Prairie Provinces

Pinawa, Manitoba ROE 1LO ecember was variously described as "terrible" and "brutal" in southern Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan; indeed, it was the coldest December on record in Winnipeg in over a century.Snowfall was heavy, particularly near the interprovincial borden Southwestern Saskatchewan and Alberta enjoyed both warmer temperatures and less predpitation in early winter.January was mild and dry across the region, while February was again cold in the east but still dry.By the end of the period, snow had all but disappeared in the west but was still thick on the ground in the east.Some astonishing owl numbers brightened an otherwise unremarkable birding season.Survival appeared to be high for those half-hardy birds that made it through December.Herons Through Gulls A Great Blue Heron at BanfiN.E, AB 9 Jan was the only one reported (KB).A Cattle Egret at a Cypress River, MB feedlot into early Dec provided the first regional winter record (fide AW).Lingering waterfowl were understandably scarce.A Mute Swan highlighted a Manitoba Naturalists Society outing at Powerview, MB 2 Dec and represented about the 6th sighting in the province (RKo et al.).Other highlights included a Gadwall at Gardiner Dam, SK 2 Dec (WG, m.ob.), a pair of Canvasbacks at Medicine Hat, AB 11 Feb (BFr, BV), 2 Redheadat Saskatoon, SK 3 Dec (WG), 3 Greater Scaup through the winter in Calgary (m.ob.), and another 12 at Wabamun L.,AB 21 Jan (fide BP), a Long-tailed Duck through the period at Calgary (fide MH), and a Red-breasted Merganser at Medicine Hat 25 Dec (BL).Farms attracted 14 Bald Eagles near Elma, MB 1 Jan (L&BdM, RP, LV et al.) and 10+ near Ft Madeod, AB 15 Feb (TK); another 2 were at Squaw Rapids, SK 27 Jan (RK, RM).The only midwinter Northern Harriers were near Calgary 7 Jan (AS) and near Eastend, SK 27 Jan (TH).Sharp-shinned Hawks, rare in winter in Manitoba, were spotted in Winnipeg, Lac du Bonnet, and Stonewall 13-21 Dec (AD, PT, RKo, DO).Singles were also seen on the Melita, MB, C.B.C. and at Weyburn, SK 3 Jan (fide RK).Equally unusual were Cooper's Hawks, one through the winter at Leader, SK (BF, IF) and another at Saskatoon 24 Jan (GW).At least 30 Northern Goshawks were sighted in s.Manitoba, in sharp contrast to Saskatchewan, where none was reported, and Alberta, where they did not elicit comment.Gyrfalcons were more widespread, with about 12 in Manitoba, 3 in Saskatchewan, and 20+ in Alberta.Of note was a white individual at Nipawin, SK 27 ]an (the first one for the observers in 25+ years of birding together; RK, RM) and a very pale gray bird near Calgary 30 Jan (RB).Twelve Greater Sage-Grouse near Orion, AB 17 Jan (JG) and 102 Sharp-tailed Grouse in an unbarvested sunflower field near Radville, SK 13 Jan (CB, MB, }W) were high counts.Other than on the C.B.C.s, the only shorebird noted was a Common Snipe at Fish Cr.P.P., AB 5-9 Dec (A&BA).An unidentified gull was late at Exshaw, AB 31 Dec (MM, BW); even more outof-season was a Ring-billed Gull at Calgary 14 ]an (PS).Owls A Flammnlated Owl, discovered dead in late Sep or early Oct in Edmonton, found its way to the Provincial Museum for a first Alberta record (fide TT).Snowy Owl numbers were unremarkable, except for 15 in theStandard/Hussar, AB area, 20 Jan (MC, KR).Northern Hawk Owls staged an "unprecedented movement" in the Calgary region, with 6 each on Cochrane Wildlife Reserve and Snake's Head C.B.C.s and numerous other sightings."Fair numbers" were reported in Saskatchewan, with a high of 4 on 9 Jan in the Pierceland-Walburg area (FW).They were widespread in Manitoba, with up to 6 seen per day and numerous sightings outside the boreal forest, but numbers were barely 15% of those in the huge 1996-1997 invasion.Single Barred Owls were somewhat out of range at Weyburn, SK in late Dec (fide MB), Ft.Qu'Appelle, SK in early Jan (fide RH), and Rivers, MB on 16 Feb (NS).Great Gray Owl numbers were average in Alberta, but they were widespread in Saskatchewan, with high counts of 21 on a cross-province trip along highways 3, 55 and 9, 9-12 ]an (FW) and 10 on 28 ]an between Love, Candle L., and the south end of Prince Albert N.E (RK, RM).Numbers in se.Manitoba were perhaps highest in ]an, although this was partly a function of viewing conditions.Most were recorded in traditional areas along the edge of the boreal forest from Sprague to Manigotagan.Birders routinely found 20 to 50 Great Grays per day, and two manic observers found no fewer than 101 in the Lac du Bonnet-Pine Falls area on 20 ]an (RKo, PT).Many were also reported off-road within the boreal forest by snowmobilers (fide ID).Those that were banded were generally in excellent shape and included some of the heaviest ever recorded (]D, RN, HC).Away from the forest, scattered individu-184

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