Page 12 - Giv'er Miramichi Magazine - Spring Giver 2025

Birds of Winter and Early Spring

by Peter Gadd – Nature Miramichi

Every winter, members of Nature Miramichi compile a
list of birds reported in Northumberland County between
December 1st and the end of February. This past winter 76
species have been recorded at the time of writing. The most
unexpected birds include eastern towhee, rusty blackbird,
Wilson’s snipe, and northern hawk owl. The full list can be
viewed at www.miramichinaturalistclub.com.
Enough of winter, at least for the time being. What
returning migratory birds might we expect in March and
April? Among the many, 10 are highlighted here.
1. Red-winged blackbirds arrive in quite large
numbers by late March. Although primarily insectivores the
early arrivals are forced to become seed eaters and can often
find their needs met at garden bird feeders.
2. Also arriving early and in large numbers are
common grackles who may share the garden feeders with Red-winged Blackbird (male). Among the first to arrive in March.
the red-winged blackbirds.
3. A little later, in small numbers, often in the company
for red-winged blackbirds, are the smaller brown-headed
cowbirds.
4. Fairly recent arrivals to the Miramichi area are
turkey vultures, perhaps the first week of April. As the
winter’s snow recedes, they may be looking for animal
remains that recently perished.
5. Most of our woodpeckers are non-migratory, happy
to eke out a living in the wintery conditions, but the northern
flicker is an exception and can be found in the area by mid-
April.
6. Most gulls do leave northern NB in winter although
a few great black-backed gulls and herring gulls can get by
staying. The smaller ring-billed gulls don’t hang around. We
can expect to see them towards the end of March. Brown-headed Cowbird (male)
7. In mid-April when the ice in rivers, lakes, ponds and
estuaries melts, birds that rely on open water can be found.
One of the earliest, while
there is still considerable Ring-billed Gull Northern Shoveler (male)
pond ice, is the hooded
merganser (7). Later in
April will see the arrival of
pied-billed grebes (8),
belted kingfishers (9) and
northern shovelers (10)
among others.
The colourful warblers
will start to return mid-
spring, usually about the
first two weeks of May.

12 www.GiverMiramichi.com spring 2025