FOR THE BIRDS

May 1991

By

Helen O'Shea

NORTHERN GANNET: Eugene Magee met us on Main Street on Saturday, April 13, to say that he had seen and photographed a GANNET. It was stranded on the cutting made for the new water line behind upper Kent Street. We went up to see and Art Dominey pointed the bird out to us. Sure enough it was a NORTHERN GANNET. The Peterson Field Guide describes it as, It a goose-sized white seabird with extensive black wing ends." The Northern Gannet breeds in the north Atlantic. There are 6 colonies in Canada. Three are in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The others are Cape St. Mary's and Funk and Baccalieu islands in Newfoundland.

The Gannet was not hurt and waddled away from us when approached. When last seen it was standing on a pile of ground on the north side of Frenchman's Pond.

We went back the next day, but there was no sign of the Gannet. On Monday I called Bob Bancroft on Radio Noon and told him about the bird. Bancroft said it had probably become disoriented and landed in the woods. Because its legs are far back on its body the Gannet must be high up on a cliff face or in open water to get airborne. Anyway we gave the Gannet up for lost.

Several days later Brian Harpell said that he had heard Helen on the radio and he had also seen the Gannet. He was out for a walk on Sunday, April 14 when he met the bird south of Frenchman's Pond. When Brian returned home, he mentioned it to his son Jody who captured the Gannet, with the help of a large dip net, and returned it to the harbour. When Jody returned later the bird was nowhere to be seen. Thanks Jody.

INDIGO BUNTING TIME: Bob Janes, newly arrived in the Housing Area, spotted an INDIGO BUNTING at his feeder on April 23rd. Its been there off and on ever since. Susann Myers on Upper Warren has a male and two female Indigo Buntings at her feeder. The INDIGO BUNTING male is impossible to mistake. He is a, "rich, deep blue all over". The female is a more subdued pale brown. The normal range can extend into southern New Brunswick, but every few years we get major sightings in Cape Breton.

In May 1988, I saw and photographed,.4 male Indigo Buntings at my feeder along with a BLUE GROSBEAK.

KILLDEER RETURNS TO FIND HOME MISSING: A KILLDEER was spotted on the old foundation south of Charlie's Tavern on April 20. There has been a pair of Killdeer in this area for several years. They nest on open ground but their eggs are so well camouflaged that it is next to impossible to see them on the rocks. Unfortunately there was a mound of earth at the site last year which was levelled in the spring. The eggs were destroyed and the adult birds frightened off. An expert, who we consulted, said the Killdeers would not return. And, other than that one brief sighting, they have not.

OTHER SIGHTINGS OUT AND ABOUT : On Sunday, April 21 we were in Main a Dieu and saw 56 WHITE WINGED SCOTERS, 3 BLACK GUILLEMOTS, 1 RED-THROATED LOON, and I GREAT CORMORANT. on the return trip we stopped off at Little Lorraine and saw 14 DOUBLE CRESTED CORMORANTS at the mouth of the harbour.

April 28 there at the Havenside Barachois there were 3 LESSER YELLOWLEGS and 1 SOLITARY SANDPIPER.

On May 4, an otherwise wet and dreary day. we saw a BELTED KINGFISHER and a PIGEON HAWK on the island in the Fortress Barachois. At the Fortress there were 2 male and 2 female BUFFLEHEADS, a pair of BLACK DUCKS, and a male SPARROW HAWK

Later that evening, on the way to Main a Dieu, we saw a female MARSH HAWK and in the harbour a female RED-BREASTED MERGANSER.

Susann Myers has had 6 male PURPLE FINCHES at her feeders for the last few weeks. There are at least 8 male purple finches at Danny Hanham's feeder on Station Hill.

The American Goldfinches are bright yellow now - hard to miss.

There is a large flock of STARLINGS and GRACKLES that seem to spend much of their time in the trees by the Maritime Tel & Tel building on Main and Pepperrell. There are also several NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS, the first on Kent Street and the others in Percy Shepherd's yard on Upper Warren.

On Mother's Day we say 7 pairs of GREEN WINGED TEAL at the Fortress Barachois.

Helen O’Shea

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

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