Phalaropes, etc - Strait of Belle Isle

[Vernon Buckle]

Left the house with renewed energy this morning to spend a second Saturday in a row on the water in search of Red Phalaropes, especially since "visiting" birders spotted them so easily from the ferry earlier this week.

From the launch at Lanse au Loup to 1 km off Point Amour it was relatively quiet, with only a scattering of Northern Gannets, Razorbills, and Atlantic Puffins. For the next 3kms there was a steady flow of Phalaropes, with all non-blurry photos showing 100% Red-necked.

From there to mid-Strait it was mostly Sooty Shearwaters, with four Greater, one Manx and a few Northern Fulmars. Just as I was leaving a flock of shearwaters, I noticed one phalarope about 100m away. One lonely Red Phalarope!! They do exist!

Also saw a Wilson's Storm-Petrel.

More details here:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist/S38603916

Vernon

[darroch....@gmail.com]

Hey Vernon, I'm just back from the torngat Mountains. I thursday I went from Saglek to Hebron by longliner and saw a flock of ~100 phalaropes near one of the inshore islands (Fish Island or Maidmonts I think, would have to look at a map). Not sure of the species but nice to see them.

Otherwise a slow trip to to the park birding wise this year. A combination of poor weather and lots of work kept me from really getting into the birds but some highlights were 3 sightings of golden eagles (Ivitak River, Kangalaksiorvik Lake, and TMNP Base Camp), repeated sightings of Short-eared Owls at Torr Bay (near Base Camp as well as a report of a family of recent fledglings at Kangalaksiorvik Lake, and the highlight for me, a juvenile Northern Shrike at the mouth of Ivitak River (Nachvak Fiord). this is only my second sighting of shrike in 10 years going to the park and the other one was in the same area (2010 I think). This may be evidence of them breeding there but it's not impossible this could hae been a recent imigrant from Ungava Bay.

I's a peak year for small mammals in northern Labrador with piles of lemmings, voles and deer mice everywhere (including our tents) and thus it looks like a good year for the associated raptors. Only one sighting of Rough-legged Hawk though as I said it wasn't he best year for birding for me so I expect there were more to be found. I also had my first sighting of a weasel in the park this year, surprisingly in the scree at ~400 m elevation near the glaciers at Cirque Mountain!

Darroch

[Simon Thompson]

Vernon- glad you got at least one Red Phalarope! I am doing the crossing again on Tuesday.
Several sightings of Bohemian Waxwings here along highway 510 between Cartwright and Goose Bay
Simon

Simon Thompson
Asheville, NC

[Vernon Buckle]

Thanks Simon!

If you have any target birds you could use help with here in Southern Labrador don't hesitate to look me up.

Vernon

[Vernon Buckle]

Thanks Darroch!!

You get to see a portion of our wonderful province that is absolutely breathtaking! Keep sharing your activities.

Vernon