[NatureNS] Eagle Watch Sunday, Jan. 29/12, report

To: NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Cc: Richard Hennigar <hennigar@xcountry.tv>,
From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:21:10 -0400
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JAN. 29 (SUN.), 2012 - 21st Annual Eagle Watch Weekend One  
(continued): Today started out rather ominously in Wolfville with a  
very dark blackish western sky -- but the strong wind from the west  
swept that away quickly and we ended up with a lot of Sunlight --  
temperature stayed at about +4 C. all day, but that stiff west wind  
produced a significant wind-chill.  And a skiff of snow remained on  
the ground, with icy road-edges and driveways.

The big Swetnam field at the north end of Middle Dyke Road had some  
bald eagles all day, from very few to about 12 or 15 that I saw,  
along with about 15 great black-backed gulls and up to 10 ravens at a  
time.  The eagles, gulls, and ravens made flights overhead and across  
the field, but the chicken carcasses again were mostly ignored.

Bob Cote dragged away the dead tree that had been placed on the  
ground near the chickens back on Thursday.  And Ulli Hoeger suggested  
that perhaps the chickens had been placed too close to the road, so  
that the eagles are perhaps put off by the closeness of the gawkers  
and photographers (many dozens out of their cars and standing there  
waiting for action).  My thought was that it also would have been  
better if the many shutterbugs and watchers would stand close to the  
bushes near the road, instead of 20 metres into the field.  More food  
for thought for next week?

For my drive from Wolfville in mid-morning, I drove about 45 km. of  
touring through the Gaspereau River Valley from Wallbrook to  
Gaspereau (perhaps 10 eagles were near where Cyril Coldwell used to  
live), then to Port Williams and to Starr's Point and back on Church  
Street (about 5 eagles seen along e. Church St.).

Bob Cote again (like yesterday) reported there were 20+ eagles  
together near the church where Canard Rd. meets Middle Dyke Road at  
about 8 a.m. (and had been fed there west of the church?).

Later in the day Helen Archibald saw and photographed 11 bald eagles  
at Saxon St. Pond (west of Blueberry Acres), in the trees & on the  
ice & flying.  This pond is a good spot for seeing perched eagles,  
but they are always back-lit and usually silhouettes.  Helen also  
drove around widely on Saturday and saw very few eagles, about 7 in  
all, and very few hawks too.

This year there seem to be generally very few bald eagles this winter  
in our area, but perhaps next Sunday's try at our annual "official"  
count for eastern King's County will show something different.  Some  
of you might recall that last year's official count was less than 180  
eagles, down more than 200 from the previous year.

Among the eagle gawkers it was good to see Ulli Hoeger, and in the  
Community Hall to see Ted d'Eon and John Webb among others.

Heather Drope e-mailed me to say she had seen a longer interview with  
myself et al. by Global TV News from yesterday, and that there was  
quite a bit on lead poisoning of eagles and other wildlife and the  
need for more work on various sources of lead for the environment --  
shotgull ammo' and bullets, plus fishing equipment, plus all sorts of  
domestic and especially imported products that we use all the time  
and expose our children and ourselves to.  This subject was among the  
questions from the reporter, Mayya.

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; ">
<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>JAN. 29 (SUN.), 2012 -&nbsp;</b></font><span =
class=3D"Apple-style-span" style=3D"font-size: 12px; "><b>21st Annual =
Eagle Watch Weekend One</b> (continued): Today started out rather =
ominously in Wolfville with a very dark blackish western sky -- but the =
strong wind from the west swept that away quickly and we ended up with a =
lot of Sunlight -- temperature stayed at about +4 C. all day, but that =
stiff west wind produced a significant wind-chill.&nbsp; And a skiff of =
snow remained on the ground, with icy road-edges and =
driveways.</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">The big Swetnam field at the <b>north end of Middle =
Dyke Road</b> had some <b>bald eagles</b> all day, from very few to =
about 12 or 15 that I saw, along with about 15 <b>great black-backed =
gulls</b> and up to 10 <b>ravens</b> at a time.&nbsp; The eagles, gulls, =
and ravens made flights overhead and across the field, but the chicken =
carcasses again were mostly ignored.</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">Bob Cote dragged away the =
<b>dead tree</b> that had been placed on the ground near the chickens =
back on Thursday.&nbsp; And <b>Ulli Hoeger suggested</b> that perhaps =
the <b>chickens</b> had been placed<b> too close to the road</b>, so =
that the eagles are perhaps put off by the closeness of the gawkers and =
photographers (many dozens out of their cars and standing there waiting =
for action).&nbsp; <b>My thought was</b> that it also would have been =
better if the many shutterbugs and watchers would stand close to the =
bushes near the road, instead of 20 metres into the field.&nbsp; More =
food for thought for next week?</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">For my drive from =
Wolfville<b> in mid-morning, I drove about 45 km. of touring through =
</b>the <b>Gaspereau River Valley</b> from Wallbrook to Gaspereau =
(perhaps 10 eagles were near where Cyril Coldwell used to live), then to =
Port Williams and to Starr's Point and back on <b>Church Street</b> =
(about 5 eagles seen along e. Church St.).</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>Bob =
Cote</b> again (like yesterday) reported there were <b>20+ eagles =
together</b> near the church where Canard Rd. meets Middle Dyke Road at =
about 8 a.m. (and had been fed there west of the =
church?).</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">Later in the day <b>Helen Archibald</b> saw and =
photographed 11 bald eagles at <b>Saxon St. Pond</b> (west of Blueberry =
Acres), in the trees &amp; on the ice &amp; flying.&nbsp; This pond is a =
good spot for seeing perched eagles, but they are always back-lit and =
usually silhouettes.&nbsp;<b> Helen also drove around widely on Saturday =
and saw very few eagles, about 7 in all, and very few hawks =
too.</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">This year there seem to be generally<b> very few bald =
eagles this winter in our area</b>, but perhaps next Sunday's try at our =
annual "official" count for eastern King's County will show something =
different. &nbsp;</font><span class=3D"Apple-style-span" =
style=3D"font-size: 12px; ">Some of you might recall that <b>last year's =
official count was less than 180 eagles, down more than 200 from the =
previous year</b>.</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">Among the eagle gawkers it was good to see <b>Ulli =
Hoeger,</b> and in the Community Hall to see <b>Ted d'Eon</b> and =
<b>John Webb</b> among others.</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"><br></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"><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>Heather Drope</b> e-mailed me to say she had seen a longer =
interview with myself et al. by <b>Global TV News</b> from yesterday, =
and that there was quite a bit <b>on lead poisoning of eagles and other =
wildlife and</b> the need for more work on various sources of lead for =
the environment -- shotgull ammo' and bullets, plus fishing equipment, =
plus all sorts of domestic and especially imported products that we use =
all the time and expose our children and ourselves to.&nbsp; This =
subject was among the questions from the reporter, =
Mayya.</font></div></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"><br></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">Cheers? from Jim in =
Wolfville.</font></div> </body></html>=

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