British Columbia

he first three months of the period continued the drought conditions prevalent throughout the Region for quite some time now.This changed abruptly at the start of November, as the Pacific storm track revved up.Reservoirs at record-low levels at the start of the month were topped off by the month's end.As well, a batch of Arctic air slid all the way past the coast during the last five days of November, leading to significant snovdalls and blizzard conditions on both the Inner and Outer coasts.Interior snow packs were at normal or above readings by the end of the month, the first "early winter" in a decade.An unprecedented number of accidentals and vagrants were reported from the west coast of Vancouver Island.While it has long been known to be a good vagrant trap, the island has very few resident birders, and much of the coast is inaccessible; however, this fall's showing (the result in part of increased observer effort) was truly remarkable.WATERFOWL THROUGH SHOREBIRDS Surprisinly early, a Tunra Swan, likely from the w.Alaska population, was seen in flight over Port Renfrew 2 Sep (JF), nearly six weeks ahead of schedule.A female or eclipse male Garganey was carefully scrutinized among Green-winged Teal at Iona 9-11 Aug (•'MT et al.); this would represent the 13th record for the province and the first in six years.The province's 7th Steller's Eider was an imm.male discovered off Botanical Beach near Port Renfrew 30 Sep O'RTo, CI).Breeding Rock Ptarmigan were discovered on Cheam Peak 5 Aug (MD, ph.AF et al.), a female with 4 chicks; this represents the southernmost breeding record on the continent.A basic-plumaged Yellow-billed Loon was seen near Skidegate, Queen Charlotte Is. 26 Aug (RF, AF).A juv. Short-tailed Albatross that was tagged with a transmitter in Alaska and tracked by satellites spent 31 days in British Columbia waters between 12 Sep and i Nov 2006 (fide Robert M. Smyan, Oregon State University); there are only eight modern records of the spedes for the province.The province's 8th record of Manx Shearwater involved an ad.flying close to shore off Jordan R. 28 Aug O'RTo).Sightings involving this species continue to increase in recent years with more coverage of the outer coast.Following a good spring migration of Brown Pelicans (which tapered off in carly Jul), pelicans returned in even greater numbers this fall; flocks of postbreeders and juvs.were reported from various locations around the perimeter of Vancouver I.The largest flock was an astounding 294 off Port San Juan 8 Sep 0C), which more than doubles the previous provincial high count.There were at least four reports of birds lingering into Nov, with the latest, an imm., seen in flight over Ladner 26 Nov (CDC).Few egrets were reported this season.The most noteworthy reports came from the outer coast of Vancouver 1.: a Great Egret was on Long Beach 29 Oct (RD), and a Cattle Egret was at Uduelet 29 Oct (BS).Broad-winged Hawks are an expected occurrence in mid-Sep off Sooke, where 2 ads.and an imm.were found 16 Sep (CSa, RTo), one ad.was seen 22 Sep (RTo, LH), and a single bird was noted 23 Sep (RS).An ad.Ferruginons Hawk, a species casual in the ,.•province, was discovered just • s. of Karoloops I~10 Sep (CC, ph.DGC et al.) and created quite a stir for interior birders and remained in the area over a week, providing many opportunities for study, Another ad. was seen in flight over Creston 29 Sep O'GLM).An imm.Eurasian Hobby was seen perched in a fir tree in Sooke 29 Sep (?RTo, PL); this spedes has been rare but regular in the w.Aleutians in recent autumns (and has been documented once in Washington state) but has no previous record from British Columbia.Rare but regular along the s.coast in autumn, a Bar-tailed Godwit was at Port Renfrew 1-12 Sep (JF, ph.RTo, TZ et al.).Also rare along the s.coast, a Hudsonian Godwit was at Oyster Bay Shoreline Park s. of Campbell R. 11 Sep (ph.AT); another was at Boundary Bay 10-15 Sep (RTo, IP).Casual in the province, a molting ad.Red-necked Stint was discovered at Boundan/Bay 11 Aug (tiP, GC); the vast majority of records involve ads., as juvs.are yen/difficult to distinguish from juv.Semipalmated Sandpipers.Sharp-tailed Sandpipers were recorded in average numbers until a count of 12 was made at Reifel 25 Sep (JI), the 3rd largest flock ever recorded in the province.After a few years of ven/good Buffbreasted Sandpiper migration in the province, numbers were ven/low this season: 2 juvs.were seen on the Salmon Arm mudflats (a regular stopover location) i Sep (DGC); one juv.was atJordan R. 13 Sep (RTo); and 2 were at the Roberts Bank Jetty 26 Sep (fide PC).The Short-bfiled Dowitcher migration on the outer coast was protracted, and several were noted into Oct, the latest being a flock of 22 at Torino 31 Oct (AD).GULLS THROUGH JAYS Two juv.Franklin's Gulls were along the mudfiats 30 Aug-1 Sep in Salmon Arm (DGC), where the species has become a regular autumn visitor.While birding in a storm, a few Victoria birders were able to find a ven/late Pomarine Jaeger that struggled against the wind 10 Nov (CSa et al.).An ad.Iceland Gull was record early at the mouth of Mission Cr., Representing apparenUy the most southerly breeding record of Rock Ptarmigan for North America, this family group was photographed on Cheam Peak, British Columbia 5 August 2006.Photogroph byAndrew Foxall.Kelowna 29 Sep (RyT); sightings of this species have been increasing in recent years all along the s.coast and s. interior, but the first usually arrive in Nov. The first Slatybacked Gull of the season was at Cattle Pt., Victoria 13 Oct (CSa); another was 51 km sw. of Torino 14 Oct (ph.AD, GB et al.).A Blacklegged Kittiwake--a species unheard of in the s.interior and with only one previous interior record near Prince George--was photographed by a fisheries crew working in the night at Trail 30 Nov (ph.DeB).Casual in the province, aside from their single-known breeding location on Triangle I., a Thick-VOLUME 61 (2007) NUMBER 1 127 British

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