My camera (left the bins at home since my super zoom doubles as a scope) had come out of checked baggage with a blurry viewfinder and the idea of spending the day birding in British Columbia with no optics loomed over me like the rain clouds.
The first two days in Vancouver were spent with my coworkers from RC Pets (the best pet company in North America and the best coworkers too btw!) and they took us on an amazing tour of the Sea to Sky highway and up the Sea to Sky Gondola. I was frustrated with the camera of course but managed to nab my first lifer of the trip, a Steller’s Jay. We also heard the amusing calls of the Sooty Grouse under the suspension bridge. Groups of small chattery birds flew by several times but without my zoom I couldn’t figure out what they were. My guess best guess would be Mountain Bluebirds based on impression but I’ll never know. Guess I better go back someday! The snowshoe hikes looked like great fun in fact.
Steller’s Jay
It was sad to leave my coworkers and friends but also fantastic to have an upcoming day to myself. I headed to English Bay for the evening after a fabulous farewell supper with some of the gang.
A White-crowned Sparrow singing loudly outside my window at the Sylvia as my alarm went off inspired some hope. I decided I had to do something about this situation. I phoned my other half back home and we googled the prices of cheap binoculars. As I contemplated picking up a $50 set at London Drug just to make the day somewhat worthwhile the suggestion was made to google “blurry viewfinders”.
White-crowned Sparrow
The clouds parted as I located the diopter on my camera and corrected the view. On with room service, shower, and Stanley Park then! Whew!
Greeted by Canada Geese, Glacous-winged Gulls, and Northwestern Crows I made my way along the beach in English Bay toward this glorious urban haven.
Northwestern Crow – a little different that our American Crows back home on the East Coast
Glaucous-winged Gull (my first lifer in English Bay!)
Glaucous-winged Gull – we don’t have these on the East Coast – not the lack of black on the wing tips – the distinguishing feature from our Herring Gulls
Northwestern Crow – courting behavior – I had a little crow porn outside my window at the Teahouse at that…oy!
Armed with my wish list of lifers (and 2 down already!), the Spotted Towhees loudly and immediately checked themselves off my list.
Stanley Park is known for it’s hummingbirds, and although I’m not a huge fan the Rufous Hummingbirds were a bit of a showstopper admittedly.
Rufous Hummingbird male
Rufous Hummingbird female
Having done my homework for the time of year the coastline seemed the better bet, so I followed the sea wall dreaming of Oystercatchers and Canvasbacks along the way.
Although they never appeared, hundreds of Barrow’s Goldeneyes accompanied me throughout the day, along with an initial greeting from a pair of Horned Grebes in breeding plumage.
Barrow’s Goldeneye male
Barrow’s Goldeneye female
Woodland birds called along the way and took me on marvelous diversions into the old growth forest for at least half of the time. The Pacific Wren were the highlight of my adventure and with some patience I got a marvelous show from one of these teeny songsters.
Lost Lagoon was full of Wood Ducks and I also got a nice show from a Fox Sparrow.
My outdoor classroom for the day was filled with song, wonder, and lessons on habitat. An old-growth forest is like nothing else on this earth. Back home in Nova Scotia there we have very little of it (please consider supporting the Nova Scotia Nature Trust), but in the pockets that still exist our equivalent woodland birds and critters are just as happy.
Trusting that nature would take care of me I trekked the kilometers through the park and when I thought I could take no more, the Teahouse oasis appeared.
Another scan of the seawall didn’t net the results I had hoped for but the Pelagic Cormorants appeared, and a solo Harlequin Duck put on a lovely show alongside a pair of Green-winged Teal.
Pelagic Cormorants
Sore feet snuck up on me, and the perfect path took me into the middle of the park to avoid the long sea wall trek. A sheltered oasis of stream and marsh greeted me in the Beaver Lake area of the park. Great Blue Heron fished for minnow in the creek and Swallows snatched insects amidst the waterfowl.
My camera battery died as I meandered out of the park but not before a Pileated Woodpecker appeared who let me so close I was able to get this video on my phone without the need of any zoom.
Warblers are among the highest prized things with wings for the avid birder. And they call them wood-warblers for a reason.
I’ll be heading into my 3rd migration season as a birder with a bit of a heavy heart as I’ve recently become aware of the full extent of the clearcutting that is happening in Nova Scotia.
As well that a 13-mill consortium called Westfor has their eye on the Western Crown Lands which have been described as “the last great wood basket” not committed to pulp companies, which will effectively destroy the last of our forests here in the province.
To enjoy spring migration to the fullest, brushing up is always recommended. So, partially to encourage some discussion about the preservation of mixed, multi-aged forest in Nova Scotia, and partly as a little research project for myself to prepare I spent much of today studying the breeding habitat of Nova Scotia wood-warblers.
Of the 40 Wood Warblers that have been recorded in Nova Scotia, 22 of them breed here both currently and historically. Two have been added to the list recently but one (Yellow-breasted Chat) was certainly incidental and the other (Pine Warbler) could be the beginning of an expansion of breeding territory to come in future years.
My lifelong love of walking in the woods, and back-country canoe camping in recent years, have proven to be a great foundation for studying our wood-warblers first hand. While writing this today I realized that I’ve observed a great deal of warbler behavior and habitat in my two short years of birding. And I’ve had some amazing mentors in these two years, I must admit and am so thankful for your guidance (you all know who you are and you are awesome).
There is still much to learn (this is a living work and I’m definitely at the beginning end of things) so I’ve referenced the following materials extensively today:
to compile the little spreadsheet below at the end of this post.
Someday I hope to write a book at which point I’ll work on more detailed citations, but for today I had time to write a blog in hopes it will inspire a few people to dig deeper into this issue. Emails with corrections are always welcome and appreciated!
Anyway, basically our beloved wood-warblers drop in during spring migration, disperse into appropriate habitat, breed, and then flock off in the fall migration.
The NSBS hosted a presentation by Donna Crossland last Thursday evening where I learned there is not much left of less than 1% of our old growth Acadian Forest left (it was about 50% in pre-Colombian times, and 15% in the 1950s) and even the remaining younger, multi-aged (not clear-cut) Acadian forest is in grave danger.
Most of Nova Scotia’s working forest is clear cut. We are on a 55-year cut cycle, far too short to maintain the Acadian forest which should be selectively harvested (not clear-cut), and trees such as red spruce, hemlock, and sugar maple allowed to grow to 150 years of age (or more). The Nova Scotia government promised to reduce clear-cutting, and has done no such thing.
(thank you David Patriquin for the clarification of our forest compositions)
Aside from soil erosion leading to potential coastline erosion, and the release of carbon into the environment (remember plants remove carbon dioxide from the environment into the soil) imagine the horror for the birds and other animals who lose their homes, and inevitably perish.
Basically, if we keep chopping down their homes they will have nowhere to breed. They are increasingly showing up to find their habitat and food had been destroyed which is a problem for both the present and the future. My focus here is on the wood-warblers but many other bird species require the very specific habitat of the Acadian Forest such at the Black-backed Woodpecker, and the Nothern Goshawk to name just two.
Anyway, as I reflect on my last two years in birding I am reminded that you have to do a bit of work to find some of the most prized wood-warblers. Well it’s not work for me at all to walk in the woods, but it’s something not many people seem interested in doing these days somehow. All my favorite magical forests are old-growth forests and largely Acadian it would turn out, with Keji being one of my most treasured places to spend time. I’ve also greatly enjoyed walking in the Thomas Raddall provincial park, the Abraham Lake Nature Preserve, the Mount Uniacke Estate park, the Herbert River Trail, and the woods around my parents’ house just to name a few.
I remember looking up so high in the trees to spot the singing Blackburnian Warbler in Mount Uniacke Estates park and realizing this now scarce habitat explains why they are not always easy to find in Nova Scotia.
It occurs to me now why many of the seasoned birders frequently comment there are “no birds anymore”. Migration season used to be a very different experience here in Nova Scotia apparently. And that is very sad isn’t it?
Someone needs to do something and I agree with Donna Crossland who suggests the birders are the perfect people to spearhead the cause.
Simply put, clear-cutting is short sighted and harmful to wildlife. We deserve a sustainable forestry industry in Nova Scotia that is guided by good science and education, and stewarded by forestry experts, not lumber executives. And now that I know we are sending all this biomass to China and Turkey I am steaming mad. We are chopping down all our forests for a cheap buck and sending it away in little wood chips. Nothing to be proud of, indeed.
I don’t know much about the South Shore forests, but I do know the “banana belt” hosts some of the best birding opportunities in Nova Scotia and the birders down there are hopefully ready to chase Westfor right out of town. I’ve not done the warbler run in Yarmouth but I’ll bet that strip on Thomas Road and Jerry Road is all old-growth forest, and it’s probably on the chopping block (literally). (I have found out since I posted this from Alix d’Entremont that the area I mention in Cape Forchu is not old-growth in fact but the Quinan and Great Barren Lakes Reserve and also Sporting Lake are likely the last stands of old-growth forest in South Western Nova Scotia.)
As a little aside, maybe we only hear of protecting the Boreal Forest because the Acadian Forest is pretty much already gone?
I digress, but basically we have two types of wood-warblers that visit Nova Scotia. We have the “vagrants” who don’t belong here really, and certainly don’t breed here. They are the ones who have us scanning multi-flora behind funeral homes and other odd places during migrations or fall outs, and making the non-birders wonder what the heck we are doing. Then we have those 22 warblers who come to Nova Scotia specifically to make babies and fly off with them in the fall. They go in two waves, the parents and new birdies typically not together. It is a joy or nature everyone should witness so please consider getting involved and engaged with this issue. In my opinion land conservation and activism is one of the best places you can donate your money or your time in our province.
I smile as a remember some of my favorite birding moments have involved fledgling birds, specifically warblers.
Anyway, look through the list for yourself and decide what you think is worth protecting. And remember, these are the canaries of our proverbial coal mines because if they are in danger, so are we…
“I’m like a bird, I’ll only fly away I don’t know where my soul is, I don’t know where my home is” – Nelly Furtado
Wood Warbler
Breeds in NS historically
Breeds in NS currently
Prerred Vegetation
American Redstart
yes
yes
alders tall shrubland garden shrubbery
Bay-breasted Warbler
yes
yes (in decline)
tall conifers
Black-and-white Warbler
yes
yes
broad leafed and mixed woodlands
Blackburnian Warbler
yes
yes
tall conifers
Blackpoll Warbler
yes
yes
cool, damp spruce
Black-throated Blue Warbler
yes
yes
broad leafed mature woodland stands
Black-throated Gray Warbler
NO
no
Black-throated Green Warbler
yes
yes
mature mixed but also broken fir and spruce
Blue-winged Warbler
NO
no
Canada Warbler
yes
yes
broad leafed trees / shrubs / dense understory
Cape May Warbler
yes
yes (in decline)
tall Spruce
Cerulean Warbler
NO
no
Chestnut-sided Warbler
yes
yes
shrubs / raspberry / forest edge
Common Yellowthroat
yes
yes
scrubby brush / cutover / marsh
Connecticut Warbler
NO
no
Golden-winged Warbler
no
no
Hermit Warbler
no
no
Hooded Warbler
NO
no
Kentucky Warbler
no
no
Louisiana Waterthrush
no
no
Magnolia Warbler
yes
yes
open woodlands / balsam fir
Mourning Warbler
yes
yes
dense deciduous shrubbery woodland edges
Nashville Warbler
yes
yes
open woodlands and shrublands
Northern Parula
yes
yes
mature forests uses old man’s beard for nests
Northern Waterthrush
yes
yes
damp mixed woodlands alder and cedar
Orange-crowned Warbler
no
no
Ovenbird
yes
yes
Blue-bead Lily under the Broad-leafed trees
Palm Warbler
yes
yes
low conifers / bog / shrubs
Pine Warbler
no (NB yes)
one nesting in Truro 2010 recorded in the 2nd breeding atlas – also thought to be breeding in Miller Point Peace Park in Bridgewater and in Oafield Park near Enfield for a few years now
Today I was paid a great compliment by a dog owner (nice to meet you Ryan and Riley) we met in the park. And I realized something too, I am the “good girl” dog lady.
Macy was in the car a lot of today save for a 5-minute visit with the staff at Global Pet Foods in New Glasgow and a stretch the legs/pee break on the trail at the Truro Agricultural College while I photographed hawks on the way back.
We are most often working in the home office, but on road trip days she works with me too, which means meeting a lot of new people in pet stores and being in the car a lot. She has come to realize that I will always find her an hour of daylight to run free somewhere within that day no matter where we are.
So today on the way home we found an hour of daylight in Waverly where she met a few nice pooches, but one in particular was a good match for her so they ran and played for a bit and when another dog entered the mix I was able to call her away in another direction from the distraction which actually was great. When she came running back I said “good girl Macy” in my proudest voice and the other dog was so excited to her this she came for the “good girl” reward too. They were both super happy and wiggly, and it reinforced to me how well this method of recall has worked for us and why.
Anyway, the great moment for me was that Ryan was impressed by her recall and commented on this!
Most dogs really do love to know they got it right, and that you are very pleased with them but a Border Collie more than most it seems.
For Macy, this is a very high value reward so it works better than treating for recall training, which has been the primary focus of my work with her.
Treat training frankly makes me nervous in situations that involve other dogs/people because if you reinforce at the wrong time it can exacerbate behavioral problems, therefore I tend to avoid it. I’m not saying other people should but I’ve seen behaviour at all ends of the spectrum in my 15 or so years working in the pet industry, and with rescues. As a result, I tend to be overcautious, but knowing my limitations is useful when working with our 4 legged friends.
So, high praise is what I use for important behavior and for teaching new behavior. I know from working with many dogs that I need to tone things down when I don’t want dogs too excited because dogs respond very enthusiastically to me. My sister in law, Jenn, and I used to trade up dogs in agility classes years ago, when I was working with my old friend Nelson because her dog, Sherpa, needed to be wound up and Nelson needed to be taken down a notch and her and I have very different personalities and approach with dogs. Training is rarely a one size fits all endeavor.
My black lab/setter mix Nelson lived a long (14 years) and wonderful life with me and taught me many things. He was not an easy dog in many ways, but he was very enthusiastic and highly trainable which made him very easy to manage. To be clear, Nelson was in no way a smart dog but that was a blessing because he rarely made his own decisions as I taught him quickly that I always know best and he only argued once about it. It was just never complicated and he was very compliant, and it was well appreciated by me and I miss him dearly most days.
Macy is my “step up dog” and she is a pretty smart cookie, although it took a few months for me to figure that out. For the first month after I adopted Macy I was fairly convinced I’d made a giant mistake, and that she might be stupid. Once I started to figure out how she ticks her brain started to turn on and each day got easier for us. There was a bonding issue since at 15 months I was her 4th home, but primarily the problem was that I need to learn how to teach her.
Luckily Macy is a pet quality Border Collie (hot high drive working dog) with a little Aussie, because honestly I’m a pretty lazy dog owner by nature. I’ve discovered as well that Border Collies are a very cuddly breed and she will happily have a pajama day with me and seem fine with it. I wouldn’t dream of two in a row because it doesn’t take long before her furry little brain explodes and all kinds of barking, growling, and generally unbecoming behavior surfaces.
We actually can have super low activity day once in a while, but it better be sandwiched by two days of running wild with other dogs. I always joke that my most important task of each day is to figure out what to do with the border collie, as knowing what she needs on a daily basis is very beneficial.
Welcome to life with a Border Collie. Don’t get one if you aren’t up to the task 🙂
There is however a great variance in personality in Border Collies I will say probably much more than in other breeds. There is no “breed standard” in fact and Macy and I have met a good variety in the 8 months she’s been with me. I am very fortunate to know many wonderful trainers and behaviorists, and new friends with wonderful collies. As an aside you would not believe how many birders own or have owned Border Collies!
When I first adopted Macy in May, many people had opinions on how I should train her and how to treat her. I encountered a lot of the usual “let her know you are the boss” advice which is well intentioned but not the right path. Especially with a Border Collie being harsh or forceful or making physical contact when they are in a state of excitement can really backfire. It makes sense to me now why there are so many aggressive BCs out there. Being calm and teaching and reinforcing good behaviour is really the only way with these dogs. And with all dogs I would say, just other breeds may tend to make bad trainers look better at what they do 😉 When choosing a trainer my suggestion would be to choose the trainer who owns a difficult dog but doesn’t need a collar and never raises their voice. My friend Rob used to say you wouldn’t hire a gardener with yard full of weeds right? The last thing you want is an unbalanced dog so choose carefully and be wary of quick fixes and punishing devices.
Anyway, knowing that all dogs need heavy socialization in their adolescence (yes even if you did lots of puppy socialization) I decided that would be my focus as well as just integrating her into my daily life. Border collies are hyper alert, hyper sensitive, and prone to over-react so I figured I better nip all that in the bud.
As a travelling sales consultant who visits pet stores, there is lots of opportunity for socialization. As well my sisters 4 young children are happy to land a hand.
My parameters for adopting a Border Collie were friendly with all people and dogs and cats so she could fit into my life. I got all that, but I got some things I didn’t bargain for as she chases things and could be under a motor cycle in an instant if I let her or over the cliff chasing a flying seagull. That being said, recall training was also super important so we’ve done quite a bit of work on that. I’m going to say it took 6 months to really get a handle on that and involved several months of long line training. 6 months in general was when everything started to kick in and I could see light at the end of the tunnel and everything is much easier these days it seems with her.
Of course on Saturday we start Agility classes at Lietash, so maybe ask me again on Sunday how I’m doing? I’m pretty nervous but I did 2 years of agility with Nelson at “the barn” so I have a foundation to steady me with any luck, and great faith in Bob.
I am not a dog trainer by any means but entirely fascinated by dog behavior and learning a lot from Macy. I feel very strongly that Border Collies could be descended from foxes and I’m not alone in that theory, but believe me there is a wolf in there too. A keen sense of play and bounce, but will not back down from much. Macy in particular is very cat like and loves to stalk her toys and toss them around while lying on her back. Life before toys was not much fun for her in fact. Well I had the wrong toys. The day before she arrived I got a variety of balls and Frisbees which she doesn’t care much for frankly (and which is very un-Border Collie like btw).
After a while she started stealing the big stuffed dog that lives on the bed in the spare room. If I left her alone for a few hours, I’d come home to her sleeping with it on the couch and she was very sad when I put it back on the bed each time. My boyfriend, who really know nothing about dogs, suggested that it might be nice for her to have a bunch of stuffed toys she could herd up like sheep to keep busy. Bingo what a great idea and this led to the toy box, toy naming (she may think they are alive and looks for them in weird places sometimes if she can’t figure out where they have wandered off to), and toy sorting which is brilliant for this breed. My friend Silvia suggested she can use her toys to self regulate when she is frustrated and it works great!
It’s good to have lots of ideas and brainstorming I find and my friend Vanessa (who really only knows about kitties) recognized right away that Macy is in a constant state of hyper awareness. That helped me to realize how sensitive her eyes and ears and nose really are. A Border Collie seems a wild thing to me a creature of nature not meant for indoor living. True for the breed, indeed.
So, when she started to develop an obsession for chasing shiny spots on the walls and ceiling I thought and thought until my thinker was sore. I reached out extensively for advice because that can get so bad in this breed that they can need medication or worse. Exercise certainly helps, but there is such a thing as too much and it only masks the problem really. Eventually after the worst week ever, I put up curtains. Done…next.
She actually does still have the problem but it’s very under control. And acknowledging her monsters helps too. She really feels better if she thinks I see or hear what she does and tell her it’s nothing to worry about. She seems to be smart enough to pick up phrases too so talking to her in a calm voice is great. When she is freaking out about anything if I get to her level and acknowledge it really helps. She has a need to be understood by me it seems.
Because, Border Collies are meant to spend the day with one person on a mountain all day looking after a bunch of sheep. Period. So they bond tight and work in sync with their shepherd. They are masters of entertaining themselves and get to the task pretty quickly in fact.
It’s important that Macy thinks I have situations under control I’ve learned and luckily I’ve convinced her to think her leash is a thing that ties us together to keep us both safe and connected. This is largely because I mix up on leash and off leash a lot when we are out about. This is somewhat because I take her birding sometimes and I don’t want her to chase birds, but also because I always make sure a situation is safe before letting her off-leash and leash her up quickly if I have any doubts. I also use the leash in new situations to show her I am handling things and so I don’t set her up to fail. The one time I failed to do so I realized my mistake in her behavior. If I try to restrain her once she is agitated she frankly turns into a mongoose so I must continue to socialize and teach heavily for another year I’d say.
She doesn’t seem to have a great capacity to handle stress but she is young and we’ll keep working on that. She gets overloaded and needs to be removed from situations before she’s had too much. And if she is simply stressed from a couple of days that have been too much, I take her to the ocean and she unwinds in minutes. I expect this is because scent and search is so excellent for this breed her nose is very busy at the beach indeed.
As bad as a battle with a Border Collie can go, conversely their cooperation reaps great reward. Everyone told me when I was struggling “don’t worry she just needs a job”. To which I moaned “what job and what is a job?”. Well I’ve since decided that a job is anything that upon completion I say “good girl Macy”.
She loves to string behaviors together and show me how clever she is and how great her memory is. She seems to create a mental map of places very quickly and run the circuit with great pride like an obstacle course.
And wo we come full circle. I may just be starting to understand this breed. There is hope for us.
And look what these dogs can do!
PS – I’ve done a lot of reading about Border Collies since I’ve adopted Macy and not been impressed by much I’ve read but this article really hits all the points I’d recommend giving it a read if you have the time and are wanting to know more about the breed:
Macy saying “what do you mean there is not one Green-winged Teal in Miner’s Marsh today ma?”
There is an elephant in the room. Admittedly lots of birders talk about it but in secret, but it’s a shame that nobody ever tackles it collectively or takes a strong position stance as it presents a very worthy topic for discussion and learning opportunities.
After birding for the better part of two years now and being privileged enough to bird with most of the top birders in the province, I’ve been exposed to all kinds of birding philosophies and techniques. I will say I trust the judgement and personal choices of experience birders so I’m not taking a poke at any of you, I’d tell you if I were 🙂
From day one I’ve had my own ideas about it though. At an early age, I learned that picking up the frogs and salamanders and taking them home for pets led to disaster not only from an angry mother, but the animals often died. As adults, we should know that our strong desire to connect with nature needs to be tempered with respect for the wild kingdom.
Most of us birders are guilty of “disturbing birds”. We can’t seem to help ourselves trying to get closer for the great shot and justifying seemingly harmless methods to get the edge. The lines between birder, bird photographer, and naturalist blur repeatedly in the field and among friends. We push the envelope largely to get that National Geographic worthy shot.
I’ve retreated a bit from birding recently as I fell into the twitching trap and chased some Western vagrant birds around. I always feel sorry for the birds (yes I heard the Yellow-billed Cuckoo was simply drunk on berries…LOL) when we do this but the temptation is so great to check lifers off the list.
Don’t get me wrong, the good majority of local birders are very concerned about the future of birds and wish to do no harm. But there is a contingent of newbies who have no idea of the consequence of their actions who could benefit from guidance in field practices. Where does the line get crossed? I believe if the bird is stressed or frightened or disrupted from it’s usual behavior then we have gone too far, and we know it and it sucks. Truly I think this is a discussion worthy topic.
Based on what I have learned and my early life experiences, I personally believe there is a case for limited use of mob calls or playback in the field for documenting species and locations depending on the circumstances and time of year. But surely having a lot of people blasting sounds indiscriminately at the birds (who already have enough problems from development, window strikes, climate change, cat predation, etc.) is not the best judgement.
It was an extremely exciting migration season here in Nova Scotia and it’s difficult to get any looks at the rarities without chasing them. I get it. I do it. I am just asking that we all (myself included) continue to check our conscience and if you don’t know what I am talking about at all make it a point to speak with a birder who has been observing birds in the field for many years for a balanced point of view. The less invasive we can be the better it will be for our fine feathered friends that we love so dearly.
Walking quietly has always netted the best birding results for me. My new canine pal Macy is a fine companion in the field when she’s on leash. We have sat quietly together and waited for the birds to come to us and I’ve gotten some great photos. Admittedly sometimes she ruins the photos but she is “in training” and we have many years ahead to improve.
Most of the best wildlife and birding photographers stress that you will get better looks at the critters if you wait until they come to you instead of chasing them. Interesting as well that some of the best birders only carry binoculars and a notepad. The world before digital was not that long ago and we should not lose our core birding skills in the frenzy of nabbing the best photos.
As for twitching, I’ve heard a few people say “imagine what we are missing?”. If you are out chasing other people’s birds, you will miss the opportunity to find your own. And that first sighting the initial observer had, well it only comes once and they got it.
Everyone will do their own thing and I respect that and enjoy the company of all my friends here in our wonderful birding community. For me, I will continue to focus on learning about habitat and microhabitat (which is key for finding vagrants). Next Spring and Fall I’m going to try to cover more territory to find my own birds, probably with my good friend Macy in tow although there are times she needs to sit it out for sure.
There are many native birds I’ve yet to check off my list. So, that should keep me busy this winter. Black-backed Woodpecker and Northern Goshawk are just two that have eluded me so far that I’d like to get good looks at, and perhaps a nice photo of course.
So, dialing it back. I’m also resetting my immediate goals to try to get better photos of repeat species. I have no decent photos of a Horned Grebe or Green-winged Teal for example. Both relatively common but beautiful subjects worthy of more attention.
Anyway, this has been on my mind to bring up for a long time but it’s an extremely controversial topic which can heat up conversations quickly. Perhaps better for pondering. And if you decided to speak to me about it at the AGM, perhaps see how many glasses of wine I’ve had first?
Seriously, we have an amazing birding community I will step off the soapbox now and look forward to continuing to spend time with all our good folk.
Salt Marsh Trail from Bissett Road towards Lawrencetown
The part of the Salt Marsh Trail that borders the Rainbow Haven beach area is well travelled by cyclists, dog walkers, nature lovers, and a good variety of city folk trying to connect to nature in their downtime. It is a beautiful place to visit in all kinds of weather and throughout the seasons, and also a protected coastal system which is home to a variety of waterfowl.
Me and my dog Macy doing a little walking/birding on the beautiful Salt Marsh Trail.
All year round you will find American Black Duck, Common Eiders, Mallards, and Canada Geese in the waters. And in winter the Bufflehead Ducks arrive to mix things up, and often American Wigeons or even Northern Shovelers in good numbers.
The habitat is a mix of coastal and woodland and you will also find Song Sparrows, American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco, Bluejays, Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, and Bald Eagles throughout the seasons.
With the arrival of spring, start looking for out for Belted Kingfishers, Double-crested Cormorants, Osprey, and Great Blue Heron to return.
In summer this trail is full of shorebirds and the trail is an easy walk with a great view of them for close sightings. Some of the more commonly seen are Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Willets, Short-billed Dowitchers, Black-bellied Plovers, and Semipalmated Plovers, but others do turn up.
Many diving birds enjoy the current under the first bridge and you can watch the Cormorants fish for hours in the summer, and the Red-breasted Mergansers doing the same in the winter. If the winter is a cold one and there is not much open water other divers such as Surf Scoters and Common Goldeneyes will also dive for food under the bridge.
Winter also sees the arrival of Black-headed Gulls in good numbers on the trail for good sightings in February and March. As a primarily Eurasian species they are a welcome sight during the months that are sometimes considered to be less exciting in birding.
The easiest bird on my checklist (Chestnut-backed Chickadee) managed to evade my sightings, although I did hear them all over it never seemed important to track one down for a photo. As well my Eagle sightings were both Bald and neither Golden, but this was a day for wandering and not twitching.
