Birdwatchers gather in Codroy Valley for rare house finch sighting

A rare sighting among a flock of birds may have been a first for Newfoundland and Labrador.

Kellie Joyce spotted a house finch on May 1, and immediately knew it was unusual.

"The house finch came in with a flock of about 20 to 25 purple finches, and along with that came in about 50 Savannah sparrows and a bunch of others," Joyce told CBC News. "It was quite an amazing day here at my feeder."

Having previously seen house finches during her time in Ontario, she contacted a fellow birder and friend to share her discovery.

"He knew right away that it was a rare bird, and then he went on to tell me that it's never been here before," she said. "So that was kind of neat."

Word quickly spread about the discovery through the birding community, drawing the attention of enthusiasts from near and far. 

Many travelled to Codroy Valley in hopes of catching a glimpse of the rare visitor.

"I had one guy try to get here from Labrador, but unfortunately the house finch left. He was the only one of, like, say 25 to 30 people that came to see it that didn't actually get to see it and photograph it," Joyce said. 

Joyce says her passion for photography and birdwatching are interconnected pursuits. 

"Birding has become like second nature to me now, and I just love photographing anything in nature, but birding especially," she said.  

"There have been 24 different species in my yard this week, so there's always something new to look at." 

After the house finch's departure, Joyce said she had spotted another Wednesday evening. It is still uncertain whether it was the same bird or a new visitor. Her success in attracting rare birds is attributed to her proximity to a bird sanctuary. 

"I'm kind of lucky in the sense that this is the path birds take when they're migrating through," she said. "I put out feed all year … if you don't feed them, they won't come. It's quite an expensive hobby."

A strong advocate for sharing the joys of birdwatching, Joyce says she is always willing to welcome fellow enthusiasts to her birdwatching spot. 

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