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--=====================_445722796==.ALT Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed 10 November 2009 Nothwithstanding the presence of some stellar bird rarities right now (and certainly more to be discovered), I've heard concerns from several observers across the province that the number of birds they are accustomed to seeing at their feeders or on walks is way down. And that is my impression as well. I have the usual resident species at my feeders (chickadees, woodpeckers, nuthatches, doves, jays, juncos and sparrows), but their numbers are low, and on walks in the woods or coastline, the landbirds are in short supply. And I suspect, though can't prove, that this is due to an absence of wild food. There are certainly very few berries around, and the berry production this past summer was not aided by the poor weather, but the cone crop is also poor, and there seems to be less grass and other seeds about. I'd be curious to learn the impressions of other observers across the province. Is the wild food crop in poor shape? Do you think the numbers of land birds is down over "normal" years? I suspect that the Christmas Bird Counts will reveal a more clear picture, but they are still more than one month away. What is the situation in your "neck of the woods"? Cheers, Blake ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blake Maybank maybank@ns.sympatico.ca 902-852-2077 Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds" http://nsbs.chebucto.org author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia" http://tinyurl.com/birdingns Downloadable Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and back covers: http://tinyurl.com/mr627d White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada --=====================_445722796==.ALT Content-Type: text/html; charset="us-ascii" <html> <body> 10 November 2009<br><br> Nothwithstanding the presence of some stellar bird rarities right now (and certainly more to be discovered), I've heard concerns from several observers across the province that the number of birds they are accustomed to seeing at their feeders or on walks is way down. And that is my impression as well. I have the usual resident species at my feeders (chickadees, woodpeckers, nuthatches, doves, jays, juncos and sparrows), but their numbers are low, and on walks in the woods or coastline, the landbirds are in short supply. And I suspect, though can't prove, that this is due to an absence of wild food.<br><br> There are certainly very few berries around, and the berry production this past summer was not aided by the poor weather, but the cone crop is also poor, and there seems to be less grass and other seeds about.<br><br> I'd be curious to learn the impressions of other observers across the province. Is the wild food crop in poor shape? Do you think the numbers of land birds is down over "normal" years? I suspect that the Christmas Bird Counts will reveal a more clear picture, but they are still more than one month away.<br><br> What is the situation in your "neck of the woods"?<br><br> Cheers,<br><br> Blake<br><br> <x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br> Blake Maybank<br> maybank@ns.sympatico.ca<br> 902-852-2077<br><br> Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds"<br> <a href="http://nsbs.chebucto.org/" eudora="autourl"> http://nsbs.chebucto.org<br><br> </a>author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia"<br> <font color="#0000FF"><u> <a href="http://tinyurl.com/birdingns" eudora="autourl"> http://tinyurl.com/birdingns<br> </a></u></font>Downloadable Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and back covers:<br> <a href="http://tinyurl.com/mr627d" eudora="autourl"> http://tinyurl.com/mr627d</a> <br><br> White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada </body> </html> --=====================_445722796==.ALT--
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