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This afternoon Jean Hartley, Carol Klar and I went for a walk out at Prospect High Head, taking the trail from Indian Point Road which leads over the barrens and along the coast of Shad Bay. It was a spectacular afternoon, with bright sun, and a fresh wind. The water was quite choppy, but it didn't take us long to spot a pair of Harlequin Ducks in the surf. In the course of our walk we saw six Harlequins, but no doubt there were more further along. We were not ambitious so didn't go as far as the HMS Fantome site or Wagner's Beach, but sat on granite boulders and basked in the sun, enjoying the glorious view. A kayaker was repeatedly running the rip-tide between two rocky islets; he probably didn't notice how close he was to a couple of Harlequins, but they soon swam away from him. A flock of Common Eider was less patient and took to flight at once. A few other people were out walking, and we enjoyed sharing our binoculars and pointing out the Harlequins to the curious. One couple told us with delight of seeing a Mink during their walk. The bayberry bushes were stripped bare of fruit, so there is no emergency food here for migrants, such as Yellow-rumped Warbers and Tree Swallows. We wondered what creatures other than a few bird species ate these berries. Do any small mammals feed on bayberries? I was surprised to see some Canada Holly berries though, still hanging on. In the village we spotted a pair of Common Grackles, the first of the year for all of us. Coltsfoot was in bloom in the ditches along the road, the first I have seen this year. Song Sparrows were singing brightly in the village gardens. The Prospect Road offers some lovely views over the water, but the road twists and turns and the shoulders are narrow, so it's hard to stop to look for birds in the bay. As we made our way back towards Route 333, we pulled in at the boatyard, one of the best vantage points. We were rewarded with a lively flock of about a dozen Red-breasted Mergansers (the males were racing around and displaying), 3 male Common Goldeneye and 1 male Barrow's Goldeneye (presumably the same bird reported by Bob McDonald on 9 March), a single Common Loon, and 2 Red-necked Grebes, one beginning to show rufous plumage on the throat. It was one of those days which makes one grateful to live in Nova Scotia. Cheers, Patricia L. Chalmers Halifax
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