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--Apple-Mail-12-975782894 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed I'd be willing to bet that the quarry was very probably flying ants, and the flocks of starlings and even gulls (both herring & ring- billed gulls) acting as opportunistic aerial insectivores borders on common in The Valley or at least a regular phenomenon that lasts from summer to early autumn. I know nothing of the biodiversity of ants in our province, but I think the emergences of the winged reproductives (often of two sizes at once, tiny males and large females) come at somewhat regular times at approximately monthly intervals? Cheers from Jim in Wolfville (written in B.C.) Begin forwarded message: > From: Marg Millard <mmillard@eastlink.ca> > Date: September 3, 2009 8:45:34 AM ADT > To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Starlings as aerial insectivores? > Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > > 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 > > .................... > Hi, > > 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. > > Richard --Apple-Mail-12-975782894 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> I'd be willing to bet that the quarry was very probably flying ants, and = the flocks of starlings and even gulls (both herring & ring-billed = gulls) acting as opportunistic aerial insectivores borders on common in = The Valley or at least a regular phenomenon that lasts from summer to = early autumn. I know nothing of the biodiversity of ants in our = province, but I think the emergences of the winged reproductives (often = of two sizes at once, tiny males and large females) come at somewhat = regular times at approximately monthly = intervals?<div><br></div><div>Cheers from Jim in Wolfville (written in = B.C.) <br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: = </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">Marg Millard <<a = href=3D"mailto:mmillard@eastlink.ca">mmillard@eastlink.ca</a>></font></= div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">September 3, 2009 8:45:34 AM = ADT</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>Re: [NatureNS] Starlings as aerial = insectivores?</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Reply-To: </b></font><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> <span = class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: = rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: = normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: = normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: = 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: = 0px; -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><font face=3D"Arial" = size=3D"2"><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"2">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.</font></font></div><div><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"2">Marg = Millard, White Point, Queens</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"2"><font = face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3"></font></font></div><font = face=3D"Arial" size=3D"2"><font face=3D"Times New Roman" = size=3D"3"></font></font><div><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"2"><font = face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D"3"><div><font face=3D"Arial" = size=3D"2"><a = href=3D"http://margmillard.ca/">http://MargMillard.ca</a></font></div></fo= nt></font></div><div><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"2"><font face=3D"Times = New Roman" size=3D"3"></font></font> </div><div><font face=3D"Arial" = size=3D"2"><font face=3D"Times New Roman" = size=3D"3">....................</font></font></div><div><font = face=3D"Arial" size=3D"2"><font face=3D"Times New Roman" = size=3D"3">Hi,<br><br>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.<br><br>Richard</font><br clear=3D"all"></font></div><font = face=3D"Arial" = size=3D"2"></font></span></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>= --Apple-Mail-12-975782894--
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