Chris Charlesworth 
T he fall of 2008 brought slightly above- 
average rainfall levels and normal tem- 
peratures to much of the province. The 
unsettled weather may have assisted in the ar- 
rival of a number of southern rarities that 
graced the province in the fall. The Northern 
Coast saw numerous storms roll through in 
October. Winter arrived in early November in 
areas east of the Rocky Mountains but held off 
until the last week of the month in remaining 
areas of the interior. Coastal areas remained 
quite rainy through November. Winter finally 
arrived in mid-December for the entire Region 
with a monumental blast of icy Arctic air. 
Snowfall levels throughout the province were 
fairly high, with a whopping 41 cm measured 
on the ground in Vancouver on Christmas 
Day. January remained cold, with much of the 
province recording lower temperatures than 
normal. Winter finally loosened its grip in ear- 
ly February, as a series of storms were steered 
northward toward Alaska and temperatures 
hovered around seasonal averages. The unsea- 
sonably cold and snowy weather probably 
pushed a few northern owls into southern 
British Columbia, where redpolls were also 
found, but interior Christmas Bird Counts 
were less interesting than usual due to lack of 
open water and extreme cold. 
Abbreviations: R.RB.O. (Rocky Point B.O.); 
VL.B.O. (Vaseux Lake B.O.). 
WATERFOWL THROUGH CRANES 
A flock of 7 Greater White-fronted Geese, rare 
in the interior, was seen at Munson’s Pond in 
Kelowna 13 Oct (RyT, m.ob.). Snow Goose is 
also an uncommon visitor to interior, where 
one was reported in Kelowna 27 Nov (HB et 
al). Three Tundra Swans were over a month 
early in Salmon Arm 20 Aug (DC). An 
eclipse-plumaged male Eurasian Wigeon at 
Salmon Arm 20 Aug probably represented a 
summering bird (DC), while a male in Osoy- 
oos 30 Dec was a first for the Oliver-Osoyoos 
C.B.C. Near Tofino, 2 Redheads were seen at 
Grice Bay 12 Oct (AD). Long-tailed Ducks are 
a rarity in the interior. Four records of Long- 
tailed Duck came from the Okanagan alone 
between 25 Oct and 11 Jan. 
Wild Turkeys continue their westward 
march through s. British Columbia, where a 
flock of 22 was seen near Rock Cr. 5 Dec 
(DT). A Pacific Loon, rare in the interior on 
larger lakes, was at the n. end of Wood L. in 
Lake Country 6 Oct (PL); another was in Pen- 
ticton on the C.B.C. 14 Dec (RuC). Perhaps 
the same bird was seen on Okanagan L. at 
Naramata 12 Jan (RCa). Single Yellow-billed 
Loons were at the Oak Bay Marina near Vic- 
toria 6 Dec (AL) and at the s. end of Wood L. 
in Lake Country 6 Oct (LR). An Eared Grebe 
was seen near Deep Bay on cen. Vancouver 1. 
11 Oct 11 (RM). Rare on the Lower Mainland, 
a Clark’s Grebe was in Richmond 5-14 Feb 
(ST, MT, m.ob.). 
A Laysan Albatross, always an exciting find 
in British Columbia, was observed 40 km sw. 
of Ucluelet 15 Aug 15 (MTy, MD). A remark- 
able shore-based count of 12 Short-tailed 
Shearwaters came from Pt. No Point, Vancou- 
ver 1. 24 Aug (N.R.B.A.). One was picked out 
of hundreds of Sooty Shearwaters in Hecate 
Strait from a ferry 23 Aug (CCo). As is true in 
U.S. Pacific waters, Manx Shearwaters contin- 
ue to be seen with increasing frequency in 
British Columbian waters. One was seen from 
Botanical Beach at the s. end of Vancouver I. 
16 Aug 16 (N.R.B.A.). Two were seen from Pt. 
No Point 24 Sep (N.R.B.A.) and another from 
Tower Pt. in Metchosin 30 Aug (DA). Num- 
bers of Brown Pelicans continue to increase 
along the s. coast. Thirteen birds seen from 
Port Renfrew 17 Oct was a high count for the 
period (N.R.B.A.). Cattle Egrets were few and 
far between in British Columbia this fall; one 
was observed in sheep fields in Delta 5 Nov 
(CG); possibly the same bird was seen 10 Nov 
at the Vancouver Landfill (CE); and 2 in Dun- 
can 4 Nov (DM) were the only ones reported 
on Vancouver Island. 
A remarkable find was a Black Vulture at 
the mouth of the Nass R. near Kinconlith. The 
bird was first discovered and photographed 1 
Oct (DD) and remained until at least mid-Jan. 
Broad-winged Hawks were seen in Castlegar, 
where 2 were seen 13 Sep (MM); on the same 
day, 2 ads. were seen over Victoria (DA). In the 
Prince George area. Broad-winged Hawks were 
British Columbia | 
suspected of nesting near Giscome, where a 
juv. was seen 24 Aug (CA). Four more juv. 
Broad-wingeds were seen on the same day at 
Tabor Mt. near Prince George (SK, LL). A 
light-morph imm. Swainson’s Hawk was seen 
over Victoria 13 Sep (DA). Rare along the coast 
of British Columbia, Golden Eagles were re- 
ported at several locations, including an ad. in 
Delta 13 Jan (VR.B.A.). Four were counted 
with other raptors over Nanoose Hill, cen. 
Vancouver I. 20 Sep (GM et al). The province’s 
2nd Crested Caracara was photographed in a 
field following a tractor in at Fort Fraser, cen. 
British Columbia, on 18 (Wayne Ray et al, jtde 
JB; ph. in North American Birds 63: 26). Single 
gray-morph Gyrfalcons were seen at a host of 
locations, including at Kelowna’s Munson’s 
Pond 6 Dec (CC, RT); along Boundary Bay 
near Vancouver through the winter, first noted 
21 Oct (DD); and over downtown Dawson 
Creek 29 Aug (BS). A white-morph Gyrfal- 
cons, very rare in the province, was seen 17 
Oct in Agassiz (MB, TM). 
SHOREBIRDS THROUGH ALCfDS 
Rare in the interior, 2 Pacific Golden-Plovers 
were seen at Alki L., Kelowna 18 Sep (GW, 
m. ob.). Up to 4 Pacific Golden-Plovers were 
seen at Boundary Bay, near Vancouver, 23 Sep 
(MT). A Lesser Yellowlegs seen 14 Dec at 
Maplewood Flats in n. Vancouver provided an 
excellent record for the C.B.C. there (VR.B.A.). 
A Willet has wintered at the Tsawwassen Jetty 
s. of Vancouver for many years; it was again 
present this year, being seen first on 11 Dec 
OM). A juv. Sanderling was seen at Tugboat Bay 
in Kelowna 3 Sep (GW). Sharp-tailed Sand- 
pipers were reported from a smattering of 
coastal locations this fall, all juvs., as usual. 
The first appeared 8 Oct at the Iona Sewage 
Ponds in Vancouver (VR.B.A.); 2 were seen on 
the Tofino Mudflats 12 Oct (AD); and singles 
were at Boundary Bay 14 Oct (MT) and the 
Tofino Airport 25 Oct (AD). Stilt Sandpipers 
came through in small numbers this fall, in- 
cluding 2 juvs. at Salmon Arm 30 Aug (DC) 
and a juv. at Farm Slough in Surrey 16 Sep 
(CGi). Juv. Buff-breasted Sandpipers were quite 
scarce this fall; one was on a turf farm in Delta 
20 Sep 20 (VR.B.A.), and one was on Sidney 
Spit, s. Vancouver 1. 26 Aug (BMc, MMc). 
Two South Polar Skuas were seen from 
shore at Botanical Beach, s. Vancouver 1. 18 
Aug (RTa). Rare in the interior, a light-morph 
ad. Parasitic Jaeger was on Tachick L. w. of 
Prince George 6 Sep (CCo). A Long-tailed 
Jaeger was spotted from the tip of the Iona Jet- 
ty, Vancouver 2 Sep (MM, SN). Franklin’s Gulls 
showed up a few locations around the 
province: an imm. was seen at Sutherland Bay, 
Kelowna 30 Aug (CC, DW, AG); another imm. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 3 
489 
