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Hi Lance & All,
Is the Snow Goose not the same beast that was protected for decades, =
from being hunted by the northern locals, first when it was relatively =
low in numbers but also for decades after it became overabundant ? It =
took way too long to get the regulation changed. Once changed I think =
the locals were paid to hunt it. I am sure it was a Goose and I am sure =
about the unfortunate regulatory inertia. Just not sure about the Snow =
part.
Back in the 50s here it was a big deal to see a Bald Eagle so =
numbers are without doubt up. And your reasoning with respect to =
supplemental feeding in general makes perfect sense to me.=20
But I wonder if Eagles, a large predator, will fit that model =
without serious repercussions for vulnerable prey species. An Eagle =
population supported in winter by supplemental feed, from the point of =
view of prey, is really a very large flying cat.=20
I think there are regulations now which prevent people from visiting =
the Bird Islands without good reasons and special permission. But will =
visits by Eagles be restrained by regulations ? And if numbers get high =
enough then the chance of the Bird Islands becoming an Eagle fast-food =
bar will approach unity.=20
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Laviolette, Lance=20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2016 2:48 PM
Subject: RE: [NatureNS] Re: Bald Eagles in NS
Hi James,
=20
I would think that the supplemental winter feeding of eagles would =
have some of the same effects as the supplemental winter feeding of =
other bird species. For small birds it is a decrease in mortality due to =
starvation but an increase in mortality due to potential exposure to =
predation, disease and human related hazards (e.g. window collisions). =
Usually this is fairly neutral in its overall results. For some species =
(e.g. Mourning Doves, Northern Cardinals) the positive has outweighed =
the negatives in Nova Scotia and Canada and so the northern expansion of =
these species has probably been accelerated over what would have =
occurred without supplemental winter feeding.=20
=20
For Nova Scotia Bald Eagles supplemental winter feeding does appear to =
have assisted the growth of the population from its DDT induced lows. =
However no good deed goes unpunished as they say or at least has no =
follow on consequences. A better analogous species for Bald Eagles than =
small passerines is probably the Snow Goose where its winter feeding on =
rice fields in the southern USA where historically none existed has =
resulted in a population boom. While this was good for the Snow Goose, =
at least in the short-medium term, it was not good on its northern =
breeding habitat which has been impacted by numbers which may have been =
larger than they ever were historically. Large goose numbers feeding on =
coastal habitat around James Bay has =E2=80=98denuded=E2=80=99 some =
areas. Not surprisingly a lack of vegetation has in turn had negative =
effects on other bird species.
=20
In Nova Scotia, the increased eagle population coincides with reports =
that large numbers of eagles having had an impact in unexpected areas =
such as the seabird colonies in Cape Breton. Perhaps they never had much =
of an impact before or perhaps they used to hunt historically there and =
only now are they again exploiting them because their numbers are =
substantial enough to require utilizing this food source.
=20
At some point eagle numbers will stabilize; perhaps through disease, =
perhaps through a lack of summer food, perhaps because of some other =
reason.
=20
All the best,
=20
Lance
=20
Lance Laviolette
Software Config Analyst Staff
(514) 340-8310 x 8495
=20
=20
From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca =
[mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of James Churchill
Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2016 9:46 AM
To: naturens <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Subject: EXTERNAL: [NatureNS] Re: Bald Eagles in NS
=20
Jim's comment below about artificial winter feeding of Bald Eagles (et =
al.) might have gone unnoticed at the end of his message there, but it =
is a worthy question:
=20
Lots has changed since Bald Eagle populations were low in the 70s, and =
it's worth evaluating (again) impacts of artificial feeding on wintering =
eagles, our breeding eagle population and any impacts on other wildlife =
as a result.
=20
james.
=20
=20
On Tue, Feb 2, 2016 at 5:56 PM, Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca> =
wrote:
=20
From: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Subject: report on SHEFFIELD MILLS EAGLE WATCH WEEKEND ONE (long)
Date: February 2, 2016 at 4:55:30 PM AST
To: Nature BNS <nature@blomidonnaturalists.ca>
Cc: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
=20
JAN. 30-31, 2016 [Sat.-Sun.] - SHEFFIELD MILLS EAGLE WATCH =
=E2=80=94 Both days had very mild temperatures, above +10 C., and light =
winds, plus perhaps 15 cm. of fresh snow on Sat. morning. The fresh =
snow should have helped in getting eagles to feeding locations, and =
conditions were great for gawkers to stand around and wait for action =
there, but Saturday was nearly a total bust for the Eagle Watch (and =
Sunday wasn=E2=80=99t much better).=20
=20
As usual, on Sat. there were a few dozen cars at the feeding site =
at the north end of Middle Dyke Road, but the biggest number of bald =
eagles there was 11 (others may have seen more), and all they did was =
sit in the trees with very little flying around and little or no going =
after the ample supply of cut-up large pieces of chicken carrion (the =
daily small proportion of the chicken-barn population that dies each =
night).=20
=20
The landscape was gorgeous on Sat. morning, with all the =
new-fallen snow on the trees, bushes, and ground. I=E2=80=99m sure that =
Fri./Sat.=E2=80=99s snow deterred a lot of people from driving anywhere =
on Sat. On my way out to Sheffield Mills, I saw 8+ eagles at Church St. =
& Hwy. 358, and another 6 at Saxon Street Pond (where there were 18 all =
perched together on Sunday). =20
=20
Frustrated photographers on both days found other groups of =
perched eagles in other parts of eastern King=E2=80=99s County, where =
dead chickens are offered by other poultry producers, but all of this is =
no di