[NatureNS] A visit to the Valley

From: Bob McDonald <bobathome@eastlink.ca>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
References: <3B9F9273F8E94558B079BD2380DD6813@yourfa38fa253f>
Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2012 22:24:10 -0300
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Last Wednesday, Wendy and I drove to the eastern Annapolis Valley for =
birds, flowers, butterflies and fresh Valley produce. =20

On the way (sort of), we stopped at Smiley's Park to see if we could =
find the Canada Lily in bloom.  No luck, although we did find a few =
small, non-blooming plants.  Did anyone see the Canada Lily there this =
year?  We are also helping to do a biota inventory at the Nature Trust =
Meander River property across the road and spent about an hour there.  =
Very few asters or goldenrods in bloom yet but did find a small patch of =
Dwarf Enchanter's Nightshade and a larger patch of Large-leaved Aster, =
which, apparently, seldom produces blossoms....?

Next stop, the Tourist Info Centre in Windsor where we were mis-informed =
about the timing of high tide at Grand Pre!  We then proceeded to =
Kentville for a walk along the Kentville Ravine Trail for interesting =
plants and perhaps Mustard White butterflies, which Peter Payzant =
mentioned could be seen there.  We did find a few butterflies, including =
Mustard White, which was a "Lifer" for me!  Also nice to see =
Joe-Pye-Weed in bloom since there isn't much to be seen around Halifax.  =
As we approached the trailhead, we passed three lovely American Chestnut =
trees and in one of them was a black form Gray Squirrel with an second =
normal colour one close by.  I guess that Jim Wolford knows about these =
2 introduced creatures.

On our way towards Wolfville we stopped to pick raspberries (Awesome!) =
and to look for dragonflies around Hennigers Pond.  Lots of darners on =
the big pond but too far away to be IDed.

After a quick supper at the Wolfville Market ($10 special), we headed to =
the Guzzle at the eastern end of Grand Pre.  I believe that we passed =
Rick Whitman on the way which was not a good sign.  Why would he be =
leaving an hour before high tide....?  Sure enough we arrived at full =
high tide, not 1.5 hours before high tide as we had planned.  In any =
case, we did see a large number of peeps (Rick had estimated 10,000 =
birds the previous day and we concur).  They were essentially all =
Semipalmated Sandpipers, although I was able to pick out one Least, one =
White-rumped and one Sanderling, when they came in to roost on the small =
bit of beach remaining to the left of where the fisherfolk were located. =
 I did obtain a nice video of the flock swirling around, landing and =
immediately taking off again.  It's quite a sight!   No raptors were =
seen here but one RT Hawk was seen on a telephone pole on Grand Pre =
Road.  No Black Swallowtails were seen either.  Apart from the =
shorebirds, another highlight of our visit here was the 15-20 Bank =
Swallows which greeted us on our arrival.. I assume that they must have =
their burrows in the mud bank close by...?

The final event on our Valley visit was the Chimney Swift roost at the =
Robie Tufts Nature Centre.  We joined Jim Wolford and a couple of other =
counters there.  The first swifts appeared about 8:55 PM and the first =
entry was shortly thereafter.  The show was over within about 10-15 =
minutes and our total count was 33 birds.  Not big numbers but a =
terrific end to another exciting day in the Valley!

Cheers,
Bob McDonald
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Last Wednesday, Wendy and I drove to =
the eastern=20
Annapolis Valley for birds, flowers, butterflies and fresh Valley =
produce.&nbsp;=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>On the way (sort of), we stopped at=20
Smiley's&nbsp;Park to see if we could find the Canada Lily in =
bloom.&nbsp; No=20
luck, although we did find a few small, non-blooming plants.&nbsp; Did =
anyone=20
see the Canada Lily there this year?&nbsp; We are also helping to do a =
biota=20
inventory at the Nature Trust Meander River property across the road and =
spent=20
about an hour there.&nbsp; Very few asters or goldenrods in bloom yet =
but did=20
find a small patch of Dwarf Enchanter's Nightshade and a larger patch of =

Large-leaved Aster, which, apparently, seldom produces=20
blossoms....?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Next stop, the Tourist Info Centre in =
Windsor where=20
we were mis-informed about the timing of high tide at Grand Pre!&nbsp; =
We then=20
proceeded to Kentville for a walk along the Kentville Ravine Trail for=20
interesting plants and perhaps Mustard White butterflies, which Peter =
Payzant=20
mentioned could be seen there.&nbsp; We did find a few butterflies, =
including=20
Mustard White, which was a "Lifer" for me!&nbsp; Also nice to see =
Joe-Pye-Weed=20
in bloom since there isn't much to be seen around Halifax.&nbsp; As we=20
approached the trailhead, we passed three lovely American Chestnut trees =
and in=20
one of them was a black form Gray Squirrel with an second normal colour =
one=20
close by.&nbsp; I guess that Jim Wolford knows about these 2 introduced=20
creatures.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>On our way towards Wolfville we stopped =
to pick=20
raspberries (Awesome!) and to look for dragonflies around Hennigers =
Pond.&nbsp;=20
Lots of darners on the big pond but too far away to be =
IDed.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>After a quick supper at the Wolfville =
Market ($10=20
special), we headed to the Guzzle at the eastern end of Grand Pre.&nbsp; =
I=20
believe that we passed Rick Whitman on the way which was not a good =
sign.&nbsp;=20
Why would he be leaving an hour before high tide....?&nbsp; Sure enough =
we=20
arrived at full high tide, not 1.5 hours before high tide as we had=20
planned.&nbsp; In any case, we did see a large number of peeps (Rick had =

estimated 10,000 birds the previous day and we concur).&nbsp; They were=20
essentially all Semipalmated Sandpipers, although I was able to pick=20
out&nbsp;one Least, one White-rumped and&nbsp;one Sanderling, when they =
came in=20
to roost on the small bit of beach remaining to the left of where the =
fisherfolk=20
were located.&nbsp; I did obtain a nice video of the flock swirling =
around,=20
landing and immediately taking off again.&nbsp; It's quite a =
sight!&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
No raptors were seen here but one RT Hawk was seen on a telephone pole =
on Grand=20
Pre Road.&nbsp; No Black Swallowtails were seen either.&nbsp; Apart from =
the=20
shorebirds, another highlight of our visit here was the 15-20 Bank =
Swallows=20
which greeted us on our arrival.. I assume that they must have their =
burrows in=20
the mud bank close by...?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>The&nbsp;final&nbsp;event on our Valley =
visit was=20
the Chimney Swift roost at the Robie Tufts Nature Centre.&nbsp; We =
joined Jim=20
Wolford and a couple of other counters there.&nbsp; The first swifts =
appeared=20
about 8:55 PM and the first entry was shortly thereafter.&nbsp; The show =
was=20
over within about 10-15 minutes and our total count was 33 birds.&nbsp; =
Not big=20
numbers but a terrific end to another exciting day in the =
Valley!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Cheers,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Bob McDonald</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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