Subject: Re: Myrtle vs Audubon "call-notes"
Date: Apr 26 17:48:23 1996
From: Janet Partlow - partlowj at elwha.evergreen.edu


Hello tweeters
Regarding Myrtle Warblers, it has been my understanding that a key
factor in allowing them to winter over along the coasts of western
Washington has been the predominance of Pacific Wax Myrtle. This plant
is pretty easy to grow; a friend and I are both experimenting with
planting it in our backyards to see if/how birds use it in the winter.
We will keep you posted.

Janet Partlow
partlowj at elwha.evergreen.edu

On Fri, 26 Apr 1996, Eugene Hunn wrote:

> The coastal scrub (as at Ocean Shores) is in fact dominated by the Pacific
> wax myrtle (Myrica sp.), hence the name "Myrtle" Warbler is quite
> appropriate. However, the northern limit of the wax myrtle on the Pacific
> is somewhere no too far north of Ocean City, WA I believe.
>
> Gene.
>
> On Fri, 26 Apr 1996, Jerry Tangren wrote:
>
> > ...
> >
> > >Since I keep track of the two subspecies in my notes, I have also discovered
> > >that only the 'myrtle' race appears to overwinter (I suspect it travels
> > >farther north and East(within the province) than the 'audubon' as well) and
> > >that the two do not appear in a 50-50 ratio. The Audubon's appeared first
> > >this spring (March 10) and outnumbered the Myrtle until mid-April. Then the
> > >myrtle race largely outnumbered the audubons. Recently, they appear to be
> > >50-50. This may be locally significant or a mere artifact but nevertheless,
> > >I do believe it is worth keeping track.
> > >
> >
> > > Don Cecile
> > > Port Alberni, BC, CANADA V9Y 6Z5
> > > eMAIL: dcecile at cln.etc.bc.ca
> > >
> >
> > I'm not sure where Port Alberni is located, but the ratio of Audubon's to
> > Myrtle is not constant but can vary considerably with habitat. Coastal
> > scrub in some places can be dominated by Myrtle while only a few miles
> > inland, the habitat is dominated by Audubon's.
> >
> > Here in Wenatchee, WA, on the dry side of the Cascades in orchard country,
> > where butter-butts can be scarce in winter, Myrtle warblers are less common
> > than Audubon's.
> >
> > Jerry Tangren
> > <tangren at wsu.edu>
> >
> >
> >
>
>