next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects
I've just returned from a week in northern Cape Breton. I had hoped to do some atlassing while there but the weather did not cooperate....foggy & cold mornings were the norm although surprisingly most afternoons were quite pleasant & even warm. I did manage a few sightings: June 9 - South Harbour Beach/Aspy Bay - 2 Willets, 1 C. Merganser, 11 R/B Mergansers, 25 Surf Scoters (including adult males), one flock of ~15 White-winged Scoters (all imms, both sexes!!), another flock of 25 W/W Scoters (all adults), Common & Arctic Terns (mostly the former which is normal here), a few Bonaparte's Gulls (perhaps they nest on the small lakes on the mountains?), 15-16 C. Geese (but only one young), 100+ Gannets, diving near White Point presumably on schooling mackeral. About 95% were successful as they were sitting on the water unable to fly, after the melee. 1 Sharp-tailed Sparrow sang once....probably just arrived as they are very late arrivals. - no Piping Plover. This is somewhat perplexing since in August I have found young here for a number of years. There was no breeding record from N. Cape Breton (& only one in total from C.B.) during the last Atlas effort. June 10-13 - a few Boreal Chickadees were found in deciduous scrub in a gravel pit and similar open places....unusual for this time of year. June 12 - a pair of Killdeer on ponds in gypsum flats at Dingwall. Thought it might be a new breeding record but noted in the last Bird Atlas a breeding record was recorded perhaps at the same area. June 13 - finally heard Mourning Warblers today. Likely just arrived. June 14 - a adult Pomarine Jaeger at the Canso Causeway. This was a dark-phase bird but a flat brown rather than black as depicted in the guides. The tail streamers were quite noticeable as it was side-on to us.....the first time I believe I have ever seen these! It was flying (unusually) extremely close to the Causeway on the north side. - A Goshawk which crossed Hwy. 102 S. of Truro. Angus
next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects