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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0035_01CD9F0C.CBADEE90 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Ken McKenna Box 218 Stellarton NS B0K 1S0 902 752-7644 Hi all Saturday, Sept 29 at Big I. ended up being not a bad birding day despite = the rainy forecast. Once reaching the causeway, it was evident there had = been an arrival over the last couple of days. Along the shoulder of the = causeway and the gravel bars and beaches there were dozens of Savannah = Sparrows. On the outside beach was a close Red-throated Loon still in = nice alternate plumage as well 175 or so Surf Scoters. In the group, I = also found a fem. Black Scoter, a dozen WW Scoters and a single fem. = Greater Scaup flew in to join them. Also on the Strait side were 3 = Horned and 2 Red-necked Grebes. I did not see any gannets.=20 Between the wooden storm barrier and the bar created after fixing the = road wash out a couple of years ago, I saw at least 4 Lapland Longspurs = and 13 Horned Larks. Several flocks of American Pipits flew along the = beach areas.=20 The high tide shorebird roosts along the causeway had 139 Semipalmated = Plovers, 15 Black-bellied Plovers, 10 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 27 = Pectoral Sandpipers, and 9 Dunlin. I spooked an Osprey with a fish on = the beach as I was leaving.=20 On the Island itself, there were numerous sparrows, mostly Song and = Savannah, but Swamp Sparrows were in larger than usual numbers and in = not so usual locales such as in sand dunes, and in fields. I also had 3 = Chipping Sparrows along the main road near the Wharf Road.=20 The flock of Starlings seems to be increasing with about 400 and the = number of crows was also larger than the last few times I have been out. = Golden-crowned Kinglets were abundant, after a few trips in the summer = with only a few. I had a flock of 12 about 200m west of Harmony Lane and = a total of 28. The flock of Canada Geese is growing and I saw over 100, = although there was probably more that were just out of sight.=20 An Eastern Phoebe was at the top of trees between 2 houses about 150m = west of the tree carvings and on the opposite side of the road. The bird = flew before I had a great look, but the pumping tail and lack of = eye-ring point to that species and I had one nearby a few days ago. I = had 4 Hermit Thrushes various areas of the island. =20 At the west end bar there were 270 Bonaparte's Gulls and just under 100 = Common Mergansers in a bit of a feeding frenzy. On the bar were 3 Common = Terns, 4 Semipalmated Plovers, 7 Semipalmated Sandpipers, and 5 Greater = Yellowlegs.=20 Abundant warblers were Myrtles ( 50) and Common Yelowthroat( 7). Only = single Black and White and American Redstart were other warblers seen as = well as a single Blue-headed Vireo. My total of a respectable 65 = species has been posted to E-bird.=20 On the other hand it is quite wet today and my only noteworthy = observation is about 20 Robins which were eating berries and grapes in = the back yard. A White-breasted Nuthatch was heard in the yard as well.=20 cheers Ken ------=_NextPart_000_0035_01CD9F0C.CBADEE90 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META name=3DGENERATOR content=3D"MSHTML 8.00.6001.19328"> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Ken McKenna<BR>Box 218 Stellarton = NS<BR>B0K=20 1S0<BR>902 752-7644<BR></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Hi all</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Saturday, Sept 29 at Big I. ended up = being not a=20 bad birding day despite the rainy forecast. Once reaching the causeway, = it was=20 evident there had been an arrival over the last couple of days. Along = the=20 shoulder of the causeway and the gravel bars and beaches there were = dozens of=20 <STRONG>Savannah Sparrows</STRONG>. On the outside beach was a=20 close <STRONG>Red-throated Loon</STRONG> still in nice alternate = plumage as=20 well <STRONG>175 </STRONG>or so <STRONG>Surf Scoters</STRONG>. In the = group, I=20 also found a fem.<STRONG> Black Scoter</STRONG>, a dozen <STRONG>WW=20 Scoters</STRONG> and a single fem. <STRONG>Greater Scaup</STRONG> flew = in to=20 join them. Also on the Strait side were 3 <STRONG>Horned </STRONG>and 2=20 <STRONG>Red-necked Grebes</STRONG>. I did <STRONG>not</STRONG> see any = gannets.=20 </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Between the wooden storm barrier and = the bar=20 created after fixing the road wash out a couple of years ago, I saw at = least 4=20 <STRONG>Lapland Longspurs</STRONG> and 13 <STRONG>Horned Larks</STRONG>. = Several=20 flocks of <STRONG>American Pipits</STRONG> flew along the beach areas.=20 </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>The high tide shorebird roosts along = the causeway=20 had 139 <STRONG>Semipalmated Plovers</STRONG>, 15 <STRONG>Black-bellied=20 Plovers</STRONG>, 10 <STRONG>Semipalmated Sandpipers</STRONG>, 27=20 <STRONG>Pectoral Sandpipers</STRONG>, and 9 <STRONG>Dunlin. </STRONG>I = spooked=20 an Osprey with a fish on the beach as I was leaving. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>On the Island itself, there were = numerous sparrows,=20 mostly <STRONG>Song</STRONG> and <STRONG>Savannah,</STRONG> but = <STRONG>Swamp=20 Sparrows</STRONG> were in larger than usual numbers and in not so usual = locales=20 such as in sand dunes, and in fields. I also had 3 <STRONG>Chipping=20 Sparrows</STRONG> along the main road near the Wharf Road. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>The flock of <STRONG>Starlings</STRONG> = seems to be=20 increasing with about<STRONG> 400</STRONG> and the number of crows was = also=20 larger than the last few times I have been out. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial><STRONG>Golden-crowned = Kinglets</STRONG> were=20 abundant, after a few trips in the summer with only a few. I had a = flock of=20 12 about 200m west of Harmony Lane and a total of <STRONG>28.</STRONG> = The flock=20 of <STRONG>Canada Geese</STRONG> is growing and I saw over 100, although = there=20 was probably more that were just out of sight. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>An <STRONG>Eastern Phoebe</STRONG> was = at the top=20 of trees between 2 houses about 150m west of the tree carvings and = on the=20 opposite side of the road. The bird flew before I had a great look, but = the=20 pumping tail and lack of eye-ring point to that species and I had one = nearby a=20 few days ago. I had <STRONG>4 Hermit Thrushes</STRONG> various = areas of=20 the island<STRONG>.</STRONG> </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>At the west end bar there were = <STRONG>270=20 Bonaparte's Gulls</STRONG> and just under <STRONG>100 Common = Mergansers</STRONG>=20 in a bit of a feeding frenzy. On the bar were 3 <STRONG>Common = Terns</STRONG>, 4=20 <STRONG>Semipalmated Plovers</STRONG>, 7 <STRONG>Semipalmated=20 Sandpipers</STRONG>, and 5 <STRONG>Greater Yellowlegs</STRONG>. = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Abundant warblers were <STRONG>Myrtles = (=20 50</STRONG>) and<STRONG> Common Yelowthroat( 7).</STRONG> Only single=20 <STRONG>Black and White and American Redstart</STRONG> were other = warblers seen=20 as well as a single <STRONG>Blue-headed Vireo.</STRONG> My total = of a=20 respectable 65 species has been posted to E-bird<STRONG>.</STRONG> = </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>On the other hand it is quite wet today = and my only=20 noteworthy observation is about 20 <STRONG>Robins</STRONG> which were = eating=20 berries and grapes in the back yard. A <STRONG>White-breasted = Nuthatch</STRONG>=20 was heard in the yard as well. </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>cheers</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Ken</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial> </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0035_01CD9F0C.CBADEE90--
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