We decided to do a Fall Trip to Brier Island this year, the first time in several years and the first for our current group of birders. It was also the first time we did Brier twice in the same calendar year, in the past it was usually a choice made due to unfavourable conditions in the Spring.
I wouldn't say it was a disappointment but I think we all agreed that Spring birding is the more enjoyable option. The birds are in breeding plumage and warblers tend to win the day. The highlight in late September is the huge number of migrating hawks, the problem for me as a photographer is that raptors migrate during the day and the most active time is at midday when the light is not ideal.
We were treated to a variety of falcon species including the juvenile Peregrine in the following photo.
American Kestrels were numerous as well as Merlins.
Although not a hawk but a member of the nightjar family and strictly an insect eater we did see several Nighthawks on the island and on the way there.
The sparrow in the next shot showed up at our campsite late on the last day of the trip. It was an exciting moment at the time since we had seen very few songbirds up to that point. We puzzled over it at the time without coming to a consensus as to it's identity. After some expert help it was decided it was just a Chipping Sparrow in Fall plumage.
Probably the most numerous raptor of the trip were Broad-winged Hawks. I don't remember whether we attempted an official count but it seemed like there were hundreds. There were also lots of Sharpies around and at least one Red-tail.
The other disadvantage of birding on Brier in the Fall is just the number of tourists, so places you might normally have all to yourself in May are not as private as you might like. While me met very few birders there were droves of people there to take advantage of the many whale watching tours. I suspect there were also a few people on those boats looking for some of the pelagic bird species that are abundant in those waters. Looking forward to getting back there in the Spring - only another four months or so.
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