Waterfowl through Hummingbirds

A Whooper Swan lingered from 25 Aug into Oct at Weed Lake and Langdon Reservoir, AB (m. ob., ph.). Previous records of this species in the province have not been accepted as countable and no decision on this record has been made so far. The migration of Snow Geese was more pronounced in southeastern Manitoba than it had been in recent years. A Eurasian Wigeon at Big Gully Lake, SK on 5 Oct was a good find (Larry Hooge), as were six American Black Ducks at Marcelin, SK 12 Oct (Jean Iron, Barbara Charlton). Surf Scoter reports in Manitoba stretched from 29 Sep to 4 Nov. A tally of 35 White-winged Scoters on 29 Oct at Chalet Beach was unusually high for southern Manitoba (m. ob.), while up to three Black Scoters at Delta, MB 27 Oct–1 Nov (m. ob., ph.) and two at Round Lake, SK 29–31 Oct (m. ob.) were the most noteworthy sightings of this species. A count of 103 Barrow’s Goldeneyes, in rafts of 87 and 16, at Cypress Lake, SK on 17 Oct was probably record-high for the province (Bruce & Benjamin Di Labio). Twenty-three Ruddy Ducks at Crooked Lake, SK on 25 Nov represented a high number for such a late date (Don Weidl). Similarly, three Eared Grebes at Katepwa Lake, SK on 11 Nov were notably late (Jared and Teal Clarke). A Clark’s Grebe at Genesee Lake 4 Sep–22 Oct provided the second-ever record of the species for the Edmonton, AB area (Eugene Huyrn, ph.). White-winged Dove is still rare in the Prairie Provinces, making the record of one at Calgary, AB 23 Nov memorable (m. ob., ph.). Also rare was a Mourning Dove at Churchill, MB on 10 Oct, far north of its usual range (Michael Goodyear). Single Black-chinned Hummingbirds were at Lake Louise, AB on 14 Aug (Chaiby Leiman, ph.) and at Beaver Mines, AB on 19 Aug (Asher Warkentin). Anna’s Hummingbirds are being found in Alberta in ever-increasing numbers; there were at least seven reports between 3 Aug and 13 Oct (m. ob., ph.). New for Saskatchewan was a male Costa’s Hummingbird at Saskatoon, first noted on 27 Oct. The bird was captured, measured and photographed on 8 Nov, at the onset of colder weather, before being taken to a local rehabilitation centre (Angela & Randy Schmidt, Ron Jensen, ph.). A Rufous Hummingbird was photographed at Winnipeg, MB on 1 Sep (Michael Loyd).

Rails through Ibises

A very tardy Sora was at Oak Hammock Marsh, MB on 21 Nov (Rudolf Koes, ph.)—it was found again on 7 Dec (Helen Slavuta, ph.). Saskatchewan Black-necked Stilt reports between 1 Aug and 15 Sep came from Chaplin Lake, Last Mountain Lake, the Regina area, Reed Lake and Saskatoon (m. ob.). American Avocets lingered at Delta until 2 Nov, a provincial record-late date (m. ob., ph.), while another was at Cooking Lake, AB on 7 Nov (James Fox). A congregation of 905 American Golden-Plovers at Oak Hammock Marsh on 20 Oct, with dwindling numbers afterwards, rivalled the previous highest daily count in Manitoba (Rudolf Koes, m. ob., ph.). A Surfbird at Lesser Slave Lake on 10 Sep was the second-ever for Alberta (Susan Oshust Sly, ph.); unfortunately it did not linger. A late Spotted Sandpiper was at Saskatoon on 29 Oct (Nick Saunders). Otherwise there were no remarkable shorebird reports. Manitoba’s second-ever Dovekie was seen and well-described at Delta on 26 Oct (Cal Cuthbert); no photograph could be obtained and subsequent searches failed to relocate the bird. Equally rare was an Ancient Murrelet at Glenmore Reservoir, Calgary 1–2 Nov (Ian Maton, m. ob., ph.). In Alberta lone Parasitic Jaegers were found at Genesee Lake on 5 Sep (m. ob., ph.) and St. Albert Big Lake on 19 Sep (Chris Doupe). An unidentified jaeger was a fly-by at Delta 25 Sep (Christophe Turcotte-van de Rydt). Rafferty Lake, SK produced a late Franklin’s Gull on 28 Oct (Brett Quiring), while another tardy bird was at Starbuck, MB on 3 Nov (Jo Swartz). Reports of Iceland Gull (Thayer’s and Kumlien’s), Lesser Black-backed Gull and Glaucous Gull were scarce. A record-late Black Tern at Delta 27 Oct–1 Nov was about two months past its usual departure date (m. ob., ph.). An Arctic Tern was nicely photographed at Calgary on 30 Sep (Calvin Snider, ph.). The following Pacific Loon records came from Saskatchewan: one at Gardiner Dam from 15–22 Oct (Nick Saunders, Masoud J., m. ob.), one at Saskatoon 22–23 Oct (m. ob., ph.) and four at Crooked Lake on 27 Oct (Don Weidl). Two Double-crested Cormorants on 6 Aug were rare at Churchill, where the species is casual at best (Stephen Peterson, Andrew Brown). A Great Blue Heron was a Churchill rarity from 20–26 Oct (Connie Cloud). A Little Blue Heron frequented two retention ponds in Winnipeg from 18 Sep–16 Oct (Carol Vermeer, m. ob., ph.). Seen by many, it was a first for the city and about the 30th overall for the province. A Green Heron nest with three juveniles was found in Winnipeg on 28 Aug (Walker Giesbrecht, ph.). One was present at Calgary from 10 Aug to 18 Sep (m. ob., ph.); the species is much rarer in Alberta than farther east. Cattle Egret numbers in Manitoba have plummeted in recent years, making a count of 18+ near Deleau on 27 Aug noteworthy (Robert Parsons, Jo Swartz, Aaron Hywarren). Similarly, White-faced Ibis tallies during spring and summer had been low in the province, but then up to 270 were found at Whitewater Lake around 19 Sep, making one wonder where they all were earlier in the year (Cory Laughlin, Geoff Fierce, James Deng, ph.). In Alberta many late birds were present, including at Beaverhill Lake on 29 Oct.

Diurnal Raptors through Crossbills

A fly-over Golden Eagle at Winnipeg on 11 Nov was a nice find (Asher Warkentin, Jay and Judy Anderson), as was an equally-rare Ferruginous Hawk at Pembina Valley PP on 6 Oct (Jay and Judy Anderson). There were at least three Eastern Screech-Owls in southern Alberta through November, but locations are not publicized (m. ob., ph.). At the end of the fall period, northern forest owls remained scarce. There were four reports of lingering Belted Kingfishers in Saskatchewan between 29 Oct and 3 Nov, at Crooked Lake, Katepwa Lake, Round Lake and Regina (m. ob.), while one was at Portage la Prairie, MB on 2 Nov (Ward Christianson, Marlene Waldron). A Lewis’s Woodpecker visited Cochrane, AB on 3 Sep (Janice Smith, ph.). A Red-bellied Woodpecker at Regina was first noted on 9 Oct (Susan MacDonald). Possibly the same bird was rediscovered on 12 Nov; it stayed into winter (Suzy Duckett, m. ob., ph.). Remarkably late was a Western Kingbird at Grand Beach, MB on 26 Oct, almost two months past the usual departure date (Jan Bradley, Jo Swartz, ph.). A great fall visitor to Saskatchewan was a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, which was seen by many during its stay at Battleford from 4 Sep to 9 Oct (Judy Jordan, m. ob., ph.). There were at least 15 previous records for the species in the province. An Eastern Wood-Pewee at Drumheller, AB on 11 Aug was well west of its usual range (Derek Keeping, fide Michael Sveen). A Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Regina on 29 Sep was late (Jared Clarke). Tardy wrens included a record-late House Wren at Lac du Bonnet, MB on 3 Nov (Peter Taylor) and Winter Wrens at Saskatoon on 8 Nov (Ryan Dudragne), Whitecourt, AB on 9 Nov, and at Edmonton on 22 Nov (Lucas Wessner. Wayne Oakes). Several Gray Catbirds were seen in Alberta in late Nov (fide James Fox). Another lingerer was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet at Grand Beach on 2 Nov (Peter Taylor). Catharus thrush migration was poor, at least in southern Manitoba. A Wood Thrush at Winnipeg on 5 Oct was a fall rarity (Jan Bradley). Two Bohemian Waxwings at Hecla PP, MB on 7 Sep were early arrivals from the north (Bob Shettler). The number of sightings of Eurasian Tree Sparrow continues to climb in the Prairie Provinces: one was at Broadview, SK on 1 Nov (Don Weidl, ph.), while a hybrid Eurasian Tree Sparrow x House Sparrow near Ste. Anne, MB, first seen on 9 Nov, remained into the winter (Vic Reimer, ph.).  American Pipits at Neilburg, SK on 4 Nov (Kale Worman) and at Hnausa, MB on 11 Nov (Nelson Chubey) were very late. Winter finches, especially redpolls, siskins and crossbills, were very scarce throughout the south of the region.

Snow Bunting through Indigo Bunting

A party of five Snow Buntings at Fisher Branch, MB was exceptionally early in the fall (Joanne Smith). A Clay-colored Sparrow at Saskatoon on 4 Nov was very late (Logan Moore). Vesper Sparrows usually leave southern Manitoba by early September, making a bird at Pembina Valley 12–13 Nov extremely late (Ben Ginter, ph.). Also late were a Spotted Towhee which lingered into Dec at Fort McLeod, AB (Liz Saunders) and an Eastern Towhee at Winnipeg from 17 to 29 Nov (Richard & Martha Sawchuk, Rudolf Koes, ph.). There were a number of other reports of lingering sparrows; those that remained into winter will be listed in the appropriate report. A tardy Baltimore Oriole was at Saskatoon from 7 Oct to 3 Nov (Philip Taylor). Warbler migration in southern Manitoba showed peaks 8–10 and 18–19 Sep, a bit later than usual. The following rare or late warblers were reported: Tennessee Warblers at Saskatoon 22, 26 and 29 Oct (Craig Salisbury) and at Mundare, AB on 5 Nov (Bill Riley), Northern Parula at Cold Lake 29–31 Sep (possibly the most northerly record in Alberta) (James Murray), Black-throated Blue Warblers at two Winnipeg locations on 6 and 8 Sep (Jo Swartz; John Weier), a Pine Warbler at Martensville, SK on 7 Nov (Crystal Dawn, ph.) and single Wilson’s Warblers at Chief Whitecap Park, SK on 7 Oct (Bob Godwin) and at Banff, AB on 5 Nov (James Bannon). A Summer Tanager at Dunnotar, MB 31 Jul–3 Aug attracted a lot of birders (m. ob., ph.). Two Western Tanagers were found in Saskatchewan: at Saskatoon on 1 Aug (John Kearly) and at Neilburg on 13 Aug (Kale Worman), while a cooperative bird was seen by many near Lockport, MB from 20–23 Oct (Gerald Macnee, m. ob., ph.). Northern Cardinals were west of their usual restricted range in the Prairie Provinces at North Battleford, SK on 26 Sep (Marissa Berard) and far north at High Level, AB on 20 Sep (Duncan Walmsley, ph.). An indigo Bunting at Winnipeg on 26 Sep was tardy (Marlene Waldron, ph.); even later was one at Gimli, MB on 6 Nov (Bonnie Chartier).

Report processed by Andrew Keaveney, 02 Apr 2023.