FOR THE BIRDS

December 1997

By

Helen O'Shea

There have been a lot of unusual sightings within the past month. On Sunday November 9, a day of heavy rain and wind, a Red-eyed Vireo was in my back yard. I later drove to the Havenside Barachois where I saw a Pied-billed Grebe. He was within eight feet of the shore and was an excellent model for observation with my spotting scope. He was there the next day as was the Little Blue Heron. The Little Blue Heron was last seen November 13. Lots of birders came from Sydney, Glace Bay, Port Morien, etc. to get a look. Sheila Fudge and Cyneth Hutt both reported this bird at various times.

The first American Goldfinch arrived at my feeders on November 12. Since the end of the month of November I have had 2 to 3 dozen daily. November 13, Darryl Peck reported 2 Ruffed Grouse (Partridge) eating berries from a bush in his backyard on Riverdale Street. Six Evening Grosbeaks were at Peter Chiasson and Sandy Anthony’s feeder. Four Plovers were on the road at the Fortress Barachois.

November 14, I saw 2 White-winged Crossbills eating seeds from alder cones across the road from Gordon Bussey’s store. There were 6 American Black Duck at the Havenside Barachois and a Sharp-shinned Hawk flew over the field. A great place for birding is the Fortress Barachois - there are Black Ducks, Buffleheads and Red-breasted Mergansers. Marjorie MacDonald reported 200 to 300 Starlings on the wires and in the trees by the Library the afternoon of November 15.

November 16 was exciting for observing wildlife. In the Marconi picnic area there were three Canada Jays. One flew to a tree branch within 4 feet of me and watched intently. Driving back along Route 22 we saw a deer bounding through the field. Stopping the car at the side of the road, we zoomed in on the deer. But what was even more interesting was the bobcat sitting on a rock a little higher up the hill. He sat there staring intently at the deer for ten minutes, swishing his stub of a tail back and forth. He then turned his back and jumped off the rock and out of sight. The deer was startled and it seemed ready to run away. But it stopped and kept looking in all directions. It walked back slowly stopping and looking constantly. We observed it for another 15 minutes. Warden Bill Baldwin drove up and suggested it might be distracting a predator from its young. He had seen a coyote cross near that location earlier this morning. Driving in that same area about 1:30 p.m. we noticed a coyote on the water side. It was reddish-blonde in colour. I was watching it through my binoculars when I saw another much furrier grey coyote. Sam Vardy told Bill that Hilda Bagnell had seen 3 coyotes eating something on the hill just before the the Visitor Centre road earlier in the week.

November 19, Bill saw 25 to 40 Snow Buntings on the Fortress service road to Black Rock. November 22, I spotted an Orange-Crowned Warbler in the back yard below my feeders. There were also 5 Mourning Doves, 5 Black-capped Chickadees and a pair of Red-breasted Nuthatch. The next day 2 Slate-coloured Juncoes arrived and 3 Blue Jays. While driving around the Harbour we saw 10 Oldsquaw, 20 American Black Duck and 4 Red-breasted Mergansers.

November 28 we had 90 kph winds and snow. School was cancelled, the Sydney-Louisbourg Highway was closed and there were power outages in many locations. Susann Myers called to report a Northern Mockingbird, a female Pine Warbler and a Northern Oriole. She said Cathy Mailman of Mainadieu had a pair of Dickcissels. As I continued to observe my feeders I noticed two new arrivals—a Tree Sparrow and a male Pine Warbler. Two dozen American Goldfinch had arrived. By the next day I had two male and a female Pine Warbler. They are still here today (December 7). Robie Tufts in Birds of Nova Scotia writes that, "the Pine Warbler breeds from southern Manitoba and central Maine southward, and winters successfully north to New England, so its occurrence in Nova Scotia as a vagrant is expected. It is a rare vagrant and many reported have appeared as transients or reverse migrants in the fall, between August 6 and late December. In recent years a few have survived into January at backyard feeders in the Halifax area and southwestern counties."

November 30, a female White-winged Crossbill arrived at the feeders. She was much larger than the Pine Warblers and Goldfinch. It was comical to see her try to fit her beak into the tiny holes of the finch feeder that holds niger seed. My first Pine Siskin came to dine with 3 dozen Goldfinch. Seven Evening Grosbeaks arrived December 1. That was a day that Doug Pearl almost ran over the male Ring-necked Pheasant as it raced across Route 22 to get to the feeders in the yard of James and Shirley Kennedy. Shirley tells me that it comes to the feeder several times a day. We are glad to know our Pheasant is still in the area. December 3, a Song Sparrow arrived at my feeder. Ian Harte reported 2 pair of Harlequin Duck at Gooseberry Cove.

December 6, Dave McCorquodale led several crazy birders around the Harbour and down to Kennington Cove. We slogged on through rain, sleet, ice pellets and conditions with poor visibility and in a lot of personal discomfort. Barc Cunningham, Ken Donovan, Miles MacDonald, Susann Myers and I, all suffered greatly to pick up birding tips and prepare for the Christmas Bird Count on December 20. We saw White-winged Scoter, Common Loon, Common Goldeneye, Black Guillemots, Black Duck, Great Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Iceland Gull, Oldsquaw, Scaup, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Redpoll, and a Red-necked Grebe. It was far more comfortable to look out my back window later in the day and see a White-throated Sparrow.

IF YOU WANT TO TAKE PART IN THE CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT CALL SUSANN MYERS AT 733-2280 (work) or 733-2805 (HOME).

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A great addition to my feeders is a disselfink (tube feeder) filled with black-oil sunflower seed. Less seed is lost and it does not attract large numbers of Blue Jays or squirrels.  

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Until the New Year—Good Health and Good Birding!

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