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It was so lovely yesterday morning when I went to the Farmers' Markets (we have two in Halifax) that afterwards I went for a walk in Point Pleasant Park. I had not been there for some time. The hard-packed snow on the main paths was melting in the sunshine, and the walking was pretty easy. I only walked from the lower parking lot as far as the Sailors' Monument, but spent quite a lot of time sitting down at several points and scanning the harbour with my binoculars. The tide was coming in and nearly high, so very little shoreline was exposed. I found the Purple Sandpipers huddled up on the beach rocks, almost at my feet, as I sat near the HMCS Bonaventure's anchor. There were two divers active in the waters at Black Rock Beach, so the Black Ducks that usually congregate there were scattered all along the shoreline. There were scarcely any gulls about at all. There were several large flocks of waterfowl in the harbour, including 75+ Common Eiders off the breakwater, which dispersed when a big container ship arrived tended by two tugboats. Another flock was off the Point, dodging a lobster boat which was checking traps. There was also a tight flock of White-winged Scoters. I was disappointed not to see scaup, grebes, or more loons. However, there were doubtless more birds on the Northwest Arm/Purcell's Cove side of the Park, which I didn't check. And of course if I'd had a scope, I'd have seen more. I didn't walk in the interior of the park, so saw few landbirds, apart from Crows and Chickadees. I didn't hear any Goldfinches, or Song Sparrows, although both are very vocal in my neighbourhood now. Species seen: American Black Duck 120+ Mallard 10 Common Eider 170+ White-winged Scoter 40+ Black Scoter 5 Red-breasted Merganser 15 Common Loon 1 cormorant sp. 1 Purple Sandpiper 12 Black Guillemot 13 Patricia L. Chalmers Halifax
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