58 



Trottkr, Some Nova Scotia Birds. 



ow water, the,r white breasts glistening in tire sunlight. While 



wate ^ ?h ■ I ' Cape Split where the 



waters of the Bay of Fundy spread into the Basin of Minas a 

 pent :.uch farther north than Barrington. Here the 'Coffin 



Gulls on the narrow basalt.c edges of the high Cape wall. In the 

 clefts and crannies of this rocky wall many wild roses were in 

 bloom wh:ch added a charming effect to the scene. I saw the 



wide' 'cti: 'T'^^' ' ^ °^ ^""^ -"''^ - a 



wide Circe apparently 'rounding up' their prey, while several 

 .nd.v,dua s m the center were actively engaged in diving after th 

 fish. When seemingly satisfied the divers would drop back into 

 thyircle of swimmers and others would take their turn at diving 

 and feeding.^ As far as I have been able to learn this rookery at 

 Cape Split IS one of the most southerly breeding places of the 

 ^reat Black-backed Gull, which is at homi with thf Ic G .1 and 

 KiUiwakes of Baffin Bay, 



The terns, or ' Mackerel Gulls,' as they are called by the fisher- 

 nien are reasonably abundant in Barrington Bay and probably 

 breed on the shingle and sand beaches of Cape Island. AH tha 

 I saw appeared to belong to the common species -Wilson's Tern. 



The Black Duck was the only species of its kind that bred in 

 this part of Nova Scotia ; its favorite nesting haunts were the bogs 

 about lake shores and it was fairly abundant in these situations 

 during the early part of the summer. 



One of the most conspicuous inhabitants of the tidal marshes 

 that formed wide stretches of shore land in many places along the 

 bay, was the WUlet. These birds nest on the inLd border o^ the 

 marsh where the swampy undergrowth of woods met the salt grass 

 I had no success in finding nests and was probably too late in the 

 season. Fully fledged young birds were about early in July one 

 of these was shot by my son with an air rifle. The old birds were 

 noisy and vigilant until midsummer, when they disappeared from 

 hese haunts and in small flocks frequented the mud flats and 

 beaches at low water. Eariier in the summer, as we tramped 

 along he inner edge of the marsh, or skirted its outer edge in a 

 boat, the shrill call was sure to greet us- one or 



