BRITISH COLUMBIA 
was at Tachick L. near Prince George 2 Sep 
(NH); and one was seen on Vancouver I. at 
Swan L. in Victoria 18 Oct (Victoria R.B.A.). 
Extremely rare anywhere in the interior, an ad. 
Little Gull was seen at Tachick L. near Prince 
George 2 Sep (NH). Possibly the same bird was 
seen at the same place 11 Oct (NH, m.ob.). On 
Vancouver I., a Little Gull was found at the Lit- 
tle Qualicum R. 11-15 Nov (GM, m.ob.). Ice- 
land Gulls have become regular winter visitors 
to the Okanagan Valley in recent years. A clas- 
sic ad. Kumlien’s Iceland Gull was seen at the 
mouth of Mission Cr. in Kelowna 5 Dec 
(RuC); perhaps the same bird was seen at the 
Kelowna Landfill 20 Dec on the local C.B.C. 
(DC). On Vancouver 1., a third-cycle Kumlien’s 
was studied at the mouth of the Little 
Qualicum R. 16 Nov (GM). An ad. Black- 
tailed Gull at the Courtenay Air Park 18 Nov 
(IJ) was a remarkable find. The bird remained 
in the general area, moving between two main 
locations. Lesser Black-backed Gulls have be- 
come annual in the Okanagan Valley. An ad. 
was seen at the Kelowna Landfill on that city’s 
C.B.C. 20 Dec (DC); probably the same bird 
reappeared at the Maude Roxby Bird Sanctuary 
in Kelowna 12 Jan (GW). An ad. Slaty-backed 
Gull was discovered on Abbotsford’s C.B.C. 3 
Jan and remained until at least 8 Feb QV). 
Kelowna continues to be the Glaucous Gull 
capital of the province: 4 were tallied on the 
C.B.C. at the landfill 20 Dec (DC). Juv. Sabine’s 
Gulls were reported from many locations in 
the interior in autumn: one at the Kelowna 
Landfill 23 Aug was somewhat earlier than ex- 
pected (RT, CC, m.ob.); 2 were seen near 
Quilchena 26 Aug (CS); one was at Tachick L. 
w. of Prince George 2 Sep (NH), with another 
in the same location 11 Oct (NH); one was at 
Penticton 2 Oct (LN); and 2 more were seen in 
the W. Kootenay area at Burton 27 Sep (GD, 
PL). The only ad. of the period was reported 
from the Nechako R. at Vanderhoof 11 Oct 
(NH). Four Arctic Terns were seen at Tachick 
L. w. of Prince George 2 Sep (NH). Rare in in- 
terior on large lakes, an Ancient Murrelet was 
seen on Okanagan L. at the w. end of the Ben- 
nett Bridge in Kelowna 1 Oct (EF). 
DOVES THROUGH GRACKLES 
Eurasian Collared-Doves continue to spread 
across British Columbia. Okanagan Valley 
C.B.C.s recorded record high numbers, in- 
cluding 23 seen in Oliver-Osoyoos 30 Dec 
and 64 seen in Cawston 27 Dec (fide DB). A 
Yellow-billed Cuckoo photographed near 
Courtenay on Vancouver 1. 25 Oct was a great 
find and provided only the 3rd record for the 
island (KVS). Northern owls wandered into s. 
British Columbia in small numbers this sea- 
son. There was an imm. Snowy Owl on a 
beach in Kelowna 21 Oct (CC) and another 
seen just s. of Golden 10 Nov (DP). Very co- 
operative Northern Hawk Owls were seen in 
Nanaimo from 24 Jan through 14 Feb 
(N.R.B.A.) and in Abbotsford from 26 Nov 
through 3 Dec (TM). In the interior, one was 
at Tranquille near Kamloops 22 Nov (CC et 
al), and 2 were w. of Williams L. near Alexis 
Cr. 2 Jan (SO). In Kelowna, a Northern Hawk 
Owl was a great find on the C.B.C. 20 Dec QF 
et al). In w. Vancouver, a Great Gray Owl was 
seen at Lighthouse Park 19 Jan (AG). A 
record-high 49 Northern Saw-whet Owls were 
banded at R.RB.O. near Victoria 6 Oct (RS). 
An imm. Ruby-throated Hummingbird pa- 
tronized a feeder at Black Creek on Vancouver 
1. 26-30 Aug (TZ), the island’s first. A first- 
year male Costa’s Hummingbird was in Wyn- 
ndel from 17 Nov-1 Dec, the first record for 
the interior of the province (LVD). A tardy 
Rufous Hummingbird was at Johnson’s Land- 
ing in the Kootenays 12 Oct (GS). Rare on the 
coast, Lewis’s Woodpeckers were reported 
from Blackie Spit in White Rock 10 Sep 
(VR.B.A.) and at the R.RB.O. near Victoria on 
the same date. Another was in Colwood near 
Victoria 20 Sep (DA), and 2 wintered in the 
Okanagan Valley, at traditional locations: 
Trout Creek Pt. in Summerland 5 Dec (RuC) 
and Black Sage Rd. in Oliver 19 Jan (BM). A 
Red-naped Sapsucker was in Cecil Green Park 
in Vancouver 26 Sep (IP). Three American 
Three-toed Woodpeckers were a new addition 
to the Merritt C.B.C. 3 Jan (CC, RT). This and 
other woodpecker species have benefited 
from forest fires and bark beetle proliferation 
in recent years. 
A Western Wood-Pewee at the Englishman 
River estuary, Vancouver 1. 6 Oct was a bit late 
(GM, m.ob.). Also on the island, a Say’s 
Phoebe was seen in Duncan 21 Dec (N.R.B.A.). 
An Ash-throated Flycatcher at the tip of the 
Iona Jetty near Vancouver 19 Sep (VR.B.A.) 
was locally rare, but one banded at the 
Mackenzie Banding Station 26 Aug (KB; ph. in 
North American Birds 63: 186) represented a 
first record for the n. part of the province. Sin- 
gle Tropical Kingbirds were were at two coastal 
locations, Cheewat Beach near Carmanah Pt. 
23 Nov (|E) and Boundary Bay near Vancouver 
from 30 Oct-26 Nov (m.ob.). The most stun- 
ning record for the period was a male Black- 
capped Vireo banded at the V.L.B.O. 27 Sep 
(DB, RCa, m.ob.; ph. in North American Birds 
63: 30). This represents the first record of this 
species for British Columbia and just the 2nd 
for Canada. Both Canadian birds were banded. 
After being banded, photographed, and re- 
leased, the bird was never seen again. 
A single Blue Jay present in Delta 28 Sep 
(VR.B.A.) was the only one reported. Rare on 
Vancouver 1., 2 Clark’s Nutcrackers were seen 
on Mt. Douglas in Victoria 22 Oct (BB). Two 
Cliff Swallows at the Reifel Refuge near Van- 
couver 24 Nov (MB) were very late. A few Bam 
Swallows may have wintered in the Vancouver 
area, with 4 reported 18 Jan alone (PC, CG), 
but these birds could have been part of the un- 
usual mid-winter appearance of these birds 
along the Pacific coast. Very rare in the Okana- 
gan, a Bushtit was seen on the Osoyoos C.B.C. 
30 Dec (fide DB). Single White-breasted 
Nuthatches appeared in Beach Grove Park, 
Tsawwassen 11-20 Feb (BS, m.ob.) and on Van- 
couver 1. along Stevenson Point Rd. in 
Nanaimo 4 Oct (N.R.B.A.). In the cen. Interior, 
a White-breasted Nuthatch visited a feeder in 
Giscome near Prince George, where the species 
has become almost annual, 11 Oct (fide CA). 
A Canyon Wren seen at Rattlesnake Bluffs 
near Kamloops 19 Feb was at the extreme n. 
edge of the species’ range (RR, m.ob.). Be- 
wick’s Wrens continue to move into the 
Okanagan Valley slowly. One was at River Rd. 
in Oliver 27 Aug (CC), and another was 
banded at the VL.B.O. and seen 18-21 Sep 
(DB, m.ob.). This bird was a fledgling, which 
confirms local breeding. In Victoria, a dozen 
Western Bluebirds frequented the Franklin 
Terrace area 23 Dec QM). A female Mountain 
Bluebird near Little River, cen. Vancouver 1. 
8-12 Dec entertained many birders. A North- 
ern Mockingbird had a significant stay at 
Boundary Bay near Vancouver 2-24 Dec (fide 
MT, m.ob.). Sage Thrashers are rare breeders 
in the Okanagan Valley, and this year they re- 
turned to the White L. area, where 4 were 
seen, including a fledgling 9 Aug (CC, RT). 
Two Blue-winged Warblers were recorded 
during the period, both on Vancouver I., one at 
French Beach 20 Sep, the other at Little Beach 
near Ucluelet 16 Aug (N.R.B.A.). A Nashville 
Warbler banded at R.RB.O. 8 Oct was a surprise 
(DA), as was a male Black-throated Blue War- 
bler in East Sooke Park 29 Sep (CSa). Yellow- 
rumped Warblers are wintering more frequent- 
ly in the s. interior of the province, where 5 
were seen at the Kelowna Sewage Plant 6 Dec 
(JL) and 10 were present at the Penticton Mari- 
na on their C.B.C. 14 Dec (RuC). Always a nice 
find in British Columbia, a stunning male 
Blackburnian Warbler was seen in Beatton EE 
in Fort St. John 1 Sep OHD)- A male Prairie 
Warbler was found near Tranquille in the Kam- 
loops area and remained 16-19 Nov (JBr, 
m.ob.); another was at a public beach in 
Parksville 19 Nov (N.R.B.A.). Several Palm 
Warblers were reported along the coast: one 
was at Burnaby L., Vancouver 12 Sep (DP); one 
was at the Iona Sewage Ponds, Vancouver 19 
Sep (VR.B.A.); one was at Martindale Flats in 
Victoria 5 Oct 5 (Victoria R.B.A.); and one was 
490 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
