and two at Laramie Oct. 27 (DM). Four
Ruddy Turnstonesat GlenwoodSpringsOct.
24 (tRP,ph.) provideda first Latilongrecord
and two at Pyramid L., Aug. 20 provideda
rare Nevada record (DG). A Long-billedCurlew at DenverNov. 10 wasquite late (D.F.O.).
First Latilong records for Red Knots came
from Julesburg, Colo., Sept. 1 (RCR) and
Jackson,Wyo., ihrnishedthe first w. Wyoming record,Sept. 12 (tBW). The CasperLatilong picked up first recordsfor PectoralSandpipers with five Aug. 11 and four Sept. 22
(HD,OKS et al.). Flocks of 12 and 25 on Sept.
15 & 25 at Quichipa, Utah doubled Hedges'
previous observations of that species in s.
Utah. CasperLatilong also had its first Stilt
Sandpipers,with ten Aug. 11 and oneSept.22
(HD,OKS et al.). The first regional Buffbreasted Sandpiper since 1977 visited Sher-
idan Aug. 5 (tJD). Bear R. had severalthousand Marbled Godwits in October, and Jules-
burgpickedup its first recordswith 1-8 present Aug. 5 - Sept. 1 (RCR). One at Casper
records Oct. 22 & 27 (VM) and birds at Col-
orado Springs Sept. 25 (CAC) and Oct. 27
(PA). Over25 Roadrunnersalong5 mi of road
near Pahrump was probablythe largest number ever reported in the state (GA). A roadkilled ScreechOwl near Radium, Colo., Oct.
12 providedthe EagleLatilongits first record
(DJ). Gunnisonreportedextra high visibility
of Great Horned Owls, evidencedby 20-25
road kills on an 8-mile stretch of highway
from April to October(KC). Great Gray Owl
reports came from Jacksonand Dubois (BR,
FP). Short-earedOwlsdid not breedon Ruby
Lake Ref., this year, although10-20pairs did
last year (SHB). A Short-earedOwl occurred
on BeartoothPass,Park Co., Wyo. (BW), and
Blue Jays mobbed one in a Boulder yard
(MHO). Jackson reported a rare Saw-whet
--
Parasitic
mid L., Oct. 5 (DG; sixth state record), and
Pueblo Oct. 27-29 (D.F.O.,EW). The latter
captureda gull, to the astonishmentof observers (EW). A jaeger of unknownspecieswas at
Sheridan Aug. 17 (HD). The first Nevada
Long-tailed Jaegerwas at Pyramid L., Oct. 4,
a wary bird which sportedcentral tail feathers
10 in longer than the other rectrices(?DG).
Although the numbers of Franklin's Gulls
may havedropped,countsof 1500-1700came
from Longmont Sept. 6 - Oct. 31 (F.A.C.,
B A S.) and 2500 were counted across n.c. Col-
oradoAug. 5 (JRd).Thousandsstayedseveral
weeks in Jackson Hole, Wyo. (BR). Bona-
found seven Least Terns at
Lamar Aug. 12. probablythe nestinggroup
mentioned last season.
DOVES
THROUGH
NIGHTHAWKS
--
One White-wingedDove flushedfrom a bor-
186
increasein Black-billed Magpies impressed
Nevadaobservers,
with 20 at CarsonCity Nov
24 (BP)and eightLasVegasobservations.
ing, Utah Oct. 22-25 (CC), and two were at
on the window
sill of a restaurant.
Presumablyit wasjust restinguntil it warmed
up a bit, as it took off later in the day." (VM).
Latest Corn. Nighthawk observationscame on
successivenights from Laramie, Grand L.,
and Denver Sept. 22-24 (AD,DJ,HEK). The
LesserNighthawksfound Aug. 6 & 9 in Dry
L., and Coal Valleys, n. of Pahranagat
N.W.R.. Nev., were 30 min. of the species'
HUMMINGBIRDS,
Laramie Sept. 5 (JP). Almost every report
mentioned Red-breasted Nuthatches. usually
1-2. Winter Wrens were discoveredin Nye,
White Pine, and Lincoln Cos., Nev., Oct. 25 Nov. 12 (MP); they probablyare regular in n,
althoughscarcein s., Nevada (CL). Observers
found NovemberMockingbirdsat Durango,
Berthoud,
and
Denver
(EF.F.A.C.,F&JJ)
Brown Thrasher observations increased in the
cited n. limit.
WOODPECKERS
--
The description
of a Ruby-throated
Hummingbird at a feeder Aug. 31 in Beulah, Colo.,
soundsconvincing,establishinga first state
blurred for identification (tGK).
Three ½
Blue-throateds
visiteda Durango,Colo.,t•eder
occasionallyJuly 24 - Aug. 7 (EF). Martin's
Elko County surveyturned up two races of
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker;four Red-breasted
and oneRed-naped;the Red-breastedwas300
mi e. of its range in the California mountains.
An intergrade between those two forms
occurredat Zion Sept. 26-28 (JG). The same
Elko County survey turned up a Ladder-
parte'sGulls built up to 50 at LongmontNov.
15 (CB).The only Sabine'sGull reportedvisited
Denver Sept. 19-22 (D.F.O.,LM). A handful of
backedWoodpeckerSept. 17, 200 min. of its
Corn. Terns was at Longmont Sept. 11 - Oct.
normal range, in the SpruceMrs., in a stand
6 The descriptions
of the ArcticTern at Longof whitefir and limber pine QRM).
mont Sept. 12-15 are more convincingthan
FLYCATCHERS,
SWALLOWS -- Wanthe photographs;
apparentlythe photographers
snapped the wrong bird (J&JC,JHz,MOS,HH
dering late summer flycatchers included a
el al ). If accepted,it will constituteColorado's Great Crested at JacksonAug. 7 (KDi) and
first definite record. There are two debatable
Ash-throatedsat Gunnison Aug. 5 (KC), at
19th centuryrecordsof specimenswhich are
Boulder Aug. 20 (FH) & 28 (MM), and one
lost The D.F.O.
at the feeder (DJ; seeAB 33:201,301). A mild
Poor-will
record (VT et al.). Utah now has two records
TERNS
JAYS -- The Blue X Steller's Jay hybrid,
goneall summerfrom Grand L., reappeared
Aug. 18 & 29, and in late fall begandaily calls
TITMICE
THROUGH
THRASHERS
-About 100 Plain Titmice were at Halls Cross-
of Broad-billedHummingbird. For the second
successive
year. a Springdalefeeder attracted
one, this year Sept. 9-10 (?JG).A c2Rivoli's
Hummingbird visited an Evergreen,Colo..
feederseveraltimesthe eveningof Sept. I but
not afterwards(ECT). A Brighton,Utah feeder
produced, both the third Rivoli's and first
Blue-throated Hummingbirds for n. Utah
Aug. 23, the latter the third state record. A
large d hummingbirdhad been presentthe
previoussummer also, the photograph too
GULLS,
Colo., Aug. 16 (RL et al.) and four flocked
with swallowsat Axial, Colo., Aug. 17 {JW)
in a road on the plainsnear PuebloOct. 7-16
(VT). In Boulder City, Nev., PL "found a
Black-necked Stilts and phalaropes seemed
scarcethroughoutthe Region.
JAEGERS,
longs,eightPurpleMartinswereat DeBeque,
Owl Nov. 14 (GR). Transient poor-wills roosted
Nov 4 was late (OKS). American Avocets,
JaegersvisitedBear R., Sept. 25 (RV), Pyra-
Boulder Sept 23 missedsettinga first Latilongrecordby oneblock-- the distanceHall's
yard liess. of the 40th parallelwhichtransects
Boulder.As usual,only Barn Swallowswere
seen past September. Six flocks of 200-250
Barns flew over Ogden Bay W.M.A., Utah,
Nov. 3, feedingon midgesduring the warm
part of the day. No real freezingweatherhad
occurred up to this time, and temperatures
were reaching 60øF in mid-day (MK)
Establishingfirst recordsin adjoiningLati-
banded at Lyons, Colo., Oct. 4 (CW). The
scatteringof E. Phoebesincluded Nevada's
third, at Las Vegas Oct. 27 (VM et al.) and
birds at Evergreen,Colo., Aug. 18 (tECT),
Boulder Sept. 14 (CB,PG et aL), and one at
Denver Oct. 20 (F&JJ). A Gray Flycatcherat
Coloradopiedmont,with a total of 12 reported
from ColoradoSpringsto Ft. Collins. Kashm
observed a Bendire's
Thrasher
on a Bear R
dike, Aug. 31. Two Curve-billedThrashers
were at Fountain, Colo., Aug. 5 (EW). Sage
Thrashersstayedlate, with goodnumbersat
Ely, Nev., through Nov. I (SS) and a late one
in JeffersonCounty,Colo., Nov. 25 (RO).
THRUSHES
THROUGH
VIREOS
--
Sheridanhad a peak of 310 Am. RobinsOct
7. Spot-breastedyoung were observed at
Grand L., Sept. 30 (DJ) and Aurora, Colo,
Oct. 24 (MOS,
banded). Varied
Thrushes
moved into the w. part of the Region, with
reports from Las Vegas of one Oct. 4 and a
pair Oct. 27 - Nov. 30 (VM): Ruby L., Oct 9
•'de SHB): Richfield, Utah Nov. 8 (JP) and
Ogden. Utah Nov. 22 (a female banded: MK)
Late Hermit Thrushes included one Oct. 27,
banded at Aurora (MOS) and birds Nov. 9 &
22 at Ridgway,Colo. (JRG). Late Swainson's
were at CheyenneOct. 2 (MH) and Las Vegas
Oct. 13 (J&MC). Eastern Bluebirds came W to
the piedmont: six at Fountain Oct. 27 (PA)
and three at Morrison, Colo., Nov. 13-14
(BPr). Carefulstudyof Sprague'sPipits by the
meticulous Sheridan observers seems to reveal
a regular although very small, movement
through Sheridan. This year's report was of
oneAug. 24 (tHD). A few flocksof Bohemian
Waxwingsarrivedin the n. part of the Region
the first of 200 wasat CodyOct. 28 (UK). They
reachedLaramie, Ogden, and Axial Nov. 4, 9,
21 respectively.Highest Starling count came
from Logan where 5000-8000 inhabited the
Andersonpig farm in October(KA). Solitary
Vireosmigratedlate, with severalin late September in Denver and Boulder. plus one Oct
27 at Boulder of the blue-headed race rs. the
usualplumbeusform (RS). A late vireo at Ely,
Nev., Oct. 27 wasprobablya Warbling (MP)
AmericanBirds,March 1980
WARBLERS -- By westernstandardsthe
numbersbut not d•vers•tyof warblersat Gunmson this fall were unusually high for that
locationand the Region.During three major
waves, $00-1000_+flitted along 2 mi of the
Gunnison R. (KC). Fall Counts produced,at
Denver 391 warblers of 13 species(202 Wilson's, 102 Yellow-rumpeds)and at Ft. Collins
109 including$0 Yellow-rumpedsand 43 Wilson's. Most of the vagrant speciesoccurred
after Sept. 15. A Prothonotarywas found at
ElevenMile Res., Colo., Sept. $ (HL), a first
Latilong and first mountain record for Colorado.A mist net caughta Worm-eatingWarbler Aug. 28 at Lyons,Colo. (CW). Tennessees
occurredat BoulderOct. 21 (MHo) and Longmont Nov. 4 (JAd) and Las Vegas had one
Oct. 4, the first since 1977. The Virginia's at
Las Vegas Sept. 17 was Mowbray's first fall
record in 6 years. Northern Parulas at Denver
Sept. 9 (D.F.O.) and Boulder Oct. 12 (MM)
added to the new fall records. A Yellow War-
bler was reported from Preston. Nev., Oct. 22
(MP). Magnolias occurredSept. 25 - Oct. 8,
c•ssels
at SheridanAug 24 providedthe first
lecordss•nce1975in n. Wyoming(HD). Sev-
October(MM). About 50 chatteringPine
Grosbeaks,during a 2-hr periodOct. 14, flew
out of the mountains and acrossthe Hack ranch
at Jefferson,Colo. Although two were at
Lyons,Colo.,Sept.2 (IB), otherreportsshow
that the Jeffersongrosbeaksconstitutedan
isolatedflight. They were reported in their
Blues.
Jackson
ord. Buena Vista, Colo., had one Nov. 19.
feeding on honeysuckleberries,after a foot of
snowfell (•-HM), establishingthe first w. Colorado record. In three mountain ranges in
Elko County, 15 Townsend's Warblers were
counted Aug. 10 - Sept. 6 (RM). Two fall
80206.
at Grand L., Sheridan, Beaver, Utah, and
Eureka, Nev. (DJ,HD,SPH,AB). Lesser Goldfinches seemed more common than usual in
the Reno-Carson City area (BP,IH). A
Lawrence'sGoldfinchwasat Las VegasOct.
SOUTHWEST
REGION
fianet Witzeman, JohnP. Hubbard
and Kenn Kaufman
24 (CL). A few Red Crossbills inhabited the
FrontRangefrom Sheridanto Evergreen.A
flockof 30 appearedin LaramieNov. 17 (DM)
anda singleperchedonthe tip of a sprucein
the middle of DenverNov. 19 (HEK). At Sher-
idan 230 SavannahSparrowswere counted
Aug. 24 (HD). All four statesreportedWhitethroatedSparrowsin closeto usual numbers,
Buntingsnear Granby, Colo., Nov. 9 werethe
onlyonesreportedthisfall (DJ).
had one Nov. 15, after a week of 0 ø weather
(BG.AY), providingthe first w. Wyoming rec-
Ward, SusanWard, RosieWatts, Bart Whelton, p. White, Craig Williams, Elinor Wdls,
RobertaWinn, A. Youngblood.-- liUGli E.
KINGERY, 869 MilwaukeeSt., Denver,Colo.
normal haunts in late October and November
only the third record there (JG). Two Snow
Black-throated
Clare
RayVarney($), ChuckWagner(CWa),Judy
tmued, with five in the Denver-Boulder
Sept. 15 - Nov. 6. Late November saw two
Suthers, Edna
ginia creeperson the Univ. of Coloradocampus buildingsin late Septemberand early
althoughthe oneat ZionNov. 1-7 provided
remarkable
B
eral thousand House Finches roosted in Vir-
fitting into a previouspattern of latenessin
the Colorado piedmont and Las Vegas. The
plethora of fall Black-throated Blues conarea
Stover, Mdton
Thomas,Van Truan, Urnted PressInt., Utah
Div. of Wildlife Resources,S. Vanderwall,
POSTSCRIPT
--
In AB 33:794 I com-
mentedonscoringsystems
for hybridsand the
lack of reportsof hybrids.Mansonrefutedme
with a gooddescription
of a Myrtle X Audubon'sWarblerat BoulderApr. 25 & 27, 1979.
CONTRIBUTORS
AND
CITED
In autumn, following the breeding season,
bird populationsare at their highestpoint of
the year: and so many young birds, malfunctioning navigators, are likely to stray offcoursethat the observermayreasonablyhope
to see rarities on every trip afield. But the
same factors which make the season so excit-
ing alsorender it difficult to predict,detect,
analyzeor extrapolatepatterns of occurrence
This is one reasonwhythe graduallyincreasing field coveragein the Southwesthas continued to yield surpriseseveryautumn.
Birding coveragewas particularly good
New Mexico this autumn, with many of the
more productive spots checked repeatedly
during the season. Arizona also received
extensive and widespread coverage, to a
degreeunheard of here just a few yearsago
Many rarities were found; but the geographic
Blackhurnians occurred in the Colorado foothills within 10 mi of each other, at Idledale
OBSERVERS -- PeggyAbbott, J. Adcock
(JAd),AlpineAud. Soc.,Keith Archibald(10),
patternof thediscoveries
wasquiteuneven
Sept. 18 (BPr) and at Evergreenduring a
G. Austin,Mary Back ($), I. Baker,Ethlyn
northeastern Arizona,
snowstorm Oct.
Barneby,A. Biale,Chip Blake,B. & C. Bosley,
StephenH. Bouffard, BoulderAud. Soc., K.
oasissituationsin adjacentnorthwesternNew
Brawley, W. W. Brockher (16), Charles A.
Campbell, Cheryl Conrad, Colorado Div. of
and few vagrants.Arizona observerswho journeyedto their "northeasternoases"this year
were similarly jolted by the lack of eastern
strays. But by contrast in south-central
zona it was perhapsthe best seasonever for
easternwarblers, and parts of New Mexico
were also remarkably productive.The uneven
productivityof differenceareassuggeststhat
(even though eastern vagrants are bound to
appear in the West annually,regardlessof any
described
second
30 (ECT).
Nevada's
Yellow-throated
well-
Warbler
movedthrougha cottonwoodOct. 24 at Duckwater (•-MP). No one reported a Chestnuts•ded.One Bay-breastedreport came from Ft.
CollinsSept.25 (B,CB).Hawk watchersin the
Goshutesfound one Blackpoll Oct. 7 (SH),
Las Vegasreportedfour Sept. 16 - Nov. 1, and
Denver-Boulderhad five Sept. 8 - Nov. 15.
Ovenbirds appeared at Sutcliffe, Nev., Oct. 9
(DG) and Las VegasOct. 4 and Oct. 22 - Nov.
1 (VM).
BLACKBIRDS,
TANAGERS
--
A Sher-
idan blackbird roost,the largestreportedthis
year, lasted for 2 months and comprised,on
Sept. 28, 8000-10,000_+birds, mostly Corn.
Grackles (HD). Late birds included a Yellowheaded Blackbird at Boulder Nov. 12 (EM)
and Red-wingedsin the mountainsat Minturn
and Grand L., in November (JM,DJ). Three
Scott'sOrioleswereat Caliente,Nev., Aug. 10
(MP). A verylate orioleat Kirch W.M.A., Nye
Co, Oct. 23 whichfed at holesdrilled by sapsuckers was identified as a N. (Baltimore)
Oriole (MP). ACom. Grackle was at the town
springof Lurid, Nev., Oct. 24 (MP). A verylate
oneNov. 27 at Ridgway,provideda first Latilong record, as did a late SummerTanager at
the sameplaceNov. 7 (JRG).
FINCHES,
SPARROWS -- A kitchen win-
dow observationprovidedRuby Lakes' second
refuge record of Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Wildlife,ColoradoFieldOrnithologists,
Kevin
Cook, Joyce& John Cooper,Carol Cranford
(CCr), J. & M. Cressman,C. Crunden(CCd), J.
Daly, Denver Field Ornithologists,K. Diem
(KDi), V. Dionigi, Keith Dixon, A. Dobos,
Helen Downing (36), G. P. East, V. Evanson,
Louise Exeell (10), Janet Eyre (3), Mary
Fischer ($), FoothillsAud. Club, Ft. Collins
Aud. Soc.,Elva Fox (5), David GMat, D. Gallnat (DGt), P. Gent, JeromeGifford, B. Glenn,
W. D. Graul,A. Grenen,J. R. Guadagno,
R.
Alan
Nelson visited
Mexico, but his efforts met with mixed success
external influences) some factor such as local
weatherpatternsmust play a part in concentrating the vagrantsin certain localities.
& N. Gustafson,
Carol Hack, F. Hale, J. Holitza
(JHz),May Hanesworth
(10),I. Haul, Kathy
Hawkins, StevenP. Hedges,V. J. Hedges,
Louisetierlug (34), M. Hill (MHi), Stevelioftman (6), Mark Holmgren (MHo), H. Holt,
Mark Janos,David lasper (4), Don Jole(DJo),
Frank & Jan Justice, Gleb Kashin, Ursula
LOONS
THROUGH
IBISES
-- A remark-
ablyearlyCom.Loonin full breedingplumage
was on Ashurst L., near Flagstaff Sept. 14
Kepler(10),D. P. Kibbe(3),MerlinKillpack,
(JC,DRP). Arctic Loons, rare away from the
L.C.V., wereseenat Upper L. Mary near Flagstaff (one, Nov. 12-17 -- •-CH et al.) and at
Painted Rock Dam (two, Nov. 20+ -- RBr et
Steve Kingswood, R. Lambeth, Chuck Law-
al.).
son,H. Leighton,p. Long,Helen MacKensen,
Larry Malone, Michael Manson ($), Richard
Martin, E. McGregor, lohn Merchant (3),
Occurrence of the Cattle Egret in this
Region is still erratic and patchy. Moderate
Cheryl Michel, Vince Mowbray (6), David
Mozurkewieh
(13),JohnNelson,R. Oldetog,
in the Carlsbad and Socorro area of New Mex-
F. Palazzolo, R. Parkinson, J. Pearson,
MichaelPerrone,Bill Pickslay($), B. Prather
(BPr), Bert Raynes (16), J. Reddall (JRd),
Warner Reeser ($), J. C. Rigli, G. Roby,
RichardC. Rosche,
ChipSalaun,O.K. Scott,
Sept.19 (SHB).A rare IndigoBuntingstopped H. Singer,
Nan Slater,MildredO. Snyder,
Irma
at Ruby L., Sept.29 (SHB). Two imm. DickSparks(48),MahlonSpeers,
R. Spencer,
San
Volume
34,Number
2
Inspired by the autumn 1978 discoveries•n
numberswere present September - November
ico, while in s.w. Arizona a notable concentration of 250 was reported from the Dome Valley Sept.21-23 (SGeta/.). A few werenotedm
s.e. Arizona (DD), where formerly rare; new
localitiesfor the specieswereChama, N. Mex,
whereonewascapturedNov. 27 (L. Gallegos,
ph., JPH), and Mammoth, Ariz., whereup to
25 werepresentOct. 20-27 (KVR et al.). Four
187
lan Aug. 26 ORWI); this would be a first
record for New Mexico (and for the Region).
Two Am. Avocetswere seenSept. 25 & Oct. 27
• V•
.... •e•
•"•Hoover
•m
Kayenl•
I, Formington.
•Grand
•* "•
Topoc•
•• •%
•
•t--:
I
•/$anla Fo
rmgsra•e•e HOID•OK
•L.
Wicken•g•,
It 8•
'O I f forker •Dam
•' .
•*:-1
•
Santa•
.,
I
(AMc)
26(S.Brown).
on Bluewater L.. w.-c. New Mexico,
wherethe speciesis unusual.A Red Phalarope
/
was well-described from Bitter Lake N.W.R.,
m •
Fo,•d&/
N.W.R..Nov.21(•o).
•prmge•,He•Socorra
I • • /
• Keie•e / •arrlzozo bRver1:l
A
probable
imm.
Sept. 27 & Oct. 5 (tWHO et al.) for New Mexico's third record. Very late for their respective sectionsof Arizona were single Wilson's
Phalaropesat Ganado L., Oct. 15 (KK,JW,
GR) and Phoenix Nov. 7 (ST&GR).
•
•na•
•o( '•m
' . •m •
.
I
l]
n.e. of RoswellOct. 3
GULLS
oi••
SellsTucmn Y• io.• ß ß•---•l
.'-
•
!
i
k
-o•
x
-,o *,
,
o
C
Louisiana Herons a[ Laguna Grande, Eddy
Co., N. Mex., Aug. 8 (SW) establishedthe
in New Mexico.
•
'
acara photographedat
O
ablya strayfrom Sonoraratherthan from the
limited s.w. Arizona population.
Stork in Arizona was 12 in the Dome Valley,
lowerGila R., Sept.9 (ST,LD);sevenremained
until Sept. 21 (SG). Also in the Dome Valley
was a remarkable
concentration
of White-
GAMEBIRDS,
CRANES --
Scaled Quail
are rare and local in w.-c. New Mexico, but a
flock was seenNov. 5 at Ft. Wingate (JPH el
al.). Surveysin the Sangrede Cristo Mts., n.
N. Mex.. revealedthe presenceof White-tailed
Ptarmiganon Wheeler and Latir peaks •fide
faced Ibises,estimatedat 5000 on Sept. 9 (ST.
A. Renfro); two were seen on State Line Peak
LD).
known as a common transient in Arizona, the
Aug. 10(R. Peterson).
As of the end of the period, IS Whooping
Cranes (including six juveniles)were in New
Mexico,all on the Rio GrandebelweenBosque
and LosLungs.Oddly, a singlebird turned up
earlyto the s. of this area at CaballoDam Oct.
White-fronted Goosemay be on the increase
7 (tJ. Bednarz). The recent rise in Arizona's
WATERFOWL
--
Twelve
Whistling
Swans,a highnumberfor n. Arizona,wereon
Lower L. Mary Nov. 30 ffide JC). Formerly
SKIMMERS
--
An
the first verified record for s.w. New Mexico.
Arizona noted a remarkable
November movement of Franklin's Gulls, with 18 at Phoenix
7-8 (ST,GR,KVR),
six at Parker Nov. 13
e.ofDouglas
N•. l0 Nov.
and two at Davis Dam Nov. 14-16 (SG,EF).
(DO)was
exceptionally
one at Tucson Nov. 3 (DSz), and two on L.
far
e.. and
was prob-
highestconcentrationever recordedfor this
rare visitor to New Mexico.
One of the better recent counts of Wood
THROUGH
ad. California Gull was photographed at
Elephant Butte L.. Nov. 8 (D&J Hoffman) for
Havasu Nov. 24 (KVRJW): the specieswas
also recorded in New Mexico during this
period. Rare inland, an ad. Heermann's Gull
was at Tucson Nov. 19 (EB,GG et al.).
Although Sabine's Gull is generally considered a pelagic migrant, the species is
recordedalmostannuallyin the Region.This
seasonsingleswere at Ashurst L., Ariz.. Sept.
12 (?CH,JA). imperial Dam Sept. 29 - Oct. I
(SG), L. Havasu Oct. 8 (ph., SG), Loving, N.
Mex.. Oct. l0 (MA), and Many Farms L.,
extreme n.e. Ariz.. Oct. 15 (GR,KKJW).
A
Black Skimmer on the L.C.R., at Cibola
N.W.R., Aug. 30 (JD,VH) provided Arizona's
third record.
DOVES
THROUGH
TROGONS
--
in the
influx in mid-September.The largestflock
tinued. with minimum counts of 1400_+in the
this fall wasof I l0 birds on L. HavasuSept. 10
(SG,RD), but scattered individuals and
L.C.V., and 8300 s. of Willcox. representinga
Rio Grande Valley, numbersof White-winged
DovesaroundWilliamsburgwereup (D. Miller). Most left Socorroby Aug. 25. but a very
substantialincreaseover last year'scount {fide
late one was there Oct. 30 - Dec. 3 (PB);
smaller
Ariz. Game& Fish Dept.).
another late individual
again;evidence
is emergingfor an expected winteringpopulationof SandhillCranescon-
flocks were seen elsewhere, most
tCH). Both of the "blue-winged" teal are
unusual in late autumn in New Mexico; a d
SHOREBI RDS -- The shorebird migration
was considered excellent
in New
Mexico,
del ApacheN.W.R. (hereafter,Bosque)Nov.
includingthe Zuni Mts. area, where notable
occurrences included two Sanderlings at
BluewaterL.. Sept. 25 (AMc). Arizona observers were less impressedwith the shorebird
23 (WP).
flight, but the lack of suitableand convenient
A d EuropeanWigconon GanadoL., Oct.
6 (GR et al.) was only the third or fourth
habitat washeld to be a major factor.
Blue-winged
wasat La ]oya StateGame Ref.,
Oct. 30 (ME), and one d Cinnamon was at Las
CrucesNov. 21 and five occurred at Bosque
recorded for Arizona and first for the n.e.
Remarkably,anotherwas seenthe sameday
at PuertoPenasco,probablya first sighting
for Sonora(DSj). Yet another appearedat
Phoenix Nov. 6 (G. Crane et al.), and remained
throughtheendof theyearin the sameponds
that hostedone last winter. Oldsquawsmade
an unprecedentedshowingin New Mexico
was in Carlsbad Nov.
22 (SW). A strayInca Dove near Springerville
notablytwoon LowerL. Mary Sept.12 (JA,
Eight SnowyPloversat BosqueAug. 19-26
(D&SH) representedonly the secondrecent
record there. Single migrant Whimbrels in
notable areas were at L. McMillan,
N. Mex.,
Aug. 26 (SW) and in the DomeValley,Ariz.,
Sept. 9 (ST,LD). Red Knots, consideredvery
rare in the Region,madea goodshowingthis
season.in New Mexico singles were photo-
Oct. 13 (KK,JW,GR)
limits.
Several
observers
was well n. of usual
felt
that
Roadrunners
were unusually numerous ("spectacularly
common" -- DSz) in s. Arizona. possibly
related to this abundance were reports of
singlesat 9000 ft near the top of Mt. Lemon,
Tucson Aug. 19 (M. Larson,fide GM), on
Signal Peak near Globe at 7800 ft Sept. 24
(DWB. fide BJa) and Onion Saddle in the
Chiricahuasat 7500 ft Nov. 28 ffide SSp).as
well asseveralsightingsin the middle of Tucson-- all unusualpointsfor the species.
Although migrant Black Swifts must pass
over Arizona. there are still no verified state
graphedSept.I at BitterL. andSept.lS at L.
records;a probable individual was seen over
West Fork Oak Creek CanyonAug. 31 (tCB,
McMillan (D&SH). in Arizona, followingthe
three noted in our precedingreport, Oct. 6
of ClarkdaleSept.21 (tCH,DRP), for one of
and
broughtonein the DomeValley (ST) and two
the few records n. ofc. Arizona.
Cochiti L. Two White-winged Scotersat L.
at Ganado L. (GR et aLL the latter being the
Single9-plumagedLucifer Hummingbirds
were reported at Portal Sept. 14 and Oct.
10-23(SSp),and not far awayin the Peloncillo
Mts., N. Mex., Oct. 4-9 (R. Scholes).A d
Calliope Hummingbirdwas seenAug. 28-29
with three at L. Avalon, Eddy Co., Nov. 22
(RWI), one al BosqueNov. 23 (WP), and
others rumored to be at Maxwell N.W.R..
Avalon Nov. 22 (RWI) were also unusual.
first for n.e. Arizona.
A Short-billed Dowitcher calling at L.
RAPTORS
--
Two ad. White-tailed
Kites
were photographedin Arizona: one n. of the
Santa Rita Mts., Aug. 22 (P. Mattocks, D.
Donham, ph., R. Hudsonland one near Here-
McMillan Oct. 17 (MA,WHo) provided the
fourth convincingNew Mexico record;occurreneeof the speciesin the state has yet to be
documented.Westerlyautumnrecordsof Stilt
PMc). Two to four Vaux's Swifts were seen n.
at Artesia (WHo et al.), for a local first; the
speciesis quite rare on the e. plains. Post-
Sandpipers
are few in NewMexico,sofourat
breeding wandering Broad-tailed Humming-
ford Oct. 27 or 28 (Pat O'Brien). Arizona had
White SandsNat'l Mon.. Aug. 19 (tJ.H. Law-
birds reached Phoenix, with one seen Oct. 30
only two or three previousrecords.but with
the recentbuildupof the speciesin California
ton)and onephotographed
at BosqueAug. 20
and three Nov. 7 (ST,GR);
(D&SH) were notable.
and w. Mexico,
A Buff-breasted Sandpiper was reported
and reasonablywell-described
from L. McMil-
unusualwere singlesfarther w. at the Dome
Valley Sept. 6-8 0R) and Bill Williams Delta
Sept.30 (KVR,VH).
further
occurrences here
should be expected. Wandering or migrant
188
much more
American Birds, March 1980
The storyof the EaredTrogonin Arizona continues: one (and perhaps a see-'
ond) was in South Fork, Cave Creek Can-
yonof the ChiricahuaMts., Aug. 11-12(R.
Taylor, m.ob.). Those who combed South
Fork on subsequentdaysfailed to find it.
But no one really believedthat the bird (s)
had promptly flown back to Mexico, and
indeedthere werepossiblesightingsSept.
8 (fide SSp) and a definite one Oct. 22
(AMc). Previouslyunreportedin this column was a record
in autumn
1978:
one
seen(and a diagnosticfeather found) in
main Cave Creek Canyon Nov. 5 (L. Kiff,
K. Hansen); in that case as well, the bird
could not be relocatedsubsequently.
Our
limited experiencesuggeststhat Eared
Trogons do more wandering than their
smallerrelatives,and it is easyto seehow
any number of them could elude observers
in the ruggedChiricahuas.
(S.Emslie,fideJC).A WoodThrush,veryrare
At RattleSnake
Springs,
a probable
Blackburn-
in New Mexico, was heard n.e. of Roswell Oct.
ian Warbler was seen Sept. 15 ($SH) and
5 by an observerfamiliar with the species another or the same Sept. 17 ($SW); New
(WHo). Seven E. Bluebirds at Ft. Sumner Oct.
15, and 25 there Nov. 29 (WHo). were local
firsts,althoughthe species
maybe regularin
migrationand winteron the e. plainsof New
Mexico.
WOODPECKERS,
FLYCATCHERS
-- A
ularly to lowland riparian zonesin n. parts of
this Region,one at Burnham,n.w. New Mexico, Sept. 29 (APN et al.) was in an unusually
arid localeand oneat RattlesnakeSprings.N.
Mex., Sept.30 (SW) wass. of the usualrange.
Followingthe two E. Kingbirdsin s.e. Arizona in June, one was n.w. of Tucson Oct. 7
(WD) and one was in the LC.V., near Poston
Sept. 4 (tSG), adding up to an exceptional
number
of extralimital
records. Farther
n. and
e., onewasat Zuni. N. Mex., Aug. 5 (AS) and
four wereseenin ApacheCounty.Ariz., Aug.
26 (KVR). Individuals reported as Great
Crested Flycatchers were at Rattlesnake
SpringsAug. 29 (tRWI) and Sept.2 (tD&SH),
and anotherwas heard.n.e. of RoswellSept. 6
by experiencedobservers(WHo et al.); the
speciesis a veryrare stragglerto e. New Mexico.A Black Phoebeat Zuni Aug. 26 - Sept.22
(AS) was n. of normal limits.
3AYS THROUGH
THRUSHES
--
noted Oct. 16 - Nov. 13 (WHo et al.) in the
PIPITS
THROUGH
VIREOS
--
The
statusof the inconspicuous
Sprague'sPipit is
generallybeing clarified here. Seventeenwere
Pecos Valley between Ft. Sumner and L.
($JE).Arizona'sseventhand eighthBlackpoll
McMillan, whereperhapsregularbut seldom
reported previously.One near Encino, c. N.
Warblers were at Tucson Oct. 19 (DSz) and
Oct. 27-28 (DSz,AB et d.). A remarkable influx
Mex., Oct. 13 (D&SH) established a local but
broughtten Palm Warblersto the Region:in
New Mexico singleswere at Sierra Grande
Sept. 22 (tJE), LovingSept. 28, Mayhill Oct.
not unexpectedfirst. while four to five seen
Nov. 14 into Decemberin the Dome Valley
(SG et al.) wasa surprisingly
high countfor
s.w. Arizona. Rare in Arizona, a Bohemian
Waxwingwasseenwith Cedarsin Flagstaff
Nov. 14 (C. LaRue,fide JC). The usualsmall
1. Alto Oct. 12, near Roswell Oct. 14. and L.
McMillan Nov. 10 (all WHo,MA); in Arizona
singleswere n. of SpringervilleSept. 22 {ST,
LD et al.), Tucson Oct. 6 (DSz,GG). e. of
Phoenix Oct. 29-30 (VH et al.). and s.w. of
asn. Arizona:s. of normallimitsweresingles
PhoenixNov. 7 (GR,ST). Finally, singleCan-
w. of PhoenixNov. 10 (ph.. K. Ingram) and
nearL. McMillan Nov. 10and earlyDecember
ada Warblers were at Tucson Oct. 19 (KK,
(tMA,WHo).
(GR et al., ph., KVR); Arizonahad only two
A SolitaryVireo at the BoyceThompson
Arboretum near Superior,Ariz. (hereafter,
B.T. Arboretum)Oct. 22-23 was thoughtto
representoneof the brightly-colored
e. races,
previousrecords.
Other notablee. straysincludeda Prothonotary Warbler at Percha Dam Sept. 22 (ph..
D&SH), very rare in autumn in New Mexico.
Three Magnolia Warblers reached Arizona,
with singlesat Tes Nez lah Sept. 2 (ST et al.).
Kayenta Oct. 6 (CH). and TucsonOct. 19-21
rare vagrants to the Wesl (ST,GR). Exceed-
inglyrare in NewMexico,singlePhiladelphia
Vireos were at PerchaDam Sept. 23 (ph.,
D&SH) and at RattlesnakeSpringsSept. 25
(tRWI).
m.ob.) and the B.T. Arboretum
(WD,AB
Oct. 21-27
et al.). A Chestnut-sided Warbler
was at PerchaDam, N. Mex., Sept. 29, while
Arizonahad singlese. of Phoenixin late Octo-
WARBLERS
-- As mentioned in the intro-
duction.the vagrant-huntersmet with mixed
fortunes,with the majority of the e. warblers
being found in s. areasof the Region.The
prizefor the seasonundoubtedly
wasthe ConnecticutWarbler at TucsonSept. 15-18(RBr,
m.ob., ph., JW,KVR,LD), thoroughlydocumented for Arizona's
first verifmble record. At
about the same time, Sept. 11, another Connecticutwas reportedat RattlesnakeSprings
(tRWI); this would be New Mexico's first record if accepted.
ber (VH.AL.ML) and at Tucson Nov. 3 (DSz).
In the "rare-but-regular"category,reports
of seven Black-and-white
Warblers and 14+
Am. Redstarts in Arizona seemed about nor-
mal. but only one Ovenbird and two Tennessee Warblers amounted to low totals. Blackthroated Green Warblers seemed "almost
numerous"at Rattlesnake SpringsSept. 26 Oct. 4 (RWI eta/.), and c. Arizona noted three
to four Oct. 6-21. A 9 Black-throated
Blue
Warbler at Percha Dam Sept. 29 ($D&SH),
and singlesin c. Arizonaat SevenSpringsOct.
13-14(C. Titzck et al.) and TuzigootOct. 19
(ST) were within the normal range for dates
for thisstraggler.
Among more typically s.w. warblers, a
Indica-
tive of the continuingspreadof the BlueJayin
e. New Mexico
al.) and a second individual there Oct. 21-22
(KK.GR.EC, ph. ST) brought Arizona's total
to ten recordsfor the species-- sevenof these
in the last 2 years. New Mexico noted Baybreasted Warblers at Rattlesnake Springs
Sept. 25 & 30 (tRWI,SW), at Sierra Grande
Sept. 23 (JPH,*U.N.M.), and near Cliff OCt. 2
numbers of N. Shrikes occurred in such areas
cYRed-bellied Woodpeckerwas seen in Ft.
Sumner Nov. 29 (WHo); there are very few
recordsfor the speciesin New Mexico, where
its occurrencehas not yet been documented.
Although Downy Woodpeckerswander reg-
Mexicohasveryfew records.SingleBlackburniansnear WickenburgOct. 15(J. & R. Zook),
at B.T. Arboretum Oct. 20-21 (ph., KVR et
were first local records at Ft.
Sumner (three Oct. 15 and Nov. 27) and n.e. of
Lucy's Warbler n.e. of RoswellNov. 15 ($MA,
Roswell(oneOct. 22). plus an adult with three
fledglingsAug. 13 at Artesia, suggestinglocal
breeding(all WHo). CationWren populations
in parts of c. Arizona seemedto be exceptionally high, and individuals appeared at
scattered points in the lowlands s.w. of
Phoenix,whereveryunusual.
Gray Catbirds are rarely observed in
Arizona away from breeding areas, so single
migrantsnear Portal Oct. 19 (A. Hayes.fide
SSp) and at Globe Nov. 5 (tBJa,H. & M.
Wood) were noteworthy.A surprisinglyearly
Brown Thrasher (a regular stray to Arizona)
was at Pipe SpringsAug. 15 (KVR). A Ben-
WHo) established New Mexico's first credible
dire's
Thrasher
seen and
well-described
at
SocorroAug. 24-26 (tPB) wasa first for that
area.
A cYVaried Thrush, a first for the Zuni Mts.
area, was near Bluewater L., Nov. 8 (AMc);
New Mexico has only a handful of records.In
Arizona, where the speciesis rare, the only
reportwasof a male s.w.of FlagstaffOct. 20
Volume
34,Number
2
recorde. of the Rio GrandeValley (and a surprisinglylate occurrenceas well). Also very
late was a Lucy's at Tucson until Dec. 2, but
someobserversfelt that the bird was injured.
Two Painted Redstartsin CienegaCanyon,
SandiaMts., N. Mex., Sept. 4-8 (RLT et al.)
werefar n. of the species'normalrange.
ConnecticutWarbler, Tucson,Ariz., Sept. 16,
1979. Photo/Janet Witzeman.
ICTERIDS,TANAGERS-- Rarely
reported
Several other very rare warblers were
recorded.
Arizona's
ninth
and tenth records
for Worm-eatingWarbler wereestablishedby
singlesat B.T. ArboretumOct. 20-22(KVR et
al.) and TucsonNov. 6-15 (EB. m.ob.); photos
of the first one(ST) providedthe first Regional
documentation.Alsoveryrare in New Mexico,
a Worm-eating was at Rattlesnake Springs
Sept. $ (SW). Three Regionalrecordsin one
autumn are particularly notable since almost
all previousoccurrenceshave been in spring.
in autumn,
12-15 Bobolinks at Rattlesnake
SpringsSept. 2 ($D&SH) werenotable.An E.
Meadowlarks. of ParkerNov. 25 {KVR) provided only the secondrecord as far w. as the
L.C.V. Three Streak-backed Orioles, rare
stragglersfrom Mexico. appearedat the Tucson feeder that hosted two last fall: a subad.
male Sept.27 - Oct. 20. a 9-plumagedbird
Sept.29 - Oct. 10, and a secondfemale-type
Oct. I and Oct. 20-22 (GM et al.). A d N.
(Baltimore) Oriole was seen n.e. of Phoenix
189
Aug.26 (GRet al.),foroneof Arizona's
few
records.
were photographednear Encino, N. Mex.,
Oct. 13 (D&SH), providinga firstlocalrecord
whose
status
in theRegion
isstill
At the outpostsof the Corn. Grackle's fora species
A Chestnut-collared
Longexpanding
range,at leastten,including
imma- poorlyunderstood.
tures,wereseenat FarmingtonAug. 15-16,
after severalpossiblefemaleswere present
duringJune-July
(APN);onein Socorro
Oct.
29 (ME) wassomewhats. of usuallimitsin the
Rio Grande Valley. A Scarlet Tanager was
discovered
in suburbanphoenixNov. 27-28
(ph.,KVRet al.),forabouttheninthArizona
record.
FRINGILLIDS -- The distributionof the
Brown-capped
Rosy-Finch
in the Sangrede
CristoMts., N. Mex., is onlysketchilyknown.
In theperiodAug.3-10,thespecies
wasfound
onLatir,Wheeler,Jacarilla,andPecos
Baldy
spurnearBurnhamOct. 14 ($APN)wasevidentlythe first everrecordedin extremen.w.
New Mexico.
CONTRIBUTORS (areacompilersin boldface) -- Bert Anderson, Judy Andrews,
Miriam Axelrod,Don W. Bailey,AndyBaker,
Pat Basham, ion Bealer, Craig Benkman,
Jones,Chuck Kangas,Mike Lange, Andy
Laurenzi, Diane Laush. W. Burton Lewis,
Helen Longstreth,Arch McCallurn(AMc),
Paul McKneely, Chuck MeMoran, G. Scott
Mills, Gale Mortson(consultanton Arizona
records),A. Morehouse,
RobertMorse,Alan
P. Nelson,Robert Norton, SusanParker, D.
Randall Pinkston, William Principe, Paul
Ramsower,JudyReynolds,GwenRobinson
(GRb),Bill Roe,GaryRosenberg,
KennethV.
Rosenberg,
Allan Schmierer,
Hart Schwarz,
SallySpofford
(SSp,Portal),WalterSpofford,
David Stejskal(DSj), DouglasStorz(DSz,
George
Beringer,
Ed Bessler,
RobertBradley Tucson),ScottTerrill, RossL. Teuber,Dick
(RBr),BryanBrown,Tim Brush,ScottBurge,
ElaineCook,JohnCoons(Flagstaff),M. & M.
Todd, JolanTruan, SteveWest, Rick Wilt
(RWl), Robert A. Witzeman.Abbreviations:
Crutcher,DougDanforth(Huachuca
Mts.),
t, writtendetailson filewithNewMexicoOrni-
William Davis, Linda Delaney, Salome R.
Demaree,Jeff F. Drake, Robert Dummer,
mittee; ph., photo; *, specimen;U.N.M.,
(Clait Braun). An individualof the easilyMilesEarney,
JohnEgbert,ErikFerry,Ralph
overlooked
Grasshopper
Sparrow
wasnotedat
A. Fisher,SharonOoldwasser
(LowerColBurnham,N. Mex., Sept.29 (APN). In Arizona,oneat Phoenix
Nov.8 (GR,KK)provided oradoValley),GraceGregg,RobertS. Hall,
Bill Harrison (Nogales),Rick & Connie
the first documentedrecord for that wellworkedarea,and onenearthe Bill Williams Hewitt, Alton E. Higgins, Valerie Hink,
thological
Society
or withArizonaBirdComUniversity
ofNewMexico:L.C.R.,LowerColoradoRiver; L.C.V., LowerColoradoValley;
m.ob., many observers.
-- JANET WITZE-
Delta Nov. 25 (KVR) was one of the few ever
William Howe (WHo). Chuck Hunter, Dustin
MAN, 4619E. ArcadiaLane,Phoenix,AZ
85018;JOHNP. HUBBARD,2016ValleRio,
SantaFe, NM 87501;KENN KAUFMAN,
noted in the L.C.V. Two McCown's Longspurs
& SueHuntington,
BettyJackson
(BJa),Betty
Tucson, AZ.
ALASKA
Am.
REGION
/D. D. Gibson
Autumn 1979wasverymild in this Region,
prompting
or at leastpermitting
somevery
late departures.
Therewasgenerally
little
snow
bytheclose
oftheperiod.
andmostofit
was late in the season.
SHEARWATERS -- Short-tailed Shear-
waterswereexceptionally
late at Pt. Barrow
whereup to fourbirdswerelast seenOct.
25-26, when there wasvery little openwater
Coots at Blind
Slough,nearPetersburg
Nov. 14+ (JHH) was
the second-highest
count
ever in the state.
Black-bellied
Plovers
and Long-billedDowitchers occurred at Bar-
row in larger-thah-
averagenumbersthis
season,both through
mid-September(GEl-l).
A
few
Black-bellied
left (GEH).
Ploverswere still present at Prudhoe Bay
WATERFOWL -- A flock of six "Aleutian" CanadaGeeseat Attu I., Sept.19-26all
had blue neckcollarsand had probablycome
flock of five iramatures
from nearbyAgattuI. (TGT et al.). The
earliest
Emperor
Geese
to arriveat thee. end
of the winterrangewerefour at KodiakI.,
Oct. 24 (RAM). A Eur. Wigeonat Attu Sept.
18(TGT)wastheearliestreportedthisfall; at
leastonewasseenoff KasilofBeachOct. 14
(MAM).TheusualfewGarganeys
wereseenin
the w. Aleutians this autumn; one at Attu
Sept.11;max.fourtheretogether
Sept.23
(TGT et al.). A cYRedheadand a cYRingneckedDuck in a large flock of seaupat
Womens
Bay,Kodiak,Oct.20werefirstarrivalsandmayhavebeenindividuals
thathave
Sept. 15 (RHM); a
at Harding L., s.e. of
Fairbanks
Sept. 16
(DDG&JJ) was of inter-
est sincethis ploveris
scarceinland spring or
fall; and good num-
berspassed
throughthe
Kasilof area in September and October, one
bird remaining at the
Kasilof R. mouth until
Nov. 14 (MAM).
At
Kodiak where the spedes is a very rare tran-
'C
OC'
in the lower Kashunuk R. area. Yukon-Kus-
winteredtherein the recentpast(RAM). Old-
sient, one Long-billedDowitcherwas seen
squaws
andSpectacled
Eiders
werepresent
in
numbersat Pt. Barrowuntil Oct. 24 and Oct.
Oct. 13 (RAM&MMM). The usualfewWood
wereseenin thew.Aleutians
this
22, respectively;
last individuals
of several Sandpipers
species
therewereOldsquaw
Nov.3, Corn. fall -- up to twobirdsSept.13-15at Attu
and90 birds,and manyflocksof 30-50birds
wereseen(REG). The species
wasrecorded
EiderOct. 24, KingEiderOct. 21, andSpec-
(TGT), and at leastone wasreportedat St.
PaulI., PribilofIs., Sept.2-3(NS).All tattlers
R. Delta,wherean adultwasobserved
Oct. 17
(JSH).Thereare veryfew fall recordsof ad.
birds in Alaska.An imm. Sharp-tailedSand-
tacled Eider Oct. 26 (GEH). A • Steller's
Eider at Kodiak Oct. 17 was early (RAM).
Hooded
Mergansers
werereported
moreoften
than usualin southcoastal
Alaska,wherethey
are rare visitantsat any season:an immature
at Anchorage
Aug.13-15(TGT&JCP),a •-
Aug.29,a flockof44Oct.7. andoneaslateas
thatwereidentifiedtospecies
at Attuthisfall
werePolynesians.
Theywererecorded
insmall
numbers
throughSeptember,
maximum
three
on the 20th(TGTet al.). I suspect
that PolynesianTattler is the more numeroustattler
-- basedon
plumaged
birdthereOct.4-5& 16(RA,DFD), everyautumnin thew. Aleutians
theseandprevious
autumnsightings,
aswell
onebird at CohoeOct. 28 (RP&MAM), and
asonlimitedspecimen
evidence.
In thatarea
an ad.maleat WomensBay,Kodiak-- where
veryscarce
butapparently
annual-- Oct.30
&Nov. 11 (RAM).
COOTS, SHOREBIRDS -- A groupof 16
190
it isoutnumbered
in spring,whenthisgenus
is
muchlessnumerousthan in fall. by WanderingTattler.
Sharp-tailedSandpipers
wereverycommon
kokwim R. Delta, wherethousandsoccurred
Aug.26- Sept.22.Largest
flocks
wereof130
this autumn from Attu (TGT) to the Copper
piperwasstudied
closely
Aug.27at Pt. Barrow (GEH&BJM),wherethe species
is onlya
casualvisitantspringor fall. For the third
straight
autumnBuff-breasted
Sandpiper
was
recordedin the w. AleutianIs. -- oneSept.14
and threetogetheron the 15th,all at Attu
(TGT et al.). Porhaps
the recentadditionof
thisspecies
totheHawaiilist('Elepaio
39:140,
1979)is relatedto this phenomenon
(secAB
33:205).
AmericanBirds,March1980
GULLS, TERNS -- A dark-mantled gull
species
occursasfar n. andw. asthelimit of
seen at a distance at the Kasilof R. mouth at
intervals Oct. 3-31 (MAM.DWS.EEB)
was
the coastalw. hemlock/Sitkaspruceforeston
probablya Slaty-backed
Gull. The first cer-
the Kenai Pen., and small numbers wander w.
of the Kenai Mts., in autumn, when found in
tain Slaty-backedGull in Cook Inlet was an
adult observedat closerangeat the Anchor-
in Anchorage.
agemunicipal
dumpOct. 28- Nov.13(DWS,
tGJT,RA,tJLT,v.o.). The Anchorage bird
providedthe easternmost
PacificAlaskarecordof the species.
FourteenIvoryGullsat Pt.
Barros' Oct. 22 was maximum there this fall
(GEH). Ross'Gulls madea verybrief showing
al Pt. Barrow this autumn -- 200 on Oct. 21
and 50 the next day, none before or after
(GEH). Late Arctic Terns included three at
KalsinBay,KodiakSept.8 (MV) and several
al Karluk L.. Kodiak Sept. 25 •fide RAM).
Exceptional
wasat leastoneArcticTern al the
MendcnhallR. estuary.JuneauOct. 1q-23
(RBW).
THRUSHES,
OLD WORLD
area and
WARBLERS
-- A 9 SiberianRuby-throatarrived at Attu
Sept. 14, at least seven birds were seen Sept
21, and the species was recorded there
through the 26th (TGT et al.). This bird is
apparently a scarce annual visitant in the
westernmost
Aleutiansboth springand fall. A
Middendorff's Grasshopper-Warbler arrived
at Attu Sept. 18. At leasts/x werefound Sept.
21 and were present through Sept. 2S, all
bright yellowishjuveniles(tTGT,JLD, PWS et
al.). Since a Locustella was recorded in the w.
Aleutians in fall 1978, this speciesmay occur
more regularly in autumn in Bering Sea
HUMMINGBIRDS,
WOODPECKERS
the Cohoe-Kasilof-Soldotna-Kenai
--
KINGFISHERS,
An imm. d Anna's
Hummingbirdwas observedal a feederin
WrangellSept.24-30(VKG).Twomalesanda
femaledrovelate RufousHummingbirdsfrom
a JuneaufeederOct. 18, and only the Anna's
wereseentheresubsequently,
the lastindividual noted Dec. 14 (RBW). A 9 Belted King-
fisherobserved
in flightat Pt. BarrowAug. 13
OBJM) providedthe first recordof a live
kingfisher
in n. Alaska.Feathersof thisspecies in a Franklin Bluffs Peregrine Falcon
aerieconstitutethe only otherrecordin that
region(seeCan. Field-Nat.88:291, 1974).
Alaska than the only previousrecord would
imply(Swarth1934,Pac. CoastAvif No. 22).
WAGTAILS, PIPITS -- A Yellow Wagtail
observed
on the c. CopperR. Delta Sept.28
(DRH&JSH)wasonlythe secondrecordof the
species
on the AlaskaPacificcoastc. of the
Aleutian Is. Two White Wagtails, an adult
and an immaturetogether,at Attu Sept. 24
OLD) wcrcunusual;althoughregulartherein
spring,thespecies
iscasualin thew.Aleutians
in autumn.Two separateIndian Tree-Pipits
wereobserved
at Attu Sept.24-25(TGT et al.),
the second fall in a row in the w. Aleutians.
about the observer'scamp there on various
datesAug. 30 - Sept. 12 ODRH); two birds at
PortFidalgo,PrinceWilliam Sound,oneAug.
6 and one Aug. 1-8 (MEI): an immatureat
EagleR., nearAnchorageAug. 27 (•'TGT); an
immature at Mile 1379 Alaska Hwy, 40 mi e.
of Delta JunctionAug. 25-27 0-FB); an ad.
male at Minto Lakes,w. of FairbanksAug.
14-16 (JLT&RJK); and, finally, an immature
at the Tutakoke R. mouth, Yukon-Kuskolovirn
R. Delta Sept.1 (REG)-- the samespotwhere
that observerfoundonea yearago(seeAB33:
206)! A cowbird in the lower Mendenhall Val-
ley, JuneauNov. 5 (RBW) was within the normal range but wasthe latest on record.
FINCHES
AND
SPARROWS
--
Two
Bramblingsarrivedat Attu Sept.19, right on
schedule;four Sept. 22 were the only others
seenthere this season(TGT et al.). Redpolls,
siskins and cressbills were seen rarely at
Kodiak this fall (RAM), and few redpolls,
grosbeaksor siskins, and no cressbills, were
seen on the n.w. Kenai Pen. (MAM).
For the
secondsuccessiveautumn no Harris' Sparrows were recorded at Juneau (RBW). An imm.
Golden-crowned Sparrow observed at Attu
Sept. 19 OTGT&JLD) was a first record for
the w. Aleutians; a hatching year bird at
Amchitka in late fall 1977 is the only other
Alaska record w. of 180øW.
OBSERVERS--
R. Austin, F. Burris, E. E.
Burroughs,R. H. Day, D. F. DeLap, J. L.
Dunn, V. K. Gile, R. E. Gill, G. E. Hall, J. S.
Hawkings,J. W. Helmeficks,D. R. Herter,J. H.
Hughes,M. E. Isleib, S. R. Johnson.J. Jolis,
R. J. King, M. M. Macintosh, R. A. Macintosh, B. J. McCafiery, R. H. Meehan, M. A.
There was a brief flurry of sightingsof the
WOOD WARBLERS, BLACKBIRDS --
scarceBlack-backed Three-toed Woodpecker
An American Redstart at the Colville R. Delta
in the Fairbanks area Sept. 23-28, involving
Sept.21(SRJ&JWH)
addedanotherparulidto
the list of vagrantson the N Slope.BrownMiller, J. C. Pitcher, R. Pollard. D. K. Porter,
headedCowbirdsnormallyoccur in Alaska
onlyin Southeastern.
Thusan influxof (mostly D. W. Sonneborn,N. Steperin,P. W. Sykes,
perhaps7-10individualbirds(RHD,DDG,JJ,
V.O.).
immature) birds w. of there this autumn was
G. J. Tans, T. G. Tobish, J. L. Trapp, M. Viv-
JAYS -- A Steller'sJay at Trapper Creek,
Mile 115ParksHwy (/.e., about 125 km n. of
Anchorage),
Sept.25 (DKP)provided
the north-
of particularinterest:threeimmaturesaccom-
ian, R. B. Williams. Abbreviations-
panyinga flockof 200dowitchcrs
(!) on thec.
ernmost Alaska occurrence on record. The
CopperR. Delta, Aug. 28 and singlesseen
on file U.A.M. -- D. D. GIBSON, University
of Alaska Museum, Fairbanks,Alaska 99701.
NORTHERN
PACIFIC
•-details
Raptor watcheswere
COAST
initiated this autumn at
REGION
several ridgetops and
mountain passes.This
activity promises to
/Philip W. Mattocks,Jr. and
EugeneS. Hunn
receive even more atten-
Therewasan excitingconcentration
of rare
migrantsfoundduringthe periodAugust30 September 14. Speciesincluded Dotterel,
tion in subsequent
migrations.
HudsonianGodwit, Bar-tailed Godwit, Upland
Sandpiper, Ruff, Buff-breastedSandpiper,
Long-tailedJaeger(includinga dark-phase
LOONS THROUGH
CORMORANTS
--
individuaal),Little Gull, Red-throatedPipit.
BlackburnJanWarbler, and Lark Bunting.
This promisesto be an
exceptionalwinter for
Observers also noted unusual concentrations
Yellow-billed
Loons.
Reportswerereceived
of
of other migrant speciesduring that same
period.There was no commongeographical single birds at five
origin for thesebirds, sincetheir breeding
rangesare spreadfrom northeastern
Siberia
throughCanadato the centralprairiesof the
locations
United States. The weather station informavides no obvious clues as to causes. The
Nov. 14. TW reports
that ocean food productivity was in drastic
movementsof Corvidspecieswas noteworthy.
decline
Several detailed
summer, owing to
reducedupwelling.Perhaps as a result, N.
tion available to us from inland locationspro-
counts and information
on
local migratoryroutesof Steller'sJayswere
received.Clark's Nutcrackers were widely but
briefly present.and a few more Black-billed
Magpiesthan usual appeared.There was a
near absenceof irruptivenorthernfinches.
Volume 34, Number 2
between
n.
Puget Sound and the
San Juan Is., Oct. 24 -
after
mid-
Fulmar and New Zealand Shearwaters were
particularlyscarceand
191
countsof near 1000.The customarytokenfew
(fide VG). First and last migrants,however,
were preciselyas last year's, 12 seenSept. il
and the last one Oct. 31. Eight White-tailed
Kites at six locationsreflected a continuing
decline from last year's peak numbers. An
adult at Ocean Shores,Wash., Aug. 17. pro-
Flesh-looted
vided the northernmost
latein arriving.Off Westport,Wash.,onlyfive
N. Fulmar were noted all season, these Oct. 7
(TW). New Zealand Shearwaterspeakedat 33
birds Sept. 23 off Westport (TVO, down
dramatically from 1976-1977 peak high
and
Short-tailed
shearwaters
appeared.Brief sightings
of smallblack-andwhite shearwaterscontinue to be reported. To
date none have been seen well enough for
specificidentification.as anyof the following
forms are possibleand fit the descriptions:
puffinus, opisthomelas'newelli. gayla, huttoni, auricularis, assimilis. and lherminieri.
Brown Pelicans had a successful season in
the Regionwith 650 Aug. 11 at the RogueR.
mcmth,s. Oreg. (SG), 150reachingTillamook
Bay,Oreg.,by earlySeptember
(DIet aLL 30
alongthe LongBeachPen., Wash., Aug. 17
(JWe,fide SS),with one-twoat OceanShores,
Wash.,Aug. 17 and Sept.8 (DP et aLL One
remained at Ocean Shores as late as Nov. 23
(RT, BT et al.). All those reported at Ocean
Shores were immatures, as were 85ø70of the
Tillamook Bay flock. Flocksof Brandt'sCormorantswerenotedmovingN alongthe shore
throughoutthe period with a peak count of
410 Aug. 31 (DP). This coincideswith an
abruptinfluxobserved
nearVictoria.V.I., of
200 Aug. 25 (MS, fide VG) later increasingto
1000+Sept.29 (E&AD,fide VG).
EGRETS
THROUGH
DUCKS
-- The late
fall influx of Cattle Egrets began in Oregon
with two e. of Coos Bay Oct. 28 (JMc, fide
AM), four s. of Newport in mid-November
(LO, fide HN), and anothernearbyat Toledo
in late November(DFa, fide HN). The postbreeding influx of Great Egrets in early
coastal record to date
(tDP. G&WH).
Barry Sauppe took time off from his Cal-
ifornia seawatches
to devote55 hoursSept. 10
- Oct. 9 to hawk watching on a ridgetop in
Cypress P.P., n. of Vancouver, B.C. He
recordeda total of 620 migratingraptorsfor
an averagerate of I 1.3/hr. Bestresultsaccompanied high pressuresystemswith N winds
and clearing skies. Sharp-shinnedHawk led
the way with 420, 68% of all raptors sighted.
Of these, 122 were counted Oct. 2 alone. Also
well represented were: Red-tailed Hawk, 74
sightedwith peaks Sept. 11 and Oct. 2-4: Am.
Kestrel, 52 total, with a peak Sept. 1i; and
Cooper'sHawk, 25, outnumberedby Sharpshinneds 17 to 1. Other promising lookouts
pioneeredthis fall includeMr. Seymour,near
Mongolian Plover, Southjetty Columbia R.,
Oreg., Oct. I6, I979. Photo/H. Neh•.
S.J.C.R., Oct. 16-21 OHN. BB, TC, RSm, JGi,
ph.). We may rule out the very similarly-
Vancouver, B.C. (JI), Cameron Pass in the
plumagedGreat Sand Plover(Charadriusles-
Olympic N.P. (JSm),and Slate Peak in the N.
chenaultii)by sizealonein thiscase.Washing-
Cascades, Wash. (MD, RD).
ton recorded its secondDoteeel, also a third
Belowthe ridgetops,Sharp-shinnedHawks
outnumbered Cooper's only 145:90, a ratio
more like that recorded at Pt. Diablo. Calif.
(West. Birds 10:1-16, 1979), suggestinga
distinctmigratorypatternfor the more southerly breeding Cooper's. A Red-shouldered
Hawk was noted just n. of the California
borderat Harbor, Oreg., Sept.3 (HN), at a site
wherenestingis suspected.An ad. Swainson's
Hawk was reported from American Camp,
N•h
•e•
obsem•ion
o•side
of •mkm
This juvenile w• •en in the teeth of a gale
Sept. 8 at Ocean ShoresODP -- ph., SH,
m.ob.).
DP et al., conducted
weeklycensuses
of the
Hoquim-O•an Shoresarea this fall. His full
report will be publishedelsewhere.From the
data on Am. GoldenPlovers,W. Sandpipers,
Pectoral •ndpipers, and Dunlin, three
mi•atory peaks are appa•nt. One was late
August - early Septemir with the arrival of
the first juv. goldenplovers.A s•ond was in
the third w•k of Septemir, with the arrival
of Pect•al Sandpipersin numbs, and a
third wastowardthe end • Octo•r as large
August was noted by coastal observersin
Oregon {fide HN), and at Ocean Shores
(G&WH). By mid-October80+ werecounted
San Juan I., Wash., Sept. 60CCh), on a
lowland raptor migratory path. A RoughleggedHawk at FinleyN.W.R., near Eugene,
Oreg., Sept. 22 (RP), was nearly two weeks
earlier than the first reports elsewhere.By
at CoosBay (EWS) and by Nov. I numbersat
Nov. 3-4 there were 25 in the Vancouver, B.C.,
humors
Fern Ridge Res.. in the s. WillametteValley
peaked at 60+ (CW). This coincidedwith
reportsin Washingtonof eight individualsat
raptor censusarea. At Ocean Shores,however,
they were exceptionally
scarce(G&WH). Marsh
piper humors reflect the first and third
mi•at•y peaks.This su•ey alsod•mented
Hawk was the most commonspeciesin the
Vancouvercensusarea. totaling 50 Oct. 13-14
and 63 Nov. 3-4 {fideWW). A fewpassS along
the mountain ridges of the British Columbia
CoastRange as indicatedby the 11 tallied at
CypressP.P. (BS) and three Sept. 23 on Mr.
Seymour(JI et al. ).
SingleGyrfalconswerereportedNov. 5 near
that Short-billed•witchers continueto pass
four locations n. to La Conner, Skagit Co.
(tFB, BHT, SA, AW). A single SnowyEgret
returnedto CoosBay Oct. 21+ (AM) for the
season'sonly report.
The main influx of Whistling Swans was
noted at Sauvie I., near Portland, with 200
Nov. 3 {fideHN). and at Ladher,B.C.,with 43
Nov. 11(JWi).TrumpeterSwansarrivedat the
same time: 18 at Ocean Shores Nov. 3 (DP,
SD). 16 off Seattle Nov. 4 (EH, DP. BR), and
28 at three sitesin the Fraser R. valley, B.C.,
Nov. 11 {fide WW).
A census of resident (introduced) Canada
Geeseestimateda lower Fraser R. valley pop-
ulation of 5300 Sept. lS, up from the 3700
estimatedfor 1976 {fide WW). Single individ-
ualswith markingsand sizecharacteristic
of
the Aleutian race (leucopareia)werereported
from Seattle Nov. 3 and Ocean Shores Nov. 10
(EH). There is asyet no documentedrecordof
this endangeredform from Washington.Two
Tufted Ducks were reported. A female
remainedat Hoquiam,Wash.,Oct. 20 - Nov.
12 (?DP, '[PM, ME, DM et aLL and a male
gracedAmericanL., Tacoma,Wash.,Nov.4 Dec. 12 (WWi, RC -- ph., m.ob.).
RAPTORS
THROUGH
CRANES
--
The
s. V.I. Turkey Vulture migrationwatch indicated a peak passageof 297 Sept. 24, somewhat larger and a week earlier than in 1978
192
Ariacortes, Wash. (TW). and at C. Saanich,
V.I. (DS, fide VG). Two migrating Prairie
Falconswere noted along the CascadeMt.
crestat SlatePeak.Wash., Aug.29 (MD, RD).
Peregrinesand Merlins were widely reported
in numberscloselycomparableto thoseof last
year; 35+ Peregrinesand 65+ Merlins.
A d Spruce Grouse at sea level at Iron
Springs,Grays Harbor Co.. Wash. OB&PE),
Sept. 9, may force us to reviseour views of
SpruceGrouse distribution.Perhapscoastal
Sitka Spruceforestsmeet its needsas well as
thoseof the HudsonJanzone. Wild Turkeys
seemwell established
in the vicinityof English
Camp on San Juan I., as 25+ were seenthere
Sept.14 (EH, DW et aLL MigratingSandhill
Cranes peaked at 1000 on SauvieI., Oct. 21
{fide HN). A few lingeredthroughthe end of
the period(DIet aL,fide HN).
SHOREBIRDS -- Oregon observersdiscovered their second Mongolian Plover, for
the third North American
record outside Alaska.
This winter-plumagedindividual remained at
of Dunlin
a•ived.
Western
Sand-
through our Re,on as late as November.with
22 on N•. 3 and two Nov. 17.
Vancouver, B.C., birders have now re•rded
HudsonJanGodwi• five of the last six years.
This year two stayed at Iona I., near Van•uver, Sept.7 - Oct. 1, with onethroughOct.
70BS, tDK, t•,
ph., m.ob.). To the s.
there were severalBar-•iled Godwin; a conspicuouslydark-rump• baued at Dungeness,
Wash., Aug, 1-12 OWS. KK, G&WHk and
three singles along the O•gon coast, at
Newport Sept. 1&22 (MSm, TC, ph.), at C•s
Bay Sept. 16 (EWS), and at Bandon Sept. 17
(TL). The i•t two birdswerein distinctlydifferent plumages.The 175 Marbl• Godwits
on Willapa Bay, Wash., Oct. IK was a ve•
high Regionaltotal UWe, fide SS). Stilts and
av•ets
breed in the arid lowlands
e. of the
Re, on, and tardy stray w. of the Cascade
Mts. This fall there were two •p•s
of
Black-necked Stilts in w. O•gon, one at
W•dburn Aug. 17 UGi, fide HN), and three
near RoseburgSept. 6 (RWa, fide •). An
Am. Avo•t
was on the Samish R. delta,
Wash., Aug. 27 (KW), and two were at Baske• Sl•gh N.W.R., near Salem,Oreg., Sept.
3 (RP). A stem Oct. 26 drovemanyRed •aiatoms onshore. Eighty-•o were counted
around Grays H•bor (DP) and 30 at SJ.C.R.
(HN) the next day.On Oct. 28 •ou• of five
wereinland in •egon at FinleyN.W.R., near
American
Birds,March1980
Corvallis(CM,fide E&EE), and at FernRidge
fie Sept.18-23(WB, AR), and anotherSept.
Res. (DFi). Seven remained at Ocean Shores
27 at Newport, Oreg. (RSm). According to
Robbinset al., Birds of North America, Corn.
Ternsdo notregularlymigratew. of theRocky
Mrs. Note the followingnot atypical high
counts: 1000 at Port Angeles and 1000 at
Dungeness,Wash., Sept. 4 & 13 (KG; EH,
DW), and 3000 at Victoria Sept.27 (RS,fide
VG). Twenty off Seattle and one at Victoria
Nov.4 werequitelate (DP, EH, BR; RS,fide
throughNov. 17 (DP, SD).
A flock of four Upland Sandpiperswell w.
of their normal route passed briefly at the
Vancouver.B.C., airport Aug. 30 (tBS). The
statusof SemipalmatedSandpipersisclarified
somewhatby the report of 71 banded in the
FraserR. delta of s. BritishColumbiaduring
July and August (GK, JI, fide WW). DP's
intensivesurveysof the GraysHarbor area this
fall. 160_+mi s.s.w.,failed to turn up any.Our
impressionis that this peep is notablymore
commonn. in the Region, and away from the
outercoast.This suggests
a path from the s.w.
British Columbia area SE through the intermontane valleys. Sharp4ailed Sandpipers
were reported lessfrequentlythan has been
VG).
of the 1978 bonanza with at least 47 individ-
uals reportedat 11 locationsthroughoutour
reportingarea. As with Sharp-taileds,all birds
of specified age were pale-bellied juveniles.
Rounding out an outstanding shorebird
migrationwerenine Ruffs, seenin increasing
numbers annually since 1976. From one to
threeat the S.J.C.R.,Sept.8-15 (•JE. HN -ph., m.ob.) providedthe first documentedrecords for Oregon. One to four were at Ocean
ShoresAug. 31 - Sept. 15 (DP, MC. m.ob.).
and two singleswere seen at Victoria, V.I.,
Sept.9-10 & 24-25 (RS, M&VG).
JAEGERS
THROUGH
ALCIDS
--
TW's
Westport pelagictrip of Sept. 9 intercepteda
goodmovementof Long-tailedJaegersat the
continental shdf. Twenty-four were counted
including one dark-phase adult in perfect
plumage(DP, TW, EH et al. ). Two ad. Longtaileds also seen Sept. 9 but near Satsop,
Grays Harbor Co., Wash., 50 km inland
(BHT) may havetaken a wrongturn in Puget
Sound.Three verylate skuaswerereportedon
inshorewaters; Nov. 3 at Victoria (HH, fide
VG), Nov. 7 s. of Victoria (MS,fide VG), and
Nov. 8 at Pt. Roberts, Wash. (•BK). Twentyone skuas were reported on eight offshore
trips out of Newport,Oreg. (TC), and Westport, Wash. (TW), Aug. 5 - Oct. 7. Although
West Coast skuas are presumedto be South
Polar, diagnosticdetails were not mentioned
in any case.
Glaucous Gull reports were limited to an
adult at Ocean ShoresNov. 17 ($DP -- ph.,
SD) and a first-yearbird at a garbagedump in
Coos Bay, Oreg., Nov. 28 (MGr, fide AM).
Concentrations
Terns
seen offshore
Tern stragglers noted were two at Everett,
Wash., Sept. 11 (DH, MP), one at Seattle
Sept. 16 (DP), and a very late bird at TillamookBayNov.23 (TM,fide HN).
For the third straight year Xantus' Murrelets were recordedoffshorewith a pair off
WestportOct. 7 (DP, TW). Ancient Murrelets
staged a major invasion this thll. Numbers
Ruff in flight, South jetty Columbia R.,
Oreg.,September
1979.Photo/Tom Crabtree.
built to 160 off Seattle Nov. 4 (DP, EH, BR),
20 at Tillamook Bay Nov. 10 (HN), and 2000
20,000 Bonaparte's Gulls off Victoria Nov.
17-25 (MS,fide VG), and 2000 Sabine'sGulls
n.w. of Cape Flattery, Wash., Sept. 18 (DP,
SH) givesomeindicationof gull abundancein
the Regionin the fall.
Oregon's first photographically documentedLittle Gull obliged at Newporl Aug.
11- earlyOctober(LN, TC -- ph., m.ob.). Five
reportsbetweenVictoria, the San Juan Is., Pt.
Roberts, and Iona I., Aug. 30 - Oct. 24 of a
lets off Tatooshl., Sept. 18 (DP,-SH) was a
high count.
winter
ad.
Little
Gull
could
reflect
the
presenceof 1-5 birds in this area (IMGo,
IT&MS,
•J&TI,
IKR,
TW). An ad. Black-
headed Gull in winter plumage was closely
observedat Victoria's famed Clover Pt., Sept.
22 (tMS, BMa, CO,fide VG). It is noteworthy
that Bonaparte's and Heermann's gulls are
typically representedhere by 90-99% adults,
and that our Little Gulls are nearlyalwaysin
ad. plumage, but that our Franklin's are
first-yearbirds by a large majority.
Forster's Terns are very rare w. of the
CascadeMrs., despitebreedingin the Columbia R. basin to the e. This fall tbur were well
described;one Aug. II at Seattle(IEH, NH,
BR), oneAug. 21 at Iona I. (lBS); one at Seat-
off Victoria Nov. 25. The 1000 Cassin's Auk-
OWLS
THROUGH
FLYCATCHERS
--
Another very poor SnowyOwl year appearsto
be ahead. The only Snowy report for the
seasonwas of one at Boundary Bay, B.C., Nov.
12 (A&JG, ES). Burrowing Owls were on the
U.B.C. golf coursein VancouverAug. 30 (PD,
fide WW), at Yaquina Bay, Oreg., Oct. 25
(DFa, fide HN), and at the Eugene airport
Nov. 8+ (CW). Barred Owls were reported
through mid-Septemberfrom five Cascade
Mt. localitiesin Washington,and at Mt. Seymour (BD) and Manning P.P. (BS, DK), in s.
British Columbia. Fledgedyoung were found
in the Glacier Peak Wilderness (CCh) and the
Gifford Pinchot N.F. (DFi).
A singleCom. Nighthawk Oct. 5 in Portland (DA,fide HN) waslate. A singlePoor-will
seenvery closeSept. 22 in Oak Bay, V.I., was
a localfirst recordand mostunusual(KT,fide
VG). Black Swiftswerewidespreadalongthe
BritishColumbiaand Washingtoncoastsduring early September.A flock of 100 on s. V.I.,
Sept. 1 (RS. VG) wasthe largestgroup,and a
few still lingeredaround Tatoosh I., Wash.,
Sept. 21 (BP). Four Vaux's Swiftsin N. Vancouver. B.C., Oct. 17 (AG, fide WW) were
verylate. A d and three9 RutbusHummingbirds at a feeder in Metchosin, V.1.. to Oct. 9
were very late. The male stayeduntil Oct. 17
(BHo, fide VG). A pair of Anna's Hummingbirdswaspresent
at thesamefeederthroughout.
Adult Acorn Woodpeckers were feeding
young Sept. 11 in Forest Grove, Oreg. (FC).
Wintering Lewis' Woodpeckerswere back up
to usual numbers in the Medford
area after
two low years (OSw). Further n., singleswere
in SeattleAug. 13 (TG) and in W. Vancouver
Sept. 9 (•-WW), a flock of 11 was in Cypress
P.P., Sept. 29 (BS), and two were in N. Vancouver Oct. 16 (AG). Single W. Kingbirds
were near Blaine Aug. 22 (TW), at Coos Bay
Sept. 16 (JEn,fide HN), and on SauvieI., Oct.
11 (DaR, fide HN). A Tropical Kingbird was
at Bandon Oct. 27 (LT, AM). This species
appearsalongour coastalmostyearlyin Octo-
of several thousand California
Gulls were reportedfrom S.J.C.R., and Ocean
Shores from early August - mid-October.
Numbersat OceanShoresdroppedthereafter
(DP) as the gulls movedS along the Oregon
coast •ide HN). One was n. to the Queen
Charlotte Is., Aug. 11 (MS, fide VG). The
species
is onlycasualin Alaska.Ten thousand
Little Gull, Newport, Oreg., Sept. 15, 1979.
Mew Gulls at Tillamook Bay Nov. 11 (HN),
Photo/Tom
Volume
34,Number
2
213 Arctic
for this species.Only onesand twoswereadequately documentedalong the coast. Black
customary at 1ona I., and Ocean Shoresthis
fall. There were only 12 individualsnoted at
nine scatteredlocationsfrom mid-August Oct. 27. Thosewith age specifiedwerejuveniles,asis typical.
A Curlew Sandpiper still showingtraces of
the breeding plumage paid a brief visit to
OceanShoresOct. 5 (tG&WH, PS),for only
the secondWashington record. Stilt Sandpipers were well reported, with 25 at twelve
locations, Aug. 2 - Sept. 29. Buff-breasted
Sandpipershad a secondconsecutiverecord
year. This year'scountsnearlydoubledthose
The
WestportSept.10(TW et al.) wasa highcount
Crabtree.
ber - November.
VagrantAsh-throated
Flycatchers appearedat CoosBay Aug. 23 (CCo). at
Yaquina Bay Aug. 24 (ME), on Orcas 1.,
Wash., Sept. 13 (IBMe), and on Sauvie 1.,
193
Oct. 3 0Mo, fide HN). A Black Phoebe at
EugeneNov.15wasn. of itsusualrange(CW).
A Say'sPhoebewason OrcasI., Aug. 31 (FR
et al.) and anotherwas at Cape BlancoSept.
15 (TL).
SWALLOWS
THROUGH
WAXWINGS
BlackburnJanWarbler was well seenSept. 10
at Ocean Shores(•'EH) with a large flock of
migrant warblers.This would be the first record for Washingtonwere it not a single-person
sightrecord.A (5 Chestnut-sided
Warbler was
reportedAug. 19 at Roseburg,Oreg.(FP,fide
DFi). Palm Warblers returned in considerable
-- Migrant Violet-greenSwallows
madea late
numbers this season. The first were four at the
and dramatic exit. DFi saw 400+_ over the Gif-
ford Pinchot N.F., in s. WashingtonOct. 6.
S.LC.R., Sept. 22 (RSm,fide HN). The high
count was eight at Ocean ShoresNov. 8 (RT,
with none there Oct. 7. There were 1100 at
BT), and one was n. to Victoria Nov. 24 (•'J&
AgateL., nearMedfordn. of a stormin the
SiskiyouMts., Oct. 20. The next day there
RS, fide VG). A Corn. Yellowthroat in Kent,
were none (OSw). A last lone Violet-green was
at Reifel Ref., near Vancouver,B.C., Oct. 31
0G). Severalnestsof Barn Swallowsat Ocean-
thrushwasphotographed
Aug. 28 a few miles
side, Oreg., still had large young Sept. 11
(HN, JEv). The latest nest of the Purple Martin TL has ever found along the Oregon coast
wasat FlorenceSept. 1, with 23-dayold fledg-
lingsbeingfed. The largestgatheringof Purple Martins reportedthis year wasonly 18 in
SeattleAug. 25 (DH).
Single Blue Jayswere in Seattle in midNovember (WC) and near Vancouver. B.C..
Nov. 25 - Dec. 1 (DPi, •'WW et al. ). The latter
bird represents
onlythe third recordfor the
Vancouverarea. The secondrecord.previously
Wash., Oct. 6 was late (EH). A N. Watern.w. of Slate Peak in the N. Cascades of Wash-
ington (•-MD, RD). A •? Am. Redstartwas at
OceanShoresSept.11 (EH, DW et aL).
There are very few prior recordsof Bobolinks from the Region.This seasontherewere
two at BaskettSloughN.W.R., Oreg.,Aug. 22
($RP), two in Saanich,V.I., Sept. 22-23(•'RS,
reported arrived Oct. %16. About 12 White-
throatedSparrowswere reportedthroughout
the Region.One in N. Vancouver,B.C., Sept.
21 (AP, DK, GA) was the earliest, and sevenof
the 12 were found in mid-October.
CONTRIBUTORS
and
ABBREVIA-
TIONS (sub-regionaleditors in boldface). -DaveAnderson,Gerry Ansell, ScottAtkinson,
Ward Beecher,Blair Bernson,Franklin Bjorseth,Joan Bray, Robert & SharonButler, Gift
Calvert, Wayne Campbell, Mike Carmody,
Ruth Carson, Fred Chancey,Chris Chappell
(CCh), John Comer, Alan Contreras,Craig
Corder (CCo), Tom Crabtree, Susan Dallum,
Eleanore & Albert Davidson, Bert de Graf
(BD), Michael Donahue,RogerDonahue.Pat
Downey,Mark Egger, Elsie & Elzy Elzroth,
Jim England 0En), Jim & Lynn Erckmann,
ED), seven in C. Saanich Oct. 16 ($RS), and
Joe Evanich OEv), Bob & Pat Evans, Ben
Fawver, Darrell Faxon (DFa), David Fix
(DFi), Ted Gibson, Jeff Gilligan (JGi),
two at CoosBay Oct. 27 (EWS, BF). Nine Rusty
Margaret & Vic Goodwill (M&VG), Steve
Blackbirds were found this fall: two on s. V.I.,
Gordon, Michel Gossefin (MGo), Al & Jude
Oct. 9-18 and Nov. 16 (fide VG), six at three
Grass (A&JG), Mike Graybill (MGr), Karl
Gruebel, Bill Harrington-Tweit (BHT), Sue
Hills, Glen & Wanda Hoge,BerylHolt (BHo),
Harold Hosford, Nancy Hunn, David Hutch-
localities near Vancouver, B.C., Oct. 13-23
($WW et al.) and one at Ocean Shores Oct.
20-25 (•'DP, •'AR et al. ).
inson, John & Teresa Ireland, David Irons.
unpublished,
wasof onein N. VancouverOct.
1976(fide WW). There wasa strikingS movement of Steller'sJaysalongthe Washington
coast in mid-September(DP). Counts of
50-100/hr were made Sept. 11 & 23 in the
StewardJanes,Don Jole, Gary Kaiser, Brian
Kantesk, Ken Knittie, Doug Kragh, Tom
Lund, Bruce MacDonald (BMa), Chris Marsh.
Dave McDonald, Joy McDowell (JMc), Alan
McGie, Barbara Meyer (BMe), Joe Moraskie
0Mo), Terry Morgan, Harry Nehls, Lars
Norgren, Chris Oliver, Laimons Osis, Bob
Ocean Shores area (EH. PM). At least five
Black-billedMagpieswerefound. At leasttwo
were in the Vancouver, B.C., area, and one
each at Mr. Rainier N.P.. Woodinville, and
Ocean Shores,Wash. There were nine reports
Paine, Richard palmer, Fred Parker, Dennis
Paulson (DP), Donna Pike (DPi), Allen
of Clark's Nutcrackers from the lowland areas
Poynter, Michael Price, Bill Reicherr,Alan
of Puget Soundand s. British Columbia,all
Richards, Keith Richards, Frank Richardson,
Oct. 10-24.
Two Boreal Chickadees
Wilma Robinson,Dan Rogers(DaR), Dennis
Rogers (DR), Jim Rogers (JR), June Ryder
0Ry), Pekka Saikka, Joy & Ron Satterfield
(J&RS), Susan Saul, Barry Sauppe, Owen
at Hart's
Pass Nov.
24 OWn) extend the observed season of occur-
rence of this speciesin the N. Cascadesof
Schmidt
(OSc),
Martha
Schmitt
(MSc),
Washington.Severalobservers
in s. British
Columbia and coastal Washington and
Oregon noted the peak movementof Red-
Wayne Schweinfest(WSc), Teresa & Michael
breastedNuthatchesto be Sept. 3-11. Single
(JSm), Mark Smith (MSm), Richard Smith
House Wrens were late at Beach Grove, B.C.,
Oct. 13 (A&JG) and at Saanich, V.I., Oct. 13
(RSm), Dave Stirling, Wally Sumner(WSu),
Otis Swisher (OSw), Keith Taylor, Larry
Thornburg, Sarah Thurman, Brenda Tom,
Ron Toohen, Duanne Van den Berg (DV),
Shepard (T&MS), Ervin Sian, Jack Smith
(RS, fide VG). There were reports of five
Mockingbirds,from Vancouver.B.C., Seattle.
SauvieI., and Coos Bay. Western Bluebirds
Dickcissel,Lakeside, Oreg., early December
Russ Wade (RWa), Terry Wahl, Clarice Wat-
were in their usual small numbers at Colwallis
1979. Photo/Owen
son, Wayne Weber (WW), Joe Welch OWe),
E.G. White-Swift (EWS), Ralph Widrig
(RWi). Keith Wiggers,Wally Wilkins (WWi).
Schmidt.
(E&EE) and Medford (OSw) late in the sea-
son. A male was in Saanich, V.I., Sept. 19
(GC.fide VG).
A •5IndigoBuntingappearedat a feederin
CorvallisNov. 2-7 ($E&EE -- ph. et al.). The
unstreakedback and vaguelystreaked flanks
High countsof severalhundredWater Pipits werefoundSept. 14-10at AmericanCamp,
were noted. A cYDiekcissel was at a feeder in
San Juan L (EH, AR) and Ocean Shores,
Lakeside, Coos Co., Oreg., Nov. 30 - Dec. 6
Wash. (DP, PM), and Cape Blanco. Oreg.
(TL). Among this throng of pipits were two
well-markedRed-throatedPipits Sept. 14 &
16 at AmericanCamp (•'EH, *DW, •'AR et al.)
for the first recordsfor Washingtonand for
(ST, •'AC, OSc-- ph. et al.) for Oregon'sfirst
seen at 5000 ft on Mt. Hood Oct. 7 (WSc,fide
confirmed record. The flock of seven Hepburn's Gray-crownedRosyFinchesOct. 20 in
Victoria 0Ry) was unique.The two •5 Whitewinged CrossbillsSept. I I at CypressP.P.
(BS) and 12 near Haney, B.C., Oct. 1S (WR,
DV) were the only reported. Two Lark Buntings were at Cape Blanco, Oreg., Sept. 15
($DR, JR, TL -- ph.). SingleVesperSparrows
HN).
at Ocean Shores Oct. 6 (DP) and at W. Van-
the Region.More BohcmianWaxwingsthan
usualhad movedinto w. Washingtonby the
end of the period{ME, TW), and eightwere
Andrew Williams, Jack Williams (JWi), John
Wingfield OWn), David Wolf, $ = written
descriptionon file, S.J.C.R.= Southjetty of
the Columbia R., Oreg., V.I. = VancouverI.,
B.C. -- PHILIP W. MATTOCKS, JR., Dept.
of Zoology, Univ. of Washington, Seattle,
Wash. 98195, and EUGENE S. HUNN, 1816
N. 57th St., Seattle, Wash. 98103.
couver, B.C., Oct. 14 ($R&SB) were late. Lark
WARBLERS
THROUGH
A Black-and-white Warbler
SPARROWS -hit a window in
Coos Bay Oct. 12 (AM), but recovered and
flew off. A well-documentedVirglnia's Warbler was found near Eugene Nov. 8 (•'CW,
MSc, JB) for the first w. Oregonrecord.A cY
194
Sparrowsare vagrant n. of s. Oregon. This
seasontherewerefour reportsin w. Washington, all Sept. S-8, at LeadbetterPt., Raymond,
Anacortes, and Tatoosh I. (SJ, RWi, EH, J&
LE, BP). And one wasat Coos BayOct. 7 (LT.
fide HN). Three of the six Harris' Sparrows
American
Birds,March1980
MIDDLE
PACIFIC
were the only ones
reported.Only sixManx
COAST
REGION
Shearwaters
/Stephen A. Laymortand
reported this fall. All
W. David Shuford
were
The fall weather was warm and dry until
seen in October
on Monterey Bay. This
is many fewer than in
the pasttwo years.One
was mostlydry exceptfor brief rainy periods
seen
Oct.
28
was
believed to be of the
November 3-4, 18 and 23-26. The first frosts
Atlantic race puffinus
had not occurredin the lowlandsby the end of
the period.
(DRo).
storms hit October
18-20 and 25. November
The most noteworthy event of the fall was
the massive"crash" of Red Phalaropesand
Ancient Murrelets
on the coast in mid-Novem-
ber. The seabirdsof the fall were a probable
Cook'sPetreland a Red-billedTropicbird.
Landbird migration was very strong in
August in the interior, slow in September(in
this regard note the dates of all interior
vagrantsightings).but increasedagainin late
Septemberto earlyOctober,with the return of
winter visitants. Coastally August was very
slow and activity did not pick up until midSeptember; migration remained strong until
late October with notable peaks September
22-24. and 2%29 and October 9. Rains in late
Octoberand early Novemberseemedto curtail
migrationconsiderably.
0 •R• E. G 0
were
N
Island (hereafter, F.I.) and Palomarin should
be creditedto Point ReyesBird Observatory.
LOONS. GREBES -- Migrant Corn.Loons
were first noted at Pt. ReyesOct. 13 (JE). Arctic Loonswere first seen migrating past Pt.
PinosOct. 28 (DRo) andmigrationpeakswere
thought to be late this year. Inland Arctics
were at L. Shastina. SiskiyouCo.. Nov. 8 (RE,
MR), Alpine L., Marin Co., Nov. 20 (DS) and
Silver L., Mono Co., Nov. 19 (DAG). Inland
Red-throated
Loons were found at Lewiston
L., Trinity Co., Nov. 23 (DA) and Andrus 1.,
Sacramento Co., Nov. S (DELL
Five Red-necked Grebes at Limantour.
Point Reyes Nat'l Seashore {hereafter,
P.R.N.S.) Aug. 14 OE) were the first seen. A
peak often wasfound there Oct. 14 and only
Reno
Single Pterodroma
petrels were seen 50+
mi
off
Mendocino
Rosa ,
CountyOct. 4-5 (GF et
a/.). They were believed
to be Cook's Petrels
which would establish a
first state record
if
acceptedby the state
rare
birds committee.
For further information
on sightingsof Pterodroma petrels see the
Southern Pacific Coast
Region.reports in this
issue.The only Fork-tailed Storm-Petrel was
where there are very few records, Sept. 23
one off Cape MendocinoOct. 6 (Bob Sizoo).
(RLeV).
Two Leach's Storm-Petrels were found 25 mi
8000+
Ashies
and
5000_+
Blacks
late
September - mid-October. One-two Least
Storm-Petrelswere found with the flock Sept.
28 (DRo), Oct. 6 (Jon Dunn) and Oct. 13 (RS).
A Wilson's
Storm-Petrel
was off Humboldt
Bay Oct. 6 (RLeV) providingonly the second
Regionalsightingawayfrom MontereyBay.
A Red-billedTropicblrdwasseen112mi off
Pt. Arena Oct. 5 (GF) providingonlythe third
Regionalrecord.More than normal numbers
of Brown
Pelicans
were
found
inside
San
FranciscoBay (hereafter, S•F. Bay). High
countswere76 at AlvisoSloughAug. 16(SFB)
and 100 at Alameda Sept. 23 {fide ERo). A
high-elevationrecordfor Double-crestedCormorant wasfurnishedwith two birds at Ellery
L., in the Yosemite Sierras at 9600 ft Sept.
1-12 (Dean Taylor, m.ob.). A Magnificent
Frigatebird was at Goat Rock, Sonoma Co.,
Aug. 9 (KVV,JP). Anotherverylate individual
WATERFOWL -- The mid-September
aerial waterfowl survey revealed 30% more
ducksthan last year indicating good production on the Canadian Prairies (BED). Aleutian
Canada Geesecontinuedto make gains with
1750 reported this fall, including 1700 near
ColusaNov. 20 (PS). An imm. EmperorGoose
was at Lower Klamath
N.W.R..
Oct.
27-28
(RE,MR,BED); it wasshotby huntersthe next
day.
Blue-wingedTeal werereportedin higherthan-normal
numbers, with 20 seen at seven
coastallocations(m.ob.).Forty-fiveCinnamon
Teal were seenin the Pt. Reyesarea and one
wasin Arcata Nov. 7 {fide BBe).This is many
more than
normal.
A Wood
Duck
at Tule
Lake N.W.R., Nov. S (BED) was unusual. A •
Canvasbackat Bay Bridge Toll Plaza (here-
after,B.B.T.P.)Sept.9 (DE) wasquiteearlyas
the normal
first arrival
occurs mid-October.
was at Bolinas Oct. 14 (KH). An unidentified
Two Greater Scaupat BodegaBay Aug. I-4
(KVV) eithersummeredor wereexceptionally
early migrants. Seven at Red Bluff Oct. 24
frigatebirdwasseenon MontereyBay Oct. 13
(RS, Alan Baldridge).
(SAL.KC)comprised
the onlyflock reported
inland.A flockof 40 LesserScaupat Abbott's
Lagoon.P.R.N.S.. Aug. 21 (JE) was a month
two could be found after that (JE). One at L.
Merced, San Francisco Co., Nov. 24 was at a
strange location. Seven Horned Grebes at
LimantourSept. S wereat leastten daysear-
V.
N.p..r'•ALMANOR
All the activitycoastallyproducedspectac- s.w. of Pt. Pinos Sept. 17 (RS). The stormpetrel flock off Moss Landing peaked at
ular numbers and variety of eastern vagrant
and westernmigrant species,including many
outstanding rarities. Numbers of eastern
vagrantscompared favorably with those of
1974.the bestyear ever.
All sightings at southeastern Farallon
E
I.ASSEN
earlier than the normal
first fall arrivals. The
the s. and w. shores of Clear L., Lake Co.,
cYTufted Duck returnedto Muddy Hollow,
P.R.N.S.. Sept. 29 - Nov. 30+ (DDeS,RS,
HERONS -- Sixty-sevenGreen Herons on
Aug. 3-4 (SAL,KC) was an unusuallyhigh
m.ob.).
at Tule L., Oct. 17-24had dwindledto five by
count.
Nov. 12 (BED).
Sloughin s. S.F. Bay Aug. 16 & 18werewith a
Little Blue Heron X Snowy Egret hybrid in
calico plumage (SFB). Numbers of Cattle
CommonGoldeneyeswere first observedat
Tule L., Bolinas Lagoon, and Bodega Bay
Nov. 3 (m.ob.). Early birds were at Palo Alto
Sept.25 (WBo), AuburnOct. 3 {fideBBa) and
lier than the normal
TUBENOSES
first arrival date. The SO
THROUGH
CORMOR-
Two
ad. Little
Blue Herons
at Alviso
ANTS --Black-footed Albatrossesare regular
in fall only off Humboldt County where 16
were seenOct. 6-7 (RLeV). The only others
Egrets continued to climb with 371 being
a surprising 30 on the American R., Oct. 13
reportedthisfall. The largestgroupswere212
(Dave Johnson). Buffleheads were first noted
Oct. 31 at Limantour,BodegaBay and Bolinas
weretwo on MontereyBay Aug. 25 (RS) and
one there Sept. 22 (L.A.A.S.). Peak numbers
at Corcoran Irrigation District, Kings Co.,
Sept. 9 (JR) and 86 near Los BanosSept. lS
(RS). At the Corcoran site there were 12 nests
of Pink-looted
Shearwaters
occurred
on Mon-
tereyBaySept. 17- Oct. 14. Estimatesduring
and 12 flightlessyoungon that date.
A largeflock of 350 SnowyEgretswasfeeding in a pond at SacramentoN.W.R., Aug. 10
(SAL). Sixty at LagunaL., Marin Co., Sept. 7
this period varied 30-600. These are always
opento question;on oneboattrip theyranged
75-600.More careis needed!An unprecedented (DS) was also unusual. American Bitterns
8-10 Flesh-looted Shearwaters were 25 mi s.w.
were reportedfrom coastallocationswith six
of Pt. PinosSept. 17 (RS). Ten Short-tailed from the outer coast and 11 from s. S.F. Bay
(m.ob.). A White-faced Ibis was at Arcata,
Shearwaterson Monterey Bay Oct. 28 (RS)
Volume34,Number2
Lagoon(m.ob.).A femalewasat the Bodega
SewagePondsUP, m.ob.) throughoutAugust
and an early migrant wasat Pt. ReyesStation
Aug. 23 (JE). Eight coastalOldsquawswere
sighted with the firsL Oct. 23 at Bolinas
Lagoon(DDeS). The onlyinland sightingwas
at L. ShastinaNov. 8 (RE). Harlequin Ducks
werewellrepresented
with 14 coastalsightings
from eightlocations.Four or five wereseenon
the Mokelumne R., Alpine Co., Aug. 9
195
(RobertBlumenthal)g•vinghopeof nestingat
that location.
Thousands of White-winged Scoterswere
seenstreamingpastBodegaHead daily Oct.
reportedfrom MossLandingOct 27-28(BSa,
RS). A Black Rail, rarely seenin the Region,
was flushed from the salicornia
on Limantour
Nov. 27 (JE). Six Corn. Gallinules were found
31 - Nov. 8 (BJM). One at Grant Res., Mono
at
Co, Nov. 15-19 (DAG) was the only report
November which was more than normal. Nine
from inland. Surf Scoters were found inland at
were at a pond near Anderson,ShastaCo.,
Nov. 21 (SAL,DS) at the extreme n. edge of
their breedingrange.
Grant Res., Oct. 11 (DAG), Tule Lake
N W R., Oct. 18 (BED), and Chico Oxidation
PondsOct. 27 (KVV) and Nov. 2 (JS).Four 9
Red-breasted
Merganserswereat L. Shastina
Nov 8-9 (RE,MR) and two were still there
Nov 13 (BED) for the onlyinlandsighting.
RAPTORS
THROUGH
RAILS
--
The
first RegionalCaliforniaCondorin two years
was an adult at Porterville, Tulare Co., Sept.
14 (MEM). Encouragingnumbersof Whitetailed Kites were reported with 25 near Pt.
coastal
locations
in
late
October
and
SHOREBIRDS -- A Black Oystercatcher
at Alviso,s. S.F. Bay Nov. 11 ffide WBo) was
out of its normal range and habitat. Four
SemipalmatedPloversat L. ShastinaOct. 15
(RE) were late for an inland location. Single
out-of-rangeSnowyPloverswere reported at
Vallejo Aug. 15 and Sears Point Rd., Napa
Co. (KVV). A Mountain Ploverwas at Pajaro
Dunes, Santa Cruz Co., Nov. 6 (J&RW) and
ReyesStationSept.12 (SuePeaslee),
up to 40
up to 100 were found n. of Woodland,Yolo
at a roost in Livermore, Alameda Co., Oct. 13
(AE) and 32 n. of Davis, Yolo Co., Nov. 20
Co., Nov. 13-24 (AEn et aiD. American Golden
(DS,CH). Three days of hawkwatchingat Pt.
Diablo, Marin Co. (RS,SFB) showedSharpshinned Hawks constituted 57ø7o
of Accipiters
found in coastal locationsAug 8 - Sept 12
(m.ob.), the most notable being six at the
Arcata OxidationPondsAug. 17-24(RLeV)
Baird's Sandpiperswere found in normal
numberswhile PectoralSandpipersset all
time high records,.
with a minimumof 410
reportedAug. 4 - Nov. 15. Peak countswere
58 at the WoodlandSugarPondsOct. 6, 50
ArcataBottomsSept.29 (bothCH), and 25 at
Borax L., Lake Co., Sept. 19 (JMa). Sharptailed Sandpipers
wereat MossLandingOct
27 - Nov. 5 (BSa, m.ob.), Mendosa Ranch,
P.R.N.S., Oct. 31 (RS,JE), two at Dumbarton
Narrows Nov. 5 (CSw), F.I., Nov. 7 (P.R.B.O)
and two at BodegaBay Nov. 23 (KVV,JP). A
veryearlyDunlin in breedingplumagewasat
SearsPointRd., Aug. 15 (KVV,BDP).The only
Stilt Sandpipers
weretwo at BlackButteRes,
Glenn Co., Aug. 25 (JS). There are few
regionalinlandrecords.Buff-breasted
Sandpiperswere found for the fourth consecutive
Ploverswerefound in veryhigh numberswith
a minimum 75 reported from coastallocations. The only inland sightingwas of two at
White Slough SewagePonds, San Joaquin
fall with four at three sites near Arcata Aug
25 - Sept. 12 (RLeV), two BodegaBay Sept
11-16 (DS, m.ob.) and one Hall Ranch,
P.R.N.S., Sept. 22-23 (BDP). SingleRufl•
Co., Oct. 9 (DEI).
Rare inland in fall, Whimbrels were found
were at WatsonvilleSewagePondsSept. 8-17
1979 West. Birds 10:1). The feeling among
several observerswas that Cooper's Hawks
wereup in numbersratherthan Sharpies
being
asfollows:oneMono L., Aug. 8 - Sept.2 (Dan
Taylor, DE), 13LowerKlamath N.W.R., Aug.
Sept.25 - Oct. 11 (DRo,LCB)and ArcataBottomsSept.21 - Oct. 8 (JohnBrack,RLeV).
down.
28 (SAL et aid and one Davis Oct. 21 (AEn).
Largenumbersof raptorslingeredon outer
Pt Reyesowing to the continuedmicrotus
LesserYellowlegswerefoundin normalnumbers,but 28 at LagunaL., Sept.7 (DS)wasof
outbreak. Peak numbers of Red-tailed Hawks
were 64 Oct. 10 (RS) and 57 Nov. 11 (JE). The
interest
onlyHarlan'sRed-tailedHawk was one near
DumbartonBridgeNov. 20 (SFB).Eight Solitary SandpiperswerereportedAug. 27 - Sept.
16. Willets madea goodshowinginlandwith
passinginsteadof the normal66ø70
(Binford
Cottonwood, Shasta Co., Nov. 21 (SAL,DS).
Broad-wingedHawks were reported from Pt.
as were late records of four at Lower
Klamath N.W.R., Nov. 17 (RE,MR) and 22 at
(Steven Atkinson, m.ob.), Zmudowski S.P,
JAEGERS THROUGH ALCIDS -- Single
Long-tailedJaegers
wereseenon pelagictrips
Aug. 26 (DHE) and Sept.29 (JLu),on Monterey Bay and one off HumboldtBay Oct 6
(RLeV). An unprecedented10-12were found
20 mi s.w. of Pt. Pinos Sept. 17 (RS et al )
Very unusual was one at Crowley L., Mono
Co., Sept.2 (Keith Axelson).
Oct 6 (m. ob.). Two additional birds were seen
15 at Grand I., Sacramento Co., Aug. 10
(DELL three at Clovis, Fresno Co., Aug. 16
on Pt. ReyesOct. 18 & 28 (JM,DDeS). Swain-
(GaryPotter)and oneeachat s. Wilbur Flood
ville Nov. 22 (SAL,DS). With the demise of the
sows Hawks made news with "old time" num-
Area and Corcoran SewerPonds,Kings Co.,
Oct. 6 (JR). Three WanderingTattlers were at
the e. end of the Dumbarton Bridge Aug. 1-9
Mono L., breedingcolonyof CaliforniaGulls
andthe sprayingof their eggswithoil in Utah,
it is not surprisingthat very few first-year
birds were seenthis fall. Only 2% of 625 at
Martinez Dump, ContraCostaCo., and 5ø7o
of
6000 at Stockton Sept. I were immatures
D•abloin goodnumbers
with 19 seenSept.20 -
bers, with 30-50 near Galt, SacramentoCo.,
Sept 19 (AMC) and 260 in a flocknearRiverdale, 20 mi s. of Fresno Oct. 15-16 (RH).
Although normally very rare on the coast
singlesreportedwere: FerndaleSept. 17-30
(RLeV), Pt. Diablo Sept. 23 (RS), Cape Mendocmo Sept. 29 (BC), Monterey Sept. 30
(LCB) and Pt. ReyesOct. 10 (RS). A welldescribed late Swainson's was at Empire
Tract,SanJoaquin
Co.,Nov.20(J-DEI).
and one remained to Nov. 30 (SFB). Inland
singleRuddy Turnstoneswere at n. Evaporator Ponds,Kings Co., Sept. 16 (JR) and Corcoran Irrigation District Sept. 29 (JR).
Twenty-oneBlack Turnstonesat the e. end of
Dumbarton Bridge Aug. 22 (SFB) was an
unusuallyhigh number away from the outer
coast.
Two first-yearThayer'sGullswereat Oro-
(DE). A first year Mew Gull wasat Oroville
Nov. 22 (SAL,DS).They are veryrare inland
away from the delta region. Five coastal
Franklin's Gulls were found Sept. 3 - Nov. 3
(m.ob.). A mass S migration of hundredsof
Heermann'sGulls was notedalongthe Bodega
Oct 10 (RS) and at n. Livermore with 50 in
Late N. Phalaropeswere found along the
coast,with four Novembersightings,the latest
being one at Moss Landing Nov. 24 (RS,JE).
Red Phalaropesinvadedthe coastalestuaries
this fall starting in late September,with the
peak occurring Nov. 3-15. Many died and
those examined had severelydepleted fat
reserves
(DS). Somepeak numberswere280 at
Octoberand November(AE). Many morethan
BodegaBay Nov. 9 (JE),400 at FremontSalt
usual Prairie Falcons were on the outer coast.
Ponds Nov. 14 (CSw), 500 at PescaderoMarsh
The first was at Abbott's LagoonAug. 21 (JE)
and four wereon outer Pt. Reyesby the end of
the sameday (PM) and thousandson the San
Mateo coast Nov. 17 (JRi). The only inland
sightingwas of three at Lava Lakes,Siskiyou
Co., Nov. 18 (RE et al.). Twenty Short-billed
Murrelets were on Monterey Bay Aug. 26
(DHE), and Sept.29 (JM). The latter werewith
two unidentifiedEndormychuras.
FifteenCrave-
Dowitchers were found inland, with ten at
ri's and ten unidentified were 25 mi s.w. of Pt
White SloughSewagePlantOct. 9 (DE1)being
the most notable.The only Red Knot inland
Pinos Sept. 17 (RS). Hundreds of Ancient
Murrelets were found along the coast late
October - Nov. 30+ including200+ alongthe
San Mateo coast Nov. 17 (JRi); indicative of a
massive movement. Many were found dead
including sevenon Dillon Beach, Marin Co,
Nov. 19 (DS). They mayhavebeenreactingto
the samestimulithat broughtin the Red Phalaropes. An ad. RhinocerosAuklet at Arch
Rock, Sonoma Co., Aug. 4 (BDP,LCB) suggesteda possiblenestingat that location.
Rough-leggedHawks were seenin average
numbers.FerruginousHawks were reported
in recordnumberswith 45 seenSept. 15 - Nov.
30+ which almost doublesthe previoushigh.
Nine on outer Pt. ReyesOct. 31 (RS,JE)were
remarkable, and Marsh Hawks were noted
there in unusual concentrations
with
16 on
September(RS). Sevenadditionalbirds were
reportedfrom coastalareas away from the
point.PeregrineFalconsappearedin normal
numbersand Merlins were again reported as
high,equaling1978'sfigures.
Twenty Sage Grouse walking around the
ghosttownof Bodie,Mono Co., Aug. 18 (JM)
producedan unusualsight. Observersnoted
unusuallyhigh concentrations
of California
Quail from Great Basin,mountain,valleyand
coastal locations, indicating an excellent
nestingseason.Clapper Rail numberswere
still on the increase in the Alameda s. shore
areawith ten there Nov. 3 (fide ERo). One was
196
wasa flock of nine at Tule Lake N.W.R., Sept.
28 (B&CY). A censusalong 59 mi of beach
from BodegaBayto MontereyBaySept.20-28
tallied 5457 Sanderlings(BJM et al.). Inland
sightingsincludedone at Indian Creek Res.,
Alpine Co., Aug. 17 (JH), one at Stockton
SewagePondsSept. 1 (DE) and two on the s.
shoreofMono L., Sept.2 (DE).
Twelve Semipalmated Sandpipers were
coast Nov. 1 (BJM). Two different Sabine's
Gulls werefound inland at Mono L., Sept. 15
& 27 respectively
(DAG). Four late Forster's
Terns were at Tule Lake N.W.R., Oct. 27-28
(BED). Sevenout-of-rangeBlack Terns were
alongthe coastAug. 4 - Oct. 15, and onewas
at Clear L., Aug. 3 (SAL,KC).
One Xantus'
Murrelet
was found 25 mi s w
of Pt. Pinos Sept. 17 (RS) and two were m
MontereyBay Sept.22 (L.A.A.S.).Two Craven's
American Birds, March 1980
PIGEONS
THROUGH
WOODPECKERS
-- Band-tailedPigeonswere reportedin only
moderate numbers throughout most of the
Region, but three at 10,000 ft at the Hall
Natural Area. Mono Co. (hereafter, H.N.A.),
Sept. 8 (BE) provideda notable altitudinal
sighting.A White-wingedDovewasseenNov.
4-5 at Salmon Cr.. Sonoma Co. (BJM,BDP,
JM) and a fresh feather was found at Nunes
Ranch, P.R.N.S., Nov. 15 (RS, identified by
LCB) indicatingthis species'presencethere
also this fall. A very late Yellow-billed
Cuckoo,quiterare anywherecoastally,wasat
F.I., Nov. 7. A Black-billed Cuckoo was found
dead at the n. spit of Humboldt Bay Oct. 3
(Ken Irwin, fide RLeV, *H.S.U.). This will
have providedonly the third regionalrecord
followingapprovalof submitteddetails.
Fifteen to twenty Barn Owls were at Home
Bay. P.R.N..S.. Nov. 6 and a pair with four
youngSept.1 wasat Pt. ReyesStation(Dianne
Williams,fide JE) at the samespotwheresix
youngwereseenMay 18 (JE). It is assumed
that this pair double-clutchedthis season,
owingto the continuedmicrotineoutbreakin
Costa's Hummingbirds were at feeders in
Healdsburg,SonomaCo., Aug. 7 to the end of
October (DEI et al.) and at Walnut Cr., Nov.
23 (CSt). A late Selasphorushummingbird,
presumedto be Rufous,was at the Carmel R.
mouth Oct. 25 (DRo). An imm. c• Anna's
Hummingbird at Lee Vining, Mono Co., Oct.
9 (DAG, Dean Taylor) providedthe Region
with its first record in the Great Basin e. of the
Sierranescarpment.
Although numbers of Lewis' Woodpeckers
were reportedway down in most areas,stragglers reached the coast at Pt. Pinos Oct. 3
(DRo) and near Palomarin Aug. l0 (Anne
Rovetta,fideJE). A 9 Williamson'sSapsucker
was encountered on Mines Rd., Alameda Co.,
Oct. 7 (AE); this species is a rare but
somewhatregular "vagrant" from the higher
mountainsin fall and winter. A Hairy Woodpecker was near Anderson,Shasta Co., Nov.
21 (SAL,DS,KG); this speciesis rare on the
CentralValley (hereafter,C.V.) floor.
Although swallownumbersand migratorial
peaks were normal, more late sightingsthan
usualwere reported.Although generallyswallows and other insectivorousmigrants are
thought to linger later on the coast,interior
sightingsare well representedin the following
records. Late Violet-green Swallows: one at
Tule Lake N.W.R., Nov. 3 (BED et al.), 40 in
the Carmel Valley Nov. 24 (JL,RS,DDeSJE),
and 15 at Palomarin
Nov. 28. Late Tree Swal-
lows: eight at Salmon Cr.. Nov. 14 (BJM), 10
at Los Banos Nov. 23 (JE), one at the Carmel
Valley Nov. 24 (JLet al.), and 12 at Limantour
Estero Nov. 30 (JE). The Region's latest-ever
Bank SwallowgracedChico Oct. 20 (KVV). A
very tardy Rough-wingedSwallow inspected
the CastrovilleSewagePonds,Monterey Co.,
Nov. 24 (KH et al., fide JL). The latest of four
November Barn Swallow sightings (three
interior, one coastal) was four at Merced
N.W.R., Nov. 23 (JL,RS,DDeS,JE). Chico was
alsohostto two laggardCliff SwallowsNov. 10
Os).
FLYCATCHERS
THROUGH
SWALCORVIDS
THROUGH
NUTHATCHES
the Pt. Reyesarea. Most unusualwasthe occur-
LOWS -- Nine Tropical Kingbirdsalongthe
coastSept.21 - Nov. 12wasaboutaveragefor
renee of a Flammulated Owl near Woodland,
the fall (m.ob.). An E. Kingbird was recorded
P., Chico Oct. 29 (SAL, KC), on the Central
Yolo Co., Oct. 16 (fide •'CH. •-TBe).The bird,
at F.I., Aug. 3 and two wereseenn. of Canby,
Modoc Co., Aug. 19 (SS). WesternKingbird
migrationwaswell documentedin the Shasta
Valley, SiskiyouCo., Aug. 7 - Sept.3 with a
notablepeak of 57 Aug. 15 (RE). A very late
Ash-throated Flycatcher was sighted near
BodegaBay, SonomaCo., Nov. 10 (AE.LCB,
BDP,JP). Two E. Phoebesfrequented F.I.,
Valley floor. followedcloselythe first sightings
of down-mountaindrifting individualsin the
Sierra foothills of Tulare County Oct. 23
(MEM) and Placer County Oct. 26-28 (MA,
BBa). Small flocks of migrant Corn. Crows
passedthroughthe Mono BasinOct. 13 - Nov.
19; this is probably a regular but not well
documentedpattern (DAG). A report of nine
Clark's Nutcrackers flying S over Mt. St.
Helena,Napa Co., Oct. 6 (JMa, Brad Hanson)
wasrather anomalousas no other out-of-place
sightings occurred this fall; however this
specieswas scarce at H.N.A., all fall presumably owing to the poor whitebark pine
crop(DDeS,BE).Three Mountain Chickadees
Nov. 5-12 and one aroused interest at Salmon
Cr., Sonoma Co., Nov. 3-4 (BJM,BDP). An
earlymigrantSay'sPhoebewasat Trinity L.,
TrinityCo., Sept.7 (DA). LeastF•ycatchers
at
the Pt. ReyesLighthouseSept.27 (tJM) and at
the nearbyFish DocksOct. 6-7 (•'RSet al.)
provided the ninth and tenth mainland
regionalrecords(all fall, all coastal);all other
Flammulated Owl, Yolo Co., Calif., Oct. 16,
1979. Photo/Ted Beedy.
sickand unableto fly, wasfoundin an asparagusfield by a localfarmer and taken to the
Davis Raptor Center for rehabilitation. Its
presence
represents
onlythe sixthknownCaliforniamigrantrecord•fideJW). Therewere
severalLong-earedOwl sightings:individuals
remained until at least Oct. 16 at Palomarin,
P.R.N.S.;a stray.exceedingly
rare at an elevation of 10,000 ft, wasat H.N.A., Sept. 9 - Oct.
7 (DDes,BE); three-four were seen Aug. 27 Sept. 29 at Cape Mendicino.Humbold! Co.
(BC.RLeV,CH); and one was at Lower Klamath N.W.R., Sept. 28 (B&CY). Short-eared
Owl concentrations of 25-30 were in one field
in Livermore, Alameda Co. Nov. 24 (AEet al.)
andgroupsof 11and 15wereat separatelocationson Pt. Reyesin October•fide SFB).
An unusual "swarm" of 400 Com. Nighthawkswas seenat Indian Creek Res., Alpine
Co.. Aug. 17 (JH). Peaksof 50-100migrating
Black Swiftswere at N. Dunsmtfr, Siskiyou
Co., Sept.25 (CSt)and thelatestwasoneOct.
recordsare from F.I., where they have been
recordedannuallysince1969.This seasonwas
no exceptionas singleswere banded there
Sept.24 and Oct. 10.An Empidonaxflycatcher,
identified as a Dusky, made a very late
appearance
at DogI., Nov.26 (tSAL,KC).A
W. Flycatcher at a high elevation was at
H.N.A., Sept.13 (BE). A 9 VermilionFlycatcher treated observersat the Bishop Sew-
age Ponds,Inyo Co., Nov. 15 (DAG, Dean
Taylor);providing
onlythethirdregional
record.
S.A.
A skylark, believed to be the same
individual that startled observers last win-
ter, made a brief appearanceat the Hall
Ranch, P.R.N.S., Oct. 28 - Nov. I (JM et
al.). Evidencepresentedby David Snowof
the British Museum, in a comprehensive
reportcompiledand submittedto the California RecordsCommitteeby JoeMorlan.
supportsthe ideathat the bird in question
(winter 1978-1979) was in fact a Common
Skylark (,4. arvensis)and not an Oriental
Skylark(,4. gulgula).Althoughthe bird's
exact racial status could not be determined,
9 at F.I. Two Vaux'sSwiftsNov.4 at the Pajaro
it was believed to most closelyresemble
examplesfrom n.e. Asia and not the nom-
R., were very late (WB). A White-throated
Swift Sept. I at H.N.A. (BE) was at a lofty
(JM). The editorswill of courseacceptthe
inate race introduced on Victoria
final decision of the Records Committee as
frequented a feeder at Laguna Ranch,
to the bird's origin,and henceit's placeon
Volume34,Number2
the official state list.
were at Chico Nov. 13 (KVV,SAL);
another
instanceof a montanespeciesquite rare on
the C.V. floor.
Red-breastedNuthatchesstageda notable
invasionto the C.V. and the coastalstrip this
fall (m.ob.). Ninety plus were seen Aug. 1 Sept.27 on the Sierrancrestat H.N.A. (DDeS,
BE). Coastally the first incursion was noted
Aug. 4 at F.I. By mid-Augustthe invaders
were noted at widespreadlocales w. of the
Sierras and numbers increased thereafter
with
peaks Sept. 23-28 and Oct. 6-9. On Sept. 28
twelve were seen on the U.C. Davis campus
(BrennanDavis,fide BK) and 30 werecounted
on outer Pt. Reyes(SFB). Countsof 20 were
made Oct. 6 (LCB) at Golden Gate Park, S.F.
(hereafter. G.G.P.) and Oct. 9 on outer Pt.
Reyes(JE). Numbers dwindled substantially
through October with few remaining after
mid-November.
A PygmyNuthatchin Oakland Sept. 14(JL)
is of note as East Bay recordsare very scarce
and 25 at Land'sEnd, S.F., Sept.2 (DM) also
indicate fall movement. A Dipper at Alpine
L., Marin Co., Nov. 28 (Sue Peaslee) was the
only one reported away from breedinglocations.A Long-billedMarsh Wren Aug. 10 at
10,500fi at GardiskyL., Mono Co. (BE) establisheda regionalaltitudinal record.
I., B.C.
elevation.Two Black-chinnedHummingbirds
P.R.N.S., Sept. 7 (JE);this speciesis veryrare
on the immediate coast. Single out-of-place
--The appearanceof a Steller'sJayat Bidwell
MIMIDS THROUGH VIREOS -- A Gray
Catbird seenat the Fish Docks,Pt. ReyesOct.
5-6 (•'CH.DRu et aL) provided the eighth
regionalrecord.SingleBrownThrasherswere
recorded
at F.I..
Oct.
13 and at Lava Beds
197
N.M.. Oct. 22 (SAL.KC). Ten SageThrashers
Sept. 12 - Nov. 24 was an impressivenumber
w. of the Sierras (m.ob.}. A Gray-cheeked
migratinglate Nov. 3 at StinsonBeach,Marin
Co. (DS,SAL).SingleRed-eyedVireoswereat
Olema Marsh Sept. 2 0E); G.G.P., Oct. 12
were at Inverness, Marin Co., Oct. 7 (tRS) and
Thrush was at F.I., Oct. 10 (tPH); all but two
(LCB); and Carmel R., Oct. 13-15 (KH et aL,
throated
of the 10 regional recordshave been at that
fide DRo). Singlewell-describedPhiladelphia
location. A Mountain
Vireos were at Moss Beach, San Mateo Co.,
Bluebird occurred at Pt.
Pinos Oct. 14 (Ron Branson,fide DRo).
Another coastalrarity was a Townsend'sSolitaire Oct. 10-21 at F.I. An early Rubycrowned Kinglet was at Menlo P., Sept. 3
Sept. 24 ($PM) and at the Carmel R. mouth
Oct. 26 (•DRo); first recorded in 1967 this
specieshasbeenseeneachfall since1974.
(WB).
WOOD WARBLERS --The "butterflies of
the bird world" as usual attracted much atten-
A Yellow Wagtail madea brief appearance
at BodegaBay, SonomaCo., Sept. 16 (BJM).
If acceptedby the California Records Committee
this would
furnish
the
second state
record. The most exciting and most observed
landbird of the fall was surelythe ad. White
Wagtail at the Watsonville SewagePonds,
Santa Cruz Co., Aug. 7 - Sept. 22 (tCarolyn
Frederiksen,lSteve AIligonet al.). This provided only the second regional and first
mainland
record.
The bird had a thin dark
eyelineon a white cheek which is characteris-
tic of eitherM. a. occuldrisor M. c• !ugens,
both from n.e. Asia. However further differen-
tiation was not possibleas the two races can
be indistinguishable
in certainplumages0M).
To round out the vagrant Motaci!!ids a
Sprague'sPipit was describedfrom F.I., Oct.
1. If acceptedby the California RecordsCommittee this would provide the first regional
record.
three sites from Chico to IS mi n. of REd Bluff
Sept. 23 - Nov. IS (SAL,KC,KVVL The only
N. Shrike reported away from the n. Great
Basin was one immature on W. Butte Rd.,
Sutter Co., Nov. 26 (WA). Three races of
Solitary Vireo provided interestingrecords:
one plumbeus at G.G.P., Oct. 12 (LCB) furnished only the secondcoastal regional rec-
were at Mendoza
cY Cerulean Warbler
was well described from
the Carmel R. mouth Oct. 2S ($DRo) for the
fourth regional record. A Chestnut-sided
Mono Co. (DAG,DW).
One of the most
sought-aftervagrantsin the Region, a Pine
Warbler• appeared Oct. 16, where elsebut the
interior
F.I.
locales. Coastal observers were not
disappointedas e. Parulids aboundedin one
of the best-evershowings;in addition more
than the usual number of interior sightings
was reported.
Although the actual number of vagrant
warblers sighted compared favorably with
1974,the bestyear ever,this wouldappearto
be an artifactof increasedobservercoverage.
An analysisof the last 10 yearsdata from Pt.
Reyesand a moredetailedcomparisonof data
from 1974 and 1979 backsup this contention
(seep.
). Severale. warblerspecies
sighted
this fall, althoughnot mentionedhere, are
includedin the table on p.
Western species also appeared to be in
above-averagenumbersalong the coast;most
notably Nashvilles, Black-throated Grays,
Townsend's, and MacGillivray's (JE,DM.
m.ob.). In the interior the Dog I. censusdata
(SAL,KC) showedonly two individualBlackthroated Grays and no Townsend'sor Her-
F.I. (tPH); this furnished only the fourth
regionalrecord,three of which havebeen at
A Prairie Warbler Aug. 19 at LundyCanyon, Mono Co. (DAG,DW) providedonly the
secondregionalinterior recordand 12 coastal
sightingswasa regionalhigh. The 196coastal
Palm Warblerseclipsedthe 1974recordby 30
and considering
the extensiveunbirdedcoastal scrubhabitatin the Regionthis specieswas
probablythe mostcommonwarbleralongthe
immediatecoast in late Septemberuntil the
arrival of Yellow-rumpedsin early October.
An inland Ovenbird skulked around a back-
yard in Chico Oct. 2 ($Lynn Thomas. IS);
establishinga first fall interior record. A N.
Waterthrush wassbtging at Pine Cr. Wildlife
Area. Butte Co., Aug. 14-21 (SAD. Single
Mourning Warblerswere bandedand photographedat F.1., Sept. 14 ($PH) and 23 ($DS)
and one was studied at the Fish Docks Sept.
27-30 ('•RS,'•JM,IDRo,'•J EJL,DDeS,S FB,DE
et aLL SingleHoodedWarblerswereat Muir
Woods, Marin Co., Sept. 23 (Peter Vickery,
mits. MacGillivray'salsoshowedpeak'sonethird to one-half below the last three years;
Jim Lane}and at MossBeachSept. 26 (tPM).
whereasthey were in exceptionalnumbersat
H.N.A. (DDeS,BE).Alsoat Dog I., Orange-
Yreka, SiskiyouCo., Nov. 7 (RE) and two were
seencoastallyat the Carmel R. mouth Nov. 18
erownedswere double normal in August and
normal in Septemberand October;Nashvilles
(DE). Inland Am. RedstartsoccurredSept. 3
at Lundy Canyon(DE). Sept. 8 at Mines Rd.,
wereslightlybelownormalin Augustwith the
lastseenSept.S; Yellowsweredoubleaverage
in Augustand normalin September;Wilson's
wereaveragein Augustand belowaveragein
Alameda Co. (AE). and Oct. 3-7 at Fresno
(RH).
September.
Three Bobolinks appeared inland at Tule
Lake N.W.R., Sept. 19 {$SS}and 17 coastally
Sept. 18 - Oct. 14 {m.ob.}.This waswell above
averagefor fall. The only coastal report of
Fairhaven, Humboldt
The firsl migrant Cedar Waxwings were
seenAug. 18 at F.I. and one Sepl. I tbllowed
by nine Oct. 6. were seen at H.N.A. (DDeS.
BE}. beingveryscarceon the Sierrancrest.In
addition three iramatures,although able to
fly, were seensitting on a nest in a willow/
alderpatchat Field'sLanding.HumboldtCo.,
Sept. l0 (DA). Eleven Phainopeplaswere at
Green Warblers
Ranch, P.R.N.S., Oct. 16 ($JM,JRi) and Oct.
27 at the Carmel P• mouth (RS et al. ). An imm.
tion in our area with perhapsthe best-ever
coverageand reportingfrom coastalragram
traps, and as usual only sparsecoverageof
Beside the sheer number
24, 1979. Photo/AI Ghiorso.
at F.L, Sept. 24 (*PH,$DS). Single Black-
WarblerwasinlandAug. 19at LundyCanyon,
of warblers the
seasonalso producedmany outstandingrarities.A cYProthonotaryWarbler wasobserved
closelyat Afio Nuevo, San Mateo Co., Nov. 3
(lPaul O'Brien},for a sixthregionalrecord.A
stunningcYGolden-wingedWarbler graced
White Wagtail, Santa Cruz Co., Calif., Aug.
SingleTownsend'sX Hermit Warbler hybrids
Co., Oct. 8-IS
(PS,
'•RLeV et al.) for the seventhregionalrecord.
Inland a TennesseeWarbler was at CrowIcy
L, Mono Co., Sept. 2 (Keith Axelson).The
first gray-headed celata Orange-crowned
Warbler was reported Sept. 14 at Drake's
Beach,P.R.N.S., and of 24 Orange-crowneds
seen Sept. 14 - Nov. 30+ in coastal Marin
County,50% werethecdata type(JE).
SingleVirginia's WarblersoccurredSept.
2-S at F.L. Sept.6-9 at Fairhaven(RLeV,LD),
and Oct. 24-26 at the Carmel R. (Ron Bran-
son. JL). A Lucy's Warbler was at F.I., Nov.
2-3. A singingN. Parula wasat Pine Cr. Wild-
life Area,ButteCo., Aug. 17- Sept.7 (SAL).A
veryearly "Audubon's"Warblerwasat Pajaro
Dunes, Santa Cruz Co.. Aug. 27 (PM) and
A late interior
ICTERIDS
Wilson's
THROUGH
Warbler
was near
TANAGERS
--
Yellow-headed Blackbird was of one at Mendora Ranch, P.R.N.S., Oct. 2 (TBe), but
35,000_+Nov. 15 at Sacramento N.W.R. {SAD
wastruly amazingand probablyconstitutesa
large percentageof the n. Californiapopulation. FiveOrchardOriolesappearedalongthe
coast Sept. 8 - Oct. 9 {m.ob.}. Two late N.
(Bullock's} Orioles were at Pacific Grove Nov.
24 {JL,RS,DDeS,JE}. Single N. (Baltimore}
Orioles were at Nunes Ranch Sept. 19 and
Pacific Grove Oct. 27 - Nov. 18 {RS et aL ).
Great-tailed Grackles staged a miniinvasionwith sightingsat three locations:the
original regional sightingin San Francisco,
and more recentones,was thoughtto pertain
to a male and female seen separatelyand
together at a blackbird roost at Walton
Square,S.F., Sept. 13 - Oct. 25 {DE); a male
was at Gray Lodge S.W.M.A., Nov. 11-28
{BED et al.}; and a male was seen mid-
major influxes occurredwith 150 at Honey L.,
September to at least Nov. 17 at Sacramento
Oct. 6 (SAL,KC,KVV)
N.W.R.
and 50 on outer Pt.
ReyesOct. 9 (RS,IF). An early Townsend's
Warbler reachedH.N.A., Aug. 4 (DDeS,BE)
(SAL. KC,
Paul Vittori
et aLL A
ord; one solitarius was considereda very rare
coaslal vagrant Sept. 24 at Nunes Ranch.
and one was at Brisk Cr., Butte Co., Nov. 28
brilliant cYHepaticTanagerwasat F.I., Nov.
I I for the fifth regional record {'•PH}. The
Region'ssixth recordof ScarletTanager was
P.R.N.S.
providing a late record for the Sierra (IS).
providedby an adult female banded at Palo-
198
(RS.$JE),
and
a
cassbtii was
American
Birds,
March
1980
regular, but has not previously been documented. Single Lesser Goldfinches at
H.N.A.. Aug. 2 & Sept. 6 were at a very high
elevation (DDeS.BE).
Male Hepatic Tanager, s.e. Farallon L,
Calif., Nov. 11, 1979.Photo/PhilHenderson.
A t• Lawrence's Gold-
mer Tanager frequented Lands End, S.F.,
Aug. 29 - Sept. 28 (AHet al.).
FRINGILLIDS
--
Twelve
Rose-breasted
GrosbeakswereseencoastallyAug. 2 - Oct. 13
(m.ob.); this is above averagefor fall. Single
out-of-place Blue Grosbeaks were at F.I.,
Aug. 22 and Sept. S. and more notablyat the
Mad R., Humboldt Co., Sept. 25 (RLeV).
Coastallysix Indigo Buntings were observed
Aug. 16 - Oct. 31 (m.ob.) and a singingmale
was near Hamilton City, Butte Co., Aug. l0 &
16 (SAL): this is well aboveaveragefor fall. A
La7uli Bunting Sept. 13 at H.N.A. (BE) was
well above it's normal altitudinal range. An
ad. g?Painted Bunting in very worn plumage
was banded and photographedat F.I., Sept.
28 (tPH,tDS). This was only the second
regionalrecord. A Dickcisselwasat F.I., Aug.
29.
EveningGrosbeaksstageda minor invasion
into interior
and coastal lowlands this fall
(m.ob.). Purple Finches were noted in good
numberscoastally.and a female in Lee Vining, Mono Co., Nov. 13 (DAG) providedone
of very few Great Basin records.Three Pine
Grosbeaks at Lassen Volcano N.P., Tehema
Co.. Oct. 31 (SAL,KO were n. of their expected
range.Pine Siskinsweregenerallyreportedin
moderate
numbers.
American
Goldfinches
23 (SAL,DS,KC).
encountersof this speciesat Palomarin Sept.
26 - Oct. 26 was surprisingas no other sightingswerereportedin the area despitemassive
coverage.Red Crossbillswere seenin moderate numberscoastally.Four Brown Towhoes
were near Tule Lake N.W.R., Sept. 14 (SS);
this species'statuse. of the Shasta Valley is
poorly known. Single Lark Buntings visited
F.I., Sept. 20 & 24-25 and the Pt. Reyes
nah Sparrowswere one at Gardisky L., Mono
Co., at 10,S00 ft, Aug. l0 (BE) and sevenat
H.N.A., Sept. 14-27(BE). A late Grasshopper
Sparrowwasat F.I.. Nov. 29. A VesperSparrow Sept.24 at H.N.A. (BE) wasat a veryhigh
elevationbut a Lark Sparrowwas more out of
place there Aug. 23 (DDeS). Three Blackthroated Sparrowswereat F.I., Sept. I I - Nov.
22.
A SageSparrowwasat the Pt. ReyesLighthouseSept. 27-29 (RS et al.); sightingson the
immediate coast are very rare. Coastal Tree
Sparrowswere seen at Nunes Ranch Oct. 20
(RS), at F.I.. Nov. 8, and the "Road Forks
Pool," Pt. ReyesNov. IS (RS.JE).A late Chipping Sparrowwasat Auburn, PlacerCo.. Nov.
4 (MA). It was a banner fall for Clay-colored
Sparrowswith 13 coastallySept. 20 - Nov. 22
(m.ob.)in additionto 16at F.I., Aug.31 - Nov.
14. Five Brewer'sSparrowswere seen along
the coast Sept. 5 - Oct. 16 (m.ob.) and an
interestingmigrantwas at CastleCrags S.P.,
SiskiyouCo.. Aug. 17 {DM). The only Harris'
Sparrow reported was at Nunes Ranch Oct. 5
(CH,DRu). Twenty-twoWhite-throatedSparrowswere reportedSept. 27 - Nov. 18 {m.ob.).
A Fox Sparrow at Land's End Sept. 4 (JRi)
was early as was a Lincoln'sSparrowat Dog
I., Aug. 29 (SAL,KC). Eight SwampSparrows
were recordedat tbur coastalsitesSept. 28 Nov. 14 (m.ob.) and one wasat HoneyL.. Oct.
SOUTHERN
recordsfor most speciesnormally found only
along the coast. The checking of "vagrant
traps" alongthe coastand out in the desertis
COAST
/Guy McCaskie
The weather remained relatively stable
along the southern Pacific Coast throughout
the fall with no major stormsfrom the north.
No major movementsof birds were evident,
althoughclearly a steadystream of migrants
was passingthroughthe Regionmuch of the
time. A minor influxof nuthatches
wasthe only
indication any mountain specieswas on the
9, 23. and 27 at H.N.A., were well above their
usualhaunts(DDeS,BE). Lapland Longspurs
still the mostpopularpursuitof many active
birdersin the Region,and it is probablethat
everyvagrantstoppingat someof the regularly
workedspots(e.g.,Gaviota)isfoundand identified. As suchthe recordsof somespeciesformerly unrecorded in California (e.g., Claycolored Sparrow), are too numerous to cite
individually,
and we end up with a falseimpression of their status in California.
Such are the
uals of any of our sporadicvisitorsfrom the
problemsin preparing a seasonalreport for a
Region harboring 435 species,75 of which
wereconsideredcasualor accidentalthis past
north were encountered.
fall.
move, and no more than one or two individ-
The exploration of new areas offshore
resulted in the discoveryof two speciesnew to
California, and added to our knowledgeof
pelagic bird distribution. Continued interest
in shorebirds,with someareas(e.g., McGrath
S.P.) receivingdaily coverage,resultedin the
discoveryof many rarities, along with inland
Volume
34,Number
2
on the coast
Oct. 30 provideda first record for the Mono
Basin (DAG, Dean Taylor). Groups of two-six
Chestnut-collared
Longspurswereat the Hall
6 (KVV,SAL,KC). SingleSongSparrowsAug.
PACIFIC
numbers
Sonoma Co. (JP, KVV) was of interest and four
wereconsiderednumerouswith flocksof up to
20 in the Mono Basin during October and
November (DAG); this too may prove to be
REGION
in moderate
finch feedinga juvenileAug. 9 at SalmonCr.,
Lighthouse
Oct. 6 (RS).High elevationSavanmarin Oct. 15 ('•DDeS et al.). An ad. (5 Sum-
occurred
and in the Great Basinwith peaksof 15 on Pt.
ReyesOct. 28-31 (JM,RS),20 flyingoverArcata
Oct. I l (RLeV), and 40-S0 at Honey L., Nov.
LOONS,
However one at Mono L.,
Ranch, P.R.N.S., Oct. 14-31 (m.ob.): Salmon
Cr., Sonoma Co., Nov. 2-5 (BJM,BDPjM);
and Mono L., Oct. 12-30(DAG, Dean Taylor).
The only SnowBuntingreportedwasat F.I.,
Oct. 22 & 25.
CONTRIBUTORS
--
Dave
Anderson.
Walt Anderson.Maurine Armour, StephenF.
Bailey.BerniceBarnes(BBal, Gordon Beebe,
Bob Behrstock (BBel, Ted Beedy (TBel,
Laurence
C.
Binford.
William
Bousman
(WBol. Betty Burridge (BBul. Karen Cartier,
Jim Cleaves, Billy CIow. Howard Cogswell.
Alan M. Craig, Dave DeSante (DDeSI. Bruce
E. Deuel, Linda Doerflinger, Art Edwards,
David H. Edwards, Ray Ekstrom, Doug Ellis
(DEll, AndrewEngles(AEnl. Brett Engstrom,
Dick Erickson, Jules Evens, Lynn Farrar.
Gary Friedrickson, David A. Gaines, Steve
Getty, John G. Hall, Keith Hansen, Ron Hansen, John G. Hewston, Craig Hohenberger,
Alan Hopkins,JoelHornstein,BettyKimball.
StephenA. Laymort, Ron LeValley, Sue and
Jim Liskovec, John Lovio, John Luther (JLu).
Los Angeles Audubon Society, Brian J.
McCaffery, Jim Matzinger (JMa). Peter
Metropulos,Mabel E. Mires, JoeMorlan, Dan
Murphy, Dan Nelson.Fran Nelson,Benjamin
D. Parmeter.JohnParmeter.Point ReyesBird
Observatory,JeanRichmond(JRi), Mike Rippey. Mike Robbins, Elsie Rocmer (ERol, Don
Roberson(DRo), Jim Royer, Dave Rudholm
(DRu), Barry Sauppe (BSa), Don Schmoldt
(DES),
Dave Shuford,
Jim Snowden, Paul
Springer, Rich Stallcup, Chris Stromsness
(CSt), Steve Summers, Chris Swarth (CSw),
Kent Van Vuren, John& Ricky Warriner, Jeff
Wilcox, David Winkler,
Jori Winter,
Keiko
Yamane, Bob and Carol Yutzy. -- STEPHEN
A. LAYMON, 132A W. 19th, Chico, CaliL
95926, and W. DAVID SHUFORD, Box 781,
BodegaBay, Calif. 94923.
Pt. Mugu, Ventura Co., Nov. 18-25(REW). A
Horned Grebe at Oasis, Mono Co.. Oct. 30
(DLD) wasfar inland and awayfrom any large
bodyof water.
ALBATROSSES,
SHEARWATERS,
STORM-PF7fRELS -- Up to four BlackfootedAlbatrosses/daywereencounteredduring trips far off Morro Bay in late November,
indicatingsmall numbers present in these
waters. Northern Fulmars were present offshore in Novemberwith 36 off Morro Bay
Nov. 17 (REW)
and five off La Jolla. San
Diego Co., Nov. 4 (DPo), suggestinga movement into s. California
waters. A Flesh-footed
Shearwater
offMorroBay.Nov.24 (REW)was
GREBES
--
An
Arctic
Loon,
decidedlyrare inland, wasnear Lancaster,Los
AngelesCo., Nov. 10 (BBl. SingleRed-necked
Grebes,rare in s. California, were at Refugio
S.P., Santa Barbara Co., Nov. 3 (PL), Goleta,
Santa Barbara Co., Nov. 16-30+ (LB) and at
the only one sighted this fall. Three New
Zealand Shearwatersoff Morro Bay Nov. 17
(GMcC) were somewhat late. Three or four
Short-tailedShearwatersoff Morro Bay Nov.
17-30+ (REW) were expected, the species
occurringin late fall and early winter. Manx
Shearwaterswererelativelynumerouscloseto
199
shore in the s. part of the Region during
November,with a high count of 11,700made
from La Jolla Nov. 14 (AH). but 30 seen from
Pt. Mugu Nov. 25 (REW) were the only ones
reportedn. of LosAngeles.
Two
Fork-tailed
Storm-Petrels at Davidson Seamount
Dec. 1
(REW) were near the s.
limit of the species'
normalrange Although
Leach's
Storm-Petrels
are regarded as relativelycommonoff San
Diego in September, i.e., 95 seen there
Sept. 9 (GMcC), few
records
exist
for
s.
California waters in late
fall; hence, the presence of 20 at Davidson
Seamount Dec. 1 (JD)
was of interest. A dead
Cook's Petrel (Pterodroma cookii), Davidson Seamount, Nov. 17, 1979. The clean
white underparts, with no black markings on
the undersides of the wings, as well as the
pale gray coloration of the head (black confined to a small mark around the eye) are all
visible in this picture. The upperside of the
bird was the samepale gray as the top of the
head with a bold blackish W pattern across
the wings.Photo/Jeri M. Langham.
S.A.
The most startlingevent of the season
was the discoveryof Cookilaria petrels
within 100 mi of shore. After learning of
six sightingsof Pterodroma petrels 100200 mi out during oceanicsurveywork in
early October(GFr,RLP), a boat waschartered to explorethe watersaround Davidsou Seamount (35ø44'N, 122ø43'W), 65_+
mi s.w. of Pt. Sur in the extreme n.w. cor-
ner of this Region. On Nov. 17, seven
Cookilaria petrds were seen.three being
identified as Cook's Petrels (Pterodroma
cookiD and one as Slejneger's Petrel
(Pterodroma longirostris)(GMcC,JD,RS),
with oneCook'sPetrelphotographed
(DR
ph., S.D.N.H.M.). On Nov. 24, sevenmore
Cookilaria petrelswere seen,two of which
were clearly Cook's Petrels (REW) and
Dec.
I another
Cook's
Petrel
was iden-
titled at Davidson Seamount (GMcC). Addi-
tional work is necessary
to determinewhen
and if thesebirds occurregularly in this
area.This is a newareafor explorationby
hardy observersable to cope with long
periodsaboardsmall boats.
Although these sightingsconstitutethe
first recordsfor both speciesin California
it is significantto note Cook's Petrel regularlyreachesthe North Pacific,occurring
off Baja Californiawheresometimes
termed
"common"
(L. M.
Loomis, Proc. Cal.
Acad. Sci., 4th ser., Vol. II, pt. 2:93-94,
1918and J. R. Jehl,pers.comm.), and that
Stejneger'sPetrel alsocrosses
the equator,
having been collectedca., 600 mi off c.
California (J. Moffitt. Auk, 55:255-256,
1938). The inclusion of Pterodroma !eu-
Ashy Storm-Petrelwas
found
on a street
in
Goleta Nov. 9 (JG); it is
rare for any storm-
petrelto ventureinland.
A Galapagos StormPetrel, only the fourth to be reported in
California, was seen briefly at Davidson Seamount Dec. I (REW,LB).
Least Storm-Petrels
were relativelycommonoff the s. half of the
Regionin Septemberas indicatedby 3200off
SanDiegoSept.8 (GMcC), but a countof nine
off Ventura Sept. 8 (REM) and 35 off Santa
Barbara the same day LID) suggestnumbers
did not go too far n.: two off San Diego Oct.
22 (DPo) werethe latestthis year.
TROPICBIRDS,
PELICANS,
FRIGATE-
BIRDS -- The only Red-billedTropicbirds
reportedwereonenear San ClementeI., Sept.
16 (CGE), and singlebirds at 3Sand 6Smi off
Pt. Arguello, Santa Barbara Co., Sept. 30
(GEt). A Red-failed Tropicbird. a species
unrecorded
in NorthAmericanwaterspriorto
this year, was seenal 34øS8'N,122ø36'W9S
mi off Pt. Buchou.San Luis ObispoCo., Oct.
7 (GFr,RLP) with three others noted 100-200
mi off the coastSept. 30 - Oct. 8. Brown Pelicansreachedpeak numbersat the SaltonSea
in mid-Augustwith 86 countedAug. 11 (PU),
and SO_+
still presentat the end of September;
one flying N over Daggett, San Bernardino
Co., Sept.20 (RR) waswellout intothe Mojave
Desert, and another on a street in Rancho
Western
Bird
Guide
and
A
Field
Guide to WesternBirds)as a specieshaving occurred "600 miles off San Francisco" is an error resulting from nomenclature revisions, and should be corrected
to Stejneger'sPetrd, there being no such
recordfor White-winged(Gould's)Petrel.
alongwith singlebirdsat McGrath S.P.,Aug.
13 (RL), 21 (REW) and Sepl.14 (KC) wereof
interestsince few are now found along the
coast n. of Los Angeles. Am. imm. Wood
Stork around Harbor
L, in San Pedro, Los
Angeles
Co., Sept.18 - Oct. 19 (DA) apparently
movedto Whittier Nov. 1-17 (KC). This speciesis now accidentalalongthe coastof California,although
formerlyof annualoccurrence.
SWANS. GEESE, DUCKS -- The only
Whistling Swans reported away from the
Owens Valley were three at Furnace Creek
Ranch in Death Valley (hereafter, F.C.R.),
Nov. 24 (LLN) and what were probablythe
samethreebirdsat SaratogaSpringsNov. 26
(LLN). Six White-fronted Geese, now rare
along the coast, were at the Santa Maria R.
mouth, Santa Barbara Co., Nov. 23 (REW)
and eight were at L. HenshawNov. 13 (RH). A
Ross'Gooseat Tecopa,Inyo Co., Nov. 21 (JT)
wasone of a veryfew everreportedin the n.e.
portion of the Region. A Eur. Wigeon at
McGrath
S.P., Oct. 28-30 (REW), another at
Pt. Mugu Oct. 28 (REW) and a third on L.
Henshaw Nov. 13 (RH) were the first for the
at an unusual location. Sightingsof Magnificent Frigatebirds
from alongthe coastdeclined
sharply after the first week of August with
winter. A c5 Tufted Duck on Quail L, near
Gorman, Los AngelesCo., Nov. 10-30+ (BB)
singlesat McGrath S.P.,VenturaCo., Sept.6
(LS), Malibu, Los AngelesCo., Sept. 26 (TF)
and off La Jolla Oct. 29 (AH) the latest. At the
Salton Sea three were still presentSept. 23
(GMcC) after record numbers occurred there
in July and August. Five over L. Cuyamacain
the LagunaMts., Aug. 2 ORS),oneovernearby
L. HenshawSept. 5 (PU) and another at L.
Hodges Sept. 7 (JMcN) were all at inland
localitiesin San Diego County.
HERONS, STORKS --A
Little Blue Heron
in San DiegoAug. 25 (DDS) wasone of very
fewadultsreportedin fall. Two imm. Reddish
Egretsappearedin the San Diego area Aug.
19 (CGE,D&BS) with one remainingto Sept.
26 (CGE) and the other still presentOct. 26
(AH). The ad. Louisiana Heron at the north
end of the Salton Sea (hereafter, N.E.S.S.) was
200
ter. A Least Bittern in Goleta Nov. 4 (LRB)
Bernardo.SanDiegoCo.,Aug. 2S0MEN) was
copterain two popularfield guides(Audubon
last seenSept. IS (SO); oneon SanDiego Bay
Oct. 31 (D&BS)wasthe firstof fivearrivingin
the SanDiegoareawherea few regularlywin-
wasprobablythe sameindividualthat spent
lastwinterthere.A •?Barrow'sGoldeneye
at
F.C.R., Nov. 22 (GMcC) was the third to be
foundhere in four years,suggesting
that the
species
is otherthan accidentalat thislocality.
An Oldsquaw,scarcein s. California,was at
the Santa Maria R. mouth Nov. 23-30+ (LB),
another was in Goleta Nov. 4-15 (LB), a third
was in Santa Barbara Nov. 18-30+ (LRB), a
fourthwas at Oceanside,San DiegoCo., Nov.
I (H&NS) and a fifth wasseenflyingS off La
Jolla Nov. 9 (AH). The c• HarlequinDuck
remainedin Carlsbad throughoutthe fall,
havingbeenpresentsince1977.White-winged
Seoters were much more numerous than usual
after the firsl appeared in late October, with
228 at Pt. Mugu Nov. 22 (REW) and 32 at
Huntington BeachPier Nov. 26 (R&MW). The
first Black Scoters of the fall were three at Pt.
Mugu Nov. 3 (REW) with small numbers
notedalongthe entirecoastthereafter.
American
Birds,
March1980
HAWKS
-- A Whlte-tafied
Kite at the Mt
the south end of the Salton Sea (hereafter,
PalomarObservatory,SanDiegoCo., Sept.14
(RH) was at a high elevation. An imm.
Goshawkat F.C.R., Nov. 4 (JD) was the only
onereportedin the n.e.portionof the Region.
As usual a few Broad-wingedHawks were
S.E.S.S.) Aug. 4 (DPa) were at an inland
locality where small numbersare reported
everyyear, but one near LancasterJuly 29 Aug. 2 (FH) and anotherthereAug. 11 (JD)
found with one at Bakers Dam, Joshua Tree
The only Red Knots found on the Salton
Sea weretwo Aug. 11 (PU) and anotherAug.
18 (H&PB), but one was near LancasterAug.
11 (DLD) and another at L. Hodges Sept. 7
(GMcC); this speciesis regularon the Salton
Seabut casualelsewhereawayfrom the coast.
Nat'l Mon., Sept. 14 (LJ) and another at
F C.R.. Oct. 24 (REW) beinginland, and one
m Goleta Oct. 29 (PL), one in Santa Barbara
Oct. 15 (LRB), another near Oxnard Oct. 12
(REW), one in Rosemead,Los AngelesCo.,
Nov. 21-22 (KG), and singleson Pt. Loma
(CGE) and Imperial Beach(DPA), San Diego
Co., Oct. 15 beingalongthe coast.Most inter-
esting were two concentrationsof migrant
Swainson's Hawks, 500-500 over the Edmin-
stonPump Stationat the s.end of the SanJoaquin Valley Oct. 26 (J.K.Bachman,fidePHB)
and 200 goingto roostnearTemecula,Riverside Co., Oct. 27 (JRJ);numbersof thesemagnitudeshave not been reportedin California
m 15 years.The breedingZone-tailedHawks
found on Santa Rosa Mt.. were not seen after
early August and the nestingis believedto
have failed. An ad. Zone-tailed
Hawk seen
near Poway,San Diego Co., Sept. 3 (JMcC)
wasbelievedmigrating.A FerruginousHawk
near SantaMaria Sept. 10 (LB) wasthe earliest reportedthis fall, and the specieswas
found in suitable habitat throughout the
Regionby mid-October.
were the first records for that area.
A Sanderlingnear Daggett Oct. 3 (EAC).
threenear LancasterAug. 11 (JD)and another
on L. HodgesAug. 17 (GMcC) were inland;
few are found inland away from the Salton
Sea. SemipalmatedSandpiperswere again
found this fall with one at LancasterJuly 31 -
Aug. 2 (KG), up to two nearthereAug. 4-11
(FH), one or two at McGrath S.P., Aug. 20-23
(REW), up to three there Aug. 30 - Sept. 6
(REW), one or two ther Sept. 20-23 (REW),
one near Oxnard Aug. 30 (DLD) and another
there Sept.11 (REW); it isbecomingapparent
that small numbersmovethrough California
in Augustand September,all to date being
immature.Baird'sSandpipers
passedthrough
the Regionin fair numbersduringAugustand
September
with 180_+
beingreported,withtwo
Sept 23 (REW) and another there Oct 14
(REW), and the eighth in San Pedro Oct 4-8
(MH ph.,S.D.N.H.M.) alongwith one inland
near Lancaster Oct. 3 (REW). An influx of
Red Phalaropeswas noted in October when
small numbers were found along the entire
coast, 43 around Santa Maria Oct. 27 (PL)
and 35 at McGrath S.P., Nov. 2 (REW) were
the largestconcentrations
reported,and most
had left by late November.
JAEGERS, SKUAS -- Parasitic Jaegers
were apparently constantly present at
N.E.S.S.,Sept. 20 - Nov. 13 (LJ) with a high
count of six there Sept. 23 (GMcC); this
speciesoccursregularly on the Salton Sea
each fall but is accidental elsewhereaway
from the coast.It was a goodfall for Longtailed Jaegerswith two off Oxnard Sept 8
(REW), one off San Diego the same day
(GMcC), three off San Diego Sept.9 (JD) and
anotherthereSept.16 (CGE).A S. PolarSkua
6 mi off San DiegoOct. 4 (DPo) wasin an area
where rare in fall and another at Davidson
Seamount Nov. 17 (GMcC)
was somewhat
late.
GULLS, TERNS, SKIMMERS
-- An ad
rence, and establishedone of the few modern-
Aug. 29 - Nov.7 (PL,REW),but onlya hand-
Glaucous-winged
Gull at Goleta Sept. 19 (PL)
and anotherat McGrath S.P., Sept. 29 (REW)
were the first of the winteringpopulationto
arrive. A Herring Gull in San Diego Sept 23
(EC) was the earliestone reportedthis fall,
and oneon L. Palmdalein the AntelopeValley
Oct. 20 (JD) was one of the very few found
inland away from the Salton Sea in this
Region.A Mew Gull at McGrath S.P., Oct 12
(REW) wasa little ontheearlyside.As usuala
dayrecordsof this species
onthe coastalslope
ful could be found to the s. in San Diego
few Franklin's
of s. California.
County;significantsightings
included14 at L.
reportedSept. 20 - Nov. 30. An imm. Sabme's
Gull on L. Tinnemaha in the Owen's Valley
Oct. 3 (REW) and another at N.E.S.S.. Sept
23 (GMcC) were both far inland, the species
being exceptionallyrare away from the open
at McGrath S.P., Oct. 13 (REW) the latest. A
Sharp-tailedSandpiperin Goleta Sept. 19
(PL) and two at Pt. Mugu Oct. 13-14 (REW)
were the only ones found despitetime spent
CRANES -- A Sandhill Crane flying over
five at San Jacinto L., Riverside Co., Nov. 17
searchingfor this rare stragglerfrom Asia.
Good numbersof Pectoral Sandpiperswere
foundalongthe coastn. of LosAngeles,with
(EAC)wereawayfrom areasof normaloccur-
450+ in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties
Burbank,Los AngelesCo., Nov. 28 (JBr)and
Henshaw in the mountains of San Diego
SHOREBIRDS
--
One
or
two
Black
Oystercatcherswere at Pt. Mugu Sept. 14 Oct. 20 (KC,REW) and up to threewereonPt.
CountyOct. 7 (RH); one at Baker, San Bernardino Co., Nov. 12 (EAC) was late for an
LomaSept.15 - Nov. 16(CGE);thisspecies
is
inlandlocality,and onein GoletaNov. 24-25
(JG) was exceptionallylate for anywherein
rare on the coasts. of San Luis ObispoCounty,
California. A Curlew Sandpiper at McGrath
althoughcommonon mostoffshoreislands.A
Mountain Ploverat F.C.R., Sept. 1 (GMcC)
wasexceptionallyearly;onenear SantaMaria
Oct. 7 0D) alongwith 25_+individualsin the
S.P., Sept.27-28 (REW) wasonlythe second
found in this Region. As usual a few Stilt
Sandpipers
wereat the SaltonSeawith a high
count of 12 at S.E.S.S., Aug. 19 0D). However,the speciesis rare awayfrom that area;
Ventura area Oct. 7 - Nov. 2 (REW) and two
in Carson,LosAngelesCo., Oct. 27 (BB) were
of interestasthe species
is nowrarelynotedas
a migrant on the coastaway from San Diego
County.A fair numberof Am. GoldenPlovers
movedS alongthe PacificCoastwith at least
20 in SantaBarbaraCountyAug. 19 - Oct. 10
(PL), 37 on the coastof Ventura CountyAug.
31 - Nov. 2 (REW) and five aroundSan Diego
hence, the occurrence of one in Lancaster
Sept.23 - Oct. 26 (PU);one30 min. of Blythe,
cated a more widespread movement than
usual. A Stilt Sandpiper at Pt. Mugu Nov.
18-30+ (REW) wasbelievedwintering.
For the secondconsecutiveyear significant
R•versideCo., Oct. 18 (BA) and another at L.
HodgesNov.4 (EC) wereinland.A flockof 27
Am. Golden
Plovers near Santa Maria
Nov.
23-30+ (LB) and eight at Pt. Mugu Nov.
18-30+ (REW) were believedwintering. An
Upland Sandpiperat Pt. Mugu Sept.9 (REW)
wasonlythe third foundduringfall in s. California. In additionto the normal scatteringof
SolitarySandpipers
throughoutthe e. portion
of the Region during August and early September, larger-than-normal numbers were
encounteredalongthe coastwith 17 in Santa
Barbara CountyAug. 15 - Sept. 30 (PL), 33 in
Ventura CountyAug. 11 - Sept. 23 (REW), at
leastfour in Los AngelesCountyin the same
period(KG) and 20 in San DiegoCountyAug.
5 - Sept. 23 (PU). Three Ruddy Turnstonesat
Volume34, Number2
Aug. 2 (JD), anothernearbyAug. 6 (JD). two
near Bard in the ColoradoR. Valley Aug. 17
(SG), one in Goleta Sept. 4 (PL), one at
McGrath S.P., Sept. 2 (REW), anothernear
Oxnard Sept. 7-11 (LS), five differentbirds at
Pt. Mugu Sept. 15-30 (REW) and one near
Carlsbad, San Diego Co., Aug. 9 (EC) indi-
numbersof Buff-breasted
Sandpipers
occurred
along the coast with four at McGrath S.P.,
Sept. 6 (DLD), at least sevennear Oxnard
Sept. 16-18(TC), anotherthere Sept.23 - Oct.
6 (REW), onenearImperial BeachOct. 9 (EC)
and two exceptionallylate birds there Oct.
12-22(DPa); prior to lastfall onlysixhad been
recorded in this Region. Eight Ruffs were
found alongthe coastwith one at the Santa
MariaR. mouthSept.14-18(PLph.,S.D.N.H.M.)
one near SantaMaria Sept.30 - Oct. 2 (PL).
one at McGrath S.P., Sept. 2-7 (DLD) being
joined by a secondSept. 7 (REW), two at Pt.
Mugu Sept.15 (REW) with oneremainingto
Gulls
were
found
with
11
ocean.
A Gull-billed Tern at N.E.S.S., Nov. 21 (LJ)
wasquite late. CommonTernsoccurin large
numberson the Salton Sea everyfall, but are
rarelyreportedfrom elsewhere
inland;hence,
smallnumbers(max.five Sept.2) aroundLancasterAug. 11 - Sept. 30 (KG) alongwith two
on L. HodgesAug. 5 (GMcC) and another
there Sept.2-15 (DPa)were of interest.Eleven
LeastTerns on San Diego Bay Sept. 16 (AH)
were the last seen. A Black Skimmer
at Pt
Mugu Aug. 25 (REW) followedby two more
Sept. 16 (REW) werethe only onesfound on
the coastawayfrom SanDiego.
ALCIDS
-- Common
Murres
moved into s
California this fall with 80 off Pt. Mugu Nov
22 (REW) and up to six off La JollaOct. 28 Nov. 2 (AH). A Marbled Murrelet near Morro
Bay Nov. 3 (EVJ) and another in San Diego
Nov. 29 (SD), alongwith an AncientMurrelet
in San Diego Sept. 8 (PU) were the first of
manyto reachthe coastin an unprecedented
influx. Two Xantus' Murrelets off Morro Bay
Nov. 17 (REW) were of interest since few rec-
ordsexistfor this time of year.There wereonly
16 Craveri'sMurrelets reported,35 mi w of
Pt. Piedras Blancas. San Luis Obispo Co,
Oct. 1 (GFr).
PIGEONS
THROUGH
HUMMING-
BIRDS -- A Band-tailedPigeonon Pt. Loma
Sept. 7 (CGE) wassomedistancefrom an area
201
of normal
occurrence.
As usual a few White-
wingedDovesstrayedW to the coastwith ten
reported between Santa Barbara and San
Diego Aug. 21 - Nov. 20. Unexpectedwere
single Ground Doves at F.C.R., Oct. 10
(REW) and 25-28 (LLN), along with one in
San PedroOct. 28 (FH), and anotherin nearby
Westwood Nov. 23 (FH); F.C.R. is n. of the
species' normal range and few have been
found in the Los Angelesarea. Two Yellowbilled Cuckoosnear TecopaAug. 25, with one
still presentSept.17 (JT)werebelievedto have
nestedlocally.A Long-earedOwl at Gaviota,
3-30+ (PL); with more observersaware of the
Nuthatches were more numerous and wide-
field characters
spread indicatinga moderateflight into s.
California.Up to three PygmyNuthatchesin
of this bird we have had an
increase in the numbers reported, and it is
now known to be a regular straggler to California. A d Williamsoh'sSapsuckeron CuyamacaMt., San DiegoCo., Nov. 15 (AH) wass.
of the species' breeding range. A Downy
Woodpecker al Holiday L., in the Antelope
Valley Oct. 20 - Nov. 10 (KG) wasoutsidethe
species'known range in California. A Nuttall's WoodpeckernearOxnard Nov. 2 (REW)
had
wandered
somewhat
from
the
nearest
knownlocalityof occurrence.
of 25 Short-eared
Owls near the Santa Maria
R. mouth Nov. 23-30+ (LB) was a significant
concentration.Reports of Poor-willsbelieved
to be migrantsincludedtwo in GaviotaOct. 7
(GFu), one in Goleta Aug. 27 (PL), one near
FLYCATCHERS,
SWALLOWS --
An' E.
Kingbird at F.C.R., Sept. 1 (GMcC) and one
found dead at Harper Dry L., San Bernardino
Co., Sept.30 (EAC) werethe onlytwo l¾omthe
e. portion of the Region; one in Carpinteria,
Santa BarbaraCo., Sept.5-7 (PL) alongwith
Oxnard Nov. 4 (REW) and another on Pt. Fermin Oct. 8 (BD). A Black Swift over Fillmore
one in Escondido, San Diego Co., Sept. 22
Sept. 1 (REW) wasthe only migrant reported.
Five Broad-billedHummingbirds were found
with a male 20 min. of BlytheSept. 30 - Nov.
few Tropical Kingbirds appeared along the
coast with 16 reported between Morro Bay
and San DiegoSept. 15 - Nov. 10. A W. Kingbird in E1 Monte Oct. 31 was quite late. A
Sulphur-hellledFlycatcheron Pt. Loma Oct. 7
(CC) was only the third ever found in California. A Great CrestedFlycatcher,an exceptionally rare stragglerto California,was in Santa
30+ (SC), another male in Cabazon, Riverside
Co., Sept.24 (LJ),a femalein GayiotaOct. 10 Nov. 30+ (LRB, ph., S.D.N.H.M.), a male in
Santa Barbara Oct. 9-14 (LRB) and another
male in San Diego Nov. 28-30+ (JD); this
speciesis now occurringannuallyand apparently increasing.
(JMcN) were on or near the coast. As usual a
Barbara
Oct.
13-14 (LB). An Ash-throated
of F• Phoebes
found with one at the Santa Maria
R. mouth
Oct. 7 (LB), one in Santa Barbara Sept. 24
(PL), another at McGrath S.P., Sept. 19
(REW), one on Pt. Loma Sept. 16 (EC) and
(WDK). A Bendire'sThrasher in Goleta Aug.
25-29 (PL), anothernear Pt. Mugu Sept. 15 Oct. 1 (BB) and a third on San Clemente I.,
Sept.15-16(PJ)wereall alongthe coast:a few
regularlywanderto the coasteveryfall. A bird
showingall the charactersof a Curve-billed
Thrasher was well-studied at McGrath
S.P.,
Oct. 5 (REW); there is only one other report of
thisspeciesfrom thecoastof California.Only
five SageThrasherswerereportedfrom along
the coastduring Septemberand October;this
speciesusedto be much more numerousas a
migrant on the coast.Varied Thrusheswere
scarce, but individuals were found as far s. as
BlytheNov.3 (SC),MorongoValleyNov.6 (LJ)
fall.
PIPITS,
SHRIKES,
VIREOS
-- A Water
Pipit on Mt. PinosSept.7 OD) establishedthe
earliestarrival date for a fall migrant in this
Region.Againa few Red-throatedPipitswere
found alongthe coastwith one in Goleta Oct.
II (PL), two near Oxnard Oct. 19 (REW) and
two or three near Imperial Beach Oct. 8-22
(EC); this speciesis provingto be regularin
this Region at this time of the year. Two
Sprague'sPipitswerefoundinlandat F.C.R.,
are now found each fall. A Gray Flycatcher at
coast. An imm. N. Shrike at F.C.R., Nov. 3-14
Mesquite Springsin Death Valley Nov. 19
(LLN) and another in the Antelope Valley
Nov. 24 (RHN) were the only two found. A
near BlytheNov. 28 (SG) and the other in LOs
AngelesNov. 7-30+ (RT). A Rough-winged
Swallowin Goleta Nov. 4-5 (LRB) was exceptionally late. A Purple Martin on Pt. Loma
Sept. 17 (PU) wasthe onlyone reported.
JAYS,
TITMICE,
NUTHATCHES
--
Three Steller'sJayson Hunter Mt., Inyo Co.,
Oct. 11 (LLN) wen:outsideany area of normal
occurrence. A flock of 20+ Clark's Nutcrackers in the Granite Mrs., San Bernardino
Flickers were reportedfrom along the coast
duringOctoberand November;purebirdsare
Co., Oct. 12 (DM) along with three in the
Laguna Mrs., San Diego Co., Nov. 11 (BCor)
quite scarceon the coast,althoughslightly
commoneralongthe e. borderof the Region.
wandered some distance from areas of normal
varius were found in the e. portion of the
Aug. 26-27 (JT)werea little n. of the species'
normalrange.A Gray Catbird, a casualstragglerto California,wason SantaCruz I., Oct. 7
Oct. 2 (REW) and 23 0D); previousrecords
are confined to the immediate vicinity of the
glersto California, were reportedwith one
At least five imm. Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers
reported from desert oases, and numbers
found along the coast appearedlower than
another there Oct. 21 (DPa); small numbers
(DLD) was at an unusuallocality for the time
of year. Two Coues' Flycatchers,rare strag-
showingall the charactersof the e. raceS. v.
(DLD) and one at Ft. Piute, San Bernardino
Co.. Oct. 11 (REW) were the only ones
ever found in the e. portionof this Regionin
number
be wintering. Five Least Flycatcherswere
-- Four Corn. (Yel.-sh.)
--
more than the normal
Otay Mesa, San Diego Co., Nov. 24-30+
(DPa). A Willow Flycatcherin Arcadia, Los
AngelesCo., Nov. 2-30+ (BCoh) appearedto
WOODPECKERS
THRUSHES
and Pt. Loma Oct. 17 (REW). A Swainson's
Thrush in Kelso Oct. 10 (LS) was one of a few
20-21 (GT) and Nov. 4 (EC), and a seventh on
GreaYe$.
THRASHERS,
Flycatchernear Imperial BeachNov. 24 (DPa)
was exceptionallylate. There appearedto be
thisfall with oneat Scotty'sCastleNov. 3 (LS),
anotherat nearbyF.C.R., Oct. 27 (JD), one in
Morro Bay Nov. 30 (KC), another in Goleta
Nov. 4 (PL), single birds on Pt. Loma Oct.
Male Broad-billed Hummingbird, SantaBarbara, Calif., Oct. 9, 1979. Photo/James M.
WRENS.
Two Winter Wrens at Deep SpringsOct. 30
normal. Five Cactus Wrens around Tecopa
Santa Barbara Co., Oct. 8-26 (LRB) was one
of a veryfew everfound in this area. A group
Santa Barbara Nov. 10-30+ (PL) were in the
lowlands
awayfromknownbreeding
localities.
and one in Santa Barbara Oct. 28 (VP) had all
occurrence.
A few Mountain Chickadees
apparentlymovedout intothe highdesertwith up to
six at Oasisin October(REW), up to three at
brightlymarkedSolitaryVireo near Imperial
Beach Nov. 10 (EC) was clearly of the e. race
V. s. solitarius;this form is rarely recordedin
California. A Yellow-greenVireo. a casual
straggler
to s. California,wasat GaviotaSept.
8 (LRB). Two PhiladelphiaVireoswerefound;
one in Shoshone,Inyo Co., Oct. 23-24 (LB)
and the othernearImperial BeachOct. 12-14
(CGE); two or three are now reported each
year.
WOOD
WARBLERS
--
As usual small
numbers of Black-and-white Warblers passed
through the Regionwith 26 found along the
coast Sept. 7 - Nov. 9, and one inland near
Blythe Nov. 10 (SG). Five ProthonotaryWarblers were more than expected with one at
F.C.R., Oct. 23 (REW) and another 15 min.
of Blythe Oct. 8-16 (SC)being inland, and one
at GayiotaSept.20-28(LRB, ph., S.D.N.H.M.),
another near Malibu Sept. 30 - Oct. 11 (H&
one in Baker Oct. 14 (AS), another in Kelso
Deep Springsthrough October (REW) and
onein MorongoValleyAug.27 - Nov.30+ (LJ),
Oct. 23 - Nov. 10 0D,EAC), one in Morongo
but
being along the coast.More than 40 Ten-
Valley Oct. 27 - Nov.6 (EAC,LJ)and another
in WhitewaterCanyonNov. S (LJ),and an ad.
male was on the coastat Refugio S.P., Nov.
lowlands.
Regionwith oneat F.C.R., Oct. 22-26 (JD),
202
were
almost
A
nonexistent
White-breasted
in the
coastal
Nuthatch
at
OasisOct. 9-30 (LS) was outsidethe species'
normal range in California. Red-breasted
PB) and a third on Pt. Loma Oct. 10 (CGE)
nessee Warblers were reported with most
occurringduring October along the coast. In
Septemberthere were 25 Virginia's Warblers
American Birds, March 1980
found alongthe coastand five seenin the e.
portion of the Region. Unexpectedwere 14
Lucy's Warblers along the coast Aug. 24 Nov. 30; it has been consideredexceptionally
rare anywherew. of the mountainsin s. California. A N. Parula, rarer in fall than spring,
was at Gaviota Oct. 16-23 (PL), another was in
Santa Barbara Oct. 4 (LB), one was on Pt. Fer-
rain Oct. 14-17 (MH), another in Long Beach
Nov. 22-26 (JA) and a fifth on Pt. Loma Sept.
24 (EC).
Eight Magnolia Warblers were reported
with three along the coast Sept. 29 - Oct. 7,
two in the San BernardinoValley area in early
October (HEC&LJ),
one on Mt. Palomar Oct.
2 (RH), one in WhitewaterCanyonSept.30 (LJ)
and the eighthat Iron Mr. PumpingStation
Oct. 5 (DM). A Cape May Warbler, a rare
stragglerto California. was in Gaviota Sept.
28 (PL), another was near Oxnard Oct. IS
(REW), one on Pt. Loma Nov. 10-30+. another
in ImperialBeachSept.23-24(EAC)and a fifth
inland at Finney L., Imperial Co., Nov. I (KC,
ph., S.D.N.H.M.). As usual Black-throated
Blue Warblers appeared in small numbers
with nine along the coast and six at desert
oasesOct. 1-30, and a male at Fallsvale in the
San Bernardino Mrs., Nov. 23-27 (MAP). A
Townsend'sWarbler at L. ArrowheadAug. 14
(KG) established one of the earliest fall rec-
Marina del Rey Nov. 17 - Dec. 2 (JAJ),but one
in the Antelope Valley Oct. 7-10 (TC) and
another near Daggett Oct. 3 (EAC) were the
only two inland. A Bay-breastedWarbler at
StovepipeWells in Death Valley Oct. 2
(REW), one in Santa Barbara Oct. 13 (LB),
and anotherin Imperial BeachOct. 6-10 (PU)
were the only three reported.BlackpollWarblers were relatively numerous with 75+
reportedSept. 12 - Nov. 4; one at F.C.R., Oct.
2 (REW) and anotherin WhitewaterCanyon
Sept. 12 werethe only two found inland. and
oneon Pt. Loma Nov. 22 (DPa) wasexceptionally late.
A Pine Warbler, one of the rarest vagrants
to reach Calitbrnia, was at Gaviota Oct. IS
(LB). Five Prairie Warblers were tbund with
singlebirds at Gaviota Sept. 6 (PL) and Oct.
1-3 0AJ). one at Pt. Mugu Nov. 6-7 (REW).
two near Imperial Beach Sept. 3 (EC) and
Sept. 19-22 (DPa). Palm Warblers were more
numerousthan usual with 9S_+found along
the coastafter Oct. I. but single inland birds
wereat Deep SpringsOct. 9 (REW) & 22 (JD),
Riverside Nov. 19 (DH) Finney L.. Nov. 7
(RH). Single Ovenbirds reported were at
Morro Bay Oct. 19-20 (ph. S.D.N.H.M.),
Goleta Nov. IS. dead (SR) and Pt. Loma Oct.
16-17 (EC). Northern Waterthrushes were
Valley Oct. 20 0D), another in Colton. San
scarcewith singlebirdsin SantaBarbaraAug.
28 (JG) and Sept. S (PL), and McGrath S.P..
Aug. 31 (DLD). A KentuckyWarbler. onlythe
fourth found in this Region,waswell seenin
ImperialBeachOct. 24 (D&BS).SingleMourning Warblerswereat Pt. Mugu Sept.2 (REW)
Bernardino Co., Oct. 2 (EAC) and a third in
and in Baker Nov. 10 (EAC, *S.B.C.M.); there
BlytheOct. 14 (IA) inland. Eight Blackburnian Warblers were found along the coast
between
Sept.29 - Nov. 16alongwithoneinland
at Morongo Valley Sept. 13 (LJ). A Yellow-
are only three previousrecordsof this species
in the Region. The only Hooded Warbler was
a male in Santa Barbara Aug. 22 - Sept. 4
ords for the speciesin s. California. Blackthroated Green Warblers appeared in fair
numberswith 12 alongthe coastbetweenOct.
3 - Nov. 10. one at L. Palmdale in the Antelope
throated Warbler, one of the rarer vagrantsto
reach California,
was at Gaviota Oct. 24-2S
(LRB). A Grace's Warbler near Malibu Sept.
30 (H&PB) wasonlythe fourth to be foundon
the coast of California.
Six Chestnut-sided
Warblerswerefoundalongthe coastSept.26 Nov. 12 and an exceptionally late bird in
(PL). Five Canada Warblers were found with
singlebirds in GaviotaOct. 12-13(LRB) & 26
(PL), Pt. Mugu Nov. 6 (REW), San Pedro Oct.
14 (MH) and Pt. Loma Oct. 11-12 (EC). As
usual small numbersof Am. Redstartspassed
through the Region with SO_+reported after
Aug. 24. Single Painted Redstarts.exceptionally rare in California, were at Corn Springs
near DesertCenter Sept. 27 (SG) and on Palos
Verdes Pen.. Oct. 13 (GT).
Bobolink, Goleta, Calif., Sept. 22, 1979.
Photo/James
M. Greaves.
from limited breeding localities. was near
ImperialBeachNov. 10 (DPa). SummerTanagerswerescarcerthan usualwith onlyeight
coastaland three inland reportsAug. 29 - Oct.
21.
FINCHES,
SPARROWS
--
Some 20 Rose-
breastedGrosbeaksSept. 14 - Oct. 24 was
average.A Black-headedGrosbeakat Deep
SpringsOct. 9 (LS) was a little late for that
area. A Blue Grosbeak at F.C.R.,
Oct. 22-23
(JD) was exceptionallylate. Indigo Buntings
were relatively numero,us around Santa
Barbarawith 20 Aug. 20 - Oct. 8 but <15 elsewhere.A Lazuli Buntingnear Imperial Beach
Oct. 19 (AH) wasquitelate.A d PaintedBunting near Imperial Beach Nov. 3 (DPa) was
thought to be an escapee.SevenDickcissels
were along the coastAug. 23 - Oct. 20, and
one inland at F.C.R., Nov. 3 (JD). The only
BLACKBIRDS,
ORIOLES,
TANAGERS
-- As expectedsmall numbersof Bobolinks
appeared coastally with 200+ reported;
individuals in Goleta Aug. 24-31 (JD) and
McGrath S.P., Nov. S (REW) were the earliest
and latest. The only Bobolinks inland were
singles:FillmoreSept.12 (REW), OrangeOct.
S (AP), Deep SpringsOct. I (REW). F.C.R.,
Nov. 1S,exceptionallylate (LLN), Harper Dry
L., Sept. 30 (EAC) and Cadiz Oct. 14 (AS).
Eight OrchardOrioleswerefound Sept. 14 Oct. 10, with inland individuals in Morongo
Valley (LJ) and Laguna Dam (KVR) Sept. 13
& 29 respectively.About 1SBaltimore Orioles
found along the coast during October and
November appeared normal. Five Rusty
Blackbirds in e. Inyo and San Bernardino
counties Oct. 27 - Nov. 27 were normal, but
one in Van Nuys, Los AngelesCo., Oct. 31 Nov. IS (GH) was unexpected.A Great-tailed
Yellow-throated Warbler, Gaviota, Calif.,
Oct. 25, 1979. Photo/James M. Greaves.
Volume
34,Number
2
EveningGrosbeakss. of the extremen.e. corner of the Regionwere singlesin Santa Barbara Nov. 23-30+ (PL) and the San Gabriel
Mts., Nov. 24 (KG). Two Lawrence's Goldfinches at Ft. Piute Oct. 11 (REW) were at an
interestinglocality;few recordsexistingfor
this area of California. Single coastal Lark
Buntingswere in Goleta Sept. 3-5 (EC), and
inland at F.C.R., Oct. 22-23 (LB) and in the
AntelopeValleyNov. 10-24(BB).A Grasshopper Sparrowat Deep SpringsOct. 9 (REW).
five in the Lanfair Valley, e. San Bernardino
Co., Nov. 11 (EAC) and one in Goleta Nov. 2-10
(JG) were all in areas from which few have
been recorded. As usual a few Gray-headed
Juncos moved into the s.e. portion of the
Region with singles at Pt. Mugu Oct. 28
(REW) near Malibu Oct. 29 - Nov. 30+ (H&
PB), Anaheim Oct. 16 (HEC), and five on Pt.
Loma Oct. 21 - Nov. 25 (PU). Six Tree Spar-
Grackle in San Pedro Nov. 22 (BD) was the
rows at F.C.R., Oct. 26 - Nov. 22 (GMcC) and
onlycoastalreport.A Corn.Grackleat F.C.R.,
Oct. 7 (LLN) wasonlythe eighthfoundin the
Region.
A Scarlet Tanager on Otay Mesa Oct. 21
(EC)waseatenby a Sharp-shinned
Hawk!A d
Hepatic Tanager, exceptionallyrare away
oneat Harper Dry L., Nov. 18(AS) werein the
n.e. sectionof the Region where small numbersarefoundeachfall; singlesin Goleta(LB)
and Pt. MuguNov.8 & 3 respectively
(REW)
were from the coast where much rarer. Above
average numbers of Clay-coloredSparrows
203
werefound with 10+ inland and 40+ alongthe
coast after Sept. 1. Harris' Sparrowswere
somewhatscarce,with no more than six in the
n.e.portionof theRegionandonlyoneonthe
coast at Goleta
Oct.
22 - Nov. 30+,
but
White-throatedSparrowsappearedin aboutnormal numbers with 30+ reported. Approx-
imately 20 SwampSparrowswere reported
Regionwidewith one in Kelso Oct. 10-11
(DLD) the earliest.
CONTRIBUTORS
David
--
Bert
Anderson,
Andres, Ione Arnold, Jon Atwood,
Larry R. Ballard. Hal Baxter. Louis Bevier.
Peter H. Bloom, Jeff Boyd (JBo). Jean Brant
(JBr), Bruce Broadbrooks, Hank & Priscilla
Brodkin (H&PB), Gaff Campbell, Kurt
Campbell,EugeneA. Cardiff, Chris Carpenter, Henry E. Childs,Sue Clark, Terry Clark,
Larry L. Norris, Jerry Oldenettel, Dennis
Parker (DPa). Michael A. Patten, Arleta Pat-
terson, Robert L. Pitman, Dave Povey(DPo).
Virginia Puddicombe,Ray Quigley. Sylvia ].
Ranuey {coordinatorfor Orange County},Phil
geeder, Robert Reynolds,Don Roberson.Ken
V. Rosenberg,Stephengothstein,Andy Sanders.Larry Sansone,Brad Schram,David D.
Barbara Cohen (BCoh). Elizabeth Copper.
Smith, Dick & Bea Smith (D&BS). Hal &
Bart Cord (BCor), Marion T. Corder, Brian
Nancy Spear (H&NS), Richard Stallcup,
JamesR. Stewart, G. Shumway Surfel. Fern
Daniels, Fred S. Dexter, Donna L. Dittmann,
R. Tainter (coordinator for San Luis Obispo
LONGSPURS -- Longspurswere scarcerthan-usualwith none in someareasof regular
ShirleyDoole, Jon Dunn, ClaudeG. Edwards.
Mike Fredette,Gary Friedrichsen(GRr), Alice
occurrence
(e.g.,near Imperial Beach).One or
two McCown'sLongspurswere at Harper Dry
Fries, Tom Frillman, Gary Fugle (GFu).
Kimball Garrett (coordinatorfor Los Angeles
L., Nov. 18-20 (EAC, *S.B.C.M.) and one was
near Santa Maria Nov. 30+ (REW); this is the
County),SharonGoldwasser
(coordinatorfor
ColoradoRiver Valley), Jim Greaves.Fred
rarestof thethreespeciesoccurringin Califor-
Heath, Mitch Heindel, AndreasHalbig, Roger
nia. Inland Lapland Longspurs were at
F.C.R., Oct. 27 (EO and two at Harper Dry
L., Nov. 18-20 (EAC); 13 in Santa Barbara
Higson,Don Hoechlin,Greg Homel, Joseph
R. Jehl,Eric V. Johnson,JerryA. Johnson,Lee
Jones,Paul Jorgensen,Thomas W. Keeney.
County), Jan Tarble, Kathy Thompson,
Margaret Thornburgh, Rolly Throckmorton,
Gerald Tolman. Pbilip Unitt (coordinatorfor
San Diego County),Ken Weaver, Richard E.
Webster (coordinator for Ventura County),
Russ & Marion Wilson (R&MW). Specimen
(*), photographon file (ph.), San Bernardino
Cry Mus. (S.B.C.M.), San Diego Nat. Hist.
Mus. (S.D.N.H.M.). A plus (+) following a
and Ventura Counties Oct. 27 - Nov. 22 were
Walter D. Koenig,Paul Lehman(coordinator
for Santa Barbara County},Ruth Lohr, John
through the end Qf the period. --
McColm 0McC), John McDonald (JMcD).
Jane McNeil (JMcN), David Melchert, Tony
Mercieca, Jim Mills, Richard H. Neuman,
McCASKIE, San Diego Natural History
Museum, Balboa Park, P.O. Box 1390, San
Diego, California 92112.
coastal. Chestnut-collaredLongspurs sometimes occur in flocks, but no more than ten
together
werereportedthisfall withthetotal
<50.
HAWAIIAN
ISLANDS
REGION
/Robert L. Pyleand C. JohnRalph
itation at Honolulu was less than 25ø7oof nor-
GUY
A population of this
specieswas originally
described
endemic
Warm dry weathercontinuedthroughthe
summerand fall. Augustto Novemberprecip-
date indicates the bird or birds wcrc present
as
to
a
race
Hawaii.
based on a few young
birds collected in the
late 1800s near Kauai.
mal, maintainingthe samerainfalldeficitt.hat But its nest and eggs
had prevailedsinceMarch. Daily temperatures have never been found
pushed
to nearor beyondrecordhighsfor the
date, especiallyduring October. Although
in Hawaii.
conditionswere generallythe same on the
other islands. a severe storm hit northeastern
reported at Midway
Atoll last spring was
Hawaii lsland in mid-November, causing
still
damagingfloods.Twofeetof rain fell in three
daysin an areawhere,unfortunately,
thereare
(VB,MN). Another was
at Tern I., F.F.S., from
no waterbirdwetlandsto be helped.
Sept. 7 to at leastOct.
TheCattle
Egret
there
Oct.
28
18(VB).
ABBREVIATIONS -- F.F.S. (French Frigate Shoals),H. (Hawaii I.), M. (Maui I.), O.
(Oahu I.), K.M.C.A.S. (Kaneohe Marine
CorpsAir Station,Oahu).P.H.N.W.R.(Pearl
Harbor N.W.R., Oahu).
ALBATROSS THROUGH
WATERFOWL
-- A LaysanAlbatross
seenNov. 17 (VB) at
the new nestingsite near Kilauea, K., was
For the fourth consecutiveyear an ad.
Little Blue Heron appearedin earlyfall at
the same pond area on Waipio Pen., O.,
andthendisappeared
afterbeingseenonly
once or a few times. This year it was
reportedAug. 19 (RP,PPy),wasseen2-3
timesin September,and waslast seenOct.
hearteningindicationthat these splendid
10 (PD). From 1966 to 1972 an ad. Little
birds will be back for another nestingseason.
Unfortunately,
however,attemptsto provide
Bluewasseenalmostannuallyin fall at the
same locality. These are the only known
someform of protectionfor the site havepro-
recordsof thisspecies
in Hawaii.
Although43 Pintailshad arrivedat Waipio
by Sept. 23 (RP), waterfowlnumbersseemed
generallylow on Oahu throughOctober.Lack
of rain and ineffective water management
practicesresultedin poor habitat for wintering waterfowlat the two key Oahu localities,
Waipio and Kii Pond. Someducks may well
have dispersedto smaller wetland areas, or
mayhavemovedon to otherHawaiianislands
or beyond.Tim andJanetWilliams'studythis
autumn (AB 33:219) was staged again this
rences,or perhapsevenall of them, may
pertainto the sameindividualbird. If it is
fall of bird migration in Hawaii using radar
did not clearly reveal any definite evidenceof
onward migration of ducks. In November,
waterfowl numbers did build up at Kii and
Waipio. Scarcerspeciesfound amongthe Pin-
yearbeginningOct. 1. By Nov. 20 morethan
the same bird, doesit migrate annually to
tails and N.
1100+ Manx (Newell's}Shearwaters(JS,VB)
had been releasedsafelyby wildlife personnel
Hawaii from North America? Or has it
Goose,and a pair eachof Eur. Wigeon,Garganey and Canvasback.Two Mallards were
reportedfrom Kanaha Pond, M. 0W), a Eur.
Wigeon oversummeredat Laysan I., from
April until the observerdeparted Aug. 18
gressed
little in thepastyear.The shearwater
salvageprogram,so successful
on Kauai last
afterbeinggroundedon highways
andturned
in by the public to designatedreceivingstations. The Newell's, a race of Manx Shear-
water,is officiallyclassedasThreatened.
An excitingbonusof the salvageprogram
was two Harcourt's Storm-Petrels turned in
amongtheshearwaters.
Onebird,a fledgling
One wondershow many of theseoccur-
founda hideawayon Oahu whereit spends
most of the year unobserved?If different
birds have been involved, the coincidence
in timingandlocalityisremarkable.
This case may be comparedwith the
sub-ad.Glossyor White-facedIbis which
alsofirst appearedin the fall 1976 in this
Shovelers included
a Canada
(EK), and a N. Shovelerwas at Sand I., Mid-
wayOct. 29 (VB,MN).
OSPREY
THROUGH
TURKEY
--
It was
near the town of Waimea. The other was an
same locality. The ibis has been regularly
observedin all seasons
to date, althoughit
hasrangedovera somewhatlargerarea --
the bird resident at Waiawa Unit, P.IrLN.W.R.,
adult with a refeathered brood patch (JS),
at least one mile in diameter.
was seen regularly through the season.An
with remnants of down, was found Oct. 24
pickedup Nov. 10 in lowerHanapepeValley.
204
a goodfall for Ospreysin Hawaii. On Oahu
Ospreywas watchedperchedand in' flight
American Birds, March 1980
one flew low over the heads of Audubon mem-
wreck Beach, Lanai I., Nov. 10 (SS). Two
•dentffied at Tern I, FF S, from Aug 31
through October (VB,RS) One Bar-tailed
Godwit was seen sporadically at Waipio in
Black Francolinsand 500+ Gray Francolins
wererecordedduring a surveyOct. 6-7 in the
mid-October and November (PK,PD), and one
was at Kanaha Pond, M., Oct. 26-27 (JW). A
S Kohala district of Hawaii I. (PB). Three
weakenedWilson's Phalaropewas found at
Tern I., F.F.S., Aug. 5, and died the next day
(VB). Another one was at Kii Pond Sept. 17
RothschildMyna (an EndangeredSpectes,
and a highlyprizedcagebird)had beenseen
(RP,MO). Ruffs continued to increase in the
kiki for severalyears.An evidentescape,th•s
well-knownindividualwasfounddead Sept
20 (PD). It hadlastbeenreportedalive4 days
earlier. Anothersightingof the 'O'u, one of
the rarer Endangered honeycreepers,
was
recorded
in theVolcanoareaof HawaiiI., July
14 (SH,fide CJR). Four Warbling Silverbills
discoveredAug. 24 on th.en.e. coastof Lana•
I. (LH) revealed
that thisspecies
hasspreadto
yet anotherisland. It was first reportedon
Maui I., last December.The originalpopulation on Hawaii I., has now expandedinto the
Aug 3-4 at Halepe on the coast •n Hawan
N P., H. (PPa,LM). Another wasseenat Sh•p-
JapaneseQuail wereseenon the road to Puu
Laau,H., Aug. I (PPy).In a pre-Thanksgiving
show,sevenwild Turkeys were found Nov. 10
walking the sand at ShipwreckBeach, Lanai
I, foragingfor crabs(SS).This feedingpractrue has been observed a number of times on
Lanai.
SHOREBIRDS -- A SemipalmatedPlover
fall migrationin Hawaii. One or two wereseen
at Waipio by numerousobserversfrom midSeptemberto mid-November,two were at
Tern I., F.F.S., in Augustand September,and
three were at Kealia Pond, M., for several
weeks in October (CK,JW).
was at Tern I., F.F.S., for at least the last 10
daysof August(VB). On Oahu,conditionsfor
shorebirds at Waipio improved in October
and Novemberwhenbare mud beganto appear
•n a large new•fioodedfield area, attracting
hordes of Am. Golden Plovers, Ruddy Turn-
stonesand Sanderlings.Among the rarities
there, a reported Curlew SandpiperOct. 31
(PD) may well have been the prize find. The
white rump patch in flight and curvedbill
were studied while Dunlins were nearby for
comparison.If the photostaken provediagnostic, they will documentthis first known
reportof the speciesin Hawaii.
One Bristle-thighed
Curlewat Kii PondJuly
13 and two July 29 (RC) wereextremelyearly.
Thereafter,the curlewflight wasdisappoint•ng, with only two othersightingsat Kii (PB)
and oneat Waipio (PD) throughoutthe restof
the fall. One found on a rocky shore at
Hapuna Beach Park, H., Oct. 7 (PB) rep-
resentedoneof the few reportsof this species
on any of the main Hawaiian islandsother
than Oahu. A SpottedSandpiperwas carefully
GULLS, TERNS -- Stray gulls on Oahu
this
fall
included
an
imm.
Franklin's
at
Waipio Sept. 25 (CJR,TW), and a sub-ad.
Ring-billedat K.M.C.A.S., Nov. 4 (MO,RP et
bers gathering there for the Septemberfield
trip.
PASSERINES --
A handsome, white
regularly around the Hale Koa Hotel in Wa•-
al.) which may have been one of the two seen
thousands. Saffron Finches, also estabbshed
later in the month at Waipio (PD). The state's
only known Caspian Tern remained at
K.M.C.A.S., until at least Sept. 24. On Oct. 6
one was found 150 km away at Kealia Pond,
M. (TB,CK), andwasseenthereagainOct. 25,
27-28(JW).The probabilitythat the Oahu and
Maui sightingsare of the same individual is
muddiedby an observationof the bird back at
K.M.C.A.S., Oct. 22 (RP,PS). A very rare
Black Tern wasseenand photographedSept.
in the w. Hawaii Is., werefound in earlyOcto-
6 at Mohouli Pond in Hilo, H.(PPa,LM). The
beautiful and gracefulWhite Tern commonly
ber on the coastwell to the n. at Hapuna
Beachand SpencerP. (PB,AB).
CONTRIBUTORS -- BarryBrady,Andrea
and Phil Bruner, Tim Burr, Vernon Byrd,
GeorgeCampbell, Rick Coleman, Peter Donaldson,StephenHatch, Larry Hirai, Cameron
Kepler, Phil Kloeckner, Eric Knudtson,
LaurieMclvor, JackMitchell, Maura Naughton, Mike Ord, Peter Paton (PPa), Peter Pyle
(PPy), Susan Schenck, Robert Schulme•ster,
near the top of visitingbirders'most-wanted
lists, is incongruouslyappearingfarther and
John Sincock, Dan Snider, Phil Stoddard,
farther into urban downtownHonolulu. Up to
four have been seen occasionallyduring the
PYLE, 741 N. Kalaheo Ave., Kailua, HI
96734, and C. JOHN RALPH, U.S. Forest
fall
Service,Institute of PacificIslandsForestry,
around
Foster Gardens
on Nuuanu
St.
(MOJM,CJR),and nearbyat the Main Library
Janet and Tim
Williams.
--
ROBERT
L.
1151PunchbowlSt., Honolulu, HI 96813.
Management of
Migratory Shore and Upland Game Birds
in North
America
Edited by Glen C. Sanderson
Forewordby O. Earle Frye, dr.
Althoughtheyhaveprovidedfireathumanenjovnentand
benefitsfor centuries,the groupof mifiraton./game birds
treatedin thisbookhasreceivedrelativelylessattentionthan
more popular species.Accordingto the Forewordby O.
Earle Fn•e,Jr., "Perhapsas a holdoverfrom an earlierera,
the majoreffortdirectedtowardmifiraton./
gamebird researchand managementby state and local agencieshas
been,and stillis, for ducksand geese.The othermigraton./
game birds--mourningdoves,white-wingeddoves,wood-
cocks,snipe,railsand gallinules,
band-tailedpigeons,coots,
andsandhillcranes--haveindeedbeenneglectedspecies."
Thisstudyattemptsto overcomethat neglect.Firstpublishedin 1977, it containsthe work of more than fifty contributing editors, from the United States and Canada
augmentedby adviceand counselfrom many others.xiv,
358 pages,24 drawings,65 photographs.
PaperbackBB 725 $10.95
University of Nebraska Press
0901 North 17th Street
Volume 34, Number 2
Lincoln 68588
205