ATLANTIC PROVINCES & ST. PIERRE ET MIQUELON 
This Sandhill Crane twosome near Canard, Nova Scotia 28 May 2009 might be a 
pair but may be from different popuiations. The one at left has distinctly 
shorter bill, neck, and tarsus, as well as a paler gray nape, not contrasting as 
much with its white "cheeks." These are features of the tundra-nesting sub- 
species canadensis. The larger, heavily brown-stained bird at right seems not 
quite as "rangy" as the prairie-boreal subspecies tabida, which breeds in the 
continent's center to southeastern Alaska (and spreading eastward in recent 
years). It might be from the widespread taiga-breeding population, sometimes 
designated subspecies rowani, a taxon that may be best considered a ciine of 
intermediates between tabida and canadensis. Photograph by John Brett. 
southern overshoots and strays. The species 
has yet to be photographically documented in 
Nova Scotian waters, although there are con- 
vincing sight records. Audubon’s are typically 
extremely scarce even off the Carolinas at this 
time of year, making this a most unexpected 
report. Nova Scotia experienced one of its 
strongest “southern heron” spring seasons in 
many years, with some birds arriving as early 
as the hrst week of Apr. Thereafter, egrets and 
herons were reported across the province, and 
with some birds wandering, it was impossible 
to obtain an accurate count of the number of 
individuals involved. Tricolored Herons were 
especially welcome, as they are not seen every 
year. New Brunswick enjoyed some of the 
same largesse, though with lower numbers of 
birds (except, oddly for Glossy Ibis). Prince 
Edward I. hosted little of the influx, though a 
Tricolored Heron was at Stratford 25 May 
(DSh); there are few prior records for that 
province. St. Pierre and Newfoundland also 
fared poorly in the receipt of egrets, but New- 
foundland could brag about having the rarest 
egret of the season, a Little Egret in the Co- 
droy Valley 29 May (Dave Brown, Jen Hard- 
ing, ph.), furnishing the 8th provincial 
Table 1. Records of wading birds from the Atlantic Provinces 
and St. Pierre et Miquelon, Aprii-May 2009. 
Species/Province 
NS 
NB 
PEI 
SPM 
NL 
Great Egret 
40-h 
5 
1 
0 
1 
Snowy Egret 
12-t 
3 
0 
2 
1 
Little Blue Heron 
4 
2 
0 
0 
1 
Tricolored Heron 
7 
1 
1 
0 
0 
Cattle Egret 
3 
2 
1 
0 
0 
Green Heron 
4 
3 
0 
1 
0 
Glossy Ibis 
0 
2 
0 
0 
0 
record. 
Turkey Vultures continue their 
gradual colonization of the Mar- 
itimes provinces. They are most 
prevalent in New Brunswick (the 
only province where breeding 
has been conhrmed), where there 
was a notable concentration of 30 
at Mount Pleasant, Charlotte 14 
Apr (Ralph Eldridge). In Nova 
Scotia, most sightings were along 
the Fundy coast, especially North 
Mountain s. to Brier, and in the 
Cobequid Hills around Apple R. 
and Advocate Harbour. The 
species is barely annual on Prince 
Edward I., where this spring one 
was reported at 
Earnscliff 24 Apr 
(Kevin Doyle) and 
2 were at Cape 
Egmont 15 Apr 
(Bill Harford). A Swallow- 
tailed Kite paused briefly on 
the roof of a house in Truro, 
NS 10 Apr (ph. Kimberley 
Forster). Fortunately, the pho- 
tographer recognized the rarity 
of her remarkable hnd and ob- 
tained several excellent images 
before the kite flew off. Of the 
seven previous provincial 
records, only one has (barely 
adequate) photographic docu- 
mentation. The kite’s occur- 
rence might be related to Fall- 
out #2. Repeated sightings of a 
Golden Eagle near Wabush, Labrador 13-23 
May may refer to a single bird (GP, m.ob.). 
RAILS THROUGH ALCIDS 
A Purple Gallinule was discovered in a ditch 
along Rte. 450, near Lavillette, Gloucester, NB 
9 May (Alphonse Thibodeau). A Common 
Moorhen on St. Pierre 6-17 May (LJ, 
m.ob., ph.) was most unexpected and co- 
operative, though not unprecedented. 
Ten Sandhill Cranes were noted on the 
mainland, 3 in Nova Scotia and 7 in New 
Brunswick, including a pair near Have- 
lock, NB that has returned for the 12th 
spring — but with still no conhrmation of 
breeding! 
European Golden-Plovers are essen- 
tially annual in e. Newfoundland during 
the period 20 Apr-15 May, especially at 
Cape Bonavista, from which all this 
spring’s sightings originated, including 
one 22 Apr, 5 on 1 May, 8 on 5 May, and 
3 on 13 May Qon Joy et al.). Nova Sco- 
tia’s 12th Wilson’s Plover was found and 
photographed at Sable 1. 7 May (ZL). A 
group of 17 Killdeer at Wabush airport, 
Labrador 20 May represented a local record 
high count for this species, near the edge of 
its range (GP, Maxine Lewis). Two Black- 
necked Stilts in Liverpool, NS, 14-28 Apr 
(DP et al., ph.) brought the province’s total 
records of this now nearly annual species to 
17. A Greater Yellowlegs at St. Pierre 9 Apr 
was record early by four days (FPA). Willets 
at the edge of their range in the Region in- 
cluded the pair returning to Renews, NL for 
the 3rd year (still no evidence of breeding; 
fide BMt) and one at St. Pierre 7-8 May (LJ). 
Prince Edward I.’s hrst Whimbrel of the sea- 
son was notably early on 26 Apr at Little 
Harbour (DO, DS). A Eurasian Whimbrel on 
Sable L, NS 26 Apr-early May (ZL) made 
12th or 13 th provincial record. A Marbled 
Godwit on C.S.l. 26-31 Apr (MK et al.) was 
about the 26th for the province. There was a 
minor influx of Ruffs into the Region in late 
May, with single males at Fredricton, NB 18- 
A Wilson's Plover found 7 May 2009 on Sable Island, Nova Scotia 
was a great find, as only about a dozen have occurred here, only 
four photographed, and only three since the mid-1980s. Photo- 
graph by loe Lucas. 
A brief visitor to Truro, Nova Scotia 10 April 2009, this Swallow-tailed Kite was 
only the second to be photographed in the province, of seven or eight prior 
records. Photograph by Kimberley Forster. 
VOLUME 63 (2009) 
NUMBER 3 
385 
