birderbf
Wild, Wild West ................... ern Spindalis
Well just today I returned from a great vacation to the lovely province of Nova Scotia, Canada. A total of 103 species I think, which is about average for a my Canadian 2-weeks adventures.
I flew into Halifax with my family, and we did the entire province clockwise. From halifax we went south to Lunenburg, then across the province (through Kejimkujik National Park) to Brier Island off the end of Digby neck. From there we began our trek northward, stopping Annapolis Royal and Pictou on the way to Cape Breton. We stayed on the Cabot Trail north of Baddeck for a few nights, then stayed one night on the Marine Drive on our way back to Halifax.
Here's the sum up: not too much of interest in Halifax birdwise. There happened to be a Ruff nearby, but it was inaccessible as we didn't have the car the first few days. :C. Lunenburg didn't have a whole lot of interest either, but the diversity boomed since we got out of the metro area! The most interest thing here was a Mink slinking around rocks at Peggy's Cove when we stopped there one morning.
In the middle of the province near Kejimkujik NP I encountered some more interesting things, like Common Nighthawks and ravens. In Kejimkujik I encountered my first post-breeding season flock, of chickadees, a redstart, a Black-and-White Warbler and a Blue-headed Vireo. We stayed overnight on distant Brier Island.
The only full day we had on the island was for their famous whale watches. We got very lucky as it was inpenetrably foggy the entire day except for the duration of the boat tour! In addition to at least one dozen Humpback Whales (that we ID'd by name, others were visible being tended to by other whale watch operators!), there were thousands of phalaropes (Red was a lifer), some Sooty Shearwaters, many Greaters, and a good number of Wilson's Storm-Petrel, another easy lifer. The only one I bothered calling out when they were at a distance were puffins (third lifer of the whale watch). Earlier that morning we did some birding on the south end of the island, and refound a regional rarity, American Avocet (lifer) as well as White-rumped Sandpipers and plenty of seals. Thanks to Elizabeth Doull for giving me a little more hope on the avocet, and making scutinize my photos of the Semi Sand flock for White-rumpeds.
The next place we stayed was Annapolis Royal. By the chance the inn we stayed at literally had the back end of its property in the Annapolis Royal Marsh. I was fortunate to get looks at Pied-billed Grebe families (only estimated 250 pairs in the province) as well as Wood Duck (500 pairs) and Green-winged Teal. And to top it off, not one, not two, but THREE Soras (adult and two juveniles) feeding and calling at point blank range.
Cape Breton is fantastic. I can't wait to go back. Not only plenty of neat birds, but great scenery and Celtic music, which is my personal preference (and my largest hobby besides you know what!). Many Boreal Chickadees, two groups of White-winged Crossbills, more puffins and life Black Guillemot (Bird Islands, via the Bird Island Boat Tour). I also ran into a very notable PB flock that included Canada Warbler and Northern Waterthrush, both great finds in Cape Breton as either breeding or migrating. Plenty of operators do (birdwise unproductive) whale watches out of Cape Breton, but it's often not neccesary! I had a reeeaaaaally distant pod of presumed Long-finned Pilot Whales (being watched closely by a two whale watch boats) near Pleasant Bay, and a pod of presumed Atlantic White-sided Dolphins at the Canso Causeway (the causeway that links CB to the mainland).
And finally, we were back near Halifax. On our first walk there (Taylor's Head) we had practically no birds. Suddenly a bunch if things happened. A porcupine was waddling quite comically down the trail in front of us (mammalian lifer, as were all the whales and Mink), and as I tried to get my camera out of it's comfy carrying case, a large shorebird called loudly overhead. I nearly dropped the camera getting the binocs to my eyes, but it was too far away already, and the porcupine disappeared. Lose, lose, lose!
But my luck sure changed! The next day began with Pine Siskins, finally. And then we went for the incredibly long-staying Ruff, that I was expecting at the other end of this vacation (see other end of this thread!). First priority was actually the Little Egret that was there. That was easy to find, but the Ruff wasn't at the same spot (it was changing between the Little Egret's pond and another one nearby). So we checked its other spot and we were greeted by a Merlin who was ushering out all the shorebirds in the area (save for a few dowitchers, who were spooked when a harrier came around). I had an inkling that perhaps the shorebirds had gone back to the egret's hangout, and sure enough there were extra shorebirds. One was the juvenile pot-bellied Ruff! I was two for two. Next stop was 3 km to the west, where Black-headed Gull and a Little Gull might be hanging out by a bridge. They weren't there, but a bunch of Hudsonian Godwits were. So I checked the backup spot another 2 km away, on the road to Conrad's (Conrod's) Beach. I had a tiny larid, but it was next to a Bonaparte's and it was hardly half the size. Closer inspection revealed that it WAS the Little Gull, not a tern or something. Then what the thing standing next to it... You guessed it, a nice looking Black-headed Gull. It flew and I was able to the distinctive undersides of primaries. I couldn't tell how many others there were though at the site, it was tough in the rain and without a scope.
Right now I don't have time to post the entire trip list. Perhaps tomorrow. it was a memorable trip though, that's for sure.
I flew into Halifax with my family, and we did the entire province clockwise. From halifax we went south to Lunenburg, then across the province (through Kejimkujik National Park) to Brier Island off the end of Digby neck. From there we began our trek northward, stopping Annapolis Royal and Pictou on the way to Cape Breton. We stayed on the Cabot Trail north of Baddeck for a few nights, then stayed one night on the Marine Drive on our way back to Halifax.
Here's the sum up: not too much of interest in Halifax birdwise. There happened to be a Ruff nearby, but it was inaccessible as we didn't have the car the first few days. :C. Lunenburg didn't have a whole lot of interest either, but the diversity boomed since we got out of the metro area! The most interest thing here was a Mink slinking around rocks at Peggy's Cove when we stopped there one morning.
In the middle of the province near Kejimkujik NP I encountered some more interesting things, like Common Nighthawks and ravens. In Kejimkujik I encountered my first post-breeding season flock, of chickadees, a redstart, a Black-and-White Warbler and a Blue-headed Vireo. We stayed overnight on distant Brier Island.
The only full day we had on the island was for their famous whale watches. We got very lucky as it was inpenetrably foggy the entire day except for the duration of the boat tour! In addition to at least one dozen Humpback Whales (that we ID'd by name, others were visible being tended to by other whale watch operators!), there were thousands of phalaropes (Red was a lifer), some Sooty Shearwaters, many Greaters, and a good number of Wilson's Storm-Petrel, another easy lifer. The only one I bothered calling out when they were at a distance were puffins (third lifer of the whale watch). Earlier that morning we did some birding on the south end of the island, and refound a regional rarity, American Avocet (lifer) as well as White-rumped Sandpipers and plenty of seals. Thanks to Elizabeth Doull for giving me a little more hope on the avocet, and making scutinize my photos of the Semi Sand flock for White-rumpeds.
The next place we stayed was Annapolis Royal. By the chance the inn we stayed at literally had the back end of its property in the Annapolis Royal Marsh. I was fortunate to get looks at Pied-billed Grebe families (only estimated 250 pairs in the province) as well as Wood Duck (500 pairs) and Green-winged Teal. And to top it off, not one, not two, but THREE Soras (adult and two juveniles) feeding and calling at point blank range.
Cape Breton is fantastic. I can't wait to go back. Not only plenty of neat birds, but great scenery and Celtic music, which is my personal preference (and my largest hobby besides you know what!). Many Boreal Chickadees, two groups of White-winged Crossbills, more puffins and life Black Guillemot (Bird Islands, via the Bird Island Boat Tour). I also ran into a very notable PB flock that included Canada Warbler and Northern Waterthrush, both great finds in Cape Breton as either breeding or migrating. Plenty of operators do (birdwise unproductive) whale watches out of Cape Breton, but it's often not neccesary! I had a reeeaaaaally distant pod of presumed Long-finned Pilot Whales (being watched closely by a two whale watch boats) near Pleasant Bay, and a pod of presumed Atlantic White-sided Dolphins at the Canso Causeway (the causeway that links CB to the mainland).
And finally, we were back near Halifax. On our first walk there (Taylor's Head) we had practically no birds. Suddenly a bunch if things happened. A porcupine was waddling quite comically down the trail in front of us (mammalian lifer, as were all the whales and Mink), and as I tried to get my camera out of it's comfy carrying case, a large shorebird called loudly overhead. I nearly dropped the camera getting the binocs to my eyes, but it was too far away already, and the porcupine disappeared. Lose, lose, lose!
But my luck sure changed! The next day began with Pine Siskins, finally. And then we went for the incredibly long-staying Ruff, that I was expecting at the other end of this vacation (see other end of this thread!). First priority was actually the Little Egret that was there. That was easy to find, but the Ruff wasn't at the same spot (it was changing between the Little Egret's pond and another one nearby). So we checked its other spot and we were greeted by a Merlin who was ushering out all the shorebirds in the area (save for a few dowitchers, who were spooked when a harrier came around). I had an inkling that perhaps the shorebirds had gone back to the egret's hangout, and sure enough there were extra shorebirds. One was the juvenile pot-bellied Ruff! I was two for two. Next stop was 3 km to the west, where Black-headed Gull and a Little Gull might be hanging out by a bridge. They weren't there, but a bunch of Hudsonian Godwits were. So I checked the backup spot another 2 km away, on the road to Conrad's (Conrod's) Beach. I had a tiny larid, but it was next to a Bonaparte's and it was hardly half the size. Closer inspection revealed that it WAS the Little Gull, not a tern or something. Then what the thing standing next to it... You guessed it, a nice looking Black-headed Gull. It flew and I was able to the distinctive undersides of primaries. I couldn't tell how many others there were though at the site, it was tough in the rain and without a scope.
Right now I don't have time to post the entire trip list. Perhaps tomorrow. it was a memorable trip though, that's for sure.
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