OCEAN SUNFISH AND MINKE WHALE SIGHTINGS' . by Ben Hoteling 
     
    
   
   
    
     On Sunday, September 15, the people accompanying Dr. David Cairns on the 
     
     trip to Fisherman's Bank to study the spawning habits of.the Atlantic Herring 
     
     had the chance to see an Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola). When first observed, the 
     
     sunfish was lying flat on the surface. It then raised it's dorsal fin out of 
     
    

    
     ,the water before returning to laying flat on the water. As the boat 
     
     approached, the fish went from this position in which it appeared like a giant 
     
     flatfish to it's normal position of straight up and down in the manner of a 
     
     laterally flattened fish such as a bluegill. When we approached for a closer 
     
     look, the fish Slowly dove and moved away only to resurface at a further 
     
     distance. We approached the sunfish for another look and it eventually moved 
     
     off and dove. When the sunfish did not resurface after several minutes, the 
     
     crew went back to searching for herring roe. 
     
    

    
     Several minke whales were also seen 
     
     along with hundreds of Greater Black-backed 
     
    

    
     . Gulls and Herring Gulls. It was especially 
     
     interesting to be able to observe the large 
     
     quantities of herring eggs on the ocean . . 
     
    

    
     -bottom with the video camera being used for 
     
     the herring roe study and to view cunner, 
     
     herring, and winter flounder in their 
     
     habitat. v ' 
     
    

    
     Upon returning to land,‘books at the Robertson Library were consulted to 
     
    

    
     confirm the identification and to obtain more information on the fish. They 
     
     revealed that the ocean sunfish can weigh up to 1 ton, with one specimen of 
     
     slightly over 8 feet weighing 1,800 pbunds (Guide to Marine Fishes, Alfred 
     
    

    
     Parlmutter, 1961). These large pelagic fish are sometimes feund drifting on 
     
    

    
     the surface_and they feed on jellyfish. ‘ ‘ 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     WHITE PELICAN DISCOVERED AT BRACKLEY by Dan McAskill 
     
    
   
   
    
     On September 22, Geoff.received a call from Rob Burnette that he had 
     
     seen a large white bird with a flattened bill at the Covehead Harbour marsh. 
     
     The information provided, especially the flattened bill, suggested the 
     
     presence of a Roseate SpOonbill as strong winds in the days preceding this 
     
     sighting suggested that a southern bird had been blown well off courSe. Geoff 
     
     called several other birders and the call was networked out to others on the 
     
     Island's rare bird alert list. . I 
     
    

    
     a Before dawn the next morning, Bruce Pigot was on 
     
     site watching for signs of the birda He seen a 
     
     large bird flying high land in a spruce tree near 
     
     the marsh. Shortly after this, Ray Cooke arrived on 
     
     the scene and Bruce pointed out the.bird's location 
     
     to him. .Ray confirmed that the bird was an American 
     
     White Pelican and, in the early light, he 
     
     photographed the.bird using a telescope, camera 
     
     adapter, and camera. Later the same day the first 
     
     4 photographs of the bird were proudly displayed. . 
     
    

    
     Early the same morning Geoff arrived at the marsh and, starting at th 
     
     western end of the Brackley Marsh, he started scanning the marshes as he 
     
     proceeded eastwards. When his eyes scanned over the marsh just east of the ; 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     -‘3-