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My, but what a fiddlefooted spring it's been. April and May are always a =
blur of activity, getting out there while there's still water running in =
this province's short little rivers -- with early wildflowers, leafless =
views of birds on the wing, and no blackflies.
I escaped the printshop Monday and drove through the dawn from Wolfville =
to Amherst, where I met Harry Thurston at 8:30 AM for a day on the =
water. We met in the Polycello parking lot, where my brother is =
employed. Before heading out, we took a quick look inside the massive =
industrial plant where they manufacture and print on plastic bags. A =
sharp contrast to the day ahead of us.
We headed to the Chignecto Game Sanctuary. Harry has been part of a =
group which is working to have this wonderful place further protected as =
a Wilderness Area. Our trip was at 12 km paddle down River Hebert, from =
the lake at Halfway River to just outside the sanctuary's northern =
boundry. The river meanders through wetland at the top, and then starts =
to drop through the woods. It is a quiet river -- no rapids, a gentle =
decline. We took it slow, talked, listened, watched.
There was much to see, and this is what I managed to record when I came =
to my senses enough to keep track: GRACKELS, RAVENS, and BLACK-CAPPED =
CHICKADEES were ever-present. There were a dozen or more drumming =
RUFFLED GROUSE distributed throughout, and BELTED KINGFISHER (6) were =
frequently seen. There were 30+ BLACK DUCKS, and a pair of shy smaller =
duck we never quite got close enough to identify. There were also 12+ =
COMMON MERGANSERS, a GOLDFINCH (1), a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER (1), and =
EASTERN PHOEBE (3). There were many, many more songs sung from the =
trees, some of them sparrows that I did not recognize.
We saw BALD EAGLES at many points on the river -- one at start, three =
soaring near middle, and a mature & immature which we followed down the =
lower part, spooking them from pool to pool. We also saw two =
BROAD-WINGED HAWKS soaring low, and a COMMON NIGHTHAWK which Harry =
thought was a female on account of its colouring.=20
There were many MUSKRATS, a WHITE-TAIL DEER (spooked in the underbrush), =
lots of fresh BEAVER cuttings and activity that suggested the presence =
of RIVER OTTERS.
We stopped by one of Harry's farvorite pools for lunch, and while he =
flyfished, I looked for wildflowers and found SPRING BEAUTIES and PURPLE =
VIOLETS. Harry found only a few small trout, and he returned them all =
from whence they'd come.
The million dollar question is: Where did this river's salmon go? Harry =
fished salmon here often in his younger days, but now they are gone. As =
we canoed the Hebert it was clear that we were travelling as healthy a =
river as any you might find in this province. The habitat is there, but =
the salmon mysteriously are not. What does their vanishing foretell for =
the rest of us river dwellers?
Well, it was a wonderful day. I highly recommend this river. It will =
reward all who come with an open heart.
Andrew Steeves
Wolfville NS
(confined to the office for the rest of the week ...)
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<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2>My, but what a=20
fiddlefooted spring it's been. April and May are always a blur of =
activity,=20
getting out there while there's still water running in this province's =
short=20
little rivers -- with early wildflowers, leafless views =
of birds on=20
the wing, and no blackflies.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2>I=20
escaped the printshop Monday and drove through the dawn =
from=20
Wolfville to Amherst, where I met Harry Thurston at 8:30 AM for a =
day on=20
the water. We met in the Polycello parking lot, where my brother is =
employed.=20
Before heading out, we took a quick look inside the massive industrial =
plant=20
where they manufacture and print on plastic bags. A sharp =
contrast to=20
the day ahead of us.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2>We headed to the =
Chignecto Game=20
Sanctuary. Harry has been part of a group which is working to have =
this=20
wonderful place further protected as a Wilderness=20
Area. Our trip was at 12 km paddle down River Hebert, =
from the=20
lake at Halfway River to just outside the sanctuary's northern boundry. =
The=20
river meanders through wetland at the top, and then starts to drop =
through the=20
woods. It is a quiet river -- no rapids, a gentle decline. We took =
it slow,=20
talked, listened, watched.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2>There was much to see, =
and this is=20
what I managed to record when I came to my senses enough to keep track:=20
GRACKELS, RAVENS, and BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES were ever-present. =
There were=20
a dozen or more drumming RUFFLED GROUSE distributed throughout, and =
BELTED=20
KINGFISHER (6) were frequently seen. There were 30+ BLACK DUCKS, and a =
pair of=20
shy smaller duck we never quite got close enough to identify. There were =
also=20
12+ COMMON MERGANSERS, a GOLDFINCH (1), a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER =
(1), and=20
EASTERN PHOEBE (3). There were many, many more songs sung from the =
trees, some=20
of them sparrows that I did not recognize.<BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2>We saw BALD =
EAGLES at many=20
points on the river -- one at start, three soaring near middle, and =
a=20
mature & immature which we followed down the lower part, spooking =
them from=20
pool to pool. We also saw two BROAD-WINGED HAWKS soaring low, and a =
COMMON=20
NIGHTHAWK which Harry thought was a female on account of its=20
colouring. <BR></FONT><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif"=20
size=3D2></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2>There were =
many </FONT><FONT=20
face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2>MUSKRATS, a WHITE-TAIL DEER =
(spooked in=20
the underbrush), lots of fresh BEAVER cuttings and activity that =
suggested=20
the presence of RIVER OTTERS.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2>We stopped by one =
of Harry's=20
farvorite pools for lunch, and while he flyfished, I looked for =
wildflowers and=20
found SPRING BEAUTIES and PURPLE VIOLETS. Harry found only a few small =
trout,=20
and he returned them all from whence they'd come.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2>The million dollar =
question is:=20
Where did this river's salmon go? Harry fished salmon here often in his =
younger=20
days, but now they are gone. As we canoed the Hebert it was clear that =
we were=20
travelling as healthy a river as any you might find in this province. =
The=20
habitat is there, but the salmon mysteriously are not. What=20
does their vanishing foretell for the rest of us river=20
dwellers?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2>Well, it was a =
wonderful day. I=20
highly recommend this river. It will reward all who come with an open=20
heart.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2>Andrew =
Steeves</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2>Wolfville =
NS</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Microsoft Sans Serif" size=3D2>(confined to the =
office for the=20
rest of the week ...)</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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