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--=======AVGMAIL-45CF3BC066D7======= Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="=====================_13053031==.ALT"; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-4C025146 --=====================_13053031==.ALT Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-4C025146 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Ian McLaren and I explored the Atlantic shoreline=20 of Lunenburg and Queens Counties yesterday (10 February 2007). We started at 0730 in East LaHave where we were=20 treated to fabulous views of the Harris=92s Sparrow=20 (details on the NS-RBA web site). There was also=20 a Northern Flicker in attendance, and more=20 goldfinches than I=92ve seen for some time. We crossed the LaHave River on the ferry and=20 headed to Crescent Beach and LaHave Island. We=20 arrived at the beach 90 minutes past low=20 tide. Dublin Bay was frozen over, though Green=20 Bay was open. At the east end of Crescent Beach=20 we found a small group of shorebirds; 8 Dunlin, 1=20 Purple Sandpiper, and a Black-bellied=20 Plover. (When we checked out this flock an hour=20 later there were 10 Dunlin, but no Purple=20 Sandpiper or plover). There was a handsome drake=20 Black Scoter nearby among the nearby rocks=20 exposed by the low tide, swimming with Black Ducks. We checked various bays and channels around=20 LaHave Island, and had a nice variety of=20 waterfowl =96 all three mergansers (including 17=20 Hoodeds), the other two scoters, Oldsquaw,=20 goldeneye, Bufflehead, along with guillemots and loons. Further south Petite Riviere was frozen, but at=20 the mouth of the estuary there were about a=20 hundred puddle ducks, mostly Mallards. Green Bay=20 Road was fairly quiet, but there was a flock of=20 Canada Geese, and scattered eiders, goldeneye,=20 and mergansers. Broad Cove offered up more=20 Bufflehead and goldeneye. We didn=92t walk Cherry=20 Hill Beach, but scoped it instead, and could see=20 no sign of the Red Knots. The waters were=20 quiet, though a Horned Grebe was new for the day. Once in Queens County we drove to Port Medway,=20 and when we stopped to investigate an active=20 feeder near the community=92s wharf, we encountered=20 a nice flock of waxwings, 70+ Bohemians and 6=20 Cedars; the six-pack of Cedars sometimes mixed=20 with the others, but also formed their own tiny=20 flock. A lone robin also was moving with the=20 flock, but there was no Redwing (the one that=20 recently left Newfoundland had to go=20 somewhere). An Iceland Gull off the wharf was=20 our first for the day, and a drake Hooded=20 Merganser was my first for my Queens County=20 list. So was a nearby American Tree Sparrow. We then drove to Medway Head, and there were=20 again plenty of birds to scope. Great=20 Cormorants were no Toby Island, and a Dovekie=20 flew by. A Red-necked Grebe was new for the=20 day. We continued to the road=92s end at Long=20 Cove, where we found a further 8 Hooded=20 Mergansers, and a single Ruddy Turnstone on the rocks outside the cove. From the wharf in West Berlin we studied a flock=20 of 22 Greater Scaup, as well as assorted other=20 diving ducks. An adult Bald Eagle flew over, our=20 first for the day, but there were 2 more, both=20 immatures, over Puddingpan Island, off East=20 Berlin. I mentioned these birds so that I could=20 use Puddingpan Island in my narrative. Once in Liverpool we drove to Western Head. The=20 side road to Western Head is now called=20 Breakwater Road, with no sign to indicate the=20 lighthouse or the Head. There was little to see=20 off Western Head other than numerous Common=20 Eiders, but we stopped at a feeder at the start=20 of Breakwater Road, and when we pished we were=20 rewarded with a remarkable sight of 25+=20 Black-capped Chickadees in view simultaneously,=20 alongside a dozen sparrows, an equal number of=20 White-throated and American Tree. We then headed for home, but had we tallied our=20 day=92s list and realised that we were at 48=20 species, we might have tried harder to find two=20 more, to round the day at an even 50. Still, we=20 hope some of our day=92s list will be new for the=20 =93DOWL=94, the =93Depths of Winter List=94. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------= - Blake Maybank Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds" author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia" http://maybank.tripod.com/BSNS.htm 144 Bayview Drive White's Lake, Nova Scotia, B3T 1Z1, Canada maybank@ns.sympatico.ca (902) 852-2077 =20 --=====================_13053031==.ALT Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-4C025146 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html> <body> <font face=3D"Times New Roman, Times">Ian McLaren and I explored the Atlantic shoreline of Lunenburg and Queens Counties yesterday (10 February 2007).<br><br> We started at 0730 in East LaHave where we were treated to fabulous views of the <b>Harris=92s Sparrow </b>(details on the NS-RBA web site). There was also a <b>Northern Flicker</b> in attendance, and more goldfinches than I=92ve seen for some time.<br><br> We crossed the LaHave River on the ferry and headed to Crescent Beach and LaHave Island. We arrived at the beach 90 minutes past low tide. Dublin Bay was frozen over, though Green Bay was open. At the east end of Crescent Beach we found a small group of shorebirds; 8 <b>Dunlin</b>, 1 <b>Purple Sandpiper,</b> and a <b>Black-bellied Plover.</b> (When we checked out this flock an hour later there were 10 Dunlin, but no Purple Sandpiper or plover). There was a handsome drake <b>Black Scoter </b>nearby among the nearby rocks exposed by the low tide, swimming with Black Ducks.<br><br> We checked various bays and channels around LaHave Island, and had a nice variety of waterfowl =96 all three mergansers (including 17 Hoodeds), the other two scoters, Oldsquaw, goldeneye, Bufflehead, along with guillemots and loons. <br><br> Further south Petite Riviere was frozen, but at the mouth of the estuary there were about a hundred puddle ducks, mostly Mallards. Green Bay Road was fairly quiet, but there was a flock of Canada Geese, and scattered eiders, goldeneye, and mergansers. Broad Cove offered up more Bufflehead and goldeneye. We didn=92t walk Cherry Hill Beach, but scoped it instead, and could see no sign of the Red Knots. The waters were quiet, though a <b>Horned Grebe</b> was new for the day.<br><br> Once in Queens County we drove to Port Medway, and when we stopped to investigate an active feeder near the community=92s wharf, we encountered a nice flock of waxwings, 70+ <b>Bohemians</b> and 6 <b>Cedars</b>; the six-pack of Cedars sometimes mixed with the others, but also formed their own tiny flock. A lone robin also was moving with the flock, but there was no Redwing (the one that recently left Newfoundland had to go somewhere). An <b>Iceland Gull </b>off the wharf was our first for the day, and a drake Hooded Merganser was my first for my Queens County list. So was a nearby American Tree Sparrow.<br><br> We then drove to Medway Head, and there were again plenty of birds to scope. Great Cormorants were no Toby Island, and a <b>Dovekie</b> flew by. A Red-necked Grebe was new for the day. We continued to the road=92s end at Long Cove, where we found a further 8 Hooded Mergansers, and a single <b>Ruddy Turnstone </b>on the rocks outside the cove.<br><br> From the wharf in West Berlin we studied a flock of 22 Greater Scaup, as well as assorted other diving ducks. An adult Bald Eagle flew over, our first for the day, but there were 2 more, both immatures, over Puddingpan Island, off East Berlin. I mentioned these birds so that I could use Puddingpan Island in my narrative.<br><br> Once in Liverpool we drove to Western Head. The side road to Western Head is now called Breakwater Road, with no sign to indicate the lighthouse or the Head. There was little to see off Western Head other than numerous Common Eiders, but we stopped at a feeder at the start of Breakwater Road, and when we pished we were rewarded with a remarkable sight of 25+ Black-capped Chickadees in view simultaneously, alongside a dozen sparrows, an equal number of White-throated and American Tree. <br><br> We then headed for home, but had we tallied our day=92s list and realised that we were at 48 species, we might have tried harder to find two more, to round the day at an even 50. Still, we hope some of our day=92s list will be new for the =93DOWL=94, the =93Depths of Winter List=94.<br><br> <x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------= -<br> Blake Maybank<br> Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds"<br><br> author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia"<br> <a href=3D"http://maybank.tripod.com/BSNS.htm" eudora=3D"autourl"> http://maybank.tripod.com/BSNS.htm<br><br> </a>144 Bayview Drive<br> White's Lake, Nova Scotia, <br> B3T 1Z1, Canada<br><br> maybank@ns.sympatico.ca<br> (902) 852-2077 </font></body> </html> --=====================_13053031==.ALT-- --=======AVGMAIL-45CF3BC066D7======= Content-Type: text/plain; x-avg=cert; charset=us-ascii; x-avg-checked=avg-ok-4C025146 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: inline Content-Description: "AVG certification" No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG. Version: 7.5.441 / Virus Database: 268.17.35/680 - Release Date: 10/02/2007 = --=======AVGMAIL-45CF3BC066D7=======--
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