New Hope Harrier; Re: Red Mulberry sources

[Joshua Stuart Rose <jsr6@duke.edu>]

Hi C-birders,

Joining my Ninth St. Great Blue Heron in the out-of-place birds file: a
Northern Harrier was flying over 15-501 this afternoon, on the edge of the
New Hope Commons mega-strip-mall. He was going high and in a straight
line, heading someplace, not stopping to look for food; can't imagine
where he'd find any significant marshes or grasslands around there! The
Butner Gamelands are the closest ones I can think of.

On Thu, 23 May 2002, Stephen Perry wrote:
>
> This is a good point. I remember seeing a neat trick on how to get
> hold of good berry-bearing bushes for feeding birds. I believe it was
> on the Stokes' TV show that aired on PBS a year or so ago: tie a
> string or rope between 2 trees or poles in your yard, at a height and
> position that birds will favor as a roost/perch. As birds often crap
> from their perches, after a while you end up with the saplings of
> just about every tree and bush your local avian flora has been
> feasting on growing in a line under the string.

Probably would work. I've heard that you can spot the former location of
pasture fences by looking for Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana)
trees growing in a straight line, having been planted there by the poops
of birds perching on said fences decades ago.

> Then all you have to do is know the difference between a native and
> an exotic, and apply all your horticultural know-how...

Amen to that!

Good birding,

Josh


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

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