Birds of Newfoundland: Dovekie AKA Bullbird

If you were ask a rural Newfoundlander where you might find a Dovekie, you would likely be met with a confused look. However, if you asked where you could find a Bullbird, then you would likely become engaged in a lengthy conversation about the diminutive Alcid, and when you left that person's house, after eating a meal and meeting their family, then you would be back on your search for a Dovkie, AKA a Bullbird!

Yes, Dovekie goes by many names. There is the scientific name, Alle alle, Bullbird in Newfoundland (as explained above),or Little Auk in the UK and Europe. Regardless of the name, with which it's called, all birders agree that seeing a Dovekie is a great thing, and often the highlight of a birders year.When you think about it. It's easy to see why Dovekie is so beloved by birders. It really does have all the key elements to be a birders favourite.

Cuteness

Dovekie ranks high on the cuteness scale. It's a pudgy, big headed and yet small at the same time. On the water it looks like a black and white nerf football with tiny little wings. Dovekies sit low on the water and often seem to be tilted forward, like the weight of their head is causing them to tip. Indeed, they do not look like a bird capable of thriving in the North Atlantic in winter, yet they do. Which brings us to our next point.

Dovekie in breeding plumage, Greenland.
Photo: Carsten Egevang

Rarity/Remoteness

Dovekie is far from a rare bird in the grand scale of things, but rarity is a relative term. For North American birders Dovekie is often seen one of two places, Alaska (where there is a small breeding population) and Newfoundland (where they winter). Of course, they are seen other places as well at times. If you take a winter pelagic trip off the North Eastern seaboard in winter you may encounter Dovekies. As well, they can also be seen in the other Canadian Atlantic Provinces. However, as a rule, Newfoundland presents the best, easiest and most civilized way, for many North Americans to have their Dovekie experience. Quite often Dovekies can be see at VERY close range in Newfoundland in winter. At times, I have seen thousands of Dovekies in a single day. While, there are other places to see Dovekie in winter, can they claim that? To see Dovekies go about their business in the bitter oceans off of Newfoundland in winter is a great experience and if you have not see it, you should! This brings me to the final reason for the love affair between Dovekies and birders.

A flight of Dovekies in Greenland
Photo: Carsten Egevang

Respect

There is something remarkable about those birds that choose to live life under the harshest possible conditions. While most birds are fleeing Newfoundland to escape our winter, Dovekies are just arriving to bask in it. Dovekies have found a way to thrive under circumstances that would be perilous to most other bird species. Having said that, not all Dovekies make it through the Newfoundland winter unscathed. During intense winter storms there are occasionally 'wrecks' of Dovekies. Essentially, some birds are driven by the harsh 100+km/hr winds into Bays, or worse, onto land. In the photo below I am holding a Dovekie prior that I rescued prior to release.

An OLD! photo of me holding a Dovekie that I rescued from the rocks. You can really get an idea how small these birds are when holding them in your hands.
Photo: Ken Knowles

Dovekies are small but they are fighters! Against all odds this bird escaped and was none the worse for it's encounter with this Herring Gull
Photo: John Williams

I have helped many people see their first Dovekie over the last 20 years, and not one of them were let down, no one was disappointed. Seeing a 6 inch long bird that weighs 150 grams expertly maneuver crashing waves and fierce swells, really is a sight to behold, and one that often leaves a lasting impression on a person.

This is the point in the article where I would like to take a minute to indulge in a little shameless self promotion and mention the Birding Newfoundland, Winter Birding Experience Tour, January 12th-17th 2019! Of course, Dovekie will be one of the star attractions but not the only one. Read the tour description for a full list of species and details. Now back to the article :)

So we have established that Dovekie are truly loved and I've tried to explain some reasoning for this. Now lets get some background information, where do these birds breed, what do they eat, who eats them? Yes you won't want to miss all the scintillating details of the traditional Inuit dish Kiviaq, which I've heard described as 'the Turducken from hell'!

Where do Dovekies Breed and Where do they Winter

Dovekies breed in Greenland, Iceland, Nova Zemeya Don't be afraid to use the link to see where this place is, I had to), and Svalbard. In North American they are known to breed on a number of islands in the Bering Strait and the Bering Sea.

Greenland hosts some truly massive numbers in the order of 30-60 million pairs! While Dovekies don't have a massive breeding range, they manage to cram a lot of individuals into their limited range. Dovekies will cram nests into rock crevices or beneath large rocks on these very precipitous slopes, where like other Auks, they lay a single egg.

A mass of Dovekies, Greenland
Photo: Carsten Egevang

As I previously stated many Dovekies winter in the waters off of Newfoundland and in other parts of the North Atlantic. They can also be found in the Norwegian sea. Wherever they are found, they feed primarily on small crustaceans called Copepods. If necessary they will also take other marine invertebrates and even small fish.

Dovekie in winter plumage. Note that Dovekies lose their black bib in winter and are all white below with white wrapping around the side of the head forming a cheek patch. This cheek path can be seen from quite some distance.
Photo: John Williams

We have learned a bit about Dovekies so far. We know where they breed,  where they winter and we know that birders love them. You probably already knew the later, since you are likely among their admirers! When possible, I like to include interesting facts about species that I highlight, including their meaningful interactions with humans. Do you remember when I mentioned Turducken from hell, it's time to explain what I meant by that.

It would seem that food can get quite scarce when you live in Greenland, I mean even the Dovekies leave in winter! So native Inuit had to be extremely ingenuitive to ensure they had enough food to make it through the long harsh Arctic winter. You likely have heard of the saying 'make hay when the sun shines'? The Inuit applied this to capturing Dovekies during the short Greenland summer. 

Thousands of Dovekie would be harvested, but how to store them without them rotting before winter? One solution is to take a Grey Seal, skin it, but leave the blubber lining, you don't want to waste that!. Then you take about 400 or so Dovekies, complete with bills, feet, feathers and stuff that seal skin until its full and then sew it up. You then take this Dovekie-stuffed Seal sausage, and bury it under rocks and let it ferment for a few months. After a few months you dig it up and voila you have the Inuit delicacy known as Kiviaq! After this extended period of fermentation the Dovkie meat is said to smell very ripe and I can believe it! I think I can almost smell it though the screen.

Kiviaq: Native Inuit delicacy of Grey Seal skin, stuff with Dovekies and left to ferment.

Hopefully, you enjoy the article and maybe even learned a little something about Dovkies and maybe even gained a new dinner recipe! I'll end with another amazing photo from Carsten Egevang, a great photographer who has spent considerable time in the Arctic doing a variety of activities, including taking breathtaking photos. Since I lost my Dovekie images when a hard drive crashed I thank everyone who contributed photos who made this article possible. I strongly recommend checking out Carsten's website here, where among other things you can purchase some amazing wall art.

Backlit Dovekies, note their characteristic shape in flight, a nerf football with wings!
Photo: Carsten Egevang

If you enjoyed this article you might also enjoy some of the other 120+ articles on the Birding Newfoundland Blog. Some of the latest articles include.

Separating Spizellas: Identification of Clay-coloured and Chipping Sparrows in Fall

An Illustrated Account of a Northern Goshawk Killing and Consuming a Northern Harrier

Birds of Newfoundland: Atlantic Puffin

Birder's: A Subculture?

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Birds of Newfoundland: Atlantic Puffin

When many people think of the birds of Newfoundland, they think of Atlantic Puffin, and for good reason. These small Alcids, with their colourful bills, are full of personality and are among the most charming of birds to watch.

Birding in Hurricane Chris and a Comparison to Other Storms

As of now there is a very good chance that hurricane Chris will cross the south east coast of Newfoundland's Avalon Peninsula, some time on Thursday. It is expected that the storm will have dissipated into a tropical storm or even a post-tropical depression by the time is makes landfall.

As I said in a previous blog, this is an unusual storm, in that it formed just off the Carolinas, remained stationary for several days and then began to track NE and pick up strength. That's in contrast to most storms, which have their origins off the African coast or in the Gulf of Mexico. But what does this mean for birding? To answer that lets first take a look at some previous storms including the "perfect birding storm", Hurricane Helene of 1958 and Hurricane Wilma of 2005.

This is not a topic I take lightly. Hurricanes cause enormous damage and disrupt bird populations. However, for birders they can be very exciting because they have the potential to displace birds over vast distances. These storms have been happening since time immemorial and will continue to occur. They will continue to displace birds. My thoughts are if the birds are coming anyway, we might as well enjoy them.

It has been a long time since Newfoundland has seen a hurricane borne fallout of birds. Well, that's not entirely true. In late October of 2005 the remnants of Hurricane Wilma combined with the passage of a strong low pressure system, and sent unseasonable numbers of Chimney Swifts, Swallows, Terns and Yellow-billed Cuckoos all over Atlantic Canada. It was perhaps the single largest displacement of hurricane driven birds ever!! Unfortunately, we blew it big time!!! Newfoundland birders failed to organize and there was no concerted effort to look for storm driven strays beyond the Avalon Peninsula. There were a bunch of good birds found on the eastern edge of the Avalon including hundreds of Chimney Swifts (rare in Newfoundland), Gull-billed Tern, Sandwich Tern and a likely Royal tern that slipped through my fingers tips before I clinch the id!



A number of factors combined to make this an extraordinary event. First of all the storm formed very quickly and intensified to one of the strongest hurricanes on record. I believe it had the lowest central pressure of any hurricane ever! It formed during a time (mid October) and in an area (Gulf of Mexico)where huge numbers of birds were migrating at the time. Even though the storm fizzled out and never officially made land fall in Newfoundland it combined with an intense low pressure system that allowed it to entrain birds until they finally escaped near the coast of Atlantic Canada.

To give you an idea of the significance of the movement of Chimney Swifts. Prior to Wilma I had seen 8 Chimney Swifts in Newfoundland in 10 years. On a singe day after Wilma, I saw over 150! Anyway, enough talk of that. I've been trying to suppress the memories of how bad we ( birders) botched this storm.

So moving on. Aside from Wilma you have to go back 53 years to September of 1958, when Hurricane Helene rained storm driven strays all over Western Newfoundland.The most notable species involved in this event were Laughing Gulls ( many hundreds) and Black Skimmers ( 10's). I don't think we have any records of Black Skimmer since.

Track showing the path of Hurricane Helene of 1958. Of note is this storms strength and the fact that it skirted the coast of the US in a bird rich area and then made landfall in Newfoundland without crossing land anywhere else.

This exactly the type of hurricane we need to bring in exotic terns and seabirds. Most important is the storms track over Tern rich Cape Hatteras, it's strength and the speed at which the storm was moving. Couple this with the fact that the storm managed to miss the rest of the eastern seaboard and hit Burgeo, Newfoundland directly as a H1 hurricane. It was the perfect storm for a wreck of exotic sea birds!! The thing is there weren't many people that were interested in looking for vagrant birds back in the 1950's in Newfoundland. Given what was found, one can only imagine what was missed! Given that even a single Laughing Gulls is notable in Newfoundland, flocks such as the one pictured below are truly incredible!




A photo the day after the passage on Hurricane Helene. Taken from Burgeo Sept 29th 1958. This photo was borrowed from a great paper written by legendary Newfoundland Ornithologist, Les Tuck. it can be viewed here in its entirety. (http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/JFO/v039n03/p0200-p0208.pdf)


Since 1958 we have had a few other storms that have gotten us excited, but none have produced a significant fall out of hurricane birds. When we do get direct or near direct hits from Hurricanes they are often storms that have been well out to sea for the duration of their existence, never getting close enough to the Tern rich areas from Florida to Cape Cod. These storms often form near the Cape Verde Islands in Africa, then track west, north of the Lesser Antilles. They then start to intensify into hurricanes as they enter the warmer water, but often encounter strong steering currents from low pressure systems sweeping out from the eastern US. This results in the storms re-curving away from the US coast and towards Bermuda, sometimes tracking on to hit Newfoundland, but more often missing us entirely.

Its still worth birding these storms however,since they have brought us a few good birds. We have had a couple of Least Terns and a White-tailed Tropicbird that have been found after the passage of such storms. Other highly pelagic species such as Sooty and Bridled Tern may also be possible after such storms. Below are some examples of such storms from the last few years.


Hurricane Florence of 2006,classic Cape Verde storm that re curved around Bermuda and was extra-tropical when it passed off the Avalon Peninsula on September 12th. A Least Tern and a dead White-tailed Tropicbird were found after this storm.


This much anticipated late August storm (Hurricane Bill) failed to produce anything too exotic, but we did find a rare Least Tern at Grand Bank, Burin Peninsula and there was a noticeable influx of shorebirds into the area.


This utterly useless storm (Hurricane Igor) powered into the Avalon Peninsula on the morning of September 21st. It's winds(that peaked at 173 km/hr) left a path of destruction in its wake and failed to bring a single vagrant sea bird. This is exactly the kind of storm we don't want. If we're going to get battered we should at least get a few avian rewards as compensation!

So now that we've reviewed some previous storms, what can we expect from Hurricane Chris. If the past is any indication, the answer is probably not that much. However, this storm does differ from those discussed above in a couple of ways, though it's hard to say what impact these differences may have on potential birding.

 Potential track of Hurricane Chris as of July 1

Unlike most Atlantic hurricanes this storm had its genesis off the coast of south Carolina, not that far from Cape Hatteras and also not that far from the continental shelf edge. This is notable because the area is quite bird rich with a number of species of breeding Terns and the waters not far offshore near the continental shelf edge are known for hosting a large number of seabird in both density and diversity. The question is was this storm strong enough and organized enough to trap any birds and carry them north?

The current track is somewhat tantalizing because as of now the storm is predicted to cross Newfoundland on the eastern edge of the Avalon Peninsula an area well known to birders. There are several sheltered harbours and tern colonies that could possibly attract and host a weary southern Tern trying to escape the fierce winds. As of now it's not certain what time the storm will make it to Newfoundland, but when it does, what's the best way to bird this storm?

Tips for Birding Hurricane Chris

The best way to bird this storm depends on it's final track and the time of the day it impacts eastern Newfoundland. Assuming the track holds, there will be strong S or SE winds in advance of the storm as it moves closer to Newfoundland. That means we might see pelagic birds, such as Shearwaters and Jaegers pushed into south facing headlands and sheltered harbours. Somewhere like Biscay Bay could be interesting as the storm approaches. Things will also depend on the conditions at the time. It's quite possible there will be driving and rain and thick fog, which could make birding outside a vehicle impossible, so areas that allow you to view from inside your car might be especially appealing.

If the storm doesn't pass until into the evening, then there are other options available. As the storm passes, it will likely generate N or NW 'wrap around' winds in it's wake. This may cause a build up of birds in  North facing areas on the Avalon, such as Holyrood harbour, which is a well known spot for it's concentrations of pelagic species during storms.

My personal plan is to be somewhere on the SE coast when the storm makes landfall, if it does so early in the day. If the storm doesn't pass until the evening or into the night, then I will be waking up early the following morning and will be checking harbours all along the eastern coast of the Avalon down to Cape Race and west to Biscay Bay and Trepassey for any potential vagrant species.

Whatever you decide to do, be safe. We could see heavy rain fall during the storm and driving conditions could get pretty bad. No rarity is worth your life! Have fun and safe birding, I'll follow up on my birding during Hurricane Chris this weekend.

Hurricane Birding Season to Open Next Week?!

I was just perusing the weather maps for the Eastern Atlantic like I do on a regular basis and found there is strong potential for a Tropical Storm to impact southern Newfoundland next week! Now of course, this subject it not to be taken lightly, major storms can cause property damage and threaten peoples lives. However, they are also a cause of excitement for birders, since birds can be displaced long distances in such storms and many normally pelagic species can also be pushed close to land, often in sheltered coves. You may want to have a look a previous discussion I had about hurricane birding in Newfoundland- available here ( Review of NL Hurricanes and birding)

Below is the a snapshot of the storm in question that may develop into Tropical Storm Chris in a couple days.


This is a bit of an unusual storm. Most Atlantic hurricanes and tropical storms develop off the coast of Africa or in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This storm is different in that it's forming off the coast of the Carolinas and is expected to sit there for a bit, then start to move NE strengthening to a topical storm, then a category 1 hurricane, before it's expected to make landfall in SE Newfoundland as a topical storm or tropical depression.

Track for Tropical Disturbance 3, soon to become Tropical Storm Chris

It's hard to say what the birding potential of a storm with a track such as this is. The storms that have the most potential to bring birds to Newfoundland are the ones that are already strong when they skirt the Cape Hatteras. This storm is forming in a fairly bird rich area and right in the middle of the breeding season as well. This is also different, since most tropical storms we get arrive in August-October, when most southern terns and Gulls would have already finished breeding. I wonder if this storm holds potential to displace recently fledged birds or parents they may be out to sea feeding.

The vast majority of the time these storms turn out to be total duds from a birding perspective, though the potential is always there and the anticipation and pondering is half the fun. If this track played out exactly as shown we'd be hoping to have a chance to see southern Tern species such as Sooty Tern, Bridled Tern, Royal Tern, Sandwich Tern, Least Tern and Black Skimmer. There would probably also be potential for Laughing Gulls. Then there is absolute dream of possibly seeing a rare petrel from the south such as Audubons, Black-capped or Feas. Maybe even something equally exotic for Newfoundland waters such a Red-billed or White-tailed Tropicbird, the latter of which has occurred once already, following the passage of a hurricane.

There really is no way to predict what will happen. Chances are the winds produced by this storm will not be strong enough to displace many birds, but if the track was right they could coerce some birds closer to Newfoundland, that then may find their way into feeding flocks and tern colonies.

I will be sure to update the progress and track of this storm and the potential it may have for birding next week.!

If you have an interest in how weather influences birds, migration, vagrancy etc and would like to learn more, I am offering a thorough discussion of the topic. This will likely be offered as an online webinar via facebook. More details about that can be found here!

Shearwaters: Global Travellers

We are about to enter one of the most exciting periods for birding in the Newfoundland calendar of birding events- Summer sea birding. When I say sea birding I'm not really referring to the millions of Alcids that breed on our coasts, or the 10's of thousands of Gannets or the 650,000 Leache's Storm Petrels- those are a given. I'm talking about Shearwaters, Jaegers, Skuas and hopefully rare Terns and Gulls.

Among my favourite birds are the Shearwaters. We have three species that are seen in our waters in from summer into early fall, Great Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater and Manx Shearwater. Only the Manx Shearwaters are here to breed, though many of the bird we may not be breeders. Most Manx Shearwaters breed on islands in Northern Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, but they also breed in Iceland various other places south to the Azores. A small number of Manx Shearwaters breed on islands off the southern coast of Newfoundland as well.

Manx Shearwater (Photo: IBC)

The species most likely to be seen are Great  and Sooty Shearwater. These two species can at times be seen in very large numbers, even from shore in Newfoundland in summer and early fall. There have been many times when rafts of 20,000 Sooties and similar numbers of Greats have been reported. They come to Newfoundland to feed and overwinter, these birds are truly global travellers.

Breeding in the Southern Hemisphere, these birds nest in burrows on remote islands, free from mammalian predators. They visit their burrows only at night much the same way our nesting Leache's Storm Petrels do. They spend the vast majority of their lives at sea, they have no use for land except to breed. Also known as Tubenoses, Shearwaters are among several types of birds that have their nostrils encased in tube shapes structures at the bases of their bills. This is just one of the adaptations  that allow Shearwaters to live their pelagic way of life. They are able to drink sea water and then excrete the salt in drops from their nostrils.

Sooty Shearwater-Note the tubes at the base of the bill (photo: View from the Cape blog)

Shearwaters are also built for long distance, energy efficient flight. They are easily recognizable by their quick wing beats on very stiff wings, followed by periods of gliding. At times, they cut through the air, low to the surface with a wing tip tearing through the waters edge- hence the name 'Shearwater'. They can be easily distinguished from Gulls, Jaegers and other types of seabirds based on this flight pattern. In strong winds Shearwaters can go long periods of time without needing to flap at all as they expertly ride the wind currents. Note the characteristic Shearwater flight pattern exhibited by the Manx Shearwater in the following video

The two species of Shearwaters most commonly seen off the coast of Newfoundland are Sooty and Great Shearwater. These species seem to time their arrival with the appearance of bait fish such as Capelin. If you get the timing just right you can occasionally see masses of Shearwaters feeding on Capelin just meters from land, as Capelin roll on beaches to spawn.

Scores of Sooty Shearwaters resting offshore between feeding frenzies

Part of a Sooty Shearwater flock

Sooty Shearwaters- one feeding on Capelin

Sooty Shearwater feeding on Capeline

Sooties chasing Capelin

Great Shearwater- note obvious two toned appearance, dark cap contrasting with pale face and under parts. Dark belly patch is often not visible on distant birds.

With only two species likely, identification is usually not an issue. At a distance, Sooty Shearwaters appear plainly dark above and below, the white under wing panels formed by the contrast of the under wing coverts (against the flight feathers and axillaries) often show as just a brief flash and at times may not be visible at all. At closer rangers the white under wings are clearly visible.If a bird is far enough away that it appears entire dark on the upper side and underside and you aren't confident it's a Sooty, then the bird is probably too far away to be identified anyway!

Note on the above bird, even though it is nearly silhouetted against the sky, the pale under wing panel created by the white under wing coverts is still quite visible.

The other Common Shearwater seen in Newfoundland in summer is Great Shearwater. Being a big larger and longer winged than Sooty and having deeper wing beats, this usually isn't an identification issue. Great Shearwaters are medium brown on the back with a slightly darker cap, flight feathers and tail, with a conspicuous white rump band. The pale rump is visible at  long range, but when not visible the differences in size, flight pattern and the pale underside are usually enough to separate Great from Sooty or Manx Shearwaters. As well at close range Great Shearwater has a brown path on the lower belly. This is often not visible at long range.

Note the pale under parts and contrasting dark cap on white face

Note the thin white rump band against a darker brown tail

There is a fourth species of Shearwater that is occasionally visible in Newfoundland water's, Cory's Shearwater. having said that it is generally only seen from a ferry, in the later summer when water temperatures are the warmest. It is a species which tends to prefer water temps a little warmer than those preferred by Sooty, Great or Manx. There are a couple of legitimate sightings from land and while it's worth having in the back of your mind, it's usually not a realistic possibility and it's identification is beyond the scope of this article.

It's June 2nd as I write this and capelin are already being reported in some areas, so the Shearwaters can't be far behind. I can't wait!

Speculations About Maria

Well it looks as though we are going to get hit by Tropical Storm/ Tropical Depression Maria. To be quite honest I'm not sure what to expect from this storm. The storm has never been that strong, with winds maxing out at Tropical Storm strength. It has lost many of its tropical characteristics, it does not have much in the way of surface rotation or spiral bands and it's not expected to intensify much, if at all, before it reaches us.

The storm has been out at sea the entire time only coming close to land near the Northern Antilles islands. Due to its pelagic nature its very unlikely that Maria will bring any land birds with it.However, it still might have the potential to carry a rare tern or two our way. It isn't the type of storm that will entraiin birds and drag them long distances, but it's moderately strong winds could certainly persuade some birds in our direction.

I'm still trying to develop a game plan for birding this storm. Right now it's expected that the storm will pass through eastern Newfoundland, somewhere near the Avalon Peninsula and the winds are forecast to be from the south. This isn't exactly the most productive direction to produce a movement of sea birds but southern facing points on the Avalon could be good, that is if it's not too foggy to see!

I'll probably try my luck at Cape Spear. This location is generally better in a N or NW wind, but I've seen some good sea bird movements on southerly winds here as well. If the winds get up to 60+km/hr sustained you can expect to see Storm Petrels and some other tubenoses going by.

If the storm tracks futher to the east and generates N or NE wrap around winds after it passes, then there could be a nice movement and birds like Leach's Storm Petrels and Jaegers will be pushed into Conception Bay. If this happens places like Kelligrews, Seal Cove and Holyrood will be worth checking.

The day after the storm passes it will be well worth checking all coves and beaches on the Avalon Peninsula for any tired storm birds. Possible species (no matter how unlikely) are Black Tern, Least Tern, Sooty Tern, Bridled Tern and Magnificent Frigatebird. Just look everywhere and at every tern. Photograph anything unfamiliar and get the word out if you think you have something unusual.

Good luck!!

Katia Passes, Bring on Marie

Well Hurricane Katia passed by south eastern Newfoundland today without coming within 300 miles of the nearest land at Cape Race. Due to this storms track far from land and it missing us by such a large margin its not thought that we will get any hurricane waifs from the storm. Having said that I'm still prepared to be surprised by a southern Tern or White-tailed Tropicbird. I'll be birding the Cape Race area tomorrow, so we'll see what's around then.

So Katia was a bust, but no worries there is a new storm that looks like it has some potential according to the latest model readings. This is the 95L that I alluded to the my last posting. It's fluctuated between Hurricane Marie and Tropical Storm Marie over the last couple of days. The storm is having trouble maintaining spin and organization and may in fact fizzle out to almost nothing before it even gets to us. However, it will be entering the warmer waters off the south eastern US in the next couple days and it could very well intensify. If Marie can get her act together and become a real Hurricane the current tracks suggest that it could head straight for eastern Newfoundland. Again, its not thought to get that close to the eastern seaboard, so even if we do get hit, it might not bring a birds. We'll have to wait and see. Here are what the current models are suggesting.


This shows the potential tracks that TS/Hurricane Marie might take over the next week. Tracks this far out are inherrently wrought with error, but the fact that all the models are suggesting a very similar course makes it quite likely that the actual track will be very similar to what's pictured here

BIG YEAR UPDATE

Over the last couple of days I added three new birds to my year list and picked up a a bonus bird when I realized that somehow I had forgotten to tick Common Redpoll. The other birds added were Dunlin, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER and ORCHARD ORIOLE.

The latter two species are extremely rare in the province. There are maybe 6-8 records of Golden-winged and perhaps just a single good record of Orchard Oriole and this was the second to be well documented and photographed in the province. The situation with Orchard Oriole in Newfoundland is an odd one because it seems to be underrepresented. The species is recorded several times annually in both New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, yes we have two records??!!The photos aren't among the best I've taken, but when your dealing with rarities documentation trumps aesthetics.






With the addition of the above mentioned species my current year total sits at 246. This is just one species short of the single year Newfoundland list record. My original goal of 260 species is well within reach. If I really go hard and we have an influx of good birds 270 might not be totally out of the question, although that's an almost unimaginable number. In fact, 247 was thought to be unbeatable and 260 was thought to be somewhat outlandish, so who knows!

I'm still working on the Common Ringed Plover piece. I need to dedicate a couple of hours to get it clued up. Look for it in the very near future.

Katia Update and Looking Ahead

As promised here is an update on the track of Hurricane Katia. When I last posted a couple of days ago things were looking pretty exciting. The storm was forecast to track relatively close to the eastern seaboard then re curve to Newfoundland. Well, all of that has changed. Now it looks like Katia will come under the influence of a strong low pressure system ( remnants of TS Lee)which will steer it well off the coast of Newfoundland.


Note that all the models have Katia passing well east of Newfoundland. Good news for everyone but birders!

Having said that all is not lost. If the remnants of Lee remains relatively strong and sweeps up the coast combined with Katia, it could still bring us some stuff but will not have the potential to carry pelagic birds. If Katia gets within 200 miles of the eastern seaboard and then passes within 200 miles of Newfoundland it will still be worth looking for waifs that could have been carried in our general direction and then continued to our shores to rest.

Ok so it looks like Katia will be a bust but I'm an optimist. I'll just brush this let down aside and move on. While is this hugely disappointing my years of languishing as a Leafs and Cubs fan have taught me a thing or two about let downs and disappointment! So, just like there is always next season, there's always another storm. I guess its a toss as to what will happen first, a hurricane driven fallout of birds, a Toronto Maple Leahs Stanley Cup or a Cubs world series. Considering its been 54 years since our last hurricane fallout and 45 years since the Leafs last won the cup, it could be close! I won't even mention the Cubs!

Anyway, that next storm is on the horizon, well figuratively speaking. There is a system currently named 95L ( storms don't receive names until they reach tropical storm strength) that's developing off of Africa. This storm is already looking pretty organized with lots of heavy thunderstorms. Its in an area of extremely warm water and it looks to be destined to become a tropical storm and probably a hurricane. its' way too early to consider tracks but its forming south of where Katia formed,which will give it a better chance of getting close to the eastern seaboard. So I'll keep an eye on that one and update accordingly!


One can always hope!!

Look for something on Ringed Plover identification coming up. I found a juvenile Ringed Plover on the southern Avalon Peninsula two days ago. It's the 6th ( 3rd juvenile)I've found in Newfoundland and the 10th provincial record. As a juv its a bit tougher to id then an adult. I'll talk about some of the finer point of separating juvenile and Ringed and Semipalmated in the next update!

ps: the Ringed Plover was 239 on the year. This morning I added a Gnatcatcher for 240. That brings me within 8 birds of the Newfoundland big year record.

Keeping an Eye on Katia and Revisiting Some Old Storms

It's been several months since I last updated this blog. I apologize to my regular readers for the lack of new content. I've gotten inordinately busy with work and life in general. But now that I'm back there are a couple of things I want to talk about.

My Newfoundland big year continues to chug along. It has been a great year for rarities and I've accumulated a list of 238 species seen to date. This currently sits just 9 species short of the Newfoundland year list record. If there are even a few gettable rarities this fall I will likely have a shot at my goal of 260. In my next post I'll do a bit of a recap of my year so far and will include photos and discussion of some of the rarities.

As well,we are in the middle of the Atlantic hurricane season. It has been the second most active season on record and promises to continue to be exciting in the next couple of months. This is not a topic I take lightly. Hurricanes cause enormous damage and disrupt bird populations. However, for birders they can be very exciting because they have the potential to displace birds over vast distances. These storms have been happening since time immemorial and will continue to occur. They will continue to displace birds. If the birds are coming anyway, we might as well enjoy them.

It has been a long time since Newfoundland has seen a hurricane borne fallout of birds. Well, that's not entirely true. In late October of 2005 the remnants of Hurricane Wilma combined with the passage of a strong low pressure system and rained Chimney Swifts, Swallows, Terns and Yellow-billed Cuckoos all over Atlantic Canada. It was perhaps the single largest displacement of hurricane driven birds ever!! Unfortunately, we blew it big time!!! Newfoundland birders failed to organize and there was no concerted effort to look for storm driven strays beyond the Avalon Peninsula. There were a bunch of good birds found on the eastern edge of the Avalon including hundred of Chimney Swifts ( rare in Newfoundland),Gull-billed Tern, Sandwich Tern and a likely Royal tern that slipped through my fingers tips before I clinch the id!



A number of factors combined to make this an extraordinary event. First of all the storm formed very quickly and intensified to one of the strongest hurricanes on record. I believe it had the lowest central pressure of any hurricane ever! It formed during a time (mid October) and in an area (Gulf of Mexico)where huge numbers of birds were migrating at the time. Even though the storm fizzled out and never officially made land fall in Newfoundland it combined with an intense low pressure system that allowed it to entrain birds until they finally escaped near the coast of Atlantic Canada.

To give you an idea of the significance of the movement of Chimney Swifts. Prior to Wilma I had seen 8 Chimney Swifts in Newfoundland in 10 years. On a singe day after Wilma, I saw over 150! Anyway, enough talk of that. I've been trying to suppress the memories of how bad we ( birders) botched this storm.

So moving on. Aside from Wilma you have to go back 53 years to September of 1958, when Hurricane Helene rained storm driven strays all over Western Newfoundland.The most notable species involved in this event were Laughing Gulls ( many hundreds) and Black Skimmers ( 10's). I don't think we have any records of Black Skimmer since.



This exactly the type of hurricane we need to bring in exotic terns and seabirds. Most important is the storms track over Tern rich Cape Hatteras, the speed at which the storm was moving. Couple this with the fact that the storm managed to miss the rest of the eastern seaboard and hit Burgeo, Newfoundland directly as a H1 hurricane. It was the perfect storm for a wreck of exotic sea birds!!




A photo the day after the passage on Hurricane Helene. Taken from Burgeo Sept 29th 1958. This photo was borrowed from a great paper written by legendary Newfoundland Ornithologist, Les Tuck. it can be viewed here in its entirety. (http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/JFO/v039n03/p0200-p0208.pdf)


Since 1958 we have had a few other storms that have gotten us excited, but none have produced a significant fall out of hurricane birds. When we do get direct or near direct hits from Hurricanes they are often storms that have been well out to sea for the duration of their existence, never getting close enough to the Tern rich areas from Florida to Cape Cod. These storms often form near the Cape Verde Islands in Africa, then track west, north of the Lesser Antilles. They then start to intensify into hurricanes as they enter the warmer water, but often encounter strong steering currents from low pressure systems sweeping out from the eastern US. This results in the storms re curving away from the US coast and towards Bermuda,sometimes tracking on to hit Newfoundland, but more often missing us entirely.

Its still worth birding these storms however,since they have brought us a few good birds. We have had a couple of Least Terns and a White-tailed Tropicbird that have been found after the passage of such storms. Other highly pelagic species such as Sooty and Bridled Tern may also be possible after such storms. Below are some examples of such storms from the last few years.


Hurricane Florence of 2006,classic Cape Verde storm that re curved around Bermuda and was extra-tropical when it passed off the Avalon Peninsula on September 12th. A Least Tern and a dead White-tailed Tropicbird were found after this storm.


This much anticipated late August storm failed to produce anything too exotic, but we did find a rare Least Tern at Grand Bank, Burin Peninsula and there was a noticeable influx of shorebirds into the area.


This utterly useless storm powered in to the Avalon Peninsula on the morning of September 21st. It's winds(that peaked at 173 km/hr) left a path of destruction in its wake and failed to bring a single vagrant sea bird. This is exactly the kind of storm we don't want. If we're going to get battered we should at least get a few avian rewards as compensation!

So all of the above is an incredibly long-winded way of saying I get excited about hurricanes and the exciting birding possibilities they create. All of this rambling is made more relevant by the fact that as I type this Cat 1 Hurricane Katia is spinning its way west, currently lying about 600 miles ENE of the Lesser Antilles. Like other storms and some of the examples above Katia is predicted to intensify as it passes the Caribbean and then re curve in a North Easterly direction around Bermuda towards Newfoundland.

I've been following this storm since its genesis off the west coast of Africa and as of now the various computer models are having a difficult time predicting the track that Katia will take. Its not thought that the storm will hit either the Eastern US or Bermuda, but rather pass somewhere between the two. After that its any ones guess,since predictions of hurricane tracks greater than 5 days out are wrought with error. Well known Hurricane guru Dr. Jeff Masters in his latestBLOG entry said " It is still unclear how much of a threat Katia may pose to the U.S., but it is becoming increasingly clear that Katia will pass uncomfortably close to the U.S. East Coast. The trough of low pressure currently steering Katia to the northwest will lift out early next week, and a ridge of high pressure is expected to build in, forcing Katia more to the west. This decreases the danger to Bermuda, but increases the danger to the U.S. A second trough of low pressure is expected to begin affecting Katia by the middle of next week, and will potentially re curve the storm out to sea before it hits the U.S."

If Katia should track more to the west and pass within a 100 miles or so of the eastern US then re curve towards Newfoundland (giving a track similar to Helene in 1958) we could experience some exciting birding. Storms that stay far out to sea have limited possibilities like Tropicbirds and maybe Sooty and Bridled Terns. When a storm gets close to the US coast a host of new possibilities come into play such as Brown Pelican, Sandwich Tern, Royal Tern, Forster's Tern, Least Tern and others!However, this is a big if! The extended forecast models have been flip flopping over the last few days showing Katia making landfall in Newfoundland as far west as Burgeo and currently show it passing about 100 miles east of Newfoundland.


This is the ensemble model forecast. It basically shows a bunch of possible tracks resulting from various environmental factors, then shows a track median ( the white line). Note that several of these tracks would be very favorable for bringing exotic southern strays to Newfoundland.



Shown here is the storm pulse track which currently shows the storm passing east of the Avalon Peninsula. It is way too early to make an accurate prediction about how close the storm will come to Newfoundland, or how intense it will be when/if it does make it here. Note that several of the models have the storm tracking ina slightly more westerly direction. Shift the median track 200- 300 miles miles to the east and Christmas will be coming early for Newfoundland birders around September 12th!!


So of course, all of this is nothing more than idle speculation, which is half then fun in birding. It's probably half the skill as well. Knowing what to expect, knowing what the possibilities are and where to look for them. Many times the identification is the easy part. The tough part is putting yourself in the right place at the right time and that's something you can't learn from a field guide.

I look forward to following this storm on my blog and updating everyone on my big year exploits. Sorry for the long absence, I'll try to keep the ball rolling with more regular posts this time!