Folks,
The University bookstore just put out several copies of the new Sibley
guide; it is $31.50 plus tax. It appears that all sources when you
include shipping and tax will amount to about $35, more than the other
widely used books, but worth it! Those of us who have been birding for a
while to the point of being at least an "intermediate" birder will benefit
the most from this new guide. It is the best all-inclusive (describes
nearly all species found in North America) bird ID guide that I've ever
seen.........comparing with other fine and useful guides such as Stokes,
Peterson, National Geographic, and a number of others many of us have in
our personal libraries. The format of the Sibley guide is simply
wonderful. It passed both my tests necessary to buy a new bird
guide...the Loon pages and the Orange-crowned warbler (don't ask) page are
so clarifying, and I spent an inordinate amount of time sitting in the
U-bookstore (away from my U office&lab) perusing and marveling at
this great new bird identification manual. Yes, it's a tad heavy to carry
in the field, but many of us would benefit from having to expend a few
more calories during our birding hikes, anyway.

Crow observation: Whilst surveying on Sunday along the Seahurst Park
beach (beautiful couple of Spotted Sandpipers in immaculate basic
plumage...maybe this year's hatch?), I got close enough to a Crow to
notice a display that I've only seen in Dippers! Crows, or at least this
one that I was watching, also have a white nictitating membrane in the eye
that can be "flashed." The Crow was in tree branches at my head level
along the shore pathway, and was definitely eye-flashing, similar to a
tiny light-bulb flash, as I approached the tree. Am assuming that this is
a defensive behavior, and wondering how widespread this ability is among
birds. In our American Dipper, it is pronounced enough to see at a good
distance; I noticed the Crow's eye 'alarm' when I got within about 3 to 4
meters from the bird. Most curious.

Cheers, me2
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Maureen Ellis, PhD, Research Scientist
Toxicology Group at Roos 1, 284A
Lab/Office phone: 206-685-1938
Dept of Environmental Health, Mailstop 354695
School of Public Health and Community Medicine
University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98115

Personal Financial Analyst
Primerica division of Citigroup, Inc.
VoiceTell: 206-213-7430

E-Mail: me2 at u.washington.edu
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"Why are we now traveling into space? Why, indeed, did we trouble to look
past the next mountain? Our prime obligation to ourselves is to make the
unknown known. We are on a journey to keep an appointment with whatever
we are."_____Gene Roddenberry