The 116th CBC in Atlantic Canada

Leading up to the 116^th Christmas Count season, strong weather systems upset the more "normal" North/South bird movements making late Fall and early Winter birding quite interesting to say the least. Numbers of western species, rarely seen in these parts, were found early in December but weather changed quickly leaving only the most hardy to survive or stay long enough to be included in this year's CBCs.

The Atlantic collectively conducted 71 separate Christmas Counts, down from last year's record high of 75. Nova Scotia contributed 35, New Brunswick 24, Newfoundland and Labrabor eight, Prince Edward Island three, and Saint Pierre et Miquelon one. Even with the fewer counts completed this year, the region should see an increase in count circles as more compilers see the benefits and value of inclusion.

As is normal in the Northeast, the Atlantic Ocean and cold northern air flows combined with strong winds limit the number of reasonable count days in late December.  It was clearly evident from the results that weather, especially wind, negatively affected the species and individual bird numbers this year.  

There were just 175 species identified, which was 19 fewer than last season. The four fewer CBCs would certainly not account for, or be responsible for this difference, but instead it seemed it was wind!  More than 50% of the region's counts dealt with sustained winds of 20 kph or higher though their respective count days which had impacts on both numbers of birds and species seen. As a result, some CBCs had almost as many species noted during their corresponding count week as they managed to find on "the day" despite the increased and determined effort.

The very mild and open lead-in to December allowed lakes to remain ice-free and gave us a good selection of freshwater duck species. Examples of this were larger than normal numbers of lingering species such as Ring-necked Duck and the two species of wigeon. This openness had the reverse effect on our coastal areas. Sea ducks, although all accounted for, were notably fewer than average. There weren't the larger rafts of eiders and scoters we are used to, but instead small groups dotted along the coast. One species on the watch list, Harlequin Duck, plummeted  to just 349 birds from last year's 682. As gloomy as that seems, this year's number is still slightly higher than the average over the last 10 years. The St. Pierre CBC contributed over half of those birds, and Newfoundland and Labrador remarkably had none to report.   

During mid-November, strong sustained southwesterly weather flows brought "Western" flycatchers to the northeast. By mid-November we were hearing of discoveries of small western Empidonax flycatchers occurring in the East with several sightings of "Western Flycatchers" in the Northeast U.S., Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.  At least one of these birds, narrowed down to Cordilleron/Pacific-slope Flycatcher was documented during the Grand Manan, New Brunswick CBC.  This was the first ever record of this now split "Western Flycatcher" species in the Atlantic Provinces during a CBC.

Notable and stand-out surprises that were documented included a Cackling Goose at Shubenacadie , NS; a count week King Eider, St. Johns, NL; a Golden Eagle at Sackville , NB; an Osprey at Wolfville, NS; eight Sandhill Cranes at Shubenacadie, NS; a Ruff at Windsor, NS; a Pomarine Jaeger at Cape Sable Island, NS; a Parasitic Jaeger at Halifax-Dartmouth, NS;  a Laughing Gull at Brier Island, NS; a Mew Gull at St. Johns, NL; a single Western Kingbird at Brier Island, NS; single Blue-headed Vireos in St. John's, NL and Halifax-Dartmouth, NS; not one, but two Mountain Bluebirds at Cape Sable Island, NS; a Prairie  Warbler at Bedford-Sackville, NS. rarer sparrows included a Clay-colored Sparrow at Cheticamp, NS;  Field Sparrow at Lunenburg, NS;  single Lark Sparrow at both Cape Sable Island, NS and Memramcook, NB; and a Lincoln's Sparrow at St. Johns NL. There was a late Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Broad Cove, NS;  single Indigo Buntings each at Halifax-Dartmouth, NS and Grand Manan, NB plus a Dickcissel at Kingston, NS. A well documented and publicized Bullock's Oriole was discovered during The Sydney's, NS and another possible Bullock's Oriole was found during the Fundy National Park, NB CBC.

For the first time in many years, there were no lingering Savannah (Ipswich) Sparrows to be found, and the only identifiable subspecies found was the Eurasian form of Green-winged Teal found during the Truro, NS CBC.  Aside from the very common and varied American Black Duck/Mallard hybrids a remarkable and unusual study of Ring-necked Duck/Lesser Scaup hybrid was provided by Alvan Buckley during the St. Johns NL CBC.  

The eight Sandhill Cranes found at Shubenacadie, NS are part of recent expansion of this species into the Maritimes. Nova Scotia birders have been able to confirm breeding success within the province for the first time in 2015 and it appears this species can now be more reliably expected here.

It certainly does not look good for Gray Partridge here in the Atlantic. Focussed searching failed to find a single bird in their traditional haunts in either Prince Edward Island or Nova Scotia, and this is the second consecutive year that this species has not been included in the totals.

The New Brunswick population of Wild Turkey is, so far at least, limited to a small number near the New Brunswick-Maine birder of St. Stephen.  Fifty-eight birds were found there this year which is 22 birds or a 60% increase over last year. Still in New Brunswick, the only Atlantic area where Tufted Titmice can be found, the province added Buctouche to the places to see this species.  A single bird remained at a feeder over the winter there and another two individuals continue to be resident in the Fredericton area.

The general consensus was that wild food crops were poor in the Atlantic. A late and extreme end to winter in 2015 possibly contributed to this, making fruit and cone bearing trees unattractive stops for southward moving finches and fruit-eaters.  Pine Grosbeak, crossbills, redpolls, and siskins were present but in very small numbers and found only by chance.

The Atlantic continues to show dramatic losses of House Sparrows while other areas further west and south of us show stabilized or increasing numbers. Only 39 of the 71 CBCs recorded this species for a total of just 1347 birds. Theories of European Starlings taking over nesting sites or harsher climes here are purely speculative but whatever the reason it is clear that there is a problem.