[NatureNS] An Unexpected Visitor

Date: Tue, 04 Jun 2013 18:25:00 -0300
From: iamclar@Dal.Ca
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca, Blake Maybank <bmaybank@gmail.com>
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wContent({&amp;#39;rating&amp;#39;:{&a
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>
>


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