FOR THE BIRDS

SEPTEMBER  2002

By

Helen O'Shea

AROUND THE TOWN

• Margie and Marmon Smith watched an adult Blue Jay feed three young with seeds from their feeder for at least a week and a half in early July. August 28 they had a Whippoorwill in their yard for 2 days. It flew within 12 feet of their porch. They even heard it calling.
• Ian Harte reported a Black-bellied Plover below Bobby Burke’s on Havenside August 20.
• Victor and Millie Anderson told me that last winter feeding the birds meantthey had to provide more than 200 pounds of seed. Victor’s sheltered location is a haven for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Tree Swallows.
• Pearl Magee had a female Black and White Warbler on August 22. She has also had a pair of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and their young.
• Florence and Marcel Miron watched 3 Great Blue Heron at the Fortress Barachois on August 1. The parents were teaching a youngster to fish.
• Gary and Elaine Carter have numerous feeders and a lot of birds since there is a good tree cover in their yard. I hope they realize my binoculars are trained on the activity of the birds at their feeders.
• Danielle and Jody Harpell called on June 28. They had a pair of Yellow-shafted Flickers on their lawn. The Blue Jays were also eating their pets’ kibble food. Robins were out worming.
• Mrs. Isabel Hardy and her son Milton watched mature Bald Eagles, Blue Jays and Chickadees.
• Craig Carter reported a Black-capped Chickadee landing on the back of his dog Bart. Bart does not move fast.
• Judy and Manning Burke called August 25 to report 3 Cedar Waxwings eating bugs on their front lawn. These birds were still on their property September 6.

FORTRESS

Bill reported Cliff Swallow nests at the Administration Buildings. Whimbrels have been present in the area of Black Rock since August fourth. September 3 we watched a flock of approximately 30 fly around the monuments at Rochefort Point. A female Northern Harrier has been coursing over the fields at the Fortress throughout the summer. Bill watched it being chased by a small hawk at the foot of the Park Service Road in late August. A mature Bald Eagle flies over the site, Marconi, picnic area and the harbour and provides a spectacle for the American tourists. The Cliff Swallows and Barn Swallows appeared in late June and were active once the warm weather came and the insects were active. Only one brood was hatched this year and there were fewer nests than in past years..

AROUND THE HARBOUR

Numerous Greater Yellowlegs, a Black-bellied Plover and a Great Blue Heron were all spotted at various times at the Fortress Barachois. Whatever happened to the Belted Kingfishers? They were not seen at the Fortress Barachois this summer and the last sighting I had was in June at the Havenside Barachois.

WHERE WERE THE HUMMINGBIRDS?

I had a Ruby-throated Hummingbird until June 6. A male arrived on June 14, but it was a new arrival since it flew around the yard and checked out each feeder. A female arrived June 15. July 2 was the last sighting. August 4 a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird appeared at the honeysuckle. Immature and mature hummingbirds were in the yard throughout August and on August 14 it checked out people sitting in our yard. The next day one began chasing a Black and White Warbler until the warbler flew away. August 31 a hummingbird was at the hostas in the front of the house. August 14 there were 3 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in the yard of Elaine and Gary Carter. These small birds were chasing American Goldfinch, Juncos, and Pine Siskins away from the Carters’ feeders. Hummingbirds come to the Carter feeders late in the night since the porch lights are on. Rosie and Raymond Lahey often find the hummingbirds come to their feeder in the night when the lights are on as well. Victor and Millie Anderson had at least three pair of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and their young throughout the summer. There were also Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at the feeder of Vicki Anderson. Pearl Magee had Ruby-throated Hummingbirds on her property also. The birds did not seem as plentiful as other years. The cold weather of June and July might have caused some of the early arrivals to keep on moving. Keep your feeders out this month since there may be some Ruby-throated Hummingbirds migrating through our yards in need of a nectar fix.

TOUR OF BIRD ISLANDS

On June 22 Bill and I set off early Saturday morning and headed to Big Bras d’ Or to depart on a 2 ½ hour boat trip to Bird Islands (Hertford and Ciboux Islands). The tour was to begin at 10 a.m. By that time we were still waiting to see if a minimum of six passengers would arrive so we could set off. Eventually we got underway along with two travel agents from Germany and a couple from Florida aboard. It is amazing how close we got to the nesting colonies where we could see all the detail of the birds that you miss when you watch them in the harbour through binoculars and with a scope. We were able to distinguish between the Double-crested Cormorants and the Great Cormorants. We were able to hear the cry of the Black-legged Kittiwake, and watch the Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill and, Black Guillemot climb up rocky ledges, crawl into and come out of their nest cavities, fly overhead, land on the water nearby, dive and fish. We enjoyed watching Bank Swallows enter their nests, and were able to watch Great Black-backed Gulls and Herring Gulls with their young. A lone Common Eider swam nearby and we also saw grey seals. A Bald Eagle was perched in a tree. The fee was about $75 for the two of us, but it was a great experience.

IN OUR YARD

We had a bald Blue Jay arrive at our bird bath on August 12. It has spent many days between our property and the yard of Darlene and Chris Chisholm. That same day we had an immature Yellow Warbler land in the maple tree. Question: Is the baldness of the Blue Jay caused by a parasite? Blue Jays preen the feathers on their head with their feet since they cannot reach that area with their beaks.

CEDAR WAXWINGS

The Cedar Waxwing is "a sleek brown bird with long conspicuous crest, black mask; yellow band at end of tail; red waxy tips on secondaries of grayish wings". They live in small flocks for most of the year. Mountain ash is their favourite food but they will eat most small fruit. I’ve watched a flock strip a rose bush or ornamental crab tree of fruit in a matter of minutes. In the summer they eat a variety of insects. Cedar Waxwings breed across Canada from British Columbia to Newfoundland and south to California, Illinois and Georgia. The Atlas of Breeding Birds of the Maritime Provinces shows confirmed breeding sites all across Cape Breton Island. These birds are in the area year round. They are not feeder birds but I’ve known people who freeze mountain ash berries and put them out during the winter. I’ve often wondered if raisins would work. Maybe I’ll try this winter. The Bohemian Waxwing is similar to the Cedar Waxwing but it has white markings on the wings.

Make sure that your summer feeders are clean before storing them for the winter. ‘Til next time. 

Helen O’Shea

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

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