[NatureNS] Starlings as aerial insectivores?

From: "Peter Mac Leod" <macleod.grayjay@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Fri, 4 Sep 2009 20:10:48 -0300
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Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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Hi I went for a walk hordes of B.Jayson the move and 1 Humming bird =
Peter=20
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Peter Mac Leod <macleod.grayjay@ns.sympatico.ca>
    To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
    Date: Friday, September 04, 2009 7:08 PM
    Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Starlings as aerial insectivores?
   =20
   =20
    Hi Mike I had about 50+ Purple finches and their young amd the same =
here 2 days ago they all disapeared. There were lots of War. around =
yesterday but i only found 1 Myrtle today what a difference a day makesz =
Peter in Shelburne . Lots of birds moving overhead at around 9 to 10 at =
night but there weater is so nice no reson for them to stop here.
        -----Original Message-----
        From: Mike McCall <frogmore@xcountry.tv>
        To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
        Date: Friday, September 04, 2009 6:36 PM
        Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Starlings as aerial insectivores?
       =20
       =20
        Two events seem to have occurred at the same time.=20
        My most numerous feeder birds, Purple Finches and Goldfinches =
did a complete
        bunk on or about Monday and at the same time, swarms of =
Confusing Fall Warblers
        have been working through the trees and shrubbery here at Hall's =
Harbour early in the
        morning. One non-confusing warbler was a lifer for me, a Cape =
May, busy foraging in
        a maple not far from the house. Many Juncos, mostly un-groomed =
juveniles, are busy
        below the feeder. But I was scratching my head after watching a =
male Goldfinch offer
        food to what I was sure was a mature female. A very tender and =
unexpected sight
        at this season.
       =20
       =20
        Mike
       =20
       =20
       =20
       =20
       =20
       =20
        On 4-Sep-09, at 2:33 PM, Judy Tufts wrote:
       =20
       =20
            I saw the same sort of frenzied activity in Windsor last =
evening (Thurs) near the old Windsor Wear building from Hwy 101, and =
realized it was ~100 starlings hunting flying insects, and not swallows.
            =20
            Sadly the  last Ruby- thr. Hummingbird - an imm. male - left =
here Wed. night but note the Juncos are back foraging around our =
gardens.  Our family of Pewees are still in full song beginning at 6.00 =
a.m.. The adult male is followed by echoes from two youngsters - no =
doubt asll getting ready to leave shortly, and this morning I awoke to =
hear a Barred Owl also at dawn.=20
            We have been seeing migration movement of warblers - mostly =
Blk-thr. Greens and Yellow-rumps, but Vireos and Flickers and Blue Jays =
also passing through.
            =20
            =20
            Cheers,
            Judy Tufts
            =20
            >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
               Judy  Tufts
                Wolfville
            <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
           =20

           =20
           =20
           =20

--------------------------------------------------------------------     =
      =20
            From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca =
[mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of Marg Millard
            Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 8:46 AM
            To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
            Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Starlings as aerial insectivores?
           =20
           =20
            Yesterday as we drove from town about 10:30 am, I saw a =
large flock of birds that at first glance I thought oh! No! the swallows =
were blown back here via the storms as a number of years ago when I =
watched many, many die on Summerville Beach.  There was something about =
the flight pattern and the diving that wasn't as sweeping and elegant as =
that of the swallows. The birds were doing fine aerobatics. As what they =
were capturing seemed to disperse so did the birds and a couple landed =
on the wires just as we were passing the salt sheds at the west =
connector. They were starlings! I haven't ever noticed that before. have =
no idea what they were feasting on. Gives me a slightly different view =
to feeding the hordes now.
            Marg Millard, White Point, Queens
            http://MargMillard.ca
            =20
            ....................
            Hi,
           =20
            Twice today I have watched large but loosely-knit flocks of =
Starlings flying high, and behaving just like Swifts or Swallows - =
darting about  and certainly looking as if they are catching small =
aerial insects. I can't say I have specifically noticed that before, but =
I presume it's a common phenomenon for opportunists.
           =20
            Richard
           =20
       =20


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<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Hi I went for a walk hordes of =
B.Jayson the move=20
and 1 Humming bird 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>Peter Mac Leod &lt;<A=20
    =
href=3D"mailto:macleod.grayjay@ns.sympatico.ca">macleod.grayjay@ns.sympat=
ico.ca</A>&gt;<BR><B>To:=20
    </B><A =
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A>=20
    &lt;<A=20
    =
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A>&gt;<B=
R><B>Date:=20
    </B>Friday, September 04, 2009 7:08 PM<BR><B>Subject: </B>Re: =
[NatureNS]=20
    Starlings as aerial insectivores?<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>
    <DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Hi Mike I had about =
50+ Purple=20
    finches and their young amd the same here 2 days ago they all =
disapeared.=20
    There were lots of War. around yesterday but i only found 1 Myrtle =
today=20
    what a difference a day makesz Peter in Shelburne . Lots of birds =
moving=20
    overhead at around 9 to 10 at night but there weater is so nice no =
reson for=20
    them to stop here.</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=20
        Message-----</B><BR><B>From: </B>Mike McCall &lt;<A=20
        =
href=3D"mailto:frogmore@xcountry.tv">frogmore@xcountry.tv</A>&gt;<BR><B>T=
o:=20
        </B><A =
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A>=20
        &lt;<A=20
        =
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A>&gt;<B=
R><B>Date:=20
        </B>Friday, September 04, 2009 6:36 PM<BR><B>Subject: </B>Re: =
[NatureNS]=20
        Starlings as aerial insectivores?<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>Two events =
seem to=20
        have occurred at the same time.=20
        <DIV>My most numerous feeder birds, Purple Finches and =
Goldfinches did a=20
        complete</DIV>
        <DIV>bunk on or about Monday and at the same time, swarms of =
Confusing=20
        Fall Warblers</DIV>
        <DIV>have been working through the trees and shrubbery here at =
Hall's=20
        Harbour early in the</DIV>
        <DIV>morning. One non-confusing warbler was a lifer for me, a =
Cape May,=20
        busy foraging in</DIV>
        <DIV>a maple not far from the house. Many Juncos, mostly =
un-groomed=20
        juveniles, are busy</DIV>
        <DIV>below the feeder. But I was scratching my head after =
watching a=20
        male Goldfinch offer</DIV>
        <DIV>food to what I was sure was a mature female. A very tender =
and=20
        unexpected sight</DIV>
        <DIV>at this season.</DIV>
        <DIV><BR></DIV>
        <DIV>Mike</DIV>
        <DIV><BR></DIV>
        <DIV><BR></DIV>
        <DIV><BR>
        <DIV>
        <DIV>On 4-Sep-09, at 2:33 PM, Judy Tufts wrote:</DIV><BR=20
        class=3DApple-interchange-newline>
        <BLOCKQUOTE type =3D cite><SPAN class=3DApple-style-span=20
            style=3D"COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); FONT: medium Helvetica; =
LETTER-SPACING: normal; TEXT-INDENT: 0px; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; =
WHITE-SPACE: normal; WORD-SPACING: 0px; border-collapse: separate; =
orphans: 2; widows: 2; webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; =
webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: =
none; webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px">
            <DIV align=3Dleft dir =3D ltr><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
            class=3D593591717-04092009>I saw the same sort of frenzied =
activity in=20
            Windsor last evening (Thurs)&nbsp;near the old Windsor Wear =
building=20
            from Hwy 101, and realized it was ~100 starlings hunting =
flying=20
            insects, and&nbsp;not swallows.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
            <DIV align=3Dleft dir =3D ltr><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
            class=3D593591717-04092009></SPAN></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
            <DIV align=3Dleft dir =3D ltr><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2><SPAN=20
            class=3D593591717-04092009>Sadly the &nbsp;last Ruby- thr. =
Hummingbird=20
            - an imm. male - left here Wed. =
night&nbsp;</SPAN></FONT><FONT=20
            face=3DArial size=3D2><SPAN class=3D593591717-04092009>but =
note the Juncos=20
            are back foraging&nbsp;around our gardens.&nbsp;<SPAN=20
            =
class=3DApple-converted-space>&nbsp;</SPAN></SPAN></FONT><SPAN=20
            class=3D593591717-04092009><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Our =
family of=20
            Pewees are&nbsp;still in full song =
beginning&nbsp;at&nbsp;6.00 a.m..=20
            The adult male is followed by echoes from two youngsters - =
no doubt=20
            asll getting ready to leave shortly, and this morning I =
awoke to=20
            hear a Barred Owl also at dawn.<SPAN=20
            class=3DApple-converted-space>&nbsp;</SPAN><BR>We have been =
seeing=20
            migration movement of warblers - mostly Blk-thr. Greens and=20
            Yellow-rumps, but Vireos and Flickers and&nbsp;Blue =
Jays&nbsp;also=20
            passing through.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
            <DIV align=3Dleft dir =3D ltr><SPAN=20
            class=3D593591717-04092009></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
            <DIV align=3Dleft dir =3D ltr><SPAN =
class=3D593591717-04092009><FONT=20
            face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
            <DIV align=3Dleft dir =3D ltr><SPAN =
class=3D593591717-04092009><FONT=20
            face=3DArial size=3D2>Cheers,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
            <DIV align=3Dleft dir =3D ltr><SPAN =
class=3D593591717-04092009><FONT=20
            face=3DArial size=3D2>Judy Tufts</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
            <DIV align=3Dleft dir =3D ltr><SPAN =
class=3D593591717-04092009><FONT=20
            face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</DIV>
            <P><FONT=20
            =
size=3D2>&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;=
&gt;&gt;<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
            Judy&nbsp; Tufts<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
            =
Wolfville<BR>&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;&lt;=
&lt;&lt;&lt;<BR></FONT></P>
            <DIV>&nbsp;</DIV><BR>
            <DIV align=3Dleft class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Den-us =
dir =3D ltr>
            <HR tabindex =3D -1>
            <FONT face=3DTahoma size=3D2><B>From:</B><SPAN=20
            =
class=3DApple-converted-space>&nbsp;</SPAN>naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca =

            [<A=20
            =
href=3D"mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca">mailto:naturens-owner@chebu=
cto.ns.ca</A>]<SPAN=20
            class=3DApple-converted-space>&nbsp;</SPAN><B>On Behalf =
Of<SPAN=20
            class=3DApple-converted-space>&nbsp;</SPAN></B>Marg=20
            Millard<BR><B>Sent:</B><SPAN=20
            class=3DApple-converted-space>&nbsp;</SPAN>Thursday, =
September 03,=20
            2009 8:46 AM<BR><B>To:</B><SPAN=20
            class=3DApple-converted-space>&nbsp;</SPAN><A=20
            =
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A><BR><B=
>Subject:</B><SPAN=20
            class=3DApple-converted-space>&nbsp;</SPAN>Re: [NatureNS] =
Starlings as=20
            aerial insectivores?<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
            <DIV></DIV>
            <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>Yesterday as we=20
            drove from town about 10:30 am, I saw a large flock of birds =
that at=20
            first glance I thought oh! No! the swallows were blown back =
here via=20
            the storms as a number of years ago when I watched many, =
many die on=20
            Summerville Beach.&nbsp; There was something about the =
flight=20
            pattern and the diving that wasn't as sweeping and elegant =
as that=20
            of the swallows. The birds were doing fine aerobatics. As =
what they=20
            were capturing seemed to disperse so did the birds and a =
couple=20
            landed on the wires just as we were passing the salt sheds =
at the=20
            west connector. They were starlings! I haven't ever noticed =
that=20
            before. have no idea what they were feasting on. Gives me a =
slightly=20
            different view to feeding the hordes =
now.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
            <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Marg Millard, White Point,=20
            Queens</FONT><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times =
New Roman"=20
            size=3D3></FONT></FONT></DIV><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2><FONT=20
            face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3></FONT></FONT>
            <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New =
Roman" size=3D3>
            <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
            =
href=3D"http://margmillard.ca/">http://MargMillard.ca</A></FONT></DIV></F=
ONT></FONT></DIV>
            <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New =
Roman"=20
            size=3D3></FONT></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
            <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New =
Roman"=20
            size=3D3>....................</FONT></FONT></DIV>
            <DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New =
Roman"=20
            size=3D3>Hi,<BR><BR>Twice today I have watched large but =
loosely-knit=20
            flocks of Starlings flying high, and behaving just like =
Swifts or=20
            Swallows - darting about&nbsp; and certainly looking as if =
they are=20
            catching small aerial insects. I can't say I have =
specifically=20
            noticed that before, but I presume it's a common phenomenon =
for=20
            opportunists.<BR><BR>Richard</FONT><BR =
clear=3Dall></FONT></DIV><FONT=20
            face=3DArial=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQ=
UOTE></BODY></HTML>

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