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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --Boundary_(ID_Nc8YwixW4if7OUArDAr3Jg) Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT The Common Eider has an interesting survival strategy. When nesting the hens group together in a cluster to offer a combined defence against predators, primarily gulls, and even when the chicks start swimming the hens continue to cluster together with the young in the centre of the flotilla, well, more or less in the centre. This practice is "The Sisterhood", somewhat reminiscent of Musk Oxen, expecting the male Musk Oxen contribute to the group defence of the young unlike the male eiders who abandon the females. Hooray for the male phalaropes! I was fortunate to witness this activity this morning at Mackerel Cove, Crystal Crescent Beach PP. I've posted four photos of the sisterhood, and one each of Ruby-throated Hummingbird and Mute Swan. Hans http://www.hanstoom.com/Highlights/Highlights21.html ________________________________________________________________________________________________ When viewing images tap F11 or View Full Screen and use the navigation buttons on my website ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Hans Toom Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada E-mail: htoom@hfx.eastlink.ca Migration Count: http://hanstoom.com/NAMC/Index.html Nature Website: http://hanstoom.com ________________________________________________________________________________________________ --Boundary_(ID_Nc8YwixW4if7OUArDAr3Jg) Content-type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16441" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Common Eider has an interesting survival strategy. When nesting the hens group together in a cluster to offer a combined defence against predators, primarily gulls, and even when the chicks start swimming the hens continue to cluster together with the young in the centre of the flotilla, well, more or less in the centre. This practice is "The Sisterhood", somewhat reminiscent of Musk Oxen, expecting the male Musk Oxen contribute to the group defence of the young unlike the male eiders who abandon the females. Hooray for the male phalaropes! </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>I was fortunate to witness this activity this morning at Mackerel Cove, Crystal Crescent Beach PP.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I've posted four photos of the sisterhood, and one each of Ruby-throated Hummingbird and Mute Swan.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hans</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><A href="http://www.hanstoom.com/Highlights/Highlights21.html">http://www.hanstoom.com/Highlights/Highlights21.html</A></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>________________________________________________________________________________________________<BR>When viewing images tap F11 or View Full Screen and use the navigation buttons on my website<BR>________________________________________________________________________________________________<BR>Hans Toom<BR>Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada<BR>E-mail: <A href="mailto:htoom@hfx.eastlink.ca">htoom@hfx.eastlink.ca</A><BR>Migration Count: <A href="http://hanstoom.com/NAMC/Index.html">http://hanstoom.com/NAMC/Index.html</A><BR>Nature Website: http://hanstoom.com <BR>________________________________________________________________________________________________</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML> --Boundary_(ID_Nc8YwixW4if7OUArDAr3Jg)--
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