At 09:10 PM 1/30/98 -0500, Larry Bliven wrote: > >hopefully nature postings will be regular features. > >bye bye bliven >still searching for that someone whose had a bird on deck. Numerous pre-dawn mornings I have seen a large Great Blue Heron standing on the deck of one of our sea kayaks. We (Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe) store 5 sea kayaks on the water here on the Columbia river in Portland, OR. My wife and I live on a sailboat behind the shop and I like to get up early. There is a resident Heron that hangs on the docks and has been seen *roosting* on the bow of one of our boats. I only wish I could get him on film! I tried packing my camera every morning but.......... you know how that goes. Steve Scherrer www.aldercreek.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net ***************************************************************************
On one occasion we beached on a sandy shore, only to be greeted by a most pathetic looking seagull, moaning and staggering as if it were on its last legs. It started pecking at our kayak and bow line, as if it were searching for food. It looked so desperate that we looked for some food to give it and came up with some chocolate chip cookies. We hand fed it some small pieces, and then gave it a whole one (expecting it would peck at it into smaller ones). We watched as the whole thing went down its gullet! We were certain it either was too injured or too weakened to fly, and were debating whether our limited rescue skills included seagulls. At this point, a dog came running up the beach..the gull turned to looked at, gave a couple of very normal and healthy squawks and flew off, looking perfectly fine. We were most impressed with its fine acting skills! On another occasion we were walking the docks of Ganges (small town on Saltspring Island, British Columbia) late at night. There was a sea plane tied up to one. We watched as a Blue Heron came walking down the dock, quickly hopped onto the pontoon and perched at the edge, peering down. It was completely out of the water. My wife and I started joking about the wilds of nature including pontoons, of course, when we noticed the Heron, in quick succession, catch and eat (no release program here) 4 or 5 fish. Then off it went. Very effective fishing! The Heron obviously incorporated this addition into its environment to its own advantage (the fish might have a diffeent version). We weren't sure whether the pontoon gave the Heron access to deeper water, or by keeping the Heron completely out of the water, camouflaged it from the fish. >At 09:10 PM 1/30/98 -0500, Larry Bliven wrote: > >> >>hopefully nature postings will be regular features. >> >>bye bye bliven >>still searching for that someone whose had a bird on deck. > > >Numerous pre-dawn mornings I have seen a large Great Blue Heron standing on >the deck of one of our sea kayaks. > snip >Steve Scherrer >www.aldercreek.com >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >*************************************************************************** > > Sam and Ann Isaacs Coast to Coast Canadian Products phone/fax: 604-271-3228 e-mail: saisaacs_at_netcom.ca *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net ***************************************************************************
Sam and Ann's post re: gull play-acting reminded me of another common gull trick. I suspect others have seen this one, also: Twice in the Brokens (Barkley Sound, BC) I have watched a gull fold a small sea star (not sure which species) onto itself, with all five legs still waving in the breeze, and squeeze that mess down its gullet! These sea stars were maybe 4-5 inches in diameter, and formed a bolus at least an inch to an inch and a half in diameter at the wide part as they were "swallowed." Both gulls sorta stood around afterwards, eyeballs counter-rotating, and hung out on the rock they were on until they could fly away. Must be a hell of a digestive system! -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net ***************************************************************************
At 09:07 AM 1/31/98 EST, SteveS wrote: > >At 09:10 PM 1/30/98 -0500, Larry Bliven wrote: > >> >>hopefully nature postings will be regular features. >> >>bye bye bliven >>still searching for that someone whose had a bird on deck. > > >Numerous pre-dawn mornings I have seen a large Great Blue Heron standing on >the deck of one of our sea kayaks. We (Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe) store 5 >sea kayaks on the water here on the Columbia river in Portland, OR. My wife >and I live on a sailboat behind the shop and I like to get up early. There is >a resident Heron that hangs on the docks and has been seen *roosting* on the >bow of one of our boats. I only wish I could get him on film! I tried >packing my camera every morning but.......... you know how that goes. As John Ariola, my Garifuna buddy in Belize says, "Ya, mon, da tings you see when you no gotta gun." Roger > >Steve Scherrer >www.aldercreek.com >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >*************************************************************************** > > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net ***************************************************************************
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