Canada Maritimes Trip – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, May-June 2017

Each year I go on a big birding trip to work on my US state or Canadian province lists, and 2017 was no exception.  This year’s trip was an 11-day, 10-night trip in May and June to the Canadian Maritimes to work on my New Brunswick (NB), Prince Edward Island (PEI), and Nova Scotia (NS) province lists.  I had only been in each of those provinces once before as part of a 7-day trip in late September 2015, where I tallied 100 birds in NB, 85 in PEI, and 107 in NS.  Needless to say there were lots of potential new province birds ahead of me in 2017.

As I do before all of my trips, I spent many hours researching possibilities and planning potential itineraries and possible stops.  This included developing long lists of potential targets in each province.  Generally my success rate is a bit over 50% on these target lists.  But since most of my targets were regular breeders, and my trip was timed to be near the peak of the breeding season and summer song, I was optimistic that I would be more successful on this trip.

My 2017 trip had a similar itinerary as my previous foray into the Maritimes –

• Drive up through Maine entering NB at Saint Stephen
• Several days birding in NB heading generally north and east
• Followed by birding in PEI entering the province from NB and leaving via the ferry to NS
• Birding NS mostly heading south and west
• Leaving NS via the ferry from Yarmouth to Portland, ME.

But with more time in the field than in 2015, I added numerous stops, some for just 1 or 2 local specialties.  Of note, that included searches for several species associated with urban areas, or otherwise associated with human activities, that are common in the states but difficult to find in the Maritimes.  For instance my target lists included Killdeer (all 3 provinces), Nighthawk (all 3), Chimney Swift (NB, NS), Cowbird (NB, PEI), House Finch (NB), and House Sparrow (all 3).

New Brunswick

My goal for NB was to add 50 new birds, which would bring my province list to 150.  With such a large goal and 107 possible targets, I developed an itinerary that would take me through many different habitats throughout southern, central, and eastern NB.  My research included quite a bit of time on eBird, supplemented by excellent local advice provided by NB birder Gilles Belliveau.

Highlights of my 3 full days and 2 partial days of birding in NB included –

• Evening/nocturnal birding at Saint Stephen featuring a Woodcock and local specialty Whip-poor-will, not to mention rare House Finches
• St. George Marsh with excellent wetlands birding including 2 American Bitterns, a Virginia Rail, and 4 Soras, plus finding a calling Common Gallinule as a rarity
• Locating stakeout rarity Upland Sandpiper at the Utopia Blueberry Barrens (though not until my second try)
• The only Brown Thrasher of the trip at Pennfield Airport, based on a 2-year-old eBird report
• Finding a rare 1st/2nd cycle Iceland Gull roosting in the marsh at the Irving Nature Park, though unsuccessfully searching for Nelson’s Sparrow
• Excellent boreal birding just outside the Fundy Trail including good numbers of both Crossbills, Yellow-bellied and Olive-sided Flycatchers, and Ruffed Grouse.  Interestingly the Trail itself is only open 9-5, eliminating the best birding hours – a big disappointment.  Luckily the area just outside the Trail was great!
• Birding along the St. John River valley in more “southern” deciduous woodland habitats,  finding a number of local specialties including Black-billed Cuckoo, Great Crested Flycatcher, Baltimore Oriole, Phoebe, and one of the few (only?) active Purple Martin houses in the province.  Plus local nesters Black Terns, Greater Scaup and Common Goldeneye, along with an out-of-season Great Cormorant.  And I can’t forget this very photogenic American Bittern.          

• Several stops near Jemseg featuring Warbling Vireos and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. Not to mention this juvenile Great Horned Owl.

• Checking off local Fredericton specialties Indigo Bunting and Willow Flycatcher.  And then finding a rare Least Bittern spontaneously calling at the Flycatcher spot.  And I can’t forget a pair of Cowbirds.
• More boreal birding along Taylor Road northwest of Moncton with multiple Palm and Wilson’s Warblers among 15 warbler species (despite a midday stop), two singing Philadelphia Vireos, and my lone Sapsucker for the province
• Memramcook Sewage Pond stop with Pintail among other dabblers and Pheasants (in the neighboring fields not the pond mind you)
• Ruddy Ducks among a diverse set of breeding waterfowl at the Fort Beausejour impoundments, though missed target Coots
• A quick stop at the Sackville waterfowl park was pretty slow, but I did take this great shot along one of the boardwalks

• House Sparrows at their local stronghold in Jolicure - a spot where only House Sparrows would be at home.

• Red-breasted Mergansers at my last stop in the province at Cape Jourimain.  Unfortunately I couldn’t access the area with Nelson’s Sparrows and Willets due to recent bear sightings

I ended the NB portion of the trip with 140 species including 104 species during one birding day.  I added 73 species to my NB province list, giving me 173 on my province list.

Prince Edward Island

I started the PEI portion of my trip with a province list of 85, and with 80 targets I hoped to add 40 to get me to a modest 125.  There I teamed up with local birder Dan McAskill who knows the birds of PEI like the back of his hand.  By far the highlight was a marathon 19-hour birding day where we had 108 species including several rarities such as Little Gull in adult basic plumage (though not new to my PEI list), a Glaucous Gull (one of 9 gull species on the day), and a Wilson’s Phalarope.  I was able to get this passable phonescoped photo of the Phalarope. 

I really love doing seawatches, so I was especially looking forward to our extended seawatch at East Point - rapidly becoming one of my favorite birding spots.  Here we added more rarities – several Red-throated Loons, 2 Kittiwakes, a flock of 5 Razorbills with a Thick-billed Murre mixed in, and this female Harlequin Duck. 

Here is a photo of the angry sea and skies at East Point.

Of course Dan and I did a lot of landbirding as well, including finding 16 warbler species, breeding Boreal Chickadees, and a Gray Jay.  Plus our landbirding featured excellent looks at an Olive-sided Flycatcher, and good views of a normally skulking Canada Warbler.  We also had a long mammal list including numerous foxes, deer, coyote, etc.  Not to mention birding at this nice northern bog.

Our day ended with a calling Saw-whet Owl and Woodcock, and a visual on a Barred Owl.  Along with two partial days of birding, I had 114 species in total, and added 53 species to my PEI list which now stands at 138. 

Nova Scotia

With a starting point of 107 in NS and 88 possible targets, I hoped to add 43 more to get to 150 species.  I spent a lot of time reviewing the province birdfinding guide and researching eBird to develop an itinerary covering much of the province except for Cape Breton.  That information was supplemented with tremendous local advice from NS birder Keith Lowe, who also birded with me on two days. 

The highlights from my 3 full days and 3 partial days of birding included –

• Brief stop at Amherst marsh to find local target Black Tern
• Eddy Marsh wetlands birding including Virginia Rail and local specialty Marsh Wren, and woodlands birding featuring Ruffed Grouse and the first of many Mourning Warblers
• Woodlands walk around Amherst Point featured singing Blackburnian and Cape May Warblers, followed by wetlands birding including finding a rare Common Gallinule
• A brief stop at the Amherst sewage treatment plan with a pair of Greater Scaup along with the only Killdeer for the province
• A rare Glaucous Gull seen from the PEI-to-NS ferry
• Piping Plover on its nest at Big Island, along with Black Scoters off-shore, and a difficult to find Common Nighthawk nearby (especially as a daytime flyover)

• An evening of birding along West River west of Melrose with the only Evening Grosbeak of the trip, several pairs of Common Mergansers, plus a somewhat unusual Chimney Swift.  I couldn't resist this "Kodak moment".

• A dawn walk along the beautiful Liscomb River trail featuring several Winter Wrens and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers, and lots of signs of Black-backed Woodpeckers though no birds in sight (and luckily no sightings of recently spotted bears)

• Boreal birding at Taylor's Head Provincial Park including 9 singing Blackpoll Warblers plus Olive-sided and Yellow-bellied Flycatchers
• A flock of 25 Red Crossbills amazingly attracted by spishing at Martinique Beach Provincial Park
• More boreal birding along Mines Road included finding a rare Willow Flycatcher and a pair of Gray Jays which had apparently just stolen a baby Purple Finch from the nest

• An early morning birding in the Musquodoboit River valley included 2 singing Canada Warblers and 3 calling Snipe
• Quick stops near Elderbank in deciduous woodlands with a decidedly more "southern" feel that yielded a White-breasted Nuthatch, 3 Veerys, and a fly-by Broad-winged Hawk
• A walk along the Herbert River trail was successful for two key targets - Eastern Phoebe (one of its few reliable spots in NS) and Rose-breasted Grosbeak
• A "tactical strike" for House Sparrow at Scotch Village (a rare case when you can get excited about seeing a House Sparrow)
• My lone Sapsucker of the province at Akin's Marsh
• Baltimore Oriole at its nest at Miner's Marsh (another species with a very restricted NS range), though we missed a nearby stakeout Great Crested Flycatcher

• A Black-throated Blue Warbler at a brief late evening stop along Myra Road north of Porters Lake
• An Arctic Tern, but little else, in a raging rain and wind storm on Cape Sable Island where I was forced to do almost all my birding from inside the car
• A pair of Roseate Terns with Commons at Pond Road in West Pubnico
• A lone Turkey Vulture along Chepogue Road in Yarmouth
• And an excellent ride on the high-speed ferry from Yarmouth to Portland, ME featuring 1 Fulmar, 2 Cory's, 30 Greats, 27 Sootys, 27 Shearwater Sp., 7 Wilson's Storm-Petrels, and 1 South Polar Skua.

I ended the NS portion of my trip with 135 species, 67 of which were new to my province list, giving me 174 in total.  Once again – many thanks to Keith Lowe for all his help!

Numbers for the Entire Trip

• 193 new ticks, greatly exceeding my goals of 133 for the 3 provinces, and a remarkable 70% of my targets.  My total ticks in Canada are now at 1,347 (the old ABA reportable threshold was 1,000)
• 175 species including 21 warblers and 20 waterfowl.  Easily the most Magnolia and Mourning Warblers I've ever heard in one trip, and perhaps more than I've heard in my entire life.
• Excellent boreal species including Gray Jays in 2 provinces, Boreal Chickadees in 2 provinces, Philadelphia Vireos, Red Crossbills in 2 provinces, and Whit-winged Crossbills.  Though I couldn't find Spruce Grouse or Black-backed Woodpeckers.
• 13 new species for Canada, now at 370 (the old ABA threshold was 350)
• Ticks in all 3 provinces in 1 day (started the day birding in NS, then added my last tick in NB, then birded the evening in PEI).  Only once before have I added ticks in 3 jurisdictions in 1 day - TN, AR, and MS.
• 60 miles walked (according to my Fitbit)

Province Bird Maps

For quite a while I've prepared state bird maps, where I shade in all the US states where I've seen a given species.  And now that I'm spending more time focused on province birding, it's time to start preparing province bird maps.  My province map for Eastern Kingbird is included below.  Although it shows that I have only seen this species in the southern tier of provinces, I've actually never birded the northern provinces - Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Newfoundland and Labrador.  In fact, Eastern Kingbird is one of just 10 species that I've seen in each of the 9 provinces where I've birded.

By comparison, my US statebird map for Eastern Kingbird is provided below.  In the US I've birded extensively in each of the 50 states and DC, and am only missing Eastern Kingbird in WA and NV within its regular range.

Near the the other end of the spectrum for province maps, my map for Ruffed Grouse shows that I've only seen (or heard) this species in the 3 Maritimes provinces - in each case on my 2017 trip. 

There's certainly a lot more province birding ahead!

105 Species (including a Lifer!) in Nova Scotia, Canadian Maritimes Vacation – Part 3 of 3 –September 2015

This post summarizes the Nova Scotia portion of my Canadian Maritimes birding trip.  The previous posts summarized my first 2 days of birding in New Brunswick, and the 2 days on Prince Edward Island. 

Day 4 – Ferry to Caribou, NS and Ride to Halifax

As the ferry motored out from the PEI shoreline into open waters I not only kept an eye out for birds passing by, but also kept checking my GPS to see when we would cross into NS waters.  Birding north of the PEI/NS line was rather slow, with just the regular gulls and occasional Gannet, so nothing new for my PEI list.  But of course just after the boat entered NS waters all these regular birds were new for my NS list.  And then a Red-throated Loon flew by and landed near the boat – tantalizingly close to PEI waters but I could only add it to my NS list.  As we neared the Caribou harbor I added the only Great Cormorant, Razorbill, and Common Tern I would get for NS, along with a large flock of gulls that was too far away to check for rarities.  I was tempted to do a little birding nearby, but still needed to make a 90-minute drive to my Halifax hotel that evening, so just decided to just head to the hotel.  Along the way I had the only Red-tailed Hawks for NS, and a couple Mourning Doves which I missed in the PEI portion of the trip.  I ended the day with just 20 species, but several good ones to start the NS portion of my trip.

Day 5 – Halifax Area

I started my day just before sunrise at Hartlen Point in Dartmouth which is known as a great migrant spot.  The first bird of the morning was a Pheasant, which was a surprise but I presume countable given that I would see 4 or 5 more on the peninsula that morning.  After a short walk along some brush-lined paths I neared the trail to Back Cove which is the spot for migrants.  But it was easy to tell this wasn’t going to be a big migrant day – I had just a couple Yellow-rumps calling overhead and a few Savannah Sparrows calling from the brush along the way.  I got to the cove and found next to no passerines at all.  Complicating my trip was that I wasn’t on the right path, and found my way to the shoreline instead of a bit inland among the brush and trees.  Though I did find an immature Goshawk which was my only one of the trip.  I only spent a couple minutes looking out on the ocean, finding a pair of Surf Scoters which surprisingly turned out to be my only ones for NS, and a couple Guillemots.  And I’m certainly not complaining about the view of the rising sun over the ocean.

I backtracked and finally found the correct trail to the woodlands at the cove.  But it was overgrown with waist-high grasses that were full of morning dew.  After just a couple minutes my jeans were soaking wet, so I abandoned the trail and this part of the peninsula altogether.  I made a quick stop near a small pond along the northern edge of the golf course, and added my only Pied-billed Grebe of the trip, my first Greater Yellowlegs, and Mallards.  As I left Hartlen Point a Willet flew by, giving me just 22 new birds so far for NS – a very slow start at what I had hoped to be one of my best stops in NS.  But I was leaving the area a lot earlier than expected, so that would give me more time at other hopefully birdier locations.

I next headed east toward the boreal forests at Mines Road in Chezzetcook.  Along the way I picked up a flyover Sharpie and my only NS Grackle at a small town park.  When I arrived at the western end of Mines Road the habitat was just as advertised - very nice conifer forests with a scattering of boreal bogs.  My strategy was to drive along very slowly listening for bird activity, then get out when I would run into pockets of birds.  Although birding was slow in places, I quickly added regulars like Junco, Golden-crowned Kinglet, and White-throated Sparrow.  Mixed in with the groups were occasional warblers like Palm, Blackpoll, Magnolia, Wilson’s, and Black-throated Green.  Several places I ran into small groups of Boreal Chickadees, though I couldn’t find any of the other hoped-for boreal specialties.  And my only addition from the bogs was Ring-necked Duck.  I left Mines Road, still a bit ahead of schedule, and with 14 new NS species which was a very respectable total.

Next I was heading for Three Fathom Harbor to try for shorebirds and waterbirds.  Along the way there were numerous tidal wetlands and freshwater lakes deserving a few stops here and there.  I kept finding Greater Yellowlegs but no other shorebirds – where were the other species?  At one spot I noticed a flock of about 50 ducks flying overhead and then landing in a small lake next to the road.  I pulled over and with a quick glance realized that they were Wigeon.  As I started to pan thought them I told myself that it would be nice to find a Eurasian mixed in.  And just then I picked out a male Eurasian Wigeon.

I arrived at Three Fathom Harbor at a rising mid-tide, and eventually found a small group of shorebirds on a sandbar including Semi and Least Sandpipers, along with a few Black-bellied Plovers.  But that was it for shorebirds.  A couple stops looking out on the open water were also slow.  I was now starting to worry about finding seaducks on the NS part of the trip.  Still my only Scoters were a pair of Surfs at my early morning stop. 

The final stop of the day was Salt Marsh Trail in Cole Harbour, which is a converted railroad line running more than 2 miles one-way through tidal marshes.  The NS birdfinding guide described this spot as being one of the very best shorebirds spots in NS, which certainly got my attention.  But a long walk this late in the day might take its toll.  I arrived a couple hours before full high tide, and the first shorebirds I found were more Greater Yellowlegs.  There had to be more species somewhere…  A bit later I noticed some shorebirds flying to a very distant sandbar.  Even at 50 power I was struggling to identify the birds, though the Black-bellied Plovers were easy to pick out.  Then I saw another larger shorebird that I tried to turn into a Knot.  Just when I was about to say it was too far away to be sure, a flock of 40 others flew in.  This time I could see their uniform grayish coloration above, confirming the ID.  Not sure I’ve ever seen so many Knots in one spot. 

As the tide continued to rise the shorebirds kept flying into this one sandbar.  So I decided to keep scanning this one spot in hopes that other species might fly in.  Eventually I was able to pick out a few Dunlin, a couple Short-billed Dowitchers, and a Willet.  Then a calling pair of Golden Plovers flew overhead and landed with the others.  When the entire flock was flushed by a Merlin that made a couple passes through the area I decided to move on to check out other parts of the marsh.

Now the tide was nearly full high, and there were many Yellowlegs flying around looking for high tide roosting sites.  Finally I found a few Lessers in a large flock of Greaters.  With no other mudflats exposed, I decided to call it quits and head back.  On the trip back I realized that the salt marsh along the trail looked like great Nelson’s Sparrow habitat.  I’ve never tried to get one to respond to tape, but on a whim I thought I’d give it a try.  On my second stop playing Nelson’s call notes I heard some chip notes coming from the grasses nearby – there were 2 Nelson’s just a few feet away from me.  (On the NB part of my trip I was in similar saltmarsh habitat but didn’t play Nelson’s tape – sure wish I had now.)  As I was putting away my speakers a small group of calling Pectoral Sandpipers flew overhead – my 11th shorebird species for this stop.  A great way to end the day. 

Or at least I thought they were the last birds of the day.  As I drove to my hotel in Shelburne I passed through a wooded area near dusk where a Woodcock fluttered over the roadway.  That gave me 69 species for the day, and 75 new species for the NS part of the trip – the low end of my target range for the province.  The birds weren’t coming easily, but I was slowly checking them off.  And with another full day of birding plus a ferry ride in NS, I was optimistic that I would reach if not exceed the upper end of my target range of 100.

Day 6 – Cape Sable Island and Yarmouth

My plan for Day 6 was to spend much of the day on Cape Sable Island, one of the very best birding spots in NS for both migrant passerines and shorebirds.  But if birding was slow as it had been for many of my NS stops so far, I picked out a nearby inland woodland spot, the Clyde River Loop, to bird late in the day.

I arrived a bit before dawn at a spot called “The Hole”, detailed in the birdfinding guide as one of the best migrant spots on the island.  But migrant passerines were few and far between – here I added only Waxwings and Robins.  Though a Peregrine and several Merlins were nice.  And the best birds were 3 calling Whimbrels that flew over at dawn.  And of course I can’t forget this sunrise.

I then took a little walk around the area and added Black-and-white and Yellow Warblers and a pair of Catbirds, but landbirding remained slow.  I then decided to head to a different part of the island and came upon a marsh that featured a mixed flock of Yellowlegs.  Then I noticed 3 larger shorebirds which turned out to be Hudsonian Godwits – a nice surprise.  Another stop yielded a Harrier, a late Barn Swallow (my only swallow of any species for the trip), and a pair of Cowbirds in a Starling flock.  Then I headed to the coast where I finally got Sanderlings on a rising tide.  Plus I ran into this first year Lesser Black-backed Gull.

But that gave me only 13 new birds for the day and 88 new species for NS – I was getting worried about reaching my upper end target of 100. 

At one of my next stops a car pulled up alongside.  The driver turned out to be another birder, and a Cape Sable Island resident to boot.  He offered to help me fill some gaps in my list, with the first stop being the spot for Oystercatcher on the island.  Right on cue, there was an Oystercatcher on the flats next to the road.  This species turns out to be a key target for the Cape Sable area since there is a small isolated breeding population there, the northernmost nesting location anywhere.  He took me to a couple other spots but with no luck on several targets.  As we parted ways he suggested another landbird spot on the island where I was able to add Ruby-crowned Kinglet.  He also agreed that the Clyde River Loop would be a good spot for some woodlands birding.  Plus he told me about a spot in Yarmouth where good migrants had been seen lately. 

Since birding was slow on the island I had some extra time on my hands, so I headed to the Clyde River Loop in Shelburne County for some more woodlands birding.  Birding was quite good here, and I added the only Pileated Woodpecker of the trip, and finally got Red-breasted Nuthatch.  But now it was starting to get late and I realized I wouldn’t have time to bird both the rest of the Loop and go to Yarmouth.  It was a bit of a toss-up, but with the potential for additional migrants I headed to Yarmouth.

Unfortunately the Yarmouth spot was a bust – good habitat but no birds.  But my late evening route to my hotel passed by some good coastal habitat where I added a lone White-winged Scoter, but another distant Scoter flock was too far away to ID.  That gave me 68 species for the day and 93 new birds for NS. 

Day 7 – Yarmouth and Ferry to Portland, ME

The only remaining birding I planned for the trip was the ferry ride from Yarmouth, NS to Portland, ME.  And although I was expecting to get a few new birds from the ferry, I worried that I wouldn’t get the 7 new species I needed to get my NS tally to 100.  So I wondered if I could squeeze in a little birding time in Yarmouth before getting on the ferry.  But then again, would I even have a realistic chance of finding anything new in that urban location that I hadn’t already seen in 2 days of birding in excellent habitat?  Until now my strategy was to focus on birding at the best hotspots.  But now perhaps I could target specific species I still needed for my list.  For instance the Cape Sable birder mentioned that House Finches were regular in Yarmouth.  And maybe House Sparrows might be a reasonable target in downtown Yarmouth as well.  Hard to believe I had missed both of these on the trip so far, yet they are so common in New England.  So I went onto eBird and looked for recent sightings of both species.  Most of the recent House Finch reports seemed to be concentrated in 2 locations, although House Sparrow sightings were more scattered.  With maybe one hour to bird before having to get in line for the ferry, I picked out 2 possible spots to try for House Finch and 1 for House Sparrow.

I arrived at the first House Finch spot at first light – it was a classic suburban site where you would expect House Finches calling from the small back yards.  A few minutes later I started to hear White-throated Sparrows calling from nearby, and then the sharp chip notes of a Cardinal (#94 for NS) – I had forgotten I still needed that one.  But there were no Finches.  So I quickly headed to the other Finch location just a short distance away.  I only spent a couple minutes there because there were no birds at all.  Mindful of my very limited time I went back to the first spot, and noticed some migrant passerines in one backyard.  The first bird I found was a Parula (#95) -  nice surprise though still no Finches.  I went to my iPhone to get directions to the House Sparrow spot, and had some trouble pulling up the right location.  While struggling with the app I heard a Downy Woodpecker call (#96), and then a House Finch finally sang (#97).  Might be the first time I was happy with “operator error” on my smart phone.

With just a few more minutes available, I arrived at the possible House Sparrow spot, which was a small park in an industrial area.  As I arrived I heard a number of Yellow-rumps, and several small trees seemed to be alive with birds.  I quickly picked out 2 Rusty Blackbirds (#98) at the top of one tree, and then got a quick view of a rare Gnatcatcher (#99).  As I was just about to leave a small group of Red-winged Blackbirds landed in the tree (#100), along with a pair of House Finches. 

Though I never found House Sparrow I added an amazing 7 new birds to my NS list in less than an hour in some pretty limited habitat.  And they were 7 species I had missed in 2 full days of birding at some of the best birding spots in NS!

Next up was the 10-hour ride on the ferry from Yarmouth to Portland, ME.  As I waited for the ship to leave the dock I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out the best location to bird from.  The bow was out of the question since there were no vantage points there.  Though one level has a large viewing area looking out on the bow through glass panes, it would only offer a brief view of any bird that might be right in front of the ship.  I then went to the stern, and found several levels with open views directly behind the boat, and to both sides.  I choose the 9th level because it has wide sweeping views of the water – at least 180 degrees – with no obstructions.  And just before we left the dock I set up my MapQuest app so I would know when I crossed the NS/ME line. 

As we left the harbor there were a few Guillemots and a number of large gulls, but no hoped for seaducks.  Then we got to open water where there were quite a number of Gannets in the air, then I saw the first of 3 Great Shearwaters fly by the ferry (#101), quickly followed by the only 2 Kittiwakes of the ferry ride (#102).  Birding was a bit slow for the next couple hours until I noticed several big splashes just off the stern.  It was a Great Shearwater diving into the water trying to elude a larger dark bird with white flashes in the primaries.  It was a Skua, but which one?  I got several views of the undersides of the bird as it continued to chase the Shearwater and it had paler feathering below, making it a Great Skua.  A lifebird – number 747 for me in the ABA area.  With a recent pelagic trip out of Bar Harbor, ME reporting 9 Great Skuas, I was hoping that I could see one from the ferry.  And I was especially happy to get such good looks at the bird given that I was watching from a boat traveling at about 20 knots.  A little later a couple nearby Cory’s Shearwaters (#104) were anticlimactic by comparison, as were a pair of Phalaropes flushed from alongside the boat that had to remain as “Phalarope, sp.” (#105). 

Soon thereafter we crossed into ME waters where the wind dropped to near calm, and viewing conditions continued to be excellent.  Except for a 15-minute lunch break during a slower time, I stayed on the stern counting birds by the hour for the entire 10-hour ride.  I picked up many more Shearwaters in ME of all 4 of the regular species.  For the entire ride I counted 823 Shearwaters - 480 Greats, 14 Cory’s, 7 Sooty, 2 Manx, and 320 unidentified sitting on the water (likely mostly Greats).  Other notables were 19 Fulmars, 459 Gannets, 1 Red and 3 unidentified Phalaropes, and 1 adult Pomarine and 4 unidentified Jaegers.  Plus I had 2 Harriers and 2 Peregrines migrating past the boat seemingly taking the same route as we were.  But alas no Great Skua, or any other new bird, for my ME list.

And the cetaceans put on a nice show as well, all in NS waters.  I’m no expert on whales, but at one point I saw blows of at least 4 whales together which were likely Right Whales based on the blow angles.  Plus there were at least 2 larger whales, one of which appeared to be very large and had an all pale body.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen a pale-bodied whale on any of the whalewatch or pelagic trips I’ve taken.  Could it have been a rare Blue Whale?

Trip Summary

For the entire Maritimes trip I ended with 290 ticks – 100 in NB, 85 in PEI, and 105 in NS, along with 140 total species.  All in all a most successful trip compared to my target range of 200-275 ticks, especially given the slow birding at times, though certainly aided by the nice weather I had for the entire trip.  And of course adding a lifebird in the Great Skua was just icing on the cake.  Not to mention finding several rarities.  That brings my totals to 766 total ticks and 271 species in Canada.  Still pretty low numbers, but since I started the year with just 415 total ticks and 237 species, that’s a nice improvement.  And I now have 13,633 total ticks throughout North America.

What’s next for birding in the Maritimes?  My totals for NB, PEI, and NS are still less than half of the old ABA reporting threshold, so there are lots of pretty easy birds yet in all 3 provinces.  For instance a breeding season trip with a couple days in each province could perhaps net 50 per province.  Plus I have never birded in Newfoundland and St. Pierre et Miguelon.  Still lots of potential for new birds in the Maritimes.