FOR THE BIRDS

DECEMBER 2000

By

Helen O'Shea

AROUND THE TOWN

Greta Beaver had a Blue Jay in her yard November 13. From November 15 to 21 Susann Myers reported a Dickcissel in her yard at her feeders. A week later she observed one at the feeders of Warren Bagnell. Donald John Cameron had a Grackle in the tree in his yard November 27. He had 9 Mourning Doves the next day but sometimes has 18. That day there was an American Robin at the top of Gary Carter’s tree. November 29 Ella Blagdon had a Sawhet Owl in her lilac bush. Before she could return with her camera for a photograph the bird had flown away. Pearl Magee reported 15 to 20 American Goldfinch eating the cones of nearby trees. She has 8 Blue Jays and as many Black-capped Chickadees. She also has seen 3 Canada Jays. In early October she had 2 Baltimore Orioles. One was a female and the other an immature male with the faint markings of the hood. She also had a huge hawk fly through her yard which she identified as a Red-tailed Hawk. We met Jeff MacKeigan in Peck’s Store on December 3. He reported seeing Ring-necked Pheasants. Remember to watch for these roaming ground-feeders. They enjoy corn, millet, and whatever they can get their beaks into. Sometimes they eat rosehips from low branches. December 6 we saw a line of Starlings in front of the home of Julie and John Samuel MacDonald. There was a flock of 40 House Sparrows in the yard of Burns MacMillan. The next day there were two Grackles at the top of a tree in the yard of the Stacey House Bed and Breakfast. December 7 Michael MacDonald, visiting from Halifax, mentioned seeing a Green Heron a couple of years ago at Lorraine. Former park warden, Gordon MacLean, had seen one at Freshwater Brook.

Around the Harbour and Along the Coast

On their way to Kennington Cove on Route 22, Susann Myers and Richard Knapton reported 2 Northern Shrikes on November 19. They saw Common and Red-throated Loons, Horned Grebes, Red-necked Grebes, White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Ducks, 3 Razorbills, a Thick-billed Murre, 2 Black Guillemots and 3 Great Cormorants at Kennington Cove. November 25 Bill and I saw 6 Red-breasted Mergansers and 5 Black Ducks.

At My Feeders

One Grackle appeared on December 3 and by the 6^th there were 2. A female Indigo Bunting showed up daily from December 4 and would stay for 10 to 15 minutes until Blue Jays or Crows frightened her off. The largest number of Juncoes was 15. Up to 6 Blue Jays would stay to munch but the Gray Jays remained in the front yard. 12 American Goldfinch were at the disselfinks daily and 4 pair of Purple Finch. Sometimes they ate the multiflora rose hips alternately with sunflower seed. A pair of Red-breasted Nuthatch arrived in early December and one Starling arrived December 8. 3 Black-capped Chickadees visit and also 6 Mourning Doves.

A Special Thank you to Pauline Wadden of Catalone who gave me four framed cross-stitched creations of a Baltimore Oriole, Eastern Bluebird, American Robin and Blue Jay.

GOOD CHRISTMAS, HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND GOOD BIRDING!

Helen O’Shea

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

Return to the Previous page

Retour à la  page précédente