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<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">john belbin <<a href="mailto:jbelbin@ns.sympatico.ca">jbelbin@ns.sympatico.ca</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">April 15, 2009 5:32:43 PM ADT</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">NatureNS <<a href="mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>[NatureNS] Horned Grebes etc</b></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" color="#000000" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Reply-To: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a href="mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><div><font size="2" face="Arial">I had to spend a few hours in Middleton at the science fair, so as soon as possible I paid a visit to Port George and the Margaretville area.</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">The conditions at 2pm were ideal: high tide - sunny skies - dead calm - warm. That's the first time I could say that this year!</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial"> </font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">PORT GEORGE</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">2 adult Horned Grebes were feeding close to shore in full breeding plumage. Those orange-red necks and striking yellow head patches were amazing when you are only used to seeing them in winter drab colours.</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">A little further along a Red-necked Grebe tried to haul itself out of the water onto a rock. What a performance! Lots of slipping and sliding and wing flapping and chin banging before the deed was done. You could almost hear it cursing!</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial"></font> </div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">There were a total of 10 Harlequin Ducks, all in male-female pairs and widely separated.</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">2 Long-tailed Ducks surprised me, I would have thought that they would be long gone by now.</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">A single Red-Breasted Merganser male glowed in the sun and showed off his hairdo.</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">A lone Purple Sandpiper stood absolutely still on a rock and gazed at the water like an Uppity Canadian tourist. Other sightings:-</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">33 Surf Scoters</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">29 Common Eider</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">3 White Winged Scoters</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">8 Common Loons</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">3 Red Throated Loons</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial"></font> </div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">MARGARETVILLE D.U. POND</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">2 Hooded Mergansers</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">2 Ring Necked Ducks</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">1 Wood Duck</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">1 Northern Flicker</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">Lots of soft frog calls</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial"></font> </div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">MARGARETVILLE</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">14 Black Scoter, half of them sleeping</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">2 Surf Scoters</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">5 White Winged Scoters</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">17 Common Eiders</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial"></font> </div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">It was a great day for comparing close relatives under ideal conditions - lets hope we get more of them.</font></div><div><font size="2" face="Arial">John Belbin</font></div></span></blockquote></div><br></body></html>