The calendar tells us that winter birding “officially” ended a week ago (Feb 29) … even if the weather has something very different to say.
Unless I missed anything (please let me know if I did), the Newfoundland Winter 2023-24 list stands at 155 species — tied for the second highest total on record! There were LOTS of highlights, of course, including major rarities at any time of year like the famous Steller’s Sea Eagle, the world’s most photographed Ruff, an extremely late Yellow-crowned Hight Heron, Northern Cardinal and the recent Redwing. There were FIVE new species added to the all-time winter list including a “western” Willet and two flycatchers (Least Flycatcher & Eastern Phoebe). A ridiculous 16 species of warbler were spotted, including several that are still here today thanks to some very kind and dedicated caretakers. It was an average year for finches overall — all the expected species were present but many of them in moderate rather than notable numbers. Berry-eating birds like robins and waxwings were around but facing a difficult time finding food by the end of winter when the berries had been all but depleted.
Notably scarce were owl reports, with only two Snowy Owls (that I’m aware of) and just a handful of Northern Saw-whet Owls. Boreal Owls were not reported throughout the period (but please let me know if you are aware of some that I’m not). Another obvious miss was American Three-toed Woodpecker which is certainly present but unaccounted for.
Thanks to everyone for all the reports & updates. Happy “spring” birding!! ** Evil laugh as a big winter storm bears down on half the island later today **
Well … wasn’t that a ride?? Looking back on 2021, I’m not quite sure what to say about it. It was certainly challenging and disappointing for many of us, in many ways. COVID (a word I’d be happy to never hear again) continued to create uncertainty, impart tragedy, and mess with lives & livelihoods around the world. I feel fortunate to live in a place that was sheltered from the worst of the health crisis, but I sure as heck missed travel, leading tours and sharing some incredible nature with other passionate people. (And the most recent wave of omicron and travel restrictions hasn’t helped.) On the other hand, 2021 was still filled with wonderful moments and experiences — birding adventures, exciting finds and lots of very special family time.
And so … here are just a few reflections on the year that was. I thrive on visuals, so it’s become my tradition to reflect on each passing year with a series of photos that represent highlights (check out my posts for 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020). Here are twenty-one images/memories from 2021:
Winter birding was pretty fantastic in 2021, and one of the stars was this REDWING that spent a few weeks hanging out in a St. John’s neighbourhood. It turned out to be part of an influx to North America, with two others reported in other parts of Newfoundland and others in Atlantic Canada and New England. We ended up setting a new record for the most species recorded in Newfoundland during winter — you can read more about that in another blog post here.
We were very fortunate in Newfoundland & Labrador to have “most” of our kids’ school year take place in the classroom, but a few weeks of virtual classes in Feb/Mar provided me with an unexpected opportunity. I was invited to present (virtually) to more than a dozen Grade 4 & 6 classes about birds, flight and light pollution among other topics. It was one of the most rewarding parts of my year, and I was honoured to both connect kids with nature AND help out so many amazing teachers during a challenging time.
In March, I was stoked to find out about this SPOTTED TOWHEE that showed up at a backyard feeder near Marystown – just the third provincial record of this western species and my first “new bird” (for Newfoundland) of the year. Despite the shadow of COVID hanging over the province at the time, we were able to drive down and enjoy this bird safely/responsibly from our vehicle.
The very next day, a FIELDFARE (a very rare visitor from Europe) was found in Bowring Park, just 5 minutes from my house. My daughter Emma & I spent nearly an hour watching it forage in a hawthorn tree and even captured a couple short videos (shot using my phone and Kowa TSN-883 spotting scope). Another photo is included in our eBird checklist.
March just kept delivering, with this very cooperative BEARDED SEAL hanging out on a slipway in St. John’s. It attracted plenty of onlookers and didn’t seem to mind the attention at all. Bearded Seals are a northern species and relatively rare in this part of the province (although I’ve had the good luck of seeing several in recent years). Just a few months later, we also enjoyed watching a Yellow-crowned Night Heron stalking around on this very slipway 🙂
With a bit more focus on birding near home (again) this year, there were definitely a few unexpected finds. Emma & went to see a pair of MERLIN that had set up shop at a pond not far from our neighbourhood. The female sat out and posed for a short video (shot using my phone and Kowa TSN-883 spotting scope). Listen to that tell-tale call at the end 🙂
I also enjoyed opportunities to talk about various aspects of Newfoundland birds & birding with several audiences – including Learn The Birds, the Newfoundland Public Libraries, The Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Rochester Birding Association among others. Each presentation is always a little different, and I love the great questions and conversations that ensue. Hopefully a few people learned something new, and many now have a visit to Newfoundland & Labrador on their bucket list!
In birding (as in life), there are moments that stand out above the rest as very special. In June, I went to the MUN Botanical Gardens (near my house) where a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL nestling had been spotted poking its head out of a trailside nest box. This tiny owl has been increasing/expanding across the island in recent years, and this was one of just a handful of confirmed breeding records. I waited and waited for the baby owl to show its cute little face in the nest box hole … but it didn’t. After a while, I decided to look around and realized the owl had fledged (left the nest) the night before – because there it was, sitting quietly on a branch just 15 feet away, watching me the whole time I had been watching the nest box. Nature rocks!
Sticking close to home has also reminded me to step back and enjoy the everyday birds and experiences. I took some time to appreciate local breeding birds this summer, and to help gather data for the Newfoundland Breeding Bird Atlas – the second season of this very important citizen science project. Birds like this YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER are a regular part of my birding world, but the more we know about them the more we can do to protect their habitats and populations for generations to come.
The silver lining of pandemic life (because I’m an optimist!) has without a doubt been the extra time spent with my family. Once again we made the most of our “staycation” days – family hikes & outings, an excursion to Fogo Island, whale watching, berry picking, and quality time spent in some of our favourite places like Grates Cove and Lewisporte. I sure missed sharing my summer with lots of visiting birders but I didn’t take the gift of extra family time for granted.
576 days. 19 months. That’s how long COVID kept me from leading group tours. So you can only imagine how happy & excited I was in August to hop a plane and lead the annual Eagle-Eye Tours trip to New Brunswick & Grand Manan! Back in the saddle, it was fun to spend nine days exploring beautiful parks, forests, wetlands and coastlines with a wonderful group of birders who were just as elated as me to travel again. The birding was excellent and I managed to see two “lifer” critters myself – Smooth Green Snake and Laurentian Skipper (a butterfly).
My second “new bird” of the year for Newfoundland didn’t appear until early September, when this GREEN HERON was spotted by a local birder on the upper Waterford River in Mount Pearl. A few of us were able to relocate it later that day, and it continued to show well for birders over the next couple days. Green Herons has been an especially rare visitor in recent years, with just a few records in the past 20+ years.
We are used to strong wind in Newfoundland – it’s a regular part of our weather. But when Hurricane Larry rolled through eastern parts of the island on September 10-11, the big winds combined with high tides and the fact that trees were still in full leaf meant there was plenty of damage left in its wake. Fortunately our neighbourhood escaped anything major – just some downed trees and damaged power lines to keep it interesting. Several hopefully birders (me included) followed its path in Placentia & St. Mary’s Bays in hopes of finding rare birds in the wake … but came up empty. It was just a weather story, not a birding story, in the end.
It’s hard to say if this immature PURPLE GALLINULE was related to Hurricane Larry or not. It was found at Virginia Lake (St. John’s) just a few days later, however given the “pelagic” path of the storm it wasn’t something we would have expected to be carried along by it. In any case, it stuck around for several weeks and entertained local birders – oftentimes walking in the open and becoming unusually cooperative.
Our birding community also lost a legend in 2021. John Wells had been birding in Newfoundland since childhood, and contributed to the building the local birding scene in ways we may never fully appreciate – amazing records, countless hours doing research in his early career, and the encouragement of many younger/newer birders that followed in his big footsteps (I am one of those and will never forget him for it). John was also a consummate world traveler – he spent lengthy periods living and exploring in some of the most exotic and often inaccessible places on earth, getting to know the people, the country and its birds intimately. His life list must have been massive, but he never boasted about it. He had a unique but very big sense of humour — he loved to tell stories and put smiles on faces. I enjoyed many wonderful moments birding and talking with John over the ~20 years I know him, but somehow not nearly enough. The image above is from one of numerous Sunday mornings we spent watching gulls in the local landfill 🙂 John’s departure leaves a huge hole in our birding community and the lives of his friends.
Not my best photo of the year, but this BLUE-WINGED WARBLER (October 3) was just my second ever for Newfoundland and part of a fun fall of birding. With life returning to somewhat more normal routine, I was able to get out birding a bit more and enjoyed my favourite season – migration, when you never know what you might find!
My second trip outside the province, and first international, since the pandemic began was also in October – to the Cape May Fall Birding Festival in New Jersey. I was invited by friends & colleagues at Kowa Optics to help out with their sales booth at one of the United States biggest birding festivals. I had a busy few days meeting LOTS of other birders, seeing friends (many of whom I’ve known for years on social media but had never met in person), talking optics, and of course raving about Newfoundland & Labrador whenever I could! The birding was limited but exciting, especially since this is a place I have heard so much about. Lots of fun birds and experiences, including two “lifers” – Saltmarsh & Seaside Sparrows. I’m pictured here with my friends Jeff Bouton (Kowa Optics) & Jim Kimball (Tranquilo Bay Lodge, Panama).
November was firing on all cylinders, and started with this LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER discovered at Virginia Lake (St. John’s) — a location that has been very “hot” in recent years. This was just the third record of this species for the province, and a much anticipated addition to my Newfoundland list (after I missed the first record while living abroad in 2005). It turned out to be a very confiding bird and stayed for 11 days! This short video was shot using my phone and Kowa TSN-883 spotting scope.
In a fine example of the legendary “Patagonia Picnic Table Effect” (google it!), an equally rare WESTERN TANAGER was found on the trail to Virginia Lake two days later (November 9). When I refound the bird, it was just 30m from the Long-billed Dowitcher! I even managed a panoramic photo that, with a little scrutiny and imagination, shows them both 🙂 Just the fourth record for Newfoundland (plus two for Labrador), it was a species I’ve long hoped to see here and I was not disappointed as it fed obligingly on the abundant dogberry (mountain ash) crop. This was the fourth and final “new bird” (#343) for my Newfoundland list in 2021.
My oldest daughter regularly accompanies me on short birding trips or to see a rare species that is found close to home. And when Snowy Owls started to show up in numbers last fall, I knew this would be a fun opportunity to bring BOTH my girls out to see them. My youngest daughter Leslie (10) is obsessed with foxes but rarely gets to see one in real life — so when we spotted this very friendly RED FOX along the road to Cape Race she was ecstatic to spend some time watching it. Seeing kids (especially my own) connect and fall in love with nature is important to me, especially in today’s world where digital entertainment competes for their attention so much of the time. Moments like these should never be passed up.
As always, sharing my experiences, adventures and favourite moments with others was an important part of my year. For the second year in a row, I wasn’t able to share with as many of you in person (boo!), but I continued to do so over social media. I hope my posts have have helped brighten a few days and elicit a few smiles during these challenging months — because I know that other people’s posts certainly made 2021 happier for me. Above are my “Top 9” photos/posts (at least based on “likes”, which is not really the reason I do it) of 2021. While some of these may not be my “best” photos in any technical sense, they do reflect a lot of fun and interesting moments in topsy turvy year – rare birds, interesting encounter, berry-picking with my dad, and even a “lifer” Saltmarsh Sparrow that was a highlight of my limited travels. It’s fun to look back the year that was (and often wasn’t), but I’m also hoping that next year’s photos includes a lot more travel, tours and happy clients!
So there you have it — a reflection on just some of the many highlights and fun memories from an otherwise very strange year. And while I look forward to lots more exciting birding, great encounters in nature and wonderful family time in 2022, I could do with it being a little less “weird”! Stay well, be safe and keep looking forward to that next adventure.
I don’t post to this blog as often as I’d like to, but be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram for LOTS more photos, regular highlights and updates from ongoing adventures! Fingers crossed, I’ll be back on the road with lots of tours this summer 🙂
While the scene outside my window leaves no doubt that winter is still here, the “official” winter birding season ended on February 28. This year, a total of 161 species were recorded on the island during that time — a new record!! Highlights were many, but obvious ones included Vermilion Flycatcher (1st provincial record), Gray Heron, THREE Redwings, Brown Thrasher, Tundra Swan, Slaty-backed Gull, (most recently) Spotted Towhee and of course the persistence of several very tough warblers. The growth of our west coast birding community certainly contributed to the record-setting season, with numerous species being found only there this year. One additional species in Labrador (Common Shelduck) puts the provincial tally at 162.
Thanks to everyone for all the great birding, spotting and reporting again this year. Enjoy what is left of winter and look forward to the excitement of spring 🙂
It’s that time when I sit back to review the year that was. Or maybe wasn’t? 2020 was …. ummm … “interesting”. To say the least. (And since I’m writing this on January 7, I have to admit that 2021 is off to an “interesting” start).
I thrive on visuals, so it’s become my tradition to reflect on each passing year with a series of photos that represent highlights (check out my posts for 2017, 2018 & 2019). And as weird as 2020 was, there were many (many!) highlights to choose from. Here are twenty images/memories from 2020:
January started off great! I often extol the wonders of winter birding here in Newfoundland, and I was excited that my entire month was booked up leading tours with birders visiting from all over North America. It started with the annual WINGS tour and a very fun group of intrepid explorers, and continued with a line-up of private tours for birding friends new and old. January birding was at its best! Most notably, we had several amazing and very intimate experiences with Dovekie (arguably our most sought-after winter bird), and often elusive Willow Ptarmigan (above) were seen almost daily. ** NOTE: After a hiatus for much of 2020, I am once again offering winter tours – and you can find out more here. **
My guests and I spotted this Turkey Vulture on January 16. No doubt it wasn’t too exciting for my visitors from California, but it was a mega-rarity for Newfoundland – just my second ever for the province, and an exciting bird to discover on my own. We had a wonderful marathon of birding that day, trying to squeeze in as many of their targets as we could before an approaching storm (and we did with great success!!). Little did I know the impact that storm would have …
The “weather bomb” that hit the northeast Avalon that night and raged through January 17 dropped an amazing 90cm of snow on St. John’s — on top of 100cm already sitting on the ground. It crippled the city, caused a week-long shutdown and “state of emergency” as people and city crews dug out, and was later dubbed “snowmageddon” in popular media. My clients, who had managed just one day of birding, were marooned in their hotel for days and stuck in St. John’s for more than a week before flights resumed. And, of course, the rest of my January clients were forced to cancel their visits for the same reason. While snowstorms and travel delays do happen here in winter, this was the “storm of a century” and not something that people considering a visit here in the future should be worried about ;). (We never could have realized at the time that the weeklong “lockdown” we experienced then was just a trial-run for a pandemic that would hit our shores a few weeks later!!)
Great winter birding continued into February, and a personal highlight was this Northern Saw-whet Owl found roosting in a city backyard. This species has been increasing across Newfoundland over the last 20 years, and the first confirmed breeding was just a few springs ago. Surprisingly, this was the first one I had been able to study and photograph – my only previous sighting was a fleeting one in my own yard as one passed through in the dark.
February is also a great time for gull-watching … an integral part of winter birding in St. John’s. Once again, I co-hosted NatureNL‘s annual Gull Workshop which included a short introductory slideshow followed by an outing to Quidi Vidi Lake. The turnout for this event has been growing each year, and 2020 was no exception. I’m always glad when people show an interest in gulls 🙂
The world was shaken in late winter as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the world causing sickness, fear and unprecedented “lockdowns”. People across the planet were asked to stay close to home, travel plummeted and (for many birders) a disconnect with birds, birding and nature began to set in. At the same time, I was experimenting with “videoscoping” (using my phone and an adaptor to shoot video with my trusty Kowa TSN-883 spotting scope) and realized that I could use that technology to share my outings with birders all over the world. Facebook LIVE even allowed me to bird “with” (virtually) others in real time! You can watch some of those videos and spring birding sessions here on my Facebook page … and I’m looking forward to doing more this winter 🙂
As spring arrived and we settled into the new routines (or lack thereof!) of pandemic living, our family embraced the outdoors and opportunities to explore together. Like oh so many other people, we enjoyed some of the incredible trails and hiking that we are blessed to have here in Newfoundland – especially the East Coast Trail. As challenging as 2020 was, and the heavy toll it took on tourism and my own business, I’ll never take for granted the opportunity to spend more quality time with the people I love and doing the things we love. I hope we can all carry that appreciation forward to 2021 and beyond.
COVID-19 also forced many aspects of our lives to move online — from “Zoom” birthday parties to online meetings and virtual learning. Sometimes it was a struggle, but sometimes it provided opportunities to reach out in ways we never did before. In June, I delivered the first of several online presentations about birding that I would do throughout the year — this one for my friends at Kowa whose amazing optics I use pretty much every day. You can still check out this virtual birding trip to Newfoundland & Labrador on their YouTube channel, and feel free to drop me a line anytime if you’re interested in learning more.
While our world often felt like it was turned upside down and inside out, mother nature moved on unfazed. Our spring migrants arrived as usual, set up shop and started the annual breeding rituals. It was also the first year of Newfoundland’s first ever Breeding Bird Atlas – a long awaited project, and an added motivation for me to get out and explore new areas. I especially enjoyed birding some “atlas squares” near my hometown of Lewisporte, where birds like this beautiful eastern Palm Warbler brightened my morning walks. Several species (like this one) do not breed on the Avalon where I live now, so it was a treat getting to know them just a little bit better.
It felt weird in 2020 to not visit many of the birding spots that are normally a big part of my summer tours. But that didn’t stop me from writing about them! Throughout the year I wrote several articles and guest blog posts about birds & birding, including one about the beautiful Witless Bay Ecological Reserve (“Birdwatch Canada” magazine, Summer 2020). I also gushed about Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve and some of my other favourite places in a series of articles for Destination St. John’s.
Coincidentally (or not?), 2020 also seemed to be full of astrological wonders. Or maybe we just took the time to notice them more. In any case, our family spent more time than usual staring up at the night sky to enjoy a “supermoon”, meteor showers, visible plants and most recently the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter. We especially enjoyed our views of Comet NEOWISE during a camping trip in July, when I captured this image of it hanging just above our tent. How cool! (Image is best viewed full size in a dark room)
Despite excellent birding all spring & summer I didn’t add a new bird to my Newfoundland life list until August, when I encountered this Great Skua during an exploratory boat trip with Hare Bay Adventures in Bonavista Bay. Although they are relatively common at sea, this can be a touch bird to spot close to land – and I was stoked when this one came in to check out our boat. I was especially excited when, looking at my photos, I discovered it was banded! It didn’t take long to find out that it was banded as a chick in Shetland (Scotland) in 2018 — the first of their banded individuals to be spotted in North America.
Of course, that Great Skua was just one of THOUSANDS of pelagic seabirds spotted during my boat trip with my friends at Hare Bay Adventures. Huge numbers of Great and Sooty Shearwaters, a few Manx Shearwaters along with Northern Gannets, Common Murre, Atlantic Puffins, Black-legged Kittiwakes and many others were enjoyed during our outing. Check out the eBird list here. There were also dozens of Humpback Whales, often many in view at one time. In fact, it was hard to photograph the birds (like this Great Shearwater) without a whale getting in the way 😉
Shorebird migration starts in late summer, when the forests have gone quiet and most breeding birds are focused on raising/fledging their young. It’s a perfect way to add spice to a day of birding at that time of year. There was a good showing of Buff-breasted Sandpipers this year — a very uncommon but annual visitor, and definitely one of the best looking shorebirds out there. This one was near Cape Race was especially cooperative, often coming quite near while I crouched quietly in the grass.
Autumn is a fantastic time for birding, and you never know what you’ll see during the chaotic fall migration. My next new bird for Newfoundland was this Great-crested Flycatcher in early October — one of three we ended up seeing that day, more than were reported in the province for the previous 10 years.
Fall is also berry-picking time across Newfoundland & Labrador — and with the extra time on my hands, I did more of that than usual. Blueberries in September, Partridgeberries (above) in October, and even Marshberries (aka Small Cranberry) in November. The highlight was a three-day trip to Grates Cove with my dad, who I don’t get to spend as much time with as I’d like. We had beautiful fall weather, leisurely days, perfect “around the bay” meals (fresh grilled tuna; sweet & sour moose!) and spirited card games. Quality time with family was definitely the silver lining on the challenges of 2020.
Going a little stir-crazy and missing travel, Bruce Mactavish & I decided to take a long November weekend (Nov 19-22) and go birding in the Codroy Valley at the very opposite corner of Newfoundland (this is a big island, so that’s not as close as you may think!). Among other things, one of my goals was to see this Tundra Swan that had been hanging out there since October – a provincial rarity and my third new bird for the province in 2020. Although it was always distant, we were able to enjoy some very good scope views as it fed in the Codroy estuary (an internationally significant wetland). As it turned out (see below), it wouldn’t even be the best bird of the trip 🙂
My fourth and final new bird for Newfoundland, and hands down “bird of the year”, was this immature male Vermilion Flycatcher in Stephenville (~7 hours west of St. John’s). Originally discovered on November 18, word got out just hours before Bruce Mactavish & I were set to drive across the province anyways — pure serendipity. Although we had poor luck seeing it the following day (after driving all morning), we finally got amazing views, and mediocre photos, the next day. A huge relief and a mega bird!! Despite the fact it should be in the arid climate of Arizona or Mexico rather than the November snow of Newfoundland, the bird look surprisingly well and continued to be seen sporadically into mid-December when the weather worsened.
December was mild with a notable lack of snow (especially here on the Avalon), leading to a much “greener” Christmas Bird Count (CBC) season than last year. Compare the photos from St. John’s CBC 2020 and 2019 above! In fact, as I’m writing this we are well into January and still experiencing unseasonably warm weather. At risk of being chased out of town — bring on some winter weather 🙂
As always, sharing my experiences, adventures and favourite moments with others was an important part of my year. This year, I wasn’t able to share with as many of you in person (boo!), but I continued to do so over social media. I hope my posts have have helped brighten a few days and elicit a few smiles during these challenging months — because I know that other people’s posts have certainly made the year more bearable for me. Above are my “Top 9” photos/posts (at least based on “likes”, which is not really the reason I do it) of 2020. In a year that was most certainly “different”, I’m glad to see that my most popular images were as well. I’m glad that some of the quirks are represented – including my ice-covered face during “Snowmageddon” , a “supermoon” (representing the fact that our family spent more time than usual stargazing this year), and of course a fun poke I took at the pandemic and the (then) novel idea of social distancing. It’s fun to look back the year that was (and often wasn’t), but I’m also hoping that next year’s photos include a lot more birds, travel and happy clients 🙂
Well, there you have it. There is so much more we could say (good, bad and ugly!) about 2020, but in the end I’m glad to look back and remember so many good times and highlights. I recognize that we were very fortunate here in Newfoundland & Labrador to get out in front of the COVID-19 situation relatively quickly and have managed to keep it mostly at bay. After a few challenging months, life returned much closer to normal here than in many places around the country and world – and our hearts go out to those who are still struggling with this virus and the unprecedented impacts on society. It also goes out to my many friends and colleagues in tourism, who have been pushed to the brink by travel restrictions and a catastrophic loss of work.
I think we can see the faint glow of the light at the end of the tunnel and, while it will be a tough few months yet, I firmly believe we can come out of this with a renewed energy, focus and appreciation for the things that matter most. Be safe, be kind, and keep looking forward that next adventure.
Time seemed to move so slowly when the COVID-19 pandemic first settled on our shores. Shutdowns, home-schooling, social distancing, and (for me) a complete absence of visiting birders to share my adventures with. It felt like any semblance of normal might never return. But as things here in Newfoundland & Labrador improved and life began to shift back towards “normal”, time has really flown. I can’t believe it’s been seven months, it’s mid-fall and the first tastes of snow and cold weather are already here again!!
As I mentioned in my last blog post, the silver lining of such an unusual summer was being able to spend more time hanging out and exploring with my family. While their lives have since veered back towards normal — the girls & Susan are back to school, and many of their other activities are starting back up (even if they aren’t exactly as they were) — mine remains quite different. Trips & tours I was excited about are still being cancelled (most recently my annual Trinidad & Tobago tour), and I’m still unable to welcome guests from most of Canada and the world. On the upside, I’ve been using the time to get back to birding basics – exploring new areas, hunting for fall vagrants with old friends, and even scoring a few great finds along the way. Here are a few highlights from Fall 2020 so far …
The first major highlight of fall happened on September 26, during an annual “big day” of sorts. Bruce Mactavish & I were just finishing a lacklustre walk around Cape Race when I flushed a rail from the grass, just inches from my toes. We both got great looks as it flew in a low but long arc — CORNCRAKE!!!! This mega-rare (and extremely elusive) visitor from Europe was at the top of my wish-list – but after narrowly missing the only other modern day record for Newfoundland in 2002, I didn’t believe it would happen again. While we did get another quick look as it flew up again 10 minutes later, there were no chances to get a photo. It was not relocated over the next two days despite a small throng of searchers. I still feel the “buzz” of that moment nearly two months later!
This Great-Crested Flycatcher (Oct 5) was a long-awaited addition to my Newfoundland list. Surprisingly rare on the island, not only did we relocate this one first discovered the previous day – but ended up seeing two more before the day was done!
Yellow-billed Cuckoo is an annual visitor to the island, but one I don’t get to see most years. This one surprised us by flying across the road in front of our van just seconds after my friend Bruce said “This looks like a great spot to find a cuckoo” !! I wish it worked like that more often 😉
While shorebird migration didn’t bring any real rarities, it was a good one for Buff-breasted Sandpipers. This was one of several very confiding birds at Long Beach in late September.
Fall is also a great time to go berry-picking in Newfoundland. I spent several days picking blueberries (September) & partridgeberries (October; my favourite!) in Grates Cove – including a fun weekend getaway with my dad how I don’t get to see often enough.
This Marsh Wren was an added perk of our berry-picking trip to Grates Cove in mid-October – a surprise find, and my first “self found” for the province (~17th record overall).
Another new “self found” bird was this Townsend’s Warbler in Cape Broyle (Oct 26). While very rare overall in eastern North America, Newfoundland has an uncanny history with them – more than two dozen records, with multiple each fall in recent years. I’ve seen close to a dozen, but was still excited find this one on my own at the end of an otherwise slow day of birding.
I took some time during a November outing to Grates Cove to pick some marshberries (aka small cranberry). These very tart fruits are best picked in late fall or early winter.
All that being said, I’m stoked to get back leading tours and sharing Newfoundland’s amazing birds with new people! I’m making plans for a brand new start in January – leaving the weirdness of 2020 behind and striking out on new adventures 😉
Stay tuned for some announcements next week — an exciting new partnership, winter tours and weekend workshops!
I’ve always had a soft spot for this photo of a Slaty-backed Gull (a major local rarity) I took back in 2007 … and now it brings to mind 2020 and the COVID pandemic. Perhaps because I always joked that this bird reminded me of the “Phoenix” rising from the ashes – just like we all (and especially my friends and colleagues in the tourism industry) have to do after this very challenging year. Or, perhaps, because much of 2020 felt like the dumpster fire that is so obvious in this image ;). Rise up we shall!
I am going to steal some words from my last blog post, since they ring just as true three months later: I know many people and families have been impacted by this pandemic in much greater ways than ours, and our hearts go out to everyone who has suffered illness, experienced loss or simply struggled to make ends meet. We pray every day to see the light at the end of this dark tunnel soon. However, if you’re as fortunate as we are to stay safe and healthy, I encourage you to find the silver linings in your own lives and make the most of them. Your smile and positive attitude may be just what the next person you run into needs to see.
Be safe, take care of yourself and those around you, and keep dreaming about that next adventure.
In case you missed it last week, I’ll be giving a repeat presentation of
“Birds of Newfoundland & Labrador: Perched on the Edge”
Thursday Nov 12, 12:00PM EST / 1:30PM NST (I know the time is strange, but is scheduled for an audience on the other side of the world). Hope you can join us!
What a weird summer this is. The world has been turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic and public health restrictions – and we certainly hope that you and your family have been able to stay safe during this unprecedented crisis. Newfoundland & Labrador has weathered the storm very well so far — thanks in large part to good leadership, public cooperation and the ability to control influx from outside the province (I’m reminded of the words of the Newfoundland folk song “Thank God We’re Surrounded by Water“).
There have been costs, of course, and the tourism industry was hit fast and hard. I’ve missed welcoming visiting birders and nature lovers this spring and summer, and sharing the incredible beauty of my province with them – and have also had to cancel some of my favourite tours to other parts of Canada and even Greenland this season. I’m very much looking forward to seeing you all, as soon as it is safe and reasonable to travel again 😉
Birding in July 2019 with Jason Ward, Nick Lund, Nate Swick & Ted Floyd
Birding in July 2019 with Jason Ward, Nick Lund, Nate Swick & Ted Floyd
Nick Lund with a towering view of the gannets at Cape St. Mary’s
Some clients enjoying a boat tour in 2019
Birding with Eagle-Eye Tours in 2019
Birding with Eagle-Eye Tours in 2019
Ferryland Head lighthouse
Birding in July 2019 with Jason Ward, Nick Lund, Nate Swick & Ted Floyd
There have been silver linings to this very dark cloud – not the least of which is the extra quality time I am spending with my family. Summer is usually very busy for me, so it’s been a blessing to have these extra few weeks with my kids who are growing up way too fast. We’ve played games and watched movies, went on family hikes along our beautiful coastlines, visited family (now that it’s safe to do so) and spent time hanging out in some of our favourite places like Lewisporte and Grates Cove 🙂 I may never have a summer like this again, and I’m determined not to squander it.
Leslie (8) making some nature notes during a family hike
Leslie (8) overlooking one of our family getaways – Grates Cove
Emma (11) & Leslie (8) during a family hike on the East Coast Trail
Susan and I during a family hike
Leslie (8) and her Nan Newhook planting one of our new raised beds
A visit with my parents
Emma (11) enjoying her “penny board” at Long Point lighthouse, Twillingate
Susan – enjoying a very rare night out
Emma, Leslie & I on a hike at Red Head Cove (appropriate, eh?)
A solo hike
And as much as I miss birding and exploring with so many of you, I am also embracing the opportunity to explore different places and in different ways on my own. I’ve spent time birding closer to home and contributing to the brand new Newfoundland Breeding Bird Atlas. I’ve even gotten to know my own backyard much better – watching the local robins and juncos raise their families, tackling gardening projects I’ve “talked about” for years, and helping my kids discover the little joys of nature. (They even scored the first record of new ladybug species for North America – right in our own yard!!)
Newfoundland’s first Breeding Bird Atlas has given me a fun new reason to get out birding – and helped take the sting out of missing all the visiting birders I would have been exploring with this summer. These are just some of the breeding songbirds I would have shared with those clients – and now have been tallied for the atlas 😉
Here is one of several 10-spotted Ladybugs (Adalia decempunctata) that my daughters first discovered in our yard. It turns out it was a (somewhat expected) first confirmed record for North America! Exploring our backyard has been a bright spot during our extended time at home this spring.
As part of my ramblings, I was lucky to spend a short time with a pair of Bald Eagles and their surprisingly young (given the date) chick. Check out this short video:
I know many people and families have been impacted by this pandemic in much greater ways than ours, and our hearts go out to everyone who has suffered illness, experienced loss or simply struggled to make ends meet. We pray every day to see the light at the end of this dark tunnel soon. However, if you’re as fortunate as we are to stay safe and healthy, I encourage you to find the silver linings in your own lives and make the most of them. Your smile and positive attitude may be just what the next person you run into needs to see.
Be safe, take care of yourself and those around you, and keep dreaming about that next adventure.
Is a birding trip to Newfoundland & Labrador on YOUR bucket list?? Want to learn more about this fantastic destination?? Join me for this free webinar, hosted by Kowa Sporting Optics, on Saturday June 20th …
What strange days we are living in! We here at BirdTheRock hope you are doing well, staying safe & healthy, and managing to find some solace in nature when/where you can. If you happen to be an essential worker — THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for everything you are doing to keep us safe and our world moving. If, like us, you are lucky enough to do your part by staying home – thank you as well for doing just that.
No matter where you find yourself during this pandemic, these are challenging and unsettling times. Many individuals and families are struggling with the health impacts of COVID-19, and our hearts go out to them. Many others, especially my friends and colleagues in the tourism & hospitality industry, are faced with a staggering loss of employment and the uncertainty of when (or even if) things will get back on track. I hope and trust that, by working together and supporting each other, we will rise out of this with renewed energy, strength and purpose. Thank you to everyone supporting small, local businesses in your own cities, towns and neighbourhoods during these tough times.
Spring is slowly rolling in here in Newfoundland, with or without our watchful gaze. Migration is well underway, and pretty soon our forests, lakes, barrens and seabird colonies will be bustling. I can’t wait to say hello to many of my favourite birds – like this Atlantic Puffin 🙂
But nature keeps on truckin’, and spring is arriving (mostly) on schedule. I was (and still am!) looking forward to a busy season of enjoying nature and sharing amazing birds, wildlife & scenery with so many of you this year — but I know that much of that will have to be postponed for the time being. In fact, I would normally be preparing for my first trip of the season next week – leading a fantastic Eagle-Eye Tours trip to experience spring migration at Ontario’s Point Pelee National Park, Algonquin and many points between. I’ll very much miss being there this year, but here are a few photos from previous trips to remind you (mostly me!) of how wonderful it is 😉 (More photos from the 2019 tour are available here.)
I do hope that things return to normal sooner than later, and that I’ll still be able to welcome some visiting birders to Newfoundland later this summer. In any case, I’ve been busy planning and am excited for the time when we can go exploring together again.
Like you, I have also been adjusting to the “new normal” – spending lots of quality time at home with my family, focusing on the importance of those around me, and occasionally getting out to enjoy nature in safe and responsible ways. My family & I wish you all the best during these uncertain times.
Be safe, take care of yourselves and others, and keep dreaming of that next adventure!
Bird⋅The⋅Rock 