Redstarts at Campobello

May 31, 09
A wonderful spring day with mist drifting against the blue sky and
everything coming into bloom. A pair of redstarts in the RCI park. Joyce

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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Birds at Pennfield and St. George

Date: Fri, 22 May 2009 21:05:43 -0300
From: icameron NBNature Listserv
Subject: Birds at Pennfield and St George

(Paid) a visit today to the Ducks Unlimited trail at St George. On the way we stopped off at Pennfield to look for BROWN THRASHERS. This was always a reliable site for the species, but in the last year or so much of the dense scrub that was so attractive to the thrashers has been destroyed. Despite this, we found one that was vocalizing on one of the few remaining large trees.

At the DU trail in St George, we heard SORA and PIED-BILLED GREBES and flushed a VIRGINIA RAIL, a species that (for me at any rate) is mor often seen than heard. A MERLIN was making periodic sorties over the marsh. The trail on the other side of the main road was vocal with many NORTHERN WATERTHRUSHES, a WARBLING VIREO  and a GRAY CATBIRD. On the way back, we visited the blueberry barrens behind Pennfield to look for Upland Sandpipers, but they eithe hadn't returned yet, or maybe had been put off by the enormous fire-breathing monster truck that was burning the barrens.

Photo Credit: brown thrasher, Wikipedia.com

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A walk in the park, Campobello, May 25th

The lower duck pond beach and an unexpected encounter. Joyce

A walk in the park, Campobello,May 25th

Deer moss, a parula warbler hunting bugs, wild strawberries and a beautiful spring birch tree.

Grand Manan Birds

Date: Wed, 20 May 2009 20:14:18 -0300
From: Roger Burrows NBNature listserv
Subject: North Head & Grand Manan birds, inc. Red-throated Loon, Red-shouldered Hawk, Purple Sandpiper, alcids, Brown Thrasher

May 20

North Head-Marathon Inn & Moses Lane woods 06:30-08:00
singing Winter Wren, all three mimids, inc. singing Brown Thrasher & Gray
Catbird pair on nest, 25 Cedar Waxwings, 11 wood-warblers plus an
as-yet-to-be identified singing warbler, 6+ male Bobolinks, 2 male
Rose-breasted Grosbeaks

Circum-navigation of Grand Manan on the "Elsie Menota" 10:00-17:00
7 Red-throated & 7 Common Loons, Great Cormorant, 11+ Northern Gannets, 2
Great Blue Heron, in. one well out to sea, 200 Common Eiders, 5 Bald Eagles,
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, Red-tailed Hawk, 2 Peregrine Falcons, 42+ Purple
Sandpipers, 3 Black-legged Kittiwakes, 30+ Razorbills, 210+ Common Murres,
57+ Black Guillemots, 6+ Atlantic Puffins, Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Common Murres and a few Razorbills were back on Yellow Murr Ledge; we also
saw Harbour & Gray Seals and Harbour Porpoises.

Roger Burrows
Ingalls Head
Grand Manan

Painting Credit: Art MacKay

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Northern Mockingbird at Campobello

Hi Art, thanks for posting the pictures! This one is a bit blurry, because it was taken through the window. Seen this northern mockingbird hanging around the back yard this afternoon & tonight. Susan Cline Campobello Island

Male patriarch hummingbird

More at : http://casa-del-campo.smugmug.com/gallery/8254621_K6F6z#P-6-12

He completely wears himself out chasing every male hummingbird that is within reach. He is always on guard. Sometimes he is so worn out that he can barely fly and falls asleep alternate moments.

Joyce

Gold hummingbird, a ruby throat. May19th

Has anyone ever seen a gold hummingbird? This is accurate color. It was afternoon sun, but the other birds were a normal green. Joyce

More hummingbirds

I enjoy this so much and I only wish for others to enjoy the photos as well. A Spring gift. My blind makes it possible, I can get within two feet of the birds. . Joyce

Ruby-throated hummingbirds, Campobello, May 17th

Staking out the quince bush. Joyce

Bobolink at Campobello

Seen a Bobolink in the front yard this afternoon. Susan Cline Wilson's Beach, Campobello Island

Male ruby throated hummingbird, '09 Campobello

The ruby flash is quick, and usually in motion, so it is hard to catch. They use it as a territorial warning, usually.

http://hummingbirdworld.com/h/iridescent.htm#return

For those of us who wonder why the iridescense is so intense. Joyce

Jack-in-the-pulpit at Bocabec

Found this Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) in a wet forested area near our backyard in Bocabec. Magnificent and fascinating plant also known as Bog onion, Brown dragon, Indian turnip, Wake robin or Wild turnip.

You can learn more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arisaema_triphyllum.

Art

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Birds at DU Marsh, St. George, NB

Date: Sat, 16 May 2009 11:38:11 -0300

From:    Todd Watts NatureNB Listserv
Subject: Virginia Rails

A mid-morning walk along the Ducks Unlimited Trail in Saint George produced the following.

2 Virginia Rails feeding together
Several Sora
Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Pied-billed Grebe
a small flock of shorebirds(unidentified)

Baltimore Oriole
Least Flycatcher
Wilsons Warbler( my first of the season)
Yellow warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
American Redstart
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Nashville Warbler

Todd Watts
Kerr's Ridge

Photo credit: wood duck, wikipedia.com

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Birds at Lubec and Eastport

Downeast - A few lingering PINE GROSBEAKS were found in Lubec on the 12th. Undoubtedly spring overshoots, ORCHARD ORIOLES (2) are visiting an Eastport backyard.

Photo credit: orchard oriole, wikipedia.com

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Warblers at Machias Seal Island

Date: Sat, 16 May 2009 06:29:02 -0300
From: Ralph Eldridge NatureNB Listserv
Subject: MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND REPORT

Fairly good warbler movement last night although the drop-out was light. Drop-outs see up until dawn:

OVENBIRDS;
COMMON YELLOW THROATS;
REDSTARTS;
PARULAS;
CHESTNUT SIDED WARBLERS;
MAGNOLIA WARBLERS;
YELLOW RUMPED WARBLERS;
BLACK THROATED GREEN WARBLERS;
BLACK THROATED BLUE WARBLERS;
NASHVILLE WARBLERS;
YELLOW WARBLERS;
BLACKPOLL WARBLERS;
BLACK & WHITE WARBLERS.

Photo credit: black-throated green warbler, wikipedia.com
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Little Blue Heron at Castalia Marsh, Grand Manan

Date: Fri, 15 May 2009 17:53:09 -0300

From:    Roger Burrows NatureNB Listserv
Subject: LITTLE BLUE HERON at Castalia Marsh

May 15

I saw an immature LITTLE BLUE HERON by the road bay at Castalia Marsh as I was cycling by this morning at 9:30.   It posed for a while and then flew off into the Bancroft Point marshes.

Roger Burrows
Ingalls Head Grand Manan

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Osprey pair,Head Harbour, Campobello.May 14th

A pair of osprey have a nest near the lighthouse in Head Harbour. Here they watch for fish from poles near the wharf. Joyce

More from Bird Heaven

Date: Wed, 13 May 2009 22:39:23 -0300

From:    Ralph Eldridge NatureNB Listserve
Subject: MACHIAS SEAL ISLAND REPORT

Yesterday was another raptor day. Several PEREGRINE FALCONS were hanging around and some were seen to leave thje island "air space" headed either towards Grand Manan or the Maine coast just west of Cutler. At least 2 MERLINS were also sighted, with at least 1 hanging around for much of the day.

At one point, directly over head, there was a Peregrine  chasing and attacking a Merlin while 2 other Peregrines followed along as spectators.At every moment of the day, from before sunrise until dark, there was at least 1 Peregrine in sight, either perching or hunting.

Today wasn't so predatory but PEREGRINES, MERLINS & SHARP SHINNED HAWKS were usually on view.

TERNS put in their first appearance at sunrise on Sunday (only about 150) and departed after a brief high over-flight as is typical at first. They makeover-flights for several days before actually landing on the island. After the first landings, they progress rapidly to locating  nest sites and then to staying on the island overnight. There were no Terns on Monday and only about 100 on Tuesday morning.

Tuesday, as I've mentioned was a raptor day from start to finish and that fact wasn't lost on the Terns. In the few minutes that they were nearby they attracted a falcon's attention. As the Terns started to depart I spotted a Peregrine stroking on a long approach run. He engaged the Terns at an altitude of  about 1000 feet and over water, about 1/2 mile south of the island. A couple minutes later I spotted  the falcon returning to MSI carrying a Tern.

Today a group of perhaps 150 - 200 TERNS returned at sunrise and made a few high altitude over-flights of the island.

With other birds, no big changes although "coloured' birds continue strong and warblers are becoming better represented.Yesterday and today produced at least 7 BALTRIMORE ORIOLES & 2 ORCHARD ORIOLES; many OVENBIRDS; several THRUSHES & BROWN THRASHERS; several  BOBOLINKS & ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAKS; our 1st male BLACK THROATED BLUE WARBLER, several YELLOW WARBLERS & PARULAS; a couple each RUSTY BLACKBIRDS & RED WINGED BLACKBIRDS.

On the marine side there's nothing really unusual: lots of ALCIDS, CORMORANTS & EIDERS; scattered LOONS. et cetera. There was a nice flight of 9 GANNETS plus several singles and pairs.

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