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Updated on Saturday, November 7 at 10:51 AM ET
The most recently received Mail is at the top.


Zebra Dove,©Barry Kent Mackay

07 Nov Dickcissel at Broad Cove, Lun. Co. []
07 Nov Dickcissel at Broad Cove, Lun. Co. []
7 Nov Re: Re: Owl #100 [Randy Lauff ]
07 Nov RE: Re: Owl #100 [Helene Van Doninck ]
7 Nov Sullivan's Pond [Gayle MacLean ]
7 Nov Re: Owl #100 [Randy Lauff ]
06 Nov Halifax West End Pheasant [Brian Bartlett ]
6 Nov Owl #100 [Randy Lauff ]
6 Nov gryfalcon [John Nickerson ]
6 Nov hudsonian godwit [John Nickerson ]
05 Nov Northern Mockingbird, Bedford ["P.L. Chalmers" ]
05 Nov dancing winter crane flies -- identification in Oct. 2000 ["James W. Wolford" ]
5 Nov Rough-leg [Richard Stern ]
05 Nov re Blue Moon New Year's Eve ... ["James W. Wolford" ]
4 Nov BNS 2010 Calendar ["Harold Forsyth" ]
04 Nov RE: wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :) [Helene Van Doninck ]
04 Nov RE: wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :) [Helene Van Doninck ]
04 Nov RE: wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :) [Helene Van Doninck ]
04 Nov Geese in Truro area []
4 Nov RE: wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :) []
4 Nov Re: wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :) ["Laurie Murison" ]
04 Nov Re: spatuletail hummingbird video [Hans Toom ]
4 Nov RE: spatuletail hummingbird video [Lynne Perry ]
04 Nov RE: wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :) [Helene Van Doninck ]
4 Nov spatuletail hummingbird video [Suzanne Townsend ]
04 Nov RE: The ocean will take it away [Helene Van Doninck ]
03 Nov Winter birds in HRM [Bob McDonald ]
3 Nov Re: 3 insect reports + ad' for Quirks & Quarks [Rick Ballard ]
03 Nov 3 insect reports + ad' for Quirks & Quarks ["James W. Wolford" ]
03 Nov Snow Buntings ["David W. Johnston" ]
03 Nov Re: Snow Buntings [Blake Maybank ]
03 Nov Re: New Year's Eve Blue Moon [Sherman Williams ]
03 Nov Re: Snow Buntings [garvin atkinson ]
2 Nov Snow Buntings [Bruce Stevens ]
3 Nov Other Birds [James Hirtle ]
3 Nov Greater Scaup [James Hirtle ]
2 Nov red knots [John Nickerson ]
2 Nov Kingston to Port George and back [Patrick Giffin ]
02 Nov RE: Mystery birdsong ["Laviolette, Lance (EXP)" ]
2 Nov RE: New Year's Eve Blue Moon [Bev Crowell ]
02 Nov Re: Red breasted nuthatches [Marg Millard ]
02 Nov New Year's Eve Blue Moon [Hans Toom ]
2 Nov Re: Red breasted nuthatches []
02 Nov Pink-footed Geese in Maine []
02 Nov Re: Mystery birdsong [Eleanor Lindsay ]
02 Nov Red breasted nuthatches [Eleanor Lindsay ]
01 Nov Fundy Shore birds - Harlequins etc. ["P.L. Chalmers" ]
01 Nov Orioles [Lois Codling ]
1 Nov Fundy Shore birding this afternoon [Richard Stern ]
1 Nov Re: Mystery birdsong [Suzanne Borkowski ]
01 Nov Mystery birdsong [Eleanor Lindsay ]
01 Nov Orioles [Susann Myers ]
31 Oct A few new pics [Richard Stern ]
31 Oct Pictou Co. Harbours Halloween birds [Ken McKenna ]
31 Oct bat at villagedale []
31 Oct shorebirds [John Nickerson ]
31 Oct Yell.-br. Chat W. End Halifax, and weather prospects []
31 Oct Yell.-br. Chat W. End Halifax, and weather prospects []
30 Oct Baltimore Oriole ["David W. Johnston" ]
30 Oct Eric Mills to Lecture on History of Marine Sciences in Atlantic Canada []
30 Oct RE: The ocean will take it away [Ken MacAulay ]
30 Oct Re: lark sparrow ["Roland McCormick" ]
30 Oct Snow Buntings in Morden [Gary Myers ]
30 Oct lark sparrow [John Nickerson ]
30 Oct Re: The ocean will take it away [Gayle MacLean ]
30 Oct Re: Suburban Ring-necked Pheasants -- They're in Pt Pleasant Park, too [Andrew Horn ]
30 Oct N.S. Bird Society Field Trip: Port Hawkesbury; Sat. Nov. 7 [Patrick Kelly ]
30 Oct Nova Scotia Bird Society Field Trip: New Birders' Walk, Halifax [Patrick Kelly ]
30 Oct Re: The ocean will take it away ["Tom & Terri" ]
30 Oct The ocean will take it away ["Tom & Terri" ]
30 Oct Naturalist talk-" Forest Birds of Pictou-Antigonish Highlands"- John Kearney [Ken McKenna ]
29 Oct Snow Buntings, etc. [Brian Dalzell ]
29 Oct RE: re fishing eagles [Fritz McEvoy ]
29 Oct Re: wilson's storm petrel [Kathleen MacAulay ]
29 Oct wilson's storm petrel []
29 Oct re fishing eagles [Fritz McEvoy ]

Subject: Dickcissel at Broad Cove, Lun. Co.
From: sfullert AT dal.ca
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:39:28 -0500
This is a late report due to computer problems. A bright female 
Dickcissel spent the day here on Friday, Nov. 6, but there is no sign 
of it today. Otherwise there are exceptionally few passerines in the 
area.

Sylvia Fullerton
Broad Cove, Lun. Co. 
Subject: Dickcissel at Broad Cove, Lun. Co.
From: sfullert AT dal.ca
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:39:28 -0500
This is a late report due to computer problems. A bright female 
Dickcissel spent the day here on Friday, Nov. 6, but there is no sign 
of it today. Otherwise there are exceptionally few passerines in the 
area.

Sylvia Fullerton
Broad Cove, Lun. Co. 
Subject: Re: Re: Owl #100
From: Randy Lauff <randy.lauff AT gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 12:04:49 -0400
If the mice in my house are a good indication, then the late owls will at
least have prey availability on their side. I don't recall if Deer Mice are
found in the open country, too...but if so, the same argument would apply to
the Kestrels.

My latest records for nest start dates for Saw-whets are 11 and 13 June, so
I check all of my nest boxes at least once after the 13th. This year, there
were no nests found by me or anyone else that I know of that monitors small
owl nest boxes. However, it is possible that next year I may find the
remains of a nest that was started even later than my last check date.

Randy

2009/11/7 Helene Van Doninck 

>  Hi Randy,
>
> This aug we got in a downy headed barred owl and Kestrel...and I mean late
> august. That does worry me a bit for survival of some birds of prey. Hoping
> these were oddballs and not a trend!
>
> Helene
>
>
> Helene Van Doninck DVM
> Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
> RR#1 Brookfield Nova Scotia Canada B0N1C0
> hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca
> www.cwrc.net
> http://cwrcblog.blogspot.com/
> 1-902-893-0253
>
> CWRC 2010 Calendars now for sale, see www.cwrc.net
>
>
> _________________________________
RF Lauff
Way in the boonies of
Antigonish County, NS.
Subject: RE: Re: Owl #100
From: Helene Van Doninck <hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:32:33 -0400
Hi Randy,

This aug we got in a downy headed barred owl and Kestrel...and I mean late
august. That does worry me a bit for survival of some birds of prey. Hoping
these were oddballs and not a trend!

Helene

Helene Van Doninck DVM
Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
RR#1 Brookfield Nova Scotia Canada B0N1C0
hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca
www.cwrc.net
http://cwrcblog.blogspot.com/
1-902-893-0253

CWRC 2010 Calendars now for sale, see www.cwrc.net

  -----Original Message-----
  From: naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca
[mailto:naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of Randy Lauff
  Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 7:47 AM
  To: NatureNS
  Subject: [NatureNS] Re: Owl #100


  Thanks to Jim Wolford for pointing out that I didn't mention the type of
owl. This email was actually supposed to go to a different address, and the
recipient would have known I meant a Northern Saw-whet Owl (though the 100
owls also includes about 10 Boreals). Anyway, the southbound migration seems
about as strong as last year. Other folks monitoring the migration are
seeing a slow start (they're all south of me), but they haven't got their
big wave yet.

  I've caught more Deer Mice in my house this past month (about 6) than in
the last three years. I hope this means there are a lot of mice, not that my
house has suddenly become attractive! If the mice numbers are truly up, then
as long as the winter isn't too hard, weasels, owls, snakes, foxes should
all do well next year.

  Randy


  2009/11/6 Randy Lauff 

    I banded my 100th owl last night, before the moon rose. My 100 owls are
almost evenly split between nest-banded birds and migration monitoring. The
birds was an AHY unknown sex, not wearing any bracelets. But it did have
bloody chin feathers, and the blood wasn't mine.

    Randy
    _________________________________
    RF Lauff
    Way in the boonies of
    Antigonish County, NS.




  --
  Randy
  _________________________________
  RF Lauff
  Way in the boonies of
  Antigonish County, NS.
Subject: Sullivan's Pond
From: Gayle MacLean <duartess2003 AT yahoo.ca>
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 06:42:06 -0800 (PST)
Hi All,
 
Noticed between 20 - 30 Wigeons (I think most were American) on Sullivan's Pond 
this morning. A number of various types of gulls present too. 

 
Gayle MacLean
Dartmouth


      __________________________________________________________________
Yahoo! Canada Toolbar: Search from anywhere on the web, and bookmark your 
favourite sites. Download it now 

http://ca.toolbar.yahoo.com.
Subject: Re: Owl #100
From: Randy Lauff <randy.lauff AT gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 7 Nov 2009 07:46:46 -0400
Thanks to Jim Wolford for pointing out that I didn't mention the type of
owl. This email was actually supposed to go to a different address, and the
recipient would have known I meant a Northern Saw-whet Owl (though the 100
owls also includes about 10 Boreals). Anyway, the southbound migration seems
about as strong as last year. Other folks monitoring the migration are
seeing a slow start (they're all south of me), but they haven't got their
big wave yet.

I've caught more Deer Mice in my house this past month (about 6) than in the
last three years. I hope this means there are a lot of mice, not that my
house has suddenly become attractive! If the mice numbers are truly up, then
as long as the winter isn't too hard, weasels, owls, snakes, foxes should
all do well next year.

Randy

2009/11/6 Randy Lauff 

> I banded my 100th owl last night, before the moon rose. My 100 owls are
> almost evenly split between nest-banded birds and migration monitoring. The
> birds was an AHY unknown sex, not wearing any bracelets. But it did have
> bloody chin feathers, and the blood wasn't mine.
>
> Randy
> _________________________________
> RF Lauff
> Way in the boonies of
> Antigonish County, NS.
>



-- 
Randy
_________________________________
RF Lauff
Way in the boonies of
Antigonish County, NS.
Subject: Halifax West End Pheasant
From: Brian Bartlett <bbartlett AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:16:51 -0400
Early this morning while snow was still falling lightly, we had a Ring-necked 
Pheasant (male) stalking around our back yard in West End Halifax. This is the 
first time we've had a visiting pheasant during our nine years in this house. 
It picked up some stray food from under the barbecue. When I went outside for a 
closer look, it didn't take flight, but fled briskly on foot through a shrub 
into a neighbour's back yard--couldn't tell whether or not it was hurt and 
unable to fly. For my family the pheasant was a bigger -- and more colourful -- 
surprise than the snow. 
Subject: Owl #100
From: Randy Lauff <randy.lauff AT gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:00:19 -0400
I banded my 100th owl last night, before the moon rose. My 100 owls are
almost evenly split between nest-banded birds and migration monitoring. The
birds was an AHY unknown sex, not wearing any bracelets. But it did have
bloody chin feathers, and the blood wasn't mine.

Randy
_________________________________
RF Lauff
Way in the boonies of
Antigonish County, NS.
Subject: gryfalcon
From: John Nickerson <jonsannick AT hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 14:44:22 -0400
 

 

 at the hawk a gray phase gryfalcon perched on a rock sandra and i watched it 
for 10 minutes it flew toward daniels head 1;45 p.m. 


 

 

 

 

                                      johnny  sandra
 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live: Make it easier for your friends to see what you’re up to on 
Facebook. 

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9691816
Subject: hudsonian godwit
From: John Nickerson <jonsannick AT hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 2009 12:32:54 -0400
 

   1 hudsonian godwit at daniels head at 11.59 a.m. also dunlin,

   sanderling, black bellied plovers there also

 

 

 

                                 johnny   sandra
 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live: Friends get your Flickr, Yelp, and Digg updates when they e-mail 
you. 

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9691817
Subject: Northern Mockingbird, Bedford
From: "P.L. Chalmers" <plchalmers AT ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:30:39 -0400
Hi there,

	I was speaking to Jean Hartley today and she told me that she saw a 
Northern Mockingbird near DeWolfe Park (off Convoy Run) in Bedford 
yesterday, the first time in quite a while.  There is a footpath at 
the north end of Waterfront Drive that leads to the south end of 
Shore Drive; this is lined with multiflora rose bushes.  This has 
been a regular winter location for mockingbirds for several years.

	Cheers,

	Patricia L. Chalmers
	Halifax
Subject: dancing winter crane flies -- identification in Oct. 2000
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:34:26 -0400
WAY TO GO, JEAN! in finding the old e-mail from Oct. 2000 -- cheers  
from Jim in Wolfville.

NOV. 3, 2009 - In east Wolfville, in the garden of Brenda & Bill  
Thexton, Bob Thexton noticed a small swarm of flies that was moving  
up and down in a dancing movement, just a metre or so above the  
ground.  This is probably a swarm of male flies, perhaps winter crane  
flies?, that is dancing and buzzing to attract females of the same  
species.  I don't recall reports of these over the past couple of  
winters, but Jean Timpa in Wolfville used to report these often in  
late autumn or spring, and I think Andrew Hebda? eventually  
identified to that family a fly that was captured by someone and  
submitted.  But I think we still need someone to have an insect net  
at the right time and place to capture some of the dancing flies and  
get them identified for sure.  The flies in question are small, and  
are difficult to observe as they fly; they are smallish and Bob said  
these had long legs (like real crane flies).

[re WINTER CRANE FLIES: Jean Timpa found the e-mail from Fred Scott  
back on Oct. 27, 2000 -- Fred and Andrew Hebda identified the flies  
collected by Jean as WINTER CRANE FLIES, family Trichoceridae, genus  
and species Trichocera brumalis .][That e-mail from Fred is just below.]

[Date sent:      	Fri, 27 Oct 2000 21:36:09 -0300
From:           	fwscott AT ns.sympatico.ca (Fred Scott)
To:             	naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
Subject:        	Re: ballet of the flies
Send reply to:  	naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca

Hello all who have been wondering about the dancing flies.

Jean Timpa brought in two of the flies to my office at Acadia yesterday
and I took them in to the NSMNH this morning. A check of the collection
quickly revealed an exact match, which Andrew Hebda and I confirmed in
Borror and Dillon and the Manual of Nearctic Diptera.

They are Winter Crane Flies, family Trichoceridae, and the species is
_Trichocera brumalis_ Fitch. Interestingly, there are some specimens in
the quite long series of the species that were collected as late as 24
December. The family is best known for its outdoor swarming behaviour in
early spring and late fall and the swarms are mostly males (as were the
two specimens Jean gave me), suggesting that the swarms have a mating
function. Some species of the genus also occur in caves and sometime
cellars.

Trichocerids differ from the true craneflies (Tipulidae) principally in
having two tiny ocelli between the compound eyes (craneflies have no
ocelli), and in being generally smaller, and usually having unmarked
wings. The larvae of most species feed on decaying vegetation in moist
habitats.


Fred W. Scott
6250 Allan St.
Halifax NS
Canada B3L 1G9
(902) 422-8239

AND

Department of Biology
Acadia University
Wolfville NS
Canada
B0P 1X0
(902) 585-1720 phone
(902) 585-1059 fax]
Subject: Rough-leg
From: Richard Stern <sternrichard AT gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:01:50 -0400
There was a very smart-looking dark phase Rough-legged hawk hovering then
soaring over the dykes and fields near my home this afternoon. Also 2 LBB
gulls at Fred Thomas Rd.

Richard

-- 
#################
Richard Stern,
317 Middle Dyke Rd.
Port Williams, NS, Canada
B0P 1T0

sternrichard AT gmail.com
###################
Subject: re Blue Moon New Year's Eve ...
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:31:24 -0400
Thanks, Roy!  and I will indeed post this to the list.  Cheers from Jim

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Roy Bishop 
> Date: November 5, 2009 11:26:18 AM AST
> To: "James W. Wolford" 
> Cc: The Halifax RASC Discussion List ,  
> Terence Dickinson 
> Subject: Re: New Year's Eve Blue Moon
>
> Hi Jim,
>
> Thanks for forwarding the "Blue Moon" item.
>
> Two full Moons in a month is quite common, as to be expected  
> because the average length of a month (30.4 days) is longer than  
> the lunar phase cycle (29.5 days). It happens about every three years.
>
> A full Moon on New Year's Eve occurs every 19 years (1971, 1990,  
> 2009, 2028, . . .), so it is uncommon, but not "extremely rare". It  
> is the SECOND full Moon in December for the reason mentioned above.  
> The 19-year period exists because 235 lunar phase cycles equals 19  
> years, to a precision of a few hours. That interval is called the  
> "Metonic Cycle" after Meton, an astronomer in ancient Greece who  
> discovered the coincidence, although it was known centuries earlier  
> in Babylon.
>
> Hans Toom is correct:  "The common modern definition of a blue moon  
> is the second full moon in any given month." However, this  
> definition has no historical or astronomical significance, and  
> there is nothing "blue" about it. It is an aberration resulting  
> from an error made a few decades ago. (See Terence Dickinson's "The  
> Origin of the Bogus Blue Moon" in the current issue of SkyNews.)
>
> The "zero" significance of the modern definition of a Blue Moon is  
> highlighted by the 6th full Moon of 2007. That full Moon occurred  
> at 01:05 a.m. June 1 in England, and 10:05 p.m. May 31 in Nova  
> Scotia. So, by the modern definition, that full Moon was a "Blue  
> Moon" for Canada (being the second full Moon in May), but not for  
> England. A few weeks later, the 7th full Moon of 2007 (on June 30)  
> was a "Blue Moon" for England but not for Canada. So much for the  
> modern definition.
>
> True Blue Moons, the origin of the old term "Once in a Blue Moon",  
> are far less common. They are literally blue, and have no  
> connection with the calendar. I saw one in the 1950s, caused by  
> smoke from forest fires in western Canada. Usually a hazy  
> atmosphere scatters blue light, producing orange moonrises and red  
> sunsets; but depending upon the nature of the haze particles, the  
> blue end of the spectrum can survive.
>
> (You may post my reply on the Nature NS list.)
>
> Roy
>
>
> On 2-Nov-09, at 4:57 p.m., Jim Wolford wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>
>>> From: Hans Toom 
>>> Date: November 2, 2009 9:04:15 AM AST
>>> To: "Naturens AT Chebucto.Ns.Ca" 
>>> Subject: [NatureNS] New Year's Eve Blue Moon
>>> Reply-To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
>>>
>>> This new year's eve, December 31, we will have a blue moon to  
>>> celebrate the new year with.  The common modern definition of a  
>>> blue moon is the second full moon in any given month. The first  
>>> full moon of December will fall on December 2.  Although blue  
>>> moons are not that uncommon one falling on a particular day, say  
>>> New Year's Eve, must be extremely rare.  I hope for clear skies  
>>> that night to capture that rare event with my camera.  I was  
>>> unable to find a blue moon calculator that predicts on the basis  
>>> of day of the year so who knows when the next one will be.   
>>> Perhaps our RASC members can provide an answer.
>>>
>>> I've posted my October photographic highlights leading off with  
>>> three edits of our recent moon.
>>>
>>> Hans
>>>
>>> http://www.hanstoom.com/Highlights/October09/0159.html
>>> _________________________________
>>> Hans Toom
>>> Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
>>> Website: http://hanstoom.com
>>> _________________________________
>>
>
Subject: BNS 2010 Calendar
From: "Harold Forsyth" <harold.forsyth AT ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 23:27:31 -0400
 The Blomidon Naturalists Society's 2010 calendars are now available. As 
always, the calendar contains beautiful nature pictures by local photographers, 
daily tide times, events and lots of fascinating natural history information. 
All for the price of only $15. 

     They are currently available at the following retail outlets:
Herbin Jewellers', EOS Fine Foods and Blomidon Inn in Wolfville
Hennigar's Farm Market, Elderkin's Farm Market and Noggins Corner Farm in 
Greenwich 

Shur Gain Feeds & Needs in Port Williams
Camera Corner in New Minas
R & G Family Restaurant in Hants Border
 These outlets sell the calendar for our benefit at no profit for themselves 
and we thank them for that and encourage you to patronize these fine 
establishments. Anyone else who can take a few calendars on consignment are 
most welcome. 

 Calendars will also be available at BNS monthly meetings, the Acadia Christmas 
Craft Fair or from Harold by e-mail or phone at 542-5983. Enjoy your calendar 
and thank you for your ongoing support of the Blomidon Naturalists Society. 

Subject: RE: wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :)
From: Helene Van Doninck <hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:07:25 -0400
Laurie, now that I think of it I have seen them feeding in late afternoon
near Bell Island when I lived in NL. So, I guess primarily nocturnal with
some daytime activity :)


Helene

Helene Van Doninck DVM
Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
RR#1 Brookfield Nova Scotia Canada B0N1C0
hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca
www.cwrc.net
http://cwrcblog.blogspot.com/
1-902-893-0253

  -----Original Message-----
  From: naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca
[mailto:naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of Laurie Murison
  Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 5:14 PM
  To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
  Subject: Re: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :)


  Helene,

  Great summary, just one correction.

  They do feed during the day, I see them doing it all the time in the
summer (both Wilson's and Leach's), however, they only come ashore and leave
their nesting sites after dark.  Feeding forays can cover hundreds of miles.
Leach's petrels nesting on Kent Island in the Bay of Fundy travel as far as
George's Bank on a feeding trip before returning to their chicks, which can
take a couple of days or more.  Nesting is staggered with some chicks only
now leaving the nests while others have been fledged since early September.
Leach's nest on many islands in the Maritimes but are often not seen because
of their nocturnal activities.  I have a theory that some of the ghost
stories on islands where Leach's nest have their originals from the petrels'
nocturnal comings and goings.

  We have a graduate student beginning a project next summer looking at
Leach's storm petrel's diet and contaminant levels in the food they
provision their chicks.

  Laurie Murison
  Grand Manan, NB.
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Helene Van Doninck
    To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
    Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 3:52 PM
    Subject: RE: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :)


    HI all,

    Been planning to write about petrels in response to this question but
havent had time to get on. If you arent interested in the minutae of petrel
rehabilitation, stop reading now :)

    I have had lots of storm petrels come in, or receieved calls about them,
typically after high winds. As most of you know they are pelagic seabirds
and are not normally seen on the mainland. They have a unique nocturnal
feeding behaviour where they literally skip along the surface of the ocean
skimming bits of zooplankton etc.

    When they ar grounded on land, its like they literally have no idea what
to do. You can toss them in the air 100 times and they will just flutter to
the ground. However, take them to a beach or wharf or cliff..and toss them
and they will rapidly fly away ( unless they have some other problem). When
I get them in, i check them to be sure there are no injuries and they arent
thin ( they are usually fine). Then the next dusk that comes, I drive them
to Pictou and release them over open water and they  fly off like a bat out
of hell. Nice releases. I try to release them where I can intervene if
necessary. I have had a couple who did not fly so I went in after them with
a dip net and boots...kinda hard to do off of a cliff :(

    Because of their feeding behaviour they do NOT recognize anything you
might offer them as food, so if they are kept for an extended period they
will rapidly get thin. I once had one for a week ( landed after hurricane
Juan and I had no electricity for 5 of those days ) with a leg injury..so I
had to feed it with a stomach tube, no mean  feat on such a tiny bird. It
was successfully released.

    Some petrel trivia

    - must be released at dusk or gulls WILL eat them. I once took my
boyfriend ( now my husband) on what I thought would be a cool release.
Tossed the bird in the air over Middle Cove in NL, it flew beautifully. As
we watched with binoculars, a great black backed gull swooped down and
swallowed him without breaking his flight pattern..ugh. I should have
listened to the locals!

    - they smell like oil. Must be what they eat but they have a distinct
petroluem/fishy kind of smell

    - they should be released ASAP, or they will get weak and thin

    - again..they wont eat anything you offer them, no matter how good you
think it looks

    - being a pelagic seabird, they and all birds who spend the majority of
their time on the water should be handled wearing gloves. Even oils from
your hands can mess with their delicate waterproofing. Also, their bedding
should be changed frequently, oils from their feces can also harm the
waterproofing on their feathers.

    - do not try to swim them in your tub/sink/basin etc...especially if you
have hard water..again...hard on the feathers.

    - consider yourself lucky if you see one, not many people do and they
are beautiful delicate little birds.

    Sorry for the ramble, can you tell I like them?

    If anyone finds one and needs advice, call me at 893-0253. The email I
have in my signature can be unreliable but I check birdvet AT hotmail.com
several times per day.

    Thanks

    Helene

    Helene Van Doninck DVM
    Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
    RR#1 Brookfield Nova Scotia Canada B0N1C0
    hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca
    www.cwrc.net
    http://cwrcblog.blogspot.com/
    1-902-893-0253

      -----Original Message-----
      From: naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca
[mailto:naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of Kathleen MacAulay
      Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:36 PM
      To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
      Subject: Re: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel


      I don't have much experience with petrels, but I was speaking with
Helene van Doninck moments ago about this, and she informed me that petrels
will not fly unless they are tossed over water, and must be released at
night to avoid being predated by gulls.

      However, grounded birds often have problems, emaciation/starvation
being one of them. If your friend is not sure the bird is healthy, he should
not release it.

      Helene also tells me that petrels will not eat on their own in
captivity.

      In addition, if a bird is weak from starvation, extremely careful
refeeding and special diets are necessary, because in the last stages of
starvation the energy it takes to digest food can actually drain the animal
past the point of no return and cause it to perish.

      I suggest that the friend get in touch with Helene at the Cobequid
Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for advice, and hopefully transportation can
be arranged to get it to her.

      Helene says she will try and e-mail the list tonight with a more
comprehensive and expert reply than mine. :)

      Helene can be reached by phone at at (902) 893-0253 or by e-mail at
hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca.

      Kathleen MacAulay
      Milford Station










--------------------------------------------------------------------------
      From: "bdigout AT seaside.ns.ca" 
      To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
      Sent: Thu, October 29, 2009 4:15:51 PM
      Subject: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel

        I'm looking for some advice to pass on.  A man in the neighbourhood
      picked up a petrel near his workplace in Point Tupper.    He threw it
up
      into the air, but it only flew a feet feet and then fluttered to the
      ground.    He took it to me for identification.  What should he do
with
      it?  What will it eat?  He is willing to feed it back to health if it
is
      just weak.  Can it swim?  If so, could he simply let it go on the
      Atlantic side of the St. Peter's Canal?  Does anyone have any
      suggestions?
      Billy




--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Yahoo! Get it Now for Free!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------



    No virus found in this incoming message.
    Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
    Version: 8.5.424 / Virus Database: 270.14.49/2480 - Release Date:
11/04/09 07:37:00
Subject: RE: wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :)
From: Helene Van Doninck <hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:06:25 -0400
Happy to hear this and glad to help. I do enjoy when they come in as it is
almost always a happy ending. Most people dont know what petrels look like
and when I get the description on the phone.. " Hello..i have this  little
black bird, webbed feet, bump on its beak, wont fly"....I pretty much know
what it is :)

Helene

Helene Van Doninck DVM
Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
RR#1 Brookfield Nova Scotia Canada B0N1C0
hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca
www.cwrc.net
http://cwrcblog.blogspot.com/
1-902-893-0253



-----Original Message-----
From: naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca
[mailto:naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of bdigout AT seaside.ns.ca
Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 6:03 PM
To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: RE: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :)


> Thanks to Ian, Helene, and yourself for the information on petrels.  My
friend was able to force-feed it some "sea fleas" he picked up under
kelp at the  shore.  The next evening, he released it near St. Peter's
Canal and he said it flew off, apparently with no ill effects into the
wild blue/black yonder.
Billy

.HI all,
>
> Been planning to write about petrels in response to this question but
> havent
> had time to get on. If you arent interested in the minutae of petrel
> rehabilitation, stop reading now :)
>
> I have had lots of storm petrels come in, or receieved calls about them,
> typically after high winds. As most of you know they are pelagic seabirds
> and are not normally seen on the mainland. They have a unique nocturnal
> feeding behaviour where they literally skip along the surface of the ocean
> skimming bits of zooplankton etc.
>
> When they ar grounded on land, its like they literally have no idea what
> to
> do. You can toss them in the air 100 times and they will just flutter to
> the
> ground. However, take them to a beach or wharf or cliff..and toss them and
> they will rapidly fly away ( unless they have some other problem). When I
> get them in, i check them to be sure there are no injuries and they arent
> thin ( they are usually fine). Then the next dusk that comes, I drive them
> to Pictou and release them over open water and they  fly off like a bat
> out
> of hell. Nice releases. I try to release them where I can intervene if
> necessary. I have had a couple who did not fly so I went in after them
> with
> a dip net and boots...kinda hard to do off of a cliff :(
>
> Because of their feeding behaviour they do NOT recognize anything you
> might
> offer them as food, so if they are kept for an extended period they will
> rapidly get thin. I once had one for a week ( landed after hurricane Juan
> and I had no electricity for 5 of those days ) with a leg injury..so I
> had
> to feed it with a stomach tube, no mean  feat on such a tiny bird. It was
> successfully released.
>
> Some petrel trivia
>
> - must be released at dusk or gulls WILL eat them. I once took my
> boyfriend
> ( now my husband) on what I thought would be a cool release. Tossed the
> bird
> in the air over Middle Cove in NL, it flew beautifully. As we watched with
> binoculars, a great black backed gull swooped down and swallowed him
> without
> breaking his flight pattern..ugh. I should have listened to the locals!
>
> - they smell like oil. Must be what they eat but they have a distinct
> petroluem/fishy kind of smell
>
> - they should be released ASAP, or they will get weak and thin
>
> - again..they wont eat anything you offer them, no matter how good you
> think
> it looks
>
> - being a pelagic seabird, they and all birds who spend the majority of
> their time on the water should be handled wearing gloves. Even oils from
> your hands can mess with their delicate waterproofing. Also, their bedding
> should be changed frequently, oils from their feces can also harm the
> waterproofing on their feathers.
>
> - do not try to swim them in your tub/sink/basin etc...especially if you
> have hard water..again...hard on the feathers.
>
> - consider yourself lucky if you see one, not many people do and they are
> beautiful delicate little birds.
>
> Sorry for the ramble, can you tell I like them?
>
> If anyone finds one and needs advice, call me at 893-0253. The email I
> have
> in my signature can be unreliable but I check birdvet AT hotmail.com several
> times per day.
>
> Thanks
>
> Helene
>
> Helene Van Doninck DVM
> Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
> RR#1 Brookfield Nova Scotia Canada B0N1C0
> hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca
> www.cwrc.net
> http://cwrcblog.blogspot.com/
> 1-902-893-0253
>
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From: naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca
> [mailto:naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of Kathleen MacAulay
>   Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:36 PM
>   To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
>   Subject: Re: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel
>
>
>   I don't have much experience with petrels, but I was speaking with
> Helene
> van Doninck moments ago about this, and she informed me that petrels will
> not fly unless they are tossed over water, and must be released at night
> to
> avoid being predated by gulls.
>
>   However, grounded birds often have problems, emaciation/starvation being
> one of them. If your friend is not sure the bird is healthy, he should not
> release it.
>
>   Helene also tells me that petrels will not eat on their own in
> captivity.
>
>   In addition, if a bird is weak from starvation, extremely careful
> refeeding and special diets are necessary, because in the last stages of
> starvation the energy it takes to digest food can actually drain the
> animal
> past the point of no return and cause it to perish.
>
>   I suggest that the friend get in touch with Helene at the Cobequid
> Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for advice, and hopefully transportation
> can
> be arranged to get it to her.
>
>   Helene says she will try and e-mail the list tonight with a more
> comprehensive and expert reply than mine. :)
>
>   Helene can be reached by phone at at (902) 893-0253 or by e-mail at
> hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca.
>
>   Kathleen MacAulay
>   Milford Station
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> --
>   From: "bdigout AT seaside.ns.ca" 
>   To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
>   Sent: Thu, October 29, 2009 4:15:51 PM
>   Subject: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel
>
>     I'm looking for some advice to pass on.  A man in the neighbourhood
>   picked up a petrel near his workplace in Point Tupper.    He threw it up
>   into the air, but it only flew a feet feet and then fluttered to the
>   ground.    He took it to me for identification.  What should he do with
>   it?  What will it eat?  He is willing to feed it back to health if it is
>   just weak.  Can it swim?  If so, could he simply let it go on the
>   Atlantic side of the St. Peter's Canal?  Does anyone have any
>   suggestions?
>   Billy
>
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> --
>   The new Internet Explorer® 8 - Faster, safer, easier. Optimized for
> Yahoo!
> Get it Now for Free!
>

Subject: RE: wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :)
From: Helene Van Doninck <hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:04:07 -0400
Laurie, they are indeed interesting birds, thanks for sharing :)

Helene

Helene Van Doninck DVM
Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
RR#1 Brookfield Nova Scotia Canada B0N1C0
hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca
www.cwrc.net
http://cwrcblog.blogspot.com/
1-902-893-0253

  -----Original Message-----
  From: naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca
[mailto:naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of Laurie Murison
  Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 5:14 PM
  To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
  Subject: Re: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :)


  Helene,

  Great summary, just one correction.

  They do feed during the day, I see them doing it all the time in the
summer (both Wilson's and Leach's), however, they only come ashore and leave
their nesting sites after dark.  Feeding forays can cover hundreds of miles.
Leach's petrels nesting on Kent Island in the Bay of Fundy travel as far as
George's Bank on a feeding trip before returning to their chicks, which can
take a couple of days or more.  Nesting is staggered with some chicks only
now leaving the nests while others have been fledged since early September.
Leach's nest on many islands in the Maritimes but are often not seen because
of their nocturnal activities.  I have a theory that some of the ghost
stories on islands where Leach's nest have their originals from the petrels'
nocturnal comings and goings.

  We have a graduate student beginning a project next summer looking at
Leach's storm petrel's diet and contaminant levels in the food they
provision their chicks.

  Laurie Murison
  Grand Manan, NB.
    ----- Original Message -----
    From: Helene Van Doninck
    To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
    Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 3:52 PM
    Subject: RE: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :)


    HI all,

    Been planning to write about petrels in response to this question but
havent had time to get on. If you arent interested in the minutae of petrel
rehabilitation, stop reading now :)

    I have had lots of storm petrels come in, or receieved calls about them,
typically after high winds. As most of you know they are pelagic seabirds
and are not normally seen on the mainland. They have a unique nocturnal
feeding behaviour where they literally skip along the surface of the ocean
skimming bits of zooplankton etc.

    When they ar grounded on land, its like they literally have no idea what
to do. You can toss them in the air 100 times and they will just flutter to
the ground. However, take them to a beach or wharf or cliff..and toss them
and they will rapidly fly away ( unless they have some other problem). When
I get them in, i check them to be sure there are no injuries and they arent
thin ( they are usually fine). Then the next dusk that comes, I drive them
to Pictou and release them over open water and they  fly off like a bat out
of hell. Nice releases. I try to release them where I can intervene if
necessary. I have had a couple who did not fly so I went in after them with
a dip net and boots...kinda hard to do off of a cliff :(

    Because of their feeding behaviour they do NOT recognize anything you
might offer them as food, so if they are kept for an extended period they
will rapidly get thin. I once had one for a week ( landed after hurricane
Juan and I had no electricity for 5 of those days ) with a leg injury..so I
had to feed it with a stomach tube, no mean  feat on such a tiny bird. It
was successfully released.

    Some petrel trivia

    - must be released at dusk or gulls WILL eat them. I once took my
boyfriend ( now my husband) on what I thought would be a cool release.
Tossed the bird in the air over Middle Cove in NL, it flew beautifully. As
we watched with binoculars, a great black backed gull swooped down and
swallowed him without breaking his flight pattern..ugh. I should have
listened to the locals!

    - they smell like oil. Must be what they eat but they have a distinct
petroluem/fishy kind of smell

    - they should be released ASAP, or they will get weak and thin

    - again..they wont eat anything you offer them, no matter how good you
think it looks

    - being a pelagic seabird, they and all birds who spend the majority of
their time on the water should be handled wearing gloves. Even oils from
your hands can mess with their delicate waterproofing. Also, their bedding
should be changed frequently, oils from their feces can also harm the
waterproofing on their feathers.

    - do not try to swim them in your tub/sink/basin etc...especially if you
have hard water..again...hard on the feathers.

    - consider yourself lucky if you see one, not many people do and they
are beautiful delicate little birds.

    Sorry for the ramble, can you tell I like them?

    If anyone finds one and needs advice, call me at 893-0253. The email I
have in my signature can be unreliable but I check birdvet AT hotmail.com
several times per day.

    Thanks

    Helene

    Helene Van Doninck DVM
    Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
    RR#1 Brookfield Nova Scotia Canada B0N1C0
    hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca
    www.cwrc.net
    http://cwrcblog.blogspot.com/
    1-902-893-0253

      -----Original Message-----
      From: naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca
[mailto:naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of Kathleen MacAulay
      Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:36 PM
      To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
      Subject: Re: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel


      I don't have much experience with petrels, but I was speaking with
Helene van Doninck moments ago about this, and she informed me that petrels
will not fly unless they are tossed over water, and must be released at
night to avoid being predated by gulls.

      However, grounded birds often have problems, emaciation/starvation
being one of them. If your friend is not sure the bird is healthy, he should
not release it.

      Helene also tells me that petrels will not eat on their own in
captivity.

      In addition, if a bird is weak from starvation, extremely careful
refeeding and special diets are necessary, because in the last stages of
starvation the energy it takes to digest food can actually drain the animal
past the point of no return and cause it to perish.

      I suggest that the friend get in touch with Helene at the Cobequid
Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for advice, and hopefully transportation can
be arranged to get it to her.

      Helene says she will try and e-mail the list tonight with a more
comprehensive and expert reply than mine. :)

      Helene can be reached by phone at at (902) 893-0253 or by e-mail at
hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca.

      Kathleen MacAulay
      Milford Station










--------------------------------------------------------------------------
      From: "bdigout AT seaside.ns.ca" 
      To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
      Sent: Thu, October 29, 2009 4:15:51 PM
      Subject: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel

        I'm looking for some advice to pass on.  A man in the neighbourhood
      picked up a petrel near his workplace in Point Tupper.    He threw it
up
      into the air, but it only flew a feet feet and then fluttered to the
      ground.    He took it to me for identification.  What should he do
with
      it?  What will it eat?  He is willing to feed it back to health if it
is
      just weak.  Can it swim?  If so, could he simply let it go on the
      Atlantic side of the St. Peter's Canal?  Does anyone have any
      suggestions?
      Billy




--------------------------------------------------------------------------
      The new Internet Explorer® 8 - Faster, safer, easier. Optimized for
Yahoo! Get it Now for Free!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------



    No virus found in this incoming message.
    Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
    Version: 8.5.424 / Virus Database: 270.14.49/2480 - Release Date:
11/04/09 07:37:00
Subject: Geese in Truro area
From: iamclar AT DAL.CA
Date: Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:33:51 -0400
Hi all:

Bernice and I went looking for geese at high tide between Truro and Glenholme.
We saw several large groups of Canadas - perhaps 2000 or so all told - below
the road opposite to the McWilliam road turnoff and also at the upper end of
the McMwilliam Rd. mear Hiway 104 and in the fields near the bay south of Lr.
Onslow. The only mildly interesting one was a possible Cackling Goose among the
large Canadas in the first group, but too far to be totally connvinced. Only a
small portion of the corn has been harvested, so later in the month the geese
may  become more scattered and easier to study.

A hovering dark morph Rough-legged Hawk was seen near exit 9 on Hiway 102.

Cheers, Ian

Ian McLaren
Subject: RE: wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :)
From: bdigout AT seaside.ns.ca
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 18:03:12 -0400 (AST)
> Thanks to Ian, Helene, and yourself for the information on petrels.  My
friend was able to force-feed it some "sea fleas" he picked up under
kelp at the  shore.  The next evening, he released it near St. Peter's
Canal and he said it flew off, apparently with no ill effects into the
wild blue/black yonder.
Billy

.HI all,
>
> Been planning to write about petrels in response to this question but
> havent
> had time to get on. If you arent interested in the minutae of petrel
> rehabilitation, stop reading now :)
>
> I have had lots of storm petrels come in, or receieved calls about them,
> typically after high winds. As most of you know they are pelagic seabirds
> and are not normally seen on the mainland. They have a unique nocturnal
> feeding behaviour where they literally skip along the surface of the ocean
> skimming bits of zooplankton etc.
>
> When they ar grounded on land, its like they literally have no idea what
> to
> do. You can toss them in the air 100 times and they will just flutter to
> the
> ground. However, take them to a beach or wharf or cliff..and toss them and
> they will rapidly fly away ( unless they have some other problem). When I
> get them in, i check them to be sure there are no injuries and they arent
> thin ( they are usually fine). Then the next dusk that comes, I drive them
> to Pictou and release them over open water and they  fly off like a bat
> out
> of hell. Nice releases. I try to release them where I can intervene if
> necessary. I have had a couple who did not fly so I went in after them
> with
> a dip net and boots...kinda hard to do off of a cliff :(
>
> Because of their feeding behaviour they do NOT recognize anything you
> might
> offer them as food, so if they are kept for an extended period they will
> rapidly get thin. I once had one for a week ( landed after hurricane Juan
> and I had no electricity for 5 of those days ) with a leg injury..so I
> had
> to feed it with a stomach tube, no mean  feat on such a tiny bird. It was
> successfully released.
>
> Some petrel trivia
>
> - must be released at dusk or gulls WILL eat them. I once took my
> boyfriend
> ( now my husband) on what I thought would be a cool release. Tossed the
> bird
> in the air over Middle Cove in NL, it flew beautifully. As we watched with
> binoculars, a great black backed gull swooped down and swallowed him
> without
> breaking his flight pattern..ugh. I should have listened to the locals!
>
> - they smell like oil. Must be what they eat but they have a distinct
> petroluem/fishy kind of smell
>
> - they should be released ASAP, or they will get weak and thin
>
> - again..they wont eat anything you offer them, no matter how good you
> think
> it looks
>
> - being a pelagic seabird, they and all birds who spend the majority of
> their time on the water should be handled wearing gloves. Even oils from
> your hands can mess with their delicate waterproofing. Also, their bedding
> should be changed frequently, oils from their feces can also harm the
> waterproofing on their feathers.
>
> - do not try to swim them in your tub/sink/basin etc...especially if you
> have hard water..again...hard on the feathers.
>
> - consider yourself lucky if you see one, not many people do and they are
> beautiful delicate little birds.
>
> Sorry for the ramble, can you tell I like them?
>
> If anyone finds one and needs advice, call me at 893-0253. The email I
> have
> in my signature can be unreliable but I check birdvet AT hotmail.com several
> times per day.
>
> Thanks
>
> Helene
>
> Helene Van Doninck DVM
> Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
> RR#1 Brookfield Nova Scotia Canada B0N1C0
> hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca
> www.cwrc.net
> http://cwrcblog.blogspot.com/
> 1-902-893-0253
>
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From: naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca
> [mailto:naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of Kathleen MacAulay
>   Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:36 PM
>   To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
>   Subject: Re: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel
>
>
>   I don't have much experience with petrels, but I was speaking with
> Helene
> van Doninck moments ago about this, and she informed me that petrels will
> not fly unless they are tossed over water, and must be released at night
> to
> avoid being predated by gulls.
>
>   However, grounded birds often have problems, emaciation/starvation being
> one of them. If your friend is not sure the bird is healthy, he should not
> release it.
>
>   Helene also tells me that petrels will not eat on their own in
> captivity.
>
>   In addition, if a bird is weak from starvation, extremely careful
> refeeding and special diets are necessary, because in the last stages of
> starvation the energy it takes to digest food can actually drain the
> animal
> past the point of no return and cause it to perish.
>
>   I suggest that the friend get in touch with Helene at the Cobequid
> Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for advice, and hopefully transportation
> can
> be arranged to get it to her.
>
>   Helene says she will try and e-mail the list tonight with a more
> comprehensive and expert reply than mine. :)
>
>   Helene can be reached by phone at at (902) 893-0253 or by e-mail at
> hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca.
>
>   Kathleen MacAulay
>   Milford Station
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
>   From: "bdigout AT seaside.ns.ca" 
>   To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
>   Sent: Thu, October 29, 2009 4:15:51 PM
>   Subject: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel
>
>     I'm looking for some advice to pass on.  A man in the neighbourhood
>   picked up a petrel near his workplace in Point Tupper.    He threw it up
>   into the air, but it only flew a feet feet and then fluttered to the
>   ground.    He took it to me for identification.  What should he do with
>   it?  What will it eat?  He is willing to feed it back to health if it is
>   just weak.  Can it swim?  If so, could he simply let it go on the
>   Atlantic side of the St. Peter's Canal?  Does anyone have any
>   suggestions?
>   Billy
>
>
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
>   The new Internet Explorer® 8 - Faster, safer, easier. Optimized for
> Yahoo!
> Get it Now for Free!
>

Subject: Re: wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :)
From: "Laurie Murison" <gmwhale AT nbnet.nb.ca>
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 17:14:11 -0400
Helene,

Great summary, just one correction.  

They do feed during the day, I see them doing it all the time in the summer 
(both Wilson's and Leach's), however, they only come ashore and leave their 
nesting sites after dark. Feeding forays can cover hundreds of miles. Leach's 
petrels nesting on Kent Island in the Bay of Fundy travel as far as George's 
Bank on a feeding trip before returning to their chicks, which can take a 
couple of days or more. Nesting is staggered with some chicks only now leaving 
the nests while others have been fledged since early September. Leach's nest on 
many islands in the Maritimes but are often not seen because of their nocturnal 
activities. I have a theory that some of the ghost stories on islands where 
Leach's nest have their originals from the petrels' nocturnal comings and 
goings. 


We have a graduate student beginning a project next summer looking at Leach's 
storm petrel's diet and contaminant levels in the food they provision their 
chicks. 


Laurie Murison
Grand Manan, NB.
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Helene Van Doninck 
  To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca 
  Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 3:52 PM
  Subject: RE: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :)


  HI all, 

 Been planning to write about petrels in response to this question but havent 
had time to get on. If you arent interested in the minutae of petrel 
rehabilitation, stop reading now :) 


 I have had lots of storm petrels come in, or receieved calls about them, 
typically after high winds. As most of you know they are pelagic seabirds and 
are not normally seen on the mainland. They have a unique nocturnal feeding 
behaviour where they literally skip along the surface of the ocean skimming 
bits of zooplankton etc. 


 When they ar grounded on land, its like they literally have no idea what to 
do. You can toss them in the air 100 times and they will just flutter to the 
ground. However, take them to a beach or wharf or cliff..and toss them and they 
will rapidly fly away ( unless they have some other problem). When I get them 
in, i check them to be sure there are no injuries and they arent thin ( they 
are usually fine). Then the next dusk that comes, I drive them to Pictou and 
release them over open water and they fly off like a bat out of hell. Nice 
releases. I try to release them where I can intervene if necessary. I have had 
a couple who did not fly so I went in after them with a dip net and 
boots...kinda hard to do off of a cliff :( 


 Because of their feeding behaviour they do NOT recognize anything you might 
offer them as food, so if they are kept for an extended period they will 
rapidly get thin. I once had one for a week ( landed after hurricane Juan and I 
had no electricity for 5 of those days ) with a leg injury..so I had to feed it 
with a stomach tube, no mean feat on such a tiny bird. It was successfully 
released. 


  Some petrel trivia

 - must be released at dusk or gulls WILL eat them. I once took my boyfriend ( 
now my husband) on what I thought would be a cool release. Tossed the bird in 
the air over Middle Cove in NL, it flew beautifully. As we watched with 
binoculars, a great black backed gull swooped down and swallowed him without 
breaking his flight pattern..ugh. I should have listened to the locals! 


 - they smell like oil. Must be what they eat but they have a distinct 
petroluem/fishy kind of smell 


  - they should be released ASAP, or they will get weak and thin

 - again..they wont eat anything you offer them, no matter how good you think 
it looks 


 - being a pelagic seabird, they and all birds who spend the majority of their 
time on the water should be handled wearing gloves. Even oils from your hands 
can mess with their delicate waterproofing. Also, their bedding should be 
changed frequently, oils from their feces can also harm the waterproofing on 
their feathers. 


 - do not try to swim them in your tub/sink/basin etc...especially if you have 
hard water..again...hard on the feathers. 


 - consider yourself lucky if you see one, not many people do and they are 
beautiful delicate little birds. 


  Sorry for the ramble, can you tell I like them?

 If anyone finds one and needs advice, call me at 893-0253. The email I have in 
my signature can be unreliable but I check birdvet AT hotmail.com several times 
per day. 


  Thanks

  Helene

  Helene Van Doninck DVM 
  Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre 
  RR#1 Brookfield Nova Scotia Canada B0N1C0 
  hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca 
  www.cwrc.net 
  http://cwrcblog.blogspot.com/ 
  1-902-893-0253 

    -----Original Message-----
 From: naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca]On 
Behalf Of Kathleen MacAulay 

    Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:36 PM
    To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
    Subject: Re: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel


 I don't have much experience with petrels, but I was speaking with Helene van 
Doninck moments ago about this, and she informed me that petrels will not fly 
unless they are tossed over water, and must be released at night to avoid being 
predated by gulls. 


 However, grounded birds often have problems, emaciation/starvation being one 
of them. If your friend is not sure the bird is healthy, he should not release 
it. 


    Helene also tells me that petrels will not eat on their own in captivity.

 In addition, if a bird is weak from starvation, extremely careful refeeding 
and special diets are necessary, because in the last stages of starvation the 
energy it takes to digest food can actually drain the animal past the point of 
no return and cause it to perish. 


 I suggest that the friend get in touch with Helene at the Cobequid Wildlife 
Rehabilitation Centre for advice, and hopefully transportation can be arranged 
to get it to her. 


 Helene says she will try and e-mail the list tonight with a more comprehensive 
and expert reply than mine. :) 


 Helene can be reached by phone at at (902) 893-0253 or by e-mail at 
hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca. 


    Kathleen MacAulay
    Milford Station










----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    From: "bdigout AT seaside.ns.ca" 
    To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
    Sent: Thu, October 29, 2009 4:15:51 PM
    Subject: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel

      I'm looking for some advice to pass on.  A man in the neighbourhood
    picked up a petrel near his workplace in Point Tupper.    He threw it up
    into the air, but it only flew a feet feet and then fluttered to the
    ground.    He took it to me for identification.  What should he do with
    it?  What will it eat?  He is willing to feed it back to health if it is
    just weak.  Can it swim?  If so, could he simply let it go on the
    Atlantic side of the St. Peter's Canal?  Does anyone have any
    suggestions?
    Billy




----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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  No virus found in this incoming message.
  Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
 Version: 8.5.424 / Virus Database: 270.14.49/2480 - Release Date: 11/04/09 
07:37:00 
Subject: Re: spatuletail hummingbird video
From: Hans Toom <Htoom AT hfx.eastlink.ca>
Date: Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:02:00 -0400
I just watched it, truly amazing!
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Lynne Perry 
  To: Nature Nova Scotia 
  Sent: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 3:22 PM
  Subject: RE: [NatureNS] spatuletail hummingbird video


 Mine said the content does not seem to be working. Try again later. Lynne 
Perry 

   

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 15:43:35 -0400
  Subject: [NatureNS] spatuletail hummingbird video
  From: suzanne.townsend AT gmail.com
  To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca

  A must-see for birders (altho' preceded by 30-sec ad):
  http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8338000/8338728.stm


------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Get a great deal on Windows 7 and see how it works the way you want. See the 
Windows 7 offers now. 
Subject: RE: spatuletail hummingbird video
From: Lynne Perry <perry.lynne AT hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 16:22:47 -0300
Mine said the content does not seem to be working. Try again later. Lynne Perry
 


Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 15:43:35 -0400
Subject: [NatureNS] spatuletail hummingbird video
From: suzanne.townsend AT gmail.com
To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca


A must-see for birders (altho' preceded by 30-sec ad):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8338000/8338728.stm
 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Ready. Set. Get a great deal on Windows 7. See fantastic deals on Windows 7 now
http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9691818
Subject: RE: wilson's storm petrel -long..sorry :)
From: Helene Van Doninck <hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:52:46 -0400
HI all,

Been planning to write about petrels in response to this question but havent
had time to get on. If you arent interested in the minutae of petrel
rehabilitation, stop reading now :)

I have had lots of storm petrels come in, or receieved calls about them,
typically after high winds. As most of you know they are pelagic seabirds
and are not normally seen on the mainland. They have a unique nocturnal
feeding behaviour where they literally skip along the surface of the ocean
skimming bits of zooplankton etc.

When they ar grounded on land, its like they literally have no idea what to
do. You can toss them in the air 100 times and they will just flutter to the
ground. However, take them to a beach or wharf or cliff..and toss them and
they will rapidly fly away ( unless they have some other problem). When I
get them in, i check them to be sure there are no injuries and they arent
thin ( they are usually fine). Then the next dusk that comes, I drive them
to Pictou and release them over open water and they  fly off like a bat out
of hell. Nice releases. I try to release them where I can intervene if
necessary. I have had a couple who did not fly so I went in after them with
a dip net and boots...kinda hard to do off of a cliff :(

Because of their feeding behaviour they do NOT recognize anything you might
offer them as food, so if they are kept for an extended period they will
rapidly get thin. I once had one for a week ( landed after hurricane Juan
and I had no electricity for 5 of those days ) with a leg injury..so I  had
to feed it with a stomach tube, no mean  feat on such a tiny bird. It was
successfully released.

Some petrel trivia

- must be released at dusk or gulls WILL eat them. I once took my boyfriend
( now my husband) on what I thought would be a cool release. Tossed the bird
in the air over Middle Cove in NL, it flew beautifully. As we watched with
binoculars, a great black backed gull swooped down and swallowed him without
breaking his flight pattern..ugh. I should have listened to the locals!

- they smell like oil. Must be what they eat but they have a distinct
petroluem/fishy kind of smell

- they should be released ASAP, or they will get weak and thin

- again..they wont eat anything you offer them, no matter how good you think
it looks

- being a pelagic seabird, they and all birds who spend the majority of
their time on the water should be handled wearing gloves. Even oils from
your hands can mess with their delicate waterproofing. Also, their bedding
should be changed frequently, oils from their feces can also harm the
waterproofing on their feathers.

- do not try to swim them in your tub/sink/basin etc...especially if you
have hard water..again...hard on the feathers.

- consider yourself lucky if you see one, not many people do and they are
beautiful delicate little birds.

Sorry for the ramble, can you tell I like them?

If anyone finds one and needs advice, call me at 893-0253. The email I have
in my signature can be unreliable but I check birdvet AT hotmail.com several
times per day.

Thanks

Helene

Helene Van Doninck DVM
Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
RR#1 Brookfield Nova Scotia Canada B0N1C0
hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca
www.cwrc.net
http://cwrcblog.blogspot.com/
1-902-893-0253

  -----Original Message-----
  From: naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca
[mailto:naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of Kathleen MacAulay
  Sent: Thursday, October 29, 2009 5:36 PM
  To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
  Subject: Re: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel


  I don't have much experience with petrels, but I was speaking with Helene
van Doninck moments ago about this, and she informed me that petrels will
not fly unless they are tossed over water, and must be released at night to
avoid being predated by gulls.

  However, grounded birds often have problems, emaciation/starvation being
one of them. If your friend is not sure the bird is healthy, he should not
release it.

  Helene also tells me that petrels will not eat on their own in captivity.

  In addition, if a bird is weak from starvation, extremely careful
refeeding and special diets are necessary, because in the last stages of
starvation the energy it takes to digest food can actually drain the animal
past the point of no return and cause it to perish.

  I suggest that the friend get in touch with Helene at the Cobequid
Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for advice, and hopefully transportation can
be arranged to get it to her.

  Helene says she will try and e-mail the list tonight with a more
comprehensive and expert reply than mine. :)

  Helene can be reached by phone at at (902) 893-0253 or by e-mail at
hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca.

  Kathleen MacAulay
  Milford Station










----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
  From: "bdigout AT seaside.ns.ca" 
  To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
  Sent: Thu, October 29, 2009 4:15:51 PM
  Subject: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel

    I'm looking for some advice to pass on.  A man in the neighbourhood
  picked up a petrel near his workplace in Point Tupper.    He threw it up
  into the air, but it only flew a feet feet and then fluttered to the
  ground.    He took it to me for identification.  What should he do with
  it?  What will it eat?  He is willing to feed it back to health if it is
  just weak.  Can it swim?  If so, could he simply let it go on the
  Atlantic side of the St. Peter's Canal?  Does anyone have any
  suggestions?
  Billy




----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
  The new Internet Explorer® 8 - Faster, safer, easier. Optimized for Yahoo!
Get it Now for Free!
Subject: spatuletail hummingbird video
From: Suzanne Townsend <suzanne.townsend AT gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 2009 15:43:35 -0400
A must-see for birders (altho' preceded by 30-sec ad):

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8338000/8338728.stm
Subject: RE: The ocean will take it away
From: Helene Van Doninck <hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:35:49 -0400
Not sure if anyone has been to  Cape St Mary's gannet colony in NL. The
majority of the nests there have plastic in them. Pretty disgusting

Helene

Helene Van Doninck DVM
Cobequid Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre
RR#1 Brookfield Nova Scotia Canada B0N1C0
hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca
www.cwrc.net
http://cwrcblog.blogspot.com/
1-902-893-0253

  -----Original Message-----
  From: naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca
[mailto:naturens-owner AT chebucto.ns.ca]On Behalf Of Tom & Terri
  Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 8:38 AM
  To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
  Subject: [NatureNS] The ocean will take it away


  Hi Gang.

  Remember these old commercials on TV.

  Well here's a link to a disturbing portfolio of where some of the debris
are ending up.

  These images of Albatross chicks may be hard for some to view.

  http://stateoftheart.popphoto.com/blog/2009/10/chris-jordans-midway-docume
nts-the-plight-of-albatross-chicks.html


  Tom K.
  Canso
Subject: Winter birds in HRM
From: Bob McDonald <bobathome AT hfx.eastlink.ca>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:21:27 -0400
After reading a number of reports of the arrival of winter birds in various 
locations, I thought I would mention that on a walk at Prospect High Head last 
weekend, a small group of us on a Wild Flora field trip noted a small group of 
Harlequin Ducks hauled out on some offshore rocks about 500 - 600 m along the 
trail from the Indian Point Rd trailhead. The group consisted of 3 males and 
4-5 females/immatures. 

Later in the afternoon, as we drove the 333 loop, about 5 km north of the Swiss 
Air 111 memorial, we noticed several small groups, totalling 6-7 individuals, 
of Horned Grebes. 


Cheers,
Bob McDonald
Halifax

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: James W. Wolford 
  To: NatureNS 
  Cc: Jim Wolford 
  Sent: Tuesday, November 03, 2009 5:06 PM
  Subject: [NatureNS] 3 insect reports + ad' for Quirks & Quarks


 NOV. 2, 2009 - I found a western conifer seed bug on our front screen door at 
home in Wolfville. Locally these bugs try to get into homes in autumn in order 
to overwinter, sometimes in numbers (but usually singles in my experience). 
This is a large insect with noticeable diamond-shaped enlargements on each hind 
leg. It was featured on a past Quirks & Quarks show for its special infra-red 
sense organ on its underside? for finding conifer cones by the fact that they 
are a bit warmer in temperature than their trees. 



 NOV. 3, 2009 - In east Wolfville, in the garden of Brenda & Bill Thexton, Bob 
Thexton noticed a small swarm of flies that was moving up and down in a dancing 
movement, just a metre or so above the ground. This is probably a swarm of male 
flies, perhaps winter crane flies?, that is dancing and buzzing to attract 
females of the same species. I don't recall reports of these over the past 
couple of winters, but Jean Timpa in Wolfville used to report these often in 
late autumn or spring, and I think Andrew Hebda? eventually identified to that 
family a fly that was captured by someone and submitted. But I think we still 
need someone to have an insect net at the right time and place to capture some 
of the dancing flies and get them identified for sure. The flies in question 
are small, and are difficult to observe as they fly; they are smallish and Bob 
said these had long legs (like real crane flies). 



 Speaking of flies, did some of you hear Quirks and Quarks last Saturday, Oct. 
31, and the item on a "unicorn fly" being found in amber? Check it out by 
Googling "quirks" and clicking on the most recent show. Also note that the Q&Q 
Web site has many years of past shows all archived for all of us. 



  Cheers from Jim in Wolfville


  Jim (James W.) Wolford
  91 Wickwire Ave.
  Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
  B4P 1W3


  phone 902-542-9204
  e-mail 


  "In wildness is the preservation of the world" -- Henry David Thoreau






------------------------------------------------------------------------------



  No virus found in this incoming message.
  Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
 Version: 8.5.423 / Virus Database: 270.14.46/2477 - Release Date: 11/02/09 
19:39:00 
Subject: Re: 3 insect reports + ad' for Quirks & Quarks
From: Rick Ballard <ideaphore AT gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 19:01:33 -0400
All Q&Q are also available as free podcasts. I get it automatically
downloaded via iTunes my iPod every week.

On Tue, Nov 3, 2009 at 5:06 PM, James W. Wolford wrote:

> *NOV. 2, 2009* - I found a *western conifer seed bug* on our front screen
> door at home in Wolfville.  Locally these bugs try to get into homes in
> autumn in order to overwinter, sometimes in numbers (but usually singles in
> my experience).  This is a large insect with noticeable diamond-shaped
> enlargements on each hind leg.  It was featured on a past *Quirks & Quarks
> * show for its special infra-red sense organ on its underside? for finding
> conifer cones by the fact that they are a bit warmer in temperature than
> their trees.
>
> *NOV. 3, 2009* - In east Wolfville, in the garden of Brenda & Bill
> Thexton, Bob Thexton noticed a small swarm of flies that was moving up and
> down in a dancing movement, just a metre or so above the ground.  This is
> probably a swarm of male flies, perhaps *winter crane flies?*, that is
> dancing and buzzing to attract females of the same species.  I don't recall
> reports of these over the past couple of winters, but Jean Timpa in
> Wolfville used to report these often in late autumn or spring, and I think
> Andrew Hebda? eventually identified to that family a fly that was captured
> by someone and submitted.  But I think we still need someone to have an
> insect net at the right time and place to capture some of the dancing flies
> and get them identified for sure.  The flies in question are small, and are
> difficult to observe as they fly; they are smallish and Bob said these had
> long legs (like real crane flies).
>
> Speaking of flies, did some of you hear *Quirks and Quarks* last Saturday,
> Oct. 31, and the item on a *"unicorn fly" *being found in amber?  Check it
> out by Googling "quirks" and clicking on the most recent show.  Also note
> that the Q&Q Web site has many years of past shows all archived for all of
> us.
>
> Cheers from Jim in Wolfville
>
> Jim (James W.) Wolford
> 91 Wickwire Ave.
> Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
> B4P 1W3
>
> phone 902-542-9204
> e-mail 
>
> "In wildness is the preservation of the world" -- Henry David Thoreau
>
>
>


-- 
Rick Ballard
Dartmouth,Nova Scotia, Canada
http://www.ideaphore.com
Subject: 3 insect reports + ad' for Quirks & Quarks
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:06:20 -0400
NOV. 2, 2009 - I found a western conifer seed bug on our front screen  
door at home in Wolfville.  Locally these bugs try to get into homes  
in autumn in order to overwinter, sometimes in numbers (but usually  
singles in my experience).  This is a large insect with noticeable  
diamond-shaped enlargements on each hind leg.  It was featured on a  
past Quirks & Quarks show for its special infra-red sense organ on  
its underside? for finding conifer cones by the fact that they are a  
bit warmer in temperature than their trees.

NOV. 3, 2009 - In east Wolfville, in the garden of Brenda & Bill  
Thexton, Bob Thexton noticed a small swarm of flies that was moving  
up and down in a dancing movement, just a metre or so above the  
ground.  This is probably a swarm of male flies, perhaps winter crane  
flies?, that is dancing and buzzing to attract females of the same  
species.  I don't recall reports of these over the past couple of  
winters, but Jean Timpa in Wolfville used to report these often in  
late autumn or spring, and I think Andrew Hebda? eventually  
identified to that family a fly that was captured by someone and  
submitted.  But I think we still need someone to have an insect net  
at the right time and place to capture some of the dancing flies and  
get them identified for sure.  The flies in question are small, and  
are difficult to observe as they fly; they are smallish and Bob said  
these had long legs (like real crane flies).

Speaking of flies, did some of you hear Quirks and Quarks last  
Saturday, Oct. 31, and the item on a "unicorn fly" being found in  
amber?  Check it out by Googling "quirks" and clicking on the most  
recent show.  Also note that the Q&Q Web site has many years of past  
shows all archived for all of us.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville

Jim (James W.) Wolford
91 Wickwire Ave.
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
B4P 1W3

phone 902-542-9204
e-mail 

"In wildness is the preservation of the world" -- Henry David Thoreau

Subject: Snow Buntings
From: "David W. Johnston" <dwj.jem AT ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:56:42 -0400
A flock of Snow Buntings have been reported this week here in the Port 
Hawkesbury area.
David Johnston

-- 
David W. Johnston
Mary K. Johnston
207 Hiram St.
Port Hawkesbury  N.S.
B9A 2C3

902 625 1534

dwj.jem AT ns.sympatico.ca
Subject: Re: Snow Buntings
From: Blake Maybank <maybank AT ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:44:40 -0400
I saw my first Snow Bunting of the autumn, a flock of 10, near West 
Dover, HRM, Nov. 2.

Cheers,

Blake


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blake Maybank
maybank AT ns.sympatico.ca
902-852-2077

Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds"
http://nsbs.chebucto.org

author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia"
http://tinyurl.com/birdingns
Downloadable Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and back covers:
http://tinyurl.com/mr627d

White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada  
Subject: Re: New Year's Eve Blue Moon
From: Sherman Williams <sherm AT glinx.com>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:35:43 -0400
A bout 5 p.m., last evening, while I was driving home, eastward from  
Wolfville there a magnificent rising of the Full Moon.  It would have  
made a great photo, positioned just above the pink outer fringe of  
the rising Earth shadow (the Belt of Venus).  ( linked here to a  
demonstration photo -not mine  http://extra.listverse.com/amazon/ 
weather/beltofvenus.jpg    Wish my camera had been handy.

Re: A BLUE MOON (something that's not supposed to happen very often)
Han's New Year's Eve Full Moon, is a much better candidate for that  
 >Blue Moon< idea: one must wait about 19 years for it to happen  
again (rather than the 2.5 year misnomer that seems to have made it  
into popular use in the last 50 or so years (I believe it came about  
based on a comment made in an astronomy magazine  article in 1943 and  
got picked up by the Farmer's Almanac (I'll check that out later)) .  
The last year we had a New Year's Full Moon was 1990, the next one  
will be 2028 :-).   An even better consideration for a Blue Moon  
event would be the years that we have no Full Moon in February,  with  
the  preceding January having 2 Full Moons and following March also  
having 2 Full Moons.  That will happen in 2018 and I think it  
happened last in 1999, again in 19 year intervals.

I'll probably do a little more research on this Blue Moon idea. If I  
find anything of more interest, I'll pass it along. I know there is  
an article in a the March 1999 copy of Sky and Telescope magazing, if  
I can find that copy.

Sherman


On 2/11/2009, at 9:04 AM, Hans Toom wrote:

> This new year's eve, December 31, we will have a blue moon to  
> celebrate the new year with.  The common modern definition of a  
> blue moon is the second full moon in any given month. The first  
> full moon of December will fall on December 2.  Although blue moons  
> are not that uncommon one falling on a particular day, say New  
> Year's Eve, must be extremely rare.  I hope for clear skies that  
> night to capture that rare event with my camera.  I was unable to  
> find a blue moon calculator that predicts on the basis of day of  
> the year so who knows when the next one will be.  Perhaps our RASC  
> members can provide an answer.
>
> I've posted my October photographic highlights leading off with  
> three edits of our recent moon.
>
> Hans
>
> http://www.hanstoom.com/Highlights/October09/0159.html
> _________________________________
> Hans Toom
> Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
> Website: http://hanstoom.com
> _________________________________
Subject: Re: Snow Buntings
From: garvin atkinson <heronsmist AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:22:30 -0400
I also saw a small flock of about 8 Snow Buntings on the 103 heading west 
towards Yarmouth on Halloween day. I always look forward to their arrival every 
fall. 

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Bruce Stevens 
  To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca 
  Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 11:28 PM
  Subject: [NatureNS] Snow Buntings


 James Hirtles' post reminded me that Allison and I saw ca. 10 Snow Buntings on 
the roadside on Cape Smokey CBI Halloween afternoon. 


  -- 
  Bruce Stevens
  Maryvale, NS



------------------------------------------------------------------------------



  No virus found in this incoming message.
  Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
 Version: 8.5.424 / Virus Database: 270.14.46/2477 - Release Date: 11/02/09 
19:39:00 
Subject: Snow Buntings
From: Bruce Stevens <m.bruce.stevens AT gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 23:28:24 -0400
James Hirtles' post reminded me that Allison and I saw ca. 10 Snow Buntings
on the roadside on Cape Smokey CBI Halloween afternoon.

-- 
Bruce Stevens
Maryvale, NS
Subject: Other Birds
From: James Hirtle <jrhbirder AT hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 02:16:41 +0000
On Oct. 31, there were two snow buntings in Lunenburg and another two at 
Heckman's Island. David Walmark and I also had a sharp-shinned hawk in 
Lunenburg. Yesterday, David Walmark had 20 Bonaparte gulls at Kingsburg Beach 
and he saw a lot of shorebirds at Hell's Point. He did not let me know the 
species composition though. I had 13 sanderlings, a least sandpiper, 7 
semi-pamated sandpipers and 12 semi-palmated plovers at Kingsburg Beach. There 
was also a female northern pintail there. 


 

James R. Hirtle

Bayport
 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Lots of fantastic Windows 7 offers, in one convenient place. Get the perfect 
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Subject: Greater Scaup
From: James Hirtle <jrhbirder AT hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 02:02:40 +0000
On October 31 at Mason's Beach, David Walmark and I counted 62 greater scaup. 
There were also two ring-necked ducks there. 


 

Sincerely,

 

James R. Hirtle

Bayport
 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Save up to 84% on Windows 7 until Jan 3—eligible CDN College & University 
students only. Hurry—buy it now for $39.99! 

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Subject: red knots
From: John Nickerson <jonsannick AT hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 21:27:37 -0400
 

 

 at daniels head today

 

  8 red knots

 

 2 harlequin ducks females

 

  3 northern harriers

 

            johnny 
 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Lots of fantastic Windows 7 offers, in one convenient place. Get the perfect 
deal for you now. 

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Subject: Kingston to Port George and back
From: Patrick Giffin <p_giffin AT hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 19:22:54 -0400
1Nov09 1430-1700
 
Hi:
Near low tide at Port George, ~15knot wind, NNW.
14 Harlequin Ducks, 7 obvious, mature, males; the other 7 were adult, male, 
non-breeding or adult females: 


On the shoulder of Delusion Rd. an adult, male, Spruce Grouse:

Spa Springs; a RT Hawk: 

Wiswal Brook, Melvern Square, 2 Beaver & 3 Mallards:

Spinney's Pond, Victoria Vale, 54 C. Geese.  
At Port George we searched in vane for Kittiwakes, Jaegers, Snow Buntings.

Cheers, Barbara and Pat
 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Ready for a deal-of-a-lifetime? See fantastic offers on Windows 7, in one 
convenient place. 

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Subject: RE: Mystery birdsong
From: "Laviolette, Lance (EXP)" <lance.laviolette AT lmco.com>
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:17:16 -0500
Hi Eleanor,

>So for the time being I'll go with Andy's 'whispered songs'. 
>The time of year is right, I have song sparrows around and 
>the 'whispering' captures the essence of what I was hearing.....

Andy's suggestion of a 'whispering' Song Sparrow is indeed the most likely. The 
photo-period in late September/early October is similar in length to that of 
early Spring and, as it does in spring, it often stimulates birds to sing. 
However, because the hormone levels at this time of year are much lower than 
during early spring and summer the songs that are produced are very weak and 
whispery. From my experience, Song Sparrows commonly exhibit this behaviour. 


All the best,

Lance
===========================
Lance Laviolette
Glen Robertson, Ontario
lance.laviolette AT lmco.com
===========================
P Before printing think about your responsibility & commitment to the 
Environment! 

P Merci de penser ŕ l'environnement avant d'imprimer ce courriel!
Subject: RE: New Year's Eve Blue Moon
From: Bev Crowell <bevcrowell AT hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 09:33:49 -0400
 

Those are truly beautiful, Hans. And we'll know about the blue moon in plenty 
of time to catch it! :) 

 


Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 09:04:15 -0400
From: Htoom AT hfx.eastlink.ca
Subject: [NatureNS] New Year's Eve Blue Moon
To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca




This new year's eve, December 31, we will have a blue moon to celebrate the new 
year with. The common modern definition of a blue moon is the second full moon 
in any given month. The first full moon of December will fall on December 2. 
Although blue moons are not that uncommon one falling on a particular day, say 
New Year's Eve, must be extremely rare. I hope for clear skies that night to 
capture that rare event with my camera. I was unable to find a blue moon 
calculator that predicts on the basis of day of the year so who knows when the 
next one will be. Perhaps our RASC members can provide an answer. 

 
I've posted my October photographic highlights leading off with three edits of 
our recent moon. 

 
Hans
 
http://www.hanstoom.com/Highlights/October09/0159.html
_________________________________
Hans Toom
Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
Website: http://hanstoom.com 
_________________________________ 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
CDN College or University student? Get Windows 7 for only $39.99 before Jan 3! 
Buy it now! 

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9691636
Subject: Re: Red breasted nuthatches
From: Marg Millard <mmillard AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:29:06 -0400
Since RB nuthatches are reported as being scarce this year, I thought
I'd mention that I currently have two at my feeders. I usually have 1-3
at the beginning of every winter, but they always vanish before the
winter's end. Does anyone know why, or where they go to?

Eleanor Lindsay, St Margarets Bay
.............................

I have had two red breasted nuthatches visiting my feeder about 10am, oops, 
now 9 am !!, everyday but today it appears to be alone. Very nice looking 
specimen, I think. The white breasteds were coming  in the later pm about 4 
to 5, so switch back an hour for time change. they have been consistent in 
their arrival. They seem to be taking the black oil sunflower seeds as a 
last resort. I haven't started putting my seed cakes out yet but they do 
seem to visit that part of the grape vine, hanging upside down looking where 
normally in cold weather the seed cakes would be hanging.
Marg Millard, White Point, Queens.

http://MargMillard.ca 

Subject: New Year's Eve Blue Moon
From: Hans Toom <Htoom AT hfx.eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:04:15 -0400
This new year's eve, December 31, we will have a blue moon to celebrate the new 
year with. The common modern definition of a blue moon is the second full moon 
in any given month. The first full moon of December will fall on December 2. 
Although blue moons are not that uncommon one falling on a particular day, say 
New Year's Eve, must be extremely rare. I hope for clear skies that night to 
capture that rare event with my camera. I was unable to find a blue moon 
calculator that predicts on the basis of day of the year so who knows when the 
next one will be. Perhaps our RASC members can provide an answer. 


I've posted my October photographic highlights leading off with three edits of 
our recent moon. 


Hans

http://www.hanstoom.com/Highlights/October09/0159.html
_________________________________
Hans Toom
Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
Website: http://hanstoom.com 
_________________________________
Subject: Re: Red breasted nuthatches
From: Hubcove AT aol.com
Date: Mon, 2 Nov 2009 07:41:29 EST
Definitely not scarce in Hubbards, we have several and they appear to have  
had a successful breeding year. They are at the feeders constantly.
Peter Stow
Hubbards
Subject: Pink-footed Geese in Maine
From: iamclar AT dal.ca
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:39:03 -0400
All:

There are three pink-foots in Thornhurst, Maine, nicel digiscoped yesterday by
Derek Lovitch with photos at:

    http://maineoutdoorjournal.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=16107

There have also been a number of recent reports of Cackling Goose  from ME and
elsewhere in n.e. U.S.

Cheers, Ian

Ian McLaren
Subject: Re: Mystery birdsong
From: Eleanor Lindsay <kelindsay AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:27:40 -0400
Thanks Suzanne; I checked out the fox sparrow's song on receiving your 
email (and I do tend to see one or two briefly each autumn) but it's 
definitely not that - too 'strong' a sound and too repetitive in 
comparison with this tiny, soft meandering voice I was hearing through 
September and early-mid October.

Eleanor

Suzanne Borkowski wrote:
> Hi Eleanor;
>
> Fox Sparrows sometimes come through people's yards in the Fall. Have you 
listened to their song? 

>
> Cheers;
> Suzanne
>
>
>
>
> --- On Sun, 11/1/09, Eleanor Lindsay  wrote:
>
>   
>> From: Eleanor Lindsay 
>> Subject: [NatureNS] Mystery birdsong
>> To: "NatureNS" 
>> Received: Sunday, November 1, 2009, 9:52 AM
>> My thanks (and apologies for the
>> delay in replying, due to friends visiting) to all who
>> offered suggestions about my mystery birdsong.
>>
>> The winter wren was one of the first possibilities I had
>> already checked with my Peterson disc, but its song was
>> quite different. Unfortunately I don't have a means of
>> recording sounds, but while I am very familiar with the
>> usual vocalisations of goldfinch, song and white throat
>> sparrows, Andy Horn's 'whispered songs of the song sparrow'
>> is an intriguing possibility - I do have some around now, as
>> I do every year, (though I have never registered this
>> particular  song before) and I may well have seen one
>> in the vicinity of the 'mystery' song and dismissed it as
>> not being the source.
>>
>> So for the time being I'll go with Andy's 'whispered
>> songs'. The time of year is right, I have song sparrows
>> around and the 'whispering' captures the essence of what I
>> was hearing.....
>>
>> Eleanor Lindsay
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>     
>
>
>       __________________________________________________________________
> Be smarter than spam. See how smart SpamGuard is at giving junk email the 
boot with the All-new Yahoo! Mail. Click on Options in Mail and switch to New 
Mail today or register for free at http://mail.yahoo.ca 

>   
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
> Version: 8.5.423 / Virus Database: 270.14.39/2470 - Release Date: 10/30/09 
15:18:00 

>
>   
Subject: Red breasted nuthatches
From: Eleanor Lindsay <kelindsay AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:33:40 -0400
Since RB nuthatches are reported as being scarce this year, I thought 
I'd mention that I currently have two at my feeders. I usually have 1-3 
at the beginning of every winter, but they always vanish before the 
winter's end. Does anyone know why, or where they go to?

Eleanor Lindsay, St Margarets Bay
Subject: Fundy Shore birds - Harlequins etc.
From: "P.L. Chalmers" <plchalmers AT ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:52:00 -0400
Hi there,

	I spent the weekend visiting friends in Margaretsville.  Saturday 
was remarkably mild (+17) but became very windy by early afternoon. I 
went out to scan the waters, under less than ideal conditions.  It 
was !00% overcast, windy, with quite a chop on the water which made 
it hard to pick things out.  However, at Margaretsville there was a 
flock of about 200 seaducks just offshore to the west of the 
lighthouse; more than half were Surf Scoters, with lesser numbers of 
Common Eider and White-winged Scoters, a very few Black Scoters and a 
couple of pairs of Long-tailed Ducks.  There was one Horned Grebe 
with a very light throat. No loons or alcids.  At mid-day at Port 
George, there were three female Harlequin Ducks in tight against the 
shore just where the brook runs out through the gorge.  Three fine 
drakes were further west along the coast, before Cottage Cove.  I was 
delighted to see these, the first I've seen this year.  There were 
several flocks of gulls loafing on the rocks, but nothing out of the ordinary.

	Although Crows and Blue Jays were everywhere, other land birds were 
scarce. A flock of 6 Snow Buntings flushed repeatedly from the 
shoulder of the road in Port George, the first of the fall for me.  I 
went for several walks in the woods behind my friends' farm on both 
days.  Yesterday a Ruffed Grouse exploded from the trail's edge, and 
I found Black-capped and Boreal Chickadees, and lots of 
Golden-crowned Kinglets.  This afternoon I found a Gray Jay, Downy 
and Hairy Woodpeckers, and a Brown Creeper, but there were no 
Red-breasted Nuthatches, which continue to be scarce this 
year.   This weekend I particularly noticed the absence of sparrows 
and finches. In my travels I saw only a couple of Song Sparrows, and 
a single Chipping Sparrow  (I expected a Tree Sparrow, but it 
wasn't), and a few Dark-eyed Juncos, the latter both in 
Morden.   There was also a flock of Robins in Morden on Sunday 
afternoon.  Thanks to the crows and ravens which harassed them, I saw 
two raptors this weekend - a Northern Goshawk and a Red-tailed Hawk, 
both over the farm.

	It was interesting to read Richard Stern's account of his birding at 
the same locations today - what a difference a day and a night of 
strong winds can make!  The winds must have brought those seabirds up 
into the bay.

	Cheers,

	Patricia L. Chalmers
	Halifax
Subject: Orioles
From: Lois Codling <loiscodling AT hfx.eastlink.ca>
Date: Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:50:45 -0400
Today we had a 1st fall female Baltimore Oriole picking insects from 
inside the Lilac leaves, and also in the apple tree.  Weds., Oct. 28th 
we had a 1st fall male B. Oriole, and a week earlier on the 21st an 
adult male.

Today's Oriole was accompanied by a N. Parula Warbler, which was also 
seen on Fri. Oct. 30 along with a flock of Golden-cr. Kinglets.  A 
female Red-winged Blackbird has been coming to the feeders for several 
days now, and several C. Grackles.  Yesterday I watched Crows chasing a 
Red-tailed Hawk.  The Bluejays are slowing down a bit with their 
seed-storage activities, but are still keeping most of the Finches 
away.  Today I saw only 1 Goldfinch.  It's definitely looking like 
November in our yard, but the apple leaves are still hanging on, so 
maybe more Orioles are on the way!

Lois Codling,
L. Sackville.
Subject: Fundy Shore birding this afternoon
From: Richard Stern <sternrichard AT gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 16:39:20 -0400
Hi,

Angus and I went part way down the Fundy Shore this afternoon, and saw some
birds of interest.


First off there were were 3 LBB GULLS in a field full of Herring gulls along
the 221 near North Kingston.

At Morden, there were a lot of ROBINS, but not much on the water.

At Margaresville, there were good numbers of SURF and WHITE-WINGED SCOTER,
C. EIDERS, 1 BLACK GUILLEMOT, 2 RED-NECKED GREBES, still with red necks, and
a single SNOW BUNTING flew over.

AT PORT GEORGE and Cottage Cove, we hit the jackpot, with something I have
rarely if ever sen that far up the Bay - real seabirds. There were N.
GANNETS, BLACK-L.KITTIWAKES, a flock of GREATER SHEARWATERS farther out, and
best of all 3 or 4 PAERASITIC JAEGERS - some of which we watched harrassing
Kittiwakes. The 1st ICELAND GULL of the season also flew by.

As others have commented, BLUE JAYS were everywhere.

Incidentally, just before dusk 2 evenings ago a pair of N.CARDINALS appeared
at the feeder on my deck.

Cheers,

Richard

-- 
#################
Richard Stern,
317 Middle Dyke Rd.
Port Williams, NS, Canada
B0P 1T0

sternrichard AT gmail.com
###################
Subject: Re: Mystery birdsong
From: Suzanne Borkowski <suzanneborkowski AT yahoo.ca>
Date: Sun, 1 Nov 2009 07:57:28 -0800 (PST)
Hi Eleanor;

Fox Sparrows sometimes come through people's yards in the Fall. Have you 
listened to their song? 


Cheers;
Suzanne




--- On Sun, 11/1/09, Eleanor Lindsay  wrote:

> From: Eleanor Lindsay 
> Subject: [NatureNS] Mystery birdsong
> To: "NatureNS" 
> Received: Sunday, November 1, 2009, 9:52 AM
> My thanks (and apologies for the
> delay in replying, due to friends visiting) to all who
> offered suggestions about my mystery birdsong.
> 
> The winter wren was one of the first possibilities I had
> already checked with my Peterson disc, but its song was
> quite different. Unfortunately I don't have a means of
> recording sounds, but while I am very familiar with the
> usual vocalisations of goldfinch, song and white throat
> sparrows, Andy Horn's 'whispered songs of the song sparrow'
> is an intriguing possibility - I do have some around now, as
> I do every year, (though I have never registered this
> particular  song before) and I may well have seen one
> in the vicinity of the 'mystery' song and dismissed it as
> not being the source.
> 
> So for the time being I'll go with Andy's 'whispered
> songs'. The time of year is right, I have song sparrows
> around and the 'whispering' captures the essence of what I
> was hearing.....
> 
> Eleanor Lindsay
> 
> 
> 
> 


      __________________________________________________________________
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Subject: Mystery birdsong
From: Eleanor Lindsay <kelindsay AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:52:19 -0400
My thanks (and apologies for the delay in replying, due to friends 
visiting) to all who offered suggestions about my mystery birdsong.

The winter wren was one of the first possibilities I had already checked 
with my Peterson disc, but its song was quite different. Unfortunately I 
don't have a means of recording sounds, but while I am very familiar 
with the usual vocalisations of goldfinch, song and white throat 
sparrows, Andy Horn's 'whispered songs of the song sparrow' is an 
intriguing possibility - I do have some around now, as I do every year, 
(though I have never registered this particular  song before) and I may 
well have seen one in the vicinity of the 'mystery' song and dismissed 
it as not being the source.

So for the time being I'll go with Andy's 'whispered songs'. The time of 
year is right, I have song sparrows around and the 'whispering' captures 
the essence of what I was hearing.....

Eleanor Lindsay


Subject: Orioles
From: Susann Myers <myerss AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Sun, 01 Nov 2009 09:19:55 -0400
Five immature Baltimore Orioles (2m, 3f) flew into the grape vine in my back 
yard on Vienna Street, Halifax, yesterday at noon. At least 2 returned this 
morning, to continue feasting on grapes. 


Susann Myers 
Subject: A few new pics
From: Richard Stern <sternrichard AT gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:59:07 -0300
I've completed my Oct. NS birds/ nature gallery with a few more pics -
http://www.pbase.com/rb_stern/ns_fall_09

Richard

-- 
#################
Richard Stern,
317 Middle Dyke Rd.
Port Williams, NS, Canada
B0P 1T0

sternrichard AT gmail.com
###################
Subject: Pictou Co. Harbours Halloween birds
From: Ken McKenna <kenmcken AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:39:03 -0300

Hi all
Here are some highlights of birding around Pictou, Caribou and Chance Harbours 
on Sat. morning.Oct. 31. 


I arrived at Waterside PP about 9 a.m. and was impressed with an easterly 
movement of flocks of American Robins. I counted 180 in about 1.5 hours. I 
wondered how many might have moved before I got there. A flock of 17 Waxwings 
flew over and I think they were Cedars from the brief flight call. I saw a 
single COMMON REDPOLL, my first for the fall. My count for the park was 30 
species. There were 4 Black-bellied Plover, the only shorebirds for the 
morning. The flock of RED-THROATED LOONS had dwindled to 50 from the 90 on Oct. 
25. An American Kestrel flew over the marsh and I later saw it closer to Weirs 
Gut. In the distance I could see 5 Bald Eagles in the air north on Caribou I. I 
later observed these eagles feeding on a deer? carcass on the beach. There were 
about 50 Bonaparte's Gulls in the park area and a first winter Black-headed 
Gull was noted with them. In the distance I could see quite a bit of activity 
near an inlet leading to the area near Weirs gut and there appeared to be quite 
a few small gulls there. At the park, other species in numbers were 250 Canada 
Geese and 95 Red-breasted Merganser. Two of each Northern Flicker and 
Yellow-rumped Warbler and a single Savannah Sparrow to break up the monopoly of 
the 5 Song Sparrows were also observed. A single Great Blue Heron was noted on 
the return trip through the park. 


At the Caribou light bar, I encountered my first Iceland Gulls for the fall- 3 
adults and one 2nd winter.There were 50 Bonaparte's Gulls here and 3 
Red-throated Loons. A Merlin perched on a powerline nearby. 

 At Haliburton Gut near the Pictou Rotary, I counted at least 170 Hooded 
Mergansers and 150 Bonaparte's Gulls. A single Great Blue Heron flew in here as 
well. Nearby, the field of Rollie MacDonalds closer to the rotary held a large 
flock of Canada Geese and gulls, mostly Ring-bills. I did not count either. 

At the Pictou Causeway, there was still a substantial flock of Double-crested 
Cormorants likely in excess of 50 birds.I did not stop to count. A few Scaup 
were noted, but by this time the winds had worked up the water into quite a 
chop. Some Bonaparte's Gulls were working the waters with the tide change. 


At Sinclair's I. there were an additional 50 Bonaparte's Gulls. 

At the New Glasgow sewage treatment plant, I noted 3 Gadwall in a mixed flock 
of about 6 species of waterfowl. The day was quite mild very close to 20C, but 
the winds picked up in the afternoon. 


cheers
Ken


Ken McKenna
Box 218 Stellarton NS
B0K 1S0
902 752-7644
Subject: bat at villagedale
From: pipingploverss AT eastlink.ca
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:53:34 -0300
31 oct, 2009 at 155 pm
at villagedale road by lamrock electric

there was a bat about 15=20 inches when wing spread flying, all black except 
light faint grey where upper wings when spread and darting back and forth over 
the highway, i watched it for about 10 minutes and it was still there when i 
left 



any comments

clyde stoddart email sawwhetowl AT gmail.com
Subject: shorebirds
From: John Nickerson <jonsannick AT hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:27:20 -0300
 

 

  at the hawk beach on the kelp banks

 

  sanderlings

  white rumped sandpipers

  dunlin

  sem. pal. sandpipers

  black bellied plovers

  sem. pal. plover

  pectoral sandpiper

 

  at the guzzel

 

  4 long billed dowitchers

  greater yellow legs

  lesser yellow legs

 

 they were seen this morning at high tide

 

 

                            johnny  sandra  nickerson

 
 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
CDN College or University student? Get Windows 7 for only $39.99 before Jan 3! 
Buy it now! 

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9691636
Subject: Yell.-br. Chat W. End Halifax, and weather prospects
From: iamclar AT dal.ca
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:22:54 -0300
All:

Late Thursday afternoon (29th) a chat checked me out briefly from the 
multiflora 

rose thickets along the footpath between the end of Waegwoltic Ave and Chebucto
Road, W. End Halifax.

Otherwise not much about - almost no birds yesterday a.m. in the back cove,
Hartlen Pt.

However, the weather prospects look interesting for, say, Monday - a deep low
near the Great Lakes is causing southwesterly airflow from the s.e. U.S.A. -
conditions that have brought "reverse migrants" in the past autumns.
Subject: Yell.-br. Chat W. End Halifax, and weather prospects
From: iamclar AT dal.ca
Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:22:54 -0300
All:

Late Thursday afternoon (29th) a chat checked me out briefly from the 
multiflora 

rose thickets along the footpath between the end of Waegwoltic Ave and Chebucto
Road, W. End Halifax.

Otherwise not much about - almost no birds yesterday a.m. in the back cove,
Hartlen Pt.

However, the weather prospects look interesting for, say, Monday - a deep low
near the Great Lakes is causing southwesterly airflow from the s.e. U.S.A. -
conditions that have brought "reverse migrants" in the past autumns.
Subject: Baltimore Oriole
From: "David W. Johnston" <dwj.jem AT ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:53:45 -0300
I saw three Baltimore Orioles in my back yard today here in Port 
Hawkesbury. First I have seen this fall.
Also, while birding a remote woodland area near town this week, it was 
interesting that I found two Palm Warblers and a Hermit Thrush - along 
with the expected Golden-crowned Kinglets, Chickadees, Junkos etc.

-- 
David W. Johnston
Mary K. Johnston
207 Hiram St.
Port Hawkesbury  N.S.
B9A 2C3

902 625 1534

dwj.jem AT ns.sympatico.ca
Subject: Eric Mills to Lecture on History of Marine Sciences in Atlantic Canada
From: <plchalmers AT ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:59:56 -0300
Hi there,

This will be of interest to some.

Patricia L. Chalmers
Halifax

Public Talk:

Eric Mills

Facing the Atlantic:
How the Marine Sciences began on Canada's East Coast

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
1675 Lower Water Street
Halifax

Tuesday, November 3
7:30 pm 

Canada's first marine biological stations were established in 1908 in St 
Andrews, NB and Nanaimo, BC. They were the outcome of a campaign by Canadian 
scientists to bring the country's marine sciences up to international 
standards, and to provide research opportunities for themselves. But the marine 
sciences had been studied in Canada long before 1908. 


This exensively illustrated talk outlines the background of science in Canada 
before the early 20th century, placing it in its unique historical setting. 


Oceans have had a mysterious allure for centuries, inspiring fears, myths and 
poetic imaginations. By the early twentieth century, however, scientists began 
to see oceans as physical phenomena that could be understood through 
mathematical geophysics. 


The Fluid Envelope of Our Planet by Eric Mills, explores the scientific 
developments from the middle ages to the twentieth century that illuminated the 
once murky depths of oceanography. 


Tracing the transition from descriptive to mathematical analyses of the oceans, 
Professor Mills examines sailors' and explorers'observations of the oceans, the 
influences of Scandinavian techniques on German-speaking geographers and the 
eventual development of shared quantitative practices and ideas. 


Eric Mills is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie 
University, and Inglis Professor and former Director of the History of Science 
and Technology Programme at the University of King’s College in Halifax. 


Beginning in 1967, Eric taught and did research in biological oceanography at 
Dalhousie University, following an undergraduate degree at Carleton and a MS, 
PhD at Yale. In 1994, after a transition from the marine science to the history 
of science, Eric helped transform and ultimate lead as Director, the joint 
History of Science and Technology Programme at the University of King’s 
College and Dalhousie. Since “retirement” in 2002, Eric has continued to 
teach and research the history of the marine science and oceanography, 
specializing in 19th century history, the development of biological 
oceanography, and the origins of physical oceanography. 

Subject: RE: The ocean will take it away
From: Ken MacAulay <kenmacaulay AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:29:49 -0300
That is very disturbing!  Too bad those responsible couldn't see the result
of their stupidity!
Ken MacAulay
Port Mouton, NS
Subject: Re: lark sparrow
From: "Roland McCormick" <roland.mccormick AT ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:30:25 -0300
I appreciate your reports John. I have missed Murray's reports, and yours kind 
of fill the gap. 

I have never seen a lark sparrow - I will have to visit the area you mention 
and perhaps take a walk along the trail there. 


Roland
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: John Nickerson 
  To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca 
  Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 11:00 AM
  Subject: [NatureNS] lark sparrow


   
   
    1 lark sparrow at barrington by old ferry wharf
   
   
   
                                                johnny


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Subject: Snow Buntings in Morden
From: Gary Myers <gemyers AT av.eastlink.ca>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:50:48 -0300
We had a pair of snow buntings by the bay in Morden this morning. Gary Myers 
Morden NS 
Subject: lark sparrow
From: John Nickerson <jonsannick AT hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:00:25 -0300
 

 

  1 lark sparrow at barrington by old ferry wharf

 

 

 

                                              johnny
 		 	   		  
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Subject: Re: The ocean will take it away
From: Gayle MacLean <duartess2003 AT yahoo.ca>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:47:08 -0700 (PDT)
Very disturbing and thought provoking. Wonder if folks will ever 'get it'....
 
Gayle MacLean
Dartmouth

--- On Fri, 10/30/09, Tom & Terri  wrote:


From: Tom & Terri 
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] The ocean will take it away
To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
Received: Friday, October 30, 2009, 8:12 AM





Hi Guys
 
This is the link that was suppose to be coppied.
 
http://www.chrisjordan.com/
 
Click on the "Midway" link at the top of the page to view all the photos!
 
Sory for the wrong link in the first message
 
Tom

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Tom & Terri 
To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca 
Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 8:37 AM
Subject: [NatureNS] The ocean will take it away


Hi Gang. 

Remember these old commercials on TV. 

Well here's a link to a disturbing portfolio of where some of the debris are 
ending up. 


These images of Albatross chicks may be hard for some to view. 


http://stateoftheart.popphoto.com/blog/2009/10/chris-jordans-midway-documents-the-plight-of-albatross-chicks.html 

 

Tom K. 
Canso

 


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Subject: Re: Suburban Ring-necked Pheasants -- They're in Pt Pleasant Park, too
From: Andrew Horn <aghorn AT dal.ca>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:42:33 -0300
Hi all,

One more bit of evidence to add to Pat Chalmer's earlier post: I  
flushed a pheasant this morning from the slopes above Black Rock  
Beach. I think others have seen them in the park in the past, but it  
was a first for me.

Cheers,
Andy Horn
Halifax

On 25-Oct-09, at 10:30 PM, P.L. Chalmers wrote:

> Hi there,
>
> 	Several reports of a common bird in unexpected locations lately  
> made me wonder if a pattern was emerging,,,
>
> 	A few weeks ago at the Frog Pond in Jollimore, HRM I had a long  
> chat with a local resident who reported several interesting  
> observations.  He clearly knew his birds, and mentioned that the  
> most surprising thing he had seen recently was a Ring-necked  
> Pheasant (roadkilled) along a nearby stretch of the Purcell's Cove  
> Road.  The habitat is all wrong - a well-treed suburban area with  
> mixed mature woodland between the houses.  The homes don't have big  
> lawns, and there are no large grassy patches - nothing at all like  
> an overgrown pasture or golf course.
>
> 	Yesterday my parents observed a female Ring-necked Pheasant in  
> their front yard.  Again, this is hardly suitable habitat.  We have  
> mixed woodland (more coniferous than deciduous), and mature gardens,  
> but not open grassy areas.  Ruffed Grouse were occasional visitors  
> in the past, until the development of the Ravines of Bedford South  
> wiped out the woodland behind us; grouse could be expected, but not  
> these pheasants.
>
> 	In the areas with appropriate habitat where I do regularly see  
> RNPH, their numbers seem to be increasing.  Is there pressure on  
> them to move closer to human habitation?
>
> 	Cheers,
>
> 	Patricia L. Chalmers
> 	Halifax
>
>
Subject: N.S. Bird Society Field Trip: Port Hawkesbury; Sat. Nov. 7
From: Patrick Kelly <patrick.kelly AT dal.ca>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:10:47 -0300
Saturday November 7 2009 – Port Hawkesbury
Leaders: David Johnston 625-1534 Email: dwj.jem AT ns.sympatico.ca and  
Dave McCorquodale 563-1260 Email: david_mccorquodale AT capebretonu.ca
Meet at 9:00 am at the Tourist Information Building in Port Hastings.  
At the Canso Causeway there are frequently concentrations of gulls,  
eagles and gannets that are feeding on migrating skipjacks (aka  
billfish) in mid-November. In addition we will check out the  
waterfront for loons, grebes, alcids and waterfowl, feeders for  
lingering migrants, and a few fields and creek valleys for sparrows  
and warblers. Lunch will follow at David and Mary Johnston’s home.  
Storm date: November 14.
__________________________
Patrick Kelly

President, Nova Scotia Bird Society

RR#2  159 Town Road
Falmouth NS  B0P 1L0
Canada

(902) 472-2322 (h)
(902) 494-3294 (w)


Subject: Nova Scotia Bird Society Field Trip: New Birders' Walk, Halifax
From: Patrick Kelly <patrick.kelly AT dal.ca>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:09:49 -0300
Saturday November 7 2009 – New Birders’ Walk, Halifax
Leader: Patricia Chalmers Email: plchalmers AT ns.sympatico.ca
Meet in the Lower parking lot at the end of Point Pleasant Drive by  
the wall overlooking Black Rock Beach at 9:30 am. We’ll take a  
leisurely walk around part of the park to look for birds in their  
natural habitat on land and on the water. Duration: 2 hours. No storm  
date for this trip.

For more information about the society, visit   nsbs.chebucto.org
__________________________
Patrick Kelly

President, Nova Scotia Bird Society

RR#2  159 Town Road
Falmouth NS  B0P 1L0
Canada

(902) 472-2322 (h)
(902) 494-3294 (w)


Subject: Re: The ocean will take it away
From: "Tom & Terri" <terri.crane AT ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:12:40 -0300
Hi Guys

This is the link that was suppose to be coppied.

http://www.chrisjordan.com/

Click on the "Midway" link at the top of the page to view all the photos!

Sory for the wrong link in the first message

Tom
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Tom & Terri 
  To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca 
  Sent: Friday, October 30, 2009 8:37 AM
  Subject: [NatureNS] The ocean will take it away


  Hi Gang. 

  Remember these old commercials on TV. 

 Well here's a link to a disturbing portfolio of where some of the debris are 
ending up. 


  These images of Albatross chicks may be hard for some to view. 

 
http://stateoftheart.popphoto.com/blog/2009/10/chris-jordans-midway-documents-the-plight-of-albatross-chicks.html 



  Tom K. 
  Canso
Subject: The ocean will take it away
From: "Tom & Terri" <terri.crane AT ns.sympatico.ca>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:37:52 -0300
Hi Gang. 

Remember these old commercials on TV. 

Well here's a link to a disturbing portfolio of where some of the debris are 
ending up. 


These images of Albatross chicks may be hard for some to view. 


http://stateoftheart.popphoto.com/blog/2009/10/chris-jordans-midway-documents-the-plight-of-albatross-chicks.html 



Tom K. 
Canso
Subject: Naturalist talk-" Forest Birds of Pictou-Antigonish Highlands"- John Kearney
From: Ken McKenna <kenmcken AT eastlink.ca>
Date: Fri, 30 Oct 2009 07:29:07 -0300
Hi all 
Here is notice of the next presentation of the Pictou Co. Naturalists Club. 

Tuesday, November 3, 7:00 
New Glasgow Public Library Program Room
Pictou County Naturalist Club
Guest speaker John Kearney will present his illustrated talk, "The Forest Birds 
of the Pictou-Antigonish Highlands - Their Breeding, Migration and Habitat". 
All welcome to attend. 

cheers
ken

Ken McKenna
Box 218 Stellarton NS
B0K 1S0
902 752-7644
Subject: Snow Buntings, etc.
From: Brian Dalzell <aythya AT nb.sympatico.ca>
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:23:49 -0300
Although I have seen no mention of them, SNOW BUNTINGS seem to have arrived 
across the province in good numbers in recent days. During a bird survey at the 
highest point in mainland Nova Scotia (Mount Nuttby in the Cobequid Mountains) 
Stuart Tingley and I found two Snow Buntings (both singles) along a logging 
road in the middle of a huge clearcut area (this was on Tuesday, Oct. 27). Next 
day, on a small offshore island near Lower Woods Harbour, Shelburne county, we 
found a couple of flocks totaling 50+ Snow Buntings feeding in the kelp line. 


Also of note were migrating woodpeckers, with several Downy and Hairy at Mount 
Nuttby flying across huge clear-cuts, and a single Hairy Woodpecker on the 
offshore island on Oct. 28. I was also surprised to find a fair number of 
PURPLE FINCHES in the Cobequid Mountains, at least 10-15 on Tuesday. All were 
apparent hatch-year (female-type) bird in little groups of 1-3, feeding on the 
buds of maple saplings. Again, I have heard no mention of a recent influx, but 
this must be the case. Still a fair number of HERMIT THRUSH in the mountains, 
with three on Oct. 27th. 


Brian Dalzell
Tatamagouche, NS &
Moncton, NB.

P.S.  In Shelburne, a flock of ~25 Cedar Waxwings on Wednesday afternoon.
Subject: RE: re fishing eagles
From: Fritz McEvoy <fritzmcevoy AT hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:49:40 -0300
Hi All,

 "but I have way of knowing for sure" should read but I have no way of knowing 
for sure. Not my day. :) 


    All the best. 

              Fritz McEvoy

 


From: fritzmcevoy AT hotmail.com
To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: [NatureNS] re fishing eagles
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:02:47 -0300



Hi All,
 Recently I posted a observation, made to me by a local resident, of eagles and 
other birds catching fish near Bay St. Lawrence. I suggested billfish as the 
possible food source but neglected to put a ? after the suggestion. This has 
been taken (unfortunately incorrectly) as a personal observation of billfish 
and I want to correct the posting so as to be accurate as possible. The 
billfish suggestion/guess was based on observations, posted on naturens, of N. 
Gannets fishing at the Canso Causeway. The fish may indeed be billfish but I 
have way of knowing for sure. 

   I'm sorry for any confusion this oversight may have caused.
 This is a good lesson on being as precise as possible in our posts and to 
correct errors posted on naturens ASAP as these emails are used by the natural 
history community to keep accurate records and do scientific research in the 
province. All the best. 

                           Fritz McEvoy
                           Sunrise Valley CB (near Dingwall)



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Subject: Re: wilson's storm petrel
From: Kathleen MacAulay <roughlegged_hawk AT yahoo.ca>
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:35:42 -0700 (PDT)
I don't have much experience with petrels, but I was speaking with Helene van 
Doninck moments ago about this, and she informed me that petrels will not fly 
unless they are tossed over water, and must be released at night to avoid being 
predated by gulls. 


However, grounded birds often have problems, emaciation/starvation being one of 
them. If your friend is not sure the bird is healthy, he should not release it. 


Helene also tells me that petrels will not eat on their own in captivity.

In addition, if a bird is weak from starvation, extremely careful refeeding and 
special diets are necessary, because in the last stages of starvation the 
energy it takes to digest food can actually drain the animal past the point of 
no return and cause it to perish. 


I suggest that the friend get in touch with Helene at the Cobequid Wildlife 
Rehabilitation Centre for advice, and hopefully transportation can be arranged 
to get it to her. 


Helene says she will try and e-mail the list tonight with a more comprehensive 
and expert reply than mine. :) 


Helene can be reached by phone at at (902) 893-0253 or by e-mail at 
hvandoninck AT eastlink.ca. 


Kathleen MacAulay
Milford Station










________________________________
From: "bdigout AT seaside.ns.ca" 
To: naturens AT chebucto.ns.ca
Sent: Thu, October 29, 2009 4:15:51 PM
Subject: [NatureNS] wilson's storm petrel

  I'm looking for some advice to pass on.  A man in the neighbourhood
picked up a petrel near his workplace in Point Tupper.    He threw it up
into the air, but it only flew a feet feet and then fluttered to the
ground.     He took it to me for identification.  What should he do with
it?  What will it eat?  He is willing to feed it back to health if it is
just weak.  Can it swim?  If so, could he simply let it go on the
Atlantic side of the St. Peter's Canal?  Does anyone have any
suggestions?
Billy


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Ask a question on any topic and get answers from real people. Go to Yahoo! 
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Subject: wilson's storm petrel
From: bdigout AT seaside.ns.ca
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:15:51 -0300 (ADT)
  I'm looking for some advice to pass on.  A man in the neighbourhood
picked up a petrel near his workplace in Point Tupper.    He threw it up
into the air, but it only flew a feet feet and then fluttered to the
ground.     He took it to me for identification.  What should he do with
it?  What will it eat?  He is willing to feed it back to health if it is
just weak.  Can it swim?  If so, could he simply let it go on the
Atlantic side of the St. Peter's Canal?  Does anyone have any
suggestions?
Billy
Subject: re fishing eagles
From: Fritz McEvoy <fritzmcevoy AT hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:02:47 -0300
Hi All,

 Recently I posted a observation, made to me by a local resident, of eagles and 
other birds catching fish near Bay St. Lawrence. I suggested billfish as the 
possible food source but neglected to put a ? after the suggestion. This has 
been taken (unfortunately incorrectly) as a personal observation of billfish 
and I want to correct the posting so as to be accurate as possible. The 
billfish suggestion/guess was based on observations, posted on naturens, of N. 
Gannets fishing at the Canso Causeway. The fish may indeed be billfish but I 
have way of knowing for sure. 


   I'm sorry for any confusion this oversight may have caused.

 This is a good lesson on being as precise as possible in our posts and to 
correct errors posted on naturens ASAP as these emails are used by the natural 
history community to keep accurate records and do scientific research in the 
province. All the best. 


                           Fritz McEvoy

                           Sunrise Valley CB (near Dingwall)
 		 	   		  
_________________________________________________________________
Get Windows 7 for only $39.99—CDN College & University students only. This 
offer ends Jan 3—upgrade now! 

http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9691637