After Hurricane Wilma - Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia - October 2005

Published by Cathy and Allan Murrant (kittiwake AT seascape.ns.ca)

Participants: Cathy and Allan Murrant

(Anyone interested in details of the sightings listed below
can email us at kittiwake AT seascape.ns.ca - all images copyright the authors)

The last few days have been very exciting in Nova Scotia and here on Cape Breton Island. Hurricane Wilma passed well south of us but still managed to bring lots of birds from the Southern United States.

Chimney Swifts, Tree Swallows, Barn Swallows and Common Terns which we see here in some numbers had already left for the south or so we thought. Incredible numbers of these birds were returned to us via Hurricane Wilma and they brought with them some very exciting rarities. We hope you enjoy some of these images from recent days on Cape Breton Island.

Black Guillemot - juvenile seen along the coast

Eurasian Wigeon -1 at Beacon St. Dam

Bald Eagle - Main à Dieu

Bonaparte's Gull - Morien, Mira Gut and Catalone Gut

Caspian Tern - Before Hurricane Wilma we had never seen a Caspian Tern in Cape Breton. We heard the odd report of them but we had never been lucky enough to see one. By the end of today (Sunday, Oct. 30, 2005) we had seen 12 in the following areas - 3 Dominion Beach, 1 Glace Bay Sanctuary, 1 Schooner Pond, 1 Port Morien, 1 Mira Gut, 4 Catalone Gut, and 1 Gabarus.

Forster's Tern - one of two birds - this bird seen in a flock of Common Terns at Mira Gut; the second at Catalone Gut

Gull-billed Tern - 2 at Port Morien - we found and photographed this Gull-billed Tern this morning and returned in the afternoon with George and Bev Crowell. This bird was very cooperative.