FOR THE BIRDS

January 1997

By

Helen O'Shea

What a difference a year makes. The plentiful cone crops and huge berry crops of 1995 have given way to bare trees this year. Instead of hundreds of White-Winged Crossbills we are now excited by the chattering of a squirrel or the sight of a Crow winging overhead.

 CYNETH AND GORDON HUTT’S PAINTED BUNTING

The unusually mild weather for most of December led to a rare sighting. Cyneth and Gordon Hutt called the week of December 17 to report a bird that had been visiting their feeder since mid-November. They described it as being very colourful, like a budgie. After looking through several reference books, they identified their sighting as a female Painted Bunting coloured green above and yellowish below. Robert Burton in the North American Birdfeeder Handbook writes that, " It is shy and apt to flit off at the first sign of an intrusion. The diet consists mainly of seeds, but insects, spiders and caterpillars are also favored." As the weather grew colder, the bird became bolder and was prepared to share the feeder with a Black-Capped Chickadee or American Goldfinch. Bill and I saw it on December 21. We thank the Hutts for their hospitality. Their last sighting was January 1— sunny but minus 12 degrees. Since the bird’s normal residence is the southern United States, it probably did not survive the cold.

OTHER SIGHTINGS

Ian Harte reported an immature Harlequin Duck at Gooseberry Cove December 17. He identified it by the bars on the shoulders and back. Bill Bussey had most of the Pine Siskins in Louisbourg at his feeders last month. Sheila Fudge spotted a Cormorant and Roger Wilson saw a Yellow-Breasted Chat. In late December I saw a Red-Tailed Hawk on the Sydney Bypass and a Sharp-Shinned Hawk on the road to Mainadieu.

As the weather became colder the number of American Goldfinch, Pine Siskins, Boreal Chickadees, Juncoes, Sparrows increased at the backyard feeders. January 1, a Brown Creeper arrived in my yard. Trips around the harbour throughout the holiday period yielded 12 Common Goldeneye (largest group); 2 Common Loons, 30 American Black Ducks, Ivory Gull, 2 Iceland Gulls, 5 Common Mergansers, 18 Oldsquaw Ducks, 8 Black Guillemots, 2 mature Bald Eagles, and a Harbour Seal.

Cyneth and Gordon Hutt reported a flock of more than 50 Goldfinch on January 7. We saw a flock of more than 200 Starlings in the field between the Playhouse and the Motorhome Park over Christmas.

INTERESTING IDEAS FROM A CONVERSATION WITH CATHY MURRANT

Cathy came gave us an interesting presentation in March 1996 at Zion Hall. I spoke with her on January 7^th.

1. A summer that is overcast with a lot of rain creates growth in trees but they don’t produce fruit the same as during a hot and sunny summer.

2. Evening Grosbeaks like spruce budworm. They arrived here in large numbers at the beginning of the infestation and even bred here several years later—dining at feeders in both the summer and winter to supplement their diet. As the budworm infestation passed and the 1997 cone crop is greatly reduced, the large flocks of Grosbeaks have moved to a location with greater food supply.

3. Mild weather means the birds do not have to leave the woods for open spaces. They can feed on the forest floor as well as in the trees.

4. Bird numbers are food-driven. The more cones and seeds, the more abundant the number of wood birds. They in turn are a food source for hawks and shrikes.

5. Glace Bay had an Ovenbird on its Count on December 28. It will probably not survive the winter since it feeds on the ground and also eats insects.

6. Crossbills and Redpolls store seed in a pouch on the neck during good days. In poor weather they can hide in the woods and eat from their storage pouch. They can also eat through the cold nights.

7. There are large numbers of herring offshore in Morien Bay. Three Fin Whales have been seen feeding and Northern Gannets were diving for fish between the whales.

PARTIAL MIGRANTS: Female juncos tend to go farther south in the fall than the males. These birds are smaller than males and more susceptible to cold and less dominant at feeders. Their chances of survival increase if they move away from the males.PARTIAL MIGRANTS: Female juncos tend to go farther south in the fall than the males. These birds are smaller than males and more susceptible to cold and less dominant at feeders. Their chances of survival increase if they move away from the males.

FEEDING TIP: Scatter white millet (preferred seed) or other feed over a wide area on the ground for the sparrows, juncos and other ground feeders. It decreases competition and lets shyer birds eat without disturbance.FEEDING TIP: Scatter white millet (preferred seed) or other feed over a wide area on the ground for the sparrows, juncos and other ground feeders. It decreases competition and lets shyer birds eat without disturbance.

For those who have access to the Internet, Cathy Murrant has the Glace Bay Christmas count on her homepage at: http://www.compu-clone.ns.ca/nature_tours.

LOUISBOURG CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT - December 21, 1996

The day of the Louisbourg bird count brought winds after the storm of the 20^th and made a number of determined birders earn each and every sighting. The count resulted in 48 species and 1538 individual birds. The highlight sighting was the female Painted Bunting at Cyneth and Gordon Hutt’s home on Havenside. This may well be the "best" bird seen in Nova Scotia during the 1996 Christmas count. Other sightings of interest were a Dickcissel spotted by Dave McCorquodale and Gerry Lalonde in a flock of House Sparrows at the Government Wharf, an American Widgeon seen by Gwendolen and Carlton Lunn in Louisbourg Harbour, and 2 Chipping Sparrows at Cyneth and Gordon Hutt’s feeder.

The 48 species included: Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Black Duck, American Widgeon, Common Eider, Oldsquaw, White-winged Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Bald Eagle, Spruce Grouse, Ruffed Grouse, Common Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Dovekie, Black Guillemot, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Gray Jay, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Boreal Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, European Starling, Painted Bunting, Dickcissel, American Tree Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Snow Bunting, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow.The 48 species included: Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Northern Gannet, Great Cormorant, Black Duck, American Widgeon, Common Eider, Oldsquaw, White-winged Scoter, Common Goldeneye, Bufflehead, Red-breasted Merganser, Bald Eagle, Spruce Grouse, Ruffed Grouse, Common Black-headed Gull, Herring Gull, Iceland Gull, Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Dovekie, Black Guillemot, Rock Dove, Mourning Dove, Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Gray Jay, Blue Jay, American Crow, Common Raven, Black-capped Chickadee, Boreal Chickadee, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Golden-crowned Kinglet, European Starling, Painted Bunting, Dickcissel, American Tree Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Snow Bunting, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow.

Thanks to the 32 participants and pot luck supper host Roger Wilson. Participants included:

Sandy Anthony, Peter Chiasson, Jean Bagnell, Philip Burke, Dianne & Bill Bussey, Dr. Reverend Donald Campbell (Sydney), Ken Donovan (Sydney), Cyneth & Gordon Hutt, Gerry Lalonde, Gwen Lunn, Carlton Lunn, Miles MacDonald, Walter MacDonald (Coxheath), Minnie MacLeod, Mona MacLeod, John W. MacInnis (Big Pond), Dr. David McCorquodale (Sydney), Sandy McLain, Pearl Magee, Cathy Mailman, Francis Mailman, Geraldine & Hugh Metcalfe (Glace Bay), Susann Myers, Helen O’Shea, Lee Anne Reeves, Geraldine Touesnard-Joyce, Roger Wilson.

Call me with any sightings or questions at 733-2873

Helen O’Shea

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

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