Winter Birding in Canada - 2009-10 - Final Summary
14 March 2010
The birding this past winter season in Canada was
less exciting than normal. With two exceptions
(see Manitoba and Quebec, below) every province
recorded winter season species totals that were
lower than average. Here are some possible reasons for this:
- The active El Nino circulation in the
Pacific caused Canada to experience its warmest
and driest winter since 1948. Precipitation was
down by nearly 25%, and the average temperatures
were 4 degrees Celsius above normal. The Arctic had its warmest winter ever.
- Wild food was easier for birds to access,
and most feeder-watchers reported less activity at their feeding stations.
- There were few irruptions of northern owls and finches.
- Though twitchers did have good birds to
chase, there were not as many rarities as a typical winter.
- The first day of the winter birding
season, Dec. 1, fell on a Monday, which meant
that, in most areas, the concerted search for
winter birds did not begin until the first
Saturday of December, six days into the winter
season, by which time an early cold snap had
pushed waterfowl further south, and likely
removed many half-hard autumn lingerers.
- The first day of the Christmas Bird Count
period also fell on a Monday, which meant that
most counts were held later in December than is
usual, reducing the number of species recorded.
Here are the links to the Winter Birding web
pages for all ten Canadian provinces, as well as
the French islands of Saint-Pierre et Michelon, and the country of Iceland.
PROVINCES FROM EAST TO WEST:
Newfoundland and Labrador: http://tinyurl.com/2jqo5p
129 species. Highlights: Northern Lapwing (3
separate birds); Yellow-legged Gull (2);
Slaty-backed Gull; +++ Ivory Gulls; White-winged
Dove (1st winter record); Redwing.
There were sufficient gaps between winter storms
to allow Newfoundland birders to locate a good
variety of rare and regular species, though
slightly fewer than in recent years. The
province continues to offer superb gull watching
in the St. Johns area, but that may change soon,
and there are plans to stop pumping sewage in the
harbour. And rumours are floating about that
authorities might consider changing landfill
practices at the famous St. Johns garbage
dump. Both actions make sense environmentally,
but would cause much anguish to gull-watchers.
Nova Scotia: http://tinyurl.com/nswinter
181 species. (average = 195). Highlights: Red
Phalarope (3rd winter record); Empidomax
flycatcher sp.; Prairie Warbler (2nd winter
record); Spotted Towhee (1st winter record, 2nd
provincial record). Big Misses: Northern Fulmar,
Spruce Grouse (resident), Red Knot, White-crowned Sparrow.
Weve been keeping track of Nova Scotias winter
birds since 1996, and the total this past winter
tied the lowest previous total, set in
1998/99. Almost every observer was complaining
about the scarcity of birds. The mood was glum.
Prince Edward Island: http://tinyurl.com/peiwinter
107 species (average = 113). Highlights: Cattle
Egret (2nd winter record); Broad-winged Hawk (2nd
winter record); Black-legged Kittiwake (1st
winter record). Big Misses: Sharp-tailed Grouse (resident, introduced).
A soft winter made it hard to find winter
specialties, and kept the provinces total below the long-term average.
New Brunswick: http://tinyurl.com/nbwinter (updated 12 Feb)
151 species (average = 162). Highlights:
Virginia Rail (1st winter record); Marsh Wren
(2nd winter record); Ovenbird (2nd winter
record); Lark Sparrow (2nd winter record). Big
Misses: Wilsons Snipe; Carolina Wren; American Pipit.
A dearth of rarities kept the provinces total
well below the long-term average.
Quebec: http://tinyurl.com/qcwinter
178 species (10 year average = 166, not including
exotics). Highlights: Pacific Loon (1st winter
record); Great Egret (2nd winter record); Black
Vulture (1st winter record); Barnacle Goose (1st
winter record); Rock Ptarmigan (1st winter
record); Arctic Tern (1st winter record);
White-winged Dove (1st winter record); Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher (1st winter record).
Quebec birders took advantage of the mild winter
to really explore their large province, and ended
up with one of their highest totals to
date. They added seven species to their 10-year cumulative winter list.
Ontario: http://tinyurl.com/onwinter
191 species. Highlights: Barnacle Goose (2nd
winter record); Yellow-billed Loon (2nd winter
record); Black-tailed Gull (2nd winter record);
Ivory Gull; Phainopepla (2nd provincial and
Canadian record, 1st Canadian winter record);
Northern Waterthrush (2nd winter record). Big
Misses: Eurasian Wigeon; Yellow-headed Blackbird.
The province had fewer species than the previous
two winters, but managed to surpass the Nova
Scotia total for the first time. The Phainopepla
took pride of place, of course, and attracted many admirers.
Manitoba: http://tinyurl.com/mbwinter
109 species (average = 99). Highlights: Wood
Duck (2nd winter record); Greater Scaup (1st
winter record); Common Loon (2nd winter record);
Western Grebe (1st winter record); Sora (1st
winter record); Thayers Gull (1st winter
record); Lincolns Sparrow (2nd winter record);
Swamp Sparrow (2nd winter record); Yellow-headed
Blackbird (2nd winter record); Brambling (1st
winter record; 2nd provincial record).
Manitoba birders pulled out all the stops in the
first few days of December, and their diligence
was rewarded when they achieved the highest total
since they started keeping records nine years
ago. And equally as important for the first
time they bettered the total of their provincial rival, Saskatchewan.
Saskatchewan: http://tinyurl.com/skwinter
100 species (average = 111) - Highlights: Wood
Duck (1st winter record); Sandhill Crane (2nd
winter record); Rustic Bunting (1st provincial
record, 2nd Canadian record); Rose-breasted
Grosbeak (2nd winter record); Baltimore Oriole
(1st winter record). Big Miss: American Three-toed Woodpecker
Perhaps if Saskatchewan birders knew how
determined their Manitoba neighbours were they
might have pushed harder in the first days of
December. But, alas, they didnt, and struggled
to reach 100 species, the lowest total since they
started winter listing 8 years ago. But there
was a great consolation prize in one of the
rarest birds across the country this winter.
Alberta: http://tinyurl.com/abwinter
136 species (average = 142). Highlights: Cape
May Warbler (3rd winter record); Green-tailed
Towhee (1st Canadian winter record); Lincolns
Sparrow (1st winter record). Big Miss: Red-breasted Merganser.
Alberta turned in a slightly lower than normal
performance, no doubt due to a paucity of
rarities, though the Green-tailed Towhee was outstanding.
British Columbia: http://tinyurl.com/bcwinter
237 species (average = 250). Highlights: Pectoral
Sandpiper (2nd winter record); Oriental
Turtle-Dove (1st Canadian record, if accepted);
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (1st winter record);
Western Scrub-Jay; Nashville Warbler; Western
Tanager (2nd winter record); Clay-colored Sparrow
(3rd winter record); Brambling (3rd winter
record). Big Misses: Least Sandpiper; Cassins Auklet.
B.C. had a lower-than-average winter total, but
the weather was mild, and there was the
distraction of the Winter Olympics, at which
winter birding was not a competition, mores the
pity. And there were no pelagic birding trips,
so tubenoses were absent from the list. Several
key Christmas Counts have not yet reported in,
and there are rumours of a documented Jack Snipe
on one of them, so the total could inch up later on.
Other Reporting Regions:
French Islands of Saint-Pierre et Michelon: http://tinyurl.com/spmwinter2
83 species (average = 84, 14 years of
data). Highlights: Hairy Woodpecker (1st winter
record); Brown Creeper (3rd winter record);
Meadowlark sp. (1st winter record). Big Misses:
Purple Finch; Common Redpoll; Pine Siskin.
SPM birders enjoyed a winter of above average
temperatures, but only an average number of
species, among which were only a few finches.
Iceland: http://tinyurl.com/iceland-winter
98 species. (average = 91, 10 years of
data) Highlights: Bean Goose (1st winter
record); Northern Shoveler (1st winter record);
Stellars Eider (1st winter record); Northern
Lapwing (1st winter record); Bonapartes Gull
(1st winter record); Rosss Gull (1st winter
record); Black Redstart (1st winter record); Brambling (2nd winter record)
30 species of waterfowl, 13 of shorebirds, 13 of
gulls, and seven new winter species (in the past
10 years of data) helped Icelandic birders surpass their long-term average.
Other Resources:
Environment Canadas Winter Seasonal Forecast:
http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/saisons/index_e.html
Reference: What is Winter Birding?
In Canada, perhaps because of (or in spite of)
experiencing a bit of weather during the winter,
winter birding has become a very popular
activity. The origins of this slightly insane
behaviour apparently date from southern Ontario
in the 50's and 60's, but the sport's appeal
really took off with the promotion afforded it by
Gerry Bennett in the 1980's, through his
"Birdfinding in Canada" newsletter. Winter
Birding remains popular today. The winter
birding period comprises the three months of
December through February, matching the reporting
period of "North American Birds" journal.
"For those who may be unfamiliar with the
concept, it basically involves a frenzied search
during the first couple of weeks to squeeze in as
many late migrants as possible before the
onslaught of usually more severe weather
conditions. Christmas Bird Counts often jack up
our total, as do normal winter activities. Plus,
it gives us birders something to do for the three
slowest birding months of the year other than
sitting idle on our hands until March. To me, at
least, a winter list is great for maintaining
birding enthusiasm, and gets a person active and
out of the house to ward off the winter doldrums
that tend to creep up mid season."
- Ryan Dudragne, Saskatchewan
Good (winter) birding,
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blake Maybank
[email protected]
White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada
Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds"
author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia"
http://maybank.tripod.com/BSNS.htm
A true Canadian loves the Winter, revels in it,
especially in the North. . . .Winter is on, the
air becomes like rich wine that strengthens and
invigorates; pure, crisp and
health-giving. Those who have not travelled in
the vast, snowbound lake country of the North, or
tramped on snowshoes in the Winter forest, where
the brilliant sun, shining out of a sky that is
pure, clear blue; those who have never witnessed
the wild, majestic spectacle of a swiftly
marching snowstormTo them I will say that no
matter what they may have seen and done, life
still holds something for them that they should
not miss. Not every country has these things and
I, for one, say we are fortunate.
- Grey Owl
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