Subject: Bird-Related Contents of Northwestern Naturalist (Spring 1996)
Date: Oct 23 21:09:23 1996
From: "Jon. Anderson and Marty Chaney" - festuca at olywa.net


Hi folks,

Just got in the Spring 1996 issue (Vol 77 No 1) of Northwestern =
Naturalist, the tri-annual publication of the Society for Northwestern =
Vertebrate Biology. This is the publication that used to be called the =
"Murrelet", when the outfit was the Pacific Northwest Bird and Mammal =
Society, but they changed their name and broadened their base to include =
the Herps people and their articles. Here's the bird-related articles.

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net


Wintering Sharp-shinned Hawks (Accipiter striatus) in an urban area of =
southwestern Idaho. Leon R Powers. pp 9-13. During 3 winters (1980-84) =
in Nampa, Canyon Co, Idaho, 17 sharpies were trapped, banded and =
measured. Mean mass of 5 females was 172.4g and mean wing chord was =
201.8mm; mean mass for 12 males was 103.1g and mean wing chord was =
174.8mm. Six individuals were recaptured during either the same winter =
or a subsequent winter; repeat encounters suggest some winter fidelity. =
Urban bird feeders concentrate prey of appropriate body size in suitable =
habitat which enhances foraging opportunities for the hawks.

Reproductive success of Northern Spotted Owl activity centers in the =
northwestern Washington Cascades. Wayne F Iverson. pp 14-16. On the =
Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in 1990-92, 17 activity centers =
were surveyed. Only 10 (59%) produced young; average interval of =
reproductive success was once every 3 years or less. Elsewhere in the =
owl's range, average annual reproductive success appears to be much =
higher than the 27% found in this study. Inclement weather conditions =
can play a major role in determining reproductive success.

First nest discovered for Alaska subspecies of Marbled Godwit. Michael R =
North, Donna Dewhurst and Sandra S Tucker. pp 17-18. Inland from =
Ugashik, on Alaska Peninsula NWR, above the lower reaches of the Dog =
Salmon River; Nest found on 23 June 1992 in a shallow depression on a =
grassy (moist-bluejoint, Calamagrostis canadensis) tussock adjacent to a =
flooded stand of horsetails (Equisetum sp.) and buckbean (Menyanthes =
trifoliata).

Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) courtship displays in Lincoln =
County, Oregon. Kathy Merrifield. pg 19. Males performed 3 displays, =
the 'salute', 'curtsy' and 'sprint'. Females generally remained =
motionless; 1 female documented using the 'salute' and 'curtsy' =
displays.

Ingestion of snow and ice by Pileated Woodpeckers and Northern Flickers. =
Paul Hendricks. pp 20-21. Pileated observed eating snow on 13 January =
1978 in Hellgate Canyon, Missoula Co, Montana. Flicker seen chipping ice =
from suet feeder on 4 March 1996 at Missoula area backyard feeder, and =
eating the ice. Snow and ice may be important sources of free water when =
liquid water is unavailable during the winter.

Observations of Black-billed Magpies (Pica pica) "ice fishing" for =
aquatic insects. Nathaniel E Seavy and Aaron J Baker. pg 22. During =
first week of January, 1995, authors observed a magpie repeatedly =
foraging through a hole in the ice of a frozen pond in Kittitas County, =
Washington. Observations at the hole found a concentration of =
backswimmers (Notonectidae) and diving beetles (Dytiscidae). Birds were =
pretty successful; during a 10-minute period, 2 birds made 32 foraging =
attempts, of which 26 (81%) were successful.

Other articles in the journal include: "Occurrence patterns and trends =
of Cetaceans recorded from Southeast Farralon Island, California, 1973 =
to 1994" by Peter Pyle and Lucy Gilbert, and "Longevity of Woodhouse's =
Toad in Colorado" by Richard M Engeman and E Marie Engeman. (Note: the =
toad article is of an animal that has been in the basement window well =
of a brick house in suburban Denver for the past 19 years!)

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