next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects
--Boundary_(ID_J3Du1rrJr23NzMzy/oBcfw) Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT AUG. 4, 2011 - HIGH TIDE time 17:14 and still a big tide at 13.6 metres of amplitude (low to high)(but amplitude is diminishing now, so that on Aug. 6 it will be almost 2 metres less)(and amplitude really matters in terms of when and where one looks for shorebirds). Today on account of the big time and the tide time, I started looking for shorebirds on eastern Evangeline Beach, north Grand Pre, at 15:40, i.e. 2.75 hours before high tide. My timing turned out to be excellent. On my first appearance on the beach, I saw a very large flying flock toward the west, toward the area of the shorebirds signage and motel and canteen. Thus, instead of walking east and getting trapped by the incoming tide), I walked west toward that flock of peeps. For about an hour I and about 10-15 gawkers at the shorebirds signage had a wonderful show of flying and roosting small shorebirds/peeps that were clearly exhibiting Zugunruhe (thanks to three people for correcting my previous spelling, when all the time it was there in my 1975 ornithology text at home) or migratory restlessness, which is part of a complicated suite of physiological changes involving hormones and shortening day-lengths and feverish feeding when possible and then cat-napping and flying during non-flying periods, all on the tidal cycle, of course. Actually, "Zugunruhe" is properly applied mostly to nocturnal restlessness of songbirds that migrate at night, but it seems to fit the shorebirds furing the long "roosting" period between lower-tide periods twice a day. I will separately post high tide times and amplitudes, from the Blomidon Naturalists Society Calendar for 2011, for the next 10 days or so, including the next two weekends, for interested people. For that hour from about 15:45 to 16:45 or so I mostly just sat on the rocks of the upper beach, and the very restless flocks of peeps mostly seemed to ignore me, allowing super views with my binoculars as the birds often landed very close to me. Besides a quite impressive roosting flock right below the motel aream guessed by me at 10,000+ peeps (could easily have been 1.5 times that or even bigger -- I claim no expertise). AND just to the west of the canteen was another smaller flock of perhaps 5000 peeps. I was able to see four different species of peeps today. The vast majority of the birds, perhaps over 95%, were semipalmated sandpipers. I was able to distinguish, among those, about 20 white- rumped sandpipers, which are noticeably larger, with more solid gray backs, longer beaks, and quite long wings that extend well past the ends of the tails. Usually quite separate from the sandpipers on the upper beach were perhaps 100 semipalmated plovers. And high on the beach there were scattered individual least sandpipers, which in aggregate were probably more abundant than the s. plovers. Overall I saw at least 15,000 peeps today and quite possibly a lot more. During my vigil I hoped (for myself and for the spectators) for the appearance of at least one falcon, either peregrine or merlin, but nothing appeared for a long time. As I was still sitting on the rocks, suddenly and loudly about nine-tenths of the big flock suddenly all flew off together, with no obvious stimulus except the still rising tide leaving very little beach below the rocks (and eventually none). They flew offshore and very low to the water, circled a bit, and then headed off in a long narrow line toward the east end of Long Island, toward The Guzzle (northeasternmost corner of the dykelands, where the fishers go after striped bass at high tide). Then I climbed up the rocks to the motel (unfortunate that there are no public steps to the beach for the tourists, although this might minimize disturbance during the early foraging time during the early ebbing tides). At the shorebird signage and viewing deck (well named today!), I was just telling the viewers there about the one thing missing in our show, namely falcons, when as if on call a large peregrine falcon suddenly appeared (from the east?), very visible to all and close at hand. Then it made a half-hearted? dive at a passing flock of about 1-200 peeps but quickly veered off and flew away toward the east. Probably the peregrine gave up when its dive did not separate any individual peeps from the flock. By then the high tide had cut me off from the area of my car, and a family of visitors was kind enough to drive me to that spot, saving me a fairly long walk. Tall attractive red-pink flowers of garden phlox or perennial phlox (a garden escape)(a new identification from Newcomb for me) were at the junction of Pheasant Road and the road to The Guzzle. I drove to Jean Merks' house, but could see no shorebirds there on the rocks (no shore for roosting). I did see 2 pine siskins at her feeders. At The Guzzle at 16:45 p.m., a west spit of remaining sand (not for long?) held a roost of 1000 peeps, and there were scattered small flying flocks too. I didn't speak to any of the fishers regarding any success with striped bass, but today's King's County Register newspaper has a nice photo of a nice keeper and at least one successful fisherman there (check local newsstands). Cheers from Jim in Wolfville, and sorry for length of report! --Boundary_(ID_J3Du1rrJr23NzMzy/oBcfw) 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>AUG. = 4, 2011 - HIGH TIDE time 17:14 and still a big tide at 13.6 metres = </b>of amplitude (low to high)(but amplitude is diminishing now, so that = on Aug. 6 it will be almost 2 metres less)(and amplitude really matters = in terms of when and where one looks<b> for shorebirds</b>). = </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">Today on account of the big time and the tide time, I = started looking for shorebirds on eastern Evangeline Beach, north Grand = Pre, <b>at 15:40, i.e. 2.75 hours before high tide</b>. My timing = turned out to be excellent. On my first appearance on the beach, I = saw a very large flying flock toward the west, toward the area of the = shorebirds signage and motel and canteen. Thus, instead of = walking east and getting trapped by the incoming tide), I walked west = toward that flock of peeps. </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">For about an hour I and = about 10-15 gawkers at the shorebirds signage had a <b>wonderful show of = flying and roosting small shorebirds/peeps</b> that were clearly = exhibiting <b>Zugunruhe</b> (thanks to three people for correcting my = previous spelling, when all the time it was there in my 1975 ornithology = text at home) or migratory restlessness, which is part of a complicated = suite of physiological changes involving hormones and shortening = day-lengths and feverish feeding when possible and then cat-napping and = flying during non-flying periods, all on the tidal cycle, of = course. Actually, "Zugunruhe" is properly applied mostly to = nocturnal restlessness of songbirds that migrate at night, but it seems = to fit the shorebirds furing the long "roosting" period between = lower-tide periods twice a day.</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 will separately post high = tide times and amplitudes, from the Blomidon Naturalists Society = Calendar for 2011, for the next 10 days or so, including the next two = weekends, for interested people.</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">For that hour from about = 15:45 to 16:45 or so I mostly just sat on the rocks of the upper beach, = and the very restless flocks of peeps mostly seemed to ignore me, = allowing super views with my binoculars as the birds often landed very = close to me. Besides a quite impressive roosting flock right below = the motel aream guessed by me at <b>10,000+ peeps</b> (could easily have = been 1.5 times that or even bigger -- I claim no expertise). <b> = AND</b> just to the west of the canteen was another smaller flock of = perhaps <b>5000 peeps</b>.</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 able to see<b> four different species of peeps = </b>today. The vast majority of the birds, perhaps over 95%, were = <b>semipalmated sandpipers</b>. I was able to distinguish, among = those, about 20 <b>white-rumped sandpipers</b>, which are noticeably = larger, with more solid gray backs, longer beaks, and quite long wings = that extend well past the ends of the tails. Usually quite = separate from the sandpipers on the upper beach were perhaps 100 = <b>semipalmated plovers</b>. And high on the beach there were = scattered individual <b>least sandpipers</b>, which in aggregate were = probably more abundant than the s. plovers. Overall I saw at least = <b>15,000 peeps today </b>and quite possibly a lot = more.</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">During my vigil I hoped (for myself and for the = spectators) for the appearance of at least one falcon, either peregrine = or merlin, but nothing appeared for a long time. As I was still = sitting on the rocks, <b>suddenly and loudly about nine-tenths of the = big flock suddenly all flew off together</b>, with no obvious stimulus = except the still rising tide leaving very little beach below the rocks = (and eventually none). They flew offshore and very low to the = water, circled a bit, and then headed off in a long narrow line toward = the east end of Long Island, toward The Guzzle (northeasternmost corner = of the dykelands, where the fishers go after striped bass at high = tide).</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">Then I climbed up the rocks to the motel (unfortunate = that there are<b> no public steps </b>to the beach for the tourists, = although this might minimize disturbance during the early foraging time = during the early ebbing tides).</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 the shorebird signage = and<b> viewing deck (well named today!)</b>, I was just telling the = viewers there about the one thing missing in our show, namely falcons, = when as if on call <b>a large peregrine falcon</b> suddenly appeared = (from the east?), very visible to all and close at hand. Then it = made a half-hearted? dive at a passing flock of about 1-200 peeps but = quickly veered off and flew away toward the east. Probably the = peregrine gave up when its dive did not separate any individual peeps = from the flock.</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">By then the high tide had cut me off from the area of = my car, and a family of visitors was kind enough to drive me to that = spot, saving me a fairly long walk.</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">Tall attractive red-pink = flowers of <b>garden phlox or perennial phlox</b> (a garden escape)(a = new identification from Newcomb for me) were at the junction of Pheasant = Road and the road to The Guzzle.</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 drove to Jean Merks' = house, but could see no shorebirds there on the rocks (no shore for = roosting). I did see 2<b> pine siskins</b> at her = feeders.</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 The Guzzle at 16:45 p.m., a west spit of remaining = sand (not for long?) held a roost of 1000 peeps, and there were = scattered small flying flocks too. I didn't speak to any of the = fishers regarding any success with <b>striped bass,</b> but today's = King's County <b>Register</b> newspaper has a nice photo of a nice = keeper and at least one successful fisherman there (check local = newsstands). </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; "><b>Cheers from Jim in Wolfville, and sorry for = length of report!</b></div> </body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_J3Du1rrJr23NzMzy/oBcfw)--
next message in archive
no next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects