[NatureNS] Grand Pre shorebirds, whales, striped bass, gull behaviour,

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:00:13 -0300
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AUG. 2, 2010 - "COTTON" is blowing around in the air in our  
neighborhood, and elsewhere in Wolfville.  I'm pretty sure it is the  
dispersing seeds of tall alien poplars, either Carolina poplars and/ 
or balsam poplars, some of which are in our neighborhood and along  
Westwood Ave. on the edge of the Botanical Gardens and scattered  
elsewhere in town.

  I checked Evangeline Beach for shorebirds in late afternoon, on a  
day of a very low high tide at about 6:30 p.m. (tidal amplitude very  
small).  At about 4:30 p.m. Bob and Joan Bearne told me that  
yesterday was the first day of very big flocks of shorebirds, with  
just small flocks before yesterday.  Also a peregrine falcon perched  
on one of their trees just before I got there.

I drove to The Guzzle and mingled with the 8-10 striped bass  
fishers.  There were small numbers of least sandpipers there near  
them, perhaps 50 in total.  Apparently striped bass were few and far  
between, and I saw a very small one caught and thrown back.

One fisher told me that perhaps two weeks ago? there was a stranded  
harbour porpoise (identification just probable from description and  
size).  Of more interest was that another fisher said he was one of  
seven who saw a white beluga whale off Blue Beach at high tide last  
Wednesday, July 28/10.  He said the beluga often "breached" to show  
its back, and it was pure white.

At 5 p.m. I and a few other people saw a very impressive flying flock  
of "peeps" (small shorebirds, undoubtedly mostly semipalmated  
sandpipers) well out over the water, estimated to contain 3500 birds;  
this flock flew mainly from east toward the west.

I also saw a merlin (hunting the least sandpipers, but outcome not  
seen) and a peregrine falcon, the latter not hunting and flying east  
from the Guzzle toward Boot Island.

In Wolfville at 5:30 p.m. at the town wharf park, high in the air  
were  75+ gulls that were very probably foraging on flying insects  
(my guess would be on flying ants, although I didn't see any).  I'm  
not sure what kind of gulls they were, but my guess was mainly ring- 
billed gulls, and at least a  few were herring gulls.

At 5:45 p.m. (high tide) in Wolfville Harbour, I checked for roosting  
shorebirds on the rocks along the railroad tracks, and found about 20  
willets, 10 greater yellowlegs, and 4 dowitchers (very prob. short- 
billed).  I didn't see any definite lesser yellowlegs, but a few  
could have been present.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville


--Boundary_(ID_OnO0LCjUBrX0MgcAteFW5g)
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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"Arial" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: 17.3px Arial"><b>AUG. 2, =
2010</b> - <b>"COTTON"</b> is blowing around in the air in our =
neighborhood, and elsewhere in Wolfville.&nbsp; I'm pretty sure it is =
the dispersing <b>seeds of</b> tall alien poplars, either <b>Carolina =
poplars and/or balsam poplars</b>, some of which are in our neighborhood =
and along Westwood Ave. on the edge of the Botanical Gardens and =
scattered elsewhere in town.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 17.3px/normal Arial; min-height: 21px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
17.3px Arial">&nbsp;I checked <b>Evangeline Beach for shorebirds</b> in =
late afternoon, on a day of a very low high tide at about 6:30 p.m. =
(tidal amplitude very small).&nbsp; At about 4:30 p.m. Bob and Joan =
Bearne told me that <b>yesterday </b>was the <b>first day of very big =
flocks</b> of shorebirds, with just small flocks before yesterday.&nbsp; =
Also a <b>peregrine</b> falcon perched on one of their trees just before =
I got there.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
17.3px/normal Arial; min-height: 21px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
17.3px Arial">I drove to The Guzzle and mingled with the 8-10 striped =
bass fishers.&nbsp; There were small numbers of <b>least sandpipers</b> =
there near them, perhaps 50 in total.&nbsp; Apparently striped bass were =
few and far between, and I saw a very small one caught and thrown back. =
&nbsp;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
17.3px/normal Arial; min-height: 21px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
17.3px Arial">One fisher told me that perhaps two weeks ago? there was a =
<b>stranded harbour porpoise</b> (identification just probable from =
description and size).&nbsp; Of more interest was that another fisher =
said he was one of seven who saw a <b>white beluga whale off Blue =
Beach</b> at high tide last Wednesday, <b>July 28/10</b>.&nbsp; He said =
the beluga often "breached" to show its back, and it was pure =
white.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
17.3px/normal Arial; min-height: 21px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
17.3px Arial">At 5 p.m. I and a few other people saw a very impressive =
flying flock of "peeps" (small shorebirds, undoubtedly mostly =
semipalmated sandpipers) well out over the water, estimated to contain =
3500 birds; this flock flew mainly from east toward the =
west.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
17.3px/normal Arial; min-height: 21px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
17.3px Arial">I also saw a <b>merlin</b> (hunting the least sandpipers, =
but outcome not seen) and a <b>peregrine falcon</b>, the latter not =
hunting and flying east from the Guzzle toward Boot =
Island.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
17.3px/normal Arial; min-height: 21px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
17.3px Arial">In Wolfville at 5:30 p.m. at the town wharf park, high in =
the air were&nbsp; <b>75+ gulls that were very probably foraging on =
flying insects</b> (my guess would be on flying ants, although I didn't =
see any).&nbsp; I'm not sure what kind of gulls they were, but my guess =
was mainly ring-billed gulls, and at least a&nbsp; few were herring =
gulls.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
17.3px/normal Arial; min-height: 21px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
17.3px Arial">At 5:45 p.m. (high tide) in Wolfville Harbour, I checked =
for roosting shorebirds on the rocks along the railroad tracks, and =
found about <b>20 willets, 10 greater yellowlegs, and 4 dowitchers</b> =
(very prob. short-billed).&nbsp; I didn't see any definite lesser =
yellowlegs, but a few could have been present.</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
17.3px Arial"><br></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: 17.3px Arial">Cheers from Jim =
in Wolfville&nbsp;</font></div><div><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" =
style=3D"font: 17.3px Arial"><br></font></div>
</body></html>=

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