By Joshua Barss Donham, Apr 21, 2024.
Hooded Warbler at Sandy Cove, Apr 21
April is such a wonderful time of year with the broom crowberry and Mayflowers in bloom, the spring peepers calling, and migrant birds returning from the south (should see Yellow-rumped Warblers, Palm warblers, and Hermit Thrush return any day now). Thought I would share a little what I’ve been seeing and hearing, and what Fulton and I have been doing, in the Backlands.
Fulton and I have done several ‘pre-hawk watches’ in preparation for an actual hawk-watch which Fulton is hoping to do soon. A hawk watch involves standing/sitting on the ‘hawk rock’, a long whaleback a few metres south of the cul-de-sac at the end of Alabaster Way, and scanning the horizon for what Fulton calls “little black dots”, raptors passing through the Backlands or those returning to the Backlands from the south.
We have done three pre-hawk watches over the past two week. During the first (April 9th) we saw a Merlin as well as the immature eagle that has been seen throughout the winter. By April 10th last year, the Osprey, Turkey Vultures, and Northern Harriers that nest near East Pine Island Pond were all back; it was an earlier than usual return last year.
Bald Eagle with large stick or possibly eel, & Osprey Apr 14
Between per-hawk watches, the first Osprey (that I’d seen) showed up. The children of some friends of ours have been helping me search for pine-barren golden heather, one of three endangered plant species found in the Backlands, and record where it is growing using iNaturalist. A week ago Sunday (April 14th) we walked out the Pumphouse Road toward East Pine Island Pond looking for golden heather along a path between the road and Lower Mud Pond. Up above Powers Pond we watched an Osprey hassling an adult Bald Eagle with what looked like a stick, possible a large eel (?), in its talons.
On the walk out to Lower Mud Pond we passed several vernal pools/ponds. The following day, after hearing spring peepers at Williams Lake, I took a nocturnal stroll out the Pumphouse Road where I heard a single wood frog calling amide a chorus of peepers.
Osprey on Nest Alabaster Way area Apr 16
Our second pre-hawk watch, April 16th, saw the return of more migrants. Besides a second immature eagle (not the one seen the previous week) we saw Turkey Vultures (3), Osprey (5), a Red-tailed Hawk, a Broad-winged Hawk and, surprisingly for the Backlands, a Rough-legged Hawk. Last year in the middle of the nesting season the Osprey nest on the post at the end of Alabaster Way was destroyed in a wind storm. When the Osprey did not rebuild on the post Fulton suggested that they would probably make a new nest nearby and, sure enough, before long we noticed the Osprey flying over carrying fish and dropping down into the trees just south of the original nest site. The first Osprey we saw during the this watch dropped down into the same spot we had noticed them disappearing last year and, without leaves on the trees, we could see the new nest atop a pine snag.
Last Friday, we did a third Pre-hawk watch and again saw Turkey Vultures (a pair) and, this time, two Coopers Hawks. Most remarkably, just as we were preparing to leave, a pair (female/male) of Eastern Bluebirds flew in low over the Backlands! Moving fast they passed over the first row of houses on Alabaster Way, lit on a telephone wire momentarily, and then continued up Mica Crescent.
Osprey On Nest at Princeton Avenue
Also, on Friday, Fulton and I visited the Osprey nesting site at the end of Angler Drive where we found a bird on the nest. Yesterday I checked the nest at Princeton Avenue and there was an Osprey there as well. All three Osprey nesting sites in the Backlands, those that we know about, are now occupied. At Princeton Avenue a pair of Grackles that have made their nest in the base of the Osprey’s nest for the last few years have returned. At Princeton I also heard, for the first time this year, a ruffed grouse ‘drumming’ … the grouse being another of our Backlands ground nesting species.
Turkey Vulture on Apr 21
Today (Apr 21) I made a trip to Sandy Cove near Ketch Harbour with my friends to see a Hooded Warbler that has shown up there, far north of its natural range, subsisting on kelp flies that it picks up amide the strewn seaweed on the beach. On the way we stopped at Osprey Ridge/Alabaster Way just in time to have four Turkey Vulture fly directly over us heading north in the direction of Colpitt Lake.
The extraordinary Hooded Warbler was in breeding plumage. Not in the Backlands, but if you get the chance to go see it …
Thx, as always, Joshua, for sharing your enthusiasm and bird skills!
Tree Swallow on snag , Mac Run/East Pine Island Pond area Apr 23
Snag is at left of the background photo)
After many decades, I am still a struggling bird-watcher… Joshua’s writings are definitely helping move me along a little faster.
‘Was quite proud of myself when I met Joshua yesterday afternoon, told him I had been in the Pine Island Pond area in the a.m., he asked if I had seen any swallows and I was able to yes, a Tree Swallow!
- david p (webmaster/editor for backlandscolition.ca)
For more about birds in the Backlands, see Natural History/Flora & Fauna/Birds