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Bird Survey Site 1

Beach Site 1 overlooks the north side of Point au Sauble. The natural water fluctuations uncover areas of shoreline that attracts ducks, gulls, shorebirds, geese, snow buntings and raptors. In the fall and spring, rafts of scaup, canvasbacks, redheads and other ducks are common. Scoters, horned grebes, and common loons are sometimes seen mixed in with the rafts of ducks. In summer, cormorants, forster's, pelicans, common and caspian terns, are commonly observed here.

In September of 1999, four observers found a family flock of common mergansers using the point. Could they be breeding here?

dead scaup

Site 1 is an excellent raptor hunting ground. The lesser scaup shown in the picture on the right had probably been wounded by a hunter and then eaten by a hawk or an eagle. Peregrine Falcons are often seen here as well. Earlier in the year, a Bonaparte's Gull was found killed by a peregrine. Numerous duck and gull feathers provide evidence of Great Horned Owl feedings.

Biodiversity Topics: Introduction . Plants . Animals . Mammals . Birds . Reptiles & Amphibians . Arthropods . Spiders . Insects