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Hi there, Jean Hartley and I spent a few hours in the middle of the day on Saturday along the southwest side of the Halifax Harbour approaches - Purcell's Cove to Sandy Cove. The weather was warm and lovely, and it was unusual to experience no wind in the locations we visited. What struck us most was the near-total absence of the seabirds we would expect to see at this season. We did not see a single loon, grebe, cormorant, scaup, scoter, goldeneye, merganser, or other such seabirds. Common Eiders were reassuringly present in small mixed flocks - if we hadn't found any of those, we would really have been dispirited! Perhaps the birds are simply lingering further north, enjoying the late fall weather? Signs of the approach of winter were present, however, in the number of Black Guillemots in motley winter plumage, and the reappearance of American Tree Sparrows along the Chebucto Head Road, the first I have seen this fall. We also found several White-winged Crossbills at Duncan's Cove. There are still a few Robins around the headlands, but they are very scarce compared to a month or so ago. Goldfinches were common, as well as mixed flocks of Boreal and Black-capped Chickadees with Golden-crowned Kinglets. We didn't find any warblers. We noticed that there were no berries left on the Mountain Ashes. Most of the Canada Holly berries have also disappeared, which seems earlier than usual. Those huge flocks of Robins must have eaten well before they moved on! Cheers, Patricia L. Chalmers Halifax
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