[NatureNS] E. Evangeline Beach Shorebirds & Raptors, Sept. 26/11

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>,
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:03:24 -0300
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[Sorry I screwed up the subject line earlier -- this is an  
improvement.  Jim]

SEPT. 26, 2011 - Weather today: very warm, 25 C., humid, but lovely  
nice cool west-to-east strong breeze along the beach.

Evangeline Beach and Shorebirds today, 2 hours after high tide (h.t.  
was at 12:25 p.m.)(AND VERY BIG TIDES THIS WEEK, PEAKING ON THURSDAY  
and then gradually getting smaller).  I was just a bit too late in  
starting my walk, partly because Joan Bearne was bending my ear about  
how there are still lots of shorebirds around, seemingly rather later  
than in other years?  AND she said an unusual HAWK with whitish  
underparts and undertail was bothering the shorebirds, along with a  
PEREGRINE FALCON, which has been seen recently catching one or a few  
of them.

More on the raptors in a bit, as I describe my walk today, from the  
gap in the cottages along East Sandpiper Lane (east of Pheasant Rd.)  
and eastward, past Jean Merks' lonely house (no others nearby) to the  
east end of the beach and beginning of the salt marsh.  My round-trip  
walk took a half-hour.  Immediately I spotted 100+ peeps flying from  
the west and toward the east, probably to the east end of the beach.   
Then there were several successive flocks, all flying eastward.  When  
I got to Jean Merks' home, there were about 600+ peeps in several  
foraging flocks in the lower intertidal zone (actually middle zone,  
since tide was still ebbing quickly).

I encountered 2 birds of prey toward the east end.  First the  
flushing flocks of peeps denoted a fly-over by a juvenile male  
northern harrier, perhaps the same individual? that was repeatedly  
flushing the peeps along the beach about two weeks ago when I last  
walked there.  I saw this harrier twice, and both times it  
disappeared toward the dykelands?  I hope it has learned by now where  
to hunt, what to hunt, and how.

Then again the flushing peeps alerted me to something, and behind me  
to the west I saw a very low-flying fast peregrine falcon, a small  
one and probably male.  At the east end the peregrine flushed a few  
hundred more peeps that were still roosting on the upper beach, quite  
late in the ebb-tide cycle.  There was a short horizontal and very  
fast chase, but the falcon quickly aborted the chase and flew into  
the trees and out of sight.  I don't think the attempted predation  
was successful, but the chase was quite distant from me.

All told, I didn't see any more than 1000 peeps, of which there were  
substantial uncounted numbers of semipalmated plovers and at least 10  
sanderlings.

Thus I think Joan Bearne's "hawk" was the young n. harrier, very  
probably.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville.

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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">[Sorry I screwed up the subject =
line earlier -- this is an improvement. =
&nbsp;Jim]<div><br></div><div>SEPT. 26, 2011 - Weather today: very warm, =
25 C., humid, but lovely nice cool west-to-east strong breeze along the =
beach.<br><div><b><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-weight: =
normal;"><br></span></b></div><div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><b>Evangeline =
Beach and Shorebirds</b></span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 12px; "> today, 2 hours after high tide (h.t. was at =
12:25 p.m.)(AND </span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><b>VERY BIG TIDES THIS WEEK</b></span><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">, PEAKING ON =
THURSDAY and then gradually getting smaller).&nbsp; I was just a bit too =
late in starting my walk, partly because Joan Bearne was bending my ear =
about how there are still lots of shorebirds around, seemingly rather =
later than in other years?&nbsp; AND she said an unusual </span><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; =
"><b>HAWK</b></span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: =
12px; "> with whitish underparts and undertail was bothering the =
shorebirds, along with a </span><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><b>PEREGRINE FALCON</b></span><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">, which has been =
seen recently catching one or a few of them.</span></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">More on =
the raptors in a bit, as I describe<b> my walk today</b>, from the gap =
in the cottages along East Sandpiper Lane (east of Pheasant Rd.) and =
eastward, past Jean Merks' lonely house (no others nearby) to the east =
end of the beach and beginning of the salt marsh.&nbsp; My round-trip =
walk took a half-hour.&nbsp; Immediately I spotted 100+ peeps flying =
from the west and toward the east, probably to the east end of the =
beach.&nbsp; Then there were several successive flocks, all flying =
eastward.&nbsp; When I got to Jean Merks' home, there were about 600+ =
peeps in several foraging flocks in the lower intertidal zone (actually =
middle zone, since tide was still ebbing quickly). =
&nbsp;</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 encountered 2 birds of prey toward the east =
end.&nbsp; First the flushing flocks of peeps denoted a fly-over by a<b> =
juvenile male northern harrier</b>, perhaps the same individual? that =
was repeatedly flushing the peeps along the beach about two weeks ago =
when I last walked there.&nbsp; I saw this harrier twice, and both times =
it disappeared toward the dykelands?&nbsp; I hope it has learned by now =
where to hunt, what to hunt, and how.</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">Then =
again the flushing peeps alerted me to something, and behind me to the =
west I saw a very <b>low-flying fast peregrine falcon</b>, a small one =
and probably male.&nbsp; At the east end the peregrine flushed a few =
hundred more peeps that were still roosting on the upper beach, quite =
late in the ebb-tide cycle.&nbsp; There was a <b>short horizontal and =
very fast chase</b>, but the falcon quickly aborted the chase and flew =
into the trees and out of sight.&nbsp; I don't think the attempted =
predation was successful, but the chase was quite distant from =
me.</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">All told, I didn't see any more than <b>1000 =
peeps</b>, of which there were substantial uncounted numbers of =
<b>semipalmated plovers</b> and at least 10 =
<b>sanderlings</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">Thus I think Joan Bearne's "hawk" was the young n. =
harrier, very probably.</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">Cheers from Jim in =
Wolfville.</font></div></div></div></body></html>=

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