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in a resplendent plumage bely > sounds like it was a great day! > Hello folks: > > > > Just a brief note for those interested. -- The joint NSBS-BNS-AFNC > outing Saturday went very well, thanks to great weather and a good > turn-out - both of people and birds. Apologies for duplications - I > cannot always remember who is on NatureNS. > > > > We started out with 21 participants and about 12 vehicles, which > limited our possibilities for stops, but the early high tide forced > us to keep up a brisk pace in the a.m. anyway. I hope that everyone > had a chance to meet one or more new potential birding friends, as > well as getting some new birds - for the year or the county, at > least. We were fortunate to have the Presidents of two of the > sponsoring groups along - Pat Kelly of Nova Scotia Bird Society and > Rick Whitman of Blomidon Naturalists - and I hope that any of you who > are not members will consider joining one or more of the three groups > - check out their websites. > > > > For the day we had 58 species (59 if we count the Fox Sparrow that > Claire Diggins had at her Middleton feeder when she got home), none > very rare but with a good representation of early migrants. At > Audrey Wellwood's bird haven with ravine, pond, and feeders in > Aylesford we were able to start with most of the expected land birds > from pheasants to finches, including Common Redpoll, and singing > Red-winged Blackbirds and Song Sparrows. On the way from there to > Morden, we were able to add more migrants, including Northern > Flickers, a flock of American Robins, and a few Common Grackles in a > resplendent plumage belying their name. > > > > Waterfowl were for most the highlight of the trip, with Canada Geese > and 15 species of ducks, most of which allowed us good views. Sea > ducks, including the three scoters, Common Eider, Long-tailed Duck, > Red-breasted Merganser, and Harlequin Duck, were at one or more of the > three ports visited - Morden, Margaretsville, and Port George, most of > them now in pairs, and with the males often displaying. Port George > provided the only good views of Harlequins, bur at least seven were > quite cooperative there. Both loons and both coastal grebes were > seen, but they were usually hidden by the wave action and their > frequent dives, so not everyone got good views of them. A highlight > for me was a close flypast of a Great Cormorant in breeding plumage at > Morden - a species that has become quite scarce here. A Bald Eagle > also gave us a good view, and at the Margaretsville pond a pair of > Hooded Mergansers that we had seen through the scopes decided to give > us a better look by flying low over us to get to the other side of the > road. > > > > After a stop at Middleton where Clarence Stevens Jr. managed to count > six Northern Cardinals skulking in the thickets of the Lily Lake Brook > ravine (and the rest of us were able to see or hear one or two), most > of the group continued on down the Annapolis River. Most of the river > was open, and gave us a good variety of river ducks from Bridgetown to > Annapolis: Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Common (and Hooded) > Mergansers, and Greater Scaup. A few Red-tailed Hawks, three Bald > Eagles, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk were seen - just a hint of a > migration - but lots of Canada Geese, and a few flocks of American > Black Ducks and Mallards. > > > > A brief stop at the Hawboldts in Belleisle added a Savannah Sparrow and > allowed some of our group better views than they had had of nuthatches, > woodpeckers, and other feeder birds. By the time we finished at the > wharf in Annapolis Royal, the tide was rising again, and the > Buffleheads and a Common Loon were putting on good shows there and > provoding a satisfying ending for our trip. > > > > As well as to Audrey Wellwood and the Hawboldts, special thanks go > to the experienced birders along who helped us find the goodies and > showed them to others or shared their knowledge - especially Richard > Stern, Bernard Forsythe, James Hirtle, and Clarence Stevens Sr. & > Jr. With that many participants, unofficial leaders are very > helpful. And thanks to all who came out and so helped us enjoy this > second day of spring. I hope to see you again on more outings this > year. > > > > > > Wayne Neily > Tremont, Kings Co., Nova Scotia > > "Beauty is truth, and truth beauty," - John Keats, 1820. > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Reinvent how you stay in touch with the new Windows Live Messenger. > http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9650731
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