I Atlantic Provinces & St. Pierre et Miquelon 
LABRADOR 
Cape Harrison 
Cartwright 
, y'Slrait of Belle Isle 
Red'V 
Bay . UAnse-aux-Meadows 
St. Anthony 
\ \ Gander NEWFOUNDUNS 
„/ 1 * m *Bonavista 
f 
^ Charlotte- Cabot Strait ef Miquelon , 
p c WCape Brelor) Highlands N.R ^ 
* X Sydney 
, \ . Cape Breton I. 
A ' ^Canso 
Johj V MOW SCOTIA 
* Halifax-Dartmouth 
^ Sable I. 
8r;erl.*_ 
Cape Sable I. 
Lawrence ‘-'7 Brook 
Port-aux-/ 
Basques 
\f'. \ Pen/hsu/a 
X^^Cape 
„ \ Race 
Leffered Nova 
Scotia Sites: 
A Pictou 
B Amherst 
C Truro 
D Wolfville 
E Digby 
Bruce Macta¥ish 
Y ou could call it a bog-standard autumn 
of birding across the Region. We’ve 
come to expect the unexpected during 
autumn migration, and we got exactly that. A 
bog-standard autumn migration in this Re- 
gion is anything but humdrum: this autumn’s 
catch of goodies included three Painted 
Buntings, two Black-headed Grosbeaks, three 
Western Tanagers, two Fork-tailed Flycatch- 
ers, a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, a Pacific Loon 
in breeding plumage, a frigatebird, Cave 
Swallows in three provinces, a Lark Bunting, 
and a Northern Lapwing. Nova Scotia’s Her- 
mit Warbler was the single most unusual 
species of the autumn. There was a huge in- 
flux of Red-bellied Woodpeckers, massive 
numbers of some finches, and the largest in- 
flux of Snowy Owls in years — bog-standard 
birds but much enjoyed. Reporting was light 
from New Brunswick and absent from Prince 
Edward Island. 
Abbreviations: C.S.I. (Cape Sable I.); C.B.I. 
(Cape Breton 1.); G.M.l. (Grand Manan I.); 
NF (the island of Newfoundland). 
WATERFOWL THROUGH VULTURES 
Sightings of different individual Greater 
White-fronted Geese near Truro, NS were 30 
Sep (fide JB) and 19 Nov (EM), the latter 
thought to be of a North American subspecies. 
Cackling Geese were identified in Nova Sco- 
tia, with one at Port Joli 5 Oct (CSs) and 4 at 
Central Onslow 19 Nov (EM). Six sightings 
totaling 8 Eurasian Wigeons in Nova Scotia 
was above average, and the usual dozen or so 
were at St. John’s, NF. Two Redheads at 
Miquelon, SPM 10 Oct furnished just the 2nd 
record of the species for the French Islands 
(DD). There were 11 Tufted Ducks at St.John’s 
by 2 Nov (BMt). Large autumn flocks of 
Hooded Mergansers in Nova Scotia and New 
Brunswick have become the norm in the last 
decade or so, but a flock of 220 at Halibutton 
Gut, Pictou, NS 1 Nov was impressive ((KM). 
Despite a poor showing of Ruddy Duck in the 
Region, e.g., only 3 in Nova Scotia, 2 showed 
up at the e. extremity at St. John’s, NF 23 Nov 
and stayed a month (KK). 
An ad. Pacific Loon in faded breeding 
plumage was found at White Head I., NB 9 
Oct, nearly the same date and location as a 
2004 sighting (|im Edsall, JWi). The annual 
shearwater feeding spectacle off the s. Avalon 
Pen., NF peaked in Aug. High counts were 
50,000 shearwaters (80% Greater, 20% Sooty) 
sitting on a calm sea off St. Shotts 2 Aug 
(BMt) and 36,000 (5% Greater, 95% Sooty) 
flying past Portugal Cove South 17 Aug (DS). 
There were still 5000 shearwaters off Portugal 
Cove South on 30 Aug, but none by 1 Sep or 
any day after (BMt). A female frigatebird ob- 
served at Glace Bay, C.B.I., NS 25 Aug was 
most likely a Magnificent but was not posi- 
tively identified to species (S. Mason, L. 
Mackenzie). Stray Least Bitterns were on 
Sable I., NS 15-18 Aug (ZL) and at St. Pierre, 
SPM3&5 0ct (PA,LJ,ph.). 
There were 9 Great Egrets in 
Nova Scotia for the season. 
Cattle Egrets put on a bit of 
a show in Nova Scotia, with 
eight sightings totaling 10 
individuals 30 Oct-10 Nov 
(fide UH). There were also 2 
at Miquelon, SPM 6 Nov 
(RE) and one hop-scotching 
around between Cape Race 
and Kilbride, NF 9-15 Nov 
(m.ob.). Snowy Egret seems 
to be declining as a vagrant 
in the Region, with a single 
at West Dublin, NS in early 
Nov OH et al.) and one at 
sea 300 km e. of St. John’s, 
NF 28 Sep (BMt). Yellow-crowned Night- 
Heron occurrences remain fairly consistent 
over the years, with a few typically found in 
late summer. This season, there were 4 imms. 
in Nova Scotia and 2 ads. and an imm. in se. 
Newfoundland. The only Black Vulture re- 
ported was from Canso, NS during Oct (TK). 
A count of 100+ Turkey Vultures at Brier I., 
NS 12 Oct was a probably a record-high one- 
day count for the Region (EM). 
SHOREilRDS 
Newfoundland’s nearly annual late fall North- 
ern Lapwing was at Portugal Cove South in 
the se. corner of the province 29 Nov-6 Dec 
(Richard Thomas et al.). There was a nice 
count of 300 American Golden-Plovers and 
130 Whimbrels feeding on the crowberry bar- 
rens near Cape Race, NF 1 Sep (BMt, JWe). 
The last of the breeding American Oyster- 
catchers, an ad. and young of the year, left 
Cape Sable L, NS 5 Oct, about three weeks 
later than normal departure (MN). Single 
American Avocets were near Mary’s Pt., NB 29 
Oct-18 Nov (DC et al.), Pinkney Pt., 
Yarmouth, NS 10-22 Aug (MN et al), and 
Miquelon, SPM 14-22 Nov (BL, MB), the lat- 
ter a 2nd sighting for the French Islands. 
Forty-nine Western Willets identified in Nova 
Scotia in Aug-Sep seems like an amazing to- 
tal for this Region (IM et al). An Upland 
Sandpiper was well photographed by the 
lighthouse keeper at Cape Race, NF on the 
extraordinarily late date of 4 Nov (CD). Two 
Marbled Godwits were at C.S.I., NS 29 Aug 
(MN et al). A huge fallout of shorebirds at 
C.S.I. , NS 22 Oct included 800 Red Knots, 
3150 Sanderlings, 3000 Dunlins, and an ex- 
ceptional 15 Western Sandpipers (MN et al). 
It was considered a good year for Baird’s Sand- 
piper in Nova Scotia, with 30 reported (fide 
SM) but just average in Newfoundland and St. 
Pierre et Miquelon, with totals of 3 each. 
i. .. 
Franklin's Gull are rarely seen in first-cycle plumage in Atlantic Canada, and there 
are few records as late as this bird at St. John's, Newfoundland, which lingered 28 
November through 7 (here 1 ) December 2008. Photograph by Jared Clarke, 
There were 4 Curlew Sandpipers across the 
Region: ads. at River Bourgeois, Richmond, NS 
24 Aug (RV), Conrads L, Lunenburg, NS 6 Sep 
OH), and at Grand Desert, NS 11 Sep (CSj, 
CSs), plus a rare juv. at Biscay Bay, NF 1 1 Sep 
(DS). It was a mediocre season for Stilt Sand- 
piper, with only 13 Regionwide. It was anoth- 
er good year for Buff-breasted Sandpiper: 19 
in Nova Scotia and 14 in Newfoundland. Sin- 
gle Ruffs were at C.S.I., NS 2 Aug (MN) and 
Spaniard’s Bay, NF 2 Sep (PW). Two juv. 
Long-billed Dowitchers were nicely described 
at Cole Harbour, NS on the typical date of 17 
Nov (EM, IM). There were only single Wil- 
son’s Phalaropes in Nova Scotia and New- 
foundland, but 3 in St. Pierre et Miquelon in- 
cluded a late bird 29 Oct-2 Nov (fide RE). 
38 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
