Catching Up (with a White-winged Tern!!)

Posted on September 2, 2015 by birdtherock

It has been an extremely busy summer … which I guess is a good thing when you’re in the ecotourism business 😉 Between Bird⋅The⋅Rock clients and commercial tours with my friends at Wildland and Eagle Eye Tours, I’ve had many opportunities to share the wonderful birds & nature of Newfoundland with visitors from all over the world, as well as lead a fun birding tour in beautiful New Brunswick! With that in mind, I now have a lot of catching up to do – so expect a full summer’s worth of great stories and photo highlights here on the blog over the next few weeks!!

However, the first “catching up” I had to do this week was with a very rare tern that showed up in Newfoundland while I was away. While leading a birding tour in New Brunswick, I received a series of texts about a WHITE-WINGED TERN that had been discovered in Conception Bay South – just 20 minutes from my home! As painful as it was, I soon learned that it seemed to be settled and had some routine habits – a good sign that it might hang around for a few days. Five days later, after concluding the tour, I was headed home and focused on seeing this beautiful bird for myself … until foggy weather in St. John’s forced the cancellation of my flight! Following an unplanned night in Montreal and a reroute through Toronto (my sixth province that month), I finally arrived home on the evening of Tuesday, August 25.

This breeding plumaged White-winged Tern was a very unexpected find when discovered by local birder Paul Linegar on August 19. It is normally found in southeastern Europe and Asia (wintering in Africa and Australia), and is a very rare wanderer to North America.

The next morning, I headed straight to Chamberlain’s Pond where the tern was known to feed regularly throughout the day. I scanned the pond and, seeing nothing, stepped out of the car – when THE tern immediately flew in off the ocean and directly in front of me!! It continued to course around the far side of the pond, flying acrobatics and hawking insects off the water’s surface, for about 10 minutes before flying over my head again and out over the ocean, headed towards the nearby marina where it had been originally discovered. I relocated it there a short while later, but it was too far to enjoy or photograph. After some poking around, I found a public access to the long breakwater/sandbar opposite the marina and made the 15 minute stroll along its length to where I had last seen it. It was nowhere to be found, so I waited patiently – until it suddenly appeared out of nowhere and flew by just metres away! Fortunately I was able to raise my camera and snap off a few photos as it glided past – not perfect, but still precious! What a stunning and graceful bird!

This beautiful bird represents the first record of White-winged Tern for the province – one that local birders may have dreamed about but never “really” expected to see here.

The black underwing coverts seen in this photo are an important feature, distinguishing this mega rarity from the very similar Black Tern (which while still somewhat rare in Newfoundland is by far the more expected species).

Notably, two other exciting birds have been reported recently. A moulting adult YELLOW-LEGGED GULL has been spotted in east St. John’s several times over the past two weeks – a virtually annual visitor here but still a huge rarity for North America in general. Far less expected, a highly probably BLACK-BROWED ALBATROSS was reported by a fisherman near Cape St. Mary’s on August 29 – a huge rarity that we are hoping will be spotted again!

Stay tuned to the blog for a series of reports on our adventures this past summer!

Lots of amazing birding, whales, scenery and fun this summer … check back soon for some photo highlights!

Another teaser from my most recent adventure – an Eagle Eye Tours trip to New Brunswick and the beautiful Bay of Fundy!

Newfoundland’s Codroy Valley – Beautiful AND Birdy!

Posted on June 13, 2015 by birdtherock

I spent most of last week visiting one of my favourite places in our beautiful province – the Codroy Valley. Located 900 km away in the very SW corner of the island, it’s not a place I have the opportunity to go very often … but I cherish every chance I get. Being much closer to the Maritime provinces both geographically (it’s a mere 150 km from Cape Breton) and ecologically, it is home to the greatest diversity of landbirds in all of Newfoundland. A number of species wander there regularly that are otherwise very uncommon or rare in the rest of Newfoundland, and a few have pushed the limits of their breeding range to include this small pocket of Acadian forest habitat. There are easily a dozen species that you can expect to find here but nowhere else in Newfoundland!

There is stunning scenery at every turn in the Codroy Valley. This beautiful vista across the estuary and marsh, with rolling fields and the snow-capped Long Range Mountains in the background, was right from our cabin window!

There is stunning scenery at every turn in the Codroy Valley. This beautiful vista across the estuary and marsh, with rolling fields and the snow-peppered Long Range Mountains in the background, was right from our cabin window!

I was invited to participate in the Feather & Folk Nature Festival – a relatively new and growing celebration of birds and culture. My dad joined me for the visit, and we soaked in the solitude, abundant nature and breathtaking vistas for four full days. I shared a selection of photos and interesting tidbits about birding in Newfoundland during a public presentation, led five fun outings with a group of eager birders, and chatted with locals about their wonderful piece of the world. I even enjoyed an opportunity to chat about the future of birding tourism both locally and throughout the province with representatives of the tourism and business communities.

Great Blue Heron is the unofficial mascot for the Codroy Valley. It is the only place in our province that this species is known ot breed (although anecdotally it may be spreading). This one greeted us from a treetop overlooking the estuary at sunrise.

Great Blue Heron is an unofficial mascot for the Codroy Valley. It is the only place in our province that this species is known to breed (although anecdotally it may be spreading). This one greeted us from a treetop overlooking the estuary at sunrise.

It was a fantastic trip … amazing birds, stunning scenery and so many wonderful people! The lush forests here are full of birds – and it is apparent as a rich chorus of song bubbles out from the tangled mixture of deciduous and coniferous trees at every stop. The large estuaries of the Grand Codroy and Little Codroy rivers are home to the island’s best variety of waterfowl, and the sandy beach at the river mouth is home to several shorebirds including the endangered Piping Plover. There was never a lack of birds or adventures … only a lack of time. I’m already looking forward to next year!!

*** I am planning to offer a week-long birding tour of Western Newfoundland (Codroy Valley & Gros Morne National Park) that will be scheduled to take in this excellent festival — details to be announced soon!! If you might be interested in joining me, please let me know and save the dates of June 1-7 (exact dates TBD). ***

The forests of the Codroy Valley seem more alive with birds than anywhere else in the province. Even relatively common species like this American Redstart seem to be present in far greater numbers.

Some species are considered to be “Codroy specialties”. Blackburnian Warbler breed in several areas of tall spruce forest here, but not elsewhere in Newfoundland. We managed to find at least three during a morning walk along Brooms Brook Road.

Brooms Brook, called “warbler alley” by locals, is known for hosting several species of warbler that are more typical of the Maritimes and not found elsewhere on the island.

Another local “specialty” is the Bobolink. This species was once more widespread across the island, but has seen drastic population declines in recent decades is now considered a “species at risk” in our province. Its last real foothold in Newfoundland seems to be a few hay fields in this beautiful valley.

Colours really seem to pop here on the southwest coast …

Sometimes the view can distract me from the birding! I had to stop just after sunrise to take in this beautiful scene over the estuary.

Philadelphia Vireo is another species that occurs more regularly here than the rest of the island – it is scarce at best in other parts of western Newfoundland and rare anywhere else.

Eastern Kingbirds are regular visitors from the Maritime provinces in spring, and may even breed here sporadically. A number were spotted last week, including this obliging bird in Upper Ferry.

My birding group enjoying looks at the flame-orange undersides of a Blackburnian Warbler, singing from the top of a black spruce.

This Snowshoe Hare was munching grass along the roadside during my first morning out. I saw numerous during the week, suggesting it has been a good spring for them.

Yellow-bellied Flycatchers were calling at many locations, although most refused to cooperate for photos.

We were fortunate enough to find a pair of Piping Plovers on the beach at Searston – the female tending to a nest. Every nest is a positive sign for this endangered species, especially in Newfoundland where appropriate habitat (large sandy beaches) is somewhat rare in its own right.

Another locally uncommon shorebird is Willet. Although a small number do breed a at one or two locations further north along the coast, spotting one in the Codroy Valley was notable.

Another locally uncommon shorebird is Willet. Although a small number do breed at one or two locations further north along the coast, spotting one in the Codroy Valley was notable.

The low cloud and threatening rain over the Long Range Mountains was a beautiful sight … even if rain was the last thing we wanted!

Typical of the region, a band of rain hanging tight to the mountains was clearing as we drove north from the Cape Ray area, and much nicer weather awaited us back in the valley.

Northern Parula is another Maritime species that hs expanded across the Gulf of St. Lawrence and now seems to breed regularly (though in small numbers) in the Codroy Valley.

Northern Parula is another Maritime species that has expanded across the Gulf of St. Lawrence and now seems to breed regularly (though in small numbers) in the Codroy Valley.

“Mainlanders” laugh at will, but Red-winged Blackbird is actually a good species to see in Newfoundland. They are sparse at best, and may not breed regularly away from the island’s SW corner.

A Gray Catbird was a good find on our last morning outing. This species seems to occur here in small numbers each spring, although breeding status has not been confirmed.

Mourning Warblers are always fun to see, despite being a little more widespread than some of the other Codroy species. This one was actually photographed in central Newfoundland on the way home.

We were lucky enough to bump into this Olive-sided Flycatcher along the Wetland Trail on our very first group walk. It wasn’t calling, but seemed at home on top of a large dead snag. This species is another provincial “species at risk” – one of four such species we saw last week!

And there is always something more to see than “just” birds. American Toads are not as well established in eastern Newfoundland, so it was fun to see several here in the Codroy Valley.

This young Baltimore Oriole was visiting a hummingbird feeder in Millville … another Maritime species that occasionally makes its way to the Codroy for a visit in spring.

Cedar Waxwings were abundant in some areas of the valley this spring.

The towns of Codroy and Cape Anguille in the northwest part of the Valley are more typical of coastal Newfoundland — rugged coastlines and lovely ocean vistas.

There were a few early butterflies enjoying the sun, including Spring Azures like this one.

Two Eastern Kingbirds even dropped in to visit us at our cabins, flycatching from the fence in front of our deck. Goes to show that you don’t have to look hard to find great birds in the Codroy Valley!

It was an awesome visit and a wonderful festival. I can’t wait to go back next year. Want to join me???

A big thank-you to the wonderful people of the Codroy Valley for making us feel so welcome, and to the Codroy Valley Area Development Association for inviting me to participate in this excellent festival!!

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers: A Newfoundland Enigma

Posted on April 8, 2015 by birdtherock

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is common throughout most of its range in North America, but not so much in Newfoundland. It is known to be a scarce breeder in western and central parts of the island, where scattered areas of hardwood forest (primarily birch) exist. It is presumed absent on the Avalon (which has limited hardwood) except during migration when it appears sporadically. The true range and abundance of this species on the island is somewhat of a mystery, however, since most potential breeding areas are isolated and almost never surveyed or visited by birders. Anecdotally, sapsuckers have been seen less in recent decades, even in areas where they were known to have bred in the past.

Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, like this beautiful male in St. Mary’s on April 7, are scarce breeders on the island and rarely seen outside of migration.

However, an interesting pattern of sightings on the southern Avalon started coming to light in recent years – especially in Trepassey where a report several years ago led birders to discover an apple tree that is covered in sapsucker holes and indicates years of visits. Several Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers have been seen in Trepassey during spring and (to a lesser extent) fall in the past 3-4 years. Where they are breeding remains a mystery — maybe they head off to other parts of Newfoundland, or (as some have suggested) maybe a small population is making use of pockets of suitable habitat along river valleys on the southern Avalon.

As their name suggests, sapsuckers specialize in harvesting and eating sweet tree sap. They drill shallow holes, allowing the sap to run out.

As their name suggests, sapsuckers specialize in harvesting and eating sweet tree sap. Hardwood trees, which are not very abundant anywhere on the island (and especially not the Avalon Peninsula), provide critical breeding habitat for this species.

A rash of reports on the southern Avalon (at least four individuals at Ferryland, Trepassey, St. Mary’s and Mount Carmel) this past week added a new twist to that conversation. Early for Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers (even in the Maritimes where they occur much more commonly), it was assumed that these were overshooting migrants that arrived on recent strong southerly winds rather than part of a more regular pattern. And maybe they are. But a visit to two yards in St. Mary’s (St. Mary’s Bay) where one male has been visiting for a week now, raised some interesting questions. Homeowners reported that sapsuckers have been visiting their yards and trees annually for at least a few years now, and the presence of old holes support those claims. One gentleman even reported seeing two last year. They generally stay for a few weeks, and then move on … but to where??

This stunning male Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has been frequenting a few yards in the little town of St. Mary’s for the past week or so. At least three others have been seen on the southern Avalon in recent days, indicating a much larger than usual arrival of this otherwise very scarce bird.

St. Mary's hardly looks like paradise for a sapsucker. With the exception of a few bird and Norway maples in local yards, habitat is pretty limited.

St. Mary’s hardly looks like paradise for a sapsucker. With the exception of a few birch and Norway maples in local yards, habitat is pretty limited.

The view over the mouth of St. Mary’s Bay is nice, though – so maybe these birds have been coming for the scenery!

Newfoundland is a very under-birded and under-surveyed island … there is plenty left to learn. The range and abundance of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers is just one small part of a puzzle that has lots of missing pieces.

Here is the yellow belly that gives this species its name ... and the red throat that makes this little fella male.

Here is the yellow belly that gives this species its name … and the red throat that makes this little fellow a male.

Sapsuckers drill telltale holes in a straight line, allowing the sap to run down the trunk.

They tend to do circuits in a territory, revisiting fresh holes to suck (or lick!) the sap.

The top photos in this collage show fresh holes with sap running down the tree (the ons on the right were drilled while I was watching!). Below is a line of old holes from a previous year, indicating that this yard has seen sapsuckers before. The homeowner reports that one or two have been visiting every spring for a number of years now.

The top photos in this collage show fresh holes with sap running down the tree (the ones on the right were drilled while I was watching!). Below is a line of old holes from a previous year, indicating that this yard has seen sapsuckers before. The homeowner reports that one or two have been visiting every spring for a number of years now.

The sap was running well on this cool but sunny morning.

Waiting … waiting … just a little to the right …

This female (note the white throat) has been visiting a yard in Ferryland for a few days now. It was far less cooperative than the male pictured above, and this was about the only clear photo I got!

Peek-a-boo! This female (note the white throat) has been visiting a yard in Ferryland for a few days now. It was far less cooperative than the male pictured above, and this was about the only clear photo I got.

This immature Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was visiting an apple tree in Trepassey during October a few years back. Until yesterday, it was the only sapsucker I had seen on the island during more than ten years birding!

Long Necks & Bills

Posted on April 5, 2015 by birdtherock

Winter is still trying to hang on here in Newfoundland, and its icy grip was felt with a little fresh snow, ice and freezing rain during the first two days of April. But signs of spring ARE starting to pop up – the first bright American Robins singing from the treetops, a handful of refreshed-looking Ring-billed Gulls joining the bedraggled few that stayed around for winter, and the arrival of Black-legged Kittiwakes all along the coast.

One unusual, but not unexpected, sign of spring was a Great Egret spotted on Friday (wayward as they are, a few sometimes arrive on April winds – probably wondering where and how they made such a wrong turn!). The location wasn’t too surprising, either … Long Pond, just a few blocks from our house, is one of the few marshy ponds that are partly open this time of year and has probably seen more egrets than most places in Newfoundland. I managed to find an hour in the late afternoon to go check it out …

Ouch! Cccccold feet! How did I end up here??

Despite the ice and snow, this fella seemed to be doing quite fine and catching plenty of small fish. Like most egrets that arrive here in early spring, it will likely make its way back south once the winds cooperate.

Long Pond, in the centre of St. John’s, has seen it’s share of wayward egrets. I photographed this one there in mid-April several years ago.

My birding time has been limited lately, but I did take some time out last week to go look for a very probable Common Snipe that had been found in Ferryland, hanging out with up to three Wilson’s Snipe. I must have picked the wrong day, since during my four hour stakeout, only two of the four snipe could be found at any of the places I checked – and both were clearly Wilson’s Snipe. The suspicious snipe has been seen since, but remains unconfirmed since confident identification of these two species is complicated and requires photos of underwing details that they are not prone to showing. (Some informative photographs and great discussions about this individual are available on the blogs of Bruce Mactavish and Alvan Buckley, who both spent some time with it.)

Here are the two Wilson’s Snipe that made an appearance during my visit to Ferryland last week. A far more interesting snipe failed to show up for the party!

Another bird wondering why on earth it decided to spend the winter “here” …

I managed to spot two more Wilson’s Snipe on the drive home – one at Tors Cove and another at Bay Bulls. Four snipe on the day, but all of them a tad disappointing!

Common Redpolls have been scarce on the Avalon in recent years, so I was happy to encoutner a few during a recent visit to my parents' house in Notre Dame Bay. I almost forgot how much I like them!

Common Redpolls have been scarce on the Avalon in recent years, so I was happy to encounter a few during a recent visit to my parents’ house in Notre Dame Bay. I almost forgot how much I like them!

These photos were taken during a lull in a mid-March snowstorm … weather that suits these birds, but not photography.

A “Thrashing” Good Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 15, 2015 by birdtherock

With two young children, Valentine’s Day has become yet another busy holiday for us. Susan and I are both madly in love, but also practical people … so after surprising her with chocolates and making a heart-themed breakfast for both her and the kids, I settled in to catch up on some work while she took the girls to a Valentine’s party. Some quiet time to be productive …

Until my cell phone whistled with an incoming text message from unstoppable birder Alvan Buckley: “Brown Thrasher at the fluvarium. Now.” Three minutes later, with my work sitting idle on the desk and a freshly poured cup of tea still steeping on the counter, I was out the door. Productivity be damned!

This Brown Thrasher, hanging out at Long Pond in Pippy Park, is a rare visitor to Newfoundland and the first “gettable” one in more than a decade.

Brown Thrasher is a rare visitor to Newfoundland, with only three or four reports in the last ten years … and it was one I have never managed to see here. Luckily, this one was just five minutes of high-speed driving from my house. I arrived to find a few people milling around on the trail near the fluvarium (at the northeast corner of Long Pond). The bird had been seen a few times but had just flown off. A few more people showed up and we spread out in search of what we knew could be a very elusive bird. Thirty minute later, I saw it flying in over the treetops … it landed briefly alongside the trail before slipping into thick cover and disappearing. Just long enough for an identifying look (tick!), but certainly not satisfying. On borrowed time, I had to leave with hopes of coming back later.

And that I did. After actually accomplishing a little bit of work, I headed back to Long Pond mid-afternoon. Only a few people remained, but they had just located the Thrasher and it was being somewhat cooperative. My first looks were typical of this secretive species – sitting in a tangle of limbs and branches. Eventually it flew in to an area of shoveled deck under the fluvarium, where some feeders had been set up and some seed/mealworms scattered … providing close and wonderful looks. The light was pretty difficult for photography, but over the next hour or so I managed to get some mediocre shots as it came and went. According to a staff member at the fluvarium, it has been around (noticed but unidentified) for a few weeks – so maybe it is settled in and I’ll get another chance for better photos!

Maybe not romantic, but still a great treat! Susan and I ended the day with an impromptu excursion downtown for a hockey game, some live music and a few relaxing drinks with friends. In my books, that all adds up to a wonderful Valentine’s Day.

Winds, Waves & Winter Birds

Posted on February 5, 2015 by birdtherock

January was a whirlwind of birding. Since the WINGS tour, I’ve had the pleasure of sharing the amazing scenery and wildlife of eastern Newfoundland with visiting birders from Texas (Jan 18-20), Ontario (Jan 23-27) and British Columbia (Jan 29). They all came with slightly different goals and targets, but everyone was keyed up to see the wonderful variety of birds that call this place home in winter.

The weather we experienced during those two weeks was also a whirlwind of sorts, spanning the gamut of the Avalon Peninsula’s infamously variable climate. January 18 was the coldest day of winter so far, and two birders from Texas (John & Tom) and I found ourselves facing very bitter winds on the edge of North America at Cape Spear. The stinging faces and numb fingertips were all worth it though, as we enjoyed watching a lone Dovekie feeding just offshore — a major target in the pocket. Throughout the next few days we enjoyed great views of other sought-after birds like Great Cormorants “sunning” on rock, dozens of Tufted Ducks at point-blank range, Black-headed Gulls bathing in small patches of open water, and beautiful Eurasian Wigeon dabbling with the local ducks. We even managed to relocate three White-winged Crossbill in Ferryland (scarce this year!) and a Snowy Owl keeping watch over the tundra south of Cappahayden.

Dovekie is among the most sought-after species by visiting birders – and January is prime time to see them.

Eurasian Wigeon are uncommon visitors to Newfoundland, but they sure do add a little spice to our winters!

American Wigeon, the more expected species on this side of the Atlantic, aren’t too shabby themselves.

Much of January was punctuated with high winds, including a storm on January 25 that brought gusts of well over 130 km/h and two days of storm surges along the island’s coast. Hoping for a rush of seabirds being blown onshore, visiting birder Judith and I met the storm along the Avalon’s southern shore. Black-legged Kittiwakes, which are usually far offshore in January, glided by and Dovekie zipped past as if it were a perfectly nice afternoon, while small groups of Common Eider bobbed up and down on the breakers. Unfortunately, many of the more pelagic species we were gunning for failed to show up, but the incredible winds, waves and angry seas made for a memorable experience!

By month’s end, a mild spell and generous rains had opened up a bit of extra standing water and cleared away most of the snow cover. Testament to that is the fact that we were able to drive all the way to Cape Race several times – very unusual for this time of year. The open road opened a door to some excellent birding – at least two Snowy Owls, rafts of Common Eider, dozens of Red-necked Grebe, all three species of Scoter, and a pair of Harlequin Ducks. Even more interesting was a group of 32 Woodland Caribou traversing the barrens – an encouraging sign for this struggling herd.

It's been another great season for Snowy Owls. As usual, most tend to young ones - so this adult male was a nice surprise!

It’s been another great season for Snowy Owls. As usual, most tend to be young ones – so this adult male was a nice surprise!

Note the dark barring on this owl, identifying it as either young or female.

The Avalon herd of Woodland Caribou has seen incredible decline over the past few decades, so seeing a group of 32 was very heartwarming. Lovely animals!

Walking trails had turned to ice, feeling more like skating rinks than paths – but that didn’t stop Fran (from British Columbia) from making the best of our day out. We crept along the north side of Long Pond, stopping to enjoy the company of several Boreal Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches as they took seeds right from my hand. Tufted Ducks, Greater Scaup and even an American Coot entertained at us at several ponds, while a lone Purple Sandpiper, Long-tailed Ducks and dozens of Common Eider were among the highlights at Cape Spear.

Of course, birds aren’t the only stars of our show! We also enjoyed seals, otters and even a humpback whale this January.

A Great Cormorant drying its wings in the heart of historic St. John’s.

What a great month! I wish they all could be like January 😉

WINGS Tour 2015: Newfoundland’s Winter Birds

Posted on January 21, 2015 by birdtherock

Winter is a fun and special time to go birding in Newfoundland – which is why a group of WINGS tour participants brave the cold weather to visit here every January. This year, just two intrepid birders made the trip – from two very different parts of the United States, Maryland and Washington state! And I had the pleasure of sharing the wonderful birds & beautiful scenery of the eastern Avalon Peninsula with them.

A wintery morning at Cape Spear.

We started the five-day tour with a visit to Cape Spear – the easternmost point in North America and a perfect place to spot some of our main targets for the week. It didn’t take long to find the local flock of Purple Sandpipers, first fluttering past the point and then taking shelter among the jagged rock jetties. A few small flocks of Common Eider flew by during our visit, and a group of ~40 Long-tailed Ducks bobbed up and down in the distance. An immature Peregrine Falcon (of the northern tundrius race) appeared out of nowhere, briefly checking us out before disappearing over the nearby hills. We even found six Dovekie quite close to the rocks below us. But the real highlight was finding another Dovekie actively feeding just metres from the shoreline at Blackhead village – it paid little attention to us as we sat on the snow-covered beach and soaked in the close-up views and photo opportunities!

Dovekie are always a big hit on winter tours, and this one really entertained as it fed in the shallow waters just metres away.

The rest of the first two days were spent birding in St. John’s, where we enjoyed the full smorgasbord of exciting winter birds that the city has to offer. Among the nine species of duck hanging out in local ponds, the dozens of Tufted Ducks were a hands-down favourite. Both American and the much rarer Eurasian Green-winged Teals were seen, allowing for great comparisons of these two surprisingly unique subspecies. We enjoyed point blank looks at Great Cormorant in the harbour, as well as a very confiding adult Peregrine Falcon perched in a tree overlooking Quidi Vidi lake. We even tracked down a very late and out-of-place Pine Warbler that has been hanging out in Bowring Park!

This adult Peregrine Falcon has been hanging out near Quidi Vidi lake and provided great looks for our WINGS participants!

The classy looking Tufted Duck is another popular bird for visitors, and we saw nearly 70 this past week!

The classy looking Tufted Duck is another popular bird with visitors, and we saw nearly 70 this past week!

We found this drake Common (aka Eurasian Green-winged) Teal in a small city brook. I consider this a “pocket species”, since maybe it will be split someday.

Among the 100+ divers hanging out in St. John’s is this odd-looking bird thought to be a Ring-necked Duck X Scaup hybrid. Cool!

This Pine Warbler is out of its element here in the middle of our winter, but seems to be doing okay for itself thanks to a few helpful birders keeping the park stocked with food.

It's difficult to ignore the beautofulwinter scenery of North America's oldest city, even when you're busy birding.

It’s difficult to ignore the beautiful winter scenery of North America’s oldest city, even when you’re busy birding.

Gulls are an essential part of any winter tour in Newfoundland, and this week did not disappoint. We soaked in great looks and photo opportunities with thousands of Herring, Great Black-backed and “Kumlien’s” Iceland Gulls, several hundred Glaucous Gulls, dozens of Black-headed Gulls (a key target for the tour!), a handful of Lesser Black-backed Gulls, and two Common (aka European Mew) Gulls! It was a great learning experience for both participants, who are now set to find and identify these rare northern visitors closer to home.

Visitors are often amazed at the variation among our wintering Iceland Gulls. The vast majority are of the “Kumlien’s” race, but every now and then we encounter a candidate “glaucoides”, like this one. Note the pure white wingtips and paler mantle compared to the more typical Kumlien’s Gulls in the background.

The third day brought beautiful (though cold!) weather, so we headed off to bird the beautiful coast of the southeast Avalon. Our first big highlight was finding three White-winged Crossbills feeding in a white spruce at Ferryland … a special and somewhat unexpected treat in what has been a sparse year for northern finches. Both the birds and the light cooperated for excellent photo opportunities, making for two happy participants and one very delighted guide!

This is one of three immature White-winged Crossbills we came across, feasting on the abundant white spruce cones. Most other conifers have had a poor cone crop this year.

Among other highlights were six Snow Buntings, a lingering Fox Sparrow, a very uncommon Horned Grebe and three more Dovekie. We were excited to find that, due to a relative lack of snow cover, we were able to drive the entire length of coastal road to Cape Race. Along the way we spotted three Snowy Owls on the tundra and at least fifteen Red-necked Grebes bobbing on the water. A large mixed flock of birds below the lighthouse consisted of ~320 White-winged Scoter, one Surf Scoter, a hundred Common Eider, two hundred Common Murre and at least five Thick-billed Murre.

The next day we headed north to Conception Bay, where ducks were the order of the day. We tallied a dozen species in the various harbours and inlets along the way, including 19 Eurasian Wigeon, 2 American Wigeon, 250 Greater Scaup, 50+ Common Goldeneye, 10 Bufflehead and dozens of both Common and Red-breasted Merganser. A pair of American Wigeon X Mallard hybrids were also noted (they have been hanging out in the area for several winters now).

Most scaup in Newfoundland are Greater Scaup, but careful observers can often pick out a Lesser Scaup or two (like this one).

The last day of this WINGS tour was spent around St. John’s, including another trip to Cape Spear. A much larger concentration of Common Eiders had built up since our earlier visit – with more than 800 spread out in three main flocks. Despite the much heavier, rolling seas we were able to spot a drake King Eider in one of the flocks – a great addition to the week and yet another lifer for one participant! On the way back to town, we picked up five Pine Grosbeaks flying over our heads, a Mourning Dove on a wire and eight Evening Grosbeak at a feeder we had (unsuccessfully) staked out earlier in the week. Our last new species for the week was an adult Bonaparte’s Gull cavorting with Black-headed Gulls in St. John’s harbour. We ended the tour on a high note with a confiding flock of ~100 Bohemian Waxwings feeding in an apple tree at eye level, four very cooperative Great Cormorants, and some very tame Boreal Chickadees eating seed right out of our hands – all great photo opportunities!

A walk in the woods this time of year can prove very quiet, although on this trail we did come across a few Boreal Chickadees and five Pine Grosbeak flying overhead.

Great Cormorant often hang out in St. John’s harbour – sometimes with a very neat and historic backdrop.

A major highlight of our week was finding a flock of Bohemian Waxwings in the historic Battery neighbourhood With about one hundred birds and maybe seven apples, there quite a ruckus at times!

It was a fantastic week spent enjoying great birds & amazing scenery with some wonderful people. What more can I ask?!?!

Winter Bird Photography (A Guest Post!)

Posted on January 11, 2015 by birdtherock

Winter in Newfoundland offers some incredible opportunities for bird photography — a passion enjoyed by more and more birders. Newfoundland also has its share of great wildlife photographers, not the least of which is my good friend Brad James. Brad has been kind enough to write a guest post for Bird⋅The⋅Rock about some of his favourite winter subjects. (Be sure to check out his website, at the bottom of this post, to see more of his amazing work!!)

** I’m excited to say that Bird⋅The⋅Rock and Brad James Wildlife Photography are planning some joint birding/photography tours (winter & summer) in the near future!!! These tours will include some great birding, lots of photography opportunities, along with tips, instructions and field lessons from Brad himself! I know I’m excited!! Let me know if you’re interested in hearing more!

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Winters in Newfoundland by Brad James

Winters in Newfoundland can be nasty. Growing up in Gander (central Newfoundland) it seemed the snow would pile up as high as skyscrapers; people would drive up and down the streets on skidoo since there was so much snow and vehicle access on side roads was near impossible. Times have changed, or maybe I’ve grown up and my childhood imagination has diminished but winters here on the island don’t seem as bad…well until last year. Last year’s winter froze every body of water basically solid. Conception Bay behind my house was like a large ice cube. It was the first time since moving home five years ago that the bay had frozen over. Even though our winters can be nasty, they bring with it some amazing photo opportunities! One of my favourite subjects during the winter months are the diving ducks. They can be found throughout the various ponds around St. John’s but once the temperatures drop and those ponds freeze over they move to the remaining open waters of Quidi Vidi lake. This provides some amazing photo opportunities. Our mix of divers is comprised of Tufted, Greater & Lesser Scaup, and Ring necked ducks. Here are a few of my images from the past few years.

Tufted Duck As you can see, we can get really close to our diving ducks here. Greater Scaup Ring-necked Duck During last year’s freeze we were lucky to have a small group of seven Common Mergansers that moved into the lake and provided many birders and bird photographers with some excellent sightings.

Common Merganser Winter months might also bring other waterfowl like Ruddy Duck, Bufflehead, Northern Shovelers, etc. to our waters and with little remaining water for them to feed in they usually end up at Quidi Vidi or small open pockets of water near streams and rivers. This allows for some wonderful photos!

Bufflehead Pied-billed Grebe Over the past few years we have been lucky to have a Peregrine Falcon take up residence along the waters edge of Quidi Vidi. He can be seen hanging out in his usual tree scanning the lake for food.

Peregrine Falcon The peregrine isn’t the only raptor on the lake as many Bald Eagles can be seen trying to make a meal out of the thousands of gulls that roost on the frozen waters.

Bald Eagle I rarely spend much time photographing gulls, despite the large number of Gulls species on the island (I should be shamed of myself!). However, over the past year my interest has begun to grow. One gull in particular that we are lucky to have is the Yellow-legged Gull which is sought after by many birders. Here are a few of the gulls I’ve photographed at Quidi Vidi during winter.

Black headed Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Another species which gets a lot of my attention during winter are Dovekies. These tiny seabirds aren’t always easy to find near shore but when you do its a real treat and a great bird to study.

Dovekie Another photogenic bird during winter is the Purple Sandpiper. There is a group of about 80 – 100 that show up each year at Cape Spear and feed along the rocks near the ocean.

Purples Sandpiper These are only a few of the many species you can see on the island during the winter. If you’re really lucky you might get to see an Ivory Gull, Gyrfalcon and many other uncommon species that have shown up to the island and have even been spotted right here in the city! Newfoundland is an amazing place with friendly people and a warm welcoming atmosphere (even in the dead of winter). The island has much to offer during the winter months and provides some unique photo opportunities.

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Check out more of Brad James’ amazing photography on his website & Facebook page below:
Website: http://www.bradjameswildlifephotography.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bradjameswildlifephotography

Bird⋅The⋅Rock

Newfoundland Bird & Nature Tours

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