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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------_=_NextPart_001_01C8CC0B.11D30544 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable While travelling to Yarmouth on June 3, I briefly stopped at Mavillette Beach to look for tiger beetles. No luck, but I did flush what first appeared to be a Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow from the marram grass on the dunes - it landed in the grass about 10 yards away. The orange on the face seemed brighter than I expected, so I spished in hopes of bringing it in sight. A second bird promptly flushed from the same spot, and landed with the other. Both popped up on the grass and watched me. In addition to the brighter orange on the sides of their heads, both also had dark, well-defined streaks on the undersides, and very little in the way of buffy wash on the breast/flanks, suggesting Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow rather than Nelson's. I watched for a minute or so until they departed farther down the dune. Unfortunately, neither bird sang. There were typical Nelson's songs emanating from the salt marsh complex behind the beach. I find this intriguing - the northern limit of the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow's distribution is approximately at the same latitude, just across the gulf in southern Maine. While home, I also managed to conduct point counts for the atlas in a couple of squares. Among the more notable records was a singing male Willow Flycatcher at Lower Concession on June 6, in scrubby apple trees along a field margin grading to alder swamp (Concession square). I also found singing Warbling Vireos at two points on June 8: near Norwood Clearwater Lake and along the Salmon River in Harington (Hectanooga square). I heard another nearby on the Salmon River when I stopped to look for a phoebe nest. I did not find these records particularly interesting until I later looked at the old atlas and realized there were very little in the way of mainland NS records for Warbling Vireos. They were in the typical habitat where one finds them reasonably regular in central NB - riparian hardwood stands - but with the hardwoods consisting of red maple rather than the silver maple found along most of the lower Saint John River. I suspect that they may be overlooked (underheard?) to some extent in southwestern NS. Dwayne Sabine ------_=_NextPart_001_01C8CC0B.11D30544 Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META HTTP-EQUIV=3D"Content-Type" CONTENT=3D"text/html; = charset=3Dus-ascii"> <META NAME=3D"Generator" CONTENT=3D"MS Exchange Server version = 6.5.7652.24"> <TITLE>Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrows, Willow Flycatcher, Warbling = Vireos</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> <!-- Converted from text/rtf format --> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">While travelling to Yarmouth on June 3, = I briefly stopped at Mavillette Beach to look for tiger beetles. = No luck, but I did flush what first appeared to be a Nelson’s = Sharp-tailed Sparrow from the marram grass on the dunes - it landed in = the grass about 10 yards away. The orange on the face seemed = brighter than I expected, so I spished in hopes of bringing it in = sight. A second bird promptly flushed from the same spot, and = landed with the other. Both popped up on the grass and watched = me. In addition to the brighter orange on the sides of their = heads, both also had dark, well-defined streaks on the undersides, and = very little in the way of buffy wash on the breast/flanks, suggesting = Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed Sparrow rather than Nelson's. I watched for = a minute or so until they departed farther down the dune. = Unfortunately, neither bird sang. There were typical Nelson's = songs emanating from the salt marsh complex behind the beach. I = find this intriguing - the northern limit of the Saltmarsh Sharp-tailed = Sparrow's distribution is approximately at the same latitude, just = across the gulf in southern Maine.</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">While home, I also managed to conduct = point counts for the atlas in a couple of squares. Among the more = notable records was a singing male Willow Flycatcher at Lower Concession = on June 6, in scrubby apple trees along a field margin grading to alder = swamp (Concession square). I also found singing Warbling Vireos at = two points on June 8: near Norwood Clearwater Lake and along the Salmon = River in Harington (Hectanooga square). I heard another nearby on = the Salmon River when I stopped to look for a phoebe nest. I did = not find these records particularly interesting until I later looked at = the old atlas and realized there were very little in the way of mainland = NS records for Warbling Vireos. They were in the typical habitat = where one finds them reasonably regular in central NB - riparian = hardwood stands - but with the hardwoods consisting of red maple rather = than the silver maple found along most of the lower Saint John = River. I suspect that they may be overlooked (underheard?) to some = extent in southwestern NS.</FONT></P> <P><FONT SIZE=3D2 FACE=3D"Arial">Dwayne Sabine</FONT> </P> </BODY> </HTML> ------_=_NextPart_001_01C8CC0B.11D30544--
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