ONTARIO 
breeding for the park. 
Defying categorization was a breeding- 
plumaged American Golden-Plover in fields 
near Hillman Marsh 21 Jun (AW); all other 
summer records from Point Pelee have been 
of birds in nonbreeding plumage. Five late 
northbound American Golden-Plovers were 
noted 31 May-2 Jun at Thunder Bay, Thun- 
der Bay (NGE, BJM, AW). Piping Plovers had 
an excellent breeding season with a total of 
16 chicks fledged from three nests at Sauble 
Beach, two nests at Wasaga Beach (both KT), 
and single nests at Carter Bay, Manitoulin I. 
(CTB) and at Windy Pt., Lake-of-the-Woods 
(LH). High productivity this season was due 
in large part to the army of dedicated volun- 
teers who watched over the nests. The 
Windy Pt. nest was moved three times due to 
rising water levels. As usual, late northbound 
shorebirds were still being seen in early Jun, 
with the first southbound birds making ap- 
pearances in late Jun. Willets were observed 
moving both ways, with a late spring mi- 
grant at Presqu’ile RP 4 Jun (FMH) and ear- 
ly fall migrants at Pt. Edward 28 Jun (DM) 
and Point Pelee N.R 15 Jul (AW). A pair of 
Greater Yellowlegs with 2 young was found 
16 Jun s. of the Smoky Falls Dam on the 
Mattagami R. near Kapuskasing (MWJ). Late 
northbound Lesser Yellowlegs were noted 2 
Jun, with 2 at Thunder Bay (AW, NGE) and 
one at the Terrace Bay W.T.P., Thunder Bay 
(AW). Lesser Yellowlegs numbers built up at 
the Enio W.T.P, Rainy River to a maximum of 
154 individuals on 17 Jul (DHE). One of the 
first shorebirds to move southward is Upland 
Sandpiper; one near St. Catharines 6 Jun 
(BH, JH) was likely a fall migrant, as no suit- 
able nesting habitat exists anywhere in the 
area. Birds observed in breeding habitat were 
near Strathroy: 2 on 12 Jun (SI) and another 
2 on 14 Jun (PAR, IP), subsequently seen 
with young 23 Jun (RT, DS). One hundred 
thirty-six ad. Whimbrels were noted on 
Shipsands I. near Moosonee 22 Jul (MKP et 
al). Also on the James Bay coast were 528 
molting ad. Hudsonian Godwits at Lon- 
gridge Pt. 24 Jul (AWh et al). On 23 Jul, 2 in 
the Hock were noted to have leg flags that in- 
dicated they had been banded in Chile. A 
single Hudsonian Godwit was present near 
the Tip of Long Pt. 15-17 Jun (BKW, RWW, 
SIM), with another ad. found at Vinemount 
near Hamilton 29-31 Jul (KD, m.ob.). Very 
unusual for the area was a Marbled Godwit 
near L. on the Mountain, Prince Edward 5 
Jun (PS), likely a late spring migrant. 
Molting Red Knots were surveyed from the 
air along the s. James Bay coast by C.W.S., 
with an estimated 2000 found on 22 Jul 
(RIGM, RKR). At Longridge Pt., 1100 molt- 
ing ads. were counted 27 Jul (MKP). Of 
these, 150 birds had colored leg flags indicat- 
ing they had been banded in Argentina, 
Delaware, and Southampton 1. in the Canadi- 
an Arctic. Two early Sanderlings appeared at 
the Tip of Point Pelee N.R 13 Jul (AW). A 
maximum count of 4835 molting Semi- 
palmated Sandpipers was made at Longridge 
Pt. on James Bay 19 Jul (MKP et al). A first- 
year Western Sandpiper provided an identifi- 
cation challenge for Ottawa birders 19 Jul at 
the Almonte W.T.P (BMD et al); another of 
the same age was at Windermere Basin, 
Hamilton 7-9 Jun (CEE et al). On 6 Jun, a 
count of 62 White-rumped Sandpipers at 
Hillman Marsh, Point Pelee (AW) was the 
highest on record for spring migration there. 
Baird’s Sandpipers are very rare in spring mi- 
gration in Ontario, so 2 found at Thunder 
Bay 1 Jun (AW) and a different 4 there 2 Jun 
(AW, NGE) are significant records. The only 
Pectoral Sandpiper seen during the spring 
migration at Presqu’ile RP. was noted 7 Jun 
(DPS). An ad. male Curlew Sandpiper at Lon- 
gridge Pt. 17 Jul (RDM, MKP, AWh) was an 
excellent find for the James Bay coast. An ad. 
Stilt Sandpiper at the Embrun W.T.P 22 Jul 
was a bit early for the Ottawa area (RC). 
Record late for Point Pelee was a Red-necked 
Phalarope at Hillman Marsh 4-5 Jun (CAC, 
RPC). 
GULLS THROUGH WOODPECKERS 
There were numerous gull records of interest 
during the period. A second-cycle Laughing 
Gull was at Peters Corners near Hamilton 19 
Jun and 17-28 Jul (BRH, m.ob.), and another 
was at Long Pt. 8 Jun (YA). A somewhat late 
ad. Franklin’s Gull was at Thunder Cape 4 
Jun QMW et al), the only report for the pe- 
riod. Numerous Little Gulls were reported 
from Point Pelee, which included 12 or more 
summering first-cycle birds (AW). Two ads. 
were seen there 3 Jun (MBR), followed by 
just a single ad. on subsequent dates (AW et 
al), suggesting that breeding may have oc- 
curred. The first fall migrant ads. were 5 not- 
ed at Point Pelee 9 Jul (AW); a record-high 16 
ads. were counted there 23 Jul (AW). Anoth- 
er 12 ads. were tallied at Rondeau RE 25 Jul 
(BAM), an unusually high number for that 
area. Near Moosonee, 5 ads. were seen in 
courtship flight displays 7 Jul (CDJ, DAS). 
An ad. Black-headed Gull at Point Pelee 23 
Jul (AW) was an early fall migrant and the 
only one reported. An imm. Iceland Gull was 
at Bronte 6 Jun (KAM), and a first-cycle 
Glaucous Gull was at the town of Michipi- 
coten River, Algoma 4 Jun (AW). Great Black- 
backed Gulls were well to tbe n. of their usu- 
al range along the lower Great Lakes, with an 
ad. at Netitishi Pt. 3 Jul and a second-cycle 
bird at Longridge Pt. 6 Jul on the James Bay 
coast (both DAS, CDJ). 
Caspian Terns are rare in the Ottawa area. 
From 23 Jun through 21 Jul, as many as 5 
were at Fitzroy along the Ottawa R. (m.ob.). 
Black Terns are now rare in the s. James Bay 
area; only one was seen near Attawapiskat 8 
Jul (PH et al). In the Dryden area, good num- 
bers of Black Terns were noted in several ar- 
eas. On 26 Jun, 22 ads and two nests were 
found at Butler L. (DJMS, AMM). Ten nests 
and 18 ads were counted on Kuensli Bay of 
Eagle L. 18 Jun (DJMS, AMM), with a single 
nest and 2 ads. on Beattie Bay of Eagle L. 24 
Jun (DJMS, JAB). Six ads. and a downy chick 
were in a wetland between Wabigoon L. and 
Eagle L. 6 Jul (DJMS, AMM), with 12 ads. and 
one nest found on Nabish L. 6 Jul (DJMS, 
AMM). On 2 Jun, 4 Arctic Terns were at the 
Deschenes Rapids on the Ottawa R. (BMD). 
Farther n., 60 were at the Moose R. mouth, 
Cochrane 14 Jun (MWJ, EH). Totalling 920 
individuals, a record-high count for Point 
Pelee, two gatherings of mostly ad. Eorster’s 
Terns were tallied 14 Jul, with 680 at Leam- 
ington Marina and 240 at Sturgeon Creek Ma- 
rina (AW). Two Long-tailed Jaegers were seen 
at Moosonee 12 Jun (MWJ), and another was 
at the Moose R. mouth 14 Jun (MWJ, EH). A 
Black Guillemot in first-alternate plumage 
was at Longridge Pt. 18 Jul (MKP et al). 
Black-billed Cuckoos were present in 
Northumberland in unprecedented numbers. 
The 12th summer bird count for the area, 
held 14Jun, tallied 31 individuals, more than 
three times the previous high (fide CEG). 
Two Snowy Owls lingered in the Ottawa area, 
with an ad. male at Nepean through 10 Jun 
and another near Arnprior 7-15 Jun (m.ob.). 
Great Gray Owls nested successfully in the 
Kinburn area near Fitzroy Harbour, Ottawa, 
where 2 ads. and 3 young were noted in mid- 
Jun (MWPR). The nest was the most 
southerly ever recorded in Canada. A Great 
Gray Owl made an unexpected appearance at 
Thunder Cape 6 Jun (JMW et al), and an- 
other was noted in Algonquin EE 11 Jun 
(RGT). Owls are rarely observed bathing, but 
a Great Gray Owl was watched for 10 min- 
utes as it splashed about in a beaver pond 
near Thunder Bay 13 Jun (SCB, MGB). Two 
territorial pairs of Short-eared Owls were ob- 
served at Kinmount, near Hamilton, on 16 
Jun (CEE), indicating a local reliable food 
source and possibly breeding. An imm. 
Northern Saw-whet Owl found 8 Jul (DH) 
provided Presqu’ile RP. with a first confirmed 
breeding record. Usually rare on the Bruce 
Pen., 5 Chimney Swifts seen there 6 Jun are 
of note (SM). A first-year Red-headed ’Wood- 
590 
NORTH AMERICAN BIROS 
