[NatureNS] Pictou Co. Harbours Halloween birds

Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:39:03 -0300
From: Ken McKenna <kenmcken@eastlink.ca>
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects


This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

--Boundary_(ID_beKKH2/54H4UGXvuNASoSQ)
Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable



Hi all
Here are some  highlights of birding around Pictou, Caribou and Chance =
Harbours on Sat. morning.Oct. 31.

I arrived at Waterside PP about 9 a.m. and was impressed with an =
easterly movement of flocks of American Robins. I counted 180 in about =
1.5 hours. I wondered how many might have moved before I got there. A =
flock of 17 Waxwings flew over and I think they were Cedars from the =
brief flight call. I saw a single COMMON REDPOLL, my first for the fall. =
My count for the park was 30 species. There were 4 Black-bellied Plover, =
the only shorebirds for the morning. The flock of RED-THROATED LOONS had =
dwindled to 50 from the 90 on Oct. 25. An American Kestrel flew over the =
marsh and I later saw it closer to Weirs Gut.   In the distance I could =
see 5 Bald Eagles in the air north on Caribou I. I later observed these =
eagles feeding on a deer? carcass on the beach. There were about 50 =
Bonaparte's Gulls in the park area and a first winter Black-headed Gull =
was noted with them. In the distance I could see quite a bit of activity =
near an inlet leading to the area near Weirs gut and there appeared to =
be quite a few small gulls there.  At the park, other species in numbers =
were 250 Canada Geese and 95 Red-breasted Merganser. Two of each =
Northern Flicker and Yellow-rumped Warbler  and a single Savannah =
Sparrow to break up the monopoly of the 5 Song Sparrows were also =
observed. A single Great Blue Heron was noted on the return trip through =
the park.  =20

At the Caribou light bar, I encountered my first Iceland Gulls for the =
fall- 3 adults and one 2nd winter.There were 50 Bonaparte's Gulls here =
and 3 Red-throated Loons. A Merlin perched on a powerline nearby.=20
 At Haliburton Gut near the Pictou Rotary, I counted at least 170 Hooded =
Mergansers and 150 Bonaparte's Gulls. A single Great Blue Heron flew in =
here as well. Nearby, the field of Rollie MacDonalds closer to the =
rotary held a large flock of Canada Geese and gulls, mostly Ring-bills. =
I did not count either.=20
At the Pictou Causeway, there was still a substantial flock of =
Double-crested Cormorants likely in excess of 50 birds.I did not stop to =
count.  A few Scaup were noted, but by this time the winds had worked up =
the water into quite a chop. Some Bonaparte's Gulls were working the =
waters with the tide change.=20

At Sinclair's I. there were an additional 50 Bonaparte's Gulls.=20

At the New Glasgow sewage treatment plant, I noted 3 Gadwall in a mixed =
flock of about 6 species of waterfowl. The day was quite mild very close =
to 20C, but the winds picked up in the afternoon.=20

cheers
Ken


Ken McKenna
Box 218 Stellarton NS
B0K 1S0
902 752-7644=

--Boundary_(ID_beKKH2/54H4UGXvuNASoSQ)
Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type>
<META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.18828">
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial><BR>Hi all</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Here are some&nbsp; highlights of birding around 
Pictou, Caribou and Chance Harbours on Sat. morning.Oct. 31.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I arrived at Waterside PP about 9 a.m. and was 
impressed with an easterly movement of flocks of <STRONG>American 
Robins</STRONG>. I counted 180 in about 1.5 hours. I wondered how many might 
have moved before I got there.&nbsp;A flock of 17 <STRONG>Waxwings</STRONG> flew 
over and I think they were <STRONG>Cedars</STRONG> from the brief flight call. I 
saw a single <STRONG>COMMON REDPOLL,</STRONG>&nbsp;my first for the fall. My 
count for the park was 30 species. There were 4 <STRONG>Black-bellied 
Plover,</STRONG> the only shorebirds for the morning. The flock of 
<STRONG>RED-THROATED LOONS</STRONG> had dwindled to <STRONG>50</STRONG> from the 
90 on Oct. 25. An <STRONG>American Kestrel</STRONG> flew over the marsh and I 
later saw it closer to Weirs Gut.&nbsp;&nbsp; In the distance I could see 5 
<STRONG>Bald Eagles</STRONG> in the air north on Caribou I. I later observed 
these eagles feeding on a deer? carcass on the beach. There were about 50 
<STRONG>Bonaparte's Gulls</STRONG> in the park area and a first winter 
<STRONG>Black-headed Gull</STRONG> was noted with them. In the distance I could 
see quite a bit of activity near an inlet leading to the area near Weirs gut and 
there appeared to be quite a few small gulls there.&nbsp; At the park, other 
species in numbers were 250 <STRONG>Canada Geese</STRONG> and 95 
<STRONG>Red-breasted Merganser</STRONG>. Two of each <STRONG>Northern 
Flicker</STRONG> and <STRONG>Yellow-rumped Warbler</STRONG>&nbsp; and a single 
<STRONG>Savannah Sparrow</STRONG> to break up the monopoly of the 5<STRONG> Song 
Sparrows&nbsp;</STRONG>were also observed. A single <STRONG>Great Blue</STRONG> 
<STRONG>Heron</STRONG> was noted on the return trip through the park. 
&nbsp;&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>At the Caribou light bar, I encountered&nbsp;my 
first <STRONG>Iceland Gulls</STRONG> for the fall- 3 adults and&nbsp;one 2nd 
winter.There were 50 <STRONG>Bonaparte's Gulls</STRONG> here and 3 
<STRONG>Red-throated Loons</STRONG>. A <STRONG>Merlin</STRONG> perched on a 
powerline nearby. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>&nbsp;At Haliburton Gut near the Pictou Rotary, I 
counted at least <STRONG>170 Hooded Mergansers</STRONG> and 150 
<STRONG>Bonaparte's Gulls</STRONG>. A single <STRONG>Great Blue Heron</STRONG> 
flew in here as well. Nearby, the field of Rollie MacDonalds closer to the 
rotary held a&nbsp;large flock of <STRONG>Canada Geese</STRONG> and gulls, 
mostly Ring-bills. I did not count either. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>At the Pictou Causeway, there was still a 
substantial flock of <STRONG>Double-crested Cormorants</STRONG> likely in excess 
of 50 birds.I did not stop to count.&nbsp; A few Scaup were noted, but by this 
time the winds had worked up the water into quite a chop. Some Bonaparte's Gulls 
were working the waters with the tide change. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>At Sinclair's I. there were an additional 50 
<STRONG>Bonaparte's Gulls</STRONG>. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>At the New Glasgow sewage treatment plant, I noted 
3 <STRONG>Gadwall </STRONG>in a mixed flock of about 6 species of waterfowl. The 
day was quite mild very close to 20C, but the winds picked up in the afternoon. 
</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>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Ken McKenna<BR>Box 218 Stellarton NS<BR>B0K 
1S0<BR>902 752-7644</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

--Boundary_(ID_beKKH2/54H4UGXvuNASoSQ)--

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects