Summer birding- 2011

So far summer birding has been ok.Not a whole lot of varitiy because ive mostly olny been going to karwood cabins to look for birds.Ive seen i belive 71-75 species so far this year.Im hoping to see 100-150 species.

I discoverd a place in upper gullies called lance cove.It is a beach with a pond behind it.Ive seen many spotted sandpipers and greater yellowlegs and also 2 types of sparrows the swamp and the savannah.

Ive been seeing alot of action on NF.birds about reneus for sandpipers.Ive been dieing to get a chance and go up and see what i can find.Tomorow is supposed to be nice so im hoping to head up for a look.Its very diffrent going birding with somenone whos NOT a birder (my dad) and who has slang names on all the birds (my dad)

The moment you all have been waiting for..........

Sorry for not posting sooner but Ive been busy taking photos with...MY NEW LENS !!!! yes i have my new canon 300mm f4 L is USM Ive been posting most of my photos on my flickr so make sure to check there as well as here.

In just a few days Ive added 2 birds to my bird list.The black & White warbler and the red cross bill!

Karwood Cabins

Just home from karwood cabins to check on how the tree swallows are doing and to see if the female hooded merganser is still hanging around.1one of the nest boxes has babies now.The male and female were going in and out with food as fast as they could.I didn't see the hooded merganser but there was that many ducks there she could of been right in front of me !
As i was walking around the area a spotted sandpiper began to randomly go crazy all around me.She called as loud as she could and then walked around pretending her wing was broken ! With all her noise she attracted at least 10 tree swallows,2crows and even a Robin.I knew i must be close to babies or a nest.So i walked away from the area and that was that.After about 10 minutes she starts going crazy again.I didn't mind her this time and began looking at some pictures i had taken.Then i seen something move in between my feet.....

This has to be the cutest and most random thing Ive seen in a long time !

News News News

Just found out that my lens will be here tomorrow !!
Now i just have to finish paying for it.I also found out i have only seen 70 species in 2011.
I had thought i had seen at least 80.Now when i get my lens the race is on.I plan on seeing 100-150 species in 2011.I plan on visiting cape st.Marys,bonavista,bear cove road, I plan on stuffing all this in before school starts. Lots of things to think about but first and for most GETTING THAT LENS

Boreal Owl Idea

I got word from an older man that owns a camp in some old growth forest who has seen many boreal owls around the camp over the years.I have decided next year and over the winter and fall i plan on making and placing 15-20 boreal owl nest boxes spred out around the area.I also plan on making an osprey nesting platform but that's a story in its self.Ive read many websites about them and many books but most of the data they have is from other parts of Canada.I hear there is a boreal owl nest in a tree in Terra nova national park.If anyone has seen it could you please let me know what kind of tree it was in and how high up.Also if anyone knows any info that you think i should know could you please inform me.

Thank-You

Oh and all help and donations of wood are accepted and appreciated

Back to St.Brendans

I'm just home after a weekend at my most favourite place,St.Brendan's island. on my way to catch the ferry in Burnside i checked an osprey nest i know about on the side of the road to see if it was still active.It was certainly active.There was a female and 2 small chicks in the nest.All the photos below were taken with an 18-55mm lens so you can imagine how close i was able to get.I made sure not to disturb the osprey and they seemed not to care that i was there.

You cant take in the fullness of the nest unless your right next to it.You can see how each stick was not just layed there but ordered into a perfect and strong clump that lasts the whole summer and years to come.
This nest was made on a radar transmitter i believe.I HOPE the workers don't destroy this nest as it has been there for many years.
There was 2 small chicks and i only seen the mother.I'm assuming the father is gone fishing for the family.

We had rushed to catch the 2:45 boat but a injector or something was being fixed.Some bran new boat ?That evening was very nice.The sun set was the first i had seen on st.Brendan's and there wasn't even any flies !

Sense getting into photography everything i look at i try to make a picture out of.As soon as we got to our summer home(The first one in the picture) i was out taking pictures.I never got any bird photos because i still don't have my lens.

The next morning i had arranged to go out and help a local fishermen and family friend haul up his lobster pots and get some pictures on the way.We could not ask for a better morning on the water...



It was hard work but it was fun hearing the stories he told and the knowledge he knew about the ocean and birds was amazing.
Its hard work having to make a living from the sea with prices on fish and other sea bounties falling unexpectedly.I realize how much stuff people take for granted.

This time around i was out in boat on the other side of the island.I seen 3 abandoned eagle nests and 1 active nest with one baby eagle about to fly in it.I also seen 3 tern nesting colonies and 1 sea pigeon nesting colony.with about 15-20 adults in the group.This picture shows the face of land they were nesting on.

The person who took me out in boat told me that terns used to nest on many small islands but for some reason stoped nesting there all together.The local fishermen of the island have never seen so many terns nesting on the main island.I thought that was an interesting detail.

I never got to look for warblers like i had hoped and i wasn't able to examine the nesting colonies for as long as i had wished but all in all it was a good trip and i will be back here again in 2 weekends time.
Here is my total of birds i seen.

100's of terns
8 eagles and 1 Baby 1 nest
4 osprey 2 babies 2 nests
many spotted sand pipers
15-20 sea pigeon's
1 gannet
1 yellow warbler
many sparrows

I also got ear of a really good spot to see boreal owls and i plan on setting up many nest boxes in that area next year.

Out behind my house

This is my second time this week going out behind my house to see what i can see and to hear what i can hear.I find it nice just being in the woods hearing the birds and seeing what animals i can see,And with a little insect repellent there wont be AS MANY flys.What more could a person ask for ? The wetlands are a home to many species of animals including frogs,fish,moose,coyote,king fisher,osprey,Merlin,mice,and even tree swallows !

The lily pads are starting to open flowers and the frogs are croaking.Its not something your going to find in down town st.Johns.

I took the opportunity to get some close ups of the frogs in the wetlands along the way.It was hard to get so close with out them darting off into the water.I'm pleased with the way they look !

The animals i seen today were:frogs,rabbits,many warblers and other birds of note.Tree swallows chasing a Merlin or small hawk,lots of sign of moose but i was late going in the woods so i didn't see any,and a few shrews crossing the trail.

For those of you thinking about going out in the woods like i did i would recommend you have the following: A pack sac,WATER!! and lots of it.A knife because you never know when one might come in hand and good foot wear.And assume you will be wet.

Happy Canada Day !

Today i headed out to middle cove again for some more caplin but this time for my nan.Unfortunately they were not rolling.

I did however not come out empty handed.I found the ospreys nest ! I'm not sure if they have young yet because the female was sitting on the nest.

I headed out to seal cove to see of they were rolling there.The tempature difference in the two locations is huge.It was freezing out in middle cove but very warm in seal cove

When i arrived at seal cove well lance cove to be exact there was a pond next to the beach with many sand pipers there ! Spotted sand pipers seamed to be the majority but there was however 2 or 3 greater yellow legs ! They wernt very tame all the same.

I also had a female yellow warbler come with in 2 feet of me while getting in my dads truck ! ofcoarce i didn't have my lens

HAPPY CANADA DAY !!!!!!!!!