Halifax Airport (YHZ) Terminal Entertainment

Bird in Halifax Airport
Sparrow looks down from rafters in the main atrium of Stanfield Halifax International Airport

If you’re bored in Halifax Stanfield International airport, you can always watch the birds in the central atrium. They’ll be watching you anyway. The atrium is full of cheerful chirping. There’s a sign that asks you not to feed the birds, so apparently their presence is intentional.

These aren’t pigeons or ducks that walk around on the floor; they’re little songbird types, and they mostly fly from rafter to rafter way up. If no one’s around they’ll swoop down to the level of the tropical plants behind the benches.

Next time (especially if I’m just picking someone up), I’ll bring my binoculars. The only one I saw close enough to identify was a house sparrow. But they aren’t all house sparrows, that much I could tell.

So, does anyone know about the birds in the airport, how long they’ve been there and what species they are?

Inside the minds and hearts of chickadees

Chickadees live in a faster time dimension than we do, says my friend Dennis Robinson who has developed a close relationship with the birds around his home in the Annapolis Valley.

They are acutely aware of their surroundings, and communicate what is going on with each other, with other birds, and – because he listens – with him.

An intruder to their space is news, whether it is a new bird or a human.

Even a day later it can be big news, as he found when he returned home to find the grass torn up by ATV wheels and the chickadees unusually talkative.

See more of Dennis’ photos on our Chirbles the Chickadee page.

Chickadee closeup
Thoughtful chickadee on a winter's day. Photo D. Robinson

Spring has surely sprung

Enjoying the tender green grass
Enjoying the tender green grass

Sunny weather is forecast for the next week, with no temperatures below freezing. Time to plant some lettuce.  Not for this bunny to eat, however (I hope).

Only a few weeks ago the rabbits I saw were quite white.  This little fellow has his summer coat on now.  He (or she?) looks quite delighted with the newly greening grass, or perhaps some delectible weed he has found. He was so busy, he didn’t notice me softly walking up the driveway.

Blue jay flies across the lawn
Blue jay flies across the lawn

How quickly comes spring, when it finally comes.  Perhaps even the word “spring” comes from the same root as the kind of spring found in a mattress.  All that life energy is compressed, cowering under winter’s weight, until winter rolls away off the bed and, suddenly released, Spring bursts forth to exuberantly express itself …  Boing … like a rabbit’s hop when it realizes you’re there.

Chirbles the Chickadee’s Debut: Nova Scotia Birds

Chirbles the Chickadee
Chirbles the Chickadee

I’ve just set up a new section of the photo album called “Chirbles the Chickadee, his Friends and his Enemies”.  It features the nature photography of the “Chickadee Dude”, Dennis Robinson.  He has a special relationship with his chickadees and loves to capture their personalities with his camera.

Some of these photos of Nova Scotia birds are available on various products such as postcards and notecards in our Nova Scotia Gift Shop.  Look for Chirbles.