First spring bird migrations arriving in province
Wind forecast favourable to see European birds arrive in N.L.
The migration of birds is a miracle that mankind has been trying to understand for all time.
The basic definition of bird migration is the regular movement of individuals between their wintering and breeding areas.
We won’t be trying to explain the entire phenomena of bird migration in this weekend bird column. Instead, we will look at one aspect of migration that we can observe and then try to predict an outcome.
WEATHER
Like the weather affects airplanes arriving at St. John’s International Airport, it also affects the arrival of spring birds to the province.
The fox sparrow is one example of a bird that migrates to Newfoundland and Labrador from wintering grounds to the south. The fox sparrow nests across most of the boreal forest of Canada including throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
Newfoundland and Labrador fox sparrows over winter in the southeastern quadrant of the United States. They are among the very first land birds to return to the province in the spring.
EARLY SIGHTINGS
They arrive first in southern Newfoundland in late March or early April.
As spring progresses northward over the next few weeks, more fox sparrows arrive, filling in the rest of their breeding range into northern Labrador.
It is the growing length of the spring days that triggers the fox sparrows to leave the safety of their wintering grounds to migrate north. They are programmed to go at the same general time period each year and arrive when conditions are suitable for survival in their part of the province.
CONDITIONS
If migration conditions were perfect every year, you could probably set your calendar by the arrival of the fox sparrow. However, due to the variation in the weather, the arrival dates of the first wave of migrant fox sparrows vary within a week.
Ideally, birds want clear weather with a light tailwind for migration.
This is likely to require waiting for several windows of opportunity, for it will take more than one flight segment to reach their Newfoundland and Labrador goal.
Typically, we hear about fox sparrows arriving in Nova Scotia a few days before the first birds reach Newfoundland.
This year, there was a three-day period of excellent migration weather in late March. The first wave of incoming fox sparrows mostly overshot the Maritimes and
made it to Newfoundland in one big jump.
ONLINE WEATHER MAPS
Birders can view weather maps online. Internet sites like windy.com forecast the direction and strength of winds with considerable accuracy up to a week in advance.
This allows birders to formulate predictions of what may happen with bird migration within the coming week.
Clear weather, with a light west or southwest wind, is the best for the general migration of birds to the province.
Storms with strong southwest winds originating from the coast of the United States could carry vagrant species from the south like egrets and herons or other exotic gems.
EUROPEAN MIGRANTS
Birders also keep an eye on the weather over the North Atlantic. European birds migrating from Europe to Iceland have a significant stretch of open ocean to fly across.
Past springs have shown us that birds migrating over this area can be directed well off course when faced with strong northeast winds, sometimes even crossing the Atlantic Ocean and ending up on Newfoundland and Labrador soil.
Transatlantic birds are very exciting finds for birders. The first week of April 2024 is looking very interesting for possible transatlantic vagrants. The weather maps forecast many hours of strong east and northeast winds blowing directly from that patch of open ocean between Ireland and Iceland toward the east coast of Newfoundland and southeastern Labrador.
BEING AWARE
The occurrence of birds is never that simple to predict, but being aware of the possibility is a good start.
Last year, a similar weather system at this time brought a whooper swan to Pound Cove and the Cape Freels area.
There are so few educated eyes out there to see what happens. This is why we hope anyone who spots what seems to be an odd bird in their area posts a picture of it on the Newfoundland and Labrador Birdwatching Facebook page. This way, one of the knowledgeable birders will see it and be able to identify it.
Past springs have shown us that birds migrating over this area can be directed well off course when faced with strong northeast winds, sometimes even crossing the Atlantic Ocean and ending up on Newfoundland and Labrador soil.
SPECIES TO WATCH FOR
Species of interest migrating to Iceland at this time of year include barnacle goose, Eurasian oystercatcher, whooper swan, common shelduck and European golden plover.
Our coastline is huge and varied. There are endless nooks and crannies where a rare European bird could land and never be seen or recognized.
Birders will be looking. You can help, too. Now that you are aware, you can keep an eye out for the unusual in your area.
It gives one a ray of hope during the days of rain, drizzle and fog so persistent in April.