Hi Tweets,

Brian Bell writes (edited somewhat):

>Sorry if there was any confusion over my statement about the "one
>exception" YBC. I didn't mean to imply that we considered the bird with
>the larva evidence of nesting. I agree with Michael, normally that can
>be a good piece of evidence of nesting. My recollection, (my records of
>the survey are very efficiently "filed" away someplace) is that for this
>particular bird it was sighted on about the earliest date which we had
>been led to believe cuckoos would arrive (late June/early July).

Compare that to eastern (Long Point, Ontario) timing:

Yellow-billed Cuckoo
xxxxx xxxxx
xxxxx xxxxx
++xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx++++ *
----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----|----
J F M A M J J A S O N D

The two peaks indicate 'common', the single line 'uncommon' and the other
marks 'rare' to 'single' records. Consider that they don't clear the area in
between north- and southbound migrations, so the fall-off in records gives
some indication of just how quickly they become quiet and difficult to
locate. This timing is what makes me wonder where these Cascadian birds are
coming from. But...

Jerry Tangren writes:

>1. The western race of the yellow-billed cuckoo appears to have more
>selective habitat requirements than the eastern race. We may call
>birds overshoots because they occur hundreds of miles north of other
>birds. However, this distance may be more of a function of the lack of
>suitable habitat rather than birds on steroids.
>
>2. Cuckoos are one of the last birds to arrive in suitable habitat in
>central California, often well into June. For years they may have been
>overlooked in some areas because the birders (I among them)
>quit looking in the riparian habitats after the "last" of the spring
>migrants passed through in mid-May or so.

So if I'm reading this correctly, there's the possibility that western
'occidentalis' race YB cuckoos might have the same migrational chronology as
eastern 'americanus' birds, but may be being overlooked. If so, then
Cascadian YB's are perhaps as likely to be development-displaced
occidentalis looking for suitable habitat as they are wandering 'overshoot'
americanus. Or they can be both. Let's up the ante a bit, then: are they
separable in the field?

>Even
>though as Steve Hampton says, cuckoos are very quick from nesting to
>fledging, it was likely too soon for a cuckoo to arrive, court, nest and
>hatch young. The bird was probably heading back for cover before eating.

To tenderise that caterpillar steak--one learns the most amazing things
listening to birdwatchers. '-)

>Really appreciate the information which has been coming in on this
>thread. Yes, the quick interchange of information on the web is great.

Yeh mon! And more to come. Truly, we live in marvelous times.

Michael Price We aren't flying...we're falling with style!
Vancouver BC Canada -Buzz Lightyear, Toy Story
mprice at mindlink.net