2024-01-03
All about the black guillemot
During the winter we get a lot of good opportunities to view black guillemots up close. The plumage is different over the winter compared to the summer; so, it is often confusing as to what bird you have found. The black guillemot is a member of the auk family. In the summer this bird is a duck-like black water bird with red feet, a pointed black bill and has extensive white patches on the wings. In the fall and winter they are mostly white, with upper parts mottled dark brown, and white below. The wings are black with a white patch and the tail is black.
David Walmark of Kingsburg told me that he had some white-throated sparrows show up. For a few months I had a hard time finding this species. Now they seem to be more plentiful than song sparrows. At least that is what I noticed on the three Christmas bird counts that I've done and in birding around home locally. There are large numbers of blue jays. On my route during the Shelburne (Cape Sable Island) Christmas Bird Count, that runs from Upper Woods Harbour back to Doctor's Cove, I saw 38.
Barbara McLean had a pine warbler visiting her feeder in Lunenburg on Dec. 14. Lise Bell reported evening grosbeaks at Petite Riviere. This is not an easy species to find so far this winter. There was also a red-winged blackbird there. Pat Watson saw a great blue heron at First South. This bird since has been seen by a number of people at Fader's Cove. Eric Mills reported that a red-throated loon was still tending in the Lunenburg Harbour. On Dec. 24 Barbara McLean of Lunenburg had both a ruby-crowned kinglet and a pine warbler show up. Clay Weagle of Bridgewater had an eastern towhee on Christmas Day in his backyard.
Kevin Lantz found the pink-footed goose that originally had been at Second Peninsula. It is ranging further afield and thus we cannot divulge the exact location until after goose season is closed. Sadly there have been incidents over the past year where geese and ducks, rare to this area, have been posted along with their location and Hunters have been able to locate and kill them for trophies. Not all hunters will do this, but a select few do. So during the open season, we now have to keep the location quiet as to where certain species of birds are tending.
On Dec. 15, Tom Kavanaugh of Canso, had a golden-crowned sparrow show up at his feeders. On Dec. 16 Paul Gould located six eastern bluebirds at Port La Tour. On Dec. 17 Lori Buhlman saw an eastern towhee at Cole Harbour and a yellow-breasted chat, a ruby-crowned kinglet and a winter wren at Bisset Lake. Dominic Cormier and David Bell watched a parasitic jaeger harassing black-legged kittiwakes at Hartlen Point. They saw a palm warbler at Cow Bay and a Wilson's snipe at Cole Harbour. Mary Kennedy reported a Wilson's warbler in Dartmouth. Mark Dennis found a hermit thrush in Yarmouth, a common yellowthroat at Chegoggin and a cackling goose in Hebron. Logan Moore discovered seven sandhill cranes at Regent Street in Yarmouth. Paul Gould had a winter wren in Plymouth. On Dec. 18, Mark Dennis reported that the female king eider was still at Cape Sable Island. Mark Dennis found a black-throated gray warbler in Barrington on Dec. 19. A gray heron continues in Yarmouth County. Burke Korol reported a marsh wren at the River Hebert Sewage Lagoons and Megan Boucher had one at the Amherst Bird Sanctuary as well as a ruby-crowned kinglet. On Dec. 25 various birders reported a Say's phoebe in Argyle.
You can reach me at (902) 693-2174 or email jrhbirder@hotmail.com.
