In reply to Dave Stiles question about bird boxes:
With our 'Bluebird Trail' in the Methow we have followed the advice
that Bluedbirds won't nest much closer than 100 yards to the next
pair. The recommendation for Tree Swallows is 50-foot intervals.
These two species will compete with one another for boxes; one
partial solution is to pair boxes 25 feet apart at 100 yard
intervals- Swallows will nest in one, Bluebirds in the other.
Supposedly Starlings can't get in a 1 1/2 inch round opening (tho
house sparrows can), while the desired songbirds can. House wrens
are a problem bird here, in spite of their charm. They nest about
three weeks later than Bluebirds, and will kick out the occupants and
build right on top of an active nest. I discourage them. Some
woodpeckers can be fooled into nesting in a box (of the appropriate
size) by 1/2 filling it with sawdust, so they have something to
excavate. I've read that this works with Black-capped Chickadees
too, which often excavate their own cavity. One excellent resource
on the subject is 'Woodworking for Wildlife' by the Minnesota DNR,
available at 1-800-657-3757.

Bob Mauritsen: The 'Birder's Handbook' lists 'maximum recorded
lifespan' for selected birds on page 645 (1st edition)- Black-capped
Chickadees check in at 12 years 5 months, although their average
lifespan is 2 1/2 years. Crows aren't listed.

I went down to the Columbia River yesterday at Pateros in hopes of
finding a few feathered friends. I met one unfeathered friend there,
our venerable local birding elder, Dr. Harold Stout. We saw plenty
of American Coots (maybe 1000), along with: Common Loon (3), Gadwalls
(4), Ring-necked Ducks (15), Common Goldenyes (5), Canadian Geese
(6), American Widgeon (25), Buffleheads (2), Ruddy Ducks (10), Scaups
(we thought we saw both Greater and Lesser, but the evidence would never hold
up in a court of law (8), one Harrier, two Robins, eight Ravens, and regular
parade of Bald Eagles (7) flying up and down the river. Harold
showed me a Bald Eagle nest near Wells Dam on Highway 97 that
apparently was used successfully last year.

Dana Visalli

"Population issues are for the birds."