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<div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>MAR. 21, 2010</b> - Sunny again but much cooler than yesterday. In our yard I saw my first <b>AM. ROBIN </b>of this Spring. Then in late afternoon Pat & I saw a flock of about 20+<b> robins </b>near White Rock.</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: 12.0px Helvetica">Lots of blooming <b>coltsfoot</b> flower-heads on bank along Skyway Drive 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: 12.0px Helvetica">At my feeders the m,f pair of <b>cardinals</b> were present briefly; but I haven't been hearing the singing male, so their nesting territory must be some distance away. Singing males have been heard along Acadia Street and southeast of Jean Timpa's house on Gaspereau Ave. lately.</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: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>MAR. 22, 2010</b> - In my Wolfville neighborhood I saw 2 separate <b>crows</b> (but prob. a mated pair?) <b>carrying sticks</b>.</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: 12.0px Helvetica">The Habitant River in Canning, upstream from the Aboiteau, had 30++ <b>Canada geese</b>. </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: 12.0px Helvetica">In a pond along Canard Rd. in lower Canard was a m,f pair of <b>hooded mergansers</b>.</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: 12.0px Helvetica">Van Nostrand's Pond at Starr's Point still has 4 <b>ring-necked ducks </b>(a m,f pair + 2 males).</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: 12.0px Helvetica">Near the intersection of Starr's Point Rd. & Magee Rd., east of Port Williams, an adult <b>red-tailed hawk </b>was perched not far from the woodlot <b>nest </b>close to the farmhouse<b>,</b> but apparently no hawk was on the nest.</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: 12.0px Helvetica">I checked the <b>raven nest </b>along <b>Belcher St.</b>, west of Port Williams 2.7 km. from Hwy. 358 (reported earlier by Richard Stern), and with a scope I could see the adult raven on/in the nest. </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: 12.0px Helvetica">Later today I was walking past the <b>Acadia Arena</b> in Wolfville and looked again for the <b>raven nest </b>that I couldn't find a few days ago. Lo and Behold, guess what?! Somehow either it was present all along, or it has been hurriedly rebuilt in exactly the same spot where it has produced big broods in 2008 and 2009! I need to go back with a scope to check for occupancy now (I haven't been seeing or hearing the ravens there lately). (See below for Bernard Forsythe's comments.)</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br></span></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">I saw a single <b>c. grackle</b> in Greenwich, and then later saw a flock of 12 along Main St. 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: 12.0px Helvetica">At the<b> Tannery Pond</b> above and upstream from Hennigar's Farm Market pond, <b>willow "pussies" </b>were conspicuous, and a small<b> beaver dam</b> at the pond's outlet has raised the water level a bit.</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: 12.0px Helvetica">In Wolfville this morning, Carol Vander Kloet was entertained by <b>3 n. flickers</b> on the ground behaving in Springtime fashion, i.e. with <b>courtship and mating antics</b>.</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: 12.0px Helvetica">Along Wolfville's Cherry Lane I heard a <b>mourning dove singing</b>, and Mary Sue Goulding reports seeing both<b> cardinals</b> and <b>red-winged blackbirds</b> there today.</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: 12.0px Helvetica">Along Balcom Ave. in Wolfville (northward extension of Westwood Ave.), <b>silver maple has female flowers open</b>.</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: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>MAR. 24, 2010</b> - Bernard Forsythe called to report that he had just discovered the first <b>egg</b> in the <b>barred owl nest-box</b> in his back yard on Wolfville Ridge, just south of Wolfville. This is exciting for two reasons: first, the last year that young were produced from that nest-box was 2007; in 2008 there were eggs that didn't hatch, and in 2009 there were no eggs at all. The second reason is that, if the owls hatch their clutch as usually happens, then my/our April 25 NSBS/BNS field trip may be able to go to BLF's yard right after we meet in Wolfville. In the past we have seen the two parent owls there plus any hatched youngsters. </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: 12.0px Helvetica">Bernard also reported three other things: he first <b>heard spring peepers</b> this Spring on <b>March 17 </b>(Wolfville Ridge); he has one or more <b>displaying woodcocks </b>every year, and the first date this year for hearing one was <b>March 22 </b>(Wolfville Ridge); and that <b>raven nest </b>just north of the Acadia Arena was just as I had observed (I'm not nuts), i.e. earlier this Spring he found the big pile of fallen <b>sticks at the base of the nest-tree</b>, and just recently they have <b>rebuilt the nest </b>very quickly in the same spot high in a planted Norway? pine -- it looks just as large and well-built as in previous years. Bernard also told me he saw a <b>raven carrying a twig</b> or branch to some spruces in his yard just a few days ago.</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: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>MAR 25, 2010</b> - Today I checked the <b>raven nest </b>mentioned above, and I could not see an adult on the nest, BUT one adult raven was conspicuously calling and flying about nearby and over the nest while I investigated it.</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: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>Today's Acadia Biology weekly Seminar </b>was fabulous for me, and I owe everyone an apology for not advertising several days ago. Somehow I missed the announcement, but on Thursday mornings I am programmed to go to the new Biology building for the 11:30 a.m. seminars.</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: 12.0px Helvetica">The seminar was was <b>on biodiversity of herbivorous insects and their parasitoids (predatory wasps) on two species of goldenrods, by Steve Heard</b>, Head of Biology at University of New Brunswick. His formal seminar title was: "The Evolution of Specialization in a Plant-Insect Community: Bugs, Goldenrods, and Earth's Amazing Biodiversity".</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: 12.0px Helvetica">"Stella's Pond" along Cornwallis River on M. Dyke Rd. held 2 m,f prs of <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 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: 12.0px Helvetica">Canard Pond still held Andy Dean's m,f pr of <b>n. shovelers</b>.</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: 12.0px Helvetica">Port Williams sewage ponds: only 2 m <b>mallards</b> and 2 male <b>red-winged blackbirds </b>showing off their gorgeous epaulets of red/yellow (I couldn't hear their songs but I'm sure they were singing).</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 class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><b><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>MAR. 26, 2010</b> - Yesterday and today we had <b>weather setbacks</b> to contrast with the warm and dry weather earlier in March. This morning was cold and windy (near zero C. with <b>blowing snow and cold rain</b>. I'm very glad I'm not a mated adult female bald eagle who has to sit for hours and hours in an open nest to protect and incubate her eggs!</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br></span></div></b></span></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">Near the Acadia Univ. campus I saw <b>2 Am. robins </b>that were separate but not very far apart on a residential street -- no doubt recent arrivals in town, but from where?</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Cheers from Jim in Wolfville</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> </body></html>