[NatureNS] birds frogs (longish)

Date: Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:20:47 -0300
From: "Margaret E.Millard" <mmillard@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
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Yesterday there were a lot of the usual small birds at the feeders during 
the early part of the day but as the afternoon wore on they became fewer and 
fewer, even after I stopped work. I did have a solitary American goldfinch 
show up.
I started to cut back the grapevine somewhat, to try to repair the damage 
from the snow storm from a year ago past Easter. Doesn't seem to have 
bothered anyone much. The Hairy woodpeckers seem to be pretty much gone, 
now, and the downies are mostly male. I have still, a couple American tree , 
fox and song sparrows, hardly any of the white Throats and no white Crowns 
at all this year so far. Highly unusual  for us. The Atree sparrows, 
chickadees and a juncos who have all taken a liking and are feeding off the 
seed cake. It was funny to watch them figure it out. A few Blue jays are 
still coming in but less frequently. Thankfully for the food supply, the 
starlings seem to have moved on. Crows and the raven are sweeping in from 
time to time but they too are going elsewhere. A  couple gulls are hanging 
about..........one of my neighbours seems to be feeding them. They are cool 
to watch.
Mourning doves are spending less and less time here although if you go back 
by the pond, you get a start as they start to lift off.
I heard the shrike yesterday along with a beautiful song that I think is 
totally new to me, absolutely amazing. Can't figure the bird and couldn't 
see it. Does the shrike have a song aside from the chitter?

Steve went walking last evening and saw that the ditch across the road, (up 
by the sign for White Point Beach Resort, at the intersection from the #3 
down on the loop road (which will swing right by the golf course) is full of 
frog eggs again. For a number of years they seemed to have  all but 
disappeared. Am not sure of the species but time will tell. The toads used 
to migrate right through our property in the fall. We would find toads under 
everything all nestled down and tucked away from the cold. My pond down 
back, a slough really, was always teaming with frogs, toads and salamanders 
and then suddenly nothing. We don't use pesticides but who know what others 
do. I wondered if the ride on mower was doing the damage.
Marg Millard, White Point, Queens
http://margmillard.ca 

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