FOR THE BIRDS

May 2000

By

Helen O'Shea

Around the Harbour

There are regular sightings of Bufflehead. The largest number, 4 pair, were at the Fortress Barachois. Often there appear to be more females than males in a group. In a pond at the Fortress I watched a Greater Yellowlegs fish along the shallows. There were also a pair of Scoters and several Cormorants. Bill O’Shea saw a Belted Kingfisher at the Fortress Barachois and a female Northern Harrier hunting at the Fortress site. Ian Harte saw an Osprey at the range lights by Route 22 and two more at Catalone Lake.

The Return of the Snowy Egret

Susann Myers reported the Egret at Havenside Barachois on April 16. Bill and I saw it as well. On April 27 both Harold Fudge and Sheila Fudge saw the Egret standing on top of the oil tank in the Barachois. The Snowy Egret can be grateful to 6 Herring Gulls that managed to mob an immature Bald Eagle and distract it. Otherwise the Egret would have been lunch.

The Swallows are Back

3 Tree Swallows were swooping over the parking lot at the Visitor Centre on a sunny May 6. A Barn Swallow was chasing flies at the bottom of the Administration Road and a couple more were at the Fortress site. A couple of Cliff Swallows were swooping at the Fortress May 7.

New Arrivals

I received a call from Ernie Weisner on April 18. He and his wife Beryl had a female Rufous-sided Towhee in their yard. It had been scratching like a chicken through the leaves and grass. It paid several visits last fall. On May 3 there was a female Eastern Towhee in Gwen Lunn’s yard. Susann Myers, Gerry Lalonde and I all managed to see it that morning as it hopped in and out of the long grass at the foundation of Gwen’s house. This is the same species Ernie reported. The Rufous Towhee is now divided into the Eastern Towhee and Spotted Towhee (Western bird) by the most recent bird books.

Rose-breasted Grosbeaks have been around since the first week of May. Sherry Campbell called May 3 to say that she and Rose Gledhill had identified a pair of these birds at the feeders in Catalone. Bill and I headed out with binoculars and scope around 6 p.m and watched them for 10 minutes. The next morning a female Rose-breasted arrive at my feeders. Valerie Monahan saw a male at the Fortress Administration building.

Baltimore (Northern) Orioles were visitors at the feeders of Brent and Joann Baker for the first three weeks in May. They disappeared after Easter but were replaced by 5 male and 1 female Red Crossbills. I’ve had Red Crossbills at my feeders since April 3. A Yellow-rumped (Myrtle) Warbler was in my maple tree on April 29. It was later observed moving up and down the dormers and roof of the home of Gary and Elaine Carter - probably catching insects. It has even visited my feeders and attempted, with some difficulty, to use the disselfink. Purple Finch have been arriving in greater numbers at feeders and are visible in the trees. The males are very obvious with their raspberry red colouring. The female Purple Finch looks like a smaller version of the female Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Juncos are everywhere. If you hear wonderful singing in the woods and look around you often see a Junco. They have been seen at feeders and in yards in numbers up to 50. They are the first birds to arrive in the morning and the last ones to leave at night. Song Sparrows are arriving in greater numbers. From one in March, I now have 4 in the yard. White-throated Sparrows are quite plentiful. Pearl reported 4 pairs in her yard the first week in May. Gwen had three on May 3 but now has 15. I have three pairs. A Savannah Sparrow was first seen at the Fortress site on May 7.

American Kestrel have arrived. On May 6, I saw a Kestrel at the Fortress site and another on a power line at the side of the Sydney-Louisbourg Highway. There was a Merlin sitting on a tree top in the parking lot across from the old Stella Maris Cemetery on May 6.

Belted Kingfishers were first seen at Havenside Barachois on May 4. We had seen a male at Port Morien Bar on April 14. That same day we saw a Great Blue Heron at Black Brook Bridge and another at Eskasoni Fishery. The first one in Louisbourg was seen flying over Lorway and landing in Gerratt’s Brook on May 5. Pine Siskins are now arriving in large numbers. Sometimes they travel with the American Goldfinch (wild canaries).

Around the Town

Cyneth Hutt called May 4 to report American Crows flying with nest materials to their roost in the trees behind their house. Three weeks before she and Gordon watched two Bald Eagles mate in the tree behind their house. They are nesting in that area because Ian Harte had watched a mature Bald Eagle gather nesting material at the Havenside Barachois and then fly to the trees behind the Hutts’ house. Cyneth also reported a pair of Red Crossbills, a Common Grackle, a female White-throated Sparrow, Song Sparrows, 2 dozen Juncoes, Blue Jays, a male Goldfinch and a swooping hawk that landed on her bird feeder. It had a band of white on the tail. She and Gordon agreed it was probably an immature Rough-legged Hawk. Robins are everywhere. There were 8 on the lawn of Ike and Edith Warren, 12 on the lawn of Gary and Elaine Carter (being stalked by the Eavis’ cat), 15 on the lawn of Jody Harpell. He had just removed a white spruce, stump and all and probably made the worms more accessible. Millie and Brian Harpell had 4 pair of White-winged Crossbills in a tree April 23. One male Evening Grosbeak has finally found three friends who are in our yard. My last Fox Sparrow was seen April 23. They do breed in the area.

Out and About

Ian Harte reported a pair of Cinnamon Teal at Grand Lake, a pair of Red-breasted Mergansers, Ring-neck Ducks, and ten American Black Ducks. At Catalone Lake he watched a nesting pair of Bald Eagles who had 2 immatures with them.

A SPECIAL SIGHTING - once in 50 years

I’ve never thought that I would see

A pink flamingo in a hawthorn tree.

But, I saw one and 49 more on

Brian Harpell’s lawn on Upper Warren.

Miscellaneous

The Ninth annual North American Migratory Bird Count took place on May 13, 2000.

Thanks to John Lunn for sending me information on the Long Tailed Duck ( Oldsquaw) from Pennant’s British Zoology, London 1776.

Feeders: Remember to wash out your feeders thoroughly with a solution of 1:10 bleach to water. Rinse well. Dry them completely before storing for the summer.

Nectar: Bring 2 to 3 cups water to a boil. Stir in ½ cup white, granulated sugar until all the sugar is dissolved. Cool the solution and pour into a clean hummingbird feeder (RED TRIM) or oriole feeder (ORANGE TRIM). Remember that nectar breeds bacteria easily, especially in warm weather. Empty your feeders twice weekly. Clean each feeder by pouring boiling water through it, then refill with fresh solution. ( Sally Roth, Attracting Birds to Your Backyard, Rodale Press, 1998.)

See you in September. I appreciate all the reports of new birds and unusual bird behaviour. Don’t forget to keep me informed although I can’t guarantee a June edition of For the Birds. I’ll report the summer sightings and early fall activities in the September edition of For the Birds.

GOOD BIRDING. Call me with your sightings at 733-2873.

Helen O’Shea

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

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