Northern Canada

uestions as to how climate change is affecting bird ranges arise with each new unusual sighting--be it a Wilson's Warbler in lgloolik, a Lesser Goldfinch in Whitehorse, or an invasion of Steller's Jays.While there are no easy answers as to what drives such events, it is clear that climate change is having profound impacts in the North.The necessity of dramatic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions is now critical.Generally mild temperatures and low snowfall amounts prevailed over much of the Northwest Territories through early fall; in November, temperatures plummeted and record snowfalls arrived mid-month for the southern Mackenzie Valley.In the Yukon, all hopes for an extended fall season were quashed by November's record-breaking cold spell, when temperatures plunged to -40 ø C. GEESE THROUGH SHOREBIRDS Greater White-fronted Geese are typically among the early fall migrants in the Mackenzie Valley, NWT, so a flock seen 7 Oct at Norman Wells was relatively late (FP).Flocks of 100 Greater White-fronted Geese and 300 Snow Geese were flying northwestward over Herschel I., n.Yukon 15 Aug (CE).A lone Snow Goose, rare in fall, was trailing a southbound flock of 42 Tundra Swans over Marsh L., s.Yukon 25 Sep (CE).The annual fall staging of geese at Shallow Bay, s.Yukon peaked 29 Sep with 60 Greater White-fronted Geese and about 2000 Canada Geese; the Canadas appeared to be of the subspecies parvipes (ph.CE).Also at Shallow Bay were 300 Tundra Swans 28 Sep (CE).Waterfowl banding at Willow L., Sahtu region, NWT showed good local production of Northern Pintail, the most common dabbling duck in the study (RP); unusual captures this year were a Gadwall and an apparently "pure" American Black Duck (with no signs of hybridization) (RP, JB).High numbers of water[owl were recorded at the Whitehorse sewage ponds, s.Yukon, with peak counts of 1500 American Wigeons and 80 Ruddy Ducks 22 Aug and 1200 Northern Shovelers 11 Sep (HG).Late waterfowl at Ft. Simpson, NWT included 9 Lesser Scanp and 2 Red-breasted Mergansers 23 Oct (StC, DT); also tardy were 2 Harlequin Ducks on the Yukon R. in Whitehorse, s.Yukon 21 Nov (HG, CM).A male King Eider, rare in fall at Herschel I., n.Yukon, was at Pauline Cove 19 Aug (CE).In Northwest Territories, few Willow Ptarmigan were seen in the Norman Wells area this fall (RP), and none were reported in the Dehcho region through Nov. A juv. Yellow-billed Loon, a species seen annually in low numbers in s.Yukon, was a! M'Clintock Bay 23 Oct (CE); another was seen nearby at Lewes Marsh 3 Nov (HG, BSu).An ad.Rednecked Grebe at Pauline Cove provided the first record for Herschd I., n.Yukon 19 Aug (CE).An estimated 200 Red-necked Grebes were on Marsh L., s.Yukon 25 Sep (CE).Anad. Eared Grebe, casual in s.Yukon, first seen at the Whitehorse sewage ponds in late Jul, was last seen 7 Aug (HG).A Great Blue Heron, rare anywhere in the Region, was at DT).Similarly, a weakened Golden Eagle, with no obvious injuries, captured at the landfill in Nahanni Butte, NWT in late Oct (PM) was released in Ft. Simpson 31 Oct (DA, NL); it continued to be seen through 11 Nov at the local airport, where it was eating Snowshoe Hares (TB).Six Golden Eagles were seen heading southward from Mcintyre Mt., s.Yukon 19 Oct UP, RP).A juv. ariaturn Peregrine Falcon was seen eating a large juv.gull near Checkpoint, NWT 23 Sep (ph.DT, MC).The annual build-up of American Coots at the Whitehorse sewage ponds, s.Yukon peaked at 153 on 11 Sep (HG).Sandhill Crane migration was evidenced by flocks totaling an estimated 1000 birds passing over Ft.Simpson, NWT on the evening of 24 Aug (DN, PT, HP).A pair of Sandhill Cranes lingered at Kookatsoon L., s.Yukon 8-14 Oct (MEJ).A juv. Greater Yellowlegs was record late at the Whitehorse sewage ponds, s.Yukon 19 Oct (ph.HG).A flock of a dozen Red-necked Phalaropes was at the Norman Wells sewage lagoons, NWT in Sep (DW).The Regions shorebirding season closed out 26 Oct with a juv.Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (ph.CE) and a basic-plumaged Dunlin (ph.CE, HG, CO) in Whitehorse, s.Yukon.GULLS THROUGH FINCHES A single jaeger was harassing gulls over the Mackenzie R. at Ft. Simpson, NWT 17 Aug (StC).An ad.Glaucous-winged Gull, likely Sharp-tailed Sandpiper is seen annually in southern Yukon in fall; this juvenile dosed out the shorebirding season in Whitehorse on 26 October 2006.Photograph by Cameron œckert.Ft.Simpson, NWT 9-13 Aug (MO, DN, DT).A hrst-year Rough-legged Hawk found on the ground at Trout Lake, NWT 14 Oct (VJ) was flown to Ft. Simpson [or examination and subsequent release two days later (NL, DA, PK, CL); it was last seen 21 Oct (NL, ph. the same bird as reported in early Jun, was at Herschel I., n.Yukon 15-20 Aug (ph.CE).Two Glaucous-winged Gulls, rare in fall, were at the Whitehorse dump 13 Aug, and a juv.was there 10 Oct (ph.CE).An ad.Thayer's Gull, not unexpected for the date, provided 88 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS Northern Canada Barfin

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