PRAIRIE PROVINCES 
Saskatchewan's first confirmed, and long overdue, White-winged Dove was pres- 
ent at Lumsden 5-8 (here 6) June 2009. Photograph by Jeanette and Pobb Taylor. 
Well north of its usual range was this Black-and-white Warbler at Churchill, 
Manitoba 13-15 (here 14) June 2009. Photograph by Justin Scott. 
con (DZ, fide GK). Virginia Rail has become 
rare but annual in s. Alberta; one was noted 
twice in Jun near Cochrane Q&MM, m.ob.). 
American Coots experienced another poor 
breeding season in s. Alberta (TK). A 
Whooping Crane at Chaplin L., SK on 20 Jul 
(SC) was unexpected. 
This apparent MacGillivray's Warbler x Common Yel- 
lowthroat hybrid near Water Valley, Alberta 31 May 2009 
sang like a yellowthroat, showed a single white eye-arc, 
and had a considerable amount of black on the face. Photo- 
graph by Brian Elder and Ray Woods. 
PLOVERS THROUGH 
WOODPECKERS 
No details were received on re- 
ports of a Snowy Plover at Cook- 
ing L., AB 2-3 Jun (GR, m.ob.) 
and 2 birds at Chaplin L., SK ear- 
ly Jun (fide BL). Although there 
have been other recent sightings 
at Chaplin L., the species remains 
accidental in the Region. Five 
Black-necked Stilts were in the 
Goose L, SK area 5 Jun (NS). 
Chaplin L. held 500 Willets, 
2000+ Marbled Godwits, 7000+ 
Long-billed Dowitchers, and 
2000 Wilson’s Phalaropes 20 Jul 
(SC). Other notable shorebird 
sightings included 1500+ Lesser 
Yellowlegs near Blackie, AB 19 
Jul (TK), a Whimbrel at Coulter, 
MB 28 Jun (GW, JW), a Purple 
Sandpiper at Churchill 11 Jun 
(ph. BW), and up to 20 Red 
Phalaropes at Churchill in early 
Jun (m.ob., ph.). Sabine’s Gulls 
were prominent at Churchill in 
early Jun, with up to 30 noted 
(m.ob., ph.). A second-cycle 
Lesser Black-backed Gull visited 
the PR 227, MB dump 5 Jun (JL, 
m.ob., ph.). A first-cycle Glau- 
cous-winged Gull at Calgary 10 
Jun provided the city with its first 
summer record (BSt), and anoth- 
er irnm. was reported at 
Churchill 14 Jun, unfortunately 
with few details (JL, JG et al.). Four 
Caspian Terns at Cypress Hills, AB 8 
Jun were rare (TK), as were singles 
at Churchill 14 Jun (TJ) and 10 Jul 
(NSe). Pomarine and Long-tailed 
Jaegers were prominent at Churchill 
in early Jun; sightings included a 
flock of 14 of the former 8 Jun (TJ, 
m.ob.). 
A White-winged Dove at Lums- 
den 5-8 Jun was the first confirmed 
for Saskatchewan (ph. J&RT, fide 
BL). Almost equally rare was a 
Common Poorwill, well outside the 
limited Saskatchewan breeding 
range, at Regina 14 Jun (SC, ph., fide BL). 
One near Taber, AB 4-15 Jul was closer to its 
normal range (LB). Although Chimney Swift 
numbers in Manitoba have declined severely 
in recent decades, small numbers continue to 
breed at Winnipeg and Selkirk, and a few con- 
tinue to pop up at scattered locations near the 
limits of their historic range. Up to 3 were at 
Souris late May-20 Jun (RK, PT, LV), and 3 
were at the n. edge of the Porcupine Hills 9 
Jul (CA). A Red-bellied Woodpecker near 
Birch Point, MB 3 Jun was rare (LV). Out of 
place was a well-described American Three- 
toed Woodpecker visiting a feeder (!) at Win- 
nipeg, MB 12 Jul (NB). 
PASSERINES 
A Say’s Phoebe pair at Mowbray was at the ex- 
treme e. edge of the species’ Manitoba range 
(KD, LV, JS, m.ob.). Loggerhead Shrikes have 
dwindled to fewer than 50 pairs in sw. Mani- 
toba, down from 300+ in the early 1990s, 
while only one pair of the e. subspecies is 
known to have nested at Winnipeg (KD). A 
Mountain Bluebird 4 Jun (RK, AB) and a Var- 
ied Thrush 10 Jun (BB et al.) were rare 
Churchill visitors. Northern Mockingbird 
sightings included 2 at Onefour, AB 9 Jun 
(TK), a possible nesting near Langham, SK 20 
or 21 Jun (fide NS), one at Bradwell, SK 26 
jun (fide NS), a nesting pair near Miami, MB 
1 Jul-Aug (G&JG, m.ob.), and one at Hecla 
PE 1 jul (HH). A Sage Thrasher s. of Turner 
Valley, AB 18 Jun was at an unexpected loca- 
tion (BC). Six Cedar Waxwings at Churchill 9 
Jul were rare (fide TJ). Non-breeding or failed 
breeding warblers s. of the boreal forest in 
Manitoba in late Jun and Jul included numer- 
ous Tennessee Warblers at Winnipeg (RK), 
Brandon (CC), and Crosse Isle (KG), and 2 
Northern Parulas at Winnipeg 8 Jul (RK). A 
Cape May Warbler 15 Jun (BD) and a Black- 
and-white Warbler 13-15 Jun (ph. JL, m.ob.), 
both at Churchill, were noteworthy. A 
MacGillivray’s Warbler x Common Yel- 
lowthroat hybrid at Water Valley, AB 31 May 
was an exciting find (BE, RW, ph.). Unexpect- 
ed were a Yellow-breasted Chat at Riding 
Mountain N.P., MB in earlyjul (KK), a Scarlet 
Tanager at Calgary 7 Jul (BBu, ph.), a Spotted 
Towhee at Turtle Mountain P.P., MB 3 Jun 
(RKl), and a Golden-crowned Sparrow near 
Irricana, AB 1 Jun QO- A Chestnut-collared 
Longspur was a Churchill first 22 Jim (TJ, 
JM). Very tardy was a Snow Bunting at Hecla 
PR, MB 2 Jun (BS). 
The first confirmed Blue Grosbeak for the Prairie Provinces region was this 
bird, photographed at Hackett Lake, Prince Albert National Park, 
Saskatchewan 1 June 2009. Only the photographer was fortunate enough 
to see the bird. Photograph by Cam Markle. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) • NUMBER 4 
617 
