[NatureNS] notes from Cape Split walk May 18/13 (BNS/HFN)(long)

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From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Tue, 21 May 2013 18:04:43 -0300
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> To: Nature BNS <nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca>, Patrick Kelly  
> <patrick.kelly@dal.ca>, Bob & Wendy McDonald <bobathome83@gmail.com>
> Cc: Webster Andrews <Andrewwa@gov.ns.ca>
> Subject: [ValleyNature] notes from Cape Split walk May 18/13 (BNS/ 
> HFN)(long)
>
> To help Patrick's memory for his write-up, here are my own  
> unfinished notes from the joint BNS/HFN walk.
>
> MAY 18, 2013 - Blomidon Naturalists Society & Halifax Field  
> Naturalists joint field trip, CAPE SPLIT WALK -- Very windy and  
> chilly/cold and overcast conditions greeted us at the new trailhead  
> & big gravel parking lot with latrines and cans for sorting solid  
> garbage into paper, compost, recyclables, and refundables.  We had  
> about 20 people at the start of the walk, including leaders Pat  
> Kelly and Jim Wolford.
>
> Plants in flower encountered on our walk today: goldthread,  
> American fly-honeysuckle, purple/red trillium (one with whitish  
> petals found, too), spring beauty, two species of toothwort  
> (Cardamine/Dentaria diphylla & C./D. multifida?)(but multifida is  
> not listed in Zinck's Flora of N.S.)(and a couple of D. diphylla  
> with leaf undersides showing whitish rust fungus infections),  
> Dutchman's breeches, rosy twisted-stalk, small-flowered crowfoot  
> (buttercup), blue violet, red-berried baneberry,  wild strawberry,  
> downy alder (Alnus viridis, subspecies crispa), trailing raspberry  
> or dewberry, bunchberry (just one plant), wood rush (Luzula), a  
> sedge species (Carex), common dandelion.
>
> Regarding the two species of twisted-stalk (I have seen both at  
> Cape Split, but the rosy species greatly predominates), after the  
> walk I learned in Zinck's "Roland's Flora of Nova Scotia" (1998,  
> Nimbus) that the easiest way to distinguish them is by use of a  
> hand-lens on the leaf margins: leaf edge ciliate or finely hairy in  
> Streptopus rosea, leaf margin smooth in S. amplexifolius.
>
> Flowers in bud, and soon to bloom, were wild lily-of-the-valley,  
> mountain maple (we saw all four native species of maples on the  
> walk: mountain, striped or moose, red, sugar),
>
> BALD EAGLE NESTS:  Patrick and I checked two nests -- first the one  
> off Huntley Road in Scots' Bay, had an adult eagle on it, and any  
> youngsters present were hidden from view under the adult (sensibly  
> on this cold & windy morning); then we drove after the walk to  
> Blomidon and the cliff-top nest north of the Mill Creek cluster of  
> homes, where again one adult was on the nest and any youngsters  
> hidden underneath the adult.
>
> At the "Split" end of the trail, quite a few people had a nice view  
> of a peregrine falcon that was soaring without a wingbeat and  
> gliding northward, very probably just travelling past the cape from  
> south to north, into the very strong wind from the north that blew  
> all day.  The falcon was visible to all for a long time, because  
> its progress into the wind was very slow but steady and apparently  
> effortless.
>
> This year no chipmunks were heard and only one was seen crossing  
> the trail by Patrick.  Last year we heard at least three and saw  
> two chipmunks.
>
> Along the trail in at least two places, prostrate trunks of shrubs  
> or small trees showed a lot of de-barking.  Initially we thought of  
> porcupines or snowshoe hares or even mice under the snow.  But  
> further consideration led to the conclusion that the de-barking was  
> actually scrapings caused by good old humans, namely some sort of  
> machine used to keep the trail open and keep brush back from the  
> edges.  Whoever did this for Dept. of Nat. Resources, Prov. Parks  
> division, was overzealous in a few places.
>
> That strong wind kept bringing us all kinds of skies and weather  
> for the several hours that we were out there (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for  
> Pat & me).  Several times the sky cleared briefly and warmed up a  
> bit when we were out of the wind (not often).
> ---------------------------
> Cheers from Jim
> _______________________________________________
> Nature mailing list
> Nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca
> http://blomidonnaturalists.ca/mailman/listinfo/ 
> nature_blomidonnaturalists.ca


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><div><br></div><blockquote =
type=3D"cite"><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" =
size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Nature BNS &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca">nature@blomidonnaturalists.c=
a</a>&gt;, Patrick Kelly &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:patrick.kelly@dal.ca">patrick.kelly@dal.ca</a>&gt;, Bob =
&amp; Wendy McDonald &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:bobathome83@gmail.com">bobathome83@gmail.com</a>&gt;</font>=
</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: =
0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: =
#000000"><b>Cc: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">Webster Andrews &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:Andrewwa@gov.ns.ca">Andrewwa@gov.ns.ca</a>&gt;</font></div>=
<div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" =
style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Subject: =
</b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px =
Helvetica"><b>[ValleyNature] notes from Cape Split walk May 18/13 =
(BNS/HFN)(long)</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; =
margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: =
14px; "><br></div> <div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><b>To help Patrick's memory for =
his write-up, here are my own unfinished notes from the joint BNS/HFN =
walk.</b></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><br></b></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"><b>MAY 18, 2013 - Blomidon Naturalists Society &amp; =
Halifax Field Naturalists joint field trip, CAPE SPLIT WALK</b> -- Very =
windy and chilly/cold and overcast conditions greeted us at the new =
trailhead &amp; big gravel parking lot with latrines and cans for =
sorting solid garbage into paper, compost, recyclables, and =
refundables.&nbsp; We had about 20 people at the start of the walk, =
including leaders Pat Kelly and Jim Wolford.</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>Plants =
in flower encountered on our walk today: </b>goldthread, American =
fly-honeysuckle, purple/red trillium (one with whitish petals found, =
too), spring beauty, two species of toothwort (<i>Cardamine/Dentaria =
diphylla</i> &amp; <i>C./D. multifida</i>?)(but <i>multifida</i> is not =
listed in Zinck's Flora of N.S.)(and a couple of <i>D. diphylla</i> with =
leaf undersides showing whitish<b> rust fungus</b> infections), =
Dutchman's breeches, rosy twisted-stalk, small-flowered crowfoot =
(buttercup), blue violet, red-berried baneberry,&nbsp; wild strawberry, =
downy alder (<i>Alnus viridis</i>, subspecies<i> crispa</i>), trailing =
raspberry or dewberry, bunchberry (just one plant), wood rush =
<i>(Luzula</i>), a sedge species (<i>Carex</i>), common =
dandelion.</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>Regarding the two species of twisted-stalk</b> (I =
have seen both at Cape Split, but the rosy species greatly =
predominates), after the walk I learned in Zinck's "Roland's Flora of =
Nova Scotia" (1998, Nimbus) that the easiest way to distinguish them is =
by use of a hand-lens on the leaf margins: leaf edge ciliate or finely =
hairy in <i>Streptopus rosea</i>, leaf margin smooth in <i>S. =
amplexifolius</i>.&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"><b>Flowers in bud</b>, and soon to bloom, were wild =
lily-of-the-valley, mountain maple (we saw all four native species of =
maples on the walk: mountain, striped or moose, red, =
sugar),</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>BALD EAGLE NESTS:&nbsp;</b> Patrick and I checked =
two nests -- first the one off Huntley Road in <b>Scots' Bay</b>, had an =
adult eagle on it, and any youngsters present were hidden from view =
under the adult (sensibly on this cold &amp; windy morning); then we =
drove after the walk to <b>Blomidon</b> and the cliff-top nest north of =
the Mill Creek cluster of homes, where again one adult was on the nest =
and any youngsters hidden underneath the adult.&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">At the =
"Split" end of the trail, quite a few people had a nice view of a =
<b>peregrine falcon</b> that was soaring without a wingbeat and gliding =
northward, very probably just travelling past the cape from south to =
north, into the very strong wind from the north that blew all day.&nbsp; =
The falcon was visible to all for a long time, because its progress into =
the wind was very slow but steady and apparently =
effortless.</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<b> no chipmunks</b> were heard and only one =
was seen crossing the trail by Patrick.&nbsp; Last year we heard at =
least three and saw two chipmunks.</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">Along the trail in at least =
two places, prostrate trunks of shrubs or small trees showed a lot of<b> =
de-barking</b>.&nbsp; Initially we thought of porcupines or snowshoe =
hares or even mice under the snow.&nbsp; But further consideration led =
to the conclusion that the de-barking was actually scrapings caused by =
good old humans, namely some sort of machine used to keep the trail open =
and keep brush back from the edges.&nbsp; Whoever did this for Dept. of =
Nat. Resources, Prov. Parks division, was overzealous in a few =
places.</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">That <b>strong wind</b> kept bringing us <b>all kinds =
of skies and weather</b> for the several hours that we were out there (9 =
a.m. to 5 p.m. for Pat &amp; me).&nbsp; Several times the sky cleared =
briefly and warmed up a bit when we were out of the wind (not =
often).&nbsp;</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 =
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</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; =
">_______________________________________________</div><div =
style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; =
margin-left: 0px; ">Nature mailing list</div><div style=3D"margin-top: =
0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a =
href=3D"mailto:Nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca">Nature@blomidonnaturalists.c=
a</a></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; =
margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><a =
href=3D"http://blomidonnaturalists.ca/mailman/listinfo/nature_blomidonnatu=
ralists.ca">http://blomidonnaturalists.ca/mailman/listinfo/nature_blomidon=
naturalists.ca</a></div> </blockquote></div><br></body></html>=

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