I was having a conversation about birding data, and why is it some places
get so many interesting and out of the way birds, and the Montlake fill came
up as an example. Over the years this place has a great deal of interesting
birds which get reported, Stuart MacKay's Scissor-tailed flycatcher being a
good example. Is it that this is an incredible habitat, thus it draws so
many interesting birds, or is it good habitat, that is easily accessible and
heavily patrolled by many birders? If an excellent habitat has few birders
looking at it irregularly are we just missing those same birds seen at
Montlake because its got so many eyes? Or, to look at this from another
perspective, the Scissor-tail came from somewhere else before it got to
Montlake, but nobody reported it because those other places seldom have
birders looking.

So, is it habitat, or number of birders which cause so many sightings at the
Montlake fill? Of course its probably both, but if you had to pick one or
the other, what's your thinking?

Rob Sandelin
South Snohomish County at the headwaters of Ricci Creek
Sky Valley Environments <http://www.nonprofitpages.com/nica/SVE.htm>
Field skills training for student naturalists
Floriferous at msn.com



---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.332 / Virus Database: 186 - Release Date: 3/6/02