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NAMC, Re: Tricks for Ticks?; hummers chasing things, disturbed nests



Hi Carolinabirders,

Chimney Swifts have returned to 9th street in Durham; heard them for the
first time this year yesterday as my wife and I went out for dinner. No
idea where they might nest/roost, they collect over the street just about
every evening during the summer.

USA Today has an interesting article on a new initiative by the National
Audubon Society. See
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020410/4013786s.htm

On Wed, 10 Apr 2002, John Argentati wrote:
>
> P.S. Does anyone know when Wake Audubon has their spring bird count?

May 11, last time I checked. That is also the date of the NAMC, the North
American Migration Count. Sadly, only a few NC counties had anyone
covering them on the past couple of NAMCs, including *none* of the coastal
counties like Dare and Carteret that have most of the state's best
birding! Last time I checked, Phil Crutchfield of Fayetteville was the NC
state coordinator, so anyone who wants to count someplace more exciting
than Wake County should contact him (via phone or snail-mail, he doesn't
have e-mail) and volunteer to cover all or part of some other county. I
would do one myself, but I've already been shanghai'd to lead a field trip
on dragonflies for New Hope Audubon on May 11...

The dates for the other Triangle-area spring bird counts (and fall counts,
and even CBC's) are on-line at
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/chbc/countsched.html

On Tue, 9 Apr 2002, Kristine Cox wrote:
>
> Anyone have any tricks for avoiding ticks while birding in the woods?  I
> am getting seed ticks every time I step out of the house.  The down home
> remedy say some in these parts is to consume a couple drops of
> turpentine on sugar.  I'm tempted to give it a try.

If DEET doesn't work for you (it usually does for me), you might try
powdered sulfur. This is a common and (in my experience) effective
repellent method for chiggers; since they and ticks are related (both are
officially mites), it might work on ticks too. Put the Sulfur powder in a
sock and then knock the sock against your ankles and lower legs.

On Wed, 10 Apr 2002, Kate Finlayson wrote:
>
> Yes, here at Miles Branch we saw our first hummer
> buzzing and chasing a pine warbler high in the
> treetops. Testosterone gone berserk?

Could be, but I've seen worse. Frank Rheindt and I were doing a Big Day
the September before last and saw a hummer chase off a Merlin!

On Wed, 10 Apr 2002, Stensland Jerry wrote:

> I replaced the nest. My question is should I have done
> that? Am I risking a more fatal fall if the Phoebe
> reclaims the nest and it falls with eggs in it? Should
> I just let her figure it out? Perhaps she would
> rebuild, with a more secure design, in the same
> location?

Birds' devotion to their nests seems to increase with the development of
their young. If a nest is damaged before eggs are laid, leave it alone;
the bird will rebuild, maybe in the same place, maybe someplace different.
If eggs are in the nest when it is damaged or disturbed, the bird is more
likely to return, and so replacing the nest may do some good. And if the
nest has chicks in it, the parents may continue feeding them even if the
nest is in a different location! In that case, replacing the nest in its
exact former location is less important than placing it somewhere that is
dry and safe from house cats, raccoons, snakes, and other predators.

Good birding,

Josh


Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Biology (Zoology, R.I.P.)

jsr6@duke.edu
http://www.duke.edu/~jsr6/