FOR THE BIRDS

FEBRUARY 2002

By

Helen O'Shea

Bohemian Waxwings – all around the town.

Have you seen a grey-brown bird with a crest? It’s a Bohemian Waxwing. It is smaller than a Blue Jay and about the size of a Robin. It has a band of yellow across the bottom of the tail. You will also see white patches on the wing and a strip of yellow on the wing. The underparts of the tail are cinnamon in colour as is the forehead of the bird. It has a black mask.

This bird travels with a flock of fellow members and is often found sitting in trees or on utility lines. The preferred foods are mountain ash berries, rose hips and crab apples. A flock of Bohemian Waxwings can strip a tree of its fruit in less than a day.

The Cedar Waxwing is smaller and has white under the tail and no large white patches or yellow on the wings. Sometimes the two types travel together in the large flock.

Sightings of Bohemian Waxwings

• Gerry Gartland reported a Bohemian Waxwing eating rosehips in his yard February 1.
• Minnie and Brian MacLeod called February 3 to report 10 Bohemian Waxwings drinking water from a culvert and eating rosehips. Three weeks ago there were 3 dozen. They flew between the homes of the MacLeods and Linda Fudge.
• Norman Day had 3 dozen Bohemian Waxwings eating fruit on his flowering crab apple tree the next day.
• Louise Johnston called from Sydney to report a Bohemian Waxwing in her neighbour’s yard on February 4.

The large flock was in our yard on several occasions gobbling rosehips from our multiflora rose bushes while the Northern Mockingbird frantically attempted to chase them away. It is fortunate for the Mockingbird that the Waxwings are relatively shy and easily spooked or they would have eaten everything.

Reported sightings

• Pearl Magee called on January 29 to report 2 American Tree Sparrows and a White-throated Sparrow in her yard. January 16 she watched 23 Cedar Waxwings in a tree in front of the home of Toby Fudge. That day she had Evening Grosbeaks, 10 Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Juncos and Boreal Chickadees in her yard and at the feeders.
• Sean Magee saw a Snowy Owl on December 24 on MacKenzie’s Barren.
• Judy and Manning Burke have Snow Buntings at their feeder and many more are on the berm constructed on the oceanside of Catalone Gut to protect the road from flooding.
• Gary Carter related seeing a Ruby-throated Hummingbird and a House Sparrow sitting side by side on a clothesline at his cabin this summer. It was a welcome story as we shovelled snow on January 20.
• Julie and John Samuel MacDonald have 5 Juncos visit their back porch.
• Patsy and Aubrey Harris watched a male Ring-necked Pheasant on Route 22 at Mark’s Turn on January 27.
• Bill O’Shea saw a male Ring-necked Pheasant crossing the road at the Stella Maris gate on Route 22 at noon on February 1.
• Olive Spawn called January 26 to report an American Robin eating holly berries on her porch. It has visited a floral arrangement for several days.
• Carol Corbin had a White-breasted Nuthatch in her linden tree on January 26.
• Ian Harte watched a Pileated Woodpecker fly in front of his vehicle at Grand Lake on January 15.
• Margie and Marmon Smith had 3 dozen Common Redpolls, 6 Evening Grosbeak, House Sparrows at their feeders February 7. They described the acrobatic activities of a Blue Jay attempting to balance on the suet as it fed.
• Ř Carter Stevens called to say a Belted Kingfisher was eating a smelt on a rock in the harbour below his house in Big Lorraine on February 4. The next day the harbour was frozen and the bird was gone.
• Mary Kay and Clarrie MacKinnon have Common Redpolls, Goldfinch, Juncos and Sparrows at their feeders.

Around the Harbour

We watched a Northern Shrike fly back and forth hunting across Route 22 on February 3. In the water we saw 2 flocks of 24 Long-tailed Ducks, 2 flocks of 24 Buffleheads, 6 Black Ducks, and a female Red-breasted Merganser. There were numerous Crows, Herring Gulls and an Iceland Gull. January 27 there were several Red-breasted Mergansers, a Murre, Glaucous, Iceland, Great Black-backed, and Herring Gulls. There were also numerous Black Guillemots, 5 Buffleheads at Nag’s Head, and a dozen Long-tailed Ducks at the Lighthouse. A mature and an immature Bald Eagle were flying around Havenside Road.

Around the Town

January 15 a White-breasted Nuthatch, a female Hairy Woodpecker, 6 Blue Jays, a Mourning Dove, Crows and House Sparrows were in the trees at the home of Sandy Anthony and Peter Chiasson. On February 1 a Snow Bunting was on the roof of John Samuel and Julie MacDonald. There were House Sparrows and a Starling occupying the roof at the same time. January 28 an American Robin was in the yard of Gladys and Joe Fiander.

At my feeders

A Raven was in the maple tree on February 7. My Northern Mockingbird has adapted. It now goes to the feeder and eats white millet as well as rosehips and various kinds of suet. It also enjoys a piece of fresh pear. We made a special treat for the Brown Creeper. It is suet that contains peanut butter, cornmeal and peanut chunks and stuffed into the holes of a log. The Starlings, Crows and Mockingbird also sample this goodie. The largest flock of Common Redpolls is a dozen. We have 18 American Goldfinch, 3 Pine Siskins, too many Starlings, 5 Blue Jays, and 8 Black-capped Chickadees. The more snow cover, the more birds at the feeder. 23 Evening Grosbeaks, mostly male, arrived on February 5 at the height of the storm. An American Robin was in a tree beside the driveway on February 9. The Mourning Doves are back for the first time this winter.

If the seed becomes wet in the feeders it should be dumped and the feeders cleaned and refilled. Remember to keep the feeders full and the feeder openings free from snow.

Helen O’Shea