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--Apple-Mail-3--653658323 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed JAN. 27, 2012 - This continuing yo-yo weather is a strange way to begin the 21st Annual Eagle Watch (20th anniversary of start in 1992). Last night the predicted low temp. was -9 C. (it was -4 C. in mid-morning). And the predicted high temp. for today is +9 C. with today having snow and then freezing rain and then rain, all "at times heavy". Hopefully those tough bald eagles and other scavenger birds don't mind such changeable weather. I drove to Sheffield Mills in late morning and got to the north end of Middle Dyke Road at 11:20 a.m., when there were 2 photographers at the large field where the chicken carcasses are provided, and, mostly perched in the peripheral trees, about 20+ bald eagles. Near the dead chickens were a couple of great black-backed gulls, which is the only species of gull usually seen at the feeding sites (along with ravens and crows often). An hour later there were about 30+ bald eagles there, still mostly perched, and more photographers. Among the perched eagles was a very large bird that was coloured weirdly underneath, with a beige breast area and then reddish brown on the belly. Tuma Young & Nick Honig thought they had spotted a new species, but it was just one of the endless variations that immature bald eagles show during the first three years, on their way to getting the white heads and tails of adults. Remember too that the biggest eagles are females, with males averaging about a kilogram less, and this is for all ages after they leave the nest as fledglings. Knowing when the eagles are fed is useful info', but it is still up to the eagles and the other species as to when the action happens re flying and swooping and grabbing food, or landing on the ground, and robbing each other of their treasures. In the trees often ravens (and crows) perch near the feeding eagles and no doubt get falling scraps that way. All winter the eagles are fed every day in the morning sometime after 8-9 a.m., and during the Eagle Watch Weekends (Jan. 28-29 and Feb. 4-5) there are often extra feedings later in the day. For info' on Eagle Watch activities, like breakfasts, special lectures/showings, displays & crafts & photo contests, video viewing, community meals in Canard & Kingsport, etc., check out the Web site at www.eaglens.ca . I will be upstairs in the Community Hall on Black Hole Rd. during parts of the mornings on the two weekends (unless I am chowing down on the pancakes & sausage breakfast with blueberry sauce or maple syrup, plus muffins & juice & coffee/tea & music downstairs) and until mid-afternoon too. (But I reserve the right to do occasional drives for Quirks & Quarks and to look for eagles.) Please introduce yourself to me, even if you think I know you, and we can trade tall tales about what people have been seeing or not seeing lately. Finally, be aware that the area to search in your cars is much larger than what the hand-out map shows. Check out Avonport, the whole length of the Gaspereau Valley, Grand Pre area, southwest of White Rock, Kentville rail trail east from downtown, entire Cornwallis River Valley to Wolfville & Port Williams, northeast of Kentville to Canard areas and Sheffield Mills, Canning to Medford & Kingsport, and south from there through Habitant and Canard River Valleys. And finally finally, be aware that most of the poultry producers who put out dead chickens are on an eight-week cycle if they are producers of broilers. It takes about six weeks to grow a broiler to market-size (every day there are casualties that are collected and offered to the eagles etc.), and then the barns are empty and cleaned for about two weeks. And the various producers are not synchronized, so that only the "eagle grapevine" can tell you who has the biggest carcasses to put out from week to week -- maybe/probably this is a big reason why eagles are social and communal in their roosting habits overnight? Please let everyone know where you found good numbers of eagles on the two upcoming weekends. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville. --Apple-Mail-3--653658323 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII <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><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>JAN. 27, 2012 </b>- This continuing <b>yo-yo = weather</b> is a strange way to begin the <b>21st Annual Eagle Watch = (20th anniversary of start in 1992)</b>. Last night the predicted = low temp. was -9 C. (it was -4 C. in mid-morning). And the = predicted high temp. for today is +9 C. with today having snow and then = freezing rain and then rain, all "at times heavy".</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">Hopefully = those tough bald eagles and other scavenger birds don't mind such = changeable weather. I drove to <b>Sheffield Mills</b> in late = morning and got to the north end of Middle Dyke Road at 11:20 a.m., when = there were 2 photographers at the large field where the chicken = carcasses are provided, and, mostly perched in the peripheral trees, = about 20+<b> bald eagles</b>. Near the dead chickens were a couple = of <b>great black-backed gulls</b>, which is the only species of gull = usually seen at the feeding sites (along with <b>ravens and crows</b> = often). An hour later there were about 30+ bald eagles there, = still mostly perched, and more photographers. </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"><b>Among = the perched eagles was</b> a very large bird that was <b>coloured = weirdly </b>underneath, with a beige breast area and then reddish brown = on the belly. Tuma Young & Nick Honig thought they had spotted = a new species, but it was just one of the endless variations that = immature bald eagles show during the first three years, on their way to = getting the white heads and tails of adults. Remember too that the = biggest eagles are females, with males averaging about a kilogram less, = and this is for all ages after they leave the nest as = fledglings.</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">Knowing <b>when the eagles are fed</b> is useful = info', but it is still up to the eagles and the other species as to when = the action happens re flying and swooping and grabbing food, or landing = on the ground, and robbing each other of their treasures. In the = trees often ravens (and crows) perch near the feeding eagles and no = doubt get falling scraps that way.</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">All winter the eagles are = fed every day in the morning sometime after 8-9 a.m., and during the = Eagle Watch Weekends (Jan. 28-29 and Feb. 4-5) there are often extra = feedings later in the 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"><b>For info' on Eagle Watch activities</b>, like = breakfasts, special lectures/showings, displays & crafts & photo = contests, video viewing, community meals in Canard & Kingsport, = etc., check out the Web site at <b>www.eaglens.ca</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 will be = upstairs in the Community Hall on Black Hole Rd. during parts of the = mornings on the two weekends (unless I am chowing down on the pancakes = & sausage breakfast with blueberry sauce or maple syrup, plus = muffins & juice & coffee/tea & music downstairs) and until = mid-afternoon too. (But I reserve the right to do occasional = drives for Quirks & Quarks and to look for eagles.) = </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">Please introduce yourself to me, even if you think I = know you, and we can trade tall tales about what people have been seeing = or not seeing lately.</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">Finally, be aware that the<b> area to search</b> in = your cars is much larger than what the hand-out map shows. Check = out Avonport, the whole length of the Gaspereau Valley, Grand Pre area, = southwest of White Rock, Kentville rail trail east from downtown, entire = Cornwallis River Valley to Wolfville & Port Williams, northeast of = Kentville to Canard areas and Sheffield Mills, Canning to Medford & = Kingsport, and south from there through Habitant and Canard River = Valleys.</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">And finally finally, be aware that most of the<b> = poultry producers</b> who put out dead chickens are on an <b>eight-week = cycle</b> if they are producers of broilers. It takes about six = weeks to grow a broiler to market-size (every day there are casualties = that are collected and offered to the eagles etc.), and then the barns = are empty and cleaned for about two weeks. And the various = producers are not synchronized, so that only the "eagle grapevine" can = tell you who has the biggest carcasses to put out from week to week -- = maybe/probably this is a big reason why eagles are social and communal = in their roosting habits overnight?</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">Please let everyone know = where you found good numbers of eagles on the two upcoming = weekends. </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"><br></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">Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.</font></div></b></div> </body></html>= --Apple-Mail-3--653658323--
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