Plein Air Watercolour Workshop

Painting in Nova Scotia

Port Joli Shoreline

 Last weekend we attended a Plein Air Watercolour Workshop on the outskirts of Port Joli, Nova Scotia.  Nine enthusiastic water colour artists gathered to learn from the world renowned water colourist, Roger Savage of Mersey Point, NS.  Roger has painted all over the world, won numerous awards and has a gallery at Mersey Point.  His teaching is educational, enthusiastic, and a joy to experience.  He is full of stories and humour so we enjoyed his classes.

On Saturday we visited a nearby shoreline and gathered in the lee of a fish plant to paint for the day.  Above is the painting I was able to complete.  It is difficult to get perspective and contrast with water colours but I think I accomplished it in this one.  On Sunday it was raining heavily so we assembled on the ample covered veranda of our facility.  This provided a nice pastoral scene.  Roger also set up a still life for those who wished to paint flowers.

Dirk's Belteds

Above is my painting of the scene from the veranda.  I loved the Belted Galloway cow and calf which were grazing below us.  This painting was difficult to get the correct value of the colours and the perspective.  I am happy with my result.

Shorebird Migration

Johnsons Mills Spectacle

Migrant Sandpipers

Every July and August an avian spectacle occurs on New Brunswick shores.  Migrating shorebirds rest and feed on our ocean shorelines on their way southward.  New Brunswick is an important stopover for migrating plovers and sandpipers and other shorebirds as they make their very long journey to the south. 

The eastern end of the Bay of Fundy is especially important for these birds.  There they gather in huge flocks to feed on mud shrimp.  That enables them to add much-needed body fat for their remaining journey to the Caribbean and South America.  These birds need to feed heavily and double their body weight in order to get enough energy to make the trip.

Pictured here is the Semipalmated Sandpiper which gathers in such huge flocks.  About 80% of the world's population of this species gathers in the upper Bay of Fundy during migration.  Upwards to 2 million birds gather there over the 6-week migration period.  Johnsons Mills (35 km south of Monction, near Dorchester) and Mary's Point (near Harvey) are two places where many birds gather.  Fortunately both areas have been made a nature preserve.  The Nature Conservancy of Canada protects land at Johnsons Mills and Mary's Point is part of the Shepody National Wildlife Area and is managed by Environment Canada.

Resting Sandpipers

The Semipalmated Sandpiper is a small sandpiper, about 15 cm long (6.3 inches).  It breeds on the Arctic tundra from Alaska to Labrador.  During fall migration it passes through here to winter in Mexico and South America. The birds feed on small arthropods, amphipods, mollusks, polychaetes and annelids in fresh and salt water by probing in the mud.  They nest on the ground in a hollow lined with grass. 

Johnsons Mills Showing Migrating Semipalmated Sandpipers

While visiting Johnsons Mills last week we saw a flock of 20,000 birds.  At high tide this flock is concentrated just above the tide line.  What a sight that is!  The birds are crowded in 'shoulder to shoulder' and somehow manage good group dynamics.  They vocalize often with a churk or a cheet.  In the resting flock some birds are sleeping, some are jostling for position, and many are flying out over the water only to return again and resettle in the flock.  This resting period lasts until the tide drops  exposing the mudflats so the birds can feed again.

The group dynamics is fascinating.  In flight the birds fly tightly together.  When the flock turns, they all turn at once so when you are watching the flock, at one moment you see their dark-coloured backs and the next you see their silver bellies.  So, the flock looks dark at one moment and silver the next.  It makes one wonder how they signal to flock members what the next move is.  The flocks fly in huge lines close to the ocean waves.  The long lines are many birds wide and thousands long.  These lines form spirals, ells and esses over the ocean.  To see thousands of birds performing aerial manoeuvres and then landing close to your viewing area is indeed a spectacle.

We are lucky to be able to provide an essential resting/feeding area for these birds.  It is an important legacy of which we must be responsible stewards.

Ruffed Grouse

New Brunswick's Partridge

Ruffed Grouse

New Brunswick has four upland game bird species, members of Phasianidae.  These include the Ruffed Grouse, the Spruce Grouse, the Ring-necked Pheasant and the Wild Turkey which is gradually moving into our province from Maine.  The Ruffed Grouse is the most common of these species.

The common name for the Ruffed Grouse is the 'Partridge'.  This time of year it is not uncommon to see a female working her way along a wood's road with her chicks following along.  She is searching for insects and invertebrates on the ground to teach them how to find foot.  When she finds something interesting she clucks repeatedly and the chicks flock around to find something good to eat.

The Ruffed Grouse lives in deciduous or mixed woods where it nests on the ground.  It usually lays 8 to 14 buff-colored eggs which it incubates for 21 to 28 days.  The chicks are mobile soon after hatching.  It eats forbs, fruits, insects, buds and catkins of aspens, birches and cherry trees.  

The Ruffed Grouse is long-tailed and sports a crest.  It has a broad dark subterminal band on its tail which is complete in the male and incomplete in the female.  The central area of the band in the female is blotchy or missing.  When alarmed, the grouse spreads its fan-shaped tail and extrudes the black ruffs on the sides of the neck.  It then struts and looks as fierce as it can.  See the photo below.

The aggressive-looking bird shown above is a male as determined by the complete wide dark subterminal tail band.  

Ruffed Grouse are well camouflaged by their streaky plumage.  They are also good at hiding in the grasses and foliage when danger presents itself.  See the winter bird below sleeping on a log.  This bird was really difficult to see even with the snow around it.

The Ruffed Grouse can be differentiated from the Spruce Grouse by the crest on the head.  The Spruce Grouse has a shorter tail and neck and white spotting on its body. It prefers to live in coniferous forests.

South Wolf Island

Bioblitz Weekend

Recently a team went to South Wolf Island in the Bay of Fundy to survey the plant and bird populations.  The island is about 300 acres in size and is uninhabited.  The only human footprint there is an automated lighthouse on the southern end.  The rest of the island is rugged rock, forest, and meadow.  We set up camp on the northern end where there was a cobble beach fit for landing.

The environment there is pristine.  The air is pure and there are no sounds except for the birds and waves crashing on the beach.  The exceptions to this paradise are the Grand Manan ferry which wends its way by regularly and the human garbage washed up on the beaches.  This is mostly fishing paraphernalia and plastics of various sorts.  The garbage really is appalling.  There is so much of it one wonders how much there must be in the worldwide oceans.

The birds were very much in evidence.  Most were nesting; Herring Gulls, Great Black-backed Gulls, Black Guillemots, Common Eiders.  We also saw Great Blue Heron, Bald Eagle, Spotted Sandpiper, Least Sandpiper, Puffin, Whimbrel, Razorbill, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, Black-throated Green Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet.  The island appeared to be one of the important nesting areas for the Black Guillemot.  Whenever we were near shore they saw them, waiting just offshore with food in their beaks to feed young hidden in rock crevices.

Black Guillemot

 We saw Common Eiders with young.  They seemed to like to be near shore.  This was probably so the young could get out of the water to rest.

Common Eiders with Young

The island provided many beautiful photo opportunities.

We did a thorough plant survey.  We did find some interesting plants.  The island is covered mainly with spruce forest, mainly white spruce but also red and black.  Roseroot seen below was found in several places in rock crevices.  It is found only in the Bay of Fundy area.

Roseroot Rhodiola rosea

Woodland Strawberry in an uncommon strawberry.  It grows in calcareous, rocky areas from B.C. to Newfoundland.  We found it in a rock crevice.

Woodland Strawberry Fragaria vesca

We looked hard for orchids and found one abundantly growing in one part of the island, Platanthera obtusata.  We found it as described in Hinds book, "in full shade beneath cedar or other conifers".

Blunt-leaf Rein Orchid Platanthera obtusata

In one bay there were many seals hauled out sunning themselves.  It was interesting to watch them jostle for preferred spaces.

Another of the many vistas we enjoyed.

Vireos

Four Common and Two Rare Species 

Red-eyed Vireo

Birders in New Brunswick could possibly see six species of vireos.  But what is a vireo?  A vireo is a small insectivorous bird.  It is slightly larger than a warbler and is usually quite vocal.  So, we often hear them before we see them.  They live in the foliage of large trees, usually deciduous, where they find plenty of insects and their larvae to feed themselves and their young.  

Vireos look much like warblers but they are actually closely related to shrikes.  They are typically gray or green above and white or yellow below.  When trying to identify them, watch for the presence or absence of wing bars,  eye rings or spectacles, eye lines, eye brows, and in some cases the eye colour.  We have six species of vireos, four of which are common.  Three species have wing bars; Blue-headed Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, and White-eyed Vireo.  Three species do not have wing bars; Red-eyed Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo and Warbling Vireo.  The two rare species are Yellow-throated Vireo and White-eyed Vireo.

The Red-eyed Vireo, seen above, is probably our most common species.  It can be heard almost anywhere in the province during summer, singing almost incessantly from hardwood trees.  It has a red eye, a white eye brow with a dark line above it and a dark line through the eye.  It is one of our most common summer birds.  It is said the male sings to the female while she is on the nest in order to keep her brooding.  That explains the persistent song.  

The Blue-headed Vireo is also very common.  It is found in mixed woods.  Its song is similar to that of the Red-eyed but slower in tempo.  The head is a nice blue-gray colour and the white spectacles are very evident.

Blue-headed Vireo

The Philadelphia Vireo prefers open woodlands and thickets near streams.  Its song is similar to that of the Red-eyed but slower, thinner and higher pitched.  It has a white eyebrow with a dark eye line and its body is mainly green above and yellow below.

Philadelphia Vireo

The Warbling Vireo is a wonderful songster.  Its song is characterized by long melodious phrases.  It is our plainest-looking vireo, being dull gray or greenish above and whitish/yellowish below.  It has a whitish eyebrow which lacks a dark upper border and there is no strong eye line.  It likes deciduous forests especially riparian areas.

Warbling Vireo [Internet Photo]

The Yellow-throated Vireo is uncommon in NB.  Its yellow is shockingly bright.  Its yellow spectacles are distinctive.  The dark grey wings and white wing bars make it easy to identify.   It prefers deciduous and mixed woods.

Yellow-throated Vireo [Internet Photo]

The White-eyed Vireo is rare here.  Its yellow spectacles and white eye are distinctive.  Its "explosive song from a thicket or tangle of vines" (National Geographic Birds of North America) identifies this bird.  That is exactly what I discovered the first time I ever saw this species.  It was making strange sounds from a thicket and would not show itself.  Only by persistence did I get to see this bird!  It is seen occasionally here during migration.

White-eyed Vireo [Internet Photo]

Eye Candy

We Have Some Very Beautiful Birds!

Baltimore Oriole

Florida, California, Texas, move over.  We have some very beautiful birds, too.  Now that it is summer, we have our full complement of birds here in our province.  Well, I have to qualify that, because we do have a few winter residents that have left us for more northerly climes.  But our bird population is at its maximum right now.  That means lots of species and high numbers.  The birds that summer here are in full numbers.  The young of the year have left the nest (or soon will) bumping up the population numbers.

Some of our summer residents are overly beautiful.  They are all unique and many are beautiful, but some are off the chart.  Today I am featuring three such species; the Baltimore Oriole, the Scarlet Tanager and the Indigo Bunting.

Generally speaking, the birds are in their breeding plumage in the spring and towards mid-to-late summer they start to moult. They gradually lose (and replace) their flight and body feathers.  Often their second plumage (non-breeding) is less spectacular.  

The Baltimore Oriole (see above) arrives in late May and stays with us into the autumn.  At that time both the male and female are beautiful but the male is brilliant.  His flaming orange, yellow and black colours pattern his body beautifully.  It is interesting that his orange is the same colour as a ripe orange fruit and they enjoy treats of oranges put out for them on their arrival.  We had them coming regularly to oranges this year.  I was amused to see the male come and peck on an orange light bulb of an outdoor light to see if it could be eaten.  The orioles feed on fruit and insects and nest in large deciduous trees.

Scarlet Tanager

The Scarlet Tanager arrives in mid-to-late May.  It prefers to live high up in large deciduous woods.  They are not often seen for that reason.  However, if we take time to learn their song, we can become more aware of their presence.  They sound a lot like a Robin.  Some describe their song to be like a Robin with a sore throat.  The male tanager is amazingly beautiful.  The scarlet red on his body could not be any brighter.  When viewed at close range, it looks fluorescent.  It is set off beautifully with the black wings.  The female is more subdued with yellow and black.  Tanagers feed on insects and fruits.

Indigo Bunting

The Indigo Bunting arrives about the same time as the orioles and tanagers.  They feed on insects, seeds and fruits and are often first seen at feeders.  What a delight it is to look at your feeder and see this bird!  Its blue is rich and iridescent.  The female is a much duller brownish colour.  As the spring advances, the buntings move away from feeders and feed near their nesting sights in bushes and thick vegetation.

Summer is the time to enjoy our avian treasures.

Early Morning Bird Walk

Birding with Friends

Red-winged Blackbird

Two friends and I went early morning birding to Wilkins Field, which is in Fredericton North.  It is a lush area of floodplain with grasses, alders, ephemeral ponds, permanent ponds, and marsh.  With all these diverse habitats, there are usually many birds present.  

The Red-winged Blackbirds are ever-present.  They can be heard and seen from any vantage point.  This male was actively proclaiming his territory and telling us to beware.   Note the bright red epaulettes bordered with yellow.  When he flies he flashes these.  To us they look beautiful but to birds they probably look intimidating.

Cedar Waxwing

The Cedar Waxwings were present in small flocks, actively feeding on insects.  We saw some young which were out of the nest and being fed by adults.  Their high-pitched whistle/song was very evident.

Belted Kingfisher

There was at least one pair of Belted Kingfishers there.  The male above often perched in a prominent place and 'rattled' at us.  His song is a rattling noise, reminding some of the noise a fishing reel makes when line is pulled out.  This species is a bit different in that the female has the bright colours and the male is subdued.  This is because the male sits on the eggs in this species and thus the nest location is protected by the subdued plumage.  The female has a bright orange band across her breast.  The Kingfisher dives for fish which it observes from an elevated perch.

We found this beautiful feather lying on the ground, dropped by some flying bird.  The iridescence was striking.  We guessed that it came from a Common Grackle.  The iridescence is typical and it is probably a tail feather.  Note that the shaft is located in the middle of the feather.  A wing feather would have the shaft offset with more 'feather' on one side than the other.