Hi,

Black-top asphalt roads retain warmth. In other states, rattlesnakes and cattle (Mexico), for example, like to lie on the roads, causing accidents. When I was in Korea in the early 1960's, I almost ran over several humans (farmers or etc.) who were lying on the warm road late at night out in the country.

Phil Hotlen
Bellingham, WA
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Anderson" <billandersonbic at yahoo.com>
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 9:45:07 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] Re: Birds sitting on the road in rural Eastern Washington



Were the surrounding fields snow covered? If so, the birds may have been attracted to the road because it was bare. Perhaps the birds were attracted to the road for warmth, as pavement retains heat better than soil.
Bill Anderson; Edmonds, WA.




From: ECollins <circle2square at yahoo.com>
To: tweeters at u.washington.edu
Sent: Tue, December 14, 2010 5:28:45 PM
Subject: [Tweeters] Birds sitting on the road in rural Eastern Washington


While visiting a friend in Reardan, WA, west of Spokane she mentioned that last Wednesday there were Ring-necked Pheasants sitting on her rural road (during the day) and she was unable to stop before hitting the male. Then later the same night on the same road she hit a flock of Gray Partridges which were flushed from the other lane into hers by oncoming traffic and, unable to stop or swerve, she killed several of them. It was horrible for her and we would very much like to know why she's never seen these birds sitting on her road in the six years she has lived there. They feel confident no one released game birds, the weather wasn't particularly bad for that area, and the birds were not near clusters of trees and wet areas. They drive the road nearly every day so it was really unusual behavior.

Elizabeth Collins
NE Portland


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