Great Cormorant At the tail end of Storm Jonah, Michael scans for birds along the Backshore and around the island to the Downfront. The day is cold in the 20s and the sky is clear with high winds from the storm that mostly skirts by Maine - on its way to the eastern shores of Nova Scotia. The surf along the Backshore is spectacular, especially at high tide, with sets of waves up to 20 feet. Even in these conditions he finds a new species for the PILP bird list – two Horned Gr

You can even count birds from your boat. The Great Backyard Birdcount Lead by The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Audubon, and Bird Studies Canada Do you want to participate in a bird count from February 12th through the 15th of 2016? It is easy and fun. It is free, and stress-free. Anyone can participate. Citizen scientists such as you, contribute bird data that are compiled and used, as in the Christmas Bird Count, by scientists in population trend studies. Data collecte

Male Surf Scoters, Diamond Passage Photo © Sam Wainright Bringing in the 2016 New Year, bright and early, Michael and Sam climb into the now famous truck (please see December 2015 blog – Christmas Bird Count) to search the island for birds. Most exciting is that the truck has heated seats – yes, this addition is birding in luxury. They see the Common and Barrow’s Goldeneyes off the South shore facing Cushing Island. Along t