Thc Nesting Season June 1-July 31, 1989 ATLANTIC PROVINCES REGION Bruce Mactavish ummeris the season when traditionally birdwatchers in this Region do the least amount of birdwatching. The Maritime Breeding Bird Atlas, in its third year, has donea lot to changethat. New discoveriesabout everyday commonspecies make them exciting. Many people were o out in the field this summer in the three Maritime Prov- PIERRE inces: New Brunswick. Prince Edward Island, and Nova ET MIQUELOt Scotia. Brian Dalzell, coordinator of the project, sent a comprehensivereport of this summer'sfindings and they make up the bulk of this summer season report. The weather was about averageover the Region. Rarities were few, but two firsts for the Region were recorded, one long overdue and the other not even dreamed about: Sandwich Tern and Marbled Murrelet. BRUNSWICK ABBREVIATIONS -- S.P.M. = Saint Pierre et Miquelon. • FredericIon LOONS TO HERONS -- Red-throatedLoons in breeding plumagesouth of the breedingrange during the summerare ATLANTIC OCEAN not unexpected,but one July 8 severalkm up River Hebert, NS. was unusual becauseit was inland (TE). The only 2 locationssouth of Labradorin the Regionwhere the species hasbred are Miquelon,S.P.M.. which hada nestwith oneegg June16 and a pair with two youngJuly 17 0VIB),and the Gray Islands,NF, where adultswere seenin late June(JW). Map Illustration/Denise L. O'Brien Adult Pied-billed Grebes in Newfoundland--where rare, especiallyin summer--were one July 7 into Augustat St. this promisingsite (RE). Manx Shearwaterswere said to be John's{m.ob.) and one July 17 at Loch Lomond (BMt). An "commonerthan ever" around Brier I., NS (fide IM). unseasonalRed-necked Grebe was at Summerville, NS, Iune A local, uncommon,elusive Regionalbreeder is the Least 18 Bittern, which was found on territory at 2 locations,both in The capelinspawning season in Newfoundlandand adja- New Brunswick:Piries Lake near Grand Falls (BD) and Mus- cent St. Pierre et Miquelonin late Junebrought the predict- quashMarsh near Saint John(RW). Great Blue Heronswere able thousandsof shearwatersin close to shore. Highest againseen at SandyPoint I., NF, in Junewhere the province's counts,mere fractionsof the actual numberspresent, were first nestingis surely only a visit away (JB).A "white-headed" "well over" 10,000Greater Shearwaters June 15 off Miquelon, Great Blue Heron June 1 at W. Lawrencetown, NS, was said S.P.M. (RE), and 7000 Greater and 1500 Sooty shearwaters to look "just like Wurdemann'sheron in the book" (fide IM). June25 off St. Shott's,NF (KK, BMt). The only Cory's Shear- All six of the Snowy Egretsreported were from Nova Scotia watersreported were two July 5 from a ferry in Cape Breton includingthree in breedingdisplay in early Juneat w. Law- I. waters (JJ).Reports of large numbers of Manx Shearwaters rencetown(IM). No further word was receivedon the 3 pairs are becomingcommonplace in Newfoundland and neigh- noted in late May on Bon Portage,I., NS, site of last year's bouringSt. Pierre et Miquelon. Two hundred fifty, most of first confirmedRegional breeding. A Little Blue Heron was at them sittingon the water in one flock, were southof St. Pierre Miquelon, $.P.M., June4-14 (RE),and an ad. Yellow-crowned July 21 (ST et al.). Eighty flew past St. Shott's on June 25 (KK, Night-Heron was near Lunenburg, NS, July 20-23 (BMy). BMt). They seem reluctant to colonizeen masse,although Green-backedHerons breed Regionallyonly in New Bruns- they are beingheard at night by seabirdscientists at various wick, with the Saint JohnRiver valley being the population seabird colonies in the area. Two out of 3 artificial burrows centre,but evenhere they are localand uncommon.A weakly on Columbier I., S.P.M., were visited by Manx Shearwaters, flying juvenile at Ste-Anne-de-Madawaska,NB, July 16 ex- but nonewas heard callingfrom natural crevicesas in past tendedthe breedingrange farther north (BD). An individual years.Yet anotheryear passedwithout an actual nestingat at St. Pierre, S.P.M.,July 10-12 was off course(fide RE). Volume 43, Number 5 1285 WATERFOWL, RAPTORS -- There was a "great influx" Maritimes Breeding Bird Atlas Program has been nesting of of Northern Shovelers into Prince Edward Island with several Solitary Sandpipers in New Brunswick, well south of the breeding records (RC]. Numbers were also thought to be previously known range. This summer New Brunswick's 2nd higher than usual in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (BD, and 3rd breedingrecords were establishedby two almostfully ST). At the eastern extremity of the Region, Newfoundland fledgedgrown juveniles July 7 near Juniper(BD) and two just- had a record number of shovelerswith a pair in early June at fledged juveniles in late June at St. Martins (RW). Sandy Pt. (fide JB);a pair and a singlemale June 16 at Wigeon There were several noisy Willets July 2 at Sandy Point I., Pond,Codroy Valley (RB);2 pairs throughJune at Plum Pt. (J. NF, the site of the province's only nesting.Two Willets were Gibbons);one June 30 at Gull I., Witless Bay (B. Threlfell)• one seen June 6 & 15 at Grand Barachois,S.P.M., where they are in late June at Gray Islands (JW)• and one July 15-16 at now just annual summer visitors but may soon be breeders Stephenville(ST). Prince Edward Islandis the Gadwall capital (RE). A pair of Upland Sandpipersin a potato field at Lower of the Region.This seasonthat province had four broodsplus W. Pubnico, NS, in July raised hopes for a first provincial probable nestingsat 3 other locales (RC). A drake Gadwall breeding (RS et at.). Another Upland Sandpiperwas at Grand June4-9 at Miquelon furnished the first record for the French Pre, NS, July 19 (fide PM). A full breeding plumaged black c• islands(RE). Four broodsof Am. Wigeon July 16 in a pond at Ruff July 16-17 was at Brier I., NS (IM), and a 9 Ruff July 23 Stephenville Crossing,NF, provided a new breeding site for was at Cherry Hill Beach, NS (BMy). Wilson's Phalaropesare the province (ST et al.). working at becomingestablished breeders in New Brunswick; Two pairs of Redheads spent the summer at Neenan's although no nests were found, pairs of adults were seen at Marsh near Borden, PEI, without breeding (RC). Eight to 10 Cape Jourimain, Fredericton, and the Lower Saint John River broods of Ring-necked Ducks on Cobb's Pond near Gander, (fide BD). Early southbound sea-faring phalaropes are not NF. representedan exceptionallyhigh breedingdensity (BMt). often reported; therefore, two Red Phalaropes July 13 in the The annual summer concentration of c• Greater Scaup at Cabot Strait, NF (ST), and many Reds and a few Red-necked Stephenville Crossing,NF, was up to 45 on July 15 (ST). A PhalaropesJuly 16 off Brier I. (IM) were noteworthy. 2nd-summer c• King Eider June 17-July 5 at Campobello I., There was little comment on numbers or dates of Arctic NB, was unseasonablebut not unprecedentedfor the southern breedingshorebirds on their return passagein July,suggesting latitude in the Region (S. Pottle et at.). A 9 Harlequin Duck that migration was normal. on a river at Eddies Cove W., NF, in late June raised hopesof breeding (PL). JAEGERS TO ALCIDS -- The capelin spawning season One of the finest concentrations of feeding Ospreys to be in Newfoundland waters mid-June to mid-July attracts many seen anywhere is at Bellevue Beach, NF, where 25-30 were seabirdswithin sight of land, including subadult jaegers.This watched July 19 (BMt et al.). Perhaps a recent immigrant to summer's records were of three Parasitic JaegersJune 15 at Newfoundland but now fairly common in suitable habitat is Grand Barachois,S.P.M. (RE); two Parasitic,four Long-tailed, N. Harrier; the province's first actual nest, documented at and six unidentified jaegersJune 25 at Southern Avalon Pen., Shearstown,Conception Bay, was a mere technicality (KM et NF (KK, BMt); and 13 Pomafine, six Parasitic, and 13 uniden- al.). Maritime breeding bird atlassetsfound several Red- tified jaegers July 11 at Placentia Bay, NF (KE, DW). Two shouldered Hawks in s.w. New Brunswick as expected (fide unidentified skuas,one probably a Great Skua, were seenJuly BD).Ariassets also discovered several territorial Broad-winged 11 in Placentia Bay, NF (KE, DW). Hawks on Prince Edward Island, proving again that contrary An unusual concentrationof Laughing Gulls was of three to popular belief this specieswill crosssignificant expanses adults and one subadult June 15 at Miquelon, S.P.M. (RE). of water (fide RC). Mice populationsmust have reboundedin The only other one reported was a 2nd-summer bird June 18 coastalLabrador after last year's scarcity,judging by the large numbersof occupiedRoughdegged Hawk nestsfound in areas where they were almost all abandonedin 1988 (JB,DL). One, possibly two, ad. Golden Eagles throughout much of the A Smallhldid, se6n lu!y •5 iff,th6Ocean Off-a bea61• period in the Nictau-Riley Brook area of New Brunswick nearthe moutl•oœ tie, LittleCodroy R• •n s.w•New• raised the exciting possibilityof breeding (fide BD). fo•fidl•nd•flabbergasted S•fiart• Tin• anda• e•re In this the final year of a 3-year survey of breeding Pere- '•in• tou• group•hen it turnedout t6 be a Marbled grine Falcons on the Labrador coast, co-sponsoredby the M•elei•'A0Pakefitly•6•thy • ififfUilfir•e•ng plU• World Wildlife Fund, Natural History Society of Newfound- mage,it wag:•el•studied aslt fed ne• shorefor land and Labrador, Canadian Wildlife Service, and New- 6f• •mor•n•;T• was;ah•si •f% th• Atl•nfi• o•6an, foundland and Labrador Wildlife Division, an additional 11 b•i ih•a•adfic•C•st a!si4h•ppe•effinl•d $nN0rtk pairs were discovered,bringing the total number of known AmefiCa?se3elhlti•es incluffifigN• territorial pairs and/or neststo an impressive26 in Labrador •o•rea], Qufibec;and •epi 1•, i982:•estem Mas: (JB,DL).