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--Apple-Mail=_0F8CB006-F205-4F7D-88BA-E36BFB148EBB Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 JIM=92S 2018 JOURNAL JANUARY 27, 2018 (SAT.) =97 EAGLE WATCH DAY ONE AT SHEFFIELD MILLS, = KING=92S COUNTY. This year=92s EAGLE WATCH dates are, as usual, two weekends, Jan. 27 & = 28 plus Feb. 3 & 4. Thus today was the first day, and weather = conditions plus the bald eagles combined to deliver a great turn-out of = both humans and raptors. =20 Temperatures were quite cold at -6 to -8 C., but wind from the southwest = was light compared with the strong wind-chills we have had this winter. = Snow on the ground is very little, and destined to disappear overnight = and the next day. The morning was partly sunny with afternoon overcast. My car trip to the Sheffield Mills Community Hall was between 9:30 and = 10 a.m. Besides just a few eagles on my way, I found a traffic jam of = pulled-over cars and gawkers along Middle Dyke Road just a bit north and = west of Canard Road (hwy. 341). West of the highway there were 60+ bald = eagles, mostly just perched in a mostly leafless woodlot there. The = eagles were quite far from the road, but many people were walking across = the nearly snow-free fields to get within photographic distance of the = birds. I got to the community hall, well west of Canning, at 10 a.m. I was = busy inside there, attending the mounted birds etc. from Acadia = University Biology, and having the pancake & sausage & blueberry-sauce = breakfast, until 12:30 p.m. =20 I drove to the big field at the north end of Middle Dyke Road, and I = joined the throng of other gawkers to enjoy the real show going on there = for about 10 minutes. Later I learned that Malcolm Lake put out chicken = carcasses (from daily mortalities in the commercial poultry barns) = earlier in the day at 8:30 & 10:30 a.m. & again at 12:30 p.m., = apparently shortly before I arrived there. The bald eagles on my arrival consisted of 55+ perched in the trees = lining the edges of the field, and about 10-12 more on the ground or = flying about. Also perched or flying were a couple of red-tailed hawks. = Perched with the eagles or on the ground with them were several ravens = and a few crows. I only saw one gull, a great black-backed. I drove back to the Canard spot where 60 eagles were in the morning, and = nearly all of them had dispersed to unknown locations. Next Sunday, Feb. 4, a bunch of us will attempt our annual count of = eagles and other birds of prey, by sending groups out to designated = areas for just an hour from 10 to 11 a.m., to minimize double counting = of individual birds. Today Jo Bishop told me she has been seeing a very dark buteo hawk in = the Melanson area of the Gaspereau Valley, and she thinks it matches = field-guide descriptions of a Harlan=92s Hawk. Jo is an experienced and = discerning naturalist. Thus we should keep alert in that area for = possible sightings. =97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97 JANUARY 28, 2018 (SUN.) =97 EAGLE WATCH DAY TWO. Overnight and today we had very mild temperatures, +9 to +11 C., and = again the wind from the west was fairly light. Sky was overcast, but = visibility was excellent. My drive to Sheffield Mills was later than yesterday, arriving at the = Community Hall at 11 a.m. On the way I saw about 25 eagles west of = Middle Dyke Road & just north of Canard Road. Then at the big field at = the north end of Middle Dyke Rd. were at least 30 eagles perched in the = trees and another 10-12 eagles flying or soaring over the field. Today = there were 4 great black-backed gulls plus the ravens and crows and a = few red-tailed hawks. Many fewer people showed up today, compared with yesterday, both as = gawkers/photographers and breakfasters/recreators. Thus activities at = the Hall were quite subdued vs. yesterday. Last year the eagles were very uncooperative for the first three Eagle = Watch dates. Only on the second Sunday did large numbers appear and do = some feeding in the big field west of the Hall. Hopefully the weather will provide more wintry conditions for next = weekend=92s events. I visited Saxon Street Pond twice today. At about 2 p.m. there was a = candelabra-like cluster of 8 eagles all perched closely together, = showing again how social our bald eagles are. =97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97 Cheers from Jim in Wolfville. --Apple-Mail=_0F8CB006-F205-4F7D-88BA-E36BFB148EBB Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=windows-1252 <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;"><div = style=3D"margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><b>JIM=92S 2018 = JOURNAL</b></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; text-align: center; = min-height: 14px;"><b></b><br></div><div style=3D"margin: = 0px;"><b>JANUARY 27, 2018 (SAT.) =97 EAGLE WATCH DAY ONE AT SHEFFIELD = MILLS, KING=92S COUNTY.</b></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; min-height: = 14px;"><b></b><br></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;">This year=92s = <b>EAGLE WATCH dates</b> are, as usual, two weekends, Jan. 27 & 28 = plus Feb. 3 & 4. Thus today was the first day, and weather = conditions plus the bald eagles combined to deliver a great turn-out of = both humans and raptors. </div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; = min-height: 14px;"><br></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;">Temperatures = were quite cold at -6 to -8 C., but wind from the southwest was light = compared with the strong wind-chills we have had this winter. Snow = on the ground is very little, and destined to disappear overnight and = the next day. The morning was partly sunny with afternoon = overcast.</div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; min-height: = 14px;"><br></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;">My car trip to the = Sheffield Mills Community Hall was between 9:30 and 10 a.m. = Besides just a few eagles on my way, I found a traffic jam of = pulled-over cars and gawkers along Middle Dyke Road just a bit north and = west of Canard Road (hwy. 341). West of the highway there were 60+ = bald eagles, mostly just perched in a mostly leafless woodlot = there. The eagles were quite far from the road, but many people = were walking across the nearly snow-free fields to get within = photographic distance of the birds.</div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; = min-height: 14px;"><br></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;">I got to the = community hall, well west of Canning, at 10 a.m. I was busy inside = there, attending the mounted birds etc. from Acadia University Biology, = and having the pancake & sausage & blueberry-sauce breakfast, = until 12:30 p.m. </div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; min-height: = 14px;"><br></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;">I drove to the big field at = the north end of Middle Dyke Road, and I joined the throng of other = gawkers to enjoy the real show going on there for about 10 = minutes. Later I learned that Malcolm Lake put out chicken = carcasses (from daily mortalities in the commercial poultry barns) = earlier in the day at 8:30 & 10:30 a.m. & again at 12:30 p.m., = apparently shortly before I arrived there.</div><div style=3D"margin: = 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;">The bald = eagles on my arrival consisted of 55+ perched in the trees lining the = edges of the field, and about 10-12 more on the ground or flying = about. Also perched or flying were a couple of red-tailed = hawks. Perched with the eagles or on the ground with them were = several ravens and a few crows. I only saw one gull, a great = black-backed.</div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; min-height: = 14px;"><br></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;">I drove back to the Canard = spot where 60 eagles were in the morning, and nearly all of them had = dispersed to unknown locations.</div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; = min-height: 14px;"><br></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;">Next Sunday, = Feb. 4, a bunch of us will attempt our annual count of eagles and other = birds of prey, by sending groups out to designated areas for just an = hour from 10 to 11 a.m., to minimize double counting of individual = birds.</div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br></div><div = style=3D"margin: 0px;">Today Jo Bishop told me she has been seeing a = very <b>dark buteo hawk</b> in the Melanson area of the Gaspereau = Valley, and she thinks it matches field-guide descriptions of a = <b>Harlan=92s Hawk</b>. Jo is an experienced and discerning = naturalist. Thus we should keep alert in that area for possible = sightings.</div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;">=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97= =97=97=97=97</div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; min-height: = 14px;"><b></b><br></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;"><b>JANUARY 28, 2018 = (SUN.) =97 EAGLE WATCH DAY TWO.</b></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; = min-height: 14px;"><b></b><br></div><div style=3D"margin: = 0px;">Overnight and today we had very mild temperatures, +9 to +11 C., = and again the wind from the west was fairly light. Sky was = overcast, but visibility was excellent.</div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; = min-height: 14px;"><br></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;">My drive to = Sheffield Mills was later than yesterday, arriving at the Community Hall = at 11 a.m. On the way I saw about 25 eagles west of Middle Dyke = Road & just north of Canard Road. Then at the big field at the = north end of Middle Dyke Rd. were at least 30 eagles perched in the = trees and another 10-12 eagles flying or soaring over the field. = Today there were 4 great black-backed gulls plus the ravens and crows = and a few red-tailed hawks.</div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; min-height: = 14px;"><br></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;">Many fewer people showed up = today, compared with yesterday, both as gawkers/photographers and = breakfasters/recreators. Thus activities at the Hall were quite = subdued vs. yesterday.</div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; min-height: = 14px;"><br></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;">Last year the eagles were = very uncooperative for the first three Eagle Watch dates. Only on = the second Sunday did large numbers appear and do some feeding in the = big field west of the Hall.</div><div style=3D"margin: 0px; min-height: = 14px;"><br></div><div style=3D"margin: 0px;">Hopefully the weather will = provide more wintry conditions for next weekend=92s events.</div><div = style=3D"margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br></div><div style=3D"margin: = 0px;">I visited Saxon Street Pond twice today. At about 2 p.m. = there was a candelabra-like cluster of 8 eagles all perched closely = together, showing again how social our bald eagles are.</div><div = style=3D"margin: 0px;">=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97=97</div><div = style=3D"margin: 0px;">Cheers from Jim in = Wolfville.</div><div><br></div></body></html>= --Apple-Mail=_0F8CB006-F205-4F7D-88BA-E36BFB148EBB--
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