Prairie Provinces: Fall 2024

Geese through Hummingbirds

Two dark morph Ross’s Geese were rare finds at Blucher, SK on 22 Sep (Stan Shadick, m.ob.). A Tundra Bean-Goose at Cochrane, AB from 16 to 23 Oct, first observed by Fisher Stephenson, was only the second for the province; it provided wonderful views for over 150 birders (Fisher Stephenson, m.ob., ph). Although Brant are regular fall migrants in small numbers along the Hudson Bay coast, they are rare anywhere in the southern prairie provinces. This fall three were reported in southern Manitoba: one at St Jean Baptiste on 23 Sep (John Weier), one at Steinbach, which lingered from 11 to 18 Oct and was seen by many (Rudy Rempel Martens, m.ob., ph) and one at Portage la Prairie on 7 Nov (Cal Cuthbert, ph). Ten Wood Ducks in the Snow Lake, MB area on 12 Sep were rather far north (David Raitt), while in the Prince Albert, SK area up to 34 were noted from 4 Oct to 9 Oct—an impressive number for the location (John Lundgren). For the third year in a row Hooded Mergansers concentrated at Grace Lake, MB, with 550+ birds there on 29 Oct (David Raitt). At Emma Lake, SK 100 were seen on 13 Nov (Bryan Roset, ph). A tardy Clark’s Grebe was at Delta, MB on 8 Nov (Cal Cuthbert, ph).

A Yellow-billed Cuckoo at Sans Souci, MB on 28 Sep was not only rare, but also late (Campbell MacLean, ph); a late Black-billed Cuckoo was at Winnipeg, MB on 27 Sep (Vitalii Khustochka). Also rarely recorded in fall was an Eastern Whip-poor-will heard at Winnipeg on 20 Sep (John Gartner). Six Vaux’s Swifts, a record-high for Alberta, were reported at Waterton on 7 Aug (Cody McGregor). The bird of the season for Manitoba was a Mexican Violetear near Anola on 5 Aug, new for the province and only about the sixth for Canada. Unfortunately it did not linger (Todd Whiklo, ph). Very late Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were at Winnipeg from 19 Oct to 3 Nov (Katharine Schulz, ph) and on 26 Oct (Elaine Hawkins, ph). Alberta hosted an unusually large number of Anna’s Hummingbirds from Aug into Oct (m.ob.), as well as a Rufous Hummingbird at Sherwood Park on 10 Aug (m.ob., ph). 

Cranes through Shearwaters

Two Whooping Cranes in the Meadow Lake, SK area on 2 Aug were rather early migrants (Penny Roger), while one at Alonsa, MB on 21 Aug was east of its normal migration route (Stephen Chandler). There were few notable shorebird records. Best were a gathering of 1250 American Avocets at Reed Lake, SK on 21 Oct (Bruce Di Labio), a tardy Solitary Sandpiper at Portage Creek, MB on 11 Oct (Cal Cuthbert) and on the same date a late Willet at Oak Lake, MB (Rodger Titman). Birders always look forward to seeing any species of jaeger in the south of the region; this fall there was a Long-tailed Jaeger at Chain Lakes Res, AB on 9 Sep (Andrew Iwaniuk, ph) and Parasitic Jaegers were noted as follows: three at Banff, AB on 28 Aug (Caroline Lambert, ph), four at Grande Prairie, AB on 30 Aug (Amanda Rutland, ph) and two, then one, at Meadow Lake PP, SK on 10 and 11 Sep (Vicki St Germaine).

Best gulls of the season were a Black-legged Kittiwake at Calgary, AB from 9 to 24 Sep (Friends of Fish Creek, Doug Maxwell, Jennifer S., m.ob., ph), two Sabine’s Gulls at Meadow Lake PP on 10 Sep, with one bird there on the 11th (Vicki St Germaine), a lone Sabine’s Gull at Valeport, SK on 21 Sep (anon), another single at Wascana, Regina SK 24–28 Sep (Daniel Sawatzky, m.ob., ph), two birds at Big Quill Lake, SK on 6 Oct (Leona Douglas, Rita McLachlin, ph) and one with a large flock of Bonaparte’s Gull near Pilot Mound, MB from 12 to 28 Oct (Leigh Nelson, m.ob., ph). A Little Gull at Little Fish Lake PP, AB on 12 Oct was a nice find (Jody Alair), as were Short-billed Gulls at Gardiner Dam, SK on 3 Oct (Ryan Dudragne, ph), Regina on 8 Oct (anon) and Saskatoon, SK on 20 Oct (Nick Saunders, ph).

Saskatchewan Red-throated Loon reports came from Echo Valley PP, SK, Little Arm Bay and Regina Beach between 29 Sep and 4 Nov (m.ob., ph), while Pacific Loons were found at Crooked Lake from 7 to 13 Oct, at Round Lake on 30 Oct and 17 Nov and at Kinookimaw on 3 Nov, all in Saskatchewan (Don Weidl, m.ob.). A Short-tailed Shearwater was captured and later released at Stony Rapids, SK on 22 Nov. A first for the region, it had likely been blown off-course by a weather “bomb” or cyclone on the west coast in the previous days (Scott Hale, Shayna Cossette, Scott Cossette, ph). Another shearwater, probably also Short-tailed, was observed at Churchill, MB on 23 Nov. A distant photo did not provide enough detail to identify it to species (Tomas Taylor, ph).

Herons through Thrushes

The only notable sightings of herons involved several Great Egrets in Alberta in Aug, a single bird at Melville, SK on 5 Sep (Laureen Gilbrook, Ilene Hales) and up to six at Ekapo Lake, SK from 8 to 23 Sep (Don Weidl, m.ob., ph), a Western Cattle Egret at Kitsim Reservoir near Brooks, AB from 18 Oct to 10 Nov (m.ob., ph), plus three at Neelin, MB on 1 Nov, with one remaining until the late date of 16 Nov (Cory Laughlin, ph) and a Green Heron at Winnipeg from 6 Sep to 29 Sep (Dominique & Geneva Halverson, m.ob., ph).

A very tardy Osprey was at Shell Lake, SK on 2 Nov (Cathy Holtslander, ph), while a Ferruginous Hawk at Griswold Marsh, MB on 12 Nov was not only rare, but also late (Kathryn Hyndman, ph). As has been the case in the past few years, both Western and Eastern Screech-Owl were reported through the season in southern Alberta. Snowy Owl, Northern Hawk-Owl and Great Gray Owl were still scarce by the end of the period, except as noted in the introduction. A Belted Kingfisher was a Churchill rarity on 8 Sep (Greg Stroud) and a late individual was at Round Lake on 17 Nov (Don Weidl, ph). Nice finds were a Lewis’s Woodpecker at Castle PP, AB on 21 Sep (Dave Pincher), a Red-bellied Woodpecker at Caroline, AB on 29 Sep (Gail Kirkelund, ph) and one at Regina on 16 Nov (Derwin Armstead, ph).

The tiny hamlet of Stony Rapids in northern Saskatchewan hosted two ultra-rare flycatchers within days of each other: a Tropical/Couch’s Kingbird (presumably the former) from 15 to 18 Oct, the second for the province, and a Vermilion Flycatcher on 16 Oct, a new species for Saskatchewan. Both birds were found and photographed by the same observer (Shayna Cossette, ph). An Eastern Kingbird at Saskatoon on 11 Oct was very late (Scott Mitchell). Yellow-throated Vireos were at Yorkton and Broadview, SK on 3 Sep (Robert Holtkamp; Don Weidl, ph). A Pinyon Jay, Alberta’s second, at Brooks from 6 to 10 Nov was chased by many but seen by few (Reg Orich, ph). A very late Tree Swallow was at Boissevain, MB on 10 Oct (Sandy Hominick). Unusual wrens included a Rock Wren at Regina (anon) and a Carolina Wren at Hodgson, MB 4–5 Nov (Joanne & Dave Smith, ph). A Sage Thrasher at Riverton on 23 Sep provided the fourth confirmed record for Manitoba (Wendy Kowaluk-Crozier, ph), while a Northern Mockingbird was found at Grasslands NP, SK on 19 Oct (Bruce Di Labio, ph). While still very rare in the region, Eurasian Tree Sparrows are now being reported annually. One continued from summer into Sep at Fabyan, AB (m.ob.), one was at Broadview, SK on 22 Sep (Don Weidl), while a hybrid has been present for over a year near Ste. Anne, MB (Vic Reimer).

Crossbills through Indigo Bunting

White-winged Crossbills were the only species of winter finch reported in any numbers. A Pine Siskin x American Goldfinch was a surprise at Edmonton on 6 Aug. eBird shows only about 20 records for this hybrid (Gail Bruckner, ph). A Black-throated Sparrow at Douglas PP on 26 Sep was only the second for Saskatchewan; it could not be found on subsequent searches (Evanna Simpson, Kathy Hamre, ph). A Lark Bunting at Whiteshell PP, MB on 11 Sep was far east of its usual range (Helen Slavuta). Very rare was a Golden-crowned Sparrow at Wascana on 28 Oct (Gail Fennell, ph). A Harris’s Sparrow continued from summer until 2 Sep at Portage Creek, providing a first record for that time period in southern Manitoba (Cal Cuthbert). Brewer’s Sparrow reports came from Grasslands NP on 15 Aug (John Reese) and Pine Falls, MB on 14 Oct (Cam Nikkel, ph). The latter bird was not identified with certainty, but was believed to be a “Timberline” Sparrow.

There were three November reports of tardy Baltimore Orioles, the latest being a bird at Regina on the 22nd (Leona Read, ph). Great-tailed Grackles were reported three times in Manitoba: one well-described bird at Oak Hammock Marsh on 17 Aug (Jo Swartz), one possible bird at Traverse Bay on 19 Aug and one at Winnipeg from 3 to 17 Oct (Tim Poole, ph). The latter was the first “twitchable” bird in the province and several dozen birders saw it.

Connecticut Warblers at Winnipeg on 2 and 3 Oct were about a month beyond their normal departure date (Jan Bradley, Tim Poole), while a Northern Parula at Camrose, AB on 30 Oct was over 1000 km west of its known breeding range (Tracey Anderson, ph). Also west of their breeding range were Black-throated Blue Warblers at Round Lake on 10 Sep (Don Weidl, ph), at Saskatoon on 28 Sep (Katie Salmers, ph), at Prince Albert on 29 Sep (Tatiana Schatten, ph) and at Edmonton 28–30 Oct (Melissa Penney, ph), as well as a Pine Warbler at Edmonton 17–18 Nov (m.ob., ph). East of its range was an “Audubon’s” Yellow-rumped Warbler at Winnipeg on 13 Nov (Baylana Hiebert, ph). There were three reports of Yellow-throated Warbler, another ultra-rarity for the region: one at Estevan, SK 29 Oct (Sharlane Toole, Kathy Hedegard, ph), one at Morse, SK 9–10 Nov (Lori Wilson, ph) and one at Calgary from 17 to 24 Nov (m.ob., ph). New for Alberta was a Prairie Warbler at Edmonton, present from 1 to 7 Oct. It was not seen by others (Melissa Penney, ph). Noteworthy tanager records were as follows: a Summer Tanager at Thorsby, AB from 30 Oct to 4 Nov (m.ob., ph), a very late Scarlet Tanager at White Fox, SK from 16 to 18 Nov (Bert Dalziel, m.ob., ph) and a Western Tanager in the southern Interlake region of Manitoba on 21 Aug (Helen Slavuta). Two Indigo Buntings were at Medicine Hat, AB on 1 Aug (m.ob.).