Welcom Jan.

Hi Tweets, sure have enjoyed all the good 'stuff' about chickadees. Such
discussions are surely the highlight of being a tweeter (that and
Fork-tailed Flycatcher reports!). Can we talk corvids for a bit? I am
curious about two things.

Steller's and Gray Jays: Gray Jays inhabit high elevation conifer
forests, Steller's Jays seem to be everywhere, though. My experience
(and BBA data also) show Steller's Jays occurring from sea level (like
here in Seattle) up to timberline. Confirmed nesting records are known
from all over Mt. Rainier, and probable nesting records from every roaded
mountain pass in the Cascades. Personally, I've seen them in fairly high
spots such as Stevens Pass, Snoqualmie Pass, 49 Degrees North, and
Whistler. Yet most printed accounts consider them to be a low-elevation
species. What is it about them that allows them to succeed at high
elevations where Gray Jays predominate?

Clark's Nutcracker. Their high-elevation reliance on whitebark pine is
very well documented. But how have they adapted so they can exist in
ponderosa pine forests in eastern Washington?

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Michael R. Smith
Univ. of Washington, Seattle
whimbrel at u.washington.edu
http://salmo.cqs.washington.edu/~wagap/mike.html