PRAIRIE PROVINCES 
^ A It was an exceptional season for tanagers, especially in Manitoba. Summer Tanager has joined the "rare but regu- 
0 #1 lar" ranks in the last decade or so, but a total of 9 birds at well-separated locations in s. Manitoba between 1 8 May 
and 10 June was exceptional. They included females and both ad. and yearling males. Reports came from East Selkirk 18 
May [fide GG), near St Francois Xavier 20 May (RB, DET, PF, m.ob., ph.), Winnipeg Beach 20 May [fide GG, ph.), Starbuck 25- 
30 May (CP, m.ob., ph.), St. Leon 30 May "present nearly a month" (fide CA, ph.), Morden 30 May [fide PG, AS), near Altona 
in late May [Me AS), Grand Beach 3 Jun (AC), and finally Grosse Isle 10 Jun (A&JH, ph., fide CA). Farther w., where the species 
is still more noteworthy, single male Summer Tanagers appeared at Kelvington, SK during the week of 9 May [fide NS, ph.) 
and at Elkwater, Cypress Flills, AB 19 May (JM, MM, CM, ph.). 
Two Scarlet Tanager reports from Saskatchewan included a rarely reported orange-variant male at Esterhazy around 21 
May (ET, ph.) and a normal male at Saskatoon 20 May (NS, ph.). Western Tanagere made a more normal showing in Mani- 
toba, with single males at feeders near Balmoral 14-19 May (JR, m.ob., ph.), near Douglas 18-22 May (MB & family, ph.), 
and in Winnipeg 23-27 May (MJ, m.ob.). 
This apparent Ring-billed Gull x California Gull hybrid (here 28 April 2009) at a landfill at Calgary, Alberta was one of several 
rare gulls found by the photographer at the site this spring. Photograph by Terry Korofyk. 
PASSERINES 
Flycatchers and vireos were 
still scarce at the end of 
May, reflecting the late 
spring (KG, m.ob.). At Oak 
TTammock Marsh, 105 + 
Common Ravens were 
hunting rodents in dry ar- 
eas 7 Apr (KG). An Ameri- 
can Dipper at Saskatoon 
19-23 Apr was the 2nd for 
the city (NS, ph.). With 
only a handful of records in 
Alberta, a Wood Thrush at 
Brooks 17 May was an ex- 
cellent find (SK, GR, 
m.ob.), while one at Moose 
L. MB 27 May (DD, IW) 
was closer to its normal 
Beautifully photographed was this American Dipper, well northwest of its usual range. Bohemian Waxwings 
range, at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on 19 April 2009. Photograph by Nick Saunders. were notably scarce, except 
for a brief period late Mar-early Apr, when 
records included 3000 at the Elbow R, valley 
in Calgary (GY et ah). Rare warblers included 
a Northern Parula at Last Mountain, SK 22 
May OC)> single Black-throated Blue War- 
blers near Pierson, MB 24-26 May (RW, 
m.ob.) and at Gimli, MB 28 May (BC), a 
Black-throated Gray Warbler, Manitoba’s 
2nd, at St. Ambroise 17 May QG, GG, SG; the 
province’s first was seen May 2008), and a 
Hooded Warbler at Winnipeg 16 May (PR). 
An Eastern Towhee was apparently pho- 
tographed at Medicine Hat, AB in the 3rd 
week of May (RWp). A very early Lincoln’s 
Sparrow reached Calgary 6 Apr (GY). Lap- 
land Longspurs lingered longer than usual in 
s. Manitoba, with flocks of 130 at Old 
Pinawa 21 May (PT), 23 at Jessica L. 29 May 
(LdM), and 30 at Hecla P.P 29 May (BS). 
Similarly tardy was a Snow Bunting at St. 
Ambroise 30 May (BL). An out-of-range 
Black-headed Grosbeak was at Estevan, SK 
19 May (KH), while a male occupied a terri- 
tory near Coulter, MB for the 4th year in a 
row (m.ob.). Common Redpolls lingered 
well into May in s. Alberta and s. Manitoba; 
a slightly injured bird, capable of flight, vis- 
ited a feeder near Pierson until at least 28 
May (RW, MW). Lingering Hoary Redpolls 
were at Grosse Isle, MB 29 Apr (KG) and St. 
Anne, MB 1 May (VR). 
Observers (subregional compilers in bold- 
face): C. Artuso, A. Aug, L. Bennett, M. Brew- 
er, R. Boise, G. Budyk, B. Chartier, J. Clarke, 
R. Clarke, A. Courcelles, E. & A. Covert, E 
Cram, R. Cromie (RCr), C. Cuthbert, D. 
Danyluk, L. de March, M. Demers, D. Dodg- 
son (DDo), R. Dudragne, B. Elder, D. Epp- 
Thiessen, P. Friesen, R. Friesen, D. & L. 
Gamache, K. Gardner, E Goossen, G. Grieef, 
J. Grieef, S. Grieef, I, Halliday A. & J. Harris, 
M. Harrison, K. Hedegard, T. Herriot, M. Ja- 
worski, S. Knight, R. Koes, T. Korolyk, G. 
Kratzig, B. Luce, J. Luce, B. Luterbach (BLb), 
B. & L. McDonald, C. Manly, j. Manly, M. 
Manly, R. Marchigiano, A. Mickey, J. Moore 
(]Mo), M. Mulligan (MMu), C. Penner, J. Pil- 
ny, T. Poulton, M, Quigley, V. Reimer, P. 
Richard,]. Rodger, G. Romanchuk, N. Saun- 
ders, D. Sawatzky (DSa), A. Schritt, D. Schritt, 
R. Seguin, B. Shettler, A. Slater (ASl), B. 
Storms (BSt), P Taylor, E. Tochor, A. Tull, L. 
Veehna, R Walkden, M. Wang, R. Wang, R. 
Wapple (RWp), I. Ward,]. Weier, ]. Whitelaw 
OWh), G. Yaki. © 
Rudolf F. Koes, 135 Rossmere Crescent 
Winnipeg, Manitoba R2K 0G1, (rkoes@mts.net) 
Peter Taylor, P. 0. Box 597 
Pinawa, Manitoba ROE 1L0, (taylorp@granite.mb.ca) 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 3 
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