[NatureNS] Big I. Sat. Oct. 10 -Swallows and hermit Thrushes

From: Ken McKenna <kenmcken@eastlink.ca>
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 2009 07:59:59 -0300
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Ken McKenna
Box 218 Stellarton NS
B0K 1S0
902 752-7644
Hi all
With a little break in the rain yesterday afternoon ( Sat. Oct. 10), I went to Big I. I met Charlie Kendell there and we were able to get in almost 3 hours of birding before it started to rain again around 6 p.m. 
We tallied 44 species with nothing unusually rare. There were 3 Great Cormorants, and   8 Swallows flying over the causeway to the Island. There was 1 Barn Swallow and 7 Cliff Swallows. I think I ruled out Cave Swallow as the rump patch was quite pale. Hard to tell if there are late nesters or migrants. Barn Swallows do nest on the Island and Cliff Swallows nearby  in Egerton but I would have thought these birds would have moved out well before this although both are known to have late nests and these birds seemed to be young of the year.  
Hermit Thrush was the only thrush noted, but we saw at least 6 of these and I suspect they are migrating through. 
Only 3 species of shorebird were noted, 3 Black-bellied Plover, 6 Greater Yellowlegs and 10 Semipalmated Plover.  The tide was high and I prefer shorebird counts when the tide is lower. 
I saw a single American Redstart on the approach road to the island and the only other warblers noted were about 20 Yellow-rumped Warblers. 
Song Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows were wide-spread and a single Swamp Sparrow rounded out a meagre sparrow show for this time of year although we did not go into many trails because it was so wet. 
Two American Pipits were seen on the walk around the kelp-covered west sand-spit. There were no finches at all, but 3 Pipeated Woodpeckers were noted- the local family group?
Waterfowl- Black Ducks-150, Mallard-1. American Wigeon-2, Green-winged Teal-15, Surf Scoter-30+, White-winged Scoter-3, Red-breasted merganser-1, Common Merganser-20, and Canada Geese-35 - a few hunters were around. 
 Salt-marsh Mosquitoes were out in full force!! 

cheers
ken

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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Ken McKenna<BR>Box 218 Stellarton NS<BR>B0K 
1S0<BR>902 752-7644<BR>Hi all</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>With a little break in the rain yesterday afternoon 
( Sat. Oct. 10), I went to Big I. I met Charlie Kendell there and we were able 
to get in almost 3 hours of birding before it started to rain again around 6 
p.m. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>We tallied 44 species with nothing unusually rare. 
There were 3 Great Cormorants, and&nbsp;&nbsp; 8 Swallows flying over the 
causeway to the Island. There was 1 Barn Swallow and 7 Cliff Swallows. I think I 
ruled out Cave Swallow as the rump patch was quite pale. Hard to tell if there 
are late nesters or migrants. Barn Swallows do nest on the Island and Cliff 
Swallows nearby&nbsp; in Egerton but I would have thought these birds would have 
moved out well before this although both are known to have late nests and these 
birds seemed to be young of the year. &nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Hermit Thrush was the only thrush noted, but we saw 
at least 6 of these and I suspect they are migrating through. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Only 3 species of shorebird were noted, 3 
Black-bellied Plover, 6 Greater Yellowlegs and 10 Semipalmated Plover.&nbsp; The 
tide was high&nbsp;and I prefer shorebird counts when the tide is lower. 
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I saw a single American Redstart on the approach 
road to the island and the only other warblers noted were about 20 Yellow-rumped 
Warblers. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Song Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows were 
wide-spread and a single Swamp Sparrow rounded out a meagre sparrow show for 
this&nbsp;time of year although we did not go into many trails because it was so 
wet. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Two American Pipits were seen on the walk around 
the kelp-covered west sand-spit. There were no finches at all, but 3 Pipeated 
Woodpeckers were noted- the local family group?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Waterfowl- Black Ducks-150, Mallard-1. American 
Wigeon-2, Green-winged Teal-15, Surf Scoter-30+, White-winged Scoter-3, 
Red-breasted merganser-1, Common Merganser-20, and Canada Geese-35&nbsp;- a few 
hunters were around. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>&nbsp;Salt-marsh Mosquitoes were out in full 
force!! </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>cheers</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>ken</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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