Interestingly if not embarrassing is that it was 30 years ago since I saw my first and last Shoveler.
The Shovelers were on Digby Neck, when we finally arrived on the island there were good signs that there would be lots of birds to see. Among other birds it seemed like there was a Gray Catbird in almost every thicket.
The feeders in town had a lot of activity, one feeder had a pair of Rose-breasted Grosbeaks.
As usual many people had put out oranges for the Orioles and there were several moving from one yard to the next.
After two days of relatively nice weather, Sunday arrived with heavy rains and lightning. Rather than sit under a leaky tarp Carmen and I decided to take a drive to see if we could add to our list for the weekend. After adding Yellowlegs and a Willet Carmen noticed another bird in the marsh. I recognized it immediately as an Ibis, likely a Glossy. It turned out there were six in total and I attempted to get a few shots in the rain.
Since Mark and Gretchen (and baby Lucy) were still at the campsite we drove back to let them know about the Glossy Ibis. By this time the rain was letting up and after returning to the marsh I took a few more pictures.
Another interesting thing about this sighting is that it was 30 years ago when I saw my first Glossy Ibis on the very same day I saw my first Northern Shoveler. Not a bad way to end our weekend. Mark and Gretchen did stay an extra day and added a few notables including a Northern Waterthrush. Among other sightings for the weekend were both Summer and Scarlet Tanagers as well as a Red-bellied Woodpecker. Looking forward to year 31.
4 comments:
Beautiful pictures, thanks! We are moving to Westport permanently in a month (we have a suite for rent on the first floor of our house, for your next visit perhaps...). We have yet to see the Glossy Ibis...Does it stop over on Brier Island during its migration?
Hi Marie, thanks for the comment. Glossy Ibis would be best described as an overshoot here, meaning they sometimes migrate past their normal more southern range and end up in NS. So they are a possibility every year but not regular. These were the first I have seen on Brier Island but your chances to see one are probably better now that you're living on the island.
I've been to Brier Island several times, but don't think I've never seen an ibis! What an interesting-looking bird, you've definitely captured it well with your lens. Fantastic photos!
Thanks Heather. There is always something interesting to see on Brier.
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