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--Boundary_(ID_Szbn92ZYm79TKnU/3p7fIQ) Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT JAN. 29, 2011 (Saturday) - 20th ANNUAL EAGLE WATCH at SHEFFIELD MILLS, eastern King's County. Beautiful day for it, with temperatures from -6 to -2 C., very light winds, and partly Sunny conditions. On my drive out to the Sheffield Mills Community Hall before 10 a.m., I saw a few scattered flying and perched eagles along Middle Dyke Road and one bunch of about 10 eagles perched at a farm that feeds them a bit south of Canard St. or Rte. 341. At Bill Swetnam's feeding site (actually Bill's son now does the feeding) at the north end of Middle Dyke Road (west of the Community Hall and north of Hwy. 221), various observers like Richard Stern and the Thextons said 30 to 50 bald eagles were perched in trees, mostly on the south edge of the big open field, but the eagles did not do any feeding on the chicken carcasses. When I got out there at about 12:30 p.m., I counted a line of 110+ people standing shoulder-to- shoulder with about 1/2 to 1/3 of them with tripods and long lenses on their cameras, waiting for something to happen. And it was so nice outside that I'll bet some people were literally there for hours. I was back at that site at 3 p.m., and then several of the 25 + eagles were flying back and forth across the field and calling, too, but not landing on the ground nor swooping at the carcasses. On the ground at the feeding site were about 15+ great black-backed gulls, and I saw a few red-tailed hawks either flying or perched plus about 10 ravens perched in the trees with the eagles and a couple on the ground briefly. As usual there were lots and lots of cars parked along both sides of the road. I saw a n. flicker just north of Canning, and 10+15 horned larks southwest of Canning along Saxon St. And I saw 10 of the horned larks land at a house's feeder where cracked corn was spread on the ground. Inside the Community Hall I had all sorts of interesting conversations with eagle-watchers, including one seemingly serious fellow who tried to convince me that he had seen a CONDOR near Mt. Uniacke about 3 to 4 years ago! Speaking of skepticism, I got an e-mail from a hummingbird expert in B.C. that hinted that the identity of the hummer in Newfoundland is somewhat questionable, but he gave no details. When I saw that hummer on the CBC News, to me it didn't much resemble field guide pictures of Anna's Hummingbird. Back on the Eagle Watch, I drove around a bit between 3 and 4 p.m. There were no eagles at all at Kingsport nor at Woodside, and the formerly reliable site at the red Fuller barn northeast of Canning along the road to Blomidon Park south of Pereau has had no putting out of carcasses this year at all -- too bad -- I found this out from the man who lives across from the barn. I saw quite a few red-tailed hawks everywhere I drove today. Of course, that still leaves a lot of potential sites for searching by would-be eagle watchers: Gaspereau Valley, Avonport, White Rock (Sunken Lake Rd.), Grand Pre, north and east from Port Williams, perhaps Scots' Bay, etc. Lots of snowmobilers were out today, mostly in groups of up to 12-15 machines. Remember to check the www.eaglens.ca Web site for dates of the Eagle Watch this year and schedules for meals and entertainers etc. In the Community Hall the displays this year are quite varied and worth viewing: besides the usual mounts of eagles etc. and books and Blomidon Naturalists Society stuff (www.blomidonnaturalists.ca), there are quite a few photographs (small and large) for purchase, paintings for viewing and sail, Ancient Antler art/crafts, raffle tickets for a $100 door prize ($1 entry fee upstair gives you one vote for favourite art item there). The videos of eagles were not functional today, but hopefully tomorrow? Finally, I have to advertise the pancake & sausage breakfast, which is served for $7 for adults until 2 p.m. with coffee/tea and apple juice, and the healthy blueberry sauce is to die for! (one man's opinion). Cheers from Jim in Wolfville --Boundary_(ID_Szbn92ZYm79TKnU/3p7fIQ) 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. = 29, 2011 (Saturday) - 20th ANNUAL EAGLE WATCH</b> <b>at SHEFFIELD = MILLS</b>, eastern King's County. Beautiful day for it, with = temperatures from -6 to -2 C., very light winds, and partly Sunny = conditions. </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 my drive out to the Sheffield Mills Community Hall = before 10 a.m., I saw a few scattered flying and perched eagles along = Middle Dyke Road and one bunch of about 10 eagles perched at a farm that = feeds them a bit south of Canard St. or Rte. 341. = </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 <b>Bill Swetnam's feeding site</b> (actually Bill's = son now does the feeding) at the north end of Middle Dyke Road (west of = the Community Hall and north of Hwy. 221), various observers like = Richard Stern and the Thextons said 30 to 50 bald eagles were perched in = trees, mostly on the south edge of the big open field, but the eagles = did not do any feeding on the chicken carcasses. When I got out = there at about 12:30 p.m., I counted a line of 110+ people standing = shoulder-to-shoulder with about 1/2 to 1/3 of them with tripods and long = lenses on their cameras, waiting for something to happen. And it = was so nice outside that I'll bet some people were literally there for = hours. I was back at that site at 3 p.m., and then several of the = 25+ eagles were flying back and forth across the field and calling, too, = but not landing on the ground nor swooping at the = carcasses.</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 ground at the feeding site were about 15+ = <b>great black-backed gulls</b>, and I saw a few <b>red-tailed hawks</b> = either flying or perched plus about 10 <b>ravens</b> perched in the = trees with the eagles and a couple on the ground briefly. As usual = there were lots and lots of cars parked along both sides of the = road. </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 saw a <b>n. flicker</b> just north of Canning, and = 10+15 <b>horned larks</b> southwest of Canning along Saxon St. And = I saw 10 of the horned larks land at a house's feeder where cracked corn = was spread on the ground.</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">Inside the Community Hall I had all sorts of = interesting conversations with eagle-watchers, including one seemingly = serious fellow who tried to convince me that he had seen a <b>CONDOR</b> = near Mt. Uniacke about 3 to 4 years 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: 12.0px Helvetica">Speaking = of skepticism, I got an e-mail from a hummingbird expert in B.C. that = hinted that the identity of the <b>hummer in Newfoundland</b> is = somewhat questionable, but he gave no details. When I saw that = hummer on the CBC News, to me it didn't much resemble field guide = pictures of Anna's Hummingbird.</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">Back on the Eagle Watch, I = drove around a bit between 3 and 4 p.m. There were <b>no eagles at = all at </b>Kingsport nor at Woodside, and the formerly reliable site at = the red Fuller barn northeast of Canning along the road to Blomidon Park = south of Pereau has had no putting out of carcasses this year at all -- = too bad -- I found this out from the man who lives across from the = barn. </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 saw quite a few<b> red-tailed hawks</b> everywhere I = drove today.</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">Of course, that still leaves a lot of potential sites = for searching by would-be eagle watchers: Gaspereau Valley, Avonport, = White Rock (Sunken Lake Rd.), Grand Pre, north and east from Port = Williams, perhaps Scots' Bay, etc.</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">Lots of <b>snowmobilers = </b>were out today, mostly in groups of up to 12-15 = machines.</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">Remember to check the <b>www.eaglens.ca</b> Web site = for dates of the Eagle Watch this year and schedules for meals and = entertainers etc. </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">In the Community Hall the <b>displays this year</b> = are quite varied and worth viewing: besides the usual mounts of eagles = etc. and books and Blomidon Naturalists Society stuff (<a = href=3D"http://www.blomidonnaturalists.ca">www.blomidonnaturalists.ca</a>)= , there are quite a few photographs (small and large) for purchase, = paintings for viewing and sail, Ancient Antler art/crafts, raffle = tickets for a $100 door prize ($1 entry fee upstair gives you one = vote for favourite art item there). The videos of eagles were not = functional today, but hopefully 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">Finally, = I have to advertise the <b>pancake & sausage breakfast</b>, which is = served for $7 for adults until 2 p.m. with coffee/tea and apple juice, = and the healthy <b>blueberry sauce</b> is to die for! (one man's = opinion).</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>= --Boundary_(ID_Szbn92ZYm79TKnU/3p7fIQ)--
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