• Loons were apparently more widespread than usual in the interior (particularly the south).  As usual a few Red-throated Loons sprinkled the interior this fall.  In north-central BC, Jamie Fenneman reported singles from Nulki Lake October 5, Carp Lake October 13 and Eaglet Lake October 16.  Not far to the south, an immature was on Williams Lake November 2-9 (Phil Ranson).  In the southern interior, a moulting adult graced Nicola Lake October 19-27 (Wayne Weber).  Another adult (in basic plumage) was found at a traditional spot - the north end of Okanagan Lake November 9 (Don Cecile, Chris Siddle).  Almost all the historical Okanagan records come from this locale.  
• Kelowna experienced a rash of Pacific Loon reports.  Beginning with an exceptionally early individual (in alternate plumage), spotted by Hank VanderPol on August 24, at least two birds were present for much of the early fall.  This species rarely occurs in the southern interior outside the October to mid-December window.  Across the mountains at Nicola Lake, Wayne Weber found single Pacific Loons on October 19, November 10 & 23.  In north-central BC, Pacific Loons were scarce - the only report was of a single bird at Eaglet Lake October 16 (Jamie Fenneman).  
• The annual fall and winter trickle of Yellow-billed Loons started September 10, when one was on Nicola Lake (fide Richard Cannings).  An individual off Skidegate October 9 provided the first coastal report of the fall (Robert Worona).  Later, an adult was seen off Nile Creek in very birdy Baynes Sound October 16 (Guy Monty), an immature off Rocky Point October 21 (fide David Allinson), and an adult off Bertram Creek Regional Park (Okanagan Lake) October 31 & November 1 (Bill Cutfield et al.).
• A very late Pied-billed Grebe was on Stuart Lake at Fort St. James November 20 (Randy Rawluk).

PELICANS, VULTURES

• Brown Pelicans have been quite rare the past few years.  One was found dead at Long Beach November 14 (fide Adrian Dorst).
• The departure of Turkey Vultures was quite abrupt this fall, with very few remaining past mid-October.  A single bird at Tofino September 24 (Adrian Dorst) was extralimital.  One late individual was at the Sechelt airport November 28 (fide Larry Cowan).

WATERFOWL

• The adult "Bewick's" Tundra Swan has apparently returned to the vicinity of Kilby Provincial Park in the lower Fraser Valley.  It was spotted there by Rick Toochin and Corina Isaac November 30.  Brant put in a good showing, with a high tally of 600+ made November 30 at Beach Grove Lagoon (fide Larry Cowan).
• On September 22, at Boundary Bay, Tim Pirk found a probable Eurasian Wigeon, coming out of eclipse plumage.  This is slightly early for fall arrival in BC.  It's interesting to note that there was already one in New Mexico on the 21st (John Hirth)!  Normally, only ones and twos are found outside the Lower Mainland.  The seven birds found at Queen Charlotte City October 22 (Robert Worona) was an excellent tally.  Very rare on the west coast of Vancouver Island in fall, 2 Blue-winged Teal were on the Kennedy River October 26 (George Bradd).  A very late individual was at Boundary Bay through much of November (Rick Toochin et al.). 
• Scoters and other "sea ducks" were relatively scarce in the northern and central interior this fall.  However, higher than normal numbers were reported in the southern interior, and even more so south of the province.  In BC, highlights included 37 Surf Scoters off Sandspit Beach, Kokanee Creek Park September 10 (Janice Arndt), and the 3 juvenile Black Scoters found by Ed Beynon near Castlegar October 28.  A single Red-breasted Merganser was on Okanagan Lake at Penticton November 4 (Laure Neish), and two very tardy individuals were at the west end of Nulki Lake November 21 (Jamie Fenneman).  
• On the west coast of Vancouver Island, where considered casual in fall occurrence, 14 Black Scoters were at Long Beach October 29 (Adrian Dorst).  Other rare waterfowl sightings for that part of the world included Ruddy Ducks in late October (Adrian Dorst, George Bradd), and Redheads in Tofino in late November (Adrian Dorst).

HAWKS, FALCONS

• Reluctant to leave, an Osprey spent the late fall scavenging with crows and gulls near Lake Cowichan.  It was last observed November 25 (Candace Boyle et al.).  Other late individuals were reported near Duke Point November 22 (Ron Speller) and over over White Rock November 24 (fide Larry Cowan).
• After a number of blockbuster years, Broad-winged Hawks were in short supply at the southern tip of  Vancouver Island.  However, two October sightings provided the latest observations on record.  One was at Rocky Point October 14, and an adult was over the City of Victoria October 22 (David Allinson).  On the Lower Mainland, an adult was in Surrey near Watershed Park October 1 (Rick Toochin).
• Back for a return winter engagement, a Gyrfalcon was at the Marshall Feedlot, Kelowna on November 21-28 (Trevor Forder et al.).  

CRANES, SHOREBIRDS

• A concentrated southward migration of the uncommon coastal population of Sandhill Cranes was noted at Carmanah Point, with 154 counted September 18 and 96 September 21 (Jerry Etzkorn).
• A few American Golden-Plovers remained along the coast exceptionally late this fall.  One was in Delta November 16 (Rick Toochin), one was on Tree Island (off Comox) November 22 (Nathan Hentze) and nearby in the Union Bay are November 23-28 (Guy Monty).  An albino Semipalmated Plover was at Tofino August 21-26 (Adrian Dorst).
• A very late American Avocet was photographed by Randy Hopkins on the shores of Elizabeth Lake, Cranbrook October 23.  On the coast, avocets were scarce this year.  One was at Elgin Heritage Park, Surrey November 4-5 (fide Larry Cowan).
• Greater Yellowlegs often linger through the winter in the Fraser delta and the southern tip of Vancouver Island.  Elsewhere they are extremely rare after October.  A single straggler was still in Tofino area November 22 (George Bradd).
• Two Bar-tailed Godwits graced the shores of Columbia Beach August 5-6 (Guy Monty, Donna McKean et al.).  The high count for Marbled Godwits this fall was 5, at the foot of 112th Street Boundary Bay, last reported October 15 (Rick Toochin).  Late for the outer coast was a single Marbled Godwit near Tofino October 14-16 (Adrian Dorst, George Bradd).
• A Western Sandpiper at the Union Bay log sort November 23 (Guy Monty) was a bit on the late side for Vancouver Island.  A surprisingly late gathering of peeps was noted at Kilby Provincial Park November 30.  Rick Toochin and Corina Isaac tallied 14 Least Sandpipers, 18 Western Sandpipers and 33 Dunlin.
• In the interior, Dunlin made somewhat late appearances, with up to three individuals at Althalmere November 9-13 (Randy Hopkins) one at Giscome November 21 (Laird Law, Sandra Kinsey), and two at the Stellako River November 24 (Jamie Fenneman et al.).  Coastwise, unusually high numbers of Dunlin were in the Baynes Sound area in late November.  Nathan Hentze estimated an aggregation of 10,000 at Tree Island November 22, and Guy Monty had 3,620 at the Union Bay log sort the next day.
• A surprising number of Red Phalaropes turned up close to land this fall, and quite a few were found dead on beaches along the west coast of Vancouver Island (fide Adrian Dorst)..

JAEGERS, GULLS

• Rarely observed in the Nicola Valley, an immature Franklin's Gull was at Nicola Lake September 7 to November 4 (Wayne Weber).  Adrian Dorst tallied 500+ Heermann's Gulls near Tofino August 13.  The first report this fall of a Slaty-backed Gull was of an adult at Combers Beach, Pacific Rim National Park on October 27 (David Allinson).  Shortly after, another adult graced the Chilliwack landfill November 4 (Mitch Meredith, Rick Toochin, Jason Osterhold). 

CUCKOOS, OWLS, DOVES, HUMMINGBIRDS

• Following the recent pattern of vagrancy for this species, a YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO was along the Waldie Island Trail, Castlegar, October 18 to November 1 (Janice Arndt et al.).
• Northern Hawk Owls have not been particularly conspicuous this fall.  Outside central and northern BC, only a few birds have been reported.  One was at Mt. Revelstoke National Park October 17 (Jay Sherwood et al.).  Paul Levesque headed up a new project to monitor fall movements of Northern Saw-whet Owl on southern Vancouver Island.  Exceeding all expectations, his crew banded an astounding 210 individuals over 19 nights September 13 to November 2.  October 11 alone produced 38 captures.
• Few Anna's Hummingbirds were reported away from the southwestern corner of the province.  Most noteworthy were the few discovered in the Smithers-Telkwa-Houston area in mid to late November, with at least one continuing into December (fide Brenda Mallory).

PASSERINES

• According to David Allinson, the Rocky Point Bird Observatory (southern tip of Vancouver Island) had a record-breaking season in 2002, with 3161 birds banded.  Particularly high passerine captures included Pacific-slope Flycatcher (273), Willow Flycatcher (47), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (466) and MacGillivray's Warbler (48).  Another Willow Flycatcher of note was an individual recaptured at Vaseux Lake in August.  It was originally banded as an adult in 1995, making it the oldest Willow Flycatcher on record (fide Richard Cannings).  Rarely reported from Vancouver Island, a Dusky Flycatcher was banded at Rocky Point August 23 (fide David Allinson).  Only a few Tropical Kingbirds were encountered this fall.  One was at Ucluelet October 7-15 (Ewen Brittain et al.), and another at Swan Lake, Saanich November 15-20 (fide David Allinson).  A wayward Western Kingbird turned up at Carmanah Point September 13 (Jerry Etzkorn).
• An apparent hybrid STELLER'S X BLUE JAY was on Gabriola Island in July and August (Ken DeCarle et al.).  The small resident population of Blue Jays at Kimberley is now estimated at at least six pairs according to Ruth Goodwin.  It has been yet another mini-invasion year for this species, with plenty of reports throughout the southern half of the province.  This appears to be a fairly widespread invasion.  Dave Trochlell reports that Blue Jays have made their best showing in Idaho in three years.  Idaho also has had a hybrid Steller's x Blue Jay hybrid, residing in Coeur d'Alene since September 26.  WESTERN SCRUB-JAYS are pushing their way north and may soon be regular visitors to BC.  One was near Agassiz October 5 (fide Jason Osterhold).
• The adult male BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER captured and banded at Rocky Point August 5 (fide David Allinson), provided just the second record for Vancouver Island, and the sixth for the province.  This bird reappeared August 16-18.
• Northern Mockingbird reports have been few and far between in recent months.  One was along McDermott Road, Abbotsford, October 20-27 (Daniel Bastaja et al.).
• A Tennessee Warbler was observed at Long Beach September 6 (Adrian Dorst).  Rocky Point's phenomenal season included the capture of an adult female NORTHERN PARULA on August 23 (fide David Allinson).  This is the third record for the province, and the second for Vancouver Island.  Palm Warblers were either absent or went undetected for the most part this fall.  Adrian Dorst found one at Tofino October 17.  Following last fall's first provincial record of the species, adult male PROTHONOTARY WARBLERS made appearances at Reifel Island October 5-7 (Mitch Meredith, Rick Toochin et al.) and at the Long Beach Resort on the west coast of Vancouver Island October 10 (Arti Ahier et al.).
• Scarce on the outer coast, a Snow Bunting was near Carmanah Point October 26 (Jerry Etzkorn).
• A rare coastal occurrence of Bobolink was noted October 1, when an individual was at Carmanah Point (Jerry Etzkorn).  The Kelowna GREAT-TAILED GRACKLE, unreported since the spring, resurfaced November 23 (Ryan Tomlinson).  A first winter male Baltimore Oriole was at a feeder in Port Alberni November 26 to December 7 (Sally Anderson).  This species is exceptionally rare west of the Rockies.

Click HERE for the index of observation summaries