[ValleyNature] best times for ne. Grand Pre shorebirds -- was E. end of Grand Pre this afternoon ....

[James W. Wolford]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford at eastlink.ca>
> Date: August 8, 2009 11:02:35 PM ADT
> To: naturens at chebucto.ns.ca
> Cc: Jim Wolford <jimwolford at eastlink.ca>
> Subject: best times for ne. Grand Pre shorebirds -- was E. end of  
> Grand Pre this afternoon ....
>
> I'm not sure whether Richard was talking about THE GUZZLE, which is  
> the ne. corner of the Grand Pre dykelands where the fishers try for  
> striped bass over the high tide period, or EVANGELINE BEACH, which  
> runs east from the canteen and shorebird viewing platform and ends  
> where the trees end and where the salt-marsh begins.  I find the  
> very east end of Evangeline Beach to be a great place to see the  
> flocks of peeps (small sandpipers and plovers) beginning to forage  
> as the tide ebbs from 2-3 hours after high tide.  The Guzzle area  
> is a great spot closer to high tide, when the peeps often land and  
> roost near the fishermen and more often just to the west of where  
> the fishers fish (visible from the north end of the dyke).  From  
> that spot, one can walk west along the dyke to where the trees  
> start, and that is the east end of Evangeline Beach.  Just sit on a  
> rock starting at 1.5-2 hours after high tide, or, when the peeps  
> start showing up there, walk out on the mud in rubber boots or old  
> tennis shoes -- afterwards a walk through tall grass will remove  
> the mud.  I don't have much experience with the period before high  
> tide, but that would also be worth experimenting.  Keep in mind  
> that the times will vary depending upon how high the high tide is,  
> since a very high tide will leave no beach for roosting and no mud  
> for foraging until quite a while after the tide is highest.  Confused?
>
> Daytime high tide times and ranges/heights in metres, from the  
> Blomidon Naturalists Society Calendar, for the next few days, are:
>
> Aug. 9 - 15:44 (11.9 m)
> Aug. 10 - 16:21 (11.9 m)
> Aug. 11 - 17:02 (11.8 m)
> Aug. 12 - 17:48 (11.7 m)
> Aug. 13 - 06:10 (11.1 m)
> Aug. 14 - 07:03 (10.6 m)
> Aug. 15 - 08:05 (10.2 m)
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> From: Richard Stern <sternrichard at gmail.com>
>> Date: August 8, 2009 8:51:03 PM ADT
>> To: naturens at chebucto.ns.ca
>> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] E. end of Grand Pre this afternoon ....
>> Reply-To: naturens at chebucto.ns.ca
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> Any time from about 1 1/2 hours before to about the same after -  
>> and at the east end, there is usually enough exposed beach to see  
>> the roost, even at high tide - unless the tide is exceptionally high.
>>
>> Richard
>>
>> On Sat, Aug 8, 2009 at 7:37 PM, Brian Bartlett  
>> <bbartlett at eastlink.ca> wrote:
>> When is the preferred time to see masses of migrating shorebirds  
>> at Evangeline Beach or elsewhere in the area? -- that is, in terms  
>> of hours before or after low / high tide? thanks, Brian
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: Richard Stern
>> To: NatureNS
>> Sent: Saturday, August 08, 2009 6:18 PM
>> Subject: [NatureNS] E. end of Grand Pre this afternoon ....
>>
>> Was there with some very good birders and also some very good  
>> photographers. There were about 10,000 peeps - mostly Semi.  
>> Sandpipers, but a smattering of Leasts, White-rumps and Semi.  
>> Plovers. No Falcons seen. Everone had a great time observing the  
>> "show" provided by the wheeling flocks in the sunshine.
>>
>> Richard
>>
>> -- 
>> #################
>> Richard Stern,
>> 317 Middle Dyke Rd.
>> Port Williams, NS, Canada
>> B0P 1T0
>>
>> sternrichard at gmail.com
>> ###################
>>
>>
>>
>> -- 
>> #################
>> Richard Stern,
>> 317 Middle Dyke Rd.
>> Port Williams, NS, Canada
>> B0P 1T0
>>
>> sternrichard at gmail.com
>> ###################
>

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