Rescuing a Northern Saw-whet Owl

 

                                   Northern Saw-whet Owl in Rescue Box  [Jennifer Pierce Photo]

Just a week before Christmas, December 17, Jennifer Pierce was going to work in the early morning on Grand Manan.  It was dark and cold outside.  Being a keen birder she spotted something very small in the middle of the road.  She recognized it immediately as a bird.  On getting closer she could see it was a small owl.  Pulling her car over, she grabbed a towel,  jumped out and expertly snatched the small creature off the highway and into safety.  She was able to see that the bird was injured and needed help.  At that time of the morning it is not easy to work out what was needed and especially knowing that the bird had to get to the mainland quickly.  During the next hour or two (all while at work) she arranged for the bird to be transported to the ferry by Rebecca, to be allowed on the ferry, to be picked up in Blacks Harbour by a Department of Natural Resources and Energy staff member and be transported to Saint John where it would be seen by Dr. Cathy Adams of Fairvale Animal Hospital and then be transported to the Atlantic Wildlife Institute in Cookville, NB (north of Sackville).  

At the Fairvale Animal Hospital Dr. Cathy Adams diagnosed a fractured wing and head trauma.  She skillfully stabilized the wing and referred the patient to the Atlantic Wildlife Institute for nursing care and rehabilitation.  

                The Northern Saw-whet Owl Patient With Wing Stabilized    [Dr. Cathy Adams Photo]

The last word from the Atlantic Wildlife Institute is that the little owl is recuperating.  We are thankful to all who participated in its long journey to treatment and recovery.  

This successful treatment of an injured bird shows how well we value our wildlife.  It is impressive how well Jennifer Pierce handled the patient: how quickly she spotted it and realized it needed help, how expertly she gathered information and arranged transportation and help for it, how well she managed to safely package the patient and get it safely and quickly in the hands of Dr. Adams from a remote location. The ferry staff recognized the importance of a safe delivery of the patient to the mainland.  DNRE staff also were able and willing to arrange pick-up and safely delivery it to Saint John.  Dr. Adams was able to examine and treat the patient in a timely manner and then arranged transport to Cookville.  All this for a tiny, feisty patient a mere 20 cm (8 inches) tall.  Thank you to all who participated and thank you to New Brunswickers who ethically value our wildlife and ecosystem.  A huge thank you to Jennifer who was key in the final recovery of this patient.  Thanks for all the free rides including the ferry.  Thanks for the free veterinary service, nursing care and rehabilitation.  We NB birders are proud of you all!  

The Fairvale Animal Hospital is located at 1 Campbell Drive, Rothesay, NB and can be reached at 506-847-7519.

The Atlantic Wildlife Institute is located at 220 Cookville Rd, Cookville, NB E4L 1Z8 and is run by Dr. Pam Novak and staff. It is a registered Canadian charity and depends on the generosity of the community for its funding.  It can be reached at 506-364-1902.  Please give a donation or consider becoming a volunteer.  Go to atlanticwildlife.ca or access it through Facebook by searching Atlantic Wildlife Institute.

For all birders of NB, this is a wonderful Christmas present.  Many thanks to all involved in enabling this little owl to continue its life history as a New Brunswick resident owl.  

Northern Cardinal - An Invasion

                                                    Northern Cardinal  [Dick Franck Photo]

This fall we have had an invasion of Northern Cardinals into New Brunswick.  The term 'invasion' is used to indicate the movement of a population of what normally would be permanent residents elsewhere into new territory.  The terms, 'irruption' or 'incursion' are also used for this movement.  The movement is without periodicity, i.e., it does not necessarily repeat itself annually.  Northern Cardinals are generally a non-migratory species so to see hundreds of them move into New Brunswick is an unusual phenomenon.

 We have received reports of Cardinals in the last 6 to 8 weeks from all over the province, even from areas where they have not been seen before.  Often these reports include multiple birds, 3 or 4.  One report from St. George was of 13 individuals at a feeder area.  This is unprecedented here.  Several reports are from the north or the Moncton area or east coast where before a Cardinal was an unusual find.

So what is happening?  The examples of movements among bird populations which do not conform to seasonal migration or which we do not understand are termed by ornithologists, 'irregular migrations'.  If it involves a movement of permanent residents from elsewhere, it is an 'invasion'.  The young of many species on reaching maturity in late summer often wander for great distances.  This is termed, 'juvenile wandering'.  It is common in egrets, herons, gulls and other species.  The most common cause for juvenile wandering is that they cannot compete with older birds for territory and food resources.   They then have to wander until they find adequate food and habitat.  

                                                                   Northern Cardinal Male

The case with the Northern Cardinals we are seeing here this fall appears to be an invasion, not juvenile wandering because the bulk of them seem to be adults and often in pairs.  I well remember when we had no Cardinals here.  The first ones moved in in the 1950s.  Between 1952 and 1970 there were reports of 20 individuals in the province.  After that reports gradually increased.  The first nesting report was from Saint John in 1980.  Those early reports are probably juvenile wanderings but the latest movement containing adults is an invasion, a very desirable one!

I had to go to Toronto to see my first Northern Cardinal in the early 1960s.  Now many of us have them coming to our feeders and nesting in our yards and woodlots.  Ontario once did not have any Cardinals either.  The first record of one appearing in southern Ontario was in November, 1896.  There were few reports there until 1910 after which numbers gradually increased.  Southern Ontario had a marked incursion in the fall and winter of 1938-39.  So mass movements of populations do occur in this species.  There are reports of Cardinals sometimes gathering in large groups of more than 60 to 70 birds in sheltered habitats in winter.  

As we all know, the Cardinal is a wonderful songster.  His beautiful colour, his song and his pleasing behaviour around our yards make him a welcome addition.  Let's look at his singing ability.  Both genders sing, a trait which does not occur in every bird species.  This bird sings a variety of gurgling and whistling songs.  In fact, they sing more than 28 different songs.  Some can be described as 'whoit cheer, whoit cheer, cheer, cheer, cheer' or 'birdy birdy birdy'  or a metallic 'pik'.  The songs of the male and female are indistinguishable.  The female ceases to sing when she starts nesting.

Did you know that a courting pair sometimes sings in unison?  I have not heard that.  The males are ardent courters.  They start by chasing the female from branch to branch.  When he gets close to her he stretches out his neck and raises his crest.  Both birds will sway their bodies from side to side and often sing together at that time.  Sometimes the male will sing from a branch with his wings partly spread and drooping.  If the female comes close he sings softly to her.  Sometimes he will approach a female and land slightly above her.  He extends his neck, raises his crest and slowly moves down towards her in a sliding motion.  The female may then accept him or may move off to another branch where he comes and repeats the 'dance'.

Cardinals make good 'parents'.  Both adults rear the young and 2 or more broods are raised.  Three or four broods are raised in the south of their range.  Young cardinals begin to sing at an early age.  Their first songs are soft warblings.  Cardinals prefer woodlands, scrublands, wetlands and gardens.  We have plenty of habitat to accommodate the young.  The increase in Cardinal population caused by this incursion is welcome and these birds should become permanent New Brunswick residents.

Evening Grosbeak

                                                                   Evening Grosbeak - Male
 The Evening Grosbeak (Coccothraustes vespertinus) is a large finch of the family Fringillidae.  It has been commonly seen this fall in small to large flocks around feeders and roadsides.  It loves sunflower seeds so is drawn to our many feeders.

This species is listed as an irregular, uncommon to common resident and migrant to New Brunswick.  Flocks move in erratic patterns hence the 'irregular' descriptor.  It has not always been a resident of New Brunswick.  It was first reported in 1913 as a visitor from western Canada.  It slowly became more frequent until the 1940s when a breeding report came from Tabusintac.  During the spruce budworm infestation of 1950 to 1980 it became very common.  I remember the request by our avian biologists to look for their nests in the late 1950s in an attempt to establish them as a resident breeder.  I also remember seeing flocks on the sides of the roads in the 1950s and 1960s as they fed on tree seeds and salt spread on the roads in winter.  Many times I heard the local people saying, 'What are those yellow birds?'

The Evening Grosbeak species was first described in 1850 by Charles Lucien Bonaparte.  It was not found east of the Great Lakes before the 1890s.

The population numbers of this breed have dropped off since the populous days in the 1960s but it still breeds in much of the province.  This year we have had reports of flocks from the north to the south.  They seem to be making a comeback this year.  Since this species is erratic, we may see them all winter but they may move on to Quebec or Maine.

                       Evening Grosbeak Flock Showing Males and Females  [Marc Schneider Photo]

The Evening Grosbeak is a large, noisy, boisterous finch.  It is 20 cm (8 in) long.  It is almost always in flocks.  It is boldly patterned and has a short tail.  The males are an unmistakable yellow, black and white.  The bill is remarkably large.  They are not called 'grosbeaks' for nothing.  I am warning you - you don't want to get bitten by one (I have).  The male has a rich dark brown on the head and neck which extends down the back.  He has black and yellow on the crown and forehead.  The lower back, breast and belly are bright yellow and the wings and tail are black.  He sports white secondary and tertial wing feathers which show as a big white patch on his back when perched.  See photo below.

                                                Evening Grosbeak  Male  [Marbeth Wilson Photo]

The female is much more subdued.  She is greyish brown above and a muted yellow below.  Her throat is whitish and she also has black wings and tail.  Her white patches on the wings are more subdued.  Unlike the male she has large white spots at the tip of her tail.

The only species one would mistake the Evening Grosbeak for is the Hawfinch of Europe.  There it comes to feeders in winter but is shyer than the Evening Grosbeak.  I am not aware of any records of this species from New Brunswick.

The Evening Grosbeak prefers coniferous forest but also inhabits mixed woods.  It has adapted well to coming to feeders to the delight of people.  By its noisy behaviour we always know when it is present.  

The Evening Grosbeak is a year-round resident all across Canada mostly in the southern part.  This range extends into the western US and northern Mexico.  It winters slightly south of this range.  This species breeds in conifers where the female builds a loose cup nest of twigs lined with rootlets.  It lays 3 to 5 blue green eggs spotted with brown and purple.  The diet consists of seeds of trees and shrubs, juniper berries, insects, nuts, maple sap and buds of deciduous trees.  It is difficult to describe its song, except that it is loud and unmistakable.  It has been described as a series of short, musical whistles.  When flocking they make a 'scree' sound.  

Although we rarely see it, the male performs a courtship dance for the female.  He raises his head and tail droops his vibrating wings and swivels back and forth.  He frequently feeds the female.  Both may bow alternately.  

This species is remarkable in the quantity of seeds they can devour from your feeders.  A single bird has been measured to consume 96 sunflower seeds in 5 minutes!