British Columbia and Yukon Region
Summary of Observations - Fall 1999
(modified from report submitted to North American Birds)

Compiled by Michael G. Shepard

Click HERE to view the Summer 1999 summary
Click HERE for a list of other observation summaries

A brilliant warm summer finally began the first week of August and lasted through the Equinox into the third week of October. A brief spell of cooler, showery weather the first week of September kept migrants low and easier to spot.   But boy, did the weather change drastically as a highspeed flow off the Pacific cranked up.  The coast was constantly wet and windy through the last five weeks of the period while the interior was occasionally so. Late autumn temperatures remained consistent such that a cool end of October became a mild end of November. The exception was the Yukon and far northern British Columbia which tasted real winter during late November.

LOONS THROUGH WATERFOWL
Southern Yukon enjoyed a record showing of Yellow-billed Loons with a juvenile at Schwatka L., Oct. 3 (Jukka Jantunen, Amélie Rousseau), one at Nisutlin Bay Oct. 6 (Cameron Eckert), a long-staying bird at Lake Laberge Oct. 9 - Nov. 20 (Jukka Jantunen, Amélie Rousseau, Cameron Eckert, Pam Sinclair, Helmut Grünberg), and one at Tagish Narrows Nov. 23-24 (Boris Dobrowolsky, Cameron Eckert).  In B.C. one was off the  Englishman River Estuary in Parksville Oct .17 (fide Nanaimo RBA).  A well documented W. Grebe at Lake Laberge Oct. 30 was the Yukon's first record of an Aechmophorus grebe to exclude Clark's Grebe (Cameron Eckert, Pam Sinclair).  Another W. Grebe was reported to have spent the summer and fall on Simpson L., se. Yukon departing at freeze-up on Nov. 21 (Ulla Rembe).

Two Pink-footed Shearwaters, rare in Juan de Fuca Strait, were off Victoria Sep. 23 (Gail Roper, Rick Toochin, David Allinson, Paul Levesque, Gabriel David).  At least one American White Pelican wandered the Strait of Georgia during the period, with reports coming from the Roberts Bank Jetty (June until Sep. 12 - Evelyn Whiteside, m.ob.), Iona Island (Sep. 13 - Brian Scott) and Campbell River (Sep. 16 - Casey Cramer).  Brown Pelicans put in their usual fall appearance along the SW coast of B.C., peaking at 100+ birds S. of Pachena Bay Aug. 16 (Terry Erskine).  A Double-crested Cormorant at Eaglet Lake Aug. 29 (Cathy Antoniazzi) provided the only central interior record this year.  Cattle Egrets appeared in slightly larger numbers than normal, with individual birds reported from the Alberni Valley Oct. 20 - Nov. 28 (fide Sandy McRuer), Chilliwack Oct. 26-31 (Jason Osterhold) and Kamloops Nov. 16-19.   At least two were in the Duncan area in Oct. and Nov. (Derrick Marven et al.) and four were at Westham I. Nov. 27-29 (John Ireland, m.obs.).  Very rare in  B.C., a White-faced Ibis was at Courtenay Sep. 20 (fide Vicki Hansen).

By far the year's most stunning rarity in the Yukon was an ad. Bean Goose discovered in Whitehorse on Oct. 23-24, and enjoyed by many during its brief stay (Cameron Eckert, Pam Sinclair, m.obs.).  A lone goose, likely this individual, had been in the area for about a week prior to its identification.  An adult and 2 immature Whooper Swans at Mamit L. Nov. 7-14 (Wayne Weber, Andy Raniseth, m.ob.) provided one of the very few records for the region.  A female Tufted Duck was at Iona Island Nov. 24 and a male there Nov. 29 (both Rick Toochin).  An impressive 350 Oldsquaw at L. Laberge Oct. 16 (Cameron Eckert, Pam Sinclair) established a record-high fall count for southern Yukon.  Rare migrants in the Whitehorse area, 14 Ruddy Ducks were at the sewage lagoons Sep. 9 (Boris Dobrowolsky, Helmut Grünberg).

KITE THROUGH SHOREBIRDS
Hawk watching at Rocky Point at the southern tip of Vancouver resulted in several noteworthy records this fall.  Included were individual White-tailed Kites Aug. 18 (Michael Porter, Dan Derbyshire, Devon Anderson, Rick Schortinghuis) and Sep. 14 (David Allinson); and at least 25 Broad-winged Hawks through the season.  A record-setting group of seven birds was there Oct. 7 (Dan Derbyshire et al.).  An active Broad-winged Hawk nest found near Chetwynd furnished one of the very few breeding records for the region.  A scolding adult and a partly-feathered chick were at the nest Aug. 3 (Mark Phinney).  The relatively recently discovered fall migration corridor along the spine of the Rockies was again investigated in 1999.  During the period Oct. 6-9, 119 southbound Golden Eagles were tallied (Sandra Kinsey and Laird Law).  A wind-blown White-tailed Ptarmigan sitting on the shore at Jackfish Bay, L. Laberge during an extreme windstorm Nov. 1 (Cameron Eckert) provided an unprecedented lowland record for the Whitehorse area.  Sandhill Crane migration over upper Sheep Cr. in the Pelly Mts. was recorded on Sep. 5-6 with a total of 1100 birds (Robb Ellwood).

The Nisutlin Delta is s. Yukon's premiere location for shorebird migration, and during August and September an impressive 24 shorebird species were recorded.  Highlights included the Yukon's third record for Bar-tailed Godwit (an ad. male and female) Aug. 14 (Cameron Eckert, Helmut Grünberg), record high tallies of Stilt Sandpipers (50 juveniles) Aug. 14 (Cameron Eckert, Helmut Grünberg) and Western Sandpipers (65 Juveniles) Sep. 4 (Cameron Eckert), and the second s. Yukon record of Buff-breasted Sandpiper Sep. 4 (Cameron Eckert).  On Sep. 12, a careful search through 700 Pectoral Sandpipers turned up one juv. Sharp-tailed Sandpiper (Cameron Eckert, Helmut Grünberg).  A fallout of shorebirds at Masset Aug. 18 & 19 produced several sightings noteworthy for the Queen Charlotte Is.   Included were 22 Lesser Yellowlegs, a Solitary Sandpiper and a Stilt Sandpiper (Margo Hearne, Peter Hamel).  On Sep. 3, a mixed flock of 75 golden-plovers at Sandspit contained 6 Pacific Golden-Plovers and a record setting 69 American Golden-Plovers (Margo Hearne, Peter Hamel).  In B.C., reports of Hudsonian Godwits were more widespread this fall with individuals at Oyster Bay Shoreline Park Aug. 16-22 (Nelson McInnis, Art Morgan, m.ob.), Reifel Island Aug. 19 (John Nicholson) and Boundary Bay Aug. 23 (Rick Toochin).  A Ruddy Turnstone at the S. end of Stump Lake Aug.21 (Rick Howie, Wayne Weber et al. ) provided only the third record for the Kamloops area and the only interior B.C. report this year.  Extremely rare in the interior, a Sharp-tailed Sandpiper was at Tranquille Sep. 8 (Ralph and Clara Ritcey).  Stint haven, aka Iona I., produced two tiny calidrid rarities this fall.  A juvenile Little Stint was there Oct. 5-8 (Rick Toochin, Dale Jensen, Stan Olson, m.obs.) and a juvenile Red-necked Stint present Oct. 28 - Nov. 17 (Rick Toochin, Alan Milligan, Glen Thomson, m.obs.).  A juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper frequented the north shore of Boundary Bay and adjacent fields Sep. 9-17 (Rick Toochin, Neil Hughes, m.obs.).  Another juvenile was at Iona I. Oct. 6-9 (Rick Toochin, Mitch Meredith, Mike Toochin, m.obs.).  A juvenile Reeve was on the north shore of Boundary Bay Sep. 11 (Rick Toochin).

JAEGERS THROUGH WOODPECKERS

A southbound light-morph Parasitic Jaeger on Sep. 16 provided the first fall record for the Whitehorse area (Jukka Jantunen).  A South Polar Skua, a rare visitor to inside waters, was in Juan de Fuca Strait south of Victoria Aug. 27 (Brent Beach).  An adult Slaty-backed Gull in Whitehorse Sep. 1-3 (Cameron Eckert, Pam Sinclair) provided the Yukon's second documented record of this species.  The Yukon's first documented Ivory Gull, a first winter bird, was a at Tagish Narrows Nov. 21 (Cameron Eckert, Pam Sinclair,Cameron L. Eckert, Diana Eckert).  Sadly, its health declined rather quickly and a rescue attempt on Nov. 24 found that it had died during the previous night.  The body was recovered for preparation as a specimen.  As usual, there was a smattering of Sabine's Gulls reports from the interior of B.C., with single birds at Kamloops Sep. 7, Williams L. Sep. 5-10 (Phil Ranson et al.), Nulki L. Sep. 15 (Laird Law, Sandra Kinsey) and the w. end Stellako R. Oct. 13 (Jack McGhee).  An ad. Caspian Tern at Nisutlin Delta Aug. 1 provided the fifth Yukon record for this species (Cameron Eckert, Pam Sinclair et al.).  Now of nearly annual occurrence on the south coast, a Forster's Tern was at Clover Point Aug. 26 (fide Victoria RBA).  A Thick-billed Murre appeared at Alliford Bay Nov. 4 (Peter Hamel).

A vagrant Yellow-billed Cuckoo turned up at Duck L., Creston Oct. 20 (Ed McMackin).  Rather far north, a Barn Owl was in McBride in late Nov (Linda Trask).  An apparent brief mini-invasion of Great Gray Owls around Whitehorse included reports of one at the Annie L. Road Sep. 30 (Ron Adams), one at South M'Clintock, Marsh L. Oct. 3-5 (Doug Phillips, Dale Stokes), and one in Whitehorse-Hillcrest Oct. 7 (Robb Ingram).  Two Long-eared Owls found roosting in a willow thicket at Giscome Aug. 22 (Jack Bowling, Cathy Antoniazzi) provided only the fifth record for the Prince George area.   A record-late Com. Nighthawk was over downtown Whitehorse Sep. 16 (Jukka Jantunen).  A spectacular migration of Rufous Hummingbirds was noted at Rocky Point.  Over 150 of these little mites were mist-netted late July through mid-Aug. (Dan Derbyshire et al.).  A very cold Yellow-bellied Sapsucker seen in Whitehorse Nov. 2 smashed the Yukon's previous record late date by nearly two months (Lee Kubica).

FLYCATCHERS THROUGH GROSBEAKS

An Eastern Phoebe, a species of only occasional occurrence west of the Rockies was at Mackenzie Aug. 6 (David Bostock, David Lambie).  Ash-throated Flycatchers are rare but regular on the south coast.   Two juveniles were at Burns Bog Aug. 16 & 17 (Martin Gebauer), with one bird reported there until late August (m.obs.), one juvenile at Tsawwassen Aug. 28 (Caroline Knox) and one juvenile at Reifel Island Sep. 5 & 6 (Peter Candido, Christopher Rustay, John Ireland, m.obs.).  There was only one Tropical Kingbird report this fall, a single bird at Jordan R. Oct. 17 (D. Johnson, Derrick Marven).  A Blue Jay was at Fort Nelson Oct. 18 (Michael Shepard), rather far north for this time of year.  Rare in the northern Rockies, a Clark's Nutcracker was on Morfee Mountain near Mackenzie Aug. 20 (Vi, John and David Lambie).  The concentration of about fifty Purple Martins at Deer L., Burnaby Sep. 8-12 (George Clulow, Randy Findlay) was perhaps the largest number ever recorded in the Lower Mainland.  A Gray Catbird heard calling at Rocky Pt. Sep. 30 (Dan Derbyshire, Rick Toochin, David Allinson) provided only the second record for Vancouver I.  Individual Red-throated Pipits, rare transients in B.C., were in Central Saanich Oct. 23 & 24 (Keith Taylor, David Allinson, Devon Anderson, Gabriel David, Rick Toochin) and Sandspit Oct. 31 (Peter Hamel).

Abundant aphids drew a small horde of warblers to a Whitehorse yard Aug. 28 with 6 Orange-crowned, 6 Yellow, 20 Yellow-rumped, 1 Townsend's, 8 Blackpoll Warblers, 1 N. Waterthrush, and 30 Wilson's Warblers (Cameron Eckert, Pam Sinclair).  A late Yellow Warbler (imm.) was at Brunswick Point Nov. 29 (Rick Toochin, Dale Jensen, Evelyn Jensen).  Noteworthy coastal reports of American Redstarts included an immature captured, banded and photographed at Rocky Point Aug. 5 (Dan Derbyshire) and a single bird at Burns Bog Sep. 1 (Rick Toochin).  Black-and-white Warblers, unusual west of the Rockies were at Kalimoir Park in the Okanagan Oct. 13 (Elke Fischer, Lesley Robertson) and at Sandspit Nov. 4 (Peter Hamel).  A Northern Waterthrush at Reifel I. Oct. 3 (MHa) furnished the only coastal report this season.  A Com. Yellowthroat in Whitehorse Nov. 1 (Jukka Jantunen) provided the latest record ever of this species for the Yukon. A record-late juv. Chipping Sparrow frequented a Whitehorse feeder Sep 30 - Oct. 6 (Cameron Eckert, Pam Sinclair).

Clay-colored Sparrows almost never make it as far west as Vancouver Island.  An immature was at Rocky Point Sep. 3 & 4 (David Allinson, Devon Anderson).  Virtually unheard of on the coast, a Common Grackle put in a two day appearance in Central Saanich Nov. 14 & 15 (Keith Taylor et al.).  A Dickcissel, a species from east of the Rockies was at Rocky Point Oct. 9 (David Allinson). An immature male Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Ucluelet from Nov. 23 well into December (Brian Slater et al.) provided a rare coastal report of this species.   During the summer White-winged Crossbills responded to a heavy spruce cone crop with a major irruption, primarily in the interior B.C.  Large flocks were reported widely well into Sep., with numbers gradually decreasing through the end of the period.

Sub-regional Compilers: David Allinson (Victoria), Cathy Antoniazzi (Prince George), Steve Baillie (Nanaimo), Jack Bowling (Prince George & weather summaries), Richard Cannings (Okanagan), Don Cecile (Vernon), Chris Charlesworth (Kelowna), Larry Cowan (Vancouver), Gary Davidson (West Kootenays), Cameron Eckert (Yukon), Bryan Gates (Victoria), Max Gotz (Pemberton/Whistler), Tony Greenfield (Sunshine Coast), Helmut Grünberg (Yukon), Peter Hamel (Queen Charlotte Is.), Vicki Hansen (Campbell River), Sandra Kinsey (Prince George), Sandy McRuer (Alberni Valley), Mark Phinney (Peace River), Phil Ranson (Cariboo), Michael Shepard (Southern Vancouver I.),  Rick Toochin (Vancouver), Hank vander Pol (Victoria).

Click HERE to view the Summer 1999 summary
Click HERE for a list of other observation summaries