The weather plays a big part in what the birds do, and I know I’m not telling you something you don’t already know, so when we got a south-westerly system that moved up the eastern seaboard, drawing birds from the central US and drifting them over the ocean before kicking back to south-easterly, fingers were crossed that we’d get a slice of the overshooting action, and we did. Indigo Buntings were the marker, with birds being found from around mid-morning on April-13th as birders shook the sleep from their eyes and got out. Arrival continued for the next few days after with Blue Grosbeaks, Scarlet and Summer Tanagers and several Little Blue Herons pitching down the length and breadth of Nova Scotia. Oddly warblers were mostly unaffected, the exception being a showy Hooded Warbler in Sandy Cove. We might have also expected more Snowy Egrets than we got and where did Nova Scotia’s earliest spring Yellow-billed Cuckoo come from? Perhaps the biggest rarity of the period was a Brown Pelican in Chéticamp, but even that was eclipsed a week later.
During my trip around Cape Island on April 21st, post a day of rain and strong southerly winds, I arrived at my final stop after a pretty quiet tour. I never drive past West Head in Newellton without stopping because I’ve seen good birds there and even though it might only be a couple of Killdeer or a late Kumlien’s Gull. On this day I was looking for a second Great Egret, having just seen the Daniel’s Head bird. I drove in and before checking the first pool, I saw a dumpy bird picking bits from the rough parking lot. I immediately knew that it was a large plover, I also thought it was a European Golden Plover. Now I had to reason out why it wasn’t.
When encountering something like this, a major rarity in Nova Scotia, there are two things to do and in this order. First, get a doc shot. European Golden Plover is a tricky species and if you don’t see the diagnostic underwing, you’re putting together bits to make a whole, a whole that someone else will have to assess if it’s going to take its place in the record. Two, and after having looked at the thing properly, you need to tell your friends, so I did. While I waited their arrival my main concern was that the semi parking lot at West Head serves a busy wharf, and that people would be driving in and out all the time. Luckily, as it was a Sunday, they weren’t.
Shots grabbed, I tried to get into a better position on the bird while sending out a text saying I have a golden plover species. When I send that sort of text out, people know to get in the car. I wanted a side-on shot showing the tertials, structure, leg length and belly pattern, but suddenly a big black truck was approaching the bird and I prepared to intercept. The truck stopped short of the bird and the driver looked at the bird. He could see what I was looking too, so he drove over to me and we chatted as I texted and photographed. Contrary to popular opinion, not all big black truck drivers have one speed and an unhealthy disregard for the rest of the road or anything on it. Interested at what he was told, the considerate guy crept off slowly and the bird flew. It came right over me and even with my ears I could hear it call, confirming the ID. It must have done a small circle because it came back in and the twitch began. Clicking on photos makes them bigger.
Ronnie was golfing, but that didn’t stop him and he was ferried from the course back to his car like some sort of ornithological emergency case. Mike currently has what we are reliably informed is a ‘man cold’, immediately fifty percent of the population has the deepest sympathy, he was second on the scene. Logan was walking at Daniel’s Head and about as far from home as he could be, he got there fourth. Tony and Angie were in Stumpy Cove, they were third on the scene. Rick was already on the road when he got the text, Sandra wasn’t picking up so took her time finding out. Alix and Kathleen arrived to see the bird, Clyde and Cal arrived, Paul was delayed though, brown trouser time for him. To make it obvious that things were afoot and in the absence of having a handy bunch of covered wagons, we formed a protective arc of cars. The fitter legs amongst us (Logan) ever ready to dash out and divert anyone attempting to drive through the important bit of the parking lot and risk being scowled at, nobody did.
As we watched the bird, texts were flying about constantly. Nathalie and Wayne were an hour away at normal speed (for a birder). In distant HRM, Jason barely prevaricated while Ray and Dave made a snap decision to start the car. After two hours, I left the bird and went to eat while Wayne and Nathalie awaited those from points north. Meanwhile the local cops, in vehicles cunningly disguised as police cruisers, waited for their prey where the road through Barrington Passage drops to 50kmph. They’d been there all week but I’m glad to report that we law-abiding birders never troubled them.
Suitably refreshed, I went back to West Head mid-afternoon, by that time a few locals had told us that they see them every day on the beach etc., etc. This always happens and you just smile politely because good luck telling them that they’re wrong. Paul, Ray and Dave got there in time as did James and Dorothy and a friend, Terry Crowell too. They all had maybe ten minutes before the bird stretched, called and flew off. It was watched going up the sound towards Barrington. It was there five hours and ten minutes.
It was, in many ways, the perfect twitch for those who made it. I think we owe thanks to locals who use the place daily and who happily went around us and, more importantly, to the bird for stopping around long enough for others to enjoy. Whilst there, I spoke to several guys in big black trucks and they were all interested in what we were up to. One young guy even said he didn’t know that birdwatching was a thing, locally, now he knows differently. The European Golden Plover was the sixth for Nova Scotia and a new species for Shelburne County. We all enjoyed the event immensely.
Getting a review for a book I’ve written is a rare thing. Reviews are used by Amazon’s algorithm to place any books in their system which, if they’re positive, keep the book afloat or, if they’re negative, can sink it without trace. Some authors buy reviews, it’s become a cottage industry. I won’t and never will because I don’t write for profit, I write because I have a story to tell. Most of my reviews are positive, although I had one (for War and Peas) from a guy who seemed to be a professional sourpuss, he gave me one star and a mealy-mouthed comment. Unfortunately, authors can’t reply to bad reviews on Amazon. This month I got a comment for ‘The Collector’, book four in my Nova Scotia birder mystery series. Here it is:
I may not be able to answer the person via Amazon, but I can do so here. I assume the preaching the critic speaks of is either about political positions, religious positions or ethical positions taken in the book, they don’t specify. Politically, I don’t believe any naturalist would vote for anyone of any political allegiance who wants to wipe out wildlife, it just doesn’t scan. In terms of religion, people of faith have trouble with agnostics or atheists and vice versa. My characters vary, but most are politically enlightened and religiously neutral- because that is how most people are, despite what organised religion wants you to believe. For balance, I suppose I should have more right-leaning characters, but I don’t because they are a vocal minority and I’d struggle portraying someone with their mindset as anything other than destructive. I don’t much like destructive. As for wildlife ethics, only cruel and unbalanced people do cruel things.
Just a reminder that the latest Nova Scotia birder mystery, ‘Fragile Lives’ has just been published – see the link on the side bar. I do have ideas for book seven, the working title is ‘The Chaser’. You can find me and my books at Amazon, search under books and my name. I also have an author blog at https://markdennisbooks.wordpress.com
The weather pattern I spoke of earlier hung for a few days and was likely responsible for an overshooting Upland Sandpiper at Western Head, Queens County. While not rare in Nova Scotia, Upland Sandpiper can be tricky to get and so the Western Head bird has proved popular. Where to place it in an RBA context gave rise to a few interesting comments. In my view it’s a regional rarity, I think that for a province-wide alert a species needs a status of three a year or less.
The problem with having a provincial RBA set of species is that the list can’t easily cater for regional differences. An example would be Spruce Grouse, Black-backed Woodpecker and even Pine Grosbeak in Shelburne-Yarmouth-Digby. All are rare there, none of them need even a regional RBA as per the list. Part of the issue is the need for an RBA list to evolve and reflect recent trends as species occurrences fluctuate. This is best done with regional input. With regard to the Upland Sandpiper, I accept the comments regarding rarity, although I’ve found two and seen six. It’s fair to say it sits in a grey area as quite a few species do, both because they’re getting more regular or because they’ve getting rarer, think Black-crowned Night-Heron.
Looking back at past April arrivals for roughly the same period, we’ve had some excellent species locally. Sadly, I missed a Louisiana Waterthrush at Crystal Crescent Beach, but I did get to see a Prothonotary Warbler that found the kelp at Pubnico Point attractive. One year Greg found us a Worm-eating Warbler in Winnie Penney Wood, along with a couple of Blue Grosbeaks. Two years ago, Logan had this Eastern Meadowlark in his yard. Sometimes it is nice to look back and remember, and maybe dream a bit. Any excuse to show nice photos!
These are the three books I’ve published so far this year. The Yucatan book covers a week in Mexico. Lots of photos and site write-ups. Hold my Limpkin covers last year’s excellent birding in Nova Scotia (mainly). Again, a lot of photos are involved and (hopefully) some humour, maybe even some preaching! Fragile lives has us once again following Howey Cross and Moira along with the rest of the Nova Scotia birders, while a sad life runs in parallel and through difficult circumstances. It’s a dark tale in places and you need to be able to follow a plot to get the most out of it. eBooks offer the best value, especially where the books with lots of photos are concerned. Print gets expensive but they’re there and the photos have come out pretty good. If you do buy one of my books, thanks or your support.
Cape Sable Birding 