Fredericton Christmas Bird Count

Fredericton Christmas Bird Count - Douglas Sector

Bald Eagle

For many years we have participated in the Fredericton Christmas Bird Count, covering the Clements Drive/ Douglas area.  Our sector covers the area from the Claudie Road to Grand Pass and all the side roads and areas in between.  It is our job to assess the bird population in that area.

Christmas Bird Counts (CBCs) have been done in North America for over 100 years.  Prior to 1900 there was a tradition called "Side Hunt" in which hunters conducted a Christmas Day hunting 'free for all'.  It was a contest to see who could come in at the end of the day with the most dead birds.  Fortunately the conservation movement was beginning then and Frank M. Chapman, an early officer of the Audubon Society,  proposed a day in which people would go out and conduct a Christmas bird census rather than kill so many birds.  That year 25 Christmas Bird Counts were conducted.  The first one done in New Brunswick was part of that first count and was conducted at Scotch Lake by William H. Moore.  Here is what he recorded counting for one hour from 9:00 to 10:00 am at Scotch Lake, Dec. 25, 1900:  Goshawk 1, Hairy Woodpecker 1, Downy Woodpecker 1, Blue Jay 2, Pine Grosbeak 1, Brown Creeper 2, White-breasted Nuthatch 20, Chickadee 6.  Total 9 species, 36 individuals.  (There are only 8 species mentioned so an error was created somewhere along the line).

Black Duck

Today thousands of counts are done throughout North America (about 50 in New Brunswick) on any day from Dec. 14 to Jan 5.   In Canada about 60,000 volunteers conduct CBCs including people on the road and those watching feeders.  A circle 24 km in diameter is laid out and then divided into sectors.  Groups of people are assigned to a sector or partial sector.  The assigned group is in the sector from dawn to dusk observing birds, looking for good habitat and checking around houses and barns.  They count both numbers and species.  These people are generally well trained and watch the skies, trees, low vegetation and house and barn yards.  Each group usually has a driver and a person who records the birds. 

The general public can help by keeping their feeders free of ice and snow and filled with good bird food.  They can welcome the birders as they drive in their driveways or park along the road.  A friendly wave is always helpful.  

Following are the results for the Clements Drive/Douglas Sector.  

Canada Goose	85
American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) B	2
Mallard	32
Common Goldeneye (Bucephala clangula)	9
Hooded Merganser	1
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) B	5
Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) B	5
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) B	2
Rock Pigeon	9
Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) B	43
Great Horned Owl	1
Downy Woodpecker	3
Hairy Woodpecker	3
Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) B	13
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) B	42
Common Raven (Corvus corax) B	3
Black-capped Chickadee	88
Red-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta canadensis) B	1
White-breasted Nuthatch B	8
American Robin   (Turdus migratorius) B	1
Bohemian Waxwing	4
Dark-eyed Junco   (Junco hyemalis) B	29
American Goldfinch   (Carduelis tristis) B	9
Chipping Sparrow	1
Wild Turkey	3
Total No. Species	25
Total No. Birds	402
Mammals
White-tailed Deer	13

Rare Birds Help the Economy

Avitourism

Mistle Thrush [Hank Scarth Photo]

For 13 days Miramichi City, NB has been blessed with the presence of a very rare European bird, a Mistle Thrush.  It has settled into the area of west Miramichi City east of Route 8.  The area provides lots of trees laden with fruit which keep the bird there.

The Mistle Thrush is a species that is native to Europe.  It breeds in summers in northern Europe and the United Kingdom.  It winters in southern Europe and north Africa.  It has never before been confirmed in North America.  That makes this visit ultra-special.  As a result many birders from Canada and the United States immediately wanted to come to see this 'new' species.  Birders are interested in seeing new species, in studying them and adding the sighting to their species lists.  Many birders in New Brunswick have seen over 300 different species in the province.  Many US birders have seen over 500 species in the US or North America.  There is a keen interest in listing numbers among birders.  That sounds crass but for some it appears that the interest is mainly in being able to list numbers.  However, in my many years of birding it is my opinion that most birders are keenly interested in the bird, its habitat and in the conservation of nature.

The Mistle Thrush visiting here has been spending most of its time focused on the yard of one Miramichi residence, that of Peter and Deana Gadd.  Because Peter is a birder and a photographer he understands birds and birders.  He and Deana have been fabulous ambassadors for New Brunswick and Canada in how they have hosted a stream of birders who have come to see this bird.  Speaking with him today, he says he has had over 400 visitors from 7 provinces and 22 states.  The Canadian birders are from Ontario eastward.  The American birders are from as far away as California, Florida and Alaska.  He told me that on Sunday he got a phone call from a birder who was in Alaska.  On Tuesday he was present at the Gadds viewing the thrush!  Birders are an interesting subset of people!

These numbers have made me wonder about the economics of birding, avitourism, as it is called.  Ecotourism is the fastest growing segment of the world travel industry, growing 30% per year since 1987, according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  Ecotourism covers a wide range of nature-related tourism and avitourism is a segment of it.  These forms of tourism provide billions of tourist dollars annually throughout the world.  According to one study (Tourism Economics and Recreational Trends) travellers who travel to experience natural history spend an average of $62 per day more than the average traveller.  Another study shows that 14% of Americans involved in recreation were birdwatchers, more than the number who golf or go boating.

Bird watching is reported as the fastest growing outdoor activity in America and an increasing number are travelling long distances to spot new birds.  This clearly has been my experience over the last 20 years.  I participated in a birding trip to Newfoundland about 15 years ago and there were birders from California and Florida on that trip.  Some of them told me they had travelled as far away as the Aleutian Islands to view birds.  According to another study (Market Analysis of Bird-Based Tourism) there were 46.7 million birders in the US in 2011 and 38% of them took trips away from home to see birds.  

So what do all these birders add to the economy of the region they visit?  According to the study mentioned above, the average birder visiting a refuge in Texas contributed between $88 and $145 to the local economy.  That study was in 1994, so today's numbers would be considerably higher.  A 2011 Fish and Wildlife Study in the US estimates that the annual economic value of bird watching is $15 billion for trip-related birding and $26 billion for equipment-related expenditures.  

These studies show that the average birder is well-educated and has an above-average income.  This leads to an economic boost to the area visited.  Birders spend money on land and air travel, fuel, lodging, restaurants, books, and equipment.  And studies show that birders spend more money than the average tourist.  They pay more for comfort and good food.  A study by Wiedner shows that the active birder spends $1850 per year on birding activities.  A study by Paul Kerlinger (Birding Economics and Birder Demographics Studies as Conservation Tools) showed that the 100,000 visitors to Cape May, NJ spent $10 million and the 57,000 visitors to Point Pelee spent $3.2 million.  That is a lot of tourist dollars!

So what has the Mistle Thrush contributed to avitourism since it was discovered on December 9? Doing a very loose estimate of the fraction of birders from New Brunswick, other Canadian provinces and the US, I estimate the gain in ecotourism brought about by the presence of this bird is at least $67, 500.  This figure includes land and air travel, meals, lodging, and car rentals but does not include the purchase of clothing, equipment and other necessities.  We birders have thoroughly enjoyed the presence of the Mistle Thrush but the area has benefited greatly from its coming. Maybe we should start a 'Thank a Birder Day'.  At least, the local economy should cherish and protect our wildlife and its habitat.

Reference

Eubanks et al. 1995, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, birds.cornell.edu

Kerlinger, Paul. Birding Economics and Birder Demographics Studies as Conservation Tools

Market Analysis of Bird-Based Tourism: A Focus on the US Market to Latin America and the                    Caribbean Including Fact Sheets on the Bahamas, Belize, Guatemala, Paraguay

Mistle Thrush

Mega-Rare Bird Found in New Brunswick

Mistle Thrush [Isabelle Levesque Photo]

Saturday, December 9, 2017 was a watershed day for New Brunswick birders.  On that day our rarest bird ever was found in the yard of Peter and Deana Gadd of Miramichi City.  It was the confluence of several unusual factors that made this event possible.  Peter Gadd is a naturalist/bird watcher and a photographer.  The Gadd yard is large and filled with a huge, fruit-laden mountain ash which is a preferred winter food of thrushes.  There is cover nearby in several large white pine trees.  The province has an active naturalist network allowing fast, excellent communication among birders and experts.  Peter and Deana are presently participating in a Feeder Watch Program so were watching their yard carefully that day to count the birds coming to their property for an online North American database.  The weather had turned to winter conditions forcing birds to come to feeders and fruit trees.  These factors precipitated the sighting of an unusual thrush which was recognized as unusual, photographed, and sent to local authorities who confirmed it as either a Song Thrush or a Mistle Thrush.  Further emails and exchange of photos followed with further sightings, confirmed the visitor as a Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus).  A short time later the news became available to all New Brunswick birders.  It quickly spread to Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Newfoundland.  Within a short time the top birders all over Canada and  the United States were informed of the presence of this special bird.  

And special it is indeed!  This is the first confirmed sighting of the Mistle Thrush in North America!  Apparently the Song Thrush has been found once before in Quebec but the Mistle Thrush has not been documented every before in New Brunswick, in Canada or anywhere in North America!  That makes it a mega-rarity.

Mistle Thrush [Hank Scarth Photo]

The Mistle Thrush is a bit bigger than our American Robin.  It is shaped and acts like our robin but is bit more wary.  It is 27 cm long (our robin is 25 cm).  The most conspicuous marking is the heavily spotted breast and belly.  The spots are dark brown or black, large, roundish and on a beige or white background.  Some spots are arrowhead shaped.  The back is a gray brown.  The tail appears longish, is brownish gray with white fringes.  The feet and legs are pinkish yellow.  The throat is light in colour, has dark malar lines and the spots appear to coalesce around the edges of the throat.  The bill is dark gray with yellow showing at the base.  The lores are white and they extend to a narrow orbital ring.  The wings have pale gray fringes.  The wing linings are white or light gray, a field mark which distinguishes this species from the Song Thrush which has rusty-buff wing linings. 

Mistle Thrush [Peter Gadd Photo]

The Mistle Thrush flies in an undulating fashion and folds its wings during the gliding phase much like a pigeon.  This undoubtedly gave it its Norwegian name, 'duetrost', which means pigeon thrush.  The Mistle Thrush apparently sings when other thrushes are silent and often sings in bad weather.  Unfortunately we did not hear this bird vocalize.  

Mistle Thrush [Peter Gadd Photo]

The Mistle Thrush breeds throughout Europe.  It is a permanent resident of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, northern Italy and northern Greece.  It winters in southern Spain, southern Italy, the Middle East, and northern Africa.  Its normal range does not include Iceland or Greenland.  

Mistle Thrush [Peter Gadd Photo]

So why or how did this bird come here?  That is the big question.  We have had a phenomenal fall for vagrants coming to New Brunswick.  That is undoubtedly related to the severe wind storms and hurricanes that took place in the fall over North America and the Atlantic Ocean.  Severe winds obviously blew this little bird well off course.  The bird itself could also have its internal navigation system fouled up by disease, pollutants or other unknown factors.  

Mega-rarities draw birders from afar.  To date we have had birders from Maine, Quebec, and as far afield as Wisconsin.  Many, many more will follow if the bird stays around.  Good luck Mistle Thrush and to the birders who come to see it.  

Addendum: The Mistle Thrush appears to have left as of April 8.  The last confirmed sighting was on March 24 when it was seen by visitors from Maine and Arizona.  In total 540 visitors were recorded by Peter and Deana Gadd who were the stewards of this rare visitor.  There were certainly a few more who did not get recorded and many came repeatedly.  Visitors came from 8 Canadian provinces and 28 US states including Texas, California, Oregon, Arizona and Florida.  Canadians came from as far away as British Columbia and Alberta.  Most people who came to see the bird were successful.  The bird was coping well with our winter and did not seem to be affected by its many visitors.

Barnacle Goose

Barnacle Geese Spotted  near Florenceville

Barnacle Goose

Three Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis) were spotted near Upper Kent,  just north of Florenceville recently.  Just above the Beechwood Dam there is a staging area and as many as 2000 geese have been seen there at once.  Almost all of those geese are Canada Geese but occasionally there is a rare goose among them.  About November 29 three Barnacle Geese were seen with the flock.  They were photographed and verified by local birders.  Unfortunately one was shot by a local hunter.

The photo above and subsequent photos in this post were taken by me of Barnacle Geese seen in New Brunswick at Miramichi City in 2011, but they will be used as illustrations for this post.  I went to see the geese near Upper Kent but they were not there so hence no photos.  

The Barnacle Goose is a smaller goose compared to the Canada Goose.  It is 69 cm (27") long compared to 114 cm (45").  Even though it is marked differently from the Canada it can be difficult to spot in a large flock because of the similar colours and the way geese intermingle and sleep tucked in so well.  

The Barnacle Goose is actually about the same size as the Cackling Goose (the smallest form of the Canada Goose which is now a separate species).  Its shape and size is much like the Brant which passes by our shores in migration.  It is gray and white overall with black on the neck, breast and as a hood.  The face and underparts are white.  The stubby bill and legs are black.  

Barnacle Geese with Canada Geese

The Barnacle Goose is very rare in New Brunswick.  Its normal range is in Europe.  Most birds breed in Svalbard and eastern Greenland.  It builds its nest in dry Arctic tundra on cliffs and other rocky slopes and also on Arctic islands.   They winter in the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, northern England and Scotland.  They spend the winter on coastal pastures feeding on herbaceous plants and seeds.  The birds that are seen here are probably from the eastern Greenland population.  

This is the third report of Barnacle Geese to my knowledge in New Brunswick.  I have seen one in 2001 in Salisbury, in 2011 in Miramichi City.  The "Birds of New Brunswick:  An Annotated List"  does not even mention this species and it was published in 2004.  

Barnacle Goose

It is interesting how the Barnacle Goose got its name.  It was an important part of medieval cuisine.  It was believed that the Barnacle Goose came from actual barnacles.  There is an actual Goose Barnacle and the confusion may have arisen from the similar colours of the barnacle and the goose and the fact that the goose appeared in different seasons.  But, even more interesting, is the fact that Catholics believed they could eat the Barnacle Goose during Lent because of it perceived origin which meant it was classified as fish and could therefore be eaten during Lent.  

Barnacle Goose 

This large flock of geese will probably stay around the St. John River as long as there is open water.  It will gradually move southward and will eventually winter along the eastern seaboard.  When I was there near Upper Kent on Tuesday, Dec. 5, the Barnacle Geese had been seen two days before but unfortunately I did not see them that day.  It is possible they were still in the area.  I saw about 800 geese that day, about 400 or more resting on the river and later a flock at least that big flying.  I don't think it was the same flock because the big flock on the river left in much smaller flocks and at different times, presumably to go feed in nearby grain fields.  Also seen were about 200 of each Black Ducks and Mallards.  A wonderful spectacle indeed!

Purple Gallinule Killed by Cat

Rare Bird Killed in Nova Scotia

Purple Gallinule [Internet Photo]

The Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) is a rare bird to see in the Maritimes.  Its normal range is Florida, southern Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Mexico.  It rarely appears north of that but the species is known for occasional vagrants who wander as far north as southern Canada.  Most are seen in the fall as a result of being blown northward by strong winds from storms and hurricanes.  There are at least 20 records of one having arrived in New Brunswick.  This species has also shown up periodically in Europe and Africa!

The Purple Gallinule is a pond-loving species.  It is a secretive bird and is seen wandering around on floating vegetation or climbing on low-overhanging bushes, using its long toes to advantage.  It eats invertebrates, frogs, aquatic vegetation, seeds, and berries.

As you can see the Purple Gallinule is a beautiful bird.  It is green, purple, red and blue with yellow legs and feet and very long toes.  It is 33 cm (13 in) long and appears about the size of a bantam chicken.  

A Purple Gallinule was recently recorded in Nova Scotia.  The body of one was brought home by a cat.  Whether the cat killed the bird is not determined but is likely.  It is difficult to imagine a cat wandering near a pond in order to kill such a bird but cats are natural killers so would go to any length to capture prey.  It is unfortunate that this bird was killed.  See the photo below of the bird that the cat brought home.

Purple Gallinule [Ryan Daniels Photo]

Feral and house cats are the major cause of bird mortality in North America.  They kill more birds than strikes with buildings, vehicles and communication towers, and poisonings by pesticides. That is a huge number.  It is estimated that cats kill between 1.3 and 4 billion birds per year in North America (audubon.org).  The cat population in the US is about 1 million.  I am not sure how many we have in Canada but it is close to that.  No wonder our bird population numbers are shrinking to dangerous levels!  The cat population is so high they are now considered a global invasive species.  On some islands in the world domestic cats have driven some bird species into extinction.  

What can be done about this problem?  Feral cats kill more birds than domestic cats but domestic cats still kill plenty.  A simple solution is to keep the cats indoors.  That has been known for a long time but cats like to wander outside and it is difficult to keep them indoors.  Many cat owners do not wish to keep their cat indoors.  Some studies have been done with some success on special collars for cats to decrease bird mortality.  Other studies have looked at what time of year most of the killings occur with the idea of restricting cats at certain times or dates.  There have been ambitious programs to reduce the feral cat populations in a humane way (CARMA) but neutered cats still kill birds.  So, even after a lot of work on this problem, no satisfactory solution has been found yet.  Funds need to be made available for more research and pet owners need to be more vigilant with their cats.