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Info-Research Solutions (© 1996)
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Canada Unless Otherwise Designated
Researching the
Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site of Canada
Recherche sur la Forteresse-de-Louisbourg Lieu historique national du Canada
FOR THE BIRDS
JANUARY 2006
By
Helen O'Shea
Ø Allister MacDonald had 30 House Sparrows in his yard at the feeders on Dec. 25.
Ø Joe and Colleen Rosta reported 2 mature Bald Eagles at Big Pond on Dec. 30.
Ø Bill and Diane Bussey reported a Killdeer at the Fortress site and a Ring-necked Pheasant between Michael Ley’s and Garf Cann’s homes on January 1.
Ø Pearl Magee had a female Purple Finch at her feeder Dec. 31. The male arrived Jan. 1. Pearl also noticed numerous Goldeneye off the Fortress Causeway that day.
Ø Ken Donovan got a “bird’s eye view” of a Pileated Woodpecker on Jan. 2. It was near Keltic Lodge in Ingonish. He watched this bird through his binoculars from a distance of 20 feet as the bird continued its activities. Jan. 3 Ken watched Iceland Gulls, Herring Gulls, a Common Merganser, Goldeneye, 10 Buffleheads, 2 Eiders and Black Ducks in Louisbourg Harbour. Jan. 5 he saw a large flock of Common Redpolls at the Royal Battery.
Ø Bill O’Shea saw a small raft of Common Eiders off Lighthouse Point on New Years weekend. On January 4, Bill and Sandy Balcom saw between 75 and 100 Common Eiders at Black Rock.
Ø Gary and Emily Peck saw a raft of Common Eiders off Simon’s Point on Jan. 4. The next day Gary watched a flock of Black Duck and a Bald Eagle at Gerrat’s Barachois.
On December 9, I put 2 black-oil sunflower seed feeders outside to keep the niger seed feeder company. Immediately, 2 dozen American Goldfinch arrived as well as a Crow.
December 10, we had a power outage, high winds, and the snow was blowing everywhere – the first snow of the season. 4 Black-capped Chickadees, 8 Mourning Doves, 2 Blue Jays, a Pine Siskin, a male House Sparrow, a Common Redpoll, a Crow and a Sharp-shinned Hawk appeared at the feeders. Bill went to the Fortress and saw a Merlin at Black Rock. Merlins are “occasionally seen in winter from n. to s. Canada -Peterson”. December 13 was foggy and damp. 30 Goldfinch were at the feeders as well as a Red-breasted Nuthatch, and the other regulars. 3 Juncos, the first for the season, appeared Dec. 14.
Major snow and wind overnight Dec. 14. Lots of activity at the feeders with 6 Crows, 25 Goldfinch, 5 Black-capped Chickadees, 5 Mourning Doves, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a Pine Warbler, 4 Pine Siskins, a European Starling, 2 Juncos, 2 Blue Jays, a Song Sparrow and the Sharp-shinned Hawk.
The highlight for Dec. 14 was a Grey Catbird perched in a rosebush in the back yard. It stayed for several minutes around 9:30. We’ve had sightings of Catbirds in Louisbourg but it is normally in the spring. Probably all the storms have blown birds off course or back along a northerly route.
December 16, we had 10 Blue Jays at one time (the most ever), a pair of House Sparrows, and a Chipping Sparrow along with the regulars.
Christmas Bird Count was Dec. 17. It was windy, foggy, wet and 6 degrees in the morning. I saw 5 Black-capped Chickadees, 2 dozen American Goldfinch, Mourning Doves, 2 Blue Jays, 5 Crows, 2 Pine Siskin, a Song Sparrow, and a Red-breasted Nuthatch. The next day we had 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch. 30 Bohemian Waxwings hit the rose bushes on Dec. 19 for a whirlwind visit. They flew back and forth overhead for about 15 minutes before disappearing.
The first bird at the feeder on January 1 was a Black-capped Chickadee. On January 2 a flock of 6 Common Redpolls, 6 Pine Siskins, and 6 American Goldfinch arrived at the feeders and returned the next day. At all times there were several birds on the window feeder as well as the disselfinks and gazebo feeder. They are happy to munch everywhere. Jan. 5 a pair of Purple Finch arrived together and the number of birds in the mixed flock grew. There were 4 dozen Redpolls, Siskins and Goldfinch at the feeders. Jan. 6 a flock of 36 Redpolls arrived as did the first Song Sparrow of 2006. Heavy rain deterred the birds from staying long once afternoon arrived.
On December 30, Bill and I drove the coastal route from Louisbourg through Lorraine to Glace Bay. Birds were few and far between at this end.
In Louisbourg there were Herring and Iceland Gulls, one Glaucous Gull, Buffleheads, Black Ducks, a Black Guillemot, a Common Loon and a pair of Dovekies. Throughout the town we counted over 70 crows and saw a flock of 60 starlings land on the roof of the MacKay house on Main Street.
At Little Lorraine we saw a single Loon in the choppy water of the harbour and a Waxwing flew across the road.
In Main-a-dieu there were a couple of Black Guillemots in winter plumage, a few gulls, a male Red-breasted Merganser, 2 Loons and, flying overhead, a mature Bald Eagle.
In Bateston there was a Crow.
Catalone Gut was empty except for 8 Black Ducks and a Mallard drake. Approaching Mira Gut we saw 14 Black-headed Gulls, a few Great Black-backed Gulls and a Loon.
Homeville proved disappointing. Except for couple of gulls, there was nothing.
At Port Morien Bar there were about 250 Black Ducks dipping and bobbing in the shallows and assorted gulls. Port Morien harbour had some Red-Breasted Mergansers, Gulls, 12 Scaup, 2 Long Tails and a male Common Merganser.
The Glace Bay bird sanctuary surprised us with 8 Canada Geese, a Bald Eagle perched on a small muddy island and the usual Black Ducks. In Glace Bay harbour we saw about 30 Scaup and in the ocean Black Ducks, 40 more Scaup, 60 Great Black-backed Gulls, 100 Herring Gulls, 30 Iceland Gulls, 25 Black Headed Gulls and 2 Rock Doves (pigeons). At the Beacon Street dam there were Black Ducks, one female Mallard, Iceland Gulls and Buffleheads.
Helen O’Shea
Extracted from © The Seagull, Helen O'Shea, For the Birds