[NatureNS] Irving Woodland Trails & Gardens June 20/11 (a bit long)

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>,
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2011 16:56:43 -0300
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Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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JUNE 20, 2011 - In early afternoon I walked on the Acadia Univ.  
Woodland Trails west and south of the Irving Botanical Gardens.   
Warning: there is a stream bridge out along this trail; I managed to  
get over the stream, but this area should be accessed either from  
University Avenue or from Skyway Drive.  My objective was an old  
report of a nest of pileated woodpeckers just west of the "Century  
Oak" (big red oak, marked).  Easily visible is a tall standing snag  
(dead stump), a large white birch trunk with many large, rectangular  
feeding holes, both old and newer, from the woodpeckers.

I was there for perhaps 15-20 minutes, and I had to bushwhack though  
small and dense glossy buckthorn (see today's Herald about this very  
invasive alien species in Pictou County & efforts of the Nature  
Conservancy of Canada to reduce its population in a river-mouth  
area).  I didn't see any recent-looking nest-cavities, nor did I hear  
any callings of nestling woodpeckers, nor did I see or hear any  
adults.  BUT a bit north of there I did hear the drumming of a large  
woodpecker, probably a pileated.  I also heard drumming of a smaller  
woodpecker and a call of a flicker.

If the pileateds did nest there, perhaps they are all finished now  
and have fledged their youngsters? or perhaps failed in their attempt?

In the Botanical Gardens, there are at least 10 gorgeous showy lady's- 
slippers now in bloom along the upper part of the stream (southeast  
part of the Gardens).  Along the oval trail in the south-centre of  
the Gardens there are lots of lovely flora species in bloom, like  
sheep laurel or lamb-kill, harebells, bush honeysuckle, blue-eyed  
grass, three-toothed cinquefoils, highbush cranberry, etc.

For the highbush cranberry, the leaves are being eaten again rather  
badly, but a short search did not reveal any of the likely culprits,  
which are black  caterpillar-like larvae of the Viburnum leaf beetle,  
an introduced alien pest.

Elsewhere on the Woodland Trails I saw lots of blooming red osier  
dogwood, garden lupines, and garden valerian or wild heliotrope is  
just starting to flower.

Everyone remember there are weekly evening walks of the Botanic  
Gardens and Woodland Trails every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. -- meet at the  
entry gate to the Botanic Gardens at the Irving Centre.  KCIC has no  
seasonal staff this summer, and these walks are without leaders, I  
think.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville

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

phone 902-542-9204
e-mail <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>

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

"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." -- Ralph Waldo  
Emerson

--Boundary_(ID_e/azHrRA5KSlER20QB3pLw)
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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"5" style=3D"font: 20.0px Helvetica"><b>JUNE =
20, 2011 </b>- In early afternoon I walked on the Acadia Univ. =
<b>Woodland Trails</b> west and south of the Irving Botanical =
Gardens.&nbsp; <b>Warning: </b>there is a <b>stream bridge out </b>along =
this trail; I managed to get over the stream, but this area should be =
accessed either from University Avenue or from Skyway Drive.&nbsp; My =
objective was an old report of a <b>nest of pileated woodpeckers</b> =
just west of the "Century Oak" (big red oak, marked).&nbsp; Easily =
visible is a tall standing snag (dead stump), a large white birch trunk =
with many large, rectangular feeding holes, both old and newer, from the =
woodpeckers.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">I was there for perhaps 15-20 minutes, and I had to =
bushwhack though small and dense <b>glossy buckthorn</b> (<b>see today's =
Herald</b> about this very invasive alien species in Pictou County &amp; =
efforts of the Nature Conservancy of Canada to reduce its population in =
a river-mouth area).&nbsp; I didn't see any recent-looking =
nest-cavities, nor did I hear any callings of nestling woodpeckers, nor =
did I see or hear any adults.&nbsp; <b>BUT</b> a bit north of there I =
did hear the <b>drumming of a large woodpecker</b>, probably a =
pileated.&nbsp; I also heard drumming of a smaller woodpecker and a call =
of a<b> flicker</b>.&nbsp;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">If the pileateds did nest there, perhaps they are all =
finished now and have fledged their youngsters? or perhaps failed in =
their attempt?</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">In the Botanical Gardens, there are at least 10 =
gorgeous <b>showy lady's-slippers</b> now in bloom along the upper part =
of the stream (southeast part of the Gardens).&nbsp; Along the oval =
trail in the south-centre of the Gardens there are<b> lots of lovely =
flora species in bloom</b>, like <b>sheep laurel or lamb-kill, =
harebells, bush honeysuckle, blue-eyed grass, three-toothed cinquefoils, =
highbush cranberry</b>, etc.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal =
normal normal 20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">For the <b>highbush cranberry</b>, the leaves are =
being eaten again rather badly, but a short search did not reveal any of =
the likely culprits, which are black&nbsp; caterpillar-like larvae of =
the <b>Viburnum leaf beetle</b>, an introduced alien =
pest.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">Elsewhere on the Woodland Trails I saw lots of =
blooming <b>red osier dogwood</b>, <b>garden lupines</b>, and <b>garden =
valerian or wild heliotrope</b> is just starting to =
flower.</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal =
20px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 24px; "><br></div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: =
20.0px Helvetica">Everyone remember there are <b>weekly evening walks of =
the Botanic Gardens and Woodland Trails</b> every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. =
-- meet at the entry gate to the Botanic Gardens at the Irving =
Centre.&nbsp; KCIC has no seasonal staff this summer, and these walks =
are without leaders, I think.&nbsp;</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font =
face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"5" style=3D"font: 20.0px =
Helvetica"><br></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: =
0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"5" style=3D"font: 20.0px Helvetica"><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">Cheers =
from Jim in Wolfville</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">Jim (James W.) Wolford</font></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">91 Wickwire Ave.</font></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">Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada</font></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">B4P 1W3</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">phone 902-542-9204</font></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">e-mail =
&lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:jimwolford@eastlink.ca">jimwolford@eastlink.ca</a>&gt;</fon=
t></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">"In =
wildness is the preservation of the world" -- Henry David =
Thoreau</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">"Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience." -- =
Ralph Waldo Emerson</font></div></font></div>
</body></html>=

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