So, which is it? I'm surprised no one has posted the the definitive answer
yet. Perhaps the correct usage as evaded the careful eye of editors in
various esteemed journals. The message board has grown ominously silent of
late. What happened; everyone rush out to the library to plunge themselves
in heavy heady research? ...or maybe top level authoritative birders are
holding secret conference with still higher authoritative birders? ...or
maybe it's as simple as everyone is just off taking on a pre-emptive strike
on that big fat turkey bird already? Maybe no one dares post the "name"
again for fear of it being the incorrect choice, thus coming off looking like
a duffous?

How or why did it get here? Michael Price wrote: "...A smuggled bird that
escaped? More possible than the previous, and there's enough precedent around
Vancouver International Airport to support the hypothesis...." Okay, OKAY!
I admit it! During Hurricane 'Nora' when I was hole up in San Felipe, the
little guy flew into the hotel through a blown out window and hid out in my
baggage unbeknownst to me. Sorry, it really wasn't my fault, nor
intentional.

Michael further wrote: "...In support of it being a bona fide vagrant are
two inferential reasons, one major, two minor: the first is that, in
southwest BC, as in Nova Scotia, late Autumn is traditionally the big month
for deep southern strays; the first lesser reason that local aviaries don't
(legally) keep hummingbirds, the second that juveniles tend to be the more
migrationally incompetent...."

This ought to invoke some further interest, if not discussion. To help along
that interest and possible discussion, look up Robert Russell's 11/21
posting to BirdChat, to me, and others, but apparently not Tweeters, it
seems, "Predicting vagrancy: reverse migration and weather". I suppose it
can be found in the BirdChat archives maybe available on the web, or, skip
right on to his interesting and compelling website:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/2398/russell.html

Would you believe that I managed to snag an unrestricted freebie 'frequent
flyer' ticket to Kansas City for me and Belzebub (my computer) just
yesterday(!) for early Thanksgiving morning! I thought this was 'blackout'
time on such. After 45 minutes on the phone, I was about to shell out $600
for the flight, when the oh so ever kind United flight representative, toward
the end of those long negotiations pointed out that I had 35K miles in the
bank. I had forgotten. Even more amazing, she asked if I had any unused
coupons lying around. Turns out I had an additional 20K set to EXPIRE on
November 29, 1997! Use 'em or lose 'em! INDEED! So, it just goes to prove,
as this roller coaster ride of a week has been, there are indeed clouds out
there with silver linings. Happy Thanksgiving All! --R-san

Richard Rowlett (Pagodroma at aol.com)
47.56N, 122.13W
(Seattle/Bellevue, WA USA)