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LABIRD-L for Friday, February 23, 2001
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Subject: cowbirds
From: "Dr. Fred Groves" <EdGroves(AT)ulm.edu>
Date: 23 Feb 2001 9:29am
Re: unusual numbers of BH cowbirds - we have seen an explosion in the
number of these birds, plus House Finches, up here in Monroe as well. I
have never seen so many at one time around our house, and they drive
away our typical feeder users. I am using twice as much seed as I
usually do.
Fred Groves, ULM
Monroe
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: combatting cowbirds and red-wings
From: "Beth H. Maniscalco" <cone-bhm(AT)NICH-NSUNET.NICH.EDU>
Date: 23 Feb 2001 10:08am
Peggy, Fred, et al:
Sammy and I have had pretty good success decreasing the number of
Brown-headed Cowbirds and Red-winged Blackbirds and their ilk by
switching to safflower seed in the open feeders. This has the
additional plus of decreasing squirrel numbers also.
We only occasionally scatter black-oiled sunflower seed and wild bird
seed on the ground or place it in open feeders. When the scavengers
arrive, we only feed this seed in tube type feeders. They
eventually go away.
This does cut down on the number of birds, but we don't particularly
enjoy watching cowbirds, black-birds and their friends wipe out the
seed and run off the House Finches, Goldfinches and Cardinals.
BTW, Jim, we have also had a female Red-winged Blackbird feed from
the thistle feeder. She looks so strange up there with the
Goldfinches.
Beth Maniscalco
Thibodaux, LA
(Approx. 60 miles SW of New Orleans)
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: cowbirds
From: Van Remsen <najames(AT)unix1.sncc.lsu.edu>
Date: 23 Feb 2001 12:59pm
On Fri, 23 Feb 2001, Dr. Fred Groves wrote:
> Re: unusual numbers of BH cowbirds - we have seen an explosion in the
> number of these birds, plus House Finches, up here in Monroe as well. I
> have never seen so many at one time around our house, and they drive
> away our typical feeder users. I am using twice as much seed as I
> usually do.
Fred, Peggy, Olga/LABIRD:
Likewise here near St. Gabriel, this has been an outrageous winter for
Cowbirds and Redwings. How widespread this is, and whether there are
annual/regional/long-term trends, could easily be extracted from Project
Feederwatch (see Bird Source website), a well-designed project worthy of
greater participation levels in LA.
In the last few weeks, cowbird numbers have actually started falling
somewhat. This is typical for Redwings (early migrants and reclaimers of
local breeding territories), but not Cowbirds, which usually peak in early
March at my feeders. Perhaps this is a local trend -- I have seen much
recent evidence of activity by Cowbird POWbird, a shadowy underground
terrorist group whose very existence is disputed (the FBI will neither
confirm or deny ...), but which is rumored to have loose contacts with
other such underground groups, such as Dillo Drillers and Tree Rat
Remoullade. I would recommend trying to contact Cowbird POWbird, but
being organized in cells with no central command structure makes this
difficult (allegedly).
#################################
Van Remsen,
LSU Museum of Natural Science,
najames(AT)unix1.sncc.lsu.edu
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Winter reports for Field Notes
From: Van Remsen <najames(AT)unix1.sncc.lsu.edu>
Date: 23 Feb 2001 1:07pm
LABIRD: those wishing to contribute to the winter season (1 Dec. - 28 Feb)
report for Field Notes, please send reports (3x5 cards preferred; let us
know if you want preprinted ones) to Joseph P. Kleiman, LSU Museum of
Natural Science, Foster Hall 119, LSU, BR 70803 as soon as possible after
the end of the season.
Special plea for reports relevant to the apparent "total" disappearance of
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher after the Dec/early Jan cold spells; reports from
traditional high-density coastal wintering areas would be especially
valuable. The roughly concurrent disappearance of the bumper crop of
Wilson's Warblers also appreciated.
#################################
Van Remsen,
LSU Museum of Natural Science,
najames(AT)unix1.sncc.lsu.edu
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: lunchtime birding
From: "R. D. Purrington" <rdp(AT)ROSEBUD.PHY.TULANE.EDU>
Date: 23 Feb 2001 1:37pm
I just had to share with my friends a sublime culinary/birding experience I
had at noon today. While eating my lunch outside the Burger King on
Carrollton Ave (NOLA) (why Burger King? Because I am try to get over a 10-
day virus and couldn't drink, so why a crab cake or oyster po-boy?)..
Anyhow, while fending off House Sparrows and Starlings, trying to carry off
my french fries, I was treated to the sonorous tones of Monk Parakeets in
the nearby palm trees, interspersed with the coo-coo-ccok! calls of Scuz
Doves! Quite unforgetable.
dan purrington
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: "Stokes Birds" TV Show coming to Louisiana PBS
From: Thomas Young <StokesTVBirds(AT)AOL.COM>
Date: 23 Feb 2001 1:50pm
Dear Louisiana Birding Enthusiasts,
This is to let you all know that a birding TV show that you might enjoy,
"Stokes
Birds at Home", is coming to public television in Louisiana. The show will
play on
Saturdays at noon, starting on February 17, on all of the following channels:
KLPA-Channel 25 [Alexandria]
WLBP-Channel 27 [Baton Rouge]
KLPB-Channel 24 [Lafayette]
KLTL-Channel 18 [Lake Charles]
KLTM-Channel 13 [Monroe]
WLAE-Channel 32 [New Orleans]
KLTS-Channel 24 [Shreveport]
(Unfortunately, this means that the first episode has already run; I
apologize for
not sending this message in a more timely manner.)
Hosted by Donald and Lillian Stokes, the 13-episode series features
beautiful
footage of birds from all across the country, information on attracting and
identifying birds, and trips to birding hotspots nationwide. Tune in for THE
best
birding show on television, and spread the news!
If anyone has any questions, you are welcome to contact me personally.
Best regards,
Tom Young
Stokes Nature Company
Carlisle, MA
reply: stokestvbirds(AT)aol.com
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: lunchtime birding
From: MiriamLDavey <athena(AT)INTERSURF.COM>
Date: 23 Feb 2001 3:59pm
>I just had to share with my friends a sublime culinary/birding experience I
>had at noon today. While eating my lunch outside the Burger King on
>Carrollton Ave (NOLA) (why Burger King? Because I am try to get over a 10-
>day virus and couldn't drink, so why a crab cake or oyster po-boy?)..
>Anyhow, while fending off House Sparrows and Starlings, trying to carry off
>my french fries, I was treated to the sonorous tones of Monk Parakeets in
>the nearby palm trees, interspersed with the coo-coo-ccok! calls of Scuz
>Doves! Quite unforgetable.
>
>dan purrington
Dan,
10-day virus? Is that what it was? I too celebrated living through the
worst croupy cough/runny nose since childhood, outdoors pulling weeds,
being serenaded by Eurasian Collared Doves and House Finches. The garden
was at Doris Falkenheiner's law office, and not at my house, thank the Bird
God.
Here, a minor invasion of House Sparrows, Redwing BB, and Br-headed
Cowbirds was attributed to the presence next door of five or more horses
most of the time. Maybe the horses had less to do with it than I thought.
Still no ECD's or Parakeets.
MiriamLDavey
BAtonRouge,LA
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: re cowbird...
From: Peggy Siegert <PEGSIEGERT(AT)CS.COM>
Date: 23 Feb 2001 4:02pm
Van, you wrote:
<>
Van, LAbird,
Need direction to nearest active cell of Cowbird POWbird. I want to
join...promise to be totally shadowy...have experience...am heartless...grrr.
Peggy Siegert
Slidell, LA
zone 8b
****************
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Cowbirds
From: Pat Lanier <planier(AT)I-55.COM>
Date: 23 Feb 2001 5:56pm
Labirders,
Whenever BH cowbirds become a problem at my feeders I feed only black
sunflower seeds. This usually discourages them.
In the winter I only use black sunflower seed in my feeders, and never
fill the feeders completely due to problems with squirrrels.
I scatter a good quality mixed seed under my azaleas, and chippies and
white-throated sparrows gather in large numbers, but not many BH
blackbirds.
In the summer when Indigo Buntings, Painted Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks
visit I use some mixed seed in one feeder. Again I never fill them
completely. I only put some feed out in the early morning and in the
evening, but try to have some black sunflower seed available at all
times. I scatter some mixed seed in areas with cover then, too, but not
as much as in winter.
But if cowbirds begin to show up in numbers I switch to sunflower alone
in an effort to discourage them.
Pat Lanier
Husser, LA
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: re cowbirds...
From: Van Remsen <najames(AT)unix1.sncc.lsu.edu>
Date: 23 Feb 2001 6:58pm
On Fri, 23 Feb 2001, Peggy Siegert wrote:
> Van, LAbird,
> Need direction to nearest active cell of Cowbird POWbird. I want to
> join...promise to be totally shadowy...have experience...am heartless...grrr.
Peggy/LABIRD: on advice of counsel, I vigorously and vehemently deny any
alleged association, that I can recall anyway, with members of the alleged
underground group Cowbird-POWbird ...
Unfortunately, safflower is ignored by my birds, and my cowbird horde
feeds under the densest cover, so that's not a safe to put millet for
sparrows and buntings.
#################################
Van Remsen,
LSU Museum of Natural Science,
najames(AT)unix1.sncc.lsu.edu
[ << | >> | ^^ ]
Subject: Re: Winter reports for Field Notes
From: gousset <gousset(AT)EMAIL.MSN.COM>
Date: 23 Feb 2001 7:21pm
Van, labird
I have seen no gnatcatchers since seeing one on the N.O. CBC, Dec 23. I have
seen two Wilson's Warblers during Jan-Feb.
Re: cowbirds/redwings. Both species in recent years have been in very low
numbers in the area of the La Nature Center in eastern New Orleans. I was
rather surprised to see a mixed flock of the two (roughly 30 of each) in Joe
Brown Park, next to the nature center, on Feb 13.
Glenn Ousset
-----Original Message-----
From: Van Remsen <najames(AT)unix1.sncc.lsu.edu>
To: LABIRD-L(AT)listserv.lsu.edu <LABIRD-L(AT)listserv.lsu.edu>
Date: Friday, February 23, 2001 1:09 PM
Subject: Winter reports for Field Notes
>LABIRD: those wishing to contribute to the winter season (1 Dec. - 28 Feb)
>report for Field Notes, please send reports (3x5 cards preferred; let us
>know if you want preprinted ones) to Joseph P. Kleiman, LSU Museum of
>Natural Science, Foster Hall 119, LSU, BR 70803 as soon as possible after
>the end of the season.
>
>Special plea for reports relevant to the apparent "total" disappearance of
>Blue-gray Gnatcatcher after the Dec/early Jan cold spells; reports from
>traditional high-density coastal wintering areas would be especially
>valuable. The roughly concurrent disappearance of the bumper crop of
>Wilson's Warblers also appreciated.
>
>
>#################################
>
>Van Remsen,
> LSU Museum of Natural Science,
> najames(AT)unix1.sncc.lsu.edu
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