ATLANTIC PROVINCES & ST. PIERRE ET MIQUELON 
While the odd Dovekie is sometimes found in summer in easternmost 
Canada, a definite flight of the species took place 7-22 July 2009, when at 
least 25 were noted between western Newfoundland and southern New 
Brunswick. They are believed to have been failed breeders from western 
Greenland. This individual was found at Bird Islands, Cape Breton Island, 
Nova Scotia 21 July. Photograph by Allan Mmant. 
ports in Nova Scotia, with up to 6 found on 
some B.B.S. routes (BMy). Alder Flycatcher is 
doing well in the Region, even at the n. edge of 
its range, where 20 were found on a B.B.S. 
route near Churchill Falls, Labrador 2 Jul (FS, 
GP). The only report of Scissor-tailed Fly- 
catcher was one at Pt. Escuminac, Northum- 
berland, NB 26 Jun (SD, KW). Red-eyed Vireo 
is perhaps the most common breeding passer- 
ine in the Region and has maintained and even 
increased its numbers over the past 30 years, 
in contrast to its decline elsewhere and to the 
decline of so many Neotropical migrants. At 
the n. edge of it range in Labrador, 34 were 
found on the Happy Valley-Goose Bay B.B.S. 1 
Jul (TC), and at least 2 singing males were 
present in St. John’s, NF 16 Jul. White-eyed 
Vireo appears poised to breed in the Region, 
with a territorial male present throughout on 
G.M.l. A Warbling Vireo in the Codroy Valley 
3 Jun (DB, JH) was a spring overshoot but was 
near suitable breeding habitat. 
Cedar Waxwing did not arrive in Labrador 
City until 20 Jul (GP), while one over the At- 
lantic Ocean 560 km e. of St. John’s 27 Jul 
(BMt) “looked a little lonely.” Eastern Blue- 
bird has gone from a rare breeder in the Mar- 
itimes 20 years ago to a fairly common one in 
recent years, especially in se. New Brunswick. 
Seven were found at French Village, Queens, 
PE 6 Jun (DS), in a province where they are 
(oddly) still very rare breeders. Farthest afield 
was a male at Saint-Pierre, SPM 3 Jun (LJ). 
Gray-cheeked Thrush is now said to rare in 
the French Islands (RE), a situation also sadly 
reflected throughout its traditional range in 
Newfoundland and Labrador, where declines 
have been noted. A singing Bicknell’s Thrush 
along the Bay of Fundy coast at Little Salmon 
R., NB 15 Jul QW, HM) was in a disjunct nest- 
ing area where the species has not been heard 
from in 20+ years. Wood Thrush is also a bird 
of the past in New Brunswick and Nova Sco- 
tia, with an apparent 90% or greater decline in 
breeding numbers since the first 
M.B.B.A. Probably fewer than 250 
pairs remain in the Region, a dis- 
couraging state of affairs. One in the 
Codroy Valley 11 Jun was “totally 
unexpected” (DB, JH), as were 2 at 
Goose Bay 29 May (TC). Gray Cat- 
bird continues to push at the far e. 
edge of its range, with at least 6 (two 
pairs) in St. Pierre et Miquelon 7 Jun 
(PB, JPS) and another singing all 
summer along the Rennies R. in St. 
John’s (AH). 
Sedge Wren is an enigmatic 
species, breeding in the middle of 
the continent early in the season, 
then sometimes moving eastward 
over great distances to attempt a second nest- 
ing. A pair with young was found on Seal L, 
Shelburne, NS in early Oct 2008 (FL), and this 
year, at least 2 were present at Tiddville 
Marsh, Digby, NS 1-15 Jun. Still, their only 
regular breeding area in the Region remains 
the vast reed beds found at the outlet of 
Grand L,, Queens, NB. While still rare. House 
Wren appears to be somewhat more common 
than 20 years ago, with several reports of 
singing males from New Brunswick. A few 
pairs of Northern Rough-winged Swallows 
nest in w. New Brunswick, perhaps fewer than 
50. Extralimital reports came from Tiddville 
Marsh, NS 8 Jun (EM) and most notably from 
Grand Codroy, NF 1 Jun (DB, JH), a single 
bird with 2 Cliff Swallows. The nearest breed- 
ing colony of the latter species is located at 
Fortress Louisbourg, C.B.i. Four American 
Pipits counted at the Wabush Tailings, 
Labrador 7 Jul were probably breeders (GP), 
somewhat s. of the their continuous Labrador 
range but perhaps not unexpected. 
WARBLERS THROUGH BLACKBIRDS 
The only report of Golden-winged Warbler 
was a male at Branscomb Pond, St. John's, NF 
22-23 Jun (Terrence Hounsell). Tennessee 
Warbler was said to be “particularly plentiful” 
in Newfoundland during the period (DB), an 
observation confirmed by a count of 28 on 
the Goose Bay B.B.S. 1 Jul (TC, CJ). Breeding 
Orange-crowned Warblers are restricted to 
Labrador in the Region, where they are fairly 
common in recovering forest burns and other 
semi-open habitats. Seven were found on the 
Goose Bay B.B.S. 1 Jul (TC, CJ). Chestnut- 
sided Warbler is a rare breeder in Newfound- 
land, where a pair was found nest-building 21 
Jun at Grand Codroy (DB, JH). Cape May 
Warbler is much harder to find in the Region 
than it was 30 years ago, with numbers likely 
down by 95% or more. One on the Goose Bay 
B.B.S. 1 Jul (TC, CJ) was at the ne. limit of its 
breeding range. A post-breeding male Yellow- 
throated Warbler was a tad early at Bancroft 
Point, G.M.l. 22 Jul (BD). The species more 
typically first appears there in mid-Aug. Pine 
Warbler is doing extremely well in New 
Brunswick, now being found breeding 
throughout most of the province (M.B.B.A.). 
It is likely just as common in Nova Scotia, 
where there are extensive White Pine forests, 
but there are only a few reports to date from 
the n. portion of the province. Palm Warblers 
are also doing very well throughout the Re- 
gion. Curiously, during a bird census near 
Bathurst, NB, the species was found to have 
quite an odd dialect, distinctly different from 
birds in the s. of the province (ST). 
Bay-breasted Warbler, one of the three 
spruce budworm warbler specialists that were 
common to abundant in the Region during 
the 1950-1990 period, is not faring as badly as 
Cape May Warbler but not quite as well as 
Tennessee Warbler. Bay-breasted was found to 
be fairly common in the Codroy Valley, NF, 
where 25+ were tallied 3 Jun (DB, JH). Out- 
liers were 3 males at Goose Bay 3 Jun, feeding 
on willow pollen on a very cold day (BMt), 
and a male singing at Argentia, NF 7-10 Jul. 
While listed as “Threatened” in Canada by 
COSEWIC, Canada Warbler was found to be 
quite common in suitable habitat near 
Bathurst, NB, with an estimated 5-10 pairs 
per square kilometer (ST). A Yellow-breasted 
Averaging about one per spring in the Atlantic Provinces re- 
gion over the past several years, the summer's only Scissor- 
tailed Flycatcher was this one-day wonder 26 June 2009 at 
Point Escuminac, New Brunswick. Photograph by Samuel 
Denault. 
Chat sang from late May until at least 14 Jun 
along the Musquodobit Trail, H.R.M. A Field 
Sparrow was a great find in the Codroy Valley, 
NF 3 Jun (DB, JH) and provided one of very 
few spring records for the province. A few 
pairs breed in w. New Brunswick, likely fewer 
than 25. White-crowned Sparrows were said 
to be “common” around Lanse aux Meadows, 
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NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS 
