[NatureNS] nature: planets, snow goose, eagle nests, flowers, etc. (long)

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:46:25 -0300
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Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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--Boundary_(ID_9W9o5PynDy6F9fCZDsXlkw)
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MARCH 20, 2011 - SPRING EQUINOX today at 20:21 p.m., says the  
Blomidon Naturalists Society calendar.

Pink heather is luxuriantly in flower in a garden along Main St.,  
Wolfville, and white heather is nearly in flower in our garden.

By Wolfville's medical professional building, just west of the old  
hospital, yellow crocus-like flowers? are in bloom.

At 8:20 p.m. I was at Grand Pre at the top of Old Post Road hill to  
look for the two planets above the western horizon to which Sherman  
Williams alerted us two days ago.  First I noticed an orange-coloured  
planet close to the horizon, and that was apparently Jupiter.  Well  
above it was Mercury, which was quite bright as the sky darkened,  
and, as Sherman said, it was about 10 degrees above the horizon (the  
thickness of my fist held at arm's length).  And as the sky darkened,  
Mercury was quite visible even to my feeble naked eye.

MARCH 21, 2011 - First full day of Spring!  And Sunny and warm, sort- 
of, at 5-6 C.

At the Canning Aboiteau at 11:30 a.m. and still there at 2 p.m., a  
single SNOW GOOSE was conspicuous, with 500 Canada geese, feeding on  
grasses and in corn stubble close to the road, and many were in the  
Habitant River there, with a few mallards and 4+ green-winged teals  
and 2 common mergansers (m,f pr).

In or along the river in downtown Canning, 9 more green-winged teals,  
2 + 3 Canada geese, and a singing cardinal.

Saxon St. Pond: water open but level very low, with just a few mallards.

Canard Pond not open yet.

Stella's Pond open but empty of birds.

I checked on the two bald eagle nests that were unoccupied on my last  
visit: no eagle(s) yet on Eagle Landing nest in n. Kentville; but the  
Evangeline campground nest at North Grand Pre had an adult eagle  
standing in the nest and another adult, her presumed mate, perched in  
the corner tree a long block south.

A freshly road-killed skunk was along Highway 101 at Grand Pre.

Today's high tide, listed in the BNS Calendar for 14:51 and predicted  
to be 15.3 metres in amplitude, the biggest of the month, thanks to  
very close Perigee (Moon close to Earth) and Full Moon coincidence,  
was quite impressive.  And, 20 minutes after high tide, water was  
noticeably seeping through the top of the main dyke near the  
Wolfville sewage ponds.

In the souther sewage pond, at least 4 white-winged gulls, presumably  
Iceland gulls, were flying back and forth.  No other gulls were seen  
at that time.

In Wolfville, not far sw. of Acadia Arena, planted silver maples have  
swollen flower-buds that are open enough to show the tips of the  
bright red female catkins (promising).

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.

--Boundary_(ID_9W9o5PynDy6F9fCZDsXlkw)
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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"5" style=3D"font: 20.0px Helvetica"><b>MARCH =
20, 2011 - SPRING EQUINOX</b> today at 20:21 p.m., says the Blomidon =
Naturalists Society calendar.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">Pink <b>heather</b> is luxuriantly in flower in a =
garden along Main St., Wolfville, and white heather is nearly in flower =
in our garden.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">By Wolfville's medical professional building, just =
west of the old hospital, <b>yellow crocus-like flowers?</b> are in =
bloom.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">At 8:20 p.m. I was at Grand Pre at the top of Old Post =
Road hill to look for the <b>two planets</b> above the western horizon =
to which Sherman Williams alerted us two days ago.&nbsp; First I noticed =
an orange-coloured planet close to the horizon, and that was apparently =
<b>Jupiter</b>.&nbsp; Well above it was <b>Mercury</b>, which was quite =
bright as the sky darkened, and, as Sherman said, it was about 10 =
degrees above the horizon (the thickness of my fist held at arm's =
length).&nbsp; And as the sky darkened, Mercury was quite visible even =
to my feeble naked eye.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica"><b>MARCH 21, 2011</b> - First full day of =
<b>Spring!&nbsp;</b> And Sunny and warm, sort-of, at 5-6 =
C.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">At the <b>Canning Aboiteau</b> at 11:30 a.m. and still =
there at 2 p.m., a single <b>SNOW GOOSE</b> was conspicuous, with 500 =
<b>Canada geese</b>, feeding on grasses and in corn stubble close to the =
road, and many were in the Habitant River there, with a few =
<b>mallards</b> and 4+ <b>green-winged teals</b> and 2 <b>common =
mergansers</b> (m,f pr).</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">In or along the river i