Don Cecile reports the warblers seen at Tofino, BC the other day -

<cut>

>1) Yellow-rumped
>2) Orange-crowned
>3) Yellow (4 of them)
>4) Townsend's
>5) Palm (3)
>6) Bay-breasted
>7) Tennessee

This is significant, Don. Not only is this likely the first (maybe
second) Bay-breasted Warbler seen on Van. I., but it seals Tofino's
reputation as a migrant trap. A few people (names never mentioned)
have the opinion that the site is just lucky or something because it
gets the odd weird bird, but this should convince even the harshest
skeptics i.e. songbirds, not just shorebirds and ducks.

<cut>

>Other birds of note: Tropical Kingbird (Oct 28), Snow Bunting(4),
>White-winged Crossbill (10), Kestrel, Meadowlark, Hutton's Vireo......

*SNOW BUNTINGS*!!!! Oh, oh. They have been around here for a few weeks
but that is early for such a "tropical" site as Tofino. This is just
as much an omen of a harsh winter as fat bands on a Woolly Bear
caterpillar. Get that antifreeze tuned up now!

- Jack






Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
CANADA
jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca