BIRDS

BRUCE MACTAVISH: There’s gold in these northeast winds of the Newfoundland and Labrador spring in case you have a chicken’s eye view

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The chilly northeast winds began on April 21 and continued with out a break till the time of this writing on Could 2.

The climate outlook is extra of the identical for the foreseeable future. Veteran birders are tuned into the climate forecasts year-round, making an attempt to foretell when fascinating birds shall be despatched our method.

In spring, watching the climate has extra which means. The fitting winds can ship a gold mine of severely uncommon birds to Newfoundland and Labrador.

The long-range forecast on April 21 appeared candy. There was a prediction of far-reaching northeast and east winds. The winds can be roughly direct all the way in which from Eire to Newfoundland.

Northeast and east winds are widespread in a Newfoundland and Labrador spring, however usually they originate from the mid-Atlantic Ocean solely. Having the freeway of wind blowing instantly throughout the complete Atlantic to our facet of the ocean is a comparatively uncommon occasion. Whereas nearly all of the human inhabitants have been dreading the rain, drizzle and fog, birders have been rubbing their fingers collectively in delight.

This could possibly be good. This could possibly be actually good.

It didn’t take lengthy for the primary nugget of gold to land on our facet of the Atlantic. John Alexander discovered a European golden plover on the Pipeline Highway in Goulds on April 22. A number of individuals received there in time to see it resting in the course of a big farm subject.


Andrej Chudý from Slovakia, CC BY-SA 2.0, through Wikimedia Commons


European golden plover is the default vagrant to point out up throughout these northeast blows of spring. These engaging shorebirds overwinter in massive numbers in Eire and in spring migrate to Iceland to nest. It’s throughout that flight throughout the expanse of water between Eire and Iceland that migrating birds are almost definitely to get caught up in a northeast wind and drift off beam towards Neverneverland: a.okay.a. Newfoundland and Labrador.

If we had paid nearer consideration to the climate maps, we’d have realized there wouldn’t be so many Transatlantic vagrant birds coming our method. It’s true the winds have been blowing from Eire to Newfoundland and Labrador, however there was additionally a tough north wind blowing into Northern Eire.

Mainly, migration between Eire and Iceland can be shut down with such a powerful north headwind. Regardless of this one little, however necessary, glitch within the wind design, it was removed from a whole water haul in Newfoundland and Labrador. A complete of almost two dozen European golden plovers and one northern lapwing have been found on Newfoundland turf.

There have been a half dozen plovers within the Goulds farm fields. 5 or 6 have been with sheep on a subject at St. Stephens. Three have been in Bonavista. Three extra took up residence on the lawns at Deadman’s Bay, close to Cape Freels, whereas two others have been seen briefly on Beth Ryan’s garden at Cappahayden.

As well as, a uncommon European shorebird known as the northern lapwing was discovered by Charlie Fitzpatrick within the Goulds on April 28. Little question different uncommon birds from the Eire to Iceland expressway have been current on the east coast, however weren’t reported to birders or the social media retailers. There’s nonetheless time for one thing extraordinary to happen because the northeast winds are forecasted to proceed till about Could 10.

Spring Migration

The chilly northeast winds have been horrendous for these searching for an awakening of the spirit after the lengthy winter. The arrival of spring birds has been slowed. Many species are every week late in arriving in jap Newfoundland.

It’s considerably higher in western Newfoundland, which has been spared the brunt of the rain, drizzle and fog.

There are numerous birds headed towards Newfoundland and Labrador being held up by the cool climate. As quickly because the winds flip west and temperatures develop into extra seasonable, the dam will burst and spring migrants will flood into Newfoundland and Labrador.

The birds all the time come again. The climate will get higher. That could be a promise. There’s hope now. Courageous robins are singing lustily early within the mornings. I even noticed an image of a robin constructing a nest.

Breaking Information

The Steller’s sea eagle has returned to Newfoundland! {A photograph} of the Steller’s sea eagle at Port Union, Trinity Bay appeared on social media. It was taken by Daybreak Lodge from her patio. The ocean eagle was standing on the harbour ice, face into the north wind.


Grownup Steller’s sea eagle fishing. — Julie Edgley, CC BY-SA 4.0, through Wikimedia Commons


This spectacular chicken from Japan and jap Russia has been current on the North American continent for 3 years now. In 2022, it was current in Newfoundland from late April till no less than late August.

We have been all hoping it could come again to Trinity Bay, the place it spent a number of weeks final summer season.

Goals typically come true.

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