• Rare at any time of year in the Okanagan, a Pacific Loon was on Woods Lake, Oyama December 8 (Chris Charlesworth).  On the coast, only one large gang of Pacific Loons has been reported so far this month.  Guy Monty found about 1,100 of them off the north tip of Sandy Island near Comox on December 2.  Two or more Yellow-billed Loons frequented the Baynes Sound/Comox area (Guy Monty, Nathan Hentze), another was off the Roberts Bank jetty December 17 (Brian Self et al.), one was off Tower Point, Metchosin December 24-27 (David Allinson et al.) and one off the Iona Jetty December 28.
• The Eared Grebe near the SS Sicamous, Penticton December 16 (Richard Cannings) was a winter rarity.
• Of only occasional winter occurrence in the central interior, a Great Blue Heron was at Williams Lake December 24 (Cathy Koot).  The fall Cattle Egret invasion had pretty much fizzled out by the end of November.  A single bird was at the foot of 64th Street, Delta December 26 & 27.  A Green Heron, quite rare in winter on Vancouver Island, was in the Bevan area during the Comox CBC December 16.
• As usual, a few Turkey Vultures were observed near the southern tip of Vancouver Island.  Most impressive for the interior was a single vulture discovered during the Kelowna CBC December 15 (Wilf Akerlund).  Another noteworthy report was of a single bird at Little River, Comox December 16.  See table and map for a summary of late fall and winter observations.

WATERFOWL

• Sightings of relatively rare waterfowl for the interior continued into December, with an adult Greater White-fronted Goose associating with Canada Geese at various locations in the Kelowna area on December 3-15 (Chris Charlesworth et al.), an immature male Eurasian Wigeon on the South Thompson River at Kamloops December 27 (Rick Howie), a female Surf Scoter on the Columbia River near Robson December 28 (Ed Beynon), a female White-winged Scoter off Sutherland Park, Kelowna December 3 (Chris Charlesworth), and 14 Red-breasted Mergansers on Osoyoos Lake December 5 (Doug Brown).
• On the coast, 41 male Eurasian Wigeon were counted in a large flock of American Wigeon off the Roberts Bank Jetty December 18.  Rare in winter, Cinnamon Teal, were frequently seen at Reifel Island.  Fourteen were there December 17.  The American Black Duck of unknown origin was present at the Tsawwassen jetty throughout December.  An "Eurasian" Green-winged Teal was at Somenos Marsh December 19-22 (Derrick Marven et al.).
• Redheads were observed in small numbers in their usual haunts, with a larger aggregation of 2000-2500 birds found at Sun Oka Beach near Summerland on December 23 (Laurie Rockwell).  There was a sole sighting of a Tufted Duck this month, a first winter male at the Iona Island outer pond December 21 (Nathan Hentze et al.).  Hooded Mergansers put on an excellent showing for the Victoria CBC December 15, including 292 roosting at the Summit  Reservoir. 

FALCONS

• A few Gyrfalcons were seen in December.  The gray morph individual, first found in November was still at Marshall's Feedlots, Kelowna December 23 (Chris Charlesworth).  Another gray morph was in the vicinity of the Kamloops sewage ponds in December and a juvenile gray was at Boundary Bay from December 22 onwards.

RAILS, SHOREBIRDS

• At the "rail pond" on Highway 5A south of Napier Lake, a Virginia Rail was found December 1 (Wayne Weber).  This is apparently the first December record for this species for the Nicola or Thompson Valleys.
• Wintering shorebirds put on a good show at the Grebe Islets, West Vancouver.  High counts were 70 Black Oystercatchers and 350 Surfbirds on December 19.  After several years of nearly continuous winter presence, Marbled Godwits suddenly became scarce.  The only report this month was of a single bird in Delta December 31.  Tsawwassen jetty's Willet was present all month.  Delta produced a number of observations of species normally rare or absent at this time of year.  Included were four Red Knots on the north side of the Roberts Bank jetty December 23; and 1 Semipalmated Plover, 30 Western Sandpipers and 12 Least Sandpipers in a field NE of 33A Avenue and 34th Street on December 29.  Two Red Knots were still in Delta December 31.

GULLS

• The straggler Heermann's Gull that spent much of the late fall and early winter at White Rock was last reported January 1, 2002.  A first winter ICELAND GULL frequented the salmon spawning channel at Goldstream Park December 9-27 (David Fraser et al.).  Another was tallied on the Vernon CBC December 16.  An adult was at Race Rocks December 23 (Alan MacLeod et al.).  Increasingly reported in BC, SLATY-BACKED GULLS were along 72nd Street, Delta on December 8 (Rick Toochin) and along Guthrie Road, Comox during the CBC December 16 (Jamie Fenneman).  The latter was the first record for the Comox Valley.  High counts of Glaucous-winged Gulls in the interior included 40 at the Kelowna dump December 1 (Chris Charlesworth), and 28 on the Lillooet CBC December 29.  The three sighted during the Kamloops CBC December 16 were also noteworthy.  First winter Glaucous Gulls were reported in numerous locations in the Okanagan and the south coast.  In Delta, an adult IVORY GULL found near the foot of 72nd Street December 4 (Jon King et al.) was a spectacular find.  It was not seen again until relocated along the Roberts Bank jetty December 15-23.  This was the first record for the Vancouver area, and only the sixth for BC.

PIGEONS, OWLS, HUMMINGBIRDS, WOODPECKERS

• Two Band-tailed Pigeons, scarce visitors to the Okanagan, were near Oliver December 3 (Doug Brown).
• Owls have not been particularly conspicuous this month.  Noteworthy were a Barn Owl in a barn along Ladner Road, Kelowna December 16.  A Great Gray Owl appeared along Mission Creek, Kelowna this month.  First date of observations unrecorded, however the bird was present well into 2002.  Individual Northern Hawk Owls were observed at Rose Lake near Williams Lake December 12 (Jim Sims, along Carmi Road December 16 (Laure Neish) & 17 (David Vander Plyum), at Red Mountain in the Kootenays December 27 (Ed Beynon), and at the Whitewater Ski Hill December 31 (Michael McMann).
• A wayward Anna's Hummingbird was flying over Juan de Fuca Strait, 8 km south of Victoria on December 5 (Michael G. Shepard).  The individual at Rutland remained throughout the month.
• Of only occasional occurrence on Vancouver Island, an immature Lewis's Woodpecker was in the Prospect Lake area of Saanich from December 26 into January.  A rarity in the Okanagan, a Red-breasted Sapsucker was at the Summerland agricultural research station December 16 (Tom Lowery, Robyn DeYoung).

PASSERINES
The Okanagan Valley produced quite a few lingering songbirds in early December.  Several species, particularly American Crow, American Robin and Common Redpoll were more abundant than usual through much of the province.

• The Okanagan valley produced a few lingering songbirds in early December.  A Say's Phoebe was at the Osoyoos Sewage Lagoons December 8-11 (Doug Brown et al.).
• By December, the number of Blue Jay reports had dropped drastically.  The Fort St. James bird was still present December 12 (Paul Gardner, Barb Gardner), the Lavington individual was present throughout the month, 2 were still in Comox December 20, and one was tallied on the Kaslo CBC December 31.  An additional bird was found at the Brackendale Art Gallery during the Squamish CBC December 15.  In the Peace River area, where the species is a not too hard to find resident, the high count was the 20 birds tallied on the Dawson Creek CBC December 29 (fide Mark Phinney).  A WESTERN SCRUB-JAY was discovered in Port Coquitlam December 30 (Fred Visentin, Marian Visentin), providing one of the very few BC records of this species. American Crows put on an excellent CBC showing with all time highs of 867 in Prince George and 206 in Penticton recorded December 16.  
• Normally absent from the interior during the winter, Ruby-crowned Kinglets were widely reported this month, with a high count of 4 near Oliver December 3 (Doug Brown).  The individual found on the Kamloops CBC December 16 (fide Rick Howie), was one of only 3 or 4 winter records for the area.
• Penticton set a Canadian CBC all time high of 86 Western Bluebirds December 16.  This species has all but disappeared from Vancouver Island, where at one time it was of year round occurrence.  The six found at Beacon Hill Park December 19 were most noteworthy.  Interestingly, two Mountain Bluebirds, also rare on the coast, turned up at CFB Comox near Kye Bay the same day (Nathan Hentze).  Another Mountain Bluebird was found in the Sherman Road area December 29, providing the first Duncan CBC record of that species.  The Williams Lake CBC had an amazing tally of 50 Townsend's Solitaires December 16.  Hermit Thrushes are not often seen in the interior this late in the season.  One was along Sawmill Road, Oliver on December 4 (Doug Brown) and another along the west dyke of the Okanagan River Channel in Penticton on December 16 (Richard Cannings).  The latter provided the first CBC record for Penticton.  The colder and snowier weather through much of the province seemed to have squeezed most lingering Hermit Thrushes to the southern tip of Vancouver Island.  In the first half of December there were numerous reports of two or more birds in that region.  Derrick Marven saw 6 Hermit Thrushes at Jordan River December 12.  American Robins were more abundant than usual, with a Kelowna CBC all time high of 2,260 birds tallied December 15, and 800+ turning up for the Kamloops CBC December 16.  Very few Northern Mockingbirds have been reported in recent months.  One was along Modeste Road in the Cowichan Valley from December 19 onwards (Derrick Marven).
• Usually long gone by this time of year, two American Pipits were at Alki Lake, Kelowna December 4 (Chris Charlesworth).  A rather high count of 100 Cedar Waxwings was tallied in Osoyoos December 5 (Doug Brown).  
• A very late Orange-crowned Warbler was near the S.S. Sicamous in Penticton December 4 (Laure Neish).  Two Yellow-rumped Warblers were at the Osoyoos Sewage Lagoons December 8 (Doug Brown).  Following the unprecedented occurrence of Wilson's Warblers in Prince George this past November, an individual of that species turned up in Kelowna during the first half of December.  It was tallied for the CBC and was last reported December 18.  A Common Yellowthroat was discovered NE of 33A Avenue and 34th Street, Delta on December 22.  More unexpected was an immature male along the Okanagan River near the north end of Osoyoos Lake December 23 (Andy Bezener).
• A goodly number (543) Snow Buntings was observed during the Dawson Creek CBC December 29 (fide Mark Phinney).  Normally well south of BC at this time of year, a Chipping Sparrow was near Oliver December 2 (Doug Brown).  Swamp Sparrows were only sparsely reported.  One was at Reifel Island December 7.  By December, most Lincoln's Sparrows have moved south of BC, with a few remaining in the Lower Mainland and the southern tip of Vancouver Island.  A single bird at Goose Spit, Comox December 9 (Jamie Fenneman) was somewhat extralimital, as was the one found discovered during the Kelowna CBC December 15.  As usual, Harris's Sparrows were reported from the southern interior and southwest corner of the province.  An immature was in Kelowna December 1 (Chris Charlesworth), an adult was near Oliver December 2 (Doug Brown), an immature was present at another Oliver location December 4 (Doug Brown), and a single bird in Nakusp December 23 (Gary Davidson).
• The GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE, present in Kelowna since the spring of 2000 remained throughout the month.  A Rusty Blackbird, rare on the coast, was at Viaduct Flats for the Victoria CBC December 15.  Only found in the province on rare occasions during the winter, a Yellow-headed Blackbird was found near Whiffen Spit, Sooke during the CBC December 22.
• Pine Grosbeaks appeared in higher than normal numbers in many parts of the province.  The group of 31 birds at Burnaby Lake December 10 was a rather large number for the coastal lowlands.  House Finches are successfully moving northward in the central interior.  Williams Lake tallied an all time high of 203 December 16, and Prince George's count of  53 the same day was also a record.  The invasion of Common Redpolls that began in late October continued into December.  Good counts included 300 birds feeding along the Coquihalla Highway near the Falls Lake exit December 4 (Wayne Weber), 579 on the Kelowna CBC December 15 (an all time high for this count area), 377 on the Upper Hat Creek CBC December 16, and 907 on the Dawson Creek CBC December 29 (fide Mark Phinney).  By November, as usual, Hoary Redpolls had turned up in small numbers in the Peace River area (Mark Phinney et al.).  Twelve were tallied on the Dawson Creek CBC December 29 (fide Mark Phinney).   West of the Rockies, this species is quite rare.  One was among Common Redpolls in Rutland December 6 (Chris Charlesworth) and two were found during the Kelowna CBC December 15.