Hello Everyone
Sorry I haven't posted in awhile but i wanted to bring a new book to your Christmas Shopping List. Eric Mills and Lance Laviolette have written and produced a new book entitled "Birds Of Brier Island". This special issue can be purchased at:http://tinyurl.com/brierislandbirds/The cost is $25 + postage & handling
Showing posts with label Birds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Birds. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Bird Sightings
Richard Stern reports...
9 Turkey Vultures in a group over the Camp Rd. early afternoon, a Male Cardinal in Westport, 2 Horned grebes off Southern Point
9 Turkey Vultures in a group over the Camp Rd. early afternoon, a Male Cardinal in Westport, 2 Horned grebes off Southern Point
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Little Blue Heron
Eric Mills reports...
This morning, there is an impeccable adult Little Blue Heron in a saltmarsh pond in Westport. It is preening and feeding actively - apparently newly arrived
This morning, there is an impeccable adult Little Blue Heron in a saltmarsh pond in Westport. It is preening and feeding actively - apparently newly arrived
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Spruce Grouse
Eric and Anne Mills report...
Rarity is relative. This afternoon, Anne spotted a male Spruce Grouse scuffing about in the leaves near the S end of the Camp Road. We watched (and photographed) it at our feet for half an hour or so. This is only the second documented record for the island, the first being one I saw dead in a hunter's hands, also on the Camp Road, on 11 October 1971.
Other birds of the day: a few migrating D-cr. Cormorants; a Sapsucker; a Downy Woodpecker (scarce); am imm. Northern Shrike; a singing Cardinal; migrant R-w. Blackbirds; and a singing male House Finch (super-scarce). Many Robins, Song Sparrows and Juncos moved out overnight.
Rarity is relative. This afternoon, Anne spotted a male Spruce Grouse scuffing about in the leaves near the S end of the Camp Road. We watched (and photographed) it at our feet for half an hour or so. This is only the second documented record for the island, the first being one I saw dead in a hunter's hands, also on the Camp Road, on 11 October 1971.
Other birds of the day: a few migrating D-cr. Cormorants; a Sapsucker; a Downy Woodpecker (scarce); am imm. Northern Shrike; a singing Cardinal; migrant R-w. Blackbirds; and a singing male House Finch (super-scarce). Many Robins, Song Sparrows and Juncos moved out overnight.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Bird Sightings
Eric and Anne Mills report...
On Brier Island, we found a male and two female Barrow's Goldeneyes with ten Commons in the big pond Pond Cove, and nearby a Wilson's Snipe, a Killdeer and an Ipswich Sparrow with many Song Sparrows. An E. Phoebe was feeding on rocks at the N end of Westport, and there were still three Fox Sparrows (one singing) at a feeder along the Camp Road. It was an interesting mix of late winter and early spring today.
On Brier Island, we found a male and two female Barrow's Goldeneyes with ten Commons in the big pond Pond Cove, and nearby a Wilson's Snipe, a Killdeer and an Ipswich Sparrow with many Song Sparrows. An E. Phoebe was feeding on rocks at the N end of Westport, and there were still three Fox Sparrows (one singing) at a feeder along the Camp Road. It was an interesting mix of late winter and early spring today.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Brier island Christmas Bird Count
BRIER ISLAND CHRISTMAS COUNT, 14 DECEMBER 2010
Weather overcast with showers, then broken cloud; 7-4C. Wind SSW 10-15 kph
0800-1700 AST
Participants: Cindy Garron, George Garron, Louise Garron, Anne Mills, Eric Mills (compiler), Richard Stern, Anne Mills.
54 species, 1833 individuals
Black Duck - 39; Mallard - 1; Common Eider - 107; Surf Scoter - 14; Black Scoter - 11; Long-tailed Duck - 42; Bufflehead - 3; Common Goldeneye - 7; Red-breasted Merganser - 16; Ring-necked Pheasant - 1; Red-throated Loon - 3; Common Loon - 14; Horned Grebe - 1; Red-necked Grebe - 23; Northern Gannet - 22; Double-crested Cormorant - 1; Great Cormorant - 100; Great Blue Heron - 1; Turkey Vulture - 2; Bald Eagle - 1; Northern Harrier - 3; Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1; Red-tailed Hawk - 2; Peregrine Falcon - 1; Purple Sandpiper - 2; Herring Gull - 240; Iceland Gull - 5; Great Black-backed Gull - 92; Black-legged Kittiwake - 307; Jaeger sp. - 1; Dovekie - 6; Razorbill - 204; Black Guillemot - 27; Atlantic Puffin - 1; alcid spp. - 122; Rock Pigeon - 13; Mourning Dove - 31; Northern Saw-whet Owl - 1; Hairy Woodpecker - 1; Northern Shrike - 1; Blue Jay - 13; American Crow - 94; Common Raven - 5; Black-capped Chickadee - 79; Boreal Chickadee - 1; Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2; White-breasted Nuthatch - 1; Golden-crowned Kinglet - 1; European Starling - 79; Bohemian Waxwing - 70; Dark-eyed Junco - 3; Northern Cardinal - 3; Red-winged Blackbird - 2; Common Grackle - 4; American Goldfinch - 6.
Birds during count week but not on count day: White-winged Scoter, Ruffed Grouse, Rough-legged Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Horned Owl, Rusty Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird.
Comments: We were lucky to get a count done only 12 hours after the violent storm on December 13 had ended. The numbers of birds seem to have been reduced by the storm. No Song Sparrows! no White-throated Sparrows! despite plenty of both in the preceding two weeks. Gull numbers were way down, despite the presence of many hundreds sheltering from the storm the day before. With only three observers in the field (the other three did a stellar job on feeders) we couldn't pay enough attention to the sea where there was a day long flypast of Kittiwakes, Razorbills, and probably other species. Our numbers represent only a small sampling of what must have passed the island while we were attempting to sample all the island's habitats.
Eric L. Mills
Weather overcast with showers, then broken cloud; 7-4C. Wind SSW 10-15 kph
0800-1700 AST
Participants: Cindy Garron, George Garron, Louise Garron, Anne Mills, Eric Mills (compiler), Richard Stern, Anne Mills.
54 species, 1833 individuals
Black Duck - 39; Mallard - 1; Common Eider - 107; Surf Scoter - 14; Black Scoter - 11; Long-tailed Duck - 42; Bufflehead - 3; Common Goldeneye - 7; Red-breasted Merganser - 16; Ring-necked Pheasant - 1; Red-throated Loon - 3; Common Loon - 14; Horned Grebe - 1; Red-necked Grebe - 23; Northern Gannet - 22; Double-crested Cormorant - 1; Great Cormorant - 100; Great Blue Heron - 1; Turkey Vulture - 2; Bald Eagle - 1; Northern Harrier - 3; Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1; Red-tailed Hawk - 2; Peregrine Falcon - 1; Purple Sandpiper - 2; Herring Gull - 240; Iceland Gull - 5; Great Black-backed Gull - 92; Black-legged Kittiwake - 307; Jaeger sp. - 1; Dovekie - 6; Razorbill - 204; Black Guillemot - 27; Atlantic Puffin - 1; alcid spp. - 122; Rock Pigeon - 13; Mourning Dove - 31; Northern Saw-whet Owl - 1; Hairy Woodpecker - 1; Northern Shrike - 1; Blue Jay - 13; American Crow - 94; Common Raven - 5; Black-capped Chickadee - 79; Boreal Chickadee - 1; Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2; White-breasted Nuthatch - 1; Golden-crowned Kinglet - 1; European Starling - 79; Bohemian Waxwing - 70; Dark-eyed Junco - 3; Northern Cardinal - 3; Red-winged Blackbird - 2; Common Grackle - 4; American Goldfinch - 6.
Birds during count week but not on count day: White-winged Scoter, Ruffed Grouse, Rough-legged Hawk, Ring-billed Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Great Horned Owl, Rusty Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird.
Comments: We were lucky to get a count done only 12 hours after the violent storm on December 13 had ended. The numbers of birds seem to have been reduced by the storm. No Song Sparrows! no White-throated Sparrows! despite plenty of both in the preceding two weeks. Gull numbers were way down, despite the presence of many hundreds sheltering from the storm the day before. With only three observers in the field (the other three did a stellar job on feeders) we couldn't pay enough attention to the sea where there was a day long flypast of Kittiwakes, Razorbills, and probably other species. Our numbers represent only a small sampling of what must have passed the island while we were attempting to sample all the island's habitats.
Eric L. Mills
Monday, November 1, 2010
Cattle Egret
Carl Haycock reports....
Ray Tudor reported an egret following his horse at the Brier Island Lodge on Halloween morning. I went up and it is a Cattle Egret. It is still there this morning. Have not seen the skimmers since saturday evening
Ray Tudor reported an egret following his horse at the Brier Island Lodge on Halloween morning. I went up and it is a Cattle Egret. It is still there this morning. Have not seen the skimmers since saturday evening
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Intermedius Lesser Black-backed Gull, Brier Island
Report from Eric Mills....
Among the gulls feeding in Pea Jack Cove at high water and in a gale late this afternoon was a very dark Lesser Black-backed Gull that was hard to pick out from the Great Black-backs and showed very little contrast between mantle and wing tip intensity. It had relatively large primary spots, eliminating (onthat feature and others) ''Baltic'' Gull. Sure looked like the W European intermedius to me.
Among the gulls feeding in Pea Jack Cove at high water and in a gale late this afternoon was a very dark Lesser Black-backed Gull that was hard to pick out from the Great Black-backs and showed very little contrast between mantle and wing tip intensity. It had relatively large primary spots, eliminating (onthat feature and others) ''Baltic'' Gull. Sure looked like the W European intermedius to me.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Black Skimmers
Report from Eric Mills...
Thousands of passerines arrived on the island yesterday and today, but the only real exotics were 3 immature Black Skimmers that joined the resting gulls on the Westport waterfront this afternoon.
Thousands of passerines arrived on the island yesterday and today, but the only real exotics were 3 immature Black Skimmers that joined the resting gulls on the Westport waterfront this afternoon.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Common Nighthawk
Reports from Carl Hayock
Common Nighthawk sighted off and on for 2 weeks.
Lots of warblers and sparrows
Common Nighthawk sighted off and on for 2 weeks.
Lots of warblers and sparrows
Friday, October 8, 2010
Bird Highlights
Report from Eric Mills
On Friday Oct 8th
Here on Brier most of the seasonal specialities have been seen; highlights today include Lesser Black-backed Gull, Green Heron, Common Moorhen, and Field Sparrow.
On Friday Oct 8th
Here on Brier most of the seasonal specialities have been seen; highlights today include Lesser Black-backed Gull, Green Heron, Common Moorhen, and Field Sparrow.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Brier Island Weekend
Report from Richard Stern....
Just got back from a weekend on Brier. As we arrived at about 9pm, a Coyote stood in the Lighthouse Rd. near the farm, and ran ahead of us before ducking into the Big Meadow. On Saturday night we could hear them howling from our camp.
Saturday was foggy, wet, and SW winds - so hardly any birds, but we did get a single Laughing Gull between our camp and Whipple Point. Today was much better, as the wind had turned NE by this morning. For most of the day anywhere you looked, the sky was full of Sharp-shinned and Broad-winged hawks, with a smattering of Red-tails (all juv., interestingly), N.Harriers, Kestrels, Merlins, Peregrines and just 2 T.Vultures. Flocks of Blue Jays roamed all over the island, and with the large number of Sharpies around, their terminal cries were not infrequent. Flickers were very much in evidence. Just before we left a Peregrine posed on a seaweed covered rock near the ferry.
A sea watch from N.Point this morning was excellent, with a feeding frenzy about 0.5km offshore, with hundreds of Gannets, Kittiwakes, Gr. Shearwaters, 2+ Parasitic Jaegers, all milling around, and at one point a whale breached in the middle of it. Gannets were flying by close offshore right around the island all day.
There were very few passerines.
Just got back from a weekend on Brier. As we arrived at about 9pm, a Coyote stood in the Lighthouse Rd. near the farm, and ran ahead of us before ducking into the Big Meadow. On Saturday night we could hear them howling from our camp.
Saturday was foggy, wet, and SW winds - so hardly any birds, but we did get a single Laughing Gull between our camp and Whipple Point. Today was much better, as the wind had turned NE by this morning. For most of the day anywhere you looked, the sky was full of Sharp-shinned and Broad-winged hawks, with a smattering of Red-tails (all juv., interestingly), N.Harriers, Kestrels, Merlins, Peregrines and just 2 T.Vultures. Flocks of Blue Jays roamed all over the island, and with the large number of Sharpies around, their terminal cries were not infrequent. Flickers were very much in evidence. Just before we left a Peregrine posed on a seaweed covered rock near the ferry.
A sea watch from N.Point this morning was excellent, with a feeding frenzy about 0.5km offshore, with hundreds of Gannets, Kittiwakes, Gr. Shearwaters, 2+ Parasitic Jaegers, all milling around, and at one point a whale breached in the middle of it. Gannets were flying by close offshore right around the island all day.
There were very few passerines.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Fall Migrant Birds
Reports from Eric Mills..
This morning a group of 35+ Red-breasted Nuthatches was at Northern Point, Brier Island, at dawn. Many of them soon flew off to the NE, as fall migrants often do. This is 2-3 weeks earlier than my previous late summer records
The only other obvious migrant was an adult Ovenbird in the end thickets at the point.
This morning a group of 35+ Red-breasted Nuthatches was at Northern Point, Brier Island, at dawn. Many of them soon flew off to the NE, as fall migrants often do. This is 2-3 weeks earlier than my previous late summer records
The only other obvious migrant was an adult Ovenbird in the end thickets at the point.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
South Polar Skuas
Yesterday morning we sighted 2 South Polar Skuas and two Manx Shearwaters. We also had sightings in the morning of a Fin Whale feeding.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Bird Report
Eric Mills Reports....
While doing a little recreational birding before atlasing, I found a Black-billed Cuckoo in downtown Westport this morning.
Bluebirds in the area have increased to 5 (maybe 6).
Other migrants: a singing Red-eyed Vireo, Nasheville Warbler, Canada Warbler.
While doing a little recreational birding before atlasing, I found a Black-billed Cuckoo in downtown Westport this morning.
Bluebirds in the area have increased to 5 (maybe 6).
Other migrants: a singing Red-eyed Vireo, Nasheville Warbler, Canada Warbler.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Eastern Bluebirds
Eric Mills reports.....
This morning a group of three E. Bluebirds ( a male and two females) arrived on the island.
When I left, they were half-heartedly gathering around a Tree Swallow box at the picnic ground on the Lighthouse Road.
Also today, a Wood Pewee and an Ovenbird. Despite a lot of hummingbird feeders on the
island there were no hummers to be seen until this morning, when a male buzzed the
windows of our cabin.
A slight but noticeable increase in the number of singing Blackpoll Warblers on the island today.
Migration continues, although it is hard to discern in the background of singing birds on territory.
This morning a group of three E. Bluebirds ( a male and two females) arrived on the island.
When I left, they were half-heartedly gathering around a Tree Swallow box at the picnic ground on the Lighthouse Road.
Also today, a Wood Pewee and an Ovenbird. Despite a lot of hummingbird feeders on the
island there were no hummers to be seen until this morning, when a male buzzed the
windows of our cabin.
A slight but noticeable increase in the number of singing Blackpoll Warblers on the island today.
Migration continues, although it is hard to discern in the background of singing birds on territory.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
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!
Monday, May 10, 2010
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!
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.
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.
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