Western Bluebird do breed on Fort Lewis [there are some bluebird boxes
there], so it is quite possible that they may be present on adjacent
land. Whether they are breeding off the base, I don't know. I presume
they might be interested in breeding there -- if the landowner put up
boxes, they might be able to attract them.


== Michael Hobbs
== Redmond WA
== mikeho at microsoft.com


>----------
>From:
> sauter at pisces.fish.washington.edu[SMTP:sauter at pisces.fish.washington.ed
>u]
>Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 1996 9:30 AM
>To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
>Subject: western bluebirds near Fort Lewis?
>
>Hi Folks,
>
>I'm working in an area of oak "savannah" (heavily invaded by scots
>broom)
>west of Fort Lewis, and have been asked to investigate the possibility
>of
>western bluebirds breeding on the property. They have a WEBL sighting
>from
>last February, and the landowners are suddenly concerned that they may
>be
>plowing under breeding habitat. What is the likelihood that a bird
>sighted
>in February would stick around the same spot to breed, as opposed to a
>very
>lost/cold/early bird just passing through? And, isn't it a bit late to
>be
>looking for signs of breeding in that area? I'm operating under the
>assumption that a lack of evidence does not at this point mean that
>WEBL
>did not breed there.
>
>Since I still can't afford to get all the tweeters messages, please
>reply
>directly to me (or copy responses to me if you think this is of general
>interest).
>
>Thanks,
>
>Katie Sauter
>Center for Streamside Studies
>University of Washington Box #352100
>Seattle, WA 98195
>(206)685-3505
>sauter at pisces.fish.washington.edu
>
>
>