NORTHERN CANADA & GREENLAND 
Though Eastern Kingbird is a well-known wanderer, this individual at Rankin 
Inlet, Nunavut 15 June 2009 was nonetheless a great surprise. Photograph 
by Mark Petersheim. 
the snow on Adney Mt. 27 Jun (ph. CE, CEB, 
SJ). It wasn’t clear whether a flock of 16 Red 
Knots seen at Zackenberg, Greenland 13 Jun 
were late arrivals or non-breeders OaH)- 
Shorebird researchers at East Bay, Southamp- 
ton L, NU found an impressive number of 
nests including 46 White-rumped Sand- 
pipers, 32 Ruddy Turnstones, and 29 Red 
Phalaropes (DE, ML, SB, DT, KW). Pectoral 
Sandpiper is considered a review species in 
Greenland by Birdlife Denmark; records this 
summer from Zackenberg included well-ob- 
served singles on 8 &12 Jun and a flyby on 24 
Jul QaH)- A vagrant in the Bay Islands region 
of Nunavut, a Red Phalarope established the 
first record for Akimiski I. 5 Jun (GF, SG). 
Shorebird numbers were low in Cambridge 
Bay, NU this summer, with few American 
Golden-Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers, and 
Baird’s Sandpiper noted — and no Buff-breast- 
ed Sandpipers, White-rumped Sandpipers, 
or Ruddy Turnstones at all 25 Jun-15 Jul (JRi; 
RK, EET). 
GULLS THROUGH FINCHES 
A Parasitic Jaeger, always of interest in the in- 
terior, was seen at Ft. Providence, NWT 7 Jun 
(BB, DS). Parasitic and Long-tailed Jaeger 
numbers at Cambridge Bay, NU were normal 
(2-13 per day) during 25 Jun-15 Jul, though 
there was no evidence of nesting likely due to 
the low lemming numbers Okfl RK. EET). A 
flock of 37 Long-tailed Jaegers was recorded at 
Zackenberg, Greenland 28 Jun (LeH). Many 
Iceland Gulls were seen feeding alongside 
Thayer’s and Glaucous Gulls on a Ringed Seal 
carcass at Cambridge Bay, NU 25 Jun-15 Jul 
QRi). An ad. Glaucous-winged Gull, casual in 
Nunavut, was at the Cambridge Bay dump 10 
Jul (RK, EET). An ad. Glaucous- 
winged Gull returned for its 5th 
consecutive summer on Herschel 
I., n. Yukon 12 Jul (ph. DR). Five 
Sabine’s Gulls, a rare interior mi- 
grant, were noted at Ft. Provi- 
dence, NWT 3 Jun (BB, DS). Nor- 
mal numbers of Sabine’s Gulls and 
Arctic Terns were noted at Cam- 
bridge Bay, NU 25 Jun-15 Jul, al- 
though, as with other species, 
high water impeded their nesting 
ORi). No Ross's Gulls were ob- 
served this summer at Cheyne L, 
NU (MaM), where this species has 
been known to nest in past years. 
Only one pair of Ivory Gulls was 
seen at Seymour I., NU this sum- 
mer, and about 17 were noted w. 
of Devon L, NU 2 Jul (MaM). 
Three Caspian Terns were seen on 
Great Slave L. at Hay River, NWT 
4 Jun (BB, DS). It has been a few years since 
Caspian Tern was reported in the Yukon, and 
so 2 ads. at Army Beach 8 Jul were noteworthy 
(MG). A large colony of about 1000 Arctic 
Terns was recorded at an unnamed island in 
Penny Strait, NU this summer (MaM). The 
impression of observers near Chesterfield In- 
let, NU is that there has been a decline in Arc- 
tic Tern numbers over the past 15 years (BZ); 
whether this is a localized trend or more wide- 
spread is not known. 
Snowy Owls were present in about normal 
numbers (up to 4 in a day) at Cambridge Bay, 
NU during 25 Jun-15 Jul, with no evidence of 
nesting as expected given the low lemming 
numbers, although Arctic Hares were far 
more obvious than in the past several years 
QR; RK, EET). Short-eared Owls were regu- 
larly seen at Rankin Inlet, NU this summer, 
including 3 on 8 Jun (AA, HJ); and 2 were 
noted at Akimiski L, NU 12 Jun (DM). De- 
spite deep snow in spring, a few Boreal Owls 
were found nesting near Whitehorse, s. 
Yukon in early Jun: one pair occupied a nest 
box near the Takhini R. (LG, ph. JuH), and a 
trio of owlets fledged from an old flicker hole 
in the side of a house on about 1 Jun (NJ, ph. 
CE, NSE). Common Nighthawks have shown 
steep declines, so it was encouraging to hear 
of a nest near Brintnell Cr., NWT 1 Jul (StC, 
KS), and a distraction display near Island 
Lakes, NWT 22 Jul (LM, JRd). A male Rufous 
Hummingbird, Nunavut’s first, flew into a 
cabin at a remote site about 100 km ne. of 
Chesterfield Inlet 24 Jun, where it subse- 
quently died (ph. BZ). Yellow-bellied Fly- 
catcher, with a total of 17, was the 2nd most 
common flycatcher on Yukon’s 11 B.B.S. 
routes this summer (CWS); this is a change 
from a decade ago, when this species was con- 
sidered the Yukon’s rarest breeding flycatcher. 
Eastern Kingbird is well known as an ex- 
tralimital wanderer; reports this season in- 
cluded one at Burwash, sw. Yukon 5 Jun (ph. 
PSi) and another much farther n. at Rankin 
Inlet, NU 15 Jun (ph. MP). There are few 
records of Blue-headed Vireo in Nahanni Na- 
tional Park Reserve, so 2 counter-calling 
males in Deadmen Valley 20 Jun (DT) were 
noteworthy. A Philadelphia Vireo at Teslin 11 
Jun (ph. vr. DH, THa, THe) established the 
Yukon’s westernmost record. Also well w. of 
its normal range was a Red-eyed Vireo at 
Porter Creek, s. Yukon 11 Jun (PSi). A drive 
of 165 km along Hwy. #5 e. of Ft. Smith, 
NWT 6 Jun produced a remarkable count of 
39 Common Raven nests (19 occupied, 20 va- 
cant) on hydro poles (BB, DS). 
The occurrence of Barn Swallows tends to 
be somewhat erratic at the n. edge of their 
range; one at Two Moose L., cen. Yukon 27 Jun 
(CE) established the first record for Tomb- 
stone Park. A common backyard bird for tem- 
perate-zone birders can be an epic find in the 
North; such was the case with a Black-capped 
Chickadee found at Akimiski I. 5 Jun (GF, 
SG), which established the first confirmed 
record for Nunavut. Northern Wheatear is one 
of the Region’s most sought-after breeding 
birds by visiting birders; reports this summer 
included one seen just e. of Wright Pass, NWT 
in early Jun (BW), a male seen along Charcoal 
Ridge in Tombstone Park, cen Yukon 7 Jim 
(ph, OH), one singing on territory at Rankin 
Inlet, NU 15 Jun (AA, HJ), 2 juvs. still show- 
ing some down at Zackenberg, Greenland 20 
Jul QaH), and 4 seen on a mountain hike from 
the Firth R., n. Yukon 23 Jul (HH, LyH). Sin- 
gle Townsend’s Solitaires, near the e. edge of 
their range in Northwest Territories, were ob- 
served on Ram Plateau 15, 17, & 18 Jun 
(DT). Surveys on 20 Jun (DT, AO, MiM) 
found that Tennessee Warbler continues to 
reign as the most abundant bird in riparian 
spruce forests along the lower South Nahanni 
R., NWT. A singing male Bay-breasted Warbler 
in Deadmen Valley, Nahanni National Park Re- 
serve 20 Jun (DT) provided a rare park 
record. Single Western Tanagers, both singing 
males w. of their range in s. Yukon, were seen 
at Teslin 9 Jun (THe) and Tagish 30 Jun (ph. 
SvD), A Timberline Brewer’s Sparrow was 
singing in alpine shrubs above Kusawa L., s. 
Yukon 18 Jun (CE). A Lark Sparrow, the 
Yukon’s 4th, was at Watson Lake 29-31 May 
(ph. RS). Two White-throated Sparrows, well 
w. of their range, were singing at Fish L., s. 
Yukon 1 Jul (PKu). Also beyond its normal 
range was a male Dark-eyed Junco singing at 
Rankin Inlet, NU 1 1 Jun (AA, HJ). Sightings of 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 4 
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