[NatureNS] Breakfast at Portuguese Cove

From: Hans Toom <htoom@hfx.eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Date: Sun, 23 Sep 2012 11:11:32 -0300
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Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
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Sunday is the one day of the week that Laura and I sit down together for =
a formal breakfast. Interestingly, I've also seen some of our best birds =
during this ritual as I look through the large kitchen window into the =
forest north of the house. Several years ago I spotted a Golden-winged =
Warbler, my favourite of all the warblers, if such a thing is even =
possible with such a glorious family of birds. Earlier this year I =
spotted a Prothonotary Warbler out there, an over water cavity nesting =
warbler.

But as to this morning, there were no rare birds but lots of common and =
uncommon indigenous Nova Scotia birds. The usual clutter of Purple =
Finches, American Goldfinches and Blue Jays were tending to the feeders. =
The regular bunch of over-wintering sparrows were on duty; Song and =
White-throated Sparrows soon to be joined by the annual influx of Tree =
Sparrows. Several years ago we started planting berry producing shrubs =
all about our place and they are starting to bare fruit, literally and =
figuratively. The elder berries and mutliflora rose berries are popular =
with our pair of Gray Catbirds, also visible from my breakfast chair. I =
suspect the Gray Catbirds have been with us since the spring. I spotted =
our male Northern Cardinal through the window. There has been a female =
cardinal around as well but not this morning. A Baltimore Oriole flew up =
into our grape vines shrouding the back deck trellis. Birds are =
impossible to see once in the trellis due to the thick foliage, all as =
planned for our summertime dining enjoyment. Shucks, we can't even see =
the raccoons when they are up there tearing the place apart looking for =
grapes. Flocks of American Robins are moving through the area this =
morning, the first major migration wave I suspect but a drive-about the =
area is needed to confirm this conjecture. I spotted Yellow-rumped, Palm =
and Common Yellowthroat Warblers in the forest through the window. The =
warblers are all juveniles now as the adults are long gone. Our =
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds left us circa Sept 20, as they do most years =
but we keep the feeders up until the first hard frost.

I put our winter bird feeder up the other day, the one designed for meal =
worm feeding of Orioles and other strays. Although we had seven orioles =
in the fall last year they moved on during a warm spell but a Northern =
Mockingbird stayed all winter.=20

Hans
_________________________________________________________________________=
________________________________
Hans Toom
Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
http://www.hanstoom.com/
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Sunday is the one day of the week that =
Laura and I=20
sit down together for a formal breakfast. Interestingly, I've also seen =
some of=20
our best birds during this ritual as I look&nbsp;through the large =
kitchen=20
window into the forest north of the house. Several years ago I spotted a =

Golden-winged Warbler, my favourite of all the warblers, if such a thing =
is even=20
possible with such a glorious family of birds. Earlier this year I =
spotted a=20
Prothonotary Warbler out there, an over water cavity nesting=20
warbler.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>But as to this morning, there were no =
rare birds=20
but lots of common and uncommon indigenous Nova Scotia birds. The usual =
clutter=20
of <STRONG>Purple Finches</STRONG>, <STRONG>American =
Goldfinches</STRONG> and=20
<STRONG>Blue Jays</STRONG> were tending to the feeders. The regular =
bunch of=20
over-wintering sparrows were on duty; <STRONG>Song</STRONG>=20
and&nbsp;<STRONG>White-throated Sparrows</STRONG> soon to be joined by =
the=20
annual influx of Tree Sparrows.&nbsp;Several years ago we started =
planting berry=20
producing shrubs all about our place and they are starting to bare =
fruit,=20
literally and figuratively. The elder berries and mutliflora rose =
berries are=20
popular with our pair of <STRONG>Gray Catbirds</STRONG>, also visible =
from my=20
breakfast chair. I suspect the Gray Catbirds have been with us since the =
spring.=20
I spotted our male <STRONG>Northern Cardinal</STRONG> through the =
window. There=20
has been a female cardinal around as well but not this morning. A=20
<STRONG>Baltimore Oriole</STRONG> flew up into our grape vines shrouding =
the=20
back deck trellis. Birds are impossible to see once in the trellis due =
to the=20
thick foliage, all as planned for our summertime dining enjoyment. =
Shucks, we=20
can't even see the raccoons when they are up there tearing the place =
apart=20
looking for grapes. Flocks of <STRONG>American Robins</STRONG> are =
moving=20
through the area this morning,&nbsp;the first major migration wave I =
suspect but=20
a drive-about&nbsp;the area is needed to confirm this conjecture. I =
spotted=20
<STRONG>Yellow-rumped</STRONG>, <STRONG>Palm</STRONG> and <STRONG>Common =

Yellowthroat</STRONG> <STRONG>Warblers</STRONG> in the forest through =
the=20
window. The warblers are all juveniles now as the adults are long gone. =
Our=20
Ruby-throated Hummingbirds left us circa Sept 20, as they do most years =
but we=20
keep the feeders up until the first hard frost.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>I put our winter bird feeder up the =
other day, the=20
one designed for meal worm feeding of Orioles and other strays. Although =
we had=20
seven orioles&nbsp;in the fall last year they moved on during a warm =
spell but a=20
Northern Mockingbird stayed all winter. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2=20
face=3DArial><BR>Hans<BR>________________________________________________=
_________________________________________________________<BR>Hans=20
Toom<BR>Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.hanstoom.com/">http://www.hanstoom.com/</A></FONT></DI=
V></BODY></HTML>

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