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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">(Apologies for the late posting.  I found this stuck in my "drafts" folder.)<br/></span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">On Labour Day Monday afternoon (5 Sept.)  Susann Meyers and I travelled down the eastern shore, as she surveyed shorebirds during a falling tide at  Rocky Run, Shorebird Cove (near Three Fathom Harbour), and the West Chezzetcook Marsh.  The day was sunny, warm, clear, not at all humid, and with light breezes to keep away biting insects - perfect survey conditions, enhanced by the buzzy sounds of crickets and other grassland insects, and the low chuckling notes of the sandpipers.</span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I don't have all of Susann's numbers for the day, but among the thousands of Semipalmated Sandpipers on the exposed mudflats at West Chezzetcook, there were also <span style="font-size: 12pt;">White-rumped Sandpipers, </span>Semipalmated Plovers, 9 Black-bellied Plovers, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitchers, and a couple of Willets.  There were dozens of Great Blue Herons and 140 Green-winged Teal.  Noteworthy shorebirds included a small number of Red Knot, and a juvenile Stilt Sandpiper<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span>.  </span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Shorebird Cove held a smaller number of birds and less variety, but hosted the only <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ruddy Turnstone</span> of the day.<br/></span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">We were amused at Rocky Run to watch a juvenile Merlin chase a Crow, which then turned around and chased the Merlin.  The two took turns, and it looked for all the world like play, although perhaps it was just a brash young raptor learning what was "chaseable".<br/></span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">The most memorable sight was in West Chezzetcook.  While Susann was looking through her scope, I heard the raspy croaking calls of Great Blue Herons.  I turned to see two of the big birds in flight, legs dangling and looking ungainly and off-balance, as they were chased by a juvenile Peregrine Falcon.   The herons protested raucously and flailed about as they were repeatedly dive-bombed.  Eventually the Falcon veered off (bored, perhaps?) and the herons regained their composure and glided on over the marsh. </span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Susann and I both thought it was one of the most amazing sights we have ever seen.</span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Patricia L. Chalmers<br/></span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Halifax<br/></span>
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