Selected Bird Sightings at Sable Island

September, October, and November 2006

(June 2007).

The number in brackets indicates the minimum number of individuals seen during the period.

Greater Shearwater (>100) - September 4, >100 feeding at the south side of the west tip.

Northern Gannet (>300) - October 4, >40 (mostly juveniles) feeding along the north side of the east spit; November 1, >300 (adults & juveniles) feeding just off the west tip; and November 8, >200 (>95% adults) feeding and flying westward along the north & south sides of the west spit.

Great Cormorant (2) - on September 24 and November 14, first year birds seen on the south beach near the Station and on the east tip.

Double-crested Cormorant (>5) - September 3, 3 first year birds on the west spit; October 17, 2 (adult & first year) on the west tip; and November 2, 1 adult on the north beach east of No3.

American Bittern (1) - October 7, 1 at the west ponds.

Yellow-crowned Night-heron (1) - September 22, 1 juvenile standing on a sheltered beach slope near West Light.

Cattle Egret (1) - October 16, 1 west of West Light.

Great Egret (1) - October 15, 1 standing on the south beach at the base of a dune near East Light.

Great Blue Heron (9) - between September 23 and December 23, at least 9 individuals sighted in the west ponds area, including 6 seen together on the south beach on November 1.

Wood Duck (1) - October 6, 1 male at the west ponds.

Green-winged Teal (>40) - September 28, >40 in one group at the west ponds; and November 5, 30 together at Gallinule Pond near No3.

Blue-winged Teal (9) - October 19 to 23, a total of 9 seen at ponds between West Light and No.3.

Ring-necked Duck (1) – November 4-6, 1 male at the west ponds.

Black Scoter (1) - November 1, 1 female in south beach floodwater near No3.

White-winged Scoter (1) – October 28 & November 1, 1 male in south beach floodwater near No3.

Oldsquaw (1) - November 5, 1 female in south beach floodwater near No3.

Bufflehead (3) – October 31, 3 females at the west ponds; and November 6, 1 female at the west ponds.

Northern Harrier (1) - from September 3 to November 6, sightings of a single bird at various locations between the west spit and the No4 area – on October 28, a Harrier was engaged in flight with a Peregrine in what appeared to be aggressive behaviour.

American Kestrel (2) - during September 26 through to December 24, sightings of 1 to 2 birds in the West Light area.

Merlin (2) - September 7, 1 female near the Station; and sightings of a single bird at various locations during September through to October 13.

Peregrine (4) - from September 28 to November 8, at least 4 individuals (including 1 adult tundrius and 2 juveniles) seen at various locations between the west and east ends of the island.

Sora (1) September 20, 1 at the west ponds.

Common Moorhen (1) - on four occasions between October 8 and November 20, sightings of 1 juvenile at the west ponds.

American Coot (12) - during September 26 through November 9, as many as 12 individuals seen at various ponds (for example, on November 5, there were 9 at the west ponds, 1 at Pinetree Pond, and 1 near No3).

Black-bellied Plover (>125) - between October 4 and November 2, >125 seen on all beach areas of the island (and, as unusual, there were likely far more).

American Golden Plover (5) - on September 2, 5 birds were at the west ponds, but no attempt was made to count birds.

Semipalmated Plover (26) - August 6, 26 along the northern edge of the west ponds.

Killdeer (2) - September 2, 1 south of the Station; and November 2, 1 on the north beach near East Light.

Willet (1) - September 3, 1 at the west ponds.

Solitary Sandpiper (1) - September 26, 1 at Gallinule Pond.

Whimbrel (>35) - during September 1 through 26, at least 35 individuals seen at various locations.

Sanderling (>250) - October 28, >250 on the south beach between the Station and No3.

Dunlin (12) - November 5, 12 with Sanderlings on the south beach between the Station and No3.

Pectoral Sandpiper (2) - between September 23 and October 23, sightings of at least 2 individuals near ponds.

Buff-breasted Sandpiper (1) - September 5, 1 at the west ponds.

Stilt Sandpiper (1) - November 2, 1 at the west ponds.

Common Snipe (3) - between September 7 and October 11, 3 individuals seen near ponds.

Long-tailed Jaeger (5) - September 2, 4 juveniles on the east tip; September 3, 1 juvenile on the west tip (with other jaegers in the distance).

Laughing Gull (1) - October 3, 1 first winter on the north beach near the Station.

Bonaparte’s Gull (3) - September 3, 1 first winter on the south side of the west spit; October 9, 2 first winter on the west tip.

Black-legged Kittiwake (>200) - September 2, >25 adults at the east tip; September 3, >25 adults at the west tip; and October 9, >200 at the west tip.

Black Tern (2) - September 5, 2 juveniles at the west ponds, and September 17, 1 juvenile on the north side of west spit.

Mourning Dove (4) - September 29 to October 27, 4 individuals between West Light and the Station.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (1) - October 2, 1 near the Station.

Black-billed Cuckoo (1) - September 23, 1 near West Light.

Belted Kingfisher (1) - October 4, 1 female near No4.

Northern Flicker (2) - September 16 to November 2, 1 to 2 birds, sometimes together at various locations.

Western Kingbird (1) - October 21, 1 at the Station.

Northern Shrike (1) - October 25, 1 at the Station.

Red-eyed Vireo (1) - September 19, 1 at the Station, and found dead the next day.

Horned Lark (2) - November 4, 2 with Snow Buntings on the south beach of the west spit.

Tree Swallow (>95) - September 5, 5 >95 in one flock west of West Light.

Bank Swallow (1) - September 1, 1 west of West Light.

Red-breasted Nuthatch (1) - September 6, 1 at the Station.

Golden-crowned Kinglet (3) - November 6, 3 on dune near No3.

Ruby-crowned Kinglet (4) - from September 22 to November 6, 1-4 birds seen in dune vegetation at various in the West Light area.

Swainson’s Thrush (1) - October 15 & 23, 1 at the Station.

Hermit Thrush (2) - October 22, 1 west of West Light; October 28, 1 at East Light.

American Robin (>25) - beginning October 4, scattered sightings of birds between West Light and the No3 area; on November 6, there were >25 near the Station.

Northern Mockingbird (1) - throughout September 30 to November 8, numerous sightings of a single bird in the West Light and Station area.

Water Pipit (>20) - September 18 to November 2, sightings of single birds and groups (of at least 15 individuals) at various locations.

Bohemian Waxwing (>15) - November 6, >15 adults at the Station.

Cedar Waxwing (>30) - September 1, >20 juveniles at the Station; October 28, >30 (adults and juveniles) at the Station.

Nashville Warbler (2) - between September 21 and October 23, several sightings between the west tip and the Station.

Northern Parula (2) - October 2, 2 near the Station.

Magnolia Warbler (1) - October 16, 1 west of West Light.

Yellow-rumped Warbler (>50) - during September 23 to November 1, at least 50 birds in groups of up to 20 at various locations.

Black-&-White Warbler (3) - September 5 to October 23, 3 females in the Station area.

Black-throated Blue Warbler (2) - between September 22 and November 19, at least 2 females in the Station area.

Black-throated Green Warbler (1) - September 7 & 23, 1 near the west ponds.

Yellow-throated Warbler (3) - September 4 to 29, at least 3 birds (one with white lores noted) in the West Light to Station area.

Prairie Warbler (3) September 26 to November 2, at least 3 in the West Light to Station area.

Blackpoll Warbler (2) - September 23 to October 7, several sightings along the west ponds road.

Palm Warbler (7) - September 3 to October 26, sightings at various locations, at least 7 individuals.

Yellow Warbler (2) - September 7-23, at least 2 in the West Light area.

Wilson’s Warbler (4) - September 16, 3 males and 1 female in the West Light area.

Hooded Warbler (1) - October 20, 1 male west of West Light.

Ovenbird (1) - October 14-15, 1 near the Station.

Northern Waterthrush (1) - September 21, 1 along the ponds road.

Yellow-breasted Chat (1) – October 26, 1 west of West Light, missing its tail and on foot in the vegetation.

American Redstart (4) - during September 7-23, at least 4 in the West Light area.

Scarlet Tanager (1) - October 17, 1 female west of West Light.

Lincoln’s Sparrow (2) - September 17, 1 west of West Light; and October 23, 1 at West Light.

Song Sparrow (1) - October 10, 1 at West Light.

White-throated Sparrow (4) - October 2-28, at least 4 in the West Light to Station area.

White-crowned Sparrow (6) - between September 26 and October 31, 1-2 birds at various locations from West Light to East Light (likely more numerous).

Junco (5) - October 8 to November 6, at least 5 in the West and East Light areas.

Lapland Longspur (3) - September 27, 1 at the west ponds; November 4, 2 with Snow Buntings on the west spit.

Snow Bunting (>70) - October 15, 2 on dunes near East Light; November 6, >50 in a flock over the Station and >20 in a flock near No3.

Dickcissel (1) - October 19-21, 1 first winter female near the Station.

Indigo Bunting (3) - October 6-23, 2 at the Station; and November 1-5, a third at the Station.

Common Grackle (1) - October 19-20, 1 at the Station.

Rusty Blackbird (1) - September 17, 1 on the west spit, and September 18, 1 near the Station. Both sightings were of a fall male, possibly the same individual.

Baltimore Oriole (5) - September 6 to October 26, sightings of at least 5 individuals between West Light and the Station.

Purple Finch (5) - September 26 to November 6, sightings of 1 to 2 males and females at various locations in the West Light to Station area.

White-winged Crossbill (1) – October 28, 1 male west of West Light.

Pine Grosbeak (2) - between October 28 and November 6, several sightings of a male and a female near the Station.

Common Redpoll (1) – October 28, 1 female west of West Light.

Evening Grosbeak (3) – November 5, 3 at the Station; November 6, 6 (including 2 males) at the Station.