Brier Island
Brier IslandOff the tip of Digby Neck, accessible by 2 small car ferries, there is a village with accommodations, and varied habitat for birding all year round. The best seasons are probably late Summer and Fall. In Summer and early Fall several local companies offer half day trips by boat into the adjacent mouth of the Bay of Fundy for whale watching (Humpbacked, Fin and Northern Right); plus excellent seabird watching - often with huge numbers of Shearwaters, Phalaropes and the occasional Jaeger and Skua being regular highlights. Later in fall there is an excellent Raptor migration over the Island. Large "kettles" of Broad-wings, and Sharp-shins whizzing about at low levels, are the highlights, with rarities being regular. A good day, especially in fall, can easily yield over 100 bird species.
Bon Portage Island
Bon Portage Island is also a popular birding destination. Bon Portage is located just off of the fishing village of Shag Harbour. Black-Crowned Night-Heron nest here as well as the Leach’s Storm Petrel. Many other species have been seen here, especially from August to October. A visit to the island can be arranged through local fishermen or with the Nova Scotia Bird Society, which organizes several trips to the island each year.
Baccaro Point
BaccaroThe picnic area near the lighthouse at Baccaro Point is a spectacular setting for watching the large rafts of eiders, scoters, old squaws and even brants that gather in Barrington Bay. The foghorn can be loud, so be wary.Just 3 kilometres up the road is Crows Neck Beach. Sandwiched between the ocean on one side, a salt marsh on the other, and ending in a small wooded headland, the area provides a variety of habitats.The wild forces of the wind, tide and occasional storm constantly reshape this nearly 2 km long beach, a treasure for birders, walkers and photographers. The 45 foot high Baccaro Baccaro (from the Basque word bacalao meaning codfish) is the oldest place name in Nova Scotia and is the southernmost point of mainland Nova Scotia.
Stoney Island Beach, Cape Sable Island
Cape Sable IslandThe Cape Sable Island area features an unparalleled diversity of birds, especially during spring and fall migration. Hawks, warblers, sea ducks, even falcons and owls are regulars, and numerous rare and accidental sightings make this location exceptional. And there is great pelagic birding as well - shearwaters, jaegars, dovekies, fulmars, petrels and even puffins are seen on a regular basis, in some instances, in large numbers.Stoney Island BeachStoney Island, Cape Sable IslandNearly 2km of white sand and rolling dunes make Stoney Island a favourite with local residents for swimming and picnicking during the summer. With its eastern exposure, it’s a perfect beach for taking an early morning walk and watching the sun rise. Nearby Bakers Flat provides habitat for migrating waterfowl during spring and fall, and is a popular destination for Birders and Photographers.
The Hawk Beach
The Hawk is a community on Cape Sable Island located in the Municipality of the District of Barrington of Shelburne County. It is the most southerly community in Nova Scotia, as well as the most southerly anywhere in Canada outside of Ontario. The Hawk is named after a schooner that was washed ashore there in the 1800s. Hawk Beach is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Nova Scotia, and is a popular place for bird watchers, as all of Hawk Point is a centre for migratory birds.
Daniels Head (South Side) Beach
Daniel's Head (South Side) Beach and The Hawk beach, is one of the prime birding destinations in Shelburne County, and possibly the best birding site in Eastern Canada, accessible by foot. Both sites have been designated Important Bird Areas. The beautiful 2.5 km long Daniel’s Head Beach (locally known as South Side) is one of the most popular beaches on Cape Sable Island for walkers and photographers throughout the year. Migrating shore birds can be found feeding in the late summer and fall. Snowy Owls and Brant geese are common winter visitors as is the occasional nor’easter, making this a dramatic spot for watching the surf roll in.
Cape Sable Island
Cape Sable IslandIn Shelburne County, sticking out into the Atlantic, and accessible by road, these areas at the South West tip of the Province have a variety of habitats, including mud-flats for Shorebirds, marshes for Herons and other large waders, and an excellent record of passerine migrants including all kinds of rarities and vagrants, especially in the Fall. The best spots are around The Hawk at the tip of the island, and the surrounding alder patches. Snowy Owls have been regular on the dunes offshore in recent winters, and there is a regular fall passage of Shearwaters and other seabirds in fall. On a good fall day, it is not hard to surpass 100+ species here. There are some keen resident birders, always interested in showing visitors around. Offshore are Bon Portage, and farther out, Seal Islands, both with banding (ringing) stations, and Seal in particular is a Mecca for rarity hunters. The NS Bird Society runs trips to Bon Portage in spring and fall, but Seal is less accessible, with trips arranged occasionally.
West Baccaro
Baccaro point is another point of destination along the water where you will see diverse birds and wild life.
Blanche
The next peninsula to the east called Blanche ends in a complex system of beach walls, gravel spits, islands, wooded headlands and ponds. Once again, the great variety of habitat makes for some terrific birding in scenic surroundings. And like many birding destinations in Shelburne County, the location is crowned by a lighthouse, in this case, on a set of islands called "The Salvages".Puffins in Nova Scotia live on islands off shore, not on the mainland, so the best way to see them is by taking a boat tour. On a boat tour of the islands you will also have a guide and can learn a lot more about the puffins and other birds, animals and information about the area.
Sandy Point
Some of the most beautiful, natural coastline in Nova Scotia is found within the Municipality of the District of Shelburne (MDS). From the open coastline of Black Point, an array of dynamic coastal ecosystems provide habitat for plants, birds and other wildlife. Residents and visitors are drawn to the sandy beaches for a wide range of activities including walking, kayaking, photography, bird watching and simply spending time in nature. Several MDS beaches are particularly special as they provide critical nesting habitat for endangered Piping Plover and are important stopover sites for migrating shorebirds during late summer and fall.Sandy Point has nll island, and its beaches are important nesting habitats for numerous bird species at risk. This breathtaking landscape with sand dunes and salt marshes is a real sight to see.
The Islands Provincial Park
Just across the harbour from the historic town of Shelburne, the Islands Provincial Park is a short drive or walk from the centre of town. With two picnic areas, an unsupervised beach and boat launch, it is an ideal place to spend a sunny afternoon and spotting wild life. Walk to the end of trail for the best view of the harbour, McNutts Island and the Sandy Point Lighthouse.
Crescent Beach
Crescent BeachBrighton Road, Lockeport This spectacular 1.5 km sand beach is a focal point for surrounding communities, and was once featured on the Canadian fifty-dollar bill. Walkers and photographers are out on the beach and nearby boardwalk in almost any weather, and in the summer it’s popular for swimming and picnicking. You can see Gull Rock Lighthouse located just offshore from the observation tower at the Crescent Beach Centre, also a perfect vantage point for watching the waves roll in.
Matthews Lake
The 166-acre Matthews Lake property was formally protected in 2013 through acquisition by the Nature Trust. The property is adjacent to the Black Point Beach Property, and together they form the Hemeons Head Conservation Lands. This 316-acre protected area hosts an extensive array of coastal ecosystems, including 3km of uninterrupted sand and cobble beach (Black Point Beach), sand dunes, a rocky coastal headland, tidal marshes, sandflats and mudflats, an extensive lagoon, freshwater wetland, bogs, coastal barrens and coastal forest.The area is of international significance for migratory birds, and is located within the South Shore (Port Joli sector) Important Bird Area. This property encompasses critical habitat for the species at risk Piping Plover, and Harlequin Duck, and is a crucial site for many shorebirds during fall migration. A fantastic bird list is available for visitors to this property. We encourage you to record your bird observations from the Conservation Lands in eBird, and share the checklist with the Nature Trust.The beach at Hemeons Head occasionally hosts nesting Piping Plovers, including a famous plover named “Hemeon.” One of the documented threats to Piping Plovers nesting on Nova Scotia beaches is off-leash dogs scaring them off their nest. Please keep your dog(s) on their leashes, please walk on the wet portion of the sand beach, and obey any Piping Plover signage, while visiting Black Point Beach in the Piping Plover breeding season (May to August).In 2016 and 2017, the Nature Trust and Acadia University reached out to people who use the Hemeons Head Conservation Lands for walking, bird watching, hunting, clamming, and more, to understand how different visitors value the site, and how they want to see it managed. This input, along with best practices in conservation management, is incorporated into a management plan for the Hemeons Head Conservation Lands. The Nature Trust will continue to engage with people who care about this special place, and include them in property management activities at the site, that may include beach clean-ups, habitat restoration, and control of potentially invasive species such as the Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa).For more information, click this, nsnt.ca/our-work/campaigns-and-projects/project/matthews-lake-property/
Peggy's Cove
Peggy’s Cove is a tourist hotspot in Nova Scotia but it is also a great place to go birding. A word of caution, dark rocks are slippery and several people have died getting too close to the water and being swept away by rogue waves or losing their footing and falling into the water. There are several reefs offshore and strong currents that make rescue very difficult.Birding Peggy’s CoveVisitor centre parking lot: In spring and fall this is a good spot to check for migrating warblers. There are various places around the parking lot with brush that can hold birds. To the South of the lot, the hillside has some brushy areas that are worth checking as well. In winter, gulls like to hang around the Interpretation Centre and perch on the various poles especially at high tide.Peggy’s Cove: In summer, the Cove hosts both Barn and Tree Swallows and they can be seen hunting over the water for insects at dawn and Dusk. In winter it is a haven for Gulls including Greater Black-backed, Herring and in winter Glaucous and Iceland that feed on the scraps from the fishing boats that tie up there. Following strong winter storms, it is common to find some birds taking shelter in the cove and it is not uncommon to find Black Guillemots, Common Loons, Dovekies and even Thick-billed Murres close to the floating docks. If you’re lucky you might catch a glimpse of the resident Short-tailed Weasel.The Lighthouse: Sea-watching from the lighthouse generally offers the best birding opportunity in the area. Birds can be distant at times so binoculars are a must and a spotting scope is definitely nice to have. In summer and early autumn the lighthouse provides good opportunities to see Northern Gannet, Great/Sooty/Cory’s Shearwater, and various Gull species including Great Black-backed, Herring, and Black-legged Kittiwakes. As autumn progresses, with a NE wind you can often see streams of migrating Cormorants, Gannets and you can also see late season Shearwaters from shore. In winter and early spring, the period following a storm with strong SW winds is the best time to go as this blows the sea birds closer to shore. From the lighthouse it is possible see Black Guillemot, Dovekie, Thick-billed/Common Murre, Razorbill, Common Eider, Black/Surf/White-winged Scoter, Harlequin Duck, Long-tailed Duck, Red-necked/Horned Grebe, Common Loon, Purple Sandpiper (low tide), Black-legged Kittiwake, and Great Cormorant.The Back Bay: In winter, the Back Bay is a sheltered area that is a good place to find several species. At high tide, especially with a SW wind you can often see rafts of Common Eider, Scoter and Harlequin Ducks. At low tide, the exposed rocks usually have a number of Purple Sandpipers feeding on the exposed seaweed and mollusks.Pearl Island: Approximately 12km SW of Peggy’s Cove is Pearl Island. The island hosts nesting colonies of Razorbill, Atlantic Puffin, Black-legged Kittiwake, Arctic and Common Tern, Great Cormorants as well as several species of Gulls. Early and late in the season it is not uncommon to see migrating shorebirds on the island. An added bonus to visiting the island is the large number of seals that can be seen there on the west side of the island. Peggy’s Cove Boat Tours and South Shore Boat tours offer trips out to the island. In early summer and late summer there are sometimes organized birding trips to the island advertised on the NSBS site.The Swissair Memorial site just west of Peggy’s Cove offers similar birding opportunities as the Lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove. You can park at the site and walk down to the shore to get a closer look. The Memorial site is located approximately 2.5 km west of Peggy’s Cove along Route 333.Contributed by Jason Dain
Amherst Point and Belle Isle Marshes
Amherst Point and Belle Isle MarshesAlthough in different areas of the Province, these are rather similar areas of fresh water marsh habitat, with impoundments, reed beds and fields, excellent for waterfowl, Pied-billed Grebes, Short-eared owls, Northern Harriers, Bobolinks and some Warbler species, etc. in Summer. Eddy Marsh in Amherst is the only reliable spot for Black terns.
Cape Breton Bird Islands
Cape Breton offers two tours to the Bird Islands, Donelda's Puffin Tours and Bird Island Boat Tours. These tours will help you check so many birds off your life list, birds like; razorbills, black legged kittewakes, guillemots, bald eagles and of course the puffins!To book a boat tour, click this puffinboattours.com
