Grand Manan Birds

Date: Sun, 24 May 2009 06:58:40 -0300
From: Stuart Tingley NBNature listserve
Subject: Grand Manan Birds - May 23, 2009

Glorious weather and interesting birding continued on Grand Manan Island yesterday. During the morning we birded along the Whistle Road. At civic #85 two male and one female RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS put on a great show with a territorial dispute. This locale seems a likely site for nesting by this species. While we watched the woodpeckers frolic an imm. male INDIGO BUNTING came along, sang briefly, and continued northward.

Near the old landfill site on the Whistle Road a HOUSE WREN sang vigourously through the morning, no doubt the same bird found by Merv on Thursday. At the same location a GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER was calling and flying about.

The BRANT flock at Grand Harbour numbered about 1400 at low tide this afternoon. There will probably be a mass exodus of this species in the next few days.

We ended the day along the Whale Cove Road listening to a VIRGINIA RAIL vocalize in the marsh there. At dusk two GREEN HERONS flew over headed toward the Whistle Road and 5 COMMON NIGHTHAWKS hawked for insects toward the west.

A briefly heard mystery vocalization in the marsh may have been a Common Moorhen (?).

This morning (May 24) we've started the day with a GREAT EGRET flying over the Shorecrest Lodge at 6:15am. Our weekend species total is currently at 134. Good Birding,

Photo Credit: Wikipedia.com, red-bellied woodpecker
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