Abbreviations: S.EM. (Saint Pierre et wintered in s.c. , while five Miquelon),G.M.I. (GrandManan L, in Nova Scotiadwindled to a persistent Atlantic N.B.), P.E.I. (without locality,Prince pair in Dartmouth.A Canvasbackwas EdwardIsland) unusualin earlyDecember at NewMinas, NS. A LesserScaup again wintered in St. Provinces Grebes to Waterfowl John's,some 25 were discriminatedin A Pied-billed Grebe wintered in Dart- , and nine were off G.M.I., mouth, NS. A minimum 300 Red- necked NB, in earlyJanuary. Few are now excited Grebeswintered at G.M.I., NB (BD), but by Tufted Ducks.Two winteredin St. Region were unnoteworthyelsewhere. Single John's,NF, >four and threegot through Sootyand Greatershearwaters were late partor all of winterin NovaScotia, and off Grand Manan, NB Dec. 6-7 (BD). A New Brunswickhosted a bird from Jan.4 small shearwater, dark-brownish above at SaintJohn, and anotherJan. 3-11 on and white below,was seen Feb. 10-16 off G.M.I. Gatheringsof someCom. Eiders Halifax,NS, by 3 independentobservers. werenoted around S.EM. and approxi- IAN A. MCLAREN A recentlydead N. Gannet Feb. 19 at mately1600 aroundGrand Manan, NB, Winter startedout benignly,but became GreenBay, NS, appearedafter a winter but werelargely unreported in between. increasinglyblustery, with frequentrain gale(SC). As usual, a fewDouble-crested Forty Harlequin Ducks at Cape St. in southern and Nova Cormorants wintered in Nova Scotia; the Mary's,NF, representeda recent record- Scotia, and more snow elsewhere.Cold latest elsewhere were Dec. 1 at Renews, highcount, but only 50% of 1980s'levels. spells,however, were neither deep nor pro- NF (BM), and early January near Other goodwinter flockswere 28 at longeduntil later in theseason. Cone and Bathurst, NB. At least five Great Blue Prospect,NS, 14 in Shelburne,NS, and berrycrops were widely depressed. Some Herons survived winter in Nova Scotia, 62 at the Wolves,NB, in earlyDecember, routinelandbirds seemed scarce through- wherelingering was fatal for a GreatEgret becoming22 in mid-February.Astonish- out. If evictedfrom the north by snowand at BarringtonDec. 22 (*J.Nickerson) and ingly,some 200 winteringBarrows Gold- fooddepletion, they could disperse in the another at Pubnico Dec. 23 (RD). A eneyesat Dalhousie,NB, wererated as more open terrain of southernNew White-fronted Goose at Yarmouth mid- fewer than usual becauseChaleur Bay Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Waterfowl December-Jan.1 appeared to begambelli, remainedopen (BD). Ten RuddyDucks and seabirdscertainly benefited: Ice did lent credenceby its associationwith two beganwinter on BissettL., NS, but only not form in Northumberland Strait until apparentparvipes Geese from the onestayed nearby. Januaryand the normallyfrozen Chaleur samebreeding range. Bayremained open. A Snow Goosewas at St. John's,NF, Raptors to Alcids Unattributedrecords are fide subregion- until mid-January,and anotherwintered No details were received on individual al compilers. with especiallynumerous near BlackVultures Jan. 21 at Fairfield,NB, Halifax, NS. By Feb. 1, and Feb. 17 at Port l'Hebert, NS, the buildupof returning althoughthey are plausible given recent Brant was impressive winter records.Nine winteringTurkey on G.M.I., NB (1300), Vulturesfeasted through winter on a dead and on Cape SableI., pilot whaleon Brier I., and therewere NS (2000). three wanderers risewhere in Nova Scotia Ten c3 Eurasian and one Jan. 3 at Inkerman, NB. An Green-wingedTeal and Ospreyat North R., PEI, duringDecem- an undetermined num- ber-January(D. Wadowska,fide DM) ber of females (some suppliedone of fewreliable winter records suggestivelybuffy, with for the Region.A record525 BaldEagles weakeye-lines) wintered (52% adult) were countedduring the amongsome 40 Green- annualKings, NS, censusJan. 26 (fideJ. wingedTeal in St.John's, Wolford).A N. HarrierJan. 18 at Brigus, NF; a North American was one of the latest recorded in New- record?Mere spillovers foundland (BM), and birds on S.P.M., were two wintering at Jan.10 and Feb.11 werealmost unprece- ,NF, and dented for the season(RE). Fifteen N. one to Jan. 7 at Saint Goshawks,"about average" (BM) at the John,NB. Recordnum- citydump, St. John's, NF, wouldbe excit- bers of Am. Black Ducks ing elsewhere.Wintering Sharp-shinned wintered on S.P.M. Hawkswere again scarce in NovaScotia. J Other less common dab- A Cooper'sHawk at ChesterDec. 15-29 Fredericton blerslingered as usual in (C. Field) suppliedthe 2nd well-docu- disorderlybreadlines at mented winter record for Nova Scotia. A city parks and water- Red-shoulderedHawk wasat Shemogue, fronts, among them NB, Dec. 31+ (ST). An undetailedBroad- 150-200 now-resident wingedHawk on the CapeTormentine, N. Pintail at St. John's, NB CBC, a documentedimmature on the NF. Six Eur. Wigcons Kingston,NS CBC, andan adultJan. 27

VOLUME51, NUMBER3 FIELD NOTES near Halifax, NS (J. Taylor et al.), were thoughtto havebeen the sameone that (R. Richman).A BrownCreeper Dec 13 notsurprising given the open winter. The appearedin December1995, the 3rd con- wasonly the 5th for S.P.M.A HouseWren usualbuteos seemed unexceptional.In firmedin Canada,all fromthat city. Mac- and a MarshWren wereDecember strag- Nova Scotia, Am. Kestrels were more Tavishand European experts identified it glersin NovaScotia. A N. WheatearJan 4 widelyreported than in recentwinters. as atlantis or as michahellisof the Iberian at Donkin, Cape BretonI. (ph. J. Met- PeregrineFalcons were at St. John's,NF population.Six Lesser Black-backed Gulls calfe),provided a winter first for Nova Sco- (an imm. tundriusthrough winter, BM), winteredin St. John's,NF, sixwere seen at tia. Could an E. Bluebird at West Pubmco, and in Kings,NS Jan.3 in Kings(fide scatteredtimes and places in NovaScotia, NS Feb.27 havebeen a springarrivaP BMa) andon SableI. Feb.28 ("... making and one appearedfor the 9th year in More excitingwas an imm. Mountain sucha racketthat a groupof horsesbolt- Moncton, NB. Noteworthy were some Bluebird, New Brunswick's first, near ed;"ZL). Two Gyrfalconswere noted in 25,000 RazorbillsFeb. 7 off Grand Manan Bathhurst, mid-November-Dec. 8 (P Nova Scotia and _500 PurpleSandpipers, and a NS, anda corpseFeb. 28 at St.Felix, EE.I. December,and one appeared mid-January few RuddyTurnstones. Less usual were a Open waterssustained

7:z4 FIELDNOTES SUMMER[997 onereportedly survived through the sea- son in Nova Scotia. A Prairie Warbler last- ed to Dec. 11 in St.John's, NF, andanoth- er Dec.23 on SableI., NS (ZL), provided a provinciallate record. A "western"Palm Warblerwas in Yarmouth,NS Jan.4. Two Black-and-white Warblers survived to Dec. 30 in St. John's,NF, and anotherto Dec. 22 in Dartmouth, NS. In Nova Sco- tia, singleOvenbirds were noted to mid- December in Dartmouth and to Dec. 28 in GlaceBay. The latestof two Corn.Yel- Remote. Wild. lowthroatsin Nova Scotiawas found Jan. 15. The usualwrong-headed Yellow- breastedChats began to winter.One wasa Unbelievable. hawkvictim Jan. 18 in Moncton,NB. Of Unravelthe mysteriesof a landwhere time stands still and nature _>eightin NovaScotia, one persistedin displaysan astonishing array of wonders - St.Paul Island, Alaska. Dartmouth, and two in St. John's,NF, lastedto earlyDecember. ß Home to thousands of ß Spectacular sea bird ß Brilliant showcase of fur seals colonies wildfiow•rs Slightlyfewer N. Cardinalswere report- ß Arctic Fox and Reindeer ß Asian arian vagrants ß Historic Russian Church ed in New Brunswick,whereas a record30 werenoted in NovaScotia. A lateIndigo Buntingwas at Barrington,NS, Dec.21. A PaintedBunting Dec. 21-31 at a feederat St. Paul Louisbourg,NS (ph.S. Myers),outlasted a ISLAND November 1988 bird in Halifax. Dickcis- ALASKA'S PRIBILOFS selsturned up widely: two on S.P.M.,three in s.e. Newfoundland, one each in P.E.I. For free color brochure, call Reeve Aleutian Airways 80•544-2248 and New Brunswick, and _>sixin Nova Scotia,of which_>one survived the period. One of three E. Towbees at New Brunswickfeeders, one in P.E.I., and one of two in Nova Scotia survived at feeders. NS (IM), suppliedthe Region'slatest Christie,Shirley Cohrs, David A. Curry, Althoughjuncos were often the most record. At least four Baltimore Orioles were BrianDalzell, Jim Edsell, Raymond D'En- conspicuousbirds along roads and at feed- nurturedthrough winter around Halifax, tremont,Roger Etcheverry, Sylvia Fuller- ersin NovaScotia, compilers everywhere NS. Althoughtwo possible Bullock's were ton, KeithKeddy, Zoe Lucas,Blake May- stressedthe generalscarcity of sparrows. reported,they were not critically assessed. bank (BMa), Bruce Mactavish, Dan However,there were treats among them. A It wasa "avery poor year for finches"in McAskill,Francis Spalding, Richard Stern, Clay-coloredSparrow wintered at a St. Newfoundland(BM), and theywere also StuartTingley. John's,NF, feeder(J. Prattet al.). In Nova "in verylow numbers" (DM) in P.E.I.Pur- --Ian A. McLaren,Biology Department, Scotia,single Field Sparrows were in New ple Fincheswere an exceptionin New DalhousieUniversi• Hali•x, NS B3H dJ1. GlasgowJan. I andShelburne Jan. 19. A Brunswick, whet--like robins and VesperSparrow was at WestPubnico, NS, waxwings--theywere initially common in Jan.19-16. LarkSparrows were at feeders the north and later unusuallyso in the at Graham's Pond, P.E.I., Jan. 4 (V. south(BD). McSwain) and, in Nova Scotia, at Port HouseFinches, more feeder-dependent, Hawkesburyto Jan.4 andin LowerArgyle continued to consolidate their beachheads Dec. 22+. A GrasshopperSparrow stayed in Nova Scotia,with some30 reported throughDecember at GrandeAnse, NB from both Yarmouth and Halifax. Am. (R. Landryet al.). Two White-crowned Goldfinches, as usual, did not track winter Sparrowswere reported from Nova Scotia, finch fluctuations,but remained common but New Brunswick's Zonotrichia was a throughout. moreexciting Harris' Sparrow at a feeder nearSaint John Dec. 27+ (C. & M. Adams Addendum et aL). FourJanuary Lincoln's Sparrows The "probable"Yellow-leggedGullin Hal- were normal for s.e. Newfoundland. ifax,Feb. 11, 1995 (AFN 50, p. 141), is In addition to the usual icterids,there thoughtby Germanexpert D. Gruber wereundocumented reports of a Yellow- fromphotos to havebeen a yellow-legged headedBlackbird Feb. 23 at Ft. Augustus, "ommissus"(N. Europe)Herring Gull. PEI, and, in Nova Scotia, two Brewer's Givencurrent fluidity of largegull system- Blackbirdsin GlaceBay Jan. 2-8, andtwo atics,it isbest to reservejudgement. moreelusive ones in Pictouduring January. Videosof oneof thelatter may be diagnos- Contributersand observers(subregional tic. A Orchard Oriole Dec. 1 in Halifax, summarizers in boldface): David S.

VOLUME51, NUMBER 3 FIELDNOTES