Cape Race CBC - 22 Dec 2012

The Cape Race CBC went ahead on 22 Dec 2012. There were 12 observers in five groups. The weather was unusually nice with light winds and no percipitation.  A good seabird flight developed off Cape Race by about 9 am when suddenly flocks of kittiwakes began flying north.  The kittiwakes and GBBGs were probably on a rebound northward flight after five consecutive days of strong north winds prior to count day pushed them farther south then they wanted to be.  Among the birds moving north were a late Northern Gannet and the first GREATER SHEARWATER on a Newfoundland CBC.  Greater Shearwaters are known to be present on the southern Grand Banks in December and probably some all winter, but I think this is the first shearwater seen from land during December in the province.  There were well above average numbers of Greater and Sooty Shearwaters present off Cape Race in mid November.  The species total of 69 was a new high total for Cape Race CBC.  Record or near record high numbers of species are bold faced. 

Red-throated Loon – 4

Common Loon – 55
Horned Grebe – 6
Red-necked Grebe – 24
GREATER SHEARWATER – 1
Northern Gannet – 1
Great Cormorant – 5
Double-crested Cormorant – 1
Green-winged Teal – 2
Am Black Duck – 25
Mallard – 1
Ring-necked Duck – 3
Greater Scaup – 102
Common Eider – 2,431
King Eider – 2
Harlequin Duck – 3
Long-tailed Duck – 707
Black Scoter – 4
Surf Scoter – 4
White-winged Scoter – 86
Common Goldeneye – 18
Bufflehead – 7
Common Merganser – 1
Red-breasted Merganser – 49
Bald Eagle – 14
American Kestrel – 1
Merlin – 1
Peregrine Falcon – 1
Purple Sandpiper – 111
Black-headed Gull – 1
Herring Gull – 114
Iceland Gull – 99
Glaucous Gull – 17
Great Black-backed Gull – 479
Black-legged Kittiwake – 2,389
Dovekie – 332
Common Murre – 1
Thick-billed Murre – 23
Razorbill – 14
Black Guillemot – 138
Atlantic Puffin – 2
Mourning Dove – 2
Snowy Owl – 1
Belted Kingfisher – 1
Hairy Woodpecker – 1
Black Backed Woodpecker – 1
Northern Flicker – 2
Gray Jay – 5
Blue Jay – 2
American Crow – 50
Common Raven – 18
Black-capped Chickadee – 7
Boreal Chickadee – 16
Brown Creeper – 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet – 13
American Robin – 9
American Pipits – 30
Northern Shrike – 2
European Starling – 479
Fox Sparrow – 2
Song Sparrow – 2
Swamp Sparrow – 1
Dark-eyed Junco – 190
Snow Bunting – 53
Common Grackle – 1
Pine Grosbeak – 2
Common Redpoll – 40
American Goldfinch – 72
House Sparrow - 42
 

69 Species

American Pipits are routine in early winter around Cape Race. Typically it is the flies living in the rotting kelp deposits on the beaches that attracts them, but this one was feeding in a fresh water brook.