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Hi Patrica it would v be better 5to dop in a week or two Peter=20
-----Original Message-----
From: P.L. Chalmers <plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Saturday, April 11, 2009 11:32 PM
Subject: [NatureNS] Owl Surveying in Tangier, and nature notes
=20
=20
Hi there,
=20
Suzanne Borkowski and I ran my Owl Survey Route (Tangier) =
last night (i.e. Good Friday, 10th April). My route runs inland from =
Tangier along the road to Mooseland; this road is the eastern boundary =
of the Tangier Grand Lake Wilderness Area. Since most of the road is =
paved, we can do this route earlier than Suzanne's, which is all on a =
dirt road.
=20
We were watching the weather and I'm glad that we did not =
let the forecast of showers deter us. Conditions were ideal for =
listening for owls last night - clear skies, no precipitation, =
temperatures above freezing, and almost no wind. However, in seven =
years of doing this route we had the second-lowest owl count - only =
five. We heard three Northern Saw-whets, one Barred, and one Great =
Horned Owl. In the past we have had a low of four owls and a high of =
eleven, with an average of 7. We usually find all three of the regular =
species. =20
=20
A few of the salt marshes and barachois ponds were still =
partly frozen, though all the salt water coves were open. Every bay and =
inlet along Highway 7 seemed to have one or two Common Loons in full =
breeding plumage, and no wonder. The lakes were 70-90% frozen still, =
with open water only around the edges, and very dark, soft looking ice. =
The loons have arrived on the coast and they are just waiting for the =
lakes to open up so they can move inland and claim them. The only loons =
we saw inland were a pair on River Lake, which was about 70% frozen. So =
we didn't hear any loons calling last night, and I missed their wails =
and yodels which usually accompany our survey.=20
=20
There are a lot of cottages and fishing camps along this =
road, but perhaps since the lakes are still frozen, there was very =
little traffic for a long weekend, when more visitors might have been =
expected. We encountered only 3 other cars in 3.5 hours, so it was very =
quiet.
=20
There is still some light snow cover in the woods along the =
eastern shore, and in the ditches, but we heard lots of running water =
during our survey. However the Spring Peepers were not yet calling, and =
I heard only one Wood Frog, late in the evening. Canada Geese were =
calling from Scraggy Lake. At the last stop, just before midnight, =
there were three American Woodcock peenting (but not winnowing).
=20
Tangier is about 100 K from Halifax and far beyond any light =
pollution. The view of the night sky was stunning, until the moon rose, =
large and orange, half-way through our survey. For those who wonder =
about a correlation between owls and moon phase, there was a full moon =
(as always close to Easter), and it was after moonrise that we heard the =
owls. However, we usually hear more owls later on in the route, as we =
move further inland, so I'm not sure that the moon was a significant =
factor.
=20
On our way up the Eastern Shore we stopped in Jeddore Oyster =
Ponds at Luc Berrigan's house. Unfortunately no one was home (sorry we =
missed you!) but we were delighted to see two male Red Crossbills in the =
yard, along with the regular feeder birds.
=20
The most surprising observation of the evening came while we =
were eating supper at the restaurant of the Fairwinds Motel in Sheet =
Harbour. We had a table by the window overlooking the water. Knowing =
it was such a great location we both naturally took our binoculars with =
us into the restaurant, and I also had my field guide on the table. (I =
like to let businesses see that naturalists bring $$.$$) This was not =
lost on our waitress, who was happy to tell us that a pair of Canada =
Geese and several mergansers had been on the river earlier in the day. =
Anyway, while we were seated, I spotted a large dark bird fly across the =
harbour towards us, flapping its wings deeply. We had both been hoping =
to see an Osprey and because I was expecting to see one, I was baffled =
by this bird at first, until I finally realized that, despite its flight =
pattern, it was a Turkey Vulture! I've never seen a Vulture in Halifax =
County before. Today there were news reports of an abundance of dead =
seals washing up on the beaches of the Eastern Shore, perhaps accounting =
for the presence of this bird.
=20
It was great to see all the Coltsfoot in bloom along the =
roadsides yesterday in the sunshine, the first I have seen this year.=20
=20
Cheers,
=20
Patricia L. Chalmers
Halifax
=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
=20
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<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Hi Patrica it would v be =
better 5to dop in=20
a week or two Peter </FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: =
5px">
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>-----Original =
Message-----</B><BR><B>From:=20
</B>P.L. Chalmers <<A=20
=
href=3D"mailto:plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca">plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca</A>=
><BR><B>To:=20
</B>NatureNS <<A=20
=
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A>><B=
R><B>Date:=20
</B>Saturday, April 11, 2009 11:32 PM<BR><B>Subject: </B>[NatureNS] =
Owl=20
Surveying in Tangier, and nature notes<BR><BR></DIV></FONT><FONT=20
face=3D"Courier New, Courier">Hi=20
=
there,<BR><BR><X-TAB> </X-=
TAB>Suzanne=20
Borkowski and I ran my Owl Survey Route (Tangier) last night (i.e. =
Good=20
Friday, 10th April). My route runs inland from Tangier along =
the road=20
to Mooseland; this road is the eastern boundary of the Tangier Grand =
Lake=20
Wilderness Area. Since most of the road is paved, we can do =
this route=20
earlier than Suzanne's, which is all on a dirt=20
=
road.<BR><BR><X-TAB> </X-T=
AB>We=20
were watching the weather and I'm glad that we did not let the =
forecast of=20
showers deter us. Conditions were ideal for listening for owls =
last=20
night - clear skies, no precipitation, temperatures above freezing, =
and=20
almost no wind. However, in seven years of doing this route we =
had the=20
second-lowest owl count - only five. We heard three Northern=20
Saw-whets, one Barred, and one Great Horned Owl. In the past =
we have=20
had a low of four owls and a high of eleven, with an average of =
7. We=20
usually find all three of the regular species. =20
=
<BR><BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>A =
few=20
of the salt marshes and barachois ponds were still partly frozen, =
though all=20
the salt water coves were open. Every bay and inlet along =
Highway 7=20
seemed to have one or two Common Loons in full breeding plumage, and =
no=20
wonder. The lakes were 70-90% frozen still, with open water only =
around the=20
edges, and very dark, soft looking ice. The loons have arrived =
on the=20
coast and they are just waiting for the lakes to open up so they can =
move=20
inland and claim them. The only loons we saw inland were a =
pair on=20
River Lake, which was about 70% frozen. So we didn't hear any =
loons=20
calling last night, and I missed their wails and yodels which =
usually=20
accompany our survey.=20
=
<BR><BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>Th=
ere=20
are a lot of cottages and fishing camps along this road, but perhaps =
since=20
the lakes are still frozen, there was very little traffic for a long =
weekend, when more visitors might have been expected. We =
encountered=20
only 3 other cars in 3.5 hours, so it was very=20
=
quiet.<BR><BR><X-TAB> </X-=
TAB>There=20
is still some light snow cover in the woods along the eastern shore, =
and in=20
the ditches, but we heard lots of running water during our =
survey. =20
However the Spring Peepers were not yet calling, and I heard only =
one Wood=20
Frog, late in the evening. Canada Geese were calling from =
Scraggy=20
Lake. At the last stop, just before midnight, there were three =
American Woodcock peenting (but not=20
=
winnowing).<BR><BR><X-TAB>  =
;</X-TAB>Tangier=20
is about 100 K from Halifax and far beyond any light =
pollution. The=20
view of the night sky was stunning, until the moon rose, large and =
orange,=20
half-way through our survey. For those who wonder about a =
correlation=20
between owls and moon phase, there was a full moon (as always close =
to=20
Easter), and it was after moonrise that we heard the owls. =
However, we=20
usually hear more owls later on in the route, as we move further =
inland, so=20
I'm not sure that the moon was a significant=20
=
factor.<BR><BR><X-TAB> </X=
-TAB>On=20
our way up the Eastern Shore we stopped in Jeddore Oyster Ponds at =
Luc=20
Berrigan's house. Unfortunately no one was home (sorry we =
missed you!)=20
but we were delighted to see two male Red Crossbills in the yard, =
along with=20
the regular feeder=20
=
birds.<BR><BR><X-TAB> </X-=
TAB>The=20
most surprising observation of the evening came while we were eating =
supper=20
at the restaurant of the Fairwinds Motel in Sheet Harbour. We =
had a=20
table by the window overlooking the water. Knowing it was such =
a great=20
location we both naturally took our binoculars with us into the =
restaurant,=20
and I also had my field guide on the table. (I like to let =
businesses see=20
that naturalists bring $$.$$) This was not lost on our =
waitress, who=20
was happy to tell us that a pair of Canada Geese and several =
mergansers had=20
been on the river earlier in the day. Anyway, while we were =
seated, I=20
spotted a large dark bird fly across the harbour towards us, =
flapping its=20
wings deeply. We had both been hoping to see an Osprey and =
because I=20
was expecting to see one, I was baffled by this bird at first, until =
I=20
finally realized that, despite its flight pattern, it was a Turkey=20
Vulture! I've never seen a Vulture in Halifax County before. =
Today=20
there were news reports of an abundance of dead seals washing up on =
the=20
beaches of the Eastern Shore, perhaps accounting for the presence of =
this=20
=
bird.<BR><BR><X-TAB> </X-T=
AB>It=20
was great to see all the Coltsfoot in bloom along the roadsides =
yesterday in=20
the sunshine, the first I have seen this year.=20
=
<BR><BR><X-TAB> </X-TAB>Ch=
eers,<BR><BR><X-TAB> </X-T=
AB>Patricia=20
L.=20
=
Chalmers<BR><X-TAB> </X-TA=
B>Halifax<BR><BR><BR><X-TAB> &nb=
sp;</X-TAB><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR></FONT><X-TAB> =
</X-TAB>=20
</BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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