[NatureNS] re bird hibernators -- was whip-poor-will ,

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From: "James W. Wolford" <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:37:30 -0300
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I was not aware of what James wrote about male whip-poor-wills  
capable of torpor, but it is the poor-will, a relative of the whip- 
poor-will that lives in western N.Am. including southern B.C., that  
for a long time was the only documented bird hibernator, in rock  
crevices, in the sw. U.S.?, I believe.  Other birds are capable of  
torpor, e.g. hummingbirds and chimney swifts et al.?

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Mary Macaulay <marymacaulay@hotmail.com>
> Date: April 18, 2011 3:41:11 PM ADT
> To: Nature Nova Scotia <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
> Subject: RE: [NatureNS] Whip poor will , peepers at my fen Angevine  
> Lake
> Reply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>
> Very interesting - all this discussion inspired me to look Whip  
> poor Wills up and it seems they are the only bird known to  
> hibernate... Is this true.  If so I can see why this one woke up.   
> It was very noisy at the lake last night what with the wood frogs  
> and the peepers in full voice.  and yes there is one here every  
> year and they have been here forever as far as the "old timers"  
> know - resident in various spots around the lake.  Sorry about the  
> atlas.  I'm not a good birder so have not contributed to it.  If  
> people are sceptical I can try and record it for you next time I'm  
> down at the lake and/or you can come and listen for yourself.
>
> Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:27:16 -0300
> Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Whip poor will , peepers at my fen Angevine  
> Lake
> From: cindycreighton@gmail.com
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>
> With regard to lack of aerial insects, I just wanted to mention  
> that we were out fishing about a week ago on the Southampton River  
> (Cumberland County) and there was a Mayfly hatch.
>
> Cindy Creighton
> Springhill, NS
>
> On Mon, Apr 18, 2011 at 12:47 PM, James Churchill  
> <jameslchurchill@gmail.com> wrote:
> hi folks,
>
> I am no expert either. However, I do recall some very early and  
> surprising records for this species. I personally heard one near  
> Aylesford Lake during an owl survey April 24 2009. But not again at  
> that location that season, or since. And there are some early  
> reports in Ontario of mid to late April.
>
> Randy, you make a good point about the lack of aerial insects out  
> there right now. There is some indication that Eastern Whip-poor- 
> wills are able to undergo daily torpor (at least males; Lane et al.  
> 2004), and maybe that is a factor in how they could cut the  
> unpredictable, hungry springs up here. Recalling the recent  
> naturens string re: bats hunting during the day this time of year,  
> I wonder if Whip-poor-wills also have some feeding-related  
> adaptations to cope with unpredictable food source this time of year.
>
> cheers,
> James.
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Apr 18, 2011 at 11:16 AM, Randy Lauff  
> <randy.lauff@gmail.com> wrote:
> I have never heard nor seen a Whip-poor-will.
>
> I would have guessed that arriving now would be quite early for  
> most aerial insectivores...we're just getting in the first Tree  
> Swallow reports, aren't we (I confess to not keeping up with all  
> the sightings)? And Tree Swallows can eat bayberry fruit (perhaps  
> other stuff as well as air-borne insects?).
>
> Tufts (on line http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/nsbirds/ 
> bns0222.htm) says the earliest record is of May 4th; I understand  
> that Tufts is outdated...but a 2.5 week advance of the earliest  
> record seems odd.
>
> If the bird is described as resident, I'm assuming that means it  
> has been there last year as well, perhaps longer? It's a shame it's  
> not documented on the Atlas.
>
> I'm sure that the tone of my email strikes folks as skeptical. On  
> the one hand, the call of the Whip-poor-will is rather distinctive,  
> but the bird's rarity and normal date of arrival makes this  
> Cumberland bird sighting out of line with what I know. And what I  
> know of this species isn't much.
>
> Any more details on this bird or the previous resident birds of  
> Angevine Lake?
>
> Thanks,
> Randy
> _________________________________
> RF Lauff
> Way in the boonies of
> Antigonish County, NS.
>
>
>
> On 18 April 2011 10:23, Mary Macaulay <marymacaulay@hotmail.com>wrote:
> Was woken at 2:30 a.m. by our resident Whip poor will.  Peepers  
> also tuning up for the first time last night.
> Angevine Lake, Cumberland County
>
>
>
>
> -- 
> James Churchill
> Kentville, Nova Scotia
> jameslchurchill@gmail.com
> home: (902) 681-2374
>
>
>


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<html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; =
-webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">
I was not aware of what James wrote about male whip-poor-wills capable =
of torpor, but it is the poor-will, a relative of the whip-poor-will =
that lives in western N.Am. including southern B.C., that for a long =
time was the only documented bird hibernator, in rock crevices, in the =
sw. U.S.?, I believe. &nbsp;Other birds are capable of torpor, e.g. =
hummingbirds and chimney swifts et al.?<div><br></div><div>Cheers from =
Jim in Wolfville&nbsp;<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">Mary Macaulay &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:marymacaulay@hotmail.com">marymacaulay@hotmail.com</a>&gt;<=
/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">April 18, 2011 3:41:11 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">Nature Nova Scotia &lt;<a =
href=3D"mailto:naturens@