GREAT BASIN 
A Dickcissel was another fall highlight at the Circle L Ranch, Dyer, Esmeralda County, 
Nevada. It lingered from 26 (here) through 28 September 2008 and represents one of 
a very few records for the Great Basin region. Photograph by Martin Meyers. 
R. , Sait Lake, UT (KS) and at Snow Canyon 
S. P., Washington, UT (KC). A Lapland 
Longspur was found 18 Nov at Carson L., 
Churchill, NV (MM), and a Chestnut-collared 
Longspur was observed 21 Nov in the Amar- 
gosa Valley, Nye, NV (CL). Snow Buntings 
were found in Utah at Lincoln Point, Utah L., 
Utah 1 1 Nov-6 Dec (EH, ph. JB et al.) and Lo- 
gan Canyon, Cache 15 Nov (SCb). 
The only Rose-breasted Grosbeaks this fall 
were first-year males at Arlemonte Ranch, Es- 
meralda, NV 18 Oct (MM) 
and in Holladay, Salt Lake, 
UT 25 Nov (ph. D&DO). 
Some exceptional birds were 
found 26 Sep at the Circle L 
Ranch, including a first- 
year female Painted 
Bunting (ph. CL, MM et al.) 
and a Dickcissel (ph. CL, 
MM et al.) that remained 
through 28 Sep. There are 
few previously accepted 
records of either species in 
the Region. A wayward 
Common Crackle was re- 
ported 24 Aug at the Salt 
Lake International Center, 
Salt Lake, UT (GH). A fe- 
male Orchard Oriole was photographed 28 
Aug in the Hurricane Fields (tRF), and an- 
other possible female Orchard or a very late 
female Hooded Oriole was photographed 21 
Nov at Ash Meadows (CL). The summer in- 
flux of White-winged Crossbills into the n. 
Utah mts. continued this fall. White-winged 
Crossbills were observed in several Utah 
counties (Cache, Salt Lake, San Juan, and 
Summit) between 10 Aug and 3 Nov, usually 
in mixed flocks with Red Crossbills. 
Contributors and cited observers; Tim Avery, 
Scott Barnes, Joel & Kathy Beyer, Jack Binch, 
Jeff Bliskey OBl), Gary Botello, Je Anne Bran- 
ca OBr), Stephen Carlisle, Steve Carr (SCa), 
Barbara Carlson, Crystal Carpenter, Stephanie 
Cobbold (SCb), Steve Coleman (SCo), Kris- 
ten Cornelia, James & Marian Cressman, Jim 
Cribbs, Laura Cunningham, Kevin Doxstater, 
Marci Dvorak, Rick Frideli, Craig Fosdick, 
Dennis Ghiglieri, Lu Giddings, Geoff Hardies, 
Dave Hanscom, Paul Higgins, William Henry, 
Eric Huish, Bob Huntington, Carl Ingwell, 
Dave Irons, J. Harry Krueger, Paul Lehman, 
Carl Lundblad, Linda Mack, James McKay, 
Martin Meyers, Randy & Babette Michal, Don 
Molde, Colby Neuman, Brian Nosker, Deedee 
& Dick O’Brien, Ryan O’Donnell, Bryant 
Olsen, Ben Palmer, Jason Pietrzak, Fred Pe- 
tersen, Gail Petersen, Diane Pettey, Alan de 
Queiroz, Hal & Kathy Robbins, Ron Ryel, 
Rita Schlageter, Greg Scyphers, Mark Stack- 
house, Dennis Serdehely, Steve & Cindy Som- 
merfeld, Kay Stone, Rose Strickland (RSt), 
Steve Ting, Carolyn Titus, Richard Titus, Lar- 
ry Tripp, David Wheeler, Robert Wilken, Gary 
& Christine Zachman. 1$ 
Rick Frideli, 3505 West 290 North 
Hurricane, Utah 84737, (rfridell@redrock.net) 
Alaska 
BEAUFORT SEA 
ThedeTobish 
F all 2008 ended up as a near opposite of 
2007, which concluded as one of Alas- 
ka’s best rarity seasons of all time. 
Weather patterns contributed little to deposit- 
ing rarities from either northeastern Asia or 
North America, and a mild, storm-free season 
protracted southbound migration and limited 
notable concentrations of birds. 
This all added up to a slow fall 
with few significant reports. Most 
noteworthy sightings centered in 
Southeast, and most comprised 
species from the “pool” of regular 
or annual fall rarities. The 
season was equally inter- 
esting for late records as 
for rare birds; as expect- 
ed, late birds were most- 
ly recorded from the 
coastal areas in the Re- 
gion’s southern half. 
Probably of greatest interest this fall was a 
flood of lingering passerines at mostly coastal 
locales well into November, when most have 
departed the Region. 
Abbreviations: A.B.O. (Alaska B.O., Fair- 
banks); North Gulf (North Gulf of Alaska). 
Referenced details (t), photographs (ph.), 
and videotape (vt.) are on file at the Universi- 
ty of Alaska Museum or with the regional 
editor. 
WATERFOWL THROUGH FALCONS 
Traditionally, the fall season produces few wa- 
terfowl highlights, and this year was no ex- 
ception. Virtually the whole season unfolded 
with few notable concentrations, fewer rari- 
ties, and late arrivals to wintering sites. The 
only interesting Greater White-fronted Goose 
report came from the North Gulf at Kodiak, 
where 2 hung around in Oct and one was still 
there 26 Oct (RB). Two Brant on the Tanana 
R. flats near Fairbanks 23 Aug (LD, NH) were 
out of place and rare for the Interior. A hunter 
took a female Wood Duck near Petersburg 23 
Nov (ph. TST,Jide SCH), another in the 21- 
year run of fall records of this formerly acci- 
dental visitor; there are at least 22 reports 
since 1987, almost entirely from Southeast. 
The season’s only interesting Eurasian 
Wigeon accounts included singles in South- 
east at Juneau 27 Oct and 29 Nov (PMS) and 
near Gustavus 8 Nov (NKD). Twenty-five 
Ring-necked Ducks at Sitka’s Swan L. 25 Nov 
(MRG) was an unusually high fall tally in 
Southeast, where small numbers are the 
norm. Gambell seawatchers identified that 
138 N 0 R T H A M E R i C A N B I R D S 
