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Last Saturday night (9 April) Suzanne Borkowski and I surveyed my owl route which follows the road from Tangier north to beyond Mooseland. This is the tenth year for the Nocturnal Owl Survey in mainland Nova Scotia, and Suzanne and I have done this route for 9 years now. It was a beautiful day in Halifax, and the afternoon continued sunny and mild, with light winds. Although rain was in the forecast we made the decision at about 1:30 to go for it. We watched for spring arrivals as we drove from Halifax, but saw very few birds along the way. No Osprey over the bays, few ducks in the coves. A single Great Blue Heron in Spry Harbour was a first for the year. After we scouted out my route, we went for a fish supper at the Fairwinds Motel in Sheet Harbour, as we usually do. We found Jim Cameron waiting for us there, and as we sat down the waitress came up, and looking at us said "Oh, I remember you two ladies! Turkey Vultures!" ...(pause)... "Oh, wait, that doesn't sound so good, does it?" as we all burst out laughing. [Two years ago, the same waitress served us, and she had been intrigued by our excitement at seeing a Turkey Vulture fly across Sheet Harbour.] At twilight, just as the three of us began the survey, it started to rain, much to our dismay, as we had gambled on the good weather continuing. So the first stop was done in cold drizzle, and I worried that the "boom box", which was broadcasting the calls, was getting wet. I was delighted to realize as we got out at our second stop that the rain had ceased, and the skies were clearing. The moon was bright and the skies remained clear for the rest of the evening. We usually do this route in early April, so this was a typical date for us. However it has been a cold slow spring, and we wondered how this might affect the owls. The first few stops were quiet, and Suzanne recalled Randy's report of his experience the evening before, when he did not hear any owls. However we soon began to have results, and went on to have a very good evening, with seven Northern Saw-whets and three Barred Owls in all. There has been a lot of clearcutting along this route, leaving just a "beauty strip" along the road, and we found that many of the owls were distant. Only two of the Saw-whets were very close. We missed hearing Great Horned Owls, which we usually find beyond Mooseland, at the last few stops. In addition to the owls, we heard Common Loons, and there were American Woodcock peenting and winnowing at four stops. Winter moths were frequent in the headlights. With little rain in March and not much snow melt the ditches were dry, and there was rarely any sound of running water. A few Wood Frogs were calling at only one stop (the first I have heard this year). There were no Spring Peepers at all; one of the few times I have done an owl survey without their chorus as backdrop. The night sky was beautiful. Patricia L. Chalmers Halifax
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