Subject: Tent Caterpillars and Birds
Date: May 28 12:47:57 2003
From: W. William Woods - wwwbike at halcyon.com


A couple of weeks ago, on a bicycle trip through western Virginia, we
were touring a back road along the New River a few miles east of Mouth of
Wilson. There, not sixty feet away, we observed a male Northern
(Baltimore) Oriole and a male Orchard Oriole feasting on a webworm nest.
We observed them with our spotting scope until the last caterpillar was
gone. A few days later, a local ornithologist verified that tent
caterpillars are "candy to the orioles".
Other beautiful, exciting birds we saw, particular to that part of the
country, included Indigo Bunting, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak,
Red-bellied Woodpecker, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-throated Green
Warbler, Canada Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler,
Northern Cardinal, Northern Mockingbird, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated
Hummingbird, Blue-headed Vireo, Wood Thrush, Veery, Eastern Bluebird,
Tufted Titmouse, Eastern Towhee, and Black Vulture. The most common bird
along the rail-trails, mostly heard, was the Red-eyed Vireo. It was a
great bicycle-birding trip!

Bill and Erin Woods Woods Tree Farm Redmond, WA U.S.A.
<wwwbike at halcyon.com>