Well, it looks like the spring weather is done and we will have to get re-acquainted with winter.
But before anyone starts thinking that I've lost it, I should explain .
While the mainland is still labouring through freezing rain and associated damage and power outages, we have had uninterrupted temperatures well above freezing since last week.
Rather than sleet, we have had a thaw that removed nearly every trace of snow. We didn't dip to freezing until about 9 AM today.
Yesterday I saw a couple PURPLE SANDPIPERS foraging on the lawn and the day before a ROBIN was finding worms. In fact, there were a lot of drown and living earth worms in our oil catch basin when I drained it this morning.
There has been a SNOWY OWL around for 5, perhaps 6 days. I haven't seen any evidence of hunting success and until today it has set in one spot (+/- 6 feet) all day, hunting only at dawn and dusk.
Today started as usual but since mid-day the owl has moved several times. Why? Weather change? Hungry? Impossible to know for sure but I'm worried that it may be starving and the increased movement may reflect increasing need.
With no rodents or other typical prey on the island and no evidence of a kill, I doubt that it's eaten since arriving here.
Our SNOW BUNTING flock has reached 33 and HARLEQUINS hit 56 today. PURPLE SANDPIPERS seem fairly steady around a hundred and SONG SPARROWS at about a dozen.
This winter as only had 1 RAVEN at a time, unlike the usual pair that we expect to see.
The Falcon which reported in my last post proved to be a PEREGRINE, as I suspected. It, or another, has been back at least twice since then. The only other raptor has been 3 or more EAGLES.
Water birds traffic has been rather slow: GANNETS; GREAT & DC CORMORANTS; EIDERS; MERGANSERS; all 3 SCOTERS; LONG TAILED DUCKS; BLACK DUCKS; KITTIWAKES; ICELAND, HERRING & GR.BLK. BACKED GULLS; RAZORBILLS; PUFFINS; MURRES; GREAT & SOOTY SHEARWATERS and FULMAR.
Now the question. Can I get 30 species for tomorrow's CBC?
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