FOR THE BIRDS

February 1999

By

Helen O'Shea

Those Great Black-backed Gulls

January 17 was sunny. We drove to the Fortress Barachois at noon and were able to observe nature at its most basic level. A Great Black-backed Gull caught a Dovekie and dragged it to a gravel spit at low tide. It proceeded to swing it about and beat it into the gravel. The Gull then began plucking feathers from the Dovekie. Bill tried to walk closer for a better look but the big Gull tilted his head back and swallowed the Dovekie. There was a huge lump in its neck. It then went to the water and appeared to drink water to ease the passage of lunch. The gull then flapped madly on two or three occasions and stretched its body trying to shake the Dovkie further down its gullet. The gull had returned to drinking when we left the area.

The Great Black-backed Gulls continued their attack on February 7 between the Government Wharf and Han Beck fish plant. For over half an hour two gulls took turns swimming after and swooping down upon a Thick-billed Murre. After three attacks forcing him to dive and try to escape they would leave him alone for a few minutes and then renew the attack. By the time we left the little Murre was paddling towards the fishplant wharf with 2 Black-backed Gulls following.

On Birdchat - an internet birding site - others have been talking about the attacks by Great Black-backed Gulls as they captured and ate the following prey: Black Guillemots, Black-legged Kittiwakes, Black-headed Gulls, Atlantic Puffin and a female Pintail Duck. Peter Hope from Kejimkujik National Park sent me a note saying he had seen a Common Loon Chick eaten by a Black-backed Gull.

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Around the Harbour

On February 7, we saw a mature Black-headed Gull at the sewer outlet below the home of Olive Shaw. Later, we saw an immature Black-headed Gull at the Havenside Barachois. Neither bird seemed bothered by our observations that lasted approximately half an hour. At one time the Black-headed Gull was an uncommon winter visitor but is now fairly common along Atlantic coastal areas. Since they are regularly reported in full breeding plumage in Nova Scotia in the spring and late summer it is only a matter of time before they will be found breeding here. (see Robie Tufts, Birds of Nova Scotia, 3rd edition, 1986).

Trips around the Harbour have proved productive although the numbers of birds seems to be much less than in previous years. Usually you can see a couple of Common Loons, numerous Black Guillemots in a range of plumage, Common Goldeneye, Oldsquaw Ducks, White-winged Scoters, Red-breasted Mergansers, Bufflehead Ducks, Iceland Gulls, Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls and American Black Ducks.

Doug Pearl always spots a gem. He saw a male Northern Pintail Duck below Olive Shaw’s on his way to work January 13.

On January 20, Bruce Allen reported a pair of Northern Harriers, a Pileated Woodpecker and a pair of owls on his property on the New Boston Road.

Ruth Stevens saw a flock of 30 Waxwings at Catalone Lake the weekend of January 17. They landed on the ice and flew into the trees. There was water on the ice. She wonders if they stopped to have a drink? By January 21, I had a flock of 6 Cedar Waxwings come to the yard where they began eating rose hips. The yellow band at the bottom of their tail is the most distinctive feature. They are smaller than Bohemian Waxwings.

January 22, Doris King saw 6 male Purple Finch in the trees behind her house on Alexandra St.

Suzanne Kelly mentions that she has no birds at her feeders and doesn’t hear them in the trees near her house near Catalone. The only sound appears to come from Blue Jays who remain unseen.

Marjorie MacDonald reported an American Black Duck swimming in a little ditch off her driveway. He was there for an hour and a half and appeared to be eating something as he swam dipping his head under the water. If she did not have to start the car to go to work he might still be there.

Sheila Fudge called January 31 to report a mystery bird in her yard. It was eating on the ground for about 20 minutes. It was about the size of a robin with a pale bill and a white bib. It was grey. Despite looking at illustrations of the Northern Mockingbird and leafing through the resource books, neither Susann Myers nor I could find an illustration that matched Sheila’s description. I’m still looking though. Sheila also saw a Red-tailed Hawk at Catalone the previous week.

Shirley Kennedy reports that the male Ring-necked Pheasant finally arrived at her feeders the last part of December. He sometimes arrives in October but perhaps all the open ground and warmer temperatures meant that there was sufficient seed in the woods.

The Yellow -rumped Warbler continues at the home of Pearl Magee. In colder weather it

eats suet and seeds that fall to the ground. On warmer days, like February 4, it can be seen catching flies that are attracted to the side of the house. On February 7, she had a flock of 50 Evening Grosbeaks land under her feeders where they devoured sunflower seeds. Pearl noticed a large flock eating on the ground in the yard of Sandy Anthony and Peter Chiasson earlier in the week. Taking advantage of this knowledge she scattered seed. The Evening Grosbeaks can’t figure out how to get the seeds out of tube feeders. As a result I rarely have more than two dozen arrive and they do not stay in my yard. When I scatter seed on the ground it usually results in a flock of Crows.

On February 7, Pearl and Winston travelled around the Harbour birding. They saw an immature Hooded Merganser below Jimmy Dale Kennedy’s wharf and a flock of Buffleheads off the Fortress Barachois. When I met Tommy Carter at Peck’s store earlier that morning he had mentioned that the usual flock of Buffleheads were not below his house. Pearl also had a Ruffed Grouse in her yard and a Chipping Sparrow.

Last month I also saw a Cormorant fishing off Sammy Carter’s wharf and later on the ballast pile below the Miron’s home. There was also a Horned Grebe on the inside of the Government Wharf and a magnificent Raven in the tree behind Red MacKeigan’s home on Lorway.

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My Feeders

The Pine Warbler visits my feeders daily. Despite my efforts to give him lots of protein with a mixture of peanut butter and corn meal he prefers to eat niger seed, sunflower seed, and millet. The Red-breasted Nuthatch and Black-capped Chickadees sample the treat. The number of Purple Finch have increased to 6 males, 8 females and several immature males, noticeable by the orange colouring at the top of the head and the top of the tail. The male American Goldfinch are developing their breeding plumage and birdsong is in the air. The number of Juncos has increased to 15.

Call me with your sightings so I can include them in the March Seagull. 

Helen O’Shea

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

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