Nova Scotia and Newfoundland offer good chances to track down Pine Grosbeak, a plump, small-billed finch.
pinegrosbeak
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![Nova Scotia and Newfoundland offer good chances to track down Pine Grosbeak, a plump, small-billed finch. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-NDGfMWx/0/737e9939/M/Pine%20Grosbeak-M.jpg)
![The city of St. John's, Newfoundland as seen from our hotel room windows -- our tour's starting point. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-V4s3pfd/1/46849337/Ti/StJohns-Ti.jpg)
![An Atlantic Puffin stands sentry outside its burrow at Gull Island, Witless Bay, a short drive south of St. John's. Many thousands of puffins, plus myriad other seabirds, make this their summer home. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-CqcnZ9s/0/6eaac10f/Ti/puffin-Ti.jpg)
![The Thick-billed Murre on the right, flanked by a Common, has been present in the Witless Bay murre colony for many years. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-VxNbbXd/0/dc2a10a0/Ti/mixed%20murres-Ti.jpg)
![Another common breeder on Gull Island is the dapper Razorbill. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-BfgJkmh/0/fc1fd7ba/Ti/razorbills-Ti.jpg)
![A small number of Atlantic Northern Fulmars breed on Gull Island. This bird showed off nicely for us during our boat ride. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-93CGTCx/0/95cf8477/Ti/fulmar-Ti.jpg)
![Waves crashing against the ancient shores of the Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland. These are some of the oldest rocks on Earth. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-hqLvjC5/0/cc524248/Ti/IMG_1506rs-Ti.jpg)
![With its giant pectoral fin showing below the surface, this Humpback Whale is busy consuming giant quantities of Capelin that have come in to spawn. We saw more than fifty of these magnificent animals. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-XPVM3xP/0/7bae8eba/Ti/IMG_1489rs-Ti.jpg)
![An expressive Humpback Whale lob-tails for us on our Witless Bay boat trip. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-j834cWk/0/beb846aa/Ti/IMG_1512rs-Ti.jpg)
![A Minke Whale surfaces silently nearby on our boat trip out on Witness Bay. Like other cetaceans, Minkes are attracted to the capelin runs. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-DKgCgGx/0/fc2f0d5f/Ti/IMG_1343rs-Ti.jpg)
![This iceberg was aground in Witless Bay, Newfoundland. Having traveled south from Greenland in the currents, it was now on its last legs. The following morning, it had toppled over and was shrinking rapidly. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-3Mng864/0/81cd4367/Ti/IMG_1480rs-Ti.jpg)
![Second in size only to the Blue Whale, this Fin Whale surfaces close to shore at Cape Spear. Three of these magnificent animals are feeding together on Capelin. Notice the distinctive white right lower jaw of this animal. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-W3MQFx5/0/c5011c4a/Ti/IMG_1552rs-Ti.jpg)
![Tors Cove, an attractive vista just south of St. John's, Newfoundland. From this spot, we counted dozens of Humpback spouts, estimating some 50 whales present! <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-Swrt5qs/0/364079b1/Ti/Tors%20Cove-Ti.jpg)
![This piebald Caribou is shedding its winter coat. Caribou are a regular sight along the southern tip of the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-h2GQMQk/0/267f86c1/Ti/caribou-Ti.jpg)
![The highlight of a visit to Cape St. Mary's is the marvelous Gannet Rock, here shrouded in fog. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-sQB3d7C/0/ae803d24/Ti/gannet%20rock-Ti.jpg)
![Packed with gannets, the rock offers these birds occupy prime nesting real estate. More than 20,000 pairs breed at Cape St. Mary's. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-59GTkk5/0/c069897e/Ti/foggy%20gannets-Ti.jpg)
![Nova Scotia and Newfoundland offer good chances to track down Pine Grosbeak, a plump, small-billed finch. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-NDGfMWx/0/737e9939/Ti/Pine%20Grosbeak-Ti.jpg)
![The scenic Louisbourg Lighthouse on Cape Breton Island. This area is often shrouded in fog, but we enjoyed a glorious afternoon here. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-TM2dn8R/0/56dcb2e8/Ti/Louisbourg%20Lighthouse-Ti.jpg)
![The mouth of Louisbourg Harbour, with Great Cormorant, Black Guillemot, Common Eider, and Gray Seal to occupy us. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-pfgwGrg/0/73b6737a/Ti/Harbour%20mouth-Ti.jpg)
![Scoping Great Cormorants near Louisbourg. <div id="caption_tourlink" align="right"><br>[photo © Chris Benesh]</div>](https://photos.smugmug.com/SHOWS/North-America/Newfoundland-Nova-Scotia-2008/i-KhSL2wj/0/84ffa9e6/Ti/group-Ti.jpg)