FOR THE BIRDS

JUNE  2003

By

Helen O'Shea

Sightings

• Lorraine Carter called May 15 to describe eggs found scattered around their Havenside yard in 2002 and recently. I looked in the book, Audubon Birds of North America and found that the glossy greenish-blue eggs she saw could be those of a European Starling. Lorraine agreed that this might be the bird that laid the eggs, since a pair of starlings nest in a nearby bird house. Last year the Carters found at least 10 eggs on the ground at various times in the spring/summer. On May 15 they found 5 eggs on the ground with 2 directly below the bird house. Since the eggs seemed intact her dad put them back in the nest. Within a short time they watched a Starling toss one of the eggs outside the house, break it open, and eat the contents. The pair of Starlings then proceeded to eat the contents of the other eggs on the ground. Next, one Starling began flying into the bird house with its beak full of nesting material. Were the eggs originally removed by a squirrel? Were thy defective and tossed out by the parents? It is a mystery since the bird tossed out an egg that had been pierced by its beak but the rest of the eggs found in the yard were unharmed.
• Ella Blagdon called on May 10 to say that the Robin she reported last month was still at her window but was seen with nesting material as it headed through her yard.
• Sheila Fudge reported a pair of Canada Geese on George & Marlene Taylor’s lawn on May 10. Sheila & Tom reported an Iceland Gull in their driveway on May 11.
• Pauline Kelly reported an American Redstart in early May.
• Olive Spawn reported Leta Trimm’s Indigo Bunting on May 12. That day Olive had a Yellow-rumped Warbler in her yard.
• Lee Price reported Cliff Swallows and Barn Swallows on the Fortress site on May 12.
• Pearl Magee reported a female Northern Flicker and a Magnolia Warbler. May 13 she had an Eastern Phoebe in her yard.
• Minnie MacLeod had a Yellow Warbler show up on May 13. May 20 she reported the arrival of Cliff Swallows in the Administration Compound. They nest over the garage.
• John MacLean had a European Starling fly in to the watchmen’s room above the fire hall at the Fortress. He was surprised when the starling was followed by Merlin, a small hawk, which chased it in to the room and flew around. The Merlin perched long enough for John to take a photo. Who says birds are always in the great outdoors?
• Irene Perry called to report a pair of Canada Geese below her house in Little Lorraine on May 16. They were also observed by Rita Burke.
• Lester Swain reported a pile of blue feathers in his yard. He had seen a hawk attack and kill Blue Jays.
• Colleen & Joseph Rosta had Goldfinch and Purple Finch at their feeders in Northside East Bay. The last two weeks in May a pair of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds sampled nectar from 3 feeders.
• Reports of a Raven killing a chicken at the Fortress site began by mid-May.
• Eric and Lynda Krause of Sydney reported a White-crowned Sparrow in their yard on May 20.
• Bill O’Shea watched Swallows hawking over the Fortress pond. He also watched a Crow chasing a female Northern Harrier below the Visitor Centre.
• Leta Trimm and Olive Spawn had a White-crowned Sparrow on May 22.
• Antoinette Wludyka (nee Campbell) of Braemor Drive told me about a Northern Flicker that was at her feeders from January through March this year. She fed it a mixture of suet, peanut butter and mixed seed. She also watched a Pileated Woodpecker in her yard in mid-May.
• Margie & Marmon Smith had a Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Siskins and a pair of Mourning Doves. These Doves were cooing and were inseparable on the porch, utility wire, etc.
• Iris Stevens pointed out a Boreal Chickadee at the Visitor Centre on May 23.
• Theresa Boone told me that a Northern Oriole drinks from her hummingbird feeders in Bateston and sometimes tangles with the territorial Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.
• Kevin O’Shea pointed out a Red-breasted Nuthatch in our yard on May 28. This is the first sighting since the early fall of 2002.
• Elaine Carter’s hummingbird returned by the last week in May. She has a feeder that attaches to the window so that she can watch it close up.
• Loretta Leahy and Phillip Magee had a White-crowned Sparrow arrive in mid-May at their house on the New Boston Road.
• Stewart MacPherson watched a dozen Canada Geese fishing smelt at Big Pond.

Around the harbour

May 10 there were a pair of Belted Kingfisher and a Greater Yellowlegs catching little silver fish in the Havenside Barachois. A pair of Common Loons in breeding plumage were just off the shore at the Fortress Barachois on June 3.

Around the town

May 12 there was a male Northern Flicker on Dwayne Day’s lawn. Jane Harris had a dozen Goldfinch at her feeders. A Northern Flicker flew into the trees beside Lucette Burman’s on May 22. There were 2 Tree Swallows on the line in front of the home of Mrs. Jane Lemoine on May 23. A dozen Starlings have been in the yards of Diane and Raymond Barter, Danielle and Jodie Harpell, Elaine and Gary Carter during the last week of May. Obviously the worms are running.

At my feeders

On Migratory Bird Count day, May 10 we had a female Yellow-rumped Warbler, Juncos, Pine Siskins, 4 White-throated Sparrows, a pair of Song Sparrows, American Goldfinch, Common Grackles, 3 Blue Jays, 2 Robins with nesting material, a pair of Black-capped Chickadees, 4 Crows, and numerous Mourning Doves. THE FIRST HOUSE SPARROW THAT WE HAVE EVER SEEN IN OUR YARD was in the rose bush on May 18. They are obviously on the move. May 19 marked the arrival of the first White-crowned Sparrow in our yard this year. May 20 a Chipping Sparrow showed up. May 24 the first male Ruby-throated Hummingbird arrived at the feeder. It looked like one Blue Jay was feeding another.

Have you noticed?

Almost every trip to Sydney there are more Cormorants perched on the posts and utility lines at Albert Bridge.

There is a Raven on Route 22 between Catalone and Albert Bridge and another near Mira Road.

There are Red-winged Blackbirds near Horne’s Road on Route 22.

Remember to change your humming bird nectar every week once the weather warms up.

Call me with your sightings throughout the summer. 

Helen O’Shea

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

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