British Columbia

he seasoffs weather was variable: August was mostly hot and dry until the third week, when it turned wet; September was cool, often windy and wet; October started out wet and windy but ended cold and snowy; and November was milder and occasionally rainy on the coast and snowy inland.However, buried in the broad monthly descriptions were some notable weather events.A freak snowstorm in the Peace River Valley 15-16 September downed numerous trees and probably killed many migratory birds.The Polar Jet Stream's path, scraping the southern Alaskan shore on its way to British Columbia during the first half of October, brought storms but also a healthy invasion of "Sibes."Finally, a strong cold northerly flow straight from the Mackenzie Delta in mid-October apparently redirected many Prairie Flyway waterfowl migrants such as Tundra Swans toward the eastern parts of the province.Generally, passerines had a good summer, as evidenced by near-record totals banded at Vaseux and record-high numbers banded at Rocky Point Bird Observatot 7. LOONS THROUGH RAPTORS A Red-throated Loon was at Vaseux L. 12-13 Nov (DB et al.), a very rare s. interior record.Western Grebes, rarely reported from the Peace R. area, included singles on Big L., n. of Chetwynd, 26 Oct (MP) and Swan L. 4 Nov (MP).The province's first photographically documented Manx Shearwater and 4th record overall was of a bird near Victoria 8 Aug (ph.JJ et al.).An American White Pallcan, very rare along the s.coast, landed near a private dock on Powell L., where it allowed people to feed and pet it 6 Sep (FS).The invasion of Brown Pelicans continued, with at least 16 birds reported, 11 from Carmanah Pt. on the w.coast of Vancouver I. 23 Oct 0E).Very rare on Vancouver I., a juv.Blackcrowned Night-Heron was in Uduelet 14-17 Aug (BSI et al.); very rare in the Okanagan, 4 circled Deadman's L. 19 Aug (DB).A Plegadis ibis, casual in the Region, was in the Queen Charlotte Is. 13-14 Oct (ph.BC, MC) for a first local record.Catde Egrets staged their best invasion since the fall of 1992, with 68 reported and the most northerly near 115 Mile on 11 Nov (KD).The 3rd Okanagan record and first fall record of Green Heron came from Vaseux L. 3 Sep (DB).Many flocks of southbound Tundra Swans were reported e. of the Fraser R. during the cold snap in mid-Oct; many sizeable flocks of 75-100 followed the Robson Valley (RZ).Snow Geese were also reported more than usual in the cen.interior, with a new interior high count of 55 over the Quesnel airport 18 Oct 0B).Very rare in the interior, a single Brant at Vanderhoof 19 Sep (NK, MP) provided a first local record.A color-banded Brant seen in spring at Parksville had been banded in the Lena River Delta, Russia in Jul 2003--over VOLUME 59 (2005) NUMBER British Columbia 5000 km away (GLM).An astounding total of 760 Turkey Vultures was recorded at Rocky Point B.O. 26 Sep (DA).A few Ospreys were very late on Vancouver I., with the latest at Tofino 27 Nov (RC).Prairie Falcons are very rare along the coast; most there are suspected of being escaped birds.One such bird, on Mandarte I. 8 Sep, was in a mistnet eating captured European Starlings but managed to free itself as the bander approached (KE).SHOREBIRDS THROUGH ALCIDS An American Avocet made a rare appearance in Metchosin 8-11 Oct (JJ et al.), and a flock of 7 was record late in Salmon Arm 3-10 Oct (CC, TF et al.).The family of Black-necked Stilts at T'Kumloops Marsh included 3 juvs.capable of flight 22 Aug (RH)--a 2nd successful nesting in the province.The Salmon Arm mudflats, just a few km in length, produced 26 species of shorebirds this fall (Table 1).Among the numerous yellowlegs present in Salmon Arm was a leucistic Lesser 20-28 Aug (ph.DGC et al.).A pair of juv.Longbilled Curlews, rare on the coast, strolled among the tourists at Chesterman Beach, Torino 3-11 Aug (ph.AD et al.).Hudsonian Godwits, rare away from the Peace R. area, were reported seven times, with the most notable being a juv.at Robert L., Kelowna 29 Aug (RyT).A wonderful opportunity to study godwits occurred in Boundary Bay, as a trio of juvs.---oneBar-tailed, one Marbled, and one Hudsonian--was discovered 5 Sep (RTo).Bar-tailed Godwits are still rare in the Region, but 3 were reported from Boundary Bay, and another was at the Rocky Point B.O. 28-29 Aug (DA, J J).An ad.Black Turnstone furnished a 5th interior record, and the first since 1979, in Salmon Arm 22 Aug (ph.DGC et al.).The province's 9th and 10th records of Little Stint involved single juvs.at Boundary Bay 11 Sep (?RTo) and Iona I. 14-15 Sep (?RF).Above-average numbers of Sharp-tailed Sandpipers occurred this fall, with 16 juvs.reported; the only interior report came from Salmon Arm 18-24 Sep (DGC et al.).This fall migration involved at least 50 Buffbreasted Sandpipers.Nine found in Salmon Arm 25 Aug (DGC) tied the provincial high count but was soon outdone by coastal counts of 16 (all juvs.) at a turf farm in De se • ß •rt St. John Masset ePrin;..• •. ;rf:•e efawson Creek Queen ,i• Charlotte • ,,• 0(•':"-•'•-• Islands _• •t • •t

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