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Index of Subjects
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<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">Here at our little feeder Donna Purple =
Finches are the second</span>
</div>=20
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<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">most common bird I see - after Gold Fin=
ches.</span>
<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;"><br/></span>
</div>=20
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<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">Red breasted Nuthatches come every once=
in a while <br/></span>
</div>=20
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<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">the White Breasted and Brown Creepers s=
tay in the trees.<br/></span>
</div>=20
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<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">At home on PEI the old folks used to sa=
y the best time to travel<br/></span>
</div>=20
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<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">by horse and sleigh on the ice was St P=
atricks day. This coming<br/></span>
</div>=20
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<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">Friday so the cold blast is no susprise=
to me!<br/></span>
</div>=20
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<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">Enjoy the end of winter<br/></span>
</div>=20
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<span style=3D"font-size: 12pt;">Paul<br/></span>
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<!-- <![endif] -->On March 12, 2017 at 9:49 AM Donna Crossland <dcro=
ssland@eastlink.ca> wrote:
<br/>
<br/>=20
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<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">It really was a popul=
ar day yesterday at the feeders (and similar today).  None of us, feat=
hered or otherwise, are accustomed to the sudden drop in temps and high win=
ds that were experienced since it=E2=80=99s been a pretty smooth coast for =
most of the winter.   I dove into the woods to get out of the bit=
ing winds yesterday afternoon.  It=E2=80=99s amazing what a difference=
forests makes on a cold windy day.  Glad I don=E2=80=99t live on the =
prairies.  </span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">The sap sucker was ba=
ck at the suet feeder.  He=E2=80=99s very predictable when the temp dr=
ops.  For a while, my feeder area was very colorful with a male and fe=
male cardinal on the ground beneath, and the gorgeous red flashes of the ma=
le sapsucker feeding from the last bit of suet low to the ground.  I m=
ade up a fresh batch of suet with black oil sunflower seeds mixed in (delic=
ious) and hung it out to ensure everyone had a rich caloric intake to get t=
hrough the cold afternoon and night ahead.  I made a second batch this=
AM, and the chickadees immediately began to vocalize the news of the new s=
uet being hung in a sheltered spot.</span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">Similar to Marg=E2=80=
=99s observations, there are no purple finches around, but I have gold finc=
hes a plenty.  Considering what purple finches consume, I suspect the =
population will be extra low for a while, aside from its usual irregulariti=
es as a winter feeder visitor and its reported declines elsewhere from Hous=
e finch invasions.  I was observing air photo imagery under DNR=E2=80=
=99s Harvest Plans Map Viewer a few days ago.  It is clear that we are=
flattening nearly all the remaining mature conifer forest in NS that would=
have supplied much of the natural sources of seed.  With 55 year harv=
est rotations set up on Crown land, it=E2=80=99s not certain what natural f=
ood supply will remain for the next while.  Trees need time to mature =
before producing any significant quantity of seed.  It=E2=80=99s a dir=
e situation we are creating for wildlife.  Meanwhile, the =E2=80=9Cfie=
ld and roadside junco and goldfinch crews=E2=80=9D seem perfectly fine.=
0; </span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p>=20
<p class=3D"MsoNormal"><span style=3D"color: #1f497d; font-family: '=
;Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 11pt;">I=E2=80=99ve heard va=
lid and science-based criticisms against maintaining bird feeders  thr=
ough the years, and how this can do more harm than good for birds.  We=
know the feeders can spread diseases if we don=E2=80=99t sanitize them, an=
d they can set birds up for easy predation.  It=E2=80=99s perhaps most=
ly a selfish pleasure watching birds at feeders, I suppose, bringing nature=
closer to us.  But with the sudd