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Hi Nick & All. Dec 22, 2014
I assume you are referring to Mainthemum canadense because Wild =
Lily-of-the-Valley is the usual common name for this. It has two locules =
and one to four seeds. I suppose seeds may be unusually large if only =
one ovule is fertilized.
I know almost nothing about bird crops but isn't 3-mm large grit =
for something the size of a Junco ? That is about the size of grit we =
gave poultry I think. Is Mourning Dove possible ? They frequent =
Mainthemum habitat and gravel roads..
On the subject of seed spreading, years ago I found several hoards =
of fruiting M. canadense plants, piled neatly in the chinks of a =
woodpile when hauling wood. [I cut firewood into 16" lengths, tier it in =
the woods and cover the tier top with polyethylene. The cumulative =
length of tiers over 33 years would be about 8000' and I have found =
hoards of M. canadense only once.] Either it is rarely hoarded or =
hoarded in other locations..
I suspected Gapper's Red-backed Mouse because they were common there =
for many years and often seen when I was hauling wood; usually leaving a =
nest they had made in a tier. Unless the seed coat is unusually hard, =
Mice would likely destroy the seeds when eating the dried fruit But if =
they carried fruiting plants away from a patch, hid them in soil or =
under litter and did not return then dispersal could be effected.
Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville
----- Original Message -----=20
From: Nicholas Hill=20
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca=20
Sent: Monday, December 22, 2014 12:49 PM
Subject: [NatureNS] Scat
I wondered if any naturalist had an idea about what possible bird =
would eat fruits of wild lily of the valley. It was a small scat and its =
crop contained grit about the same diameter..maybe 3mm.. as the small =
seeds.
An aside: the Young Naturalists had a Christmas Bird count in Berwick =
and we found a coyote scat that was all apple pomace then we found a =
squirrel's feeding log that had bits of apple scattered about but no =
seeds.
Could juncos be dispersing the wild lily of the valley seeds? The =
single seed takes up most of the fruit interior.
Nick
No virus found in this message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 2015.0.5577 / Virus Database: 4257/8781 - Release Date: =
12/21/14
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<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV>Hi Nick & All. =
=20
=
=20
Dec 22, 2014</DIV>
<DIV> I assume you are referring to <EM>Mainthemum =
canadense=20
</EM>because Wild Lily-of-the-Valley is the usual common name for this. =
It has=20
two locules and one to four seeds. I suppose seeds may be unusually =
large if=20
only one ovule is fertilized.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> I know almost nothing about =
bird=20
crops but isn't 3-mm large grit for something the size of a Junco ? That =
is=20
about the size of grit we gave poultry I think. Is Mourning Dove =
possible ? They=20
frequent <EM>Mainthemum</EM> habitat and gravel roads..</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> On the subject of seed spreading, years ago I=20
found several hoards of fruiting<EM> M. canadense</EM> plants, =
piled=20
neatly in the chinks of a woodpile when hauling wood. [I cut firewood =
into 16"=20
lengths, tier it in the woods and cover the tier top with=20
polyethylene. The cumulative length of tiers over 33 years would be =
about 8000'=20
and I have found hoards of <EM>M. canadense</EM> only once.] Either it =
is rarely=20
hoarded or hoarded in other locations..</DIV>
<DIV> I suspected Gapper's Red-backed Mouse because =
they were=20
common there for many years and often seen when I was hauling wood; =
usually=20
leaving a nest they had made in a tier. Unless the seed coat is =
unusually hard,=20
Mice would likely destroy the seeds when eating the =
dried fruit But=20
if they carried fruiting plants away from a patch, hid them in =
soil or=20
under litter and did not return then dispersal could be =
effected.</DIV>
<DIV>Yt, Dave Webster, Kentville</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 style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV=20
style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
<A title=3Dfernhillns@gmail.com =
href=3D"mailto:fernhillns@gmail.com">Nicholas=20
Hill</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@chebucto.ns.ca</A> =
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, December 22, 2014 =
12:49=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [NatureNS] Scat</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<P>I wondered if any naturalist had an idea about what possible bird =
would eat=20
fruits of wild lily of the valley. It was a small scat and its crop =
contained=20
grit about the same diameter..maybe 3mm.. as the small seeds.<BR>An =
aside: the=20
Young Naturalists had a Christmas Bird count in Berwick and we found a =
coyote=20
scat that was all apple pomace then we found a squirrel's feeding log =
that had=20
bits of apple scattered about but no seeds.<BR>Could juncos be =
dispersing the=20
wild lily of the valley seeds? The single seed takes up most of the =
fruit=20
interior.<BR>Nick</P><A></A>
<P align=3Dleft color=3D"#000000" avgcert??>No virus found in this=20
message.<BR>Checked by AVG - <A=20
href=3D"http://www.avg.com">www.avg.com</A><BR>Version: 2015.0.5577 / =
Virus=20
Database: 4257/8781 - Release Date: =
12/21/14</P