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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01D0774D.44AB5290 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable April 14, 2015 Conrad Beach, Lawrencetown The three species of mergansers have been making quite a show over the = past couple of days at Conrad Beach. The numbers of each vary but = generally, there have been 7 Hooded, 8 Common and 10+ Red-breasted = Mergansers at the same time in the open water on the west side at the = gate to Conrad Beach boardwalk. On occasion there were also 5+ Common = Goldeneye. Having all tree species of merganser in one place at the = same time during courting was very interesting as it afforded a good = opportunity to compare how the different species behaved. Over several = hours observing, I noted the following: Hooded Mergansers Males are more gentlemanly in their courting displays. Mostly head = throwing, neck stretching and occasional half-hearted chasing of the = competing males. Generally, the group of seven (3M + 4F) kept = themselves separate and grouped in the middle of the open water when = resting. They would mingle with the other two species when feeding near = the edge of the ice though. Red-breasted Mergansers Males preferred to display with head throws, neck stretches, etc. but = showed little real aggression towards other males. When resting, they = did not segregate themselves like the Hoodies, except when the Commons = were charging around.=20 Common Mergansers These guys are really aggressive. They don=E2=80=99t just chase the = competition away =E2=80=93 they attack them. I got a few pictures of = one male actually grabbing a competitor by the neck and dragging him = under water! They did not display as much as the Hoodies and = Red-breasted, preferring I guess to use brute force to impress the = competition and the females. Even the females were aggressive =E2=80=93 = they would chase and snap at unwanted suitors. The other two (smaller) = species stayed well clear of the Commons when they were in action! There was two groups of White-tailed Deer around as well. A pair = crossed the road and then across the tidal flats and walked over to the = trees behind the beach. Another group of 6 were seen crossing the ice = from the road westward towards West Lawrencetown. The ice looks like it = is getting rotten so they may not be able to cross this way much longer. I had a lot of enjoyment watching these guys during the past couple of = days! I added a few pictures to my gallery at: = http://scranlocker.smugmug.com/Nature/Nature-2015/n-3GtBJ Paul Murray Dartmouth ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01D0774D.44AB5290 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <HTML><HEAD></HEAD> <BODY dir=3Dltr> <DIV dir=3Dltr> <DIV style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000"> <DIV>April 14, 2015</DIV> <DIV>Conrad Beach, Lawrencetown</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The three species of mergansers have been making quite a show over = the past=20 couple of days at Conrad Beach. The numbers of each vary but = generally, there have been <STRONG>7 Hooded</STRONG>, <STRONG>8 = Common</STRONG>=20 and <STRONG>10+ Red-breasted Mergansers</STRONG> at the same time in the = open=20 water on the west side at the gate to Conrad Beach boardwalk. On = occasion=20 there were also<STRONG> 5+ Common Goldeneye</STRONG>. Having all = tree=20 species of merganser in one place at the same time during courting was = very=20 interesting as it afforded a good opportunity to compare how the = different=20 species behaved. Over several hours observing, I noted the=20 following:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><U>Hooded Mergansers</U></DIV> <DIV>Males are more gentlemanly in their courting displays. Mostly = head=20 throwing, neck stretching and occasional half-hearted chasing of the = competing=20 males. Generally, the group of seven (3M + 4F) kept themselves = separate=20 and grouped in the middle of the open water when resting. They = would=20 mingle with the other two species when feeding near the edge of the ice=20 though.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><U>Red-breasted Mergansers</U></DIV> <DIV>Males preferred to display with head throws, neck stretches, etc. = but=20 showed little real aggression towards other males. When resting, = they did=20 not segregate themselves like the Hoodies, except when the Commons were = charging=20 around. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><U>Common Mergansers</U></DIV> <DIV>These guys are really aggressive. They don=E2=80=99t just = chase the=20 competition away =E2=80=93 they attack them. I got a few pictures = of one male=20 actually grabbing a competitor by the neck and dragging him under = water! =20 They did not display as much as the Hoodies and Red-breasted, preferring = I guess=20 to use brute force to impress the competition and the females. = Even the=20 females were aggressive =E2=80=93 they would chase and snap at unwanted=20 suitors. The other two (smaller) species stayed well clear = of the=20 Commons when they were in action!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>There was two groups of <STRONG>White-tailed Deer</STRONG> around = as=20 well. A pair crossed the road and then across the tidal flats and = walked=20 over to the trees behind the beach. Another group of 6 were seen = crossing=20 the ice from the road westward towards West Lawrencetown. The ice = looks=20 like it is getting rotten so they may not be able to cross this way much = longer.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I had a lot of enjoyment watching these guys during the past couple = of=20 days!</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I added a few pictures to my gallery at: <A=20 title=3Dhttp://scranlocker.smugmug.com/Nature/Nature-2015/n-3GtBJ=20 href=3D"http://scranlocker.smugmug.com/Nature/Nature-2015/n-3GtBJ">http:/= /scranlocker.smugmug.com/Nature/Nature-2015/n-3GtBJ</A></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Paul Murray</DIV> <DIV>Dartmouth</DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_0007_01D0774D.44AB5290--
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