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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, where we had to remove the '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 & 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. 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 it just looks too suspicious. (I d= oubt birds really see it this way, or do they?). Just me anthropomorph= izing here, I guess. - sigh </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Gayle MacLean</DIV> <DIV>Dartmouth<BR><BR>--- On <B>Tue, 11/10/09, Blake <SPAN>Maybank</SPAN> <= I><maybank@ns.sympatico.ca></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 <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. And that is my impression as well. = 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; 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. Is the wild food crop in poor s= hape? Do you think the numbers of land birds is down over "norm= al" 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>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,