Welcome to Prince Edward Island Birding!

Welcome new Bird Canada author Ron Arvidson from Prince Edward Island who will be posting the 5th of each month. It’s wonderful to have the Atlantic birds now represented on the blog! 

Ron was born and raised in Manitoba, and growing up had ranged freely through the wood and eastern slope of Riding Mountain National Park. In doing so, he always had an interest of the flora and fauna of the area. Since graduating University of Regina, he has lived and visited across Canada from Horsefly Lake, BC to Cape St. Mary’s, NL. Today, he lives in rural PEI, where as an Artist and Educator, he chases birds on PEI. He is Co-administrator of the Birding on PEI Faceboook page  and also contributes to the Blog http://preservecompany.com/blogs/we-are-for-the-birds.

Ron with fellow birders Kathleen MacAulay and Fiep De Bie. Photo by Sharon Clark

Shorebirds on the Move

At this time in Prince Edward Island, our focus begins to change from our warblers and breeding birds to the birds of the shore. For the past few weeks shorebirds have been appearing in numbers on our beaches. One of the areas I am most familiar with is along the south shore.

One of the areas that I frequently visit is that of the Bedeque Bay Important Bird Area. Recently, I have visited and have been able to find Semipalmated Plover and Sandpiper, Ruddy Turnstones, Short-billed Dowitchers and both Lesser and Greater Yellowlegs. A Ruff was sighted in the area earlier this year and Godwits are also frequently seen. One can also see Black-bellied Plover and Dunlin later in the season.

Lesser and greater yellowlegs

As well as shorebirds, numerous other species take advantage of the area and one can find assorted gulls, marsh birds, ducks, geese and raptors. This is a great area to visit on Prince Edward Island throughout the seasons.

Bald eagle

Shorebirds and gulls