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Index of Subjects --047d7b2e745c96af4b04de5b3db5 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Just last Friday, at NSNT Gold River Lake, I watched a female fly directly into a large, living, white pine stub. This was the main trunk that had broken right off, leaving a large cavity of unknown depth. She did not pause at the rim, but just flew or dropped right out of sight. I was following her with binocs at the time so saw the event rather well. Rick Whitman On Tue, Jun 4, 2013 at 6:25 PM, <iamclar@dal.ca> wrote: > All: > > Better than my attenuated memory is a pertinent paragraph from "The Birds > of North America" on-line, with references removed: > > "Hole/cavity nester; generally uses trees, either live or dead (most tree > species may be used); cavities include holes formed by Pileated Woodpeckers > (Dryocopus pileatus) or by broken tree limbs, and hollow tops of standing > trees .Recorded heights to entrance holes range from 1 to 30 m). Nests less > frequently in rock crevices, old buildings or sheds, chimneys, lighthouses, > holes in banks, holes in the ground, hollow logs, or burrows. Nests may be > located far from water (>0.5 km; MLM)" > > So Blake, you should have placed that box with a blanket at the bottom of > the chimney, well screened from the cats, and then they would have had the > pleasures of a mouth-watering and ear-tingling displays for days on end. > > Cheers, Ian > > Quoting Blake Maybank <bmaybank@gmail.com>: > > 4 June 2013 - White's Lake, HRM, Nova Scotia >> >> I repeatedly heard odd thumping and crashing noises in our house this >> morning, emanating from . . . somewhere. I first blamed the cats, to no >> avail. I finally realised the noises were coming from the chimney of our >> fireplace, and by the volume I suspected a raccoon (ruling out squirrels, >> bats, and Chimney Swifts). There was eventually a final "thump" and when >> I >> shone a flashlight through the soot-covered glass door to the fireplace I >> was very surprised to see a female Common Merganser staring back at me. >> >> I then alerted the Hope for Wildlife Centre regarding a possible new >> patient, and after that I closed two doors keeping our cats from joining >> the fray. Next, with a blanket in hand, I carefully opened the glass door >> and gathered up the merganser. Once outside I loosened the blanket and >> the >> bird emerged in a flash, and immediately and strongly flew away, giving >> numerous cries of complaint (or of gratitude? Or of embarrassment?). >> >> I was relieved the bird seemed to be not much worse for wear, and was then >> a bit chagrined that I had failed to make a video of the incident, though >> I >> confess my immediate concern was for the bird's welfare -- I did not wish >> to delay its release. >> >> Ian McLaren has a memory of this happening to someone of his acquaintance >> many years ago, but I cannot find any other reference to Common Mergansers >> coming down chimneys. This was a new scenario for the Hope for Wildlife >> as >> well. Can anyone else shed some light on this sooty subject? And does >> this represent a new species of merganser -- St. Nick's Merganser (*Mergus >> nicholasii*)? >> >> Cheers, >> >> Blake >> >> -- >> Blake Maybank <bmaybank@gmail.com> >> White's Lake, Nova Scotia >> >> My Blog: *CSI: Life* <http://blakemaybank.com> >> ** <http://tinyurl.com/**naturetravel <http://tinyurl.com/naturetravel> >> >** >> Author, "*Birding Sites of Nova Scotia* <http://tinyurl.com/birdingns> >> >> >> >> <maybank@ns.sympatico.ca> >> >> > > -- Rick Whitman --047d7b2e745c96af4b04de5b3db5 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <div dir=3D"ltr">Just last Friday, at NSNT Gold River Lake, I watched a fem= ale fly directly into a large, living, white pine stub. This was the main t= runk that had broken right off, leaving a large cavity of unknown depth. Sh= e did not pause at the rim, but just flew or dropped right out of sight. I = was following her with binocs at the time so saw the event rather well.<div= style> Rick Whitman</div></div><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"gm= ail_quote">On Tue, Jun 4, 2013 at 6:25 PM, <span dir=3D"ltr"><<a href= =3D"mailto:iamclar@dal.ca" target=3D"_blank">iamclar@dal.ca</a>></span> = wrote:<br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p= x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">All:<br> <br> Better than my attenuated memory is a pertinent paragraph from "The Bi= rds of North America" on-line, with references removed:<br> <br> "Hole/cavity nester; generally uses trees, either live or dead (most t= ree species may be used); cavities include holes formed by Pileated Woodpec= kers (Dryocopus pileatus) or by broken tree limbs, and hollow tops of stand= ing trees .Recorded heights to entrance holes range from 1 to 30 m). Nests = less frequently in rock crevices, old buildings or sheds, chimneys, lightho= uses, holes in banks, holes in the ground, hollow logs, or burrows. Nests m= ay be located far from water (>0.5 km; MLM)"<br> <br> So Blake, you should have placed that box with a blanket at the bottom of t= he chimney, well screened from the cats, and then they would have had the p= leasures of a mouth-watering and ear-tingling displays for days on end.<br> <br> Cheers, Ian<br> <br> Quoting Blake Maybank <<a href=3D"mailto:bmaybank@gmail.com" target=3D"_= blank">bmaybank@gmail.com</a>>:<br> <br> <blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1p= x #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"> 4 June 2013 - White's Lake, HRM, Nova Scotia<br> <br> I repeatedly heard odd thumping and crashing noises in our house this<br> morning, emanating from . . . somewhere. =A0I first blamed the cats, to no<= br> avail. =A0I finally realised the noises were coming from the chimney of our= <br> fireplace, and by the volume I suspected a raccoon (ruling out squirrels,<b= r> bats, and Chimney Swifts). =A0There was eventually a final "thump"= ; and when I<br> shone a flashlight through the soot-covered glass door to the fireplace I<b= r> was very surprised to see a female Common Merganser staring back at me.<br> <br> I then alerted the Hope for Wildlife Centre regarding a possible new