[NatureNS] fisher vs marten

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Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2014 19:31:14 -0300
From: Rick Whitman <dendroica.caerulescens@gmail.com>
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
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Angus, All,
You have made my day ! In the late 70's I had a lengthy, unobstructed,
wonderful sighting of a marten in the woods east of the current Cloud
Lake Wilderness Area. I will never forget it. I told a few people,
including SW who at that time was Park Biologist at Keji. He informed
me that martens had been extirpated from mainland NS. I was not
bothered in the least.

RE the ID issue: Martens are about the size of mink, graceful, a
gorgeous golden-brown, rich fur and with a "sweet" face. Fishers are
larger, more solid, very dark brown, and not "cute".

Rick Whitman

On 7/3/14, Angus MacLean <cold_mac@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Martens have been introduced twice into Keji. The last was a substantial
> number from Maine, I believe. They are known for their wanderlust & Keji is
> too small to "hold" them. From my days at Fundy N.P. I recall one individual
> (caught in Nfld) radio-collared, who turned up on the South Shore
> (location?). It was  recaptured & surprisingly stayed around Fundy after
> that. Fundy is also small (as a N.P.) & many of the 20 released were found
> outside the park boundaries.
> Angus
>
> Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2014 06:14:13 -0300
> Subject: RE: [NatureNS] fisher vs marten -- was probable fisher sighting
> kings co ns
> From: desolatechair@gmail.com
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>
> Indeed tgere was a Pine Marten relocation effort in Keji, I'm guessing late
> 80's.  I believe there was also a reintroduction effort in the Cape Breton
> highlands as well.
> Jamie
>
> Sent from Samsung Mobile
>
> -------- Original message --------From: James Hirtle  Date:07-02-2014  11:33
> PM  (GMT-04:00) To: Naturens Naturens  Subject: RE: [NatureNS] fisher vs
> marten -- was probable fisher sighting kings co ns
> Hi Paul and all:
>
> I saw a martin, I can't remember the exact location now, but the sighting
> occurred a number of years ago now in the vacinity of Keji.  At the time of
> my inquiry of this sighting I was advised that a martin relocation program
> had been done within Keji Park to try and re-establish this species and a
> study was being done.  My sighting could have been one of the martin's from
> this study that had spread out establishing a territory away from Keji.  It
> would be nice if anyone could elaborate upon this study and if it is still
> ongoing.  All the best,
>
> James R. Hirtle
> Bridgewater
>
> CC: elderkmf@gov.ns.ca; b.e.yoell@xcountry.tv
> From: jimwolford@eastlink.ca
> Subject: [NatureNS] fisher vs marten -- was probable fisher sighting kings
> co ns
> Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2014 12:34:43 -0300
> To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>
>
> Paul and everyone, I am one who has never seen either one in the wild, but I
> would like to know from Paul how much bigger his marten or fisher was
> compared with the red squirrel?  Fishers, I believe, are quite a bit bigger
> than martens, although each species shows marked sexual dimarphism with
> males bigger than females.
> Finally, a martin is a bird not a mammal.
> Cheers from Jim
>
> Begin forwarded message:From: Paul MacDonald <paulrita2001@yahoo.com>Date:
> July 2, 2014 9:11:40 AM ADTTo: "naturens@chebucto.ns.ca"
> <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>Subject: Re: [NatureNS] probable fisher sighting
> kings co nsReply-To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
>  Hi Rick and AllI have difficulty telling which is a martin  and which is a
> fisher. I've never seen enough of either to be sure of the difference. Any
> easy clues?My best m/f story was at Keji maybe 20 years ago. It was in March
> and the snow was nearly gone so I walked from the Fish Hatchery to Loon Lake
> Cabin. Its 9 km so when I got there I sat in a sunny spot to have my tea. It
> was beside the river.As I was eating I saw a squirrel in a big red maple
> tree across the river. The branches came out over the water. I was watching
> the squirrel when I spotted a martin or a fisher - not sure which - chasing
> the squirrel which thought it was on the m/f lunch menu. The squirrel kept
> getting out on smaller branches, with the weasel just behind. When the
> squirrel could go no further both were on the same branch no bigger than my
> thumb. In a last attempt the squirrel jumped to another branch and this set
> the branch the m/f was on vibrating rather badly. The m/f lost its balance
> and fell in the water.The water was cold and the m/f didn't know how to swim
> but kept trying to walk on the water. Finally its efforts plus the current
> got it close enough that it could climb out on shore.It was cold and wet and
> started to shake the water out of its coat. That animal could shake - walk a
> few feet and shake again. finally it disappeared in the forest.A great
> memory.I hope you all take the chance to walk in the forest - never know
> what you will see. Its not important if you know the difference between a
> martin and a fisher - lots of folks know who never saw either in the
> wild!Enjoy the summerPaul
>
>      On Friday, June 27, 2014 7:59:39 AM, Rick Ballard <ideaphore@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>  Interestingly, just after I read this, I read an article regarding a Fisher
> found living in the Bronx in New York City. Probably a smorgasbord of
> squirrels and rats.
> http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/06/25/mystery-solved-for-strange-animal-found-scurrying-around-the-bronx/
> On Fri, Jun 27, 2014 at 6:39 AM, John and Nhung <nhungjohn@eastlink.ca>
> wrote: Back in the early spring of 2007, something long , low, dark, and
> very fast shot across a wooded road between Hectanooga and Norwood, just
> inside Digby county, about 100 meters in front of our car.  My wife noticed
> a fairly bushy tail, and the picture of a fisher looked right.  Plenty of
> porcupines around to feed them.   From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca
> [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of desolatechair Sent:
> June-26-14 10:19 PMTo: naturensSubject: Re: [NatureNS] probable fisher
> sighting kings co ns  George I saw a Fisher in woods on the Bog road,
> between Hantsport and Falmouth,in Feb. 2010.  It was way too fast to get a
> photo but I do have excellent photos of the prints, which have been verified
> by reliable third parties.  Jamie     Sent from Samsung Mobile  --------
> Original message --------From: "George E. Forsyth" Date:06-26-2014 9:55 PM
> (GMT-04:00)  To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: [NatureNS] probable fisher
> sighting kings co ns   Hello All,My son called me this afternoon from his
> truck in a new orchard he is  managing near Morristown, Kings Co,NS.
> 44.987921, -64.753974  He said   that he had seen a badger, I told him that
> they didn't live in Nova  Scotia. He has seen badgers in Alberta and
> Saskatchewan while he  worked in wilderness areas, he did habitat
> assessments and badger  surveys. This animal today ran in front of his truck
> and underneath a   large pile if poles that will be used to build a trellis
> for the new  orchard. He didn't get out of the truck as he believed it to be
> a  badger, and he was unable to take a picture of the animal.After he
> described the animal that he had seen, I looked up the   article that was
> written by Barry Sabean a number of years ago, and  read the description to
> him. The two descriptions matched, and I then  linked him to a video of a
> fisher taken in Connecticut.  He felt that   this also matched what he had
> seen.He then told me that there had been three areas in the orchard where
> he had daily seen groundhogs, but he now notes that they are now not  being
> seen. A fisher in the area would do well having groundhog dinners! How
> common are fishers, and have they been seen in Kings County?George Forsyth--
> Rick Ballard  Dartmouth,Nova Scotia, Canada
>

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