[NatureNS] Eagle Watch & Partial Count of Eagles/Raptors, Feb. 6/11

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From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:44:04 -0400
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FEB. 6 (Sunday), 2011 - Last day of 20th annual SHEFFIELD MILLS EAGLE  
WATCH for 2011 -- A predicted storm of heavy snow plus freezing rain  
plus lots of wind scared off a lot of potential eagle gawkers, so  
today was very slow at the Community Hall and probably also at the  
eagle feeding site west of the Hall.

Because a bunch of us attempted our annual count of eagles and other  
raptors, I didn't get to the Hall until 11:30 a.m.  Only 10 of the 16  
groups of counters reported to the Hall, and I later found out that  
two groups either couldn't or didn't get to their assigned count  
areas.  Anyway, conditions were OK to poor to terrible in the  
different areas, so that we quite probably need to make another try  
at the count next Sunday, Feb. 13.  For Pat's and my area south and  
west of Grand Pre, we had a very light rain, then a steady drizzle,  
then a bit of snow and rain mixed, and, at 10:45 a.m., a blizzard  
that only lasted about three minutes, followed by substantial fog and  
quite poor visibility.  We did get a decent count of our area, but  
I'm sure other groups did not.

Another big disadvantage besides the storm was the unplowed  
undriveable roads on the dykelands, which really limits the coverage  
by those groups of observers.

Anyway, when I later got some more reports from our censusers, here  
are the totals seen by 30 observers in 14 groups (normally 16) for  
Feb. 6/11, Sunday, on our tentatively renamed "30th ANNUAL COLDWELL/ 
GIBSON/SMITH EAGLES AND RAPTORS COUNT OF EASTERN KING'S  
COUNTY" (memorializing Cyril K. Coldwell, Merritt Gibson, and Peter  
C. Smith):

- 176 total bald eagles (103 adults, 67 immatures, 6 not aged).
- (ratio of adults to immatures was 61% adults to 39% immatures)
- 39 red-tailed hawks
- 3 rough-legged hawks (1 light phase, 2 dark phase)
- 1 n. harrier
- 1 sharp-shinned hawk
- 2 merlins

- other observations included 8 pheasants, lots of ravens, 30 horned  
larks, snow buntings, 3 n. cardinals.

We all might have to try a second attempt at a better count under  
better conditions next Sunday, Feb. 13.  In the interim, I have asked  
the two groups who didn't get out yesterday to do their areas at the  
same time day in the next couple of days for a fudged version of a  
total count.  The 176 total eagles is far below our usual total  
counts.  Last year we had 427 eagles and 54 red-tailed hawks.  Ever  
since the early 1990s our counts of eagles have averaged 300 to 400  
and ranged from a bit over 200 to as many as 580.

I departed from the Community Hall at about 2 p.m. and found only  
about 10 eagles perched in the trees with ravens (one or two eagles  
still feeding), about 20 great black-backed gulls on the ground with  
a few ravens, some chicken carcasses still on the ground, and only  
about 5 cars of human gawkers.

Later, in mid-afternoon I saw a merlin perched on a power line along  
Saxon St., southwest of Canning (Glen Parsons' area, not covered at  
all today).

And there were about 500 ducks on the snow just south of Port  
Williams.  I scoped about half of them, which were nearly all  
mallards (but a number of black ducks were quite possibly with them  
and indistinguishable against the snow).

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville

--Boundary_(ID_PvQxoWpi5aYCTYoEe7s7Lw)
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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>FEB. 6 =
(Sunday), 2011</b> - Last day of 20th annual <b>SHEFFIELD MILLS EAGLE =
WATCH for 2011</b> -- A<b> predicted storm</b> of heavy snow plus =
freezing rain plus lots of wind <b>scared off a lot</b> of potential =
eagle gawkers, so today was very slow at the Community Hall and probably =
also at the eagle feeding site west of the Hall.</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; =
min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Because a =
bunch of us <b>attempted our annual count of eagles and other =
raptors</b>, I didn't get to the Hall until 11:30 a.m.&nbsp; Only 10 of =
the 16 groups of counters reported to the Hall, and I later found out =
that two groups either couldn't or didn't get to their assigned count =
areas.&nbsp; Anyway, conditions were OK to poor to terrible in the =
different areas, so that <b>we quite probably need to make another =
try</b> at the count next Sunday, Feb. 13.&nbsp; For Pat's and my area =
south and west of Grand Pre, we had a very light rain, then a steady =
drizzle, then a bit of snow and rain mixed, and, at 10:45 a.m., a =
blizzard that only lasted about three minutes, followed by substantial =
fog and quite poor visibility.&nbsp; We did get a decent count of our =
area, but I'm sure other groups did not.</font></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; =
min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Another =
big disadvantage besides the storm was the unplowed <b>undriveable roads =
on the dykelands</b>, which really limits the coverage by those groups =
of observers.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica">Anyway, when I later got some more reports from our =
censusers, here are the totals seen by 30 observers in 14 groups =
(normally 16) for Feb. 6/11, Sunday, on our tentatively renamed <b>"30th =
ANNUAL COLDWELL/GIBSON/SMITH EAGLES AND RAPTORS COUNT OF EASTERN KING'S =
COUNTY"</b> (memorializing Cyril K. Coldwell, Merritt Gibson, and Peter =
C. Smith):</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: =
12.0px Helvetica"><b>- 176 total bald eagles</b> (