There have been numerous reports on FB about a dearth of pollinators this
summer in N.S. I also am not seeing many.
Meanwhile, in our garden, cucurbits are having a rough time-lots of female
flowers as well as male and many tiny fruits; but they don't grow. Research
indicates lack of pollination as the probable cause. We do have a good
number of green tomatoes, though, and we've had a bumper crop of haskap,
raspberries and now, highbush blueberries. Also, good crop of peas and snap
beans.
Perhaps it's the dry summer? Do any of you have any thoughts and
observations to report about this?
Thanks.
Jane Schlosberg
This morning at the Guzzle in Grand Pre I watched several eagles taking turns dropping onto a roosting Semipalmated Sandpiper flock from the trees at the east tip of Long Island. A juvenile eagle successfully caught what I assume was one of the Semi Sandpipers and ate it. The sandpiper flock then flew over to Boot Island, and did not return while I was there. In all there were about 10,000 birds in two flocks. An adult Peregrine Falcon was also in attendance.
Cheers
Jake WalkerWolfville, NS
Hi all.
Have a new video that features some great music by Ennio Morricom who wrote the score for the movie - The Mission.
Hope you like it.
Paul.
channel-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------opl09----------------------------/UCN9vPZWRq8auD66f8rfEKeuuQ/videos?view_as=subscriber <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN9vPZWRq8auD66f8rfEKeQ/videos?view_as=sub…>
We identified this plant as Golden Hedge Hyssop/Golden Pert (Gratiola aurea). It is growing <1m from the water’s edge on a gravelly/sandy lakeshore in E Dalhousie, Kings. Only one little colony that I see along this section of lakeshore. The water is med-low right now so this would be underwater much of the year and even now gets inundated when the waves are high. It is only ~7cm/3†tall which is why I question my ID. Most guides suggest a larger stature but that may vary based on conditions. What do you think?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/150605880@N07/50164897028/in/dateposted/
Thanks, Nancy D
I have small yellow/orange caterpillars with black heads dropping from a Service Berry in my yard. The plant is loosing it's leaves now as well. I also noted our yard is populated with white moths, so the two are likely related. I have not been able to identify the caterpillars with info available online. Someone prepared to try ID our visitors?
Thanks.
Andy Stadnyk
Lower Sackville
I saw my first Nighthawks in a few years today on the way to Cape
Breton. There were four of them above the 104 just west of the Irving
on the hill near Westville.
Billy
For those interested in taking a listen. I picked up one of these vocalizations at 6am in wet meadows in E Dalhousie Kings Co. The AudioMoth was located at the N end of this long sinuous wetland near the old concrete dam. It stood out on the 10min recording but was not heard during the other 3 days of recordings at 2,4,6, and 8am. It hints of the sputtery subsong of a Marsh Wren. Thoughts?
https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/250068701
Thanks, Nancy D
Dear All,
   Over the last few days I have seen several copies of a tiny
elongated insect; ~0.3 mm wide, 3mm long, dark, narrow transparent wings
held horizontal in line with and over body.
   At 6x it suggest Hymenoptera of some kind.
   Does this approximate description ring any bells ? I do not recall
having seen these in previous years.
YT DW, Kentville
