[NatureNS] disappearing outside cats in Halifax's South End

From: Andrew Horn <aghorn@dal.ca>
To: "naturens@chebucto.ns.ca" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Thread-Topic: [NatureNS] disappearing outside cats in Halifax's South End
Thread-Index: AQHPdBhY8ri0LASV90m80897OzjA/Q==
Date: Tue, 20 May 2014 10:43:33 +0000
References: <747FE80ACCEC4A71AA6C9828F4BDDEEE@DusanTHINK>
Accept-Language: en-US
received-spf: None (: dal.ca does not designate permitted sender hosts)
authentication-results: spf=none (sender IP is )
Precedence: bulk
Return-Path: <naturens-mml-owner@chebucto.ns.ca>
Original-Recipient: rfc822;"| (cd /csuite/info/Environment/FNSN/MList; /csuite/lib/arch2html)"

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects

Index of Subjects
--_000_791E3A81468A4C45B3654E48604B5E75DALCA_
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Hi Dusan,

A raven snatching a kitten seems pretty likely; there=92s ravens on the pro=
wl all the time around here, and they=92re awfully good generalist predator=
s. A grown cat would be a tall order for a raven, though, and I would think=
 any big raptor prowling the south end would be noticed, so I suspect that =
incident=92s unrelated to the reported rash of cat disappearances in that (=
my) neighborhood.

I don=92t know the facts about the disappearances, only rumor. The rumored =
rate of six cats in six weeks that I=92ve heard doesn=92t fit the disappear=
ances I=92ve heard about (1 within the last couple weeks, 2 around that bli=
zzard in late March, and another run over by a car months ago) =97 but agai=
n, I=92m just going on hearsay.

The possible coyote sighting in the park might well be the source of anothe=
r neighborhood rumor, that a coyote might have snatched the cats. But no co=
yotes or coyote scat have been sighted in the neighborhood, as far as I kno=
w.

The up side of all this of course is that people are keeping their cats ind=
oors, as they should everywhere.

Cheers,
Andy

On May 19, 2014, at 7:09 PM, Dusan Soudek <soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca<mailto:s=
oudekd@ns.sympatico.ca>> wrote:

   Recently there were two letters to the editor and one column devoted to =
the rash of cat disappearances in a fairly compact area of Halifax=92s Sout=
h End. On May 17 a letter writer reports a =93very large black bird=94 taki=
ng off, with a probable kitten in its talons. Any speculation about what sp=
ecies the predator might have belonged to? A raven? A turkey vulture? A mel=
anistic bald eagle? Incidentally, there is a warning in nearby Point Pleasa=
nt Park about a recent probable coyote sighting.
   Dusan Soudek


--_000_791E3A81468A4C45B3654E48604B5E75DALCA_
Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252"
Content-ID: <CE6968F3ABA80D49AB79E133E2C79E2E@namprd03.prod.outlook.com>
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv=3D"Content-Type" content=3D"text/html; charset=3DWindows-1=
252">
</head>
<body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-lin=
e-break: after-white-space;">
Hi Dusan,
<div><br>
</div>
<div>A raven snatching a kitten seems pretty likely; there=92s ravens on th=
e prowl all the time around here, and they=92re awfully good generalist pre=
dators. A grown cat would be a tall order for a raven, though, and I would =
think any big raptor prowling the south
 end would be noticed, so I suspect that incident=92s unrelated to the repo=
rted rash of cat disappearances in that (my) neighborhood.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>I don=92t know the facts about the disappearances, only rumor. The rum=
ored rate of six cats in six weeks that I=92ve heard doesn=92t fit the disa=
ppearances I=92ve heard about (1 within the last couple weeks, 2 around tha=
t blizzard in late March, and another run
 over by a car months ago) =97 but again, I=92m just going on hearsay.</div=
>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The possible coyote sighting in the park might well be the source of a=
nother neighborhood rumor, that a coyote might have snatched the cats. But =
no coyotes or coyote scat have been sighted in the neighborhood, as far as =
I know.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>The up side of all this of course is that people are keeping their cat=
s indoors, as they should everywhere.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Cheers,</div>
<div>Andy</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>
<div>
<div>On May 19, 2014, at 7:09 PM, Dusan Soudek &lt;<a href=3D"mailto:soudek=
d@ns.sympatico.ca">soudekd@ns.sympatico.ca</a>&gt; wrote:</div>
<br class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline">
<blockquote type=3D"cite">
<div dir=3D"ltr">
<div dir=3D"ltr">
<div style=3D"font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;">
<div>&nbsp;&nbsp; Recently there were two letters to the editor and one col=
umn devoted to the rash of cat disappearances in a fairly compact area of H=
alifax=92s South End. On May 17 a letter writer reports a =93very large bla=
ck bird=94 taking off, with a probable kitten in
 its talons. Any speculation about what species the predator might have bel=
onged to? A raven? A turkey vulture? A melanistic bald eagle? Incidentally,=
 there is a warning in nearby Point Pleasant Park about a recent probable c=
oyote sighting.</div>
<div>&nbsp;&nbsp; Dusan Soudek&nbsp; </div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
<br>
</div>
</body>
</html>

--_000_791E3A81468A4C45B3654E48604B5E75DALCA_--

next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects