Dear Tweeters,
At least one NASHVILLE WARBLER today along with many Wilsons and Orange
Crowned Warblers here in residential Beacon Hill.
And one wrinkle on the Crow issue. When a Robin or Barn Swallow nests on or
right next to your house, they are implicitly asking you for protection from
predators. Relying on a third species to protect nests is a common bird
strategy many European birds nest near Fieldfares to get their protection,
since Fieldfares can aim their feces at predators with incredible accuracy and
ferocity. Weavers nest under Martial (?) Eagle nests in Africa and I think
House Sparrows may be nesting in the West Seattle Eagle nest this year. A
Robin family nested a foot from our window last year and when Crows came to
predate, the Robins directed no attacks on the Crow whatsoever but instead
merely sounded its alarm call as loud as possible. It was obvious that the
Robin's only strategy was to call me--or someone--out, their own house
predator. I would rush out and wave a broom ineffectually at the Crow, who
by that time would be happily departing with egg on his or her face.
Similarly, the Barn Swallow would make loud alarm calls routinely every time
any stray cat wandered up the alley or a crow perched too close. I would come
out to see what the commotion was about, and the predator would leave.
So it's one thing to feel like you are a bystander here, but make no
mistake about it, the victims in these cases don't "expect" you to be a
bystander. I'm looking for a non-lethal mega water gun so I can live up to
the reasonable expectations of my tenants this year, assuming this horrible
weather doesn't kill the b and vg swallows and last year's bad experience
doesn't disuade the Robins. But P.S. The best long term way to reduce crow
predation is to reduce lawn since these birds mainly work lawns for grubs the
same way a Starling does.
-Ed Newbold, Seattle (newboldwildlife at netscape.net)



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