White-throated Sparrow

Migrating Sparrows

 White-throated Sparrow

 Last week we had a flock of  20+ White-throated Sparrows around our property.  That is a common occurrence during migration.  Sparrows usually gather into flocks to migrate.  This flock was probably from further north and was feeding and resting on our area.

Pictured above is the White-throated Sparrow in its  non-breeding plumage.  It has lost a bit of its brilliance but is still striking.  Note the conspicuously-outlined white throat, dark bill and crown stripes.  It has a broad yellow to white eyebrow and rusty upperparts.  The underparts are grayish and either clear or slightly streaked as seen above.  Both the male and female are similarly marked.

White-throated Sparrow

The photo above shows the breeding plumage.  Notice the brilliant yellow patch on the anterior aspect of the eyebrow stripe.  Also note the bright throat patch.  

The White-throated Sparrow is a woodland sparrow.  It prefers mixed woods and woodland edges where it feeds on seeds and insects.  It breeds here in our province as well as most of Canada north to but not including the Arctic.  It winters in the southeastern United States.  This sparrow is famous for its song.  We have all heard the 'Old Tom Peabody Peabody Peabody' of the northern forest.  It makes us feel right at home.  A more popular interpretation of the song is 'Pure Sweet Canada Canada Canada'.  I think we can claim this species as ours since it breeds almost exclusively in Canada so the latter interpretation of its song is more appropriate.

Watch for this sparrow feeding on the ground under your feeder where it scratches to find seeds dropped from above.

CSPWC Symposium

Canadian Society of Water Colour Painters Meet

The Canadian Society of Water Colour Painters met in Cornwallis, NS Sept. 28 to Oct. 3.  Forty-Nine participants, 8 instructors and other members met to put on 5 days of classes and to celebrate water colour painting and related events.

Digby Wharf

The Symposium was held at the Annapolis Basic Conference Centre which was a wonderful place to hold the event.  Right on the ocean, it is very large with many places to walk, paint, dine and hold classes.  The living accommodations were wonderful and adjacent to Desmond Piers Memorial Hall where the classes were held.  On the other side was James Horsfall Memorial Hall where meals were served.

The Margaree 

With 8 instructors one could spend one day with each of 5 of them or more than one day with your choice.  Ron Hazell presented classes on ripples in water and on breaking waves.  Bill Rogers and Poppy Balser covered plein air painting and took us out to interesting locations to paint.  Ann Balch presented portrait painting.  Rex Beanland did cityscapes.  Karen Isenburg presented still life painting.  Bianka Guna taught non-objective painting (abstract painting).  Lio Lo's class was flower painting.  What a choice!  I found the instruction excellent.  We were really motivated to paint and had the experts right there at our side to help with problem areas.  

Unfinished Cityscape

Seascape

The 'after school' times were full of social gatherings.  One evening we had an in-depth presentation on Golden products.  We saw 100s of products and were shown their many uses.  Bianka was generous with samples as well.  Another evening we had a session on life drawing with a nude model.  It was interesting to watch the experts sketch and paint the model.  Students were free to sketch or paint as they wished.  A Market was arranged and vendors were present to show and sell us products.  A silent auction was exciting too.  We also had a lobster dinner.  It was well done and delicious.  There they set up a display of paintings by the instructors.  It was interesting to see the range of their expertise.  

Portrait in progress

The week went by quickly and was well worth the time and expense for me.  I met many new artists and had a good time as well as gained a lot of artistic experience in the process.

Digby Scallop Boat

Broad-winged Hawk

Migration Spectacle 

Broad-winged Hawk - Adult

The Broad-winged Hawk is a common woodland hawk in our area in summer.  It breeds here and in the rest of southern Canada from Alberta eastward as well as in eastern United States.  We hear it more often than we see it during summer with its distinctive high-pitched whistle.  It is in the fall that this species becomes famous.  It gathers in flocks or 'kettles' to migrate down the eastern coast, through Central America to its wintering grounds in northwestern South America.  Because it does not like to fly over water it follows the coast southward.  This spectacle does not occur in the spring because in the northward migration it flies over various inland routes.

To migrate the birds use natural updrafts or thermals in the atmosphere.  These are areas where the air is moving upwards caused by temperature differences or winds.  This makes flying easier and allows them to gain altitude.  In these updrafts the birds gather in kettles or groups and then move off on their southward journey.  After they reach maximum altitude, they can then fly by winging or by soaring on south winds, slowly losing altitude but covering large distances.  When they reach the next updraft, they repeat the process.  Updrafts are caused by land masses like mountains, large hills or ravines which cause the air masses to move upwards.  It is these areas where birders gather to see the concentration of migrating hawks.  See the photo below which shows kettles of hawks spiralling upwards or perhaps waiting for favourable winds before moving southward.  Research shows that these birds migrate about 4,300 miles (6800 Km) in total and about 70 miles a day (110 Km).

Migrating Hawks [Wikipedia Photo]

The Broad-winged Hawk is the smallest member of the Buteo family.  Other Buteo species that we have in New Brunswick are the Red-tailed Hawk, the Red-shouldered Hawk and the Rough-legged Hawk.  The Broad-winged Hawks get their name from the fact that the secondary feathers in their wings do not bulge outward like they do in the other species.  Their general shape shows a broad wing and a smallish tail.

Adults have a mottled dark brown back with reddish-brown streaked upper breast and white belly with some streaking.  The tail is  black with wide white bars.  The juvenile shows a white breast with some streaking.  See the photo above for the adult and below for the juvenile.

Broad-winged Hawk - Juvenile

Hawk watchers have seen thousands of these birds migrating through New Brunswick this fall.  One viewing area is from Greenlaw Mountain near St. Andrews.  One memorable sighting for me was a few years ago when I was standing in the woods near the coast at Coleson Cove and above me I began to see Broad-winged Hawks silently soaring just above the trees.  I counted over 20 birds as they circled overhead.  I felt privileged to observe this spectacle.

Northern Flicker

Ground-feeding Woodpeckers

Northern Flicker

For the last two weeks we have had flocks of Northern Flickers feeding in our yard.  We have seen as many as 10 or 12 at once feeding on the lawn.  There were probably more in the bushes and trees around the house.  These are migrating woodpeckers which are stopping over to feed and rest.  They are probably from further north, on their way to central and southern United States and Mexico to spend the winter.  

Flickers are ground-feeding birds that are members of the woodpecker family.  They feed on ants and other insects.  They are one of our most colourful woodpeckers.  As you can see below they have a large black cresent on their breast and a red 'V' on the back of their neck.  Their body is beige with black bars or dots and their head is gray.  They show a white rump patch when they fly.  Their wings and tail are yellow underneath.  The tail looks black from the top.  The shafts of the feathers in the wings and tail are yellow.  The legs are gray.

Northern Flicker

The two photos below show a tail feather from both the top and bottom aspects.  The feather is a rich yellow on the underside with a yellow shaft.  The top is black also showing the yellow shaft.  In Western North America the Northern Flicker is 'red-shafted'.  It shows a red shaft to its feathers and red wing linings and undertail.

The flicker shown here has a black malar stripe.  That is the black mark running from the beak down the side of its throat.  This shows that this is a male bird.  The female lacks the malar stripe.

Northern Flicker

The Flicker nests in cavities in trees, utility poles, and in birdhouses.  It lays 3 to 12 white eggs which hatch in 11 to 16 days.  Flickers will come to your bird feeder and eat suet, seeds and nuts.  They are quite vocal, making a 'flicker' sound, a 'kleeer' or sometimes a 'wicka-wicka-wicka'.

Now is the time to get outside and look for this friendly species.

Dunlin

Another Shorebird Species

Dunlin

The Dunlin is a relatively common fall migrant in our area.  It is rare in the spring.  That is because its flight routes in the spring take it up the central flyway.  In the fall it migrates south down the coast lines (Atlantic and Pacific flyways).  

It is a bird of North America and Eurasia.  Here in North America it breeds from Alaska east to Hudson Bay.  It winters along the coast from southern Alaska and Massachusetts south to Mexico.  It nests on tundra and winters on beaches, mudflats, lakes and river shores.  

The Dunlin is a medium-sized shorebird often showing a short neck.  Its general appearance often appears hunch-backed.  The Dunlin has two plumages, breeding and non-breeding.  Here in Atlantic Canada we usually see the non-breeding plumage or something in between the two.  In the photo above we see the non-breeding plumage with a trace of the breeding plumage.  The non-breeding plumage shows a plain gray head, neck and upper parts, faintly spotted gray breast with a white chin, throat and belly.  It has a largish black bill which is slightly decurved (curved downwards).  The legs are black or gray.  The breeding plumage shows a distinctive reddish-brown back and a black patch on the belly.  The upper parts are whitish with fine dark streaks.  

Dunlin (showing incomplete breeding plumage)

The Dunlin is a later migrant in our area, often peak numbers appearing in September and October.  They feed on insects, marine worms, small crustaceans and snails.  They are tactile feeders probing food from the mud with their sensitive bills.  Although we do not get to see it, on the breeding grounds the male attracts the female by performing display flights.  I would like to see that!  Their song is a soft 'cheerp'.  

 

Dunlin 

In the photo above the bird is showing a streak of reddish brown on the back, a remnant of the breeding plumage.  

Pectoral Sandpiper

An Interesting Shorebird

Pectoral Sandpiper [Internet Photo]

Pectoral Sandpipers are migrating along our shores now.  They are often seen in small flocks as they feed and rest in wet fields, marshy ponds and along our seashores.  Birdwatchers generally like this species because it is usually easy to identify.

It is a heavily streaked bird with scaled, dark brown upperparts, a heavily streaked brown breast and a plain white belly.  The streaked breast usually ends in an abrupt line.  It has a dark bill with a pale base, a faint eyering, and yellow legs which often are greenish.  It is a larger shorebird, usually about 8.8 inches long (22 cm).  When it flies it shows a faint wing strip and it has large white patches on the sides of its tail and rump with dark down the middle.  Some birders think it looks like a large Least Sandpiper.  

Pectoral Sandpiper [Internet Photo]

The Pectoral Sandpiper is a long distance flyer.  It breeds in Northern Canada, Alaska and Siberia and winters in South America and Australia.  It passes through here mainly in the fall.  Feeding on our shores is important for building up body fat so it has enough energy to complete its long journey.  The photo below was taken at Saints Rest Marsh in Saint John where the birds are often found in the fall.

Pectoral Sandpiper

Pectoral Sandpipers feed on freshwater and marine invertebrates, seeds and algae.  They feed by probing their bill deep into the mud where their sensitive tactile bills discern food items.  When put to flight their voice sounds like 'churrt' or 'kreek'.

Shorebirds

Birding the Acadian Peninsula

Two weekends ago we went for a short vacation to the Acadian Peninsula.  Our main objective was to see shorebirds, many shorebirds, as they migrate through that area on their way south.  Shorebird migration starts in late July and proceeds through September.  Thousands of birds of several species use our shores to feed and rest as they proceed south.

Greater Yellowlegs

Some of the areas we checked for birds included Maisonnette, LeGoulet, Miscou Point, Lac Frye, Petite-Lameque, and Wilson's Point.  There is so much shoreline there that nearly any place has its population of shorebirds at this time of year. 

Black-bellied Plover

Semipalmated Sandpiper

Semipalmated Plover

Some of the common species are shown above, the Semipalmated Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, and Black-bellied Plover.  Also common are the Lesser Yellowlegs shown below.

Lesser Yellowlegs

Shorebird activity is governed more by the tides than the time of day, so in order to see them well one must watch the tides.  The best time to see them feeding is about an hour after high tide.  At high tide they are usually resting and may be difficult to see.  The tide brings in a fresh supply of food which they are anxious to eat.  

Least Sandpiper

Sanderling

The small shorebirds are commonly called 'peeps'.  They are numerous and are fun to watch as they actively feed.  Shown above are two species of peeps, Least Sandpiper and Sanderling.  The Sanderling prefers the ocean shore especially close to the wave action.  It is often seen chasing the waves in and out as they crash on the shore.  Shown below is another species which prefers the ocean shore, the Ruddy Turnstone.  It is our most colourful shorebird.

Ruddy Turnstone

Our rarest shorebird is the Piping Plover shown below.  The North American population is severely compromised and we must be diligent to protect the shoreline habitat of this bird.  A few breed on the Buctouche shoreline, for example, where Environment Canada is actively protecting them.

Piping Plovers

Piping Plover

Another interesting shorebird is the Solitary Sandpiper.  It prefers muddy areas and is often found feeding along the shores of small ponds.  Shown below is one we found actively feeding.

Solitary Sandpiper

 This sandpiper is often found alone, hence the name.  It is distinguished by the eyeing, the greenish legs and the spots on the back.  It is a real beauty as are all the other species.  Shorebirds are difficult to identify but definitely worth seeing.