[NatureNS] Birding by water at White Rock

From: "Andrew Steeves" <andrew@gaspereau.com>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 16:50:03 -0300
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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Now that it's officially spring I had no reasonable excuse for any =
further delay in launching a canoe on my 'home pond'  -- the Gaspereau =
River headpond at White Rock -- for the first time in 2009. =
Accomplishing this was complicated, however, by about 200 m of solid ice =
from the White Rock bridge out to the open water. With great caution, I =
slid myself and the canoe across the ice to within a few feet of the =
open water, got in, and then carefully shoved off  the ice into the =
river. Huzza! The ice was still remarkably sound, though I'm not sure I =
would have gone out on it without a life jacket, a good knife and =
16-foot-long wooden canoe to grab onto if I went through.

What this canoe-skate earned me was a 1.25 km stretch of open water to =
play on in the warm sunshine. It was so warm and calm I didn't even put =
my coat on. Mostly I saw the usual suspects. One adult BALD EAGLE making =
its high-pitched call from a tall pine and another being mobbed by =
CROWS. CHICKADEES calling from the shore. RAVENS making gravelly noises =
while performing smartaleck aerobatics. There was a female COMMON =
MERGANSER, a M&F pair of BLACK DUCKS, and -- to my surprise -- a M&F =
pair of HOODED MERGANSERS. I watched the waterfowl in particular for a =
long time.=20

After about an hour entertaining myself in this fashion I carefully =
weaseled the canoe back up on top of the ice and tip-toed my way =
upstream to the bridge.

And canoeing season begins in earnest (if it ever really ended) ...

Andrew Steeves
Wolfville, NS

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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Now that it's officially spring I had no reasonable =
excuse for=20
any further delay in launching a canoe on my 'home pond'&nbsp; -- the =
Gaspereau=20
River headpond at White Rock -- for the first time in 2009. =
Accomplishing this=20
was complicated, however,&nbsp;by about 200 m of solid ice from the =
White Rock=20
bridge out to the open water. With great caution, I slid myself and the =
canoe=20
across the ice to within a few feet of the open water, got in,&nbsp;and =
then=20
carefully shoved off &nbsp;the ice into the river. Huzza! The ice was =
still=20
remarkably sound, though I'm not sure I would have gone out on it =
without a life=20
jacket, a good knife&nbsp;and 16-foot-long wooden canoe to grab onto if =
I went=20
through.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>What this canoe-skate earned me was a 1.25 km =
stretch of open=20
water to play on in the warm sunshine. It was so warm and calm I didn't=20
even&nbsp;put my coat on.&nbsp;Mostly&nbsp;I saw the usual suspects. One =
adult=20
BALD EAGLE making its high-pitched call from a tall pine and another =
being=20
mobbed by CROWS. CHICKADEES calling from the shore. RAVENS making =
gravelly=20
noises while&nbsp;performing&nbsp;smartaleck&nbsp;aerobatics. There was =
a female=20
COMMON MERGANSER, a M&amp;F pair of BLACK DUCKS, and -- to my surprise =
-- a=20
M&amp;F pair of HOODED MERGANSERS. I watched the waterfowl in particular =
for a=20
long time.&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>After about an hour&nbsp;entertaining myself in this =
fashion I=20
carefully&nbsp;weaseled the canoe back up on top =
of&nbsp;the&nbsp;ice&nbsp;and=20
tip-toed my way upstream to the bridge.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>And canoeing season begins in earnest (if it ever =
really=20
ended) ...</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Andrew Steeves</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Wolfville, NS</FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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