FOR THE BIRDS

APRIL 2002

By

Helen O'Shea

• Joe and Colleen Rosta from Northside East Bay reported 2 flocks of Canada Geese flying in v-formation following the flight path of planes over the Bras d’Or Lake on March 3. They also saw 2 mature Bald Eagles. April 8 they had several American Robins.
• Ilene MacKay had a Pileated Woodpecker on March 7.
• Claude MacLeod of the Coast Guard called March 13 to report a House Sparrow that flew into the building. Although it had revived it had a broken wing and beak. By the next day it had died. The last week of March he saw a Canada Goose near Marconi.
• Judy Burke watched a mature Bald Eagle sit on a hydro pole outside her door for 5 hours in the rain. She and Manning called March 24 to report 20 Common Redpolls and several Snow Buntings at their feeders.
• Judy Swain called April 3 to report a Common Grackle. She also watched 40 Canada Geese heading toward Lorraine on March 15 and on March 17 had 18 Blue Jays, Juncos and American Goldfinch in her trees.
• Sandy Balcom saw an immature Bald Eagle at Black Rock on April 3.
• Tom and Sheila Fudge watched an Eagle with an eel in its talons at the Havenside Barachois on April 1.
• Pearl Magee called April 2 to report her first Fox Sparrow. She also had a Grackle, Tree Sparrows and White-throated Sparrows, Common Redpolls, American Goldfinch, a dozen Black-capped Chickadees. On March 11 she had 40 Evening Grosbeaks. On March 31 she watched a Crow carrying nesting material.
• Gary Peck and Kenzie Lahey saw Robins during their walk around the visitor centre.
• Bev Maxwell of Albert Bridge heard Loons calling on the Mira River and saw a Red-winged Blackbird on March 30.
• Barb Landry reported 5 European Starlings on April 7 in the yard of her mother, Suzanne Kelly, in Catalone.
• Bill Hunt spotted 2 male Ring-necked Pheasants near the old Stella Maris cemetery and one at his bird feeder at Upper Kent Street in February.

Around the Town

On March 13 the White-breasted Nuthatch was in a tree beside the home of Lucette Burman. March 16 there were 9 Herring Gulls in the yard of Phillip and Linda Burke. St. Patrick’s Day there was a Hoary Redpoll in our yard. 10 Juncos and 2 Black-capped Chickadees were in the yard of Elaine and Gary Carter on March 21. March 3 there were 3 Common Grackles in the trees beside the home of Gladys and Joe Fiander. 10 Black Ducks and 5 Crows were at the Havenside Barachois. March 31 there was a pair of Evening Grosbeaks, American Goldfinch, Redpolls, House Sparrows and Mourning Doves at the feeders of Warren Bagnell. That day there were Mourning Doves, 10 Grackles, Blue Jays and numerous Starlings were in the yard of Sandy Anthony and Peter Chiasson. Herring Gulls and Starlings were in the yard of Bobby Burke. April 9 there were 50 Grackles in the trees off Main Street. Susann Myers reported Dickcissels overwintering.

Around the Harbour

Susann Myers reported 30 Black-legged Kittiwakes nesting on ledges on Battery Island at the mouth of Louisbourg Harbour on March 18, and saw 100 flying around that island on March 20.

March 23 there was a male Bufflehead, 20 black Ducks, 4 dozen Long-tailed Ducks off Black Rock, 6 Red-breasted Mergansers, Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls. March 30 there were 8 Common Loons, 7 Red-breasted Mergansers, 18 Long-tailed Ducks, a pair of Cormorants, Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, Black Ducks, 3 pair Buffleheads, and a Black Guillemot. Off Black Rock there were 22 Northern Gannets, a pair of Terns, and 5 Long-tailed Ducks. At the Fortress there were 5 American Robins. March 31 there were 5 Iceland Gulls, several House Sparrows, 29 Herring Gulls, 28 Great Black-backed Gulls, 15 Bufflehead, 13 Long-tailed Ducks, a pair of Lesser Scaup, a mature Bald Eagle, Northern Gannets, more than 30 Common Eider, 6 Black Guillemots, 16 Black Ducks, 11 Red-breasted Mergansers, 2 Terns and 14 Crows.

At my Feeders

The Northern Mockingbird is around all day. It enjoys peanut pieces, millet, pear pieces, suet and rose hips. So far it has not attracted a mate. The first Fox Sparrow arrived March 30 and now, on April 10, we have 9. Our first Song Sparrow showed up on March 24. Now we have 3 Song Sparrows. We had the first Boreal Chickadee arrive at the suet feeder on March 22 and now have 5. We have had as many as 40 Common Redpolls. Sometimes there are more than 30 Juncos in the yard. The Brown Creeper has been here almost daily all winter. Our American Robin shows up occasionally. The first sighting was March 22. It has been chased by a Sharp-shinned Hawk. The American Goldfinch have become much more colourful with the black caps. The first bright one appeared in mid-March. The Hairy Woodpecker condescended to show up for the first time on April 5.

A RARITY

On a sunny, cold Tuesday, March 5 Bill and I headed to Glace Bay in search of a Slaty-backed Gull that had been seen near the ball field. This was reported to be the first sighting in the province of Nova Scotia. This bird is a resident of the Pacific coast of Asia and was found here by Geraldine and Junior Metcalfe and Cathy and Allan Murrant. Susann Myers was in the area watching the bird that day. We followed its flight and found it again on the cliffs at the bottom of Howe Street. With the wind chill at least minus 15, we watched the gull through binoculars & spotting scope for 15 minutes. People came from all over North America to observe the bird.

Early in April the possibility was put forward that it might be a cross between a Herring and Great Black-backed Gull. Whatever it was, it was an exciting chase shared by many birders.

That same day we droved to North Sydney and observed a male Canvasback Duck swimming in a raft of Scaup, Mallards, and Black Ducks.

REMEMBER: The North American Migratory Bird Count is Saturday, May 11. Birders searching your yard with binoculars will not be unusual.

PREPARE YOUR HUMMINGBIRD FEEDERS. A couple of weeks ago the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were spotted in Virginia and heading north. They might arrive any time in early May so we should be ready with clean feeders.

Enjoy your spring birding and call me with your sightings.

Helen O’Shea

Extracted from © The Seagull, Helen O'Shea, For the Birds

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