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I spent an hour early this morning walking around Thornvale
and Birchdale Avenues, and after attending Remembrance Day ceremonies
at Royal Artillery Park came back for another couple of hours. By
then I was too chilled to stay longer, although Mike and Fulton had
arrived, and one hates to leave when a team like that is on the
hunt. There were no warblers to be found this morning, and apart
from a Northern Cardinal and a White-breasted Nuthatch, nothing
noteworthy. Just before heading over to my parents' this afternoon,
I checked my email and saw this post from Ian at 3:40. So I dashed
over to Birchdale once again, where I found Mike and Fulton
well-satisfied and getting ready to leave. The Black-throated Gray
Warbler had flown out of sight behind the houses which back onto the
Northwest Arm. Fulton's maxim is "follow the sun to find the birds",
and Mike pointed out that the angle of the sun was favouring a point
slightly further north, so I backtracked to the foot of Coburg
Road. There is a gate here that closes off the service road of the
Waegwoltic Club to vehicles. I walked around this gate and down
towards the water. From here I was able to look south across the
sun-drenched back yards of the Birchdale houses, and after examining
every Black-capped Chickadee for ten minutes or so, finally had a
brief but definite look at this elusive little bird.
One of the pleasures of looking for a rarity like this,
apart from actually finding the bird, is running into others who are
also looking for it, and the camaraderie of sharing the
experience. Over the last four days or so, while looking for the
Spotted Towhee and the Black-throated Gray Warbler, I have run into
many friends and acquaintances, some of whom I haven't seen in quite
a while. Good luck to you all!
Thanks to Ian for his initial report and timely updates, to
Clarence for his observations, and to Fulton and Mike for their
pointers and encouragement.
Cheers,
Patricia L. Chalmers
Halifax
At 03:33 PM 11/11/2009, you wrote:
>All:
>
>Mike King just phoned (at ca. 3:15 p.m.)to say that Fulton Lavender and he had
>relocated the BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER in the Morrison preporty at the end
>of Birchdale, the last street running (south) off the end of Coburg. I know
>that several others had searched the area in vain today, so a good place to
>start for those still wanting the bird might be at the end of Birchdale, just
>before it enters the private properties. Ann Morrison will put out suet and
>peanut butter in the hope of inducing it to stick around.
>
>I posted the bird when first found as an adult male, but this was from a hasty
>half-minute view before I rushed back home to report it. Fulton has
>indicatedthat it is either an adult female or first-fall male, and Mike's
>photos may tell.
>
>Cheers, Ian
>
>Ian McLaren
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