STORY CONTINUES BELOW THESE SALTWIRE VIDEOS
In the final column, I made a prediction.
The forecasted climate maps confirmed 48 hours of sturdy northeast and east winds blowing direct from the Ireland and Iceland to southeast Labrador and the complete east coast of Newfoundland. I recommended not one however a half dozen species of European birds that one would possibly search for if these winds really materialized.
I nailed each species, however there was much more!
This was as farfetched as placing all of your money on the staff that might win the Stanley Cup even earlier than the primary sport of the season had been performed. It was three elements luck and the remaining dreaming. All of us birders are all the time dreaming concerning the prospects.
Rare birds
The winds liable for the displacement of birds occurred on April 2 and three. The winds caught birds that had been migrating between wintering areas in Ireland to their nesting grounds in Iceland.
The first report of a uncommon hen was two European golden plovers in Cartwright by Wendy and Jeff Martin late on April 2.
Then, on the following day, there was a gangbuster discover of a typical shelduck in a roadside pond in Bonavista by Jon Joy.
An hour later, an unbelievable {photograph} of a Eurasian oystercatcher in downtown St. John’s feeding within the median on the nook of Water Street and Hamilton Avenue was posted by Christina Child.
Beating data
The occasions on the following day blew the whole lot out of the file books. Colleen Rumbolt reported a whooper swan noticed close to St. Lewis, Labrador.
At St. Anthony, a graylag goose was discovered by John and Ivy Gibbons, and two pink-footed geese had been found by Aimee Buckle whereas out for a walk.
Meanwhile, three barnacle geese had been noticed in a discipline off Cochrane Pond Road in Goulds by Alison Mews.
A number of small teams of European golden plovers additionally started displaying up.
Sky’s the restrict
This was clearly a one-of-a-kind occasion with the sky now the restrict.
By the fourth day, we had been all however numbed by the incoming experiences. Vernon Buckle was despatched {a photograph} of one other graylag goose at Forteau, Labrador.
On Facebook, there was {a photograph} of a whooper swan at Sop’s Arm, White Bay by Nicole Davis, one other pink-footed goose at La Scie was posted by Kim Ward, after which two extra barnacle geese had been photographed at Robert’s Arm by Shelly Winsor.
Over the next couple of days, there was a superb flock of 4 black-tailed godwits in Portugal Cove South on April 7 discovered by Richard Thomas, and one other on a garden simply south of Cape Broyle reported through Chris Ryan.
Unbelievably, the third whooper swan of the occasion confirmed up at Bonavista on April 7 and was posted for all of the world to see on Newfoundland and Labrador Birdwatching Facebook web page by Mark Gray.
Mardi Gras for birders
Whew! I simply detailed greater than a yr’s price of main league rarities within the first half of a hen column.
Some of those birds – just like the widespread shelduck, whooper swan, graylag goose and Eurasian oystercatcher – have occurred solely a handful of instances on this aspect of the Atlantic, albeit a lot of the earlier data had been from this province.
It was Mardi Gras time for the birders.
Some of the vagrant birds had been current just for one or two days whereas others remained for 10 days.
Flying in – and out
The largest crowd pleasers had been the widespread shelduck in Bonavista, the Eurasian oystercatcher in St. John’s, the whooper swans in Sop’s Arm and Bonavista and the 4 black-tailed godwits in Portugal Cove South.
A number of mainland birders flew in to participate within the social gathering.
All of those displaced birds will doubtless be sturdy sufficient to right their navigational mishap and fly again to their supposed summer season vacation spot in Iceland after their little aspect journey to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Almost misplaced within the avalanche of Icelandic rarities was the well-known Steller’s sea eagle, seen by Lisa Murphy in Bonavista whereas on the lookout for the widespread shelduck.
The sample of sightings for this hen is following that of 2023. Expectations are excessive that it’ll spend the summer season within the Trinity space.
Lingering guests
Some Icelandic vagrants proceed to linger within the province because the winds change to a powerful southwesterly stream bringing in vagrants from one other path.
An important egret, photographed by Evelyn Dumka at Little Catalina, was an unique sight from the south.
Equally unique, however on a smaller scale, had been rose-breasted grosbeaks at a half-dozen yard feeders within the western half of the province.
More southern vagrants are anticipated as this text goes to print. There are some fairly fascinating winds blowing our manner from the southeastern United States within the subsequent couple of days. Dare I make a prediction? Everyone from feeder watchers to hard-core hen watchers would love a painted bunting. Look that one up and, when it reveals up at your feeder, please unfold the information.
Spring of 2024 has began out with a bang.
