Northern Canada & Greenland 
Arctic Ocean 
GREENLAND ^ 
(KALAALLITNUNAAT) 
[Deffmjfk) 
Cameron D. Eckert 
Clintock Bay, s. Yukon 6 Apr OJ)- A 
movement of Long-tailed Ducks 
through Whitehorse, s. Yukon in- 
cluded counts of 170 at Schwatka 
L. 18 May and 100 at the White- 
horse sewage ponds 20 May (HG). 
Hooded Merganser has not yet 
been confirmed breeding in the 
Yukon, but observations of pairs in 
spring, such as a pair at Tagish 23 
Apr QD, PD) and another at Hid- 
den Lakes 29 May (MW), indicate 
that birders should be on the look- 
out for nesting birds. Concern for 
Horned Grebe populations under- 
scores the importance of recording 
counts of any significant migration 
concentrations; a flock of 100 was at Shallow 
Bay, s. Yukon 12 May (CE). An Eared Grebe, 
casual in s. Yukon, was seen in Whitehorse 19 
May (ph. PS). An imm. Double-crested Cor- 
morant, rare but regular in s. Yukon, was at 
Nisutlin Bay 25 May (MG, TaH, ToH). A 
Great Blue Heron, a rare wanderer to the Re- 
gion, was at Squanga L., s. Yukon 6 May (YS). 
A Turkey Vulture, casual anywhere in the Re- 
O ur Region, which now includes 
Greenland, covers an area of 5.7 mil- 
lion km^ — twice as big as Alaska and 
Texas combined. The northern landscapes are 
dramatic, remote, and encompass much of 
the planet’s last remaining true wilderness. 
Sparse populations with few birders in most 
areas means that visiting birders, scientists, 
and tour guides are essential to increasing our 
knowledge of the Region’s birdlife. Please 
take time to submit observations from your 
birding adventures in the North, and if those 
adventures take you to Greenland, well then 
even better! Spring migration for some 
species in southern Yukon was flavored by 
record snowfalls during the previous season; 
for example, lingering snow coverage in early 
May likely accounted for the large flocks of 
Lapland Longspurs that invaded towns and 
settlements. However, migration progressed 
normally for other species groups such as wa- 
terfowl, shorebirds, and warblers. In North- 
west Territories, spring came late to the Nor- 
man Wells and Mackenzie Valley areas but 
then erupted quickly. A rapid green-up gave 
way to subsequent cool and wet conditions. 
WATERFOWL THROUGH 
SHOREBIRDS 
Fifty Snow Geese at Norman Wells, NWT 6 
May were the season’s first (DW). A flock of 
100 Brant, a rare late spring migrant in the 
Yukon’s Southern Lakes area, was seen over 
Swan L. 30 May (HG). Swan migration 
peaked at M’Clintock Bay, s. Yukon 25 Apr 
with counts of 730 Trumpeters and 829 Tun- 
dras OJ)- An ad. Bewick’s Swan at M’Clintock 
Bay, s. Yukon 10-11 May (ph. JJ, CE) estab- 
lished just the 2nd record for the territory. A 
flock of about 200 Canvasbacks was at Shal- 
low Bay, s. Yukon 14 May (BS et al). An un- 
usually early trio of Redheads arrived at M’- 
The Yukon's long-awaited first documented Whooping 
Crane, a first-year bird, was seen at Ross River on about 17 
May 2009. Photograph by Henry Nukon. 
gion, was seen over Whitehorse, s. Yukon 5 
May (KF). A check of a Gyrfalcon nest at Arc- 
tic Bay, NU found a pair there 6 May (ph. 
CK). Two Peregrine Falcons were noted as 
first-of-the-season arrivals at Norman Wells, 
NWT 9 May (DW). 
There have been a few credible Whooping 
Crane reports in the Yukon over the years but 
none accompanied by a photograph. The ter- 
ritory’s first documented Whooping Crane, a 
yearling, was photographed at Ross River on 
about 17 May (FE, ph. HN). Sparse coverage 
of shorebird migration in se. Yukon means 
that any observations from the area are of in- 
terest; among the shorebirds seen at the Wat- 
son Lake airport 25-26 May were 2 Black-bel- 
lied Plovers, 4 Whimbrels, and single Ruddy 
Turnstone, Sanderling, and Upland Sandpiper 
(ph. JJ). An impressive 22 Solitary Sandpipers 
were noted at Shallow Bay, s. Yukon 12 May 
(CE). A White-rumped Sandpiper, rare in s. 
Yukon, was at Lewes Marsh 25 May (ph. JM). 
High counts for Long-billed Dowitchers in 
the Yukon Southern Lakes area included 200 
at Shallow Bay 12 May, 250 at Judas Cr. 13 
May, 300 at M’Clintock Bay 13 May, and 300 
at Horse Cr. 18 May (CE). 
GULLS THROUGH FINCHES 
Bonaparte’s Gull migration in s. Yukon 
peaked in mid-May with counts of 350 at Ju- 
das Cr. and 600 at M’Clintock Bay 13 May 
(CE). In s. Yukon, Nares L. hosts the Region’s 
highest numbers of migrant Mew Gulls; a 
flock totaling 570 was there 6 May (CE, JJ). 
Two of the 3 ad. Ring-billed Gulls seen at 
Quartz Rd. wetland in Whitehorse, s. Yukon 7 
May remained through the spring and looked 
as though they might nest there, but in the 
end it seems they did not (ph. CE). A peak 
count of 950 Herring Gulls was recorded at 
M’Clintock Bay, s. Yukon 27 Apr (JJ). Small 
numbers of Glaucous-winged Gulls make it 
to the Yukon Southern Lakes each spring; 2 
first-cycle birds were at Nares L. 3 May (CE). 
The first Glaucous Gulls of the season re- 
turned to Arctic Bay, NU 11 May (ph. CK). 
Glaucous Gull is an uncommon migrant 
through much of the Region’s interior; single 
ads. were seen in Whitehorse, s. Yukon 22 
Apr (CE), Norman Wells, NWT 13 May 
(DW), Yellowknife, NWT 21 May (ph. CM), 
Hay River, NWT 22 May (ph. GV), Watson 
Lake, se. Yukon 25 May (ph. JJ), and Ft. 
Simpson, NWT 30 May (ph. DT). Thayer’s 
Gull is a very rare spring migrant in the 
Yukon and s. Northwest Territories; reports 
this season included 2 in Deline, NWT 24-25 
May (ph. TiH); a migrant flock of about 15 at 
Watson Lake, se. Yukon 26 May (ph. JJ); and 
2 at Ft. Simpson 30 May (ph. DT). 
A Northern Hawk Owl first seen at Nor- 
man Wells, NWT 11 Apr was subsequently 
found nesting 3 May (RP). A Great Gray Owl 
was seen near Fox L., s. Yukon 5 Mar (GW, 
MW). Two Short-eared Owls were at Haines 
Junction, sw. Yukon 26 Apr (CE, PS). A spate 
of daytime sightings of Boreal Owls perched [j 
in the open around s. Yukon in early Mar was [j 
indicative of deep snow conditions in the i' 
woods that likely limited access to prey. Ru- 
454 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
