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Hi all:
=20
Well I must say that today I had two birds that left me scratching my head.=
The first=2C don't laugh=2C but is it possible to have a boreal X black-c=
apped chickadee? Travelling with chickadees alongside of the road that bri=
ngs you to National Sea by Battery Point=2C was a chickadee=2C that in all =
respects looked like a boreal chickadee and I would have called it such exc=
ept that the head was jet black=2C the exact same color as a black-capped c=
hickadees would be. The bright rusty flanks was certainly diagnostic of a =
boreal. Now Sibley's shows a juvenile as having a dark head=2C but not as=
dark as in the bird that I had today. The only explanation that I can com=
e up with is a cross.
=20
The other mystery bird was a hawk. I did have two red-trailed hawks at Bac=
k Harbour Lunenburg and two bald eagles=2C but this other hawk came low ove=
r the trail and the sun was on it making it look almost transparant=2C very=
pale and light brown. Over all there was bright black on the wing tips. =
Underneath there was stripping along the head=2C but none otherwise on the =
underpart. It was very pale and light brown. There were no bands on the t=
ail at all. This also was light brown. The wings showed dark on the upper=
region the whole way along and very light along the underpart region. By =
this I mean multi colored as if a line went down the middle from the wing t=
ips to where the wings join the body. I tried to make it into a rough-legg=
ed hawk=2C but the under pattern was not right. In regards to it being a r=
ed-tailed hawk=2C it did not match any of our eastern birds=2C so a juvenil=
e western sub-species is possible. I next looked at a juvenile broad-winge=
d hawk. It is close=2C but not shaped right. My closest guess after looke=
d at hawks in flight photographs from one of the hawk guides and reading th=
e description over would be a juvenile red-shouldered hawk. This is a spec=
ies that I have no experience with=2C so even though I had close up long vi=
ews of the bird I have to leave it as a mystery. My viewing time inclused =
first seeing it and it swinging back over the trail and then in the other d=
irection. It then came back along the edge of the trail and then flew alon=
g the trail and right over the top of me at a very low level. It would sto=
p and flap every now and then in mid air. It then made another pass over m=
e and back the other way with a herring gull being very upset at it and wit=
h the herring gull chasing it. Why this might have been is a mystery to me=
. =20
=20
Other good birds seen today were one Bonaparte Gull at the Back Harbour Lun=
enburg. Sylvia Fullerton and I believe Shirley had a number of these gulls=
at a different location and this would be new for the NS winter list. I =
also had one black-headed gull at Back Harbour Lunenburg. At the entrance =
to the Back Harbour Trail on the far side of town below Harbour View Haven =
and just up from the main road that would take you to Blue Rocks were 7 yel=
low-rumped warblers. At the by Shore Road=2C where settlers first landed i=
n Lunenburg=2C was a female northern cardinal. I found a pied-billed grebe=
in the pond by Westhaver Beach at Mader's Cove.
=20
Earlier in the morning I visited the property of Frances Anderson at Grimm'=
s Settlement. The red-bellied woodpecker is still there and she also had a=
male red-winged blackbird. A barred owl had also been there just before I=
arrived.
=20
James R. Hirtle
Bridgewater =
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<body class=3D'hmmessage'><div dir=3D'ltr'>
Hi all:<BR>
 =3B<BR>
Well I must say that today I had two birds that left me scratching my head.=
 =3B The first=2C don't laugh=2C but is it possible to have a boreal X =
black-capped chickadee? =3B =3BTravelling with =3Bchickadees al=
ongside of the road that brings you to National Sea by Battery Point=2C was=
a chickadee=2C that in all respects looked like a boreal =3Bchickadee =
and I would have called it such except that the head was =3Bjet black=
=2C the exact =3Bsame color as a =3Bblack-capped chickadees would b=
e. =3B The bright rusty flanks was =3Bcertainly diagnostic of a bor=
eal. =3B  =3BNow Sibley's shows a juvenile as having a dark head=2C=
but not as dark as in the bird that I had today. =3B The only explanat=
ion that I can come up with is a cross.<BR>
 =3B<BR>
The other mystery bird was a hawk. =3B I did have two red-trailed hawks=
at Back Harbour Lunenburg and two bald eagles=2C but this other hawk came =
low over the trail and the sun was on it making it look almost transparant=
=2C very pale and light brown. =3B Over all there was bright black on t=
he wing tips. =3B Underneath there was stripping along the head=2C but =
none otherwise on the underpart. =3B It was very pale and light brown.&=
nbsp=3B There were no bands on the tail at all. =3B This also was light=
brown. =3B The wings showed dark =3Bon the upper region the whole =
way along =3Band very light along the underpart region. =3B By this=
I mean multi colored as if a line went down the middle from the wing tips =
to where the wings join the body. =3B I tried to make it into a rough-l=
egged hawk=2C but the under pattern was not right. =3B In regards to it=
being a red-tailed hawk=2C it did not match any of our eastern birds=2C so=
a juvenile western sub-species is possible. =3B I next looked at a juv=
enile broad-winged hawk. =3B It is close=2C but not shaped right. =
=3B My closest guess after looked at hawks in flight photographs from one o=
f the hawk guides and reading the description over would be a juvenile red-=
shouldered hawk. =3B This is a species that I have no experience with=
=2C so even though I had close up long views of the bird I have to leave it=
as a mystery. =3B My viewing time inclused first seeing it and it =
=3Bswinging back over the trail and then in the other direction. =3B It=
then came back along the edge of the trail and then flew along the trail a=
nd right over the top of me =3Bat a very low level. =3B It would st=
op and flap every now and then in mid air. =3B It then made another pas=
s over me and back the other way with a herring gull being very upset at it=
and with the herring gull chasing it. =3B Why this might have been is =
a mystery to me. =3B <BR>
 =3B<BR>
Other good birds seen today were one Bonaparte Gull at the Back Harbour Lun=
enburg. =3B Sylvia Fullerton and I believe Shirley had a number of thes=
e gulls at a different location and this would be new for the NS winter lis=
t. =3B =3B I also had one black-headed gull at Back Harbour Lunenbu=
rg. =3B At the entrance to the Back Harbour Trail on the far side of to=
wn below Harbour View Haven and just up from the main road that would take =
you to Blue Rocks were 7 yellow-rumped warblers. =3B At the by Shore Ro=
ad=2C where settlers first landed in Lunenburg=2C was a female northern car=
dinal. =3B I found a pied-billed grebe in the pond by Westhaver Beach a=
t Mader's Cove.<BR>
 =3B<BR>
Earlier in the morning I visited the property of Frances Anderson at Grimm'=
s Settlement. =3B The red-bellied woodpecker is still there and she als=
o had a male red-winged blackbird. =3B A barred owl had also been there=
just before I arrived.<BR>
 =3B<BR>
James R. Hirtle<BR>
Bridgewater<BR> </div></body>
</html>=
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