next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects
All: Had a little solo outing this a.m., in pleasant 20 C conditions, along E. Shore to 3-fathom Hbr.Birding not exciting, but there's always something to see. Walked w. end of Conrad beach and puzzled briefly over dead seal, very small and darkish back with distinct pale rings. Nonetheless, it was a Harbour Seal pup, from gull-exposed skull features. A couple of weeks ago when briefly on Sable I., I again noted how pale-pelaged the Habour Seals were cf. our mainland ones. Years ago in our monograph on the seal (1979, Fish. Res. Board Can. Bull. 200), Jean Boulva & I thought it might have a genetic basis, but I now think it could be sun-bleaching. The only "shorebird" on Conrad Beach was an adult Barn Swallow sitting on the tideline sand, flipping bits of Fucus, and snatching "seaweed flies" that were thus disturbed. I've never seen that before. The only migrant shorebirds (several Willets, one Spotted Sandpiper) were 13 adult Lesser Yellowlegs at "Shorebird Cove", 3-Fathom Hbr. There were none there last Wednesday. Unlike Greaters, they nest north into and subarctic, and generally arrive here in flocks. On the path down to the cove there were nice patches of Oxalis acetalosa - common, I know, but so pretty close up. Cheers, Ian Ian McLaren
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects