February 22: Jared Clarke reports from the second Newfoundland 2023 tour.
Our second “Newfoundland in Winter” tour this year was held January 27 – February 2, with three excited birders braving the elements to enjoy some wonderful winter birding. Weather evolved throughout the week, from a mild start to a much colder (and more seasonal) wrap-up – all of which was fun to explore in! Our birding started with a bang – Dovekie and Purple Sandpiper being among the very first bird we spotted at Cape Spear, the most easterly point of land in North America.
Our luck continued all week with highlights including Willow Ptarmigan and Caribou hiding in plain sight on the tundra...
...a Northern Goshawk nabbing lunch over a city park, and Black-headed Gulls on both a quiet pond and the rolling ocean.
Tufted Ducks and Eurasian Wigeon were enjoyed daily, along with eighteen other species of duck seen during the week.
Boreal Chickadees and Canada Jays popped in for visits at the forest edge, and an ABA-rare Pink-footed Goose entertained us with a ridiculously close encounter. It was a fantastic week of winter birding at the edge of the continent!
Harbor Seal
Black Guillemot
Great Cormorant
Posted: February 22, 2023