[NatureNS] nature notes: apology, 9 c. swifts, meteors, feeder critters,

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Cc: Wolfville VIC <tourism@wolfville.ca>,
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:54:02 -0300
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AUG. 12, 2010 - STRONG APOLOGY to all for my erroneous report of a  
probable ANNUAL  or DOG-DAY CICADA -- I should have rechecked with  
the observer, who when shown a good photo said NO, not a match, for  
what he saw, which was probably some sort of large green caterpillar??

Along Hwy. 358 south of Saxon St. I stopped to identify a plant with  
pink flower-heads that turned out to be spotted knapweed, which has  
sparse leaves that are very pale green and are deeply lobed, unlike  
the linear, toothed leaves of the much more common black knapweed.   
Usually I don't pay much attention to species, being all right with  
just knowing the genus; but in this case the plant caught my eye as  
different as I drove along that highway.

I heard a second-hand report that the Perseid Meteor Show was very  
good late this evening (Heather MacDonald at Avonport), and the  
following evening Cindy Day of ATV News showed a couple of photos of  
very bright meteors from viewers.

AUG. 13, 2010 - Only 9+ Wolfville chimney swifts counted at dusk at  
Robie Tufts Nature Centre -- observations from 8:24 to 9:00 p.m.  
(Sunset at 8:33 p.m.) -- swifts' entry times into chimney 8:40 to  
8:50 p.m. -- clear sky, calm, warm, 22 C. -- bonus was nice crescent  
Moon to south of Venus in west -- observers Jim Wolford & 3 folks  
from Coldbrook.

AUG. 14, 2010 - AUG. 14, 2010 - Today at our feeders, a very orange- 
coloured male cardinal (top of head and forehead gray) with an adult- 
coloured beak (seen twice before), a female or immature purple finch  
(now a regular), and still a Norway rat.

[I have just checked the plumage section for cardinals in A.C. Bent's  
Life Histories of N. Am. Birds in the appropriate volume written in  
1968, and there is no mention of orange-coloured males.]
--------------------
AUG. 14, 2010 - 9 Wolfville chimney swifts counted at Robie Tufts  
Nature Centre as they dropped into the chimney at dusk --  
observations from 8:25 to 9:00 p.m. (Sunset 8:21 p.m.) -- entry times  
into chimney were 8:33 to 8:43 p.m. -- clear sky, light winds, 20 C.  
-- a MERLIN flew over at 8:47 p.m. -- observers Patricia Chalmers,  
Richard Penner and family (15+ people altogether).

AUG. 15, 2010 - FIELD CRICKETS heard calling tonight at home in  
Wolfville.

AUG. 16, 2010 - In afternoon I counted 17 c. grackles dominating my  
feeders -- most days there have been 6-7 of them, plus blue jays,  
plus a few crows, that have been dominant for long periods -- but  
several chickadees, a female purple finch, occasional goldfinches,a  
downy woodpecker, and 1-2 cock pheasants have visited, plus a red  
squirrel and a Norway rat (seen only occasionally) -- and a single  
red-breasted nuthatch is regular, but not aggressive nor wasteful  
like the mob at Blake Maybank's feeders.  [Add 1-2 scavenging  
raccoons every evening.]

Then add our regular n. cardinals, which show up occasionally during  
the day but most frequently in evening from about 6 to 8 p.m.  The  
cardinals lately include an adult male, an adult female, an adult?  
orange male, a juvenile male, and a juvenile female.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville


--Boundary_(ID_mi0voHBiZCkz2lgBq0CA5w)
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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. 12, =
2010</b> - STRONG APOLOGY to all for my erroneous report of a probable =
ANNUAL &nbsp;or DOG-DAY CICADA -- I should have rechecked with the =
observer, who when shown a good photo said NO, not a match, for what he =
saw, which was probably some sort of large green =
caterpillar??</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">Along Hwy. 358 south of Saxon St. I stopped to identify a =
plant with pink flower-heads that turned out to be <b>spotted =
knapweed</b>, which has sparse leaves that are very pale green and are =
deeply lobed, unlike the linear, toothed leaves of the much more =
common<b> black knapweed</b>.&nbsp; Usually I don't pay much attention =
to species, being all right with just knowing the genus; but in this =
case the plant caught my eye as different as I drove along that =
highway.</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; "><b><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-weight: =
normal;"><br></span></b></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 heard a =
second-hand report that the <b>Perseid Meteor Show</b> was very good =
late this evening (Heather MacDonald at Avonport), and the following =
evening Cindy Day of ATV News showed a couple of photos of very bright =
meteors from viewers.</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"><b>AUG. 13, 2010 - Only 9+ Wolfville chimney swifts</b> =
counted at dusk at Robie Tufts Nature Centre -- observations from 8:24 =
to 9:00 p.m. (Sunset at 8:33 p.m.) -- swifts' entry times into chimney =
8:40 to 8:50 p.m. -- clear sky, calm, warm, 22 C. -- bonus was nice =
crescent Moon to south of Venus in west -- observers Jim Wolford &amp; 3 =
folks from Coldbrook.</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"><b>AUG. 14, 2010</b> -&nbsp;</font><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-family: Arial; font-size: 17px; =
"><b>AUG. 14, 2010</b> - Today at our feeders, a very <b>orange-coloured =
male cardinal </b>(top of head and forehead gray) with an adult-coloured =
beak (seen twice before), a female or immature <b>purple finch</b> (now =
a regular), and still a <b>Norway rat</b>.</span></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 have just =
checked the <b>plumage section for cardinals</b> in <b>A.C. Bent's</b> =
Life Histories of N. Am. Birds in the appropriate volume written in =
1968, and there is <b>no mention of orange-coloured =
males</b>.]</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">--------------------</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"><b>AUG. 14, 2010 =
- 9 Wolfville chimney swifts counted</b> at Robie Tufts Nature Centre as =
they dropped into the chimney at dusk -- observations from 8:25 to 9:00 =
p.m. (Sunset 8:21 p.m.) -- entry times into chimney were 8:33 to 8:43 =
p.m. -- clear sky, light winds, 20 C. -- a <b>MERLIN</b> flew over at =
8:47 p.m. -- observers Patricia Chalmers, Richard Penner and family (15+ =
people altogether).&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"><b>AUG. 15, 2010 - FIELD CRICKETS heard</b> calling =
tonight at home in Wolfville.</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"><b>AUG. 16, 2010</b> - In afternoon I counted 17 <b>c. =
grackles dominating my feeders</b> -- most days there have been 6-7 of =
them, plus blue jays, plus a few crows, that have been dominant for long =
periods -- but several chickadees, a female purple finch, occasional =
goldfinches,a downy woodpecker, and 1-2 cock pheasants have visited, =
plus a red squirrel and a Norway rat (seen only occasionally) -- and a =
single<b> red-breasted nuthatch</b> is regular, but not aggressive nor =
wasteful like the mob at Blake Maybank's feeders. &nbsp;[Add 1-2 =
scavenging raccoons every evening.]</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"><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">Then <b>add our =
regular n. cardinals</b>, which show up occasionally during the day but =
most frequently in evening from about 6 to 8 p.m.&nbsp; The cardinals =
lately include an adult male, an adult female, an adult? orange male, a =
juvenile male, and a juvenile =
female.</font></div></font></div><div><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" =
style=3D"font: 17.3px Arial"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
"><b><br></b></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</font></div><div><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
17.3px Arial"><br></font></div></font></div>
</body></html>=

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