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Early on July 24 I found an American Wigeon female with a single downy youn=
g in the big pond, Pond Cove, Brier Island. This was not a total surprise, =
for there had been an agitated male in the area a few weeks before. But it =
is the first confirmation of breeding on Brier Island, and only the second =
(according to our recent atlas) in Southwestern / Western Nova Scotia.
Vis-a-vis the recent discussion about early warbler migration, as seen from=
Brier Island July 23-26, I can't say that I found any signs of one. What I=
did see was the seasonally-expected formation of feeding guilds of recentl=
y fledged birds and some post-breeding resident adults, composed on Brier m=
ainly of Yellow, Yellow-rumped and Black-throated Green Warblers, Common Ye=
llowthroats, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Black-capped Chickadees, and Red-brea=
sted Nuthatches. Alder Flycatchers were still singing, and recently fledged=
Savannah Sparrows were everywhere. Some of the young Kinglets looked as th=
ough they should have stayed in the nest for a few more days.
Of course passerines can be on the move in late July, and one of these was =
a single adult Eastern Phoebe that seemed to appear out of nowhere on the a=
fternoon of July 25, was restless and on the move, and no doubt was a post-=
breeding disperser from somewhere nearby on the mainland.
Other birds of interest on or around Brier Island: four adult Great Cormora=
nts and a single HY bird among the Double-crests on Peters Island, probably=
from a nesting site nearby on Long Island; impressive numbers of phalarope=
s building up along the tide-streaks W of the island (I estimated 5000 Reds=
and about 50 Red-necked on July 24); a few hundred Great Shearwaters and s=
parse Wilson's Storm-Petrels offshore; two summering Black Scoter males (in=
eclipse) in Pond Cove; and the first juvenile Least Sandpipers (4/80) on J=
uly 25, which is a few days earlier than the 40-year average.
Eric L. Mills
Lower Rose Bay
Lunenburg Co., NS
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<p>Early on July 24 I found an American Wigeon female with a single downy y=
oung in the big pond, Pond Cove, Brier Island. This was not a total surpris=
e, for there had been an agitated male in the area a few weeks before. But =
it is the first confirmation of
breeding on Brier Island, and only the second (according to our recent atl=
as) in Southwestern / Western Nova Scotia.
<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Vis-a-vis the recent discussion about early warbler migration, as seen f=
rom Brier Island July 23-26, I can't say that I found any signs of one. Wha=
t I did see was the seasonally-expected formation of feeding guilds of rece=
ntly fledged birds and some post-breeding
resident adults, composed on Brier mainly of Yellow, Yellow-rumped and Bla=
ck-throated Green Warblers, Common Yellowthroats, Golden-crowned Kinglets, =
Black-capped Chickadees, and Red-breasted Nuthatches. Alder Flycatchers wer=
e still singing, and recently fledged
Savannah Sparrows were everywhere. Some of the young Kinglets looked as th=
ough they should have stayed in the nest for a few more days.
<br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Of course passerines can be on the move in late July, and one of these w=
as a single adult Eastern Phoebe that seemed to appear out of nowhere on th=
e afternoon of July 25, was restless and on the move, and no doubt was a po=
st-breeding disperser from somewhere
nearby on the mainland. <br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Other birds of interest on or around Brier Island: four adult Great Corm=
orants and a single HY bird among the Double-crests on Peters Island, proba=
bly from a nesting site nearby on Long Island; impressive numbers of phalar=
opes building up along the tide-streaks
W of the island (I estimated 5000 Reds and about 50 Red-necked on July 24)=
; a few hundred Great Shearwaters and sparse Wilson's Storm-Petrels offshor=
e; two summering Black Scoter males (in eclipse) in Pond Cove; and the firs=
t juvenile Least Sandpipers (4/80)
on July 25, which is a few days earlier than the 40-year average. <br>
</p>
<p><br>
</p>
<p>Eric L. Mills</p>
<p>Lower Rose Bay</p>
<p>Lunenburg Co., NS<br>
</p>
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