British Columbia

F arch was cool, wet and often windy ithroughout.April dried out and •warmed up a bit.But the weather never really showed promise of the summer to come until the last ten days of May, when hotter, dry weather prevailed.With wet and windy conditions prevafiing, a good variety of interior birds was found along the coast, with the outer coast in particular capturing many vagrants.GEESE THROUGH SHOREBIRDS Ross's Geese are very rare in the s.interior but this spring were found at a number of locations: on the early side, a single was in Kamloops 18 Mar (fide RH); another was between Penficton and Summerland 21 Mar-4 Apr (ph.LN et al.); one was in Quesnel 25 Mar (fide PR); one was in Nakusp 19 Apr (GSD); one was seen in a flock of Canada Geese over Okanagan Falls 21 Apr (CC); and most remarkable was the report of a flock of 18 near Vernon 3 May (fide RJC).An astonishing number of Trumpeter Swans was seen in a field near Vanderhoof, where 900 were counted 24 Mar (CA), nearly doubling the previous high count for the interior.Rare along the coast, Eurasian Teal were found in Mar: in Courtenay 1 Mar (RHi), Maplewood 3-16 Mar (RL), and Victoria 13 Mar (MB).The only Tufted Duck reported was a male seen from the luna s. jetty 31 Mar (MKM).Casual in the Region, a second-summer male Steller's Eider was found near Gordon's Beach, s.Vancouver 1. 26 May (ph.RTo, LH); this bird furnishes the 8th Regional record.Arctic Loons have long been suspected of frequenting coastal waters, and there are now five reports spanning the past eight years.This spring, an alternate-phimaged ad. was well described with both Pacific and Common Loons nearby for comparison near Gordon's Beach, s.Vancouver I. 20 May (ph.RTo, LH).The Kootenays experienced a good migration of Red-necked Grebes, with a large aggregation of 58 birds on Arrow L., Nakusp 19 Apr (GSD).Very rare on the coast, a Clark's Grebe was at Jordan R. 15 Apr (ph.RTo, LH et al.).American White Pelicans arrived early on Williams L., with one there 24 Mar (ph.CA), and one spent several weeks on Quamichan L, confirmed 12-14 May (fide DM), for a first local record.A tantalizing description of a possible Masked Booby was received, having been seen briefly in flight in Parksville 23 May (?RT, NR); there are no confirmed records for the province.Very rare along the coast, particularly in spring, a Swainsoffs Hawk was seen heading northward over Martindale Flats, Victoria 11 May (CSa).A Richardsoffs Merlin, the prairie subspecies, was seen at Okanagan Lake EE near Summerland 21 Apr (RyT).Adding to the few sightings of the past decade in the cen.interior, a Whooping Crane was described from the n.shore of Francois L, as it flew at a height of 50 m, heading westward 16 May (TKW).Black-necked Stilts made their near-annual pilgrimage into the s.interior: 12 in the Kootenays at Wasa 7 Apr 0M); 5 at T'Kumhips Pond, Kamloops 9-30 Apr (PH, DW, RH), where they were successful nesters two years ago; 7 on Robert L., Kelowna 29 Apr (RC); 5 n. of Osoyoos 9 May (MB); and the last of the spring were 2 at Osoyoos L. 16 May (CC et al.).Rare spring transients in the Kootenays, American Avocets numbered 8 at Elizabeth L., Cranbrook 22 Apr (GR) and one at Burton 15 May (GSD).Greater Yellowlegs continue to push the early arrival envelope, with a record-setting arrival in Toilno 14 Mar (AD, RC); by the usual average arrival date, 26 birds were present 30 Mar (AD, RC).A single Spotted Sandpiper was record early in Oliver, s.Okanagan 6 Apr (DB).Whimbrel is rare in the interior, yet 2 were found this spring: one at Roundup L. in the Cariboo 12 May (ph.PR) and one on the Stump Lake Ranch near Kamloops 14 May (RH).Long-billed Curlews, a grassland species of concern, were found in very good numbers in the cen.interior: 23 near Vanderhoof 18 Apr (SL) and 26 near Shelly 16 Apr (SL).Very rare in the interior, a Marbled Godwit was at Cranbrook 12 May (KY).Rare along the coast, a Ruff was at Reifel 10 May 0I), and another was at Grice Bay, Torino 22-23 Apr (TJR, MC).GULLS THROUGH THRASHERS As gull numbers increased in the cen.interior this spring, two rarities were picked out of the flocks in Prince George: a Glaucous-winged Gull was at Cottonwood Island Park 18 Apr (NH et al.); and a Glaucous Gull was there 19 Apr (NH et al.).Both furnished 2nd records for the local checklist area.Among the thousands of gulls feeding on herring roe, an ad.Slaty-hacked Gull was located in Qualicum Bay, mid-Vancouver I. 13-15 Mar (AM, RS, JS).Very rarely seen from shore, a basicplumaged Thick-billed Murre was off Gordoffs Beach 20 May (LH, TRTo).Also rather cooperative from shore were single Horned Puffins: off Amphitrite Pt,, Ucluelet 15-25 Mar (MT, AF); off Botanical Beach, Port Ren-This adult male Costa's Hummingbird was a surprise find at Jordan River, on the southwestem coast of Vancouver Island, 7 April 2007.Photograph by Rick Toochin.frew 27 May (?RTo, LH); and off the s.tip of the Queen Charlotte Is. 22 May (BW, RB).Eurasian Collared-Doves continue their expansion in the s.interior and along the s.coast.The most significant sighting this season came from Carmanah Point Lightstation, VOLUME 61 (2007) NUMBER 3 497British Columbia•Atlin.•

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