[ValleyNature] Eagle Watch III Weekend report, Feb. 6-7/10

[James W. Wolford]

FEB. 6 (SAT.), 2010 - 19th ANNUAL EAGLE WATCH WEEKEND III ("Eagle  
Watch Lite", as Richard Hennigar calls it, i.e. without pancake &  
sausage breakfast).  Continuing very cold weather, -13 to -7 C. with  
cold wind from west, made the Sheffield Mills Community Hall a  
welcome retreat for coffee/tea/juice & cinnamon bun + displays/photos  
+ videos.

Pat and I did a drive in morning from Gaspereau along the river to  
Wallbrook, and just west of Melanson saw 7 perched eagles in one of  
the few big remaining elm trees and perhaps 20 eagles in total.

In mid-afternoon I checked a feeder/yard along Saxon St., 1.3 km.  
east of Hwy. 358 (i.e. south of Canning and river), where there were  
15 Savannah sparrows and 30 mourning doves.

I also checked the Port Williams sewage ponds, where the only 2 ducks  
there flushed immediately -- one was an unidentified male goldeneye.

FEB. 7 (Sunday), 2010 - last day of 2010 19th Annual Eagle Watch --   
Nice temperature today, about 0 to -1 C, and light wind, but overcast  
with powdery snow falling.  I was very late in leaving home to drive  
to Sheffield Mills.  At noon I checked out Church Street, n. of Port  
Williams.  West of Hwy. 358 there were about 20 eagles, many of them  
flying in a group and landing.  East of Hwy. 358 toward Starr's Point  
were only about 5 eagles, all perched.

Then I saw just a few eagles until just before 1 p.m. when I got to  
"Swetnam's Field", the promoted feeding site at n. end of Middle Dyke  
Rd., where there were about 50 eagles, nearly all perched with lots  
of ravens in the south line of trees.  But nothing was happening, and  
I didn't notice whether there were dead chickens on the ground  
(probably not).  The few gawkers and photographers were waiting for  
some action, and no doubt hoping for another feeding by the Swetnams.

I was back at Swetnam's Field at about 4 p.m., when there was no  
action happening, but about 10 eagles were still sitting in the  
trees, and a raven plus about 20 great black-backed gulls were on the  
ground at the feeding spot.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville
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