[CT Birds] Gull/Merganser

[Dennis Varza]

Hi Pam et al

The Mole story is absolutely true, told to me by a very reliable  
source, many years ago.
It amazed me that Sarah was able to find the citation and so quickly.  
For those who did not read it, it was a Herring Gull not a Great  
Black-backed Gull. Also, the mole died as well as the gull.

In terms of Gulls and Mergansers often time I see GBBG's sitting on  
the water in the vicinity of feeding Mergansers. Stealing food from  
others is not new or unusual.

Grazing Cattle
In most plants the growing area is at the tip of the plant (apical  
meristam). Removing the tip stops growth or induces growth from the  
sides. In grass, the growing area is at the base of the leaves so the  
tips can be removed and they still keep growing (hence lawnmowers) In  
general it seems that grasses need grazing and/or fire to maintain  
productivity. There is a vast literature on grazing and productivity  
of many species.

In terms of ecology, biologists consider predation the death of an  
individual. Since cows do not kill their prey they are not predators.  
If consuming leaves and seeds  helps the plants productivity and aids  
in dispersal they are neither parasites but mutualists.

Here is another story from the same person who told me the mole  
story. I think it was him or someone he knew: This was in Louisiana.  
A Northern Harrier attacked an American Coot. and the coot drowned  
the Harrier!

Dennis
Fairfield



On Jan 4, 2008, at 9:35 AM, p.s.holden at comcast.net wrote:

> You know, about it getting out of hand, I was wondering the same  
> thing.
> I've seen gulls have "spats" with mergansers over fish.
>
> Is that story about the mole (linked by Sarah in another message)  
> for real?
> Maybe an urban legend?  :-|
>
> Dennis - you have a point, cows don't kill the grass.
>
> Pam Holden
> Colchester
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Dennis Varza" <dennisvz at optonline.net>
> To: "Carrier Graphics" <carriergraphics at sbcglobal.net>; "Posting  
> Bird List"
> <ctbirds at lists.ctbirding.org>
> Sent: Thursday, January 03, 2008 11:03 PM
> Subject: Re: [CT Birds] Screech Owl -
>
>
>> Hi Folks
>>
>> I found the Gull-Merganser situation quite interesting. My guess was
>> that the gull was after fish but things got out of hand.
>>
>> Paul's Comments reminded me of an dark humorous event I was told
>> about. It is in the literature but I don't know were.
>>
>> Apparently a Great Black-backed Gull (I think it was the species)
>> captured and swallowed a mole whole and alive. The mole then
>> proceeded to burrow out of the gull. The gull went into convulsions
>> and finally died and I presume the mole escaped!
>>
>> A cow does not kill the the grass but crops the top of it. But,
>> finches are seed predators.
>>
>> Dennis Varza
>> Fairfield
>>
>>
>> On Jan 3, 2008, at 2:00 PM, Carrier Graphics wrote:
>>
>>> Hi Steve,
>>>
>>> Guess you witnesed a life and death situation that nature usually
>>> hides
>>> so well from our eyes.
>>>
>>>   This is not so unusual though. Prey can often become the  
>>> killer, and
>>> killers can become prey. The key is - both must stay on their  
>>> regular
>>> natural track of things. When one gets just a little out of  
>>> place, the
>>> other takes advantage of it.
>>> When a Sharpie surprises birds at the feeder, the sick, wounded, or
>>> just
>>> plain not with it bird is the most likely taken, culled out of the
>>> flock
>>> for the good of that species overall.
>>>
>>> On the other side of the coin, I once witnessed a wounded Im Coopers
>>> hawk, trying to get at my chickens from the ground, attacked by a
>>> flock
>>> of Crows - killed, and then, not to waste -  eaten. As cruel as we
>>> might
>>> think it, this is survival, or not, in the daily workings of nature.
>>>
>>> I also have read in Owls, the larger species will often kill smaller
>>> ones when given a chance. Guess we can sum all this up by saying -
>>> nothing in nature is ever completely safe from predation of some  
>>> kind.
>>> But the longer they can stay healthy and alert, the better chance  
>>> they
>>> will live for another day.
>>>
>>> Question: Is the Cow a predator of Grass? Any thoughts on this one?
>>>
>>> Paul Carrier
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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>
>
> _______________________________________________
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