I've been alerted to a cat mortality of a moorhen chick from the Afton
Reserve area, Antigonish County. Sorry, no further details.

Randy
________________________________________
R.F. Lauff
Editor, Nova Scotia Birds
Part-time Faculty and Laboratory Supervisor
Department of Biology
St. Francis Xavier University
PO Box 5000
Antigonish, NS  B2G 2W5

(902) 867-2471
(902) 867-2389 (fax)

Place:  Amherst Point Bird Sanctuary.  Time:  last night between 20:00 and
21:30.  Heard calling, with all three songs.  Not seen.  Was there with
Fulton Lavender, and it was he who identified it.  Accessible or should be
able to see if one has a canoe, or catches it flying into the area where it
is singing at daybreak.  Area found in the marsh is at the impoundment
beside the road, along the Nepean Rd.  It is on the island to the right when
facing the impoundment, when facing in from the road in the corner where you
can park there.  For further details contact Fulton.

James R. Hirtle
Blockhouse


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Greater Yellow Legs chick sighted today, (Sunday
7th July 2002, 10.30am) Near Maple Lake, Pictou
County.

Warm, 24 deg c, slight southerly breeze. Clear
sky.

An adult bird was seen calling from the top of a
dead spruce in a swampy area near Maple Lake. The
bird would not fly and was calling repeatedly.
The chick was then sighted briefly walking
through the swamp and into cover whilst the adult
bird looked on.

Although not rare, chicks are perhaps not an
often seen bird of the Greater Yellow Legs.

cheers
Mark Brennan
Ken Mckenna
Pictou County

=====
Mark Brennan
Pictou County
Nova Scotia

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Hello Everyone;                                     July 2,2002

    I had a report this morning by Rosemary Algar of a Scarlet Tanager in the
Cape North area.This is the second report to me of this bird in the last ten
days and in the same area.The first was by Charlotte Campbell who lives only
a half mile from the Algars.The first sighting was fleeting and I didn't
report it at the time.The two together seem to provide enough evidence to
make both creditable.The exact location of the second sighting is
E687300;N5192150.The local habitat for the area is mixed forest including a
good number of oaks.No other behavior was noted.
    The bluebirds nesting in front of my house are doing well.The five eggs
layed will hatch in the next day or so if they havn't already.       Piping
Plovers have nested on South Harbour Beach(a chick was seen last week by
Dave and Adam Algar) and two adults were seen by Dave Algar,Dave
McCorqordale and me on June 28.Dave McCorquodale called me that evening to
say he had heard a Black-billed Cuckoo at the North Aspy bridge but
unfortunately to date I've been unable to hear or see it.I'm sure he will
give his own report of his trip to this area in the near future.


         Fritz McEvoy




_________________________________________________________________
Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

Hi,

I've uploaded a few more digiscoped pics to
http://photos.yahoo.com/rb_stern --> Birds folder --> Show all, and look at
the last few.  I've included the pair of E.Bluebirds near Middleton.


####################

Richard Stern
Kentville
Nova Scotia
Canada

rbstern@...

####################

At about 11 AM this morning, June 28, Over 100 immature Gannets passed to
the southward in front of my house at Little Harbour, Shelburne County, NS
in less than 1/2 hour.  There was rather thick fog which limited my vision
to less than 1/4 mile from the shore and this distance shrunk to nothing as
I watched.  This leads me to believe there were many more Gannets then I
actually saw.

Some of the birds may have been second year, but very few.  This is the
first time in seventeen years that I have seen a sizable flight during the
summer and I wonder what the reason is.

David Young
RR #1
Sable River, Nova Scotia, B0T 1V0
Ph:902-656-2225
Fax: 902- 656- 2561
E-mail: dyoung000@...

Hi everyone;

There is a minor change to the operations of NS-RBA.  There is no longer
the requirement to cross-post your messages to NatureNS.  The reasons are
two-fold:

1) - Many that now subscribe to NS-RBA do not belong to NatureNS, and so
could not cross-post their messages even if they wished to.

2) - Any NatureNS member (and anyone else for that matter) can now read the
most recent messages posted to NS-RBA by going to the following Yahoo site:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NS-RBA/

However, they cannot access the archives, nor are they permitted to post
messages to the group, or reply to any messages.  It is strictly "Read-Only."

I'll be sending a message to NatureNS soon to describe this change.

By the way, "Accentor" is my moniker on Yahoo, which I use on those (rare)
occasions when I play on-line cribbage or euchre.

Cheers,

Blake Maybank
maybank@...

There was beautiful weather for my Trafalgar [Guysborough County] BBS on
Sunday, June 23.

There were three species of note:

A SCARLET TANAGER, for the second year in a row, in the same stop (#4) as
last year, at the junction of Route #348 and the MacDonald Brook Road, near
Lower Caledonia.

A PHILADELPHIA VIREO, at the first stop on my route, just east of house
#4505, on Route#348.

A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, at stop #29, 500 meters east of house #2594, on the
road between Caledonia and Trafalgar.  As with the cuckoo that Sylvia
Fullerton reported earlier, this bird called for the entire three minutes
of my stop, except for the time needed to shift his position roughly 150
meters.

Blake Maybank
White's Lake, Nova Scotia
maybank@...

Jean Timpa asked me to report a GRAY HAWK she observed in the Bear River
area yesterday morning. My brain was not quite awake when she called this
morning so I am not sure which field marks she observed. She did say she
watched it for about 1.5 mins. but she did not have a field guide with her
so it was not until she returned to Wolfville and checked Sibley that she
made the i.d.
If confirmed this rarity would be on a par with the Zone-tailed Hawk that
spent some time in the Musquodoboit area in the 1970s (??) (was not in NS
at the time so not positive about the area or date).
Angus

Interesting observation! However, what is the 'NGS' Guide to which you
refer?
EK

Today at the airport I had the opportunity to study an interesting
Red-Shouldered/Broad-winged type. The hawk had very light underparts but
the window on the inner primaries stood out. At first I thought it was a
Red-shouldered especially since the wings appeared the perfect shape for
one. The individual was apparently just starting its molt as two
secondaries on each wing was missing. Even the black tips of the primaries
which should have stood out too, was hardly noticeable. I realized that a
Red-shouldered could never be this light underneath (right?) and to clinch
its i.d. as a Broad-wing, the middle of the tail bands were all that showed
from below. Check the center illustration (juvenile) on pg. 115 of the NGS
Guide (3rd edition) for the narrow width of bands it showed. The lightness
of the underparts resembled the juvenile illustrated on the upper right
(same page) without the dark primary tips.
As for the wing shape it seems that a Broad-winged can hold its wings in
different shapes when soaring. We had seen another B/W just before Lower
Sackville and from the shape of the wing (and size) it was easily
identified as that species. Note also the Broad-winged photographed by
Richard S. and discussed on pg. 6 of the Autumn 2001 issue of NS Birds. The
shape of that individual's  wings is typical of what one expects in a B/W.
Around noon (still at the airport) there were any number of Swainson's and
a few Hermit Thrushes still singing in the woods near the Petro-Can service
station. Around several of the buildings were Barn & Cliff Swallows.
As usual 2-3 Nighthawks were peenting over Coldbrook. Notwithstanding their
name, these birds start slightly after 6 p.m. and I never hear them after
dark!!
After not hearing him for a while, the Great-crested Flycatcher was
wheeping just south of our property this evening. He called until dark.

Angus

Have just completed two BBSs in Guysborough and Antigonish
Counties, and although not a "rare" bird, it was the first for me on
such a survey in 32 years: a Black-billed Cuckoo surprised me on
stop 45, calling for the entire three minutes. It was close to
Heatherton, at the beginning of the gravel road to Fraser's Grant, in
a stand of hardwoods, about 8:30 this morning.

Although I've not done the paperwork, birds seemed plentiful on this
inland route. The coastal route from Seal Harbour to Cole Harbour,
Guys. Co. was blanketed in fog on Wednesday, but numbers
seemed average nonetheless.

Sylvia Fullerton

I saw a Snowy Egret this morning at 9AM, Ketch Harbour near the intersection
of Ketch Harbour Road and Ketch Harbour Road East, on the seaside rocks
feeding.

17 June 2002

I've been contacted by Hope Swinimer <hope@...> who has informed me
that she is planning to attempt a release of the White Pelican this
afternoon between 3 and 4, near her rehab facility in Seaforth.  She
doesn't even know if the bird is capable of flight, as she doesn't have a
flight cage big enough for this species.  If the bird does not seen happy
with the release she will take it back into captivity.  In any event, it
doesn't sound as if the bird will be "countable" today, or even for several
days.  Hope will provide me with updates, and I will forward them to the
group.

Blake Maybank
White's Lake
maybank@...

Hi,

This morning I looked out of the large window in the room where I was at a
meeting, at Valley Regional Hospital, Kentville, and to my astonisment, saw
a Great Egret slowly flapping its way in a northerly direction at treetop
height.


####################

Richard Stern
Kentville
Nova Scotia
Canada

rbstern@...

####################

From Murray Newell:

Thu, 13 Jun 2002

There is a great egret at daniel head, Cape Sable Island.

Murray Newell
murcar@...

The following is from Judy Tufts:

Thurs Jun 13/02:

Sherman Bleakney who lives in Wolfville at 84 Kent Ave., has a pair of
HOUSE WRENS building a nest in an 'empty'  Tree Swallow nest box, situated
in the n.w. part of his back yard on a pole.  This is the second day of
activity.

Sherman welcomes birders who would like to see them but out of courtesy
please call ahead. The nest box cannot be seen from the road.
His phone number is 542-3604.

I  was there from 8.30-9.00 a.m. this morning and took photos of the male
as he gathered nesting materials and stuffed the nest box with them.   I
did not see the female but she was around earlier this morning.  Guess she
is waiting to be suitably impressed by his endeavours!

Cheers
Judy Tufts
tandove@...

Jr. and Geraldine Metcalfe have asked me to report that they saw a Caspian
Tern (adult) yesterday at Morien Bar, Cape Breton County (just east of Port
Morien).  They watched it for about 20 minutes between 2 and 3 p.m.,
fishing in the channel just off the tip of the sandbar.  It then flew to
the west, towards Port Morien, and they did not see it again.  It was not
present yesterday evening just before dusk.

People in the area may want to watch for it at other sandbars with brackish
water.

Cheers,
Susann

On 1 June I found an unseasonable Red-necked Grebe, in full alternate
(breeding) plumage at the head oof West Lawrencetown Marsh, just inside
the rail-trail off West Lawrencetown Road. where the ducks often roost.
There have been a few summer reports of this species in sea weter locales
in recent years. As it was in fresh water and sitting on a small, grassy
islet, I was excited about the possibility that it could be on its nest
(they bred in NB years ago). I waited patiently, and it slipped off
without checking its hypothetical eggs, as grebes are wont to do.

To make sure, I went back on the 3d and it was sitting on a different
islet. Then, on Saturday 8 June it was sitting on yet another islet. It
might be worth keeping an eye on the bird, just in case it has a very
cryptic mate nesting in the area. Otherwise, it's worth a glance if
you're out that way - such a handsome bird in high plumage.

Cheers, Ian

Ian A. McLaren
Biology Department                              phone: (902) 494-2565 (W)
Dalhousie University                                   (902) 429-7024 (H)
Halifax, NS  B3H 4J1                            Fax: (902) 494-3736

I spoke today with Hope Swinimer of Seaforth, who is caring for the White
Pelican that was found in a weakened condition in Port Mouton.  The pelican
is recovering its health, and they will monitor it for some time yet.  They
expect to release it once it is again fit, and she has promised me that she
will let me know the time and location in advance, should anyone wish to
view the release.

Blake Maybank
maybank@...

I've just received word that an adult Scissor-tailed Flycatcher was seen
all Saturday afternoon (June 8) at the King Nepture campground, in Indian
Harbour, just west of Peggy's Cove.  The bird was not seen either yesterday
or today, but Kay Richardson, who reported the bird, will let me know if it
reappears.

Blake Maybank
maybank@...

Ken McKenna
Box 218, Stellarton
N.S. B0K 1S0
902-752-7644 (H)
902-752-0044 (o)

Hi all
     I thought I would pass along this message from Marie Rodgers, a US
visitor staying the summer in Caribou R. in Pictou Co. The yesterday she
refers to is June 7- I think!

         ken

     "The reason I'm writing is that I just got back
from a four-day stay on Cape Breton.  Yesterday
I was at Marble Mountain and I saw a small flock
of Bohemian Waxwings.  I'm quite familiar with
Cedars and I have far better binoculars than I
deserve, so I think it's a positive ID.  I was
able to note the yellow on the wings, the slightly
larger size and greyer overall appearance.  The
voice was slower and lower-pitched than the
Cedars I've observed."

Just thought I'd let you know,
Marie Rodgers

Hi Everyone;

Welcome to NS-RBA.  A few words first about logistics.

1) - To send a message to the group, the e-mail address is:

NS-RBA@yahoogroups.com

2) - Everyone is permitted to post messages that relate to rare birds in
Nova Scotia.  When you reply to a posted message, it will be sent only to
the person that sent it, not the entire group.  If, instead, you think the
whole group would be interested in your reply, then make sure you send your
message to the address above.

3) - I have set the group so that people may send an attachement, if they
so wish.  Such attachements should be limited to text files (such as Rare
Bird Reports) and photos or sound files, when they relate to a particular
rare bird under discussion.

4) - Messages posted to this group are archived, but the archives are only
accessible to group members.

5) - The Yahoo address for this group's information home page is:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NS-RBA/

6) - If you'd like to see who the group members are, go to:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NS-RBA/members

Please let me know the names and e-mails of anyone else you think might be
interested in this group, and I'll contact them.

7) - Finally, and most importantly, I'll repeat the message criteria.  [As
a generalisation, if you think a particular sighting might be of interest
to the editors of "Nova Scotia Birds," then it is likely appropriate for
this group.}

This is a forum for the public announcement and discussion of rare bird
sightings in Nova Scotia.

Postings should be restricted to the reporting of rare bird sightings in
Nova Scotia, as well as sighting updates.  Sightings should fall into one
of the following categories:

A) Species of less-than-annual occurrence in Nova Scotia;

B) Exceptional numbers of any species;

C) Species occurring out-of-season;

D) Species rare for a particular county;

E) First and last dates for annual migrant species.

Any sightings reported should mention the name of the initial observer(s),
the date, the time, and specific directions if not a well-known location.
The name and e-mail of the person making the posting should also appear
within the body of the message.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Cheers,

Blake Maybank
maybank@...

I had a call on June 7th from Angela O'Neil of Mt. Pleasant, Digby
reporting that she has had a Cattle Egret in her field for a week.

FYI

Carl Haycock
bioscarl@...

Last night (6 June 2002) an injured "Pelican" was rescued by a lady a Port
Mouton.  Today
it was transported to Halifax and is now in the care of Hope Swinimer at
Lawrencetown. It is an adult White Pelican with a possibly fractured leg and
is "doing well".

Tony Lock

Anthony R. Lock, Ph.D.
Marine Issues Biologist
<Tony.Lock@...>

Note: Hope may be contacted at:

hope.swinimer@...

This afternoon (7 June 2002) I sat and watched a SNOWY EGRET. It was
standing on the island
on the small cove about 1km past the Mira Gut Bridge.

There are usually Cormorants there, and there were four DC Cormorants today
along with the Egret.

I could easily see the yellow lores above the black beak, the yellow feet
and the black legs. There were no long head plumes or breast plumes.

Lynn Ellis, Sydney
<mlynnellis@...>

Hi NatureNSers and NS-RBAers,

     Sorry Blake and others, but I sort of agree with Ulli, even though I
already subscribe to both groups. Info. about bird sightings in NS is
already pretty fragmented, with some people reporting sightings to NatureNS,
now possibly some to the new group, some to Clarence Stevens for his Sunday
paper column, some to the Murrants, some to Peter MacLeod, some to local
naturalist societies, etc. I think it would be very easy for some keen
birders to just report to, say, the new group, forget to hit the cc.
NatureNS button, and then a lot of people would miss out on stuff. I think
most birders also enjoy the stuff on NatureNS that is not just news of
rarities, but discussions, plant and astronomy stuff etc. So far I don't
think rare sightings have been missed on NatureNS because they've been
diluted by other postings, and most of the really good ones have also been
followed up by phone messages, and the posting has often been designated
high priority. As it happens, just about the best all round field birder and
naturalist I know doesn't even have a computer, and we generally phone each
other with good sightings immediately (or other local birders if I'm not
around).  I think the NS birding community already has some problems with
divisiveness and people not talking or listening to ech other, and as Ulli
says, jealousies, vanities and accusations, and unless people are very
careful, yet another parallel reporting system is likely to worsten that,
not improve it. If people really feel strongly, it actually doesn't take
much effort to scan the title headers of all the NatureNS postings, and
delete the ones you think are boring or are from people you don't like, just
leaving the ones you think you might want to read.

####################

Richard Stern
Kentville
Nova Scotia
Canada

rbstern@...

####################

Hi,

On getting out of bed and opening the bedroom curtains this morning was a
male N.Cardinal feeding a fledged young in the apple tree behind our house -
it was flying to the ground below the feeder, picking out sunflower seeds
and feeding them to the young in the tree. Then both flew off. (To NS-RBA -
not exactly a rarity, but what I thought was a noteworthy sighting).


####################

Richard Stern
Kentville
Nova Scotia
Canada

rbstern@...

####################

Jim Wolford had previously mentioned hatches of midges which drew swallows
to water areas in eastern Kings today. At the New Minas Sewage Ponds (first
two ponds) there were 500+ swallows among which were at least 5 Cliff
Swallows, a species becoming increasing rare in Kings Co. Unusually there
were no Barn Swallows.

Apparently the midges were at different heights as the swallows were more
erratic than usual, feeding from water level to about 10m high.

Veerys are now singing. When they arrive first, they call for about 10-12
days. Perhaps the arrival of females encourages them to sing. Also I hear
quite a few more Swainson's Thrushes now.

Angus