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--Apple-Mail-80--897709010 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed I'll bet our new Outdoorsperson of the Year, Bernard Forsythe, has a story or two about common mergansers in house chimneys. One of us or more will call him and check on this. And none of the contributions below mention nest-boxes, in which common and hooded mergansers are regular nesters. And there must also be stories of wood ducks and maybe goldeneyes and buffleheads, too, occasionally inspecting chimneys as possible nest sites? Cheers from Jim in Wolfville. Begin forwarded message: > From: Rick Whitman <dendroica.caerulescens@gmail.com> > Date: June 4, 2013 7:02:42 PM ADT > To: naturens <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] An Unexpected Visitor > Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca > > 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>** > Author, "*Birding Sites of Nova Scotia* <http://tinyurl.com/birdingns> > > > > <maybank@ns.sympatico.ca> > > > > > > > -- > Rick Whitman --Apple-Mail-80--897709010 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=US-ASCII <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "> I'll bet our new Outdoorsperson of the Year, Bernard Forsythe, has a = story or two about common mergansers in house chimneys. One of us = or more will call him and check on this. <div><br></div><div>And = none of the contributions below mention nest-boxes, in which common and = hooded mergansers are regular nesters. And there must also be = stories of wood ducks and maybe goldeneyes and buffleheads, too, = occasionally inspecting chimneys as possible nest sites? = <div><br></div><div>Cheers from Jim in = Wolfville.<br><div><br><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: = </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" style=3D"font: 12.0px = Helvetica">Rick Whitman <<a = href=3D"mailto:dendroica.caerulescens@gmail.com">dendroica.caerulescens@gm= ail.com</a>></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">June 4, 2013 7:02:42 PM = ADT</font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica">naturens <<a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a>></f= ont></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><b>Re: [NatureNS] An Unexpected = Visitor</b></font></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: = 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face=3D"Helvetica" = size=3D"3" color=3D"#000000" style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica; color: = #000000"><b>Reply-To: </b></font><font face=3D"Helvetica" size=3D"3" = style=3D"font: 12.0px Helvetica"><a = href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens@chebucto.ns.ca</a></font>= </div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: = 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> <div = dir=3D"ltr">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.<div style=3D""> Rick Whitman</div></div><div = class=3D"gmail_extra"><br><br><div class=3D"gmail_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:1px #ccc = solid;padding-left:1ex">All:<br> <br> Better than my attenuated memory = is a pertinent paragraph from "The Birds of North America" on-line, with = references removed:<br> <br> "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)"<br> <br> 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.<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:1px #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. I = first blamed the cats, to no<br> avail. I finally realised the = noises were coming from the chimney of our<br> fireplace, and by the = volume I suspected a raccoon (ruling out squirrels,<br> bats, and = Chimney Swifts). There was eventually a final "thump" and when = I<br> shone a flashlight through the soot-covered glass door to the = fireplace I<br> 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<br> patient, and after that I closed two doors = keeping our cats from joining<br> the fray. Next, with a blanket = in hand, I carefully opened the glass door<br> and gathered up the = merganser. Once outside I loosened the blanket and the<br> bird = emerged in a flash, and immediately and strongly flew away, giving<br> = numerous cries of complaint (or of gratitude? Or of = embarrassment?).<br> <br> I was relieved the bird seemed to be not much = worse for wear, and was then<br> a bit chagrined that I had failed to = make a video of the incident, though I<br> confess my immediate concern = was for the bird's welfare -- I did not wish<br> to delay its = release.<br> <br> Ian McLaren has a memory of this happening to someone = of his acquaintance<br> many years ago, but I cannot find any other = reference to Common Mergansers<br> coming down chimneys. This was = a new scenario for the Hope for Wildlife as<br> well. Can anyone = else shed some light on this sooty subject? And does<br> this = represent a new species of merganser -- St. Nick's Merganser = (*Mergus<br> nicholasii*)?<br> <br> Cheers,<br> <br> Blake<span = class=3D"HOEnZb"><font color=3D"#888888"><br> <br> --<br> Blake Maybank = <<a href=3D"mailto:bmaybank@gmail.com" = target=3D"_blank">bmaybank@gmail.com</a>><br> White's Lake, Nova = Scotia<br> <br> My Blog: *CSI: Life* <<a = href=3D"http://blakemaybank.com" = target=3D"_blank">http://blakemaybank.com</a>><br> ** <<a = href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/naturetravel" = target=3D"_blank">http://tinyurl.com/<u></u>naturetravel</a>>**<br> = Author, "*Birding Sites of Nova Scotia* <<a = href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/birdingns" = target=3D"_blank">http://tinyurl.com/birdingns</a>><br> <br> <br> = <br> <<a href=3D"mailto:maybank@ns.sympatico.ca" = target=3D"_blank">maybank@ns.sympatico.ca</a>><br> <br> = </font></span></blockquote> <br> <br> </blockquote></div><br><br = clear=3D"all"><div><br></div>-- <br>Rick Whitman<br> = </div></blockquote></div><br></div></div></body></html>= --Apple-Mail-80--897709010--
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