Subject: Tri-colored BBs and other notes
Date: Jul 13 09:01:12 1998
From: "Gary A. DuVall" - duvall at foxinternet.net


The Tri-colored Blackbird can be easily identified by its song,
which, as should be expected, resembles the Marseillaise.
:-) ? :-(

But seriously, Toby Andrews' suggestion for an alternate viewing
position should be checked out. From the hill top on 22 NE, the
distance to the BB activity on the opposite margin of the marsh is
just too far - even with 55X on a Celestron C-90, I was dealing with
a situation where the field marks have to "believed to be seen" -
and this was early, before the heat waves could interfere.
Thanks to a tip from Fred Bird, we checked out a location about
0.6 mi. east of the original viewing spot, where a vague sort of
valley comes up from the marsh. The BBs were foraging in the sage
and we were able to get definitive views of male Tri-colored BBs on
the fence posts and perched in the sage. This area is marked with
a plastic bag tied around a telephone pole.

Other notes:

If you're in the area, go a few miles east on 22 NE to Marlin. Turn
left into town, cross the bridge on Crab Creek, and immediately turn
right on to Burn St. Follow this road for about two miles. The area
is loaded with LARK SPARROWS, and in the lava cliffs north of the
road we found both ROCK WREN and CANYON WREN - in both cases, adults
with
young.

Dodson Rd.: Increasing infestation of Purple Loosestrife in the
marshes!
BURROWING OWL on 7 SW, one mile west of Dodson Rd. The bird was north
of
the road, right across from the buildings at the intersection of 7 SW
and
D SW, near a marker post in the sage brush.

--
Gary A. DuVall
duvall at foxinternet.net