Kittiwakes

[Ed Hayden]

The influx of kittiwakes in recent days is settling in. Thirteen days ago when the brothers and I last visited the Church Cove breeding colony on Fr. Troy's Path, East Coast Trail, not one kittiwake had arrived. Today at this site, quite a different picture. We heard and smelled them first as we approached the cliff top. We watched 1500 kittiwakes make repeated synchronous departures from the lower cliff ledges for brief forays over the ocean and return, their calling getting increasingly loud as they approached the ledges. Lots of pairing. Individuals returning to a ledge with one bird already on it performed intricate greeting ceremonies. Remains of old nests are evident, but no new nest building has started yet. Higher on the cliff, it seems one crow has also established a nest, though I could see it only partially.

2000 eiders were resting at Torbay Bight. At Cape Spear, only one eider was on the water and just 50 flew by. Not a single Long-tailed Duck was at either location.
Ed, Dave and Jim Hayden

[thefunkys...@gmail.com]

As a betting man,i'd gather that the cliff side nest is that of a Raven.They always nest right in the vicinity of the kittiwakes as in Peggy's Cove just 1000 meters north of Black-head.They are so aggressive when nesting that even Bald eagle's do not enter their territory,of course that all changes as comparable to the Signal Hill Ravens as when the eagle is nesting also he is the King.No eagle enters Peggy's Cove when the Raven nests and have observed the Raven to bully any eagle that even goes near the South-side of Sprigg Point.They can hunt on the other side out of view of Peggy's Cove just 20 meters away facing Fresh-water bay.This is an annual event and the juvies from a year ago learn a harsh lesson when they fly into Peggy's Cove when the Raven literally becomes a nut,a violent aggressive one! Just a thought but no crow would put a nest in such a vunerable position.Also wanted to add that Peggy's Cove has a nesting colony of fifty Comorants just a hop,skip and jump from Cape Spear so hard to distinguish when Comorants are at Cape Spear as spring arrivals as the Peggy's Cove colony could enter the waters of Cape Spear every day of the year.let me know if you get a confirmation of that nesting Black bird,i'm really curious!