[ValleyNature] JW's Migration Count highlights

[James W. Wolford]

MAY 9, 2009 - NOVA SCOTIA [BIRD] MIGRATION COUNT, alias North  
American Migration Count, alias World Bird Migration Day [Count] --  
As usual, I drove around from pond to pond in eastern King's County  
for most of the day -- I ended up with 41 species of birds plus a few  
other interesting items like flowers, butterflies, midges, &  
turtles.  Here is a list of my highlights for the day, with details  
to follow later:

CANADA GOOSE - one apparently still on a nest on island in Ducks  
Unlimited pond on Middle Dyke Road by river, plus a possibly tame?  
pair of yearlings? at Harris' Pond, Canning.
WOOD DUCK - 5 seen, at 3 different places.
GADWALL - a m,f pair at Canard Pond.
AMERICAN WIGEON - 4 seen (2 m,f pairs)(at 2 ponds).
BLUE-WINGED TEAL - 3 seen (a m,f pr plus a m) at New Minas sewage ponds.
GREEN-WINGED TEAL - 39 seen.
RING-NECKED DUCK - 5 seen.
GREATER SCAUP - 1 male at Van Nostrand's Pond, identification from  
rounded top of head.
COMMON MERGANSER - 1 female at Canning Aboiteau.
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT - only one seen, but it was surprisingly  
high in a tree, at Harris' Pond, Canning.
BALD EAGLE - 3 adults, all at nests, and 2 CHICKS were visible in the  
Noggins Farm nest, Greenwich.
RED-TAILED HAWK - 5 seen, one on nest at Starr's Point, and I was  
surprised to see a newly? rebuilt replacement nest in the same spot  
at Saxon St. Pond which produced young last year (but then nest blew  
or fell away sometime during the winter).
GREATER YELLOWLEGS - 1 at New Minas sewage ponds.
WILLET - 1 in Wolfville Harbour.
CHIMNEY SWIFT - 12+ into Wolfville RTNC chimney at dusk.
BELTED KINGFISHER - 2 seen.
EASTERN KINGBIRD - 1 at pond south of Chipman's Corner along Middle  
Dyke Rd.
TREE SWALLOW - 121 seen (110 at New Minas sewage ponds)(and 200+  
there on next day).
BANK SWALLOW - 1 at New Minas sewage ponds.
BARN SWALLOW - 12 seen, in small groups up to 5 at various locales.
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER - 4 seen.
SAVANNAH SPARROW - 1 seen and heard.
PURPLE FINCH - 3 seen or heard.

PLANTS: cuckoo-flower and shadbush in bloom.  Bigtooth aspen poplar  
has young fruits.
BUTTERFLIES: 1 RED ADMIRAL with a damaged hind wing at Van Nostrand's  
Ponds, Starr's Point, and 1 CABBAGE WHITE in Canning.
MIDGES: large ones were in flying swarms, nice for the swallows, at  
New Minas sewage ponds.
PAINTED TURTLES: 12+ basking at Elderkin's Pond in Wolfville.

My day ended with a vigil for CHIMNEY SWIFTS in Wolfville at the  
Robie Tufts Nature Centre.  Judy Tufts showed up too, but I sent her  
home with my thanks.  I watched from 7:30 to 8:50 p.m. -- Sunset time  
was 8:28 p.m..  Carol Carpenter and a liquor store patron also helped  
me spot my first swifts for the year.  At least 12 CHIMNEY SWIFTS  
entered the chimney between 8:45 an 8:50 p.m., after a lot of high  
passes over a period of 15 minutes or more.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville

Jim (James W.) Wolford
91 Wickwire Ave.
Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada
B4P 1W3

phone 902-542-9204
e-mail <jimwolford at eastlink.ca>

"In wildness is the preservation of the world" -- Henry David Thoreau
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