[NatureNS] Swifts, Thrasher, nesting Phoebes and Kestrels.

From: Ken McKenna <kenmcken@eastlink.ca>
To: NS-RBA <NS-RBA@yahoogroups.com>, NatureNS <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Thu, 23 May 2013 10:33:56 -0300
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Ken McKenna
Box 218 Stellarton NS
B0K 1S0
902 752-7644

Hi all

Unlike some of the reports of other NS locations for the first night of =
Swiftwatch 2013, it was not rainy in New Glasgow. It was 100% overcast, =
13C, with a light breeze( Beaufort 2) when I arrived at the Temperance =
St. school parking lot in New Glasgow at 8:15- much earlier than I =
normally would go it if were not an official count night. There were 4 =
others already on hand to watch and we were joined shortly after by 1 =
other for a total of 6 observers. Only one, Rick Ferguson, counted with =
me and I took the swift total for the night as an average of our 2 =
tallies.
=20
Scores of swifts were flying near the chimney when I arrived, but other =
observers who had been there for at least 10 min. prior said none had =
entered yet. Numbers continued to build as minutes ticked away and there =
was a lot of counter-clockwise flights at the chimney til 8:44 when a =
large bolus entered in a short time. At this point Rick and I had =
different totals.ranging from 340-480. I took the average of these 2 =
figures as the rest of our counts for the night were almost identical. =
Very shortly after that lump went in, another 120 entered.  Over the =
next 23 min, there were trickles of 1-3 for a grand total of 558 swifts. =
 We left at 9:12 when it was too dark to see.=20

I feel the average is a pretty good estimate as I am usually =
under-estimating. All agreed it was well worth the time to come out and =
observe.=20

cheers
Ken

PS

Brown Thrasher still on Maple St. in Westville and I had 3-4 Veerys in =
birding this morning in Brookville-Churchville area as well as an E. =
Phoebe nest with 6 eggs under a bridge, and a Kestrel in a nest hole in =
a live poplar.=20
We met an hiker in McLellan's Brook who had an E. Phoebe nest in a =
building on his nearby property . Canada Geese in this area still =
sitting on nests.=20

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<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Ken McKenna<BR>Box 218 Stellarton =
NS<BR>B0K=20
1S0<BR>902 752-7644</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial><BR>Hi all</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Unlike some of the reports of other NS =
locations=20
for the first night of Swiftwatch 2013, it was not rainy in New Glasgow. =
It was=20
100% overcast, 13C, with a light breeze( Beaufort 2) when I arrived at=20
the&nbsp;Temperance St. school parking lot in New Glasgow&nbsp;at 8:15- =
much=20
earlier than I normally would go it if were not an official count night. =
There=20
were 4 others already on hand to watch and we were joined shortly after =
by 1=20
other for a total of 6 observers. Only one, Rick Ferguson, counted with =
me and I=20
took the swift total for the night as an average of our 2 =
tallies.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Scores of swifts were flying near the =
chimney when=20
I arrived, but other observers who had been there for at least 10 min. =
prior=20
said none had entered yet. Numbers continued to build as minutes ticked =
away and=20
there was a lot of counter-clockwise flights at the chimney til 8:44 =
when a=20
large bolus entered in a short time. At this point Rick and I had =
different=20
totals.ranging from 340-480. I took the average of these 2 figures as =
the rest=20
of our counts for the night were almost identical. Very shortly after =
that lump=20
went in, another 120 entered.&nbsp; Over the next 23 min, there were =
trickles of=20
1-3 for a grand total of 558 swifts.&nbsp; We left at 9:12 when it was =
too dark=20
to see. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>I feel the average is a pretty good =
estimate as I=20
am usually under-estimating. All agreed it was well worth the time to =
come out=20
and observe. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>cheers</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Ken</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>PS</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>Brown Thrasher still on Maple St. in =
Westville and=20
I had 3-4 Veerys in birding this morning in Brookville-Churchville =
area&nbsp;as=20
well as an E.&nbsp;Phoebe nest with 6 eggs under a bridge, and a Kestrel =
in a=20
nest hole in a live poplar. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>We met an&nbsp;hiker in McLellan's =
Brook who had an=20
E.&nbsp;Phoebe nest in a building on his nearby property . Canada Geese =
in this=20
area still sitting on nests. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial>&nbsp;</DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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