Hi folks,

First of all, I would like to thank all who responded to my query about =
whether the "Contents" of scientific journals relating to ornithology =
were appropriate to this list. Final results were 19 to 1 on the OBOL =
list and 20 to 0 Tweeters and one Texan *in favor* of having the =
contents. Thanks for your support.
Even the folks who don't necessarily read the doggone thing favored =
having them available. To the individual who brought the issue up: The =
consensus was similar to all such threads-- "Use your <Delete> Key".

I just received the Winter 1996 issue (Volume 24 No 4) of the Wildlife =
Society Bulletin, which is a quarterly publication of The Wildlife =
Society that addresses resource management information among wildlife =
professionals. The articles are not necessarily 'just' the results of =
scientific studies (such articles are published in the Journal of =
Wildlife Management), but generally are perspectives on wildlife =
conservation and sustainable use. Here are the articles specific to =
birds... Enjoy.

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, Washington
festuca at olywa.net


Factors affecting Attwater's prairie-chicken decline on the Attwater =
Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge. Michael E Morrow, Robert S =
Adamick, Jenny D Friday and LLoyd B McKinney. pp 593-601. Examined =
associations between prairie-chicken numbers and management practices =
(grazing and burning); Continuous grazing at 5.5ha/animal units/year is =
'typical', prescribed burns conducted during Dec-Feb; No association =
existed between grazing level or area burned, and prairie-chicken =
population increases/declines; Loss of contiguous off-refuge populations =
(due to habitat losses) probably contributed to decline on the NWR.

Long-distance homing of a translocated red-cockaded woodpecker. N Ross =
Carrie, Kenneth R Moore, Stephanie A Stephens and Eric L Keith. pp =
607-609. At Fort Polk, Louisiana, woodpeckers are translocated to =
provide mates to single, isolated birds and to re-establish breeding =
pairs where the species has been extirpated; A bird was moved on 7 Nov =
1995 16.7km from private land to Fort Polk returned to his tree on the =
private land on 30 Jan 1996; on 8 Feb 96 he was subsequently moved =
26.6km to the Kisatchie Natl Forest with 2 other woodpeckers - and was =
recaptured at his original 'home' tree on the private land on 19 June =
1996! Because the timber was to be harvested on the private ground, he =
was located a *third* time - 29.7km to an unoccupied 'cluster' in a =
dense population of woodpeckers on the Fort. On 9 Sept 96, 75 days after =
the third translocation, guess who was back at his 'home' tree? They =
released him there, and the trees were cut... The relocation of adult =
birds should only be considered as a final option; in contrast, =
relocation of subadult birds has been used successfully to augment =
isolated single birds and to re-establish breeding units in vacant =
habitat.

Northern bobwhite habitat use and survival on a South Carolina =
plantation during winter. Kenneth R Dixon, Margaret A Horner, Samuel R =
Anderson, William D Henriques, Derick Durham and Ronald J Kendall. pp =
627-635. At Ashepoo Plantation, radiotagged birds monitored to =
investigate habitat use and effects of hunting on survival in winter; =
Little habitat preference was observed in covey home-range habitat =
compared with available habitat; habitat selection showed preference for =
agricultural fields and little preference for pine habitat; Survival of =
bobwhite in hunted coveys was significantly than in non-hunted coveys.

Mortality of mallard ducklings exiting from electrified predator =
exclosures. David W Howerter, Robert B Emery, Brian L Joynt and Karla L =
Guyn. pp 673-680. Exclosures have been used to improve nest success of =
upland-nesting ducks but can impede the travel of hens and their broods =
from the nest sites to wetlands; at 5 sites in SE Saskatchewan, broods =
spent more time attempting to exit exclosures; fewer ducklings from =
intact exclosures survived their trip to their first wetland than did =
ducklings from outside exclosures; Duckling survival rates to day 14, =
however, did not differ. Suggest that managers install exits on =
existing or new predator exclosures.

Effects of cavity-entrance restrictors on red-cockaded woodpeckers. =
Barbara E Raulston, Douglas A James and James E Johnson. pp 694-698. =
The US Forest Service installed restrictors on cavity entrances in =
Bienville Natl Forest, Mississippi, to limit access by larger =
competitors (larger species of woodpeckers); of 40 sites (20 with =
restrictors), no difference was found between treatments in subsequent =
cavity use by red-cockaded woodpeckers; No evidence of bill damage at =
sites where restrictor plates were used. Data indicate restrictors do =
not negatively affect red-cockaded woodpeckers, and increases =
suitability by preventing enlargement of cavities by other species.

Effects of nasal saddles on mallards and blue-winged teal. James O =
Evrard. pp 717-721. Nasal saddles are colored plastic markers attached =
to the upper bill of ducks to permit identification of individual birds =
at a distance; this study from NW Wisconsin finds that nasal saddles did =
not appear to affect pair bonds or bond between female ducks and their =
nests/broods; marked birds scratched at their bills at a higher rate =
than did unmarked birds, marked adult male mallards rested at a higher =
rate and preened less than did unmarked birds.

And, for us Tweeters, a non-bird article on "Chemical characterization =
of natural mineral springs in northern British Columbia, Canada" by =
Jean-Philippe Bechtold, pp 649-654; near Chetwynd, distribution of =
sodium in mineral water, soil and zones of high electrical conductance =
within the springs indicates that sodium was the principal agent =
responsible for the presence of moose and white-tailed deer at the =
mineral licks.

Also, for all of us here in the PNW, a couple of non-bird articles - one =
by Andrew Carey and Robert Curtis on "Conservation of biodiversity: a =
useful paradigm for forest ecosystem management", pp 610-620, and =
another by Dominick DellaSalla and David Olson on "Seeing the forests =
for more than just the trees", pp 770-776.

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