Saturday, March 28, 2015

Flock of Harlequin Ducks

 On the spur of the moment, I headed to Ferryland to see the snipe creating a lot of debate. It seems to be a Common Snipe, but definitive under wing shots have yet to prove it.
 Strange how sometimes, my car just keeps going. Once as far as Ferryland, I thought why not head to St. Vincent's and points in between.
 One of the stops I made was in St. Shotts. I was only able to go so far up the road to the lighthouse due to the low profile of my car. I pulled over and made the walk through the rock-solid snow blocking the road. Along the way, I wondered if it was going to be a good use of my time.
It was. I found a flock of eight beautiful Harlequin Ducks and one lone Harlequin in another area. This was the most I have ever seen, and they were stunning swimming in the calm, aqua waters. They were close to shore, but I opted not to go too close to the cliff's edge due to the ice all around.  Also and somewhat unexpected, I saw a number of Black-legged Kittiwake seemingly roosting on the nearby rocks. I guess it won't be too long before the Northern Gannets return to Cape St. Mary's. It is so nice to see all of these signs of spring surrounding us.

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