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Pittsburgh Peregrines; Re: Mulberry tree



Hi Carolinabirders,

Just back from a scientific meeting (the North American Benthological
Society) in Pittsburgh. Saw a Peregrine Falcon there on my first morning
while walking downtown; just found some information on that city's nesting
pair (for over a decade now!) at
http://www.wpconline.org/Peregrine/pere-02.htm
Apparently the original two birds were hacked and released in Tennessee
and Virginia, closer to us here than to Pittsburgh!

No real birding during the trip, though did surprisingly hear Yellow
Warbler and Eastern Wood-Pewee on the otherwise urban Duquesne U. campus.
On my way home, had a Broad-winged Hawk - a species I don't see nearly as
often as I used to - fly low across route 58 in southern Virginia west of
Danville, and a Green Heron fly much higher over 501 just south of the
Little River, in the Bahama area. Also saw Hyco Lake for the first time;
might be worth visiting in winter for diving ducks, and there were some
nearby hayfields with potential for other interesting winter visitors...

On Mon, 3 Jun 2002, Sherri Carpenter wrote:
>
> Hi, Kate tells me that the "sassafras" trees at the base of my mulberry
> tree are probably baby mulberries, and you know what?  She's right.  My
> tree book doesn't list "black mulberry" as a species, but I reread all
> the descriptions it does list, and ours does indeed appear to be a red
> mulberry.  There are a few diggable saplings in the same area, and
> probably more at the edge of the woods (I've noticed other "sassafras"
> saplings!).  We'll be glad to share - let me know!

I would triple-check this before spreading these saplings anywhere. If
they look like Sassafras, with lobed leaves, they're probably the invasive
Chinese White Mulberry rather than the native Red Mulberry. Both can have
lobed leaves like Sassafras, but Red Mulberry (as I've heard it) more
often has unlobed leaves (Sassafras has lobed leaves, but the margins are
smooth, not toothed like mulberrys').

Just read that the original reason why White Mulberry was imported to the
US from China was in a failed attempt to raise silkworms and build a US
silk industry. Lots of Carolinabirders are also on CarolinaLeps; any of
y'all know if our native silkworms (Luna Moth, Io, Cecropia, etc) eat the
Chinese White Mulberry? If so, I'd almost consider this a redeeming value,
much more so than feeding Cedar Waxwings and other suburban bird
species...

Good birding,

Josh


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

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