What is in the waves....

Hi Everyone On Sunday night i went for a walk to pond cove and the waves were coming in green! All over the beach was a green color so i scooped some up and put it in a bag with some sea water and then took it into my oceans class the next day to look at it under a microscope. Will post what it was when i finally figure it out myself. There is a few clues....but it needs more investigation. Will let you know when i find out or anyone who might like to take a guess can post a comment. Don't you love nature, Enjoy

New Spring sightings and contruction

Hi Everyone
Today was a bit cool but as the evening approached the wind dropped out and it was lovely. The water was like glass...
Went to pond cove today where construction is underway to put in a new parking lot and fix up the road. This should make it easier for people to enjoy the beach and the Brier Island Nature Preserve. The Nature Conservancy of Canada received money and is also fixing up the trail around whipples point to Western light. Also they are putting in a new parking lot there to. This is to avoid many off roads that go all over the place and destroy natural habitat needed for the plants and animals in these areas. The students of Westport Village School did a village clean to coincide with Earth Day. We will also be having a volunteer event in June to clean up pond cove area.Many hands make light work so they say. Hopefully we will get alot of community volunteers out because pond cove is such a special place for visitors and our communities.
Some spring sightings from today include: Strawberry Blossoms, Violets, new dune grass shoots peeking up through the sand. Rose rogosa bushes and beach pea are showing us there leaves. Also some Ground Ivy, and dandelions. Some turkey vultures were soaring around the village. At Northern Light i sighted a Northern Harrier.

Eastern Bluebird

Eric Mills
A female E. Bluebird arrived late this afternoon along the Lighthouse Road. To my knowledge, this is the first of the year here.

Tree Swallows

Hello Everyone
Well the tree swallows have finally arrived! Dotted along the hydro lines i sighted them in Freeport and Tiverton today. Today was a special treat weather wise after yesterdays bad weather. Tonight after i got home went for a hike around Gooseberry cove and up Peajack. Sighted a black duck in a little pond. Lots of frog eggs, a Northern Harrier and Turkey Vultures overhead. Lots of Robins, Grackles Starlings and Goldfinches around.The red maples are budding out and the leaves are out on the Skunk cabbage in Freeport.

Freeport nature sightings

Hello Everyone
Well it turned out to be a spectacular morning. My husband and i decided to go to the fiiremans breakfast in Freeport and check out their new firehall. It looks great! We had some time before the ferry so we drove around the cove and sighted 6DEER! Couldn't believe it! This was near dartmouth point. As we were driving back a Rabbit hopped up the road in front of us. We then took a drive to Beautiful Cove.I got out and walked the shoreline to Lavena's catch. Sighted a Northern Harrier, eider ducks and black ducks. What a gorgeous walk! Just love smelling the good old salt air and looking out to sea. WIll try to get out for a hike in Westport this afternoon. Hope everyone enjoys this beautiful day!

Sightings from today

HI EVeryone
Today was cool but clear and so i hiked to Northern Light and then went to Western Light. On the way to Western Light i sighted some Leatherleaf in bloom along the edges of the bog. Lots of Pitcher-plant leaves are coming up also. By the graveyard i sighted a Northern Harrier in Grey phase, a northern flicker and lots of Robins. Along my route to Northern Light i sighted Ground Ivy, 3 Turkey Vultures and a Bald Eagle. Lots of American Goldfinches around and heard a Cardinal by the library.

Yearling Harp Seal

Ian Maclaren Id the seal pup I found at pond cove as a yearling harp seal for sure (i.e., not this year's pup, but a "beater" from last year). That silvery coat, almost white below, with large black spots and blotches, are typical, as is the rather gentle face. No ice, so it's hauled out ashore. They've turned up all over NS from time to time, even several miles up the Avon River, and are regular in winter-spring on the beaches of Sable Island - see the Greenhorsesociety website. Thanks for your help Ian!

Deer

On Sunday, a friend and i sighted a White-tailed Deer eating in a bog near Gull Rock road. We also sighted a Muskrat toward Northern Light at the end of water street.

Turkey Vultures

Andy Moir reports...
We counted 20 turkey vultures circling over Petit Passage as we waited for the ferry to cross from East Ferry to Tiverton.

Spring Sightings

Carl Haycock reports...
Spring has certainly arrived early. Peepers have been out for a week now. Yesterday the slugs were out in full force on the paved roads! And I found 2 Wood ticks on my Bernese Mountain Dog!

A few new birds have arrived.
1 Brown Creeper
1 W.B. Nuthatch
6 Boreal Chickadees on Camp road
1 Am Kestrel
6 N. Flicker
1 Fox Sparrow

Laura reports....
a brown creeper on Easter Sunday in a tree on the New Lane. There has been a female cardinal visiting my feeders..

Beautiful Spring day

What a beautiful spring day! I hiked peajack and back then went to Western Light and hiked around whipples point to pond cove. I'm sure i will feel it tonight! HA! HA!
At the second cove in along the bar i sighted 100 Brant.Lots of gulls pairing up and going with some nest material around whipples point area. I met up with my aunt Louise while hiking whipples point and she sighted a Great Blue Heron today at little pond. Hope everyone enjoyed this wonderful day, i know i sure did!

Pileated Woodpecker

Hi Everyone
As i was walking up the new lane today towards Western Light when i heard this constant hammering and decided to investigate. I walked toward Western Light road and on a telephone pole, the same one we used to put up Nesting Bluebird boxes was a PILEATED WOODPECKER.I didn't have my camera on me so i made a loop back to my car, rushed home and was hoping it would still be there when i got back and it was! Got some of these terrific photos of the Pileated woodpecker. When i looped home to get my camera i went past a field where 4 horses were penned and inside was a Killdeer displaying the broken wing trick to lure me away.
Other sightings today: Common Loon, eider Ducks, Black Ducks, American Goldfinch, Dark-eyed Junco, Robins, Common Grackle, Lots of Crows, Ravens carrying nesting material, Pheasants, Black-capped Chickadees, and Song Sparrows. Coltsfoot was blooming in abundance at peajack, and in the ditches lots of frog eggs.

New Arrivals

yesterday and this morning i sighted some new arrivals to our Island. Northern Flickers, and i heard a Northern Cardinal by my house. Also sighted pollywog eggs and heard peepers.

Possible Minke Whale

Christine reports...
Tonight at Lavena's Catch Cafe I chatted with Craig Theriault, who is a lobster fisherman in the winter, and the captain for Petite Passage Whale Watch in the summer. He said today he saw a whale breaching in the Bay of Fundy off Flour Cove, Long Island, (Digby County). He thought it was a Minke.

Signs of Spring

Hi Everyone
Today was sunny with a bit of fog. Went for a hike to pond cove and sighted lots of Black Ducks gathering at Big Pond and Little Pond, Green-winged teal, 2 pairs of Canada Geese and about 100 Brant in the cove, lots of Song Sparrows singing, Savannah Sparrows, and some Black-capped Chickadees. Also heard Spring Peepers today! At Western Light i sighted a Mourning Cloak butterfly, Lots of Robins at the Picnic field, and some Sedum peeking up through the basalt rocks, eider ducks, and found lots of quartz in the cove near Western Light.

Field of Robins

While walking to Northern Light I noticed a field of Robins at the Brier Island lodge. There was about 72, spring is here!

Spring Peepers

Laura Titus reports...
The spring peepers are now out on Brier Island. They were heard about two weeks ago in Freeport. Spring is my favourite time of year and I just love the nighttime chorus of the peepers, followed by the dawn commencing with the songs of many birds :o)