[NatureNS] shorebirds at Wolfville Hbr. & e. Evangeline Beach Aug. 1/11

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>,
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:20:00 -0300
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AUGUST 1, 2011 - High tide, quite a big one, was at 2:50 p.m., with  
an amplitude of  13.8 metres, according to the Blomidon Naturalists  
Society Calendar for 2011.   At 1:45 p.m. I checked Wolfville Harbour  
for roosting shorebirds along the rocks below the railroad bed.  I  
saw about 10 greater yellowlegs (which characteristically landed out  
on the water away from shore for a while), 2 willets, and about 10  
peeps (small unidentified shorebirds).
--------------------------
In late afternoon, starting at 4:40 and finishing at 5:30 p.m., I did  
my usual walk of eastern Evangeline Beach for monitoring shorebirds.   
I walked from the break in the trees among the cottages (former boat  
launch spot), eastward to and past Jean Merks' home and to the end of  
the trees, where the beach ends at the salt marsh that extends east  
to The Guzzle.

When I started my walk, I saw a small flock of perhaps 50 peeps  
flying westward and coming from the east.  But past the Merks home  
and to the end of the beach was a very impressive number of peeps  
(mixed small sandpipers and plovers), which I guesstimated at up to  
13,000.  Perhaps a thousand or so were at the very top of the beach,  
so that my guess is that there was a sizable high-tide roost there  
today or at least for the beginning of the ebb of the high tide.

These peeps were beginning to actively forage on the mudflats, but  
the flocks were also clearly restless (migratory restlessness, which  
we called "zugenrhue" (sp?) or something like that when I was  
learning ornithology back in the 1960s).  Thus flocks were frequently  
taking off on short flights out over the water, without noticeable  
stimulation like birds of prey, and back and forth before coming back  
to land somewhere near where they were before.  The Sunny conditions  
made a very nice aerial display, with frequent flashes of white and  
dark as they all turned together and often in the air, and I was the  
only witness.

Perhaps 95 per cent of the peeps were sandpipers, no doubt nearly all  
semipalmated (I wasn't close enough to look for leasts or other  
sandpipers); and higher up in the middle intertidal zone, well above  
the sandpipers, as usual for them, were perhaps 100 semipalmated  
plovers.

No merlins nor peregrine falcons were seen, nor other raptors.
--------------------------
Cheers from Jim in Wolfville, 542-9204 -- In a day or two, I will  
send the tide times and amplitudes for the next couple of weeks for  
the local Minas Basin/Wolfville to Avonport area.

--Boundary_(ID_m9atCz1q3wsNnPsNpPQu6w)
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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; =
"><b><br></b></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"><b>AUGUST 1, 2011</b> - High =
tide, quite a big one, was at 2:50 p.m., with an amplitude of&nbsp; 13.8 =
metres, according to the Blomidon Naturalists Society Calendar for 2011. =
&nbsp; At 1:45 p.m. I checked <b>Wolfville Harbour</b> for roosting =
shorebirds along the rocks below the railroad bed.&nbsp;&nbsp;I saw =
about 10 <b>greater yellowlegs</b> (which characteristically landed out =
on the water away from shore for a while), 2 <b>willets</b>, and about =
10 <b>peeps</b> (small unidentified shorebirds).&nbsp;</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">--------------------------</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">In late afternoon, starting at 4:40 and finishing at =
5:30 p.m., I did my usual walk of <b>eastern Evangeline Beach</b> for =
monitoring shorebirds.&nbsp; I walked from the break in the trees among =
the cottages (former boat launch spot), eastward to and past Jean Merks' =
home and to the end of the trees, where the beach ends at the salt marsh =
that extends east to The Guzzle.&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">When I =
started my walk, I saw a small flock of perhaps 50 <b>peeps</b> flying =
westward and coming from the east.&nbsp; But past the Merks home and to =
the end of the beach was a<b> very impressive number of peeps</b> (mixed =
small sandpipers and plovers), which I guesstimated at up to =
<b>13,000.</b>&nbsp; Perhaps a thousand or so were at the very top of =
the beach, so that my guess is that there was a sizable high-tide roost =
there today or at least for the beginning of the ebb of the high =
tide.&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">These peeps were beginning to actively forage on the =
mudflats, but the flocks were also clearly restless (migratory =
restlessness, which we called "zugenrhue" (sp?) or something like that =
when I was learning ornithology back in the 1960s).&nbsp; Thus flocks =
were frequently taking off on short flights out over the water, without =
noticeable stimulation like birds of prey, and back and forth before =
coming back to land somewhere near where they were before.&nbsp; The =
Sunny conditions made a very nice aerial display, with frequent flashes =
of white and dark as they all turned together and often in the air, and =
I was the only witness.</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">Perhaps 95 per cent of the peeps were =
<b>sandpipers</b>, no doubt nearly all <b>semipalmated </b>(I wasn't =
close eno