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PSFL and bare ground



Hi again,

The Michigan listserv was having an in-depth discussion of the weather we 
are having down here (apparently they have pretty lax controls up there 
on off-topic messages), so I gave them an update, including on our 
friendly neighborhood Pacific-Slope Flycatcher. I received an interesting 
response which is forwarded below. Maybe we won't have to buy the little 
guy crickets...

Meanwhile, i just drove out to Oxford and back to rescue a friend whose 
car couldn't get out of his driveway. En route, I noted impressive 
numbers and varieties of birds along the road. Juncos I expected, Hermit 
Thrushes were not a surprise, but several Killdeer were also lingering on 
the pavement, and at one point an American Pipit hopped up along the side 
of route 15. I guess the roads are the only bare ground available for 
them to feed on... My friend's feeders in Oxford had one each Field and 
Chipping Sparrow amidst a swarm of Juncos and Cardinals, and an accipiter 
of some kind flew off as we arrived.

Good birding,

Josh

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 26 Jan 2000 16:54:42 -0500
From: Steve Santner <santners@karmanos.org>
Subject: Re: Report from the Carolina Piedmont

    Your Pacific Slope Flycatcher is a shock all right but they do seem to be
able to survive harsh conditions.  We had one two years in a row on the
Southern Lancaster County (Pennsylvania) Christmas count in the early 90s.
It very cooperatively vocalized (and was recorded) both years.

    Steve Santner

-----------------------------------------

Joshua S. Rose
Duke University
Department of Zoology

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