Birds of Stillwater Lake

207 bird species have been recorded within 6 mi of the centre of Stillwater Lake (Nova Scotia) since 2010, across 64,146 public observation records shared through GBIF. The most recorded are American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee and Dark-eyed Junco.

Stillwater Lake is backyard-bird country: 85% of the records here are small songbirds, doves, woodpeckers and the other birds that come to feeders and yard trees. American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Dark-eyed Junco and Song Sparrow make up the core of what you can expect at a feeder.

17 birds of prey are on record nearby, including Osprey, Bald Eagle and Broad-winged Hawk.

Records peak in May and are lowest in February — about 11.9 times as many in the busiest month. Part of that is birds (migrants and breeding arrivals), part is people: more birders are out in good weather, so treat the curve as activity, not a census.

Hubley, 2 mi to the south, has a similar number of species on record (207 against 207).

Daylight runs from 15 h 35 min at midsummer to 8 h 48 min at midwinter here. Sunrise is about 6:32 AM in mid-April and 5:29 AM in late June; the dawn chorus starts 30–60 minutes earlier.

Foods for the most recorded backyard birds here, from our species notes.

• American Crow

  Cracked corn · Peanuts in the shell · Suet scraps

• Black-capped Chickadee

  Black-oil sunflower · Suet · Shelled peanuts

• Dark-eyed Junco

  White proso millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

• Song Sparrow

  Millet · Hulled sunflower · Cracked corn

• American Goldfinch

  Nyjer (thistle) · Hulled sunflower chips · Black-oil sunflower

• Blue Jay

  Peanuts in the shell · Black-oil sunflower · Suet

• Hubley2 mi south · 207 species
• Hammonds Plains4 mi north-east · 231 species
• Upper Hammonds Plains4 mi north · 187 species
• Timberlea5 mi south-east · 238 species
• Kearney Lake7 mi east · 281 species
• Bedford8 mi east · 270 species