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--_a5fe75b3-acde-46b9-8c26-c81767685842_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hello Folks, =20 Just a note to let you know the results of this NSBS/BNS/AFNC field tr= ip. I'll try to provide a better report for the newsletters, but I've alre= ady had a few enquiries. =20 =20 The weather was not ideal, with temperatures ranging mainly from -9 to= -5 (before windchill), and a NW wind along the coast of 35-50 km/h in expo= sed areas. The snow held off except for an occasional light flurry, and ge= nerally we had reasonably good viewing as long as we could find shelter fro= m the wind. I understand that slippery roads in the interior of the provin= ce kept some South Shore birders away, but we had a good group of 10 birder= s from Kings and Halifax counties - close to an ideal size for a birding tr= ip to allow everyone to see as much as possible. I'd still like to have a = way to communicate quickly with all the cars when something is seen as we'r= e moving along - Does anyone have experience with a low-power radio transmi= tter or some such device?. =20 =20 We had about 40 species - not counting a recently deceased Ruffed Grou= se along the road at Margaretsville - with no great rarities but several sp= ecies of interest. The highlights included the flock of 13 Harlequin Ducks= at their usual spot at Port George, seemingly trying to prove that they we= re not unlucky by hugging the shore despite the high wind and wave action. = Most sea ducks, including the Common Eiders, were farther out, and could = be seen only by patiently waiting for them to come to the surface close eno= ugh to the crest of a wave to be seen. Scanning at Morden, Port George, an= d Margaretsville, produced fair numbers of eiders and Red-breasted Merganse= rs (25+), but only a few Long-tailed Ducks, Common Loons, and scoters (Whit= e-winged and Black were identified). Even gulls were difficult to get; bes= ide our two basic ones, we had a Ring-billed, and Clarence Stevens (Sr.) ma= naged to pick out an Iceland at Cottage Cove. Other coastal species eluded= us and we decided to continue westward in the Valley because of the cold w= ind and swells at the shore. =20 =20 Our first stop of the day was at Audrey Wellwood's excellent feeding st= ation adjoining a ravine with a pond in it at Aylesford; there we were trea= ted to the sight of pairs of early Mallards and Am. Black Ducks, as well as= large flocks of redpolls (only Common identified) and Am. Goldfinches and = a White-throated Sparrow, as well as other common feeder birds, including D= ark-eyed Juncos. The Northern Cardinal that she had occasionally did not a= ppear while were there, nor did we find any of the famed Middleton ones lat= er in the day, but one party (Shawn Hicks and myself) was lucky enough to s= ee a male fly across the Wellwood driveway when we returned to pick up a ca= r in the late afternoon. Between Aylesford and Morden, at Welton's Corner, we had another highli= ght -- a large flock of Bohemian Waxwings perched in roadside trees gave us= a good view for about 5 minutes until they all took off with the arrival o= f a Merlin. It, in turn, perched near the road and gave us a view through = scopes and binoculars. I had estimated the waxwing flock to be about 400 b= irds, but Gary Myers got a photo of them in flight and said that by using a= grid he was able to count more than 700! Other bright spots: flocks of C= anada Geese going over Morden and Middleton; Hoary Redpolls (at least two = C. hornemanni exilipes) along with many more regular species at Helen Sharp= 's feeding station in Margaretsville. Singing Song Sparrows there and else= where were encouraging, as were small numbers of American Robins seen at va= rious points. Sharp-eyed Clarence Stevens found a White-crowned Sparrow at= another feeder in Margaretsville (Peter Harvie's) for a surprise highlight= . Ring-necked Pheasants were resplendent at various points, but at one sto= p in Granville, about nine of them took off from a small area between the r= oad and the Annapolis River. =20 =20 At the west end of the trip, additions were Common Goldeneye, Bufflehea= d, and Red-necked Grebe (and a harbour seal) below the dam at Annapolis Roy= al, and a male Northern Harrier over the marshes along the river - probably= a migrant. We were not able to find the two "possible Thayer's Gulls" see= n there recently, nor were we successful in turning an apparent small Commo= n Loon there into a Pacific, although it might be worthwhile for others in = the area to check for it, as our view was not great. =20 All in all; it was an enjoyable day, and I would like to thank especial= ly those feeder owners whose hospitality added so much: Audrey Wellwood, He= len Sharp, Gary Myers & Merry Atwood, and Sharon and Steve Hawboldt.=20 =20 Cheers, =20 =20 Wayne Neily Tremont, Kings Co., Nova Scotia "Think globally, Act locally." = - Ren=E9 Dubos, 1972.=20 _________________________________________________________________ Send a smile, make someone laugh, have some fun! Start now! http://g.msn.ca/ca55/208= --_a5fe75b3-acde-46b9-8c26-c81767685842_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html> <head> <style> .hmmessage P { margin:0px; padding:0px } body.hmmessage { FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY:Tahoma } </style> </head> <body class=3D'hmmessage'> Hello Folks,<BR> <BR> Just a note to let you know the results of this NS= BS/BNS/AFNC field trip. I'll try to provide a better report for the n= ewsletters, but I've already had a few enquiries. <BR> <BR> The weather was not ideal, with temperatures rangi= ng mainly from -9 to -5 (before windchill), and a NW wind along the co= ast of 35-50 km/h in exposed areas. The snow held off except for an o= ccasional light flurry, and generally we had reasonably good viewing as lon= g as we could find shelter from the wind. I understand that slippery = roads in the interior of the province kept some South Shore birders away, b= ut we had a good group of 10 birders from Kings and Halifax counties - clos= e to an ideal size for a birding trip to allow everyone to see as much as p= ossible. I'd still like to have a way to communicate quickly with all= the cars when something is seen as we're moving along - Does anyone have e= xperience with a low-power radio transmitter or some such device?.&nbs= p; <BR> <BR> We had about 40 species - not counting a recently = deceased Ruffed Grouse along the road at Margaretsville - with no great rar= ities but several species of interest. The highlights included the fl= ock of 13 Harlequin Ducks at their usual spot at Port George, seemingly try= ing to prove that they were not unlucky by hugging the shore despite the hi= gh wind and wave action. Most sea ducks, including the Common&n= bsp;Eiders, were farther out, and could be seen only by patiently wait= ing for them to come to the surface close enough to the crest of a wave to = be seen. Scanning at Morden, Port George, and Margaretsville, produce= d fair numbers of eiders and Red-breasted Mergansers (25+), but only a few = Long-tailed Ducks, Common Loons, and scoters (White-winged and Black w= ere identified). Even gulls were difficult to get; beside our two bas= ic ones, we had a Ring-billed, and Clarence Stevens (Sr.) managed to p= ick out an Iceland at Cottage Cove. Other coastal species eluded us a= nd we decided to continue westward in the Valley because of the cold w= ind and swells at the shore. <BR> <BR> Our first stop of the day was at Audrey Wellwood's excel= lent feeding station adjoining a ravine with a pond in it at Aylesford; the= re we were treated to the sight of pairs of early Mallards and Am. Bla= ck Ducks, as well as large flocks of redpolls (only Common identified) and = Am. Goldfinches and a White-throated Sparrow, as well as other common = feeder birds, including Dark-eyed Juncos. The Northern Cardinal that = she had occasionally did not appear while were there, nor did we find any o= f the famed Middleton ones later in the day, but one party (Shawn Hicks and= myself) was lucky enough to see a male fly across the Wellwood driveway wh= en we returned to pick up a car in the late afternoon.<BR><BR> Between Aylesford and Morden, at Welton's Corner, w= e had another highlight -- a large flock of Bohemian Waxwings perched in ro= adside trees gave us a good view for about 5 minutes until they all took of= f with the arrival of a Merlin. It, in turn, perched near the road an= d gave us a view through scopes and binoculars. I had estimated the w= axwing flock to be about 400 birds, but Gary Myers got a photo of them in f= light and said that by using a grid he was able to count more than 700!&nbs= p; Other bright spots: flocks of Canada Geese going over Morden and M= iddleton; Hoary Redpolls (at least two <EM>C. hornemanni exilipes</EM= >) along with many more regular species at Helen Sharp's feeding station in= Margaretsville. Singing Song Sparrows there and elsewhere were encou= raging, as were small numbers of American Robins seen at various points.&nb= sp; Sharp-eyed Clarence Stevens found a White-crowned Sparrow at anoth= er feeder in Margaretsville (Peter Harvie's) for a surprise highlight. = ; Ring-necked Pheasants were resplendent at various points, but at one stop= in Granville, about nine of them took off from a small area between t= he road and the Annapolis River. <BR> <BR> At the west end of the trip, additions were Common Golde= neye, Bufflehead, and Red-necked Grebe (and a harbour seal) below the dam a= t Annapolis Royal, and a male Northern Harrier over the marshes along the r= iver - probably a migrant. We were not able to find the two= "possible Thayer's Gulls" seen there recently, nor were we successful= in turning an apparent small Common Loon there into a Pacific, although it= might be worthwhile for others in the area to check for it, as our view wa= s not great.<BR> <BR> All in all; it was an enjoyable day, and I would like to= thank especially those feeder owners whose hospitality added so much: Audr= ey Wellwood, Helen Sharp, Gary Myers & Merry Atwood, and Sharon and Ste= ve Hawboldt. <BR> <BR> Cheers,<BR> <BR> <BR> <DIV>Wayne Neily <BR>Tremont, Kings Co., Nova Scotia <BR><BR>"Think globall= y, Act locally." - Ren=E9 Dubos, 1972. <BR></DIV><br /><hr />Send a smile, = make someone laugh, have some fun! <a href=3D'http://g.msn.ca/ca55/208' tar= get=3D'_new'>Start now!</a></body> </html>= --_a5fe75b3-acde-46b9-8c26-c81767685842_--
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