[NatureNS] Results of 35TH CYRIL K. COLDWELL EAGLES/RAPTORS COUNT, Feb. 7/16

From: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 08 Feb 2016 16:36:57 -0400
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   From: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
> Subject: Results of 35TH CYRIL K. COLDWELL EAGLES/RAPTORS COUNT, Feb. =
7/16
> Date: February 8, 2016 at 4:33:49 PM AST
> Cc: Doug Linzey <doug@fundymud.com>
>=20
> FEBRUARY 7, 2016 (SUNDAY) =97 35TH CYRIL K. COLDWELL EAGLES/RAPTORS =
COUNT OF EASTERN KING=92S COUNTY:=20
>=20
> Dumb luck was a good provider this morning regarding weather.  Snow =
flurries and even a blizzard changed abruptly by stopping at 10 a.m. or =
a bit later, and the sky cleared and bright sun appeared to provide =
excellent visibility.  We had 18 field parties totalling 33 people, who =
spread out for just one hour to designated areas within our Christmas =
Count Circle area (Kentville to Avonport and Black River Lake to Scots=92 =
Bay).  We all identified and counted all birds of prey seen and also =
kept track of other sightings of interest of all critters of general =
interest.
>=20
> First the BALD EAGLES: Last year=92s count at the same time of year we =
found 555 to 575 (the hedging here was from 20 eagles that might have =
gotten double-counted).  Both totals are near record highs, but this =
year=92s total of 380 is close to our long-term recent average.  Adults =
made up 60.5% of the total, vs. 39.5% for the immatures.
>=20
> WHERE were the eagles?  Quite a few different places:=20
>=20
> - 51 in the Avonport area;
> - 41 west from Canning, including main feeding site (where eagles =
showed little hunger);
> - 40 south & east of Grand Pre Hist. Park;
> - 38 east & north of Port Williams (between Cornwallis & Canard =
Rivers);=20
> - 36 north and west of Grand Pre Hist. Park;
> - 36 at White Rock, Gordon Young=92s chicken farm **, just south of =
Gaspereau River;
> - 24 in Cornwallis River Valley (Kentville to Wolfville);=20
> - 24 north and east of Grand Pre Hist. Park;
> - 23 in Gaspereau River Valley (White Rock to Avonport).
>=20
> ** Bernard Forsythe called Gordon the night before the count and =
arranged for an offering of chicken carrion, which the eagles quickly =
found this morning.=20
>=20
> OTHER BIRDS OF PREY: =20
>=20
> - 50 red-tailed hawks;
> - 1 rough-legged hawk;
> - 2 northern harriers;=20
> - 1 sharp-shinned hawk;
> - 1 or 2 unidentified hawks were reported;
> - 1 barred owl (as usual, seen at dusk by Bernard Forsythe at his =
feeding tray behind his house 	along Wolfville Ridge).
>=20
> - one other report is just hypothetical and unlikely?: Peter =
Austin-Smith talked with someone who was walking on Wolfville =
dykes/dykelands and claimed to have seen a snowy owl?? (no details nor =
photo etc.).
>=20
> OTHER WILDLIFE OF INTEREST:
>=20
> - 250 Canada geese;
> - 150 mallards & black ducks in Cornwallis River;
> - 40 mallards & 20 black ducks in Gaspereau River;
> - 1 common merganser at Lumsden Reservoir;
> - 40 ravens noted by one observer, and 75++ crows (a murder) noted by =
2 groups;
> - a few flocks of snow buntings (2 observer groups) & horned larks.
>=20
> [Last year Jamie Gibson found numbers of coyotes at northeast Grand =
Pre, but Jamie was absent this year and nobody reported coyotes.]
>=20
> OBSERVERS:=20
>=20
> George Alliston, Peter Austin-Smith Jr., Charlane Bishop-Boates, =
Sherman Boates, Soren Bondrup-Nielsen, John Brazner, James Churchill, =
Lana Churchill, Peggy Crawford, George Forsyth, Harold Forsyth, Bernard =
Forsythe, Glenys Gibson, Gerry Hardy, Pat Hawes, Tom Herman, Angus =
MacLean, Debbie Mander, Mark Mander, Sheila McCurdy, Terry Murphy, Mike =
O=92Brien, Ian Paterson, Meg Raven, Stan Riggs, Pia Skaarer-Nielsen, =
Richard Stern, Rick Whitman, Hannah Williams, Kent Williams, Olivia =
Williams, Sherman Williams, Jim Wolford.
>=20
> THANKS AGAIN TO ALL PARTICIPANTS, AND, UNLESS I HEAR COMMENTS FROM =
SOME OF YOU TO THE CONTRARY, WE ARE DONE FOR ANOTHER YEAR!


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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;">&nbsp; =
&nbsp;<b>From: </b>Jim Wolford &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>&gt;<br><=
div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span =
style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Subject: =
</b></span><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica';"><b>Results of 35TH =
CYRIL K. COLDWELL EAGLES/RAPTORS COUNT, Feb. =
7/16</b><br></span></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span =
style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Date: =
</b></span><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica';">February 8, 2016 at =
4:33:49 PM AST</span></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px;"><span =
style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica'; color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 1.0);"><b>Cc: =
</b></span><span style=3D"font-family:'Helvetica';">Doug Linzey &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:doug@fundymud.com">doug@fundymud.com</a>&gt;<br></span></di=
v><br><div><meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html =
charset=3Dwindows-1252"><div style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; =
-webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;"><div =
style=3D"margin: 0px;"><b>FEBRUARY 7, 2016 (SUNDAY) =97 35TH CYRIL K. =
COLDWELL EAGLES/RAPTORS COUNT OF EASTERN KING=92S =
COUNTY:&nbsp;</b></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;"><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin: 0px;">Dumb luck was a good provider this morning =
regarding weather.&nbsp; Snow flurries and even a blizzard changed =
abruptly by stopping at 10 a.m. or a bit later, and the sky cleared and =
bright sun appeared to provide excellent visibility.&nbsp; We had 18 =
field parties totalling 33 people, who spread out for just one hour to =
designated areas within our Christmas Count Circle area (Kentville to =
Avonport and Black River Lake to Scots=92 Bay).&nbsp; We all identified =
and counted all birds of prey seen and also kept track of other =
sightings of interest of all critters of general interest.</div><div =
style=3D"margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br></div><div style=3D"margin: =
0px;"><b>First the BALD EAGLES: </b>