Saturday 30 November 2013

Male Pine Warbler for the Viewing - Maybe

Pine Warbler is a vagrant to Newfoundland with the closest breeding populations in New Brunswick and maybe a few breeders in Nova Scotia. It is annual in tiny numbers on the Avalon Peninsula mid October to early winter. Year listers already cashed in on two immature female Pine Warblers present in St. John's in early January 2013 (lower Waterford Valley, Cavell Lane).  Today I came across a colourful male Pine Warbler in the upper Waterford Valley.  It was on the Southside Road in a large group of spruce trees about 100 m down river from the Waterford Lane Bridge.  It was among a large flock of juncos, kinglets and chickadees.  I tied a piece of yellow flagging tape to a spruce tree on the shoulder of the road to mark the spot. I plan to put up at suet cage here as soon as I can muster up the courage to enter a Walmart or Canadian Tire infested with Xmas shoppers. I already have the suet, just need the cage.  In the late 1980s we had FOUR Pine Warblers coming to a suet bag at this location. And there have been at least two Townsend's Warblers in this clump of spruce trees over history. It is a place that should be checked more often. It difficult to see everything in the dense spruce trees on just one visit.  I am hoping by starting a Pine Warbler feeder here more people will visit the area and in turn discover more interesting birds that could be living here.  Attached are pictures of the bird that awaits you. Didn't get much of a photo opt on this first encounter.
 
 
 
 
 
 

1 comment:

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.