[NatureNS] Blomidon Nat. Soc. mtg. last night

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>,
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2010 13:02:34 -0300
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
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects



--Boundary_(ID_e2KH61Y6v26OnUkY1m8exA)
Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT

APR. 19, 2010 - BLOMIDON NATURALISTS SOCIETY regular meeting at the  
K.C. Irving Centre Auditorium, Acadia Univ.  A large crowd of about  
85 people was present, mostly to hear Patrick Kelly's presentation:  
"It's the end of the world as we know it!"

Sightings/anecdotes reported by those present:

Rick Whitman -- palm warblers heard singing a week ago (near Black  
River?), great horned owls (2) duetting + 1 barred owl calling + 1 n.  
saw-whet owl calling (Rick W., Bernard Forsythe, Richard Stern); also  
Rick reports hooded mergansers seen recently in four different  
locales.  Richard also mentioned good planet-and-star-spotting  
(Mercury, Venus, Mars, and ?) when they were doing the owling.

George E. Forsyth -- on Apr. 17, a yellow-rumped warbler singing at  
the Kentville Agric. Res. Ctr.  Also George saw a lesser black-backed  
gull somewhere today among a lot of other gulls.

Richard Stern - hunted with other birders for the Kentucky Warbler  
seen yesterday by Hans Toom along the Sandy Cove Road south of metro  
Halifax, but it was not to be found.

Larry Bogan - 5 tree swallows seen at home at Cambridge on Apr. 14.

John Harwood - At home at Woodside, every year their cotoneaster  
berries last until late winter when usually Bohemian waxwings show up  
to eat them all; this year it was about 30 cedar waxwings just a few  
days ago.

Bernard Forsythe - lots of signs of small mammals like mice/voles/ 
shrews this winter, and Bernard has 12 occupied barred owl boxes with  
eggs now, plus one more box with a strange female who has been  
sitting in the box for 2.5 weeks now with no eggs (this female has  
laid small clutches of just one egg in the past four nesting seasons  
and may be an old individual?

Bernard told us a new story about a barred owl rescue: he found a  
nest-box that had fallen to the bottom of the tree-trunk, and inside  
the box was a single egg and several feathers (from the female who  
must have been in there when it fell to the ground).  The owl was  
acting very anxious, and Bernard knew that she would have to lay  
again very soon; so he rushed home, quickly fashioned a new box, and  
rushed back to put it up.  Later, lo and behold, the owls returned  
and laid a clutch of 3 eggs and are now happily? incubating them.

Bernard also reported having looked at Smiley's Prov. Park? in Hants  
Co. for flowering bloodroot, and that the blooming beds along the  
river are really spectacular this year and early.

Someone else mentioned that both bloodroot and gorgeous marsh  
marigold are now in bloom in the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens.

Sherman Williams reported seeing the end of an interaction between a  
red squirrel and a starling, and the latter was killed by the  
squirrel.  Sherm suspects that the starling was on the ground below  
the bird pie after pieces had fallen down, and the squirrel took  
advantage.

Someone from near New Germany spotted a one-legged chickadee at a  
feeder during Easter weekend.  Also a neighbor reported that a pack  
of coyotes were chasing a deer.

Andrew Steeves reported seeing lots of snowshoe hare tracks somewhere  
locally and, in the same area, also tracks of bobcat.

Then, after lots of announcements about upcoming meetings and field  
trips, and that our latest newsletter could be picked up from Ed  
Sulis after the meeting, and after waiting for Patrick's presentation  
to "boot up", his talk proved to be much more than worth the wait and  
the late hour.  This show was very informative and wide-ranging, and  
very entertaining and it had to be to make up for the very unpleasant  
scenarios that were rolled out for us.  He ended the show with some  
movie sequences from "Deep Impact" and a Japanese film, and he  
claimed that these two were rather more scientifically accurate than  
some of the other horror movies about the future of the Earth.

P.S. I recommend that some of our other naturalist clubs consider  
asking Pat for this terrific presentation that is really different  
and informative.  I personally will need to hear it a couple more  
times in order to absorb more of his messages.

Cheers? from Jim in Wolfville

--Boundary_(ID_e2KH61Y6v26OnUkY1m8exA)
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: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Helvetica; "><b>APR. 19, 2010 - BLOMIDON NATURALISTS SOCIETY =
regular meeting</b>&nbsp;at the K.C. Irving Centre Auditorium, Acadia =
Univ.&nbsp;&nbsp;A large crowd of about 85 people was present, mostly to =
hear Patrick Kelly's presentation: "It's the end of the world as we know =
it!"</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: =
normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; =
"><b>Sightings/anecdotes</b>&nbsp;reported by those =
present:</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: =
normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Rick Whitman =
--&nbsp;<b>palm warblers</b>&nbsp;heard singing a week ago (near Black =
River?),&nbsp;<b>great horned owls&nbsp;</b>(2) duetting + =
1<b>&nbsp;barred owl&nbsp;</b>calling + 1&nbsp;<b>n. saw-whet =
owl</b>&nbsp;calling (Rick W., Bernard Forsythe, Richard Stern); also =
Rick reports&nbsp;<b>hooded mergansers</b>&nbsp;seen recently in four =
different locales.&nbsp;&nbsp;Richard also mentioned =
good<b>&nbsp;planet-and-star-spotting (Mercury, Venus, Mars, and =
?)</b>&nbsp;when they were doing the owling.</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: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Helvetica; ">George E. Forsyth -- on Apr. 17, =
a&nbsp;<b>yellow-rumped warbler&nbsp;</b>singing at the Kentville Agric. =
Res. Ctr.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also George saw a&nbsp;<b>lesser black-backed =
gull</b>&nbsp;somewhere today among a lot of other =
gulls.</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: =
normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Richard Stern - hunted =
with other birders for the<b>&nbsp;Kentucky Warbler&nbsp;</b>seen =
yesterday by Hans Toom along the Sandy Cove Road south of metro Halifax, =
but it was not to be found.</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: =
normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Larry Bogan - =
5&nbsp;<b>tree swallows</b>&nbsp;seen at home at Cambridge on Apr. =
14.</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: =
normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">John Harwood - At home at =
Woodside, every year their&nbsp;<b>cotoneaster berries&nbsp;</b>last =
until late winter when usually Bohemian&nbsp;<b>waxwings</b>&nbsp;show =
up to eat them all; this year it was about 30&nbsp;<b>cedar =
waxwings&nbsp;</b>just a few days ago.</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: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Helvetica; ">Bernard Forsythe - lots of signs =
of&nbsp;<b>small mammals</b>&nbsp;like mice/voles/shrews this winter, =
and Bernard has 12 occupied&nbsp;<b>barred owl&nbsp;</b>boxes =
with&nbsp;<b>eggs&nbsp;</b>now, plus one more box with a strange female =
who has been sitting in the box for 2.5 weeks now with no eggs (this =
female has laid small clutches of just one egg in the past four nesting =
seasons and may be an old individual?</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: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Helvetica; ">Bernard told us a new story about =
a&nbsp;<b>barred owl rescue:&nbsp;</b>he found a&nbsp;<b>nest-box that =
had fallen</b>&nbsp;to the bottom of the tree-trunk, and inside the box =
was a single egg and several feathers (from the female who must have =
been in there when it fell to the ground).&nbsp;&nbsp;The owl was acting =
very anxious, and Bernard knew that she would have to lay again very =
soon; so he rushed home, quickly fashioned a new box, and rushed back to =
put it up.&nbsp;&nbsp;Later, lo and behold, the owls returned and laid a =
clutch of 3 eggs and are now happily? incubating them.</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: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Helvetica; ">Bernard also reported having looked at Smiley's =
Prov. Park? in Hants Co. for&nbsp;<b>flowering bloodroot</b>, and that =
the blooming beds along the river are really spectacular this year and =
early.</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: =
normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Someone else mentioned =
that both<b>&nbsp;bloodroot&nbsp;</b>and gorgeous&nbsp;<b>marsh =
marigold</b>&nbsp;are now in bloom in the Harriet Irving Botanical =
Gardens.</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: =
normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Sherman Williams reported =
seeing the end of an interaction between a<b>&nbsp;red =
squirrel&nbsp;</b>and a<b>&nbsp;starling</b>, and the latter was killed =
by the squirrel.&nbsp;&nbsp;Sherm suspects that the starling was on the =
ground below the bird pie after pieces had fallen down, and the squirrel =
took advantage.</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: =
normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Someone from near New =
Germany spotted a&nbsp;<b>one-legged chickadee&nbsp;</b>at a feeder =
during Easter weekend.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also a neighbor reported that =
a&nbsp;<b>pack of coyotes&nbsp;</b>were&nbsp;<b>chasing a =
deer.</b></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: =
normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Andrew Steeves reported =
seeing lots of&nbsp;<b>snowshoe hare tracks</b>&nbsp;somewhere locally =
and, in the same area, also<b>&nbsp;tracks of =
bobcat.</b></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; "><b></b><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: =
normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Then, after lots =
of<b>&nbsp;announcements</b>&nbsp;about upcoming meetings and field =
trips, and that our latest&nbsp;<b>newsletter</b>&nbsp;could be picked =
up from Ed Sulis after the meeting, and after waiting =
for&nbsp;<b>Patrick's presentation</b>&nbsp;to "boot up", his talk =
proved to be much more than worth the wait and the late =
hour.&nbsp;&nbsp;This show was very informative and wide-ranging, and =
very entertaining and it had to be to make up for the very unpleasant =
scenarios that were rolled out for us.&nbsp;&nbsp;He ended the show with =
some movie sequences from "Deep Impact" and a Japanese film, and he =
claimed that these two were rather more scientifically accurate than =
some of the other horror movies about the future of the =
Earth.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">P.S. I recommend that some of our other naturalist =
clubs consider asking Pat for this terrific presentation that is really =
different and informative. &nbsp;I personally will need to hear it a =
couple more times in order to absorb more of his messages.</div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Cheers? from =
Jim in Wolfville</div>
</body></html>=

--Boundary_(ID_e2KH61Y6v26OnUkY1m8exA)--

next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects