[NatureNS] Questions

From: "Andy Dean" <aadean@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
References: <BAY114-W32A5B6730F666EF9640098B5270@phx.gbl> <47B6F50B.90106@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Sat, 16 Feb 2008 11:43:31 -0400
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We recently noticed our sunflower seed in the feeders was not getting =
any attention and wondered if it might be stale, or something wrong with =
it....we were getting a lot of goldfinch, siskin, and redpoll =
previously. We buy the seed in small amounts from various sources so =
have no idea where the current supply originated and it may be purely =
coincidence with no connection to the concern expressed , but it is food =
for thought.=20

Andy & Lelia Dean
86 Baden Powell Drive
Kentville, NS. Canada. B4N 5P5
Tel: [902] 678-6243

aadean@ns.sympatico.ca
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Eleanor Lindsay=20
  To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
  Sent: Saturday, February 16, 2008 10:36 AM
  Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Questions


  James Hirtle wrote:
  > Hi all:
  > =20
  > I recieved this recently and was wondering if anyone has any =
knowledge=20
  > on this issue.  If indeed there is any truth to the following, I=20
  > myself would find it somewhat disturbing.  I would like to send an=20
  > answer to the individual, but I have no first hand knowledge in=20
  > regards to the topic.
  > =20
  > James R. Hirtle
  > Dublin Shore
  > =20
  > I am writing about sunflower seeds which I feed birds at my property =
on
  > Hidden Lake in the Labelle/Chelsea area.
  >
  > In October my wife and I took a trip across Canada by train. On the
  > outskirts of Winnipeg we saw large fields packed with sunflower =
plants=20
  > that
  > were brown and withered looking. I felt this to be somewhat odd=20
  > considering
  > that the weather was still quite summer like and that I had seen=20
  > sunflower
  > plants in Maniban gardens that still seemed robustly upright and=20
  > appealing
  > to the sun.
  >
  > Whe I arrived at my older son's place in Kelowna BC I happened to =
ask him
  > whether he knew about the sunflower crops around Winnipeg. He had =
spent
  > some time in Winnipeg and his girlfriend comes from a town out side =
of=20
  > that
  > city. My son said that he was told that the sunflower plants are =
sprayed
  > with Round Up to facilitate the harvesting of the plants and the=20
  > gathering
  > of their seeds.
  >
  > In January of this year I purchased an 18 kg bag of sunflower seeds =
at
  > Costco in Halifax. On the bag was printed the name of the company,=20
  > Keystone
  > Grain Limited (they have a website) that distribute the seed and I=20
  > noticed
  > it was in Winnipeg. I looked on the bag for more infornmation and =
was
  > surprised to see no mention that the seed wasn't for human=20
  > consumption. So
  > I wrote them an e-mail to find out if the seed was fit for humans. I =
have
  > had no reply.
  >
  > I was wondering whether you, because of your area of expertise, =
would=20
  > have
  > any knowledge if in fact this is a method used to harvest the seed =
and
  > whether use of such seed - possibly corrupted or contaminated with a
  > herbicide - would be detrimental to birds.
  >
  > I read and hear of the decimation and reduction in the counts of =
some=20
  > types
  > of birds. Could this be a factor to consider or at least make notice =
of?
  > =20
  >
  > =20
  > =20
  >
  > =
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  This may or may not be relevant to the above, but this past winter I=20
  have noted a very dramatic reduction in black oil sunflower seed=20
  consumption compared with all previous 20++  years of bird feeding=20
  (seeds for which I get locally here in Tantallon). The local supplier=20
  told me at the beginning of this season that he had changed suppliers =
so=20
  I have just contacted him after reading the above to ask where he is =
now=20
  getting the seeds from; he tells me they come from a distributing=20
  company, Armstrong, in Ontario, but that at least some of the seeds, =
if=20
  not all, may well come from further west. He tells me he is not =
hearing=20
  from other customers about any change in feeding patterns - but he =
also=20
  hasn't asked - and I am left with an even greater concern than I =
already=20
  had about the low consumption I am noting. Just for interest I am =
going=20
  to try and get some seeds that originate from a different source to =
see=20
  if that makes any difference.
  I'll keep you posted..........
  Eleanor Lindsay
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>We&nbsp;recently noticed our sunflower =
seed in the=20
feeders was not getting any attention and wondered if it might be stale, =
or=20
something wrong with it....we were getting a lot of goldfinch, siskin, =
and=20
redpoll previously. We buy the seed in small amounts from various =
sources so=20
have no idea where the current supply originated and it may be purely=20
coincidence with no connection to the concern expressed , but it is food =
for=20
thought. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Andy &amp; Lelia Dean<BR>86 Baden =
Powell=20
Drive<BR>Kentville, NS. Canada. B4N 5P5<BR>Tel: [902] =
678-6243</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"mailto:aadean@ns.sympatico.ca">aadean@ns.sympatico.ca</A></FONT><=
/DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Daz678@chebucto.ns.ca =
href=3D"mailto:az678@chebucto.ns.ca">Eleanor=20
  Lindsay</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
  href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A> =
</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Saturday, February 16, =
2008 10:36=20
  AM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NatureNS] =
Questions</DIV>
  <