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as --_f90a209e-5857-454c-a1ce-8e35a4e5719f_ Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Very interesting! :)) =20 Bev from Glace Bay =20 From: bobathome@eastlink.ca To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: [NatureNS] A few days spent on Brier Island Date: Mon=2C 3 Sep 2012 11:22:50 -0300 Wendy and I decided to "escape" to Brier for a few days - arrived late Wed = evening and departed Sat morning. =20 We spent much of the day Thurs helping MTRI staff carry out a census of the= endangered Mountain Avens (Geum peckii) in Big Meadow Bog. Interestingly= =2C Brier is one of only 2 locations for this plant in Canada and has by fa= r the largest number of plants. (Digby Neck is the other Canadian location = and it is also found in the White Mountains in N.H.) The bog has been alter= ed in an attempt to drain it for agricultural purposes (this is historical)= so the bog is drier now and is being overrun by large numbers of woody pla= nts (like blackberry) so it's a hard slog into and out of there. Apart fro= m the G. peckii=2C both Bog Goldenrod and Bog Aster were abundant. We had = several sightings of Northern Harrier and there were many hummingbirds=2C i= ncluding at least one male=2C frequenting the Spotted Touch-Me-Not. At the end of our exhausting day=2C as we left the runway from which we acc= essed the bog=2C we spooked a small bird off the gravel road into the trees= . I paused as others walked on. After a few seconds=2C the bird flew back t= o the road about 40 m from me. Through the binoculars=2C it appeared to be = a Lark Sparrow and I took several rather poor but documentary pics - it was= indeed a LASP=2C the highlight of our sojourn to Brier! =20 Friday morning=2C we did a long walk from Gull Rock Road around to Whipple = Point looking for shorebirds in Big Pond and Pond Cove. Highlights were tw= o Baird's Sandpipers=2C and more Least than Semipalm Sandpipers. An immatu= re Bald Eagle could be seen at the far end of Big Pond. Also noteworthy wer= e 65-70 Grey Seals in Pond Cove (lots of racket!). =20 We did the late afternoon Mariner Cruises pelagic and it was the roughest t= rip I've ever done into the Bay of Fundy. Most of the children on board we= re quite ill and several adults looked pretty green! Although the lack of = whales disappointed many=2C the seabirds were good with Northern Gannet=2C = Great Shearwater=2C Wilson's Storm-Petrel=2C and both phalaropes putting on= very good shows. Also noted 2 or 3 Sooty Shearwaters=2C 2 Northern Fulmar= =2C several Puffins=2C and one unidentified tern species. Perched in the t= rees overlooking the water=2C we noted Great Blue Heron=2C Osprey=2C Red-ta= iled Hawk and another Bald Eagle. =20 We made lots of stops=2C for geocaching=2C short hikes and general explorat= ion=2C on our return. Noteworthy were a Baltimore Oriole at Central Grove = cemetery along Flour Cove Road on Digby Neck and Peregrine Falcon as we wal= ked the new trail at Gullivers Cove. As I scanned the 110-m cliff at trail= end=2C I noticed what might be a PEFA nest site (eyrie?) with another adul= t bird on a step on the cliff face. I have a very poor picture - the bird = was likely over 500m away from us. Does anyone know if information on poss= ible PEFA nest sites is collected by anyone? =20 Cheers=2C Bob McDonald Halifax = --_f90a209e-5857-454c-a1ce-8e35a4e5719f_ Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html> <head> <style><!-- .hmmessage P { margin:0px=3B padding:0px } body.hmmessage { font-size: 10pt=3B font-family:Tahoma } --></style></head> <body class=3D'hmmessage'><div dir=3D'ltr'> Very interesting! :))<BR>  =3B<BR> Bev from Glace Bay<BR> =3B<BR> <DIV> <DIV id=3DSkyDrivePlaceholder></DIV> <HR id=3DstopSpelling> From: bobathome@eastlink.ca<BR>To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<BR>Subject: [Nat= ureNS] A few days spent on Brier Island<BR>Date: Mon=2C 3 Sep 2012 11:22:50= -0300<BR><BR> <STYLE><!-- .ExternalClass .ecxhmmessage P {padding-bottom:0px=3Bpadding-left:0px=3Bpadding-right:0px=3Bpadding-top:0p= x=3B} .ExternalClass BODY.ecxhmmessage {font-family:Tahoma=3Bfont-size:10pt=3B} --></STYLE> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Wendy and I decided to "escape" to Brier for a few = days - arrived late Wed evening and departed Sat morning.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> =3B</DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial>We spent much of the day Thurs helping MTRI staff c= arry out a census of the endangered Mountain Avens (<EM>Geum peckii</EM>) i= n Big Meadow Bog. =3B Interestingly=2C Brier is one of only 2 locations= for this plant in Canada and has by far the largest number of plants. (Dig= by Neck is the other Canadian location and it is also found in the White Mo= untains in N.H.) The bog has been altered in an attempt to drain it for agr= icultural purposes (this is historical) so the bog is drier now and is bein= g overrun by large numbers of woody plants (like blackberry) so it's a hard= slog into and out of there. =3B Apart from the <EM>G. peckii</EM>=2C b= oth Bog Goldenrod and Bog Aster were abundant. =3B We had several sight= ings of Northern Harrier and there were many hummingbirds=2C including at l= east one male=2C frequenting the Spotted Touch-Me-Not.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial>At the end of our exhausting day=2C as we left the = runway from which we accessed the bog=2C we spooked a small bird off the gr= avel road into the trees. I paused as others walked on. After a few seconds= =2C the bird flew back to the road about 40 m from me. =3BThrough the b= inoculars=2C it appeared to be a <STRONG>Lark Sparrow</STRONG> and I took s= everal rather poor but documentary pics - it was indeed a LASP=2C the highl= ight of our sojourn to Brier!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> =3B</DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Friday morning=2C we did a long walk from Gull Rock= Road around to Whipple Point looking for shorebirds in Big Pond and Pond C= ove. =3B Highlights were two Baird's Sandpipers=2C and more Least than = Semipalm Sandpipers. =3B An immature Bald Eagle could be seen at the fa= r end of Big Pond. Also noteworthy were 65-70 Grey Seals in Pond Cove (lots= of racket!).</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT> =3B</DIV> <