[NatureNS] Bobcat Hammonds Plains late report

Date: Thu, 03 May 2012 23:19:16 -0300
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
From: "P.L. Chalmers" <plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca>
References: <20120501220629.XU0ZP.25416.root@tormtz05>
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Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

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         I was interested in these reports of Bobcats in Hammonds 
Plains, which is only a few miles from where I grew up.  When I was a 
child living in the west end of Bedford in the late 60's and early 
70's, we regularly saw a Bobcat behind our house.  In the evening it 
would come prowling down the steep hill from the woods, then creep 
stealthily across an expanse of rocky scree (the remains of an old 
quarrying operation which provided gravel for the Bedford 
Highway).  It would hunt among the large boulders at the bottom of 
the hill; that rockpile separated our property from the "wilderness" 
beyond.  We could watch this while sitting around the dining room 
table after supper.

         We never saw Snowshoe Hares in the neighbourhood, and we 
assumed that the Bobcat was hunting the abundant Red Squirrels, or 
perhaps mice and\or voles.  The hillside gradually grew up in birches 
and spruce, and my parents were industriously planting fruit trees, 
so in time we lost our view of the hillside.  Our Bobcat sightings 
ended too, though I thought that it was because more homes were built 
nearby.  I didn't know about a bounty at the time.

         Patricia L. Chalmers
         Halifax

At 06:56 AM 03/05/2012, Dorothy Cameron wrote:
Eleanor, my sister who lives on the Byblos road off of Hammonds 
Plains, has great photos  of a Bobcat sitting on a mound behind her 
house.  She said that it wasn't that afraid of her so she was nervous 
to take her granddaughter out in the yard to play.


At 03:48 PM 02/05/2012, Eleanor Lindsay wrote:
>Neighbours of mine on Redmonds Rd, Seabright, St Margarets Bay have 
>had a pair of bobcats around their property over the past winter 
>months and have photos of them. One was recently seen just behind 
>the home next to me too. Apparently there were many around here in 
>the early '70s; their numbers were reduced by a bounty at that time 
>but it looks as if they are slowly bouncing back....
>
>
>On 01/05/2012 11:06 PM, 
><mailto:foxhollow@ns.sympatico.ca>foxhollow@ns.sympatico.ca wrote:
>>
>>Backyard Bobcat seen Last november 26 (2011) four doors away in a 
>>residential neighbourhood. I just found out about it and yes, the 
>>neighbour took photos.
>>
>>Just wondering how usual it is for these cats to visit human 
>>neighbourhoods, and considering it was not a harsh winter. 
>>Rabbits/hare a little down but lots of voles and red squirrels.
>>
>>What is normal proximity to development?
>>
>>Thanks
>>Ian in Hammonds plains


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<body>
<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>I was
interested in these reports of Bobcats in Hammonds Plains, which is only
a few miles from where I grew up.&nbsp; When I was a child living in the
west end of Bedford in the late 60's and early 70's, we regularly saw a
Bobcat behind our house.&nbsp; In the evening it would come prowling down
the steep hill from the woods, then creep stealthily across an expanse of
rocky scree (the remains of an old quarrying operation which provided
gravel for the Bedford Highway).&nbsp; It would hunt among the large
boulders at the bottom of the hill; that rockpile separated our property
from the &quot;wilderness&quot; beyond.&nbsp; We could watch this while
sitting around the dining room table after supper.&nbsp; <br><br>
<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>We never
saw Snowshoe Hares in the neighbourhood, and we assumed that the Bobcat
was hunting the abundant Red Squirrels, or perhaps mice and\or
voles.&nbsp; The hillside gradually grew up in birches and spruce, and my
parents were industriously planting fruit trees, so in time we lost our
view of the hillside.&nbsp; Our Bobcat sightings ended too, though I
thought that it was because more homes were built nearby.&nbsp; I didn't
know about a bounty at the time.<br><br>
<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Patricia
L. Chalmers<br>
<x-tab>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</x-tab>Halifax<br>
<br>
At 06:56 AM 03/05/2012, Dorothy Cameron wrote:<br>
Eleanor, my sister who lives on the Byblos road off of Hammonds Plains,
has great photos&nbsp; of a Bobcat sitting on a mound behind her
house.&nbsp; She said that it wasn’t that afraid of her so she was
nervous to take her granddaughter out in the yard to play.<br><br>
<br>
At 03:48 PM 02/05/2012, Eleanor Lindsay wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""><font size=4>Neighbours of mine
on Redmonds Rd, Seabright, St Margarets Bay have had</font> a pair of
bobcats around their property over the past winter months and have photos
of them. One was recently seen just behind the home next to me too.
Apparently there were many around here in the early '70s; their numbers
were reduced by a bounty at that time but it looks as if they are slowly
bouncing back....<br><br>
<br>
On 01/05/2012 11:06 PM,
foxhollow@ns.sympatico.ca
wrote: <br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite=""><br>
<pre>Backyard Bobcat seen Last november 26 (2011) four doors away in a
residential neighbourhood. I just found out about it and yes, the
neighbour took photos.

Just wondering how usual it is for these cats to visit human
neighbourhoods, and considering it was not a harsh winter. Rabbits/hare a
little down but lots of voles and red squirrels.

What is normal proximity to development?

Thanks
Ian in Hammonds plains
</blockquote></blockquote></body>
</html>

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