Below is quoted a report of a large boreal chickadee incursion toward
the region. Ohio has few documented records of this bird, the most
recent of them way back in 1973. The first of them came from the Ohio
part of Turtle Island off Toledo 6 Nov 1943; this and nearly all records
since have come from near the Lake Erie shore (Lucas to Ashtabula
counties). These birds may have followed the Lake shore, but significant
numbers of records from South Bass Island (e.g., seven there in 1951,
two specimens) suggest they may use the archipelago of islands in the
lake to push south.
        Field-marks and distinctive calls are described in the standard
references. More evidence is perhaps needed before anyone will go out
looking for these birds, but here's a reminder to keep an eye and an ear
out for them in northernmost Ohio in the coming months. A hopeful sign
would be larger than usual numbers of black-capped chickadees. Good tape
at http://stateofthebirds.audubon.org/cbid/profile.php?id=5
        Jean Iron and Ron Pittaway posted this to the Ontario list on the 8th:
"Germain Savard and Claudette Cormier report a huge irruption of Boreal
Chickadees is occurring at Saint-Fulgence (N48 26 33 W70 52 42) in
Quebec. Germain and Claudette report that "Today, October 8th, no
less than 2403 Boreal Chickadees passed in front of our house for a
grand total of 12,957 this autumn and the migration is not finished
yet!" The chickadees are going from east to west streaming on the
north side of the Saguenay River. They report that the chickadees
don't like to fly over large bodies of water.
        Saint-Fulgence is about 215 km north of Quebec City on the north
shore of the Saguenay River about half way between Tadoussac and Lac
Saint-Jean. There have been no reports of Boreal Chickadees moving in
Ontario, but the magnitude of the Quebec irruption suggests that it
will spill over into southern Ontario and probably into bordering states."
Bill Whan
Columbus

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