>From Russell Rogers, Seattle WA, rrogers at halcyon.com

I second Hal's observation. When I was living in Italy, I could always
impress my non birding friend in Rome. When we would be walking along
Via Lungotevere (literally "road along the Tiber") I would stop at a
certain spot, and say "I bet you I can find a little bird here, now, in
the middle of Rome along this smelly river, that would just blow your mind".
After collecting "latte" money from everyone, I would turn around and
start making the most ridiculous bunch of sounds and jesters since
Agustus shopped the Forum. Within 10 to 15 seconds, a Penduline Tit would
fly in aiming right for my head. It would land in a bush just of the
sidewalk and curse it me for as long as I pished. The secret to this
little trick is knowing were the nest is.

I also had no problem getting other Tits to respond to pishing. Marsh and
Coal Tits would respond just as well and our Chickadees.

I think the real issue here is not the birds, but the birders. I think
that in other parts of the world birders have a little more self respect
than to go around making such silly noises. I don't know about yall, but I
fell a little funny standing in a place like Lincoln Park looking at a
bush, making an unintelligible racket, when some nonbirding type walks by. :)

--------------------------------------------------------
Russell Rogers
4510 Glenn Way SW
Seattle, WA 98116
(206) 935-6280
rrogers at halcyon.com
--------------------------------------------------------


On Fri, 10 Feb 1995, Hal Opperman wrote:

>
> I had always read, and heard, that pishing didn't work in Europe. I have
> tested this assertion in various localities, mostly northern France, the
> vicinity of Copenhagen, and Russia near St. Petersburg. My experience
> demonstrates that these assertions are false.
>
> Northern European passerines react immediately and strongly to pishing.
> Walk along a hedge row, in a woodsy park, or a neglected pasture with brush
> or tall weeds. Hear the birds all around. Pish. Note the sudden, stunned
> silence. Hear the sound of little wings as they bear their panicked owners,
> hugging cover, on a directional course 180 degrees removed from the pishing
> sound.
>
> Hal Opperman
> halop at corbis.com
>