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I then alerted the Hope for Wildlife Centre regarding a possible new
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Ken McKenna
Box 218 Stellarton NS
B0K 1S0
902 752-7644
Hi Blake and all
Sandy MacGregor from MacLellan's Brook has had this happen in his =
chimney with a Common Merganser as well a few years ago and it was not =
the first one I had heard about.
I can remember the first time I saw a Hooded Merganser fly into a nest =
hole in a snag. I was sure it was going to smuck against the tree, but =
it disappeared into the hole going at a pretty good clip.
cheers
Ken
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Rick Whitman=20
To: naturens=20
Sent: Tuesday, June 04, 2013 7:02 PM
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] An Unexpected Visitor
Just last Friday, at NSNT Gold River Lake, I watched a female fly =
directly into a large, living, white pine stub. This was the main trunk =
that had broken right off, leaving a large cavity of unknown depth. She =
did not pause at the rim, but just flew or dropped right out of sight. I =
was following her with binocs at the time so saw the event rather well.
Rick Whitman
On Tue, Jun 4, 2013 at 6:25 PM, <iamclar@dal.ca> wrote:
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>
--=20
Rick Whitman
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2 face=3DArial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>Ken McKenna<BR>Box 218 Stellarton NS<BR>B0K 1S0<BR>902 =
752-7644<BR></DIV>
<DIV>Hi Blake and all</DIV>
<DIV>Sandy MacGregor from MacLellan's Brook has had this happen in=20
his chimney with a Common Merganser as well a few years ago and it =
was not=20
the first one I had heard about.</DIV>
<DIV>I can remember the first time I saw a Hooded Merganser fly into a =
nest hole=20
in a snag. I was sure it was going to smuck against the tree, but =
it=20
disappeared into the hole going at a pretty good clip.</DIV>
<DIV>cheers</DIV>
<DIV>Ken</DIV>
<DIV> ----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; =
PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"=20
dir=3Dltr>
<DIV=20
style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Ddendroica.caerulescens@gmail.com=20
href=3D"mailto:dendroica.caerulescens@gmail.com">Rick Whitman</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dnaturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
href=3D"mailto:naturens@chebucto.ns.ca">naturens</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, June 04, 2013 =
7:02=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [NatureNS] An =
Unexpected=20
Visitor</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV dir=3Dltr>Just last Friday, at NSNT Gold River Lake, I watched a =
female fly=20
directly into a large, living, white pine stub. This was the main =
trunk that=20
had broken right off, leaving a large cavity of unknown depth. She did =
not=20
pause at the rim, but just flew or dropped right out of sight. I was =
following=20
her with binocs at the time so saw the event rather well.
<DIV>Rick Whitman</DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=3Dgmail_extra><BR><BR>
<DIV class=3Dgmail_quote>On Tue, Jun 4, 2013 at 6:25 PM, <SPAN =
dir=3Dltr><<A=20
href=3D"mailto:iamclar@dal.ca" =
target=3D_blank>iamclar@dal.ca</A>></SPAN>=20
wrote:<BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; =
PADDING-LEFT: 1ex"=20
class=3Dgmail_quote>All:<BR><BR>Better than my attenuated memory is a=20
pertinent paragraph from "The Birds of North America" on-line, with=20
references removed:<BR><BR>"Hole/cavity nester; generally uses =
trees, either=20
live or dead (most tree species may be used); cavities include holes =
formed=20
by Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) or by broken tree =
limbs, and=20
hollow tops of standing trees .Recorded heights to entrance holes =
range from=20
1 to 30 m). Nests less frequently in rock crevices, old buildings or =
sheds,=20
chimneys, lighthouses, holes in banks, holes in the ground, hollow =
logs, or=20
burrows. Nests may be located far from water (>0.5 km; =
MLM)"<BR><BR>So=20
Blake, you should have placed that box with a blanket at the bottom =
of the=20
chimney, well screened from the cats, and then they would have had =
the=20
pleasures of a mouth-watering and ear-tingling displays for days on=20
end.<BR><BR>Cheers, Ian<BR><BR>Quoting Blake Maybank <<A=20
href=3D"mailto:bmaybank@gmail.com"=20
target=3D_blank>bmaybank@gmail.com</A>>:<BR><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE=20
style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; =
PADDING-LEFT: 1ex"=20
class=3Dgmail_quote>4 June 2013 - White's Lake, HRM, Nova =
Scotia<BR><BR>I=20
repeatedly heard odd thumping and crashing noises in our house=20
this<BR>morning, emanating from . . . somewhere. I first =
blamed the=20
cats, to no<BR>avail. I finally realised the noises were =
coming from=20
the chimney of our<BR>fireplace, and by the volume I suspected a =
raccoon=20
(ruling out squirrels,<BR>bats, and Chimney Swifts). There =
was=20
eventually a final "thump" and when I<BR>shone a flashlight =
through the=20
soot-covered glass door to the fireplace I<BR>was very surprised =
to see a=20
female Common Merganser staring back at me.<BR><BR>I then alerted =
the Hope=20
for Wildlife Centre regarding a possible new<BR>patient, and after =
that I=20
closed two doors keeping our cats from joining<BR>the fray. =
Next,=20
with a blanket in hand, I carefully opened the glass door<BR>and =
gathered=20
up the merganser. Once outside I loosened the blanket and=20
the<BR>bird emerged in a flash, and immediately and strongly flew =
away,=20
giving<BR>numerous cries of complaint (or of gratitude? Or =
of=20
embarrassment?).<BR><BR>I was relieved the bird seemed to be not =
much=20
worse for wear, and was then<BR>a bit chagrined that I had failed =
to make=20
a video of the incident, though I<BR>confess my immediate concern =
was for=20
the bird's welfare -- I did not wish<BR>to delay its =
release.<BR><BR>Ian=20
McLaren has a memory of this happening to someone of his=20
acquaintance<BR>many years ago, but I cannot find any other =
reference to=20
Common Mergansers<BR>coming down chimneys. This was a new =
scenario=20
for the Hope for Wildlife as<BR>well. Can anyone else shed =
some=20
light on this sooty subject? And does<BR>this represent a =
new=20
species of merganser -- St. Nick's Merganser=20
(*Mergus<BR>nicholasii*)?<BR><BR>Cheers,<BR><BR>Blake<SPAN=20
class=3DHOEnZb><FONT color=3D#888888><BR><BR>--<BR>Blake Maybank =
<<A=20
href=3D"mailto:bmaybank@gmail.com"=20
target=3D_blank>bmaybank@gmail.com</A>><BR>White's Lake, Nova=20
Scotia<BR><BR>My Blog: *CSI: Life* <<A=20
href=3D"http://blakemaybank.com"=20
target=3D_blank>http://blakemaybank.com</A>><BR> ** <<A =
href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/naturetravel"=20
=
target=3D_blank>http://tinyurl.com/<U></U>naturetravel</A>>**<BR>Autho=
r,=20
"*Birding Sites of Nova Scotia* <<A =
href=3D"http://tinyurl.com/birdingns"=20
=
target=3D_blank>http://tinyurl.com/birdingns</A>><BR><BR><BR><BR> =
;<<A=20
href=3D"mailto:maybank@ns.sympatico.ca"=20
=
target=3D_blank>maybank@ns.sympatico.ca</A>><BR><BR></FONT></SPAN></BL=
OCKQUOTE><BR><BR></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR><BR=20
clear=3Dall>
<DIV><BR></DIV>-- <BR>Rick =
Whitman<BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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