next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
Index of Subjects
--047d7b072432e97a3304de59c0ac
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
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>
--047d7b072432e97a3304de59c0ac
Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<font size=3D"4"><font face=3D"tahoma,sans-serif">4 June 2013 - White's=
Lake, HRM, Nova Scotia<br><br>I repeatedly heard odd thumping and crashing=
noises in our house this morning, emanating from . . . somewhere.=A0 I fir=
st blamed the cats, to no avail.=A0 I finally realised the noises were comi=
ng from the chimney of our fireplace, and by the volume I suspected a racco=
on (ruling out squirrels, bats, and Chimney Swifts).=A0 There was eventuall=
y 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 Co=
mmon Merganser staring back at me.<br>
<br>I then alerted the Hope for Wildlife Centre regarding a possible new pa=
tient, and after that I closed two doors keeping our cats from joining the =
fray.=A0 Next, with a blanket in hand, I carefully opened the glass door an=
d gathered up the merganser.=A0 Once outside I loosened the blanket and the=
bird emerged in a flash, and immediately and strongly flew away, giving nu=
merous cries of complaint (or of gratitude?=A0 Or of embarrassment?).<br>
<br>I was relieved the bird seemed to be not much worse for wear, and was t=
hen a bit chagrined that I had failed to make a video of the incident, thou=
gh I confess my immediate concern was for the bird's welfare -- I did n=
ot wish to delay its release.<br>
<br>Ian McLaren has a memory of this happening to someone of his acquaintan=
ce many years ago, but I cannot find any other reference to Common Merganse=
rs coming down chimneys.=A0 This was a new scenario for the Hope for Wildli=
fe as well.=A0 Can anyone else shed some light on this sooty subject?=A0 An=
d does this represent a new species of merganser -- St. Nick's Merganse=
r (</font></font><font size=3D"4"><font face=3D"tahoma,sans-serif"><i><font=
size=3D"4"><font face=3D"tahoma,sans-serif">Mergus nicholasii</font></font=
></i>)?<br>
<br>Cheers,<br><br>Blake<br></font></font><br>-- <br><font size=3D"4"><a hr=
ef=3D"mailto:bmaybank@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">Blake Maybank</a><br>
White's Lake, Nova Scotia<br>
</font><font size=3D"4"><br>My Blog:=A0 <a href=3D"http://blakemaybank.com"=
target=3D"_blank"><b>CSI: Life</b></a><span onmouseout=3D"cancel =3D false=
; window.setTimeout(WRCHideContent, 1000); clearTimeout(showTimer);" onmous=
eover=3D" var self =3D this; showTimer =3D window.setTimeout(function(){WRC=
ShowContent({'rating':{'value':-1,'weight':-1},'=
;flags':{},'single':true,'ttl':7200,'expireTime'=
;:'20130604092536'}, self.className)},600);" class=3D"wrc0" style=
=3D"padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><span style=3D"paddin=
g-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><span style=3D"padding-right:16=
px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><span style=3D"padding-right:16px;width:1=
6px;height:16px"></span><span style=3D"padding-right:16px;width:16px;height=
:16px"></span><span style=3D"padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></s=
pan><span style=3D"padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><span =
style=3D"padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><span style=3D"p=
adding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><span style=3D"padding-rig=
ht:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><span style=3D"padding-right:16px;wi=
dth:16px;height:16px"></span><span style=3D"padding-right:16px;width:16px;h=
eight:16px"></span><span style=3D"padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px=
"></span><span style=3D"padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><=
span style=3D"padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><span style=
=3D"padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><span style=3D"paddin=
g-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><span style=3D"padding-right:16=
px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><br>
</font><span style=3D"padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><sp=
an style=3D"padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span>
<font size=3D"4"><a href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/naturetravel" target=3D"_bla=
nk"><font color=3D"#0000ff"><u><span style=3D"padding-right:16px;width:16px=
;height:16px"></span></u></font></a><span onmouseout=3D"cancel =3D false; w=
indow.setTimeout(WRCHideContent, 1000); clearTimeout(showTimer);" onmouseov=
er=3D" var self =3D this; showTimer =3D window.setTimeout(function(){WRCSho=
wContent({'rating':{&a