[NatureNS] shorebirds and peregrine falcon in Wolfville Harbour

Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 16:31:55 -0300
From: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Cc: Peter Hicklin <Peter.Hicklin@ec.gc.ca>
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Sept. 24, 2006 - Pat and I checked out Wolfville Harbour two hours before
high tide.  Just as we were starting to look for shorebirds among the rocks
along the railroad tracks, we had a great look at a PEREGRINE FALCON that
swooped once at those tracks, then circled and again flew by them at a low
altitude and then passed directly over our heads and away.  No shorebirds
were flushed, which was smart on their parts.  We found about 22 GREATER
YELLOWLEGS, 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, one DOWITCHER, and single LEAST SANDPIPER
and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER.  When approached closely by us from above (along
the tracks), the yellowlegs, dowitcher, and peeps did not flush and fly, but
they just waded into the water and swam out a bit as a flock, then made
their way west toward the waterfront park and went back onto the shore
rocks.  Only one greater yellowlegs flew and gave the loud alarm calls of
their species.  Being quiet and not flushing are great strategies when a
hunting peregrine is somewhere nearby.

Later we found a single BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER on the rocks at the waterıs
edge by the Wolfville sewage ponds.

There were a number of sparrows along the shore as we walked, but the only
one identfied was a SAVANNAH SPARROW.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville, 542-9204
---------------------
Jim (James W.) Wolford
91 Wickwire Avenue 
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
B4P 1W3
phone (902)542-9204 (home)
fax (902)585-1059 (Acadia Univ. Biology Dept.)
e-mail <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
----------------------
³In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.²  -- John
Muir
----------------------

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