Hi tweets,

Every time I read tweeters, it cracks me up that there's so much on it
*not* about competitive birding, *not* about birding, sometimes *not* even
about birds! You'd never get away with this on many a "birding" list, and
I'm tickled that this loose structure has continued over the years.

I wanted to add a few words about my experiences with skunks in WA.
Although assiduously looking for them ever since I came here 30 years ago,
I've never seen a spotted skunk in the state, not even a road kill, and I
routinely scan for road kills (no, not to take them home for dinner). As I
saw them in Florida, I know they do get hit by cars, but either they are
very cautious or very rare in our state, presumably the latter. Is there
anyone on this list who has ever seen one in WA, other than Kelly
McAllister's famous trapping episode?

I don't see striped skunks all that often, but one place where they must be
very common is between Cle Elum and Teanaway. I don't know why they are so
common there, but I drive through that area quite often, and almost never
do I do so without seeing (and smelling) one flattened on the road. For
there to be that many road kills, they must be truly abundant; it would be
interesting to know why.

Dennis Paulson, Director phone 253-756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax 253-756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416
http://www.ups.edu/biology/museum/museum.html