[NatureNS] Herbert River field trip report for July 10/10

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Cc: Susan Wehrell <swehrell@ns.sympatico.ca>
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:46:52 -0300
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Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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I'm sure that Joan and Richard and Pat et al. can add lots of things  
to my notes below:

JULY 10, 2010 - BLOMIDON NATURALISTS SOCIETY/N.S. BIRD SOCIETY FIELD  
TRIP, a walk on the rail trail along the Herbert River in Hants  
County east from the Newport Hockey Rink, led by Patrick Kelly.  We  
had nine participants, including Joan Waldron, Richard Stern, Sue  
Wehrell, Mike ? from Halifax, Laura Burke, Raymond Parker's sister  
Eva and friend Mira, and Pat and myself.  It was very hot and humid,  
and at 11:30 a.m. we finished just in time to avoid a downpour of rain.

On the walk, the emphasis was on atlassing for birds.  Sightings  
included rose-breasted grosbeak, cedar waxwings, red-eyed vireos,  
black-and-white warbler, yellow warblers, goldfinches, song sparrows,  
robins, blue jay, black-capped chickadee, spotted sandpiper, black  
ducks, about 10 green frogs of all sizes seen, a road-killed (by  
what? ATV?) baby raccoon? skeleton with fur, and a chipmunk.

Also a dark brown butterfly with a peculiar darting, skipping sort of  
flight  landed repeatedly on two fecal pellets that were mostly long  
hairs -- butterfly was attracted to the source of minerals? -- also  
present were two kinds of carrion beetles, one of them a squashed red- 
and-black burying beetle -- the butterfly allowed very close approach  
but would not open its wings, except to flush, and I guessed it was  
some sort of satyr?

Plants in bloom included fringed loosestrife, swamp candles (another  
yellow loosestrife), yellow pond lilies or cow lilies, evening  
primroses, a very large riverside bed of flowering common elderberry  
bushes, tall meadow rue, common cinquefoil with both 5- and 4-parted  
flowers (watch out when using Newcomb or other guides on flowers),  
blue vetch, wild roses galore, bird's-foot trefoil, white sweet  
clover, red clover, fireweed, chicory, Indian pipe (just one plant),

We noted young terminal galls on willow stems called willow pinecone  
galls, caused by a large fruit fly.  Later we saw the fully formed  
old willow pinecone galls, from which the overwintered fly larva/pupa  
emerges in Spring.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville

--Boundary_(ID_UAdDmUyIe7mtxZ63GgQRxA)
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<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>I'm =
sure that Joan and Richard and Pat et al. can add lots of things to my =
notes below:</b></font></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"><b><br></b></font></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"><b>JULY =
10, 2010 - BLOMIDON NATURALISTS SOCIETY/N.S. BIRD SOCIETY FIELD =
TRIP</b>, a walk on the rail trail along the <b>Herbert River </b>in =
Hants County east from the Newport Hockey Rink, led by Patrick =
Kelly.&nbsp; We had nine participants, including Joan Waldron, Richard =
Stern, Sue Wehrell, Mike ? from Halifax, Laura Burke, Raymond Parker's =
sister Eva and friend Mira, and Pat and myself.&nbsp; It was very hot =
and humid, and at 11:30 a.m. we finished just in time to avoid a =
downpour of rain. &nbsp;</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">On the walk, the emphasis was on atlassing for =
birds.&nbsp; <b>Sightings</b> included<b> rose-breasted grosbeak</b>, =
cedar waxwings, red-eyed vireos, black-and-white warbler, yellow =
warblers, goldfinches, song sparrows, robins, blue jay, black-capped =
chickadee, spotted sandpiper, black ducks, about 10 <b>green frogs</b> =
of all sizes seen, a road-killed (by what? ATV?) baby raccoon? skeleton =
with fur, and a chipmunk.&nbsp;</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">Also a <b>dark brown =
butterfly </b>with a peculiar darting, skipping sort of flight&nbsp; =
landed repeatedly on two fecal pellets that were mostly long hairs -- =
butterfly was attracted to the source of minerals? -- also present were =
two kinds of carrion beetles, one of them a squashed red-and-black =
burying beetle -- the butterfly allowed very close approach but would =
not open its wings, except to flush, and I guessed it was some sort of =
satyr?</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">Plants in bloom included <b>fringed loosestrife</b>, =
<b>swamp candles</b> (another yellow loosestrife),<b> yellow pond lilies =
</b>or cow lilies, <b>evening primroses</b>, a very large riverside bed =
of flowering <b>common elderberry</b> bushes, tall<b> meadow rue</b>, =
<b>common cinquefoil</b> with both 5- and 4-parted flowers (watch out =
when using Newcomb or other guides on flowers), blue vetch, wild roses =
galore, bird's-foot trefoil, white sweet clover, red clover,<b> =
fireweed</b>, chicory, <b>Indian pipe</b> (just one plant), &nbsp; =
&nbsp;</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">We noted young terminal galls on willow stems called =
<b>willow pinecone galls</b>, caused by a large fruit fly.&nbsp; Later =
we saw the fully formed old willow pinecone galls, from which the =
overwintered fly larva/pupa emerges in Spring.</font></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"><br></font></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</font></div>
</body></html>=

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