Newfoundland Winter List (2008-2009)
Overall, the winter of 2008-2009 was par for the course. A total of 138 species recorded in Newfoundland, and one additional species (Hoary Redpoll) in Labrador, included a few rarities and notable winter records along with most of the usual suspects. Remarkable was the overwhelming lack of finches and berry-eating birds (robins and waxwings), at least partly due to the poor crop of primary food sources for these species (especially spruce cones and mountain ash, respectively). However, it turned out to be a good winter for ducks and gulls – the primary source of enjoyment for local birders this year.
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Winter duck numbers seemed particularly healthy throughout the province, especially in well-birded St. John’s where a season high count of 67 aythya included record numbers of Lesser Scaup (7) and Tufted Duck (20). Two other Tufted Ducks were recorded in the province – one at Clarenville and one in Conception Bay South. A Blue-winged Teal in St. John’s on Dec 17 was just the 2nd winter record for the province, while overwintering Northern Shoveler (2) and Ruddy Duck (1-2) in St. John’s were unusual. Barrow’s Goldeneye were reported from three locations – Corner Brook (m/f), Rocky Harbour (m/f) and Spaniard’s Bay (2m).
A Northern Lapwing arrived in Portugal Cove South in late November, entertaining birders until it disappeared on Dec 6. A Greater Yellowlegs in Biscay Bay on Dec 4 furnished the 1st winter record for this otherwise common species. Late records of White-rumped Sandpiper (Dec 20), Killdeer (Dec 28) and Black-bellied Plover (Jan 31) added to the winter shorebird tally.
Arguably, gulls were the story of the winter this year. Two Yellow-legged Gulls in St. John’s, although annual now, were still a huge rarity on the North American scale. A total of three adult Slaty-backed Gulls (two in St. John’s, one in Corner Brook) marked the 12th record for the province (likely of ~10 individuals) in the last four winters! A Franklin’s Gull (Dec 1-7) was a winter rarity in St. John’s, and an invasion of Ivory Gulls across the province in January made for lots of excitement. A Forster’s Tern observed at Long Beach on Dec 14 was fleeting but thrilling.
A Red-bellied Woodpecker visiting feeders in Bishop’s Falls throughout the winter was the 5th provincial record. A late report of a Brown Thrasher overwintering in Bellburns on the Great Northern Peninsula was confirmed by photographs. A cold snap in late November appears to have decreased the number of lingering warblers to be recorded this winter – in fact only three species were reported, including a very late Ovenbird on the St. John’s Christmas Bird Count (Dec 26). A late report of a female Summer Tanager visiting a feeder in St. Lawrence (Nov 18 – Dec 18) provided the 2nd winter record.
- Canada Goose
- Wood Duck
- Gadwall
- Eurasian Wigeon
- American Wigeon
- American Black Duck
- Mallard
- Northern Pintail
- Blue-winged Teal
- Green-winged Teal (American & Eurasian)
- Northern Shoveller
- Tufted Duck
- Ring-necked Duck
- Greater Scaup
- Lesser Scaup
- Common Eider
- King Eider
- Harlequin Duck
- White-winged Scoter
- Black Scoter
- Surf Scoter
- Long-tailed Duck
- Bufflehead
- Common Goldeneye
- Barrow’s Goldeneye
- Hooded Merganser
- Red-breasted Merganser
- Common Merganser
- Ruddy Duck
- American Coot
- Willow Ptarmigan
- Rock Ptarmigan
- Spruce Grouse
- Ruffed Grouse
- Common Loon
- Red-throated Loon
- Pied-billed Grebe
- Red-necked Grebe
- Horned Grebe
- Northern Fulmar
- Northern Gannet
- Great Cormorant
- Double-crested Cormorant
- Bald Eagle
- Rough-legged Hawk
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Northern Goshawk
- Gyrfalcon
- Peregrine Falcon
- Merlin
- Black-bellied Plover
- Killdeer
- NORTHERN LAPWING
- Greater Yellowlegs
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Sanderling
- White-rumped Sandpiper
- Purple Sandpiper
- Wilson’s Snipe
- Pomarine Jaeger
- Black-headed Gull
- Bonaparte’s Gull
- Franklin’s Gull
- Common Gull
- Ring-billed Gull
- Herring Gull
- Lesser Black-backed Gull
- YELLOW-LEGGED GULL
- Iceland Gull
- Glaucous Gull
- Great Black-backed Gull
- SLATY-BACKED GULL
- Ivory Gull
- Black-legged Kittiwake
- Forster’s Tern
- Dovekie
- Razorbill
- Common Murre
- Thick-billed Murre
- Black Guillemot
- Atlantic Puffin
- Rock Pigeon
- Mourning Dove
- Great Horned Owl
- Snowy Owl
- Boreal Owl
- Belted Kingfisher
- Black-backed Woodpecker
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Downy Woodpecker
- Northern Flicker
- RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER
- Blue Jay
- Grey Jay
- Northern Shrike
- American Crow
- Common Raven
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Boreal Chickadee
- Red-breasted Nuthatch
- Brown Creeper
- Golden-crowned Kinglet
- Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
- American Robin
- Brown Thrasher
- European Starling
- American Pipit
- Cedar Waxwing
- Bohemian Waxwing
- Yellow-throated Warbler
- Orange-crowned Warbler
- Ovenbird
- Summer Tanager
- American Tree Sparrow
- Chipping Sparrow
- Savannah Sparrow
- White-throated Sparrow
- Fox Sparrow
- Song Sparrow
- Swamp Sparrow
- Lincoln’s Sparrow
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Lapland Longspur
- Snow Bunting
- Common Grackle
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- Baltimore Oriole
- Dickcissel
- Pine Grosbeak
- Purple Finch
- Red Crossbill
- White-winged Crossbill
- Common Redpoll
- Pine Siskin
- American Goldfinch
- Evening Grosbeak
- House Sparrow