Saturday 19 September 2015

Prince Edward Island, Canada...

Not a birding break unfortunately but a very busy work jaunt. Nevertheless I scored a few birds as I travelled around this beautiful and very under-watched province of Canada and I got a few photos as a bonus. Saw quite a few Belted Kingfishers, which were always distant but great to see:

Belted Kingfisher: R. Harris
 Bonaparte's Gulls were less common than American Herring and Ring-billed Gulls but there were still good flocks to be seen at times as well as a few individuals like this one below.

Bonaparte's Gull: R. Harris
First winter Common Tern: R. Harris
Double-crested Cormorants - part of a flock of 125: R. Harris
Double-crested Cormorant: R. Harris
Ring-billed Gull: R. Harris
I collected some shots of American Herring Gull - the variety in 1st CY plumage can be seen below.

1CY American Herring Gull: R. Harris
1CY American Herring Gull: R. Harris
1CY American Herring Gull: R. Harris
1CY American Herring Gull - dark individual: R. Harris
American Herring Gull: R. Harris
American Herring Gull: R. Harris
Gannets were flying past the hotel in Charlottetown
R. Harris
Black Guillemots: R. Harris
A group of Common Seals: R. Harris
Great Blue Herons are as common on PEI as
they are elsewhere in Canada: R. Harris
Great Blue Heron: R. Harris
Caspian Terns were seen frequently, usually three or four at a time together. 
Caspian Tern: R. Harris
 Best of all was this Greater Yellowlegs that not only hung on while I got out of the car but then walked closer much to the appreciation of my group, who also started snapping away.

Greater Yellowlegs, PEI Canada: R. Harris
Greater Yellowlegs, PEI Canada: R. Harris
Greater Yellowlegs, PEI Canada: R. Harris
Greater Yellowlegs, PEI Canada: R. Harris
Greater Yellowlegs, PEI Canada: R. Harris

I took a short hand-held video of it too but not easy to keep up with it.

Greater Yellowlegs, PEI, Canada

Passerines were a bit thin on the ground but you could always depend on Song Sparrows to pop up when you needed something to look at.

Song Sparrow (almost bald!): R. Harris
Song Sparrow: R. Harris

Lots of wild flowers still out over there too but my favourite is the insectivorous Pitcher Plant Sarracenia purpurea:

Pitcher Plant Sarracenia purpurea: R. Harris
Pitcher Plant flower: R. Harris
Pitcher Plant flower: R. Harris
In addition to these I also had several Bald Eagles, Semi-palmated Plover, Semi-palmated Sandpiper, Sanderling, American kestrel, loads of Merlins, Hudsonian Whimbrel, Eastern Kingbird and American Goldfinch. 

No comments:

Post a Comment