North Mountain Nature And Garden Club Meeting Notes
Tags: Nature
Firstly, my apologies for not providing notes from last month's meeting but I did not attend it due to circumstances beyond my control. (Communication breakdown. I didn't get notified of the particulars - where, when, what - of the meeting ahead of time. Just as well, I had a headache that day.)
Next Meeting: In lieu of December's meeting, the NMN&GC will participate in the Audubon Society's annual Christmas bird count. More details to come later.
Meeting Notes:
Very little business was covered in order to make time for our guest speaker. I gave an overview of our club as there were a number of guests and new members.
Dave Johnston, expert birder from Port Hawkesbury, spoke at our meeting last night for at least an hour and he was excellent. He took questions afterward and spoke to the birding environment of Marble Mountain. Someone inquired about the prevalence of grosbeaks and he informed us that they follow the cone crop, which was good this year. Here is an overview of what was covered.
Most wild bird seed mixes that you find in stores (like Wal-Mart and supermarkets) is junk. Look for finch seed, specifically, and black niger seed. Sunflower seed, especially the black oil type, is good for feeders. Birds like suet and you can make your own with any piece of fat. A good suet blend is comprised of 1/3 lard or other rendered or ground fat, 1/3 peanut butter, any kind will do, and 1/3 oatmeal. An upside-down suet feeder that feeds from underneath is preferable, to thwart starlings.
Birds are identified primarily by their calls. From May – July birds are very vocal as they are calling to find a mate. That’s a good time to identify birds by their song or sound. To identify calls when he hears them in the outdoors, Dave carries a backpack with speakers and a recording of birdsongs. A bird will often answer a call of its own kind, even a recorded call.
Binoculars are helpful and at times necessary when birding. Dave recommends 8x24 binoculars in order to access enough light to be truly useful. The numbers refer to the distance and the width of the opening. Look for a clear close-up focus of 5’, much farther than that and you will lose focus of birds that are close. He also recommends a spotting scope.
The Christmas bird count runs from mid-December to early January. Early in the count season participants are required to spend 3 days identifying birds, then on the 4th day the birds are recorded. Every bird is recorded, both field and feeder birds. Toward the end of the count season another 3 days are required to record birds. Feeder and field bird counts are kept separate. The number of participants and the number of hours spent are also recorded as well as the distance traveled and weather conditions. Territory is assigned in a 15 mile radius and needs to be applied for to the Audubon Society.
At the end of the meeting a thankyou gift of wine was presented to Dave.
Birding Resources:
A good, local birding resource in Mahone Bay. http://www.forthebirdsnatureshop.ca/
NS Bird Society http://nsbs.chebucto.org/
Our gratitude goes out to Dave and Mary Johnston for an excellent presentation and pleasant company.
Firstly, my apologies for not providing notes from last month's meeting but I did not attend it due to circumstances beyond my control. (Communication breakdown. I didn't get notified of the particulars - where, when, what - of the meeting ahead of time. Just as well, I had a headache that day.)
Next Meeting: In lieu of December's meeting, the NMN&GC will participate in the Audubon Society's annual Christmas bird count. More details to come later.
Meeting Notes:
Very little business was covered in order to make time for our guest speaker. I gave an overview of our club as there were a number of guests and new members.
Dave Johnston, expert birder from Port Hawkesbury, spoke at our meeting last night for at least an hour and he was excellent. He took questions afterward and spoke to the birding environment of Marble Mountain. Someone inquired about the prevalence of grosbeaks and he informed us that they follow the cone crop, which was good this year. Here is an overview of what was covered.
Most wild bird seed mixes that you find in stores (like Wal-Mart and supermarkets) is junk. Look for finch seed, specifically, and black niger seed. Sunflower seed, especially the black oil type, is good for feeders. Birds like suet and you can make your own with any piece of fat. A good suet blend is comprised of 1/3 lard or other rendered or ground fat, 1/3 peanut butter, any kind will do, and 1/3 oatmeal. An upside-down suet feeder that feeds from underneath is preferable, to thwart starlings.
Birds are identified primarily by their calls. From May – July birds are very vocal as they are calling to find a mate. That’s a good time to identify birds by their song or sound. To identify calls when he hears them in the outdoors, Dave carries a backpack with speakers and a recording of birdsongs. A bird will often answer a call of its own kind, even a recorded call.
Binoculars are helpful and at times necessary when birding. Dave recommends 8x24 binoculars in order to access enough light to be truly useful. The numbers refer to the distance and the width of the opening. Look for a clear close-up focus of 5’, much farther than that and you will lose focus of birds that are close. He also recommends a spotting scope.
The Christmas bird count runs from mid-December to early January. Early in the count season participants are required to spend 3 days identifying birds, then on the 4th day the birds are recorded. Every bird is recorded, both field and feeder birds. Toward the end of the count season another 3 days are required to record birds. Feeder and field bird counts are kept separate. The number of participants and the number of hours spent are also recorded as well as the distance traveled and weather conditions. Territory is assigned in a 15 mile radius and needs to be applied for to the Audubon Society.
At the end of the meeting a thankyou gift of wine was presented to Dave.
Birding Resources:
A good, local birding resource in Mahone Bay. http://www.forthebirdsnatureshop.ca/
NS Bird Society http://nsbs.chebucto.org/
Our gratitude goes out to Dave and Mary Johnston for an excellent presentation and pleasant company.
Hinterland Who's Who of Bats http://www.hww.ca/index_e.asp