NEWFOUNDLAND WINTER LIST (2009-2010)

 Winter 2009-2010 got off to a slow start, with a cold snap in November followed by a relatively mild December and early January – and very few birds being reported. Ice-free ponds and lakes for the first half of winter made it difficult to find the rare gulls (a staple of winter birding in this province), and the mild weather brought very few birds to awaiting feeders. For the second consecutive winter, there was a significant lack of finches and berry-eating birds. This year, however, was marked by an abundance of cones and berries – making the absence all the more unexpected.

Things slowly picked up as winter wore on, and the final tally of 133 species on the island (and two more in Labrador) was just shy of the average total for the past three winters. A few rarities managed to add some flavour to the season, but overall it was a mediocre winter.

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The number of Tufted Ducks wintering in St. John’s continues to climb, with a high count of 34 recorded in the city in late December. Two more were reported from Conception Bay South somewhat later in the season. A high count of seven Eurasian Green-winged Teal (aka Common Teal) in St. John’s was also notable. A drake was observed near Cape Race Rd on Jan 28, while two more were noted in Harbour Grace on Feb 14. A female Northern Shoveler  that spent the fall around the city managed to linger until mid-December before disappearing. Lone drake Barrow’s Goldeneye were reported from three location – Spaniard’s Bay, Rocky Harbour and Traytown.

A single American Coot arrived in early January and overwintered at Quidi Vidi  Lake, continuing a recent trend. Two Pied-billed Grebes were reported from the southeast corner of the island – one recently dead and dropped by an eagle at Cape Race on Dec 9, and another alive and well at Trepassey when last observed on Jan 16.

Three Northern Lapwings discovered on the southern shore on Jan 5-6 were likely indicators of a larger event that may have occurred following dismal weather in Europe and strong trans-Atlantic winds. The last observation was of a bird in Bay Bulls on Jan 9, just hours before a winter storm blew through the area. Who knows what else might have arrived on those winds and went unnoticed?!?!  Two late-winter Killdeer were observed in St. John’s (Feb 4) and Cape Broyle (Feb 27), while a lone Black-bellied Plover successfully overwintered at Renews for the fourth consecutive year. Sanderlings overwintered at Portugal Cove South, while another was observed at Flatrock on Feb 18.

Rare winter gulls have become almost too routine in St. John’s, although some of us still manage to get a bit excited. Three Common Gulls (1 adult, 2 first winter) spent the winter in St. John’s, while it is almost certain a third first winter bird was present for a period of time in January. Two more adults were observed at Bellevue Beach on Feb 14. Two distinct adult Yellow-legged Gulls were observed in St. John’s in December, but only continued to be seen throughout the winter. An adult Slaty-backed Gull was discovered on January 14 and was seen regularly into early March. Three adult Bonaparte’s Gulls found at Bellevue Beach on Feb 14 is probably a record winter count.

The gull highlight of the winter, for those fortunate enough to see it, was an invasion of Ivory Gulls in the Strait of Belle Isle and on the Northern Peninsula (and southern Labrador) in mid-February, when over one hundred individuals were observed by a few lucky birders who made the trek. The first bird of the season, a juvenile, was spotted flying around St. Shott’s harbour on Jan 25. Two were reported from Virgin Arm, New World Island in late January, a single bird was observed at Witless Bay and Bay Bulls Feb 16-17, and four were reported from Stephenville Crossing on February 26.

There was a general lack of winter alcids this year, with Dovekie being nearly absent and the larger, regular alcids observed in unusually low numbers.

A White-winged Dove frequenting a feeder in Pouch Cove from late December onwards furnished the first winter record for the province (excluding one unconfirmed report from a few years ago). It was a poor season for owl sightings, with only two or three Snowy Owl reports, two visual observation of Boreal Owl and only late winter sound records of Great Horned and Saw-whet Owls.

Despite the dire dearth of Robins this winter, a Redwing was discovered amongst a small flock in Trepassey. Although very secretive and uncooperative, it was seen several times between Jan 13-23. Two Northern Mockingbirds were reported in December – one at Port Kirwin and one at Witless Bay.

A surprisingly low number of warblers were reported this winter, even in early December when a few hardy stragglers can usually be counted on. In fact, only four individuals, all of different species, were recorded this season. A Yellow-breasted Chat  in St. John’s on Dec 15 was the most unusual, while a Pine Warbler was reported from Broad Cove (CBN) on Dec 27 and an Orange-crowned Warbler made the Christmas Bird Count near Renews on Jan 2. A lone Yellow-rumped Warbler was first reported in St. John’s on Jan 6 and managed to survive until at least the end of February – a reflection of the relatively easy winter it was.

Two Clay-coloured Sparrows put in appearances … one spotted occasionally at Long Pond in St. John’s throughout December, and another that spent most of the winter frequenting a feeder in Maddox Cove. Song Sparrows have continued to increase on the Avalon Peninsula in all seasons, and this year was arguably the most common winter sparrow to be found in the region.

A Brown-headed Cowbird in Renews graced the winter list for one day only, when it was seen on Dec 6. A single Baltimore Oriole was observed in Trepassey in early December, while another successfully overwintered at a feeder in Buchans. Several Dickcissels were reported from across the province in December, although none were reported after Jan 2. Finally, despite the lack of finches across the province, a brilliant Greenland race Hoary Redpoll made regular appearances at two feeders in Portugal Cove South from Jan 17 onwards.

1. Canada Goose
2. Eurasian Wigeon
3. American Wigeon
4. American Black Duck
5. Mallard
6. Northern Pintail
7. Green-winged Teal (American & Eurasian)
8. Northern Shoveler 
9. Tufted Duck
10. Greater Scaup
11. Lesser Scaup
12. Common Eider
13. King Eider
14. Harlequin Duck
15. White-winged Scoter
16. Black Scoter
17. Surf Scoter
18. Long-tailed Duck
19. Bufflehead
20. Common Goldeneye
21. Barrow’s Goldeneye
22. Hooded Merganser
23. Red-breasted Merganser
24. Common Merganser
25. American Coot
26. Willow Ptarmigan
27. Rock Ptarmigan
28. Spruce Grouse
29. Ruffed Grouse
30. Common Loon
31. Red-throated Loon
32. Pied-billed Grebe
33. Red-necked Grebe
34. Horned Grebe
35. Northern Fulmar
36. Great Cormorant
37. Double-crested Cormorant
38. Bald Eagle
39. Rough-legged Hawk
40. Sharp-shinned Hawk
41. Northern Goshawk
42. Gyrfalcon
43. Peregrine Falcon
44. Merlin
45. American Kestrel
46. Black-bellied Plover
47. Killdeer
48. NORTHERN LAPWING
49. Ruddy Turnstone
50. Sanderling
51. White-rumped Sandpiper
52. Purple Sandpiper
53. Wilson’s Snipe
54. Black-headed Gull
55. Bonaparte’s Gull
56. Ring-billed Gull
57. Common Gull
58. Herring Gull
59. Lesser Black-backed Gull
60. YELLOW-LEGGED GULL
61. Iceland Gull
62. Glaucous Gull
63. Great Black-backed Gull
64. SLATY-BACKED GULL
65. Ivory Gull
66. Black-legged Kittiwake
67. Dovekie
68. Razorbill
69. Common Murre
70. Thick-billed Murre
71. Black Guillemot
72. Atlantic Puffin
73. Rock Pigeon
74. Mourning Dove
75. White-winged Dove
76. Great Horned Owl
77. Snowy Owl
78. Boreal Owl
79. Saw-whet Owl
80. Belted Kingfisher
81. Black-backed Woodpecker
82. Northern Three-toed Woodpecker
83. Hairy Woodpecker
84. Downy Woodpecker
85. Northern Flicker
86. Grey Jay
87. Blue Jay
88. Northern Shrike
89. American Crow
90. Common Raven
91. Horned Lark
92. Black-capped Chickadee
93. Boreal Chickadee
94. Red-breasted Nuthatch
95. Brown Creeper
96. Golden-crowned Kinglet
97. American Robin
98. REDWING
99. Northern Mockingbird
100. European Starling
101. American Pipit
102. Cedar Waxwing
103. Bohemian Waxwing
104. Yellow-rumped Warbler
105. Pine Warbler
106. Orange-crowned Warbler
107. Yellow-breasted Chat
108. American Tree Sparrow
109. Chipping Sparrow
110. Clay-coloured Sparrow
111. Savannah Sparrow
112. White-throated Sparrow
113. Fox Sparrow
114. Song Sparrow
115. Lincoln’s Sparrow
116. Swamp Sparrow
117. Dark-eyed Junco
118. Lapland Longspur
119. Snow Bunting
120. Common Grackle
121. Brown-headed Cowbird
122. Baltimore Oriole
123. Dickcissel
124. Pine Grosbeak
125. Purple Finch
126. Red Crossbill
127. White-winged Crossbill
128. Common Redpoll
129. Hoary Redpoll
130. Pine Siskin
131. American Goldfinch
132. Evening Grosbeak
133. House Sparrow