Atlantic Provinces & St. Pierre et Miquelon 
^Ktllinek I. 
Torngat Mtns. N. P 
LABRADOR 
SEA 
LABRADOR 
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Hopedale V Cartwright 
* Gannet Island 
Schefferville (PQ) 
• s -V • SnuiUwood 
Labrador City \ 
Wabush 
Mealy 
Mtns. 
• N.P 
Ecological Reserve 
Strait of Belle Isle 
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St. Anthony 
Gander NEWFOUNDLAND 
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• _ »Bonavista 
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Nova St.Johns 
N. P * Avalon 
Peninsula 
t. ( K^^\Cape 
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ef Miquelon - . 
Gros 
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Cape Breton Highlands N.P 
• Sydney 
Cape Breton I. 
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: Frederaon.JoS NOVA SCOTIA 
Grand * Halifax-Dartmouth 
Mananl. ^ •Lunenberg 
o'^'’ ^,«Yarmouth 
MAINE r 
Seall. Cape Sable I. 
Sable I. 
Leffered Nova 
Scotia Sites: 
A Pictou 
B Amherst 
C Truro 
D Woltville 
E Digby 
Brian E. Dalzell 
D espite an interminable period of rainy 
weather that consumed the entire 
month of June and lingered into July 
in most of the Region, breeding success for 
many passerine species appears to have been 
good, perhaps due in part to an abundance of 
water-hatched insects. At tern colonies in 
Nova Scotia, however, many young died of 
exposure in July. Bobolinks may also have 
been displaced from low-lying helds to high- 
er and drier ones, giving the false impression 
of greater abundance in some areas. This was 
the fourth year of the planned five-year Mar- 
itimes Breeding Bird Atlas, and many changes 
have naturally occurred since the first incar- 
nation of the Atlas during the period 1986- 
1990. Distribution maps for both atlases are 
available online at <http://www.mba-aom.ca/ 
enghsh.html> (look under “Data and Maps” 
and click “Bird Maps”). 
Abbreviations: C.B.I. (Cape Breton 1., NS); 
COSEWIC (Committee On Status of Endan- 
gered Species in Canada); C.S.I. (Cape Sable 
1., NS); G.M.l. (Grand Manan I., NB); G.N.P. 
(Great Northern Pen., NF); H.R.M. (Halifax 
Regional Municipality, NS); M.B.B.A. (Mar- 
itimes Breeding Bird Atlas); NF (insular New- 
foundland); PE (Prince Edward 1.); SPM 
(Saint Pierre et Miquelon, France). 
WATERFOWL THROUGH LOONS 
Wood Duck is still pushing the ne. limits of 
its range, with regular reports of small num- 
bers now coming out of the Goose Bay, 
Labrador area, such as 2 drakes there 3 Jun 
(BMt, CJ). Breeding has been suspected in 
Goose Bay in recent years and confirmed in 
Labrador City in 2007. Male Eurasian 
Wigeons were found paired with female 
American Wigeons at Saint John, NB 22 May- 
21 Jun (MC) and Dalhousie, NB 22 Jun (KW, 
SD), and there can be little doubt that inter- 
breeding occurs here between these species, 
albeit sparingly. American Wigeon was re- 
ported as far n. as Goose Bay, Labrador 3 Jun 
(BMt, CJ). Northern Shoveler lived up to its 
name, with single drakes noted far n. at 
Labrador City 5 Jun (LS) and Goose Bay 3 Jun 
(BMt. CJ). At least 7 drake Greater Scaup 
summered in a pond on the Isthmus of 
Miquelon, SPM, but breeding was not detect- 
ed (RE). Nonbreeding King Eiders are rare 
but regular around Newfoundland during the 
summer, where 16 second-year birds (15 fe- 
males, one male) were at Cape Ray near Port- 
aux-Basques 17 Jul (LG). They are much rar- 
er farther south; a male was nicely pho- 
tographed at Maces Bay, NB 22 Jul (SD, OB). 
Wild Turkey is now a rare permanent resi- 
dent in w. New Brunswick, thanks to the bur- 
geoning population in adjacent Maine. A day’s 
birding in the area is enough to turn up at 
least one, as was the case with a hen found s. 
of McAdam, Charlotte 19 Jul (SD, KW). An- 
other hen with a brood much farther e. in the 
province near Minto 25 Jun (BS) was likely a 
result of recent releases in that area. 
Significant numbers of nonbreeding North- 
ern Fulmar occur every summer in the 
Labrador Current as far s. as Georges Bank, 
province if confirmed. A well-described Pa- 
cific Loon was at Port George, Annapolis, NS 
28 Jun (CS, FL). 
HERONS THROUGH SHOREBIRDS 
The only report of Tricolored Heron came 
from Saints Rest Marsh in Saint John, NB 21 
Jul (MC). An ad. Little Blue Heron was un- 
usual at Eddie Cove River, G.N.P 2 Jun (Daryl 
Torraville). It would appear that at least 2 Lit- 
tle Egrets were in Nova Scotia during the pe- 
riod, starting with one at C.S.I. 3 Jul (JN), an- 
other at Cow Bay, H.R.M. 7 Jul, then 2 there 
21 Jul (HT), and then just one 28 Jul (m.ob.). 
Great Blue Heron now has a beachhead in far 
w. Newfoundland, where a small colony was 
discovered in the Codroy Valley in 2008; a 
peak of 14 was counted there 12 Jul. Post- 
breeding Great Egrets are regular in the Mar- 
itimes beginning in the last week of Jul, but 
one at St. Paul’s Inlet, NF 21 Jul was remark- 
able, both for the location and the age of the 
observer, seven-year-old Kyle Reid. It seems 
only a matter of time before the species breeds 
in the Region, likely in a Great Blue Heron 
colony in New Brunswick, perhaps in the 
Saint John R. valley or the Northumberland 
Strait area. Least Bittern breeds at only one 
known location in Nova Scotia, and it had not 
been reported there since the first Breeding 
This flock of 40 Ruddy Turnstones (mostly adults) in spiffy breeding attire put down at Big Wabush Lake, Labrador City 5 June 
2009, but most were gone the next day. A flock this size has not been observed in some years in the Atlantic Provinces region 
in spring migration. Photograph by Gordon Parsons. 
but they seldom come within sight of land. 
They occur regularly into the Bay of Fundy as 
far as the Grand Manan Banks, so 6 off Brier 
1. 31 Jul (EM) were of note. Cory’s Shearwater 
is an enigmatic species at the n. limit of its 
range, occurring regularly in the Gulf of 
Maine off Cape Cod and to a lesser degree just 
s. of Nova Scotia, but the species apparently 
shuns the cold Bay of Fundy waters and has 
yet to be confirmed in New Brunswick waters, 
for instance. This season, 2-3 were noted off 
Chebucto Head, H.R.M. 18-28 Jul (MK). The 
highest count of Manx Shearwater reported 
was 100+ around St. Pierre in Jul (RE). An ap- 
parent Band-rumped Storm-Petrel was pho- 
tographed off Lunenberg, NS 4 Jul (Roy 
John), potentially a first record for the 
Bird Atlas, so it was encouraging to learn they 
still occur in the Amherst area on the Nova 
Scotia-New Brunswick border, with 3 there 
20 Jun (MK, FL, CS). Only one report of 
Glossy Ibis came to light — one at Saints Rest 
Marsh, NB 17 Jun (Samantha Perrin). 
Turkey Vulture now likely breeds as far e. as 
the Albert county hills in se. New Brunswick, 
where 17 were counted at Harvey Marsh 4 Jun 
(DC). The species has yet to be confirmed as 
breeding in Nova Scotia, despite being fairly 
common there in summer (and rare in winter) 
for the past 30 years! A light-morph Swain- 
son’s Hawk at Cape Ray, NF 26 jun (DB, JH) 
was a fortuitous provincial first. Rough-legged 
Hawks were said to be in “good numbers” on 
the G.N.P during the summer QG). A pair of 
NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
564 
