Morgan the killer whale has become pregnant - would her calf be a be a hybrid.

Morgan at Loro Parque in Tenerife.
Photo copyright  Loro Parque

The paper makes it clear that the Icelandic and Norwegian killer whale populations were a single panmictic population; this term means random mating where all individuals are potential partners. 

The recent news that Morgan the killer whale (at the Spanish zoological collection Loro Parque at Puerto de la Cruz on Tenerife) has become pregnant has led to a number of people making allegations that the calf would be a hybrid.  

Morgan is believed to be an animal from the Norwegian killer whale population but the animals she lives with, whilst all captive bred, are derived from animals from Iceland. 

In a paper published in 2014, an overview is given of the North Atlantic killer whale population and what is known so far.

The paper makes it clear that the Icelandic and Norwegian killer whale populations were a single panmictic population; this term means random mating where all individuals are potential partners. 

Whilst it is clear that animals within the North Atlantic population do follow specific feeding patterns which has in turn shaped their behaviour, the idea that Morgan's calf would be a hybrid - and as such this would be detrimental to the animals welfare or conservational used in the future - is not based all our current scientific understanding of these animals in the wild. The North Atlantic popualtions are currently considered the same species but with possible different ecotypes.

Moreover, hybrids only occur across species. There has been hybrid whales and dolphins in both captive care and the wild.  Perhaps the most well documented is the wholphin which is a cross between a bottlenose dolphin and a false killer whale.


Reference and significant quotes.

North Atlantic killer whale research; past, present and future (2014) Andrew D. Foote, Sanna Kuningas and Filipa I.P. Samarra

"Further light has been shed on the relationship between Icelandic and Norwegian herring-eating killer whales by genetic investigations. Early genetic studies typically used DNA from captive Icelandic killer whales as outgroups for studies focused on North Pacific killer whales (e.g. Stevens et al., 1989). Only recently, have studies used larger sample sizes from across the North Atlantic using both mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers. Allele frequencies of 17 polymorphic microsatellite loci indicated individuals from the Norwegian and Icelandic herring grounds were a single panmictic population; however, there was significant differentiation between the two regions based on mitochondrial DNA (Foote et al., 2011). Stable isotope ratios differed significantly between Icelandic and Norwegian killer whales assigned to this panmictic population, suggesting some differences in ecology, such as spatial distribution or trophic position (Foote et al., 2012)"

"The effectiveness of these large shared datasets was recently demonstrated in an unusual scenario, when a young killer whale became stranded off the coast of The Netherlands. No photo-identification matches were made, but sequencing of informative regions of the mitochondrial genome suggested that the whale belonged to the lineages that follow the *NSS herring. This was then further supported by the matching of several stereotyped call types produced by the whale and those recorded by groups feeding on herring in northern Norway (Samarra et al., 2010)"

*NSS: Norwegian spring spawning.

More details on Morgan's rescue can be found here. 
Morgan - The Rescued Female Killer Whale

Scene & Story: November 2017

KEEPING IN TOUCH

Dear Friends,

How have you all been this year?

Have you embraced the unexpected?

Have you got out of your comfort zone at least once?

What have you understood about life?

What have you learnt?

Do you sometimes ask yourself where you're going? I do.

Am I going where I need to go or am I struggling against the natural flow because I wanted things to be different than they were? Life is not always smooth. Situations are not always ideal.

Each new day brings us life experiences from which we can learn. It is our choice to accept the things that come our way, or not. Sometimes, we're allowed to say "No" when things have gone too far in the wrong direction.

We're allowed to take a pause and look within to be able to make the right choices. We can recognize that they are not always the same choices as others. That's quite alright. We are allowed to be different.

So towards the end of November, I look back at my own year and ask myself these very questions. It's also the perfect time to get out my coloured cards and rubber stamps and my address book and prettiest postage stamps and write to family and friends. A lighted candle brings in the right sort of mood and sets the tone.

So wherever you are, whatever your life experience right now, just know that it's where you are meant to be. How do you know that? Well, because that's where you are!

May we find the courage to face the difficult moments and the generosity in our hearts to be there for others when they need a helping hand. 

Keeping in touch with others, but also with ourselves.

My very warmest winter wishes!

Sandra

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I'm linking up with  Scene & Story hosted by Sarah and Lee

Purple Gallinule Killed by Cat

Rare Bird Killed in Nova Scotia

Purple Gallinule [Internet Photo]

The Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) is a rare bird to see in the Maritimes.  Its normal range is Florida, southern Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Mexico.  It rarely appears north of that but the species is known for occasional vagrants who wander as far north as southern Canada.  Most are seen in the fall as a result of being blown northward by strong winds from storms and hurricanes.  There are at least 20 records of one having arrived in New Brunswick.  This species has also shown up periodically in Europe and Africa!

The Purple Gallinule is a pond-loving species.  It is a secretive bird and is seen wandering around on floating vegetation or climbing on low-overhanging bushes, using its long toes to advantage.  It eats invertebrates, frogs, aquatic vegetation, seeds, and berries.

As you can see the Purple Gallinule is a beautiful bird.  It is green, purple, red and blue with yellow legs and feet and very long toes.  It is 33 cm (13 in) long and appears about the size of a bantam chicken.  

A Purple Gallinule was recently recorded in Nova Scotia.  The body of one was brought home by a cat.  Whether the cat killed the bird is not determined but is likely.  It is difficult to imagine a cat wandering near a pond in order to kill such a bird but cats are natural killers so would go to any length to capture prey.  It is unfortunate that this bird was killed.  See the photo below of the bird that the cat brought home.

Purple Gallinule [Ryan Daniels Photo]

Feral and house cats are the major cause of bird mortality in North America.  They kill more birds than strikes with buildings, vehicles and communication towers, and poisonings by pesticides. That is a huge number.  It is estimated that cats kill between 1.3 and 4 billion birds per year in North America (audubon.org).  The cat population in the US is about 1 million.  I am not sure how many we have in Canada but it is close to that.  No wonder our bird population numbers are shrinking to dangerous levels!  The cat population is so high they are now considered a global invasive species.  On some islands in the world domestic cats have driven some bird species into extinction.  

What can be done about this problem?  Feral cats kill more birds than domestic cats but domestic cats still kill plenty.  A simple solution is to keep the cats indoors.  That has been known for a long time but cats like to wander outside and it is difficult to keep them indoors.  Many cat owners do not wish to keep their cat indoors.  Some studies have been done with some success on special collars for cats to decrease bird mortality.  Other studies have looked at what time of year most of the killings occur with the idea of restricting cats at certain times or dates.  There have been ambitious programs to reduce the feral cat populations in a humane way (CARMA) but neutered cats still kill birds.  So, even after a lot of work on this problem, no satisfactory solution has been found yet.  Funds need to be made available for more research and pet owners need to be more vigilant with their cats.

Getting Closer to the Mountains

Dent de Jaman and Rochers de Naye

A day out on the most beautiful day of this week

took me closer to the mountains in my area.

I took the funicular up as far as it would go, to a place called Mont Pélerin.

Many years ago, I climbed that thumb-shaped mountain on the left.

Going up was fine, but coming down the steep side was quite a challenge.

Luckily for me, a very kind, experienced mountain climber

gave me some excellent tips and helped me find stable footholds!

The snow on the summits was quite fresh

 and looked so striking against the blue of the sky.

Pulling back to get in a wider scene with the villages below.

The Lake Léman is included in this capture

and the range of mountains in the background is called

Les Dents du Midi which has seven summits.

This range is situated in the Chablais Alps in the Swiss Canton of Valais.

They reach a height of 3257 metres.

Here is a closer view.

Since the sun goes down rather quickly in the afternoons now,

I was able to capture the warm lighting on the same mountains

as I walked down to the next funicular stop to reach the lake.

These two towers are called:

Tour de Mayen and Tour d'Aï.

They are situated in the canton of Vaud where I live.

The atmosphere changes completely as the sun goes down.

I love how the sun catches certain edges of the steep slopes and makes them look so majestic.

I managed to catch the vibrant colours of the sunset

which lit up the lake in tones of gold and orange.

A perfect end to a lovely day!

When I'm in the mountains, at any time of the year, I feel as if I'm in a magical world

away from all the noise, the people, the traffic.

It feels as if I'm communing with Nature

as if I am connected to everything around me

and not just a spectator.

Orange-crowned Warbler

Late Fall Warbler

Orange-crowned Warbler [Mark Morse Photo]

The Orange-crowned Warbler Oreothlypis celata is most commonly seen here in the fall.  That is because it is late coming from its breeding grounds and is seen here most commonly after most of our warblers have migrated south.  It breeds in northern Canada below the tree line and in the mountainous areas of western US.  It winters in the southern US and Mexico.  

The Orange-crowned Warbler is a small warbler, 12 cm (4.75-5 in) long.  It is yellowish/grayish with a small sharp bill.  It has faint streaks on its underparts, a broken white eyering, a line through its eye, and yellow under tail coverts.  It is named for its least conspicuous field mark, the orange crown which is rarely seen.  Females and juveniles are grayer than the more yellowish males.  The yellow under tail coverts are an important field mark.  That helps distinguish it from the very similar Tennessee Warbler which has white under tail coverts.  

There are four populations of this species normally separated geographically.  They vary slightly in plumage and behaviour.  It is common in the west but uncommon in the east.  

This species eats invertebrates, berries, nectar and sap, sometimes feeding from sapsucker wells.  It nests on the ground or in a low-lying shrub, preferring marshes, forest edges or swamps as nesting areas.  Its nest is made of grass and plant fibres and is lined with fur and feathers.  It lays 3 to 6 white eggs with red or brown blotches.  

An interesting fact about the Orange-crowned Warbler is that it is one of the latest fall migrating warblers and usually does not leave its Canadian breeding grounds until late September or October.  That is a fact we birders can celebrate.  It is always a good day when we see an Orange-crowned Warbler!

Getting Snug at Home

This is the time of the year when everything feels more transitional than usual.

November days alternate between blue skies and sunshine,

rain, wind and low stratus clouds making everything look dull.

I cut the last two flowers on my Gaillardia plant

and brought some colour inside.

This is the month when colour becomes incredibly important to me

I seek it out in everything I do

especially when I'm in the kitchen.

Preparing vegetables for lunch

Colour is so important in preparing a meal.

Many of the trees are already bare,

but a visit to the park on a sunny day

showed me these lovely beech leaves still glowing in a golden light.

Fallen leaves remind me to be accepting of the season.

They never fight the reality of what is happening to them and all around them.

The path to contentment is being willing to be in the moment,

just as it is,

for now.

The evenings are longer

and I love them to be able to create seasonal things 

like these crocheted snowflakes.

I have hung some up against the windows in my living-room.

No real snowflakes falling from the sky as yet,

but that could all change this weekend it seems.

I brought this cyclamen flower inside from my balcony

I love the simplicity of a single bloom in the tiny vase.

We have been having some beautiful sunsets.

I saw this one in my neighbourhood as soon as I got of the bus around 5 pm.

Look at the tiny crescent moon in the blue of the sky.

Pastel shades are a great favourite of mine too.

I stayed in this spot until the colours faded.

It will soon be December

and there will be fairy lights and music 

and candles too.

But for today, just enjoying this transitional period

shows me that everything is just as it should be. 

I hope you are enjoying the changing season too.

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Another Southern Bird Here?

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Shown above is a rare bird we saw on Miscou on October 28 on Wilsons Point Road; a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Polioptila caerulea.   It is a small fast bird with a high pitched call note.  We were hoping to see this species because it had been showing up periodically this fall on Miscou.  It came in to our call and stayed long enough for us to get a few photos.  It was very actively flitting around among the branches and tree tops.  I hadn't seen one in over 5 years so was delighted to get reacquainted.  My last sighting was in South Carolina.  The last one I had seen in New Brunswick was in 1959!  This present sighting made some in our group so happy they did a dance.  (Some people think birders are strange people but they should see them dancing on the side of the road!  Fortunately that old attitude towards birders has pretty well disappeared.)

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher [Internet Photo]

The photo far above is of the actual bird we saw on Miscou.  It is moulting its tail feathers and shows only one feather remaining.  The photo immediately above shows an adult male in breeding plumage.  Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are mainly blue-gray (or sometimes just gray) above and white below.  They have a characteristic white eyering and their tail is long and black with white outer tail feathers.  They fan their tail from side to side, probably to stir up insects on which they feed.  This is a small species, only 11 cm (4.3 in) long (and much of that is tail!)  

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are often single birds but they do sometimes associate with flocks of kinglets or warblers.  They are busy, feeding on mainly insects which they glean from the edges of deciduous trees.  They are, however, adaptable and can be found in a variety of habitats.  

Blue-gray Gnatcatcher

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is the northernmost member of its family.  It is the only member of the family that is truly migratory and its breeding range is expanding into the northeast.  It normally breeds in the southern and central US and it winters in the very southern US, Mexico and the Caribbean Islands.  It is a permanent resident in the southeastern US states and Mexico.  

In late years more of these birds have been appearing in NB, indicated that they may be slowly expanding into our area.  If that is true, we look forward to it because they are a welcome species to help balance out our insect population.