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single Lark Sparrow on Mon AM (I did get a few p Thanks for this , Bob. It was difficult for me to opt out of this trip; I have missed only three BPI Labour Days since 1984. I couldn't take a chance on breaking the other leg, so stayed on level ground. The Snow Goose flying over would have been a BPI lifer for me. I so love the Fox Sparrows and Winter Wrens - were both gone? Sounds like a great trip. I'm guessing the Little Blue Heron was at Salt Water Pond? Nice to see the adult plumage. Each year lately we have seen only one or two Black-crowned Night Herons. There used to be a good sized colony there. Once we counted 19 adults and juveniles. They seem not to tolerate having their nests "investigated", and some birders in the 1980's could not seem to restrain themselves. I wonder if part of the colony may have moved to CSI? Cheers, Joan Bob McDonald wrote: > Hello, > > Sorry about the tardiness of this report but had to accomplish several > other things since returning. As usual, the small group (6) departed > from Shag Harbour about 6:30 PM on Friday (Aug 29) and returned just > after lunch on Mon (Sept 1). We really lucked out on the weather > since the only significant rainfall we had occurred overnight. > > In all, I saw about 55 species and the group tally was likely close to > 70. Noteworthy species/numbers which I observed are as follows: > > - Snow Goose - 1 (flew over our heads on Sunday near Salt Water Pond) > - Leach's Storm-petrel - too many to count!! (these birds nest in > huge numbers on the island. It is fascinating to stand outside in > late evening and listen to their haunting call as they arrive back at > the burrow with a stomach full of food for the downy young!) > - Northern Gannet - 3/5 - small numbers seen on consecutive mornings > - all adults > - Great Blue Heron - 1 (!) > - Little Blue Heron - (1) - adult in breeding plumage; quite a sight > in the fog through the scope > - Black-crowned Night-heron - 1 immature (not sure if this species > continues to breed here) > - Northern Harrier - at least 6 - certainly the most common raptor > observed > - Sharp-shinned Hawk - very few > - American Kestrel - 2 > - Merlin - a few - harassing the shorebirds as usual > - Peregrine Falcon - 1 (anatum) > - 11 species of shorebirds including Baird's Sandpiper (!), > White-rumped (2-3), and a group of at least 18 Willets on Mon AM (all > Westerns...?) > - Great-horned Owl (2) - heard dueting on Sat evening. We > encountered a large number of pellets full of petrel bones, including > a nearly intact skull. > - Common Nighthawk (1) > - RT Hummers (2) - still feisty on migration > - 3 flycatchers species including Olive-sided (1), Alder > (several) and Yellow-bellied (1) > - Red-eyed Vireo (2) > - Grey Catbird - singles heard in several locations > - Cedar Waxwings - several small groups (3/5/8) > - Warblers - I observed only 7 species (very slow) while the group > overall probably had 6 more. The only noteworthy species was a single > Prairie Warbler on Mon AM. > - Sparrows - only 4 species seen but noteworthy was a single Lark > Sparrow on Mon AM (I did get a few pics), and a White-throated > immature still being fed by an adult (rather late, I think). > - White-winged Crossbill - abundant in the mist nets and in the > spruce cones. Seemed like a large movement. > > Many interesting flowers were also still in bloom but I still have to > ID some of these so may write up a note on these if I have time. > > Cheers, > > Bob McDonald > Halifax > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.6.17/1657 - Release Date: 9/6/2008 8:07 PM >
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