It was a joke, an old "Rich Stallcup story" from California, that he
claimed they always came in flocks of 17.

Gene.

On Wed, 11 Oct 1995, Ellen Blackstone wrote:

> I have a suet/peanut treat feeder that is an upside-down box with a metal
> grid on the bottom, meant to deter starlings. (And it works!)
> I have flocks of bushtits several times a day. I'm about 2 blocks from
> the Seattle Audubon Society office in Wedgwood; NE 82nd and 38th NE.
>
> Open message to Gene Hunn-- Gene, you told a group of us on a Christmas
> Bird Count that a friend of yours had said that Bushtits come in packs...
> of ... 32? 19? ... what did your friend say? //I was surprised that
> someone reported 34 Bushtits at one time; may they really DO come in
> packs of 32!
>
> Ellen Blackstone \HIV vaccine research by trade
> 8203 - 38th NE \Nature-lover for fun
> Seattle, WA 98115
> Day:206/621-4179 \\Aldo Leopold said: The first rule of tinkering
> Eve:206/522-8099 is to save all the parts.
>