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--Boundary_(ID_CJYyJe3DwOj75Hxgnx7mDQ) Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT AUGUST 11, 2011 - On the Grand Pre dykelands, I saw a n. harrier. Today's daytime high tide was at 11:30 a.m. and of 10.3 metres of amplitude (a fairly low high and high low)(highest amplitude of the month is 15.2 m. on Aug. 31). I did my usual walk for shorebirds along eastern Evangeline Beach starting at 2 hours after high tide. Sky was nearly all overcast but with pretty good visibility. Right at the start from the old public launch area along Sandpiper Lane, I saw a flock of about 500 peeps or unidentified small shorebirds (sandpipers and plovers) flying from the east and heading west out of sight. There were 200 more peeps, on the ground, just to the west from where my walk started. At 2.33 hrs. past high tide, 200 more peeps flew from east to west along the shore. Then about 2000 peeps flew to the west, while 2000 more were flying about at the east end of the beach, having just arrived? (I think). Then another 600 peeps flew toward the west. By the time I got to the east end, I guessed there were about 7000 peeps there, some still waking up after roosting in tight small groups among the others that were active, at 2.5 hrs. past high tide. These 7000 were scattered along the ebbing water line for perhaps 500 metres, between Jean Merks' house and the east end. At 2.75 hrs. past high tide, there was a nice aerial display by nearly all the visible peeps in quite large flocks, with no apparent stimulus other than Zugunruhe or migratory restless; but then along came a single peregrine falcon, probably not hunting but flying purposefully and low along the lower intertidal zone from west to east and out of sight. No chases were observed. When I departed by walking back to my car, at 3 hours past high tide, most of the 7000 peeps were still at the beach's east end. Then there was more restless flying of most of the flocks, with no apparent stimulus, and about 2000 of the peeps flew off toward the west. By 3.25 hrs. past high tide, about 2000 peeps had moved a bit west and were foraging just west of Jean Merks' house (i.e., on the lower intertidal flats northwest of her home). Total peeps seen today would have been perhaps 10,000 in all, not very different from several days ago. Other birds encountered were 3+ bald eagles (1 adult, 2+ dark immatures (juveniles?)), 7 crows together at edge of woods, and perhaps a family of ravens was heard in the woods. ---------------------- Cheers from Jim in Wolfville. --Boundary_(ID_CJYyJe3DwOj75Hxgnx7mDQ) Content-type: text/html; CHARSET=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable <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>AUGUST = 11, 2011</b> - On the Grand Pre dykelands, I saw a <b>n. = harrier</b>.</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">Today's daytime<b> high tide was at 11:30 a.m.</b> and = of 10.3 metres of amplitude (a fairly low high and high low)(highest = amplitude of the month is 15.2 m. on Aug. 31).</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">I did my = usual <b>walk for shorebirds</b> along <b>eastern Evangeline Beach</b> = starting at 2 hours after high tide. Sky was nearly all overcast = but with pretty good visibility. </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">Right at = the start from the old public launch area along Sandpiper Lane, I saw a = flock of about 500 peeps or unidentified small shorebirds (sandpipers = and plovers) flying from the east and heading west out of sight. = There were 200 more peeps, on the ground, just to the west from where my = walk started. </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">At 2.33 hrs. past high tide, 200 more peeps flew from = east to west along the shore. Then about 2000 peeps flew to the = west, while 2000 more were flying about at the east end of the beach, = having just arrived? (I think). Then another 600 peeps flew toward = the west.</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">By the time I got to the east end, I guessed there = were about <b>7000 peeps</b> there, some still waking up after roosting = in tight small groups among the others that were active, at 2.5 hrs. = past high tide. These 7000 were scattered along the ebbing water = line for perhaps 500 metres, between Jean Merks' house and the east = end.</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">At 2.75 hrs. past high tide, there was a nice aerial = display by nearly all the visible peeps in quite large flocks, with no = apparent stimulus other than Zugunruhe or migratory restless; but then = along came a single <b>peregrine falcon</b>, probably not hunting but = flying purposefully and low along the lower intertidal zone from west to = east and out of sight. No chases were observed.</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">When I = departed by walking back to my car, at 3 hours past high tide, most of = the 7000 peeps were still at the beach's east end. Then there was = more restless flying of most of the flocks, with no apparent stimulus, = and about 2000 of the peeps flew off toward the west.</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">By 3.25 = hrs. past high tide, about 2000 peeps had moved a bit west and were = foraging just west of Jean Merks' house (i.e., on the lower intertidal = flats northwest of her home). </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>Total peeps seen = today</b> would have been <b>perhaps 10,000</b> in all, not very = different from several days ago.</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">Other birds encountered were = 3+ <b>bald eagles</b> (1 adult, 2+ dark immatures (juveniles?)), 7 = <b>crows</b> together at edge of woods, and perhaps a family of = <b>ravens</b> was heard in the woods.</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">----------------------</font></div><div><font = face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Cheers = from Jim in Wolfville.</font></div> </body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_CJYyJe3DwOj75Hxgnx7mDQ)--
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