Will spring birding have a grand finale?
2023 list of off-course migrants long, but birdwatchers still hope season ends with a bang
Late spring is a pleasurable time for all, especially the bird watcher. The weather truly begins to warm up and the leaves finally brave the elements to unfold from their winter shell.
The returning migrant birds are nearly all here. Birds are settling into place in preparation for the intense summer nesting season.
On top of all this is the late spring shuffle of off-course birds. The last minute push to reach destinations causes some birds to miscalculate and end up a little off course. Also, birds hatched last year and making the migration north for the first time are prone to wandering.
Seeing the unexpected in your neighbourhood adds spice to daily birdwatching. The west and southwest winds of the late May has pushed a plethora of mainland species to the island of Newfoundland for a temporary spring visit.
Often, these off-course, late-spring vagrant birds are very colourful. For example, the male scarlet tanager at Felix Cove on the Port au Port Peninsula was a knock out for Kathy Marche, Denise Mcisaac and Randy White. The intense scarlet body contrasting with the black wings and tail is more like the plumage expected on a tropical bird.
This species is rather common in the deciduous forest of Eastern Canada, but their normal range stops at Nova Scotia.
RARER SIGHTS
Another member of the tanager family, the summer tanager, was an even rarer sighting at La Scie. The stunning rosy-red bird was a great surprise for Kim Wood in her window bird feeder.
Summer tanagers are normally found in the United States and only occasionally stray north into Atlantic Canada.
The bird was replaced by an equally gaudy, but less rare, rose-breasted grosbeak the next day.
However, the rarest backyard visitor of the week was the immature male orchard oriole at Corey Courtney’s bird feeder on the south coast at Francois. There are only a half dozen recorded sightings of this southern rarity in the province. This small oriole from the south was an immature bird, so was olive-yellow in colour with only a hint of the deep maroon the body will become when it reaches full adulthood in another year.
Corey also had a visit from a flashy rose-breasted grosbeak. In fact, rose-breasted grosbeaks have turned up at more than a dozen bird feeders this spring. It is the most numerous of the mainland vagrants hitting the province right now.
Rose-breasted grosbeaks are well up there in the great looks department.
Indigo buntings are often included in the late spring overshoots from the south. The iridescent blue coloured buntings were at Lynn Power’s feeder in Goulds, Ernest Keefe’s feeder in Tilting and Brian Macdonald’s feeder at Ramea.
These were outdone by its rarer and larger cousin, the blue grosbeak that graced Linda Cutler’s feeder in Fermeuse. A red-bellied woodpecker from the Eastern United States was a pleasant surprise for west coast birders when it was photographed at a Black Duck Brook bird feeder. Karen Mercer’s find of a singing male chestnut-sided warbler at Stick Pond just north of St. John’s made a lot of local birders happy during its three-day stay.
SOUTHERN BIRDS
With all these southern strays, one might expect a few southern herons and egrets, but, so far, just a couple. A regal looking great egret spent over a week at Burlington on the Baie Verte Peninsula. It was wellphotographed by Judy and Sid Thomas. Kathy Marche photographed a lovely little blue heron at Indian Head Park in Stephenville.
The list of rarities just keeps on going! Most unexpected was a brown thrasher singing up a storm at Greenspond. Ryan Larson got some excellent photos of this bird, regular only as far east as Nova Scotia.
Gray catbirds are a scarce summer bird on the island, with a few even reaching southern Labrador. Vernon Buckle found a catbird at Forteau, Labrador.
But what about the catbird that landed on the back of the cruise ship Queen Mary II as it sailed by Newfoundland this past week? The ship was on its way to Southampton, England. Whoops! That is taking catbird travel to a different level.
Ruby-throated hummingbirds are expected in tiny numbers across the island. There are more and more sightings each spring and summer. Nearly all sightings of hummingbirds in the province are in artificial human-made situations such as a hummingbird feeder or brightly coloured cultivated flowers. Fred Osbourne of Ferryland had the pleasure of watching a female rubythroated hummingbird feeding in a totally natural situation. It was making daily visits to feed on the pollen of the flowers on a backyard willow tree.
When you read this column, there will be one last week of spring migration. Often, there is a grand finale rarity of the spring season in early June. What will it be this year? Keep your eyes open and mind alert to the possibilities.