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The Guzzle, Long Island, Grand Pre, Kings Co.
High Tide 1830 hrs (11.1) Temp 18 oC, overcast sky, and only THREE bass
anglers!
THURS, Aug 13 /09
1710-1730 hrs:
I found a very large 'black' cloud of shorebirds (~40,000) flying quite high
out over Minas Basin when I first arrived almost 1 1/2 hrs before High Tide,
which was not only impressive, it was encouraging. Within mins more large
flocks (10-20,000) started arriving, some from Avon River mouth, others from
various directions and this continued for much of the time I was there. It
was an amazing sight with them all streaming into the area. Just odd little
flocks (100-200 birds) dropped onto the beach but otherwise the flocks
stayed airborne.
The very large flock well out over the Minas Basin by now was re-grouping
with the addition of several other flocks, into a massive flock of 60,000 (
I may be under-estimating their numbers) swirling in various formations to
avoid what was obviously Peregrine harassment by a single bird. Meanwhile
I was aware of at least four more large flocks dipping and rising in their
'liguid' movements, gathering numbers as they moved around the beach between
me and the Evangeline Beach cottages. When I glanced back over to look for
the large flock out over the basin, it was no longer up in the sky but had
transformed into the appearance of an enormous oil 'slick' stretching well
across Minas Basin (from my view looking out towards the mouth of the
Basin), keeping low over the surface of the water. Possibly a defensive
tactic to avoid the Peregrine? When I left at 1730 hrs, the flock had
become very large dark 'cloud' again and was moving further north out into
the Minas Basin, closer to the Hants shoreline, while the other flocks had
dispersed, possibly to some roosting area - maybe nearby Black River Lake
where they seem to have found some refuge from birds of prey? Mark Elderkin
has been noting shorebird roosting flocks in that area in recent years.
A couple of small flocks remained to rest on the beach close to the 'eastern
point' where I was. One flock of ~200 appeared to be all Semip. Plovers. I
did note the odd White-rump. Sandpiper when flocks passed me in flight but
majority of the birds I could identify were Semip. Sandpipers.
My 'guesstimate' would be that there were over 100,000 birds out there
today.
Cheers,
Judy Tufts
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Judy Tufts
Wolfville
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