ONTARIO 
A spectacularly large group of 24 Hudsonian Godwits over Fanshawe Conservation Area, Middlesex County, Ontario 4 August 
2008 was most unusual for the area. Photograph by Donald Taylor. 
Perth had a group of 6 on 30 Aug (ST). A juv. 
Red Knot was record late for Point Pelee at 
Sturgeon Creek 6 Nov (AW, KAM). There was 
a Western Sandpiper at Owen Pt., Presqu’ile 
PP 2-9 Sep (MR, m.ob.), and other singles 
were at Hillman Marsh 5 Sep (AW) and Pelee 
Marsh, Essex 28 Sep (STP). A very interesting 
White-rumped Sandpiper x Dunlin hybrid 
was well studied at Rock Point P.P, Halclimanci 
17-23 Aug OEB, DRS, m.ob.). A juv. Curlew 
Sandpiper was enjoyed by many during its 
stay at Jaeger Rocks, Ft. Erie 28 Sep-14 Oct 
(PY, m.ob.). The only notable number of Buff- 
breasted Sandpipers this fall was 9 at Gore 
Bay Airport, Manitoulin 11 Sep (CTB, RT). 
The 15 Long-billed Dowitchers at West Cran- 
berry Pond made a record-high fall count for 
Point Pelee (STP, BL). The 15 Red-necked 
Phalaropes off YWB. 26 Aug (RZD et al.) also 
made a record-high count for the Hamilton 
Birding Area. 
GULLS THROUGH OWLS 
The Ottawa area saw juv. Black-legged Kitti- 
wakes unusually early this fall, with 2 at the 
Moodie Drive quarry pond 5-13 Aug (GP, 
m.ob.) and 3 there 8 Aug QMT, JMB); one was 
at the Deschenes Rapids on the Ottawa R. 5 
Aug OS); and another was at the St. Albert 
Sewage Lagoon, Prescott-Russcll 9 Aug 0MB). 
One photographed in Hamilton harbor 10-11 
Aug furnished the second-earliest Hamilton 
record (PM, m.ob.). More expected was the to- 
tal of 4juvs. off YWB. 22 Scp-30 Nov (RZD ct 
al), but there was also an ad. there 30 Nov 
(RZD et al.). Feeding frenzies of thousands of 
gulls at Presqu’ile PP. 3-6 Nov attracted at least 
3 different juv. kittiwakes (MR, RDM, m.ob.), 
as photographs were able to conhrm; a juv. at 
Erieau, Chatbenn-Keirt 9-12 Nov (BAM) was 
rare for the area, and another was seen 13 Nov 
at the Tip of Point Pelee (GTH). Twelve 
Sabine’s Gulls visited YWB. 27 Aug-12 Nov 
(RZD, m.ob.); a juv. was 
record-early for Point 
Pelee at the Tip 28 Aug 
(AW), where 2 juvs. were 
noted 8 Sep (AW, MBR); a 
juv. was seen at Ft. Erie 27 
Oct-2 Nov (BW, m.ob.); 
and another hew with 
Bonaparte’s Gulls in the 
outer harbor at Port Stan- 
ley 11-15 Nov (CH, 
m.ob.). The 1200 Bona- 
parte’s Gulls flying past 
Cobourg harbor, North- 
umberland 31 Oct (MjCB) 
were the most tallied for 
the county for several 
years; 25,000 were on the 
Niagara R. 16 Nov (RS). 
Two Bonaparte’s Gulls at 
Hurkett, Thunder Bay 15 Nov (AGH) were 
very late for L. Superior. Long Point had a high 
count of 6 Little Gulls 24 Oct (L.P.B.O.). A 
compact flock of 22 Eranklin’s Gulls, mostly 
hrst-cycle birds, flew se. off the Tip at Point 
Pelee 8 Nov (AW, KAM, BAM), with one seen 
there 9 Nov (AW, STP, RPC); a first-cycle bird 
was at Erieau 9 Nov (BAM), and another was 
in helds n. of Wheatley Harbour, 
Chalham-Kent 15 Nov (AW). California Gulls 
included single first-cycle birds at the Thunder 
Bay city landfill 10 Oct (BRH), at Old Woman 
E., Eake Superior P.P., Algoma 16 Oct (RZD), 
and at the Orillia landfill, Simcoe 1-4 Nov 
(KZ); ads. were at the Tip of Long Point 10 
Nov (SAM) and at Port Stanley, Elgin 19 Nov 
(MPA); and a second-cycle bird was on the 
lower Niagara R., viewed from the Adam Beck 
overlook 23-30 Nov+ (WDA, BP, m.ob.). Less- 
er Black-backed Gulls were in good numbers 
at Niagara, with 7 above the Falls 1 Nov OMP, 
BW) and 7 seen from Adam Beck 30 Nov 
(RGT, Jl); a juv. at Thunder Bay city landfill 
10-13 Oct (BRH, m.ob.) was unusual for L. Su- 
perior. An ad. Glaucous Gull at the Tip of 
Point Pelee 29 Aug (AW) was considered a 
very early fall migrant. 
There were 2 juv. Arctic Terns off YWB. 27 
Sep (RZD). A light-morph juv. Pomarine 
Jaeger was very early at the Tip of Point Pelee 
14 Sep (AW, BAM, JMT); one was observed at 
the Tip of Long Point 9 Nov (L.P.B.O.); 2 juvs 
were at Erieau 13 Nov (JL); and one was pho- 
tographed at Pt. Edward, Larnbton 15 Nov 
(BAM). Eake watchers at YWB. tallied a total 
of 3 Pomarine Jaegers 9-15 Nov (RZD et al.) 
and 17 Parasitic Jaegers 25 Aug-16 Nov (BRH 
et ah). Two juv. Parasitic Jaegers were at Pt. 
Edward 16 Oct (KRO) and 3 at the Tip of 
Long Point 26 Oct (L.P.B.O.), while the 3 
dark-morph juvs. off Cobourg 19 Nov (RPp, 
MJCB) made an exceptional count for 
Northumberland. A total of 11 Long-tailed 
Jaegers flew by YWB. 25 Aug-27 Sep (BRH, 
m.ob.), a juv. was found dead at the Tip of 
Long Point 28 Sep (SAM, R’WW), and a late 
Juvenile Black-legged Kittiwakes appeared unusually early in southern Ontario in au- 
tumn 2008, including this one in Hamilton harbor on Lake Ontario 10 and (here) 11 Au- 
gust 2008. Photograph by Peeter Musta. 
72 NORTHAMERICANBIRDS 
