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Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects --001a11c3ca1003e5fd04ec176f15 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 A few years ago I was watching a CBC documentary about digging up the remains of the last Russian czar in western Siberia. On the soundtrack I recognised the songs of blue jays, cardinals and Carolina wrens. I wrote to the CBC and they told me that they had been using a stock American soundtrack of forests. I don't know if they did that on this particular show, but I suppose they could have. However, it's certainly also possible that a Wood thrush could have been recorded in Keji. Richard Stern Sent from my iPhone On Nov 26, 2013, at 11:55 AM, Bev Wigney <bkwigney@gmail.com> wrote: I did not see the episode as I've been traveling in the southwest US after spending a week visiting a couple of bison preserves in Oklahoma. However, that's interesting about research into using trained dogs to help track herps at Keji. For many years I had a Rough Collie - Sabrina - a very kindly dog that accompanied us while we were hiking and photographing insects and herps. After a summer or two of hikes, she became very adept at pointing out frogs, toads, snakes, turtles, millipedes, and even butterflies perched on leaves. She probably used both scent and sight to locate creatures. When she found something of interest, she would stop by the creature and then look from it to us and back again until we came over to investigate. She was not interested in pursuing any of these creatures, just in making their presence known. Oddly, she also noticed certain unusual plants and also fungi, and would stop to sniff up and down the leaves. We nicknamed her Botany Dog as she seemed so interested in plants. On my first trip across the southwest after Don's death in 2008, she and I encountered a plant known as Desert Holly or "saltbush" *(Atriplex hymenelytra) * growing on the exceedingly hostile salt flats of the Searle Valley region of California (adjacent to the the Death Valley region). It is an odd plant that grows in highly saline soil and has pale whitish leaves which secrete excess salt crystals onto the leaf hairs which, in turn protect the plant from intense sunlight. Sabrina spent a goodly time inspecting several of these plants, looked around for a few moments then headed back to my van. It seemed that she was of the opinion that this was a "nothing to see here, folks" place and was ready to move on. bev wigney Round Hill, NS in summer Sent from my iPad On 2013-11-25, at 8:50 PM, "P.L. Chalmers" <plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote: Did anyone else watch the recent episode on the Nature of Things on Dogs? Interesting stuff, and I wish some ideas had been given more time. I was interested in Simon Godbois of Dalhousie's research on "canine olfaction" used to track down Ribbon Snakes at Keji. --001a11c3ca1003e5fd04ec176f15 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <html><head><meta http-equiv=3D"content-type" content=3D"text/html; charset= =3Dutf-8"></head><body dir=3D"auto"><div><span style=3D"color:rgb(126,79,66= );font-family:Helvetica;font-size:18px">A few years ago I was watching a CB= C documentary about digging up the remains of the last Russian czar in west= ern =A0Siberia. On the soundtrack I recognised the songs of blue jays, card= inals and Carolina wrens. I wrote to the CBC and they told me that they had= been using a stock American soundtrack of forests. I don't know if the= y did that on this particular show, but I suppose they could have. However,= it's certainly also possible that a Wood thrush could have been record= ed in Keji.</span><br> <br><div>Richard Stern</div>Sent from my iPhone</div><div><br>On Nov 26, 20= 13, at 11:55 AM, Bev Wigney <<a href=3D"mailto:bkwigney@gmail.com">bkwig= ney@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br><br></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div><d= iv> I did not see the episode as I've been traveling in the southwest US af= ter spending a week visiting a couple of bison preserves in Oklahoma. Howev= er, that's interesting about research into using trained dogs to help t= rack herps at Keji. =A0For many years I had a Rough Collie - Sabrina - =A0a= very kindly dog that accompanied us while we were hiking and photographing= insects and herps. =A0After a summer or two of hikes, she became very adep= t at pointing out frogs, toads, snakes, turtles, millipedes, and even butte= rflies perched on leaves. She probably used both scent and sight to locate = creatures. When she found something of interest, she would stop by the crea= ture and then look from it to us and back again until we came over to inves= tigate. =A0She was not interested in pursuing any of these creatures, just = in making their presence known. =A0Oddly, she also noticed certain unusual = plants and also fungi, and would stop to sniff up and down the leaves. =A0W= e nicknamed her Botany Dog as she seemed so interested in plants. =A0On my = first trip across the southwest after Don's death in 2008, she and I en= countered a plant known as=A0Desert Holly or "saltbush"=A0<i styl= e=3D"padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;= margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px">(Atriple= x hymenelytra) </i>=A0growing on the exceedingly hostile salt flats of the = Searle Valley region of California (adjacent to the the Death Valley region= ). =A0It is an odd plant that grows in highly saline soil and has pale whit= ish leaves which secrete excess salt crystals onto the leaf hairs which, in= turn =A0protect the plant from intense sunlight.=A0<span class=3D"Apple-st= yle-span" style>Sabrina spent a goodly time inspecting several of these pla= nts, looked around for a few moments then headed back to my van. =A0It seem= ed that she was of the opinion that this was a "nothing to see here, f= olks" place and was ready to move on.</span></div> <div><p style=3D"padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;paddi= ng-left:0px;margin-top:0px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:15px;margin-left:= 0px"></p>bev wigney=A0</div><div>Round Hill, NS in summer</div><div><br>Sen= t from my iPad</div> <div><br>On 2013-11-25, at 8:50 PM, "P.L. Chalmers" <<a href= =3D"mailto:plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca">plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca</a>> w= rote:<br><br></div><div></div><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div><span>Did anyo= ne else watch the recent episode on the Nature of Things on Dog