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--Boundary_(ID_Ikbj2HI3BUDIhxsU0bItIQ) Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT JAN. 23 (Sat.), 2010 -- 19th ANNUAL EAGLE WATCH AT SHEFFIELD MILLS -- Good "eagles weather" continues (i.e. very wintry with snow on the ground), very cold (-11 to 15 C. with a stiff cold wind from the west that made it seem much colder) with clear skies. The only good spot I checked in the morning, on my way to the community hall, was between Canard Road and Saxon St. along the west wide of Middle Dyke Road, where there were lots of cars and human gawkers/photographers for the approx. 40 bald eagles just perched together in a small grove of trees well away from the road (distant viewing). Later I heard that at 9 a.m. and a bit later at the main feeding spot for the eagles, i.e., the north end of Middle Dyke Road, the eagles there were inactive and nothing was happening even after the chicken carcasses were put out. But then Bob & Wendy McDonald showed up in the same spot at 11 a.m., and then there were oodles of bald eagles (circa 150!) and lots of feeding activity, i.e., flying, swooping, landing and displacing other eagles, stealing food, etc., plus the ravens & great black-backed gulls (&red-tailed hawks?). This pattern of activity and inactivity and feeding vs. no feeding is unpredictable, and luck is involved in being in the right place at the right time; thus it pays to keep checking on advertised locations at different times of the day. At the same spot as above, at 12:30 p.m., the number of eagles had dwindled to 30+, but many were perched in photographable spots next to the road at the north edge of the field; also then there was enough activity from the eagles & g.b.b. gulls & ravens to entertain many gawkers. (I had snuck out of the hall to listen to half of Quirks & Quarks -- check that out on their Web site). At about 4 p.m. I made a check of the Port Williams sewage ponds, but there were no birds at all to be seen. Lately I have been asked about what happens regarding feeding the eagles on week days? Most of the poultry producers that participate put out the daily chicken mortalities from their barns once a day, every day, for the entire winter. But Bill Swetnam's son, who took over Bill's business and provides carcasses for that top-of-Middle- Dyke-Road site, often or usually has at least one more feeding during the Eagle Watch Weekends, usually in afternoon? I'll try to write a bit more about the Eagle Watch phenomenon tomorrow. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville, 542-9204 --Boundary_(ID_Ikbj2HI3BUDIhxsU0bItIQ) Content-type: text/html; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>JAN. = 23 (Sat.), 2010 -- 19th ANNUAL EAGLE WATCH AT SHEFFIELD MILLS</b> -- = Good "eagles weather" continues (i.e. very wintry with snow on the = ground), very cold (-11 to 15 C. with a stiff cold wind from the west = that made it seem much colder) with clear skies. The only good = spot I checked in the morning, on my way to the community hall, was = between Canard Road and Saxon St. along the west wide of Middle Dyke = Road, where there were lots of cars and human gawkers/photographers for = the approx. 40 bald eagles just perched together in a small grove of = trees well away from the road (distant viewing).</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Later I = heard that at<b> 9 a.m.</b> and a bit later at the main feeding spot for = the eagles, i.e., the north end of Middle Dyke Road, the eagles there = were inactive and nothing was happening even after the chicken carcasses = were put out. But then Bob & Wendy McDonald showed up in the = same spot at <b>11 a.m.</b>, and then there were <b>oodles of bald = eagles (circa 150!)</b> and lots of feeding activity, i.e., flying, = swooping, landing and displacing other eagles, stealing food, etc., plus = the ravens & great black-backed gulls (&red-tailed hawks?). = </font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal = 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">This pattern of activity and inactivity and feeding = vs. no feeding is unpredictable, and luck is involved in being in the = right place at the right time; thus it pays to keep checking on = advertised locations at different times of the day. At the same = spot as above, <b>at 12:30 p.m.</b>, the number of eagles had dwindled = to 30+, but many were perched in photographable spots next to the road = at the north edge of the field; also then there was enough activity from = the eagles & g.b.b. gulls & ravens to entertain many = gawkers. (I had snuck out of the hall to listen to half of Quirks = & Quarks -- check that out on their Web site).</font></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">At about = 4 p.m. I made a check of the Port Williams sewage ponds, but there were = no birds at all to be seen.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal = normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">Lately I have been asked about what happens regarding = feeding the eagles on week days? Most of the poultry producers = that participate put out the daily chicken mortalities from their barns = once a day, every day, for the entire winter. But Bill Swetnam's = son, who took over Bill's business and provides carcasses for that = top-of-Middle-Dyke-Road site, often or usually has at least one more = feeding during the Eagle Watch Weekends, usually in = afternoon?</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal = 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">I'll try to write a bit more about the Eagle Watch = phenomenon tomorrow.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal = normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: = 12.0px Helvetica">Cheers from Jim in Wolfville, 542-9204</font></div> </body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_Ikbj2HI3BUDIhxsU0bItIQ)--
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