[NatureNS] Birding coastal Lunenburg & Queens counties - and DOWL

Date: Sun, 11 Feb 2007 11:52:32 -0400
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
From: Blake Maybank <maybank@ns.sympatico.ca>
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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
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<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).&nbsp;
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.&nbsp; We arrived at the beach&nbsp; 90 minutes past low
tide.&nbsp; Dublin Bay was frozen over, though Green Bay was
open.&nbsp;&nbsp; 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>&nbsp; (When we checked out this flock an
hour later there were 10 Dunlin, but no Purple Sandpiper or
plover).&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; <br><br>
Further south Petite Riviere was frozen, but at the mouth of the estuary
there were about a hundred puddle ducks, mostly Mallards.&nbsp; Green Bay
Road was fairly quiet, but there was a flock of Canada Geese, and
scattered eiders, goldeneye, and mergansers.&nbsp;&nbsp; Broad Cove
offered up more Bufflehead and goldeneye.&nbsp; We didn=92t walk Cherry
Hill Beach, but scoped it instead, and could see no sign of the Red
Knots.&nbsp;&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; A lone robin also was moving with the flock, but
there was no Redwing (the one that recently left Newfoundland had to go
somewhere).&nbsp; 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.&nbsp;&nbsp; So was a nearby American Tree Sparrow.<br><br>
We then drove to Medway Head, and there were again plenty of birds to
scope.&nbsp;&nbsp; Great Cormorants were no Toby Island, and a
<b>Dovekie</b> flew by.&nbsp; A Red-necked Grebe was new for the
day.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; An adult Bald Eagle flew over,
our first for the day, but there were 2 more, both immatures, over
Puddingpan Island, off East Berlin.&nbsp;&nbsp; I mentioned these birds
so that I could use Puddingpan Island in my narrative.<br><br>
Once in Liverpool we drove to Western Head.&nbsp; The side road to
Western Head is now called Breakwater Road, with no sign to indicate the
lighthouse or the Head.&nbsp;&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; <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.&nbsp;&nbsp; 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, &quot;Nova Scotia Birds&quot;<br><br>
author, &quot;Birding Sites of Nova Scotia&quot;<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>
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