Subject: [Tweeters] Tiger Salamanders down the hatch!
Date: Jul 17 12:57:23 2005
From: mike denny - m.denny at charter.net


Hello All,
This morning while birding the Iowa Beef/Tyson slop ponds in western Walla
Walla Co. we observed D.C. Cormorants out on the south most largest pond
fishing and catching what at first appeared to be 6-7 inch long catfish.
After watching several cormorants capture 3-4 of these "fish" I looked
through my scope only to discover that these particular "bullheads" had a
set of hind legs and a tapered tail. Not remembering to many modern fish
with legs and an eel like tail, I watched until the next one was brought to
the surface and sure enough it was a neotenic/larval form of the Tiger
Salamander. I watched as this amphibian squirmed and wriggled and vanished
down the hatch. This was a first for us to see D.C. Cormorants catch and
swallow Tiger Salamanders.

Along Dodd Rd. east of the Iowa Beef slaughter plant, at the especially
nasty slop ponds we located 70+ Western Sandpipers and one Semipalmated
Sandpiper.

The Walla Walla River delta is very exposed by low water and shorebird
numbers are building. This site deserves our attention.

Later Mike
********************************************************************
Mike & MerryLynn Denny
1354 S. E. Central Ave.
College Place, WA 99324
509.529.0080 (h)

IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BIRDING, YOU HAVEN'T LIVED!
*******************************************************************