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Hi Nancy & All, Jan 30, 2015
This is a very interesting paper but just because they studied wax use
by Yellow-Rumped Warblers and Tree Swallows by no means implies that other
birds such as Flickers or Crows can not use wax.
It just means that if someone is going to undertake a detailed study
with a bone-crushing load of sample processing and analysis then they are
going to pick experimental subjects which they know are sure to generate
positive results as opposed to the dreaded and usually unpublishable
negative results.
There is consequently a tendency to study the know to death and steer
clear of the not sure and especially the unknown.
After many field observers have reported other birds, such as Crows or
Flickers, eating Bayberry many times over decades then someone may
investigate it but only after such feeding behavior becomes common
knowledge. Such is the current nature of exploration.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
----- Original Message -----
From: "nancy dowd" <nancypdowd@gmail.com>
To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Friday, January 30, 2015 10:35 AM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] A Flicker of hope ....
> For some more detailed info on the ability of birds to digest bayberries
> here is an article from the The Auk:
> https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v109n02/p0334-p0345.pdf
>
> In the Discussion on p340 it says "Waxy fruits have been identified as
> common food items in the diets of Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus),
> Downy Woodpeckers (Picoides pubescens) and other woodpeckers…" so maybe
> the Bayberry shrub does attract Flickers sometimes.
>
> But the gist of the article implies Yellow-Rumped Warblers and Tree
> Swallows are two of the few birds that possess the specialized enzymes
> necessary to make the most of these fruits. So it is unlikely the
> whereabouts of Flickers relates much to the presence of Bayberries, which
> do not seem to be a valuable food source for most birds, as Eric points
> out. Probably their consumption is more opportunistic.
>
> Nancy
> On 2015-01-30, at 8:56 AM, Eric Mills <e.mills@dal.ca> wrote:
>
>> Only a few birds have the enzymes (lipases) to digest the bayberry wax.
>>
>> Eric
>>
>> Eric L. Mills
>> Lower Rose Bay
>> Lunenburg Co., Nova Scotia
>> Canada
>> From: Ken McKenna
>> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2015 21:57
>> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>> Reply To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] A Flicker of hope ....
>>
>> Hi all
>> I hope I am not passing on mis-information. For some reason thought that
>> this is why flickers in winter are often found where there is bayberry
>> but I am now not 100% sure of this. Certainly other birds such as late
>> yellow-rumped (myrtle) warblers and I think tree swallows can be found in
>> these area
>>
>> Well I just did a Google and indeed both red-bellied woodpeckers and
>> flickers like bayberry. Apparently they have a very high fat content.
>>
>> Cheers l
>> Ken
>>
>> Ken McKenna
>> Box 218
>> Stellarton
>> NS B0K 1S0
>>
>>
>> On Jan 29, 2015, at 9:29 PM, katefsteele@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>> That also explains the flicker or two that were seen several times at
>>> Grand Desert Beach last winter where there is hardly a tree. I hadn't
>>> put much thought into why they were at that location!
>>>
>>> Kate
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the Bell network.
>>> From: Keith Lowe
>>> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2015 9:15 PM
>>> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>>> Reply To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>>> Subject: RE: [NatureNS] A Flicker of hope ....
>>>
>>> Liking bayberry would explain their presence at Rainbow Haven then.
>>> There are at least 4 – 6 of them wintering there this year.
>>>
>>> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca
>>> [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of Ken McKenna
>>> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2015 8:37 PM
>>> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>>> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] A Flicker of hope ....
>>>
>>> Hi all
>>> In Pictou co. Most overwintering flickers are near sources of bayberry
>>> and here that is often near the shore like caribou I , Melmerby pp and
>>> big I.
>>> This year on Pictou hbr Cbc the Vines had 6-7 flickers nicely
>>> decorating one tree near the entrance of Pictou hbr and in the middle a
>>> red-bellied woodpecker. The odd one shows up elsewhere like Pictou town
>>> which is coastal in a way. We rarely have missed getting a number of
>>> flickers on this count in the nearly 25 years of my doing this count.
>>>
>>> On the Springville count which runs an inland tangent from the Pictou
>>> hbr count we rarely get flickers- not a lot of inland bayberry. My
>>> thoughts anyway for what it is worth.
>>>
>>> Cheers
>>> Ken
>>>
>>> Ken McKenna
>>> Box 218
>>> Stellarton
>>> NS B0K 1S0
>>>
>>>
>>> On Jan 29, 2015, at 8:16 PM, David & Alison Webster <dwebster@glinx.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Keith,
>>> I have not seen one of these plots before; very impressive. What is
>>> the difference between a blue balloon and a red one ? Assuming the
>>> pointed end is the location marker, nearly all are near salt water or in
>>> the warmer end of the Annapolis Valley (when viewed at large scale);
>>> suggests aversion to cold.
>>> Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: Keith Lowe
>>> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>>> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2015 11:19 AM
>>> Subject: RE: [NatureNS] A Flicker of hope ....
>>>
>>> Hi Ron,
>>>
>>> Welcome to the list.
>>>
>>> Northern Flickers are in range for overwintering in the western half of
>>> the Nova Scotia mainland.
>>>
>>> You’ll have to zoom in but this map shows eBirded Northern Flickers in
>>> Jan/Feb for the last 10 years. Click on “Show Points Sooner” on the
>>> right side of the page.
>>>
>>> http://ebird.org/ebird/map/norfli?neg=true&env.minX=&env.minY=&env.maxX=&env.maxY=&zh=false&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=on&bmo=1&emo=2&yr=last10&byr=2005&eyr=2015
>>>
>>> Keith Lowe
>>> Halifax
>>>
>>>
>>> From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca
>>> [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of Ron Wilson
>>> Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2015 10:31 AM
>>> To: Nature NS
>>> Subject: [NatureNS] A Flicker of hope ....
>>>
>>> ok - its just a play on words.....
>>>
>>> We've been hosting a Northern Flicker at our feeders this winter.
>>> Yesterday my wife Heather heard a noise in the back yard and looked out
>>> to see TWO Northern Flickers battling for a spot on our suet feeder.
>>>
>>> It seems odd to me that Flickers are now overwintering in the Maritimes.
>>> Maybe it is a new climate change trend or perhaps they have always been
>>> capable of withstanding our cold temps but never had such an abundant
>>> winter food source like they do now, given all the feeding stations
>>> around.
>>>
>>> Ron Wilson
>>> Somerset/Berwick NS
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>>> 01/29/15
>>>
>>>
>
>
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