1980s and 1990s, Steller’s Jays continue to 
wander in fall n. of Upper Cook Inlet, occa- 
sionally to Talkeetna on the s. flank of the Alas- 
ka Range, where one this fall that lingered un- 
til 24 Nov (CM) was the latest ever there. Red- 
breasted Nuthatches showed some sign of a fall 
push, with above-average numbers in South- 
east at least, where they were described as com- 
mon or abundant from Gustavus (NKD) to Sit- 
ka (MRG) and numbers were above average at 
Ketchikan (AWE SCL, JHL). A single Red- 
breasted again ventured offshore to Gambell 1 1 
Sep (vt. PEL, ph. AS), for the 11th fall record 
from St. Lawrence 1. Rare offshore in the Bering 
Sea, 6 Ruby-crowned Kinglets arrived very ear- 
ly at St. Paul 6 Aug (St. Paul Tour), while up to 
4 was peak in the Kodiak area 1 & 5 Nov 
(RAM, AL), where they remain rare. For the 
3rd time, Willow Warblers were documented 
in the Gambell middens, with singles on 26 
Aug and 3 Sep (vt., tPEL; Wilderness Tours et 
al); there are now seven Alaska records of this 
drab Phylloscopus. The Pribilofs’ 2nd Dusky 
Warbler appeared at St. Paul I. 10-13 Sep (St. 
Paul Tour), and there was a bumper crop at 
Gambell, with 5 noted between 3 & 12 Sep 
(Wilderness Tours; Wings, Inc.). This year’s tal- 
ly trumps the 2002 and 2007 fall peaks of 4 
birds. Arctic Warbler reports were normal, save 
for the single captured 15 Aug in the A.B.O. 
nets in Fairbanks (fide ND), where there are a 
handful of similar fall reports. 
The season’s only Siberian Ruby throat was 
getting late especially for so far north at Gam- 
bell 8 Oct (ph. HI, ph. GK), a 3rd St. Lawrence 
1. fall record. Gambell observers identified an- 
other Stonechat on the rocky hillside 5 Sep 
(ph. AL, Wilderness Tours, Wings, Inc., ph. 
AS), the 2nd substantiated for St. Lawrence I. 
in fall. Given that Mountain Bluebirds went 
unreported in Southeast this season, it was 
even more interesting that one was located 
just s. of Anchorage 22 Nov (ph. NR) at the 
same area and time of the Anchorage area’s 
only previous report. Extraordinary 
Townsend’s Solitaires included 4 around 
Juneau 30 Aug-10 Nov (RJG), where they are 
rare, and a very late bird at Chena Ridge near 
Fairbanks 9-24 Nov (SZ, fide ND). Interesting 
Bering Sea Catharus thrash reports included a 
record count of 18 Gray-cheeked Thrushes 
that arrived at once at St. Paul I. 2 Sep (St. 
Paul Tour) and 3 Swainson’s Thrushes, also at 
St. Paul, 23 Aug and 3 & 18-21 Sep (St. Paul 
Tour) — there are only two previous Pribilof 
records of Swainson’s. Lehman considered the 
season’s 13 Gray-cheekeds at Gambell to be 
close to or slightly above his running fall av- 
erage. Only one Siberian Accentor report came 
in, again from Gambell, where one was docu- 
mented 15 Sep (Wilderness Tours, ph. AS; vt., 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 
ALASKA 
One of three individuals that found a Ketchikan feeder 25 October 
2008, this classic male House Sparrow and companions marked 
Southeast Alaska's seventh record. Photograph by Steven C Heinl 
tPEL), which now makes 14 individuals 
and 13 fall records at St. Lawrence I. 
What was described as an ad. Eastern 
Yellow Wagtail in Juneau’s Mendenhall 
Wetlands 11-24 Nov (tRJG, MWS, GBX 
PMS, PAR) was only the 3rd ever from 
Southeast and the state’s first beyond late 
Oct. Pechora Pipits continue to be 
found in fall on the Bering Sea islands, 
with singles located at Gambell 5 Sep 
(Wings, Inc., Wilderness Tours), where 
there are now reports from the past six 
years, and at St. Paul 20-23 Sep (St. Paul 
Tour), the Pribilofs’ 2nd report ever. 
Red-throated Pipits made an unprece- 
dented showing on the North Gulf of 
Alaska, especially from Southeast, with 
birds found in Juneau (an ad. 16-17 Sep; 
MWS, tRJG), Gustavus (2 noted 24 Sep 
and then one 25 & 30 Sep and 20 Oct; 
ph. NKD), Bartlett Cove (2 birds on 11 
Oct; ph. NKD), and on the outer coast at 
Prince of Wales I. (one bird 7-8 Oct; 
AWP, ph. SCH). There were only three 
prior records for Southeast. Another fly- 
over Red-throated Pipit was heard in an An- 
chorage neighborhood 30 Aug (TGT), for a 
first ever in Upper Cook Inlet. 
A bright Tennessee Warbler was picked out 
of fallout in Anchorage neighborhoods 23 Sep 
(TGT, ph. GHR) for one of very few fall 
records in South-coastal Alaska. Steady mild 
conditions produced one of the Region’s best 
crops of late warbler reports this season, most 
from North Gulf Coast communities. Late Or- 
ange-crowned Warblers included at least one 
in Kodiak 16-30 Nov (ph. RAM), singles in 
Anchorage 22 & 29 Nov (WK, TGT, SW), and 
2 in Ketchikan 28 Nov (SCH). One and then 2 
Yellow Warblers were this season’s latest from 
Juneau 20 & 21 Oct (MWS, PMS). An ad. male 
Magnolia Warbler in Juneau 27 Aug (RJG) was 
the only one reported for the season. Notably 
late for Fairbanks was a Yellow-rumped War- 
bler at a Fairbanks feeder 25 Oct, followed by 
2 at the same site through 27 Oct QD- EC), 
while singles in Ketchikan 25, 26, & 29 Nov 
(AWP, SCH) were more expected there. Other 
late warblers included 2 imm. Townsend’s 
Warblers in Kodiak 15-22 Nov (ph. RAM); a 
rare offshore Blackpoll Warbler also at Kodiak 
on 1 Nov (AL, ph. RAM), only the 2nd ever 
there; 5 Wilson’s in Kodiak thickets 2-30 Nov 
(RAM, AL et al.); and unprecedented small 
numbers reported throughout Southeast dur- 
ing Nov, with at least a dozen found at 
Ketchikan, where there were only three prior 
Nov records (AWP, SCH). A Wilson’s at 
Ketchikan through 30 Nov (JFK) was extreme- 
ly late. An imm. Common Yellowthroat at 
Ketchikan 26 Oct (SCH) may be the state’s lat- 
est ever. Offshore in the Bering Sea, warbler re- 
ports at Gambell were limited to a single Wil- 
son’s 31 Aug (Wings, Inc.), where there are 
more typically a handful of sightings in fall. In 
contrast, St. Paul I. produced five species of 
parulids, highlighted by 5 Yellows 18 Sep, 10 
Wilson’s on 8 Sep, and one Townsend’s from 24 
Sep (St. Paul Tour, ph. SS). 
TANAGERS THROUGH 
HOUSE SPARROW 
of the season’s three Western Tanager ac- 
counts, one described in Cordova 22 Sep (DL, 
TL, SM, fide AL) was most significant away 
from Southeast and one of few South-coastal 
records in fall. As usual, emberizids comprised 
a good share of this fall’s highlights. A Spotted 
Towhee first located at a Juneau area feeder 11 
Nov was seen intermittently into Dec (tBW, 
fide SCH, AWP). Remarkably, all but two of 
Alaska’s nine towhee reports came from Juneau 
feeders. Away from usual sites, American Tree 
Sparrow reports were strong from Southeast, 
with ones and twos in Juneau through 26 Oct 
(PMS) and a flock of 5 in Ketchikan 4 Nov 
(AWP, SCH), which constituted a new local 
high count. A single Chipping Sparrow drifted 
offshore to St. Paul I. 11 Sep (St. Paul Tour), 
the Pribilofs’ 4th record, while singles were de- 
scribed from three Southeast sites, with the lat- 
est one in Ketchikan 2-7 Nov (AWP, SCH). Re- 
ports of Red Fox Sparrow (subspecies zaboria) 
outside their Interior range were about nor- 
mal, with 3 offshore at Kodiak including one 
photographed at a feeder 17-30 Nov (ph. CH, 
fide RAM) and 4 in Ketchikan 5 Nov+ (AWP, 
141 
