Bird Sightings

Eric and Anne Mills sightings...
Three Ipswich Sparrows today, one in Westport, the others near Whipple Point.
The Westport bird was feeding in the scanty roadside grass along the shore side
of the road, facing into a northerly gale and blowing spray - presumably just
like Sable Island at this time of year. One of the Whipple Point birds may have
been a nominate Savannah x Ipswich hybrid: gray backed, but with brownish wings
and coverts and breast streaking more well defined than the average Ipswich.

The bird of the weekend has been American Robin. Friday morning's stormy cold
front grounded many on the island. Anne and I saw perhaps 500 along the roads
during the storm yesterday and saw many more coming and going in the woods.
They appeared to be arriving all day. We believe that the numbers on the island
must number in the low thousands. With them were significant numbers of Juncos
and Song Sparrows, but nothing like the Robin spectacle.

This afternoon, a single adult Northern Shrike near Woodside Cemetery.