ATLANTIC PROVINCES & ST. PIERRE ET MIQUELON 
(MN et al.), and 2 were at Langlade, SPM 12 
Sep — a first for the French islands (MB). 
Hooded Warbler singles visited Saint John, NB 
4 Sep (MC), Deep Cove, NB 6-7 Oct 
(DI et ah), Sable I., NS 1 Sep (ZL), and 
Langlade, SPM 4-5 Oct (PA, JD); 2 were on 
Seal I., NS mid-Sep (FL). Yellow-breasted Chat 
totals were 26 in Nova Scotia and one each in 
St. Pierre et Miquelon and Newfoundland. 
The rarest warbler of the season came from 
the West: a Hermit Warbler at Halifax, NS 27 
Nov-5 Dec (AH et al). Photographs showed it 
to be pure and not a hybrid. There are several 
previous autumn records for the Region. 
There were 3 Summer Tanagers reported, 
singles at Bay St. Lawrence, Victoria, NS 15- 
29 Nov (fide IM), at St. John’s, NF 19 Oct 
(Otto Warren), and at St. Lawrence, NF 18 
Nov-19 Dec {fide JC; ph.). A surprising 3 
Western Tanagers were all in Nova Scotia: 
one male at Canso 29 Oct (TK); one at Dun- 
can’s Cove 1 Nov (FL); and one male at Bar- 
rington Passage 24 Nov (fide IM). Lark Spar- 
row totals were 7 in Nova Scotia, 4 in St. 
Pierre et Miquelon, and 2 in Newfoundland, 
most occurring mid-Sep-mid-Oct. The first 
Regional Lark Bunting in years was at C.S.I., 
NS 19 Sep (MN). A Nelson’s Sharp-tailed 
Sparrow was near Cape Race, NF 11 Oct; Nel- 
son’s is becoming an annual autumn rarity in 
that province (BMt). Grasshopper Sparrow, a 
regular stray, reached Nova Scotia (3) and 
Newfoundland (2), all between 19 Oct and 29 
Nov. Photographed Black-headed Grosbeaks 
were at feeders at Lower Kingsburg, NS in 
early Nov (A. & D. Falvey) and St. John’s, NF 
4-9 Nov (m.ob.). Surprisingly, the Blue Gros- 
beak at 'Voglers Cove, Lunenburg, NS 31 Oct-2 
Nov was the only individual reported (CS et 
al.). Male Painted Buntings were at C.S.I., NS 
12 Oct (MN), at a feeder in Dartmouth, NS 
21-30 Nov (Gayle MacLean), and at a feeder 
at North Head, G.M.I., NB 29 Nov-i- (Bessie 
Bass et al). There appeared to be an above-av- 
erage flight of the under-reported Dickcissel, 
with minimal totals of 25 in Nova Scotia, 4 in 
St. Pierre et Miquelon, and 10 in Newfound- 
land. Seven Yellow-headed Blackbirds, all sin- 
gles in Nova Scotia between 20 Sep and 25 
Nov, made an above-average autumn total for 
the entire Region. Seemingly rarer in autumn 
than in the past, single Orchard Orioles were 
at Seal I., NS 13 Sep (FL) and at Fraserville, 
Cumberland, NS 30 Oct-7 Nov (fide IM), the 
latter extraordinarily late. Late orioles that ap- 
pear to be Orchards should be very carefully 
scrutinized for Hooded or other w. species. 
Nova Scotia showed the strongest finch 
numbers. White-winged Crossbills were 
widespread and abundant. Young were being 
fed in mid-Sep in some locations. Pine Siskins | 
swarmed coastal sites that focus migrants: I 
spectacular counts of 2000 came from Seal I. * 
11 Oct (m.ob.) and 10,000 from Brier I. 12 ! 
Oct (EM). I 
Contributors (subregional editors in bold- 
face): Pascal Asselin, John Belbin, Lucas 
Berringan, Todd Boland, Suzanne Borkowski, 
Michel Borotra, Dave Brown, David Christie, 
Jared Clarke, Merv Cormier, David Currie, 
David Detcheverry, Joel Detcheverry, Cliff 
Doran, Roger Etcheberry, John Gibbons, 
Patrica Hacala, James Hirtle, Ulli Hoger, 
Andy Horn, Durian Ingersoll, Laurent Jack- 
man, Jon Joy, Tom Kavanaugh, Michael King, 
Ken Knowles, Fulton Lavender, Randy Lauff, 
Zoe Lucas, Bruce Mactavish (BMt), Ken 
McKenna, Ian McLaren, David McCorquo- 
dale, Eric Mills, Cathy & Allan Murrant, Su- 
san Myers, Murray Newell, Johnnie Nicker- 
son, Terry Pacquet Dave Shepherd, Clarence 
Stevens Jr., Clarence Stevens Sr., June Swift, 
Stuart Tingley Hans Toom, Mike Viau, Rita 
Viau, Steve 'Vines, John Wells 0 We), Jim Wil- 
son OWi), Pam Woodman. © 
Bruce Mactavish, 37 Waterford Bridge Road 
St. John's, Newfoundland A1E 1C5 
(bruce.mactavish 1 @nf.sympatico.ca) 
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Gatineau 
Montreal^,-|^*Victoriavil[e 
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Pierre Bannon 
Oli¥ier Barden 
Normand Da¥id 
Samuel Denault 
Yves Aubry 
M uch of Quebec experienced tem- 
peratures more than one degree 
Celsius above normal in autumn 
2008, with the largest deviation occurring 
in central Quebec. Wetter-than-normal ar- 
eas included the Gaspe Peninsula and 
northern Quebec. Several days of heavy 
rainfall in early August caused toxic red al- 
gae to proliferate around the mouth of the 
Saguenay River. The “red tide” moved to- 
ward Rimouski, leaving in its wake carcass- 
es of Harbor Porpoises, Belugas, seals, and 
thousands of seabirds, mostly represented 
by Black-legged Kittiwakes. Despite this 
tragic event, the Tadoussac area was once 
again this fall one of the province’s most 
productive areas for bird records of interest. 
WATEiFOWL THROUGH 
SHOREBIRDS 
For the 2nd consecutive year, a Pink-footed 
Goose was shot by a hunter, this time at La 
Pocatiere 6 Oct (ph. P. Dupuis). A group of 7 
Ross’s Geese at Barraute 27 Sep-14 Oct was 
very unusual for this location (ph. B. Major et 
al.). Single Mute Swans were at Maple Grove 2 
Oct-7 Dec (ME Christophe, I. Bourget), Saint- 
Aime-du-Lac-des-iles 8-13 Nov (E Carriere), 
and Alma 13 Nov-21 Dec (SBo et al). Two 
tagged Trumpeter Swans were reported near 
Duparquet 9 Sep at the same spot where they 
had been reported last spring (ph. J. Lapointe, 
G. Trepanier, E Fournier). A pair of Tundra 
Swans with 2 young at Deception Bay (62° 06’ 
9.97" N, 74° 33' 05.06" W), Nunavik in late 
summer provided the eastermost breeding 
record in the Region (JFP). Migrant Tundra 
Swans included one at Aylmer 18-19 Oct 
(Club des ornithologues de I’Outaouais), 2 at 
Masson 20-23 Oct (BC et al), and one at 
Hebertville 29 Nov-7 Dec (M. Tremblay). Re- 
40 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
