I am truly disappointed but my trip to Connecticut to do some birding is cancelled. It’s a long sad story I won’t get into, but let’s assume the universe wants me back in Nova Scotia to report Spring migrants?
Temporarily I’m in NB and trying to do a little birding before making my way back home. It’s largely incidental but I’ll take what I can get.
I’ve only been in St. Andrews and Fredericton and in both locations I noted Eastern Phoebes in plain sight as I was driving down back roads. On Friday I saw one sitting on power line not far from my house back in Eastern Passage so clearly they are arriving to Atlantic Canada in abundance. I have not been checking migration maps as I’m new and don’t think of these things but my friends at the Crocker Hill Store in St. Andrews mentioned this today. Duly noted, and naturally I will use this as a birding wish list and am likely not alone in that regard.
My photos of the Phoebes from this week suck but here is a nice one I took on April 19th last Spring. I didn’t know what it was at the time but now I can spot them as readily as chickadees.
The part of NB I’m in is very woody and marshy so woodland birds are abundant. The drumming of woodpeckers and squawking flickers is all over. Nuthatch are beeping and creepers whistling.
It’s neat because I confirmed something that I’ve suspected for a while now. Quite often when I’m birding with people we hear what we think is Golden-crowned Kinglets but don’t see them. I’ve been thinking for some time now that some of these must be Brown Creepers and proved my theory today because I waited and waited for the Kinglet to appear (and they are nosey they appear if they are actually there I find) and I saw a small flash and searched all the tree trunks and voila. Creeper. So be aware all that these guys sound a lot alike and you will often be fooled.
My photos are not great for a variety of reasons but here is one of the 4 Red-breasted Nuthatch I found on a trail in St. Andrews.
A Ruffed Grouse appeared in front of my car as dusk approached. Later followed by a set of eyes crossing the road that I expect belonged to a deer, and then a large porcupine that I managed to get around on the highway. Thank you for lean traffic and wide shoulders as that would have been a horrible day for my car and for the porcupine.
At one point before the sun went down I stopped at a marshy spot somewhere in the boonies around Harvey and was surrounded by the sounds of many woodland birds and a few Yellow-rumped Warblers dropped by to say hello and I heard my first Hermit Thrush singing that most delightful song of theirs. Some ducks flew off before I could id them so I’ll be they were those Blue-winged Teal that seem to be all over the eBird reports in this area.
They are my target bird to find before returning to Nova Scotia. I hope I can work them into my day tomorrow as I have a lot to do and reality so often gets in the way of good birding, but such is life…
