Subject: Re: Re. Bushtit Research
Date: Oct 11 17:02:00 1995
From: "Michelsen, Teresa" - TEMI461 at ecy.wa.gov



Dennis says:

>Actually, one of the more interesting things about Bushtit biology is the
>differentially suetivorous nature of local populations. In the Seattle
>area, Bushtits come to suet constantly in some people's yards (mine, for
>example) and absolutely never in others, even when suet is in plain sight
>and Bushtits are regular visitors to the yard. I suppose this is some sort
>of learned behavior, but I'm sure it would repay more study in the realm of
>learned behavior.

>And it would be interesting to find out how many tweeters have one or the
>other of these experiences, and where.

>This is Bushtit Research Suggestion #1, Bushtit Research Bunch, Seattle,
WA.

I almost always have suet out, and have hordes of bushtits in the winter,
but have never seen them go near it (and I put out various kinds). Though I
haven't looked specifically at what they're eating, they flit around on the
alders, blackberries, and bigleaf maples, mostly. There could be other
things in there they're eating, such as fireweed, willows, grass seeds ???
I guess I think they have been coming to this area long before I have been
here (and noone lived here before me) so probably had their eating patterns
set. Also an abundance of other food may lead them to not be as interested
in the suet, though neither of these reasons seems to hold for other species
(such as chickadees) that mob the feeder along with all their other usual
eating places.

Teresa Michelsen
Inglewood, King Cty.
temi461 at ecy.wa.gov