I think that's it for this year, cold and miserable outside. One last blog post. capesablebirding.wordpress.com/2025/12/24/a... #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

I just like this but five songs is enough. Maybe someone will find something they like. youtu.be/rldKhW4wA_w?...

I found this on one of those free CDs you used to get glued to the front of music magazines. youtu.be/R41rWL74MKA?...

I don't come across much new music these days, but I do like Samantha Fish. youtu.be/3pCNc66t3p8?...

What I listen to is very varied, I discovered country late in life, only female singers though. This isn't country. youtu.be/kSjy41Te2eU?...

As I stay warm writing my 19th novel, I'm listening to music: youtu.be/dMaOipvolgM?...

A patient Cooper's Hawk ignoring juncos and waiting for a fat Mourning Dove. Nova Scotia. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

I missed this Marbled Godwit on my island, Dec-1st, so was delighted when it showed on a CBC count at the other end of the county yesterday. Lousy light on our shortest day and at range, but #250 for Canada in winter. Heading out to look for a N. Waterthrush today. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

CBC count week is up today. The previous two days were yuk with wind and snow. Of the missing species to look for, I found three: LBBGull, Common Merganser and three Pine Warblers together. My personal count week score was 74 species, not bad considering. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

I got a decent first hour on CBC day, yesterday, then the weather turned and made it difficult for all concerned. My day total was 50 species, which wasn't bad. Naturally one I didn't get on the day was at my feeders this morning. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

Christmas bird count day for me tomorrow, hoping to repeat a find I made when counting west of Montreal a good few years ago. Great Grey Owl would be a dream bird for all in NS, not holding my breath though. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

The last twitchable Gyr in Nova Scotia, February 2017. I don't think there's been any more since, but as eBird obscures the records I can't be sure. No reason to do that in Canada, but we don't drive the thing so there you go. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

Only my second ever Shelburne County American Coot today on Blanche Peninsular, year bird #278. My first was at Stodmarsh, back when everything was in black and white. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

Nova Scotia's first Common Shelduck appears to be part of an arrival with a further five in Newfoundland, three shot. This bird is near Canso, Guysborough County which is one of the birdiest, and least birded, areas of NS. Prov #392 for me, a snowy back drive though. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

When you're out winter listing, birding in winter with an edge, it's the chance of finding things like this Black-throated Grey Warbler (which I did) that has you making random stops and chattering the bushes. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

Chasing birds in winter might seem a bit facile but it dilutes the winter and sets you up for spring. Sometimes you even get to see birds like this Say's Phoebe, rare in NS, on Boxing Day. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

The winter listing season starts Dec 1 to the end of Feb. For those not in the know, in Canada we start going for lingering birds for our winter lists, it gets you out. This Vermillion Flycatcher was a great tick a few years ago, hoping to add to the 233 I have in NS. #Birds #Birdwatching #Birding

Time for a blog post from southern Nova Scotia, quite a long one. capesablebirding.wordpress.com/2025/11/28/n... #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

I thought I might not get a Cape Island Lincoln's Sparrow this year, it's late for them and they're more of a northern NS bird, all of ours are migrants. This one found my sparrow seed carpet in our yard, so a yard and island bird in one. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #Sparrows

Caught up with a Townsend's Warbler in Nova Scotia, I think at the 7th try over the years. This lovely bird was in Green Bay, NS consorting with a bright Prairie Warbler, two Parula and a Pine. #391 in NS. Of the hoped for western warblers, all I need now is Hermit. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

There's drab, and there's very drab. Easy to overlook in the hoards of Yellow-rumped Warblers, nah, not really! #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

I don't see very many Bonaparte's Gulls around Shelburne County, NS, so it's nice when one poses. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

Where there's chats and vireos around there's usually more, and there was. Two Orange-crowned Warblers and a drab Pine Warbler to be exact. Now is the time when Cape Sable Island, nestled as it is in the Banana Belt of Nova Scotia, comes into it's own. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

My stop at one site on Cape Island not only had a Yellow-breasted Chat, but also two White-eyed Vireos, rare in NS. There must be more waiting to be found. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

Below freezing on Cape Island this morning meaning one thing, Yellow-breasted Chat. I chattered one of my spots and got rewarded, will it stick for the winter listing season though? #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

After a quiet morning on Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia, I'd just got in the house when a flock of seven Eastern Bluebirds arrived to eat the Serviceberries. Yard bird #219, and a long hoped for, if not expected, addition. Eastern Bluebird is rare in Shelburne County. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

No Cattle Egrets in Nova Scotia for me last year, two on Cape Island this. I did my island circuit this afternoon and this one was running around a yard. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

A yard Sharpie, post a meal judging by the colour of the bill. #Birds #Birding #Bidwatching

If Golden-crowned Kinglets were the size of geese, we'd be in deep doo-doo. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

The Bay of Fundy discovery centre in Truro, NS, is heaving with geese, mostly Canada but with one exception. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

Fancying a short break, Sandra and I took in a Tropical Kingbird in Wolfville, the third for NS and the only one to stay more than a few hours, we saw the first. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

Just a California Quail on a post along one of the best road names ever, Lonesome Polecat Road south of Reno NV. #Birdoftheday #standingonthings #Birds

If you like being a bit miserable, but also happy at the same time, consider throwing 99c at my eBook 'Survivor'. Les Smith, a regular guy, does what's needed to make it through more or less what's happening now. Find it at Amazon under books - my name. #booksky #Novascotia #books #writingcommunity

Tis the time of loon migration and the hope that one might be a Pacific, spoiler alert, not so far. 7th November I did a 50 minute watch in marginal conditions and had 32 Red-throated go past my favourite spot. Taken with a Canon R7 and 200-800mm lens, it was way out. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

Not dissimilar to Red-flanked Bluetail, Eastern Bluebirds in Nova Scotia become very nomadic after breeding. In the south we get a few annually, some breed. This bird was one of six at Chebogue Point in Yarmouth County, the flock checked for Mountain!. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching.

At this time of year we always have to persuade eBird that we are seeing Western Palm Warblers. Three together on Cape Island, NS this morning plus a year bird Lark Sparrow, a late Eastern Phoebe and three cracking Lapland Longspurs. #Bird #Birding #Birdwatching

In recent years a November arrival of Blue-grey Gnatcatchers has happened in Nova Scotia. This one was in Moose Harbour, Queens County today and, as is typical, travelling in the company of Black-capped Chickadees. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

I just did a new birding blog post. capesablebirding.wordpress.com/2025/10/30/p...

Didn't get a Nova Scotia Cattle Egret last year at all. This afternoon a message came of one in yards not far from a spot I check daily - been here two weeks he said! NS species 269 for what has been a slow year. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching.

This Western Kingbird dropped into one of my Cape Island spots this evening. We get a couple annually in Nova Scotia but we also have lean years. The first on the island since 2019. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

I just did a blog post covering the Sharp-tailed Sand and various other local Nova Scotia Birds. capesablebirding.wordpress.com/2025/10/23/s... #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

For the first time, I tried a dish of Bramble Jelly (jam) instead of pushing half oranges onto branches. The Baltimore Orioles seem to prefer it but spend more time fighting than eating, I have three at the moment. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

We get 1-2 American Avocets annually in Nova Scotia and they usually stay a day or two. This one is currently at the Bay of Fundy bore watchpoint in Truro, where you can watch the tide turn and a bore flow upstream, sometimes its impressive. #birds #Birding #Birdwatching #NovaScotia

On 7th October, Nova Scotia got its first Sharp-tailed Sandpiper. I think six people saw it before it flushed and vanished. 16th October one of the original finders re-found it, a few saw it before it flushed. I was there at dawn today, it came back. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #Novascotia

As it is my latest novel, I guess I should tell people about it a bit more often, but I don't like to push. If you want to know more, I did something in Alt-txt which tells you a bit about Salt Breeze and my writing journey. #writingcommunity #Books #NovaScotia

In southern Nova Scotia we have the luxury of having Roseate Terns with us in summer. One year, I got to go to the local Island colony to try to photograph flying banded birds. This one carries a plastic band from Brazil, quite the annual journey. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #Seabirds

Godwits on Cape Island at this time of year all need a good looking at. Four Hudsonian today, one day one of them will have white wing linings I'm sure. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #Shorebirds

A new birding blog post from Nova Scotia. capesablebirding.wordpress.com/2025/10/13/h...

This one was a bit confusing at first. A hybrid White-rumped x Dunlin from Cape Sable Island NS. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #shorebirds

Hard to think what attracts our regular fall American Goldies to the rotting kelp piles. Cape Island NS. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching