Dear Tweets:

Here's a combined reply to three of the posts in today's Tweeter's digest.

On the subject of Western Kingbirds, they are very early migrants here in
the southern Interior of BC; most leave in the first week of August. I
certainly haven't seen any here in the Okanagan in the last month.

And a comment on Lewis's Woodpeckers and starlings. Lewis's are the most
aggressive woodpeckers I've watched when defending their nest. They can
certainly turf out starlings, something I've never seen a flicker do
successfully.

Finally, on the subject of Bonaparte's Gulls eating insects. Bonies, most
other gulls and indeed many other birds, feast on flying termites along the
coast in late August and early September. Earlier in the summer there are
ant hatches that birds flock to as well, but the Bonaparte's aren't always
back in time for those.

Cheers,
Dick Cannings
Naramata, BC
cannings at vip.net