Greetings All

Jay Withgott felt those subsubscribing to Tweeters might find the contents of
the recent issue of Western Birds of interest. It is a fine journal and
readily accessible to most birders.

Steve Mlodinow Everett WA
>
>Here is a summary of the contents of vol. 38 no. 4 (2007) of the
>quarterly journal Western Birds, published by Western Field
>Ornithologists....
>
>
>* STATUS OF THE BROAD-WINGED AND RED-SHOULDERED
> HAWKS DURING FALL MIGRATION IN SOUTHWESTERN
> IDAHO, 1995-2006.
>* By JAY D. CARLISLE, GREGORY S. KALTENECKER,
> and RYAN S. BRADY.
>* Pp. 251-260.
>* Observations from a hawk watch in southwestern
> Idaho demonstrate that Broad-winged Hawk is
> annual (average of 17.8 birds per fall) and
> that Red-shouldered Hawk is casual (9 individuals
> during the 12-year study period; all juveniles;
> both western elegans and eastern lineatus
> subspecies).
>
>* INSECTS PREDOMINATE IN PEREGRINE FALCON
> PREDATION ATTEMPTS IN ARIZONA.
>* By DAVID H. ELLIS, CHARLES T. LaRUE, JAMES K.
> FACKLER, and R. WAYNE NELSON.
>* Pp. 261-267.
>* During a 32-year study in Arizona, Peregrine
> Falcons were observed to pursue large insects
> (chiefly cicadas) in 69% of predation attempts,
> a proportion of the diet that is considerably
> higher than has been documented in studies of
> stomach contents and regurgitated castings.
>
>* COLONIZATION OF THE BROWN BOOBY AT THE CORONADO
> ISLANDS, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO.
>* By DARRELL L. WHITWORTH, HARRY R. CARTER, JOSH
> S. KOEPKE, and RICHARD J. YOUNG.
>* Pp. 268-279.
>* Observations at the Coronado Islands, off Baja
> California and just south of the U.S. border,
> reveal recent colonization by and monotonic
> annual increase in the numbers of Brown Boobies
> (brewsteri subspecies), representing a substantial
> northward expansion of the breeding range.
>
>* AN APPARENT HYBRID BREWER'S X BLACK-CHINNED
> SPARROW.
>* By PHILIP UNITT.
>* Pp. 280-288.
>* Up to 3 apparent Brewer's x Black-chinned Sparrows
> have recently been noted in San Diego County,
> California, with one photographed and voice-
> recorded; this hybrid combination, which has not
> been reported previously, may have resulted
> from avifaunal instability connected with recent
> major wildfires in the area of occurrence.
>
>* ADDITIONAL NOTES ON LEUCISTIC EARED GREBES
> AT MONO LAKE.
>* By JOSEPH R. JEHL, Jr.
>* Pp. 289-292.
>* A patch of bare skin between the skin and the
> eye is considerably thicker on Horned Grebe
> than on Eared Grebe; this diagnostic distinction
> is difficult to assess in the field on normal
> individuals, but it is relatively easy to discern
> on leucistic birds.
>
>* CARCASS SCAVENGING BY A BLACK-NECKED STILT
> AT THE SALTON SEA, CALIFORNIA.
>* By THOMAS W. ANDERSON.
>* Pp. 293-295.
>* The Black-necked Stilt is ordinarily insectivorous,
> but an individual at the Salton Sea was observed
> scavenging the remains of a Ruddy Duck; invertebrate
> prey availability may have been temporarily reduced
> at the time of the incident, prompting a behavioral
> switch from insectivory to carcass scavenging.
>
>* CALIFORNIA BROWN PELICAN NESTING ON ISLA
> ALCATRAZ, SONORA, MEXICO.
>* By JUAN PABLO GALVAN.
>* Pp. 296-298.
>* Brown Pelicans have recently begun nesting at
> Isla Alcatraz, an important conservation area
> located in the Gulf of California; nesting began
> in 2004, and the colony is increasing in population
> and expanding in areal extent.
>
>* COMMENSAL FEEDING OF GREAT EGRETS WITH
> BLACK-TAILED DEER.
>* By GARTH HERRING and HEIDI K. HERRING.
>* Pp. 299-302.
>* The Great Egret, known for its versatile foraging
> methods in aquatic habitats, is here reported to
> feed in association with Black-tailed Deer in
> terrestrial habitats; the reasons and benefits,
> if any, for this feeding strategy require further
> study.
>
>* BOOK REVIEW.
>* By STEVE N. G. HOWELL.
>* Pp. 303-304.
>* Review of The Singing Life of Birds (Houghton
> Mifflin, 2007), by Donald Kroodsma.
>
>* 32ND ANNUAL WFO CONFERENCE, LAS VEGAS,
> NEVADA: RETROSPECTIVE.
>* By JAY WITHGOTT.
>* Pp. 304-305.
>* Recap of the September 2007 WFO Conference in
> Las Vegas, hosted by Red Rock Audubon Society,
> and highlighted by edifying scientific paper
> sessions, in-depth workshops, varied evening
> entertainment, and of course great field trips.
>
>* FEATURED PHOTO: NOTES ON PLUMAGE MATURATION
> IN THE RED-TAILED TROPICBIRD.
>* By RON LeVALLEY and PETER PYLE.
>* Pp. 306-310.
>* Determining the age of Red-tailed Tropicbirds
> is complicated by our imperfect understanding
> of molt in the species' first plumage cycle,
> by possibly irregular molt schedules, and by
> the occurrence of adult plumage aspects with
> characteristics of juvenal plumage.
>
>* PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.
>* By DAVE KRUEPER.
>* Pp. 311-312.
>* Reflections on the overall health of WFO's
> publications, conferences, and website, plus
> thoughts on methods for diversifying and
> increasing the association's membership.
>
>* INDEX.
>* By PHILIP UNITT.
>* Pp. 315-326.
>* Index by bird species and author to the
> contents of vol. 38 (2007) of Western Birds.
>
>Please note that vols. 1-35 (1970-2004) of Western
>Birds are permanently archived and fully searchable
>online: http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/index.php. The
>service is free to the public, and is made available
>by Western Field Ornithologists (WFO) and the
>Searchable Ornithological Research Archive (SORA).
>More information about WFO is available online:
>http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/. More information about
>the journal Western Birds is also available online:
>http://www.wfo-cbrc.org/journal.html.




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