honouring a pillar of the community
Gordon Parsons Memorial Duck Pond
We are honoured to dedicate the duck pond, located along our walking trail, to Labrador pioneer Gordon “Gord” Parsons (1944 - 2018).
A pillar of the Labrador West community and a devoted steward of the natural world, Gord is remembered by family, friends, and colleagues as a wealth of knowledge, a passionate advocate for his region, and one of the foremost experts on the bird species of Labrador West.
Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, in 1944, Gord moved to Labrador City in 1973 with his wife, Clemmie, and their children, Karl and Susan. He quickly became deeply involved in community life and earned a reputation for his unwavering commitment to local affairs. As owner and editor of The Aurora, Labrador West’s newspaper for many years, he helped document the stories, challenges, and achievements of the region he loved.
Gord's interests were as expansive as the Labrador landscape itself. He was an avid reader, photographer, traveler, geocacher, radio enthusiast, hunter, and birdwatcher. He often remarked that he was “poor in money but rich in experience,” a philosophy that reflected his curiosity, generosity, and appreciation for the world around him.
Above all, Gord loved Labrador - its land, its wildlife, and especially its people. His passion for birds and conservation inspired countless residents and visitors to see and appreciate the natural beauty that surrounded them. Through his volunteerism, community leadership, and enthusiasm for sharing knowledge, he left a lasting mark on Labrador West.
This dedication honours a life defined by service, curiosity, and a deep respect for nature. May the birds that visit this pond, and the people who pause here to watch them, serve as a lasting reminder of Gord’s legacy and the enduring impact he had on the community he called home.
Thank you to Gordon’s daughter, Susan, for sharing one of his pieces from 2011:
Birding Route 389 - Highway 500 through Labrador
By Gordon Parsons
Be there a birder in temperate North America that has not dreamed of a visit to Labrador much like J.J. Audubon did? Well dream no more! You may not be able to follow in the footsteps of J.J. but you can now drive into and across the Labrador Peninsula in the family sedan however some would say a SUV might be a better choice.
In 1987 Route 389 from Baie Comeau, PQ was opened allowing one to drive the 600 kilometres northward through Quebec and into western Labrador. At that time this was not a road for the faint of heart but after 20 or so years of improvement it is easily done in anything from a two seat sports car to large transport trucks.
In 1991 Highway 500 was pushed through 500+ kilometres of wilderness to Goose Bay in central Labrador. Like 389 this highway was more suitable to 4 x 4 vehicles for the first decade or so but now it is routinely traveled by all sorts of passenger vehicles. Finally at the end of 2009 the Trans Labrador Highway made the 370 kilometre connection to Cartwright on coastal Labrador than onward 320 kilometres to the lower north shore of Quebec. This still has a few rough spots but can still be done in the family minivan.
Taking this drive, which is mainly on gravel, although more pavement is being laid every year, will allow you to travel through the boreal forest and with a side trip allow you to dip into sub arctic tundra. While this trip can be done with the family car as stated previously be advised that remote gravel roads are best suited to an SUV, especially in winter time. Also if you decide to travel to Orma Lake, Esker or Twin Falls I would recommend a pickup or SUV with sturdy tires. Gas, food and rest stops are few and up to 300 or so kilometres apart. There is also very little cell phone coverage. Fore warned is forearmed.
Now that I have instilled the idea, given the particulars and stated the caveats what can you expect?
No need to list the common boreal birds or for the most part the waterfowl or birds that inhabit or pass through most of North America, so let’s look at a few ‘Labrador Birds’.
Firstly, the Willow Ptarmigan has an unofficial status as the Labrador State Bird. It can be seen year round in correct habitat in all of Labrador. This has to be one of the most beautiful of all game birds in my opinion, winter is when they are most pretty but in summer they wear a beautiful pattern of feathers that need to be seen to be appreciated. Secondly, but a bit less common, is its cousin, the Rock Ptarmigan. Again this bird is at its prettiest plumage in winter when they are all white except for a bit of black on the tail; both are often seen along roadsides, look for the black strip from the eye to the beak in male Rockers.
Close to the top would also be the Boreal Owl, a small year round owl with a really great call in mating season. Look in Coniferous or mixed woods that may contain old trees with cavities or woodpecker holes which this owl often nest. Also seen regularly is the Northern Hawk Owl, a bigger cousin seen a lot in daytime. It is much more a daytime hunter than any of the other owls. I have found that the area around km 135 and east on the TLH is a good spot to see one The Short-eared Owl is commonly seen on coastal barrens and is a good sighting.
A great sighting would be the Gyrfalcon; although rare in much of Labrador it winters on the coast and is year around in the northern part. A large falcon it feeds on birds it catches in air like the ptarmigan and grouse. Look for a nest on cliff ledges or abandoned nests in trees. This species is used by falconers in other countries.
If one spends time on the coast, two great possibilities are the Common Eider, seen year round and King Eider in the winter. The Common Eider, a large duck, can be seen in great numbers offshore depending on time of year. The down from their nests has great commercial valve and nesting boxes are often provided to aid in this. A really great gull to see is the Ivory Gull commonly called the Ice Partridge it is an all white gull in decline normally found on Arctic ice. On occasion it has been seen well into central Labrador in winter feeding on the remains of caribou.
Winter is also a great time to see hordes of Common Redpolls and the less often seen Hoary Redpoll. Small birds of the finch family they wear a pretty red cap and regularly visit feeders. Another great sight in towns is the Bohemian Waxwing. These are seen mainly in January - February as they harvest the berries on the mountain ash trees. They can number in flocks of hundreds but smaller numbers stay around longer along with their cousin the Cedar Waxwing.
Pine Grosbeaks, another member of the finch family are seen year round, the male has a mostly red head and upper chest. At feeders it prefers sunflower seeds. Boreal Chickadees are commonly seen at feeders in winter in Labrador West while the Black-capped Chickadee can be routinely seen in the eastern part of the territory. Both are seen in Spruce forests and do often use nest boxes and hang out at feeders.
Almost any time of year one is sure to see the Gray Jay and White-winged Crossbill as well as the ever present Raven which is flying even at -40F or more. The Crow is seen more often in central or coastal areas not liking the cold as much as the sturdy Raven.
Woodpeckers to be on the lookout for would be the Three-toed and the Black-backed. Not found in big numbers a sighting is to be appreciated, the Downy and Hairy Woodpecker are also seen throughout Labrador but the Downy seldom is in winter.
The Northern Shrike is seen in most parts of central and coastal Labrador all year. They prey on small birds, insects and small animals often impaling their catch on thorns or other available things. I find it to be a rather attractive bird with its black mask and light grey coloring.
I am sure from the birds mentioned above most readers can find a few to add to their life list, if not then I am sure you will have taken a drive that you will often speak about with very little prompting.
