Red-necked Phalaropes

Red-necked Phalaropes Flying

Phalaropes
Hi Everyone
I forgot to put on the pictures of the Red-necked Phalaropes i sighted yesterday. Clouds of them were doing their aerial displays moving across the water. Enjoyed the show!

Wonderful day on the water

Different colorations of lobsters


Minke Whale

Sooty Shearwater

Atlantic Puffin


Hello Everyone
What a fun filled day i had today. Tomorrow is the last day of lobster fishing in District 34 so many of the fishermen were bringing in their traps. Our villages have been very busy unloading traps onto the wharf and piling them on shore to wait for next year lobster season to start again in November. I also took a tour of the lobster pound and Howard showed me some of the lobster oddities he has saved in a crate. He will let them go at the end of the season. Will post some of the pictures. He also showed me the tanks where they are stored at 35 degrees water in individual compartments until they are shipped out to market.
I also went out on a whale watching zodiac ride today with my husband. Gorgeous day on the water with wonderful people! We sighted 3 Minke whales, Clouds of Red-necked Phalaropes, Atlantic Puffins, 1 Sooty Shearwater, Northern Gannets, a group of Harbour Porpoises and watched the grey and harbor seals at gull rock ledges.

Landmarks of the Island

Slocum's Monument
Rhodora
Bunchberry
Greenhead

Hello Everyone
Wanted to put on some pictures from the other day when the sky and ocean were bright blue. I walked to Slocum's monument (Joshua Slocum was the first man to circumnavigate around the world alone). As you walk along the path to the monument you can see many plants starting to flower. As i look around i see Blueberries flowering, Alpine Whortleberry (which is an artic blueberry, rare for the island), bunchberry, cinnamon ferns,and rhodora. As you walk farther toward the end of the path and look to your right over the sea you will see columns of basalt rocks. The highest cliff on Brier is called,"Greenhead". Here is some pictures of the day enjoy...

Western Light, Primrose

Hi Everyone
Went for a hike to Western Light to look for primula laurentiana and found 297 flowering plants. I also sighted sedum, silverweed and a beach blue flag peaking out through the rocks. A Northern Harrier in the grey phase was flying low over the bog.

Nature Notes from the day

Hi Everyone
Went for a hike yesterday to pond cove and sighted some shorebirds. 2 Greater Yellowlegs, 1 Semi-palmated Sandpiper, 4 Purple Sandpipers and 1 Ruddy Turnstone.Also in the area was 3 turkey vultures.
Some flowering plants at Slocums monument include: Alpine whortleberry, blueberry, foxberry, rhodora, bunchberry, cinnamon fern starting to unfurl its fronds, blue-beaded lily. Could hear the Canada Geese honking loudly from Peter's Island. Lots of warblers moving in to the area. Yellow-rumped warbler, American Goldfinch, yellow warbler, redstart some Baltimore Orioles, Common Grackles, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows. Here is some pictures from the day...

Whales

Hi Everyone
Recieved a report yesterday that a local fisherman sighted a humpback breaching in the St. Mary's Bay. Also my husband Jamie has sighted Minke whales, lots of puffins, gannets out on the zodiac cruises.

Beautiful Evening

Hi Everyone
What a beautiful evening it turned out to be. Got to go for a hike to Gooseberry Cove and pea jack and noticed some flowering plants. Starflower, Rhodora, Labrador tea, Bunchberry, Blue-beaded Lily,and Geum Rivale.
Also sighted American Goldfinches, Catbird, Black-capped Chickadee, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows, Common Grackles, Baltimore Orioles, and a Redstart.
David Pugh told me that two Phoebe's are nesting in his fathers barn.
This morning while traveling to the tiverton ferry i noticed 2 Great Blue Herons flying.

Weekend Sightings

Hi Everyone
Well yesterday was a wishy washy weather day. Gotta love Nova Scotia weather wait 10 minutes and it will change! Sightings from the zodiac ride were Grey Seals, Adult Northern Gannets, Black Guillemots,and lots of Puffins sighted in St. Mary's Bay.Lots of Barn Swallows around the lower wharf. Sunday was much better weather wise. Pond Cove i walked to end of the field and looked at some of the seaweeds that were in the tidepools and sighted 1 Willet and two Double crested Cormorants flying with nesting material in their beaks, and few eider ducks in groups. Northern Light i sighted 1 Merlin, 3 Turkey Vultures, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows. Lots of Red Admirals Butterlies,and 1 Mourning Cloak. On Friday i sighted a Canadian Swallowtail hitching a ride on the ramp of the ferry. Flowering plants out are Rhodora, Strawberry plants, blueberry, foxberry, bunchberry,sheep sorrel, wild lily of the valley.IN the village Common Grackles, Robins, Baltimore Orioles, Starlings nesting in the street lights, old shops, and eves of old barns. American Goldfinches, tree swallows and barn swallows.

First Zodiac Cruise!

Hi Everyone
Well tomorrow is the big day. My husband Jamie will be the captain for the new zodiac Brier Island Whale & Seabird Cruises purchased this year. Crossing my fingers that the weather will cooperate!

Oriole, Bunting, Grosbeaks

Laura Titus reports...
Just confirming my oriole sighting... I was within six feet of one in my my yard yesterday (Saturday), a paler orange in colour, and also have had three male rose breasted grosbeaks and one female today. An indigo bunting has been visiting my grandmother's feeder at her property on Second St.

Have a great week!

Spring Migration Notes

Eric Mills reports...

The migration count on Saturday was cut short by rain, but the Brier Island highlights were:
75 Brant; 34 Red-throated Loons (off Northern Point and at sea); 27 Greater Yellowlegs (17 in one area, 10 in another); 32 Purple Sandpipers; 3 Razorbills off Northern Point; 2 Eastern Kingbirds in Westport; a fine pre-dawn chorus of Winter Wrens; singing Hermit Thrushes; 2 Gray Catbirds; a (resident) N. Mockingbird; an influx of N. Yellowthroats; at least 5White-crowned Sparrows in Westport; and (not to be sneezed at!) 2 House Sparrows in Westport.
Observers were Eric & Anne Mills, Carl Haycock and June Swift.

Friday (May 7) and Sunday (May 9) were actually better birding days: a beautiful adult female Peregrine; an E. Willet; a flypast of hundreds of Razorbills on Friday; arrival of Catbirds; the resident Mockingbird singing up a storm; a Brown Thrasher strolling along the Lighthouse Road; a scattering of warblers (Nasheville, Magnolia, Myrtle, Black-throated Green, Parula, Black and White, N. Yellowthroat); a scattering of Chipping Sparrows;several singing White-crowned Sparrows in Westport; up to 5 Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at a time in Westport; a brilliant ad. male Indigo Bunting at the N end of Second Street today;and an immature male Baltimore Oriole in Westport this morning.

Very pleasant birding, and, except for a few hours of rain during the NSMC and strong winds today, good conditions too.

Nesting Birds

David Pugh reports..
As well as nesting B Ducks, today I spotted an Amer Bittern & a Greater Yellow Legs in the pond behind my house, both seemed unafraid when approached within 20 ft. A variety of Wrablers searching out goodies in the alders also. One female RB Grosbeak hangs out arround the feeder, seems she is without a friend. The Purple & Gold Finch are plentyful, not like last year when the number was down.

Wonderful New Book and Great Website

I wanted to share a wonderful book i have been reading entitled, "World Ocean Census". This describes the 10 year long mission from scientists collaborating around the world to find out what lives in our oceans, the history of our oceans and the future of our oceans. Here is the website explaining in more detail about this project, beautiful pictures, exciting research, maps and videos.
Census of Marine Life

Annual Spring Migration Count

Hello Everyone
Today was the Annual Spring Migration Count. Here is some of my sightings for the day...



Spring Migration Count
2010-05-08

Today was overcast and raining.
Gooseberry Cove Sightings
15 Adult Northern Gannets
10 Eider Ducks
Peajack
1 Song Sparrow
2 Robins
5 Black-capped Chickadees
2 Downy Woodpeckers
1 Black and White Warbler
Heard a Grouse drumming

Towards the path to the top of the new lane
Lively\s Pond
2 Black Ducks
2 Common Grackles (sighted one in amongst the alders and it looked like it was at a nest. As I approached it flew away but the grackles would call back and forth to one another and stayed relatively close.)
Near the horse fence at the top of new lane
2 Catbirds chattering noisily
2 Cock Pheasants
4 Black-capped Chickadees
1 American Goldfinch
2 Robins
2 Tree Swallows
At the Ball Field
1 Cock pheasant
New Lane
2 Robins
30 American Goldfinches
3 Common Grackles
1 Mourning Dove
At Dawns feeder
1 female Purple Finch
1 White-throated Sparrow

As for flower sightings
White and Blue Violets, Mountain-fly Honeysuckle, Gooseberry, Rhodora, Forget-me-nots, wild pear, ground ivy, strawberry blossoms, and blueberry blossoms.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Eric Mills sighted:
A pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks at a Westport feeder as Anne and I arrived on the island late this afternoon (in the fog).

Baltimore Oriole

Julie sighted a baltimore oriole from her kitchen in Freeport, it was in a spruce tree across the street. Beautiful bright orange against the green.

Beautiful Evening ends with a Rainbow

Hi Everyone
It turned out to be a beautiful night so i took a walk to Northern Light then around the village. Near Wally's store along the harbour i sighted 10 Greater Yellowlegs, 2 Black Ducks, 1 Canada Goose flew overhead honking and Eider ducks. IN the Salt Marsh a Northern Harrier was patroling its territory flying low over the marsh. Then on the way home i sighted a rainbow over Long Island.

Spring Arrivals

Hello Everyone
Todays weather was quite a treat. Blue skies and sunshine, so i decided to go help my son pick some periwinkles at Western Light this morning. FOrgot how much i enjoy the solitude on the beach and looking at the different seaweeds and creatures in amongst the tidepools. Some sightings today include: my first Bank Swallow today at Northern Light and a Tree Swallow at Western Light.A red-tailed hawk has also been sighted hunting in this area. Lots of Goldfinches,pheasants, Common Grackles, black-capped chickadees and Robins around. At Pond Cove i sighted my first shorebird sighting for this year. Three Greater Yellowlegs! Also at Big Pond was 3 Canada Geese in amongst lots of gulls. A Northern Harrier was hunting in the area also. It felt good just to walk along the beach and listen to the sound of the waves and soak up the sun. I call it my ocean therapy don't think i could live without it!Hope everyone got a chance to get out today and enjoy this lovely weather.