[NatureNS] Wolfville Hbr. shorebirds & Wolfville feeders

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:20:02 -0300
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Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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OCTOBER 2, 2012 - At my feeders today, besides lots of fresh digging  
in the soil by raccoons? at night (over past 3 nights), there were a  
chipmunk, a red-breasted nuthatch (I've gone a long time without  
seeing one), a male cardinal, again a female or imm. purple finch, 3  
song sparrows, a mourning dove, blue jays, 2 goldfinches, no white- 
throated sparrows (migrated? after a short stop), etc.

Also I watched a flock of about 20 robins flying over our Wolfville  
yard and toward the west.

In Wolfville Harbour an hour after high tide, I saw 7 semipalmated  
plovers with 2 semipalmated sandpipers on rocks near the wharf.  But  
there were no large shorebirds along the RR tracks, probably because  
they were flushed from there by a class of Acadia Biology students.

OCTOBER 3, 2012 - Wolfville Harbour, 2.5 hours before high tide  
(incoming water covering up the last exposed areas of mud, so feeding  
period ending): about 15 greater yellowlegs, 2 least sandpipers, 4  
semipalmated plovers, 4 ring-billed gulls, 1 great black-backed gull,  
and a few black ducks plus mallards.

My feeders in Wolfville in evening: 1 chipmunk again, 1 female  
cardinal, 1 juvenile cardinal, 5 white-throated sparrows again, still  
one brown-plumaged purple finch, etc.

OCTOBER 4, 2012 - I visited Wolfville Harbour at 10:30 a.m. at low  
tide.  No godwit was seen -- just 4 greater yellowlegs plus the other  
harbour regulars (ducks & gulls & pigeons).

Back to Wolfville Harbour at 1:30 p.m., as most of the mud was  
covered up by the incoming tide.  Again no godwit, but there were 15  
greater yellowlegs, 2 dunlins, about 10 semipalmated plovers, 5  
semipalmated sandpipers, and 1 least sandpiper.

Among the ducks, mostly black ducks, I watched what appeared to be a  
paired-up female black duck aggressively chase away an unattached  
male mallard.  This doesn't really fit with the "conventional  
wisdom?" that says, when it comes to sexual choices among mallards  
and black ducks (which pretty freely interbreed and probably deserve  
to be lumped into a single species), females of both types  
statistically prefer something about the appearance and/or behaviour  
of the male mallard over the male black duck.  Of course, statistical  
preferences would have lots of exceptions and calculated averages  
with confidence limits.  Thus one case does not break a "rule".

Judy Tufts agrees that recently she has not seen the marbled godwit,  
and she doesn't know of any recent sightings.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.
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<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"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b>OCTOBER 2, =
2012</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" =
style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5"> - At my feeders today, =
besides lots of fresh </font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b>digging</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: =
#001cd5"> in the soil by</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b> raccoons?</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: =
#001cd5"> at night (over past 3 nights), there were a </font><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>chipmunk</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">, =
a</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b> =
red-breasted nuthatch</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5"> (I've =
gone a long time without seeing one), a male </font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b>cardinal</b></font><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; =
color: #001cd5">, again a female or imm. </font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b>purple finch</b></font><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; =
color: #001cd5">, 3 </font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: =
13.0px Arial"><b>song sparrows</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">, a =
</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>mourning dove</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">, =
</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>blue jays</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">, 2 =
</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>goldfinches</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">, =
no</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b> white-throated sparrows</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: =
#001cd5"> (migrated? after a short stop), etc.</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; color: =
rgb(0, 28, 213); min-height: 15px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; =
color: #001cd5">Also I watched a flock of about 20 </font><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>robins</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5"> flying =
over our Wolfville yard and toward the west.</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 13px/normal Arial; color: =
rgb(0, 28, 213); min-height: 15px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; =
color: #001cd5">In Wolfville Harbour an hour after high tide, I saw =
7</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b> =
semipalmated plovers </b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">with =
2</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b> =
semipalmated sandpipers</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5"> on rocks =
near the wharf.&nbsp; But there were no large shorebirds along the RR =
tracks, probably because they were flushed from there by a class of =
Acadia Biology students.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 13px/normal Arial; color: rgb(0, 28, 213); min-height: =
15px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b>OCTOBER 3, 2012</b></font><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; =
color: #001cd5"> - </font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: =
13.0px Arial"><b>Wolfville Harbour</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: =
#001cd5">, 2.5 hours before high tide (incoming water covering up the =
last exposed areas of mud, so feeding period ending): about =
15</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b> greater yellowlegs</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">, =
2</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b> =
least sandpipers</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">, =
4</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b> =
semipalmated plovers</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">, =
4</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b> =
ring-billed gulls</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">, 1 =
</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>great black-backed gull</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: =
#001cd5">, and a few </font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font:=
 13.0px Arial"><b>black ducks</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5"> plus =
</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>mallards</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: =
#001cd5">.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
13px/normal Arial; color: rgb(0, 28, 213); min-height: 15px; =
"><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: =
#001cd5">My</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b> feeders in Wolfville</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5"> in =
evening: 1 </font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>chipmunk</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5"> again, 1 =
female </font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>cardinal</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">, 1 =
juvenile </font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>cardinal</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">, 5 =
</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>white-throated sparrows</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: =
#001cd5"> again, still one brown-plumaged </font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b>purple finch</b></font><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; =
color: #001cd5">, etc.&nbsp;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 13px/normal Arial; color: rgb(0, 28, 213); min-height: =
15px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b>OCTOBER 4, 2012</b></font><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; =
color: #001cd5"> - I visited</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b> Wolfville Harbour</b></font><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; =
color: #001cd5"> at 10:30 a.m. at low tide.&nbsp; No godwit was seen -- =
just 4</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b> greater yellowlegs</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5"> plus the =
other harbour regulars (ducks &amp; gulls &amp; =
pigeons).</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
13px/normal Arial; color: rgb(0, 28, 213); min-height: 15px; =
"><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">Back to =
</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>Wolfville Harbour</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5"> at 1:30 =
p.m., as most of the mud was covered up by the incoming tide.&nbsp; =
Again no godwit, but there were 15 </font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b>greater yellowlegs</b></font><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; =
color: #001cd5">, 2 </font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: =
13.0px Arial"><b>dunlins</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">, about =
10 </font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>semipalmated plovers</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">, 5 =
</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b>semipalmated sandpipers</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: =
#001cd5">, and 1</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: =
13.0px Arial"><b> least sandpiper</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: =
#001cd5">. &nbsp;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 13px/normal Arial; color: rgb(0, 28, 213); min-height: =
15px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5">Among the =
ducks, mostly black ducks, I watched what appeared to be a paired-up =
female</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px =
Arial"><b> black duck</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5"> =
aggressively chase away an unattached male </font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b>mallard</b></font><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; =
color: #001cd5">.&nbsp; This doesn't really fit with the "conventional =
wisdom?" that says, when it comes to </font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b>sexual =
choices</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" =
style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5"> among mallards and black =
ducks (which pretty freely interbreed and probably deserve to be lumped =
into a single species), females of both types </font><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b>statistically =
prefer</b></font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" =
style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #001cd5"> something about the =
appearance and/or behaviour of the male mallard over the male black =
duck.&nbsp; Of course, statistical preferences would have lots of =
exceptions and calculated averages with confidence limits.&nbsp; Thus =
one case does not break a "rule".</font></div><div><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" color=3D"#001cd5" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: =
#001cd5"><br></font></div><div><font class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
color=3D"#001CD5" face=3D"Arial" size=3D"3"><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 13px;"><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#0a28ce" =
style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: #0a28ce">Judy Tufts agrees that =
recently she has not seen the</font><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial"><b> marbled godwit</b></font><font =
face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" color=3D"#0a28ce" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; =
color: #0a28ce">, and she doesn't know of any recent =
sightings.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"4" =
color=3D"#0a28ce" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: =
#0a28ce"><br></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Arial" =
size=3D"4" color=3D"#0a28ce" style=3D"font: 13.0px Arial; color: =
#0a28ce">Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.</font></div></span></font></div>
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