Selected Bird Sightings at Sable Island

August 1 to September 22, and October 21 to November 8, 2003.

(December 2004).

The number in brackets indicates the minimum total number of individuals seen during the period. No observations were made during September 23 to October 20, so many autumn birds were not recorded, and numbers of others (e.g. sparrows and shorebirds) are low.

Greater Shearwater (>500) – small numbers seen during August and September; October 23, at least 500 (probably >1000) feeding off the north side of the east spit.

Leach's Storm-petrel (1) - October 24, 1 feeding in surf along the south side of the west spit.

Northern Gannet (1500) - October 23, at least 500 (probably >1000, adult, immature and juvenile) feeding off the north side of the east spit; November 7, mid-day, an estimated 1500 (mostly adults) fly west along the north side of the west spit.

Great Cormorant (2) - September 16, 1 on the west tip; October 24 1 immature on the west tip.

Double-crested Cormorant (8) - August 19, 1 immature at the west ponds; September 6, 3 at the west ponds; October 24, 4 immatures at the west tip; November 7, 1 immature at the west tip.

Great Blue Heron (2) – September 8 to 15, 1 seen at the west ponds; November 6-7, 1 in the west ponds area.

Cattle Egret (1) – October 22 to 27, several sightings of 1 in the West Light area (usually with horses), and on October 29 and November 8, 1 near No3.

Green-winged Teal (>20) – September 22, >20 at Pinetree Pond; November 7, 3 at the west ponds.

Ring-necked Duck (1) – September 22, 1 female at the west ponds.

Blue-winged Teal (2) - September 6, 2 at the west ponds.

Black-headed Gull (1) - October 24, 1 (first winter plumage) at the west tip.

Laughing Gull (2) - September 15, 2 (first summer plumage) on the east spit.

Ring-billed Gull (>8) - September 22, at least 8 juveniles eating grasshoppers in the yard at the Sable Island Station.

Iceland Gull (1) - August 15, 1 immature on the south beach near East Light.

Glaucous Gull (2) - August 11, 1 immature at the west ponds; October 24, 1 immature at the west tip.

Black-legged Kittiwake (>1000) - August 23, >20 adults on the east tip. Sightings of singletons, and groups of ten to twenty, during September. On October 26, periodic counts of adults and immatures flying west along the north side of the island indicated >1000 birds moving along the shore at midday. November 7, flocks of several hundred sitting on the water of the north side of the west spit.

Black Tern (1) – September 9, 1 at the west tip.

Black-bellied Plover (>100) – during August through October, singles and groups seen on the beach in all areas, and on any day 25 to 40 seen on the west spit (e.g. August 18, >40; September 9, >25; October 26, >35;) – probably 100s on the Island, but only counted on the west spit.

Golden Plover (>10) – August 29, 5 on the north beach of the west spit; October 27, 5 at the west ponds. Small numbers seen during August through October – probably many more, but not counted.

Semipalmated Plover (>40) – September 17, >30 on the north beach of the west spit; September 18, >10 on the north beach between the Station and No3.

Whimbrel (>40) - August 5, 11 in heath near the Station; September 10, >20 in one group fly over the west ponds, and 13 on the north beach between the Station and No3; September 18, 11 on the north beach near East Light.

Willet (3) – August 23, 3 together on the south beach east of No3.

Lesser Yellowlegs (10) – August 17, 1 at the west ponds; August 20, 10 between the Station and No3.

Greater Yellowlegs (>20) – August 20, 13 near No3; August 29, 9 on the west tip; September 6, 8 at the west ponds; November 7, 1 at the west ponds.

Solitary Sandpiper (2) – September 3, 2 at Iris Pond (inland, near No3).

Pectoral Sandpiper (2) – August 11, 1 on the south side of the west spit; August 23, 2 at the west ponds.

Sanderling (>350) – October 21, >350 on the south beach between the Station and Long Dune.

Dunlin (2) – October 24, 2 at the west ponds; October 31, 2 on south beach west of No3.

Ruddy Turnstone (>50) – August 11, >10 on the west spit; August 23, >50 on the south beach between the Station and the east tip; October 24, 1 on the west tip.

White-rumped Sandpiper (>20) – August 18, 1 at the west tip; August 20, 7 at Gull Pond; October 24, >20 on the west spit.

Baird's Sandpiper (1) – August 23, 1 feeding around a seal carcass at the east tip.

Short-billed Dowitcher (6) – August 20, 2 at Gull Pond; August 23, 6 at the west ponds; September 10, 5 at the west ponds.

Common Snipe (2) – September 3, 1 at Iris Pond; October 27 & November 7, 1 in the West Light & west ponds area.

American Kestrel (2) – September 11, 1 female grounded near the Station (held until transported off the Island on September 22, and released from ARRC on September 28); November 7, 1 male near Old Main.

Merlin (2) – September 19, 1 west of West Light; September 21, 2 chasing about together over dunes south of the Station.

Peregrine (1) – September 6, 1 in the west ponds area (chasing two Blue-winged Teal); October 22, 1 near East Light; October 26, 1 near Old Main.

Northern Harrier (2) – between September 6 & 10, several sightings near the Station; October 29, 1 in the No3 area.

Mourning Dove (2) – October 21, 2 near the Station; November 3, 1 at the Station.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (2) – August 4, 1 near West Light; October 27, 1 along the ponds road (eating woolly bears).

Boreal Owl (1) - October 16, 1 adult roosting inside garage at the Station, later found dead (reported by Station staff).

Eastern Kingbird (1) – between September 5 & 16, sightings of a single bird at various locations in the West Light and Station areas.

Tree Swallow (>24) – August 28, 7 west of West Light; and between August 30 & September 2, flocks of 10 and 14 at East Light and West Light, respectively.

Bank Swallow (4) – August 11, 1 at the Station; September 2, 3 west of West Light.

Barn Swallow (12) – August 8-9, 3 to 10 at the Station; September 2, 2 west of West Light.

Red-breasted Nuthatch (1) – September 16 to 22, sightings of 1 at the Station

Golden-crowned Kinglet (1) – October 22, 1 female at East Light.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1) – November 3, 1 male along the west ponds road.

Townsend's Solitaire (1) – October 29, 1 in heath area west of No4.

Hermit Thrush (1) – October 21, 1 near the Station.

Swainson's Thrush (1) – October 22, 1 found freshly dead near the Station.

American Robin (4) – October 21, 3 at the Station; October 29, 1 east of No3; October 30, 4 near West Light; November 7, 1 near the Station.

Northern Mockingbird (3) – September 10, 1 juvenile at West Light; October 22, 1 at West Light and 1 at East Light; November 3, 2 at the Station; November 8, 1 at the Station.

Catbird (3) - October 21-22, 2 at the Station; October 27, 3 at the Station; November 7, 2 at the Station.

Water Pipit (>20) – September 22, >20 in one flock at the west ponds.

Cedar Waxwing (>15) – September 4-7, >15 near the Station; October 21, 10 near the Station.

Bohemian Waxwing (2) – November 7, 2 adults at the Station.

Northern Parula (1) – November 1, 1 along the south beach road.

Yellow Warbler (2) – August 17 & September 13, 1 west of West Light.

Yellow-rumped Warbler (>25) – October 21, >20 near the Station; October 22, >5 at East Light; November 8, >10 near the Station.

Black-&-white Warbler (2) – between August 17 & September 10, at least 2 females in West Light to Station area.

Black-throated Blue Warbler (1) – September 15-16, 1 male west of West Light.

Townsend's Warbler (1) - October 22, 1 female at East Light.

Black-throated Green Warbler (1) - September 2, 1 at the Station.

Hooded Warbler (1) – August 8, 1 at the Station.

Canada Warbler (1) – September 14, 1 near West Light.

Redstart (4) – between August 8 & September 11, at least 4 individuals (male and female) seen in the West Light to Station area.

Northern Waterthrush (2) – August 11 to 21, sightings of 1 along the west ponds road; August 25, 2 along the road; September 18, 1 west of West Light.

Fox Sparrow (1) – October 21, 1 at the Station.

Savannah Sparrow (1) - October 30, 1 west of West Light.

Song Sparrow (1) - October 26 & November 7, at least 1 between West Light and the Station.

White-throated Sparrow (>5) – between September 14 & 22, and between October 21 & November 7, 2 and 3 respectively, in West Light and Station areas.

White-crowned Sparrow (1) – October 30 & November 3, 1 at the Station.

Junco (6) – between October 21 & November 11, at least 6 individuals scattered from the Station to No4.

Lapland Longspur (9) – October 26, 8 on the south beach of the west spit; October 31, 1 on Steeple Dune.

Snow Bunting (>180) - between October 29 & November 8, >180 in flocks of ten to fifty individuals on the west spit and along the north beach.

Dickcissel (1) – October 30 to November 1, 1 female at the Station.

Blue Grosbeak (2) – August 21-22, 1 first summer male near West Light; September 19, 1 (probably female) west of West Light.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1) – October 21, 1 at the Station (probably a first fall male).

Brown-headed Cowbird (1) – August 29, 1 female at the west tip.

Northern Oriole (13) – between August 24 & October 24, single individuals occurred in the West Light to Station area – on September 13, a total of 12 (including one adult male) was seen near the West Light.

Purple Finch (4) - between September 14 & November 7, at least 4 females in the West Light & Station areas.

Pine Grosbeak (1) – November 7, 1 female near the Station.