<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; "><b>APR. 26, 2009 - NSBS/BNS FIELD TRIP, WOLFVILLE AREA BIRDS ETC.</b>, led by me and attended by 32 people including lots of familiar and welcome faces. Very nice warm day, with light to moderate winds and alternate bright overcast vs. Sunny skies, temperatures up to 19 C. as measured by my car.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">At the Wolfville Wharf area, besides the rock pigeons and an Iceland or glaucous gull, there were 3 <b>GREATER YELLOWLEGS</b> (and one more was seen later in Canning by James Hirtle et al.).</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">Our first caravan stop was on Starr's Point, at a <b>RED-TAILED HAWK NEST</b> in a woodlot adjacent to a house. There was no hawk on the nest, but the house occupant told us it was active again this year.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">Then to Van Nostrand's Ponds, also on Starr's Point, where we did the usual slow walk around the two ponds, finding lots of stuff of interest and not just birds! In the newer Ducks Unlimited pond, there were 2 male <b>RING-NECKED DUCKS</b>. Other birds were 2 <b>TREE SWALLOWS</b>, several male <b>YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS</b>, a <b>PALM WARBLER</b> was heard by Pat Chalmers and a <b>SWAMP SPARROW</b> too, an early female <b>RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD</b>, and a <b>FEMALE DOWNY WOODPECKER</b> was seen <b>DRUMMING</b> (is this normal for downies?).</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">Mammals seen were a <b>MUSKRAT</b> and a <b>PORCUPINE</b>, the latter sleeping? up in a larch tree.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">One small pond had a school of probable <b>BANDED KILLIFISH</b> that were disturbing the surface in the shallows as they were startled by us.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">Herptiles (now known as herpes, courtesy of Don MacNeill), included calling<b> LEOPARD FROGS</b> and <b>SPRING PEEPERS</b>, and sightings of either <b>GREEN or BULL FROGS</b> (just their heads, and seasonally too early for them to be calling). Also a <b>PAINTED TURTLE</b> was seen basking (and later some more were seen in Canning and elsewhere).</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; "><b>PLANTS IN BLOOM</b> included <b>COLTSFOOT</b>, <b>TREMBLING ASPEN</b>, <b>RED MAPLE</b>, <b>AMERICAN ELM</b> (an apparently healthy large tree was a rare sight), <b>SPECKLED ALDER</b>, and unidentified <b>WILLOW</b> species. The male willow bushes were attracting and humming with oodles of <b>HONEY BEES</b>, which were clearly gathering pollen on their hind legs, and a <b>MOURNING CLOAK BUTTERFLY</b> that gave the appearance of not only basking with open wings but also feeding on the willow flowers -- thus the latter must produce nectar in addition to the pollen? Another butterfly seen was a <b>CABBAGE WHITE</b>, which several people were trying unsuccessfully to turn into a <b>MUSTARD WHITE</b>. </font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">Next stop was northwest of Wellington Dyke (Canard Valley), at the Canard Rd. <b>BALD EAGLE NEST</b>. I'm pretty sure they have tiny downy eaglets now, but we would have had to be very patient with good scopes to see them. We did see both adult eagles, and 1-2 red-tailed hawks nearby.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">Just east of Jawbone Corner (flashing light on Hwy. 358), we stopped at the home of Helen & Fred Archibald for a pit-stop and a bit of lunch. Another pair of <b>DOWNY WOODPECKERS</b> was there, plus a flock of <b>HOUSE SPARROWS</b>, etc.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">Then to Canard Pond, where we saw relatively very little, perhaps because a couple of people were walking along the pond bank when we arrived. There were a male <b>GADWALL</b>, 1 or 2 <b>N. PINTAILS</b> flying over, 2 female <b>COMMON MERGANSERS</b>, 2 <b>MALLARDS</b>, a few <b>GREEN-WINGED TEALS,</b> a bunch of the usual gulls plus an imm. <b>ICELAND GULL</b>, a well-seen <b>SWAMP SPARROW</b>.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">Along Fred Thomas Road we couldn't spot a <b>LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL</b> in a large flock of herring and great black-backed gulls. But a <b>GROUNDHOG/WOODCHUCK </b>was found at a burrow along the road.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">Then we drove to Canning, stopping first at the Canning Aboiteau (Habitant River) at high tide: 10 <b>CANADA GEESE</b> and about 5 <b>GREEN-WINGED TEALS</b>.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">Our last formal stop was in Canning at Harris' Pond, just nw. of the United Church: 2 <b>AMERICAN WIGEONS</b> (alias BALDPATES), 2 female <b>C. MERGANSERS</b>, a small number of SWALLOWS, including at least one each of <b>BARN and TREE SWALLOWS</b>, 1 <b>YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER</b>, and a couple of <b>PAINTED TURTLES</b>.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">And, to finish off this trip, there was a roosting <b>RACCOON</b> that was not sleeping, up in a sugar maple?,<b> AND a GRAY SQUIRREL!! </b> (probably one of the three that occasionally visit Merritt Gibson's property nearby). Thus some of us will remember this year's excursion as the one with several mammal species seen.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">I disbanded the field trip there in mid-afternoon, but then later checked a few other spots.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">Port Williams sewage ponds: only a m,f pr of <b>RING-NECKED DUCKS</b>.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">"Kidston's Pond" (upper Church St.): 6 male <b>RING-NECKED DUCKS</b> and 2 male <b>GREEN-WINGED TEALS</b>.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; min-height: 16px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Arial" size="4" style="font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Arial; ">New Minas Ducks Unlimited Pond (next to Cornwallis River): on the island I could see a single <b>CANADA GOOSE</b>, and this might signal the presence of an unseen mate on a <b>NEST?</b> </font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="4"><br></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Arial" size="4"><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Cheers from Jim in Wolfville</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Jim (James W.) Wolford</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">91 Wickwire Ave.</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">B4P 1W3</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">phone 902-542-9204</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">e-mail <<a href="mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; ">"In wildness is the preservation of the world" -- Henry David Thoreau</font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" face="Helvetica" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br></span></font></div></font></div></div>
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