[NatureNS] "scoping" waterfowl footnote

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Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2013 04:43:28 -0800 (PST)
From: Nancy Dowd <nancydowd318@yahoo.ca>
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=0A=0AAn additional comment on "scoping" waterfowl:=0A=0AThere is a family =
of Common Mergansers on the lake (L Torment, East Dalhousie, Kings Co) each=
 year and I often see them going by on "manouvers". Mother duck puts her he=
ad in the water for several seconds and her brood immediately follow suit. =
Then she raises her head and shortly all the young raise their heads. This =
action is often repeated several times as they swim along the shore. In thi=
s case, it would seem that "scoping" is a learned behavior presumably being=
 taught by the female during feeding lessons. Definitely not a hardwired re=
flex like the Diving Response as Ian pointed out.=0A=0AWhy cormorants do no=
t scope, however,=A0 remains a mystery.=0A=0A=0ANancy=0A=0A=0A_____________=
___________________=0A From: "iamclar@dal.ca" <iamclar@dal.ca>=0ATo: nature=
ns@chebucto.ns.ca =0ASent: Sunday, February 17, 2013 5:53:15 PM=0ASubject: =
[NatureNS] Dead murres and "scoping" waterfowl footnote=0A =0AAll:=0A=0APau=
l Brodie found a=A0 dead Common Murre floating off Boutlliers Pt., HRM, can=
 be added to the current toll and coastal span.=0A=0AI thought Nancy Dowd's=
 suggestion, that "scoping" birds might be initiating the dive reflex very =
interesting. But I don't think it covers the prolonged scoping one sees amo=
ng some, but not all, divers. The reflex (also occurs in diving mammals, an=
d even people to a limited extent), is set very quickly when the face hits =
the water.=0A=0AOn the other hand, I don't see (do others?) diving ducks li=
ke Athyas and eiders do much if any scoping, yet mergansers do so. The form=
er feed on relatively or completey fixed food (weeds & small inverts., muss=
els resp.), whereas loons (save the odd crab munchie), alcids and=A0 mergan=
sers, are piscivores scoping for location-shifting, active prey.=0A=0ASo th=
e question remains, why don't cormorants scope? They can set the dive refle=
x readily enough, as Nancy indicates. Am I missing something?=0A=0ACheers, =
Ian=0A=0AIan McLaren
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<html><body><div style=3D"color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:ti=
mes new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span><br></span=
></div><div>An additional comment on "scoping" waterfowl:</div><div><br></d=
iv><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family: times n=
ew roman,new york,times,serif; background-color: transparent; font-style: n=
ormal;">There is a family of Common Mergansers on the lake (L Torment, East=
 Dalhousie, Kings Co) each year and I often see them going by on "manouvers=
". Mother duck puts her head in the water for several seconds and her brood=
 immediately follow suit. Then she raises her head and shortly all the youn=
g raise their heads. This action is often repeated several times as they sw=
im along the shore. In this case, it would seem that "scoping" is a learned=
 behavior presumably being taught by the female during feeding lessons. Def=
initely not a hardwired reflex like the Diving Response as Ian pointed
 out.</div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16px; font-family:=
 times new roman,new york,times,serif; background-color: transparent; font-=
style: normal;"><br></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 16p=
x; font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; background-color: tra=
nsparent; font-style: normal;">Why cormorants do not scope, however,&nbsp; =
remains a mystery.<br></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 1=
6px; font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; background-color: t=
ransparent; font-style: normal;"><br></div><div style=3D"color: rgb(0, 0, 0=
); font-size: 16px; font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif; back=
ground-color: transparent; font-style: normal;">Nancy<br></div>  <div style=
=3D"font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"=
> <div style=3D"font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-=
size: 12pt;"> <div dir=3D"ltr"> <font face=3D"Arial" size=3D"2"> <hr size=
=3D"1">=20
 <b><span style=3D"font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> "iamclar@dal.ca" &lt=
;iamclar@dal.ca&gt;<br> <b><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b=
> naturens@chebucto.ns.ca <br> <b><span style=3D"font-weight: bold;">Sent:<=
/span></b> Sunday, February 17, 2013 5:53:15 PM<br> <b><span style=3D"font-=
weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> [NatureNS] Dead murres and "scoping" wat=
erfowl footnote<br> </font> </div> <br>All:<br><br>Paul Brodie found a&nbsp=
; dead Common Murre floating off Boutlliers Pt., HRM, can be added to the c=
urrent toll and coastal span.<br><br>I thought Nancy Dowd's suggestion, tha=
t "scoping" birds might be initiating the dive reflex very interesting. But=
 I don't think it covers the prolonged scoping one sees among some, but not=
 all, divers. The reflex (also occurs in diving mammals, and even people to=
 a limited extent), is set very quickly when the face hits the water.<br><b=
r>On the other hand, I don't see (do others?) diving ducks like Athyas and
 eiders do much if any scoping, yet mergansers do so. The former feed on re=
latively or completey fixed food (weeds &amp; small inverts., mussels resp.=
), whereas loons (save the odd crab munchie), alcids and&nbsp; mergansers, =
are piscivores scoping for location-shifting, active prey.<br><br>So the qu=
estion remains, why don't cormorants scope? They can set the dive reflex re=
adily enough, as Nancy indicates. Am I missing something?<br><br>Cheers, Ia=
n<br><br>Ian McLaren<br><br><br><br> </div> </div>  </div></body></html>
---15486822-233949374-1361191408=:78490--

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