[NatureNS] hovering raptor in Wolfville,

From: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 20:40:31 -0400
References: <2B22971A-D2C7-4947-8BF0-7ABE7A9F5E65@ns.sympatico.ca>
To: naturens <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
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The note below reminds me about my recent return (from BC) to Wolfville =97=
 when I parked in mid-afternoon in Wolfville, there was a very cold & stron=
g wind blowing out of the west, and out on the dykeland (locally called =93=
the dykes=94) was a hovering bird of prey who was using that wind as a tool=
 for very easy hovering =97 this was not a rough-legged hawk, nor a kestrel=
 of any species, but was of course one of our very common/abundant winterin=
g red-tailed hawk.  I watched it hover for perhaps two minutes or more, the=
n it plummeted downward and struck the ground with considerable force.  I=
=92m sure a lot of you have seen such behaviour, which is very common here =
in The Valley on the dyked flatlands.  From its behaviour on the ground, it=
 did catch something and took a few minutes to deal with it, and then took =
wing again to continue its hovering behaviour, which is not very different =
in a strong wind from hunting from a perch on a fence post or power pole or=
 tree or bush or whatever.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.

P.S. I recall many years ago the Eurasian Kestrel that was at Minudie?, N.S=
.?, bordering on Fundy, and driving up there with many others only to get a=
n extremely distant view of an undeterminable kind of falcon being being pu=
shed around the dykelands there by several people with long lenses.  I hope=
 someone in the group got something to show for that =97 nowadays, of cours=
e, all of us would quickly find out such info=92 and see some of the photo-=
results and learn the key field marks etc.  THANKS and kudos to those of yo=
u on this list who keep providing such to all of us field and arm-chair bir=
ders!!

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "'C. Davis' nuthatch@ns.sympatico.ca [NS-RBA]" <NS-RBA-noreply@yaho=
ogroups.com>
> Subject: Re: [NS-RBA] FWD: Further Eurasian Kestrel Updates - 29 Dec 2014
> Date: December 29, 2014 at 3:17:47 PM AST
> To: bmaybank@gmail.com
> Cc: NS-RBA@yahoogroups.com
> Reply-To: "C. Davis" <nuthatch@ns.sympatico.ca>
>=20
> Hello,
>=20
>=20
> A small group of us finally got to see the Kestrel in around 2:00 at the =
Caldwell / Shore Road location, where it put on a pretty good show. Not onl=
y did we watch it hunt and hover, but it also landed and preened in one of =
the spruce trees in the field.=20
>=20
> Cheryl Davis
> Dartmouth, NS
>=20
>=20
>> On Dec 29, 2014, at 3:03 PM, bmaybank@gmail.com [NS-RBA] <NS-RBA-noreply=
@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>>=20
>> 29 Dec 2014
>>=20
>> The Eurasian Kestrel was seen by many birders near the corner of Caldwel=
l Road and Shore Road at 12:00 and then shortly after 13:00 today.  It was =
also seen on the golf course between those times. There was word that  it w=
as also seen at the corner at first light (07:30).=20
>>=20
>> There is a small crushed rock parking area near this corner (on the wate=
r side) where birders had gathered and the bird was hunting in the field be=
low the ridge that you see if you look northeast from the lot.=20
>>=20
>> It's hard to tell if one's luck is increased by chasing the bird or by s=
taking it out - certainly those who had staked out that corner had very goo=
d views.  Thermal gear is recommended if that's your strategy.
>>=20
>> There was a journalist present at the corner taping footage this morning=
 and he said that they would be running a story on the Global 6:00 o'clock =
news.=20
>>=20
>> Best of luck!
>>=20
>> Lynn Karchewski
>>=20
>> Forwarded by Blake Maybank
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>>=20
>=20
>=20
> __._,_.___
> Posted by: "C. Davis" <nuthatch@ns.sympatico.ca>
> Reply via web post	=95	Reply to sender	=95	Reply to group	=95	Start a New=
 Topic	=95	Messages in this topic (2)
> VISIT YOUR GROUP New Members 1
> =95 Privacy =95 Unsubscribe =95 Terms of Use
>=20
> .
>=20=20
>=20
> __,_._,___


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<html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html charset=
=3Dwindows-1252"></head><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-=
mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;">The note below reminds=
 me about my recent return (from BC) to Wolfville =97 when I parked in mid-=
afternoon in Wolfville, there was a very cold &amp; strong wind blowing out=
 of the west, and out on the dykeland (locally called =93the dykes=94) was =
a hovering bird of prey who was using that wind as a tool for very easy hov=
ering =97 this was not a rough-legged hawk, nor a kestrel of any species, b=
ut was of course one of our very common/abundant wintering red-tailed hawk.=
 &nbsp;I watched it hover for perhaps two minutes or more, then it plummete=
d downward and struck the ground with considerable force. &nbsp;I=92m sure =
a lot of you have seen such behaviour, which is very common here in The Val=
ley on the dyked flatlands. &nbsp;From its behaviour on the ground, it did =
catch something and took a few minutes to deal with it, and then took wing =
again to continue its hovering behaviour, which is not very different in a =
strong wind from hunting from a perch on a fence post or power pole or tree=
 or bush or whatever.<div><br></div><div>Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.</div=
><div><br></div><div>P.S. I recall many years ago the Eurasian Kestrel that=
 was at Minudie?, N.S.?, bordering on Fundy, and driving up there with many=
 others only to get an extremely distant view of an undeterminable kind of =
falcon being being pushed around the dykelands there by several people with=
 long lenses. &nbsp;I hope someone in the group got something to show for t=
hat =97 nowadays, of course, all of us would quickly find out such info=92 =
and see some of the photo-results and learn the key field marks etc. &nbsp;=
THANKS and kudos to those of you on this list who keep providing such to al=
l of us field and arm-chair birders!!<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded mess=
age:</div><br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"=
><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; marg=
in-left: 0px;"><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, =
1.0);"><b>From: </b></span><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica';">"'C. Da=
vis' <a href=3D"mailto:nuthatch@ns.sympatico.ca">nuthatch@ns.sympatico.ca</=
a> [NS-RBA]" &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:NS-RBA-noreply@yahoogroups.com">NS-RBA-n=
oreply@yahoogroups.com</a>&gt;<br></span></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0p=
x; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: