The winter season (2000/2001) in St. Pierre & Miquelon islands.

After 3 winters with virtually no snow, We had a real one this year. The Miquelon CBC was conducted on December 16, a new count initiated in St. Pierre took place on December 30. Birders that participated only to the CBC are in italics in the list of contributors.

Red-throated Loon : One seen on the East coast of Miquelon during the CBC was the latest ever recorded ! ˆ

Common Loon : 47 were counted during the CBC in Miquelon (76 last year) and 4 only, in St. Pierre. Although 56 were seen off Cape Miquelon on December 20, no other concentration were noted later on for this site as well as for other sites around our coasts. Last year we had more than 100 birds around.

Red-necked Grebe : 89 (record high) and 40 were counted during the CBC in Miquelon and St. Pierre respectively. No large concentration this year, we had a maximum of 66 off Mirande lake on February 19, where they were about 100 on January 9 (RE), and 52 off Cape Miquelon on February 4 (RE). Highest number for St. Pierre was 23 seen by PA on February 12. We have had variations in number in the past, it would be interesting to have data from other places to see if lows here corresponds to highs somewhere else !

Northern Fulmar : Seen only as a count week in 1980, we had 1 on count day in Miquelon this year (JH/LG).

Double-crested Cormorant : We had one during the Miquelon CBC and ten on St. Pierre CBC. Last reported : one immature on the west coast of Miquelon and 6 in St. Pierre harbour on January 6 (RE/DG).

Great Cormorant : We had a record high of 103 during the Miquelon CBC, 91 of them were counted around Cape Miquelon, while 55 were counted during St. Pierre CBC. I had a maximum of 52 birds on Cape Miquelon Feb. 4 and PA had 23 near St. Pierre harbour on February 17.

Great blue Heron : One bird was seen in St. Pierre between December 3 and 14 (FPA/PA/LJ). One was seen in flight near Mirande lake on December 29 (RE).

Canada Goose : A lone bird was on the Isthmus on January 2 (RE).

Eurasian Wigeon : One female was in St. Pierre December 2 (PA).

American Wigeon : 2 birds were a first on the Miquelon CBC. 1 female was near the village of Miquelon on January 1 and 4 (RE).

American Black duck : We had a record high of 571 during the Miquelon CBC. They were still 544 and 536 on Grand Barachois on January 2 and 6 respectively (RE) while LJ had only 410 birds on January 12. The Grand Barachois was about 60 to 65% frozen this winter and some of the birds were seen somewhere else : there were 28 birds in the pond near the village of Miquelon January 30 (RE) and 42 at Ile-aux-Marins, near St. Pierre on February 1 (BL). They were still 280 at Grand Barachois and 47 near the village of Miquelon on February 13 (LJ) and 282 at Grand Barachois on February 26. So, between 300 and 350 birds were present this winter and experienced much rougher conditions than the last three years.

Mallard : One male was with the female American Wigeon near the village of Miquelon on January 1 and alone on January 8. Two males and one female were at Grand Barachois on January 12. One pair with two black ducks were apparently feeding on the seaweeds at low tide on the west coast of Miquelon on January 19 (RE). One pair was seen in flight in St. Pierre on February 12 (PA).

Northern Pintail : There was a maximum of 3 males and one female in St. Pierre between December. 1 and 5 (PJ/FPA/PA/PB/PH). There was a maximum of 5 birds, 4 males and one female, at Grand Barachois on Jan. 12 (LJ). 2 males were near the village of Miquelon between Jan. 30 and Feb. 2 then only one up to Feb. 26 (RE).

Green-winged Teal : One bird managed to survive throughout the period on a tiny area of a pond near the town that did not freeze (PA/FPA/PB) ! ˆ

Greater Scaup : Two males were at Grand Barachois on January 25 (BL/RE et al. including Ken Tucker and Francis Wiese from NFLD). Two males near the village of Miquelon seen regularly since February 2 were joined by 1 male and one female on February 26 (RE).

Common Eider : 428 and 406 were counted during the CBC in Miquelon and St. Pierre respectively. Good numbers were reported, first for St. Pierre with about 1400 birds off the south coast on January 3 (BL), about 2300, same area, on January 24 (BL). about 850 birds were on the north-east coast of Miquelon on January 25. On February 14 BL had about 1500 near Green island while LJ had about the same number off the Isthmus. There were about 1300 birds near the village of Miquelon on February 23 (BL).

Harlequin Duck : I had one female in Miquelon on December 4. One was seen during the St. Pierre CBC, LJ had 4 birds, 3 males and one female in St. Pierre on January 6.

Surf Scoter : Two or three off Mirande on December 4 (RE). Three only during the CBC, there were possibly more but it was too windy ! (RE/PB/BL). One off Mirande on January 4, two, same area, January 9 (RE). One off the Isthmus on January 25 (RE et al.).

White-winged Scoter : There was about 20 birds off Mirande on December 4 (RE). We had 254 during the Miquelon CBC, the majority seen near the entrance to Grand Barachois (RE/PB). There was a maximum of about 40 birds off Mirande on January 4 (RE). Numerous birds were seen off the Isthmus aboard the St. Pierre/Miquelon ferry on January 28 (RE). Up to 300 Scoter sp. were seen in December and January off the Isthmus, too far for species identification (BL/RE).

Black Scoter : 16 only were seen during the CBC, 12 of them were with the White-wings near Grand Barachois (RE/PB). About 30 were off the east coast of Miquelon on December 29 and from 35 to 40 off the Isthmus on January 25 (RE et al.).

Oldsquaw : About 300 birds were off the east coast of Miquelon on Dec. 4 (RE). We had 423 during the Miquelon CBC while 4 only were seen during the St. Pierre CBC. Fairly common throughout the season as usual.

Common Goldeneye : Mostly seen at Grand Barachois as usual, there were 96 bird there on December 4 while we managed to see only 36 birds during the CBC. There was a total of 65 birds there on January 6, and a record high for this winter of 117 birds on January 25 (RE et al.). About 90 birds were at Grand Barachois, frozen about 75%, on February 2 and about 60 on February 26 (RE).

Common Merganser : Quite a rare species here, I had a male near the village of Miquelon on February 2

Red-breasted Merganser : We had a record high of 235 birds during the Miquelon CBC and 2 only in St. Pierre. Common throughout the season. On February 2, I had 67 bright-plumaged males in one flock near Mirande lake on February 2 ! ˆ while there were 92 birds at Grand Barachois (RE). Up to 75 birds were on the salt pond near the village of Miquelon in February (RE).

Bald Eagle : One adult and one immature were seen during the Miquelon CBC while St. Pierre had two adults. A few adults and immature reported throughout the season, about as usual (m. ob.).

Sharp-shinned Hawk : As last year, one was in St. Pierre throughout the season, and recorded during the CBC

Northern Goshawk : There are 4 reports one at Langlade on December 3, the others on Miquelon in December and February (BL/LJP/RE).

American Kestrel : One male was seen in St. Pierre between December 23 and January 1 (PB/LJ/DL) and recorded during the CBC.

Merlin : One in St. Pierre during the CBC on December 30.

Peregrine Falcon : One near Grand Barachois on December 5 (RE). One immature, bound north seen first by BL on the Isthmus then on the west coast of Miquelon on December 30 (RE).

Black-bellied Plover : One was near the village of Miquelon on December 4 (RE) one seen during the CBC at Grand Barachois (RE/PB) and was still there up to February 2 (RE/LJ).

Killdeer : One in St. Pierre December 28 reported by St€phane Fouchard to MD and by PH was recorded during the CBC on December 30.

Ruddy Turnstone: 2 near the village of Miquelon on Dec. 4 and one at Grand Barachois the next day (RE).

Red Knot : There was a maximum of 25 birds at Grand Barachois in December and up to January 2 (RE). This is the number recorded during the CBC. Five were at Grand Barachois on January 12 and a maximum of 9 birds near the village of Miquelon on February 21 (BL/RE).

Sanderling : 19 were seen during the CBC with 15 at Grand Barachois. There were about the same number, same area, on January 12 (LJ) and 3 on the Isthmus on January 14 (RE), one only on the southern part of the isthmus on January 25 (RE et al.) and one with the red knots near the village of Miquelon on February 4 (RE).

White-Rumped Sandpiper : A fairly late bird was near Grand Barachois on December 5 (RE). The record late was December 13 (1987) and December 6 (1990).

Purple Sandpiper : None were found during the CBC while we had a good fifty birds near Cape Miquelon the next day (RE/PA/PB/FPA). about 50 birds were on the seaweeds of Miquelon cove on December 26 and 28 (RE/BL). In St. Pierre they found 17 birds during the CBC. MD had about 12 birds on Ile-aux-Marins on January 26. About 15 birds and 30 birds were near the village of Miquelon on Feb. 19 and 21 (BL/RE respectively).

Dunlin : One during the Miquelon CBC (LG/JH/PB/RE). There were a maximum of 5 birds at Grand Barachois on January 2 (RE). Two were still there 4 days later and one was with the Red Knots in Miquelon on February 21 (RE).

Common Snipe : One was found on both CBC. One was still in St. Pierre on January 28 (PH).

Black-headed Gull : Two near the village of Miquelon on December 17 are Count week for the CBC. In St. Pierre they had 7 birds for the CBC. Regular in St. Pierre throughout the season. There was a maximum of 15 birds in St. Pierre harbour (8 adults and 7 immature) on January 13 (PA). While several birds wintered in Miquelon last year we had only on bird on January 11 (RE).

BonaparteÎs Gull : One bird was first seen in St. Pierre on January 25 (RE) and by PA on Jan. 26 and 27 and throughout the month of February. A few birds were present last winter in Miquelon.

Ring-billed Gull : There was one immature in St. Pierre on December 2 and two immature on January 2 (PA).

Herring Gull : We had 1277 birds in Miquelon during the CBC which almost equalled the record high of 1375 seen in 1986. In St. Pierre they found 607 birds during the CBC.

Iceland Gull : 259 mostly off the West coast of Miquelon and the Isthmus was a record high while in St. Pierre they had only 18 ! ˆ It was numerous as usual in St. Pierre harbour in January and February.

Lesser black-backed Gull : One very dark immature in St. Pierre harbour in the last days of February is probably this species (PA). more on the next report.

Glaucous Gull : There was a record high of 14 during the Miquelon CBC. One only was at Grand Barachois on January 6 and one immature in Cape Miquelon on February 14 (RE).

Great Black-backed Gull : 186 and 169 were counted during the Miquelon and St. Pierre CBC, respectively.

Black-legged Kittiwake : 183 counted during the CBC, mostly around Cape Miquelon and the west coast.

Dovekie : 7 only during the CBC in Miquelon and 54 in St. Pierre. Few reports of few birds in January and none in February.

Common Murre : One in St. Pierre harbour on January 13 (PA). One found dead near the village of Miquelon on February 2 (JPA) was very thin.

Thick-billed Murre : One only seen in St. Pierre and in Miquelon during the CBC. Two were seen several times in St. Pierre harbour between January 6 and 28 (PA). BL had several thousands Murre sp. in flight off Miquelon on December 28.

Black Guillemot : 50 were counted during the Miquelon CBC and 124 in St. Pierre. Up to ten birds were often seen in St. Pierre harbour in January and February. Few other reports.

Atlantic Puffin : One on the north-east coast of Miquelon on January 16 (LJ).

Rock Dove : 7 in Miquelon and 35 in St. Pierre, respectively, were counted during the CBC.

Mourning Dove : Two birds were seen on the St. Pierre CBC. Last reported : two, throughout the month of December and January at SAÎs feeder.

Snowy Owl : 1 seen in St. Pierre on January 11 (fide PB) and 1 seen in February by Gregory Ziebacz.

Short-eared Owl : One in St. Pierre January 6 and February 12 (LJ/BL).

THREE-TOED WOOPECKER : A NEW SPECIES FOR US ! ˆ One bird I watched for a moment on December 29 near Mirande lake was showing is profile only while suddenly it moved somewhat and I saw the white-scaly back !...

Black-backed Woodpecker : One in flight near Mirande lake on February 4 (RE).

Northern Flicker : There are a lot of reports for this species in December and January. We had one during the CBC in Miquelon and they had two in St. Pierre. There was a maximum of three birds in Miquelon-Langlade on January 19 (RE/PH). The only February report come from one bird found dead inside a cage set to capture snowshoe hare on Feb. 2 ! ˆ (JPA).

Northern Shrike : One seen during the CBC both in Miquelon and St. Pierre. One adult and one immature was seen in St. Pierre by MD on December 28, One bird at time was seen in St. Pierre on January 2, 15 and February 11 PB/FPA). One was seen in Cape Miquelon on February 16 (LJ).

Blue Jay : One January 24 (LJ) and two, February 23 (SA) all in St. Pierre.

American Crow : 55 birds together near Grand Barachois on December 5 was a very unusual number fro this site (RE). We had a record high of 129 during the Miquelon CBC, this is more than the double of the previous record of 55, last year ! In St. Pierre they had 32 birds during the CBC.

Common Raven : We had also a record high for this species with 113 birds but much closer to the previous record of 108 last year. In St. Pierre they had 34 birds during the CBC.

Boreal Chickadee : We had 30 birds counted during the Miquelon CBC while St. Pierre had 67 birds. A few other reports.

Winter Wren : The last bird of the season was seen in St. Pierre on December 3 (FPA).

Golden-crowned Kinglet : 4 only during the Miquelon CBC while St. Pierre had 11 birds. SA had 6 birds also in St. Pierre on January 21. Few other sightings.

American Robin : If in Miquelon we had to wait many years to record a Robin for the CBC, St. Pierre was much luckier with 15 birds ! ˆ on their first one. Six observations in January for a maximum of 6 birds, the last one was seen by LJ on January 23 in St. Pierre.

Northern Mockingbird : On was seen in the town of St. Pierre on December 3 (PA), January 3 (MD), January 21 (PA) and February 16 (MD). On report for Langlade, one bird January 11 (LJ).

European Starling : 50 birds were counted during the CBC in Miquelon and 210 in St. Pierre

American Pipit : One only near the east coast of Miquelon on December 4 (RE).

Bohemian Waxwing : Two birds were seen in St. Pierre by MD on Dec. 9 and 16 were counted there during the CBC. About 15 birds were still in St. Pierre in early Jan. with about 15 on Jan. 3 and 22 the next day (LJ).

Cedar Waxwing : Rather unusual were 5 birds in St. Pierre on February 22 (MD).

Orange-crowned Warbler : one bird was near FPAÎs feeder in St. Pierre on Dec. 27 and 1 was with Chickadees, Kinglet and another warbler in St. Pierre on Jan. 21 (PA). The species was also seen here last winter !

Yellowrumped Warbler : One in the town of St. Pierre on December 5 (LJ).

Blackpoll Warbler : A FIRST WINTER OCCURRENCE : one bird seen in St. Pierre on January 21 (PA) The record late was October 31 !

American Tree Sparrow : One bird was a regular feeder visitor between December 4 and the end of the period (FPA). One was also a regular visitor of SAÎs feeder in December and until January 24. One was recorded during the St. Pierre CBC.

Fox Sparrow : At least two birds were present in St. Pierre this winter with one recorded during the CBC and 2 birds at times at FPAÎs feeder in February and one bird at SAÎs feeder up to January 24.

Song Sparrow : A few birds wintered in St. Pierre : one was seen in the field in St. Pierre December 2 and January 25 (PA). One was at FPAÎs feeder between January 20 and the end of the period, LJ had one bird at his feeder between January 30 and February 8. MD had one bird in the town of St. Pierre on February 27.

White-throated Sparrow : All seen in St. Pierre : 2 were recorded during the CBC. Two were at SAÎs feeder throughout December. LJ had 7 or 8 birds on Jan. 6. SA had 2 birds in January and 3 in February at her feeder.

Dark-eyed Junco : Apart from 12 seen in Miquelon during the CBC and 5 at Langlade on December 29 all the others were seen in St. Pierre : 53 counted during the CBC. In December at feeders : SA had about 15 birds and FPA about 20 regularly with a maximum of 38; in January and February they had respectively about 30 and 20 birds. these are feeders outside of the town PA in town had only 2 to 3 birds and PB a maximum of four.

Snow Bunting : We had 276 birds during the Miquelon CBC. there were about 100 on the west coast of Miquelon on December 5 (RE) and about 200 on the isthmus on December 17 (RE/PB/PA/FPA). There were probably about 100 birds around the village of Miquelon throughout the season. In St. Pierre two records only : 1 february 2 (MD) and between 20 and 25 near St. Pierre airport on February 18 (PB).

Pine Grosbeak : 48 during the CBC in Miquelon just double last yearÎs record high. Seven birds were counted during the St. Pierre CBC. About 40 birds were present in St. Pierre on January 22 (LJ).

Purple Finch : All seen in St. Pierre : 12 reports between December 28 and February 28 for a maximum of 4 birds at a time (MD/SA/LJ/FPA/DG).

White-winged Crossbill : About 12 birds in the woods of Miquelon on February 9 is the only report (RE).

Common Redpoll : 10 birds were seen in Cape Miquelon during the CBC.

Pine Siskin : Once again all reports for St. Pierre where they had 3 birds during the CBC. Very few in December and most of January, then about 50 on January 31 a few few appeared at various feeders with about 40 on February 8 and a maximum of 53 on February 23 (FPA). There were about 25 at DGÎs feeder between February 8 and the end of the month. PA had about 30 birds at his feeder between Feb. 23 and 28. MD had 30 birds on the north-east corner of the town on February 25.

American Goldfinch : 10 birds were seen during the CBC in St. Pierre. There are 33 reports for the island of St. Pierre throughout the season at various feeders. It is difficult to know which number is actually involved as birds could shift from one feeder to the other. There are probably between 40 to 60 birds present in St. Pierre.

House Sparrow : 3 only during the CBC in Miquelon and 20 in St. Pierre.

Contributors : Fr€deric & Patricia Allen-Mah€ (FPA); Marie-Jeanne Allen-Mah€; Sylvie Allen-Mah€ (SA); Jean-Paul Apesteguy (JPA); Pascal Asselin (PA); Marc D€rible (MD); L€on Gaspard; Dominique Gouverne (DG); Philippe Hacala (PH); Jacky and Christine H€bert (JCH); Laurent Jackman (LJ); Danielle Lebollocq (DL); Bruno Letournel (BL) Jean & Claude Paret, G€rard Poujois; Thierry Vogensthal.¤

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ Roger Etcheberry, March 12, 2001.