Hello Ontbirds;
Winter Birding in Canada - 2007-2008 - End of Season Report
There is nothing like an "old-time" winter to wreck havoc with winter
birding. As mentioned earlier, Environment Canada's long-term
forecast [ http://tinyurl.com/yu46t7 ] (calling for below average
temperatures and high precipitation for the December-February period
for pretty much the entire country) was depressingly
accurate. Consequently every province experienced average or
below-average totals, and there were very few additions to the
various provincial totals during the second-half of the winter season.
Regardless of the winter February is the slowest month of the winter
season, which is why at least two provinces, Manitoba and Nova
Scotia, have a DOWL (= either "Dead Of Winter List" or "Depths Of
Winter List", or even "Doldrums Of Winter List"), a list of those
species recorded during the month of February. Despite an
additional day this time around (Feb. 29), the DOWL lists were also
below normal.
But this winter was enriched by the long-hoped-for inclusion of
sightings from Ontario, which means that all ten Canadian provinces
now play the winter listing game.
We'll have to wait for the winter season analysis in "North American
Birds" to capture the full flavour of this past winter's feast
(http://www.americanbirding.org/pubs/nab/), but there were certainly
lots of redpolls on the move, and a displacement of western birds to
the east, most particularly with respect to Townsend's Solitaires.
The rarest bird was the Cook's Petrel in British Columbia, a first
for Canada. But Nova Scotia's Magnificent Frigatebird must come a
close second. My unofficial Bronze medal goes to the Ross's Gull in
Ontario, along the Niagara River.
Here, for all ten provinces, as well as the French islands of
Saint-Pierre et Michelon, and the country of Iceland, are the various
"final" totals as of early March, with a few highlighted species, as
well as some notable "Big Misses". I've also provided links to each
region's winter birding page.
PROVINCES FROM EAST TO WEST:
Newfoundland: http://tinyurl.com/2jqo5p
131 species - No update since the end of December. Greater
White-fronted Goose, Slaty-backed Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher, Bullock's Oriole.
Nova Scotia: http://tinyurl.com/2u2ulg
192 species (average = 195) - Magnificent Frigatebird, Ivory Gull,
Empidomax flycatcher sp., White-winged Dove, White-eyed Vireo,
Fieldfare, Grasshopper Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, Bullock's
Oriole. Big Misses: Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat. The
February "Depths Of Winter List" = 144.
Prince Edward Island: http://tinyurl.com/3bkhwz
105 species (average = 118) - Carolina Wren, Bullock's
Oriole, Hoary Redpoll.
New Brunswick: http://tinyurl.com/36hpe4
161 species (average = 161) - Osprey, Spotted Sandpiper, Lark
Sparrow. Big Miss: Swamp Sparrow.
QuPbec: http://tinyurl.com/2ngu7n
155 species - Eurasian Collared-Dove, American Pipit.
Ontario: http://tinyurl.com/23b2zf
193 species - Barnacle Goose, Osprey, Slaty-backed Gull, Ross's Gull,
Black-throated Gray Warbler, Harris's Sparrow.
Manitoba: http://tinyurl.com/yjtx52
90 species (average = 101) - Green-winged Teal, Black-headed
Grosbeak. Big Miss: Peregrine Falcon. The February "Dead Of Winter
List" = 68.
Saskatchewan: http://tinyurl.com/2qde59
100 species (average = 111) - Barrow's Goldeneye, Greater
Sage-Grouse, Gray Catbird, Red-bellied Woodpecker. Big Misses:
Northern Pintail, Rusty Blackbird, Brewer's Blackbird.
Alberta: http://tinyurl.com/yke4sl
142 species (average = 141) - Greater Sage-Grouse, Eastern
Screech-Owl, Lewis's Woodpecker, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Cassin's Finch.
British Columbia: http://tinyurl.com/33bmzc
250 species (average = 250) - Arctic Loon, Short-tailed Albatross,
Cook's Petrel, Pectoral Sandpiper, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Bobolink.
Other Reporting Regions:
French Islands of Saint-Pierre et Michelon: http://tinyurl.com/y45kl5
91 species (average = 84) - Northern Harrier, Nashville Warbler,
Chipping Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird. Big Miss: Black-bellied Plover
Iceland: http://www.fuglar.is/vetrarhlaup.php
95 species - Pink-footed Goose, Surf Scoter, Eurasian Woodcock, Song Thrush.
Good (winter) birding,
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blake Maybank
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds"
author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia"
http://maybank.tripod.com/BSNS.htm
www.birdtripreports.com
White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.518 / Virus Database: 269.21.7/1319 - Release Date: 08/03/2008
10:14 AM
_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected]
For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit
http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php
ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at
http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
