[NatureNS] Feb. 5 Eagle Watch report

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Sat, 05 Feb 2011 18:40:25 -0400
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FEB. 5, 2011 (Sat.) - 20th Annual EAGLE WATCH WEEKEND II at Sheffield  
Mills -- the weather gods were smiling again for today, like last  
weekend, with temperatures from -6 to +2 C. and light winds, plus  
oodles of snow on the ground -- ideal conditions for getting the bald  
eagles etc. to the sites where the poultry farmers put out food for  
disposal, so to speak.  Again hordes of people out to the Swetnam  
feeding site and to the Community Hall.

Judy Tufts reports there were 100+ bald eagles at the Swetnam feeding  
site at about 10 a.m.  I got out there at 10:30 to meet and talk to a  
busload of King's College Alumni gawkers -- the bus had gotten in  
trouble by scraping the side of a car and was stuck in the middle of  
the road for a long time (but most cars there were able to turn  
around with care and go back the other way).  At 10:30 a.m. there  
were about 70 eagles, mostly just perched in the trees, mostly on the  
south edge of the big field with several ravens, and about 20 great  
black-backed gulls were standing around on the snow, away from the  
several chicken carcasses that were still there.

I heard from people in the Hall that some of the eagles "decided" to  
fly and go to the ground and feed on the chickens sometime after 9  
a.m.  There was apparently a second feeding in early afternoon, and  
again some of the eagles fed then, too.

I was back at the Swetnam site at perhaps 2:30 p. m., and there were  
still about 50+ eagles perched in the trees but not active, and the  
human gawkers had thinned out a great deal.  Then at 4 p.m. Richard  
Stern said, "The light was perfect, there were 20 odd eagles swooping  
about in front of the small group of photographers still present, and  
I counted 67 including those in the trees. A much better photo  
opportunity than last week, and I'll post them in due course."

Back in the morning, at about 9:30 a.m., there was another group of  
17 bald eagles perched in trees along Middle Dyke Road north of Hwy.  
341 (Canard St.) and south of Blueberry Acres and Saxon St.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville

--Boundary_(ID_XCz40S+hi3YB8LrGf5ZELA)
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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>FEB. =
5, 2011 (Sat.) - 20th Annual EAGLE WATCH WEEKEND II</b> at Sheffield =
Mills -- the weather gods were smiling again for today, like last =
weekend, with temperatures from -6 to +2 C. and light winds, plus oodles =
of snow on the ground -- ideal conditions for getting the bald eagles =
etc. to the sites where the poultry farmers put out food for disposal, =
so to speak.&nbsp; Again hordes of people out to the Swetnam feeding =
site and to the Community Hall.</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">Judy Tufts reports there =
were <b>100+ bald eagles</b> at the Swetnam feeding site at about 10 =
a.m.&nbsp; I got out there at 10:30 to meet and talk to a busload of =
King's College Alumni gawkers -- the bus had gotten in trouble by =
scraping the side of a car and was stuck in the middle of the road for a =
long time (but most cars there were able to turn around with care and go =
back the other way).&nbsp; At 10:30 a.m. there were about 70 eagles, =
mostly just perched in the trees, mostly on the south edge of the big =
field with several ravens, and about 20 great black-backed gulls were =
standing around on the snow, away from the several chicken carcasses =
that were still there.&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">I heard from people in the Hall that some of the =
eagles "decided" to fly and go to the ground and feed on the chickens =
sometime after 9 a.m.&nbsp; There was apparently a second feeding in =
early afternoon, and again some of the eagles fed then, =
too.</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 was back at the Swetnam site at perhaps 2:30 p. m., =
and there were still about 50+ eagles perched in the trees but not =
active, and the human gawkers had thinned out a great deal.&nbsp; Then =
at 4 p.m. Richard Stern said, "The light was perfect, there were 20 odd =
eagles swooping about in front of the small group of photographers still =
present, and I counted 67 including those in the trees. A much better =
photo opportunity than last week, and I'll post them in due course." =
&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">Back in the morning, at about 9:30 a.m., there was =
another group of 17 bald eagles perched in trees along Middle Dyke Road =
north of Hwy. 341 (Canard St.) and south of Blueberry Acres and Saxon =
St.</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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