Subject: Re: Blue Jays in E. Washington- NOT
Date: Oct 10 20:27:45 1997
From: Steve Mansfield - steve at nwnet.net


> Per Steve Mansfield steve at nwnet.net
> > Just having moved out from out East, and Blue jays being one of my
> > favorites from back East, it joys me to hear that they may come out here
> > witin a few years!
>
> NO, please we do NOT need another bothersome eastern immigrant. (I'm from
> Michigan originally, and do make myself bothersome at times.) The stresses
> on the native breeding birds in Washington and the west coast is
> considerable already. Another egg thief is not a healthy addition to our
> avifauna.

Healthy or not, if they make it out here, it's a fact of life we'll have to
learn to live with. You raise a good point, though. Yes I would love to
see Blue Jays on a regular basis. But at the cost of what species I'm
learning to enjoy out here.

> What we do need is a concerted effort to rid WA of Eastern gray squirrels,

Reasonable enough, though I must say the numbers out here don't compare
with the numbers out East. Though, what brought them here?

> [eastern] opposums,

Indifferent, personally.

> [eastern] starlings,

Indeed.

> [eastern] house sparrows,

Not a house sparrow fan myself, at least, not when you get the numbers they
get out East. Out here their numbers seem much lower. Are they on the
increase, or is there something about the local geography, wildlife,
climate, or human population that keeps their numbers down compared to the
East coast?

> [eastern] bullfrogs,

Didn't even know they were out here. What brought them?

> and eastcoast drivers.

You'll get my undivided support on that one. Part of the reason I left.

> DO consider the different species between the east and west as a wonder of
> evolution, not something to lament.

But what if evolution is what brings the Blue Jay here. I could understand
the opposition if humans were actively helping them come, but if they
simply do it themselves...who are we to criticize mother nature?

> Tom Schooley, Olympia WA , dunlin at mail.tss.net
> {The above is fully intended to be inflamatory and bothersome, so flame
> away.}

Well, *that* comment was unnecessary...

Steve Mansfield steve at nwnet.net
NorthWestNet Network Engineer 425-649-7467