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I enjoyed a brisk walk around the Frog Pond in Fleming Park
this morning. There was a flock of 20 Ring-necked Ducks, a large
number for here. One was throwing his head back and forth in what I
presume is a courtship display. I've seen this in Goldeneye but not
in Ring-necks before now.
Jean Hartley phoned me yesterday to report seeing an
American Coot on the pond, and was sure it was something neither of
us had ever seen there before. She didn't know about Regine's
sighting, so had all the thrill of discovery. I was delighted to
find it myself this morning, just past the catttail swamp at the
first boardwalk. I have been keeping a list of sightings (plant,
bird, mammal) at the Frog Pond for a number of years, with bird
records going back about 20 years, and as far as a know this is the
first time a coot has been observed at the Frog Pond.
Land birds were scarce; the White-throated Sparrows haven't
arrived yet, and the abundant holly berries remain uneaten by
thrushes or waxwings. The Witherod fruits are all gone, though.
I was interested to see that the city has been landscaping
the roadside border of the pond with native shrubs; there are new
plantings of Betula nigra (River birch), Amelanchier canadensis
(Shadblow or Serviceberry), Cornus sericea (Red-osier Dogwood) and
Sambucus canadensis (American Elderberry). This seems like a really
good initiative. Some had labels from the Blomidon Nursery, which
I've heard is one of the best sources for native shrubs.
There were still a number of the small red Sympetrum sp.
dragonflies around.
Patricia L. Chalmers
Halifax
P.S. On a different note, does anyone know where to buy an
orchard-type Quince shrub (Cydonia oblonga). That is, not the
ornamental Flowering Quince aka Japanese Quince (Chaenomeles sp.)
which many of us have in our gardens. I have been buying quince
fruit from the farmer's market for some years but would like to grow
my own. The Cydonia fruits are much larger and more aromatic and
flavourful than those from the other so-called quinces.
At 06:35 PM 04/11/2011, Bernice Moores wrote:
>Regine Maass just called to report an American Coot at the Frog
>Pond. In recent days the bird has been seen by other walkers of the
>trail around the pond. The Frog Pond is on the Purcell's Cove Road,
>Jollimore, Halifax.
>
>B
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