MTRI posted this promising report in the Weymouth Bridge (and perhaps in
other newsletters). You can see a map of the sightings in N.S. on their
website.
"Thank you! This summer the Report a Bat Hotline was on fire. All you
citizen scientists out there helped MTRI capture close to 500 bat sightings
across NS. That info is vital to help us and other researchers track bat
populations and find surviving maternity colonies.
Although there are some signs of recovery Nova Scotia's bats are still
threatened by the devastating white-nose syndrome. We need your continued
support to track bats across the province. If you see a bat please report
it at http://www.batconservation.ca
<https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.batconservation.ca%2F%3Ffbc…>
or by calling 1-866-727-3447 (toll-free)."
Nancy
The snowbuntings were back this morning along the Salt Marsh Trail, they appeared to show more white than most years.
Also, a lonely osprey flew slowly over Lawrencetown beach in S-W direction, disappeared behind the bluff.
Henk Kwindt, Cow Bay, NS.
I found a cattle egret today along the Green Bay Road, Lunenburg Co. It is just past Mariner Crafts on the right side of the road in the field with the high hill. It was with the cattle right beside the road.
James R. Hirtle
LaHave
Hi All,
Have you noticed an unusual number of chickadees lately? If so, you are
witnessing an irruption of Black-capped Chickadees that is occurring in
Eastern North American. Observers have counted upwards of several hundred
chickadees in some locations during one morning. Here in Beaver River,
Yarmouth County, there is what appears to be a chickadee corridor where I
have seen hundreds of chickadees over the past week. This morning, I stood
along this corridor for about 15 minutes and counted 81 chickadees
travelling north in small groups.
While they have been travelling in this direction all week, it is likely the
irruption, in general, is in a south or southwest direction. Chickadees
don't like to cross large water bodies, even more so than the many birds
that have an aversion to doing it. They may be flying north to find a more
favourable location to cross the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine.
Eruptions are composed of young birds that hatched in the current year.
Changes in habitat, food availability, and reproductive success are the
cause of irruptions. The most common cause is high food availability in one
year, leading to increased reproductive success, and food scarcity in the
following year, resulting in the movement of juveniles.
Look for the chickadees crossing an open area in small, loose flocks, at
about eye-level, giving their high-pitched "seet" flight call.
John
Here are two pretty bad and distant photos of a long bladed freshwater grass I noticed in two small but near (3km apart) unconnected lakes (E Twin and Mistake) in E Dalhousie, Kings, this week. Reminds me of marine Eelgrass (Zostera) but wider bladed. I cannot get nearer to it without a boat hence the poor photos. It would be growing in at least 1m of water, possibly more. In Flora of NS there are few species flat bladed submerged freshwater grasses except Tapegrass (Vallisneria americana). I visit many lakes around here and had not noticed this aquatic grass before. Anyone able to ID it from the pics or description?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/150605880@N07/50521833012/in/dateposted/https://www.flickr.com/photos/150605880@N07/50520933613/in/dateposted/
And, what does “orange-listed†mean in the plant world of NS?
Thank you, Nancy D
Seen this a.m. on peanut feeder & elsewhere in our backyard. 30 yrs.
ago we began a brushpile hoping to attract Wrens. This is the first
wren we have seen in our yard!
Lois Codling,
L. Sackville
Along with the two N. Orioles, our first Goldfinches of the season
arrived at feeders today in French Cove, Rich. Co., then after they
left, our first Pine Siskins started dining on nyger seeds.
Billy
Saturday we had Robins moving through the property, more Blue Jays returned
and a small group of at least a dozen Waxwings. Today we have 3 juvenile
Orioles here, likely a return visit from the family that grew up here? They
are combing through old Grapevine leaves and seem to also going at the mint
leaves which are covered on the underside by some sort of rust and mites.
Yesterday around 4:30, a group of starlings flew in. They'd been practicing
their formation flying. One in particular was not at all a Starling. I
cannot say for sure but It was either a Brewers or a Rusty. It was up high
with the sun shining at it. I noticed the eye and the notch in the tail.
Grackles and cowbird most definitely not. so. No sign of it today.
Best regards, Marg
"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tunes without the words
And never stops–at all." (Emily Dickinson)
Birds fly long distances non-stop on migration. This one flew
continuously for almost 3 days.
Don
*Heron Observation Network of Maine*
<https://www.facebook.com/maineheron/?__cft__[0]=AZWGJv9BqcoAsIO1Mi4j40MzvnI…>
October 14
·
Harper Wows Us Again!
Harper, an adult female great blue heron outfitted with a solar-powered
GPS unit, has just flown nonstop for 68 hours on her southward
migration! She spent the summer in New Brunswick, Canada, and the
post-breeding season on Chaleur Bay on the border of QC and NB. At
around 7pm on October 8th she left this rich feeding area and flew
continuously crossing over Nova Scotia and then out over open ocean. She
came within 165 miles of Bermuda but turned westward toward the US
mainland. At 3:15pm on October 11th, she finally made landfall on the
southern tip of Cumberland Island on the Georgia coast. She has since
gradually made her way to the Everglades in Florida. Last year she
impressed the world by flying nonstop over open ocean for 38 hours. She
nearly doubled that duration this year! We will be watching to see if she
returns to last year's wintering area in Guajaca Uno, Cuba, and will
post updates on this Facebook Page. For more information on the tracking
project, including how to download the data to explore on your own,
visit: https://www1.maine.gov/wordpress/ifwheron/tracking-project/
<https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww1.maine.gov%2Fwordpress%2Fi…>.
--
Don MacNeill donmacneill(a)bellaliant.net
