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Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects
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Hello Folks=2C
=20
Thanks to James for getting in a preliminary note on the Brier Island t=
rip=2C and I'll add my thanks to all the 24 participants=2C including two c=
ouples from Ontario and one from Georgia=2C for helping make it an enjoyabl=
e weekend. As for posting a final tally=2C I may be able to do that later=
=2C but I'm not sure that I have one now=2C as most people did not stay for=
the compiling session at lunch Sunday at the Lighthouse Caf=E9. James and=
I did combine lists Saturday evening=2C and I do know of some additions Su=
nday=2C so I have a list of 112 species=2C or 113 if one counts the Black S=
kimmer seen by James at Pond Cove while scouting on Friday before the offic=
ial start of the trip=2C but which was not present on Saturday or Sunday. =
Some of these need details to document them=2C although none (except the s=
kimmer) was an exceptional rarity for N.S. Since getting home=2C I have se=
en at least two species from the Saturday pelagic trips reported to E-bird =
(Leach's Siorm-Petrel and Common Murre) that had not been reported to eithe=
r of the leaders. Thus we have potentially at least 115+ species for Brier=
Island (excluding species seen en route on Long I. or Digby Neck).
=20
Incidentally=2C these and many other records have been reported to E-bir=
d by at least two persons=2C one of whom made the observations and the othe=
r who was reporting them second-hand. It is not uncommon for birds seen on=
a field trip to get reported multiple times=2C as many like to report all =
their own observations to keep their county and year or other lists up-to-d=
ate. This is not a serious problem=2C but I would urge everyone not to rep=
ort second-hand observations unless they are well-documented and the report=
er is sure that no one else has reported them.=20
=20
James has noted many of the highlights. The weather was great for obser=
ving - calm and mild Saturday and with a light easterly wind Sunday - but n=
ot so good for migration=2C at least until late morning Sunday=2C when some=
diurnal migrants (mainly raptors) began moving. For Friday evening=2C aft=
er a get-acquainted sesson at the Lodge=2C the owls/nocturnal migrants grou=
p heard at least two Saw-whet Owls and had great looks at Jupiter and the M=
oon (and the Alcor/Mizar eye test of the ancients)=2C but heard very few mi=
grants moving.
=20
Saturday morning the air and sea were both very still. There was a fai=
r variety of migrants on the island in low numbers=2C but we had to work to=
get them. Near the Lodge=2C an American Woodcock was flushed from the roa=
dside in the pre-dawn light=2C but not seen by most. Early the best result=
was scanning from the Northern Light area=2C where=2C among other things=
=2C we saw about 10 Laughing Gulls head out of Grand Passage to rest on the=
waters of the Bay=2C good views of Northern Gannets=2C Common Eider female=
s=2C grey seals=2C both cormorants=2C and=2C best of all=2C a Northern Fulm=
ar (light morph)=2C the first I have seen at Brier I. Beating the bushes =
and krummholz there and along the Gull Lake Rd. turned up a fair variety of=
passerines=2C including flocks of Blue Jays=2C both chickadees=2C both kin=
glets=2C and both nuthatches=2C 14 species of warblers=2C from Nashville to=
Wilson's=2C Philadelphia Vireo=2C and Baltimore Oriole=2C as well as some =
Sharp-shinned Hawks. At Pond Cove=2C there was the usual variety of water =
birds=2C from Canada Geese and a Wood Duck to the common gulls (plus one La=
ughing). Two young Bald Eagles=2C Northern Harriers=2C three species of pl=
overs and five of sandpipers=2C including a Ruddy Turnstone=2C 10 Sanderlin=
gs=2C and 6 Dunlins were also there. Ken McKenna had an early American Pip=
it nearby.
=20
The p.m. whale and seabird cruises both went well=2C each with about a =
dozen members of our group on board. The water and air were so calm that e=
ven the shearwaters had to flap if airborne=2C and so many remained on the =
water even when we approached closely. Our group (the Brier I. W. & S Tou=
r) had 100+ Great Shearwaters (and great views)=2C about 10 Sooty Shearwate=
rs=2C a possible Manx=2C 20+ Wilson's Storm-Petrels=2C 20+ Northern Gannets=
=2C and good flocks of phalaropes (estimated 1400 Red-necked and 1350 Red)=
=2C 25+ Atlantic Puffins=2C 6+ Black Guillemots=2C 2+ Razorbills=2C plus th=
e usual gulls and one Laughing and one Black-legged Kittiwake (not seen by =
all). For mammals=2C we had about 4 Humpback Whales=2C a Sei=2C good looks=
at an Orca=2C and schools of White-sided Dolphins. The other boat had mos=
t of the same species but had no Storm-Petrels=2C their phalaropes were mai=
nly Red=2C and they had a definite Manx Shearwater. =20
=20
Sunday had more of most of the same species on the island=2C with a mod=
est flight of hawks=2C very high overhead=2C being the main difference. Th=
e largest kettle I heard of was of 30 Broad-wingeds=2C seen by David Walmar=
k=3B our group later saw 2 Osprey=2C 2 Bald Eagles=2C a few Sharp-shinneds=
=2C one Cooper's=2C 4+ Broad-wingeds=2C 1 Red-tailed=2C and one Peregrine =
Falcon over the Peajack Road area. At the shore nearby=2C Pat Giffin spott=
ed a late Ruby-throated Hummingbird in time for the rest of us to glimpse i=
t=2C and near the Baptist Church at about 10:50 a dull female Eastern Blueb=
ird posed for us until the parishioners arrived to claim their parking for =
the service.
=20
Other things may have been highlights for others=2C and we would welcome =
your comments or additions. Suggestions for improvement for next year woul=
d also be welcome=2C but probably best off-list.
=20
Cheers=2C
Wayne P. Neily
Tremont=2C Kings Co.=2C Nova Scotia
=20
"Hast thou named all the birds without a gun?=20
Loved the wood-rose=2C and left it on its stalk?" - Ralph Waldo Emerson=2C =
1847 [Poems: Forbearance]=20
From: jrhbirder@hotmail.com
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: [NatureNS] Brier Island Weekend
Date: Tue=2C 21 Sep 2010 02:10:20 +0000
On the way to Brier Island=2C on Friday in the one pond at the end of Digby=
Neck there was a pied-billed grebe. On the way home on Sunday there were =
23 greater scaup in the lake half way across Long Island. I would like to =
thank all of thse who came to Brier Island and joined our bird outings on t=
he weekend. I'll let Wayne post the final tally of what was observed. Som=
e good birds were three black skimmers=2C which were only seen on Friday=2C=
an American Golden Plover=2C a Cooper's Hawk=2C a peregrine falcon=2C manx=
shearwaters=2C lots of red phalaropes=2C lots of Atlantic puffins=2C a raz=
orbill=2C Baltimore orioles=2C eastern kingbirds=2C rose-breasted grosbeaks=
=2C an eastern bluebird=2C and a fulmar to mention a few.