Have not seen any since sept 7 . Have kept records for over 25 years, this is an early departure, usually is around mid sept here. W. Kettleson Truro
Sent from my iPad
A Gray Heron has been seen on an island near Nantucket, MA. Using a wing
photo of his own and one from George Forsyth, the finder (and others) have
made a good case that the MA bird is also our NS bird. There are at least
two small notches and also some sort of white growth (??) in both photos.
You can read the comments and see the photos in this eBird report.
https://ebird.org/checklist/S73234059
Regards
Rick W.
Here is a couple of phone videos of two grasshoppers doing their mating flights- a very common sight here on all sunny days lately. I have not had a chance to get a good look at the insect for ID but it is a dark grasshopper and possibly a Crackling Forest Grasshopper (love the name!) aka Trimerotropis verruculata based on range and habits. The genus is probably correct at least. I read this group can be distinguished acoustically.
Please zoom in and turn up the volume for both:
The first short clip is easier to see and shows one once it got the clicking underway. https://www.flickr.com/photos/150605880@N07/50330759502/in/dateposted/
This second short shows the pattern- they always start off hovering with silent wings and then turn on the clacking and finally drop to the ground where I can never locate them for a photo.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/150605880@N07/50330758822/in/dateposted/
Nancy D
E Dalhousie, Kings Co.
Our most recent Ruby-throated Hummingbird sighting was two days ago - a
young male at our feeder. We haven't seen any since then. Anyone else
still seeing them?
Peter Payzant
Waverley
Dear All,
   In calm warm conditions Yellowjackets are still around. They
finished the Cranberry Cocktail and are not fans of slightly sweetened
Black Currant juice.
   Today at noon my dish of canned Mandrin Orange slices was a great
hit. It was in a pyrex dish about 11 cm diameter and 5 cm high (internal
dimensions) with nearly vertical walls. After feeding they could not fly
out of the dish. When lifted out of the dish using a spoon (because I
wanted some also) they would eventually take off and manage to slowly
gain altitude at about a 45 degree angle.
   I have had the impression all along that departing wasps flew off
with abdomenal end noticeably lower but when traffic is high there are
distractions. Today with only a dozen or so feeding and only few taking
off at any one time it was clear that all flew away tail end down. {Do
they transfer some food to the Queen ?}
   After seeing the attraction of Mandrin Orange juice this noon I
tried a simple test this afternoon; Black Currant juice with and without
white sugar added. No need for statistical analysis; there was feeding
only at the sugar added puddle and they were packed like sardines.
   Adding BC juice and sugar to the dish was not an effective trap.
None loaded so full that it was unable to fly out. A dish with walls at
a higher angle on a clean table might work.
Dave, Kentville
Yesterday was our last day, had two at the feeder in the forenoon yesterday but none today. It was a busy season for them this year with lots of hummers apparently from at least two different broods judging by the direction the came from and went to. We are completely surrounded by thick woods.
Peter Stow. Hubbards
I gave the wrong location for the Yellow-headed Blackbird. It was at
the house of Rosemary Burns in St. George's Channel, which is right next
to Dundee in Richmond County.
Billy
I just saw what was almost certainly a Golden Eagle. It soared a few
circles above my place, then drifted out of sight westward. Only got a
view of the underside, but pretty obvious field marks of adult Golden.
Doug Linzey
Arlington, Kings Co.
