[ValleyNature] re Sunday field trip and barred owls?

[James W. Wolford]

Ulli Hoeger and others have inquired about whether or not Sunday's  
NSBS/BNS field trip for Spring birds will first visit Bernard  
Forsythe's yard for a show on barred owls?  NO, not this year,  
perhaps because of the late Spring and also possibly because one of  
Bernard's yard pair is a new bird.  He does have a pair of owls this  
year, but he fed just a single owl earlier in the winter (these are  
the only barred owls that are fed supplemental food by Bernard, and  
only for part of the year).  This pair, and many others that are  
monitored at nest-boxes by Bernard, have not laid eggs yet and  
perhaps may not at all, now that it is so relatively late for them.   
Maybe it's just this weird and very wintry winter we just had, and  
hopefully next year we can again resume the sometimes spectacular  
"show" there on Wolfville Ridge in mid-morning.

This field trip, which does not require or wish pre-registration and  
is open to anyone who wishes to come, meets at 10 a.m. in the parking  
lot by the Wolfville Waterfront Park, one block north of Tim Horton's  
and just across the RR tracks.  Bring some food and drink and rubber- 
bottomed footwear or boots, binocs, scopes, field guides, good  
dispositions, clothes for all sorts of weather, etc.

We will caravan around eastern King's County, mostly between Port  
Williams and Canning, stopping at selected spots for ponds, eagle  
nests, etc.  We usually do a productive walk on Starr's Point at the  
Van Nostrand's Ponds, followed by a noonish stop for lunch and  
stretch at Helen and Fred Archibald's home just east of Jawbone  
Corner (flashing light on Hwy. 358 and Canard Road).

Sounds like we may need SUNSCREEN on Sunday!?

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville