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--Boundary_(ID_QTXaCirL+xstxDIvY3Uf5A) Content-type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Recently I have spared you all of any long-winded reports, and this might be my "swan song" for this year. Cheers from Jim in Wolfville. -------------------------- SEPT. 9, 2011 - Daytime high tide 11:11 a.m. with a mediocre amplitude of 9.9 metres. I checked Evangeline Beach at north Grand Pre from 12:00 noon to 2:10 p.m. When I started my walk at 12:30 p.m. my timing was perfect, since I got on the beach just when flock after flock of peeps, several of the flocks impressively large, were flying by from the east somewhere and purposefully heading westward. My walk started at the gap between cottages, what I call an old boat launch site, which is public access as far as I know; this gap is about 200 metres east from the junction of Pheasant Road and Sandpiper Lane (well east of the canteen/motel area). My guess on total number of westward-flying peeps right then was about 3000, and at least 4 flocks had more than 500 per flock. Since I guessed (correctly) that some of them were headed for the area of the viewing platform & motel & canteen, I walked there first (westward). The tide was not out very far, and unfortunately three visiting humans were about halfway between the upper shore and the ebbing water-line, trying to get photos of the flying and attempting- to-rest shorebirds, which appeared to be nearly all semipalmated sandpipers (also present were about 15 semipalmated plovers). I talked with the visitors a bit, and suggested a better time for photos, less disturbing for the birds, might be about 2 hours before high tide tomorrow (h.t. Sept. 10 is at noon), when the incoming tide will chase the well-fed birds toward the upper beach, where they might come very close to non-moving humans seated on the rocks or above the shore on the bank. I neglected to write here that, back where I parked my car, the first bird I saw was a small dark-brown n. harrier or marsh hawk. The small size meant it was a male, and the dark colouration showed it was a juvenile. And this bird proved to be quite a pest to the shorebirds, since the harrier was slowly flying along the shore, not chasing anything but probably looking for something to catch and eat, and repeatedly flushing all of the shorebirds, many of which would fly off and circle back while others flew away to look for a predator- free area. This young harrier flew among the cottages too, but mainly patrolled the beach from one end to the other and back again, flushing but not chasing shorebirds as it went. Many years ago in Alberta I recall watching young harriers flying at shorebirds on the ground in the late Summer and Autumn but very rarely if ever catching anything. It's normal at this time of year for juvenile birds of prey of all kinds to go through a long learning period concerning what to hunt and how. And the poor shorebirds pay something of a price for this every year. Eventually both the hawks and the shorebirds learn to recognize or ignore each other, depending on the species. Of course our two falcons, peregrine and merlin, are the main raptors for the peeps to worry about. I also saw a single peregrine falcon, which flew past the motel without going after any shorebirds, and it flew out of sight to the east. Then I walked back east to my starting point, and further eastward (my usual walk) to the eastern end of the trees, where the beach ends and salt-marsh begins (with The Guzzle and Boot Island further east). Along eastern Evangeline Beach I saw only a few late- awakening semipalmated sandpipers among the upper-beach rocks, and perhaps 20 scattered semipalmated plovers that were foraging. But at the far eastern end of the beach, scattered over about 100 metres of emerging sandy and muddy intertidal flats, well away from the ebbing water line and about midway up toward the upper beach, were about 150+ foraging semipalmated plovers, with perhaps 10 unidentified small sandpipers. The latter were mostly near the ebbing water line. No larger shorebirds were seen today. During my walk east I also saw a single immature bald eagle, to which the shorebirds are very accustomed. Other birds sighted included a group of 8 female or immature common mergansers (a family?) flying purposefully from the area of Boot Island toward the west, 2 double-crested cormorants, and several gulls, both herring and great black-backed. Another interesting sighting on the upper beach was a very dead adult American eel (a male? from the smallish size) -- perhaps this was some fisherman's potential bait but then discarded? This was close to a known fishing site. --------------------------------- --Boundary_(ID_QTXaCirL+xstxDIvY3Uf5A) 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; ">Recently I have spared you all = of any long-winded reports, and this might be my "swan song" for this = year. Cheers from Jim in = Wolfville.<div>--------------------------</div><div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><b><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>SEPT. 9, 2011 - Daytime = high tide 11:11 a.m. </b>with a mediocre amplitude of 9.9 metres. = I checked <b>Evangeline Beach</b> at north Grand Pre from 12:00 noon to = 2:10 p.m. When I started my walk at 12:30 p.m. my timing was = perfect, since I got on the beach just when<b> flock after flock of = peeps</b>, several of the flocks impressively large, were flying by from = the east somewhere and purposefully heading westward. My walk = started at the gap between cottages, what I call an old boat launch = site, which is public access as far as I know; this gap is about 200 = metres east from the junction of Pheasant Road and Sandpiper Lane (well = east of the canteen/motel area).</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">My guess on<b> total number = of westward-flying peeps</b> right then was <b>about 3000</b>, and at = least 4 flocks had more than 500 per flock. Since I guessed = (correctly) that some of them were headed for the area of the viewing = platform & motel & canteen, I walked there first = (westward). The tide was not out very far, and unfortunately<b> = three visiting humans</b> were about halfway between the upper shore and = the ebbing water-line, trying to get photos of the flying and = attempting-to-rest shorebirds, which appeared to be nearly all = <b>semipalmated sandpipers</b> (also present were about 15 = <b>semipalmated plovers</b>). I talked with the visitors a bit, = and suggested a better time for photos, less disturbing for the birds, = might be about 2 hours<b> before high tide tomorrow</b> (h.t. Sept. 10 = is at noon), when the incoming tide will chase the well-fed birds toward = the upper beach, where they might come very close to non-moving humans = seated on the rocks or above the shore on the bank.</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 = neglected to write here that, back where I parked my car, the first bird = I saw was a small dark-brown <b>n. harrier </b>or marsh hawk. The = small size meant it was a male, and the dark colouration showed it was a = juvenile. And this bird proved to be <b>quite a pest to the = shorebirds</b>, since the harrier was slowly flying along the shore, not = chasing anything but probably looking for something to catch and eat, = and repeatedly flushing all of the shorebirds, many of which would fly = off and circle back while others flew away to look for a predator-free = area. This young harrier flew among the cottages too, but mainly = patrolled the beach from one end to the other and back again, flushing = but not chasing shorebirds as it went.</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">Many = years ago in Alberta I recall watching young harriers flying at = shorebirds on the ground in the late Summer and Autumn but very rarely = if ever catching anything. </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">It's normal at this time of = year for<b> juvenile birds of prey</b> of all kinds to go through a long = learning period concerning <b>what to hunt and how</b>. And the = poor shorebirds pay something of a price for this every year. = Eventually both the hawks and the shorebirds learn to recognize or = ignore each other, depending on the species. Of course our two = falcons, peregrine and merlin, are the main raptors for the peeps to = worry about.</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 also saw a single <b>peregrine falcon</b>, which = flew past the motel without going after any shorebirds, and it flew out = of sight to the east.</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>Then I walked back east</b> to my starting point, = <b>and further eastward </b>(my usual walk) to the eastern end of the = trees, where the beach ends and salt-marsh begins (with The Guzzle and = Boot Island further east). <b>Along eastern Evangeline Beach</b> I = saw only a few late-awakening<b> semipalmated sandpipers</b> among the = upper-beach rocks, and perhaps 20 scattered <b>semipalmated plovers</b> = that were foraging.</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">But at the<b> far eastern end of the beach</b>, = scattered over about 100 metres of emerging sandy and muddy intertidal = flats, well away from the ebbing water line and about midway up toward = the upper beach, were about <b>150+ foraging semipalmated plovers</b>, = with perhaps 10 unidentified small <b>sandpipers</b>. The latter = were mostly near the ebbing water line. No larger shorebirds were = seen today.</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">During my walk east I also saw a single immature<b> = bald eagle</b>, to which the shorebirds are very = accustomed.</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 sighted included a group of 8 female or = immature <b>common mergansers </b>(a family?) flying purposefully from = the area of Boot Island toward the west, 2 <b>double-crested = cormorants</b>, and several<b> gulls,</b> both herring and great = black-backed. </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 interesting sighting on the upper beach was a = very <b>dead adult American eel</b> (a male? from the smallish size) -- = perhaps this was some fisherman's potential bait but then = discarded? This was close to a known fishing = site.</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></b></div></div><= /body></html>= --Boundary_(ID_QTXaCirL+xstxDIvY3Uf5A)--
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