[NatureNS] Eastern mainland birding nov.29-Dec. 2

From: Ken McKenna <kenmcken@eastlink.ca>
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Mon, 03 Dec 2012 10:00:18 -0400
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Ken McKenna
Box 218 Stellarton NS
B0K 1S0
902 752-7644

Hi all=20
Just spend 3 days touring and birding with a group in north-east =
mainland NS. On Thurs. afternoon, we visited some areas of Pictou Co. =
Nothing special noted, but at the New Glasgow sewage lagoon we had 25 =
Iceland Gulls, 40 Bonaparte's Gulls and 70 Ring-billed Gulls. At =
Melmerby Bch. PP, a juvenile Northern Harrier gave great close views as =
it hunted the dunes. We then moved on to Sinclair's I. where there was a =
nice feeding frenzy of gulls and mergansers in the Chance Harbour. I did =
not do a count, but numbers appeared to be similar to the day before =
when there were about 1200 Bonaparte's Gulls and 1200 Mergansers- mostly =
Red-breasted, but there were also 60+ Common Mergansers. When we arrived =
back to my house at dusk, a lone Pine Grosbeak was spotted in my =
flowering crab tree.=20

On Friday, the Pine Grosbeak was seen again in the flowering crab at =
dawn and a flock of Redpolls flew over as we packed to leave. The =
weather started nice although it was very cold, but by the time we =
reached Heatherton there was a full-blown snowstorm with very poor =
visibility, but  we plowed on regardless in belief that the weather =
would improver as we left the influence of the Northumberland Strait. =
Between Boylston and Guysborough Town the snow cleared and we birded =
mostly the waterways along the route. Along the Milford-Haven R., we =
spotted a Great Blue Heron and a Belted Kingfisher.  Most common duck =
there was Common Goldeneye with 80+ birds. On the Osprey golf course in =
Guysborough, there were about 500 Canada Geese, but no Lapwings!.=20

At New Harbour, there was a nice collection of birds to observe with 3 =
Black-headed Gulls and 2 over-head Turkey Vultures a highlight. Nothing =
special was seen on a late afternoon hike at Tor Bay PP.=20

We spent most of Sat. in Canso. We made 3 attempts for the Northern =
Lapwing, but failed to see it. It has likely moved on. Canso highlights =
were Orange-crowned Warblers in 2 locations- one  in ravine opposite Tom =
Kavanaugh's house and a second under a deck and around hauled up wharves =
on the waterfront camper site. Also at this locale was a very photogenic =
Lapland Longspur between the wharves. Here we also saw remains of a =
tubenose which we concluded was a Northern Fulmar- dead for awhile.  At =
Tom's feeder we saw the 2 Clay-coloured Sparrows, a Dickcissel, a =
White-breasted Nuthatch, White-throated, Song and A. Tree Sparrows with =
the House Sparrows. The harbour was somewhat quiet, but Double-crested =
and Great Cormorants were present as well as a couple Bonaparte's and =
Iceland Gulls. No sign of the tagged Great Black-backed Gull. Myrtle =
Warblers were seen along the waterfront park and at O'Leary's. At the =
Horne feeder area, we were treated to great close looks of a Brown =
Creeper.=20

At O'Leary's off Sterling St. we saw a Palm Warbler and a couple very =
co-operative Pine Grosbeaks. The owner told us he had not seen the =
Common Gallinule since Nov 30. when the pond mostly froze over except =
for a small open area tended to by a muskrat.=20

On the way through Hazel Hill, we looked through 15 Canada Geese for the =
Lapwing, on the grounds of the school, but it was not there. We went for =
a quick visit with Steve Bushell who had a Rose-breasted Grosbeak with =
Evening Grosbeaks in the early morning but not seen since.=20

We moved on to Little Dover and a hike to the back cove at Black Duck =
cove Park produced a pair of Northern Pintail and 3 Green-winged Teal.=20

After supper at Whitehead, a Northern Saw-whet Owl vocalized to end a =
nice day of birding.=20

On Sunday, we worked our way back to Antigonish with visits to Tor Bay =
PP, New Harbour and Goldboro taking in the scenic views such as Port =
Felix waterfront and islands from the church hill.  A stop just east of =
new Harbour for a Gray Jay produced a fleeting view of a Black-backed =
Woodpecker. Keen eyes spotted a Pied-billed Grebe from the wharf of the =
interpretive centre in Goldboro.=20

At the Antigonish sewage lagoon a male Ring-necked Duck was present with =
the Bufflehead and a half dozen Black-headed Gulls.=20

It was a nice few days of exploring a very beautiful, but under-visited =
area of the province and I think those in the group were very pleased to =
see an area they had not seen before even though the weather was quite =
cold and windy. Thanks to Tom, Terri and family, Steve Bushell and  the =
O'Leary owner? for their help and hospitality.=20

cheers
ken and gang



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<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</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>Just spend 3 days touring and birding =
with a group=20
in north-east mainland NS. On Thurs. afternoon, we&nbsp;visited some =
areas of=20
Pictou Co. Nothing special noted, but at the New Glasgow sewage lagoon =
we had=20
25<STRONG> Iceland Gulls</STRONG>, 40 <STRONG>Bonaparte's Gulls</STRONG> =
and 70=20
<STRONG>Ring-billed Gulls</STRONG>. At Melmerby Bch. PP, a juvenile=20
<STRONG>Northern Harrier</STRONG> gave great close views as it hunted =
the dunes.=20
We then moved on to Sinclair's I. where there was a nice feeding frenzy =
of gulls=20
and mergansers in the Chance Harbour. I did not do a count, but numbers =
appeared=20
to be similar to the day before when there were about <STRONG>1200 =
Bonaparte's=20
Gulls</STRONG> and <STRONG>1200 </STRONG>Mergansers- mostly=20
<STRONG>Red-breasted</STRONG>, but there were also 60+ <STRONG>Common=20
Mergansers</STRONG>. When we arrived back to my house at dusk, a lone=20
<STRONG>Pine Grosbeak</STRONG> was spotted in my flowering crab tree.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>On Friday, the Pine Grosbeak was seen =
again&nbsp;in=20
the&nbsp;flowering crab&nbsp;at dawn and a flock of =
<STRONG>Redpolls</STRONG>=20
flew over as we packed to leave. The weather started nice although it =
was very=20
cold, but by the time we reached Heatherton there was a full-blown =
snowstorm=20
with very poor visibility, but&nbsp; we plowed on regardless in belief =
that the=20
weather would improver as we left the influence of the Northumberland =
Strait.=20
Between Boylston and Guysborough Town the snow cleared and we birded =
mostly the=20
waterways along the route. Along the Milford-Haven R., we spotted a=20
<STRONG>Great Blue Heron</STRONG> and a <STRONG>Belted=20
Kingfisher</STRONG>.&nbsp; Most common duck there was <STRONG>Common=20
Goldeneye</STRONG> with 80+ birds. On the Osprey golf course in =
Guysborough,=20
there were about 500 <STRONG>Canada Geese</STRONG>, but no Lapwings!.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>At New Harbour, there was a nice =
collection of=20
birds to observe with 3 <STRONG>Black-headed Gulls</STRONG> and 2 =
over-head=20
<STRONG>Turkey Vultures</STRONG> a highlight. Nothing special was seen =
on a late=20
afternoon hike at Tor Bay PP. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>We spent most of Sat. in Canso. We made =
3 attempts=20
for the Northern Lapwing, but failed to see it. It has likely moved on. =
Canso=20
highlights were <STRONG>Orange-crowned Warblers</STRONG> in 2 locations- =

one&nbsp; in ravine opposite Tom Kavanaugh's house and a second under a =
deck and=20
around hauled up wharves on the waterfront camper site. Also at this =
locale was=20
a very photogenic <STRONG>Lapland Longspur</STRONG> between the wharves. =
Here we=20
also&nbsp;saw remains of a tubenose which we concluded was a Northern =
Fulmar-=20
dead for awhile. &nbsp;At Tom's feeder we saw the 2 =
<STRONG>Clay-coloured=20
Sparrows</STRONG>, a <STRONG>Dickcissel</STRONG>, a =
<STRONG>White-breasted=20
Nuthatch</STRONG>, <STRONG>White-throated, Song and A. Tree =
Sparrows</STRONG>=20
with the <STRONG>House Sparrows</STRONG>. The harbour was somewhat =
quiet, but=20
<STRONG>Double-crested and Great Cormorants</STRONG> were present as =
well as a=20
couple <STRONG>Bonaparte's and Iceland Gulls</STRONG>. No sign of the =
tagged=20
Great Black-backed Gull. <STRONG>Myrtle Warblers</STRONG> were seen =
along the=20
waterfront park and at O'Leary's. At the Horne feeder area, we were =
treated to=20
great close looks of a <STRONG>Brown Creeper</STRONG>. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>At O'Leary's off Sterling St. we saw a =
<STRONG>Palm=20
Warbler</STRONG> and a couple very co-operative <STRONG>Pine =
Grosbeaks</STRONG>.=20
The owner told us he had<STRONG> not</STRONG> seen the Common Gallinule =
since=20
Nov 30. when the pond mostly froze over except for a small open area =
tended to=20
by a muskrat. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>On the way through Hazel Hill, we =
looked through 15=20
Canada Geese for the Lapwing, on the grounds of the school, but it was =
not=20
there. We went for a quick visit with Steve Bushell who had a =
Rose-breasted=20
Grosbeak with Evening Grosbeaks in the early morning but not seen since. =

</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>We moved on to Little Dover and a hike =
to the back=20
cove at Black Duck cove Park produced a pair of <STRONG>Northern=20
Pintail</STRONG> and 3<STRONG> Green-winged Teal. </STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>After supper at Whitehead, a<STRONG> =
Northern=20
Saw-whet Owl</STRONG> vocalized to end a nice day of birding. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>On Sunday, we worked our way back to =
Antigonish=20
with visits to Tor Bay PP, New Harbour and Goldboro taking in the scenic =
views=20
such as Port Felix waterfront and islands&nbsp;from the church =
hill.&nbsp; A=20
stop just east of new Harbour for a <STRONG>Gray Jay</STRONG> produced a =

fleeting view of a <STRONG>Black-backed Woodpecker</STRONG>. Keen eyes =
spotted a=20
<STRONG>Pied-billed Grebe</STRONG> from the wharf of the interpretive =
centre in=20
Goldboro. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>At the Antigonish sewage lagoon a male=20
<STRONG>Ring-necked Duck</STRONG> was present with the =
<STRONG>Bufflehead=20
</STRONG>and a&nbsp;half dozen <STRONG>Black-headed Gulls</STRONG>.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>It was a nice few days of exploring a =
very=20
beautiful, but under-visited area of the province and I think those in =
the group=20
were very pleased to see an area they had not seen before even though =
the=20
weather was quite cold and windy. Thanks to Tom, Terri and family, Steve =
Bushell=20
and&nbsp; the O'Leary owner? for their help and hospitality. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>cheers</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>ken and gang</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>&nbsp;</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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