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In response to Susann=E2=80=99s question regarding whether other birders =
have noticed a lack of insects: I=E2=80=99ve noticed the past couple of =
years that black flies seem to =E2=80=98not be what they used to =
be=E2=80=99. Mostly, the season seems to be noticeably abbreviated. =
Also the past two spring have witness very cold temperatures in the =
mornings (last Saturday there was a frost at Milford House and only 4 C =
when I arrived at 5:20 am). I measure the temperature at every bird =
survey post and notice that 10-11 C is required before I need to put on =
some bug deterrent. By then, on most mornings until the warm temps of =
this week, I=E2=80=99ve pretty well completed the bird survey.
=20
Earlier this spring, some of the fishermen were commenting that the =
blackflies were biting just like in the old days. Things started out =
=E2=80=98normally=E2=80=99 enough, but then we hit the prolonged cold =
snap and waters were rapidly dropping, too. The blackflies quickly =
became less of an issue.
=20
I=E2=80=99m not a bug expert, but I grew up in one of the buggiest areas =
of the province. My theory with the black fly is that it=E2=80=99s =
traditionally successful life cycle in NS has been altered somewhat from =
the rampant levels of deforestation. On private lands, it seems that =
operations have reverted back to cutting right up to the stream edges =
with no trees remaining (I=E2=80=99ve got photos of last =
winter=E2=80=99s cuts in the southwest). Even where buffers are left as =
per legal requirements, the lack of trees remaining on the rest of the =
landscape serve to let streams rapidly fill after a rain and then empty =
quickly, rather than retain moderate flows from filtering through =
forests. For the black fly, if waters keep running more will emerge, =
but streams are now drying up more quickly than before when our great =
Acadian forest blanketed the landscape. The black fly season is =
shortened. =20
=20
Also bear in mind that breeding success of black flies is sensitive to =
water pollution in streams (which may be relevant to some areas of our =
great province).
=20
Most folks will herald the shorter black fly season, but I=E2=80=99ve =
become more reflective about our migrant birds now than I used to be. =
Neotropical birds have been coming to this land solely for its =
=E2=80=9Cbugs=E2=80=9D and the remarkable =E2=80=98forest =
habitats=E2=80=99 found here for centuries! What are we indirectly =
doing to their precious food supply needed to feed young birds? (I =
won=E2=80=99t go into habitat issues.) When I watch the chimney swifts =
and tree swallows flying around, I wonder how things are going for them =
and their progeny... =20
=20
Donna Crossland
=20
=20
From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca =
[mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of =
rita.paul@ns.sympatico.ca
Sent: June-20-16 8:48 AM
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Golden-crowned Kinglet family group
=20
Maybe birders are noticing a lack of insects Susann!=20
but anglers seem not in agreement but maybe birders=20
blood is not in this year! Just like wine.
Enjoy the last days of spring
Paul
=20
On June 20, 2016 at 7:02 AM Susann Myers <myerss@eastlink.ca> wrote:=20
Pat McKay and I did some woods birding yesterday along the Old Mineville =
Road, a very quiet rough track that runs between West Porters Lake and =
Mineville, HRM. In one area there were a lot of Golden-crowned Kinglet =
calls, and we saw a group of more than 4 kinglets flitting around in the =
woods together, feeding and calling. We couldn't get a good enough look =
to confirm fledgling plumage, but this appeared to be a family group.=20
=20
A little research confirmed that this is the right season for a first =
brood of fledglings to be out of the nest and moving about with their =
parents. Tufts gives April 16 for the average start of nesting on =
Wolfville Ridge, and roughly mid-May for the completion of egg laying. =
The Birders' Handbook indicates that incubation takes 14-15 days, and =
fledging another 14-19; it also indicates that this kinglet typically =
has 2 broods.=20
=20
Also notable were a good showing of butterflies and a lack of other =
flying insects - no black flies, and the only mosquitoes that bothered =
us were at a salt marsh in the early morning, where we went to hear =
Sora. Although the day became windy, there was no wind felt down at =
ground level in the woods. Are other birders noting this absence of =
insecs?=20
=20
Cheers,=20
Susann Myers=20
=20
=20
=20
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D'>In response to Susann=E2=80=99s question regarding whether