Yellow-breasted Chat

Yellow-breasted Chat Seen at Whitehead Island

Yellow-breasted Chat [Mark Morse Photo]

The Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) is a rare visitor to New Brunswick.  It is seen mainly along the Fundy coast and islands in the fall and into winter.  It is rarely seen inland.  We would normally have about 2 or 3 reports per year.  The bird shown above was seen 23 November and 2 and 3 of December on Whitehead Island, off Grand Manan.  

Even though the Yellow-breasted Chat is classified with the warblers, it looks different.  It is larger (19 cm/7.5 in),  has a very large bill, a long tail, and a much different voice.  Its most noticeable field mark is its brilliant yellow breast and throat.  Note also the olive gray upperparts and the white spectacles.  It often holds its tail high as seen in the photo above.  

The chat is a secretive bird and often hides in dense tangled vegetation.  The male, however, sometimes sings from an exposed perch.  Its song is extremely varied but can be a series of notes given repetitively in a decelerating manner.  It also makes liquid whistles and harsh rasping sounds.  It can also mimic other sounds.  It would make you think there were many birds hidden in that bush!

The Yellow-breasted Chat is the only member of the Icteria genus.  There has been a lot of debate over the years about where it should be classified.  Some have suggested it should be classified with the mockingbird family (mimicry) or with the tanagers (big bill).  But, DNA testing has placed Icteria with the wood warblers.  It just shows how malleable a species can be over evolutionary time.  

The breeding range of this species is most of the US and northern Mexico with a possible small area in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan.  It winters from northern Mexico south to Panama.  The population has been in decline over much of its range due to habitat loss and urbanization.  

Yellow-breasted Chat feeds on insects including bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers and beetles.  It will also eat berries and wild grapes.  It builds its nest of bark, grass and leaves in a dense bush.  Three to six white eggs are laid and incubated 11 to 12 days by the female. 

This species has an interesting breeding display flight which most of us here in New Brunswick have not seen (since it does not breed here).  It hovers with slow, deep-flapping wings and dangling feet.  That must be a pretty sight with that brilliant medium-cadmium yellow breast flashing against the dark olive.  The Yellow-breasted Chat was first described by Linnaeus in 1758.  It is a species we would all want to see and record on our annual lists.  

Fredericton Christmas Bird Count

Douglas Sector

Canada Goose

The 2019 Fredericton Christmas Bird Count (CBC) was held on Sunday, December 15. Small groups of people covered various areas of the city and surrounding area to count our bird population.  The count area is a 24 km circle which includes all of the city and some of the surrounding areas.  The Douglas sector includes the area from the trail crossing below Claudie Road to just above Grand Pass.  This area has a lot of river access so waterfowl is a large part of the count.

Sunday was an atrocious day to be doing a CBC.  The winds were very high and it rained for most of the morning.  The wind was so bad it never stopped howling all day and I had to hang onto my scope and tripod to prevent them from blowing over.  The rain was heavy for the first part of the morning and it was coming down so hard the wind drove it sideways.  Counting waterfowl requires a very early count because they move right after sunrise to feeding areas.  So, to get an accurate tally of population numbers we had to start early.  Needless to say we got very cold and very wet.  

But, it was worth it.  We tallied a good representation of the true numbers.  We counted at four major places along the river in the designated area.  The most outstanding waterfowl species was the Canada Goose.  We counted 419 just after sunrise.  In the next hour or so we saw three more flocks; 25, 33 and 129.  The quandary then was to decide whether these were new birds or had we counted them already.  There could have been fresh flocks moving down river which joined the existing flock, for example.  I decided to record a portion of those last groups to make it as accurate as possible.  

Another outstanding observation on that day was the lack of finches and woodpeckers.  We got very few of either.  Because of the harsh weather I believe the woodpeckers remained in their holes that day.  Woodpeckers spend nights and bad weather in nest holes in trees.  There are certainly more finches in the area than recorded that day.  The high winds forced them to hold tight in sheltered areas and that is why we did not see many.  

The last and for me the most exciting find was a sighting on a far bank of the river.  We saw a black area there and assumed at first it was a group of black ducks.  When I finally got my scope on them, wow, it turned out to be two otters!  They were sitting on the river bank eating fish.  When they finished one, they would swim out into the water and catch another and return to the bank to eat it.  I have not seen otters in this area since I was a child.  I remember them sliding down muddy slides into the Nashwaaksis stream.  I often wondered if I would ever live long enough to see their return.  That made this sighting very significant for me.  I hope they will be protected and their population increases. 

See below for the tally for the Douglas sector of the Fredericton CBC.

Canada Goose             513

American Black Duck    2

Common Goldeneye     46

Barrow's Goldeneye        1

Hooded Merganser          1

Common Merganser        6

Bald Eagle                       6

Red-tailed Hawk              1

Hawk sp.                          1

Ring-billed Gull               1

Herring Gull                   16

Gull sp.                             1

Rock Pigeon                   59

Mourning Dove              13

Hairy Woodpecker           1

Downy Woodpecker         2

Blue Jay                            6

American Crow               83

Common Raven                7

Black-capped Chickadee 47

Red-breasted Nuthatch      7

White-breasted Nuthatch   5

American Goldfinch         28

Pine Siskin                         2

Total birds                      855

Pink-footed Goose Reluctant to Leave

It is Time For That Pink-footed Goose to Leave

Pink-footed Goose

[For information on the life history of the Pink-footed Goose, search 'Pink-footed Goose' on this blog.]

For the last week there has been a Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus) visiting a residential property at Newcastle Creek. The property borders Grand Lake and has a large area of snow-covered grass going down to the water.  The goose had come a few days earlier with a flock of Canada Geese and when the Canadas left about 2 or 3 days before my visit, the Pink-footed Goose remained and did not follow the flock.  It spent most of its days near a chain-link pen on the property and would fly away at night presumably to open water on the lake.  The lake was frozen in the bay adjacent to the property but open further out.  As seen in the photo below, there is still a lot of open water on Grand Lake.  According to the property owner, the goose spends its day at their place and leaves just at dark each night and returns the next morning.

Grand Lake, Showing Open Water

 I visited it on Friday, December 6 and found the goose in what appeared to be good health.  It was strange to see it apparently comfortable near a fence and allowing people to come within 30 metres.  It was obvious that this goose needed to leave to join other geese which are moving south to spend their winters from southern Maine and southward.  Many of our geese have now left the area but we still have a few left with which it could flock.  

Pink-footed Goose

There are two populations of Pink-footed Geese, the Greenland and Iceland population which winters in Great Britain and the Svalbard population which winters in the Netherlands and western Denmark. 'Our' goose is likely a Greenland goose.  Its migration is about the right distance but the wrong direction.  Instead of Great Britain, it has landed in eastern Canada.  That would not normally be a problem except that our weather is not like Great Britain.  In Great Britain a goose could feed all winter since it is not covered in ice and snow.  The question is whether this individual can figure out that it needs to go further south.  

Area in Which the Goose Has Been Staying Showing its Tracks to the Lake

The Pink-footed Goose populations have increased over the last 50 years, recovering from a serious decline.  This recovery is due to better protection on their wintering grounds.  Numbers on wintering grounds in the British Isles have risen tenfold in that time.  The same is true of the Denmark wintering flock.  

Pink-footed Goose

Before 1950 it was not known where the Pink-footed Goose bred.  In 1951 Sir Peter Scott made an expedition to Iceland and found a large breeding colony there.  There are over 10,000 breeding pairs there now.  

Now, what will happen to our lone goose at Newcastle Creek?  A report as of late today indicates that the goose did not return today for the first time.  That could be a good or a bad thing.  If it indeed has found a group of Canada Geese to flock with and is spending the night with them, that is a good thing.  If it is alone and looking for food in an area where it could get frozen in or become prey to an eagle, a fox or a coyote, that is a bad thing.  We will not know unless it is seen somewhere else.  Hopefully it will be seen with a flock of Canada Geese further down the St. John River and eventually down in Maine.  

If the goose returns to Newcastle Creek and the area it is familiar with, plans are in place for it to be captured and moved to a rehab facility to spend the winter.  Either way, we wish 'Pinkie' (as it was named) the best on its winter journey.

Prothonotary Warbler

Prothonotary Warbler - A Rare Warbler Here 

Prothonotary Warbler [Internet Photo]

The Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) is listed as 'casual' here in New Brunswick by 'Birds of New Brunswick: An Annotated List'.  Sibley, however, indicates it is rare here and I would agree.  I have tried all my life to see this species with very limited success.  I have never seen it in New Brunswick and have only found it in Ontario.  The first New Brunswick specimen was collected at Milltown in 1862.  There have been over a dozen reports over the years with most from the Fundy coast and often Grand Manan.

Prothonotary Warbler [Jennifer Ryder Photo]

The photo above shows a Prothonotary Warbler on the left and an American Goldfinch on the right.  This bird was found on Grand Manan in 2013.

The Prothonotary Warbler is an unmistakable warbler.  The peachy yellow colour is so brilliant it is neon.  The wings are a blue-grey.  The dark gray bill is large and there is white on the tail and on the vent.  We have many small yellow birds but to the discerning eye this one is unmistakable.

The range of this species is the eastern US mainly towards the south.  It is common in wooded swamps or lowland deciduous forest with standing water and dead trees.  We once visited a breeding area for this species in northern South Carolina and the habitat is typical of what is shown in the photo below and as described above - very shaded hardwoods with standing water.  When we found the small breeding population at Point Pelee, ON, the habitat was identical to that in South Carolina.  We were not surprised that the warbler was there as opposed to different habitats in the area.  To us it looked like 'Prothonotary specific habitat'.

Typical Prothonotary Warbler Habitat

Prothonotary Warblers eat insects but also fruit and seeds.  They forage in trees but also on the ground.  In the South this species is known to eat sugar water and nut pieces.  This species is a cavity nester and prefers holes in trees and stumps.  It will also use bird houses and other man-made structures.  It lines the cavity with moss in which it forms a nest cup.  Four to six pink or cream eggs spotted with gray or brown are laid and incubated 12 to 14 days.

Prothonotary Warbler [Jennifer Ryder Photo]

There are only two similar species you might confuse this bird with, the Yellow Warbler and the Blue-winged Warbler.  The Yellow Warbler has yellow wings and undertail coverts.  The Blue-winged Warbler is also a very brilliant yellow, but a medium yellow as opposed to a peachy yellow.  It has a black eyeline and pale wing bars.  Whether it is a Blue-winged Warbler or a Prothonotary Warbler you are looking at, you have a very rare bird for New Brunswick!

The Prothonotary Warbler breeding population at Point Pelee, ON, may be the only one in Canada.  There are only a few pairs but as I watched them I was aware that this remnant of the Carolinian forest had brought its fauna with it.  I enjoyed their brilliant yellow colour and their high-pitched ascending song which some birders interpret as 'sweet sweet sweet'.  These birds appear to be very specific to habitat and I doubt if we will ever get a breeding pair in New Brunswick since we have no true Carolinian habitat.

Hawks Visit Our Yard

A Three-Hawk Week

Merlin

The week of November 18 was a three-hawk week for us.  We live along the river and our trees and open area often draw raptors during migration.  So what we saw that week was not particularly unusual but never-the-less, interesting and enjoyable.  

The week started with a Sharp-shinned Hawk flying rapidly through our yard checking out the bird feeders.  That scattered the doves and woodpeckers which spend most of their time around our trellis/feeder area and rock garden.  It wasn't long before the hawk returned to perch in a high ash tree overlooking the active bird area.  Needless to say, the area was very quiet. Before long the hawk  moved on to better things.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

On the 21st another fast hawk flew across the yard and landed on another ash tree slightly down river.  From that vantage point it surveyed the area.  After a 15-minute visit, it went on its way.  I wondered if it was moving down river on its migration and decided our place might provide a quick meal.  See the photo at the top of the post for a view of the Merlin.

November 21 brought our third hawk of the week.  It was late in the day and getting dark when a buteo flew across the back yard and landed in a tall oak.  I grabbed binoculars and there was not enough light to tell what it was.  The hawk moved 3 more times and at that point I had the scope set up and caught a quick glimpse as it moved yet again.  The scope captured enough light so I could see the identifying dark band across the breast.  See the photo below.  That hawk (or another Red-tailed Hawk) returned again on November 27.  

Red-tailed Hawk

Fall migration is a wonderful time to be a bird-watcher in New Brunswick.  We just never know what we are going to see.  Sightings might be really rare birds which are not normally here or they might be our regular species.  This year has been a phenomenal year for unusual species, species from very distant places.  The hurricane Dorian brought many rare species to the Maritime provinces.  

Our regular migrants are also very enjoyable to see.  I am so happy we still have sufficient good habitat for these birds to feed and occupy.  Our wildlife is a wonderful heritage and it is our responsibility to protect it by preserving their habitat, their feeding areas and stop-over areas on migration.  Some of these hawks will spend the winter here but most of them will move south.  We will miss them and look forward to their return in the spring.

American Coot

American Coot at Fredericton 

American Coot

On Friday, November 15,  2019, an American Coot (Fulica americana) was seen and photographed at Fredericton's Carleton Park.  It was gone by noon hour.  This was an unusual place and time for a coot, so, what was it doing here?  The St. John River is a migratory pathway for birds moving south from the northern part of the province and possibly from Quebec.  This coot, which usually prefers coastal ponds and inlets, is an unusual visitor to fresh water in New Brunswick.  This individual was clearly on its way south and put down at Carleton Park to spend the night with other waterfowl, to feed in the early morning and then wing southward for the rest of the day.

American Coot [Internet Photo]

The American Coot is a chicken-sized and shaped bird which prefers aquatic habitats and swims or wades most of the time.  It feeds on plants, aquatic invertebrates, amphibians, snails, worms and occasionally takes birds' eggs.  It forages by diving, tipping its head down from the surface or by walking along the shoreline.  It has a peculiar voice, making a variety of croaks, clucks, grunts and other loud strange noises.  It is definitely not a songster!

The American Coot is about 40 cm/ 15.5 in long with the males slightly larger than the females.  It is a member of the Rallidae family which it shares with rails and gallinules.  Generalizing, the coot looks like a black chicken with a white bill.  Males and females look alike.  It is an overall dark gray colour with a black head.  In flight they show a white trailing edge to their secondary wing feathers.  The undertail coverts are black with white patches on the outer edges.  The white bill sometimes shows a brownish-red partial ring.  This can also be on the white frontal shield above the bill.  The eye is red and the legs and feet are greenish coloured.  The toes have characteristic lobes between them much like webs (see photo below).  As shown above, the chicks are black with curly orange and yellow fluff on their heads.  

American Coot [Internet Photo]

In summer the American Coot breeds from British Columbia across southern Canada to the Great Lakes southward to the US and Mexico.  It winters through most of the central and southern US and Mexico.  It is a permanent resident over much of the southern US, Mexico and the Caribbean Islands.   In winter it is often seen in huge rafts swimming or resting in tight formation.  I have seen these rafts in North Carolina.  The coot is a rare summer visitor to New Brunswick.  There have been a few breeding records mostly along the St. John River and in the marshes along the NB-NS border.  The coot builds its nest out of leaves and stems over water attached to reeds.  Two to 12 eggs of variable colours are incubated for 21-25 days by both adults.  

The only other species one might mistake an American Coot for is the Common Gallinule but it has a bright red bill with a yellow tip and a white line along its side.  The Purple Gallinule is similar in size and shape but is so brightly coloured purple and green one would not mistake it.  

The American Coot is a unique bird.  Its voice is so strange it was used as one of the jungle calls in the Tarzan movies.  It is nicknamed 'marsh hen' or 'mud hen' because it walks (and swims) like a chicken with the characteristic head-bob.  A group of coots is sometimes called a 'commotion of coots'.  I doubt if we will ever see that in NB but we can often find one or two of this species in NB each summer.

Green Heron

Green Heron - Rare and Local

Green Heron

The Green Heron normally spends its summers in the US from the Canadian border southward and from the mid-west to the eastern seaboard.  There is also a population on the west coast from Puget Sound to California.  Some winter in Florida, coastal Georgia, South Carolina, California, southern Texas and Louisiana.  Most Green Herons winter in Mexico, Venezuela, Panama and the West Indies.  But every year we have a handful who spend their summers in New Brunswick.  I have seen them on Grand Manan and along the St. John River at various times.

The Green Heron is our smallest heron, 46 cm/18 in long.  It is even smaller than the Cattle Egret.  It is very dark overall in colour, stocky, thick necked and it has short yellow legs.  In flight its wings are broad and rounded.  It has a crest but it is not often seen.  Its colours are subtle but beautiful if you happen to see it in good light.  The crown is black, the sides of the head and neck are rufous.  It has a white-streaked chin, throat and breast.  The eyes are yellow and it has a dark yellow bill.  The back, rump and tail are dark green.  The belly is gray.  Both genders look alike.

Green Heron

When you are lucky enough to see a Green Heron, it is usually alone.  A solitary bird is the norm.  It is always in wet habitats, either fresh or salty.  It prefers woody areas and likes to perch on branches which hang over the water.  It feeds on small fish and aquatic invertebrates.  The only other wader you might mistake it for is the Least Bittern but it has a white scapular line and bright buffy wing coverts.

Green Heron [Internet Photo]

The Green Heron population is subdivided into 4 subspecies.  Two of these occur in North America; one along the west coast and one along the east coast.

It is my experience that when you encounter a Green Heron, it sees you first and what you first see is a startled bird taking off close to you in thick vegetation, emitting a hair-raising squawk.  Apparently its song is a sharp, croaking 'qua qua'.  This species nests in trees near water 1 to 10 metres off the ground.  The nest is made of sticks and leaves.  The 2 to 7 pale green eggs are incubated for 19 to 21 days.  The chicks fledge in about 16 days.  There are records of it breeding in New Brunswick.

The Green Heron is one of the few herons that have learned to use tools to obtain food.  They place a small bright object (leaf, bread, piece of a feather, small piece of fish) on the surface and wait quietly for a fish to investigate it.  They then grab the fish and get an easy meal!  I have watched Green Herons do this in South Carolina.  An interesting species!

Green Herons tend to wander after the breeding season.  Occasionally some end up as far away as England and France.  Maybe that is how they got here in the first place.

Greater White-fronted Goose

Greater White-fronted Geese on the Nashwaak River

Greater White-fronted Goose [Internet Photo]

For the last few days (November, 2019) there have been two Greater White-fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) with the flock of Canada Geese feeding along the Nashwaak River.  This species is listed as a 'casual' visitor to the area.  One of the first records was one shot at Burtts Corner in 1949.  There have been many records since.  Sibley lists it as rare here.  This species breeds in our far north; Alaska, northern Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and some of the Arctic islands and western Greenland.  They winter in Texas, Louisiana and Mexico.  They have one of the largest ranges of any species of geese in the world.  They are common only west of the Mississippi River.

The Greater White-fronted Goose is a medium-sized gray brown goose (71 cm/ 28 in long).  The adult has a white band around the bill (useful for identification), gray brown underparts and back with black barring running from the breast to the belly, white belly and vent, pinkish orange bill, and orange legs.  In our area when these birds are mixed in with the Canada Geese they can be difficult to pick out.  

There are recognized subspecies of this species including the Greenland Greater White-fronted Goose and the Taiga Greater White-fronted Goose.  It also will hybridize with the Snow Goose or the Canada Goose.  

Greater White-fronted Goose [Internet Photo]

The Greater White-fronted Goose forages in grain fields, meadows, and some marshes.  Like our Canada Goose, it roosts at night on ponds, lakes and rivers.  This species chooses marshy tundra to breed.  The nest is a depression on the ground lined with down and grass.  The 3 to 6 buff or creamy eggs are incubated by the female for 22 to 28 days.  It takes about 40 days for the young to fledge.  

These geese eat seeds, grain, and grasses and sedges.  They will also take berries and plant roots in summer.  It has been recorded that the setting female drinks the water off her feathers to stay hydrated.  The voice of this species is a distinctive bark-like sound sometimes described as 'kla-ha' or 'kla-hah-luk'.

I have just stepped outside my back door here in Fredericton and heard the geese calling from the river.  I wonder what rare geese might be with this flock!  We are lucky to live where we do.  The Greater White-fronted Goose is a holarctic species.  It is also found in Ireland, the United Kingdom and Siberia.  It is intriguing that we can share our rich New Brunswick habitat with a few individuals of this species.  

 

Tropical Kingbird

Extremely Rare Kingbird Sighted at Cambridge Narrows

Tropical Kingbird

 It is unheard of to find a Tropical Kingbird (Tyrannus melancholicus) in New Brunswick.  But on October 27, 2019 one was seen at Cambridge Narrows sitting on wires, by an astute birder as he drove past.  That was an incredible find, both in the presence of the bird and in the fact that it was spotted by a birder who recognized it as unusual.

We have eight species of kingbirds which can be seen in North America.  In New Brunswick the Eastern Kingbird is common in summer and breeds here.   The Western Kingbird is a casual spring visitor and sometimes seen in the fall.  The other six species have not been seen here except for the Tropical Kingbird which, according to Jim Wilson, has been seen briefly at Tabusintac in October, 2015 and at Lameque in November, 2017 and possibly a third at Cape Tourmentine in 2017 which may have been the same bird as the former.  These sightings were not confirmed because no sound was heard.

Tropical Kingbird

The Tropical Kingbird is a large flycatcher (23 cm/ 9 in) long with a light gray head, olive-gray back, white throat, a dark eyeline, dark yellow upper breast and bright yellow lower breast, belly and vent, and gray-brown wings and tail.  It has a large black bill and a notched tail.  Males and females are similar.

The Tropical Kingbird cannot be differentiated from the Couch's Kingbird by sight or photographs only.  The only way to tell them apart is by voice.  And, fortunately this recent bird has been vocal and heard by many observers.  The Tropical Kingbird's call is a high-pitched twittering sound all on one pitch.  The call of Couch's Kingbird is a high-pitched descending call sounding like 'breeear'.  Birders today have electronic devices which can play bird songs so it is not difficult to differentiate songs.  Our visitor is a Tropical Kingbird.

Tropical Kingbird [Nelson Poirier Photo]

Where should this bird normally be?  Well, it a long way from home!  Its normal summer breeding grounds are in south-eastern Arizona, northern Mexico and along the lower Rio Grande River in Texas.  It winters in Mexico's coastal areas and into South America to southern Bolivia, southeastern  Brazil and Argentina.  This species is known to wander widely and has been found as far out of its range as Maine, Alaska, Bermuda (and New Brunswick).  It first came to the US to Arizona in 1938.

This week we watched this bird feed, flying out from a high perch and to capture insects.  Apparently it also eats fruit and berries and will readily take mealworms.

A couple of interesting facts about this species; during courtship the perched male flaps its wings vigorously and sometimes lifts straight up.  Also, it has a distinctive dawn song which is sung just before sunrise.  It would be fun to hear it.

Whimbrel

Whimbrel - A Large Sandpiper

Whimbrel

The Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) is a large interesting shorebird. This species is a member of the Scolopacidae family which it shares with many other sandpiper species.  The Numenius genus is shared also by the Long-billed Curlew and in times past, by the Eskimo Curlew.  The Eskimo Curlew was a common fall migrant here before its demise and extinction in the late 1800s.    

The Whimbrel is listed as casual in spring and an uncommon migrant in the fall.  Its numbers are still low after  blatant population destruction due to severe over-hunting in the 1800s.  It is most often seen on coastal bogs, barrens and beaches in mid-to-late summer.  Sometimes flocks are seen on the heath of Miscou Island.  I have seen as many as 20 individuals there feeding on heath and on the lawns of residences at Wilson's Point.  The photos used in this post were taken of an individual seen at Saints' Rest Marsh in Saint John on August 23, 2019.

The Whimbrel is a large sandpiper (45 cm/ 17.5 inches long).  Its gray legs appear short and its long decurved bill is its defining field mark.  It is brown striped over most of its body with a medial beige stripe on its dark crown.  It probes for food in the mud with its long beak and it also picks berries off heath plants.  Its voice is distinctive and melodic.  The display song is a long rising whistle followed by a series of rapid trills.  The flight call is a rapid, loud quiquiquiqui all in the same pitch.  It is enjoyable to hear these birds vocalize.  

Whimbrels breed in the Arctic where they nest on open tundra.  In North America their nesting grounds are in Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories and around the western shores of Hudson Bay.  They also breed in Greenland.  They winter in the southern coast of North America, California south through Mexico, the West Indies and South America.  They also breed in Europe in Iceland, Scandinavia and western Russia.  Those birds migrate to West Africa during the winter.

Whimbrel

Whimbrels are known to have a broad diet.  They feed on marine invertebrates, marine worms, molluscs, fish and berries.  They walk along as they feed, probing deeply into the mud.  That bill is certainly an instrument and is well used.  

Whimbrel

Whimbrels are one of the most widespread curlews.  They are known for being very defensive about their nests, attacking humans if they come too close.  That must help with their survival.  They are incredible fliers.  Some birds fly nonstop a distance of 2500 miles from southern Canada or New England to South America.  Just think of that, nonstop with no food or water and not landing to rest!  It is so important that they have good feeding areas here so they can build up their body fat stores so they have enough energy to make it all the way across that long stretch of ocean!

Whimbrel

The photo above shows the medial crown stripe.  That and the long decurved bill make a positive identification for this species.  

A number of years ago an European Whimbrel was seen and photographed near Fredericton.  This was a rare visitor here.  The European race has a white underwing, tail and lower back and coarser dark markings on the breast.  The race we normally see here has a dark rump and dark underwings. 

Sandhill Cranes Migrating

Sandhill Cranes at Tantramar 

Sandhill Crane

In late September and into October a group of 7 Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) stopped over at Tantramar Marsh during their migration.  The sightings of Sandhill Cranes in New Brunswick have increased gradually over the last 30 years usually in the spring and fall.  The birds are usually on their migrations from breeding grounds in the north to their wintering areas in the south (or return).  Sandhill Cranes breed from Siberia and Alaska across the far north to Hudson Bay and western Ontario.  They spend their winters in California and from Arizona to Florida; also Mexico and the Caribbean Islands.  Some are permanent residents of Florida.  The birds we see here are probably coming from their nesting areas on Baffin Island or northern Quebec.  The Tantramar is a good stopover site because of its good feeding potential.  Its wide open areas also offer good visibility and thus good safety for the birds.

The first documented record of this species was from Nauwigewauk in September, 1984.  There were also two previous sight records from 1973 and 1981.  There have been no breeding records from NB but one pair spent part of a summer at Havelock.  A single bird also spent most of a summer in the Shediac area.  

Sandhill Crane

There are two forms of the Sandhill Crane recognized, the Greater and the Lesser.  The Greater is 117 cm/46" tall and is the species of central Canada and westward.  The Lesser is 104 cm/41" tall and is often found in the east.  There is an intermediate form which is found in the mid-continent area. 

There is only one species of crane that is likely to be seen here, although any crane found here is rare.  Another crane species found in North America is the Whooping Crane.  This species came close to extinction in the mid-1900s but is very slowly recovering due to great work done by recovery programs in the US.  A Whooping Crane has never been seen in New Brunswick.  There is another crane species that could be seen here but never has been, the Common Crane from Europe.  There is usually about one sighting per year of a Common Crane in North America, usually with flocks of Sandhill Cranes.  We should always look for this species when we see Sandhill Cranes.  Common Cranes are always gray and their plumage is never brown-stained.  The adult is black-necked with a white nape.  

Sandhill Cranes Flying [Kathy Ferdinand Illsley Photo]

Sandhill Cranes perform elaborate dances both for courtship and mate bonding.  These dances are accompanied by elaborate, complex duets.  It would be interesting to hear their bugling and rattling turned into a singing duet.  

The top two photos in this blog were taken by me from various cranes visiting New Brunswick.  I especially like the photo of the seven flying cranes which recently visited Tantramar and is presented here by permission.  For more information on the Sandhill Crane, use the 'Search' feature on this blog.  

Black Skimmer

Hurricane Brings Black Skimmers

Black Skimmers

 Hurricane Dorian brought some amazing species of birds to Nova Scotia.  A few also showed up in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island but the bulk of them landed east of Halifax.  One species that was amazing was the Black Skimmer which appeared in large numbers, more than 200!  Shown above is a flock of Black Skimmers.  Unfortunately the photo was taken in South Carolina but it shows what a flock of skimmers looks like.  It is typical of what was seen along the shorelines of NS when they arrived.  I was lucky to see a flock of 21 Black Skimmers on a trip to Chezzetcook recently.  I was scanning over the marsh looking for shorebirds when a flock of 21 skimmers flew in.  What an amazing sight for Nova Scotia!  They stayed around for an hour or so moving periodically from one site to another but still in view.  They were a long way out so no good photos were possible hence the substitute photos.  I did not think I would ever see a flock of Black Skimmers flying over marshes in the Maritimes.  There have been accidental arrivals of Black Skimmers to New Brunswick over the years, almost always after severe storms.  They have appeared in small numbers or as singles in Grand Manan (1879, 1924, 1944),  and in Saint John (2019).

Black Skimmer

The Black Skimmer (Rynchops niger) is about the size of a crow.  It is a member of a subfamily of Laridae (gulls and terns), sharing its  subfamily with terns and noddys.  It is unique in its foraging style, flying over the surface of the water slicing the surface with its lower mandible, closing its beak on any food it encounters.  Its preferred food items are shrimp and fish.

Black Skimmers are 46 cm/18 in long.  Their mainly black and white body is long and their head and beak are large.  Their bright orange legs are short.  The crown, nape and back are solid black and that contrasts sharply with the white forehead, lores, foreneck and underparts.  The unusual beak is orange with a black tip.  The tail is mainly white with a black central strip.  In flight the wings show a white trailing edge.  Juvenile skimmers show the black grayed out.

Black Skimmer Adult Attending Young [Internet Photo]

Black Skimmers breed along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts from Massachusetts to Florida and Texas.  They spend their winters from southern California and Virginia south to Central and South America.  Their nest is a scrape in the sand among the vegetation of gravelly bars, beaches and shallow bays.  They lay four or five blue or pink eggs spotted with brown, lavender or gray.  Both adults incubate the eggs.

Black Skimmers

Black Skimmers are the only avian species in North America with the lower mandible larger than the upper.  When the young hatch, the mandibles are the same length.  The lower mandible grows quickly and it is already longer than the upper by the time the young fledge at four weeks of age.

The Black Skimmer population is threatened by coastal development and increased use of shorelines and beaches by human traffic.  They face the same threats as all our shorebirds.  Some of the other species shown in the photos above include Laughing Gulls, Willets, Royal Terns, Ring-billed Gulls, Forster's Terns and Ruddy Turnstones.  See if you can find them.

American Avocet

American Avocet - A Bird Brought In By Hurricane Dorian

American Avocet

 Hurricane Dorian dropped many very rare birds on Nova Scotia, mostly in the area east of Halifax.  These birds were probably engulfed by the high winds and funnelled northward.  As the eye of the hurricane passed over that area, the birds were able to make it to land.  Other birds found their way to other parts of Nova Scotia as well as New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.  Many other birds were surely picked up by the hurricane and were either killed or drowned at sea.

Today's post is about one beautiful bird which made it safely to the Halifax area, a single American Avocet as shown above.  The American Avocet (Recurvirostra americana) is rarely found in the Maritime Provinces.  I have records only for NB and it has been recorded from the province fewer than 20 times.  I saw one at Shepody in 2008 and one at St. Andrews in 2010.  It is possible this individual is a casual visitor to the area but most likely it was blown in by the hurricane.

The bird shown above is a male in non-breeding plumage.  The males have a less up-turned bill than the females.  In breeding plumage the bird has a rusty coloured head and neck, a white eyering and white at the base of the bill, black wings and back with a bold white scapular stripe.  In non-breeding plumage the head and neck are white or light gray and the underparts are gray.  The bill is long, needle-like and upturned.  The bluish gray legs are very long.  The bird is 46 cm/18 in. long.  As seen in the photos above and below, there is a remnant of the rusty colour on the head and breast.  The white eyeing and white at the base of the bill are also visible.

American Avocet

The American Avocet is a western shorebird.  It breeds normally in the prairie provinces and down into the mid-western and western US as far as California to Texas.  It winters along the coasts of the southern US and Mexico.  Its preferred habitats include freshwater marshes and shallow lakes.  It breeds in salty or brackish marshes.  Avocets often nest in loose colonies.  Nests are built on a beach or mudflat.  The 3 to 4 pale olive eggs spotted with brown and black are tended by both adults.  This species is very aggressive around the nesting sites.  Adults have been known to physically strike marauding hawks and ravens.  Avocets feed by swooshing their bills underwater side-to-side along the bottom.  That stirs up aquatic insects.  They also eat crustaceans and aquatic plants.

The American Avocet is a member of the Recurvirostridae family along with stilts.  North American members of this family are the American Avocet and the Black-necked Stilt.  There are 7 members of this family around the world.  The decline in this species is due to the loss of wetlands in recent decades.

American Avocets show some interesting traits.  While nesting, if the water levels rise enough to threaten the nest, the adults will raise the nest up a foot or more with sticks, weeds, etc. to keep the eggs above the water.  Another interesting fact is their ability to foil an approaching predator with a special vocal technique.  They emit a series of calls that gradually change in pitch which simulates the Doppler effect.  This makes the approaching bird think it is coming in faster than it really is, confusing the predator and giving the avocet a chance to escape.  Neat birds!

Avocets are a social species.  It made me sad to see this individual all alone except for the crows and Mallard ducks which were around the same pond with it.  Social species need to be with their kin.  I hope this individual can build up its stored energy levels soon so it can return south and hopefully find some of its own.

Gull-billed Tern

Hurricane Dorian Brings Ultra-Rare Birds

Gull-billed Tern 

The Gull-billed Tern (Gelohelidon nilotica) is an ultra-rare visitor to New Brunswick.  The recent bird was found at Maces Bay and has remained for a few days.  It is listed as 'accidental' in 'Birds of New Brunswick:  An Annotated List'.  In short, it appears here extremely rarely and only after severe storms.  Our recent avian visitor was blown here by hurricane Dorian.  It was caught in the hurricane and blown way off course and carried by the severe winds northward.  It must have been exhausted when it arrived.  One wonders how long it was suspended in the storm before it could get to land.  

 

The Gull-billed Tern has been seen here before.  The first recorded specimen came from Grand Manan in 1879.  Most other records came from the Grand Manan area but there also have been reports from Red Head Marsh in 1983 and Eel River Bar in 2003.   The normal breeding range of this species is the coastline of eastern and southern US.  In the winter it is found along the coasts of southern Florida, Texas, Mexico and Central America. 

Gull-billed Tern

Terns are members of the Laridae family along with gulls and skimmers.  Terns are generally smaller than gulls and have straight pointed bills and long narrow wings.  Most have a black cap in breeding plumage.  Most terns eat fish but the Gull-billed Tern in unique in that its diet is mainly insects and some prey from the water's surface like crabs.  It never plunges for prey like most terns.  Our visitor was swooping over a small field beside an inlet off the Bay of Fundy feeding heavily on grasshoppers and other insects.  It reminded me of a very large swallow, the way it swooped and turned abruptly as it caught its prey.  

The Gull-billed Tern is very light in colour.  Its plumage is a very light gray.  The wings are light underneath with some graying near the tips.  The legs are black and the black cap on this individual was turning light in the front aspect as it was showing winter plumage.  The outstanding field mark of this species is its stout black bill, hence its name.  The bird is 36cm/14 in. long and it has a wingspan of 90 cm/ 36 in.  Its white tail is notched and it showed this off well as it wheeled and turned near us.  The only other species we would have to differentiate it from is the Forster's Tern which is smaller, slenderer, and has more pointed wings and a deeply forked tail.

Gull-billed Tern

Gull-billed Terns are colonial or solitary breeders.  They often nest on the periphery of the colonies of other species of terns.  They nest on the open ground and the nest is often hidden among the debris on the shore of coastal beaches or saltwater marshes.  One to four yellow or buff eggs spotted with dark brown are laid and both adults incubate the eggs.  

Gull-billed Tern Showing Tail Shape and Long Wings

The population numbers of Gull-billed Terns has declined along the Atlantic coast.  Historically the millinery trade in the 1800s took its toll on this species.  However, this species is in good population numbers globally.  It is also found in Australia, Europe, Asia and Africa.  From our point of view, the sighting of this rare species in New Brunswick is a noteworthy event and made many birders happy to watch it for the first time.

Hooded Warbler

Rare Birds in Grand Manan

Hooded Warbler [Mark Morse Photo]

Late summer and fall usually bring us a few rare bird species.  Those species are often seen along the coast and especially on Grand Manan.  The recent hurricane Dorian has brought some incredibly rare species to Nova Scotia and a few to New Brunswick.  The Hooded Warbler of today's post was seen on Grand Manan in late August (pre-hurricane) and represents one of the species that seem to get off-course in their southerly migrations. 

The Hooded Warbler (Setophaga citrina) is a startlingly beautiful warbler.  The male in spring sports a black hood which covers its throat, crown and nape.  The hood contrasts with the bright yellow face and forehead.  It has an olive-green back and rump and yellow underneath.  The legs are pink and it has white outer-tail feathers which it uses to 'flash' a potential predator.  The breeding-plumaged female is a paler version of the male with variable amounts of the hood.  

The Hooded Warbler prefers shady undergrowth in mature hardwood forests when it is in the north.  The species is unusual in that the two genders prefer different habitats on the wintering grounds.  The males prefer mature forests but the females prefer scrub land. The normal range of this species is the southeastern US in summer and southern Mexico and the West Indies in winter.  It is a super flier, migrating across the Gulf of Mexico to its wintering area.  

Hooded Warblers are late nesters.  That is a good strategy to avoid parasitism by cowbirds.  They build their nest low in a small tree or dense shrubbery.  The nest is made of dead leaves and plant fibres.  Three to five cream-coloured eggs with brown blotches are incubated for 12 days.  Their diet consists of insects and arthropods like most warblers.  

The male Hooded Warbler is so beautiful that it usually brings out exclamations from birders.  In 1907 Frank Chapman, an early renowned ornithologist, wrote about this species, "Its beauty of plumage, charm of voice, and gentleness of demeanour, make it indeed not only a lovely, but a lovable bird."  Its song is a whistle which repeats ta-wee and ends with tee-too.  Hooded Warblers do not breed in NB so we do not get to hear this 'lovable' bird.

Wilson's Phalarope

Wilson's Phalarope - A Late Summer Migrant

Wilson's Phalarope

 Riverview Marsh was rewarded recently (in late summer) by the arrival of several interesting species of shorebirds.  Among them was a Wilson's Phalarope which remained for about a week, feeding heavily to build up energy for its long flight south.  Three of us were there looking at and photographing the Marbled Godwits when very near us swam a phalarope.  It took a close examination of the many photographs I was able to get in order to identify this shorebird.  See this blog for a post on the Marbled Godwits.

Phalaropes are special shorebirds which are often pelagic, are often seen swimming and are sleek and very agile.  They can be confused with other species of shorebirds but after taking a few moments to watch their behaviour, one can identify them as phalaropes.  We have three species of phalaropes; Wilson's, Red-necked, and Red.  See another post on this blog for a description of the Red-necked Phalarope.

Phalaropes are special in that they have partially lobed feet (Wilson's has the least lobed feet) and a very dense plumage.  Presumably these facts make it easy for them to swim.  They feed on the water and often spin in circles to stir up food, the larvae, crustaceans and insects that constitute their diet.  They will also feed on land where they still also walk in circles.  Another interesting fact about this group of species is that they exhibit gender role reversals.  The females are larger and more brightly coloured than the males.  The females court the males in spring and after she lays the eggs, she assumes her duty is finished!  The males incubate the eggs and raise the chicks.  They have two plumages per year, breeding and non-breeding (winter) plumages.  Those that pass through here are often in transition and that can make identification difficult.

Wilson's Phalarope

The Wilson's Phalarope (Phalaropus tricolor) is usually generally lighter in colour than the other two species.  It is the largest of the 3 species ( 24 cm/9.3 in long).  It has a long, thin, black needle-like bill which helps separate it from other shorebird species.  In breeding plumage the female has a large rufous stripe on the face and neck, a light orange breast, white throat, gray and rufous on the back, and a very light gray crown with a white supercilium (line above the eye).  The male in breeding plumage is similar but much duller in colour.  In non-breeding plumage the black legs turn yellowish olive, the upper plumage is light gray, the crown remains light gray and there is a light gray post ocular stripe.  So, you can see that the individuals in transition can be difficult to identify.  We occasionally see individuals in breeding plumage here in the spring and, as in this case, individuals in non-breeding plumage in the fall (or in transition).

Wilson's Phalarope

As you can see in the photo above, this transitional individual is losing the rufous stripe on its face and neck; the orange on the breast is gone, the black eyeline is fading, and the gray on the crown and back of the neck are becoming lighter in colour.  Also note that the legs are yellow which helps distinguish the Wilson's from our other two phalarope species.

Wilson's Phalaropes breed in interior wetlands throughout western North America.  Some breed along the shores of James Bay in northern Ontario.  They winter in South America especially in inland saline lakes in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru.  Their preferred breeding habitats include grassy borders of shallow lakes, marshes and reservoirs.  They nest on the ground in a scrape lined with grasses.  The usual four buff eggs are incubated about 18-21 days.

Wilson's Phalarope

The Red-necked and Red Phalaropes spend considerable time at sea.  We often see large flocks of phalaropes in Passamaquoddy Bay and the Gulf of Maine in late summer.  The Wilson's is less adapted to pelagic habitats so rarely is seen at sea.  They spend their time on ponds inland and this makes the species vulnerable to habitat degradation and loss.  They have been especially vulnerable on prairie habitats where draining of wetlands and water diversion projects have robbed them of major staging areas during migration.

The Wilson's Phalarope is named after the renowned ornithologist, Alexander Wilson.  It was first described as a species in 1819 by Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot, a French ornithologist.  The term, phalarope, comes from the Greek, phalaris, which means 'coot' and pous, which means 'foot'.  Given that the coot has lobed toes, it follows that the phalarope has an appropriate name.  It is 'neat' how language has evolved.