114th CBC Atlantic Canada Regional Summary

By David Currie

(New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia,

Prince Edward Island, St. Pierre et Miquelon)

It has been said that we in Atlantic Canada enjoy talking about the weather pretty much above all else; this winter we were justified in this habit as the region experienced dramatic swings in temperature and precipitation. It was not only a challenge to find a reasonable day to hold a count, but even to continue a count long enough during that chosen day to make it official!

The count period started off with temperatures as low as -30⁰C, then dramatically rose to a high of +11⁰C and back to -20⁰C by January 1st. Those early frigid temperatures and associated chill with winds as high as 75 kph slashed the normally high species count this year.  Above average and much earlier snowfall didn't help but, despite this, the Atlantic surpassed all previous years with an impressive 68 CBCs completed.  St. Pierre et Miquelon had 1, Prince Edward Island 3, Newfoundland 9, New Brunswick 22 and Nova Scotia 33. New or revived counts this year are Nova Scotia's Aspy Bay, Big Pond, Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Cheticamp, and Economy plus New Brunswick's Dalhousie, Hammond River-Hampton, Isle Lameque, St. Paul and Tracadie-Sheila.

A total of 157 species were tallied, with two additional identifiable subspecies (Eurasian Green-winged Teal and Savannah [Ipswich] Sparrow) plus nine species seen during respective count weeks.

Snowy Owls were the big story in the region. Hundreds of these large owls arrived primarily along the Atlantic coastal areas of Newfoundland, St. Pierre et Miquelon, and Nova Scotia. Unfortunately, the big concentration at Cape Race (over 200 were seen there in the weeks before the count period) went unreported because a heavy snowfall closed the one access road for the duration of the count period.  Counts were still remarkably high though; St. Pierre tallied an incredible 12 individuals on their single count, while Nova Scotia counted 34 on nine counts and all other Atlantic provinces recorded at least one.  As it seems to go, food shortages in the North gave rise to many Rough-legged Hawks wintering in Atlantic Canada, with fairly even numbers of dark and light morph reported.  An overall total 71 was tallied, with most recorded in Nova Scotia (39) and New Brunswick (28). 

Early winter predictions of few winter finches proved to be correct.  Regional totals were 250 Pine Grosbeaks, 39 Red Crossbills, and 112 White-winged Crossbills. Newfoundland and Labrador, as you might expect, had the bulk of the redpolls, adding the only Hoary Redpoll and 182 Commons-- more than the other four regions combined. Pine Siskins were practically absent throughout the winter with less than 200 seen on the counts.  Last year's relative abundance of Evening Grosbeaks came to a swift end with only Nova Scotia having any and those amounted to just 533 on 20 CBCs.  As spruce budworm continues its resurgence in the East, at least we can we can hope to see more of these impressive finches in the future.

As for highlights, even with fewer species than normal, there were those birds that stood out and provided amazing records for this area. The Tundra Bean Goose that arrived in Yarmouth, NS during November unfortunately only managed to survive until the day before the CBC there. What killed it is a mystery, but its remains were recovered and are now awaiting testing to hopefully determine its origin. Almost as bizarre was a Common Myna which was lingering on Grand Manan Island long enough to be seen during the CBC there. This was one of two birds of this species that arrived in our area at about the same time in early fall and we can only class this record as an escape or exotic addition to the list as interesting as it is.

Green-winged Teal were found in good numbers in PE Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland including two Eurasian Green-wings in Newfoundland and one in Nova Scotia. Aside from the usual horde of 78 Tufted Ducks at St. John's NL there were also two that found their way to Halifax-Dartmouth NS. 

Just 21 Wild Turkeys were found on the US-Canada border area of St. Stephen, NB. The last bastion of Gray Partridge in the Atlantic Provinces is now Prince Edward Island, where each of the three count circles recorded individuals totalling 99 birds. Nova Scotia's population has all but disappeared, restricted to a few birds near Truro.  

The first ever record of a Red Phalarope occurred in St. Peter's, NS. This well documented individual represented a species that has occurred here very late in the fall but until now has not been seen on a count day. Other shorebirds including six Black-bellied Plovers, a single Semipalmated Plover, two Red Knots, 33 Sanderling, 337 Dunlin, and three Western/Semipalmated Sandpipers came from South Western Nova Scotia.  

With the early frigid weather, more Glaucous Gulls appeared; mostly first and second year birds but noticeable with the scads of Iceland Gulls in all areas. Just four Ivory Gulls were reported from Newfoundland along with two Common Gulls there. An interesting and late highlight was a Forster's Tern that was seen during count week at Cape Sable Island, NS. This tern species does occur here late in the Fall some years so is not a total surprise especially in the that area of Southern NS.

All Atlantic alcid species were accounted for albeit in very low numbers. With disastrous breeding successes reported in the northern Atlantic of late, we will need to be monitoring seabird numbers here in all seasons.  

After the irruption two years ago of Red-bellied Woodpeckers where we had unprecedented highs and subsequent breeding in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, we are left were only 14 to report. There were 10 from New Brunswick and 4 from Nova Scotia. Red-headed Woodpecker could always be counted on in Fall and Winter here, but in recent years it has noticeably been absent. There was just one single count week record from the entire Atlantic, that of one near Jemseg, NB.

Each year somewhere in the Region at least one Varied Thrush is known about leading up to count day, but it was a pleasant surprise for observers in Antigonish, NS to find one on there for the first time on count day.

Those normal and powerful weather conditions normally experienced here leading up to the CBC season did not produce the expected large variety of errant warblers but we weren't exactly blanked out either and managed to find a few startling visitors. A very late Northern Waterthrush was found during the Springville, NS count week and a single Yellow-throated Warbler showing characteristics of Dendroica dominica albilora was at a feeder in Wolfville, NS. An amazing record of 20 Palm Warblers feeding together near a farm manure pile near Wolfville reminds us to not forget to check behind the barns too!

After all the years of double digit numbers of Yellow-breasted Chats, especially from Nova Scotia, only two were found in all Atlantic Canada, both in Nova Scotia. These birds generally arrive here in October and stay in and near our invasive and thorny multi-flora roses as they attempt to over-winter.

The Wolfville, NS homeowner that was hosting the previously noted Yellow-throated Warbler also had the garden and feeders of preference for not only one but two Bullock's Orioles! These striking birds were in the company of Baltimore Orioles and stayed well into January.

Rounding out the list, and aside from the previously discussed absence of winter finches, rare sparrows were few with only a few highlights. A single Grasshopper Sparrow was discovered at Cape Sable Island, NS and six White-crowned Sparrows on five different CBCs in NS were noted. At least half were clearly identified as Z. l. gambelli. Two "rare for winter"Lincoln's Sparrows were found, one each for Ferryland NL and Halifax-Dartmouth, NS.

House Sparrow numbers continue to slide with fewer than 2000 found in all and during only 38 counts.  It is difficult to imagine today that it was one of the more common species found in the East with tallies of 2000 or more on a single count!