[NatureNS] Caspian Tern, Storm Petrels- Big Island

Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2007 06:22:27 -0300
From: Ken McKenna <kenmcken@eastlink.ca>
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
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Ken McKenna
Box 218 Stellarton NS
B0K 1S0
902 752-7644
Hi all
Mitchell Grant and I made a trip to Big I., Pictou Co. Sunday ( Sept. =
16) afternoon. Here is a summary of what we saw.=20
Our first look at the seaward side of the causeway gave a quick but =
convincing look at a Leaches Storm- Petrel with its nighthawk like =
flight and it headed east. While scoping for more we saw 2 Red-necked =
Grebes - my first for the fall season. A single American Pipit was on =
the rocks. Scoping from the dunes closer to the island, we saw a second =
storm petrel which flew and landed on the water. We watched it for some =
time as it did this several times over the next 40 min. or so. Then it =
lifted and flew directly at us and just before it reached shore it =
turned and gave a really good view of the squared off tail and unmarked =
white rump. The flight of this Wilson's Storm Petrel was not like the =
flight of the more narrow-winged one we had seen earlier. An Adult =
Caspian Tern made a couple of passes along the causeway as we were =
looking for petrels. There were about 75 Common Terns mostly on the bar =
at the west end of the Island. At least 8 Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows =
flushed as we hiked to the mudflats on the south side of the big =
saltmarsh. As usual there were 40+ Great Blue Herons and scores of =
Bonaparte's Gulls. Warblers were mostly Myrtles, but also had Parula, =
Magnolia and Palm as well as both Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos.=20
Here is a list of shorebirds seen on the island
Greater Yellowlegs-2
Lesser Yellowlegs-40
Black-bellied Plover-4
Whimbrel-1
Dunlin-1
White-rumped Sandpiper-1
Semipalmated Plover-56
Semipalmated Sandpiper-20
Least Sandpiper-15
Sanderling-1
Ruddy Turnstone-1
cheers
Ken=

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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ken McKenna<BR>Box 218 Stellarton NS<BR>B0K 
1S0<BR>902 752-7644<BR>Hi all</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mitchell Grant and I made a trip to Big I., Pictou 
Co. Sunday ( Sept. 16) afternoon. Here is a summary of what we saw. 
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Our first look at the seaward side of the causeway 
gave a quick but convincing look at a Leaches Storm- Petrel with its nighthawk 
like flight and it headed east. While scoping for more we saw 2 Red-necked 
Grebes&nbsp;- my first for the fall season. A single American Pipit was on the 
rocks. Scoping from the dunes closer to the island, we saw a second storm petrel 
which flew and landed on the water. We watched it for some time as it did this 
several times over the next 40 min. or so. Then it lifted and flew directly at 
us and just before it reached shore it turned and gave a really good view of the 
squared off tail and&nbsp;unmarked white rump. The flight of this 
Wilson'</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>s Storm Petrel was not like the flight of 
the more narrow-winged one we had seen earlier. An Adult Caspian Tern made a 
couple of passes along the causeway as we were looking for petrels. There were 
about 75 Common Terns mostly on the bar at the west end of the Island. At least 
8 Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows flushed as we hiked to the mudflats on the 
south side of the big saltmarsh. As usual there were 40+ Great Blue Herons and 
scores of Bonaparte's Gulls. Warblers were mostly Myrtles, but also had Parula, 
Magnolia and Palm as well as both Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Here is a list of shorebirds seen on the 
island</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Greater Yellowlegs-2</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Lesser Yellowlegs-40</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Black-bellied Plover-4</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Whimbrel-1</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dunlin-1</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>White-rumped Sandpiper-1</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Semipalmated Plover-56</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Semipalmated Sandpiper-20</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Least Sandpiper-15</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sanderling-1</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ruddy Turnstone-1</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>cheers</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ken</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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