Subject: Re: Winter at last
Date: Dec 22 19:09:30 1997
From: PAGODROMA - PAGODROMA at aol.com


In a message dated 97-12-22 13:12:35 EST, you write:

<< ...I can confirm that the Long Eared in the South Lake Sammamish location
has been there for at least 6 weeks - I saw him/her on November 8 at that
location.... >>

My goodness Rob! Thanks for the info update on the LSSP Long-eared Owl.
Sounds like this guy is here for the duration. I received a message from Carl
Haynie this morning who initially spotted it on the LSSP 'death march' CBC,
that he tried to locate and photograph it yesterday (Sunday) but was
unsuccessful. That's not at all surprising as it could be anywhere in the
pine grove or in adjacent evergreens and ever so easy to overlook. Finding
the owl very likely will just require persistence and luck.

As for the rest of your 'snowy' Sunday up on Cougar Mountain, I'm most
impressed (Gray Jay, Common Redpoll, American Dipper)!! Maybe even Bohemian
Waxwings too, no?! And all this is very nearly in my backyard; just up and
over the hill from my house?! Holy Cow! Look what I am missing around
here!!! I can see that I'm going to just have to drop everything and go
running up there!!

Lucky you Rob; northern flying squirrel (_Glaucomys sabrinus_) at your bird
feeder! The flying squirrels are among my all time favorites and among the
most gentle creatures in the mammal order, what with those oversize big
beautiful eyes and that rich deep glossy coat of soft soft silky fur. A
college friend of mine assigned to the Pentagon when I was in the Army and
stationed in Arlington, VA, had one as a pet (captured in the wild) that they
kept and just let run (fly) loose where ever it wanted around the house
(apartment) and otherwise lived in a birdbox in the bedroom. I have such
'weirdo' friends! '-) I might be sitting on the couch, then here would come
dear sweet little _Glaucomys volans_ (Southern Flying Squirrel) sailing clear
across the living room from atop a lamp, bookcase, or something to alight on
my shoulder to munch on a peanut then crawl around and go to sleep inside my
shirt. They are just as delightful, friendly, and fun to have around the
house as a Kangaroo Rat, especially the Bannertail (_Dipodomys spectabilis_)
-- but that's another story. Always thought these things (kangaroo rats and
especially flying squirrels) would make great liners for gloves and boots or
even a coat or something.... ....oops, shouldn't 've said THAT! '-) Now that
I've grown up and am more 'enlightened', I don't go around anymore capturing
wild little animals to fulfill the pet fun factor.

These days and in more recent times, one must be much more wary of man-
handling small rodents due to the dreaded Hanta virus which is transmitted via
their feces to man. Thus, I'm afraid that this late 20th century caveat has
since put a bit of a damper on such fun and frolic when in comes to small
rodents. I don't think there have been any known cases linked to flying
squirrels as of yet, and I think I would be rather surprised if their ever
were but I could be wrong. I haven't exactly been keeping up on the latest.
--Richard :-))

Richard Rowlett (Pagodroma at aol.com)
47.56N, 122.13W
(Seattle/Bellevue, WA USA)