WESTPORT, N.S. — Thanks to the actions of two experienced birders, a lucky bird of prey is soaring the skies once again after being freed from a lobster trap.
Avid birders Kathleen MacAulay and Alix d’Entremont were spending part of their vacation on Brier Island in Digby County looking for late autumn migrant birds on Oct. 21.
October and November are when many of the rarest birds arrive in Nova Scotia and Brier Island is one of the best places to find these wayward birds, says d’Entremont.
The couple spotted movement in a lobster trap while driving past. A Cooper's hawk had followed a mourning dove into the bottom trap of a pile. The hawk had eaten the dove but got itself stuck in the process.
D’Entremont says it appeared the hawk had likely only been trapped that day. It had enough time to pluck the dove's feathers and eat it while in the trap. There was some feather damage from the wire mesh on the hawk, so it had been thrashing around for a little while at least.
D'Entremont is editor of Nova Scotia Birds, a publication by the Nova Scotia Bird Society, and MacAulay is a veterinarian at the Parade Street Animal Hospital in Yarmouth, with two years of training at the world-renowned Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota.
She was able to determine that the hawk was a juvenile and because of its species and small size it could only be a male.
The species used to be rare. However, it has been found in certain parts of the province.
A breeding record of Cooper's hawk in Somerset, Kings County, this past summer is only the fourth for the province. D’Entremont expects more nesting pairs will be found as their breeding range expands north and east into Nova Scotia.
Cooper's hawk was originally a bird of forested habitat, but they find that suburban and urban landscapes also suit their needs. They eat primarily medium to small birds and some mammals.
With help from the owner of the lobster traps in Brier Island, the traps above the one containing the hawk were moved. Then the hatch was opened to remove the raptor.
The trap owner noted how calm the hawk was when in hand.
“I told him that it certainly helps when the person handling it has worked with thousands of raptors both in rehabilitation and banding contexts,” says d’Entremont.
MacAulay checked the bird for injuries and then let it go.
Who to call
To help an injured bird contact:
Cobequid Wildlife Rehab Centre
902 893-0253.
Hope for Wildlife
902-407-9453
Department of Lands and Forestry
1-800-565-2224