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James wrote today: "The 23 common mergansers that hang near the mouth of the Mush-A-Mush River were present." This must be the same large flock, perhaps 2 families together, that we have seen just opposite the Innlet Cafe of Mahone Bay, over the past week, including yesterday. Several days ago I got a good count twice of 25. They are difficult to count since often some are diving, and it was comical to watch them running fast along the surface and then diving, probably chasing schooling small fishes. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville ---------- From: James Hirtle <jrhbirder@hotmail.com> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2006 00:02:27 +0000 To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: [NatureNS] Birds today Well I'm in the midst of a gradual move over the next month or so, but it should be a grand one in terms of birds. I will have a great view from the deck of Dublin Bay and there is a great assortment of birds about the yard. I will also be closer again to Cherry Hill Beach. The house is at Dublin Shore and today while Pat and I were there doing some work and not seriously birding and without any feeders in place yet, I saw close to 20 species. The best was a Nashville warbler and a group of about 11 yellow-rumped warblers, which were feeding on some type of caterpiller in the apple tree and flitting to my car and back up and also into the eves troughs of the house and onto the roof. I later in the day took a swing up to Long Hill, Mahone Bay, which will eventually become a sub division. One sector of the land has been sold for such and two other plots are still on the market. In time Long Hill, which was one of my prior hot birding locations, will no longer support the multitude of species once there. Development has already degraded it to a location that I frequent only every now and then, when before I used to visit it about once a week. There was only a smatering of migrants about today at this location. A few warbler species and a few sparrows. Seven species to be exact when before I could expect anywheres from between 30-40. With development underway I only had one good day in 2006, and that did not come up to standards of what I expected from prior years. My next stop was to the Dynamite Trail at Clearland. At this location I could hear a flycatcher of some sort vocalizing. I did not recognize the call and could not pinpoint the bird for an id. It was a call that I did not recognize, therefore maybe a yellow-bellied? I did find a small grouping of birds with two chestnut-sided warblers, a northern parula, four red-eyed vireos, and black-capped chickadees. Still not the sizeable groups that I would expect to see for this time of year at that location. Twenty crows were in the air at the entrance to the Oakland Road and were doing aeriel antics. I suspect by their actions that a hawk of some sort must have been down in the tree line along the ridge. The 23 common mergansers that hang near the mouth of the Mush-A-Mush River were present. My last stop for the day was along the Fauxburg Trail. There I heard a veery still vocalizing and was at last able to lay eyes on one. I cannot even guess how many I have heard. I usually have no problems in seeing this species, but this year was different with only vocalizations until today. There was a ruffed grouse in the middle of the trail. Warblers present were American Redstart, Common Yellowthroats, Northern parula, Magnolias and a Black & White. Other species of interest were a pair of gray catbirds, and swamp sparrow. Not an exciting day in terms of species, 33 in all, but a nice spread and overall a pleasureable walk at all locations. Also, odes were white-faced meadowhawks, and a common green darner. Leps: monarch butterfly at the new residence in Dublin Shore. James R. Hirtle Lunenburg
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