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This Rufous Hummingbird was in the Yarmouth County NS in August 2015. Still the only one I've seen in NS, although I did miss one by five minutes in Queens County once. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

submitted 6 days ago • 0 comments

We'd been in the new house at Clam Point NS for three weeks when a Black-billed Cuckoo showed up and stayed, it probably bred as a second later appeared. None since and I don't see them annually in NS. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

submitted 6 days ago • 0 comments

We came to NS to check it out for a potential move in Nov 2014 and saw this Spruce Grouse. I've only seen three more since, very thin on the ground down here in the south.

submitted 6 days ago • 0 comments

A Mountain Bluebird that showed up on Cape Sable Island, NS, the first winter we were here, January 2015. None since, which is hardly surprising given their normal range. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #Novascotia

submitted 6 days ago • 3 comments

Tis the season for these lads to show up looking miserable around the wharves on Cape Island, NS. I have to call them Thick-billed Murre now, but they'll really always be a Brunnich's to me. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #NovaScotiaBirds

submitted 11 days ago • 0 comments

Over the next few weeks we'll be uploading our Kenya vids to our YouTube (not monetized) channel. Here is a taster. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke7P... #Birds #Birding #Kenya #Animals

submitted 14 days ago • 0 comments

Good morning Canada.

submitted 14 days ago • 0 comments

Part two of our birding year in Nova Scotia. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ysk... #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #Novascotia

submitted 14 days ago • 0 comments

When my Canon R7 packs up, I'm thinking to switch to Sony, but then I browse some older shots with Canon gear and start wondering whether I should again. Short-eared Owl. Sit in car and wait, owl flies past, click. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

submitted 15 days ago • 1 comment

I just did a blog post, Varied Thrush, King Eider and an interesting looking female Common Goldeneye. capesablebirding.wordpress.com/2025/02/11/d... #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #Naturewriting

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

Looks like Great Grey Owls are around eastern Canada this winter, not in Nova Scotia but certainly Quebec. When we lived there, I had a little spot near home that had seven one time. Something in life actually worth the 'awesome' tag. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching.

submitted 19 days ago • 1 comment

Last ad for the Kenya travelogues, book three is done and dusted. Back to writing my latest novel again now, in between the birding that is.

submitted 19 days ago • 0 comments

Our King Eider got through another season. Hadn't seen her since January 2nd, and wondered whether one of the sh*th##ds had finally got her, but no. Safe now, at least legally, although I think we're all wondering about that sort of thing now, and rightly so. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

submitted 20 days ago • 1 comment

This has always been one of my favourite Kumlien's Gull shots. I took it with my first digital camera, a Canon Rebel and, despite regular updates successive equipment failed, I've never bettered it, and that despite taking thousands of gull shots since. #Birds #Birding #Gulls #Birdwatching

submitted 22 days ago • 0 comments

At the risk of intruding, I'll just mention that our second Kenya travelogue is now available. #Birding #Birdingbooks #Kenya #Birdingtrips

submitted 22 days ago • 0 comments

Because I write, I'll occasionally tell you about it. Do skip on if it doesn't interest you. #Naturewriting #Travelogues #Wildlifewriting #Birds

submitted 25 days ago • 0 comments

Despite waking to heavy snow, we got out and went into the next-door county (Queens) for Nova Scotia tick Varied Thrush. We had an explore, had a lunch and gave Queens a bit of coverage, nice, as there's barely a birder there. #Novascotia #Birding #Birdwatching

submitted 25 days ago • 1 comment

Here's the speech if you haven't heard it. 13 minutes of your time. Share it with your American friends and neighbours, because they won't see it otherwise. Circulate it in Mexico and Denmark, France and the UK, Panama and Germany, Poland and Estonia, and especially -- especially -- Ukraine.

submitted 27 days ago • 195 comments

I always liked this photo, the whole composition. A guy who regularly visited his father in Montreal wanted to photograph a Snowy Owl, Quebec sometimes has lots in winter. The owl ignored him, I doubt his shot won any awards. #Birds #Birdwatching #Birding

submitted 32 days ago • 2 comments

Thought I'd post this again because I reckon it to be the best Snowy Owl I've taken, and I've taken lots. This bird was on a utility pole, about three poles away from where I stopped. When I crept out of the car, instead of flying away it flew right at me. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

submitted 32 days ago • 0 comments

The wharves around Cape Sable Island, NS always have a few Black Guillemots hanging about. Odd that the Greater Black-backed Gulls never bother them, but if a Dovekie wanders in, it usually doesn't end well. #Novascotia #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

submitted 33 days ago • 0 comments

I just put another three of my titles into an omnibus version. It makes them cheaper and hopefully it will get more people to read them. It also gives the reader a good run at things. #Books #Writing #Authors #NovaScotia #Nottingham #Sc-fi.

submitted 34 days ago • 0 comments

A good Barred Owl winter here in southern NS. This one is on a rough road that is heavily used by four-wheelers and pick-ups, but just seems to ignore everyone. #Birds #Birding #Novascotia #Owls

submitted 34 days ago • 3 comments

One of our wintering Yellow-rumped Warblers. Not been a very nice winter in southern Nova Scotia so far, but these little guys just seem to shrug it off. We still have the odd Orange-crowned around, too, which is unusual. #NovaScotia #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

submitted 35 days ago • 1 comment

When the draggers come in, so do the gulls. I visited Dennis Pt, Pubnico NS and counted 80 Kumlien's Gulls, many of which had grey to black primaries. It's a blurred line between Thayer's Iceland Gull range and Kumlien's Iceland Gull. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #Gulls

submitted 38 days ago • 0 comments

My contribution to Blue Monday, just about says it all. #Bluemonday

submitted 40 days ago • 0 comments

A birding blog post for your entertainment. capesablebirding.wordpress.com/2025/01/19/h... #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #naturewriting

submitted 41 days ago • 0 comments

This one sneaked under the radar at a site that earlier had three Baltimores, before they sensibly went south. Luckily someone photographed it to ID, my first Nova Scotia tick for a while and on Cape Island too. Bullock's Oriole, Jan-16th. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #Novascotia

submitted 43 days ago • 0 comments

A way out of range Lewis's Woodpecker from Duncan's Cove, Nova Scotia for #woodpeckerwednesday The second provincial record. #Birds #Birdwatching #Birding #NovaScotia

submitted 45 days ago • 1 comment

For those who read them, I've just done a new blog post, mostly about the birding this year and winter listing. A thing here in the north. #Bird #Birding #Birdwatching #Naturewriting capesablebirding.wordpress.com/2025/01/13/p...

submitted 46 days ago • 1 comment

It's that time of year when everything is new (like this Horned Lark), at least in a year listing sense. For me, 2025 will probably be spent mostly on Cape Island with the odd break elsewhere in Nova Scotia. No big jaunts this year, more's the pity. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching.

submitted 52 days ago • 0 comments

Since we hit the 2020s we seem to have had a Yellow-throated Warbler try to winter somewhere in Nova Scotia when they really should be eating Mexican bugs. This one was 4th January in the town of Shelburne. It seemed to be doing well enough. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

submitted 54 days ago • 3 comments

Only ten days to go before they have to put away their noisy toys here in Nova Scotia. My returning Queen avoided them last winter, despite determined attempts by some to get their trophy. It shouldn't be this way, but the foxes make the henhouse rules. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

submitted 57 days ago • 1 comment

My end of the year blog post with a few photos and chatter. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching capesablebirding.wordpress.com/2024/12/31/a...

submitted 59 days ago • 0 comments

After being out all day birding seeing little, got home, stopped to count Red-winged Blackbirds in my trees and a Sandhill Crane flew over. Only the third time I've seen one Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia, in ten years and a yard tick to boot. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching.

submitted 61 days ago • 1 comment

Cold weather has made it a bit icy here in southern Nova Scotia, the knock-on effect is seeing a few more birds. I found a Common Gull and Redhead yesterday, and today I had this American Woodcock crossing a road. The woodcock, while not rare, is always nice to see. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

submitted 65 days ago • 4 comments

For those who like to read, I just did a birding blog post. capesablebirding.wordpress.com/2024/12/24/w... #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

submitted 67 days ago • 0 comments

'What are we looking at again?' said one of the tour participants. Nice chap though. A Grey Crowned Crane from our recent Kenya trip. Even AI would struggle to come up with something that looks like this! #birds #birding #Kenyabirds

submitted 71 days ago • 1 comment

I think I heard my first European Nightjar 'churring' in Nottinghamshire in the summer of 1983. It was nice to see one sat quietly forty-one years later in Kenya, a place where they spend most of their lives. #birds #birding #birdwatching #kenyabirds

submitted 78 days ago • 0 comments

An occasional reminder that I write. Lots more at the same publisher for those interested. Kenya Travelogue currently being scribbled. #birdwriting #grimfiction #Birderstories #novascotiamysteries #writing #authors

submitted 81 days ago • 0 comments

Lark Sparrow is scarce to rare in Nova Scotia, so this one in the yard yesterday, for the winter list, was welcome. For those who don't know, we in the north keep a list running December through the end of February. It gets us out. #Birds #Birding #NovaScotia.

submitted 84 days ago • 1 comment