Subject: More Benchmarks & News Trib article
Date: Mar 29 19:32:18 2000
From: Ed Newbold - newboldwildlife at netscape.net


Hi All,

The popularity of the benchmark bird thread must hold some lesson. Mine were
a one-two punch of a Rufous Sided Towhee and a Green Heron, both of which had
gotten trapped in wire enclosed areas and had to be caught and freed by my
parents with this 12 year old's help (I'm older than that now)-and then
identified.

I notice I'm about the fourth to say Towhee. Birds that are around the house
but inscrutable-not known to the general public-may be more likely to be
benchmark birds because they have to be identified and that starts the process
of book-aided identification. I notice nobody said Bald Eagle. Even Ravens,
one person's benchmark bird, aren't well known to the public in spite of a
decent poem by Edgar Allen. One suggestion that the name change to Eastern
Towhee wouldn't have aided the process is well taken but in my case and in
many instances the presence of a guide book in the home and parents supportive
of using it was the critical factor.

My conclusion is that we should remember to give bird (and butterfly,
amphibian, etc) guide books whenever it's time to give gifts to families that
have kids in them. Dave Hutchinson at the very excellent Flora and Fauna
Bookstore on 1st Ave in Pioneer Square at Washington St. might just second the
motion.

On another subject anyone who gets the Tacoma News Tribune might check out the
outdoors column by Bob Mottram today. He wrote a really nice (overly
complimentary) story about me and my crusade against the Geese Culling
program, the program designed to perfectly meet the needs of an incompetent
state bureaucracy. He clearly distinguished between the pure animal rights
position and my position (blame grass/reduce lawn), and I owe him big time.

..
We were happy to see what appeared to be normal numbers of Rufous Hummers and
a Red Breasted Sapsucker digging what might be a nest hole by the trail at the
Nisqually last Sunday.
Tweeter by digest, Ed Newbold Beacon Hill Seattle
newboldwildlife at netscape.net




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