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less).</div><div><br></div><div>Cheers!</div><div><br></div><di
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I ruled out the Northern Flying Squirrel because of its weight and length. The weight range of 2-4.4 ounces is likely at the heavier end at this time of year and since it is heavier than a blue jay it would have closed the feeder door.
Hans
----- Original Message -----
From: Bob McDonald
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2010 11:02 AM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Southern Flying Squirrel
Interesting story, Hans. And how did you rule out the more common, more widely distributed Northern Flying Squirrel? (We have had these creatures, nibbling at the sunflower seed feeders overnight at our current location in Clayton Park West.)
Bob McDonald
Halifax
bobathome@eastlink.ca
----- Original Message -----
From: Hans Toom
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 2010 8:16 AM
Subject: [NatureNS] Southern Flying Squirrel
The Southern Flying Squirrel is well north of its range in Nova Scotia although they have turned up in Halifax and other locations in Nova Scotia. Whether this is range expansion or abandonment of caged squirrels is unknown to me. Well, we have a Southern Flying Squirrel visiting our sunflower feeder in the dark of night here in Portugusese Cove. We have deduced this from its diminutive size and by its weight. But how can you weigh the squirrel barks the skeptic?
Our sunflower feeder is the counter balanced type designed specifically to keep out pest species such as red squirrels and blue jays. We balance the feeder to deter the blue jay and squirrel. The front of the feeding tray closes when either of these species land on the feeding bar. So far, so good, but the blue jay is tenacious and they developed the nasty habit of flying up to the tray and snapping up a sunflower seed as the trap door closed on their bill. This is not a problem, seed consumption wise, but the constant clanging of the feeder door opening and closing was driving me crazy so I turned the feeder towards the house so that the feeding platform is about 12 inches from the wall. This maneuver defeated the blue jay and the silence made Hans happy!
Now, the Southern Flying Squirrel lands on the feeder and the door does not close! So we deduce that the squirrel must weigh less than the blue jay. I looked up the weights of these species; the squirrel weighs 1.8 to 2.5 ounces and the blue jay weighs 2.4- 3.5 ounces. How's that for application of the scientific method??
I have three large roosting boxes and several nest boxes scattered about the woods around our house. I gave up maintaining them since the local red squirrels immediately occupy them and fill them with grass to the lip of the entrance cavity. Next year I'll put up two blue bird boxes on steel poles, and try again.
Hans Toom
Portuguese Cove, Nova Scotia, Canada
http://www.hanstoom.com/
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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I ruled out the <STRONG>Northern Flying
Squirrel</STRONG> because of its weight and length. The weight range
of 2-4.4 ounces is likely at the heavier end at this time of
year and since it is heavier than a blue jay it would have closed
the feeder door. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Hans</FONT></DIV>
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style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"
dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=bobathome@hfx.eastlink.ca href="mailto:bobathome@hfx.eastlink.ca">Bob
McDonald</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
href="mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, November 03, 2010 11:02
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NatureNS] Southern Flying
Squirrel</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Interesting story, Hans. And how did you rule out the
more common, more widely distributed <STRONG>Northern Flying
Squirrel</STRONG>? (We have had these creatures, nibbling at the
sunflower seed feeders overnight at our current location in Clayton Park
West.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Bob McDonald</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Halifax</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2><A
href="mailto:bobathome@eastlink.ca">bobathome@eastlink.ca</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"
dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=htoom@hfx.eastlink.ca href="mailto:htoom@hfx.eastlink.ca">Hans
Toom</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
href="mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, November 03, 2010 8:16
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] Southern Flying
Squirrel</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The <STRONG>Southern Flying Squirrel</STRONG>
is well north of its range in Nova Scotia although they have turned up in
Halifax and other locations in Nova Scotia. Whether this is range
expansion or abandonment of caged squirrels is unknown