Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 1d

A call re a Nova Scotia rare Red-headed Woodpecker had me scurrying the few miles to the next county to see it. On the way, news broke of an NS first Sharp-tailed Sandpiper 300km away. Maybe tomorrow, although it has just flown off. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

14

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 2d

Soon be time for winter gulling. Too soon? How many white winged gulls in this shot at Dennis Point, Pubnico NS. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

3 28

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 2d

Even within Great Cormorants it's not always straightforward. Colwick Park, Nottingham.

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 4d

As soon as I posted that American Kestrels always fly off when you stop, I got one that didn't. Cape Sable Island, NS. Connecticut Warblers always stay hidden, let's see how that one works out. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

1 27

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 4d

A hurricane that remains entirely pelagic, never crosses land and so has little contact, if any, with migrating birds.

1 3

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 5d

A Clay-coloured in our Cape Sable Island yard this morning, a scare bird in NS, doesn't breed here. Scilly birders, make sure you check all those Chipping Sparrows carefully, oh, wait! #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching.

3 44

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 5d

Don't worry about it, most people scroll past us anyway and even friends don't bother after your first book. I think the feeling guilty about bothering people is an English thing. I still have it despite living in Canada for over twenty years. Keep writing, you are good.

2

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 5d

In Nova Scotia we've had nothing but fish storms barrel past offshore. No birds from them, and with our ongoing drought all our summer birds have about gone. If the UK is to get vagrants from N. America, they're going to have to come from the middle and south of the continental migration.

1 1 5

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 6d

I live in Canada. Tip in restaurants if the service is good, otherwise, nope, nowhere else.

1 2

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 8d

Stop by an American Kestrel on a wire and it will fly off at 100m, stop for a Merlin and they always seem to be deciding whether to eat or just ignore you. Cape Island Nova Scotia. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

1 1 31

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 10d

Belted Kingfishers around Cape Island are usually pretty skittish, so it was nice to get photo op with one today. Taken with a Canon R7 and the 200-800mm lens.

3 18

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 12d

A rat found my bird feeders and I reluctantly had to deal with it. I find it easier to do if I name them so, sorry Donald but you lot made right mess of the basement last time. I don't have a photo of a rat so I'm using this crab instead.

1 7

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 14d

After a few weeks with no seabirds, suddenly Cory's are back off Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia. Up to 15 buzzing around a lone fishing boat (not in this shot) with at least one Scopoli's candidate. We sometimes get late season incursions of Cory's. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #Novascotia

2 8

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 17d

Nobody really knows why but Prairie Warbler show up in Nova Scotia in the fall, this one is my fourth so far. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #NovaScotia

1 1 29

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 18d

Almost a blink and you'll miss it moment. A temp drop was supposed to bring bird to Cape Island, NS. It did but not very many. This Indigo Bunting was in our yard for for 30 seconds, it was #202 on Cape Island this year. Still hoping for a fall out. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

1 15

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 18d

Finally caught up with Nova Scotia's second documented Wood Stork, so I did a blog post about it and other things. Read it at capesablebirding.wordpress.com #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #NovaScotia

16

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 20d

That point was when you had to be rich, not intelligent, to be president.

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 20d

The tiniest sprinkle of warblers yesterday included a couple of Cape Mays. With the temps not shifting and the wind locked to the south, I doubt we'll see any migration action for some time- if ever this season. We really need some rain. Cape Sable Island NS. #birds #Birding #Birdwatching

3 34

Reposted by Mark Dennis

Coates is Odd This Day @oddthisday.bsky.social · 22d

Roses are red
Sweetly sings the lark

Telegraph headline: Aggressive goats, with taste for human urine, are airlifted out of park. Image shows mountain goats in slings dangling from a helicopter over trees

7 170 570

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 22d

For someone who didn't get their English CSE, there was a mix up as I was out birding for two years and missed some homework or something, anyway, this is my eighteenth full length novel and behind me are the covers for the rest. Find me at Amazon wherever you are. #Books #Authors #Booksky

Salt Breeze is a story about two female detectives who get placed well outside their comfort zone to investigate a cop shooting. As you might expect, there's a lot more going on than that and they have to find a way to deal with it. My books (eBooks) are available from Amazon, this one is $2.99CAD, most are around the same price or cheaper. I also write birding travelogues. Most of my books are also available in paperback form and I also converted a few to Audiobooks.

3 17

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 24d

Buffy season continues in Nova Scotia. This inevitably confiding bird was on Brier Island, Digby County. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

15

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 24d

Wood Stork is very rare in Nova Scotia, in fact we all got our provincial tick only a few years ago. This year one took up residence on Brier Island, Digby Co. I visit there regularly but it took me until today to see it. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching

1 1 23

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 26d

Missed the 'R' from rare I see.

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 26d

Gull-billed Tern is are in Nova Scotia unless we get a hurricane of Dorian quality, so I went to see one at a lovely beach in Lunenburg County. I did a blogpost about it at capesablebirding.wordpress.com for those who like that sort of thing. #Birds #Birding #Birdwatching #NovaScotia

1 17

Mark Dennis @markcdennis.bsky.social · 26d

With it being fairly busy for birds around southern Nova Scotia I thought I'd do a quick blog post. Lots of nice images and a bit of sarcasm. capesablebirding.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/a...

A Taste of the Prairies

There is an inverse law at work in birding whereby the more often you bird somewhere, the more likely it is that someone visiting a site once will discover a rare bird there. On Cape Island, it has…

capesablebirding.wordpress.com

4