i Prairie Provinces 
Rudolf F. Koes 
Peter Taylor 
O ne of the coolest springs in years, 
spring 2009 was characterized by 
persistently well-below-normal tem- 
peratures, late frosts, and locally heavy snow 
in May. In the north, it remained essentially 
winter through May. The late melt caused 
widespread flooding in southern Manitoba, 
but in southwestern Saskatchewan, the multi- 
year drought continued. Migrants were late in 
arriving, and many northern breeders lin- 
gered in the south. By the end of May, many 
shorebirds, flycatchers, vireos, and warblers 
were still in short supply in breeding areas. A 
brief mild spell 11-12 April resulted in a huge 
wave of new arrivals in southern Manitoba, 
while prolonged fallout conditions 15-26 May 
provided some excellent conditions for study- 
ing warblers and sparrows province-wide. A 
Baikal Teal in Alberta was the rarity of the 
season, but gulls and especially tanagers also 
made the news. 
Abbreviations: B.El. (Browning-Ferris Indus- 
tries Landfill, Calgary, AB); Wascana (Was- 
cana Marsh and Lake, Regina, SK) 
WATERFOWL THROUGH 
SHOREBIRDS 
Oak Hammock Marsh harbored 250 Greater 
White-fronted Geese 2 May (GB, DDo, CA), a 
very high number for se. Manitoba. A party of 
15 Trumpeter Swans at Pinawa 31 May (RS, 
JWh) was probably the largest ever for s. 
Manitoba. A male Gadwall x American 
Wigeon hybrid near Irricana, AB 17 May (TK) 
was highly unusual. Highest tallies of North- 
ern Pintail were 7500 at Frank L., AB 5 Apr 
(ASl) and 4000+ at Oak Hammock Marsh 2 
May (GB, DDo). A male Baikal Teal near Keo- 
ma, AB 30 Apr-1 May (AT, PC, MMu, m.oh.) 
would be a first for the Region, if accepted. A 
Long-tailed Duck at Shepard, AB 12 Apr (TK) 
was a spring rarity. Other notable ducks in- 
cluded a Common Goldeneye x Hooded Mer- 
ganser hybrid at Wascana 18 Apr (DSa, BLb) 
and a Barrow’s Goldeneye at Lumsden Beach, 
SK 4 May (BLb). Red-necked Grebes peaked 
at 1000+ at Natalie L., MB 26 Apr (PT). 
Stray Great Egrets were at Craven, SK 18 
Apr (RM), Buffalo Pound, SK 23 Apr 
(B&LM), Tyrrell L., AB 4 May (E&AC), Cas- 
sils Res., AB 17 May (GR, SK), and near Sun- 
dre, AB 30 or 31 May (fide TP). A Snowy 
Egret photographed near Roche Percee 21 
Apr was about the 25th for Saskatchewan 
(KH). A Green Heron was noted at Winnipeg, 
MB 20 May (AM, m.ob.). The total tally of 
10,712 raptors at the Pembina Valley (Windy- 
gates), MB hawkwatch between 2 Mar and 18 
Apr included a record 1540 Bald Eagles and 
8324 Red-tailed Hawks (AS, DS et al). A Red- 
shouldered Hawk at St. Adolphe, MB 22 Mar 
was rare (AC, AA, MQ, LV, ph.). A concentra- 
tion of 275 Rough-legged 
Hawks, including 86 in one 
scan, in the Oak Hammock 
Marsh area 17 Apr, was stag- 
gering. The birds were attract- 
ed by concentrations of ro- 
dents forced to dry areas dur- 
ing the spring snow melt (RK). 
Elsewhere in s. Manitoba, 82 
Rough-legged Hawks were 
noted in the Whitemouth-Al- 
legra area 18 Apr (PT), while 
late individuals were near 
Boissevain, MB 26 May (RK, 
PT) and at Riding Mountain 
N.P., MB 31 May OU- About 
20,000 Sandhill Cranes passed 
over the Spruce Grove, AB area 
in a few hours on 28 Apr (CM, 
MM). Pour Whooping Cranes 
flew over Spruce Woods, MB 
14 Apr (D&LG). Shorebird 
numbers were generally low, 
although an estimated 5000 
Black-bellied Plovers moving 
through the Brooks, AB area 
21-25 May made a notable ex- 
ception (RC), as did 8 locally 
rare Dunlins and 500 Stilt 
Sandpipers at Cheadle, AB 27 
May (IH). 
GULLS THROUGH WOODPECKERS 
Forty Sabine’s Gulls were at Weed L., near 
Langdon, AB 25 May (BSt, MH), a strong 
count. An apparent Ring-billed Gull x Cali- 
fornia Gull hybrid visited B.EL 28 Apr (TK, 
ph.). Thayer’s Gulls were widely reported. 
Singles were at Saskatoon, SK 7 Apr (RD), 
Regina 17 May (BLb), and Winnipeg 16-17 
Apr (TK), and 2 were seen near St. Ambroise, 
MB 25 Apr (RK, Nature Manitoba); at least 
22, including 7 on 9 May, were tallied at B.EL 
25 Apr-20 May (TK). Single Iceland Gulls 
were at Winnipeg 17 Apr and at B.El. 20-29 j 
Apr and 9 May (all TK). Lesser Black-backed , ij 
Gulls were also widespread, with one at Taber |’ 
L., AB 31 Mar (LB), one near Regina, SK 4 [ 
Apr (BLb), up to 2 at Wascana 7-18 Apr (TH, 
BLb, m.ob.), one at Winnipeg 17-19 Apr (AC, [ 
JW), 4 at B.EL between 12 Apr and 18 May f 
(TK), and one at Brandon, MB 8 May (CC). A l! 
Slaty-backed Gull at Saskatoon 19-24 Apr [j 
was the first for the city and 3rd for the 
province (NS, m.ob., ph.). B.EL attracted a 
Glaucous-winged Gull 23 Apr-2 May (TK); 
another visited Glenmore Res., AB 5 May (BE, 
BSt). Great Black-backed Gull reports came 
from Headingley, MB 6 Apr (RF), while up to 
2 at Wascana 6-12 Apr provided the first ful- 
ly documented record for Saskatchewan (DSa, 
m.ob., ph.). 
The only notable owl tally was made in the 
Chisolm/Slave L., AB area 29 Mar, when 46 
Northern Hawk Owls and 22 Great Gray 
Owls were seen (GR, RCr, MD, JMo); above- 
average numbers of the former species lin- 
gered to breed in cen. and w. Manitoba 
(m.ob.). A Lewis’s Woodpecker near Calgary 
30 May was locally rare (JP et al.). A Red- 
breasted Sapsucker near Balzac, AB 20 May 
was apparently well described and would be 
about the 7th for the province (PW). 
Although there were Great Black-backed Gull records for Saskatchewan, these 
birds, seen here at Wascana Marsh in Regina on 7 April 2009, were the first to be 
photographed in the province. Photograph by Ryan Peterman. 
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with other gulls on 1 9 April 2009, was the first for the 
city and the third for the province. Photograph by Nick Saunders. 
456 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
