My day was slated to be spent at Myra Run with Diane and Sean, and Chris who very kindly offered to be our guide, searching for crossbills but the windy weather is less than ideal for finches so we put that on hold for a better day.
When Paul got in touch yesterday about looking for Harlequins this week I said let’s do it Monday because Diane and Sean live in Harlequin territory and have the day free, the windy weather is good for blowing things onto that shore, and the Harlequins won’t let a little wind get them down.
We started out at Chebucto Head where I’d hoped we might get some Kittiwakes close to shore but I didn’t realize and Easterly wind is probably best for a sea watch. So much to learn! Hence Chebucto Head was a bit of a bust for birds, but a place to visit for the vista for sure and well enjoyed by all of us.
And so off we went to Crystal Crescent Beach in search of the Harlequin Ducks to no avail. Perhaps they were in Prospect today or Peggy’s Cove or just flew in behind us from further up the hike. We went just past the 3rd beach which is usually a guaranteed spot as of late but no go.
Although with the wind it was not a terribly birdy day we were greatly entertained by 8 American Pipits.
The absence of Harlequins and uncommon sea birds made us question and second and third every bird we saw in the water which turned out to be wise as not for from the parking lot we spotted a Phalarope fairly close to shore.
Through binos we could at least determine it was not a Guillemot, and next that it was not a small gull such as a Bonaparte’s but with the new cameras you can zoom in almost as far as a scope so I was able to see the line through the eye and also realized it was spinning a bit and shouted out Phalarope. Bing…we have a winner. Next onto the phone to Sibleys to confirm and also Paul had seen them in Calgary. We came up with Red-necked being the more likely of our two native Phalaropes but it turned out to be a Red Phalarope.
None of knew at the time that either of the two would be a very rare sighting for this time of the year and the first record for the DoWL. Proving you always have to expect the unexpected as they say, and having an extra day in February is cool for more reasons than we thought 🙂
Honestly we would have been happy for a walk on the beach in the sunshine on the last day of February.

Diane, Sean, and Paul aka Team Phalarope
And for me that ends my first winter list at 106 birds and quite a few uncommon ones, thank you El Niño I suppose? Well and to birding friends who help ID things when we are out of course.
I find it very interesting that it was easy to get that many birds in the winter period without doing anything different than I usually would. So I didn’t go for some easy grabs such as the Wood Duck or Peregrine Falcon, and some I saw last year as a brand new birder didn’t turn up, but I also ended up with some surprises and it all balances out I suppose.
Perhaps I’ll never keep a winter list again but I’m glad I did it for learning purposes.
And here is what appeared for me from December 1st 2015 – February 29th 2016 and ended with our very interesting Leap Year rarity, our little friend the Red Phalarope.
Much serendipity to you in birding,
Angela
COMMON NAME |
ANATIDAE (Waterfowl) |
Greater White-fronted Goose |
Cackling Goose |
Canada Goose |
Gadwall |
Eurasian Wigeon |
American Wigeon |
American Black Duck |
Mallard |
Northern Shoveler |
Northern Pintail |
Ring-necked Duck |
Tufted Duck |
Greater Scaup |
Lesser Scaup |
Common Eider |
Harlequin Duck |
Surf Scoter |
White-winged Scoter |
Black Scoter |
Long-tailed Duck |
Bufflehead |
Common Goldeneye |
Barrow’s Goldeneye |
Hooded Merganser |
Common Merganser |
Red-breasted Merganser |
PHASIANIDAE (Pheasants, Grouse, and Allies) |
Ring-necked Pheasant |
GAVIIDAE (Loons) |
Red-throated Loon |
Common Loon |
PODICIPEDIDAE (Grebes) |
Pied-billed Grebe |
Horned Grebe |
Red-necked Grebe |
SULIDAE (Boobies and Gannets) |
Northern Gannet |
PHALACROCORACIDAE (Cormorants) |
Double-crested Cormorant |
Great Cormorant |
ARDEIDAE (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns) |
Great Blue Heron |
ACCIPITRIDAE (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) |
Bald Eagle |
Northern Harrier |
Sharp-shinned Hawk |
Broad-winged Hawk |
Red-tailed Hawk |
Rough-legged Hawk |
RALLIDAE (Rails, Gallinules, and Coots) |
American Coot |
GRUIDAE (Cranes) |
Sandhill Crane |
CHARADRIIDAE (Plovers and Lapwings) |
Killdeer |
SCOLOPACIDAE (Sandpipers and Allies) |
Ruddy Turnstone |
Dunlin |
Purple Sandpiper |
Red Phalarope |
ALCIDAE (Auks, Murres, and Puffins) |
Dovekie |
Thick-billed Murre |
Razorbill |
Black Guillemot |
LARIDAE (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers) |
Bonaparte’s Gull |
Black-headed Gull |
Mew (Common) Gull |
Ring-billed Gull |
Herring Gull |
Iceland Gull |
Glaucous Gull |
Great Black-backed Gull |
COLUMBIDAE (Pigeons and Doves) |
Rock Pigeon |
Mourning Dove |
STRIGIDAE (Owls) |
Snowy Owl |
PICIDAE (Woodpeckers) |
Downy Woodpecker |
Hairy Woodpecker |
Northern Flicker |
Pileated Woodpecker |
LANIIDAE (Shrikes) |
Northern Shrike |
CORVIDAE (Crows, Jays, and Magpies) |
Blue Jay |
American Crow |
Common Raven |
ALAUDIDAE (Larks) |
Horned Lark |
PARIDAE (Chickadees and Titmice) |
Black-capped Chickadee |
Boreal Chickadee |
SITTIDAE (Nuthatches) |
Red-breasted Nuthatch |
White-breasted Nuthatch |
REGULIDAE (Kinglets) |
Golden-crowned Kinglet |
Ruby-crowned Kinglet |
TURDIDAE (Thrushes and Allies) |
Mountain Bluebird |
American Robin |
STURNIDAE (Starlings) |
European Starling |
MOTACILLIDAE (Wagtails and Pipits) |
American Pipit |
BOMBYCILLIDAE (Waxwings) |
Bohemian Waxwing |
Cedar Waxwing |
CALCARIIDAE (Longspurs and Snow Buntings) |
Lapland Longspur |
Snow Bunting |
PARULIDAE (New World Warblers) |
Palm Warbler |
Pine Warbler |
Yellow-rumped Warbler |
Yellow-breasted Chat |
EMBERIZIDAE (Buntings and New World Sparrows) |
Eastern Towhee |
American Tree Sparrow |
Savannah Sparrow |
Song Sparrow |
White-throated Sparrow |
Dark-eyed Junco |
CARDINALIDAE (Cardinals and Allies) |
Northern Cardinal |
ICTERIDAE (Blackbirds) |
Red-winged Blackbird |
Brown-headed Cowbird |
Bullock’s Oriole |
FRINGILLIDAE (Finches) |
Purple Finch |
White-winged Crossbill |
American Goldfinch |
Evening Grosbeak |
PASSERIDAE (Old World Sparrows) |
House Sparrow |