Randy,

Ellen and I were hiking in alpine tundra in Stone Mountain Provincial Park
(~ 58 degrees N 124 degrees W) in northern British Columbia. In early June
2002, we encountered 2 male and 1 female American Golden Plover in a
vegetation community akin to that on Armstrong Mountain in the Paysayten
(dry alpine consisting of abundant locoweed, dwarfish heath, and lichens).
Though data is scanty, it's evident this plover breeds at least south to
here and 57 degrees N in Spatsizi Provincial Park several hundred miles to
the west and south. The dry tundra community in the northeastern Paysayten
is structurally very similar, to my eye, as that in Stone Mountain, though
species composition is, of course, different.

The Baird's Sandpiper is also a dry tundra breeder (in the high arctic) and
enough data exist to show numbers of this species migrate south in fall
along the mountain tops. It may be that some American Golden Plover also
follow the high mountains south. At about the Paysayten, however, extensive
alplands abruptly disappear in the westernmost cordillera. I suspect from
there, any remaining migrant plovers utilizing the high altitude route will
veer off into the lowlands and seacoast, where we are accustomed to seeing
them.

Washington birders will find the Armstrong Mountain area readily accessible
from the Iron Gate trailhead west of Loomis in the Okanogan. It is about 8
miles to Horseshoe Basin, where all sought-after subalpine birds are
expected including Spruce Grouse, Boreal Owl, Boreal Chickadee, Pine
Grosbeak). Another 3 miles or no north, on the Canadian border, is Armstrong
Mountain, one of a series of peaks in the northeastern Paysayten smoothed
over by continental glaciation. Alpine zone vegetation is developed here on
a grand scale, indeed the largest areal extent of this zone in Washington.
White-tailed Ptarmigan are common here, as Michael Schroeder has found. The
area is also very good for sparrows, including breeding Chipping, Vesper
(?), Savannah, Fox, Song, Lincoln's, White-crowned, and Dark-eyed Junco).
Other breeders of interest include Horned Lark and American Pipit.

Andy Stepniewski
Wapato WA
steppie at nwinfo.net

----- Original Message -----
From: hill <hill at cbnn.net>
To: <inland-nw-birders at uidaho.edu>
Cc: TWEETERS <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Sent: Sunday, September 15, 2002 12:09 PM
Subject: tundra plover


> Friday I accompanied grouse guru Mike Schroeder and another friend to the
> Horseshoe Basin and Armstrong Mountain area of the Pasayten Wilderness
> (DeLorme p114, A-1) in pursuit of ptarmigan. This was the sixth year that
> Mike has captured and banded ptarmigan on Armstrong Mountain, with more
than
> 60 getting a combination of 4 colored leg bands during that period. We
only
> found three in one group, including one already marked. I was impressed
by
> his capture technique, using a noose on an extending pole that reaches out
> to about 20'. He records weight, molt, and a variety of measurements in
> addition to collecting blood and feather samples for DNA work. All three
> were males in the grayer "neutral plumage", which occurs between the
> brighter breeding and the all-white winter plumage. Although this was a
day
> trip (a 7-mile hike with the last mile a real struggle to the top), past
> visits had found 5-25 ptarmigan in the same area. We did not locate any
> broods. Mike's dog Belle located the ptarmigan after about 2 hours of
> searching.
>
> American Pipits were still present, with about 50 getting up when a
> migrating Northern Harrier flew over. We also had an American Kestrel and
> about a half dozen accipiters, all of which appeared to be Sharp-shinned
> Hawks, moving mostly during the morning period when there was a little
more
> wind.
>
> As we approached the top of the mountain a plover flew over. Mike heard
it
> call and I saw it flying over. Two hours later we had probably the same
> bird fly over calling, and it was definitely a golden plover. Has anyone
> else found plovers using tundra habitat during fall migration? I'm
> wondering if American Golden Plovers select these high elevation sites
> similar to breeding areas on the way to wintering habitats, or if this was
> an exception.
>
> Also along the trail we had a Blue Grouse flush, a male Spruce Grouse,
Hairy
> and Three-toed Woodpeckers, and numerous Boreal Chickadees. There were
many
> pikas in the talus areas, and we found a dead one on the trail below a
rock
> slide, cause of death unknown.
>
> Also had a Common Nighthawk Thursday evening on the way to Bridgeport near
> Leahy Junction.
>
> Randy Hill
> Othello