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<html><div style='background-color:'><P>18 March 2007</P> <P>Hello all, </P> <P> Those of us who were celebrating St. Patrick's Day last night missed Richard's note that he was "wimping out" ( :>) and about seven showed up at Cottage Cove this a.m. One had actually seen the note but decided to come anyway, so we did not have to sit around waiting for a leader, but decided to see what we could find. After an hour or two here, five of us decided to continue the day and went on down along the shore and over to Annapolis Royal after a brief trip to Middleton. </P> <P> The variety was about what on would expect for this time of year, and there were no rarities to make our most experienced birders jealous, but with a small group, 3-4 'scopes, no rushing to get a certain distance in, and near-ideal viewing conditions most of the day, everyone managed to get good looks at most of the interesting birds, and some got "lifers".</P> <P> As Murray noted yesterday, the tides are very high now, and it was close to high tide at Port George from 10:00 -12:00. The weather was cloudy with sunny intervals, with little wind and modest wave action, we got good views of many species. Highlights were the <STRONG>Purple Sandpipers </STRONG>(about 35), which the tide forced up to within 20-25m for easy viewing, and the 14 <STRONG>Harlequin Ducks </STRONG>(about 9 males) whiiich stayed on or near the rocks at about the same distance, apparently unconcerned by our presence, were absolutely spectacular. The remarkable rust, white, and blue-grey pattern that gives the species its names (both Harlequin and <EM>Histrionicus</EM>) was resplendent, and their courtship behaviour showed the appropriateness of the fishermen's name for them - "lords-and-ladies'. Other species there in good numbers included Common Eider (150+), White-winged Scoter, Surf Scoter, and Red-breasted Merganser (50-100+ each), while smaller numbers were seen of Common and Red-throated Loons, Horned and Red-necked Grebes, Long-tailed Ducks, Black Scoters (Roger Short only), and Common Mergansers (Pat & Barb Giffin only). An immature Bald Eagle beating its way NE along the coast was probably a migrant. Herring and Great Black-backed were the only gulls seen.</P> <P> We left Port George about noon, and went back onto the North Mountain at Mosher's Corner where Gary Myers and Roger were able to relocate a flock of Horned Larks that they had seen earlier and give us all good looks through the 'scopes. This flock of about 30 were of the northern race, <EM>E. a. alpestris</EM>, as one might expect at this season. Few other land birds were seen - a few ravens and Blue Jays, many crows, starlings, and a Black-capped Chickadees, but although I had Pine Grosbeaks in Margaretsville before the trip, and heard one at Mount Hanley, I was not able to show them to the others.</P> <P> The Middleton trip to search for Cardinals was unsuccessful, but back at the shore at Port Lorne we got good looks at more of the above sea birds, and a <STRONG>Common Murre </STRONG>provided me with another highlight, although it was too far out and diving too much for me to be able to show it to others before it disappeared. A few snow squalls interrupted our viewing in the p.m., but a Song Sparrow singing at Phinney Cove reminded us that it was spring. </P> <P> By the time we reached Annapolis Royal, the tide was quite low, and we had to go to the wharf in town to see the ducks in the river mouth. We all got good views of Buffleheads and Greater Scaup there, and more Red-breasted Mergansers, but only Roger managed to get a quick look at the <STRONG>Barrow's Goldeneye</STRONG>. The wind and snow were picking up by then and it was late afternoon, so we ended the trip, everyone quite happy with the results for a mid-March outing.<BR><BR>Cheers,<BR></P> <DIV>Wayne Neily <BR>Tremont, Nova Scotia <BR><BR><BR>"Beauty is truth, and truth beauty," - John Keats, 1820. <BR></DIV></div><br clear=all><hr> MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "g.msn.com" claiming to be Get a FREE Web site, company branded e-mail and more from Microsoft Office Live! </html>
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