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138 Snowy Owls & ONE SKUA Cape Race/St Shotts

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brucema...@gmail.com

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Dec 1, 2013, 6:46:47 PM12/1/13
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It was quite a day. One that will last a long time in the memory vaults no matter how much self inflicted damage to the brain.

John Wells, Ken Knowles and I started on Cape Race road as the sun rose and finished at St Shotts as the sun set.

The calm weather was just right for Snowy Owl counting. They were up on the knobs everywhere. We also saw a half dozen fly in off the ocean from Cape Race. one from several km offshore that was first thought to be a gannet!

CAPE ROAD - 105 most between Long Beach and the lighthouse including 25 in sight from one position.
ST SHOTTS including Sod Farm - 33 They were really alive and moving around at dusk.
TOTAL = 138 Snowy Owls.

OTHER BIRDS (listing off various birds that keepers of the Winter List will want to know about)

CAPE RACE
SKUA SP - 1 flying strongly NNE past Cape Race. Light was not good enough to see details of upper parts plumage but Great Skua would be the expected species. Obvious big square white skua wing flahses.
Northern Gannet - 1 flying south
Shearwaters - none.
All the alcids but TBMU
Kittiwakes
Surf (3)and WWSC - 200
Common Eiders - 250
Savannah Sparrow - 1
Purple Sandpipers
Double-crested Cormorant - 2
Great Cormorant - 6

RARE BIRD TUCK
Fox Sparrow - 1

LONG BEACH
Horned Grebe - 1 in close to beach with LTDUs
American Pipit - 4
No WRSA

PCS
The BH Cowbird

CRIPPLE COVE
Red-necked Grebe - 35
Common Loon - many
Harlequin Duck - 1 imm male feeding in close to beach

BISCAY BAY
Red-throated Loon - 5
Horned Grebe - 2-3

TREPASSEY BEACH
Red-throated Loon - 2

ST. SHOTTS
Northern Harrier - 1
Northern Goshawk - 1
Snow Bunting - lots

MAMMALS
Otter - 4
Minke Whale - 2
Humpback whale - 3
Harbour Seal - 6
Caribou - 59 (thanks to Ken's careful counting after he learned how to differentiate from Snowy Owls)

KK
JW
BM

PS That Cliff Doran photographed the Dark Gyrfalcon we were all looking for after we all left.

Brad James

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Dec 2, 2013, 6:14:19 AM12/2/13
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What an impressive day. Great job guys

lhow2000

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Dec 2, 2013, 8:58:39 AM12/2/13
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Wow thats a lot of birds, and animals. Could you tell me where you guys spotted the caribou? Thanks

johnlwells

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Dec 2, 2013, 10:02:27 AM12/2/13
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The caribou were in two groups just east of the turn off to St. Shott's.

John Wells

lhow2000

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Dec 2, 2013, 10:59:00 AM12/2/13
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On Sunday, December 1, 2013 8:16:47 PM UTC-3:30, brucema...@gmail.com wrote:
Thanks John, hope to get up this coming weekend and would love to see the caribou. They might stick around for a while, hopefully.
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