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Re: THrush Forebodings



I have read that the best nesting success for WT's is a large stand of
old growth, or heavy second growth. In the old growth, success approaches
80%, but in "edges", it runs only about 20 to 40. But hey, 20 to 40 is
better than none, right? These are probably younger birds who cannot hold
a better habitat.
Alex
Asheville, NC

On Tue, 25 Apr 2000 21:23:54 -0400 (EDT) Shantanu Phukan
<phukan@email.unc.edu> writes:
> One of the most reliable spots for seeing and hearing Wood Thrushes
> easily is the Shetley Bikeway in Carrboro. The bikeway is a serene 
> and
> mostly deserted place with a margin of woods on either side. The 
> woods are
> dense enough that Wood Thrushes breed here, and their density is 
> hight
> enough that seeing them is usually very easy. Just last week when i 
> walked
> the bikeway the woods were silent but today Wood Thrushes were 
> trilling
> from every other (I'm exaggerating) oak or maple. I have often 
> wondered
> about the breeding success of these intrepid Thrushes, for although 
> the
> Woods are protected, they are just a thin ribbon surrounding the 
> bikeway,
> and the bikeway itself splices through them. In other words, the 
> habitat
> is all edge, and thus open to the inroads of cowbirds, cats etc. It 
> would
> seem, then, to be a population 'sink' with generations of thrushes
> choosing to nest here only to be ultimately thwarted. It was such 
> grim
> thoughts that were going through my head this morning even as I 
> strolled
> the peaceful walkway. So, my question is this. Is this ribbon of 
> woods
> (and others like it throughout Chapel Hill/Carrboro) thick enough to 
> allow
> Wood Thrushes to breed successfully, or do we have, instead, doomed
> breeders? Has anyone seen their local Wood Thrushes successfully 
> fledge
> the young?
> 
> Beset by forebodings
> Shantanu Phukan
> 
> *****************************************************
> SHANTANU PHUKAN
> Lecturer in Urdu-Hindi & Indian Literature
> University of N. Carolina, Chapel Hill
> Curriculum in Asian Studies
> Alumni Hall 413C
> Chapel Hill, N.C. 27599
> 
> phukan@email.unc.edu
> 919-962-6825
> *****************************************************
> 

Alex Netherton
The Appalachian Naturalist
Asheville, NC
http://www.appalachian-naturalist.com
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