[NatureNS] grey jays at Taylor Head, piping plovers at Pomquet Beach

Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:54:01 -0300
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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--Boundary_(ID_WSlUU4KpcYvN7NrFqGwxSQ)
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JULY 4, 2008 - Pat and I drove TO CANSO (to the Stanfest), and we  
chose to go via the Eastern Shore.  We stopped for a picnic at Taylor  
Head Provincial Park, where we were immediately joined at our picnic  
table by two panhandling adult GREY JAYS.  We have seen them there in  
previous years and always hope for a replay.  We were eating  
oatcakes, and one of the jays quickly got the idea and grabbed some  
bits right out of my hand.

Also at Taylor Head, along the access road into the park, we saw a  
pair of WILLETS aerially harassing a crow; we took this as a clear  
sign that the willets had youngsters nearby.  We also saw several  
more willets along that road and shore.

JULY 7, 2008  - On our way home from the Stanfest at Canso, as usual  
we drove to POMQUET BEACH PROVINCIAL PARK for a long beach walk and a  
monitoring of the PIPING PLOVERS.  From the first access spot for the  
beach (near the lifeguard's station), we walked only to the right or  
eastward, so we don't know whether there are any plovers on the west  
end of the long beach.  I will list our findings in point form below  
as we encountered the plovers, which totalled between 10 and 12 post- 
juveniles (adults or yearlings) and included two family groups, both  
of large youngsters:

- about 2-300 m. east from the access point, 2 adults with 2 big  
chicks, nearly full-grown;
- then 1 + 1 + 2 individuals, all perhaps subadults, not marked like  
adults -- e.g. collars not complete nor black, rather coloured brownish;
- then 2 adults;
-then an adult that ACTED?? as if it had an injured foot, by limping  
a bit and several times falling on its side, but then flew OK -- then  
this individual was chased by a separate territorial adult and flew  
strongly away to the east (where I think I re-encountered it later on  
our long walk)(and later I wondered if the limping etc. was an act,  
perhaps indicating that this bird had young or a nest nearby??);
-then 2 adults with 3 very large chicks, nearly full-grown and older  
than the first brood we encountered;
- then 1 more adult + 1 more adult (but unsure whether to add these  
to our list, as they might quite possibly be birds encountered  
further west first;
- on my walk back to our starting point, at one point I came upon a  
flock of 5 adults together;
- I also must mention that all of our encounters with the piping  
plovers were right along the water's edge, and we thus had to walk a  
bit up-beach to get around them to get further east, but still the  
disturbance was minimal, I'm confident, and we didn't go far up the  
beach to the areas of stones where any possible nests would have  
been; also we got very close views of most of the plovers, but didn't  
notice any bands on their legs;

- also there were lots of LION'S-MANE JELLYFISH that were in danger  
of being stranded on the beach (several were seen stranded, too), and  
we also saw a BATHING SPARROW (probably Savannah?) at the water-line.
---------------------------
On the rest of our drive to Wolfville, at Kennetcook on a grassy area  
along the river there was a flock of 20+ (uncounted) CANADA GEESE.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.

--Boundary_(ID_WSlUU4KpcYvN7NrFqGwxSQ)
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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>JULY =
4, 2008</b> - Pat and I drove <b>TO CANSO </b>(to the Stanfest), and we =
chose to go via the Eastern Shore.=A0 We stopped for a picnic at Taylor =
Head Provincial Park, where we were immediately joined at our picnic =
table by two panhandling adult <b>GREY JAYS</b>.=A0 We have seen them =
there in previous years and always hope for a replay.=A0 We were eating =
oatcakes, and one of the jays quickly got the idea and grabbed some bits =
right out of my hand.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">Also at Taylor Head, along the access road into the =
park, we saw a pair of <b>WILLETS </b>aerially harassing a crow; we took =
this as a clear sign that the willets had youngsters nearby.=A0 We also =
saw several more willets along that road and shore.</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; =
min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>JULY =
7, 2008=A0</b> - On our way home from the Stanfest at Canso, as usual we =
drove to <b>POMQUET BEACH PROVINCIAL PARK</b> for a long beach walk and =
a monitoring of the <b>PIPING PLOVERS</b>.=A0 =46rom the first access =
spot for the beach (near the lifeguard's station), we walked only to the =
right or eastward, so we don't know whether there are any plovers on the =
west end of the long beach.=A0 I will list our findings in point form =
below as we encountered the plovers, which totalled between 10 and 12 =
post-juveniles (adults or yearlings) and included two family groups, =
both of large youngsters:</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">- about 2-300 m. east from the access point, 2 adults =
with 2 big chicks, nearly full-grown;</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">- then 1 + 1 + 2 individuals, all perhaps subadults, =
not marked like adults -- e.g. collars not complete nor black, rather =
coloured brownish;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- then 2 =
adults;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">-then an adult that =
<b>ACTED??</b> as if it had an<b> injured foot</b>, by limping a bit and =
several times falling on its side, but then flew OK -- then this =
individual was chased by a separate territorial adult and flew strongly =
away to the east (where I think I re-encountered it later on our long =
walk)(and later I wondered if the limping etc. was an act, perhaps =
indicating that this bird had young or a nest =
nearby??);</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">-then 2 adults with 3 very =
large chicks, nearly full-grown and older than the first brood we =
encountered;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">- then 1 more adult + 1 more =
adult (but unsure whether to add these to our list, as they might quite =
possibly be birds encountered further west first;</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">- on my walk back to our starting point, at one point =
I came upon a flock of 5 adults together;</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">- I also must mention that all of our encounters with =
the piping plovers were right along the water's edge, and we thus had to =
walk a bit up-beach to get around them to get further east, but still =
the disturbance was minimal, I'm confident, and we didn't go far up the =
beach to the areas of stones where any possible nests would have been; =
also we got very close views of most of the plovers, but didn't notice =
any bands on their legs;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">- also there were lots of <b>LION'S-MANE JELLYFISH</b> =
that were in danger of being stranded on the beach (several were seen =
stranded, too), and we also saw a <b>BATHING SPARROW </b>(probably =
Savannah?) at the water-line.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Helvetica">---------------------------</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">On the rest of our drive to Wolfville, at Kennetcook =
on a grassy area along the river there was a flock of 20+ (uncounted) =
<b>CANADA GEESE</b>.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
"><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Cheers from Jim in =
Wolfville.</div>
</body></html>=

--Boundary_(ID_WSlUU4KpcYvN7NrFqGwxSQ)--

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