[NatureNS] How is the wild food supply?

DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws;
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:42:08 -0800 (PST)
From: Gayle MacLean <duartess2003@yahoo.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

Index of Subjects
--0-640485335-1257856928=:35503
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

With the reconfiguration of our backyard this summer,=A0where we=A0had=A0to=
 remove the=A0'bird magnate' multi-flora overgrowth, there has been very li=
ttle bird activity, despite having my suet and black oil sunflower seed fee=
ders up along the perimeter. A few bc chickadees, an occasional Downy/hairy=
 woodpecker & blue-jay=A0but no song sparrows, white-throated sparrows, eve=
n starlings are now scarce, especially, now that most of the leaves are off=
 the trees.=A0Not even a house sparrow visits.=20
Perhaps it looks so different now to previous visiting birds that are retur=
ning/going through, that maybe=A0it just looks too suspicious. (I doubt bir=
ds really see it this way, or do they?). Just me=A0anthropomorphizing here,=
 I guess. - sigh=A0
=A0
Gayle MacLean
Dartmouth

--- On Tue, 11/10/09, Blake Maybank <maybank@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote:


From: Blake Maybank <maybank@ns.sympatico.ca>
Subject: [NatureNS] How is the wild food supply?
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Received: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 6:10 AM


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 observer=
s across the province that the number of birds they are accustomed to seein=
g at their feeders or on walks is way down.=A0=A0 And that is my impression=
 as well.=A0=A0 I have the usual resident species at my feeders (chickadees=
, woodpeckers, nuthatches, doves, jays, juncos and sparrows), but their num=
bers are low, and on walks in the woods or coastline, the landbirds are in =
short supply.=A0=A0 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 po=
or, and there seems to be less grass and other seeds about.

I'd be curious to learn the impressions of other observers across the provi=
nce.=A0=A0 Is the wild food crop in poor shape?=A0=A0 Do you think the numb=
ers of land birds is down over "normal" years?=A0=A0 I suspect that the Chr=
istmas Bird Counts will reveal a more clear picture, but they are still mor=
e 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=20

White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada =0A=0A=0A      __________________________=
________________________________________=0AThe new Internet Explorer=AE 8 -=
 Faster, safer, easier.  Optimized for Yahoo!  Get it Now for Free! at http=
://downloads.yahoo.com/ca/internetexplorer/
--0-640485335-1257856928=:35503
Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<table cellspacing=3D"0" cellpadding=3D"0" border=3D"0" ><tr><td valign=3D"=
top" style=3D"font: inherit;"><DIV>With the reconfiguration of our backyard=
 this summer,&nbsp;where we&nbsp;had&nbsp;to remove the&nbsp;'bird magnate'=
 multi-flora overgrowth, there has been very little bird activity, despite =
having my suet and black oil sunflower seed feeders up along the perimeter.=
 A few bc chickadees, an occasional Downy/hairy woodpecker &amp; blue-jay&n=
bsp;but no song sparrows, white-throated sparrows, even starlings are now s=
carce, especially, now that most of the leaves are off the trees.&nbsp;Not =
even a house sparrow visits. </DIV>
<DIV>Perhaps it looks so different now to previous visiting birds that are =
returning/going through, that maybe&nbsp;it just looks too suspicious. (I d=
oubt birds really see it this way, or do they?). Just me&nbsp;anthropomorph=
izing here, I guess. - sigh&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Gayle MacLean</DIV>
<DIV>Dartmouth<BR><BR>--- On <B>Tue, 11/10/09, Blake <SPAN>Maybank</SPAN> <=
I>&lt;maybank@ns.sympatico.ca&gt;</I></B> wrote:<BR></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(=
16,16,255) 2px solid"><BR>From: Blake Maybank &lt;maybank@ns.sympatico.ca&g=
t;<BR>Subject: [NatureNS] How is the wild food supply?<BR>To: naturens@cheb=
ucto.ns.ca<BR>Received: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 6:10 AM<BR><BR>
<DIV id=3Dyiv271199497>10 November 2009<BR><BR>Nothwithstanding the presenc=
e of some stellar bird rarities right now (and certainly more to be discove=
red), I've heard concerns from several observers across the province that t=
he number of birds they are accustomed to seeing at their feeders or on wal=
ks is way down.&nbsp;&nbsp; And that is my impression as well.&nbsp;&nbsp; =
I have the usual resident species at my feeders (chickadees, woodpeckers, n=
uthatches, doves, jays, juncos and sparrows), but their numbers are low, an=
d on walks in the woods or coastline, the landbirds are in short supply.&nb=
sp;&nbsp; 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 th=
e 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.&nbsp;&nbsp; Is the wild food crop in poor s=
hape?&nbsp;&nbsp; Do you think the numbers of land birds is down over "norm=
al" years?&nbsp;&nbsp; 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>Bl=
ake<BR><BR>
<DIV>----------------------------------------------------------------------=
-------<BR>Blake Maybank<BR>maybank@ns.sympatico.ca<BR>902-852-2077<BR><BR>=
Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds"<BR><A href=3D"http://nsbs.chebucto.org/" target=
=3D_blank rel=3Dnofollow>http://nsbs.chebucto.org<BR><BR></A>author, "Birdi=
ng Sites of Nova Scotia"<BR><FONT color=3D#0000ff><U><A href=3D"http://tiny=
url.com/birdingns" target=3D_blank rel=3Dnofollow>http://tinyurl.com/birdin=
gns<BR></A></U></FONT>Downloadable Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and ba=
ck covers:<BR><A href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/mr627d" target=3D_blank rel=3Dn=
ofollow>http://tinyurl.com/mr627d</A> <BR><BR>White's Lake,