Hi tweeters.

Fred Weinmann called my attention to the fact that I made a slip on the name
of the plant from which the White-throated Sparrows were eating fruits at
Spencer Island. They were eating bittersweet nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)
and not deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna). Both are poisonous to
mammals but not to birds, as far as I know (there are many fruits with that
characteristic, probably an adaptation to get the seeds dispersed by birds,
which carry them farther).

Also, I had forgotten to write that we saw a juvenile Northern Harrier with
a wing tag at Spencer Island. Fortunately the bird landed on a post where
we could see the tag, and it was a white tag with the letter I on it, a
capital I with crossbars at top and bottom. I hope someone will pass this
on to Jack Bettesworth, who has been tagging these birds.

Dennis
--
Netta Smith and Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115