Golden-crowned Kinglet - 2011

 During my first year of birding (just last year) I could find a Golden-crowned Kinglet most any day at Long Pond or along the road around Bauline or Pouch Cove. Then all of a sudden they were gone.  This little bird is a common breeder and year-round resident of Eastern Newfoundland. I was puzzled why they had been so scarce.

According to range maps they may have moved into the Northern Peninsula during breeding.

On October 17th I came across two small flocks of these small little birds on Blackhead Road while travelling from Cape Spear. What a welcome sight! 

Then, all of a sudden, I began seeing them everywhere. What causes a common little bird to move around like this?  They are here; they are gone and now they are back again enmasse.

The Golden-crowned Kinglet feeds on insects, seeds, sap and more.  On the Avalon we had a very poor cone crop last year. Could this have affected the movement of this bird?  If so, then they should stay around for quite a while this year because the trees are laden with cones.

Berries are also abundant this year when we had practically none last year.  Folk lore has it that when there is a large Dogberry crop that we will have an equivalent abundance of snow.  We all hope that this will not be the case!