I went back through our trip logs and have discovered we see an average of
7-8 birds for every mammal we record. It?s amazing how steady this statistic
remains whether we visit the coast or head eastward. I note that the longer
the trip, the lower the ratio with trips of a week or more coming in at
around 6-7 birds to 1 mammal. I should say we camp out a lot and so can
record bat sp. and other mostly nocturnal mammals.
I realize if you head to the Columbia Basin in the middle of July you
won?t score any daytime mammals but this ratio has repeated consistently on
trips to Minnesota, California, Alberta, Blue Mountains, and at least 12
shorter trips. 7-1 was even the ratio in a fly- to- Chicago- for- a-
wedding- trip: 21 birds, 3 mammals!
A day hike in the Cascades usually is somewhat less, coming in at 4 to1.
Has anyone else encountered this statistic?
Steve Ellis
sellis at coup.wednet.edu